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Expectations have no business in movie reviews, but occasionally, they cannot help but seep in. And filmmaking, for better or worse, is not made in a bubble, so in that regard, take the action drama, “Havoc” by acclaimed filmmaker Gareth Evans, known for the wildly kinetic “The Raid” series.

While the film stars Tom Hardy, and the collaboration between Evans and the “Mad Max: Fury Road” actor seems deeply tantalizing, “Havoc” was shot way back in 2021.

Continue reading ‘Havoc’ Review: Tom Hardy & Director Gareth Evans Deliver Maximum Sicko Mode Chaos In Slight, But Entertaining Cop Thriller at The Playlist.

Michael Moore’s acclaimed 2007 documentary Sicko has been uploaded by the filmmaker for free onto YouTube. Moore here.

You might have noticed, but it’s turbulent times in the world, courtesy of politics, the rule of law being seen as optional, and billionaires feeling they have the power to do anything. That’s as gently as I can put it.

As always, the people who suffer in the midst of this are those without the power and without the platforms. Fun times.

Documentary maker Michael Moore hasn’t made a new film since 2018’s Fahrenheit 11/9, but has recently revealed that he’s been quietly working on a new project. It’s hard to think he won’t be training his lens on what’s happening in America and around the world at the moment. Yet I’d suggest one of his most effective films got a little lost.

It’s 2007’s Sicko,...

It's already been quite the year on Netflix, and we're barely one full month into 2025. The streaming service has enjoyed new hits like American Primeval and Missing You, returning favorites like The Night Agent, and hot acquisitions like Younger. If you haven't found something to binge-watch on Netflix so far in 2025, you haven't been looking in the right places!

Netflix continues to give the goods in February 2025 with plenty more TV shows being added throughout the month — and we're not even talking about the streamer's original series. From throwbacks to recent fan-favorites, there are so much binge-worthy titles coming to Netflix in February. But there's also a couple that are leaving. Find out what should be on your watch list.

Patricia Richardson And Tim Allen Star In Home Improvement | Getty Images/GettyImages Home Improvement seasons 1-8

Coming to Netflix: Feb. 1

Ready for a dose of '90s nostalgia? The next...

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore has joined the production team of From Ground Zero as an executive producer.

From Ground Zero is a powerful collection of short films by 22 Palestinian filmmakers living through war in present-day Gaza. Through a unique blend of animation, documentary, and fiction, these stories capture the steadfastness of the human spirit and enduring creativity that thrives even in the face of relentless devastation.

Garnering international acclaim since its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2024, Variety praised the project, stating: “The filmmaking ingenuity on display is undoubtedly impressive.” while FilmThreat said, “From Ground Zero is a profound cinematic event, proving that movies can be made even on the edge of destruction.” Slant Magazine said, “The film is a stirring testament to art as a tool of survival, to the power of community art-making to affirm life in the face of omnipresent death, and to...

Controversial filmmaker Michael Moore is putting his clout behind the Palestinian feature film From Ground Zero, joining as an executive producer. From Ground Zero is a collection of short films by 22 Palestinian filmmakers living through the war in present-day Gaza. The shorts range from three to six minutes and are told in a variety of styles, including documentary, animation, and experimental filmmaking, to reflect a rich diversity of stories that showcase sorrow, joy, and hope inherent in Gaza life and offer a striking view of life's fragility and the resilience of love in the face of devastation.

Watermelon Pictures announced that Michael Moore, the director of critically acclaimed and controversial documentaries like Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko, and Bowling for Columbine, is signing on to From Ground Zero as an Executive Producer. From Ground Zero opens in theaters on Jan. 3, 2025, and has been shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming Academy Awards.

Michael Moore has boarded Palestine’s Oscar entry From Ground Zero as an executive producer ahead of a theatrical release on Jan. 3 by Watermelon Pictures.

The project, shortlisted for the upcoming Academy Awards in the best international feature film category, is a collection of 22 films by Palestinian filmmakers completed while impacted by the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.

“These Palestinian filmmakers have accomplished a cinematic miracle. They have made a brilliant film in the midst of what Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have now declared a genocide,” Moore said in a statement on Monday.

The anthology of documentary, fiction and animated films was spearheaded by Gaza-born Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi and his Masharawi Fund for local films and filmmakers.

“The only weapons that Rashid and these 22 courageous Palestinian directors in Gaza have are their cameras and their creativity. No filmmaker, writer or artist should ever have to tell the story of their own extermination.

