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It’s been a big week for Russell Crowe after officially joining Henry Cavill’s Highlander movie — news Collider was thrilled to exclusively bring you first — and now one of his more recent projects that has slipped under the radar has proven itself a force on streaming. Crowe stars alongside Luke and Liam Hemsworth in Land of Bad, the spy thriller following a Delta Force team who fight for survival while a drone pilot watches over them from above.Land of Bad premiered on Netflix last July, where it’s been streaming in the nearly one year since, and the film is still topping Netflix charts globally in over 20 countries. Critics gave Land of Bad a 67% on the aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, but general audiences were high on the film, scoring it at “verified hot” 93% on the audience-driven Popcornmeter.

David Frigerio wrote the script for Land of Bad with William Eubank,...

Oscar Boyson’s debut feature Our Hero Balthazar is a big swing that mostly works: an uncompromising satire about the crisis facing young men in America. Masculinity means something entirely different in red states than it does in the blue. Balthazar (Jayden Martel) is a privileged kid who lives in a $50 million dollar, 80th-floor New York apartment with an indoor pool. He takes to Instagram to make crying videos (think of the “Leave Britney Alone” viral video from years past). Still coming into his own thanks to a life coach, he’s given every advantage by an absentee father who lives in Westchester with his other family, as well as his mother Nicole (Jennifer Ehle), a Democratic fundraiser who leaves on his birthday to venture to D.C. with the hilariously named candidate Hakeem Adams (David M. Raine).

Across the country and political divide resides Solomon (Asa Butterfield), a hopeless...

Patrick Swayze was one of a kind. He’s the only actor I can think of who was as comfortable cutting a rug on the dance floor as demolishing a room full of bad guys with his fists of fury. When he passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2009, we lost an icon who was never really recognized as the legend he is in his time. In the years since many Patrick Swayze movies have become cult favourites, and with a Road House remake recently a hit, we decided now would be a good time to pick the five best Patrick Swayze movies.

Red Dawn (1984)

John Millius’s cold war “what if” thriller goes down in the history books as the first-ever PG-13 movie. It was also Patrick Swayze’s first major leading role, with him best known up to this point for a supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders.

Liam Neeson has appeared in over 100 feature films since making his big-screen debut 47 years ago in an adaptation of John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress." He spent the 1980s making his bones via supporting performances in high-profile movies like "Excalibur," "The Bounty," "The Dead Pool," but it was his lively portrayal of a hell-raising hill person in the Patrick Swayze revenge vehicle "Next of Kin" that made Hollywood perk up and take notice. The following year, Sam Raimi cast Neeson as Peyton Westlake aka Darkman, but it wasn't until Steven Spielberg entrusted the Irish actor with the title role in "Schindler's List" that he was off and running as a movie star.

When Neeson surprised moviegoers in 2008 by thriving as an action star in "Taken," he leaned heavily into the bit. Two sequels followed, as did "The A-Team," "Unknown," "Non-Stop," and "Run All Night." For more serious-minded fans of Neeson's work,...

Liam Neeson is, if nothing else, a very candid interview subject. Sometimes he's candid to a problematic fault. Regardless of how you feel about the man, however, you cannot accuse him of giving canned answers, which is what renders too many interviews unworthy of a reader's time.

With a film acting career that spans over 40 years, stretching back to his portrayal of the knight Gawain in John Boorman's Arthurian "Excalibur," the Irish-born Neeson has put together a career that prompts many questions. He went Hollywood early, and seemed stuck in a rut acting in forgettable films like "Suspect," "Satisfaction," and "The Good Mother." I didn't really take measure of him as a performer until he played Patrick Swayze's vengeful, incredibly lethal hillbilly brother in "Next of Kin." His high-pitched voice and not-entirely-hidden Irish lilt is actually perfect for an Appalachian hill person, and even though the film is just a studio programmer,...

For as prominent a genre as the Western is, it's a bit strange to think that a star like Patrick Swayze only made one during his career. While some consider Road Houseto fit most of the genre's conventions, and the miniseries North and South comes occasionally close to traditional Western antics, Swayze only ever made one traditional Western. However, there was another action flick that came dangerously close to the distinctly American genre — and we're not talking about Steel Dawn. No, the picture we're thinking of is the 1989 revenge thriller Next of Kin. Playing ordinary southerner-turned-Chicago detective Truman Gates, Swayze takes the law into his own hands here in this action movie that also stars Liam Neeson, Helen Hunt, Adam Baldwin, and, oddly enough, even Ben Stiller.

