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Kumar does his best to inject some humanist gravitas into a film set during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, that is otherwise obsessed with duty and sacrifice

The hope is that the Hindi mainstream is learning from its current spell of commercial turbulence. The evidence, alas, suggests otherwise. For Republic day in 2024, we got Fighter, a glossy all-star flypast that aped Top Gun: Maverick with added flagwaving; despite a considerable promotional push, it divebombed at the box office. This year, we get Sky Force, a period variation on much the same theme, unpicking the fallout from an Indian strike on a Pakistani airbase during the conflict of 1965. While avoiding complete crash-and-burn, directors Abhishek Anil Kapur and Sandeep Kewlani are but tinkering within an increasingly resistible framework.

For starters, this sortie is sober rather than flashy. Scenes are timestamped to underline the factual basis; the xenophobia gets dialled down as far as the genre allows.

The Academy Awards are considered the pinnacle of cinematic achievement. They are a celebration of films that have left an indelible mark on audiences and the industry alike. Every year, the Best Picture category incites intense debates about which movie truly deserves the honor.

Most of the time the Academy’s and the fans’ opinions align with winners such as The Godfather or Schindler’s List. Other times, however, their choices leave a bitter taste, as was the case with Crash and Shakespeare in Love.

Thandiwe Newton and Matt Dillon in Crash | Credits: Lionsgate

This year, Emilia Perez stands to make Oscar history, with its bold narrative and social commentary striking a chord with many. While its themes of representation and inclusion have garnered applause, questions linger whether it deserves the Oscar or not.

Were Sandra Bullock’s Crash and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Shakespeare in Love undeserving winners? Gwyneth Paltrow...

Ben Affleck’s career and personal life have seen more variations than an opera vocalist’s octaves—he has touched the upper echelons of fame, while also suffering the worst backlashes from the depths of the internet.

Whether he’s putting on his director’s cap, delivering a show-stealing performance, or writing screenplays with the precision of a surgeon, Affleck always finds a way to grab your attention. With over 60 movie credits to his name, Affleck is a name to reckon with in Hollywood. And he is certainly not done yet!

Ben Affleck in a still from The Accountant | Credit: Warner Bros.

Fresh off the tracks of his 2024 hit Air, Affleck is busy making it big at the box office this year with a sequel to his critically acclaimed film, The Accountant. But that’s not all he is working on this year, there are a few more projects he...

One of popular culture's most storied and successful brands of film, several prominent war outings number among some of the finest pieces of cinema ever made. While these films usually place an emphasis on producing an immersive depiction of armed conflict rather than sizzling dialogue, many of the greatest war movies of all time have also played host to some of cinema's most quotable characters.

These memorable individuals have produced a number of immortal pieces of dialogue over the years, taking credit for the best quotes that can be found throughout cinema's most iconic war movies. Typically uttered with pitch-perfect timing and delivery, these superb soundbites often serve to perfectly exemplify the movie's aura, while simultaneously inviting poignant introspection on the very nature of armed conflict itself.

“James…Earn This.” Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Saving Private Ryan

Tom Hanks stars as Captain John Miller in Steven Spielberg's 1998 WWII film. Saving Private...

Tom Hanks and Robin Wright will be reuniting on Netflix soon, after their recent box office disaster. The two worked together to create the world-renowned Forrest Gump in 1994. The movie became an instant success, grossing $678 million dollars, while earning critical acclaim along the way. It won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. Despite the praise, Hanks and Wright rarely reunited after their breakout success of a movie.

While Hanks was known before Forrest Gump, he continued to explode in Hollywood after. In the following years alone, he starred in Toy Story (1995), Saving Private Ryan (1998), The Green Mile (1999), Cast Away (2000), and numerous other renowned productions. Wright also went on to enjoy a successful career, though she was never quite as prominent as her co-star. She took essential roles in Unbreakable (2000), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), Wonder Woman (2017), and she claimed a significant role in House of Cards...

Tyler Perry’s “The Six Triple Eight” is not only his most-watched Netflix movie to date — with 52.4 million views over its first four weeks on the streamer — but the historical drama has also boosted viewership for his other films on the service.

Netflix tells Variety that eyeballs on Perry’s four other Netflix films increased by more than 45% since “The Six Triple Eight” began streaming on Dec. 20. Plus, the film reached the Top 10 in more than 85 countries, the most of any film he’s made for the streamer.

It stands to reason that viewership numbers like these were what Netflix and Perry had in mind when the two parties entered into a multi-year first-look film deal in 2023. Perry, famous for his volume as a producer, has also turned the titles around swiftly compared to other overall creators at Netflix. His deal expanded last year to include series like “Beauty in Black,...

