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by Cláudio Alves

No matter how respected or prolific a thespian may be, the glow of Oscar gold isn't guaranteed. Just ask Lois Smith, a titan of the contemporary American stage with nearly 150 screen credits to her name. The closest she ever came to the Academy's good graces was at the start of the 70s and the New Hollywood craze, when playing Jack Nicholson's pianist sister in Five Easy Pieces. Bob Rafelson's film is something of a classic for those interested in this era of American cinema, but its legend tends to circle around the leading man and, maybe, Karen Black. Still, Smith delivers a performance worth considering and, as the title of this post suggests, she was almost there…...

Joe Manganiello is sharing why he thinks the cast of True Blood was way too “overqualified” to be starring in the hit drama fantasy series.

On a recent episode of Podcrushed, with hosts Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari, the actor, who played Alcide Herveaux, looked back at the “really wild, crazy, intelligent” show that “pushed the culture forward at the time,” as he described it. However, he noted that the series cast actors with extensive résumés.

“What’s funny about True Blood was, you know, we were all really, really overqualified,” Manganiello admitted. “Well, I should say the material was deceptively tricky because it was kind of written in like Tennessee Williams. It was very operatic at times.”

He continued, “But, you know, but it’s all theater kids. It’s like people with Tonys and Oscars and, you know, Mike McMillan and I were the Carnegie Mellon kids,...

“Twisters” is getting ready to shake up the summer box office.

The disaster movie, a sequel to the 1996 classic “Twister,” has made $10.7 million in Thursday previews at the box office. The Universal film, starring Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Anthony Ramos as storm chasers, is expected to open between $50 million and $55 million this weekend.

“Twisters” comes with a $155 million price tag, so it’ll need to storm the global box office to turn a profit. Warner Bros. is distributing the film internationally, where it’s made $X million so far. It will open in larger markets like France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom this weekend.

Released 28 years after the original film, “Twisters” stars Powell as Tyler Owens, a popular storm chaser on the internet, and Edgar-Jones as Kate Cooper, a meteorologist and ex-tornado chaser who is haunted by a major storm from her past. With her colleague Javi (Ramos...

This week marks the arrival of "Twisters" (read /Film's review), a sequel arriving nearly three decades after the original blockbuster hit "Twister." Because of how much time has elapsed between films, the cast for "Twisters" is entirely different. Although "Twisters," like its predecessor, boasts plenty of flashy special effects to create the sensation of powerful tornadoes popping up throughout Oklahoma as it tracks different groups of storm chasers trying to wrangle these bouts of Mother Nature's anger, the film doesn't quite live up to the secret weapon that "Twister" had: surprisingly committed character actors delivering better-than-needed supporting performances. But character actors popping up to steal the show in big-budget blockbusters isn't unique to "Twister" or its sequel, so let's rank the 10 best blockbuster performances by character actors.

Read more: The 20 Best Western Movie Actors Ranked

10. Paul Giamatti, Planet Of The Apes

With more than 25 years of hindsight, there's not too...

Before Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Anthony Ramos, there were Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, who starred in the original high-octane thriller Twister (1996) as storm chasers.

Romantic tension similar, but also different, to that between the main characters in Twisters unfolded in the original film. The new installment also nods to the reboot in several ways. The conflict within the two films is also similar. Twisters looks to touch down to a $50 million start at the box office opening weekend.

With Universal’s sequel directed by Lee Isaac Chung about to hit theaters, some may be wondering where to watch the original natural disaster film.

Where Can I Watch ‘Twister’? Is It Streaming?

Twister, which came out in 1996, is available to stream on Max as well as with the Hulu and Max bundle. It is also available to rent on Prime Video, Apple TV+ and more.

What Is Twister about?...

If you were forced to pick a '90s blockbuster that lent itself to the legacy-sequel craze, the original "Twister" would probably be near the bottom of the list, and "Minari" director Lee Isaac Chung would be the very last name you'd pick to bring such a follow-up to life. Boy, what a difference nearly 30 years makes. Back then, there was practically a cottage industry built around productions featuring an A-list headliner surrounded by a strong stable of character actors, a journeyman filmmaker bringing a sturdy sense of direction, and a straightforward enough hook to put butts in seats. A movie like that merely needed a savvy marketing push and the promise of big-screen spectacle to set it on the right track ... and thrill-seeking audiences could be relied upon to take care of the rest and lead it to box-office glory, thank you very much.

Those halcyon days might be...

