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There have already been several tragic celebrity deaths in 2025, including David Lynch and Gene Hackman. Though he was 95 years old, Hackman's passing came as a particular shock as he was discovered in conjunction with the death of his much younger wife, Besty Arakawa. His death was announced days before this year's Academy Awards, where a special speech was given by former co-star and friend, Morgan Freeman. Hackman was a two-time Oscar winner, taking home acting awards for his roles in The French Connection and Unforgiven.

One of the most impressive things about Hackman's career was his ability to play a wide range of roles. The actor could, at once, play both intense drama, like Harry Caul in The Conversation, and comedy, such as when he played the Blindman in Young Frankenstein. One of his most iconic late-career roles blended drama and comedy, playing dying patriarch Royal Tenenbaum in Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums.

Keanu Reeves has become known as an action hero with roles such as Neo in The Matrix and John Wick in a brutal quadrilogy of movies. Before all that, though, he teamed up with Morgan Freeman and Rachel Weisz on the 1996 conspiracy action thriller Chain Reaction, and the movie is currently finding a new audience on the free streaming platform Tubi.

Chain Reaction sees Reeves play Eddie Kasalivich, a machinist who is forced to go on the run when he is framed for causing a deadly explosion at a groundbreaking clean-energy project. In the usual style of this kind of thriller, Eddie must take on the bad guys, stay alive, and clear his name all within a couple of hours of tense drama. Unfortunately, the film did quite live up to the premise, and did not deliver the kind of box office that Reeves' movies have become known for.

Chain Reactions...

Before diving into Spider-Man, The Evil Dead director Sam Raimi briefly returned to the world of the supernatural with The Gift.

Scream Factory will release 2000 mystery-thriller on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on December 3. It’s been newly restored in 4K with Dolby Vision.

Cate Blanchett stars with Giovanni Ribisi, Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes, Greg Kinnear, and Hilary Swank. Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson wrote the script, based on Thornton’s mother’s alleged psychic experiences.

A new commentary track by Bloody Disgusting’s own head critic Meagan Navarro is included among other special features!

Disc 1 – 4K Uhd:

Audio Commentary with Film Critics Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson (new) Audio Commentary with Film Critic Meagan Navarro (new) Isolated Music & Effects Track

Disc 2 – Blu-ray:

Audio Commentary with Film Critics Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson (new) Audio Commentary with Film Critic Meagan Navarro (new) Isolated Music & Effects Track Interview with Editors...

Greedy People is a dark comedy crime mystery film directed by Potsy Ponciroli from a screenplay by Michael Vukadinovich. The 2024 film is set in a small town and follows two cops as they try to investigate a murder scene where they find a large sum of money and decide to keep it, but their peaceful lives get filled with chaos because of their one bad decision. Greedy People stars Himesh Patel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the lead roles with Lily James, Traci Lords, Joey Lauren Adams, and Simon Rex starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the dark comedy, moral ambiguity, and absurd characters in Greedy People here are some similar movies you should check out next.

Fargo Credit – MGM

Fargo is a dark comedy crime thriller film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The 1996 film follows Jerry, a down-and-out sales manager in a lot of debt to some dangerous people.

A little bit of sex is always appreciated in movies and TV shows and a lot of it also doesn’t go unnoticed I am looking at you Fifty Shades of Grey and its half-a-billion-dollar box office earnings. If you also love steamy movies and shows then this article is for you as we are here to list the most erotic films and TV shows you can find on Prime Video. So, here are the most steamiest movies and TV shows you should watch on Prime Video.

Somebody I Used to Know (Movie) Credit – Amazon Studios

Somebody I Used to Know is a romantic comedy film directed by Dave Franco from a screenplay co-written by the real-life couple Franco and Alison Brie. The 2023 film follows the story of Ally, a workaholic TV producer who goes on a trip to her hometown where she meets her ex-boyfriend who is about to...

Of all the masters of horror that helped to reshape the genre as we know it in the ’70s and ’80s, none were more successful in branching out and achieving commercial success within the studio system than Sam Raimi. His Spider-Man trilogy laid the groundwork for the influx of comic book movies that would follow, but he was eager to return to his roots following the third installment’s turbulent production.

Armed with $30 million and complete creative control, Raimi dusted off a story he wrote with elder brother and frequent collaborator Ivan Raimi back in the ’90s to make his triumphant return to horror with Drag Me to Hell in 2009. The Raimi broters seemingly drew inspiration from 1957’s Night of the Demon but injected it with a heavy dose of Evil Dead DNA, most closely evoking Evil Dead 2‘s cartoonish blend of over-the-top splatter and tongue-in-cheek humor.

If the use...

