Mike Figgis has been shooting a behind-the-scenes documentary for the past 18 months about the making of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. It’s called Megadoc.
Figgis told me Monday that it’s been edited but there’s allowance for the fact that the film played in competition here at the Cannes Film Festival. He recorded an interview with the cinema titan the other day.
Figgis, who was introduced into the Coppola clan back in the mid 1990s after directing Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas, told me that the documentary is “very much a fly-on-the-wall” and also features conversations with various cast members — Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Dustin Hoffman, Shia Labeouf — and Coppola’s wife Eleanor Coppola, who shot the footage and directed her own study of her husband’s work for the acclaimed Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, about the making of 1979s Apocalypse Now.
He will go...
Figgis told me Monday that it’s been edited but there’s allowance for the fact that the film played in competition here at the Cannes Film Festival. He recorded an interview with the cinema titan the other day.
Figgis, who was introduced into the Coppola clan back in the mid 1990s after directing Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas, told me that the documentary is “very much a fly-on-the-wall” and also features conversations with various cast members — Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Dustin Hoffman, Shia Labeouf — and Coppola’s wife Eleanor Coppola, who shot the footage and directed her own study of her husband’s work for the acclaimed Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, about the making of 1979s Apocalypse Now.
He will go...
- 5/21/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Jerry Herman’s musical “Hello, Dolly!” dominated the 18th Tony Awards which took place at the New York Hilton on May 24, 1964. “Hello, Dolly!” entered the ceremony with 11 nominations and walked out with ten awards including best musical, best actress for Carol Channing, original score for Herman and for Gower Champion’s choreography and direction.
Other musicals in contention for multiple awards that year were “High Spirits,” based on Noel Coward’s classic comedy “Blithe Spirit,” “Funny Girl,” which transformed Barbra Streisand into a Broadway superstar, and “110 in the Shade,” based on the straight play “The Rainmaker.”
Bert Lahr, best known as the Cowardly Lion in the 1939 classic “The Wizard of Oz,” won lead actor in a musical for “Foxy,” based on Ben Jonson’s “Volpone.” The musical was not a hit closed after 72 performances. Also nominated in the category was Bob Fosse for a short-lived revival of Rodgers and Hart’s “Pal Joey.
Other musicals in contention for multiple awards that year were “High Spirits,” based on Noel Coward’s classic comedy “Blithe Spirit,” “Funny Girl,” which transformed Barbra Streisand into a Broadway superstar, and “110 in the Shade,” based on the straight play “The Rainmaker.”
Bert Lahr, best known as the Cowardly Lion in the 1939 classic “The Wizard of Oz,” won lead actor in a musical for “Foxy,” based on Ben Jonson’s “Volpone.” The musical was not a hit closed after 72 performances. Also nominated in the category was Bob Fosse for a short-lived revival of Rodgers and Hart’s “Pal Joey.
- 5/15/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Albert Finney had an acting legacy including triumphs on stage and television. He was primarily known worldwide for his career, which lasted over half a century, as a film actor, equally adept in lighthearted musicals and complex dramas.
Finney’s work has been heralded in all three media. He won London’s Olivier Award for “Orphans” on stage, and won an Emmy, Golden Globe and BAFTA Award for his performance as Winston Churchill in TV’s “The Gathering Storm.” But it was in film that Finney was most honored. In 2000, Finney scored a rare double at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, winning Best Supporting Actor for his work in Steven Soderbergh‘s “Erin Brockovich,” and even though he had little more than a cameo part in Soderbergh’s “Traffic” later that year, the role was big enough for him to win a second SAG Award that night as part of the film’s ensemble cast.
Finney’s work has been heralded in all three media. He won London’s Olivier Award for “Orphans” on stage, and won an Emmy, Golden Globe and BAFTA Award for his performance as Winston Churchill in TV’s “The Gathering Storm.” But it was in film that Finney was most honored. In 2000, Finney scored a rare double at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, winning Best Supporting Actor for his work in Steven Soderbergh‘s “Erin Brockovich,” and even though he had little more than a cameo part in Soderbergh’s “Traffic” later that year, the role was big enough for him to win a second SAG Award that night as part of the film’s ensemble cast.
- 5/4/2024
- by Tom O'Brien, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
From Robert Donat’s heart-breaking Mr Chips to the real-life Mr Bachmann, Judi Dench’s venomous schoolmarm to Paul Giamatti’s classics stickler in The Holdovers, cinema loves teachers, whether inspirational or awful
I had a few teachers I adored in my years at school – and one or two, perhaps, who even inspired me in some capacity – but I can’t say a film about my relationship with them would make for particularly thrilling viewing. Teaching is hard graft, and often thankless; even the best in the profession are rarely rewarded with the kind of dewy, triumphant tributes that cap off many a Hollywood classroom drama. Yet the inspirational teacher film remains a mainstay: film-makers never tire of imagining the schooldays they’d like to have had.
Paul Giamatti offers a variation on the type in The Holdovers, out on VOD last week: the curmudgeonly, academically oriented teacher with (surprise!
I had a few teachers I adored in my years at school – and one or two, perhaps, who even inspired me in some capacity – but I can’t say a film about my relationship with them would make for particularly thrilling viewing. Teaching is hard graft, and often thankless; even the best in the profession are rarely rewarded with the kind of dewy, triumphant tributes that cap off many a Hollywood classroom drama. Yet the inspirational teacher film remains a mainstay: film-makers never tire of imagining the schooldays they’d like to have had.
Paul Giamatti offers a variation on the type in The Holdovers, out on VOD last week: the curmudgeonly, academically oriented teacher with (surprise!
- 2/24/2024
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
On Wednesday night, the African American Film Critics Association honored the top actors, directors and films of the year at the 15th annual Aafca Awards, in a Los Angeles ceremony hosted by Roy Wood Jr.
One of night’s top honors — which were announced in advance — went to American Fiction star Jeffrey Wright, who delivered a humorous speech about the debt actors owe to critics as he accepted the Legend Award.
“There is a line in The Dresser which, to my mind, is the film that best captures what it is to be an actor,” he began. “Albert Finney, playing this blustery, brilliant, Shakespearean actress, says these horrible words: ‘The critics. Hate the critics. I have nothing but compassion for them. How can one hate the crippled, the mentally deficient, and the dead?'”
“I’ve been changed,” Wright said to a response of thunderous laughter. “After this moment I...
One of night’s top honors — which were announced in advance — went to American Fiction star Jeffrey Wright, who delivered a humorous speech about the debt actors owe to critics as he accepted the Legend Award.
“There is a line in The Dresser which, to my mind, is the film that best captures what it is to be an actor,” he began. “Albert Finney, playing this blustery, brilliant, Shakespearean actress, says these horrible words: ‘The critics. Hate the critics. I have nothing but compassion for them. How can one hate the crippled, the mentally deficient, and the dead?'”
“I’ve been changed,” Wright said to a response of thunderous laughter. “After this moment I...
- 2/22/2024
- by Brande Victorian
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
I remember exactly where I was when I discovered Philip Seymour Hoffman had died. I was at a revival screening of the 1979 version of Battlestar: Galactica at a Montreal theatre, waiting for the film to start when my email blew up. Here at JoBlo, whenever an icon dies, it tends to become a thread that allows us all to vent a little, and Hoffman’s death destroyed many of us.
