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Television westerns often skewed toward a younger demographic with the likes of kid-friendly cowboy figures like "Roy Rogers" and "Hopalong Cassidy." Audiences were conditioned to see more adult westerns on the big screen. But everything changed on September 10, 1955 when famed movie star John Wayne introduced viewers to a television western series with a more mature bent: "Gunsmoke." The CBS period drama became a smash hit sensation, which not only garnered a then-record breaking 20 seasons, but paved the path for shows like "Bonanza," "Rawhide," and "The Wild Wild West"

Plenty of things changed on "Gunsmoke" over its two-decade span on the air, but the one constant throughout its entire run was the viability of its lead star. James Arness would appear in just about every episode as Marshal Matt Dillon, the lawman of Dodge City, Kansas who often found himself in all sorts of confrontations that he would be tasked with resolving.

It's hard to undersell the impact "Gunsmoke" had on the television landscape when it first aired. Westerns for the small screen were largely occupied by kid-friendly fare like Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy at the time, but the presence of an adult-driven series led to the development of countless genre programs in its wake. But the series outlasted all of them as the longest-running television western of all time with 20 seasons under its holster, with "Death Valley Days" wagon-trailing just behind it. The town of Dodge City was like a beacon for all manner of stories, with James Arness' steadfast Marshal Matt Dillon often finding himself in the center of the episode's conflict. The lawman would often be surrounded by a recurring cast of characters, like saloon owner Miss Kitty (Amanda Blake) and resident bullet extractor Doc Adams (Milburn Stone), with one of them being his first right-hand man.

For...

Mario Vargas Llosa, one of Latin American literature’s modern greats, died April 13 in Lima, Peru. He was 89.

He died surrounded by his family and “at peace,” his children Álvaro, Gonzalo and Morgana Vargas Llosa announced in a social post.

“He enjoyed a long, adventurous and fruitful life, and leaves behind him a body of work that will outlive him,” they added.

That body of work is huge. Winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2010, Vargas Llosa was also with once close friend Gabriel García Márquez, the towering star of the Latin American Boom, which brought to global attention the works of young Latin American writers – Peru’s Vargas Llosa, Colombia García Márquez, Mexico’s Carlos Fuentes, Argentina’s Julio Cortázar and Cuba’s Guillermo Cabrera Infante – which were among the first Latin American novelists to be published in Europe.

Combining a large influence of European modernism, William Faulkner, experiment and word play,...

Peruvian Nobel literature laureate and Latin American literary giant Mario Vargas Llosa has died in Lima at the age of 89.

The writer’s son Álvaro Vargos Llosa announced Sunday that his father had “passed away peacefully in Lima” in a social media post, signed by himself and his siblings Gonzalo and Morgana.

“His departure will sadden his relatives, his friends and his readers around the world, but we hope that they will find comfort, as we do, in the fact that he enjoyed a long, adventurous and fruitful life, and leaves behind him a body of work that will outlive him,” read the post.

Born on March 28, 1936, in the southern Peruvian city of Arequipa, Vargas Llosa spent his early childhood in Cochabamba, Bolivia, with his mother and grandparents, after his parents divorced while he was a young child.

Returning to Peru at age 10, he was sent to a military academy...

Television westerns used to skew towards a younger demographic with kid-friendly cowboys like Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy dominating that frontier, but everything changed in 1955. Only a few days after "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" premiered on ABC, it was CBS that truly changed the landscape in the form of the western drama "Gunsmoke" (via MeTV). The series was a risky gamble with the network but proved to be one of its greatest success stories, running for a then-unprecedented 635 episode run across 20 seasons.

For over two decades, "The Thing from Another World" star James Arness made a name for himself as Marshal Matt Dillion, the protector of Dodge City. The role would go on to become the touchstone of his career, but it's easy to forget that there was initially some resistance on account of the popularity of the show's auditory predecessor.

About three years earlier, "Gunsmoke" had...

If you're a fan of high-stakes espionage thrillers set against the backdrop of historical events, Restless is a British two-episode miniseries you won't want to miss. Spanning multiple timelines — from World War II to the late 1970s — it explores the dangerous world of espionage through a deeply personal lens. Adapted from William Boyd's novel, the series delivers a gripping narrative filled with mystery, betrayal, and hidden identities. With its tense atmosphere, stunning cinematography, and outstanding performances from an all-star cast, Restless keeps viewers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

Amazon’s takeover of the James Bond franchise has led to many fans declaring the future of the 007 saga null and void as “woke” Hollywood powers-that-be change the world of Bond beyond all recognition. At least, that is what social media would have you believe. However, that is apparently not the view of Amazon MGM Studios, as, according to the Mail on Sunday, the reported $1 billion investment to secure the franchise is not going to see some fans’ biggest fears coming true.

