News

US research suggests that 92 minutes is the optimum length for a film. But I have sat through long films that felt short and short films that felt buttock-annihilatingly long

I can still remember sitting down to Theo Angelopoulos’s legendary epic film The Travelling Players and noting that it was 222 minutes long and thinking … sure, cool, two hours and twenty-two minutes, tiny bit on the long side, Ok, nothing I can’t handle. The truth hit me just as the house lights were starting to dim and that spasm of unease came back into my mind reading about the new US research survey that suggests that 92 minutes is the “perfect” length for a film.

The “perfect” length? What does that even mean? Larry David fans will remember his magnificent resentment in Curb Your Enthusiasm when someone tries to think of something nice to say about his hugely unsuccessful feature film...

Larry David left Seinfeld after its seventh season and directed a screenplay of his called Sour Grapes. Then, in 1999, he produced a one-hour special called Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm for HBO. A year later, the first full season of Curb Your Enthusiasm premiered.

Related: Every Season Of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Ranked According To IMDb

After eight successful seasons, the show took a six-year hiatus, leaving fans uncertain of its future. Then season nine premiered in 2017, and the show is now between its tenth and eleventh seasons, making it the longest-running fictional HBO series ever. Here are the top 10 episodes from each of Curb's ten seasons, ranked.

John Prine, who for five decades wrote rich, plain-spoken songs that chronicled the struggles and stories of everyday working people and changed the face of modern American roots music, died Tuesday at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He was 73. The cause was complications related to Covid-19, his family confirmed to Rolling Stone.

Prine, who left behind an extraordinary body of folk-country classics, was hospitalized last month after the sudden onset of Covid-19 symptoms, and was placed in intensive care for 13 days. Prine’s wife and manager,...

Back in 2016, John Prine was having trouble writing new songs. It had been more than a decade since his last album, 2005’s excellent Fair & Square, and the longer he waited to release a new one, the more anxious he felt. “One of the reasons I’m having such a difficult time is, I don’t wanna just sit down and write a little couplet that’s kind of witty, or something,” he said, sitting in his Nashville office. (He didn’t use the term “office” seriously — he didn’t consider his job work.

Picturehouse Entertainment has taken Jerry Rothwell’s The Reason I Jump, which had its world premiere at Sundance, for the U.K.

A release date will be announced later.

Based on the international best-seller by Naoki Higashida, and translated by British novelist David Mitchell, the film is an exploration of neurodiversity through the experiences of nonspeaking autistic people from around the world.

The film at the Sundance Film Festival won the World Cinema Documentary Audience Award.

Rothwell’s previous work includes How to Change the World, which Picturehouse Entertainment released in 2015, along with Sour Grapes, Donor Unknown, Heavy Load and Deep Water.

The acquisition ...

Picturehouse Entertainment has taken Jerry Rothwell’s The Reason I Jump, which had its world premiere at Sundance, for the U.K.

A release date will be announced later.

Based on the international best-seller by Naoki Higashida, and translated by British novelist David Mitchell, the film is an exploration of neurodiversity through the experiences of nonspeaking autistic people from around the world.

The film at the Sundance Film Festival won the World Cinema Documentary Audience Award.

Rothwell’s previous work includes How to Change the World, which Picturehouse Entertainment released in 2015, along with Sour Grapes, Donor Unknown, Heavy Load and Deep Water.

The acquisition ...

Comedian Jo Koy is about to bring his brand of funny to the big screen. Deadline has confirmed that Amblin Partners and Dan Lin’s Rideback are set to collaborate on Easter Sunday, a comedy inspired by the Filipino stand-up’s life experiences.

The film, which will be very much a Filipino narrative written by Ken Cheng, will be set around a family gathering to on the high holy holiday of Easter. Amblin Partners’ Holly Bario will oversee production while Lin and Jonathan Eirich are set to produce. Koy said in a statement that is a “dream come true” for him to work with Amblin and is honored to “have them help bring my personal stories to the big screen.”

Koy will serve as executive producer alongside Joe Meloche and Rideback’s Nick Reynolds. Cheng will also serve as Ep alongside She Hulk‘s Jessica Gao and Silicon Valley star Jimmy O. Yang.

Exclusive: Film financier and fund manager Samuel Ha has opened the doors to Bound Entertainment, a new studio focused on global stories and Asia co-productions in film and TV, while also publishing web comics for the U.S. and Korea.

Heading up film and TV in the Los Angeles office is 10-year-international feature development vet Jamie Lai, whose credits include co-producing the South Korea-China co-production Bounty Hunters ($32M China box office) starring Lee Min-ho and Tiffany Tang. Lai was also the former lead media producer for Wanda’s movie parks. At Bound, she will focus on bringing content and talent from Korea and Asia, and ramping up a genre-driven IP library.

