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Very few of Terry Gilliam's films have been produced without some kind of grievous production problem. Gilliam appears to be cursed, with his films victimized by studio tinkering, bad filming conditions, or the health of his actors. The saga of his "Brazil" is well known to cineastes, and his more recent "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" had to be made twice, after the first version of the film fell through. In 2009, Gilliam released "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," a melancholy nightmare about a mystical closet that travels around in the possession of the titular doctor (Christopher Plummer). Inside the closet is a mystical pocket dimension where surreal dreams are manifested. Dr. Parnassus heads a theater troupe and is immortal, having been tricked by Satan (Tom Waits). Into his company comes the handsome young Tony (Heath Ledger), who may offer salvation. At the very least, Tony offers to spruce...

Italy’s longest-running celebration of speculative cinema and imagination, the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival, will mark its 25th anniversary with a bold new look and an expanded slate of screenings, talks and exhibitions. Running from 28 October to 2 November 2025, the milestone edition will take place across venues including Politeama Rossetti, Teatro Miela and the festival’s central Sci-Fi Dome in Piazza della Borsa.

To commemorate the occasion, organisers have unveiled a specially commissioned poster by Sara Pichelli, co-creator of Marvel’s Miles Morales and a key artist behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The artwork features a lone female figure clutching a flower—a dual symbol of fragility and defiance. Her expression suggests fear and rage, set against a backdrop that evokes the complexities of a world shaped by artificial intelligence and fluid identity.

Speaking on her contribution, Pichelli said she wanted to depict someone caught between self-doubt and determination, reflecting the...

One of Heath Ledger and Matt Damon's most underrated action movies is heading to a new streaming home.

2005's The Brothers Grimmstarring Heath Ledger and Matt Damon is officially making its way to Paramount+ as its new streaming home. The fan-favorite fantasy action film will be available for streaming on Paramount+ beginning Aug. 1.

Directed by Terry Gilliam from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger, The Brothers Grimm starred Damon and Ledger as fictionalized versions of Will and Jake Grimm. Rather than being the acclaimed authors that fans know and love, these Brothers Grimm are traveling con artists who prey upon unsuspecting villagers who are plagued by all manner of imagined monstrosities. After being forced to investigate the goings-on of a small German village, the Brothers Grimm find themselves staring down a very real ancient evil before taking it upon themselves to strike it down once and for all.

Alongside its leading duo,...

Johnny Depp made a surprise appearance at Alice Cooper's recent concert in London, appearing onstage with his Hollywood Vampires bandmate to pay tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. The two rockers joined forces to honor the legendary Black Sabbath frontman, just three days after his family announced that he had died at the age of 76. The mic drop moment left concertgoers stunned, as no one had expected the Pirates of the Caribbean actor and musician to be at the event, let alone grab his guitar and perform at the sold-out show.

The Judas Priest and Alice Cooper concert promised "a night of unparalleled metal and theatrical rock," but those who bought a ticket to the show got an extra surprise when Depp walked out onstage with his guitar in hand at London's O2 Arena on July 25. The crowd went wild as he joined the two rock legends midway through the event...

Monty Python legend Eric Idle is an 82-year-old cancer survivor — so naturally he has to look out for his health. And according to Idle, that now means avoiding engaging with, or reading about longtime frenemy John Cleese.

The two octogenarians have made headlines for their recent social media spats, but the antagonism didn’t stop there. It seems as though every surviving member of Monty Python has dunked on other members of the troupe in at least one recent interview — except for Terry Gilliam who has been too busy complaining that Donald Trump ruined his anti-woke movies.

Recently, Idle sat down with NME, which asked the Rutles star about the possibility of a future Python project. As the music magazine pointed out, Oasis is touring this year, which could perhaps pave the way for another unlikely reunion between people who hate each other only slightly less than they love money?...

Johnny Depp returned to the silver screen in 2023 with a French-language historical drama,having taken a step back from acting during his highly publicized legal battles with ex-wife Amber Heard. His career comeback continues with the announcement of a curious new horror project that he is working on with famed filmmaker Ridley Scott, the director of Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator. The two Hollywood heavyweights are joining forces to put a new spin on one of the most well-known and celebrated stories of the gothic horror genre.

According to Variety, Depp and Scott are collaborating with the production company Mechanical Cake, with all three taking co-ownership of a new graphic novel property based on the Robert Louis Stevenson novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde about a man who grapples with the ensuing conflict between his two identities. The first project from the new joint venture is a...

After directing the eternally quotable "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," Terry Gilliam tried and failed to bring his dystopian satire "Brazil" to the silver screen. Burned by the experience of explaining the over-the-top world of "Brazil," Gilliam set his sights on creating a family-friendly film that would be an easier pitch, and the result was his 1981 classic "Time Bandits."

