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Tim Hendrix, a filmmaker whose music videos were first featured on Directors Notes back in 2013, returns with his latest short film, Baggage, a zany yet deeply sincere exploration of dating, vulnerability, and the emotional weight we all carry. Capitalising on his skills as an accomplished VFX artist and a tenacious determination to complete the film over its multi-year production process, Hendrix’s new work takes a literal approach to the metaphorical ‘baggage’ we bring into relationships. While the film features a whirlwind of absurdity, including a monsoon of dildos and anachronistic screwball dialogue, at its core, it delivers a poignant, sincere message many of us would do well to heed: Love isn’t about finding someone without baggage but about finding someone whose baggage complements your own. Making a most welcome return to Dn, Hendrix opens up about the personal experiences that inspired the film, the meticulous process of creating its vibrant,...

by Chad Kennerk

Image courtesy Hachette Book Group.

For anyone who has ever swooned, laughed, or cried during a romcom, you’re in good company. And when you’re under the weather, there’s nothing quite like cosying up with one. A great romcom is chicken soup for the heart. The best of the genre brings a hope and optimism that everything’s going to be ok, even when the ending takes the bitter with the sweet.

In Falling in Love at the Movies: Rom-Coms from the Screwball Era to Today, a new volume from Turner Classic Movies (TCM), author and entertainment journalist Esther Zuckerman explores how the beloved genre has shaped cultural narratives and captured hearts at the box-office. Zuckerman highlights the enduring charm of iconic films like Roman Holiday, which features on the cover.

From the golden age of 1930s screwball comedies like It Happened One Night to...

Quick LinksWhat Is 'The Silence of the Lambs' About?The Ending of 'The Silence of the Lambs'Lecter's Deleted Monologue Would Have Changed His Character

Nearly 35 years after its release, Jonathan Demme's sweeping Academy Award masterpieceThe Silence of the Lambsremains one of the best movies ever recorded. The psychological crime thriller is still the third in history and the last movie to win the Oscar Awards' Big Five - including Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Original Screenplay. Of course, the Best Actor honor was given to Anthony Hopkins, who brilliantly played Dr. Hannibal Lecter with chilling menace and highly intelligent guile.

Yet, Hopkins' indelible turn could have been much different had Demme kept one emotional scene involving Dr. Lecter and FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) in the film. As it is, Lecter functions as an enigmatic cipher who taunts and teases Clarice with crucial intel on serial killer Buffalo Bill,...

Much has been said about how Superman will tackle what it means to be a modern journalist. Lois Lane actor Rachel Brosnahan has already addressed how the intrepid Daily Planet reporter will handle fake news, but will we see her in more than just the newsroom?

Lois being an on-air reporter or even someone who uses social media to communicate with the citizens of Metropolis does make sense in today's world. However, it sounds like James Gunn is taking a classic approach to the print journalist.

"I spoke to a handful of really brilliant journalists to help me kind of get inside the mindset of folks who have both worked in a newsroom and on broadcast, which Lois obviously doesn't but...still helpful," Brosnahan confirms in the video below. "They were fantastic [and] very generous with their time."

The news that Lois won't be a broadcast journalist has been welcomed by...

Winning an Oscar is a dream for many filmmakers, actors, and writers. But most celebrated films and talented artists go their entire careers without being able to fulfill that dream. However, lucky are those who have managed to earn a place in the elite category of films that have achieved something truly extraordinary—the Big 5.

Well, this term refers to movies that win the five most prestigious Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay (either Original or Adapted). Throughout the long history of the Oscars, only three films have managed to pull off this rare feat. So today, we’re ranking these legendary movies based on their impact and lasting legacies.

3. It Happened One Night (1934) AwardWinner Best Picture It Happened One NightBest Director Frank CapraBest ActorClark Gable Best ActressClaudette ColbertBest Adapted ScreenplayRobert Riskin

Winning an Oscar is an extraordinary achievement, but winning five of...

The Academy Awards, or the Oscars, are one of the most prestigious honors in the film industry. While millions tune in each year to watch Hollywood’s biggest stars celebrate cinematic excellence, there are plenty of intriguing behind-the-scenes facts that even die-hard movie lovers might not know. Here are ten surprising pieces of Oscar facts that should blow your mind:

1. The Stolen Oscar Heist

In 2000, just days before the Academy Awards, a shipment of 55 Oscar statuettes was stolen from a loading dock in Los Angeles. The disappearance of the trophies sparked a major investigation involving local law enforcement and the FBI. After an extensive search, 52 of the stolen Oscars were found discarded in a dumpster behind a Koreatown grocery store by a man named Willie Fulgear, who later received a $50,000 reward for his discovery. However, three statuettes remain missing to this day, making them some of the most sought-after lost artifacts in Hollywood history.