The news that long-term Bond gatekeepers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson had chosen to step away from the franchise was met with the expected outrage and push-back from fans. Naturally, with all of this being fresh, no one has any idea of what it all really means for the franchise, and according to these new comments, the worry over massive changes to the character may be unfounded.

James Bond fans are waiting on tenterhooks for the next movie in the franchise following Amazon MGM Studios' groundbreaking purchase of the IP. Many have taken to social media to share their divisive reactions to Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson's departure from the franchise, and joking about the commercial direction Amazon will take the franchise. While many fans' opinions come from outside the Hollywood system, even insiders are skeptical of the purchase, with William Boyd, an author and screenwriter who has worked on the James Bond franchise, being the latest to share their disgruntled reactions.

During an interview with The Guardian, William Boyd revealed his skepticism towards Amazon MGM Studios' purchase of the James Bond franchise. Like many, Boyd believes Amazon will use the 007 brand to capitalize on merchandise, branding deals, and promote the Amazon Prime online shopping service over making good movies. "Certainly wait for Bond aftershave...

When it was announced that Amazon MGM Studios had acquired the rights to the James Bond franchise, fans were by and large outraged or, at the very best, cautious in being open to giving the studio the benefit of the doubt. The negatives almost certainly outweigh the positives, but there could be some hope. Then again, what kind of products is Amazon going to be schilling to try to maximize their revenue?

Author and screenwriter William Boyd, who has dabbled in the world of James Bond, is far from excited about the prospects of the Amazon MGM Studios purchase. As he told The Guardian, Amazon will be just as focused on movies as they will items you can put in your cart. “Certainly wait for Bond aftershave – and for the theme park and the dinner jackets.” That sort of sounds like a joke, but when you think about it, Amazon...

The Oscars paid tribute to the James Bond franchise with a musical montage, but many fans found they were left unshaken but definitely stirred as they slammed the production for being "pointless," "cringey," and "completely unnecessary."

Many fans had been hoping that the tribute would involve the unveiling of a new James Bond...and were left frustrated when that did not happen. The montage was opened by The Substance star Margaret Qualley, who channeled her character from the movie, Sue, and took part in a dance number performed to the James Bond theme. Qualley danced with more than a dozen Bond-esque dancers before giving way to musical performances from Doja Cat, Blackpink's Lisa and Raye, who sang "Diamonds Are Forever," "Live and Let Die," and "Skyfall," respectively. While the performances were perfectly adequate, and praised by the respective fans of the stars involved, Bond fans were left cold by the whole thing.

As the Bond franchise heads to the online giant, thriller author William Boyd foresees a slew of spin-offs and says AI is not a threat to human screenwriters

Among the people best placed to predict how any James Bond of the future might look is a British writer with a strong feel for spies and for spying. William Boyd has been drawn back to the terrain repeatedly in his books. What’s more, he wrote his own official Bond novel, Solo, in 2013.

Now Amazon has picked up the rights to the character, Boyd foresees a succession of 007 spin-off products and entertainments. Perhaps even be new AI-generated novels? “Certainly wait for Bond aftershave – and for the theme park and the dinner jackets,” he said. “The new owners will have to commodify everything about their billion-dollar purchase, so there will be nightclubs and vodkas.”...

Get ready to shake your martinis to the iconic sounds of James Bond theme songs, as the longtime producers of the seminal cinematic franchise are set to be honored with a musical tribute at the 97th annual Academy Awards. According to reports, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson will be honored on the main stage after receiving their own Honorary Oscars at the Governors Awards.

In a new report from Variety — though the Academy Awards themselves have not yet commented on the matter — it was confirmed that Wicked will not be the only musical moment to take place during Sunday's Oscar ceremony. Though details on specifics remain scarce, Variety had this to say about what they did know about the musical moment:

"It is unclear whether the tribute will focus solely on Oscar-winning and nominated songs or take a broader approach to celebrating all 26 Bond themes. However, according to sources,...

Following the shocking and concerning news that Amazon will take over creative control of the James Bond franchise, a new frontrunner for the coveted role of 007 has now emerged. And he’s a real slow horse. The latest name favored to lead the iconic franchise is none other than Scottish actor and Slow Horses star Jack Lowden, who has seen his odds improve in the wake of the behind-the-scenes overhaul.