Although one actor is leaving The Rookie ahead of season 7, the ABC series gains two more, who join the veteran cast during the premiere. The police procedural show, created by Alexi Hawley, follows the personal and work lives of the law enforcement officers who work at the Mid-Wilshire Patrol Division in Los Angeles. However, as its name implies, The Rookie mostly revolves around first-year cops. As time goes on, though, newbies filter in and out of the station (or are promoted and remain a part of the list of characters).

New episodes of The Rookie season 7 air on Tuesdays at 10 pm Et. Season 7 has 22 episodes.

Like many other police procedurals, The Rookie features an ensemble cast. Some play police officers (at any level) in Mid-Wilshire, while others are the spouses of said cops. Unfortunately, though, fans have to say goodbye to one of those officers as Tru Valentino exited The Rookie during the season 7 premiere.

Tom Hanks has defended the use of de-ageing technology in his movie 'Here'.The Hollywood icon features alongside his 'Forrest Gump' co-star Robin Wright in the film about a group of people who live on a plot of land over the course of different time periods and praised the software for allowing the cast to look younger when playing characters at different stages of life.Hanks, 68, told Radio Times magazine: "It's a great tool, because the super computing means you do not have to wait for post-production to do the purely technical visual view of it."The 'Saving Private Ryan' actor explained that it took the technology a "nanosecond" to do something that would have previously taken six months to complete.Hanks explained: "It's amazing how both of us became very technical right off the bat."I need to have better posture; you have to get...

Netflix is not just a great producer of original content. Sure, many of the original series of the streamer are terrific, but are they immortal? Empire put together a list of the best series ever in 2024, but how many of them can you see on your favorite streamer?

To be fair, Empire's list is of top 100 shows ever. We are just focused on the top 20 here. Once you get past that, the ranking is even more arguable.

But if you want to try and see if the site is correct, you could stream several of the shows on your favorite subscription service. That would be Netflix, obviously. So here is what you can binge-watch in the next week.

If you like Empire, you will love these series on NetflixNo. 20 - Band of Brothers (originally on Max)

The one-season series feels more like an adjunct to Saving Private Ryan, and that makes sense.

It remains to be seen if any female directors earn a nomination for Best Director at the Oscars in 2025. The Best Director Oscar has been a part of the annual Academy Awards ceremony since the event began in 1929, though in the first year it was presented as a pair of awards split between the "Comedy" and "Drama" categories. Although the Academy Awards present prizes in a wide - and growing - variety of categories, Best Director is considered one of the "Big Five" awards, a group that also includes the Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay Oscars.

Over the years, a number of notable filmmakers have won the award, including Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Billy Wilder, Ang Lee, and Frank Capra. At the time of writing, the nominees for the 2025 Best Director Oscar are unknown. Because of delays amid the Los Angeles wildfires, deliberation was delayed by two days,...

Tom Hanks almost replaced Keanu Reeves in Speed? (Photo Credit – Instagram/Wikipedia)

Back in the early ’90s, Tom Hanks was in talks to play Jack Traven in Jan de Bont’s iconic action-thriller Speed, instead of the iconic Keanu Reeves.

Hanks passed on the project, though the reason remains unclear. His career choices show a preference for depth-driven films like Saving Private Ryan and Road to Perdition. Speed’s action-packed thrills likely didn’t fit his narrative-focused style.

But Hanks wasn’t the only megastar to sidestep the role. Tom Cruise also turned it down before Reeves snagged the part. At the time, Reeves had gained some buzz from Point Break and Bill & Ted, but Speed catapulted him into Hollywood’s action elite. By the time The Matrix rolled around, Reeves was untouchable in the genre—and Speed was a big reason why.

Trending When Samuel L. Jackson Accidentally...

Although commanding a net worth of $9.5 billion himself, Steven Spielberg still practices a pattern that most filmmakers would be horrified to even think about – gambling with their salaries. But given his talent for innovation, originality, and creativity, Spielberg has seldom had to suffer for choosing to not be paid upfront by studios before getting started on a project.

Steven Spielberg on the set of 1941 [Credit: Amblin]

With a record of directing critically acclaimed and commercially successful films, Steven Spielberg has amassed something far greater in worth than 9.5 billion dollars. His reputation and legacy have become an untouchable object of fascination, awe, and wonder while his films have become the standard against which all of the greatest modern cinematic creations are measured.

But Spielberg’s eye for greatness also comes with an expensive price tag for the actors.

Steven Spielberg gambles with Hollywood actors Steven Spielberg at the 2017 Sdcc [Photo by Gage Skidmore licensed under...

The humble flamethrower is one of the most time-honored and flashy weapons to be used in any movie, making for some incredibly memorable scenes. Modern flamethrowers have been around for a shockingly long time in human history, first documented as early as World War I. While flamethrowers don't technically qualify as one of cinema's most iconic firearms, the dazzling (and horrifying) weapons of mass destruction have made for some creative and visceral action setpieces over the years.

