Nicole Kidman’s friends and collaborators will be in the building when she is honored at the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award Gala.
AFI shared that Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Naomi Watts and Reese Witherspoon are set as presenters for the gala, scheduled to take place at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on April 27.
Fellow AFI Life Achievement Award winner Streep worked with Kidman on HBO’s Big Little Lies, as did Witherspoon. Both Kidman and Witherspoon served as executive producers of the Emmy Award-winning hit series. Watts is a longtime friend of Kidman dating back to their early acting careers. They both starred in the 1991 feature Flirting. Freeman and Kidman collaborated on the Paramount series Lioness for Taylor Sheridan.
“Nicole Kidman embodies the glamour and romance of Hollywood past – a true screen icon – but she is also a risk taker – and so each performance is something new and something profound,...
AFI shared that Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Naomi Watts and Reese Witherspoon are set as presenters for the gala, scheduled to take place at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on April 27.
Fellow AFI Life Achievement Award winner Streep worked with Kidman on HBO’s Big Little Lies, as did Witherspoon. Both Kidman and Witherspoon served as executive producers of the Emmy Award-winning hit series. Watts is a longtime friend of Kidman dating back to their early acting careers. They both starred in the 1991 feature Flirting. Freeman and Kidman collaborated on the Paramount series Lioness for Taylor Sheridan.
“Nicole Kidman embodies the glamour and romance of Hollywood past – a true screen icon – but she is also a risk taker – and so each performance is something new and something profound,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In previous articles, we have taken a look at stars of the past we would like to see make a comeback – and there are a lot of them! It was too hard to narrow it down to just a few, so now we’ve put together another list of 80s stars we want back, including a couple of Freddy victims, some 1980s beauties we miss, and a lady we’ve only seen twice on our screens.
Michael Beck
It’s a sad tale of a promising career being kneecapped by bad luck… actually, by a bad movie. Playing the character Swan in the 1979 classic The Warriors, Michael Beck proved he had what it took to be a badass leading man. It looked like his career would be soaring onward and upward from there. But his momentum came to a screeching halt the following year when he had the misfortune of...
Michael Beck
It’s a sad tale of a promising career being kneecapped by bad luck… actually, by a bad movie. Playing the character Swan in the 1979 classic The Warriors, Michael Beck proved he had what it took to be a badass leading man. It looked like his career would be soaring onward and upward from there. But his momentum came to a screeching halt the following year when he had the misfortune of...
- 4/13/2024
- by Emilie Black
- JoBlo.com
The late Stanley Donen was born on April 13, 1924. The legendary filmmaker — the last of the directors from Hollywood’s golden age — passed away on February 21, 2019, leaving behind a legacy of classic movies filled with color, song, and dance. Let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Donen got his start as a dancer. It was in the chorus line for George Abbott‘s production of “Pal Joey” that he met Gene Kelly. The two became quick friends, and Donen started working as Kelly’s assistant, helping him choreograph his intensely acrobatic dance sequences.
The two turned to filmmaking with “On the Town” (1949), a lavish Technicolor musical about three sailors on a 24 hour shore leave in New York City. They teamed up again for perhaps the greatest movie musical of all time: “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952). A satire of Hollywood’s rocky transition from silent cinema to sound,...
Donen got his start as a dancer. It was in the chorus line for George Abbott‘s production of “Pal Joey” that he met Gene Kelly. The two became quick friends, and Donen started working as Kelly’s assistant, helping him choreograph his intensely acrobatic dance sequences.
The two turned to filmmaking with “On the Town” (1949), a lavish Technicolor musical about three sailors on a 24 hour shore leave in New York City. They teamed up again for perhaps the greatest movie musical of all time: “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952). A satire of Hollywood’s rocky transition from silent cinema to sound,...
- 4/6/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
The preview opening of the new exhibit Meet the Stars: 100 Years of MGM Studios and the Golden Age of Hollywood on Thursday night was a crowded, buzzing affair. Held at the Hollywood Heritage Museum in the historic Lasky DeMille Barn across from the Hollywood Bowl, the event showcased the items of over 20 movie collectors. Memorabilia hunters, dressed in fedoras and flirty ’40s dresses, gabbed about their latest finds with others who have a similar passion.
The highlight of the night was when the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to former MGM child star Cora Sue Collins (who played a little Greta Garbo in 1933’s Queen Christina), the last surviving MGM contract player from the 1930s. Sitting at a tableau that recreated a party thrown for her by MGM in 1935, Collins elegantly thanked everyone for their well wishes. Actor George Chakiris was also in attendance, and he posed next to a costume...
The highlight of the night was when the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to former MGM child star Cora Sue Collins (who played a little Greta Garbo in 1933’s Queen Christina), the last surviving MGM contract player from the 1930s. Sitting at a tableau that recreated a party thrown for her by MGM in 1935, Collins elegantly thanked everyone for their well wishes. Actor George Chakiris was also in attendance, and he posed next to a costume...
- 4/5/2024
- by Hadley Meares
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
by Cláudio Alves
Gerwig and Greenwood discuss Barbie in a behind-the-scenes video. | © Warner Bros.Last Sunday, Sarah Greenwood officially became the most nominated production designer without an Oscar, breaking her tie with Nathan Crowley for the "Diane Warren" distinction. This year, she was nominated for Barbie, another triumph among many in a career spanning 1980s BBC miniseries to 21st-century Hollywood blockbusters.
Though many of her best works rely on a sense of material realism, the Greta Gerwig feature aimed for a sort of "authentic artificiality" where denying reality is a sort of reality into itself. For Greenwood, midcentury Palm Springs was a source of real-world inspiration to combine with Mattel's history, adding a sense of internal logic to Barbieland. Moreover, the aesthetic was sustained by old-school techniques like hand-painted backdrops and a practical fake sea, visible wires holding everything together in the loopy transitions between worlds. She used scale as a tool for wonderment,...
Gerwig and Greenwood discuss Barbie in a behind-the-scenes video. | © Warner Bros.Last Sunday, Sarah Greenwood officially became the most nominated production designer without an Oscar, breaking her tie with Nathan Crowley for the "Diane Warren" distinction. This year, she was nominated for Barbie, another triumph among many in a career spanning 1980s BBC miniseries to 21st-century Hollywood blockbusters.
Though many of her best works rely on a sense of material realism, the Greta Gerwig feature aimed for a sort of "authentic artificiality" where denying reality is a sort of reality into itself. For Greenwood, midcentury Palm Springs was a source of real-world inspiration to combine with Mattel's history, adding a sense of internal logic to Barbieland. Moreover, the aesthetic was sustained by old-school techniques like hand-painted backdrops and a practical fake sea, visible wires holding everything together in the loopy transitions between worlds. She used scale as a tool for wonderment,...
- 3/18/2024
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
Turner Classic Movies will turn 30 on April 14, 2024. That’s right: It’ll be 30 years since Ted Turner flipped the switch — flanked by Old Hollywood legends Arthur Hiller, Arlene Dahl, Jane Powell, Celeste Holm, and Van Johnson — right in the middle of Times Square to turn the network “on.”
Also with Turner that day was the man who’d become TCM’s longtime host, Robert Osborne, then just 61. A veteran columnist for The Hollywood Reporter, Osborne had become known as a close friend to many of the surviving stars of yesteryear ever since he was photographed kissing Bette Davis’s hand during a Golden Globes broadcast in the late ’70s. He’d go on to host the intros and outros for most of TCM’s primetime lineup for close to 23 years after that launch date, until he died in March 2017 at 84.
For so many TCM fans, Robert Osborne was the network.
Also with Turner that day was the man who’d become TCM’s longtime host, Robert Osborne, then just 61. A veteran columnist for The Hollywood Reporter, Osborne had become known as a close friend to many of the surviving stars of yesteryear ever since he was photographed kissing Bette Davis’s hand during a Golden Globes broadcast in the late ’70s. He’d go on to host the intros and outros for most of TCM’s primetime lineup for close to 23 years after that launch date, until he died in March 2017 at 84.
For so many TCM fans, Robert Osborne was the network.
- 3/14/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Millie Bobby Brown, action icon? The actress revealed this week she performed all her own stunts in Netflix’s new film, Damsel.