The 34-year-old actor, who is also best-known for roles in the likes of '71, Calibre, Fighting with My Family, Capone, Benediction, and Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, has seen his odds rise to 8/1, according to Oddspedia, putting him alongside other 007 favorites Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Henry Cavill, and Theo James.

RelatedAmazon CEO Finally Breaks Silence on 'James Bond' Takeover, Reacts to Possible AI Use in the Franchise

The 'James Bond' franchise is heading into a new era, and Amazon's Andy Jassy has...

Despite Christopher Nolan successfully rebooting the Batman franchise with Batman Begins, it seems that the previous producers of James Bond were not comfortable giving him control over the iconic franchise. Nolan has made no secret over the years how much James Bond films affected him as a young filmgoer. Many of Nolan's films, from The Dark Knight to Inception to Tenet, are heavily inspired by the Bond films and feel like the director's unique spin on the 007 franchise. Nolan had previously mentioned that he had always wanted to make a Bond film, but it never seemed to work out, and now we know why.

According to Variety, Christopher Nolan was interested in directing a Bond movie as his follow-up to Tenet, which would have been the 007 entry that followed Daniel Craig's tenure as James Bond in No Time to Die. However, long-time franchise producer Barbara Broccoli told...

Something always thought impossible has happened as long-time James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson relinquished creative control of 007 to Amazon. Now that this has happened (and we’ve all had time to react), fans of the franchise have taken to social media to reveal what spin-off projects they would most like to see. And bringing back a former star as an aged version of the iconic spy is currently sitting at the top of the list.

Now that Daniel Craig has departed the role following 2021’s No Time to Die, and with Amazon now taking the reins and likely steering the franchise in a direction we’ve never seen before, many are calling for GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies star Pierce Brosnan to return as an aged James Bond. “You know you want it. And you want Amazon to give it to you,” says X/Twitter user...

The fallout from the news that Amazon will take creative control of James Bond is still settling, with reports revealing various new insights from behind the scenes of the shocking decision. One such insight is that, yes, some of the ongoing rumors were true, and longtime 007 producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson did meet with one of the bookies’ favorites, Kraven the Hunter and Bullet Train star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, about taking over the iconic role from Daniel Craig. However, according to this insider, he was never in serious contention. And nor was anyone else.

“[The meeting was] just as kind of an ongoing, keeping your eye out on who’s around, but keeping in touch. But I definitely don’t think that there was any frontrunner. They wanted to know what they wanted to do next before they thought of the right person for it.”

Following the fatal finale of 2021’s No Time to Die,...

Yesterday saw the shock announcement that Amazon MGM Studios would be taking over the James Bond franchise from long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. And now it's been revealed the amount of money the studio may have paid for that control.

Per Deadline, the streamer had to pay $1 billion to have full control over James Bond, following years of trying to develop the next movie without star Daniel Craig. While Amazon wanted to grow the franchise into something similar to Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, Broccoli and Wilson didn't want that, opting to keep most of the creative control the family had for decades. That kept the potential of a Christopher Nolan or Quentin Tarantino from stepping in to direct.

In March 2022, Amazon paid around $8.5 billion to acquire MGM, which brought James Bond, Rocky, and other IPs into the fold. Deadline mentions that the value of the studio was closer to $4 billion,...

Much like Star Wars and the MCU before it, the James Bond franchise has now fallen into the clutches of a major corporation and streaming platform as Amazon takes over creative control of 007. And Jeff Bezos has already started crowdsourcing major creative decisions, taking to social media to ask fans, “Who’d you pick as the next Bond?” Amazing as it is that such frivolous treatment of the beloved franchise could happen so quickly, a certain actor has emerged as the clear favorite, with Man of Steel star Henry Cavill seemingly being the actor that many want to see slip into the iconic tuxedo.

Fans of the actor, who is also known for previously leading the Netflix series The Witcher and for doing battle with Hollywood icon Tom Cruise (and patenting the crowd-pleasing “arm reload”) in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, swarmed the replies and called for Cavill to finally...

Daniel Craig is not only the last man to play the role of James Bond, but, it seems, the last to play the super spy under the creative control of long-time producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli as Amazon MGM take full charge of the franchise. Now the actor has added shared thoughts in a statement in which he acknowledged the legacy of the character, and his unchanged feelings for Wilson and Broccoli despite the unexpected turn of events.

In a statement published by Variety, Craig said:

“My respect, admiration and love for Barbara and Michael remain constant and undiminished. I wish Michael a long, relaxing (and well deserved) retirement and whatever ventures Barbara goes on to do, I know they will be spectacular and I hope I can be part of them.”

The Future of the 'James Bond' Franchise Is Getting Its Biggest Shake-Up Ever

The news broke earlier today that,...

