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Audiences around the world became familiar with Adria Arjona when she appeared as Bix Caleen in the Star Wars series, "Andor." A prequel to "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," the series made an instant impact with the debut of its first season in 2022 and exploded in popularity with the recent release of season 2. "Andor" revealed the backstory of Diego Luna's rebel captain, Cassian Andor, and introduced Arjona as his love interest, Bix.

Cassian and Bix grew up together on the planet Ferrix. Season 1 opened after the two had separated and Bix had entered a relationship with her colleague, Timm Karlo (James McArdle), who was eventually killed by Imperials. It was also Bix who first put Cassian in contact with Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård), the mastermind behind the early Rebellion, who started Cassian on his path towards becoming the spy who would help bring down the Death Star.

In season 1 of "Andor,...

Max‘s May film acquisitions include gems that came out both 80 years ago and as recently as just a few months ago. Indeed, the streaming service’s new movies range from 2024’s longest Best Picture contender to a classic Hollywood musical and an Oscar-winning, genre-bending 2004 drama. In case that was not enough, a pair of iconic horror movies and one fantasy masterpiece have also made their way to the platform this month.

Here are seven of the best movies that are now streaming on Max in May.

“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (Focus Features) “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004)

When he was promoting “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” Jim Carrey equated getting Charlie Kaufman’s script for the film with watching Moses come down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments and winning the lottery. They are apt metaphors for a film that feels, quite simply, miraculous.

Hardcore Wicked fans have a lot of unshakable opinions, including the widespread belief that the Wizard’s big moment in the first act, the talky “A Sentimental Man,” is the Broadway show’s single worst song. But when Jeff Goldblum stepped in as the Wizard for director Jon M. Chu’s blockbuster film version, he managed to salvage the song in fans’ eyes, playing up the character’s toxic blend of smarm and charisma. “I’ve had a lot of positive anecdotal response like that,” Goldblum says in the new...

Some heroes undergo villain arcs across multiple movies, but it's even more surprising when a character is completely reimagined in a new movie as one of the bad guys. Unlike Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars or Michael Corleone in The Godfather, these characters don't gradually get pulled toward the dark side. Instead, they are pre-existing popular heroes who show up as villains in different movies to provide a shock.

Reinventing a hero as a villain doesn't work for all characters. Audiences would likely reject a movie with James Bond, Ellen Ripley or Spider-Man as a villain, because this would represent a betrayal of what the stories are supposed to be. The best candidates for an unexpected heel turn are either secondary heroes like the Wizard of Oz, or characters so old that they have already had dozens of different stories told about them, like the Fairy Godmother in Shrek.

The Wizard Of Oz...

Some of the most popular and well-received holiday films center around finding love. With the holiday season upon us, there are many ways to be festive. However, one of the best traditions is to stay in and enjoy a holiday movie, whether that be with friends, family, or on one's own. These films not only bring a sense of excitement to the season but also carry important messages about love and romance.

For example, classic films like When Harry Met Sally, voted the sixth-best rom-com of all time, are still beloved by audiences for their well-written characters and relatable storylines. Other, more whimsical love stories like those portrayed by the Love Actually cast, are quintessential favorites for their romantic depictions of dating and love during the holiday season. The best holiday romantic comedies use the holiday season to teach viewers more about romance's messiness, excitement, and magic.

The Shop Around The Corner...

“Wicked,” part one of the long-awaited screen adaptation of one of Broadway’s longest-running musicals, has a bevy of seasoned experts in the musical genre both in front of and behind the camera. The film is directed by Jon M. Chu, who previously received critical acclaim for his movie version of Lin Manuel-Miranda’s “In the Heights.” Leading the cast as Elphaba is Cynthia Erivo, a Tony winner for “The Color Purple,” while her love interest Fiyero is played by Jonathan Bailey, an Olivier Award winner for a role in a London revival of “Company.” And beyond being one of the biggest pop stars of the last decade, Ariana Grande is a theater kid at heart who got her start in showbusiness in the ensemble of tween musical “13.”

But in two key roles are actors who are probably the most familiar faces for cinephiles and moviegoers — but not ones known for breaking out in tune.

Spoilers for "Wicked" follow.

Jon M. Chu's new musical fantasy "Wicked," which is officially called "Wicked: Part I," according to the title card, is based on the hit 2003 Broadway show that was, in turn, based in the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire. The novel, in itself, was a reimagination of L. Frank Baum's 1900 kid-lit classic "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," but Maguire took his book's primary inspiration from Victor Fleming's 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz," arguably the most famous movie of all time. In making an 85-year cycle from the screen, to the page, to the stage, and then back to the screen, "Wicked" retains a lot of the iconography and basic aesthetics of Fleming's film and repackages them for a modern sensibility. 

