It’s always fascinating when a movie with a top star, and directed by another star, goes as far under the radar as Steve Buscemi‘s “The Listener,” starring Tessa Thompson, has.
But in the case of this particularly gentle movie — available on VOD now for $6.99 — maybe that’s part of its DNA. Like the mental health helpline operator Thompson plays, this is a movie that’s there if you need it: Quiet, thoughtful, and totally shunning the kind of splashiness that most movies are thought to require these days to stand out.
“The Listener” premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2022, where it was the closing night film of the Venice Days sidebar. On April 13, it was the closing night film of the Sarasota Film Festival, out of competition — in this over 18-month festival journey, it’s also made stops at the festivals in Vienna, Thessaloniki, Stockholm, The Hague,...
But in the case of this particularly gentle movie — available on VOD now for $6.99 — maybe that’s part of its DNA. Like the mental health helpline operator Thompson plays, this is a movie that’s there if you need it: Quiet, thoughtful, and totally shunning the kind of splashiness that most movies are thought to require these days to stand out.
“The Listener” premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2022, where it was the closing night film of the Venice Days sidebar. On April 13, it was the closing night film of the Sarasota Film Festival, out of competition — in this over 18-month festival journey, it’s also made stops at the festivals in Vienna, Thessaloniki, Stockholm, The Hague,...
- 4/20/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Jodie Foster On Robert Downey Jr. (Photo Credit – Instagram)
Whoever works with Robert Downey Jr has something interesting to say about it. Some celebrities praise his dedication, while some can’t get enough of his wit and attitude. Now, director-actress Jodie Foster has something to say about the Iron Man star. Foster talked about how she was concerned about his career during his initial days when he was dealing with drug addiction, months before his career sank. She also praised Robert for his work ethic now.
Jodie Foster and Robert Downey Jr worked together in 1995 for the film Home For The Holidays. Jodie directed the family comedy-drama, which stars Rdj, Holly Hunter, Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Dylan McDermott and others. In an interview, Foster recalls her conversation with the Avengers: Endgame actor while working on the film.
Robert Downey Jr in Home For The Holidays
Trending Oscar Winner Robert Downey...
Whoever works with Robert Downey Jr has something interesting to say about it. Some celebrities praise his dedication, while some can’t get enough of his wit and attitude. Now, director-actress Jodie Foster has something to say about the Iron Man star. Foster talked about how she was concerned about his career during his initial days when he was dealing with drug addiction, months before his career sank. She also praised Robert for his work ethic now.
Jodie Foster and Robert Downey Jr worked together in 1995 for the film Home For The Holidays. Jodie directed the family comedy-drama, which stars Rdj, Holly Hunter, Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Dylan McDermott and others. In an interview, Foster recalls her conversation with the Avengers: Endgame actor while working on the film.
Robert Downey Jr in Home For The Holidays
Trending Oscar Winner Robert Downey...
- 4/9/2024
- by Pooja Darade
- KoiMoi
Jodie Foster opened up to Esquire magazine as part of its Robert Downey Jr. cover story about what it was like directing him in the 1995 Thanksgiving comedy “Home for the Holidays.” The film marked Foster’s second outing as a feature film director after 1991’s “Little Man Tate.” Production kicked off in early 1995, which overlapped with Downey’s addiction struggles. He’d be arrested the following year for possession of heroin, cocaine and an unloaded gun.
At one point during the production of “Home for the Holidays,” Foster “took him aside” and told Downey: “Look, I couldn’t be more grateful for what you’ve given in this film. But I’m scared of what happens to you next. Right now you are incredibly good at balancing on the barstool. But it’s really precarious, and I’m not sure how that’s going to end.”
“What was so interesting...
At one point during the production of “Home for the Holidays,” Foster “took him aside” and told Downey: “Look, I couldn’t be more grateful for what you’ve given in this film. But I’m scared of what happens to you next. Right now you are incredibly good at balancing on the barstool. But it’s really precarious, and I’m not sure how that’s going to end.”
“What was so interesting...
- 4/8/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
At the fifth annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 1953, Helen Hayes won the Best Actress award, thereby becoming the first performer to ever achieve the Triple Crown of Acting. This past Oscar and Tony recipient had now won all three of the American entertainment industry’s most prestigious acting prizes, demonstrating remarkable talent across film, stage, and television. Over the years, 14 women and nine men have followed in her footsteps. Scroll through our photo gallery to learn which two dozen entertainers belong to this exclusive group.
To be included on this list, an individual must have won each award in a competitive acting category. This excludes, for example, James Earl Jones, who was lauded with an honorary Oscar in addition to competitive Emmys and Tonys. Also left out are artists like Mel Brooks, John Legend, and Elton John, all or some of whose wins from the three organizations were for non-acting achievements.
To be included on this list, an individual must have won each award in a competitive acting category. This excludes, for example, James Earl Jones, who was lauded with an honorary Oscar in addition to competitive Emmys and Tonys. Also left out are artists like Mel Brooks, John Legend, and Elton John, all or some of whose wins from the three organizations were for non-acting achievements.
- 4/5/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Plot: The life and career of Gene Wilder are remembered by his friends and colleagues.
Review: Gene Wilder was a one-of-a-kind talent. While it seems like he’s mostly remembered these days for playing Willy Wonka (with his performance inspiring Timothee Chalamet’s recent take), there was a lot more to him than just that one film. For one thing, his cinematic partnership with Mel Brooks resulted in three all-time classics: The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. Plus, he and Richard Pryor made an iconic mismatched duo in a slew of films (some better than others), while Wilder directed several highly successful films on his own.
In this loving tribute to the late icon, director Ron Frank pulls back the curtain to dip into both Wilder’s creative process and sometimes tragic life. Pulling from an audiobook he recorded of his memoirs, the film is distinguished because Wilder himself tells much of the story.
Review: Gene Wilder was a one-of-a-kind talent. While it seems like he’s mostly remembered these days for playing Willy Wonka (with his performance inspiring Timothee Chalamet’s recent take), there was a lot more to him than just that one film. For one thing, his cinematic partnership with Mel Brooks resulted in three all-time classics: The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. Plus, he and Richard Pryor made an iconic mismatched duo in a slew of films (some better than others), while Wilder directed several highly successful films on his own.
In this loving tribute to the late icon, director Ron Frank pulls back the curtain to dip into both Wilder’s creative process and sometimes tragic life. Pulling from an audiobook he recorded of his memoirs, the film is distinguished because Wilder himself tells much of the story.
- 3/22/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Mel Brooks’s Young Frankenstein, co-written with Gene Wilder (seen here with Marty Feldman and Teri Garr) inspired Tony McNamara’s screenplay adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s novel for Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things (Oscar wins for Emma Stone and costume designer Holly Waddington).
By using well-chosen excerpts from the audiobook of Gene Wilder’s autobiography, Kiss Me Like A Stranger, Ron Frank lets Wilder himself guide us through the documentary, by positioning him in dialogue with many friends and colleagues assembled here, most prominently Mel Brooks, who directed Wilder in a number of groundbreaking movies. We find out how the two met, because Anne Bancroft, starring at the time on stage in Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage (with Wilder as the Chaplain), was dating Brooks, who was looking for an actor to play Leo Bloom in what was to become The Producers. The two men clicked, as they both recall,...
By using well-chosen excerpts from the audiobook of Gene Wilder’s autobiography, Kiss Me Like A Stranger, Ron Frank lets Wilder himself guide us through the documentary, by positioning him in dialogue with many friends and colleagues assembled here, most prominently Mel Brooks, who directed Wilder in a number of groundbreaking movies. We find out how the two met, because Anne Bancroft, starring at the time on stage in Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage (with Wilder as the Chaplain), was dating Brooks, who was looking for an actor to play Leo Bloom in what was to become The Producers. The two men clicked, as they both recall,...
