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In The Private Army of Colonel Stone, Rupert is asked by his Aunt Rachel to look into the death of her son who had been on an expedition in South Africa with Colonel Stone and died in strange circumstances. Not only that but Stone has now taken over his cottage in the country. It is […]

Wilde Alliance: The Private Army Of Colonel Stone (ITV 14 Feb 1978 with John Fraser)...

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A Normal Woman is a psychological thriller drama film directed by Lucky Kuswandi, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Andri Cung. The Netflix film follows Milla, a socialite who mysteriously develops a rash, and as it spreads, she begins fearing getting rejected by her own husband and family. A Normal Woman stars Marissa Anita, Dion Wiyoko, Giselle Anastasia, Mima Shafa, and Widyawati. So, if you loved the thrilling psychological story, intense drama, and compelling characters in Netflix’s A Normal Woman, here are some similar movies you should check out next.

Safe (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Sony Pictures Classics

Safe is a psychological thriller drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes. The 1995 film follows Carol White, a suburban housewife leading an ordinary life as she inexplicably develops various allergies. Things soon get worse as her health...

Russell Crowe has had several brushes with the law over the years — and it turns out that one of his distant ancestors was also something of a rogue.

The Gladiator actor has been delving into his family history and was surprised to discover that he is related to the last man to be beheaded in the Tower of London.

In a series of posts on Twitter (now X), Crowe said he is “directly” connected through his father’s mother to Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat.

Crowe was born in New Zealand, where relatives on his father’s side can be traced back to John Fraser, who arrived in the country in 1841.

“He’s quite the character. The Old Fox they used to call him,” Crowe said, somewhat admiringly of Simon Fraser, a “devious” Jacobite who was executed in 1747.

Legend has it that Fraser’s death coined the phrase “laughing his head off.

Hey,"Today Show" fans. We're back to let you know that NBC has another new Today Show in the works for you this morning, September 4, 2023, and we've got some new preview information for it via NBC's official, September 4, 2023 episode press release. So, let's get into it. The first description for the 6am to 8am central standard time slot episode reveals that there will be a segment titled, "Back to School Today: Healthy Meals College Kids Can Make for Less." The second description reveals that there will be a segment titled, "Start Today: Fall Sports Prep with Dr. Jordan Metzl." The 3rd and last description for the 6am to 8am show lets us know that there will be a segment titled, "Today Goes Greek: Greek Food Celebrating My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 with John Fraser."...

Click here to read the full article.

With capacities back to pre-pandemic limits, mask mandates on ice (for now — fingers crossed) and people generally looking to blow off some steam, the ’20s are finally starting to feel fun (if not quite as debauched as the ’20s of a century ago depicted in Damien Chazelle’s Babylon). So in honor of this, the first New Year’s Eve in a long while that feels normal-ish again, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the biggest bashes in L.A. to ring in 2023. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and dance!

Nye 2023 with Ty at Nightingale Plaza

DJ Orator and Dre Sinatra plus rap superstar Ty Dolla ign will keep heads bobbing at Nightingale Plaza for what is being touted as L.A.’s premiere hip-hop New Year’s Eve bash. Options are available for both a cash bar...

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Lenny Kravitz is used to sold-out stadiums and packed venues, but last week the rocker put on a private show for the opening of the Tampa Edition Hotel. Dressed in his signature rocker-chic garb of a silk red shirt and dark sunglasses, Kravitz played a set of 13 songs, accompanied by his full band.

The intimate performance took off in front of 1,000+ people, gathered at the Amalie Arena right...

Welcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.”

It’s official! Charlize Theron tells me that the script is done for the sequel to “The Old Guard,” her Netflix film adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name. Cameras will start rolling in the first quarter of 2022. The gay couple, played by Marwan Kenzari and Luca Marinelli, will be back, too. “Oh, yeah!” Theron says. “They’re definitely there.” Meanwhile, Vin Diesel tells me that he has writers working on a “Fast & Furious” spinoff for Theron’s character, Cipher. One thing the Oscar winner won’t be doing is guest hosting “The Bachelor.” You’d think producers of the romance reality show would have asked Theron, an unabashed and vocal fan of the franchise. “They have not, goddamn it,” she cracked at her Africa Outreach Project benefit. Would she do it? “No!” she said. “I’d make a terrible host.

