True Crime is a part of everyday media that the TV series, specials, films, and documentaries all about it have been around forever. But actually, that’s not the case. The format we now see, wasn’t the norm at all in the 80s when Unsolved Mysteries began its iconic run. A weekly series built around cases and interviews with the people who were a part of them, re-enacting the crimes…had never been done before.
But then one day a series came along that would not only showcase True Crime but would also give us ghosts, UFOs, and all points in between. Not only that, but the theme song would cause Ptsd in most kids my age who had the fortune or misfortune to hear it. That series is Unsolved Mysteries, a series so popular that it changed not only pop culture but the way investigations within law enforcement were conducted.
But then one day a series came along that would not only showcase True Crime but would also give us ghosts, UFOs, and all points in between. Not only that, but the theme song would cause Ptsd in most kids my age who had the fortune or misfortune to hear it. That series is Unsolved Mysteries, a series so popular that it changed not only pop culture but the way investigations within law enforcement were conducted.
- 5/27/2024
- by Jessica Dwyer
- JoBlo.com
Terry Carter, who portrayed Pvt. Sugie Sugarman on The Phil Silvers Show, the sidekick of Dennis Weaver’s character on McCloud and Colonel Tigh on the original version of Battlestar Galactica, has died. He was 95.
Carter died Tuesday at his home in Manhattan, his son, Miguel Carter DeCoste, told The New York Times.
Carter appeared three times on Broadway early in his career and produced and directed a documentary on jazz legend Duke Ellington for PBS’ American Masters series in 1988.
The Brooklyn native appeared on all four seasons (1955-59) of CBS’ The Phil Silvers Show (also known as Sgt. Bilko) as Pvt. Sugarman. He then played Sgt. Joe Broadhurst alongside Weaver’s Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud on NBC’s McCloud from 1970-77 and Tigh in the 1978 Battlestar Galactica movie and 1978-79 ABC series.
An only child, John Everett DeCoste was born in Brooklyn on Dec. 16, 1928. He graduated from Stuyvesant High...
Carter died Tuesday at his home in Manhattan, his son, Miguel Carter DeCoste, told The New York Times.
Carter appeared three times on Broadway early in his career and produced and directed a documentary on jazz legend Duke Ellington for PBS’ American Masters series in 1988.
The Brooklyn native appeared on all four seasons (1955-59) of CBS’ The Phil Silvers Show (also known as Sgt. Bilko) as Pvt. Sugarman. He then played Sgt. Joe Broadhurst alongside Weaver’s Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud on NBC’s McCloud from 1970-77 and Tigh in the 1978 Battlestar Galactica movie and 1978-79 ABC series.
An only child, John Everett DeCoste was born in Brooklyn on Dec. 16, 1928. He graduated from Stuyvesant High...
- 4/23/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In Tennessee Williams' play "A Streetcar Named Desire," Blanche DuBois desperately clings to certain beliefs. She is keenly intent on reinforcing the societal values and morals inherent in her aristocratic lineage, shunning realism for the magic of a nostalgic past that hides something darker, and repressing her guilt with the help of self-soothing mechanisms. When faced with the terrible nature of reality, which culminates in the character of her brother-in-law Stanley, Blanche is forced to reckon with the cycles of the violence that mark her existence, along with the precious fantasies woven to protect herself from true growth or healing. When she smashes a mirror, the delusions also shatter, with fantasy having no hold on her perception of reality anymore.
The mirror-smashing scene is seminal to understanding Blanche in Williams' play, and "On the Waterfront" director Elia Kazan's film adaptation of the story also dramatizes this to chilling effect,...
The mirror-smashing scene is seminal to understanding Blanche in Williams' play, and "On the Waterfront" director Elia Kazan's film adaptation of the story also dramatizes this to chilling effect,...
- 4/20/2024
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Rereleased for its 70th anniversary, Elia Kazan’s classic exploration of corruption and whether or not to squeal is made all the more viscerally powerful by his own Huac testimony
‘The Romans found out what a handful could do, if it’s the right handful,” says Karl Malden’s priest Father Pete Barry to the crowd of sullen, nervous New Jersey longshoremen he’s persuaded to come to his church, like the early Christians hiding in caves; they are wondering whether to stand up to the crooked union mob boss Johnny Friendly, played by Lee J Cobb. Meanwhile, ex-boxer Terry Malloy, played by Marlon Brando, sits at the back of the church, smirking and eavesdropping; midway between Judas and Jesus, he is the washed-up fighter who gets cushy dockworker jobs from Johnny in return for shameful dirty work, his stevedore’s hook hitched over his shoulder. It’s same kind...
‘The Romans found out what a handful could do, if it’s the right handful,” says Karl Malden’s priest Father Pete Barry to the crowd of sullen, nervous New Jersey longshoremen he’s persuaded to come to his church, like the early Christians hiding in caves; they are wondering whether to stand up to the crooked union mob boss Johnny Friendly, played by Lee J Cobb. Meanwhile, ex-boxer Terry Malloy, played by Marlon Brando, sits at the back of the church, smirking and eavesdropping; midway between Judas and Jesus, he is the washed-up fighter who gets cushy dockworker jobs from Johnny in return for shameful dirty work, his stevedore’s hook hitched over his shoulder. It’s same kind...
- 4/3/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Honors were even atop the U.K. and Ireland box office as Universal’s “Kung Fu Panda 4” and Warner Bros.’ “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” battled for top spot during the Easter holiday weekend.
While “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” won the three-day weekend, “Kung Fu Panda 4” had the higher gross including previews. According to numbers provided by Comscore, “Kung Fu Panda 4” collected £5 million ($6.3) million, while “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” took in £4.1 million ($5.2 million).
In third place, in its second weekend, Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” collected £2.1 million for a total of £8.2 million. In its fifth weekend, in fourth place, Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part II” grossed £1.6 million to take its total to £34 million.
Debuting at fifth place was Indian filmmaker Blessy’s acclaimed desert saga “Aadujeevitham” (“The Goat Life”), distributed by Dg Tech, with £480,977.
There were two more debuts in the top 10. Studiocanal...
While “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” won the three-day weekend, “Kung Fu Panda 4” had the higher gross including previews. According to numbers provided by Comscore, “Kung Fu Panda 4” collected £5 million ($6.3) million, while “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” took in £4.1 million ($5.2 million).
In third place, in its second weekend, Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” collected £2.1 million for a total of £8.2 million. In its fifth weekend, in fourth place, Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part II” grossed £1.6 million to take its total to £34 million.
Debuting at fifth place was Indian filmmaker Blessy’s acclaimed desert saga “Aadujeevitham” (“The Goat Life”), distributed by Dg Tech, with £480,977.
There were two more debuts in the top 10. Studiocanal...
- 4/2/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
At the inaugural Academy Awards in 1929, native Pennsylvanian Janet Gaynor made history as the first American-born performer to win an Oscar by taking the Best Actress prize for her body of work in “7th Heaven,” “Street Angel,” and “Sunrise.” Over the subsequent 95 years, 215 more thespians originating from the United States won the academy’s favor, meaning the country has now produced 68.1% of all individual acting Oscar recipients. Considering the last decade alone, the rate of such winners is even higher, at 70.3%.
At this point, 96.8% of American-born acting Oscar victors have hailed from one of 34 actual states. Of those constituting the remainder, three originated from the federal District of Columbia, while four were born in the territory of Puerto Rico. New York (home to 49 winners) is the most common birth state among the entire group, followed by California (34), Illinois (13), Massachusetts (11), and Pennsylvania (11).
Bearing in mind our specific birthplace focus, the 16 states...