Just hours after it was announced that Amazon MGM is gaining total creative control over the James Bond franchise, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is now outsourcing the casting process online. Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, stewards of the James Bond franchise for decades, have stepped aside from the franchise their family has overseen for 60 years. James Bond was one of the last franchises not owned outright by a major corporation, but now 007 will answer not only to M but also to Jeff Bezos. The new corporate owner is already making some moves on the franchise that likely won't go over well.

Jeff Bezos took to Instagram to share that Amazon MGM is now in control of the 007 franchise. The post, featuring a photo of previous James Bond actor Daniel Craig, was accompanied by a simple caption: "Who would you pick as the next Bond?" The post (see below) has already generated over 5,000 likes,...

The list of actors who could play James Bond post-Daniel Craig is a who’s who of Hollywood’s finest. But despite rumors, “insider” confirmations, and yo-yoing betting odds constantly featuring the likes of Idris Elba, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and the not-going-to-happen Henry Cavill, there is a lesser known name back in “serious contention” for the role. And, just like the original Bond, Sean Connery, he is a born-and-bred Scot.

Stuart Martin is currently best known as a Zack Snyder alum, after making appearances in several of the director's Netflix features, including Rebel Moon and Army of Thieves, but he has also built up an extensive resume since appearing in British TV show Taggart in 2009 and having a blink-and-you-miss-it role in Russell Crowe’s 2010 version of Robin Hood. One of his biggest projects was the 2020 PBS series Miss Scarlet, in which he played the Duke of Wellington in 24 episodes.

Although...

Ever since Daniel Craig bowed out of the role of James Bond after 2021's No Time to Die, the media and 007 fans have debated and speculated about which actor will portray the next Bond. The most recent research shows Tom Hardy as a popular frontrunner, but other much-discussed contenders have included Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Josh O'Connor, and James Norton. However, according to Martin Campbell, the great director behind the first Pierce Brosnan Bond film (GoldenEye) and the first Daniel Craig one (Casino Royale), all of this is "rubbish." As Campbell told MovieWeb in an interview, basically, if you've heard a rumor that an actor will be cast as the next Bond, then they probably won't be.

"You know, I don't believe any of the publicity," said Campbell, who was there when Craig was first chosen for the role. "They always do this, they always come up with names, and it's this,...

The 1999 World War I movie The Trench, starring Daniel Craig and Cillian Murphy, currently languishes at a paltry 40% rating on Rotten Tomatoes' Popcornmeter. Largely overlooked at the box office, the movie sank without trace, but a rewatch shows what a classy piece of film-making it is. From the top-notch acting to the clever directorial flourishes by writer and director William Boyd, The Trench fully stands up to scrutiny a quarter of a century later. Here’s why.

Quick Links The Story Behind 'The Trench' What Daniel Craig Brings to 'The Trench' The Cinematic Value of 'The Trench'

English actor Daniel Craig has been making waves in the Hollywood media industry for many years, portraying various lead roles, such as Detective Benoit Blanc in the Knives Out films and Lee in the recently released Queer. However, Craig is arguably most well known for his recurring role as the legendary Agent 007 in the most recent James Bond franchise films. Daniel Craig's reign as James Bond has lasted over 15 years, spanning five films, including Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time to Die. Given his incredible and persevering performance as the talented MI6 agent, it is not surprising to see his other characters and films begin to slip into lesser-known territory.

One such film is The Trench, a 1999 war film written and directed by William Boyd.

Change can be scary. Change can be exhausting. Change can be a lot of things often necessary and good. But one thing that's not changing 'round these parts any time soon: Bond. James Bond. The secret agent man whose sexy and thrilling cinematic adventures have lit up screens for decades, is on the cusp of having his new face announced.

And for anyone worrying about who might be taking up the mantel, have no fear: it's still going to be a man.

In a new interview with franchise producers Barbara Broccoli and her brother Michael G. Wilson in The Independent, the daughter and step-son of late James Bond producer Albert "Cuddy" Broccoli have shared their views on what's to come and how they're handling the changeover from Daniel Craig to whomever comes to carry the gun and gadgets next.

For the siblings, James Bond has always been about change and a new perspective.

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The Americans is a period spy thriller drama series created by Joe Weisberg. The FX series is set during the Cold War and it follows the story of Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, two Soviet Kgb intelligence officers who are sent to Washington D.C. to pose as an American couple to gather information on the American government. The Americans stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys in the lead roles with Maximiliano Hernández, Holly Taylor, Keidrich Sellati, Noah Emmerich, Annet Mahendru, Susan Misner, and Alison Wright starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the intensely thrilling story, nail-biting drama, and compelling characters in The Americans here are some similar shows you should check out next.

