News

Kaseem “Ka” Ryan, who passed away on Oct. 12 at the age of 52, was a one-of-one hip-hop visionary who left a legacy as brilliantly idiosyncratic as any the genre has produced. He emerged as a fiercely evocative artist in a moment when a new wave of voices revitalized street rap, shearing the style from its mid-Nineties thug origins while avoiding any pretense of commercial viability, and girding it with dusty, deeply-sourced sample loops. Ka’s 2012 album, Grief Pedigree, is widely cited alongside Roc Marciano’s 2010 album, Marcberg, as a blueprint for...

Indie filmmaker Sean Baker lamented the diminishing quantity of films not geared toward the superhero, action flick or horror genres.

“What I miss,” Baker began in a recent interview with the Associated Press, “where are the mature film for adults that had human stories, that didn’t have to have explosions or didn’t have to have superheroes or a horror-based [concept]? Where are those?”

The Anora helmer listed such titles as the multi-Oscar-winning Kramer vs. Kramer, as well as films by Jonathan Demme and Robert Altman.

“Where are they these days? They don’t exist, unfortunately, or they’re very few and far between. And it’s like, let’s get the audience to remember that that stuff is just as worthy of being on the big screen as the big tentpole films, the big blockbusters.”

He continued,...

During an online Ama this past Friday, Francis Ford Coppola shared some factoids about his recently released sci-fi epic “Megalopolis,” including a list of influences he posted on Letterboxd. The list includes films adapted from the works of H.G. Wells, historical epics, erotic dramas, and many more. Upon examining each individually, it’s easy to see how they all had effect on Coppola’s ultimate vision on a new Roman Empire and an architect trying to bring about change.

Starring Adam Driver and featuring performances from Aubrey Plaza, Jon Voight, Nathalie Emmanuel, Shia Labeouf, Talia Shire, and Giancarlo Esposito, “Megalopolis” premiered at Cannes, where it received a mixed reception. In IndieWire’s review of the film, David Ehrlich wrote, “After more than 40 years of idly fantasizing about the project (and more than 20 years of actively trying to finance it), Coppola is bringing ‘Megalopolis’ to screens at a moment when his...

Corman is in a bare room with no clear idea how he got there.

He’s facing down a group of hostile men in black suits and sunglasses.

They behave like police, but have shown no badges, or offered their names to Corman.

They have an intense interest in Corman’s creative habits.

That character in his comic book?

Where did he get the idea for it?

Who is he aiming that rifle at?

Corman says it’s a product of his imagination, but they’re not satisfied.

The Plot is a mind-bending sci-fi thriller that evokes the paranoid novels of Philip K. Dick with the visual punch of Matt Kindt’s comics.

The Plot is the graphic novel Ed Snowden called, “The greatest conspiracy ever.”

Features

The Plot is a horror comic book that uses as source material conspiracy theories, with films like The Manchurian Candidate, The Parallax View,...

The film industry could have avoided a lot of tragedy if they just didn’t use so many horses— or invite the wrath of a vengeful God.

14 ‘Ben-Hur’ (1925)

While filming at the actual ancient Roman chariot racing venue Circus Maximus, the wheel of a chariot broke and the stuntman driving it died.

13 ‘Noah's Ark’ (1928)

While trying to play God and recreate “the great flood,” a ton of extras were injured, one guy lost a leg and three people died.

12 An Unknown 1929 Film

A super-famous German shepherd named Strongheart accidentally touched a hot studio light. His burn became infected, and he died a few weeks later.

11 ‘The Viking’ (1931)

Twenty-seven people died for B-roll. After the film was finished, a producer and the real-life adventurer Varick Frissell decided they needed footage of the abandoned, ice-bound ship The Viking. While filming, some dynamite on board spontaneously exploded.

10 ‘Scarface’ (1932)

Director Gaylord Lloyd was blinded...

Just in time for Judgment Day, Netflix has a new installment in the “Terminator” franchise for fans of the iconic, long-running sci-fi action franchise. This time, however, you won’t see any familiar faces — the series is animated. However, you might recognize some of the voices, so we’ve put together a handy guide to the “Terminator Zero” cast.

You won’t see Sarah Connor, Kyle Reese or Arnold’s T-800 in this story — it introduces a new timeline and all new characters to go with it. Set in 1997, Japan, “Terminator Zero” focuses on a developer named Malcolm Lee, who is hard at work on another AI system to compete with Skynet and save the human race. Naturally, a Terminator unit is sent back in time to target him and his three children, while a soldier from the future is sent back with a mission of her own.

André Holland...

In the run-up to Election Day, TCM is going after the movie lovers’ popular vote by showing 50 films over nine successive Fridays under the banner Making Change: The Most Significant Political Films of All Time.

