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In the age of streaming, there’s a widespread belief that every movie is available, all the time, everywhere. Don’t fall for it! Some of the greatest movies ever made are nowhere to be found due to everything from music rights snafus to corporate negligence. In this column, we take a look at films currently out-of-print on physical media and unavailable on any streaming platform in an effort to draw attention to them and say to their rights holders, “Release This!”

At the end of 1999, Entertainment Weekly ran a cover story titled “The Year That Changed Movies,” celebrating the abundance of highwire masterpieces that the American film industry seemed to be cranking out on a weekly basis that year. “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Magnolia,” “The Limey,” “Fight Club,” “Being John Malkovich,” “Election,” “Boys Don’t Cry”, “The Straight Story,” “The Sixth Sense,” “Bringing Out the Dead,” “The Matrix,” and “Three Kings” are just a random sampling,...

Bruce Willis made a rare public appearance this week to thank first responders who are battling the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles.

“Spotting a first responder, Bruce never missed a chance to show his gratitude with a heartfelt handshake and a ‘thank you for your service.’ Yesterday was no different,” Willis’ wife, Emma Heming Willis, wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday.

Check out the moment, which she caught on video, below.

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A post shared by Emma Heming Willis (@emmahemingwillis)

In the clip, Willis is seen shaking hands and chatting with two policemen. Heming also included a photo of the Willis and one of the officers.

The 69-year-old actor, best known for his roles in “Pulp Fiction,” “The Sixth Sense” and the “Die Hard” franchise was diagnosed with aphasia in March 2022 and dementia in February 2023.

The last time the beloved actor was seen was in...

Hailed as one of the modern horror maestros, M. Night Shyamalan is facing a million-dollar lawsuit for copyright infringement. Although the suit was initially filed in 2020, after Shyamalan’s series Servant started airing on Apple TV+, it was thrown out of court within months by a federal judge.

Hollywood filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan (image credit: Gage Skidmore/Cc By-sa 2.0/Wikimedia Commons)

However, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals revived the same in 2022, and the legal battle ensued. The first trial took place on January 14th, where Shyamalan was presented which brought the case back to the limelight.

The plaintiff, Francesca Gregorini, an Italian-born independent movie director filed the case accusing Shyamalan of adapting his series from her 2013 movie The Truth About Emanuel. However, the defense attorney claimed that Gregorini’s claims are unfounded and she is seeking credit for something she had no involvement in.

M. Night Shyamalan accused of...

When Bruce Willis vaulted from television stardom to the motion picture big time in 1988 with "Die Hard," he seemed destined for a long run as a blue-collar rake the likes of which movies had never seen. He possessed the incorrigibleness of Cary Grant and the two-fisted capableness of Gary Cooper, but he felt more accessible than either of them. Willis wasn't erudite and he wasn't trying to be. God no. His characters tended to be rough-and-tumble smartasses with moral compasses that pointed true north, men who made their share of mistakes and spent the average length of a feature film atoning for them as they went after bad men who sinned with impunity. He played well-meaning f***-ups we could identify with and perhaps look up to.

There was, however, another Willis, who I think was even more admirable. He was a true actor-star. He wanted to step outside of...

Bruce Willis had been considered among Hollywood’s most bankable stars thanks to his on-screen presence and action heroism. Over the four decades of his career, his star power made sure he pocketed some big paychecks. From investing in unknown directors to returning to popular franchises, his salary negotiations have been as quite strategic as his characters.

Bruce Willis | via Demi Moore’s Instagram

In an industry where the success of a film can be dictated by the stardom of actors, Willis has that kind of pull that makes audiences go to theaters, which has led to some payment structures like profit sharing and backend percentages that have seen him earn some pretty huge paychecks. Let’s explore five movies that reportedly gave him the biggest paydays in Hollywood.

5. Last Man Standing (1996) Bruce Willis in Last Man Standing | Credit: New Line Cinema

Walter Hill directed a neo-Western action movie, Last Man Standing,...

After the collapse of the studio system, when actors were finally given more autonomy regarding their careers and were much more free to choose the types of roles and films they'd appear in, the true test of an actor became what happened when and if they reached megastardom. Some stars love the limelight so much that they try and give their public what it is they think they want to see over and over again, and can find themselves feeling burned out or too typecast in the process. Others become much more reclusive, either outright refusing easy paycheck jobs or being extremely picky about their projects. Then there are those stars who manage to straddle the line between the commercial and artistic sides of their vocation, and are able to spin their newfound clout into a mixture of roles that demonstrate not only their range, but also their creative curiosity.

As the format continues to gain traction, here’s our regularly-updated list of upcoming 4K Ultra HD disc releases in the UK.

Sitting alongside our list of upcoming DVD and Blu-ray releases (that you can find here), we’re also keeping a calendar for those who support the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc format. As we learn of new UK releases, we’ll add them to this list.

