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A new year means an opportunity to reflect on the past. This is our list of the 100 best films of the last 15 years, Part 1 #100 through 76.

The first decade and a half of the 21st century has brought a lot of changes to the landscape of film. The advancement and sophistication of computers has made realistic computer generated effects a mainstay in both big-budget and small-budget films. The internet and streaming technologies have given big Hollywood new competition in films produced independently and by non-traditional means. We went from purchasing films on yards of tape to plastic disks, and now we can simply upload them to the cloud. Advertisements for films have reached a higher, more ruthless level where generating hype through trailers and teasers is crucial for a film’s commercial success. Movie attendance has fluctuated along with the economy, but that hasn’t stopped films from breaking box office records,...

Marjorie Lord actress ca. early 1950s. Actress Marjorie Lord dead at 97: Best remembered for TV series 'Make Room for Daddy' Stage, film, and television actress Marjorie Lord, best remembered as Danny Thomas' second wife in Make Room for Daddy, died Nov. 28, '15, at her home in Beverly Hills. Lord (born Marjorie Wollenberg on July 26, 1918, in San Francisco) was 97. Marjorie Lord movies After moving with her family to New York, Marjorie Lord made her Broadway debut at age 17 in Zoe Akins' Pulitzer Prize-winning adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel The Old Maid (1935). Lord replaced Margaret Anderson in the role of Tina, played by Jane Bryan – as Bette Davis' out-of-wedlock daughter – in Warner Bros.' 1939 movie version directed by Edmund Goulding. Hollywood offers ensued, resulting in film appearances in a string of low-budget movies in the late 1930s and throughout much of the 1940s, initially (and...

The questions posed by Masha Tupitsyn’s work to date—Love Sounds completes a trilogy that began with Laconia and Love Dog, a pair of books drawn from her writing on Twitter and Tumblr—have generally been variations on “how do we talk about love?” So: How do we talk with love? How do we talk through love? How do we talk around love? How do we talk away from love? How do we talk in love? With Love Sounds, she’s taken these questions, and many more, and used them to grope, like a good archivist, through the thicket of love in English-language cinema. The slightly more than twenty-four hours she has emerged with are offered generously for interpretation, a process helped along by the eight categories, rendered as white text on a black ground, that both structure the work and provide its only images. In the time since...

The questions posed by Masha Tupitsyn’s work to date—Love Sounds completes a trilogy that began with Laconia and Love Dog, a pair of books drawn from her writing on Twitter and Tumblr—have generally been variations on “how do we talk about love?” So: How do we talk with love? How do we talk through love? How do we talk around love? How do we talk away from love? How do we talk in love? With Love Sounds, she’s taken these questions, and many more, and used them to grope, like a good archivist, through the thicket of love in English-language cinema. The slightly more than twenty-four hours she has emerged with are offered generously for interpretation, a process helped along by the eight categories, rendered as white text on a black ground, that both structure the work and provide its only images. In the time since...

The Southeastern Film Critics went for the Grand Budapest Hotel last year for their winner, though they did pick 12 Years a Slave and Argo in the previous years. They went...

The Sundance Film Festival's always fascinating selection of short films is now set for 2016, with 72 titles—including "Jurassic World" star Bryce Dallas Howard's "Solemates," "Up in the Air" director Jason Reitman's documentary short "Roast Battle," and "Nasty Baby" filmmaker Sebastian Silva's "Dolfun." Read More: "Sundance Adds New Films by Werner Herzog, Kenneth Lonergan, Kelly Reichardt, and Others to 2016 Slate" When it comes to shorts, Sundance is trying to help find new models to help people looking for content, via new technology and an Adobe program, said the festival's chief programmer, Trevor Groth. "We're thinking of new ways to help get the shorts out. We take out our own program to 60 theaters across America that does well, there is a hunger out there for shorts. The growth in the popularity of shorts speaks to the way people are getting excited by storytellers working in...

The National Board of Review is known for its eclectic decisions comes awards season, handing unconventional choices its top honors year after year. But this year's selection of best film may truly be the organization's boldest pick yet.

"Mad Max: Fury Road" landed Nbr's best film distinction for 2015, beating out more high-profile (and more conventional) candidates like "Spotlight," "Carol," "Room," "Joy," "The Revenant," and "The Martian." All those flicks have been in the Oscar conversation for months, but not many expected "Fury Road" to get much awards season love, despite critical and audience adoration.

And that may not change, either. Last year, the Nbr awarded its best film prize to "A Most Violent Year," which was completely shut out of the Academy Awards nominations. It's also hailed a bunch of Oscar also-rans in the past, including Best Picture nominees (and losers) "Her" (2013), "Zero Dark Thirty" (2012), "Hugo" (2011), "The Social Network" (2010), and...

