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Oscar winners Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn came up in Hollywood at a time when the next generation of stars were looking to carry over the hard-hitting method acting work of ‘70s cinema. Both actors were highly engaged in three-dimensional characters with plenty of depth and relatability that felt authentic on the screen. In 1985, John Schlesinger would put their talents to the test in the controversial spy drama The Falcon and the Snowman.

Andrew McCarthy‘s recent documentary “Brats,” about his time as a teen idol in the 1980s alongside peers like Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy, charted the actor’s path from irritation and outright hostility toward the “brat pack” label to grudging affection, as he recognized that the movies he looked down on while he was doing them — films like “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “Less Than Zero,” and “Mannequin” — meant more to an entire generation of filmgoers than more “serious” prestige fare like “The Falcon and the Snowman” ever could.

The danger for those of us who grew up on the movies is that the trajectory will be reversed — that films that seemed meaningful to our teenage eyes aren’t really all that great when viewed outside the lens of indulgent childhood nostalgia. Yet revisiting one of McCarthy’s most popular films via a new 4K Uhd release...

Nicholas Pryor, whose nearly seven-decade acting career included hundreds of episodes of soap operas, playing Tom Cruise’s dad in Risky Business and Kathleen Robertson’s dad on Beverly Hills, 90210, died October 7. He was 89.

Fellow actor Jon Lindstrom announced the news on social media, saying in part: “Nick was an Actor’s actor, and an exceptional friend. … He was a mentor, a sounding board, a trusted confidant, and even a father-figure beyond, yes, playing my own father on #Gh and #PortCharles.” See his full post below.

Pryor racked up nearly 175 screen credits and half-dozen more on Broadway. After getting his screen start guesting on such 1950s and early ’60s TV series as Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Doctors, he played Tom Baxter in more than 75 episodes of the NBC daytime drama Another World. That led to a starring role on The Nurses, a 1965-67 continuation of CBS’ The Nurses, which...

Nicholas Pryor, the busy character actor who portrayed Tom Cruise’s father in Risky Business and Kathleen Robertson’s dad on Beverly Hills, 90210 during a career that spanned seven decades, has died. He was 89.

Pryor died Monday of cancer at his home in Wilmington, North Carolina, his wife, actress Christine Belford, told The Hollywood Reporter.

In a note to be delivered to THR after his death, he wrote: “Nicholas Pryor was enormously grateful to have been, for nearly 70 years, a working actor.”

From 1997-2002, Pryor played the former spy Victor Collins on the General Hospital spinoff Port Charles, culminating a long career in daytime soap operas that included stints on The Secret Storm, The Edge of Night, Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, All My Children and Another World.

Pryor recurred on Fox’s Beverly Hills, 90210 as A. Milton Arnold, the chancellor of California University and father of Robertson’s Claire Arnold,...

Amazon Prime Video is the place to go for movies this month, with a plethora of original films as well as new library additions for just about every movie fan. The Emma Roberts-led original Space Cadet hits the streaming service aptly on the Fourth of July, for anyone looking for a fish-out-of-water style comedy. My Spy the Eternal City, the newest film in the Dave Bautista-led family action series also drops on July 18.

Action film fans are also in for a treat with recent films The Beekeeper and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning coming to Prime Video in July.

As far as TV shows go, the most notable addition this month is the adult animated series Sausage Party: Foodtopia, a continuation of the 2016 film Sausage Party.

Here’s everything coming to Prime Video and Freevee in July – Amazon originals are designated with an asterisk.

New on Amazon Prime Video...

Brats focuses on the impact of the "Brat Pack" nickname on young actors of the 1980s, honing in on three central films. McCarthy's documentary features conversations with former co-stars and social experts, exploring the collective experience of the actors. Pretty in Pink, St. Elmo's Fire, and The Breakfast Club are highlighted in Brats for their significance in Brat Pack culture.