Robert De Niro won his second Oscar in 1981 for playing a boxing champ in Raging Bull. And now he has been chosen as the acting champ when it comes to Academy Awards.

His performance for the Martin Scorsese film from 1980 has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Actor winner ever, according to a Gold Derby ballot cast by 21 of our film experts, critics, and editors, who ranked all 97 male leading actors.

Anthony Hopkins finished second for The Silence of the Lambs (1991), with Marlon Brando following in third for The Godfather (1972). Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood (2007), and Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) rounded out the top five.

At the bottom of the list of the Best Actor winners is Warner Baxter for In Old Arizona (1928). George Arliss in Disraeli (1929), Lionel Barrymore for A Free Soul (1930), Paul Lukas for Watch on the Rhine (1942), and Paul Muni for The Story of Louis Pasteur...

Robert De Niro won his second Oscar in 1981 for playing a boxing champ in Raging Bull. And now he has been chosen as the champ of all actors.

His performance for the Martin Scorsese film from 1980 has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Actor winner ever, according to a Gold Derby ballot cast by 21 of our film experts, critics, and editors, who ranked all 97 male leading actors.

Anthony Hopkins ranked second for The Silence of the Lambs (1991), with Marlon Brando following in third for The Godfather (1972). Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood (2007), and Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) rounded out the top five.

At the bottom of the list of the Best Actor winners is Warner Baxter for In Old Arizona (1928). Just above that film performance in the rankings are George Arliss in Disraeli (1929), Lionel Barrymore for A Free Soul (1930), Paul Lukas for Watch on the Rhine...

Quick Links Joan Crawford Played a Witty Mistress in 1939’s The Women The Women Was Remade as a Musical in the 1950s The Last Adaptation of the Women Starred Meg Ryan in 2008

1939's The Women might not be a movie as well-remembered as other classic films, but it's managed to be re-introduced into the cultural zeitgeist time and time again. Its most recent iteration was produced in 2008, but it began as a stage play. Featuring an all-female cast, The Women was first presented in 1936 and was written by Clare Booth as a comedy of manners. It follows a Manhattan socialite who discovers her husband is having an affair and the way her inner circle of friends and acquaintances reacts to the situation. The original production ran for 657 performances from December 26, 1936, to July 9, 1938, before closing.

In 1937, Max Gordon and Harry M. Goetz of Max Gordon Plays and Pictures Corporation planned a...

Clark Gable was the Oscar-winning matinee idol who starred in dozens of films before his untimely death in 1960. Let’s take a look back at 12 of Gable’s greatest movies, ranked worst to best.

After appearing in bit parts in a number of films, Gable shot to stardom with his performance in “A Free Soul” (1931) as a gangster who bewitches a young woman (Norma Shearer) whose attorney father (Lionel Barrymore) helped him beat a murder rap. From there forward, the actor’s persona as a raffish leading man who’s every guy’s best friend and every gal’s dream became cemented in a number of subsequent roles.

He won an Oscar just three years later for Frank Capra‘s screwball classic “It Happened One Night” (1934), in which he played a newspaper reporter traveling with a spoiled socialite (Claudette Colbert). The film became the first to sweep the five major Oscars,...

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The very first Academy Awards were held on May 16, 1929, in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Douglas Fairbanks, one of the biggest stars of his time, presented every single one of the awards. Right away, the timing was a little off, as the Oscars didn't adhere to specific calendar years for their awards. Instead, the awards were given to all the films released between August 1, 1927, and July 31, 1928.

The Academy continued with the "straddle" schedule for its first five years, considering a "release year" to be August 1 to July 31. Perhaps wanting to keep things a little cleaner, the Academy expanded the year of the 6th Academy Awards, which considered all the films released from August 1, 1932, all the way to December 31, 1933. The 7th Oscars was the first Oscars to finally measure by a proper calendar year. The Awards have been following that pattern ever since.

For the first time in 47 years, all five Best Actress Oscar nominees hail from Best Picture nominees.

The Best Actress lineup was the top five in the odds: Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez), Mikey Madison (Anora), Demi Moore (The Substance), and Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here). Four of those films were widely predicted to score Best Picture nominations except for I’m Still Here, which was in 13th place in the odds; but in the biggest surprise of the day, the Brazilian feature made the cut on Thursday. The other Best Picture nominees are The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, and Nickel Boys.

The last time the Best Actress and Best Picture lineups aligned was during the 1977-78 season when Diane Keaton (Annie Hall) won Best Actress over Jane Fonda (Julia), Marsha Mason (The Goodbye Girl), and The Turning Point stars Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine.