The series runs Sept. 6 to Nov. 1 — four days before America votes for its next president — and features TCM host Ben Mankiewicz in conversation with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Lee Grant, Sally Field, Andy Garcia, Melissa Etheridge, John Turturro, Bill Maher, Alexander Payne, Diane Lane, Josh Mankiewicz, Barry Levinson, Maureen Dowd, Stacey Abrams and former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Watch the trailer here.

Making Change showcases half of the movies unveiled by The New Republic in the rankings it released in June 2023. The films on TCM span the years 1915 to 2016 (from D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation to Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro); the whole thing kicks off with the No.

John Aprea, the charismatic character actor who portrayed the young Salvatore Tessio in The Godfather Part II and the father of John Stamos’ character on Full House, has died. He was 83.

Aprea died Aug. 5 of natural causes in Los Angeles, his manager, Will Levine, announced.

The New Jersey native appeared for director Jonathan Demme in Caged Heat (1974), Crazy Mama (1975) and The Manchurian Candidate (2004), played the brother of Ray Sharkey’s up-and-coming music promoter in Taylor Hackford’s The Idolmaker (1980) and was a mob guy in Mario Van Peebles’ New Jack City (1991).

Aprea also played another crook, Lucas Castigliano, as well as a multimillionaire shipping magnate, Alexander Nikos, during two stints on the NBC soap opera Another World over a course of a decade (1989-98). Both characters ended up getting shot to death by women.

He starred as the patriarch of a multi-generational Italian American family on NBC’s The Montefuscos,...

Actor John Aprea, whose notable TV credits include Full House and Another World, died earlier this month. He was 83.

Aprea’s manager confirmed the news to TMZ on Sunday, saying he passed away on Aug. 7 at his Los Angeles home. A cause of death was not disclosed.

More from TVLinePhil Donahue, Legendary Talk Show Host, Dead at 88America's Got Talent Contestant Perry Kurtz Dead at 73Peter Marshall, Emmy-Winning Host of Hollywood Squares, Dead at 98

Aprea appeared on NBC’s Another World between 1989 and 1998, playing two characters: Lucas Castigliano and Alexander Nikos.

During his decades-long career, Aprea also played Manny Vasquez on Knots Landing,...

During the weekend of July 30, 2004, moviegoers had a choice between two high-profile new releases: The Village, the latest twisty entry from M. Night Shyamalan; and the Jonathan Demme-directed remake of the political thriller The Manchurian Candidate starring Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep.

Oh, and one other contender opened that day, too: Titled Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, it was a lowbrow, zero-frills comedy centered on two friends in New Jersey who, in a single night that turns from mild to wild, seek out their favorite burger joint to satisfy their munchies.

[Editor’s note: this list was originally published in November 2022 and has since been updated.]

It’s an election year in the United States. So, uh, how you doing, buddy?

Even in a world as spectacularly screwed up as ours [insert long list of alarming, urgent problems we have no practical solutions for, ending with some half-assed joke about the planet being on fire that you’ve definitely heard before!], the American political landscape is especially rocky terrain. In a post-Trump-presidency U.S., democracy is on the ballot and faith in both our electoral system and fellow humans is at an all-time low.

But, you knew that. And as the 2024 election cycle has taken it’s many twists and turns, it’s difficult not to feel fatigued by the circular nature of our political landscape and the lack of real progress made on a number of major crises boiling over at this very moment. Even international bystanders are probably dreading the death march to Election Day this year, and the sea to shining shit storm it will likely be. So to keep your head above water as we head into election season, IndieWire staffers have...

Exclusive: Director Brad Furman has rounded out the cast for his indie drama People Not Places, scripted by his mother Ellen Brown Furman, with seven additions. They are Mercedes Ruehl (The Fisher King), Yul Vazquez (The Lost Bus), Laurence Mason (Tin Soldier), Obba Babatundé (S.W.A.T.), Joey Bicicchi (Tin Soldier), Colleen Camp (Amsterdam) and Olivia Jude.

Others rounding out the cast include Sam Jay (You People), Duke George, Wass Stevens (Lansky), Gregg Bello (Crown Vic) and Matthew J. Perry. As previously announced, Shirley MacLaine, Stephen Dorff, Julia Mayorga and Allegra Leguizamo also star.

People Not Places watches as Clare (MacLaine), an elderly widow living in Atlantic City, meets an erratic homeless man (Dorff) who sleeps in cars. Their shared loneliness causes them to bond, as they find the courage to face his regrettable past and her shortened future.

Furman and Jess Fuerst are producing the film...

Jonathan Axelrod, a studio and network executive and television producer and writer, died June 13 in Los Angeles. His ex-wife, television director Katy Garretson, reported his death. He was 74.

Born in New York City, Axelrod moved to Beverly Hills when he was nine, and his father George Axelrod was nominated for an Oscar for penning the screenplay for 1961’s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

He partnered with director John Frankenheimer, who he met as a teenager on the set of his father’s film “The Manchurian Candidate,” to produce TV movies like “Against the Wall.” In the later years of his career, Axelrod produced over two dozen movies for the Hallmark Channel.

