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This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of "Star Trek: Lower Decks."

"Star Trek: Lower Decks" season 5, episode 3, "The Best Exotic Nanite Hotel," sees Lieutenant Boimler (Jack Quaid) assigned to a covert, potentially dangerous spy mission. He is to join Commander Ransom (Jerry O'Connell) and Lieutenant Commander Billups (Paul Scheer) on a mission to the Cosmic Duchess, an ultra-swanky, high-end resort-like cruise ship, floating gently through deep space. His assignment is to penetrate deep into the hotel to retrieve Admiral Milius (Toby Huss), a Starfleet officer who has gone Awol thanks to "a touch of vacation madness." The writers of "Lower Decks" missed an opportunity in not saying that he had been infected with Paradise Syndrome.

The Cosmic Duchess, however, is such a massive ship that it incorporates artificial recreations of every possible vacation-ready biome. There's a tropical beach biome, a skiing resort biome, and a water park biome.

The early 80s were a tumultuous period for much of the world. Tensions were high as the Second Cold War continued to play out between the U.S. and the Soviet Union; the ramifications of what would happen if the two nations fell out would be felt across the globe. America had elected Ronald Reagan to the Oval Office, and his passionate rhetoric about the Soviets did little to calm concerns about a possible third World War – which, thanks to nuclear weaponry, wouldn’t be as much a war as a worldwide holocaust. So yeah, it was a bit of a nerve-jangling time to be alive, but thankfully we still had the movies to chill us out.

While Hollywood was still dealing with the fallout from Vietnam with pictures as diverse as The Deer Hunter, Coming Home and First Blood, they were about to start making movies about the New...

The Supreme Court decision Miranda v. Arizona came down in 1966, and served as a crackdown on sloppy or abusive police interrogations. Miranda noted that suspects, when being arrested, had certain rights afforded them, including the right to remain silent while in custody, and the right to have a state-appointed attorney to defend them. Thanks to its use in an endless stream of cop shows and "Law & Order" reruns, most Americans can recite the Miranda warning by heart. We all now know that, upon arrest, we have the right to remain silent.

Not everyone was pleased about the Miranda decision, however, and many conservative pundits at the time felt that it only hamstrung police officers. There was a fear that truly evil criminals would exploit the system to their benefit, keeping silent and protected, while street cops -- knowing them to be guilty -- would be helpless to, say, beat a confession out of them.

There’s a reason why Tom Selleck refers to the original Magnum, P.I. television series as just “Magnum” — and it has nothing to do with it being simple shorthand.

Selleck’s 352-page memoir, You Never Know, was released earlier this month (days after the 36th anniversary of Magnum, P.I.’s series finale), and when rummaging for something to read outdoors on a lazy Memorial Day Weekend afternoon, I remembered that I had been floated an advanced copy. Before I knew it, I had plowed through the entire back half of the book, which covers the shooting of the Magnum pilot,...

The Western is a genre that's mostly gone by the wayside in recent decades, as portraits of straight-shooting American heroes and uncomplicated "bad guys" have become less digestible to the public. While popular neo-Westerns (like "Justified" or the works of Taylor Sheridan) and perspective-changing genre breakdowns have made a splash in recent yers, the genre has mostly died out. Of the relics that remain, few are as prolific and familiar as "Bonanza," a Western series that ran for an impressive 14 seasons on NBC in the '60s and '70s.

As a long-running TV series, "Bonanza" was able to chart the change — or stubborn lack thereof — within the genre and the country, frankly addressing topics like racism and bigotry while also delivering regular laughs and a dash of melodrama to loyal viewers. The series starred Lorne Green as widower Ben Cartwright and Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts, and Michael Landon as Ben's three sons.

Paul D’Amato, known for portraying Tim “Dr. Hook” McCracken alongside Paul Newman in Slap Shot, passed away on Monday.

His cause of death is attributed to a prolonged struggle with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain condition similar to Parkinson’s disease. D’Amato was 76 years old.

His longtime partner, Marina Re, confirmed his death on social media with a lengthy tribute.

In part, the tribute read the following, “He may have played tough bad guys, but a sweeter, kinder, more compassionate man. does not exist. Whether skiing down the slopes, riding his motorcycle, skating on the ice, rollerblading through the village, or kayaking on the lake, he lived life to the fullest.”

D’Amato’s extensive resume featured appearances on popular television shows such as The Six Million Dollar Man, Law & Order, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, along with numerous stage performances.

He was also involved in...

Paul D’Amato, the actor who played the gloriously vicious Tim “Dr. Hook” McCracken opposite Paul Newman in Slap Shot, died Monday after a long battle with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain condition that is similar to Parkinson’s disease. D’Amato was 76.