Some of what audiences will see in "Wicked" will feel natural, as the look and feel of Oz has bled into the mass subconsciousness,...

This article contains spoilers for "Wicked."

L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" stands as one of the most adapted novels ever published. As early as 1908 — practically the dawn of cinema — "Oz" was being translated to the screen, and the titular character of the Wizard of Oz has appeared in each of those adaptations. As such, the Wizard is a character who's been interpreted in a variety of ways, given that he's been portrayed by actors ranging from Richard Pryor, Jeffrey Tambor, Christopher Lloyd, Vincent D'Onofrio, and James Franco. When it comes to the portrayal of the Wizard in the new film version of "Wicked," two actors in particular leap to mind: Frank Morgan, who played the Wizard in 1939's "The Wizard of Oz," and Joel Grey, who played him in the original stage production of "Wicked."

When Jeff Goldblum was announced to be taking over the...

The Wizard of Oz is a key part of cinema history that is still enchanting audiences today. The 1939 movie is about a young girl named Dorothy (Judy Garland) who is caught in a tornado and sent to the land of Oz. With the help of her friends Glinda the Good Witch (Billie Burke), the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), the Tin Man (Jack Haley), and the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) Dorothy goes on a journey to meet the Wizard of Oz (Frank Morgan), find a way back home, and escape the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton).

A decided classic, The Wizard of Oz's connection to the upcoming movie musical Wicked is more complicated than one might expect. The highly anticipated new film depicts the origins of the Wicked Witch, Dorothy's primary antagonist and the person the Wizard of Oz requests Dorothy kill before he sends her back to Kansas.

The Wizard of Oz is available on many different platforms online. The 1939 fantasy musical is adapted from the L. Frank Baum children's novel of the same name, starring Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Billie Burke, and Margaret Hamilton. It was both a commercial and critical success, grossing $29.7 million against its $2.8 million budget and going on to win two Oscars, for Best Score and Best Original Song (for the iconic tune "Over the Rainbow"), in addition to three other nominations, including Best Picture.

The success of The Wizard of Oz has led to the creation of many sequels, prequels, remakes, and follow-ups in the nearly 90 years since its premiere. This includes 2024's Wicked, which is an adaptation of the stage musical adapting the prequel novel by Gregory Maguire, as well as the 1978 musical adaptation The Wiz, the 1985 sequel Return to Oz, the 2013 Sam Raimi prequel Oz the Great and Powerful,...

Forget about being in Kansas because the beloved 1939 musical The Wizard of Oz is about to hit the big screen at the Sphere in Vegas. According to the NY Post, James Dolans $80 million vision to recreate The Wizard of Oz into an immersive experience at the Sphere will be a digitally-enhanced, sensory spectacle. The 102-minute film will be cut down to 80 minutes. Perhaps the most stunning part about the movie being played at the Sphere will be the films seamless transition from black and white into Technicolor when Dorothy crosses into the land of Oz. This captivating visual experience will be enhanced even further with state-of-the-art sound technology plugged into each seat, making the whooshing sound of the tornado all too real.

Since the Sphere is already prepped for concerts, the songs Dorothy sings with the other heart-warming characters like Scarecrow, Tin Man, and The Cowardly Lion will be nothing short of breathtaking.

On July 23, 1937, MGM unveiled in theaters Saratoga, a star vehicle for Jean Harlow, who had died suddenly weeks earlier. Additional shooting was needed to complete the film, which featured the actress alongside Clark Gable. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review, headlined “‘Saratoga’ Warmly Greeted … Jean Harlow’s Last Earns High Praise,” is below:

Jean Harlow’s last picture, Saratoga, cannot be reviewed unemotionally. It can only be reported.

Audience reception at a preview last evening in Glendale was unmistakably enthusiastic. Possibly surprised, but never shocked by the fact that the story is a riotous comedy, each time Miss Harlow’s name appeared on the screen and upon the occasion of her first entrance the house rocked with applause. It was more than cursory hand-clapping. The final hand was in honest appreciation of an honestly entertaining offering, splendidly performed, written and directed.

The production by Bernard H. Hyman, with John Emerson as associate producer,...

Throughout the 96-year history of the Academy Awards, the amount of acting lineups consisting only of first-time nominees has reached 37, or about 10% of the overall total. While that number may not seem high in a general sense, these cases actually outnumber those exclusively involving veteran contenders by a ratio of three to one. However, although this list expanded as recently as 2023, rookie-only acting lineups are gradually becoming less common than veteran-only ones, the amount of which has nearly doubled within the last dozen years.

Whereas 75% of veteran-only acting quintets have involved lead performers rather than supporting ones, almost the exact opposite is true of lineups full of newcomers. For instance, only one existing case of the former kind concerns supporting actresses, whereas the same category has produced 15 rookie-only rosters. The last such group consisted of 2000 winner Angelina Jolie and nominees Toni Collette (“The Sixth Sense”), Catherine Keener (“Being John Malkovich...