His other producing credits include the series “Can’t Hurry Love,” “Brothers Keeper” and “Garage Sale Mysteries.”

Axelrod founded and served as president of talent agency Camden Artists, and later was president of New World Pictures and Columbia Pictures Television. He also...

Jonathan Axelrod, prolific studio and network executive, television producer and writer, and son-in-law of the late George Axelrod, died in his sleep on June 13 in Los Angeles. His death was confirmed to Deadline by his ex-wife, television director/producer Katy Garretson. He was 74.

Axelrod had a long and varied career in film and television. Early on, he founded and was President of the talent agency Camden Artists. He was President of New World Pictures and Columbia Pictures Television.

He was the producing half of Axelrod/Widdoes Entertainment, with actor-director Jamie Widdoes, as well as Axelrod/Edwards with writer-executive Kelly Edwards. He was both SVP of Prime-Time Development and Vice-President of Drama at ABC. He partnered with director John Frankenheimer to produce TV movies like Against the Wall… after meeting Frankenheimer as a...

Conspiracy thriller films have a way of sticking with our minds maybe it’s because they show that the authorities are hiding something and we know that actually might be true or maybe it’s just thrilling to uncover a large conspiracy even in a fictional world. We thought of compiling a list of the best and most thrilling conspiracy movies and we have only included the films that are entertaining and have a large conspiracy in their story. So, here are the 10 best conspiracy thriller movies you shouldn’t miss out on.

All the President’s Men (Rent on Prime Video)

All the President’s Men is a biographical political thriller film directed by Alan J. Pakula from a screenplay by William Goldman. Based on a 1974 non-fiction book of the same name by authors Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, the 1976 film is set during the 1972 elections and it follows the story...

Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have worked on different projects a staggering six times and the director reportedly hopes to extend that number.

And not just with Leonardo DiCaprio, he means to also bring back Jennifer Lawrence for another round of adventures, but this time, there’ll be a lot of singing.

Leonardo DiCaprio – Eyed For the Role of Frank Sinatra In Martin Scorsese’s Planned Biopic

Martin Scorsese, 81, is reportedly planning to make a Frank Sinatra biopic after he completes his independently financed upcoming film Jesus, per Variety.

A source apparently reached out to Variety to reveal that DiCaprio, 49, would play the iconic singer-songwriter in the movie, with Jennifer Lawrence being eyed for the role of Sinatra’s second wife Ava Gardner. DiCaprio and Lawrence, 33, both played lead roles in 2021’s “Don’t Look Up.”

Reba McEntire Betrayed By Old Friend View Story

The project, however, has not been approved as Sinatra’s daughter Tina,...

If Criterion24/7 hasn’t completely colonized your attention every time you open the Channel––this is to say: if you’re stronger than me––their May lineup may be of interest. First and foremost I’m happy to see a Michael Roemer triple-feature: his superlative Nothing But a Man, arriving in a Criterion Edition, and the recently rediscovered The Plot Against Harry and Vengeance is Mine, three distinct features that suggest a long-lost voice of American movies. Meanwhile, Nobuhiko Obayashi’s Antiwar Trilogy four by Sara Driver, and a wide collection from Ayoka Chenzira fill out the auteurist sets.

Series-wise, a highlight of 1999 goes beyond the well-established canon with films like Trick and Bye Bye Africa, while of course including Sofia Coppola, Michael Mann, Scorsese, and Claire Denis. Films starring Shirley Maclaine, a study of 1960s paranoia, and Columbia’s “golden era” (read: 1950-1961) are curated; meanwhile, The Breaking Ice,...

Denzel Washington is one of the most distinguished actors in Hollywood at present. In a career that has spanned over four decades, Washington has become synonymous with the film industry itself.

Not only has he been a part of several memorable films, but he has also set the benchmark for acting, and in the process, has won numerous accolades and awards. However, to get to where he is in his career now, he has had to make some difficult choices. It worked out in the end for The Book of Eli star and other actors who benefited from Washington giving up a few roles.

Denzel Washington has had to give up a few roles in his career (Source: The Manchurian Candidate)

Will Smith was one of the beneficiaries of Denzel Washington dropping a role

Denzel Washington and Will Smith are two of the most in-demand actors in the industry at present.

In 1982, Jonathan Demme directed a lovely TV movie called “Who Am I This Time?” about a shy actor (Christopher Walken) who can only reveal himself on stage in a variety of disparate roles. It’s an emblematic title and idea for Demme himself, a director whose fascination for the viewer lies in the fact that he’s paradoxically both an auteur with a clear signature and a director who tried on different artistic personalities throughout his career. There’s the exploitation guerrilla of the early ’70s; the humanist drama specialist who made “Melvin and Howard,” “Philadelphia,” and “Rachel Getting Married”; the off-beat hipster comedian; the sensitive documentarian; the live performance specialist; and the steward of well resourced, star-driven literary adaptations and remakes that became Demme’s specialty after his blockbuster success with “The Silence of the Lambs” in 1991.

