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Michael Fassbender is one of those actors who can just take on any role, completely transform himself, and make you forget you’re watching an actor. Whether he’s playing a mutant mastermind in X-Men, a tech visionary in Steve Jobs, or a fearless warrior in 300, he has proven time and again that he’s got serious acting chops.

Michael Fassbender on The Graham Norton Show | Credit: YouTube

But beyond the intense performances and award nominations, there’s a whole other side to Michael Fassbender that people might not know of. Well, take, for example, if you knew he once dreamed of being a rockstar. No, right? So buckle up, Fassbender fans, because we’re diving into some of the most surprising and little-known facts about this insanely talented star.

10. He’s half Irish, half German

Born on April 2, 1977, in Heidelberg, Germany, to a German father, Josef, and an Irish mother,...

Guillermo del Toro often draws inspiration from the works of other great filmmakers and incorporates them into his own movies to create a visually indulging cinematic experience. He has always expressed admiration for Stanley Kubrick’s films, although he mostly prefers the ones most people dislike.

Guillermo del Toro / Credits: BBC

While this is not entirely an unpopular opinion, it’s worth noting that del Toro’s favorite Kubrick movies have greatly influenced his works, and therefore it meant that they resonated with him in ways that we can only understand once we’ve immersed ourselves in his films.

Guillermo del Toro reveals his favorite Stanley Kubrick movies

During the release of Guillermo del Toro’s 2015 movie, Crimson Peak, he spoke with Little White Lies and revealed that the waltz sequence was a direct reference to Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon. “It was, it was. Curiously, it’s one of my favorite Kubrick films,...

Earning a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes is a feat few filmmakers have achieved. Indeed, many of the most acclaimed films of all time have nevertheless failed to impress at least one certified critic on the website. Therefore, in the rare event that a film does earn a perfect score, it is worth exploring how it managed to win over every critic on Rotten Tomatoes that saw it. One such film is Santosh (2024), a new thriller directed by Sandhya Suri. The film, which centers on a widowed woman who takes her late husband's place on the local police force, is the U.K.'s submission for Best International Feature at the upcoming Academy Awards. So far, all 39 critics on Rotten Tomatoes are pretty much unanimous in their praise of both the film's technical elements and its uncompromising themes of sexism, police corruption, and caste discrimination in India.

'Santosh' Is...

Since her explosion onto the film scene in 2008's Twilight, Anna Kendrick has risen to become a permanent fixture in Hollywood, portraying a variety of different roles. From aspiring music producer Beca Mitchell in Pitch Perfect to Cinderella in Into the Woods, she's seemingly done it all. However, perhaps none of her performances have been more powerful than that of Alice in the 2022 thriller Alice, Darling, which has recently climbed to the number three spot on Hulu's Top 10 most-watched movies.

Helmed by first-time director Mary Nighy, Alice, Darling focuses on Kendrick's character of Alice and the psychologically abusive relationship she finds herself in with her boyfriend, Simon (Charlie Carrick). As she vacations with her two best friends, Tess (Kaniehtiio Horn) and Sophie (Wunmi Mosaku), without Simon's knowledge, she gets the chance to reevaluate her life, but not before her controlling partner shows up, which leads to a tense...

Critical consensus is overrated. Rotten Tomatoes may have trained movie-lovers to quantify a movie's worth with a percentage score in recent years, but some of the best movies ever made deeply divided critics and audiences alike. Early Hollywood star Katharine Hepburn made plenty of divisive films in her career, from the John Wayne-led Western "Rooster Cogburn" to her first Oscar-winning film, "Morning Glory," to the bold interracial marriage dramedy "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner." Time Out once called the latter, which earned 10 Oscar nominations upon release, "a wishy-washy, sanctimonious plea for tolerance, directed with Kramer's customary verbosity and stodginess."

It's a truth universally acknowledged that good movies sometimes get trashed by certain critics, but that makes the rare film that achieves complete critical consensus all the more interesting -- if not always necessarily better than the more polarizing films. Plenty of great actors only have one 100% Rotten Tomatoes score under their belt,...

Amy Adams' latest endeavor puts her in the shoes, and paws, of an artist-turned-stay-at-home mom who also happens to turn into a four-legged canine sometimes. Nightbitch releases today, December 6, and the reviews are piling in. The mixed response to the unique horror-comedy has resulted in a 60% score on Rotten Tomatoes. With the book the film is based on, Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder, also receiving mixed reviews upon its release in 2021, the story seems to be a fairly divisive one in general.

The magical realism-style story about a mom who transforms into a dog every so often just hit theaters following its previous screening at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. While many praise Adams for her performance and director Marielle Heller for her expertise, the film still seems to fall flat for some viewers. In her review for The Washington Post, film critic Jen Yamato gave Nightbitch a 2/4, writing, "It’s...

