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Taking place in the middle of a chaotic time for the US and the world at large, this year’s ceremony was light on statements and devoid of the Trump word entirely

Twenty-two years ago, the last time Adrien Brody won the Academy award for best actor, film-maker Michael Moore accepted his own Oscar for Bowling for Columbine, a documentary about America’s obsession with guns, by offering a preview of sorts of his next feature, Fahrenheit 9/11. He decried then president George W Bush as “fictitious” and excoriated the Bush administration for sending the United States to war with Iraq – just three days earlier, in fact – for “fictitious reasons”. It was received with a mixture of applause and boos, probably the most memorable moment of the night, give or take Brody planting a kiss on Halle Berry.

Two years later, when Fahrenheit 9/11 might have been similarly honored, Moore wasn’t on stage.

Look, we all love a beautiful, inspiring Oscar moment. But we're also only human, and we also like a little bit of a trainwreck now and again. Luckily, the Academy Awards provideth. A lot. Like, there have been a shocking amount of flubs, considering what a tightly-run production an Oscars telecast has to be. For every sweet and charming moment celebrating the magic of movies and the ephemeral quality of celebrity, we are blessed with at least a few total cringe-fests. 

Whether it's the Academy making a misguided attempt to swing for the fences and falling flat on their faces or actors and presenters making choices that will haunt them well beyond the grave, awkward moments are never in short supply. If the Academy Awards were to ever go fully meme-happy and create a Best Gaffe category, these would undeniably be the nominees for the Most Awkward Oscars Moments.

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Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore has joined the production team of From Ground Zero as an executive producer.

From Ground Zero is a powerful collection of short films by 22 Palestinian filmmakers living through war in present-day Gaza. Through a unique blend of animation, documentary, and fiction, these stories capture the steadfastness of the human spirit and enduring creativity that thrives even in the face of relentless devastation.

Garnering international acclaim since its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2024, Variety praised the project, stating: “The filmmaking ingenuity on display is undoubtedly impressive.” while FilmThreat said, “From Ground Zero is a profound cinematic event, proving that movies can be made even on the edge of destruction.” Slant Magazine said, “The film is a stirring testament to art as a tool of survival, to the power of community art-making to affirm life in the face of omnipresent death, and to...

Controversial filmmaker Michael Moore is putting his clout behind the Palestinian feature film From Ground Zero, joining as an executive producer. From Ground Zero is a collection of short films by 22 Palestinian filmmakers living through the war in present-day Gaza. The shorts range from three to six minutes and are told in a variety of styles, including documentary, animation, and experimental filmmaking, to reflect a rich diversity of stories that showcase sorrow, joy, and hope inherent in Gaza life and offer a striking view of life's fragility and the resilience of love in the face of devastation.

Watermelon Pictures announced that Michael Moore, the director of critically acclaimed and controversial documentaries like Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko, and Bowling for Columbine, is signing on to From Ground Zero as an Executive Producer. From Ground Zero opens in theaters on Jan. 3, 2025, and has been shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming Academy Awards.

Michael Moore has boarded Palestine’s Oscar entry From Ground Zero as an executive producer ahead of a theatrical release on Jan. 3 by Watermelon Pictures.

The project, shortlisted for the upcoming Academy Awards in the best international feature film category, is a collection of 22 films by Palestinian filmmakers completed while impacted by the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.

“These Palestinian filmmakers have accomplished a cinematic miracle. They have made a brilliant film in the midst of what Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have now declared a genocide,” Moore said in a statement on Monday.

The anthology of documentary, fiction and animated films was spearheaded by Gaza-born Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi and his Masharawi Fund for local films and filmmakers.

“The only weapons that Rashid and these 22 courageous Palestinian directors in Gaza have are their cameras and their creativity. No filmmaker, writer or artist should ever have to tell the story of their own extermination.

Michael Moore has joined the production team of “From Ground Zero” — the recently shortlisted Palestinian entry for the 97th Academy Awards’ best international film category — as executive producer.

A collection of shorts made by 22 Palestinian filmmakers living through war in present day Gaza, “From Ground Zero” blends animation, documentary and fiction to “capture the steadfastness of the human spirit and enduring creativity that thrives even in the face of relentless devastation,” according to the producers. Watermelon Pictures will release the film — which was coordinated and funded by director Rashid Masharawi — across the U.S. on Jan. 3.

“These Palestinian filmmakers have accomplished a cinematic miracle. They have made a brilliant film in the midst of what Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have now declared a genocide,” said Moore, who won the Oscar in 2003 for his groundbreaking documentary “Bowling for Columbine” and the Palme d’Or in 2004 for “Fahrenheit 9/11.”