The news was shared online by his longtime partner (and fellow actor) Marina Re.

D’Amato got the role in Slap Shot in part because he could hold his own on the ice. He played college hockey at Emerson and also for a team called The Reds in a Burlington, Vt, league in 1975.

But D’Amato also had screen presence, going toe to toe with Newman as his character’s wild-eyed nemesis from the Syracuse Bulldogs who earned his nickname through his scalpel-like skills with a hockey stick. Newman’s Reggie Dunlop called out McCracken by name during a pregame radio interview, referring to him as the...

Carl Weathers, the former NFL player who made his mark in Hollywood as the boxer Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films and with appearances in such other projects as Predator, Happy Gilmore and The Mandalorian, has died. He was 76.

Weathers died Thursday in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles, his manager, Matt Luber, announced in a statement.

“Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life,” he said. “Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner and friend.”

The charismatic Weathers portrayed Detective Beaudreaux on the 1991-93 syndicated cop show Street Justice; the chief of police Hampton Forbes on the final two seasons of CBS’ In the Heat of the Night in 1992-94; a caricature of himself on episodes of Fox...

Tributes have been pouring in for Carl Weathers, the former college American Football player who starred in the Rocky films, as well as Predator and The Mandalorian, following his death on February 1. He was 76.

Weathers passed away in his sleep at home on Thursday.

Speaking on Instagram, Rocky creator Sylvester Stallone said he was “so torn up” at the news.

”Carl Weathers was such an integral part of my life, my success… When he walked into that room and I saw him for the first time, I saw greatness, but I didn’t realised how great,” said Stallone.

”I never...

Carl Weathers, the former American Football player who starred in the Rocky films opposite Sylvester Stallone and also earned notable credits in Predator and later in life The Mandalorian, has died. He was 76.

Weathers passed away at his home in Los Angeles on Thursday. He was born in New Orleans on January 14 1948, and stood out as a keen athlete in his youth, playing for San Diego State University in the team’s invincible season in 1968 when they won all 11 games.

Speaking on Instagram, Stallone said he was “so torn up” at the news.

”Carl Weathers was such an integral part of my life,...

Carl Weathers, the former American Football player who stared in the Rocky films opposite Sylvester Stallone and also earned notable credits in Predator and later in life The Mandalorian, has died. He was 76.

Weathers passed away at his home in Los Angeles on Thursday. He was born in New Orleans on January 14 1948, and stood out as a keen athlete in his youth, playing for San Diego State University in the team’s invincible season in 1968 when they won all 11 games.

He studied drama at the institution and moved into acting in the 1970s, getting his first film credit on Clint Eastwood...

Actor David Soul, best known for playing Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the 1970s cop show "Starsky & Hutch," has died at the age of 80. In a statement shared on social media and with news outlets, Soul's wife, Helen Snell, said that he had died on Thursday, January 5, "after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family." Describing Soul as a "beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother," Snell added:

"He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend. His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched."

Soul was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1943, but obtained British citizenship in 2004 and married Snell, his fifth wife, in 2010. Speaking to the Daily Mail about his decision to move to England, Soul said that meeting Snell was "life-changing" and that he became a...

London, Jan 5 (Ians) David Soul, who starred as Detective Kenneth ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson in the popular American TV series ‘Starsky & Hutch’, which ran from 1975 to 1979, died on Thursday, his wife Helen Snell informed BBC. He was 80, reports ‘Variety’.

In addition to ‘Starsky & Hutch’, Soul starred in the Western series ‘Here Come the Brides’ and movies such as ‘Magnum Force’, ‘Salem’s Lot’ and more. Soul moved to the UK in the 1990s and obtained British citizenship in 2004.

In 1971, ‘Variety’ notes, Soul made his film debut in ‘Johnny Got His Gun’ and he appeared opposite Clint Eastwood in ‘Magnum Force’ (1972), one of the seasoned actor’s Dirty Harry movies.

Soul was also a singer and released several albums in the 1970s and ’80s, including the No. 1 single ‘Don’t Give Up on Us’.

And then, Soul landed the biggest role of his career on ‘Starsky & Hutch’, alongside Paul Michael Glaser as Sergeant David Michael Starsky,...

David Soul, the actor-singer who famously starred as Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson in the beloved TV series Starsky & Hutch and scored a Number One hit with the soft rock ballad “Don’t Give Up on Us,” has died at the age of 80.

Soul’s wife, Helen Snell, confirmed her husband’s death in a statement to the BBC, saying he died Thursday “after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family.” No cause of death was provided.

“He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor,...

Best known for playing Detective Ken ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson in the original 1970s “Starsky & Hutch” television series, actor/singer David Soul has passed away this week at the age of 80.

