“More stars than there are in heaven” was once the slogan for Hollywood’s largest studio. Larger-than-life celebrities like Judy Garland, Clark Gable, Fred Astaire, Katharine Hepburn, Jean Harlow and Gene Kelly were common fixtures at MGM. Today, MGM is an IP outpost purchased by Amazon for $8.5 billion in 2022, but in its day, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had the biggest lot in Hollywood and produced some of the most extravagant films. Located in Culver City, MGM’s famously sprawling lot began as it grew from the 40 acres owned by Samuel Goldwyn. The legendary MGM property was 3 miles long and housed more than 45 buildings and 14 stages, in addition to numerous outdoor sets that would be built over the years.
MGM was home to countless classic films, and in 1939 alone, the studio backed the timeless fantasy The Wizard of Oz and distributed the Oscar-winning Gone With the Wind, the Ernst Lubitsch/Greta Garbo comedy Ninotchka,...
MGM was home to countless classic films, and in 1939 alone, the studio backed the timeless fantasy The Wizard of Oz and distributed the Oscar-winning Gone With the Wind, the Ernst Lubitsch/Greta Garbo comedy Ninotchka,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Chris Yogerst
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MGM celebrated its centennial on April 17th. Marcus Lowe established the studio by merging Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Pictures. Boasting it had “more stars than there are in heaven,” MGM may have been the biggest studio during the Golden Age of Hollywood, it has gone through many owners and regimes over the years but seems to on terra firma since Amazon acquired MGM in 2021. In fact, Amazon MGM Studios won best screenplay Oscar for “American Fiction.” And speaking of Academy Awards, MGM has earned numerous statuettes over the years. Here’s a look at five Best Picture winners produced between 1929-1958.
“The Broadway Melody”
The 1929 musical made Oscar history by being the first talkie to win the top prize. Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed wrote the songs which include “The Broadway Melody,” “You Were Meant for Me” and “The Wedding of the Painted Doll” but...
“The Broadway Melody”
The 1929 musical made Oscar history by being the first talkie to win the top prize. Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed wrote the songs which include “The Broadway Melody,” “You Were Meant for Me” and “The Wedding of the Painted Doll” but...
- 4/22/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
From the moment the film was announced a year ago, “Abigail” has been marketed as a remake of “Dracula’s Daughter,” the 1936 Universal Pictures curio. So it’s no spoiler to say that the title character of “Abigail” is…Dracula’s daughter. Yet if you went in not knowing that, it might be the only real surprise in the movie, apart from what a brutally monotonous blood-vomiting genre mashup it is.
For a while, we think we’re watching a standard kidnap thriller. It opens with Abigail (Alisha Weir), who is 12, on the ballet stage rehearsing “Swan Lake,” a most definite vampire homage, since Tchaikovsky’s gorgeous heart-swelling score is the same music that played over the opening credits of the 1931 Bela Lugosi “Dracula.” That lyrical entré ends in about three minutes, as the kidnappers, all overstated profane synthetic crudeness, jam themselves into a van and abscond with Abigail, who they...
For a while, we think we’re watching a standard kidnap thriller. It opens with Abigail (Alisha Weir), who is 12, on the ballet stage rehearsing “Swan Lake,” a most definite vampire homage, since Tchaikovsky’s gorgeous heart-swelling score is the same music that played over the opening credits of the 1931 Bela Lugosi “Dracula.” That lyrical entré ends in about three minutes, as the kidnappers, all overstated profane synthetic crudeness, jam themselves into a van and abscond with Abigail, who they...
- 4/18/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
The preview opening of the new exhibit Meet the Stars: 100 Years of MGM Studios and the Golden Age of Hollywood on Thursday night was a crowded, buzzing affair. Held at the Hollywood Heritage Museum in the historic Lasky DeMille Barn across from the Hollywood Bowl, the event showcased the items of over 20 movie collectors. Memorabilia hunters, dressed in fedoras and flirty ’40s dresses, gabbed about their latest finds with others who have a similar passion.
The highlight of the night was when the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to former MGM child star Cora Sue Collins (who played a little Greta Garbo in 1933’s Queen Christina), the last surviving MGM contract player from the 1930s. Sitting at a tableau that recreated a party thrown for her by MGM in 1935, Collins elegantly thanked everyone for their well wishes. Actor George Chakiris was also in attendance, and he posed next to a costume...
The highlight of the night was when the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to former MGM child star Cora Sue Collins (who played a little Greta Garbo in 1933’s Queen Christina), the last surviving MGM contract player from the 1930s. Sitting at a tableau that recreated a party thrown for her by MGM in 1935, Collins elegantly thanked everyone for their well wishes. Actor George Chakiris was also in attendance, and he posed next to a costume...
- 4/5/2024
- by Hadley Meares
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Numerous actors aspire to stand on the illustrious stage and utter the iconic words, “I would like to thank The Academy,” as they receive the coveted Oscar. The Oscar is the pinnacle of achievement in the filmmaking industry, a dream for many. However, the reality is that not everyone can emerge victorious.
Many actors have come to understand that even multiple nominations don’t guarantee a win. The competition at the Academy Awards is fierce, and not everyone will have the honor of seeing their name engraved on the prestigious golden statue. We are now listing four deserving actors who finished their careers without ever winning an Oscar.
4 Actors Who Ended Their Careers Without An Oscar Win
As previously noted, securing an Oscar remains the pinnacle of acknowledgement for numerous actors, yet several top stars have not won the prestigious award. In fact, some actors concluded their careers without ever attaining an Academy Award.
Many actors have come to understand that even multiple nominations don’t guarantee a win. The competition at the Academy Awards is fierce, and not everyone will have the honor of seeing their name engraved on the prestigious golden statue. We are now listing four deserving actors who finished their careers without ever winning an Oscar.
4 Actors Who Ended Their Careers Without An Oscar Win
As previously noted, securing an Oscar remains the pinnacle of acknowledgement for numerous actors, yet several top stars have not won the prestigious award. In fact, some actors concluded their careers without ever attaining an Academy Award.
- 3/11/2024
- by Subhojeet Mookherjee
- FandomWire
A host of conspiracy theories surrounded the sudden disappearance of pioneering transgender soul singer Jackie Shane from the music world in 1971 after she packed Toronto nightclubs during the 1960s, only to resurface when news of her death in Nashville broke in 2019.
Despite leaving the public eye, the Nashville-born R&b performer’s celebrated, yet complicated legacy lived on in Jackie Shane Live, a bootlegged 1967 live set recording of Shane performing at Toronto’s famed Saphire Tavern that caught the ear of local filmmaker and music fan Michael Mabbott.
Mabbott talked to The Hollywood Reporter before his documentary, Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story — which he co-directed with Lucah Rosenberg-Lee and is executive produced by Elliot Page — world premieres at the South by Southwest Festival on Saturday.
“I was just so intrigued by her story, but no one knew anything besides she had disappeared, with very mysterious rumors and conjecture...
Despite leaving the public eye, the Nashville-born R&b performer’s celebrated, yet complicated legacy lived on in Jackie Shane Live, a bootlegged 1967 live set recording of Shane performing at Toronto’s famed Saphire Tavern that caught the ear of local filmmaker and music fan Michael Mabbott.
Mabbott talked to The Hollywood Reporter before his documentary, Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story — which he co-directed with Lucah Rosenberg-Lee and is executive produced by Elliot Page — world premieres at the South by Southwest Festival on Saturday.
“I was just so intrigued by her story, but no one knew anything besides she had disappeared, with very mysterious rumors and conjecture...