Ha is the former executive fund manager at Union Investment Partners, Korea’s largest private investor in film and entertainment. He was the executive producer on Bong Joon Ho’s Okja and the associate producer on his Snowpiercer. Other...

Jack Burns, a comedian, writer and actor known for writing on “The Muppet Show” and “Hee Haw,” acting on “The Andy Griffith Show,” and his comedy partnership with George Carlin, has died at the age of 86, his manager Peter Santana confirmed to TheWrap Tuesday.

“He has been in senior care for the last two years in good spirits and surrounded by friends and cases of Diet Coke,” Santana said. “He was as sharp as a tack mentally but had not walked for two years. He achieved many great achievements but his most recent was hitting the 31 year sober mark in December. Truly a sweet and talented man.”

Burns began his career in show business in the 1960s by way of his duo with Carlin. The two made a comedy album together in 1963 called “Burns and Carlin at the Playboy Club,” and also had a radio show together at Kxol in Fort Worth,...

If you've followed Suits since the beginning, then you know one thing is certain: Nothing for Louis ever goes the right way. 

On Suits Season 8 Episode 7, Louis was happy to learn that he and Sheila were expecting a child, and while the lawyer got a bit ahead of himself, it was typical of Louis to act the way he did. 

Having Louis and Sheila together again was surprising in the first place, especially when you consider that it's one step forward, and two back with Louis. 

There was no emotional weight behind the pregnancy reveal so early into "Sour Grapes." It seemed like the type of news Sheila would want to share with her man over a nice dinner. 

Then again, the pair has been battling the odds to conceive a child. I can get on board with her being so excited that she absolutely had to call him at work to let him know.

There's drama coming for Terra Jolé. In tonight's upcoming episode of Little Women: La, the women come to a head about Terra's latest business venture, Black Girl Moscato. In this exclusive clip, Tonya Banks confronts Terra in front of all of the girls about her decision to bring her on as a partner with Black Girl Moscato late in the game. Meanwhile, Elena and Jasmine argue about the salon. Check out the video above to watch the exlusive first look at tonight's episode! Terra had previously received backlash from her co-stars when she first revealed her idea to them. In the episode "Sour Grapes," which aired on April 11, she made her announcement, leaving the ladies stunned by her name choice. "I have a business partner that approached me about creating a moscato. As of this week we are dotting the ‘i’s and crossing the ‘t’s, and I...

Syria doc Last Men In Aleppo will open the Copenhagen documentary festival.

Cph:dox has announced the full programme for its first spring edition (March 16-26), boasting 200 films including 75 world premieres.

The festival will open with Last Men In Aleppo [pictured], which was directed by Firas Fayyad and co-directed by Steen Johannessen.

Other highlights include a new cultural summit Cph:meetings – about the political and social role of art in society; a Vr cinema; a new children’s programme; a new science section; a focus on the rise of populism; and an 11-film programme curated by musician Anohni.

Themes to be explored include the rise of populism and a “talk show” about the alternative facts of Donald Trump and Steve Bannon.

The children’s programme will include titles such as Obscure about kids with Ptsd; Childhood about a Norwegian kindergarten in the forest, and a film about Chinese children whose parents are in prison, Waiting For The...

Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.

Honors and Tributes

– The 28th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will present the film “La La Land” with the Vanguard Award at its annual Film Awards Gala. The award is presented to the film’s cast and director recognizing its outstanding creative ensemble. Cast members Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone and director/writer Damien Chazelle are expected to attend.

The Film Awards Gala, hosted by Mart Hart, will be held Monday, January 2 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The Festival runs January 2 – 16.

– The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has today that Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling will be presented with the 2017 Outstanding Performers of the Year award on Friday, February 3, 2017 for their remarkable performances in Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land.” This marks the first...

Next month, Netflix has a wide variety of films — modern to classic, animated to live action, Oscar winners to romantic comedies — and we’ve picked seven that you should watch once they’re made available on the streaming service. Enjoy.

1. “Under the Sun” (available November 11)

Directed by Vitaly Manski, the documentary follows a year in the life of a family in Pyongyang, North Korea as their eight-year-old daughter, Zin-mi, prepares to join the Korean Children’s Union on the Day of the Shining Star.

2. “The Ivory Game” (available November 14)

Directed by Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani and produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, the documentary sheds a light on the seedy underbelly of elephant poaching in Africa and black market ivory trading in China.

Read More: ‘The Ivory Game,’ Produced By Leonardo DiCaprio, Is a Shocking Look at an Underground Marketplace — Telluride Review

3. “Just Friends” (available November 14)

On a lighter note, who...

