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In 2024, Steven Spielberg listed his 20 favorite movies of all time for Far Out Magazine, and many of them are indelible classics that one might expect Spielberg to list. "Seven Samurai," "Citizen Kane," "Day For Night," and "2001: A Space Odyssey" are all on the list, of course, although he did also throw in a few curveballs. James Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy" was mentioned, as was Olivier Nakache's and Éric Toledano's 2011 film "The Intouchables." He also picked out Victor Fleming's relatively obscure 1943 film "A Guy Named Joe" as one of the best ever, although that tracks; Spielberg remade the film in 1989 as "Always." 

Spielberg's #1 film of all time, however, was a safe and reliable standby; he's very fond of Frank Capra's Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life." But then, who doesn't like "It's a Wonderful Life?" 

The story of Capra's classic is possibly well-known even to non-cinephiles.

A favorite nugget of Wizard of Oz lore for many of us is the sublimely funny TV guide blurb written for a 1998 TCM airing of the MGM classic: “Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first person she meets and then teams up with three strangers to kill again.” The inclusion of amusing oddities like that is what pulls It’s Dorothy! back whenever it threatens to go from exhaustive to exhausting, from dissection to dissertation.

Welcome humor comes also from new discoveries — at least to me — like the bizarrely kitsch spectacle of eliminated contestants on BBC talent search show Over the Rainbow removing their jeweled slippers and handing them to Andrew Lloyd Webber on a throne before being carried off the set on a cutout moon. Wtf? The winner — or survivor — of that Brit reality TV horror, Danielle Hope, went on to star in London as...

The Wiz, Spine #1264, is now available on 4K in the Criterion Collection.

My relationship to The Wizard of Oz, like most people, begins in the very early years of my childhood. I don’t remember the first time I saw the 1930s classic, but as far back as I can remember, it was an important part of my upbringing. My relationship to The Wiz is different. I was always aware of its existence, and I recall watching small moments of it on cable television at a young age, but I never sat down and watched it in its entirety until now.

The Wiz plot

Dorothy (Diana Ross) is a teacher in Harlem struggling to find her place and her purpose. When she’s magically transported to the fantastical land of Oz, she must embark on a journey unlike anything she’s ever experienced before. Along the way, she’ll meet...

If there’s one criticism to be lobbed at Jeffrey McHale’s energetic, engrossing, and often quite loving documentary “It’s Dorothy!,” it’s that the documentarian has selected perhaps too good of a subject. The mythology and meaning of Dorothy Gale, the great hero of “The Wizard of Oz,” could easily inspire an entire series of films. While McHale somehow manages to touch on a dozen hot topics in his documentary — what the on-screen role means to the women who have played her, how and why the LGBTQ+ community so love her, how we grapple with the misdeeds of our favorite artists, and that’s literally just a small sample — that can make the actual film on offer feel a bit unfinished.

Still, McHale manages to hold all these very big topics together in an otherwise slim 97-minute running time. Packed with major talking heads, zippy animation, and a bouncing...

This summer, Dorothy and Toto are going to skip down the Yellow Brick Road in the same cutting-edge Las Vegas arena that’s hosted everything from Phish and Backstreet Boys concerts to Mma fights. That’s right, one of Hollywood’s most beloved films, “The Wizard of Oz,” is coming to the Sphere.

But updating the cinema classic for the venue’s massive 16K resolution wraparound interior LED screen required more than a dozen visual effects houses, teams of researchers and archivists, and Jane Rosenthal, the superstar producer behind “The Irishman” and “Meet the Parents.”

As part of this week’s Variety cover story, Rosenthal offered a first look at the secretive project ahead of “The Wizard of Oz at Sphere’s” Aug. 28 opening.

1.) Yes, It Uses AI

The 1939 version of “The Wizard of Oz” was made for a much, much smaller screen than the 160,000-foot one that the Sphere holds.

American Film With Highest Ticket Sales(Photo Credit –Hotstar)

Box office numbers are often the first metric people look at when measuring a film’s success, but ticket sales tell a deeper, more enduring story. While gross revenue can be swayed by inflation, 3D surcharges, and premium formats, ticket sales reveal how many people actually sat down in a theatre to experience a film firsthand. It’s an old-school measure of mass appeal. It is the one that reflects genuine audience turnout across decades and generations, even over Avatar and Endgame.