Jason Reitman's new comedy "Casual" finds Michaela Watkins' psychiatrist character living with her brother (Tommy Dewey) and daughter (Tara Lynne Barr). Together they're on a quest to be Hulu's first big player at the Golden Globes, SAG and Critics' Choice Awards, which unveil nominees over the next few weeks.  -Break- Join the 'Casual' discussion in our fun TV forums! Awards darling Reitman is a four-time Oscar nominee for directing "Juno" (2007) and directing, writing and producing "Up in the Air" (2009). He bring awards cache with him as he lends his signature quirky touch to this Hulu series created by Zander Lehmann. Just last year, another streaming family comedy -- Amazon's "Transparent" -- swept through the awards derby, clearing the way for shows like "Casual" to succeed. That laffer won Best Comedy at the Golden Globes while star Jeffrey Tambor ea...

Quentin Tarantino's script for grisly, gonzo "True Romance" (1993) will receive the Live read treatment from Jason Reitman next month—but who should the "Casual" and "Up in the Air" director cast? His choices for last year's "American Beauty" live read were starry (Bryan Cranston as Lester Burnham) and occasionally unexpected (Christina Hendricks as Lester's uptight wife, Carolyn). Below, read our suggestions for reviving "True Romance," more than two decades after its debut. And tell us your picks in the comments. Purchase tickets for the Dec.16 event, all proceeds of which go to Film Independent, here. Read More: "Westward Ho! Westerns Hitting Screens from Tarantino, Inarritu and More" Joseph Gordon-Levitt as comic-book nerd and Elvis obsessive Clarence Worley (Christian Slater). (Imagine him in Christian Slater's wide-lapel pink shirt!) As he showed us in Rian Johnson's...

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We learnt a lesson in McU history in this week’s season 3 Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode, as well as witnessing some stellar spying…

This review contains spoilers.

3.8 Many Heads, One Tale

Nope, that isn’t a typo. This episode of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. was dubbed Many Heads, One Tale. Not tail. While it’s fun to Google the episode and count how many websites autocorrected the spelling to the wrong version, it’s probably more pertinent to get to the point – this was a ruddy excellent episode.

The titular ‘tale,’ of course, refers to the story of Hydra’s history that Gideon Malick unravelled for the tenacious Grant Ward at the end of the episode. Many Heads, One Tale essentially interweaved Joss Whedon’s first Avengers movie, with Captain America: The First Avenger and the recent events of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. to clarify some of the McU’s history.

There’s a right way to be single, a wrong way to be single, and then…there’s Alice. And Robin. Lucy. Meg. Tom. David. New York City is full of lonely hearts seeking the right match, be it a love connection, a hook-up, or something in the middle. And somewhere between the teasing texts and one-night stands, what these unmarrieds all have in common is the need to learn how to be single in a world filled with ever-evolving definitions of love. Sleeping around in the city that never sleeps was never so much fun.

How To Be Single stars Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Damon Wayans, Jr., Anders Holm, Alison Brie, Nicholas Braun, Jake Lacy, with Jason Mantzoukas and Leslie Mann.

Check out the first trailer now.

Christian Ditter (“Love, Rosie,” “The Crocodiles”) directed the comedy from a screenplay by Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein (“The Vow,” “He’s Just...

Revolution Studios has purchased the Cold Spring Pictures motion picture library. Separately, New York Women in Film & Television has announced the recipient of the Nywift Ravenal Foundation Grant.

Revolution Studios’ library acquisition includes all eight films produced by the studio from 2007 to 2012. Titles include Up In The Air (pictured), Disturbia and No Strings Attached. Cold Spring Pictures LLC was created in 2006 as a production facility to co-finance motion pictures produced by Ivan Reitman and Tom Pollock’s The Montecito Picture Company.

New York Women in Film & Television (Nywift) has presented a $7,500 grant funded by the Alan M & Mildred S Ravenal Foundation to Rachel Feldman for Ledbetter. The Nywift Ravenal Foundation Grant supports the production of a dramatic feature film from a female second-time feature film director over 40.

Revolution Studios today announced its purchase of the Cold Spring Pictures motion picture library, which is comprised of eight films produced by the studio from 2007 to 2012, including the 2009 multiple-Oscar-nominee and Golden Globe winner, Up in the Air. Currently, the Revolution library, which is overseen by CEO Vince Totino and COO Scott Hemming, houses 46 titles ($3.7B in box office) which were produced during label founder Joe Roth’s reign, as well as the 64-title…...

