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Who could imagine "Two and a Half Men" without Jon Cryer's meek Alan Harper alongside Charlie Sheen's arrogant Charlie today? Looking back at the sitcom's 12-season run, it's evident that the show has become a tremendous success mainly because of the two actors' rambunctious chemistry on screen. The casting was pitch-perfect for these types of characters, and one of the series' creators, Chuck Lorre — aka the King of Sitcoms — had a pivotal role in getting Cryer for the part despite some pretty heavy pushback from CBS, where the show aired from 2003 to 2015.

During the casting process for "Two and a Half Men," the network made it clear from the get-go that they didn't want Jon Cryer. Not to audition, star, or have anything to do with the show whatsoever, if they could help it. Lorre has been open about this condition in several interviews since, and in one he gave for Wwny-TV,...

Actor James Spader has played some of the most iconic roles on television in the past two decades. He had a lengthy run on The Blacklist, which only concluded in 2023 after ten seasons. In the meantime, Spader continues to be as reclusive and private in his personal life as he has for most of his career in Hollywood.

As a result, Spader’s political inclinations are unclear since the actor hasn’t openly talked about them. However, one of Spader’s most famous roles, which turned him into a household name, might have leaned towards the Democratic policies. As a result, the character remains one of Spader’s most fascinating roles, and here is what he had to say about it.

James Spader’s Boston Legal role might be a Democrat

James Spader started his career with roles in films like Pretty in Pink, showing charisma in roles that often...

I like to think that every filmmaker loves movies, but few filmmakers express their love of movies quite like Kevin Smith. Thanks to the success of "Clerks," he's arguably responsible for the frequency of characters discussing, debating, or simply referencing pop culture in film and television. (One of his jokes in that film even circled back and inspired the very franchise it alluded to in the case of "Andor.") He's also constantly popping up in documentaries (not to mention his podcast with Marc Bernardin) to give his thoughts on the intersection of art and culture. Smith is unapologetic in his acknowledgement of the art that shaped him, as well as the art that he thinks ... well ... sucks.

Of course, opinions and taste can change over time, but the blessing and curse of film is that whatever is recorded and makes it to the final cut is permanently frozen in time.

James Spader turned himself into a household name thanks to his brilliant stint on television. The actor won multiple Emmy Awards for his performance as Alan Shore in Boston Legal and had a ten-year-long stint as the enigmatic Raymond “Red” Reddington in The Blacklist.

During an interview, Spader reflected on his lengthy career, which started with movies but quickly transitioned to phenomenal success on television. In the process, the actor revealed the only demand he had for accepting television gigs. As a result, Spader is perfect for Taylor Sheridan’s multi-billion-dollar empire, and here is why.

James Spader admitted he prefers TV roles because of the paycheck

Actor James Spader started his career with appearances in cult hit movies like Pretty in Pink. However, a turning point in Spader’s career came when he transitioned to television with the legal drama Boston Legal, which earned him multiple Emmy wins, turning...

Anthony Michael Hall was one of the most sought-after young actors of the 80s, appearing in numerous hit coming-of-age films, and one of the members of the group of young actors dubbed as the "Brat Pack." It's recently been announced that the actor will be joining the cast of the Netflix series Wednesday.

Per Variety, the actor will appear in the series based on American cartoonist Charles Addams' The Addams Familyin a yet-undisclosed role. His addition to the cast marks a reunion between Hall and Wednesday executive producer – and director of four Season 1 episodes – Tim Burton.

Image via Prime Video

The two previously worked together on Burton's Edward Scissorhands, starring Johnny Depp as the eponymous blade-fingered protagonist, in which Hall played Jim, Kim's jealous, arrogant boyfriend – and the film's primary antagonist. Both Edward Scissorhands and Wednesday fall under an aesthetic umbrella that has characterized Burton's career, blending dark, gothic elements with more whimsical fantasy.

[Editor’s note: This article was first published in April 2023, and has since been updated].

She only has three solo directorial efforts under her belt, but Greta Gerwig has quickly become one of the most highly respected filmmakers working today. Her 2017 coming-of-age drama “Lady Bird” was an instant teen classic upon release, and her 2019 adaptation of “Little Women” received similar rapturous acclaim, becoming the definitive film version of the classic book.

And in July 2023, after an agonizing four year wait and acting a lead role in partner Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise,” Gerwig came back to theaters as a director with the biggest film of the year. “Barbie” is a colorful studio comedy based on the classic dolls from Mattel, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as the titular Barbie and her heartthrob Ken. (He’s just Ken!) And it smashed box office numbers to gross over $1 billion globally.

