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There could be a couple of reasons why the new Netflix thriller Carry-On might confuse audiences. At some point, it is likely to invoke the old Die Hard dilemma over whether it’s a Christmas movie or not. That could leave some heads spinning even before you get to the exciting action in this newly released film. It’s set on Christmas Eve in an Airport, but that's still not close enough to count for me anyway. Die Hard has more Christmas content and qualifies though.

Over in the UK, the confusion comes from a different perspective. Viewers there may have seen the title and be expecting something completely different instead. There was a long-running series of Carry On movies there from the 1960s featuring some bawdy humor, busty maidens or matrons, and a load of puns and innuendos.

The series had films set in all sorts of locations, establishments,...

Warning: Major spoilers for Carry-On below!Taron Egerton fronts Netflix's tense new thriller Carry-On - a title that may cause many UK viewers to do a double take. Carry-On cast Egerton as Ethan, an underachieving Tsa agent who Jason Bateman's mysterious Traveler blackmails into letting him smuggle a dangerous weapon past security. Carry-On has been compared to Die Hard more than once, though it's more of a slow-burn thriller than an action movie. For UK viewers of a certain age, the title might create some confusion with the Carry On film franchise.

This comedy saga comprises over 30 movies, with titles such as Carry On Screaming! or Carry On Don't Lose Your Head. The series had its own stable of recurring actors too, including Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Barbara Windsor (Eastenders), and many more. The franchise is still the most prolific British film series, with only James Bond coming close at 25 installments.

Brian Helgeland has been discussing his script for Sony’s aborted take on Cleopatra which was set to star Angelina Jolie…

Cleopatra is one of those iconic figures that Hollywood seems perpetually interested in bringing to the screen again, even if the vast majority of these projects never seem to get anywhere.

One of the other nearly-ran Cleopatra projects was set to feature Angelina Jolie back in 2011. Writer and director Brian Helgeland has been chatting about his time on the project as the first writer to get a crack at the script. According to the director of Payback and A Knight’s Tale, it would have included some surprising events, apparently rooted in history:

“I was the very first writer on Cleopatra when it was being developed for Angelina Jolie to star in, which was almost made,” Helgeland said in an interview with Inverse.

“It had elements of a political thriller with assassinations and sex,...

Get ready for an entertaining showdown as two iconic stars, Amanda Barrie and Stephanie Beacham, take to the road in “Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.” On Wednesday, November 8, 2023, at 8:00 Pm on BBC Two, these legendary actresses explore the sunny county of Somerset.

Amanda Barrie, known for her roles in “Carry on Cleo” and “Coronation Street,” and Stephanie Beacham, famous for her part in “Dynasty” and her work with Marlon Brando, embark on a thrilling road trip. They each carry a cool £400 in their designer handbags, and they are on a mission to spend it wisely.

To guide them on this antiques adventure, experts Tim Medhurst and Serhat Ahmet join the journey. And they travel in style in a swanky 420 G Jaguar.

The stage is set for a battle of wits and taste as Amanda and Stephanie hunt for hidden treasures, antique bargains, and the chance to outshine each other.

Tune in on Wednesday,...

While each actor to appear on Doctor Who has a memorable experience, each has gone on to other roles after portraying the famous Time Lord. For any actor who steps into the shoes of the Doctor, it tends to be a life-changing and career-changing experience. Especially when portraying a role that’s been filled by so many others that it has become a pop-culture icon, playing the Doctor always leaves an impact on their actors and often becomes one of the roles they are most known for. But every Doctor must then pass their role on to the next actor, leaving them to grow their career in new ways.

The long-running series tells the story of a time-traveling alien called the Doctor who travels with a human companion in Doctor Who. A key aspect of the Doctor is that they can regenerate their body when they die, becoming an entirely...

The Pogues still have some life left in them.

Netflix confirmed Tuesday that it had picked up Outer Banks, a buzzy teen drama, for a third season.

News of the renewal comes after rumors that the show had been canceled started swirling, and when you consider the fact that Outer Banks Season 2 bowed back in July, they were a little bit believable.

The streamer typically makes renewal or cancellation decisions after 28 days, but there's no word on what held up a renewal for the show.

The show held the top spot globally as Netflix's Top 10 TV (English) list, but no raw viewership metrics have been revealed.

Contract negotiations are typically the culprit in these scenarios where a popular show is left waiting on word of its future.

Netflix shows like 13 Reasons Why and On My Block faced similar scenarios after they became huge hits for the streaming service.

