Obituaries are never easy to write, but this one hits particularly hard given the feeling of so much great work still to come: Andre Braugher, who made a name for himself playing a variety of authority figures in dramas and comedies has died following a brief illness. He was just 61.
André Keith Braugher was born in Chicago in 1962. The prodigious student attended the prestigious St. Ignatius College Prep in his hometown, then earned a BA from Stanford University and a master*s degree from Juilliard — he received scholarships to all three schools.
He considered medicine as a career but saw performing as more exciting. His initial work, as with so many others, was on the stage, in Public Theater Shakespeare in the Park productions in New York City, playing parts in various productions over the years.
His film career was solid, including roles in Glory, Primal Fear, Spike Lee's Get On The Bus,...
André Keith Braugher was born in Chicago in 1962. The prodigious student attended the prestigious St. Ignatius College Prep in his hometown, then earned a BA from Stanford University and a master*s degree from Juilliard — he received scholarships to all three schools.
He considered medicine as a career but saw performing as more exciting. His initial work, as with so many others, was on the stage, in Public Theater Shakespeare in the Park productions in New York City, playing parts in various productions over the years.
His film career was solid, including roles in Glory, Primal Fear, Spike Lee's Get On The Bus,...
- 12/13/2023
- by James White
- Empire - Movies
Refresh for latest… André Braugher was an actor’s actor — one who absorbed a character and, like a superstar athlete, made the cast around him better.
As the showbiz community digests the terrible news of his death today at 61, reactions from friends, former castmates and others are hitting social media. Read a sampling of them below.
The versatile Braugher was a two-time Emmy winner and 11-time nominee who amassed more than 100 TV and film credits over a 35-year screen career. He started out playing a detective opposite Telly Savalas in a string of Kojak telefilms, and during that era Braugher hit the big screen with a key role in Glory, Edward Zwick’s 1989 Civil War-set film starring Matthew Broderick that would land Denzel Washington his first Oscar.
Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries
That would lead to his signature role in the criminally underwatched 1990s NBC...
As the showbiz community digests the terrible news of his death today at 61, reactions from friends, former castmates and others are hitting social media. Read a sampling of them below.
The versatile Braugher was a two-time Emmy winner and 11-time nominee who amassed more than 100 TV and film credits over a 35-year screen career. He started out playing a detective opposite Telly Savalas in a string of Kojak telefilms, and during that era Braugher hit the big screen with a key role in Glory, Edward Zwick’s 1989 Civil War-set film starring Matthew Broderick that would land Denzel Washington his first Oscar.
Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries
That would lead to his signature role in the criminally underwatched 1990s NBC...
- 12/13/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
When Spike Lee won his long overdue first competitive Oscar at the 2019 Academy Awards, he literally jumped into presenter Samuel L. Jackson’s arms for a hug. But there was a moment when the longtime friends probably couldn’t have imagined they’d share such a public embrace.
In a new interview with Vulture, Jackson – who appeared in early Lee films like “School Daze,” “Do the Right Thing,” “Mo Better Blues,” and “Jungle Fever” – explained he had a falling out with the filmmaker over “Malcolm X.”
“I actually read with most of the people who auditioned for ‘Malcolm X.’ I was supposed to be the guy that turned Malcolm X on to Islam in prison. I forget who played that role,” Jackson revealed. Albert Hall played the role of Baines in the film and turned in an indelible performance in the part. He later appeared in Lee’s film “Get on the Bus.
In a new interview with Vulture, Jackson – who appeared in early Lee films like “School Daze,” “Do the Right Thing,” “Mo Better Blues,” and “Jungle Fever” – explained he had a falling out with the filmmaker over “Malcolm X.”
“I actually read with most of the people who auditioned for ‘Malcolm X.’ I was supposed to be the guy that turned Malcolm X on to Islam in prison. I forget who played that role,” Jackson revealed. Albert Hall played the role of Baines in the film and turned in an indelible performance in the part. He later appeared in Lee’s film “Get on the Bus.
- 7/21/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Welcome to The Best Movie You Never Saw, a column dedicated to examining films that have flown under the radar or gained traction throughout the years, earning them a place as a cult classic or underrated gem that was either before it’s time and/or has aged like a fine wine.
This week we’ll be looking at Kingpin (1996)!
The Story: A shady, washed-up bowling prodigy (Woody Harrelson) strikes gold when he finds a naïve Amish player (Randy Quaid) he hopes to exploit for profit. The two hit the road with a gangster’s moll (Vanessa Angel) in hopes of striking it rich at a $1 million winner-take-all tournament in Reno.
The Players: Starring: Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, Vanessa Angel and Bill Murray. Directed by Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly.
“The one thing that kept us going was on that Sunday morning, Siskel and Ebert came on and they gave...
This week we’ll be looking at Kingpin (1996)!
The Story: A shady, washed-up bowling prodigy (Woody Harrelson) strikes gold when he finds a naïve Amish player (Randy Quaid) he hopes to exploit for profit. The two hit the road with a gangster’s moll (Vanessa Angel) in hopes of striking it rich at a $1 million winner-take-all tournament in Reno.
The Players: Starring: Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, Vanessa Angel and Bill Murray. Directed by Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly.
“The one thing that kept us going was on that Sunday morning, Siskel and Ebert came on and they gave...
- 4/23/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Hill Harper is an American actor and author. He is known for his roles on Limitless and The Good Doctor and for his book, Letters to an Incarcerated Brother.
Hill Harper Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education
Hill Harper was born on May 17, 1966 (Hill Harper: Age 56) in Iowa City, Iowa to Harry and Marilyn Harper. Harper’s full name is Frank Eugene “Hill” Harper but he goes by Hill as a tribute to his grandparents. Harper started acting at seven years old.
In 1984 Harper graduated from Bella Vista High School. He went on to graduate from Brown University in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and sociology. In 1992 he graduated from Harvard Law School and received his Master of Public Administration degree.
While at Harvard, Harper was a full-time member of the most acclaimed black theater group in America, Boston’s Black Folks Theater Company. Also during this time,...
Hill Harper Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education
Hill Harper was born on May 17, 1966 (Hill Harper: Age 56) in Iowa City, Iowa to Harry and Marilyn Harper. Harper’s full name is Frank Eugene “Hill” Harper but he goes by Hill as a tribute to his grandparents. Harper started acting at seven years old.
In 1984 Harper graduated from Bella Vista High School. He went on to graduate from Brown University in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and sociology. In 1992 he graduated from Harvard Law School and received his Master of Public Administration degree.
While at Harvard, Harper was a full-time member of the most acclaimed black theater group in America, Boston’s Black Folks Theater Company. Also during this time,...
- 4/7/2023
- by Hailey Schipper
- Uinterview
Jack Harlow is making his film debut in the remake of White Men Can’t Jump and he’s starring alongside Sinqua Walls. Watch the full preview in the video posted above!
A teaser for the upcoming movie dropped and shows the banter between Harlow’s Jeremy and Walls’ Kamal. In the preview, the stars of the film argue about who is the best living film director.
“I am like the P.T. Anderson of basketball psychological warfare,” Jeremy says with Kamal drawing a blank as to who he was.
Jeremy adds, “Our greatest living director,” to which Kamal fires back and says, “Spike Lee is our greatest living director.”
“Spike Lee is not even a good Knicks fan,” Jeremy retaliates.
“I knew this was a mistake,” Kamal adds.
Jeremy was referring to Paul Thomas Anderson, the film director behind Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, and Licorice Pizza,...
A teaser for the upcoming movie dropped and shows the banter between Harlow’s Jeremy and Walls’ Kamal. In the preview, the stars of the film argue about who is the best living film director.
“I am like the P.T. Anderson of basketball psychological warfare,” Jeremy says with Kamal drawing a blank as to who he was.
Jeremy adds, “Our greatest living director,” to which Kamal fires back and says, “Spike Lee is our greatest living director.”
“Spike Lee is not even a good Knicks fan,” Jeremy retaliates.
“I knew this was a mistake,” Kamal adds.
Jeremy was referring to Paul Thomas Anderson, the film director behind Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, and Licorice Pizza,...
- 2/5/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Spike Lee will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction at this year’s DGA Awards, Directors Guild of America President Lesli Linka Glatter announced today.