Gerwig perhaps wasn’t the obvious director to choose for bringing the thematically thorny Barbie universe to cinemas; before “Lady Bird,...

RankFilm (origin)DistributorApr 25-27 grossTotalWeek 1 A Minecraft Movie (US) Warner Bros £2.5m £51.7m 4 2 Sinners (US) Warner Bros £2.4m £7.3m 2 3 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith (US) Disney £1.8m £1.8m 1 4 The Accountant 2 (US)

Warner Bros £906,660 £906,660 1 5 Until Dawn (US) Sony £566,028 £566,028 1

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.33

A Minecraft Movie held off the excellent second weekend of Sinners for another Warner Bros one-two at the UK-Ireland box office.

Minecraft added £2.5m on its fourth weekend – a 53% drop that brought it to £51.7m. Extending its lead as the highest-grossing release of 2025, it has now entered the top 50 highest-grossing films of all time in the UK & Ireland,...

James Spader’s career has been defined by his television career with hits like Boston Legal and The Blacklist under his belt. As a result, his film career has mostly been forgotten, except for perhaps his only cult-hit movie from the 1980s, which also features Young Sheldon actress Annie Potts.

Despite having aged slightly poorly, the film in question also launched several other actors to superstardom. As a result, it sits as a bit of an anomaly in his career, especially since Spader himself does not speak about the movie during his already limited public appearances. Here is everything you need to know about Spader’s cult classic movie that is almost 40 years old.

James Spader did not hesitate before accepting a role in the cult-hit movie Pretty in Pink

James Spader appeared in the 1986 teen romantic comedy-drama Pretty in Pink. The film stars Molly Ringwald in the lead role...

One Shot invites close readings of the basic unit of film grammar.Uncle Buck.John Hughes’s 1980s were a perfect storm. He was incredibly productive—he wrote the first 50 pages of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) in a single sitting—at the exact moment when his personal vision dovetailed nicely with the studios’ commercial sensibilities. He became the quintessential teen-movie auteur, writing and genre-defining films like Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), and Pretty in Pink (1986), the first two of which he also directed. He didn’t mind making comedies about adult characters, too, particularly if they were played by John Candy. Many of Hughes’s films in this period were instantly beloved by audiences, but critics remained sniffy even in their praise. They estimated Hughes as, at best, a talented craftsman. He came to spend the 1990s as a writer-for-hire churning out increasingly bland and impersonal kids’ movies—including...

It’s no surprise that the coming-of-age genre is one of the most beloved throughout the entire industry. Films telling stories that connect with audiences on a personal level are always the ones that stick with us for years after first watching them, and there’s never been a wider choice of films that can offer reassurance and motivation for people in all different stages in their lives. The genre first started to gain serious traction back in the 1980s, with releases like Stand by Me, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink standing out as some of the greatest of that era. Seeing massive returns at the box office against a relatively lower budget, studios are yet to let off the gas pedal for putting these films into production.

These days, it's not easy to keep track of all the different streaming services you may be subscribed to. It can take hours to sift through the libraries on Netflix, Prime Video, or Hulu in search of the best movies you can watch for free. Take, for instance, Paramount+. Since it was launched in its current form in 2021, Paramount+ has been a home for original programming like "Halo" and "Knuckles," as well as content from CBS, Nickelodeon, and Showtime. 

When opening up the platform's Movies section, it's overwhelming to see the spectrum of films and genres to search through. You could watch classics like "The Godfather" or "Forrest Gump," both of which are currently on Paramount+, but what about films you might not easily find on the front page? From the most iconic films of all time to more recent indie hits, these 15 films will guarantee you a great movie night,...

Star gazing is unavoidable whenever watching Tales from the Crypt. In this beloved anthology series, you typically find actors who were in the early days of their career, but there were also occasions where even more established celebs were dying to work with the Cryptkeeper. One notable instance of the latter was in Season Two’s opener “Dead Right” — this macabre delivery of just deserts featured Demi Moore after she starred in Ghost, the top-grossing film of 1990, and it was shortly before she would go on to become the highest-paid actress of the decade.

Unlike other actors who sought out their spots in Tales from the Crypt, Moore was directly asked to star in an episode. “We were looking for the perfect person, and it occurred to us that the role [of Cathy Marno] was tailor-made for Demi Moore,” recalled Crypt producer William Teitler. And as luck would have it, Moore was a friend of co-producer Joel Silver.