Telling the story of a young boy whisked away on an adventure with a band of thieves traveling through space and time on a quest for stolen treasure, "Time Bandits" remains one of Gilliam's best films because of its childish exuberance and whimsical imagination. It established Gilliam as one of cinema's most outlandish visionaries, and its reputation has only grown over the years.

In our modern era of reboots and reimaginings, it wasn't surprising to hear that Apple TV+ was bringing "Time Bandits" back from the past, this time with...

10 Must-Watch Robin Williams Films ( Photo Credit – Netflix )

Known for his comedic timing, improvisations, and incomparable on-screen presence, Robin Williams was one of the most prolific actors cinema has seen. His roles in films such as Dead Poets Society and Awakenings allowed him to diversify, proving that he could mold himself into any character that the director needed. Let’s take a look at the 10 best Robin Williams films, based on their Rotten Tomatoes score according to critics.

1. Good Will Hunting Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97% Year of release: 1997 Director: Gus Van Sant Streaming On: Prime Video

Plot: A misunderstood genius (Matt Damon) struggling to find himself is approached by a mathematics professor who encourages him to push his limits. Robin Williams stars as Dr. Sean Maguire, a psychology professor providing therapy to Damon’s Will Hunting. Williams won an Academy Award for his performance, and many consider it amongst his best performances.

Brad Pitt’s Oscar-Worthy Movie Performances (Photo Credit – Prime Video)

Hollywood star Brad Pitt is currently riding high on the critical and commercial success of his Formula One sports drama F1, which is still running in theaters. Over the years, the dashing actor has delivered several acclaimed performances in films like Seven, Fight Club, Babel, Inglourious Basterds, Ocean’s Eleven, World War Z, and Babylon, among others.

Brad Pitt’s Terrific Performance in Seven pic.twitter.com/tCTbBF7e3Q

— Cinema Connoisseur (@MovieEndorser) March 5, 2024

While he finally took home the Oscar gold for his supporting role in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Brad Pitt came very close to winning an Academy Award for three other standout performances. Wondering which films nearly earned him the coveted trophy and where to stream them on Ott? Read on to find out.

1. 12 Monkeys (1995) Director – Terry Gilliam IMDb Rating – 8/10 Streaming On...

His life and career may have met a significant downfall over the recent years, but Johnny Depp is very much back to turn the tables and mesmerize his audiences to the core – both with his exceptional acting chops as well as his impeccable charms. For one, he is all set to return to the screens with quite a few projects lined up.

Though he is renowned for his Jack Sparrow role in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, that very Disney saga left him alone during his messy divorce with Amber Heard. This had him pledging that he wouldn’t return to the lore, no matter what.

Related: Johnny Depp’s Wouldn’t Have Directed Modi If It Wasn’t For Al Pacino

But rumors have sprung up once again, with sources pulling fans’ hopes up about his return in the next installment of the film series. Of course, official...

Monty Python star Eric Idle has bashed Donald Trump and his administration, saying he would be “proud to be thrown out” of the U.S..

In an interview with The Guardian, which featured questions from multiple celebrities – including Eddie Izzard, Tracey Ullman, Steve Coogan and David Mamet – Idle delivered a vicious takedown of the president.

Asked “what’s genuinely funny about Donald Trump?” Idle responded, “There’s nothing funny about Donald Trump. What will be funny is when he leaves office and we have a big party and dance in the streets.”

Idle went on to declare that the president had “no end of capacity for stupidity,” calling him a “treasonous monster who works for Putin.”

“Every summer I go to France because I can’t stand the news. I can’t stand hearing about that man every minute of every day. They’re completely obsessed by him in the U.

Exclusive: The 29th LA Shorts International Film Festival is about to get underway in downtown Los Angeles, an Oscar- and BAFTA-qualifying event that will showcase 470 films between July 16-28.

The festival opens at Regal LA Live with a selection of four shorts including Como si la tierra se las hubiera tragado, directed by Natalia León, an animated short that won the jury award at the Sundance Film Festival.

“In Olivia’s Mexican hometown, femicide and gender-based violence are increasing at an alarming rate,” notes a description of León’s film in the program guide for Hot Docs, where the film also played. “Upon her return after a long absence, she quickly notices the city walls are covered with posters of missing women. The mistreatment of women is pervasive, and the once-vibrant city is gradually losing its vitality.”

‘The Letter’ LA Shorts International Film Festival

Also screening tonight is The Letter,...

Neil Marshall’s The Descent has lost none of its effect in 20 years and modern horror films could certainly learn a thing or two from it. More on that below. Spoilers!

The UK has a long history of producing exceptional horror films. Just look at the legacy of Hammer, Ben Wheatley’s early work or 28 Days Later and its belated sequel 28 Years Later. And that’s just scratching the surface; there’s plenty more to scare your socks off in Britain’s horror pantheon.