Released in 1989, Major League is not only remembered for being a hilarious and irreverent sports movie, but also for its star-studded cast. The film took many familiar tropes from baseball movies and turned them on their ear for a sidesplitting combination of sports, drama, and romance. The cast was jam-packed with established stars, but it also featured a few fresh faces that would see their careers reach new heights in the ensuing decade. Among the cast was a wealth of real-life baseball personalities, and the entire experience was steeped in an obvious love for America's pastime.

Though the film wasn't shortlisted for any awards, Major League still left its mark on popular culture and was received rather warmly by critics. In the U.S., the movie was a box office hit when it grossed $49 million (via Box Office Mojo), and is considered one of the best baseball movies in Hollywood.

"Everybody she 'plays' with dies." Flesh seduces. Passion kills. Studiocanal UK has dropped in a brand new trailer for the 4K restoration plus re-release of the infamous erotic investigative drama Basic Instinct, from filmmaker Paul Verhoeven. This originally opened in 1992, and earned the attention of adult audiences for being hyper-sexual, including the well-known scene involving Sharon Stone. It also co-stars Michael Douglas as a violent police detective who investigates a brutal murder that might involve a manipulative and seductive novelist. Commissioned by Studiocanal, it was restored from the original 35mm negative and supervised specifically by the director himself, "with invaluable input to the bonus material from Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas. As boundary-pushing today as it was in 1992, Basic Instinct redefined the erotic thriller subgenre and remains a must-see for audiences globally." The cast also includes George Dzundza, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Denis Arndt, Leilani Sarelle, Bruce A. Young, and Chelcie Ross.

Brace yourself for something chilling. I, a supposedly serious film critic, run hot and cold on the Coen Brothers. Yes, despite their reputation as masters of their craft, I only occasionally fall for their work. It’s incredibly hard to predict too. I love Inside Llewyn Davis more than almost anyone, but have shrugged off some of their classics. All of this is to say that their latest effort, the western anthology tale The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, actually worked for me, so that should mean something. By having so many tones, it makes it almost impossible for anyone who even sometimes digs the Coens to resist. It hits Netflix this weekend and has been in a few theaters since the weekend. You’d do well to check it out. The movie is an anthology of sorts, told in six separate chapters. Chapter One is literally called The Ballad of Buster Scruggs...

The latest trailer for the Coen Brother's upcoming western anthology film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs spotlights the dark comedy in this tumbleweed blowing across the American landscape. We saw the first trailer for the western back in September, and now a second look has been released ahead of the limited theatrical screenings that the film will have before hitting Netflix a week later. The streaming platform is hoping for some Academy Award nominations, which doesn't seem too far-fetched considering that the film has had early positive reactions.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a six-part Western anthology film, which was originally conceived as a streaming TV series by the Coen Brothers. The anthology has been shortened to make a cohesive movie with a series of tales about the American frontier, with each chapter telling a distinct story about the American West. The film looks exactly like what one would...

We’ve got a new trailer to share with you for Netflix’s upcoming western anthology film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs from director Joel and Ethan Coen and filled with all kinds of hilarious entertainment! This looks like it could very well be another Coen Bros. masterpiece!

I love the move that these filmmakers have made over the course of their career and I couldn’t be more excited to watch their latest movie. I just love their storytelling style. The film also features an incredibly talented cast that includes Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco, Liam Neeson, Clancy Brown, Brendan Gleeson, Zoe Kazan, Tom Waits, Stephen Root and many more.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is slated for a theatrical release on November 16th. Watch the new trailer for yourself below and tell us what you think!

I’ve also included additional information on the six segments that make...

"I'd appreciate it if you deposit your weapon in the receptacle by the swinging doors." Netflix has debtued a second trailer for the new Coen Brothers film, though it's actually six new Coen Brothers films, as part of their western anthology feature The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. Netflix will be releasing this in select theaters (on November 9th) before it arrives on Netflix for everyone else to watch. This premiered at the Venice Film Festival this year, and also played at Nyff. I saw this in Venice loved it, saying it's "thoroughly amusing and compelling to watch; none of the six stories is any worse than any other, they're all top notch." The huge ensemble cast includes Tyne Daly, James Franco, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Heck, Grainger Hines, Zoe Kazan, Harry Melling, Liam Neeson, Jonjo O'Neill, Chelcie Ross, Saul Rubinek, Tom Waits, Clancy Brown, Jefferson Mays, Stephen Root, and Willie Watson.

“Things have a way of escalatin’ out here in the west.”

Netflix has released the first trailer for Joel and Ethan Coen’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and it it looks absolutely fantastic! The trailer is filled with beautiful cinematography and hilarious humor that had me busting up laughing several times throughout the trailer.

The Coen Bros. certainly have style with the films they make. I love that style, and this western anthology film, which implements that style, looks so freakin’ entertaining! These guys have a wonderful way with words. The movie also comes along with a great cast that includes Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco, Liam Neeson, Clancy Brown, Brendan Gleeson, Zoe Kazan, Tom Waits, Stephen Root and many more.