From 1977 to 1984, the ineffably suave Ricardo Montalbán portrayed Mr. Roarke, an enigmatic man of means who welcomed well-off vacationers to his Fantasy Island. Roarke endeavored to accommodate his guests' deepest desires for $50,000, often with cryptic results. If you've been fantasizing about a revival of the series, you're in luck: The Wrap reports that Up in the Air writer Sheldon Turner is working on a gender-swapped reimagining of Fantasy Island in which Mr. Roarke will be replaced by "a brilliant, dynamic and sexy woman who runs a San Francisco–based company that provides clients with their most intimate, dark or outlandish fantasy." Our most intimate, outlandish fantasy is that the revival will actually be good and not anything like the 1998 one starring Malcolm McDowell.

At every available occasion, Jason Reitman has demonstrated that he’s either unprepared or unwilling to accept the sea change moving 21st-century America into the brave new World Wide Web. In 2009’s “Up In The Air,” the Internet was here to take our jobs. Two years later, in the black comedy “Young Adult,” the Internet enabled queen-bitch Mavis Gary’s campaign of self-destructive obsession. And in last year’s “Men, Women & Children,” the Internet might as well have been the newly-crowned Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse, dissolving marriages and corroding morals from atop its slowly-buffering steed. So the broad-strokes concept of “Jason Reitman directs a TV show about the trials and tribulations of finding meaningful connection in the age of online dating” should have been fraught with the potential for disaster from the very start. Mercifully, however, Reitman’s not in the driver’s seat on Hulu’s latest original series “Casual,...

Smiles, everyone, smiles! ABC is developing a gender-swapped “Fantasy Island,” giving a script order to a new adaptation of the hit 1970s series. The new “Fantasy Island” will feature a woman in the place of Ricardo Montalban’s Mr. Roarke. If it goes, the series will follow a brilliant, dynamic and sexy woman who runs a San Francisco-based company that provides clients with their most intimate, dark or outlandish fantasy. Also Read: 'MacGyver' Reboot in the Works at CBS With Director James Wan The new project, from Sony Pictures Television, will be written and executive produced by “Up in the Air’s” Sheldon Turner.

ABC is adding a female lead and subtracting the titular location as it teams with Sony to remake Fantasy Island.

RelatedMacGyver Reboot In the Works at CBS

Per our sister site Deadline, the new Fantasy Island will follow a “brilliant, dynamic and sexy woman” who runs a San Francisco-based outfit that aims to fulfill clients deepest and or darkest wishes. (The company’s name: Fantasy Island.)

Like the original series — which ran from 1977 to ’84 and starred Ricardo Montalban and Hervé Villechaize (and was briefly rebooted in 1998 with Malcolm McDowell lording over things) –the update will tell two stories per episode.

Following the Hart To Hart remake with a gay couple, which was set up at NBC, Sony TV is rebooting another classic 1970s drama series from the Spelling-Goldberg catalog, Fantasy Island, with a major twist (or two). The project has landed at ABC with penalty. Written by Sheldon Turner (Up In The Air), the new take goes further in shaking up the original concept — about a tropical island where people pay to go and live out their fantasies — than the 1998 revival, also on…...

When Dana Jung reviewed Tomorrowland here at We Are Movie Geeks, he wrote: “….The ideals that Walt Disney espoused, not only about vision and innovation, but about who we are as human beings on this planet, are alive and well in this mostly enjoyable summer action movie. I can only think that Walt would have approved!” Read all of Dana’s review Here

Now you can own Tomorrowland when it’s released on Blu-ray October 13th.

Dreamers Wanted…Disney invites you to an incredible world of epic imagination where anything is possible. Buckle your seat belt, as the director of The Incredibles takes your family on an action-packed thrill ride. Tomorrowland transports you on an inspiring and magical journey of wonder and adventure to a place where if you can dream it, you can do it. Own it on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere...

Jason Reitman is making his first foray into television with Hulu’s new comedy series “Casual.” “When I write a film, all I think about is where the thing ends and how to get the audience there,” the “Up in the Air” director said in an interview with TheWrap. “And in television, it can’t end. You need the audience to return the next week.” So when creating his first show, the director was looking for a series that could last. And that was what he found in the pilot script from series creator Zander Lehmann. “We were just looking for a voice.

One of the tricks of the Telluride trade is to offer a classy tribute to a major talent who will then unveil their latest film. Robert Redford introduced "All is Lost," George Clooney talked up "The Descendants," and so on. This year fest veteran Danny Boyle will be accepting a Silver Medallion Award. One of the pleasures of the festival is to interview some of these folks (Boyle with eventual Best Picture Oscar-winner "Slumdog Millionaire," Jean-Marc Vallee with "Wild,"Jason Reitman with "Up in the Air" and Bennett Miller with "Capote" come to mind), before they hit the lengthy PR circuit. Thus Boyle's tribute serves as a vehicle for debuting "Steve Jobs" well before its gala at the New York Film Festival--and starting the awards drumbeat with the select media corps in attendance (including me). Also getting a medallion is Rooney Mara, who may seem a tad young for such an award,...

