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Jan Shepard, the actress who graced both the big screen and TV during Hollywood’s Golden Age, has passed away at 96. Born Josephine Angela Sorbello on March 19, 1928, in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, Shepard wasn’t just a name in the credits—she was a dynamo of talent.

Her career spanned decades, from classic films to the era of cowboy-filled TV shows. Shepard passed away on January 17, 2025, due to pneumonia and respiratory failure.

Jan Shepard

Though she’s no longer with us, her legacy blazes bright through her iconic roles, especially her indelible collaborations with Elvis Presley. Let’s take a look at her most iconic junctures, her remarkable career on TV, and the love story that endured longer than most Hollywood stars could ever dream of.

Jan Shepard’s iconic roles alongside Elvis Presley Elvis Presley and Jan Shepard in a scene from King Creole (Credits: Paramount Pictures)

Jan Shepard had her share of unforgettable roles,...

Jan Shepard, who acted opposite Elvis Presley in 1958’s King Creole and 1966’s Paradise, Hawaiian Style, and appeared in more than 30 TV Westerns, died Jan. 17 at a hospital in Burbank, Calif. of pneumonia brought on by respiratory failure. She was 96.

In King Creole, noted as Presley’s favorite of his films, she portrayed his on-screen sister Mimi. Eight years later, Shepard played Presley’s business partner’s wife in the ’60s buddy musical comedy. In an interview from last year, Shepard said she wasn’t a fan of Presley’s ahead of working with him, but “once I met him, I just adored him.”

Per an official obituary, Presley and Shepard got on well and went to off-set lunches (where Marlon Brando once made a chance appearance). Describing him as a “big teddy bear,” Shepard once recalled that he gave her a pair of 10-cent earrings as a joke before...

Jan Shepard, who guest-starred on Rawhide, The Virginian, Gunsmoke and two dozen other TV Westerns and played opposite Elvis Presley in movies eight years apart, has died. She was 96.

Shepard died Jan. 17 at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank of pneumonia brought on by respiratory failure, her son, Hollywood prop master, Brandon Boyle, told The Hollywood Reporter. “She was a good one and will be dearly missed,” he said.

Shepard portrayed Mimi, the sister of Presley’s Danny Fisher, in the Michael Curtiz-directed King Creole (1958) and the wife of Danny Kohana (James Shigeta), who partners with Presley’s Rick Richards in a helicopter business, in Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966).

“The first time, I found him to be just the cutest kid around, a big teddy bear, a lot of fun,” she said in an interview for Boyd Magers and Michael G. Fitzgerald’s 1999 book, Westerns Women. But on their next movie,...

Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley is Netflix's newest musical documentary, examining Elvis's tumultuous career and highlighting some of the songs he performed in his famous 1968 comeback special. The 1968 Elvis comeback special was a pivotal moment in his career, seeing him return to the stage after years of working in the film industry at the request of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Feeling dissatisfied with the lack of artistry in his movies, the special was a return to form for the iconic singer.

Though some of Elvis Presley's best movies, such as Viva Las Vegas, are considered classics, Elvis is known best in pop culture history for his influence on music. The 2022 biopic, Elvis, examines the toxic relationship between the star and Tom Parker, who pushed him toward his more commercial appeal. With great music from bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones dominating the industry,...

Netflix's Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley revisits that period in Presleys career when he was at a crossroads. Converted seven years previously from singer to movie star at the behest of his influential manager, Colonel Tom Parker, Presley was dissatisfied and restless. Elvis Presley's movie roles had become plastic, fake, and unreal, and he yearned to get back to singing again. With Elvis having taken the musical world by storm in 1956, Parker had been quick to capitalize on his new cash cow's box-office looks and charisma and signed him up for his first movie, Love Me Tender.

The film was panned by critics, but adored by Presley's legion of devoted and mostly female fans. Three movies with Elvis Presley as an actor dropped over the next two years, culminating in King Creole in 1958, before Presley was drafted into the U.S. Army and shipped abroad.

Netflix's Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley revisits the 1968 television special that marked Presley's return to live performance after a seven-year hiatus. Presley first exploded onto the national music scene when he appeared on the Dorsey Brothers Stage Show several times between January and March 1956. 21-year-old Elvis was entirely unknown, but the show's exposure led to the release of his first single - "Heartbreak Hotel"- and a September appearance on the hugely popular Ed Sullivan Show, the platform that propelled him to super-stardom. Sullivan paid $50,000 for the privilege.

Over the following two years, the singer's unique blend of gospel and rock music and his energetic, charismatic, and Elvis Presley's controversial stage persona took America by storm. He released his first album, Elvis Presley, which topped the Billboard charts for 10 weeks. In 1957, Presley released three singles that went straight to number one: "Too Much...

Thanks to Baz Luhrmann's electrifying 2022 biopic "Elvis," fans new and old (some very old at this point) have enthusiastically delved into the cultural icon's past to get a more nuanced understanding of how this Tennessee-born mama's career took so many unexpected turns before he collapsed in a pharmaceutically-induced heap at the age of 42.