It doesn’t get much more terrifying than Neil Marshall’s The Descent, however. Released in 2005, it felt refreshingly old school after the recent releases of Eli Roth’s Cabin Fever and James Wan’s Saw and the rising trend of “torture porn”. The Descent was a straightforward thrill ride that left you on the edge of your seat, with great creature design and believable side characters,...

The heyday of Monty Python’s comedy may be over, but we’re living through a golden age of Monty Python members sniping at each other in interviews.

After Eric Idle’s Twitter feud with John Cleese, Cleese’s brief spat with Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam’s battle with the invisible woke mob that somehow keeps derailing his movie projects, now Idle is taking Palin to task for a past comment.

Per The Sun, Idle recently spoke to The Big Issue for their “Letter to My Younger Self” section. At one point, he expressed shock that Palin had ever claimed to be regretful about the end of Monty Python. “Michael said he was sad to see us break up?” Idle questioned. “He was the first to leave! He’s such a hypocrite.”

“I can’t believe Michael said he was sad,” Idle continued. “He turned down the opportunity to...

Terry Gilliam has been making the interview rounds for the 40th anniversary of his classic Brazil, and he’s used the opportunity to give an update on his next project — particularly how the second Donald Trump presidency has impacted its development. In speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Gilliam suggested that Trump’s re-election may make people “less frightened to laugh,” but has also “destroyed satire.”

In a real “two things can be true” moment, Gilliam addressed the many ways Trump has “turned the world upside down.” On the one hand, the filmmaker echoed the tired idea that “woke” identity politics negatively impacted comedy over the last few years. “There have been woke activists with a very narrow, self-righteous point of view. That’s frightened so many people, and so many people have been very timid about telling jokes, making fun of things,” he said, “because if you tell a joke,...

A lineup including Stephen Graham and Al Pacino seems wasted on this lavish, but hackneyed drama about the Italian artist

Some very cliched roistering, life-affirming wine-drinking, bourgeois-defying artistic shenanigans here from the veteran screenwriting couple Jerzy and Mary Olson-Kromolowski who have adapted a 1980 stage play, Modigliani by Dennis McIntyre, about the Italian sculptor and painter Amedeo Modigliani, known as Modi. Johnny Depp directs and perhaps sees his subject as a bohemian badass not unlike Hunter S Thompson, whom he played in Terry Gilliam’s 1998 movie Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – and perhaps not altogether unlike how he sees himself.

It is 1916 in Paris and the brutality of war is destroying the belle époque; Riccardo Scamarcio plays Modigliani, a brilliant, sensual but penniless artist facing poverty and casual antisemitism. Having got into a chaotic affray at a pompous posh restaurant – filmed like a deleted scene from Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers...

A Terry Gilliam satire starring Jeff Bridges, Johnny Depp, Adam Driver, Jason Momoa and Tom Waits? Sounds amazing — except we’ll probably never get the chance to see it. And Gilliam blames the return of Donald Trump.

His next project, Carnival at the End of Days, was supposed to be a movie that’s “great fun for all of those who enjoy taking offense,” Gilliam told The Hollywood Reporter. His script was a spoof of “woke activists with a very narrow, self-righteous point of view. That’s frightened so many people, and so many people have been very timid about telling jokes.”

If that’s true, you’d think that the Monty Python alum would welcome the return of an anti-woke President. But that’s not the case either. For one thing, “he’s fucked up my latest film,” Gilliam explained. “He’s turned the world upside down. So he’s killed my movie.

This week on the Film Stories Podcast Network: deadly dolls, men without fear, apocalyptic pathogens and much more. Here’s what we’ve been up to…

ChuckyVision

Racing into action to discuss M3GAN 2.0, Mark Adams, Dev Elson and guest Craig McKenzie enjoy getting to talk about a relevant killer doll for once…

TV’s Greatest Seasons

For once not chatting together about Doctor Who, host Baz Greenland and his son Ben have fun hacking into the third season of Marvel’s Daredevil…

Podcast-616

Speaking of Marvel, Hugh McStay is joined by guest Julia Mercado to chat the final three episodes of recent Disney+ show, Ironheart…

At the Movies in the 90s

Who doesn’t love a good pandemic these days? Oh, uh, all of us. Well! Mark McManus is joined by namesake Mark Adams to chat a very good one in Terry Gilliam’s unique 1995 offering, Twelve Monkeys…

MovieVersaries...

Terry Gilliam is pointing the finger at Donald Trump for ruining comedy. The outspoken director detailed how his next film, “The Carnival at the End of Days,” has essentially been thwarted amid Trump’s second term as President. “The Carnival at the End of Days” was set to start filming in April 2025; the cast includes Johnny Depp, Jeff Bridges, and Adam Driver.