- 3/8/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Clockwise from top left: Notting Hill (Universal Pictures), Love & Basketball (New Line Cinema), Amelie (20th Century Fox),Say Anything (Ugc-Fox Distribution)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Running through the airport to stop a lover’s flight. Making a big speech in front of a crowd of strangers. Picking the perfect song for a serenade.
Running through the airport to stop a lover’s flight. Making a big speech in front of a crowd of strangers. Picking the perfect song for a serenade.
- 2/12/2024
- by Mary Kate Carr, Gabrielle Sanchez, and Saloni Gajjar
- avclub.com
One of the most expressive, luminous performances in all of silent cinema is that of Louise Brooks in G. W. Pabst’s Pandora’s Box. Now, thanks to a new restoration, audiences will have a chance to rediscover the 1929 masterpiece. Ahead of a theatrical release beginning at Film Forum on Valentine’s Day, Janus Films has unveiled the new trailer and poster for the restoration.
Here’s the synopsis: “One of the masters of early German cinema, G. W. Pabst had an innate talent for discovering actresses (including Greta Garbo). And perhaps none of his female stars shone brighter than Kansas native and onetime Ziegfeld girl Louise Brooks, whose legendary persona was defined by Pabst’s lurid, controversial melodrama Pandora’s Box. Sensationally modern, the film follows the downward spiral of the fiery, brash, yet innocent showgirl Lulu, whose sexual vivacity has a devastating effect on everyone she comes in contact with.
Here’s the synopsis: “One of the masters of early German cinema, G. W. Pabst had an innate talent for discovering actresses (including Greta Garbo). And perhaps none of his female stars shone brighter than Kansas native and onetime Ziegfeld girl Louise Brooks, whose legendary persona was defined by Pabst’s lurid, controversial melodrama Pandora’s Box. Sensationally modern, the film follows the downward spiral of the fiery, brash, yet innocent showgirl Lulu, whose sexual vivacity has a devastating effect on everyone she comes in contact with.
- 1/26/2024
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
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
Stanley Kubrick's 1980 horror film "The Shining," based on the popular book by Stephen King, saw struggling author Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) hired to be the caretaker of a remote, mountainside resort called the Overlook Hotel. During the winter months, snow prevents visitors from coming and going, and someone merely has to keep the furnaces burning. Jack is told that one of the hotel's previous caretakers, Mr. Grady, was infected by a severe case of cabin fever and slaughtered his family. Jack brushes off the violence as a mere horror story, and takes the job nonetheless.
While there, Jack and his family learn that the Overlook is deeply, deeply haunted. The hotel is almost a massive, unconscious mind, which manifests ghosts as a way to flex its memories. In one of the film's more terrifying scenes -- and it has many -- the young Danny (Danny Lloyd) is idly riding...
While there, Jack and his family learn that the Overlook is deeply, deeply haunted. The hotel is almost a massive, unconscious mind, which manifests ghosts as a way to flex its memories. In one of the film's more terrifying scenes -- and it has many -- the young Danny (Danny Lloyd) is idly riding...
- 1/8/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Nine decades ago this December, moviegoers were witnessing the beginning of one of the most successful movie teams, as well as the demise of one of the most dramatic.
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made box office magic during the Depression-era 1930s in nine Art Deco musical comedy delights from Rko including 1934’s “The Gay Divorcee” and 1936’s “Swing Time.” Their chemistry was unmatched, and they literally made beautiful musical together introducing countless standards including the Oscar-winning “The Continental” and “The Way You Look Tonight.” And their dancing was robust, romantic and heavenly-just check out the “Never Gonna Dance” routine from “Swing Time.”
It was 90 years ago this week, their first pairing “Flying Down to Rio” opened at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. One of the big surprises is that the duo aren’t the stars of the lightweight pre-Code musicals: Dolores Del Rio, Gene Raymond...
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made box office magic during the Depression-era 1930s in nine Art Deco musical comedy delights from Rko including 1934’s “The Gay Divorcee” and 1936’s “Swing Time.” Their chemistry was unmatched, and they literally made beautiful musical together introducing countless standards including the Oscar-winning “The Continental” and “The Way You Look Tonight.” And their dancing was robust, romantic and heavenly-just check out the “Never Gonna Dance” routine from “Swing Time.”
It was 90 years ago this week, their first pairing “Flying Down to Rio” opened at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. One of the big surprises is that the duo aren’t the stars of the lightweight pre-Code musicals: Dolores Del Rio, Gene Raymond...
- 12/28/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Cari Beauchamp, the respected film historian who put readers and viewers in close touch with the early days of Hollywood through her painstaking research as an author, editor and documentary filmmaker, died Thursday. She was 74.
Beauchamp died of natural causes at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, her son Jake Flynn told The Hollywood Reporter.
She was unable to attend an Oct. 28 event at the Tcl Chinese Theatre that celebrated authors represented on THR’s recent unveiling of “The 100 Greatest Film Books of All Time.”
Beauchamp is on the exclusive list thanks to Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Powerful Women of Early Hollywood. First published in 1997, it centers on Marion, who became the highest-paid screenwriter, man or woman, in Hollywood by 1917 before receiving Oscars for The Big House (1930) and The Champ (1931).
Beauchamp then wrote and produced for TCM a 2001 documentary based on the book, earning a WGA nomination along the way.
Beauchamp died of natural causes at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, her son Jake Flynn told The Hollywood Reporter.
She was unable to attend an Oct. 28 event at the Tcl Chinese Theatre that celebrated authors represented on THR’s recent unveiling of “The 100 Greatest Film Books of All Time.”
Beauchamp is on the exclusive list thanks to Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Powerful Women of Early Hollywood. First published in 1997, it centers on Marion, who became the highest-paid screenwriter, man or woman, in Hollywood by 1917 before receiving Oscars for The Big House (1930) and The Champ (1931).
Beauchamp then wrote and produced for TCM a 2001 documentary based on the book, earning a WGA nomination along the way.
- 12/15/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Greta Lee and Andrew Scott’s instant rapport when meeting for the first time makes sense: At the heart of their astonishing, often wordless performances this year is a deeply felt chemistry they each had to create with their co-stars. In “Past Lives,” from writer-director Celine Song, Lee plays Nora, a first-generation Korean American torn between her first love in Korea (Teo Yoo) and her white American husband (John Magaro), with whom she lives in New York. In “All of Us Strangers,” from writer-director Andrew Haigh, Scott plays Adam, whose lonely life in his London flat is pierced by a flirtatious neighbor (Paul Mescal) and mysterious, dreamlike visits with his late parents (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy).
Andrew Scott: I first saw your work in “Russian Doll.” What was that like?
Greta Lee: Oh gosh. I love Natasha [Lyonne]. I love Leslye Headland. It’s a crew of wild,...
Andrew Scott: I first saw your work in “Russian Doll.” What was that like?
Greta Lee: Oh gosh. I love Natasha [Lyonne]. I love Leslye Headland. It’s a crew of wild,...
- 12/13/2023
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
“We didn’t need dialogue. We had faces,” proclaimed former silent film queen Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) in Billy Wilder’s 1950 masterwork “Sunset Boulevard.” One of the greatest faces of the era belonged to French actor Albert Dieudonne who starred in Abel Gance’s breathtaking 1927 epic “Napoleon.” With this dark eyes, distinct nose and rock star style hair, Dieudonne channels the infamous French military leader and emperor who conquered most of Europe in the early 19th century until his disastrous 1812 invasion of Russia. Exiled to Elba in 1814, he emerged once again and suffered a massive defeat at Waterloo in 1815. He died in exile six years later at the age of 51.
Dieudonne commands the 5 ½ hour film restored by Kevin Brownlow which features the jaw-dropping triptych finale that is as exciting now as it was 96 years ago. BFI states that the film is “monumental and visionary, the story’s chapters play out...