There isn’t anything quite like popping the cork and pouring a quality glass of wine. One where the flavour surrounds your tongue as thirst is quenched for a split second – yet many fine wines can cost you a pretty penny. But then you have those with enough money and the inclination to invest properly, and […]

The post Sour Grapes Review appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: What better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? This week […]

The post This Week In Trailers: Klown Forever, Sour Grapes, Rams, The Lost Arcade, The Trolls, The Seventh Fire appeared first on /Film.

Competition titles revealed; retrospectives of Ken Loach and Chantal Akerman; speakers include HBO documentaries president Sheila Nevins and revered filmmaker Da Pennebaker. Scroll down for competition films

Sheffield Doc/Fest (June 10-15) has unveiled the programme for its 23rd edition, including 160 feature and short documentaries, an alternate realities line-up and a series of on-stage interviews and debates with major filmmakers and industry figures.

As previously announced, Michael Moore’s Where To Invade Next will open the festival with the Us documentarian in attendance at Doc/Fest for the first time since 1998.

The UK premiere and Q&A will be live streamed to 114 cinemas across the UK through distributor Dogwoof. It marks the second time Doc/Fest has streamed its opening, following Pulp: A Film About Life, Death & Supermarkets in 2014.

There are a total of 27 world premieres, 15 international, 19 European and 52 UK premieres with documentaries from 49 countries including Mexico, Cuba, China and Peru.

Competition titles...

Competition titles revealed; retrospectives of Ken Loach and Chantal Akerman; speakers include HBO documentaries president Sheila Nevins and legendary filmmaker Da Pennebaker.Scroll down for competition films

Sheffield Doc/Fest (June 10-15) has unveiled the programme for its 23rd edition, including 160 feature and short documentaries, an alternate realities line-up and a series of on-stage interviews and debates with major filmmakers and industry figures.

As previously announced, Michael Moore’s Where To Invade Next will open the festival with the Us documentarian in attendance at Doc/Fest for the first time since 1998.

The UK premiere and Q&A will be live streamed to 114 cinemas across the UK through distributor Dogwoof. It marks the second time Doc/Fest has streamed its opening, following Pulp: A Film About Life, Death & Supermarkets in 2014.

There are a total of 27 world premieres, 15 international, 19 European and 52 UK premieres with documentaries from 49 countries including Mexico, Cuba, China and Peru.

Competition titles...

Hot Docs has announced 14 documentary features that will screen in this year¹s Special Presentations program, joining 15 selections previously announced. Special Presentations features a high-profile collection of world and international premieres, award winners from the recent international festival circuit and works by master filmmakers or featuring some star subjects.

Notable subjects featured as part of the Special Presentations program include activist Bobby Sands ("Bobby Sands: 66 Days"), musicians David Byrne, Nelly Furtado and St. Vincent ("Contemporary Color"), filmmaker Brian de Palma ("De Palma"), former NFL defensive back Steve Gleason ("Gleason"), Canadian rapper Shad and hip-hop stars Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash ("Hip-Hop Evolution"), Afghan rapper and activist Sonita Alizadeh ("Sonita"), artist Frida Kahlo ( "The Legacy Of Frida Kahlo"), and comedians Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman and Carl Reiner ("The Last Laugh").

Award winners from the recent international festival circuit include "Life, Animated" (Directing Award: U.S. Documentary, Sundance 2016), "Trapped" (U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Social Impact Filmmaking, Sundance 2016), and "Sonita" (World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary and Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary, Sundance 2016).

Special Presentations will screen as part of the 2016 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, running April 28 to May 8. Ticket packages and passes as well as single tickets are now on sale online and at the CraveTV Box Office at Hot Docs House, located at 610 Markham Street.

Special Presentation titles are below:

"The Age of Consequences"

D: Jared P. Scott | USA | 2016 | 78 min | World Premiere

Sounding an alarm over the critical and disturbing effects of societal inaction, this revealing film highlights the irreversible impacts of climate change‹resource scarcity, mass migration and conflict‹through the lens of global stability and national security.

"American Movie"

D: Chris Smith | USA | 1999 | 107 min | Cinema Eye Legacy Screening

In this beloved cult classic, an aspiring filmmaker struggles to complete a hilariously lo-fi horror film, only to be derailed by personal demons and the staggering ineptitude of his production team.

"Bobby Sands: 66 Days"

D: Brendan Byrne | Ireland, UK | 2016 | 105 min | World Premiere

This riveting account of a turning point in the Troubles in Northern Ireland is taken straight from the diary of Bobby Sands, who led protests of imprisoned Irish Republicans and a hunger strike with momentous consequences.