More than a decade after working together on the erotic thriller Chloe, Amanda Seyfried and director Atom Egoyan have reteamed for an “opera drama” / “meditative thriller” called Seven Veils, which XYZ Films and Variance will be bringing to theatres in the United States on March 7th. Along with the release date announcement comes the unveiling of a trailer, which can be viewed in the embed above.

Seven Veils sees Seyfried taking on the role of Jeanine, “a theatre director who is dealing with repressed trauma as she prepares to mount a production of the opera Salome.” Here’s the synopsis: Jeanine re-enters the opera world after several years away to stage her former mentor’s most famous work. Haunted by dark and disturbing memories from her past, Jeanine allows her repressed trauma to color the present as her personal and professional lives begin to unravel. Deadline notes that the movie...

While the franchise consists of seven movies, the Paranormal Activity movies in order is different chronologically than it is by release date. The main thread of the found-footage franchise follows the sinister demon "Tobi" as he terrorizes families and households throughout the decades. The complex lore of the Paranormal Activity movies begins with the original 2007 film that introduces Tobi and his primary anchor for most of the series, Katie. As the films continue, the expanding backstory and interweaving network of characters gradually reveal a rich, detailed universe of supernatural horror.

The franchise includes backstories, time travel, recurring characters, and connections to Tobi and Katie. With such an intricate chronology, the question of where to start with the Paranormal Activity movies can seem daunting. Two franchise installments are prequels, and two interact directly with Katie's past. There is also an unofficial non-canon Japanese sequel, Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night, but that...

Lola Petticrew, an Irish actor whose career has only recently gotten started, has had a recent run of movie and television performances that is setting up the actor for an impressive and celebrated filmography that fans will want to keep an eye on. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Petticrew began their professional career with the 2017 short film, Sparrow. Mainstream work came the next year, in 2018, when Petticrew appeared in small roles in Come Home and Next of Kin. While they would go on to have a notable movie career, it's TV where Petticrew has made the biggest impact.

Petticrew has identified as queer and non-binary since they were 14, though they consider their work in Dating Amber, a coming-of-age dramedy about two closeted teens in 1990s Ireland, as the moment they learned to fully embrace their gender and sexuality (via TheQueerReview). For most of their career, Petticrew has appeared in Irish TV and movie productions,...

Fans often appreciate 9-1-1's outlandish plotlines and believe that it's a big part of the franchise's charm. Like many other modern procedurals, the members of the 118 crew often have to juggle difficulties in their personal and professional lives. Of course, these aspects only make the show more entertaining for fans.

Yet, the show is also criticized for taking things a tad too far. While it's important for fans to extend their disbelief in situations like this, 9-1-1 sometimes makes this impossible. As such, the show risks making certain plotlines so unbelievable that not even avid fans can take them seriously.

A Woman Is Saved by Her Weighted Blanket Season 3, Episode 9, "Fallout"

Meteorites are dazzling aspects of nature and can be quite frightening at times. Yet, any fan will know that if you're hit by one of these giant rocks, you have a very small chance of surviving. However,...

9-1-1 has shocked viewers with its intense twists and turns since it first premiered back in 2018. Complete with a team of alluring firefighters, the 118 crew have experienced their fair share of intense events, all of which add to the audience's entertainment. Thus, this vibrant and diverse firefighter drama has managed to keep fans hooked for years.

Ryan Murphy also adds a touch of hysteria to this show, which is similar to a lot of his other work. Thus, fans get to enjoy a whirlwind of drama and surprise, particularly when it comes to some of the cases. But some of these cases are so intense that fans can only bear to watch them once.

A Man Gets an Unwanted Surprise From His Sushi Season 1, Episode 7, "Full Moon (Creepy Af)"

Although we are all aware of the risks that come from eating too much raw fish, most people roll their eyes...

Exclusive: Almost 25 years after Russell Crowe waged war on the Roman Empire — and won an Oscar for his trouble — in Gladiator, the actor is once again set to stir the warrior within for The Last Druid.

The movie will tell the story of a Roman Emperor who discovers a secluded Druid stronghold in the mountains of Caledonia. A peaceful Celtic elder (Crowe) must take up arms to protect his family and people from annihilation. Additional casting is underway.

Stuart Ford’s AGC is launching sales on the project for the AFM. Range Media Partners and CAA Media Finance arranged financing for the picture with Nostromo and are representing the U.S. rights.

Will Eubank (Underwater) is set to direct from a script he penned with Phil Gawthorne and Carlyle Eubank.

