Those who fought in World War II are considered the Greatest Generation. And executive producers Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Gary Goetzman paid homage to these young men who risked life and limb during the global conflict in their award-winning 2001 HBO series “Band of Brothers” and 2010’s “The Pacific.” And now they’ve taken to the not-so-friendly skies in their latest World War II series, Apple TV +’s “Masters of the Air.”
Created by John Shiban and John Orloff, “Masters of the Air” is based on the 2007 book: “Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the War Against Nazi Germany,” the series starring Austin Butler focuses on the 8th Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group stationed in England. It was known as the “Bloody Hundredth” because of the high causalty rate.
Watching the series, one can’t help but remember the numerous bombardier films produced by Hollywood...
Created by John Shiban and John Orloff, “Masters of the Air” is based on the 2007 book: “Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the War Against Nazi Germany,” the series starring Austin Butler focuses on the 8th Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group stationed in England. It was known as the “Bloody Hundredth” because of the high causalty rate.
Watching the series, one can’t help but remember the numerous bombardier films produced by Hollywood...
- 2/5/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Michael I. Levy, a veteran talent representative involved in the careers of such major stars and players as Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Duval, Bruce Lee, Marlon Brando and William Peter Blattey, died January 11 of complications from Covid pneumonia. He was 84.
His death was announced today by his family.
At the start of his career, Levy represented blacklisted film and TV writers including Waldo Salt, Ring Lardner Jr., and Dalton Trumbo. He would later participate in the careers of Milos Foreman, Michael Mann, Ingmar Bergman, John Huston, John Landis, Mario Puzo and Stan Lee of Marvel Comics as well as Marvel Comics itself.
Through his Michael I. Levy Enterprises, Levy packaged more than 100 films, TV series, and TV movies for major producing clients. In 1981, he became President and CEO of CBS Theatrical Film Group, contributing to the Fox-cbs video deal and the formation of Tri-Star Motion Pictures.
Throughout his career,...
His death was announced today by his family.
At the start of his career, Levy represented blacklisted film and TV writers including Waldo Salt, Ring Lardner Jr., and Dalton Trumbo. He would later participate in the careers of Milos Foreman, Michael Mann, Ingmar Bergman, John Huston, John Landis, Mario Puzo and Stan Lee of Marvel Comics as well as Marvel Comics itself.
Through his Michael I. Levy Enterprises, Levy packaged more than 100 films, TV series, and TV movies for major producing clients. In 1981, he became President and CEO of CBS Theatrical Film Group, contributing to the Fox-cbs video deal and the formation of Tri-Star Motion Pictures.
Throughout his career,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
David Soul, who starred alongside Paul Michael Glaser on the 1970s’ ABC buddy cop show Starsky and Hutch and had a No. 1 hit with the song “Don’t Give Up on Us,” has died. He was 80.
Soul died Thursday after “a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family,” his wife, Helen Snell, said in a statement.
“He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend,” she said. “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”
Soul also appeared for two seasons on the 1968-70 ABC show Here Come the Brides, played one of the corrupt young motorcycle cops brought down by Clint Eastwood’s Harry Callahan in the thriller Magnum Force (1973) and stood out as a terrified vampire hunter in the 1979 Stephen King CBS miniseries Salem’s Lot.
On two...
Soul died Thursday after “a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family,” his wife, Helen Snell, said in a statement.
“He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend,” she said. “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”
Soul also appeared for two seasons on the 1968-70 ABC show Here Come the Brides, played one of the corrupt young motorcycle cops brought down by Clint Eastwood’s Harry Callahan in the thriller Magnum Force (1973) and stood out as a terrified vampire hunter in the 1979 Stephen King CBS miniseries Salem’s Lot.
On two...
- 1/5/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on Ian Simmons Vodcast, Kicking The Seat, talking the 1973 first JFK conspiracy film “Executive Action” … it’s 50th Anniversary. Why was this particular anniversary film chosen? Because today … November 22nd, 2023, is the 60th Anniversary of the John F. Kennedy assassination.
At a gathering in June 1963, shadowy industrial, political and U.S. intelligence figures discuss their growing dissatisfaction with the Kennedy administration. The most powerful, a geopolitical oil mogul, is Ferguson (Will Geer). The rest of these figureheads include Foster (Robert Ryan) and Farrington (Burt Lancaster), a black ops expert. When the green light is lit on the operation, Farrington recruits a team of shooters and a fall guy named Lee Harvey Oswald. Their destination? Dallas, Texas, on November 22nd, 1963, and the presidential motorcade of destiny.
‘Executive Action’ on Kicking the Seat, Hosted by Ian Simmons
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald
Kicking The Seat is...
At a gathering in June 1963, shadowy industrial, political and U.S. intelligence figures discuss their growing dissatisfaction with the Kennedy administration. The most powerful, a geopolitical oil mogul, is Ferguson (Will Geer). The rest of these figureheads include Foster (Robert Ryan) and Farrington (Burt Lancaster), a black ops expert. When the green light is lit on the operation, Farrington recruits a team of shooters and a fall guy named Lee Harvey Oswald. Their destination? Dallas, Texas, on November 22nd, 1963, and the presidential motorcade of destiny.
‘Executive Action’ on Kicking the Seat, Hosted by Ian Simmons
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald
Kicking The Seat is...
- 11/23/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Actor Bryan Cranston has always demonstrated complete commitment to his onscreen roles like Breaking Bad and Your Honor. But Cranston’s dedication towards one of his roles resulted in him briefly dealing with real health issues.
Bryan Cranston developed slight health problems playing this character Bryan Cranston | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images
Cranston found himself portraying blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo in the titular movie Trumbo. The film followed the controversies surrounding the writer, and how his political beliefs derailed his career and even cost him his freedom.
One of the requirements Cranston had to follow for the role was to smoke constantly. Cranston initially didn’t think this was a big deal because he’d be using fake cigarettes. Then he realized fake cigarettes also posed a bit of a health risk.
“I stupidly thought that I’ll definitely not smoke real cigarettes because I’ll protect myself from ingesting nicotine,...
Bryan Cranston developed slight health problems playing this character Bryan Cranston | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images
Cranston found himself portraying blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo in the titular movie Trumbo. The film followed the controversies surrounding the writer, and how his political beliefs derailed his career and even cost him his freedom.
One of the requirements Cranston had to follow for the role was to smoke constantly. Cranston initially didn’t think this was a big deal because he’d be using fake cigarettes. Then he realized fake cigarettes also posed a bit of a health risk.
“I stupidly thought that I’ll definitely not smoke real cigarettes because I’ll protect myself from ingesting nicotine,...
- 9/23/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The 1953 romantic comedy may lack heft but the Oscar-winner’s charming lead turn makes it an escape worth taking again
When Roman Holiday was released, 70 summers ago, the monarchy was having a fashionable moment. Two months before, the world had watched the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, a relatively young, glamorous face for a fusty institution: the first such event to be globally televised, it made the very principle of royalty seem less like the realm of ancient history. I say “relatively”: the frilly pomp and ceremony of English royalty can’t have been much sexier in 1953 than it was in 2023, though at least they didn’t have official broad-bean quiche to contend with.
There was certainly ample scope for Hollywood to prettify the notion a bit, which is where Roman Holiday proved most fortuitously timed. A romantic comedy that set a quasi-fantasy template for the genre that has...
When Roman Holiday was released, 70 summers ago, the monarchy was having a fashionable moment. Two months before, the world had watched the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, a relatively young, glamorous face for a fusty institution: the first such event to be globally televised, it made the very principle of royalty seem less like the realm of ancient history. I say “relatively”: the frilly pomp and ceremony of English royalty can’t have been much sexier in 1953 than it was in 2023, though at least they didn’t have official broad-bean quiche to contend with.
There was certainly ample scope for Hollywood to prettify the notion a bit, which is where Roman Holiday proved most fortuitously timed. A romantic comedy that set a quasi-fantasy template for the genre that has...
- 8/27/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
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“All of us labor in webs spun long before we were born,” William Faulkner wrote in “Requiem for a Nun.” As we’ve seen with the WGA strike, Hollywood’s past issues with labor often seem like a familiar tangle. An ongoing exhibit at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles about the Hollywood blacklist of the 1950s is making those attending since the writers’ strike began see the dispute in a new — and yet familiar — light.