Every chapter of Presley's life is packed with decisions both brilliant and personally/professionally self-destructive. Indeed, his tragic arc might just be the definitive showbiz cautionary tale. His was an incandescent (if highly derivative) talent that attracted opportunists and admirers; he was treated as a product, and, thus, had an awful tendency to treat those who genuinely loved him with the respect and tenderness they deserved.

Speaking of tenderness, Presley's value as an entertainment commodity was, at its early peak, so dizzyingly high that he could work around his newly signed contract with Paramount Pictures...

Flaming Star showcases Elvis Presley's unfulfilled acting potential under the direction of Don Siegel in a dark and violent Western film. Presley shines in this intense film, revealing Pacer's conflicted emotions and identity through expression and movement, not just words. Despite initial promise, Presley's serious acting ambitions were derailed by his manager's focus on profit over artistic quality in subsequent films.

Elvis Presley starred in 31 feature films of increasingly deteriorating quality between 1956 and 1969. Presley’s acting career concluded so disappointingly that it’s easy to forget how much promise Presley showed as an actor in the beginning phase of his acting career. The 1958 musical drama film King Creole, for which Presley received excellent reviews for his performance as a juvenile delinquent and nightclub singer who becomes embroiled in the criminal underworld of New Orleans, was directed by the estimable Michael Curtiz, whose impressive list of feature directorial credits includes The Adventures of Robin Hood,...

Elvis Presley starred in a large number of films, often appearing in multiple movies per year during the 1950s and 1960s. These films featured a mix of recognizable actors and unknowns who would later become major names in the industry. Notable actors such as Dick Sargent, Walter Matthau, Donna Douglas, Charles Bronson, Angela Lansbury, and Barbara Stanwyck appeared alongside Elvis in his movies, taking on both major and minor roles. Even actors who had uncredited or minor roles in Elvis Presley films went on to have successful careers. Examples include Jackie Coogan, Lee Majors, Vincent Price, and Kurt Russell, who made his film debut in an Elvis Presley movie and later portrayed Presley himself in a television movie.

Throughout the 31 feature films that Elvis Presley starred in, there were plenty of opportunity for him to share scenes with notable stars. While the movies of Presley can vary in quality and...

Classic rocker Bob Geldof is the latest high-profile name to pass through what is turning out to be a bustling and A-list edition of Poland’s EnergaCamerimage Film Festival, where he is presenting a screening of his 1982 feature Pink Floyd – The Wall.

Geldof plays the lead in the music drama, and he’s set to introduce the pic here at Camerimage with the film’s DoP Peter Biziou, who is the recipient of the festival’s lifetime achievement award.

When quizzed by journalists during a press Q&a whether he looked back on the feature, directed by Alan Parker, as a defining moment of his artistic career, Geldof’s response was definitive: “No, I don’t like the film. I think I’m really bad.”

“I’ve seen the movie twice, and I was embarrassed,” Geldof continued, adding that he could only finish working on the film because Biziou made it “very easy.

Plot: Young Priscilla Presley (Cailee Spaeny) meets Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi) while he’s stationed in Germany and quickly becomes part of his surreal world.

Review: Sofia Coppola‘s Priscilla is an interesting companion to Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. While that latter film was a dazzling spectacle that took up head-on into Elvis’s legend, Priscilla takes a much more intimate look. While Elvis’s life was jet set and exciting, what was Priscilla’s life like as she waited at Graceland for him to return? As Coppola’s film expertly shows, her life was often far from exciting – it was downright dull.

While some have blasted the film for torpedoing Elvis’s legend, it takes a pretty balanced, nuanced approach, and the King of Rock n’ Roll emerges as a primarily sympathetic, tragic figure. While the film will be controversial due to how it shows his lightning-quick flashes of...

Kicking October to the curb and bringing in some November goodness is a fresh slate of new content headed to Paramount Global’s streamer Paramount+, including the sequel to the hit 1997 film “Good Burger.”

Paramount+ started off November by adding more than 30 titles to its library, some of which include “Above the Rim,” Season 15 of “Ink Master,” “Gladiator” and “The Color Purple.”

And if you’re looking for some holiday movies to watch with the family, you can deck the halls with “Happy Christmas,” “Mistletoe Ranch” or “Christmas Eve.” When the kids go to sleep, adult-friendly treats like “Bad Santa” and “Bad Santa 2” are also available.

The highly-anticipated “Good Burger 2,” which stars Kel Mitchell, Keenan Thompson, Shar Jackson, Carmen Electra, Josh Server, Alex R. Hibbert, Lori Beth Denberg and Lil Rel Howery, hits the platform on Nov. 22

Here’s everything coming to Paramount+ this November, from “The Truman Show” to “Paw Patrol.

King of rock and roll Elvis Presley had secretly dropped by a screening of his own movie to heckle himself. The ‘Jailhouse rock’ hitmaker was friends with singer Johnny Lang during his two years of military service and the 88-year-old veteran has fond memories of his “funny as heck” pal hurling insults at the screen when they went to watch his 1958 musical “King Creole”, reports aceshowbiz.com.

