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20 years ago, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King changed cinema forever. The final film of Peter Jackson's Lotr trilogy grossed a whopping $1.1 billion at the box office, making it the second-highest-grossing film of all time. On top of that, the adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's 1955 novel won 11 Academy Awards out of 11 nominations, tying Ben-Hur and Titanic for the most Oscar wins ever. Its Best Picture win made it the first fantasy film to earn the coveted accolade, solidifying the film as not only the best of its genre, but also as one of the most influential movies ever made.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Release Date December 1, 2003 Director Peter Jackson Cast Noel Appleby , Alexandra Astin , Sean Astin , David Aston , John Bach , Sean Bean Rating PG-13 Runtime 201 Main Genre Action See More-->

Considering all the accolades heaped on The Return of the King,...

Celebrating the release of his new memoir, multi-hyphenate Steven Van Zandt joins hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss a few of his favorite movies.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Elevator To The Gallows (1958) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review

Breathless (1960) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary

Angels With Dirty Faces (1938)

The Fisher King (1991)

Tony Rome (1967)

Lady In Cement (1968)

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

The Killer (1989)

True Romance (1993)

True Lies (1994)

Get Shorty (1995) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary

Point Blank (1967) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

Catch Us If You Can a.k.a. Sweet Memories (1965)

Double Trouble (1967)

Performance (1970) – Mark Goldblatt’s trailer commentary

The Driver (1978)

A Hard Day’s Night (1964) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Tfh’s Don’t Knock The Rock piece

Help! (1965) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s review

Blue Collar (1978) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s...

Although it often appears quite low in rankings of Quentin Tarantino’s films, The Hateful Eight is a gripping revisionist Western mystery with breathtaking visuals. Cinematographer Robert Richardson shot the movie on antique Ultra Panavision 70 lenses, the same lenses used to shoot epics like Ben-Hur and How the West Was Won, to bring out the details in the actors’ impeccable performances. Every member of the film’s ensemble was perfectly cast, and the plot is compelling and masterfully crafted. It’s an incredible movie. Here are The Hateful Eight’s 5 Funniest (& 5 Most Shocking) Moments.

Related: The Hateful Eight: 5 Ways It's Better As A Netflix Miniseries (& 5 Ways It's Worse)...

Sam Mendes really knows how to end a decade on a high note. Twenty years ago, he made his feature film directorial debut with “American Beauty” (1999), which went on to win the Best Picture Oscar, along with Best Director for Mendes — the most recent director to prevail for a debut. Now, he’s back with his World War I epic “1917” and is a massive contender to take home a bookend Best Director statuette, which would give him the longest gap between two wins.

Twenty-one people have scored multiple Best Director Oscars — 18 with two, two with three and one with four — but most have typically won two of them within a period of 10 years. Five have a gap of more than 10 years between two victories. The record is currently held by Billy Wilder, who won his two awards 15 years apart for “The Lost Weekend” (1945) and “The Apartment” (1960).

Two have a gap of 13 years: Fred Zinnemann,...

In today’s film news roundup, “The Wizard of Oz” leads off the 2019 TCM Big Screen Classics, “Jobe’z World” gets distribution, and Nrg and SAG-AFTRA make executive hires.

Classic Films

Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies have unveiled 14 classic films that will be shown in theaters in 2019 in the TCM Big Screen Classics series, starting with “The Wizard of Oz” on Jan. 27, 29 and 30.

The other titles are “My Fair Lady,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Ben-Hur,” “True Grit,” “Steel Magnolias,” “Field of Dreams,” “Glory,” “Hello, Dolly!,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Alien,” “The Godfather Part II” and “When Harry Met Sally.”

Fathom specializes in event movies shown for one or two nights. It’s jointly owned by the AMC, Regal and Cinemark chains. The TCM Big Series titles will usually screen on Sundays and Wednesdays.

“Every year, more and more film fans have flocked to the TCM Big Screen Classics series,...

David Crow Dec 5, 2018

Fathom Events and TCM are teaming up to bring 14 classics back to theaters next year, including Alien, The Wizard of Oz, and more!

Oh wouldn’t it be loverly to see My Fair Lady on the big screen? What about getting lost in the desert with T.E. Lawrence? And who doesn’t want to truly experience the chariot race the way it was meant to be seen in the best Ben-Hur movie? Now all that and more can be enjoyed, because Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies have announced their 2019 slate, which includes 14 American classics that range from John Wayne’s True Grit to Denzel Washington’s first Oscar winning turn in Glory (during its 30th anniversary no less). Oh and included are two little movies you might’ve heard of before: The Wizard of Oz on its 80th anniversary and To Kill a Mockingbird—no revisionism needed on this one,...