It’s almost September and that means Netflix is about to refresh their content, for better or worse. Some of the notable titles leaving include: High Fidelity, Anchorman 2, and The Skeleton Twins. So if you haven’t seen some of these titles, plan your nights accordingly. We of course can look forward more than a few new titles including The Monster Squad, Moonrise Kingdom (pictured above), and The Walking Dead: Season 5.

Available 9/1

72 Dangerous Animals: Australia: Season 1

Arthur: Season 17

Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher (2014)

Battle Creek: Season 1

Blackbird (2014)

Capital C (2014)

Combustion (2013)

Da Jammies: Season 1

Divorce Corp. (2014)

Giggle and Hoot’s Best Ever! (2014)

Hamlet (1990)

Hardball (2001)

Heather McDonald: I Don’t Mean To Brag (2014)

Lawrence of Arabia: Restored Version (1962)

Los hombres también lloran: Season 1

Masters of the Universe (1987)

Mississippi Damned (2009)

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood: Volume 1

Mouk: Season 1

Our Man in Tehran (2013)

Pandas: The Journey Home (2014)

Person of Interest:...

Jason Reitman will host a live reading of The Princess Bride at the Toronto International Film Festival. Celebrity Live-Reading Of The Princess Bride Reitman, director of Up in the Air, frequently organizes and directs star-studded live readings of famous scripts. For the past two years, Reitman has organized live readings at Tiff — Boogie Nights […]

The post Jason Reitman To Stage Live Reading Of ‘The Princess Bride’ At Tiff appeared first on uInterview.

At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

"Mad Max: Fury Road"

Tuesday, September 1 will be a lovely day -- oh, what a lovely day! -- 'cause that's when Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases "Fury Road" on 2D Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, and DVD. Here are the special features on both Blu-ray editions: "Maximum Fury: Filming Fury Road," "Mad Max: Fury on Four Wheels," "The Road Warriors: Max and Furiosa," "The Tools of the Wasteland," "The Five Wives: So Shiny, So Chrome," "Fury Road: Crash & Smash," and deleted scenes. The "Mad Max 4-Film Blu-ray Anthology" will also be on sale September 1, including "Mad Max," "The Road Warrior," "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" and "Mad Max: Fury Road" on Blu-ray, plus the documentary "Madness of Max" on DVD, and "Mad Max Anthology" trading cards.

New to Netflix in September are two kinds of undead: Season 5 of "The Walking Dead" and the revived-from-cancellation A&E series, "Longmire," which was saved by Netflix.

As far as movies, there's the restored version of the Oscar-winning 1962 epic "Lawrence of Arabia," Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom," the first three "Rambo" films, the terrific "The Bank Job" with Jason Statham and "Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom" with Idris Elba.

There are also period dramas you might have missed from last year with Jessica Chastain ("Miss Julie") and Mia Wasikowska ("Madame Bovary") and hey, "The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl!"

Available September 1

"72 Dangerous Animals Australia": Season 1 (2014)

"Combustión" (2013)

"Da Jammies": Season 1

"Giggle and Hoot's Best Ever!" (2014)

"Hamlet" (1990)

"Hardball" (2001)

"Heather McDonald: I Don't Mean To Brag" (2014)

"Lawrence of Arabia: Restored Version" (1962)

"Los Hombres también lloran": Season 1

"Masters of the Universe" (1987)

"Mississippi Damned" (2009)

"Mister Rogers' Neighborhood": Volume 1

"Mouk...

Jason Reitman will direct a live read of “The Princess Bride” at the Toronto International Film Festival. The four-time Oscar nominated filmmaker behind “Juno,” “Up in the Air” and “Thank You for Smoking” took to Twitter to make the announcement. “In 1987, Princess Bride won Toronto Film Festival. On Sep 12th, we’re going to pay tribute to that perfect script,” he wrote after teasing the news with one of the most memorable quotes from the Rob Reiner-directed comedy.Also Read: 'Game of Thrones': Here's Another Way 'The Princess Bride' Could Have Ended Dear Toronto, Inconceivable! – Jason Reitman (@JasonReitman) August 26, 2015 No word yet.

The rise in critical acclaim for television shows over the years has been well-documented, with a corresponding rise in interest among viewers to discuss and analyse television the way films are at festivals. While festivals dedicated to television shows, such as Atx and PaleyFest, are on the rise, film festivals still outweigh them.

For its 2015 incarnation, however, the Toronto International Film Festival will be doing something unique, beginning a programme dedicated to television. Titled the Primetime Programme, the section of the festival will conduct screenings and Q&A sessions just like the films that play at Tiff, focusing on specific episodes of shows instead. The lineup for the inagural Primetime programme has now been announced, and can be seen below.