“People don’t realise that he was funny as heck. Elvis yelled out, ‘This guy can’t act! He can’t even sing! I can’t believe he’s on screen.’ Somebody shouted, ‘Would you mind shutting up?’ Nobody knew it was him,” Johnny told America’s Closer magazine.

Johnny, who has penned a memoir called “My Army Days with Elvis: Friendship, Football and Follies”, hit it off with the ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ hitmaker on their first meeting and quickly became part of...

While acting can bring fame, fortune, and creative fulfillment, there are instances where actors find themselves falling out of love with acting, the profession that once defined their lives. On the surface, acting appears to be a glamorous profession - and it is. But acting also requires long hours, months away from family and friends, and the constant pressures of fame. After years or decades of those pressures, some decide to step away.

From legendary icons to rising stars, these individuals faced various reasons that led them to question their dedication to the craft. Whether it was a desire for privacy, burnout from the demanding industry, or an urge to explore other creative avenues, these actors made the difficult decision to step away from the limelight. While some embarked on new ventures, others sought solace in a simpler life.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Paltrow achieved widespread recognition for her roles in movies like Shakespeare in Love,...

Growing up in Philadelphia, I've experienced my fair share of harsh winters. The blizzard of 1996 stands out, but there were a number of other rough years for a while too. Although, when I moved to Chicago a few years ago, I experienced a whole new level of frigid chills. It got even worse when a polar vortex delivered such sub-zero temperatures and precipitation that people were advised not to leave their houses since even the slightest bit of exposed skin could get frostbite within minutes. Seriously, despite this year being relatively tame in comparison, midwestern winters are no joke. And someone else who knew this was Walter Matthau.

By the mid-1990s, the award-winning star of the stage and screen had quite an illustrious career. He had become known for his roles in "Bad News Bears," "King Creole," and "Hello, Dolly!," but fans probably remembered him best from his many...

“I made him the highest paid actor in Hollywood history. We had a lot of fun!” So purrs Tom Hanks’ brazenly camp Col. Tom Parker in the new Elvis biopic. The film, which is the most decadent, jewel-encrusted piece of kitsch ever given an 85 million budget, is as much a monument to director Baz Luhrmann’s showmanship as it is Elvis Presley’s. For who else could condense the larger than life excess of a man dubbed “the King of Rock ’n Roll” into a three-ringed circus that keeps all its plates in the air for 160 minutes?

Elvis really is a marvel in spectacle and indulgence—plus a breakout for star Austin Butler who is so superb as the titular character that Luhrmann more than once slips in footage of the real Elvis’ 1950s rock star career, as well as clips from his ill-advised detour in 1960s Hollywood… and few viewers ever seemed to notice!

Summer blockbuster “Elvis” is not a biopic, but rather a superhero film — or, a Shakespearian epic of good vs. evil, rebellion, and the uncertainty of fame, according to director Baz Luhrmann.

“Elvis” stars triple-threat Disney alum Austin Butler in the role of rock ‘n roll icon Elvis Presley, along with Olivia DeJonge playing Priscilla, Kodi Smit-McPhee as country legend Jimmie Rodgers, Yola Quartey as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. playing B.B. King. The film will be released in theaters on June 24 after premiering at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

And while Presley is an icon, Luhrmann wants to set the record straight that the film “isn’t a nostalgia piece” but, rather, an ode to the King.

“While respecting and loving the fans, I’m opening Elvis’ journey out to a new audience that knows only the guy in the jumpsuit and doesn’t understand that he was a rebel,...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

First 4K Ultra HD in the Paramount Presents Line Debuts May 17, 2022

with New and Legacy Bonus Content

One of the greatest Westerns in cinematic history arrives for the first time ever on 4K Ultra HD with High Dynamic Range (Hdr) as part of the Paramount Presents line when The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance debuts May 17, 2022 from Paramount Home Entertainment.

Four-time Academy Award®-winning* director John Ford brought together an all-star cast for what is considered by many critics to be a quintessential—and yet pioneering—Western late in his storied career. Starring James Stewart and John Wayne (together for the first time), alongside Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, John Carradine and Lee Van Cleef, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance tells the engrossing story of a senator (Stewart), his old friend (Wayne), and a despicable outlaw called Liberty Valance (Marvin).

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

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Originally released in 1921 at the height of the nation’s appetite for motion pictures, the epic romantic drama The Sheik became a massive sensation, breaking box office records and earning over $1 million during its first year of release. 100 years later, Paramount Pictures celebrates this towering classic of the silent film era with a brand-new Blu-ray release, arriving as part of the Paramount Presents line on October 19, 2021.

Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, The Sheik was directed by George Melford and stars the legendary Rudolph Valentino as the title character. The role helped propel Valentino into stardom and sealed his status as a Hollywood heartthrob—and the original “Latin Lover”—at the age of 26.