Sf IndieFest is pleased to announce the complete program for the 17th Another Hole In The Head Film Festival which takes place December 11 to 27 via Eventive.org and Zoom.us. The festival will once again bring the freshest new independent genre films from around the world to San Francisco audiences. The festival will include over forty feature films, and over 250 short films – all available on demand through Eventive. Selected content will also screen live on Zoom during special weekend shows, featuring audience Q&As with the filmmakers.

Tickets are $10; a full pass is $125, ten film pass is $75 and five film pass is $40. There are also numerous free programs. For all festival information, visit https://ahith2020.eventive.org/welcome.

Feature Films

An Unquiet Grave – A year after losing his wife in a car crash, Jamie convinces her sister to return with him to the site of the accident and help him perform a strange ritual.

Stage and screen actor known for his roles in The Trials of Oscar Wilde, The Dam Busters and Tunes of Glory

The actor John Fraser, who has died aged 89, received his first review while still a teenager, playing a page to Herodias in Oscar Wilde’s Salome. Despite receiving harsh criticism, which noted that his performance had been “undermined by an accent from the worst Glasgow slums”, Fraser harboured few doubts as to his future profession. His response was to take elocution lessons.

Some 20 years later, after a bright career on stage, screen and television, he landed his best role, as Bosie in the film The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960). The Irish playwright had indirectly come to his rescue after the disappointment – shared by many actors at the time – of losing out to Peter O’Toole for the coveted role of Lawrence of Arabia.

Scottish actor John Fraser has died at the age of 89 after a battle with cancer, his family has said.

Richard E. Grant was among those to pay tribute to The Dam Busters and El Cid actor today, posting on twitter:

My friend John Fraser has died at 89. All of us, lucky enough to know him, have benefitted from his Life enhancing generosity, kindness and gift for finding humour in every situation. pic.twitter.com/DPBjWH6cYB

— Richard E. Grant (@RichardEGrant) November 11, 2020

Mark Gatiss also posted a tribute:

A very fine actor, a blistering Bosie, an outrageous memoirist and a beautiful, beautiful man. Rip John Fraser pic.twitter.com/8z4COAAQpY

— Mark Gatiss (@Markgatiss) November 7, 2020

Born in Glasgow in 1931, Fraser broke into film in the early 1950s, playing Flight Lieutenant John Hopgood in the 1955 British classic The Dam Busters, and appearing in the 1957 film adaptation of J. B. Priestley’s The Good Companions,...

UTA has teamed with Metrograph to organize a series of drive-in movie screenings in the Hamptons starting next month. Produced by Amp Events, the Metrograph Drive-In will take over a park in Water Mill, New York and show classic films, advanced screenings of upcoming fall releases, and critically acclaimed movies from the talent agency’s clients alongside a catered picnic.

The series kicks off August 13 at Nova’s Ark, a 95-acre sculptural park and arts center. They’ll show three movies per week; slated for the first weekend are David Lynch’s 1986 Oscar-nominated mystery “Blue Velvet” and the Jean-Michel Basquiat-starring “Downtown 81.”

“Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President,” which closed AFI Docs earlier this year, will also be screened the first weekend. The film explores the role music played in getting Jimmy Carter elected, and features interviews with Willie Nelson, Bono, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, Roseanne Cash, and Paul Simon, along...

With drive-in theaters making a resurgence, UTA has teamed with New York City indie theater Metrograph for Metrograph Drive-In, an outdoor theater series. Events will take place at Nova’s Ark Project and Sculpture Park in Water Mill, New York and kick-off August 13.

The events will feature advance screenings of some of fall’s most anticipated releases, critically acclaimed films from UTA clients, curated culinary experiences, appearances by surprise talent, and more. The Metrograph Drive-In was organized by UTA Marketing and UTA Fine Arts in partnership with producer Amp Events.

