News

More star power has just been added to Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Kerry Washington, who is best known for her Emmy-winning role as Olivia Pope in the hit ABC series Scandal, has boarded the cast of Rian Johnson's next Benoit Blanc movie.

According to Deadline, Washington has joined the cast of Wake Up Dead Man in an undisclosed role. Besides Scandal, Washington is known for her leading roles in the Hulu series Unprisoned and Little Fires Everywhere, as well as for her recurring roles in 100 Centre Street, Boston Legal, and The Simpsons. Comic book fans may recognize the actor for her supporting role as Alicia Masters, the love interest of Ben Grimm/The Thing, in 2005's Fantastic Four and its 2007 sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Her other film credits include Ray (2004), The Dead Girl (2006), Django Unchained (2012), Cars 3 (2017), and The School for Good and Evil...

Upcoming directing and producing projects are expanding Toni Collette’s creative horizons, according to the Australian actress speaking at Qumra this weekend.

She will soon star in A French Pursuit, a comedy feature directed by Catherine Hardwicke. Collette will produce the film through her Vocab Films company, alongside UK producer Christopher Simon’s New Sparta Films.

“Meeting the production team we’re working with in France, casting people – it’s stuff you don’t get to do as an actor, it’s incredibly satisfying,” said Collette, speaking in Doha where she gave a masterclass to emerging filmmakers and attending industry...

Toby Yates, a film editor in Hollywood for 40 years and the son of Oscar-nominated director-producer Peter Yates, has died. He was 61.

Yates died Nov. 17 in Los Angeles after a stroke, his family announced.

Yates was a frequent collaborator with director Karen Moncrieff, editing her first feature, Blue Car (2002), followed by The Dead Girl (2006) and The Trials of Cate McCall (2013).

He also cut The Moon and the Stars (2007) for director John Irvin — he received a best editor prize at the Milano International Film Festival for that — and The Midnight Meat Train (2008) and No One Lives (2012) for director Ryûhei Kitamura.

Most recently, he edited Brave the Dark (2023), directed by Damian Harris.

Toby Robert Quentin Yates was born on Sept. 18, 1962, in London and raised there and in New York City. He studied filmmaking and editing while in high school, working as an apprentice editor and later assistant editor under Roy Lovejoy (2001: A Space Odyssey,...

Kevin Turen, a producer on “Euphoria,” “The Idol,” and Ti West’s “X” trilogy,” died over the weekend. He was 44. A cause of death is not yet known.

Jay Penske, CEO of Variety‘s parent company Penske Media Corporation, was a close friend of Turen’s and released a statement on his passing.

“Despite his many achievements in Hollywood, Kevin’s greatest passion was his family and friends,” Penske said. “He was so proud of his children. He and his wife, Evelina, were resolved that their children grow up with great values and ensured they make a difference in the broader world. Our collective heart breaks for them, and we all feel such a profound sense of loss. We will miss Kevin so much, and this town lost one of its brightest rising stars today.”

Turen was known for working alongside Sam Levinson and Ashley Levinson, having co-founded Little Lamb Productions...

Kevin Turen, a producer on HBO’s Euphoria and The Idol and Ti West’s X, Pearl and MaXXXine, has died. He was 44.

A spokesperson for Penske Media Corp., the parent company of The Hollywood Reporter, confirmed Turen’s death. No other details were immediately available.

“Despite his many achievements in Hollywood, Kevin’s greatest passion was his family and friends,” Jay Penske, CEO of Pmc and a close friend of Turen, said in a statement. “He was so proud of his children. He and his wife, Evelina, were resolved that their children grow up with great values and ensured they make a difference in the broader world. Our collective heart breaks for them, and we all feel such a profound sense of loss. We will miss Kevin so much, and this town lost one of its brightest rising stars.”

Turen was closely associated with Sam and Ashley Levinson. The trio co-founded Little Lamb Productions,...

Piper Laurie, who blossomed as an actress only after extricating herself from the studio system and went on to rack up three Oscar nominations, has died. She was 91.

Laurie’s manager Marion Rosenberg confirmed the news to Variety, writing, “A beautiful human being and one of the great talents of our time.”

Laurie scored her first Oscar nomination for her work opposite Paul Newman in 1961’s classic poolhall drama “The Hustler,” in which she played an alcoholic who memorably tells Newman’s character, “Look, I’ve got troubles and I think maybe you’ve got troubles. Maybe it’d be better if we just leave each other alone.”

Though she informally retired to raise a family for more than a decade, she returned to film and television in the mid-’70s and racked up an impressive roster of characterizations, including Oscar-nominated turns in “Carrie” and in “Children of a Lesser God,...

Constantin Film has tapped 30 year industry vet Richard S. Wright as SVP of Physical Production, a post in which he’ll oversee all production aspects of the studios film and TV projects.