The DGA’s highest honor will be presented to Lee at the 74th annual DGA Awards on Saturday, March 12. Lee is the first Black director to get the award, which recognizes extraordinary efforts in the art of cinema, He joins a roster of just 35 helmers so honored, including Frank Capra, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Billy Wilder, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Miloš Forman and, most recently, Ridley Scott.
In a statement, Glatter said, “Icon. Trailblazer. Visionary. Spike Lee has changed the face of cinema, and there is no single word that encapsulates his significance to the craft of directing. From his groundbreaking Do the Right Thing, BlacKkKlansman, and everything in-between – to his signature ‘double dolly’ shot, Spike is an innovator on so many levels.
The DGA’s highest honor will be presented to Lee at the 74th annual DGA Awards on Saturday, March 12. Lee is the first Black director to get the award, which recognizes extraordinary efforts in the art of cinema, He joins a roster of just 35 helmers so honored, including Frank Capra, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Billy Wilder, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Miloš Forman and, most recently, Ridley Scott.
In a statement, Glatter said, “Icon. Trailblazer. Visionary. Spike Lee has changed the face of cinema, and there is no single word that encapsulates his significance to the craft of directing. From his groundbreaking Do the Right Thing, BlacKkKlansman, and everything in-between – to his signature ‘double dolly’ shot, Spike is an innovator on so many levels.
- 1/19/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
With fears our winter travel will need a, let’s say, reconsideration, the Criterion Channel’s monthly programming could hardly come at a better moment. High on list of highlights is Louis Feuillade’s delightful Les Vampires, which I suggest soundtracking to Coil, instrumental Nine Inch Nails, and Jóhann Jóhannson’s Mandy score. Notable too is a Sundance ’92 retrospective running the gamut from Paul Schrader to Derek Jarman to Jean-Pierre Gorin, and I’m especially excited for their look at one of America’s greatest actors, Sterling Hayden.
Special notice to Criterion editions of The Killing, The Last Days of Disco, All About Eve, and The Asphalt Jungle, and programming of Ognjen Glavonić’s The Load, among the better debuts in recent years.
See the full list of January titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
-Ship: A Visual Poem, Terrance Day, 2020
5 Fingers, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1952
After Migration: Calabria,...
Special notice to Criterion editions of The Killing, The Last Days of Disco, All About Eve, and The Asphalt Jungle, and programming of Ognjen Glavonić’s The Load, among the better debuts in recent years.
See the full list of January titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
-Ship: A Visual Poem, Terrance Day, 2020
5 Fingers, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1952
After Migration: Calabria,...
- 12/20/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Back in October 2019, before the pandemic, we brought you news about American Civil War movie Freedom’s Path.
The feature, which charts the friendship between a Union soldier and a runaway slave who is helping facilitate the Underground Railroad, stars Ewen Bremner (Trainspotting), Rj Cyler (Me And Earl And The Dying Girl) and Gerran Howell (Catch 22). Post-production has just wrapped.
As it turned out, the project would mark the final stops on the journey of two veteran actors who died while the movie was in post-production: Thomas Jefferson Byrd, a frequent Spike Lee collaborator, and New Orleans native Carol Sutton, both of whom had supporting roles.
Both actors died in sad circumstances. Tony-nominee Byrd was murdered in Atlanta and Sutton died of complications from Covid.
Today, the production has chosen to release two images of the admired actors in their final film, marking the first official stills from the movie.
The feature, which charts the friendship between a Union soldier and a runaway slave who is helping facilitate the Underground Railroad, stars Ewen Bremner (Trainspotting), Rj Cyler (Me And Earl And The Dying Girl) and Gerran Howell (Catch 22). Post-production has just wrapped.
As it turned out, the project would mark the final stops on the journey of two veteran actors who died while the movie was in post-production: Thomas Jefferson Byrd, a frequent Spike Lee collaborator, and New Orleans native Carol Sutton, both of whom had supporting roles.
Both actors died in sad circumstances. Tony-nominee Byrd was murdered in Atlanta and Sutton died of complications from Covid.
Today, the production has chosen to release two images of the admired actors in their final film, marking the first official stills from the movie.
- 9/21/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Filmmaker Spike Lee has nearly 100 credits to his name. From documentaries to movies to short films (“don’t call them music videos”), Lee has covered it all.
And through his films, he tackles issues of race, class, and history. Lee who started as an independent filmmaker burst onto the scene with 1986’s “She’s Gotta Have It” and in 1988 he made his first studio film, “School Daze.” From the get-go, Lee’s arresting opening credit sequences have become a signature. It’s a sign that audiences can expect a funny, provocative ride, one usually set to some killer music. In other words, a typical Spike Lee Joint.
Here, Lee breaks down his favorites and tells the story behind some of his most memorable opening credits, and he shares his favorite opening sequence of all-time. Watch the video above to see some of the opening sequences and the conversation with Lee in full.
And through his films, he tackles issues of race, class, and history. Lee who started as an independent filmmaker burst onto the scene with 1986’s “She’s Gotta Have It” and in 1988 he made his first studio film, “School Daze.” From the get-go, Lee’s arresting opening credit sequences have become a signature. It’s a sign that audiences can expect a funny, provocative ride, one usually set to some killer music. In other words, a typical Spike Lee Joint.
Here, Lee breaks down his favorites and tells the story behind some of his most memorable opening credits, and he shares his favorite opening sequence of all-time. Watch the video above to see some of the opening sequences and the conversation with Lee in full.
- 3/10/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
It’s the hottest day of the summer. You can do nothing, you can do something, or you can…Do The Right Thing. In 1989, Academy Award® winner and visionary filmmaker Spike Lee mesmerized audiences with one of the most insightful and provocative films of its time, Do The Right Thing. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment continues to celebrate diversity and Black stories by bringing one of the most thought-provoking and groundbreaking films of its time, Do The Right Thing, to 4K Ultra HD for the first time on February 2, 2021. The controversial story centers around one scorching inner-city day, when racial tensions reach the boiling point in a tough Brooklyn neighborhood. Culturally significant and featuring over four hours of bonus features including a brand-new introduction by Director Spike Lee, a retrospective documentary with the original cast and crew, a feature commentary from Lee, deleted and extended scenes, Do The Right Thing captures...
- 1/28/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Spike Lee is being honored with the American Cinematheque Award, and it undoubtedly encapsulates the director’s nearly five decades of artistic achievement. The award will be presented Jan. 14 in a virtual ceremony. “It’s a recognition of the body of work, and I’ve been putting in the work since the fall of 1979,” says Lee.
Previous American Cinematheque Award honorees include Amy Adams (2017), Bradley Cooper (2018) and Charlize Theron (2019).
After graduating from Morehouse College, Lee attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in the graduate film program. He has been a tenured professor and the artistic director since 2002. Lee also eyes the next generation of filmmakers and considers himself a “proud parent” when looking at all of his students, including directors Shaka King (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) and Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”).
“I’ve always felt that teachers that teach well are also learning from their students,...
Previous American Cinematheque Award honorees include Amy Adams (2017), Bradley Cooper (2018) and Charlize Theron (2019).
After graduating from Morehouse College, Lee attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in the graduate film program. He has been a tenured professor and the artistic director since 2002. Lee also eyes the next generation of filmmakers and considers himself a “proud parent” when looking at all of his students, including directors Shaka King (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) and Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”).
“I’ve always felt that teachers that teach well are also learning from their students,...
- 1/14/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Spike Lee will receive the American Cinematheque Award and will be honored during a virtual tribute on Jan. 14, 2021.
American Cinematheque chair Rick Nicita said the legendary director always keeps his finger on the pulse of society.
“As a cultural arts organization that celebrates the importance of film in our society, Spike Lee is the perfect choice for the Cinematheque’s annual award,” Nicita said. “Spike’s ability to perceive and depict the tone of contemporary society is shown in his movies, ranging from ‘Do the Right Thing,’ ‘She’s Gotta Have It,’ ‘Malcolm X’ and ‘BlacKkKlansman’ to name only a few. He continues his outstanding output with this year’s ‘Da 5 Bloods’ and ‘American Utopia.’ We look forward with great anticipation to where he will next shine his light.”