It shook me up in a lot of ways, as I had just seen him at the Sundance Film Festival a few weeks earlier, where he had two films, A Most Wanted Man and God’s Pocket. In hindsight, it’s easy to say he didn’t look quite right, but honestly, I had no clue anything was wrong with him. Of course, in the days following his death, we learned that addiction had taken its toll on perhaps the most outstanding actor of his generation,...
It shook me up in a lot of ways, as I had just seen him at the Sundance Film Festival a few weeks earlier, where he had two films, A Most Wanted Man and God’s Pocket. In hindsight, it’s easy to say he didn’t look quite right, but honestly, I had no clue anything was wrong with him. Of course, in the days following his death, we learned that addiction had taken its toll on perhaps the most outstanding actor of his generation,...
- 2/2/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Nicolas Cage is an actor who always performs his all, but arguably his biggest and most intense performance is the one he won an Academy Award for -- that of alcoholic screenwriter Ben Sanderson in "Leaving Las Vegas." The movie follows Sanderson as he tries to drink himself to death in Las Vegas, Nevada, a task that doesn't seem too difficult to anyone who's been there. He ends up involved in a complicated romance with a sex worker named Sera (Elisabeth Shue), which makes his suicidal tendencies capable of causing collateral damage and means he has to try and decide whether or not he wants to fight for his life after all. It's a brutal, heart-wrenching film and performance by Cage, but one scene in particular really left its mark on the actor and everyone who watched him.
In an interview with Vanity Fair where Cage rewatched several scenes from his own films,...
In an interview with Vanity Fair where Cage rewatched several scenes from his own films,...
- 1/14/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Elvis Presley was a consummate performer, but Quentin Tarantino felt Elvis never took his movies seriously. The Pulp Fiction director speculated what might have happened if the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll wasn’t under Colonel Tom Parker’s sway. Tarantino also said Warren Beatty wanted to co-star with Elvis in one of the best Westerns of all time.
Quentin Tarantino said Elvis Presley could have outdone Warren Beatty
In his 2022 book Cinema Speculation, Tarantino discussed the 1960s movie scene. “Along with Paul Newman and Warren Beatty, Steve McQueen was the biggest of the younger male movie stars of the ’60s,” he wrote. “The U.K. had its share of exciting young leading men like Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Albert Finney, and Terence Stamp, but of the young sexy guys in America — that were also genuine movie stars — it was McQueen, Newman, and Beatty. On the next level down was James Garner,...
Quentin Tarantino said Elvis Presley could have outdone Warren Beatty
In his 2022 book Cinema Speculation, Tarantino discussed the 1960s movie scene. “Along with Paul Newman and Warren Beatty, Steve McQueen was the biggest of the younger male movie stars of the ’60s,” he wrote. “The U.K. had its share of exciting young leading men like Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Albert Finney, and Terence Stamp, but of the young sexy guys in America — that were also genuine movie stars — it was McQueen, Newman, and Beatty. On the next level down was James Garner,...
- 12/15/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Michael Blakemore, the only director in Tony Award history to win twice in one year, died Sunday, Dec. 10, following a short illness. He was 95.
His death was announced by the London-based United Agents literary and talent agency.
An acclaimed director of both West End and Broadway productions – his formidable credits include A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (1968), Noises Off (1983), City of Angels (1989), Lettice & Lovage (1990) and The Life (1997), among many others – secured his place in the Tony Award record books by becoming the first, and to date only, director to win twice in one year: In 2000, he won the award for Best Director of a Play for Copenhagen and Best Director of a Musical for the revival of Kiss Me Kate.
Born June 18, 1928, in Sydney, Australia, Blakemore made his directing debut in 1966 at the Glasgow Citizens’ Theatre, where he served as Artistic Director. His international breakthrough came in 1967 when...
His death was announced by the London-based United Agents literary and talent agency.
An acclaimed director of both West End and Broadway productions – his formidable credits include A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (1968), Noises Off (1983), City of Angels (1989), Lettice & Lovage (1990) and The Life (1997), among many others – secured his place in the Tony Award record books by becoming the first, and to date only, director to win twice in one year: In 2000, he won the award for Best Director of a Play for Copenhagen and Best Director of a Musical for the revival of Kiss Me Kate.
Born June 18, 1928, in Sydney, Australia, Blakemore made his directing debut in 1966 at the Glasgow Citizens’ Theatre, where he served as Artistic Director. His international breakthrough came in 1967 when...
- 12/13/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
British actor Shirley Anne Field, whose long career included memorable performances in such 1960s classic Angry Young Men genre dramas as Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and Alfie — as well as a pivotal, several-month stint on the NBC soap Santa Barbara — died Sunday, Dec. 10, of natural causes. She was 87.
Her family announced her passing In a statement to the BBC. “It is with great sadness that we are sharing the news that Shirley Anne Field passed away peacefully on Sunday… surrounded by her family and friends. Shirley Anne will be greatly missed and remembered for her unbreakable spirit and her amazing legacy spanning more than five decades on stage and screen.”
Shirley Anne Field, Albert Finney, ‘Saturday Night And Sunday Morning’ (1960)
Born June 27, 1936, in the Forest Gate district of East London, Field began working as a model in the early 1950, moving into acting by the middle of the decade with...
Her family announced her passing In a statement to the BBC. “It is with great sadness that we are sharing the news that Shirley Anne Field passed away peacefully on Sunday… surrounded by her family and friends. Shirley Anne will be greatly missed and remembered for her unbreakable spirit and her amazing legacy spanning more than five decades on stage and screen.”
Shirley Anne Field, Albert Finney, ‘Saturday Night And Sunday Morning’ (1960)
Born June 27, 1936, in the Forest Gate district of East London, Field began working as a model in the early 1950, moving into acting by the middle of the decade with...
- 12/12/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
British actor who starred in the 1960s film classics Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and The Entertainer
Shirley Anne Field, who has died aged 87, was likened to Marilyn Monroe, Catherine Deneuve and even “a sort of red-haired Brigitte Bardot”. There was no question she could stop traffic. “Lorries used to thunder to a halt, and I would wonder what they were looking at,” she said.
Her presence was sharply distinctive. In Karel Reisz’s film of Alan Sillitoe’s Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), a defining work of kitchen-sink drama, she was a vision of self-possession as Doreen, who works in a Nottingham hairnet factory, lives with her mother and catches the eye of the discontented lathe operator Arthur Seaton, played by Albert Finney.
Shirley Anne Field, who has died aged 87, was likened to Marilyn Monroe, Catherine Deneuve and even “a sort of red-haired Brigitte Bardot”. There was no question she could stop traffic. “Lorries used to thunder to a halt, and I would wonder what they were looking at,” she said.
Her presence was sharply distinctive. In Karel Reisz’s film of Alan Sillitoe’s Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960), a defining work of kitchen-sink drama, she was a vision of self-possession as Doreen, who works in a Nottingham hairnet factory, lives with her mother and catches the eye of the discontented lathe operator Arthur Seaton, played by Albert Finney.
- 12/12/2023
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Shirley Anne Field, the British leading lady who starred alongside Laurence Olivier in The Entertainer, Albert Finney in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, and Kenneth More in Man in the Moon — all in 1960 — has died. She was 87.
“It is with great sadness that we are sharing the news that Shirley Anne Field passed away peacefully on Sunday, Dec. 10, surrounded by her family and friends,” a spokesperson announced.
“Shirley Anne will be greatly missed and remembered for her unbreakable spirit and her amazing legacy spanning more than five decades on stage and screen.”
For her first Hollywood film, Field passed up John Schlesinger’s A Kind of Loving to star opposite Steve McQueen and Robert Wagner in the World War II drama The War Lover (1962). It was a decision she would regret, she explained in a 2009 interview.
