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No genre stretches the imagination to the farthest reaches of possibility more than sci-fi, where the only limit is creativity. It’s a genre built on wonder, exploration and the thrill of discovery. Whether it’s a spacecraft journeying through space or aliens beyond understanding, the allure of sci-fi is universal. Yet, few films manifest youthful curiosity quite like Joe Dante’s Explorers.

Released in 1985, this under-the-radar gem managed to sidestep the blockbuster frenzy of its time to become a cult classic, one that still resonates with anyone – young or old – who has ever dreamed of building a spaceship in their backyard and flying off into the stars. Explorers captures the kind of wonder that only childhood can bring, where the impossible feels within reach. While the film may not have been a huge box-office success, it’s one that stands the test of time as a tribute to the...

Hollywood history is no stranger to the talented child actor. But out of all the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed youngsters who have lit up the screen over the decades, River Phoenix is a clear standout. A preternaturally old soul, Phoenix brought maturity and profound vulnerability to all of his roles, making every film he appears in significantly richer for his presence. As a child actor, he seemed destined for great things, and as he aged into his early 20s, he was poised to meet every expectation audiences had placed on his shoulders.

But then, suddenly, he was gone. Phoenix died of a drug overdose in 1993, when he was just 23 years old. Although he left behind the tragedy of so much potential left unfulfilled, he also gave audiences a filmography full of interesting and measured performances to enjoy. Here's his entire catalog, ranked from worst to best, based on critical consensus and our own personal impressions.

George Folsey Jr., the longtime producer and film editor for director John Landis, has died at the age of 85, according to his family.

The son of 13-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer George J. Folsey, whose credits included “Meet Me in St. Louis” and “Forbidden Planet,” Folsey Jr. got his start in editing at Kabc in Los Angeles, where he edited documentaries and news reports for broadcast in the 1960s.

He then moved into cinema by learning the trade at MGM, where his father had worked, alongside “Grand Prix” Oscar-winning editor Henry Berman. His first feature film project was Alexander Singer’s “Glass Houses,” a 1972 film in which Folsey was editor, cinematographer and producer.

A year later, Folsey was hired to edit John Landis’ debut feature film “Schlock,” a sendup of “King Kong” in which an ape man chased out of his cave wanders into a Southern California neighborhood and develops an unrequited crush on a teen girl.

George Folsey Jr., the veteran film editor behind classic films such as “Coming to America” and “Animal House,” died Dec. 29. He was 84.

Variety learned the news from Folsey Jr.’s son Ryan Folsey, who is also an editor. Folsey Jr. was the son of cinematographer George J. Folsey.

Folsey Jr. collaborated frequently with director John Landis. Over the course of his five-decade career, he went on to edit or co-edit a total of six of Landis’s films which included “Schlock,” “The Blues Brothers” and “Coming to America.”

Furthermore, Folsey Jr. worked with the “Burke and Hare” filmmaker as a second unit director on “Trading Places,” “Into the Night” and “Three Amigos.”

Some of his other editing credits include the “Michael Jackson: Thriller” music video, “Hot Tub Time Machine,” “Clarity,” “Wolf Mountain,” “Just Swipe,” “Summer Rain,” “Despair,” “Freeloaders,” “Chain of Command” and “My Sister.”

In addition to his work as an editor,...

George Folsey Jr., the film editor and producer who collaborated with director John Landis on such films as Animal House, The Blues Brothers, Coming to America and An American Werewolf in London, has died. He was 85.

Folsey died Sunday in Los Angeles of complications from pneumonia, his son, fellow film editor Ryan Folsey (Cabin Fever, Renfield), told The Hollywood Reporter.

His father was George J. Folsey, the famed 13-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer whose credits included The Cocoanuts (1929), Animal Crackers (1930), Thousands Cheer (1944), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), The Clock (1945), Green Dolphin Street (1947), Adam’s Rib (1949), Million Dollar Mermaid (1953), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) and Forbidden Planet (1956).

George Folsey Jr. also edited Shawn Levy’s Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) and The Pink Panther (2006) and Eli Roth’s Hostel (2005) and Hostel: Part II (2007).

