One major complaint against Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds, who are currently some of the biggest names in Hollywood, is they play it too safe with their movies. Despite having starred in dramas early in their career, since their rise to fame in Hollywood, both actors have limited themselves in a bubble and are known for playing themselves in most movies.
But things couldn’t be more different with Tom Cruise, arguably the biggest movie star on the planet, and one of the major recipes behind it is the actor’s willingness to learn.
Tom Cruise Is Always Willing to Expand into New Territories
Tom Cruise | Credit: Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount Pictures)
Unlike Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds’ filmography, which feels like an extension of their brand, Tom Cruise has always been in the game following his passion for the art form. While it wasn’t until he was...
But things couldn’t be more different with Tom Cruise, arguably the biggest movie star on the planet, and one of the major recipes behind it is the actor’s willingness to learn.
Tom Cruise Is Always Willing to Expand into New Territories
Tom Cruise | Credit: Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount Pictures)
Unlike Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds’ filmography, which feels like an extension of their brand, Tom Cruise has always been in the game following his passion for the art form. While it wasn’t until he was...
- 6/7/2024
- by Santanu Roy
- FandomWire
Several top stars put their careers on hold and their lives on the line to serve during World War II including Jimmy Stewart, Clark Gable, Henry Fonda, Robert Taylor, Alan Ladd, William Holden, Robert Ryan and Robert Montgomery. And numerous young men who weren’t yet actors during the global conflict including Lee Marvin and Charles Durning saw action and suffered severe injuries.
With the 80th anniversary of D-Day, which was the largest amphibious invasion in military history with five naval assault divisions invading the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, let’s look at some actors who participated in the massive operation.
Charles Durning
The versatile character actor, who earned supporting actor Oscar nominations for 1982’s “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and 1983’s “To Be or Not to Be” and nine Emmy nominations, was just 21 when he was one of the first group of soldiers to land and...
With the 80th anniversary of D-Day, which was the largest amphibious invasion in military history with five naval assault divisions invading the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, let’s look at some actors who participated in the massive operation.
Charles Durning
The versatile character actor, who earned supporting actor Oscar nominations for 1982’s “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and 1983’s “To Be or Not to Be” and nine Emmy nominations, was just 21 when he was one of the first group of soldiers to land and...
- 6/5/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Cinephiles romanticize the New Hollywood era of the late 1960s and most of the 1970s as a time of artistic rebellion during which a batch of young directors and experienced helmers saved Hollywood by connecting with Baby Boomer moviegoers bored with formula Westerns, backlot musicals, and all the other fusty stuff their parents dragged them to throughout their childhood. These artists toyed with genre conventions and film technique to reignite a jaded generation's excitement for the medium at a time when television was becoming an increasingly appealing entertainment option.
It was an incredibly exciting time for movies, but audiences of all ages still had an appetite for good ol' cinematic spectacle. They might've tired of sword-and-sandal epics and widescreen adaptations of Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, but there was nothing wrong with studios spending loads of money to fill the big screen with eye-popping imagery.
And for most of the 1970s,...
It was an incredibly exciting time for movies, but audiences of all ages still had an appetite for good ol' cinematic spectacle. They might've tired of sword-and-sandal epics and widescreen adaptations of Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, but there was nothing wrong with studios spending loads of money to fill the big screen with eye-popping imagery.
And for most of the 1970s,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The highest-paid actors in Hollywood — Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr., Keanu Reeves, and others — could easily command millions of dollars in upfront salary. For Avengers: Endgame, Downey Jr. earned a $20 million upfront salary and a $75 million total income. The precedent for these humongous salaries was Elizabeth Taylor’s upfront salary of $1 million for Cleopatra.
Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame | Marvel Studios
The British-American actress worked in the industry for nearly seven decades. She was cast in Cleopatra after she completed her contract at MGM Studios. 20th Century Fox, who produced the film, recognized her incredible talent and offered her a massive guaranteed salary along with a percentage of the gross profits.
Elizabeth Taylor Became The First Movie Star To Be Paid $1 Million Salary Elizabeth Taylor in a still from Cleopatra | 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox set aside a sum of $2 million for the production of their project Cleopatra.
Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame | Marvel Studios
The British-American actress worked in the industry for nearly seven decades. She was cast in Cleopatra after she completed her contract at MGM Studios. 20th Century Fox, who produced the film, recognized her incredible talent and offered her a massive guaranteed salary along with a percentage of the gross profits.
Elizabeth Taylor Became The First Movie Star To Be Paid $1 Million Salary Elizabeth Taylor in a still from Cleopatra | 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox set aside a sum of $2 million for the production of their project Cleopatra.
- 5/20/2024
- by Hashim Asraff
- FandomWire
“Slow Horses” star Gary Oldman is the frontrunner to win Best Drama Actor at the upcoming Emmys. Oldman earned his first and only Oscar six years ago for his portrayal of World War II-era British prime minister Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour.” That win was sandwiched between two other lead bids for “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” (2012) and “Mank” (2021). His sole Emmy nomination to date came in 2001 for his guest appearance in the two-part seventh season finale of “Friends”; he lost to Derek Jacobi (“Frasier”).
On Apple TV+’s “Slow Horses,” which is based on a series of novels by Mick Herron, Oldman plays Jackson Lamb, a particularly uncouth MI5 officer saddled with the responsibility of supervising a group of service rejects. This constitutes his very first regular role on a continuing series and his first live action TV performance at all in over two decades.
Oldman would be the 12th...
On Apple TV+’s “Slow Horses,” which is based on a series of novels by Mick Herron, Oldman plays Jackson Lamb, a particularly uncouth MI5 officer saddled with the responsibility of supervising a group of service rejects. This constitutes his very first regular role on a continuing series and his first live action TV performance at all in over two decades.
Oldman would be the 12th...
- 5/8/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
When Tony Scott died in 2012, he left behind more than a few unfinished projects, including a remake of Sam Peckinpah’s iconic Western, The Wild Bunch.
L.A. Confidential screenwriter Brian Helgeland was attached to write the script for the remake of The Wild Bunch for Tony Scott, and he spilled a few details about the project while speaking with Inverse, including that it would have been set in the modern day.
“I also wrote 45 pages of The Wild Bunch for Tony to direct before he died. Sadly, I always say that I’m still on page 45 of that project,” Helgeland said. “It’s pretty violent and set in the modern day. The plot revolves around L.A. rampart cops that were being sent to prison, but during the trial, they’re still technically free. So, they decide to head down to Mexico and rob a bank before scattering to the...
L.A. Confidential screenwriter Brian Helgeland was attached to write the script for the remake of The Wild Bunch for Tony Scott, and he spilled a few details about the project while speaking with Inverse, including that it would have been set in the modern day.
“I also wrote 45 pages of The Wild Bunch for Tony to direct before he died. Sadly, I always say that I’m still on page 45 of that project,” Helgeland said. “It’s pretty violent and set in the modern day. The plot revolves around L.A. rampart cops that were being sent to prison, but during the trial, they’re still technically free. So, they decide to head down to Mexico and rob a bank before scattering to the...
- 4/24/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
William Holden was an Oscar-winning performer who starred in dozens of movies, remaining active until his untimely death in 1981. But how many of his titles remain classics? Let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born on April 17, 1918, Holden made his film debut with a starring role in the boxing drama “Golden Boy” (1939) when he was just 21 years old. Though his career lagged for the next decade, he came roaring back with Billy Wilder‘s Hollywood noir “Sunset Boulevard” (1950), playing a struggling screenwriter who becomes involved with a fading, delusional silent film star (Gloria Swanson). The role brought him his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor.
