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Summer may be over, but 2024 isn’t finished with feature animation by a long shot. The “mouse house” has a big one lined up for Thanksgiving weekend in fact. Plus its sister company, Pixar, had a most surprising blockbuster a couple of months ago with Inside Out 2. Now, one of the other big cartoon studios, Dreamworks, is releasing a real rarity: an original animated feature. Yes, it’s based on a beloved children’s book series, but it’s not been brought to “big screen life” before, as with this year’s new installments of franchise faves like Despicable Me, the Transformers, and Garfield. And its subject matter is also unique as it combines cute and cuddly critters with a futuristic mechanical being. But there are no humans to get it, hence its interaction with wildlife inspires its moniker, The Wild Robot.

That title character is a service...

Creed III hinted at Amara Creed's future storyline in the series, and she already has a great real-life inspiration for Creed IV. Amara Creed is the daughter of the series' main character Adonis Creed, and while she hasn't had a huge role in prior films, Amara did get a slightly larger role in Creed III. It seems like she'll be getting even more of a spotlight in Creed IV, and the character's arc could mirror that of a true story.

Born in Creed II, Amara is the daughter of Adonis Creed and Bianca Taylor. Bianca's hearing loss has been present since the original Creed, but when Amara was born, the couple found out that their daughter would be fully deaf. This hasn't hindered Amara, who has grown up into a fierce young girl in the several years since Creed II. Creed III reveals that Amara wants to be a fighter,...

The oft-rumored ‘Reba’ reboot has yet another clue.

Cast member Melissa Peterman submitted three posts on Instagram from a recent reunion of the CW sitcom’s gang, who all came out to support country superstar and head of the TV family Reba McEntire at a concert.

The original series ran from 2001 to 2007 on The WB and The CW. It now airs in syndication on multiple channels, keeping the show alive for a large segment of fans.

Reunion talk briefly heated up when Peterman and McEntire were tabbed for “The Hammer,” a 2023 Lifetime original movie. But right now, there’s nothing official, much as fans desire it.

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A post shared by Melissa Peterman (@melissapeterman)...

Exclusive: The secrets of the Hammer family, including Armand Hammer and actor Armie Hammer, is set to be explored in a Discovery+ series.

The factual streamer has ordered House of Hammer (w/t) from production company Talos Films, which was shopping around the series.

The series features exclusive access to Casey Hammer, granddaughter of Armand Hammer and aunt of Armie Hammer, and will draw upon research by former New York Times reporter and Dossier: The Secret History of Armand Hammer author Edward Jay Epstein. Additional family members, survivors and insiders are also set to appear.

It forms part of a multi-project deal between Discovery+ and Talos Films, which was founded by former History and Discovery exec Julian P. Hobbs and ex-MTV exec Elli Hakami. Talos is behind series such as Discovery+’s Queen of Meth and Disney+’s Family Reboot.

Lisa Holme, Group SVP of Content and Commercial Strategy...

Heart’s Ann Wilson has released a booming new solo single, “The Hammer.”

The track is a classic blast of big riff hard rock that’s all headbang and no nonsense, save for a clever organ-led bridge to offer a brief, ethereal respite. “When the hammer comes down,” Wilson bellows, “Binding, binding/Saying again what’s been a million times said/Bury your truth and suffocate your head.”

Wilson wrote “The Hammer” with guitarists Tyler Boley and Craig Bartock, and recorded the song last fall in Seattle. “We had a great time recording this one!

Amazon’s “Sound of Metal” is a piece of terrific filmmaking — and its achievements are even more impressive considering Hollywood’s depictions of deafness in the past.

“Sound of Metal,” directed by Darius Marder, stars Riz Ahmed as a heavy-metal drummer who begins to lose his hearing. The film has a three-act structure: Attempts by drummer Ruben to cope; his time spent in a deaf community; and his attempts to re-create his life as it was before the hearing loss.

The heart of the film is the middle segment, when community leader Joe (the excellent Paul Raci) tells Ruben that deafness “is not something to fix” and his assignment is simple: “Learn how to be deaf.”