The Sheik restoration employed modern technology so viewers can experience the original beauty of this monumental silent film. Since...

The endlessly quotable and unforgettable drama Mommie Dearest celebrates its 40th anniversary with a brand-new Blu-ray in the Paramount Presents line, debuting June 1, 2021 from Paramount Home Entertainment. To celebrate, we've got an exclusive clip from the release which is part of the special features, a new commentary by drag performer Hedda Lettuce. Check out the iconic scene below.

Based on Christina Crawford's controversial best-selling tell-all novel, Mommie Dearest features a powerhouse performance by Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford, struggling for her career while battling the inner demons of her private life. While the public Crawford was a strong-willed, glamorous object of admiration, behind the scenes is a private Crawford-the woman desperate to be a single mother and trying to survive in a devastating industry that swallows careers thoughtlessly.

Newly restored from a 4K film transfer, Mommie Dearest is presented in a limited-edition Blu-ray Disc with collectible packaging featuring a...

Dawn Richard has taken a winding path through her nearly 20-year career. In the early 2000s, an audition for season three of the Diddy-helmed reality show Making the Band helped lead to stints in the R&b groups Danity Kane and Dirty Money; she’s also been an animator for Adult Swim, a vegan food truck proprietor, a New Orleans Hornets cheerleader, and an solo artist with five albums. That long arc has included moments of commercial success and periods of rejection in the fickle music industry. Now, she finds...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

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Latest Addition to the Paramount Presents Line Debuts June 1, 2021 with New Special Features

The endlessly quotable and unforgettable drama Mommie Dearest celebrates its 40th anniversary with a brand-new Blu-ray in the Paramount Presents line, debuting June 1, 2021 from Paramount Home Entertainment.

Newly restored from a 4K film transfer, Mommie Dearest is presented in a limited-edition Blu-ray Disc™ with collectible packaging featuring a foldout image of the film’s theatrical poster and an interior spread with key movie moments. The Blu-ray includes a new Filmmaker Focus with biographer Justin Bozung on the film and its director Frank Perry, a new audio commentary with American drag queen Hedda Lettuce, access to a Digital copy of the film, as well as previously released bonus content. Special features are detailed below:

· Commentary by American drag queen Hedda Lettuce –New!

· Filmmaker...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

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Latest Title in the Paramount Presents Line Debuts March 30, 2021

Legendary director Cecil B. DeMille’s grand spectacle The Greatest Show On Earth arrives for the first time on Blu-ray as part of the Paramount Presents line on March 30, 2021 from Paramount Home Entertainment.

A two-time Academy Award-winner*–including Best Picture and Best Writing, Motion Picture Story–The Greatest Show On Earth captures the thrills, chills and exhilaration of the circus. Featuring three intertwining plotlines filled with romance and rivalry, DeMille's film includes spectacular action sequences, including a show-stopping train wreck. The Greatest Show On Earth also boasts a sensational cast, including Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, Charlton Heston, Dorothy Lamour, Gloria Grahame, and James Stewart.

Newly restored from a 4K scan of the original negative, this essential movie of the Golden Age of Hollywood packs action, romance,...

Oscar-winning director Cameron Crowe's beguiling romantic comedy Elizabethtown arrives for the first time ever on Blu-ray in time for Valentine's Day as part of the Paramount Presents line today, February 9, 2021 from Paramount Home Entertainment. In celebration, we've got a never before seen clip of a special feature on the release which has Cameron Crowe talking about the various reasons he thought Orlando Bloom was perfect for the part.

The limited-edition Paramount Presents Blu-ray disc includes the film newly remastered from a 4K transfer supervised by Cameron Crowe. The disc is presented in collectible packaging that includes a foldout image of the film's theatrical poster, and an interior spread with key movie moments. The Elizabethtown Blu-ray also includes a new Filmmaker Focus with Crowe, never-before-seen deleted scenes, and an alternate ending with an introduction by Crowe. Along with access to a Digital copy of the film, the Blu-ray also includes previously released special features,...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of One of the Most Romantic Films of All Time

with a Newly Restored Presentation of the Classic Love Story

Limited-Edition Blu-ray™ Arrives February 9, 2021, Just in Time for Valentine’s Day

The timeless classic Love Story celebrates its 50th anniversary with a brand-new Blu-ray in the Paramount Presents line, debuting February 9, 2021 from Paramount Home Entertainment.

Newly restored from a 4K film transfer, this new presentation beautifully captures the highs and lows of young love in a film that remains as impactful as ever. Based on Erich Segal’s best-selling novel, Love Story was nominated for seven* Academy Awards®, including Best Picture, and became a cultural phenomenon, earning over $100 million at the domestic box office. In 2002, the AFI named it as #9 on its list of the 100 greatest love stories of all time.

The limited-edition Paramount Presents Love Story Blu-ray includes the newly restored film,...