I consider myself something like a student, autodidact or otherwise, of cinema and––even still, must confess––had not ever grasped the concept of Argentine noir. Credit to Criterion Channel, who’ll expand my horizons with February’s program (concisely titled “Argentine Noir”) that includes one known title––Pierre Chenal’s Native Son, an Argentine film from a French director adapting an American novel about the African-American experience in Chicago––and five I look forward to discovering. Retrospective-wise, their wide-reaching Claudette Colbert program could double as a lesson in Old Hollywood, between Capra, Stahl, DeMille, Lubitsch, Sirk, and Sturges. February, of course, brings Black History Month and Valentine’s Day: the former engenders a series featuring films such as Nothing but a Man, Portrait of Jason, and Losing Ground; the latter brings “New York Love Stories,” from Carol to Crossing Delancey to, curiously, Annie Hall, which likely would not have...

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...

Meryl Streep is the best of the best.

Her performance in Sophie’s Choice (1982) has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Actress winner ever, according to a Gold Derby ballot cast by 21 of our film experts, critics, and editors, who ranked all 97 movie champs.

Diane Keaton ranked second for Annie Hall (1977), with Jodie Foster following in third for The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Liza Minnelli for Cabaret (1972) and Vivien Leigh for A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) rounded out the top five.

At the bottom of the list of the Best Actress winners is Mary Pickford for Coquette (1929). Just above that film in the rankings are Luise Rainer for The Great Ziegfeld (1936), Helen Hayes for The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1932), Loretta Young for The Farmer’s Daughter (1947), and Marie Dressler for Min and Bill (1931).

Another recent Gold Derby poll of cinema experts declared The Godfather (1972) as the greatest Best Picture Oscar winner of all...

His career spanned more than five decades, and his influence on movie-making remains unparalleled. Still, even the biggest movie lovers may not know his name, John Ford. Often associated with Westerns, Ford made movies across genres, pushing the envelope at every turn. His efforts garnered him four Academy Awards for Best Director, a record that remains in place more than 50 years after his death.

Ford started making movies during the era of silent films but moved to Westerns during the 1930s. Notoriously harsh with his actors, Ford collaborated with greats like John Wayne, Henry Ford, and Maureen O'Hara on several occasions. He made several movies with Wayne, including Stagecoach and The Searchers, often regarded as two of the most influential films in cinematic history.

John Ford's Career Started His Career In Hollywood As An Actor

John Ford wasn't the only member of his family who moved to Hollywood from their family home in Maine.

The performance by Meryl Streep in Sophie’s Choice (1982) has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Actress winner ever. The results are from a recent Gold Derby ballot cast by 21 of our film experts and editors, who ranked all 97 movie champs.

Ranking in second place is Diane Keaton for Annie Hall (1977). Following in third place is Jodie Foster for The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Rounding out the top five are Liza Minnelli for Cabaret (1972), and Vivien Leigh for A Streetcar Named Desire (1951).

At the bottom of the list of the Best Actress winners is Mary Pickford for Coquette (1929). Just above that film in the rankings are Luise Rainer for The Great Ziegfeld (1936), Helen Hayes for The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1932), Loretta Young for The Farmer’s Daughter (1947), and Marie Dressler for Min and Bill (1931).

Another recent poll had The Godfather (1972) declared as the greatest Best Picture Oscar winner of all time (view...

Frank Capra is one of a handful of directors, like Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, and Steven Spielberg, whose name practically signifies its own genre, and like those directors, his body of work is far more complex and varied than the broad strokes by which he’s often defined. Capra tends to be thought of in one of two ways: as either the light, breezy director of handsomely crafted comedies like “Platinum Blonde,” “It Happened One Night,” and “You Can’t Take it With You,” or as the inspirational chronicler of American values and politics who made “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town,” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Both characterizations are true, but they only scratch the surface of Capra’s breadth. His full range is on glorious display in what is unquestionably the physical media event of the season, Sony’s release of the “Frank Capra at Columbia” collection.

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In 1934, the inimitable Bette Davis appeared in a film adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham's "Of Human Bondage," a semi-autobiographical novel about the unfortunate loves of one Philip Carey. The 1934 film was directed by the prolific John Cromwell and starred Leslie Howard as Philip. Davis played Mildred Rogers, a tearoom waitress that Philip falls in love with, but who treats him with the utmost cruelty. It was a great role for Davis, who was only 26 at the time. 

An article in Collider points out that Davis was under contract with Warner Bros. at the time, but really, really wanted to play the part of Mildred, knowing that it was a juicy role. "Of Human Bondage" was being produced by Rko, and Davis would need WB's Jack Warner to loan her talents to Rko to work on the project. Davis...