A new documentary on Hulu by director Andrew McCarthy called Brats explores the impact of the nickname the "Brat Pack" on a group of young actors whose careers took off in the 1980s McCarthy himself was a member, referencing several movies in the process. Other actors in the Brat Pack included Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson, Alley Sheedy, Demi Moore, and Molly Ringwald. The actors would be grouped with the Brat Pack label for the rest of their careers. Rather than explore every film that members of the Brat Pack created,...

In June 1985, a young group of talented actors was ready to take the world by storm as the release of Joel Schumacher‘s “St. Elmo’s Fire” approached. Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, and Demi Moore had already done fine work in other films both together and apart, but “St. Elmo’s Fire” was the best showcase any of them had ever gotten, in an era when youth movies were better and more numerous than they had ever been before. Nothing stood in the way of their becoming the next generation of great American screen actors — except for a New York magazine writer named David Blum.

Blum spent a night out with Estevez and several of his friends for what was supposed to be a simple profile of the actor but turned into a cover story in which the journalist dubbed the entire group the “Brat Pack...

Very few personalities in Hollywood are as controversial as Sean Penn. One of the most gifted actors of his generation, Penn’s also been a lightning rod for controversy, with his often antagonistic relationship with the press and sometimes misguided moves, such as his now infamous interview with drug baron El Chapo. Yet, he’s also a noted humanitarian, participating in rescue efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and being a tireless advocate for Haiti following the 2010 Earthquake. He’s also been an outspoken supporter of Ukrainian president Zelensky.

In this episode of Wtf Happened to this Celebrity, we look at the scope of Sean Penn’s career. We chart his earlier days as perhaps the most talented young actor to emerge in the early eighties, stealing scenes in Taps and later becoming a star thanks to turns in movies like Fast Times at Ridgemont High, At Close Range,...

HBO and HBO Max will be home to new original films, highly anticipated streaming debuts of new releases, and the finales of three popular series throughout February. Below, we’ve assembled a complete list of everything new on HBO and HBO Max in February 2022, and it includes a new thriller from director Steven Soderbergh and starring Zoe Kravitz called “Kimi.” The original feature takes place in a Covid-19 pandemic Seattle and follows an agoraphobic tech worker who discovers violent crimes have occurred in a data stream. The Max Original film premieres on Feb. 10.

Also coming in February is the “Raised by Wolves” Season 2 premiere on Feb. 3, with new episodes released weekly, as well as the season premiere of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” on Feb. 20. And coming to a close in February are the original series “Euphoria,” “And Just Like That…” and “Peacemaker,” which all air finales this month.

For its list of new releases of February 2022, HBO Max is bringing back one of its biggest original series.

The Ridley Scott-directed sci-fi epic Raised by Wolves helped launch HBO Max back in 2020 and now it’s finally back for another season. Raised by Wolves season 2 premieres with three episodes on Feb. 3. This season will continue the conflict between future atheists and theists on a remote planet, while two androids raise some kids.

February 2022 also sees the end of another, more recent HBO Max hit. Peacemaker airs its finale on Feb. 17. Thankfully that same day sees the premiere of another exciting original. Dream Raider is a Mandarin-language sci-fi thriller that carries some big Inception vibes.

There aren’t many original movies of note this month, but there are a lot of recent hits coming to HBO Max as library titles. Nightmare Alley arrives on Feb. 1, followed by The Many Saints of Newark on Feb.

Sean Penn is one of the best actors and most engaging celebrities to grace Hollywood over the past several decades. The two-time Academy Award winner frequently earns critical acclaim for his performances, and has worked with many of the best filmmakers of his generation. He's been an icon since the early '80s, and continues to choose exciting upcoming projects. In 2021, Penn will be seen in Paul Thomas Anderson's latest ensemble feature, "Licorice Pizza."

Penn is extremely versatile, and turns in dedicated performances across many genres. Early dramatic roles in films like "Taps" and "The Falcon and the Snowman" hinted at a dark young actor, but Penn...

The post Sean Penn's 15 best film roles ranked appeared first on /Film.