While the subject matter and scale may vary, the point of view...

[Editor’s note: this list was originally published in July 2023 and has since been updated].

America. The land of the free, and the home of buck wild political thrillers. That’s not to take anything away from the ample international political thrillers in existence. But there is something about the United States that seems to make it an ideal setting for suspense built around corruption and conspiracy. Maybe it’s the country’s (misguided) sense of triumph and greatness: when a country is founded on ideals of democracy and liberty, a great yarn about the darkness behind its government is harder to resist. Whatever the case, the country has a great history of political thrillers, some of which stand as all time greats.

As a genre, political thrillers unquestionably hit their peak in the mid-‘70s, thanks to a combination of the JFK assassination, renewed cynicism against the federal government against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, and an honest-to-god conspiracy theory in the form of Watergate.

As I get older, I find it harder and harder to find horror movies from the 80s and even 90s to qualify for a recommendation towards a best horror movie you never saw. First is the influx of all these great companies like Vinegar Syndrome, Arrow, and Severin Films, not to mention Kino and Scream Factory, who pull out all the stops finding the most hidden of hidden gems to clean up and release. Second, we have a ludicrous amount of streaming services, and the free ones typically can find these smaller movies that cost way less to license a streamable version. Between my generation recommending everything under the sun to their coworkers, friends, and family as well as newer generations being willing to stream something if its easy to find, the 80s is well represented, for better and for worse. The 2000s are Chock Full of movies that came...

In The Beatles’ touring years, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr dealt with screaming fans, natural disasters, and political unrest. The band felt exhausted and worn out by 1966, when they agreed to stop touring. This exhaustion came through during one early show, though. Harrison and Lennon were so fed up that they tried to leave in the middle of their performance.

George Harrison and John Lennon tried to leave in the middle of a concert

In 1963, The Beatles played a show at the Wimbledon Palais for their Southern Area Fan Club Convention. Beatlemania was not yet at its peak, but the band got a hint of how their future shows would go. They had mentioned liking the candy Jelly Babies, and fans began pelting them at the band during their performance. They felt boxed in, and Starr said they all began to get nervous.

“I remember we...

Frank Sinatra went through phases like he went through wives. The legendary crooner and movie star could exhibit impeccable taste for what people wanted to see and hear, and then, in a few year's time, completely lose his grasp of the zeitgeist.

Sinatra was threatening to enter one of his down periods in the mid-1960s. The popular music scene was in the throes of Beatlemania, while moviegoers were tiring of the Rat Pack's antics. Who wanted to see Sinatra and the gang saunter their way through Western and gangster pastiches like "4 for Texas" and "Robin and the 7 Hoods" when they could watch Elvis Presley set the screen ablaze with Ann-Margret in "Viva Las Vegas"?

To be fair, Sinatra was still Sinatra, but after giving one of his finest performances in John Frankenheimer's "The Manchurian Candidate," he started playing it way too safe. Bud Yorkin and...

Stephen King adaptations have always been hit and miss. Before Mike Flanagan came along, there was one filmmaker who could always be trusted with King’s material: Frank Darabont, whose first foray into filmmaking was a short adaptation of “The Woman in the Room.” After making a name for himself as a screenwriter with the likes of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and The Blob, Darabont made his feature directorial debut with 1994’s The Shawshank Redemption and followed it up with The Green Mile in 1999.

His thus-far final King adaptation came in 2007 with The Mist, which finds a group of locals trapped in a grocery store while an ominous fog shrouding mysterious secrets envelopes their quaint Maine town. A microcosm of any community, the supermarket is a canny setting for a contained thriller. The divisive mob mentality and pigheaded self-righteousness that manifests under pressure is even more poignant in a post-Trump world.

Christmas comes early on Max, as the streamer adds a bevy of holiday movies to its library for the month of November, alongside new TV debuts, a noteworthy documentary and more. “Elf,” “Christmas Vacation,” “Arthur Christmas,” “The Shop Around the Corner” and “Four Christmases” are some of the holiday films arriving on the streaming platform on Nov. 1.

This month also sees the Season 2 premieres of “Rap Sh!t” (on Nov. 9) and “Julia” (on Nov. 16) and the series premiere of “Two and a Half Men” creator Chuck Lorre’s new sitcom “Bookie” starring Sebastian Maniscalco (on Nov. 30).

On Nov. 11, check out the documentary “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life” in which the comedian, actor and filmmaker’s best friend Rob Reiner peppers him with questions about his life and career.

And Chip and Joanna Gaines renovate a 100-year-old building in “Fixer Upper: The Hotel,” which premieres on Nov. 8.

Check out the full list...

It’s a lean month for new original content on HBO/Max. November will see the return of two scripted series in Julia and Rap Sh!t, both of which are debuting their respective second seasons, but this month’s fresh highlight is likely to be Bookie, a new comedy series from the partnership of The Big Bang Theory creator Chuck Lorre, and Nick Bakay. The show tracks an LA bookie called Danny (Sebastian Maniscalco), whose business is in peril as California movies to legalize sports gambling.