After cutting Landis’ directorial debut, Schlock (1973), Folsey edited the Landis-helmed The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977), Animal House (1978), The Blues Brothers (1980) and Coming to America (1988), which he also produced.

Dermot Mulroney is a mysterious figure whose darkness may extend well beyond the surface in Depravity. Having first found acclaim in such smaller dramatic fare as Long Gone and The Thing Called Love, Mulroney would become well-known for his work as the love interest in a number of iconic titles, including My Best Friend's Wedding and New Girl, while also co-starring in the likes of About Schmidt and The Family Stone. More recently, Mulroney has found success with the likes of Scream VI, Anyone but You and Marvel's Secret Invasion.

In Depravity, Mulroney stars as Mr. Evers, a peculiar tenet of an old-fashioned apartment building. Watched closely by his neighbors, Grace and Aria, Mr. Evers is generally seen coming and going at odd times of the night with his Rottweiler in tow, while also having a group of bizarre visitors in and out of his apartment. When Grace and Aria...

They say a friend in need is a friend indeed, and this couldn’t be truer for Sandra Bullock and Samantha Mathis. Have you ever wondered how deep the roots of friendship can grow in the world of Hollywood, where authenticity is a rare gem?

River Phoenix in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) | Credit: Paramount Pictures

What these actresses have isn’t just any friendship; it’s an extended family dynamic. When River Phoenix, Mathis’ boyfriend and a beloved star, tragically passed away in 1993, it was undeniably one of the “scariest experiences” in Bullock’s life. Yet during those dark days, the latter’s sympathy and unflagging support provided a silver lining, mirroring her extraordinary empathy and deep bond with Mathis.

The Heartwarming Act by Sandra Bullock for River Phoenix’s Girlfriend

In the early ‘90s, River Phoenix was the darling of Hollywood, a young actor who seemed destined for greatness.

River Phoenix‘s sister Rain Phoenix paid a touching tribute to the late actor on what would have been his 54th birthday.

In an Instagram post made Friday, the singer and actress shared a series of images of and quotes by the Stand By Me star. She captioned the post — set to her song “Immolate,” which features lyrics like “I’m gonna hold onto love / ’cause it’s the only way out” — “Happy Birthday River...

Close on the heels of his performances in the slasher Scream VI and the hit romantic comedy Anyone but You, Dermot Mulroney has just wrapped production on a new horror thriller called Dead and Breakfast. This one is coming our way from the Las Vegas-based production companies Beno Films and Al Bravo Films, but filming took place in Little Rock, Arkansas. Deadline got their hands on a pair of first-look images from Dead and Breakfast, and you can check those out in this article.

Written and directed by Loppo Jp Martinez, Dead and Breakfast follows five petty criminals who rob a pawn shop in Kansas City. Still, on their drive back to Little Rock, an unexpected engine failure forces them to stay in a bed & breakfast in the middle of nowhere where their plan quickly derails into a bloodbath. So no, in case you were wondering, this Dead and Breakfast[/link]...

Daryl McCormack as Colman and Ruth Wilson as Lorna in ‘The Woman in the Wall’ (Photo Credit: Chris Barr / BBC / Showtime)

Paramount+’s January 2024 lineup includes the series premiere of Sexy Beast, a prequel to the critically acclaimed, award-winning drama released in 2000 and starring Sir Ben Kingsley and Ray Winstone. The streaming service’s also kicking off the new year with the debut of The Woman in the Wall, a six-episode series starring Ruth Wilson (His Dark Materials) and Daryl McCormack (Bad Sisters).

June Carter Cash is the focus of June, a feature-length documentary directed by Emmy Award-winner Kristen Vaurio (Going Clear: Scientology & The Prison of Belief) arriving on January 16. January 2024 also sees the return of SkyMed, a medical drama set in the world of medics and pilots who fly air ambulances in Canada, for its second season.