Wright will be based in Los Angeles and report to Cfd’s CoPresidents Martin Moszkowicz and Robert Kulzer.

Said Moszkowicz in a statement, “We are so pleased to have Richard join us in Los Angeles for our English language productions. Over his long career, he has worked alongside some of the world’s great filmmakers and helped to steer an incredible array of projects. I am thrilled that he will be a part of our team as we forge ahead with an exciting lineup of film and television productions.”

Wright added, “I am very excited to be joining the Constantin team. Their financial strength, global presence and diversified slate position them well to navigate the challenges

of today’s film and television ecosystems.

The Paley Center for Media today announced that it will pay tribute to the extraordinary Kerry Washington with the special program Celebrating Kerry Washington: Conversation & Exclusive Preview Screening of Little Fires Everywhere.

The program will take place on Tuesday, March 17 at 7:30 pm.

“I’m truly honored to be returning to the Paley Center stage for this look back at my work,” said Kerry Washington. “And I’m thrilled to be previewing Little Fires Everywhere, as part of this extraordinary evening.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome back Kerry Washington to the Paley Center,” said Maureen J. Reidy, the Paley Center President & CEO. “Ms. Washington is a tremendous talent and we look forward to celebrating her remarkable career and to hosting the exclusive New York premiere of Little Fires Everywhere.”

Kerry Washington is among the most respected and influential talents in television today. A New York native, this versatile talent has...

Lucky, a chronicle of sexual assault and its aftermath by The Lovely Bones‘ author Alice Sebold, is set to be adapted as a feature. Karen Moncrieff has penned the transfer of Sebold’s true story and will direct the film that’s produced by Still Alice‘s James Brown. Lisa Wolofsky of Skywolf Media and Nadine de Barros through Fortitude are fully financing and will exec produce. Fortitude is handling international sales.

Currently in pre-production and casting, the movie is eyeing a fall start date.

Sebold, whose 2002 bestseller The Lovely Bones was made into a feature directed by Peter Jackson, published Lucky in 1999. The memoir traces how her life was transformed when she was brutally raped and beaten in a park near campus as an 18-year-old college freshman. While reporting the crime to the police, she was astonished when they remarked how a young woman...

After a brief cameo in 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” and another in 2015’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Josh Brolin will make a full-fledged and villainous appearance as Thanos in this week’s blockbuster movie “Avengers: Infinity War.” The film is the latest in the popular series of films based on the Marvel comic books.

It was over 30 years ago that the teenage Brolin made his film debut in “The Goonies” but it is only in the last 10 years or so that he has risen to the top of the list of respected actors and become a full-out movie star. As Brolin himself joked on an episode of “Inside the Actor’s Studio” he got everything wrong for the first half of his career and only recently started getting it right. Brolin is perhaps being too hard on himself since he has had a very steady rise in show business...

Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling are being courted to star in "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" and "Iron Man 3" director Shane Black's new noir film "The Nice Guys".

Set in Los Angeles in the 1970s, the story follows recovering alcoholic and enforcer Jackson Healy, and practicing alcoholic P.I. Holland March, who are brought together by a fading porn star's suicide.

The dead girl's aunt is convinced she saw her niece alive after the incident. March takes the case which blossoms into a far-reaching murder conspiracy rooted in the U.S. auto industry.

Black and Anthony Bagarozzi penned the script years ago, but the project has been languishing in development until recently picking up steam.

Joel Silver is producing and will shop around the project in coming days. Gosling and Crowe's reps say scheduling still has to be worked out, Crowe in particular may have conflicts.

Source: The...

The following "Auditions at a Glance" calendar conveniently organizes projects by the date and day-of-the-week that the projects' auditions are taking place, to help you schedule your plans. Click on any of the following links to see the casting and job notices related to the dates and project titles highlighted below. Thu. Feb. 14 • 'His Girl Friday' • 'PrizeFighting' • 'The Soulies of Milgarden' Fri. Feb. 15 • AI, 'Paper Flowers' Old Globe Theatre Summer Shakespeare Festival 2013 • 'PrizeFighting' • 'The Soulies of Milgarden' Sat. Feb. 16 • AI, 'Paper Flowers' • 'End of the Rainbow' • 'Fun' & 'Nobody' • 'PrizeFighting' • 'Take Me Back!' The Musical • 'The Dead Girl' • 'Waiting to Wake to Our Future Better Selves' Sun. Feb. 17 • 'D.A.M.E. (The Test)' • 'Love My Truck Drivin' Man' • 'Route 66' • 'Secret Garden' & 'How to Succeed...' • 'The Great American Trailer Park Musical' • 'Trouble with...