Casual Season 1, Episodes 1 and 2, created by Zander Lehmann and directed by Jason Reitman, making its World Premiere

Festival favourite Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air) directs this wonderfully endearing...

Anna Kendrick is a Broadway and film actress who most recently garnered global attention for the box-office hit, Pitch Perfect 2. But beyond her recognition as a Pitch Perfect Barden Bella, The Hollywood Reporter looks at five facts you probably didn't know about Kendrick. Tony and Oscar Nominee Kendrick scored her best featured actress Tony nomination in 1998 for her role in High Society at the age of 12. At age 24, the actress earned her best supporting actress nom in 2010 for Up in the Air, in which she starred opposite George Clooney. Taco Bell Lover "It's a

read more...

Throughout TV history, there have been plenty of duos who've had the sort of close-knit, we-can-finish-each-other's-sentences friendships you don't often see in real life: Mary and Rhoda, Chandler and Joey, Abbi and Ilana. Add Difficult People's double act to that list — although the lead characters' Bff bond may be the only good thing they have going for them. Part of Hulu's latest round of original series (the first two episodes start streaming today), the cringe-comic sitcom stars Billy on the Street's Billy Eichner and comedian Julie Klausner as thirtysomething pals who are trying,...

15 years ago today, the doors of the Coyote Ugly saloon swung open, turning a low-key Jerry Bruckheimer-produced coming of age film into a beloved cult hit.

But what happened to coyotes Piper Perabo, Tyra Banks and the rest of the movie's cast? To mark the movie's birthday we find out what they've all been doing in the 15 years since Coyote Ugly.

Piper Perabo

Since playing aspiring singer Violet Sanford in Coyote Ugly, Piper Perabo's career has veered from the sublime (2005's The Prestige) to the ridiculous (2008's Beverly Hills Chihuahua).

The film roles have kept on coming, but recently she's been best known as the lead in TV series Covert Affairs, which ran for five seasons on the USA Network between 2010 and 2014.

Adam Garcia

A star of the West End stage, Adam Garcia hot-footed from Saturday Night Fever to Coyote Ugly as Violet's love interest Kevin.

Garcia later...

15 years ago today, the doors of the Coyote Ugly saloon swung open, turning a low-key Jerry Bruckheimer-produced coming of age film into a beloved cult hit.

But what happened to coyotes Piper Perabo, Tyra Banks and the rest of the movie's cast? To mark the movie's birthday we find out what they've all been doing in the 15 years since Coyote Ugly.

Piper Perabo

Since playing aspiring singer Violet Sanford in Coyote Ugly, Piper Perabo's career has veered from the sublime (2005's The Prestige) to the ridiculous (2008's Beverly Hills Chihuahua).

The film roles have kept on coming, but recently she's been best known as the lead in TV series Covert Affairs, which ran for five seasons on the USA Network between 2010 and 2014.

Adam Garcia

A star of the West End stage, Adam Garcia hot-footed from Saturday Night Fever to Coyote Ugly as Violet's love interest Kevin.

Garcia later...

There wasn't much going on last night in the TV world, meaning that BBC One's Rip Off Britain was the most-watched show outside soaps.

Overnight data reveals that Gloria Hunniford's series was seen by an average audience of 3.52 million (20.6%) at 7pm. A repeat of Death in Paradise brought in 3.26m (16.6%) at 9pm.

On BBC Two, The House that 100k Built gathered 1.56m (8.2%) at 8pm, followed by documentary series Great Ormond Street with 1.72m (8.8%) at 9pm and reality competition Hair with 785,000 (4.7%) at 10pm.

ITV's Great Welsh Adventure appealed to 1.88m (10.4%) at 7.30pm, while Love Your Garden attracted 2.57m (13.6%) at 8pm (166k/0.8% on +1). Virgin Atlantic: Up in the Air concluded with 2.56m (13.0%) at 9pm (170k/1.1%).

On Channel 4, Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners ended with 1.03m (5.4%) at 8pm (179k/0.9%), followed by Child Genius with 1.12m (5.7%) at 9pm (188k/1.3%).

Channel 5's Dog Rescuers interested 1.01m (5.4%) at 8pm, while people still love seeing people on benefits,...