The Academy is not moving forward with its controversial Best Achievement in Popular Film category this awards season, but that doesn’t mean Christopher McQuarrie isn’t still riled up about the thought of the addition to the Oscars. During an extended interview with Collider, the “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” director detested the idea of a Best Popular Film category, saying it represented a backwards way of thinking films that make money can’t be tastefully done.

“I can be diplomatic, but fuck it,” McQuarrie said. “There was talk of a popular film category. I’m really glad they’re not doing that, because I think the notion of that is to shy away from the fact that a — I don’t care, revoke my academy membership…I think that there’s a point at which we’ve lost sight of the fact that what we’re here to do first...

Are both Maine brothers going to be Oscar winners? That’s what our readers think: 46 percent believe “A Star Is Born” has the best shot of becoming the sixth film to sweep the male acting Oscars.

This result is not that surprising since a majority of our users also think “A Star Is Born” will be just the third film to win three acting Oscars for leads Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, and supporting player Sam Elliott. Currently, Cooper is in first place in our Best Actor odds, while Elliott is in third in our Best Supporting Actor predictions.

A Best Actor victory is entirely feasible for Cooper, a three-time acting nominee who could rack up four nominations this year for “A Star Is Born,” Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay being the others. Elliott might have a tougher time with limited screen time as Jackson’s (Cooper...

I’m shocked — and not a little bit embarrassed — to admit that I’m (currently at least) predicting “A Star Is Born” will win Best Picture at the Oscars. Oh, yeah, even more: Lady Gaga will bag Best Actress. I’ve got Bradley Cooper in second place for Best Actor and, frankly, I might rank him higher if it didn’t look suspicious – like I’m too much of a Gaga-style, bubble gum-snapping fan of the film that I’ve now seen it at the Toronto Film Festival. As a professional Oscar pundit, I must openly scold myself: Have I gone truly, well, gaga?

As all respectable Oscar pundits know: Academy voters have not been kind to past versions of “A Star Is Born,” even when they were masterpieces like that Judy Garland gem (1954) and Janet Gaynor–Frederic March chestnut (1937). Maybe that was just due to the old hex against...

Well before “Star Wars” or “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and much earlier than “Jurassic Park” or the comic-book universes, the Bond films invented franchise filmmaking. Still, as solid as 007 remains, “M:i” may be its equal in North America. “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” could be the final summer release to open to $75 million or more. That’s a bit over pre-release projections, but its reviews are the best of any studio release this summer — nearly as good as “Black Panther” earlier this year.

Lower estimates are based on the $62 million debut for “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” the same weekend three years ago. Paramount itself is low-balling expectations with a $50 million prediction, which can safely be ignored. That $65 million consensus is likely low, but perhaps more extraordinary is that Tom Cruise’s 22-year-old spy-thriller franchise may have more box-office clout than James Bond.

That may seem like heresy. The Bond films launched...

Timur Bekmambetov's Profile, a thriller about a European journalist who goes undercover as a Jihadi bride for Isis, has won the Panorama Audience Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.

The drama is told entirely on the journalist's computer, using FaceTime, Skype, Facebook, video downloads and various web pages and social media platforms. Bekmambetov, whose Hollywood output has included Wanted, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Ben-Hur, has been a regular in Berlin. He previously screened his breakout Russian horror fantasy Night Watch and its sequel Day Watch at the festival.

The Panorama Audience Award for best documentary went to...

There's another new film this year telling a thrilling story told entirely through computer screens. This one is titled Profile, and it's directed by Russian filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch, Wanted, Ben-Hur), who also produced the other computer screen film Search (which first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and I wrote a glowing review of here). Profile tells a completely different story than Search - it's about a journalist from London who tries to connect with an Isis recruiter online for a story about how Isis recruiters use the internet to lure women. Surprise, surprise, she ends up getting in way too deep and essentially falls for the same tricks and traps that the other women did. It's a captivating thriller about technology, for sure, but it's still a bit gimmicky and a bit manipulative, and not as good as it really could be. Bekmambetov's Profile is a very...

Guillermo del Toro (“The Shape of Water”) and Jordan Peele (“Get Out”) joined an elite group of filmmakers who received Oscar nominations for writing, directing and producing the same film. In the academy’s 90-year history, only 26 other people pulled off this hat trick. Peele is the first black filmmaker to do so, while del Toro is only the second Latin American after his filmmaking amigo Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

Now del Toro and Peele are hoping to join the even more exclusive club of seven filmmakers who won all three prizes in one night. Considering they’re in direct competition with each other for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay (where del Toro competes alongside co-writer Vanessa Taylor), it’ll be an especially tricky feat to pull off.