Elsewhere in November, there quite a few interesting documentaries to keep an eye on, and two that jump out as “must watch”. The first is Albert Brooks: Defending My Life, which chronicles the aging comedian’s life and career. The second is the previously-released Little Richard: I Am Everything, which tries to peel back the whitewashed canon of Richard Penniman in a true...

Sarah Lancashire and David Hyde Pierce in ‘Julia’ season 2 (Photograph by Sebastein Gonon/Max)

Max’s November 2023 schedule includes season two of Julia starring Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child and the return of Rap Sh!t with Aida Osman and Mia KaMillion. Bookie, a new comedy about sports gambling created by Chuck Lorre, makes its debut on November 30th with Sebastian Maniscalco starring as an LA bookie.

HBO documentaries Albert Brooks: Defending My Life and South to Black Power will stream on Max this November, along with CNN Films’ Little Richard: I Am Everything.

Series & Films Arriving On Max In November 2023:

November 1

Act of Valor (2012)

After the Thin Man (1936)

Aliens (1986)

The Ant Bully (2006)

Arthur Christmas (2011)

The Avengers (1998)

The Bachelor (1999)

The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

Bells Are Ringing (1960)

Black Beauty (1994)

Boys’ Night Out (1962)

Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984)

Brigadoon (1954)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

A Christmas Carol (1938)

Christmas Cookie Challenge, Seasons...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors awards are moving from Nov. 18 to Jan. 9 amid the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Angela Bassett, Mel Brooks, editor Carol Littleton and the Sundance Institute’s Michelle Satter are set to be honored at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. The Tuesday ceremony will take place two days after the Golden Globes.

The Governors awards is a union production, so the Academy is working with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA to monitor the situation.

The Honorary Award, an Oscar statuette, is given “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”

Satter is receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, also an Oscar statuette, which is given “to an individual in the motion picture arts and sciences whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.

With The Equalizer 3 pulling in solid numbers in its debut weekend, we wanted to know what your favorite movie in the legendary actors filmography is. Are you more a fan of his hard hitting dramatic work or his more action packed films? As always if you don’t see your favorite listed, click “Other” and let us know what it is (and why) in the comments.

Favorite Denzel Washington FilmCry Freedom (1987)Glory (1989)Mo' Better Blues (1990)Malcolm X (1992)The Pelican Brief (1993)Philadelphia (1993)Crimson Tide (1995)Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)Courage Under Fire (1996)The Preacher's Wife (1996)Fallen (1998)He Got Game (1998)The Siege (1998)The Bone Collector (1999)The Hurricane (1999)Remember The Titans (2000)Training Day (2001)John Q (2002)Antwone Fisher (2002)Man on Fire (2004)The Manchurian Candidate (2004)Inside Man (2006)American Gangster (2007)The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)The Book of Eli (2010)Unstoppable (2010)Safe House (2012)Flight (2012)The Equalizer (2014)The Magnificent Seven (2016)Fences (2016)Roman J. Israel, Esq (2017)The Equalizer 2...

The ’70s were the perfect time to be paranoid: rumors of government-sanctioned assassinations here and abroad, second-gunman theories around dead presidents, whispers of elite secret societies pulling strings, that whole Watergate thing. It wafted in the air like yesterday’s tear gas. The movies picked up the vibe and amplified it. Buy a ticket and you could see Warren Beatty discover an assassin-recruitment corporation (The Parallax View), Robert Redford as a CIA analyst on the run from agency goons (Three Days of the Condor), Gene Hackman get tripped up over...

A deranged killer clown…

A mad bride covered in blood…

A desperate man sells his soul to the Devil…

Horror movie villains? Of course. But also, surprisingly, protagonists of world-famous operas.

Because while it might not seem immediately obvious, opera and horror are genres with many commonalities. Like horror, traditional classical opera thrives on grandiosity, with overwhelming visuals and soaring soundtracks to imply the conflict, intrigue and drama. Like horror, opera focuses on the extremes of human emotion and interaction: obsessive vengeance, unresolved despair, consuming passions. Both genres are stereotyped by outsiders–opera as a tedious or incomprehensible ordeal, horror movies as tawdry and tasteless. And fans of both will cry betrayal at anything that deviates from long-standing, deeply cherished genre tropes–they like what they like and they’ll throw down to defend their opinions. (Forget about your heated Freddy vs. Jason arguments; start a debate on whether a...

As the granddaddy of the political thriller, The Manchurian Candidate offers a précis on what sets the genre apart from other suspense films. Thrillers are generally defined by absence, withholding details so as to prevent audiences from getting ahead of plots that lean on an element of surprise. Yet John Frankenheimer’s film subverts such trends at nearly every turn. It provides the clues to a crime before the crime is even committed, leaving the viewer to parcel out which details are related and relevant and building tension from the mounting realization that they all are.