Flamethrower scenes usually appear in one of three types of movies - Action movies, war films, and horror movies with a more action-oriented flavor to them. The dramatic spurts of fire the weapons produce are always cathartic to see wielded on-screen, whether by a hero or a villain. Taking down everything from zombies to aliens to innocent bystanders, the appearance of a flamethrower always makes for a good show.

MacReady Torches The Thing The Thing

In The Thing,...

Masters of the Air, the excellent follow-up series to one of HBO's best shows, Band of Brothers, is free to watch this weekend, which means everyone should check it out. Released in 2001, Band of Brothers was a groundbreaking series. Created by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, it felt like a spiritual successor to Saving Private Ryan at the time, and there have been three Band of Brothers shows so far, focusing on different parts of World War II.

The Air Force-focused Masters of the Air is the latest Band of Brothers follow-up, that premiered early in 2024. For anyone wanting more WWII, prestige miniseries, Masters of the Air is perfect, and given that it will be free to watch the first weekend of January, there is no better time to check it out. Not only does it do a good job of standing on its own, but it continues the legacy...

Matt Damon, Robin role, Batman auditions, Hollywood history (Photo Credit – Facebook)

Imagine Matt Damon as Robin. Wild, right? Well, it almost happened—twice. Chatting on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Damon spilled the tea about auditioning for the Boy Wonder role in Batman. First up? Tim Burton’s iconic 1989 flick. Then, Joel Schumacher’s Batman Forever in 1995. Spoiler: he didn’t get it, but the stories? Pure gold.

“There’s two stories there,” Damon laughed. First attempt? Circa 1987 or 1988, when he was a baby-faced 16 or 17. “We didn’t have sides—it wasn’t like you’re reading a scene with Batman. It was so secretive you’re reading another scene from a different movie.” Imagine showing up to a Batman audition without a single Batman line. Peak Hollywood secrecy, right?

Round two came in 1993, when Damon got another shot at Robin, this time for Batman Forever. But, as he puts it,...

There are few more memorable music videos from the early noughties that the one for Fountains Of Wayne's anthem for lusty teens, "Stacy's Mom". Long since reappraised by less forgiving modern audiences as... problematic, let's say, the song was actually an empty fantasy of a deluded youngster imagining a dream scenario that played out in a video that channeled all the excesses of 1980s hair metal videos. It's safe to say that when Fountains of Youth told me that Stacy's Mom had it going on, we all believed them.

The only mainstream hit for Fountains Of Wayne, some eight years after they formed - and as the lead song on their third album - "Stacy's Mom" immediately captured the imagination of upstart pop punk fans. The song reached number 21 on the US Billboard Hot 100, but was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals.

The extensive Paramount+ movie library continues to expand with a selection of high-quality cinematic classics from the iconic studio as well as some of its more recent hit movies to kick off the new year. A lot of attention these days is paid to Paramount+'s incredible success on the television side of things, thanks largely to Taylor Sheridan's wide collection of shows, including Landman, Lioness, and the recently wrapped Yellowstone. However, January 2025 once again proves there is a terrific selection of movies on the platform to watch.

Unlike some of the other big platforms like Netflix and Apple TV+, Paramount+ doesn't put a lot of focus on original movies, with last month's Dear Santa being one of the only big releases from the platform in 2024. However, fans can get excited about some new titles ahead, including a new Paramount+ exclusive Star Trek movie. However, when it comes to...

Martin Scorsese may be revered as one of our greatest living filmmakers, but he has often had to fight tooth and nail to bring his visions to the big screen. This is largely due to the box office. Yes, "Raging Bull," "The King of Comedy," and "Goodfellas" are considered masterpieces, but they were not hits in theatrical release. So when, after being continuously passed over for Academy Award recognition, he set his sights on making his mobbed-up magnum opus "Gangs of New York," just about every studio in town declined to bankroll his dream.

It wasn't like he'd sprung the project on the film industry. Alberto Grimaldi, the renowned Italian producer of classics by Federico Fellini, Sergio Leone, and Bernardo Bertolucci, had taken out an ad announcing the production of the film way back in 1977. But when the New Hollywood revolution died with the bank-breaking failure of Michael Cimino's...

The cast and crew of Steven Spielberg's Lincoln rose to the occasion with stringent demands for historical accuracy from the lead actor, with plenty of accolades at the end of the day to show for their hard work. Starring the legendary Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role, Lincoln depicts President Abraham Lincoln's efforts to pass the 13th Amendment in the final days of the U.S. Civil War. Day-Lewis was not the only actor to be recognized for Lincoln, with both Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones also being nominated for Oscars for their performances.

It is hardly a surprise that Day-Lewis would go on to become one of the best actors to portray a U.S. President, or that Spielberg's historical epic achieved such success, given the history of both Hollywood icons' careers. Famously, Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan's D-Day invasion sequence is one of the most praised,...