The writers’ battle with studios is primarily economic, while the blacklist dealt with Cold War politics. But Skirball Center curator Cate Thurston, who put together the current exhibition “Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare,” sees similarities between then and now — chiefly in the idea that studios and writers are pitted against each other by external forces...
“All of us labor in webs spun long before we were born,” William Faulkner wrote in “Requiem for a Nun.” As we’ve seen with the WGA strike, Hollywood’s past issues with labor often seem like a familiar tangle. An ongoing exhibit at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles about the Hollywood blacklist of the 1950s is making those attending since the writers’ strike began see the dispute in a new — and yet familiar — light.
The writers’ battle with studios is primarily economic, while the blacklist dealt with Cold War politics. But Skirball Center curator Cate Thurston, who put together the current exhibition “Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare,” sees similarities between then and now — chiefly in the idea that studios and writers are pitted against each other by external forces...
- 6/30/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
You are reading an exclusive WrapPRO article for free. Want to level up your entertainment career? Subscribe to WrapPRO now.
If you look at the coverage around the current Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, or the one that took place in 2007-2008, it tends to revolve around television. With TV taking less time to produce more content, a strike of any significant length of time will affect that medium well before the big-budget world of film, where the average length of pre-production can range anywhere from six months to a year.
As the writer John Gregory Dunne once wrote in his essay “Hollywood: Opening Moves,” “From the earliest days of the motion picture industry … the screenwriter has been regarded at best as an anomalous necessity, at worst a curse to be born.” Though audiences starting in Hollywood’s earliest days came to know the names of some prominent screenwriters,...
If you look at the coverage around the current Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, or the one that took place in 2007-2008, it tends to revolve around television. With TV taking less time to produce more content, a strike of any significant length of time will affect that medium well before the big-budget world of film, where the average length of pre-production can range anywhere from six months to a year.
As the writer John Gregory Dunne once wrote in his essay “Hollywood: Opening Moves,” “From the earliest days of the motion picture industry … the screenwriter has been regarded at best as an anomalous necessity, at worst a curse to be born.” Though audiences starting in Hollywood’s earliest days came to know the names of some prominent screenwriters,...
- 5/3/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
One of the biggest media events of the year is about to begin.
This week brings the 30th edition of the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX, from March 10-19, with a jam-packed lineup brimming with genre offerings.
No, seriously, the programming for this year’s fest is packed with horror movie and television premieres and activations that allow fans to get immersive through interactive experiences.
In anticipation of the fest, here are 13 world premieres and SXSW-exclusive experiences that we can’t wait to check out.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Directors: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Producers: Jeremy Latcham, Brian Goldner, Nick Meyer, Screenwriters: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Michael Gilio
A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.
Cast List: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page,...
This week brings the 30th edition of the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX, from March 10-19, with a jam-packed lineup brimming with genre offerings.
No, seriously, the programming for this year’s fest is packed with horror movie and television premieres and activations that allow fans to get immersive through interactive experiences.
In anticipation of the fest, here are 13 world premieres and SXSW-exclusive experiences that we can’t wait to check out.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Directors: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Producers: Jeremy Latcham, Brian Goldner, Nick Meyer, Screenwriters: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Michael Gilio
A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.
Cast List: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page,...
- 3/9/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Brett Morgen’s Moonage Daydream wins for documentary screenplay.
Everything Everywhere All At Once added another senior honour to its awards circuit haul en route to next weekend’s Oscars, taking the prize for best original screenplay at the 2023 Writers Guild Awards on Sunday night (March 5).
The win for Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert caps another momentous week for A24’s metaverse adventure following triumphs at Saturday’s Spirit Awards and last weekend’s historical SAG Awards.
Original screenplay is one of 11 nominations the Everything team will be looking to convert at the 95th Academy Awards on March 12. Final voting...
Everything Everywhere All At Once added another senior honour to its awards circuit haul en route to next weekend’s Oscars, taking the prize for best original screenplay at the 2023 Writers Guild Awards on Sunday night (March 5).
The win for Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert caps another momentous week for A24’s metaverse adventure following triumphs at Saturday’s Spirit Awards and last weekend’s historical SAG Awards.
Original screenplay is one of 11 nominations the Everything team will be looking to convert at the 95th Academy Awards on March 12. Final voting...
- 3/6/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Auteurs and Hollywood don't always mix. Stanley Kubrick put some considerable distance between himself and the studio system after being required to stick closely to Dalton Trumbo's "Spartacus" script in 1960 — heading to England to secure funding and creative control on 1962's "Lolita." But he wasn't the first American filmmaker to flee his homeland in search of artistic freedom and funding.
Orson Welles is perhaps the ultimate example of a director clashing with a filmmaking industry unaligned with his sophisticated artistic ambitions. After his first film, "Citizen Kane," debuted in 1941 and proved a financial failure, Welles had to fight for financing and artistic control on future projects. Rko, which had funded "Citizen Kane," renegotiated Welles' contract to remove the unprecedented creative control he was initially afforded. And even though the film would eventually become regarded as one of, if not the finest movie ever made, the director would regularly find...
Orson Welles is perhaps the ultimate example of a director clashing with a filmmaking industry unaligned with his sophisticated artistic ambitions. After his first film, "Citizen Kane," debuted in 1941 and proved a financial failure, Welles had to fight for financing and artistic control on future projects. Rko, which had funded "Citizen Kane," renegotiated Welles' contract to remove the unprecedented creative control he was initially afforded. And even though the film would eventually become regarded as one of, if not the finest movie ever made, the director would regularly find...
- 3/4/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Nearly a year ago, we heard that Crypt TV, an entertainment company that was launched in 2015 by Jack Davis and Eli Roth, with Blumhouse Productions on board as an investor, was putting together it first domestic feature film: a new take on Mary Shelley’s classic story Frankenstein that would be called The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster. Now Variety reports that The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster has secured a distribution deal with Rlje Films and its sister brands under AMC Networks, Shudder and AllBlk. Rlje will be giving the film a theatrical release sometime this summer, then later in the year it will be streaming on Shudder and AllBlk.
The film will be having its world premiere at the SXSW festival next month.
Bomani J. Story wrote and directed The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster, crafting a story about teenage anti-hero, Vicaria, who is on...
The film will be having its world premiere at the SXSW festival next month.
Bomani J. Story wrote and directed The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster, crafting a story about teenage anti-hero, Vicaria, who is on...
- 2/23/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Ahead of its world premiere at SXSW, Rlje Films and its sister brands under AMC Networks have acquired the North American rights to the horror/thriller, “The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster.” Those brands include Shudder and AllBlk, all of which share a parent company. The horror-thriller is debuting in the Austin-based festival’s “Visions” category, a special program that “champions audacious, risk-taking artists in the new cinema landscape.”
The movie follows a brilliant teenager who believes death is a disease that can be cured. After the brutal and sudden murder of her brother, the teen embarks on a dangerous journey to bring him back to life. It’s a journey inspired by Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.”
Rlje will release the film in theaters this summer. Shudder and Allblk will follow with streaming debuts later in 2023.
The film is the directorial debut of Bomani J. Story, who also penned the script.
The movie follows a brilliant teenager who believes death is a disease that can be cured. After the brutal and sudden murder of her brother, the teen embarks on a dangerous journey to bring him back to life. It’s a journey inspired by Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.”
Rlje will release the film in theaters this summer. Shudder and Allblk will follow with streaming debuts later in 2023.
The film is the directorial debut of Bomani J. Story, who also penned the script.
- 2/22/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The Oscars have always been a battleground of sorts. In recent years, the ceremony has become a public event arbitrating issues of race, gender, and privilege in cinema and society. But throughout its 94-year history, the Academy Awards mediated some very different battles. There have been attempts to square petty power plays, wars with the Academy itself, and even attempts to take down a gay Oscars producer.
“The red carpet runs through contested turf,” Michael Schulman opens his new tome on the awards, Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold,...