The film’s structure is at once straightforward and subtly dissonant, as when the opening scene, of the ambush and capture of a U.S. Army platoon in Korea, jumps abruptly to the men, minus two comrades, returning home safe and sound days later. The seeming ease of their escape clashes with the totality of their defeat,...

The Beatles got so big, so famous, that it started making some members of the band nervous. George Harrison was among the musicians who grew wary of the hysteria that surrounded himself, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and Paul McCartney.

George Harrison | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images The one-sided relationship between The Beatles and their fans

Though Harrison, Lennon, Starr, and McCartney gained fame and fortune through the rise of the Beatles, they gave up a lot, too — privacy, security, peace. Harrison felt the relationship between the band and their fans became “very one-sided.”

“The people gave their money and they gave their screams, but the Beatles gave their nervous systems, which is a much more difficult thing to give,” he said, as reported in The Love You Make by Peter Brown and Steven Gaines.

We love you, George. pic.twitter.com/NqJ36rnMKC

— George Harrison (@GeorgeHarrison) February 25, 2023 George Harrison worried...

The headline of this column is doubtlessly unfair. I’m judging a movie before I’ve seen it, before it has even been made. Given the vast volume of junky indifferent product that now slides through the megaplex, and the streaming ocean, on a weekly basis, why not settle in for an ambitious remake of “Vertigo,” Alfred Hitchcock’s romantically kinky and voluptuous dream thriller of 1958? At least it’s not “Texas Chainsaw Xviii” or another “Minions” movie. At least it will be interesting (right?).

Robert Downey Jr., who is in talks to produce and possibly star in a remake of “Vertigo” at Paramount (home of the original film), is a great actor. But once he became a box-office superstar, 15 years ago, with “Iron Man,” he got sucked into the escapist vortex of Marvel and “Sherlock Holmes” and duds like “Dolittle.” Downey, who is about to turn 58, needs to rediscover himself as an actor.

Every year the “In Memoriam” tribute at the Oscars leaves off a few fan favorites and 2023 was no exception: Among those who weren’t included in Sunday night’s video montage were Anne Heche, “Saving Private Ryan” star Tom Sizemore and Charlbi Dean, who appeared in this year’s Best Picture nominee “Triangle of Sadness.”

Fans also noted the absence of Cindy Williams: While she was best known for the ’70s TV sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” she notably appeared in two classic films of the era, George Lucas’ “American Graffiti” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Conversation.”

And while the tribute included “Goodfellas” star Ray Liotta, who died unexpectedly on May 26, 2022, his costar Paul Sorvino, who died in July 2022, was left out.

Also Read:

Celebrity Deaths in 2023: Hollywood Stars We’ve Lost This Year (Photos)

Also missing from the tribute: two-time Oscar nominee Melinda Dillon of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,...

Jamie Lee Curtis is a Hollywood legend. She’s had a decades-long career and earned a shelf full of accolades, including a BAFTA and two Golden Globes. But she had to wait until 2023 to get her first Oscar nomination. This year, she’s nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once. The recognition puts her on track to be the first person in her famous family to win an Oscar. Both her parents were also nominated for Academy Awards, though neither won.

Jamie Lee Curtis’s father, Tony Curtis, was nominated for Best Actor for ‘The Defiant Ones’ Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in ‘The Defiant Ones’ | Afp via Getty Images

Curtis, who was born in 1958, is the daughter of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Her father started acting in the late 1940s, with roles in movies such as The Lady Gambles and City Across the River.

Amazon Prime Video has popped off with plenty of new content for March 2023 with original shows and some great catches for films to stream. “Top Gun: Maverick” will arrive March 24, and Jordan Peele’s “Nope” before that on March 21. For those anticipating “Creed III,” the first two films starring and directed by Michael B. Jordan will become available at the beginning of March along with all of the “Rocky” films as well as “Cinderella Man” for the broader boxing buff community. A theatrical release from 2022, “The Silent Twins,” starring Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrence arrives March 7.

Friday March 3 will see “Daisy Jones & The Six” rock the world when the band’s epic limited series comes out. Riley Keough, Sam Claflin, Suki Waterhouse, and more will bring Taylor Jenkins Reid’s best-selling novel to life. Other shows to look forward to on the streamer are Donald Glover’s horror series...

Anthony Mackie is an American actor and producer. He has appeared in a wide range of movies, from small independent films to blockbuster superhero movies such as Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Infinity War and Endgame. He has also starred in numerous television series such as Altered Carbon, The Wire and Brothers In Arms.

Anthony Mackie. Depostiphotos

Anthony Mackie began his acting career on the stage at the age of 14 with the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. After graduating from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, he went on to land roles in various film and television projects. His breakout role came when he was cast opposite Denzel Washington in the 2002 crime drama Antwone Fisher. This led to further roles in such Hollywood productions as Million Dollar Baby, The Manchurian Candidate and Half Nelson.