Yet now Gilliam is back to the drawing board. The filmmaker told THR ahead of the Umbria Film Festival (where he serves as honorary president) that he will have to “rewrite” the film, as Trump’s presidency has “destroyed satire” as a concept.

“He’s fucked up the latest film I was working on,” Gilliam said of the president. “Because it was a satire about the last several years when things were going as they were. He’s turned it upside down. So he’s killed my movie.

The 29th edition of the Umbria Film Festival in Italy is kicking off today, and its honorary president, Terry Gilliam, has plenty to say about his long and varied career as filmmaker, funny man and provocateur.

The fest, which runs through Sunday, will feature a Saturday event dubbed “Becoming X into the Gilliamverse,” an artistic/musical intervention by the Becoming X cartoonists’ collective, which is dedicated to the 40th anniversary of Gilliam’s legendary dystopian sci-fi comedy Brazil. “To cap off this day, a live drawing will take place in Piazza San Francesco, immediately following the film’s screening,” reads the festival website.

Gilliam talked to The Hollywood Reporter about the film’s anniversary, the state of his planned next film The Carnival at the End of Days and how President Donald Trump may have contributed to its delay.

Happy birthday, Brazil! Can you believe your film is 40 years old?...

It’s the 40th Anniversary of the abstract dystopian dark comedy Brazil, and Monty Python member-turned-director, Terry Gilliam, is celebrating with a Q&a session with Deadline. Gilliam will also soon be venturing to the Umbria Film Festival in Italy, where he will attend a special screening of the film. Per Deadline, Brazil is about “Jonathan Pryce’s Sam Lowry, who works in the sprawling archives of a megalopolis ruled by faceless bureaucracy and an all-seeing Information Department. When a band of terrorists begins sowing chaos, Sam escapes the gray monotony of his desk job through vivid, dreamlike visions — until reality and fantasy collide with explosive consequences.”

With films like 12 Monkeys and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Gilliam is a filmmaker with a unique vision, and someone like him is usually at odds with the studio over their vision. Gilliam reflects on the battles he had with Universal...

Johnny Depp isn’t hiding anymore. He’s not on a big movie set or walking red carpets. Instead, he’s tucked away in a small caravan on a street in Budapest, chain-smoking roll-ups and going over pages of a script. After two decades, he’s back doing something he hasn’t done in a long time, directing.

His new film, Modìgliani: Three Days on the Wing of Madness, tells the story of the Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani during just three intense days in 1916 Paris. Depp says the film, which comes out on July 11, isn’t just about art. It’s about chaos, pain, and survival, which also mirrors his own life.

For the past several years, Depp hasn’t been making movies. He’s been in courtrooms. He was accused by his ex-wife Amber Heard of physical abuse, which he denied. In 2020, he lost a libel case in the...

Johnny Depp is back behind the camera, but this time it’s not for another blockbuster or franchise film. He’s directing a movie again for the first time in two decades, and it means more to him than ever.

The film is Modìgliani: Three Days on the Wing of Madness, based on the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani. Set in Paris in 1916, the story follows three days in the artist’s wild and troubled life. Depp isn’t just directing, he’s fighting to reclaim a career that, for a while, seemed completely out of reach.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Depp finally opened up about being pushed out of Hollywood, especially when he was asked to step down from Fantastic Beasts, part of the Harry Potter spin-off series. After losing a libel case in 2020 related to abuse allegations made by his ex-wife Amber Heard, Depp...

Veteran filmmaker Terry Gilliam is headed to the Umbria Film Festival in Italy, where a screening next weekend of his iconic 1985 dystopian black comedy Brazil will celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary. Nominated for two Oscars and winning a pair of BAFTAs, the movie centers on Jonathan Pryce’s Sam Lowry, who works in the sprawling archives of a megalopolis ruled by faceless bureaucracy and an all-seeing Information Department. When a band of terrorists begins sowing chaos, Sam escapes the gray monotony of his desk job through vivid, dreamlike visions — until reality and fantasy collide with explosive consequences.

Gilliam’s own career has been filled with the fantastical, and often courted controversy. He famously clashed with Universal’s then-Chairman, Sid Sheinberg, over the U.S. release of Brazil, which has gone on to be considered a masterpiece of science fiction.

Earlier, during his days with Monty Python, Gilliam co-wrote biblical...

After completing a full week of release in theaters worldwide, the mega-budget sports drama F1 is all set to pass a massive milestone at the global box office. It’s still not in the clear, however, considering how much it is said to have cost. But the movie seems to be on the right track. Directed by Joseph Kosinski and starring Brad Pitt, F1 recently overtook fellow racing drama Days of Thunder, both domestically and worldwide. As it heads into its second weekend of release, the movie has overtaken one of Pitt’s best-regarded past hits.

