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Born in 1920, Walter Matthau was a celebrated performer on both the stage and screen, known for his gruff, rumpled persona. Let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Matthau turned to acting after serving in the United States Army Air Force during WWII. He became a frequent presence on the small screen with appearances in “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “Goodyear Playhouse,” and “The Du Pont Show of the Week” (which brought him an Emmy bid in 1963), to name a few. During this period he also appeared in several films, few of them comedies, including “A Face in the Crowd” (1957) and “Fail Safe” (1964).

At the same time, he gained increasing respect as a stage actor with Tony Award-winning performances in “A Shot in the Dark” (Featured Actor in a Play in 1962) and “The Odd Couple” (Actor in a Play in 1965). It was in the latter role of Oscar Madison,...

USA Network has found its star for their reboot of John Grisham’s The Rainmaker.

Mad Men alum John Slattery will be leading the yet-to-be-announced cast of the drama from Lionsgate Television and Blumhouse Television that counts Grisham, along with writer Michael Seitzman (Code Black, Intelligence), Jason Richman (Stumptown, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon), David Gernert and Jason Blum as executive producers. Richman and Seitzman co-wrote the pilot.

Slattery will play Leo F. Drummond, one of Grisham’s most iconic characters, a legendary lion of the courtroom and senior partner at Tinley Britt, the powerful firm that Rainmaker protagonist Rudy Baylor is up against.

The logline reads: “Fresh out of law school, Rudy Baylor goes head-to-head with courtroom lion Leo Drummond (Slettery) as well as his law school girlfriend. Rudy, along with his boss and her disheveled paralegal, uncover two connected conspiracies surrounding the mysterious death of their client’s son.

This week sees the release of Twisters, the second entry in the Twister saga that no one really wanted or needed. I mean, the first movie came out so long ago that audiences were positively blown away at the sight of a CGI cow flying through the air, as if it were something from Avatar or a train pulling into a train station.

While the co-writer of Twister, the late Michael Crichton, may have gone to great lengths to create the plot lines for novels like Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain and The Great Train Robbery, for the tornado-based blockbuster he admitted that he borrowed heavily from a TV documentary and a classic screwball comedy.

Reportedly, Crichton became “fascinated” with tornadoes after seeing them discussed in an episode of Nova, the long-running PBS science show. But while he and his wife Anne-Marie Martin, who co-wrote Twister, discussed the possibility of...

Holland Taylor and Ana Villafañe will star in the Off Broadway world premiere of Mario Correa’s new play N/A this summer, playing congresswomen of different generations in a production directed by Tony winner Diane Paulus.

Taylor will play “N,” the first woman Speaker of the House, and Villafañe will portray “A,” the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. The play is described as being inspired by real people and events, and although producers did not name names the descriptions more-than-strongly suggest Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

N/A will begin previews on Tuesday, June 11, at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center, with opening night on Sunday, June 23.

The official synopsis reads, “N/A is a whip smart battle of wills – and wits – between N, the first woman Speaker of the House, and A, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Inspired by real people and events,...

Directors Jack O’Brien and George C. Wolfe will each receive a 2024 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.

Wolfe is a five-time Tony-Award winning director, helming shows including Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk, and has worked as a writer, a producer and artistic director of The Public Theater from 1993 to 2005. O’Brien is a three-time Tony Award-winning director for Hairspray, Henry IV and The Coast of Utopia, among many other credits on Broadway, including last season’s Shucked, All My Sons, Carousel, The Front Page, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Porgy and Bess. He led the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego from 1981 to 2007 and has also directed projects in London and Off-Broadway.

In addition to his work in the theater, which includes writing the score to and directing the musical Jelly’s Last Jam and directing...

Tony-winning directors George C. Wolfe and Jack O’Brien will each receive the 2024 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre next month, Tony administrators announced today.