We have started adding shopping links too. We’d be obliged if you clicked on them, as it really helps us in our quest to make the Film Stories project of magazines, website and podcast profitable. We’re a 100% independent publisher, and we quite like drinking coffee. It’d be lovely to afford some more.

Without further ado, here are the titles we know about…

Out now

16th December: Dragon Fist

16th Decemeber: Kubo & The Two Strings (Steelbook)

16th December: ParaNorman...

Bruce Willis found worldwide fame and critical acclaim after starring in one of the best Christmas movies of all time: Die Hard. After the 1988 film, Willis continued to star in action movies with explosions and iconic scenes.

Bruce Willis as John McClane in Die Hard | Credits: 20th Century Studios

It was his 2nd best action franchise when he revealed that he had gotten tired of one particular thing in these films. The actor was disinterested in even talking about the film and that is why, the Red franchise will never get a third part.

Bruce Willis does not enjoy explosions anymore

It was the year 2010 when a film titled Red was released starring Bruce Willis. The film was an adaptation of the comic book mini-series of the same name which was owned by DC Comics.

Karl Urban and Bruce Willis in Red | Credits: Di Bonaventura Pictures

With a plot of...

After watching the scene in “The Substance” where Elisabeth Sparkle, played by Demi Moore, repeatedly applies and wipes off lipstick in front of a mirror — a chilling metaphor for identity, erasure and self-loathing — I couldn’t have imagined that critics and awards voters would embrace it. Yet here we are, with Moore emerging as a frontrunner in the Oscar race for her career-defining performance in Coralie Fargeat’s provocative body horror film. Her Golden Globes win Sunday not only cements Moore’s legacy but also shines a long-overdue spotlight on horror as a genre worthy of awards season acclaim.

At 62, Moore is on the verge of earning her first-ever Oscar nomination for best actress. Her haunting and multilayered portrayal of an aging star who takes a mysterious serum to regain her youth — only for the experiment to spiral into a surreal nightmare — has been hailed as a masterclass in physical and emotional transformation.

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Seth MacFarlane is now (and perhaps always will be) best known as the man behind his massive animated hit shows "Family Guy" and "American Dad." MacFarlane's creations now rival the likes of "The Simpsons" and "South Park" in terms of longevity and staying power in pop culture. But MacFarlane is more than that, as evidenced by his live-action love letter to "Star Trek" aka "The Orville."

The series, which as of this writing has run for a total of three seasons, premiered on Fox in 2017. "The Orville" later moved to Hulu for its third season, which arguably changed the show for the better but that's another issue entirely. During the show's second season when it was still on Fox, it actually featured a cameo from none other than action maestro Bruce Willis. That said, viewers would be forgiven for not noticing him.

Film marketing maven Chris Pula was laid to rest this morning at a funeral held in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. A memorial for his Hollywood friends is being arranged for down the road by friends who worked alongside him in the heyday years at New Line. When Deadline revealed the marketing maven‘s passing in a New Year’s Eve post, the outpouring from the community was exceptionally strong. Especially considering Pula blazed his trail helping to create success for blockbusters from Home Alone to Dumb and Dumber, The Mask, The Sixth Sense and Se7en. And then leaving town abruptly and never looking back.

Whether one is directly part of Hollywood or orbit it as a scoop-chasing journalist, this is an all-consuming industry and we all run hard on our individual versions of a hamster wheel. One can’t help but wonder occasionally what it might be like to simply step off.

Robert Eggers’ vampire horror Nosferatu opens in 624 UK-Ireland cinemas this weekend through Universal, having made an excellent start since New Year’s Day.

Nosferatu took £1.3m on Wednesday, January 1 from 574 sites at a £2,247 location average; with a further £870,000 on Thursday for £2.2m already banked in previews.It could become Eggers’ highest-grossing film by the end of the weekend, ahead of the totals of 2022’s The Northman(£4.7m), 2020’s The Lighthouse (£1.4m) and 2016’s The Witch (£1.2m).

The £1.3m Wednesday figure was the highest-grossing single day for a horror title in the territory since Disney’s Alien: Romulus opened with £1.4m...

In 1999 “The Sixth Sense,” a spooky-ooky movie involving ghosts and a freaky little kid who sees them, opened theatrically and quickly became a cultural sensation and a box office juggernaut. It would end up earning $672 million at the global box office and garnering six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Its signature line of dialogue (“I see dead people”) would enter the lexicon, endlessly quoted, parodied and spoofed.

But there was another, very similar, equally wonderful movie that opened in 1999 that didn’t get nearly the attention that it deserved – or, indeed, the attention that was bestowed upon “The Sixth Sense.”

