News

Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. died of a lung condition, according to his death certificate obtained by TMZ. The actor died in Santa Monica on March 29 at the age of 87.

According to the report, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Copd), was the main cause of death, TMZ says, with heart failure and atrial fibrillation contributing factors.

A cause of death was not known at the time of Gossett’s passing last month.

His family announced the death in a statement on March 29: “It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning.” It continued, “We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”

The first Black actor to win a Best Supporting Oscar, Gossett was born on May 27, 1936, in Brooklyn. He made his stage debut at 17 in a school production of You Can’t Take It with You...

Legendary Academy Award-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. has passed away at the age of 87. Renowned for his groundbreaking role as a no-nonsense drill sergeant in An Officer and a Gentleman, he made history as the first Black man to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Gossett’s legacy has undoubtedly left an unforgettable mark in the industry, and as always his legacy will continue to pave the way for future generations. His family shared the heartbreaking news in a statement. Fans and actors worldwide are mourning this loss.

Late Louis Gossett Jr. in Watchmen

Louis Gossett Jr.’s Legacy in Hollywood

According to NBC News, the heartbreaking news of actor Louis Gossett Jr.‘s passing came from a statement released by his family. It read,

“It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning,–We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time.

We are sad to report that legendary African-American actor Louis Gossett Jr. passed away on March 28, 2024 in Santa Monica, CA. He was 87 years old at the time of death, and was on his way to celebrate his 88th birthday in May this year. No official cause of death has been given, but Gosset has had health issues in the recent decade, being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010 and being hospitalized for Covid-19 during the pandemic. The news was confirmed by Gossett’s first cousin Neal L. Gossett.

A true acting legend, Louis Gossett Jr. was born in New York on May 27, 1936. His mother was a nurse, and his father was a porter. Although he was proficient in sports as well, after his stage debut at the age of 17, his teacher encouraged him to pursue an acting career. Although he obtained a sports scholarship at the NYU and was offered to play basketball,...

Louis Gossett Jr., who won an Emmy for his role in the groundbreaking TV miniseries Roots and an Oscar for An Officer and a Gentleman, died Thursday night in Santa Monica. He was 87.

His death was first reported by his nephew to the Associated Press. No cause of death was given.

“It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning,” his family said in a statement obtained by Deadline. “We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”

The first Black actor to win a Best Supporting Oscar, Gossett was born on May 27, 1936, in Brooklyn. He made his stage debut at 17 in a school production of You Can’t Take It with You and soon would successfully audition for the Broadway production Take a Giant Step, then perform in a star-making supporting...

Seven-time Emmy-winning actor Ed Asner, who starred as Lou Grant on both sitcom “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and hourlong drama “Lou Grant” before a late-career rejuvenation through his poignant voicework in 2009 animated film “Up,” has died. He was 91.

His publicist confirmed the news to Variety, writing that he died on Sunday surrounded by family. Asner’s official Twitter account posted a message from his family, saying “Goodnight dad. We love you.”

We are sorry to say that our beloved patriarch passed away this morning peacefully. Words cannot express the sadness we feel. With a kiss on your head- Goodnight dad. We love you.

— Ed Asner (@TheOnlyEdAsner) August 29, 2021

Asner had worked for many years as a character actor in series television and movies before hitting paydirt and stardom as the tough-talking TV newsroom head Lou Grant on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” which brought him three supporting actor Emmys. When the sitcom called it quits,...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Black Westerns

An often overlooked aspect of the western genre is the emergence of the Black-led films born around the Civil Rights era and continuing throughout the century. With essential context from guest programmer and film scholar Mia Mask, The Criterion Channel is now presenting a series of these works, including Rutledge (1960), Duel at Diablo (1966), The Learning Tree (1969), El Condor (1970), Skin Game (1971), Black Rodeo (1972), Buck and the Preacher (1972), The Legend of Black Charley (1972), Thomasine and Bushrod (1974), Posse (1993), Buffalo Soldiers (1997), and Rosewood (1997).

Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel

Center Stage (Stanley Kwan)

Following her breakout with Jackie Chan in Police Story and before her iconic roles in the films of Wong Kar-wai and Olivier Assayas,...

