News

This article mentions sensitive topics like suicide and rape.

War has been one of the quintessential experiences of human life on the planet since the beginning of time, and this is why the war movie genre continues to produce a plethora of cinematic hits. War movies usually depict historical battles in terms of which side was victorious and which side was defeated—the men or women who earned medals pinned to their uniforms, and the ones whose names are engraved on memorial walls. In the end, it's about the winners and the losers.

But war is rarely reduced to such simple terms and is, in fact, devastating, brutal and senseless. Some of the most beloved and watched war movies of all time completely capture this reality. They show that war often takes too many innocent lives, erases entire cultures and indigenous peoples, and exacts a heavy toll on even the most courageous heroes.

"Star Trek: Section 31" takes the franchise on a road less traveled by bringing back "Star Trek: Discovery" standout Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) and putting her in charge of a heist. Unlike the "Star Wars'" take on the heist movie theme in 2016's "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," the often more idealistic and pacifistic "Trek" opts for a far more light-hearted route. "Star Trek: Section 31" is B-movie trash in the best possible way, as the Academy Award winning Yeoh rocks her fallen tyrant character's new role as the head of arguably the most ragtag team a "Star Trek" project has ever given fans.

Among the key members of the film's Section 31 special ops team is the unpredictable and intense Fuzz, who probably wouldn't be a main character in just about any other "Star Trek" film. Fuzz is played by South African actor Sven Ruygrok, a rising star who's been making...

Throughout film history, the war genre has always been very appealing to many different audiences. Directors put tedious effort into choreographing epic battles while trying to honor the truth in historically defining moments. War films draw attention from both history buffs and general film lovers who are looking to see extravagance on the big screen.

The war genre has no shortage of content and many films are still being made today, capturing the past to the best likeness. Currently, the Peacock streaming network is home to numerous war movies, some of which are the best ever made.

Zulu Chronicles the British Defeat at the Hands of the Zulu Nation Zulu (1964)

Zulu follows the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879 where colonial British Forces were defeated by the Zulu nation. Less than 200 British forces went up against over 4000 Zulu warriors in one of the most significant battles of the Anglo-Zulu war at Rorke's Drift.

Quick Links Bloom Didn't Like the Sound of Pirates of the Caribbean Bloom Originally Auditioned For Faramir in The Lord of the Rings Bloom First Met a Lord of the Rings Cast Member on His Flight to New Zealand

Orlando Bloom's career really took off with The Lord of the Rings, shortly followed by Pirates of the Caribbean. Although both were fantasy, his roles as Legolas and Will Turner were vastly different and showed a range of his performing skills. Each franchise was spread over a number of years, allowing Bloom to take on other work in between. In 2004, he appeared in the epic historical war film Troy alongside Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, and fellow Lord of the Rings actor Sean Bean. 2013 took him to a crime-thriller called Zulu, which also starred Forest Whitaker, before reprising his role as Legolas and performing in the second Hobbit movie, The Desolation of Smaug,...

Retired British acting legend Michael Caine has given his views on Tom Cruise's superstar status. Two-time Oscar winner Caine made his breakthrough in 1964 with Cy Endfield's epic war movie Zulu, and went on to have one of the most glittering careers in Hollywood. Cruise rose to prominence in 1983 by starring in Risky Business, and its follow-up All The Right Moves, and became one of the most successful and prominent movie stars in the world. His movies have grossed more than $12 billion collectively, making him one of the most bankable and highest-paid actors in movie history.

In Caine's new memoir, per The Times, the Get Carter actor recalls a meeting with a young Cruise that took place around the time Cruise was in Risky Business. Caine remembers Cruise asking for advice that would help him achieve career longevity, as well as his contemporary's positive attitude and will to succeed.

Cult of Luna‘s cover of Refused‘s epic “Tannhäuser/Derive” has been released.

The track is the first single from the previously announced Refused tribute album The Shape of Punk to Come Obliterated — a re-imagining of the band’s iconic 1998 album. It’s set to drop November 8th as part of a deluxe box set via Epitaph (pre-order here).

Get Refused Tickets Here

Twelve bands were approached to “rearrange or deconstruct” a song, and fellow Swedes Cult of Luna were an apt choice for the project, taking on the expansive “Tannhäuser/Derive.”

The original song contrasts haunting instrumental sections with bursts of acerbic hardcore. However, in the hands of Cult of Luna, the instrumental sections are transposed as lush post-rock meditations, and the harsh hardcore becomes tectonic sludge metal.

“I hate covers and I usually am very reluctant to spend any time listening to one band playing another band’s songs,...

Refused have announced that they are breaking up, but not before playing one final North American tour in early 2025. In addition, the Swedish hardcore legends are releasing a deluxe 25th anniversary edition of their seminal album The Shape of Punk to Come.