“The...

Michael Moore, the Oscar-winning director of documentaries such as Bowling for Columbine and Sicko, wrote on Friday that he will not “tamp down” public anger against “America’s bloodthirsty, profit-driven and murderous health insurance system” stirred by Luigi Mangione.

Mangione was accused this week of being the man who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on the streets of Manhattan. In his alleged manifesto, published by journalist Ken Klippenstein, Mangione wrote that his alleged actions were motivated by frustrations with the U.S. health care system, writing that insurance companies have become too powerful and thus abuse citizens for profit. He referenced Moore’s work — along with author Elisabeth Rosenthal — as examples of those who have pointed out this corruption.

In a lengthy Substack article — which he titled “A Manifesto Against For-Profit Health Insurance Companies” — Moore wrote that Mangione’s alleged mention of him has resulted in requests for the director to comment.

From documentaries like Bowling For Columbine to The Fallout, which features one of Jenna Ortegas best performances, movies about school shootings are not new and are unfortunately more timely than ever. The Graduates has quite a few similarities to the latter it focuses on the survivors in the aftermath of the event, centers around a friendship, and features a star-making performance from its lead, Mina Sundwall but Hannah Petersons thoughtful direction sets it apart, making it feel both authentic and unique.

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For an industry often referred to as a "dream factory," it makes sense that what constitutes a success or a failure in the film business is based largely on perception. This is because the necessary facts in judging a film's financial performance are rarely available for outsiders to peruse. As detailed in the showbiz nonfiction classic "Fatal Subtraction: How Hollywood Really Does Business" by Pierce O'Donnell and Dennis McDougal, studios go to great lengths to conceal their "creative" accounting practices — which, in this case, allowed Paramount to use the profits from the Eddie Murphy blockbuster "Coming to America" to cover the company's overall losses.

Still, some movies are such obvious flops there's no way they're actually, despite their lousy box office performance, secret hits, right?

Ask anyone with a general sense of film history to name a film that epitomizes...

Charlton Heston became a household name with leading roles in action adventures and biblical epics, but his credits extended past those two well-worn genres. Let’s take a look back at 12 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.

After serving in the United States Army Air Force during WWII, Heston made his professional movie acting debut with the film noir “Dark City” (1950). His big breakthrough came just two years later with Cecil B. DeMille‘s big top soap opera “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952), in which he played the circus manager. Though an audience favorite in its time, the film often ranks among the all-time worst Oscar winners for Best Picture.

Heston later reunited with DeMille to play the Old Testament prophet Moses in “The Ten Commandments” (1956), which brought him a Golden Globe nomination. A holy hit at the box office, the role undoubtedly inspired William Wyler to cast...

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (Warner Bros.) had an unexpectedly strong second weekend. With just under $52 million, it fell 54 percent (quite decent from a $111 million start), and a domestic total of $188 million in just 10 days.

Its take made up just over half of the U.S./Canada estimated gross of $95 million. That’s up 50 percent from last year, with year to date totals now 12 percent below last year.

The “Beetlejuice” 36 years-later sequel now looks certain to top the original film’s grosses, adjusted to current ticket prices. “Twisters” (Universal), released earlier this summer, was a similar legacy project, though with a different cast. As big as it was ($266 million domestic so far), that’s about half of the adjusted total for the 1996 original.

“Beetlejuice,” however, is faring similarly to “Twisters” overseas. With the film open around most of the world, its foreign take so far is only $76 million, a smaller gross compared to domestic.

With the industry names signing on to a letter growing to reportedly near 1,000 (and counting) condemning The Zone of Interest director Jonathan Glazer’s very controversial Oscar acceptance speech, it looks to be taking on a life of its own since the March 10 Academy Awards, where his universally praised movie won the Best International Film Oscar and was nominated for four others including Best Picture.

The speech — in which he seemed, to many at least, to compare Israel’s war on Gaza and the deaths of thousands of Palestinians with the Nazis’ extermination of Jews during World War II — certainly made some in the audience uncomfortable, even uncertain just how to interpret it at the time. It has ignited a firestorm of protest by many, including big names and Academy members like Amy Pascal, Sherry Lansing, Eli Roth, Jennifer Jason Leigh and more. What appears to be the most offending...

Documentaries have the remarkable ability to open our eyes to the world’s realities, challenge our preconceived notions, and transform our perspectives. In an age where information inundates our lives from various sources, these cinematic works offer a unique and intimate platform to engage with issues that matter.