More than eight decades after The Wizard of Oz changed the landscape of the entire film industry, a new Funko Pop! collection based on the movie has been announced to celebrate the classic's 85th anniversary. First shared by ComicBook, new Funkos of Dorothy (Judy Garland), the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) and even the titular Wizard (Frank Morgan) will be a part of the collection, which is currently available for pre-order on Amazon and on Entertainment Earth. The unforgettable legacy of The Wizard of Us continues through the new Funko Pop! collection, which is currently scheduled to start shipping around June.

Film prop theft is a common occurrence, leading to a proliferation in the black market and custom insurance coverage. Movie props, once deemed worthless, now hold sentimental and monetary value to private collectors and museums. The stolen Judy Garland ruby slippers were worth millions despite not being decked out in rubies, which is why the criminals stole them.

As we've followed over the last decade, the great Judy Garland shoe caper has taken its fair share of twists and turns. But none expected it would culminate in an ending straight out of a Scooby-Doo episode. It all started with the break-in at the Minnesota site displaying Judy Garlands's size-five ruby slippers from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

The centerpiece of the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, USA, the magical slippers were on loan, a temporary stopover in Garland's hometown. They wouldn't be seen for over a decade.

When it comes to lone acting Oscar nominations, the category with the fewest examples is Best Supporting Actor. After two consecutive years of there being no new additions to that subgroup, Brian Tyree Henry (“Causeway”) became its 54th member in 2023 after having been largely ignored by other awards bodies over the preceding weeks. He directly followed Tom Hanks, who is the only other entrant from the last five years.

Within the last decade, this club has only grown by seven, with those who preceded Hanks and Henry being Robert Duvall, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Shannon, Willem Dafoe, and Christopher Plummer. 2018 marked the fifth instance of two men accomplishing the feat at once, thus tying the category’s record for most bids of this kind in a single year. Contextually, the corresponding Best Supporting Actress record is three, while that of both lead categories is four.

As it happens, the Best Supporting...

A good movie has a subtext that gives the audience something to think about and points to a greater statement than what is actually on the screen. Then there are ordinary films that don't have much to say, but fans can't help reading more into them. Often fan theories are more entertaining than the movies themselves and add context that most certainly doesn't exist.

While deviously fun, conspiracy theories are preposterous but generally have a hint of plausibility that makes them stick. Movie conspiracy theories are just as bonkers, but substantially less dangerous, and slightly more believable. The Internet has given many gifts, like LOLCats and "Chocolate Rain," but nothing beats a wild movie fan theory.

Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” Syncs with The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz PGMusicalFantasyAdventureFamily

Young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away by a tornado from their...

The 1935 Best Actor lineup at the Academy Awards featured three Oscar newcomers in the forms of Clark Gable, Frank Morgan (“The Affair of Cellini”), and William Powell (“The Thin Man”), with Gable winning. Then came an 88-year gap. It wasn’t until earlier this year that voters nominated another lineup in this category made entirely out of first-time nominees. That list consisted of winner Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”) plus Austin Butler (“Elvis”), Paul Mescal (“Aftersun”), Bill Nighy (“Living”), and Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”).

Could history repeat itself quick time, like two delayed London buses arriving at the same time for passengers waiting in the sodden rain of Blighty? According to our Oscars odds chart for Best Actor, Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”) Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”), and Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction”) are set to be nominated. Of those names, only...

Palm Springs is where one goes to be seen; neighboring Rancho Mirage, well, not so much. That’s why many A-List Hollywood stars pulled up sticks in the mid-20th century, moving from Palm Springs — and L.A. — to the more discreet Rancho Mirage, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a city this year.

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Lucille Ball, Red Skelton, at least one Marx brother, Bing Crosby, and even the guy who played the wizard in The Wizard of Oz, MGM contracted character actor Frank Morgan, lived there. All were seeking the country club lifestyle away from the party scene and camera flashbulbs.

Lawrence Welk, Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore and Barbara Sinatra at the 1972 Dinah Shore Colgate Winner’s Circle in 1972 at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.

Rancho Mirage also has long been known as the “Playground of the Presidents,” especially...

The last Academy Awards, which saw “Everything Everywhere All at Once” win Best Picture, featured a history-making lineup in the Best Actor category. All five of the nominees were newcomers: Brendan Fraser won for “The Whale” while Austin Butler (“Elvis”), Paul Mescal (“Aftersun”), Bill Nighy (“Living”), and Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) all reaped their first bids.