A 2005 Steven Spielberg movie receives a fair accuracy score from a counterterrorism expert. Steven Spielberg's best movies cover a wide range of genres, from the Holocaust drama Schindler's List to the science-fiction adventures in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Spielberg gained widespread recognition for his direction of Jaws, which was the first of many box office successes Spielberg would direct in the ensuing years, with the Indiana Jones trilogy and Jurassic Park among his many movies that became immensely popular.

1998's Saving Private Ryan proved to be another Steven Spielberg World War II movie that became a critical and commercial hit. In the 2000s, Spielberg continued to direct a rich variety of movies, with the historical drama Lincoln and his remake of the musical West Side Story being among the most critically acclaimed. In 2022, Spielberg's The Fabelmans was released, which is inspired by the filmmaker's youth, where his passion for making movies began.

Vin Diesel’s Hollywood beginning was super surprising (Photo Credit – Facebook)

Yep, it all began when young Mark Sinclair (that’s his real name) and his friends tried to break into Theater for the New City in New York City. Their aim? Vandalizing the place. But fate had other plans. Instead of calling the cops, the theater’s artistic director, Crystal Field, offered them a chance to appear in a play called Dinosaur Door. Talk about turning a mistake into a miracle!

Instead of a criminal record, Vin Diesel got an acting gig. That one unexpected opportunity led to a lifelong love of the stage. He kept at it throughout his teenage years, learning the ropes of performance and storytelling. By the time Diesel hit Hunter College, he dove into creative writing, sharpening his screenwriting chops and fueling a deeper passion for the creative arts. Acting wasn’t just a pastime—it became a path.

Armageddon is director Michael Bay's beloved $553 million sci-fi movie, and the film is somehow the only movie in the last 26 years to have this box office distinction. Michael Bay is one of the kings of the box office, with his Transformers and Bad Boys series being famous for their incredibly box office performances. However, the most notable box office record that a Michael Bay movie holds is held by Armageddon, with this unique fact about the film making it one of the most notable movies of the last three decades.

While Armageddon has earned mixed critical reviews, the film was a massive box office hit upon its release, with the Michael Bay movie making $553.7 million on a budget of $140 million. Armageddon went on to become the highest-grossing movie of 1998 worldwide, with it being the second highest-grossing movie domestically after Saving Private Ryan. The involvement of Michael Bay, the epic premise,...

Matt Damon may now be considered something of an action star, but his work in the genre is somewhat limited in the grand scheme of his career. Damon's big break was Good Will Hunting in 1997, a movie that won him and co-writer Ben Affleck a Best Original Screenplay Oscar. From there, Damon went on to appear in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan in 1998 and Rounders that same year.

Throughout the 2000s, Damon appeared in a number of high-profile movies, with Ocean's Eleven and its two sequels being among the most notable. More recently, he's had strong roles in Christopher Nolan's acclaimed Oppenheimer, but he's also delved into sci-fi with The Martian (2015) and Interstellar (2014), as well as docudrama with Air (2023). Some of Damon's most well-known acting work, however, is in the action genre, with his role as a highly-skilled assassin helping to make him a household name.

The Bourne...

Matt Damon has worked with the finest the industry has to offer. Be it actors, directors, or even producers, he has seen it all and experienced it all. From The Martian to Oppenheimer, Saving Private Ryan, and even Ford v Ferrari, he has seen it all and become one of the most respected names in the field. With this, many turn to his opinion when it comes to the real personalities of most A-listers.

Matt Damon in a still from Interstellar | Credits: Paramount Pictures

Thanks to his experience, Damon’s words have been used to debunk many myths that people had about certain celebrities. Interestingly enough, Damon ended up clearing up a very big myth about Clint Eastwood.

The perception of Clint Eastwood’s directing style could not be further from the truth

Clint Eastwood is one of the most respected names in Hollywood. He has been at the top...

Did Edward Norton work to play a role in American History X? ( Photo Credit – Netflix )

Edward Norton gained 30 lbs of muscle, shaved his head, and ate seven times a day, focusing on chicken, turkey, and fish. No shortcuts.

Released in 1998, American History X became a powerful movie about race, redemption, and loyalty. Despite only making $23M on a $20M budget, Norton snagged an Oscar nomination for Best Leading Actor. His dedication brought Derek to life with raw, unflinching realism, making the character’s struggles hit harder and feel realer than ever.

Norton’s commitment went beyond physical changes. He took on the role after turning down Saving Private Ryan, showing how deeply invested he was in bringing authenticity to American History X. He shaved his head alongside co-star Edward Furlong and increased his caloric intake to build an intimidating physique. It was about embodying Derek’s raw power and unyielding energy.