The highly-anticipated standalone sequel to the 1996 disaster thriller film Twister is finally here. Directed by Lee Isaac Chung from a screenplay by Mark L. Smith, Twisters is a disaster action thriller film and it follows the story of Kate Cooper, a former storm chaser who gets roped into chasing storms once again by her friend Javi to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. Kate soon meets the daredevil storm wrangler Tyler Owens and all of them team up to fight for their survival. Twisters stars Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, and Sasha Lane. So, if you loved the surviving thriller, disaster, and a bit of romantic element in Twisters here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Twister (Max & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Warner Bros.

Twister is a disaster thriller film directed by Jan de Bont from a screenplay co-written by Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin.

When Lee Isaac Chung’s Twisters opens in theaters on July 19, the reimagined version of Jan de Bont’s 1996 classic could make a $50 million debut. According to analysts, a summer heatwave is heading our way, which could bring audiences to air-conditioned theaters. Between beating the heat with a bucket of buttery popcorn and an overpriced fountain drink, walk-up business could also play a part in Twisters whipping up dollars on its first weekend at the box office.

For a while, analysts predicted a slow summer at cinemas. However, movies like Inside Out 2 ($800M) and Bad Boys: Ride or Die ($294M) have reinvigorated interest in returning to theaters, leading number crunchers to take another look at their box office crystal ball. While Twisters has a lot going for it, tornado warnings across parts of the United States could have people opposed to watching weather-related carnage on the silver screen. My prediction?...

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

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

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

It's been 28 years since Jan De Bont's "Twister" ripped through theaters and whipped up a $496 million worldwide gross. In the meantime, it's become a weekend cable mainstay, where viewers can tune out its wafer-thin plot and simply enjoy the foul weather spectacle. It's far from a classic, but its visual prowess is undeniable, and its colorful cast of storm chasers led by Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt seem to be having a ball. Any film that includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Ruck, Jami Gertz, Todd Field, and Lois Smith is bound to be fun on some level.

So why has it taken so long for Universal to make a sequel to the second-highest-grossing film (domestically) of 1996?

"Twisters" didn't exactly have a stormy development process, but it did go through a couple of iterations over the last four years. Joseph Kosinski was attached to direct in early 2020. When that fell through,...

Law & Order: Organized Crime fans, we’ve got a fresh off the press preview for the new Season 4 Episode 11 episode titled Redcoat!

Find out everything you need to know about the Redcoat episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime, including a full preview, videos, release date, cast information and how to watch!

Law & Order: Organized Crime Redcoat Season 4 Episode 11 Preview

In the upcoming episode of “Law & Order: Organized Crime” titled “Redcoat,” airing on NBC at 10:00 Pm on May 2, 2024, viewers are in for a gripping ride through the complex world of crime and justice. Stabler finds himself facing a daunting challenge as he fights to maintain his standing within the farm’s inner circle, all while his closest ally comes under scrutiny. As tensions rise and loyalties are tested, Stabler must navigate treacherous waters to protect his position and uphold his principles.

Meanwhile, the team embarks on a relentless...

Get ready for a gripping new episode of “Law & Order: Organized Crime” titled “Redcoat,” airing at 10:00 Pm on Thursday, May 2nd, 2024, exclusively on NBC. In this intense installment, Stabler finds himself facing a daunting challenge as he fights to maintain his position within the farm’s inner circle. With his greatest ally under scrutiny, Stabler must navigate treacherous waters to protect his standing and reputation.

Meanwhile, the team races against the clock to uncover the identity of their top target. However, their efforts may prove futile as they discover that they are already too late to intercept his latest shipment. As tensions rise and stakes escalate, the battle against organized crime reaches a critical juncture, with Stabler and his team facing their most formidable adversary yet.

Don’t miss a minute of the action-packed drama in “Redcoat,” airing at 10:00 Pm on Thursday, May 2nd, 2024, only on NBC.

[Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for Law & Order: Organized CrimeSeason 4 Episode 10 “Crossroads.”] The Organized Crime Control Bureau now has to mourn one of its own. Stabler’s (Christopher Meloni) latest undercover operation on Organized Crime has him looking into an organization moving heroin tied to his brother Joe’s (Michael Trotter) drug use. And in order to maintain his cover, Stabler can’t react—as a montage of moments from the season plays—when he’s ordered to bury the body of none other than Detective Sam Bashir (Abubakr Ali) after he went missing connected to the case. He leans on the fact that he was a Marine (his tattoo) to let his anger out and question Angus (Stephen Lang) about it. Angus claims they had nothing to do with his death. Later, Mama Boone (Lois Smith) asks Angus, “We’re just doing Red Coat’s doing now?” He says it’s part of the arrangement he made ...

Law & Order: Organized Crime fans, we’ve got a fresh off the press preview for the new Season 4 Episode 10 episode titled Crossroads!

Find out everything you need to know about the Crossroads episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime, including a full preview, videos, release date, cast information and how to watch!