“The red carpet runs through contested turf,” Michael Schulman opens his new tome on the awards, Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold,...
- 2/21/2023
- by Nathan Smith
- Rollingstone.com
Recommended New Books on Filmmaking: Bong Joon Ho, Avatar: The Way of Water, Alfred Hitchcock & More
Spring is on the horizon (yay!) but we’re still deep into winter (grr). And that means time for reading. Our latest roundup of noteworthy new books connected to the world of cinema features a typically diverse lineup: Bong Joon Ho, the art of James Cameron’s latest, screwball comedies, Alfred Hitchcock, and––’tis the season––Oscar history.
Bong Joon Ho: Dissident Cinema by Karen Han (Abrams)
In recent years Little White Lies and Abrams have released wonderfully comprehensive, immaculately designed books about Joel and Ethan Coen, Paul Thomas Anderson, David Fincher, and most recently Sofia Coppola. The latest subject, Bong Joon Ho, could not be more deserving of this treatment. Dissident Cinema is written by the ever-astute Karen Han, who shares Bong’s life story while diving into each entry of his filmography. Yes, there is much to be said about Parasite, The Host, Mother, Snowpiercer, Okja, and Memories of Murder.
Bong Joon Ho: Dissident Cinema by Karen Han (Abrams)
In recent years Little White Lies and Abrams have released wonderfully comprehensive, immaculately designed books about Joel and Ethan Coen, Paul Thomas Anderson, David Fincher, and most recently Sofia Coppola. The latest subject, Bong Joon Ho, could not be more deserving of this treatment. Dissident Cinema is written by the ever-astute Karen Han, who shares Bong’s life story while diving into each entry of his filmography. Yes, there is much to be said about Parasite, The Host, Mother, Snowpiercer, Okja, and Memories of Murder.
- 2/15/2023
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
Chhorii 2, the sequel to the breakout hit, Chhorii recently wrapped filming. While Chhorii earned unprecedented critical acclaim and audience love universally with its premiere on Amazon Prime Video in November 2021, due to its spine-chilling narrative and impactful performances, Chhorii 2 promises to take the horror and drama up a notch from the first edition!
The highly anticipated sequel is set to pick up Sakshi’s (Nushrratt Bharuccha) story from where it left off in original and will bring back some key characters as well as introduce new characters and monsters.
Vishal Furia, who helmed the 2021 Chhorii, returns to the director’s seat in the sequel which is produced by T-Series, Crypt TV and Abundantia Entertainment. Nushrratt Bharuccha reprises her role as Sakshi from the first outing, ably supported by Pallavi Patil and Saurabh Goyal. Movie star, Soha Ali Khan, joins the cast in what promises to be the most interesting twist for fans.
The highly anticipated sequel is set to pick up Sakshi’s (Nushrratt Bharuccha) story from where it left off in original and will bring back some key characters as well as introduce new characters and monsters.
Vishal Furia, who helmed the 2021 Chhorii, returns to the director’s seat in the sequel which is produced by T-Series, Crypt TV and Abundantia Entertainment. Nushrratt Bharuccha reprises her role as Sakshi from the first outing, ably supported by Pallavi Patil and Saurabh Goyal. Movie star, Soha Ali Khan, joins the cast in what promises to be the most interesting twist for fans.
- 2/8/2023
- by Pooja Tiwari
- GlamSham
Holy hell this year’s SXSW Film Festival really isn’t messing around.
The previous announcement unveiled a stacked horror lineup that includes headiners Evil Dead Rise and opener Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
In addition, they revealed several prominent horror titles that will premiere as part of the Midnighters program, including the Sundance hit Talk to Me and the surprise sequel to Becky, The Wrath of Becky.
It turns out, the programming team isn’t finished!
SXSW announced another wave of film programming today, including an eighth Midnighter.
“Midnighters don’t need to be exclusively horror films, they just need to perk you up and get your blood pumping,” said Peter Hall, Film & TV Festival Programmer. “That’s why this year’s SXSW Midnighters class is a mix of horror, bone-crunching action, and mind-melting genre hybrids. Some of them introduce new, terrifying lore to the canon of suburban horror movies,...
The previous announcement unveiled a stacked horror lineup that includes headiners Evil Dead Rise and opener Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
In addition, they revealed several prominent horror titles that will premiere as part of the Midnighters program, including the Sundance hit Talk to Me and the surprise sequel to Becky, The Wrath of Becky.
It turns out, the programming team isn’t finished!
SXSW announced another wave of film programming today, including an eighth Midnighter.
“Midnighters don’t need to be exclusively horror films, they just need to perk you up and get your blood pumping,” said Peter Hall, Film & TV Festival Programmer. “That’s why this year’s SXSW Midnighters class is a mix of horror, bone-crunching action, and mind-melting genre hybrids. Some of them introduce new, terrifying lore to the canon of suburban horror movies,...
- 2/1/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Awards ceremony in New York and Los Angeles to take place on March 5
The 2023 Writers Guild Of America (Ega) screenplay nominations have been announced and the field includes Jordan Peele’s Nope in the original category, Sarah Polley’s Women Talking in adapted, and Brett Morgen’s Moonage Daydream in documentary.
Besides the aforementioned, anticipated heavyweight nominees include The Fablemans by Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, Everything Everywhere All At Once by the Daniels, Tár by Todd Field, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever by Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery by Rian Johnson.
Winners...
The 2023 Writers Guild Of America (Ega) screenplay nominations have been announced and the field includes Jordan Peele’s Nope in the original category, Sarah Polley’s Women Talking in adapted, and Brett Morgen’s Moonage Daydream in documentary.
Besides the aforementioned, anticipated heavyweight nominees include The Fablemans by Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, Everything Everywhere All At Once by the Daniels, Tár by Todd Field, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever by Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery by Rian Johnson.
Winners...
- 1/25/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
It's not really surprising that Stanley Kubrick never really got along with the whole American studio system of filmmaking. A notorious perfectionist, the director was at his best when retaining all creative control, and he knew it. Hence why he spent a large part of his career holed up in his Hertfordshire manor house. Childwickbury Manor has since become famous among fans of the auteur for being where he planned, wrote, and even edited some of his most famous movies, including the war epic "Full Metal Jacket."
But Kubrick actually made the move to the U.K. long before he took up residence in Childickbury in 1978. Back in 1960, he and his wife Christiane crossed the Atlantic to live just north of London while Kubrick worked on an adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's now-classic novel "Lolita." The project was to be the director's triumphant escape from the rigidities of the Hollywood system,...
But Kubrick actually made the move to the U.K. long before he took up residence in Childickbury in 1978. Back in 1960, he and his wife Christiane crossed the Atlantic to live just north of London while Kubrick worked on an adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's now-classic novel "Lolita." The project was to be the director's triumphant escape from the rigidities of the Hollywood system,...
- 1/13/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
The Writers Guild of America East has named the latest recipient of its career achievement award: Spike Lee.
The Do the Right Thing and Da 5 Bloods filmmaker will receive the East Coast guild’s Ian McLellan Hunter Award at the 75th Annual Writers Guild Awards when their New York ceremony takes place at the Edison Ballroom on March 5. The award, established in 1992 in appreciation of the namesake British screenwriter (who wrote The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and famously put his name to the screenplay for Roman Holiday, which was actually co-penned by the then-blacklisted Dalton Trumbo), lauds a writer for the quality and breadth of their filmography. Nora Ephron, David Simon, John Waters and John Sayles have all been past recipients.
The award is generally given annually, but wasn’t bestowed in the past two years because the Writers Guild Awards went virtual due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Do the Right Thing and Da 5 Bloods filmmaker will receive the East Coast guild’s Ian McLellan Hunter Award at the 75th Annual Writers Guild Awards when their New York ceremony takes place at the Edison Ballroom on March 5. The award, established in 1992 in appreciation of the namesake British screenwriter (who wrote The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and famously put his name to the screenplay for Roman Holiday, which was actually co-penned by the then-blacklisted Dalton Trumbo), lauds a writer for the quality and breadth of their filmography. Nora Ephron, David Simon, John Waters and John Sayles have all been past recipients.