Anthony Michael Hall’s career spans four decades, beginning with his unforgettable roles in iconic 1980s films like Pretty in Pink, Weird Science, and The Breakfast Club. While those early performances cemented his status as the typical dorky average-Joe teen, Hall evolved into a versatile actor who has played heroes, villains, and everything in between.

Now he’s joining the third season of Prime Studios’ Reacher, about the military cop turned vigilante hero of Lee Child’s famous book series. In this latest installment, Hall portrays Zachary Beck, a wealthy...

Andrew McCarthy‘s recent documentary “Brats,” about his time as a teen idol in the 1980s alongside peers like Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy, charted the actor’s path from irritation and outright hostility toward the “brat pack” label to grudging affection, as he recognized that the movies he looked down on while he was doing them — films like “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “Less Than Zero,” and “Mannequin” — meant more to an entire generation of filmgoers than more “serious” prestige fare like “The Falcon and the Snowman” ever could.

The danger for those of us who grew up on the movies is that the trajectory will be reversed — that films that seemed meaningful to our teenage eyes aren’t really all that great when viewed outside the lens of indulgent childhood nostalgia. Yet revisiting one of McCarthy’s most popular films via a new 4K Uhd release...

Back in the ‘80s, it was hard to escape any teen movie that didn’t include at least one of the members of the so-called “Brat Pack”. Stars like Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Molly Ringwald, and more were considered to be part of this sort of fraternity of up-and-coming talent. Together, they’d appear in such cinematic classics as The Outsiders, Sixteen Candles, and Pretty in Pink, but two movies really packed in the pack: John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club and Joel Schumacher’s St. Elmo’s Fire. And, while the latter was certainly a hit, the former remains to be one of the quintessential films of the decade and the teen genre as a whole.

After the success of Arrow and The Flash, the CW dipped its toes into the Supergirl property, and even though the show itself fumbled the ball with its latter seasons, one thing it got right was the casting, at least for the most part. From Melissa Benoist’s Supergirl to Jon Cryer’s Lex Luthor, the casting for the show was arguably some of the strongest in the Arrowverse.

Supergirl | Credit: The CW

However, unlike his peers, Cryer didn’t have to undergo a rigorous acting process, which had nothing to do with his Two and a Half Men fame but one of his earlier works alongside Christopher Reeve.

Jon Cryer’s failed Superman outing earned him a shot at Supergirl‘s big bad Superman IV: The Quest For Peace | Credit: The Cannon Group, Inc.

Upon Jack Kirby’s shift to DC, Cryer took an interest in DC comics. Moreover,...

Actor James Spader is best known for playing the role of Raymond “Red” Reddington in the crime-drama series The Blacklist. However, he first became a household name thanks to his performance as Alan Shore in Boston Legal. Meanwhile, a whole demographic knows Spader as Ultron from his appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

James Spader played Alan Shore in Boston Legal (Credit: ABC).

Despite his wide-ranging and diverse filmography, Spader has made very few big-screen appearances. In an interview, he reflected on his approach to choosing projects, which explains why he is known only for playing a handful of characters. Here is what Spader had to say about his choice of roles and the philosophy behind it.

James Spader was unsure about starring in one 1990 romantic drama

James Spader gained recognition for his performance in romantic drama movies of the 1980s such as Pretty in Pink and Endless Love. He...

The Tasmanian devil who screamed, thrashed and hellcatted her way through “Anora” as Ani, a sex worker caught up in a terrifying but also funny adventure of Russian billionaires and Armenian thugs, did not show up to talk to TheWrap at a recent interview. Instead, Mikey Madison — soft-spoken, thoughtful and understated — came to talk about her process. It was a surprise given her attention-grabbing performance, in which she struts around a strip club soliciting customers for lap dances and, after a series of madcap twists, ends up throwing a man twice her size across the room in a scene that culminates in a close-up of her in repeated, earthshaking screams.

That character does not seem anything like the diminutive 25-year-old actress who came to chat in early January.

“The way that I go about my work is I have to completely love this character,” Madison said, smiling when it’s...

Quick LinksMovies Coming to Paramount+Movies Coming to ShudderMovies Coming to MaxMovies Coming to PeacockMovies Coming to HuluMovies Coming to Netflix

Watching movies in theaters can be an exhilarating experience, but not every film necessitates such an expensive and time-consuming effort. Luckily, we also have streaming services that bring these films to our homes, offering a seamless experience for movie enthusiasts. However, there are numerous platforms that provide a large number of movies on a monthly basis, making it difficult to find something to watch. Fret not; we've prepared a directory of all the movies that will be available on major streaming services in February 2025, including Netflix, Prime Video, Shudder, and more.