The...

The Pogues are coming back for more. Netflix has renewed the breakout series Outer Banks for a third season.

Created by Jonas Pate, Josh Pate and Shannon Burke, Outer Banks is a coming-of-age story that follows a tight-knit group of local teens — the “Pogues” — in the beach vacation destination of the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

After their near-death escape in Season 1, Season 2 saw John B (Chase Stokes) & Sarah (Madelyn Cline) on the run — and in over their heads — in the Bahamas. New friends also brought new foes as they were back on the trail of the gold, while the stakes for Kiara (Madison Bailey), Pope (J.D.), and JJ (Rudy Pankow) rapidly escalated at home. The $400M was still in the game, but would the uncovering of a new-found secret reunite the group for a fresh mission? The adventure of a lifetime awaited, but uncharted waters ahead meant the...

The actor turns director again for a compelling psychodrama about women subjected to experimental psychiatric treatment

Since her acting breakthrough as the defiant Shosanna in Quentin Tarantino’s Nazi thriller Inglourious Basterds, Mélanie Laurent has cultivated a flourishing parallel career in as a director. Now she pulls out all the stops with this highly watchable and well-made costume drama from the French belle époque, a vehement psychological melodrama of romance and the supernatural, set in a sinister neuro-psychiatric hospital where supposedly hysterical women are incarcerated and subjected to clinical surveillance and experimental treatment by frowning, frock-coated men.

Related: Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain movies head to Toronto film festival...

I know we shouldn't take anything that happens on Outer Banks seriously, but the series totally jumped the shark on Outer Banks Season 2 Episode 10, and I'm unsure whether there's a path forward.

The revelation that John B's dad is still alive came out of nowhere, but after the return of Ward Cameron the episode before, it made it seem even more stupid.

As a season-ending twist, it should have been handled much better. It would have been easier to get on board had we not spent so much time on the night he "died."

This will change the dynamic of the show considerably, especially if John B learns the truth. How is he expected to handle the fact that he's essentially raised himself, thinking his father was murdered?

His father obviously had to stay away from Outer Banks, but why couldn't he let his son know he was proud of him?...

Have you ever had a nightmare about being chased by zombies? Most people have. Do you think zombies have nightmares about us? These are the kinds of questions that keep my monkey brain somewhat sated; especially when I’m watching Zombie Nightmare (1987), a film that proffers voodoo, baseball, Batman, Thor, and Motorhead. So many queries, so few answers, so much fun.

Filmed in the summer of ‘86 in Quebec, Zombie Nightmare was supposed to have a Black-centric cast but writer (and ghost co-director) John Fasano (Black Roses) was told by director Jack Bravman (The Wetter the Better) that they’d have a hard sell with foreign investors, so the characters were changed. The more things stay the same, the more they stay the same.

Reviews were unkind, but the film somehow ended up grossing over a million and a half worldwide against a $180,000 budget after New World picked it up and...

TV One revealed its programming slate of new and returning series and specials at its upfront presentation on Thursday. The presentation, led by TV One and Cleo TV President Michelle Rice and other executives, revealed that Cleo Speaks, Jazz Smollett and Jake Smollett’s Living by Design, Just Eats with Chef JJ and Jernard Wells’ New Soul Kitchen will return this year.

Thursday’s presentation also unveiled a number of new unscripted titles centering on the Black community and topics relevant to TV One’s viewers, ranging from activism to motherhood and relationships. Minding Your Body And Soul, Sins of the City, Culture Kitchen and A Taste of The Diaspora are among the new series set to debut on TV One this year. TV One also shared that its Urban One Honors will return this May to celebrate trailblazing Black women for their professional achievements and contributions to their community and more.

Lee Broughton returns with a review of Michele Lupo’s fine-looking Spaghetti Western, Arizona Colt. Giuliano Gemma stars as the eponymous anti-hero-cum-bounty killer who goes head-to-head with Fernando Sancho’s villainous Mexican bandit. The show’s collateral damage comes in the shapely form of fan favourite Rosalba Neri while its highly reluctant love interest is played by none other than Corinne Marchand, of Cleo from 5 to 7 fame.

Arizona Colt

Region Free Blu-ray

Wild East

1966 / Color / 2.35:1 widescreen / 116 min. / Il Pistolero di Arizona, The Man From Nowhere / Street Date 9 February 2021 / Available from Wild East / 16.95

Starring: Giuliano Gemma, Fernando Sancho, Corinne Marchand, Roberto Camardiel, Rosalba Neri, Nello Pazzafini, Jose Manuel Martin, Andrea Bosic.