That was the first time this happened since 1935 when there were only three Best Actor nominees: Clark Gable (“It Happened One Night”), Frank Morgan (“The Affairs of Cellini”), and William Powell (“The Thin Man”); Gable won. But after such a long gap between those two records, could we have a case of London buses and see another Best Actor lineup full of newcomers again at this year’s Oscars? Let’s take a look.

Currently, we are predicting that the following five fellows will be nominated for Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio (“Killers of the Flower Moon...

Good Omens season 2 delves deeper into the character of The Metatron, played by Derek Jacobi, who serves as the voice of God in the series. The Metatron was once a human named Enoch, transformed into the Archangel Metatron and placed next to God. He watches over angels, records humanity's sins and good deeds, and acts as a guide and spokesperson for God. The Metatron appoints Aziraphale as the new Supreme Archangel, believing that he possesses the qualities needed for the position. Aziraphale's adaptation to his new role and his relationship with Crowley will be key storylines in Good Omens season 3.

This article contains spoilers for Good Omens season 2Good Omens season 2 dive deeper into the character of The Metatron, the voice of God in the series. Played by Derek Jacobi, The Metatron is a crucial player in Neil Gaiman's story. First encountered in season 1, the mysterious figure has an...

There’s no place like prison?

A federal grand jury today indicted a man in the 2005 theft of a pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz. Terry Martin is charged with one count of stealing a major artwork — specifically facing a charge of theft of an object of cultural heritage from the care, custody or control of a museum.

The indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota in Minneapolis, did not give Martin’s age or hometown, nor did it suggest a potential maximum prison term. It alleges that he stole the revered footwear from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Mn. At the time, the slippers were insured for $1 million, but a current fair-market appraisal value the slippers at $3.5 million, the Justice Department said.

A pair of the ruby slippers from ‘The Wizard Of Oz’ on...

Hedy Lamarr starred in Jack Conway’s Boom Town with Spencer Tracy, Claudette Colbert, Clark Gable, and Frank Morgan (in the exhibition) Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Hedy Lamarr: Actress. Inventor. Viennese is an impressive exhibition curated by Danielle Spera (director of the Jewish Museum Vienna from 2010 - 2022) and designed by Stefan Fuhrer (Fuhrer Vienna) at the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York. You can watch scenes from Georg Jacoby”s Money on the Street with Heinz Rühmann, Carl Boese’s No Money is Needed, Gustav Machatý Ecstasy, John Cromwell’s Algiers (1938), Georg Misch’s Calling Hedy Lamarr (2004), and Hedy Lamarr – An Ingenious Mind (2022).

Danielle Spera with Anne-Katrin Titze on the KaDeWe Group Lamarr building, Rem Koolhaas and his Oma partners: “Ellen van Loon is the architect and she is great to work with …”

Hedy’s beauty was an inspiration for Walt Disney’s Snow White, Batman co-creator Bob Kane’s Catwoman,...

Romantic comedies have been around since the beginning of the film industry, but they’ve had a bit of an up-and-down run over the years. From their heyday in the 1990s to Netflix’s recent efforts to bring them back into mainstream popularity, we thought it was time to take stock and make a list of the ten best romantic comedies ever.

Related: 10 Best Comedies of All Time, Ranked by Viewers

We compiled a top 10 list and crunched numbers until we arrived at our ultimate list. As you’ll see below, this is an eclectic mix that includes everything from black-and-white classics to modern blockbusters. Each one fits the American Film Institute’s definition—a genre in which “the development of a romance leads to comic situations”—but more importantly, they’re all funny movies with romantic happy endings.

10 Highest-Rated Romantic Comedies on IMDb The Artist (2011) – 7.9 The Shop Around the Corner...

When the 2023 Oscar nominations were announced last Tuesday the 24th, an interesting thing happened. Sixteen of the 20 acting nomination slots were held down by first-time nominees, including all five for Best Actor: Austin Butler for “Elvis,” Colin Farrell for “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Brendan Fraser for “The Whale,” Paul Mescal for “Aftersun” and Bill Nighy for “Living.” It was a somewhat stunning development given that all five in the category last year were returnees: Will Smith (“King Richard”), Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”), Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”), Andrew Garfield and Denzel Washington (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”).

If you’re wondering when happened to be the last time that all of the nominees in the lead actor category were first-timers, try 1935, in the midst of The Great Depression. Franklin Roosevelt was President of the United States. Parker Brothers marketed the board game Monopoly for the first time. A...

Tuesday’s Oscar nominations brought the jaw-droppers many expected. Some met with joy, and others with heartbreak.

Social media and awards pundit circles have been touting Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once” as an undisputed front-runner for most of the awards season. With a leading 11 nominations, it’s in an excellent position to win the best picture statuette for distributor A24, the same studio that pulled off the memorable “Moonlight” upset over “La La Land” at the 2017 show. A24 led the day for studios with a resounding 18 nominations, with Netflix in second with 16.