In 2014, Anthony Mackie scored his big break when...

Picture this: you're deep in the woods, alone save for your family, enjoying the silent majesty of a secluded night in nature while all manner of creatures great and small slumber peacefully around you. Most importantly, you're snug inside a yellow sleeping bag, looking for all the world like a giant banana.

Then, suddenly and without warning, a mutant killer bear emerges from the woods, its gaping maw looking like it's melting as it bellows an unholy roar and attacks. Trapped in your banana bag, you helplessly try to run away like you're in the world's worst potato sack race. It's all for nought, as the bear reaches out with one measly swipe of its paw, and you fly through the air only to hit a rock and shatter into a million feathery pieces.

If this scene sounds gloriously horrifying and/or exciting to you, then you need to see...

Director / Producer / Showrunner Greg Yaitanes discusses a few of his favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Innerspace (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, The Atomo-Vision Of Joe Dante At The American Cinematheque

The Ipcress File (1965) – Howard Rodman’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

On The Border (1998)

Hard Justice (1995)

Rorschach (1993)

Hard Target (1993)

Hard Boiled (1992)

Risky Business (1983)

Assault Platoon (1990)

Forrest Gump (1994)

Star Wars (1977)

All That Jazz (1979) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary

Star 80 (1983)

Lenny (1974) – Robert Weide’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing

The Pope Of Greenwich Village (1984)

Southern Comfort (1981)

The Trial (1962) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary

How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

Babylon (2022)

Hitman’s Run (1999)

Birdy (1984)

The Last Temptation Of Christ (1988)

The Paper House (1986)

A History Of Violence (2005)

The Passion Of The Christ (2004)

Hail Mary (1985)

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

Double Tap (1997)

Conspiracy Theory (1997)

Die Hard (1988)

Heat (1995)

Manhunter (1986) – Josh Olson’s...

Throughout 2022, we have been updating our “In Memoriam” photo gallery (view above). Scroll through to remember 32 entertainers from film, television, theater and music. Many were winners at the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and/or Tonys. Here is a closer look at just a few of those we celebrate in our gallery:

Fleetwood Mac singer and songwriter Christine McVie died on November 30 at age 79. Some of her biggest hits were “Don’t Stop,” “Everywhere” and “Little Lies.” The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Music legend Jerry Lee Lewis died on October 28 at age 87. He was an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Hits included “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Great Balls of Fire” and “Breathless.” He was a Grammy Award winner and received their life achievement award.

SEEAngela Lansbury movies: 12 greatest films ranked from worst...

This article contains Glass Onion spoilers.

Agatha Christie once famously said, “Every murderer is probably somebody’s old friend.” Perhaps that’s why in Rian Johnson’s latest whodunit, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, the filmmaker has littered the screen with pals. If Benoit Blanc—who is winsomely as ever played by Daniel Craig—is a pursuer of the truth, and the vigilant hound dog chasing hidden murderers wherever they may dwell, surely he is then conscious of the company he keeps? There might even be some murderers in his midst… or at least fellow detectives.

Indeed, Johnson and Craig use their second Benoit Blanc picture to invite a lot of real-life friends to come out and play, and many of whom’s appearances have hidden ulterior motives that only the most eagle-eyed sleuths might notice. Let us explain…

Angela Lansbury

Among the first and most fan-pleasing cameos is...

December is here, and some holly jolly cheer along with some spooks and scares will come to Amazon Prime Video in the form of newly added shows and movies.

Prime Video Original Christmas rom-coms on the way include “Something From Tiffany’s” — out Dec. 9 — starring Zoey Deutch and Kendrick Smith Sampson about strangers who cross paths unintentionally, discovering they might be meant for each other instead of their significant others as well as “Your Christmas or Mine?” — out Dec. 2 — starring Asa Butterfield, Cora Kirk, Alex Jennings, David Bradley, Harriet Walters, Daniel Mays, Angela Griffin, Natalie Gumede, Lucien Laviscount and Ram John Holder.

For those still nursing a Halloween hangover, Nikyatu Jusu’s horror film “Nanny” starring Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan and Sinqua Walls arrives Dec. 16, and suspense thriller “Three Pines,” adapted from Louise Penny’s best-selling series, arrives Dec. 2, starring Alfred Molina. There’s also the finale of “The Peripheral” starring...

It’s time to get the hot cocoa boiling and the holiday decorations up! It’s almost December and nearly every streaming service has consumers covered with both seasonal content and new shows to carry them into the new year. Amazon’s Prime Video service has a few new series debuting, including “Riches.” Starring Deborah Ayorinde, from “Them,” the series is described as “a high-stakes family drama about the exploits of the stylish, privileged, and super-successful Richards siblings vying for control over the family business.”

The streamer also brings actor John Krasinski back into the world of Tom Clancy with the third season of “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan.” This installment finds CIA officer Jack Ryan wrongly accused of treason and on the run from his own government as he races against the clock to stop a global catastrophe. The season hits December 21.