The Golden Age of Hollywood has been credited for delivering some of the greatest films of all time, such as Casablanca, All About Eve, and It Happened One Night. The era is known for its never-ending cascade of legendary stars, including Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, and Marlon Brando, and award-winning filmmakers like Billy Wilder, John Huston, and Orson Welles, but many film fans fail to give the appropriate recognition to a film's screenplay, which is the heart and soul of any memorable classic movie.

The Francis Ford Coppola masterpiece “The Godfather” (1972) has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Picture winner ever. The results are from a recent Gold Derby ballot cast by 29 of our film experts and editors, who ranked all 96 movie champs.

Ranking in second place is the Michael Curtiz classic “Casablanca” (1943). Following in third place is the powerful Steven Spielberg film “Schindler’s List” (1993). Rounding out the top five are Coppola’s “The Godfather Part II” (1974) in fourth place and Billy Wilder‘s “The Apartment” (196o) in fifth place.

At the bottom of the list of the Best Picture winners is “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952) from Cecil B. DeMille. Just above that film in the rankings are “Cimarron” (1931) from Wesley Ruggles, “The Broadway Melody” (1929) from Harry Beaumont, “Crash” (2005) from Paul Haggis, and “Around the World in 80 Days’ (1956) from Michael Anderson.

Our photo gallery above features the full top 10. See the complete rankings of all 96 films below.

The Francis Ford Coppola masterpiece “The Godfather” (1972) has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Picture winner ever. The results are from a recent Gold Derby ballot cast by 29 of our film experts and editors, who ranked all 96 movie champs.

Ranking in second place is the Michael Curtiz classic “Casablanca” (1943). Following in third place is the powerful Steven Spielberg film “Schindler’s List” (1993). Rounding out the top five are Coppola’s “The Godfather Part II” (1974) in fourth place and Billy Wilder‘s “The Apartment” (196o) in fifth place.

The worst among 96 Best Picture winners is “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952) from Cecil B. DeMille. Just above that film on the bottom of the rankings are “Cimarron” (1931) from Wesley Ruggles, “The Broadway Melody” (1929) from Harry Beaumont, “Crash” (2005) from Paul Haggis, and “Around the World in 80 Days’ (1956) from Michael Anderson.

Our photo gallery below features the full top 10. See the complete rankings of all 96 films below.

This week on the Film Stories Podcast Network, our array of film and TV chats cover Monty Python, Sean Baker’s Anora and more. Here’s what we’ve been up to…

As always, we have a wealth of fascinating topics and opinionated minds to offer on the Film Stories Podcast Network. Below you’ll find chatter about up-to-the-minute movies – including Oscar contender Anora – and classic TV, including Babylon 5.

Here’s what we have on offer this week:

Reel Talk

Sam Stokes is back for another discussion, with guest Bo Nicholson, discussing the film of the moment – Sean Baker’s Anora…

Britcom Goes to the Movies

Join the anarcho-syndicalist commune ran by Rob Heath and Guy Walker once again, with special guest in The League of Gentlemen co-creator Jeremy Dyson, chatting 1975’s legendary Monty Python and the Holy Grail…

The CineHistorians Podcast

Our newest podcast kid on the block...

Throughout the history of the Oscars, there have been many directors who have received acclaim for their commitment to bringing classic Hollywood movies to life. Since its first award ceremony held nearly a century ago, the Oscars have been recognized as the highest honor achievable in the movie industry. Many actors, composers and directors have received recognition from the Academy, for their hard work in creating many acclaimed movies.

Since the first ceremony in 1929, the Academy has awarded directors for their dedication to transforming a script into a movie using actors, visual effects, and cameras. With the 96th ceremony set to take place on March 3, 2025, there are already predictions on who will receive nominations in the Best Director category. Many directors, including Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, have received multiple wins and nominations for their work in directing.

Frank Capra Won 3 Best Director Academy Awards Out Of 6 Nominations

Italian-American director...

Ward Bond, a familiar face in the classic Hollywood Western genre, was a frequent collaborator of John Wayne. In fact, he was one of John Waynes most frequent co-stars and he even left Wayne a shotgun in his will. Throughout his career, Bond appeared in numerous films, often portraying rugged, no-nonsense characters, including an astonishing 13 Best Picture nominees an enviable record for any actor.

While Ward Bond may not have been a leading man, his solid performances and distinctive presence made him a valuable asset to any movie he acted in, such as the historically just ridiculous 1956 epic The Searchers. From supporting roles to more substantial parts, Bond's contributions to the genre are sometimes overlooked.

Ward Bond Appeared In 13 Movies Nominated For Best Picture 3 Of These Movies Were Oscar Best Picture Wins

In todays Hollywood landscape, top-billing actors can be more selective with the roles they take. It is hard...

It might be surprising to learn that Looney Tunes’ central character is, in fact, based on a real person — especially because that would imply that person’s ability to stick their finger in the end of a hunting rifle and have it peel back like a steel banana.