On Thursday, F1passed the $170 million milestone at the global box office, and, in doing so, it overtook the $168 million lifetime global haul of 12 Monkeys. Directed by Terry Gilliam and also starring Bruce Willis, the science-fiction film was released in 1995. This was an important time for Pitt, who had headlined director David Fincher...

What makes a movie rewatchable? An interesting story? Compelling characters? Strong performances? Humor? Quotable lines? A truly rewatchable movie will have all of these and a little extra. We’re talking about the type of movies that you can throw on the TV when you’re having a bad day and instantly feel a little better. The type of movie that grabs your attention as you walk through the room and immediately distracts you from whatever you were doing. The type of movie that you have to watch, no matter how many times you’ve seen it before.

We took on the impossible task and compiled our list of the 25 most rewatchable movies of all time and listed them in chronological order of release. It doesn’t mean that they’re the greatest movies ever made (that’s a different list that you can check out here), it just means that they have that special,...

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Brad Pitt has had an illustrious career as one of Hollywood's most charming and attractive stars—a '90s and 2000s heartthrob (twice named People's Sexiest Man Alive) who's since become a bona fide Oscar winner. Many of the Hollywood A-lister's projects reveal an actor drawn to bold, original material, far beyond blockbuster fluff. He's worked repeatedly with auteurs like David Fincher, Quentin Tarantino, and Steven Soderbergh, and also collaborated with the Coen Brothers, James Gray, Terrence Malick, Steve McQueen, and more.

Pitt's commitment to distinctive work also shows in his prolific producing, with recent credits including RaMell Ross' "Nickel Boys" and Bong Joon Ho's "Mickey 17". His career balances Hollywood glamor with artistic credibility, showing a willingness to experiment as much as a knack for classic movie-star magnetism. If the question is which actors we can still...

Children watching Pixar’s new animated sci-fi adventure “Elio” may be dazzled by the film’s science fiction concepts, wild alien characters and outer space adventures. Adults, however, might experience a sense of déjà vu. “Elio” may be an original story but it’s cobbled together from memorable pieces of other sci-fi movies, classics and cult classics alike, which makes it a perfect opportunity to introduce younger audiences to the wonderful, weird movies that inspired it. And also some other films which are remarkably similar and got unfairly overlooked.

So if you or your kids exit the theater wanting more films like “Elio” — despite the film’s many flaws — here’s your viewing list. Plop yourselves down on that couch and make a whole weekend of it. You’ll be glad you did!

David Rappaport and Craig Warnock in ‘Time Bandits’ (Handmade Films) ‘Time Bandits’ (1981)

Terry Gilliam’s sci-fi action-comedy...

Johnny Depp has declared that he was a “crash test dummy” for the 2017 #MeToo movement, following his ex-wife Amber Heard’s 2016 allegations of domestic violence.

Heard’s accusations, accompanied by her filing for divorce, resulted in two highly publicized trials between her and Depp.

Depp filed a libel lawsuit against The Sun in 2018 following the news outlet labeling him a “wife-beater.” Following an op-ed Heard wrote for The Washington Post in 2019, in which she called herself “a figure representing domestic abuse,” Depp sued Heard for defamation. In 2020, the court ruled that The Sun’s description was “substantially true” and Depp lost the case. In a live-televised trial in 2022, the jury found Heard liable on all three counts of defamation. Heard ultimately won one of her three claims in the countersuit.

However, Depp’s career suffered a few hits following the trials, and he previously shared that Warner Bros. had asked...

Johnny Depp commented on his planned comeback to Hollywood a few years after his highly publicized legal battle with his ex-wife, Amber Heard. Depp is a renowned actor who has been one of cinema's biggest stars since the 1990s. Known for playing Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and his various collaborations with Tim Burton, his career took a major hit in the last few years due to his divorce from Amber Heard in 2016, a libel lawsuit against The Sun in 2020, and a defamation suit against Heard in 2022, which he won.

Major Hollywood studios have mostly distanced themselves from Depp since then, but he has continued to find work over the years, including a role in 2023's Jeanne du Barry. The lack of highly publicized roles is starting to change, and that's led the actor to open up about his past, present, and future as he mounts...

In a sprawling interview with The Times U.K., Johnny Depp claimed he was a “crash test dummy for #MeToo,” reflecting on his protracted legal battle with actress and ex-wife Amber Heard.

“My comeback? Honestly? I didn’t go anywhere,” he said. “If I had the chance to split I would never come back.”

The Pirates of the Caribbean star, who classified his ousting from Hollywood as a “boycott,” praised the San Sebastián International Film Festival for sticking with him through “all the hit pieces, the bullsh–.” In 2021, the fest awarded him the prestigious Donostia, its highest accolade, and last year, his second directorial effort, Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness, garnered a long-standing ovation by the crowd.

“No, I have no regrets about anything — because, truly, what can we do about last week’s dinner? Not a f—ing thing,” he said of the much-publicized court trial with Heard.