“I finally had a chance to go to Hollywood and become a worldwide name.
“It is with great sadness that we are sharing the news that Shirley Anne Field passed away peacefully on Sunday, Dec. 10, surrounded by her family and friends,” a spokesperson announced.
“Shirley Anne will be greatly missed and remembered for her unbreakable spirit and her amazing legacy spanning more than five decades on stage and screen.”
For her first Hollywood film, Field passed up John Schlesinger’s A Kind of Loving to star opposite Steve McQueen and Robert Wagner in the World War II drama The War Lover (1962). It was a decision she would regret, she explained in a 2009 interview.
“I finally had a chance to go to Hollywood and become a worldwide name.
- 12/12/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
You might not be able to tell it from the trailers but Wonka, the latest movie inspired by Roald Dahl’s classic 1964 children’s story “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is, make no mistake about it, a full-on movie musical that I found to be more in the tradition of ’60s-era films like Oliver, Dr. Dolittle, Albert Finney’s Scrooge — basically a throwback to that kind of feel-good musical confection designed to be released during the year’s end.
Unlike 1971’s beloved (but not a hit initially) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder, or Tim Burton’s darker 2005 take Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Johnny Depp, this version directed Paul King and co-written by King and Simon Farnaby is an origin story of how Willy Wonka came to be Wonka, the magician, inventor and chocolate maker extraordinaire. Both previous films certainly have their legions of fans,...
Unlike 1971’s beloved (but not a hit initially) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder, or Tim Burton’s darker 2005 take Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Johnny Depp, this version directed Paul King and co-written by King and Simon Farnaby is an origin story of how Willy Wonka came to be Wonka, the magician, inventor and chocolate maker extraordinaire. Both previous films certainly have their legions of fans,...
- 12/4/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
by Eric Blume
It’s always fun when “the conversation” starts to brew for Oscar nominations every year, seeing which actors are gaining traction for a potential nomination. What’s interesting this year is that there are an unusually high number of actors who currently have four acting nominations under their belt who all stand good-to-great chances of joining The Five Club with nods this year. Five Oscar nominations is a big deal. Only 22 actors currently have five, and the names are among some of our best from older Hollywood, to the modern age to contemporary. It’s very nice company to be in.
Let’s take a look at the actors who stand a very real shot of being a part of The Five Club this year…...
It’s always fun when “the conversation” starts to brew for Oscar nominations every year, seeing which actors are gaining traction for a potential nomination. What’s interesting this year is that there are an unusually high number of actors who currently have four acting nominations under their belt who all stand good-to-great chances of joining The Five Club with nods this year. Five Oscar nominations is a big deal. Only 22 actors currently have five, and the names are among some of our best from older Hollywood, to the modern age to contemporary. It’s very nice company to be in.
Let’s take a look at the actors who stand a very real shot of being a part of The Five Club this year…...
- 11/5/2023
- by EricB
- FilmExperience
Pain Hustlers is a crime drama film directed by David Yates, from a screenplay by Wells Tower and Evan Hughes. The Netflix film follows the story of a single mother Liza, who joins the sales team of a bankrupt pharmaceutical company after losing her and because of her, the sales go through the roof. This helps her to reach the high life but what she doesn’t know is that she is putting herself right in the middle of a federal conspiracy. Pain Hustler stars Emily Blunt and Chris Evans in the lead roles with Andy García and Catherine O’Hara starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the Netflix film here are some similar movies you could watch next.
Thank You For Smoking (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Fox Searchlight Pictures
Synopsis: Based on Christopher Buckley’s acclaimed 1994 novel of the same title and adapted for the screen by Jason Reitman,...
Thank You For Smoking (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Fox Searchlight Pictures
Synopsis: Based on Christopher Buckley’s acclaimed 1994 novel of the same title and adapted for the screen by Jason Reitman,...
- 10/27/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
The Burial is a legal drama film directed by Maggie Betts from a screenplay by Betts and Doug Wright. Loosely based on the true story of lawyer Willie E. Gary and his client Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe, the Prime Video film follows the story of their lawsuit against the Loewen funeral company, as it was documented by Jonathan Harr in a New Yorker article. The Burial stars Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones in the lead roles. So, if you loved the Prime Video film here are some similar movies you could watch next.
Michael Clayton (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Warner Bros.
Synopsis: Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an in-house “fixer” at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. At the behest of the firm’s co- founder Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack), Clayton, a former prosecutor from a family of cops, takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen’s dirtiest work.
Michael Clayton (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Warner Bros.
Synopsis: Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an in-house “fixer” at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. At the behest of the firm’s co- founder Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack), Clayton, a former prosecutor from a family of cops, takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen’s dirtiest work.
- 10/9/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Golda is a biographical war drama film directed by Guy Nattiv from a script by Nicholas Martin. Starring Helen Mirren in the lead role of Golda Meir, the fourth Prime Minister of Israel, the film follows Golda’s leadership of Israel during the Yom Kippur War. The film also stars Camille Cottin and Liev Schreiber. So, if you loved Golda here are some similar movies you could watch next.
A Woman Called Golda (Not Streaming in the US) Credit – Syndication
Synopsis: The story of the Russian-born, Wisconsin-raised woman who rose to become Israel’s prime minister in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Darkest Hour (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Universal Pictures
Synopsis: Academy Award® winner Gary Oldman gives a “towering performance” in acclaimed director Joe Wright’s soaring drama Darkest Hour. As Hitler’s forces storm across the European landscape and close in on the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill...
A Woman Called Golda (Not Streaming in the US) Credit – Syndication
Synopsis: The story of the Russian-born, Wisconsin-raised woman who rose to become Israel’s prime minister in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Darkest Hour (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Universal Pictures
Synopsis: Academy Award® winner Gary Oldman gives a “towering performance” in acclaimed director Joe Wright’s soaring drama Darkest Hour. As Hitler’s forces storm across the European landscape and close in on the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill...
- 9/23/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
The Wolfen episode of The Black Sheep was Written and Narrated by Andrew Hatfield, Edited by Brandon Nally, Produced by Lance Vlcek and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
A black sheep doesn’t have to be considered bad to have that loving title and distinction. I mean, some of them are considered quite bad and need the layers peeled down to show off the good inside. There are other cases though. A movie can also be a black sheep if it was buried by a more popular outing like The Last Broadcast being utterly forgotten after the behemoth The Blair Witch Project made its appearance. Sometimes, like Last Broadcast, it can just be buried withing its own genre, decade, year, or as in today’s title, all 3. I’ve seen more than a few comments for this one so let’s take a look at werewolves in 1981. No,...
A black sheep doesn’t have to be considered bad to have that loving title and distinction. I mean, some of them are considered quite bad and need the layers peeled down to show off the good inside. There are other cases though. A movie can also be a black sheep if it was buried by a more popular outing like The Last Broadcast being utterly forgotten after the behemoth The Blair Witch Project made its appearance. Sometimes, like Last Broadcast, it can just be buried withing its own genre, decade, year, or as in today’s title, all 3. I’ve seen more than a few comments for this one so let’s take a look at werewolves in 1981. No,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
A little over a decade ago, actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint stood on a train platform, with questionable “middle age” makeup applied, and waved goodbye. Their characters were saying goodbye to their onscreen kids, but they were really waving farewell to millions of moviegoers and readers who grew up with their versions of Harry, Hermione, and Ron. In a way, the actors were also bidding adieu to their onscreen characters.