"Contemporary Color"

D: Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross | USA | 2016 | 96 min | International Premiere

An extraordinary lineup of top music stars including event mastermind David Byrne of The Talking Heads, Nelly Furtado, St. Vincent and more perform live with 10 ³colour guard² teams‹perfectly synchronized students in pep-rally choreography‹in this one-of-a-kind, kaleidoscopic event.

"De Palma"

D: Noah Baumbach, Jake Paltrow | USA | 2015 | 107 min | Canadian Premiere

From Carrie to Mission: Impossible to Scarface and beyond, Brian de Palma has created some of cinema¹s most iconic work. In this career-spanning, funny and candid conversation, he reveals his unique perspective on life, work and the past 50 years in film.

"Gleason"

D: Clay Tweel | USA | 2016 | 110 min | International Premiere

At age 34, former NFL defensive back and New Orleans hero Steve Gleason was diagnosed with Als. With limited time left to live, he purposefully records his spirited and inspiring life‹a heartfelt time capsule for his newborn son.

"Hip-Hop Evolution"

D: Darby Wheeler | Co-d: Scot McFadyen, Sam Dunn | Canada | 2016 | 90 min | World Premiere

Acclaimed Canadian rapper Shad travels to the Bronx and Harlem to talk with hip-hop¹s originators and biggest stars‹Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash among others‹tracing its evolution from underground to global phenomenon.

"The Last Laugh"

D: Ferne Pearlstein | USA | 2016 | 85 min | International Premiere

Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman, Carl Reiner, a 90-year-old Auschwitz survivor and others uproariously debate and test the limits of comedy¹s ultimate taboo: how to joke about the Holocaust, or if it¹s even ethical to try.

"The Legacy of Frida Kahlo"

D: Tadasuke Kotani | Japan | 2015 | 89 min | Canadian Premiere

A renowned Japanese photographer inventories iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo¹s wardrobe and personal belongings, recently discovered 58 years after her death, lending deserved importance to fashion and ³women¹s work,² while resurrecting the dead through clothing and talismans.

"Life,Animated"

D: Roger Ross Williams | USA | 2015 | 91 min | International Premiere

Disney cartoons play a key role in helping a young autistic boy communicate and understand the world around him in this moving testament to coming-of-age through fantasy, from Academy Award­winning director Roger Ross Williams.

"Sonita"

D: Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami | Iran, Germany, Switzerland | 2015 | 90 min | Canadian Premiere

After her family attempts to sell her into marriage, a young Afghan refugee in Iran channels her frustrations and seizes her destiny through music. Grabbing the mic, she spits fiery rhymes in the face of oppressive traditions.

"Sour Grapes"

D: Jerry Rothwell | USA, France | 2016 | 96 min | World Premiere

Controversy erupts when an unassuming young man floods the American market with fake vintages valued in the millions, bamboozling wine snobs and the super-wealthy alike, in this suspenseful tale of excess on the eve of the 2008 crash.

"Trapped"

D: Dawn Porter | USA | 2016 | 80 min | International Premiere

American women¹s right to abortion is no longer clear, as 288 dubious laws slyly crafted by the right have decimated access. While a watershed Supreme Court battle looms, witness the human stakes of the right to choose.

"Under the Gun"

D: Stephanie Soechtig | USA | 2016 | 110 min | International Premiere

With razor-sharp arguments and insight, Stephanie Soechtig and Katie Couric (the team behind Fed Up) craft a gripping indictment of American gun culture, meeting communities shattered by shootings and exposing the politics that allow the epidemic of violence to persist.

'Saint Joan': Constance Cummings as the George Bernard Shaw heroine. Constance Cummings on stage: From sex-change farce and Emma Bovary to Juliet and 'Saint Joan' (See previous post: “Constance Cummings: Frank Capra, Mae West and Columbia Lawsuit.”) In the mid-1930s, Constance Cummings landed the title roles in two of husband Benn W. Levy's stage adaptations: Levy and Hubert Griffith's Young Madame Conti (1936), starring Cummings as a demimondaine who falls in love with a villainous character. She ends up killing him – or does she? Adapted from Bruno Frank's German-language original, Young Madame Conti was presented on both sides of the Atlantic; on Broadway, it had a brief run in spring 1937 at the Music Box Theatre. Based on the Gustave Flaubert novel, the Theatre Guild-produced Madame Bovary (1937) was staged in late fall at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre. Referring to the London production of Young Madame Conti, The...

It’s been a couple months since the last edition of What’s Up Doc? placed Michael Moore’s surprise world premiere of Where To Invade Next at the top of this list and in the meantime much shuffling has taken place and much time has been spent on various new endeavors (namely my Buffalo-based film series, Cultivate Cinema Circle). Finally taking its rightful place at the top, D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hagedus’ Unlocking the Cage is in the midst of being scored by composer James Lavino, according to Lavino’s own personal site. Though the project has been taking shape at its own leisurely pace, I’d expect to see the film making its festival debut in early 2016.