The hallowed hare, though, is indeed based on an actor from Hollywood’s Golden Age: Clark Gable, specifically his role in a movie named It Happened One Night. In it, Gable plays a fast-talking reporter named Peter Warne, whose mannerisms have a direct parallel to everyone’s favorite stinker.

Of course, you might say that it’s a stretch to connect the two, given that a quick-talking font of charisma isn’t exactly a unique character in fiction. But don’t worry, doubters, I have more evidence in tow, most notably, the character’s connection to one of Bugs’ most common activities:...

American filmmaker Frank Capra began his career in the silent movies, helping to showcase and shape comedian Harry Langdon's gentle character for Mack Sennett. He went on to have his first big hit with the early talkie It Happened One Night, a wonderfully funny rom-com that won all 5 top Oscars in 1935. He followed this with a series of still-popular comedies with social messages that were also made for Harry Cohn at Columbia Pictures, including Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Cant Take It With You (1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). Respectively, these films argue (with their laughs) for the virtues of harmless eccentricity, humanity, and simplicity.

The 1930s was a pinnacle decade during Hollywood's Golden Age, when crucial classics were released, such as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, It Happened One Night, and Jezebelthe decade essentially kicked off the Golden Age with innovation and groundbreaking achievements in cinema that changed the art and craft of filmmaking forever. While the 1930s gave audiences a worthy number of classic films, some set the bar at an incredibly higher standard than others.

Vanity Street.Broke and homeless, a young woman hurls a brick through the window of a drugstore, hoping to go to jail because at least “they feed you there.” Instead of arresting her, a kindly cop gets her a job as a showgirl at the theater next door; soon she’s wearing furs and fending off passes from top-hatted stage-door Johnnies. So it goes in lightning-paced B movies such as Vanity Street (1932), directed by Poverty Row maestro Nick Grinde. The plot may be flimsy, but Max Ophuls could have been proud of the long, breezy tracking shot that glides past the windows of the drugstore, packed with a motley crowd of chorus girls, costumed actors, and burlesque comedians. This casually terrific sequence is representative of the treasures that were to be found in the retrospective honoring the 2024 centenary of Columbia Pictures at this year’s Locarno Film Festival. Most of the films were short.

On a recent July afternoon, the ever-mercurial Tom Rothman arrives in good spirits for a tour of Columbia Pictures’ archives in honor of the studio’s 100th anniversary. “Ask a lot of questions, because after this, I must go back to work,” says Rothman, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chairman. “This is way more fun than getting yelled at by agents.”

Naturally, Rothman — one of Hollywood’s longest-running studio chiefs, who’s been in his current gig since 2015 and has overseen the most profitable period in Columbia’s recent history — starts off by noting the costumes from marquee franchise Spider-Man. By his calculation, the collection houses more than 30 superhero suits at the archive from various Spider-Man movies.

“I recognize this very well — it was worth $2 billion at the box office to us,” says Rothman, pointing to a suit worn by Tom Holland in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. Both that...

Rom-coms are a staple sub-genre in film, from timeless classics such as Breakfast At Tiffanys and It Happened One Night, to more modern-day favorites such as How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Anyone But You. Audiences cant get enough of them, whether it be for the swoon-worthy romances or the humor intermingled with it, theres no denying rom-coms will forever have our hearts. But considering how off the walls some rom-coms can get, it can be a little surprising to learn that some are more based in reality than you may expect. 50 First Dates is one of the best known examples of a rom-com that was loosely based on a true story, and given its almost unbelievable storyline it can be hard to wrap your head around such a fact. But theres another rom-com that may just give 50 First Dates a run for its money in...

Producer David O. Selznick was always looking for the next big thing. He had scored an enormous hit — it was a cultural phenom — with his 1939 Civil War drama “Gone with the Wind,’ which won eight Oscars including best picture, director, actress and supporting actress. And for those fashion-minded, “Gwtw” also caused an uptick in sales of the women’s headgear called the snood.

The following year, Selznick produced the best picture winner, Alfred Hitchcock’s romantic mystery “Rebecca.” Four years after ‘Rebecca” on July 20, 1944, Selznick released the sentimental, home-fires-burning drama “Since You Went Away,” which he hoped would the next “Gwtw” in terms of box office and Oscar love.

The world was war weary in 1944. In fact, World War II seemed never ending. The Allied troops launched its invasion of Europe on the beaches of Normandy on June 6th. But even with the success of D-day, the war wouldn’t...

This article contains spoilers for "Twisters."

