Veteran journalist Bill Moyers, who moved between writing and public service in his 50-year career, is retiring from what may be his final media outlet. Moyers is most identified with PBS, where he hosted several news shows before his broadcasting retirement. He also served stints at NBC and CBS, produced numerous documentaries, and served as press secretary in the Lyndon Johnson administration. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995 and won more than…...
- 12/16/2017
- Deadline TV
Jackie Kennedy Would Want JFK Assassination Papers Made Public, Says Her Former Secret Service Agent
On Thursday, the government will release thousands of long blocked and classified documents about the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
According to Jackie Kennedy’s former Secret Service agent, Clint Hill, that’s exactly what the former first lady would have wanted.
“It was my understanding that she wanted all the information released,” Hill tells People. “She wanted people to have as much information about what actually happened as possible.”
Hill says that’s also one of the reasons why the first lady didn’t immediately change out of the clothes she was wearing when her husband was shot...
According to Jackie Kennedy’s former Secret Service agent, Clint Hill, that’s exactly what the former first lady would have wanted.
“It was my understanding that she wanted all the information released,” Hill tells People. “She wanted people to have as much information about what actually happened as possible.”
Hill says that’s also one of the reasons why the first lady didn’t immediately change out of the clothes she was wearing when her husband was shot...
- 10/23/2017
- by Tierney McAfee and Liz McNeil
- PEOPLE.com
Next week could prove to be a seismic event in our nation's history, because Donald Trump just announced he will release documents our intelligence agencies have fought fiercely to keep secret relating to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The documents have been kept under wraps since JFK's assassination November 22, 1963. JFK's successor, Lyndon Johnson, created the Warren Commission to determine if Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. The Commission turned a blind eye to witnesses,...
- 10/21/2017
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Chicago – He is a familiar character actor, having a long career with roles in TV and film as diverse as “Fargo,” “The Drew Carey Show,” “Gran Torino,” “The Americans.” and the recent “Jackie” and “The Founder.” He is actor John Carroll Lynch, and he has made his directorial debut in the wonderfully essential “Lucky,” whose title character is portrayed by Harry Dean Stanton. The film is a perfect elegy for the actor, who passed away last month at the age of 91.
“Lucky” was voted in as the Audience Choice favorite at the 5th annual Chicago Critics Film Festival in May of this year, and has a nationwide release on October 6th, 2017. It features Harry Dean as Lucky, a 90-year-old self described atheist who is seeking spiritual enlightenment through the fellow travelers in his small and dusty Arizona town. He’s outlived his contemporaries, and seeks to outdo and out smoke...
“Lucky” was voted in as the Audience Choice favorite at the 5th annual Chicago Critics Film Festival in May of this year, and has a nationwide release on October 6th, 2017. It features Harry Dean as Lucky, a 90-year-old self described atheist who is seeking spiritual enlightenment through the fellow travelers in his small and dusty Arizona town. He’s outlived his contemporaries, and seeks to outdo and out smoke...
- 10/6/2017
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Los Angeles – We can’t rebuild him, but we can honor him. Richard Anderson, best known for portraying Oscar Goldman, the aide de camp of Steve Austin (Lee Majors) in “The Six Million Man,” died on August 31st, 2017 at age 91. The versatile character actor was one of the few remaining performers that came up through the old studio system, in this case the dream factory known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Richard Anderson in Chicago, 2010
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
Richard Anderson was born in New Jersey, and was an Army veteran of World War II. He started out in the mailroom at MGM shortly after the end of the war, and became a contract player for the studio after Cary Grant took an interest in his career. His major film debut was “The Magnificent Yankee” (1950), followed by “Scaramouche” (1952) and “Forbidden Planet” (1956). He made 24 films for MGM. His...
Richard Anderson in Chicago, 2010
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
Richard Anderson was born in New Jersey, and was an Army veteran of World War II. He started out in the mailroom at MGM shortly after the end of the war, and became a contract player for the studio after Cary Grant took an interest in his career. His major film debut was “The Magnificent Yankee” (1950), followed by “Scaramouche” (1952) and “Forbidden Planet” (1956). He made 24 films for MGM. His...
- 9/2/2017
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
I believe the first comics convention I attended was in 1967. That means I’ve been chasing these puppies for 50 years. Indeed, it often feels my entire life has been one long, never-ending comicon. Talk about getting a life – or, at least, another act.
I continue to do ‘em because I enjoy seeing my friends a hell of a lot more than I enjoy eating vulcanized chicken fingers. Better still, I enjoy meeting the fans, talking about what they like and don’t like (this is not a good time to defend the event comic), discovering new trends and talent, and blathering on and on at panels. For the past, oh, maybe two dozen years that means I’ve vastly preferred the smaller comicons; it’s hard to have meaningful conversations at the overcrowded, underoxygenated megashows such as San Diego and New York. To tell you the truth, I avoid those...
I continue to do ‘em because I enjoy seeing my friends a hell of a lot more than I enjoy eating vulcanized chicken fingers. Better still, I enjoy meeting the fans, talking about what they like and don’t like (this is not a good time to defend the event comic), discovering new trends and talent, and blathering on and on at panels. For the past, oh, maybe two dozen years that means I’ve vastly preferred the smaller comicons; it’s hard to have meaningful conversations at the overcrowded, underoxygenated megashows such as San Diego and New York. To tell you the truth, I avoid those...
- 6/28/2017
- by Mike Gold
- Comicmix.com
New York’s greatest B-movie legend is coming back to the Big Apple. Prolific writer-director-producer Larry Cohen returns to his native New York this weekend to appear at a retrospective of his New York-set films at the newly-renovated Quad Cinema.