Hollywood has produced its fair share of record-shattering hits, from epic romances and war dramas to superhero spectacles and animated sensations. Yet when it comes to the sheer volume of tickets sold, without adjusting for the price of popcorn or the latest IMAX upcharge, the list looks very different from today’s billion-dollar club. Some titles made history by becoming cultural moments,...

Global Cinema Blockbuster Hits(Photo Credit –Prime Video)

Box office records are like shifting sands, always moving, always reshaping cinema history. Every few decades, a film arrives that doesn’t just entertain but redefines what’s possible commercially. Whether through technological innovation, sweeping love stories, intergalactic battles, or groundbreaking effects, these films create cultural events that bring people to theatres in droves. Some dominate for years, others are surpassed swiftly, but all of them, at some point, claimed the same title: the highest-grossing movie of all time.

This title isn’t just about bragging rights, it’s a reflection of a film’s reach and the evolution of cinema itself. From hand-painted reels of the early 20th century to CGI spectacles of today, the list of box office kings tells a parallel story of filmmaking innovation and audience taste. And while the numbers keep climbing, only a rare few have worn the crown.

Here’s a little something that may knock your popcorn out of your hand: Titanic and Avengers: Endgame — the two films we’ve often salivated over for breaking records —don’t actually top the list of highest-grossing movies of all time if you adjust for inflation.

Indeed, despite Kevin Feige’s Avengers: Endgame dominating the box office for a solid minute and Titanic being a household name for decades, the crown doesn’t rest on their heads when we bring inflation into the picture. Mind-blowing, right?

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in Titanic | Credit: Paramount Pictures

You see, money doesn’t grow on trees, but it sure does lose its value over time. When you throw inflation into the mix, the movies that were once deemed the titans of the box office might start looking like minnows. Let’s break this down and uncover which film truly takes the cake...

From Snow White to Cinderella, the cinematic world has seen many retellings of these fairy tales over the years. Many of these tales, like Sleeping Beauty and Hansel and Gretel, crossed themselves to the horror genre with a mix of fantasy. One such film from the 80s doesn't just retell the tale of Little Red Riding Hood but turns the classic bedtime story into a dark, haunting and unforgettable cinematic experience. Neil Jordan's The Company of Wolves, rather than showing a colorful, happy fairytale, confronts the darker aspects of desire and fear. The film plunges the audience into its subconscious, revealing the unsettling truths hidden beneath the surface. Even 41 years later, this British fantasy film stands as one of the greatest gothic tales ever told in cinema.

The Company of Wolves is a screen adaptation of British author Angela Carter's 1979 short story of the same name. Carter, who...

Quick! Who directed the 1950 animated version of "Cinderella?" Did they direct any other movies? Who played the voice of Peter Pan in Disney's 1953 film version? Who played Alice in "Alice in Wonderland?" Or Prince Philip in "Sleeping Beauty?" Who wrote "One Hundred and One Dalmatians?" 

Some readers may have been able to recall that famed children's book author Bill Peet wrote "Dalmatians," and other hardcore Disney Nerds might know that famed child star Bobby Driscoll played Peter Pan, but many of the actual filmmakers of early Disney-released animated features have remained obscure. One would have to look up that Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske served as the supervising directors of "Cinderella," and that they also helmed "Alice in Wonderland," "Peter Pan," and "Lady and the Tramp." Heck, they should be better known, as "Cinderella" kind of saved the company.

These people are, of course, all celebrities in the animation world,...

In the entire history of the Academy Awards, only six Best Picture winners have been 100 minutes or less. It seems that traditional, Oscar-bait "prestige" pictures tend to run long, attracting Academy voters with their sheer volume. Extra-long films are also a little rare, though, as only five Best Picture Winners are 200 minutes or more. Additionally, a whopping 18 Best Pictures have been between 160 and 195 minutes, so voters clearly don't mind longer movies. Indeed, the average length of a Best Picture winner is 136 minutes. In terms of cinematic storytelling, that seems to be the sweet spot. 

Of course, Roger Ebert's adage needs to be mentioned. The famed critics once posited that no good movie is too long, and no bad movie is short enough. The actual length of a film doesn't really matter, so long as it's a quality picture, and it makes good use of its time. Personally, I feel...

