News

When Steven Spielberg first heard John Williams’ shark music for Jaws – the menacing “dunh dunh dunh dunh” signalling the approach of the terrifying beast – he wasn’t blown away. He gave “dunh dunh” a “meh,” more or less.

That’s one of the revelations in the Oscar-contending documentary Music by John Williams, director Laurent Bouzereau’s exploration of the work of the maestro. Eventually, Spielberg came around, of course, recognizing the brilliance of the score that became integral to one of the great Hollywood blockbusters of all time. Alluding to the struggles he faced getting the motorized fish to function as intended, Spielberg says in the film, “His musical shark worked a lot better than my mechanical shark.”

Director Laurent Bouzereau

Bouzereau approached the documentary having absorbed Williams’s scores in his youth growing up in France. In the 1970s, a big Hollywood movie like Jaws came out in the U.

Early in director Laurent Bouzereau’s “Music by John Williams” documentary (streaming November 1 on Disney+), Steven Spielberg explains that he was worried about the demise of orchestral film scoring in the early ’70s while embarking on his directing career. He was determined that this emotionally stirring, if anachronistic, format would not die on his watch, so he hired John Williams to score his first theatrical feature, “The Sugarland Express” (1974).

Williams (who caught the director’s attention in 1969 with “The Reivers”) surprised Spielberg with an intimate harmonica solo (played by Toots Thielmans) that helped elevate the movie in a way he didn’t expect. Thus began the greatest director-composer collaboration in the history of movies, with Spielberg making 29 films with Williams and admitting that the composer has been indispensable to each and every one of them.

But it was their second film together, “Jaws” (1975), that propelled their careers. With two unforgettable...

As one of the greatest film composers of our time, John Williams had already made a name for himself before young filmmakers like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg began plans to revolutionize cinema.

According to Variety, it took their "wild energy and wild ideas" to inspire Williams, who lost his wife at the peak of his career. In a new Disney+ documentary called Music by John Williams, Williams shared the ups and downs of his storied career with filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau. At the age of 92, John Williams has attained the status of a living legend, but there was a point a few decades ago when he found himself grappling with the loss of his wife, singer and actress Barbara Ruick, at just 41 years old.

Star Wars: A New Hope. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Image Credit: StarWars.com

Williams found himself raising three teenagers alone. Although he continued working to put food on the table,...

Got a scoop request? An anonymous tip you’re dying to share? Send any/all of the above to askausiello@tvline.com

Question: Please tell me the glimpse we got of Cristina in the Grey’s Anatomy premiere foreshadowed an actual appearance by Sandra Oh this season. — Janet

Ausiello: I and, for that matter, Grey’s Ep Krista Vernoff would love to tell you that that was happening. “I would give anything for a visit from Sandra Oh,” she says, adding with a laugh, “Do you know her? Can you call her and talk her into it?” In all seriousness,...

Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.

Lineup Announcements

– The Film Society of Lincoln Center and UniFrance announce the complete lineup for the 22nd edition of Rendez-Vous with French Cinema, the celebrated annual series showcasing the variety and vitality of contemporary French filmmaking, March 1 – 12.

The lineup features 23 diverse films, comprised of highlights from international festivals and works by both established favorites and talented newcomers, including François Ozon’s Lubitsch adaptation “Frantz,” set after World War I; Bertrand Bonello’s “Nocturama,” a provocative exploration of a Paris terrorist attack carried out by young activists; Bruno Dumont’s oddball slapstick detective story “Slack Bay,” starring Juliette Binoche; Rebecca Zlotowski’s visually arresting “Planetarium,” with Natalie Portman as a touring psychic who catches the eye of a movie producer in 1930s Paris; and Jean-Stéphane Bron’s “The Paris Opera,...

Whether you believe in true love or not, there's one thing we can all agree on: these wedding dresses are ah-may-zing.

Celebs pulled out all the stops this year to make sure that they not only had the perfect day but also the perfect gown, calling in big names like Victoria Beckham, Jenny Packham, and Vera Wang to make them stunning numbers for their nuptials.

Though all of the looks were gorgeous in their own right, there was two clear themes to 2016's gowns: boho chic and luxe glam. In fact, quite a few ladies even combined the two, which meant miles of jaw-dropping lace and plenty of intricate beading and florals that beg for a closer look.