He joined the winner’s circle just three years later with a Best Actor victory for Wilder’s “Stalag 17” (1953), which cast him as a cynical American Pow who’s suspected of being a German informant during WWII.
Born on April 17, 1918, Holden made his film debut with a starring role in the boxing drama “Golden Boy” (1939) when he was just 21 years old. Though his career lagged for the next decade, he came roaring back with Billy Wilder‘s Hollywood noir “Sunset Boulevard” (1950), playing a struggling screenwriter who becomes involved with a fading, delusional silent film star (Gloria Swanson). The role brought him his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor.
He joined the winner’s circle just three years later with a Best Actor victory for Wilder’s “Stalag 17” (1953), which cast him as a cynical American Pow who’s suspected of being a German informant during WWII.
- 4/13/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Damien Thorn is the antichrist, and the trilogy that tells his unholy tale remains popular almost fifty years later. Indeed, while putting together this Omen movie ranked list and revisiting the original franchise, I was surprised at how well the old movies held up. Omen fans will be happy that the series has been restarted in a pretty interesting way this weekend, with The First Omen a surprisingly excellent prequel to the original trilogy (check out our interviews with the director and cast here), even if it takes one large liberty involving Damien’s birth that some fans may have an issue with. So, how do the Omen films rank against each other? Let’s take a look, but remember that the Fox TV movie, Omen IV: The Awakening, is not included, as I’m sticking with feature films.
The Omen (2006):
There’s honestly no reason for this movie to exist.
The Omen (2006):
There’s honestly no reason for this movie to exist.
- 4/7/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Jean-Paul Vignon, the romantic French vocalist and actor who impressed audiences on both sides of the Atlantic during an eight-decade career, died March 22 of liver cancer in Beverly Hills, his family announced. He was 89.
Performing a repertoire of contemporary pop and American standards, Vignon debuted in the U.S. in 1963 at the famed New York supper club The Blue Angel, where he opened for stand-up comic Woody Allen.
Ed Sullivan would soon showcase him on his Sunday night CBS variety show in eight appearances — including one in which he sang a duet with young Liza Minnelli — and he became a regular guest on Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin’s programs.
Signed to Columbia Records, Vignon released his first U.S. album, Because I Love You, in 1964. Three years later, he had a supporting role opposite William Holden and Cliff Robertson in the World War II film The Devil’s Brigade.
In...
Performing a repertoire of contemporary pop and American standards, Vignon debuted in the U.S. in 1963 at the famed New York supper club The Blue Angel, where he opened for stand-up comic Woody Allen.
Ed Sullivan would soon showcase him on his Sunday night CBS variety show in eight appearances — including one in which he sang a duet with young Liza Minnelli — and he became a regular guest on Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin’s programs.
Signed to Columbia Records, Vignon released his first U.S. album, Because I Love You, in 1964. Three years later, he had a supporting role opposite William Holden and Cliff Robertson in the World War II film The Devil’s Brigade.
In...
- 4/3/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
At the inaugural Academy Awards in 1929, native Pennsylvanian Janet Gaynor made history as the first American-born performer to win an Oscar by taking the Best Actress prize for her body of work in “7th Heaven,” “Street Angel,” and “Sunrise.” Over the subsequent 95 years, 215 more thespians originating from the United States won the academy’s favor, meaning the country has now produced 68.1% of all individual acting Oscar recipients. Considering the last decade alone, the rate of such winners is even higher, at 70.3%.
At this point, 96.8% of American-born acting Oscar victors have hailed from one of 34 actual states. Of those constituting the remainder, three originated from the federal District of Columbia, while four were born in the territory of Puerto Rico. New York (home to 49 winners) is the most common birth state among the entire group, followed by California (34), Illinois (13), Massachusetts (11), and Pennsylvania (11).
Bearing in mind our specific birthplace focus, the 16 states...
At this point, 96.8% of American-born acting Oscar victors have hailed from one of 34 actual states. Of those constituting the remainder, three originated from the federal District of Columbia, while four were born in the territory of Puerto Rico. New York (home to 49 winners) is the most common birth state among the entire group, followed by California (34), Illinois (13), Massachusetts (11), and Pennsylvania (11).
Bearing in mind our specific birthplace focus, the 16 states...
- 3/18/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Paul Thomas Anderson’s next film doesn’t yet have a title, but it does have a release date, and it will even open in IMAX theaters.
Warner Bros. has dated the untitled PTA movie for a release on August 8, 2025. The movie officially stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Wood Harris, Alana Haim, and Chase Infiniti.
Anderson is writing, directing, and producing the film, now his 10th narrative feature, with Sara Murphy and Adam Somner also producing.
Warner Bros. is calling PTA’s next movie an “event film,” and its release plans on IMAX are a coup for the director and the studio. Little else is known about it, as Anderson loves working in secrecy, but the film is said to be contemporary in its setting, and it’s felt to be his most “commercial” project to date. The film is currently in production in California.
The...
Warner Bros. has dated the untitled PTA movie for a release on August 8, 2025. The movie officially stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Wood Harris, Alana Haim, and Chase Infiniti.
Anderson is writing, directing, and producing the film, now his 10th narrative feature, with Sara Murphy and Adam Somner also producing.
Warner Bros. is calling PTA’s next movie an “event film,” and its release plans on IMAX are a coup for the director and the studio. Little else is known about it, as Anderson loves working in secrecy, but the film is said to be contemporary in its setting, and it’s felt to be his most “commercial” project to date. The film is currently in production in California.
The...
- 3/12/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
20th Century Studios’ second trailer for The First Omen finds a priest warning a nun to be very careful around one particular orphan. Why? Because bad things will start to happen around her. Evil things.
Servant‘s Nell Tiger Free stars as the nun who feels protective of the peculiar orphan in the prequel to The Omen. The cast also includes Tawfeek Barhom (Mary Magdalene), Sonia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Ralph Ineson (The Northman), Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), and Bill Nighy (Living).
Arkasha Stevenson (Channel Zero) directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Tim Smith and Keith Thomas, based on characters created by David Seltzer. David S. Goyer and Keith Levine served as producers, with Tim Smith, Whitney Brown, and Gracie Wheelan executive producing.
“When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters a darkness that causes...
Servant‘s Nell Tiger Free stars as the nun who feels protective of the peculiar orphan in the prequel to The Omen. The cast also includes Tawfeek Barhom (Mary Magdalene), Sonia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Ralph Ineson (The Northman), Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), and Bill Nighy (Living).
Arkasha Stevenson (Channel Zero) directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Tim Smith and Keith Thomas, based on characters created by David Seltzer. David S. Goyer and Keith Levine served as producers, with Tim Smith, Whitney Brown, and Gracie Wheelan executive producing.
“When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters a darkness that causes...
- 3/11/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Following up her Best Picture-nominated Past Lives, Celine Song has officially unveiled her next feature. Starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal, The Materialists is a romantic comedy that follows “a professional matchmaker who gets involved with a wealthy man but still harbors feelings for the broke actor-waiter she left behind,” Deadline reports. Once again backed by A24, producers Christine Vachon and Pam Koffler of Killer Films, and 2Am’s David Hinojosa, the project is aiming to start shooting this spring, so expect a 2025 release.
Also on the 2025 release calendar is likely Kogonada’s third feature following Columbus and After Yang. Reteaming with Colin Farrell with Margot Robbie also starring, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is said to be an “imaginative tale of two strangers and the unbelievable journey that connects them,” Deadline reports. With production beginning this spring in California, it’ll be Robbie’s second project after Barbie,...