Law & Order: Organized Crime Crossroads Season 4 Episode 10 Preview

Gear up for another intense episode of “Law & Order: Organized Crime” titled “Crossroads,” airing on NBC at 10:00 Pm on April 18, 2024. In this gripping installment, the team faces a formidable challenge as they strive to dismantle a massive drug operation cleverly concealed behind the facade of a local honey farm.

As the investigation unfolds, tensions rise and stakes escalate, putting the entire team on high alert. Meanwhile, amidst the chaos, Randall takes matters into his own hands in the absence of Stabler, embarking on a personal quest to locate Joe Jr. However,...

One night, not so very long ago, Walton Goggins and Nadia Conners were getting ready to host a cocktail party for about 150 people when an elderly woman showed up outside their Los Angeles home. She was confused and disoriented, asking Conners to help open the garage door because her clicker wasn’t working.

“She thought she was home,” remembers Conners. “I looked through her phonebook, trying to find someone who knew her and who could help, but most of the people in it were dead. She had outlived her circle of friends.”

Later, after the police had arrived to help the woman, Conners returned to the party and shared what had happened with her guests. “I was telling this story and trying to explain to people why it had impacted me so deeply. The reaction was sort of like, ‘Great, you got her back home.'”

“People thought it was...

It’s a scientific fact that no amount of prior prep time can ever make a host feel truly prepared when guests start arriving for a dinner party. Something always falls through the cracks, and even the most natural entertainers are destined to find themselves half-dressed and cursing their rude friends for having the gall to ring the doorbell ten minutes after the time on the invitation. So when Rose (Elizabeth Reaser) is in the thick of those agonizing final minutes before her garden party starts, the last thing she wants to see is a confused elderly woman pulling into her driveway insisting that Rose’s Hollywood mansion is actually her house.

But a movie called “The Uninvited” wouldn’t be much fun if only the invited guests show up, would it? Rose soon finds her party — which she never wanted to throw in the first place, but agreed to...

As its title suggests, there’s a limited guest list in “The Uninvited,” a keen critique of Hollywood that will play best to the insider set that Rose (Elizabeth Reaser) and Sammy Wright (Walton Goggins) welcome into their gated villa in the hills.

Writer-director Nadia Conners clearly knows of what she speaks when throwing a party meant to impress. It isn’t hard to imagine that the real-life wife of Goggins, whose career has only thrived more as he’s gotten older, has heard something similar to the voicemail left for Rose in the early moments of Conners’ directorial debut. The message informs the actress that she’s now too old to play the mother of a 6-year-old when she’s barely into her 40s. (Never mind that her own son Wilder is around that age.) Yet unlike Conners, no one has probably told Rose that she might make a...

Upcoming Pedro Pascal Movies and Shows to Watch. ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Pedro Pascal has become the sweetheart in the Hollywood world of entertainment. He’s undoubtedly one of the most versatile actors in the film industry. For the past few years, the Narcos star delivered back-to-back remarkable performances and rose to fame through his movies and shows. He’s the internet’s favourite, and one of the reasons is his witty interviews and cuteness. But his work has always been the reason why he’s often in the news.

For all the Pedro fans, we have listed his upcoming movies and shows that will make you more excited about what new the actor has to offer.

Upcoming Pedro Pascal Movies and Shows Upcoming Pedro Pascal Movies Gladiator 2

Recently, a BTS picture from Pedro’s upcoming movie Gladiator 2 leaked online. He’s wearing a cloak in the pic, but...

With their upcoming pic Ghostlight premiering this weekend at the Sundance Film Festival, filmmaker duo Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson have landed new reps signing with Gersh.

The film, which O’Sullivan wrote and co-directed with Thompson, who also produced, debuts in the Premiere section of Sundance on January 18.

Their previous film, Saint Frances, starring and written by O’Sullivan, and directed by Thompson premiered at SXSW in 2019, winning a Special Jury Prize for “Breakthrough Voice” and the Audience Award for Narrative Feature. Released in 2020, the film was one of the most acclaimed independent films of the year and was nominated for three Gotham Awards, an Independent Spirit Award, and named by the National Board of Review as one of the Top Ten Independent Films of the year.

O’Sullivan and Thompson will next collaborate on Mouse, a dramatic coming-of-age comedy written by O’Sullivan, which they will also co-direct...

Back in 1996, the Twister cast, outside of Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton was largely unknown. At the time, not too many of them were famous. However, in the years since the film, much of that has changed and much of the Twister cast has gone on to fame both in front and behind the camera.