FlagDay_FilmStills_081_R Sean Penn stars as John Vogel in Flag Day A Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film Photo credit: Courtesy of Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures Inc. © 2021 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

With Labor Day less than a couple of weeks away, it’s only natural that the studios would release a family flick around a holiday, though not this particular one. No, it’s from a couple of months ago, though the exact date differs in other countries. Ah, but that word “family” is the constant, and not in the overused “blanket” term mumbled by the cast of F9. No, this is for real, an autobiographical “coming of age” drama that rips away the hazy nostalgia that obscures the truth about growing up with a parent, who, despite all odds, refuses to grow up. That’s the case of this tale’s heroine, whose ner do well daddy...

Allen Daviau, five-time Academy Award nominated cinematographer who worked on films like Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. The Extra Terrestrial,” “The Color Purple” and “Empire of the Sun,” died on Wednesday. He was 77.

His cousin, Christopher Rice, wrote on Facebook that Daviau died of Covid-19. “Goodbye, my sweet, brilliant cousin. You live on for us in the many frames of beautiful film you helped bring into the world. And your loss sadly makes this terrible pandemic feel all the more real,” he wrote.

Additionally, food editor and writer Colman Andrews sent his condolences on Twitter. “Rip Allen Daviau, my friend of almost 60 years, cinematographer and bon vivant, five-time Academy Award nominee, dining companion extraordinaire, pure soul, who left us last night at the Mptf Hospital, his longtime home, after contracting Covid-19. Salut, mon ami.”

Also Read: Remembering Stuart Gordon, a Re-Animator of the Horror Genre (Guest Blog)

A spokesperson for...

Cinematographer Allen Daviau, a five-time Academy Award nominee for films including Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra Terrestrial” and “Empire of the Sun,” died Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 77.

Food editor and writer Colman Andrews wrote on Twitter that Daviau had died of coronavirus at the Mptf hospital. “Rip Allen Daviau, my friend of almost 60 years, cinematographer and bon vivant, five-time Academy Award nominee, dining companion extraordinaire, pure soul, who left us last night at the Mptf Hospital, his longtime home, after contracting Covid-19. Salut, mon ami.”

Daviau, a New Orleans native, was nominated for best cinematography Oscars for Spielberg movies “The Color Purple,” “Empire of the Sun,” and “E.T. the Extraterrestrial” — along with two Barry Levinson films, “Avalon” and “Bugsy.” He also shot the Gobi desert sequence for Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

Spielberg said in a statement, “In 1968, Allen and I started our...

Hulu’s list of comings and goings for the month of April is out, and the roster for new content on the streaming service includes two Hulu Originals — the first season premiere of “Ramy,” and the seventh episode of “Into The Dark: I’m Just F*cking With You,” with other highlights including Season 3 of Freeform’s “The Bold Type” and John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place.”

“Ramy,” debuting April 19, tells the story of first generation Egyptian-American Ramy Hassan as he finds himself in his New Jersey neighborhood, stuck at a crossroads between the morals of his Muslim community and the moral ambiguity of his millennial generation. “Into The Dark: I’m Just F*cking With You,” coming April 1, finds two siblings in a secluded motel, where they become subject to practical jokes of an increasingly frightening nature.

Also Read: Oscar-Winning Documentary 'Free Solo' Now Available for Streaming on Hulu...

David Bowie‘s mid-Eighties career will be explored in the new box set Loving the Alien (1983-1988), a massive collection that gathers the late icon’s albums, live LPs and more from the era.

The 11-cd or 15-lp Loving the Alien, due out October 12th, features three Bowie studio albums – 1983’s Let’s Dance, 1984’s Tonight and 1987’s Never Let Me Down – alongside a pair of first-time-on-vinyl live albums – Serious Moonlight (Live ’83) and Glass Spider (Live Montreal ’87) – and the newly assembled compilation Dance, which collects 12 contemporaneous remixes from the era.

To support the American Red Cross and to celebrate the release of The Evil Within 2, Bethesda Softworks has launched The Good Within fundraiser, and we have the official details on the campaign in today's Horror Highlights, which also includes an exclusive mini trailer for Michael Mongillo's new horror film, Diane, as well as a new look at the anthology movie Terror Tales.