Leo McCarey was the first person to win the big three for “Going My Way” (1944), a lighthearted comedy starring Bing...

Welcome to this week’s “Preview Reel” column, where we look at the week’s upcoming wide-release movies. Coco dominated the Thanksgiving holiday and then again last weekend. There are no signs that it will slow down as there is only one major release scheduled for this week, the Morgan Freeman-led comedy Just Getting Started. Disney has been enjoying a good last couple of months as they released Thor: Ragnarok, Coco, and has Star Wars: The Last Jedi coming out next week. Until then, let’s see if Just Getting Started is worth your time.

Just Getting Started

What we are excited about: The cast is about the only thing we’re excited about with this movie. Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jones, and Rene Russo together in a comedy sounds promising. Add in the director of Tin Cup (1996) and Bull Durham (1988), Ron Shelton, and you should at least get a solidly entertaining movie.

David Crow Kirsten Howard Nov 17, 2017

At Netflix, Messiah will chronicle the world's reaction to a man thousands call "the Messiah" emerging from the Middle East...

The Word of God is good. It is also very lucrative. Ever since the days of silent films, the Bible has been big business in Hollywood. And as we travel ever further into 'peak television’s' new era of streaming, that one constant remains. However, the officially greenlit series Messiah, at least on its premise, promises to be a challenging new take on faith-based content.

First announced as in-development last spring, Netflix officially ordered a 10-episode series of Messiah yesterday, which is likely to be a controversial and highly publicised series when it eventually drops. Created by Michael Petroni, who has developed the project with producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, the series looks to provocatively consider the emergence (or reemergence?) of a figure claiming...

Netflix is having a come-to-Jesus moment.

The streamer has ordered to series Messiah, a 10-episode drama “exploring the lines among religion, faith and politics,” from exec producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. The modern-day epic, created by Michael Petroni (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader), is set for release sometime in 2019.

In the series, a mysterious figure surfaces in the Middle East and cultivates a large following who believe him to be the Messiah. This in turn begs the question, “Is he sent from God, or is...

Morgan Freeman has signed on to play former Secretary of State Colin Powell in a new biopic entitled Powell, which is being set up at Hyde Park Entertainment. Reginald Hudlin, who directed Marshall, the Thurgood Marshall biopic that hit theaters last weekend, is attached to direct, from a script by Ed Whitworth, which landed on the coveted Black List back in 2011. No production schedule has been given thus far, but with a major star like Morgan Freeman on board, it's possible that this could move forward very quickly.

The script follows Colin Powell when he was Secretary of State for President George W. Bush, following his service as a decorated U.S. Army General. He was the first ever African-American Secretary of State in U.S. history. He initially did not approve of the President's plan to invade Iraq, since he didn't believe that they possessed weapons of mass destruction.

This weekend brings the remake of “Flatliners,” Joel Schumacher’s 1990 thriller that starred Julia Roberts. Reviews are universally terrible for this retread of good-looking med-school students who put life-after-death on repeat, but it was a nail-biter for studio Sony Pictures from the outset: They took the risk of making an honest-to-god remake.

A remake sounds like the safest bet there is; isn’t original, untested IP the thing that studios fear most? However, in this market a true remake is what passes for a gamble. They’ve become a box-office rarity.

While none of this year’s top-grossing films are originals, there are very few genuine remakes. Yes, the year’s biggest movie, “Beauty and the Beast,” is a direct remake of the 1991 classic — but it went from animated to live action. (It was not a remake of the multiple live-action films and TV shows that preceded it, which stretch...

Martin Scorsese's Netflix-produced mob epic The Irishman adds Boardwalk Empire and Ben-Hur actor Jack Huston to the impressive cast.

After the overwhelmingly positive reaction which Timur Bekmambetov's Ben-hur received last year, Jack Huston can pretty much take his pick of projects, which includes joining the all-star cast of Martin Scorsese's The Irishman. Okay, I'm kidding about that first part, but Deadline reports that Huston really will be reuniting with his Boardwalk Empire executive producer for... Read More...

Ben-Hur star Toby Kebbell has signed on to join Claire Holt in the psychological thriller Becoming.

Penned and to be directed by Omar Naim (The Final Cut), the film centers on a young woman who learns her fiancé has become possessed by an entity which takes over bodies, kills families and then moves on to new bodies. But now he wants to start his own family, which leaves her faced with an impossible choice about the one she loves.