Many have noticed the following trend in recent years, and it strikes everyone as incredibly odd. Whenever a major Hollywood studio pours millions into a high-profile movie musical, they insist on eschewing the fact that they have done so in the film's advertising. One might note that the early previews for Jon M. Chu's "Wicked" didn't feature any of the film's songs, despite being based on one of the most popular Broadway musicals of all time. Likewise, trailers for "Mufasa: The Lion King" didn't boast any of the film's songs, despite them having been written by Disney superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda. Earlier this year, previews from the musical rendition of "Mean Girls," also adapted from a Broadway show, didn't have any singing in them, and the ads for the 2023 hit "Wonka" were also song-free. 

This has led many pundits and critics to ask why Hollywood is manufacturing a stigma against musicals.

85 years later, Victor Fleming's The Wizard of Oz, the 1939 Oscar-nominated adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is still widely lauded as one of the best movie musicals in history for its revolutionary setting and scale, memorable characters, and Judy Garland's wonderful performance. It's no wonder it remained influential enough to inspire Gregory Maguire's 1995 villain-reclamation novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which achieved new heights as a widely lauded Tony-winning musical Wicked. Now, Wicked, the first part of director Jon M. Chu's two-part envisioning of the beloved stage classic, is finally headed to the big screen after a journey more circuitous than the Yellow Brick Road, and the stakes couldn't be higher.

A pair of the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz fetched an all-time auction record for entertainment memorabilia when they sold on Saturday afternoon for $28 million. The sale was handled by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. With the buyer’s premium, the total is $32.5 million, and the buyer currently remains anonymous.

Auctioneer Mike Sadler announced at the podium at the conclusion of the lot’s bidding that the slippers had far surpassed the previous auction record of $5.52 million for the white halter dress designed by William Travilla and worn by Marilyn Monroe in 1955’s The Seven Year Itch. That costume also was sold at Heritage in 2011 and was part of the famed collection of Debbie Reynolds.

“There is simply no comparison between Judy Garland’s ruby slippers and any other piece of Hollywood memorabilia,” said Joe Maddalena, executive vice president of Heritage Auctions, in a statement released following the sale.

The original author has weighed in on Wicked. The 2024 Wizard of Oz prequel movie, which was directed by Jon M. Chu and stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba (the future Wicked Witch of the West) opposite Ariana Grande-Butera as Galinda (the future Glinda the Good Witch), is based on the 2003 stage musical of the same name with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. In turn, that musical was based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked, which was originally published in 1995.

Maguire recently sat down for an interview with Yahoo Entertainment. When asked about his opinion on the new movie, he said that "I hardly recognize it as my book anymore," though he also shared that he found it to be "far better than it has any right to be." He particularly praised the work of Cynthia Erivo, who he says maintained the core of the "sharp,...

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On May 16, 1929, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences handed out its first two Academy Awards for Best Director to Frank Borzage ("7th Heaven") and Lewis Milestone ("Two Arabian Knights"). This was the only year the organization distinguished between drama and comedy, but it would not be the last time either of these men took home the top prize in their field. Milestone would win again in 1930 for his heartbreaking adaptation of "All Quiet on the Western Front," while Borzage, a visual storytelling master whose every film you should absolutely watch, triumphed anew in 1932 with the pre-code classic "Bad Girl."

Throughout the Academy Awards' history, 21 directors have earned more than one Best Director Oscar. 18 have won it twice (Alfonso Cuarón was the most recent filmmaker to join the two-time ranks with "Roma"), while Frank Capra and William Wyler are the only three-time winners.

Urban legends surrounding The Wizard of Oz have been alive for decades, but since the dawn of the internet, they have spread like wildfire. Luckily, there’s someone that can clarify all of them once and for all. John Fricke, who could be the most trusted voice in everything regarding the Technicolor marvel, has come out to debunk most of the rumors, and shed light on what really happened during the production of one of Hollywood's most prominent classics.

Directed (mostly) by Victor Fleming, The Wizard of Oz is considered one of the most important films ever made. Nominated for several Academy Awards, the musical went on to become a classic of its time. However, several rumors have always been associated with the film, and they range from the downright hilarious to the incredibly tragic. With time, these rumors became “facts” as everyone capitalized on the popularity of conspiracy theories as the internet grew.

Ted Lasso, one of the most beloved TV shows in modern times, was indeed inspired by a movie classic, confirming a popular fans theory that has recently flooded the internet. Brett Goldstein, one of the stars and a prominent writer on the show, has confirmed that the show is heavily inspired by The Wizard of Oz, the Hollywood classic of 1939. As Wicked, the musical by Jon M. Chu, inspired by the play of the same name that stemmed from the original classic, keeps people singing in theaters, Goldstein reveals that his Apple TV+ comedy has loads of The Wizard of Oz in it. This matches a popular fan theory on the internet about the connection between the sitcom and the classic by Victor Fleming.

