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Isn’t it astonishing how an iconic role can catapult an actress into the limelight, only for her to seemingly vanish like a needle in a haystack afterward? Such is the case with Natalie Dormer, who rose to prominence playing Margaery Tyrell, a shrewd noblewoman on Game of Thrones.

However, in the explosive finale of Season 6—a highlight that left fans reeling—Dormer’s charismatic queen meets a fiery end, ejecting the actress from the Game of Thrones roster.

Natalie Dormer in Game of Thrones (2011) | HBO

But Dormer did face her share of qualms, such as the particularly awkward sequence where she had to seduce the boy-king Tommen Baratheon. Isn’t it ironic that the actress had previously seduced Brad Pitt’s character in The Counselor without any regrets?

The Game of Thrones Plot Twist That Frustrated Natalie Dormer

Natalie Dormer, the queen of complexity of HBO’s Game of Thrones,...

In the realm of Hollywood and the plethora of talent it holds, Brad Pitt is known for his sophistication and charm. Having effortlessly captured the hearts of audiences worldwide, the actor has always exuded an elegance and allure unlike any other. However, he might have finally found his perfect on-screen pairing with Tom Cruise’s ex-girlfriend, Penelope Cruz.

Brad Pitt [Credit: F1 | Warner Bros. Pictures]Starring alongside each other for the first time, their chemistry is unmatchable, exhibiting a charm that is perfect for the luxury brand, Chanel. As fans reminisce about this iconic collaboration, there is no denying that this advertisement is better than other Chanel ads.

Brad Pitt and Penelope Cruz Delight Fans With Their Iconic Chanel Ad

Brad Pitt and Penelope Cruz in Chanel Ad | YouTube

Being an actor does not always mean one will have the same level of chemistry and charm with all their on-screen partners. While...

Reader, you have been lied to! Film history is littered with unfairly maligned classics, whether critics were too eager to review the making of rather than the finished product, or they suffered from underwhelming ad campaigns or general disinterest. Let’s revise our takes on some of these films from wrongheaded to the correct opinion.

When Ridley Scott‘s “Blade Runner” was released in the summer of 1982, it met with lukewarm responses from audiences and, though there were outliers, largely mixed reviews. (Pauline Kael’s snide dismissal stuck in Scott‘s craw to the point that he continued to quote it in interviews 40 years later.) Scott had the last laugh, as it only took around 10 years for everyone to come around and acknowledge “Blade Runner” as a classic, and given how wrong the critics were initially one might think they would be careful about underestimating Scott again. Yet when Scott...

Jeff Nichols is reportedly looking to adapt Cormac McCarthy’s final two novels for what may be his follow-up project to The Bikeriders.

Cormac McCarthy was a legendary American writer and his works have led to a number of films that have varied in quality. From out and out brilliance, such as The Road or No Country For Old Men to projects that deserve a second look such as Ridley Scott’s The Counselor (for which McCarthy penned the script), there’s always something to admire about the writer’s work.

One filmmaker who seems particularly engaged with McCarthy’s work is Jeff Nichols. Nichols has his first film in seven years due out soon, The Bikeriders. That film is a period drama which boasts an impressive ensemble cast that saw its release delayed due to last year’s strikes meaning that said cast couldn’t promote it.

Nichols completed...

When you think of the great directors in cinema history – Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, etc. – chances are the first films that come to mind are Goodfellas, Jaws and Vertigo. But every brilliant filmmaker has their duds. Now, Rolling Stone – you know, the publication that doesn’t think Roseanne and Bill Cosby had historic shows just because of their wrongdoings – has put out a list of the 50 worst movies by some of the most renowned directors…And yes, they have missed the mark considerably.

In the list, titled “50 Terrible Movies by Great Directors”, there are plenty of bottom-barrel films, those that are absolutely anomalies in otherwise remarkable careers. We wouldn’t argue that man-child family comedy Jack (#1) isn’t Francis Ford Coppola’s worst movie or that Rob Reiner’s North (#2) wasn’t worthy of Roger Ebert’s famed “hated, hated, hated, hated, hated” review. Those guys didn’t...

Ridley Scott’s career is marked first and foremost by its sheer prolificness. There are very few directors of any age who work frequently enough to have two films coming out the same year. Scott’s done it three times in 2001, 2017, and 2021; and those later two times were when he was past the age of 80.

Since he made his debut with the swashbuckling period drama “The Duellists” in 1977, Scott has been a steady, constant presence at the cinema. His longest break has been two four-year gaps between releases — “1492: Conquest for Paradise” and “White Squall” from 1992 to 1996 and “The Martian” and “All the Money in the World” and “The Last Duel” from 2017 to 2021, the latter gap widened by the pandemic. More frequently, Scott only goes two or even just one year before dropping a new film, resulting in an impressively robust 28 filmography.

