News

Few canceled music albums have reached mythic legend status quite in the same vein as the once-proposed collab album of J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar. It's the modern equivalent of the kind of mystery that Dr. Dre's Detox stirred once upon a time ago. Some fans and commentators continue to wonder if K. Dot and J. Cole still have plans to release said album, while others have questioned if it ever existed to begin with.

J. Cole confirmed the album's planned existence on his Inevitable podcast, where he has released multiple unreleased tracks this year featuring himself and Kendrick Lamar that would have wound up on a proposed collaboration project. The releases have fans holding out hope that this long-awaited album may still come out. It's clear now that entire tracks have been produced between the two iconic rappers - so why did the album never come out?

That...

If you've delved into any American film history over the years, you've no doubt come across the sentiment that the 1970s was the best period for American cinema, bar none. Of course, any claim of opinion is up for debate, but the reasons for historians and critics coming to this conclusion are harder to deny, as pound for pound, the various conditions needed for filmmaking were particularly favorable during that decade. To wit: the collapse of the Hays Code and the institution of the Motion Picture Association of America allowed for a heretofore unprecedented level of uncensored content in American movies. The "studio system" and a reliance on stars to open movies were quickly becoming things of the past, and while corporate conglomerates were now in charge of the major studios (something which has led to our current state of multiplex stagnation in 2024), at this early stage, the suits had...

Although their run only lasted from 1968 to 1972, Bbs Productions played a crucial role in mainstreaming the counterculture for moviegoers. An independent offshoot of Columbia Pictures, Bbs named for founders Bert Schneider, Bob Rafelson, and Stephen Blauner was a breeding ground for the burgeoning New Hollywood, producing their films at low costs and raking in big bucks from young audiences hungry for something that reflected their reality. In between their successes Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces (directed by Rafelson), and The Last Picture Show, the company also released smaller, more experimental features like 1971's A Safe Place. Bringing together Bbs's favorite leading man, Jack Nicholson, with classic Hollywood's most misunderstood auteur, Orson Welles, it offers a fascinating glimpse into what movies were able to get away with at major studios in the 1970s, which, sadly, hasn't been seen since.

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.

It was only a few days ago that the Criterion Collection had a surprise flash sale. The home video company’s entire catalog was slashed down to 50% off list prices. While that sale only lasted for 24 hours, there are a number of titles that are still on sale for half-off at Amazon.

We rounded up the best deals on Criterion Collection releases, including Spike Lee’s “Do The Right Thing,” Dennis Hopper’s “Easy Rider,” Whit Stillman’s “The Last Days of Disco” and much more. In fact, even a few boxed sets are half off, such as Krzysztof Kieślowski’s “The Dekalog” and Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe” anthology.

Ahead, check out the best Criterion Blu-ray discs currently on sale for 50% off at Amazon:

‘Do the Right Thing...

As Toronto’s own Drake gears up to launch his eighth studio album, For All the Dogs, we’ve compiled a need-to-know list of all the info we’ve gathered about the high-profile drop next week.

Read More: Drake Calls Out ‘Slow As F**k’ Security After Dealing With Stage-Crasher On His Own

It’s Slated For A Sept. 22 Release

Drake confirmed last weekend that the album would hit streaming platforms and shelves on Sept. 22 alongside an adorably vintage throwback post of his dad, Dennis Graham, performing in a smoky bar.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi)

The clip was also an homage to Toronto, showing Dennis singing on “Stormy Monday With Danny Marks”, a television series aired in the 6ix in the ’90s.

His Son Adonis Drew The Album Cover

Drizzy shared the album cover to his Instagram feed on Aug. 22, also revealing it...

Kai Cenat is currently the top draw on Twitch, but if he gets his wishes, he’ll eventually move on to a different corner of the entertainment world. During an appearance on rapper Lil Yachty‘s A Safe Place podcast, Cenat revealed that he plans to eventually star in movies and shows as a full-time actor.

“My angle is acting full-time,” Cenat told Yachty and A Safe Place co-host MitchGoneMad. “The whole streaming shit is cool and I love it to death, but I want to be in movies, I want to be in shows.”

