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“The Cannon Film Guide is a treasure trove of info for Golan/Globus fans. Even diehard Cannon scholars will learn from this tome.” – Paul Talbot, author of the Bronson’s Loose! books

The unbelievable story of the legendary 1980s B-movie studio continues in The Cannon Film Guide Volume II, which covers the company’s output from 1985 to 1987, their peak production years under maverick moguls Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus. This highly-anticipated sequel to the original Cannon compendium takes an up-close look at sixty Cannon movies, from deep cuts to cult classics, including American Ninja, The Delta Force, Over the Top, Invasion USA, Masters of the Universe, Runaway Train, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, King Solomon’s Mines, Lifeforce, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, and many more. Order the book Here

With hundreds of photos and more than forty interviews with Cannon directors, writers, and stars, this is an indispensable reference book for...

Andrei Konchalovsky’s historical drama won the special jury prize in Venice.

The UK’s Curzon Artificial Eye and France’s Potemkine Films have acquired Andrei Konchalovsky’s Dear Comrades!, in a series of fresh deals by Films Boutique.

The historical drama, which is Russia’s Oscar submission and earned a special jury prize at Venice, has also been picked up for Canada (Films We Like) and Japan (New Select).

It follows a recent deal with US distributor Neon, which previously handled the release of Bong Joon Ho’s South Korean Oscar-winner Parasite.

Berlin-based international sales outfit Films Boutique previously...

by Nathaniel R

Russia has announced that Andrey Konchalovskiy's Dear Comrades!, a Grand Jury Prize winner in Venice, will be their selection for the Oscars. This is the third time Russia has selected Konchalovsky to submit them. The 83 year old director is deeply tied to Russian cinematic history. He's the elder brother of Russia's most Oscar-loved director Nikita Mikhalkov (Burnt by the Sun) and he began his career writing and working for the legendary Andrei Tarkovsky (on Ivan's Childhood and Andre Rublev) in the early 1960s before launching his own directorial career.  He even tried his hand at English language films in the 1980s making Duet for One with Julie Andrews and the underappreciated Shy People with Barbara Hershey. His first Russian submission House of Fools in 2002 was unsuccessul. His second submission, the hugely lauded Paradise  in 2016, got close to the nomination, securing a finalist spot for itself. Will...

Venice’s Special Jury Prize-winning “Dear Comrades!,” a Russian historical drama directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, has been sold by Films Boutique to Southern Europe.

“Dear Comrades!” was acquired for Italy by Paolo Del Brocco at Rai Cinema and for Spain by the Barcelona-based distributor Vercine.

The film, which sheds light on the Novocherkassk massacre, was produced, co-written (with Elena Kiseleva) and directed by Konchalovsky, a revered and now veteran Russian auteur who is best-known for directing “Runaway Train,” “Duet For One” and “House Of Fools.”

Shot in black and white, the politically-minded film retells the tragic events of 1962, when the Soviet Union military opened fire on workers from a construction plant who were staging one of the first street protests in Soviet Russia. The movie stars Julia Vysotskaya (”Paradise”).

“Dear Comrades!” world premiered in main competition at the Lido to strong reviews and went on to win the Special Jury Prize.

Andrei Konchalovsky’s feature played in Competition on the Lido.

Berlin-based international sales outfit Films Boutique has announced a number of deals on its Venice Competition title Dear Comrades!, directed by veteran Russian auteur Andrei Konchalovsky.

Dear Comrades! premiered in Venice this week to strong reviews. Set in the early 1960s, it tells the story behind the strike which led to the so-called ‘Novocherkassk Massacre’.

Deals have now been concluded with Benelux (Cherry Pickers), the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Film Europe), Greece (Weird Wave), Portugal (Legendmain Filmes), ex-Yugoslavia (McF Megacom), the Baltics (A-One Films Baltic), Bulgaria (Beta Film Ltd), and...

Stage and screen acting legend Max Von Sydow, who starred in The Seventh Seal and appeared in The Exorcist, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Flash Gordon, and Game of Thrones, died on March 8 at the age of 90, according to Variety.

