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Actor Rene Kirby, best known for appearing in the comedy movie Shallow Hal, has passed away. He was 70 years old.

Per Seven Days, Kirby's brother, Jon, announced that the actor died on July 11 at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont. He had been hospitalized for two months prior to his passing, suffering from issues related to the kidney, bladder, and esophagus, as well as infections. Kirby previously lost the ability to speak after having his larynx removed due to throat cancer, which he had survived.

Kirby was born with spina bifida with more than a foot of his lower spine missing. As his spine was detached from his pelvis, his legs never developed, and his condition left him without the use of his legs. Kirby was described as a "fixture around town," known to the locals for often being seen maneuvering a three-wheeled bike with a hand crank.

Rene Kirby, an actor known for his work in “Shallow Hal” died on July 11 in Burlington, Vermont. He was 70.

His brother Jon confirmed to Seven Days that Kirby had died at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Kirby was hospitalized for two months with kidney, bladder and esophagus issues, as well as multiple infections. Kirby had previously survived throat cancer, but lost the ability to speak after the removal of his larynx.

Born in Vermont, Kirby was born with spina bifida, a condition that causes scoliosis, leg paralysis, and difficulty walking. After earning state titles in swimming and skiing, Kirby worked with Ibm for 20 years. While living in Vermont, Kirby was scouted by Peter Farelly while he was directing “Me, Myself and Irene” in 1999. After the pair met, Farelly decided to cast Kirby in “Shallow Hal,” where he played a character named Walt alongside Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black.

In...

Actor Rene Kirby, best known for his role in the 2001 Farrelly Brothers comedy movie Shallow Hal, has died. He was 70. According to the Vermont-based publication Seven Days, Rene died at the University of Vermont Medical Center on Friday, July 11. His brother, Jon Kirby, told the outlet that Rene had been hospitalized for two months due to infections and complications with his oesophagus, kidneys, and bladder. Rene was born with spina bifida, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, “is a condition that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly.” Due to the condition, Rene had no use of his legs, though he never let it stop him from an active lifestyle, including biking, skiing, and acting. He appeared in two Farrelly Brothers films, including the Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow-starring Shallow Hal. Rene played the role of Walt, a man who, like himself, was born with spina bifida.

Shanghai International Film Festival (Siff) has revealed the titles set to compete at its upcoming 27th edition, including the latest features by Cao Baoping, Aktan Arym Kubat and Antonio Ferreira.

They are among 49 titles that will vie for its Golden Goblet Awards, including 12 each from the main competition and the Asian New Talent competition, most of which are world premieres.

Scroll down for competition titles

A trio from China are running in the main competition, including Cao Baoping’s Tianjin-set crime comedy drama One Wacky Summer; Qiu Sheng’s latest China-France collaboration My Father’s Son; and Wang Tong’s feature debut Wild Nights,...

The 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (Siff) has unveiled its Golden Goblet Awards selection, with 49 films competing across five categories.

This year’s edition has set new records, with competition sections receiving over 2,800 submissions from 119 countries and regions, marking notable increases in entries from the Americas and Africa. Short film submissions alone rose 18% year-over-year.

The main competition features 12 titles spanning diverse territories. These include Chilean-u.K.-French co-production “After the Fog” directed by Miriam Heard, Kyrgyzstan’s “Black Red Yellow” from Aktan Arym Kubat, and Brazil’s “Cyclone” directed by Flavia Castro. Chinese cinema is well-represented with entries including “My Father’s Son” (Qiu Sheng), “One Wacky Summer” (Cao Baoping), and “Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts” (Wang Tong). The section also features Poland’s “Loss of Balance” (Korek Bojanowski), Germany’s “Luisa” (Julia Roesler), Japan’s “On Summer Sand” (Shinya Tamada), Argentina-Spain-Chile’s “The Reborn” (Santiago Esteves), Portugal-Brazil’s “The Scent...

Kenny Chesney has kicked off his new residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas and the setlist for the show has been revealed!

The country singer has a 15-show residency at the iconic new venue in Sin City.

“When we started talking about all of the possibilities playing Sphere offered, I was all in. Just the idea of 4D technology and the impossibly dialed-in sound raises the experience for No Shoes Nation; literally immersing them in music, visuals, sound and being together. To me, this is going to be a whole new way of rocking the fans, and I can’t wait,” Kenny said while announcing the residency.

Brandi Cyrus is doing a DJ set at each show to warm up the crowd before Kenny‘s set.

For the opening night show, Kenny brought out Kelsea Ballerini to be a special surprise guest!

Head inside to check out the full...

Final Girls Berlin Film Festival Returns for Its 10th Edition: "Having grown from a humble two-day event with around 15 attendees to a five-day genre showcase at City Kino Wedding, the Final Girls Berlin Film Festival is celebrating its 10th edition. Recognised by MovieMaker Magazine and Dread Central as one of the best genre festivals worldwide, Final Girls Berlin has become a powerhouse for championing bold, boundary-pushing horror by women, trans, and non-binary filmmakers.