In the show, Ted Lasso is an American football coach who gets hired to coach a soccer team in England. Lasso knows nothing about soccer, but...

Jon M. Chu’s musical Wicked (Part One), starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, is set to defy gravity over the coming weeks as the blockbuster event of the holiday season. Adapted from Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s long-running Tony and Grammy Award-winning Broadway musical, itself based on Gregory Maguire’s fantasy novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Wicked has the kind of built-in fan base most Hollywood musicals can only dream of.

While recent theatrical musical adaptations and originals like West Side Story (2021), The Color Purple (2023), Wonka (2023) and Chu’s In the Heights (2021) had their share of fans, none could compare with the Wicked phenomenon — except for maybe, Cats (2019). Jokes aside, Wicked’s fan base has been maintained and further populated by a plethora of merch, Broadway reunions, album rereleases, a 15th anniversary Halloween TV special and,...

[Editor’s note: For this article, The Hollywood Reporter only looked at the shortest and longest screen times in the lead acting categories. Best supporting actor and actress were not included.]

Longest Screen Times Vivien Leigh, Gone With the Wind (1939)

Movie Length 3 hrs 58 mins

Time Onscreen 2 hrs 23 mins

Percent of Run Time 60 Percent

Vivien Leigh holds the record for the longest performance to win an Oscar, though the work took a deep physical and mental toll on her. The film itself is also the longest to win best picture. At the 12th Academy Awards, Victor Fleming’s Gone With the Wind also won best supporting actress for Hattie McDaniel, who became the first African American to win an Oscar. Leigh was nominated alongside Bette Davis (Dark Victory), Irene Dunne (Love Affair), Greta Garbo (Ninotchka) and Greer Garson (Goodbye, Mr. Chips).

Charlton Heston, Ben-Hur (1959)

Movie Length 3 hrs 32 mins

Time Onscreen 2 hrs 1 min

Percent of Run Time 57.1 Percent...

The concept of a prequel is a well-worn one in literature. Not only did authors like J.R.R. Tolkien further flesh out their characters and worlds in books set before previously published adventures, but L. Frank Baum, author of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," wrote "Ozma of Oz," the first prequel to be set in that particular universe. In cinema, however, the concept took a while to catch on, and it wasn't really until "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace" that the cinematic prequel became popular. To say that the process had some bumps in the road would be an understatement; "The Phantom Menace" and its two sequels were loudly reviled upon their initial release, with everything from their characters to their dialogue to their visual aesthetic taken to task for not looking or feeling enough like the original "Star Wars" trilogy. Despite George Lucas' claims that the films...

This article contains spoilers for "Wicked."

When Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman's stage musical adaptation of Gregory Maguire's novel "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" made its Broadway debut in 2003, few could have anticipated what an international sensation "Wicked" would become. The story is told from the perspective of two witches, Elphaba and Galinda, who will later become The Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda The Good, respectively.

It takes place before and after Dorothy Gale's arrival in the magical land of Oz, explaining how both women would end up down their inevitable paths. With gorgeous spectacle evoking the technicolor brilliance of Victor Fleming's classic 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz," and some of the most memorable songs in the entire Broadway canon, "Wicked" took the world by storm. The show went on to win three Tony Awards, seven Drama Desk Awards,...

Spoilers for "Wicked" follow.

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

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

This article contains spoilers for "Wicked."

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

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

Gregory Maguire's novel "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" was first published in 1995, a time when teenage Gen-Xers were having a ball deconstructing pop media and riffing on the inherent absurdities of previous generations' entertainment. This was an era when Richard Linklater's "Slacker" joked about the Smurfs, and when Kevin Smith's "Clerks" amusingly overthought the details of the Death Star. In 1995, there was a feeling that all media was coming to an end, and it was easy to make a sport of tearing old stories to the ground. 

Maguire, as such, wrote a tale about how the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" -- as well as from Victor Fleming's 1939 film adaptation -- was actually a misunderstood sorceress who was forced into wickedness by a vapid schoolmate version of Glinda...