- 3/21/2024
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
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
Andor, Moon Knight, Obi Wan and The Falcon And The Winter Soldier are getting a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release in the UK.
As we reported a week or two back, Disney has been lining up another bunch of its Disney+ Marvel and Star Wars TV shows for physical media release. It started this last year with a bunch of limited edition 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Steelbooks that appeared to go down rather well, and it’d been announced that more titles were heading to the US at least.
Well, we can now confirm that those releases are also coming to the UK as well, and we’ve got dates for them as well. All four of them! Best stop waffling on and get to the point.
This particular run kicks off then with a bit of Marvel, in the shape of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. The UK...
As we reported a week or two back, Disney has been lining up another bunch of its Disney+ Marvel and Star Wars TV shows for physical media release. It started this last year with a bunch of limited edition 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Steelbooks that appeared to go down rather well, and it’d been announced that more titles were heading to the US at least.
Well, we can now confirm that those releases are also coming to the UK as well, and we’ve got dates for them as well. All four of them! Best stop waffling on and get to the point.
This particular run kicks off then with a bit of Marvel, in the shape of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. The UK...
- 3/18/2024
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
Clockwise from top left: This Is Me... Now: A Love Story (Prime Video), Red Rocket (A24), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount)Image: The A.V. Club
Amazon’s Prime Video kicks off February with a summer blockbuster, a new “narrative-driven cinematic odyssey” from Jennifer Lopez, and a bunch of...
Amazon’s Prime Video kicks off February with a summer blockbuster, a new “narrative-driven cinematic odyssey” from Jennifer Lopez, and a bunch of...
- 2/3/2024
- by Robert DeSalvo
- avclub.com
A fresh set of actors are about to be enrolled in what the film series cast cheekily nicknamed ‘the Harry Potter Pension plan’. US streamer Max’s plan to re-adapt the Potter books into a TV show running for 10 consecutive years and starting in 2025/6 should keep the lucky new cast in greasepaint and copies of The Stage indefinitely.
But who will they be? Lead characters Harry, Ron and Hermione will almost certainly be played by unknowns, but the Hogwarts ensemble – Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Hagrid and co. – will be picked from the current crop of British acting talent, just like their counterparts were over two decades ago. Who working today could follow in the footsteps of Sir Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Dame Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane and the rest?
While it’s too early for any solid cast news, there’s no harm in a bit of dream-casting at this point,...
But who will they be? Lead characters Harry, Ron and Hermione will almost certainly be played by unknowns, but the Hogwarts ensemble – Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Hagrid and co. – will be picked from the current crop of British acting talent, just like their counterparts were over two decades ago. Who working today could follow in the footsteps of Sir Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Dame Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane and the rest?
While it’s too early for any solid cast news, there’s no harm in a bit of dream-casting at this point,...
- 2/3/2024
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
For the second time in six years, the Best Actress category looked to be on track to feature nominees from films nominated for Best Picture. But just like six years ago, it came up short — and it once again involved Margot Robbie.
Annette Bening (“Nyad”), Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Sandra Hüller (“Anatomy of a Fall”), Carey Mulligan (“Maestro”) and Emma Stone (“Poor Things”) made the Best Actress cut on Tuesday. Every film but “Nyad” is nominated for Best Picture. Gladstone, Hüller, Mulligan and Stone were all expected to get in, but Bening was in seventh place in the odds. Now a five-time nominee, she made it in over Robbie, who was in fifth place in the odds and headlines Best Picture nominee “Barbie” (Robbie is nominated as producer).
Six years ago, it was the reverse situation with Robbie. She earned her first career Oscar nomination for her...
Annette Bening (“Nyad”), Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Sandra Hüller (“Anatomy of a Fall”), Carey Mulligan (“Maestro”) and Emma Stone (“Poor Things”) made the Best Actress cut on Tuesday. Every film but “Nyad” is nominated for Best Picture. Gladstone, Hüller, Mulligan and Stone were all expected to get in, but Bening was in seventh place in the odds. Now a five-time nominee, she made it in over Robbie, who was in fifth place in the odds and headlines Best Picture nominee “Barbie” (Robbie is nominated as producer).
Six years ago, it was the reverse situation with Robbie. She earned her first career Oscar nomination for her...
- 1/24/2024
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Oscar-nominated film director and producer Norman Jewison, who steered the 1967 racial drama “In the Heat of the Night” to a best picture Oscar and also helmed such popular films as “Moonstruck,” “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming” and “The Thomas Crown Affair,” as well as film musicals “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Jesus Christ Superstar,” died Saturday at his Los Angeles residence. He was 97.
His film career began with fluffy Doris Day comedies like “The Thrill of It All.” But Jewison’s social conscience began to surface with “In the Heat of the Night” and, later, the labor union drama “F.I.S.T.” and other films focusing on racial tensions such as “A Soldier’s Story” and “The Landlord” (the latter of which he only produced), though he never abandoned comedies and romances.
Jewison had his share of box office hits and was usually attuned to the audience pulse, but did...
His film career began with fluffy Doris Day comedies like “The Thrill of It All.” But Jewison’s social conscience began to surface with “In the Heat of the Night” and, later, the labor union drama “F.I.S.T.” and other films focusing on racial tensions such as “A Soldier’s Story” and “The Landlord” (the latter of which he only produced), though he never abandoned comedies and romances.
Jewison had his share of box office hits and was usually attuned to the audience pulse, but did...
- 1/22/2024
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
The American Film Institute (AFI) has officially announced the eight filmmakers for the upcoming AFI Dww+ Class of 2025 program, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the program. IndieWire announces it here.
The AFI Dww+ is a year-long directing program that supports women and traditionally underrepresented narrative filmmakers through the production cycle of a short film, providing hands-on instruction led by industry experts. The short films completed in the workshop will premiere at the annual Dww+ Showcase in Spring 2025.
AFI Dww alum Hanelle M. Culpepper, who made history helming the “Star Trek: Picard” pilot and recently directed a block of episodes for “Star Wars: The Acolyte,” is this year’s AFI Dww+ Guest Artistic Director. Culpepper will oversee and direct the artistic curriculum and serve as a mentor for the Dww+ participants through their production cycle and the industry showcase, and act as an ambassador on behalf of the program.
“I remember...
The AFI Dww+ is a year-long directing program that supports women and traditionally underrepresented narrative filmmakers through the production cycle of a short film, providing hands-on instruction led by industry experts. The short films completed in the workshop will premiere at the annual Dww+ Showcase in Spring 2025.
AFI Dww alum Hanelle M. Culpepper, who made history helming the “Star Trek: Picard” pilot and recently directed a block of episodes for “Star Wars: The Acolyte,” is this year’s AFI Dww+ Guest Artistic Director. Culpepper will oversee and direct the artistic curriculum and serve as a mentor for the Dww+ participants through their production cycle and the industry showcase, and act as an ambassador on behalf of the program.
“I remember...
- 1/22/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Dame Maureen Lipman, star of films including The Pianist and Educating Rita, has hit out at BAFTA over its decision to offer award-winners gender-neutral prizes.
Writing in The Spectator magazine, Lipman branded BAFTA “Dafta” after winners were given the option to have “performer” engraved on their mask plaque as opposed to actor or actress.
BAFTA has had the policy in place for a number of years, but it was spotlighted last week in The Times after longlists were published for the film awards.
BAFTA continues to have best actor and actress categories, meaning there is no change in how its awards are presented to winners.
Lipman wrote a diary piece in The Spectator about watching The Graduate. “Was there ever a better directed movie or, in Anne Bancroft, a sexier, darker, more restrained actress?” she asked.
Lipman added: “Yes, you heard me: actress, you numbskulls at Bafta. Not a ‘performer’, as you now label us.