This year’s lineup is a mix of underground gems and festival heavyweights—films that have screened at A-list festivals, landed on Mubi, won major awards, and even earned Oscar nods. These successes underscore the growing recognition and impact of women, trans, and non-binary filmmakers in genre cinema. As horror evolves, they’re leading the charge, and we’re proud to showcase both the industry’s rising stars and its boldest new visions.

Can’t make it to Berlin?...

Daaku Maharaaj Worldwide Box Office Collection Day 8 (Photo Credit – Instagram)

The Nandamuri Balakrishna starrer Daaku Maharaaj kickstarted on a promising note at the box office on January 12, 2025. However, the movie has gradually slowed down after crossing 100 crores in its worldwide box office collection. Let us take a look at the film’s box office performance on its 8th day.

Daaku Maharaaj Worldwide Box Office Collection Day 8

On its 8th day, the film witnessed a day-wise collection of 3.75 crores. This was a drop of around 6% since the film had earned 4 crores on its previous day. The total India net collection of the film now stands at 74.71 crores.

At the same time, the gross collection comes to 88.15 crores. The Nandamuri Balakrishna starrer’s overseas collection is a decent 16.5 crores. Daaku Maharaaj’s worldwide collection now comes to 104.65 crores. The movie is however, still far from the success verdict and has still not recovered its budget.

Squid Game season 2 introduces a new manager after The Front Man surprisingly decides to join the games. The cast of Squid Game season 2 includes Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, and Wi Ha-joon, who all reprise their roles from the show's first season. In addition to the returning actors, Park Hee-soon joins the cast of Squid Game season 2 as the temporary manager. Park Hee-soon is a popular South Korean actor who has starred in movies such as Seven Days, The Scam, and 1987: When the Day Comes.

In addition to his film roles, Park Hee-soon received international acclaim for the 2021 Netflix K-drama series My Name. Therefore, Park Hee-soon was a welcome addition to the cast of Squid Game's second season. However, he does not get as much screen time as other new characters in Squid Game season 2. Since he is not a player in the games, viewers don't learn too much...

Acclaimed Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof will attend the upcoming 2025 Göteborg Film Festival with his latest film, family drama and political thriller “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” Germany’s submission to this year’s international feature Oscar race which made the Oscar shortlist on Dec. 17.

Variety rates the film, which he also wrote and co-produced, as one of the five frontrunners in the international feature category to score an Oscar nomination on Jan. 17.

“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” has also scored Golden Globe and Critics Choice nominations for foreign-language film, and won the National Board of Review’s best international film award.

Banned in Rasoulof’s home country, the film has already garnered international recognition for its poignant narrative and exploration of political themes. Rasoulof, who currently lives in exile in Germany after being sentenced to eight years in prison and flogging by the Iranian regime as he wrapped “Sacred Fig,...

While there’s a few more fall film festivals popping up in the next month, the major ones are behind us, which means we have a strong sense of the films to have on your radar in the coming months and even through 2025. We’ve asked our writers from across the globe to weigh in on their favorite world premieres from Locarno Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, and BFI London Film Festival.

Our coverage will continue with a few more reviews this week, and far beyond as we provide updates on the journey of these selections, so continue to explore all of our festival coverage here. In the meantime, check out top picks from our writers below and return soon for our extensive year-end coverage.

Soham Gadre (@SohamGadre)

1. April (Dea Kulumbegashvili)

2 and 3. Youth (Homecoming and Hard Times) (Wang Bing...

Quick Links Slime Season 3 Suffered from Pacing Issues The Festival Arc is Slime's Slice of Life At Its Best Opinions on Slime Season 3 Depend on What One Likes About It

Warning: Spoilers for That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3 That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime season 3 has come to an end, adapting three more books from the lengthy light novel series. While the season definitely had its share of highlights, it couldn't quite live up to the excitement offered by previous seasons and featured some pacing issues which led to an uneven experience.

Reincarnated as a Slime season 3 began by adapting the Saint-Monster Confrontation arc, which featured an anticipated showdown between Rimuru and Hinata Sakaguchi, a fellow otherworlder from Japan who wields tremendous power of her own. After that conflict was resolved, it moved into an arc centered on preparations for the Tempest opening festival,...

by Cláudio Alves

The Seed Of The Sacred Fig won a Special Jury Prize at Cannes.

Much of the period leading up to this year's Cannes Film Festival was consumed with news of Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof. Always outspoken against an oppressive regime, his career has been dedicated to political art commenting on present injustices through the prism of fiction. For this, he has been arrested multiple times, and his latest feature, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, proved too much for the Iranian authorities. Police hounded many people involved with the production, Cannes organizers were pressured to drop the official competition title, and Rasoulof himself was put behind bars, convicted to eight years in prison and an additional filmmaking ban. Thankfully, before celebrations started at the Croisette, the cineaste managed an escape to a safe house in Germany, the same country that now takes Sacred Fig to the Oscars as its official submission.