Courtesy of Eureka Entertainment

by James Cameron-wilson

Perhaps surprisingly, Juggernaut is being released on Blu-ray for the first time in the United Kingdom, from a high-definition restoration, to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. When Juggernaut was first released in cinemas in 1974, it was at the height of the disaster movie era, following on from The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and, in the same year, Airport 1975, Earthquake and The Towering Inferno, all stories featuring numerous sundry characters trapped together in terrifying circumstances. However, Juggernaut was a very different thing, both in its execution and in its presentation. Loosely inspired by the bomb hoax on board the QE2 luxury liner in 1972, the film was originally to have been directed by Bryan Forbes. However, when Forbes jumped ship, he was replaced by the American TV director Don Medford, who also left the project at the last minute, leaving the production company with the enormous daily...

Hugh Grant’s Last 5 Films At The Worldwide Box Office ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Hugh Grant and his movies can still make women go weak in the knees with their charm and flamboyance. The actor is also exceptional in the comic genre, and now he is into playing characters completely different from his romantic personas on screen. His Heretic has been released in the theatres and received good reviews. The opening weekend is also looking pretty positive.

Hugh’s four decades of career have earned him multiple accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and a Golden Globe Award. He was also a recipient of an Honorary Cesar. In 2022, Time Out magazine listed him as one of Britain’s 50 greatest actors of all time. For the unversed, Grant made his acting debut in Privileged in 1982. He has won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his performance in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Paddington in Peru sent the titular talking bear on another thrilling, globe-trotting adventure, this time to his native land in South America. For his third live-action film, Paddington travels from London to Peru with the rest of the Brown family to reunite with his aunt Lucy, whom he had last seen in the tear-jerking conclusion to 2017's Paddington 2.

As the third film in this beloved franchise, 2024's Paddington in Peru ensured its story would be the bear's most exciting, extraordinary trip yet. Since the film shows its cast traversing the Amazon rainforest and the Peruvian Mountains, creating such an adventure for cinemas was undoubtedly a massive undertaking. Nevertheless, Paddington in Peru succeeded in capturing many exquisite, real-world environments to make the film as immersive and cinematic as possible. Its filming locations contributed greatly to that.

Filming For Paddington In Peru Took Place In The United Kingdom It's Good To Start...

If you grew up on such films as "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," "The Nutty Professor," and "Liar Liar," you likely know the name Tom Shadyac. The writer/director made a name for himself with these now beloved family comedies. You might remember his first detour from such fare with the critically-panned but commercially successful "Patch Adams," but chances are you've never heard of his follow-up.

Shadyac's 2002 supernatural thriller "Dragonfly" was every bit as maudlin as "Patch Adams" but it also had the distinction of being a bona fide box office dud, making $52 million on a $60 million budget. Trying something different is often to be commended, but the guy who directed "Ace Ventura" helming a film about a widowed doctor whose dead wife contacts him through patients doesn't seem like the most well-advised career move. Still, if you've got Kevin Costner fronting your bizarre drama, you might be in with a chance of making something half-decent.

Catalan public broadcaster 3Cat, formerly known as Televisió de Cataunya (Tvc), is in talks to make Season 2 of ‘This is Not Sweden’ with the same creative team and producers of Season 1. A distribution deal with a platform is pending.

The Prix Europe-winning series set in a tony middle-class neighborhood on the outskirts of Barcelona was co-produced by Spain’s Rtve and TV3 with Sweden’s Svt, Germany’s Ndr and Finland’s Yle. In the family dramedy series, a young Spanish couple relocates there to provide their children with an optimal quality of life, drawing inspiration from northern European models.

“I’m convinced that we will end up collaborating further with Nordic countries,” said Pío Vernis, 3Cat audiovisual business director, who added: “They are quite small countries with their own language, but with high production standards, as we are.”

Speaking to Variety just before Mipcom, he stressed 3Cat’s push for more international co-productions,...

Seijun Suzuki's 1966 gangster movie Tokyo Drifter is a classic of Japanese cinema that has influenced the film industry for decades to come. However, despite its now iconic status, Tokyo Drifter was not always an internationally renowned work. After serving in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II, Suzuki became an assistant director at the Shochiku Company's Ofuna Studio. In 1954, Suzuki moved to the Nikkatsu Corporation, where he began as an assistant director before eventually writing screenplays and directing. At Nikkatsu, Suzuki developed a reputation for directing quality B-movies in the yakuza and action genres. Given shoestring budgets and extremely tight schedules, Suzuki found success through films such as Underworld Beauty, Take Aim at the Police Van, and Everything Goes Wrong.

While many of Suzuki's early works achieved moderate commercial success, his artistic breakthrough occurred in 1963 with the release of the yakuza film Youth of the Beast. Starting with Youth of the Beast,...