The tour, which features support from Quicksand, kicks off March 21st in Brooklyn, New York, and runs through an April 10th show in Sacramento, California. The outing will hit such cities as Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, and Seattle along the way.

Get Refused Tickets Here

A Live Nation pre-sale for select shows begins Thursday (September 12th) at 10 a.m. local time using the code Setlist, with a general on-sale starting Friday (September 13th) at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster. Fans can also look for deals or get tickets to sold-out dates via StubHub, where your purchase is 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s Fan Protect program.

It’s not...

To mark its 35th birthday, Back To The Future Part II will be flying back into UK cinemas this coming October: more on the re-release here.

In the latest example of news stories to make a certain segment of our audience – er, including me – feel old, Back To The Future Part II is being lined up for a UK cinema re-release this October.

It’s going to be appearing on Monday 21st October 2024, to celebrate what’s being anointed as Back To The Future Day. And – yikes – it’s also to celebrate the fact that the movie is about to celebrate its 35th birthday.

35 years. We’re as far away from the film’s original release as Zulu, A Fistful Of Dollars and Dr Strangelove are in the opposite direction.

See also: Back To The Future Part II, and its initial backlash

Still, as someone who waited in a bloody...

Disney+ has unveiled the trailer for “Becoming Karl Lagerfeld,” the streamer’s highly anticipated original series starring Daniel Brühl as the iconic fashion designer.

Produced by Gaumont (“Lupin”) and Jour Premier, the six-part series chronicles the rise of Karl Lagerfeld through the world of 1970s Parisian high fashion. It will be available to stream on Disney+ in France and international territories, and on Hulu in the U.S., on June 7. “Becoming Karl” world premiered at Canneseries, where it received a standing ovation and warm reviews.

The lushly lensed series opens in 1972, when the 38-year-old Lagerfeld is a ready-to-wear designer, unknown to the general public. He falls in love with a sultry dandy, Jacques de Bascher (Théodore Pellerin), who inspires him to challenge himself and act on his ambition to become the world’s most famous French fashion designer. He faces off Yves Saint Laurent (Arnaud Valois), who reigned supreme with...

Hulu has released the official trailer for the upcoming drama Becoming Karl Lagerfeld, which stars Daniel Brühl as the iconic couturier. The series will premiere with all six episodes on Friday, June 7, on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally.

In 1972, Karl Lagerfeld (Daniel Brühl) was 38 and not yet wearing his iconic hairstyle. He was a ready-to-wear designer unknown to the general public.

While he meets and falls in love with the sultry Jacques de Bascher (Théodore Pellerin), an ambitious and troubling young dandy, the most mysterious of fashion designers dares to take on his friend (and rival) Yves Saint Laurent (Arnaud Valois), a genius of haute couture backed by the redoubtable businessman Pierre Bergé (Alex Lutz).

Becoming Karl Lagerfeld plunges us into the heart of the ’70s, in Paris, Monaco, and Rome, to follow the formidable blossoming of this complex and iconic personality of Parisian couture, already driven...

Exclusive: Action megastar Keanu Reeves has partnered with Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens to co-produce a documentary on the life story of Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, the iconic athlete who introduced mixed martial arts to the world.

Titled The Jet, the film is currently in production under the direction of Emmy-nominated sports documentary editor turned filmmaker Jennifer Tiexiera. Its financiers are Chris Quintos Cathcart and Tyler Boehm of the newly formed Unapologetic Projects, a company dedicated to working with underrepresented creators. Maura Anderson and Zak Kilberg of Stevens’ recently launched production company Highly Flammable will also serve as producers along with John Scalise and his Faya Project. Nancy Weisler, Brian Maya and Chris Quintos Cathcart & Tyler Boehm of Unapologetic serve as executive producers on the project slated for release in 2025.

Nicknamed for his explosive spinning back kick, Sensei Benny “The Jet” Urquidez had a profound impact on martial arts in mainstream culture,...

Disney+ has unveiled a proper first look of German-Spanish actor Daniel Brühl as the titular iconic designer in the new show Becoming Karl Lagerfeld, produced by leading French film and TV company Gaumont.

Rush, Good Bye, Lenin! and Captain America: Civil War actor Brühl is shown sporting Lagerfeld’s trademark ponytail and black tailored suit of his later years.

Disney+ has also released a first subtitled trailer for the show.

The new images – which follow a silhouetted image teased by Disney+ in January – were released in unison with the announcement that the show will premiere at the Canneseries TV festival in April.

Gaumont produced the drama with Jour Premier for Disney+, which will launch the six-part bio-series on June 7. The series will be available in the U.S. on Hulu from that same date.