“BlacKkKlansman,” which Lee co-wrote and directed, won the Academy Award for adapted screenplay. He was also nominated for an Oscar for directing and producing “BlacKkKlansman.
American Cinematheque chair Rick Nicita said the legendary director always keeps his finger on the pulse of society.
“As a cultural arts organization that celebrates the importance of film in our society, Spike Lee is the perfect choice for the Cinematheque’s annual award,” Nicita said. “Spike’s ability to perceive and depict the tone of contemporary society is shown in his movies, ranging from ‘Do the Right Thing,’ ‘She’s Gotta Have It,’ ‘Malcolm X’ and ‘BlacKkKlansman’ to name only a few. He continues his outstanding output with this year’s ‘Da 5 Bloods’ and ‘American Utopia.’ We look forward with great anticipation to where he will next shine his light.”
“BlacKkKlansman,” which Lee co-wrote and directed, won the Academy Award for adapted screenplay. He was also nominated for an Oscar for directing and producing “BlacKkKlansman.
- 10/22/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Police arrested a man on Friday morning who is accused of murdering Thomas Jefferson Byrd, the character actor who appeared in several Spike Lee films.
Antonio Demetrice Rhynes, 30, was arrested by a fugitive unit and Swat team officers, according to the Atlanta Police Department.
Rhynes is accused of shooting Byrd early on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 3. Officers were called to the home at 2257 Belvedere Ave. at 1:45 a.m. They found Byrd dead with multiple gunshots in the back, according to a police statement.
According to police, homicide detectives followed up on evidence and tips from citizens to identify Rhynes as a suspect. They obtained a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of murder on Wednesday.
Rhynes was arrested early on Friday morning at the Royal Oaks Apartments, at 3540 North Camp Creek Parkway. He will be taken to the Fulton County Jail.
“The Atlanta Police Department is proud of...
Antonio Demetrice Rhynes, 30, was arrested by a fugitive unit and Swat team officers, according to the Atlanta Police Department.
Rhynes is accused of shooting Byrd early on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 3. Officers were called to the home at 2257 Belvedere Ave. at 1:45 a.m. They found Byrd dead with multiple gunshots in the back, according to a police statement.
According to police, homicide detectives followed up on evidence and tips from citizens to identify Rhynes as a suspect. They obtained a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of murder on Wednesday.
Rhynes was arrested early on Friday morning at the Royal Oaks Apartments, at 3540 North Camp Creek Parkway. He will be taken to the Fulton County Jail.
“The Atlanta Police Department is proud of...
- 10/16/2020
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
Tony-nominated actor Thomas Jefferson Byrd who is best known or his many roles in Spike Lee’s films was found killed in Atlanta. He was 70.
According to media reports, Byrd was found unresponsive early Sunday morning. Paramedics pronounced him dead as they found multiple gunshot wounds in his back.
Byrd was a frequent collaborator with Lee, appearing in eight of his films including Clockers, Get on the Bus, Girl 6, He Got Game, Bamboozled, Red Hook Summer, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus and Chi-Raq. He also appeared in the Netflix series adaptation of Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It. His film credits also include the 1996 crime drama Set It Off as well as the Oscar-winning pic Ray.
A graduate of Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Byrd made his Broadway debut in the revival of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, starring alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Carl Gordon, Charles S. Dutton and Stephen McKinley Henderson.
According to media reports, Byrd was found unresponsive early Sunday morning. Paramedics pronounced him dead as they found multiple gunshot wounds in his back.
Byrd was a frequent collaborator with Lee, appearing in eight of his films including Clockers, Get on the Bus, Girl 6, He Got Game, Bamboozled, Red Hook Summer, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus and Chi-Raq. He also appeared in the Netflix series adaptation of Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It. His film credits also include the 1996 crime drama Set It Off as well as the Oscar-winning pic Ray.
A graduate of Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Byrd made his Broadway debut in the revival of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, starring alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Carl Gordon, Charles S. Dutton and Stephen McKinley Henderson.
- 10/4/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Thomas Jefferson Byrd, an actor in several of Spike Lee’s films, was killed in Atlanta on Saturday, the Atlanta Police Department confirmed to Variety. He was 70.
On Saturday, Atlanta police officers were dispatched to 2259 Belvedere Ave., responding to a call about an injured person at 1:45 a.m. Upon arrival, officers located Byrd lying unresponsive at the location. Emergency medial services responded to the scene, identified Byrd and pronounced him dead from multiple gunshot wounds to the back.
Homicide detectives are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, and the investigation is currently ongoing. The Atlanta Police Department tells Variety that the information is preliminary in nature and could change as the investigation continues or new information comes to light.
Byrd appeared in several of Lee’s films, including “Clockers,” “Get on the Bus,” “Bamboozled,” “Chi-Raq,” “Red Hook Summer,” “Girl 6” and “Da Sweet Blood of Jesus.” He...
On Saturday, Atlanta police officers were dispatched to 2259 Belvedere Ave., responding to a call about an injured person at 1:45 a.m. Upon arrival, officers located Byrd lying unresponsive at the location. Emergency medial services responded to the scene, identified Byrd and pronounced him dead from multiple gunshot wounds to the back.
Homicide detectives are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, and the investigation is currently ongoing. The Atlanta Police Department tells Variety that the information is preliminary in nature and could change as the investigation continues or new information comes to light.
Byrd appeared in several of Lee’s films, including “Clockers,” “Get on the Bus,” “Bamboozled,” “Chi-Raq,” “Red Hook Summer,” “Girl 6” and “Da Sweet Blood of Jesus.” He...
- 10/4/2020
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
Touchstone Television has signed “The Old Guard” director Gina Prince-Bythewood and “Swagger” creator Reggie Rock Bythewood to a multiyear first-look deal, marking the Disney-owned studio’s first such pact since it was rebranded from Fox 21 Television Studios earlier this week.
Under the deal, the married duo will create television projects for broadcast and streaming platforms for Touchstone Television, a division of Disney Television Studios, through their Undisputed Cinema production company.
According to Touchstone, Prince-Bythewood and Bythewood’s “Undisputed Cinema produces timely and timeless character-driven stories aimed to challenge audiences’ perspectives in different ways. Undisputed Cinema’s stories show humanity on-screen and create deep connections driven to build empathy between their characters and their viewers. In addition, they are longtime advocates for equal representation in film and television on-screen and behind-the-scenes, with their numerous mentorships of emerging writers and directors, Bythewood’s industry town-halls on systemic racism, and Prince-Bythewood’s...
Under the deal, the married duo will create television projects for broadcast and streaming platforms for Touchstone Television, a division of Disney Television Studios, through their Undisputed Cinema production company.
According to Touchstone, Prince-Bythewood and Bythewood’s “Undisputed Cinema produces timely and timeless character-driven stories aimed to challenge audiences’ perspectives in different ways. Undisputed Cinema’s stories show humanity on-screen and create deep connections driven to build empathy between their characters and their viewers. In addition, they are longtime advocates for equal representation in film and television on-screen and behind-the-scenes, with their numerous mentorships of emerging writers and directors, Bythewood’s industry town-halls on systemic racism, and Prince-Bythewood’s...
- 8/13/2020
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
With readers turning to their home viewing options more than ever, this daily feature provides one new movie each day worth checking out on a major streaming platform.
Spike Lee’s “Bamboozled” is one of those forgotten “Joints” that confounded critics and audiences at the time of its initial release. Twenty years later, it’s enjoying a renaissance — thanks to a recently-released Criterion Collection DVD/Blu-ray edition of this long out-of-print title — and a much-deserved reassessment of this scathing and insightful satire. But it’s not the only one that deserves a second look. Four years before “Bamboozled,” Lee made another idiosyncratic movie filled with big ideas. Like “Bamboozled,” Lee’s 1996 dramedy “Girl 6” also baffled viewers at the time, but its insights into race and gender in Hollywood still resonate today.
More from IndieWireStream of the Day: 'The Spectacular Now' and the Brilliant Long Take That Deserves More PraiseStream...