Bethesda's The Good Within Fundraiser: Press Release: "To celebrate the launch of The Evil Within 2 this Friday, Bethesda is kicking off The Good Within fundraising campaign dedicated to raising charitable donations to support the efforts of the American Red Cross. The Good Within campaign will run through October, and to further the cause Bethesdawill match all donations during the month up to $15,000.

Tap into The Good Within and help us raise money for Red Cross disaster relief efforts and humanitarian aid around the world. To be part of The Good Within,...

“We were altar boys together.”

The Falcon And The Snowman screens Thursday March 3rd at 7:00pm at Schlafly Bottleworks

There is something about true stories that makes them so much more interesting than fiction. The Falcon And The Snowman (1985) tells the true story about Christopher Boyce and his buddy Daulton Lee. Boyce (Tim Hutton) is a former altar boy and intellectual, trying to find an occupation that can support and entertain him. His FBI father is able to pull some strings and get his idealist son a job working in the defense department. Boyce has few responsibilities and seems to be complacent drinking and goofing around with his co-workers. However, as time goes on, Boyce starts to learn top secret information that causes him to doubt the morality of his government. The idealist Boyce soon sees the illegal operations that the CIA is carrying out in above all places,...

There are roughly 900,000 tribute pieces online this week about the 1985 John Hughes film "The Breakfast Club," and I understand the motivation. If you were the right age when the film was released (I was 15 at the time), that movie felt like a lightning bolt right to the face. Hughes treated teenagers like they were actual people with complex emotional lives worthy of respect, and while that would seem to be a logical approach to writing about any character, it certainly didn't feel average when he did it. He wrote about that secret world of teenagers with what felt like laser accuracy, and he basically created an entire industry of movies that tried to tap into that same audience. So certainly, there is much to celebrate when looking back at that particular film, but when I went to look at a list of the films that came out in 1985, a year...

Sean Penn: Honorary César goes Hollywood – again (photo: Sean Penn in '21 Grams') Sean Penn, 54, will receive the 2015 Honorary César (César d'Honneur), the French Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Crafts has announced. That means the French Academy's powers-that-be are once again trying to make the Prix César ceremony relevant to the American media. Their tactic is to hand out the career award to a widely known and relatively young – i.e., media friendly – Hollywood celebrity. (Scroll down for more such examples.) In the words of the French Academy, Honorary César 2015 recipient Sean Penn is a "living legend" and "a stand-alone icon in American cinema." It has also hailed the two-time Best Actor Oscar winner as a "mythical actor, a politically active personality and an exceptional director." Penn will be honored at the César Awards ceremony on Feb. 20, 2015. Sean Penn movies Sean Penn movies range from the teen comedy...

It's a shock to go back and watch "Midnight Cowboy" 45 years after its debut (on May 25, 1969) and see how raw and otherworldly it looks. After all, the X-rated Best Picture Oscar-winner has been so thoroughly assimilated into American pop culture that even kiddie entertainments like the Muppets have copied from it.

The tale of the unlikely friendship between naïve Texas gigolo Joe Buck (Jon Voight) and frail Bronx con man Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman), "Midnight Cowboy" was initially considered so risqué that it's the only X-rated movie ever to win the Academy's top prize (though after it won, the ratings board reconsidered and gave the film an R). Still, the film featured two lead performances and a few individual scenes that were so iconic that homages (and parodies) have popped up virtually everywhere. (Most often imitated is the scene where Ratso, limping across a busy Manhattan street, is nearly...