The pic, which will start production in October in Kentucky, is being produced by Michael Philip, Gaby Whyte Hart and Kebbell....

Morgan Freeman – Academy Award winning actor, producer, voice actor and activist – has been named the 54th recipient of SAG-aftra's highest tribute: the SAG Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment.

Freeman will be presented the performers union’s top accolade at the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards,which will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018 at 8 p.m. (Et), 7 p.m. (Ct), 6 p.m. (Mt) and 5 p.m. (Pt). Given annually to an actor who fosters the “finest ideals of the acting profession,” the SAG Life Achievement Award will join Freeman’s exceptional catalog of preeminent industry and public honors, which includes a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Academy Award, HFPA’s Cecil B. DeMille Award, an AFI Lifetime Achievement Award, seven Image Awards, a Silver Berlin Bear, several Obies, a Kennedy Center Honor, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The saga of Disney's live-action Aladdin casting is still underway. The new Jafar will be Dutch actor Marwan Kenzari. This is noteworthy because he's the first live-action version of a cartoon character who is hotter than the cartoon character. It's also worth noting that if he's great in the role this could be quite an international breakthrough. He speaks four languages (Arabic, French, Dutch, and English) which you can hear some of in his most acclaimed role in Wolf (2013) so imagine how many country's cinemas could use him!

He's mostly made Dutch films to date but he was recently onscreen in three epic English language flops Ben-Hur, The Promise, and The Mummy. Next up he's playing the French train conductor in the Murder on the Orient Express remake then the lead in a true story thriller about Ashraf Marwan. After those two films, he'll be tormenting Aladdin and Jasmine!

In short: big career ahead.

One of the many live-action adaptations of their animated classics that Disney has in the works is Aladdin. Set to be directed by Guy Ritchie from a script by John August (Big Fish, Corpse Bride), the film has been seeking out actors of Middle-Eastern, or Indian, descent for the main roles to avoid any sort of whitewashing controversy. Already cast are Aladdin, Jasmine, and Genie. Mena Massoud was cast as Aladdin, whereas Jasmine will be played by Naomi Scott, who portrayed the Pink Ranger in this year's Power Rangers film. Will Smith, meanwhile, has already been tapped to play the Genie. 

Related: Disney's Live-Action Aladdin Has Its Leads Cast! 

Previously, the very white Tom Hardy was rumored as being considered by Guy Ritchie for the role of Jafar, but now The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Marwan Kenzari has just been cast as Jafar. If you don't recognize the name,...

Based on the best-selling novel by Lissa Evans, the delightful and heartwarming period piece, Their Finest, arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital HD) and DVD on July 11 from Lionsgate; Digital HD on June 30 and On Demand on July 11 from EuropaCorp. From the producers of Brooklyn and Carol, Their Finest takes place in Britain during World War II and tells the story of a film crew as they create a movie to boost the country’s morale after the Blitz. Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin and Golden Globe winner Bill Nighy (2007, Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television, Gideon’s Daughter) lead an all-star cast in what Andrew Barker at Variety considers “a relentlessly charming romantic comedy.” Directed by Lone Scherfig (An Education, One Day), the Their Finest Blu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.

1940, London, the Blitz. With England’s morale at stake, Catrin (Gemma Arterton), an untried screenwriter, works under fire with a makeshift cast and crew to make a film to lift the nation’s flagging spirits, and inspire America to join the war. Catrin and a fellow writer, Buckley (Sam Claflin), reluctantly joins forces with fading matinee idol Ambrose Hilliard (Bill Nighy) on a movie to warm the hearts of the nation and capture the imagination of the American public.

Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD Special Features

“Flickers of Hope: The Making of Their Finest” Featurette Audio Commentary with Director Lone Scherfig

Cast

Gemma Arterton Quantum of Solace, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Sam Claflin The Hunger Games franchise, Snow White and the Huntsman

Jack Huston Ben-Hur, American Hustle, “Boardwalk Empire”

Helen McCrory Skyfall, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Part 2

Eddie Marsan Sherlock Holmes, V for Vendetta

Jake Lacy TV’s “The Office,” How to Be Single, Carol

Rachael Stirling The Young Victoria, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

with Richard E. Grant TV’s “Downton Abbey,” Bram Stoker’s Dracula

and Bill Nighy Love Actually, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

The post Their Finest Starring Gemma Arterton Arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on July 11th from Lionsgate appeared first on We Are Movie Geeks.