A post to the late actor’s official Twitter account states this morning, “David Soul—beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother—died yesterday after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family. He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend. His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”

Here in the world of horror, David Soul is known for playing vampire hunter Ben Mears in Tobe Hooper’s Salem’s Lot, the original 1979 miniseries adaptation of the Stephen King tale.

Soul had previously appeared in one episode of the Richard Matheson-created supernatural anthology series “Circle of Fear,” and...

BBC News has reported that David Soul, the famed star of the 70s police show, Starsky and Hutch, has died at the age of 80. Helen Snell, Soul’s wife revealed that the actor had passed on Thursday “after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family.” She added, “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.” Soul is known best for co-starring with Paul Michael Glaser in Starsky and Hutch, where he portrayed Detective Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson. The popular cop drama ran from 1975 to 1979. He would reprise his role in a tongue-in-cheek cameo in the 2004 Todd Phillips comedic film adaptation, Starsky & Hutch, alongside Paul Michael Glaser.

David Soul can also be remembered for his work in Here Come the Brides, Magnum Force and The Yellow Rose. Soul also had a recording career as a singer. Before finding success with acting,...

David Soul, who starred alongside Paul Michael Glaser on the 1970s’ ABC buddy cop show Starsky and Hutch and had a No. 1 hit with the song “Don’t Give Up on Us,” has died. He was 80.

Soul died Thursday after “a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family,” his wife, Helen Snell, said in a statement.

“He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend,” she said. “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”

Soul also appeared for two seasons on the 1968-70 ABC show Here Come the Brides, played one of the corrupt young motorcycle cops brought down by Clint Eastwood’s Harry Callahan in the thriller Magnum Force (1973) and stood out as a terrified vampire hunter in the 1979 Stephen King CBS miniseries Salem’s Lot.

On two...

David Soul, who starred as Sergeant Kenneth Richard “Hutch” Hutchinson in the TV series “Starsky & Hutch,” died Thursday, his wife announced on his website. He was 80.

“David Soul — beloved husband, father, grandfather, and brother — died yesterday after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family,” she wrote. “He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist, and dear friend. His smile, laughter, and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”

In addition to “Starsky & Hutch,” Soul starred in the Western series “Here Comes the Brides” and movies like “Magnum Force,” “Salem’s Lot” and more. He was also a singer and released several albums in the ’70s and ’80s, and the No. 1 single “Don’t Give Up on Us.”

Born in Chicago on August 28, 1943, Soul started acting on stage in the ’60s and began pursuing his passion for music.

David Soul, who was best known for playing Detective Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson in the hugely popular Starsky & Hutch TV series, has died aged 80, his wife has said.

In a statement to press, Soul’s wife Helen Snell said he died on Thursday “after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family.

“He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist and dear friend,” said Snell. “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”

Soul played the role of Hutch in the ABC series throughout its run from 1975 to 1979, opposite Paul Michael Glaser. The American-Brit also had major roles in Here Come the Brides and Magnum Force.

Born in Chicago, Soul started performing as a stage actor in the mid-1960s, first landing a role on The Merv Griffin Show and then Star Trek.

This post contains spoilers for the "Dirty Harry" films.

Don Siegel's "Dirty Harry" changed cop movies forever upon its release in 1971. Capitalizing on the "law and order" craze stoked by President Richard Nixon, which was a reaction to the perceived anarchy of the various protest movements of the 1960s, Clint Eastwood's Miranda rights-flouting Harry Callahan fed conservative moviegoers a big, juicy slab of red meat. It also allowed the actor to flourish in a genre outside of Westerns, thus expanding his appeal and turning him into one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood.

"Dirty Harry" ends with Callahan, having caught and killed (in self-defense) a vicious serial killer, hurling his badge into a quarry. Throughout the movie, his hard-driving, occasionally extrajudicial methods, which could've resulted in a swift arrest and saved multiple lives, are decried by his superiors. It appears the inspector has had enough. Audiences, however,...

This episode of Revisited was Written by Cody Hamman, Narrated by Travis Hopson, Edited by Juan Jimenez, Produced by Adam Walton and Chris Bumbray, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

Intro: The eyes of the ranger are upon you… and while his name isn’t Walker, he is played by Chuck Norris. Ten years before he started playing a Texas Ranger on TV, Norris brought another Ranger to life in a feature film. His name was J.J. McQuade, and this martial arts practicing lawman brings down an international gun smuggler in an action-packed adventure released in 1983. Lone Wolf McQuade (watch it Here) is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year – so it’s time for it to be Revisited.