It’s that time of year again. While some directors annually share their favorite films of the year, Steven Soderbergh lists everything he consumed, media-wise. For 2020––a year in which he not only Let Them All Talk Review: Steven Soderbergh’s Most Emotionally Resonant Film in Years”>released a new film, but No Sudden Move and Confirms The Knick Return”>shot another––he still got plenty of watching in.

His list includes months-early screenings of Mank (x4!), I’m Your Woman, Bill & Ted Face the Music, Cherry, and The Woman in the Window, as well no shortage of classics and recent favorites, including Time, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, The Assistant, two films in the Small Axe anthology, and more. After beginning production on No Sudden Move on September 28, he also screened the first cut on November 14.

Check out the list below via his official site.

01/01 Les Miserables (’19)

01/02 Cassandra at the Wedding,...

The Plot Against America actor Anthony Boyle and Toby Jones, the star of Captain America and The Girl, are to topline a BBC Two drama that will tell the real-life story of how a war hero goes on to be accused of murder.

Working titled Danny Boy, the feature-length film is made by Expectation (producer of Sky’s David Schwimmer comedy Intelligence), written by BAFTA-winning Murder scribe Robert Jones, and directed by I May Destroy You’s Sam Miller.

Boyle will play war hero Brian Wood who is humbled when he is accused of war crimes in Iraq by the human rights lawyer Phil Shiner, played by Jones. The two men go head-to-head in a legal and moral conflict that moves from the battlefield to the courtroom and one of Britain’s biggest ever public inquiries.

Alex Ferns (Chernobyl) and Leah McNamara (Normal People) also feature as Woods’ father and wife respectively.

With a new month quickly approaching, it’s time to look ahead and see what’s coming to all your favorite streaming services this November. That’s Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and, of course, HBO Max.

Halloween will soon be behind us and given that Christmas isn’t too far off, we’re beginning to see some holiday titles pop up, with all the major platforms getting into the festive spirit. That’ll continue in December as well, of course, but for November, there’s certainly tons on offer for those looking to start the celebrations early.

There’s a lot of other great stuff on the way, too, though, be it classic films, underrated gems, brand new releases and much more, and you can check out the entire lineup, sorted by date, down below. Ready to dive in?

November 1

Netflix

60 Days In: Season 5

A...

KollywoodTo be produced by Sri Thenandal Films, the film’s music will be composed by Sam Cs while E Krishnasamy will handle the cinematography.Tnm StaffWhile actor Varalaxmi Sarathkumar has exciting projects such as Velvet Nagaram (Tamil), Krack (Telugu) and more up for release, the actor has announced her directorial debut with Kannamoochi. A poster announcing the film shows a woman’s face with her eyes closed by a battered hand. There is speculation that the film will also star Varalaxmi in the lead. To be produced by Sri Thenandal Films, the film’s music will be composed by Sam Cs while E Krishnasamy will handle the cinematography. Not much is known about the project yet. Toi reported that actor Lakshmi Manchu first shared the film’s poster on Saturday evening, apparently jumping the gun on the announcement. Soon, the actor deleted the post. The official announcement came on Sunday morning from actor Laxmi Raai.

EntertainmentSuresh made a comment about newsreaders which offended Anitha and both got into an argument.Digital NativeDigital NativeJust two days after the launch of season 4, Bigg Boss Tamil has triggered a controversy. The show was launched with 16 contestants who entered into the Bigg Boss house on Sunday after being introduced by the host Kamal Haasan. The 16 contestants for this season are Ramya Pandian, Shivani Narayanan, Rio Raj, Ari, Samyukta, Aranthangi Nisha, Gabriela, Velmurugan, Jithan Ramesh, Rekha, Anitha Sampath, Som Shekar, Suresh Chakravarthy, Balaji Murugadoss, Sanam Shetty and many others. Actor and chef Suresh Chakravarthy, who is making a television comeback with this show, is seen as being at the centre of controversy by netizens. The first controversy in the house erupted as Suresh got into an argument with news anchor Anitha Sampath. Housemates requested Anitha to make a news presentation about the show. Anitha started presenting news based on Suresh.

Bigg Boss Tamil She has been a news anchor on Sun News channel for yearsAfter three successful seasons of Bigg Boss Tamil, Kamal Haasan is back with the fourth instalment of the popular television reality show. Bigg Boss Tamil season 4 went on air on Sunday on Vijay TV, revealing the names of the celebrity contestants. In the show, Haasan spoke about how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the livelihood of millions of people and later he introduced all 16 contestants to the audience, before sending them inside the house.   One of the contestants is TV anchor and actor, Anitha Sampath.  She has been a news anchor on Sun News channel for years and has also hosted many shows including Vikatan awards and Hello Tamizha. She has been a news anchor on Sun News channel for years Anitha Sampath has acted as a journalist in films including Gala, 2.0, Kaappan, Aditya Verma and Danny.