Exclusive: Eva Longoria Dishes on 'Magical' Wedding Surprises and Always Being Open to Love

Take a look at our 14 favorite wedding gowns from this year:

1. Eva Longoria

It pays to have Victoria Beckham as your Bff! For her May...

Jamie Foxx and Idina Menzel are set to perform at the star-studded Carousel of Hope ball as it spins into its 30th year on Oct. 8, People confirms exclusively. Hosted by Barbara Davis, the biennial event is dedicated to increasing awareness for diabetes, and raising money for clinical care and diabetes research at the Barbara Davis Center. Foxx and the recently engaged Menzel join presenters Denzel Washington, Anjelica Huston, Quincy Jones and Carole Bayer Sager at the Beverly Hills event. The 2016 ball will be a "Celebration of Hollywood," including silent and live auctions (with Sharon Stone as auctioneer), dinner, entertainment and musical performances.

Jamie Foxx and Idina Menzel are set to perform at the star-studded Carousel of Hope ball as it spins into its 30th year on Oct. 8, People confirms exclusively. Hosted by Barbara Davis, the biennial event is dedicated to increasing awareness for diabetes, and raising money for clinical care and diabetes research at the Barbara Davis Center. Foxx and the recently engaged Menzel join presenters Denzel Washington, Anjelica Huston, Quincy Jones and Carole Bayer Sager at the Beverly Hills event. The 2016 ball will be a "Celebration of Hollywood," including silent and live auctions (with Sharon Stone as auctioneer), dinner, entertainment and musical performances.

Over the past week, the Stanford rape case has opened up conversation about sexual assault – and its prosecution and punishment – around the world. Here are the details of the controversial case: The AssaultOn the evening of January 17, 2015, a University of California, Santa Barbara graduate attended a frat party at Stanford University with her younger sister. In a 12-page letter that she read in court, she said she "drank liquor too fast, not factoring in that my tolerance had significantly lowered since college," and also said she blacked out. According to a police incident report obtained by People, deputies responded to...

Over the past week, the Stanford rape case has opened up conversation about sexual assault – and its prosecution and punishment – around the world. Here are the details of the controversial case: The AssaultOn the evening of January 17, 2015, a University of California, Santa Barbara graduate attended a frat party at Stanford University with her younger sister. In a 12-page letter that she read in court, she said she "drank liquor too fast, not factoring in that my tolerance had significantly lowered since college," and also said she blacked out. According to a police incident report obtained by People, deputies responded to...

facebook

twitter

google+

Ed's villainy comes to light as Oswald makes a meal of his step-family...

This review contains spoilers.

2.17 Into The Woods

On this week's Gotham, it was the best of times (for the first half of this episode), it was the worst of times (for the second half of this episode). I am being hyperbolic. All in all, this was a pretty great episode. Unfortunately, the momentum built up in the first half of the episode — and in the larger Ed becomes Riddler plot — was squandered in a too-fast, too-easy wrap-up. Oh well. We'll always have that scene of Ed electrocuting Jim in his apartment...

First, let's talk about what was great in this episode. Like many of the best episodes of Gotham (this one included), Into The Woods did a good job of bringing formerly disparate elements of the plot together by focusing on one urgent element.

Horror films are built on our voyeuristic impulses. Our desire to witness or experience the obscene, the taboo, and the grotesque draws us into films about crazed killers or unseen forces. We don’t just want to be shocked, we want to be vulnerable. The stalking scene is a staple of the genre because it involves us in the filmmaking process by providing us a point of view: usually third person from a victim or first person from a killer. Unlike a chase scene, where both parties are aware of the game, the stalking often involves an oblivious participant. These are the slowest and most methodical scenes. There’s no rush to where we’re going because there is no destination to get to. Once the participant becomes aware, there’s only four options: run, hide, fight, or die.

****

The Birds (1963) – Bird’s eye view

Although not as shocking as Psycho,...