“I feel like the female version of Tom Cruise,” Brown declared during a recent appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show. “I did all my own stunts from start to finish.”
Notorious for performing his own death-defying stunts, Cruise famously once said of his action work, “No one asked Gene Kelly, ‘Why do you dance?’”
This week, Brown went on to clarify that her action work still came with plenty of nerves. “I’m really scared about doing my own stunts. Stunts are scary,” she said. “You’re just like, ‘I’m not physically trained to do this.'”
Despite the fear, the Stranger Things actress kept her eyes on the prize: “You’re just like, ‘Are we really gonna, like, am I really gonna do that stunt?’” she said.
“I feel like the female version of Tom Cruise,” Brown declared during a recent appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show. “I did all my own stunts from start to finish.”
Notorious for performing his own death-defying stunts, Cruise famously once said of his action work, “No one asked Gene Kelly, ‘Why do you dance?’”
This week, Brown went on to clarify that her action work still came with plenty of nerves. “I’m really scared about doing my own stunts. Stunts are scary,” she said. “You’re just like, ‘I’m not physically trained to do this.'”
Despite the fear, the Stranger Things actress kept her eyes on the prize: “You’re just like, ‘Are we really gonna, like, am I really gonna do that stunt?’” she said.
- 3/7/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Screen Actors Guild has been presenting its annual life achievement award for many decades. The most recent recipient for 2024 was double Oscar winner Barbra Streisand.
For the 2023 event, Sally Field was the latest veteran performer to receive the Screen Actor’s Guild life achievement award. Starting in 1995, audiences around the world have been able to enjoy this celebration of a beloved thespian’s work, crammed right in the middle of a nail-biting awards telecast. In honor of De Niro’s accomplishment, let’s take a look back at every person to be given this prize since the event was first televised. Our gallery includes Helen Mirren, Robert De Niro, Alan Alda, Morgan Freeman, Carol Burnett, Rita Moreno, Betty White, Shirley Temple and more.
SAG began handing out a career achievement prize to actors who left their mark on both the big screen and small in 1962. It wasn’t until...
For the 2023 event, Sally Field was the latest veteran performer to receive the Screen Actor’s Guild life achievement award. Starting in 1995, audiences around the world have been able to enjoy this celebration of a beloved thespian’s work, crammed right in the middle of a nail-biting awards telecast. In honor of De Niro’s accomplishment, let’s take a look back at every person to be given this prize since the event was first televised. Our gallery includes Helen Mirren, Robert De Niro, Alan Alda, Morgan Freeman, Carol Burnett, Rita Moreno, Betty White, Shirley Temple and more.
SAG began handing out a career achievement prize to actors who left their mark on both the big screen and small in 1962. It wasn’t until...
- 2/14/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Has any entertainment scripted project ever featured more Oscar winners? Tour our special Valentine’s Day photo gallery to see which 33 Academy Awards champs made appearances on the very popular Aaron Spelling show “The Love Boat.”
For one full decade of 1977 to 1987, ABC could count on its comedy/drama series “The Love Boat” to bring in millions of audience members on Saturday nights. The show would have multiple story arcs (often three for a one-hour episode) with five to 10 celebrity guest stars each time. Some arcs were playing out for laughs, others for romance and the remainder could take on tough issues. The show airs daily on the Decades network and on Sunday afternoons for Me-tv. You can also stream every episode on Paramount+.
Regular cast members would either take command of some segments or be in the backseat on others. The charming actors throughout the decade were Gavin MacLeod...
For one full decade of 1977 to 1987, ABC could count on its comedy/drama series “The Love Boat” to bring in millions of audience members on Saturday nights. The show would have multiple story arcs (often three for a one-hour episode) with five to 10 celebrity guest stars each time. Some arcs were playing out for laughs, others for romance and the remainder could take on tough issues. The show airs daily on the Decades network and on Sunday afternoons for Me-tv. You can also stream every episode on Paramount+.
Regular cast members would either take command of some segments or be in the backseat on others. The charming actors throughout the decade were Gavin MacLeod...
- 2/13/2024
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
When Harry Met Sally (courtesy Columbia Pictures)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Whether it’s the tension of the countdown, the promise of romance, or simply the idea of letting go of the past and moving on into an unknown future, there’s just something about New Year’s Eve that brings on new revelations,...
Whether it’s the tension of the countdown, the promise of romance, or simply the idea of letting go of the past and moving on into an unknown future, there’s just something about New Year’s Eve that brings on new revelations,...
- 12/29/2023
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Alice Walker started the phenomenon with her Pulitzer-winning 1982 book, and three years later Steven Spielberg turned it into a movie that got 11 Oscar nominations. In 2005, it took on new life as a Broadway musical, and in 2015 that musical got a Tony- and Grammy-winning revival.
Along the way it made big film and stage stars out of Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Cynthia Erivo, Danielle Brooks and Fantasia Barrino, the latter now making her feature starring debut as Celie in the new film version of the musical she led 18 years ago on Broadway. The Color Purple is indestructible, and that is also a good word to describe director Blitz Bazawule’s and screenwriter Marcus Gardley’s take that breathes exciting life into the story for new and older generations but also, to quote an original song from this film, really finds a way to “Keep It Movin’.”
Musicals have gone through a tough time recently.
Along the way it made big film and stage stars out of Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Cynthia Erivo, Danielle Brooks and Fantasia Barrino, the latter now making her feature starring debut as Celie in the new film version of the musical she led 18 years ago on Broadway. The Color Purple is indestructible, and that is also a good word to describe director Blitz Bazawule’s and screenwriter Marcus Gardley’s take that breathes exciting life into the story for new and older generations but also, to quote an original song from this film, really finds a way to “Keep It Movin’.”
Musicals have gone through a tough time recently.
- 12/19/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Movies and television have been competing for the same audience's time and money since TV was invented, but they've also formed a strange symbiosis. There have been a heck of a lot of movies based on TV shows, and a heck of a lot of TV shows based on movies.
Some of those shows based on movies have been major pop culture milestones, like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "The Karate Kid," and "Friday Night Lights." And of course a whole lot of been almost completely forgotten, like the sitcoms based on "Dirty Dancing," "Working Girl," and "Animal House."
But one thing these TV shows usually have in common is that they're almost always based on a hit movie. It's not surprising when a blockbuster like "M*A*S*H" or "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" gets turned into a television series. It's even common for smaller, but critically acclaimed films...
Some of those shows based on movies have been major pop culture milestones, like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "The Karate Kid," and "Friday Night Lights." And of course a whole lot of been almost completely forgotten, like the sitcoms based on "Dirty Dancing," "Working Girl," and "Animal House."
But one thing these TV shows usually have in common is that they're almost always based on a hit movie. It's not surprising when a blockbuster like "M*A*S*H" or "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" gets turned into a television series. It's even common for smaller, but critically acclaimed films...
- 12/18/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
Francis Ford Coppola’s “One From the Heart: Reprise” is getting a restored re-release.
The 1982 film, which follows a couple in Las Vegas, landed a “Reprise” cut with more than 19 minutes of additional footage in September 2023, debuting at the Venice Film Festival. Overseen by Coppola, the 4K restoration of the “Reprise” cut comes courtesy of distributor Rialto Pictures, which will release the film in select theaters on January 19.
“I’ve always loved ‘One from the Heart,’ despite the disruption it caused in my dreams for American Zoetrope,” Coppola said. “However, there is magic in cinema and while preparing this film for 4K, it was apparent I could refine the story. This new version is an improvement in many ways and I am proud of what was achieved with ‘One from the Heart: Reprise.'”
“One From the Heart” centers on Hank (Frederic Forrest} and Frannie (Teri Garr) who break up on their fifth anniversary.
The 1982 film, which follows a couple in Las Vegas, landed a “Reprise” cut with more than 19 minutes of additional footage in September 2023, debuting at the Venice Film Festival. Overseen by Coppola, the 4K restoration of the “Reprise” cut comes courtesy of distributor Rialto Pictures, which will release the film in select theaters on January 19.