Read More: ‘Kill Switch’ Teaser Trailer: Dan Stevens Stars in Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Thriller — Watch
The writer behind 2002’s “Phone Booth” and director of “A Return to Salem’s Lot,” Cohen directed 20 movies and wrote dozens of screenplays for both film and television during his roughly 50 year career. Many of his most well-known films were set in New York.
“It was my favorite place to shoot,” Cohen said. “New York is the world’s greatest backlot.”
The retrospective, entitled “Larry Cohen’s New York,” will include the “Whisper” cut of Cohen’s 1976 horror-thriller “God Told Me To,” a version that has never been screened in New York before. The other films...
Read More: ‘Kill Switch’ Teaser Trailer: Dan Stevens Stars in Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Thriller — Watch
The writer behind 2002’s “Phone Booth” and director of “A Return to Salem’s Lot,” Cohen directed 20 movies and wrote dozens of screenplays for both film and television during his roughly 50 year career. Many of his most well-known films were set in New York.
“It was my favorite place to shoot,” Cohen said. “New York is the world’s greatest backlot.”
The retrospective, entitled “Larry Cohen’s New York,” will include the “Whisper” cut of Cohen’s 1976 horror-thriller “God Told Me To,” a version that has never been screened in New York before. The other films...
- 5/4/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Author: Competitions
To mark the release of Why Him? on 1st May, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on Blu-ray.
Bryan Cranston and James Franco fight the ultimate battle of wits and wills in this outrageous, no-holds-barred comedy from filmmaker John Hamburg (I Love you Man, Along Came Polly, Meet the Parents, and Zoolander). Ned (Bryan Cranston), an overprotective but loving dad, and his family visit his daughter at college, where he meets his biggest nightmare: her well-meaning but socially awkward Silicon Valley billionaire boyfriend, Laird (James Franco). A rivalry develops, and Ned’s panic level goes through the roof when he finds himself lost in this glamorous high-tech world and learns that Laird is about to pop the question.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QaUZ304ijU
Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Why Him? is available on Blu-ray and DVD from Monday 1st May,...
To mark the release of Why Him? on 1st May, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on Blu-ray.
Bryan Cranston and James Franco fight the ultimate battle of wits and wills in this outrageous, no-holds-barred comedy from filmmaker John Hamburg (I Love you Man, Along Came Polly, Meet the Parents, and Zoolander). Ned (Bryan Cranston), an overprotective but loving dad, and his family visit his daughter at college, where he meets his biggest nightmare: her well-meaning but socially awkward Silicon Valley billionaire boyfriend, Laird (James Franco). A rivalry develops, and Ned’s panic level goes through the roof when he finds himself lost in this glamorous high-tech world and learns that Laird is about to pop the question.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QaUZ304ijU
Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Why Him? is available on Blu-ray and DVD from Monday 1st May,...
- 5/1/2017
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Playing real-life characters has worked out pretty well for John Travolta as of late, with a turn as defense attorney Robert Shapiro in American Crime Story, and taking on the title role in the years-in-development but hopefully-soon-to-be-released The Life And Death Of John Gotti. Travolta’s latest role also falls into the category of true crime: Deadline reports that Speed Kills is not, in fact, a sequel to a Keanu Reeves movie, even though it’s better than the actual title of that sequel (Speed 2: Cruise Control). Instead, the film will explore the volatile life of boat designer, racer, and businessman Don Aronow, who created a speedboat empire featuring the famous Cigarette boat, among others. Aronow won awards for racing, ran several companies, and built speedboats for pals like the Shah of Iran, Malcolm Forbes, and Lyndon Johnson. He also sold boats to cocaine runners for the Miami drug...
- 4/4/2017
- by Gwen Ihnat
- avclub.com
Bryan Cranston tonight took the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series, for playing President Lyndon B. Johnson in HBO’s All the Way. “I'm often asked how would Lyndon Johnson think about Donald Trump,” Cranston said onstage. “And I honestly feel that 36 would put his arm around 45 and earnestly wish him success. “And he would also whisper in his ear something he said often, as a form of encouragement and cautionary…...
- 1/30/2017
- Deadline TV
Once again, Bryan Cranston has been elected a SAG winner.
On Sunday night at the 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, the All the Way star won the award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a television movie or limited series.
Reprising his role from the Broadway play, Cranston starred as President Lyndon B. Johnson in All The Way, the HBO film depicting the events during the 36th president’s years in office.
People and Entertainment Weekly are hosting the official live pre-show for the SAG Awards on Sunday, Jan. 29, in partnership with TNT and sponsored by Dunkin’ Donuts.
On Sunday night at the 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, the All the Way star won the award for outstanding performance by a male actor in a television movie or limited series.
Reprising his role from the Broadway play, Cranston starred as President Lyndon B. Johnson in All The Way, the HBO film depicting the events during the 36th president’s years in office.
People and Entertainment Weekly are hosting the official live pre-show for the SAG Awards on Sunday, Jan. 29, in partnership with TNT and sponsored by Dunkin’ Donuts.
- 1/30/2017
- by Derek Lawrence, Julie Mazziotta and Char Adams
- PEOPLE.com
Selma and A United Kingdom star calls for greater diversity among industry decision-makers and within film companies.
British actor David Oyelowo has slammed the lack of diversity among key decision-makers in the UK film industry, a trend which he says motivated his move to the Us.
“I felt I had to leave,” said the Selma star during an impassioned keynote speech at the BFI London Film Festival’s (Oct 5-16) Black Star Symposium.