I love what I’m seeing in this trailer and I’m super excited about watching the movie! The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is slated for a theatrical release on November 16th.

It's been a short little while since the Coen Brothers have graced us with their brilliance, but now they're back from hiatus with a new Western anthology movie called The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. Today, Netflix has released the first trailer, letting us in on all the secrets that await this fall.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a six-part Western anthology film, a series of tall tales about the American frontier told through the unique and incomparable voice of Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. Each chapter tells a distinct story about the American West.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is written, produced and directed by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, with Megan Ellison, Sue Naegle and Robert Graf serving as producers. The cast includes Tyne Daly, James Franco, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Heck, Grainger Hines, Zoe Kazan, Harry Melling, Liam Neeson, Tim Blake Nelson, Jonjo O'Neill, Chelcie Ross, Saul Rubinek, Tom Waits,...

Joel and Ethan Coen’s Netflix six-parter The Ballad of Buster Scruggs took the Best Screenplay award at the Venice Film Festival last weekend, and this new trailer shows what the buzz was about.

“First time?” asks an about-to-be-hanged James Franco (at his glib and goofy best) to the doomed, sobbing prisoner next to him.

The Western anthology is a series of tales about the American frontier, each chapter offering a distinct story about the West. As one character says in the trailer, people love to be distracted with stories – “so long as people in the story are us, but not us.”

Written, produced and directed by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, with Megan Ellison, Sue Naegle and Robert Graf serving as producers, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs features a cast including Franco, Tyne Daly, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Heck, Grainger Hines, Zoe Kazan, Harry Melling, Liam Neeson, Tim Blake Nelson, Jonjo O’Neill,...

"Things have a way of escalatin' out here in the West." Netflix has debuted the first official trailer for the latest Coen Brothers feature, a western anthology film titled The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, featuring six tales about the American frontier. This premiered at the Venice Film Festival to mostly positive reviews. I saw this film in Venice and loved it, saying in my review that it's "thoroughly amusing and compelling to watch; none of the six stories is any worse than any other, they're all top notch." The film's huge ensemble cast includes Tyne Daly, James Franco, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Heck, Grainger Hines, Zoe Kazan, Harry Melling, Liam Neeson, Jonjo O'Neill, Chelcie Ross, Saul Rubinek, Tom Waits, Clancy Brown, Jefferson Mays, Stephen Root, and Willie Watson. Along with Tim Blake Nelson playing the titular musician/gunslinger Buster Scruggs. I can't wait until this is available for everyone to fully enjoy.

Perhaps the best surprise we got when it comes to the fall movie season is we were getting a brand-new film from Joel and Ethan Coen. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, once thought to be a Netflix series, is in fact a film and now the six-part anthology feature has its first trailer.

Starring Tyne Daly, James Franco, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Heck, Grainger Hines, Zoe Kazan, Harry Melling, Liam Neeson, Tim Blake Nelson, Jonjo O’Neill, Chelcie Ross, Saul Rubinek, Tom Waits, Clancy Brown, Jefferson Mays, Stephen Root, and Willie Watson, it picked up the Best Screenpaly award at Venice and will next stop by Nyff before a November release.

Rory O’Connor said in our review, “Scruggs is, of course, the latest work from brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, and represents a ravishing if wildly uneven addition to their catalogue. It also marks their first foray into the odd waters of the portmanteau subgenre,...

We've got some new details to share with you regarding the Coen Bros. upcoming western anthology film, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. There's a new poster that's been released that comes with the tagline, "Stories Live Forever. People Don't."

We've also got details on the six story segments that will make up the film thanks to The Playlist:

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Tim Blake Nelson (Buster Scruggs)

Willie Watson (The Kid)

This first segment finds Tim Blake Nelson playing a sharp-shooting songster.

Near Algodones

James Franco (Cowboy)

James Franco’s wannabe bank robber gets his due and then some. And just a little bit more for good measure.

Meal Ticket

Liam Neeson (Impresario)

Harry Melling (Artist)

Lugubrious dark humour pervades the Liam Neeson starrer Meal Ticket, a gothic tale about two weary travelling performers.

All Gold Canyon

Tom Waits (Prospector)

Tom Waits mines a rich seam of humour.

The...

Previous | Image 1 of 8 | NextMIDDLE Man - Director Ned Crowley and Actor Jim O’Heir.

Chicago – The 52nd Chicago International Film Festival wrapped last week, but the Red Carpet presentations continued right up to that end date. The Chicago connections films, either made in the area or by Chicago filmmakers or actors, had two major Red Carpets, and HollywoodChicago.com was there to capture them. Actors and filmmakers from the new films “Middle Man” and “Imperfections” were there.

Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos © Joe Arce for HollywoodChicago.com. Also answering some Red Carpet questions was the filmmaker and star of “Middle Man.”