Helen Hunt was arguably the film’s biggest star in the cast back in ’96, but she wasn’t the first choice for the movie. Before the role of Dr. Jo Harding went to her, Jurassic Park standout Laura Dern, Bridget Fonda, and Kate Mulgrew almost wore the good doctor’s white tank top and reinforced mud-stompers. Initially, Tom Hanks eyed the role of Bill Harding but ultimately felt Twister wasn’t the right fit for his brand of character creation. Other actors floated for Bill Harding include Kevin Costner, Michael Keaton, Kurt Russell, Richard Gere,...

Exclusive: Indie filmmakers Courtney Stephens and Michael Almereyda are teaming to direct a new documentary about controversial scientist John C. Lilly, Deadline has learned.

Funded by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the project will look at the countercultural figure’s work as the inventor of the isolation tank, as well as his pioneering studies of dolphin intelligence and support of psychedelics as a positive means for expanding consciousness. The storytelling will be supported by interviews with Lilly’s contemporaries and colleagues, as well as extensive archival records.

Stephens was drawn to Lilly, having grown up near Marine World in the Bay Area, where the scientist worked with trained dolphins and computers in the early 1980s, hoping to teach the animals an Esperanto-like language that would allow for interspecies communication. Apple donated equipment to the lab, which was visited by figures ranging from Ram Dass to Olivia Newton John.

A veteran producer and sales agent once told me that, for a billion dollars, anyone could buy their way into the Oscar race for Best Picture. In recent months, that prediction proved altogether generous.

While not a Best Picture contender, Andrea Riseborough’s performance in “To Leslie” demonstrated the potential of DIY campaigning to chart a surprising path into a major Oscar category. Controversial or not, and despite all the potential campaign violations it raised, Riseborough’s Best Actress nomination got the attention of other established actors who work on low-budget movies with limited resources. As one veteran awards consultant told me this week, “People are now going to say, ‘Where’s my Andrea Riseborough campaign?’”

The answer to that question requires some meticulous number-crunching as well as ample chutzpah. The Oscar race is often a Trojan horse for cinema that would go otherwise unrecognized by the U.S. industry,...

Why not kick off the new year with a new movie? January can be a bit of a slow month for new releases, but a number of noteworthy titles are newly streaming over the next few weeks to keep you plenty occupied. Below, we’ve put together a curated list of some of the best new movies to stream in January 2023, including brand new films like Prime Video’s Jennifer Lopez rom-com “Shotgun Wedding” and Netflix’s Jonah Hill/Eddie Murphy comedy “You People” to excellent library titles worth watching (or rewatching). There’s a little something for everyone, so take a look and dig in below.

Also Read:

The Best Movies on HBO Max Right Now “Minority Report” 20th Century Fox

Netflix – Jan. 1

One of Steven Spielberg’s very best films, 2002’s “Minority Report” offered a more gritty, more dystopian version of a sci-fi future than he had tackled before,...

Frank Galati, the Tony Award-winning director of Broadway’s The Grapes of Wrath and nominee for Ragtime, died Monday night. He was 79.

A cause of death was not immediately available.

Galati, who was an associate director at Chicago’s famed Goodman Theatre from 1986 to 2008 and a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company since 1985, was Oscar-nominated, along with co-writer Lawrence Kasdan, for the 1988 screenplay adaptation of Anne Tyler’s novel The Accidental Tourist.

Galati’s 1990 stage adaptation of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath won the Tony Award for Best Play; Galati also won the award that year for Best Direction. The acclaimed production, which debuted at Steppenwolf before transferring to Broadway, starred Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney, and Lois Smith in Tony-nominated performances.

“Frank had a profound impact on Steppenwolf, and all of us, over the years,” said Steppenwolf’s co-artistic directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis in a joint statement.

“Minari” filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung is in talks to direct “Twisters,” the sequel to the 1996 storm-chasing blockbuster starring Helen Hunt and the late Bill Paxton.

News broke in October that Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment had accelerated development on the project, with Mark L. Smith (“The Revenant”) signed on to write the sequel’s screenplay and Frank Marshall (“Jurassic World Dominion”) attached to produce through his Kennedy/Marshall Company. “Twisters” will be co-financed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Chung is best known as the writer and director of 2020’s “Minari,” the intimate semi-autobiographical family drama about a Korean family navigating life on an Arkansas farm in the 1980s. The film went on to earn six Academy Award nominations, including for best picture. Chung himself was nominated for best director and best original screenplay, while the film’s star Yuh-Jung Youn made history with her best supporting actress Oscar win. The filmmaker...

Exclusive: Eva De Dominici (The Cleaning Lady) and Rufus Sewell (Old) are among the newest additions to Nadia Conners’ first narrative feature The Uninvited, for Foton.Pictures and Rosebud Pictures, which is currently shooting in Los Angeles.

The actors join an ensemble that also includes Elizabeth Reaser, Walton Goggins, Lois Smith and Pedro Pascal, as previously announced.