“If I had seen A United Kingdom when I came out of drama school, I don’t think I would be living in America now.”
The Bafta-nominated actor noted that fundamental change would only come when key executives, companies and organisations are noticeably more diverse.
“You have to change the people who are making decisions,” he declared.
“Only when 50 percent of the people working in film companies are women and when a significant number come from minorities will we have diversity.”
Oyelowo stated...
British actor David Oyelowo has slammed the lack of diversity among key decision-makers in the UK film industry, a trend which he says motivated his move to the Us.
“I felt I had to leave,” said the Selma star during an impassioned keynote speech at the BFI London Film Festival’s (Oct 5-16) Black Star Symposium.
“If I had seen A United Kingdom when I came out of drama school, I don’t think I would be living in America now.”
The Bafta-nominated actor noted that fundamental change would only come when key executives, companies and organisations are noticeably more diverse.
“You have to change the people who are making decisions,” he declared.
“Only when 50 percent of the people working in film companies are women and when a significant number come from minorities will we have diversity.”
Oyelowo stated...
- 10/6/2016
- ScreenDaily
Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín certainly isn’t beating around the bush with his latest film, Jackie, a strange, refreshingly cynical, and unexpectedly cerebral account of former First Lady’s Jacqueline Kennedy’s actions in the immediate aftermath of John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. It’s one of three films to be released by the prolific director in 2016 (alongside El Club and Neruda), as well as his first to be made in the United States and English. Such changes in surroundings might have thrown a lesser director off, or at least compromised their style, but Larraín’s conviction, signature moves, and leftward-leaning politics appear to have remained intact. Produced by Darren Aronofsky and boasting a staggering, disorientating string-based soundtrack from Mica Levi (Under the Skin), Jackie has the sophisticated psychological aesthetic of a Jonathan Glazer movie but focuses on one of the most contentious and traumatic events in U.S.
- 9/7/2016
- by Rory O'Connor
- The Film Stage
“I know words. I have the best words,” Donald J. Trump so famously said on the campaign trail late last year.
On Thursday, the businessman-turned-reality-star-turned-presidential-candidate put his nouns and verbs and adjectives to the test on the closing night of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.
RelatedMichelle Obama, Missy Elliott Join James Corden for Carpool Karaoke
In a speech that pushed Law and Order harder than NBC’s promo department in the mid-2000s, Trump also tried to impress upon voters the idea of his honesty in relation to his rival Hillary Clinton (without once resorting to his...
On Thursday, the businessman-turned-reality-star-turned-presidential-candidate put his nouns and verbs and adjectives to the test on the closing night of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.
RelatedMichelle Obama, Missy Elliott Join James Corden for Carpool Karaoke
In a speech that pushed Law and Order harder than NBC’s promo department in the mid-2000s, Trump also tried to impress upon voters the idea of his honesty in relation to his rival Hillary Clinton (without once resorting to his...
- 7/22/2016
- TVLine.com
Exclusive: There’s a visual in HBO’s All The Way when the powerful Georgia Sen. Richard Russell registers the fact that his protégé Lyndon Johnson has sacrificed him, and Dixie, on the pyre of the Civil Rights movement. The camera moves from Johnson’s bespectacled, crinkle-eyed smirk to Russell’s once-implacable mask as it flickers, ever so slightly but unmistakably, with disappointment and resignation. It is a master class in subtlety as Frank Langella’s Russell and…...
- 5/18/2016
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: There’s a visual in HBO’s All The Way when the powerful Georgia Sen. Richard Russell registers the fact that his protégé Lyndon Johnson has sacrificed him, and Dixie, on the pyre of the Civil Rights movement. The camera moves from Johnson’s bespectacled, crinkle-eyed smirk to Russell’s once-implacable mask as it flickers, ever so slightly but unmistakably, with disappointment and resignation. It is a master class in subtlety as Frank Langella’s Russell and…...
- 5/18/2016
- Deadline
Chicago – Say the name Whit Stillman in certain cinema circles, and a rush of admiration soon follows. The director made a name for himself with his debut film “Metropolitan’ (1990), and followed with the same emotional pallette in “Barcelona” (1994). He is back with an adaptation of a Jane Austin novel, entitled “Love & Friendship.”
The title is taken from one of Jane Austin’s short stories, but the narrative is from her novel “Lady Susan,” published 60 years after her death. It involves the title character (portrayed in the film by Kate Beckinsale), a widow without fortune, who is looking to marry again to wealth, and wishes the same for her daughter. She visits the estate of her sister-in-law and brother-in-law – Charles and Catherine Vernon – in the hopes of making a match for her lovely child Frederica, or at least herself.
Chloë Sevigny and Kate Beckinsale in ‘Love & Friendship’
Photo credit: Roadside Attractions...
The title is taken from one of Jane Austin’s short stories, but the narrative is from her novel “Lady Susan,” published 60 years after her death. It involves the title character (portrayed in the film by Kate Beckinsale), a widow without fortune, who is looking to marry again to wealth, and wishes the same for her daughter. She visits the estate of her sister-in-law and brother-in-law – Charles and Catherine Vernon – in the hopes of making a match for her lovely child Frederica, or at least herself.
Chloë Sevigny and Kate Beckinsale in ‘Love & Friendship’
Photo credit: Roadside Attractions...