Michael Moore is one of the world’s most famous (and infamous) documentary filmmakers, and back in 2007 he embarked on a quest to challenge the US healthcare industry. Sicko was a documentary composed of interviews with both victims and employees of various healthcare agencies across the States, with a focus on the damage that the industry causes on a daily basis.

It should, therefore, be of little surprise that, according to journalist Ken Klippenstein, Sicko was included in the alleged handwritten manifesto of Luigi Mangione, the primary suspect in the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Michael Moore has himself written a response to this, and as a result of the events, has uploaded the entire documentary to YouTube — for free, with no commercials or ads.

It's almost difficult to believe that Moore’s film was released nearly two decades ago, given that almost the exact same issues with...

To put it simply, if a movie is kind of gross, explicit, confronting, or just a bit sleazy, then it can proudly call itself a sicko movie. Sicko movies can be good or bad, but they are defined by their extremity and boundary-pushing attitudes, with a classic sicko film being something like Pink Flamingos, and more recent sicko films including the likes of Babylon and The Wolf of Wall Street.

Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions and Anonymous Content are teaming to develop and produce a documentary project about the murder of US health insurance executive Brian Thompson and the national debate about health care the killing has sparked.

The companies have not said whether the project will be a feature or a streaming series, or whether Oscar-winner Gibney will himself direct.

UnitedHealthcare CEO Thompson was shot and killed on December 4 in Manhattan. On December 9, Luigi Mangione was arrested and charged in connection with the shooting following a five-day hunt for the alleged killer. Mangione, who was found with a handwritten manifesto about the healthcare industry,...

Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions and Anonymous Content are teaming to develop and produce a documentary project about the murder of US health insurance executive Brian Thompson and the national debate about health care that the killing has sparked.

The companies have not said whether the project will be a feature or a streaming series, or whether Oscar-winner Gibney will himself direct.

UnitedHealthcare CEO Thompson was shot and killed on December 4 in Manhattan. On December 9, Luigi Mangione was arrested and charged in connection with the shooting following a five-day hunt for the alleged killer. Mangione, who was found with a...

It was bound to happen, we just didn't anticipate it happening this fast, but a documentary about Luigi Mangione — the man who shot the UnitedHealthcare CEO — is already in the works. Under the direction of Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney, the film will no doubt dig into the machinations behind the murder and why the 26-year-old has become something of a uniting folk hero in American society.

Gibney will produce and direct the film for Anonymous Content and his own Jigsaw Productions. According to Variety, "The new doc ... will explore how killers are created, what this killing says about our society, and the values we place on who lives and who dies."

Who are Luigi Mangione, Alex Gibney, and What Do We Know So Far About the Doc? Booking photo of Luigi Mangione (QQ7787): https://t.co/5VIC4r4s0T pic.twitter.com/XKmJhxTl9V— Pa Department of...

It was a story that rocked the nation. And now, the first project about the brazen, broad daylight killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is on the way.

Anonymous Content and Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Prods. are teaming up to develop and produce a documentary about the Dec. 4 fatal shooting that took place in midtown Manhattan just before Thompson was set to speak at an investor conference.

Five days after the shooting, Luigi Mangione was apprehended at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania for the killing, adding a compelling layer to the tale given that the handsome 26-year-old was the valedictorian of his posh Maryland high school and is an Ivy League graduate. Mangione was allegedly carrying a manifesto when he was detained that referenced another documentarian, Michael Moore, whose 2007 film “Sicko” offered a searing indictment of the U.S. healthcare system. The new doc from Anonymous and Jigsaw will explore how killers are created,...

The documentarian, whose 2007 film Sicko examined the US health insurance system, went on to say that the outpouring of anger at the industry is ‘1000% justified’

Michael Moore, the Oscar-winning documentarian reportedly mentioned in the manifesto of suspected killer Luigi Mangione, has responded to the case.

Mangione was arrested last week on suspicion of shooting dead Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Some have applauded what happened, which may have been motivated by ire at the private healthcare system in the US.

Documentarian Michael Moore called people’s anger at the American health care system and for-profit insurance “1,000 percent justified” following the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

On Friday, Moore penned a short essay for his Substack after being inundated with messages and interview requests following the revelation that Thompson’s suspected killer, Luigi Mangione, had referenced Moore in his manifesto. Per the leaked text, Mangione name-checked Moore as one of the people he believed had “illuminated the corruption and greed” of the health insurance industry, likely a nod to Moore...

Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has written a strong open letter in response to the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Moore’s letter condemns violence while highlighting common dissatisfaction with for-profit health insurance firms in the United States.