Set-up: Writer B.J. Nelson was inspired to write Lone Wolf McQuade after hearing about the life of a real-life Texas Ranger. A man who also had the nickname “Lone Wolf”: Manuel T.

Suzanne Somers, best known for her ditsy comedy turn in the hit television series Three’s Company, has died. She was 76.

“Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th. She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years,” Somers’ longtime publicist R. Couri Hay wrote in a statement to People shared on behalf of the actress’ family.

“Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family,” the statement continued. “Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th. Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly.”

Somers first cultural impression was as the blonde beauty in a white Thunderbird in George Lucas’ ‘60s hit comedy-drama, American Graffiti (1973).

Her big break came in 1977, when she was cast as one of the...

The greatest tragedy of Bruce Lee’s all too short life was that he didn’t live to see the premiere of Enter the Dragon. Lee died on July 20, 1973. Enter the Dragon was released six days later.

Four years prior, Lee made a vow to himself that he titled “My Definite Chief Aim.” Handwritten in cursive with his characteristic flair, he wrote “I, Bruce Lee, will be the first highest paid Oriental super star in the United States. I will give the most exciting performances and render the best of quality in the capacity of an actor.” Throughout his career in Hollywood, Lee struggled to make his way, fighting against prejudice and exclusion at every step, in hopes of reaching his goal. And yet he never lived to see the breakthrough success of his masterpiece.

Enter the Dragon was the 13th highest grossing film in North America in 1973, but it...

Over 100 popular films are leaving HBO Max at the end of the month, but luckily you have the whole month to stream them.

They include cinema classics like “Ben Hur,” the winningest film in Oscars history

Leaving April 5

The Inside Story, 1948

Reminiscence, 2021 (HBO)

Leaving April 11

Adult Swim Yule Log (aka The Fireplace)

Leaving April 12

About Face: Supermodels Then and Now, 2012 (HBO)

Leaving April 13

The Last Duel, 2021

Game Theory With Bomani Jones, Season 1

Leaving April 18

The Lego Batman Movie, 2017

Leaving April 24

Tom and Jerry Cowboy Up!, 2022

Leaving April 27

Malignant, 2021 (HBO)

Leaving April 30

47 Ronin, 2013 (HBO)

3 Godfathers, 1948

Accepted, 2006 (HBO)

The Adventures of Robin Hood, 1938

A Private War, 2018 (HBO)

An American in Paris, 1951

The American President, 1995

Any Given Sunday, 1999

Australia, 2008 (HBO)

Before I Fall, 2017 (HBO)

Ben-Hur, 1959

Black Legion, 1937

Blade, 1998

Blood Diamond, 2006

Blow Out, 1981 (HBO)

The Bodyguard, 1992

Boogie Nights, 1997

The Book of Eli, 2010

The Bourne Identity, 2002 (HBO)

The Bourne Supremacy, 2004 (HBO)

Bringing up Baby,...

Clint Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” series of films are some of the most iconic American action movies ever made. Spanning two decades and five films, the “Dirty Harry” franchise looks at America’s changing attitude toward law enforcement and justice.

The first film, “Dirty Harry,” was released in 1971 and was an instant classic, spawning four sequels over the next two decades. While each film is excellent in its own right, there is a clear progression in how America is depicted, from a place of hope and optimism in the first film to a much more cynical and jaded outlook by the fifth film.

The story of all the movies revolves around a San Francisco Police Department inspector, “Dirty” Harry Callahan, played by Clint Eastwood. If you are a fan of action-packed cinema, you should watch “Dirty Harry” movies.

So without wasting any more seconds, Join us as we take a...

Accomplished screenwriter and avid movie watcher, Daniel Waters breaks down his ‘Best of the Best of 2021’ list with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Drive My Car (2021)

A History of Violence (2005)

Larry Crowne (2011)

The Vanishing (1988)

Don’t Look Up (2021)

Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

Gerry (2002)

Swept Away (1974)

Swept Away (2002)

The Tender Bar (2021)

Riders Of Justice (2021)

Another Round (2020)

The Worst Person In The World (2021)

Pig (2021)

Dune (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Dune (2021)

Fifty Shades Freed (2018)

Den of Thieves (2018)

Copshop (2021)

Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) – Neil Marshall’s trailer commentary

Magnum Force (1973) – Alan Spencer’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing

The Driver (1978)

Memoria (2021)

Berberian Sound Studio (2012)

The Power of the Dog (2021)

Old Henry (2021)

The Village (2004)

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Annette (2021)

Titane (2021)

Zola (2021)

The Killing of Two Lovers (2021)

Who You Think I Am (2021)

Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar (2021)

Josie and the Pussycats (2001)

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy...