Cinematography: Guglielmo Mancori

Film Editor: Antonietta Zita

Art director: Walter Patriarca

Original Music: Francesco De Masi

Written by Ernesto Gastaldi, Luciano Martino

Produced by Elio Scardamaglia

Directed by Michele Lupo

A sadistic bandit, Gordo (Fernando Sancho), expands his gang...

Nothing about Star Trek is all that confusing but it's not always straightforward either. Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 1 Episode 7 is entitled "Much Ado About Boimler" but I'd argue Boimler's plotline is secondary to Mariner's.

Go ahead, fight me on this.

Typically in Trek, the A Plot is ship-centric and leads to some sort of permanent character growth while the B occurs on the periphery with an echo of the theme and some temporary shenanigans. 

Here, Boimler's story takes him (and Tendi) away from the Cerritos to meet characters they'll probably never meet again. He returns by the end to a status quo situation, pretty much exactly as he was at the start.

Mariner's, on the other hand, keeps her with the ship, acting as First Officer, and forces her to confront and verbalize the whys and wherefores of her choice to stay Lower Decks.

Mariner: How do you do this every day?...

The 60th-anniversary edition will unspool from 4-10 September while complying with stricter hygiene measures. The postponed 60th-anniversary edition of the International Film Festival for Children and Youth (Zlín Film Fest), the oldest and largest film festival for children, is bracing for a physical edition from 4-10 September. In addition to the previously announced titles in the International Competition of Feature Films for Children and the International Competition of Feature Films for Youth (see the news), the International Competition of European First Feature Films will introduce the local audience to the Belgian drama Cleo by Eva Cools, Hungarian helmer Attila Hartung’s Fomo – Fear of Missing Out, Małgorzata Imielska’s Used Up and Lucía Alemany’s drama The Innocence. Selected European documentary films for a young audience will vie for a prize in a separate competition, which will screen the Polish observational doc Underage Engineers by Aleksandra Skowron and Hanna Polak; Rozálie Kohoutová.

Every year, movies are being produced at faster rates and in greater quantity, and that’s thanks – in part – to streamers like Netflix. Because of their business strategy, customers can now watch thousands of films for the same price as a single cinema ticket. As such, the entertainment appetite of the American public has been growing stronger with each passing season. To that end, here’s an overview of the best new movies coming to Netflix next month.

First off, we got science fiction and fantasy. Fans of visiting other worlds will be in for a treat in July, as Netflix will be adding Cloud Atlas to its library. Directed by the Wachowski siblings – the same ones who created the now-infamous Matrix franchise – this time-traveling epic follows the stories of a handful of reincarnating souls who live their different yet similar lives across several centuries.

Up next we got acclaimed classics,...

How does Netflix determine which titles leave and which enter its dauntingly large library? Do they carefully analyze viewing statistics and find content that caters to our interests? Or do they simply throw an immense amount of content at the wall and watch what sticks?

The answer is probably a mix of both. Like most entertainment companies, Netflix knows full well the potential of mathematics, but it also respects the creative spirit. As such, some new additions may have been carefully chosen, and others not. In any case, here’s an overview of the 81 new movies and TV shows headed to the platform this coming week.

Let’s begin with the basics. One of the most inoffensive yet well-crafted Hollywood films arriving is Donnie Brasco. Produced in 1997, it stars now-legendary actor Johnny Depp in one of his first lead roles ever, and tells the story of an undercover cop who...

With June now coming to an end, it’s time to begin looking at what’s to come next month on all the various streaming services, and after hearing from the likes of Disney Plus, HBO Max, Amazon Prime and Hulu, the top dog has now announced their line-up for July, and it’s a big one.

Yes, Netflix has revealed today what subscribers can expect over the next few weeks and the list of new arrivals is as impressive as ever. Boasting a ton of great licensed content, several big new original shows which are sure to take the world by storm and, of course, more than enough original movies, too, there’s definitely something for everyone here.

As usual, the biggest batch of new material will arrive on the first of the month, with the rest of the titles trickling in over the following days and weeks. And below,...

Horror changes with each generation. In the ‘50s, societal fear of the Atomic bomb was projected back at us through the use of metaphorical figures such as giant lizards, oversized sea-creatures, and warped representations of nature too often taken for granted. And then there’s fun fare like The Crawling Eye (1958), which posits that visitors from space don’t always come in peace, nor are they willing to go quietly. I guess films don’t always have to reflect society.