- 5/17/2016
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Forgive me for already talking about next years Oscars, but let's face it, Hollywood don't sleep, and there are already a few places online pondering what might be on the ballots next year. And certainly one to keep an eye on is "Jackie." Why? Read More: Watch: Natalie Portman Is A Wanted Woman In New Trailer For ‘Jane Got A Gun’ Well, just check out these bonafides: Natalie Portman is taking the title role of Jackie Kennedy. Pablo Larrain, the director behind "No" and "The Club," is behind the camera, with Darren Aronofsky producing. And it has a Black List approved script by Noah Oppenheim. The premise is strong too, with the picture following Jackie Kennedy during the four days between her husband's infamous assassination and his burial, capturing the drama between the First Lady trying to lay her husband to rest, and Lyndon Johnson's crew who are eager...
- 2/29/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Bryan Cranston believes that there are many similarities between the two real-life figures he has portrayed recently, Dalton Trumbo and Lyndon Johnson. During a TCA panel on “All The Way,” the HBO biopic about Johnson’s Presidency, Cranston said, “If you drew a Venn diagram there would be a lot more inside the circles than outside the circles. Both were very ambitious, very exceptional at what they do, can be irascible, can be selfish … I mean, there’s a tremendous amount. Cranston also revealed what qualities he felt he shared with Johnson, particularly that they were both risk-takers. “I think inherent in actors is a.
- 1/8/2016
- by Joe Otterson
- The Wrap
Just look at that headline — this is quite the combination of cinematic talent. A project once mooted for Darren Aronofsky, he moved over to the producer's desk, snagged his "Black Swan" star Natalie Portman and acclaimed director Pablo Larrain ("No,""The Club") for "Jackie," and the first look has arrived. Read More: Watch: Natalie Portman Is A Wanted Woman In New Trailer For 'Jane Got A Gun' As you might've already surmised from the title, Portman is playing Jacqueline Kennedy in the story that follows Jackie Kennedy during the four days between her husband's infamous assassination and his burial. The script by Noah Oppenheim, which landed on the Black List in 2010, finds the the First Lady caught up in the wrangling between the Kennedy camp and Lyndon Johnson's crew who are eager to obtain leadership, and move into the White House as soon as possible. Peter Sarsgaard,...
- 12/16/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
They’ve just worked together on screenwriter biopic Trumbo and it appears Jay Roach and Bryan Cranston are ready to keep things historical. The director is now attached to make the HBO adaptation of Tony-winning play All The Way, which finds Cranston as 36th Us president, Lyndon Johnson.Cranston picked up a several awards, including a Tony, for his performance in Robert Schenkkan’s play, which follows the tumultuous first year of the president’s time in office, spent in the shadow of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Dealing with the escalating Vietnam War and struggling to launch a landmark civil rights bill, Johnson also had to win election for his first full presidential term.Roach has become something of a political specialist for the cable channel, having directed TV movies Recount (about the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore) and Game Change, which chronicled what happened...
- 3/8/2015
- EmpireOnline
We still have a while until our current presidential dad, Barack Obama, walks each of his daughters down the aisle, but past commanders in chief have played the role of father of the bride. In 2008, Jenna Bush married Henry Hager at the Bush ranch in Crawford, TX. Unlike Lyndon Johnson's daughters or Tricia Nixon, Jenna decided against a White House wedding. Later, in 2010, America was buzzing over Chelsea Clinton's marriage to Marc Mezvinsky, offering the most recent example of first-daughter wedding mania. After all, these events are the closest thing we have to royal weddings. Keep scrolling to take a look at past Us presidents who have walked their daughters down the aisle! Source: Getty...
- 2/16/2015
- by Annie-Gabillet
- Popsugar.com
Can we come together on both sides of the aisle and admit that Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and their kids are likely the most intentionally funny people ever to inhabit the White House? I don't mean to disparage Lyndon Johnson's deftness with a one-liner, but this family clearly enjoys a quip, a retort, and a withering glance. Let's count up their saucier, shadier moments. 1. "I won both of them." Just a little fact-sharing in the middle of the Sotu. "I have no more campaigns to run...I know because i won both of them." #POTUSmixtape #Twibsotu #SOTU15 pic.twitter.com/pdhqUrVVv8 — Elon James White (@elonjames) January 21, 2015 2. Michelle Obama heard you, John Boehner. Thanks. The side-eye snooped 'round the world. 3. Obama suggests that North Korean dictators should relish in being offended. "Even worse, imagine if producers and distributors and others start engaging in self-censorship because they don't want to offend...
- 1/22/2015
- by Louis Virtel
- Hitfix
It’s taken far too long for Hollywood to make a big Mlk film, but now it’s here, John Patterson reckons Selma’s got almost everything right
So many questions about Selma, but above all, this one: how the hell did it take this long to get a major Hollywood movie made about America’s single greatest candidate for secular sainthood, Dr Martin Luther King? It beggars belief that the man has been dead 47 years and only now are we seeing him centre-stage.
All this being noted, I’m glad that the job finally fell to an African-American woman, Ava DuVernay, who actually spent her childhood summers near Selma, Alabama, imbibing its history and community, and not to northerner Spike Lee or to patrician Oliver Stone. The controversy over the movie’s depiction of Lyndon Johnson as laggardly on issues of racial equality briefly made me reluctant to see Selma,...
So many questions about Selma, but above all, this one: how the hell did it take this long to get a major Hollywood movie made about America’s single greatest candidate for secular sainthood, Dr Martin Luther King? It beggars belief that the man has been dead 47 years and only now are we seeing him centre-stage.