The Mummy seemed like a cash grab from the moment it was announced. Universal has been trying to launch a universe of their own, featuring classic movie monsters associated with the studio, including Frankenstein, the Wolfman, and the Invisible Man, for years. The Mummy is essentially the studio going "all in" to jump start what is now called Dark Universe. Casting a star as large as Tom Cruise initially read as an attempt to make up for shortcomings in other areas. When you don't have much else, attach the biggest movie star in the world, and your film will sell (maybe)! Additionally, though the first movie came out in 1999, the Brendan Fraser lead Mummy franchise is still fresh enough in the public's mind that starting a new universe with The Mummy seemed like a strange choice. So, is The Mummy just another ill-advised attempt to launch a universe, cashing in...

After conquering the video game world Andrzej Sapkowski's 'The Witcher' has now has its sites on the small screen. Netflix is now developing and producing a new English language drama series based on the globally popular fantasy saga. Sapkowski’s eight novels and story collections center on "witchers" -- hunters who develop supernatural abilities at a young age to battle deadly monsters.

The New York Times bestselling books have spawned a major video game franchise and have been translated into over 20 languages. “Andrzej Sapkowski has created a rich and memorable world, at once magical and familiar,” said Erik Barmack, Netflix Vice President, international series. “We couldn’t be more excited about bringing Netflix members around the world.” “I’m thrilled that Netflix will be doing an adaptation of my stories, staying true to the source material and the themes that I have spent over thirty years writing,...

I've seen just about all I need to see of The Mummy. It's got Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe, a Mummy, and lots of sand. And I hate sand. It gets everywhere. But this international trailer and promo spot do bring some cool new bits. Lots of destruction. Ahmanet's eyes do that neat thing where she makes the pupils separate. That's pretty cool. Plus we also get some exposition by Russell Crowe. Apparently, the Pyramids weren't tombs, they were prisons. Wow. That's some pre-tty interesting stuff. I'm really trying to make this sound interesting, and although there is some more insight on the film, the fact is, there isn't any big twist that makes me go, wow, this will change people's minds. Either you are gonna watch it, or not. I also included the new photo that's been released above.

She’s unlike anything we’ve ever faced. #TheMummy - in theaters June 9. pic.

The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada has filed a new lawsuit claiming that MGM and Paramount Pictures has failed to pay wages, benefits and residual compensation to musicians who recorded the score for the 2016 film remake of Ben Hur.

The musicians guild has been legally aggressive in recent years. This time, in California federal court, AFM asserts a violation of the collective bargaining agreement not only over payments, but also for an alleged failure to "fulfill reporting and studio access obligations."

Ben Hur was shot in Italy, states the guild, but the film retained the...

MaryAnn’s quick take… Bland, tasteless entertainmentstuff intended to neither move nor offend, and succeeds as such. A sad pile of unfunny nothing that falls painfully flat. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

I suddenly realized, while struggling to stay awake during the limp and unfunny Going in Style, that it seemed like forever ago that I first started seeing trailers for the film. Had its release been postponed after an initial marketing push, or was it just so uninspired and familiar that it merely felt as if I’d seen it all before?

Both, as it turns out: Style was original slated to open almost a year ago, in May 2016 (which means I probably saw trailers in late 2015), and it’s also such a stale wisp of a dustbunny that it barely stands out from its own background noise.

ABC has released a new trailer for its upcoming documentary “Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992.” The film is written and directed by John Ridley and will air on ABC April 28, following its theatrical release a week before, on Friday, April 21. The documentary marks ABC News’ first theatrical production and release.

Read More: One-Person Crew: The Pros and Cons of Making a Documentary By Yourself

The release of “Let It Fall” coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Los Angeles riots, which began in April 29, 1992 following the announcement of the “not guilty” verdict in the Rodney King case. The film takes viewers back 10 years before the riots to explore the events that led to the uprising, which left more than 60 people dead and over 2,000 injured.

The documentary features archival footage as well as exclusive interviews with eyewitnesses and people from different neighborhoods across Los Angeles who were directly involved in the events.

With Robert Rodriguez behind the camera, at least.

Everyone hates remakes. As film-critic people, we are obligated to hate remakes and reboots ever more. Remember Ben-Hur with Morgan Freeman? Remember Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes (2001)? But I’m can’t help but get excited about the remake of John Carpenter’s Escape from New York (1981) that 20th Century Fox is starting to get the ball actually rolling on. For one, Carpenter remains on hand as executive producer, which kind of makes the director and now-prolific rock star look like a father watching kid’s play with his old toys. Carpenter hasn’t done anything, movie-wise, in almost decade so it’s nice to see that he’ll be somewhere behind a camera sometime soon. Last year, he announced that he’d be also be on hand to help helm currently-hip Blumhouse Production’s first take on the ninth Halloween movie. So...