Moore’s comments come after the arrest of Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing Thompson. Mangione allegedly invoked Moore’s work in a manifesto following the shooting in New York City. Despite the terrible circumstances, Moore stated, “No one needs to die.”

Moore described the episode as an example of “Rich On Rich crime,” noting that Mangione comes from a wealthy family with numerous business holdings, including Lorien Health Services in Maryland. However, he highlighted that the outrage over healthcare issues is completely justified and long overdue.

Moore’s letter highlighted major issues with the healthcare system, including “mass death and misery” caused by refused insurance claims, medical debt, and escalating costs.

Following the arrest of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson‘s suspected killer Luigi Mangione, Michael Moore has penned an open letter in response to Mangione’s manifesto, which reportedly mentions him.

The Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker clarified, “yes, I condemn murder” as he noted a flood of media requests for his response to Mangione’s manifesto, which is said to cite Moore’s expertise on the country’s for-profit healthcare crisis.

“After the killing of the CEO of United HealthCare, the largest of these billion dollar insurance companies, there was an immediate Outpouring of anger toward the health insurance industry. Some people have stepped forward to condemn this anger,” wrote Moore in the letter. “I am not one of them.

“The anger is 1000% justified. It is long overdue for the media to cover it. It is not new. It has been boiling. And I’m not going to tamp it down or ask people to shut up.

Michael Moore, the Oscar-winning director of documentaries such as Bowling for Columbine and Sicko, wrote on Friday that he will not “tamp down” public anger against “America’s bloodthirsty, profit-driven and murderous health insurance system” stirred by Luigi Mangione.

Mangione was accused this week of being the man who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on the streets of Manhattan. In his alleged manifesto, published by journalist Ken Klippenstein, Mangione wrote that his alleged actions were motivated by frustrations with the U.S. health care system, writing that insurance companies have become too powerful and thus abuse citizens for profit. He referenced Moore’s work — along with author Elisabeth Rosenthal — as examples of those who have pointed out this corruption.

In a lengthy Substack article — which he titled “A Manifesto Against For-Profit Health Insurance Companies” — Moore wrote that Mangione’s alleged mention of him has resulted in requests for the director to comment.

Health have released the new song “Free To Die” featuring fellow industrial luminaries Filter.

The song touts a prominent duet by Health’s Jake Duzsik and Richard Patrick of Filter. Their higher register voices are perfectly complimentary to one another, riding over blasts of hyper-compressed guitar and a pulsing electronic beat. Musically, the track falls in Health’s court — though Patrick’s knack for cutting vocal melodies is also quite tangible.

Get Health Tickets Here

“Free To Die” comes as part of Health’s newly released Rat Wars Ultra Edition, an expanded reissue of their 2023 full-length.

In addition to the original 12-song tracklist, the band has attached a four-song “Addendum” EP that includes the track with Filter plus previously released singles “Ashamed” (featuring Lauren Mayberry of Chvrches), Health’s cover of Deftones’ “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away),” and the Bad Omens/Swarm collab “The Drain.”

Speaking of Deftones, Health...

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (Warner Bros.) had an unexpectedly strong second weekend. With just under $52 million, it fell 54 percent (quite decent from a $111 million start), and a domestic total of $188 million in just 10 days.

Its take made up just over half of the U.S./Canada estimated gross of $95 million. That’s up 50 percent from last year, with year to date totals now 12 percent below last year.

The “Beetlejuice” 36 years-later sequel now looks certain to top the original film’s grosses, adjusted to current ticket prices. “Twisters” (Universal), released earlier this summer, was a similar legacy project, though with a different cast. As big as it was ($266 million domestic so far), that’s about half of the adjusted total for the 1996 original.

“Beetlejuice,” however, is faring similarly to “Twisters” overseas. With the film open around most of the world, its foreign take so far is only $76 million, a smaller gross compared to domestic.

It’s Friday the 13th and Health has just dropped a sickly 90s-inspired music video for “Sicko”, featuring samples from Godflesh’s “Like Rats”.

Directed by Mynxii White, the video looks like a VHS compilation of horrors captured across several 90s horror movies.

“Sicko” comes off Health’s forthcoming new album Rat Wars, which will be released December 7th, 2023, via Loma Vista Recordings.

“Taking inspiration from the haunting imagery from 90’s music videos by Godflesh, we put together a video collage of some of our own favorite obscure horror moments of the same time period in one “sick” video for ‘Sicko.’ ” said White.

“Some of my best memories are from the stranger indie movies I’d watch in the middle of the night when everyone was sleeping, and it was a lot of fun going back in time to pull moments like a ‘greatest hits’ of all those dark hours of bloody horror.