All this being noted, I’m glad that the job finally fell to an African-American woman, Ava DuVernay, who actually spent her childhood summers near Selma, Alabama, imbibing its history and community, and not to northerner Spike Lee or to patrician Oliver Stone. The controversy over the movie’s depiction of Lyndon Johnson as laggardly on issues of racial equality briefly made me reluctant to see Selma,...
- 1/12/2015
- by John Patterson
- The Guardian - Film News
Update, Wednesday, 7 Am: Gay Talese speaks out in the New York Times.
In a Letter To The Editor published this morning in the New York Times, former Times reporter Gay Talese, who covered Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery for the Paper of Record, expanded on his remarks yesterday during a gathering of Oscar voters and journalists. Here’s his letter, in full:
To the Editor:
Re “Film Casts Johnson as Villain, Restarting Civil Rights Debate” (front page, Jan. 1), about criticism of a film that depicts President Lyndon B. Johnson as “a laggard on black voting rights who opposed the marches”:
I have seen Ava DuVernay’s new film, “Selma,” and I was also part of this newspaper’s team that covered the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. In my opinion, there is nothing in Ms. DuVernay’s film that significantly distorts...
In a Letter To The Editor published this morning in the New York Times, former Times reporter Gay Talese, who covered Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery for the Paper of Record, expanded on his remarks yesterday during a gathering of Oscar voters and journalists. Here’s his letter, in full:
To the Editor:
Re “Film Casts Johnson as Villain, Restarting Civil Rights Debate” (front page, Jan. 1), about criticism of a film that depicts President Lyndon B. Johnson as “a laggard on black voting rights who opposed the marches”:
I have seen Ava DuVernay’s new film, “Selma,” and I was also part of this newspaper’s team that covered the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. In my opinion, there is nothing in Ms. DuVernay’s film that significantly distorts...
- 1/7/2015
- by Jeremy Gerard
- Deadline
In Ava DuVernay's acclaimed new film Selma, Martin Luther King Jr. works to forge an uneasy alliance with President Lyndon B. Johnson in order to constitutionally codify voting rights — a quest that the film portrays as a long and arduous one, since Johnson's initial reluctance to address the issue was what prompted King to stage his famous march from Selma to Montgomery. Over the weekend, DuVernay's film came under criticism from one of Johnson's top aides, Joseph A. Califano Jr., who wrote in the Washington Post, "Contrary to the portrait painted by Selma, Lyndon Johnson and Martin Luther King Jr. were partners in this effort. Johnson was enthusiastic about voting rights and the president urged King to find a place like Selma and lead a major demonstration." DuVernay forcefully rebutted that notion on Twitter, calling Califano's claims "jaw-dropping and offensive," but in the meantime, you can check out her...
- 12/29/2014
- by Kyle Buchanan
- Vulture
And we're truly off. Ballots are in hands. Academy voters, who hopefully spent as much time soaking up the year's offerings through screeners and screenings over the holiday break as they did hitting the slopes, will be putting pencil to paper, finger to keyboard beginning Monday with an 11-day voting window closing on Jan. 8. Let's see what's happening in the lead-up to that stretch… At the box office, "Unbroken" is all the rage. The film, already riding the coattails of a best-selling book, took advantage of a holiday release frame that had very little in the way of adult drama competition. It was ultimately critic-proof, as audiences are digging it and Academy members may well, too. On the limited release side of things, meanwhile, was "American Sniper," which sailed to a record $212,000 average from four theaters over the four-day weekend. Each film landed in the "A" Cinemascore range with audiences,...
- 12/29/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
“Selma” is vital correspondence, filmmaking lived on the streets where brutal facts were ignored then reported, and now snatched back from history to sustain a spirit few films can or will possess. It is stunning humanistic cinema on a mainstream scale, made by a group of unconventional artists. Premiered in an unfinished cut at AFI Fest, this rarely feels like any biopic you’ve seen. It has inventiveness, urgency, humor, and most of all emotion that draws effortless parallels rather than leaving its lesson up on the screen. Even the title cards offer something fresh. Clacking up in Courier New alongside an FBI stamp, they frame three months of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life in 1965 as he tried to secure the Voting Rights Act as the monitored event it was. With Lyndon Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) dragging his feet on policy change and Alabama governor George Wallace (a gleefully sinister...
- 12/26/2014
- by Charlie Schmidlin
- The Playlist
In politics, a Presidential endorsement can be the magic touch, imbuing a candidate with exposure and voter confidence. Does the same hold true in the Oscar race? The team behind "Boyhood" hopes so. Speaking to People Magazine (via The Huffington Post), President Obama revealed that he fell hard for the Richard Linklater’s 12-years-in-the-making, coming-of-age film. And he was kind of a quote-whore about it. "'Boyhood was a great movie," Obama told the magazine. “That, I think, was my favorite movie this year.” Is it too late to send out guild screeners emblazoned with that quote? Obama is, traditionally, a softy when it comes to movies and television. When People put him on the spot with the same question in 2012, the President named "Beasts of the Southern Wild," "Life of Pi" and "Argo" as his favorites. He has told the press that "Modern Family" and "Parks and Recreation" are family favorites.
- 12/18/2014
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
Ava DuVernay’s civil rights drama has been accused of misrepresenting Lyndon Johnson. But its emotive account rings true with witnesses
Five star review for Selma: ‘a stirring and thrilling film’
Selma (2014)
Director: Ava DuVernay
Entertainment grade: B+
History grade: A
In 1965, Dr Martin Luther King Jr led a campaign in Selma, Alabama, to secure voting rights for black citizens.
Related: Ferguson, Selma and a mood for change
Continue reading...