"Trainwreck," the new Amy Schumer/Judd Apatow movie, examines the plight of one snarly woman as she exits her familiar world of sexual freedom and hangovers for a detour into serious romance. Though several eye-popping cameos and supporting performances buttress the film, Schumer's performance is the acting triumph of "Trainwreck." Without her shaky conscience and burgeoning sense of fulfillment, the movie's conventional story might feel staid. Thankfully, it's anything but. Schumer's performance marks a welcome addition to cinema's long line of strident, hilarious female protagonists. We're celebrating that lineage with a list: the 20 best female-driven comedies ever. Some are old and some are new, but all are marked by a degree of cosmopolitan fun and nerviness -- and the occasional slap from Cher. 20. "How to Marry a Millionaire" We remember Lauren Bacall as a glamor girl with a damning grimace, but let's start revising that narrative to include her chops as a comic force.

UK TV ratings roundup - data supplied by Barb

Death in Paradise was a ratings winner on Tuesday (July 14), according to overnight data.

The BBC One drama continued with 3.30m (16.8%) at 9pm, while Imagine... was seen by 940k (9.4%) at 10.45pm.

On BBC Two, Antiques Road Trip brought in 1.02m (5.7%) at 7pm, before The House That £100k Built averaged 1.63m (8.6%) at 8pm, and Great Ormond Street interested 1.44m (7.3%) at 9pm. Hair entertained 620k (3.6%) at 10pm.

ITV's Virgin Atlantic: Up in the Air rose to 2.66m for its second episode at 9pm (219k/1.4% on +1). Earlier, A Great Welsh Adventure with Griff Rhys Jones appealed to 1.83m (9.9%) at 7.30pm (85k/0.4%), while Love Your Garden followed with 2.60m (13.7%) at 8pm (147k/0.8%).

Channel 4's Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners was seen by 1.12m (5.9%) at 8pm (182k/0.9%), before Child Genius fascinated 1.24m (6.3%) at 9pm (152k/1.0%).

Over on Channel 5, Big Brother continued with 1.07m (6.8%) at 10pm (70k/0.9%).

ITV...

New Regency and Ubisoft Motion Pictures are still committed to bringing Splinter Cell to the big screen, and Deadline reports today that the studios have brought Frank John Hughes on board to write a new script for the military-action thriller, which Edge of Tomorrow‘s Doug Liman is still attached to direct.

A hotter-than-ever Tom Hardy, riding a wave of critical adoration after Mad Max: Fury Road, is still in line to star as Sam Fisher, a highly trained special operative in a fictional black-ops sub-division known as Echelon. Along with his fellow Echelon agents, Fisher tackles dangerous terrorist threats with an array of combat skills, high-tech gadgets and ingenuity.

Hughes is best known as an actor, having appeared in The Sopranos and 24, but he recently adapted sci-fi Shovel Ready for Warner Bros. He’s the latest in a significant string of scribes to take a crack at Splinter Cell,...

It’s time to put the camera down, stop the editing, and find the last $75 left in your budget, because July 10 is the drop-dead date for film submissions to the 2015 Austin Film Festival (Aff). This year’s categories include: narrative feature, documentary feature, documentary short, thriller, and comedy vanguard. Rules, technical specs, and FAQs can be found here, and you can submit via the Aff’s site or through Withoutabox. The Aff takes place October 29 to November 5, 2015, and has been named by Moviemaker Magazine as one of the coveted “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” And if you know how many film festivals there are out there, you know this is quite an honor. Past winners have included Jason Reitman for “Juno” and “Up in the Air,” and in 2003 and 2005, Cary Fukunaga received Aff awards for his student short films; Fukunaga has since gone on to direct the HBO drama...

UK TV ratings round-up - data supplied by Barb

The Syndicate continued its ratings dominance on Tuesday (July 7), according to overnight data.

The BBC One drama drew to a close with 5.49m (26.8%) at 9pm, while Imagine... followed with 1.18m (13.0%) at 10.45pm.

BBC Two's Wimbledon 2day was watched by 1.52m (8.1%) at 8pm, before The Bank: A Matter of Life and Debt interested 810k (3.9%) at 9pm.

On ITV, A Great Welsh Adventure with Griff Rhys Jones gathered 1.82m (9.8%) at 7.30pm (53k/0.3% on +1), before Love Your Garden appealed to 2.62m (13.9%) at 8pm (115k/0.6%), and Virgin Atlantic: Up in the Air took flight with 2.26m (11.0%) at 9pm (257k/1.6%).

Channel 4's Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners brought in 1.27m (6.7%) at 8pm (157k/0.8%), and Child Genius intrigued 1.14m (5.6%) at 9pm (240k/1.3%).

Over on Channel 5, The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davies was watched by 1.10m (5.8%) at 8pm (83k/0.4%), while Benefits by the Sea: Jaywick aired to 1.20m...

The Syndicate: BBC One, 9pm

Kay Mellor's drama starring Lenny Henry draws to a close tonight.

As Hazelwood Manor awaits its grand opening, more details come to light about Amy's disappearance - and Dawn is shocked to discover Spencer was the last person to see her alive.