Adapted from Raphaëlle Bacqué’s best-seller ‘Kaiser Karl’, the series stars follows Lagerfeld’s ascension to...

It’s Oscar night 1987, Jeff Bridges and Sigourney Weaver are dressed up all fancy, ready to tear open that majestic envelope and read the name of the best supporting actor of the year. The competition was tough but when but the victor of the night was that of Sir Michael Caine for his wonderful performance in the Woody Allen flick Hannah and Her Sisters. The audiences erupted with applause as they celebrated Mr. Caine’s triumphant Oscar glory. But then silence nothing… the actor is nowhere to be found. Where could he be? What event could drag him away from this ceremony? Unfortunately, it would turn out the Michael Caine was stuck in the furious jaws of Universal and was out battling stupid sharks instead. That’s right, Michael Caine missed this Oscars because of Jaws: The Revenge. Was it worth it? Of the universally panned sharkie fourquel, Michael Caine said,...

Sir Michael Caine has confirmed his official retirement from acting at age 90.

The veteran British actor announced the news in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today show on Saturday.

“I keep saying I’m going to retire. Well, I am now,” Caine said. He had previously suggested his retirement was imminent in an interview with The Telegraph last month, saying he was “sort of” retired.

His final turn on screen is in Oliver Parker’s “The Great Escaper,” a biographical film about World War II veteran Bernard Jordan breaking out of a care home to attend the 70th anniversary commemoration of D-Day in 2014. The film was released on Oct. 6.

Caine reflected on the success of his career and the parts that are likely to be offered to him at his age.

“I’ve figured, I’ve had a picture where I’ve played the lead and it’s got incredible reviews,...

After more than 80 years on the big screen and multiple reports that his time as a star was almost over, British actor Michael Caine has confirmed he’s retiring.

The star of “Zulu,” “Alfie,” “Interstellar,” and so many more beloved films shared the news on BBC Radio 4’s “Best of Today” podcast.

Caine added that at this point, there aren’t many more roles for him to play. He said: “I’ve played the lead and it’s got incredible reviews. The only parts I’m going to get now are old men – 90-year-old men, or maybe 85, you know – and I thought well I might as well leave with all this. I’ve got wonderful reviews. What am I going to do to beat this?”

The actor described working on “The Great Escaper” as a “great time” and said that he said, “I thought, you know, why not leave now?...

Veteran actor Michael Caine has questioned the need for intimacy coordinators on film and TV production sets, saying they have only recently become a thing.

Caine, now 90, was asked about them in an interview for the Daily Mail, when he replied:

“Really? Seriously? What are they? We never had that in my day. Thank God I’m 90 and don’t play lovers anymore is all I can say. In my day you just did the love scene and got on with it without anyone interfering. It’s all changed.”

And he reflected on other challenges of modern-day life, reflecting: It’s dull. Not being able to speak your mind and not being able to call anyone ‘darling.’ It’s hard. I like to learn from friends who are younger than me.”

Caine’s upcoming movie, The Great Escaper, sees him star as the real-life Bernard Jordan, a war veteran who...

Michael Caine, the iconic actor, believes his retirement is near at the age of 90, saying he has practically stopped acting due to his physical limitations. Caine reflects on his life and is grateful for the best possible wife and family, acknowledging that everyone will eventually face death. Caine's next film, "The Great Escaper," could be his last, following his suggestion that retirement is imminent.

Acting icon Michael Caine could be near the end of his successful career. After becoming one of the most recognized and celebrated actors within the entire film industry, Caine is ready to rest and enjoy his achievements. The British artist has managed to become an absolute icon of cinema, working in more than 160 titles across film and television since he took his first steps in acting in 1950.

Turning 90 earlier this year, the multi-award-winning actor believes that his retirement is very close. In an article published by The Telegraph,...

Michael Caine got candid about the reality of being a working actor at 90 as he explained his potential retirement.

After over 70 years in show business, Caine said he is now “sort of” retired from acting before explaining how he came to the decision in an interview with The Telegraph. “I am bloody 90 now, and I can’t walk properly and all that,” he said. “I’ve had the best possible life I could have thought of. The best possible wife, and the best possible family. They may not be a family that other people would say is the best possible family — but the best possible family for me.”

Related: Michael Caine Had a Serious Request Before Joining The Muppet Christmas Carol

When asked what he wants to be remembered for, Caine conbtinued, “The fact that I remained an actor all my life, and I never went into anything else. I never left,...

Gladiator's opening scene is famously epic, but many viewers don't know that the film's opening secretly honors another classic war movie. Gladiator is now one of the most well-known war movies of all time, but the film openly wears its inspirations, honoring many of its predecessors. While the film has all kinds of references and homages, one of Gladiator's most clear tributes to a classic war movie is actually perfect for the movie.

