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Actress Naomi Watts poses for the November 2023 issue of "Tatler" magazine, wearing Giambattista Valli, Valentino, Stéphane Rolland and a whole lot more, photographed by Daniel Sachon:

Watts made her film debut in the Australian drama "For Love Alone" (1986), then appeared in the Australian TV series "Hey Dad..!" (1990), "Brides of Christ" (1991), "Home and Away" (1991), followed by the film "Flirting" (1991).

In the US, Watts obtained parts in the films "Tank Girl" (1995), "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering" (1996), "Dangerous Beauty" (1998) and the TV series "Sleepwalkers" (1997–1998).

Watts played an aspiring actress in director David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" (2001) and starred in the horror remake of "The Ring" (2002).

She subsequently received an Oscar nomination as a grief-stricken mother in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "21 Grams" (2003). Her next films include "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), "King Kong" (2005), "Eastern Promises" (2007) and "The International" (2009).

For her role as 'Maria Bennett' in the disaster film "The Impossible" (2012), Watts...

All titles below begin streaming for free on October 1 unless otherwise noted:

Originals

Documentary

TMZ Presents:

Tragically Viral

– 10/11-

What happens when the quest for clicks goes too far? TMZ examines the dark & sometimes deadly side of social media in Tragically Viral.

Scariest Monsters In The World

-10/18-

Join us as we embark on this international countdown of the scariest monsters in the world – who will be on your list as the most creepy?

TMZ No Bs: Rich, Famous & Terrified Stars

-10/25-

TMZ examines some of the most downright terrifying experiences celebs have faced that prove being a celebrity isn’t all glitz & glamor.

Horror

Dante’S Hotel

-10/13-

When an unknown assailant preys on a haunted hotel’s patrons, an event planner teams up with a mysterious tenant who’s dark past is the key to freeing the cursed hotel

The Devil Comes To Kansas City

-...

Italian-Uruguayan producer and actor Luca Barbareschi is developing a six-part series about the life of Bank of America founder and early Hollywood financier Amadeo Peter Giannini.

Barbareschi told Italian news agency Ansa that he is producing the series under the banner of his Rome-based Eliseo Fiction banner. He said state broadcaster Rai had recently boarded the project and that talks were underway with a U.S. partner.

Cast has yet to be set but Barbareschi said the aim was to make a series with international appeal. The series will be shot in Italy and the U.S., with a tentative start date of end 2023, start 2024.

In the meantime, Barbareschi is finishing post-production on Roman Polanski’s upcoming black comedy The Palace. Barbareschi is the lead producer on the feature having taken co-producer credits on Polanski’s last film An Officer And A Spy. He revealed that Italian distributor 01 was planning a mid-January 2023 release in Italy.

Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell have joined the cast of Apple TV+ and Legendary Television’s live-action monster series, based on the latter company’s MonsterVerse franchise. The father and son duo join previously announced stars Anna Sawai, Ren Watabe, Kiersey Clemons, Joe Tippett and Elisa Lasowski.

The as-yet untitled project will pick up following the epic battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco. The spinoff series, revealed to be in the works back in January, will follow one family’s discovery of a legacy that links them to the Monarch, a secret organization featured in previous films.

While the Russells’ character information has yet to be revealed, Sawai will star as former school teacher Cate, Watabe as the curious and intellectual Kentaro, Clemons as a rogue-ish American ex-pat May, Tippett as an office drone with bigger dreams named Tim and Lasowski as skilled operative Duvall.

Also Read:

‘Ms.

For the past several years, high demand for intellectual property and deep pockets have fueled a catalog acquisition boom that’s inspired Bob Dylan, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Springsteen and more to sell off their lifetime musical legacies for record-setting cash returns in the hundreds of millions. Now the trend is making its way beyond commercial pop and rock to film scores.

The composers behind the music for iconic films and TV shows such as The Dark Knight, Guardians of the Galaxy, Jason Bourne and Glee have all sold their works in recent months,...

As the TV and film industry adapted to the Covid-19 pandemic, the way we consume media changed. Without movie theaters, companies turned to streaming services to disseminate many new films. First it was Hamilton on Disney Plus, and more recently HBO Max streaming films such as King Kong Vs. Godzilla and Mortal Kombat.