Starting on August 13, there will be three screenings a week starting with Downtown 81, Blue Velvet and the upcoming documentary Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President.

“The last several months have challenged us to pivot and innovate our approach towards supporting our clients,” said Alex Hooven, UTA Marketing Executive. “With the Metrograph Drive-In, we have created an experience that brings people...

UTA has partnered with New York's Metrograph to present the Metrograph Drive-In, an outdoor theater series at Hamptons venue Nova's Ark.

Per a rep for UTA on Thursday, in light of recent events and heightened concerns in the area, the screening series is being delayed and relocated.

In the absence of the moviegoing experience amid the Covid-19 pandemic, drive-ins have been on the rise across the United States. For this installment, UTA and Metrograph will present a series of films, both current and classic, along with appearances by talent and culinary experiences from Michelin-starred chef John Fraser and ...

UTA has partnered with New York's Metrograph to present the Metrograph Drive-In, an outdoor theater series at Hamptons venue Nova's Ark.

Per a rep for UTA on Thursday, in light of recent events and heightened concerns in the area, the screening series is being delayed and relocated.

In the absence of the moviegoing experience amid the Covid-19 pandemic, drive-ins have been on the rise across the United States. For this installment, UTA and Metrograph will present a series of films, both current and classic, along with appearances by talent and culinary experiences from Michelin-starred chef John Fraser and ...

Some critics wondered if Alec Guinness and John Mills should have swapped roles for this adaptation of James Kennaway’s incisive novel about popularity vs. discipline in the command structure of a Scots army brigade. Ronald Neame’s direction is exemplary, showcasing the powerhouse performances yet avoiding theatrical flourishes. And the movie introduces Susannah York as well. Criterion’s 4K remaster greatly improves on their older DVD release.

Tunes of Glory

Blu-ray

The Criterion Collection 225

1960 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 106 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date December 3, 2020 / 39.95

Starring: Alec Guinness, John Mills, Dennis Price, Kay Walsh, John Fraser, Susannah York, Gordon Jackson, Duncan Macrae, Percy Herbert, Allan Cuthbertson.

Cinematography: Arthur Ibbetson

Film Editor: Anne V. Coates

Original Music: Malcolm Arnold

Written by James Kennaway from his novel

Produced by Albert Fennell, Colin Lesslie

Directed by Ronald Neame

1960’s Tunes of Glory hasn’t persisted in revivals, and neither is it...

‘Mission impossible’ escapism about high-stakes wartime sabotage looks at an authentic, dramatic episode of WW2 — the onslaught of futuristic V-Weapons on London — and then veers into fictional fantasy (think big explosions). George Peppard toughs it out to get free of his MGM contract. Lili Palmer and Barbara Rütting do the heavy lifting, while Sophia Loren is in as a glamorous sidebar. Weirdly, the movie all but lionizes the Germans that develop, test and fire the V-Weapon rockets at England … exaggerating their scientific progress and giving them a strange kind of ‘Right Stuff.’

Operation Crossbow

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1965 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 116 min. / Street Date November 12, 2019 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Sophia Loren, George Peppard, Trevor Howard, John Mills, Richard Johnson, Tom Courtenay, Jeremy Kemp, Anthony Quayle, Lilli Palmer, Barbara Rütting (Rueting), Paul Henreid, Helmut Dantine, Richard Todd, Sylvia Sims, John Fraser, Maurice Denham, Patrick Wymark, Richard Wattis, Allan Cuthbertson, Karel Stepanek,...

When it comes to discussing ’60s British horror, most conversations usually begin and end with Hammer’s gothics and their sleazy derivatives. Mind you, it’s not hard to see why—the studio practically revived the genre in the UK during the late ’50s, and competitors would have to be fools to not want to ride their coattails, creating their own bloody (and occasionally brilliant) gothics chock-full of sex and violence. But the ’60s also saw the rise of a different, darker sub-genre—the modern psychological thriller, birthed from Alfred Hitchcock’s visual vocabulary and directors focused less on the supernatural and more on the depths of human cruelty and depravity. These thrillers are violent, sexual, and no stranger to controversy, and on today’s entry of the Crypt of Curiosities, we’ll be looking at three of the best and most noteworthy films.