Right behind, the American direct cinema masters is a Texan soon to make his non-fiction debut with Voyage of Time. Just two weeks ago indieWIRE reported that Ennio Morricone, who scored...

Constance Cummings in 'Night After Night.' Constance Cummings: Working with Frank Capra and Mae West (See previous post: “Constance Cummings: Actress Went from Harold Lloyd to Eugene O'Neill.”) Back at Columbia, Harry Cohn didn't do a very good job at making Constance Cummings feel important. By the end of 1932, Columbia and its sweet ingenue found themselves in court, fighting bitterly over stipulations in her contract. According to the actress and lawyer's daughter, Columbia had failed to notify her that they were picking up her option. Therefore, she was a free agent, able to offer her services wherever she pleased. Harry Cohn felt otherwise, claiming that his contract player had waived such a notice. The battle would spill over into 1933. On the positive side, in addition to Movie Crazy 1932 provided Cummings with three other notable Hollywood movies: Washington Merry-Go-Round, American Madness, and Night After Night. 'Washington Merry-Go-Round...

Count Mike Epps among the people piling on to Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's terrible week ... 'cause the movie star tells TMZ Sports the NFL will be far Less Shady now that the Pats have been punished.  Epps was out in NYC promoting his (and LeBron's) new show "Survivor's Remorse" when we asked the die hard Colts fan how he felt about the NFL upholding Tom Brady's suspension. Fyi -- the Colts...

Bells is the belle of the ball.

Bellamy Young, who plays Scandal‘s First Lady Mellie Grant, has converted her first-ever acting nomination into a deserved win, at this year’s Critics’ Choice Television Awards – and against stiff competition.

“What’s awesome, I feel, is that I am alive and working in a time when women are increasingly being allowed to be complicated — to be morally ambiguous, to be empowered and emancipated and unpredictable,” the actress shared with TVLine on the eve of her momentous night. Surveying the roster of those who likely will next be vying with her for...

ABC’s Rookie Blue returned to duty on Thursday night with a pair of episodes that averaged 5.7 million total viewers and a 1.0 rating, down from its Season 4 opener (6 mil/1.2) but adding audience versus its September finale (4.7 mil/1.0).

Opening ABC’s night, the relocated Black Box (4 mil/0.7) added a few eyeballs but was flat in the demo.

Related Rookie Blue Post Mortem: Andy/Sam’s Future, Nick’s Next Step and More

Over on Fox’s, Hell’s Kitchen (4.9 mil/1.8) rose two tenths week-to-week to match a Big Bang rerun (7.5 mil/1.8) for the nightly demo win. Gang Related (2.6 mil/0.9) ticked up a tenth.

Warning: If you have yet to watch Thursday’s Season 5 premiere of Rookie Blue, avert your eyes now. Everyone else, read on…

The cops of Rookie Blue returned to ABC on Thursday night, and so did the heartache.

Andy, essentially, broke things off with Nick to be with her ex Sam. But just when it looked like the pair was finally ready to give it a real go, Andy told Sam she needed space after his sister scared her off with a spiel about Sam shutting down.

Related Rookie Blue Casts Being Erica‘s Erin Karpluk in Mysterious Role

So...

Company also records deals on The Last Impresario.

Dogwoof has announced a string of deals on Advanced Style [pictured] and The Last Impresario.

Lina Plioplyte & Ari Seth Cohen’s Advanced Style inked all-rights deals in Scandinavia and the Baltics (Non Stop Entertainment) and in Japan (New Select Co.), while Gracie Otto’s The Last Impresario sold to Canada (KinoSmith) and Italy (I Wonder Pictures).

Ana Vincente of Dogwoof brokered the deals, with market screenings taking place over the weekend for additional territories.

Also on Dogwoof’s Cannes slate are Alex Gibney’s Sundance premiere Finding Fela and Jerry Rothwell’s Sour Grapes, currently in production.

Even after 18 seasons of the smash franchise, perhaps no Bachelor has earned as much tabloid ink for his on- (and off-) camera -behavior as Juan Pablo Galavis. Since this season's premiere, the Venezuelan sports consultant, and single dad to daughter Camila, has been mired in near constant controversy. He has provoked the ire of die-hard fans for some questionable comments off-air as well as the on-air rage of the women he was supposed to be wooing. His first runner-up, Clare Crawley, upon being let go after Galavis, 32, had reassured her of a possible future together, snapped, "I would never want...

Where others may diagnose death for a failed film, a certain cinematic surgeon endeavors to breathe new life into moribund movies through extreme and invasive procedures. Whether it be rescuing invaluable elements from train wrecks for transplant, identifying cause of symptoms or resurrecting doomed patients with wholesale rewrites, Cinematic Surgery aims to show that even the most tragic or insolvable cases can be saved in the operating/editing room.