Related: 7 Best Mind-Expanding Documentaries

Over the years, certain documentaries have left an indelible mark, altering the course of public perception and, in some cases, even driving real-world change. This article delves into ten must-watch documentaries that have wielded the power of truth to reshape the way we view the world around us.

“Blackfish” (2013)

A Deep Dive into Captive Marine Life

This documentary hit me like a tidal wave. “Blackfish” pulled back the curtain on how marine animals are treated in captivity, specifically focusing on orcas at SeaWorld. It’s not all fun and games; the film peeled away the glossy exterior to...

Prime Video is heading into the spookiest time of the year with all new treats for its subscribers. The streamer has added dozens of titles to its film library this October, ranging from a new time-traveling slasher comedy to a large collection of classic Bond.

In addition to the latest movie options, Prime Video members will also be able to watch several new documentaries and new seasons of hit series, including the fan-favorite sci-fi comedy “Upload” which premieres its third season on Friday, Oct. 20.

Find out The Streamable’s picks for the best of what’s new on Prime Video below!

30-Day Free Trial $8.99 / month amazon.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Prime Video in October 2023? “Totally Killer” | Friday, Oct. 6

Fresh off its Fantastic Fest premiere, “Totally Killer” lands on Prime Video. The time-traveling comedy-horror slasher flick takes place 35 years after the shocking murders of three...

There’s a lot to watch on Prime Video in October and, as you may have guessed, there’s spooky stuff galore in amongst Prime’s usual rotation of extensive library content.

In the movie Totally Killer, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star Kiernan Shipka travels back in time to the 1980s to stop a serial killer. Then there’s Make Me Scream, a Halloween special that challenges celebrities to “a gruesome game of terror.” Renfield will also be streaming on the service for anyone who’s been dying (muahahaha!) to catch the Nic Cage Dracula film.

Outside of Prime Video’s more creepy fare, Shazam! Fury Of The Gods will debut, Upload will be back for a third season, and new film Awareness should scratch your sci-fi itch. Meanwhile, for Frasier heads – those who consider themselves utterly Frasier-pilled – all eleven seasons of the Cheers spinoff show will be streaming at the touch of a button.

If you’re looking for a complete list of every new movie and TV show coming to Amazon Prime Video in October, you’ve come to the right place. This month kicks off with a slew of great library additions, from James Bond films to relatively new releases (“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” and the Nicolas Cage Dracula movie “Renfield”) and beyond.

There are also some high-profile originals landing in October. The third season of the sci-fi comedy series “Upload” arrives on Oct. 20, while Oct. 6 marks the release of the Prime Video original film “Totally Killer,” a fun slasher set in the 1980s that stars Kiernan Shipka.

Check out the full list of what’s new on Amazon Prime Video in October 2023 below, followed by a complete list of new arrivals for Freevee in October as well.

Arriving October 1

Frasier, Seasons 1-11 (1994)

Hit, Season 3 (2020)

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

A Guy Thing...

A brand new “The Boys” spinoff series, the second season of “Wheel of Time” and football highlight a robust lineup of new movies and shows coming to Amazon Prime Video in September. “Gen V,” a spinoff of “The Boys” set at a college, premieres on Sept. 29, while new episodes of “The Wheel of Time” Season 2 are rolling out all month long after the season premiere on Sept. 1.

Thursday Night Football is streaming starting Sept. 14, and a whole host of library movies worth checking out – from “Four Weddings and a Funeral” to “Dracula” to “10 Things I Hate About You” – are now streaming.

There’s also the premiere of the original film “Cassandro” starring Gael Garcia Bernal as a gay wrestler, and the acclaimed drama “A Thousand and One” comes to Prime Video on Sept. 19.

Check out the full list of what’s new on Amazon Prime Video in September 2023 below.

It’s a deceptively big month on Prime Video in September! To kick things off, The Wheel of Time will be back for a second season on the service, while a live-action The Boys spinoff series called Gen V will be capping off the original series content later in the month.

But there are also some interesting new projects lined up between those two biggies. On September 15, Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen star in what is sure to be a delicious tale of revenge. Wilderness, based on B.E. Jones’ novel of the same name, stars Coleman as a heartbroken wife who discovers her husband has been cheating on her after she gives up her whole life to move over to America with him and support his career.

You should also keep an eye out for Cassandro, landing on Prime Video on the same day. The film, which has been...

Michelle Yeoh is looking back on watching everything in competition at Cannes all at once while serving on the jury under then-president David Lynch in 2002.