42’s Ben Pugh is producing alongside Range Media Partners’ Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Fred Berger, with Adrián Guerra also producing for Nostromo.

Fans of actor Bill Paxton — and we are legion — likely know that he made his directorial debut in 1980, helming the music video for Barnes & Barnes' immortal classic "Fish Heads." The video, made on a very, very low budget, featured Paxton as a buyer and enthusiast of the titular ichthyoid crania, shown throwing them a birthday party and generally enjoying their company. The video also featured a cameo from Dr. Demento, the famed Los Angeles DJ responsible for proliferating hundreds of well-known novelty hits, and for bringing "Weird Al" Yankovic to the world's attention. Paxton was a weird, wonderful man who ran on the fringes. The fact that he became a well-known mainstream star is kind of wild.

Paxton, of course, began appearing in feature films in the late 1970s and early 1980s, starring in notable genre films like "Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker" and "Mortuary." Many likely first noticed him in...

When you look at the true legacy of a scream queen there are a lot of options out there to choose from. When looking at the top of the heap though? I’d argue that there really is only one option. Jamie Lee Curtis has been making horror movies in 6 different decades now and while a lot of them are directly tied to her most famous franchise with 7 of her horror films being in the Halloween series, there’s so much more. In fact, her run from 1978 to 1981 includes the likes of Halloween 1 and 2, The Fog, Terror Train, and Prom Night. All of those movies have now been remade and are considered classics but there is one in there that doesn’t get talked about enough, was a bomb when it came out, but keeps getting better with age. While Halloween II came out and stole the spotlight in 1981, Road Games...

This February, Alvvays took a moment to think about how far they’d come. The Canadian indie-pop group was standing on the red carpet at the 66th Grammy Awards, a sentence that might have sounded delightfully absurd once. But their song “Belinda Says” — a shimmering highlight from 2022’s Blue Rev that interpolated a lyric from Belinda Carlile — was nominated for Best Alternative Music Performance, so there were lead singer Molly Rankin, keyboardist Kerri MacLellan, guitarist Alec O’Hanley, and drummer Sheridan Riley, answering questions on the same glitzy path walked that...

Oh, Canada debuting this week on the Croisette is high time to see lesser-seen Schrader on the Criterion Channel, who’ll debut an 11-title series including the likes of Touch, The Canyons, and Patty Hearst, while Old Boyfriends (written with his brother Leonard) and his own “Adventures in Moviegoing” are also programmed. Five films by Jean Grémillon, a rather underappreciated figure of French cinema, will be showing

Series-wise, there’s an appreciation of the synth soundtrack stretching all the way back to 1956’s Forbidden Planet while, naturally, finding its glut of titles in the ’70s and ’80s––Argento and Carpenter, obviously, but also Tarkovsky and Peter Weir. A Prince and restorations of films by Bob Odenkirk, Obayashi, John Greyson, and Jacques Rivette (whose Duelle is a masterpiece of the highest order) make streaming debuts. I Am Cuba, Girlfight, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Dazed and Confused are June’s Criterion Editions.

No matter how well you may get along with one another, family can be tough. Whether its harshly differing viewpoints or just small spats, theres no one out there who has a perfect relationship with their blood relatives. Such can be said twofold for the leading character of Jennifer Espositos (Spin City) directorial debut, Fresh Kills, as teenager, Rose Larusso, finds herself questioning the world she grew up in. Colliders thrilled to exclusively debut the trailer for the Quiver Distribution film, which arrives on June 14. Caught between the bond to her own flesh and blood and a life outside the crime-ridden underbelly of 1980s Staten Island, the trailer forces Rose to make an impossible decision - betray the ones she loves and live for herself, or betray herself and live for her family.

Atom Egoyan has revealed that he was so traumatized by the negative reception to his Ryan Reynolds-starring thriller The Captive at the Cannes Film Festival that he will never return again with a film.

The pedophilia thriller, starring Reynolds as a man dealing with the disappearance of his nine-year-old daughter, was widely panned by the Cannes critics corps when it world premiered in competition in 2014.

“It was actually the worst reviewed film that I ever did. We should never have taken it to Cannes,” the Canadian-Armenian director told a masterclass at the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra meeting in Qatar on Wednesday.

“It got this really crazy reception. It was in competition on the Friday night. I haven’t been to Cannes since because I just don’t ever want to come back to what we had that night. The last couple of films, we showed in Venice or Berlin.