MaryAnn’s quick take… Not alt-history but a true story from a Nazi-occupied English-speaking place, a hugely relevant reminder that resistance to injustice is an absolute imperative. I’m “biast” (pro): always desperate for movies about women

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

We seem to be enthralled at the moment by alt-history stories about Nazis in England and America: the just-wrapped SS-gb on the BBC, The Man in the High Castle on Amazon. Perhaps they’re expressions of relief, of how easily such things might have happened; more likely we fear that similar nightmares are starting to happen now under slightly different guises. Yet it seems we’ve almost forgotten that there actually was a Nazi occupation of English-speaking places in WWII: the Channel Islands, the British Crown dependences between England and France. We’ve almost forgotten because tales...

MaryAnn’s quick take… A fairy tale of the Grimm sort: no happy ending, no heroes or villains, just hard truths about life and human nature. Important, beautiful, heartbreaking. I’m “biast” (pro): big fantasy fan

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

I have not read the source material

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

This is my big worry re A Monster Calls: people who don’t read reviews will hear only that this is a fantasy movie based on a young-adult novel and presume that it is a kiddie movie. And then they will freak out when they discover how dark and angry and bitter and oh-so un-fairy-tale it is, how it gave the little ones scary dreams and why didn’t someone tell them? And a movie that is important and beautiful and heartbreaking will be unfairly maligned.

So be warned: This is not The Bfg.

A total of 145 scores were recently announced as being eligible for this year’s Academy Award, with everything from perceived frontrunner “La La Land” (Justin Hurwitz) and “Jackie” (Mica Levi) to outliers like “Sausage Party” and “Elle.” The final five will be nominated on January 24. In the meantime, avail yourself of this Spotify playlist featuring selections from 110 of the eligible scores — as well as the full list of every eligible score.

Read More: Oscar Best Score Contenders: The Inside Story of Creating 5 Diverse Frontrunners

Read More: Oscars 2017: Listen to 70 Songs Eligible for This Year’s Academy Award

The Abolitionists,” Tim Jones, composer

“Absolutely Fabulous The Movie,” Jake Monaco, composer

“The Accountant,” Mark Isham, composer

“Alice through the Looking Glass,” Danny Elfman, composer

“Allied,” Alan Silvestri, composer

“Almost Christmas,” John Paesano, composer

“American Pastoral,” Alexandre Desplat, composer

“The Angry Birds Movie,” Heitor Pereira, composer

“Anthropoid,” Robin Foster, composer

“Armenia, My Love,...

In case you didn’t notice last week, a number of categories had their ranks thinned out by the Academy. Well, in that regard, I’m here to help. Yes, AMPAS thinned the herd in Best Original Score, Best Original Song, and Best Foreign Language Feature. They also managed to include a handful of snubs, as always is the case. Those will be listed in just a moment, but definitely study these lists, as there are Oscar hints to be found within. For now though, these are just the remaining titles fighting it out for nominations. Take a look and be sure to see how it all impacts predictions going forward. Below you will see the 145 films in Original Score that are still eligible, the 91 tunes in Original Song, and the nine in Foreign Language Feature that remain in play. There were no real Song snubs, but notably Score has eliminated presumed nominee Arrival,...

As most years go, 2016 was another rollercoaster at the cinema. There were some high highs and some loooooooooooooooooow lows. (The Divergent Series: Allegiant, the installment that basically killed that franchise.) Some of our favorite actors experienced those same ups and downs in their career, so below, we present 11 actors who starred in very bad and very good movies in the same year.

Watch: Golden Globes 2017 Nominations Revealed: 'This Is Us,' 'La La Land,' 'Moonlight' and More

1. Octavia Spencer

Summit Entertainment

Speaking of the once-promising Y.A. franchise-turned-possible made-for-tv movie (maybe?), no cast member experienced a bigger pendulum swing than Spencer, who was always underserved in those Divergent movies anyway. Thankfully, the year ended with an awards-worthy turn in Hidden Figures. Spencer already got the Golden Globe and SAG nominations.

2. Amy Adams

Warner Bros. Pictures

Has there ever been a more thankless role for a five-time Academy Award nominee than that of Lois...

Timur Bekmambetov, the Russian director of the Hollywood movie Ben-Hur, one of the year's biggest flops, has blamed the movie's message of anti-vengeance for its failure at the U.S. box office.