Yeoh reflected on the particularly “emotional” year of films, ranging from Gaspar Noé’s jarringly violent sexual thriller “Irréversible” to Michael Moore’s school shooting documentary “Bowling for Columbine” and films like Olivier Assayas’ sex-trafficking mystery “Demonlover” and the Dardennes’ drama “The Son.” The Palme d’Or was eventually awarded to “The Pianist,” the harrowing Holocaust drama starring Adrien Brody and directed by Roman Polanski — who both went on to win Oscars.

Yeoh, who was fresh off of her iconic “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” role, served as part of the 2002 Cannes jury at a time when she admitted she may have been “too young” to refrain from getting “too emotional” watching the heavier films back-to-back.

“It is very intense, because you’re watching two or three movies a day,...

The Cannes Film Festival is designed to showcase the best of the best upcoming movies, meaning it's not surprising that many films shown there are met with praise and celebration. But in the decades since the festival kicked off in 1946, an unusual phenomenon has developed: movies at Cannes tend to receive very, very long standing ovations.

For example, on May 20, Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon" received nine minutes of applause. Meanwhile, a five-minute or less standing ovation can sometimes be seen as a sign that the film didn't quite live up to expectations, with Variety reporting that "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" received a "lukewarm" five-minute ovation.

Ahead, learn more about standing ovations at Cannes.

What Movies Received the Longest Standing Ovations at Cannes?

The longest recorded standing ovation at Cannes was for "Pan's Labyrinth," which received a 22-minute-long block of applause in 2006, per Quartz.

Some noteworthy new releases, a bevy of library titles and the complete series of “Freaks and Geeks” are among the new additions to Amazon Prime Video this month. May will see the streaming availability of the 2022 films “She Said,” “Violent Night” and “Till” on Prime Video, while the beloved (and short-lived) TV series “Freaks and Geeks” will be streaming on Amazon starting May 4.

We’ve also included everything new to Freevee, which includes the first three “John Wick” movies, “Scarface” and “The Usual Suspects.”

Check out the complete list of everything new on Amazon Prime Video in May 2023 below.

Also Read:

The 41 Best Movies on Amazon Prime (April 2023)

Arriving May 1

MasterChef Mexico S1-4 (2015)

A Beautiful Mind (2002)

Amistad (1997)

Babe (1995)

Babe: Pig In The City (1998)

Babel (2006)

Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996)

Biker Boyz (2003)

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

Blue Crush (2002)

Blue Crush 2 (2011)

Bound (1996)

Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason (2004)

Bridget Jones’s Baby...

With its list of new releases for May 2023, Amazon Prime Video is increasing its global reach.

The streamer’s biggest original offering this month is a German series. Hohlbeins’ – The Gryphon, based on the works of Wolfgang Holhlbein, will present a sprawling fantasy tale about three teens discovering a fantastical world called The Black Tower where “the Gryphon, a world-devouring monster, mercilessly subjugates all living creatures.”

The only other original title of note in May is Freevee comedy Primo on the 19th. Written by author and journalist Shea Serrano and produced by Michael Schur (The Good Place), this coming-of-age series will follow a teenager balancing “college aspirations, societal expectations, and a hectic home life on the south side of San Antonio.”

And that’s pretty much it for Amazon Originals this month! Thankfully, there is a huge influx of library content to keep Prime Video subscribers entertained. May 4 sees the...

The free streaming platform Freevee will debut its original bilingual drama “Casa Grande” on May 1. The saga follows two families in Northern California, exposing the privileged world of wealthy landowners and the undocumented migrants who toil on their behalf. Issues of class, family, culture, and immigration are explored against a backdrop of love and desire.

Watch the “Casa Grande” trailer:

Also hitting Amazon’s free streaming service next month are the first three films from the “John Wick” franchise. In the series, Keanu Reeves plays a former hit man forced to return to the criminal world that he had already escaped. The three films arrive on the platform on May 1.

Check out the trailer for “John Wick 3 - Parabellum”:

The WWII film “The Monuments Men” will also arrive on Freevee next month. The film recalls the true story in which a battalion of art specialists is assigned to...

Will Smith flouncing onto the Dolby Theatre stage, winding up, and walloping host Chris Rock is a moment that will live in Oscar-night infamy, but it’s far from the most egregious episode in the ceremony’s 94-year history. This is an event, after all, that made nominee Hattie McDaniel sit at a segregated table, far from the rest of the Gone with the Wind cast, because she was Black, and had Seth MacFarlane do a song-and-dance to the tune “We Saw Your Boobs.” Its long, ignominious history of misfires...