Jane Fonda sure is busy these days. After taking only the occasional role over the past seven years, Fonda is suddenly everywhere again and can be seen the upcoming comedy-drama "Peace, Love & Misunderstanding," Aaron Sorkin's HBO series "The Newsroom," and will play Nancy Reagan in Lee Daniels' "The Butler." Add Geoff Moore and David Posamentier's "Better Living Through Chemistry" to Fonda's schedule as well.

Already in production in Los Angeles, the film stars Sam Rockwell as a small-town pharmacist who has an affair with a customer's trophy wife (Olivia Wilde), who introduces him to the pleasures of prescription drugs (apparently he never tried his own products). Things get messy when she wants him to kill her husband. According to Deadline, Fonda's character will be a customer of Rockwell's pharmacy who is "the conscience" of the film. Currently in France for Cannes, Fonda will soon head to Maryland to shoot her scenes.

Craig (from Dark Eye Socket) here with this week's Take Three. Today: Piper Laurie

Take One: Hesher (2010)

Laurie has played the grandmother figure a few times in recent years (Hounddog, Eulogy, The Dead Girl), but she best conveyed matriarchal feeling last year in Hesher. The film uses the familiar narrative coupling of a loveable old person and unruly younger person connecting despite obvious differences. This time it's carried out with keen subtlety because the people involved are Laurie and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who make this arrangement work in a delightfully fresh way. Their friendship isn’t the main thrust of the narrative, but a key characterful diversion, and the genuinely heartfelt union elevates the film with tiny moments of tender affection.

Laurie's Grandma is there for her grandson (Devin Brochu) through the mourning of his mother and later when Gordon-Levitt’s stoner/drifter crashes the family home. Her open acceptance of...

Toni Collette and Steve Carell are reconnecting onscreen for the first time since way, way back in 2006's "Little Miss Sunshine" in the latest project from Oscar-winning screenwriters Jim Rash and Nat Faxon... "The Way, Way Back."

Dysfunction isn't anything new to this pair; as you might remember, Carell and Colette played siblings in "Sunshine," the suicidal scholar Frank and frazzled mom Sheryl. This time around, Carell is taking on the role of the jerky stepfather to Colette's teen son, who, after one intense summer, finds the strength to give his crappy, cheating, drunken stepdad the what-for. This will be the "Descendants" screenwriting duo's directorial debut.

While Steve Carell is most famous for doofy characters like Michael Scott in "The Office" and lamp-loving Brick Tamland in "Anchorman," he does show off a slightly darker, troubled side in movies like "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" and "Dan in Real Life.

Chicago – Shonda Rhimes has made waves on network TV with her unique, stylized approach to characters on hit shows “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice.” She occassionally has a gift for pulpy TV and her latest, “Scandal” sometimes hits that nerve that wants an escapist soap opera after a long day at work. More often, it feels over-done, like someone trying to stir controversy with outlandish, unbelievable behavior. It’s a tough show to review. If you approach it with even an ounce of sincerity, you’ll likely laugh it off. But if you approach it knowing that this is a daytime soap opera that just happens to be in primetime and can appreciate the fearless ludicrousness of it all, it just might be your favorite way to turn off your mind.

TV Rating: 2.5/5.0

Kerry Washington plays Olivia Pope (which wins the award for best TV name of the year…...

Anna Faris may be the reigning queen of the romantic comedy, but that doesn't mean she can get downright cynical about love. Variety reports that the "What's Your Number?" actress is teaming up with "Bridesmaids" star Rose Byrne for the Working Title rom-com "I Give it a Year."

The movie, written and directed by "Borat" helmer Dan Mazer, tells the story of a pair of quirky newlyweds, played by Byrne and "Prometheus" star Rafe Spall, as they navigate their first year of wedded bliss.

Simon Baker – yes, "The Mentalist" himself – will have a major supporting role, as will Faris.

Byrne, whose resume reads like a list of reasons for going on anti-anxiety meds, having starred in films like "Insidious," "The Dead Girl," and "28 Weeks Later," has shown her comedic prowess in movies like "Bridesmaids" and "Get Him to the Greek," but will be leading an ensemble comedy for the first time with this film.

For the last couple of years, Kristin Chenoweth has told reporters how badly she wants to star in a biopic of the legendary bisexual vocalist Dusty Springfield. And as Dusty's lover, Kristin wanted Kerry Washington for the part. The two have professed their desire to star together ever since, and it's still not come to fruition.

I had to ask Chenoweth: Where is the movie? The lesbians need to know!

"Not just lesbians, maam, me!" Kristin said at the ABC TCA party. "You know what? I don't know. We had a script that needed a lot of work, but Dolly Parton is writing her show so she wants me to do that. I'm like 'Hurry up, Dolly!'"

But she hasn't wavered on who she wants as her on-screen lover. "That's my girl!" she said of Kerry. "Wouldn't she be perfect with me? If I was lesbian, she'd be my girl.