"It is unusual for a Hollywood movie to have the message that you have to forgive your enemy," Bekmambetov said in an interview he gave to the Russian news agency Ria Novosti.

"As it turned out, these days, few people can understand and accept this message," he went on to say. "The idea of revenge is much more popular in this world. [The movie's] box-office performance was,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 145 scores from eligible feature-length motion pictures released in 2016 are in contention for nominations in the Original Score category for the 89th Academy Awards.

The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below, in alphabetical order by film title:

“The Abolitionists,” Tim Jones, composer

“Absolutely Fabulous The Movie,” Jake Monaco, composer

“The Accountant,” Mark Isham, composer

“Alice through the Looking Glass,” Danny Elfman, composer

“Allied,” Alan Silvestri, composer

“Almost Christmas,” John Paesano, composer

“American Pastoral,” Alexandre Desplat, composer

“The Angry Birds Movie,” Heitor Pereira, composer

“Anthropoid,” Robin Foster, composer

“Armenia, My Love,” Silvia Leonetti, composer

“Assassin’s Creed,” Jed Kurzel, composer

“Autumn Lights,” Hugi Gudmundsson and Hjörtur Ingvi Jóhannsson, composers

“The Bfg,” John Williams, composer

“Believe,” Michael Reola, composer

“Ben-Hur,” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, composers

“Bilal,” Atli Ӧrvarsson, composer

“Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has announced the 145 scores eligible in the Best Original Score category, includeing work from “Jackie” and “La La Land.” The latter film, a musical directed by “Whiplash” helmer Damien Chazelle, picked up the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s award for Best Music earlier this month; “Jackie” was the category’s runner-up. Notably absent, meanwhile, are “Arrival” (which just landed a Golden Globe nod), “Manchester by the Sea” and “Silence.”

Read: ‘La La Land’: Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling’s ‘City of Stars’ Duet Will Sweep You Off Your Feet – Listen

Justin Hurwitz composed and orchestrated the “La La Land” score, while “Jackie” marks “Under the Skin” composer Mica Levi’s second silver-screen effort. Decades after becoming one of the world’s most renowned film composers, Ennio Morricone won last year’s Oscar for his work on Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight.

MGM reported fiscal Q3 earnings that included a write-down of $47.8 million on its summer tentpole Ben-Hur, which underwhelmed at the box office with an $11M opening weekend in August on its way to a worldwide gross of $94.1 million. Paramount distributed the remake of the iconic original pic that starred Jack Huston and was directed by Timur Bekmambetov. MGM said today that adjusted earnings for the three months ended September 30, 2016 was $53.1 million, down $20M from…...

Dutch actor Marwan Kenzari, star of Ben-Hur, The Promise and Universal’s 2017 redo of The Mummy, has hopped aboard Fox’s Murder on the Orient Express remake.

The Hollywood Reporter has the news, confirming that Kenzari has landed the role of the French conductor. He’s by no means the only one to secure his seat on Kenneth Branagh’s Orient Express, after Fox’s casting spree brought in a eclectic mix of Hollywood talent including Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Johnny Depp, Michael Pena, Josh Gad, Broadway star Leslie Odom Jr. and Judi Dench. Branagh, meanwhile, takes point as Hercule Poirot, the detective tasked with solving the nerve-wracking mystery at hand.

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He’ll have to do so before the titular train pulls into Paris and to make matters worse, at one point the Orient Express grinds to a screeching halt in the face of an unrelenting blizzard.

The company will be in Cannes touting a roster that includes new drama series The Handmaid’s Tale and Get Shorty, as well as the new season of Fargo and features such as The Magnificent Seven and Me Before You.

Futuristic tale The Handmaid’s Tale is based on the Margaret Atwood novel and stars Elizabeth Moss. The series went straight to order in the Us and will debut on Hulu in 2017.

Get Shorty is inspired by the Elmore Leonard crime novel that spawned the film starring John Travolta and Gene Hackman. The series reimagining will star Ray Romano and Chris O’Dowd and air on Epix, the joint venture by MGM, Paramount and Lionsgate.

Condor is based on the CIA spy feature Three Days Of The Condor and will air in the Us on DirecTV’s Audience Network.

New season highlights include the third season of Fargo starring Ewan McGregor and Carrie Coon, the sixth and...

Ahead of its release on March 31st, 2017, Paramount Pictures' live action Ghost in the Shell movie is briefly teased in several videos, including a few featuring Scarlett Johansson as the extremely skilled—and deadly—cyborg known as Major.