Dieudonne commands the 5 ½ hour film restored by Kevin Brownlow which features the jaw-dropping triptych finale that is as exciting now as it was 96 years ago. BFI states that the film is “monumental and visionary, the story’s chapters play out...
- 12/1/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Cate Blanchett, Jessica Chastain, Lena Endre, Jeremy Irons, Sam Waterston, and John Lithgow all pay tribute with great admiration for Liv Ullmann in Dheeraj Akolkar’s all-embracing Liv Ullmann: A Road Less Travelled. Photo: Vidar Nordli-Mathisen, courtesy of Teddy TV
In the first instalment with Liv Ullmann on Dheeraj Akolkar’s Liv Ullmann: A Road Less Travelled (a highlight of the 14th edition of Doc NYC), we start out with greetings from Wim Wenders (Liv’s executive producer partner on Margreth Olin’s Songs Of Earth), whose film Anselm in 3D on Anselm Kiefer is the Special Presentation selection.
Jeremy Irons on Liv Ullmann: “To lend one’s voice to the voiceless can be quite powerful. I think we are alike in that life is what we’re here for.” On Liv receiving an Honorary Oscar in 2022: “She is a jewel.” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Match Girl...
In the first instalment with Liv Ullmann on Dheeraj Akolkar’s Liv Ullmann: A Road Less Travelled (a highlight of the 14th edition of Doc NYC), we start out with greetings from Wim Wenders (Liv’s executive producer partner on Margreth Olin’s Songs Of Earth), whose film Anselm in 3D on Anselm Kiefer is the Special Presentation selection.
Jeremy Irons on Liv Ullmann: “To lend one’s voice to the voiceless can be quite powerful. I think we are alike in that life is what we’re here for.” On Liv receiving an Honorary Oscar in 2022: “She is a jewel.” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Match Girl...
- 11/18/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
If a legend like Liv Ullman can have imposter syndrome, what does it mean for the rest of us mere mortals? Throughout Liv Ullmann: A Road Less Travelled, it’s Ullman herself who reflects on the past and reveals that which she is willing to reveal from her illustrious career. A feeling she often returns to is that of being unworthy, too inexperienced, and not ready. While it may seem ridiculous coming from the Norwegian actress/director/activist, it’s not. Liv Ullman lives with endless doubt, as we all do. She’s just overcome it a bit better than most.
From her fast start with Ingmar Bergman (beginning with Persona in 1966) to her first autobiography Changing to her accomplished career as a director, Dheeraj Akolkar’s film is a testament to resilience and growth. Including clips from some of her best work and commentary from friends and colleagues, the energy is decidedly positive.
From her fast start with Ingmar Bergman (beginning with Persona in 1966) to her first autobiography Changing to her accomplished career as a director, Dheeraj Akolkar’s film is a testament to resilience and growth. Including clips from some of her best work and commentary from friends and colleagues, the energy is decidedly positive.
- 11/16/2023
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
James Sanders in Celluloid Skyline: New York And The Movies quotes Deborah Kerr with Cary Grant in Leo McCarey’s An Affair To Remember: “It’s the nearest thing to heaven we have in New York.”
In the first instalment with architect, author, and filmmaker James Sanders, we discuss his timeless and profound book, Celluloid Skyline: New York And The Movies, in which he explores how deeply one informs the other. From Joan Didion’s wisdom to Cedric Gibbons’s dream sets in the sky, we touch on George Stevens’s Swing Time (starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers) and Robert Z Leonard’s Susan Lenox (with Greta Garbo and Clark Gable); East River running with Jill Clayburgh and Michael Murphy in Paul Mazursky’s An Unmarried Woman.
James Sanders with Anne-Katrin Titze: “One of the aspects of a mythic city is that it can go anywhere ”
The mansion...
In the first instalment with architect, author, and filmmaker James Sanders, we discuss his timeless and profound book, Celluloid Skyline: New York And The Movies, in which he explores how deeply one informs the other. From Joan Didion’s wisdom to Cedric Gibbons’s dream sets in the sky, we touch on George Stevens’s Swing Time (starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers) and Robert Z Leonard’s Susan Lenox (with Greta Garbo and Clark Gable); East River running with Jill Clayburgh and Michael Murphy in Paul Mazursky’s An Unmarried Woman.
James Sanders with Anne-Katrin Titze: “One of the aspects of a mythic city is that it can go anywhere ”
The mansion...
- 11/2/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
In the early 1940s, a young Lena Horne began an engagement at an intimate L.A. club called Little Troc, where her silken voice — with her perfect enunciation and her sophisticated interpretation of the lyrics — dazzled the likes of Marlene Dietrich, Cole Porter, Lana Turner and Greta Garbo. Among the many eyes that observed her during her run were those of the astute, sensitive Roger Edens, who was an integral member of the Freed Unit at MGM Studios. Led by innovative producer Arthur Freed, the unit consisted of musical artists who created many of MGM’s great musicals from the golden age: It had recently produced Babes in Arms (1939) and would strike gold with An American in Paris (1951), Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and Gigi (1958).
Within the Freed Unit, Edens stood out as a highly respected composer, arranger and associate producer who eventually won three Academy Awards. After seeing Lena perform,...
Within the Freed Unit, Edens stood out as a highly respected composer, arranger and associate producer who eventually won three Academy Awards. After seeing Lena perform,...
- 10/12/2023
- by Donald Bogle
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Angelina Jolie is taking on an operatic new role: playing Greek opera singer Maria Callas.
Jolie leads Pablo Larraín’s biopic “Maria,” set during the last days of the chanteuse’s life. She died in 1977.
“Maria” marks Larraín’s third biopic on the heels of “Jackie” and “Spencer,” which earned actress Kristen Stewart her first Oscar nomination.
Per the official synopsis, the film explores the life of the legendary, iconic and controversial singer, often described as the original diva. Based on true accounts, “Maria” tells the tumultuous, beautiful, and tragic story of the life of the world’s greatest opera singer, relived and re-imagined during her final days in 1970s Paris.
“The Power of the Dog” star Kodi Smit-McPhee, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer, and Valeria Golino co-star alongside Jolie. The film is an independent production with an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA; production starts this week, with locations ranging...
Jolie leads Pablo Larraín’s biopic “Maria,” set during the last days of the chanteuse’s life. She died in 1977.
“Maria” marks Larraín’s third biopic on the heels of “Jackie” and “Spencer,” which earned actress Kristen Stewart her first Oscar nomination.
Per the official synopsis, the film explores the life of the legendary, iconic and controversial singer, often described as the original diva. Based on true accounts, “Maria” tells the tumultuous, beautiful, and tragic story of the life of the world’s greatest opera singer, relived and re-imagined during her final days in 1970s Paris.
“The Power of the Dog” star Kodi Smit-McPhee, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer, and Valeria Golino co-star alongside Jolie. The film is an independent production with an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA; production starts this week, with locations ranging...
- 10/9/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Pauly Shore, star of such comedies as “Encino Man” and “Bio-Dome”, has another project in mind: playing fitness guru Richard Simmons in a biopic.
Earlier this week, Shore took to X (formerly Twitter) to reveal that he’s “been playing phone tag” with Simmons, who he says is now living in Big Bear, California.
Read More: Richard Simmons Thanks Fans For Well Wishes In Rare Public Comment After Years Out Of The Spotlight
“I’m trying to make it happen, you guys,” he wrote, adding a joking reference about the nomination he’s certain to receive for the 2025 Oscars.
I’ve noticed the reactions to me playing #RichardSimmons in a biopic. I heard he’s living in Big Bear. We’ve been playing phone tag. I’m trying to make it happen, you guys. In the meantime, hit up all the big producers. I’ll see you at @TheAcademy 2025! pic.