Admittedly a decade is not a super long time (though it’s a lifetime as far as media company CEOs anxious to exploit IP are concerned). Yet in these past 10 years, we’ve watched thespians we once knew as children mature into grown-up working actors, and some of the favorites who played their teachers and mentors go on to win Oscars and greater acclaim. Below are some of the best roles the Harry Potter cast has achieved since graduating from Hogwarts.
Admittedly a decade is not a super long time (though it’s a lifetime as far as media company CEOs anxious to exploit IP are concerned). Yet in these past 10 years, we’ve watched thespians we once knew as children mature into grown-up working actors, and some of the favorites who played their teachers and mentors go on to win Oscars and greater acclaim. Below are some of the best roles the Harry Potter cast has achieved since graduating from Hogwarts.
- 9/18/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
As Kenneth Branagh brings his third Hercule Poirot film to theaters with “A Haunting in Venice,” fans of the Agatha Christie character might debate: Who is the best actor to ever play the mustachioed Belgian detective? And which versions simply didn’t work?
We’ve compiled a list of the most notable actors to portray the famously fussy sleuth —from Tony Randall to PBS favorite David Suchet — and ranked them with both how true they are to Christie’s vision and how enjoyable their portrayal is to audience.
MGM
7. Tony Randall (1965)
The “Odd Couple” actor’s one outing as the detective in the Frank Tashlin-directed film “The Alphabet Murders” leans very hard into comedy. The result: Despite the mustache and bald cap and an occasionally passable accent, we get very little of “the little grey cells” character we expect and far more sight gigs and slapstick.
Prime Video
6. John Malkovich...
We’ve compiled a list of the most notable actors to portray the famously fussy sleuth —from Tony Randall to PBS favorite David Suchet — and ranked them with both how true they are to Christie’s vision and how enjoyable their portrayal is to audience.
MGM
7. Tony Randall (1965)
The “Odd Couple” actor’s one outing as the detective in the Frank Tashlin-directed film “The Alphabet Murders” leans very hard into comedy. The result: Despite the mustache and bald cap and an occasionally passable accent, we get very little of “the little grey cells” character we expect and far more sight gigs and slapstick.
Prime Video
6. John Malkovich...
- 9/17/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
From left: Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther Strikes Again (Keystone/Getty Images), Angela Lansbury in The Mirror Crack’d (YouTube screenshot), Albert Finney in Murder On The Orient Express (Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images), Denzel Washington in Devil In A Blue Dress (D Stevens/Tri Star/Kobal/Shutterstock), Daniel Craig...
- 9/17/2023
- by Jorge Molina
- avclub.com
Marlene Dietrich in Witness For The Prosecution, Albert Finney in Murder On The Orient Express, Maggie Smith in Evil Under The Sun, Kenneth Branagh in Murder On The Orient ExpressGraphic: United Arists/Emi Films/20th Century Fox
It makes sense that filmmakers have been turning to Agatha Christie for source...
It makes sense that filmmakers have been turning to Agatha Christie for source...
- 9/11/2023
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Paramount+ is starting September with a bang with hundreds of new film titles joining its library, from comedies like “Blazing Saddles” and “The Big Lebowski,” to award-winning dramas like “Schindler's List” and “Forrest Gump” and sci-fi thrillers like “Terminator 2” and “Annihilation.”
But the streamer isn’t stopping there, with even more TV series (including Paramount+ originals and exclusives) and sports available throughout the month on the Paramount+ Essential plan and even more titles on the Paramount+ with Showtime.
Check out The Streamable’s picks for the top five titles arriving to the streamer this month!
30-Day Free Trial $5.99+ / month paramountplus.com
For a Limited Time, Get 1 Month of Paramount+ With Code: Lioness
What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Paramount+ in September 2023? “Blazing Saddles” | Friday, Sept. 1
Return to Rock Ridge with Mel Brooks’ fourth-wall-breaking classic that will leave you anything but tired. The satirical Western-black comedy follows...
But the streamer isn’t stopping there, with even more TV series (including Paramount+ originals and exclusives) and sports available throughout the month on the Paramount+ Essential plan and even more titles on the Paramount+ with Showtime.
Check out The Streamable’s picks for the top five titles arriving to the streamer this month!
30-Day Free Trial $5.99+ / month paramountplus.com
For a Limited Time, Get 1 Month of Paramount+ With Code: Lioness
What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Paramount+ in September 2023? “Blazing Saddles” | Friday, Sept. 1
Return to Rock Ridge with Mel Brooks’ fourth-wall-breaking classic that will leave you anything but tired. The satirical Western-black comedy follows...
- 8/29/2023
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Clockwise from top left: Batman Returns (Warner Bros.), Edward Scissorhands (20th Century Fox), Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (Warner Bros.), Beetlejuice (Warner Bros.)Image: The A.V. Club
It’s difficult to believe that Tim Burton—who turns 65 on August 25—is now old enough to start collecting Social Security. But let’s...
It’s difficult to believe that Tim Burton—who turns 65 on August 25—is now old enough to start collecting Social Security. But let’s...
- 8/25/2023
- by Robert DeSalvo
- avclub.com
When Bo Goldman, the two-time Academy Award screenwriter of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Harold and Maude," passed away on July 25, 2023 at the age of 90, the world lost a master dramatist and a razor-sharp observer of human behavior. Hailed by his Hollywood peers as a "screenwriter's screenwriter," Goldman possessed an unerring ear for dialogue and a cliche-eschewing sense of narrative. Be it a wistful satire of the American dream or a bruisingly authentic depiction of divorce, his name on the poster guaranteed an honest, offbeat view of humanity.
And it almost never happened. Goldman was born in the midst of the Great Depression on September 10, 1932. His father owned a chain of department stores that had fallen on hard times, but that didn't stop the besieged patriarch from sending his son to the prestigious likes of Phillips Exeter and Princeton University. It was at the latter institution that Goldman discovered a love for theater,...
And it almost never happened. Goldman was born in the midst of the Great Depression on September 10, 1932. His father owned a chain of department stores that had fallen on hard times, but that didn't stop the besieged patriarch from sending his son to the prestigious likes of Phillips Exeter and Princeton University. It was at the latter institution that Goldman discovered a love for theater,...
- 7/27/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Screenwriter Bo Goldman, who won Oscars for his scripts to “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Melvin and Howard” and was among a select group of film scribes including Robert Towne and William Goldman considered to be among that generation’s best, died Tuesday in Helendale, Calif., his son-in-law, director Todd Field, confirmed to the New York Times. He was 90.
Goldman was also Oscar nominated for 1993’s “Scent of a Woman.”
The 1976 Oscar he shared with Lawrence Hauben for co-adapting Ken Kesey’s novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was a particularly impressive achievement considering that “Cuckoo’s Nest” represented only Goldman’s second screenplay and the first to be produced. The win for adapted screenplay was part of a sweep for the film that also included victories for best picture, director, actor and actress. No movie had won those five awards since 1934’s “It’s a Wonderful...
Goldman was also Oscar nominated for 1993’s “Scent of a Woman.”
The 1976 Oscar he shared with Lawrence Hauben for co-adapting Ken Kesey’s novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was a particularly impressive achievement considering that “Cuckoo’s Nest” represented only Goldman’s second screenplay and the first to be produced. The win for adapted screenplay was part of a sweep for the film that also included victories for best picture, director, actor and actress. No movie had won those five awards since 1934’s “It’s a Wonderful...