Writing in The Spectator magazine, Lipman branded BAFTA “Dafta” after winners were given the option to have “performer” engraved on their mask plaque as opposed to actor or actress.
BAFTA has had the policy in place for a number of years, but it was spotlighted last week in The Times after longlists were published for the film awards.
BAFTA continues to have best actor and actress categories, meaning there is no change in how its awards are presented to winners.
Lipman wrote a diary piece in The Spectator about watching The Graduate. “Was there ever a better directed movie or, in Anne Bancroft, a sexier, darker, more restrained actress?” she asked.
Lipman added: “Yes, you heard me: actress, you numbskulls at Bafta. Not a ‘performer’, as you now label us.
- 1/12/2024
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Director William Friedkin and producer/screenwriter William Peter Blatty enjoyed having fun with Warner Bros. executives during the production of “The Exorcist.” The Oscar-winning horror masterpiece celebrates its 50th anniversary Dec. 26 “We always put them on,” Friedkin told me in a 2018 L.A. Times interview “They were always concerned that we were both crazy and would eventually implode the movie. So, we staged blowups in front of them, where it looked like we were fiercely arguing over the most minute, meaningless details.”
“The Exorcist” was shot in Iraq, New York City and Georgetown in Washington, D.C. But Warners wanted the film to be made at the studio in Burbank and to “shoot day for night, so we didn’t get into night shooting,” said Friedkin, who died this past August at 87.”I I said ‘no’ to everything, I said things like ‘Why shoot day for night? Why don’t we...
“The Exorcist” was shot in Iraq, New York City and Georgetown in Washington, D.C. But Warners wanted the film to be made at the studio in Burbank and to “shoot day for night, so we didn’t get into night shooting,” said Friedkin, who died this past August at 87.”I I said ‘no’ to everything, I said things like ‘Why shoot day for night? Why don’t we...
- 12/26/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Nothing defined New Hollywood quite like "The Graduate," and for very good reason. The film was chock full of innovation, from the salacious script to the ground-breaking cinematography, but the movie might be best remembered for its incredible cast. The coming-of-age classic features career-defining performances from Anne Bancroft, already a huge star at the time, and Dustin Hoffman, the best actor ever, in one of the first major roles of his long and storied career.
The 1967 film follows Ben, a recent college graduate (as the film's title implies) with an uncertain future and a community of expectant WASPs to answer to. In his summertime languor, he finds his way into the waiting arms of Mrs. Robinson, a middle-aged family friend who persistently pursues our passive hero into his sexual awakening.
Quite a lot of time has passed since 1967. The world is almost unrecognizable now, and yet, today's 20-somethings can still...
The 1967 film follows Ben, a recent college graduate (as the film's title implies) with an uncertain future and a community of expectant WASPs to answer to. In his summertime languor, he finds his way into the waiting arms of Mrs. Robinson, a middle-aged family friend who persistently pursues our passive hero into his sexual awakening.
Quite a lot of time has passed since 1967. The world is almost unrecognizable now, and yet, today's 20-somethings can still...
- 12/25/2023
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
Disney’s reputation is notoriously squeaky clean.
The beloved company has provided family-friendly fun for decades, with live-action favorites and animated classics spanning back to the 1930s.
As a powerful force in the industry and one of Hollywood’s biggest studios, the company expanded its reach over the years with film distribution companies, like Touchstone Pictures, Miramax, Searchlight Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution.
The movies often featured more adult themes than one would expect from the company. Because they are published by subsidiaries, the titles are all only indirectly Disney-related – but they still fall under the major studio’s umbrella anyway.
Find out which R-rated movies reside within the Disney brand…
The Woman in the Window (2021)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Starring: Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie
Plot summary: An agoraphobic woman begins to spy on her new neighbors, and is witness to a crime in their apartment.
Down and Out in Beverly Hills...
The beloved company has provided family-friendly fun for decades, with live-action favorites and animated classics spanning back to the 1930s.
As a powerful force in the industry and one of Hollywood’s biggest studios, the company expanded its reach over the years with film distribution companies, like Touchstone Pictures, Miramax, Searchlight Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution.
The movies often featured more adult themes than one would expect from the company. Because they are published by subsidiaries, the titles are all only indirectly Disney-related – but they still fall under the major studio’s umbrella anyway.
Find out which R-rated movies reside within the Disney brand…
The Woman in the Window (2021)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Starring: Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie
Plot summary: An agoraphobic woman begins to spy on her new neighbors, and is witness to a crime in their apartment.
Down and Out in Beverly Hills...
- 12/5/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
May December is a psychological drama film directed by Todd Haynes, from a screenplay by Samy Burch. The Netflix film is based on a story by Burch and Alex Mechanik. It revolves around an actress Elizabeth Berry as she arrives in Savannah, Georgia to research her new role of Gracie Atherton-Yoo, who was part of a nationwide scandal in 1992. Gracie was caught having sex with 13-year-old Joe. Now, both of them lead a perfect suburban life as a married couple but after the arrival of Elizabeth, some long-dormant feelings bubble up. May December stars Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, and Charles Melton in the lead roles. So, if you loved the Netflix film here are some similar movies you could watch next.
American Beauty Credit – DreamWorks Pictures
Synopsis: Lester’s wife hates him, his daughter Jane regards him with contempt, and his boss is positioning him for the axe. …look closer...
American Beauty Credit – DreamWorks Pictures
Synopsis: Lester’s wife hates him, his daughter Jane regards him with contempt, and his boss is positioning him for the axe. …look closer...
- 12/2/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
In 1964 Barbra Streisand became a star when she opened the original Broadway production of “Funny Girl” as real-life actress, singer and comedian Fanny Brice. Despite rave reviews, she ended up losing the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical to Carol Channing for “Hello, Dolly!” But in 1968 Babs made her motion picture debut in a film adaptation of “Funny Girl” directed by William Wyler, reprising her role as Fanny. She went on to win the Oscar for Best Actress (famously in a tie with Katharine Hepburn for “The Lion in Winter”). In 1970 Eileen Heckart was Tony nominated for her featured performance as Mrs. Baker in “Butterflies are Free,” but lost to her co-star Blythe Danner. But in 1972 Heckart reprised her role in a film adaptation, which won her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
SEERay Richmond: Oprah discusses taking her ‘The Color Purple’ journey full circle following Thursday night world...
SEERay Richmond: Oprah discusses taking her ‘The Color Purple’ journey full circle following Thursday night world...
- 11/29/2023
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
Disney’s reputation is notoriously squeaky clean.
The beloved company has provided family-friendly fun for decades, with live-action favorites and animated classics spanning back to the 1930s.
As a powerful force in the industry and one of Hollywood’s biggest studios, the company expanded its reach over the years with film distribution companies, like Touchstone Pictures, Miramax, Searchlight Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution.
The movies often featured more adult themes than one would expect from the company. Because they are published by subsidiaries, the titles are all only indirectly Disney-related – but they still fall under the major studio’s umbrella anyway.
Find out which R-rated movies reside within the Disney brand…
The Woman in the Window (2021)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Starring: Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie
Plot summary: An agoraphobic woman begins to spy on her new neighbors, and is witness to a crime in their apartment.
Down and Out in Beverly Hills...
The beloved company has provided family-friendly fun for decades, with live-action favorites and animated classics spanning back to the 1930s.
As a powerful force in the industry and one of Hollywood’s biggest studios, the company expanded its reach over the years with film distribution companies, like Touchstone Pictures, Miramax, Searchlight Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution.
The movies often featured more adult themes than one would expect from the company. Because they are published by subsidiaries, the titles are all only indirectly Disney-related – but they still fall under the major studio’s umbrella anyway.
Find out which R-rated movies reside within the Disney brand…
The Woman in the Window (2021)
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Starring: Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Anthony Mackie
Plot summary: An agoraphobic woman begins to spy on her new neighbors, and is witness to a crime in their apartment.