What’s even more notable about Scott’s...

Ridley Scott‘s wildly ambitious “Napoleon” might be the director’s last word on its subject, but it’s not the first time he tackled both the glory and the absurdity of the Napoleonic era. One could say that “Napoleon” has been 46 years in the making, since Scott first began thinking about and researching the French emperor during the making of his debut feature, “The Duellists,” in 1977. That film tells the story of two officers (Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel) in Napoleon’s army who engage in an obsessive ritual of duels that goes on for so long that they ultimately forget what even started the grievance; in its setting, visual style, and themes, it’s an exceptionally well-realized template for most of the Ridley Scott epics that would follow — and he shot this historical extravaganza on a budget of around $800,000.

By the time Scott made “The Duellists,” he had...

Clockwise from left: Alien (Hulton Archive/Getty Images), Thelma And Louise (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty Images), Blade Runner (Warner Bros./Archive Photos/Getty Images), Gladiator (Universal/Getty Images)Graphic: Karl Gustafson

It’s been nearly five decades since Ridley Scott’s first feature film, The Duellists, hit theaters, and now, even well into his 80s,...

Charlie Chaplin once allegedly said, "Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot." That observation holds even more truth when "life" is swapped for "history"; after all, when looking back over humanity's seemingly never-ending tally of blunders, foolish short-sightedness, lazy handwaving, backpedaling, hatefulness, obfuscation, crimes of passion and other mean-spirited and/or boneheaded screw-ups that have resulted, snowball effect-like, in the messed up world we are all doomed to live in today ... well, you're either crying or laughing.

Judging by the films he's made over his stunningly prolific 46-year directing career, Ridley Scott appears to have chosen laughter. That's not to say he's a comedian, mind you; only real sickos would be likely to throw on "Blade Runner" or "The Counselor" in order to relax and have a chill time. Yet Scott's misanthropic humor is undeniably present in everything from the Lovecraftian coldness of "Alien...

Ridley Scott has never been one to take kindly to harsh criticism. Now, Ridley Scott is defending his latest film, Napoleon, from Bonaparte’s home country, France.

In response to the apparent wealth of French critics targeting Napoleon, Ridley Scott seemed to take a swipe at the country as a whole, saying, “The French don’t even like themselves…The audience that I showed it to in Paris, they loved it.” Regarding negativity, the BBC cited Le Figaro’s review that said “Barbie and Ken under the Empire”, while French GQ said the moment that featured French soldiers — with clearly Americanized accents — shouting “Vive La France” was “deeply clumsy, unnatural and unintentionally funny.”

When the BBC asked Ridley Scott if he had any words about those who are actively criticizing Napoleon’s historical accuracy, the director stated, “You really want me to answer that?… it will have a bleep in it.

November has arrived, and with it a bevy of exciting, engaging and fresh new movies to stream on your friendly neighborhood streaming service. As fall is in full swing, the tone and tenor of new movies is starting to shift in a more dramatic direction while studios begin to trot out their awards contenders. A few of those arrive this month, including true stories “Nyad” and “Rustin,” but it’s not all serious business — the Awkwafina/Sandra Oh comedy “Quiz Lady” and David Fincher’s take on a B-movie “The Killer” both arrive this month as well.

And that’s not to mention the cornucopia of library titles that are newly streaming this month, including a host of Christmas classics. Whether it’s Netflix, Prime Video, Max, Hulu, Peacock, Paramount+ or Disney+, we’ve got you covered with our curated selection of the best new movies streaming in November 2023 below.

He’s won prizes from the Golden Globes, Cannes, and the Directors Guild, but Ridley Scott has never won a little gold man.

The 85-year-old filmmaker, readying to unleash his Joaquin Phoenix-starring epic “Napoleon” on the world November 22, gave a characteristically gloves-off interview in The New Yorker this week. (One delightful quote? The director of the likes of “The Counselor” and “Thelma and Louise” and “Robin Hood” said “my choices tend to be random” in terms of what projects he likes to pursue.)

But the topic of how the four-time Academy Award-nominated English director feels about consistently being shunned by the Oscars came up with New Yorker writer Michael Schulman. Scott’s swords-and-sandals saga “Gladiator” won Best Picture in 2001 and revived his career, but as Scott wasn’t a credited producer on the now-classic, the win wasn’t his to take. He lost Best Director that year, as well...

Kicking October to the curb and bringing in some November goodness is a fresh slate of new content headed to Paramount Global’s streamer Paramount+, including the sequel to the hit 1997 film “Good Burger.”

Paramount+ started off November by adding more than 30 titles to its library, some of which include “Above the Rim,” Season 15 of “Ink Master,” “Gladiator” and “The Color Purple.”