That movie was writer/director David Koepp’s “Stir of Echoes,” which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and as such has a brand-new 4K Uhd Blu-ray disc out (available exclusively through Amazon). And, incredibly, one of the new special features details how Koepp was...

When The Sixth Sense hit theatres in 1999, it not only catapulted M. Night Shyamalan to fame but also became one of the most iconic thrillers of all time, remembered for its jaw-dropping twist ending. According to the film’s star, Haley Joel Osment, surprisingly little effort was required to keep the movie’s major twist a secret from audiences.

Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense (1999) | Credit: Hollywood Pictures

Starring Bruce Willis and Osment, the film became a massive success, earning legendary status for its intricate storytelling and the remarkable performances of its cast. However, while reflecting on today’s spoiler-heavy culture, Osment noted that the filmmakers didn’t have to work too hard to prevent the shocking ending from being revealed.

Haley Joel Osment reflected on how The Sixth Sense kept its iconic twist hidden with minimal effort

Having a tragic start, Malcolm Crowe’s, portrayed by Bruce Willis,...

You know, in the filmmaking world, there’s a lot of smoke and mirrors. Directors, actors, producers—they all make it look easy, like the magic is happening effortlessly. But behind the scenes, it’s a whole different story. It’s the moments of doubt, hesitation, and vulnerability that often make the biggest impact. Just ask M. Night Shyamalan, whose heart probably skipped a beat when he had to ask Bruce Willis for a retake while filming The Sixth Sense.

Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense (1999) | Credit: Hollywood Pictures

During a particularly tense scene, Shyamalan wasn’t happy with how the take turned out. He could’ve stayed silent, let it slide, and hoped it would work in the editing room. Instead, he did something that took a lot of guts—he asked Willis to do that scene again.

M. Night Shyamalan’s risky request: Asking Bruce Willis for a...

In many ways, an ending can make or break a movie. Think about a film like 2000’s “Pay it Forward,” a schmaltzy, sentimental drama about a child who inspires others to put good deeds out into the world with no expectation of anything coming back their way. In the hands of director Mimi Leder and led by strong performances from Haley Joel Osmont and Helen Hunt, the film manages to serve its purpose and tell a compelling story about being of service to others, all of which is undercut in its conclusion when Osmont’s 12 year-old character is stabbed to death at school. It’s a horrible, traumatic wrap-up for a film that otherwise preaches goodness, like having George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life” fall into a manhole as he was running through Bedford Falls to reunite with his family.

For some films, their entire structure is built around the ending,...

It would seem to be of vital importance that directors and actors at the very least respect each other while they're making a movie, but Hollywood history is riddled with instances where this simply didn't occur. One of the most famous disagreements nearly turned fatal when Werner Herzog threatened to shoot (with a gun) notoriously erratic star Klaus Kinski while filming "Aguirre, the Wrath of God." No guns were brandished on the set of "Hook," but Steven Spielberg famously did not enjoy his time collaborating with Julia Roberts (they haven't worked together since). And then there's David O. Russell, who's fought with and/or terrorized stars like Amy Adams, Lily Tomlin, and George Clooney; if there's any justice, O. Russell, a once-formidable talent who hasn't made a watchable movie since 2010's "The Fighter," won't be allowed back behind the camera until he learns how to behave like a decent human being.

At the 2021 Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis, host Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivered this classic joke: "I loved 'The Sixth Sense.' It's a great movie. And the ending, I did not see that twist coming ... At the end of 'The Sixth Sense,' Bruce goes back to making sh***y movies."

It's funny because, well, it's sort of true: "The Sixth Sense" is widely considered one of the last truly good Bruce Willis movies. Sure, he gave some fun performances in "Lucky Number Slevin" and "Moonrise Kingdom," but the spooky 1999 M. Night Shyamalan drama was pretty much the last time Willis was the leading man in a massive critical and commercial hit. 

On IMDb, "The Sixth Sense" has an 8.2 rating, ranking it 144th among the site's top 250 list of best-ranked movies. It's not a surprising placement, given how influential it became in pop culture. People were quoting "I...

Clint Eastwood’s Juror No. 2 stands as a testament to the legendary filmmaker’s ability to craft compelling, character-driven stories. The courtroom thriller weaves a complex narrative of guilt, justice, and morality, centering on a juror grappling with his potential involvement in the very crime he’s judging. With a star-studded cast, the film explores ethical dilemmas and the blurred lines between right and wrong. Here’s a complete guide to the cast and characters that bring this intense drama in Juror #2 to life.

‘Juror #2’: Complete Cast & Characters Guide Nicholas Hoult as Justin Kemp Nicholas Hoult stars as Justin Kemp, the titular juror whose life takes a dramatic turn when he suspects he may have accidentally killed the victim in a murder trial. A devoted family man with a pregnant wife, Justin struggles with his conscience as he unravels the truth behind Kendall Carter’s death. Hoult’s diverse...