“I’ve always loved ‘One from the Heart,’ despite the disruption it caused in my dreams for American Zoetrope,” Coppola said. “However, there is magic in cinema and while preparing this film for 4K, it was apparent I could refine the story. This new version is an improvement in many ways and I am proud of what was achieved with ‘One from the Heart: Reprise.'”
“One From the Heart” centers on Hank (Frederic Forrest} and Frannie (Teri Garr) who break up on their fifth anniversary.
- 12/15/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
While Francis Coppola plans to set cinema alight in 2024 with his final epic Megalopolis, the Oscar-winner will begin the year with a revisit of one his most misunderstood efforts, One From The Heart. That’s the 1981 picture that Coppola threw himself into so hard, creatively and financially, that his American Zoetrope had to declare bankruptcy when it failed to draw audiences. It took Coppola years to build back his fortune with film hits and a win empire, to the current situation where he was able to self finance the $100 million+ Megalopolis.
Specialty distributor Rialto Pictures is bringing a brand-new 4K restoration of One From The Heart: Reprise to theaters on January 19. Coppola supervised the reprise cut, which will be released in New York and Los Angeles before rolling out to additional cities across the U.S. StudioCanal and Park Circus will be releasing the film in cinemas and home entertainment...
Specialty distributor Rialto Pictures is bringing a brand-new 4K restoration of One From The Heart: Reprise to theaters on January 19. Coppola supervised the reprise cut, which will be released in New York and Los Angeles before rolling out to additional cities across the U.S. StudioCanal and Park Circus will be releasing the film in cinemas and home entertainment...
- 12/15/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
“Deep Dive” is an in-depth podcast and video essay series featuring interviews with the stars and creative team behind an exceptional piece of filmmaking. For this edition, the IndieWire Crafts and Special Projects team partnered with Warner Bros. to take a closer look at “Barbie” with director and co-writer Greta Gerwig and nine members of her creative team who breathed life into the iconic Mattel doll.
The tagline “Barbie is everything” turns out to be pretty apt. “Barbie” contains within it multiple kinds of high-concept comedy, musicals, action sequences, mother-daughter stories, and a liminal void wherein Barbie (Margot Robbie) can meet her maker, Ruth Handler (Rhea Pearlman), and elect to transcend toyhood to become a human woman. All in less than two hours!
That “Barbie” contains so much and accomplishes so much — stylistically, tonally, and emotionally — is a huge credit to co-writer and director Greta Gerwig and her creative team,...
The tagline “Barbie is everything” turns out to be pretty apt. “Barbie” contains within it multiple kinds of high-concept comedy, musicals, action sequences, mother-daughter stories, and a liminal void wherein Barbie (Margot Robbie) can meet her maker, Ruth Handler (Rhea Pearlman), and elect to transcend toyhood to become a human woman. All in less than two hours!
That “Barbie” contains so much and accomplishes so much — stylistically, tonally, and emotionally — is a huge credit to co-writer and director Greta Gerwig and her creative team,...
- 11/30/2023
- by Sarah Shachat
- Indiewire
Seven classic feature films, to be screened for the first time in Saudi Arabia, are showing at the Red Sea Film Festival’s Treasures sidebar in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Director of Arab programs and film classics Antoine Khalife tells Variety: “We really wanted to focus this year on the musical, as well as films about cinema itself.”
Films with a musical theme include a screening of a 4K restoration of Fatih Akin’s 2005 documentary about the music scene in Turkey “Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul” and Jacques Demy’s classic French musical “Les Demoiselles de Rochefort,” starring Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Dorléac and Gene Kelly from 1967.
“From the Arab world, we wanted to have something unusual: ‘The Victory of Youth,’ which stars Farid Al-Atrash and Asmahan,” Khalife says. The real-life siblings play brother and sister singer-musicians looking for fame via the silver screen. “We looked really hard to find...
Director of Arab programs and film classics Antoine Khalife tells Variety: “We really wanted to focus this year on the musical, as well as films about cinema itself.”
Films with a musical theme include a screening of a 4K restoration of Fatih Akin’s 2005 documentary about the music scene in Turkey “Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul” and Jacques Demy’s classic French musical “Les Demoiselles de Rochefort,” starring Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Dorléac and Gene Kelly from 1967.
“From the Arab world, we wanted to have something unusual: ‘The Victory of Youth,’ which stars Farid Al-Atrash and Asmahan,” Khalife says. The real-life siblings play brother and sister singer-musicians looking for fame via the silver screen. “We looked really hard to find...
- 11/30/2023
- by John Bleasdale
- Variety Film + TV
On December 6, the 2023 IndieWire Honors ceremony will celebrate 11 filmmakers, creators, and actors for their achievements in creative independence. We’re showcasing their work with new interviews leading up to the Los Angeles event.
When Chad Stahelski was working as a stuntman in the 1990s, he had a front-row seat to the way Hollywood typically made action movies — and he didn’t like what he saw. “They’d hire stunt guys and spend a million dollars training the main cast member,” Stahelski told IndieWire. “But then on the day, they’d hire a group of local stunt guys and only give them a day and a half to rehearse. The Dp didn’t go to any of the rehearsals, the camera operators wouldn’t see it until they walked on set, and then the guys that had been with the main actor for two months aren’t the guys he fights with.
When Chad Stahelski was working as a stuntman in the 1990s, he had a front-row seat to the way Hollywood typically made action movies — and he didn’t like what he saw. “They’d hire stunt guys and spend a million dollars training the main cast member,” Stahelski told IndieWire. “But then on the day, they’d hire a group of local stunt guys and only give them a day and a half to rehearse. The Dp didn’t go to any of the rehearsals, the camera operators wouldn’t see it until they walked on set, and then the guys that had been with the main actor for two months aren’t the guys he fights with.
- 11/29/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Martin Scorsese is famous for his collaborations with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, and the first feature-length film with all three, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” has become a critical and commercial success. It’s not unusual for a director to find a “favorite” actor and form a successful relationship. In fact, this practice goes back to the beginning of the industry.
In 1912, pioneering filmmaker D.W. Griffith cast 18-year-old Lillian Gish in his short film “An Unseen Enemy,” and the two worked on more than 40 short and feature-length productions over the next decade. One of the most famous scenes from the silent era is in their film “Way Down East,” in which Gish floats unconscious on an ice floe; she had lifelong nerve damage in several fingers as a result of her performance in that scene.
SEEMartin Scorsese movies: All 26 films ranked worst to best
During the Golden Age of Hollywood,...
In 1912, pioneering filmmaker D.W. Griffith cast 18-year-old Lillian Gish in his short film “An Unseen Enemy,” and the two worked on more than 40 short and feature-length productions over the next decade. One of the most famous scenes from the silent era is in their film “Way Down East,” in which Gish floats unconscious on an ice floe; she had lifelong nerve damage in several fingers as a result of her performance in that scene.
SEEMartin Scorsese movies: All 26 films ranked worst to best
During the Golden Age of Hollywood,...
- 11/18/2023
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Martin Scorsese is famous for his collaborations with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, and the first feature-length film with all three, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” has become a critical and commercial success. It’s not unusual for a director to find a “favorite” actor and form a successful relationship. In fact, this practice goes back to the beginning of the industry.
In 1912, pioneering filmmaker D.W. Griffith cast 18-year-old Lillian Gish in his short film “An Unseen Enemy,” and the two worked on more than 40 short and feature-length productions over the next decade. One of the most famous scenes from the silent era is in their film “Way Down East,” in which Gish floats unconscious on an ice floe; she had lifelong nerve damage in several fingers as a result of her performance in that scene.
During the Golden Age of Hollywood, there were quite a few famous collaborations,...
In 1912, pioneering filmmaker D.W. Griffith cast 18-year-old Lillian Gish in his short film “An Unseen Enemy,” and the two worked on more than 40 short and feature-length productions over the next decade. One of the most famous scenes from the silent era is in their film “Way Down East,” in which Gish floats unconscious on an ice floe; she had lifelong nerve damage in several fingers as a result of her performance in that scene.
During the Golden Age of Hollywood, there were quite a few famous collaborations,...
- 11/18/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
The American Film Institute has rescheduled its Life Achievement Award gala, where Nicole Kidman will receive the lifetime honor, for April 27, 2024.