Down and Out in Beverly Hills...
- 11/13/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
by Eric Blume
It’s always fun when “the conversation” starts to brew for Oscar nominations every year, seeing which actors are gaining traction for a potential nomination. What’s interesting this year is that there are an unusually high number of actors who currently have four acting nominations under their belt who all stand good-to-great chances of joining The Five Club with nods this year. Five Oscar nominations is a big deal. Only 22 actors currently have five, and the names are among some of our best from older Hollywood, to the modern age to contemporary. It’s very nice company to be in.
Let’s take a look at the actors who stand a very real shot of being a part of The Five Club this year…...
It’s always fun when “the conversation” starts to brew for Oscar nominations every year, seeing which actors are gaining traction for a potential nomination. What’s interesting this year is that there are an unusually high number of actors who currently have four acting nominations under their belt who all stand good-to-great chances of joining The Five Club with nods this year. Five Oscar nominations is a big deal. Only 22 actors currently have five, and the names are among some of our best from older Hollywood, to the modern age to contemporary. It’s very nice company to be in.
Let’s take a look at the actors who stand a very real shot of being a part of The Five Club this year…...
- 11/5/2023
- by EricB
- FilmExperience
On December 26, 1973, horror fans endured long lines for the theatrical premiere of The Exorcist – a film that’s now considered by many to be the scariest movie ever made. Directed by William Friedkin and based on the bestselling novel by William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist broke box office records in its first week of release. Theater employees reported that moviegoers were passing out, becoming ill, and heading for the exits before the credits rolled because the subject matter was so disturbing and intense.
The creation of the classic horror film, which is the gold standard for movies dealing with possession and the devil, begins with Blatty’s novel published in 1971. Blatty’s story focused on a 12-year-old girl named Regan MacNeil who went from a happy-go-lucky, horse-loving preteen to a foul-mouthed, head-spinning nightmare after being possessed by a demon. Coming to Regan’s rescue were two Catholic priests who eventually...
The creation of the classic horror film, which is the gold standard for movies dealing with possession and the devil, begins with Blatty’s novel published in 1971. Blatty’s story focused on a 12-year-old girl named Regan MacNeil who went from a happy-go-lucky, horse-loving preteen to a foul-mouthed, head-spinning nightmare after being possessed by a demon. Coming to Regan’s rescue were two Catholic priests who eventually...
- 10/6/2023
- by Kevin Finnerty
- Showbiz Junkies
Giuliano Montaldo, the admired Italian filmmaker who wrote and directed Sacco & Vanzetti, the John Cassavetes-starring Machine Gun McCain and every episode of the big-budget 1982 miniseries Marco Polo, has died. He was 93.
Montaldo died Wednesday at his home in Rome, his family announced.
His big-screen résumé also included The Reckless (1965), starring Renato Salvatori; Grand Slam (1967), starring Janet Leigh; Giordano Bruno (1973), starring Gian Maria Volonté and Charlotte Rampling; And Agnes Chose to Die (1976), starring Ingrid Thulin; and The Gold Rimmed Glasses (1987), starring Philippe Noiret, Rupert Everett, Stefania Sandrelli and Valeria Golino.
Of the 20 films Montaldo helmed, 16 were set to music by Ennio Morricone; no other director collaborated with the famed composer more.
Montaldo also served as president of Italy’s Rai Cinema from 1999-2004.
Montaldo’s gangster tale Machine Gun McCain (1969), which also starred Britt Ekland, Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk, and Sacco & Vanzetti (1971), about the Massachusetts trial and 1927 execution of...
Montaldo died Wednesday at his home in Rome, his family announced.
His big-screen résumé also included The Reckless (1965), starring Renato Salvatori; Grand Slam (1967), starring Janet Leigh; Giordano Bruno (1973), starring Gian Maria Volonté and Charlotte Rampling; And Agnes Chose to Die (1976), starring Ingrid Thulin; and The Gold Rimmed Glasses (1987), starring Philippe Noiret, Rupert Everett, Stefania Sandrelli and Valeria Golino.
Of the 20 films Montaldo helmed, 16 were set to music by Ennio Morricone; no other director collaborated with the famed composer more.
Montaldo also served as president of Italy’s Rai Cinema from 1999-2004.
Montaldo’s gangster tale Machine Gun McCain (1969), which also starred Britt Ekland, Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk, and Sacco & Vanzetti (1971), about the Massachusetts trial and 1927 execution of...
- 9/6/2023
- by Alberto Crespi
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spoiler Alert: The following contains details about the first two episodes of Disney+/Lucasfilm’s Ahsoka, “Master and Apprentice” and “Toil and Trouble”.
We’ve seen the spunk, force and determination of such Star Wars heroines as Princess Leia Organa and Rey, but behold the power of Ahsoka Tano, Sabine Wren and Hera Syndulla in what is Disney+ and Lucasfilm’s most potent live-action female spirited Star Wars series yet. It’s truly a glass-breaking series in the Star Wars universe with its female protagonists not relegated to second fiddle, but truly taking full control of the galaxy — on both the light and the dark side.
Ahsoka, created by Dave Filoni, based on the characters from the Star Wars animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels continues to build on the tone and energy of the original George Lucas trilogy, a style which has easily seeped...
We’ve seen the spunk, force and determination of such Star Wars heroines as Princess Leia Organa and Rey, but behold the power of Ahsoka Tano, Sabine Wren and Hera Syndulla in what is Disney+ and Lucasfilm’s most potent live-action female spirited Star Wars series yet. It’s truly a glass-breaking series in the Star Wars universe with its female protagonists not relegated to second fiddle, but truly taking full control of the galaxy — on both the light and the dark side.
Ahsoka, created by Dave Filoni, based on the characters from the Star Wars animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels continues to build on the tone and energy of the original George Lucas trilogy, a style which has easily seeped...
- 8/23/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
“Star Wars has that special feel where it’s something that’s only heard in our universe,” notes Matthew Wood of the iconic sounds of the franchise. So with the recent work on Disney+ series in the “Star Wars” galaxy, he and Scott R. Lewis needed to ensure that the classic sound design was “going to be paid homage to as well as create new places for it to go.” The Television Academy clearly enjoyed those new places, as Wood and Lewis received Emmy nominations for sound editing and sound mixing, respectively, for both “The Mandalorian” and “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
“It’s great being part of the toolbox,” notes Wood, the library of effects at his disposal at Skywalker Sound. “All these new directors coming in who have their vision…but they also want it to feel connected to Star Wars, and sound really is...
“It’s great being part of the toolbox,” notes Wood, the library of effects at his disposal at Skywalker Sound. “All these new directors coming in who have their vision…but they also want it to feel connected to Star Wars, and sound really is...
- 8/14/2023
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)
"I love horror movies because people who make horror movies are still ostracized a bit in Hollywood. Like, we're thought of as lesser." This was said by ridiculously successful filmmaker Jason Blum, the head of Blumhouse Productions, earlier this year to IGN. The man, largely through low-budget horror movies, has amassed mega-franchises and more than $5 billion at the box office, including the Oscar-winning "Get Out." Yet, in the year 2023, even he feels that horror is still viewed as inferior in the business. Just imagine how it looked 50 years ago. That's what director William Friedkin was facing when he made "The Exorcist."
Friedkin, who passed away earlier this week at 87, was at the helm of what remains arguably the most beloved and --...
"I love horror movies because people who make horror movies are still ostracized a bit in Hollywood. Like, we're thought of as lesser." This was said by ridiculously successful filmmaker Jason Blum, the head of Blumhouse Productions, earlier this year to IGN. The man, largely through low-budget horror movies, has amassed mega-franchises and more than $5 billion at the box office, including the Oscar-winning "Get Out." Yet, in the year 2023, even he feels that horror is still viewed as inferior in the business. Just imagine how it looked 50 years ago. That's what director William Friedkin was facing when he made "The Exorcist."