Coming to Paramount+ on January 1

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5 Card Stud

A Promise*

A Single Man*

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Writer/director Lindsey Anderson Beer’s Pet Sematary prequel Pet Sematary: Bloodlines was made specifically for the Paramount+ streaming service, but now it has been announced that Paramount is going to be doing something I wish streaming services would do much more often: while continuing to stream the movie, they will also be giving it a digital, 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD release! The digital version will be available for rent or purchase as of December 5th, with the physical media release following on December 19th.

Said to be “based on an untold chapter penned by Stephen King“, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines centers on a young Jud Crandall in 1969, who has dreams of leaving his hometown behind but soon discovers sinister secrets buried within and is forced to confront a dark family history that will forever keep him connected to the town. Banding together, Jud and his childhood friends must fight an...

One of Stephen King‘s famous tales of reanimation gone awry was reimagined in 2019 with Pet Sematary from Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer. John Lithgow would portray Jud Crandall in that adaptation. Now, behold the beginning of the story as Pet Sematary: Bloodlines shows fans how Jud first discovered the cursed graveyard. Paramount+ has just released the new trailer for the horror prequel. Those who wish to see it before its streaming premiere will be able to catch its debut at Fantastic Fest, which is set to be held at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, Texas, from September 21st – 28th. The movie will then be available on Paramount+ on October 6.

This film is boasting that it is an untold chapter from Stephen King’s original beloved story. The synopsis for Pet Sematary: Bloodlines will involve “a young Jud Crandall in 1969, who has dreams of leaving his hometown behind...

When River Phoenix died on October 31, 1993, after Phoenix collapsed outside of the now notorious Viper Room nightclub in West Hollywood, Phoenix’s death embodied the tragedy of early death and unfulfilled potential, as while Phoenix’s colleagues and followers have aged considerably since Phoenix’s untimely death, Phoenix will always be frozen in time.

Indeed, as Phoenix’s perpetual youthfulness is, along with Phoenix’s undeniable talent, the centerpiece of Phoenix’s enduring legacy, this also represents a morbid fascination, as while Phoenix would now be fifty-three years old, had he lived, Phoenix died as a twenty-three-year-old actor who seemed poised to become one of the most important adult actors of his generation but is best remembered for his teenage roles in the films Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Running on Empty, and Stand by Me.

Moreover, the passage of time has seemingly made people forget how truly messed...

Writer/director Lindsey Anderson Beer’s Pet Sematary prequel Pet Sematary: Bloodlines will be having its world premiere at this year’s edition of Fantastic Fest, which is set to be held at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, Texas from September 21st – 28th (badges are available now at FantasticFest.com), before it reaches the Paramount+ streaming service on October 6th. Before it makes its way out into the world, it needed to secure a rating – and now it has. The Motion Picture Association ratings board has confirmed that Pet Sematary: Bloodlines has been given an R rating for horror violence, gore and language.

Said to be “based on an untold chapter penned by Stephen King“, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines centers on a young Jud Crandall in 1969, who has dreams of leaving his hometown behind but soon discovers sinister secrets buried within and is forced to confront a dark family...

Almost two years have gone by since we’ve heard anything about writer/director Lindsey Beer’s Pet Sematary prequel, which was made specifically for the Paramount+ streaming service. Now, Deadline has finally shared an update about the project, and it’s a very positive one: the film has been given the title Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, and it’s been given a release date! It will start streaming on Paramount+ on October 6th… so a lot of horror fans are going to be watching this one as part of their Halloween season celebrations.

Said to be “based on an untold chapter penned by Stephen King“, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines centers on a young Jud Crandall in 1969, who has dreams of leaving his hometown behind but soon discovers sinister secrets buried within and is forced to confront a dark family history that will forever keep him connected to the town. Banding together,...

Not many movie buffs have the chance to meet, let alone interview or become friendly with, their favorite moviemakers.

Peter Bogdanovich, who died January 6 at the age of 82, managed the trick many times over. First as a film scholar and magazine features writer, then as a filmmaker in his own right, Bogdanovich cozied up to the likes of directors like Ford, Hawks, and Welles, and actors like John Wayne, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart, among countless others.