Actor Mitchell Ryan, who had a career in stage, film and TV lasting more than 50 years, has died at the age of 88.

Ryan was best known for appearing in Lethal Weapon, and for his role in the TV sitcom Dharma & Greg.

Other roles included soap operas Dark Shadows in the 1960s and Santa Barbara in the 1980s.

Ryan was born in Cincinnati and served in the US Navy before pursuing theater work. For over a decade, he worked on stage almost every night, both on and off Broadway.

His distinctive looks with a firm jaw and sleek hair led to screen parts too, his first uncredited role in the 1958 Robert Mitchum film Thunder Road.

His breakout performance came in 1966 with Dark Shadows, a TV soap opera about the lives of the wealthy Collins family. Ryan played ex-convict Burke Devlin for one season but was fired because of his alcoholism,...

‘Dark Shadows’ actor Mitchell Ryan passed away on Friday in Los Angeles. The actor, who was 88 years old, is also known for his work in ‘Dharma & Greg’ and movies including ‘Magnum Force’ and ‘High Plains Drifter’, reports ‘Variety’. His agent confirmed the news of his departure to ‘Variety’. Kathryn Leigh Scott, who portrayed […]...

Mitchell Ryan, a veteran film and television actor who captivated daytime television fans in his role as Burke Devlin on the groundbreaking daytime soap Dark Shadows, has died. He was 88 years old and no cause of death was given.

His former costar Kathryn Leigh Scott shared the news on Facebook.

“My sweet, beloved friend Mitch died early this morning,” Scott wrote. “He was a great gift in my life. I cherish my warm memories of his beautiful soul. I’m heartbroken.”

Ryan and Scott played love interests Burke Devlin and Maggie Evans on Dark Shadows. That was before the vampire Barnabas Collins (played by Jonathan Frid) made a victim of Maggie. Ryan left the series in 1967 and was replaced by Anthony George in the role.

Born on January 11, 1934, in Cincinnati, Ryan made his acting debut in the play Thunder Road at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. From there, he moved to Broadway,...

Mitchell Ryan, who played the father of Thomas Gibson’s character on “Dharma & Greg,” died Friday in Los Angeles. He was 88.

Ryan suffered from congestive heart failure, his stepdaughter Denise Freed said.

Kathryn Leigh Scott, his co-star on the 1960s gothic soap opera “Dark Shadows,” remembered him in a private post on Facebook. “My sweet, beloved friend Mitch died early this morning,” she wrote on Friday. “He was a great gift in my life. I cherish my warm memories of his beautiful soul. I’m heartbroken.”

A post by Kathryn Lee Scott.

Mitchell Ryan, an actor known for roles in “Dark Shadows,” “Dharma & Greg” and movies including “Magnum Force” and “High Plains Drifter,” died Friday in Los Angeles, his agent confirmed. He was 88.

Soap opera fans may remember Ryan best for his role of Burke Devlin on “Dark Shadows,” a gothic soap that aired on ABC in the late 60s and early 70s. Ryan played Burke until 1967, when he was replaced by Anthony George.

Kathryn Leigh Scott, who portrayed several roles on “Dark Shadows,” shared thoughts on her costar’s death in a Friday Facebook post.

“My sweet, beloved friend Mitch died early this morning,” Scott wrote. “He was a great gift in my life. I cherish my warm memories of his beautiful soul. I’m heartbroken.”

In addition to his work as Burke Devlin on “Dark Shadows” and Edward Montgomery “Dharma and Greg,” Ryan’s career included dozens of other...

Paul Thomas Anderson grew up in the San Fernando Valley, which played an important role in his 1997 breakthrough film “Boogie Nights,” which looked at Valley’s porn industry during the ‘70s and 80s. In his new United Artists release “Licorice Pizza,” Anderson returns to the Sfv for a nostalgia-tinged comedy-of-age story set in 1973 starring Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim. Both young performers received strong notices with the L.A. Times’ Justin Chang declaring Haim as the true star of “this boisterous, bighearted movie and its raison d’être.” And Bradley Cooper has earned positive notices for his funny turn as hairdresser turned film producer Jon Peters, who ironically was a producer on Cooper’s 2018 “A Star is Born.”

So, what was the world like in 1973? It was the year of Watergate, Roe Vs. Wade and “The Exorcist” hitting the big screen. Let’s travel back almost half a century to look at the top films,...

The theatre and film actor on staging a pair of Julian Barnes stories, playing Emperor Palpatine, and finding peace in isolation

Ian McDiarmid, 77, has distinguished himself as a theatrical all-rounder. He made his name on stage as an actor of incisive authority and is internationally known as Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars films. Between 1990 and 2002, he ran – with Jonathan Kent – the Almeida theatre in London with tremendous flair. He is touring a one-man show, The Lemon Table – his adaptation of a pair of acerbically funny Julian Barnes stories: one about Sibelius in old age, the other about a sixtysomething concert-goer with zero tolerance for coughers, chatterers and mobile-phone users.