Also on the 2025 release calendar is likely Kogonada’s third feature following Columbus and After Yang. Reteaming with Colin Farrell with Margot Robbie also starring, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey is said to be an “imaginative tale of two strangers and the unbelievable journey that connects them,” Deadline reports. With production beginning this spring in California, it’ll be Robbie’s second project after Barbie,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Deadline is reporting on the new project from Stephen Frears, the director of Dangerous Liasons, The Queen and Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight. Frears is set to make Wilder & Me, which will be a screen adaptation of Jonathan Coe’s popular novel Mr. Wilder and Me. The screenplay for the film will be penned by two-time Oscar winner Christopher Hampton (The Father), with Oscar winner Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor) producing the film. Frears has assembled his impressive cast for the film, which will include Christoph Waltz as legendary movie director Billy Wilder, who has helmed such films as Some Like it Hot and The Apartment. Waltz is set to be joined by Maya Hawke, Jon Hamm and John Turturro.
According to Deadline, “The story starts out during a heady Greek summer, and sees Calista fall in love with cinema and life on a journey of self-discovery. Thrilled by her new adventure,...
According to Deadline, “The story starts out during a heady Greek summer, and sees Calista fall in love with cinema and life on a journey of self-discovery. Thrilled by her new adventure,...
- 2/2/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Maya Hawke and Jon Hamm have joined Christoph Waltz in the starry cast for Stephen Frears’ upcoming drama, Wilder & Me.
Stephen Frears has managed to assemble quite a formidable cast for his upcoming drama, Wilder & Me, based on Jonathan Coe’s novel Mr Wilder And Me.
Christoph Waltz has long been cast in one of the title roles as the legendary director Billy Wilder, who wrote and directed some of America’s all-time great films across his long career – Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend, Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment... we could go on, but there’s a news post we ought to be getting on with.
Wilder & Me’s other major role, though, has gone to Maya Hawke, who’ll play the young composer Calista (essentially the ‘Me’ of the title). The film will be set during the latter stages of Wilder’s career – specifically in late 1970s Greece,...
Stephen Frears has managed to assemble quite a formidable cast for his upcoming drama, Wilder & Me, based on Jonathan Coe’s novel Mr Wilder And Me.
Christoph Waltz has long been cast in one of the title roles as the legendary director Billy Wilder, who wrote and directed some of America’s all-time great films across his long career – Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend, Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment... we could go on, but there’s a news post we ought to be getting on with.
Wilder & Me’s other major role, though, has gone to Maya Hawke, who’ll play the young composer Calista (essentially the ‘Me’ of the title). The film will be set during the latter stages of Wilder’s career – specifically in late 1970s Greece,...
- 2/2/2024
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
Exclusive: Two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds), Stranger Things and Maestro star Maya Hawke, Cannes Best Actor winner John Turturro (Severance), and Emmy winner Jon Hamm (Mad Men) are set to star in Oscar-nominated director Stephen Frears’ (The Queen) Wilder & Me, which will be a buzzy package at this month’s EFM market.
Hawke will play Calista, a young musician whose life takes on a whole new meaning while working on the set of Billy Wilder’s film Fedora. Waltz will play legendary film director Wilder, known for classics including Some Like It Hot, Sunset Boulevard and The Apartment. Turturro will play his lifelong friend and screenwriting partner I.A.L. Diamond. Hamm will play famed actor William Holden.
Described as a “bittersweet drama”, the project has been adapted for the screen by two-time Oscar winner Christopher Hampton (The Father) with Oscar winner Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor) producing and shoot scheduled for early 2025 in Greece.
Hawke will play Calista, a young musician whose life takes on a whole new meaning while working on the set of Billy Wilder’s film Fedora. Waltz will play legendary film director Wilder, known for classics including Some Like It Hot, Sunset Boulevard and The Apartment. Turturro will play his lifelong friend and screenwriting partner I.A.L. Diamond. Hamm will play famed actor William Holden.
Described as a “bittersweet drama”, the project has been adapted for the screen by two-time Oscar winner Christopher Hampton (The Father) with Oscar winner Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor) producing and shoot scheduled for early 2025 in Greece.
- 2/2/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Paul Thomas Anderson has announced his next project, marking his first collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio.
The “Licorice Pizza” auteur is set to write, direct, and produce the upcoming untitled project that co-stars Sean Penn and Regina Hall, among an ensemble cast. Penn previously appeared in “Licorice Pizza” as a loose riff on William Holden.
According to Deadline, the new film will have a “contemporary setting” and “is the most commercial” installment in Anderson’s filmography.
Warner Bros. produces the film, with Anderson reuniting with Warner Bros. Picture Group CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy after working with them while the duo was at MGM, where Anderson’s thrice Oscar-nominated “Licorice Pizza” was produced. De Luca was also behind Anderson’s “Boogie Nights” as the former head of production at New Line Cinema. Variety reported that the budget is estimated to be approaching $100 million.
IndieWire confirmed the project with Warner Bros.
The “Licorice Pizza” auteur is set to write, direct, and produce the upcoming untitled project that co-stars Sean Penn and Regina Hall, among an ensemble cast. Penn previously appeared in “Licorice Pizza” as a loose riff on William Holden.
According to Deadline, the new film will have a “contemporary setting” and “is the most commercial” installment in Anderson’s filmography.
Warner Bros. produces the film, with Anderson reuniting with Warner Bros. Picture Group CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy after working with them while the duo was at MGM, where Anderson’s thrice Oscar-nominated “Licorice Pizza” was produced. De Luca was also behind Anderson’s “Boogie Nights” as the former head of production at New Line Cinema. Variety reported that the budget is estimated to be approaching $100 million.
IndieWire confirmed the project with Warner Bros.
- 1/10/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Indie producer Harry Cohn, brother Jack and their associate Joe Brandt created the CBC Film Sales Company in 1918. And on Jan. 10, 1924, the trio formed the Poverty Row studio, Columbia Pictures. According to Enclyclopedia.com, by the mid-20s “Cohn had gained reputation as one of the industry’s toughest businessmen.” That’s putting it mildly.
Though “B” movies and series such as The Three Stooges, “Blondie” and “The Lone Wolf” were the bread and butter of the studio, Cohn slowly attracted top talent and directors and turned such newcomers as Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, William Holden and Kim Novak into stars.
Frank Capra changed the fortunes of the studio. Signing with Columbia in 1928, he made 25 films for Columbia. His optimistic, common man movies attracted critics and audiences alike during the Depression. His 1934 screwball comedy “It Happened One Night,” penned by Robert Riskin and starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, swept the Oscars winning five.
Though “B” movies and series such as The Three Stooges, “Blondie” and “The Lone Wolf” were the bread and butter of the studio, Cohn slowly attracted top talent and directors and turned such newcomers as Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, William Holden and Kim Novak into stars.
Frank Capra changed the fortunes of the studio. Signing with Columbia in 1928, he made 25 films for Columbia. His optimistic, common man movies attracted critics and audiences alike during the Depression. His 1934 screwball comedy “It Happened One Night,” penned by Robert Riskin and starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, swept the Oscars winning five.
- 1/8/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
When Harry Met Sally (courtesy Columbia Pictures)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Whether it’s the tension of the countdown, the promise of romance, or simply the idea of letting go of the past and moving on into an unknown future, there’s just something about New Year’s Eve that brings on new revelations,...
Whether it’s the tension of the countdown, the promise of romance, or simply the idea of letting go of the past and moving on into an unknown future, there’s just something about New Year’s Eve that brings on new revelations,...