At this point, 96.8% of American-born acting Oscar victors have hailed from one of 34 actual states. Of those constituting the remainder, three originated from the federal District of Columbia, while four were born in the territory of Puerto Rico. New York (home to 49 winners) is the most common birth state among the entire group, followed by California (34), Illinois (13), Massachusetts (11), and Pennsylvania (11).
Bearing in mind our specific birthplace focus, the 16 states...
- 3/18/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
The 2024 Oscar race is on, and one film has the potential to accomplish a feat that hasn’t happened in 64 years. “Oppenheimer” leads the nominations with 13, and it’s on track to win several of those categories. If Christopher Nolan‘s epic claims Best Picture, Best Actor (Cillian Murphy) and Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr.), it will be the first time since 1960 that the same film (“Ben-Hur”) has won those three exact categories. And it would be only the fourth time it’s ever happened.
See Cillian Murphy interview: ‘Oppenheimer’
Since the Best Supporting Actor category was introduced in 1937, only three films have walked away with Best Picture as well as both male acting categories. In 1945, the inspirational musical comedy “Going My Way” not only became the highest-grossing film of 1944, but also won seven of its ten Oscar nominations, making it the big winner of the night. Beside the top prize,...
See Cillian Murphy interview: ‘Oppenheimer’
Since the Best Supporting Actor category was introduced in 1937, only three films have walked away with Best Picture as well as both male acting categories. In 1945, the inspirational musical comedy “Going My Way” not only became the highest-grossing film of 1944, but also won seven of its ten Oscar nominations, making it the big winner of the night. Beside the top prize,...
- 3/2/2024
- by Susan Pennington
- Gold Derby
Throughout the 96-year history of the Academy Awards, the amount of acting lineups consisting only of first-time nominees has reached 37, or about 10% of the overall total. While that number may not seem high in a general sense, these cases actually outnumber those exclusively involving veteran contenders by a ratio of three to one. However, although this list expanded as recently as 2023, rookie-only acting lineups are gradually becoming less common than veteran-only ones, the amount of which has nearly doubled within the last dozen years.
Whereas 75% of veteran-only acting quintets have involved lead performers rather than supporting ones, almost the exact opposite is true of lineups full of newcomers. For instance, only one existing case of the former kind concerns supporting actresses, whereas the same category has produced 15 rookie-only rosters. The last such group consisted of 2000 winner Angelina Jolie and nominees Toni Collette (“The Sixth Sense”), Catherine Keener (“Being John Malkovich...
Whereas 75% of veteran-only acting quintets have involved lead performers rather than supporting ones, almost the exact opposite is true of lineups full of newcomers. For instance, only one existing case of the former kind concerns supporting actresses, whereas the same category has produced 15 rookie-only rosters. The last such group consisted of 2000 winner Angelina Jolie and nominees Toni Collette (“The Sixth Sense”), Catherine Keener (“Being John Malkovich...
- 2/7/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Among the various distinctions “Everything Everywhere All at Once” incurred by winning seven awards at the 95th Oscars was becoming the first film in a dozen years (and ninth overall) to conquer both supporting acting categories. This rare occurrence involved Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis preventing their respective “The Banshees of Inisherin” competitors from accomplishing the same goal, as the sets of featured nominees from “Belfast” and “The Power of the Dog” had both failed to do one year earlier. Now, two more pairs of cast mates – who happen to hail from the two highest-grossing live action movies of 2023 – are gunning for entry into this exclusive club.
The concurrent nominations of Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera (“Barbie”) and Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”) bring the total number of films that have ever vied for both Best Supporting Actor and Actress to 110. Although this marks the third...
The concurrent nominations of Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera (“Barbie”) and Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”) bring the total number of films that have ever vied for both Best Supporting Actor and Actress to 110. Although this marks the third...
- 2/5/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Before the 2023 Academy Awards, only “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Network” had won three Oscars for acting. The former won its hat trick in 1952 with Vivien Leigh taking home Best Actress, Karl Malden claiming Best Supporting Actor, and Kim Hunter winning Best Supporting Actress. Then, in 1976, “Network” won Best Actor for Peter Finch (posthumously), Best Actress for Faye Dunaway, and Best Supporting Actress for Beatrice Straight. Those two movies stood alone as the only pictures to win three acting Oscars until 2023 when “Everything Everywhere All at Once” produced wins for Michelle Yeoh (Best Actress), Jamie Lee Curtis (Best Supporting Actress), and Ke Huy Quan (Best Supporting Actor). These three films now have the joint-highest number of acting wins in Oscars history as no film has ever managed to reign victorious in all four acting categories.
Plenty of movies have had four nominations for acting, including “American Hustle” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Plenty of movies have had four nominations for acting, including “American Hustle” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once.
- 12/27/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Hollywood veteran Michael Douglas was in an expansive mood while delivering a masterclass at the recently concluded International Film Festival of India (Iffi), Goa, where he also accepted a lifetime achievement award.
Douglas was in conversation with producer Shailendra Singh, with whom he explored a sequel to “Romancing the Stone” called “Chasing the Monsoon” 17 years ago. The pair are now looking at another film. “We have a project that we are working on, it’s an outline now. We need to talk a little bit more about the characterizations and storylines, but I hope so, I would be really excited,” Douglas said.
The two-time Oscar winner’s comfort level with Singh, who was instrumental in bringing him to India this year, with the seeds sown at the Cannes India pavilion earlier this year, was evident. Douglas was candid about the emotional struggle he went through while his son Cameron battled drug addiction.
Douglas was in conversation with producer Shailendra Singh, with whom he explored a sequel to “Romancing the Stone” called “Chasing the Monsoon” 17 years ago. The pair are now looking at another film. “We have a project that we are working on, it’s an outline now. We need to talk a little bit more about the characterizations and storylines, but I hope so, I would be really excited,” Douglas said.
The two-time Oscar winner’s comfort level with Singh, who was instrumental in bringing him to India this year, with the seeds sown at the Cannes India pavilion earlier this year, was evident. Douglas was candid about the emotional struggle he went through while his son Cameron battled drug addiction.
- 11/30/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
(Welcome to Did They Get It Right?, a series where we look at Oscars categories from yesteryear and examine whether the Academy's winners stand the test of time.)
With all the milestones that have occurred throughout the 95-year history of the Academy Awards, there are still plenty of accomplishments that have not transpired. No Black woman has ever been nominated for Best Director, and no Black person has ever won that category. No animated film has ever won Best Picture, and no documentary has ever been nominated. I do believe all of these things will eventually happen in the future. As the diversity of the industry steadily increases and Academy membership gradually expands, these sorts of things must happen as time moves on.
But there is one thing I remain skeptical about when it comes to Oscars milestones. It has nothing to do with representation, nor does it have to...
With all the milestones that have occurred throughout the 95-year history of the Academy Awards, there are still plenty of accomplishments that have not transpired. No Black woman has ever been nominated for Best Director, and no Black person has ever won that category. No animated film has ever won Best Picture, and no documentary has ever been nominated. I do believe all of these things will eventually happen in the future. As the diversity of the industry steadily increases and Academy membership gradually expands, these sorts of things must happen as time moves on.
But there is one thing I remain skeptical about when it comes to Oscars milestones. It has nothing to do with representation, nor does it have to...
- 11/12/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
This Veterans Day, we’re celebrating the importance of Veterans as storytellers. Film Independent is inviting 100 U.S. Military Veteran (working or aspiring) filmmakers or actors in the entertainment industry to receive a Film Independent Membership, for a contribution of just $1.00!
Veterans Day is a federal public holiday that always falls on the 11th of November – but why is that? The day’s origins date back to World War I. At 11:00 am Paris local time on November 11, 1918, the Armistice of Compiègne was signed to officially end WWI. In honor of this special day, we’ve curated 10 films (and one limited series!) that embody the values and spirit of the service members across all five branches: the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy.