Michelle Yeoh is set to star in Melanie Laurent’s action thriller The Mother with AGC International launching sales at EFM.

Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee will produce through Thunder Road (John Wick franchise) alongside Arthur Sarkissian and John Schramm, with Stuart Ford serving as executive producer for AGC Studios alongside 30West, which is financing the project.

Based on the screenplay by P.G. Cuschieri, The Mother follows an immigrant businesswoman who revisits her past in order to help her two teenage sons after they fall foul of a corrupt Boston police officer and a crime ring.

Production is scheduled to commence this summer.

The passing of Patrick Swayze was enough to break your heart. Has there ever really been anyone quite like him? At his best, Swayze was the type of guy who was equally at home playing romantic leads as he was dropping bad guys in action fare. Swayze’s career peaked in 1987, the year he danced his way to the top of the box office in Dirty Dancing. It made him a giant star, with him not only having one of the top-grossing movies of the year but also a huge hit song in a track off the soundtrack album, “She’s Like the Wind”.

While traditional thinking would have led to Swayze acting in a whole slew of romantic movies, he had something a little different in mind. Swayze wanted to become an action hero. The fact is, he was a natural for the genre. His dance training and general...

The episode of Wtf Really Happened to This Horror Movie covering Wolf Creek was Written and Narrated by Andrew Hatfield, Edited by Mike Conway, Produced by Lance Vlcek and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

One of the biggest and some would say overused tropes in horror movies is the killer stalking people in an outdoor setting. The main series for this is, of course, the Friday the 13th series but we have nearly countless other examples to pull from. Sometimes, like today’s entry, or The Burning, these stories and movies can be based on true events and make it even more frightening. Unlike The Burning, which is based on an urban legend with the true story being far from fact, Wolf Creek (watch it Here) had an original script that was tweaked to be based on the real life killers Ivan Milat and Bradley John Murdoch...

If there’s a moment that sums up the genius of Robbie Robertson, it’s the part in The Last Waltz when they play “It Makes No Difference.” All five brothers in the Band perform like they’re reading each other’s minds. Every detail is perfect: Robertson’s guitar, Rick Danko’s voice, Garth Hudson’s sax. They’re singing about loneliness, yet with the sound that only trusted comrades can make together. But you can hear that these guys are already mourning the death of their brotherhood. It’s their famous farewell concert,...

Brett Hadley, who starred as Genoa City police detective Carl Williams for more than a decade on the CBS soap opera “The Young and the Restless”, has died. He was 92.

Hadley died Wednesday, according to a Facebook post from his friend, Mary Ann Halpin.

“He has been my friend since I was 19 [y]ears old. We were in an acting class and were the bad kids in the class. We sat in the back and giggled,” she wrote, later adding, “I will miss his playful and deep conversation, his funny flirty giggle and twinkling eyes. He took his last bow and gracefully left us yesterday. Thank you to my dear sweet soul sister Darcy Lee Caplan for midwifing him out.”

Hadley’s friend of 30 years, Darcy Lee Caplan, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that he died on Wednesday of sepsis at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills.

We have some somber news to begin our Fanatic Feed on Friday, June 16, 2023.

Brett Hadley, who played Genoa City detective Carl Williams on The Young and the Restless, has died.

He was 92.

Soap Opera Digest broke the news. A cause of death has not been revealed.

Hadley joined the CBS daytime soap in 1980 and was a part of some of the most shocking storylines.

The actor initially departed in 1991, but the character remained present in Genoa City as the topic of several conversations.

Hadley returned to the role in 1998 as part of a storyline that found Carl attacked and near death.

In one of the wildest twists in soap history, viewers learned he had amnesia and disappeared from Genoa City to start a new life as Jim Bradley.

Hadley's final time playing Carl was in 1999. His former co-stars released statements to Soap Opera Digest about the actor's passing.

"The passing...

Brett Hadley, soap actor who starred as Carl Williams for two decades on “The Young and the Restless,” has died. He was 92.

Hadley died on Wednesday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, according to his friend Darcy Lee.

“We talked about movies and art.. and we laughed a lot! He even made me laugh on his death bed,” wrote Lee in a post. “He waited to pass tonight until my show was over and I walked out of the theatre. He took his last bow as I got into the car to come home. I will miss you terribly Brett Hadley – and thank you for being in my life.”

Throughout his career, Hadley appeared in films like “Next of Kin” and “The Mad Bomber” as well as television programs like “Marcus Welby, M.D.,” “The Waltons,” “The Rockford Files,” “Highway to Heaven” and CBS...