The 49th edition of the event had been set for June 10 before it was postponed due to the writers strike. Now that both the writers and actors strikes are over, Kidman and her collaborators are free to discuss her past work at the Dolby Theatre event in Los Angeles.
Kidman is the first Australian actor to receive the AFI Life Achievement Award, joining such past honorees as Bette Davis, Alfred Hitchcock, James Stewart, Gene Kelly, Kirk Douglas, Sidney Poitier, Elizabeth Taylor, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Barbra Streisand, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Morgan Freeman, Jane Fonda, Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, George Clooney, Denzel Washington and Julie Andrews.
A two-time Emmy winner and Oscar winner for her role in The Hours, Kidman’s credits also include Eyes Wide Shut,...
The 49th edition of the event had been set for June 10 before it was postponed due to the writers strike. Now that both the writers and actors strikes are over, Kidman and her collaborators are free to discuss her past work at the Dolby Theatre event in Los Angeles.
Kidman is the first Australian actor to receive the AFI Life Achievement Award, joining such past honorees as Bette Davis, Alfred Hitchcock, James Stewart, Gene Kelly, Kirk Douglas, Sidney Poitier, Elizabeth Taylor, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Barbra Streisand, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Morgan Freeman, Jane Fonda, Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, George Clooney, Denzel Washington and Julie Andrews.
A two-time Emmy winner and Oscar winner for her role in The Hours, Kidman’s credits also include Eyes Wide Shut,...
- 11/13/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Criterion Channel is closing the year out with a bang––they’ve announced their December lineup. Among the highlights are retrospectives on Yasujiro Ozu (featuring nearly 40 films!), Ousmane Sembène, Alfred Hitchcock (along with Kent Jones’ Hitchcock/Truffaut), and Parker Posey. Well-timed for the season is a holiday noir series that includes They Live By Night, Blast of Silence, Lady in the Lake, and more.
Other highlights are the recent restoration of Abel Gance’s La roue, an MGM Musicals series with introduction by Michael Koresky, Helena Wittmann’s riveting second feature Human Flowers of Flesh, the recent Sundance highlight The Mountains Are a Dream That Call To Me, the new restoration of The Cassandra Cat, Lynne Ramsay’s Morvern Callar, Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster, and more.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Terry Gilliam, 1988
An American in Paris, Vincente Minnelli,...
Other highlights are the recent restoration of Abel Gance’s La roue, an MGM Musicals series with introduction by Michael Koresky, Helena Wittmann’s riveting second feature Human Flowers of Flesh, the recent Sundance highlight The Mountains Are a Dream That Call To Me, the new restoration of The Cassandra Cat, Lynne Ramsay’s Morvern Callar, Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster, and more.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Terry Gilliam, 1988
An American in Paris, Vincente Minnelli,...
- 11/13/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
It was five decades ago long distance swimmer Diana Nyad became part of the cultural landscape with her feats including a recording-setting circling of Manhattan and a 102-mile swim from the Bahamas to Florida she accomplished that in 27 hours. In 1978, Nyad made her first attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida but ended the quest after 40 hours. After segueing to a successful career as a sports journalist on ABC’s “Wild World of Sports” for over two decades, she decided at 60 to try again. She made three attempts felled by asthma, muscle fatigue, jellyfish and a tropical storm.
Nyad’s attempts at the swim were the subject of the 2013 documentary “The Other Shore.” When I talked to her for the L.A. Times a decade ago the then 64-year-old was preparing for her final attempt. “When I first started this in my 20s and when I started again when I turned...
Nyad’s attempts at the swim were the subject of the 2013 documentary “The Other Shore.” When I talked to her for the L.A. Times a decade ago the then 64-year-old was preparing for her final attempt. “When I first started this in my 20s and when I started again when I turned...
- 11/11/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
In the upcoming musical romantic comedy “That’s Amore!,” audiences will have their chance to see John Travolta doing what so many of his fans love to see him doing — singing and dancing with a smile on his face.
The star’s enduring popularity certainly isn’t lost on writer-director Nick Vallelonga, who won two Oscars for writing and producing the 2018 hit “Green Book,” and is thrilled to be finally getting the film off the ground. “I’m constantly writing and developing scripts, and I’ve always had Travolta in mind for the role. I got to work with John on a George Gallo film [“The Poison Rose”] and I was his stand-in for a week on ‘Staying Alive,’ so I’ve always been a big fan of his work. He just makes you happy when you see him on screen, and I’ve always dreamed of making this movie with him.
The star’s enduring popularity certainly isn’t lost on writer-director Nick Vallelonga, who won two Oscars for writing and producing the 2018 hit “Green Book,” and is thrilled to be finally getting the film off the ground. “I’m constantly writing and developing scripts, and I’ve always had Travolta in mind for the role. I got to work with John on a George Gallo film [“The Poison Rose”] and I was his stand-in for a week on ‘Staying Alive,’ so I’ve always been a big fan of his work. He just makes you happy when you see him on screen, and I’ve always dreamed of making this movie with him.
- 11/1/2023
- by Nick Clement
- Variety Film + TV
There’s a scene in the Paul Reubens-starrer Pee-wee’s Big Adventure that finds its titular character setting off on a vagabond adventure. He hops aboard a train to sit side-by-side with a grizzled, toothless man known as Hobo Jack, and they sing camp songs until Pee-Wee suddenly sours on the moment. The disgust radiates from his face and he makes a rash decision to jump off the moving train and tumble into the dirt below. The scene lasts all of 53 seconds.
“It’s such a committed, incredibly short joke that takes so much effort and I think that that has embedded somewhere deep inside me,” Greta Gerwig explained from the podium inside Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Thursday night while introducing a screening of Tim Burton’s 1985 film as part of AFI Fest. The blockbuster Barbie director turned up as part of her guest-directing duties for the Los Angeles-based festival,...
“It’s such a committed, incredibly short joke that takes so much effort and I think that that has embedded somewhere deep inside me,” Greta Gerwig explained from the podium inside Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Thursday night while introducing a screening of Tim Burton’s 1985 film as part of AFI Fest. The blockbuster Barbie director turned up as part of her guest-directing duties for the Los Angeles-based festival,...
- 10/27/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Actress Elaine Devry, who appeared in films such as ‘The Atomic Kid’ and ‘A Guide for the Married Man’ and dozens of television series, passed away at her home in Grants Pass, Oregon, according to a notice on a local funeral home website. She was 93.
Elainemarried actor Mickey Rooney in Las Vegas in November 1952, becoming the fourth of Mickey’s eight wives, reports Variety.
The actress died on September 20 but the news of her death surfaced recently.
The actress made her first onscreen appearances the following year in the comedy film ‘A Slight Case of Larceny’ starring Mickey, as well as an episode of the Ronald Reagan-hosted CBS anthology series ‘General Electric Theater’.
As per Variety, in the 1954 sci-fi comedy ‘The Atomic Kid’, directed by Leslie H. Martinson, she played nurse Audrey Nelson opposite Mickey’s Barnaby “Blix” Waterberry; she was billed as Elaine Davis (Mrs. Mickey Rooney) in the credits.
Elainemarried actor Mickey Rooney in Las Vegas in November 1952, becoming the fourth of Mickey’s eight wives, reports Variety.
The actress died on September 20 but the news of her death surfaced recently.
The actress made her first onscreen appearances the following year in the comedy film ‘A Slight Case of Larceny’ starring Mickey, as well as an episode of the Ronald Reagan-hosted CBS anthology series ‘General Electric Theater’.
As per Variety, in the 1954 sci-fi comedy ‘The Atomic Kid’, directed by Leslie H. Martinson, she played nurse Audrey Nelson opposite Mickey’s Barnaby “Blix” Waterberry; she was billed as Elaine Davis (Mrs. Mickey Rooney) in the credits.
- 10/23/2023
- by Agency News Desk
Actress Elaine Devry, who appeared in films such as ‘The Atomic Kid’ and ‘A Guide for the Married Man’ and dozens of television series, passed away at her home in Grants Pass, Oregon, according to a notice on a local funeral home website. She was 93.