By some combination of luck and persistence, Bogdanovich saw to it that these men, whose movies he had seen, inhaled, and studied as a youth in New York, became his teachers, mentors, and friends.

He accomplished what had been the dream of every movie buff since before the movies talked: to get to know, in flesh and blood, those icons of the silver screen.

It was with that model in the back of...

Peter Bogdanovich, the celebrated, Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind classics like The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon, as well as a frequent actor, died Thursday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 82. Bogdanovich’s daughter, Antonia Bogdanovich, confirmed his death, saying the director died of natural causes.

Bogdanovich began his career as a film critic and reporter before meeting producer Roger Corman, who’d been so impressed with some of his work that he enlisted him to help out on some of his films. Despite this ostensibly unconventional path into the film industry,...

Peter Bogdanovich, the actor, film historian and critic-turned-director of such classics as The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon, What’s Up, Doc? and Mask, died today of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles. He was 82. Family members, who were by his side, said paramedics were unable to revive him.

His daughter, writer-director Antonia Bogdanovich, said of her father: “He never stopped working, and film was his life and he loved his family. He taught me a lot.”

Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery

While he would be best known later for his deadpan turn as the shrink’s shrink in The Sopranos, Bogdanovich exploded onto the cinematic scene in 1971 with The Last Picture Show, a box office hit he wrote and directed that drew comparisons to Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane and earned the filmmaker his only two Oscar noms — for Best Director and Adapted Screenplay. With a...

With a hypnotic gaze, a raspy voice and the capability to effortlessly inhabit the soul of a character, the late actor, musician and activist River Phoenix was a once-in-a-generation talent. Today, he would have turned 51 years old.

While his posthumous age can be an irrelevant number to warrant a retrospective of one of the finest ever to grace the movies — especially one year after many took the opportunity to celebrate him for his 50th birthday — any day can be an opportunity to reflect upon someone with only 14 film credits who made an undeniable impact on the cinematic art form.

A life cut far too short, Phoenix’s physical manifestation with us ended in the early hours of Halloween in 1993 outside the Los Angeles nightclub The Viper Room, then-owned by actor Johnny Depp. Present at the time was his girlfriend and “The Thing Called Love” co-star Samantha Mathis, his sister Rain...

As affectionate as a love letter but as substantial as an infomercial, Brian Loschiavo’s “Bluebird” may be of most interest to casual and/or newly converted country music fans who have occasionally wondered about the songwriters behind the songs. There’s a better than even-money chance that anyone who’s a loyal and longtime aficionado of the musical genre already has at least a nodding acquaintance with the history and significance of The Bluebird Café, the intimate Nashville venue often cited as a launching pad for both platinum-selling superstars and behind-the-scenes tunesmiths. On the other hand, even many of those individuals could be entertained by what amounts to a backstage tour.

Director-editor Loschiavo capably balances the household names and unsung heroes in the cavalcade of interviewees who, with degrees of enthusiasm ranging from nostalgic to reverential, tell the story of an improbable landmark in an unlikely setting.

Located in...

Next week is the 25th anniversary of actor River Phoenix’s untimely death. The “Stand By Me” star was just 23 when he died of a drug overdose after a night out at Hollywood’s Viper Room nightclub — owned then by fellow actor Johnny Depp.

His girlfriend at the time was actress Samantha Mathis, who was by Phoenix’s side that fateful night in late October 1993. She spoke about it with British paper The Guardian, which reported Thursday that it’s the first time she’s recounted the events that led to Phoenix’s passing to any media member in the past 25 years.

“I knew something was wrong that night, something I didn’t understand,” Mathis, who co-starred with Phoenix in 1993’s “The Thing Called Love,” said. “I didn’t see anyone doing drugs but he was high in a way that made me feel uncomfortable — I was in way over my head.

Samantha Mathis is opening up about the tragic night her boyfriend, actor River Phoenix, died in 1993 on Halloween at the age of 23.

The American Psycho actress was with Phoenix and his younger brother Joaquin Phoenix when the Running on Empty actor died of a drug overdose outside of the Viper Room in Los Angeles.