Brett Hadley, who starred as Genoa City police detective Carl Williams for more than a decade on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless, has died. He was 92.

Hadley died Wednesday of sepsis at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, his friend of 30 years, Darcy Lee, told The Hollywood Reporter. “He was a wonderful, sweet and kind man,” she said.

Hadley joined the daytime serial as the father of Doug Davidson’s Paul Williams in 1980 and remained with the show through 1990, when his character mysteriously disappeared.

Wouldn’t you know it, just as his onscreen wife, Mary (Carolyn Conwell), was about to remarry, Hadley returned in 1998 as a man named Jim Bradley. It seems a savage beating had left Carl with amnesia, and he would never remember who he was. He left the show for good in 1999.

“He was a delight to work...

Brett Hadley, best known for his longtime role as Genoa City police detective Carl Williams on The Young and the Restless, died Wednesday, according to Soap Opera Digest and his longtime friend, photographer Mary Ann Halpin, who shared the news on Facebook. Hadley was 92. A cause of death was not revealed.

Born on September 25, 1930, in Louisville, Ky, Hadley studied drama at the University of New Mexico. He began working in television in the early 1970s, with guest roles on numerous series including Room 222, The F.B.I., Ironside, Lucas Tanner, The Waltons and Kojak, as well as a major recurring role on Marcus Welby, M.D.

However, it was his role as no-nonsense Genoa City police detective Carl Williams on The Young and the Restless for which he is best remembered. Hadley joined the daytime soap in 1980 and played the role until 1991, when Carl became an off-screen unseen character who was “always...

Apple TV+ has been on a roll this year, continuously releasing new distinctive shows while focusing on quality rather than quantity. As a result, the streamer not only has a fantastic repertoire to choose from but also doesn't waste viewers' time by making them jump right into a promising series. With numerous successful additions this year, including Drops of God, Bad Sisters, Ted Lasso, and Last Thing He Told Me, it plans to extend its collection once again with the upcoming miniseries, Hijack.

Hijack is an upcoming British thriller series created by Jim Field Smith and George Kay. Idris Elba will feature in, and executive produces the series, which was first greenlit in April 2022. Elba's part will be rather distinctive, as his roles have always been somewhat non-James Bond-esque.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the actor felt the real-time storytelling was interesting, saying, "It takes a fresh approach to a thriller and hostage situation.

Linda Stevens inherited more than a house when her mother passed away; she also came into a wealth of fear. In the 1982 film Next of Kin, darkness closes in on Jackie Kerin’s character as she moves back to her rural hometown and honors her mother’s last wishes. Yet the longer she stays and digs into the past, the more Linda puts herself in danger. Death lurks around every corner of this Ozploitation classic.

There was a stretch of time where Australian horror was not commercially successful in its own homeland. The cinematic renaissance of the ‘70s and ‘80s (also known as the Australian New Wave) produced a number of homegrown horror films, yet the immediate public was not all that receptive. In fact, some of these films ended up being more beloved and victorious outside their birthplace. Next of Kin certainly did not find its audience until years later,...

A24 is ready to scare you silly (again). “Talk to Me,” the latest horror sensation from the world’s hippest movie studio, is coming this summer. And the deliciously creepy first trailer is here. Watch it above (if you dare).

The movie follows a young girl (Sophie Wilde), who recently lost her mother, and is coaxed into playing a game with an embalmed hand that supposedly opens up a door to the other side. Of course, things quickly escalate out of control, with a demonic force being unleashed (because of course). Apparently Australian teenagers have never heard of your classic Ouija board, because this is some next-level supernatural tomfoolery. (Don’t kids today just do TikTok dances and eat Tide pods?) Miranda Otto, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji and Zoe Terakes also star.

“Talk to Me” is directed by Danny and Michael Philippou, twin filmmaking brothers from Austrlia who...

Good Burger 2 is finally moving forward. The film is the oft-teased and long-awaited follow-up to the 1997 film Good Burger, which starred Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell as wacky fast food employees Dexter and Ed. The characters and the concept were born in a sketch on the Nickelodeon young adult comedy series All That and despite the film being a mild theatrical success it developed an increasing cult following in the years after its theatrical release.

Per Variety, it was announced on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon that Good Burger 2 has finally been given the green light, with both Kenan and Kel set to reprise their roles. The film will follow Dexter in dire straits after another failed invention, leading him to take back his old job at Good Burger, where Ed works with a brand new crew. The film is set to go into production this May...