We return with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes digital and DVD release information on The Seasoning House, a trailer for Loss of Life, first details on The Cage, the short film “Don’t Move,” and much more:

The Seasoning House Release Details: “Acclaimed prosthetic effects designer Paul Hyett (The Woman in Black, Unknown) makes his directorial debut with the harrowing horror revenge thriller The Seasoning House, debuting on Digital, Blu-ray™ and DVD December 10th from Well Go USA Entertainment. The chilling film stars Rosie Day (Sixteen), Sean Pertwee (Event Horizon), Kevin Howarth (Gallowwalkers, The Last Horror Movie) and Anna Walton (Hellboy II: The Golden Army). In The Seasoning House, young girls are prostituted to the military and an orphaned deaf mute (Day) is enslaved to care for them. She moves between the walls and crawlspaces, showing a little kindness when she can.

Zachary Quinto and Judith Light share a laugh in NYC.

Birthday shoutouts go to Aaron Eckhart, who is 45, Al Jarreau is 73, and Barbara Feldon is 80. In ratings news, The Carrie Diaries held steady, and is on the bubble for renewal.. Karl Urban will star in an untitled futuristic pilot for Fox, produced by Jj Abrams. It's "set in the near future when all Lapd officers are partnered with highly evolved human-like androids." Good Times is the latest classic sitcom to get the big screen treatment..Jane Lynch will star in the web series Dropping The Soap, which "goes behind-the-scenes of faux daytime sudser “Colliding Lives” as the program struggles to stay afloat in the new era of TV." Jane is exec. producing as well, along with the Web Therapy team of Dan Bucatinsky, Don Roos, and Lisa Kudrow. Is Zachary Quinto getting ready to propose to Jonathan Groff? Who wouldn't?...

I recently posted an article talking about the budgets for films including Cloud Atlas, The Master, The Hobbit trilogy and Mad Max: Fury Road. While it cost around $100 million to make, Warner Bros. only paid around $20 million for North American rights to distribute Cloud Atlas. The Master cost Megan Ellison's Annapurna around $35 million and The Hobbit trilogy is said to bump up against $1 billion, though Warner Bros. disputes that claim. Different kinds of movies, different budgets all for different reasons, be it anticipated Oscar success, lunchboxes, DVD sales, etc. All three of those movies, however, didn't receive the green light immediately and it got me thinking a little more about the difficulty of getting a film made recently after listening to a 1975 audio interview with director John Schlesinger on Criterion's Sunday Bloody Sunday Blu-ray as well as a small portion from Lana Wachowski's recent Hrc Visibility Award speech.

HollywoodNews.com: Our selected celebrity to be included in our “Hot Hollywood Celebrity Photo Gallery of the Week” is Sean Penn.

Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt ◄ Back Next ►Picture 1 of 12

Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt - 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival - "The Tree of Live" Premiere - Arrivals - Palais des Festivals - Cannes, France

This year, the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates at their World Summit will recognize a high-profile personality making an outstanding contribution to international social justice and peace. Sean Penn is that person. Sean is an actor, founder and CEO of J/P Haitian Relief Organization, and will be presented with the 2012 Peace Summit Award during the summit for his work to rebuild and aid the victims of the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, as well as his ongoing advocacy for peace and human rights protection worldwide.

Penn has been...

Author’s note: The Tree of Life has already been reviewed on Dearcinema but this is a fresh evaluation and reflective essay about its implications because it is now being hailed as the best film of the year and it is not unlikely that it will soon make it to Sight and Sound’s list of the greatest films of all time.

Terrence Malick, one of America’s most respected filmmakers, first attracted attention through Badlands (1973) a film very much in the same mold as Arthur Penn’s Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and Robert Altman’s Thieves like Us (1974) in that it is about a young couple going on a robbery spree in the depression era and eventually coming to a tragic or bad end. What distinguishes Malick’s film from the other two is the director’s lyricism, his deep sense of the beauty of the land – where Bonnie and Clyde...

Evan Rachel Wood, Director George Clooney and Ryan Gosling on the set of Ides Of March.

Check out the new poster, stills and trailer for Columbia Pictures’ political thriller Ides Of March. Clooney’s film will be playing opening night at the Venice Film Festival.