“Honoring these two gentlemen for their outstanding achievements and contributions to theatre is not only a recognition of their innate talent and dedication but to a lifetime of brilliant work,” said Jason Laks, interim president of The Broadway League.

“With credits such as Hairspray and The Invention of Love, Jack O’Brien has showcased astounding diversity, skill and passion throughout his esteemed career,” Laks said “In his role as Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theatre for 25 years, he also leaves a lasting legacy of strengthening the relationship between the commercial and nonprofit worlds.”

Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing, said Wolfe’s “stellar contributions as a playwright, director, producer and artistic director, including his unforgettable direction in...

Ian Gelder, the British actor who played Kevan Lannister on HBO’s Game of Thrones and the villain Zellin on Doctor Who, has died. He was 74.

“It is with huge huge sadness and a heavy heart broken into a million pieces that I’m leaving this post to announce the passing of my darling husband and life partner Ian Gelder,” the actor Ben Daniels announced on Instagram. Daniels revealed that Gelder had been diagnosed with bile duct cancer five months ago and that “neither of us had any idea that it would all be so fast.”

“He was my absolute rock and we’d been partners for more than 30 years. If we weren’t together we spoke to each other everyday,” Daniels wrote. “He was the kindest, most generous spirited and loving human being. He was a wonderful wonderful actor, and everyone who worked with him was touched by his heart and light.

Ian Gelder, a British actor known for his role as Kevan Lannister in “Game of Thrones,” died Monday of complications from bile duct cancer. He was 74.

Gelder’s partner, Ben Daniels, confirmed his death in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

“It is with huge huge sadness and a heavy heart broken into a million pieces that I’m leaving this post to announce the passing of my darling husband and life partner Ian Gelder,” Daniels wrote. “Ian was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in December and yesterday he passed at 13.07. I’d stopped all work to be his carer but neither of us had any idea that it would all be so fast.”

Gelder played the younger brother of Lord Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance) in 12 episodes of the HBO series “Game of Thrones.” He appeared in multiple television series, including “Doctor Who,” “Snatch,” “Fifteen-Love,” “Casualty,” “Father Brown,” “The Bill,” “Edward the King,...

Ian Gelder, known for his roles in Game of Thrones and Torchwood, has died at the age of 74 after battling cancer, his husband and fellow actor Ben Daniels confirmed.

Gelder’s passing was announced, leaving fans and colleagues mourning the loss of the veteran actor.

Per The Sun, Daniels confirmed that his cause of death was due to complications from bile cancer.

Gelder is renowned for his portrayal of Kevan Lannister in the acclaimed series Game of Thrones, the younger brother of Tywin Lannister, played by Charles Dance.

The British actor enjoyed a prolific career spanning five decades in both stage and television.

His husband, Ben Daniels, shared the heartbreaking news of Gelder’s death on social media.

Ben Daniels leads tributes for Ian Gelder

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ben (@bendanielsss)

In a poignant statement, Daniels expressed his profound grief, describing Gelder as his “darling...

Fallout is the most exciting Amazon Original dropping this month. From Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, this long-awaited adaptation of the popular video game franchise looks incredible, and is bound to be a hit among video game fans and newcomers alike. The series stars Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets), Walton Goggins (The Righteous Gemstones), and Aaron Clifton Moten (Disjointed).

Prime Video doesn’t have much else in the way of original offerings this month, aside from the return of Alex Rider on Freevee a few other films and TV series, but there are plenty of popular films joining the streaming service’s library. Cloverfield, Batman & Robin, Titanic, and The Notebook are just a few of the notable movies coming to Prime this month.

Here’s everything coming to Prime Video and Freevee in April – Amazon originals are designated with an asterisk.

New on Amazon Prime Video – April 2024 April 1 Blaze...

One of New Zealand’s leading daily news podcasts, The Front Page, has appointed former Newstalk Zb news director, Chelsea Daniels, as its new host and producer, New Zealand Media and Entertainment (Nzme) announced today.