- 7/26/2023
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Bo Goldman, the late-blooming guru of screenwriting who received Academy Awards for his work on One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Melvin and Howard, has died. He was 90.
Goldman died Tuesday in Helendale, California, his son-in-law, director Todd Field, told The New York Times.
Goldman’s first screenplay was, years after he wrote it, directed by Alan Parker for Shoot the Moon (1982), which featured Diane Keaton and Albert Finney in a raw, seriocomic drama about a disintegrating marriage.
He also co-wrote the Mark Rydell-directed rock drama The Rose (1979), starring Bette Midler in an Oscar-nominated turn, and Martin Brest’s Scent of a Woman (1992), which netted him his third Academy Award nom (and Al Pacino the best actor Oscar, too).
Goldman was one of the handful of screenwriters — Paddy Chayefsky, Francis Ford Coppola, Horton Foote, William Goldman, Billy Wilder and Joel and Ethan Coen among them — to win Academy...
Goldman died Tuesday in Helendale, California, his son-in-law, director Todd Field, told The New York Times.
Goldman’s first screenplay was, years after he wrote it, directed by Alan Parker for Shoot the Moon (1982), which featured Diane Keaton and Albert Finney in a raw, seriocomic drama about a disintegrating marriage.
He also co-wrote the Mark Rydell-directed rock drama The Rose (1979), starring Bette Midler in an Oscar-nominated turn, and Martin Brest’s Scent of a Woman (1992), which netted him his third Academy Award nom (and Al Pacino the best actor Oscar, too).
Goldman was one of the handful of screenwriters — Paddy Chayefsky, Francis Ford Coppola, Horton Foote, William Goldman, Billy Wilder and Joel and Ethan Coen among them — to win Academy...
- 7/26/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Fire sparked by a lightning strike has destroyed an Alabama prop house used in Tim Burton’s 2003 movie Big Fish.
“We lost a house in the Town of Spectre tonight after a lightning strike,” reads a post on Jackson Lake Island’s Facebook page.
The house was located on Jackson Lake Island in the fictitious town of Spectre, Al, built specifically for the movie.
The fantasy comedy-drama directed by Burton, based on Daniel Wallace’s 1998 novel, starred Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Alison Lohman, Robert Guillaume, Marion Cotillard and Steve Buscemi. The film’s plotline revolves around the story of a frustrated son who tries to distinguish fact from fiction in the life of his father, a teller of tall tales.
The film was shot on location in Alabama in a series of fairy tale vignettes evoking the tone of a Southern Gothic fantasy.
“We lost a house in the Town of Spectre tonight after a lightning strike,” reads a post on Jackson Lake Island’s Facebook page.
The house was located on Jackson Lake Island in the fictitious town of Spectre, Al, built specifically for the movie.
The fantasy comedy-drama directed by Burton, based on Daniel Wallace’s 1998 novel, starred Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Alison Lohman, Robert Guillaume, Marion Cotillard and Steve Buscemi. The film’s plotline revolves around the story of a frustrated son who tries to distinguish fact from fiction in the life of his father, a teller of tall tales.
The film was shot on location in Alabama in a series of fairy tale vignettes evoking the tone of a Southern Gothic fantasy.
- 7/3/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Like most English actors, Albert Finney began his career in theater before transitioning to television and film. Finney was noted as one of the most successful English actors, with his impeccable versatility in stage, film, and television. In theater, he debuted playing the titular character King Henry in Henry V (1956) at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Finney had a reputation for playing titular characters in most of his plays. Some include Coriolanus in Coriolanus (1959), Martin Luther in Martin Luther, Prince Hamlet in Hamlet (1976), and Tamburlaine in Tamburlaine (1976). Finney’s final role on television was portraying Winston...
- 6/29/2023
- by Onyinye Izundu
- TVovermind.com
Mexican character actor Sergio Calderón, best known for playing the “head on a stick” in 1997’s “Men in Black” and Capt. Vallenueva in 2007’s “Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End,” died this morning surrounded by family, according to his spokesperson. Calderón was 77.
Although the cause of death was not publicized at press time, Calderón was previously in the hospital with a bout of pneumonia.
The actors’ other notable credits include Sergio Leone’s “Duck, You Sucker!” (1971), in which Calderón played a Mexican revolutionary. Additionally, in John Huston’s “Under the Volcano” (1984), he played a violent Mexican chief of police opposite Albert Finney.
On the television side, Calderón starred on the debut episode of NBC’s “The A-Team” in 1983, where he made a guest appearance as the flamboyant bandit Malavida Valdése. He later returned to the show in its third season as the river pirate El Cajón (translating...
Although the cause of death was not publicized at press time, Calderón was previously in the hospital with a bout of pneumonia.
The actors’ other notable credits include Sergio Leone’s “Duck, You Sucker!” (1971), in which Calderón played a Mexican revolutionary. Additionally, in John Huston’s “Under the Volcano” (1984), he played a violent Mexican chief of police opposite Albert Finney.
On the television side, Calderón starred on the debut episode of NBC’s “The A-Team” in 1983, where he made a guest appearance as the flamboyant bandit Malavida Valdése. He later returned to the show in its third season as the river pirate El Cajón (translating...
- 6/1/2023
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Sergio Calderón, the amiable Mexican character actor who made his mark in such notable films as The In-Laws, Men in Black and Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End, has died. He was 77.
Calderón died Wednesday in a Los Angeles hospital of natural causes, a family spokesman announced.
Calderón portrayed a Mexican revolutionary at the turn of the 20th century in Duck, You Sucker! (1971), written and directed by Sergio Leone, and was a murderous Mexican chief of police opposite Albert Finney in John Huston’s Under the Volcano (1984).
He guest-starred as the colorful bandit Malavida Valdése on the premiere episode of NBC’s The A-Team in 1983, then returned as the river pirate El Cajón (The Coffin) at the start of the show’s third season a year later.
Calderón played Alfonso, one of the Hondurans, in the Arthur Hiller comedy The In-Laws (1979) — it was the role that got...
Calderón died Wednesday in a Los Angeles hospital of natural causes, a family spokesman announced.
Calderón portrayed a Mexican revolutionary at the turn of the 20th century in Duck, You Sucker! (1971), written and directed by Sergio Leone, and was a murderous Mexican chief of police opposite Albert Finney in John Huston’s Under the Volcano (1984).
He guest-starred as the colorful bandit Malavida Valdése on the premiere episode of NBC’s The A-Team in 1983, then returned as the river pirate El Cajón (The Coffin) at the start of the show’s third season a year later.
Calderón played Alfonso, one of the Hondurans, in the Arthur Hiller comedy The In-Laws (1979) — it was the role that got...
- 5/31/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
(Welcome to Did They Get It Right?, a series where we look at an Oscars category from yesteryear and examine whether the Academy's winner stands the test of time.)
As someone who frequently peruses the past years of the Academy Awards, more often than not the results just wash over me. Rarely are the winners the most exciting options, but I generally understand how and why a given person or film walked away with a trophy, even if they wouldn't have gotten my vote. People like to grouse about the results of the Oscars, but their whiffing on a massive scale actually doesn't happen as often as people claim it does.
Of course, there are those "What were they thinking?" moments, like "Crash" winning Best Picture and "That Thing You Do!" losing Best Song. Few make me scratch my head harder than Best Actor at the 1975 Oscars. It's a slate...
As someone who frequently peruses the past years of the Academy Awards, more often than not the results just wash over me. Rarely are the winners the most exciting options, but I generally understand how and why a given person or film walked away with a trophy, even if they wouldn't have gotten my vote. People like to grouse about the results of the Oscars, but their whiffing on a massive scale actually doesn't happen as often as people claim it does.