The Spy (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

The Spy is a French English-language spy thriller drama series created by Gideon Raff. Based on the life...

The studio behind the James Bond franchise, Eon Productions, is reportedly getting close to finding the right director to bring the iconic adventures of 007 back to the big screen following the departure of Daniel Craig in 2021s No Time to Die. While much of the speculation has been around who will be cast as Bond, the filmmaker chosen to take the helm is equally important and will indicate the kind of approach (comedic/action-based/gritty?) the studio will take as the beloved franchise heads into its latest era.

According to The Telegraph, Eon has now started meeting with potential directors, with the Academy Award-winning Edward Berger top of the list. Berger is best known for 2022s All Quiet on the Western Front, which won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film, among others. His next project is the psychological thriller Conclave starring No Time to Dies Ralph Fiennes alongside Stanley Tucci,...

Endor Productions, the television and film production company behind Vienna Blood, State of Play, Restless and Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot is to close after 26 years.

Seven.One Studios, which has owned Endor for the last 12 years, said it had taken the decision to shutter the outfit due to “the persistently difficult” market for productions in the international scripted sector.

In a statement to Screen’s sister title Broadcast, the ProSiebenSat.1 Media company said: “Endor will not make any further investments in new developments but will focus exclusively on the completion of current productions.

“This decision was made after long and careful consideration.

Not all Western stars become major icons in the same way that John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Jimmy Stewart did. Some faithfully play frontier-based heroes for years without any real recognition for their contributions to the genre, despite their popularity with audiences at the time. One such Western star who fits into that category is none other than William Boyd, who, for nearly two decades, played the same cowboy in the bulk of his on-screen appearances. If you haven't heard of Bill "Hop-Along" Hopalong Cassidy before, mount your horse and ride with us. It's time for a lesson in Western genre history.

German-born laywer acquired hundreds of film and TV projects as pre-buys from US producers.

International media consultant and producer Thomas Augsberger has passed away suddenly at his home in the Hollywood Hills. He was 60 years old.

The German-born lawyer was founder of Eden Rock Media, a film and television production company and media consulting business.

Augsberger advised a number of high-profile media clients over the years, most prominently Germany’s Leonine Studios. Before Leonine, Augsberger spent 23 years as an advisor to Dr. Herbert Kloiber’s Tele Muenchen Group as Tmg’s exclusive North American representative in the US.

Augsberger’s...

International media consultant and producer Thomas Augsberger died suddenly on Tuesday at his home in the Hollywood Hills, his publicist informed Variety. He was 60.

The German-born and trained attorney was founder of film and television production company and media consulting business Eden Rock Media. Augsberger’s high profile media clients included Germany’s Leonine Studios. Prior to Leonine, Augsberger served for more than two decades as an advisor to the Tele Muenchen Group (Tmg) as their exclusive North American representative in the U.S. During this time he oversaw Tmg investments in the U.S., including a preferred equity investment in Lionsgate Entertainment in 1999 and the acquisition of the Mutual Film Library in 2006.

Over his 26-year consulting career, Augsberger acquired hundreds of projects as pre-buys including Marvel’s Iron Man franchise, Voltage’s Oscar winner “The Hurt Locker,” Paramount’s “Shutter Island,” Summit’s Twilight franchise, Lionsgate’s John Wick franchise,...

Deadline has learned that Thomas Augsberger, Eden Rock Media founder, producer and international media consultant died suddenly today at his Hollywood Hills home. He was 60 years old.

The German-born and trained attorney advised a number of high-profile media clients over the years, most prominently Germany’s Leonine Studios. Prior to Leonine, Augsberger served 23 years as an advisor to Dr. Herbert Kloiber‘s Tele Muenchen Group as Tmg’s exclusive North American representative in the US.

In 2002, he founded Eden Rock Media, a film and television production company and media consulting business.

Augsberger was widely respected for his deep experience in the production and acquisition of feature films, television series, and content libraries; investments in US distributors and production companies; the co-financing, co-production, and distribution of film, television, and digital projects; and the negotiation of German output deals with studios for theatrical, home entertainment, and television. Over the course of his 26-year consulting career,...

A group of 200 internationally renowned writers, publishers, directors and producers have signed an open letter sounding the alarm over the implications of AI for human creativity.

“Several generative models of language and images have recently appeared in the public and private domains; they are developing at breakneck speed, accessible to all for any task which involves writing and creating,” read the letter, published online on Tuesday.