Gosling’s performance and accent are such a throwback to a younger Sean Penn from At Close Range, Casualties Of War…even a little of The Falcon And The Snowman. Clooney’s become a natural with this sort of fair. Once again he’s collaborated on the screenplay with Grant Heslov (Good Night And Good Luck). I’ll be eager to see what type of reaction it sees at the Toronto Film Festival in September – will it be enough to gain some Awards season traction?

Synopsis:

Based upon a play by Beau Willimon, The Ides Of March takes place during the frantic last days before...

For this week's Tfe contributors roundup, I thought I'd force a confession... but alas, I didn't manage to catch anything that embarrassed anyone, damnit! Except myself! My queue is stupid

What's Next On Your DVD Queue?

Jose: The Red Shoes and the first four seasons of "Doc Martin" which I have to review for work.

Ja: Simon Rumley's terrifically unsettling Red White and Blue which unsettled me, terrifically, last year and Undertow, that Peruvian movie which I think you interviewed the director. [Editor's Note: Yes, yes, I did.]

 Alexa (Curio): I'm really, really going to watch them when I'm not chasing my toddler or passing out: Gloria (John Cassavetes' film, not the one with Sharon Stone! This is a re-watch, I just like it) and Reform School Girls (the one with Wendy O Williams from 1986).

Robert (Distant Relatives): First up is The Circus, the only Chaplin silent comedy I haven't seen. It...

HollywoodNews.com: Our selected celebrity to be included in our “Hot Hollywood Celebrity Photo Gallery of the Day” is Sean Penn. Sean was at the premiere of Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life,” starring Brad Pitt, at the Cannes Film Festival.

Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt ◄ Back Next ►Picture 1 of 12

Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt - 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival - "The Tree of Live" Premiere - Arrivals - Palais des Festivals - Cannes, France

◄ Back Next ►Picture 1 of 12

Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt - 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival - "The Tree of Live" Premiere - Arrivals - Palais des Festivals - Cannes, France

Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism. He is a two-time Academy Award winner for his roles in Mystic River (2003) and Milk (2008), as...

The matching megastars have gone from matinee idols to serious actors; now they face each other as father and son in a film that has set pulses racing in Hollywood

As films go, the ambition of The Tree of Life is hardly small. The eagerly awaited epic from enigmatic auteur director Terrence Malick aims to explore the very meaning of existence in its two hours and 18 minutes run time. News that it is showing at the Cannes film festival has set pulses racing among Hollywood's great and good. But it's not just Malick's lushly artistic directorial style that has people excited. It is the identity of the male leads: Brad Pitt and Sean Penn.

Tree of Life will showcase the acting skills of two of modern Hollywood's biggest stars, appearing in a movie together for the first time. It is a classic piece of casting. "I'm eager to see these two work together,...

Being Human, Skins and Outcasts come to an end, Twenty Twelve kicks off, and there's a great selection of movies on UK TV, too...

Although the housemates would shun it, the spotlight of the week has to shine on Being Human, with the final episode of series 3 airing Sunday, March 13th at 9:00pm on BBC3. We had a sneak peek here, where the unphotographable Mitchell is jailed and Annie looks to be keeping to her promise of staying with him, while making him stay put. But there's still The Wolf-Shaped Bullet, the finale's title, to be feared and identified, and the fate of Nina and the rapidly developing werebaby to be found out. After last week's explosive happenings, we're mystified and thrilled to think where it may all end. If you missed any part of the series, you can catch up and comment on our reviews, and meet back...

Sky Atlantic launches in the UK, bringing Boardwalk Empire with it. Plus, catch up on Mad Men season 4, and a whole host of movies...

In the preceding few weeks we've had the new series of shows start up with Being Human, Hustle, Not Going Out and Primeval returning to awaiting fans. And a few new shows have shoved their way onto the schedules with Episodes, 10 O'Clock Live and How TV Ruined Your Life settling snugly into their respective spots.

And after quite a feast of fresh programming, this week brings us leftovers (although they're imported leftovers of the highest quality), and a treat many of us won't be able to enjoy. I suppose we can't gorge every week, and they're both still well worth the couch commitment, provided you can tune in, of course...