Mathis, 48, told The Guardian in a phone interview that she accompanied Phoenix to the Viper Room, a Los Angeles club then-owned by Johnny Depp.

The actress said she thought they were there to drop off his siblings “but when we arrived he said to me, ‘Oh,...

Hulu has confirmed that several of its original series will be debuting new episodes on the streaming service in July, including the first season of the highly anticipated Stephen King thriller “Castle Rock” as well as season 2 of the costume drama “Harlots” and season 4 of the comedy “Casual.”

And there will also be new to Hulu seasons of some of your favorites from other networks, including season 2 of “The Strain,” season 4 of “The Vikings” and season 8 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Likewise, there will be plenty of movies making their first Hulu appearances including the first five films in the “Star Trek” franchise and the Oscar-winning “Rosemary’s Baby.”

See Netflix schedule: Here’s what is coming and leaving in July

Available July 1: TV

Alaska: The Last Frontier: Complete Season 4 (Discovery)

Deadliest Catch: Complete Season 11 (Discovery)

Deadly Women: Complete Season 6 (ID)

Dual Survival: Complete Season 5 (Discovery)

Elementary: Complete Season...

Tuesday marks the 24th anniversary of River Phoenix’s untimely death on Oct. 31, 1993.

The actor was just 23 when he died outside the Viper Room in West Hollywood due to a drug overdose, but made his mark on the world after starring in beloved films Stand By Me (1986), Running on Empty (1988) and My Own Private Idaho (1991). His final film, Dark Blood, was completed in 2012.

In Phoenix’s honor, we’re taking a look back at his quick rise to fame and the best work of the gone-but-never-forgotten star.

An Unusual Childhood

Phoenix was born on August 23, 1970 in Madras, Oregon. His family...

3D space disaster movie relies on her personal qualities and acting chops that continue to produce hits from unlikely material

• Video: Gravity star Sandra Bullock: 'What we do, it's all sci-fi'

• Peter Bradshaw's five-star review for Gravity

Sandra Bullock may not have been the obvious first choice to play a scientist stuck in high-earth orbit in a 3D space thriller – especially not for producing studio Warner Bros, who had originally intended Gravity to be a vehicle for Angelina Jolie.

But there's no question now that she made the role her own. After a string of perky, cornbread roles over the past two decades, Bullock can also claim to have substantially reinvented herself with this grim-faced, physically demanding performance. Gravity's success – it will almost certainly overtake The Blind Side as her highest-grossing film in the not too distant future – caps a spectacular second coming for the actor, whose...

Thursday marks the 20th anniversary of River Phoenix's untimely death on Oct. 31, 1993. The actor was just 23 when he died outside the Viper Room in West Hollywood due to a drug overdose, but made his mark on the world after starring in beloved films Stand By Me (1986), Running on Empty (1988) and My Own Private Idaho (1991). His final film, Dark Blood, was completed in 2012. In Phoenix's honor, we're taking a look back at a few of our favorite clips of the gone-but-never-forgotten star. Watch the clips below and share your favorite memories in the comments below. Classic: Check out this Stand By Me tribute.

There's a moment of sharp emotional poignancy towards the end of Rob Reiner's beloved coming of age drama Stand by Me. After a summer he'll never forget Gordie (Wil Wheaton) waves goodbye to his friend Chris Chambers, and as the latter strides off, his image fades away from the screen.

It's a scene that cuts deep for anyone who's seen and loves Stand by Me; not only does it foreshadow Chris's untimely death, years later it all draws parallels between the character and the actor who so memorably brought him to life, River Phoenix.

It has been 20 years since Phoenix died tragically outside the Viper Room club in Los Angeles, but his filmography grows all-the-more impressive over time. Phoenix has a spectacular list of collaborations with directors, racking up films with the likes of Joe Dante, Steven Spielberg, Peter Bogdanovich, Gus Van Sant, Sidney Lumet and Peter Weir in his all-too brief 23 years.

Los Angeles, Aug 4: Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock feels that the Academy Awards do not show respect to comedy movies.