During the turn of the 21st century, superhero films were still considered pretty alien in the mainstream landscape, primarily due to Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin. However, things changed after the release of the first X-Men, followed by Sami Raimi’s Spider-Man and Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, which completely changed how audiences perceived CBMs.

But before the superhero boom, M. Night Shyamalan dipped his toes into this genre alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis, which can be linked to one sheer coincidence.

One random casino meet led to Samuel L. Jackson’s inclusion in Unbreakable Unbreakable | Credit: Touchstone Pictures

Given the immaculate success of The Sixth Sense, which became one of the most celebrated horrors of all time, it was only reasonable for Bruce Willis and Shyamalan to join forces for another project. While Unbreakable was an ambitious concept on Shyamalan’s part, which would later contribute to two delayed sequels,...

The upcoming third season of Prime Video's epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time will adapt The Shadow Rising, often considered one of the best books in Robert Jordan's 14-book strong novel series. The second season improved on the first and the show is gaining momentum, especially after a wicked new trailer dropped the other week:

We also learned that The Expanse veteran Shohreh Aghdashloo will be joining the show in its third season as the morally flexible Aes Sedai sorceress Elaida, a meaty role. And today, we can reveal several other actors coming on board, playing a number of important characters book fans have been waiting to see introduced. First up...

The Wheel of Time season 3 Olivia Williams headshot | Direct from Prime Video press contact Olivia Williams as Queen Morgase Trakand

Queen Morgase Trakand is the queen of Andor, the most influential country in the Westlands, where most...

Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense), Luke Fetherston (Doctor Who), Callum Kerr (Hollyoaks) and Nuno Lopes (White Lines) have joined the Season 3 cast of Prime Video‘s fantasy epic series The Wheel of Time, starring Rosamund Pike, Madeleine Madden and Josha Stradowski.

Williams, Fetherston, Kerr and Lopes will portray the royal family of the kingdom of Andor. Andor is the largest, most populous, and most influential country within the heart of the Westlands, the fictional land depicted in Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy book series on which the television series is based.

Williams portrays Morgase Trakand, the Queen of Andor. Morgase did not inherit her throne. Rather, when the succession was left without an heir, she waged a brutal war against a half-dozen noble rivals, and thanks to her political savvy and utter ruthlessness, she won. She has sworn ever since to shield her daughter and heir, Elayne, from ever having to endure what she did…...

Acting since she was just nine, a global star at 17 thanks to The Oc and a veteran of many indie and horror flicks, the actor is here to discuss her storied career

British-born Mischa Barton moved to the US age five where, age nine, she made her screen debut on American soap opera All My Children, and, age 11, her cinema debut in 1997 fantasy drama Lawn Dogs opposite Sam Rockwell. You can then play “spot the young Mischa Barton” in a number of films. In the famous scene in Notting Hill where Hugh Grant hasn’t seen the film and then has to interview the cast at the press junket, it is Barton who plays the young child actor who has already appeared in 22 films, her favourite with Leonardo DiCaprio. (“Is he your favourite Italian director?” asks Hugh.) In The Sixth Sense, she is the young ghost who has been poisoned...

Many film genres have a variety of storytelling tools available to keep the pressure not only on their characters but also on their audience. One of the trickiest tools to use is the plot twist because it relies on both the shock of the reveal and the steps taken to set it up. A twist that feels like it came out of nowhere can work, but examining a good story will show how the creators fed us the right information to get us cozy enough to be shocked.

And then, sometimes, that twist doesn't stick the landing. Sometimes it fumbles execution so badly that it ruins the entire movie. It's hard to come back from that. Ryan Reynolds building a billion-dollar empire out of his horrific no-mouth reveal as Deadpool in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" is a fluke that speaks to the actor's determination to rebuild his character. But usually, the...

On the Los Angeles Times’ culture desk back in the 2010s, reporters would have a shorthand for readers’ hypersensitivity to spoilers. “And Rosebud was a sled,” a journalist might say upon reading aloud such subscriber feedback, which might prompt another to volley back, “And Bruce Willis was dead the whole time.”

Those two references, of course to the surprise endings of Citizen Kane and The Sixth Sense (sorry if that just ruined them for you), were meant as a jaded eye roll to a tiring complaint. When a movie’s ending is so well known, the feeling went, there are limits to how much a reporter needs to hold back. Asking a journalist to avoid twist endings isn’t just impinging on their story — it’s disrespectful to the work. If you cared that much about what happens in the movie, why didn’t you ever take the 90 minutes out...

Stir of Echoes was an integral part of my childhood. My family owned a copy of the film on VHS and it aired frequently on cable television. It was a movie that I watched more times than I can count and never grew bored or tired of it. To this day, when I think of Kevin Bacon, Stir of Echoes is the first film that comes to mind and it’s the one that I most closely associate with him. I hadn’t seen the movie since I was a teenager and I was curious to see how it held up in present day. I’m happy to say, that even twenty-five years later, the movie is endlessly compelling, thrilling and entertaining.