Elainemarried actor Mickey Rooney in Las Vegas in November 1952, becoming the fourth of Mickey’s eight wives, reports Variety.
The actress died on September 20 but the news of her death surfaced recently.
The actress made her first onscreen appearances the following year in the comedy film ‘A Slight Case of Larceny’ starring Mickey, as well as an episode of the Ronald Reagan-hosted CBS anthology series ‘General Electric Theater’.
As per Variety, in the 1954 sci-fi comedy ‘The Atomic Kid’, directed by Leslie H. Martinson, she played nurse Audrey Nelson opposite Mickey’s Barnaby “Blix” Waterberry; she was billed as Elaine Davis (Mrs. Mickey Rooney) in the credits.
Elainemarried actor Mickey Rooney in Las Vegas in November 1952, becoming the fourth of Mickey’s eight wives, reports Variety.
The actress died on September 20 but the news of her death surfaced recently.
The actress made her first onscreen appearances the following year in the comedy film ‘A Slight Case of Larceny’ starring Mickey, as well as an episode of the Ronald Reagan-hosted CBS anthology series ‘General Electric Theater’.
As per Variety, in the 1954 sci-fi comedy ‘The Atomic Kid’, directed by Leslie H. Martinson, she played nurse Audrey Nelson opposite Mickey’s Barnaby “Blix” Waterberry; she was billed as Elaine Davis (Mrs. Mickey Rooney) in the credits.
- 10/23/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Elaine Devry, who appeared in such films as “The Atomic Kid” and “A Guide for the Married Man” and dozens of television series, died Sept. 20 at her home in Grants Pass, Oregon, according to a notice on a local funeral home website. She was 93.
Devry married actor Mickey Rooney in Las Vegas in November 1952, becoming the fourth of Rooney’s eight wives. She made her first onscreen appearances the following year in the comedy film “A Slight Case of Larceny” starring Rooney, as well as an episode of the Ronald Reagan-hosted CBS anthology series “General Electric Theater.”
In the 1954 sci-fi comedy “The Atomic Kid,” directed by Leslie H. Martinson, she played nurse Audrey Nelson opposite Rooney’s Barnaby “Blix” Waterberry; she was billed as “Elaine Davis (Mrs. Mickey Rooney)” in the credits.
Devry portrayed divorée Jocelyn Montgomery in the 1967 Gene Kelly-directed film “A Guide for the Married Man.
Devry married actor Mickey Rooney in Las Vegas in November 1952, becoming the fourth of Rooney’s eight wives. She made her first onscreen appearances the following year in the comedy film “A Slight Case of Larceny” starring Rooney, as well as an episode of the Ronald Reagan-hosted CBS anthology series “General Electric Theater.”
In the 1954 sci-fi comedy “The Atomic Kid,” directed by Leslie H. Martinson, she played nurse Audrey Nelson opposite Rooney’s Barnaby “Blix” Waterberry; she was billed as “Elaine Davis (Mrs. Mickey Rooney)” in the credits.
Devry portrayed divorée Jocelyn Montgomery in the 1967 Gene Kelly-directed film “A Guide for the Married Man.
- 10/22/2023
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Elaine Devry, an actress who appeared in such films as The Atomic Kid and A Guide for the Married Man and on dozens of TV shows after becoming the fourth of Mickey Rooney’s eight wives, has died. She was 93.
Devry died Sept. 20 in her home in Grants Pass, Oregon, according to a notice placed on a local funeral home website.
Devry married Rooney in Las Vegas in November 1952 and made her first onscreen acting appearances the next year in the Rooney-starring comedy film A Slight Case of Larceny and on an episode of the Ronald Reagan-hosted CBS anthology series General Electric Theater.
In the Republic Pictures sci-fi comedy The Atomic Kid (1954), directed by Leslie H. Martinson, she was introduced as “Elaine Davis (Mrs. Mickey Rooney),” and her character, a nurse, marries her husband’s Barnaby “Blix” Waterberry at the end of the movie.
In A Guide for the Married Man...
Devry died Sept. 20 in her home in Grants Pass, Oregon, according to a notice placed on a local funeral home website.
Devry married Rooney in Las Vegas in November 1952 and made her first onscreen acting appearances the next year in the Rooney-starring comedy film A Slight Case of Larceny and on an episode of the Ronald Reagan-hosted CBS anthology series General Electric Theater.
In the Republic Pictures sci-fi comedy The Atomic Kid (1954), directed by Leslie H. Martinson, she was introduced as “Elaine Davis (Mrs. Mickey Rooney),” and her character, a nurse, marries her husband’s Barnaby “Blix” Waterberry at the end of the movie.
In A Guide for the Married Man...
- 10/22/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
She was the first American actress to marry a prince, the first actress to dance with both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, one of the first pin-up girls of the 1940s and the first celebrity to bring awareness to Alzheimer’s Disease. She was the “Love Goddess,” Rita Hayworth.
Hayworth was born on October 17, 1918, in Brooklyn as Margarita Carmen Cansino, into a family of Spanish dancers. Although she later claimed she didn’t care for it, Hayworth started dancing at a young age to please her father. They performed together as the Dancing Cansinos from the time she was 12-years-old. She began landing small film roles in her teens under the name Rita Cansino, eventually earning a contract with Columbia Pictures. There she was “Americanized” by changing her last name to her Irish mother’s maiden name of Hayworth, dying her dark hair red and having electrolysis to raise her hairline.
Hayworth was born on October 17, 1918, in Brooklyn as Margarita Carmen Cansino, into a family of Spanish dancers. Although she later claimed she didn’t care for it, Hayworth started dancing at a young age to please her father. They performed together as the Dancing Cansinos from the time she was 12-years-old. She began landing small film roles in her teens under the name Rita Cansino, eventually earning a contract with Columbia Pictures. There she was “Americanized” by changing her last name to her Irish mother’s maiden name of Hayworth, dying her dark hair red and having electrolysis to raise her hairline.
- 10/13/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
The Barbie phenomenon is spreading to AFI Fest.
Greta Gerwig, who directed and co-wrote the billion dollar blockbuster starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has been tapped to serve as guest artistic director of the Los Angeles-based festival. In the role, Gerwig will curate a number of films to add to the festival lineup and will be on hand to present one or more of those films depending on her schedule. Filmmakers like Pedro Almodóvar, Bernardo Bertolucci, Ava DuVernay, David Lynch and Agnès Varda have held the role in previous festivals.
On Oct. 10, AFI revealed the list of films Gerwig has selected. Those five films include Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz starring Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange and Ann Reinking, Vincente Minnelli’s An American in Paris starring Gene Kelly, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s A Matter of Life and Death, Tim Burton’s Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure starring the...
Greta Gerwig, who directed and co-wrote the billion dollar blockbuster starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has been tapped to serve as guest artistic director of the Los Angeles-based festival. In the role, Gerwig will curate a number of films to add to the festival lineup and will be on hand to present one or more of those films depending on her schedule. Filmmakers like Pedro Almodóvar, Bernardo Bertolucci, Ava DuVernay, David Lynch and Agnès Varda have held the role in previous festivals.
On Oct. 10, AFI revealed the list of films Gerwig has selected. Those five films include Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz starring Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange and Ann Reinking, Vincente Minnelli’s An American in Paris starring Gene Kelly, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s A Matter of Life and Death, Tim Burton’s Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure starring the...
- 10/2/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
by Bastian Meiresonne
“Cobweb”, Kim Jee-woon's tenth feature film, marks the director's return to comedy for the first time since the beginning of his career. This satire on the film industry is a true cinematic layer cake: one can dig into it with hearty bites for the sheer pleasure of the visual feast, or one can peel it apart, layer by layer, to unveil a fascinating portrayal of the dark period of Korean history in the 1970s and a profound introspection by the director on creativity and the filmmaking profession.
Kim Jee-woon began his career in the 1990s as an actor and a theater director before directing his debut feature film, “The Quiet Family”, in 1998. He is part of a new generation of filmmakers, along with Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook, who no longer followed the traditional apprenticeship model of old studios, but are authentic cinephiles who came to cinema out of pure passion.