Such is the current culture in the filmmaking world that the very notion of suggesting ‘remake’ is considered sacrilege, a soul selling throw down to the cynical moneymakers bleeding dry a stable of beloved movies of the past in pursuit of sales through nostalgia and association, all to the detriment of goodwill and creativity. But the problem isn’t in the concept, it’s in the choices.

On occasion, there has been a film put out that sells itself through the strength of its tantalizing premise,...

Dogwoof to handle pre-sales on Sour Grapes.

UK-based distributor Dogwoof has boarded pre-sales for Sour Grapes, currently in production, a documentary that tells the story of one of the greatest wine fraud cases in the Us.

Directed by Jerry Rothwell, who previously made documentaries Deep Water and Town of Runners, the film unfolds as a heist thriller in the vintage wine market, following the rise and fall of wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan.

The deal was brokered by Vesna Cudic, head of TV sales and acquisitions at Dogwoof with Met Film Production producer Al Morrow and Faites Un Voeu producer Catherine Simeon.

It marks the third third partnership between Dogwoof and Met Film Production following Town of Runners and Village at the End of the World.

Dogwoof came on board at the production stage after seeing an initial pitch at Sheffield Doc/Fest. Completion is set for late 2014.

Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David have a secret. Or so Seinfeld said yesterday in his Reddit Ama. Asked what the most mundane thing is that he and David (co-creators of Seinfeld) have obsessed over, he replied, "We never obsess over anything that isn't mundane. Most recent was intentional mumbling. We wrote this script for this thing that you will eventually see but I can't reveal what it is at this time. All I can do is tell you that it's big, huge, gigantic. Even bigger than that Amazon package." (He...

French President François Hollande boycotting Sochi, Pope Francis fights back against Marxist charges, has Elvis been reincarnated in the body of a sixteen year old French Canadian?

The great Peter O’Toole has passed away at the age of 81. An eight time Oscar nominee with a career that spanned over 50 years, O’Toole is perhaps best known for Lawrence of Arabia, but continued to churn out movies until his retirement in 2012.

French President François Hollande will not be attending the Sochi Games, nor will any high ranking French government officials. He did attend the London Games. No reason was given, but given his politics the human rights issues in Russia are the most likely cause. The United States is yet to announce their official delegation. Denying Russia the pomp of world leaders is starting to feel like a very nice protest. Hit them in their ego.

Paul Dini, who has worked on Tiny Toon Adventures,...

Thiiisss ... is Ryan Seacrest getting Obliterated by his former "American Idol" executive producer, who called "Million Second Quiz" the worst TV show he's seen in a while. Here's the backstory ... last night, we shot ex-"Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe in NY ... and asked him to name the most unwatchable piece of crap he's seen on the tube lately. Nigel barely took a beat ... before telling us, "Million Second Quiz," that Seacrest-produced disaster that aired on NBC earlier this year.

Has fan, will wave it. That describes just one of Christina Aguilera’s unruly antics in the following exclusive video of outtakes from this week’s Blind Auditions on The Voice.

Video | Reality Check: Your Deep Dive into Early Standouts on The Voice! Plus: Are the Coaches Really Flying ‘Blind’?

Press play below to watch Xtina tease Adam, threaten to throw things at Blake and come up with a new Voice theme song called “Sour Grapes.” Plus, there’s Adam skipping, Cee Lo imploring the audience for more help and Blake just being his usual charming self.

The Voice airs...

Larry David's new HBO film Clear History is in some ways a more successful reboot (and atonement?) of the 1998 film Sour Grapes, which he wrote and directed. David often has joked about that film's failures, but he seems to have learned from mistakes in a way his characters never do. Clear History covers similar ground to Sour Grapes -- money, greed and vengeance -- but David taking the lead role this time is what brings the whole work together. He also has collaborated with some of the writers (Alec Berg, David Mandel, Jeff Schaffer) from his long-running HBO series Curb

read more...

Larry David stars in HBO Films' "Clear History," the story of Nathan Flomm (David), a marketing executive at a start-up electric car company who sells his shares after a fight with his boss (Jon Hamm), and consequentially misses out on making a fortune when the company finds success.

David (who also served as the film's writer) joined director Greg Mottola at the Television Critics Association Summer 2013 press tour to discuss the project, which also stars Bill Hader, Philip Baker Hall, Kate Hudson, Michael Keaton, Danny McBride, Eva Mendes, Amy Ryan and J.B. Smoove.