Earlier this week, Shore took to X (formerly Twitter) to reveal that he’s “been playing phone tag” with Simmons, who he says is now living in Big Bear, California.
Read More: Richard Simmons Thanks Fans For Well Wishes In Rare Public Comment After Years Out Of The Spotlight
“I’m trying to make it happen, you guys,” he wrote, adding a joking reference about the nomination he’s certain to receive for the 2025 Oscars.
I’ve noticed the reactions to me playing #RichardSimmons in a biopic. I heard he’s living in Big Bear. We’ve been playing phone tag. I’m trying to make it happen, you guys. In the meantime, hit up all the big producers. I’ll see you at @TheAcademy 2025! pic.
- 9/23/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
Swedish-born Greta Garbo became a star with a string of hit films throughout the 1920s and 1930s before disappearing from screens in 1941 at the age of 36. Though she appeared in only a handful of titles, enough have remained classics to give her a special place in history. Let’s take a look back at 10 of her greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1905, Garbo got her start in the silent era, acting in her native Sweden before coming to Hollywood at the behest of MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer. She soon became a popular presence on the silver screen as a romantic leading lady. Her performance in “Flesh and the Devil” (1926) as a seductress who tears two friends apart proved she was a woman to die for.
Since English was not her first language, Mayer was rightfully nervous that the emergence of sound would destroy one of his biggest stars.
Born in 1905, Garbo got her start in the silent era, acting in her native Sweden before coming to Hollywood at the behest of MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer. She soon became a popular presence on the silver screen as a romantic leading lady. Her performance in “Flesh and the Devil” (1926) as a seductress who tears two friends apart proved she was a woman to die for.
Since English was not her first language, Mayer was rightfully nervous that the emergence of sound would destroy one of his biggest stars.
- 9/14/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Tl;Dr:
John Lennon said he inspired rumors even when he wasn’t doing anything for publicity. He discussed why he didn’t release an album for five years. John compared his situation to that of a famous movie star.
John Lennon was the subject of numerous false rumors. For example, he recounted some gossip about his personal hygiene that he thought was funny. Notably, the “Imagine” singer said he inspired more press the less he interacted with the media.
John Lennon found humor in a rumor about his hair and fingernails
During a 1980 interview with the Los Angeles Times, John discussed how the press treated him and Yoko Ono. “The funny thing is when we were doing the Bed-Ins and all the other strange John and Yoko things in the ’60s, people kept saying, ‘Well, they’ll do anything for publicity,'” he recalled. “But the stories continued even...
John Lennon said he inspired rumors even when he wasn’t doing anything for publicity. He discussed why he didn’t release an album for five years. John compared his situation to that of a famous movie star.
John Lennon was the subject of numerous false rumors. For example, he recounted some gossip about his personal hygiene that he thought was funny. Notably, the “Imagine” singer said he inspired more press the less he interacted with the media.
John Lennon found humor in a rumor about his hair and fingernails
During a 1980 interview with the Los Angeles Times, John discussed how the press treated him and Yoko Ono. “The funny thing is when we were doing the Bed-Ins and all the other strange John and Yoko things in the ’60s, people kept saying, ‘Well, they’ll do anything for publicity,'” he recalled. “But the stories continued even...
- 8/7/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
(Welcome to Did They Get It Right?, a series where we look at an Oscars category from yesteryear and examine whether the Academy's winner stands the test of time.)
We are in somewhat of a transitional period with how we think about the acting categories for entertainment awards. This, primarily, has to do with gender. We have had separate categories for female and male performers for decades upon decades, but if you really stop to think about it, there is no difference in what a female actor does compared to a male one. Why shouldn't Colin Farrell in "The Banshees of Inisherin" compete against Cate Blanchett in "TÁR"? Of course, the worry is that in our patriarchal society, men will come to dominate that category and fewer women will be nominated and win. Then you have the added issue of non-binary performers being forced to slot themselves in a particular...
We are in somewhat of a transitional period with how we think about the acting categories for entertainment awards. This, primarily, has to do with gender. We have had separate categories for female and male performers for decades upon decades, but if you really stop to think about it, there is no difference in what a female actor does compared to a male one. Why shouldn't Colin Farrell in "The Banshees of Inisherin" compete against Cate Blanchett in "TÁR"? Of course, the worry is that in our patriarchal society, men will come to dominate that category and fewer women will be nominated and win. Then you have the added issue of non-binary performers being forced to slot themselves in a particular...
- 8/6/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
Paul McCartney has successfully maintained his fame for six decades. He has been a beloved celebrity since his early 20s and is still widely adored in his 80s. While he struggled with the trappings of fame alongside his Beatles bandmates, he enjoyed celebrity more than them. According to a friend of the band, McCartney was the only one to let fame inflate his ego.
Paul McCartney enjoyed fame more than the other Beatles
The Beatles’ rise to success was relatively quick and it lifted them to astronomical heights. They became the most famous people in the world, unable to go anywhere without fans swarming them. While they were happy for their success, each of The Beatles struggled with this level of celebrity. They had completely lost their ability to live normal lives, and, at least in the early 1960s, their fame eclipsed their music.
According to a friend of the band,...
Paul McCartney enjoyed fame more than the other Beatles
The Beatles’ rise to success was relatively quick and it lifted them to astronomical heights. They became the most famous people in the world, unable to go anywhere without fans swarming them. While they were happy for their success, each of The Beatles struggled with this level of celebrity. They had completely lost their ability to live normal lives, and, at least in the early 1960s, their fame eclipsed their music.
According to a friend of the band,...
- 8/1/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
How ‘The Perfect Find’ Director Numa Perrier Honored and Updated Tia Williams’ Book At the Same Time
Netflix’s “The Perfect Find” director Numa Perrier collected generational references in her film adaptation of Tia Williams’ novel.
The story follows Jenna Jones (Gabrielle Union) and Eric Combs (Keith Powers) who gravitate toward each other despite a substantial age gap and the fact that Eric is the son of Jenna’s boss Darcy (Gina Torres).
The two pair up for a creative project for Darzine, Darcy’s fashion magazine. The project, which eventually becomes “The Perfect Find” highlights fashions inspired by Black starlets of Hollywood’s past. Jenna and Eric also bond over their love for old Hollywood — like Nina Mae McKinney, who pops up throughout the film with clips from “Hallelujah!,” a Greta Garbo clip from “The Flesh and Devil” and Spike Lee’s “School Daze,” featured at a drive-in movie date.
Perrier explained the process behind making references to classic Black Hollywood, first during Jenna’s swap meet browsing,...
The story follows Jenna Jones (Gabrielle Union) and Eric Combs (Keith Powers) who gravitate toward each other despite a substantial age gap and the fact that Eric is the son of Jenna’s boss Darcy (Gina Torres).
The two pair up for a creative project for Darzine, Darcy’s fashion magazine. The project, which eventually becomes “The Perfect Find” highlights fashions inspired by Black starlets of Hollywood’s past. Jenna and Eric also bond over their love for old Hollywood — like Nina Mae McKinney, who pops up throughout the film with clips from “Hallelujah!,” a Greta Garbo clip from “The Flesh and Devil” and Spike Lee’s “School Daze,” featured at a drive-in movie date.
Perrier explained the process behind making references to classic Black Hollywood, first during Jenna’s swap meet browsing,...
- 7/20/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Paul McCartney has been famous for the vast majority of his life, but he still sometimes feels a jolt when he thinks about his legacy. He spent his 20s with The Beatles and has continued to work on music ever since. He said he still thinks of himself as a kid from Liverpool, even though he has not been this in years. McCartney admitted that remembering his level of fame can feel overwhelming.