Stir of Echoes plot

Following a spur-of-the-moment hypnoses session at a drunken party with friends, Tom Witzky (Kevin Bacon) begins to experience visions and events that he can’t explain.

There’s meta and then there’s meta meta.

The latest indie feature from director/actress Alexi Pappas mocks the very idea of creating…well, anything. Pappas and Jeremy Teicher helm “Not An Artist” from a script they co-wrote with “Veep” alum Matt Walsh, who also stars.

“Not An Artist” centers on a artist-in-residency program overseen by an enigmatic patron (RZA) who may or may not be a cult leader. Per the official synopsis, the film follows “artists in turmoil who face a make-or-break ultimatum: unlock their full creative potential or abandon art forever. Yet, the unexpected intrusion of an outsider (Walsh) jeopardizes the program’s delicate balance.”

Haley Joel Osment, Rosalind Chao, Cleopatra Coleman, Paul Lieberstein, and Robert Schwartzman, whose Utopia is releasing the film, also star. Schwartzman founded Utopia in 2019, and has distributed films such as “Divinity” and “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair,” and contributed marketing...

10 Celebrities Who Went Back to College (and What They Studied) - Main Image

Despite achieving massive success at the height of their career, some celebrities that we know and love still went back to college and studied for a degree.

Here are some of the stars who managed to go back to studying during their fame.

Emma Watson

Emma Watson spent most of her younger years playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, but she still managed to study for college after her decade-long tenure in the role.

She graduated from Brown University in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in English literature.

Oprah Winfrey

Despite her career taking off in the late 1980s due to her talk show, Oprah Winfrey still found time to finish her college studies and get a degree.

After finally submitting her final paper years after leaving college, she received her degree in communication from Tennessee State University...

Kathleen Kennedy is set to be honored by the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) with the 2025 ASC Board of Governors Award, the organization announced Wednesday.

The ceremony will take place Feb. 23 at the 39th Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards Gala at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. The ceremony will be streamed live worldwide.

In a statement, ASC President Shelly John said that “Kathleen Kennedy’s extraordinary career has left an enduring mark on the world of cinema. Her keen eye for storytelling is unparalleled. She consistently brings forth projects that elevate and confirm her trust in the director and cinematographer relationship. Recognizing it as the backbone of great filmmaking, her movies consistently showcase this belief. Her dedication to visual excellence has made her a true trailblazer in the film industry.”

Kennedy was previously a recipient of the 2018 Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, which was bestowed upon her by The...

The American Society of Cinematographers will honor Oscar-nominated producer and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy with its 2025 Board of Governors Award at the ASC’s Feb. 23 awards gala in Beverly Hills.

“Kathleen Kennedy’s extraordinary career has left an enduring mark on the world of cinema,” said ASC President Shelly Johnson. “Her keen eye for storytelling is unparalleled. She consistently brings forth projects that elevate and confirm her trust in the director and cinematographer relationship. Recognizing it as the backbone of great filmmaking, her movies consistently showcase this belief. Her dedication to visual excellence has made her a true trailblazer in the film industry.”

The ASC Board of Governors Award recognizes individuals in the industry whose body of work has made significant and indelible contributions to cinema. It is reserved for filmmakers who are champions for directors of photography and the visual art form.

Kennedy is an eight-time Oscar nominee and...

Beyond Fest has announced something that should make fans of 1999’s tragically under-appreciated film Stir of Echoes very happy. There will be a special 25th anniversary screening of the film in Hollywood on Saturday, December 15.

Stir of Echoes was based on the book A Stir of Echoes by Richard Matheson, and if you think his book was a one-hit wonder, boy are you wrong! Matheson also wrote I Am Legend, The Shrinking Man, What Dreams May Come and the short story Duel, all of which were made into films.

His book Hell House was adapted to film as The Legend of Hill House, Button, Button’s onscreen title is The Box, and Bid Time Return was adapted as Somewhere in Time (starring Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve).

David Koepp was a big fan of Matheson’s work, and he directed and wrote the screenplay for Stir of Echoes. Kevin Bacon...

Rosario Dawson (Star Wars: Ahsoka) is set to play a high-end celebrity attorney in the supernatural horror thriller Unmerciful Good Fortune, Deadline reports – and the person her character will be defending in the story is a psychic serial killer! A.C.E. film and TV editor Tirsa Hackshaw is making her feature directorial debut with this film, which is based on award-winning playwright Edwin Sanchez’s show of the same name.