The multiverse flick landed expected noms for acting — Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu — but flexed in the artisan races like costume design, original score and original song. However, holding the title of the “one to beat” can bring the claws out of other studios and strategists...

Ernst Lubitsch's 1940 Christmas comedy "The Shop Around The Corner" has a bit of everything: petty workplace drama, an affair, and a most unlikely romance, making for a combination that is both sweet and acidic at once. Everything in it is graced with the so-called "Lubitsch touch," a precise set of innuendo and body language that turns funny or sentimental material into something far greater, and the warmth and melancholy of the holiday only heighten that complex feeling. It also is probably the second-best James Stewart-led Christmas movie, just beneath "It's a Wonderful Life."

While "Shop" would sadly be the only Lubitsch movie with James Stewart playing the lead, the actor's typical affability and relaxed posture made him a natural fit for Lubitsch's sensibilities. Few of the director's other leading men, whether they were Gary Cooper or Don Ameche, could match what Stewart could suggest with a raised eyebrow.

Perhaps this is an experience you felt earlier this year. You walk into your local movie theater, eager to watch "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." Maybe it's because it is Sam Raimi's first film since that time James Franco pretended to have an ounce of Frank Morgan's charisma. Maybe it's because you're still invested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in some way, or perhaps you just thought the trailers looked cool. Either way, you've taken your seat. The trailers finish rolling, and the film has begun.

Then, after a few minutes of tension-building action, you see him. He's sitting next to Benedict Cumberbatch's titular wizard. He's wearing a tan suit, but most importantly, he's wearing the flattest, most skater boy-looking wig you've ever seen in your life. It looks horrible, but beautiful at the same time. You want to rip it off of his head,...

Celebrated cartoonist and screenwriter Daniel Clowes discusses his favorite formative films with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Baxter (1989)

Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1966) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

Ghost World (2001) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Art School Confidential (2006)

Help! (1965) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s review

The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966) – John Landis’s trailer commentary,

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

Gone With The Wind (1939)

Mudhoney (1965) – John Badham’s trailer commentary

Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers! (1968)

Common Law Cabin (1967)

Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

The Seven Minutes (1971)

Black Snake (1973)

An American Werewolf In London (1981) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray reviews

Lady In A Cage (1964) – Darren Bousman’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

The Wild One (1953)

Hush…...

Imagine it: you've made it to the Emerald City, and you finally get the chance to peek behind the curtain. Who's back there? Is that ... Jeff Goldblum?! The not-so-wonderful Wizard of Oz featured in "Wicked" will be played by a familiar face, according to Variety, as Goldblum is apparently in talks to take on the role of the Wizard in the two-part film adaptation of the stage play.

Goldblum will join the star-studded cast of John M. Chu's "Wicked," which will be headlined by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. It's worth noting, though, that this Wizard is far from the same role that Frank Morgan originated in 1939's "The Wizard of Oz" movie. In "Wicked," which is based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel, the Wizard isn't an ordinary man pulling some strings, but a dictator. The Wizard's full name is Oscar Zoroaster Diggs, and he uses magic and violence to...

Jeff Goldblum is off to be the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The actor is in talks to join the cast of the upcoming “Wicked” films, as Variety reported.

A source close to the project tells IndieWire that Goldblum is still in early talks.

If confirmed, Goldblum will play the Wizard, depicted in the original Stephen Schwartz stage musical as the beloved but mysterious ruler of the Land of Oz, capable of incredible feats of magic and power. Joel Grey originated the part in the Broadway production based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.” Of course, the character of the Wizard originates in L. Frank Baum’s classic 1900 children’s novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and has been portrayed onscreen numerous times, most notably by Frank Morgan in the 1939 MGM film adaptation of Baum’s original work.

Click here to read the full article.

Larry Storch, the manic comic actor who starred as the bumbling sidekick Corporal Randolph Agarn on the 1960s ABC sitcom F Troop, has died. He was 99.

Storch, who got his start as a stand-up comic, did impressions and voiced the all-knowing Phineas J. Whoopee on the classic cartoon Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales, died early Friday morning of natural causes in his apartment on the Upper West Side of New York, his personal manager, Matt Beckoff, told The Hollywood Reporter.

“If I told you how nice he was, you wouldn’t believe it,” Beckoff said.

Storch was great friends with Tony Curtis — a fellow New Yorker whom he met when they served aboard a submarine tender in the U.S. Navy — and they appeared together in The Prince Who Was a Thief (1951), Who Was That Lady? (1960), 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962), Captain Newman, M.D. (1963), Sex...

[Editor’s Note: The following review contains spoilers for “Better Call Saul” Season 6, Episode 4, “Hit and Run.”]