Travis Scott is kicking off his tour!

The highly anticipated Utopia – Circus Maximus Tour began with a sold-out show at Spectrum Arena on Wednesday (October 11) in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Travis took the stage to “Hyaena” before playing fan favorites like “Sicko Mode,” “Butterfly Effect” and “Antidote.”

The 39-date sold-out tour continues through cities like Dallas, Kansas City, Oakland, Seattle, Miami, Brooklyn, Boston and more ahead of wrapping up two shows in Toronto at the end of December.

The tour also includes Travis Scott’s largest headline show to date with a show at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, November 5. Remaining tickets are available now at travisscott.com.

$2 from every ticket sold will go to Cactus Jack Foundation which is a 501(c)3 with a mission to uplift Houston youth through toy drives, scholarship programs to Hbcu college students, and fulfilling expenses for education and creative endeavors.

Check out the set list…

Utopia...

MTV Documentary Films has released the trailer for “Pay Or Die,” a documentary about America’s soaring insulin costs that the platform acquired out of this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival.

The 90-minute film, which was executive produced by Sarah Silverman, will open theatrically at New York City’s IFC Center on November 1, the first day of National Diabetes Month. That screening will be followed by a nationwide rollout. The theatrical release of the doc will qualify it for Academy Award consideration. Paramount + will begin streaming “Pay Or Die” on World Diabetes Day – Nov. 14.

Directed by Scott Alexander Ruderman and Rachael Dyer, “Pay Or Die” follows three families struggling to afford their diabetes medications. In 2022 the American Diabetes Association reported that over 37 million Americans – about 11% of the nation – are living with diabetes and 8.4 million Americans rely on insulin to survive. According to “Pay Or Die” nearly two-million...

Harley Quinn pays homage to a beloved internet joke in her latest adventure, replicating The Onion's infamous 'Sicko' meme. The meme reference fits perfectly with Harley's oddball and comedic nature, showcasing her love for cracking jokes and referencing comedy greats. Harley's tribute to The Onion's meme in the midst of chaos at a superpowered dog show is a fitting and hilarious way to honor the internet's greatest jokes.

Warning! Contains spoilers for Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #2!The DC Universe's resident comedian Harley Quinn acknowledges a fan-favorite meme in her latest adventure. The clown pays homage to a beloved internet joke in the most hilarious way possible.

In Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #2's story "Great Petspectations" by Ted Brandt and Ro Stein, it's the Gotham City Pet Club's Annual Show, and the League of Super-Pets has just won 'Best in Show'. Tim Drake...

Brad Pitt and Travis Scott have a real French connection.

It turns out the “Sicko Mode” rapper recorded his latest album, Utopia, at the 59-year-old’s famed Miraval Studios, which is ensconced within Pitt’s 2,200-acre Château Miraval in the South of France. The Instagram account Legends Inc. shared the tidbit in a Saturday post, but the signs were always there.

In fact, when Miraval Studios’ verified Instagram account posted a photo on July 30 of Scott dropping bars on the mic — with the caption “@travisscott making history” — the rapper dropped a comment saying, “I miss my house.” Just a few weeks prior, on July 9, Scott posted a snippet on Instagram of the recording process from Miraval Studios.

Scott’s Utopia — which features Beyoncé, Kid Cudi, Sza, Drake and 21 Savage, among others — dropped on July 28.

By the way, prior to Pitt owning the vineyard and breathing life into the studio, Miraval Studios,...

(Welcome to Movies Are Gay, a Pride Month series where we explore the intentional [or accidental] ways Lgbtqia+ themes, characters, and creatives have shaped cinema.)

Nice girls don't wear cha-cha heels, so why would anyone ever want to be nice? Groundbreaking filmmaker John Waters has been lovingly declared "The Pope of Filth" for decades, and subversive queer themes, characters, and performers are present in each of his films. His midnight movie masterpiece "Pink Flamingos" is considered one of the most important films ever made, but asking a Sicko like me to choose my favorite John Waters film is like asking me to choose between my revolting, violent, hilarious, hypersexual children that only a mother could love. But "Female Trouble" feels like John Waters' sensibilities distilled to perfection, with gruesomeness and glamour swirling together to promote the central theme: crime is beauty.

Waters' muse and frequent collaborator Divine stars as Dawn Davenport, a fat,...

Much like its subject, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the nonfiction thriller “Navalny” started off as an underdog in our Oscar predictions for Best Documentary Feature. But after key wins at precursor awards ceremonies, it has risen to the top of the odds, which are calculated based on the combined predictions of thousands of Gold Derby users. Do you agree that it will prevail on March 12? Scroll down to see the graph that illustrates how quickly the film has climbed.