As the title suggests, the main attraction in "Twisters" are the multiple tornadoes, forces of nature that range from EF1s to terrifyingly disastrous EF5s. Given that the film's story involves several groups of storm chasers tooling around Oklahoma, attempting to devise a way of mitigating a tornado once it's formed, it would seem likely that director Lee Isaac Chung's biggest influences on the film would include other natural disaster movies, adventure films, and so on.

Yet, just like the original "Twister," "Twisters" has more going on beneath the surface. Just as storm chasers Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones), Tyler (Glen Powell), and Javi (Anthony Ramos) are struggling with various ethical issues surrounding the study of tornadoes and how to best help with the after effects of their arrival, they're also caught in a love triangle, with Kate fielding longtime colleague and friend Javi's...

Brittany Snow and Penn Badgley, stars of the 2006 film John Tucker Must Die, have not been contacted for John Tucker Must Die 2. The romantic comedy sequel was first announced in March of this year. The plot of John Tucker Must Die 2 is unknown, but it is said to involve the full original cast.

John Tucker Must Die 2 is given a disappointing update from Brittany Snow and Penn Badgley. Snow and Badgley played Kate and Scott, respectively, in the 2006 romantic comedy. They were joined by a cast that included Jesse Metcalfe, Ashanti, Arielle Kebbel, Sophia Bush, and Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg. Over a decade and a half after the release of John Tucker Must Die, the development of John Tucker Must Die 2 was announced earlier this year.

In a conversation on Badgley's podcast Podcrushed, Snow and Badgley provide an update on the status of John Tucker Must Die 2. Snow began the conversation by...

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center is the perfect rom-com book for those missing the golden age of romantic comedies. The book honors and emulates the best rom-coms, exploring the essence of what makes them beloved by audiences. Katherine Center's novel brings rom-coms back to life with its relatable characters and heartwarming storylines.

This summer, a new romance book is making its debut, and it might just be the perfect read for those who miss the golden age of rom-coms. The modern romantic comedy truly reached its peak during the 1990s and early 2000s; rom-coms simply haven't been as good since then. Luckily though, romance books have made a massive comeback in the last few years, and with them, rom-coms have enjoyed a renaissance, largely thanks to streaming - though with a few surprise theatrical release hits, too.

In June 2024, the highly-anticipated romance book, The Rom-Commers, was released. Written by Katherine Center,...

How now, what news: the Criterion Channel’s July lineup is here. Eight pop renditions of Shakespeare are on the docket: from movies you forgot were inspired by the Bard (Abel Ferrara’s China Girl) to ones you’d wish to forget altogether (Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing), with maybe my single favorite interpretation (Michael Almereyda’s Hamlet) alongside Paul Mazursky, Gus Van Sant, Baz Luhrmann, Derek Jarman, and (of course) Kenneth Branagh. A neonoir collection arrives four months ahead of Noirvember: two Ellroy adaptations, two from De Palma that are not his neonoir Ellroy adaptation, two from the Coen brothers (i.e. the chance to see a DVD-stranded The Man Who Wasn’t There in HD), and––finally––a Michael Winner picture given Criterion’s seal of approval.

Columbia screwballs run between classics to lesser-seens while Nicolas Roeg and Heisei-era Godzilla face off. A Times Square collection brings The Gods of Times Square,...

Your browser does not support the video tag. Frank Capra: Mr. America details the life of influential filmmaker Capra, known for award-winning films from the 1930s and 1940s. Capra's works, including the classic It's a Wonderful Life, have made a lasting impact on society and influenced filmmakers like Spielberg and Sandler. Capra's films have been adapted and referenced globally, showcasing his undeniable influence on cinema. Watch Frank Capra: Mr. America now.

Frank Capra: Mr. America is a new documentary detailing the life and achievements of one of the worlds most influential filmmakers. Capra was a director known for an impressive string of award-winning films made in the 1930s and 1940s, and whose work includes comedies, political films, and Christmas classics alike. The documentary was made by Matthew Wells in his feature documentary debut.

Screen Rant is happy to present a clip from Frank Capra: Mr. America. The clip details...

On May 25, 1934, “The Thin Man” was released to rave reviews and big box office returns. The popularity of husband-and-wife sleuths Nick and Nora Charles set the standard for romantic comedies with a dash of thrill and mystery, and cemented actors William Powell and Myrna Loy as one of the greatest film teams of all time. Read on for more about “The Thin Man” 90th anniversary.

Dashiell Hammett was a well-known writer of hardboiled detective novels, but he added a light touch to his novel “The Thin Man,” and MGM quickly snatched up the film rights. Nick Charles (Powell) is a retired detective who enjoys the high life with his wealthy socialite wife Nora (Loy) and their spoiled pooch Asta (Skippy). Nick is lured back to his mystery-solving days by the disappearance of his old acquaintance, Clyde (Edward Ellis), whose daughter Dorothy (Maureen O’Sullivan) begs Nick to find out what happened to her father.