Cenat shared his agenda in response to a question from Yachty about the music business. The 21-year-old streaming star said he has no intention of joining the “Broccoli” rapper in the hip-hop business, but his move into acting may already be underway. Cenat said that he has something “in the works” that he “can’t tell too much about.

In a clear indication of its record growth and that of the region’s burgeoning film and TV industry, Chile’s Sanfic Industria wrapped Thursday Nov. 4 with an avalanche of prizes, 49 in total, for its multiple participants in the various sections, which included series and for films, works in progress, documentary and fiction project labs, and the revved up Sanfic-Morbido production lab.

In one of the biggest awards, four features in post production are chosen to segue from Santiago Industria to the Cannes Film Market as part of a Sanfic Goes to Cannes showcase. Selected titles take in crime thriller “B&e,” from Chile’s Tomás Gonzalez Matos; “Ghost Project,” Chilean producer director Roberto Doveris’ follow-up to “Las Plantas”; “The Barbaric,” Argentine Andrew Salas’ buzzed up cattle ranch-set portrait of Argentine barbarism; and indigenous adventure “Back to the Sea of My Deceased,” from Esteban García Garzón.

Outside this big prize,...

Jack Nicholson has had a long career playing brooding rebels, crazed villains and sneering charmers on screen. Soon he’ll star opposite Kristen Wiig in a remake of “Toni Erdmann.” He’s a fixture of American cinema and the Lakers courtside seating. For his 80th birthday, we aimed to rank all of Jack’s major, already iconic roles, from worst to best. “Man Trouble” (1992) “Man Trouble” is a ridiculous screwball crime comedy in which Nicholson and Ellen Barkin get upstaged by horny dogs. It seems impossible the same guy who did “Five Easy Pieces” made this. “A Safe Place” (1971) This bizarre,...

There is no denying that Jason Momoa is a strong man. And he shows off all the reasons why he landed the role of a fierce new Aquaman in next year's DC ensemble Justice League in a new video he posted on Instagram. Bare chested, the man roars, picking up the special Aquaman ice sculpture crafted for his personal wrap party. He then proceeds to smash it on the floor. While it is a piece of art, it was just going to melt anyway, right? Jason Momoa says this about his last days and the party that ensued this weekend.

"My home away from home. The bull. Going away. I'll miss u I love u Wrap party lets go. @bullchinashope1 I love you. A safe place for a savage Aloha England You have been so wonderful I am very sad to leave all my friends I'll see u in my...

Two people are dead and at least 16 others are injured in a mass-shooting that took place early Monday morning at a Fort Myers nightclub event for teens. Local media reported that one of those killed was a 14-year-old boy. The incident occurred at Club Blu. Here’s what the restaurant’s management wrote on its Facebook page in the wake of the attack: Also Read: Video Captures Moment Munich Mall Shooter Opened Fire (Warning: Graphic) “We are deeply sorry for all involved. We tried to give the teens What We Thought Was A Safe Place To Have A Good Time.

Two people were killed and at least 16 have been wounded in a shooting outside a Florida nightclub early Monday. Authorities responded to the parking lot outside Club Blu in Fort Myers at about 12:30 a.m. and found numerous victims suffering from gunshot wounds, Fort Myers police Capt. Jim Myers confirms to People. Police are still trying to confirm the exact number of victims - some are believed to have taken themselves to the hospital. The injuries ranged from minor to life threatening, police say. Hospital officials told The New York Times that victims as young as 12 years old began...

While accepting the Ally for Equality Award at the Human Rights Campaign’s Los Angeles gala, Shonda Rhimes gave a powerful speech about writing and how Shondaland helped pull her out of a dark spot as a child.

“There were times in my youth when writing those stories in Shondaland quite literally saved my life,” Rhimes said. “And now I get kids telling me it quite literally saves theirs. That is beyond humbling. And every single time it comes down to one thing. You are not alone. Nobody should be alone. So. I write.”

News: Shonda Rhimes Slams 'Nyt' Article for Calling Her an 'Angry Black Woman'

Before ending on that powerful note, the producer behind Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal revealed that she’s been working on these stories since she was a pre-teen.