Dawson is producing Unmerciful Good Fortune and taking on the role of Maritza Cruz, a high-end celebrity attorney, pulled into a headline-making case involving Fatima, a cunning young waitress who is accused of serial poisoning and murdering 28 people. Fatima’s defense takes a darkly mysterious turn when she claims to have the psychic ability to see how someone will die when she touches them and reveals she is killing people to prevent a “fate worse than death.”

Tom DeSanto,...

The third annual Dances With Films NY festival announced their wins on Dec. 11, celebrating new talent in the world of independent film.

The audience choice winners were Kristen Hansen’s “Sonny Boy” for best narrative feature and Mikaela Shwer’s “The Kids Are Not Alright” for best documentary feature.

This year, the newly established Midnight category spotlighted genre films. The winners in this section were Andrew Bell’s “Bleeding” for best midnight feature and Benedict Chiu’s “Boy Band” for best midnight short. Dances With Films also provides a platform for pilots and proof of concept projects, with the audience winner being Ruthie Marantz’s “Raging Doll.”

For the industry awards, Chris Beier’s “The Ego Death of Queen Cecilia” won in the “Over 40 Minutes” category while Matthew Perkins’ “Fortune” won in the “Under 40 Minutes” category.

Over the course of four days, the festival screened 146 films, including 92 short films, 22 narrative and midnight features,...

Exclusive: Rosario Dawson is headlining the supernatural horror thriller Unmerciful Good Fortune from Tirsa Hacksaw, a veteran A.C.E. film and TV editor who is making her feature directorial debut.

Project, which Dawson is producing, is adapted from award-winning playwright Edwin Sanchez’s show of the same name.

Dawson plays Maritza Cruz, a high-end celebrity attorney, pulled into a headline-making case involving Fatima, a cunning young waitress who is accused of serial poisoning and murdering 28 people. Fatima’s defense takes a darkly mysterious turn when she claims to have the psychic ability to see how someone will die when she touches them and reveals she is killing people to prevent a “fate worse than death.”

Other producers include Tom DeSanto, Corey Large, and Brian Kirchoff for Rising Tide Entertainment. The film is executive produced by Jordan Wilson and Hackshaw. Pia Patatian’s new production and sales company,...

In 2022, Bruce Willis retired from acting following a diagnosis of aphasia, which was then confirmed to be frontotemporal dementia the following year. That sobering development certainly cast his late-career choices in a different light. Willis' final movie was the overlooked 2023 sci-fi action thriller "Assassin," but for the most part he had become a rent-a-star for low budget B-movie schlock. Considering what we now know about his health, however, much of that could easily be explained as a man trying to make his money before it was too late. Such a state of affairs would make for a sad ending to a career that otherwise remains one of the most impressive in Hollywood history. But even with a slew of middling action thrillers populating his later filmography, nothing could really take away from Willis' standing as one of the best to ever do it.

Willis was and is a movie star...

Bruce Willis’ $100M Success From The Sixth Sense ( Photo Credit – Wikimedia )

Bruce Willis made a staggering $100 million from The Sixth Sense — and it wasn’t just about playing a troubled shrink. The man went so deep into commitment that he even trained to use his non-dominant hand for the role. Talk about method acting meets madness.

But how did Willis pocket a sum that could make your jaw drop faster than a horror twist in an M. Night Shyamalan flick? Let’s rewind the tape to 1999 — when Willis wasn’t eager to do The Sixth Sense, but fate (and Disney contracts) pushed him into it.

M. Night Shyamalan, then a scrappy up-and-coming director, found himself battling Harvey Weinstein’s Miramax empire. Weinstein, the notorious kingpin of shady Hollywood deals, ensured Shyamalan couldn’t just walk away from Miramax. But Shyamalan, being Shyamalan, found a loophole. His escape plan? Wrote the best screenplay ever,...

Actor Donnie Wahlberg is known for playing Detective Danny Reagan in the procedural drama Blue Bloods. The series starring Tom Selleck in the lead role will wrap its run on television with the season 14 finale also serving as the series finale. Despite appearing in the show for fourteen seasons, Wahlberg admitted in an interview to fearing getting fired from it.

Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg played father and son in Blue Bloods (Credit: CBS).

After he was initially cast to play Selleck’s son in the series, Wahlberg quickly became skeptical after meeting the veteran actor. As a result, Wahlberg thought the makers would soon realize one discrepancy that made him unfit for the role and fire him. However, Wahlberg’s concerns appeared exaggerated, and here is what he had to say about his fear of getting fired.

Donnie Wahlberg Thought He Would Be Fired From Blue Bloods

Donnie Wahlberg...

The holiday season is here and that means there are lots of new releases coming out just in time to make the season bright. Below are some of the picks coming out sure to make the movie fan in your life smile. Whether it is an upgrade to a 4K edition, a reliable Blu-ray, or a special edition Box Set, this list has something for everyone!