Ridley Scott's 2000 film Gladiator has become a classic, going down as one of the most beloved period pieces and action movies in recent decades. The film was a huge critical and commercial success upon its release, with Gladiator even winning Best Picture at the Oscars. All these years later the film's popularity is still massive, with Ridley Scott currently working on Gladiator 2. However, Gladiator wouldn't be what it was without its inspirations, something...

By turning an armed invasion into a plucky underdog story, the classic war movie propagated a very dubious British mythology

There’s an urban myth about a scene in Zulu in which a British officer in a red tunic is gruesomely struck in his throat by three successive spears: after a stunned silence in the cinema auditorium, a bloke is said to have shouted from the back: “One hundred and Eighty!”

Now the film is contending with more darts. Sir Michael Caine is furious at the news that Zulu, the 1964 film about the battle of Rorke’s Drift that made him an international star, has been named as something that could encourage far-right sympathies by the Research Information and Communications Unit, run as part of Prevent, the government’s counter-terror operation.

Many filmmakers yearn for their work to be at the centre of a public conversation. But it’s not always a good thing.

Sometimes, movies – even great ones – are put under the microscope for problematic characters, plotlines or moments.

Often, this is a result of changing social standards. Films like The Jazz Singer utilised blackface at a time when it was more or less completely socially acceptable. Watch it now, however, and you’ll likely be mortified.

Other films, of course, are problematic the moment they hit cinemas – such as Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

In some cases, the question of whether or not a film is offensive can provoke strong debate among fans and even those involved in making the film. This week, Michael Caine was in the news after hitting back at claims that the 1964 film Zulu was a “key text” for white supremecists.

Michael Caine recently told The Spectator (via IndieWire) that it’s “bullshit” his 1964 war epic “Zulu” was cited on a recent United Kingdom counter-terrorism report. The controversial Prevent strategy flagged a handful of popular films, British sitcoms, works of literature and more as possible sources of inspiration for terrorist groups and far-right extremists. “Zulu” was cited alongside “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” “Brave New World,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” and the BBC’s original “House of Cards,” among other titles.

“That is the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard,” Caine said bluntly when told the news about “Zulu” being classified as a “key text” for “white nationalists and supremacists.”

“Zulu,” directed by Cy Endfield, opened in 1964 and served as Caine’s first major breakthrough film role following a string of uncredited movie appearances. The movie is set during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 and follows a group of...

Michael Caine is calling B.S. on a recent UK counter-terrorism report.

The “Dark Knight Rises” actor spoke out on his 1964 war film “Zulu” being labeled as a “key text” for white nationalists and supremacists in a new research report from Prevent, written by William Shawcross. Other films “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” “The Great Escape,” and “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” and novels “The Lord of the Rings,” “Brave New World,” and “1984” were among the list of texts that could inspire extremists, according to the report.

Caine called the inclusion of “Zulu” in the list the “biggest load of bullshit” in an interview with The Spectator. “That is the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard,” Caine said, later adding, “There are no films I wish I hadn’t made. I got paid for all of them.”

He shared that the role of a “posh officer” in war period...

Many filmmakers yearn for their work to be at the centre of a public conversation. But it’s not always a good thing.

Sometimes, movies – even great ones – are put under the microscope for problematic characters, plotlines or moments.

Often, this is a result of changing social standards. Films like The Jazz Singer utilised blackface at a time when it was more or less completely socially acceptable. Watch it now, however, and you’ll likely be mortified.

Other films, of course, are problematic the moment they hit cinemas – such as Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

In some cases, the question of whether or not a film is offensive can provoke strong debate among fans and even those involved in making the film. This week, Michael Caine was in the news after hitting back at claims that the 1964 film Zulu was a “key text” for white supremecists.

Michael Caine has lashed out at the claim one of his films might inspire possible terrorists.

The actor questioned the 1964 film Zulu’s recent labelling as a “key text” for “white nationalists and supremacists”.

Zulu depicts the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, which occurred during the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879.

According to William Shawcross’ research into the counter-terrorisim programme Prevent, the film could provide inspiration for members of the far-right.

Alongside Zulu, war film The Dam Busters was also named by Shawcross as well as political sitcoms Yes Minister and The Thick of It. The complete works of William Shakespeare were flagged, too.

Caine, who turns 90 on Tuesday (14 March), condemned Zulu’s placement to The Spectator, calling it the “biggest load of bulls***”.

The actor said in the new interview he has no career regrets, stating: “There are no films I wish I hadn’t made. I got paid for all of them.

Daniel Brühl is set to star as late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld in “Kaiser Karl,” the anticipated Disney+ original series which Gaumont (“Lupin”) is currently producing. The show is currently shooting in France, Monaco and Italy.