“These models are shaping a world where, little by little, creation can do without human beings, thereby hastening the automation of many creative and intellectual professions formerly deemed inaccessible to mechanization.”

The letter, initiated by European translation professionals under the banner of “Collective For Human Translation – In Flesh And Blood”, comes amid growing concern about the impact of generative AI technology on professionals working in the creative industries.

Signatories from the literary world included Nobel Prize-winning author Annie Ernaux (Happening) as well as best-selling...

What was the movie Steven Spielberg saw as a child that inspired him to become one of the most successful, influential, and acclaimed filmmakers? According to his semi-autobiographical new film “The Fabelmans,” his cinematic alter-ego Sammy becomes obsessed with movies after his parents take him to the see Cecil B. DeMille’s 1952 circus epic “The Greatest Show on Earth.”

“The Greatest Show on Earth,” which not only won the Oscar for Best Picture and story, was the box office champ of the year earning 14 million domestically and 36 million worldwide. Critics were not so kind to his cotton-candy colored melodrama set under the big top at Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Films in Review declared “Mr. DeMille is so accomplished a showman that one is astonished he did not just photograph a circus performance without the synthetic story he injected here. After all, the Ringling Brothers-Barnum and Bailey Circus is a wonder in itself.

Glenn Close and Sam Elliott sat down for a conversation for Variety’s Actors on Actors. For more, click here.

Sam Elliott may be a cinematic icon thanks to his craggy voice and résumé of cowboy roles, but he has yet to be recognized with an Oscar nomination. That will probably change with “A Star Is Born,” which has earned Elliott some of the best reviews of his career for his portrayal of Bobby, the brother and manager of Bradley Cooper’s alcoholic superstar Jackson Maine.

Glenn Close, another Hollywood veteran, is no stranger to the awards circuit. Over her distinguished career, she’s earned six Oscar nominations. She’s likely to pick up her seventh nod for “The Wife,” a drama about a woman who is the true literary force behind her Nobel Prize-winning husband. Close and Elliott discussed their respective films, their love of the Western and...

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Playlist Jonathan Glazer (Birth, Under the Skin) working on his next film already. Yaaas!

Den of...

[Hello, readers! With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we here at Daily Dead thought it would be fun to do things a little different this year. We're putting the spotlight on our favorite horror-loving characters from genre cinema, people who have represented our own fandom on screen and, in many cases, helped bring our passion for horror into the mainstream. Be sure to check back here on Daily Dead every day through Valentine's Day for our tributes to some of the greatest horror fans to ever grace the big screen.]

Eric Binford, the protagonist (antagonist?) of Fade to Black (1980), loves movies so much, he is wholly subsumed by them. When not working in a Los Angeles film distribution center delivering prints to various locations, his life revolves around watching films on a projector in his room, or on TV, or reluctantly sharing a film at the theater with a crowd. Eric, played by Breaking Away’s Dennis Christopher, has no need for human interaction—the shadowy figures in the flickering lights are his only allies.

For those unfamiliar with Fade, it tells the simple tale of a lonely young man with an already tenuous grip on reality whose overwhelming passion for film leads him down a vengeful path of retribution against those who’ve wronged him. Dressing up as his favorite characters from filmdom (Dracula, The Mummy, Hopalong Cassidy, Cody Jarrett), Eric lays to waste those who come between him and his celluloid dreams.

Ten years ago I attended the Lone Pine Film Festival for the first time. It was the 17th annual celebration in 2006 of a festival dedicated to the heritage of movies (mostly westerns, but plenty of other genres as well) shot in or near the town of Lone Pine, California, located on the outer edges of the Mojave Desert and nestled up against the Eastern Sierra Mountains in the shadow of the magnificent Mt. Whitney. The multitude of films that could and have been celebrated there were most often shot at least partially in the Alabama Hills just outside of town, a spectacular array of geological beauty that springs out of the landscape like some sort of extra-planetary exhibit, a visitation of natural and very unusual formations that have lent themselves to the imaginations of filmmakers here ever since near the dawn of the Hollywood filmmaking industry.

In writing about the...

The new branded line Shout Selects chooses Buckaroo for special-special edition treatment, with a long making-of docu just like the ones from the heyday of DVD. And this oddest of oddball sci-fi pictures has a backstory worth documenting. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension Blu-ray Shout Select 1984 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 102 min. / Street Date August 16, 2016 / 34.93 Starring: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, Lewis Smith, Rosalind Cash, Robert Ito, Pepe Serna, Ronald Lacey, Matt Clark, Clancy Brown, Carl Lumbly, Vincent Schiavelli, Dan Hedaya, Bill Henderson, Damon Hines, Billy Vera Cinematography Fred J. Koenekamp Production Designer J. Michael Riva Art Direction Richard Carter, Stephen Dane Film Editor George Bowers, Richard Marks Original Music Michael Boddicker Written by Earl Mac Rauch Produced by Sidney Beckerman, Neil Canton, W.D. Richter Directed by W.D. Richter

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Not content with its already well appointed special Blu-ray editions,...