The first big British thriller of...

Earlier this week, we gave you details on first wave of special experiences and events taking place at the 2015 Stanley Film Festival. We now have details on their impressive slate of features, short films, and additional special events, including screenings of The Final Girls, Deathgasm, Stung, The Invitation, and We Are Still Here.

We're teaming up with the festival for live coverage and special opportunities for Daily Dead readers, so be sure to check back all month for contests, features, and more.

"April 2, 2014 (Denver, Co) - The Stanley Film Festival (Sff) produced by the Denver Film Society (Dfs) and presented by Chiller, announced today its Closing Night film, Festival lineup and the 2015 Master of Horror. The Festival will close out with The Final Girls. The film, directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, is the story of a young woman grieving the loss of her mother, a famous scream queen from the 1980s,...

Ingmar Bergman bowed down to his peer, Andrei Tarkovsky, for having given life to the language of cinema as dream: “Tarkovsky is for me the greatest, the one who invented a new language, true to the nature of film, as it captures life as reflection, life as a dream.” This praise from one master to another was more than warranted, for the two auteurs’ bodies of work are arguably the most distinguishable in the canon of film history for their use of moving imagery, intricate mise-en-scène, and meaning that arises not only once in the frame or from an actor’s mouth but that ripples throughout the remainder of the world of the movie. Hey now, this is what dreams are made of.

In the pond’s crystal clear reflection of our reality that is the cinema, there are also the murky patches. Both Bergman and Tarkovsky oftentimes forayed down...

Top 100 horror movies of all time: Chicago Film Critics' choices (photo: Sigourney Weaver and Alien creature show us that life is less horrific if you don't hold grudges) See previous post: A look at the Chicago Film Critics Association's Scariest Movies Ever Made. Below is the list of the Chicago Film Critics's Top 100 Horror Movies of All Time, including their directors and key cast members. Note: this list was first published in October 2006. (See also: Fay Wray, Lee Patrick, and Mary Philbin among the "Top Ten Scream Queens.") 1. Psycho (1960) Alfred Hitchcock; with Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam. 2. The Exorcist (1973) William Friedkin; with Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow (and the voice of Mercedes McCambridge). 3. Halloween (1978) John Carpenter; with Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Tony Moran. 4. Alien (1979) Ridley Scott; with Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt. 5. Night of the Living Dead (1968) George A. Romero; with Marilyn Eastman,...

Network Distributing is pleased to announce the next batch of titles within “The British Film” range which will be available in the UK later this year. Each feature once again benefits from a new transfer, an instant play facility and will be presented in special slim-line space-saving packaging. Some of the highlights from October are a documentary about the body narrated by Vanessa Redgrave with music from Roger Waters, more gems from the vaults from Ealing Studios, classic horror, British musicals and a courtroom drama starring Richard Attenborough.

7 October

The Body £9.99

Vanessa Redgrave and Frank Finlay narrate an intimate and innovative documentary from the seventies about the human body cut to music from Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters. Commentary by poet and playwright Adrian Mitchell.

The Final Programme £9.99

Cult director Robert Fuest’s dystopian sci-fi thriller. Robert Finch stars as Jerry Cornelius, a Nobel Prize winning physicist and playboy who...

Catherine Deneuve: Style, beauty, and talent on TCM tonight A day to rejoice on Turner Classic Movies: Catherine Deneuve, one of the few true Living Film Legends, is TCM’s "Summer Under the Stars" star today, August 12, 2013. Catherine Deneuve is not only one of the most beautiful film actresses ever, she’s also one of the very best. In fact, the more mature her looks, the more fascinating she has become. Though, admittedly, Deneuve has always been great to look at, and she has been a mesmerizing screen presence since at least the early ’80s. ‘The Umbrellas of Cherbourg’: One of the greatest movie musicals ever Right now, TCM is showing one of the greatest movie musicals ever made, Jacques Demy’s Palme d’Or winner The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), in which a very blonde, very young, very pretty, and very dubbed Catherine Deneuve (singing voice by Danielle Licari...