The six-part series will chronicle the rise of Karl Lagerfeld through the world of 1970s Parisian high fashion. In 1972, a 38-year-old Karl Lagerfeld aspired to become the most famous French fashion designer, at a time when Yves Saint Laurent reigned supreme. Lagerfeld went on to become the head designer and creative director of Chanel, Fendi and his own label.

The series will also explore the rivalry between Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent’s partner Pierre Berge, as well as his love story with Jacques de Bascher.

Along with depicting the clan rivalries and ego battles of the high fashion world, the series will also portray the epic partying and decadence, tragic love affairs and...

In order to make it big in Hollywood, sometimes talent alone isn't enough. Michael Caine, one of the industry's most celebrated movie stars, understands this. Caine has had a remarkably robust acting career that has spanned decades of his life. Perhaps most recognizable to modern audiences for his role as Batman's faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth in Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy, Caine has also starred in major films like Brian De Palma's eerie 1980 masterpiece "Dressed to Kill" and Alfonso Cuarôn's 2006 dystopian thriller "Children of Men." More recently, he's made appearances in Nolan's 2020 film "Tenet," and the just-released historical drama "Medieval." 

When looking over his filmography, there is no doubt that Caine is a talented and prolific actor, but if it hadn't been for two very specific career moves, it's possible we may never have gotten to see his rise to fame. 

Goodbye, Maurice. Hello, Michael Caine.

The white men speak in subtitled Portuguese, while the proud members of various African tribes express themselves in English in “The Woman King,” a clear sign of where our allegiances belong in director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s sweeping early-19th-century war movie. It’s an Africa-set epic of the kind not seen since “Zulu,” only this time, the task of defending the Mother Continent rightfully falls to the locals, not their enslavers. This side of the story is long overdue, recasting Western civilization’s greatest shame as the atrocity that it was while celebrating those who opposed it. Modern as that sounds, the movie embraces the codes of mid-20th-century costume dramas: It’s stirring but slightly stodgy, designed to stand the test of time.

In her fiercest role yet, Viola Davis leads an army of elite women warriors, called the Agojie, who protect the kingdom of Dahomey from outside threat.

Just about everyone in Britain can do a Michael Caine impression. With that voice, why wouldn't you throw a random "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!" or "Don't throw those bloody spears at me!" into conversation from time to time? Those lines have become so famous, they've almost become separate entities from the films they appeared in.

Caine is also a pretty good actor, too. While younger audiences probably know him best as Christopher Nolan's go-to man for a little elder statesman gravitas, he had a long and varied career spanning over 50 years before...

The post The Classic Film That Inspired Michael Caine To Be An Actor appeared first on /Film.

Stars: Linn Bjornland, Eric Roberts, Justin Gordon, Jeff Berg, Alexander Leeb, Robert Okumu, Leonard Kelly-Young, Charles Chiyangwa, Lamont Hendrix, Jeff Grays, Delpaneaux Wills, Guru Singh | Written and Directed by Ted Betz

Escape Through Africa, that’s a title that conjures up visions of films from a bygone era – where soldiers took on the rough terrain and vicious locals of the vast continent, usually with stiff upper lips and a bravado that time and time again was the downfall of many a character. And that’s exactly what writer/director Ted Betz gives us with his film!

Set in 1914, Escape Through Africa follows a British nurse, Anne Corringfield (Linn Bjornland) escapes an attack on the African outpost controlled by her uncle Captain Lockwood (Eric Roberts). When Harold (Jeff Berg) arrives at the outpost and tells of a massacre – as seen in the film’s opening – of a British patrol by locals...

“Kompromat,” an anticipated spy thriller directed by Jerome Salle with Gilles Lellouche (“The Stronghold”) and Joanna Kulig (“Cold War”), has been sold by Snd to distributors in key territories.

Inspired by a true story, “Kompromat” stars Lellouche as a French diplomat working in Siberia who discovers he is being framed by the Fbs and has to find his way out of the trap. On top of directing the film, Salle also produced it at Super 8.

Snd, which is co-producing the pic, has sold it to Germany, Austria and Italy (Koch Media), Spain (A Contracorriente), Switzerland (Pathé), Benelux (Athena), Australia and New Zealand (Palace), Poland (Monolith) and Ex Yugoslavia (Blitz).

Snd will host a virtual market premiere for “Kompromat” later this week, in the run up to the Berlin Film Festival.

“We’re really happy to finally be able to show this film to buyers who trusted us and to...

I must have at least 7 home video releases of John Sturges’ classic, starting from VHS, but they’ve come up with a good reason to return: a 4K transfer with color and contrast grading that to me better represents the movie. The thrilling, not-too-violent escapades of Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, James Garner, David McCallum, James Coburn, Charles Bronson & James Donald are no longer timed so that everything looks like a washed-out high noon: both the 4th of July and much of the mad-dash escape scramble are meant to take place near the crack of dawn. In this case ‘Much darker’ is much richer; faces don’t get blown out. And I do see more detail in the enhanced image. So here we go again, happily.