Despite a wealth of actors having appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not all of them are likely to return in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. As the MCUs movie timeline has introduced a staggering number of characters inspired by the pages of Marvel Comics, the franchise hasnt always been able to keep them all at the forefront of its projects. As such, there are many instances of characters who havent been seen for some time within the MCU timeline.

However, within the movies and TV shows of the MCU, there have also been actors who have since left the franchise. Though the multiverse has unlocked the potential to resurrect dead characters or facilitate imaginative returns for long unseen figures, the actors in question have made their returns in future Avengers movies incredibly unlikely. With that in mind, here are 10 actors unlikely to return for Avengers 5 and 6, and...

Laura Donnelly has teamed up with director Sam Mendes and playwright Jez Butterworth again, six years after their hit show The Ferryman became a smash hit on Broadway.

The actress, best known for starring in The Nevers and Werewolf By Night, is getting rave reviews for her performance in the new play, which celebrated its opening night performance on Sunday (September 29) in New York City.

Stepping out on the red carpet for the opening show were Sam and Jez, as well as M. Night Shyamalan with his family, Tony nominee Micaela Diamond, Daniel Dae Kim, and Clark Gregg.

A Man Called Otto actress Kelly Lamor Wilson was also there to support her Broadway debut as a producer. “Making my Broadway Debut with this show is a dream come true,” she wrote on Instagram Stories.

Time Out New York notes that the play is an “extraordinary showcase” for Laura and Entertainment Weekly...

The provocative new film “The Substance,” about an aging celebrity (Demi Moore) who takes an illicit drug to be young again, opened on September 20 following its May premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where writer-director Coralie Fargeat won Best Screenplay. So we know what the festival jury thought. But what do critics think?

SEEGold Derby Oscar predictions 2025: Nicole Kidman, Selena Gomez now expected to receive noms [Updated September 19]

As of this writing the film has a MetaCritic score of 77 based on 51 reviews counted. Of those, 43 are classified as positive, six are mixed reviews, and two are pans. Over on Rotten Tomatoes, where reviews are counted simply as positive or negative, the film is rated 88% fresh based on 176 reviews; out of all those, only 22 critics give the film a thumbs down. The Rt critics consensus says, “Audaciously gross, wickedly clever, and possibly Demi Moore’s finest hour, ‘The Substance’ is...

Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia has become the symbol of hope and freedom for many people, but through the years, she has also become a fashion inspiration. Fans have tried to copy her iconic style in the movies, but did you know that there’s a significant story behind it?

George Lucas’ Star Wars / Lucasfilm

Princess Leia sported two perfect cinnamon buns on her head which was inspired by real historical events. Director George Lucas revealed he wanted a specific look for the character that wasn’t the fad at the time.

George Lucas Reveals Inspiration For Princess Leia’s Hair Buns

In an interview with Time Magazine, Star Wars creator George Lucas explained why Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia wears a bizarre hairstyle in the first movie.

In the 1977 film, I was working very hard to create something different that wasn’t fashion, so I went with a kind...

The James Bond franchise has come a long way, with 6 different actors portraying the iconic character til now, and Daniel Craig being the latest actor to portray the role of Special Agent 007. However, many fans of the age-old spy franchise believe that Pierce Brosnan is the greatest actor ever to don the role. The Irish actor became synonymous with the role and he attracted immense love and following from the fans of the franchise.

Pierce Brosnan in Tomorrow Never Dies. Credits: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc

Despite playing a major role in expanding the fan base of the character, some people are just not interested in watching the greatness of Agent 007 saving the day in style; Nicolas Meyers is one of those people. Surprisingly, he could not turn down to write a gripping script for Tomorrow Never Dies after he used his contacts to land him a job in the film.

A...

Daniel Craig gained international prominence after playing the latest version of James Bond in a series of five films. His reimagination of Ian Fleming’s renowned spy was critically and commercially acclaimed by everyone. Despite achieving widespread praise for his portrayal, Craig has a major regret with his rendition of 007.

Daniel Craig as James Bond in Casino Royale | Eon Productions

Daniel Craig had to undergo several breathtaking action sequences and stunts to bring one of the best James Bond on-screen. This also led to the 56-year-old sustaining several injuries during the film series. He has never shied away from openly talking about his painful journey as Bond.

According to the Cowboys & Aliens actor, he should not have cried so much over his James Bond injuries. He regretted the fact it overshadowed his other contributions to the part.

What does Daniel Craig regret about his James Bond era? Daniel Craig...

In Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond in No Time To Die, the suave secret agent is seen to have perished in an explosion at the end of the film. This symbolically also heralded the end of the Craig reign in the franchise, with the search for the new James Bond still underway.