The 49-year-old has been part of some comedy-drama's like "Miss Congeniality", "28 Days", "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood", "The Thing Called Love" and "Love Potion No.9".

She won an Oscar in 2010 for her role in "The Blind Side".

"There's no respect for comedies when it comes to the Oscars - absolutely none. But you don't do comedy for awards or credibility. You do it for the joy," dailystar.co.uk quoted Bullock as saying.

The actress was at the red carpet of her forthcoming.

Hi everyone! Today I'm pretending to be a real journalist and sitting in on ABC's sessions at the Television Critics' Association press tour in Los Angeles. Here's what I saw and heard at this morning's Nashville panel.

Even the most casual film fans might find Nashville's storylines sliiiightly familiar: an older singer touring with a younger singer (Country Strong); a struggling singer-songwriter working the bar scene (The Thing Called Love); an array of artists and businesspeople navigating show business as dramatically as...  More >>...

Two Avengers will be making beautiful music together in a film that won’t see them in super hero tights. That’s right, one of this year’s most anticipated film is The Avengers, slated for a May 4th release. Scarlett Johansson wears form-fitting leather as that film’s Black Widow, a spy who keeps up with the likes of Iron Man and Captain America to help defend the world against bad guys. One of her co-stars is actor Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, a.k.a. The Hulk. But the two will be teaming up on a more musical set as well. Their other film is called Can a Song Save Your Life?’

If you recall the 2006 Irish musical film, Once, and liked it as much as I did, this should come as interesting news. Once won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and introduced Glen Hansard to Markéta Irglová,...

Here are 11 fun Super Bowl commercials to watch for those of you who didn't watch the big game yesterday or that you may have missed while watching it. These don't include any of the Super Bowl trailers or any of the previous commercials we've posted. Check them out and tell us what you think!

I'll start you off with one of my favorite commercials that wasn't a movie trailer. It's for Chevy Silverado - End of the World, which was directed by Noam Murro (Smart People, 300: Battle of Artemisia)

Murro also directed the following three ads as well:

Pepsi - King's Court

Chevy Sonic - Stunt Anthem

Kia - Dream Car

This is another one of my favorites. It's a Met Life commercial featuring some of our favorite classic cartoon characters.

Samsung - The Thing Called Love - directed by Bobby Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Marry,...

This Halloween it will have been 18-years since River Phoenix died of a drug overdose in front of The Viper Club. In the short amount of time that the actor had on this Earth he proved to be an extraordinary talent at such a young age. I still wonder where his career would have led him. The last movie anyone saw Phoenix in was The Thing Called Love. The film is by no means a cinematic masterpiece but it's one that I really enjoy. Now it looks like we will be seeing Phoenix on-screen again....

Update: Looks like Joaquin Phoenix and the rest of the Phoenix family want nothing to do with this so maybe it won't be happening after all. We're closing in on 20 years now since the death of River Phoenix, and although the young Hollywood star had only been acting in movies for less than a decade, it's easy to forget just how many titles he actually had under his belt. Some of the highlights include Stand By Me, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, My Own Private Idaho, and Running on Empty (for which he received his only Oscar nomination), but his final film was Peter Bogdanovich's Nashville-based comedy The Thing Called Love... until now, that is. At the time of his death, Phoenix had been working on another film called Dark Blood, an apocalyptic thriller about a hermit living in the desert on a nuclear testing site awaiting the end of the world.

Get ready to experience something that hasn't occurred in 18 years: a new River Phoenix movie will soon be coming to a movie theater near you.

The former child star passed away in 1993 and left one unfinished movie behind. Phoenix had been shooting "Dark Blood," an apocalyptic drama set on a nuclear testing site, before his death, and Dutch director George Sluizer is ready to finally finish the film. In fact, Sluizer believes the final cut of the movie could be ready for release next year.

He explained to The Hollywood Reporter that he is going to use editing techniques like voice over to bridge the gap over the scenes Phoenix hasn't shot. The plan is to ask Phoenix's brother, Joaquin Phoenix, to do the voice work because "the voices of both brothers are very much alike."