The award is generally given annually, but wasn’t bestowed in the past two years because the Writers Guild Awards went virtual due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
- 1/12/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spike Lee will be this year’s recipient of the WGA East’s Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Career Achievement.
The award, which will be presented March 5 at the 75th anniversary WGA Awards in New York City, is named after the famed writer who fronted for Dalton Trumbo and Ring Lardner Jr. during the Hollywood Blacklist before being blacklisted himself. In announcing Lee’s selection, the guild described him as “one of the greatest writer/directors in film history.”
“For nearly 40 years, Spike Lee has written and directed some of the most meaningful and creative films in cinema,” said WGA East President Michael Winship. “With a unique ability to challenge, entertain and inform, his narratives spotlight the racism and bigotry that too often have defined the Black experience in America.”
Lee began his storied career in the 1980s as a writer-director of such films as She’s Gotta Have It,...
The award, which will be presented March 5 at the 75th anniversary WGA Awards in New York City, is named after the famed writer who fronted for Dalton Trumbo and Ring Lardner Jr. during the Hollywood Blacklist before being blacklisted himself. In announcing Lee’s selection, the guild described him as “one of the greatest writer/directors in film history.”
“For nearly 40 years, Spike Lee has written and directed some of the most meaningful and creative films in cinema,” said WGA East President Michael Winship. “With a unique ability to challenge, entertain and inform, his narratives spotlight the racism and bigotry that too often have defined the Black experience in America.”
Lee began his storied career in the 1980s as a writer-director of such films as She’s Gotta Have It,...
- 1/12/2023
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Before James Stewart was sent off to fight in the Second World War, he was one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars. He’d appeared in 28 films, had been nominated for an Oscar for Mr Smith Goes to Washington, and even won one for Best Actor a year later for The Philadelphia Story. He was riding high.
But after spending three years fighting the Nazis in the US Air Force, the 37-year-old returned home in 1945 to find that everything had changed. His contract with MGM had run out, his agent had left the movie business, and he was suffering from what would later be recognised as post-traumatic stress disorder. “I was just a little bit scared,” he later recollected of his newfound circumstance. Then Frank Capra called.
Capra – who had directed Stewart twice before, including on Mr Smith Goes to Washington – wanted to pitch a film called It’s a Wonderful Life.
But after spending three years fighting the Nazis in the US Air Force, the 37-year-old returned home in 1945 to find that everything had changed. His contract with MGM had run out, his agent had left the movie business, and he was suffering from what would later be recognised as post-traumatic stress disorder. “I was just a little bit scared,” he later recollected of his newfound circumstance. Then Frank Capra called.
Capra – who had directed Stewart twice before, including on Mr Smith Goes to Washington – wanted to pitch a film called It’s a Wonderful Life.
- 12/24/2022
- by Alexandra Pollard
- The Independent - Film
Before James Stewart was sent off to fight in the Second World War, he was one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars. He’d appeared in 28 films, had been nominated for an Oscar for Mr Smith Goes to Washington, and even won one for Best Actor a year later for The Philadelphia Story. He was riding high.
But after spending three years fighting the Nazis in the US Air Force, the 37-year-old returned home in 1945 to find that everything had changed. His contract with MGM had run out, his agent had left the movie business, and he was suffering from what would later be recognised as post-traumatic stress disorder. “I was just a little bit scared,” he later recollected of his newfound circumstance. Then Frank Capra called.
Capra – who had directed Stewart twice before, including on Mr Smith Goes to Washington – wanted to pitch a film called It’s a Wonderful Life.
But after spending three years fighting the Nazis in the US Air Force, the 37-year-old returned home in 1945 to find that everything had changed. His contract with MGM had run out, his agent had left the movie business, and he was suffering from what would later be recognised as post-traumatic stress disorder. “I was just a little bit scared,” he later recollected of his newfound circumstance. Then Frank Capra called.
Capra – who had directed Stewart twice before, including on Mr Smith Goes to Washington – wanted to pitch a film called It’s a Wonderful Life.
- 12/24/2022
- by Alexandra Pollard
- The Independent - Film
The Black Reel Awards has revealed its nominations for their 23rd Annual ceremony.
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King, about the warrior women of the country of Dahomey, and Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, about a superhero from the fictional African nation of Wakanda and a memorial to Chadwick Boseman, are tied at 14 nominations.
Two other films joined the ranks of double-digit nominations: MGM’s Till and A24’s The Inspection.
Independent studio A24 garnered 11 nominations across all categories. However, Amazon Studios landed a record three nominations in the Outstanding Independent Film category for Master, Nanny, and Emergency. Perennial powerhouse, Disney Studios nabbed the most nominations for a studio with 15.
Viola Davis landed her sixth Outstanding Actress nomination for her work in The Woman King, becoming the most recognized individual in the Actress category in Black Reel Award (Bolts) history. At the same time, director Elegance Bratton received...
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King, about the warrior women of the country of Dahomey, and Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, about a superhero from the fictional African nation of Wakanda and a memorial to Chadwick Boseman, are tied at 14 nominations.
Two other films joined the ranks of double-digit nominations: MGM’s Till and A24’s The Inspection.
Independent studio A24 garnered 11 nominations across all categories. However, Amazon Studios landed a record three nominations in the Outstanding Independent Film category for Master, Nanny, and Emergency. Perennial powerhouse, Disney Studios nabbed the most nominations for a studio with 15.
Viola Davis landed her sixth Outstanding Actress nomination for her work in The Woman King, becoming the most recognized individual in the Actress category in Black Reel Award (Bolts) history. At the same time, director Elegance Bratton received...
- 12/16/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Chhorii 2, the sequel to the ground-breaking Indian horror film Chhorii which proved a hit on Amazon Prime Video last year, has begun filming.
Nushrratt Bharuccha reprises the role of heroine Sakshi who in the first film unwittingly sought shelter in a village haunted by the ghost of a pregnant woman who died in violent circumstances
After the truth of the woman’s death was revealed to her through a series of visions, Sakshi nearly suffered the same fate but escaped and was last seen walking out of the village through sugar cane fields.
Picking up Sakshi’s story where it left off, Chhorii 2 will bring back some key characters as well as introduce new characters and monsters
Bharuccha is joined in the cast by Soha Ali Khan, seen recently in the Prime Video series Hush Hush.
Vishal Furia, who directed the 2021 Chhorii, also returns.
“I am thrilled to take the...
Nushrratt Bharuccha reprises the role of heroine Sakshi who in the first film unwittingly sought shelter in a village haunted by the ghost of a pregnant woman who died in violent circumstances
After the truth of the woman’s death was revealed to her through a series of visions, Sakshi nearly suffered the same fate but escaped and was last seen walking out of the village through sugar cane fields.
Picking up Sakshi’s story where it left off, Chhorii 2 will bring back some key characters as well as introduce new characters and monsters
Bharuccha is joined in the cast by Soha Ali Khan, seen recently in the Prime Video series Hush Hush.
Vishal Furia, who directed the 2021 Chhorii, also returns.
“I am thrilled to take the...
- 12/7/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s Labor vs. Capital, in basic terms! Sean Connery is the tough, embittered miner looking to strike back against the bosses, and Richard Harris the underdog who sees a way out by becoming an agent provocateur for the Pinkertons. An admirable true-life history lesson, Walter Bernstein & Martin Ritt’s downer of a drama didn’t grab the public’s imagination. But there’s no better vision of the time and place, thanks to James Wong Howe’s realistic, nearly monochromatic cinematography.
The Molly Maguires
Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 172
1970 / Color / 2:39 widescreen / 124 min. / Street Date October 26, 2022 / Available from Viavision / au 34.95
Starring: Sean Connery, Richard Harris, Samantha Eggar, Frank Finlay, Anthony Zerbe, Philip Bourneuf, Anthony Costello, Bethel Leslie, Brendan Dillon.
Cinematography: James Wong Howe
Art Director: Tambi Larsen
Costumes designed by: Dorothy Jeakins
Film Editor: Frank Bracht
Original Music: Henry Mancini
Written by Walter Bernstein suggested by a book by Arthur H. Lewis
Produced by Walter Bernstein,...