“I created friends. I named them and wrote every detail about them. I gave them stories and homes and families,” Rhimes said. “I...

Constance Francesca Gabor Hilton, only daughter of Zsa Zsa Gabor and Hilton Hotel founder Conrad Hilton, died Monday in Los Angeles. She was 67.

Hilton suffered an apparent stroke and heart attack on Monday evening while she was with her fiance Michael Natsis, according to a statement obtained by TheWrap. Natsis and arriving paramedics performed CPR on her, but she was pronounced dead after being rushed to Cedars-Sinai hospital.

See Photos: Hollywood’s Notable Deaths of 2014

“As Francesca’s publicist and one of her best friends I am shocked. We were on the phone minutes before she died. We were discussing...

The Sony Movie Channel is celebrating the early films of Jack Nicholson throughout February as part of its Friday Features showcase. Eight films are included in the Nicholson salute, including "Easy Rider," "Five Easy Pieces," "Drive He Said," "The King of Marvin Gardens," "A Safe Place," "Chinatown," "The Last Detail," "The Passenger" and "The Fortune." An entire day of programming will also be dedicated to Nicholson on February 24 (Oscar day) in honor of his record for holding the most nominations ever (12; he has three wins). Each of the films listed above will play, plus "The Two Jakes." A digital photo book is accompanying the films; it includes productions stills and trivia from the films. There's also a "Script to Screen Experience" launching on Facebook February 1. The complete Friday Features schedule for February includes: (All Times are Eastern) ...

Ever wondered how many degrees separate a certain actor from Kevin Bacon? Well, Google has made discovering the answer easy to find.

The company has developed a new algorithm for their search engine that allows you to determine any actor's Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. IGN brought the hilarious new tool to our awareness, informing us that all you need to do is type in "Bacon Number" and then the actor's name and, viola, you have your answer. And we thought it was cool when we discovered Google calculator would translate numbers into Smoots.

We decided to take this baby out for a whirl. We learned that Kristen Stewart has a Bacon number of two because she and Michael Sheen costarred together in "The Twilight Saga," and Sheen and Bacon starred in "Frost/Nixon." (The same goes for everyone else in the "Twilight" series too). Daniel Radcliffe also has a Bacon number of two,...

What's Jack Nicholson's secret? Maybe it's the eyebrows, hovering like ironic quotation marks over every line reading. Maybe it's the hooded eyes, which hold the threat of danger or the promise of joviality -- you're never sure which. Same with that sharklike grin. Or maybe it's the voice, which has evolved over the years from a thin sneer to a deep rumble, but is always precisely calibrated to provoke a reaction. Put them all together, and they say: "I am a man to be reckoned with. Ignore me at your peril." Nicholson, who turns 75 on April 22, is often criticized for relying on his bag of tricks, for just showing up and doing Jack Nicholson (though indeed, he often seems to have been hired precisely for that purpose). But he's also capable of burrowing deep into a character, finding his wounded heart, and revealing the ugly truth without fear or vanity.

Even though he began his career by developing the Monkees, Schneider went on to carve out a 10-year career as one of America's most interesting and original producers

He was the son of a studio president, and a movie brat par excellence: for Bert Schneider, this guaranteed something of a charmed life. Even though he began his career by developing The Monkees, a TV sitcom about a faux pop group, Schneider (who died last month) went on to carve out a 10-year career as one of America's most interesting producers – and did as much as anyone to kick off the glory years of the Hollywood New Wave in the late 60s and early 70s.

In the mid-60s, the Vietnam war was at its height, and in America (and England) there was a real cultural fracture between the "establishment" media – hopelessly unhip entertainments like The Monkees' TV show – and the...

On the right: Bob Rafelson (left) and Bert Schneider (right)

"Bert Schneider, the iconoclastic producer behind a trio of influential movies — Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces and The Last Picture Show — that captured the rootlessness and discontent of the late 1960s and 70s and became symbols of a new era in Hollywood, has died," reports Elaine Woo in the Los Angeles Times. "The son of a Hollywood power broker — his father, Abraham, ran Columbia Pictures in the late 1960s — Schneider helped revitalize moviemaking in the 'New Hollywood' movement in which directors, not studios, held the creative reins and made movies that embraced the sensibilities of the emerging counterculture. 'This was a beginning of the independent movies and, more than that, a kind of celebration of anti-establishment movie subjects,' producer-director Bob Rafelson, who was one of Schneider's partners in the company that produced Easy Rider and six other films, said in an interview Tuesday.