Debbie Reynolds ca. early 1950s. Debbie Reynolds movies: Oscar nominee for 'The Unsinkable Molly Brown,' sweetness and light in phony 'The Singing Nun' Debbie Reynolds is Turner Classic Movies' “Summer Under the Stars” star today, Aug. 23, '15. An MGM contract player from 1950 to 1959, Reynolds' movies can be seen just about every week on TCM. The only premiere on Debbie Reynolds Day is Jerry Paris' lively marital comedy How Sweet It Is (1968), costarring James Garner. This evening, TCM is showing Divorce American Style, The Catered Affair, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and The Singing Nun. 'Divorce American Style,' 'The Catered Affair' Directed by the recently deceased Bud Yorkin, Divorce American Style (1967) is notable for its cast – Reynolds, Dick Van Dyke, Jean Simmons, Jason Robards, Van Johnson, Lee Grant – and for the fact that it earned Norman Lear (screenplay) and Robert Kaufman (story) a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award nomination.

Ron Moody as Fagin in 'Oliver!' based on Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist.' Ron Moody as Fagin in Dickens musical 'Oliver!': Box office and critical hit (See previous post: "Ron Moody: 'Oliver!' Actor, Academy Award Nominee Dead at 91.") Although British made, Oliver! turned out to be an elephantine release along the lines of – exclamation point or no – Gypsy, Star!, Hello Dolly!, and other Hollywood mega-musicals from the mid'-50s to the early '70s.[1] But however bloated and conventional the final result, and a cast whose best-known name was that of director Carol Reed's nephew, Oliver Reed, Oliver! found countless fans.[2] The mostly British production became a huge financial and critical success in the U.S. at a time when star-studded mega-musicals had become perilous – at times downright disastrous – ventures.[3] Upon the American release of Oliver! in Dec. 1968, frequently acerbic The...

Sony Pictures has confirmed that starting at 10am Pacific time today, you will be able to rent James Franco and Seth Rogen's comedy The Interview on YouTube, Google Play, and Xbox for only $5.99. You will also have the option to buy it for $14.99 which is pretty much the cost of admission for seeing a movie here in Los Angeles. There's also an official website that has been set up for anyone who may not have access to those services. There have been talks of the film being made available on Netflix in the next few days as well, but there's no confirmation of that yet. It's good to see that Sony didn't let the hackers win. Enjoy the movie! Hopefully it was worth all the insanity.

If you would rather watch the movie in theaters, below you'll find a full list of where the movie will be playing on...

Update: According to CNN's Brian Stelter and confirmed by Sony (via Huffington Post), audiences choosing to stay home over the holiday will be able to rent ($6) or buy ($15) the film from various online streaming outlets starting at 1:00 Pm Et today, as in December 24, via SeeTheInterview.com.

Sony Confirms: "The Interview" will be available for rental through YouTube, Google Play, Microsoft's Xbox Video, etc. Today. At 1pm Et.

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 24, 2014 The original post follows... In the wake of controversy and fallout, which culminated in scrapping the Christmas Day release of its high profile Seth Rogen and James Franco comedy The Interview, Sony announced its revised release plans for the film yesterday. As a Christmas gift of sorts to fans clamoring to see the controversial film, Sony is releasing The Interview into some 300 theaters starting tomorrow morning. In addition, CNN Money reports Google will stream the film as an...

Refresh for latest… Here’s a list of theaters confirmed to be showing Sony’s The Interview on Christmas Day after the studio worked with indie chains on a release plan finalized this morning. The venues have a deadline of 6 Pm Pt today to decide whether to run the movie on December 25, as Sony must send theaters the movie hard drives in time to make Christmas Day screenings. Some theaters are booking the film for later in the month or into January, so that deadline isn’t looming as large. As of 4 Pm, more than 200 theaters had signed on.

This is all happening fast so this list will continue to grow. We’re hearing that there are still internal discussions among art houses about whether to add the pic to their schedules, with security and previous commitments among the concerns. Some of the theaters had planned to be dark on Christmas Day,...

After Sony announced Tuesday that it would reverse its decision to cancel the Christmas Day release of "The Interview," dozens of independent theaters across the country made plans to show the flick.

Various media outlets have been reporting the locations that are said to be screening the film, and we're compiling them here. Below is the list so far, which we'll update as more information rolls in.

All locations are showing the movie beginning December 25, unless otherwise noted.