The Molly Maguires
Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 172
1970 / Color / 2:39 widescreen / 124 min. / Street Date October 26, 2022 / Available from Viavision / au 34.95
Starring: Sean Connery, Richard Harris, Samantha Eggar, Frank Finlay, Anthony Zerbe, Philip Bourneuf, Anthony Costello, Bethel Leslie, Brendan Dillon.
Cinematography: James Wong Howe
Art Director: Tambi Larsen
Costumes designed by: Dorothy Jeakins
Film Editor: Frank Bracht
Original Music: Henry Mancini
Written by Walter Bernstein suggested by a book by Arthur H. Lewis
Produced by Walter Bernstein,...
- 12/6/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
"It's A Wonderful Life" has played in many an American home for many Decembers. It has become an integral part of the holiday season, but it didn't start out that way. In fact, the film had a rather cold reception at first. The producer, director, and co-writer Frank Capra never expected it to go very far, but it has since become a staple of Hollywood cinema.
The original idea was based on scripts from three other writers, including Dalton Trumbo, who also worked on "Roman Holiday." "Three powerhouse guys had written scripts on this thing — they missed the idea," the director told AFI. The real idea would come from a Christmas card. "In about nine paragraphs there was this story. A man who is a failure was given the opportunity to come back and see the world as it would have been had he not been born, and he finds...
The original idea was based on scripts from three other writers, including Dalton Trumbo, who also worked on "Roman Holiday." "Three powerhouse guys had written scripts on this thing — they missed the idea," the director told AFI. The real idea would come from a Christmas card. "In about nine paragraphs there was this story. A man who is a failure was given the opportunity to come back and see the world as it would have been had he not been born, and he finds...
- 12/4/2022
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
Actress Soha Ali Khan has joined the cast of ‘Chhorii 2’. The film is a sequel to the 2021 Nushrratt Bharuccha-starrer ‘Chhorii’, which narrated the story of a pregnant woman (Sakshi – played by Nushrratt Bharuccha) haunted by the spirit of a woman, who was murdered by her in-laws.
The sequel is set to pick up Sakshi’s story from where it left off in the first film and will bring back some key characters as well as introduce new characters and monsters, promising to be even more terrifying than the first edition.
Talking about entering the ‘Chhorii’ universe, Soha said, “I am thrilled to join the cast and be a part of the world of ‘Chhorii’. The role that I play in ‘Chhorii 2’ is truly unique and a significant departure from the work I have previously been a part of. I really enjoyed the first edition of ‘Chhorii’, and am excited...
The sequel is set to pick up Sakshi’s story from where it left off in the first film and will bring back some key characters as well as introduce new characters and monsters, promising to be even more terrifying than the first edition.
Talking about entering the ‘Chhorii’ universe, Soha said, “I am thrilled to join the cast and be a part of the world of ‘Chhorii’. The role that I play in ‘Chhorii 2’ is truly unique and a significant departure from the work I have previously been a part of. I really enjoyed the first edition of ‘Chhorii’, and am excited...
- 11/30/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Had author Philip Van Doren Stern not self-published his short story, "The Greatest Gift," and sent it out to his friends and family as his Christmas card, we may never have got "It's a Wonderful Life." The irony is not lost considering the story's plot.
The author spent months trying to hunt down a publisher willing to take a chance on his story about a man encountering a guardian angel that shows him what the world would have been like if he'd never been born. That's when he took the route to publish 200 copies of the story to send out to his loved ones.
His daughter Marguerite Stern Robinson recalled (via Independent) being in the third grade and delivering a few of the cards off to her teachers and friends. Back then, her father explained to her the importance of the story: "My father, who was himself from a mixed religious background,...
The author spent months trying to hunt down a publisher willing to take a chance on his story about a man encountering a guardian angel that shows him what the world would have been like if he'd never been born. That's when he took the route to publish 200 copies of the story to send out to his loved ones.
His daughter Marguerite Stern Robinson recalled (via Independent) being in the third grade and delivering a few of the cards off to her teachers and friends. Back then, her father explained to her the importance of the story: "My father, who was himself from a mixed religious background,...
- 11/28/2022
- by Sarah Musnicky
- Slash Film
Amazon Studios will finance a four-hour miniseries based on the saga of Spanish 'conquistador' 'Hernán Cortés' (Javier Bardem), to be written by Steven Zaillian ("Schindler's List") based on an unproduced script by 1950's Hollywood blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo ("Spartacus") for Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television:
Trumbo's original script "Montezuma", explored the relationship between 'Cortes' and 'Montezuma II' (1460–1520), the ninth 'Aztec' emperor, killed during the Spanish conquest of Mexico, bolstered by an army of more than 200,000 natives opposed to the Aztec regime.
Click the images to enlarge...
Trumbo's original script "Montezuma", explored the relationship between 'Cortes' and 'Montezuma II' (1460–1520), the ninth 'Aztec' emperor, killed during the Spanish conquest of Mexico, bolstered by an army of more than 200,000 natives opposed to the Aztec regime.
Click the images to enlarge...
- 11/26/2022
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Today marks the 75th anniversary of the Waldorf Declaration, which on November 25, 1947, officially launched the Hollywood Blacklist. On that day, the heads of the major studios, with a few notable exceptions, agreed after a contentious two-day conference at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City to ban the Hollywood Ten and to not “knowingly” employ Communists.
And so began one of the darkest chapters in Hollywood’s history.
Related Story Hollywood Blacklist: 75th Anniversary Of The Waldorf Declaration – Photo Gallery Related Story Donald Anthony St. Claire Dies: 'The Amazing Race' Oldest Competitor Was 87 Related Story Irene Cara Remembered By Colleagues, Friends And Fans
Just a few weeks earlier, the Hollywood Ten had denounced and refused to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee and later were sent to federal prison for contempt of Congress.
“We will forthwith discharge or suspend without compensation those in our employ,” the Waldorf Declaration stated,...
And so began one of the darkest chapters in Hollywood’s history.
Related Story Hollywood Blacklist: 75th Anniversary Of The Waldorf Declaration – Photo Gallery Related Story Donald Anthony St. Claire Dies: 'The Amazing Race' Oldest Competitor Was 87 Related Story Irene Cara Remembered By Colleagues, Friends And Fans
Just a few weeks earlier, the Hollywood Ten had denounced and refused to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee and later were sent to federal prison for contempt of Congress.
“We will forthwith discharge or suspend without compensation those in our employ,” the Waldorf Declaration stated,...
- 11/25/2022
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Bollywood star Nushrratt Bharuccha has kick-started the preparation for the next “Chhorii 2”. Taking to social media, Nushrratt shared a picture of herself reading the script of “Chhorii 2”. She shared a picture of her laptop and one can see her kitten Noah hiding behind it too.
She writes: “Noah is scared too ??”
“Chhorii” is directed by Vishal Furia and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Vikram Malhotra, Jack Davis, Shikhaa Sharma and Shiv Chanana.
A remake of the Marathi-language film “Lapachhapi” (2017), the film features Nushrratt in the lead role, alongside Mita Vashisht, Rajesh Jais and Saurabh Goyal. The film premiered on Amazon Prime Video on November 26, 2021.
Her latest release is “Ram Setu” starring Akshay Kumar. Meanwhile, she has an interesting lineup of films like “Selfiee” alongside Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi.
She writes: “Noah is scared too ??”
“Chhorii” is directed by Vishal Furia and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Vikram Malhotra, Jack Davis, Shikhaa Sharma and Shiv Chanana.
A remake of the Marathi-language film “Lapachhapi” (2017), the film features Nushrratt in the lead role, alongside Mita Vashisht, Rajesh Jais and Saurabh Goyal. The film premiered on Amazon Prime Video on November 26, 2021.
Her latest release is “Ram Setu” starring Akshay Kumar. Meanwhile, she has an interesting lineup of films like “Selfiee” alongside Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi.
- 11/4/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Click here to read the full article.
Seventy-five years ago, the House Committee on Un-American Activities (Huac for purposes of pronunciation) launched the first of its series of postwar investigations into alleged communist subversion in Hollywood.