A still from No Time To Die (image credit: Columbia Pictures)

But if one had to analyze director Sam Mendes’ successful Bond thriller Skyfall, the possibility of the character’s death could have been predicted through this film. This theory involves the fate of Dame Judi Dench’s M that could have had a bearing on James Bond’s predicament in No Time to Die.

How Is Skyfall Linked To Daniel Craig’s Final Farewell As James Bond?

In 2021, Daniel Craig starred in his James Bond swansong No Time To Die, in which his iconic character is seen courting death.

Hugo Weaving’s iconic way of speaking has become synonymous with villainous roles, but the actor is no stranger to playing positive characters, with one notable example being Elron Half-elven. Appearing in all three The Lord of the Rings entries, Weaving played the character to perfection and was lauded by fans and critics for bringing the character’s archaic style of speech to life.

But despite garnering critical acclaim for his portrayal of the noble ruler, Weaving had no interest in stepping into Elrond’s shoes ever again, as he isn’t particularly a fan of the character.

Hugo Weaving Didn’t Find Elrond Satisfying to Play

A Still of Hugo Weaving from Lord of the Rings | New Line Cinema

Following his commanding presence as the noble Elven ruler and his intense love for his daughter, Elrond won over fans. But while most love the eloquently spoken character, the man...

Quick Links The Lead-Up to the Twilight Zone Accident Landis Illegally Hired the Child Extras in the Twilight Zone Movie The Inherent Risk of the Vietnam Scene in the Twilight Zone Movie The Terrifying Twilight Zone Accident Claims Lives Landis Callously Invited Himself to Morrow's Funeral Criminal and Civil Cases Drag On for Nearly a Decade Warner Bros. and the Unions Reform Safety on Set Safety on film sets must be a top priority for all involved, as tragic accidents like those on Rust and in the past are a harsh reminder. The Twilight Zone accident was a result of negligence, with illegal hiring, lack of safety measures, and poor decision-making leading to the deaths. John Landis escaped major repercussions, but the industry made strides in safety reforms to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

The recent death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins from a gunshot wound on the set of...

In Human Resources, Time Out and The Class, the Palme d’Or-winning film-maker – who has died aged 63 – addressed French and European society at all levels

Laurent Cantet was a classic product of the French cinema industry: a deeply intelligent, high-minded progressive film-maker of the same generation as Robin Campillo and Dominik Moll whose supremely literate, emotionally committed, stylish and well-acted movies aspired to address French and European society at all levels.

Cantet made films that you could imagine being discussed around a gregarious dinner table of fashionable Parisians, with glasses being avidly drained and refilled all round – in fact, you could imagine Cantet himself talking about his work at just this kind of gathering.

Laurent Cantet, the French director who won the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival in 2008 for his film “The Class,” has died. He was 63.

A spokesperson for Cantet’s agency, Ubba, confirmed to Variety that he died on Thursday morning of an illness.

“The Class” is based on the novel of the same name by François Bégaudeau and is a semi-autobiographical account of his experience as a teacher in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. Bégaudeau also starred in the film. “The Class” received a unanimous vote for the Palme d’Or at Cannes, making it the first French film to do so since 1987. The movie also earned an Oscar nomination for best foreign language film.

After studying at the Institut des Hautes Études Cinématographiques in Paris and working in television, Cantet released his first feature film, “Human Resources,” in 1999. It followed a management trainee as he starts a job at his father’s factory.

French director Laurent Cantet, who won the Cannes Palme d’Or in 2008 for The Class, has died at the age of 63.

Based on the semi-autobiographical book by writer François Bégaudeau about his experiences working as a literature teacher in an inner city school in Paris, The Class featured a mainly unprofessional cast including the author.

Cantet had been due to shoot his next film Enzo, with Elodie Bouchez and Pierfrancesco Favino in the cast, this August

His second collaboration with Anatomy of a Fall producer Marie-Angle Luciani, after 2021 film Arthur Rambo, it revolved around a teenager who embarks on a mason apprenticeship in the South of France to escape a controlling father.

Cantet studied film at the Institut des Hautes Études Cinématographiques (Idhec) in Paris in the mid-1980s, where his contemporaries were Dominik Moll, Gilles Marchand and Robin Campillo.

They would continue to collaborate on one another’s projects throughout their careers,...

[This story contains spoilers from the series premiere of Mary & George.]

In 2018, while flicking through the LGBTQ+ section of a copy of Time Out magazine, television producer Liza Marshall found a listing for a lecture about the sexuality of James VI and I, who reigned as the king of Scotland from 1567 to 1625 and, following the death of Queen Elizabeth I, also became the first Stuart king of England from 1603 to 1625. Despite having studied history during college, Marshall was surprised to discover that James had three significant relationships with men in his lifetime — the last of which forms the basis of the new historical drama Mary & George, which premiered Friday on Starz.