One of the ways that “Better Call Saul” keeps you on your toes is reminding you that there’s always another corner of Albuquerque to discover. It’s not all trips to the courthouse or rendezvouses at roadside diners or meetings in law firm boardrooms. So when “Hit and Run” opens with a glimpse at suburbia, as seen through the eyes of a pair of neighborhood folks seemingly more concerned with homeowner’s association to-dos than regional drug trafficking concerns, it’s a reminder that the net can always be cast wider.

Of course, these aren’t exactly ordinary residents counting down the days to the next cul-de-sac bake sale. They’re employees in the ever-widening Gus Fring empire, part of a house-sized security detail with one key directive: keep the Chicken Man alive. It’s the early-2000s American Southwest equivalent...

“It takes a good man to prevent a catastrophe, milady, and a great man to make use of one.”

Gene Kelly, Van Heflin, Lana Turner and Vincent Price in The Three Musketeers (1948) will available on Blu-ray February 15th from Warner Archive. It can be purchased at the Warner Archive Amazon Store Here

Gene Kelly stars as the swashbuckling young French nobleman D’Artagnan who, possessing nothing more than his title, travels to Paris to join The Three Musketeers. D’Artagnan no sooner arrives in the capital, than he insults Athos (Van Heflin), Porthos (Academy Award winner Gig Young) and Aramis (Robert Coote), the most feared of the musketeers. Challenged to a duel by each, D’Artagnan earns their respect with his courage, if not by his fighting prowess. But his courage, skill and wit are quickly needed to help the musketeers thwart a plot by the powerful Prime Minister Richelieu...

Can a Dance Teacher From Boston Dance His Way Out of a Hangman’s Noose? With Help From the Mayor’s Beautiful Daughter, He Just Might! Dancing Pirate (1936), the First Dancing Musical in 100% Technicolor, With Dazzling New Restoration, on Blu-Ray & DVD, Feb. 22nd. The Blu-ray can be preordered Here

:Cinedigm announced today that The Film Detective (Tfd), the classic film restoration and streaming company, will release the first ever 100% Technicolor dancing musical, Dancing Pirate (1936), on special-edition Blu-ray and DVD, Feb. 22.

Charles Collins stars in Dancing Pirateas a dance teacher from Boston who is tricked into joining a band of pirates, leading him to be fitted for a noose in California. Compared to “Douglas Fairbanks in his most acrobatic days,” Collins catches a break when the mayor’s daughter (Steffi Duna) demands the hanging be postponed until he teaches her to waltz.

Dancing Pirate earned an Academy Award nomination for Best...

A review of the Loki season finale “For All Time. Always.” on Disney+ coming up just as soon as I tell you not to kick the door in…

And down the hatch we go again.

The interconnectivity of the Marvel movies and, now, TV series, can be both a feature and a bug. The whole can often feel greater than the sum of the component parts, and there’s real joy to be had from seeing characters and story ideas from one corner of the MCU intermingle with those of another corner.

Warning: The following recap of the season one finale of Loki, “For All Time. Always” contains spoilers.

Instead of burning down the theatrical slate to feed the beast of streaming, one hopes that Disney bosses’ wake up to the fact that it’s series like Loki which are the pumping aorta of an Ott service.

The cliffhanger for Loki just keeps us hungering for more, and rather than keep us guessing, Marvel promptly revealed during the end-credits last night that there is indeed a season 2. It’s the serials which keep streamers alive, not the movies. Those who spent $60M WW on Black Widow aren’t going to buy it again. But it’s a nail-biting series like Loki which creates ‘must-see’ and therefore frosh sign-ups on Disney+.

In addition, as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new plan to connect their Disney+ series with their movies, it’s...

For his first re-teaming sans Ginger, Fred Astaire hot-foots it to MGM and the waiting tap & sweep partner Eleanor Powell, already a terrific box office draw in her own right. These were the days when the caliber of talent in Hollywood justified the exalted, glamorous aura of star status. The story is a backstage mixup with sidebar singing and joke acts, decent dialogue and not much else. But when these two alight on a dance floor — not just ‘a’ dance floor but an enormous expanse of glittering glass — Hollywood hits a too-glamorous-to-be-real peak. The music by Cole Porter includes Begin the Beguine. Just-okay George Murphy is the third wheel on this musical bicycle, with Frank Morgan serving as fuddy-duddy comic relief.

Broadway Melody of 1940

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1940 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 102 min. / Street Date April 13, 2021 / 21.99

Starring: Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, George Murphy, Frank Morgan, Ian Hunter, Florence Rice, Trixie Firschke,...

The Kiss Before the Mirror

Blu ray

Kino Lorber

1933 / 1.33:1 / 69 min.