Of course, there are those "What were they thinking?" moments, like "Crash" winning Best Picture and "That Thing You Do!" losing Best Song. Few make me scratch my head harder than Best Actor at the 1975 Oscars. It's a slate...
- 4/30/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
The least compelling thing about “Tom Jones: Masterpiece” is Tom Jones himself. When the four-part miniseries debuts on April 30, it transforms Henry Fielding’s 800-plus page picaresque novel into a romcom in which the female lead isn’t only every bit the hero as her male counterpart, but often outshines him.
For the uninitiated, “Tom Jones” revolves around an orphan of the same name who is raised by a squire as if he were his own. It’s a coming-of-age story in which Tom grows up with and falls for his neighbor, Sophia Western, all while shagging plenty of other women and often getting in his own way. There are forces conspiring against him, of course: namely his cousin William Blifil, who is born into privilege and hates everything about his relative from Day 1.
This iteration of “Tom Jones,” which comes decades after the Oscar-winning, 1963 film starring Albert Finney, follows the same storyline,...
For the uninitiated, “Tom Jones” revolves around an orphan of the same name who is raised by a squire as if he were his own. It’s a coming-of-age story in which Tom grows up with and falls for his neighbor, Sophia Western, all while shagging plenty of other women and often getting in his own way. There are forces conspiring against him, of course: namely his cousin William Blifil, who is born into privilege and hates everything about his relative from Day 1.
This iteration of “Tom Jones,” which comes decades after the Oscar-winning, 1963 film starring Albert Finney, follows the same storyline,...
- 4/28/2023
- by Amber Dowling
- Variety Film + TV
It’s been a while since PBS’ Masterpiece has lived up to its billing by tackling, or revisiting, a true literary classic. (Overextending Jane Austen’s unfinished novel Sanditon doesn’t count.) So while Henry Fielding’s 18th-century coming-of-age tome retains some mild shock value in its frisky particulars, writer Gwyneth Hughes’ brisk four-part adaptation — a welcome respite from the bloat of so many overlong streaming series — nestles perhaps too snugly in the Masterpiece costume-drama comfort zone. (The Oscar-winning 1963 film version starring Albert Finney is livelier.) (Credit: Courtesy of Mammoth Screen and Masterpiece) An age-appropriate Solly McLeod is quite charming, if a trifle bland, as Tom Jones’ title character, a foundling bastard raised by a kindly squire whose generosity of spirit he inherits despite his low birth. “Can a man ever be a gentleman who doesn’t know who his father is?” frets Tom, seemingly unaware that he’s more...
- 4/28/2023
- TV Insider
Got something you’d like to ask the flugelhorn-tooting forensic scientist and all-round star of stage and screen? Send it our way and we’ll put it to her
You might think of her as forensic scientist Eve Lockhart from BBC series Waking the Dead, or as Queen Selyse Baratheon in Game of Thrones, but Tara Fitzgerald is a long-termer when it comes to film. Her first big role was in Peter Chelsom’s 1991 nightclub comedy Hear My Song, after which she went on to a couple of roles opposite Hugh Grant: Sirens in 1994 and The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain in 1995. In between the two she was in A Man of No Importance with Albert Finney. Then came the flugelhorn-tooting Brassed Off, and the Czech war film Dark Blue World. More recently she played Miriam in Ridley Scott’s biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings.
You might think of her as forensic scientist Eve Lockhart from BBC series Waking the Dead, or as Queen Selyse Baratheon in Game of Thrones, but Tara Fitzgerald is a long-termer when it comes to film. Her first big role was in Peter Chelsom’s 1991 nightclub comedy Hear My Song, after which she went on to a couple of roles opposite Hugh Grant: Sirens in 1994 and The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain in 1995. In between the two she was in A Man of No Importance with Albert Finney. Then came the flugelhorn-tooting Brassed Off, and the Czech war film Dark Blue World. More recently she played Miriam in Ridley Scott’s biblical epic Exodus: Gods and Kings.
- 4/7/2023
- by Rich Pelley
- The Guardian - Film News
The scene where 2012’s The Bourne Legacy first comes truly alive features neither parkour or car chases; it also lacks fisticuffs or a single gunshot; heck, it doesn’t even have Matt Damon. To be sure, the fourth (and generally ignored) film in the Jason Bourne franchise has its fair share of death-defying stunts and white-knuckle action. However, the movie really clicks to life when a coterie of bureaucrats gather inside a windowless room, sharing hushed whispers.
The scene is dominated by who was intended to be the series’ new big heavy, Col. Eric Bryer (Edward Norton), who is revealed to be the Director of the National Research Assay Group. This is essentially a fictional version of Darpa, the research and development agency that operates within the the U.S. Department of Defense and is responsible for developing emerging technologies for military use. In the world of Jason Bourne, that means the infamous “Operation Treadstone,...
The scene is dominated by who was intended to be the series’ new big heavy, Col. Eric Bryer (Edward Norton), who is revealed to be the Director of the National Research Assay Group. This is essentially a fictional version of Darpa, the research and development agency that operates within the the U.S. Department of Defense and is responsible for developing emerging technologies for military use. In the world of Jason Bourne, that means the infamous “Operation Treadstone,...
- 4/6/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Peter Werner, Emmy-nominated TV director who won a Best Short Film Oscar in 1977, died suddenly this morning in Wilmington, Nc from heart complications following a torn aorta. He was 76.
Born in New York City in January 1947, Werner graduated with Masters degrees in education and documentary filmmaking. He started off as a Vista Volunteer in downtown Detroit before co-founding a Quaker high school in Deerfield, Ma. While teaching in Vermont, he met Frances Flaherty, widow of Robert Flaherty, known as the father of the documentary film.
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Afl-cio's Department For Professional Employees Sets Legislative Agenda Related Story Gaten Matarazzo Talks End Of 'Stranger Things' & His Expectations For Dustin In The Final Season
She became Werner’s friend and mentor, and he made a documentary about her that aired on PBS. It was produced by Werner’s younger brother, Tom Werner,...
Born in New York City in January 1947, Werner graduated with Masters degrees in education and documentary filmmaking. He started off as a Vista Volunteer in downtown Detroit before co-founding a Quaker high school in Deerfield, Ma. While teaching in Vermont, he met Frances Flaherty, widow of Robert Flaherty, known as the father of the documentary film.
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Afl-cio's Department For Professional Employees Sets Legislative Agenda Related Story Gaten Matarazzo Talks End Of 'Stranger Things' & His Expectations For Dustin In The Final Season
She became Werner’s friend and mentor, and he made a documentary about her that aired on PBS. It was produced by Werner’s younger brother, Tom Werner,...
- 3/22/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
“You Can Call Me Bill” is the latest documentary from director Alexandre O. Philippe, who specializes in plucking tasty subjects out of the pop cosmos and doing deep-dive meditations on them. Philippe often leans into horror, but even with other subjects, what he’s always looking for is the heady ineffable curveball insight. So if you go into his new movie, which is all about William Shatner, presuming that it’s going to be something other than a conventional portrait of William Shatner, you’d be quite correct. The movie is built around an interview with the legendary 91-year-old actor, still vigorous and voluble, with a seize-the-day cornball glow to him. In “You Can Call Me Bill,” Shatner sits under the hot lights, with the camera close to his face, talking, talking, and talking — about life, death, acting, fame, love, desolation, and trees.