“It’s fair to say, at the beginning of the process, nobody wanted to make this show. No one knows anything about the Jacobean era,” Marshall tells The Hollywood Reporter of the 22 years that James spent as the ruler of both England and Scotland. “We know about Elizabeth I,...

Even before its theatrical release, Dune: Part Two has taken the world by storm as critics cannot seem to stop gushing over the film. The sequel introduces Austin Butler’s antagonist, Feyd-Rautha, who happens to be Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård)’s youngest nephew. Austin Butler’s character is described as a fierce warrior who just wants to prove his worth to his family.

Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen

Now, it goes without saying that Dune: Part Two has many elements that set the film apart from its fellow Sci-Fi projects. However, it looks like Austin Butler’s villainous role has managed to steal all the limelight as critics applaud the actor for his performance. In fact, Austin Butler’s co-star, Stellan Skarsgård’s first impression of the actor in his Feyd-Rautha get-up proves why he was made to bring the villain to life.

Suggested“There’s a will...

The cult director grew up on the luscious island of Madagascar just as it was casting off French rule. It was a deliriously happy time for him – but now he realises what was really going on

Robin Campillo’s new movie, Red Island, is an amazing, moving evocation of his own childhood in Madagascar as what the Anglo-Saxons call an “army brat”. His soldier dad was posted there with the family in the early days of the island’s independence from French imperial control – and the 10-year-old roamed free in this lush and gorgeous place, but all the time aware of sexual licence among the grownups, their wan melancholy at their imminent expulsion from this paradise and the increasingly pointed anti-colonial rumblings among the Indigenous people. The boy is almost like young Jim in Jg Ballard’s Empire of the Sun (played by Christian Bale in Spielberg’s film version...

Few films have arrived in theaters saddled with more baggage than "Twilight Zone: The Movie." That the anthology film featuring segments from John Landis, Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, and George Miller actually arrived in the first place was something of a surprise -- and for many in the entertainment industry, it wasn't a welcome one.

The production became a wholly avoidable tragedy on June 23, 1982, when a helicopter crashed on the set of Landis' segment, "Time Out," killing Vic Morrow and child actors Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen. The show does not always have to go on, but the movie was nevertheless completed and released (rather insensitively) on June 24, 1983, leading off with "Time Out". For some, it was like watching a snuff film.

How do you not let the realization that you're watching what might be a criminal production -- the National Transportation Safety Board had yet to finish their investigation,...

Variety is expanding its international coverage with the appointment of well-respected trade correspondent Alex Ritman as its London Bureau Chief.

Ritman, who is based in London, was U.K. correspondent at The Hollywood Reporter for nine years. During that time, he was nominated for several National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards, co-winning in 2017 for a feature about Leonardo DiCaprio and a major international corruption scandal. He was most recently nominated for a profile of Daniel Radcliffe. Prior to joining THR, Ritman wrote for publications including The Guardian, Time Out, The Sunday Times, Esquire, The Daily Beast, The Los Angeles Times and Little White Lies. He spent several years in the Middle East as the main film writer for The National newspaper.

At Variety, Ritman will contribute to magazine features and web stories with an emphasis on U.K. film and media, production and financial news, as well as industry analysis,...

Toho’s acclaimed blockbuster set to open in over 400 cinema, IMAX, 4Dx, Screen X and Dolby Cinema screens following record-breaking US debut and popular demand.

©2023 Toho Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

★★★★★

Jack Bottomley, Starburst

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Neil Smith, Total Film

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Phil De Semlyen, Time Out

The movie everybody’s talking about is finally hitting the big screen this Friday! Following incredible popular demand, Anime Limited and Toho Co. Ltd. are excited to announce that the UK and Ireland theatrical release of Godzilla Minus One has expanded to over 400 cinemas, IMAX, ScreenX and 4Dx screens from 15th December 2023.

“A gargantuan and resonant epic” according to Neil Smith of Total Film, Godzilla Minus One broke box office records on release stateside – earning over $25 million in its first 10 days of release to become the all-time highest grossing Japanese live-action film in North America. The highly anticipated film has also received a rapturous response from critics,...

‘A cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Clueless, and An American Werewolf In London… skilfully combines dollops of dark humour with gore and scares’

BBC Online

‘A monster movie with real guts’

★★★★

Empire

‘This isn’t just a good horror movie, it’s a good movie. Period’

Time Out

‘The euuuuwwww factor is sky-high for this black horror comedy’

The Guardian

Ginger Snaps is a landmark in feminist horror and now the seminal movie is set for a highly anticipated collector’s edition treatment from Second Sight Films. Helmed by John Fawcett (Orphan Black, Saving Hope), it offers a fresh take on the werewolf and coming-of-age genre, with heaps of gore and a lot of heart.

The film is out now in a complete set with all three films as The Ginger Snaps Trilogy Limited-Edition Blu-ray Box Set.

The original film is set in the suburban Canadian town of Bailey Downs,...