The show trial was staged from Oct. 20 to 30, 1947, and you can probably rewind the newsreel images in your mind’s eye: the unhinged committee chairman, J. Parnell Thomas (D-n.J.), yelling over witnesses and furiously pounding his gavel; the compliant straight men accusing former colleagues of the most unpatriotic heresies in Cold War America; and the backtalking recalcitrants being hauled away from the witness table mid-harangue.
In countless documentaries and fictional reenactments, the confrontations are cast as a morality play pitting the craven Friendlies (as those who named names and sucked up to the committee are called) against the defiant Unfriendlies, who refused to cower before their inquisitors and would soon to be immortalized...
Seventy-five years ago, the House Committee on Un-American Activities (Huac for purposes of pronunciation) launched the first of its series of postwar investigations into alleged communist subversion in Hollywood.
The show trial was staged from Oct. 20 to 30, 1947, and you can probably rewind the newsreel images in your mind’s eye: the unhinged committee chairman, J. Parnell Thomas (D-n.J.), yelling over witnesses and furiously pounding his gavel; the compliant straight men accusing former colleagues of the most unpatriotic heresies in Cold War America; and the backtalking recalcitrants being hauled away from the witness table mid-harangue.
In countless documentaries and fictional reenactments, the confrontations are cast as a morality play pitting the craven Friendlies (as those who named names and sucked up to the committee are called) against the defiant Unfriendlies, who refused to cower before their inquisitors and would soon to be immortalized...
- 10/20/2022
- by Thomas Doherty
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Whether it's The Halloween Tree or The October Country or Something Wicked This Way Comes, autumn is a wonderful time to read (or reread) Ray Bradbury's classic works. It's an especially perfect time of year, then, for Fantagraphics to publish Home to Stay!: The Complete Ray Bradbury EC Stories (featuring 28 Bradbury stories adapted by EC Comics in the 1950s), and we've been provided with "The Handler" story for Daily Dead readers to enjoy in its entirety ahead of the collection's October 18th publication!
Based on Bradbury's short story of the same name that was published in the 1947 collection Dark Carnival, "The Handler" (with artwork by Graham Ingels and a script by Al Feldstein) can be read in its entirety below!
We also have the official press release with additional details, and to learn more about Home to Stay!: The Complete Ray Bradbury EC Stories, visit:
https://www.
Based on Bradbury's short story of the same name that was published in the 1947 collection Dark Carnival, "The Handler" (with artwork by Graham Ingels and a script by Al Feldstein) can be read in its entirety below!
We also have the official press release with additional details, and to learn more about Home to Stay!: The Complete Ray Bradbury EC Stories, visit:
https://www.
- 10/17/2022
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (Power Book II: Ghost) stars in and produced the upcoming horror film Skill House, and now Deadline has broken the news that Jackson is teaming up with genre regular Eli Roth to produce three more horror movies, a three-picture deal they have secured with 3BlackDot. The movies they’ll be producing are titled The Gun, Trackmaster, and Creature House. Deadline notes that these projects come from “a diverse group of writers whose stories focus on increasing Bipoc representation.”
The Gun comes from the mind of Kirkland Morris (Power Book IV: Force). The synopsis: When a young man with a bright future seeks to get revenge for his father’s murder, he finds a gun that is haunted by an evil force.
Trackmaster has been written by Justin Calen-Chenn (Bel-Air). The synopsis for this one: A burgeoning rap duo uses a beat of mysterious origins in their new...
The Gun comes from the mind of Kirkland Morris (Power Book IV: Force). The synopsis: When a young man with a bright future seeks to get revenge for his father’s murder, he finds a gun that is haunted by an evil force.
Trackmaster has been written by Justin Calen-Chenn (Bel-Air). The synopsis for this one: A burgeoning rap duo uses a beat of mysterious origins in their new...
- 9/30/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson‘s expansion in the horror movie space with Eli Roth, as part of their three-feature film deal with 3BlackDot, will feature the following newly announced projects: The Gun, Trackmaster, and Creature House. Electromagnetic Productions will now also produce alongside Jackson’s G-Unit Film & Television.
The movies hail from a diverse group of writers—Kirkland Morris (Bmf; Power Book IV: Force), Justin Calen-Chenn (Bel-Air, Limited Edition), Dallas Jackson (Blumhouse’s Thriller; The System), and Kevin Grevioux (King of Killers; Underworld)—whose stories focus on increasing Bipoc representation.
“It was extremely important to me that through my horror slate we focus on increasing Bipoc representation. I feel like I have the best team in place here to do so,” said Jackson in a statement to Deadline.
“I’m a huge fan of 50 as an artist and producer and am so excited to bring these stories to life.
The movies hail from a diverse group of writers—Kirkland Morris (Bmf; Power Book IV: Force), Justin Calen-Chenn (Bel-Air, Limited Edition), Dallas Jackson (Blumhouse’s Thriller; The System), and Kevin Grevioux (King of Killers; Underworld)—whose stories focus on increasing Bipoc representation.
“It was extremely important to me that through my horror slate we focus on increasing Bipoc representation. I feel like I have the best team in place here to do so,” said Jackson in a statement to Deadline.
“I’m a huge fan of 50 as an artist and producer and am so excited to bring these stories to life.
- 9/30/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
In today's political climate, you might argue that everything old is new again. Culture wars are stoking political chasms perhaps not this wide since the Cold War era. Today if you replace "wokeism" with communism, it looks a bit like the Post-World War II era known as the Red Scare. Back then people were so fearful of the spread of communism the U.S. government formed a House Un-American Activities Committee to monitor the activities of private citizens.
The committee's goal was to root out suspected communist sympathizers within the government and private institutions. Those suspected of supporting communism were often arrested or even deported. In the 1950s, Senator Joseph McCarthy, the public face of the House Un-American Activities Committee, took aim at Hollywood.
Why Hollywood? The Hollywood Reporter explained that around one-third of the nation's movie theaters closed during the Great Depression. The ripple effect left actors and studio workers out of work,...
The committee's goal was to root out suspected communist sympathizers within the government and private institutions. Those suspected of supporting communism were often arrested or even deported. In the 1950s, Senator Joseph McCarthy, the public face of the House Un-American Activities Committee, took aim at Hollywood.
Why Hollywood? The Hollywood Reporter explained that around one-third of the nation's movie theaters closed during the Great Depression. The ripple effect left actors and studio workers out of work,...
- 9/28/2022
- by Travis Yates
- Slash Film
The death of actress-activist Marsha Hunt this week is a historical watershed and a personal loss. Marsha was one of the last living actors who began her movie career during the Great Depression in 1935. She became part of a now vanished Hollywood, initially at Paramount then at MGM, that bound contracted talent to studios with artists having little to no say over their choice of roles and careers. Nevertheless, she thrived in the studio system by becoming somewhat less than a genuine movie star and more of a consummate professional actress.
Marsha’s career was derailed by the Blacklist, a perfidious period of American history that has been endlessly chronicled and misunderstood. Never a Communist or radical, she was a forthright liberal who refused to accept her voice being marginalized by the endemic sexism and politics of the period. Marsha was the final survivor of the Committee of the First Amendment,...
Marsha’s career was derailed by the Blacklist, a perfidious period of American history that has been endlessly chronicled and misunderstood. Never a Communist or radical, she was a forthright liberal who refused to accept her voice being marginalized by the endemic sexism and politics of the period. Marsha was the final survivor of the Committee of the First Amendment,...
- 9/11/2022
- by Alan K. Rode
- Variety Film + TV
Marsha Hunt, a star of MGM and Paramount beginning in the 1930s who was blacklisted in Hollywood in the ’50s during Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s Communist witch hunt, died Wednesday at age 104.
Roger Memos, who directed a documentary about Hunt’s life, confirmed the news.
A former model, Hunt was a standout in such films as John Wayne’s 1937 Western “Born to the West”; 1939’s “The Glamour Girls,” opposite Lana Turner; 1940’s “Pride and Prejudice” and 1948’s beloved noir “Raw Deal.” In 1945, she joined the board of the Screen Actors Guild.