Going into the Oscar nominations, “Navalny” actually ranked fourth in our predictions behind front-runner “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” as well as “All That Breathes” and “Fire of Love.” All four of them ended up with nominations, along with surprise contender “A House Made of Splinters.” Then in the winners round it rose to third place, and it stayed there until as recently as February 26. So what changed?

A week earlier,...

“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” seemed like a lock to win Best Documentary. The political exposé on artist Nan Goldin and the fall of a pharmaceutical empire was cleaning up among critics’ groups throughout awards season – including New York, Los Angeles, and Florida – as well as being named one of the top-five docs of the year by the National Board of Review.

But as we head toward the Oscars ceremony on March 12, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” feels more vulnerable than ever despite a comfortable lead in the Gold Derby combined odds. After missing a nomination at the Producers Guild Awards, director Laura Poitras lost to “Fire of Love” filmmaker Sara Dosa at the Directors Guild Awards. Then on Sunday at the BAFTA Awards, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” lost Best Documentary to “Navalny.”

Let’s start with the PGA Awards, which take place this weekend. The...

Though the summer movie season is winding down (if it ever really started this year), Amazon Prime’s list of new releases for September 2021 is chock full of worthwhile movie options.

For starters, Amazon’s library movie titles are quite good this month. September 1 sees the arrivals of heavyweights such as Apollo 13, Arachnophobia, Romeo + Juliet, The Descent, and The Social Network. And if that weren’t enough, the streamer is trying out some intriguing original movies as well. Cinderella, a modern update on the classic fairy tale, premieres on September 3. That will be followed by “exotic thriller” The Voyeurs (Sept. 10), musical adaptation Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Sept. 17), and French thriller The Mad Woman’s Ball (Sept. 17).

Read more Movies How Arachnophobia Became the Perfect Creepy Crawly Horror Comedy By Jack Beresford Movies Quentin Tarantino Calls The Social Network the Best Movie of the 2010s By David Crow

Things...

When “My Octopus Teacher” won the Producers Guild Award for Best Documentary on March 24, I started to wonder if that clears the path to it winning the Oscar. It’s an emotional, heartwarming film about nature, and feel-good movies sometimes have an advantage over investigative docs and grittier subjects.

First, it must be acknowledged that the PGA Award often veers wildly from the Oscars. In fact, the last three PGA winners weren’t even nominated by the motion picture academy: “Jane” (2017), “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (2018) and “Apollo 11” (2019). But when an Oscar nominee does win PGA, it tends to win the Oscar too, like “Searching for Sugar Man” (2012), “Amy” (2015) and “O.J.: Made in America” (2016) in the last decade. The last time the PGA winner had an Oscar nomination but lost it was Michael Moore‘s “Sicko” (2007), and that was 13 years ago.

SEE4 documentary filmmakers for ‘Crip Camp,’ ‘The Dissident,...

As Donald Trump’s presidency comes to a close, so does Alec Baldwin’s time as his top impersonator. To cap off the last four years, Baldwin and writer Kurt Andersen have collaborated on Hasta la Vista, America: Trump’s Farewell Address, an audiobook imagining a final speech by the president.

The 42-minute Pushkin Industries project, written by Andersen and performed by Baldwin, encompasses a parody of a Farewell Address, 2021 State of the Union Address and a preview of an imagined blockbuster presidential memoir, along with music and sound effects.

“I was only interested in doing Trump, again, in any form,...

As Donald Trump’s presidency comes to a close, so does Alec Baldwin’s time as his top impersonator. To cap off the last four years, Baldwin and writer Kurt Andersen have collaborated on Hasta la Vista, America: Trump’s Farewell Address, an audiobook imagining a final speech by the president.

The 42-minute Pushkin Industries project, written by Andersen and performed by Baldwin, encompasses a parody of a Farewell Address, 2021 State of the Union Address and a preview of an imagined blockbuster presidential memoir, along with music and sound effects.

“I was only interested in doing Trump, again, in any form,...

Chicago – Like many of you, I have been perusing the digital platforms, looking for the appropriate binge shows that will provide a temporary bit of sanity. Amazon Prime, for example, offers the entire series of “30 Rock” (2006-13), the seminal NBC-TV series created by and featuring Tina Fey. The show is about the adventures of Liz Lemon (Fey), the head writer of a “Saturday Night Live” style TV show.