One of the most acclaimed movies of 1998 is “Pleasantville,” starring Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, Jeff Daniels, William H. Macy and Joan Allen. Written and directed by four-time Oscar nominee Gary Ross, the film is a creative fantasy drama about two 1990s teen siblings who are transported to a 1950s family sitcom and then slowly begin to transform the dull, colorless world into someplace better. Released 25 years ago in October 1998, “Pleasantville” only grossed about $50 million worldwide on a $60 million budget. But it did end up receiving three Oscar nominations. Read on for Gold Derby’s tribute to the “Pleasantville” 25th anniversary.

Most of the nation’s critics gave enthusiastic notices to “Pleasantville,” including Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times, who picked it as the second-best film of 1998 and wrote that it “is the kind of parable that encourages us to re-evaluate the good old days and take a fresh look at...

Natalie O’Connor was looking for a very specific type of car for production on Apple TV+’s “The Enfield Poltergeist.” A painstaking recreation of the most documented paranormal activity ever (and the inspiration for “The Conjuring 2”), the show needed a stand-in for the red E-Type Jaguar driven by lead investigator Maurice Grosse.

“We couldn’t find one anywhere, but we eventually got sent an option,” O’Connor told IndieWire. “And then we actually figured out that it was his real car.”

On a different show, that story would be charming in its serendipity. But for “The Enfield Poltergeist,” the kismet has a creepy sense of inevitability in keeping with the events that plagued the Hodgson family from 1977 to 1979, resulting in hundreds of hours of recordings capturing things that went bump in the night and disembodied voices.

Those recordings are at the heart of the Apple TV+ four-part limited series,...

Science fiction is a fascinating film genre. It inspires dreams of extraterrestrial life, futuristic gadgets, and space travel. Today, this all seems more plausible than ever. Yet, besides reflecting society, sci-fi helps us evaluate our actions -- and their consequences.

Creating scenes with nail-biting stunts requires a collaborative effort between actors and directors. Replacing stars with stunt performers due to their physical capabilities usually works but mishaps can still happen --- both on and off camera. The film industry has seen an increase in accidents over the last decade despite the advancement of technology. According to the Los Angeles Times, from 2010 to 2019, 19 fatal injuries occurred on American film sets. As attorney Chris Deacon told the outlet, "If those engaged to work on set in whatever capacity are dying at the hands of the creative process, then something is fundamentally wrong in the production processes."

Sure, authenticity makes for a thrilling watch.

(Toronto, On – October 12, 2023) Today, Nigerian born, Los Angeles-based artist TOBi delivers his bold new album Panic via RCA Records. Out now, the soulful, funkafied 12-track project further cements TOBi as a chilling storyteller with cleverly-written and tightly-woven bars as he continues to take us through pivotal moments in his life’s journey, but where TOBi becomes taciturn on certain tracks, the fullness of the production, instruments and layered harmonies, convey what’s left unspoken.

Listen to Panic: https://tobi.lnk.to/Panic

TOBi on Panic: “Panic is the epitome of unapologetic soul music and we held nothing back, which I am truly proud of. From the stories of vulnerability, masculinity, personal family issues, social commentary, there was no stone left unturned here. I can’t wait for the world to consume it in full and I hope people appreciate the work and energy put in this because we aimed...

Gregg Araki has no time for the “weariness” of film journalists.

The “Doom Generation” director, while in conversation with Richard Linklater for Interview magazine, criticized the trend of asking acclaimed filmmakers their thoughts on “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” Araki referred to a “clickbait” story where Linklater told a reporter that he saw “Barbie” multiple times and thought “Barbenheimer” was “the best thing that happened to cinema in a while.”

“I read a clickbait on you. It’s like, ‘Rick Linklater loved “Barbie.” He saw it three times,'” Araki said. “I was like, ‘Really, this is your story? You’re talking to fucking Rick Linklater and you want to talk about “Barbie”?'”

Linklater clarified his comments, saying, “Yeah, they get you on the red carpet, and it’s that last question in an interview where you’re just in a mood and you tell them the truth, but it’s...

The sci-fi/horror anthology series "The Twilight Zone" has always had the power to completely blow our minds, with classic episodes that taught fraught moral lessons, and featured twist endings that would eventually become so iconic that modern audiences are likely to watch episodes for the first time around pre-spoiled, whether they realize it or not, just due to cultural osmosis.

But there is perhaps no episode of "The Twilight Zone" quite like "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet." The episode is a claustrophobic thriller about a man on an airplane suffering from intense anxiety, who looks out and sees a man on the wing of the plane. Naturally, no one believes him because when anybody else looks, the man mysteriously vanishes. Only our hapless hero, sanity fraying, knows that the plane is in danger from the mysterious entity. With nobody else willing to believe him, he has to make a terrible,...