When asked whether he's ever come close to making a billion-dollar mistake -- like threatening to quit "Seinfeld" -- David pointed out, "That wasn't a threat -- I did quit! Let's just say the show might not have been good ... I quit a couple of times, but the show was hardly off the ground at that point,...

HBO have released a teaser trailer for the upcoming Clear History, a film starring and co-written by Larry David and directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad). In it, the usually balding and clean-shaven creator of Curb Your Enthusiasm is given a full head of flowing locks and a giant beard, driving an open-topped sports car and singing along to some classic rock.

Entertainment Weekly revealed that the film will also star Jon Hamm, Bill Hader, Kate Hudson, Eva Mendes, Danny McBride, and Michael Keaton, and will stick to Larry David’s signature style of improvised dialogue over a structured story. Most excitingly of all, J.B. Smoove will also be joining the cast – his chemistry on Curb Your Enthusiasm was electric, and he can always be depended-upon to make a good scene great.

But what’s the story? Well, Larry David plays Nathan, a hipster marketing executive who sells his shares in...

With the turn of a new year, the uncomfortably futuristic sounding 2013, comes twelve more months of cinematic gold, silver and bronzed offal. There will be Supermen, more Hollywood remakes of cult Korean cinema, at least one memorable meltdown and the continuation of Marvel’s epic campaign of terror against bewildered audiences. But amidst the blockbuster A-list and populist spotlight of public consciousness smaller things will be occurring, whirling cogs that are put in motion purely to make sure I get what I want. These are the things we want to see happen in film this year.

A year ago I hoped for five things and got two and a half, with Leo DiCaprio waiting for the last moment to shine as the villainous Calvin Candie in Django Unchained, while Megan Fox disappeared almost completely from our screens during a barren year and Taylor Lautner’s agent earned no calls aside...

Sour grapes much, Ann Coulter? Moments after a debate in which Barack Obama was widely seen as the winner, the conservative columnist referred to the president as "the retard." "I highly approve of Romney's decision to be kind and gentle to the retard," she tweeted. Also read: Debate Review: Obama Fixes Bayonet as Romney Tries to Stay Above the Fray This is the part of the story where we're supposed to talk about what this means for the campaign and whether Obama and Mitt Romney will react and Coulter's history of insensitivity and shocking...

Round 2000 of the merry-go-round involving Caroline Manzo and Teresa Giudice continued on Sunday’s episode of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Note: Spoilers if you haven’t watched Sunday’s episode, “Hot Tub Of Sour Grapes” The last time we saw the New Jersey crew, they had all gathered together for a nice dinner to mark their...Read more»...

You could cut the tension with a knife all season long between Real Housewives of New Jersey stars, and former friends, Caroline Manzo and Teresa Giudice. But after their big fight in next week's all-new episode, the ladies will square off once again in a pre-recorded Watch What Happens Live special, titled One on One.

Video - On The Set of Melissa Gorga's Music Video

Immediately following Sunday's episode, titled Hot Tub of Sour Grapes, Andy Cohen will moderate a conversation between Caroline and Teresa, as they detail all the developments that led to their massive falling out.

Video - Meryl Streep Slays on Wwhl

And now you can get an early sneak peek with two exclusive clips, only on TheInsider.com!

The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs every Sunday at 10 p.m. on Bravo, and Watch What Happens Live One on One will air August 26 at 11 p.m. immediately...

You could cut the tension with a knife all season long between Real Housewives of New Jersey stars, and former friends, Caroline Manzo and Teresa Giudice. But after their big fight in next week's all-new episode, the ladies will square off once again in a pre-recorded Watch What Happens Live special, titled One on One.

Video - On The Set of Melissa Gorga's Music Video

Immediately following Sunday's episode, titled Hot Tub of Sour Grapes, Andy Cohen will moderate a conversation between Caroline and Teresa, as they detail all the developments that led to their massive falling out.

Video - Meryl Streep Slays on Wwhl

And now you can get an early sneak peek with two exclusive clips, only on TheInsider.com!

The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs every Sunday at 10 p.m. on Bravo, and Watch What Happens Live One on One will air August 26 at 11 p.m. immediately...

Larry David's working on a new, improv-heavy movie for HBO (that will costar Jon Hamm), but what's it about? According to the La Times, the untitled film casts David as a man who gives up his shares in an electric car inventor's project and then stews on his missed opportunity when the car becomes a huge hit and makes the inventor rich. That may sound a bit like Sour Grapes, the 1998 film David wrote and directed where Steven Weber loans Craig Bierko two coins for a slot machine and then stews on his missed opportunity when Bierko hits the jackpot, making him rich. The moral of this story: If you suddenly come into money, maybe wait a little while to tell Larry David.