"Tuesday Weld will not be attending the Film Society of Lincoln Center's retrospective American Girl: Tuesday Weld, running from September 21—25, which will showcase 10 performances by the unconventional actress." Louis Jordan, who's working on a biography of Weld, at the House Next Door: "For a tantalizing moment, the reclusive Weld agreed to be interviewed at the Walter Reade Theatre in an event called 'An Evening with Tuesday Weld,' but later suddenly cancelled. Weld hasn't made a public appearance in more than a decade. Perhaps she's gone into self-imposed exile a la Marlene Dietrich, wanting to preserve the public's memory of the brazen, luminous beauty that made her an icon of the '60s and turned the heads of everyone from Elvis Presley to Pinchas Zukerman. But then again, Weld has made a career of not giving the public what they want, or expect."

"As an actress, Weld is famous for...

When I came up with the idea to start aggregating the various Criterion Collection related blogs that I read on a somewhat regular basis into a weekly column, I had grand plans to set up reminders for myself, bookmark posts into folders, and produce a compelling weekly blog post for all of you. Unfortunately, the birth of my daughter, and all of the other responsibilities of my life have managed to position themselves between me and that goal. I thought maybe if I switched to a monthly format, that would make things easier, but in reality it just gave me less of an excuse to work on the post. I’ve decided to reboot the column and produce it on a weekly basis. We’ll see if I can keep it going this time. As much as I pretend to be organized and productive, I am really a lazy, lazy guy.

Jack Nicholson wasn’t particularly good looking, muscular or indeed an early screen success story when he won his colourful, breakthrough supporting role, at the age of 32, in Dennis Hopper’s 1969′s road-trip classic Easy Rider. But his remarkable presence in that film and future prominent roles in Five Easy Pieces, Carnal Knowledge, The Last Detail, and Chinatown along with his Oscar winning turn in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest subsequently cemented him as one of the finest leading actors of the era.

Some 40 years (and 40 odd films… including iconic turns in The Shining, Batman, A Few Good Men and The Departed) later, even in semi-retirement, the legendary 73 year old with the killer grin, is still considered an undisputed king of the screen. And here are 50 reasons why I think he could just be the greatest living actor today.

1. Charisma

Jack Nicholson is one of the most charismatic actors in the business.

I have basically resigned myself to reviewing, watching and recommending Blu-rays whenever possible. I love the format and wish everyone could just magically adopt it so the prices would become more reasonable (a dream scenario I'm sure). I am always waiting and looking for deals when it comes to Blu-rays since most often the prices are simply too outrageous. As a matter of fact, while putting this piece together I only now bought myself copies of The African Queen and The Bridge on the River Kwai at Barnes and Noble as both were on sale and I had a 10% off coupon. The way I see it $39 isn't bad for the those two titles, especially when suggested retail is $75 before shipping.

So understand, I know when recommending this many titles at once I realize the possibility of you purchasing all of them is slim to none, but hopefully I may be...

DVD Playhouse December 2010

By

Allen Gardner

America Lost And Found: The Bbs Story (Criterion) Perhaps the best DVD box set released this year, this ultimate cinefile stocking stuffer offered up by Criterion, the Rolls-Royce of home video labels, features seven seminal works from the late ‘60s-early ‘70s that were brought to life by cutting edge producers Bert Schneider, Steve Blauner and director/producer Bob Rafelson, the principals of Bbs Productions. In chronological order: Head (1968) star the Monkees, the manufactured (by Rafelson, et al), American answer to the Beatles who, like it or not, did make an impact on popular culture, particularly in this utterly surreal piece of cinematic anarchy (co-written by Jack Nicholson, who has a cameo), which was largely dismissed upon its initial release, but is now regarded as a counterculture classic. Easy Rider (1969) is arguably regarded as the seminal ‘60s picture, about two hippie drug dealers (director Dennis Hopper...