Updated with Best Screenplay Award for Switch, written by Sara Robin: The 19th HollyShorts Film Festival has handed out its awards, including the Grand Prix Best Short Award to We Were Meant To, an honor that comes with a $60,000 prize from Panavision.

Tari Wariebi directed We Were Meant To, set in a reality where “Black men have wings and their first flight is a rite of passage.” The film stars Tim Johnson Jr. The Grand Prix Award qualifies the short for Oscar consideration. Also qualifying for the Oscars are Misan Harriman’s The After, which won Best Live Action Short, Rita Basulto’s Humo (Smoke), winner of the Best Animation Award, and Elisa Gambino’s Every Day After, winner of Best Documentary Short.

‘Humo’

The After stars David Oyelowo and Jessica Plummer. Animated winner Humo, meanwhile, “follows a boy called Daniel, who travels to a dark destination known as the smokehouse.

In a HollyShorts Film Festival awards ceremony that took place at midnight the day before a tropical storm was scheduled to his Los Angeles, Tari Wariebi’s “We Were Meant To” won a $60,000 prize and with the win qualified for the Academy Award in the Best Live Action Short category.

The awards were originally scheduled to be handed out on Sunday evening at the TLC Chinese Theatre, but they were moved to the unusual Saturday midnight slot as Hurricane Hilary approached.

“We Were Meant To,” set in a world where Black men can fly, won the Grand Prix for the best short in the 10-day festival, which began on Aug. 10 at the Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood. For the first time, the top film also received a $60,000 prize from Panasonic, in addition to the Oscar qualification.

Three other films also qualified for this year’s Oscars by winning awards at HollyShorts: Misan Harriman’s “The After,...

Get to shout out "Rhlstp!!" like a proper cool kid as the multi-award-winning and perennially popular live podcast interview series in which comedian Richard Herring chats with some of the biggest names in comedy and entertainment tours this autumn. Usually recorded in London’s glittering West End, Rhlstp is going on the road. The UK & Ire 2023 / 2024 tour will start in September and includes dates in Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Salford, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff and Dublin, along with multiple dates at the show’s spiritual home in London’s Leicester Square Theatre.

Tickets go on general sale at 10am on Friday 30th June with an exclusive fan pre-sale on Thursday 29th June for Rhlstp badgers and plussers. To become a badger/plusser or to view all dates visit, visit richardherring.com

Richard Herring enjoys continual success as both a writer and performer and is widely known an innovator in the world of podcasts,...

A new season of The Wicker Man is upon us. The classic 1973 horror film, which is arguably the best-known of three British films from its era that embody “folk horror” (the others being Witchfinder General and Blood on Satan’s Claw), is returning to UK cinemas for one night on June 21 in a special new 4K remastered version of the “Final Cut,” complete with re-edited footage deleted from the original, troubled theatrical release.

Following that, the three existing versions of the film (The Wicker Man may rival Blade Runner in the department of different cuts), all in 4K Uhd, will be released in an exclusive 50th anniversary collector’s edition on Sept. 4. The five-disc set will also contain a bevy of goodies, including new essays, an EP of music, and plenty of other bonus content.

Despite a turbulent production and initial release, The Wicker Man has only grown in stature over...

One year ago, fueled by female audiences, Wonder Woman was lighting up the summer box office, en route to becoming the third largest domestic release of 2017. This weekend, the female-led ensemble cast of Ocean's 8 looks to deliver some solid results of its own following a downer weekend last week. Also hitting theaters is A24's much-talked about horror film Hereditary as well as Global Road's Hotel Artemis. Meanwhile, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is getting its start internationally this weekend, two weeks ahead of its domestic bow. Debuting in a healthy 4,145 theaters, Ocean's 8 features a massive ensemble including Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, Helena Bonham Carter, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina and Mindy Kaling. The film fits within the Ocean's film franchise, which began with the 2001 remake starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon and debuted with $38.1 million. That filmed spawned two sequels, the last of which hit theaters eleven years ago,...

As Gandalf in both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit sagas, as well as Magneto in the X-Men movies, Ian McKellen has enough great roles under his belt to make him a cinematic icon and a geek favorite. Some fans, though, like to rewrite history and imagine that he found time to play Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films as well.

While speaking to Time Out, the actor revealed that he often has people approach him and mistakenly think he’s Michael Gambon, another talented British thespian who brought the Hogwarts headmaster to life in six of the eight Potter movies. Though McKellen didn’t play Dumbledore, this confusion is pretty funny, as he was actually in contention for the role once original performer Richard Harris passed away, following The Chamber of Secrets.

“People come up to me and say ‘My son’s seen all the Harry...