One disclaimer: Deals as good as these can be fickle, so there’s no telling if and when a money-saving opportunity might end or if the price may change. So if you want something – snap that shit up quick! Don’t wait, only to have Festivus roll around and discover you’ve nothing to give or the price suddenly changed and you no longer have the bread. And remember that if you want to support JoBlo.com, please make all your purchases by initially clicking through our links,...

The best M. Night Shyamalan twist endings are the ones that bolster the larger point his movies are making. Consider his 1999 breakout success "The Sixth Sense," a film about how honest and open communication can allow us to make peace with our ghosts. Or take his 2004 offering "The Village," a tale about loss and grief and how they can spur people to reject social progress in ways that are suspect at best and outright harmful at worst. For as much as that movie's third act rug-pull was unjustly ragged on in its time, the actual message it was meant to drive home (one that was especially pointed for U.S. audiences arriving three years after the September 11th terrorist attacks) came through all the louder for those willing and able to hear it.

There are occasions, admittedly, when Shyamalan has included a convoluted denouement seemingly for its own sake, as...

Horror has been one of the most consistent money makers for Hollywood pretty much ever since movies became a popular form of entertainment for the masses. Even dating back to the days of "Nosferatu" and the early Universal Monsters films, it's a genre that delivers consistently yet, very frequently, gets very little respect. Even so, studios will continue going back to this well because when a horror movie breaks through with audiences, it can mean big money.

There have been plenty of blockbuster horror movies throughout history, from director William Friedkin's Oscar-winning, groundbreaking "The Exorcist" to more recent success stories like "Alien: Romulus." It's a never ending well that can be tapped over and over again when all else fails. But there is one that stands tall above the rest to hold the distinction as the highest-grossing horror movie in the history of the box office.

The movie in...

When you think of a perfect duo, M. Night Shyamalan and Bruce Willis are a perfect one. The legendary actor and reputable filmmaker has given us movies that messed with our heads, made us question reality,, and tugged at our emotions. Undoubtedly, Shyamalan’s signature style of bringing in mind-blowing twists and Willis’ effortless brooding vibe has created a total cinematic magic. They didn’t just make movies; they made experiences we just can’t stop talking about.

M. Night Shyamalan and Bruce Willis in Glass (Credits- Universal Pictures)

But not every team-up can be a slam dunk. While some of their projects had us picking our jaws off the floor, others were, let’s just say opinions are split. Whether Willis was playing a haunted psychologist, a reluctant superhero, or stepping back into his iconic role, he brought a new flavor to each movie. And honestly, there’s something...

Airell Anthony Hayles is no stranger to the world of horror. The British filmmaker, producer, and writer has steadily carved out a space for himself in the genre, delivering a mix of thought-provoking narratives and imaginative frights. With a degree in Theatre and Film Studies from Goldsmiths College, University of London, Airell’s passion for storytelling and genre cinema has led him to work on projects as varied as Heckle, starring Steve Guttenberg and Dani Dyer, and Werewolf Santa, a darkly comedic twist on holiday folklore.

His latest project, Advent, premieres at FrightFest Halloween before its digital release on 25 November 2024. The film blends supernatural horror with contemporary themes, drawing inspiration from the sinister “Blue Whale Challenge” and placing its protagonist—a social media influencer—at the mercy of a cursed advent calendar. It’s a concept that embodies Airell’s approach to horror: merging unsettling modern realities with classic storytelling tropes.

The ’90s – a time when Bruce Willis was ‘the guy’ for Hollywood. Fresh off Die Hard and coasting through a streak of hits, hits like The Fifth Element, Armageddon, and The Sixth Sense, he was Hollywood’s everyman hero with just the right amount of smirk. If a movie needed someone to crack wise (sometimes for the heck of it) while saving the day, Willis was first in line. But even when you’re on top, it’s easy to misread the room.

The Sixth Sense is a Bruce Willis classic | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Over the years, Willis passed on roles that turned out to be major hits—or gave others their defining moment. Some decisions were understandable, while others…well, even Bruce has admitted he’d love a do-over. Here are ten roles Bruce Willis turned down and (probably) regretted instantly.

10. Broadway Brawler (1997)

This one requires a caveat,...

Note: The following story contains spoilers from “What We Do in the Shadows” Season 6, Episode 9.

From its first season, “What We Do in the Shadows” has been a show unafraid to cheekily drop big names, especially if the actors in question have a vampire on their IMDb page. And in its final season, the FX comedy embraced its chaotic, star-studded side once more.

“Come Out and Play” once again finds the Staten Island crew among the many, many, many throngs of vampires that inhabit New York, from the Meatpacking hotties to the aspiring artist vampires who have to hold down day jobs as baristas. But there’s one especially tall, pale and questioning vamp that may have caught viewers’ eyes. Here’s your guide to the “True Blood” star who’s casually in this latest season.