Actor Jim O’Heir and Director Ned Crowley of “Middle Man”

HollywoodChicago.com: Ned, how long have you been formulating the story of ‘Middle Man,’ before you had a chance to produce it?...

A review of tonight's "Mad Men" coming up just as soon as I get The New York Times to print "Mein Kampf" on the front page... "This was a hell of a boat, you know?" -Roger There's a moment late in "Lost Horizon" that, if you've been on social media tonight, you've likely seen in gif form a few dozen times (or, like me, just kept it on in a loop in the background while writing about the episode). Peggy finally enters the McCann offices, Bert Cooper's infamous octopus painting under her arm, sunglasses concealing her hungover eyes, a cigarette dangling smugly from her lips. She has come a long, long way, baby, from the shy mouse whom Joan had to lead around the old Sterling Cooper office, and she is here to grab everything she's ever wanted, all on her way to one day having her name on...

Curious to know what movies and TV shows are coming to Netflix Watch Instantly over the next few weeks? Get a head start and mark your calendars using the list below, just released to us by Netflix.    Avail 9/1     A Simple Plan (1998) Bill Paxton, Bridget Fonda, Billy Bob Thornton, Brent Briscoe, Jack Walsh, Chelcie Ross When brothers Hank and Jacob discover a dead body and millions of dollars in cash in a downed plane, they plot to hide the loot and split it later. It's a simple plan -- until things go murderously awry amid suspicion and mistrust.   Californication: Seasons 1-7 Best-selling novelist Hank Moody battles writer's block and a weakness for drugs, booze and one-night stands while he struggles to make things work...

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Charlie Sheen is gonna make "Major League" fans and baseball collectors lose their minds -- he's slapped his autograph on a limited number of baseball cards to mark the awesome movie's 25th anniversary ... TMZ Sports has learned.You may have heard ... Topps just released a series of cards with the main characters -- featuring Charlie, Tom Berenger, and Corbin Bernsen -- but our sources gave us the scoop ... some of the rare cards are actually signed by the stars.

This week: Leonardo DiCaprio is perfectly cast as the titular character in "The Great Gatsby," director Baz Luhrmann's gaudy adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel.

Also new this week is Michael Bay's darkly funny "Pain & Gain" starring Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson, the family drama "At Any Price" with Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron and the cult monster movie "Q: The Winged Serpent" on Blu-ray.

'The Great Gatsby'

Box Office: $145 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 49% Rotten

Storyline: F. Scott Fitzgerald's Great American Novel gets the flashy Baz Luhrmann treatment in this adaptation starring Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway, a would-be writer who leaves the Midwest and comes to New York in the spring of 1922, an era of bootleg booze, jazz and loosening morals. Nick lives next door to the sprawling mansion of Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), which is across the bay from Nick's cousin Daisy...

A farming family's livelihood is threatened in director Ramin Bahrani's upcoming drama At Any Price. Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron star as a father and son whose farm comes under investigation, just as the son wants to leave the business to enter the world of race car driving. Justine Browning recently sat down with Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron, Heather Graham, and Maika Monroe to discuss this indie drama, in theaters April 26. Check out our exclusive video interviews with the cast of At Any Price.

At Any Price Exclusive: Zac Efron and Dennis Quaid

At Any Price Exclusive: Heather Graham

At Any Price Exclusive: Maika Monroe

At Any Price was released April 24th, 2013 and stars Zac Efron, Dennis Quaid, Heather Graham, Clancy Brown, Kim Dickens, Chelcie Ross, Maika Monroe, Red West. The film is directed by Ramin Bahrani.

Title: At Any Price Sony Pictures Classics Director: Ramin Bahrani Screenwriter: Ramin Bahrani Cast: Zac Efron, Dennis Quaid, Heather Graham, Clancy Brown, Ben Marten, Kim Dickens, Chelcie Ross, Red West, Maika Monroe, Sophie Curtis Screened at: Sony, NYC, 4/4/13 Opens: April 24, 2013 Movies have glorified capitalism (“Wall Street”) and trashed the system (anything by Michael Moore), but “At Any Price” represents one of the few times that capitalism has been regarded as literally seedy. The story takes place on an Iowa farm, and aside from being an entertaining yarn anchored by an exceptional performance from Dennis Quaid, it provides us city slicking Yankees with quite a bit of knowledge [ Read More ]

The post At Any Price Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Sony Pictures Classics' From Any Price adventure drama has several new clips, and new photos. The Ramin Bahrani film opens April 24, 2013 and stars Zac Efron, Heather Graham and Dennis Quaid. In the competitive world of modern agriculture, ambitious Henry Whipple (Quaid) wants his rebellious son Dean (Efron) to help expand his family’s farming empire. However, Dean has his sights set on becoming a professional race car driver. When a high-stakes investigation into their business is exposed, father and son are pushed into an unexpected crisis that threatens the family’s entire livelihood. Also with Clancy Brown, Kim Dickens, Malika Monroe, Chelcie Ross, Red West, Sophie Curtis, At Any Price is screenwritten by Hallie Elizabeth Newton and Bahrani, and produced by Teddy Scharzman, Kevin Turen, Pamela Koffler, Christin Vachon, Justin Nappi and Bahrani.