There is a palpable sense of exhaustion and an air of dread over nearly every scene in Akilla’s Escape. It’s no wonder that despite the legalization of marijuana in Canada, Toronto-based drug dealer Akilla Brown is desperately trying to leave the trade. After all, in the film’s first thirty minutes, Brown has watched as a man is hacked to death before his eyes, was held at gunpoint, and was forced to knock out said gunman with a shocking act of quick-thinking. Meanwhile, his decision to exit the dealer life has drawn consternation from his colleagues. And he still has to break the news to “The Greek”––who, we can infer, is most likely not going to be happy. Oh, and Akilla must also step in to save the adolescent gunman’s life before he is suffocated to death by one of the Greek’s henchmen.

It’s not an easy night,...

EntertainmentWith 'Soorarai Pottru' reportedly fetching between Rs 35-45 crore, many more big films are expected to go in for direct Ott release. Tnm StaffEver since theatres closed in March this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, several films have opted for a direct Ott (Over the Top) release. So far, from the south, Ponmagal Vandhal (Tamil), Penguin (Tamil), Cocktail (Tamil), Danny (Tamil), Lockup (Tamil), Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya (Telugu), Krishna and His Leela (Telugu), Bhanumathi Ramakrishna (Telugu), Sufiyum Sujatayum (Malayalam), French Biriyani (Kannada), Law (Kannada) are among the films to have released across Ott platforms. However, most of these films have been small budget flicks. Now, with no signs of the pandemic coming under control and an effective vaccine still months away, several more films are opting for a direct Ott release, including big budget films. Bollywood has already seen the release of films with big names in the cast like Gulabo Sitabo,...

Just in time for Halloween, Paramount is releasing a newly remastered edition of The Haunting to Blu-ray:

Hollywood, Calif. – Director Jan de Bont’s (Speed) terrifying thriller The Haunting arrives on Blu-ray as part of the Paramount Presents line on October 20, 2020 from Paramount Home Entertainment.

Widely regarded as one of the finest and most frightening ghost stories ever written, Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting of Hill House” serves up sinister source material for this edge-of-your-seat thriller starring Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lili Taylor, Owen Wilson and Bruce Dern.

The limited-edition Paramount Presents Blu-ray Disc™ is presented in collectible packaging that includes a foldout image of the film’s theatrical poster, and an interior spread with key movie moments. Newly remastered from a 4K film transfer supervised by Jan de Bont, The Haunting Blu-ray also includes a new Filmmaker Focus with the director, access to a Digital copy of the film,...

OTTMost of the south films that released on Ott platforms directly have received a lukewarm response from viewers, who are spoilt for choice. Sowmya RajendranWhen producers announced that they were going to skip theatrical release and go in for direct Ott streaming, theatre owners were up in arms about the decision. They were unhappy that films that could draw in crowds once the lockdown ended were bypassing them. However, four months since the closure of theatres, most of the films that released on Ott platforms have received a lukewarm response from viewers. The first south Indian film, not counting the offbeat indie film Sethum Aayiram Pon, to have a direct Ott release in this period was the long delayed Rk Nagar in Tamil. The film came out briefly on Netflix in December last year but was removed. It quietly re-released on April 29. However, the insipid comedy with Vaibhav in the...

Kamp Koral is officially relocating its SpongeBob SquarePants prequel hijinks to the new lakefront platform of CBS All Access.

As part of a massive refurbishing to both its interface and lineup, streamer CBS All Access has announced that it will claim exclusivity of the previously Nickelodeon-bound prequel series, titled Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years. With the series having passed its original July 2020 Nickelodeon premiere window, it is now set for a streaming premiere on CBS All Access in early 2021 on a date to be revealed.

The streaming move is merely the latest from chimerical corporate parent ViacomCBS of relocating Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob offerings to the network streaming platform, having recently altered the release strategy of threequel The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run from its Covid-derailed theatrical plans toward a streaming premiere on CBS All Access, similarly set for early 2021; a move for which the prequel show’s migration will undoubtedly serve to complement.

Tuppence Middleton, star of Fisherman’s Friends, Downton Abbey and Sense8, discusses some of her most memorable scenes.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

The Imitation Game (2014)

The Current War (2017)

Cinema Paradiso (1991)

Downton Abbey (2019)

Fisherman’s Friends (2019)

Touch of Evil (1958)

Rocks in My Pockets (2014)

My Life as a Courgette a.k.a. My Life as a Zucchini (2016)

13 Tzameti (2005)

13 (2010)

In Absentia (2000)

Eraserhead (1977)

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Beetlejuice (1988)

Skeletons (2010)

Jurassic Park (1993)

Alien (1979)

Festen a.k.a. The Celebration (1998)

Abigail’s Party (1977)

Der Samurai (2014)

Under The Skin (2013)

Strasbourg 1518 (2020)

The Fall (2019)

The Wicker Man (1973)

Don’t Look Now (1973)

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

I Live in Fear (1955)

Drunken Angel (1948)

Throne of Blood (1957)

High and Low (1963)

Godzilla (1954)

The Piano Teacher (2001)

Possession (1981)

G.I. Blues (1960)

King Creole (1958)

Léolo (1992)

Other Notable Items

War and Peace miniseries (2016)

Giuseppe Tornatore

The Crown TV series (2016- )

Masterpiece Theatre TV series (1971- )

Upstairs Downstairs TV series (1971-1975)

Monty Python’s Flying Circus...