- 12/29/2023
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Oscar-nominated actor Ryan O’Neal, who came to prominence on TV’s ‘Peyton Place’ and became a top star of the 1970s in films including ‘Love Story’, ‘What’s Up, Doc?’, ‘Paper Moon’ and ‘Barry Lyndon’, died on Friday, his son Patrick said on Instagram. He was 82.
Ryan was diagnosed with chronic leukaemia in 2001 and with prostate cancer in 2012. “Ryan was a very generous man who has always been there to help his loved ones for decade upon decade,” his son wrote, reports Variety.
“My dad was 82, and lived a kick ass life. I hope the first thing he brags about in Heaven is how he sparred 2 rounds with Joe Frazier in 1966, on national TV, with Muhammad Ali doing the commentary, and went toe to toe with Smokin’ Joe”, he added.
In later years, Ryan’s acting work often took a backseat to media coverage on his personal travails, involving his combative...
Ryan was diagnosed with chronic leukaemia in 2001 and with prostate cancer in 2012. “Ryan was a very generous man who has always been there to help his loved ones for decade upon decade,” his son wrote, reports Variety.
“My dad was 82, and lived a kick ass life. I hope the first thing he brags about in Heaven is how he sparred 2 rounds with Joe Frazier in 1966, on national TV, with Muhammad Ali doing the commentary, and went toe to toe with Smokin’ Joe”, he added.
In later years, Ryan’s acting work often took a backseat to media coverage on his personal travails, involving his combative...
- 12/9/2023
- by Agency News Desk
Oscar-nominated actor Ryan O’Neal, who came to prominence on TV’s “Peyton Place” and became a top star of the 1970s in films including “Love Story,” “What’s Up, Doc?,” “Paper Moon” and “Barry Lyndon,” died Friday, his son Patrick said on Instagram. He was 82.
O’Neal was diagnosed with chronic leukemia in 2001 and with prostate cancer in 2012.
“Ryan was a very generous man who has always been there to help his loved ones for decade upon decade,” his son wrote. “My dad was 82, and lived a kick ass life. I hope the first thing he brags about in Heaven is how he sparred 2 rounds with Joe Frazier in 1966, on national TV, with Muhammad Ali doing the commentary, and went toe to toe with Smokin’ Joe.”
In later years, O’Neal’s acting work often took a backseat to media coverage on his personal travails, involving his combative relationship with longtime companion Farrah Fawcett,...
O’Neal was diagnosed with chronic leukemia in 2001 and with prostate cancer in 2012.
“Ryan was a very generous man who has always been there to help his loved ones for decade upon decade,” his son wrote. “My dad was 82, and lived a kick ass life. I hope the first thing he brags about in Heaven is how he sparred 2 rounds with Joe Frazier in 1966, on national TV, with Muhammad Ali doing the commentary, and went toe to toe with Smokin’ Joe.”
In later years, O’Neal’s acting work often took a backseat to media coverage on his personal travails, involving his combative relationship with longtime companion Farrah Fawcett,...
- 12/8/2023
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
‘Shane’ celebrates 70th anniversary with Academy Museum screening and Christopher Nolan conversation
There are many films that have quotable last lines such as “After all, tomorrow is another day” from “Gone with the Wind.” And who can forget Humphrey Bogart telling Claude Rains: “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” But the beloved 1953 George Stevens’ Western “Shane” perhaps has one of the most endearing and emotional final lines. Young Joey (Brandon De Wilde) wants his idol, the former gunslinger Shane (Alan Ladd), to stay with his family. But the wounded hero continues to ride off.
“Shane………come back,” Joey cries out.
Be prepared to bring you handkerchiefs to the Academy Museum’s 70th anniversary screening Dec 10 at the David Geffen Theatre. Ladd, in his strongest performance, plays a world-weary gunslinger who wants to hang up his six-shooter. He ends up working for an honest, struggling rancher Joe, (Van Heflin), his wife Marian (Jean Arthur) and young son...
“Shane………come back,” Joey cries out.
Be prepared to bring you handkerchiefs to the Academy Museum’s 70th anniversary screening Dec 10 at the David Geffen Theatre. Ladd, in his strongest performance, plays a world-weary gunslinger who wants to hang up his six-shooter. He ends up working for an honest, struggling rancher Joe, (Van Heflin), his wife Marian (Jean Arthur) and young son...
- 12/7/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
There are films you watched every time they pop up on TCM or streaming services. It’s like visiting an old friend. These movies put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. And one such film is “Charade,” which celebrates its 60th anniversary on Dec. 5. Deftly directed by Stanley Donen from a fun and thrilling Peter Stone screenplay, “Charade” stars Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn who exude a William Powell/Myrna Loy style chemistry that leaps off the screen. And let’s not forget that gorgeous Henry Mancini score, the romantic Oscar-nominated title tune “Charade,” with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and the pulsating Saul Bass title sequence.
I saw “Charade” when it was released, and I’ve probably seen it at least 15 more times. And each time seems like the first. Not many films have that kind of power. A 2010 Criterion Collection article by film historian...
I saw “Charade” when it was released, and I’ve probably seen it at least 15 more times. And each time seems like the first. Not many films have that kind of power. A 2010 Criterion Collection article by film historian...
- 12/6/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
(Welcome to Did They Get It Right?, a series where we look at Oscars categories from yesteryear and examine whether the Academy's winners stand the test of time.)
With all the milestones that have occurred throughout the 95-year history of the Academy Awards, there are still plenty of accomplishments that have not transpired. No Black woman has ever been nominated for Best Director, and no Black person has ever won that category. No animated film has ever won Best Picture, and no documentary has ever been nominated. I do believe all of these things will eventually happen in the future. As the diversity of the industry steadily increases and Academy membership gradually expands, these sorts of things must happen as time moves on.
But there is one thing I remain skeptical about when it comes to Oscars milestones. It has nothing to do with representation, nor does it have to...
With all the milestones that have occurred throughout the 95-year history of the Academy Awards, there are still plenty of accomplishments that have not transpired. No Black woman has ever been nominated for Best Director, and no Black person has ever won that category. No animated film has ever won Best Picture, and no documentary has ever been nominated. I do believe all of these things will eventually happen in the future. As the diversity of the industry steadily increases and Academy membership gradually expands, these sorts of things must happen as time moves on.
But there is one thing I remain skeptical about when it comes to Oscars milestones. It has nothing to do with representation, nor does it have to...
- 11/12/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
Robert Butler, the Emmy-winning, go-to pilot director who helmed the first episodes of such acclaimed shows as Batman, Star Trek, Hill Street Blues and Moonlighting, died Nov. 3 in Los Angeles, his family announced. He was 95.
Butler also co-created the Pierce Brosnan-starring Remington Steele (and helmed its pilot, of course), directed the first episode of Hogan’s Heroes in 1965, and called the first shots and set the tone for, Glenn Gordon Caron’s Moonlighting, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Sisters and The Division.
In 1973, he directed the William Holden-starring The Blue Knight — the first four-hour television miniseries — at NBC and then got the CBS series adaptation of the Joseph Wambaugh novel that starred George Kennedy off on the right foot.
Butler also helmed two episodes of The Twilight Zone (the fifth-season installments “Caesar and Me,” starring his old friend, Jackie Cooper, and “The Encounter”) and worked on The Dick Van Dyke Show,...
Butler also co-created the Pierce Brosnan-starring Remington Steele (and helmed its pilot, of course), directed the first episode of Hogan’s Heroes in 1965, and called the first shots and set the tone for, Glenn Gordon Caron’s Moonlighting, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Sisters and The Division.