Related Story Ed Helms Joins Jennifer Garner In ‘Family Leave’; McG To Direct & Produce Netflix Body-Swap Comedy Related Story Elizabeth Reaser, Walton Goggins, Lois Smith & Pedro Pascal Set For Nadia Conners' First Narrative Feature 'The Uninvited' Related Story 'The Cleaning Lady': Eva De Dominici Upped To Series Regular For Season 2 Of Fox Series

In the film written and directed by Conners, a stranger interrupts a party, provoking a comedy of errors, deep reckonings, and a reordering of life. Kate Comer (King Knight), Michael Panes (The Man in the Woods), Annie Korzen (Taming...

Exclusive: Elizabeth Reaser (Impeachment: American Crime Story), Walton Goggins (The Righteous Gemstones), Lois Smith (The French Dispatch) and Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) will topline The Uninvited — the first narrative feature written and directed by Nadia Conners, which is currently in production in Los Angeles.

The film from Foton.Pictures and and Rosebud Pictures watches as a stranger interrupts a party, provoking a comedy of errors, deep reckonings and a reordering of life.

Rosie Fellner (The Trip To Italy), Carlos Cuscó (Changing the Game) and Ari Taboada (The Birthday Cake) are producing, with Cassian Elwes (Lawless) and Naomi Despres (Kill the Messenger) exec producing, and WME Independent selling global rights.

“To have such an incredibly talented cast, with strong chemistry, and dynamic producers, on my directorial debut is really a dream come true,” said Conners.

Remarked Fellner: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be embarking on this journey with Nadia, her witty and intelligent script,...

Welcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.”

If you haven’t taken a look at Diane Keaton’s Instagram feed, you really should. The 76-year-old Oscar winner entertains her 2.1 million followers with a range of video posts. Some of my favorites include a photomontage of famous men — Justin Bieber, Lil Baby, Oscar Isaac and Kodi Smit-McPhee, to name a few — set to “It’s Raining Men,” and another explaining why she prefers almonds to walnuts while she shows off her snack closet. In April, Keaton’s “Spring Cleaning” video featured her in one of her signature black-and-white ensembles, a hat and studded black leather gloves as she picked through a closet for items to donate to Goodwill.

“There’s something wrong about that, but really I’m glad that I’m part of it,” Keaton says of her Instagram popularity. “I do like it. And I could play around with things.

I’ve you’ve got a bit of cinema nostalgia in your psyche, then this week’s new (but also old) release just might be your movie memory escape route. This flick’s plot has its roots in lots of early film comedies. I’ll offer a bit of a personal spin as my earliest movie theatre memory is seeing Goodbye Charlie in which the late womanizing Bff of Tony Curtis returns as Debbie Reynolds, a gender-flip reused 17 years later in the Blake Edwards spoof Switch. Speaking of age, that was the big variation of that concept that really took hold in the 1980s with fathers becoming their sons and vice-versa in Like Father Like Son and, well, Vice Versa. But the big one was 1988’s Big that veered away a bit in that a young lad suddenly became a 30-something Tom Hanks. Of course, the idea was exploited in...

Diane Keaton plays Aunt Rita in Katie Aselton’s Mack & Rita. Photo: Gravitas Premiere We’ve all heard the term “old soul” before. Director Katie Aselton’s Mack & Rita explores that concept literally with the story of a 30-year-old who physically becomes the advanced age she feels on the inside.

“Mack & Rita,” the third film by Sundance darling Katie Aselton, is Mack (Elizabeth Lail), an awkward author turned reluctant influencer, describes herself as a “70-year-old in the body of a 30-year-old.” She tiptoes through life terrified to be out of step with her cohorts’ harsh judgments. Here, according to screenwriters Madeline Walter and Paul Welsh, millennials recoil at reading, diners, scarves, carpeting, silence, sensible shoes, chain restaurants and non-conformity. In one scene, 50 of millennials don’t even understand the word “lothario.”

Exhausted from the pressure to sport thigh-high, spike-heeled snakeskin boots to a bottomless mimosa brunch, Mack stumbles across a shady huckster (“Red Rocket” star Simon Rex), collapses in his regression tank — and emerges in the body of Diane Keaton. The body-swapping contrivance is easier to believe than anything the film does with it. Introducing herself to the world as Mack’s Aunt Rita, the character unchains herself from...

Click here to read the full article.

For the 30-year-old at the center of Mack & Rita, a repurposed tanning bed and a New Age charlatan’s mumbo-jumbo summon body-switch magic: She emerges from the gussied-up contraption as the older woman she believes she truly is. The good news for the audience is that the septuagenarian is played by Diane Keaton. For Keaton, the movie is better news than Poms, but still a hit-and-miss affair. At times disarming, at others plain silly, it takes a few daring leaps without quite avoiding middle-of-the-road sitcom territory.