Over the years, the Oscar for best documentary feature has provided the Academy Awards with some of the ceremony’s most contentious and divisive moments: In 1975, when the Vietnam War doc Hearts and Minds claimed the prize, producer Bert Schneider read a letter of thanks from the Viet Cong, so incensing hosts Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra that they took it upon themselves later in the broadcast to apologize “for any political references.” In 2003, while accepting his Oscar for the anti-gun doc Bowling for Columbine, Michael Moore was greeted with both cheers and boos when he cried “Shame on you, Mr. Bush” for launching the war in Iraq.

In the past couple of years, as Academy membership has grown larger and more diverse, the feature documentary results have been a lot more mellow, with crowd-pleasing choices — like the 2021 concert film Summer of Soul and the 2020 nature doc My Octopus Teacher — prevailing.

Exclusive: After four years at Verve, veteran unscripted television agent Bill Thompson has joined Vital Artists Agency, reuniting with former colleague Phil Irven.

At Verve, Thompson launched an unscripted division in 2018 and oversaw that area for the agency. His departure followed the July hire of former ICM agent Andy Stabile as Verve Partner and Head of Unscripted. Thompson met with a couple of companies and went with upstart Vital, which was launched in late 2020 by Rebel Entertainment Partners’ Irven, April Yuan and Cal Boyington. They were joined by veteran unscripted executive Nicole Zien earlier this year.

During his Verve tenure, Thompson built a department that packaged and sold over 100 hours of programming including Pants on Fire (Disney +) American Dreams (Discovery +) and the upcoming USA series Barmageddon with Blake Shelton. On the talent side, Thompson brokered Leah Remini’s seven-figure People Puzzler game show deal and the reboot of Kat Von D’s LA Ink.

Executives will be based in Los Angeles.

Heading into TIFF with a slate of rom-coms and thrillers Msr Media International has hired Ariel Veneziano and Robby Amar to spearhead sales.

Both executives are named co-vice presidents of international distribution and sales and report to Msr Media International CEO Karinne Behr.

They will be on the ground in Toronto where Msr will be talking to buyers about rom-coms Christmas In The Caribbean starring Elizabeth Hurley, Caroline Quentin, Nathalie Cox and Downtown Julie Brown; A Week In Paradise with Malin Akerman, Connie Nielsen, Philip Winchester and Jack Donnelly; and One Year Off featuring Ray Fearon,...

Photo: ‘Bowling for Columbine’ Things have gotten worse. There’s no sense in waiting for the duration of this article to make that clear. Unfortunately, despite ‘Bowling for Columbine’, despite thousands of mass shootings since its release (there were 692 just last year), in spite of everything, things have gotten worse. Things to do: Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here. Limited Time Offer – Free Subscription to The Hollywood Insider Click here to read more on The Hollywood Insider’s vision, values and mission statement here – Media has the responsibility to better our world – The Hollywood Insider fully focuses on substance and meaningful entertainment, against gossip and scandal, by combining entertainment, education, and philanthropy. Michael Moore’s documentary ‘Bowling for Columbine’ turned 20 this year, and despite calling convincingly for a change in attitude to guns, little has been done. Indeed, many gun laws have become looser, and...

“Fahrenheit 11/9” producers and Academy Award nominees Carl Deal and Tia Lessin (“Trouble the Water”) are developing a documentary that explores the world of climate profiteering and how the planet’s wealthiest are planning to weather the uncertain century ahead.

The duo will be pitching their project during Cph:forum, the international financing and co-production event held during the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival (Cph:dox), which runs March 21-April 3.

“Sink or $wim” is inspired by journalist McKenzie Funk’s bestseller “Windfall: The Booming Business of Global Warming,” which details how a growing legion of corporations, high-stakes gamblers and entrepreneurs are cashing in on the climate crisis.

“We’ve all seen a lot of movies about climate change. And there are a lot of movies that offer solutions,” Deal tells Variety. “We think it’s time to tell a new kind of climate story, to take an audience on a rollicking journey...

Feature debutant Colm Bairéad’s Berlin-winning “An Cailín Ciúin” (“The Quiet Girl”) was the big film winner at the 2022 Irish Film and Television Academy awards on Saturday with eight wins.

“An Cailín Ciúin” won best film, director and lead actress for Catherine Clinch in addition to a raft of craft awards. Bairéad also won the rising star award.

Creators Ciaran Donnelly and Peter McKenna’s “Kin” led the television awards with six wins including best drama, script for McKenna, lead actress drama for Clare Dunne, lead actor drama for Sam Keeley and supporting actress drama for Maria Doyle Kennedy.

Ciaran Hinds won both the film and drama supporting actor awards on the night for “Belfast” and “Kin” respectively. Overall, despite a slew of nominations, it was a disappointing outing at the awards for Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast,” which, besides Hinds’ win, won script for Branagh and nothing else.