Paul McCartney said he sometimes freaks out when he remembers who he is
McCartney draws a distinct line between himself as a performer and himself in his personal life.
“I’ve always had this thing of him and me; he goes on stage, he’s famous, and then me; I’m just some kid from Liverpool,” he said, per the book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles. “At fifty-four this little being inside me...
Paul McCartney said he sometimes freaks out when he remembers who he is
McCartney draws a distinct line between himself as a performer and himself in his personal life.
“I’ve always had this thing of him and me; he goes on stage, he’s famous, and then me; I’m just some kid from Liverpool,” he said, per the book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles. “At fifty-four this little being inside me...
- 7/15/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Elton John has announced his retirement several different times, but Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr took a different approach when they wanted The Beatles to stop live performances. Rather than announcing it, they simply stopped. McCartney said he never wanted to do a grand farewell tour or even break up The Beatles when he got sick of them. He believed there was always a chance of reunion. McCartney specifically said that he didn’t want to take John’s approach.
Paul McCartney didn’t want The Beatles to approach a farewell tour like Elton John did
After playing a show in San Francisco’s Candlestick Park in 1966, The Beatles never toured again. They continued to make music together for the next several years, though. McCartney said they brought up the possibility of breaking up before they officially split, but he tended to push back against it.
Paul McCartney didn’t want The Beatles to approach a farewell tour like Elton John did
After playing a show in San Francisco’s Candlestick Park in 1966, The Beatles never toured again. They continued to make music together for the next several years, though. McCartney said they brought up the possibility of breaking up before they officially split, but he tended to push back against it.
- 7/11/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Boldness defines Numa Perrier’s soapy romantic comedy The Perfect Find. Characters make unbelievable decisions in the name of love. Grand proclamations are yelled from across parks and outside apartment buildings. Everyone’s dressed in the most maximalist attire: loud prints, geometrically striking jewelry, intense hairstyles. It all seems rather unbelievable until you remember the ridiculousness is part of the fun.
Like any good romantic comedy, The Perfect Find constructs a world into which you can escape. Jenna (Gabrielle Union) is a 40-something (the ambiguity of her age is significant to the plot) fashion editor who has spent the last year recovering from a devastating public breakup. Her 10-year relationship with Brian (D.B. Woodside), an equally ambitious careerist, crashed profoundly after Jenna sought clarity about their future. To escape the tabloid frenzy, Jenna moves back in with her parents.
Perrier economically reviews this backstory in the film’s opening credits,...
Like any good romantic comedy, The Perfect Find constructs a world into which you can escape. Jenna (Gabrielle Union) is a 40-something (the ambiguity of her age is significant to the plot) fashion editor who has spent the last year recovering from a devastating public breakup. Her 10-year relationship with Brian (D.B. Woodside), an equally ambitious careerist, crashed profoundly after Jenna sought clarity about their future. To escape the tabloid frenzy, Jenna moves back in with her parents.
Perrier economically reviews this backstory in the film’s opening credits,...
- 6/22/2023
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s hard to remember a time when fashion and beauty commentary were not ubiquitous. When red carpet pre-shows for the Oscars or the Met Gala were not the norm, or before anyone with a TikTok or Instagram account could be an obsessive pundit on celebrity style.
Steven Cojocaru was there, however, at the beginning of this sartorial saturation. The Canadian writer and TV host, now 50, hustled tirelessly in his early career to get legacy media to take style as seriously as he did. He became People magazine’s first West Coast fashion editor in 1997 and was the first out gay fashion correspondent for NBC’s “Today” during the highly watched Matt Lauer and Katie Couric era.
His persona was so vivid that Jimmy Fallon parodied him on “SNL” in 2001. His exacting analysis of winners and losers in the high-stakes game of celebrity dressing was equally loud and memorable. But decades ago,...
Steven Cojocaru was there, however, at the beginning of this sartorial saturation. The Canadian writer and TV host, now 50, hustled tirelessly in his early career to get legacy media to take style as seriously as he did. He became People magazine’s first West Coast fashion editor in 1997 and was the first out gay fashion correspondent for NBC’s “Today” during the highly watched Matt Lauer and Katie Couric era.
His persona was so vivid that Jimmy Fallon parodied him on “SNL” in 2001. His exacting analysis of winners and losers in the high-stakes game of celebrity dressing was equally loud and memorable. But decades ago,...
- 6/21/2023
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
As far as history goes, you can’t get much more historical than Taormina for a film festival. The Antico Teatro (or Greek Theater) – where the latest films will be shown – dates back to 300 BC. More recently – as in a mere century or so – the Sicilian coastal town has proved an irresistible getaway for many, from Oscar Wilde to Greta Garbo. Born in 1955 as the Taormina and Messina Film Festival, the festival has frequently hosted many international stars of cinema, and intermittently distributed the Nastri Azzurri awards voted on by Italian journalists, and at others the David di Donatello, Italy’s equivalent to the Italian Oscars. Here are some key moments from its history.
When Dickie fought with Liz: Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor had used Taormina as a getaway right at the beginning of their romance fresh from the set of “Cleopatra.” In 1967, they returned to Taormina to attend...
When Dickie fought with Liz: Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor had used Taormina as a getaway right at the beginning of their romance fresh from the set of “Cleopatra.” In 1967, they returned to Taormina to attend...
- 6/18/2023
- by John Bleasdale
- Variety Film + TV
Jane Fonda had quite the late-night escapade.
The 85-year-old Hollywood icon recently revealed to host Andy Cohen on “Watch What Happens Live” that she shared a skinny dipping encounter with the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson.
The “80 for Brady” actress dropped the story while playing Cohen’s, 54, notorious Plead the Fifth game, where stars are proposed with three juicy questions, with the option to opt out of one question by pleading the fifth. However, the actress wasn’t afraid to share her experience with the “Thriller” singer.
Read More: Jane Fonda Names Director Who Tried To Get Her Into Bed Because He ‘Needed To See What My Orgasms Were Like’
“He came and visited me when we were shooting ‘On Golden Pond‘ [in 1981], and I had a little cottage right on the lake. It was a beautiful, moonlit night,” Fonda explained of the encounter.
She confirmed Jackson’s idea...
The 85-year-old Hollywood icon recently revealed to host Andy Cohen on “Watch What Happens Live” that she shared a skinny dipping encounter with the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson.
The “80 for Brady” actress dropped the story while playing Cohen’s, 54, notorious Plead the Fifth game, where stars are proposed with three juicy questions, with the option to opt out of one question by pleading the fifth. However, the actress wasn’t afraid to share her experience with the “Thriller” singer.
Read More: Jane Fonda Names Director Who Tried To Get Her Into Bed Because He ‘Needed To See What My Orgasms Were Like’
“He came and visited me when we were shooting ‘On Golden Pond‘ [in 1981], and I had a little cottage right on the lake. It was a beautiful, moonlit night,” Fonda explained of the encounter.
She confirmed Jackson’s idea...
- 5/21/2023
- by Emerson Pearson
- ET Canada
Image Source: Getty / Jamie McCarthy / Julien M. Hekimian
The 2023 Met Gala was a celebration of Karl Lagerfeld, meaning the May 1 event was an elaborate showcase of vintage Chanel looks and modern interpretations of the designer's work. However, one slightly more nontraditional aspect of Lagerfeld's life led to several of the night's most memorable looks: both Jared Leto and Doja Cat wore particularly unforgettable tributes to Lagerfeld's beloved cat, Choupette.
Related: Jared Leto Shows Up to the Met Gala Dressed as a Giant Cat
The designer leaves behind a complex legacy, as he was known for misogyny, fatphobia, and homophobia in addition to his groundbreaking work in fashion design. But his legendary love for Choupette is a particularly sweet aspect of his history, making her a logical muse for more adventurous attendees. The elegant Birman belonged to Lagerfeld for a decade and has spent her life in the lap of luxury.