Coming upon Season Three (2008-09), which is considered one of best in the series, episode eight – entitled “Flu Shot” – projected into the queue and began with dialogue between Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) and his latest girlfriend Elisa (Salma Hayek). It was an innocuous set-up, but what really intrigued me was a photo on the mantel behind her. Was that Jack with Donald Trump? Doing a freeze frame, it was confirmed. Donald Trump was a piece of set design in a photo with Jack Donaghy.

Read more from Variety’s Directors on Directors, in which filmmakers praise their favorite movies of the year, here.

The story that Todd Phillips tells in “Joker” and the issues that this cinematic masterpiece raises are so profound, so necessary, that if you look away from the genius of this work of art, you will miss the gift of the mirror it is offering us. Yes, there’s a disturbed clown in that mirror, but he’s not alone — we’re standing right there beside him.

“Joker” is no superhero nor supervillain nor comic book movie. The film is set somewhere in the late ’70s in Gotham City, and Phillips makes no attempt to disguise it for anything other than what it is: New York City, the headquarters of most real-life villainy: the rich who rule us, the banks and corporations for whom we toil, the media which feeds us...

John Pilger’s passionate film addresses threats to the NHS, from the burgeoning presence of private healthcare companies to the invasion of bureaucrats

Veteran campaigning reporter John Pilger makes no apology for returning to the subject of the National Health Service, and nor should he. The NHS could become Britain’s Gazprom: a gigantic public resource that could so easily be carved up to make corporate oligarchs even richer than they are already.

These are points that have been made by Michael Moore’s Sicko (2007) and Ken Loach’s The Spirit of ’45 (2013), but Pilger brings us more up to date. He takes us through the familiar history, from the founding of the NHS in 1948, through to the 70s, as a new generation of Thatcherite rightists (such as Oliver Letwin and John Redwood) took on health care with a new objective – privatise by stealth. The complaisant Blair government brought in private finance initiatives,...

Nadav Lapid’s Synonyms found the right words this weekend to have a solid opening in two locations, bringing in an estimated $19,070. The acclaimed French-Israeli film about cultural identity played to sold-out screenings in New York, setting itself up for a nationwide expansion to Los Angeles, Toronto, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, and Portland, with more expected in the coming weeks.

Kanye West wanted to bring his “Sunday Service” brand to the masses, and as expected, he went big to match his personality. His 35-minute documentary short Jesus Is King premiered this weekend with 372 runs in 134 markets, landing in the top 10 on Friday in limited runs. The companion piece to his Christian-themed album of the same name is said to be an immersive experience and “an expression of the gospel.” It gives people a chance to see Sunday Service and take a look at James Turrell’s art exhibit,...

In the two-part Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 6 finale, Jake assembles a team of former enemies to take down Commissioner Kelly.

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This Brooklyn Nine-Nine review contains spoilers.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 6 Episodes 16 & 17

In its two-part season finale, Brooklyn Nine-Nine delivers all of its best, most reliable tricks; there’s an internal fight against police corruption, a wealth of returning supporting characters, a twisty plot, and plenty of rapid-fire jokes. Since the season started with a battle between the Nine-Nine and Commissioner Kelly, it was inevitable that the finale would try to add some sort of resolution to this conflict, but in a wise move, it helped set-up a new fight against a far more worthy adversary for next season.

Yes, Season 7 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine had been confirmed long before “Sicko” and “Suicide Squad” aired, meaning that unlike the end of Season 5 on Fox, Brooklyn Nine-Nine didn’t have to shoot...

A review of the two-part Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season Six finale, “Sicko” and “The Suicide Squad,” coming up just as soon as I send you an eye-rolling gif from The Durrells in Corfu…

Nine-Nine has a tradition of ending its seasons with cliffhangers that upend the series’ status quo. Season One ended with Jake going undercover in the Mafia, Season Two with Captain Holt transferred to One Police Plaza, Season Three with Jake and Holt in witness protection down in Florida and Season Four with Jake and Rosa going to prison...

Ariana Grande has a mixed track record at the Grammys. But 2020 has the potential to be her biggest year yet thanks to her chart-topping album “Thank U, Next,” the number-one title track and its equally successful followup single “7 Rings.” They’re the biggest hits of her career so far, but which single gives her the best chance of finally breaking through in Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Scroll down to read some of our forum posters’ comments and vote in our poll.

Grande earned only a smattering of nominations for her first few albums, and then when we thought she would break into the expanded Album of the Year field this past year for “Sweetener,” she was relegated to just two pop categories. Then she publicly beefed with the producer of the Grammys over why she wasn’t performing during the telecast. Nevertheless, Grande ended up...