Friedkin, who passed away earlier this week at 87, was at the helm of what remains arguably the most beloved and --...
- 8/13/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
"If the Americans throw us to the dogs, I will not be taken alive." Bleecker Street has revealed an official US trailer for the film Golda, a drama about the Israeli prime minister Golda Meir. It premiered at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival earlier this year to mixed-to-negative reviews, as it's a rather dull & dry film. The film focuses on the intensely dramatic & high-stakes responsibilities & decisions that Golda Meir, also known as the "Iron Lady of Israel", faced during the Yom Kippur War (in 1973 – aka the Arab–Israeli War). Berlinale adds: "An almost unrecognizable Helen Mirren brings to life one of the most iconic and influential political leaders of the twentieth century, previously played by Ingrid Bergman on TV and Anne Bancroft on stage. Meir was a woman at the centre of a dramatic geopolitical episode, in a potentially fatal moment for her country, surrounded by men: her generals Dayan, Elazar,...
- 7/25/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Lawrence Turman Dies: Oscar-Nominated Producer Of ‘The Graduate’, ‘American History X’ & More Was 96
Oscar-nominated producer Lawrence Turman died Saturday at the Motion Picture and Television Country Home and Hospital. He was 96. He had a stellar career not only as a producer of such seminal films as The Graduate (1967), The Great White Hope (1970), American History X (1998) and many more in a producing career that lasted six decades, but he also took a significant turn when he left his partnership with producer David Foster to head the prestigious Peter Stark Producing Program at USC in 1991, an association that continued until his retirement just two years ago.
His son, John Turman, confirmed the death to Deadline. “Our father Lawrence Turman passed away late yesterday,” he said. “It’s sad, but he had a long and storied life, and it’s the passing of an era.” He added that the MPTF is planning a memorial service as well as USC at a later date.
Related: Hollywood & Media...
His son, John Turman, confirmed the death to Deadline. “Our father Lawrence Turman passed away late yesterday,” he said. “It’s sad, but he had a long and storied life, and it’s the passing of an era.” He added that the MPTF is planning a memorial service as well as USC at a later date.
Related: Hollywood & Media...
- 7/3/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
When I was a little kid in the 1960s and a teen in the 1970s, there was simply no one cooler than Mel Brooks. He was the guy (along with Buck Henry) who created and wrote the comedy masterpiece “Get Smart,” and even as a child I could recognize the genius behind it. While I was a little too young to appreciate the greatness of his 1967 directorial debut, “The Producers”, once the ’70s rolled around I was in comedy heaven thanks to “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein.” Those two classics of big screen comedy came out the same year: 1974.
As a result, I spent much of that year as a high school sophomore and junior laughing my proverbial butt off in movie theaters (those things we used to frequent prior to the advent of streaming technology). The campfire farting scene in “Bs” was my generation’s comedic colossus.
I lost...
As a result, I spent much of that year as a high school sophomore and junior laughing my proverbial butt off in movie theaters (those things we used to frequent prior to the advent of streaming technology). The campfire farting scene in “Bs” was my generation’s comedic colossus.
I lost...
- 6/28/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
When the 2022 Primetime Emmy nominations were revealed, Rhea Seehorn and Sydney Sweeney both had the honor of seeing their names come up twice. In addition to landing slots in the Best Drama Supporting Actress lineup for “Better Call Saul” and “Euphoria,” respectively, Seehorn (“Cooper’s Bar”) also competed for Best Short Form Actress while Sweeney (“The White Lotus”) was included among the Best Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actress contenders. Since neither of them had been recognized by the TV academy before, they became part of a group of 24 doubly-nominated Emmy first-timers.
Neither Seehorn nor Sweeney succeeded on either of her bids, but that isn’t surprising given the fact that only six of this group’s two dozen members have actually pulled off wins. The first such victor was Robert Cummings, who also originally established the club back in 1955. He received what would now be considered the Best Limited/Movie...
Neither Seehorn nor Sweeney succeeded on either of her bids, but that isn’t surprising given the fact that only six of this group’s two dozen members have actually pulled off wins. The first such victor was Robert Cummings, who also originally established the club back in 1955. He received what would now be considered the Best Limited/Movie...
- 6/12/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Jodie Comer has become the 100th performer to win a Tony Award for their Broadway debut for her performance in the play, “Prima Facie.”
She won Best Actress in a Play for portraying Tess, a lawyer who concentrates in providing legal defense for men who are accused of sexual assault but soon has the unthinkable happen to her. She is the 11th person to win the category for her first outing on a Broadway stage. She joins:
SEE2023 Tony Awards: Every winner (and nominee) in all 26 competitive categories
Martita Hunt, “The Madwoman of Chaillot” (1949)
Beryl Reid, “The Killing of Sister George” (1967)
Phyllis Frelich, “Children of a Lesser God” (1980)
Jane Lapotaire, “Piaf” (1981)
Joan Allen, “Burn This” (1988)
Pauline Collins, “Shirley Valentine” (1989)
Janet McTeer, “A Doll’s House” (1997)
Marie Mullen, “The Beauty Queen of Leeane” (1998)
Jennifer Ehle, “The Real Thing” (2000)
Deanna Dunagan, “August: Osage County” (2008)
Below are the Broadway debuts in the seven other...
She won Best Actress in a Play for portraying Tess, a lawyer who concentrates in providing legal defense for men who are accused of sexual assault but soon has the unthinkable happen to her. She is the 11th person to win the category for her first outing on a Broadway stage. She joins:
SEE2023 Tony Awards: Every winner (and nominee) in all 26 competitive categories
Martita Hunt, “The Madwoman of Chaillot” (1949)
Beryl Reid, “The Killing of Sister George” (1967)
Phyllis Frelich, “Children of a Lesser God” (1980)
Jane Lapotaire, “Piaf” (1981)
Joan Allen, “Burn This” (1988)
Pauline Collins, “Shirley Valentine” (1989)
Janet McTeer, “A Doll’s House” (1997)
Marie Mullen, “The Beauty Queen of Leeane” (1998)
Jennifer Ehle, “The Real Thing” (2000)
Deanna Dunagan, “August: Osage County” (2008)
Below are the Broadway debuts in the seven other...
- 6/12/2023
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Glenn Farr, the Oscar-winning editor known for his work on “The Right Stuff” and “Commando,” has died. He was 77.
Farr died on May 25 due to complications from a brain tumor, said his friend and fellow editor Janice Hampton.
In 1984, Farr won the Academy Award for editing with Philip Kaufman’s “The Right Stuff,” a historical drama film based on Tom Wolfe’s 1979 novel of the same name. Farr shared the win with fellow editors Lisa Fruchtman, Tom Rolf, Stephen A. Rotter and Douglas Stewart.
“This is truly a beautiful, wonderful moment for each one of us,” Farr said in his Oscar acceptance speech. “We are privileged to be a part of it and the experience will long live in our hearts. We must thank our marvelous, beautiful director — we love you Phil Kaufman — for his leadership and dedication and the vision he gave to us.” Farr also offered a thank...
Farr died on May 25 due to complications from a brain tumor, said his friend and fellow editor Janice Hampton.
In 1984, Farr won the Academy Award for editing with Philip Kaufman’s “The Right Stuff,” a historical drama film based on Tom Wolfe’s 1979 novel of the same name. Farr shared the win with fellow editors Lisa Fruchtman, Tom Rolf, Stephen A. Rotter and Douglas Stewart.
“This is truly a beautiful, wonderful moment for each one of us,” Farr said in his Oscar acceptance speech. “We are privileged to be a part of it and the experience will long live in our hearts. We must thank our marvelous, beautiful director — we love you Phil Kaufman — for his leadership and dedication and the vision he gave to us.” Farr also offered a thank...