The Front Page is the New Zealand Herald’s daily news podcast, delivering insightful analysis on the most significant news stories each weekday. Daniels brings many years of broadcasting experience, having covered some of the country’s most significant news stories over the past decade. She started her broadcasting career at CTV in Christchurch, later moving to senior reporter and news director roles for Newstalk Zb in Auckland.

Murray Kirkness, Nzme Chief Content Officer, says: "The Front Page has established itself as one of New Zealand's leading news podcasts, and Chelsea will do a fantastic job as its new host. She brings a wealth of experience as a senior reporter and news director, coupled with her warm,...

Pictures: Universal Pictures

Netflix kickstarted the year as normal by rotating its library of movies. Among the movies that came to Netflix on December 31st and January 1st were 15 movies from the 1970s considered classics. Here’s a rundown of all those movies that dropped.

The movies seem to come to Netflix through a range of different distributors, including Paramount and Universal Pictures. It comes as Netflix has seemingly been getting greater access to some of the biggest Hollywood studios’ back library of IPs as of late. We’ve seen almost all providers step up their licensing to Netflix in various forms, whether that be through licensing newer movies, older movies like the ones below, or titles from their vast TV catalog.

In alphabetical order, then, here’s a rundown of all the new movies that recently touched down that were first released in the 1970s. Descriptions of each movie...

Today, Jan. 1, isn’t just New Year’s Day — it’s also Public Domain Day, where thousands of cinematic treasures, literary classics, Great American Songbook selections, and works of art see their copyrights expire and enter the public domain.

The headliner this year is the fair use of Mickey Mouse — at least, the Steamboat Willie version of the beloved character — as that copyright expiration has been anticipated for years. However, there’s much more than just Mickey entering the public domain in 2024.

Jennifer Jenkins, Director of Duke’s Center for...

Since its debut on CBS on September 11, 1967, there was something distinctively special about "The Carol Burnett Show." This sketch comedy series spanned 279 episodes during its initial run, featuring acclaimed performances and comedic skits that were witty, sharp, and heavy on detail. Every actor who was a part of the show slipped into the shoes of a variety of characters that still remain memorable, including Carol Burnett's Charwoman (her signature role), and her parody of silent-film actress Nora Desmond. Some sketches were parodies of classic films such as "Gone With The Wind" or "Sunset Boulevard," while others mimicked soap opera structures or commercial spoofs.

By 1977, the popularity of the show had spiked, leading to some of the outstanding sketches being re-edited into standalone programs compiled in "Carol Burnett and Friends," which mashed the best skits into half-hour episodes. While the show relied on guest stars such as Jim Nabors and...

John Goodman has been sporting a svelter physique in recent years, noticeably slimmer than he was in his “Roseanne” days.

While Goodman began his weight loss journey in 2007, he’s maintained that loss over the past few years — as seen on recent seasons of “The Connors” and his HBO comedy “The Righteous Gemstones”.

However, the actor appeared to have lost even more when he stepped out on the red carpet at the 2023 Monte Carlo TV Festival.

Read More: John Goodman Admits His ‘SNL’ Audition Was ‘The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Done’

Goodman discussed his weight during a recent interview with Rolling Stone.

Along with watching what he eats and quitting drinking, Goodman has also embraced exercise. However, he admits he’s been slacking off.

These days, he said, exercise mainly involves “just getting out and walking the dogs. I was boxing up until then [when he appeared in “The Front Page” on Broadway...

This article contains spoilers for the "Barry" series finale.

Hollywood and the truth aren't on speaking terms; it's a business founded on make-believe, after all. That's why it's the perfect setting for "Barry." I've written before that the series questions whether people can truly change, and its answer is that most settle for just pretending to be somebody else. Reckoning with the truth can be hard, and the series' epilogue shows how yet another comforting lie won out over reality.