Virgin Atlantic: Up in the Air: ITV, 9pm

New documentary series featuring an all access behind-the-scenes look at Virgin Atlantic.

The opening episode follows the Crawley base as they prepare to celebrate the airline's 30th birthday. 58-year-old Katie hopes she can become the newest member of the cabin crew.

Crossing Lines: Alibi, 9pm

Originally only available via Amazon Instant Video, the global crime series - starring William Fichtner and Donald Sunderland - premieres in the UK tonight.

The show follows an elite police unit who tackle international crime over Europe. This week, they're on the hunt for a serial...

Digital Spy writer Naomi Gordon forgoes her office comforts for a surreal day behind the scenes with the stars of new ITV three-part-series Virgin Atlantic: Up in the Air.

"You should come into work looking as though you're going on a date," a member of the style squad informs us as we're taken through the detailed make-up and hair tutorial at Virgin's headquarters in Crawley.

I'm not certain whether this comment is slightly tongue-in-cheek but looking around at the handful of immaculate air stewards and stewardesses accompanying us today, I doubt it, and panic suddenly. Hair, make-up, and "glamorous" appearance seem synonymous with air stewards and Virgin Atlantic in particular - so much so that most of the morning is dedicated to hair styling and applying cosmetics. Safety precautions can wait.

In anticipation of tonight's ITV three-part-series Virgin Atlantic: Up in the Air, a behind-the-scenes look at the airline...

"You should come into work looking as though you're going on a date," a member of the style squad informs us as we're taken through the detailed make-up and hair tutorial at Virgin's headquarters in Crawley.

I'm not certain whether this comment is slightly tongue-in-cheek but looking around at the handful of immaculate air stewards and stewardesses accompanying us today, I doubt it, and panic suddenly. Hair, make-up, and "glamorous" appearance seem synonymous with air stewards and Virgin Atlantic in particular - so much so that most of the morning is dedicated to hair styling and applying cosmetics. Safety precautions can wait.

In anticipation of tonight's ITV three-part-series Virgin Atlantic: Up in the Air, a behind-the-scenes look at the airline as it approaches its 30th anniversary, we're being trained, dressed and styled as a member of Virgin's cabin crew, and yes, we're promised a go down the inflatable emergency slide.

This story originally appeared in the Comedy/Drama Series issue of TheWrap’s Emmy magazine. #selfieinterview was produced in partnership with Verge. Melanie Lynskey first won fame at 16 alongside Kate Winslet, playing her lover in Peter Jackson‘s breakthrough hit “Heavenly Creatures,” and she played a crazy neighbor on “Two and a Half Men.” Now she’s head-over-heels again as an adulterous wife in HBO’s “Togetherness,” by Jay and Mark Duplass–and she told TheWrap she’s crazy about them too. Tim Appelo: You’ve worked with Peter Jackson, Steven Soderbergh on “The Informant!” and with George Clooney in “Up in the Air.

Game of Thrones star Lena Headey's 'Walk of Shame' nude body double has been revealed as actress Rebecca Van Cleave.

Headey opted out of going naked for the harrowing six-minute sequence "for several reasons", one of which was so she could fully focus on the emotions in her performance.

The actress also wasn't involved in the casting process for her double, adding: "I was like, 'Listen guys, she happens to have a beautiful body, but I don't do casting'. If somebody is brave enough to do this, I applaud it."

We've found 11 other actors and actresses who've spoken candidly about choosing a body double instead of baring their naked bits on the big screen.

And you may find some film scenes quite surprising (it wasn't really Kevin Costner frolicking naked in a waterfall!).

1. Mila Kunis had actresses moon for her

Mila Kunis happily revealed that she used...

We have big news for fans of Bates Motel. The Psycho-inspired series has been a huge success for A&E and they are confident enough in the creative team that they've placed a twenty-episode order:

Press Release: "New York, NY – June 15, 2015 – A&E Network has ordered twenty episodes of the acclaimed drama series, “Bates Motel” from Universal Television it was announced today by Rob Sharenow, Executive Vice President and General Manager, A&E and Lifetime.

“The vision of our incredible creative team has exposed the steady breakdown of the relationship between Norman and Norma Bates,” said Sharenow. “We are thrilled to bring fans two more seasons to witness the next stages of Norman's transformation into the most notorious psychopath in cinematic history.”

New episodes of “Bates Motel” will begin production later this year and will air over two seasons, starting in 2016.

“Bates Motel” has garnered a truly loyal fan base over the past three seasons.