What first drew you to Julian Barnes’s stories?

I recorded The Silence for Radio 3 for an interval in the Proms in 2004 and thought there was dramatic potential in it. I had a nice letter from Julian Barnes encouraging me to think about it more.

Clint Eastwood, 91, opens “Cry Macho” tomorrow in theaters and HBO Max. It’s his 42nd film as a director, and perhaps his last. Reviewing his career reveals a dual nature about his role in film history that is surprising, but also explains his success.

Eastwood has been both one of the most successful and acclaimed directors and actors over the last half century. His commercial peak came in the 1980s, while his biggest acclaim as a director spanned 1992 (“Unforgiven”) through 2006 (“Letters from Iwo Jima”).

He signed his first contract with Universal in 1954, became a TV star with “Rawhide” in 1959, and landed the role that defined his persona in 1964 with Sergio Leone’s “A Fistful of Dollars.”

With 50 years behind the camera, he doesn’t have the longest-running career as a director; Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese started earlier and Agnes Varda’s filmmaking spanned 65 years. But Eastwood’s 51 years of...

Fox Nation has enlisted a new face to help it navigate TV’s streaming wars.

As part of a licensing pact with WarnerMedia’s Warner Bros. studio, the Fox News-backed streaming outlet will offer six classic films featuring Clint Eastwood throughout the month of August, along with two original documentary specials made to accompany the movies. The films to be shown include 1971’s “Dirty Harry,” which is in the midst of its 50th anniversary, 1976’s “The Enforcer,” “1983’s “Sudden Impact,” 1988’s “The Dead Pool,” 1985’s “Pale Rider” and 1986’s “Heartbreak Ridge.” “Magnum Force,” the 1973 film that is the second in the “Dirty Harry” series about an aggressive police detective, is not part of the package.

“Clint Eastwood is somebody that our audience holds in very high esteem and is very iconic,” said Jason Klarman, president of Fox Nation, in an interview.

The pact shows Fox News Media extending its...

Wayne “Buddy” Van Horn, Clint Eastwood’s longtime stunt double and sometimes director, died on May 11, according to an obituary from the Los Angeles Times on Sunday. He was 92.

Van Horn served as stunt coordinator on Eastwood’s films from 1972 to 2011, including “The Enforcer,” “The Gauntlet” and “Sudden Impact.” He also served as second unit director on Eastwood’s “Magnum Force” before taking on full directing duties on 1980’s “Any Which Way You Can,” 1988’s “The Dead Pool,” the fifth and final appearance of Eastwood’s iconic character, “Dirty” Harry Callahan, and then 1989’s “Pink Cadillac.”

A skilled horseman from a young age, Van Horn loved to tell stories of riding his pony for miles in the valleys and canyons surrounding North Hollywood as a kid. His rugged skillset earned him a gig riding horses as an extra in westerns. However, on the set of his second film, Van Horn...

Wayne “Buddy” Van Horn, longtime stunt double for Clint Eastwood and director of Eastwood’s films Any Which Way You Can, The Dead Pool and Pink Cadillac, died May 11, The Los Angeles Times reported. He was 92.

Van Horn was credited as the stunt coordinator on Eastwood’s films from 1972 to 2011, including 1976’s The Enforcer, 1977’s The Gauntlet and 1983’s Sudden Impact. He also served as second unit director on Eastwood’s Magnum Force and The Rookie. As an actor, Van Horn’s most prominent onscreen appeareance was as Marshal Jim Duncan in 1973’s High Plains Drifter. The film stars Eastwood as a mysterious Stranger who metes out justice in a corrupt frontier mining town. As Eastwood’s stunt double, Duncan was cast in the role to suggest that he and the Stranger could be the same person. Van Horn is the murdered Marshal who was planning to report a gold...

Stars: Evan Marsh, Amber Goldfarb, Ari Millen, Julian Richings, Robert Maillet, David Koechner, Alexa Rose Steele | Written by Cody Calahan, James Villeneuve | Directed by Cody Calahan

Sometimes there are films whose titles Literally tell you what to expect from a movie. Vicious Fun is one such film…There’s a whole lot of vicious things going down in the film – in particular to the gaggle of serial killing villains in the movie – and it’s also a whole lot of fun. A Lot of fun!