And if you’re looking for some holiday movies to watch with the family, you can deck the halls with “Happy Christmas,” “Mistletoe Ranch” or “Christmas Eve.” When the kids go to sleep, adult-friendly treats like “Bad Santa” and “Bad Santa 2” are also available.

The highly-anticipated “Good Burger 2,” which stars Kel Mitchell, Keenan Thompson, Shar Jackson, Carmen Electra, Josh Server, Alex R. Hibbert, Lori Beth Denberg and Lil Rel Howery, hits the platform on Nov. 22

Here’s everything coming to Paramount+ this November, from “The Truman Show” to “Paw Patrol.

Actor Rosie Perez once teamed up with Alien filmmaker Ridley Scott in the 2013 ensemble piece The Counselor. Perez played a roughed up prisoner in the feature, which meant she had to begrudgingly downplay her good looks to fit the role.

Ridley Scott made Rosie Perez take off her make-up for ‘The Counselor’

The Counselor was a 2013 Scott picture starring Michael Fassbender as a successful lawyer who ends up involved in the world of underground crime. Perez played one of the many shady characters that Fassbender had to deal with. In an interview with HuffPost, Perez revealed that she pursued the role with urgency after getting a hold of the film’s script.

“My management office called me and said, ‘There’s a script and everyone is saying that you’re not right for it, but I think you’re going to like it.’ So, I read the script and I loved it.

You can always count on Ridley Scott to speak his mind, with results that vary from amusingly curmudgeonly to cringe-inducing. With his latest directorial effort, "Napoleon," arriving next month, that means the time has come for yet another round of Scott being completely out of f**ks to give while touring the press circuit. It's almost become an annual tradition thanks to his relentless work ethic, as the director has continued to release a new film every 12 to 18 months since turning 80 back in 2017. Yet, even after such a prolific career, there are few of his films that Scott maintains strong feelings about quite like the ones he has for "Blade Runner."

There's nary a film buff who doesn't know "Blade Runner" was a flop upon its release in 1982, only to evolve into one of the most influential sci-fi films ever made over the subsequent decades. The process of adapting Philip K. Dick...

One of the most eagerly awaited guests of Milan Fashion Week was Oscar winner Penélope Cruz, chosen by Italian shoe and clothing brand Geox as ambassador for its fall-winter 2023 campaign. During the press presentation, the Spanish actress also presented a special collection of garments and accessories ($190-$495), some 20 pieces including footwear and outerwear, designed by herself in collaboration with Mónica, her younger sister, a dancer and actress herself, also known to the general public for her role in the hit Spanish TV series Un Paso Adelante.

“A testimonial with a strong and credible image like Penélope Cruz adds value to our communication. Penélope expresses professionalism, beauty, grace and character, the traits of a modern and contemporary lifestyle that we want to convey,” said Livio Libralesso, ceo of Geox.

Geox x Penelope Cruz Loafers $200

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Penélope Cruz — muse of major directors, one above all Pedro Almodóvar, but also many Americans...

Close observers of Ridley Scott’s career know that his director’s cuts are often more notable than his theatrical releases. From initially misunderstood masterpieces including “Blade Runner” and “Kingdom of Heaven” to more offbeat fare like “The Counselor,” many of Scott’s films aren’t properly appreciated until he’s permitted to showcase his unfiltered vision without studio interference.

His latest work, “Napoleon,” is one of the British director’s most anticipated films in recent memory. Many fans and critics see the historical epic’s massive scale and casting of Joaquin Phoenix as natural parallels to “Gladiator,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2001. The film is expected to be a major player in this fall’s Oscar race — but in true Scott fashion, he is already thinking ahead to the director’s cut.

In a new interview with Empire, Scott teased that he has a “fantastic...

Rosie Perez is an American actress, dancer, choreographer and activist. She is best known for her distinguished role as Tina in the popular drama/comedy film Do the Right Thing, followed by her captivating portrayal as Gloria Clemente in the hit comedy film White Men Can’t Jump.

Rosie Perez Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education

Rosie Perez was born on September 6, 1964 (Rosie Perez age: 58) in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Her mother, Lydia Perez, was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico, while her father, Ismael Serrano, is from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.

Perez has had a rather unusual backstory. She is one of ten children born to her mother, who had several children with the man to whom she was previously married. Perez and her siblings were raised in Bushwick while her mother was intermittently jailed.

For a period of time, Perez was raised by her aunt, eventually then finding...

Exclusive: Den of Thieves 2: Pantera has rounded out its cast, bringing on 11 international talents to star opposite the returning Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. The list includes Salvatore Esposito (Gomorrah), Orli Shuka (Gangs of London), Evin Ahmad (Who Is Erin Carter?), Cristian Solimeno (The Glass Man), Nazmiye Oral (Propaganda), Yasen Zates Atour (The Witcher), Giuseppe Schillaci (Romulus), Dino Kelly (Peaky Blinders), Rico Verhoeven (Black Lotus), Velibor Topic (Outside the Wire) and Antonio Bustorff (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One).