- 6/1/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Fresh off of working on the horror films Swallowed and Consecration, Jena Malone has signed on to star in the supernatural thriller The Movers – and Deadline reports that she’ll be working with a cool supporting cast that includes Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow), Tom Everett Scott (That Thing You Do!), Grant Feely (Obi Wan), Kellan Rhude (Dexter: New Blood), Natalie Burn (Black Adam), and Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future).
Written and directed by Giorgio Serafini, The Movers will tell the story of a close-knit family who moves into a seemingly charming neighborhood, only to discover that all is not what it appears. As they face persistent threats, the family begins to question their reality and the world around them. It’s a nightmarish universe of deceiving angels and compassionate demons, lost souls desperately seeking a way out.
Serafini had this to say about the project: “We are thrilled...
Written and directed by Giorgio Serafini, The Movers will tell the story of a close-knit family who moves into a seemingly charming neighborhood, only to discover that all is not what it appears. As they face persistent threats, the family begins to question their reality and the world around them. It’s a nightmarish universe of deceiving angels and compassionate demons, lost souls desperately seeking a way out.
Serafini had this to say about the project: “We are thrilled...
- 5/23/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Double 3 Media Group has kicked off production this week on The Movers, a supernatural horror movie starring Jena Malone, Christopher Lloyd, and Terence Howard.
Deadline reports that Giorgio Serafini is writing and directing.
“The Movers centers around a close-knit family who moves into a seemingly charming neighborhood, only to discover that all is not what it appears. As they face persistent threats, the family begins to question their reality and the world around them.
“It’s a nightmarish universe of deceiving angels and compassionate demons, lost souls desperately seeking a way out.”
Grant Feely (Obi Wan), Kellan Rhude (Dexter: New Blood) and Natalie Burn (Black Adam) will also star in The Movers, described as a “paranoid supernatural thriller.”
“Its action is dictated by a nerve-racking countdown right up to the end,” Serafini teases.
The post ‘The Movers’ – Jena Malone and Christopher Lloyd Starring in Supernatural Horror Movie appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!
Deadline reports that Giorgio Serafini is writing and directing.
“The Movers centers around a close-knit family who moves into a seemingly charming neighborhood, only to discover that all is not what it appears. As they face persistent threats, the family begins to question their reality and the world around them.
“It’s a nightmarish universe of deceiving angels and compassionate demons, lost souls desperately seeking a way out.”
Grant Feely (Obi Wan), Kellan Rhude (Dexter: New Blood) and Natalie Burn (Black Adam) will also star in The Movers, described as a “paranoid supernatural thriller.”
“Its action is dictated by a nerve-racking countdown right up to the end,” Serafini teases.
The post ‘The Movers’ – Jena Malone and Christopher Lloyd Starring in Supernatural Horror Movie appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!
- 5/23/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Todd Haynes is the latest auteur to use Cannes as a launching pad for a potential Oscar contender, debuting his delicious dramedy “May December” at the festival on Saturday.
Premiering less than one hour after Martin Scorsese’s 202-minute “Killers of the Flower Moon” conquered Cannes, the torrential downpour on Saturday night couldn’t keep many patrons away from taking in the Haynes movie. And not just because the movie reunites the director with his muse Julianne Moore, who he worked wonders with on “Safe” (1995) and “Far from Heaven” (2002), the latter which earned an Oscar nomination for Moore’s performance and one for Haynes’ script.
Add the excitement of Moore acting opposite Natalie Portman; how can this not be a winning recipe for success? With a whip-smart script from feature debut screenwriter Samy Burch (and a “story by” credit by Alex Mechanik), as well as a surprising standout turn from heartthrob Charles Melton,...
Premiering less than one hour after Martin Scorsese’s 202-minute “Killers of the Flower Moon” conquered Cannes, the torrential downpour on Saturday night couldn’t keep many patrons away from taking in the Haynes movie. And not just because the movie reunites the director with his muse Julianne Moore, who he worked wonders with on “Safe” (1995) and “Far from Heaven” (2002), the latter which earned an Oscar nomination for Moore’s performance and one for Haynes’ script.
Add the excitement of Moore acting opposite Natalie Portman; how can this not be a winning recipe for success? With a whip-smart script from feature debut screenwriter Samy Burch (and a “story by” credit by Alex Mechanik), as well as a surprising standout turn from heartthrob Charles Melton,...
- 5/21/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Double 3 Media Group’s production of supernatural thriller, The Movers, is about to roll cameras on May 22 with Jena Malone, Terrence Howard, Tom Everett Scott and Christopher Lloyd, Deadline has learned.
Written, directed by Giorgio Serafini, The Movers, centers around a close-knit family who moves into a seemingly charming neighborhood, only to discover that all is not what it appears. As they face persistent threats, the family begins to question their reality and the world around them. It’s a nightmarish universe of deceiving angels and compassionate demons, lost souls desperately seeking a way out.
Also in the cast are Grant Feely (Obi Wan), Kellan Rhude (Dexter: New Blood) and Natalie Burn (Black Adam).
“We are thrilled to bring together such a talented cast and crew for The Movers,” said Serafini.
“The Movers is a paranoid supernatural thriller in constant motion. Always unsettling, its action is dictated by...
Written, directed by Giorgio Serafini, The Movers, centers around a close-knit family who moves into a seemingly charming neighborhood, only to discover that all is not what it appears. As they face persistent threats, the family begins to question their reality and the world around them. It’s a nightmarish universe of deceiving angels and compassionate demons, lost souls desperately seeking a way out.
Also in the cast are Grant Feely (Obi Wan), Kellan Rhude (Dexter: New Blood) and Natalie Burn (Black Adam).
“We are thrilled to bring together such a talented cast and crew for The Movers,” said Serafini.
“The Movers is a paranoid supernatural thriller in constant motion. Always unsettling, its action is dictated by...
- 5/20/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Nathan Lane used to be the King of old Broadway. Scratch that. Lane still sits from a high seat within the realm of American theater. In fact, when we catch up with the legendary, multi-Tony and Olivier award-winner, it’s during his day off from Studio 54. The other six days of the week, he’s at that famous nightclub turned theater, starring in Sharr White’s new memory play, Pictures from Home.
Nonetheless, for many theatergoers, the thought of Lane invariably brings to mind an iconic American musical-comedy: Mel Brooks’ The Producers. That dazzling blend of absurdist humor and showbiz schmaltz premiered in 2001 before going on to win 12 Tonys, the most for any musical or play to this day. And in the show, Lane played Max Bialystock, a Broadway producer of malleable morality who is introduced lamenting his current situation with the song “King of Broadway,” a tune with...
Nonetheless, for many theatergoers, the thought of Lane invariably brings to mind an iconic American musical-comedy: Mel Brooks’ The Producers. That dazzling blend of absurdist humor and showbiz schmaltz premiered in 2001 before going on to win 12 Tonys, the most for any musical or play to this day. And in the show, Lane played Max Bialystock, a Broadway producer of malleable morality who is introduced lamenting his current situation with the song “King of Broadway,” a tune with...
- 4/25/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Literature’s all-time jilted spinster, Miss Havisham, has been played by Martita Hunt, Anne Bancroft, Gillian Anderson and Helena Bonham Carter while also inspiring other memorable screen personalities, most notably “Sunset Boulevard’s” Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). In “Peaky Blinders” showrunner Steven Knight’s adaptation of “Great Expectations,” Olivia Colman dons the tattered veil of the iconic character to whom unwitting orphan Philip “Pip” Pirrip (Fionn Whitehead) turns as he pursues social repute in Victorian England.