One year after creating a fictionalized civil war inside the United States, “Civil War” filmmaker Alex Garland has his eyes on a historical conflict. Garland and co-writer and co-director Ray Mendoza, an Iraq War veteran, are behind the new film “Warfare,” a real-time war film based on “the memory of the people who lived it.”

The project, which was announced earlier this year, is set during the 2006 Iraq War and focuses on “a platoon of American Navy SEALs in the home of an Iraqi family, overwatching the movement of US forces through insurgent territory.”

In keeping with classic war films of yesteryear – including classics like “The Thin Red Line,” “Saving Private Ryan,” and “Black Hawk Down,” Garland and Mendoza have enlisted an all-star cast of internet-approved young actors, including Emmy nominees D’Pharaoh Woon-a-Tai and Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, Taylor John Smith, Michael Gandolfini, Adain Bradley, Noah Centineo,...

The career of director Steven Spielberg has practically defined modern blockbusters, but he’s also been able to craft more personal films as well. Let’s rank Spielberg’s entire filmography from worst to best in a new photo gallery of his 33 theatrical features.

Spielberg’s reputation as a master entertainer came with the release of “Jaws,” his 1975 shark attack thriller. Made when he was just 29 years old, the film set box office records and made the summer safe for blockbusters again. Such following films as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977), “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982) cemented Spielberg’s ability to create spectacular amusements that brought audiences to their feet.

He later moved into serious filmmaking with “The Color Purple” (1985), which paved the way for his 1993 Holocaust drama “Schindler’s List” (1993). That film swept the Academy Awards, bringing Spielberg Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture.

Dwayne Johnson wanted a happy ending for Rampage?

Yes! Dwayne Johnson told Rolling Stone, he doesn’t want to bring real-life sadness into his movies. “Life brings that s— — I don’t want it in my movies. When the credits roll, I want to feel great.”

The original ending saw George, the mutated giant ape with a deep bond to Johnson’s character, sacrifice himself to stop the other infected monsters. But Johnson wasn’t having it. “This is a movie! There’s a crocodile the size of a football stadium – we’re not making Saving Private Ryan, we’re making Rampage.” In short, he wanted a win. And with his star power, he got one. In the revised version, George survives.

This wasn’t just about Johnson’s love for happy endings. It was about loyalty to his audience. “I have a relationship with an audience around the world,...

Steven Spielberg carved a name for himself as one of the greatest filmmakers in Hollywood because of his ingenious imagination when it comes to making movies. It’s easy to see the passion in his works, and this is all thanks to one person who helped nurture his God-given talent.

Credits: Steven Spielberg via CBS News

The director’s mother, Leah Adler, was one of his biggest supporters. In fact, she helped him skip school so he could practice his moviemaking skills. As an artist herself – an accomplished pianist who studied at Cincinatti’s Conservatory of Music – she understood the creativity in her son just aching to burst forth.

Steven Spielberg’s Mother Encouraged His Passion for Filmmaking by Forging Sick Notes

In an interview with 60 Minutes via CBS in 1992, Steven Spielberg’s mother, Leah Adler, spoke about how she encouraged her son to explore and expand his knowledge...

Filmmaker Steven Spielberg has been involved in controversies despite being one of the most revered and beloved directors in Hollywood. The Jaws filmmaker reportedly refused to comment on the Harvey Weinstein scandal days after it broke out, claiming that the event he was at was not about the scandal.

While the two never worked, Spielberg reportedly almost came close to being partners with the disgraced Hollywood mogul. Weinstein claimed just months before his damning exposé was published by the New York Times that he and Spielberg had spoken about producing the Oscars ceremony but it never materialized.

Steven Spielberg Would Have Killed His Legacy Steven Spielberg | Credits: ABC

Steven Spielberg famously clashed with Harvey Weinstein during the 1999 Oscars. Spielberg’s masterpiece Saving Private Ryan was up for several awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Music, and more. On the other hand, Weinstein fiercely campaigned for his romance drama Shakespeare in Love,...

Steven Spielberg is arguably the most esteemed director of our times. He broke into mainstream prominence with 1975's Jaws, but he did not stop there. Spielberg directed numerous movies that evolved into beloved cultural phenomenons, including Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and Jurassic Park (1993). Many of his one-off productions have also become renowned. Saving Private Ryan (1998), Minority Report (2002), and The Color Purple (1985) are all masterpieces that have withstood the test of time.

Years before Jaws (1975), Spielberg's Duel (1971) was his first feature film.

In recent years, the director has seen fewer world-stopping productions. Since 2018's Ready Player One, he has only directed two major movies: 2021's box office disappointment, West Side Story, and the similarly disappointing The Fabelmans (2022). Still, his entire body of work is astounding. He has won three individual Academy Awards, 12 Emmy Awards, nine Golden Globes, and a Tony nomination. He was even granted the Presidential...