“I’m still a mother to the depths of my soul. Not according to your values, but mine,” spats Maryam, the conflicted protagonist of “Seven Days,” Ali Samadi Ahadi‘s latest feature. “Seven Days” made its world premiere as a Centrepiece film at Toronto International Film Festival as one of two Mohammad Rassoulof-written films this year.

Seven Days screened at Toronto International Film Festival

Like many social realist Iranian films, Ali Samadi Ahadi’s “Seven Days” is perplexing. Tehran-based women’s rights activist Maryam (Vishka Asayesh) is granted a seven-day medical leave from her six-year prison sentence. Maryam’s brother (Sina Parvaneh) and husband Behnam (Majid Bakhtiari) have other plans for her, however. They roll out an intrepid scheme to smuggle her out of the country so she can join her husband and two children in Germany, thus making her brief reprieve from prison permanent.

At first, Maryam chafes against the idea.

Andres Veiel’s documentary “Riefenstahl,” which challenges the carefully crafted public persona of one of Germany’s most controversial directors, is one of 17 German films playing in the various sections of the Venice Film Festival.

A deep dive into Leni Riefenstahl’s previously inaccessible archive, the 160-minute film lifts the lid on secrets the director of the 1935 Nuremberg propaganda film “Triumph of the Will” struggled more than half her life to keep hidden.

Veiel was brought onboard to direct by producer Sandra Maischberger of Berlin’s Vincent Films, who had gained unfettered access to Riefenstahl’s archive after the death of her longtime companion and husband Horst Kette in 2016.

“For me, it is the right festival for the film,” Veiel tells Variety. “The political situation in German and Italy is similar — with the rise of the right-wing, and a longing for propaganda and fake news. For a debate about the film,...

Andres Veiel’s documentary “Riefenstahl,” which challenges the carefully crafted public persona of one of Germany’s most controversial directors, who was forever tainted by working with the Nazis, is one of 17 German films playing in the various sections of the Venice Film Festival.

A deep dive into Leni Reifenstahl’s previously inaccessible archive, the 160-minute film lifts the lid on secrets the director of the 1935 Nuremberg propaganda film “Triumph of the Will” struggled more than half her life to keep hidden.

Veiel, who was brought onboard to direct by producer Sandra Maischberger of Berlin’s Vincent Films – who had gained unfettered access to Riefenstahl’s archive after the death of her longtime companion and husband Horst Kette in 2016 – is untroubled by the film’s out-of-competition berth as he believes the festival is the right venue for its first showing.

“For me, it is the right festival for the film,...

A spinoff series for the sitcom A Different World is now in early development at Netflix. Sources indicate that it will follow Dwayne and Whitley's daughter as she attends Hillman College. The project is led by writer/executive producer Felicia Pride, known for her work on the reboot of Bel-Air and Grey's Anatomy, along with executive producers Debbie Allen, Mandy Summers, Tom Werner, Gina Prince-Bythewood, and Reggie Bythewood.

Netflix did not comment. However, the involvement of Allen, Werner, Prince-Bythewood, and Bythewood, the key figures from the original series, goes a long way to promising a return of this much-loved NBC sitcom that was spun off from The Cosby Show and had a run for six impacting seasons. The original show followed Denise Huxtable and her friends at Hillman College, a fictional historically Black college, played by Lisa Bonet. Although Bonet could not stay beyond the first season, the program went...

Binge’s record-setting drama series Strife has begun shooting its second season.

The Asher Keddie-starring show became Australian streamer Binge’s biggest original series premiere last year, prompting execs to set up a writers’ room for Season 2, as we revealed in January. Production is now underway in Sydney.

The comedic drama follows Evelyn Jones (Keddie), a modern, imperfect woman and publisher, on her journey from lounge room blogger to becoming a force in women’s media. It was inspired by Australian media personality and journalist Mia Freedman’s memoir Work, Strife, Balance, and is written by Australian screenwriter Sarah Scheller (The Letdown).

In Season 2, Evelyn’s empire is threatened by the arrival of a new women’s website and a troll who calls out her hypocrisy and privilege, making her double guess her instincts when she needs to be on her A game. Her company moves to new offices and ventures into podcasting,...

The 49th edition of the Toronto Film Festival continues to announce more movies, with the festival on Tuesday unveiled its 2024 Centrepiece lineup that features 43 titles from filmmakers representing 41 countries. TIFF runs September 5-15 under its new sponsorship with Rogers.

In total, the list includes 18 world premieres from Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Nigeria, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Spain and the U.S..

The section is a reflection of TIFF’s spirit of providing an elevated platform for international cinema, acclaimed titles from festivals around the globe, premieres from Canadian and international talents, and the latest work from influential filmmakers.

Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, who made it to Cannes this past year with The Seed of the Sacred Fig after fleeing his home country, is at TIFF with not one but two movies. He’ll have The Seed of the Sacred Fig, but also a title he wrote,...