Where To See "The Interview" (via the movie's Facebook page):

Al Andalusia - Clark Theatre 3

Al Birmingham - Edge 12

Al Boaz - Boaz Cinema 9

Al Enterprise - Clark Cinema 1 & 2

Al Fort Payne - Fort Payne Cinemas 6

Al Greenville - Edge Cinema 8

Al Huntsville - Madison Square Stadium 8

Al Troy - Continental Cinema 6

Ar Cabot - Silver Screen Cinemas 8

Ar El Dorado - Stars Cinema 6

Ar Hot Springs - Behind The Mall...

Kat Dennings and Josh Groban are dating, E! News can exclusively confirm. The 2 Broke Girls actress, 28, an the "Brave" singer, 33, made their first official outing as a couple at the Carousel of Hope Ball in Beverly Hills Saturday. "They were so cute together!" a source says of the stars. "They were adorable on the carpet. She was whispering in his ear a lot and they seemed really happy." Groban performed three songs at the annual benefit. Dennings later Instagramed a picture of herself getting cozy with her new boyfriend on the red carpet, writing, "I ship it." That same night, Groban told his Twitter followers, "Lovely night all around. Always happy to support Barbara...

Warner Archive, the really cool digital library for Warner Bros and its vast array of titles, has a series of new DVD releases coming this fall for the discerning comic book fan and the lover of old school television fare.

Pre-orders are now open for Warner Archive Collection’s Blu-ray™ release of Beware The Batman: Dark Justice. Featuring the final 13 episodes of the groundbreaking, all-new CGI series’ first season, the single-disc Blu-ray™ will be released on September 30. Beware The Batman: Dark Justice pits Batman, Alfred and swordstress Katana against the underworld likes of Anarky, Professor Pyg, Mister Toad and Magpie. Over the final 13 episodes, the rogues gallery expands with appearances by Killer Croc, Man-Bat, Deathstroke and more. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, this action-packed detective thriller deftly redefines what we have come to know as a ‘Batman show.”

Here’s a glance at other animated offerings now available...

This evening’s Oscar ceremony is now over, and with the dust settling on the biggest awards ceremony of the entire year, and the winners and losers celebrating and commiserating together, we’ve put together a full list of the winners (as well as the beaten nominees) for this year’s awards.

Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain nailed the red carpet, apparently, and Sandra Bullock did wonderful things with a diamond hair-clip, while Bradley Cooper and Chris Pine both proved that beards are very much the hot thing right now. But the big events were yet to happen inside the La venue, as the audience sat ready to receive host Seth MacFarlane, and his inevitably cutting humour.

For the most part, MacFarlane was reserved, though a few barbs did land before the end of the night. He played his part also in the excellent musical staging throughout the ceremony, whose highlights featured Shirley Bassey,...

Ahc kindly offered a pass to Film Comment Magazine which in turn kindly offered it to me to attend and do a story on this years Ahc. It is also now posted on the Film Comment Website....

There are over 200 theaters in the United States that are independently owned and operated and generally screen nothing but what would be labeled “art-house” films. These theaters have existed in one form or another since at least the 1920s, and back then were sometimes called “little cinemas.” After World War II, they became more popular and for a while were glibly referred to as “sure-seaters,” a term credited to writer Stanley Frank in a 1952 issue of Nation’s Business (and used by scholar Barbara Wilinsky as the title of her excellent book on art-house cinema).

A more accurate moniker, overheard at this year’s 6th annual Art House Convergence (Ahc), might be the People’s Republic of Cinema. From January 14 to 17, the Convergence was held as usual in Midway, Utah, just a short distance from Park City, allowing attendees to head to Sundance immediately afterward. The latest edition drew nearly 350 participants including many representatives, owners, and operators of venues that specialize in screening many of the titles written about in Film Comment. Also present were many of the smaller distributors such as Magnolia Pictures, Janus Films, and Oscilloscope Laboratories who supply the films that help keep theaters in business. A fair amount of vendors, almost all of whom were in the business of digital projection, were on hand. This year Ahc became an international event, with a panel that discussed the challenges for art-house theaters in other countries including Britain, South Korea, and Canada.

Ahc began in 2006, after the Sundance Institute contacted 14 art-house theater operators to meet as part of a celebration for the 25th Sundance Film Festival, for a discussion about the needs and operations of their theaters. Twelve of those theaters participated, said Russ Collins, the Art House Convergence chairperson, and executive director of the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

“The Sundance staff suggested the idea, which at that time was actually only a meeting before the festival,” Collins recalled. “Each theater received two film festival passes and we had a single meeting at the Peery Hotel in Salt Lake City.”