“Cobweb”, Kim Jee-woon's tenth feature film, marks the director's return to comedy for the first time since the beginning of his career. This satire on the film industry is a true cinematic layer cake: one can dig into it with hearty bites for the sheer pleasure of the visual feast, or one can peel it apart, layer by layer, to unveil a fascinating portrayal of the dark period of Korean history in the 1970s and a profound introspection by the director on creativity and the filmmaking profession.
Kim Jee-woon began his career in the 1990s as an actor and a theater director before directing his debut feature film, “The Quiet Family”, in 1998. He is part of a new generation of filmmakers, along with Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook, who no longer followed the traditional apprenticeship model of old studios, but are authentic cinephiles who came to cinema out of pure passion.
- 8/31/2023
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
In Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” Season 3’s newest star Meryl Streep plays Loretta Durkin, a scatter-brained and quirky struggling actor. When set decorator Rich Murray got the creative brief, he was told, “She’s charming and warm and has lived in the same studio apartment for the past 35 to 40 years.” With that, Murray peppered in Easter eggs galore as an homage to Streep’s illustrious career.
Murray first had to come up with a concept for the space, and found inspiration from the 1951 film “An American in Paris.” Jerry Mulligan’s (Gene Kelly) apartment was ideal. “It has a lot of built-in quirkiness with drop-down, pull-down things,” says Murray. “Everyone has everything so neatly finessed, tucked in and tightened cornered, and so we sort of pull from that.”
Aside from showrunner John Hoffman’s initial brief, Murray got no other notes on design requirements, so he “decided...
Murray first had to come up with a concept for the space, and found inspiration from the 1951 film “An American in Paris.” Jerry Mulligan’s (Gene Kelly) apartment was ideal. “It has a lot of built-in quirkiness with drop-down, pull-down things,” says Murray. “Everyone has everything so neatly finessed, tucked in and tightened cornered, and so we sort of pull from that.”
Aside from showrunner John Hoffman’s initial brief, Murray got no other notes on design requirements, so he “decided...
- 8/29/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Ace choreographer and judge of ‘India’s Best Dancer 3’ Terence Lewis heaped praises on the epic face-off between contestants Anjali Mamgai and Aniket Chauhan, who will be battling it out to the beats of iconic songs like ‘Mayya Mayya’, ‘Darling’ and ‘Jai Jai Shivshankar’.
In a head-to-head showdown, they will challenge each other’s dancing skills and precision, giving it their all in a heart pounding ‘Kaddi Takkar’ in the upcoming episode.
Talking about their performance, Terence said: “Aniket, if I may say that the solo you performed during your audition left us with nothing to compare with. That performance earned you a direct entry to top 12. And, I must say, today’s solo was pure magic. The purity of the moment was incredibly beautiful.”
“The way your legs moved, the slides, and especially the musicality you displayed in the first solo – when the lyrics ended, and only the music played,...
In a head-to-head showdown, they will challenge each other’s dancing skills and precision, giving it their all in a heart pounding ‘Kaddi Takkar’ in the upcoming episode.
Talking about their performance, Terence said: “Aniket, if I may say that the solo you performed during your audition left us with nothing to compare with. That performance earned you a direct entry to top 12. And, I must say, today’s solo was pure magic. The purity of the moment was incredibly beautiful.”
“The way your legs moved, the slides, and especially the musicality you displayed in the first solo – when the lyrics ended, and only the music played,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
All hail legendary song-and-dance man Gene Kelly. In the history of American film, there were unarguably two great male dancers — Fred Astaire and Kelly. Astaire’s style was romantic and sophisticated, with long lines and elegant movement. Kelly’s style was more athletic — a guy’s guy, if you will — with a scrappy style that set him apart from other dancers of his era.
Kelly appeared to be able to do it all. He could dance, sing, and act in his films, ultimately choreographing and directing them as well. In the course of his nearly four decades on film, he starred in such classics as “An American in Paris” and “Anchors Aweigh,” as well as starring and co-directing the great musicals “On the Town” and “Singin’ in the Rain.”
For his work, Kelly earned two Golden Globe nominations — one for Best Actor for 1951’s “An American in Paris” and a...
Kelly appeared to be able to do it all. He could dance, sing, and act in his films, ultimately choreographing and directing them as well. In the course of his nearly four decades on film, he starred in such classics as “An American in Paris” and “Anchors Aweigh,” as well as starring and co-directing the great musicals “On the Town” and “Singin’ in the Rain.”
For his work, Kelly earned two Golden Globe nominations — one for Best Actor for 1951’s “An American in Paris” and a...
- 8/20/2023
- by Tom O'Brien, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
One of the biggest surprises and most joyous moments of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was when Jack Black‘s villainous Bowser took to the piano and roared out the power ballad “Peaches.” The song was the funniest ballad we’d ever seen…. until “Barbie” came out.” That movie featured Ryan Gosling‘s Ken singing the tune “I’m Just Ken,” backed up by a bunch of other Kens including Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, and Kingsley Ben-Adir.
It’s strange, curious, and fantastic that two films have been released this year that feature hilarious ballads as key moments in their films for their story’s villains. As such, we expect both songs to compete for Best Original Song this year purely for their sheer popularity. Our odds chart for this category isn’t yet up, however. For now, we’re just focusing on the chances of these two songs only.
It’s strange, curious, and fantastic that two films have been released this year that feature hilarious ballads as key moments in their films for their story’s villains. As such, we expect both songs to compete for Best Original Song this year purely for their sheer popularity. Our odds chart for this category isn’t yet up, however. For now, we’re just focusing on the chances of these two songs only.
- 8/16/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
It's hard to believe it's been 70 years since Fred Zinneman's "From Here to Eternity" came out. Not that we were all there of course, but time has been really kind to the all-star, Best Picture-winning drama. Unlike many of the rah-rah war films emerging from America during and post-World War II, "From Here to Eternity" argues not that war is hell — since most of the movie takes place during peace time — but that men, even in the army, are subconsciously determined to make life hell whether there's a war on or not.
Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster, and Frank Sinatra star as soldiers stationed in Hawaii immediately prior to World War II, whose stubborn pride and barely contained insecurities lead directly to many avoidable tragedies. Clift plays Private Prewitt, a formerly promising boxer who refuses to box again after accidentally blinding a fellow soldier, and endures criminal abuse just because...
Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster, and Frank Sinatra star as soldiers stationed in Hawaii immediately prior to World War II, whose stubborn pride and barely contained insecurities lead directly to many avoidable tragedies. Clift plays Private Prewitt, a formerly promising boxer who refuses to box again after accidentally blinding a fellow soldier, and endures criminal abuse just because...
- 8/6/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
"Barbie" might be a multimillion-dollar corporate product based on a ridiculously lucrative multimedia property, but it's also an earnest love letter to cinema history. Of course, that's nothing new for co-writer and director Greta Gerwig. A quick glimpse at the multi-hyphenate's filmography will reveal she's never shied away from openly acknowledging her influences. "Frances Ha," the 2012 dramedy Gerwig starred in and co-wrote with the film's director and her "Barbie" co-writer/real-life partner, Noah Baumbach, overtly tips its hat to the French New Wave, as does Gerwig's semi-autobiographical directorial debut, "Lady Bird" (her answer to Francois Truffaut's "The 400 Blows").
When it comes to "Barbie," there's no missing the references to "The Wizard of Oz" and Gene Kelly musicals like "An American in Paris," nor the deliberate parallels between the red pill/blue pill scene from "The Matrix" and Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) consulting Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) about her sudden existential crisis.
When it comes to "Barbie," there's no missing the references to "The Wizard of Oz" and Gene Kelly musicals like "An American in Paris," nor the deliberate parallels between the red pill/blue pill scene from "The Matrix" and Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) consulting Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) about her sudden existential crisis.
- 8/3/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
This post contains spoilers for "Barbie."