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled the 43 features selection for the Centrepiece programme including world premieres for Algerian director Merzak Allouache’s feuding matriarchs comedy Front Row and Laura Piani’s romantic comedy Jane Austen Wrecked My Life.

Taking their place in the global cinema showcase alongside the latest work from 41 countries are features that have already impressed at festivals, such as Mohammad Rasoulof’s Cannes award winner The Seed Of The Sacred Fig, and Steven Soderbergh’s Sundance selection Presence.

The 18 world premieres include Iranian filmmaker Ali Samadi Ahadi’s human rights drama Seven Days written by Rasoulof,...

A drama about an Iranian human rights activist and a documentary about the hacking of queer indie pop duo Tegan and Sara are among the films that have been added to the lineup of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, which unveiled its Centrepiece section on Tuesday to kick off a second week of programming announcements.

The 43 films come from filmmakers representing 41 countries, with 18 of the titles receiving their world premieres at TIFF. Those premieres include “Seven Days,” a film about an imprisoned Iranian activist directed by Ali Samadi Ahadi and written by Mohammad Rasoulof, a filmmaker who was himself sentenced to flogging and prison by Iranian authorities; “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life,” a romantic comedy from French writer-director Laura Piani; “The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos,” a debut from the Nigerian filmmaking group known as the Agbajowo Collective; and Erin Lee Carr’s “Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara,...

The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival has revealed its Centrepiece program lineup, with 43 films from 41 countries. The selections include 18 world premieres plus an array of festival favorites and winners from Cannes (“The Seed of the Sacred Fig“), Sundance (“Presence“), and more recently the 2024 Venice Film Festival (“April”). This year’s festival runs Thursday, September 5 through Sunday, September 15.

Per TIFF, Centrepiece honors “and celebrates global cinematic achievements, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in a dynamic array of contemporary films. The programme is a reflection of TIFF’s commitment to providing an elevated platform for international cinema, acclaimed titles from festivals around the globe, highly anticipated premieres from Canadian and international talents, and the latest work of influential filmmaking luminaries.”

The 2024 Centrepiece selection has been programmed by Jason Anderson, Kelly Boutsalis, Diana Cadavid, Robyn Citizen, Giovanna Fulvi, Nataleah Hunter-Young, June Kim, Dorota Lech, Jason Ryle, and Norm Wilner.

Per the festival, “Notable world premieres include ‘Front Row,...

Steven Soderbergh’s spooky ghost story Presence — starring Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan and newcomer Callina Liang — will receive its international premiere as part of the Centerpiece sidebar at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival.

Soderbergh first screened Presence at Sundance earlier this year, some 35 years after the debut of his breakout film, Sex, Lies and Videotape, in Park City. In all, TIFF’s Centerpiece section, previously known as Contemporary World Cinema, unveiled 43 films from 41 countries on Tuesday.

There’s world premieres for Marcelle Lunam’s rom com Addition, starring Teresa Palmer and Joe Dempsie; Erin Lee Carr’s documentary Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara, a Hulu title about the Canadian pop duo falling victim to identity theft; French director Laura Piani’s Jane Austen Wrecked My Life, with a Frederick Wiseman cameo; Sofia Bohdanowicz’s Measures for a Funeral, written by actor Derah Campbell; and Algerian director Merzak Allouache’s Front Row,...

Quick Links When Do New Episodes of Slime Release? What Happened in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3, Episode 10? That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3, Episode 11 is All About Reconciliation and Agreement The Saint/Monster Confrontation arc in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime has ended with Rimuru protecting Hinata from the Seven Days Clergy. New episodes of Slime are released on Fridays via Crunchyroll, with episode 11 expected on June 14, 2024, featuring a reconciliatory feast. Season 3, episode 11 of Slime focuses on brokering peace between Lubelius and Tempest, revealing the Holy Empire's surprising flexibility.

The showdown with the manipulative Seven Days Clergy came to a head in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime season 3, episode 10, drawing the Saint/Monster Confrontation arc to an end. The arc has been an exciting one, pitting Rimuru against the dangerous Hinata Sakaguchi, while also exploring more of the Holy Empire Lubelius,...

Alan Scarfe, best known for the films Lethal Weapon 3 and Double Impact, has died at 77. Scarfe died on April 28 from colon cancer at his home in Longueuil, Quebec, Canada, according to a recent obituary.

Born in England, Scarfe’s family moved to Canada. He attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art from 1964 to 1966, and then went on to appear in more than 100 roles in stage productions.

Scarfe made his film debut in 1963’s The Bitter Ash. Besides his film roles, he also appeared in the TV series Seven Days and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Scarfe received the Vancouver Film Critics Circle honorary award for lifetime achievement during his career.

He was married to actress Barbara (née March) for 40 years before her death in 2019. He is survived by daughter Tosia and son-in-law Austin, who acted as his caregivers in his later years. He is also survived by his brother,...