Lead actor...

In honor of President’s Day, we thought we might take a look at the ten highest-grossing movies ever made on the topic of American presidents. This list was constructed using domestic box office totals that have also been adjusted for inflation (according to data procured from Box Office Mojo and The Numbers). So, without further adieu, here are the ten highest-grossing films about American presidents.

10. Olympus Has Fallen (2013) Original Domestic Gross: $98,927,592

Adjusted Domestic Gross: $111,460,849

Another one of those “Die Hard in …” movies that happened to be set in the White House. This one starred Gerard Butler as Mike Banning, a secret service agent who finds himself trapped along with the president (Aaron Eckhart) during a terrorist attack on the White House. As hinted earlier, it amounts to little more than an attempt to replicate Die Hard in the White House. But, despite failing miserably in living up to its inspiration,...

We’ve all been there: Endlessly scrolling through the hundreds of movies served to you by the Netflix algorithm — only to come to the conclusion that there’s just nothing to watch. Then on to Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video, or any one of the other major streaming services, only to be faced with the same problem.

What if the solution to the paradoxical problem of too many choices but nothing to watch lies in yes, another streaming service? The team behind a newly launched streamer, Curia, hopes that could be the case.

Rather than hundreds of options served up by technology, Curia wants to deliver “only the good stuff” by programming around 80 features a month in a rotating selection of collections like this month’s New York Stories, featuring “King of New York,” “Light Sleeper,” and eight other films that take viewers across the boroughs and through decades. For just $3.99 a month,...

School shootings, a depressingly familiar aspect of American society, have been the subject of a surprisingly broad range of films.

Michael Moore’s documentary Bowling for Columbine (2002), was a treatise against American gun culture. Gus Van Sant’s Palme d’Or-winning Elephant (2003), took a radically banal approach, depicting the day of a school shooting as largely ordinary and uneventful. Until it wasn’t. Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) focused on the mother of a shooter, played by Tilda Swinton, who questions her parenting and herself after her son commits an atrocity. Brady Corbet’s Vox Lux (2018),...

School shootings, a depressingly familiar aspect of American society, have been the subject of a surprisingly broad range of films.

Michael Moore’s documentary Bowling for Columbine (2002), was a treatise against American gun culture. Gus Van Sant’s Palme d’Or-winning Elephant (2003), took a radically banal approach, depicting the day of a school shooting as largely ordinary and uneventful. Until it wasn’t. Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) focused on the mother of a shooter, played by Tilda Swinton, who questions her parenting and herself after her son commits an atrocity. Brady Corbet’s Vox Lux (2018),...

The movie “Yesterday” imagines what the world would be like if no one had ever heard of The Beatles. You can guess the impact that would have on the world of rock music, but we’d also be without a handful of great movies that found just the right note because they managed to score a movie moment in the way no other song would do. This list however excludes The Beatles movies like “Yellow Submarine,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Help!” and even the “Across the Universe” jukebox musical that are loaded with perfect such moments.

“The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001) – “Hey Jude”

The Mutato Muzika Orchestra, did up this lovely, twinkling, instrumental version of “Hey Jude” that captures the miniature, picturesque quality of the prologue to Wes Anderson’s family dysfunction comedy “The Royal Tenenbaums.” But the smaller in scope orchestration doesn’t change the sweeping, inspiring quality of the melody,...

Judd Ehrlich’s “The Price of Freedom” is an absorbing, disturbing, and scrupulously well-researched documentary that lays out the nuts and bolts of the National Rifle Association’s history. In the process, You probably think I’m talking about the NRA’s relentless lobbying of Congress; its macho coziness with presidents like Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump; its blackballing of political candidates who don’t have the right agenda; as well as the essential NRA ideology about what American gun law should consist of: no background checks, no training or permits, no restrictions on the buying and selling of assault weapons, no closing of the gun-show “loophole.”

The film covers all that stuff, and does it well. That said, we’ve heard most of it before, in the ongoing journalistic coverage of the gun debate (which is really a gun culture war), and in documentaries like “Making a Killing: Guns,...

After the 2010s closed without a female writing Oscar winner in either category, the 2020s will not suffer the same fate. Emerald Fennell won Best Original Screenplay for “Promising Young Woman” on Sunday, ending a 13-year drought for female screenwriters at the Oscars.

The last woman to win a writing Oscar, solo or as a co-writer was Diablo Clody, who nabbed Best Original Screenplay for 2007’s “Juno.” The drought is longer in Best Adapted Screenplay, with Diana Ossana, co-writer of 2005’s “Brokeback Mountain” with Larry McMurtry, the most recent one.