(L-r) Rico Verhoeven, Velibor Topić and Antonio Bustorff

Wrapping principal photography on July 5th — a little more than a week prior to the launch of the SAG-AFTRA strike — Pantera marks the sequel to Den of Thieves, the action thriller from writer-director Christian Gudegast which grossed nearly $45M stateside and more than $80M WW via STX in 2018. The original film watches as a group from the L.

Penélope Cruz Depositphotos

Penélope Cruz Sánchez, born on April 28, 1974, is a renowned Spanish actress. She has made a name for herself in various film genres, particularly in Spanish-language films, and has received numerous awards and nominations for her exceptional performances. These accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, four Golden Globe Award nominations, and five Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.

Cruz embarked on her acting career at a young age, signing with an agent at 15. She made her television debut at 16 and her first appearance in a feature film the following year in Jamón Jamón (1992). Her notable roles include Belle Époque (1992), Open Your Eyes (1997), Don Juan (1998), The Hi-Lo Country (1999), The Girl of Your Dreams (2000), and Woman on Top (2000). She is particularly recognized for her collaborations with acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar in films such as Live Flesh (1997), All About My Mother (1999), Volver...

It has been two weeks since the passing of Cormac McCarthy, the taciturn Southern gentleman widely regarded as one of the great American novelists of the last hundred years, if not all of American history. His prose poetry, as deliberate and lacerating in its construction as the lethal instruments often featured therein, evokes the country as an earthy garden of sin where men gamble their fates and faith before a pitiless, Old Testament God.

Where many great writers of McCarthy’s generation carved ever-deeper niches into the peculiar artifices of language and the 20th century’s assault of information, his lucid, imagistic narratives and spectacles of violent incident have often suggested the cinematic. His engagement with genre––Western, horror, neo-noir––interrogated American myths, peeling back their skin and tissue to reveal the stark existential queries beneath. McCarthy was fascinated by cinema from early in his career––he wrote several screenplays dating back to the 1970s,...

Acclaimed writer Cormac McCarthy is dead at age 89. He died at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, of natural causes, his publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, confirmed to multiple outlets.

McCarthy, who won both a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award, was the author of a long list of celebrated novels that often explored dark and violent themes. He published his first book, The Orchard Keeper, in 1965 and achieved widespread critical acclaim in 1985 with the bleak revisionist Western Blood Merdian in 1985. His other novels include All the Pretty Horses and The Road.

In addition to being a celebrated figure in American literature, McCarthy also made his mark on film. Several Cormac McCarthy novels were adapted into movies, including No Country for Old Men, which won an Academy Award for Best Picture in 2008.

‘All the Pretty Horses’

The first big-screen adaptation of McCarthy’s work was All the Pretty Horses (2000). The movie,...

One of the giants of contemporary literature is no more. Deadline is reporting that Cormac McCarthy, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of No Country for Old Men and The Road, has died at 89. No specific cause of death other than natural causes has been revealed. McCarthy was one of a kind, being considered by many as one of the finest living Western authors. His books, which adopt a spare yet poetic prose, are all unified by the theme of a violent, sometimes contemporary (and sometimes not) West, as depicted perhaps most famously in No Country for Old Men. That was adapted into a stunning film by Joel and Ethan Coen. McCarthy’s apocalyptic novel, The Road, was turned into another great film by John Hillcoat (starring Viggo Mortensen). At the same time, he also wrote the screenplay for the divisive Ridley Scott film, The Counselor.

McCarthy kept busy until the end,...

Actor and author were 71 and 89, respectively.

Hollywood is mourning the loss of two figures who have earned acclaim over the decades following the death in a road accident of the actor Treat Williams, 71, and the passing of No Country For Old Men author Cormac McCarthy aged 89.

According to reports Williams, who starred in Everwood and Hair, died on Monday afternoon after an incident involving his motorcycle and a car in Dorset, Vermont.

Besides a recurring role in the WB series Everwood, Williams’ screen credits include Hair for Milos Forman and 1941 for Steven Spielberg, both in 1979; Sidney Lumet’s Prince Of The City...

Cormac McCarthy, the literary giant whose violently nihilistic visions of America influenced a generation of writers and filmmakers, has died at the age of 89. His death was confirmed by publisher Knopf. McCarthy passed away at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The news was first reported by Publishers Weekly.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1933, McCarthy published his first novel, “The Orchard Keeper,” in 1965. He slowly rose to prominence in the literary world and eventually became known as one of the most important American authors of the 20th century for novels such as “Blood Meridian” and “The Road.”