“It is with a broken heart and with infinite sadness that we have the extreme pain of announcing the departure of Max von Sydow,” his wife, the producer Catherine Brelet, said in a statement.

Von Sydow made his Hollywood debut as Jesus in the 1965 Biblical epic The Greatest Story Ever Told. This gave him the authority to observe “if Jesus were alive today and saw what they are saying in his name, he would never stop throwing up” in Woody Allen’s 1986 film Hannah and Her Sisters. Von Sydow had the power to compel Satan as Father Merrin in William Friedkin’s 1973 horror classic The Exorcist and Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), directed by John Boorman.

Max von Sydow, the tall, tragic-faced Swedish actor whose name was virtually synonymous with the films of Ingmar Bergman, has died. He was 90.

Variety has confirmed that the actor died on Sunday.

Von Sydow, who became Bergman’s symbol for the modern man in such films as “The Passion of Anna” and “Shame” after making his Bergman debut as the errant knight in “The Seventh Seal,” also had an unusually prolific career in Hollywood and international films.

He made his American debut in the role of Jesus Christ in George Stevens’ turgid 1965 epic “The Greatest Story Ever Told” and went on to make strong impressions with audiences in “The Exorcist,” Woody Allen’s “Hannah and Her Sisters,” David Lynch’s “Dune,” “Three Days of the Condor,” “Hawaii,” “Conan the Barbarian” and “Awakenings.”

Von Sydow worked for other Scandinavian directors as well, drawing an Oscar nomination for his role in Bille August...

Sin Photo: Courtesy of PÖFF Andrei Konchalovsky Photo: Courtesy of PÖFF Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky will receive one of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival's two lifetime achievements awards later this month.

The festival, which runs from November 15 to December 1, will also screen his latest film Sin - a portrait of the Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti - along with 2002's Chechen war drama House Of Fools.

Konchalovsky’s career spans over five decades, with films including The Story of Asya Klyachina (1966) and Uncle Vanya (1970) to The Postman’s White Nights (2014) and Paradise (2016). He has also made English-language film, including Runaway Train (1985) Maria’s Lovers (1984), Duet for One (1986), Shy People (1986) and Homer and Eddie (1989).

He has won accolades including the Venice Silver Lion, the Cannes Grand Jury Prize, Karlovy Vary's Crystal Globe and the Sebastian Golden Shell.

He also won an Emmy for best director for his small screen work with The Odyssey...

“An extraordinary career which has admirably parsed popular success with artistic ambition, without ever bowing to facile compromises.”

Oscar-winning English actress Julie Andrews will receive the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the 76th Venice International Film Festival.

She was chosen by the Biennale board of directors chaired by Paolo Baratta on the recommendation of festival director Alberto Barbera.

“Her first Hollywood movie, Mary Poppins, gave her top-tier star status, which was later confirmed in another treasured film, The Sound of Music,” said Barbera. “Those two roles projected her into the Olympus of international stardom, making her an iconic figure...

"The Sound of Music" is not just a wonderful film; it's perhaps the single most timeless Hollywood musical with the most uniformly beloved songlist in film history. Julie Andrews' performance as the nurturing, free-spirited Maria Von Trapp was an instant sensation, a legendary portrayal that helped "The Sound of Music" unseat "Gone with the Wind" as the highest grossing film to date. If the charming hooks of "Do-Re-Mi" and "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" aren't sumptuous enough, the movie's sonic splendor deepens with the classic anthem "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and the adorable, yet incredibly moving "So Long, Farewell." At every turn in Robert Wise's classic there is another tune, performance, or charismatic bit of Von Trapp choreography to renew our faith in the power of the Hollywood musical.  In honor of the movie's 50th anniversary and new re-release on Blu-ray and Digital HD, we had the unspeakable honor of...

It was rumored earlier this year that Liam Neeson would return to reprise his role as Ra's al Ghul in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises. He was spotted on the set of the film, but until today there's been no confirmation of his involvement. Warner Bros. made the announcement in the production notes for the film that says,

Neeson next appears in Peter Berg's actioner "Battleship," and he also will be seen in Christopher Nolan's much-anticipated action thriller "The Dark Knight Rises.