Though Knight’s amendments to Charles Dickens’ source material have gotten a mixed response, the show continues to draw praise for its production value. Costume designer Verity Hawkes, whose credits include “Snatch,” “Inkheart” and “Black Mirror,” recently gave an interview to IndieWire’s Sarah Shachat in which she detailed her approach to the unenviable task of distinguishing Knight’s rendition of the character from more than a dozen others.
See ‘Great Expectations’ creator Steven...
Though Knight’s amendments to Charles Dickens’ source material have gotten a mixed response, the show continues to draw praise for its production value. Costume designer Verity Hawkes, whose credits include “Snatch,” “Inkheart” and “Black Mirror,” recently gave an interview to IndieWire’s Sarah Shachat in which she detailed her approach to the unenviable task of distinguishing Knight’s rendition of the character from more than a dozen others.
See ‘Great Expectations’ creator Steven...
- 4/19/2023
- by Ronald Meyer
- Gold Derby
Actor, producer, and writer Mel Brooks discussed his first date with his late wife, Anne Bancroft. Brooks says he faced significant financial difficulty early in his career. He reveals he had to tell Bancroft he was “broke” during their first date.
Mel Brooks says he was ‘broke’ Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft | Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
During an interview with ABC News, Brooks spoke about his first date with Bancroft. He admits she gave him $20 under the table because he couldn’t afford to pay for the meal.
“I didn’t have any money, and I was dating Anne Bancroft,” Brooks tells interviewer George Stephanopoulos. “She was on Broadway and The Miracle Worker. We were at a Chinese restaurant one night, and I said, ‘I’m broke.’ She slipped me a $20 bill under the table. And the bill came up to $14 or $15. It wasn’t that expensive.
Mel Brooks says he was ‘broke’ Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft | Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
During an interview with ABC News, Brooks spoke about his first date with Bancroft. He admits she gave him $20 under the table because he couldn’t afford to pay for the meal.
“I didn’t have any money, and I was dating Anne Bancroft,” Brooks tells interviewer George Stephanopoulos. “She was on Broadway and The Miracle Worker. We were at a Chinese restaurant one night, and I said, ‘I’m broke.’ She slipped me a $20 bill under the table. And the bill came up to $14 or $15. It wasn’t that expensive.
- 4/13/2023
- by Sheiresa Ngo
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
One of the highlights of this year’s Overlook Film Festival was attending the premiere of Renfield, with Nicolas Cage and director Chris McKay in attendance. Having seen the film, I can confidently say that horror fans are going to have a lot of fun with this one. This film has a great energy to it, with an equal mix of horror, comedy, and action that reminded me a lot of the tone of Ash vs. Evil Dead.
Not only did I have a chance to catch up with both Nicolas Cage and Chris McKay on the red carpet prior to the screening, but they took part in a post-screening Q&a. Highlights from both events are below and I’ve kept this spoiler free, only loosely referencing elements that have been shown in the trailer.
Nicolas Cage on Joining Universal Monsters:
“To be invited by Universal Studios to play...
Not only did I have a chance to catch up with both Nicolas Cage and Chris McKay on the red carpet prior to the screening, but they took part in a post-screening Q&a. Highlights from both events are below and I’ve kept this spoiler free, only loosely referencing elements that have been shown in the trailer.
Nicolas Cage on Joining Universal Monsters:
“To be invited by Universal Studios to play...
- 4/7/2023
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences believed that Diane Keaton deserved an Oscar win for her starring role in Annie Hall. However, her long-time fans still don’t agree with the decision. They absolutely adore the actor, but they thought that another performance in the same year was more deserving of the golden statuette.
Diane Keaton played the titular character in ‘Annie Hall’ Diane Keaton | Getty Images
A comedian named Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) recalls the ups and downs with a nightclub singer named Annie Hall (Keaton), who is going through a difficult time in her career. He speaks directly to the audience, chronicling his life reaching as far back as his childhood to explain the situation that he’s in. Singer later gets to the point where he discusses how he met Annie and the struggles of modern romance.
In addition to starring in the leading role,...
Diane Keaton played the titular character in ‘Annie Hall’ Diane Keaton | Getty Images
A comedian named Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) recalls the ups and downs with a nightclub singer named Annie Hall (Keaton), who is going through a difficult time in her career. He speaks directly to the audience, chronicling his life reaching as far back as his childhood to explain the situation that he’s in. Singer later gets to the point where he discusses how he met Annie and the struggles of modern romance.
In addition to starring in the leading role,...
- 4/3/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Actor, producer, and writer Mel Brooks discussed life after winning an Oscar for his film The Producers. The entertainer says he faced financial hardship even after receiving the prestigious award.
Mel Brooks says he wasn’t making money Mel Brooks | Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for TCM
In 1969, Brooks won an Oscar for The Producers for best original screenplay. Roughly 30 years later, the film was transformed into a Broadway musical, starring actors Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane. The production won 12 Tony Awards.
Despite the success of the 1967 film, Brooks reveals he had a tough time with his finances. Receiving an award didn’t translate into financial security.
“Up until Blazing Saddles, I was hanging on to show business with the skin of my teeth, not making any money,” says Brooks during an interview with Ruth Rogers on Ruthie’s Table 4 (presented by iHeartPodcasts). “The first movie I made was The Producers.
Mel Brooks says he wasn’t making money Mel Brooks | Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for TCM
In 1969, Brooks won an Oscar for The Producers for best original screenplay. Roughly 30 years later, the film was transformed into a Broadway musical, starring actors Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane. The production won 12 Tony Awards.
Despite the success of the 1967 film, Brooks reveals he had a tough time with his finances. Receiving an award didn’t translate into financial security.
“Up until Blazing Saddles, I was hanging on to show business with the skin of my teeth, not making any money,” says Brooks during an interview with Ruth Rogers on Ruthie’s Table 4 (presented by iHeartPodcasts). “The first movie I made was The Producers.
- 3/29/2023
- by Sheiresa Ngo
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Blame it on the fangs.
On the heels of Renfield director Chris McKay saying Nicolas Cage went method on the set while playing Dracula — the filmmaker told Insider “whatever scene we did he would still be 100 percent living in that attitude after we stopped shooting” — the veteran actor recalled his own version of events to The Hollywood Reporter at the film’s New York premiere.
“I just don’t have that recollection, I don’t know why Chris said that,” Cage said. “I had a lot of laughs in between takes with both Chris McKay and Nick Hoult, so maybe that was his experience, maybe because I still had the fangs in my mouth that made me speak a certain way, but that wasn’t my experience.”
Either way, the role requires range for Cage who, after a career of iconic roles, steps into one of the most notable as...
On the heels of Renfield director Chris McKay saying Nicolas Cage went method on the set while playing Dracula — the filmmaker told Insider “whatever scene we did he would still be 100 percent living in that attitude after we stopped shooting” — the veteran actor recalled his own version of events to The Hollywood Reporter at the film’s New York premiere.
“I just don’t have that recollection, I don’t know why Chris said that,” Cage said. “I had a lot of laughs in between takes with both Chris McKay and Nick Hoult, so maybe that was his experience, maybe because I still had the fangs in my mouth that made me speak a certain way, but that wasn’t my experience.”
Either way, the role requires range for Cage who, after a career of iconic roles, steps into one of the most notable as...
- 3/29/2023
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Warning: This review contains spoilers from the first two episodes of Great Expectations.
There have been plenty of good, and even great, adaptations of the Charles Dickens classic Great Expectations.
Unfortunately, this is not one of them.
Most recently, Mike Newell directed a film version in 2012 starring Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter.
BBC, one of the production companies behind this version (along with FX), produced a three-part miniseries in 2011-2012 starring Douglas Booth, Ray Winstone, and Gillian Anderson.
The most famous adaptation this side of the pond is probably Alfonso Cuarón's modern version in 1998, starring Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Anne Bancroft.
News of Steven Knight's version was exciting, particularly with the announcement of Olivia Colman as Miss Havisham.