Sundance staffers such as current Sundance director John Cooper attended the meeting as did former Sundance executive director Jill Miller.

Over the next year, most of those involved in the meeting stayed in touch and were joined by Connie White, currently the film buyer for Balcony Booking, who became active in planning future conferences. Most importantly, the Sundance staffers were pleased with how the gathering went and scheduled another for 2007. Building on the success, a larger more structured event spanning several days took place the next two years, growing from 25 participants in 2008 to 75 in 2009.

“We outgrew the Peery, and it was decided that the meeting needed to be more formalized. There was also a huge outdoor expo in Salt Lake during that same time frame, and that is when we moved to Midway,” Collins said.

For the 2010 edition, Amy Beth Leber of the Salt Lake City Film Society, which was one of Ahc’s original 12 participants, was able to make arrangements with the Homestead Resort, about 40 miles from Salt Lake, but very close to Park City. Homestead had a homey campus feeling that added to the event’s atmosphere. The new locale also added to the attendance, which went to 125 from 75. This year, Ahc’s ranks swelled to nearly 350.

“Ahc is run entirely by volunteers from many of the original 12 venues, including the Coolidge Corner Theater [in Brookline, Massachusetts], Jacob Burns Film Center [Pleasantville, New York], the Belcourt [Nashville], Gary Meyers of the Telluride Film Festival, and others. With the growth, we have picked up a number of sponsors and Sony was very helpful this year, but we need to make sure that it stays a conference and does not become a trade show,” Collins said.

One of the highlights of Ahc the last several years has been the benchmark survey compiled by the Bryn Mawr Film Institute and presented by its executive director, Juliet Goodfriend. Using data compiled from 87 participants, Goodfriend reported the following this year:

-- 60% of the theaters are in urban areas

-- 90% are independent, 78% are non-profits

-- 87% of the patrons are non-student adults, with 35% of that number over age 65

-- A total of $73 million in revenue was generated, with 51% from box office receipts

-- Most venues were at least slightly profitable or broke even, but 25% ran a deficit

It was also noted that only about a third of the survey participants were using digital projection. Most ranked Facebook as one of the most effective ways of using media, but print advertising, mostly newspapers, was still quite popular, ranking behind weekly email blasts and website announcements and ahead of printed calendars or guides.

Over the course of two-and-a-half days of seminars and panels this year, the convergence covered a range of topics. Panels addressed the ever encroaching need for digital equipment and funding, as well as “Race and Diversity in the Art House” (which challenged programmers to book more films made by African American directors). A series of round-table discussions during a lunch break covered a number of other subjects such as getting better results from the use of social media, working with volunteers, and microcinemas.

A discussion about midnight programming yielded reports of promotional events such as human bowling prior to screenings of The Big Lebowski, a veal-testicle-eating contest in conjunction with screenings of Cannibal Holocaust, and “Midnight at Noon,” Saturday afternoon matinees of midnight movies, in venues with older patrons who might not be night owls.

The topic of microcinemas reflected an apparent trend, with a number of theaters popping up in a variety of places such as the Phoenix’s Film Bar and the Trylon in Minneapolis. Microcinemas might be described as small screening spaces that strive to provide intimate and contextual showings of films, from classics to new releases to the avant-garde. Several future owner-operators of micros were at Ahc, hailing from Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Richmond, Virginia; and Bend, Oregon.

Attendance at this convergence and the others has never been confined to larger big-city operations. Representatives from theaters in at least 25 states and Washington D.C. were on hand, ranging in size from part-time art center or university film series programs to multi-screen metro operations.

Rose Ann Hernandez, a board member and treasurer of a film society that operates a single screen, non-profit, all volunteer venue based in Mesilla, New Mexico, was among the first-timers who would like to come back. Hernandez, who has been involved with the film society for over 20 years, attended for several reasons.

“I went with the intention of meeting other like-minded people and picking their brains about what they've done, doing or thinking about doing. I was particularly interested in what others were doing in fundraising and marketing. I also wanted to meet the distributors to match names with faces,” she explained.