The latest film from Black Fawn Films, who are keeping the Canuxploitation tradition of genre cinema alive, Vicious Fun comes from director Cody Calahan who – if you’ve been reading Nerdly for quite some time – was responsible from not only one of my favourite Black Fawn films, not only one of my favourite Canadian genre films but also one of my favourite horror films full stop,...

Only six weeks into the new year of 2021, we’ve already been losing so many Hollywood and entertainment legends. Tour our “In Memoriam” photo gallery, which features Oscar winners Cloris Leachman and Christopher Plummer, Honorary Oscar recipient Cicely Tyson, Tony winner Hal Holbrook, talk show icon Larry King, The Supremes co-founder Mary Wilson and former child star Dustin Diamond.

As we’ve done for many years, we will continue to update this gallery throughout 2021 and hope that the next 10 months aren’t as gut-wrenching as the first few weeks.

Here’s a look back at the seven people we celebrate so far in this gallery:

Singer Mary Wilson died on February 8 at age 76. She was one of the founders of The Supremes along with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

Stage, screen and TV actor Christopher Plummer died...

By Lee Pfeiffer

Actor Hal Holbrook, acclaimed star of stage, screen and feature films, has passed away at age 95. Holbrook rarely had the leading role in films but built a career as a reliable and beloved character actor. On stage, his one-man show about Mark Twain earned him a Tony Award and a subsequent Emmy for the television production. Holbrook's film career got a boost in 1968 in the popular film "Wild in the Streets" in which he played Kennedyesque presidential candidate who enlists the services of a popular rock star on his campaign tours. The plan goes awry when the musician inspires a worldwide, violent youth revolution. Holbrook's other feature films include "The Group", "The Fog", "Magnum Force", "Midway", "The Star Chamber", "The Firm", "Creepshow" and "Julia". Perhaps his most memorable role on the big screen was his unbilled cameos in "All the President's Men" in which he played the...

Following the news of Hal Holbrook’s death on Monday night, Hollywood has taken to social media to remember the award-winning character actor. Holbrook was best known for portraying Mark Twain in “Mark Twain Tonight!” in 1967, along with his roles in “Into the Wild,” “All The President’s Men” and “Magnum Force.”

In a statement to Variety, Steven Spielberg reminisced on the time he met Holbrook on the set of the NBC political series “The Bold Ones: The Senator” and their time working together on “Lincoln.”

“In 1970, I visited the set of the TV series ‘The Bold Ones: The Senator’ to watch Hal Holbrook play Senator Hays Stowe,” Spielberg said. “From that day on, it was my dream to work with this transformative actor, and it finally happened 42 years later when he portrayed Preston Blair in ‘Lincoln.’ Hal was, quite simply, an American classic who brought Mark Twain and so many...

Hal Holbrook, the five-time Emmy-winning actor who was famed for portraying Mark Twain, has died at 95. Holbrook died on January 23 at his home in Beverly Hills, his assistant told The New York Times.

Born on February 17, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio, he went on to have a highly decorated screen and stage career that spanned more than six decades.

Holbrook perhaps was best known for playing Mark Twain in his one-man stage show Mark Twain Tonight!, which first played on Broadway in 1966 and earned Holbrook a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play. A television showing of the stage show secured him an Emmy nomination a year later, he reprised the role on the Main Stem in 1977 and again in 2005.

Holbrook played former U.S. president Abraham Lincoln on television in Carl Sandburg’s 1974 mini-series Lincoln, which earned him one of five Emmy statuettes. His four other...

Hal Holbrook, the versatile stage and screen actor best known for his Tony-winning portrayal of Mark Twain, died Jan. 26 at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 95.

Holbrook’s assistant told the New York Times about his death on Monday.

In the one-man play “Mark Twain Tonight!,” which Holbrook developed in 1954, he portrayed Twain reading from a selection of his dramatic and comedic writing. The play debuted in Pennsylvania before moving to New York in 1959 Off Broadway, and finally premiered on Broadway in 1966. Holbrook won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for that performance, and in 1967, he was nominated for an Emmy for the television broadcast.

Holbrook continued to revive the play for decades. His final Broadway appearance in the role came in 2006, and he retired from the role for good in 2017.

Born in 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio, Holbrook began acting during his service in World War II,...

Emmy and Tony winner Hal Holbrook, an actor best known for his role as Mark Twain, whom he portrayed for decades in one-man shows, died on Jan. 23. He was 95.

Holbrook’s personal assistant, Joyce Cohen, confirmed his death to the New York Times on Monday night.

Holbrook played the American novelist in a solo show called “Mark Twain Tonight!” that he directed himself and for which he won the best actor Tony in 1966. He returned to Broadway with the show in 1977 and 2005 and appeared in it more than 2,200 times (as of 2010) in legit venues across the country. He began performing the show in 1954.