This British independent production was released at home under its original title The Trollenberg Terror (also the name of the 1956 BBC serial it is based on) in October with a stateside rollout at the end of the year; unloved by critics (and mocked by Mystery Science Theater 3000), the film satiated the drive-in circuit looking for cheap thrills and cheaper monsters. But The Crawling Eye offers up more - atmosphere,...

Feature Alex Westthorp 28 Mar 2014 - 07:00

In a new series, Alex talks us through the film roles of the actors who've played the Doctor. First up, William Hartnell and Jon Pertwee...

We know them best as the twelve very different incarnations of the Doctor. But all the actors who've been the star of Doctor Who, being such good all-rounders in the first place, have also had film careers. Admittedly, some CVs are more impressive than others, but this retrospective attempts to pick out some of the many worthwhile films which have starred, featured or seen a fleeting cameo by the actors who would become (or had been) the Doctor.

William Hartnell was, above all else, a film star. He is by far the most prolific film actor of the main twelve to play the Time Lord. With over 70 films to his name, summarising Hartnell's film career is difficult at best.

 

What a year it was! In 1966, you could see the following movies playing locally in Winnipeg, Canada: Dean Martin as Matt Helm in The Silencers, James Coburn as Our Man Flint, The Trouble With Angels, Carry on Cleo, The Sound of Music and a quadruple feature of monsters flicks: Die Monster, Die, Eegah, Tomb of Ligeia and Planet of the Vampires. ...

Director of witty French comedy-thrillers

Since the dawn of cinema, France has simultaneously and uninterruptedly produced good mainstream movies and arthouse films. Georges Lautner, who has died aged 87, unabashedly claimed that the almost 50 films he directed from 1958 to 1992 belong to the former category. Lautner's mainly cops-and-robbers movies were among the most popular films ever made in France.

"I didn't want glory or to make masterpieces but popular films that would please the greatest number," he once explained. "International recognition didn't interest me. I was passionate at what I did with my faithful team. We made the films we wanted as quickly as possible. But with time, my commercial films appear almost intellectual."

Lautner's underestimated films were never invited to Cannes until, in 2012, the festival put together a belated "Homage to Georges Lautner". His death prompted President François Hollande to declare that his films had "become part of the cinematic heritage...

All hail the Queen of Egypt a.k.a. the classic epic "Cleopatra," which was released 50 years ago today (on June 12, 1963). The controversial film is known not only for setting fire to the scandalous affair between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, but also for its monstrous budget, initial box office flop, and unending conflicts.

Last month the film's 50th anniversary was celebrated at the Cannes Film Festival with a special screening of the recently released Blu-ray restoration. To honor the classic, we're opening up the tomb of facts to reveal the juicy bits you may not have known about the film. From budget nightmares to comas and contracts, read on to find out why the Academy Award-winning "Cleopatra" was an epic of truly epic proportions.

1. "Cleopatra" is infamous for marking the beginning of the heated love affair between Burton and Taylor, which lasted until his death in 1984. However, Liz and Dick...

Actor best known for his role as the rugged and handsome captain in The Onedin Line

James Onedin, the protagonist of the long-running BBC television series The Onedin Line, gained his splendid name from a sea nymph. After the programme's creator, Cyril Abraham, had read about mythological figure Ondine, he transposed the "e", thus making her a man. And what a man: Peter Gilmore, who played Onedin in 91 episodes from 1971 to 1980, had tousled hair, flinty eyes, hollow cheeks, mutton-chop sideburns racing across his cheek, lips pulled severely down, chin thrust indomitably forward to face down the brewing gale. He has died aged 81.

The sea captain did not so much talk as emit salty barks that brooked no demur. In 1972, while filming, Gilmore was buzzed by speedboats from the Royal Naval College. Still in character as Onedin, he yelled irascibly at the tyro sailors: "Taxpayers' money! Where are your guns? What...

Rupert Everett returns to dish the dirt in his second fearless and witty account of life with the A-list crowd

As sexist old Samuel Johnson said of a woman preaching, when an actor writes a book "it is not well done, but you are surprised to find it done at all". These are adults who spend their whole lives raiding dressing up boxes and speaking the words of others for a living, after all. Rupert Everett, like Richard E Grant and Kathy Burke, is the exception that proves the rule; he really can write, as his 2006 bestseller Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins – which took a bejewelled hatpin to the blow-up egos of co-stars Madonna and Sharon Stone, among others – proved. But despite reviews that, above the sound of easily impressed critics noisily wetting themselves, could be heard comparing him to Evelyn Waugh, Noël Coward and Lord Byron, the question...