Spike Lee’s “Bamboozled” is one of those forgotten “Joints” that confounded critics and audiences at the time of its initial release. Twenty years later, it’s enjoying a renaissance — thanks to a recently-released Criterion Collection DVD/Blu-ray edition of this long out-of-print title — and a much-deserved reassessment of this scathing and insightful satire. But it’s not the only one that deserves a second look. Four years before “Bamboozled,” Lee made another idiosyncratic movie filled with big ideas. Like “Bamboozled,” Lee’s 1996 dramedy “Girl 6” also baffled viewers at the time, but its insights into race and gender in Hollywood still resonate today.
More from IndieWireStream of the Day: 'The Spectacular Now' and the Brilliant Long Take That Deserves More PraiseStream...
- 4/2/2020
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Considering every new day brings no shortage of breaking news and adjusted timelines, nothing is quite for certain, but we do hope a new Spike Lee film will indeed arrive this year. (And it being on Netflix certainly helps its chances.) In the meantime, the director has enough time on his hands to dig through his vast archive and he’s offered a free gift: the complete 159-page script to one of his passion projects.
Written in the mid-1990s, between the time of Clockers, Girl 6, and Get on the Bus and before he would reunite with Denzel Washington for He Got Game, Spike Lee wanted the actor to lead a Jackie Robinson biopic. Washington thought he was too old for the role and the project never got made. Based on the autobiography I Never Had It Made, published shortly after the baseball legend’s death in 1972, Lee says,...
Written in the mid-1990s, between the time of Clockers, Girl 6, and Get on the Bus and before he would reunite with Denzel Washington for He Got Game, Spike Lee wanted the actor to lead a Jackie Robinson biopic. Washington thought he was too old for the role and the project never got made. Based on the autobiography I Never Had It Made, published shortly after the baseball legend’s death in 1972, Lee says,...
- 3/30/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Oscar-winning filmmaker Spike Lee might not be in the awards season mix this year — after finally winning his first Oscar last year for scripting “BlacKkKlansman,” he’s deserving of a break — but the indelible New Yorker will be on hand to accept at least one huge honor in 2020. Film at Lincoln Center has announced that Lee will be honored at the 46th Chaplin Award Gala on Monday, April 27, 2020. “We are delighted to honor Spike Lee, an original and iconic New York filmmaker,” said Ann Tenenbaum, Film at Lincoln Center’s Board Chairwoman, in an official statement. “It is thrilling to welcome his bold voice into the pantheon of artists who have received the Chaplin Award.”
The Chaplin Award Gala is the organization’s most important fundraising event of the year and all proceeds benefit the organization in its mission to support the art and craft of cinema. The annual gala...
The Chaplin Award Gala is the organization’s most important fundraising event of the year and all proceeds benefit the organization in its mission to support the art and craft of cinema. The annual gala...
- 11/7/2019
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Oscar winners Lady Gaga, Annie Lennox and Adele are among the 28 composers, songwriters and music editors invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this year.
The three multiplatinum pop stars are probably the best-known of this year’s crop. Gaga won for “A Star Is Born,” Adele for “Skyfall,” and Lennox for her “Into the West” from the final “Lord of the Rings” movie “The Return of the King.”
Three other Oscar winners are on this year’s list: “Black Panther” composer Ludwig Goransson and Gaga’s “Shallow” co-writers Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. Two other nominees from last year’s movies were added to the roster: “Mary Poppins Returns” songwriter Scott Wittman and “Star Is Born” music editor Jason Ruder.
Other composers include Michael Abels (“Get Out”), Nathan Barr (“The House With a Clock in Its Walls”), Kris Bowers (“Green Card”), Jane Antonia Cornish (“Citizen...
The three multiplatinum pop stars are probably the best-known of this year’s crop. Gaga won for “A Star Is Born,” Adele for “Skyfall,” and Lennox for her “Into the West” from the final “Lord of the Rings” movie “The Return of the King.”
Three other Oscar winners are on this year’s list: “Black Panther” composer Ludwig Goransson and Gaga’s “Shallow” co-writers Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. Two other nominees from last year’s movies were added to the roster: “Mary Poppins Returns” songwriter Scott Wittman and “Star Is Born” music editor Jason Ruder.
Other composers include Michael Abels (“Get Out”), Nathan Barr (“The House With a Clock in Its Walls”), Kris Bowers (“Green Card”), Jane Antonia Cornish (“Citizen...
- 7/1/2019
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
It’s been 32 years and 22 feature films since Spike Lee soared into independent filmmaking prominence with “She’s Gotta Have It” at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival. And it’s been 28 years since he received his lone Oscar nomination for one of them — a screenplay bid for “Do the Right Thing.”
Many critics regard that Harlem-set blueprint-of-a-riot Lee’s masterpiece and the most famous of those critics, the late Roger Ebert, left the film’s Cannes premiere sobbing. He was still dabbing his eyes when he took his seat at the press conference immediately afterward, proclaiming to all within earshot, “If this doesn’t win the Palme d’Or, I’m never coming back here.”
It didn’t win the Palme d’Or or any other Cannes prize, and Roger was back the next year and every other year before his failing health kept him home.
But he was not wrong...
Many critics regard that Harlem-set blueprint-of-a-riot Lee’s masterpiece and the most famous of those critics, the late Roger Ebert, left the film’s Cannes premiere sobbing. He was still dabbing his eyes when he took his seat at the press conference immediately afterward, proclaiming to all within earshot, “If this doesn’t win the Palme d’Or, I’m never coming back here.”
It didn’t win the Palme d’Or or any other Cannes prize, and Roger was back the next year and every other year before his failing health kept him home.
But he was not wrong...
- 12/26/2018
- by Jack Mathews
- Gold Derby
Spike Lee, who’s in this year’s awards race with BlackKklansman, is set to receive the the Career Achievement Award from the Palm Springs International Film Festival during its Awards Gala on January 3.
The outspoken filmmaker’s long career ranges from such 1980s fare as She’s Gotta Have It and Do the Right Thing through Malcom X, Get on the Bus and Summer of Sam to the more recent OldBoy, Inside Man and Chi-Raq. BlackKklansman stars John David Washington as Ron Stallworth, the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, he bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan.
“Spike Lee has been an outstanding warrior for equal rights while creating an iconic body of film and television work over his 30-year career,” Psiff Chairman Harold Matzner said. “In BlacKkKlansman, Lee...
The outspoken filmmaker’s long career ranges from such 1980s fare as She’s Gotta Have It and Do the Right Thing through Malcom X, Get on the Bus and Summer of Sam to the more recent OldBoy, Inside Man and Chi-Raq. BlackKklansman stars John David Washington as Ron Stallworth, the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, he bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan.
“Spike Lee has been an outstanding warrior for equal rights while creating an iconic body of film and television work over his 30-year career,” Psiff Chairman Harold Matzner said. “In BlacKkKlansman, Lee...
- 12/5/2018
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
The Palm Springs International Film Festival has selected Spike Lee as the recipient of its career achievement award.
Lee will be presented with the honor at the festival’s awards gala on Jan. 3 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The festival runs from Jan. 3 to Jan 14.
“Spike Lee has been an outstanding warrior for equal rights while creating an iconic body of film and television work over his 30-year career,” said festival chairman Harold Matzner. “In BlacKkKlansman,’ Lee directs one of his best and most provocative films about an African-American detective and a white detective who are determined to infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado Springs. It is our great honor to present the Career Achievement Award to Spike Lee.”
Past recipients of the festival’s career achievement award include Annette Bening, Kevin Costner, Bruce Dern, Robert Duvall, Clint Eastwood, Sally Field, Morgan Freeman, Holly Hunter, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Lee will be presented with the honor at the festival’s awards gala on Jan. 3 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The festival runs from Jan. 3 to Jan 14.
“Spike Lee has been an outstanding warrior for equal rights while creating an iconic body of film and television work over his 30-year career,” said festival chairman Harold Matzner. “In BlacKkKlansman,’ Lee directs one of his best and most provocative films about an African-American detective and a white detective who are determined to infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado Springs. It is our great honor to present the Career Achievement Award to Spike Lee.”
Past recipients of the festival’s career achievement award include Annette Bening, Kevin Costner, Bruce Dern, Robert Duvall, Clint Eastwood, Sally Field, Morgan Freeman, Holly Hunter, and Samuel L. Jackson.