Therefore, a good streaming device has never been more important. Most TVs these days will come with some streaming capabilities: Netflix, Hulu, even Spotify are standard specifications for a new screen. However, a streaming device can take your experience an extra mile. More apps, maybe simpler interfaces, as well as ...

As the TV and film industry adapted to the Covid-19 pandemic, the way we consume media changed. Without movie theaters, companies turned to streaming services to disseminate many new films. First it was Hamilton on Disney Plus, and more recently HBO Max streaming films such as King Kong Vs. Godzilla and Mortal Kombat.

Therefore, a good streaming device has never been more important. Most TVs these days will come with some streaming capabilities: Netflix, Hulu, even Spotify are standard specifications for a new screen. However, a streaming device can take your experience an extra mile. More apps, maybe simpler interfaces, as well as ...

The recent Godzilla vs. Kong has demonstrated that there's a real appetite for this MonsterVerse and signifies that the franchise may only just be ramping up. For anyone new to the genre or to the worlds of Godzilla and King Kong, it might be difficult to know where to start.

Related: Godzilla Vs. Kong: 10 Best Action Scenes

It can often help to know the lore of a franchise or be familiar with past entries before diving headfirst into the latest kaiju blockbuster. By looking at the past, new fans might also get an idea of where the future of the franchise is heading and which deadly monsters could potentially turn up next. Whether it's a past film, comic, or even anime, there are lots of ways into this universe.

Michael Giacchino is a widely respected film composer, with an Oscar and a Grammy for “Up” and an Emmy for “Lost,” as well as a Grammy for “Ratatouille.” He is stirring up Oscar buzz again with his score for Fox Searchlight’s “Jojo Rabbit,” written and directed by Taika Waititi. Giacchino talked with Variety about the challenges of that film, as well as his expanding workload, including directing an animated “Star Trek” short. He’ll appear Oct. 18 in concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall, and at the “Coco” music event at the Hollywood Bowl on Nov. 8-9.

How tricky was it to catch the tone of “Jojo Rabbit”?

I didn’t want the music to be funny. The bulk of the movie has this huge heart, especially in the character of Jojo himself, and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t adding to the zaniness. I wanted to underline the emotional component.

The Peter Jackson produced and directed World War I documentary “They Shall Not Grow Old” will hit Chinese theaters on November 11. Though it will roll out nationwide, it will do so via the China’s National Arthouse Alliance, which has limited screens.

The 2018 documentary puts together interviews with WWI veterans and more than 100-year-old archival footage from the BBC and Imperial War Museum, restored via colorization and other production techniques to make it appear much more real to modern viewers.

The film premiered at the London Film Festival and was more broadly released by Warner Brothers earlier in February this year. It was nominated for a Best Documentary BAFTA Award, but was deemed ineligible for submission to the Oscar race for best documentary because it missed a filing deadline.

Peter Jackson is a big name in China, where all of his “Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” movies have seen theatrical releases,...

April 20, 2019, marks the 70th birthday of acclaimed actress Jessica Lange. She has had one of the most fascinating careers in Hollywood film history with a somewhat troubled beginning that quickly turned itself around into great triumph. In recent years she has also found success in television and theater winning two Emmys for her work on “American Horror Story” and another for “Grey Gardens” plus a Tony for her work on Broadway in “Long Days Journey into Night.”

Lange’s first film performance was as the star of the much talked about 1976 remake of “King Kong.” The unknown actress was stung by the reaction to the film and despite being awarded the Golden Globe for Best Acting Debut-Female she retreated from films and didn’t do another one for three years.

SEEOscar Best Supporting Actress Gallery: Every Winner in Academy Award History

She would slowly rebuild her reputation in a series...

April 20, 2019, marks the 70th birthday of acclaimed actress Jessica Lange. She has had one of the most fascinating careers in Hollywood film history with a somewhat troubled beginning that quickly turned itself around into great triumph. In recent years she has also found success in television and theater winning two Emmys for her work on “American Horror Story” and another for “Grey Gardens” plus a Tony for her work on Broadway in “Long Days Journey into Night.”

Lange’s first film performance was as the star of the much talked about 1976 remake of “King Kong.” The unknown actress was stung by the reaction to the film and despite being awarded the Golden Globe for Best Acting Debut-Female she retreated from films and didn’t do another one for three years.

She would slowly rebuild her reputation in a series of films until she finally struck gold in 1982 with two prominent films,...