Almost every time Robert Zemeckis called cut on a scene in Here, Tom Hanks would run back to the playback monitors. The veteran actor had been on dozens of sets through his 40-year career but nothing like this.

On Here, he plays a character whose arc is traced from high school to senior citizen with the help of a generative AI tool from VFX studio Metaphysic. For every shot he was going to be de-aged, there were two monitors. One showed what the cameras were capturing. The other showed him in the scenes at various ages in real time, as if he came straight from shoots on Splash or Saving Private Ryan. After seeing the takes, he would adjust his physicality to walk with a bit more spring in his step or appear stiffer getting up off the couch, depending on his age in the scene.

Rewind just a couple of years,...

While Hollywood has played a prominent role in giving a voice to the martyrs through war drama and historical documentaries, more often than not, these stories get swept up in overly patriotic sentiments rather than giving precedence to factual accuracy. But Steven Spielberg has singlehandedly managed to harness both expansive cinematography as well as emotional storytelling through his research into world war stories.

Band of Brothers [Credit: HBO]

Through an obsessive retelling of World War II stories, Spielberg has never grown bored or tired of the era that has caused so much grief, strife, and pain among the people. With films like Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, Schindler’s List, Munich, and Bridge of Spies, the Oscar-winning director has shed more light on the war than any other director.

However, not all of them have been received well by the audience.

Steven Spielberg’s obsession with World War II Band of Brothers...

Daniel Craig is now best known for his tenure as James Bond, but his acting career before, during, and after his time as 007 is filled with interesting projects from talented filmmakers. Prior to making his debut as Bond in 2006's Casino Royale, Craig acted in projects like Sam Mendes' Road to Perdition (2002) and Layer Cake (2004) from director Matthew Vaughn. In 2005, he also collaborated with Spielberg on an Oscar-nominated historical thriller.

In the early 2000s, Spielberg was coming off of an extremely strong decade in Hollywood filmmaking history. The '90s saw the acclaimed filmmaker release three major titles in Jurassic Park (1993), Schindler's List (1993), and Saving Private Ryan (1998). Spielberg didn't slow down in the new millennium, releasing movies like Minority Report (2002), Catch Me If You Can (2002), and War of the Worlds (2005), working with major stars like Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks. It was another 2005 movie, however, that saw him work with Craig for the first time.

Quarrels and tussles between celebrities are a common occurrence in the film industry, for one can often find some or the other celebrity butting heads. These are even more common when it comes to film sets and history is full of such infamous accidents when sparks flew all in the wrong direction off-screen.

Val Kilmer | Credit: Top Gun / Paramount Pictures

One such incident occurred on the sets of the sci-fi bomb Red Planet, starring Val Kilmer and Saving Private Ryan star Tom Sizemore. Such was their animosity that Sizemore declared he would never work with the Top Gun star again.

A Look Back at Val Kilmer and Tom Sizemore’s Infamous Rivalry Red Planet | Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

The 90s saw the meteoric rise of several blockbuster actors and two of them were Val Kilmer and Tom Sizemore. Having previously collaborated on the critically acclaimed 1995 flick, Heat, they once again...

Austin Butler is one of the biggest rising stars in Hollywood after his appearances in films like Elvis, Dune: Part Two, and The Bikeriders. Butler began his career as a teen actor and went on to work with acclaimed filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Baz Luhrmann, Jim Jarmusch, and Denis Villeneuve.

Butler gained more prominence when he played legendary singer Elvis Presley in the biopic Elvis. Though the film received mixed responses, Butler’s performance was widely regarded as one of the best of the year and even received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. However, he was still the secondary star in the film.

How Much Did Austin Butler Earn For Elvis? Austin Butler in Elvis | Credits: Warner Bros.

Austin Butler gave his all for Elvis. Playing the King was no easy task as the legendary musician’s biopic had been in the making since the ‘90s. Butler was reportedly...

In January 1999, the Critics Choice Awards presented “Saving Private Ryan” with its top prize of best picture. The film’s director, Steven Spielberg, took the stage and proclaimed of the organization, “This group is here to stay.” Never doubt the master, as 25 years later, the awards show is set to celebrate three decades with the 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards live on E! on Jan. 12.

In a time when awards shows seem to be floundering, the Critics Choice Assn. appears to be flourishing; A-list stars regularly show up for the ceremony, and its record at predicting future Oscar winners is fairly on point. The show also generates lots of buzz and memorable moments.

Joey Berlin, CEO of the Critics Choice Assn., has served as executive producer on every Critics Choice Awards broadcast since its inception with the film awards in 1995 (TV awards began in 2011) and has a few favorites. That includes 2010’s ceremony,...