For the fifth anniversary of her acclaimed sophomore LP Historian, Lucy Dacus has released a new video for the album’s cathartic opener, “Night Shift.” The clip comes ahead of a special red vinyl reissue of Historian, which will be out May 26th via Matador.

Starring Dacus and Yellowjackets star Jasmin Savoy Brown, the video was directed by Jane Schoenbrun (We’re All Going to The World’s Fair) and was filmed with a number of Dacus’ friends, including Liza Anne and E.R. Fightmaster. With symbolic references to The Wizard of Oz, it captures the uplifting spirit of strength and self-acceptance for which the tune has become so loved.

When the video reaches the song’s booming climax and Dacus’ croon repeats the refrain, “In five years I hope the songs feel like covers/ Dedicated to new lovers” over visuals of Dacus and Brown finding each other in the crowd, it’s...

Global sales shingle The Yellow Affair has acquired world rights to the modern love story “Power of Love” by German helmer Jonas Rothlaender, whose breakthrough movie “Fado” nabbed a Silver Hugo at Chicago and a German Film Critics’ for best feature debut.

Julia M. Müller and Luisa Leopold are producing for Germany’s StickUp Filmproduktion, in co-production with Misha Jaari and Mark Lwoff of Finland’s Bufo (“The Gravedigger’s Wife”).

The director’s sophomore feature film turns on power dynamics in a couple and the social norms expected of a male/female relationship.

Toplining the feature are Saara Kotkaniemi and Nicola Perot as Saara and Robert, both in their 30s, who set off on an extensive summer holiday in the Finnish archipelago.

Their love is a constant play with gender role clichés, yet behind the unconventional façade, they struggle with their own insecurities. Stuck on the island and influenced by its rough nature,...

Finland has responded to a spike in demand for its content with a slew of new series. As revealed by Laura Kuulasmaa, executive director at Audiovisual Producers Finland (Apfi), over 30 will be released this year alone, a 20% uptick on 2018.

“Compared to eight, ten years ago, when there were maybe only five scripted series per year, the increase has been huge,” she tells Variety ahead of French TV festival Series Mania’s “Focus on Finland” showcase.

The Film in Finland cash rebate has facilitated international investments and growth of the budgets, she notes.

Matti Paunio, head of production at the Finnish Film Foundation, adds:

“I think the biggest trend overall is the diversification of subjects and points of view. Scripts and series are more courageous, they take on different genres more often than ever. Production is booming, but apart from the quantity, we are also providing quality.”

According to Paunio, about 47% of writers,...

As the industry starts paying closer attention to Finnish films and talent – following the Cannes success of Juho Kuosmanen’s “Compartment No. 6” and Zaida Bergroth’s crowd-pleasing “Tove” – Finnish TV drama is next in line, argued the participants of the Berlinale Series Market Focus on Finland drama showcase. Kuosmanen premiered short-form series “Zone B,” which he co-created, at the Red Sea International Film Festival in December.

“We have seen a rise in Finnish stories, because as content creators and writers, we got to be a little bit braver,” said Minna Panjanen, now behind “Next of Kin”. “The truth is, everyone needs content right now. It’s almost a mathematical impossibility to say what would be the next big thing – we all saw it with ‘Squid Game’. But we need to be braver in order to stand out.”

In “Next of Kin”, set in the near future – the series is...

J Balvin has dropped a glossy new video for his song “F40.” The video arrives alongside the announcement for the upcoming deluxe edition of the singer’s recent album, Jose, which originally came out in September.

The deluxe edition, set for release Dec. 17 via Universal Music Latino, will arrive with five new digital bonus tracks, including the new song “Ego” and three remixes of “In Da Getto.”

Rolling Stone praised Balvin’s work on Jose, noting that “while he doesn’t break new ground on the record, Jose showcases an...

Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin (2021) took a lot of people by surprise. Dormant since 2015's Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, many fans were left wondering if they would ever see another film in the series. Following the same formula that its predecessors did, Next of Kin is a found-footage supernatural horror film that follows its protagonist on a journey of discovery - to some pretty terrifying results.

Growing up in an adopted family, Margot never knew her mother, Sarah, or any of her blood relatives. Like any movie protagonist in this situation, Margot feels compelled to search for answers and decides to document her experience along the way. At the beginning of the film, she contacts a young Amish man named Samuel she believes is her cousin. Samuel agrees to take her back to his settlement and introduce her to her family. She takes him up on his offer and travels with her friends,...