British-Canadian actor Alan Scarfe, who is best known for his work in Seven Days and Double Impact, has died. The performer was 77 years old. News of Scarfe’s death has become public months after he died on April 28, 2024. In an announcement from Scarfe’s family, it was revealed that the actor died from colon cancer at his home in Longueuil, Quebec. As mentioned, above, he was best known for his role as Dr. Bradley Talmadge on Upn’s former sci-fi series Seven Days which ran for three seasons between 1998 and 2001. The Bay Boy (Credit: Orion Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection) Originally born in England, Scarfe was raised in Vancouver. Scarfe leaves behind several family members, including his actor son, Jonathan Scarfe who is known for shows like Van Helsing and The 100. In addition to his role on Seven Days, Scarfe’s television credits were numerous as he featured in titles...

Alan Scarfe, the classically trained British Canadian actor known for his turns as bad guys in Double Impact and Lethal Weapon III and as Dr. Bradley Talmadge on the Upn sci-fi series Seven Days, has died. He was 77.

Scarfe died April 28 of colon cancer at his home in Longueuil, Quebec, his family announced.

Survivors include his son, actor Jonathan Scarfe (ER, Raising the Bar, Hell on Wheels, Van Helsing).

Born in England and raised in Vancouver, Scarfe portrayed the Romulans Tokath and Admiral Mendak on episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1991 and 1993 and was another alien, the powerful Magistrate Augris, on a 1995 installment of Star Trek: Voyager.

“Science fiction on film and television, especially if you are playing some kind of alien character with fantastic make-up, is great for actors with a strong stage background,” he said in a 2007 interview. “The productions need that kind of size and intensity of performance.

At the 27th Academy Awards, Oscar helped Edmond O’Brien win an Oscar.

O’Brien played sleazy show biz publicist Oscar Muldoon in 1954’s “The Barefoot Contessa,” which starred Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner. Bogart had been crowned Best Actor of 1951 for “The African Queen,” and had also contended for the same award for 1943’s Best Picture, “Casablanca.” Gardner was coming off of her first and only nomination, for Best Actress in 1953’s “Mogambo.” “The Barefoot Contessa” was written and directed by Academy favorite Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who had won back-to-back Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay Oscars for 1949’s “A Letter to Three Wives” and 1950’s Best Picture, “All About Eve.”

”The Barefoot Contessa” didn’t fare quite as well at the Oscars as “Letter” or “Eve.” Neither Bogart or Gardner received nominations, though Bogart was cited for his role in that same year’s Best Picture entry “The Caine Mutiny.

Quick Links When Do New Episodes of Slime Release? What Happened in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3, Episode 9? That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3, Episode 10 Contemplates Gods and Demon Lords Season 3, episode 9 features Diablo's power and Seven Days Clergy threats against Hinata's life. New episodes are released on Crunchyroll on Fridays at 8:30 Am Pt, and dubbed versions are 2 weeks behind. Episode 10, "God and Demon Lord," shows Diablo and Rimuru facing the Seven Days Clergy with a special appearance by Demon Lord Valentine.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime season 3, episode 9 featured Diablo showcasing the true extent of his power for the first time, terrifying even members of the Ten Great Saints. Meanwhile, the Seven Days Clergy arrives to finish off Hinata, although not if Rimuru can help it. Here's how to tune in and watch season 3, episode 10, at the earliest opportunity.

In the wake of last year’s World Premiere at FrightFest 2023, single take thriller Failure! has been acquired for North American distribution by Red Water Entertainment, Variety reports.

“The film will be released in the first quarter of 2025,” the report notes.

Director Alex Kahuam‘s psychological thriller is presented in three acts…

Shot in one unbroken 87-minute take, Failure! follows James who has a big debt with the bank and is given one hour to choose between financial ruin or murder in order to protect his family. As the hour progresses he finds his home and phone invaded by multiple characters pulling him in different directions, gradually adding to his distress and his unravelling. But who is real and who isn’t?

The film also stars Merrick McCartha (Senior Year), Melissa Diaz (Ruthless), John Paul Medrano (Seven Days) and Daniel Kuhlman (Voodoo MacBeth) and Noel Douglas Orput.

Kahuam and Raimi produced Failure!

Red Water Entertainment has snapped up North American distribution rights to the single take thriller “Failure!” led by Ted Raimi (“The Quarry”).

This Mexico-u.S. co-production, shot in an unbroken 87-minute take, follows business tycoon James (Raimi) as he faces a crushing bank debt deadline. With time running out, he contends with treacherous associates, deceitful friends and haunting pasts, and is forced to choose between financial collapse or murder.

Directed by Alex Kahuam (“Forgiveness”), “Failure!” is believed to be the first time a Mexican filmmaker has made a feature film without cuts in the U.S.

The cast also includes Merrick McCartha (“Senior Year”), Melissa Diaz (“Ruthless”), John Paul Medrano (“Seven Days”), Daniel Kuhlman (“Voodoo Macbeth”) and Noel Douglas Orput.

The film gained a boost after bowing at the inaugural Fantastic Pavilion Galas, the Cannes Film Festival market’s genre showcase that was introduced in 2023. It has since screened at Frightfest,...