It makes perfect sense to me that his character would be back as this Batman finale as we've heard Nolan would bring everything back around in full circle in the franchise. I can't wait to see what this film has in store for us! I just can't help but think it's going to be mind blowing.

Josh Pence is playing Ra's al Ghul in the films flashbacks.

Jessica Chastain, The Help 2012 Oscar Predictions – Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Albert Brooks, Kenneth Branagh, Nick Nolte, Viggo Mortensen The list of potential Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nominees is nearly as long as the list of female cast members in Tate Taylor's socially conscious comedy-drama The Help. In fact, several The Help actresses are either likely or possible Oscar contenders. Much like in the Best Supporting Actor category, in which only Christopher Plummer is a true shoo-in for his role in Mike Mills' Beginners, the only shoo-in in the Best Supporting Actress category is The Help's Octavia Spencer, winner of a Golden Globe, and a SAG Award and BAFTA nominee. Now, how could North American critics' fave Jessica Chastain not be a shoo-in? Well, Chastain is a near shoo-in. Though not a strong probability, it's certainly possible that she won't get enough first/second place votes...

A small independent cafe in London's West End, frequented by actors since 1965, is facing closure. Now it has become the subject of an A-list campaign to save it – and a focus for growing discontent over the homogenisation of the high street

From first-night parties to snacks grabbed on the way to rehearsal, one small cafe has served the actors, dancers and musicians of London's theatreland for nearly five decades with reliable congeniality. Hit shows have come and gone, stars risen and fallen, but the falafels at Gaby's Deli have remained a crowd-pleaser. Until this Christmas, however, when the future suddenly looked bleak for the West End institution, as a planning application was passed for its redevelopment as a chain restaurant.

The Charing Cross Road deli appeared to be facing the prospect of "going dark" for good, until its theatrical neighbours stepped in to attempt a rescue, transforming it overnight – panto-style...

Our good friends at Premiere Scene have sent us this wonderful interview with highly acclaimed Russian Writer, Producer and Director Andrey Konchalovsky. His body of work includes the internationally acclaimed ‘Romance for Lovers’ (1974), ‘Maria’s Lovers’ (1984), ‘Runaway Train’ (1985), ‘Duet for One’ (1986), ‘Homer and Eddie’ (1989) starring Whoopi Goldberg, the 80s action-packed Sylvester Stallone/Kurt Russell movie ‘Tango and Cash’ (1989) and his Russian-French co-production of ‘House of Fools’ (2002), which went onto win an Honour at the Venice Film Festival.

Konchalovsky reminisces about his experiences of making films in 1960′s Russia, working with 3D technology and the significance of film festivals for the promotion of movies. Fans of Russian cinema and Konchalovsky’s works will have the opportunity to hear him introduce ‘Gloss’ and also attend a special Q&A after the screening of ‘House of Fools’at the Barbican Centre this week.

Details of which can be found at the Barbican Centre’s site here.

To celebrate the 75th birthday of the great Julie Andrews, our favorite singing governness, our favorite magical nanny, our favorite gender bending toast of Paris. Something big was in order. Why, she's practically perfect in every way... so in her honor, a resurrection of a long dormant exhaustively researched 100% true* series that was once the Film Experience's most popular feature.

1935 Julia Wells is born to Mrs. Barbara Wells in Surrey, England. Mr. Wells is not the father. Scandal! This bastard child will one day become the icon of squeaky clean family entertainment. She won't always enjoy it. At her christening the good fairy Fauna grants her the gift of song

One gift, the gift of song,

Melody your whole life long!

The nightingale her troubadour,

Bringing his sweet serenade to her door.(We figure that's the only way you get a voice that lovely.)

1940 Having already recognized the fairy's generous gift,...

Keira Knightley's heavily criticized stint in a London production of "The Misanthrope" has earned her a nomination for one of Britain's Laurence Olivier Awards. The actress has been hit with a slew of bad reviews for her part in an adaptation of the Moliere classic, which marked her debut on the West End stage and is currently playing at the Comedy Theater.