It's not uncommon to get goosebumps from some of cinema's most unforgettable scenes, and war movies, in particular, tend to elicit heightened emotional responses. From sequences that focus on the tragic deaths of key characters to moments that depict rousing acts of heroism, certain scenes linger in viewers' minds long after the credits roll. Many of them also give audiences goosebumps, as they paint an immersive picture of the high-stakes nature of armed conflict and the sacrifices made by those involved in it.

Given the compelling and evocative nature of the genre, several of the best war movies of all time feature standout moments that consistently elicit powerful reactions. From last-minute cavalry arrivals in the heat of battle to heartbreaking instances of self-sacrifice and courage, many memorable war movies have played host to the most goosebump-inducing moments in cinematic history. These instances can be found across the storied genre, within...

Actor Ted Danson recently shared how he plans to spend the rest of his life. During the conversation, some of Danson’s latest projects were also highlighted. The actor also noted a great inspiration he has in his life.

Ted Danson Has Had A Lot Of Notable Roles Over The Years

Danson is probably best known for playing Sam Malone on the sitcom Cheers. Lasting in the role from 1982 to 1993, Danson’s character was a retired baseball player who moved on to running the titular bar.

Danson would also become known for starring in the sitcom, Becker. He also had notable film roles in Three Men and a Baby, its sequel, Creepshow, and Saving Private Ryan.

Ted Danson – YouTube

In later years, Danson would gain notoriety for appearing as Michael in The Good Place. As seen in the series, deceased characters find themselves in the afterlife, only to realize things...

Tyler Perry has dedicated the past quarter-century of his career to giving voice to Black women on stage and screen. With “The Six Triple Eight,” the self-made mogul — who leveraged his success to build a production studio on a former U.S. Army base outside Atlanta — has found a story ideally suited to his strengths and interests: how a courageous group of 855 women of color made history during World War II, becoming the first such unit to serve overseas.

Led by Maj. Charity Adams (formidably played by Kerry Washington), the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion faced adversity on both fronts. First, they dealt with discrimination from their fellow Americans, later adding the threat of German attack once deployed abroad. As members of the Women’s Army Corps, these enlisted ladies did not kill Hitler or even carry guns, but were tasked with a significant assignment all the same: sorting a backlog...

The premise of Shrek doesn’t shout “multi-billion-dollar mega-franchise” on paper — or when it’s shouted at you by Jeffrey Katzenberg after Saving Private Ryan made you cry.

It’s hard to envision a world where any actor besides Mike Myers plays the title character in Shrek, just as it’s hard to envision an alternate career path for the Saturday Night Live legend that goes any better for him than the one that led to him starring in four animated movies grossing a combined total of over $3 billion in the international box office. Today, Shrek is ubiquitous, and an entire generation of comedy-lovers best knows the Canadian impressionist as the voice of the crotchety, layered and preposterously Scottish ogre who taught us that appearances are less important than what’s on the inside, and that weed rats are best served either rotisserie style or in a stew.

However, when...

Matt Damon revitalized his career after starring as the tormented action hero Jason Bourne in the Bourne trilogy. Bourne wasn’t known for a glamorous lifestyle like James Bond, for instance. Still, Damon couldn’t help but to have fun playing such an invincible character.

Why Matt Damon considered playing Jason Bourne a fantasy Matt Damon | Mike Marsland/Wireimage

Damon underwent physical training that he’d never done before to play the action hero Jason Bourne. The amnesiac ex-soldier was a master of many handy skills, including hand-to-hand combat. The intense regimen that Damon did allowed him to look fit and more believable in the role of an expert assassin.

“I’d wake up and do an hour and a half of boxing and then an hour and a half of martial arts and then go out to the desert with this former Swat guy and we’d clean, assemble...

Mike Myers recently joined Vulture for a career-spanning interview in which he hilariously recounted how he was first pitched “Shrek” immediately after walking out of the the world premiere screening of Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan.” But that didn’t stop DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg from pitching him the chance to voice a a big green ogre.

“I went to the premiere of ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ and Jeffrey Katzenberg comes up to me afterward in the lobby and brings his daughters, who then do the dance sequence from ‘Austin Powers,'” Myers said. “This was after such a heavy movie, and I was in tears because my parents were in World War II. I was shell-shocked and then they’re doing the dance, and I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s great. Read a room!'”

Katzenberg asked Myers if he would ever consider doing an animated movie, to which Myers said,...

Just taking Tom Hanks’ name feels like you’re talking about an old friend. He’s the quintessential nice guy, a Hollywood heavyweight. Everyone loves a classic like Forrest Gump or Saving Private Ryan, but there’s a treasure chest of gems in his filmography that don’t get nearly enough love.

Tom Hanks in Joe Versus the Volcano | Warner Bros.

This list won’t be about the obvious heavy hitters. Instead, we’re taking a closer look at the movies that flew under the radar or have faded into the background over the years.