Fantastic Beasts 2 isn't going to explicitly address Dumbledore's sexuality and Ian McKellen is rather disappointed in that fact. Even though McKellen isn't involved in the Harry Potter franchise in any capacity, even if he would have made a great Dumbledore and, by his own admission, he gets confused for having played the part often enough, the actor is gay himself and has been an advocate for the Lgbtq community for years. Upon hearing that Dumbledore won't be openly gay in the upcoming sequel, McKellen expressed his disappointment and went on a bit of a rant about Hollywood in general. Here's what he had to say in a recent interview.

"Isn't he? That's a pity. Well, nobody looks to Hollywood for social commentary, do they? They only recently discovered that there were black people in the world. Hollywood has mistreated women in every possible way throughout its history. Gay men don't exist.

Ian McKellen has officially entered the “I don’t give a shit anymore” stage of his career. At 79 years old, the British actor has starred in massive franchise films, small indie films, Oscar-worthy films, and just about everything in between. It’s clear, judging by a new interview, McKellen just doesn’t worry about what he says or who he says it about.

Speaking to Time Out, McKellen was promoting his new documentary “McKellen: Playing the Part.” Over the course of the relatively short interview, the actor complains about ‘The Hobbit’ films, talks being passed over for ‘Harry Potter,’ and how Hollywood doesn’t care about diversity.

Continue reading Ian McKellen Says “Gay Men Don’t Exist” In The Eyes Of Hollywood at The Playlist.

One of the major criticisms made against Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” trilogy is the over reliance on visual effects and green screens. Unlike “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, which garnered acclaim for its practical effects and makeup, Jackson relied on VFX for many of the settings and creatures in “The Hobbit.” The decision made “The Hobbit” feel less grounded than “The Lord of the Rings” and more like a video game, and it’s a choice that not even Ian McKellen enjoyed.

“I was miserable,” McKellen told Time Out about predominantly acting in front of green screens during the making of “The Hobbit.” The actor brings up his frustration with the VFX work in “The Hobbit” during an interview in his documentary, “McKellen: Playing the Part.” When asked to elaborate on why “The Hobbit” made him miserable, McKellen told Time Out that he preferred the location shooting of “The Lord of the Rings.

The veteran star rails against studio representation of minorities, saying ‘they only recently discovered that there were black people in the world’

Ian McKellen, who has for many years been the most famous openly gay movie star, has attacked Hollywood timidity in depicting minorities onscreen.

In an interview with Time Out, McKellen, 78, was asked about the controversy surrounding the decision not to show the young Dumbledore as “explicitly gay” in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them sequel.

If you missed out on the dark comedy, The Death of Stalin, Paramount has announced the home entertainment release of the film will hit next month. Come inside to check out the announcement!

There's a very good chance you didn't get to see The Death of Stalin. Despite the film's acclaim, it was released in a limited market, and thus easy to miss out depending on where you live. Don't fret, however, as you'll get the chance to check it out in the comfort of your own home on June 19th:

Proclaimed “the funniest political comedy of the year” (The Daily Beast) and banned in Russian cinemas, the brutally executed parody The Death Of Stalin arrives on DVD and Digital June 19, 2018 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. The film will also be available for sale or rental from cable, satellite and telco providers through IFC Films.

Written and directed by Emmy...

Simon Brew Feb 21, 2019

Hans Gruber in Die Hard. The Sheriff in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Yet Alan Rickman played a different movie villain between them...

Alan Rickman, in the space of a few years, committed to screen two of the finest movie villain performances of modern blockbuster cinema. It would be fair to say that both acted as a template of sorts for the standard British foe that would permeate big Hollywood movies for the decade that followed, and Rickman steered clear of villainous roles thereafter.

But sandwiched in-between the release of Die Hard in 1988 and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in 1991 was an Australian western by the name of Quigley Down Under. First released in 1990, although not making it to the UK until 1991 (some three months before Robin Hood arrived on UK cinema screens), it's a western set in Australia, directed by Simon Wincer. Wincer won an Emmy...

If you’re in New York or Los Angeles this weekend, run don’t walk to James Ward Byrkit’s dizzying metaphysical horror film “Coherence,” or Roman Polanski’s elegant pas-de-deux “Venus in Fur.” But think twice before heading to Clint Eastwood’s 1960s musical biopic “Jersey Boys,” meeting a mixed critical response, or Paul Haggis’ awful collage of interlocking soap operas “Third Person,” currently crashing with reviewers.

On the indie side of the spectrum, you can catch Brit Joanna Hogg’s “Exhibition,” starring Tom Hiddleston, which Indiewire says has shades of Michael Haneke by way of Miranda July; Filipino helmer Lav Diaz’s latest multi-hour epic, “Norte, The End of History,” will hold court at NY’s Lincoln Center after a long festival tour dating back to Cannes 2013, where “Venus in Fur” also bowed; and Jan Troell’s austere WWII-era psychodrama “The Last Sentence” hits select markets too.

The...