“I got a lot of information; I'm sifting through it to see what we can implement now and later. The individual conversations were energizing. It felt so good to meet others who work as hard as I do for something we both love and are passionate about.”

Patrick Schweiss, the executive director of the Sedona Film Festival and the Mary D. Fisher Theater, both in Arizona, was attending for the second time. He found out about the event in 2012 from a distributor.

“I learned so much last year that I chose to attend the 2013 Ahc rather than going to as many film festivals,” Schweiss said. “My staff really encouraged me to go, especially after attending last year, even though our festival starts in just a few weeks.”

Needless to say, the event is not all work. A lot of socializing and some deal-making do take place, and there are screenings and entertainment each evening after dinner. The 2011 Ahc featured filmmaker Michael Moore as a special speaker, and this year Robert Redford gave a brief talk about the importance of art-house theaters. There was also a special advance screening of one of the films that played at Sundance, Upstream Color, directed by Shane Carruth, whose 2004 film, Primer, won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize that year. Crispin Hellion Glover presented his Big Slide Show (“a one hour dramatic narration of eight different profusely illustrated books he has made over the years”), followed by screenings of several of his short films and a Q&A.

Sony Pictures Repertory screened their newly restored version of Investigation of a Citizen above Suspicion on the final night. It served as a preview of 4K digital restorations including On the Waterfront, Lawrence of Arabia, and Groundhog Day (the last of which will be screened “back to back” next month at the Seattle International Film Festival Cinema, according to programmer Clinton McClung).

Above all, it was proven again this year that the art-house world has something going for it that multiplexes will never have: community. As noted in the Ahc program guide this year, “art house theaters will remain alive and well and be especially vital if operated and supported as a community-based cultural institution.”...

By now most SCOREcast readers will be familiar with CineBrass. Like the recently released CineWinds, It was famously recorded at the prestigious Barbara Streisand Scoring Stage at Sony, home of a thousand blockbuster scores, and also for using union, named players. Initially the library was released with just 12 lean, mean, highly configurable patches as a result of a day’s recording session which covered the essentials, then a Pro expansion was released several months later. This second product was the result of 2 days sessions, and greatly expanded both the depth and range of instruments.

CineBrass Core (the renamed original library) quickly established a reputation for a killer out of the box sound like no other commercial brass library. The right players in the right space with the right recording engineers gave that instant hit, from the plaintive solo horn to the euphoric trumpet ensemble, this was truly a “familiar” sound,...

People who attend the Telluride Film Festival for the first time are overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of this historic Colorado town. Filmmakers are impressed by the friendly reception they receive from the worldwide gathering of movie lovers. My family and I love our annual trip to the Rockies and feel fortunate to attend. The jam-packed schedule over Labor Day weekend is an embarrassment of riches. The lineup ranges from rare silent films (The Marvelous Life of Joan of Arc) to cutting-edge cinema from all corners of the globe (Amour from France, The Hunt from Denmark, Wadja from Saudi Arabia, Barbara from Germany, Midnight’s Children from Canada and Sri Lanka, Ginger and Rosa from...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]...

Detour into a Dissolve

A frame from between posts 120 and 121.

By the 1830s, he [Henry Langdon Childe] had developed and perfected the [magic lantern] technique of ‘dissolving views,’ in which one picture faded out as the next one faded in. The images were aligned on the screen and the light remained a constant intensity, creating a smooth, gradual transition. This permitted a wide variety of effects that had not previously been possible. (From The Emergence of Cinema, by Charles Musser, University of California Press, 1990.)

A dissolve is the superimposition of a fade-out onto a fade-in, achieved by reversing and them re-filming using film that has already been used once. [George] Méliès first used this technique, which originated in magic lantern displays, in the late 1899 Cendrillon (Cinderella), and then frequently thereafter to link scenes in multiple-shot films. From the beginning, the dissolve was usually not used for trick effect, but rather to create a smooth transition from...

In this Q&A, director Steven Spielberg discusses his latest film War Horse.

Steven Spielberg is one of the movie industry’s most successful and influential filmmakers, as well as a principal partner of DreamWorks Studios. He is the top-grossing director of all time, having helmed blockbusters including Jaws, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones franchise and Jurassic Park.