Travis Scott‘s “Sicko Mode” is number-10 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 singles chart dated March 23. That doesn’t necessarily sound like a big deal, but it is. “Sicko Mode” has now been in the top 10 for 32 straight weeks. That’s one week shy of the all-time record shared by Maroon 5 and Cardi B‘s “Girls Like You” and Ed Sheeran‘s “Shape of You,” both of which spent 33 weeks in the top 10. But even if “Sicko” falls out next week, it has already made history by achieving the longest top-10 run of any rap single in history.

“Sicko Mode” was released last August and debuted at number-four on the Hot 100. It was a slow and winding road for the single, but it finally reached the top spot on December 8 after 17 weeks on the chart. It only spent that one week on top, but it was the first chart-topper of Scott’s career,...

Turner has halted its long-gestating plans to revive Michael Moore’s landmark series “TV Nation.” The show, first announced in 2017 as a series order, had been pushed back several times but never received an official premiere date.

Moore had hoped to get “Michael Moore’s TV Nation” on the air this past October, in time for the midterm elections. TBS had even released a teaser promo for the show this summer, but has been quiet about “TV Nation” ever since. The show doesn’t appear on its website.

According to insiders, the decision to scrap “TV Nation” came due to Moore’s commitments to other projects, leaving him with little time to focus on the TBS show. “TV Nation” was originally set to be Moore’s first regular TV series since “The Awful Truth” went off the air in 2000. It was originally greenlighted in 2017 as “Live from the Apocalypse” and developed for TNT.

Kanye West wants to show blood is always thicker than water ... so he hit up Travis Scott's concert to prove it. Kanye and Kim joined the crowd -- which also included Jay-z and Beyonce -- at Trav's Astroworld tour stop at The Forum in L.A. Wednesday night ... and Ye looked like he was feeling the music. This comes just days after Kanye expressed his frustration with Scott -- whom he considers family -- for...

Michael Moore was “in awe” of Robert DeNiro. Get in line, pal. And of the members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association on hand, Neil Rosen had laryngitis (his wife looked relieved). Steve Oldfield was pitching his second documentary, Mike Sargent was an hour late, his date was not. And Jeffery Wells (Hollywood Elsewhere) had a better seat than I did. He’s in the second row. I’m way in the back balcony control booth as the evening’s announcer.

The third annual Critic’s Choice Awards came back to the low-key Brooklyn setting, Bric, and the show was a “well-organized, briskly paced — by any measure an agreeable, fraternal family affair,” according to Wells. I think most would agree.

Here are some of the highlights on and off stage.

DeNiro was there to give the “Fahrenheit 11/9” director a Lifetime Achievement Award. “He’s on ‘Saturday Night Live’ tonight and...

In Fahrenheit 11/9, political activist and acclaimed documentarian Michael Moore takes on the Trump presidency in a film which asks the question many of us have asked since the 2016 Us presidential elections, what the hell happened and how can it be fixed? Launching a blistering attack on the 45th president of the United States and his shady dealings in the past as well as in the present, Moore mostly succeeds in preaching to the converted amongst us, but in the end he ultimately fails to bring anything tangible to the current discourse of why things have gone so catastrophically wrong.

Taking us all the way back to that fateful election night and the jubilance that preceded the biggest upset in the history of elections, the film attempts to come to terms with the reasons behind this upset and what to do to avoid a repeat. With clips from several public figures,...

Michael Moore, whose latest documentary Fahrenheit 11/9 just hit theaters, has been chosen to receive the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor will be bestowed November 10 at the third annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards in New York.

The event, put on by the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, honors the year’s achievements in documentary features and nonfiction television in 13 categories. Bill Nye is the host of this year’s ceremony at Bric in Brooklyn.

Nominees will be announced October 15.

Fahrenheit 11/9 had its world premiere last month at the Toronto Film Festival and opened at the box office September 21 with $3.1 million. It has grossed $5.6 million to date. The film has been a modest performer so far especially compared with Fahrenheit 9/11, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and became the highest-grossing documentary in history.

Moore’s films include the flag-planting Roger & Me...

Michael Moore’s latest political documentary “Fahrenheit 11/9” (Briarcliff) opened to a little over $3 million this weekend in 1,719 theaters. That comes to about 200 people per theater, or roughly 350,000 ticket buyers. No one expected Moore’s latest effort to replicate the staggering performance of “Fahrenheit 9/11” (tickets sold estimated at over 19 million). Still, his documentary history suggested a wide opening should generate $5 million-$8 million.