The Great Escape 4K

4K Ultra HD

Kl Studio Classics

1963 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 172 min. / Street Date January 11, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 39.95

Starring: Steve McQueen, James Garner,...

We loved James Bond but diehard ’60s spy fans hold a special admiration for Len Deighton’s ‘thinking man’s secret agent’ Harry Palmer. Viavision pulls off a slick trick by assembling the three top Michael Caine Harry Palmer pictures, each from a different studio, in a single deluxe gift box. Harry fights the Brain Drain, encounters criss-crossing conspiracies at the Berlin Wall, and witnesses a privatized invasion of the U.S.S.R., in The Ipcress File, Funeral in Berlin and Billion Dollar Brain, three great pictures by three very different directors. The presentations come with a glut of special edition extras.

The Harry Palmer Collection

All-Region Blu-ray

Viavision [Imprint] 75, 76, 77

1965-67 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / Street Date October 20, 2021 / Available from Amazon / 109.99

Starring: Michael Caine

From the novels by Len Deighton

Produced by Harry Saltzman

Directed by Sidney J. Furie, Guy Hamilton, Ken Russell

It didn’t seem possible that there...

Move over, Angry Young Men: Alfie Elkins leverages class resentment and killer good looks to become a ladies’ man extraordinaire… in his own eyes. Michael Caine was born to play Bill Naughton’s smooth-talking, responsibility-dodging cad’s cad. Alfie mistreats a glorious lineup of actresses — Julia Foster, Jane Asher, Vivien Merchant — and Shelley Winters is hilarious as the widow who has his number. Will Alfie maybe develop a conscience? The two-disc special edition shares a double bill with My Generation, a highly entertaining Swinging London documentary hosted by Michael Caine. Being kind doesn’t make one a fool, Alfie.

Alfie + My Generation

Blu-ray (Region-Free)

Viavision [Imprint] 41

1965 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 112 min. / Street Date June 2, 2021 / Available from Viavision / au 64.98

Starring: Michael Caine, Shelley Winters, Julia Foster, Jane Asher, Vivien Merchant, Millicent Martin, Denholm Elliott, Alfie Bass, Graham Stark, Eleanor Bron, Shirley Anne Field, Murray Melvin, Sydney Tafler.

Cinematography: Otto Heller

Art Direction:...

Pascal Breton’s Federation Entertainment is set to develop “Monte-Cristo,” an ambitious series adapted from Alexandre Dumas’ literary classic, to be directed by Jérôme Salle.

“Monte-Cristo,” written by Dan Franck, will be a modern reimagining of Dumas’ 1844 classic “The Count of Monte Cristo” and will be set in the 21st century to tackle contemporary issues.

The series will follow Edmond Dantès, a promising young man who is falsely arrested and imprisoned without trial in a South American prison after witnessing a crime. He finally gets out of jail and returns to Paris with a vast fortune inherited from a former inmate, ready to avenge himself from the so-called friends in high places who framed him and led to his imprisonment.

“Adapting Monte-Cristo today…means portraying a legendary hero who is knocking down one by one the powerful figures who (betrayed him),” said Franck, whose screenwriting credits include Olivier Assayas’ “Carlos.

London’s Twickenham Studios has appointed Warner Bros De Lane Lea Director Cara Sheppard as MD.

Sheppard will be tasked with guiding all aspects of production, post-production and emerging technology and developing the studio’s ties with UK, Hollywood and international clients.

Sheppard spent four years at post house De Lane Lea, where she oversaw a fully serviced production Digital Dailies offering and new facility and the studio’s dark fibre capability. She previously spent five years with Sky as a senior manager of post production operations as well as running post at Goldcrest. She is a board member on UK Screen.

Twickenham is operated by Time+Space Studios. Managing Partners Piers Read and Jeremy Rainbird acquired the venue earlier this year and took over management control. The studio has been operational in recent months despite the Covid crisis.

Recent movies and series to make use of the facilities include Enola Holmes,...

Cara Sheppard is joining the U.K.’s Twickenham Studios (TW1), where she will lead and guide all aspects of production, post-production and emerging technology as managing director.

Sheppard joins from post-production facility Warner Bros De Lane Lea, where she was managing director for the last four years. She previously spent some five years with Sky as a senior manager of post-production operations, as well as running post-production at Goldcrest.