Marry My Husband was a compelling webtoon adaptation with a mix of revenge, comedy, and love story. The cast, led by Park Min-young, brought their characters to life in this story of revenge and second chances. The series made changes from the original webtoon to tell Ji-won's transformation story uniquely.

Marry My Husband’s cast included established Korean stars and up-and-coming actors who brought Ji-won’s story to life in this K-drama adaptation of a webtoon. Prime Video’s time travel K-drama aired from January to February 2024, with each episode following a new chapter in Ji-won’s journey to give her tragic destiny to someone else. Marry My Husband combined drama, comedy, and a love story into a compelling 16-episode series that will likely be included in the list of best K-dramas of 2024. Most of the show took place in 2013, although the story began in the present day.

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By 2001, "Star Trek" had — for better or for worse — fallen into a groove. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" launched in 1987 and took place almost a century after the events of the original series. It was bold new ground to cover for the then-20-year-old franchise, and the universe of the 24th century had to be built from the ground up. Over the next few years, "Next Generation" established how strong and dynamic a series it was, clearly distinguishing itself from its forebear. Indeed, "Next Generation" became so popular that when "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" debuted in 1993, it took place within the same time frame.

Then, keeping the ball rolling, the 1995 series "Star Trek: Voyager," continued directly in the same timeline, running concurrently with "Deep Space Nine" (albeit in an entirely different part of the galaxy). The continuation of the same NextGen timeline into "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager" only...

Halloween is fast approaching, meaning it is now spooky season. Along with dressing up in costumes and eating candy, an iconic favorite Halloween tradition is gathering around and watching a scary movie with a group of friends or, for those who are brave enough, by themselves at night. While there are plenty of horror offerings hitting theaters in time for Halloween, there is something special about gathering at home to watch a horror film. It feels like the ideal format, as the comfort of one home can make the experience feel safer but also all the more terrifying.

Update October 10, 2023: In honor of Halloween, this article has been updated to stay updated with what is streaming on Paramount+.

While various streaming services will be offering a unique collection of viewing options this Halloween season, Paramount+ is pulling out all the stops for its Halloween Horror Collection. While Paramount+ may...

The fantasy and horror genres are wildly popular, namely for their inventive world-building. Each category offers a unique look into the make-believe, especially when it comes to magic and curses. Sometimes these spells enhance a film's already complex universe, while others are the main focus of their fictional settings.

Hit franchises such as the Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings series present a multitude of harrowing curses that suck fans further into their fantastical world. Other movies, such as The Haunted Mansion and Freaky Friday focus on one particular curse in an otherwise realistic universe. In each case, such volatile magic drives the main conflict of the story. Regardless of whether these magical elements are more mystical or horrific, these films present some of the most well-known curses in cinematic history.

Related: 10 Best Stand-Alone Fantasy Movies

Freaky Friday

In 1776, Freaky Friday became a hit for its inventive switcheroo premise.

East Asian cinema and television have been garnering global interest and critical acclaim in the past few decades, especially now that streaming services and platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Viki have been producing or acquiring the rights to many successful South Korean, Japanese, and Chinese dramas. While some fans may have a predilection for K-drama, K-pop music, and Korean lifestyle and cuisine in particular, others prefer Japanese productions because they’re more raw and fast-paced, or fantasy C-dramas for their epic action and artistic aesthetics.

This branched enthusiasm translates well into numbers: the Netflix survival series Squid Game was streamed by more than 142 million households in its first month; the revenge drama The Glory received 8 nominations at the Baeksang Awards and won three; the fantasy and adventure series Secret of the Three Kingdoms secured 14 billion views in 50 days and won Best Television Series at the Tencent Video Star Awards; and...

Special is the opportunity to speak with one of our great living filmmakers; doubly rare is a chance to do so as their latest project premieres on YouTube. Participating with the murderer’s row Film Fest Gent compiled for their 50th-anniversary series––Paul Schrader, Bi Gan, Jia Zhangke, Radu Jude, Helena Wittmann, Naomi Kawase, and João Pedro Rodrigues, to note a handful––Terence Davies has directed Passing Time, a three-minute view of Essex scored by Florencia Di Concilio’s stirring composition and anchored by his reading of a self-penned poem.

Speaking over email, Davies and I had an exchange on the project that, however brief, proves a skeleton-key-of-sorts to his modus operandi: how actors should work, what poetry conveys on-paper and read-aloud, why Essex of all places to capture this music. Therein is also an unfortunate detail about a long-developing project but embers of hope for something new.

Special thanks...

G Flip’s whole world revolves around drumming. Even in conversation, they can’t go more than a few sentences without imitating the instrument they fell in love with as a child, making constant percussive, onomatopoeic sounds. “Some songs actually came from me just playing drums and singing over it, like… Do do doo ka ba-do do doo kah,” G Flip says over iced coffee at a Studio City coffee shop in late June.