Hulu has given a straight-to-series order to an adaptation of Beth Macy’s “Dopesick,” with Michael Keaton set to star, the streamer announced Tuesday.

Published in 2018, Macy’s “Dopesick” explores the U.S. opioid crisis by interlacing stories of young addicts and struggling communities with stories of dealers, doctors and pharmaceutical companies responsible for the drug epidemic.

Hulu’s adaptation, written by “Empire’s” Danny Strong,” is described as “an ambitious, harrowing, and compelling look into the epicenter of America’s struggle with Opioid addiction, tak[ing] viewers from a distressed Virginia mining community, to the hallways of the DEA, and to the opulence of ‘one percenter’ Big Pharma Manhattan.”

Keaton will star in the series as Samuel Finnix, an old-school doctor who approaches his practice with kindness and compassion but finds himself embroiled in Big Pharma’s deadly secret.

Also Read: 'Palm Springs' Trailer Traps Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release from Paramount Home Entertainment:

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Produced and written by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch, the beloved teen classic Pretty In Pink is the latest addition to the Paramount Presents line. Newly remastered from a 4K transfer supervised by Deutch, the film arrives on Blu-ray for the first time ever June 16, 2020.

Designed for collectors and fans, the Paramount Presents Blu-ray Disc™ line showcases the studio’s renowned library, from film-lover favorites to celebrated classics. Presented in collectible packaging that includes a foldout image of the original theatrical poster, and an interior spread with key movie moments, the Pretty In Pink Blu-ray also includes a new Filmmaker Focus with director Howard Deutch and, for the first time, the film’s isolated score track from composer Michael Gore. Also included is the previously released featurette “The Lost Dance: The Original Ending.

Elvis Presley made 31 films as an actor. He played rebels and jailbirds, G.I.s and boxers, roustabouts and rodeo stars. But he never played in a science fiction movie, nor did he get to show off his martial arts chops. The new trailer for Elvis from Outer Space promises to fix all that while delivering B-movie cult fun for the summer. Giant Pictures and Joba Entertainment set up the camp for a digital rollout next month.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the King of Rock N’ Roll From Outer Space has blasted into Vegas from the far side of the Universe to compete in an Elvis impersonation contest with the best in town,” reads the official synopsis. “But just as he is on the verge of victory, he mysteriously vanishes. Who’s behind the disappearance? The mafia? The CIA? Or the aliens he left behind?”

You can watch the Elvis from...

We have a new trailer for Elvis from Outer Space. This B-movie madness comes from the folks at Giant Pictures and Joba Entertainment. In a year that has essentially wiped the traditional summer moviegoing season from the map, lovers of cinema have been forced to turn elsewhere. Namely, whatever options are available from the comfort of home, or at the relatively small number of dive-in theaters open across the U.S. To that end, this bizarre sci-fi flick is making its way to digital platforms next month.

The trailer is pretty slim on plot and makes it painstakingly obvious that this is a very low budget affair. Cheesy special effects. Costumes that appear as though they were purchased from a Spirit Halloween store. It's all too clear. That said, the idea seems to be that the Elvis we are following is not the original Elvis Presley.

Instead, this is an...

Anyone with even a passing interest in the buddy movie genre has likely seen Hot Fuzz, the second installment in Edgar Wright’s so-called Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy. Arriving between Shaun of the Dead and The World’s End, the movie is arguably the most accessible of the three given that it riffs on the familiar cliches and tropes of countless action films that most people have seen a thousand times before.

Not only was it the most successful of the trilogy, earning more at the box office than the other two installments combined, but it was also the only one that seemed to lend itself to the possibility of sequels, and the idea of more adventures for Simon Pegg’s Nicholas Angel and Nick Frost’s Danny Butterman would only further the notion that the whole thing is a send-up of Hollywood’s fascination with action-driven franchises.

Every now and...

Whether or not we will ever see a sequel to Hot Fuzz remains to be seen. But Simon Pegg, at the very least, would love to reprise his role as Nicholas Angel. Hot Fuzz, released in 2007, was directed by Edgar Wright and served as the second entry in the Cornetto Trilogy, which also includes Shaun of the Dead and The World's End. The difference here is that Pegg and Wright have discussed a possible sequel.

I recently had the chance to speak with Simon Pegg about his new movie Inheritance. During our interview, I asked him about the possibility of Hot Fuzz 2. Pegg reiterates, as he's said in the past, that they have an idea, which would involve Nick Frost's Danny Butterman joining Angel in the big city. Interestingly, a spin-off has also been discussed involving the Andys. Here's what Pegg had to say about it.

"I think it's...