In 1973, he directed the William Holden-starring The Blue Knight — the first four-hour television miniseries — at NBC and then got the CBS series adaptation of the Joseph Wambaugh novel that starred George Kennedy off on the right foot.
Butler also helmed two episodes of The Twilight Zone (the fifth-season installments “Caesar and Me,” starring his old friend, Jackie Cooper, and “The Encounter”) and worked on The Dick Van Dyke Show,...
- 11/11/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Quentin Tarantino is one of the most influential and distinctive filmmakers of our time. His movies are known for their stylish violence, witty dialogue, eclectic soundtracks, and homages to various genres and eras of cinema. He has also been vocal about his admiration for other filmmakers and their works, often citing them as inspirations or influences for his own projects.
In a recent interview, Tarantino revealed his list of seven perfect movies that he considers flawless and masterful in every aspect. He said that these movies are “the ones that I go, ‘Ok, this is as good as a movie can get.’ And I don’t think I can do any better than that.”
CineArticles decided to rank these seven perfect movies according to their own criteria and preferences. Here is their list, from the least to the most perfect movie picked by Tarantino:
7. The Wild Bunch (1969) The Wild Bunch...
In a recent interview, Tarantino revealed his list of seven perfect movies that he considers flawless and masterful in every aspect. He said that these movies are “the ones that I go, ‘Ok, this is as good as a movie can get.’ And I don’t think I can do any better than that.”
CineArticles decided to rank these seven perfect movies according to their own criteria and preferences. Here is their list, from the least to the most perfect movie picked by Tarantino:
7. The Wild Bunch (1969) The Wild Bunch...
- 7/29/2023
- by amalprasadappu
- https://thecinemanews.online/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_4649
William Holden may have won his only Academy Award for Billy Wilder’s “Stalag 17,” but he wasn’t the first choice to play Sefton, the cynical sergeant who is a one-man black market at a German Pow camp. Originally, Charlton Heston was going to headline the film. Heston was red-hot at the time coming off his flashy starring role in Cecil B. DeMille’s Oscar winning 1952 circus epic “The Great Show on Earth.” But as Wilder and co-writer Edwin Blum were working on the script for the film, which premiered on July 1, 1953 in New York and two weeks later in Los Angeles, the character became darker and more disparaging; They realized Heston wasn’t right for the part
The AFI catalog noted that supposedly Wilder went to Kirk Douglas who had starred in Wilder’s 1951 “Ace in the Hole,” a masterpiece that flopped badly when released. After he turned...
The AFI catalog noted that supposedly Wilder went to Kirk Douglas who had starred in Wilder’s 1951 “Ace in the Hole,” a masterpiece that flopped badly when released. After he turned...
- 7/3/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Max announces programming coming to the platform this July, including the debut of the Max Original limited series Full Circle (7/13), from director Steven Soderbergh and writer Ed Solomon, which tells the story of an investigation into a botched kidnapping that uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters and cultures in present day New York City. The six-episode limited series stars Zazie Beetz, Claire Danes, Jim Gaffigan, Jharrel Jerome, Timothy Olyphant, Cch Pounder, Phaldut Sharma, Adia, Sheyi Cole, Gerald Jones, Suzanne Savoy, Ethan Stoddard, Lucian Zanes and Dennis Quaid.
The third and final season of the HBO Original docu-comedy series How To With John Wilson (7/28) follows documentary filmmaker and self-described “anxious New Yorker” John Wilson as he continues his heartfelt mission of self-discovery, exploration, and observation as he films the lives of his fellow New Yorkers while attempting to give everyday advice on six new deceptively simple and wildly random topics. Building upon season two,...
The third and final season of the HBO Original docu-comedy series How To With John Wilson (7/28) follows documentary filmmaker and self-described “anxious New Yorker” John Wilson as he continues his heartfelt mission of self-discovery, exploration, and observation as he films the lives of his fellow New Yorkers while attempting to give everyday advice on six new deceptively simple and wildly random topics. Building upon season two,...
- 6/24/2023
- by TV Shows Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid - TV
Billy Wilder was the six-time Oscar winner who left behind a series of classically quotable features from Hollywood’s Golden Age, crafting sharp witted and darkly cynical stories that blended comedy and pathos in equal measure. Let’s take a look back at 25 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Wilder was born to a family of Austrian Jews in 1906. After working as a journalist, he developed an interest in filmmaking and collaborated on the silent feature “People on Sunday” (1929) with fellow rookies Fred Zinnemann, Robert Siodmak and Edgar G. Ulmer. With the rise of Adolph Hitler, Wilder fled to Paris, where he co-directed the feature “Mauvaise Graine” (1934). Tragically, his mother, stepfather and grandmother all died in the Holocaust.
After moving to Hollywood, Wilder enjoyed a successful career as a screenwriter, earning Oscar nominations for penning 1939’s “Ninotchka” and 1941’s “Hold Back the Dawn” and “Ball of Fire.” He...
Wilder was born to a family of Austrian Jews in 1906. After working as a journalist, he developed an interest in filmmaking and collaborated on the silent feature “People on Sunday” (1929) with fellow rookies Fred Zinnemann, Robert Siodmak and Edgar G. Ulmer. With the rise of Adolph Hitler, Wilder fled to Paris, where he co-directed the feature “Mauvaise Graine” (1934). Tragically, his mother, stepfather and grandmother all died in the Holocaust.
After moving to Hollywood, Wilder enjoyed a successful career as a screenwriter, earning Oscar nominations for penning 1939’s “Ninotchka” and 1941’s “Hold Back the Dawn” and “Ball of Fire.” He...
- 6/17/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Photograph by Courtesy of HBO HBO Original two-part documentary The Golden Boy, directed by award-winning filmmaker Fernando Villena (HBO’s “Dear Rider” and “Any One of Us”), debuts Monday, July 24 (9:00 p.m. Et/Pt), followed by part two on July 25 at the same time on HBO. Both episodes will be available to stream on Max beginning July 24. The Golden Boy will celebrate its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Festival. By the age of 19, Oscar De La Hoya was an Olympic boxing gold medalist, a multi-world title-winning professional boxer, a hometown hero and a role model to his Mexican-American community in East Los Angeles. Nicknamed “The Golden Boy,” De La Hoya – with his good looks, electric charisma, and heartfelt story of winning Olympic gold for his dying mother — rocketed to national prominence as a superstar both in and outside the ring. But all was not what it appeared to be behind that polished facade.
- 6/9/2023
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Boxer Oscar De La Hoya opens up and shares his personal struggles for the first time in HBO’s The Golden Boy. In the first trailer for the two-part documentary, the Olympic gold medalist reveals the last 45 years of his life have been pretty dark, and now he’s ready to address his true emotions and lay out his story without any sugarcoating.
The Golden Boy premieres on HBO on July 24, 2023 at 9pm Et/Pt, followed by part two on July 25.
Fernando Villena directed the documentary and Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Archie Gips, Mario Lopez, Jeffrey Stearns, and David Wendell executive produce. Additional executive producers include HBO’s Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Bentley Weiner.
The Plot:
By the age of 19, Oscar De La Hoya was an Olympic boxing gold medalist, a multi-world title-winning professional boxer, a hometown hero and a role model to his Mexican-American community in East Los Angeles.
The Golden Boy premieres on HBO on July 24, 2023 at 9pm Et/Pt, followed by part two on July 25.
Fernando Villena directed the documentary and Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Archie Gips, Mario Lopez, Jeffrey Stearns, and David Wendell executive produce. Additional executive producers include HBO’s Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Bentley Weiner.