No one else is interviewed. At no point is Shatner called “Bill,...
No one else is interviewed. At no point is Shatner called “Bill,...
- 3/17/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
With Michael B. Jordan making his directorial debut with Creed III this weekend, we wanted to know what film by a first time Actor turned Director has been your favorite? Some came out of the gates with Oscar Glory (Kevin Costner/ Robert Redford) while others found a passion they haven’t looked back from (Ron Howard/ Sofia Coppola). If you don’t see your favorite listed, please let us know what (and who) it is in the comments section.
Update: I have rightly been called out for listing Braveheart as Mel Gibson’s first film when he actually directed a film prior to that called The Man Without a Face in 1993. So I guess the results are slightly skewed, but really, wasn’t Braveheart the first Mel Gibson directed film we all saw?!
Favorite Film by a First Time Actor Turned DirectorThat Thing You Do! (1996) (Tom Hanks)Ordinary People (1980) (Robert Redford)In a World…...
Update: I have rightly been called out for listing Braveheart as Mel Gibson’s first film when he actually directed a film prior to that called The Man Without a Face in 1993. So I guess the results are slightly skewed, but really, wasn’t Braveheart the first Mel Gibson directed film we all saw?!
Favorite Film by a First Time Actor Turned DirectorThat Thing You Do! (1996) (Tom Hanks)Ordinary People (1980) (Robert Redford)In a World…...
- 3/5/2023
- by Brad Hamerly
- JoBlo.com
One of the greatest honors someone can receive from the United Kingdom is receiving a knighthood. However, not everyone wants the title. This included rock star David Bowie.
Who gets to be knighted by the British monarchy?
Anyone can be nominated for knighthood (or damehood for women), but they must meet the monarch’s criteria. The nominee will have made an important contribution to the UK and the world, inspiring and influencing others with their work. Only citizens of the UK can officially be made knights or dames. However, people from all over the world can receive an honorary version of the title.
The late Queen Elizabeth knighted almost 300 people during her reign. This included diplomats, politicians, business leaders, artists, humanitarians, and athletes. Some of the most notable people who received knighthoods over the last few years include Paul McCartney, Emma Thompson, Elton John, Sean Connery, Bill Gates, Angelina Jolie,...
Who gets to be knighted by the British monarchy?
Anyone can be nominated for knighthood (or damehood for women), but they must meet the monarch’s criteria. The nominee will have made an important contribution to the UK and the world, inspiring and influencing others with their work. Only citizens of the UK can officially be made knights or dames. However, people from all over the world can receive an honorary version of the title.
The late Queen Elizabeth knighted almost 300 people during her reign. This included diplomats, politicians, business leaders, artists, humanitarians, and athletes. Some of the most notable people who received knighthoods over the last few years include Paul McCartney, Emma Thompson, Elton John, Sean Connery, Bill Gates, Angelina Jolie,...
- 3/1/2023
- by India McCarty
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
When Sidney Poitier was honored as the first African American male to win a competitive acting Oscar in 1964 for his lead performance in “Lilies of the Field,” it had been 24 years since Hattie McDaniel became the Jackie Robinson of the Academy Awards with her breakthrough triumph in 1940 for “Gone With the Wind.” And it would be another 19 years before there was a third: Louis Gossett Jr.’s supporting actor victory in 1983 for “An Officer and a Gentleman.”
Wins for three performers of color in 43 years didn’t exactly represent a trend. But in the 39 years after that, there would be 19 more, including a pair of African American actors (Denzel Washington and Mahershala Ali) who won twice apiece. Poitier’s ’64 triumph proved as surprising as it was stirring, and undeniably political. Leading up to that historic event, his inscrutable countenance and the almost regal way he carried himself made Poitier a...
Wins for three performers of color in 43 years didn’t exactly represent a trend. But in the 39 years after that, there would be 19 more, including a pair of African American actors (Denzel Washington and Mahershala Ali) who won twice apiece. Poitier’s ’64 triumph proved as surprising as it was stirring, and undeniably political. Leading up to that historic event, his inscrutable countenance and the almost regal way he carried himself made Poitier a...
- 2/25/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
If you’re anything like me, you can’t get enough of Tim Burton’s quirky and visually stunning films. Burton’s unique style and offbeat sense of humor have made him a beloved figure in the world of cinema.
So, we thought it would be fun to rank the Tim Burton movies list from best to worst. Of course, ranking movies is subjective, what we think is “best” may differ from others’ opinions.. But we’ve taken a few different factors like box office gross, IMDb rating, and Rotten Tomatoes audience score into account to come up with a list that we hope will spark some lively discussions.
In this article, we’ll be ranking the best and worst movies on the Tim Burton movies list. We’ll give you a brief synopsis of each movie, along with our take on its strengths and weaknesses. So, settle in, and...
So, we thought it would be fun to rank the Tim Burton movies list from best to worst. Of course, ranking movies is subjective, what we think is “best” may differ from others’ opinions.. But we’ve taken a few different factors like box office gross, IMDb rating, and Rotten Tomatoes audience score into account to come up with a list that we hope will spark some lively discussions.
In this article, we’ll be ranking the best and worst movies on the Tim Burton movies list. We’ll give you a brief synopsis of each movie, along with our take on its strengths and weaknesses. So, settle in, and...
- 2/17/2023
- by Dee Gambit
- buddytv.com
One of the key works in the early British “kitchen sink” movement, John Schlesinger’s screen adaptation of Keith Waterhouse’s seriocomic novel spoke loudly to young people the world over. Tom Courtenay, taking over from Albert Finney in the stage version, made a big enough impression to go on to a strong career. But the revelation here is Julie Christie, luminous as the hero’s free-spirited girlfriend in only her third film role. Schlesinger went on direct her Oscar-winning breakthough two years later with the lead role in Darling.
The post Billy Liar appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post Billy Liar appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 2/8/2023
- by TFH Team
- Trailers from Hell
For the first ten years of his career, Bill Nighy trod the boards in the U.K. He never saw a camera. He figured he’d be a theater actor for the rest of his life. In that time, just a few British stars were in the movies: Albert Finney, Michael Caine, Tom Courtenay, Peter O’Toole. “I was perfectly content,” he told me on Zoom. “I didn’t imagine I’d ever be on television particularly, or certainly not in a film. It was different times. My expectations were low, because I never expected to be an actor. And I never expected to be paid money for doing plays.”
Nighy’s world shifted when the late great casting director Mary Selway snuck him into a reading for Richard Curtis’ Christmas comedy “Love, Actually.” He got a couple of laughs. And landed the role of aging pop star Billy Mack, who...
Nighy’s world shifted when the late great casting director Mary Selway snuck him into a reading for Richard Curtis’ Christmas comedy “Love, Actually.” He got a couple of laughs. And landed the role of aging pop star Billy Mack, who...
- 12/27/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Stephen Greif, who is known for playing Speaker of the House Sir Bernard Weatherill on Season 4 of “The Crown,” has died at 78.
“With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif,” the English actor’s rep Michelle Braidman Associates tweeted Monday. “We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif.
His extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage, including at the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End.
We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends x pic.twitter.com/sYcwILCvNr
— Michelle Braidman Associates (@TeamBraidman) December 26, 2022
Greif was born on Aug. 26, 1944, in Highgate, London. He is survived by two sons.
Also Read:
Dax Tejera, Executive Producer of ABC’s ‘This Week,’ Dies at 37
Greif’s extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage,...