For his most recent project, the three-time Academy Award winner traveled to England to shoot the wartime movie, War Horse, based on the novel and Broadway play about a horse on an odyssey during World War I. The distinguished director recently discussed the film and revealed what attracted him to the epic project.

Q: It’s very rare that a project is successful as a novel, as a play and as a movie – but War Horse is all three. Why do you think the story is so versatile?

Spielberg: The bones...

Associated Press Hugh Jackman at the curtain call for opening night of “Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway.”

Last night was opening night for Hugh Jackman and his one-man, Vegas-style show on Broadway. The show, a revue of songs from formative times in his life, comes to Broadway after sold-out runs in San Francisco and Toronto, and Jackman has been making the rounds at late-night talk shows and grinning all over town. The moment the lights went down, the audience was abuzz with energy.

Jean Hagen, Debbie Reynolds, Singin' in the Rain Debbie Reynolds on TCM: The Unsinkable Molly Brown, The Singing Nun Schedule (Et) and synopses from the TCM website: 6:00 Am The Affairs Of Dobie Gillis (1953) A lovesick teenager searches for romance at college. Dir: Don Weis. Cast: Debbie Reynolds, Bobby Van, Barbara Ruick. Bw-73 mins. 7:15 Am I Love Melvin (1953) A photographer's assistant promises to turn a chorus girl into a cover girl. Dir: Don Weis. Cast: Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Una Merkel. C-77 mins. 8:45 Am The Tender Trap (1955) A swinging bachelor finds love when he meets a girl immune to his line. Dir: Charles Walters. Cast: Frank Sinatra, Debbie Reynolds, David Wayne. C-111 mins, Letterbox Format. 10:45 Am Bundle Of Joy (1956) A shop girl is mistaken for the mother of a foundling. Dir: Norman Taurog. Cast: Eddie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, Adolphe Menjou. C-98 mins. 12:30 Pm Tammy And The Bachelor...

The pickings are slim this week when it comes to heavy hitters. In fact, there’s nothing here that’s likely to crack the top 10 other than the “Glee” set from the Warblers. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some tasty treats from the Gorillaz and an 'American Idol' contestant. The Belle Brigade, “The Bell Brigade” (Reprise): Siblings Barbara and Ethan Gruska wear their love for such melodic superstars of the ’60 and ’70 like Fleetwood Mac and Simon & Garfunkel on their musical sleeves. Their granddad is legendary composer John Williams so they’re drawing from a great gene pool. Kimberly Caldwell,...

On Saturday, October 23, host Barbara Davis welcomed guests to the Beverly Hilton for the 32nd Anniversary Carousel of Hope Ball.

The celebrity charity event, founded by Barbara and the late Marvin Davis in 1977, brought together Hollywood’s elite as they raised nearly $2.5 million to benefit the clinical care and research at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes (Bdc) where more than 5,000 children and young adults receive specialized care.

Celebrity guests as this year’s event included host Barbara Davis, emcee Jay Leno, honorees Maria Shriver and Quincy Jones, performers Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony, Gladys Knight and Akon, along with guests Garcelle Beauvais, Halle Berry, Thora Birch, Brandy, Adrien Brody, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Jackie Collins, Joan Collins, Jane Fonda, Daisy Fuentes, Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson, Nicky Hilton, Paris Hilton, Rick & Kathy Hilton, Anjelica Huston, Randy Jackson, Don Johnson, Nigel Lythgoe, Chris Massey, Kyle Massey, Nancy O'Dell, Sidney Poitier, Don Rickles, Mimi Rogers,...

The Mercedes-Benz 32nd Anniversary Carousel of Hope Gala benefiting the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes brought out all the stars in La last night, including the always feisty Joan Collins in St. John. We chatted with Collins, who said she "firmly" backed her friend Barbara's fundraiser, to see if she firmly backed those comments the other week when she called Jennifer Aniston "cute" but no Angelina Jolie in Hello Magazine. Any regrets, Joan? "Oh, well, no," Collins said rather casually in her sparkly St. John number. "The bottom line is I talked about several actresses," Joan 'fessed saying Aniston and Jolie weren't the only comparisons about...