As most of us are aware of by now, Texas Senator Ted Cruz recently sat for a combative interview with performance artist Tucker Carlson. In an exchange that no doubt sparked countless uses of the ClickHole-inspired “Worst Person You Know Just Made a Great Point” meme, Carlson got Cruz to admit that he doesn’t know the population of Iran, despite hawkishly suggesting that the U.S. government should bomb the country and spearhead a regime change.

After being publicly embarrassed by the guy who once complained that cartoon M&Ms don’t give him boners anymore, Cruz fought back by posting an image from Monty Python and the Holy Grail on his social media account. Specifically, it's from the scene where the Bridgekeeper, played by Terry Gilliam, asks King Arthur to name “the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow.”

Putting aside the fact that he basically just copied the same...

Shout! TV presents a special 24-hour presentation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail streaming exclusively on Shout! TV and Shout! Movies June 21, to commemorate the film’s 50th anniversary. Throughout the 24-hour marathon, fans can enjoy appearances from Python legends John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, and Michael Palin as they reflect on their favorite memories from making the film. These newly filmed interstitials are exclusive to Shout! TV and Shout! Movies feature the cast reflecting on the movie’s lasting impact — from Terry Gilliam talking about his dual role as director and actor, John Cleese sharing what quotes he still gets to this day, Michael Palin saying it was all a bit silly, and plenty more behind-the-scenes stories and laughs along the way.

The marathon will be available to stream on Shout! TV and Shout Movies, as well as the Shout! TV app on Roku, Android, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.

A lot of classic Simpsons jokes are pretty straightforward and not difficult to comprehend. After all, a guy smacking himself in the face with a rake over and over again doesn’t leave much room for misinterpretation. But occasionally, some jokes will totally fly over the heads of audience members, not unlike every single Far Side cartoon does with Homer.

Recently, on social media the @CriminalSimpsons account asked followers to name which of the show’s jokes they “never understood.” Fans cited a number of scenes that have baffled them over the years, including Mr. Burns’ random reference to Rory Calhoun, aka the “person who’s always standing and walking.”

But the go-to example of an obtuse Simpsons joke is clearly the moment in “Crime and Punishment” from “Treehouse of Horror V” when Homer’s malfunctioning toaster sends him millions of years into the past. As he’s plummeting through a clock-filled temporal vortex,...

Veteran producer Charles Roven was here in Taormina this week to pick up an Achievement Award from the festival ahead of a special screening of Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel which had originally played the event a dozen years ago.

Roven, whose long list of credits also includes Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and the filmmaker’s Oscar winning 2023 Oppenheimer, as well as Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman, Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys and David O. Russell’s American Hustle, got his producing start with Shirley Muldowney biopic Heart Like a Wheel in 1983 and tells us about that experience below in a quick-take reflection on a decades-spanning career, and shares insight into the state of the business.

Next up on Roven’s producing slate is Chris Pratt-starrer Mercy, due in January 2026 via MGM, and Guy Ritchie’s Road House 2 with Jake Gyllenhaal which Roven said, “should be starting in September.

The 2025 edition of the Transilvania International Film Festival, taking place in Cluj-Napoca between June 13-22, is looking at the future — but also at the past.

Within this year’s program, which features over 200 features across the ten-day event, is a central strand called “Tomorrow is Fear,” looking at dystopian works to reflect on today’s society. Amongst the films playing in the section are classics like Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” and Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil” and newer genre offerings such as Joshua Oppenheimer’s “The End.”

Why program such a strand now? Speaking with Variety ahead of the festival, artistic director Mihai Chirilov is categorical: “If not now, then when?”

“With everything that’s going on around, the future doesn’t look bright,” he continues. “World politics and countless social crises generate constant turmoil, if not full-fledged despair. And then, there’s the rise of AI… Even...

Celia Imrie and Jason Isaacs Receive Raindance Icon Award

Celia Imrie and Jason Isaacs are the latest stars to receive the Raindance Icon Award. Both will attend the world premiere of Christopher Anthony feature Heavyweight at the Raindance Film Festival opening night in London gala to receive their awards. Isaac stars in the boxing film alongside Nicholas Pinnock (Top Boy) and Jordan Bolger (Peaky Blinders). Imrie was a Raindance jury member in 2017. “As part of the 33rd Raindance, it’s an honour for us to celebrate this year’s Raindance Icon Award recipients,” said Raindance founder Elliot Grove. “Both are the epitome of our industry with careers that include iconic film and television roles – and both remain champions of independent cinema here in the UK and internationally.” Imrie will next be seen in Netflix’s The Thursday Murder Club film adaptation and in the BBC’s celebrity version of The Traitors...

British stars Jason Isaacs and Celia Imrie will be presented with this year’s Raindance Icon Award.