Throughout the history of cinema, few movies have been quite as influential and iconic as The Wizard of Oz, and it's a fantastical story that has been reimagined time and time again. From the magical narrative, to its awe-inspiring visuals, Victor Fleming's 1939 interpretation of L. Frank Baum's story is undoubtedly the definitive version of The Wizard of Oz, and from it, The Wicked Witch of the West emerged as one of the most fearsome and most memorable movie villains of all time. The nefarious, green-skinned harpy is evil incarnate and has fueled the nightmares of audiences for decades.

The Wizard of Oz ending may hinge on the demise of the titular character after his deceptions are revealed, but it's the death of the Wicked Witch of the West that is the biggest cause for celebration, both in-movie and for the audience. However, the Wicked Witch is only a...

When it comes to musicals, few stories are as beloved or as surprisingly widespread as The Wizard of Oz. The vibrant, fantastical tale of witches, flying monkeys, and magical ruby slippers has stood the test of time. Now, with the release of Wicked, fans have another opportunity to visit the Land of Oz. Incredibly, L. Frank Baum's children's novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the original material upon which many adaptations are based, is now 124 years old. That book was so immensely popular as was the Broadway adaptation in 1902 that Baum ended up writing 13 more Oz novels.

These books subsequently inspired many movies, TV shows, and plays. Yet one adaptation stands above the rest, with The Wizard of Oz from 1939 rightly regarded as one of the best movie musicals based on a book ever made. For many purveyors of great cinema, Victor Fleming's Technicolor dream of a film...

As Jon M. Chu brings the latest big-screen installment to L. Frank Baum’s ever-expanding universe, he’s reflecting on the societal shifts that have historically punctuated adaptations of Oz.

The Wicked director explained that the Yellow Brick Road has become “the road we travel” ever since Baum released The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900, which was later adapted into the Victor Fleming-helmed onscreen masterpiece The Wizard of Oz (1939), starring Judy Garland.

“The Wizard of Oz was always sort of prophetic in a way. It was written at a time of America in transition,” Chu told NBC News. “At that point, the Depression had just finished and they’re about to go into war. And so it’s always a question of about what the American dream looks like when the road ends and what are the possibilities of the next thing.”

The country went through another transition in...

Related Images invites readers behind the scenes and into the sketchbooks of working filmmakers to learn more about their creative processes.Elizabeth Sankey’s Witches is now showing exclusively on Mubi.Witches.Title cards are an underappreciated art and a powerful tool for every director. They can punctuate a moment, make it more comic, shocking, or beautiful. They can hold your hand and lead you sweetly down the garden path of the story you’re about to experience, or they can undermine your expectations and throw you for a loop. Even their placement in the runtime can have a huge impact. In the black-metal revenge thriller Mandy (2018) Panos Cosmatos waits 75 minutes before abruptly kicking his title card onto the screen. Conversely Luca Guadagnino places the card for Call Me by Your Name (2017) at the end of the film to enhance Elio’s heartbreaking stare into the fire, intensifying his crushing...

Hugh Grant established himself as one of the most popular romantic heroes with repeated hits in the genre. However, after many years of dabbling in different genres, the actor delivered a diabolical performance in an unexpected field.

The Notting Hill lead’s performance as the evil Scottish man in Heretic shocked audiences and critics alike due to his chilling performance. One would believe the actor would be an avid fan of the genre but that’s far from reality. Grant revealed he had been terrified of the genre ever since he watched The Wizard of Oz.

The musical which haunted Hugh Grant for years Hugh Grant in Notting Hill | Credits: Universal Pictures

Hugh Grant has given huge hits as a romantic lead in movies like Love Actually, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Two Weeks Notice, and many more. But the actor unleashed his potential as an antagonist in the horror thriller Heretic...

David O. Selznick was a demanding producer who often interrupted pitches and then bullied filmmakers once their movies started shooting. I wonder how impresarios of his era — Selznick, Sam Goldwyn or Darryl F. Zanuck — would have coped with the unruly YouTubers, TikTokers, Instagrammers or superstar influencers crowding today’s marketplace.

Or how they’d deal with esteemed filmmakers like Alfonso Cuarón, who today are re-inventing and re-structuring their craft to fit the ecocentrics of streamerville?

In a maze of memos, Selznick told George Cukor, then King Vidor, that they lacked the pizzazz to turn Gone With The Wind into a hit. Would he have instructed Passthatpuss to trim his act or Todd Phillips to pull the tunes from Joker 2?

The bottom line, I suppose, is that pop culture has moved to a new rhythm and only sentimentalists worry about the creative debris along the way.