“This is a time to bravely respect the legacy of the studios and all the iconic work that has gone before, from the likes of ‘Zulu,’ ‘The Italian Job,’ ‘1917,’ ‘War Horse,’ ‘Baby Driver,’ ‘The Iron Lady’ to Netflix’s ‘The Witcher,’ ITV’s ‘Belgravia,’ Netflix’s ‘Black Mirror,’ ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and most recently Netflix’s ‘The Duchess’ and the current top trending film on Netflix, ‘Enola Holmes.’ I want us to be ambitious, so as to evolve TW1 into a future-focused,...

Pairing‌ ‌wine‌ ‌with‌ ‌movies!‌ ‌See‌ ‌the‌ ‌trailers‌ ‌and‌ ‌hear‌ ‌the‌ ‌fascinating‌ ‌commentary‌ ‌for‌ ‌these‌ ‌movies‌ ‌and‌ ‌many‌ ‌more‌ ‌at‌ ‌Trailers‌ ‌From‌ ‌Hell.‌ ‌We’re pairing wines with films about African kings and queens this week, a royally pleasurable pandemic diversion.

Zulu Dawn was the 1979 prequel to 1964’s Zulu. Zulu Dawn is about the 1879 Battle of Isandlwana, in which some 20,000 Zulu warriors decimated the British military in South Africa. Incredibly, Zulu was about the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, later that same day, in which the British repelled a somewhat smaller attacking force. That’s what you call getting the most from your source material.

Michael Caine appeared in the 1964 film, which was narrated by Richard Burton. Fifteen years later, the stars came out for Zulu Dawn, with the likes of Peter O’Toole, Burt Lancaster and John Mills starring. Trouble is, people didn’t seem to like the latter movie...

Cy Endfield, who directed 1964’s Zulu, wrote the book and screenplay for this 1979 prequel helmed by Douglas Hickox. It’s a similarly sprawling epic featuring even more Hollywood heavyweights including Burt Lancaster, Peter O’Toole, John Mills, and Bob Hoskins in a small role. Despite all the firepower—on the battlefield and in the cast list—the film failed to make the same impact as Endfield’s original.

The post Zulu Dawn appeared first on Trailers From Hell.

Amazon is developing a series about human rights lawyer Jared Genser with Orlando Bloom attached to executive produce, Variety has learned.

The untitled series is inspired by Genser and his firm. He and his team work to free prisoners of conscience (Human Rights prisoners) in high-risk areas throughout the world’s most difficult Hot Zones. Per the show’s official description, the core team is comprised of specialized operatives with years of experience in the field. There are no guidelines. No two extractions are the same. Only precise, strategic decision making. Many of these life-saving extractions have been widely covered in international press, so much so that The New York Times deemed Jared “The Extractor.”

No writer is currently attached to the project. Bloom and Bruce Richmond will executive produce, with Genser set to co-executive produce. Amazon Studios will produce in association with Amazing Owl Productions and TrueNorth Media.

The...

Images from this picture were burned into our Boomer childhood brains … we actually sat still for almost three hours to watch it. John Sturges’ epic show is like a fine-tuned watch — its unbreakable story is populated by ideal characters that become instant heroes, just for acting like normal men that want free of confinement. It’s really about freedom — after two hours in the Pow compound, the fugitives set loose in the wide, green beauty of Germany might as well be escaping into a wonderland of light and space. In its own way this show made our parents’ wartime experience come alive — it’s The picture to interest kids in events of the past.

The Great Escape

Blu-ray

The Criterion Collection 1027

1963 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 172 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date May 12, 2020 / 39.95

Starring: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, Hannes Messemer,...

Michael Caine celebrates his 87th birthday on March 14, 2020. The two-time Oscar winner shows no signs of slowing down, amassing dozens of credits in the span of over 50 years. But how many of those titles are classics? In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 20 of Caine’s greatest films, ranked worst to best.

The English-born thespian first came to the attention of movie audiences with a prominent role in the historical epic “Zulu” (1964). He earned his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor just two years later for “Alfie” (1966), playing a devil-may-care ladies man who starts to face the consequences of his actions. The role made Caine an international star, providing him with leading roles both in the UK and the Us.

He won his first Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for playing a man desperately in love with his wife’s sister in “Hannah and Her Sisters...

Carnival Row star Orlando Bloom is expanding his relationship with Amazon Studios, signing a first-look deal with the studio behind the series. Under the pact, Bloom will work with Amazon Studios to create television and film projects that will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories.

Bloom can currently be seen starring alongside Cara Delevingne in Amazon’s hit series Carnival Row, which has been renewed for a second season on Prime Video. The actor also is widely known for his roles as Legolas in Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and as Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with Jen Salke and the team at Amazon and I look forward to growing that relationship with this new and exciting production deal,” said Bloom.

Bloom recently wrapped production on two films, the John Ridley...