Patton (1970)
Branch: U.S. Army
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Cast: George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Stephen Young, Michael Strong, Carey Loftin
Where to Watch: VOD rental,...
Veterans Day is a federal public holiday that always falls on the 11th of November – but why is that? The day’s origins date back to World War I. At 11:00 am Paris local time on November 11, 1918, the Armistice of Compiègne was signed to officially end WWI. In honor of this special day, we’ve curated 10 films (and one limited series!) that embody the values and spirit of the service members across all five branches: the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy.
Patton (1970)
Branch: U.S. Army
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Cast: George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Stephen Young, Michael Strong, Carey Loftin
Where to Watch: VOD rental,...
- 11/10/2023
- by Su Fang Tham
- Film Independent News & More
Vivien Leigh was the two-time Oscar winner who made only a handful of films before her untimely death in 1967 at the age of 53. Yet several of those titles remain classics. Let’s take a look back at 10 of her greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in British India, Leigh appeared in a number of roles on both the stage and screen in England, including a production of “Hamlet” opposite her husband, Laurence Olivier.
She came to international attention after landing the coveted role of Scarlet O’Hara in David O. Selznick’s massive adaptation of Margaret Mitchell‘s bestseller “Gone with the Wind” (1939). Leigh was far from the first choice to embody the headstrong Southern belle who pines after a married man (Leslie Howard) while wedding another (Clark Gable) against the backdrop of the Civil War. Yet the relatively unknown thespian beat out the likes of Bette Davis, Claudette Colbert,...
Born in British India, Leigh appeared in a number of roles on both the stage and screen in England, including a production of “Hamlet” opposite her husband, Laurence Olivier.
She came to international attention after landing the coveted role of Scarlet O’Hara in David O. Selznick’s massive adaptation of Margaret Mitchell‘s bestseller “Gone with the Wind” (1939). Leigh was far from the first choice to embody the headstrong Southern belle who pines after a married man (Leslie Howard) while wedding another (Clark Gable) against the backdrop of the Civil War. Yet the relatively unknown thespian beat out the likes of Bette Davis, Claudette Colbert,...
- 10/28/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Edward “Eddie” Marks, the Emmy-winning president of Western Costume Company, died on Monday in Prague. He was 76.
Marks had a longstanding career in costuming, working his way up to become president of Western Costume Company, where he helped grow the brand into one of the world’s largest costume companies.
Marks was born on July 1, 1947, in Bayonne, N.J. to Lambert Marks and Beverly Hess. By 1952, Mark’s family relocated to the West side of Los Angeles, where he stayed for the rest of his life and began his career in entertainment in 1965.
Marks started out at MGM Studios, working in costuming with the likes of Elvis Presley and on film titles including “Girl Happy,” “Spinout” and “Stay Away.” After leaving MGM in 1968, he began freelancing, going on to work as the costume supervisor for the Emmy-nominated series “The Streets of San Francisco” which starred Karl Malden and Michael Douglas.
Marks had a longstanding career in costuming, working his way up to become president of Western Costume Company, where he helped grow the brand into one of the world’s largest costume companies.
Marks was born on July 1, 1947, in Bayonne, N.J. to Lambert Marks and Beverly Hess. By 1952, Mark’s family relocated to the West side of Los Angeles, where he stayed for the rest of his life and began his career in entertainment in 1965.
Marks started out at MGM Studios, working in costuming with the likes of Elvis Presley and on film titles including “Girl Happy,” “Spinout” and “Stay Away.” After leaving MGM in 1968, he began freelancing, going on to work as the costume supervisor for the Emmy-nominated series “The Streets of San Francisco” which starred Karl Malden and Michael Douglas.
- 9/13/2023
- by McKinley Franklin
- Variety Film + TV
Eddie Marks, the president of Western Costume Company whose career in costuming included early collaborations on Elvis Presley films, died Monday while visiting Prague. He was 76.
His death was announced by the company. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Born Edward Howard Marks in Bayonne, NJ, Marks moved with his family to Los Angeles in 1952, and in 1957 they settled in Woodland Hills, where he remained for the rest of his life.
Beginning his career in the MGM Studios mailroom in 1965, Marks would soon work on such mid-1960s Presley films as Girl Happy, Spinout and Stay Away, Joe.
Marks went freelance in 1968, eventually becoming the costume supervisor on the hit TV series Streets of San Francisco (1972-1977) starring Karl Malden and Michael Douglas. In 1988, he received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Costuming for a Mini-Series or Special for his work on the CBS Movie of the Week Shakedown on Sunset Strip.
His death was announced by the company. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Born Edward Howard Marks in Bayonne, NJ, Marks moved with his family to Los Angeles in 1952, and in 1957 they settled in Woodland Hills, where he remained for the rest of his life.
Beginning his career in the MGM Studios mailroom in 1965, Marks would soon work on such mid-1960s Presley films as Girl Happy, Spinout and Stay Away, Joe.
Marks went freelance in 1968, eventually becoming the costume supervisor on the hit TV series Streets of San Francisco (1972-1977) starring Karl Malden and Michael Douglas. In 1988, he received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Costuming for a Mini-Series or Special for his work on the CBS Movie of the Week Shakedown on Sunset Strip.
- 9/13/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Edward Hume Dies: ‘The Day After’ Writer, ‘Barnaby Jones’, ‘Streets Of San Francisco’ Creator Was 87
Edward Hume, a prolific TV writer who created or developed such 1970s episodic crime classics as The Streets of San Francisco, Cannon and Barnaby Jones, and was Emmy-nominated for the startlingly realistic, much-watched 1983 nuclear holocaust drama The Day After, has died. He was 87.
According to an obituary posted this week by his family, Hume died July 13. A cause was not stated.
With his first TV credit coming in 1967 (an episode of The Fugitive), Hume would go on to develop such popular detective and cop fare as Toma (1973); Cannon, the 1971-76 series starring William Conrad; the 1972-77 series The Streets of San Francisco, starring Karl Malden and a young Michael Douglas; and Barnaby Jones, the 1973-80 series starring a post-Beverly Hillbillies Buddy Ebsen as an elderly private eye who comes out of retirement following the murder of his son.
‘The Day After’
While Hume would write many TV movies in the 1970s and ’80s,...
According to an obituary posted this week by his family, Hume died July 13. A cause was not stated.
With his first TV credit coming in 1967 (an episode of The Fugitive), Hume would go on to develop such popular detective and cop fare as Toma (1973); Cannon, the 1971-76 series starring William Conrad; the 1972-77 series The Streets of San Francisco, starring Karl Malden and a young Michael Douglas; and Barnaby Jones, the 1973-80 series starring a post-Beverly Hillbillies Buddy Ebsen as an elderly private eye who comes out of retirement following the murder of his son.
‘The Day After’
While Hume would write many TV movies in the 1970s and ’80s,...
- 9/13/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Clockwise from top left: Grease 2 (Paramount), Jaws: The Revenge (Universal), Exorcist II: The Heretic (Warner Bros.), Batman & Robin (Warner Bros.)Image: The A.V. Club
In 1997’s Scream 2, self-proclaimed film geek Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) rants about sequels in his college film class. “Sequels suck! By definition alone they’re inferior films,...
In 1997’s Scream 2, self-proclaimed film geek Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) rants about sequels in his college film class. “Sequels suck! By definition alone they’re inferior films,...
- 9/8/2023
- by Robert DeSalvo
- avclub.com
Years after his death in 2003, two-time Oscar-winning director Elia Kazan remains both an influential and controversial figure, respected and reviled in equal measure. Let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Kazan started his career as a stage actor, soon transitioning into directing. He mounted several landmark productions, including the original run of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Throughout his career he received three Tony awards for Best Director of a Play: “All My Sons” in 1947, “Death of a Salesman” in 1949, and “J.B.” in 1959.