Sluizer sat on the footage of "Dark Blood" over the 18 years since Phoenix's death...

Blogdanovich is the blog of director, producer, writer, actor, film critic, and author Peter Bogdanovich. He has directed over 25 feature films including international award winners The Last Picture Show, What’s Up, Doc?, Paper Moon, Daisy Miller, Saint Jack, Mask; cult favorites Targets, Texasville, Noises Off, They All Laughed, and A The Thing Called Love, among stars he’s introduced: Cybill Shepherd, Tatum O’Neal, Madeline Kahn, John Ritter, Sandra Bullock; has directed stars Audrey Hepburn, Barbra Streisand, Michael Caine, Cher; best-sellers Who the Devil Made It: Who the Hell's In It, The Killing of the Unicorn; standard texts John Ford, This is Orson Welles; and was a recurring guest-star on the popular HBO series The Sopranos.

Is the director's cut just one big self-indulgence, or the chance for an auteur to get his vision across to the public untrammelled by the money men?

First 18 minutes had to be cut for length. Then another eight minutes went at the insistence of the studio. Six months later, the director was allowed to reinstate a minute of original footage. That was followed, 19 years later, by another seven minutes, one minute of which was – on second thoughts – removed again a few years after that.

Since it premiered in 1971, The Last Picture Show, Peter Bogdanovich's nostalgic masterpiece about lust and loss in smalltown Texas, has been through three official edits and several unofficial ones. Bogdanovich now says the version to be released on 15 April finally represents his perfect vision. Almost. "Well, it's as close as it's going to get."

It was in 1974 that the term "director's cut" began to acquire...

Sandra Bullock is one of the world's most popular, most recognizable and longest-lasting movie stars. She arrived on July 26, 1964, as Sandra Annette Bullock, the daughter of opera singer Helga Meyer and voice coach and Pentagon contractor John Bullock. Though she was born in Arlington, Virginia, Bullock actually grew up in Nuremberg, Germany, where she first dipped her toes in the entertainment waters by studying vocal arts and ballet dancing, and appearing (briefly) in some of her mother's shows. She returned to the States in the mid-70's, attending high school and then going to college at East Carolina University in North Carolina, but she exited before graduation in order to chase her acting dream. It wasn't long before Bullock -- initially based in New York City -- started to find work. She landed a role in the back-door pilot Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman...

It's been eons since we've gotten a Peter Bogdanovich tale. Aside from some TV work and his Tom Petty documentary in 2007, there hasn't been a big-screen feature since he dug into William Randolph Hearst's dirty laundry with The Cat's Meow in 2001. And before that, The Thing Called Love in 1993. No finishing Orson Welles' The Other Side of the Wind (he stated last month that he didn't think editing the film would ever be possible), and no code cracking. But finally, The Hollywood Reporter posts that he will write and direct an adaptation of Kurt Anderson's novel Turn of the Century.

If anything should reinvigorate the feature career of the man who helmed Paper Moon, The Last Picture Show, and Mask, and bring in a new audience, this is it. The book is a modern social satire oft-compared to Tom Wolfe's Bonfire of the Vanities. Written in...

Film director Peter Bogdanovich has sensationally revealed that River Phoenix's drug habit was the talk of the set of Thing Called Love, The (1993), the late star's last film. Phoenix, 23, died of a massive drug overdose on Halloween 1993 outside the Viper Room, a club part-owned by Johnny Depp, on Hollywood Boulevard Bogdanovich who romanced tragic Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten says that Phoenix had boundless talent, but a propensity for delving into - and almost becoming - the characters he played. The director approached Phoenix during filming when talk of the actor's possible drug use began. Phoenix denied having a drug problem claiming that he "didn't even eat meat". Phoenix played a country singer trying to make it in Nashville in the 1993 film, which co-starred Samantha Mathis, Dermot Mulroney and Sandra Bullock. Bogdanovich says, "The irony was that the more brilliantly convincing River was in playing a self-involved, arrogant, drug- savvy, talented singer-songwriter, the more people believed that was River."...