In 2005 he published “No Country for Old Men,” which Joel and Ethan Coen adapted into a 2007 film that elevated their status as dramatic filmmakers and cemented McCarthy’s Hollywood legacy. Cinematographer Roger Deakins recently reflected on the making of the film, recalling that “Joel said we’re doing this script, ’No Country for Old Men.

Cormac McCarthy, generally considered one of America’s greatest living authors, has died. His death was confirmed by his son, John McCarthy. He was 89.

McCarthy is best known for books such as Blood Meridian or The Evening Redness in the West; The Road, which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and No Country For Old Men, which was adapted into the Coen Brothers’ Oscar-winning film.

His other published works include The Orchard Keeper, Outer Dark, Child of Dark, Suttree, All the Pretty Horses – which won the National Book Award – The Crossing and Cities of the Plain. All the Pretty Horses, The Road and No Country were adapted for film by Billy Bob Thornton, John Hillcoat and Joel and Ethan Coen, respectively.

McCarthy told the Wall Street Journal that No Country for Old Men was originally a screenplay, but failed to gain traction in that form. “In fact, they said, ‘That will never work.

Cormac McCarthy, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who endured decades of obscurity and poverty before film versions of “All the Pretty Horses,” “No Country for Old Men” and “The Road” brought him a wide readership and financial security, died Tuesday in Santa Fe, N.M. His publisher, Penguin Random House, said his son John McCarthy announced his death from natural causes. He was 89.

Extremely reclusive, McCarthy shunned publicity so effectively that one critic observed, “He wasn’t even famous for it.” But Joel and Ethan Coen’s 2008 adaptation of 2005 novel “No Country for Old Men” put him momentarily in the limelight; the crime thriller, which starred Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin, won Oscars for best picture, director, adapted screenplay and supporting actor.

While McCarthy’s first novel, “The Orchard Keeper,” was published in 1965, commercial success eluded him until his 1992 National Book Award-winning “All the Pretty Horses” and the...

Cormac McCarthy, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author whose searing novel No Country for Old Men served as the foundation for the Coen brothers’ 2007 film that earned Oscars for best picture, supporting actor, directing and adapted screenplay, has died. He was 89.

McCarthy died Tuesday of natural causes at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, his publisher, Knopf, announced.

Known for his crisp prose, foreboding view of humanity, uncompromising approach to death and violence — and rebellion against quote marks and semicolons — McCarthy was celebrated as one of the leading American authors of his time.

“He is the great pessimist of American literature, using his dervish sentences to illuminate a world in which almost everything (including punctuation) has already come to dust,” Tim Adams wrote in a 2009 profile for The Guardian. “He once argued that he could see no point at all in literature that did not dwell on death. His touchstones are...

According to a recent report from the Playlist, author Cormac McCarthy is currently in the midst of adapting his acclaimed and notoriously bleak 1985 novel "Blood Meridian; or, the Evening Redness in the West" into a screenplay for director John Hillcoat. Hillcoat was announced as the director of a "Blood Meridian" feature film in late April. The filmmaker also directed the 2009 McCarthy film adaptation "The Road" as well as the nihilistic Western "The Proposition" and the 2016 heist movie "Triple 9." McCarthy will not only write "Blood Meridian," but will serve as executive producer alongside his son, John Francis McCarthy.

McCarthy himself, the author of the celebrated novels "Suttree," "All the Pretty Horses," and "No Country for Old Men," has written several screenplays in his career, although only one -- the script for Ridley Scott's "The Counselor" -- has been produced to date. McCarthy wrote several unpublished screenplays for movies called "Cities of the Plain,...

Lionsgate and Fifth Season have come together for the first time on what should be a hot Cannes package, lining up an all-star cast of established talent and fast-rising names for the upcoming suspense thriller Anniversary.

Diane Lane (Man of Steel, Feud: Capote’s Women), Kyle Chandler (The Wolf of Wall Street), Madeline Brewer (The Handmaid’s Tale), Zoey Deutch (Not Ok, Juror #2), Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton, Fair Play) Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Afterlife) and Daryl McCormack (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Bad Sisters) are set to star in the feature, which Lionsgate will be launching in the Marche du Film.

Jan Komasa, the Polish director who landed an Oscar nomination for his drama Corpus Christi and also helmed The Hater, directs from a screenplay by Lori Rosene-Gambino, based on an original story by Komasa and Rosene-Gambino. The film will be produced by Nick Wechsler (Magic Mike trilogy, The Magic Mike trilogy,...

It’s last call for a number of noteworthy movies leaving HBO Max in December. If you remember “Project Popcorn” – the strategy that saw all 2021 Warner Bros. movies stream on HBO Max the same day they hit theaters – then “Mortal Kombat” and “Those Who Wish Me Dead” will sound familiar. The martial arts reboot and Taylor Sheridan thriller, respectively, will be leaving the streaming service this month.