Cuarón’s confounding seven-part...

John Wayne is an American institution, and that's kind of a pity. The films he made from the 1930s through the 1970s all presented what many consider the most persistent cinematic archetypes of old-world machismo. Wayne was a symbol of stalwart, unbending manliness, a testament to the power of being gruff and insoluble. It is, however, hard to accept him as a positive role model when one recalls how bigoted he was in life. Every few years, his 1971 interview with Playboy Magazine resurfaces and a new crowd discovers Wayne vaunting the values of white supremacy and flippantly excoriating minorities.

He also, in that interview, talked about the moral righteousness of his old Westerns, saying that Europeans were in the right for stealing American land from the First Nation people. He was pretty despicable.

But he was also one of the biggest movie stars of all time, and cinema lovers have...

The iconically seductive silent film star Clara Bow is being further immortalized courtesy of a festival at New York City’s Film Forum.

1920s superstar Bow, who recently inspired a track named after her on Taylor Swift’s “Tortured Poets Department” album, is at the center of a career retrospective screening series at the New York City indie theater. Deemed the very first “It Girl,” Bow starred in films such as “Wings,” “The Saturday Night Kid,” and short “The Pill Pounder” which was recently rediscovered and subsequently restored after 101 years.

Bow’s turn in silent comedy “It” also inspired the very term “It Girl,” which refers to “sex appeal” as coined by British author Elinor Glyn, who also appears in the feature as well as a young Gary Cooper.

The festival will run on most Mondays at Film Forum from October 7 to December 30, with an additional screening on Thursday, October...

The King of the Director's Cut is back. Ridley Scott's Napoleon surprised many with his tonally unique take on the French emperor (played adeptly by Joaquin Phoenix). Unexpectedly, the 2023 biopic was less a grandiose war epic centered on Napoleon the would-be world conqueror, and more of a tragicomic exploration of Napoleon the man. It boldly erodes the glamor of the "Great Man" Theory of History, portraying the self-crowning, self-styled heir of Alexander the Great as a talented tactician and a brutish, power-hungry politician, but also as a petty, manipulable horndog obsessed with his hot and infinitely more intelligent wife, Josphine (Vanessa Kirby). It's an unexpected approach to an epic for a world-altering figure as if Victor Fleming put Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) in a gimp suit while Atlanta burns in Gone With The Wind.

Baz Luhrmann is set to tackle the story of Joan of Arc as his next project. Titled Jehanne d’Arc, the film will tell the epic tale of Joan of Arc, a teenager who claimed to be acting under divine guidance as she helped lead France to victory during the siege of Orléans. She stood by Charles VII during his coronation of the King of France but was later captured and handed over to the English. They put her on trial for heresy, and she was ultimately burned at the stake at the young age of nineteen.

Deadline reports that Luhrmann is in the midst of his creative process now, with a casting breakdown set to go out today. The project is looking for a young woman to star in “The ultimate teenage girl coming of age story, set in the Hundred Years’ War.” There have been plenty of adaptations...

Establishing her position in Hollywood as the reigning queen of the dark, following her appearance in the Wednesday TV series, Jenna Ortega became one of the most defining faces in Hollywood. Thereafter, appearing in the Scream franchise and even making her way into Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Ortega catapulted her stardom among the younger generation.

Jenna Ortega in Wednesday (2022) | image: Netflix

However, in a surprising twist, despite Jenna Ortega’s success in the realm of horror and thriller, which has defined her career graph, the actress revealed a surprising choice for her dream role. After carving a distinct niche for herself with captivating performances in contemporary television and film, Ortega expressed her desire to embody the historical figure that echoed the career trajectory of the legendary Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman.

Jenna Ortega Aspires to Portray the Complex Historical Figure, Joan of Arc

Known for her compelling portrayal of Wednesday...

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

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

The impact of Frank Herbert’s Dune upon its release, which reshaped the sci-fi landscape, can’t be overstated. While it would take another two decades before the novel saw its own big-screen adaptation, directed by David Lynch, it did contribute to making George Lucas’ Star Wars iconic.

While Star Wars is an amalgamation of many works, including Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai and Victor Fleming’s The Wizard of Oz, it’s the influence of Dune that stands out the most. But despite the similarities, Lynch was less than thrilled when asked to direct Return of the Jedi.

David Lynch Had No Interest in Helming Return of the Jedi David Lynch. | Credit: Aaron from Seattle/Cca-2.0/Wikimedia Commons.