The last scene of the series is John Berkman (Jaeden Martell), the teenage son of Barry (Bill Hader) and Sally (Sarah Goldberg), watching "The Mask Collector" — a highly inaccurate, sensationalized version of his father's life and how it intertwined with the life of acting teacher Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler). "Barry" has always had a satirical outlook on the entertainment industry, and "The Mask Collector" — an overt critique of the true-crime...

Some noteworthy new releases, a bevy of library titles and the complete series of “Freaks and Geeks” are among the new additions to Amazon Prime Video this month. May will see the streaming availability of the 2022 films “She Said,” “Violent Night” and “Till” on Prime Video, while the beloved (and short-lived) TV series “Freaks and Geeks” will be streaming on Amazon starting May 4.

We’ve also included everything new to Freevee, which includes the first three “John Wick” movies, “Scarface” and “The Usual Suspects.”

Check out the complete list of everything new on Amazon Prime Video in May 2023 below.

Also Read:

The 41 Best Movies on Amazon Prime (April 2023)

Arriving May 1

MasterChef Mexico S1-4 (2015)

A Beautiful Mind (2002)

Amistad (1997)

Babe (1995)

Babe: Pig In The City (1998)

Babel (2006)

Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996)

Biker Boyz (2003)

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

Blue Crush (2002)

Blue Crush 2 (2011)

Bound (1996)

Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason (2004)

Bridget Jones’s Baby...

With its list of new releases for May 2023, Amazon Prime Video is increasing its global reach.

The streamer’s biggest original offering this month is a German series. Hohlbeins’ – The Gryphon, based on the works of Wolfgang Holhlbein, will present a sprawling fantasy tale about three teens discovering a fantastical world called The Black Tower where “the Gryphon, a world-devouring monster, mercilessly subjugates all living creatures.”

The only other original title of note in May is Freevee comedy Primo on the 19th. Written by author and journalist Shea Serrano and produced by Michael Schur (The Good Place), this coming-of-age series will follow a teenager balancing “college aspirations, societal expectations, and a hectic home life on the south side of San Antonio.”

And that’s pretty much it for Amazon Originals this month! Thankfully, there is a huge influx of library content to keep Prime Video subscribers entertained. May 4 sees the...

As it celebrates its first birthday today, The Front Page - Nz Herald’s marquee daily news podcast – is also celebrating a significant milestone in reaching 1 million podcast downloads and taking out the fourth top spot in the latest Nz Triton Podcast Ranker*.

Reaching more than 88,000 listeners in February alone, The Front Page delivers analysis on the biggest news stories each weekday at 5am, setting listeners up with the insights they need to know for their day ahead.

New Zealand Media and Entertainment (Nzme) Acting Managing Editor Murray Kirkness says The Front Page has successfully positioned itself as the country’s top podcast destination for daily, digestible, and trustworthy news content.

“Podcasting is one of the fastest growing digital media platforms in the world and the Nz Herald and The Front Page have been proud to play a huge part in New Zealand’s podcast industry expansion. The Front Page...

Donald Petrie's "Grumpy Old Men" was released in theaters on Christmas Day in 1993, serving as that year's "take your parents to see it" film. Prior to "Grumpy Old Men," the film's two stars, Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, had appeared in five films together, including "The Fortune Cookie," Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple," "Kotch," "The Front Page," and "Buddy Buddy." The two were so well known for their chemistry, they were often considered one of comedy's great, prevailing duos. To this day, they are often mentioned together, and the two are buried not too far apart in the same cemetery in Westwood, CA.

While Lemmon and Matthau worked together regularly throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, there was a notable gap in their shared résumé. From 1981 until 1993, the pair did not work in tandem — even though they both appeared in Oliver Stone's 1991 film, "JFK," they had no scenes together.