- 12/5/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Spike Lee has spent the past 30 years making films — such as “Do the Right Thing” and “Malcolm X” — that tell hard truths about racism in America. His latest movie, “BlacKkKlansman,” touched a nerve when it opened in theaters in August, earning nearly $50 million at the domestic box office and generating Oscar buzz. The Focus Features release chronicles the 1970s true-life tale of a black police officer, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), who infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan. By using real footage of the Charlottesville riots of 2017, Lee makes the point that the white supremacists portrayed in the film have only grown more emboldened under Donald Trump.
Lee has spoken up for his political beliefs throughout his career and has, as a result, landed close to the center of the nation’s civic life. But he’s a local landmark, and a widely seen neighbor, in New York City. He lives on the Upper East Side,...
Lee has spoken up for his political beliefs throughout his career and has, as a result, landed close to the center of the nation’s civic life. But he’s a local landmark, and a widely seen neighbor, in New York City. He lives on the Upper East Side,...
- 10/2/2018
- by Ramin Setoodeh
- Variety Film + TV
Ossie Davis’ children are inspiring a new wave of activists through their father’s legacy.
The film, television and Broadway actor, director, poet, playwright and civil rights activist who died in 2005 at the age of 87, would have celebrated his 100th birthday on Monday (Dec. 18). In honor of the centennial milestone, Nora Davis Day, Guy Davis and Dr. Hasna Muhammad Davis (the three children of Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee) are highlighting their father’s “contributions to the struggle.”
“We know that if Dad and Mom were around now, they would want to be a part of this discourse around civil rights. This renewed activism, the challenging of the status quo, and augmenting the voices that are truly marginalized,” Hasna told Et during a phone interview on Friday. “Since he’s not here, we do have this opportunity to include his and Mom's voices, so that we can help attribute and provide historical context, and encourage the vehicle...
The film, television and Broadway actor, director, poet, playwright and civil rights activist who died in 2005 at the age of 87, would have celebrated his 100th birthday on Monday (Dec. 18). In honor of the centennial milestone, Nora Davis Day, Guy Davis and Dr. Hasna Muhammad Davis (the three children of Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee) are highlighting their father’s “contributions to the struggle.”
“We know that if Dad and Mom were around now, they would want to be a part of this discourse around civil rights. This renewed activism, the challenging of the status quo, and augmenting the voices that are truly marginalized,” Hasna told Et during a phone interview on Friday. “Since he’s not here, we do have this opportunity to include his and Mom's voices, so that we can help attribute and provide historical context, and encourage the vehicle...
- 12/18/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Hill Harper is an actor and writer whose real name is Francis Eugene Harper and he also goes by the name of F. Hill Harper. He was born in Iowa City on May 17, 1966. His first role in television was in the Fox series ‘Married…. with Children’ in 1993. He then made his film debut in the 1996 movie ‘Get on the Bus’. This movie was directed by Spike Lee and Harper played the role of a UCLA film student. Since then he has worked in many television series and movies. He is now probably best-known for his role
Five Things You Didn’t Know About Hill Harper...
Five Things You Didn’t Know About Hill Harper...
- 10/6/2017
- by Nat Berman
- TVovermind.com
Director honoured alongside collaborator Roger Guenveur Smith.
Spike Lee, along with his long time collaborator actor, writer and director Roger Guenveur Smith, were honoured at a black tie gala in Cannes on May 22.
The event, which is benefitting Planned Parenthood, was held at the American Pavilion.
Lee delivered a special keynote conversation with Smith during the event.
Lee and Smith’s most recent collaboration is the Netflix original film Rodney King, a history-infused one-man show film that is currently streaming worldwide.
Rodney King producers, and Smith’s partners at his production company Luna Ray Media, Steven Adams and Bob L Johnson were also in attendance along with Spike’s wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, among others.
Smith and Lee previously adapted Smith’s Obie Award-winning solo performance of A Huey P. Newton Story into a Peabody Award-winning made for TV film, directed by Lee.
The pair collaborated on Lee’s School Daze, Do The Right Thing, [link...
Spike Lee, along with his long time collaborator actor, writer and director Roger Guenveur Smith, were honoured at a black tie gala in Cannes on May 22.
The event, which is benefitting Planned Parenthood, was held at the American Pavilion.
Lee delivered a special keynote conversation with Smith during the event.
Lee and Smith’s most recent collaboration is the Netflix original film Rodney King, a history-infused one-man show film that is currently streaming worldwide.
Rodney King producers, and Smith’s partners at his production company Luna Ray Media, Steven Adams and Bob L Johnson were also in attendance along with Spike’s wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, among others.
Smith and Lee previously adapted Smith’s Obie Award-winning solo performance of A Huey P. Newton Story into a Peabody Award-winning made for TV film, directed by Lee.
The pair collaborated on Lee’s School Daze, Do The Right Thing, [link...
- 5/25/2017
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has released the first trailer for its upcoming one-man show “Rodney King,” directed by Academy Award nominee Spike Lee. The show is written and performed by long-time Lee collaborator, stage and film actor Roger Guenveur Smith.
Read More: ‘Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992’ Trailer: John Ridley’s New Documentary Explores the L.A. Riots
“Rodney King” will be available to stream on Netflix April 28, one day before the 25th anniversary of the announcement of the “not guilty” verdict in the King case. The verdict led to the Los Angeles riots, which became the most famous case of police brutality in the Us, and left more than 60 people dead and over 2,000 injured.
Read More: ‘Louis C.K. 2017’ Review: This Bold Netflix Special Proves Being Free From ‘Louie’ Can Be Better For TV
Lee and Smith had previously collaborated in the 2001 film adaptation of Smith’s solo performance “A Huey P. Newton Story,...
Read More: ‘Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992’ Trailer: John Ridley’s New Documentary Explores the L.A. Riots
“Rodney King” will be available to stream on Netflix April 28, one day before the 25th anniversary of the announcement of the “not guilty” verdict in the King case. The verdict led to the Los Angeles riots, which became the most famous case of police brutality in the Us, and left more than 60 people dead and over 2,000 injured.
Read More: ‘Louis C.K. 2017’ Review: This Bold Netflix Special Proves Being Free From ‘Louie’ Can Be Better For TV
Lee and Smith had previously collaborated in the 2001 film adaptation of Smith’s solo performance “A Huey P. Newton Story,...
- 4/6/2017
- by Yoselin Acevedo
- Indiewire
Chicago – The stage play that Harry Lennix is in town to direct – “A Small Oak Tree Runs Red” – is in its last weekend, and is giving the actor/director the best notices of the theater part in his long and successful career. For more information about the play, and ticket availability, click here.
Harry Lennix is a 17 year board member of the Congo Square Theatre – the company presenting the play – while he continues his career as a working actor. Born in Chicago, he studied acting and direction at Northwestern University. He broke into films with 1989’s made-in-Chicago “The Package,” and has steadily climbed the career ladder since then. Film highlights include “The Five Heartbeats” (1991), “Get on the Bus” (1996), “Love & Basketball” (2000), “The Matrix Reloaded” (2003) and “State of Play” (2009). He has had recurring or regular character roles on the TV series “ER,” “Diagnosis Murder,” “24” and “Dollhouse.” He appeared in Chicago on the...
Harry Lennix is a 17 year board member of the Congo Square Theatre – the company presenting the play – while he continues his career as a working actor. Born in Chicago, he studied acting and direction at Northwestern University. He broke into films with 1989’s made-in-Chicago “The Package,” and has steadily climbed the career ladder since then. Film highlights include “The Five Heartbeats” (1991), “Get on the Bus” (1996), “Love & Basketball” (2000), “The Matrix Reloaded” (2003) and “State of Play” (2009). He has had recurring or regular character roles on the TV series “ER,” “Diagnosis Murder,” “24” and “Dollhouse.” He appeared in Chicago on the...
- 6/29/2016
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Mention the name Harry Lennix, and images of his many character roles are bound to emerge – Harold Cooper in the TV series “The Blacklist,” General Swanwick from “Batman v Superman” and Commissioner Blades from Spike Lee’s recent “Chi-Raq.” The deeply knowledgeable Lennix brings his years of dramatic expertise, as he directs the Congo Square Theatre Company’s world premiere stage play “A Small Oak Tree Runs Red.’