The Criterion Channel has unveiled their March 2021 lineup, which includes no shortage of remarkable programming. Highlights from the slate include eight gems from Preston Sturges, Elaine May’s brilliant A New Leaf, a series featuring Black Westerns, Ann Hui’s Boat People, the new restoration of Ousmane Sembène’s Mandabi.

They will also add films from their Essential Fellini boxset, series on Dirk Bogarde and Nelly Kaplan, and Luchino Visconti’s The Damned and Death in Venice, and more. In terms of recent releases, there’s also Matthew Rankin’s The Twentieth Century and Claire Denis’ Let the Sunshine In.

Check out the lineup below, along with the teaser for the Black Westerns series. For weekly streaming updates across all services, bookmark this page.

The Adventurer, Charles Chaplin, 1917

Bandini, Bimal Roy, 1963

Behind the Screen, Charles Chaplin, 1916

Black Jack, Ken Loach, 1979

Black Rodeo, Jeff Kanew, 1972

Blood Simple, Joel and Ethan Coen,...

Brooklyn indie rockers Diiv have shared the lumbering and brutally honest new song “Taker” off their upcoming album, Deceiver, out October 4th via Captured Tracks.

“Taker” recalls classic grunge-era ballads, moving at a brooding, down-tempo pace as the drums thud and the guitars shift between a crackle and a roar. Frontman Zachary Cole Smith delivers an airy vocal performance over the heavy stomp, slipping in some deft harmonies as well as he confesses, “Who were you to believe?/Your lying eyes or me?/I won’t let them tie to...

In a competitive situation, Fox21 Television Studios has optioned the rights to The Dresden Files, the long-running New York Times bestselling series of contemporary fantasy novels written by Jim Butcher for series development.

The books follow private investigator and wizard Harry Dresden, as he recounts investigations into supernatural disturbances in modern-day Chicago. In the world of The Dresden Files, magic is real, along with vampires, demons, spirits, faeries, werewolves, outsiders, and other monsters. Harry Dresden works as the world’s only “consulting wizard”, accepting supernatural cases from both human and nonhuman clients, as well as the Chicago Pd’s Special Investigation unit. As the series progresses, Dresden takes on an increasingly important role in the supernatural world at large, as he works to protect the general public, making getting by as a working wizard and private investigator difficult for him. He finds himself facing off against an increasing variety of...

Janet Jackson's performance at the 2018 Global Citizen Festival was a real tour de force. Janet was the first performer to take the stage after a barrier fell down, causing a thunderous noise that made the crowd panic. Thousands of fans ran away from the stage on the Great Lawn, fearing the possibility of gunfire. Moments later, Coldplay singer Chris Martin appeared onstage to calm everyone down, saying, "Nobody is trying to hurt anybody. You're all safe, Ok?" Naomi Campbell introduced Janet onstage. Eventually, Janet took the stage and opened her set with a deep cut: "Skin Game." She continued to captivate the audience as she performed most of her top hits, including, "All for...

I am, as I have previously noted, a big fan of Jim Butcher’s long-running series about the modern-day wizard Harry Dresden, a.k.a. The Dresden Files. The stories and characters are great fun and the books just keep getting better, and more complex, and deeper overall. If you haven’t encountered the series before, I highly recommend it; and of course Wikipedia has a handy list of all of the books if you need to see where to start.

At Dragon Con in 2013, I sat down with Jim to hear more about book fifteen of the series, Skin Game. It was a delight talking with Jim and getting to learn the latest on a world I’ve grown to love. And now, fortunately, I’ve gotten to have that experience again – this time, at Dragon Con 2016 and with book sixteen, a.k.a. Peace Talks. Jim shared all...

Indeed it is sad news to acknowledge the passing of Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated actor James Garner (1928-2014). The Hollywood icon Garner has endured a remarkable show business career during a five-plus decade stretch as he has entertained generations of TV and film audiences throughout the ages. Upon the death of this immensely likable leading man on both the small and big screen many are probably wondering about their mortality at this point. After all, you either grew up with James Garner as a peer or spent your childhood watching him in your living rooms on the boob tube or at the local movie theater.

Although the majority of folks associate Garner with television from his first western series Maverick in the 1950′s to his landmark role as ex-con Pi Jim Rockford in the 1970′s The Rockford Files (some teens and young adults may recall his brief stint as grandfather Jim...

©2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Oscar-nominated actor James Garner has passed away at the age of 86.