Sometimes, it's better if the b-plot, in this case, Chin's (Daniel Dae Kim) wedding to Malia (Reiko Aylesworth) is more front and center. It was a lovely ceremony. The case, however, was hardly compelling but there were some nice moments. A pack of kids reviving the glory days of the Goonies as they go to explore an old WWII bunker outside Pearl City. Once the kids repel into an old lava tube, of course they discover a dead body. What I loved is these kids reacted *exactly* like the cast from the Goonies as though production gave them all copies of the DVD before shooting. Danny's (Scott Caan) living arrangements have changed, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bummed he's not still rooming with Steve (Alex O'loughlin). Steve and Joe (Terry O'Quinn) are discussing these living arrangements as they go to pick Danny up at...

An island mystery is little more than a place holder in the form of a filler episode this week, with a few funny moments and not much else. Lisbon does work with her entire team this time and there are a few character developing moments, but on the whole, this one just didn't capture me. A dead girl washes up on the shore of a small island off the California mainland, raped and strangled. Jane (Simon Baker) wanders around playing with drift wood to assess the tides while Lisbon (Robin Tunney) and Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti) talk to a butterfly conservationist, Gardner (Jonathan Schmock) who found the body. Jane, eventually, does something useful when he pokes at the local cattle rancher, Jed Stack (Steve Rankin) about the girl washing up close to his land. No one seems to know her. Color me surprised. The island is a tight-knit group more...

With an increasing number of major TV shows premiering during the summer months, Film Music Reporter presents a listing of this summer’s original shows and their composers. Featured in Part 1 of the Summer TV Roundup are the original shows on the networks (ABC, NBC, CBS), as well as on USA and Showtime. Check back for Part 2 to appear on this page soon.

ABC:

Airing every Tuesday night on the network is the drama Combat Hospital. The show centers on a group of doctors and nurses from Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and other allied countries saving lives and limbs in a war zone military hospital modeled on a real facility in Afghanistan. Deborah Kara Unger, Michelle Borth, Elias Koteas, Terry Chen, Arnold Pinnock and Luke Mably are starring. The show’s music is composed by Edmund Butt (The Dark, Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes) and additional...

Robert (author of Distant Relatives) here, pondering why Rose Byrne is always so sad. Have you noticed this? Which is why I was shocked to see her show up in the ensemble comedic cast of Bridesmaids. Now from what I hear Ms. Byrne is something of the straight man of the group. Most of the buzz for this film is falling in the laps of Maya Rudolph and especially Kristen Wiig, the lead, as it should be.

But still, as long as we're talking about whether this film can put to rest the notion that women can't be raunchy funny, can we also put to rest the typcasting rut that too many particularly good actresses fall into. If anything it would make Rose Byrne less sad.

Rose Byrne in Insidious, "Damages", Knowing, 28 Weeks Later, Sunshine, The Dead Girl...

...Or we should say "Cheat Sheets" since this year's SXSW Film Festival boasts over 140 films, requiring more than just one page to cover every single one of the narrative and documentary features that will be playing in Austin from March 11th through 19th. While the festival has already provided a very helpful schedule to flip through and Pdf of the screening grid online, consider this your quick hit guide to all the features at the festival - every title leads to its corresponding festival page in addition to links to trailers, official sites, filmmakers' Facebook pages and Twitter accounts so you can follow the action from the festival or from home.

Meanwhile, there will be plenty of action during these next two weeks on IFC.com where, in addition to our live video page, Matt Singer (@mattsinger) and I (@mfrushmore) will be filing reviews and interviews throughout the film festival.

Members of the Reagan family were contemplating their family legacy this week in ways both big and small.

When Danny brought Nicky to a crime scene, her “Age of Innocence” was soon over. After specifically being told by her uncle to wait in the car, she did what any 14 year old would.

She snuck out to view the dead body. Regrettably, the experience wasn’t as enticing as she’d imagined. Kudos to Danny for telling Nicky to go home and tell her mother the truth when she offered to hide it. It’s nice to be reminded that Danny is a responsible father himself.

Of course Nicky didn’t do it. After all, she is 14.

As usual I appreciated the Reagan family dinner. How great was it when Linda told her boys to be quiet because the adults were talking? How often do you see that on TV?

And...

The South by Southwest Film Festival announced its feature film line-up Wednesday, piling heaps of cinematic goodness on an already stellar program that includes Jodie Foster’s The Beaver, Duncan Jones’ Source Code, Ti West’s The Innkeepers, Conan O’Brien’s tour documentary, and the latest Simon Pegg-Nick Frost comedy, Paul, with Seth Rogen.

Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight) returns to the festival with her latest film, Red Riding Hood starring Amanda Seyfried, after the writer-director spoke on a screenwriting panel in 2009.