Reheated and served up to everyone in equal portions comes the fourth season of the excellent,...

Steven Zaillian, the Oscar-winning writer of "Schindler's List" and a writer-director-producer whose career also encompasses "American Gangster," "The Falcon and the Snowman," "Searching for Bobby Fischer," "Clear and Present Danger" and "Gangs of New York," has been named recipient of the 2011 Golden Laurel Award by the Writers Guild of America, West. The award, which is given in recognition of lifetime achivement in the writing of motion pictures, will be presented at the Writers Guild's 2011 west coast awards ceremony on February 5. “Steven Zaillian’s best scripts not only function as intelligent,...

Academy Award-winning screenwriter Steven Zaillian will receive the Writers Guild of America, West’s 2011 Laurel Award for Screen, honoring lifetime achievement in outstanding writing for motion pictures.

The award will be presented at the 2011 Writers Guild Awards West Coast ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 5, in Hollywood.

“Steven Zaillian’s best scripts not only function as intelligent, thought-provoking works that uplift and inspire audiences, but often, as in the case of his screenplays such as ‘Schindler’s List,’ they act as witness to crucial chapters in our collective history. His impressive body of work provides a benchmark that all screenwriters aspire to,” said Wgaw president John Wells in a statement.

The four-time WGA Award nominee is perhaps best known for his screenplay “Schindler’s List,” based on the novel by Thomas Keneally. In 1994, Zaillian received an Academy Award for his screen adaptation of the film, which went on to garner multiple awards that year.

Hollywoodnews.com: Academy Award-winning screenwriter Steven Zaillian will receive the Writers Guild of America, West’s 2011 Laurel Award for Screen, honoring lifetime achievement in outstanding writing for motion pictures, to be presented at the 2011 Writers Guild Awards West Coast ceremony on Saturday, February 5, 2011, in Hollywood.

“Steven Zaillian’s best scripts not only function as intelligent, thought-provoking works that uplift and inspire audiences, but often, as in the case of his screenplays such as Schindler’s List, they act as witness to crucial chapters in our collective history. His impressive body of work provides a benchmark that all screenwriters aspire to,” said Wgaw President John Wells.

Zaillian is perhaps best known for his screenplay for the acclaimed Holocaust drama Schindler’s List, based on the novel by Thomas Keneally. In 1994, Zaillian received an Academy Award for his screen adaptation of Schindler’s List, as the film went on to garner multiple awards that year,...

Filed under: Movie News, Horror, Sci-Fi, Cinematical

Several years back, we'd heard word that the prolific writer/director Steven Zaillian was interested in mounting an English-language remake of Nacho Vigalondo's 'Timecrimes.' That sounded pretty cool to those of us who know (and love) the very clever indie thriller from Spain -- but then we heard nothing. Or as they say in Spain, "nada."

Now comes word from Deadline that the remake is alive and well and moving from United Artists to DreamWorks. We also know that writer Tim Sexton worked on the adaptation, that Mr. Zaillian has agreed to get back to work on the screenplay, and that he'll be producing for sure, directing possibly.

A 1993 Oscar winner for his 'Schindler's List' screenplay, Zaillian has also written and/or directed fine flicks like 'The Falcon and the Snowman,' 'Awakenings,' 'Searching for Bobby Fischer,...

Filed under: Movie News, Horror, Sci-Fi, Cinematical

Several years back, we'd heard word that the prolific writer/director Steven Zaillian was interested in mounting an English-language remake of Nacho Vigalondo's 'Timecrimes.' That sounded pretty cool to those of us who know (and love) the very clever indie thriller from Spain -- but then we heard nothing. Or as they say in Spain, "nada."

Now comes word from Deadline that the remake is alive and well and moving from United Artists to DreamWorks. We also know that writer Tim Sexton worked on the adaptation, that Mr. Zaillian has agreed to get back to work on the screenplay, and that he'll be producing for sure, directing possibly.