This makes sense given that screenwriters Madeline Walter and Paul Welsh are vets of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Actor-turned-filmmaker Katie Aselton (Black Rock, The Freebie), who played Keaton’s daughter in Book Club, directs the material with a sunshiny SoCal sensibility and an appreciation of the terrific comic cast, though more than a few barely escape being wasted. If there’s magic here,...

No movie better captures the maverick spirit of Bob Rafelson and the impact he had on the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s than “Five Easy Pieces.” The film follows Jack Nicholson’s Bobby Dupea, a former piano prodigy who has turned his back on his privileged lifestyle to embrace the life of a blue collar drifter. Dupea’s rejection of his upbringing struck a cord with the counterculture and turned “Five Easy Pieces” into a critical and commercial sensation, making it a rare film that tapped into and reflected the zeitgeist.

Rafelson, who also directed “The King of Marvin Gardens” and helped create “The Monkees” television series, died on July 23 at the age of 89. Lois Smith, a Tony-winning character actress who would later work with the filmmaker on his 1987 thriller “Black Widow,” played Partita Dupea, the sister of Bobby Dupea, in “Pieces,’ who helps set the plot in motion...

"You didn't want to be old, what you wanted is to be You." Gravitas Premiere has unveiled a trailer for an indie comedy titled Mack & Rita, the latest from filmmaker Katie Aselton after her films The Freebie and Black Rock. This is being given a full on wide release in August, most likely because it has Diane Keaton in it and she can usually bring in audiences. A 30-year-old writer, played by Elizabeth Lail, spends a wild weekend in Palm Springs and wakes up to find she has magically transformed into her 70-year-old self - as played by Diane Keaton. "Freed from the constraints of other people's expectations, Rita comes into her own, becoming an unlikely social media sensation" and sparking a tentative romance. The film's ensemble cast includes Taylour Paige, Loretta Devine, Simon Rex, Dustin Milligan, Amy Hill, Lois Smith, Wendie Malick, Patti Harrison, Martin Short, Addie Weyrich, Aimee Carrero,...

Gravitas Ventures, an Anthem Sports & Entertainment Company, today announced the launch of its new theatrical release label, Gravitas Premiere, which will acquire 4-6 cast-driven, high production value films per year and release them wide theatrically with significant P&a support. The first title on Premiere’s docket is Katie Aselton’s dramedy Mack & Rita, starring Diane Keaton, which it will release wide in theaters across the U.S. and Canada on August 12.

In Mack & Rita, Mackenzie Martin (Elizabeth Lail) is tired of doing all the things she has to do to keep up and get ahead in her 30s. Since she was a little girl, Mack’s deepest wish has been to be just like her Grammie: comfortable in her own skin, great at saying “no,” and largely unburdened by what others think of her—not to mention love for a good chunky sweater and being in bed by 8:00 p.

Gravitas Ventures, of Canada-based Anthem Sports & Entertainment, has acquired the North American rights to the Diane Keaton-starring comedy film “Mark & Rita” — set to premiere Aug. 12 — as it expands into a new theatrical release label Gravitas Premiere.

The label will acquire four to six “cast-driven, high production value films” per year, releasing them wide theatrically, according to the company’s announcement.

“We are delighted to launch Gravitas Premiere with the acquisition of ‘Mack & Rita,’ which solidifies our commitment to championing the cinematic in-theater experience,” said Gravitas Ventures Founder and CEO Nolan Gallagher. “People love going to the movies and this film is an excitingly fresh and insightful comedy that needs to be experienced on the big screen. ‘Mack & Rita’ is the type of high-quality, independently-produced story we are seeking to acquire through Gravitas Premiere, and we look forward to collaborating with our exhibition partners in bringing the...

Producer Uri Singer’s Passage Pictures is developing a series called “Enjoy Your Stay,” which the producer says will be based on true events surrounding AirBnB’s crisis response team and its attempts to deal with the aftermath of a crime. A former AirBnB security team member has joined the production as an anonymous source and consultant for the series, Passage Pictures says. The way that AirBnB handles incidents like rapes and shootings and its reported use of a shadowy safety crew has been the subject of several investigations by media outlets.

“We believe this project is an important contemporary story that needs to be told, to show both the victims’ and the crisis team employees’ stories,” Singer says.

Former Wall Street Journal reporter Will Connors is penning the series. This will be Connors’ first venture into screenwriting, after spending more than a decade covering corruption, business, politics, and sports for the Journal,...