I’ve always been obsessed with watching movies. From seeing 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at the age of four at a Saturday matinee revival to today, the flickering shadow shows have filled my life. Consumed, I’m sure some would say. However, discerning fact from fiction has never been an issue, unlike Eric Binford, the hapless ‘hero’ of the eerie (and funny) Fade to Black (1980) – now here’s a kid with issues.

Written and directed by Vernon Zimmerman (The Unholy Rollers), Fade to Black was distributed by American Cinema Releasing on October 14th, 1980. The film bypassed audiences for the most part, but critics were generally pleased with the offbeat tone that it brought to the genre. If you love movies about movies, especially with a horror bent, Fade to Black is the film for you.

Eric Binford (Dennis Christopher – Breaking Away) lives with his haranguing aunt, and spends his days...

Howard Hughes movies (photo: Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes in 'The Aviator') Turner Classic Movies will be showing the Howard Hughes-produced, John Farrow-directed, Baja California-set gangster drama His Kind of Woman, starring Robert Mitchum, Hughes discovery Jane Russell, and Vincent Price, at 3 a.m. Pt / 6 a.m. Et on Saturday, November 8, 2014. Hughes produced a couple of dozen movies. (More on that below.) But what about "Howard Hughes movies"? Or rather, movies -- whether big-screen or made-for-television efforts -- featuring the visionary, eccentric, hypochondriac, compulsive-obsessive, all-American billionaire as a character? Besides Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays a dashing if somewhat unbalanced Hughes in Martin Scorsese's 2004 Best Picture Academy Award-nominated The Aviator, other actors who have played Howard Hughes on film include the following: Tommy Lee Jones in William A. Graham's television movie The Amazing Howard Hughes (1977), with Lee Purcell as silent film star Billie Dove, Tovah Feldshuh as Katharine Hepburn,...

I’m about to use a word that may be offensive to some, so if you’re one of them, I suggest you leave. You can make a ruckus as you go if you like; we judge here, but we do not blame.

Evolution. That’s the word, and now it’s out there. It may or may not recur as we proceed down the page.

The occasion is an item in Yahoo’s news site over weekend reporting that the moviemakers at Marvel and DC have their superhero schedule figured out for the next five years. Not all the t’s are crossed, but apparently The Big Two know how many superhero flicks they plan to make and when they’ll be putting these entertainments on a screen near you. And they don’t intend to skimp on quantity.

And I’ll probably see many, if not most, of them,...

I recently stumbled across my earliest photograph: a black & white snapshot I took with my Brownie box camera at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1960. I was 9 years old, going on 10, and I thought it turned out pretty well. (Actually, I still think so. It’s sharp and clear, which is more than I can say for some of the shots I get with my modern, high-tech camera.) My grandmother lived on West 71st Street in Manhattan, so I slept in her apartment the night before, so we could get up in time to walk to Central Park West and watch the parade go by. Here’s where it gets tricky: in the haze of my memory, I seem to recall shaking hands with Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd, that...

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Hilary Mantel, Jonathan Franzen, Mohsin Hamid, Ruth Rendell, Tom Stoppard, Malcolm Gladwell, Eleanor Catton and many more recommend the books that impressed them this year

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Five Star Billionaire by Tash Aw (Fourth Estate) is a brilliant, sprawling, layered and unsentimental portrayal of contemporary China. It made me think and laugh. I also love Dave Eggers' The Circle (Hamish Hamilton), which is a sharp-eyed and funny satire about the obsession with "sharing" our lives through technology. It's convincing and a little creepy.

William Boyd

By strange coincidence two of the most intriguing art books I read this year had the word "Breakfast" in their titles. They were Breakfast with Lucian by Geordie Greig (Jonathan Cape) and Breakfast at Sotheby's by Philip Hook (Particular). Greig's fascinating, intimate biography of Lucian Freud was a revelation. Every question I had about Freud – from the aesthetic to the intrusively gossipy – was...