He transitioned into filmmaking with “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” (1945). Two years later, he won his first Oscar for Best Director for “Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947), which also took home Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress (Celeste Holm). A taboo-shattering drama about antisemitism, the film established Kazan as a director drawn towards contemporary, hot-button topics.
Kazan scored his second Best Director...
Kazan started his career as a stage actor, soon transitioning into directing. He mounted several landmark productions, including the original run of “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Throughout his career he received three Tony awards for Best Director of a Play: “All My Sons” in 1947, “Death of a Salesman” in 1949, and “J.B.” in 1959.
He transitioned into filmmaking with “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” (1945). Two years later, he won his first Oscar for Best Director for “Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947), which also took home Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress (Celeste Holm). A taboo-shattering drama about antisemitism, the film established Kazan as a director drawn towards contemporary, hot-button topics.
Kazan scored his second Best Director...
- 9/1/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
For years, much of the film industry has considered Sundance as a ’90s legacy, one most famous for launching the festival that cemented a market for American independent film. However, the seeds for that phenomenon were sown in the previous decade.
Hollywood raced into the ’80s with its blockbuster juices flowing, as the box-office sensations of “Jaws” and then “Star Wars” rejuvenated the studio confidence in mass-market commercial storytelling, and the prospects of small-scale independent filmmaking seemed more marginalized than ever. Enter Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute, which launched its first feature film lab in 1981, and created a seminal resource for working outside the system still unparalleled in the U.S. today.
In the midst of the studios getting a second wind, Redford felt unnerved. Though the movie star made a successful pivot to directing with “Ordinary People” in 1980, he had long felt that Hollywood underserved movies made with an economy of means.
Hollywood raced into the ’80s with its blockbuster juices flowing, as the box-office sensations of “Jaws” and then “Star Wars” rejuvenated the studio confidence in mass-market commercial storytelling, and the prospects of small-scale independent filmmaking seemed more marginalized than ever. Enter Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute, which launched its first feature film lab in 1981, and created a seminal resource for working outside the system still unparalleled in the U.S. today.
In the midst of the studios getting a second wind, Redford felt unnerved. Though the movie star made a successful pivot to directing with “Ordinary People” in 1980, he had long felt that Hollywood underserved movies made with an economy of means.
- 8/14/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
The role of retired CIA operative Luke Brunner in Netflix’s Fubar is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “first TV role ever” in the same way that this is my first McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Hobnob of the day – it absolutely isn’t but if it makes us all happier to lie to ourselves then why not?
Early press for action-comedy series Fubar has made much of the coup of Netflix bagging Schwarzenegger for television. At last! The Governator is “set to make his TV series debut” says The Hollywood Reporter. This marks the action icon’s “first ever television series”, says Collider. Science has finally figured out how to make TV screens wide enough to accommodate the Hollywood star’s mighty girth, and now we’ve got him. Never mind that Arnie’s been muscling around on television since 1974.
Granted, Fubar marks Schwarzenegger’s first lead role in a scripted and...
Early press for action-comedy series Fubar has made much of the coup of Netflix bagging Schwarzenegger for television. At last! The Governator is “set to make his TV series debut” says The Hollywood Reporter. This marks the action icon’s “first ever television series”, says Collider. Science has finally figured out how to make TV screens wide enough to accommodate the Hollywood star’s mighty girth, and now we’ve got him. Never mind that Arnie’s been muscling around on television since 1974.
Granted, Fubar marks Schwarzenegger’s first lead role in a scripted and...
- 5/25/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
The Cannes Film Festival officially kicked off Tuesday night with Michael Douglas receiving an honorary Palme d’Or, and Catherine Deneuve making a surprise appearance during the opening ceremony — ahead of the world premiere screening of Maïwenn’s Johnny Depp-starrer Jeanne du Barry, arguably one of the hottest tickets on the Croisette. The film received a standing ovation of a touch over four minutes later in the evening.
Chiara Mastroianni hosted the festivities, introducing the Ruben Ostlund-led jury, and noting that Cannes was created out of “an act of resistance” and that “the power of cinema has never let us down.”
Ostlund praised the communal experience of cinema, quipping that on television in his native Sweden, “The only thing we watch together is Eurovision.” The two-time Palme d’Or winner continued, “Just the fact that someone is sitting next you in the cinema and might turn to you and ask what do you think…...
Chiara Mastroianni hosted the festivities, introducing the Ruben Ostlund-led jury, and noting that Cannes was created out of “an act of resistance” and that “the power of cinema has never let us down.”
Ostlund praised the communal experience of cinema, quipping that on television in his native Sweden, “The only thing we watch together is Eurovision.” The two-time Palme d’Or winner continued, “Just the fact that someone is sitting next you in the cinema and might turn to you and ask what do you think…...
- 5/16/2023
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Gambling and casinos have always been popular themes in movies, and there have been many great films made on this subject over the years. From tense poker games to high-stakes heists, the world of gambling has provided plenty of material for filmmakers to work with. Here are some of the greatest films with gambling and casino themes ever made.
Casino (1995)
Martin Scorsese’s epic tale of the rise and fall of a casino boss, Casino, is a classic film that is often cited as one of the greatest gambling movies ever made. The film follows the story of Sam “Ace” Rothstein, played by Robert De Niro, who is hired by the Mob to run the Tangiers casino in Las Vegas. With his best friend, Nicky Santoro, played by Joe Pesci, at his side, Ace builds an empire but finds himself struggling to maintain control as his personal and professional life spiral out of control.
Casino (1995)
Martin Scorsese’s epic tale of the rise and fall of a casino boss, Casino, is a classic film that is often cited as one of the greatest gambling movies ever made. The film follows the story of Sam “Ace” Rothstein, played by Robert De Niro, who is hired by the Mob to run the Tangiers casino in Las Vegas. With his best friend, Nicky Santoro, played by Joe Pesci, at his side, Ace builds an empire but finds himself struggling to maintain control as his personal and professional life spiral out of control.
- 3/16/2023
- by Movies Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
With Michelle Yeoh’s historic win at Sunday’s Academy Awards for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” the genre-bending sci-fi film has achieved a feat that has only happened twice before in Oscars history and for the first time in 46 years.
Alongside supporting cast members Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis, Yeoh has made “Everything Everywhere” the third film in history to win three acting Oscars.
The first film to achieve that trifecta was “A Streetcar Named Desire” in 1951, with Vivien Leigh winning Best Actress for her performance as the tragic Blanche DuBois with Kim Hunter and Karl Malden winning supporting Oscars for playing Stella Kowalski and Blanche’s potential husband Mitch, respectively.
Also Read:
Michelle Yeoh Is the First Asian Woman to Win a Best Actress Oscar
Twenty-six years later, Paddy Chayefsky and Sidney Lumet’s satire of broadcast news, “Network,” became the second film to achieve three acting wins.
Alongside supporting cast members Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis, Yeoh has made “Everything Everywhere” the third film in history to win three acting Oscars.
The first film to achieve that trifecta was “A Streetcar Named Desire” in 1951, with Vivien Leigh winning Best Actress for her performance as the tragic Blanche DuBois with Kim Hunter and Karl Malden winning supporting Oscars for playing Stella Kowalski and Blanche’s potential husband Mitch, respectively.
Also Read:
Michelle Yeoh Is the First Asian Woman to Win a Best Actress Oscar
Twenty-six years later, Paddy Chayefsky and Sidney Lumet’s satire of broadcast news, “Network,” became the second film to achieve three acting wins.
- 3/13/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
The SAG Awards often match the Oscars for acting pretty closely, so when “Everything Everywhere All at Once” achieved an unprecedented clean sweep of all its categories including three individual acting races, the immediate question became, can it do the same thing at the Oscars? Only two films in history have ever won three acting trophies.
See‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ or ‘Everything Everywhere’ would be 9th film to win both supporting acting Oscars
“A Streetcar Named Desire” was the first. Adapted from Tennessee Williams‘s play, the 1951 film won Best Actress (Vivien Leigh), Best Supporting Actor (Karl Malden), and Best Supporting Actress (Kim Hunter). The only award it lost was Best Actor for arguably the film’s most iconic performance by Marlon Brando. That award went instead to Humphrey Bogart for “The African Queen.”
Then 1976’s “Network” pulled off the same feat, winning three awards out of a remarkable five acting nominations.
See‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ or ‘Everything Everywhere’ would be 9th film to win both supporting acting Oscars
“A Streetcar Named Desire” was the first. Adapted from Tennessee Williams‘s play, the 1951 film won Best Actress (Vivien Leigh), Best Supporting Actor (Karl Malden), and Best Supporting Actress (Kim Hunter). The only award it lost was Best Actor for arguably the film’s most iconic performance by Marlon Brando. That award went instead to Humphrey Bogart for “The African Queen.”
Then 1976’s “Network” pulled off the same feat, winning three awards out of a remarkable five acting nominations.
- 3/12/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
The guest on this episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, which is posting the day before the 95th Oscars takes place in Hollywood and airs on ABC, is Janet Yang, the first-term president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Yang, the Queens-born daughter of Chinese immigrants, is only the 36th person — and just the fourth female, second person of color and first person of Asian descent — to lead Hollywood’s most powerful organization, following in the footsteps of luminaries like Douglas Fairbanks, Frank Capra, Bette Davis, George Stevens, Gregory Peck, Robert Wise and Karl Malden.
Over the course of a conversation at the Loews Hollywood Hotel, where Yang has been staying this week in order to oversee preparations for the Oscars at the adjacent Dolby Theatre, the 66-year-old reflected on a life and career that has defied the odds at every turn.
Yang speaks...
Over the course of a conversation at the Loews Hollywood Hotel, where Yang has been staying this week in order to oversee preparations for the Oscars at the adjacent Dolby Theatre, the 66-year-old reflected on a life and career that has defied the odds at every turn.
Yang speaks...
- 3/11/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Danette Herman was one of the key staff members of the Academy Awards ceremonies from the 1970s into the 2010s, beginning as a production assistant and rising through the ranks to become the show’s executive in charge of talent and coordinating producer. One of the few women to serve in key positions at the Oscars, she was with the show during the years of its highest ratings and largest cultural impact.
As the Academy prepares for the 95th Oscars ceremony, Herman asked TheWrap if she could share some memories of past shows, from an encounter with Katharine Hepburn in 1974 to a pair of anniversary shows in which she assembled historic groups of past winners. —Steve Pond
Congratulations to the Academy on 95 years of the Academy Awards. Almost 40 of those years are my history, also.
It began in April 1968 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The 40th Academy Awards were hosted by Bob Hope,...
As the Academy prepares for the 95th Oscars ceremony, Herman asked TheWrap if she could share some memories of past shows, from an encounter with Katharine Hepburn in 1974 to a pair of anniversary shows in which she assembled historic groups of past winners. —Steve Pond
Congratulations to the Academy on 95 years of the Academy Awards. Almost 40 of those years are my history, also.
It began in April 1968 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The 40th Academy Awards were hosted by Bob Hope,...
- 3/10/2023
- by Danette Herman
- The Wrap
For the second year in a row, multiple films have the potential to win Oscars for both Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. Of course, the nominees from “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” are looking to fare better than those from “Belfast” and “The Power of the Dog,” who all went home empty-handed last year. At this point, only eight of the previous 106 films that were nominated for both Oscars have pulled off dual wins. Based on their impressive precursor runs, the current hopefuls are uniquely well-positioned to join the club, but they do face a great challenge in overcoming one another.
Like “The Power of the Dog,” each of these two new films has a three-way stake in the supporting races. Those representing “The Banshees of Inisherin” are actress Kerry Condon and actors Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan, while those on the “Everything Everywhere All at Once...
Like “The Power of the Dog,” each of these two new films has a three-way stake in the supporting races. Those representing “The Banshees of Inisherin” are actress Kerry Condon and actors Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan, while those on the “Everything Everywhere All at Once...
- 3/8/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
What was the last film to have three of its stars all win Oscars? How long has it been since Steven Spielberg has won an Oscar? Who was the first posthumous nominee? These questions are answered, along with more fun facts, tidbits and trivia.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” would be just the third film to earn three Oscars in the acting categories. Michelle Yeoh is the favorite to win best actress, as is Ke Huy Quan in the supporting actor race. And Jamie Lee Curtis or Stephanie Hsu ould pull out a win as supporting actress. The first time that happened was at the 1952 ceremony when Vivien Leigh, Karl Malden and Kim Hunter won for “A Streetcar Named Desire,” followed 25 years later with Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight winning for “Network.”
Steven Spielberg has been nominated 22 times including three this year for “The Fabelmans”: best picture,...
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” would be just the third film to earn three Oscars in the acting categories. Michelle Yeoh is the favorite to win best actress, as is Ke Huy Quan in the supporting actor race. And Jamie Lee Curtis or Stephanie Hsu ould pull out a win as supporting actress. The first time that happened was at the 1952 ceremony when Vivien Leigh, Karl Malden and Kim Hunter won for “A Streetcar Named Desire,” followed 25 years later with Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight winning for “Network.”
Steven Spielberg has been nominated 22 times including three this year for “The Fabelmans”: best picture,...
- 3/8/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” has had a great couple of days. The Oscar frontrunner won the top prize at the Producers Guild of America Awards on Saturday, proving that it can conquer the preferential ballot. The next day, it pulled off a historic sweep at Screen Actors Guild Awards with a record four wins for ensemble, lead actress for Michelle Yeoh, supporting actor for Ke Huy Quan and supporting actress for Jamie Lee Curtis. The triple individual wins — also a first for a film in SAG Awards history — were unexpected as Curtis upset odds-on favorite Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”), but they just speak to the movie’s strength. They also tee it up for a never-before-seen above-the-line sweep at the Oscars: “Everything Everywhere” can be the first film to win Best Picture, Best Director, a screenplay award and three acting prizes.
The multiversal hit is the runaway...
The multiversal hit is the runaway...
- 3/2/2023
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
“Everything Everywhere All at Once,” the most-nominated film at this year’s Oscars, won the most SAG Awards ever Sunday night with four trophies. Final Oscars voting begins on Thursday, March 2, and it’s no longer a question about whether the A24 sci-fi comedy will win best picture, but how many statuettes it will take home. Probably a lot.
Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win a SAG lead actress film award. Seeing her emotion take hold of her was heartwarming and long overdue for an actress that should have already been nominated for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) and “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018). However, her speech may not have been as boisterous or memorable as we would like, especially for someone competing with Cate Blanchett, after winning BAFTA, Critics Choice and Globes for “Tár.” However, her co-star James Hong may have brought it home for Yeoh with his rousing...
Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win a SAG lead actress film award. Seeing her emotion take hold of her was heartwarming and long overdue for an actress that should have already been nominated for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000) and “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018). However, her speech may not have been as boisterous or memorable as we would like, especially for someone competing with Cate Blanchett, after winning BAFTA, Critics Choice and Globes for “Tár.” However, her co-star James Hong may have brought it home for Yeoh with his rousing...
- 2/27/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
I can't think of two people who would be more inherently at odds when it comes to filmmaking than Stanley Kubrick and Marlon Brando. Kubrick was a notorious perfectionist, a micro-manager who would do countless amounts of takes for every scene until he got exactly what he wanted. Brando was one of the most wild card actors out there, someone who was brilliant when he cared but often difficult to work with if he didn't. Both men had incredibly strong personalities, and I cannot imagine them sitting across from each other having a meaningful conversation of any kind, let alone developing a film to work on together.