Five star review for Selma: ‘a stirring and thrilling film’
Selma (2014)
Director: Ava DuVernay
Entertainment grade: B+
History grade: A
In 1965, Dr Martin Luther King Jr led a campaign in Selma, Alabama, to secure voting rights for black citizens.
Related: Ferguson, Selma and a mood for change
Continue reading...
- 12/1/2014
- by Alex von Tunzelmann
- The Guardian - Film News
“Selma” is vital correspondence, filmmaking lived on the streets where brutal facts were ignored then reported, and now snatched back from history to sustain a spirit few films can or will possess. It is stunning humanistic cinema on a mainstream scale, made by a group of unconventional artists. Premiered in an unfinished cut at AFI Fest, this rarely feels like any biopic you’ve seen. It has inventiveness, urgency, humor, and most of all emotion that draws effortless parallels rather than leaving its lesson up on the screen. Even the title cards offer something fresh. Clacking up in Courier New alongside an FBI stamp, they frame three months of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life in 1965 as he tried to secure the Voting Rights Act as the monitored event it was. With Lyndon Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) dragging his feet on policy change and Alabama governor George Wallace (a gleefully sinister...
- 11/12/2014
- by Charlie Schmidlin
- The Playlist
Hollywood — AFI Fest sure did put together an awkward bloc of scheduling Tuesday night at the Egyptian Theatre. A moving story of a civil rights leader who was gunned down by a sniper followed by… "American Sniper," directed by a guy who talks to a chair and hates Obama. Ok, that's a little unfair, but after Chris Rock's zinger Saturday night, it was sort of hard for my mind not to go there with two films that deal with political ideologies in both overt and subtextual ways. Nevertheless, the onus was on Warner Bros. after Paramount finally vacated the theater around 8:30pm. Because anyone asked to follow Ava DuVernay's "Selma" would be facing a tall order as the film landed like some sort of game changer in this year's Oscar race. Honestly, I'm not convinced the studio knew what it had on its hands, but that sigh...
- 11/12/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
The Warren Commission Report
By Dan Mishkin, Ernie Colon, and Jerzy Drozd
Abrams ComicArts, 160 pages, $29.95
Conspiracies are everywhere if you know where to look. Over the last century, Americans have increasingly looked for dire machinations behind the unbelievable. Much as our ancestors sat around campfires telling mythic tales to explain how the sun rose each day, today, people make up fantastical stories to make the impossible comprehensible.
With the growth of mass media, from film to radio to television to the internet, studies have shown we have gravitated towards like-minded thinking, narrowing our worldview and therefore giving voice and importance to ones who would have once been considered mad. This development gained traction and accelerated its piercing of the zeitgeist thanks largely to ineptitude. America knew Japan was going to bomb throughout the Pacific but didn’t say a word much as we knew there were foreigners acting suspiciously in...
By Dan Mishkin, Ernie Colon, and Jerzy Drozd
Abrams ComicArts, 160 pages, $29.95
Conspiracies are everywhere if you know where to look. Over the last century, Americans have increasingly looked for dire machinations behind the unbelievable. Much as our ancestors sat around campfires telling mythic tales to explain how the sun rose each day, today, people make up fantastical stories to make the impossible comprehensible.
With the growth of mass media, from film to radio to television to the internet, studies have shown we have gravitated towards like-minded thinking, narrowing our worldview and therefore giving voice and importance to ones who would have once been considered mad. This development gained traction and accelerated its piercing of the zeitgeist thanks largely to ineptitude. America knew Japan was going to bomb throughout the Pacific but didn’t say a word much as we knew there were foreigners acting suspiciously in...
- 10/23/2014
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
And you thought Bryan Cranston's Tony Award-winning performance as Lyndon Johnson in All the Way on Broadway was impressive! But it turns out that what the actor has really always wanted to do was a one-man show about...baseball? "Then it hit me: Why not dramatize the entire Mlb postseason," the Breaking Bad star muses in the long-form teaser he shot for TBS' upcoming coverage of the Mlb postseason, in which Cranston dons the uniform of nearly every team expected to make the playoffs (and some that won't, sorry Red Sox). Sure, he hit a few creative roadblocks along the way, Cranston recalls in the hilarious-yet-touching video, but then inspiration struck in the form of...
- 9/17/2014
- E! Online
Fifteen years ago, America was asked a very important question: Who wants to be a millionaire? Turns out lots of people were interested in getting an extra seven figures, and so a game show was born. Originally hosted by Regis Philbin, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? premiered on Aug. 16, 1999. Through the years, the program made some tweaks, but the basic principles have stayed the same. If a hot-seat contestant uses their lifelines wisely and answers all 15 questions correctly, they are going home with at least $1,000,000. Many have come close to the feat, but only 13 folks have reached the big prize so far.
- 8/16/2014
- by Kelli Bender, @kbendernyc
- PEOPLE.com
Fifteen years ago, America was asked a very important question: Who wants to be a millionaire?
Turns out lots of people were interested in getting an extra seven figures, and so a game show was born. Originally hosted by Regis Philbin, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? premiered on Aug. 16, 1999. Through the years, the program made some tweaks, but the basic principles have stayed the same.
If a hot-seat contestant uses their lifelines wisely and answers all 15 questions correctly, they are going home with at least $1,000,000. Many have come close to the feat, but only 13 folks have reached the big prize so far.
Turns out lots of people were interested in getting an extra seven figures, and so a game show was born. Originally hosted by Regis Philbin, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? premiered on Aug. 16, 1999. Through the years, the program made some tweaks, but the basic principles have stayed the same.