A 1993 Oscar winner for his 'Schindler's List' screenplay, Zaillian has also written and/or directed fine flicks like 'The Falcon and the Snowman,' 'Awakenings,' 'Searching for Bobby Fischer,...

Get ready for a whole host of TV shows and movies to get you through the festive period - it's our look at UK telly...!

We've taken a scythe to the Christmas telly schedule to help you sort the geek from the chav. We hope the listing of shows and films will help brighten your holiday via the warm rays of the living room telly.

If we missed any of your favourites, please have a ho-ho-ho in the comments section, with our thanks and best wishes for a happy holiday.

Thursday December 23rd

Terry Pratchett's Hogfather Part 1 4:00pm Sky1 (repeats through 1st Jan)

24 series 8 6:00am Sky 2 (marathon consecutive run of the series' episodes)

8 Out Of 10 Cats Christmas Special 10:00pm Channel 4 (repeats 00:05am 27th Dec)

The Royle Family Christmas Special (2009) 00:45am Gold (repeats through 30th Dec)

Christmas Eve Friday December 24th

Terry Pratchett's Hogfather Part...

The definitive couple of the 80s?

It was 25 years ago today that Madonna and Sean Penn were married in Malibu. It was Madonna's birthday (she was turning 27). Sean's birthday was the following day (he was turning 25). She was the new queen of pop ("Dress You Up", the final hit single from Like a Virgin was hitting the charts) and he was the critics darling of young actors, consistently winning praise for both his comedy work (Fast Times at Ridgemont High) and drama (The Falcon and the Snowman)... Oscar voters, often slow on the draw, waited another 10 years to nominate him.

Paparazzi helicopters descending on their wedding like an invading army. The following year their movie collaboration Shanghai Surprise was released. Critics swarmed like an angry hive. Whenever paparazzi bugged Madonna, Sean raged like a...

Well you get the point. What a ruckus they always caused.

Their marriage didn't last...

"Serious Moonlight" will shine on Austin as the 16th annual festival's opening-night film. Penned by the late writer-actress Adrienne Shelly and directed by Cheryl Hines, "Moonlight" will screen Oct. 22 at the Paramount Theatre.

Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air," which has been soaring through the fall festival circuit, will close the Austin fest on Oct. 29 at the Paramount. Both Hines and Reitman will attend their screenings.

This year's lineup includes 24 world and U.S. premieres. The weeklong festival and conference, which focuses on screenwriters, will also include Oren Moverman's "The Messenger" as its centerpiece film.

"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," "The Men Who Stare at Goats," "The Young Victoria," "Calvin Marshall," "American Cowslip," "Red Cliff," "Little Fish," "Strange Pond," "Herpes Boy," "The Donner Party," "Tenure," "Love the Beast" and "Harmony and Me" are also part of the program.

Additionally, the festival will showcase special screenings...

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy and Oscar-winning screenwriters Ethan and Joel Coen won the 20th annual USC Libraries Scripter Award for Miramax's No Country for Old Men.

The Scripter recognizes the authors and screenwriters of a produced book-to-film adaptation. The No Country writers were chosen over the scribes behind the four other finalists: Atonement, Into the Wild, There Will Be Blood and Zodiac.

The Scripter also will honor Oscar-winning screenwriter Steven Zaillian with the inaugural Scripter Literary Achievement Award. The Friends of the USC Libraries created the prize to recognize writers who have made significant and sustained contributions to the art of adaptation.

Zaillian won an Oscar for adapting Schindler's List and received nominations for his work on Awakenings and Gangs of New York. He is a three-time Scripter winner, receiving honors for Schindler's List, Awakenings, and A Civil Action.

"As our only three-time Scripter winner, Steven embodies what the Scripter is all about: outstanding storytelling," Scripter founder and Friends of the USC Libraries president Glenn A. Sonnenberg said. "His body of work represents the best in adapted screenwriting."

Zaillian's credits also include the screenplays for American Gangster, The Interpreter, Searching for Bobby Fischer and The Falcon and the Snowman.

The Scripters will be handed out at a gala ceremony Feb.