The conventional wisdom among cineastes is that Elvis Presley’s best movie was the Don Siegel Western Flaming Star (1960), mainly thanks to the fact that it was one of the few times the singer worked with an important auteur. While I bow to no one in my admiration of Siegel in general and Flaming Star in particular, it’s less a great Elvis movie than a great movie that has Elvis in it; for a terrific film by a terrific director that’s also a supercharged vehicle for what Presley did best, one need look no further than 1958’s King Creole, which […]...

The conventional wisdom among cineastes is that Elvis Presley’s best movie was the Don Siegel Western Flaming Star (1960), mainly thanks to the fact that it was one of the few times the singer worked with an important auteur. While I bow to no one in my admiration of Siegel in general and Flaming Star in particular, it’s less a great Elvis movie than a great movie that has Elvis in it; for a terrific film by a terrific director that’s also a supercharged vehicle for what Presley did best, one need look no further than 1958’s King Creole, which […]...

Paramount Pictures has apparently decided that everything old is new again, especially in the time of coronavirus quarantines.

This week, the studio launches “Paramount Presents,” a new way to market library titles that are “enduringly popular movies, as well as films that had a cultural impact upon their release.” The new label will also be used to bring some of these films back to theaters for limited theatrical runs to revive the big-screen experience.

The first Blu-rays, all remastered from a 4K film transfer, include two iconic titles from the ’50s: King Creole (1958) starring Elvis Presley, and...

“Stray Dolls” is an indie crime thriller set in a low-rent motel and populated by a collection of shady characters — a motel noir, if you like — that throws a touch of female empowerment into the usual story of double-crossing in the dark underbelly of the American dream.

If the film, which was set for a theatrical release until the coronavirus closings forced it into a VOD premiere that begins Friday, manages to stand out a bit from similar indie films, it’s because of the perspective of its director, Sonejuhi Sinha. The India-born director comes at this as an outsider and shows us this sloppy underworld through the eyes of a young Indian woman who arrives in the U.S. looking to make an honest living but not terribly bothered if she has to occasionally ignore the honest part.

As a female-driven take on noir, “Stray Dolls” doesn’t feel...

Acclaimed stuntman and action director extraordinaire Jesse V. Johnson joins us to discuss the U.S. based action films and filmmakers that have influenced him the most.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

On The Waterfront (1954)

Fultah Fisher’s Boarding House (1922)

Undisputed (2002)

Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006)

Undisputed III: Redemption (2010)

Boyka: Undisputed (2016)

The Killer Elite (1975)

Convoy (1978)

The Osterman Weekend (1983)

Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia (1974)

Le Cercle Rouge (1970)

Straw Dogs (1971)

The Wild Bunch (1969)

Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The Birdcage (1996)

Cross of Iron (1977)

Electra Glide in Blue (1973)

Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974)

Easy Rider (1969)

Fail Safe (1964)

The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

Ride The High Country (1962)

Major Dundee (1965)

Jinxed! (1982)

Beowulf (2007)

Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)

The Girl Hunters (1963)

Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

Point Blank (1967)

Falling Down (1993)

M (1951)

M (1931)

The Black Vampire (1953)

The Roaring Twenties (1939)

Scum (1979)

Elephant (1989)

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), possibly Joe’s favorite John Ford...

Hulu is out with its list of everything new coming and going in March, and the new additions include the three-episode series premiere of “Little Fires Everywhere” starring Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon, and the premiere of the Hillary Clinton documentary “Hillary.”

Those two shows premiere March 18 and March 6, respectively. Other highlights include “Into the Dark: Crawlers,” about body-switching aliens and also out on March 6; the complete second season of “Love Island: Australia” coming March 13, and the two-episode series premiere of “Devs” starring Nick Offerman on March 6.

Movies leaving the site on March 31 include “When Harry Met Sally…,” “Precious” and “Big Fish.”

Also Read: Hulu's 'Into the Dark' Sets Body-Switching Aliens Thriller 'Crawlers' as March Movie (Exclusive)

Here’s everything coming and going to and from Hulu in March:

Arriving March 1

Ok K.O, Let’s Be Heroes!: Complete Season 3 (Cartoon Network)

50/50 (2011)

Abduction (2011)

Blue City (1986)

Cantinflas (2014)

Charlotte’s Web...

Alec Bojalad Feb 18, 2020

We have a list of the new Hulu movies and shows arriving in March 2020.

March sees the beginning of one of TV's more interesting experiment in 2020. Hulu's new releases for March 2020 are highlighted by the launch of the torturously-named "FX on Hulu" in which certain FX shows will premiere exclusively on Hulu.

Yes, when Disney set out up the entertainment industry, it gained more brands than it knew what to do with. And that's how you get stuff like FX on Hulu. The streaming/cable hybrid begins in earnest in March with two series, Alex Garland's sci-fi Devs and the weird Lil Dickey comedy Dave. More FX on Hulu is set to arrive in April as well.

Hulu's only $5.99/month now, grab the deal here!

In addition to FX's offerings, Hulu has some intriguing originals of its own for March 2020. Hillary Clinton docuseries, Hillary, premieres on...