Multi-faceted filmmaker Mark Duplass discusses the movies he wishes more people knew about with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Duck Butter (2018)

The Puffy Chair (2005)

Prince Of Broadway (2008)

Tangerine (2015)

The Florida Project (2017) – Dennis Cozzalio’s review

Red Rocket (2021)

Starlet (2012)

Take Out (2004)

Mack & Rita (Tbd)

Old Joy (2006)

First Cow (2020)

Wendy And Lucy (2008) – Dennis Cozzalio’s favorite movie of 2020

Henry Fool (1997)

Trust (1990)

Amateur (1994)

Medicine For Melancholy (2008)

Shang-Chi (2021)

Your Sister’s Sister (2011)

My Effortless Brilliance (2008)

What the Funny (2008)

Humpday (2009)

True Adolescents (2009)

Man Push Cart (2005)

The White Tiger (2021)

Baghead (2008)

The Do-Deca-Pentathlon (2012)

Language Lessons (2021)

Stevie (2002)

Hoop Dreams (1994)

American Movie (1999)

What Happened Was… (1994) – Ti West’s trailer commentary

Manhunter (1986) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

My Dinner With Andre (1981)

Creep (2014)

Grown-Ups (1980)

Abigail’s Party (1977)

Nuts In May (1976)

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Strange...

The French Dispatch Review — The French Dispatch (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Wes Anderson and starring Benicio Del Toro, Frances McDormand, Timothee Chalamet, Adrien Brody, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Lea Seydoux, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Owen Wilson, Steve Park, Bob Balaban, Henry Winkler, Edward Norton, Lois Smith, Tony Revolori [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: The French Dispatch (2021): Wes Anderson’s Latest Is Well Cast And Just Pure Genius...

Lois Smith set a record for the oldest person to win a Tony Award on Sunday. The actress won her first trophy for her work as Margaret in The Inheritance at the age of 90. Last night the amazing Lois Smith became the oldest person to win a Tony Award as a performer. Bravo!!! #TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/sz3NTP0Wbc […]

The post Lois Smith, 90, Sets Record As Oldest Person Ever To Win A Tony Award appeared first on uInterview.

What to say about the 74th Tony Awards, the ceremony held on Sunday night — Sept. 26, 2021 — in recognition of Broadway achievements during the 2019-2020 season prior to its interruption by Covid?

Well, for those who were able to watch it in its entirety, it was apparently a thoroughly enjoyable event, highlighted by wins for popular veterans like Danny Burstein, Adrienne Warren, David Alan Grier and Lois Smith, and musical performances by the likes of Jennifer Holliday, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.

Alas, I was not among them — though not for lack of trying.

All but the three biggest awards were presented over the course of ...

As predicted, Lois Smith won the Tony Award for Featured Actress in a Play for her moving turn in Matthew Lopez’s “The Inheritance.” Not only is this the veteran actress’ first career Tony win, but Smith has just become the oldest Tony winning actor in history. Talk about a victory being worth the wait!

Lois Smith is 90 years of age, having been born on November 3, 1930. This makes her two years older than the previous record holder for oldest Tony winning performer. That would be Cicely Tyson, who won a Tony for playing Carrie Watts in the 2018 revival of “The Trip To Bountiful” at age 88. That was Tyson’s only Tony nomination and win of her career, despite appearing in nine Broadway plays. Ironically, Smith also portrayed Carrie in a 2005 Off-Broadway revival of “Bountiful.” She won the Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Obie, and Outer Critics Circle Awards for that performance.

The long-delayed 74th Tony Awards was held on Sunday, September 26 in a two-part telecast staged at the Winter Garden theater. Six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald hosted a ceremony on Paramount+ that included the awarding of all but three of the Tonys. “Hamilton” star Leslie Odom, Jr. then emceed a celebration of Broadway on CBS that included the top three prizes: Best Musical, Best Play and Best Play Revival.

Nominations were announced back on October 15, 2020. Of the 18 eligible productions from the shortened 2019-2020 Broadway season, 15 reaped bids across 25 competitive categories.

The musical “Jagged Little Pill,” a stage adaptation of Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album of the same name, leads with 15 nominations including Best Musical and for six of its cast. “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” is right behind with 14 nominations. That adaptation of the 2001 Baz Luhrmann film, scored the only Musical Actor nomination of the season for Aaron Tveit. In order to win,...

Broadway has just reopened after shuttering on March 13, 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. To mark the return of the rialto, the 74th annual Tonys were handed out on Sunday, September 26 at the Winter Garden theater. This two-part ceremony, which will be hosted by six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald on Paramount+ and “Hamilton” star Leslie Odom, Jr. on CBS, comes almost one year after nominations were announced on October 15, 2020.