From AP:

Garner, whose whimsical style in the 1950s TV Western “Maverick” led to a stellar career in TV and films such as “The Rockford Files” and his Oscar-nominated “Murphy’s Romance,” was found dead of natural causes at his home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles Saturday evening, Los Angeles police officer Alonzo Iniquez said early Sunday.

Police responded to a call around 8 p.m. Pdt and confirmed Garner’s identity from family members, Iniquez told The Associated Press.

There was no immediate word on a more specific cause of death. Garner had suffered a stroke in May 2008, just weeks after his 80th birthday.

Although he was adept at drama and action, Garner was best known for his low-key, wisecracking style, especially with his hit TV series, “Maverick” and “The Rockford Files.

There have arguably been bigger stars in television history than the late James Garner, but none who ever made it look quite so easy. Garner, who reportedly died in his home on Saturday at the age of 86, first hit it big in 1957 with "Maverick," a comical Western in which he played Bret Maverick, a Wild West cardsharp who was as quick on the draw as he was with a quip. At a time when TV was dominated by Westerns — and very solemn ones, at that — Garner was happy to play the same material lighter, to occasionally be the clown or the guy who gets punched in the face, and yet always made it clear that Maverick could easily kill you if he wanted to — it just wasn't his preferred way of doing things. Garner left Maverick after only a few seasons (and had spent much of that time alternating episodes...

Greetings, Mafiosi. Just a friendly reminder that sample chapters of Skin Game, the 15th novel in Jim Butcher‘s The Dresden Files begin hitting the interwebs today in anticipation of the novel’s release on May 27th. The Dresden Files tells the story of Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, Chicago’s first (and only) Wizard P.I. With the help of his […]...

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a big fan of The Dresden Files, so it was awesome to get to sit down and chat with author Jim Butcher about the series while at Dragon Con last weekend!

The Dresden Files, as you may know, is a series about the wizard Harry Dresden, and follows his adventures and investigations into supernatural disturbances in modern-day Chicago, which he recounts through a first person narrative. It’s also, oh-by-the-way, a ton of fun, and weaves a lot of lore, myth, and legend from all cultures into modern adventure stories with a wizard who’s more gunfighter than Gandalf (even if he fights with a staff much of the time). As the series has progressed, it’s also gotten more complex and nuanced, with some great plot twists and character developments along the way. I definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn’t yet read it.

Jeremiah Johnson

Directed by Sydney Pollack

Written by Edward Anhalt and John Milius

1972,

The Western, at its creative and commercial peak – the late 1960s-early 1970s – proved itself an astoundingly pliable genre. It could be molded to deal with topical subject matter like racism (Skin Game, 1971), feminism (The Ballad of Josie, 1967), the excesses of capitalism (Oklahoma Crude, 1973). It could be bent into religious allegories (High Plains Drifter, 1973), or an equally allegorical address of the country’s most controversial war (Ulzana’s Raid, 1972). Westerns could be used to deconstruct America’s most self-congratulatory myths (Doc, 1971), and address historical slights and omissions (Little Big Man, 1970). They could provide heady social commentary (Hombre, 1967), or simple adventure and excitement (The Professionals, 1966). They could be funny (The Hallelujah Trail, 1965), unremittingly grim (Hour of the Gun, 1967), surreal (Greaser’s Palace, 1972), even be stretched into the shape of rock musical (Zachariah, 1971) or monster movie (Valley of Gwangi, 1969).

But...

December was Tarantino Month here at Sos, and since January is dedicated to westerns, I thought it would be best to whip up some articles spotlighting films that influenced Tarantino’s Django Unchained. Since I began my list back in December, I’ve noticed similar lists popping up online – all of which are somewhat suspect, since they recommend some terrible films. For my money, all of the movies listed below are essential viewing for fans of Django Unchained, and come highly recommended.

Note: This is the third of a three part article.

****

I Giorni dell’ira (Blood and Grit) (Day of Anger) (Gunlaw) (Days of Wrath)

Directed by Tonino Valerii

Written by Ernesto Gastaldi, Tonino Valerii, Renzo Genta

Italy, 1967

Day of Anger is a spaghetti western directed by Tonino Valerii, who began his career as Sergio Leone’s assistant and would later direct My Name Is Nobody (1973). Lee Van Cleef stars as Frank Talby,...