They describe their music by flailing their tattooed arms as if an imaginary drum set is...

UK-French sales agent, distribution and production company Alief has announced that the Ted Raimi led psychological thriller, Failure!, will have its World Premiere at FrightFest on August 28th 2023. Alief picked up worldwide rights at the Cannes Film Festival in May after Failure! made its debut at the Fantastic Pavillion. To mark the occasion, a teaser trailer and poster has been released. Failure! follows James who has a big debt with the bank and is given one hour to choose between financial ruin or murder in order to protect his family. As the hour progresses he finds his home and phone invaded by multiple characters pulling him in different directions, gradually adding to his distress and his unravelling. But who is real and who isn’t? As well as Raimi, the film also stars Merrick McCartha (Senior Year), Melissa Diaz (Ruthless), John Paul Medrano (Seven Days) and Daniel Kuhlman (Voodoo MacBeth) and Noel Douglas Orput.

The sales, distribution, and production company Alief picked up the worldwide rights to the psychological thriller Failure!, starring Ted Raimi, at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, and now they have announced that the film is going to have its world premiere at the FrightFest film festival in London on August 28th! In anticipation of the premiere, a teaser trailer for Failure! has been unveiled and can be seen in the embed above.

Directed by Alex Kahuam (Forgiveness), Failure! was shot in a single 87 minute take. Within that single take we follow James (Raimi), who has a big debt with the bank and is given one hour to choose between financial ruin or murder in order to protect his family. As the hour progresses he finds his home and phone invaded by multiple characters pulling him in different directions, gradually adding to his distress and his unravelling. But who...

We recently spoke to Ted Raimi about the upcoming thriller feature Failure! here on Bloody Disgusting, an ambitious single take project you can read all about right here.

The psychological thriller will World Premiere at FrightFest 2023, Bloody Disgusting has learned this morning, and the official teaser trailer for Failure! has also arrived.

K-French sales agent, distribution and production company Alief has announced that the Ted Raimi led psychological thriller will have its World Premiere at FrightFest on August 28. Alief picked up worldwide rights at the Cannes Film Festival in May after Failure! made its debut at the Fantastic Pavillion.

Failure! follows James who has a big debt with the bank and is given one hour to choose between financial ruin or murder in order to protect his family. As the hour progresses he finds his home and phone invaded by multiple characters pulling him in different directions, gradually adding to his distress and his unravelling.

Tennis Coverage

Coverage of the iconic Wimbledon tennis tournament has led to record-breaking numbers for U.K. broadcaster BBC. There were 54.3 million streams of the BBC’s coverage on streamer iPlayer and BBC Sport online during the two-week long competition – up from 53.8 million in 2022. On BBC One, there was a peak audience of 11.3 million to watch Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz beat Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in five sets in the men’s singles finals, the highest since the U.K.’s Andy Murray won in 2016. The match was also streamed live 4.1 million times on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport online, an increase of 58% from 2022.

During the women’s singles final, where Czech player Markéta Vondroušová triumphed over Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, there was a peak audience of 4.5 million on BBC One – an increase from 2022’s 3.1 million. The match was streamed 1.3 million times on BBC iPlayer, an 85% increase from 2022. Across the tournament,...

Is there a formula to hip-hop greatness, or does it just have to be in your DNA? For Prem Pratel, a 12-year-old math genius who learns his recently deceased dad was a famous rapper, both answers can be true. So unfolds “World’s Best,” coming to Disney+ this Friday, June 23, 2023. Written by Utkarsh Ambudkar and Jamie King and directed by Roshan Sethi, the new musical hip-hop comedy adventure stars Manny Magnus in the starring role of Prem as he sets out to pursue a career for himself as a rap superstar, fueled by his late dad’s “the world’s best never rest” attitude. “World’s Best” will be available to stream on Disney+ on Friday, June 23. You can watch World's Best with a subscription to Disney+.

How to Watch ‘World's Best’ When: Friday, June 23, 2023 Where: Disney+ Stream: Watch with a subscription to Disney+. Sign Up Now$7.99+ / month disneyplus.com

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Chernin Entertainment has landed the rights to the latest novel from Matthew Quirk, the author behind the book that was adapted into popular Netflix series The Night Agent.

Inside Threat, which was published this week by William Morrow, takes place after an attack on the White House, and as the synopsis for the book reads: “The President and his top aides take shelter in a top-secret government facility buried deep underground—but they soon discover the threat is locked inside with them.”

Said Quirk, “It’s my go at a Die Hard or Seven Days in May plot with an Agatha Christie-style locked room mystery thrown in. I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with everyone at Chernin Entertainment and can’t wait to see these characters on the big screen.”

The Netflix adaptation of The Night Agent, which stars Gabriel Basso and Hong Chau, has proven popular on the streamer,...

A&m/UMe celebrates the 30th-anniversary of Sting’s fourth solo album, Ten Summoner’s Tales, with a digital-only Expanded Edition released today. Originally released on March 1, 1993, the album title is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek mashup of the artist’s given surname, Sumner, and a character in Geoffrey Chaucer’s 15th-century literary classic The Canterbury Tales, the summoner.