Alan Wasser, the longtime Broadway general manager whose half-century career was recognized with an honorary Tony Award in 2017, was being remembered today as an industry legend with a legacy spanning generations.

Wasser, who died in New York at 70 on Sunday from complications from Parkinson’s disease, worked on some of the biggest Broadway productions of the 1980s and ’90s – many of them produced by his frequent collaborator Cameron Mackintosh – and the company Wasser co-founded in 2012, Foresight Theatrical LLC, is represented on Broadway today with The Prom and King Kong. Foresight’s upcoming productions include Moulin Rouge!

Mackintosh, in a press statement, said, “Alan’s contribution to the re-birth of the American musical theatre in the 1980’s and 1990’s was enormous, helping turn it into a hugely successful industry where before there had only been occasional big hits. Through Alan’s organizational efforts and inspiration, he brought to my attention numerous...

A plug for commercial exterminators everywhere, William Alland’s titanic hairy spider provided plenty of chills for 1950s drive-ins, delivering exactly the naïve monster thrills teenagers craved. John Agar and Mara Corday do what they can with the clunker script and Jack Arnold’s direction, while Leo G. Carroll saves face by retreating below a rubber mask that makes him look like Droopy Dog. But for fans that like their monsters as big as the Great Outdoors, Clifford Stine and David Horsley’s startling special effects provide a spider-verse of sensational, surreal insect fear.

Tarantula

Blu-ray

Scream Factory

1955 / B&W / 1:75 widescreen / 80 min. / Street Date April, 2019 / 29,99

Starring: John Agar, Mara Corday, Leo G. Carroll, Nestor Paiva, Ross Elliott, Edwin Rand, Raymond Bailey, Hank Patterson.

Cinematography: George Robinson

Special Optical Effects and Cinematography: Clifford Stine, David S. Horsley

Original Music: Herman Stein, Henry Mancini

Written by Jack Arnold, Robert M. Fresco,...

Known for his work in a wide array of film genres, Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Richard H. Kline died Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 91.

Kline was known for his work for the 1967 movie musical Camelot starring Vanessa Redgrave and Richard Harris. He received his first Academy Award nomination for the Joshua Logan-directed film and earned his second nomination for the 1976 remake of King Kong starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange.

Born on Nov. 15, 1926, Kline was born into a family of cinematographers which included his father, Benjamin H. Kline, and two uncles, Sol Halperin and Philip Rosen. He had an affinity for surfing, but followed the cinematographer legacy of his family and got his start at Columbia Pictures as a slate boy in 1943 when working on the musical Cover Girl. He went on to serve in the Navy but returned to become a first assistant cameraman.

Throughout his 40 year career, Kline...

Jeff Bridges' good looks have some serious grit! Here's a smooth shaven 27-year-old version of the "King Kong" actor back in 1977 (left) and 40 years later ... a much fuzzier version of his dudeness -- who turns 68 this week -- at a Los Angeles event last month (right). "Strikes and gutters, ups and downs." The question is ... Read more...

I have known for years, many people will not watch black and white movies, of any kind. It has to be color and no older than 10 years, preferably movies made this year, or last year. I have had people look at me with astonishment when I tell them I not only watch black and white movies regularly but even silent movies. I’ve had people admit they didn’t know movies were being made in 1927, much less 1915.

So for this Hallowe’en, when movie geeks thoughts turn to scary movies here is my personal and eclectic list of great, old, scary movies, filmed in glorious black and white.

10. Nosferatu 1922

The Great Grand Daddy of all Dracula movies, and the template for every vampire movie ever made, the first, one of the best and still creepy, even if you’ve seen it repeatedly. A silent masterpiece by Fw Murnau and with...

From her film debut more than 40 years ago in the splashy remake of “King Kong,” Jessica Lange has become one of our most distinguished and honored actresses. With her lengthy award-winning career continuing in 2017 as screen icon Joan Crawford in FX’s “Feud: Bette and Joan”, Lange returns to the Emmys once more, having […]...

Charles Bronson plays a real-life Mafiosi in a period picture with a fine script, some good performances and a production so sloppy that the whole thing could be called The Anachronism Papers. Joseph Wiseman and Lino Ventura bring additional tough-guy star-power, and Bronson actually commits himself to the role — quite a change of pace for one of his later pictures.