The weekend’s here. You’ve just been paid, and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. What’s a pop culture geek to do? In hopes of steering you in the right direction to blow some of that hard-earned cash, it’s time for the Fred Weekend Shopping Guide - your spotlight on the things you didn’t even know you wanted…

(Please support Fred by using the links below to make any impulse purchases - it helps to keep us going…)

They rebuilt him… Better… Stronger… Faster… And now, after an interminably long wait, The Six Million Dollar Man (Time Life, Not Rated, DVD-$239.95) has finally arrived on DVD. As if that weren’t enough, Time Life has delivered the complete 5-season run in one massive set, which includes all 3 pilot films, all 3 reunion films, the Bionic Woman crossover episodes, newly-recorded cast interviews, and alternate syndication edits of the pilots.

Bob Rafelson started a production company called Raybert (a combination of his name and producer Bert Schneider) when he was working on the Monkees television show. But Rafelson had cinematic aspirations, and so he took the Monkees to the big screen and started a production company with Bert and Steven Blauner called Bbs. Between Raybert and Bbs they made seven films: The Monkees’ feature film Head; Dennis Hopper’s seminal biker movie Easy Rider, Rafelson’s masterpiece Five Easy Pieces, Jack Nicholson’s directorial debut Drive, He Said, Henry Jaglom’s first film A Safe Place, Peter Bogdanovich’s career starting film about small town sexuality The Last Picture Show, and Rafelson’s The King of Marvin Gardens. Seven film in four years, with regulars Karen Black, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Ellen Burstyn, and stars like Peter Fonda, Cybil Shepherd, Jeff Bridges, and Orson Welles, made during one of the...

Chicago – Bbs Productions changed cinema. As the sixties were coming to a close, they jumped on the revolutionary bandwagon and took the cultural zeitgeist to the cinema. With a few other visionaries, they ushered in the most important era of film history and several of their best works have been collected in the amazing Criterion box “America Lost and Found: The Bbs Story.”

Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0

Believe it or not, the creative freedom that exploded across movie screens in the ’70s might not have been possible without The Monkees. Bob Rafelson, Bert Schneider, and Steve Blauner (their first initials being Bbs) had created the pop band The Monkees and used that money to found Bbs Productions, a company that thrived on community and creativity. Like any production company, they weren’t all gems but a few definitely were, including some of the most influential works of the era. All seven films...

"America Lost & Found: The Bbs Story" (1968-1972)

Released by Criterion Collection

A set of seven films that's as diverse and wild as the era in which they were born, Criterion's reassembly of Bbs Studios' run from 1968 through 1972 boasts influential hits like "Easy Rider," "Five Easy Pieces" and "King of Marvin Gardens" and obscurities like Jack Nicholson's directorial debut "Drive, He Said" and Henry Jaglom's "A Safe Place" that have never been on DVD before. New interviews, vintage documentaries and much more from directors Bob Rafelson, Peter Bogdanovich (whose "Last Picture Show" is also included), Nicholson and the late Dennis Hopper highlight a collection that doubles as a history of when there was a changing of the guard in American cinema.

"Countdown to Zero" (2010)

Directed by Lucy Walker

Released by Magnolia Home Entertainment

This "scareumentary," as our own Alison Willmore termed it in her review, reunites Participant Media and...

DVD Links: DVD News | Release Dates | New Dvds | Reviews | RSS Feed

The Complete Metropolis (Blu-ray) I mentioned this title last week, but for some reason the Blu-ray edition got bumped a week and releases toady. By now I'm sure most of you already know my opinion of this title seeing how I discussed it last week and posted my review yesterday, but if noy, click here to get the full rundown. America Lost and Found: The Bbs Story (Blu-ray) Producers Bob Rafelson, Bert Schneider, and Steve Blauner formed Bbs Productions, which operated between 1968 and 1972, and this box set from Criterion is the result. I have not yet received my review copy and based on what I see online it appears only DVD Beaver has received and reviewed the set. The DVD version hits shelves on December 14.

Just below are the films included. You can get more on each at Criterion right here.