The actors will receive the honor at the film festival’s opening gala on Jun. 18, with the world premiere of Christopher M. Anthony’s debut feature Heavyweight set to screen.

Emmy-nominated Isaacs is best known for his recent starring role as troubled financier Timothy Ratliff in the third season of The White Lotus. His comedy credits include The Death of Stalin, Friends With Money and Sex Education. He has also appeared in Peter Pan, Hotel Mumbai, The Great and The Patriot. Audiences will know him as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films. Isaacs stars opposite Gillian Anderson in The Salt Path, released in U.K. theaters last month.

“Raindance has always championed people making films who believe in the power of stories, and who are telling them with few resources other than imagination and determination,...

Nebraska director Alexander Payne will receive the Pardo d’Onore at the Locarno Film Festival.

The American filmmaker will be presented with the honorary leopard on Friday, August 15. He will also present his 2011 pic The Descendants and 2013 title Nebraska and participate in a public discussion.

Payne, a writer-director also behind the likes of Sideway and The Holdovers, has won two Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and been nominated for Best Director on three occasions.

After studying filmmaking at UCLA, Payne wrote and directed politically-charged comedy Citizen Ruth, starring Laura Dern, in 1996. It premiered at Sundance and led to a run of seven influential films, which have starred the likes of Paul Giamatti, Reese Witherspoon and Jack Nicholson.

“Alexander Payne is an erudite auteur with an encyclopaedic cinephile knowledge,” said Giona A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director of the Locarno Film Festival. “Gifted with an unerring sense for the bittersweet facets of human comedy,...

Through its wildly comic, furiously creative, and intensely moving facade, Terry Gilliam’s 1985 film Brazil ponders a future made to sustain a draconian past molded by inequality. In this dystopia, the rich, having long knelt at the altar of radical capitalistic tyranny, spend their days having their flesh stretched, sliced, and injected with ultraviolet potions, while the working class types, files, signs, and stamps its way through pointless paperwork.

Overrun by communicative ducts, coated wires, cement and metals, and magnified, miniature computer screens, the future conjured up here averts the familiar prophecy of an anaesthetized, plastic world overrun by rampantly advancing technology. Indeed, men—who see such technology as an affront to their fiscal station and take the pecuniary gain of the morbid, perverse 1% as their modus operandi—unmistakably run the future of Gilliam’s film. New technology is expensive, and paper is cheap.

Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is in the thick of it,...

It’s the comedy classic that may have annoyed you with fans’ endless quoting and impressions. But there is no doubt that Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a staple in the culture of the genre, with one of the most famous comedy troupes taking their brash, unhinged and cartoonish humor and satirizing King Arthur’s quest for the Holy Grail on the big screen. Monty Python and the Holy Grail will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary with special 4K remastered screenings and a new 4K Blu-ray.

Blu-ray.com has announced that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is unveiling a new 50th Anniversary 4K restoration Blu-ray with a batch of special features, which include the shortened VHS cut (which is remastered in HD) and a “special Japanese version.” This new physical media release is due to hit retailers on August 26.

The description reads,

“Once in a lifetime there comes a...

As we’ve mentioned already, this year marks the 50th anniversary of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Perhaps predictably, in addition to John Cleese’s pricey screening tour, we’re also getting a brand new physical release of the movie from Sony.

This time, the movie is being issued in 4K for the very first time, which will either look great, or make it very apparent that the film was made on a shoestring budget and had to keep using the same castle over and over again.

While Python fans and physical media enthusiasts are clearly excited about this news, one detail in the press release is a little confusing. The disc will contain the “feature presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision,” as well as a “Near-Theatrical Version of the Film (in HD resolution)” which will allow viewers to “experience a slightly shorter version of the film, as seen on VHS!

Synopsis

Once in a lifetime, there comes a motion picture that changes the whole history of motion pictures. A picture so stunning in its effect, so vast in its impact that it profoundly affects the lives of those who see it. That picture might well be Monty Python & The Holy Grail, featuring the entire Python gang in this hilarious retelling of the Knights of King Arthur and their quest for the Holy Grail.

Disc Details & Bonus Materials

4K Ultra HD Disc

• Feature presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision

• English Dolby Atmos + English 5.1 + English Mono

• Special Features:

o Near-Theatrical Version of the Film (in HD resolution) – Experience a slightly shorter version of the film, as seen on VHS!

o ‘Tis But A Tribute – 50 Years of Monty Python and the Holy Grail – Over 25 comedy luminaries share their memories of, affection for, and continued fascination with the film

Blu-ray Disc

• Feature presented...

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival kicks-off this weekend with a masterclass by French filmmaker Michel Gondry, who will also receive a career award alongside The Simpsons creator Matt Groening and UK animation director Joanna Quinn at the opening ceremony.