He received an Emmy nomination for a TV adaptation of “Mark Twain Tonight!” in 1967, the first of multiple noms. He won four Emmy Awards.

He also drew an Oscar nomination for supporting actor for his role in the film “Into the Wild” in 2008. At the time of the nomination,...

Christmas Day is one of the biggest moviegoing days of the year. New holiday release always open by then, and often do so the Friday before. But not the day after.

“The Exorcist” opened on December 26, 1973.

Director William Friedkin, interviewed by Peter Biskind in 1996, was still angry about it, arguing that the studio’s release strategy hurt his film. But “The Exorcist” was a huge hit — it’s the ninth all-time highest domestic grossing sound film, adjusted for inflation — and second only to “Titanic” among Christmas period releases in the past 50 year.

But Friedkin apparently believes it could have been bigger.

Some context: “The Exorcist” was a blockbuster typical of its time, sharing some elements with “The Godfather,” which was released almost two years earlier. They were both based on bestselling novels. Neither cast had stars who could guarantee success. An R rating meant cutting off younger audiences and those who shunned more adult content.

There are only two months left to go in this truly hellish year and relatively new streaming service HBO Max is trying to make the best of them. While most other streamers recover from Halloween and get prepared for Christmas, HBO Max is using November 2020 to fill out its servers.

Things are pretty light not the new original series front this month with only Industry (Nov. 9) and His Dark Materials season 2 (Nov. 16) making a splash. But the streamer has a couple of notable original films to complement them. Between the World and Me, based on the book by Ta-Nehisi Coates, arrives on Nov. 21 and Melissa McCarthy comedy Superintelligence arrives on Nov. 26. That’s not even to mention two intriguing projects that don’t have dates yet: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion Special and The Mystery of Db Cooper.

Thankfully, the real appeal in November 2020 is all the fresh library...

We might be stuck indoors this Halloween weekend, but thankfully, the various major streaming services are on hand to keep us occupied with a monumental mountain of new content heading our way over the next few days. As it’s both the end of the month and the beginning of November, the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu and Prime Video are adding a mix of seasonal movies and TV shows today and tomorrow, and a whole load of freshly licensed titles on Sunday.

First of all, Netflix is dropping five new originals this Friday, October 30th, including a couple of horrors, like The Day of the Lord and His House. Disney Plus, meanwhile, debuts The Mandalorian‘s season 2 premiere today, along with a new episode of The Right Stuff and Nicolas Cage movie The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Elsewhere, on the 31st, HBO Max adds last year’s Black Christmas...

As we have just about a week left to go of October, let’s take a look at everything that’s due to arrive on HBO Max in November. It’s a big month for the WarnerMedia streaming service, with countless new movies from their legendary library being added and plenty of fresh originals dropping throughout the following weeks. A few upcoming releases have yet to be dated, but otherwise, here’s the full list of what’s coming to HBO Max next month.

Released November Tba

12 Dates Of Christmas, HBO Max Original Series Premiere

Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Comedy Show, HBO Max Original Special Premiere

Crazy, Not Insane, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air Reunion Special, HBO Max Original Special Premiere

Full Bloom, HBO Max Original Series Premiere

I Hate Suzie, HBO Max Original Series Premiere

The Mystery Of Db Cooper, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

Sesame Street,...

With a new month quickly approaching, it’s time to look ahead and see what’s coming to all your favorite streaming services this November. That’s Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and, of course, HBO Max.

Halloween will soon be behind us and given that Christmas isn’t too far off, we’re beginning to see some holiday titles pop up, with all the major platforms getting into the festive spirit. That’ll continue in December as well, of course, but for November, there’s certainly tons on offer for those looking to start the celebrations early.

There’s a lot of other great stuff on the way, too, though, be it classic films, underrated gems, brand new releases and much more, and you can check out the entire lineup, sorted by date, down below. Ready to dive in?

November 1

Netflix

60 Days In: Season 5

A...

It’s oft-repeated movie wisdom that sequels are always inferior to their originals. Of course, people who watch enough films and take the time to think about them instead of reiterating the same trite axioms as everyone else know this to be far from accurate. Apropos of nothing, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn took to Twitter to put forward a litany of sequels he considers to outstrip their predecessors in quality.

Wrath of Kahn

Superman II

Batman Returns

Gremlins 2

Blade II

Legend of the Drunken Master

Desperado

Blade Runner 2049

Magnum Force

Final Destination 2

Captain America Winter Soldier

Swordsman II

Add others below.

Ps It’s an unarguable fact Alien & Aliens are equal.

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 12, 2020

Opening Scene From Final Destination 2 Just Happened In Real Life 1 of 5

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