At the movies, I don’t scare easily, but the “Paranormal Activity” films have usually found a way to get under my skin, at least for a few moments. They’ve been coming out since 2007, and in all that time they’ve turned into their own genre, with its own tropes and shivers. But the forces behind the series — led by the independent horror mogul Jason Blum, who “Paranormal Activity” first put on the map —must have realized, around the time of “Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension” (2015), that the series was starting to run on fumes. It had become a fear franchise of diminishing returns (creatively and at the box office), and that’s why “The Ghost Dimension” was presented as the final film in the series.

You knew they couldn’t stick to that. But “Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin,” which is the seventh “Paranormal Activity” film and the first in six years,...

It’s been a while since we last had a Paranormal Activity released to help usher in the Halloween season (six years to be exact), but William Eubanks’ Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin officially arrives on Paramount Plus this weekend, and the script from Christopher Landon does an admirable job of finding new narrative terrain to traverse for this latest entry in the series that genuinely made me excited as a long-time Paranormal Activity fan. Next of Kin doesn’t necessarily follow the tried and true formula that established Paranormal Activity as this huge moment in modern pop culture, but I think breaking out of that mold here is what helps make this latest Pa film stand out a bit, as this new direction breathes some much needed new life into the franchise as a whole, and makes me eager for another film in the future if Next of Kin does well enough.

Editor’s note: The following review contains spoilers for “Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin.”

Is it problematic to admit that an overnight stay in an Amish country farmhouse seems ripe for a horror movie setting? Without revealing too much about the plot of “Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin” off the bat, the seventh and latest chapter in the mega-hit horror franchise manages to alleviate that particular stickiness with a last-minute twist. Before the whole devil-worshipping-cult stuff happens, the movie is fairly respectful of Amish cultural practices, even if it uses them as ornamentation.

Keeping in line with previous “Paranormal Activity” entries, “Next of Kin” stays true to its found footage roots with a funny but workable indie documentary premise. The result is . Like most studio horror movies these days, it looks a lot better than it should, and slaps a bit less.

“Next of Kin” centers on a young woman...

Bloody Disgusting’s V/H/S/94 is now on Shudder and next up in the found-footage game is a new Paranormal Activity, which is heading straight to Paramount+ this fall. We now have a massive image gallery for Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin, which has a screenplay from Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day, Freaky) with William Eubank (The Signal, Underwater) directing. In the new film… […]...

Recently seen in a small role in Marvel's Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Julia Louis-Dreyfus has reportedly signed on to star in new fantasy comedy Tuesday. While little is known about the plot, the A24/BBC Film co-financed movie has been described as a "mother-daughter fairytale". The vagueness of the brief synopsis means there is a lot of directions this could go, but based on the credentials of the cast and crew there is likely to be a few laughs on the way.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus takes on the role of the mother of the title character, Tuesday, who will be played by up and coming Lola Petticrew. The Irish actress has appeared in a number of roles since making her tv debut in 2018 mini-series Next of Kin, including Bloodlands and My Left Nut as well as the movies Dating Amber and A Bump Along The Way. She will next be...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

The Dark and the Wicked (Bryan Bertino)

How then does a life-long atheist like Louise (Marin Ireland) and Michael’s (Michael Abbott Jr.) mother (Julie Oliver-Touchstone) become a believer in God? She hears the voice of the Devil. She witnesses evil incarnate and accepts her inability to combat its seemingly inevitable goal. And if she cannot stop it from terrifying her with whispers about how it is going to take the soul of her dying husband (Michael Zagst) to Hell, what besides God can? Only when they can no longer act on their own behalf do the faithless turn to Him for help. Maybe she prays. Maybe she collects...

Leading Finnish streaming company Elisa Viihde is partnering up with A+E Networks on a new original series, “Next of Kin,” a mystery drama set in the near future.

The eight-part series is scheduled to begin filming this week in Helsinki, Finland, and will be distributed worldwide by A+E Networks. “Next of Kin” will the first original drama to bow on Elisa Viihde Viaplay, the upcoming streaming service that will be jointly launched by Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent Group) and Elisa Viihde this fall.

“Next of Kin” takes place in Helsinki and poses some fundamental questions about humanity. The series follows Liv, who decides to discover what happened to her DNA sample when it was stolen from a biobank, but she unknowingly ends up being pursued.

“Next of Kin” is headlined by a strong Nordic cast, including Nika Savolainen (“Shadow Lines”) and Elmer Bäck (“Idiomatic”), as well as Matleena Kuusniemi...