Alyson Hannigan believes that if David Legrant hadn't become an acting teacher, he could have had a great career writing bumper stickers. "David has these great sayings," enthuses the "How I Met Your Mother" star, who began studying with Legrant when she was 20. "I wish I'd written them down because they were so clever and they help me every time I think of them." Legrant has a knack for distilling his years' worth of knowledge into memorable phrases—one of Hannigan's favorites is "If you're going to paint a picture, are you going to paint it with your own eye or someone's else's?"—that encourage actors to take charge. Fortunately for actors such as Hannigan, Tobey Maguire, Danny Glover, Bernadette Peters, and Steve Martin, Legrant opted out of the bumper-sticker business and stuck with his passion: teaching generations of actors the craft he knows and loves. "Acting can be difficult,...

On tonight’s Big Brother highlight’s show……

10:24am

Last night Bob Righter let the housemates know that Davina McCaw will be revealing some of the housemates quotes from throughout their stay in the house. Keeley is in the Living Room when Davina McCaw whistles at her.

Andrew, Ife and Ben are in the Bathroom. Andrew is in the shower. Ben asks him if he “is loving” the hot water and tells him he might join him. Andrew replies that he will be getting out pretty soon.

Some of the housemates are in the Living Room when Davina McCaw says, “A word that comes to mind about her is rough”. Housemates correctly guess that this is something Caoimhe said (about Corin) and she puts her gold coin into Bob Righter. As a prize Caoimhe wins some cigarettes.

10:50am

Caoimhe and Ife are at the Carousel discussing the comment Caoimhe made about Corin.

The following is a list of Los Angeles-area stage and film acting schools, teachers, and coaches organized by category and alphabetically.Each of the entries contains the following information, if applicable: name of teacher or school; address; phone and fax numbers; email address and/or website; average number of students per class; whether beginning, intermediate, or advanced students are taught; whether auditing is permitted; whether a work/study program is offered. Descriptions of the class, school, or coaching are provided by the instructor of institution and edited by Back Stage.Schools of teacher who have been omitted may contact, in writing, Listing, c/o Back Stage, 5055 Wilshire Blvd., 6th floor, Los Angeles, CA 90036, so that we may include you in our next list.  Acting Technique/Scene StudyAARON McPherson STUDIOWest Hollywood, CA aaron@aaronmcphersonstudio.comwww.aaronmcphersonstudio.com310-918-5335Class size varies, 12 max. for auditioning class, 40 max. for scene study; day...

Jenna and Barbara Bush, the daughters of former President George W. Bush, are reaching out to Malia and Sasha Obama in an open letter, where they offer advice and share their insight on being kids in the White House. In an open letter posted in The Wall Street Journal entitled "Playing House in the White House," Jenna and Barbara Bush offer the following advice: "Surround yourself with loyal friends. They'll protect and calm you and join in on some of the fun, and appreciate the history." The Bush twins go on to write: "Slide down the banister of the solarium, go to T-ball games, have swimming parties, and play Sardines on the White House lawn. Have fun and enjoy your childhood in such a magical place to live and play. "When your dad throws out the first pitch for the Yankees, go to the game. "In fact, go to anything...

In keeping with tradition, President Bush left President Barack Obama a note in the White House – and now his daughters have offered their own advice, in the form of an open letter, to Sasha, 7, and Malia Obama, 10. Published in the Wall Street Journal Tuesday as Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, Barbara and Jenna Bush reflect on their formative experiences in the White House – beginning as granddaughters to President George H.W. Bush. "We also first saw the White House through the innocent, optimistic eyes of children," they write, acknowledging their then-7-year-old-perspective. From that point of view,...

Mel Ferrer, whose career as a performer, director, producer and writer spanned six decades, has died at age 90.

Ferrer died Monday at his ranch near Santa Barbara, family spokesman Mike Mena said.

"It's a sad occasion, but he did live a long and productive life," Mena said Tuesday.

He appeared in more than 100 films and made-for-television movies, directed nine films and produced nine more.

Ferrer's most impressive film role came in 1953 in "Lili." He played a disabled carnival puppeteer with whom a French orphan (played by Leslie Caron) falls in love.

On the big screen, Ferrer was most recognizable for his performance as Prince Andrei in "War and Peace" in 1956 with Audrey Hepburn and Henry Fonda. He was paid the then princely sum of $100,000. He appeared in "The Sun Also Rises" alongside Ava Gardner, Tyrone Power and Errol Flynn.

Ferrer was often cast in big pictures during the late '...