One of the many joys of watching "Barbie" is catching all the film's references to classic cinema. "The Wizard of Oz" was an obvious inspiration for co-writer and director Greta Gerwig's take on the iconic doll, from the yellow pink brick road that cuts through Barbieland to the ghost of Barbie creator and Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler (Rhea Perlman), who gradually emerges as a Wizard-like guide to Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) on her journey of spiritual discovery. Moreover, the film is a love letter to 20th-century movie musicals in general, as seen in the "I'm Just Ken" sequence -- a musical number that includes a Gene Kelly-styled dream ballet where the Kens adapt all-black attire recalling John Travolta's getup from "Grease" -- and the bold, vivid color palette of Barbieland, which brings to mind the production design for "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
One of the many joys of watching "Barbie" is catching all the film's references to classic cinema. "The Wizard of Oz" was an obvious inspiration for co-writer and director Greta Gerwig's take on the iconic doll, from the yellow pink brick road that cuts through Barbieland to the ghost of Barbie creator and Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler (Rhea Perlman), who gradually emerges as a Wizard-like guide to Stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) on her journey of spiritual discovery. Moreover, the film is a love letter to 20th-century movie musicals in general, as seen in the "I'm Just Ken" sequence -- a musical number that includes a Gene Kelly-styled dream ballet where the Kens adapt all-black attire recalling John Travolta's getup from "Grease" -- and the bold, vivid color palette of Barbieland, which brings to mind the production design for "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
- 7/28/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Harry Shum Jr. is a Costa Rican-born Chinese American actor, choreographer and dancer. He is best known for his inspiring roles as Mike Chang on the popular Fox television series Glee, Benson Kwan on ABC’s longest-running primetime medical dramas Grey’s Anatomy, and as Magnus Bane on the Freeform television series Shadowhunters. Harry Shum Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education
Harry Shum Jr. was born on April 28, 1982 (Harry Shum age: 41) in Puerto Limón, Costa Rica, to Chinese parents. His mother originated from Hong Kong while his father came from Guangzhou, China. They relocated to Costa Rica, where Shum and his two older sisters, Susana and Cristina were born. When Shum was six years old, the family relocated once more to San Francisco, California.
Shum spent most of his early educational years in San Luis Obispo County, California. He attended Arroyo Grande High School, where he graduated in 2000. Initially, he had...
Harry Shum Jr. was born on April 28, 1982 (Harry Shum age: 41) in Puerto Limón, Costa Rica, to Chinese parents. His mother originated from Hong Kong while his father came from Guangzhou, China. They relocated to Costa Rica, where Shum and his two older sisters, Susana and Cristina were born. When Shum was six years old, the family relocated once more to San Francisco, California.
Shum spent most of his early educational years in San Luis Obispo County, California. He attended Arroyo Grande High School, where he graduated in 2000. Initially, he had...
- 7/16/2023
- by Trevor Hanuka
- Uinterview
While there’s no argument that Tom Holland is best known for playing Peter Parker/Spider-Man in “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and its sequels, there’s another performance that continues to resonate with viewers: his 2017 appearance on “Lip Sync Battle”.
In that now-iconic bit, Holland began by making like Gene Kelly while lip-syncing to “Singing in the Rain”, wearing a suit, tie and hat while accompanied by backup dancers, all brandishing umbrellas.
Read More: Tom Holland Makes It Rain To Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ In The Ultimate ‘Lip Sync Battle’ Performance
After 20 seconds or so, Holland briefly disappeared and then re-emerged dressed in an entirely different outfit, wearing a wig, fishnet stockings, high heels and a bustier, faux rain pouring down as he lip-synced to Rihanna’s “Umbrella” while performing an unbelievably acrobatic dance routine that included a gymnastic flip that found him splashing down into a puddle of water.
Despite all the years that have passed,...
In that now-iconic bit, Holland began by making like Gene Kelly while lip-syncing to “Singing in the Rain”, wearing a suit, tie and hat while accompanied by backup dancers, all brandishing umbrellas.
Read More: Tom Holland Makes It Rain To Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ In The Ultimate ‘Lip Sync Battle’ Performance
After 20 seconds or so, Holland briefly disappeared and then re-emerged dressed in an entirely different outfit, wearing a wig, fishnet stockings, high heels and a bustier, faux rain pouring down as he lip-synced to Rihanna’s “Umbrella” while performing an unbelievably acrobatic dance routine that included a gymnastic flip that found him splashing down into a puddle of water.
Despite all the years that have passed,...
- 6/14/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
There are so many big sells for the 1955 musical It’s Always Fair Weather. Firstly, the golden pairing of Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen is the key factor. The musical maestros behind such great heavy hitters such as Singing in the Rain (1952) and On the Town (1949) return for another outing, promising an exquisite smorgasbord of dancing and colour.
The other interest in this musical is that it is an MGM musical. That means all the scintillating scenes of the spectrum on the screen. A nouvelle advancement here is It’s Always Fair Weather is shot in CinemaScope and, instead of Technicolor, it is filmed in brilliant Eastmancolor.
Plus, seeing the original 1955 print, as the filmmakers intended, thanks to the BFI Film on Film festival made It’s Always Fair Weather a must-see outing.
So, one heads into It’s Always Fair Weather with all this in mind and comes away with one name – Dolores Gray…...
The other interest in this musical is that it is an MGM musical. That means all the scintillating scenes of the spectrum on the screen. A nouvelle advancement here is It’s Always Fair Weather is shot in CinemaScope and, instead of Technicolor, it is filmed in brilliant Eastmancolor.
Plus, seeing the original 1955 print, as the filmmakers intended, thanks to the BFI Film on Film festival made It’s Always Fair Weather a must-see outing.
So, one heads into It’s Always Fair Weather with all this in mind and comes away with one name – Dolores Gray…...
- 6/12/2023
- by Sarah Cook
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
There’s a moment in “Stan Lee,” David Gelb’s lively and illuminating documentary about the visionary of Marvel Comics, that’s momentous enough to give you a tingle. The year is 1961, and Lee, approaching 40, is burnt out on comics. It’s a form he has never taken all that seriously, even though he’s been working at it since 1939, when he started, at 17, as a gofer for Timely Comics. The comics he creates get so little respect that he tries to hide his profession when asked about it at cocktail parties.
In 1961, though, Lee receives a directive from Martin Goodman, the publisher of the company that’s about to be renamed Marvel. He is ordered to devise a team of superheroes that can compete with DC’s Justice League (who have become the fulcrum of the so-called Silver Age of Comics). Lee, weary of superheroes, is ready to quit the business.
In 1961, though, Lee receives a directive from Martin Goodman, the publisher of the company that’s about to be renamed Marvel. He is ordered to devise a team of superheroes that can compete with DC’s Justice League (who have become the fulcrum of the so-called Silver Age of Comics). Lee, weary of superheroes, is ready to quit the business.
- 6/11/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Los Angeles, June 4 (Ians) With a few mystifying teasers and less than two months until the premiere of the live-action “Barbie” film, audiences still don’t know exactly how the film will unfold, according to ‘Variety’.
The production team, however, has started sharing details of the making of the film — including how they caused an international pink paint shortage.
In a recent ‘Architectural Digest’ profile with production designer Sarah Greenwood, set decorator Katie Spencer and director Greta Gerwig, reports ‘Variety’, the group explain that they set out “to capture what was so ridiculously fun” about Barbie’s world, especially Barbie’s Dreamhouse.
“I wanted the pinks to be very bright, and everything to be almost too much,” Gerwig said, according to ‘Variety’. She shared that “the ‘kid-ness’ was paramount” — evoking the feeling of never forgetting “what made (her) love Barbie” as a young girl.
“Why walk down stairs when you can slide into your pool?...
The production team, however, has started sharing details of the making of the film — including how they caused an international pink paint shortage.
In a recent ‘Architectural Digest’ profile with production designer Sarah Greenwood, set decorator Katie Spencer and director Greta Gerwig, reports ‘Variety’, the group explain that they set out “to capture what was so ridiculously fun” about Barbie’s world, especially Barbie’s Dreamhouse.
“I wanted the pinks to be very bright, and everything to be almost too much,” Gerwig said, according to ‘Variety’. She shared that “the ‘kid-ness’ was paramount” — evoking the feeling of never forgetting “what made (her) love Barbie” as a young girl.
“Why walk down stairs when you can slide into your pool?...
- 6/4/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
With a few mystifying teasers and less than two months until the premiere of the live-action “Barbie” film, audiences still don’t know exactly how the film will unfold. But the production team has started to reveal insight into the film — including how they caused an international pink paint shortage.