“Carnival Row” star Orlando Blook has inked a first-look deal with Amazon, Variety has learned. Under the deal, Bloom will develop television and film projects for Prime Video.

Bloom currently stars on Amazon’s “Carnival Row” alongside Cara Delevigne. The series premiered back in August and was renewed for a second season ahead of the series premiere. The series is set in a Victorian fantasy world filled with mythological immigrant creatures whose exotic homelands were invaded by the empires of man. This growing population struggles to coexist under the onerous laws of humanity. Vignette (Cara Delevingne) and Philo (Orlando Bloom) rekindle a dangerous affair despite an increasingly intolerant society. Vignette also harbors a secret that endangers Philo’s world during his most important case yet: a string of gruesome murders threatening the uneasy peace of the Row.

“Orlando is a fantastic creative talent and collaborative partner for all of us at studios,...

Michael Caine celebrates his 86th birthday on March 14, 2019. The two-time Oscar winner shows no signs of slowing down, amassing dozens of credits in the span of over 50 years. But how many of those titles are classics? In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 20 of Caine’s greatest films, ranked worst to best.

The English-born thespian first came to the attention of movie audiences with a prominent role in the historical epic “Zulu” (1964). He earned his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor just two years later for “Alfie” (1966), playing a devil-may-care ladies man who starts to face the consequences of his actions. The role made Caine an international star, providing him with leading roles both in the UK and the Us.

SEEOscar Best Supporting Actor Gallery: Every Winner in Academy Award History

He won his first Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for playing a man desperately...

From the start, few mistook Michael Caine for typical movie-star material. “I had a thick Cockney accent and I was a tall, skinny guy,” Caine recalls.

The situation was compounded during the filming of one of his first hits, 1965’s spy thriller The Ipcress File: “I wore glasses, and during the movie I tried to seduce a woman by cooking a meal for her in my kitchen. We got a note back from Hollywood saying, ‘Leading man looks gay — wears glasses, cooks and shops in groceries.’”

Yet Caine went...

From RedBand.Ca Sneak Peek restricted 'redband' footage from director James Marsh' truet crime thriller "King of Thieves", based on a magazine news article by Mark Seal, starring Michael Caine ("Zulu"), Tom Courtenay ("King Rat") and Ray Winstone ("Sexy Beast"), opening September 14, 2018 in the UK:

"...a crew of retired crooks pull off a major heist in London's jewelry district..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "King Of Thieves"...

Among the many pleasures nestled in Joseph Losey’s late triumph Roads to the South (Yves Montand saying the name “Walter Benjamin” is the purest delight) is a scene where father and son communists, Montand and Laurent Malet, play Russian roulette. Montand is a screenwriter whom Malet believes has lost his revolutionary nerve and sold out. Their mother, who linked the firebrands, has died, and they seem to have nothing left binding them. How could a young agitator respect this lapsed whore of a Marxist, selling movies and living vicariously through real activists as he grows old and dies in his cozy estate? How can one be a Marxist and still respect the cinema? Pasolini spent his too-short life investigating this question with every movie he made, never arriving at an answer beyond the mere fact of having done so, thus demonstrating its possibility. Have we need of further proof?...

Tremors fans must be wallowing in the warm light of riches, as the franchise continues to have big plans of the future. Not only are we getting the return of Kevin Bacon in a new Tremors TV show, the movie franchise is continuing on as strong as ever with the sixth installment Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell. Today we have a first look at this exciting sequel, starring Michael Gross and Jamie Kennedy.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment division announced the sequel in 2017, when production kicked off almost exactly one year ago today. Now, the movie is finished, and a trailer should be on the way soon. Universal offered this official synopsis.

"Intrepid creature hunter Burt Gummer and his son Travis find themselves in a remote hotbed of giant man-eating worms in the newest action-packed entry in the wildly popular Tremors franchise."

The movie was shot in Cape Town, South Africa,...

In a war film, what’s the difference between nasty exploitation and just plain honest reportage? André De Toth made tough-minded action films with the best of them, and this nail-biting commando mission with Michael Caine and Nigel Davenport is simply superb, one of those great action pictures that’s not widely screened. To its credit it’s not ‘feel good’ enough to be suitable for Memorial Day TV marathons.

Play Dirty

Blu-ray

Twilight Time

1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 118 min. / Street Date October 17, 2017 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store 29.95

Starring: Michael Caine, Nigel Davenport, Nigel Green, Harry Andrews.

Cinematography: Edward Scaife

Film Editor: Jack Slade

Art Direction: Tom Morahan, Maurice Pelling

Original Music: Michel Legrand

Written by Lotte Colin, Melvyn Bragg, from a story by George Marton

Produced by Harry Saltzman

Directed by André De Toth

Some movies that were ignored when new now seem far more important, perhaps due to the tenor of times.