Counting the now-defunct Best Story and Best Writing categories, Fennell’s victory marks the 13th time a woman has won original screenplay. The four winners prior to her were also solo writers: Cody, Sofia Coppola (2003’s “Lost in Translation”), Jane Campion (1993’s “The Piano”) and Callie Khouri (1991’s “Thelma & Louise”).

See Full list of Oscar winners

Fennell was the...

The 2010s earned the dubious distinction of being the first decade since the 1960s without a female writing Oscar winner after Greta Gerwig (“Little Women”) and “1917” co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns lost their respective categories last year. But a new decade means a new start and some new history to be made. Emerald Fennell, fresh off her Writers Guild of America Award on Sunday for Best Original Screenplay for “Promising Young Woman,” and “Nomadland’s” Chloé Zhao, are the favorites to win both writing Oscars. That would make it the first time in 13 years a woman screenwriter has prevailed and the first time that solo female screenwriters swept both categories in the same year.

Diablo Cody was the last woman, solo or as a co-writer, to win either category, taking Best Original Screenplay for 2007’s “Juno.” In adapted, the dry spell is longer as Diana Ossana, who co-wrote “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) with Larry McMurtry,...

Fox has picked up Canadian legal drama “Diggstown” from Entertainment One.

Created by Floyd Kane, and starring Vinessa Antoine, the series from Canadian public broadcaster CBC follows Marcie Diggs (Antoine), a star corporate lawyer who reconsiders her priorities and moves to work in a legal-aid office after her aunt commits suicide following the pressures of a malicious prosecution. Among a new group of ragtag lawyers, Marcie is driven by one thing: to never again allow innocent lives to be destroyed by the justice system.

Fox has swooped for seasons 1 and 2 of the drama. The acquisition marks the latest Canadian pick-up by a U.S. broadcaster — a trend that has grown in popularity in the last year as the Covid-19 crisis has stunted production Stateside but has had less of an impact north of the border.

The cast includes Natasha Henstridge (“Species”), C. David Johnson (“Street Legal”), Stacey Farber (“Grace and...

The Oscars are no stranger to current events when it comes to Best Documentary Feature. The award has often gone to films that address pressing social or political issues, and in 2020 you could hardly get more pressing than the Covid-19 pandemic, which has affected just about every industry on Earth, including the film business. “76 Days” takes an especially close look at the pandemic, chronicling the weeks when the disease locked down Wuhan, China, the city where the novel coronavirus was thought to have originated. Voters may be impressed by that journalistic and cinematic achievement, especially when the subject matter hits so close to home.

Over the last 20 years the motion picture academy has awarded several nonfiction films that spoke to pressing societal concerns, from gun violence (2002’s “Bowling for Columbine”) to climate change (2006’s “An Inconvenient Truth”), torture (2007’s “Taxi to the Dark Side”), the Great Recession (2010’s “Inside Job...

Michael Moore has a lot on his mind in the final hours before the 2020 election. Like, a lot. The Academy Award-winning director of films like Bowling for Columbine and Roger and Me shared many of these ruminations with The Hollywood Reporter in a late night, stream-of-conscience monologue (he says no marijuana was involved) that touches on things like conservative court-packing, civil wars, Covid-19 and the fight to save cinema. (This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.)

I don’t think people are complacent this time, and I think most people are not taking a victory for granted until the deal is actually sealed. So that’s good....

Michael Moore has a lot on his mind in the final hours before the 2020 election. Like, a lot. The Academy Award-winning director of films like Bowling for Columbine and Roger and Me shared many of these ruminations with The Hollywood Reporter in a late night, stream-of-conscience monologue (he says no marijuana was involved) that touches on things like conservative court-packing, civil wars, Covid-19 and the fight to save cinema. (This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.)

I don’t think people are complacent this time, and I think most people are not taking a victory for granted until the deal is actually sealed. So that’s good....

As the Venice International Film Festival is winding down, the Toronto International Film festival kicks off Sept. 10 and continues through Sept. 19 in a Covid-19 hybrid version with physical screenings and drive-in, digital screenings and virtual red carpets. Whereas Venice is the oldest film festival having begun in 1932, Toronto is relatively new. In fact, it wasn’t even called the Toronto International Film Festival until 1994.

The festival was the brainchild of founders Bill Marshall, Dusty Cohl and Henk Van Der Kolk who launched the inaugural Festival of Festivals in 1976. The mandate was to feature the best pics from other film festivals and to attract major Hollywood productions by being one of the most hospitable movie celebrations.