Movies Coming to Paramount+

Paramount Pictures/Sony Picture Releasing

Here's every movie coming to Paramount+ in February 2025:

A Mighty Heart — February 1

A Walk on the Moon — February 1

Adore — February 1

Along Came A Spider — February 1

American Gigolo — February...

For fans of The Devil Wears Pradaand the '80s cult classic Pretty in Pink, the fast-lived Jane by Design is like its third spiritual sister. Debuting on ABC Family in 2012, it ran for one short season and was vastly underrated in its wholesome coming-of-age story and passion for the fashion world. Arriving during the network's heyday, with a spotlight on teen hits like Pretty Little Liars and Switched at Birth, it fell through the cracks.

The psychological thriller Grace Point starring Andrew McCarthy (Pretty In Pink) and John Owen Lowe (Netflix: Unstable) is available now on Digital and VOD. We have an exclusive clip to share with you. Check it out below. The pairing comes forty years after McCarthy co-starred with John Owen’s father Rob Lowe in the 80’s classic St Elmo’s Fire. Directed by four-time Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Rory Karpf of First Row Films, Grace Point follows a young man (Lowe) on his way to a remote drug rehab finds himself in a strange town being chased by the locals, as well as his own personal demons. Andrew McCarthy stated, “Addiction touches and torments so many...

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

The 1980s was one of the best decades for the coming of age film in cinema history. From sports dramas like The Karate Kid to the heart-wrenching tragedy of the Dead Poets Society, one of the most defining genres of the decade was the teenage coming of age story. Even in horror films, iconic franchises like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th were loaded with teenage characters experiencing fear for the very first time. The '80s were a decade full of change, in both technology and society as a whole, but one staple of growing up remained with moviegoers: teenage angst.

John Hughes was one of the prevalent writers and directors of the decade who knew how to utilize this angst in his work, and subsequently, that work spoke to teenage audiences in the '80s and for decades to come. From the iconic Ferris Bueller...

Paramount has announced the lineup of movies, TV shows and live sports coming to the Paramount+ streaming service in February. The Paramount Plus February 2025 schedule includes the season three premiere of Yellowjackets and the second season of Taylor Sheridan’s 1923.

Audiences will also be able to dive into refreshed and expertly curated collections, including the expanded Black Voices collection in celebration of Black History Month and the Peak Romance collection, featuring an assortment of romance-themed movies and seasonal episodes just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Yellowjackets Season 3

Following a jaw-dropping conclusion to season two, members of the Yellowjackets past and present are left to pick up the pieces in season three of the critically acclaimed series, premiering on February 14. In the ’90s, summer arrives and the team celebrates surviving a harsh winter while the present-day characters reel from a death.

For the Yellowjackets in the ’90s, the team has...

As much as Chuck Lorre’s hit sitcom, Two and a Half Men, is known for its remarkable run on television, the show has also become memorable for the controversies surrounding it. And one of its biggest controversies led Ashton Kutcher to replace its lead star Charlie Sheen following his inappropriate behavior.

A still from Two and a Half Men | Credit: Warner Bros. Entertainment

And much like Sheen himself, many of his fans were not pleased with the change, prompting a wave of backlash for the actor and his character, which has lingered over the years. And Kutcher appeared to be well aware of the audience’s sentiments, as evidenced by his appearance at the 2011 Emmy Awards, where he openly mocked Sheen on stage.

When Ashton Kutcher mocked Charlie Sheen after replacing him in Two and a Half Men

Two and a Half Men faced one of its most infamous...

Joe Dante's horror-comedy Gremlins is one of the 1980s' most seminal films. It strikes the perfect combination of big laughs and scares, making it one of the few films that entertains both adults and kids in equal measure. Its legacy has endured for over forty years, not only as a perennial favorite Christmas movie, but also through a sequel, toys, a recent animated Max spin-off called Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, and a place in cinematic history as one of the films that led to the creation of the PG-13 rating.

Gremlins follows Billy Peltzer, who receives the world's strangest Christmas gift — Gizmo, a furry creature called a Mogwai that comes with very specific instructions. Naturally, Billy ignores the rules, unleashing chaos as Gizmo spawns into other, more sadistic Mogwai who wreak havoc on Billy's town. One of the main reasons why Gremlins works so well is simple; Gizmo,...