The Plot:
By the age of 19, Oscar De La Hoya was an Olympic boxing gold medalist, a multi-world title-winning professional boxer, a hometown hero and a role model to his Mexican-American community in East Los Angeles.
- 6/9/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
HBO Original two-part documentary The Golden Boy, directed by award-winning filmmaker Fernando Villena (HBO’s “Dear Rider” and “Any One of Us”), debuts Monday, July 24 (9:00 p.m. Et/Pt), followed by part two on July 25 at the same time on HBO. Both episodes will be available to stream on Max beginning July 24. The Golden Boy will celebrate its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Festival.
Synopsis: By the age of 19, Oscar De La Hoya was an Olympic boxing gold medalist, a multi-world title-winning professional boxer, a hometown hero and a role model to his Mexican-American community in East Los Angeles. Nicknamed “The Golden Boy,” De La Hoya – with his good looks, electric charisma, and heartfelt story of winning Olympic gold for his dying mother — rocketed to national prominence as a superstar both in and outside the ring. But all was not what it appeared to be behind that polished facade.
Synopsis: By the age of 19, Oscar De La Hoya was an Olympic boxing gold medalist, a multi-world title-winning professional boxer, a hometown hero and a role model to his Mexican-American community in East Los Angeles. Nicknamed “The Golden Boy,” De La Hoya – with his good looks, electric charisma, and heartfelt story of winning Olympic gold for his dying mother — rocketed to national prominence as a superstar both in and outside the ring. But all was not what it appeared to be behind that polished facade.
- 6/9/2023
- by TV Shows Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid - TV
Since making his screen debut at age eight opposite his father, Lloyd Bridges, on TV’s “Sea Hunt,” Jeff Bridges has enjoyed an acting career that now spans a whopping 65 years. His resume mainly consists of film roles, but he has occasionally ventured back to the small screen, most recently as the star of “The Old Man.” Having already picked up Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for his performance on the FX series, he is naturally one of the strongest contenders for this year’s Best Drama Actor Emmy. If his likely bid results in a victory, the Best Actor Oscar winner will join a distinguished group of leading men who were lauded by the film and then TV academies.
Bridges earned his first and only Oscar 13 years ago for his portrayal of recovering alcoholic country singer Bad Blake in “Crazy Heart.” He had previously...
Bridges earned his first and only Oscar 13 years ago for his portrayal of recovering alcoholic country singer Bad Blake in “Crazy Heart.” He had previously...
- 5/26/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Volker Schlöndorff, director of the Oscar and Palme d’Or winning The Tin Drum (adapted from Günter Grass’s novel Die Blechtrommel) with Anne-Katrin Titze on Jonathan Coe’s research on a Billy Wilder film for Mr. Wilder And Me: “I told him everything I knew about Fedora and the shooting of Fedora in Munich.” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Jonathan Coe’s imaginative and savvy novel, Mr. Wilder & Me, which centres on the making of Billy Wilder’s penultimate movie, Fedora, seen through the lens of a fictional Greek composer named Calista, credits Volker Schlöndorff as an important source.
Jonathan Coe’s Mr. Wilder And Me (Europa Editions), collection Anne-Katrin Titze Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
I met Volker at the Austrian Cultural Forum’s Hedy Lamarr: Actress. Inventor. Viennese exhibition to discuss his role in the research for the novel, which led us into a wide-ranging conversation that included his documentary series Billy,...
Jonathan Coe’s imaginative and savvy novel, Mr. Wilder & Me, which centres on the making of Billy Wilder’s penultimate movie, Fedora, seen through the lens of a fictional Greek composer named Calista, credits Volker Schlöndorff as an important source.
Jonathan Coe’s Mr. Wilder And Me (Europa Editions), collection Anne-Katrin Titze Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
I met Volker at the Austrian Cultural Forum’s Hedy Lamarr: Actress. Inventor. Viennese exhibition to discuss his role in the research for the novel, which led us into a wide-ranging conversation that included his documentary series Billy,...
- 5/25/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
At this point, it's probably not a spoiler to say that a key "Yellowjackets" character is alive and somewhat well. That character is Vanessa "Van" Palmer (Lauren Ambrose and Liv Hewton), and if we're being honest, she's kind of living the best life out of all the show's plane crash survivors. Why is that? Well, she has her own video and DVD rental business, While You Were Streaming, smack dab in the middle of an undisclosed Pennsylvanian town. If you are even the slightest bit familiar with the work we do here at Slash Film dot com, it shouldn't be a surprise that we consider this the best possible fate to have.
What also isn't surprising is that Van has very good taste in movies, and also knows a thing or two about Hollywood's bizarre queer history. That's because While You Were Streaming is filled with Easter eggs to mainstream queer cinema,...
What also isn't surprising is that Van has very good taste in movies, and also knows a thing or two about Hollywood's bizarre queer history. That's because While You Were Streaming is filled with Easter eggs to mainstream queer cinema,...
- 4/21/2023
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
“I’m what they call a straight shooter. If you say to me, ‘How am I?,’ I don’t say, ‘Oh, I’m fine, thank you.’ I tell you how I am, whether you want to hear it or not.” Discussing everything from California’s air quality index to toothbrushing technique proves to be perfect icebreaker for this particular straight shooter, actress Nancy Olson Livingston, the last living star of Billy Wilder’s storied Hollywood fable “Sunset Boulevard.”
Such a range of topics is fitting for the conversation at hand, about the memoir the Oscar nominee has written: “A Front Row Seat: An Intimate Look at Broadway, Hollywood and the Age of Glamour.” Livingston, now approaching 95, is not one to hold back or hide her opinions; she’s equally candid about her own life as she is about politics and the environment.
Her frankness gives insight into why Billy Wilder cast her,...
Such a range of topics is fitting for the conversation at hand, about the memoir the Oscar nominee has written: “A Front Row Seat: An Intimate Look at Broadway, Hollywood and the Age of Glamour.” Livingston, now approaching 95, is not one to hold back or hide her opinions; she’s equally candid about her own life as she is about politics and the environment.
Her frankness gives insight into why Billy Wilder cast her,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Michael Kogge
- Indiewire
Warner Bros. has already celebrated its centennial with a segment during the Academy Awards, the publication of a studio-supported book (Warner Bros.: 100 Years of Storytelling) and, most recently, a barrage of festivities emanating from Turner Classic Movies. TCM’s programming for all of April is being devoted to Warners films, and at the 14th annual TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, running April 13-16, many studio masterpieces, some recently restored and remastered, will be shown on big screens around town. Here are 10 that this THR Hollywood history buff highly recommends.
Footlight Parade (1933)
Ninety years ago, during the depths of the Great Depression, Americans sought escape from their troubles with light movies like this backstage musical. Directed by Lloyd Bacon, starring James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler and highlighted by some of choreographer Busby Berkeley’s most kaleidoscopic dance numbers, it was a giant hit at the box office.
Footlight Parade (1933)
Ninety years ago, during the depths of the Great Depression, Americans sought escape from their troubles with light movies like this backstage musical. Directed by Lloyd Bacon, starring James Cagney, Joan Blondell, Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler and highlighted by some of choreographer Busby Berkeley’s most kaleidoscopic dance numbers, it was a giant hit at the box office.
- 4/12/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s no big deal these days when veteran film stars appear on the small screen such as Harrison Ford, who headlines two vastly different series this season, the hard-hitting Western “1923” on Paramount + and the Apple TV +’s comedy “Shrinking.” And two-time Oscar-winner Robert De Niro is set to star in his first TV series “Zero Day” on Netflix. But 50 years ago, it was major news when stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood took the plunge into the small screen waters.