Before helming the first Dune adaptation in 1984, which ended up becoming one of the biggest mishaps in David Lynch‘s career, the director was initially offered to take the wheel of Star Wars.

Victor Fleming's Gone with the Wind is an award-winning film, but it is also a controversial one due to its depiction of enslaved people and the Civil War. Adapted from the 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell, the film stars Vivien Leigh as Scarlett OHara, Hattie McDaniel as Mammy, Clark Gable as Rhett Butler, Thomas Mitchell as George OHara, and Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes.

France’s Deauville American Film Festival has announced a retrospective gathering 50 U.S. features that have challenged perceptions of the world to mark its 50th anniversary.

The selection ranges from D. W. Griffith’s 1916 silent epic Intolerance to Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and also includes Ida Lupino’s groundbreaking 1950 rape drama Outrage as well as Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing. (see full list below)

“Cinema has always made us dream, travel, desire, fantasize, laugh, cry. But how many films have been able to shake up our certainties, question our beliefs, question our prejudices and put our own views into perspective?,” said the festival.

“The Deauville American Film Festival wanted to highlight a selection of 50 films that have changed the way we look at the world,” it continued.

Launched in 1975, the festival unfolding in the swanky Normandy beach resort of Deauville, annually fetes Hollywood...

In August 1939, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, directed by William Dieterle, was screened privately and became the first film entered into competition at the very first Cannes Film Festival. It was the only film shown. The event had been canceled due to the increasing threat of war breaking out in Europe. Awards for the previously planned plethora of films, including Victor Fleming's The Wizard of Oz, were only retrospectively given out in 2002. Notably, only nine other countries agreed to join the proposed first Cannes Film Festival in 1939, with 19 eventually joining the 1946 Cannes Film Festival, showing the effect the removal of fascism had and just how political of an event this was. Storytelling and politics have always been interwoven, with cinematic technology only increasing the size of audiences that a film's message can reach. The very first Cannes Film Festival was no different. From its anti-fascist inception to its cancellation,...

The year before she became internationally acclaimed as the original “It Girl” for starring in the film It, Clara Bow made this peppy silent comedy directed by the Wizard Of Oz’s Victor Fleming, which had a gala screening at HippFest with live accompaniment from Neil Brand.

Bow doesn’t actually turn up until part way through the film that begins firmly with the perspective of men. Ralph Prescott (Percy Marmont) is a divorce lawyer, tired of both life and the flirtations of his clients who decides to head up country to the delightfully named Mantrap for some R&r. Joe Easter (Ernest Torrence), meanwhile is a backwoods trader lured by the bright lights and finely turned ankles of Minneapolis.

It is there that Joe crosses the path of the flirtatious Alverna (Bow), a manicurist who gives plenty of flutter with her polish. As is often the way with silent films,...

After initially breaking the record for directing the most Oscar-winning performances in 1939 and then being temporarily displaced by Victor Fleming the following year, William Wyler has singularly retained said distinction since 1943. At the time of his retirement more than half a century ago, he was responsible for making movies that produced a whopping 14 acting wins, including at least two in each of the four possible categories. Check out our complete photo gallery of Oscar-winning turns in Wyler films, which also includes a rundown of the unsuccessful nominees directed by him.

Between 1926 and 1970, Wyler directed 44 narrative feature films, 22 of which earned a collective total of 127 Oscar nominations and 39 wins. Among them is “Ben-Hur” (1960), which shares the record for most single-film wins (11) with “Titanic” (1998) and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2004). Prior to his death in 1981, Wyler was personally recognized 14 times across two categories, winning Best Director for...

After initially breaking the record for directing the most Oscar-winning performances in 1939 and then being temporarily displaced by Victor Fleming the following year, William Wyler has singularly retained said distinction since 1943. At the time of his retirement more than half a century ago, he was responsible for making movies that produced a whopping 14 acting wins, including at least two in each of the four possible categories. Check out our complete photo gallery of Oscar-winning turns in Wyler films, which also includes a rundown of the unsuccessful nominees directed by him.

Between 1926 and 1970, Wyler directed 44 narrative feature films, 22 of which earned a collective total of 127 Oscar nominations and 39 wins. Among them is “Ben-Hur” (1960), which shares the record for most single-film wins (11) with “Titanic” (1998) and “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2004). Prior to his death in 1981, Wyler was personally recognized 14 times across two categories, winning Best Director for...