But the poor reviews haven't stopped Knightley from being named in the Best Supporting Actress category by jurors of the prestigious Olivier Awards, the highest honors in British theater. The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star will compete against Hayley Atwell ("A View From the Bridge"), Michelle Dockery ("Burnt by the Sun"), Alexandra Gilbreath ("Twelfth Night"), Rachael Stirling ("The Priory") and Ruth Wilson ("A Streetcar Named Desire").

Meanwhile, Hollywood actress Rachel Weisz was shortlisted for a Best Actress prize for her performance as Blanche DuBois in "A Streetcar Named Desire...

London -- Hollywood stars Rachel Weisz, Jude Law, Keira Knightley and Gillian Anderson were nominated on Monday for Laurence Olivier Awards, British theatre's top accolades.

Anderson and Weisz are contesting the best actress category for their turns in "A Doll's House" and "A Streetcar Named Desire" respectively, and are up against Imelda Staunton ("Entertaining Mr Sloane"), Juliet Stevenson ("Duet For One") and Lorraine Burroughs ("The Mountaintop").

Knightley was nominated for a best supporting actress award for "The Misanthrope," her West End debut.

In the best actor category, Law is shortlisted for his portrayal of the title role of Shakespeare's "Hamlet," while James McAvoy, also best known for his films, is nominated for "Three Days of Rain."

With six nominations apiece are Lucy Prebble's "Enron," about the collapsed U.S. energy trading company, and "Jerusalem," Jez Butterworth's portrayal of less-than-idyllic life in rural England.

The Royal Court Theatre garnered...

Keira Knightley's heavily criticised stint in a London production of The Misanthrope has earned her a nomination for one of Britain's Laurence Olivier Awards.

The actress has been hit with a slew of bad reviews for her part in an adaptation of the Moliere classic, which marked her debut on the West End stage and is currently playing at the Comedy Theatre.

But the poor reviews haven't stopped Knightley from being named in the Best Supporting Actress category by jurors of the prestigious Olivier Awards, the highest honours in British theatre.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star will compete against Hayley Atwell (A View From The Bridge), Michelle Dockery (Burnt By The Sun), Alexandra Gilbreath (Twelfth Night), Rachael Stirling (The Priory) and Ruth Wilson (A Streetcar Named Desire).

Meanwhile Hollywood actress Rachel Weisz was shortlisted for a Best Actress prize for her performance as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, and will go up against Gillian Anderson (A Doll's House), Imelda Staunton (Entertaining Mr Sloane), Lorraine Burroughs (The Mountaintop) and Juliet Stevenson (Duet For One).

Jude Law's turn in Hamlet faces competition from James Earl Jones in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, James McAvoy for Three Days Of Rain, Mark Rylance (Jerusalem), Ken Stott (A View From The Bridge) and Samuel West (Enron).

In the musical categories, former Spice Girls star Melanie Chisholm is up for a Best Actress statue for her role in Blood Brothers, while Rowan Atkinson's stint as Fagin in Oliver! has scored him a Best Actor nod.

The winners will be named in a ceremony at London's Grosvenor House Hotel on 21 March.

• Tony and Pulitzer prize winner "August: Osage County" landed on Monday's short list for the Evening Standard awards honoring the best of West End theater. Also vying for the top prize of best play are "Enron," "Jerusalem" and "Punk Rock." Deanna Dunagan earned a nod for recreating her Tony-winning performance as a manic matriarch in "August" and competes against three British talents -- Penny Downie ("Helen"), Juliet Stevenson ("Duet for One") and Rachel Weisz ("A Streetcar Named Desire"). Unlike the Oliviers in the spring which are akin to the Tony Awards, these prizes sponsored by London's top-selling local paper focus primarily on plays. The awards -- judged by a panel of theater critics --...

The Almeida Theatre?s sell-out production of Tom Kempinski?s two-hander Duet for One will transfer to the Vaudeville Theatre for a 12 week limited run, performances from 7 May with press night on 12 May. Juliet Stevenson and Henry Goodman play Stephanie Abrahams and Dr Feldmann, re-creating their critically acclaimed performances seen at the Almeida in Matthew Lloyd?s production which completes its run this weekend. Design is by Lez Brotherston with lighting by Jason Taylor and sound by John Leonard. Duet for One is produced in the West End by Lee Dean and Jenny Topper.