The first edition of the festival didn’t set the world on fire. Guests Jack Nicholson and Julie Christie never made it. The festival had hoped to open with Hal Ashby’s biopic on Woody Guthrie,...

As America’s most famous activist filmmaker, Michael Moore has made his name with documentaries that prompt strong reactions from the right, from conservative pressure that led some theater chains to ban “Fahrenheit 9/11” to an entire film dedicated to explaining that “Michael Moore Hates America.” But now it’s prominent progressive activists and filmmakers — people who have been inspired by and have championed his work — who are calling on the filmmakers to retract and apologize for the latest project to bear his name, “Planet of the Humans.”

The documentary, directed and produced by “Fahrenheit 9/11” and “Bowling for Columbine” collaborator Jeff Gibbs and executive produced by Moore, offers a blistering critique of the modern environmental movement and its promotion of wind, solar, and biomass energy. But some filmmakers, activists, and scientists are pushing back against what they say is a film that relies on cherry-picked facts, gotcha interviews, and...

Michael Moore is expanding the scope of his Rumble Media banner with the release of an environmental feature documentary. 

The 140-minute film, Planet of the Humans, was released Tuesday on YouTube, timed to Earth Day on April 22. The feature is expected to be available for free for the next 30 days before its on-demand plan will be determined.

The feature was written, produced and directed by filmmaker Jeff Gibbs, who has worked with Moore as a producer on multiple films, including 2002's Bowling for Columbine and the 2004 blockbuster Fahrenheit 9/11, as well as 2016's Michael Moore in TrumpLand and 2018'...

Michael Moore is expanding the scope of his Rumble Media banner with the release of an environmental feature documentary.

The 140-minute film, Planet of the Humans, was released Tuesday on YouTube, timed to Earth Day on April 22. The feature is expected to be available for free for the next 30 days before its on-demand plan will be determined.

The feature was written, produced and directed by filmmaker Jeff Gibbs, who has worked with Moore as a producer on multiple films, including 2002's Bowling for Columbine and the 2004 blockbuster Fahrenheit 9/11, as well as 2016's Michael Moore in TrumpLand and 2018'...

Michael Moore has released a new documentary on climate change from director Jeff Gibbs, Planet of the Humans; it will be available to watch on YouTube for free for the next 30 days. Moore served as an executive producer on the film, which first screened at the Traverse City Film Festival last August.

The documentary pointedly arrives the day before the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, April 22nd. Its focus is not just the devastating effects of climate change — it also offers a critical view of the ways in which, per a press release,...

Michael Moore on Tuesday dropped a new film about climate change called “Planet of the Humans” that he executive produced on the eve of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

Environmentalist Jeff Gibbs directed the documentary film that is available free in its entirety for the next 30 days on Moore’s Rumble Media YouTube channel.

“Planet of the Humans” takes a harsh look at how the environmental movement has lost the battle through well-meaning but disastrous choices, including the belief that solar panels and windmills would save us, and by giving in to the corporate interests of Wall Street.

Also Read: Michael Moore Predicts Trump Will Win Reelection in 2020: His Base Is 'Even More Rabid'

The film is the debut movie from Jeff Gibbs, whom Moore calls “a brave and brilliant filmmaker whose new voice must be heard.” Gibbs is a lifelong environmentalist and longtime collaborator of Moore’s,...

One of Louis Theroux’s first acts since leaving the BBC last year is to sign a first-look deal with — the BBC.

Deadline revealed last October that the cult British documentary maker had set up Mindhouse Productions, and now the company has announced that it will use BBC Studios as its exclusive distribution partner for the next two years in exchange for development funding.

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Theroux established Mindhouse with his executive producer Arron Fellows and his wife, the TV director Nancy Strang. In doing so, he ended a contractual relationship with the BBC that spanned more than two decades.

Mindhouse aims to make thought-provoking documentaries both with and without Theroux in front of the camera.

Hope you’re all keeping safe! As we continue on with the weekly series I’m doing once again here on the site, we’re talking the top 25 Oscar winners in just about every single one of the Academy Award categories out there for us to discuss. Aside from the short form categories and likely something much harder to rank like Best Sound Editing or Best Sound Mixing as I’ve mentioned in the weeks prior, I’ll be hitting them all over the coming weeks, including of course the big eight categories, a few of which have already received this treatment. I’m also potentially going to do one that doesn’t really exist (a fictitious/wishful thinking Best Ensemble category), but that’s just an idea I currently am toying with. We’ll see about that one, but for now, we’ll stick to reality. For today’s post,...