The Valachi Papers

Blu-ray

Twilight Time

1972 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 125 min. / Street Date June 13, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store 29.95

Starring: Charles Bronson, Lino Ventura, Jill Ireland, Walter Chiari, Joseph Wiseman, Gerald S. O’Loughlin, Amedeo Nazzari, Fausto Tozzi, Pupella Maggio, Angelo Infanti, Guido Leontini.

Cinematography: Aldo Tonti

Film Editor: Johnny Dwyre, Monica Finzi

Original Music: Riz Ortolani, Armando Trovajoli

Written by Stephen Geller from the novel by Peter Maas

Produced by Dino De Laurentiis, Roger Duchet

Directed by Terence Young

In 2001 I received the plum assignment of editing a...

In the aftermath of Jaws, many cinematic imitators swam into shore, but few could compare to Orca. Steven Spielberg's first blockbuster benefited from terrific advance publicity. Peter Benchley's novel, first published in February 1974, became an instant bestseller, casting a large shadow on the forthcoming film, which began production three months later. According to Wikipedia. Orca was born from the mind of producer Dino de Laurentiis. Supposedly, late one night in 1975 -- perhaps unable to sleep because of his own, ill-fated production of King Kong that would be unleashed the following year -- he called fellow producer Luciano Vincenzoni and told him to "find a fish tougher and more terrible than the great white" shark portrayed in Jaws. Luciano's brother Adriano had an interest...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Fame – it's a hell of a drug. Feud is like watching Robert De Niro and Al Pacino square off in Heat, except with two of Hollywood's living legends playing a couple of dead ones. In Ryan Murphy's new anthology series, Jessica Lange is Joan Crawford to Susan Sarandon's Bette Davis, a pair of toxic movie divas madly in hate with each other. As Davis famously snipped, "She has slept with every male star at MGM, except Lassie." This eight-episode fever dream celebrates how they basically invented the modern celebrity beef,...

My World Of Flops is Nathan Rabin’s survey of books, television shows, musical releases, or other forms of entertainment that were financial flops, critical failures, or lack a substantial cult following.

On a 1977 episode of Saturday Night Live, John Belushi played Italian super-producer and schlock maestro Dino De Laurentiis promoting his latest movie opposite Dan Ackroyd’s Tom Snyder on The Tomorrow Show. The blockbuster in question is a big-budget remake of King Kong starring Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin, and Jessica Lange in her film debut.

When asked why the world needed another version of King Kong, Belushi’s De Laurentiis semi-famously insists, “When the Jaws die, nobody cry. When my Kong die, everybody cry,” an assertion he makes repeatedly with minor variations. According to Hollywood lore, De Laurentiis actually made a similarly bold assertion in real life about the waterworks that would inevitably ensue when his outsized ...

Disruptor Beam has launched a new Survivor System for their mobile game The Walking Dead: March to War, and we have official details in today's Horror Highlights. We also have info on the world premiere of Chad Archibald's (Bite) new film, The Heretics, and details on the Kong: Skull Island soundtrack by composer Henry Jackman.

The Walking Dead: March to War: Survivor System: From Disruptor Beam: "How to Survive: An Interview with Senior Game Designer Michael Leoncavallo

Welcome Walking Dead fans!

We are excited to reveal the first major feature from our upcoming game, The Walking Dead: March To War -- the Survivor System!

We talked to the Senior Game Designer of The Walking Dead: March To War, Michael Leoncavallo, for all the latest details.

Then check out an exciting announcement at the end of this post...

Db: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

During a recent interview with Playboy, Matthew McConaughey revealed more than ever about his personal life, upbringing and what makes him tick.

Here’s what the Sing star had to say on everything from toying with the idea of becoming a monk to his early-90s romance with Sandra Bullock.

The McConaissance wasn’t about ditching his rom-com days.

After taking some time off following a string of romantic-comedies, McConaughey re-emerged as the leading man in several critically-acclaimed projects.

“I didn’t rebrand in those 18 months; I unbranded,” said the 47-year-old. “I became some people’s good new idea. People...

To celebrate the success of a variety of Game of Thrones merchandise, HBO is hosting a scavenger hunt for fans at Comic-Con starting on Wednesday, July 20th at 6:00pm! Also: Famous Monsters at Sdcc 2016, Tales of Poe DVD and Digital HD release details, and info on Spell on Wheels‘ first issue debut.