“With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif,” the English actor’s rep Michelle Braidman Associates tweeted Monday. “We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif.
His extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage, including at the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End.
We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends x pic.twitter.com/sYcwILCvNr
— Michelle Braidman Associates (@TeamBraidman) December 26, 2022
Greif was born on Aug. 26, 1944, in Highgate, London. He is survived by two sons.
Also Read:
Dax Tejera, Executive Producer of ABC’s ‘This Week,’ Dies at 37
Greif’s extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage,...
- 12/27/2022
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Veteran British theater actor Stephen Greif has died at the age of 78.
His death was announced online on Monday by his representatives at Michelle Braidman Associates. “With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif. His extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage, including at the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End. We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends,” the statement on the talent agency’s Twitter site read.
Greif played House of Commons Speaker Sir Bernard Weatherill in the fourth season of The Crown in 2020. And the British actor was also known for his performance as space commander Travis in Blake’s 7, a sci-fi series that ran from 1978 to 1981.
Greif was born on Aug. 26, 1944 in Sawbridgeworth, Herts at a nursing home that at one time was a residence for Anne Boleyn,...
Veteran British theater actor Stephen Greif has died at the age of 78.
His death was announced online on Monday by his representatives at Michelle Braidman Associates. “With great sadness we announce the death of our wonderful client Stephen Greif. His extensive career included numerous roles on screen and stage, including at the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End. We will miss him dearly and our thoughts are with his family and friends,” the statement on the talent agency’s Twitter site read.
Greif played House of Commons Speaker Sir Bernard Weatherill in the fourth season of The Crown in 2020. And the British actor was also known for his performance as space commander Travis in Blake’s 7, a sci-fi series that ran from 1978 to 1981.
Greif was born on Aug. 26, 1944 in Sawbridgeworth, Herts at a nursing home that at one time was a residence for Anne Boleyn,...
- 12/27/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When it comes to the tradition of telling ghosts stories during Christmas, Charles Dickens still reigns supreme, with medieval scholar M.R. James in a very close second place. But in recent years, actor, writer, and director Mark Gatiss has quickly earned mention alongside those two by reinvigorating the United Kingdom’s heritage of holiday horror.
Best known for his work on Doctor Who, Sherlock, Dracula, and the comedy troupe League of Gentlemen, Gatiss has become the force behind the BBC’s revival of A Ghost Story for Christmas series of television films. The original run of annuals was largely helmed by Lawrence Gordon Clark, and aired from 1971 until ’78, before returning sporadically in 2005. Gatiss made his directorial debut in 2013 with The Tractate Middoth, the Ghost Story adaptation of James’ work. He has since written and directed three more for the series — James adaptations Martin’s Close and The Mezzotint, and the...
Best known for his work on Doctor Who, Sherlock, Dracula, and the comedy troupe League of Gentlemen, Gatiss has become the force behind the BBC’s revival of A Ghost Story for Christmas series of television films. The original run of annuals was largely helmed by Lawrence Gordon Clark, and aired from 1971 until ’78, before returning sporadically in 2005. Gatiss made his directorial debut in 2013 with The Tractate Middoth, the Ghost Story adaptation of James’ work. He has since written and directed three more for the series — James adaptations Martin’s Close and The Mezzotint, and the...
- 12/21/2022
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens was embraced by the British public from the moment it first dropped in 1843; it was an instant bestseller and the work has never been out of print since (via ThoughtCo). Almost 60 years later, the festive tale took a leap to the new-fangled medium of cinema with "Scrooge, or Marley's Ghost" in 1901. That title hinted at a vision of Film Adaptations Yet to Come; Scrooge was the star of the show and would become a juicy role for dozens of famous actors over the next 120 years.
Since Daniel Smith donned Scrooge's nightcap in that pioneering first adaptation, George C. Scott, Albert Finney, Reginald Owen, Patrick Stewart, and Henry Winkler have all given their distinctive take on the role, while Alastair Sim remains many people's definitive version of the character. Bill Murray put a modern spin on the tale in "Scrooged," while in animation we've had Mr. Magoo,...
Since Daniel Smith donned Scrooge's nightcap in that pioneering first adaptation, George C. Scott, Albert Finney, Reginald Owen, Patrick Stewart, and Henry Winkler have all given their distinctive take on the role, while Alastair Sim remains many people's definitive version of the character. Bill Murray put a modern spin on the tale in "Scrooged," while in animation we've had Mr. Magoo,...
- 12/10/2022
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Don’t let the #1 slot on iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu fool you: There’s lots more going on beyond “Black Adam” (Warner Bros. Discovery/19.99). In a landscape packed with franchise fare and Christmas contenders, “Bullet Train” (Sony/5.99) placed on all three charts and #1 as a new availability at Netflix.
The success of “Bullet Train” also speaks to the value of a film first enjoying a major theatrical presence. Its #1 slot Netflix comes after a 100 million+ domestic gross, followed by multiple weeks of VOD success. It replicates the platform’s immediate interest in Sony’s “Where the Crawdads Sing,” which spent more than a week at #1 (and is still #10).
The battle within that holly-jolly battle: Four Christmas-themed titles occupy nearly a third of the top 10 chart positions. The clear winner is Universal’s 2018 animated “The Grinch” (3.99), which ranks as high as #2 at iTunes, top 10 elsewhere. Universal’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas...
The success of “Bullet Train” also speaks to the value of a film first enjoying a major theatrical presence. Its #1 slot Netflix comes after a 100 million+ domestic gross, followed by multiple weeks of VOD success. It replicates the platform’s immediate interest in Sony’s “Where the Crawdads Sing,” which spent more than a week at #1 (and is still #10).
The battle within that holly-jolly battle: Four Christmas-themed titles occupy nearly a third of the top 10 chart positions. The clear winner is Universal’s 2018 animated “The Grinch” (3.99), which ranks as high as #2 at iTunes, top 10 elsewhere. Universal’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas...
- 12/6/2022
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
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It’s hard to tell exactly whether Netflix’s new animated version of Charles Dickens’ Yuletide classic is geared to very young children who respond to sensory overload or drugged-out college students looking for sensory overload.
In either case, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol delivers it in spades, providing a turbocharged rendition of the tale aimed for maximum visual impact. A very loose remake of the live-action 1970 musical Scrooge starring Albert Finney, this version also features songs from that film composed by two-time Oscar winner Leslie Bricusse.
Director Stephen Donnelly has promised to provide “psychedelic, time-traveling and musical surprises” in this umpteenth version of the oft-dramatized tale, and he lives up to his word, for better or worse. The film’s vibrant animation — the opening sequence depicts a London more colorful than it’s ever been — feels more Hanna-Barbera than Dickensian. And it soon...
It’s hard to tell exactly whether Netflix’s new animated version of Charles Dickens’ Yuletide classic is geared to very young children who respond to sensory overload or drugged-out college students looking for sensory overload.
In either case, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol delivers it in spades, providing a turbocharged rendition of the tale aimed for maximum visual impact. A very loose remake of the live-action 1970 musical Scrooge starring Albert Finney, this version also features songs from that film composed by two-time Oscar winner Leslie Bricusse.
Director Stephen Donnelly has promised to provide “psychedelic, time-traveling and musical surprises” in this umpteenth version of the oft-dramatized tale, and he lives up to his word, for better or worse. The film’s vibrant animation — the opening sequence depicts a London more colorful than it’s ever been — feels more Hanna-Barbera than Dickensian. And it soon...
- 11/23/2022
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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