The play is an allegory set in purgatory, the weigh station between heaven and hell. Three African-America characters – two men, and a woman – are in this space, trying to remember what brought them there. They all three have nooses around the necks, the victims of the 1918 Georgia Lynch Riots. With ramifications all the way to the present day, “A Small Oak Tree Runs Red” is a stark reminder of the hatred that has burned in the soul of America since its inception.
The play is an allegory set in purgatory, the weigh station between heaven and hell. Three African-America characters – two men, and a woman – are in this space, trying to remember what brought them there. They all three have nooses around the necks, the victims of the 1918 Georgia Lynch Riots. With ramifications all the way to the present day, “A Small Oak Tree Runs Red” is a stark reminder of the hatred that has burned in the soul of America since its inception.
- 6/10/2016
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
America is awakening from the fantasy of living in a post-racial society despite the leadership of a black president. This current racial landscape is crucial to understanding the attitudes and addictions in Da Sweet Blood of Jesus. Many African Americans are angry, thirsty for blood, or have coped with hardships through destructive habits. The pastor’s message in a black Baptist church is timely and resonates emotionally. “Put down that 22, put down the 38, put down your 45! Oh, glory to God lift up your Bible and put down that oozie! You don’t need no Ak 47, you need Romans 8:21,” he howls.
It feels cold: an exhausting insatiable desire; like a vampire’s thirst for blood, addiction is unsatisfying. No amount of sex, drugs or violence can kill the inner beast and satisfy the need for redemption. For all the gruesome blood on display in the blaxploitation vampire flick, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus,...
It feels cold: an exhausting insatiable desire; like a vampire’s thirst for blood, addiction is unsatisfying. No amount of sex, drugs or violence can kill the inner beast and satisfy the need for redemption. For all the gruesome blood on display in the blaxploitation vampire flick, Da Sweet Blood of Jesus,...
- 2/11/2015
- by Josh Cabrita
- We Got This Covered
Taking public transportation on the bus in everyday life is essential for workers worldwide as we need to make that daily grinding trek to the workplace, shopping malls, school, doctor’s appointment or whatever our destination may be at the moment. In particular, there is a love/hate relationship with buses as it presents all sort of social challenges: anxiety, chattiness, impatience, friendliness, kindness, anti-socialism, invasive behavior, alienation, nervousness, sense of unity, etc.
Well in the world of movies the bus-related experience can be more colorful and adventurous for the imagination at heart. Thus, it brings up this prolonged thought: what is your favorite or memorable moments dealing with buses on the big screen? Does it compare adequately to the triumphs or tragedies that overshadow or downplay your dealings with real-life bus-related interaction?
In “All Aboard”: Top Ten Bus-Related Moments in the Movies we will look at a handful of selected scenes,...
Well in the world of movies the bus-related experience can be more colorful and adventurous for the imagination at heart. Thus, it brings up this prolonged thought: what is your favorite or memorable moments dealing with buses on the big screen? Does it compare adequately to the triumphs or tragedies that overshadow or downplay your dealings with real-life bus-related interaction?
In “All Aboard”: Top Ten Bus-Related Moments in the Movies we will look at a handful of selected scenes,...
- 1/31/2015
- by Frank Ochieng
- SoundOnSight
The Judge
Another photo has popped up from the forthcoming drama "The Judge" starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall. Downey plays an attorney returning to his hometown to defend his estranged father (Duvall) who is the prime suspect in a murder. The film opens in October. [Source: EW
Release Dates
20th Century Fox has scheduled the Rupert Friend-led "Hitman: Agent 47," based on the video game series, for a February 27th 2015 release.
The Weinstein Company have scheduled the Owen Wilson and Pierce Brosnan thriller "The Coup" on March 6th 2015. Finally, Relativity's "Desert Dancer" has been pushed back from August 15th to March 20th 2015.
Legend
Working Title and StudioCanal have revealed the first photo of Tom Hardy playing dual roles as the infamous 1960s UK gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray in Brian Helgeland's "Legend". Filming began today in the UK.
R.I.P. Ruby Dee
Legendary Oscar-nominated actress Ruby Dee...
Another photo has popped up from the forthcoming drama "The Judge" starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall. Downey plays an attorney returning to his hometown to defend his estranged father (Duvall) who is the prime suspect in a murder. The film opens in October. [Source: EW
Release Dates
20th Century Fox has scheduled the Rupert Friend-led "Hitman: Agent 47," based on the video game series, for a February 27th 2015 release.
The Weinstein Company have scheduled the Owen Wilson and Pierce Brosnan thriller "The Coup" on March 6th 2015. Finally, Relativity's "Desert Dancer" has been pushed back from August 15th to March 20th 2015.
Legend
Working Title and StudioCanal have revealed the first photo of Tom Hardy playing dual roles as the infamous 1960s UK gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray in Brian Helgeland's "Legend". Filming began today in the UK.
R.I.P. Ruby Dee
Legendary Oscar-nominated actress Ruby Dee...
- 6/12/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Chinese animation studio Mili Pictures Worldwide has opened an office in Los Angeles, headed by producer Bill Borden.
Borden’s credits include the High School Musical series, Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle, Mission: Impossible 3 and Spike Lee’s Get On the Bus.
Mili’s debut production, Dragon Nest, will be premiered on July 31 at China’s biggest video gaming convention, China Joy. Directed by award-winning animation director Song Yuefeng, the adventure tale is based on a hugely popular online game, which has 100 million registered users. All Rights Entertainment is handling international sales.
Mili also announced that its next production, family comedy Ping Pong Rabbit, has started pre-production in Los Angeles.
Directed by Mike Johnson, who co-directed Corpse Bride with Tim Burton, the film will move into the animation process in China this autumn and is scheduled for release in early 2016. The film is scripted by High School Musical writer Peter Barsocchini.
Backed by online...
Borden’s credits include the High School Musical series, Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle, Mission: Impossible 3 and Spike Lee’s Get On the Bus.
Mili’s debut production, Dragon Nest, will be premiered on July 31 at China’s biggest video gaming convention, China Joy. Directed by award-winning animation director Song Yuefeng, the adventure tale is based on a hugely popular online game, which has 100 million registered users. All Rights Entertainment is handling international sales.
Mili also announced that its next production, family comedy Ping Pong Rabbit, has started pre-production in Los Angeles.
Directed by Mike Johnson, who co-directed Corpse Bride with Tim Burton, the film will move into the animation process in China this autumn and is scheduled for release in early 2016. The film is scripted by High School Musical writer Peter Barsocchini.
Backed by online...
- 5/17/2014
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Chinese animation studio Mili Pictures Worldwide has opened an office in Los Angeles, headed by producer Bill Borden.
Borden’s credits include the High School Musical series, Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle, Mission: Impossible 3 and Spike Lee’s Get On the Bus.
Mili’s debut production, Dragon Nest, will be premiered on July 31 at China’s biggest video gaming convention, China Joy. Directed by award-winning animation director Song Yuefeng, the adventure tale is based on a hugely popular online game, which has 100 million registered users. All Rights Entertainment is handling international sales.
Mili also announced that its next production, family comedy Ping Pong Rabbit, has started pre-production in Los Angeles.
Directed by Mike Johnson, who co-directed Corpse Bride with Tim Burton, the film will move into the animation process in China this autumn and is scheduled for release in early 2016. The film is scripted by High School Musical writer Peter Barsocchini.
Backed by online...
Borden’s credits include the High School Musical series, Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle, Mission: Impossible 3 and Spike Lee’s Get On the Bus.
Mili’s debut production, Dragon Nest, will be premiered on July 31 at China’s biggest video gaming convention, China Joy. Directed by award-winning animation director Song Yuefeng, the adventure tale is based on a hugely popular online game, which has 100 million registered users. All Rights Entertainment is handling international sales.
Mili also announced that its next production, family comedy Ping Pong Rabbit, has started pre-production in Los Angeles.
Directed by Mike Johnson, who co-directed Corpse Bride with Tim Burton, the film will move into the animation process in China this autumn and is scheduled for release in early 2016. The film is scripted by High School Musical writer Peter Barsocchini.