NCIS has long raged as one of the most praiseworthy crime dramas of all time, and one of the major reasons behind its success besides its outstanding plotlines is the star-studded cast the show sported. Throughout the time it has been on air, the series cast the most perfect actors in the most accurate roles, with Mark Harmon leading it as Leroy Jethro Gibbs for almost two decades.

NCIS. | Credits: CBS.

That said, Harmon’s casting, for one, continues to sit finely with fans worldwide, even after almost half a decade since the actor’s departure from the show in 2021. But the surprising part is that showrunner Don Bellisario wasn’t 100 percent on board from the start for casting Harmon as Gibbs, even though even the casting director had her eyes on the actor right from the start.

NCIS showrunner had to be convinced to cast Mark Harmon as Gibbs...

Jon Cryer, known for his funny role as Alan Harper on Two and a Half Men, surprised fans when he took on a very different role in the 13th season of NCIS. Instead of making people laugh, he brought a serious, fresh energy to the show as Dr. Cyril Taft, a Navy surgeon with a unique personality. This change showed just how versatile Cryer is, adding something new to the NCIS world.

Jon Cryer in Two and a Half Men | Credits: CBS Broadcasting

What made his role stand out was not just his unique personality. It was how Cryer mixed humor with serious acting, leaving fans eager to see more.

Why is Jon Cryer’s NCIS role so memorable?

Famously known as Alan Harper from Two and a Half Men, Jon Cryer made a surprising leap from comedy to drama with his guest appearance on CBS’s NCIS. In Season 13, he played Dr.

"This is the moment that it's all curdling. I was doing great up until this moment." That's Two and a Half Men and Pretty in Pink star Jon Cryer barely 10 minutes into a sit-down with Club Random host Bill Maher, who has become quite the "Old Man Yells at Clouds" meme as of late. Unlike many other guests (aside from the great Bill Burr and Jane Fonda), Cryer engaged with Maher's self-satisfied conservative arguments and pushed back on his usual assertions. "I Don't Agree with Bill Maher. That's the name of the show tonight," Cryer would awkwardly mutter to himself during the conversation. "Well, your eyes are not open," replied Maher. So what happened?

Well, the two began by reminiscing about Maher's old show, Politically Incorrect, and Cryer's one or two appearances on the show that Maher had no recollection of. That's all it took to segue into a...

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A few classic Eighties teen movies (mostly from John Hughes) are celebrating their 40th birthdays around now, and — unlike Samantha’s family in Sixteen Candles — Funko didn’t forget. The collectible toymaker is releasing a line of Pop! figurines of characters from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink. All of the new Eighties Funko Pop! figurines are available to preorder on Amazon.

Pretty Woman’s lead role went to various actresses before Julia Roberts ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

After this, Julia Roberts snagged the role to launch her to global fame. It was a classic mix of talent, timing, and, let’s be honest, some seriously quirky Hollywood decisions.

Let’s start with Molly Ringwald. The teen queen of the 1980s turned down Vivian because she felt “something icky about it.” She candidly told The Guardian that even back then, she sensed a story vibe that just didn’t sit right. Ringwald’s hesitation paved the way for others to test their luck—and face similar hurdles.

So who else tried to snag the role of Vivian? Let’s just say Disney and Garry Marshall, the director behind Pretty Woman, had some ambitious picks. Karen Allen was first in the mix. Then came Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly, and even Diane Lane. But each time,...

Is it really Christmas until you've heard those words uttered: "Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals!"? The Christmas classic Home Alone and its sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, are now #2 and #4, respectively, on Disney+'s Top 10 list. In addition to all six Home Alone films, fans will find no shortage of Christmas selections on Disney+, such as The Polar Express, Mickey and the Very Many Christmases, The Santa Clause, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Fred Claus, Christmas with the Kranks, and Jingle All the Way.

In 2023, during the unveiling of Macaulay Culkin's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Catherine O'Hara said that the love audiences have for Home Alone is a direct result of Culkin's work. "Home Alone was, is, and always will be a beloved global sensation," she said during the ceremony (via Newsweek). "The reason families all over the world can't let a year go...