Well, that is exactly what they were doing in the late 1950s. With Kubrick coming off his exquisite 1957 World War I film "Paths of Glory," Brando brought him on to direct an adaptation of the Western novel "The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones" by Charles Neider,...
Well, that is exactly what they were doing in the late 1950s. With Kubrick coming off his exquisite 1957 World War I film "Paths of Glory," Brando brought him on to direct an adaptation of the Western novel "The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones" by Charles Neider,...
- 2/25/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
Unsolved Mysteries has been airing, off and on, presented in different styles and by different hosts, for thirty-five years at this point. It all began with specials hosted by Raymond Burr, Karl Malden, and Robert Stack in 1987, followed by a series that went for several years with Stack as the host. (And Virginia Madsen being added as co-host eventually.) Dennis Farina hosted a revival that lasted a few years. And now a new version of the show that doesn’t have a host is set up at the Netflix streaming service. We’ve been watching and being disturbed by episodes of Unsolved Mysteries for a long time – and you can find out what we have to say about the Stack era of show in the new episode of the Horror TV Shows We Miss video series. Check it out in the embed above!
Created by John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer,...
Created by John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer,...
- 11/16/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The disaster film comes and goes. The genre was massive in the 1970s, leading to classics like "The Towering Inferno" and "The Poseidon Adventure." It saw a resurgence in the '90s thanks to hits like "Armageddon" and "Dante's Peak," and there's been a slight bump over the past decade, too — think "Skyscraper" and "San Andreas," both starring The Rock. These films are often a chance to cobble together an all-star cast and thrill audiences by showing off some special effects work.
The biggest and best disaster films stick around. After all, people still debate whether "Armageddon" or "Deep Impact" was better. There are plenty more, however, that are forgotten. Whether due to genre fatigue or inexplicable box office failure, many have flown under the radar yet are still worth a watch. Some have casts that make them worthwhile (Alain Delon from "Le Samouraï" is in an "Airport" movie!), while...
The biggest and best disaster films stick around. After all, people still debate whether "Armageddon" or "Deep Impact" was better. There are plenty more, however, that are forgotten. Whether due to genre fatigue or inexplicable box office failure, many have flown under the radar yet are still worth a watch. Some have casts that make them worthwhile (Alain Delon from "Le Samouraï" is in an "Airport" movie!), while...
- 11/8/2022
- by Eric Langberg
- Slash Film
How do you fit all the complexities of a person's life into the space of a feature film? The short answer is you don't, which is why I've always found the biopic the most unsatisfying of genres. "Patton" avoids many of the usual pitfalls by limiting its scope to the three-year period during World War II which are central to General George S. Patton's enigmatic legend as a vainglorious, troublesome figure who also happened to be a tactical genius on the battlefield. The result is a three-hour character study that really feels like we get inside his head; while there are several huge battle scenes, all the real action is in George C. Scott's magnificent performance, who embodies the General so naturally that it hardly seems like he's acting at all. If director Franklin J. Schaffner wanted to save some money, he could have scrapped the battles altogether...
- 9/6/2022
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
As actors ponder their Emmy acceptance speeches for September 12, one wonders whether some incipient Adrian Lester envy might creep into their thoughts. Lester, the Black British actor, won a Tony nomination for playing both a German Jewish banker and a female character in The Lehman Trilogy on Broadway. At the Emmys, actors like Jennifer Coolidge and Steve Martin will likely win kudos for essentially playing themselves, with great aplomb.
I empathize with the tensions facing actors today: They covet the opportunity to display their “range” but also understand the risks inherent in boundary crossing. Even Tom Hanks expresses regret for depicting a gay protagonist in 1993’s Philadelphia, and James Franco is catching it for playing Fidel Castro.
The woke-phobic Bill Maher raged this week against critics of Helen Mirren for portraying Golda Meir, but some still rail on Mickey Rooney for Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
But type-casting, or resistance to it,...
I empathize with the tensions facing actors today: They covet the opportunity to display their “range” but also understand the risks inherent in boundary crossing. Even Tom Hanks expresses regret for depicting a gay protagonist in 1993’s Philadelphia, and James Franco is catching it for playing Fidel Castro.
The woke-phobic Bill Maher raged this week against critics of Helen Mirren for portraying Golda Meir, but some still rail on Mickey Rooney for Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
But type-casting, or resistance to it,...
- 8/18/2022
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Hollywood producer Janet Yang has been named the new president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences by the organization’s Board of Governors. Yang, who is of Chinese descent, is the first Asian person ever to hold the position and the fourth woman behind Fay Kanin (1979-1983), Cheryl Boone Isaacs (2013-2017) and Bette Davis (Davis resigned after two months in 1941).
Yang is beginning her first term as president and her second term as a Governor-at-Large. The Board also voted on the officers, electing:
Teri E. Dorman, Vice President Donna Gigliotti, Vice President/Secretary Lynette Howell Taylor, Vice President Larry Karaszewski, Vice President David Linde, Vice President/Treasurer Isis Mussenden, Vice President Kim Taylor-Coleman, Vice President Wynn P. Thomas, Vice President
“Janet is a tremendously dedicated and strategic leader who has an incredible record of service at the Academy,” said Bill Kramer, Academy CEO. “I am thrilled that...
Yang is beginning her first term as president and her second term as a Governor-at-Large. The Board also voted on the officers, electing:
Teri E. Dorman, Vice President Donna Gigliotti, Vice President/Secretary Lynette Howell Taylor, Vice President Larry Karaszewski, Vice President David Linde, Vice President/Treasurer Isis Mussenden, Vice President Kim Taylor-Coleman, Vice President Wynn P. Thomas, Vice President
“Janet is a tremendously dedicated and strategic leader who has an incredible record of service at the Academy,” said Bill Kramer, Academy CEO. “I am thrilled that...
- 8/2/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
With new Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer in place, the next big question mark for the organization that hosts the Oscars revolves around who will replace outgoing president David Rubin, whose term ends this summer. On Aug. 2, the AMPAS Board of Governors will select its 38th president.
Whoever takes the No. 2 slot will face intense pressure to navigate agendas dictated by bylaws, decades of tradition and an ever-changing media landscape. Two front-runners have emerged to lead the organization’s nearly 10,000 members, and both are producers: Janet Yang, an Ivy League graduate whose film credits include “The Joy Luck Club” (1993), and DeVon Franklin, a former Sony Pictures Entertainment executive who is president and CEO of multimedia company Franklin Entertainment.
Yang, who is of Chinese descent, and Franklin, who is Black, would represent a new-looking Academy leadership that’s been overwhelmingly male and white over its history.
Whoever takes the No. 2 slot will face intense pressure to navigate agendas dictated by bylaws, decades of tradition and an ever-changing media landscape. Two front-runners have emerged to lead the organization’s nearly 10,000 members, and both are producers: Janet Yang, an Ivy League graduate whose film credits include “The Joy Luck Club” (1993), and DeVon Franklin, a former Sony Pictures Entertainment executive who is president and CEO of multimedia company Franklin Entertainment.
Yang, who is of Chinese descent, and Franklin, who is Black, would represent a new-looking Academy leadership that’s been overwhelmingly male and white over its history.
- 7/20/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Lenny Von Dohlen, star of Twin Peaks and Electric Dreams, has died. He was 64.
He died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles after a long illness, according to his longtime manager Steven J. Wolfe.
Von Dohlen made his film debut in Bruce Beresford’s Tender Mercies, a performance that landed him the leading role in MGM/UA’s Electric Dreams.