Throughout his sixteen feature films, prolific Toronto-based, Egyptian-born filmmaker Atom Egoyan has explored obsession, modern technology, fragmented families, the unreliability of memory, and multicultural tensions embodied within Canada. His latest film, Guest of Honour, recalls his earlier films––including Family Viewing, Speaking Parts, The Adjuster, and Exotica––in a story featuring David Thewlis as a food inspector and Laysla De Oliveria as his adult child, wrongfully convicted of a crime she did not commit but agrees to serve the time for, in order to atone for other sins.

An intimate thriller told through the unreliable memories of its protagonist’s daughter, Guest of Honour is now available via Kino Marquee, supporting Virtual Cinemas. We spoke to Egoyan about the inspirations behind hiis latest film, launching at Venice and TIFF last year, and its place in his career spanning three and a half decades since his first feature, 1984’s Next of Kin.

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

The Beach House (Jeffrey A. Brown)

There’s a lot to like about Jeffrey A. Brown’s feature directorial debut The Beach House, from its gorgeous production design to its ruminations on mankind’s fragility when compared with Mother Nature’s hardier offerings (despite our penchant for believing we hold dominion over Her). It’s therefore easy to appreciate the reason Emily (Liana Liberato), Randall (Noah Le Gros), Mitch (Jake Weber), and Jane (Maryanne Nagel) have arrived at a site that may end up being their tomb because we’re quick to ignore the baked-in irony too. This was supposed to be an escape from life’s struggles—a...

Tarence Ray and Tom Sexton from the Trillbilly Worker’s Party take Joe and Josh on a cinematic journey through the South.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011)

The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia (2009)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Deliverance (1972)

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Boogie Nights (1997)

In Bruges (2008)

The Birds (1963)

Cleopatra (1963)

The Blind Side (2009)

Moneyball (2011)

Next of Kin (1989)

Speed (1994)

Gravity (2013)

Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)

Hustle and Flow (2005)

Black Snake Moan (2007)

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

Black Snake (1973)

Mandy (2018)

Sling Blade (1996)

One False Move (1992)

The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)

George Washington (2000)

Prince Avalanche (2013)

Halloween (1978)

Halloween (2018)

Halloween: H20 (1998)

Halloween (2007)

Joe (2014)

All The Real Girls (2003)

Chrystal (2005)

The Accountant (2001)

O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000)

Wild River (1960)

The Ladykillers (2004)

The Ladykillers (1956)

Baywatch (2017)

Tin Men (1987)

52 Pick-Up (1986)

Gremlins (1984)

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

Mad Max (1978)

Mad Max 2 – The Road Warrior (1980)

Alien (1979)

Aliens (1986)

Fire Down Below (1997)

Coal Miner’s Daughter...

As a life-long appreciator of Atom Egoyan–trust me on this one–Guest of Honour is one of his stranger pictures veering occasionally into the territory of dark comedy. While his later works (especially Remember and Captive) have yet to reach a return to the emotional resonance of his back-to-back masterpieces Exotica and The Sweet Hererafter, his latest film is a scrappy Southern Ontario indie that actually harkens back to his earliest work that kicked off the so-called Toronto New Wave, including Next of Kin, The Adjuster, and Speaking Parts. The film itself is a mystery buried deeper than it ought to be in a confessional as Veronica (Laysla De Oliveira) sits down with Father Greg (Luke Wilson) to discuss the passing of her father Jim (David Thewlis). She notes his motivations were often very strange–as if we’d come to expect anything else in an Atom Egoyan picture.

Viveik Kalra is likely not a name you know, unless you happened to have seen the Sundance TV mini-series Next of Kin (he had a supporting role in it) or caught his other series Beecham House on PBS earlier this summer. But Kalra has been getting a great deal of acclaim since January when his […]

The post ‘Blinded by the Light’ Star Viveik Kalra on Taking a Crash Course in Bruce Springsteen [Interview] appeared first on /Film.

We’ve got some new details to share with you in regards to Showtime and Steven Spielberg’s long awaited Halo series. Pablo Schreiber is set to star in the series in the role of Master Chief and I’m pretty damn excited to see how this show turns out!

Showtime President of Entertainment Gary Levine recently talked about the series and shared some insight that I think fans of the franchise will be interested in knowing. One of the things he revealed is that fans can expect a series that will almost be an R-rated universe, which puts it in the PG-13 category.

“We want to be able to satisfy the gamers, but this is a human portrait, so violence is going to have consequence. It will sort of belong in our PG-13 almost R universe of shows. I’m not sure what age you’re talking about, but again,...