It’s also final call for Martin Scorsese’s “Bringing Out the Dead,” the extended version of Ridley Scott’s “The Counselor” and Edgar Wright’s terrific sci-fi action-comedy “The World’s End” if auteurs are your thing. “Planet Earth” and “Planet Earth II” are also leaving the streaming service soon.

Here’s the full list of what’s leaving HBO Max in December 2022.

Also Read:

Here’s What’s New on HBO and HBO Max in December 2022

December 8

Mortal Kombat, 2021 (HBO)

December 13

Spark: A Space Tail,...

Well, we've got about another month left in 2022, and when many of us will be celebrating ringing in 2023, some terrific movies and television programs will be shuffling off of HBO Max. Sure, they will probably be finding themselves on another streaming service in the near future, but there are a number of great works that you should not spend any more time putting off. What better time to see them than in the waning days of this year?

From the beautiful nature documentary series "Planet Earth" to the Robert Zemeckis breakthrough hit "Romancing the Stone," quite a lot will be leaving the service when the ball drops. As time is not infinite, I've got five recommendations for you to fire up on HBO Max before the year is out, and all five are a grand time that I feel did not get nearly enough attention upon their initial theatrical releases.

Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men Screenshot: Miramax On the journey to adapt any prose to screen, two roads inevitably diverge. There’s the devout route: Adaptations ripped unedited from an author’s pages. Then, there’s the opposite approach: Making the film so interpretive, the original text...

The Wondery podcast Dr. Death covered the case of surgeon Christopher Duntsch for its first season, hematologist / oncologist Farid Fata with its second season, and surgeon Paolo Macchiarini for its third season. The Peacock anthology series inspired by the podcast also told the story of Duntsch with its first season, where the convicted surgeon was played by Joshua Jackson. (Read our review Here.) The second season of Peacock’s Dr. Death series is moving on to the story of Paolo Macchiarini – and Deadline reports that Edgar Ramirez (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story) has signed on to play the role.

In Dr. Death season 2, we’ll find that Macchiarini is a visionary surgeon whose innovative organ transplants seduced the global medical community. When his fiancé, Benita Alexander, and a few suspicious colleagues launch investigations into his botched surgeries, cracks start to appear in Paolo’s charming persona. As...

The wealth of Spain’s attractions as a big-shoot locale are in the details. To that end, below are the 37 Film Commissions or Film Offices that form part of the nationwide Spain Film Commission network, as well emblematic shoots, locations and initiatives:

Alicante Film Office

It was launched in 2008 to support shoots at Alicante’s Ciudad de la Luz studios, such as J.A. Bayona’s “The Impossible” and Ridley Scott’s “The Counselor.” Connected by high-speed train and an international airport, Alicante’s Santa Bárbara Castle featured in Movistar+’s “Tell Me Who I Am,” and Netflix’s “Money Heist” used its beaches and port. With Ciudad de la Luz reopening, international producers are returning, with Guy Ritchie’s “The Interpreter” shooting in the area.

ANDALUCÍA Film Commission

Boasting flagship destinations such as Tabernas — Europe’s biggest desert, which hosted “Lawrence of Arabia,” “Game of Thrones,” “Exodus: Gods and Kings...

Exclusive: Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) has signed on to star as Dr. Audrey Evans in Audrey’s Children—the biopic on the healthcare hero, which Ami Canaan Mann is directing for Amasia Entertainment (Wild Mountain Thyme) and Resonate Entertainment (Sitting in Bars with Cake).

Evans is the revolutionary pediatric oncologist best known as the co-founder of Ronald McDonald House Charities—the world-famous organization that provides housing and support to millions of families in 62 countries around the world. The film set in 1970 will follow her as she is recruited to run the Oncology Department at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. During a time when 90 of patients were dying of cancer, Dr. Evans sought out to become a pioneer in the clinical study and treatment of childhood cancers. She is often described as rebellious and unconventional, having broken all the rules and risked her career to overhaul treatments and provide housing...

With its list of new releases for July 2022, HBO Max is stepping up its TV game. Not that any entity associated with “It’s Not TV, It’s HBO” would ever not bring the televised goods, but the small screen is of particular consequence this month.

The middle of July is jam-packed with TV goodies like docuseries The Anarchists (July 10), rescued animated project Tuca & Bertie season 3 (July 11), and the latest Nathan Fielder creation The Rehearsal (July 15). The real heavy hitter arrives later on though. Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin premieres on July 28 and will introduce the next generation of the Pll franchise. It doesn’t have a release date yet but July will also host season 3 of the delightful Harley Quinn at some point.

HBO Max’s movie offerings aren’t as deep this month. The Bob’s Burgers Movie (July 12) and We Met In Virtual Reality (July 27) are really the only originals of note.