It’s 1985, and a lanky 17-year-old is nervously pacing backstage at NBC’s Studio 8H in New York City. In just a few minutes, he’ll make history as the youngest cast member ever to grace the stage of Saturday Night Live. This isn’t just any teenager – it’s Anthony Michael Hall, already a bonafide movie star thanks to his work with writer and director John Hughes, about to take on one of the most prestigious (and pressure-filled) gigs in comedy. As the familiar strains of the SNL theme song begin to play, Hall takes a deep breath, knowing that his life is about to change yet again. But did it change for the better? Did this skinny, awkward dork continue to bless us for decades with great cinema and comedy? Or did he take a darker, more difficult path of self-destruction and/or self-discovery? Did he spend the...

One of the prolific young actor ensembles in Hollywood in the 1980s was the Brat Pack. A label coined by journalist David Blum in 1985, the Brat Pack was a play on the term, the Rat Pack, led by Frank Sinatra in the '60s. The core group consisted of Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, and Andrew McCarthy. By Blum's definition, the Brat Pack was composed of the main young actors in the two successful 1985 movies "The Breakfast Club" and "St. Elmo's Fire."

The actors in the Brat Pack would appear together in a number of films throughout the '80s and early '90s, including projects before 1985. For the purposes of this article, an official Brat Pack movie needs to feature at least two actors from the previously mentioned ensemble, rather than simply just one. With 12 movies from the...

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. You may also miss the chance to get your hands on an '80s-inspired Funko Pop! collectible from the company's newly announced I Love The '80s series, including cute little...

For years, Jon Cryer has been synonymous with his Two and a Half Men role of Alan Harper, the worrywart and frugal brother of Charlie Sheen’s Charlie Harper. Despite his impeccable portrayal of the character and his playing a series regular from start to end, Cryer has never let the role define him.

Jon Cryer in Two and a Half Men | Credit: CBS

Even though most actors in long-running sitcoms fear being typecast and regret missing out on opportunities, Cryer has no qualms about the sitcom. Yet, he does have one regret and it is with Superman & Lois, a show he was not even part of.

Jon Cryer Regrets Not Being a Part of Superman & Lois A still from Superman & Lois | Credit: The CW

Jon Cryer might forever be known amongst fans as Alan Harper, the awkward, unlucky in love, and freeloading guy from Two and a Half Men.

I’d say we all have to acknowledge certain directors in the horror genre as undisputedly great. You can rank them however you like but there’s really no argument to be made against Wes, George, John, and Tobe leaving indelible marks on the genre we all love. So much so in fact that I didn’t even have to use their last names for you to know exactly who I’m referring to. While Carpenter is my favorite and I believe his run of quality is better than any of the others listed, Craven has more all-time classics. I’d say Craven has more stinkers too, but I think it’s that disparity that makes stuff like today’s film fall under the radar. While Deadly Friend isn’t as good as The Serpent and the Rainbow, The People Under the Stairs, or Red Eye, it’s certainly better than stuff like Swamp Thing,...

A smattering of well-known classic titles are now on their way to the crisp realm of ultra-high-definition physical media. Bill Hunt of The Digital Bits has just unveiled a number of movies that have been announced to release in 4K Blu-ray early next year. We’ve reported earlier that the Pierce Brosnan/Linda Hamilton volcano film Dante’s Peak is set for a February 11 release, the same day will also see the 4K Uhd release of Howard Deutch’s teen comedy Pretty in Pink (1986). It is said to feature Dolby Vision Hdr and a new “Filmmaker Focus” featurette.

It has also been confirmed that Disney, who is the parent company of the Buena Vista label, has completed a 4K restoration of the Michael Bay 1997 disaster blockbuster Armageddon. On December 6, the Bruce Willis asteroid movie is set to screen in this remaster at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles as part of An Evening with Diane Warren.

Physical media collectors, take note. The Criterion Collection has announced six new Blu-ray releases coming in February 2025, including titles from some of today’s most beloved auteurs and one famously elusive late-career work from a French New Wave legend.

The slate is headlined by Jean-Luc Godard’s “King Lear,” an essential work from the “Breathless” director’s experimental period that has long been unavailable to own or stream. The film uses William Shakespeare’s tragedy as a jumping off point for a postmodern riff on art in a world decimated by the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown. While it shares little DNA with the actual play that shares its name, “King Lear” contains some of the most striking imagery of Godard’s filmography, including the director himself donning a Rastafarian wig made entirely of electrical cables. The nonlinear film is a pastiche of influences, references, and ideas that stands out to many...