Starring Nancy Carroll, Frank Morgan, Gloria Stuart

Cinematography by Karl Freund

Directed by James Whale

James Whale’s The Kiss Before the Mirror opens on familiar terrain for the director of Frankenstein—a moon-lit backroad littered with crooked trees and clutching branches. A figure tip-toes out of the darkness toward her destination—not a mad scientist’s castle but a swanky post-modern bungalow where her lover waits. The woman catches the moonlight quite well, thank you—she’s played by an incandescent Gloria Stuart and she has just escaped her husband for a rendezvous with a self-impressed roué played by the blankly handsome Walter Pidgeon. The two engage in pre-sex small talk that is so coy, so ear-grating, that it’s clear Whale is preparing them (and the audience) for some awful comeuppance.

Produced in 1933, The Kiss Before the...

CineSavant’s hands-down favorite holiday film, this Ernst Lubitsch classic radiates human kindness in all directions. Nobody is perfect: misunderstandings benign and profound are the gentle impetus for a sweet story that will renew one’s belief that people are basically good. It’s James Stewart’s best pre-war performance, as he fits his character so perfectly; as in last month’s The Mortal Storm he and Margaret Sullavan exude decency and ‘niceness’ even when they’re being rude to each other. Frank Morgan tops his Wizard characterization, and the movie is so generous that it lets the nervy little go-getter William Tracy be the hero of the day. I’m glad this wasn’t re-invented as a sitcom, but they sure ran it through the remake hurdles.

The Shop Around the Corner

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1940 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 99 min. / Street Date December 22, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: James Stewart,...

It’s pretty scary to think that as late as 1940 both Washington and the American public were sharply divided over Nazi Germany. Poland had been overrun and France was about to fall, but MGM waited until June of that year to release this softened adaptation of a novel written as a warning to the world in 1937. Handsomely produced with MGM’s high-gloss production values, it’s remembered as a valiant and courageous anti-Nazi film. Its all-star cast reunited the potent romantic team of James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan for sentimental fireworks.

The Mortal Storm

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1940 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 100 min. / Street Date November 3, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Robert Young, Frank Morgan, Robert Stack, Bonita Granville, Irene Rich, William T. Orr, Maria Ouspenskaya, Gene Reynolds, Russell Hicks, Esther Dale, Dan Dailey, Ward Bond, Rudolph Anders, Brad Dexter.

Cinematography: William H. Daniels

Film Editor:...

Helping you stay sane while staying safe… featuring Leonard Maltin, Dave Anthony, Miguel Arteta, John Landis, and Blaire Bercy from the Hollywood Food Coalition.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Plague (1979)

Target Earth (1954)

The Left Hand of God (1955)

A Lost Lady (1934)

Enough Said (2013)

Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939)

Heaven Can Wait (1978)

Down to Earth (2001)

Down To Earth (1947)

The Commitments (1991)

Once (2007)

Election (1999)

About Schmidt (2002)

Sideways (2004)

Nebraska (2013)

The Man in the Moon (1991)

The 39 Steps (1935)

Casablanca (1942)

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

The Night Walker (1964)

Chuck and Buck (2000)

Cedar Rapids (2011)

Beatriz at Dinner (2017)

Duck Butter (2018)

The Good Girl (2002)

The Big Heat (1953)

Human Desire (1954)

Slightly French (1949)

Week-End with Father (1951)

Experiment In Terror (1962)

They Shoot Horses Don’t They? (1969)

Ray’s Male Heterosexual Dance Hall (1987)

Airport (1970)

Earthquake (1974)

Drive a Crooked Road (1954)

Pushover (1954)

Waves (2019)

Krisha (2015)

The Oblong Box (1969)

80,000 Suspects (1963)

Panic In The Streets (1950)

It Comes At Night (2017)

Children of Men (2006)

The Road (2009)

You Were Never Really Here...

Burbank, CA, August 22, 2019 – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that 1939’s acclaimed and beloved classic The Wizard of Oz will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on October 29th. Directed by Victor Fleming (Gone With the Wind) and starring Judy Garland as Dorothy Gayle, The Wizard of Oz is widely considered to be one of the most influential films in cinematic history.

Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s timeless children’s tale about a Kansas girl’s journey over the rainbow, The Wizard of Oz officially premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on August 15, 1939. The film was directed by Victor Fleming (who that same year directed Gone With the Wind), produced by Mervyn LeRoy, and scored by Herbert Stothart, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Ray Bolger appeared as the Scarecrow; Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Jack Haley as the Tin Woodman.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that 1939's acclaimed and beloved classic The Wizard of Oz will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital on October 29th. Directed by Victor Fleming (Gone With the Wind) and starring Judy Garland as Dorothy Gayle, The Wizard of Oz is widely considered to be one of the most influential films in cinematic history.