Ruby Heartstealer – Karima El Mahroug who denies underage sex with Italy's ex-pm – and 32 young women listed to appear

It could be the cast for a remake of one of those 60s classical epics: George Clooney as one of the stars, together with a former belly dancer and 32 assorted starlets, dancers and showgirls.

In fact, it is just part of the witness list agreed on Wednesday for the trial in which Italy's former prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, is accused of paying an underage prostitute. Others with walk-on parts in the courtroom drama include the Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, the former Formula One team boss Flavio Briatore, and three ministers in Berlusconi's last cabinet – including the former topless model who was his equal opportunities minister, Mara Carfagna.

The judges in Milan agreed that 214 witnesses be called. They will start giving evidence on 2 December.

The prosecution wants to hear from Karima El...

No knighthoods for tabloid-backed stars, but Sheila Hancock, David Suchet and composer Howard Goodall make the list

Despite the best efforts of the tabloid press, there were no knighthoods for either Bruce Forsyth or Simon Cowell, but veteran actors Sheila Hancock and David Suchet were both awarded CBEs, as was the composer and broadcaster Howard Goodall. Representatives of the arts and media make up 7% of the honours list.

Harriet Walter, best known as a classical actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company – most recently as Cleopatra opposite Patrick Stewart's Antony and as Friedrich Schiller's Mary Stuart in the West End and on Broadway – is made a dame, 11 years after becoming a Cbe. Reacting to her award, Walter said: "I have reservations about some parts of the honours system. I fear it's not very fair and I think there are lots of people not recognised who should be." But she...

Andrew Bergman's critically panned sex comedy beats Troy and Swordfish to first place in survey by rental company Lovefilm

On its release it garnered the dubious title of worst movie of the year. Yet Striptease, the 1996 Demi Moore sex comedy in which the actor dances topless, has won a poll to find filmgoers' favourite guilty pleasures.

Andrew Bergman's much-maligned effort once won Golden Raspberries for worst actress, worst director, worst screenplay, worst original song and worst screen couple (for Moore and Burt Reynolds) – this in a year which also saw the release of The Island of Dr Moreau, starring Marlon Brando, and Pamela Anderson vehicle Barb Wire.

But that appears to have counted for little as Striptease beat Wolfgang Petersen's Troy, starring Brad Pitt as Achilles, into second place in the poll of LoveFilm service users, which asked them to name the films they liked to watch online as "guilty pleasures". Swordfish,...

Demi Moore's 1996 movie "Striptease," which won the Razzie award for Worst Picture of the Year, was voted to be the favorite guilty pleasure by film fans on the movie rental website LoveFilm. The movie, which features a 34-year-old Moore dancing topless, won a total of six Razzie awards, including worst actress (Moore), worst screen couple (Moore and Burt Reynolds), and worst director (Andrew Bergman). Coming in second place is Brad Pitt's "Troy." Taking the third spot is "Swordfish," starring John Travolta, Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman. The movie featured Berry in a topless scene. Oldest film in the list is Ed Wood's "Plan 9 From Outer Space," released in 1958, while another vintage flick, 1964's "Carry On Cleo," also makes the top 10. Top 10 favorite guilty pleasures: 1. Striptease (1996) 2. Troy (1994) 3. Swordfish (2001) 4. Tango and Cash (1989) 5. Planet Terror (2007) 6. Carry On Cleo (1964) 7. House of Wax (2005) 8. Aeon Flux (2005) 9. American Hot Babes (2009) 10. Plan 9 From Outer Space...

To celebrate the release of the 1980 Flash Gordon movie on Blu-ray, Mark Pickavance takes a timely look back at that film and the classic 30s serial…

In my own mind, Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon was always the part of a slew of science fiction concepts, encompassing a Gulliver-like adventure where the ordinary man and intergalactic peculiar collide head-on. Technically, the 30s comic book appearance came after Buck Rogers, but I'd also say they both were heavily influenced by the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and specifically John Carter Of Mars.

But, as well syndicated as the Flash Gordon comic strip was, it was the three serial films starring Buster Crabbe as Flash, the first appearing in 1936, that really lit the rocket on this particular character. The amazing longevity of these serials meant that I saw them as a child in Saturday morning cinema screenings, and they regularly appeared on...