Even in the best of scenarios, it’s hard to see this gross much more than $10 million domestic. Despite substantial media attention and a Toronto Film Festival premiere, it will likely end well behind “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” “Rbg,” and “Three Identical Strangers.” Here’s why.

Michael Moore’s Films Have Declined in Appeal

Since “Fahrenheit 9/11” grossed (all adjusted) $178 million in 2004, he directed “Sicko” (2007/$33 million) and “Capitalism: A Love Story” (2009/$17.5 million), and then “Where to Invade Next” (2016/$4.1 million). “Invade” opened to a little under $1 million in 308 theaters,...

After months of hype from the provocative director, Michael Moore’s anti-Donald Trump polemic “Fahrenheit 11/9” arrived in theaters this weekend. But despite strong reviews from critics and liberal-leaning moviegoers who appreciated Moore’s pull-no-punches take on our current political climate, the film’s box office hasn’t stacked up against Moore’s biggest films.

In an effort to get the film out to the widest audience possible prior to the midterm election in November, “Fahrenheit 11/9” eschewed the traditional steady rollout release most documentaries take in favor of a wide release on 1,719 screens. But while independent trackers pegged the film for a $5-7 million opening, the film only grossed $3.1 million for a per screen average of just over $1,800.

Also Read: 'Fahrenheit 11/9' Review: Michael Moore's New Movie Is About a Lot More Than Donald Trump

While that opening still ranks in the top 15 highest openings for documentaries, other Moore films...

Universal’s “The House With a Clock in its Walls” is beating analyst expectations after a strong Saturday at the box office, with estimates now at a $26.8 million opening from 3,592 screens.

This $40 million Amblin-produced family film had been projected for an opening in the low $20 million range, but business picked up well after a $7.5 million Friday. Critical reception has been fairly solid, with a B+ on CinemaScore to join a 68 percent Rotten Tomatoes score.

Also Read: 'House With a Clock in Its Walls' Film Review: Eli Roth Directs a Fun, Family-Friendly Halloween Frolic

After inflation adjustment, this result matches the best opening for director Eli Roth, who up to this point has made gory horror films like “Cabin Fever” and the “Hostel” trilogy. His previous opening weekend best was scored by the first “Hostel” in 2006 with $19.5 million, which adjusts to $27.6 million in 2018 money.

“Clock” will be the major family...

Chicago – You might think that “Fahrenheit 11/9,” the latest advocate documentary from provocateur Michael Moore, is all about Donald Trump and his diffident administration. But that’s not the whole thing, which is the strength of the film. Moore goes back to hometown Flint, Michigan, and other places in the USA, which exposes the symptoms rather than the Trump disease.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

The impression of Michael Moore, in the 14 years since his influential “Fahrenheit 9/11” (the highest grossing documentary of all time) is that of a lost grump. His output from there has been interesting (“Sicko”) to unfocused (“Where to Invade Next”). He is still a scapegoat for the Fox News crowd, his mere name is meant to evoke anger in them. Yet his public persona had gotten as soft as his belly… he just didn’t seem to have the filmmaker’s energy that launched him as a working man’s advocate.

Universal’s “The House With a Clock in Its Walls” is off to a solid start at the box office, earning $7.8 million on Friday from 3,592 screens and putting itself on course to easily take No. 1 at the box office with an estimated $24 million opening.

Amblin didn’t break the bank making Eli Roth’s first PG film, keeping the budget for “Clock” at a reasonable $40 million. Should the current estimate hold through the weekend, it will represent an opening on the higher end of tracker expectations, which had pegged the Jack Black-Cate Blanchett vehicle for a start in the low $20 million range.

Also Read: 'The Nun' Got a Big Box Office Boost From Latinos

Inspired by the dark fantasies Amblin released in the 1980s, the film has earned mixed reviews with a 67 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, but had a solid reception from opening night audiences...

Between his guerrilla-style filmmaking, ironic sense of humor and explosive rhetoric, Michael Moore has come to be either a folk hero or a political pariah depending on where you sit. And yet hailing from Flint, Mich. has made him uniquely positioned to address a wide swath of America’s woes. You may not agree with any of his politics, but damn if Moore’s movies aren’t entertaining, and no one does agitprop better. This ranking of his theatrical, feature documentaries, including his latest “Fahrenheit 11/9,” will be polarizing, but then his movies are supposed to be.

10. “Slacker Uprising” (2007)

Merely a collection of footage from Michael Moore’s stadium tour ahead of the 2004 Kerry-Bush election, “Slacker Uprising” lacks much of a focus or even a strong thesis. But far worse is how Moore positions himself as a rock star, editing in endless applause breaks of his fans or even multiple...