James Spader's filmography proves that the actor is one of the most versatile performers in Hollywood. He is also someone who reinvented himself halfway through his astonishing career. For the first 25 years, Spader was a solid performer in movies, taking on several high-profile supporting roles in movies like Pretty in Pink. He also proved he could pique the interest of critically acclaimed directors like Steven Soderbergh, Oliver Stone, Mike Nichols, and David Cronenberg while appearing in blockbusters like Stargate.

However, Spader made a change in 2003 when he took on a role in the TV series The Practice. Since then, his movie roles remain minimal, with only a few major releases. Instead, Spader focuses on TV now. He followed up The Practice with the leading the main cast in its spin-off Boston Legal, took a shot at starring in The Office, and enjoyed the greatest success of his career with...

Hollywood employment can be great fodder for buzzy comedies, from The Larry Sanders Show to 30 Rock. But one sitcom that may have been ahead of its time was The Famous Teddy Z, which debuted on CBS 35 years ago on Sept. 18, 1989.

Created by Hugh Wilson, the series starred Jon Cryer as Teddy Zakalokis, a mailroom worker at a fictional UTA — Unlimited Talent Agency — who punches Hollywood’s top actor shortly after meeting him and is soon picked by the Marlon Brando-esque star to be his rep. The concept was inspired by the real-life story of young McA agent Jay Kanter, who became Brando’s rep after picking him up at a train station.

Cryer had landed a CBS deal off the success of Pretty in Pink, but producer Richard Dubin preferred another on-the-rise actor, Ben Stiller, who also auditioned. “I thought that Jon, while a very able and journeyman actor,...

Exclusive: Entertainment Squad has acquired world rights to the psychological thriller Grace Point starring John Owen Lowe (Unstable) and Andrew McCarthy (Pretty In Pink).

The film is set for its North American release in select locations on January 10 followed by a digital release on January 28, 2025. Shaked Berenson’s Entertainment Squad will also be launching international sales for Grace Point at the American Film Market.

McCarthy stars with John Owen Lowe forty years after co-starring with his father, Rob Lowe, in the 80’s classic St Elmo’s Fire. Directed by four-time Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Rory Karpf (Nature Boy) of First Row Films, Grace Point follows a young man (Lowe) on his way to a remote drug rehab and finds himself in a strange town being chased by the locals, as well as his own personal demons.

The film was written by Paul Russell Smith and Rory Karpf. Other cast members...

Bridgerton‘s fourth season is officially in production at Netflix, and as the new lead, Yerin Ha joins the mix as Benedict’s (Luke Thompson) Lady in Silver, Sophie, but what can fans anticipate from the latest romance at the center of Shondaland’s hit? TV Insider caught up with Ha at the Dune: Prophecy premiere in New York City on October 3o. Ha plays Young Kasha in the series, and we couldn’t help but ask the star about possible pop culture influences on Benedict and Sophie’s love story. After all, Season 3 of Bridgerton was heavily influenced by rom-coms such as Pretty in Pink and She’s All That. Focus Features/courtesy Everett Collection Ha admits there aren’t a lot of direct influences or inspirations surrounding Benedict and Sophie’s romance, outside of the Cinderella story format plucked from Julia Quinn’s book, An Offer From a Gentleman.

Could you imagine someone other than Mark Harmon playing Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the NCIS cast?

No, we aren’t talking about the Young Gibbs we have seen in flashbacks and on NCIS: Origins. We are talking about someone else nabbing the role on NCIS before Harmon got it.

Harmon starred as Gibbs on NCIS from 2003 until 2021. He left the show early in Season 19, and Gibbs was retired to Alaska.

Harmon also appears on NCIS: Origins, serving as the narrator and appearing in scenes where Gibbs writes a memorial about his exploits.

Actor Austin Stowell now plays the Young Gibbs on NCIS: Origin, taking the mantle from Sean Harmon, who had played Young Gibbs in NCIS flashbacks.

NCIS fans continue hoping that Gibbs (played by Harmon) will have a reason to resurface on the primary show in the future.

Who else could have played Gibbs on NCIS?

A fun report...

Born to actors Gretchen and David Cryer, Jon Cryer knew from a very young age that he wanted to follow in his parents’ footsteps. He did some well-acclaimed projects in the industry, but everything changed when he got on board Two and a Half Men. In the sitcom, he played Charlie Harper’s brother Alan and earned huge popularity and a loyal fan following.

A still from Two and a Half Men || Credits: CBS

But along with it, he also cashed in a lot of money per episode for playing the down-on-his-luck character. Not just on screen, but even after the show’s conclusion in 2015, Cryer still makes millions, all thanks to the residuals.