He also scored leading roles for Under the Biltmore Clock, Blind Vision, Jennifer 8, Ed Zwick’s Leaving Normal, David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and the title role in Billy Galvin, where Von Dohlen starred opposite Karl Malden.
Born in Augusta, Georgia and raised in Goliad, Texas, Von Dohlen grew too tall to realize a childhood dream of becoming a jockey.
So after majoring in drama at the University of Texas, he turned to theater. In New York, he created roles in Asian Shade,...
Lenny Von Dohlen, star of Twin Peaks and Electric Dreams, has died. He was 64.
He died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles after a long illness, according to his longtime manager Steven J. Wolfe.
Von Dohlen made his film debut in Bruce Beresford’s Tender Mercies, a performance that landed him the leading role in MGM/UA’s Electric Dreams.
He also scored leading roles for Under the Biltmore Clock, Blind Vision, Jennifer 8, Ed Zwick’s Leaving Normal, David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and the title role in Billy Galvin, where Von Dohlen starred opposite Karl Malden.
Born in Augusta, Georgia and raised in Goliad, Texas, Von Dohlen grew too tall to realize a childhood dream of becoming a jockey.
So after majoring in drama at the University of Texas, he turned to theater. In New York, he created roles in Asian Shade,...
- 7/8/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lenny von Dohlen, who played Harold Smith on Twin Peaks and its 1992 spinoff pic Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and starred in the 1984 rom-com Electric Dreams during a four-decade screen career, has died. He was 63.
His manager Steven Wolfe said von Dohlen died July 5 at his Los Angeles home after a long illness.
Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery
Born on December 22, 1958 in Augusta, Ga, and raised in Goliad, Texas, Von Dohlen made his screen debut in the 1981 telefilm Kent State and had a small role in the Robert Duvall country music pic Tender Mercies before getting his big break in Electric Dreams. He starred as Miles Harding, an architect whose new PC becomes self-aware and develops a love triangle his Miles’ neighbor (Virginia Madsen). The romantic comedy was the debut feature of prolific music video helmer Steve Barron, who went on to direct for TV, earning an Emmy nom for Merlin.
His manager Steven Wolfe said von Dohlen died July 5 at his Los Angeles home after a long illness.
Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery
Born on December 22, 1958 in Augusta, Ga, and raised in Goliad, Texas, Von Dohlen made his screen debut in the 1981 telefilm Kent State and had a small role in the Robert Duvall country music pic Tender Mercies before getting his big break in Electric Dreams. He starred as Miles Harding, an architect whose new PC becomes self-aware and develops a love triangle his Miles’ neighbor (Virginia Madsen). The romantic comedy was the debut feature of prolific music video helmer Steve Barron, who went on to direct for TV, earning an Emmy nom for Merlin.
- 7/8/2022
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
HBO Max’s new documentary is putting the spotlight on Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. The streaming service will debut all six parts of the Max Original documentary, The Last Movie Stars, on Thursday, July 21. The documentary, from CNN Films and HBO Max, explores Newman and Woodward’s romance, family, careers, and causes. Martin Scorsese serves as executive producer, with Ethan Hawke directing. HBO Max Central to the documentary is a project that had been abandoned and Newman commissioned from his friend and screenwriter, Steward Stern. For Newman, Stern interviewed close friends, family, and artistic collaborators including Elia Kazan, Sidney Lumet, Karl Malden, Sidney Pollack, Gore Vidal, Jacqueline Witte, and Woodward for a planned memoir. Stern also spoke with Newman about his youth, his first marriage with Witte, his romance and life with Woodward, his personal demons, and the loss of his son, Scott. For the documentary, which includes archival interviews with Woodward and Newman,...
- 7/7/2022
- TV Insider
HBO Max will premiere its six-part original documentary from CNN Films, “The Last Movie Stars,” on July 21. The docuseries centers on Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, and explores their personas, talent and love story. Four-time Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke (“Seymour: An Introduction”) directs, with Academy Award-winning director, writer and producer Martin Scorsese as executive producer.
The docuseries incorporates an abandoned project that Newman commissioned from friend and screenwriter Stewart Stern, who interviewed close friends, family, and artistic collaborators including Elia Kazan, Sidney Lumet, Karl Malden, Sidney Pollack, Gore Vidal, Jacqueline Witte and Joanne Woodward for a planned memoir. Newman was also interviewed by Stern, and discussed his childhood, his first marriage with Witte, his romance and life with Woodward and more.
Actors Karen Allen, George Clooney, Oscar Isaac, Latanya Richardson Jackson, Zoe Kazan, Laura Linney, Sam Rockwell and others voice parts of the original transcribed interviews. Hawke also interviewed some of Newman’s daughters,...
The docuseries incorporates an abandoned project that Newman commissioned from friend and screenwriter Stewart Stern, who interviewed close friends, family, and artistic collaborators including Elia Kazan, Sidney Lumet, Karl Malden, Sidney Pollack, Gore Vidal, Jacqueline Witte and Joanne Woodward for a planned memoir. Newman was also interviewed by Stern, and discussed his childhood, his first marriage with Witte, his romance and life with Woodward and more.
Actors Karen Allen, George Clooney, Oscar Isaac, Latanya Richardson Jackson, Zoe Kazan, Laura Linney, Sam Rockwell and others voice parts of the original transcribed interviews. Hawke also interviewed some of Newman’s daughters,...
- 6/21/2022
- by Sasha Urban and Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
HBO Max will debut all six-parts of Ethan Hawke’s documentary “The Last Movie Stars,” which premiered at SXSW and the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, on July 21. The series explores the personal lives and careers of actors Joanna Woodward and Paul Newman. Hawke, who previously helmed the documentary “Seymour: An Introduction,” directs all six entries in the CNN Films docuseries while Martin Scorsese serves as executive producer.
Central to “The Last Movie Stars” is a long-abandoned project that Newman commissioned from friend and screenwriter Stewart Stern. At Newman’s request, Stern interviewed close friends, family and artistic collaborators like Elia Kazan, Sidney Lumet, Karl Malden, Sydney Pollack, Gore Vidal, Jackie Witte, Woodward for a planned memoir. Newman was also interviewed by Stern to discuss his youth, his first marriage with Witte, his romance and life with Woodward, his personal demons, and the loss of his son, Scott.
“It...
Central to “The Last Movie Stars” is a long-abandoned project that Newman commissioned from friend and screenwriter Stewart Stern. At Newman’s request, Stern interviewed close friends, family and artistic collaborators like Elia Kazan, Sidney Lumet, Karl Malden, Sydney Pollack, Gore Vidal, Jackie Witte, Woodward for a planned memoir. Newman was also interviewed by Stern to discuss his youth, his first marriage with Witte, his romance and life with Woodward, his personal demons, and the loss of his son, Scott.
“It...
- 6/21/2022
- by Brandon Katz
- The Wrap
Retro-active: The Best From The Cinema Retro Archives
In honor of the esteemed actor Nehemiah Persoff, who recently passed away at age 102, we are running this interview originally conducted with Mr. Persoff in 2010 by the late writer Herb Shadrak.
Nehemiah Persoff: From Jerusalem to Hollywood and Beyond
By Herb Shadrak
Born in Jerusalem in 1919, Nehemiah Persoff went on to become one of the busiest character actors in Hollywood. His face is familiar to millions of boomers across North America from his numerous guest appearances on just about every TV series that aired from the 1950s through the 1990s. Persoff’s name may have been unfamiliar to many of these TV viewers, but his face was instantly recognizable. Filmspot.com describes Persoff as a short, dark and stocky-framed actor who specialized in playing ethnic-type villains, although he frequently essayed sympathetic roles as well.. (Witness his heartbreaking moments with Maria Schell in Voyage of the Damned.