From the Previous Press Release: Hollywood, Calif.-- Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures have announced that production is underway on “Ghost In The Shell,” starring Scarlett Johansson (“Avengers: Age Of Ultron,” “Lucy”) and directed by Rupert Sanders (“Snow White And The Huntsman”). The film is shooting in Wellington, New Zealand.

Paramount Pictures will release the film in the U.S. on March 31, 2017.

The film, which is based on the famous Kodansha Comics manga series of the same name, written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow, is produced by Avi Arad (“The Amazing Spider-man 1 & 2,” “Iron Man”), Ari Arad (“Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance”), and Steven Paul (“Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance”). Michael Costigan...

Horror sequel Blair Witch edged out the fantasy animation.

Upcoming horror sequel Blair Witch, which bowed last week at the Toronto International Film Festival, caused the most buzz on UK social media channels throughout the last week, according to analysis firm Way To Blue.

The weekly UK buzz chart places the film above fantasy animation Kubo And The Two Strings, which was released last Friday (Sept 9).

According to the chart, Blair Witch amassed 3,530 comments across social media, news, forums and blogs over the last seven days, with 511 of those registering intent to view.

In comparison, Kubo clocked 3,581 comments, with 330 of those registering intent to view the film.

Other strong performers this week included rom-com sequel Bridget Jones’s Baby, Fede Alvarez’s thriller-horror Don’t Breathe, Timur Bekmambetov action-adventure Ben-Hur, and upcoming western The Magnificent Seven.

For an explanation of the Way to Blue chart and its methodology, which tracks ‘overall buzz’ and important ‘intent to view...

MaryAnn’s quick take…

It’s not great. It’s not terrible. It is bland manufactured entertainment product. It’s fine. Hollywood is not creatively bankrupt. Everything is fine. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

I have not read the source material

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

It’s fine. Everything is fine. This new Ben-Hur is fine. It’s not great. It’s not terrible. It is a piece of bland manufactured entertainment product. It exists. It’s fine.

It’s not great. It’s not terrible. It’s fine. Hollywood is not creatively bankrupt. Everything is fine.

It’s fine that major Hollywood studios that insist they are businesses first sunk $100 million into producing a movie that no one was demanding, and many more tens of millions in advertising and marketing trying to convince audiences they wanted to see it.

With Labor Day now behind us, the summer movie season is officially over. It’s been an odd few months with a lot of flops, but the “winner” has now been found in Ben-Hur. The remake of the Oscar winning classic failed to impress critics and moviegoers simply didn’t appear to be interested in checking out the movie starring Jack Huston and Toby Kebbell.

After opening nearly a month ago, Ben-Hur hasn’t even reached $75 million worldwide as of right now, and as a result, MGM and Paramount are looking at a $120 million loss.

Ben-Hur had a production budget of $100 million, and 80% of that and a good proportion of the marketing costs were paid for by MGM, so they’re facing the biggest loss here. They’re really feeling the pain, too, as the failure of the movie has resulted in them having to downgrade their fiscal earnings forecast...

Summer 2016 has seen a fair share of box office disappointments and bombs, but the biggest loser is Timur Bekmambetov‘s remake of Ben-Hur which will see a projected loss of over $120 million. Learn more about the biggest money losers of this summer, after the jump. The number comes thanks to multiple box-office analysts consulted […]

The post ‘Ben-Hur’ Will Be Summer 2016’s Biggest Box Office Bomb With $120 Million Loss appeared first on /Film.

This 2016 re-interpretation of the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is the fifth cinematic adaptation, the first one being a silent film in 1907. This year’s release is directed by Timur Bekmambetov and stars Jack Huston as Judah Ben-Hur, alongside Morgan Freeman, Ilderim the chariot trainer, and Rodrigo Santoro, who plays Jesus Christ. The film opened on 19 August in the Us and in the UK on Wednesday

Ben-Hur review – chariots of dire Continue reading...

With Jason Momoa now locked in to play Eric Draven in the long-delayed reboot of The Crow, Relativity Media is eyeing a production start date for this coming January. The studio, which is rebounding from its bankruptcy proceedings, doesn't have a release date set at this time. However, if they can get production started on time this January, it will mark the end of a string of struggles for this project, which has been in various stages of development and/or pre-production for the past six years.

This Crow reboot first came to light back in February 2010, when filmmaker Stephen Norrington (Blade) came aboard to write the script and direct for producer Edward Pressman. Mark Wahlberg was being eyed to star, but Stephen Norrington left the project a few months later. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and star Bradley Cooper were later attached, followed by director F. Javier Gutierrez and star Luke Evans,...