The 27-track Expanded Edition features the original 12-song Ten Summoner’s Tales album plus 15 bonus tracks consisting of B-sides, remixes, alternate versions, and live performances (complete track listing included below). Eleven of these 15 bonus tracks were previously unavailable for digital download or streaming. Mixed by 4-time Grammy Award winning Robert “Hitmixer” Orton, the album is also available in Dolby Atmos. Listen to or purchase Sting’s Ten Summoner’s Tales – Expanded Edition Here.

Pivoting from the deeply personal sense of loss that permeated Sting’s platinum solo album The Soul Cages, Ten Summoner...

Welcome to IndieWire’s Seven Days of Scream Queens! October is flying by faster than Mary Sanderson on a vacuum cleaner, so we’re taking a batty beat to honor the impact women and queer people have had on the horror genre since its inception.

“Scream queen” is a maddeningly nebulous term with simple enough origins. The phrase was popularized among casting directors after the iconic performance of Fay Wray in 1933’s “King Kong” and would be used for decades to describe genre actresses from Janet Leigh in 1960’s “Psycho” to her daughter Jamie Lee Curtis in 1978’s “Halloween” and beyond. These days it’s tossed around with some frequency, used interchangeably — and incorrectly — with the term “final girl”: the last character (most often played by women but they can be of any gender expression!) alive in a slasher movie.

Scream queens, it seems to us, are more than that.

Exclusive: In a competitive situation, Kinetic Content has landed the rights to Grady Hendrix’s forthcoming sci-fi comedic novella BadAsstronauts to develop as a half-hour television series, with Aperture Entertainment.

Described as The Right Stuff meets King of the Hill, BadAsstronauts is about ordinary Americans trying to accomplish an extraordinary, and very stupid, and also extremely dangerous task: launching a manned backyard rocket into space to rescue their abandoned friend.

Hendrix and Aperture Entertainment Founder Adam Goldworm will executive produce the series adaptation with Kinetic Content CEO Chris Coelen and President and Partner Melissa Myers.

The book’s official logline reads in part: “Melville, South Carolina was out of money, it was out of jobs, it was out of hope, and today it was out of astronauts. There were only two to begin with, and now one is stuck on the abandoned International Space Station after his mission went south.

“Cruella” (Disney),” “Dune” (Warner Bros.), and “Coming 2 America” (Amazon Prime) were the big film winners Wednesday night at the 24th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards. “Cruella” designer and two-time Oscar winner Jenny Beavan won for period; Denis Villeneuve’s epic “Dune” took sci-fi honors for costume designers Jacqueline West and Robert Morgan; and Oscar winner Ruth Carter (“Black Panther”) earned the contemporary prize for “Coming 2 America.”

Held at the The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, the annual awards celebrated the best in film, TV, and short-form costume design in eight categories that spanned fantasy, contemporary, and period works. Show hosts were actors Andrew Rannells (“The Prom”) and Casey Wilson (“The Shrink Next Door”).

Wednesday’s wins clearly puts “Cruella” in the Oscar driver’s seat after beating the other three period Oscar nominees — “Cyrano,” “Nightmare Alley,” and “West Side Story.” That leaves “Dune” as the other Oscar contender,...

Dune, Cruella and Coming 2 America went home with the film prizes at the 24th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards, which were handed out tonight in Santa Monica. Check out the winners list below.

Disney’s Cruella, set in punk-era ’70s London, took the first award of the night, with Jenny Beavan winning for Excellence in Period Film. Jacqueline West & Robert Morgan later picked up the Sci-Fi/Fantasy statuette for Warner Bros’ epic Dune.

Ruth E. Carter — who in 2019 became the first Black woman to win the Costume Design Oscar — won the Contemporary Film prize for Amazon Studios’ Coming 2 America. She will be a presenter at the Academy Awards this month.

The Art Of Craft: Ruth E. Carter Talks ‘Coming 2 America’ & ‘Dolemite Is My Name’ Costume Concepts

On the TV side, Sharon Long won Excellence in Period Television for Hulu’s The Great, and the Sci-Fi/Fantasy trophy went...

“Dune”, “Coming 2 America” and “Cruella” were the film winners at the 2022 Costume Designers Guild Awards on Wednesday night.

Back in person after the pandemic, the awards recognized excellence in film, TV and short-form costume design and were hosted by Andrew Rannells and Casey Wilson.

Costume Designers Guild president Salvador Perez discussed the role the awards and the guild played in the pandemic, saying, “As a community, we have survived a life-changing pandemic industry and been on the brink of work stoppage.”

Perez also called for “pay equity now.” This has been an ongoing plea from Perez and the costume designers who fight for pay equity. He said, costume designers, are “historically underpaid for too long. It’s about costume designers in the costume department being valued as a major asset to the industry and compensated accordingly.”

He noted the Costume designers guild will soon be launching a social media...