If you’re in the market for classic television,...

It feels like it's been a bit of a meteoric rise to stardom for Anthony Mackie, even if the New Orleans-born actor has been doing strong work on the big screen for the last two decades following his first film role in the Eminem-starring "8 Mile." After making a splash as the main antagonist in that movie, Mackie started working steadily with roles in "The Manchurian Candidate," "Million Dollar Baby," "We Are Marshall," and "The Hurt Locker," but it wasn't until he landed the coveted role of Sam Wilson, better known as the Falcon, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that his career really started to soar.

After making his MCU debut in the acclaimed "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," Mackie has, to date, strapped on the wings five more times on the big screen. Last year, he carried the character over to the small screen alongside Sebastian Stan's...

Henry Silva, who gave memorable turns over the course of a 40+-year career as a distinct presence on the big screen, has died. He was 95.

A genuinely commanding and terrifying presence, Henry Silva’s extensive career put him in numerous roles in action flicks, thrillers and exploitation movies. An early turn in The Tall T marked him as a face to watch–and be frightened of. A series of westerns and adventurers led to him being cast as one of Danny Ocean’s 11. In a fitting close to his career, Henry Silva made a cameo in Steven Soderbergh’s remake.

Other key roles in Henry Silva’s career include those in The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Johnny Cool (1963), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), Sharky’s Machine (1981), and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (2000), which is easily one of his finest performances.

There, too, was the barrage of Italian crime movies that...

Henry Silva, who starred in Johnny Cool, fought Frank Sinatra in The Manchurian Candidate and was one of Sinatra’s fellow thieves in Ocean’s 11, among dozens of screen roles spanning a half-century, died Wednesday of natural causes at the Motion Picture and Television Fund Hospital in Woodland Hills, CA. He was 95.

An actor whose distinctive face often led to typecasting as the heavy, his 130-plus film and TV credits also include The Bravados, starring Gregory Peck (1958); Cinderfella, with Jerry Lewis (1960); the Rat Pack-led Western Sergeants 3 (1962); Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979); Love and Bullets with Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland and Rod Steiger (1979); the Burt Reynolds pics Sharky’s Machine (1981) and Cannonball Run II (1982); Warren Beatty’s Dick Tracy (1990); Steven Seagal’s first film Above the Law (1988); and Jim Jarmusch’s Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai with Forest Whitaker (1999).

Along with the title role opposite Elizabeth Montgomery in Johnny Cool...

Henry Silva, a character actor known for playing bad guys and gangsters in movies like “The Manchurian Candidate” and “Ocean’s 11,” has died.

Silva died Wednesday of natural causes at the Motion Picture Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, his son Scott Silva confirmed to Variety. He was 95.

The stage and screen actor, whose career spanned 50 years and 140 TV and film credits, was also an honorary member of The Rat Pack. He starred alongside Frank Sinatra in both “Ocean’s 11” (1960) and “The Manchurian Candidate,” (1962) in which he played one of the 11 casino robbers in the classic caper film. Also in 1962, they both appeared in “Sergeants 3” and would go on to collaborate on the TV movie “Contract on Cherry Street” (1977) and “Cannonball Run II” (1984) with Dean Martin.

Also Read:

Henry Fuhrmann, Longtime LA Times Editor Who Championed Inclusive Writing in Journalism, Dies at 65

In the wake of the news,...

Henry Silva, an actor with a striking look who often played villains and had credits in hundreds of films including “Ocean’s Eleven” and “The Manchurian Candidate,” died of natural causes Wednesday at the Motion Picture Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, Calif., his son Scott confirmed. He was 95.

One of Silva’s most memorable roles came in John Frankenheimer’s classic thriller “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962), in which he played Chunjin, the Korean houseboy for Laurence Harvey’s Raymond Shaw — and an agent for the Communists — who engages in a thrilling, well-choreographed martial arts battle with Frank Sinatra’s Major Bennett Marco in Shaw’s New York apartment.

Silva appeared in a number of other movies with Sinatra, including the original, Rat Pack-populated “Ocean’s Eleven” (1960) with Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., where he was one of the 11 thieves, and 1962 Western “Sergeants 3.”

His death was...

Click here to read the full article.

Henry Silva, the rugged New York actor who portrayed heavies and heroes of various ethnicities in a career highlighted by turns in A Hatful of Rain, The Manchurian Candidate and Johnny Cool, has died. He was 95.

Silva died Wednesday of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, his son Scott Silva told The Hollywood Reporter.

Silva also played the Draconian commander “Killer” Kane in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), just one in a lineup of his bad guys seen in The Tall T (1957), The Bravados (1958), Il Boss (1973), Sharky’s Machine (1981), Above the Law (1988), Dick Tracy (1990) and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999).

“Henry Silva is one of those guys you most likely will recognize even if you don’t know his name,” onetime Crimespree magazine writer Dave Wahlman wrote in 2016. “His face is something straight...