Game of Thrones Sdcc 2016 Scavenger Hunt Details: Press Release: “Wednesday, July 13, 2016 — HBO Global Licensing is excited to debut a wide array of new Game of Thrones products and convention exclusives at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, and to highlight some of its bestselling products released throughout the series’ run. To help celebrate, HBO is inviting fans to participate in a Comic-Con Scavenger Hunt, sending them on a quest to find some of the coolest Game of Thrones products available on the Comic-Con floor.

Starting Wednesday, July 20th, at 6 p.m. Pt when the convention floor opens for Preview Night,...

By Darren Allison

Growing up with the film music of Lalo Schifrin in the 1970s made these two albums somewhat compulsory listening. Black Widow (1976) marked Schifrin’s debut album for the legendary Cti (Creed Taylor Incorporated) label with Towering Toccata (1977) proving to be a perfect follow up. Both of these albums (recorded in 1976) feature some of the greatest Jazz musicians of the period including Eric Gale, Steve Gadd, Hubert Laws, Jon Faddis, Anthony Jackson and Joe Farrell, to name just a few.

Schifrin provides a Jazz funk vibe to some classic movie themes including Steven Spielberg’s monster smash Jaws. The track (which still sounds incredible) was released from Black Widow as a single and charted at number 14 in the UK singles chart, becoming something of an established disco anthem. The Black Widow album also did well, reaching number 22 in the Us list of jazz bestsellers and appeared in the R&B chart.

I admit it, I’m a sentimental old fart. I get choked up and maudlin very often, when I think of family and friends, a moment in time when I realized the tragedy life can bring to us, or the joy. I tear up at the movies regularly, or reading certain passages in books. But I never thought I would weep at the loss of a video system. If you read We Are Movie Geeks regularly you must be aware of the video revolution of the 1980s, when VHS players and recorders found a place in almost every home in America. I hope you recall the early days when VHS was neck and neck with Betamax, a technically better system. Remember the days of Mom and Pop video rental stores when almost anyone could open a store front, and with a collection of VHS tapes start making money? As one of the many,...

By Lee Pfeiffer

Remember the old days when unpredictable occurrences seemed to predictably occur at the Oscars ceremony? There was the nude streaker who failed to unravel the ever-unflappable David Niven. There were the political activist winners who used the forum to grandstand for their favorite causes. This included Vanessa Redgrave's pro-Palestinian, anti-Zionist remarks during her acceptance speech, Marlon Brando sending a surrogate to reject his "Godfather" Oscar in protest of Hollywood's treatment of Native Americans, "Patton" winner George C. Scott refusing to show up at all in protest of the competitive nature of awards shows, the producers of the anti-Vietnam War documentary "Hearts and Minds" taking solace that that the nation was about to be "liberated" by a brutal communist regime, which caused another stir when Frank Sinatra was pushed on stage at Bob Hope's urging to read a hastily-scribbled denouncement of the remark. The Oscars haven't...

Hollywood Banker, directed by Frans Afman’s daughter Rozemyn, charts the bankers early days working with producer Dino De Laurentiis through to his fall out with Credit Lyonnais Nederland over the company’s financing of MGM to Giancarlo Parretti, which would result in both the bank and the studio’s bankruptcy.

It’s hard to believe that, before Afman, there really was no model for independent studios to “easily” finance their projects. Yet today Afman’s model of pre-sales and completion guarantees seems simple. It’s no wonder how easily Afman managed to make himself the go-to guy for filmmakers in the 80s. A prime example being Dino De Laurentiis’ King Kong remake, which was the first film to bring Afman’s financial nous to the attention of more than just the independent studios of the time. After all, the pre-sales model not only made it easier to finance movies...

Director John Guillermin has passed away at age 89. The British director was best known for his high profile action films including the 1974 blockbuster "The Towering Inferno" and the 1976 remake of "King Kong", a production that was plagued by troubles but ended up being quite profitable. Guillermin was despised by some in the industry for his mercurial temperament and harsh methods of directing actors. However, no one could deny his talents. He was equally adept at directing scenes of intimate drama as well as explosive, large-scale action scenes. Among his best films was the 1969 production of "The Bridge at Remagen" which was interrupted by the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. Guillermin and producer David L. Wolper managed  to salvage the film by moving the production elsewhere, a monumental task that they completed successfully. Other Guillermin films include "Death on the Nile", "The Blue Max", "El Condor", "Shaft in Africa", "Skyjacked", "Never Let Go...