Sony Pictures Classics' From Any Price adventure drama has several new clips, and new photos. The Ramin Bahrani film opens April 24, 2013 and stars Zac Efron, Heather Graham and Dennis Quaid. In the competitive world of modern agriculture, ambitious Henry Whipple (Quaid) wants his rebellious son Dean (Efron) to help expand his family’s farming empire. However, Dean has his sights set on becoming a professional race car driver. When a high-stakes investigation into their business is exposed, father and son are pushed into an unexpected crisis that threatens the family’s entire livelihood. Also with Clancy Brown, Kim Dickens, Malika Monroe, Chelcie Ross, Red West, Sophie Curtis, At Any Price is screenwritten by Hallie Elizabeth Newton and Bahrani, and produced by Teddy Scharzman, Kevin Turen, Pamela Koffler, Christin Vachon, Justin Nappi and Bahrani.

Today, we're proud to debut the first poster for Ramin Bahrani's drama, At Any Price. The film stars Dennis Quaid as an ambitious farmer whose rebellious son (Zac Efron) has aspirations to be a race car driver. An investigation into the family business brings the pair together in order to preserve their livelihood. I really enjoyed the film when I saw it at the Toronto International Film Festival, and I'm glad that it's about to hit theaters. Hit the jump to check out the poster. The film also stars Kim Dickens, Heather Graham, Clancy Brown, Chelcie Ross, Maika Monroe, Red West, Ben Marten, and Dan Waller. At Any Price opens in limited release on April 24th. Here's the official synopsis for At Any Price: In the competitive world of modern agriculture, ambitious Henry Whipple (Dennis Quaid) wants his rebellious son Dean (Zac Efron) to help expand his family’s farming empire.

Sony Pictures Classics has unveiled the first trailer for At Any Price, director Ramin Bahrani's drama that takes us inside the competitive world of agriculture. Dennis Quaid stars as Henry Whipple, who wants his son Dean (Zac Efron) to help him expand the family's farming enterprise, despite Dean's dreams of becoming a race car driver. When their business comes under fire, the family is tested like never before. Check out the latest footage from this upcoming drama, also starring Heather Graham, Clancy Brown, and Kim Dickens.

At Any Price - Trailer

At Any Price comes to theaters April 26th, 2013 and stars Zac Efron, Dennis Quaid, Heather Graham, Clancy Brown, Kim Dickens, Chelcie Ross, Maika Monroe, Red West. The film is directed by Ramin Bahrani.

Zac Efron has been doing a brilliant job of diversifying his career in recent years, and At Any Price is the latest and perhaps greatest example so far of his dramatic talents.

Debuting at Venice last year, the film continued its tour on the festival circuit at Tiff – you can read our review here – and will be distributed in the Us this spring by Sony Pictures Classics.

With its April release date on the horizon, the first trailer has been released over at Yahoo Movies, giving us a great first look at the film.

“In the competitive world of modern agriculture, ambitious Henry Whipple wants his rebellious son Dean to help expand his family’s farming empire. However, Dean has his sights set on becoming a professional race car driver. When a high-stakes investigation into their business is exposed, father and son are pushed into an unexpected crisis that threatens the family’s entire livelihood.

I have to admit, I hadn't even heard of this film until now.  And, likely the inclusion of Zac Efron probably turned off my movie receptors.  It's not that I'm against the guy, it's just that he's yet to do anything that made me take notice.  However, this new film from director Ramin Bahrani, puts the young actor in good company, with veterans like Dennis Quaid, Clancy Brown, and Chelcie Ross, as well as the always engaging Kim Dickens and Heather Graham. ...

All's fair in love and baseball as Trouble with the Curve arrives onto Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital Download on December 18 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group. Featuring an all-star cast, Trouble with the Curve offers a poignant look at a father and daughter brought together by baseball.

Academy Award winner Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby, Unforgiven), Oscar nominee Amy Adams (The Fighter, Doubt, Junebug), and Justin Timberlake (The Social Network, Friends with Benefits) star in Trouble with the Curve, which marks the feature film directorial debut of Eastwood's longtime producing partner Robert Lorenz.

Trouble with the Curve will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack for $35.99 and on single disc DVD for $28.98. The Blu-ray Combo Pack features the film in high definition on Blu-ray, and in standard definition on DVD. Both the Blu-ray Combo Pack and the single disc DVD include UltraViolet which allows consumers to download and instantly...