If a hot-seat contestant uses their lifelines wisely and answers all 15 questions correctly, they are going home with at least $1,000,000. Many have come close to the feat, but only 13 folks have reached the big prize so far.
- 8/16/2014
- by Kelli Bender, @kbendernyc
- People.com - TV Watch
As a historical cinematic document that depicts the horrors of the Vietnam War with unflinching nerve and political consternation, Peter Davis’s Academy Award winning film Hearts and Minds stands unparalleled, forty years out still reverberating with the inherent subsequent amnesia of the war, its underlying capitalist ends and the shame of both of these truths, yet it’s very existence has been baptized in controversy since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival back in 1974. Taking a brazenly anti-Vietnam War stance, the film juxtaposes vacuous Us politicians with the ugly aftermath of the misguided conflict in regretful Us soldiers and heart-wrenching footage of Vietnamese civilians mourning the senseless loss of their beloved. Part retrospective assessment of the back-door politics that led to the American funding of the Indochina War and the subsequent militarization of South Vietnam, and part straight-laced propaganda, Davis’s equally lauded and hated documentary is a...
- 7/1/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Paramount Pictures and Pathé announced today that "Selma," a historical drama focusing on the iconic Civil Rights marches from Selma to Montgomery in advocation for voting rights, will have an awards qualifying limited run on Christmas Day before going wide on January 9, 2015. The release date is hardly a surprise given the historical subject matter and the prestigious, star-studded cast, which includes David Oyelowo ("Lee Daniels' The Butler") as Martin Luther King Jr., Tom Wilkinson ("Michael Clayton") as Lyndon Johnson, Carmen Ejogo ("Alex Cross") as Coretta Scott King, and Tim Roth ("Lie to Me") as George Wallace. It was also announced that Oprah Winfrey, already a producer on the film, will be joining the cast as Annie Lee Cooper, an elderly woman and visible leader amongst the civil rights protesters in Selma who tried to register to vote and was unfairly denied by the sheriff. Directed by Ava DuVernay, who broke onto the scene.
- 6/20/2014
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
A week ago, word came out that Steven Spielberg was looking to turn Robert Schenkkan's Tony-winning Lyndon Johnson play, All the Way, into a TV miniseries, with the play's star, Bryan Cranston, reprising his role as the former president. Last night, at the opening night of the Public Theater’s free Shakespeare in the Park production of Much Ado About Nothing, Vulture caught up with Cranston, who explained the project is even further along than we thought. "I don't know if it's a miniseries as much as an HBO movie," he said, revealing not only the format change but, for the first time, what network the project would appear on. He added, "They want to see and honor the story, and so if it needs to be maybe four hours then it might be a two-hour and two-hour kind of thing." Cranston also said the adaptation will not include...
- 6/17/2014
- by Jenna Marotta
- Vulture
It’s becoming clear to me that this season is all about the older inmates, and I couldn’t be more pleased. Oh, Jimmy, you did it now! Caputo is on the warpath after her escape, and mostly blaming Bennett for it. They tried to find out how she got out, but it’s really hard to pull information out of someone who still thinks Lyndon Johnson is president. Caputo is retaliating by putting Bell on permanent Jimmy duty and raising the shot quote to a minimum of five a week per officer, which basically means inmates can get demerits for sneezing or looking at you sideways now. That’s not going to go over too well with this crowd, most of whom already have a hard time adapting to arbitrary rules. Black Cindy gets a shot right away for almost being late, and she raises the exquisite point that...
- 6/12/2014
- by Danielle Henderson
- Vulture
Bryan Cranston and Sophie Okonedo won Tony Awards for their Broadway debut. These victories put them in a freshman club that now has 87 members. -Break- Bryan Cranston on adding a Tony Award to his mantel in press room (Video) Cranston, who won for his portrayal of Lyndon Johnson in "All the Way" is the fourteenth Best Actor (Play) champ to take home the trophy for his first-time on Broadway. He joins: Paul Scofield for "A Man for All Seasons" (1962); Cliff Gorman for "Lenny" (1972); John Kani and Winston Ntshona (joint nomination) for "Sizwe Banzi is Dead/The Island" (1975); Tom Conti for "Whose Life is it Anyway?" (1979); Harvey Fierstein for "Torch Song Trilogy" (1983); Jeremy Irons for "The Real Thing" (1984); Ralph Fiennes for "Hamlet" (1995); Stephen Dillane for "The Real Thing" (2000); Jefferson Mays for "I Am My Own Wife" (2004); Ri...
- 6/10/2014
- Gold Derby
Apparently Chris O'Dowd had a feeling he wouldn't be picking up a Tony Award on Sunday night. The "Bridesmaids" actor, who was nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Play for "Of Mice and Men," clearly expected to lose to Bryan Cranston, who was nominated for his portrayal of Lyndon Johnson in "All the Way." Well, Cranston did end up winning, so what did O'Dowd do? Immediately drink, of course. Check out this Vine footage of O'Dowd handling the news with a quick swig from a flask. Perfect. ...
- 6/9/2014
- by Louis Virtel
- Hitfix
According to reports "Breaking Bad" Emmy award winner Bryan Cranston, who recently won a 'Best Lead Actor' 'Tony Award' for his starring turn as former Us President 'Lyndon B. Johnson in the Broadway production "All The Way", will star in a TV mini-series adaptation of the play, through Steven Spielberg's Amblin:
Spielberg wants Cranston "...to reprise his role in a drama that begins with the 'Kennedy' assassination...
"...and spans the first year of Johnson’s administration...