Four-time Oscar-winning legend Katharine Hepburn made her TV debut in ABC’s acclaimed version of Tennessee Williams’ 1944 classi play “The Glass Menagerie.” The drama, which catapulted Williams to fame, reunited Kate with her “The Lion in Winter” director Anthony Harvey. She won an Oscar under his guidance for the 1968 “Lion,” and she earned an Emmy nomination for her haunting turn as Amanda in “Glass Menagerie.” The...
Four-time Oscar-winning legend Katharine Hepburn made her TV debut in ABC’s acclaimed version of Tennessee Williams’ 1944 classi play “The Glass Menagerie.” The drama, which catapulted Williams to fame, reunited Kate with her “The Lion in Winter” director Anthony Harvey. She won an Oscar under his guidance for the 1968 “Lion,” and she earned an Emmy nomination for her haunting turn as Amanda in “Glass Menagerie.” The...
- 4/12/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Sharon Acker, the Canadian actress who portrayed Lee Marvin’s unfaithful wife in the 1967 neo-noir classic Point Blank and the right-hand woman Della Street opposite Monte Markham on a rebooted Perry Mason in the 1970s, has died. She was 87.
Acker died March 16 in a retirement home in her native Toronto, her daughter Kim Everest, a casting director, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Star Trek fans know Acker for her January 1969 turn as Odona, a desperate woman from an overpopulated planet, on the third-season episode “The Mark of Gideon.”
She also starred on a 1976-77 CBS adaptation of Executive Suite, playing the wife of Mitchell Ryan‘s Dan Walling. (Acker and Ryan assumed the parts performed by William Holden and June Allyson in the 1954 MGM film directed by Robert Wise.)
In John Boorman’s Point Blank, Acker’s character takes up with John Vernon’s Mal Reese after he shoots Walker (Marvin...
Acker died March 16 in a retirement home in her native Toronto, her daughter Kim Everest, a casting director, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Star Trek fans know Acker for her January 1969 turn as Odona, a desperate woman from an overpopulated planet, on the third-season episode “The Mark of Gideon.”
She also starred on a 1976-77 CBS adaptation of Executive Suite, playing the wife of Mitchell Ryan‘s Dan Walling. (Acker and Ryan assumed the parts performed by William Holden and June Allyson in the 1954 MGM film directed by Robert Wise.)
In John Boorman’s Point Blank, Acker’s character takes up with John Vernon’s Mal Reese after he shoots Walker (Marvin...
- 4/1/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Church bells are ringing, the choir's singing, and your true love is walking down the aisle. One of the happiest — but most stressful — days of every couple's lives has been great fodder for filmmakers for decades. Whether they're watching Audrey Hepburn's charm and beauty threaten William Holden's nuptials, Andi MacDowell and Hugh Grant attend multiple weddings (and one funeral), or Andy Samberg relive the same ceremony over and over again, viewers young and old alike love to laugh and cry at wedding movies.
These movies' success comes down to flexibility; there are countless narrative possibilities associated with a momentous occasion like a wedding. While we watch a couple commit to until-death-do-us-part, the screen can radiate immense love and joy, or immediate dread and regret. Laughter can fill a banquet hall just as easily as the sound of a jilted lover's tears. So, dust off that tuxedo and puff up that bridesmaid dress,...
These movies' success comes down to flexibility; there are countless narrative possibilities associated with a momentous occasion like a wedding. While we watch a couple commit to until-death-do-us-part, the screen can radiate immense love and joy, or immediate dread and regret. Laughter can fill a banquet hall just as easily as the sound of a jilted lover's tears. So, dust off that tuxedo and puff up that bridesmaid dress,...
- 3/25/2023
- by Rachel Ho
- Slash Film
James Hong, 94, stole the show on the red carpet at the 95th Academy Awards Sunday night, posing for the cameras and wearing a bow tie with googly eyes as a nod to his role in the Oscar-winning film Everything Everywhere All At Once.
He plays Michelle Yeoh‘s father in the critically acclaimed multiverse film.
In an interview with ABC, Hong stated that this was his first time attending the Oscars in his 70-year acting career.
“This movie Everything Everywhere All at Once gave me the chance to be here today. I started with Clark Gable, Bill Holden and John Wayne. The first three movies I had nothing. I just had little small bits, but it takes perseverance through all these years to make it, and do my 500 movies and TV and et cetera, and I’m here!”
At the SAG Awards, he said 70 years ago, producers would say that...
He plays Michelle Yeoh‘s father in the critically acclaimed multiverse film.
In an interview with ABC, Hong stated that this was his first time attending the Oscars in his 70-year acting career.
“This movie Everything Everywhere All at Once gave me the chance to be here today. I started with Clark Gable, Bill Holden and John Wayne. The first three movies I had nothing. I just had little small bits, but it takes perseverance through all these years to make it, and do my 500 movies and TV and et cetera, and I’m here!”
At the SAG Awards, he said 70 years ago, producers would say that...
- 3/13/2023
- by Alex Nguyen
- Uinterview
The SAG Awards often match the Oscars for acting pretty closely, so when “Everything Everywhere All at Once” achieved an unprecedented clean sweep of all its categories including three individual acting races, the immediate question became, can it do the same thing at the Oscars? Only two films in history have ever won three acting trophies.
See‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ or ‘Everything Everywhere’ would be 9th film to win both supporting acting Oscars
“A Streetcar Named Desire” was the first. Adapted from Tennessee Williams‘s play, the 1951 film won Best Actress (Vivien Leigh), Best Supporting Actor (Karl Malden), and Best Supporting Actress (Kim Hunter). The only award it lost was Best Actor for arguably the film’s most iconic performance by Marlon Brando. That award went instead to Humphrey Bogart for “The African Queen.”
Then 1976’s “Network” pulled off the same feat, winning three awards out of a remarkable five acting nominations.
See‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ or ‘Everything Everywhere’ would be 9th film to win both supporting acting Oscars
“A Streetcar Named Desire” was the first. Adapted from Tennessee Williams‘s play, the 1951 film won Best Actress (Vivien Leigh), Best Supporting Actor (Karl Malden), and Best Supporting Actress (Kim Hunter). The only award it lost was Best Actor for arguably the film’s most iconic performance by Marlon Brando. That award went instead to Humphrey Bogart for “The African Queen.”
Then 1976’s “Network” pulled off the same feat, winning three awards out of a remarkable five acting nominations.
- 3/12/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Having already won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in “Elvis,” Austin Butler is on a solid path to triumphing on his first Oscar nomination. His film, which covers the entirety of the titular rock star’s two-decade career, boasts a talented cast that includes past Oscar winner Tom Hanks, who collected back-to-back Best Actor trophies for “Philadelphia” (1994) and “Forrest Gump” (1995). He missed out on a supporting bid for “Elvis,” but if Butler clinches the lead award, Hanks will become the 15th man to have acted in a film that won the same Oscar he previously received.
Hanks has a total of five Best Actor nominations to his name, with the three unsuccessful ones having come for his work in “Big” (1989), “Saving Private Ryan” (1999), and “Cast Away” (2001). Until Butler was recognized for “Elvis,” Hanks had never appeared in a film for which someone...
Hanks has a total of five Best Actor nominations to his name, with the three unsuccessful ones having come for his work in “Big” (1989), “Saving Private Ryan” (1999), and “Cast Away” (2001). Until Butler was recognized for “Elvis,” Hanks had never appeared in a film for which someone...