Jon Cryer’s Earnings From Two and a Half Men Remain Robust Even After 9 Years of the Show’s Conclusion

Jon Cryer worked in a number of projects in the 1980s and 90s. But his breakthrough...

John Hughes was such a prolific writer and director of the teen coming-of-age story that he singlehandedly created a subgenre of the romantic comedy. By either writing or directing huge 1980s hits like Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Some Kind of Wonderful, he redefined what being a teenager in cinema looked like. However, the seminal 1985 classic The Breakfast Club is his magnum opus because of the much larger issues it addresses. The five main characters are flagbearers of different niches of teenagers going through the trials and tribulations of adolescence and high school.

The purpose of test screenings is to give filmmakers insight into how their movie will be received and the chance to make some major changes if the screening is awful. Movie endings have been greatly improved by test screenings in Hollywood history; it is essentially the opportunity for one last do-over if something about the movie is going to ruin its chances. While it might seem like cheating, test audiences have doubtlessly saved some famous movies.

Test audiences often had something to do with alternate movie endings that thankfully didn't happen, pointing out the flaws with a conclusion that would have confused people. Even some of the best movies of all time were changed at the last minute because of screen testing, resulting in the cinematic staple beloved by movie fans today. Test audiences might be evidence of the commercial interests of Hollywood, but they have been cemented as a...

Kevin Smith will always hold a special place in my heart as one of the filmmakers who defined my formative years in cinema. "Clerks," "Mallrats," "Chasing Amy," "Dogma," and even the silly "Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back" were packed full of hilarious yet immature laughs and pop culture references that tickled my funny bone and my geek gland. But ever since he tried to make his own Judd Apatow movie with "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," which made him feel like he ruined Seth Rogen's career at the time, he's struggled to re-capture the comedic voice that once defined him.

"Jay & Silent Bob Reboot" was a clumsy return to Kevin Smith's stoner slacker duo, and while "Clerks III" had a meaningful emotional core inspired by the filmmaker's real life brush with death and a meta narrative about the beginning of his film career, the movie ultimately...

Exclusive: Disney+ is in early development on Phantom, a YA movie reimagination of classic novel The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, sources tell Deadline. The project hails from Disney Branded Entertainment and Kenny Ortega, who has led two major Disney franchises with High School Musical, Descendants. Phantom is very green at this time but has the potential to become a franchise similar to The Descendants if it moves forward.

This marks Ortega’s return to Disney following the conclusion of his deal with Netflix. He will direct and executive produce Phantom under his The Ko Company production banner. The spec script was written by Giovanni M. Porta (At Midnight) from a story by Porta and Eric Bromberg.

The 1909 novel, set in the 1880s, tells the story of Erik, a mysterious, disfigured musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opera House. He becomes obsessed with a young soprano, Christine,...

While the 2024 Borderlands movie may not have lived up to expectations, nobody can blame the stellar cast, and Gina Gershon stands out for her portrayal of Mad Moxxi. The film is based on the action RPG first-person shooter Borderlands video game series of the same name that sees the player as a "Vault Hunter", searching for a vault of alien riches on the dangerous planet of Pandora. In the first game, Moxxi is an Npc and the introduced as the hostess of the Underdome's Colosseum matches.

Gershon's Mad Moxxi doesn't play a large part in the movie's plot, but the actress fits right in with the Borderlands cast as a formidable character not to be trifled with. The film was dismissed as being another unnecessary video adaptation, but Borderlands sets itself apart in that it's chock-full of tough, layered female characters. Cate Blanchett leads the ensemble as bounty hunter Lilith,...

Chris Evans is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood right now. He rose to fame for playing comic book superheroes, like the Human Torch in The Fantastic Four duology. But it was Evans' iconic role as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that turned him into a household name. But this super stardom didn't happen overnight.

In a 2009 interview with The Boston Globe, before his career really took off, Evans said, "Luckily, my first couple of movies were really terrible" and then goes on to name a few. What were the movies on his list? And are these movies really as bad as Chris Evans claims?

Not Another Teen Movie (2001)

Not Another Teen Movie R Release Date December 14, 2001Director Joel GallenCast Jaime Pressly, Mia Kirshner, Randy Quaid, Chris Evans, Chyler Leigh, Eric Christian Olsen, Deon RichmondMain Genre Comedy

Not Another Teen Movie might have been Chris Evan's second feature-length film,...