The cherished screen team of William Powell and Myrna Loy met “cute” on their first film together, the gritty 1934 “Manhattan Melodrama.” According to TCM.com, first scene in the film required her to run out a building, maneuver through a crowd of people and jump into a car. The film’s director W.S. “Woody” Van Dyke, who was nicknamed “One Take Woody” because of his efficiency, didn’t bother to introduce the actress to Powell. So, when Van Dyke called “action “Loy recalled jumping into the car and landing “smack on William Powell’s lap. He looked up nonchalantly: Miss Loy, I presume?” I said, Mr. Powell? That’s how I met the man who would be my partner in 14 films.”

It was their next film, the smart screwball comedy/mystery “The Thin Man,” which opened May 25, 1934, transformed the couple into top stars at MGM. Directed by Van Dyke...

An iconic woman needs an apt setting.

So, to mark its 100th anniversary, Columbia Pictures has teamed with the Municipality of Cannes to put the studio’s instantly recognizable Torch Lady and roster of legendary actresses on full display as part of a free photographic exhibit in the historic city’s town square, just off the Croisette and with the Palais and Mediterranean Sea serving as a backdrop.

The exhibit, dubbed “Lighting the Way: From the Torch Lady to Leading Ladies,” includes outdoor installations emblazoned with Columbia’s longstanding symbol as well as more than 30 rare photographs from the studio’s archive spanning Hollywood’s Golden Age through present day, The photographs include ones of Katherine Hepburn, Deborah Kerr, Claudette Colbert, Ann-Margret, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Julia Roberts, Michelle Yeoh, and, naturally, “Gilda” star Rita Hayworth. A restored version of that film is screening this year as part of the festival’s Cannes Classics program.

Frank Capra was a three-time Oscar winner who dominated the box office throughout the 1930s with his populist fables, nicknamed “Capra-corn.” Yet how many of these titles remain classics? Let’s take a look back at 12 of Capra’s greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1897 in Siciliy, Italy, Capra came to the United States with his family in 1903. His work often reflected an idealized vision of the American dream, perhaps spurned by his own experiences as an immigrant. Depression-era audiences lapped up his sweetly sentimental screwball comedies, which often centered on the plight of the common man.

He earned his first Oscar nomination for directing “Lady for a Day” (1933), and his loss was infamously embarrassing: when presented Will Rogers opened the envelope, he said, “Come up and get it, Frank!” Capra bounded to the stage, only to learned that Frank Lloyd (“Cavalcade”) has won instead.

No matter, because...

Exclusive: To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Columbia Pictures, the municipality of Cannes will present a free photographic exhibition titled “Lighting the Way: From the Torch Lady to Leading Ladies.” The photos will be on display for the general public on Cours Félix Faure in Cannes from May 13 to June 10.

Led by Columbia Pictures’ iconic Lady with the Torch, the exhibition will consist of over 30 rare photographs from Columbia’s archive and highlighting legendary actresses from Hollywood’s Golden Age and beyond, including Katherine Hepburn, Deborah Kerr, Claudette Colbert, Ann-Margret, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Julia Roberts, Michelle Yeoh and Rita Hayworth. A restored version of Hayworth’s Gilda is screening as part of the Cannes Film Festival’s Cannes Classics program this year.

Said Tom Rothman, Chairman & CEO of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group, “Columbia Pictures may have been founded by men, but women have always been vital to its growth and impact.

According to Rotten Tomatoes' "300 Best Movies Of All Time" list, The Dark Knight remains DC's best movie ever with a 94% Tomatometer and Audience Score rating, being the only DC movie on the ranking. The only superhero movie to beat The Dark Knight on Rotten Tomatoes' list is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Christopher Nolan's vision, Heath Ledger's iconic performance, Hans Zimmer's score, and Wally Pfister's cinematography all contribute to The Dark Knight's timeless success.

Rotten Tomatoes' updated list of "300 Best Movies Of All Time" reveals which Marvel and DC movies have been the best reviewed, confirming why Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight continues to be so popular to this day. All live-action Batman movies have played a key role in the superhero movie genre's success. From Adam West's in 1966 Batman to Robert Pattinson's in The Batman and the yet-to-be-cast Caped Crusader in the Dcu's The Brave and the Bold,...

Before franchises and superhero films dominated the cinema landscape, romantic comedies were a fan-favorite and reliable genre. The golden age of rom-coms sprouted in the 1980s and 1990s, producing some of the genre's best and most beloved examples. However, rom-coms got their big start as early as the 1930s, with major films like 1934's seminal hit It Happened One Night.