All you ever wanted to know about Bond – his earliest memory, his most treasured possession, his most unappealing habit. Don't miss William Boyd's interview with 007

James Bond was born in 1924. His father was Andrew Bond, a Scottish engineer who worked for the Vickers armament firm, and his mother, Monique, was Swiss, née Delacroix. Bond was initially educated abroad and became fluent in German and French. His parents, however, died in a tragic climbing accident when Bond was 11 years old. He was sent to Eton, and spent only two terms there before being expelled. The rest of his secondary education took place in Scotland, at Fettes College, Edinburgh, his father's old school. Bond left school at the age of 17 in 1941, and, lying about his age, joined a branch of what would become the Ministry of Defence. He ended the war with the rank of commander in the Special Branch of...

August 30, 2013

CBS Radio Workshop Volume 4 The CBS Radio Workshop debuted at the end of the Age of Classic Radio, which was a time of innovation and experimentation, especially in terms of radio drama. The ten-hour Volume 4 includes “All Is Bright”, a history of the famous Christmas song; “1489 Words”, which featured the debut of later film composer Jerry Goldsmith’s “The Thunder of Imperial Names”, which was written for a concert band and was based on a text piece by Thomas Wolfe; a two-part adaptation of Frederick Pohl and Cyril M. Cornbluth’s The Space Merchants, which offers a satirical look at rampant consumerism from the viewpoint of an advertising executive; Archibald MacLeish’s “Air Raid”, the series’ only re-broadcast, which had first been written for the 1938 Columbia Workshop. Aired during the Cold War era, it took on a sinister new meaning; Henry Fritch’s “The Endless Road”, about a road...

It's been a busy month for Alamo Drafthouse founder and CEO Tim League with new locations opening across the "Magnited States of America," from north Austin to Dallas/Fort Worth and even Yonkers, New York. I was most excited by the new location at Lakeline, the largest Drafthouse location to date with ten screens and a craft beer-themed bar. Glass Half Full offers a 32 craft beer lineup, including 9 rotating taps of special and season beer selections comprised mostly of Texas brews.

The intriguing beer cocktails and mixes concocted by Drafthouse beverage director Bill Norris are a refreshing re-imagining of craft beer libations. My personal favorites so far include the "Elderflower Snake Bite" made up of Pearlsnap Pils and Ace Cider with a hint of St. Germain, and the "Hopalong Cassidy" made of Old Tom Gin, Cointreau, fresh grapefruit and India Pale Ale syrup, which has converted me from a non-gin drinker.

If I quit my day job, I just might possibly keep up with the output from TwoMorrows Publishing. Sundry regularly published magazines (Alter-Ego, Back Issue, Draw!, etc.), trade paperback and hardcover profiles of significant creators, publishing lines, eras and events – I can’t begin to list them all here. Well, I could, but they do a better job on their own website.

Did I mention they do everything up in both hardcopy and digital? Well, they do, and they’ve made many an otherwise tedious commute into Manhattan a lot more palatable.

I only get to bring to your attention a small fraction of their books. I’m still pissed that travel and work schedules didn’t allow me to review their Matt Baker: The Art of Glamour. So, to paraphrase the great Jack Kirby (and, yeah, they also publish The Jack Kirby Collector), just buy it.

But I...

Look, up in the sky. It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s…. …the third consecutive week that the Geezer, also known as me, used that hokey lead. Pathetic? You decide. But as long as we’re here…what’s the Man of Steel doing this time? Looks like he’s holding his ears. That must mean that he’s somewhere near the end of his hit movie, at the climactic battle, before a kind of lengthy denouement. Because that was one noisy climax. But first, a geezerly digression. When I was young – and we’re talking really young, like six or seven – I much enjoyed the “cowboy pictures” I saw at the neighborhood theater on Friday nights. The dime Mom gave me bought a cartoon, maybe a Three Stooges feature and two cowboy pictures with real good guys: Hopalong Cassidy, Sunset Carson, Tim Holt, Red Ryder, and...

How did the lone cowboy hero become such a potent figure in American culture? In an extract from his final book Fractured Times, the late Eric Hobsbawm follows a trail from cheap novels and B-westerns to Ronald Reagan

Today, populations of wild horse-riders and herdsmen exist in a large number of regions all round the world. Some of them are strictly analogous to cowboys, such as gauchos on the plains of the southern cone of Latin America; the llaneros on the plains of Colombia and Venezuela; possibly the vaqueiros of the Brazilian north-east; certainly the Mexican vaqueros from whom indeed, as everyone knows, both the costume of the modern cowboy myth and most of the vocabulary of the cowboy's trade are directly derived: mustang, lasso, lariat, sombrero, chaps (chaparro), a cinch, bronco. There are similar populations in Europe, such as the csikos on the Hungarian plain, or puszta, the Andalusian...