In a recent Architectural Digest profile with production designer Sarah Greenwood, set decorator Katie Spencer and director Greta Gerwig, the group explain that they set out “to capture what was so ridiculously fun” about Barbie’s world, but especially that of Architectural Digest’s subject: Barbie’s Dreamhouse.
“I wanted the pinks to be very bright, and everything to be almost too much,” Gerwig stated. She shared that “the ‘kid-ness’ was paramount” — evoking the feeling of never forgetting “what made [her] love Barbie” as a young girl.
“Why walk down stairs when you can slide into your pool? Why trudge up...
In a recent Architectural Digest profile with production designer Sarah Greenwood, set decorator Katie Spencer and director Greta Gerwig, the group explain that they set out “to capture what was so ridiculously fun” about Barbie’s world, but especially that of Architectural Digest’s subject: Barbie’s Dreamhouse.
“I wanted the pinks to be very bright, and everything to be almost too much,” Gerwig stated. She shared that “the ‘kid-ness’ was paramount” — evoking the feeling of never forgetting “what made [her] love Barbie” as a young girl.
“Why walk down stairs when you can slide into your pool? Why trudge up...
- 6/3/2023
- by Charna Flam
- Variety Film + TV
The legendary Judy Garland, one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century, would have turned 100 on June 10, 2022. To celebrate her career, tour our photo gallery looking back at her greatest film performances.
Known as the little girl (she was only 4’11) with the big voice, Garland was a rare true triple threat, holding her own with such great dancers as Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, twice receiving Oscar nominations in acting categories, as well as leaving behind a legacy of record-breaking concerts, a Grammy-winning gold album and recordings of iconic songs that no one else has ever been able to capture in quite the same way.
Born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids Minnesota, Garland was the youngest of three girls. They would eventually form the vaudeville act “The Gumm Sisters” when baby Frances was only two years old. After almost a decade of touring with her sisters,...
Known as the little girl (she was only 4’11) with the big voice, Garland was a rare true triple threat, holding her own with such great dancers as Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, twice receiving Oscar nominations in acting categories, as well as leaving behind a legacy of record-breaking concerts, a Grammy-winning gold album and recordings of iconic songs that no one else has ever been able to capture in quite the same way.
Born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids Minnesota, Garland was the youngest of three girls. They would eventually form the vaudeville act “The Gumm Sisters” when baby Frances was only two years old. After almost a decade of touring with her sisters,...
- 6/3/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
At the end of the 70s and beginnings of the 80s, Disney decided to take a turn into a darker side of cinema, at least for them. In 1979 they released The Black Hole, a sci-fi epic which had among its cast Anthony Perkins, best known for Psycho as well as a space station manned by animated corpse/robot hybrids. The film would include an ending which would literally show the villain of the piece in hell in penance for his crimes for all eternity. The following year would be another creepy sci-fi entry The Watcher In The Woods.
Following these films would be the gory fantasy epic Dragonslayer. That film actually showed a real Disney Princess being eaten by blind baby dragons on camera. So to round out a really fantastic run of Dark movies the House of Mouse went all in with a fantasy film that covered themes of death,...
Following these films would be the gory fantasy epic Dragonslayer. That film actually showed a real Disney Princess being eaten by blind baby dragons on camera. So to round out a really fantastic run of Dark movies the House of Mouse went all in with a fantasy film that covered themes of death,...
- 5/31/2023
- by Jessica Dwyer
- JoBlo.com
Goodbye HBO Max, hello Max. Warner Bros. Discovery announced several weeks back that the company was dropping the "HBO" from the name of its flagship streaming service, and that day has come. What does that mean for you, the subscriber? For one, it means a lot more movies and TV shows will be streaming in 4K, and the list of initial titles is pretty impressive. There are, however, a few caveats.
Those who wish to watch movies like "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Argo" in Ultra HD will need to be subscribed to the new tier offered by Max called "Ultimate Ad-Free." This goes for $19.99 per month and includes access to the service's library of 4K movies and TV shows. There is also a plan with ads for $9.99 per month and a regular ad-free plan for $15.99 per month. Sudheer Sirivara, Global Technology Platform for Warner Bros. Discovery, had this to...
Those who wish to watch movies like "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Argo" in Ultra HD will need to be subscribed to the new tier offered by Max called "Ultimate Ad-Free." This goes for $19.99 per month and includes access to the service's library of 4K movies and TV shows. There is also a plan with ads for $9.99 per month and a regular ad-free plan for $15.99 per month. Sudheer Sirivara, Global Technology Platform for Warner Bros. Discovery, had this to...
- 5/23/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
When hanging out with your nerdy pals, there's a chance that one question will enter the conversation: "Which is the superior Hollywood Chris?" Most of your friends will be "Saturday Night Live"-avoiding Chris Evans fans since he's the All-American hunk, while others might side with "Extraction" franchise star Chris Hemsworth, as he's the perfect blend of a Golden Retriever and a Ken doll. And though there are other stars named Chris to choose from (including the dinosaur-fighting Pratt), there's one Chris that deserves the most respect: Chris Pine.
With his classic-meets-avant-garde aesthetic, Pine represents those who color outside the lines, enjoy lavender lattes with an extra shot of espresso, and listen to live recordings of Fleetwood Mac on rainy days. He's a performer who is immensely talented as an actor but also possesses the kind of dreamy singing voice that is impossible not to swoon over. Plus, Pine isn't afraid to laugh at himself,...
With his classic-meets-avant-garde aesthetic, Pine represents those who color outside the lines, enjoy lavender lattes with an extra shot of espresso, and listen to live recordings of Fleetwood Mac on rainy days. He's a performer who is immensely talented as an actor but also possesses the kind of dreamy singing voice that is impossible not to swoon over. Plus, Pine isn't afraid to laugh at himself,...
- 5/20/2023
- by Dalin Rowell
- Slash Film
The American Film Institute confirmed today that its 49th annual AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Nicole Kidman is being postponed due to Hollywood’s ongoing writers strike. The event was scheduled for June 10.
“For nearly half a century, the AFI Life Achievement Award has convened artists and audiences in celebration of excellence in the art form,” the AFI said in a statement. “Due to the division in our community at this time, AFI has decided to postpone this year’s event with the goal to offer a celebratory environment worthy of our recipient.”
There’s no word yet on a new date. That may take some time as some expect the strike to last for weeks and perhaps months. The last writers strike, which began in 2007, lasted 100 days. The current strike has already affected movie and TV show production and led to a number of cancellations, postponements and...
“For nearly half a century, the AFI Life Achievement Award has convened artists and audiences in celebration of excellence in the art form,” the AFI said in a statement. “Due to the division in our community at this time, AFI has decided to postpone this year’s event with the goal to offer a celebratory environment worthy of our recipient.”
There’s no word yet on a new date. That may take some time as some expect the strike to last for weeks and perhaps months. The last writers strike, which began in 2007, lasted 100 days. The current strike has already affected movie and TV show production and led to a number of cancellations, postponements and...
- 5/8/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In 1939, Judy Garland went over the rainbow, and the world would never be the same again. Garland, who'd first gained major fame singing, dancing, and acting alongside Mickey Rooney, was suddenly catapulted to superstardom. From her roots in vaudeville, Garland had been performing her whole life, and she eventually became one of the world's most beloved stars. Her singing voice is completely unmatched, and it was backed up with intensity, passion, and unparalleled charm. Though her personal history is not without difficulty -- and Rene Zellweger won an Oscar for portraying part of that history in "Judy" -- Garland is largely remembered as one of Hollywood's most beloved actresses.
Looking through Garland's career, it was her latter years that offered opportunities for rich experimentation. Though she still appeared in musicals, after her MGM contract expired, she boldly took risks, such as starring in an animated feature and an epic courtroom drama.
Looking through Garland's career, it was her latter years that offered opportunities for rich experimentation. Though she still appeared in musicals, after her MGM contract expired, she boldly took risks, such as starring in an animated feature and an epic courtroom drama.
- 4/13/2023
- by Barry Levitt
- Slash Film
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