12. Larry Crowne (2011)

Let’s start with a feel-good flick that’s just as unassuming as its leading man. In Larry Crowne, Tom Hanks, who also directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), stars as Larry, a perpetually cheerful retail worker fired for not having a college degree. So, naturally,...

Ted Danson will be honored with the Carol Burnett Award at the 2025 Golden Globes.

Danson, an Emmy and Golden Globe winner, will receive the award, along with 2025 Cecil B. DeMille Award winner, Viola Davis, at a gala dinner on Friday, Jan. 3 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, marking the first time that the Golden Globes will host a special evening dedicated to the two awards.

Danson will also be recognized during the Jan. 5 Globes awards ceremony. Nominations will be announced on Dec. 9.

“Ted Danson has entertained audiences for decades with his iconic performances that will forever be ingrained in television history,” said Helen Hoehne, President of the Golden Globes. “His renowned career is a testament to his remarkable talent and versatility as an actor and bears resemblance to the award’s legendary namesake. It is an honor to present him with the 2025 Carol Burnett Award to celebrate the tremendous impact he...

Television legend Ted Danson will receive the Carol Burnett Award at the Golden Globes next month, the organization announced Monday. Inaugurated in 2019, the award honors the lasting impact of career achievements in television. Danson is the fifth recipient, following Burnett, Norman Lear, Ryan Murphy and Ellen DeGeneres.

“Ted Danson has entertained audiences for decades with his iconic performances that will forever be ingrained in television history,” Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne said.

“His renowned career is a testament to his remarkable talent and versatility as an actor and bears resemblance to the award’s legendary namesake,” she continued. “It is an honor to present him with the 2025 Carol Burnett Award to celebrate the tremendous impact he has made and continues to make in television.”

Danson has been nominated for 13 Golden Globes, nine of which were for his leading role in the as bartender Sam Malone on the sitcom “Cheers,” and has won three.

Ted Danson is set to receive the Carol Burnett Award at the 82nd annual Golden Globes.

“Ted Danson has entertained audiences for decades with his iconic performances that will forever be ingrained in television history,” said Helen Hoehne, president of the Golden Globes. “His renowned career is a testament to his remarkable talent and versatility as an actor and bears resemblance to the award’s legendary namesake. It is an honor to present him with the 2025 Carol Burnett Award to celebrate the tremendous impact he has made and continues to make in television.”

Danson will be honored alongside this year’s Cecil B. DeMille Award winner, Viola Davis, at a special gala dinner on Jan. 3 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, marking the first time the awards show will host a special event dedicated to the two awards.

Danson will also be recognized during the awards telecast on Jan. 5. Nominations for...

Toy Story is one of the most beloved children’s animated films of all time. The film series has remained timeless through the test of decades, still being just as iconic and culturally relevant as when the first film was released in 1995. Although many just think of the toys when the film is mentioned, its cast is just as impressive and surprisingly less talked about.

A still from Toy Story | Credit: Pixar

Names like Wallace Shawn, Tim Allen, and Laurie Metcalf were at the very center of the film. However, one of the most impressive names among its ranks has to be that of Tom Hanks, who voiced Woody. The actor stuck around for all of the films and has even done other animated projects since then.

However, many fans of the Pixar film will be disappointed to know that Toy Story was not his favorite animated film to do.

Recently, Ranker conducted a large survey to determine the saddest death scenes in cinema history. We’ve narrowed it down to the top 15 to give you a more focused look, along with our own comments and insights to add some extra flavor. Here’s the 15 saddest death scenes, ranked from 15th to 1st. We hope you enjoy the journey!

15. Sam’s death from Ghost

Ghost is now regarded as a classic romantic film, and the moment when Patrick Swayze’s character, Sam, is shot serves as the pivotal event that drives the entire story. His unexpected death is a shocking turn that propels the plot, but it remains one of the saddest moments in cinema.

Sam’s death feels especially heartbreaking because he was an innocent person who didn’t deserve to die, particularly under such cruel circumstances.

14. Walt asking for a light from Gran Torino

When Clint Eastwood dies on screen,...

Saving Private Ryan star Giovanni Ribisi recalls a filming detail that proves Steven Spielberg was at the top of his directorial game. Released in 1998, Spielberg’s gripping World War 2 film was a box office smash, grossing $481 million. The epic movie went on to claim five Academy Awards, including a Best Director trophy for Spielberg, and one for cinematographer Janusz Kamiński.

Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan actor Ribisi could not have been surprised that the director won Oscar gold for the film, as he witnessed first-hand what a virtuoso the filmmaker is, noting recently a particularly impressive directorial feat Spielberg pulled off when shooting the 1998 movie. Speaking to the ReelBlend Podcast for his new movie Strange Darling, Ribisi gushed about Spielberg’s ability to stay well ahead of schedule even though he was working on his third film in a brutally short time period:

What I was blown away by was the fact that,...