In just barely over a week since its Christmas release, Quentin Tarantino’s eighth feature film, Django Unchained, has exhaustively become a source of public controversy for its setting amongst southern, pre-Civil War plantations where the height of the black man’s plight in the United States was the accepted norm. Not the least of the film’s detractors, the also ever-increasingly controversial auteur Spike Lee has openly refused to patronize his notorious rival’s latest, fairly stating he cannot comment much further due to this position but adding that the piece appears to be a disgrace to his ancestors.

As talked to death as the subject already feels, my own leanings would leave me remiss not to weigh in after what feels like much more than seven days digesting and discussing the new work of one of my – and just about everyone else’s – favorite filmmakers, and the decidedly preemptive reaction to it from,...

30 Rock, Season 6, Episode 12, “Standards and Practices”

Written by Vali Chandrasekaran

Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller

Airs Thursdays at 8pm Et on NBC

“Standards and Practices” continues 30 Rock’s rebound and features the welcome return of Chloe Moretz as Kaylie Hooper. Moretz was one of many factors that made last year’s “Tgs Hates Women” one of the show’s best episodes and if anything she’s even better here. She does a fantastic job of selling Kaylie Hooper’s guile and convincing the audience she possesses the ability to concoct and execute nefarious schemes. One hopes this isn’t the last we’ve seen of her because it seems she may have ousted Will Arnett’s Devon Banks as Jack’s greatest nemesis, and it’s clear Alec Baldwin gets a boost from sparring with her.

Meanwhile, Kenneth’s departure from the Page Program is starting to pay off. Putting him...

Just when you couldn’t hate Barry (Dave Willis), the psychotic Kgb cyborg soiled the offices of Isis again, but this time he might have gone too far. Sterling (H. Jon Benjamin) got a surprise of mammoth proportions and once that was revealed, everything got derailed.

Sterling: I hate surprises, except surprise fellatio, that I like–the non-Midnight Cowboy kind.

Who knows what Kreiger (Lucky Yates) did to resurrect Sterling’s fallen Katya (Ona Grauer)– Do we really want to know? That’s a rhetorical question. Please don’t answer that. When we got a brief and horrifying tour of Krieger’s place, some sick part of me wanted to spend the entire episode there (don’t judge me). I know I’ve probably watched Se7en too much but “Skin Game” got off to a terrific start. From the room decorated in air fresheners to a stupidly funny...

When we last left Archer, he was in a dark place. While in bed with Pam, he found out his possible dad Jakov had been murdered by his archenemy Barry. In fact, we hadn’t seen him this down since the finale of season two when Barry killed his almost-wife Katya. So it comes as a surprise when “Skin Game” begins with a trip to Krieger’s apartment, one where we don’t find Krieger playing Rush songs or any Dr. Moreau-style pig babies, but rather a cyborg recreation of Archer’s beloved Katya.

Fresh off the return of Barry and his master plan last week, "Skin Game" introduced to the Archer universe's second cyborg during a lovely vacation to Krieger's transitional neighborhood.

After our trip to the neighborhood that scared off crack dealers, I'm not convinced I could love Krieger any more.  The dude not only wears flesh-colored suit (unless you're black) while scuba diving, he straight up became Dr. Franenkrieger this week.

Much like Sterling, I never saw the return of Katya this week.  I may not have liked her the first time around, but 2.0 brought a much wittier addition, complete with all her witty computer references.  Her special place.  Her C-Drive.  I think I get it.

Ironically, Katya was also more human this time around.  We finally got to know more than the slutty dressed pair of boobs that Archer fell in love with.

She might have been less irritating the...

Archer continues with its third season next week with ”Skin Game” (3.11), and FX made sure you know about it by sending us the tv teaser for the episode, set to air on March 8th. “Skin Game” leads into the two-part Archer Season 3 finale, titled “Space Race” (which will have some Breaking Bad flavor with Bryan Cranston lending his talents to the show) and as the promo reveals features the return (from the dead?) of Archer’s fiance Katya, not to mention Barry back getting his bionic on.

Fans of FX should only feel happiness for the impending awesome of the finale since Archer season 4 is locked up for another thirteen episode order. The official episode synopsis for “Skin Game” is, like Archer, short and sweet: Archer is faced with a dilemma when his murdered fiance, Katya, miraculously reappears. In Krieger’s lab.