- 3/7/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” has had a great couple of days. The Oscar frontrunner won the top prize at the Producers Guild of America Awards on Saturday, proving that it can conquer the preferential ballot. The next day, it pulled off a historic sweep at Screen Actors Guild Awards with a record four wins for ensemble, lead actress for Michelle Yeoh, supporting actor for Ke Huy Quan and supporting actress for Jamie Lee Curtis. The triple individual wins — also a first for a film in SAG Awards history — were unexpected as Curtis upset odds-on favorite Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”), but they just speak to the movie’s strength. They also tee it up for a never-before-seen above-the-line sweep at the Oscars: “Everything Everywhere” can be the first film to win Best Picture, Best Director, a screenplay award and three acting prizes.
The multiversal hit is the runaway...
The multiversal hit is the runaway...
- 3/2/2023
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
As we approach O-Day and the 95th Academy Awards on March 12, it’s always fun to go back and look at the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories and revel in some of the trivia and shockers that have gone down on the awards season’s biggest stage. This is the rare year when Meryl Streep isn’t in the running, as her 21 overall nominations in the acting categories are nearly double the number of her closest female pursuer, Katherine Hepburn, who has 12. However, Hepburn still holds the all-time Oscar record with four acting wins. Streep has a mere three.
Here are some other actress category factoids to chew on:
Should Cate Blanchett win Best Actress this year for her role in “Tar,” she would tie Streep, Ingrid Bergman and Frances McDormand for second place behind Hepburn among actresses with three triumphs apiece. All four of Hepburn’s wins...
Here are some other actress category factoids to chew on:
Should Cate Blanchett win Best Actress this year for her role in “Tar,” she would tie Streep, Ingrid Bergman and Frances McDormand for second place behind Hepburn among actresses with three triumphs apiece. All four of Hepburn’s wins...
- 2/28/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
When it comes to prisoner of war stories, few are as remarkable as "The Great Escape." During World War II, the inmates of Stalag Luft III in modern-day Poland embarked on a grand plan to dig not just one but three tunnels out of the camp. The goal was to bust out over 200 men and cause disruption to the Nazi war effort by tying up as many resources as possible trying to recapture them. It was no easy task, however, as the camp was specially designed to be escape-proof: the huts were raised above the ground to deter digging and built on sandy earth to make any efforts to disperse hundred tons of soil excavated from the tunnels obvious to the guards.
Nevertheless, the team, overseen by "Big X" Roger Bushell and his escape committee, largely made up of British servicemen and others from around the Commonwealth, displayed remarkable ingenuity...
Nevertheless, the team, overseen by "Big X" Roger Bushell and his escape committee, largely made up of British servicemen and others from around the Commonwealth, displayed remarkable ingenuity...
- 2/26/2023
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
John Wayne earned two Oscar nominations for Sands of Iwo Jima and The Alamo before finally taking home the win for 1969’s True Grit. His eyepatch-wearing performance as Rooster Cogburn became one of the most iconic images in Hollywood history, although there was some talk that the Oscar win was meant more as a “career award” than for the individual performance. However, that honor should have been for playing J.B. Books in The Shootist.
‘The Shootist’ actor John Wayne tackled mortality and dignity John Wayne as J.B. Books | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The Shootist found Wayne playing an older gunfigther after he travels to Nevada at the turn of the 20th century. He’s diagnosed with cancer, deciding to stay in town and die with as much dignity as possible, seeking peace in his final days.
J.B. Books rents a room from a widowed Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) and her son,...
‘The Shootist’ actor John Wayne tackled mortality and dignity John Wayne as J.B. Books | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The Shootist found Wayne playing an older gunfigther after he travels to Nevada at the turn of the 20th century. He’s diagnosed with cancer, deciding to stay in town and die with as much dignity as possible, seeking peace in his final days.
J.B. Books rents a room from a widowed Bond Rogers (Lauren Bacall) and her son,...
- 2/23/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
True Grit actor John Wayne finally earned his first Oscar, which the cast and crew of Rio Bravo wanted to celebrate. He was often criticized for his signature acting style, which came across more as playing himself than disappearing into another character. Nevertheless, he undeniably drew from a loyal fan base. Wayne had a nice surprise, along with support from his colleagues on his next set.
John Wayne won his only Oscar for ‘True Grit’ John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Wayne first officially considered himself an actor with his stunning performance as Thomas Dunson in Red River. However, he thought his performance in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon represented some of his best work. Nevertheless, Wayne didn’t earn an Oscar nomination for either of those films.
The movie star scored his first Oscar nomination for playing Sgt. John M. Stryker in Sands of Iwo Jima,...
John Wayne won his only Oscar for ‘True Grit’ John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Wayne first officially considered himself an actor with his stunning performance as Thomas Dunson in Red River. However, he thought his performance in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon represented some of his best work. Nevertheless, Wayne didn’t earn an Oscar nomination for either of those films.
The movie star scored his first Oscar nomination for playing Sgt. John M. Stryker in Sands of Iwo Jima,...
- 2/15/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
John Wayne once described himself as "just the paint for the palettes" of directors like John Ford and Howard Hawks, the filmmakers who steered him in films such as "Stagecoach" and "Red River." Such modesty was characteristic of "The Duke," whom Orson Welles described as one of the best-mannered actors in Hollywood. Yet Wayne was doing himself a disservice, for while he did benefit from the tutelage of two great filmmakers, he also worked long and hard to create the persona of "John Wayne," a figure with a distinctive gait, an easy drawl, and tough morality.
To explore the career of John Wayne is to explore five decades of Hollywood history. Wayne acted opposite everyone from Barbara Stanwyck and Maureen O'Hara to Henry Fonda, James Stewart, and Kirk Douglas. The list of directors he worked with is just as impressive, too.
So, where does one start with John Wayne, both...
To explore the career of John Wayne is to explore five decades of Hollywood history. Wayne acted opposite everyone from Barbara Stanwyck and Maureen O'Hara to Henry Fonda, James Stewart, and Kirk Douglas. The list of directors he worked with is just as impressive, too.
So, where does one start with John Wayne, both...
- 2/1/2023
- by Jack Hawkins
- Slash Film
In a missive sent around to 2022’s Oscar nominees, stars were told to “read the room” when delivering speeches at the Academy Awards this month. Translation: Get off the stage before the orchestra is forced to awkwardly play you out.
In 1943, Greer Garson set a Guinness World Record for Longest Oscars Acceptance Speech, with her address upon accepting her Best Actress award forMrs Miniver clocking in at five and a half minutes.
Garson isn’t the only winner guilty of indulgence though. Hilary Swank, Adrien Brody and Al Pacino have all ignored the 45-second limit and consequently found themselves at the receiving end of a passive aggressive “Will you wrap this up?” stare.
Some actors, however, know that not every story needs to be so long and that brevity is an undervalued quality. Franklin D Roosevelt’s adage – “Be sincere, be brief, be seated” – could very well be the tagline for this year’s ceremony.
In 1943, Greer Garson set a Guinness World Record for Longest Oscars Acceptance Speech, with her address upon accepting her Best Actress award forMrs Miniver clocking in at five and a half minutes.
Garson isn’t the only winner guilty of indulgence though. Hilary Swank, Adrien Brody and Al Pacino have all ignored the 45-second limit and consequently found themselves at the receiving end of a passive aggressive “Will you wrap this up?” stare.
Some actors, however, know that not every story needs to be so long and that brevity is an undervalued quality. Franklin D Roosevelt’s adage – “Be sincere, be brief, be seated” – could very well be the tagline for this year’s ceremony.
- 1/30/2023
- by Annabel Nugent
- The Independent - Film
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