Paul Henreid in ‘Casablanca’: Freedom Fighter on screen, Blacklisted ‘Subversive’ off screen Turner Classic Movies’ Star of the Month of July 2013, Paul Henreid, bids you farewell this evening. TCM left the most popular, if not exactly the best, for last: Casablanca, Michael Curtiz’s 1943 Best Picture Oscar-winning drama, is showing at 7 p.m. Pt tonight. (Photo: Paul Henreid sings "La Marseillaise" in Casablanca.) One of the best-remembered movies of the studio era, Casablanca — not set in a Spanish or Mexican White House — features Paul Henreid as Czechoslovakian underground leader Victor Laszlo, Ingrid Bergman’s husband but not her True Love. That’s Humphrey Bogart, owner of a cafe in the titular Moroccan city. Henreid’s anti-Nazi hero is generally considered one of least interesting elements in Casablanca, but Alt Film Guide contributor Dan Schneider thinks otherwise. In any case, Victor Laszlo feels like a character made to order for Paul Henreid,...

For the fans of this wonderful man, which I proudly count myself as one; 26 May 2013 marks the centenary of horror legend Peter Cushing. One of the most versatile actors to grace the big screen, Cushing never gave a single bad performance throughout his 50-year career. A dedicated perfectionist, who believed in giving nothing less than his best effort, Cushing’s 100% commitment always lifted a bad film. The movie may fail him but he would never fail his public.

Cushing began his acting career in repertory theatre and with his legendary one-way ticket to Hollywood, made his film debut in 1939. After a couple of productive years in the States, he worked his way back to England following the outbreak of World War 2. Marrying actress Helen Beck, he worked on stage but struggled to find good roles until he became a member of the RSC under Laurence Oliver. As British TV’s first big star,...

This deeply disturbing, horribly convincing psychological thriller is also that rarest of things: a scary movie in which a woman is permitted to do the killing

It is one of Roman Polanski's most brilliant films: a deeply disturbing, horribly convincing psychological thriller that is also that rarest of things: a scary movie in which a woman is permitted to do the killing. Catherine Deneuve's glassy stare of anxiety dominates the movie: it is like Janet Leigh's empty gaze at the end of the Psycho shower scene. Polanski clearly took something from that movie, as well as from the chaos, squalor and mania in Joseph Losey's The Servant (1963).

Carol (Deneuve) is a shy, beautiful young French woman living in London with her worldly sister Helen (Yvonne Furneaux) in a shabby mansion flat in South Kensington. (They could in fact be Belgian; Carol talks about a family photo being taken in Brussels.

Director Sascha Hartmann with Dame Shirley Bassey wearing a ‘Sir Billi’ tartan gown / Courtesy Alan Simpson Photography

Producers of Sir Billi, the first full length animated feature to be produced entirely in Scotland, have announced that the British singing legend Dame Shirley Bassey will join the red carpet when the film gets it’s first international screening at the 15th annual Sonoma International Film Festival in San Francisco on April 13th 2012.

Dame Shirley Bassey performs the title track ‘Guardian of the Highlands’, in the forthcoming animated movie starring the voice of Sir Sean Connery. Indeed this project was the first time Sir Sean and Dame Shirley collaborated since the Bond era!

Sascha Hartmann is directing ‘Sir Billi’ from a screenplay written by his wife Tessa Hartmann, from an original story they developed together. John Fraser is producer, with Sir Sean Connery serving as executive producer.

Expanded to a feature length...