Jurassic World's box office performance is certainly impressive, but the bigger news is that it was the leader of Hollywood's all-time best domestic box office. Ever. As in, a record-breaking weekend at the movies that brought in north of $262 million. This breaks a nearly six-year record of $259.9 million set back in 2009, led by James Cameron's own record-breaking juggernaut, Avatar. Now it's important to keep in mind that Jurassic World's monster total accounted for almost 80% of this weekend record while Avatar (in its second week in theaters) tallied 29.1% of the Christmas 2009 weekend box office. The older record was helped in part by sizable debuts of three other movies - including Sherlock Holmes and the Alvin and the Chipmunks sequel - spreading the wealth out a bit. Avatar was still clearly drawing audiences in, but films like The Blind Side and Up in the Air broadened the holiday demographics.

After more than two decades of working in Hollywood, New Zealand-born actress Melanie Lynskey is in a really good place. Since her 1994 debut as a manipulated, murderous teen in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures, she's built a diverse film and TV career that has included a role in 2009's Oscar-nominated Up in the Air and a recurring part on CBS' Two and a Half Men. Her current starring role on HBO's Togetherness, which is written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass…...

DreamWorks Animation has found a very real director for the story of an imaginary friend, as the Academy Award-nominated Jason Reitman is set to write and direct Beekle, based on the award-winning children’s book, “The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend.”

Beekle is the first project to be put into development by DreamWorks Animation’s recently appointed Co-Presidents of Feature Animation Bonnie Arnold and Mireille Soria.

It is the first foray into animation for Reitman, the celebrated director of films including the Academy Award-nominated “Juno,” “Thank You For Smoking,” “Young Adult,” “Labor Day,” “Men, Women & Children,” and the Academy Award-nominated “Up in the Air,” for which Reitman earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay.

Written and illustrated by Dan Santat, “The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend,” is the 2015 recipient of the prestigious Caldecott Medal, awarded annually to the most distinguished American picture book for children.

DreamWorks Animation...

Jason Reitman needs redemption after his 2014 flop "Men, Women & Children" and tepidly received 2013 awards-hopeful-that-couldn't "Labor Day." The typically adult-leaning director of "Thank You for Smoking," witty Oscar nominees "Juno" and "Up in the Air" and under-appreciated and acidic "Young Adult" will now write and direct "Beekle" for DreamWorks Animation. The story of an oddball imaginary friend who embarks on a magical journey to find his perfect (real-life) match, the project marks Reitman's first animated effort, and DreamWorks Animation's first project under new co-presidents Bonnie Arnold and Mireille Soria. The studio is feeling confident after racking up nearly $350 million worldwide for this year's animated "Home," and is taking sweet time on promising projects, including 2016's "Kung Fu Panda 3." DreamWorks Animation development exec Damon Ross brought the project to the...

Jason Reitman has been on a downward spiral since Up in the Air, and his latest film, last year’s Men, Women & Children, was the worst of the bunch, preachy, tone-deaf and utterly ill-conceived from first frame to last. Now, it appears that the once-promising helmer is taking refuge in less heavy fare – he’s signed on to write and direct Beekle, an adaptation of Dan Santat’s award-winning children’s novel The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, for DreamWorks Animation.

The project marks Reitman’s first venture into animated cinema – his past movies include Juno, Thank You for Smoking, Young Adult and Labor Day, all aimed at much older audiences than Beekle. DreamWorks Animation is hot on Santat’s story, which won the 2015 Caldecott Medal (given annually to the finest American picture book for kids). It centers on an imaginary friend so unique and strange that no child...

Most people associate surfers with wet suits, but on June 5, Bill Pohlad’s Love & Mercy biopic about The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson reveals an unlikely fixture in California surf culture: plaid. "The Beach Boys wore shirts by Pendleton," explains Los Angeles-based costume designer Danny Glicker (Milk, Up in the Air), who outfitted the actors in checkered blue button-ups to re-create the cover of the band’s 1962 album, Surfin’ Safari. "At the time, the shirts created a distinct visual that came to embody the fantasy of Southern California." Proof of the brand’s comeback? New fans

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Today’s the day, Pitches!

Beca (Anna Kendrick) and the Barden Bellas are back for more with Pitch Perfect 2, launching yet another full-on a capella assault on the last 30 years of popular music.

Three years removed from its predecessor, the sequel arrives at the height of an era that can be traced to the release of the original film: The Singing Anna Kendrick era.

Audiences knew what Kendrick was vocally capable of prior to the 2012 release of Pitch Perfect. After all, her 2003 big screen debut in Camp featured a scene-stealing performance of the “Company” stand-out “Ladies Who Lunch” and boozily covered Cyndi Lauper in her Oscar-nominated performance in Up in the Air. However, since her first turn as Beca, all Kendrick seems to do is sing, and that’s not a complaint.

Kendrick’s first turn as Beca was such a hit, in fact, that her audition number “Cups...