It marks The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director Gondry’s first trip to the lakeside event, billed as the biggest animation festival in the world, although his work Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?:An Animated Conversation with Noam Chomsky played at the festival in 2014, winning the best French film prize.

“Michel is exactly like Terry Gilliam,” says the festival’s artistic director Marcel Jean, referring to Annecy’s 2024 guest of honor. “He comes from the world of animation. That’s where he started. We’ve wanted to invite him for a long time and the planets have aligned.”

Jean notes that Gondry’s visit also coincides...

The streaming platform Apple TV+ has had a slow start compared to other streaming giants, but the studios have managed to deliver some of the best shows online. Whether it’s Jason Sudeikis’s Ted Lasso, Adam Scott’s Severance, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s The Morning Show, or more. Apple Studios focused on the quality of the content they had been putting out for the viewers, and because of that, the audience and critics have lauded it.

However, the success and popularity of some shows at times come with some being pretty average, and some finally concluding with the right storyline. Apple Studios has recently announced the cancellation of a couple of shows in 2025. Let’s find out.

Apple TV+ announces the cancellation of 5 shows

As it has already been established that Apple TV+ is focused on the quality of the shows rather than the quantity, it is...

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A film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's zonked-out, gonzo 1971 autobiography "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" began in earnest as long ago as 1976. The story goes that Larry McMurtry signed on to adapt Thompson's unadaptable novel into a screenplay, but that the project fell apart. Several notable filmmakers each flirted with the idea of making a "Fear and Loathing" movie, including Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone, and even famed animator Ralph Bakshi. 

The film didn't make it to the big screen until 1998, when audiences were treated to an ultra-chaotic version directed by Terry Gilliam. Production on the 1998 version started six years earlier, in 1992, when Rhino Films (!) sought to produce a version directed by Lee Tamahori. Tamahori couldn't do it, however, as he was busy shooting either the lugubrious noir "Mulholland Falls" or the survivalist thriller "The Edge." Johnny Depp,...

While we clearly don’t need any more reasons for the U.S. to be feuding with foreign countries right now, two Monty Python fans recently got into a spat on social media over whether or not Americans “get” the Pythons’ humor. This prompted Eric Idle to step in and settle the “silly” argument once and for all.

As Idle pointed out, while Monty Python’s Flying Circus began in the U.K., it’s been consistently popular in the U.S. ever since it began airing on public television in 1975, which also coincided with the release of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Idle also explained that Monty Python’s American popularity originated with a PBS station in Dallas. And, as he confirmed to one follower, it was in fact the father of future stars Owen and Luke Wilson who was responsible for making it happen.

Robert A. Wilson,...

Actress Uma Thurman is one of the most influential actresses in the industry. She is often hailed as filmmaker Quentin Tarantino’s muse, as she has been a part of his projects, including Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill: Volumes 1 and 2. Tarantino wrote the part of assassin Beatrix Kiddo especially for the actress and gave her joint credits for the character.

Uma Thurman, who started working at a very young age, surprised everyone when it was revealed that she was lawfully wedded to actor Gary Oldman. But what’s more surprising was the duration of their marriage [it was the shortest for both] and how they believed that it was a mistake.

Uma Thurman opens up about her marriage to Slow Horses actor Gary Oldman

There is no accurate information about how Uma Thurman and Gary Oldman met, but if rumors are to be believed, Sean Penn introduced them to each other when she visited the sets...

Just recently, we heard a nice little anecdote about how the surviving members of Monty Python are still there for one another during life’s hard times. But now it seems that they’re already back to their regular routine of petty grudges and hurt feelings.

Last weekend, Monty Python and the Holy Grail returned to movie theaters thanks to Fathom Events and Shout! Studios. The screening, which was intended to celebrate the film’s 50th anniversary, also included “an exclusive special introduction from Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam and John Cleese.”

Notably absent from that list of names is the only other living ex-Python: Eric Idle. Why was the guy who played Brave Sir Robin and Roger the Shrubber not part of this new intro? Well, according to Idle, it’s because nobody actually invited him to participate.

Fielding questions from fans, who were naturally curious about his absence,...

Character actor Charley Scalies, who had roles in the hit HBO dramas The Wire and The Sopranos, has died. He was 84. The passing was confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter, with Scalies’ daughter Anne Marie Scalies telling the outlet he died on Thursday (May 1) in a Pennsylvania nursing home after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Born on July 19, 1940, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Scalies started his career performing on stage at community and dinner theater productions in the early 1990s, appearing in the likes of Guys and Dolls, Chicago, and The Wizard of Oz. He made his on-screen debut in 1995 alongside Al Pacino in the James Foley-directed movie Two Bits. That same year, Scalies also appeared in the Terry Gilliam film 12 Monkeys and the Finnish-American thriller Condition Red. On the small screen, Scalies played Sgt. Sal Burns in two episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street, based on the book by David Simon.