Two new musicals – “Jagged Little Pill” and “Moulin Rouge!” — lead the Tony Awards nominations with 15 and 14 bids respectively including Best Musical. A third tuner, “Tina – The Tina Turner Musical,” reaped a dozen bids as did the new drama “Slave Play.” While the nominees were decided by 48 theater professionals, the winners were voted on by 831 members of the Broadway community.

Below, the 2020 Tony Awards winners list in all 25 competitive categories.

See Broadway insiders dishing the 2020 Tony Awards nominations in our theater forum

Musicals...

“Slave Play” made history back in October when it received 12 Tony Awards nominations, the most ever for a play. Five of those citations recognize members of its stellar ensemble, including a bid in Actress, two in Featured Actor, and two in Featured Actress. While “Slave Play” is the frontrunner for Best Play according to our exclusive Tony Awards predictions, none of its cast will take home trophies. But could an upset be looming?

Though it seems counterintuitive that Tony voters would award a play the top honor without recognizing at least one of its performers, it has happened six times in the past 20 years, including the two most recent. In 2019, Jez Butterworth’s “The Ferryman,” an expansive family drama about The Troubles in Ireland, won the top prize and trophies for Director (Sam Mendes), Scenic Design, and Costume Design, but didn’t pick up awards for its three nominated performers: actor Paddy Considine,...

After a 15 months delay, the 74th annual Tony Awards honoring the best of Broadway will be held September 26 on CBS and Paramount +. And there a lot of familiar faces expected at the ceremony at the Winter Garden Theatre including six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald, who is nominated for the revival of “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune”; Jane Alexander, who won her first Tony Award 52 years ago for “The Great White Hope” and contends for “Grand Horizons”; and 90-year-old Lois Smith, who made her Broadway debut nearly 70 years ago, is up for “The Inheritance.”

The Tony Awards first ceremony, held April 6 1947 at the Grand Ballroom of the famed Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City, was a vastly different affair. Awards were handed out in only eight categories. Producer, director and Tony founder Brock Pemberton was the host of the evening which was broadcast on Wor and Mutual Network radio stations.

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Emmys Collective

Visit each individual category, according to the awards show from The Emmys Hub

Link to film awards hub The Oscars Hub

(Draft>>>Pre-season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season)

2021 Emmys Predictions:

Outstanding Television Movie

Updated: Aug 19, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: Another late-breaker, “Oslo” recounts the true-life back-channel negotiations of the pivotal 1990s Oslo Peace...

When Paul Bettany was approached for the title role in Alan Ball’s Uncle Frank, he was perhaps as skeptical as he was excited. “I’m a big Alan Ball fan, but also sort of a ‘glass is half empty’ type of fellow, so I went, ‘I’m going to get the one sh*t Alan Ball script,’” the actor joked. “I read it and it wasn’t, of course. But then I had lots of questions about whether I could and should play the part.”

The film written, directed and produced by Ball centers on college professor Frank Bledsoe, who takes his niece Beth (Sophia Lillis) to the South Carolina funeral of family patriarch Daddy Mac (Stephen Root). While visiting family, Frank wrestles with the sexual identity he’s long tried to hide from them, also coming to grips with a traumatic incident from his past.

Is it a surprise that the press notes for Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” come in an immaculate pamphlet designed to look like a New Yorker-style magazine put together by a motley group of expatriates living in Paris?

Of course not.

Is it a shock that Anderson’s new movie, which stars Bill Murray and Owen Wilson and Saoirse Ronan and Adrien Brody and Edward Norton and Jason Schwartzman and darn near everyone else who’s ever been in a Wes Anderson movie, is very, very, very Wes Andersonny?

Heck, no.

You wouldn’t expect anything less from “The French Dispatch,” which opened in the Main Competition section of the Cannes Film Festival on Monday. It had originally been selected for the 2020 Cannes lineup – but when that year’s festival was canceled, Searchlight decided not to open it in the fall, as had originally been planned, but to wait...

Brooke Smith began her career as a pop-culture icon: She was Catherine Martin, the “American Girl”-singing kidnap victim of Buffalo Bill in the 1991 “Silence of the Lambs.” Since then, Smith has had dozens of film and TV roles including Sheriff Jane Greene on “Bates Motel,” nurse Frances Simpson on two seasons of “Ray Donovan,” and two seasons as Dr. Erica Hahn on “Grey’s Anatomy.” Along the way, she’s also become one of countless character actors who has never been nominated for an Emmy.

Currently, she’s a recurring character as Merilee Legarski in ABC’s David E. Kelley drama, “Big Sky,” appearing in eight episodes of the show’s 16-episode first season. When Smith learned that the show’s For Your Consideration campaigns would include series leads Katheryn Winnick and Kylie Bunbury, but she would not be submitted for Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series,...