If you're going to remake something that has been adapted so many times, you have to approach it from a new vantage point.
Cuarón's version, for example, didn't always work,...
There have been plenty of good, and even great, adaptations of the Charles Dickens classic Great Expectations.
Unfortunately, this is not one of them.
Most recently, Mike Newell directed a film version in 2012 starring Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter.
BBC, one of the production companies behind this version (along with FX), produced a three-part miniseries in 2011-2012 starring Douglas Booth, Ray Winstone, and Gillian Anderson.
The most famous adaptation this side of the pond is probably Alfonso Cuarón's modern version in 1998, starring Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Anne Bancroft.
News of Steven Knight's version was exciting, particularly with the announcement of Olivia Colman as Miss Havisham.
If you're going to remake something that has been adapted so many times, you have to approach it from a new vantage point.
Cuarón's version, for example, didn't always work,...
- 3/26/2023
- by Mary Littlejohn
- TVfanatic
Plot: Great Expectations is the coming-of-age story of “Pip,” an orphan who yearns for a greater lot in life, until a twist of fate and the evil machinations of the mysterious and eccentric “Miss Havisham” shows him a dark world of possibilities. Under the great expectations placed upon him, Pip will have to work out the true cost of this new world and whether it will truly make him the man he wishes to be. A damning critique of the class system, Dickens’ novel was published in 1861 after first releasing it in a series of weekly chapters beginning in December 1860.
Review: Adaptations of Charles Dickens are aplenty on the small screen and as feature films. Great Expectations has been adapted multiple times, notably in 1998 by Alfonso Cuaron and starring Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Bancroft, and Robert De Niro. In 2012, Harry Potter director Mike Newell took a shot at a film version starring Jeremy Irvine,...
Review: Adaptations of Charles Dickens are aplenty on the small screen and as feature films. Great Expectations has been adapted multiple times, notably in 1998 by Alfonso Cuaron and starring Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Bancroft, and Robert De Niro. In 2012, Harry Potter director Mike Newell took a shot at a film version starring Jeremy Irvine,...
- 3/22/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
The poster for Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón’s 1998 modern-day, US-set adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations is very revealing. There are no bonnets or brooches. The artwork is instead dominated by a recumbent, naked Gwyneth Paltrow – playing Estella – looking towards the camera with an enigmatic expression on her face. Beneath her, you can see the film’s Miss Havisham character, renamed here as Nora Dinsmoor and played by Anne Bancroft. She is not in a dusty wedding dress but looking very much like Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard, complete with cigarette holder. In the corner, there is a murky image of the convict Magwitch (Robert De Niro), scowling like a heavy from Goodfellas.
For Cuarón, Dickens’ story was at least partly about erotic obsession. Pip (Ethan Hawke), the young lad from a humble background trying to make his way in society, felt much the same way about Estella as Michael Douglas...
For Cuarón, Dickens’ story was at least partly about erotic obsession. Pip (Ethan Hawke), the young lad from a humble background trying to make his way in society, felt much the same way about Estella as Michael Douglas...
- 3/21/2023
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- The Independent - TV
The poster for Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón’s 1998 modern-day, US-set adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations is very revealing. There are no bonnets or brooches. The artwork is instead dominated by a recumbent, naked Gwyneth Paltrow – playing Estella – looking towards the camera with an enigmatic expression on her face. Beneath her, you can see the film’s Miss Havisham character, renamed here as Nora Dinsmoor and played by Anne Bancroft. She is not in a dusty wedding dress but looking very much like Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard, complete with cigarette holder. In the corner, there is a murky image of the convict Magwitch (Robert De Niro), scowling like a heavy from Goodfellas.
For Cuarón, Dickens’ story was at least partly about erotic obsession. Pip (Ethan Hawke), the young lad from a humble background trying to make his way in society, felt much the same way about Estella as Michael Douglas...
For Cuarón, Dickens’ story was at least partly about erotic obsession. Pip (Ethan Hawke), the young lad from a humble background trying to make his way in society, felt much the same way about Estella as Michael Douglas...
- 3/21/2023
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- The Independent - Film
Sometimes, the antagonism you see between two characters in a movie isn't acting. Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane" is one of the most infamous examples thereof; their feud has inspired books, podcasts, and even a mini-series.
In the film (directed by Robert Aldrich), they play the Hudson sisters, Jane (Davis) and Blanche (Crawford). The limelight has moved past them both; Jane was a child star whose talents didn't last to adulthood while Blanche had a film career before being paralyzed in a car crash. Jane has to dote on the incapacitated Blanche, only furthering the resentment. There's a clear meta-textual undercurrent; Davis and Crawford were not considered "bankable" as women in their fifties, and there's no industry as hostile to middle-aged women as Hollywood.
Davis/Crawford's infighting began before the film even started production. According to Davis, Crawford initially suggested she play Jane and Davis play Blanche,...
In the film (directed by Robert Aldrich), they play the Hudson sisters, Jane (Davis) and Blanche (Crawford). The limelight has moved past them both; Jane was a child star whose talents didn't last to adulthood while Blanche had a film career before being paralyzed in a car crash. Jane has to dote on the incapacitated Blanche, only furthering the resentment. There's a clear meta-textual undercurrent; Davis and Crawford were not considered "bankable" as women in their fifties, and there's no industry as hostile to middle-aged women as Hollywood.
Davis/Crawford's infighting began before the film even started production. According to Davis, Crawford initially suggested she play Jane and Davis play Blanche,...
- 3/10/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
A revolutionary, an alien, an actor in drag, a missing journalist and an alcoholic lawyer. It was a mixed bag of Best Picture nominees at the 55th Academy Awards ceremony, but in the end there weren’t a lot of surprises. The epic film with the most nominations won the most awards; however, a fantasy film that garnered a surprising nine nominations won the hearts of millions and cemented a place in film history. The Best Director and three of the four acting winners were first-time nominees, and the fourth acting winner was on a record-setting streak that would last decades, while a couple nominees were on losing streaks. The hosts were also a bit of a mixed bag, with Liza Minnelli, Dudley Moore, Richard Pryor and Walter Matthau joining forces to steer the event. Let’s flashback 40 years to the ceremony on April 11, 1983.
The esteemed British filmmaker Richard Attenborough...
The esteemed British filmmaker Richard Attenborough...
- 3/3/2023
- by Susan Pennington
- Gold Derby
Yes, it’s good to be the king. But sometimes it’s nearly as good to be part of a legacy project initiated four decades ago by indisputable Hollywood comedy royalty — in this case, legendary writer, director, producer and performer Mel Brooks’ “The History of the World, Part 2.”
That was the prevailing spirit among the all-star assembly of contemporary comedy stars who turned out for the premiere of Hulu’s long-awaited follow-up to Brooks’ 1981 comedy classic “The History of the World, Part I,” the bulk of whom appear in the irreverent, sketch-style series and worship at the altar of the signature uproarious style of its creator, who – at age 96 – also serves as executive producer, narrator and overall guiding light.
On the red carpet at the Hollywood Legion Theater, Nick Kroll, executive producer on the series alongside Wanda Sykes and Ike Barinholtz, said the trio’s extensive relationships across the comedy...
That was the prevailing spirit among the all-star assembly of contemporary comedy stars who turned out for the premiere of Hulu’s long-awaited follow-up to Brooks’ 1981 comedy classic “The History of the World, Part I,” the bulk of whom appear in the irreverent, sketch-style series and worship at the altar of the signature uproarious style of its creator, who – at age 96 – also serves as executive producer, narrator and overall guiding light.
On the red carpet at the Hollywood Legion Theater, Nick Kroll, executive producer on the series alongside Wanda Sykes and Ike Barinholtz, said the trio’s extensive relationships across the comedy...
- 2/28/2023
- by Scott Huver
- Variety Film + TV
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