Film director whose action movies included The Towering Inferno and King Kong

The film director John Guillermin, who has died aged 89, started on cheap British B films in the 1950s and progressed to such big-budget spectaculars as The Towering Inferno, the second King Kong and Death on the Nile in the 1970s. He learned to work with tight resources during his eight-year apprenticeship in the lower echelons of British cinema, and proved equally responsible when given the chance to handle large forces.

Whether they cost a shoestring or megabucks, most of his 35 films were made in a thoroughly workmanlike, Saturday-night-at-the-movies manner. Only in his later work was there sometimes a disparity between scale and quality.

Continue reading...

Perfectionist director of big-budget action fare also took the reins on Agatha Christie whodunnit Death on the Nile and blaxploitation sequel Shaft in Africa

John Guillermin, the British director whose expertise with big-budget action fare in the 1960s and 70s led him to direct the 1976 remake of King Kong and the 1974 disaster movie epic The Towering Inferno, has died. He was 89.

Continue reading...

John Guillermin, a prolific British filmmaker who specialized in action and adventure pics including The Towering Inferno and the 1976 version of King Kong that launched Jessica Lange’s career, has died at his Los Angeles home. He was 89. His friend Nick Redman posted the news on Facebook. Guillermin’s long career started after a stint in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He started out as a documentarian in France and ended up making a movie nearly every year…...

The Towering Inferno director John Guillermin has died at the age of 89.

The filmmaker's close friend Nick Redman confirmed Guillermin's passing this week in Los Angeles, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Guillermin's long and varied career included working on action epics like Tarzan Goes to India, blaxploitation drama thriller Shaft in Africa and the '80s cult classic Sheena: Queen of the Jungle.

Among his more famous Hollywood projects was the disaster epic The Towering Inferno, the highest-grossing movie of 1974.

Guillermin was also at the helm of 1976's King Kong remake starring Jessica Lange, a financial success that earned middling reviews.

In more recent decades, Guillermin focused on low-budget films and television work.

He is survived by two children from his marriage to Kenyan actress Maureen Connell.

John Guillermin, director of such films as “The Towering Inferno” and the 1976 remake of “King Kong,” died on Monday, his wife announced on social media. He was 89 years old. The British filmmaker was best known for big-budget action films, which also included “El Condor,” “Shaft in Africa,” “Death on the Nile,” “Sheena” and the sequel “King Kong Lives.” He has directed actors such as Paul Newman, Jessica Lange, Lee Van Cleef, Steve McQueen, Peter Ustinov, Mia Farrow, Orson Welles, Angela Lansbury, George Peppard, David Niven, Jeff Bridges, Jack Warden, Richard Chamberlain, William Holden and Faye Dunaway. Guillermin was born in London,...

John Guillermin, the director responsible for films such as The Towering Inferno and 1976’s version of King Kong, has died at the age of 89.Guillermin was born in London in 1925, and got his education at the University of Cambridge. After his studies, he joined the Royal Air Force, then mustered out at 22 to begin a career in filmmaking. Initially studying in France and learning the art of documentaries, he moved to Los Angeles in 1950 to learn Hollywood’s film ways, though he’d already gotten his start in movies with the likes of Torment/Paper Gallows, Melody In The Dark and High Jinks In Society.He would go on to work on films including Town On Trial, The Blue Max, El Condor, Skyjacked, Shaft In Africa and even a couple of Tarzan instalments. But he was best known for entering the world of producer Irwin Allen with The Towering Inferno,...

Jessica Lange is considered one of the greatest actresses of her generation. As the recipient of several awards, including two Oscars, three Emmys, five Golden Globes, one SAG award and three Dorian Awards, and now nominated to take home her fourth Emmy for Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for Elsa Mars on American Horror Story Freak Show, it is no question that Lange has proved her acting abilities since her professional film debut in 1976's King Kong.

Certainly one of the most negative aspects of the film industry is its inherent superficiality, and there are few things worse in casting than when looks are considered more valuable than acting talent. Sadly, this is something that actors deal with on a regular basis, and that includes some of the biggest stars in the world. For example, back in the 1970s Meryl Streep missed out on the lead female role in John Guillermin.s King Kong remake because one of the producers deemed her too ugly for the part. This is a rather shocking story in light of all the critical acclaim that Streep has gone on to earn in her career since the 1970s, but it.s true, and was recently revealed by the actress while visiting The Graham Norton Show as a guest. The subject of horror show auditions came up in conversation, and the Academy Award...