In 1969, an incredible film revolution was launched, thanks to the Monkees and nepotism. Now that brief period is being packaged together in its entirety -- except for one film -- in a new box set called “America Lost and Found,” which will be released Tuesday. The collection features deluxe versions of the best-known Bbs classics, as well as more challenging work the company released, like Jack Nicholson’s directing debut “Drive, He Said,” and Henry Jaglom’s “A Safe Place,” neither of which has been available for home viewing until now. It was...

Here we are with the last Criterion Collection new release announcement for 2010, and there are a couple amazing releases to talk about.

Last week we uncovered that Criterion was in fact prepared to finally release David Cronenberg’s Videodrome on Blu-ray on December 7th. This is the last of the Amazon pre-order announced titles that forced Criterion to reveal their cards a little early. I still haven’t seen the film, and I’m pretty glad that I waited, so that I can see this film in all of it’s high def insanity. While I’m sure there is something charming about watching the film on VHS, given the material, watching a recent fan edit trailer in HD, makes me really excited for the Blu-ray. The cover doesn’t necessarily change up the design much, aside from the color bars on the spine logo.

Now to the main course.

This past Monday, Criterion announced their November 2010 titles, and the internet exploded with people complaining about how broke they are going to be this holiday season, as they must own ever single one.

As always, the covers for each DVD/Blu-ray are absolute works of art, worthy of framing above one’s mantle. I’m actually hoping that they allow Sam’s Myth’s Modern Times cover art to find it’s way into their store, despite already have a fantastic poster for sale.

Since I shared a high resolution copy of the recent Darjeeling Limited art last week, I thought it’d be fun to do the same with the November titles as well. One thing that’s particularly interesting about the gruesome Antichrist art, upon closer examination, is the fact that the title is made up of twigs and branches, which might not be noticed in the low...

Criterion doesn't make it a habit of disappointing their fans - to call them the greatest and most selflessly wonderful company in the history of human commercialism would be something of an understatement. That being said, their recently announced November line-up of DVD and Blu-rays is pretty incredible, even for them.

Within the span of a few minutes this afternoon, Criterion teased out confirmation of several of their most hotly rumored titles. The biggest bombshell was incontestably a box-set titled "America Lost and Found: The Bbs Story," an anthology of films produced by film pioneers Bob Rafelson, Bert Schneider, and Steve Blauner that includes Head, Five Easy Pieces, The Last Picture Show, Easy Rider, The King of Marvin Gardens, A Safe Place, and Jack Nicholson's directorial debut Drive, He Said. All titles are receiving new, restored high-definition digital transfers, and all titles are available on blu-ray in glorious 1080p.

There is a trend these days amongst some film goers, in which they actively avoid trailers, as well as any kind of plot spoilers regarding upcoming films. I won’t go so far as to say that this is a recent trend, but it has certainly appeared on my radar a lot over the past few years. People want to keep that magic of the surprise, when it comes to upcoming media. At the same time, there is an abundance of information about everything media related thanks to the internet.

One aspect of the Criterion Collection that we all have come to accept, and learn to love in a holiday package opening sense, is their secrecy regarding upcoming releases. We have joked about how they are almost at Apple-like levels of secrecy, and when something gets out, Criterion fans jump on it.

I think we all want to know what...

(Tanna Frederick in Henry Jaglom's "Just 45 Minutes From Broadway," above, with David Garver.)

By Terry Keefe

The manner in which Iowa native Tanna Frederick received her break as an actress has sort of become a independent filmmaking legend, but it bears repeating, as a lesson in the type of chutzpah required to get anywhere in the film business. After a few years of struggling in the audition trenches of Hollywood, Frederick was told by a fellow actor that filmmaker Henry Jaglom often responded to fan letters. Frederick proceeded to write a copious letter to Jaglom, praising the merits of his 1997 film Deja Vu…which she had never actually seen. Nonetheless, a correspondence between Frederick and Jaglom began, and eventually, Jaglom gave the actress permission to do a stage production of his 1971 film debut, A Safe Place, the cinematic version of which starred Jack Nicholson, Orson Welles, and Tuesday Weld.