Trouble With The Curve

Review by Dan Clark

Stars: Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, John Goodman, Robert Patrick, Matthew Lillard, Ed Lauter, Chelcie Ross, Raymond Anthony Thomas, Justin Timberlake | Written by Randy Brown | Directed by Robert Lorenz

We all enjoy the opportunity to be comfortable. It brings a warm sensation as we relax from our busy day to feel at ease for a brief moment. Sometimes movies are capable of providing us that brief moment of escape. They present a certain story or plotline that isn’t challenging and easy to follow. You aren’t required to think yet you still remain entertained. It’s as relaxing as a Saturday afternoon nap where we recharge our batteries before returning to the cruel cynical world. When watching director’s Robert Lorenz’s film Trouble with the Curve I was placed in the ultimate state of comfort. The story is formulaic and never...

Clint Eastwood talked to an empty chair at the Republican National Convention this summer. He begins his new film, Trouble With the Curve, talking to a toilet ... so maybe that was his idea of a clever marketing campaign. Aside from that oddity, the movie is actually a fun, sometimes sober, oddball look at growing older and coming to terms with past regrets.

Penned by first-time writer Randy Brown, Trouble with the Curve is directed by Robert Lorenz, likewise sitting in the director's chair for the first time, though he has assisted on many films.

The story, which could be called an answer to Moneyball, centers around Eastwood's character Gus. An aging baseball scout, Gus operates in a technology vacuum, making him a target for ladder-climbing Phillip Sanderson, played true to type by Matthew Lillard. With the end of his contract nearing, Gus embarks on what may be his last scouting trip.

An old man losing his eyesight. A young woman regaining the respect of her father. Trouble with the Curve, the new drama from longtime Clint Eastwood collaborator Robert Lorenz, finds the iconic actor stepping in front of the camera without taking the helm for more than a decade. A critically acclaimed and award-ready look at aging and family relationships, Trouble with the Curve also stars Amy Adams as a daughter trying to reconnect with her talent scout father on a road trip during baseball season. Despite some of his recent questionable public appearances, we remain devoted Clint Eastwood fans, so we couldn't pass up this chance to celebrate the Hollywood legend. We're holding a cool Trouble with the Curve contest, in which fans can take home plenty of branded memorabilia. We've got hats, T-shirts, and a sports duffle bag that will come in handy on your next scouting trip. Even neater,...

I know when I started this series I promised once a week…and that was well over a month ago! So in an effort to not lie to you, I won’t promise once a week. I will promise as often as I can! I’m thinking I can definitely commit to once a month. In all honesty, who wants this to get stale? I sure as hell don’t! Sam Raimi is my hero and I want to make your course in Sam Raimi and His Films 101 as fun as it has been for me to learn all of this over the past nearly 16 years since he has been my hero! Let’s get into this!

The Gift is crafted from a screenplay by Tom Epperson and Billy Bob Thornton, who Raimi worked with on 1998′s A Simple Plan. It tells the tale of Annie Wilson (Cate Blanchett), a...

Chicago – One of the nice surprises of the Chicago International Film Festival was the opening night presence of a true Chicago-based film. “The Last Rites of Joe May” stars Dennis Farina as an aging small-time hood, taken in by single mother Jenny Rapp, portrayed by Jamie Anne Allman. The production was directed with sublime power by Joe Maggio.

Allman and Maggio were at the festival, circulating opening night and sitting down for interviews the next day. The film uses the city of Chicago as a character, but you won’t see Wrigley Field or the skyline. What you will see is the bitter winter on streets where people like Joe May live and survive.

HollywoodChicago.com got to talk with both Allman and Maggio, and got their keen insight into this excellent Chicago-based film.

Jamie Anne Allman, Jenny Rapp in “The Last Rites of Joe May”

Ms. Allman was born Jamie Anne Brown,...

Chicago – Dennis Farina is Chicago. Born and raised in the Windy City, his persona and manner is everything Chicago – bold, classy and the true urban Midwest. His latest film is “The Last Rites of Joe May,” which features another actor who got his start in Chicago theater, Gary Cole.

Last month, at the Chicago International Film Festival, both actors did a press day promoting their gritty Chicago-based film, which was directed by Joe Maggio. “The Last Rites of Joe May” stars Farina in the role of a lifetime, permeating the wintry streets of Chicago as an aging small time hustler that everyone assumes is dead after he comes back from an extended hospital stay. Gary Cole has a small but significant role as Lenny, a neighborhood boss.

HollywoodChicago.com sat down and interviewed the two Chicago acting icons regarding their film and careers.

Dennis Farina, Title Character in “The Last Rites of Joe May...

Chicago – Dennis Farina is Chicago. Born and raised in the Windy City, his persona and manner is everything Chicago is – bold, classy and the true urban Midwest. His latest film is “The Last Rites of Joe May,” which features another actor who got his start in Chicago theater, Gary Cole.