"...from taking office and leveraging his power to pass 'Civil Rights' legislation in Congress, to his landslide re-election victory.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek Lyndon Johnson...
Spielberg wants Cranston "...to reprise his role in a drama that begins with the 'Kennedy' assassination...
"...and spans the first year of Johnson’s administration...
"...from taking office and leveraging his power to pass 'Civil Rights' legislation in Congress, to his landslide re-election victory.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek Lyndon Johnson...
- 6/9/2014
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
After conquering the small screen with Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston took to the Broadway stage with an acclaimed performance in the play All The Way. Last night, Cranston won the Tony for Best Actor while the play took home the top honor as well. Now, we may get to see Cranston play Lyndon Johnson one more time for producer Steven Spielberg. Spielberg is optioning the play according to Deadline to adapt it as a TV mini-series. It is unknown whether the adaptation will air on HBO, AMC, or...
- 6/9/2014
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Our Experts are in complete agreement that Bryan Cranston will Best Actor (Play) at the Tony Awards on June 8 for his performance as Lyndon Johnson in “All the Way.” This new work by Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Schenkkan ("The Kentucky Cycle") tops our Experts predictions for Best Play. -Break- Who do you think will take this top Tony Award? Join the fight over this going on right now in our forums time Emmy champ for "Breaking Bad" will take home this top theater prize for his Broadway debut. Our Experts are: Melissa Bernardo (EW), Thom Geier (EW), Susan Haskin (Theater Talk), Harry Haun (Playbill), Andy Humm (Gay USA), Andy Lefkowitz (Theatermania), Brian Lipton, Michael Musto (Village Voice), Tom O'Neil (Gold Derby), Paul Sheehan (Gold Derby), David Shew...'...
- 5/27/2014
- Gold Derby
Our Experts are split about which new work will win Best Play at the Tony Awards on June 8. Six of our nine Experts are predicting that "All the Way" will go the distance. This political drama is a revisiting by Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Schenkkan ("The Kentucky Cycle") of the first year in the presidency of Lyndon Johnson. Four-time Emmy champ Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") reaped the play's only other nomination for his portrayal of the beleaguered president. -Break- What do you think will win this top Tony Award? Join the fight over this going on right now in our forums Predicting it to prevail on Tonys night are: Thom Geier (EW), Harry Haun (Playbill), Michael Musto (Village Voice), Tom O'Neil (Gold Derby), Paul Sheehan (Gold Derby) and David Sheward (Back Stage). Andy Humm (Gay USA) and Andy Lefkowitz ...
- 5/7/2014
- Gold Derby
New York (AP) — It was a brutal Tuesday morning for some A-list stars on Broadway. Snubbed for Tony Award nominations were Denzel Washington, James Franco, Zachary Quinto, Michelle Williams, Orlando Bloom, Ethan Hawke, Zach Braff, Billy Crudup, Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig. Daniel Radcliffe struck out for his third consecutive Broadway show. Neil Patrick Harris, who won a nomination for his brilliant performance in the punk-rock show "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," said he was surprised by the final list. But he's been a Tony host and knows from experience the process is often rough. "Having been the host in previous years, it's always interesting and surprising," he said. "It's a small group of people that nominate and you're never quite sure what they're responding to. That being said, it does get to showcase the talents of people who often don't get their moment in the spotlight." One of the...
- 4/29/2014
- by Mark Kennedy (AP)
- Hitfix
New York (AP) — The musical "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," a comedic romp in which a poor man eliminates the eight heirs ahead of him for a title, nabbed a leading 10 Tony Award nominations on Tuesday. Nominations were spread out for most other shows, reflecting the lack of a juggernaut this year. "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," a cult off-Broadway hit about a transgender East German performer, stars Neil Patrick Harris and won eight nominations, while "After Midnight," a musical celebrating Duke Ellington's years at the Cotton Club nightclub, got seven, tied with "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" and a British revival of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." Bryan Cranston won a nod for playing Lyndon Johnson in "All the Way," and Woody Allen got one for turning his film "Bullets Over Broadway" into a musical. The nominations also made waves for snubbing some big names, including Denzel Washington,...
- 4/29/2014
- by Mark Kennedy (AP)
- Hitfix
Our Experts are split about which new work will win Best Play at the Tony Awards on June 8. Nominations for the 68th annual edition of these kudos will be announced on Tuesday (April 29). Nine of our dozen Experts are predicting that "All the Way" will go the distance. This political drama is a revisiting by Richard Schenkkan of the first year in the presidency of Lyndon Johnson. -Break- Experts predict 'Gentleman's Guide' and 'Hedwig' to take top tuner prizes at Tonys Predicting it to prevail on Tonys night are: Martin Denton (NY Theatre), Roger Friedman (Showbiz 411), Thom Geier (EW), Michael Musto (Village Voice), Tom O'Neil (Gold Derby), Paul Sheehan (Gold Derby), David Sheward (Back Stage), Doug Strassler (NY Press) and Wayman Wong (NY Daily News). What do you think will win the top Tony? Join the fight over this in our forums ...
- 4/28/2014
- Gold Derby
Producers of All The Way have announced that they have invited a group of over fifty student class presidents from New York City Department of Education Nycdoe public high schools to be their guests for the matinee performance on Wednesday, April 30th. Following the show, the students will enjoy a talkback with cast members, including Bryan Cranston, currently starring as America's 36th President, Lyndon Johnson. The talkback will discuss issues of leadership, presidential power, and the how the play's depiction of the politics of the 1960s resonates today. This event is in partnership with the Nycdoe Office of Arts and Special Projects.
- 4/23/2014
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
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