Plus a few favorites from the Sundance Film Festival last month, like Tom McCarthy’s Win Win, Morgan Spurlock’s The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, and Max Winkler’s Ceremony.

I’m extremely excited, even if I’m already having flashbacks to intense sleep deprivation. Like the last two years, I’ll be on the ground covering as much of the festival as I can within the packed 9 days of screenings,...

‘Tapping into the cultural zeitgeist,’ at SXSW 2011

Austin, Texas – The SXSW 2011 Feature Film Lineup was unveiled Wednesday afternoon. The festival lineup will consist of 130 features, in nine full days of programming, promising to deliver a film-going experience unlike previous years.

With a reputation for taking chances on relatively unknown filmmakers, the SXSW panel of judges carefully picked 130 films from 1,792 feature-length film submissions, (1,323 U.S. and 469 international). The program consists of 60 World Premieres, 12 North American Premieres and 16 U.S. Premieres.

The main competition categories return with eight Narrative Features, and eight Documentary Features, both competing for their respective Grand Jury Prize. New for films in competition this year, are awards for screenplay, editing, cinematography, music, and acting.

(The Midnighters and SXFantastic feature sections, along with the short film program, will be announced next week.)

Here are a few of the Features to be screened, among many others.

Narratives:

The Beaver (World Premiere)

Dir.

Readers of Sound On Sight can be sure that we will indeed be covering the SXSW Film Festival once again. As previously reported, Duncan Jones’ latest film Source Code is opening the festival and there will also be premieres for the documentary Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, Greg Mottola’s Paul, and Jodie Foster’s The Beaver. Now the full line-up has been announced it is incredible.

Hit the jump to check out the line-up, and be sure to visit our site during the event.

The 2011 SXSW Film Festival runs from March 11 – 19th in Austin, Texas.

SXSW Film Announces 2011 Features Lineup

Austin, Texas – February 2, 2011 – The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival is thrilled to announce the features lineup for this year’s Festival, March 11 – 19, 2011 in Austin, Texas. The 2011 lineup continues the SXSW tradition of tapping into the cultural zeitgeist, highlighting emerging talent and breakthrough performances and supporting first-time filmmakers.

"Win Win," starring Paul Giamatti, left, and Alex Shaffer, will screen at SXSW

Aimée Lagos’ thriller “96 Minutes,” starring Brittany Snow; Chris Eyre’s “A Year in Mooring” and “American Animal” from writer-director Matt D’Elia are among the films that will screen in competition at next month’s South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

These films will be joined in the Headliners section by Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan in Tom McCarthy’s “Win Win,” Takashi Miike’s “13 Assassins,” Rainn Wilson in “Super” and others previously announced including Jodie Foster’s “The Beaver,” Greg Mottola’s “Paul,” the documentary “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop” from director Rodman Flender, and the opening-night world premiere of Duncan Jones’ “Source Code.”

The following are highlights from the lineup announced Wednesday, with descriptions provided by the festival.

Narrative Feature Competition “96 Minutes”

Director, Writer: Aimée Lagos

Four young lives. One night. One terrifying event.

"Win Win," starring Paul Giamatti, left, and Alex Shaffer, will screen at SXSW

Aimée Lagos’ thriller “96 Minutes,” starring Brittany Snow; Chris Eyre’s “A Year in Mooring” and “American Animal” from writer-director Matt D’Elia are among the films that will screen in competition at next month’s South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

These films will be joined in the Headliners section by Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan in Tom McCarthy’s “Win Win,” Takashi Miike’s “13 Assassins,” Rainn Wilson in “Super” and others previously announced including Jodie Foster’s “The Beaver,” Greg Mottola’s “Paul,” the documentary “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop” from director Rodman Flender, and the opening-night world premiere of Duncan Jones’ “Source Code.”

The following are highlights from the lineup announced Wednesday, with descriptions provided by the festival.

Narrative Feature Competition “96 Minutes”

Director, Writer: Aimée Lagos

Four young lives. One night. One terrifying event.

The South By Southwest Film Conference and Festival announced this year's features lineup. The festival takes place March 11-19 in Austin, Texas.

There are a total of 130 features screening this year including 60 world premieres, 12 North American premieres and 16 U.S. premieres! This year the a total of 1,792 feature-length films were submitted, which is the most ever.

There are going to be some amazing films shown this yea. Opening night kicks off with Duncan Jones' Source Code (Moon). The fest rolls on with Jodie Foster‘s The Beaver, Greg Mottola‘s Paul, Sundance Grand Prize doc winner How to Die in Oregon, Errol Morris‘ Tabloid, Victoria Mahoney‘s Yelling to the Sky, Azazel Jacob‘s Terri. There will also be a special screening of Catherine Hardwicke‘s Red Riding Hood.

The Midnight and SXFantastic sections will be announced with the shorts program next week.