Last month, at the Chicago International Film Festival, both actors did a press day promoting their gritty Chicago-based film, which was directed by Joe Maggio. “The Last Rites of Joe May” stars Farina in the role of a lifetime, permeating the wintry streets of Chicago as an aging small time hustler that everyone leaves for dead after he comes back from an extended hospital stay. Gary Cole has a small but significant role as Lenny, the son of one of Joe’s old contacts.

HollywoodChicago.com sat down and interviewed the two Chicago acting icons regarding their film and careers.

A man is chased in the Everglades and after speaking in Spanish, he is shot by an arrow through the heart. Another man finds him and attempts to remove his necklace, but doesn't reckon with Horatio (David Caruso) sneaking up behind him. Horatio thinks he killed the other man. In french, he begs for Horatio to shoot him. Natalia (Eva Larue) and Ryan (Jonathan Togo) check the Cs and Natalia comments on the arrow going through the tissue and causing a lot of damage. The bow, the murder weapon, turns out to be a compound bow, which Ryan claims could be dumped anywhere out there., well not just anywhere, since Ryan will turn out to be the one who finds it. Me Tom (Christian Clemenson) finds the Vic had a brand on his arm in the form of the number 9, recently burned there. He also has a wound on his right ankle.

Chicago – The 47th Chicago International Film Festival wrapped on Oct. 20, 2011 with a spectacular showing of the new film “The Artist”. Over the past two weeks, HollywoodChicago.com has been covering the red carpets and publishing exclusive portraits of the stars and directors.

From red carpets before a film, to perspective tributes on directors and performers, they stood before the lens of HollywoodChicago.com and photographer Joe Arce. Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All images © Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com.

CIFF1: Dennis Farina on the Red Carpet for ‘Last Rites for Joe May,’ October 6th, 2011 CIFF2: Gary Cole, ‘Last Rites of Joe May,’ at 2011 Chicago International Film Festival CIFF3: Billy Zane walks the Red Carpet on Opening Night, October 6th, 2011 CIFF4: Marshall Allman of ‘True Blood’ participates on Opening...

Dennis Farina in .The Last Rites of Joe May ., distributed by Tribeca Film. Photo Credit: Jay Silver

Chicago Film To Open 47th Chicago International Film Festival

With The Last Rites Of Joe May

Chicago, Il.Cinema/Chicago today announced that the 47th Chicago International Film Festival will officially open with The Last Rites Of Joe May, showcasing a tour-de-force performance from longtime film and Chicago theater actor Dennis Farina (Get Shorty, Snatch, Midnight Run). Acclaimed indie director and Festival veteran Joe Maggio will walk the red carpet with Mr. Farina and actors Gary Cole (Office Space, Pineapple Express) and Jamie Anne Allman (.The Killing., The Notebook) to present the Chicago Premiere of the film at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park (205 E Randolph Street.Chicago) on Thursday, October 6th 2011 at 6pm, with the official presentation to begin at 7pm. Additional surprise guests will be announced.

.The Last Rites Of Joe May...

Chicago- Earlier today, Cinema/Chicago announced that the 47th Chicago International Film Festival will premiere with the film “The Last Rites of Joe May.” The film stars longtime film and Chicago theater actor Dennis Farina.

“The Last Rites of Joe May” is the story of a hustler (played by Farina) who is shocked to see life went on normally without him when his friends and acquaintances thought he had died while Joe was in the hospital fighting pneumonia. Joe must now cope with living with new tenants who had moved in when Joe’s landlord thought he had died and the struggle of redefining a legacy that he realizes is less than stellar.

“The Last Rites of Joe May” was written and directed by Joe Maggio and co-stars Jamie Anne Allman, Meredith Droeger, Ian Barford, Chelcie Ross, and Gary Cole.

Maggio was humbled by the nomination and praised the city...

Title: Fertile Ground Directed by: Adam Gierasch Starring: Gale Harold, Leisha Hailey and Chelcie Ross Running Time: 95 minutes, Rated R After Emily Weaver goes through a gruesome miscarriage, she and her husband Nate decide to move to a rural town where his family’s ancestral home is located. As they are settling in, Emily begins to have horrifying visions and ghostly encounters. Part of the DVD extras has the story-boarding, which I thought was brilliant to show the viewer how they plotted out their beautifully filmed cinematography. It really was great for a modest budget horror film. The commentary by director Adam Gierasch, writer Jace Anderson and lead actress Leisha...

2011 - 95 mins. - Rated R

D: Adam GieraschC: Gale Harold, Leisha Hailey, Chelcie Ross, Jami Bassman, Kailah Combs, Ingrid Coree, Clint Curtis, Steve Janousek, JoNell Kennedy

After a miscarriage, a husband and wife move to the country to escape it all. Shortly after becoming pregnant again, she starts to experience a series of hauntings that may be connected to a deadly tradition involving her husband.