Ingrid Bergman portrayed Joan of Arc three times in both theater and film, winning acclaim and awards for her performances. Despite the different movies receiving mixed reception, her role as Joan of Arc remains one of Bergman's most iconic throughout her career. Bergman had a successful career portraying real people, winning awards for roles in films like Anastasia and A Woman Named Golda.

Throughout Hollywood history, many actors have played iconic roles in different movies with one particular role defying their success. Many actors in the industry have played the same role in completely different movies. One particular actress played one role three times across her career and this role helped define her as one of the most legendary performers in Hollywood history.

Ingrid Bergman made her acting career in the 1935 Swedish film Munkbrogreven, which saw her land a film studio contract. She made her U.S. debut in the...

As she ascended the Hollywood ladder in the late 2000s, Emily Blunt was a rising star who worked at the forefront of modern cinema and appeared in movies like The Young Victoria and The Devil Wears Prada. The Into the Woods actress’ recent performances in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer have further cemented her status among the greatest actors of our time.

Moreover, her acclaimed performance led to her being nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. Well, as she becomes a more important icon in modern cinema, Blunt has begun to share her thoughts on the industry, revealing her top four films during a SXSW Q&a session.

Emily Blunt in Oppenheimer

Surprisingly enough, though, none of these works belong to the Interstellar director.

Emily Blunt’s 4 Favorite Movies: No Room for Christopher Nolan?

With a diverse taste in movies, Emily Blunt’s all-time favorite is a reflection of her own bright choices,...

It's well known to fans of "The Wizard of Oz" that actor Ray Bolger was originally cast to play the Tin Man and famed comedian Buddy Ebsen was cast as the Scarecrow. They swapped roles at Bolger's insistence, as Bolger had a personal attachment to the role; he was inspired to become an actor after seeing Vaudevillian Fred Stone play the part on stage when Bolger was a child. Ebsen was fine with changing roles, although he had to drop out of production due to makeup problems. The silvery Tin Man makeup contained powered aluminum and Ebsen breathed in big clouds of it, making him sick. At the time, many merely assumed Ebsen had an allergy. Ebsen was replaced with Jack Haley, and the makeup was altered to be a paste instead of a powder.

With the possible exception of "Star Wars," no film's production has been more meticulously recorded...

When Michael Jackson Bought An Oscar At An Astounding Price. (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Oscars 2024: Today, we are here with the story of Michael Jackson’s prized possession, an Oscar trophy that the King of Pop bought for a staggering amount at an auction. It was the best picture award for Gone With the Wind, a Hollywood classic. For how much did Mj buy the Oscar? What happened to it after his death, or where is it now? Keep scrolling to know.

The 2024 Oscars are just a few hours away, and most people are eager to know how many trophies Christopher Nolan and his team of Oppenheimer will receive. As per statistics, Nolan’s film is expected to take home around six Academy Awards after winning all the major awards this season. Emma Stone is also a strong contender for the Leading Actress Award, and if she wins, she...

Ingrid Bergman shone as a versatile actress in acclaimed movies like Stromboli and Murder on the Orient Express. Bergman portrayed iconic roles like Joan of Arc and Sister Mary Benedict with passion and depth. Known for her luminous beauty, Bergman delivered powerful performances in classics like Casablanca and Anastasia.

The Swedish actress turning Hollywood icon Ingrid Bergman starred in some of the greatest movies ever produced. From historical epics to intimate family dramas and everything in between, Bergman’s career was one categorized by acclaimed directors, compelling performances, and the occasional Hollywood scandal. With three Academy Awards to her name, Bergman stood as one of the most successful actresses of all time and her name has become synonymous with luminous radiating beauty, strong and enduring characters, and a range that saw her excel in comedy, drama, film noirs, and period pieces.

With a willingness to step outside her comfort zone,...

Victor Fleming's mid-film director switch saved both The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind from production troubles in 1939. The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind faced cursed productions and notorious crew changes plaguing their filming processes. Despite The Wizard of Oz's lasting legacy, Gone with the Wind emerged as the bigger hit with a higher box office haul and more Oscar wins.

The exact same behind-the-scenes change saved the classic Hollywood films The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind from troubled productions in 1939. At face value, The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind couldn't be any more different. The Wizard of Oz is a wondrous musical fantasy film that follows Kansas native Dorothy Gail's wild adventure through the magical land of Oz, and Gone with the Wind is an epic historical romance set in the American South following the torrid...