Alexander Skarsgård in a crowd shot on “What We Do in the Shadows” (Photo...

Bruce Willis was on a bit of a heater heading into 2001. The star had a habit of keeping busy, which meant that there would be a dud or two mixed in with the successes, but after the washout of "Last Man Standing" in 1996 (and excluding the animated hit that was "Beavis and Butt-Head Do America"), he had four consecutive years with a box-office smash in "The Fifth Element" ($264 million worldwide), "Armageddon" ($554 million WW), "The Sixth Sense" ($673 million WW), and "Unbreakable" ($248 million WW). Why not make it five?

Willis surely didn't lack for offers in 2001, but for whatever reason he rolled into that year with one film on the slate, Barry Levinson's caper comedy "Bandits." Co-starring Billy Bob Thornton and Cate Blanchett, it's a funny enough movie that rode its mild charms to a $67 million global gross — which fell short of the movie's inexplicably fat $75 million budget (money that most...

M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense" is arguably one of the most unsettling horror movies of all time, following a young boy named Cole (Haley Joel Osment) who has the ability to see and speak with the dead. Child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe, played by Bruce Willis, attempts to help him deal with what he believes is mental illness, though he eventually discovers that Cole's talents are all too real. With an incredible twist ending and one of the scariest scenes for kids ever, Shyamalan's 1999 thriller is an all-timer that launched him into mega-stardom right out of the gate. But while "The Sixth Sense" was a box office sensation and ended up becoming one of the biggest films of the '90s, Shyamalan himself (who was virtually unknown and only had a couple of features under his belt at the time) was a bit nervous during production, especially when...

Bruce Willis’ daughters Scout and Tallulah shared a rare Thanksgiving photo with their father to Instagram in which he’s holding a plaque that reads “Best Dad Ever.” The caption read simply, “Grateful.”

The former actor, who is now 69, was diagnosed with aphasia, a cognitive disorder that affects one’s ability to communicate, in March 2022, before receiving a more specific dementia diagnosis in Feb. 2023.

Last year, Glenn Gordon Caron, the creator of “Moonlighting,” the ’80s sitcom that shot Willis to stardom, told the New York Post that even though the actor was “not totally verbal” and no longer reading, he was “still Bruce.”

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“He’s not totally verbal,” Caron said. “He used to be a voracious reader — he didn’t want anyone to know that — and he’s not reading now. All those language skills are no longer available to him,...

The ending is the most important part of a movie. It is what creates the effects and emotions the audience is left with. Some endings imprint themselves on viewers’ minds and some continue to amaze audiences no matter how much time has passed.

Movies with cliffhangers and shocking endings that keep the audience on the edge of their seats are hard to come by. With their twisted narratives and layered plotlines, these movies make the viewers question what they think they know. They progress subtly, until the final jaw-dropping scene changes everything and has one thinking about it for days.

The ultimate element of surprise can truly make or break a film. Sometimes, a movie’s performance can be judged on how impactfully it leaves one stunned. Hence, here is a list of movies that can potentially leave one scratching their heads; ranked from better to best.

10. Gone Girl (2014) Rosamund Pike...

Bruce Willis recently appeared in photos with his daughters. This marks a rare appearance from the actor two years following his dementia diagnosis. Since his diagnosis, the star’s family have shared a few statements with fans about his condition.

Bruce Willis Appeared With Two Of His Daughters

As an actor, Willis is arguably best known for playing John McClane in the Die Hard film franchise. Other notable film roles for the actor include Pulp Fiction, The Fifth Element, The Sixth Sense, and Sin City.

In 2022, Willis retired from acting due to aphasia. The following year, he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. Since then, the actor has been keeping a low profile.

Bruce Willis – YouTube

This past Thanksgiving, Willis’ daughters, Tallulah and Scout Willis, shared photos with their father on Instagram. The actor shares Tallulah and Scout with his ex-wife Demi Moore.

In the two photos, the actor is seen...

Dandadan‘s recent anime adaptation has taken the community by storm with its blend of comedy, action, and supernatural chaos. Apart from the theme, what truly sets it apart is its masterful storytelling of Yukinobu Tatsu, which seamlessly incorporates humor into bone-chilling scenarios — a formula that resonates deeply with fans of both horror and comedy. But of course, without Science Saru, the visual feast that we’re witnessing wouldn’t have been possible.

Okarun from Dandadan | Credit: Science Saru

Similarly, an example of Science Saru’s creative genius shines through how they crafted the opening and ending sequences of Dandadan. The opening theme of Dandadan, titled “Otonoke“, displays the series’ identity, packing in countless references to occult lore and horror media. For fans who thrive on decoding hidden messages and diving into urban legends, the opening is nothing but a goldmine.

Dandadan‘s Opening Song: A Tribute to Yukinobu Tatsu...