Also Read:
Bernard Shaw, Legendary CNN Anchor, Dies at 82
But her career unraveled after she and her second husband, screenwriter Robert Presnell Jr., joined a Hollywood group that questioned McCarthy’s efforts to root out Communists in American society, including in Hollywood. In 1950, the right-wing publication Red Channels named her as a potential Communist and she was asked to...
Roger Memos, who directed a documentary about Hunt’s life, confirmed the news.
A former model, Hunt was a standout in such films as John Wayne’s 1937 Western “Born to the West”; 1939’s “The Glamour Girls,” opposite Lana Turner; 1940’s “Pride and Prejudice” and 1948’s beloved noir “Raw Deal.” In 1945, she joined the board of the Screen Actors Guild.
Also Read:
Bernard Shaw, Legendary CNN Anchor, Dies at 82
But her career unraveled after she and her second husband, screenwriter Robert Presnell Jr., joined a Hollywood group that questioned McCarthy’s efforts to root out Communists in American society, including in Hollywood. In 1950, the right-wing publication Red Channels named her as a potential Communist and she was asked to...
- 9/10/2022
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Marsha Hunt, the bright-eyed starlet who stood out in such films as These Glamour Girls, Pride and Prejudice and Raw Deal before her career came unraveled by the communist witch hunt that hit Hollywood, has died. She was 104.
She died Wednesday of natural causes at her Sherman Oaks home, where she had lived since 1946, Roger C. Memos — writer-director of the documentary Marsha Hunt’s Sweet Adversity — told The Hollywood Reporter.
Hunt also appeared opposite Mickey Rooney in the best picture Oscar nominee The Human Comedy (1943) during a period in which she was known as “Hollywood’s Youngest Character Actress.”
A former model who signed with Paramount Pictures at age 17, the Chicago native made her first big splash as a suicidal co-ed opposite Lana Turner in MGM’s These Glamour Girls (1939).
Playing Walter Brennan’s sweetheart in Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the...
Marsha Hunt, the bright-eyed starlet who stood out in such films as These Glamour Girls, Pride and Prejudice and Raw Deal before her career came unraveled by the communist witch hunt that hit Hollywood, has died. She was 104.
She died Wednesday of natural causes at her Sherman Oaks home, where she had lived since 1946, Roger C. Memos — writer-director of the documentary Marsha Hunt’s Sweet Adversity — told The Hollywood Reporter.
Hunt also appeared opposite Mickey Rooney in the best picture Oscar nominee The Human Comedy (1943) during a period in which she was known as “Hollywood’s Youngest Character Actress.”
A former model who signed with Paramount Pictures at age 17, the Chicago native made her first big splash as a suicidal co-ed opposite Lana Turner in MGM’s These Glamour Girls (1939).
Playing Walter Brennan’s sweetheart in Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the...
- 9/10/2022
- by Maureen Lee Lenker
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For the newest installment of Phantom Limbs, we’ll be cracking open the pages of Creepshow 2 and poring over “Pinfall”, an unproduced segment of that 1987 horror anthology. Adapted from an unpublished Stephen King story by George A. Romero, “Pinfall” was originally slated as the second story to unfold in the sequel before it was ultimately axed in favor of “The Hitch-hiker”, the third tale in the finished film.
Joining us for this peek into an unmade Romero is Benjamin T. Rubin, the Horror Studies Collection Coordinator for the University of Pittsburgh Library System. Mr. Rubin was kind enough to take time away from overseeing the library’s George A. Romero Archival Collection (https://romero.library.pitt.edu/) to chat about the origins of “Pinfall” and its ultimate, tragic fate as the King/Romero collaboration that never was.
Following up on the modest financial success of 1982’s Creepshow, Creepshow 2...
Joining us for this peek into an unmade Romero is Benjamin T. Rubin, the Horror Studies Collection Coordinator for the University of Pittsburgh Library System. Mr. Rubin was kind enough to take time away from overseeing the library’s George A. Romero Archival Collection (https://romero.library.pitt.edu/) to chat about the origins of “Pinfall” and its ultimate, tragic fate as the King/Romero collaboration that never was.
Following up on the modest financial success of 1982’s Creepshow, Creepshow 2...
- 9/9/2022
- by Jason Jenkins
- bloody-disgusting.com
Kirk Douglas had many things to be proud of in his life and career. He was a hugely successful movie star, producer and had a wonderful and multi-talented family, but the accomplishment he was most proud of might surprise you.
Douglas made a name for himself as a heroic tough guy on the silver screen, but it turns out he was a stand up guy in real life, too. When he got enough power within Hollywood he created his own production company called Bryna, named after his mother. He didn't do it as some ego stroking power move, he founded Bryna because he wanted to make more challenging pictures, like the anti-war film "Paths of Glory" and the now infamous epic "Spartacus," both directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Because he was a producer on "Spartacus" he was able to make one monumental decision that had an impact not just in his own industry,...
Douglas made a name for himself as a heroic tough guy on the silver screen, but it turns out he was a stand up guy in real life, too. When he got enough power within Hollywood he created his own production company called Bryna, named after his mother. He didn't do it as some ego stroking power move, he founded Bryna because he wanted to make more challenging pictures, like the anti-war film "Paths of Glory" and the now infamous epic "Spartacus," both directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Because he was a producer on "Spartacus" he was able to make one monumental decision that had an impact not just in his own industry,...
- 8/20/2022
- by Eric Vespe
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Screen Gems has acquired the rights to Crypt TV’s horror Island of the Dolls, based on the infamous, true story of La Isla de las Munecas south of Mexico City, in a competitive situation.
Located in the channels of Xochimilco, La Isla has become a tourist attraction with a mysterious and horrifying history. For decades, dolls were placed all over the island by former owner Julian Santana Barrera, as he believed they would help chase away the spirit of a girl who had drowned nearby years before.
The island has previously been featured on the Travel Channel show Ghost Adventures, as well as BuzzFeed Unsolved. Jack Davis and Darren Brandl will produce the Island of the Dolls film for Crypt TV, alongside Ana de Diego of Spark & Riot, who brought the story to Crypt and was key in acquiring the rights. Michael Bitar is overseeing the project for Screen Gems.
Located in the channels of Xochimilco, La Isla has become a tourist attraction with a mysterious and horrifying history. For decades, dolls were placed all over the island by former owner Julian Santana Barrera, as he believed they would help chase away the spirit of a girl who had drowned nearby years before.
The island has previously been featured on the Travel Channel show Ghost Adventures, as well as BuzzFeed Unsolved. Jack Davis and Darren Brandl will produce the Island of the Dolls film for Crypt TV, alongside Ana de Diego of Spark & Riot, who brought the story to Crypt and was key in acquiring the rights. Michael Bitar is overseeing the project for Screen Gems.
- 6/22/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Kino’s Noir boxes offer interesting noir-adjacent crime and mystery pix. This seventh return to the well of darkness brings up the organized crime ‘meller’ Chicago Confidential with Brian Keith and the more ambitious The Boss, starring John Payne and written by Dalton Trumbo. The third show The Fearmakers is a real oddity. Starring Dana Andrews and directed by Jacques Tourneur, it’s a political conspiracy tale about manipulating opinions with fraudulent polls. It sounds a lot like the fractured state of modern America, 65 years later. With commentaries by Jason A. Ney and Alan K. Rode.
Film Noir the Dark Side of Cinema VII
The Boss, Chicago Confidential, The Fearmakers
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1956-1958 / B&w / Street Date June 7, 2022 / 249 min. / available through Kino Lorber / 49.95
Starring: John Payne, Gloria McGehee, Brian Keith, Beverly Garland, Dana Andrews, Marilee Earle.
Directed by Byron Haskin, Sidney Salkow, Jacques Tourneur
Kino treads the dark...
Film Noir the Dark Side of Cinema VII
The Boss, Chicago Confidential, The Fearmakers
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1956-1958 / B&w / Street Date June 7, 2022 / 249 min. / available through Kino Lorber / 49.95
Starring: John Payne, Gloria McGehee, Brian Keith, Beverly Garland, Dana Andrews, Marilee Earle.
Directed by Byron Haskin, Sidney Salkow, Jacques Tourneur
Kino treads the dark...