In Fertile Ground, the main character is disoriented and confused as to what is unfolding around her. Fertile Ground captures that disorientation and confusion through a series of events that leaves viewers wondering what exactly is happening throughout the film. Gale Harold captures the right balance between being a frustrated husband and menace. Leisha Hailey strikes the right chord as viewers are left to wonder if what is happening is real or not, if it is in her mind or not. Fertile Ground successfully knows...

One thing I have learned about fighting crime in Chicago, it’s a marathon not a sprint; you better be ready to go the distance. - Teresa Colvin

The same could be said about the amazing season of The Chicago Code; it was a marathon, but we were rewarded for going the distance in this week’s series finale, "Mike Royko's Revenge."

Knowing that this episode was written and filmed before anyone knew the show was not renewed I was watching to see where season two would have hooked in:

The Wysocki Family are not perfect cops: I believe this would have been a major plot point if the show had gone into a second season. The lesser ripple would be Vonda because she has been comparing herself to an image of her father that wasn’t true. The bigger ripple would be Jarek realizing the hot water into which his brother’s “ready,...

Weekend Box Office

The Green Hornet $34 millionThe Dilemma $17.4 millionTrue Grit $11.2 millionThe King's Speech $9 millionBlack Swan $8.1 millionLittle Fockers $7.1 millionTron: Legacy $5.6 millionYogi Bear $5.3 millionThe Fighter $5.1 millionSeason of the Witch $4.5 million

After two weeks at number two, the Coen Brother's True Grit finally shot down Little Fockers last week, to take home the box office gold. But with two highly anticipated new movies entering the charts this week, including director Ron Howard's new comedy, The Dilemma, and the super-hero movie The Green Hornet starring Seth Rogen, it looks like the critically acclaimed western's celebration will be cut a bit short.

Debuting at number one this week is the new film from director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), The Green Hornet, which is based on the classic super-hero TV series from the '60s. The movie stars Seth Rogen (Superbad), Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz (In Her Shoes), Tom Wilkinson (Batman Begins...

Chicago – After a 12-year hiatus from comedy (his last was “Edtv” in 1999), the legendary (and typically dramatic) director Ron Howard is back to crack you up with “The Dilemma”.

Kevin James and Vince Vaughn in “The Dilemma”.

Photo credit: Universal Pictures

The Chicago-filmed dramedy is part comedy (with the well-cast chemistry of Vince Vaughn and Kevin James) and part drama (with Winona Ryder and Jennifer Connelly). Queen “Lady Wood” Latifah supports with Channing “Tatoo” Tatum and Chicago stage actor Amy Morton. “The Dilemma” opens everywhere on Jan. 14, 2011.

Much like “The Dark Knight” features Chicago as one of its primary stars, “The Dilemma” clearly looks like Chicago both with its sweeping metropolitan shots and its intimate scenes only locals would recognize. The film also stars Chelcie Ross, Grace Rex, January Stern, Debbi Burns, Rebecca Spence, Heidi Johanningmeier and Talulah Riley from director Ron Howard, writer Allan Loeb and producer Brian Grazer.

Chicago – The world premiere of the new Chicago-filmed dramedy “The Dilemma” was shown in Chicago on Thursday following a red carpet with stars Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly, Channing Tatum, Amy Morton and Chelcie Ross.

Director Ron Howard, writer Allan Loeb, producer Brian Grazer and composer Hans Zimmer also walked the Chicago red carpet along with sports stars Kurt Warner of the St. Louis Rams and Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks. “The Dilemma” hits theaters on Jan. 14, 2011.

Other celebrity guests walking the red carpet included Jerry Azumah, Peter Billingsley, Dave Bolland, Nick Boynton, Caleb Hanie, Greg Olsen, Joel Quenneville, Tom Ricketts and Rocky Wirtz. “The Dilemma” also stars Queen Latifah, Grace Rex, January Stern, Debbi Burns, Rebecca Spence, Heidi Johanningmeier and Talulah Riley. The synopsis for “The Dilemma” is below.

Vince Vaughn and Kevin James headline an all-star comedy from director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer...

Chicago – In our latest comedy edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 15 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the highly anticipated new film “The Dilemma” with Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder and Jennifer Connelly!

“The Dilemma,” which was filmed in Chicago, also stars Channing Tatum, Queen Latifah, Amy Morton, Grace Rex, January Stern, Debbi Burns, Rebecca Spence, Heidi Johanningmeier, Chelcie Ross and Talulah Riley from director Ron Howard, writer Allan Loeb and producer Brian Grazer. The film opens on Jan. 14, 2011.

To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “The Dilemma” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

The movie poster for “The Dilemma” with Vince Vaughn from director Ron Howard.