Director Marder tells Variety, “This film is a wake-up. Most people think of deafness as a physical disability. We don’t understand that it is in fact a culture.”

In the past, most onscreen...

While you were busy catching up with your pals in Westeros on Sunday, American Idol continued its own game of thrones as the Top 14 fought to win over the voting public. And with four eliminations scheduled for Monday’s results episode, this was basically the calm before the Red Wedding.

Which singers successfully staked their claim to the Idol crown, and which ones couldn’t quite make it over the wall? Let’s break down all 14 of tonight’s performances and find out:

Laine Hardy (Elvis, “That’s All Right”) | Seasoned like a fine roasted chicken, this self-proclaimed “bayou boy...

Escape From New York is one of the greatest genre films ever made. It’s lean, it’s mean, and it has an absurd premise and setting that’s just begging for exploration. It’s a bona-fide John Carpenter classic. And much like Halloween before it, it inspired quite a few knockoffs. From Sergio Martino’s 2019: After the Fall of New York (1983) to Lockout (2012), Escape From New York has become a regular genre knockoff touchstone. But today, I want to focus on just two: Enzo. G Castarelli’s Bronx series.

The saga began in 1982 with 1990: The Bronx Warriors, Castellari’s attempt to blend Escape From New York, The Road Warrior, and The Warriors into one sci-fi actioner. The film is set in, well, the Bronx circa 1990, now a “no man’s land” where absurdly themed gangs run free and squabble over land without police interference. The skyline is intact,...

Lou Ye’s Blind Massage was the big winner at this year’s Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan, scooping six prizes including best film and best new performer for Zhang Lei.Scroll down for full list of winners

The mainland China production also won best adapted screenplay (Ma Yingli), best cinematography (Zeng Jian), best film editing (Kong Jinlei, Jolin Zhu) and best sound effects (Fu Kang).

Ann Hui won best director for historical biopic The Golden Era, while best original screenplay went to Yee Chih-yen for Meeting Dr Sun.

Chen Jianbin won best new director and best actor for A Fool, along with best supporting actor for Paradise In Service, which also took the best supporting actress prize for Regina Wan’s performance. Chen Hsiang-chi took best actress for Exit.

Fruit Chan’s The Midnight After won best visual effects and Liu Qiang was awarded best art direction for Black Coal, Thin Ice. Brotherhood...

After the disaster that was Ufc 151, where the organisation had to cancel an entire card for the first time in its history, Ufc chairman Dana White will be hoping Ufc 152 delivers.

There has been much debate in the past few weeks over Jon Jones’ decision to turn down a fight with Chael Sonnen on 8 days’ notice, a decision which subsequently resulted in the collapse of Ufc 151. The Light Heavyweight champion has come under a lot of flak from fans and fellow fighters and will be looking to redeem himself in Ufc 152′s main event against the Brazilian Vitor Belfort.

Elsewhere on a stacked main card Featherweights Cub Swanson and Charles Oliviera square off as well as Light Heavyweights Matt Hamill and Roger Hollett. Michael Bisping will face Brian Stann with the winner likely to get a title shot at Anderson Silva and history will be made as the first ever...

Welcome to issue 8 of Trailer Trash our [more often than] weekly series showcasing the latest trailer releases – this issue once again features our all-new “excitement-o-meter” where we rate (in exclamation marks on a scale of 1 to 5) each and every trailer by how excited we are to see the film after watching it. This issue of Trailer Trash includes new trailers for Cosmopolis, Maniac, Bait 3D, The Thompsons and new trailers for Magic Mike and The Possession.

Cosmopolis

New York is in turmoil, the age of capitalism is drawing to a close and Eric Packer, a high finance golden boy is chauffeured across the city in his extravagant limousine to get a haircut. A visit from the President of the United States paralyses Manhattan and as the day goes by, an eruption of wild activity unfolds on the city’s streets. Eric watches helplessly as his empire collapses and as his paranoia intensifies during the 24-hour period,...