- 5/31/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Post-slap, Will Smith has been banned from attending the Oscars ceremony along with other Academy events for 10 years. The Academy’s Board of Governors met April 8, to finalize their response to Smith’s physical attack on presenter Chris Rock on stage during the March 25 awards show.
Smith previously tendered his resignation from the Academy. Speculation swirled that his Best Actor Oscar could be rescinded or he might be declared ineligible for future nomination, but here’s why both of those outcomes were unlikely.
The sole precedent for overturning a win came in 1969, when feature documentary “The Young Americans” was found to be ineligible due to its release date. In that case, runner-up “Journey Into Self” received the statuette and the original one was returned.
There is a more significant precedent for barring someone from nomination in an otherwise eligible film, but it was an ugly chapter of Academy history that,...
Smith previously tendered his resignation from the Academy. Speculation swirled that his Best Actor Oscar could be rescinded or he might be declared ineligible for future nomination, but here’s why both of those outcomes were unlikely.
The sole precedent for overturning a win came in 1969, when feature documentary “The Young Americans” was found to be ineligible due to its release date. In that case, runner-up “Journey Into Self” received the statuette and the original one was returned.
There is a more significant precedent for barring someone from nomination in an otherwise eligible film, but it was an ugly chapter of Academy history that,...
- 4/8/2022
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Tony Award-winner Tony Shalhoub has had a storied career on the New York stage, appearing in eight Broadway productions over three decades and earning four Tony nominations and a win. How fitting, then, that in the fourth season of Amazon Prime’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Shalhoub’s character Abe Weissman becomes a brutally honest theatre critic for the Village Voice. This clever story arc – one of the funniest of the entire season – could win Shalhoub his second “Maisel” Emmy and fifth overall (he won three for his lead role in the laffer “Monk”).
The penultimate season of “Maisel” kicks off with Abe and his wife Rose (Marin Hinkle) moving into Midge’s (Rachel Brosnahan) apartment while they try to launch their second acts, he as a writer and she as a matchmaker. The space doesn’t quite lend itself to Abe’s creativity: his struggle for some peace and...
The penultimate season of “Maisel” kicks off with Abe and his wife Rose (Marin Hinkle) moving into Midge’s (Rachel Brosnahan) apartment while they try to launch their second acts, he as a writer and she as a matchmaker. The space doesn’t quite lend itself to Abe’s creativity: his struggle for some peace and...
- 4/2/2022
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
The lasting horror of war is the blight it leaves on the lives of those left behind. Early sound pictures tried to deal with the guilt and pain of WW1, and the great Ernst Lubitsch took time out from romantic comedies and musicals for this very grim rumination on lies and responsibility. A French soldier decides to contact the family of a German he killed in the trenches; with no clear purpose or plan, he’s apt to make things worse for everybody. Lionel Barrymore and Nancy Carroll are wonderful, but you’ll choke up in the scenes with the German mother, played by Louise Carter. The film is best known for its opening montage, in which Lubitsch openly attacks the hypocrisy of militarist patriotism. It’s an exceedingly effective, non-hysterical piece of anti-war filmmaking.
Broken Lullaby
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1932 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 76 min. / The Man I Killed / Street...
Broken Lullaby
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1932 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 76 min. / The Man I Killed / Street...
- 3/29/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Veteran actor and frequent scene stealer Bruce Davison joins Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss a few of his favorite films.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Extra School (2017)
Gone With The Wind (1939)
Willard (1971) – Joe Dante’s review, Lee Broughton’s Blu-ray review
Fortune And Men’s Eyes (1971)
Short Cuts (1993) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Longtime Companion (1989)
Last Summer (1969) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Short Eyes (1977)
The Manor (2021)
Ulzana’s Raid (1972) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review and All-Region Blu-ray review
King Solomon’s Mines (1950) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937)
Them! (1954) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary
Tarantula (1955) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Spartacus (1960) – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Ben-Hur (1959) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Psycho (1960) – John Landis’s trailer commentary,...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Extra School (2017)
Gone With The Wind (1939)
Willard (1971) – Joe Dante’s review, Lee Broughton’s Blu-ray review
Fortune And Men’s Eyes (1971)
Short Cuts (1993) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Longtime Companion (1989)
Last Summer (1969) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Short Eyes (1977)
The Manor (2021)
Ulzana’s Raid (1972) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review and All-Region Blu-ray review
King Solomon’s Mines (1950) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937)
Them! (1954) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary
Tarantula (1955) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Spartacus (1960) – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Ben-Hur (1959) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Psycho (1960) – John Landis’s trailer commentary,...
- 2/8/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
It’s been said that American women of the 1950s admired Marilyn Monroe, but they wanted to be Audrey Hepburn, who projected an entirely different appeal. Hepburn had talent, grace, a dazzling smile and the strength to overcome any obstacle. Paramount now rounds up their Audrey Hepburn holdings to release this seven-picture ode to the great actress, the sentimental favorite. Several are near-perfect entertainments, great films everybody should see. All are handsomely remastered in HD, in their proper aspect ratios. I’d consider this definite holiday gift-giving material.
Audrey Hepburn 7 – Movie Collection
Roman Holiday, Sabrina, War and Peace, Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Paris When It Sizzles, My Fair Lady
Blu-ray
Paramount Home Entertainment
1952-1964 / Color + B&w / Street Date October 5, 2021
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Humphrey Bogart, Mel Ferrer, Fred Astaire, George Peppard, William Holden, Rex Harrison.
Directed by William Wyler, Billy Wilder, King Vidor, Stanley Donen, Blake Edwards,...
Audrey Hepburn 7 – Movie Collection
Roman Holiday, Sabrina, War and Peace, Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Paris When It Sizzles, My Fair Lady
Blu-ray
Paramount Home Entertainment
1952-1964 / Color + B&w / Street Date October 5, 2021
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Humphrey Bogart, Mel Ferrer, Fred Astaire, George Peppard, William Holden, Rex Harrison.
Directed by William Wyler, Billy Wilder, King Vidor, Stanley Donen, Blake Edwards,...
- 10/19/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The former head of the ACLU discusses some of the movies – and sports legends – that made him.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Mighty Ira (2020)
The Jackie Robinson Story (1950)
42 (2013)
Shane (1953)
Panic In The Streets (1950)
Last Year At Marienbad (1962)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
La Strada (1954)
Wild Strawberries (1957) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
The Virgin Spring (1960) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Last House On The Left (1972) – Darren Bousman’s trailer commentary
A Walk In The Sun (1945) – Glenn Erickson’s review
Paths Of Glory (1957) – George Hickenlooper’s trailer commentary, John Landis’s trailer commentary
All Quiet On The Western Front (1930) – Ed Neumeier’s trailer commentary
Lonely Are The Brave (1962)
Casablanca (1942) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
On The Waterfront (1954) – John Badham’s trailer commentary
12 Angry Men (1957)
Inherit The Wind (1960)
Judgment At Nuremberg (1961)
Witness For The Prosecution (1957)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
The Verdict (1982)
Twelve Angry Men teleplay (1954)
The Front (1976)
Judgment At Nuremberg teleplay...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Mighty Ira (2020)
The Jackie Robinson Story (1950)
42 (2013)
Shane (1953)
Panic In The Streets (1950)
Last Year At Marienbad (1962)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
La Strada (1954)
Wild Strawberries (1957) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
The Virgin Spring (1960) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Last House On The Left (1972) – Darren Bousman’s trailer commentary
A Walk In The Sun (1945) – Glenn Erickson’s review
Paths Of Glory (1957) – George Hickenlooper’s trailer commentary, John Landis’s trailer commentary
All Quiet On The Western Front (1930) – Ed Neumeier’s trailer commentary
Lonely Are The Brave (1962)
Casablanca (1942) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
On The Waterfront (1954) – John Badham’s trailer commentary
12 Angry Men (1957)
Inherit The Wind (1960)
Judgment At Nuremberg (1961)
Witness For The Prosecution (1957)
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
The Verdict (1982)
Twelve Angry Men teleplay (1954)
The Front (1976)
Judgment At Nuremberg teleplay...
- 10/19/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
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