A star-studded Larry David movie could be coming to HBO. The premium-cable network has acquired the rights to a film project from the "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" creator that stars David, Jon Hamm and Michael Keaton, according to an exclusive report from the L.A. Times' Steven Zeitchik.

The project was originally going to be released in theaters by Fox Searchlight. But Searchlight was "unprepared to match HBO's budget ceiling." Although Zeitchik cautions "deals are not done," he reports that talks between HBO and David are underway that will "probably" end in an agreement.

The TV-movie could be a great move for "Mad Men" star Hamm, who's spent the last few years making a bevy of cameos in comedies ranging from "Bridesmaids" and "Saturday Night Live" to "30 Rock" and Funny or Die videos. The prospect of him as a vehicle for Larry David dialogue could be hilarious.

Then again,...

In a recent interview, Michael Keaton talked about his involvement in a new Larry David movie that sounds very similar, at least in set-up, to David's long-running HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm (meaning there's lots of improv and not much more than a generally outlined script). It looks like David is going in a different direction from his last feature film, 1998's universally panned Sour Grapes (it's still difficult for fans to understand how this movie went so wrong), which certainly seems like a good thing. Hit the jump for more details on the project, including what Michael Keaton had to say. Larry David has chosen a fellow member of his bald brotherhood, Greg Mottola (Superbad), to direct (an odd choice over his long-time collaborator Larry Charles?). Though aren't many details about the film out yet, as Michael Keaton laughed about in a recent Grantland interview: Daniel: So what's the Larry David thing you're doing?...

The last feature film that Larry David wrote was Sour Grapes. The 1998 comedy, also directed by David, starred Steven Weber and Craig Bierko and although it put them in a very Curb Your Enthusiasm type situation--one cousin wins big on a slot machine with a coin borrowed from the other --it just didn.t have the same effect without David in front of the camera. Or, maybe the film fell flat because he was also the man behind it and the comedian doesn.t exactly have a track record of directing, having never even helmed an episode of either Curb Your Enthusiasm or Seinfeld, which he helped create back in the day. For his next big screen project, still untitled, he's fixing both things by not just starring in it but also by hiring Adventureland.s Greg Mottola to direct. With Larry.s well documented love for his fellow bald...

Seinfeld creator and Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David has had a tremendous impact on television comedy over the past twenty years or so, and even though he has already conquered that world, he still keeps coming back for more seasons of Curb. There is, however, one area where success has eluded him after all these years, and that is on the big screen. Aside from a handful of small cameos (most recently in The Three Stooges), he has only had one major starring role thus far: the Woody Allen dud Whatever Works. He also wrote and directed the 1998 comedy Sour Grapes, which also failed both critically and commercially. Based on that experience, it's no wonder he has shied away from film, but the good news is that it looks like Ld is about to give the movie biz one more shot. Let's just hope that the third time's the charm.

Some contestants who made it through were then sent packing in a new, cruel turn of events.

By Adam Graham

Contestants audition during "American Idol" Vegas week

Photo: Michael Becker / Fox

"American Idol" opened with 70 contestants Thursday (February 16) and ended with 42, as the Las Vegas cuts — referred to alternately as "brutal," "painful" and "deep" — lived up to their billing.

Some who made it through on the strength of their performances were later told they, in fact, didn't make it through, a new twist. The twist wasn't given a name, but it should have been called the "Gotcha!" — as in, "Oh, you thought you were going to go on to achieve your dream of being a singer? Gotcha!"

In Vegas, contestants were asked to form groups and sing songs from the '50s and '60s onstage at the Aria hotel, home to the "Viva Elvis" show.

The episode began, as all future "Idol" episodes should,...

Earlier today, reports surfaced that former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi had been captured and killed by rebel forces. And since its never too early to consider the political impact of any big news, let's first take a look at Senator Marco Rubio (R-fl), who appeared on Fox News this morning and seemed to give more credit to French and British-led Nato forces over anything accomplished by U.S. forces, or the Obama administration. Sour grapes, or just politics as usual?...

Tonight on "Survivor: South Pacific," we have one of those disgusting (and by "disgusting," we mean "awesome") challenges where the contestants have to gnaw on a pig carcass and spit what they can onto a scale. Excellent.

Post-Tribal

Stacey and Christine bond at Redemption Island. Stacey is pretty mad about being voted off and she should be - she was Not the weakest person on that tribe. She is completely ready to jump ship should she get to go back into the game.

Meanwhile, Brandon is hurt because everybody hates that he's a Hantz. I'm with him on this one - he's a weird little dude, but it's terrible to hate someone because of who their uncle is. That's silly.

Redemption Island

Albert/Mikayla go for Upolu, Dawn/Whitney go for Savaii. Christine and Stacey spill some beans about their dysfunctional tribe. They also keep calling Coach by his real name,...