The 2023 Met Gala was a celebration of Karl Lagerfeld, meaning the May 1 event was an elaborate showcase of vintage Chanel looks and modern interpretations of the designer's work. However, one slightly more nontraditional aspect of Lagerfeld's life led to several of the night's most memorable looks: both Jared Leto and Doja Cat wore particularly unforgettable tributes to Lagerfeld's beloved cat, Choupette.
Related: Jared Leto Shows Up to the Met Gala Dressed as a Giant Cat
The designer leaves behind a complex legacy, as he was known for misogyny, fatphobia, and homophobia in addition to his groundbreaking work in fashion design. But his legendary love for Choupette is a particularly sweet aspect of his history, making her a logical muse for more adventurous attendees. The elegant Birman belonged to Lagerfeld for a decade and has spent her life in the lap of luxury.
- 5/2/2023
- by Eden Arielle Gordon
- Popsugar.com
Few names in Hollywood's illustrious history get people talking quite like Joan Crawford. The legendary actress began her career in silent films before transitioning to sound, and worked for decades, appearing in more than 80 films and television shows. However, the images conjured up of Crawford these days are rarely of her -- instead, they're of Faye Dunaway, who played a diabolical and utterly maniacal version of the actress in "Mommie Dearest," That 1981 film -- based on a shocking book from Crawford's daughter Christina -- changed Crawford's reputation forever and all-too-often erases her stature as one of cinemas greatest stars.
That is nothing short of a tragedy. Few actors could match Crawford's talent, determination, and tenacity. Indeed, even after she retired and then passed away in 1977, very few have matched her prodigious abilities. It can be difficult to look past her domineering facade (especially in a post-"Mommie Dearest" world), but...
That is nothing short of a tragedy. Few actors could match Crawford's talent, determination, and tenacity. Indeed, even after she retired and then passed away in 1977, very few have matched her prodigious abilities. It can be difficult to look past her domineering facade (especially in a post-"Mommie Dearest" world), but...
- 4/2/2023
- by Barry Levitt
- Slash Film
There were numerous superstars during the silent era from the clown princes of comedy Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd to such dramatic and action icons as Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Rudolph Valentino, John Gilbert, Greta Garbo, Gloria Swanson and Lillian Gish. One was a good boy — the German Shepherd Rin Tin Tin. Not only is Rin Tin Tin, aka Rinty, credited with saving Warner Bros., but Hollywood lore also insists he, not Emil Jannings, was the first Best Actor Oscar winner.
With Warner Brothers celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and the Academy Awards just around the corner, it’s time to look at the Rinty phenomenon and its place in Hollywood history.
Rinty wasn’t the first canine star. Blair, the pet collie of British director Cecil Hepworth, headlined his 1905 thriller “Rescued by Rover.” The film was so popular it had to be shot twice because the...
With Warner Brothers celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and the Academy Awards just around the corner, it’s time to look at the Rinty phenomenon and its place in Hollywood history.
Rinty wasn’t the first canine star. Blair, the pet collie of British director Cecil Hepworth, headlined his 1905 thriller “Rescued by Rover.” The film was so popular it had to be shot twice because the...
- 2/27/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Sunday’s The Last of Us. Proceed accordingly.
Director Liza Johnson definitely played The Last of Us and its Left Behind downloadable content before helming Episode 7 of HBO’s video-game adaptation. But she hadn’t when she first met with series co-creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, who told her that her hour of the drama would chronicle a very important evening in Ellie’s pre-Joel life.
More from TVLineThe Last of Us Reveals Ellie's Tender First Love -- and Loss -- in Left Behind Flashback Episode: Read RecapSuccession to End With Season 4 at HBO,...
Director Liza Johnson definitely played The Last of Us and its Left Behind downloadable content before helming Episode 7 of HBO’s video-game adaptation. But she hadn’t when she first met with series co-creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, who told her that her hour of the drama would chronicle a very important evening in Ellie’s pre-Joel life.
More from TVLineThe Last of Us Reveals Ellie's Tender First Love -- and Loss -- in Left Behind Flashback Episode: Read RecapSuccession to End With Season 4 at HBO,...
- 2/27/2023
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
The relationship between fathers and sons is complicated. It can be tough, tender, loving, combative, disappointing, violent, the stuff of Shakespearean and even Greek tragedy. It’s little wonder there have been countless films exploring fathers and sons including “East of Eden,” “Finding Nemo,” “Back to the Future,” “Field of Dreams,” “Nebraska,” “Fences,” “Beginners” and “Kramer vs. Kramer.”
One of the most indelible is Martin Ritt’s “Hud,” which celebrates its 60th anniversary. And time hasn’t diminished the power of this unapologetic drama starring Paul Newman, Melvyn Douglas, Patricia Neal and Brandon De Wilde.
Newman had played characters of questionable morality such as his Oscar-nominated turn “Fast” Eddie Felsen in 1961’s “The Hustler,” but he had never played anyone quite like Hud, the ultimate heel who never met a bottle of booze he wouldn’t drink or a married woman he didn’t seduce. Living on a cattle ranch in a tiny,...
One of the most indelible is Martin Ritt’s “Hud,” which celebrates its 60th anniversary. And time hasn’t diminished the power of this unapologetic drama starring Paul Newman, Melvyn Douglas, Patricia Neal and Brandon De Wilde.
Newman had played characters of questionable morality such as his Oscar-nominated turn “Fast” Eddie Felsen in 1961’s “The Hustler,” but he had never played anyone quite like Hud, the ultimate heel who never met a bottle of booze he wouldn’t drink or a married woman he didn’t seduce. Living on a cattle ranch in a tiny,...
- 2/16/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Long before The Beatles found fame and a highly devoted audience, John Lennon had decided that he would be successful, no matter what it took. With the band, he achieved beyond what he ever could have expected. Though he liked being a musician, he admitted that the chaos of Beatlemania could be a bit much. He once said that he wished it had never happened.
John Lennon | Max Scheler – K & K/Redferns John Lennon knew he wanted to be successful long before he was in The Beatles
Lennon didn’t put much effort into his studies, confident enough in his future success that school didn’t matter to him.
“I always felt I’d make it, though,” he said, per the book The Beatles: The Authorized Biography by Hunter Davies. “There were some moments of doubt, but I knew something would eventually happen. When [Aunt] Mimi used to throw things away I’d written or drawn,...
John Lennon | Max Scheler – K & K/Redferns John Lennon knew he wanted to be successful long before he was in The Beatles
Lennon didn’t put much effort into his studies, confident enough in his future success that school didn’t matter to him.
“I always felt I’d make it, though,” he said, per the book The Beatles: The Authorized Biography by Hunter Davies. “There were some moments of doubt, but I knew something would eventually happen. When [Aunt] Mimi used to throw things away I’d written or drawn,...
- 2/7/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
As far as exciting climaxes go, you can't get much better than the ending to Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds." Although the movie wasn't aiming for accuracy and realism, not many audience members expected him to fully break from the history books in the final act. As the movie barreled forward, both Shosanna's (Mélanie Laurent) and the titular Basterds' converging plots to assassinate Hitler faced more and more obstacles, and it seemed like everything was falling apart.
Luckily, Tarantino wasn't interested in dramatizing history: He was interested in vengeance. Shosanna gets to posthumously deliver her triumphant message to the Nazis in her theater, telling them they're all about to be killed by a Jew. The room goes up in flames, and then the remaining two Basterds swoop in to kill Hitler and the rest with machine guns. Then a bomb goes off and the whole theater is destroyed. It was...