The less you remember about 2003 Belgian thriller “Memory of a Killer,” the better, when it comes to its remake, directed by “Casino Royale” veteran Martin Campbell. Relocated to El Paso, Texas, this new version — which channels the brutal cynicism or recent Taylor Sheridan movies, or the even more ruthless tone of Ridley Scott’s “The Counselor” — takes the bones of a tough European crime drama and uses them as the grim gallows on which to hang yet another nihilistic Liam Neeson action vehicle.

These days, such Liam Neeson movies unofficially constitute a genre unto themselves. Starting with “Taken,” the Oscar-nominated actor who so sensitively played one of the screen’s great savers of souls in “Schindler’s List” has been reborn as a symbol of retribution. “Taken” came out in 2010, the year after the shocking skiing accident of real-life wife Natasha Richardson, and it has felt as if the actor himself was transformed by that tragedy,...

With a film and TV career dating back to the 1960s, there's not much that Ridley Scott hasn't tried his hand at directing. Baby aliens bursting out of people's bodies in his "Alien" movies, Ray Liotta being fed pieces of his own brain in "Hannibal," Cameron Diaz dry-humping the windshield of a Ferrari California in "The Counselor" — these are but some of the many eyebrow-raising moments that Scott has brought to the screen over the decades. Yes, for as often as he seems to go out of his way to push audiences' buttons with the content of his films, there's one thing that...

The post House Of Gucci Featured a Scene Ridley Scott Said He'd Never Film appeared first on /Film.

Variety will honor Academy Award-winning actor Javier Bardem at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on Friday, Jan. 7 as part of their annual “10 Directors to Watch” and Creative Impact Awards brunch at the Parker Palm Springs.

Bardem will be celebrated for his recent film, Amazon Studios’ “Being the Ricardos,” as well his entire body of work, which includes “No Country for Old Men,” “Dune,” “Skyfall,” “Biutiful” and “The Good Boss.”

“It’s been 30 years since Bardem emerged as a major international star in Bigas Luna’s ‘Jamón Jamón,'” said Variety’s executive vice president of content Steven Gaydos. “In that time, he’s garnered acting honors around the world, including the European Film Award, the Cannes Festival best actor award and three Oscar nominations, including a win for his powerful role in the Coen Brothers’ best picture winner, ‘No Country for Old Men.’ Along the way, Bardem has worked...

The first reactions to Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci” are in — and they’re a wild ride, just like the movie.

As the social media embargo lifted on the film — which stars Lady Gaga and Adam Driver — Tuesday afternoon, film critics and journalists took to Twitter to either praise “House of Gucci” or air their grievances. Full reviews will arrive on Nov. 22.

The film stars Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani, the wife of Maurizio Gucci (Driver) who was tried and convicted of orchestrating her ex-husband’s murder. It follows the events and aftermath of Gucci’s 1995 assassination, spanning three decades in the life of the high fashion family. “House of Gucci” also stars Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayek and Al Pacino.

Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes critic Erik Davis raved about the film, even comparing it to “The Godfather.”

“#HouseOfGucci has a definite Godfather vibe, rich w/ family betrayal, transformative performances,...

First reactions for Ridley Scott’s star-studded murder drama “House of Gucci” are trickling in following the movie’s official world premiere in London. The film is Scott’s second major release of 2021 following “The Last Duel,” which launched to strong reviews out of the Venice Film Festival but flopped at the box office. Will “House of Gucci” be a rebound for Scott? Based on the first reactions below, it appears the director has made a messy and soapy fashion epic that’s bound to be one of the buzziest films of the holiday movie season.

Written by Roberto Bentivegna and based on the Sarah Gay Gorden book “The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed,” Scott’s film casts Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani, who was convicted of orchestrating the assassination of her ex-husband and former head of the Gucci fashion house, Maurizio Gucci...

If you thought “Borat” (2006) started a frenzy of pop culture and consumers quoting lines for years, wait until we navigate the next couple months with Lady Gaga’s take on famed murderess Patrizia Reggiani in Ridley Scott’s campy “House of Gucci” — which cement Mother Monster herself as one of the leading contenders for the best actress prize.

Gaga checks so many of the boxes of previous Oscar winners for best actress: She’s a beloved pop icon, taking a role that has her playing a sexy, batshit crazy fame and money-seeker. You can just imagine the old-timers saying to each other over cigars, “She’s just like my first wife…”

At 35, Gaga has already won an Oscar for original song for “Shallow” from Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born” (2018), for which she was also nominated for best actress. She lost the acting prize to Olivia Colman (“The Favourite...

Lock the doors. Turn on the lights. Check under the bed. Crank up the volume. It’s time for another Halloween Parade!

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Click here, and be sure to indicate The Movies That Made Me in the note section so Josh can finally achieve his dream of showing Mandy to his wife!