Actor Russell Harvard on November 7, 2010 in Hollywood, California. (Getty)

The role of Billy in the new off-Broadway play “Tribes” presents a rich vein for an actor: a deaf adult child confronts hearing parents who have shunned sign language and most of deaf culture, insisting instead that their son rely on lip-reading and at times fragmented speech.

Russell Harvard plays the part in the bitterly comic British family drama by playwright Nina Raine starting previews this week at the Barrow Street Theatre in New York.

Inspirational sports films are a dime a dozen, with a notable few that stand out, such as Mystery Alaska, but rarely does one rise to the surface as an exceptionally memorable experience for viewers. For the most part, there.s a standard formula by which these films follow, neither good nor bad, but it.s a formula that works so it rarely changes. This is an important concept to keep in mind while watching The Hammer.

Directed by Oren Kaplan, The Hammer (also known as Hamill) follows this formula closely, handing in an accomplished but familiar inspirational sports story of a young man rising to become the best, in this case as a wrestler. There.s nothing shameful in this, as the goal of such a film is to inspire audiences after all. The difference in this case, is in the subject matter and a particular creative choice which I...

#20. Free Samples - Jay Gammill An item we could easily see in the U.S Dramatic Comp, Jay Gammill's quirky dramedy comes equipped with familiar Park City faces Jess Weixler, Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Ritter (Jesse and Jason co-starred in The Education of Charlie Banks - see pic above, legend Tippi Hedren and on the tech side had cinematographer Reed Morano (Frozen River, Little Birds). Gist: Scripted by Jim Beggarly, Weixler stars a a law school drop-out who fills in as a server as a friend's food truck, where she doles out free samples of ice cream. The job tests her patience, and while she figures out what to do with her life, she finds herself being courted by a young man (Eisenberg) whom she barely remembers from the night before. Producers: Eben Kostbar and Joseph McKelheer (The Hammer)(Ioncinema.com Preview Page // IMDb Link)  ...

Mike Cahill's "Another Earth" won the Audience Award for narrative feature, while Oren Kaplan's "Hamill" took the nod for "independent feature," while "Building Hope" won the doc category along with "Connected" and "Love Shines." 18,000 people attended the event in Wailea, June 15 - 19. "Months ago, I chose the mantra 'Create the Future' for the 2011 Maui Film Festival. And the Future delivered big time with a stellar list ...

If the list of awardees below is long, it’s because the Newport Beach Film Festival screens over 400 films from more than 45 countries. With 50,000 visitors to the festival each year, part of the success of the program is its ability to draw full houses of appreciative audiences.

Opening with Michael C. Hall, Lucy Liu and Peter Fonda in “East Fifth Bliss,” the festival closes with “A Beginner’s Guide to Endings.” “Beginner’s Guide” stars Harvey Keitel as a gambling man at the end of his tether, and his three sons (Scott Caan, Paulo Costanzo and Jason Jones) who soon learn that their father signed them up for unsafe drug tests when they were kids.

In between the go and the whoa were panels on directing, music composition and a master class on screenwriting given by Aaron Sorkin. Oh, and those 400 films. For a highlights list of the films at...

If the list of awardees below is long, it’s because the Newport Beach Film Festival screens over 400 films from more than 45 countries. With 50,000 visitors to the festival each year, part of the success of the program is its ability to draw full houses of appreciative audiences.

Opening with Michael C. Hall, Lucy Liu and Peter Fonda in “East Fifth Bliss,” the festival closes with “A Beginner’s Guide to Endings.” “Beginner’s Guide” stars Harvey Keitel as a gambling man at the end of his tether, and his three sons (Scott Caan, Paulo Costanzo and Jason Jones) who soon learn that their father signed them up for unsafe drug tests when they were kids.

In between the go and the whoa were panels on directing, music composition and a master class on screenwriting given by Aaron Sorkin. Oh, and those 400 films. For a highlights list of the films at...