Luckily, Tarantino wasn't interested in dramatizing history: He was interested in vengeance. Shosanna gets to posthumously deliver her triumphant message to the Nazis in her theater, telling them they're all about to be killed by a Jew. The room goes up in flames, and then the remaining two Basterds swoop in to kill Hitler and the rest with machine guns. Then a bomb goes off and the whole theater is destroyed. It was...
- 12/11/2022
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
He spoke in a raspy monotone that was at once commanding, yet menacing. Howard Strickling officially was the public relations boss of MGM during its heyday, but his real responsibility, he would explain, was protection more than publicity.
Strickling’s mission was to nurture the roster of stars under studio contract. If he were around today he might even have a few things to say to Brad Pitt or George Clooney.
He’d likely be wary, for example, about Pitt’s decision to play silent star John Gilbert in the forthcoming period movie Babylon. Gilbert’s career ended abruptly in the 1920s due to his stormy personal relationships with other stars, so Strickling would counsel Pitt to avoid references to his litigation with ex-wife Angelina Jolie.
Gilbert experienced well-publicized conflicts with his volatile co-star and fiancée Greta Garbo. Louis B. Mayer opposed the wedding and, in one lethal moment, Gilbert...
Strickling’s mission was to nurture the roster of stars under studio contract. If he were around today he might even have a few things to say to Brad Pitt or George Clooney.
He’d likely be wary, for example, about Pitt’s decision to play silent star John Gilbert in the forthcoming period movie Babylon. Gilbert’s career ended abruptly in the 1920s due to his stormy personal relationships with other stars, so Strickling would counsel Pitt to avoid references to his litigation with ex-wife Angelina Jolie.
Gilbert experienced well-publicized conflicts with his volatile co-star and fiancée Greta Garbo. Louis B. Mayer opposed the wedding and, in one lethal moment, Gilbert...
- 10/27/2022
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Whenever Hollywood looks to the rest of the world to find talented, beautiful women to star in their films, they inevitably end up falling into one of two categories: They are either able to completely assimilate into what Hollywood deems to be American culture, or they are branded as exotic temptresses. They even do this with American women as well, which is how Margarita Cansino, the child of Romani and Spanish parents, becomes the pale, redheaded bombshell Rita Hayworth. A few women were able to buck this trend, like Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, but they had the ability to transition out from the silent era of filmmaking where their natural accents weren't an issue. Audiences had already grown to love them by the time talkies came around. If you were coming over from Europe in the sound era, you had to nail the mid-Atlantic accent that was in fashion...
- 10/17/2022
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
While he may not be as well-known today as Alfred Hitchcock or Billy Wilder, director Nicholas Ray had a fantastic run during the '50s working across a range of genres from film noir ("In a Lonely Place") to war saga ("Flying Leathernecks"), coming-of-age teen angst ("Rebel Without a Cause") to westerns, the strangest of which is undoubtedly "Johnny Guitar." Shot in gaudy Trucolor, it stands apart from other studio westerns of the day, maybe because it isn't really a western at all -- It's more like a twisted gothic psychodrama that just happens to be set in the Old West.
Although the title refers to Sterling Hayden's nonchalant protagonist, Mr. Guitar takes a back seat for much of the movie, just one of many of Ray's subversive twists to the standard western formula. Instead, the main focus is the bitter rivalry between Vienna (Joan Crawford), a steely saloon keeper,...
Although the title refers to Sterling Hayden's nonchalant protagonist, Mr. Guitar takes a back seat for much of the movie, just one of many of Ray's subversive twists to the standard western formula. Instead, the main focus is the bitter rivalry between Vienna (Joan Crawford), a steely saloon keeper,...
- 9/5/2022
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Academy president David Rubin and Oscar show producer Will Packer clearly enjoyed escaping from the anxieties of this year’s Oscars for one relaxed evening, as this year’s postponed Governors Awards finally unfolded the Friday before the big night Sunday, in a low-key alternative Oscar universe. These awards used to be presented at the main Oscars, but were cut back in 2009 after it took a full 45 minutes to give them out. Now the Academy Awards ceremony displays a montage of the Governors Awards presentation.
Usually the Governors Awards, voted on by the 53-member Board representing 17 branches, take place in November and function as a black-tie starting gun to Oscar season, while providing the Academy with a revenue-generating event, as studios buy tables and pack them with that year’s Oscar-bound talent. That energy was missing from the subdued proceedings tonight, as Denzel Washington was the only star nominee to...
Usually the Governors Awards, voted on by the 53-member Board representing 17 branches, take place in November and function as a black-tie starting gun to Oscar season, while providing the Academy with a revenue-generating event, as studios buy tables and pack them with that year’s Oscar-bound talent. That energy was missing from the subdued proceedings tonight, as Denzel Washington was the only star nominee to...
- 3/26/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
After a hiatus as theaters in New York City and beyond closed their doors during the pandemic, we’re delighted to announce the return of NYC Weekend Watch, our weekly round-up of repertory offerings. While many theaters are still focused on a selection of new releases, there’s a handful of worthwhile repertory screenings taking place.
Film at Lincoln Center
Joachim Trier presents favorites and influences, among them The Age of Innocence, The Green Ray, and My Sex Life.
Metrograph
Prints of I’m Not There and Ed Lachman’s Songs for Drella screen in a music series; deemed “essential viewing” by Martin Scorsese, a six-film retrospective of the Hungarian master Miklós Jancsó continues. Films by Panahi, Chris Marker and more play “In the Streets,” while a series of literary adaptations includes Mishima and Crumb.
Museum of Modern Art
“To Save and Project,” one of the most eye-opening series in any given year,...
Film at Lincoln Center
Joachim Trier presents favorites and influences, among them The Age of Innocence, The Green Ray, and My Sex Life.
Metrograph
Prints of I’m Not There and Ed Lachman’s Songs for Drella screen in a music series; deemed “essential viewing” by Martin Scorsese, a six-film retrospective of the Hungarian master Miklós Jancsó continues. Films by Panahi, Chris Marker and more play “In the Streets,” while a series of literary adaptations includes Mishima and Crumb.
Museum of Modern Art
“To Save and Project,” one of the most eye-opening series in any given year,...
- 1/27/2022
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Horror icon Barbara Crampton discusses a few of her favorite movies with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes:
Movies Referenced In This Episode
Re-Animator (1985)
Body Double (1984)
Jakob’s Wife (2021)
The Court Jester (1955) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
The Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938)
The Three Musketeers (1974) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
The Matrix (1999)
Bound (1996)
Eyes Without A Face (1962) – Sam Hamm’s trailer commentary, Dennis Cozzalio’s review, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Halloween (1978) Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing, Alex Kirschenbaum’s film power rankings, Alex Kirschenbaum’s timeline power rankings
All About Eve (1950)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Alien (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Relic (2020)
Anything For Jackson (2020)
The Haunting (1963) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary
Strait-Jacket (1964) – David DeCoteau’s trailer commentary
The Silence Of The Lambs (1991) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary,...
Show Notes:
Movies Referenced In This Episode
Re-Animator (1985)
Body Double (1984)
Jakob’s Wife (2021)
The Court Jester (1955) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
The Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938)
The Three Musketeers (1974) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
The Matrix (1999)
Bound (1996)
Eyes Without A Face (1962) – Sam Hamm’s trailer commentary, Dennis Cozzalio’s review, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Halloween (1978) Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing, Alex Kirschenbaum’s film power rankings, Alex Kirschenbaum’s timeline power rankings
All About Eve (1950)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Alien (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Relic (2020)
Anything For Jackson (2020)
The Haunting (1963) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary
Strait-Jacket (1964) – David DeCoteau’s trailer commentary
The Silence Of The Lambs (1991) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary,...