Meryl Streep has been nominated for 18 Academy Awards and 29 Golden Globes, including one for Into the Woods this Sunday, but she hasn't always been the actress of choice.

On The Graham Norton Show on Jan. 9, the Into the Woods star recalled a time when she auditioned for the 1976 film King Kong with producer Dino De Laurentiis. His son had seen a then-unknown Meryl in a play and brought her in to audition for the role of Dwan.

Photos: Actors Who Almost Got the Part

Since Streep, 65, knew Italian, she understood Dino's words as he asked his son, “Why do you bring me this ugly thing?”

She then responded in Italian, saying, "I’m sorry I’m not beautiful enough to be in King Kong.”

Streep can laugh about it now, but as Norton says, "young actors should take solace" knowing that there was a time where even a legendary actress had a bad audition.

Watch: Meryl Reveals...

One is not born Meryl Streep; one becomes her. In the past, Streep has talked about how she used to hate her nose and worry about her weight when she was young — all things she learned not to care about as she got older. She went on The Graham Norton Show to talk about some of her failed auditions. One of those was for the 1976 remake of King Kong with producer Dino De Laurentiis. But when De Laurentiis saw her he commented that she was ugly ("Che brutta"). Of course, Streep spoke Italian — is there anything she can't do? — and responded with aplomb.

-Courtney Enlow

Here’s the thing about Matthew McConaughey: he’s the most fascinating man alive. He loves bongos, weed, and nudity. He hates deodorant and basic hygiene.

He sells cars but sells you no bull. He’s some kind of magical hippie drifter who just showed up in our lives to make everything better and prettier (but not necessarily more good-smelling) and we should be thankful every single day for that.

So, let’s look back on the greatest life lessons McConaughey ever gave us.

On love and Lange:

“I remember feeling, back when I was 12 and ‘going’ with this girl, is this true love? At the damn time it sure was! You don’t discredit that. King Kong with Jessica Lange? One of my favorite movies. When I was eight years old watchin’ that movie, I cried when they took King Kong and wouldn’t let...

-Courtney Enlow

Here’s the thing about Matthew McConaughey: he’s the most fascinating man alive. He loves bongos, weed, and nudity. He hates deodorant and basic hygiene.

He sells cars but sells you no bull. He’s some kind of magical hippie drifter who just showed up in our lives to make everything better and prettier (but not necessarily more good-smelling) and we should be thankful every single day for that.

So, let’s look back on the greatest life lessons McConaughey ever gave us.

On love and Lange:

“I remember feeling, back when I was 12 and ‘going’ with this girl, is this true love? At the damn time it sure was! You don’t discredit that. King Kong with Jessica Lange? One of my favorite movies. When I was eight years old watchin’ that movie, I cried when they took King Kong and wouldn’t let...

Legendary Pictures has hired screenwriter Max Borenstein to write Godzilla 2 for director Gareth Edwards. Borenstein wrote the first film, as well as Legendary's upcoming King Kong movie Skull Island, which Tom Hiddleston was recently cast in. He also wrote the Jeff Bridges fantasy thriller Seventh Son for the studio as well. Legendary Pictures obviously likes the guy's work.

Legendary and Warner Bros were hoping that the relaunch of the Godzilla franchise would be a success for them. The first movie made $524 million worldwide, and you can bet that they will keep pumping out sequel after sequel as long as it still brings in the cash. I really liked the first movie, and as long as they keep creating quality films I'll keep watching them. 

Edwards will start working on the Godzilla sequel after he's finished with the Star Wars project he's working on with Lucasfilm and Disney. Legendary set...

Steven Spielberg is developing a TV series based on his 2002 movie Minority Report, and it has been revealed today that he has turned to Godzilla scribe Max Borenstein to work on the show.

For those of you who may not remember, the popular and well-received sci-fi movie (which was based on one of Philip K. Dick’s stories) focused on the head of a special “PreCrime” police unit which used three “precogs” in order to identify and arrest murderers before they even committed the crime.