By Elliot V. Kotek

(from the 2011 Newport Beach Film Festival)

The Newport Beach Film Festival has sprung to life with a dynamic opening weekend, kicking off with the world premiere of Michael Knowles’ “East Fifth Bliss,” starring two-time Oscar nominee Peter Fonda and “Dexter” Golden Globe winner Michael C. Hall, both of whom were in attendance to present the film to a jam-packed thousand-plus-person theater.

“Saving Private Ryan’s” Tom Sizemore, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day’s” Robert Patrick, “American Graffiti’s” Mackenzie Phillips, “Happy Gilmore’s” Christopher McDonald and a host of others were also in attendance on opening night, the festival’s proximity to Los Angeles making it easy for casts and crews to be present at, and to promote, screenings of their films.

“Conception” drew down some of its cast, including real-life couple Jennifer Finnigan and “Weekend at Bernie’s” Jonathan Silverman, who are also in town for...

By Elliot V. Kotek

(from the 2011 Newport Beach Film Festival)

The Newport Beach Film Festival has sprung to life with a dynamic opening weekend, kicking off with the world premiere of Michael Knowles’ “East Fifth Bliss,” starring two-time Oscar nominee Peter Fonda and “Dexter” Golden Globe winner Michael C. Hall, both of whom were in attendance to present the film to a jam-packed thousand-plus-person theater.

“Saving Private Ryan’s” Tom Sizemore, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day’s” Robert Patrick, “American Graffiti’s” Mackenzie Phillips, “Happy Gilmore’s” Christopher McDonald and a host of others were also in attendance on opening night, the festival’s proximity to Los Angeles making it easy for casts and crews to be present at, and to promote, screenings of their films.

“Conception” drew down some of its cast, including real-life couple Jennifer Finnigan and “Weekend at Bernie’s” Jonathan Silverman, who are also in town for...

Inspiration is the gift Matt Hamill has had fighting alongside him since birth. Born deaf, Hamill has risen to great success in the world of mixed martial arts, achieving heights few thought possible in Ufc rankings. Before that, though, he became a three-time Ncaa champion in amateur wrestling while attending Rit in Rochester. This is the story told in Oren Kaplan's film. Simply entitled Hamill, it tells the powerful and invigorating story of young Matt Hamill's struggles with his disability and the people in his life who have kept him motivated to overcome this major obstacle. Hamill is a film that emboldens its audience, often in inventive and novel ways, and it never allows itself to fall into the misguided trappings such biopics tend to incorporate. At the heart of Kaplan's film, screenplay written by Joseph McKelheer and Eben Kostbar, is the relationship Hamill had with his grandfather,...

The information below is from the AFI Fest website. One film in each of the following sections received an Audience Award: World Cinema Boy: When his absent father returns home, a young boy in 1980’s New Zealand must confront the man he thought he remembered. Dir/Scr Taika Waititi. New Zealand. New Auteurs Bedevilled: An island vacation turns deadly for Hae-won when she tries to help her abused childhood friend and her daughter escape. Dir Cheol-soo Jang. Scr Choi Gwang-young. South Korea. Young Americans Littlerock: When her car breaks down on a sightseeing tour of California, a Japanese student discovers a different America than the one in her dreams. Dir/Scr Mike Ott. USA. Breakthrough (award accompanied by a $5,000 cash prize) Hamill: Inspired by the life of deaf Ufc fighter, Matt Hamill, this film tells the story of what it takes to be a champion, on and off the mat.

AFI Fest 2010 announced Thursday the four feature audience awards and two short film jury winners, respectively. Among the audience winners, the World Cinema feature winner is Sundance entry Boy, about a young boy in 1980’s New Zealand who confronts his long-absent father when he returns home (Taika Waititi. New Zealand). (Trailer is below.) The New Auteurs feature winner is Bedevilled, about an island vacation that turns deadly (Cheol-soo Jang. South Korea). The Young Americans feature winner is Littlerock, about a Japanese student who discovers a different America than the one in her dreams (Mike Ott. USA). The Breakthrough award winner (accompanied by a $5,000 cash prize) is Hamill, inspired by the life of deaf Ufc fighter, Matt Hamill (Oren Kaplan. USA). As in previous ...