- 12/28/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Actor mulls over return to roots in dancing, while promoting latest Marvel instalment
The Spider-Man star Tom Holland has revealed he is considering quitting acting at the age of 25 as part of a “midlife crisis” come early.
Holland, who was promoting the latest instalment of the Marvel series, said he was considering giving up acting to return to his roots in dancing, after he played Billy Elliot in the West End as a child.
“I don’t even know if I want to be an actor,” he told Sky News in an interview to promote his new film.
“I started acting when I was 11 and I haven’t done anything else, so I’d like to go and do other things. Genuinely, I’m sort of … having a midlife crisis – at 25, I’m having like a pre-midlife crisis.”
The actor revealed this week that he had signed up to play Fred Astaire in a biopic,...
The Spider-Man star Tom Holland has revealed he is considering quitting acting at the age of 25 as part of a “midlife crisis” come early.
Holland, who was promoting the latest instalment of the Marvel series, said he was considering giving up acting to return to his roots in dancing, after he played Billy Elliot in the West End as a child.
“I don’t even know if I want to be an actor,” he told Sky News in an interview to promote his new film.
“I started acting when I was 11 and I haven’t done anything else, so I’d like to go and do other things. Genuinely, I’m sort of … having a midlife crisis – at 25, I’m having like a pre-midlife crisis.”
The actor revealed this week that he had signed up to play Fred Astaire in a biopic,...
- 12/10/2021
- by Rachel Hall
- The Guardian - Film News
In 2020, the Covid pandemic caused the motion picture academy to cancel the Governors Awards, which has been a stand-alone event since 2009. Instead, it presented the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to both Tyler Perry and the Motion Picture & Television Fund during the Oscars. This morale booster was a bright spot in the ceremony.
The Governors Awards are set to return on January 15, 2022. Honorary Oscars will be presented to multi-hyphenate Elaine May as well as actors Samuel L. Jackson and Liv Ullmann. Another actor, Danny Glover, will be feted with the Hersholt for his work on behalf of Unicef.
There have been four honorees at the Governors Awards every year but two since 2009. As detailed below, all but one of the academy’s 17 branches — Visual Effects — are represented among the roster of 138 winners of honorary Oscars. In the case of Visual Effects, the academy has presented special achievement awards to a host...
The Governors Awards are set to return on January 15, 2022. Honorary Oscars will be presented to multi-hyphenate Elaine May as well as actors Samuel L. Jackson and Liv Ullmann. Another actor, Danny Glover, will be feted with the Hersholt for his work on behalf of Unicef.
There have been four honorees at the Governors Awards every year but two since 2009. As detailed below, all but one of the academy’s 17 branches — Visual Effects — are represented among the roster of 138 winners of honorary Oscars. In the case of Visual Effects, the academy has presented special achievement awards to a host...
- 11/29/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Holland Film Meeting is the industry strand of the Netherlands Film Festival.
Paula van der Oest’s €9m English-language drama Mata Hari is among the films being presented during the Holland Film Meeting’s projects programme, the industry side of this year’s Netherlands Film Festival, which begins today (September 24) in Utrecht. It will run until October 2.
Van der Oest, promised a ”feminist approach” to the subject matter. “Most of the existing Mata Hari films are told from a male perspective,” she told Screen. “They focus on Mata Hari being a glamorous and exotic spy. A dangerous temptress,...
Paula van der Oest’s €9m English-language drama Mata Hari is among the films being presented during the Holland Film Meeting’s projects programme, the industry side of this year’s Netherlands Film Festival, which begins today (September 24) in Utrecht. It will run until October 2.
Van der Oest, promised a ”feminist approach” to the subject matter. “Most of the existing Mata Hari films are told from a male perspective,” she told Screen. “They focus on Mata Hari being a glamorous and exotic spy. A dangerous temptress,...
- 9/24/2021
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Oscar-winning French actor Marion Cotillard spoke about the “revolution” led by women to shake up the patriarchy since the start of #MeToo at the San Sebastian Film Festival where she received the Donostia Award for career achievement on Friday’s opening night.
“For the past several years, the subordination of women has become increasingly unacceptable in the public eye; it’s always been so but we talk about it much more today, obviously, since #MeToo. It has allowed women to speak freely, it’s a true revolution, an intense one and I am very happy to live it,” said Cotillard, who last played opposite Adam Driver in Leos Carax’s musical drama “Annette” which won a top prize at Cannes.
“Today, as women, we know we can be supported by a community of women and men and that’s an important thing. The result is that there are indeed more women,...
“For the past several years, the subordination of women has become increasingly unacceptable in the public eye; it’s always been so but we talk about it much more today, obviously, since #MeToo. It has allowed women to speak freely, it’s a true revolution, an intense one and I am very happy to live it,” said Cotillard, who last played opposite Adam Driver in Leos Carax’s musical drama “Annette” which won a top prize at Cannes.
“Today, as women, we know we can be supported by a community of women and men and that’s an important thing. The result is that there are indeed more women,...
- 9/18/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Scarlett Johansson’s icy Marvel assassin has many hard acts to follow, from Greta Garbo’s riveting Mata Hari to Charlize Theron’s MI6 hotshot
Taken as a whole, the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe feels like an oppressive, endlessly self-regenerating cultural monolith. Regarded individually, the films become more palatable, as they spin out into different, taste-dependent genres: the goofy bro-comedy of the last Thor film; the martial arts spectacle of the recently released Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings; the odd meta-sitcom of TV’s WandaVision.
Black Widow is Marvel’s attempt at an all-out spy thriller, belatedly following the storytelling direction for which the character Natasha Romanoff was always intended, and that never really gelled with the Avengers derring-do. In her solo vehicle – out Monday on DVD and Blu-ray, having recently hit premium VOD services after an initially exclusive Disney+ run – Scarlett Johansson is in full female Bond mode: running,...
Taken as a whole, the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe feels like an oppressive, endlessly self-regenerating cultural monolith. Regarded individually, the films become more palatable, as they spin out into different, taste-dependent genres: the goofy bro-comedy of the last Thor film; the martial arts spectacle of the recently released Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings; the odd meta-sitcom of TV’s WandaVision.
Black Widow is Marvel’s attempt at an all-out spy thriller, belatedly following the storytelling direction for which the character Natasha Romanoff was always intended, and that never really gelled with the Avengers derring-do. In her solo vehicle – out Monday on DVD and Blu-ray, having recently hit premium VOD services after an initially exclusive Disney+ run – Scarlett Johansson is in full female Bond mode: running,...
- 9/11/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
Moviegoers have been flocking to see their favorite romantic couples on the silver screen since the early days of cinema from John Gilbert and Greta Garbo, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn, Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and more recently Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan and Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. But none of those partnerships have endured nearly four decades. Until now.
Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner first starred together in Robert Zemeckis’ romantic 1984 comedy adventure “Romancing the Stone,” which was the eighth-highest grossing film of the year, winning the Golden Globe for best comedy or musical and Turner winning the Globe for actress in the same category. Penned by the late Diane Thomas, “Romancing” cast Turner as plain Jane romance novelist Joan Wilder, who shares her apartment with her cat. After she get a frantic call from her sister who has been kidnapped by antiquities smugglers in Columbia,...
Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner first starred together in Robert Zemeckis’ romantic 1984 comedy adventure “Romancing the Stone,” which was the eighth-highest grossing film of the year, winning the Golden Globe for best comedy or musical and Turner winning the Globe for actress in the same category. Penned by the late Diane Thomas, “Romancing” cast Turner as plain Jane romance novelist Joan Wilder, who shares her apartment with her cat. After she get a frantic call from her sister who has been kidnapped by antiquities smugglers in Columbia,...
- 6/9/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
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