British film star known for her roles in A Town Like Alice and The Spanish Gardener

Never having had the chance to justify her initial build-up as "the next Vivien Leigh", the svelte brunette Maureen Swanson, who has died of cancer aged 78, deserved much better than she was given in the 1950s by the Rank Organisation, to whom she was under contract. Although Swanson was not a graduate of the much-maligned Rank Charm School, she was, to her chagrin, often referred to as a "Rank starlet", which implied that she was merely on screen in order to look glamorous. But unlike Rank charmers such as Diana Dors, Joan Collins and Belinda Lee, Swanson was not a "naughty" sex symbol, but more of a "good girl".

She might have gone on to better parts had not her marriage in 1961 to William Ward, Viscount Ednam (later the 4th Earl of Dudley) terminated her acting career for good.

Rock icon Paul McCartney is set to release .Ocean.s Kingdom. on October 4th. The release was commissioned by the New York City Ballet. The recording will be released by Hear Music/Telarc and is conducted by John Wilson, produced by John Fraser and performed by The London Classical Orchestra. .Ocean.s Kingdom. is the first time McCartney has written an original orchestral score or any kind of music for dance and is the result of a collaboration between Paul and New York City Ballet.s Master in Chief Peter Martins - who have worked together to present the world premiere of a new ballet for the company.s 2011/2012 season this September. Though the work is McCartney.s first ballet, he approached...

What could be more daunting than the trek Pippa Middleton made down the Westminster Abbey aisle on April 29? The race she ran last Saturday would likely qualify. The younger Middleton sister, 27, sloshed through mud and rain and over the rough terrain in the Highland Cross, a 50-mile endurance race across Scotland that features a grueling 20-mile run followed by a 30-mile bike race. Photos: Pippa Middleton's Summer StyleIn her first attempt at the race, the famously fit royal bridesmaid completed the course in an impressive 5 hours, 8 minutes, finishing 12th out of 150 women. "I am really tired," she told reporters afterward.

From A Clockwork Orange to Shaun of the Dead, The Guardian Guide's film critic Steve Rose charts some of the capital's finest moments on the silver screen

• As featured in our London guide

The King's Speech, Tom Hooper, 2010

The latest addition to London's locations map, this is the "Harley Street" consulting room where Geoffrey Rush cured Colin Firth's Oscar-winning stammer in The King's Speech. Beneath the mouldering paintwork, it's actually a beautifully preserved Georgian townhouse – with a fine vaulted ceiling, generous leaded windows and distinctive curved skylights. The property was also used for Amy Winehouse's Rehab video, not to mention the occasional gay porn film – though that attracts fewer pilgrims. There's no easy way to get in, but it's often hired for corporate functions, so you've got options.

• 33 Portland Place, 33portlandplace.com

Blowup, Michelangelo Antonioni, 1966

Whatever David Hemmings did or didn't see through his camera in

Antonioni's Swinging London milestone,...

Brian Mulroney, one of Canada's most hated politicians and former Prime Ministers, will be portrayed on the big screen in a dramatic and humoristic opera. The film Mulroney: The Opera will be released in select Canadian theatres on April 16.

The story begins in 2002 when Canada's Prime Minister Jean Chrétien (Colin Mochrie) unveils the official portrait of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (Rick Miller).

During that day, Mulroney is seen telling his story to a security guard. He brings us back in his young days. He also talks about his political career and the controversies that have plagued him ever since.

Other members of the cast include: Stephanie Anne Mills as Mila Mulroney; Michael Murphy as Col. McCormick; Geordie Johnson as John Turner; Ted Dykstra as Ed Broadbent; Janet Laine-Green as Nancy Reagan; Joe Matheson as Ronald Reagan; Sean Cullen as Robert Coates; Dan Lett as John Fraser; and Joanne Boland as Kim Campbell.

Thomas Keller, Grant Achatz, and other celebrated chefs are getting into the quick-and-dirty game of pop-up restaurants. Tien Nguyen plans your four-star meals before it's too late.