This twist was that the lead would have to go on the run (he was after all played by Tom Cruise) when the psychics seemingly discovered that he was one of the future murderers he takes down.

The small screen version will presumably focus on the ongoing crimes investigated by Minority Report’s Precrime Unit – how it connects to the movie isn’t clear at...

Stars: Patricia Gozzi, Dean Stockwell, Melvyn Douglas, Gunnel Lindblom, Leslie Sands, Murray Evans, Sylvia Kay, Peter Sallis, Ellen Pollock | Written by Stanley Mann | Directed by John Guillermin

John Guillermin, the London-born director of the classic disaster film The Towering Inferno directed this moving drama set in France called Rapture in 1965. I am familiar with some of Guillermin’s catalogue, from the aforementioned Towering Inferno to his ’76 version of King Kong to his 60’s war film The Blue Max. I hadn’t seen this though, so it was a treat to see that Masters of Cinema, Eureka’s brilliant line of classic titles, was putting a new version of the film out.

The first thing that struck me upon watching the film was the cinematography. It is just beautiful, and with the new transfer it looks even better than I can imagine it did when it was released those many years ago.

The actress who went from reclining in King Kong’s hand to creeping us out on American Horror Story, picking up a pair of Oscars along the way, will be feted this fall by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Organizers said today that Jessica Lange will receive the ninth annual Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film during a black-tie gala on November 16 in Santa Barbara. Presenters will be revealed in the coming months. Here’s the release: Santa Barbara, CA – The Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s ninth annual Kirk Douglas Award For Excellence In Film will be presented […]...

Happy April, dear readers! The snow is almost entirely gone, the weather is warming up, and we can go outside without putting on coats. Best of all, this Friday finally sees the release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and by all accounts it’s awesome. And fittingly, this week’s installment of Trailer Trashin’ examines another of this year’s movies based on Marvel Comics – X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Premise: The X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of their species across two different time periods. Following the events of X-Men: First Class, Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) has disbanded the X-Men, and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) is continuing his war against humanity. In a dystopian future, Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), and the surviving members of the modern-day X-Men decide to change the past by sending Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back through time to inhabit his younger body...

A Wednesday Window Closing Wrap-Up™ for y’all. Here we go:

So, what did we miss yesterday in Internet April Fool wackiness? Bleeding Cool has a roundup. How does Seth Meyers really spend his late nights? Reading comics on Comixology, apparently. Coming soon to BBC America: The Real History of Science Fiction. I’ll believe it when I see it. Speaking of science fiction history, The Hitchhikers’ Guide To The Galaxy text adventure game from Infocom has found its way online. You still have: no tea. But don’t panic. With con season starting up again, Allison Types has compiled a list of Comic Book Industry Pro Tips. Recommended. If you’re a parent, here are 8 Reasons To Let Your Kids Read Comics. Take that, Dr. Wertham! Mystery novelists are now doing crossovers. Just wait till Nick Fury shows up at the end to recruit them. And finally, Lorenzo Semple Jr.,...

Washington, March 29: Lorenzo Semple Jr., who wrote the screenplays of 'The Parallax View', 'Three Days of the Condor, and 'Never Say Never Again', has passed away. He was 91.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Lorenzo Semple Jr.'s daughter - Emmy-nominated comedy writer Maria - revealed that the American screenwriter died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles.

Semple's name is associated with classics like 'Papillon', 'The Drowning Pool' and 'King Kong'.

Semple, who was hired by 'Batman' producer William Dozier to create the superhero show for 20th Century Fox Television and ABC, wrote only the.

Lorenzo Semple, Jr. (1923-2014), legendary screenwriter of Batman: The Movie (1966), the Batman television series (1966-1968), Papillon (1973), The Parallax View (1974), Three Days of the Condor (1975), [the vastly underrated] King Kong (1976), Flash Gordon (1980), and Never Say Never Again (1983) passed away today from natural causes in his Los Angeles home. When any current filmmaker makes a movie that even has a hint of political intrigue or conspiracy, people almost always cite Three Days of the Condor and The Parallax View as influences. It has become a bit of a shorthand, but it also speaks to the quality of those movies and how few movies since have lived up to the standard that Semple set. And while we live in a modern world in which our perception of Batman is largely defined by Christopher Nolan, Tim Burton, and Frank Miller, from 1966 to the mid-80s thoughts of Batman immediately went to the 1966 movie and television series. It...