See the complete lineup below via...

The South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) just announced their entire 2011 feature film lineup, and there’s isn’t a lot of note, with regards to this blog’s focus.

Titles you should be aware of – all of which we’ve previously profiled on Shadow And Act – include, Victoria Mahoney’s feature film debut, Yelling To The Sky (which will actually make its world debut at the Berlin Film Festival later this month); plus Blacktino, the first feature film from writer/director Aaron Burns, a self-described “blacktino nerd from Austin, Texas,” who got his start at Robert Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios doing visual effects; Benda Bilili, a documentary about a band of homeless, disabled Congolese; and last, but not least, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey, a documentary about the black man that happens to be the man behind the puppet (which also played at Sundance).

There might be...

The South by Southwest Film Festival has announced their features lineup for the 2011’s Festival, which will take place March 11th to the 19th in Austin Texas. Read the full press release after the jump. SXSW Film Announces 2011 Features Lineup Austin, Texas – February 2, 2011 – The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival is thrilled to announce the features lineup for this year’s Festival, March 11 – 19, 2011 in Austin, Texas. The 2011 lineup continues the SXSW tradition of tapping into the cultural zeitgeist, highlighting emerging talent and breakthrough performances and supporting first-time filmmakers. The Midnighters and SXFantastic feature sections, along with the short film program, will be announced next week. “This is the most exciting moment for us. After a fantastic festival of discovery in 2010, we can finally unveil the line up for this year’s event,” says Film Conference and Festival Producer Janet Pierson. “SXSW prides itself on taking chances, sifting for...

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival is thrilled to announce the features lineup for this year's Festival, March 11 - 19, 2011 in Austin, Texas. The 2011 lineup continues the SXSW tradition of tapping into the cultural zeitgeist, highlighting emerging talent and breakthrough performances and supporting first-time filmmakers. The Midnighters and SXFantastic feature sections, along with the short film program, will be announced next week.

"This is the most exciting moment for us. After a fantastic festival of discovery in 2010, we can finally unveil the line up for this year's event," says Film Conference and Festival Producer Janet Pierson. "SXSW prides itself on taking chances, sifting for films that are the seedlings of the next generation of must-see artists. This year's line up is full of emerging voices and filmmakers who transcended the resources they had on hand, often with an alchemist's touch."

Over the course of nine days, 130 features will...

By Sean O’Connell

Hollywoodnews.com: Whether you are heading to this year’s Sundance Film Festival – which begins on Thursday in Park City, Utah – or following every happening from the comfort of your own home, it sounds like the Sundance Channel is ramping up its coverage to bring most of the fest to you.

For the first time in the channel’s history, Sundance Channel is officially setting up an on-site headquarters – located at 692 Main Street – which will play host to an all-access, multimedia experience for Sundance Film Festival patrons.

“All eyes are on the Sundance Film Festival every year, and no wonder: it’s a one-of-kind event on the film calendar, a place to get early indications of what’s next in our culture. We’re proud to share the Sundance name and it’s only fitting that we create an exciting media event on all of our...

Chicago – I wonder how the movie history books will remember Brittany Murphy, who died suddenly at the end of 2009. When she went, she had a few films in some stage of post-production and one, the thriller “Abandoned,” makes its way to Blu-ray and DVD this week. The film works about as well as your average straight-to-dvd thriller but distinguishes itself a bit due to Murphy’s underrated acting ability, but this actress deserved a more fitting final note.

Blu-Ray Rating: 2.5/5.0

Especially when one considers the ugly rumors that surrounded her death combined with a few recent career decisions that pulled her out of the spotlight — most obituaries turned to “Clueless” or “Don’t Say a Word” as her most notable roles — it seems likely that history won’t be as kind to Brittany Murphy as it should be. What’s saddest is that she gave arguably the best performance of...

Craig here with the next Take Three

Today: Kerry Washington

Take One: And the band played on

Jim McKay's Our Song (2000) was one of those New York high school coming-of-age films that often crop up from time to time. There were plenty on the late'80s/early '90s indie scene, but nowadays they're few and far between. The film follows three girl friends experiencing formative tribulations on their paths to adulthood. They navigate themselves through a summer of issues - teen pregnancy and suicide, their school's impending closure, family strife - in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, all whilst practising with The Jackie Robinson Steppers Marching Band in local parking lots for a Labor Day parade. It's a languorous, amiable film that, despite the surplus of social topics it raises, doesn't hammer any of them home with undue force.

Girl Power: Washington, Anna Simpson & Melissa Martinez in Our Song

Kerry Washington,...

HollywoodNews.com: The Los Angeles Film Festival has announced its jurors for the festival that kicks off today at L.A. Live.