Backed by online...
- 5/17/2014
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
"How do you infuse empathy and humanity into such a horrific, monstrous, internationally detailed event? Are you guys crazy to actually think you can pull that off and get away with it? That's what attracted me to him, he was crazy enough to dare to try to pull that off. I was like, 'Yeah I've been here before with Get on the Bus, I've been here before with Clockers, I've been here with True Crime, I've been here with some subject matter and themes that were very difficult to wrap around. So I said, 'Let's go there again. Let's dig deep.'"Isaiah Washington describes what attracted him to the role of Beltway sniper John Allen Muhammad in Alexandre Moors' Blue Caprice, which opens in theaters...
- 9/12/2013
- by Jai Tiggett
- ShadowAndAct
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has revealed its 276-member-strong class of 2013.
The list, published by The Hollywood Reporter, includes actors, cinematographers, designers, directors, documentarians, executives, film editors, makeup artists and hairstylists, "members-at-large," musicians, producers, PR folks, short filmmakers and animators, sound technicians, visual effects artists, and writers.
Jason Bateman, Rosario Dawson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Milla Jovovich, Lucy Liu, Jennifer Lopez, Emily Mortimer, Sandra Oh, Jason Schwartzman, and Michael Peña are among the roster of actors, while "The Heat" and "Bridesmaids" helmer Paul Feig made the directors' cut.
"We did not change our criteria at all," says Academy president Hawk Koch of this year's larger-than-usual class. "Yes, this year there is a tremendous amount of women, a tremendous amount of people of color, people from all walks of life. This year, we asked the branches to look at everybody who wasn't in the Academy but who deserved to be.
The list, published by The Hollywood Reporter, includes actors, cinematographers, designers, directors, documentarians, executives, film editors, makeup artists and hairstylists, "members-at-large," musicians, producers, PR folks, short filmmakers and animators, sound technicians, visual effects artists, and writers.
Jason Bateman, Rosario Dawson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Milla Jovovich, Lucy Liu, Jennifer Lopez, Emily Mortimer, Sandra Oh, Jason Schwartzman, and Michael Peña are among the roster of actors, while "The Heat" and "Bridesmaids" helmer Paul Feig made the directors' cut.
"We did not change our criteria at all," says Academy president Hawk Koch of this year's larger-than-usual class. "Yes, this year there is a tremendous amount of women, a tremendous amount of people of color, people from all walks of life. This year, we asked the branches to look at everybody who wasn't in the Academy but who deserved to be.
- 7/4/2013
- by Laura Larson
- Moviefone
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today the 276 members of the entertainment industry invited to join organization. The list includes actors, directors, documentarians, executives, film editors, producers and more. Of those listed below, those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy's membership in 2013. "These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today," said Academy President Hawk Koch in a press release. "Their talent and creativity have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, and I am proud to welcome each of them to the Academy." Koch also told Variety, "In the past eight or nine years, each branch could only bring in X amount of members. There were people each branch would have liked to get in but couldn't. We asked them to be more inclusive of the best of the best, and each branch was excited, because they got...
- 6/28/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The Academy just added 276 Oscar voters.
That’s 100 more than last year, and part of an easing of a longstanding cap on the number of new members allowed to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences each year.
AMPAS usually adds between 130 and 180 new members, replacing those who have quit or passed away. The membership now stands around 6,000.
Jason Bateman, Jennifer Lopez, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emmanuelle Riva, and Chris Tucker are among the actors who have been invited to join, the organization announced today.
Other interesting additions: the musician Prince, Girls and Tiny Furniture writer/director/actress Lena Dunham,...
That’s 100 more than last year, and part of an easing of a longstanding cap on the number of new members allowed to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences each year.
AMPAS usually adds between 130 and 180 new members, replacing those who have quit or passed away. The membership now stands around 6,000.
Jason Bateman, Jennifer Lopez, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emmanuelle Riva, and Chris Tucker are among the actors who have been invited to join, the organization announced today.
Other interesting additions: the musician Prince, Girls and Tiny Furniture writer/director/actress Lena Dunham,...
- 6/28/2013
- by Anthony Breznican
- EW - Inside Movies
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 276 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2013.
“These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,” said Academy President Hawk Koch. “Their talent and creativity have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, and I am proud to welcome each of them to the Academy.”
The 2013 invitees are:
Actors
Jason Bateman – “Up in the Air,” “Juno”
Miriam Colon – “City of Hope,” “Scarface”
Rosario Dawson – “Rent,” “Frank Miller’s Sin City”
Kimberly Elise – “For Colored Girls,” “Beloved”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – “Lincoln,” “The Dark Knight Rises”
Charles Grodin – “Midnight Run,” “The Heartbreak Kid”
Rebecca Hall – “Iron Man 3,” “The Town”
Lance Henriksen – “Aliens,” “The Terminator”
Jack Huston – “Not Fade Away,” “Factory Girl”
Milla Jovovich – “Resident Evil,...
“These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,” said Academy President Hawk Koch. “Their talent and creativity have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, and I am proud to welcome each of them to the Academy.”
The 2013 invitees are:
Actors
Jason Bateman – “Up in the Air,” “Juno”
Miriam Colon – “City of Hope,” “Scarface”
Rosario Dawson – “Rent,” “Frank Miller’s Sin City”
Kimberly Elise – “For Colored Girls,” “Beloved”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – “Lincoln,” “The Dark Knight Rises”
Charles Grodin – “Midnight Run,” “The Heartbreak Kid”
Rebecca Hall – “Iron Man 3,” “The Town”
Lance Henriksen – “Aliens,” “The Terminator”
Jack Huston – “Not Fade Away,” “Factory Girl”
Milla Jovovich – “Resident Evil,...
- 6/28/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The holiday hiatus from some of your favorite television shows is finally over, and that means a lot more new episodes from here on out! With the new year comes some new beginnings, and that's exactly what we're hoping for. Can you blame us? After all, we are the ones who rearrange our nightly schedules just to see if so and so hookups this week, or if a certain pair of lawyers will look as dapper as always.
| Related: 25 Celebrity Stories That Need To Happen In 2013 |
Though all the shows listed below are definite favorites, there's changes that need to happen in 2013 for some. From The Office to Revenge and Suits, a change doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong. Sometimes, it's just a storyline that we've been dying to see. And at other times, it's a forbidden affair that we can't help but root for week after week.
1. The Office...
| Related: 25 Celebrity Stories That Need To Happen In 2013 |
Though all the shows listed below are definite favorites, there's changes that need to happen in 2013 for some. From The Office to Revenge and Suits, a change doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong. Sometimes, it's just a storyline that we've been dying to see. And at other times, it's a forbidden affair that we can't help but root for week after week.
1. The Office...
- 1/7/2013
- by Stephanie Webber
- TVology
Pop culture doesn't reflect the diversity of day-to-day life in America, especially in urban centers. Lena Dunham's new series Girls on HBO -- so wonderfully, awkwardly realistic when it comes to depicting bad job interviews, the vagaries of friendship, and bad sex -- flails like a dying fish when dealing with race. Its world is so homogeneous that the show would be more accurately titled White Girls. NBC's The Office, set in Scranton, Pa., is more ethnically-mixed than Dunham's Brooklyn; so is the Seattle of ABC's Grey's Anatomy, which led the charge with color-blind casting in 2005. According to the New York Times:
Grey's Anatomy has differentiated itself by creating a diverse world of doctors -- almost half the cast are men and women of color -- and then never acknowledging it. ...
When [Shonda] Rhimes wrote the pilot [of Grey's Anatomy], she didn't specify the characters' ethnicities, so her casting process was wide open: Mr.
Grey's Anatomy has differentiated itself by creating a diverse world of doctors -- almost half the cast are men and women of color -- and then never acknowledging it. ...
When [Shonda] Rhimes wrote the pilot [of Grey's Anatomy], she didn't specify the characters' ethnicities, so her casting process was wide open: Mr.
- 5/11/2012
- by Ester Bloom
- Aol TV.
Page 1 of 2
Season 3 of Justified has been a tornado of arrogant carpetbaggers peddling OxyContin, secret spies, a hidden treasure, and a complex campaign for Sheriff’s office. Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) has been roughed up in the office, dumped by his pregnant girlfriend, been labeled as a crooked marshal and now moonlights as a bouncer for the local watering hole. Season 3 is sounding like a classic country song.