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Scream Blacula Scream (1973)

Mandy (2018)

Carnival of Souls (1962) – Mary Lambert’s trailer commentary

Night Tide (1961) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

A Bucket Of Blood (1959) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s DVD review, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Dementia 13 (1963) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Region B Blu-ray review, Glenn Erickson’s director’s cut Blu-ray review

The Godfather (1972) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings

The Godfather Part II (1974) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary

The Conversation (1974) – Josh Olson...

Judging by The Last Duel, 14th-century France was as gray and miserable as you’d expect. And yes, this is a long, talky, literary, extremely dour film, basically a guaranteed box-office bomb that, if anything, feels more akin to current prestige television. It’s possibly the gloomiest film Sir Ridley Scott has ever directed (which is saying something) and, if paired with that prissy craftsman’s rather tough and cynical The Counselor from 2013, shows a stark late-period worldview might even be forming, though that’ll probably be discounted by a number of subsequent for-hire jobs.

If anything, The Last Duel is a deeply respectable, not particularly enjoyable film. “Respectable” not simply in terms of the copious production values and prestige players onscreen, but in its very serious, earnest intentions. Case in point: Matt Damon looking like James Hetfield and wrapping chainmail around his fist to bash in a rival warrior...

With the 2021 Oscars in the rearview, Variety looks ahead to what could be a very packed and condensed year with the Awards Circuit Draft for Oscars 2022.

A tradition for the past 16 years, I’ve always thrown shots in the dark in the week immediately following the Academy Awards. For the first time, my year-in-advance top pick, Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland,” won picture and director. Can lightning strike twice?

The last two years have included thoughts that 2019’s “Harriet” from Kasi Lemmons would have a big Academy debut, with top spots for eventual nominee Cynthia Erivo, but the love ending there. In 2018, I suspected “The Irishman” from Martin Scorsese would arrive in time, but alas, it was pushed to 2019.

Other past choices have included 2017’s “Phantom Thread” (then untitled), 2016’s “Silence” (although I did have “Moonlight” in the predicted 10), 2015’s “The Good Dinosaur”, 2014’s “Inherent Vice” (why not another try for Paul Thomas Anderson?...

Ridley Scott has two movies coming down the pike with “The Last Duel” (October 15) and “House of Gucci” (November 24). Both star Adam Driver, with the former centering around best friends facing off over a horrifying crime in 14th-century France, and the latter about the story of Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), as she is tried and convicted of orchestrating the assassination of her ex-husband and former head of the Gucci fashion house, Maurizio Gucci (Driver).

Scott’s cinematographer Dariusz Wolski recently sat down with The Film Stage to tease the upcoming movies. Of “House of Gucci” he said, “This film, because it’s high fashion ’80s and ’90s, it’s going to be a little different. I’m still trying to find a look for it. The ‘80s weren’t a particularly good-looking period. The fashion world or these fashion shows, they were not that great looking. You look at the...

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie makers! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.

Today we chat with someone who bends light and shadows to sculpt a beautiful frame. He’s also an Academy Award nominee for Cinematography! His name is Dariusz Wolski and he was nice enough to join us on The B-Side to discuss his recent, nominated work on Paul Greengrass’ News of the World (now available on Digital and Blu-ray/4K Ultra HD.), his current Ridley Scott projects The Last Duel and House of Gucci, and the whole of his impressive career. Other highlights include Romeo is Bleeding, Dark City, A Perfect Murder, and The Counselor.

Wolski discusses breaking into the cinematography world by making music videos with artists like Alex Proyas and David Fincher, and then parlaying...

After once again dramatizing a horrific act of terrorism with his latest film, 22 July, Paul Greengrass is returning this holiday season with a new project and one which has a bit more audience appeal. Reteaming with his Captain Phillips star Tom Hanks, News of the World follows Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a Civil War veteran who has ended who travels from town to town delivering the news. He is tasked with returning a child to her biological family after having been taken by and raised by the Kiowa people.

After a brief tease, Universal Pictures have now released the full trailer for the film co-written by Greengrass and Luke Davies (Lion), and based on the National Book Award finalist and best-selling novel by Paulette Jiles. With cinematography by Dariusz Wolski, the style looks like a welcome change of pace for Greengrass.

The director said the film “is set in a bitterly divided,...

North American release set for later this month.

After a busy summer of sales on survival thriller Let It Snow, Arclight Films has locked in another key deal for the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Signature Entertainment will handle Stanislav Kapralov’s feature film debut in the territories.

The latest piece of business follows summer deals for Japan (Hark & Company), Middle East (Falcon Films) and Africa (Black Sheep Films), Greece (Spentzos), and McF Megacom (former Yugoslavia).

Grindstone has set a September 22 North American VoD release on Let It Snow, which stars Ivanna Sakhno as a snowboarder who gets separated...