In honor of the esteemed actor Nehemiah Persoff, who recently passed away at age 102, we are running this interview originally conducted with Mr. Persoff in 2010 by the late writer Herb Shadrak.
Nehemiah Persoff: From Jerusalem to Hollywood and Beyond
By Herb Shadrak
Born in Jerusalem in 1919, Nehemiah Persoff went on to become one of the busiest character actors in Hollywood. His face is familiar to millions of boomers across North America from his numerous guest appearances on just about every TV series that aired from the 1950s through the 1990s. Persoff’s name may have been unfamiliar to many of these TV viewers, but his face was instantly recognizable. Filmspot.com describes Persoff as a short, dark and stocky-framed actor who specialized in playing ethnic-type villains, although he frequently essayed sympathetic roles as well.. (Witness his heartbreaking moments with Maria Schell in Voyage of the Damned.
- 4/13/2022
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Seven decades ago, “A Streetcar Named Desire” not only became the first film to win three acting Oscars, but also the first to take both supporting prizes. These featured victories were achieved by Kim Hunter and Karl Malden, whose film was preceded by 13 others that received nominations for both awards. That total is now up to 103, but there have only been seven more cases of double supporting wins. Now, for the first time in five years, multiple films have shots at being added to the exclusive list.
This year, Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds both earned bids for their supporting performances in “Belfast,” while featured players Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee were all recognized for their work in “The Power of the Dog.”
Dench and Hinds or either possible “Power of the Dog” pair would be the first dual supporting Oscar winners since 2011, when the prizes went to...
This year, Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds both earned bids for their supporting performances in “Belfast,” while featured players Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee were all recognized for their work in “The Power of the Dog.”
Dench and Hinds or either possible “Power of the Dog” pair would be the first dual supporting Oscar winners since 2011, when the prizes went to...
- 3/16/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
On March 20, 1952, two black and white dramas came into the Oscar ceremony vying for the win. Both “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “A Place in the Sun” had everything the Academy loves: drama, an ensemble of well-known actors and directors – many of whom had previous nominations and wins – and loads of nominations. By the time the Best Picture was to be announced, each had picked up major wins – “Streetcar” had claimed three of the four acting wins, while “Sun” had picked up statues for directing, cinematography and editing. So, it was a “what the heck??” Oscar moment when the final big prize was shockingly announced: the romantic musical “An American in Paris.”
A little over six years after the end of a war that ravaged Europe and in the middle of a Cold War that led to the infamous Hollywood blacklist that destroyed the careers of friends and collaborators, the...
A little over six years after the end of a war that ravaged Europe and in the middle of a Cold War that led to the infamous Hollywood blacklist that destroyed the careers of friends and collaborators, the...
- 2/25/2022
- by Susan Pennington
- Gold Derby
Burt Lancaster and Edward G. Robinson are excellent in this adaptation of Arthur Miller’s award-winning Broadway play, about a family torn apart by the denial of dark secrets from the WW2 homefront. Mady Christians is the mother who refuses to accept her son’s death, and Louisa Horton and Howard Duff the brother and sister trying to understand how their father could ship defective war materiel responsible for needless combat deaths. The show is powerful, even with Miller’s social message muted — and director Irving Reis gets it all on screen.
All My Sons
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1948 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 94 min. / Street Date January 4, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Edward G. Robinson, Burt Lancaster, Mady Christians, Louisa Horton, Howard Duff, Lloyd Gough, Harry Morgan, Arlene Francis, Elisabeth Fraser.
Cinematography: Russell Metty
Art Directors: Hilyard Brown, Bernard Herzbrun
Film Editor: Ralph Dawson
Original Music: Leith Stevens
Written for...
All My Sons
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1948 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 94 min. / Street Date January 4, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Edward G. Robinson, Burt Lancaster, Mady Christians, Louisa Horton, Howard Duff, Lloyd Gough, Harry Morgan, Arlene Francis, Elisabeth Fraser.
Cinematography: Russell Metty
Art Directors: Hilyard Brown, Bernard Herzbrun
Film Editor: Ralph Dawson
Original Music: Leith Stevens
Written for...
- 1/22/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Ethan Hawke is to direct and Martin Scorsese exec produce a celebration of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman’s lives for CNN+ and HBO Max.
Featuring transcribed readings of interviews read by the likes of George Clooney, Oscar Isaac, Laura Linney and Zoe Kazan, The Last Movie Stars will celebrate the enigmatic personas, incandescent talent and love story of the two actors, who occupy a unique space in the Hollywood pantheon.
The project emerged from Woodward and Newman’s daughters’ approaching Hawke during the early days of the pandemic, at which point they asked him to direct a doc about their parents from Nook House Productions.
Central to the film is a long-abandoned project that Newman, who died in 2008, commissioned from friend and screenwriter Stewart Stern. At Newman’s request, Stern interviewed the likes of Woodward, Elia Kazan, Sidney Lumet, Karl Malden, Sidney Pollack, Gore Vidal, Jacqueline Witte and others for a planned memoir.
Featuring transcribed readings of interviews read by the likes of George Clooney, Oscar Isaac, Laura Linney and Zoe Kazan, The Last Movie Stars will celebrate the enigmatic personas, incandescent talent and love story of the two actors, who occupy a unique space in the Hollywood pantheon.
The project emerged from Woodward and Newman’s daughters’ approaching Hawke during the early days of the pandemic, at which point they asked him to direct a doc about their parents from Nook House Productions.
Central to the film is a long-abandoned project that Newman, who died in 2008, commissioned from friend and screenwriter Stewart Stern. At Newman’s request, Stern interviewed the likes of Woodward, Elia Kazan, Sidney Lumet, Karl Malden, Sidney Pollack, Gore Vidal, Jacqueline Witte and others for a planned memoir.
- 1/11/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
They were a Hollywood power couple who chose to live and raise their family in Connecticut, far removed from the center of moviemaking. They were box office draws who remained true to their art, using their celebrity to finance smaller dramas and passion projects. They epitomized glamour and romance for legions of fans, but remained more devoted to social justice and philanthropy than red carpet premieres.
Now, a new six-part documentary will examine the lives and legacies of the enigmatic and incandescent Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman. The series, “The Last Movie Stars,” is directed by Ethan Hawke and executive produced by Martin Scorsese. CNN Films and HBO Max are backing the series, which will premiere exclusively on CNN Plus, the news network’s subscription streaming service which will debut later this year. The film will also be available later via HBO Max.
There’s certainly a lot of rich material to dig into.
Now, a new six-part documentary will examine the lives and legacies of the enigmatic and incandescent Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman. The series, “The Last Movie Stars,” is directed by Ethan Hawke and executive produced by Martin Scorsese. CNN Films and HBO Max are backing the series, which will premiere exclusively on CNN Plus, the news network’s subscription streaming service which will debut later this year. The film will also be available later via HBO Max.
There’s certainly a lot of rich material to dig into.
- 1/11/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The movie awards’ season is in full flower with such films as Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog”; Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story”; Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast,” Guillermo Del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley” and Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” among the favorites for top prizes. But one thing we know for certain is that there is no sure thing when it comes to the Oscars. Consider the case of seventy years ago. Not only were there surprises among the nominees, but there were also some shocks when it came to the winners of the 1952 Oscars.
Let’s revisit the 24th Academy Awards, which took place March 20, 1952 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood and were hosted by Danny Kaye. This was the last time the ceremony was presented on radio. The show moved to television the following year. Among the presenters that evening were Lucille Ball,...
Let’s revisit the 24th Academy Awards, which took place March 20, 1952 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood and were hosted by Danny Kaye. This was the last time the ceremony was presented on radio. The show moved to television the following year. Among the presenters that evening were Lucille Ball,...
- 12/6/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
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