The narrative jury consists of director Charles Burnett (Killer of Sheep, The Glass Shield),

screenwriter/producer Larry Karaszewski (Ed Wood, The People vs. Larry Flynt), and La

Weekly film critic Ella Taylor. The documentary jury is comprised of director/actress Karen

Moncrief (Blue Car, The Dead Girl), director Arthur Dong (Licensed to Kill, Hollywood

Chinese), and film critic and journalist Robert Abele. Writer/performer Sandra Tsing-Loh

(solo show “Mother on Fire,” novel If You Lived Here, You’d Be Home By Now), actor Andrew

Garfield (Boy A, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus) and director Tommy O’Haver (An

American Crime, Ella Enchanted) round out the shorts jury.

“I’m so excited to have all these great talents join us at the Festival this year,” said Artistic

Director David Ansen.

James Franco has an interesting career, starting out -- more or less -- as a regular on "Freaks and Geeks," before becoming that cast's first breakout star by appearing in all three Spider-Man movies. Outside of Spider-Man and a modicum of commercial success with Pineapple Express and critical success with Milk, however, Franco's resume is littered with films that range from the terrible (Flyboys, Annapolis, City by the Sea) to the forgettable (In the Valley of Elah, The Dead Girl, Tristan + Isolde). Lately, he's been filling his time with a stint on "General Hospital," and a decent documentary about the behind-the-scenes machinations of "Saturday Night Live."

It looks like he's due now for the second phase of his career as a more solid comedic presence and, perhaps, an action star of sorts. His participation in two projects was announced yesterday. The bigger one is that he's now been cast as...

Well-known actor Patrick Wilson will star alongside Rose Byrne in the upcoming James Wan’s project titled Insidious.

Ok, we know it’s not a big surprise that this, Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor is involved in this report, but we must say that it will be interesting to see him in a movie already described as Wan’s latest fright flick, right?

So, at this moment we know that Rose Byrne (best known from titles like 28 Weeks Later and The Dead Girl), Barbara Hershey (will next be seen in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan) and above mentioned Wilson will all play in this new movie.

It follows “a young family that makes the terrifying discovery that the body of their comatose boy has become a magnet for malevolent entities while his consciousness lies trapped in the dark and insidious realm known as The Further”.

This may sound familiar to you,...

The first casting news has just come in for James Wan's Insidious, which is currently lensing under the title The Astral in Los Angeles, and things are looking good!

Our bros at Bloody Disgusting just got word that Rose Byrne (Knowing, 28 Weeks Later, The Dead Girl, Sunshine), Patrick Wilson (pictured right; Hard Candy, Watchmen, The Ledge), and Barbara Hershey (Black Swan, Riding the Bullet) have all been cast in Wan's latest fright flick.

Wan reunites with Saw co-writer Leigh Whannell on the film, which follows a young family that makes the terrifying discovery that the body of their comatose boy has become a magnet for malevolent entities while his consciousness lies trapped in the dark and insidious realm known as The Further.

"Leigh wrote a fantastic script that took a haunted house movie with all the usual conventions and twisted it on its head," said Wan in a previous interview.

Bloody Disgusting learned that Rose Byrne (Knowing, 28 Weeks Later, The Dead Girl, Sunshine), Patrick Wilson (Hard Candy, Watchmen, The Ledge) and Barbara Hershey (Black Swan, Riding the Bullet) have all been cast in James Wan's latest horror entry, Insidious, which is currently lensing under the title "The Astral" here in Los Angeles. Re-teaming Wan with Saw co-writer Leigh Whannell, the pic follows a young family makes the terrifying discovery that the body of their comatose boy has become a magnet for malevolent entities, while his consciousness lies trapped in the dark and insidious realm known as The Further. Wan also directed Dead Silence and Death Sentence.

Now in it's fourth year, Horrorfest, the annual cinematic showcase for After Dark Films, has established something of a reputation as a platform for fresh, daring filmmakers to get themselves noticed. More than just a simple market for nasties, the After Dark label stands for quality by way of authenticity, delivering horror films by genre lovers for genre lovers. In addition to this yearly frightfest, After Dark recently announced a new venture to develop their own projects, in partnership with SyFy, NBC, and Lionsgate, titled After Dark Originals. Aiming to do for horror what the Sundance Institute did for the American indie, the eight slate series will begin production next month with a view towards theatrical release later this fall.

Titles featured in this year's Horrorfest include:

The Reeds

Starring: Anna Brewster, O-t Fagbenle, Will Mellor, Danny Caltagirone, Scarlett Johnson, Emma Catherwood, Geoff Bell

Director: Nick Cohen

Inspired by any...