Getting a seat at a pop-up restaurant-one of the biggest food trends of 2011-might not be as difficult as scoring a seat at Rao's, but it's close. Nationwide, chefs are using temporary restaurant spaces to experiment and create entirely new dining experiences, only to shut down or change menus after only a few days or months. Because what pops up must pop down, access to these unique dining experiences will be highly limited, and only those in the know will be able to snag a table. Here are some of the country's most anticipated pop-ups to come. Plan your meals accordingly.

Related story on The Daily Beast: Fall's Hottest New Restaurants

Ending February 26: Dan Moody's Relate in San Diego

San Diego's first pop-up restaurant,...

Maths - I hate it. Ever since I was a small kid, I've never got it. All that talk of hypotenuses, acute angles and fractions frequently left me with a revolving head at school. Even as a grown-up, anything to do with maths leaves me in a cold sweat. Me and maths do not go together - much like the fourth Doctor. This may account for his long face which never really breaks into a smile during the story called Logopolis.

Or maybe it's to do with the fact that he's about to meet his maker.

Yes, after a record-breaking near-on seven years, Tom Baker is about to hang up his scarf. It's an important moment in Doctor Who, especially when you consider how Doctor Who had changed between 1974 and 1981. In 1974, it was a well-respected and much loved family TV show, watched by millions. However, Tom Baker helped to turn...

From the Guardian, 21 May 1979

Apocalypse Now is not the greatest film of the decade, or even of the year. The world premiere at the Cannes festival on Saturday was actually nothing of the sort; rather, it was the latest (but not the last?) in a long series of previews which have gone on over the past year. […]

One doesn't have to be a purist to think that a director ought to know how his films should end, and what scenes to cut and which to include, without having to ask audiences all over the world for their opinion.

Again, Coppola has a ready answer to this objection: the film has been 10 years in the making, and he feels too close to it to make any decisions himself. I couldn't help thinking of the Balzac short story, The Unknown Masterpiece, in which a painter works for decades in secret on his masterpiece which,...

Network DVD have announced the UK DVD release of the classic horror series Mystery and Imagination on July 5th 2010. This critically acclaimed and extremely popular anthology series presents a selection of Gothic tales by legendary 19th Century writers: Robert Louis Stevenson’s nihilistic The Suicide Club, Sheridan le Fanu’s Uncle Silas plus Edgar Allen Poe to name but a few, not to mention a most faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Famous faces and well – known names lend this most chilling collection of tales authenticity and truth. Ian Holm, Denholm Elliot and Patrick Mower are among the many who turn in powerhouse performances for each of the six specially commissioned, featured-length TV plays. Freddie Jones’s performance as the demented pie-maker, Sweeney Todd, lingers in the memory long after the credit has rolled and the television turned off!

This release contains every remaining episode of Mystery and Imagination,...

The first images from Sir Billi, the animated film featuring the voice of Sean Connery, have arrived online. As we reported back November, the movie sounds like someone came up with it while enjoying every drug ever made: “The movie centers on a retired, skateboarding veterinarian who lives in a remote Scottish village and who spearheads the rescue of an illegal fugitive who also happens to be a beaver.” At the time, part of me thought, “That can’t possibly be right.” Who would make that? Sean Connery would make that. He’s a producer on the film who has been instrumental in getting it made.* It’s also the first film he’s done since 2003’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

You can see the images after the jump and keep in mind that indie feature animated films don’t have the money of studios like DreamWorks or Pixar.

The history of Roman Polanski is almost as fascinating as his best films. Born in Poland, he survived the holocaust, and married Sharon Tate, who was murdered by the Manson family.

In the late 70’s he fled America because he was charged with rape in a nasty public case that has led many to decry the artist as a terrible human being. Polanski may be a miserable little shit of a human being, but he also directed Knife in the Water, Chinatown, Rosemary’s Baby, and The Pianist. He also directed one of the greatest feminist horror movies with Repulsion. If absolutely nothing else, the man is filled with interesting contradictions. My review is after the jump.

Catherine Deneuve stars Carole Ledoux, a young French manicurist living in London. She lives with her sister Helene (Yvonne Furneaux) and has something of a boyfriend in Colin (John Fraser). Helene has a...