I did some marshal work of my own, tracking down Erica Tazel who plays U.S. Marshal Rachel Brooks on the hit-fx drama. Erica is featured in tonight’s episode, “Measures,” and we talked about defining Tazel’s supporting character, Rachel’s work relationships, and those fascinating villains of Season 3. Before we closed we discussed Tazel’s contributions to Get on The Bus, a charity to help unite children with their imprisoned parents. Even though this has been a relatively quiet season for Rachel,...
Season 3 of Justified has been a tornado of arrogant carpetbaggers peddling OxyContin, secret spies, a hidden treasure, and a complex campaign for Sheriff’s office. Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) has been roughed up in the office, dumped by his pregnant girlfriend, been labeled as a crooked marshal and now moonlights as a bouncer for the local watering hole. Season 3 is sounding like a classic country song.
I did some marshal work of my own, tracking down Erica Tazel who plays U.S. Marshal Rachel Brooks on the hit-fx drama. Erica is featured in tonight’s episode, “Measures,” and we talked about defining Tazel’s supporting character, Rachel’s work relationships, and those fascinating villains of Season 3. Before we closed we discussed Tazel’s contributions to Get on The Bus, a charity to help unite children with their imprisoned parents. Even though this has been a relatively quiet season for Rachel,...
- 3/27/2012
- by Ernie Estrella
- BuzzFocus.com
Actor De'aundre Bonds was released from prison last month after serving nearly 10 years behind bars for manslaughter -- and TMZ has emotional footage of his first moments of freedom. In 2001, Bonds -- who had roles in films like "The Wood," "Get on the Bus," and "Sunset Park" -- was convicted of manslaughter in the death of his aunt's boyfriend. He was finally released from Chuckawalla Valley State Prison on March 29, where his mom was there to pick him up.
- 4/9/2011
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
"Most of my career has been spent doing things I haven't done before," says the affable, but slightly reserved André Braugher. "I've done horror, sci-fi, spy, thriller, a lot of history, and now finally a comedy. I've got some cop shows and doctor shows. The only thing I don't have is a 'Star Trek,' series and I don't have a lawyer show."Best known as the tough detective Frank Pembleton on the gritty crime drama "Homicide: Life on the Street" and currently the somewhat beleaguered Owen Thoreau Jr. on TNT's dryly amusing "Men of a Certain Age," Braugher also has extensive theater credits—including "Henry V," "Hamlet," "Measure for Measure," and "Coriolanus." He can now be seen Off-Broadway, at the Manhattan Theatre Club, in Matthew Lopez's "The Whipping Man," directed by Doug Hughes. Set in Richmond in 1865, "The Whipping Man" is a three-character play, recounting the evolving...
- 1/25/2011
- backstage.com
By Scott Mendelson
hollywoodnews.com: Yes, yes, 2010 is the worst year for movies Ever, screams Joe Queenan of “The Wall Street Journal” . There have been plenty of years where I felt ‘this is the worst year/summer ever’, especially as, yes, I’ve gotten older. Part of it is nostalgia, as I remember the years past through rose-colored glasses. I remember the great moviegoing experiences (my dad taking me to a jampacked advance-night screening of “Jurassic Park”… best moviegoing experience of my life) more than the bad ones (my dad taking me to see an afternoon matinee of “Airheads” that had me feeling guilty that it turned out to be such a stinker). But looking back at years that I didn’t care for, there are still more than a few movies that are so good that they all-but redeem the year. We forget about the bad movies and only remember the good ones.
hollywoodnews.com: Yes, yes, 2010 is the worst year for movies Ever, screams Joe Queenan of “The Wall Street Journal” . There have been plenty of years where I felt ‘this is the worst year/summer ever’, especially as, yes, I’ve gotten older. Part of it is nostalgia, as I remember the years past through rose-colored glasses. I remember the great moviegoing experiences (my dad taking me to a jampacked advance-night screening of “Jurassic Park”… best moviegoing experience of my life) more than the bad ones (my dad taking me to see an afternoon matinee of “Airheads” that had me feeling guilty that it turned out to be such a stinker). But looking back at years that I didn’t care for, there are still more than a few movies that are so good that they all-but redeem the year. We forget about the bad movies and only remember the good ones.
- 7/31/2010
- by Scott Mendelson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Craig here with the next Take Three
Today: Kerry Washington
Take One: And the band played on
Jim McKay's Our Song (2000) was one of those New York high school coming-of-age films that often crop up from time to time. There were plenty on the late'80s/early '90s indie scene, but nowadays they're few and far between. The film follows three girl friends experiencing formative tribulations on their paths to adulthood. They navigate themselves through a summer of issues - teen pregnancy and suicide, their school's impending closure, family strife - in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, all whilst practising with The Jackie Robinson Steppers Marching Band in local parking lots for a Labor Day parade. It's a languorous, amiable film that, despite the surplus of social topics it raises, doesn't hammer any of them home with undue force.
Girl Power: Washington, Anna Simpson & Melissa Martinez in Our Song
Kerry Washington,...
Today: Kerry Washington
Take One: And the band played on
Jim McKay's Our Song (2000) was one of those New York high school coming-of-age films that often crop up from time to time. There were plenty on the late'80s/early '90s indie scene, but nowadays they're few and far between. The film follows three girl friends experiencing formative tribulations on their paths to adulthood. They navigate themselves through a summer of issues - teen pregnancy and suicide, their school's impending closure, family strife - in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, all whilst practising with The Jackie Robinson Steppers Marching Band in local parking lots for a Labor Day parade. It's a languorous, amiable film that, despite the surplus of social topics it raises, doesn't hammer any of them home with undue force.
Girl Power: Washington, Anna Simpson & Melissa Martinez in Our Song
Kerry Washington,...
- 7/18/2010
- by Craig Bloomfield
- FilmExperience
"American Idol" winner David Cook may have just left his tour bus behind, but he's decided to climb aboard another bus for TV.
The singer is the latest "Get on the Bus" celebrity volunteer on ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," appearing on the show Sunday, Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt. Xzibit returns for a second time to volunteer as well.
The episode centers on the Cowan family, factory workers who have four children. The youngest, 12-year-old Kori, suffers from a debilitating congenital blood disease. On top of that, it seems that the mold infestation in their house has caused Kori to develop painful polyps in her nasal cavity and behind her eyes. Despite all these problems, Kori works to raise money for the American Cancer Society to honor her friend, a girl she met a the blood clinic.
Cook, who is currently in British Columbia working on songwriting for his next record,...
The singer is the latest "Get on the Bus" celebrity volunteer on ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," appearing on the show Sunday, Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt. Xzibit returns for a second time to volunteer as well.
The episode centers on the Cowan family, factory workers who have four children. The youngest, 12-year-old Kori, suffers from a debilitating congenital blood disease. On top of that, it seems that the mold infestation in their house has caused Kori to develop painful polyps in her nasal cavity and behind her eyes. Despite all these problems, Kori works to raise money for the American Cancer Society to honor her friend, a girl she met a the blood clinic.
Cook, who is currently in British Columbia working on songwriting for his next record,...
- 1/7/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire is the story of an overweight 16-year-old who is physically and emotionally abused. I know, it sounds like an after school special, not a potential Oscar-winning film. Lee Daniels (Shadowboxer) directs his second film which stars Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton and Mariah Carey. As always, it’s better to read reviews if you are planning on seeing this film. With all of the “said” articles, nothing is off limits. Plot spoilers, big twists and the ending are all fair game for us to talk about. Enough jibber jabber, onto the film Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire with he (Jeff Bayer) and he (Nick Allen).
Bayer’s Tsr – 8/10
Allen’s Tsr – 5/10
Bayer Said
I knew you were desperate for someone else to see this film. I also knew you gave it a 5/10. Plus, I knew it was about a big girl,...
Bayer’s Tsr – 8/10
Allen’s Tsr – 5/10
Bayer Said
I knew you were desperate for someone else to see this film. I also knew you gave it a 5/10. Plus, I knew it was about a big girl,...
- 11/20/2009
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
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