There's an epidemic going around during past couple of months. People are killing young women-in the movies. In Peter Jackson's "The Lovely Bones," 14-year-old Susie Salmon played by Saoirse Ronan is raped and murdered near her home. The dead girl is intent on killing the murderer, whose death would release her from the clouds and gain her entrance to heaven. In Pierre Morel's "Taken," Bryan Mills, played by Liam Neeson, suffers the murder of his daughter. His response? "I know who you are. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not lok for you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you." Martin Campbell's "Edge of Darkness" finds Thomas Craven in pursuit of the shotgun slaying of his 24-year-old daughter. Forget the law. Justice is too slow. These survivors want revenge.

Broadway.com is reporting that Kerry Washington (Ray, The Last King of Scotland) could soon be signed on to play opposite Kristin Chenoweth in the upcoming Dusty Springfield biopic. Chenoweth will play the bisexual chanteuse and Washington would play Dusty's "African-American female lover."

The site notes that Chenoweth originally told E! last year that she'd love to have Kerry play the part, and Kerry told the press today that she ran into Kristin in L.A. and told her she'd love to play her girlfriend. “It’s very exciting," Washington said. "I feel like I’ve been waiting to make out with her forever.”

I'll pause while several of you nod in agreement.

Kerry Washington is an accomplished actress who has also played gay twice before in Spike Lee's She Hate Me and The Dead Girl, in which she got down with Brittany Murphy.

And while the Dusty...

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Brittany Murphy starred in more than a handful of films with eerily foreboding titles. Do you think her works were prophetic of her untimely death?

Drop Dead Gorgeous, Deadline, The Dead Girl — Kind of spooky, isn’t it? Don’t believe us? Take a closer look…

Get More on Brittany Murphy:

Alicia Silverstone Remembers Brittany Murphy: “She Was So Talented, So Warm, and So Sweet” Brittany Murphy’s Tragic New Year’s Resolution: “I Want A Baby” How Could This Have Happened To Brittany Murphy? Expert Doctors Weigh In On Her Sudden Death...

Of her many roles, the late actress once said her penguin in 'Happy Feet' was most like her.

By Eric Ditzian

Brittany Murphy in "Sin City"

Photo: Dimension Films

"You're a virgin who can't drive." With that one line in "Clueless," delivered in saucy mean-girl style, Brittany Murphy entered the pop culture history books. Fourteen years later, the 32-year-old actress died after suffering an apparent full cardiac arrest on Sunday morning. But before her tragic passing, Murphy left a string of memorable performances on the big and small screen.

Murphy got her start in Hollywood with a series of guest appearances on TV shows while still in her teens. " 'Murphy Brown' was a really big deal for me. That was my second day in L.A.," she told MTV News in 2006. And it wasn't long before the actress secured the plum role of ugly duckling Tai Fraiser in "Clueless.

We were shocked and saddened when news broke that Brittany Murphy died of sudden cardiac arrest in her home yesterday morning at the age of 32. Soon after the story was confirmed, people all over the Internet began expressing their grief and fond memories of Murphy with quotes from her cult classic, Clueless: "That was way harsh, Tai."

Murphy's big screen break came in 1995 when she starred opposite Alicia Silverstone in the modern adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma. Clueless took Emma from country balls in the English countryside to city malls in Beverly Hills. Critics were skeptical about the movie's premise, but it won legions of fans, thanks in large part to Murphy's portrayal of Tai, an affable, naive west coast transplant whose one-liners obviously continue to be remembered by an entire generation. ("Cher, I don't want to do this anymore. And my buns, they don't feel nothin' like steel.

What a strange bit of untimely news this morning. Who dies of a heart attack at age 32? Makes no sense. The above news headline isn't a case of bad taste -- I've decided to re-publish a Brittany Murphy interview we had on the site, which I had completely forgot that we had, but it serves as a reminder that the actress, known for bubbly roles as Jameson mentions in his intro below, and as of late, had some back to back films that went the direct to video route, should also be remembered for taking on some difficult, challenging indie parts as in Karen Moncrieff's film. - What a strange bit of untimely news this morning. Who dies of a heart attack at age 32? Makes no sense. The above news headline isn't a case of bad taste -- I've decided to re-publish a Brittany Murphy interview we had on the site,...

It's our sad news to report that Brittany Murphy, the actor who had a break-out hit with Clueless and went on to star in the likes of Sin City, 8 Mile and Happy Feet, has died at the age of 32.

The story broke when Hollywood tabloid site reported that TMZ that Murphy died early Sunday morning after going into full cardiac arrest and being declared dead on arrival after being rushed to Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.

After her breakthrough in Clueless, Murphy got attention for her role in the 2001 thriller Don't Say A Word which led to key roles in Eminem's 8 Mile and starring roles in the comedies Just Married with then-boyfriend Ashton Kutcher, Uptown Girls with Dakota Fanning and Little Black Book.

Murphy received the most critical praise for her role in the 2006 indie drama The Dead Girl, released the same year as her voice could be heard as...