Bugs Bunny adopted carrots from iconic scene in It Happened One Night with Clark Gable in 1934. Bugs Bunny's Brooklyn accent and carefree demeanor based on Oscar-winning screwball comedy and appearance in 1938. Bugs became famous for eating carrots thanks to actor's playful on-screen antics, and iconic line "What's Up Doc?"

Few cartoon characters are as iconic as Bugs Bunny, Warner Bros.' official mascot, who has appeared in more than 160 shorts since his official debut in 1940. Best known for his carefree attitude and wise-cracking catchphrase, "Eh, What's Up Doc?", Bugs also fooled many viewers into believing that bunny rabbits eat carrots as a daily dietary staple. Despite the reality that rabbits do not often eat carrots in the wild due to their high sugar content, Bugs Bunny nibbled away on the root vegetables for decades as one of his most famous defining characteristics.

With Bugs Bunny poised to celebrate his 84th...

When David Boreanaz read for FBI agent Seeley Booth in the "Bones" pilot, he instantly thought of "Harry and the Hendersons." It's not hard to see why. The character's relationship with his then newfound partner, the forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel), readily evokes that between the open-hearted Bigfoot Harry and John Lithgow's uptight, disapproving patriarch George Henderson Jr. in William Dear's Oscar-winning 1987 fantasy comedy film. Much like Harry and George, however, Bones gradually opens up to Booth in spite of his shenanigans and even bids him a teary farewell when he rejoins his fellow federal investigators living in the wilderness.

Alright, alright, fine, Boreanaz actually thought of "Romancing the Stone." Even in the pilot, long before they became a romantic item, Booth and Bones' repartee recalled Robert Zemeckis' 1984 hit action-rom-com, itself a throwback to Golden Age Hollywood screwball comedy and action-adventure classics like "It Happened One Night" and "The African Queen,...

1934's It Happened One Night is inarguably one of Hollywood's most influential films. It is one of only three movies, and the first, to win all "Big Five" Oscars in its year of eligibility, including Best Actor for Clark Gable and Best Actress for Claudette Colbert. The romantic screwball comedy, directed by film-making legend Frank Capra, has a legacy that extends to this day. You can see its influence on When Harry Met Sally, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and in WB's Looney Tunes cartoons. More specifically, that wascally wabbit himself, Bugs Bunny. Wait, is yours truly a doggone idgit galoot who shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque? Nope, it's true, and one of Bugs' most famed traits is a direct homage to Gable's character.

For the first time in 12 years, the Best Picture and Best Actor Oscars have gone to the same film. “Oppenheimer” took the top honor at Sunday’s 96th Academy Awards, moments after Cillian Murphy prevailed for his lead turn as J. Robert Oppenheimer.

“The Artist” (2011) was the last film to accomplish this feat as Jean Dujardin nabbed Best Actor. That came a year after “The King’s Speech” and star Colin Firth pulled off the double. Since these back-to-back wins, there have been a few close calls. “Birdman” (2014) won four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, but not for its leading man Michael Keaton. The following year, Leonardo DiCaprio won his long-awaited Best Actor trophy for “The Revenant,” which won Best Director but not Best Picture.

See Full list of Oscar winners

“Oppenheimer” is the 28th film to win Best Picture and Best Actor. Of those, thrice has a film also won Best Actress.

Out of all the Oscars sweeps in history, only three movies have ever won the Big Five categories in the same year. It Happened One Night, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and The Silence of the Lambs are the lucky films that achieved this feat. La La Land was the most recent movie to come close to winning the Big Five awards but ultimately fell short at the Oscars.

In the history of the Oscars, only three movies have swept all five major award categories. Since the first Academy Awards, or Oscars, presentation of 1929, the crews and cast of movies have been vying for that coveted golden statuette which signifies their film or performance achieved excellence in the cinematic sphere. The prestige and recognition attached to the time-honored award ceremony's acknowledgment means that any award win or nomination is desirable, though wins and nominations in the so-called "Big Five...

Just 30 minutes after final voting for the Screen Actors Guild Awards wrapped up, I made a last-minute switch in my best actress prediction — from Lily Gladstone in “Killers of the Flower Moon” to Emma Stone in “Poor Things.” Let this be a lesson: Second-guessing yourself is seldom a good idea.

Lily Gladstone made history as the first Native American and Indigenous person to clinch an individual SAG Award for her portrayal of Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman, in Martin Scorsese’s gripping crime saga. With a lead actress (drama) Golden Globe and a SAG Award now under her belt, Gladstone’s award-season momentum continues to be formidable. Historically, only seven performers have failed to win the Oscar after winning the unique combination of Globe and SAG:

1995: Lauren Bacall (“The Mirror Has Two Faces”) lost to Juliette Binoche 2001: Russell Crowe (“A Beautiful Mind”) lost to Denzel Washington (“Training Day...