Adapted from L. Frank Baum's timeless children's tale about a Kansas girl's journey over the rainbow, The Wizard of Oz officially premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theater on August 15, 1939. The film was directed by Victor Fleming (who that same year directed Gone With the Wind), produced by Mervyn LeRoy, and scored by Herbert Stothart, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Ray Bolger appeared as the Scarecrow; Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Jack Haley as the Tin Woodman. Frank Morgan was seen in six different roles,...

Chicago – The Windy City is off to see the Wizard again, as the Grant Park Music Festival celebrates the 80th Anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz” at the Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park. The festivities include a costume party, hosted by Linda Kollmeyer (“The Lottery Lady”), followed by the presentation with a live orchestra accompaniment – on the Park’s giant Led screen – of the classic 1939 film.

The event is free and open to the public in both the “seating bowl” area and lawn, and begins at 6:30pm with the costume party, with the screening at 8pm. For more information, click here.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ at Millennium Park

Photo credit: Warner Home Video

At the time of the late 1930s filming of “The Wizard of Oz,” the idea of an event children’s film was brand new. The film stars Judy Garland in...

Our Howard Keel Centennial celebration begins. Here's Nathaniel R...

What is the lasting legacy of Hollywood's biggest musical of 1950, Annie Get Your Gun? The best remembered thing about it may well be its place in Judy Garland's storied career; she was infamously fired well into production, marking in some ways the nadir of her career, and fueling the mythology of that comeback of all comebacks with A Star is Born (1954) after a four year absence from the big screen. But that's not the movie as it exists today, only what could have been. And "could have beens" are many with this troubled production which lost its original star (Judy), its first two directors (Busby Berkeley and Charles Walters) and one key supporting cast member on its way to its final cut.

The first shot of Howard Keel in "Annie Get Your Gun"

Though "Annie Get Your Gun" has had...

A spectacular yearlong journey into movie history begins in January when Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) present The Wizard of Oz in more than 500 movie theaters nationwide on January 27, 29 and 30, a three-day cinematic celebration of the iconic film's 80th anniversary and the start of the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics series.

One of the most well-known and best-loved films in Hollywood history, The Wizard of Oz will be accompanied by fascinating insights from TCM Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz, both before and after the film, offering a memorable moviegoing experience for families and fans of all ages. Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charlie Grapewin, Clara Bandick and "The Munchkins" star in what has been called "the most influential film of all time."

Throughout 2019, the TCM Big Screen Classics series will see 14 unforgettable films return to movie theaters, including My Fair Lady,...

Film fans can take a yearlong journey through Hollywood history in 2019 when Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) come together for the fourth annual "TCM Big Screen Classics," presenting 14 film favorites throughout the year, spanning seven decades.

From the Golden Age of Hollywood to groundbreaking movies from the seventies, eighties and nineties, the TCM Big Screen Classics series combines each film with little-known facts and insight provided by TCM Primetime Host Ben Mankiewicz. In addition, every film is presented in its original aspect ratio, offering audiences the chance to see these movies on the big screen just as they were originally enjoyed.

The lineup for the 2019 "TCM Big Screen Classics" includes:

&#8226 The Wizard of Oz - 1/27, 29 & 30&#8226 My Fair Lady - 2/17 & 20&#8226 To Kill a Mockingbird - 3/24 & 27&#8226 Ben-Hur - 4/14 & 17 &#8226 True Grit - 5/5 & 8&#8226 Steel Magnolias - 5/19, 21 & 22&#8226 Field of Dreams - 6/16 & 18&#8226 Glory - 7/21 & 24 &#8226 Hello, Dolly! - 8/11 & 14&#8226 Lawrence of Arabia - 9/1 & 4&#8226 The Shawshank Redemption...

Too close for comfort, Frank Borzage’s 1940 drama reunites the stars of The Shop Around the Corner, James Stewart, Margret Sullavan and Frank Morgan, in far more ominous circumstances – the overthrow of Germany by fascist rule. One of the first Hollywood “resistance” films, the movie features Father Knows Best star Robert Young as an up and coming Nazi.

The post The Mortal Storm appeared first on Trailers From Hell.

Important life lesson: When you're talking to William Shatner, be very careful what you say, because it could very well come back to bite you in the butt. Case in point: talking to the actor (oh-so-famous for his role as Captain Kirk in Star Trek) about his newest project, the animated film The Steam Engines of Oz, in which he plays the Wizard of Oz. Things certainly begin somewhat innocently, with the comment to him that the story is highly enjoyable and the characters engaging and quite charming, while certain elements of the animation are....eh. "How do you spell 'eh'?" he asks good-naturedly, to which I suggest the way it reads here, e-h. All fine and good, until later in the conversation when I foolishly ask him, "What do you feel the strength of this film is?" "I thought it was the animation," Bill, who you'd never suspect is 87 years old,...