Growing up in Philadelphia, I've experienced my fair share of harsh winters. The blizzard of 1996 stands out, but there were a number of other rough years for a while too. Although, when I moved to Chicago a few years ago, I experienced a whole new level of frigid chills. It got even worse when a polar vortex delivered such sub-zero temperatures and precipitation that people were advised not to leave their houses since even the slightest bit of exposed skin could get frostbite within minutes. Seriously, despite this year being relatively tame in comparison, midwestern winters are no joke. And someone else who knew this was Walter Matthau.

By the mid-1990s, the award-winning star of the stage and screen had quite an illustrious career. He had become known for his roles in "Bad News Bears," "King Creole," and "Hello, Dolly!," but fans probably remembered him best from his many...

Showrunner Eric Kripke joins podcast hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss a few of his favorite films.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings

Piranha (1978) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

My Octopus Teacher (2020)

The Evil Dead (1983) – Fede Alvarez’s trailer commentary

Evil Dead II (1987) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary, Alex Kirschenbaum’s review

Meet The Feebles (1989) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary

Dead Alive a.k.a. Braindead (1992) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary

Bad Taste (1987) – Ti West’s trailer commentary

Infested (2002)

Super (2010)

Forrest Gump (1994)

The Hidden (1987) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

Uhf (1989)

Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid (1986)

The Dead Pit (1989)

Batgirl (2022) – Unreleased film

The Fantastic Four (1994) – Unreleased film...

Robert Morse, the impish actor and singer who found early fame and success as the Tony Award-winning star of Broadway’s How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and enjoyed a late-career second act as an eccentric elder statesman of advertising in AMC’s Mad Men, died yesterday. He was 90.

His death was confirmed by son Charlie to Los Angeles’ ABC affiliate Wednesday night, and was announced on Twitter this morning by Larry Karaszewski, a writer, producer and VP on the board of governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

“My good pal Bobby Morse has passed away at age 90,” Karaszewski wrote. “A huge talent and a beautiful spirit. Sending love to his son Charlie & daughter Allyn. Had so much fun hanging with Bobby over the years – filming People v Oj & hosting so many screenings.”

Additional information on...

The 2021-2022 Broadway season has been quite a busy one for actor Brandon J. Dirden. First he appeared opposite Phylicia Rashad in Manhattan Theatre Club’s presentation of Dominique Morisseau‘s play “Skeleton Crew” this past winter. Now he can be seen in Second Stage Theater’s revival of Richard Greenberg‘s 2003 Tony-winning play “Take Me Out.” After having previously appeared in award-winning Broadway productions of “Clybourne Park” (2012), “All the Way” (2014), and “Jitney” (2017), will either of Dirden’s two main stem appearances from this past year make him a first-time Tony nominee?

In “Skeleton Crew,” Dirden played Reggie, the manager of one of the last auto stamping plants in Detroit. The company is on shaky ground and the workers have to make choices about how to move forward if their plant goes under. All the while Reggie is torn between doing right by his work family and the red tape in his office.

The 2020 Oscars produced a record four films that all received at least 10 nominations. While it created a wide-open field, it also meant great movies like “The Farewell,” “Hustlers,” “Midsommar” and more were completely snubbed. And believe us, there have been some bad movies nominated for plenty of Oscars in the past. And while we could go all day naming movies that have been unfairly overlooked by The Academy for one reason or another, these near classics feel like they should’ve been awards season shoo-ins and yet ultimately received no Oscar love at all.

“King Kong” (1933)

It was the quintessential monster movie of the era and was a landmark for special effects, but the Academy handed it zero nominations.

“Modern Times” (1936)

Many of Charlie Chaplin’s silent masterpieces predate the Oscars, but the Academy didn’t take the chance to nominate his final turn as The Tramp. Chaplin himself wouldn...

Conrad Janis, a prolific character actor of TV, film and stage who had already become immediately recognizable even before landing his signature role opposite Robin Williams and Pam Dawber in the hit ’70s sitcom Mork & Mindy, died March 1 in Los Angeles. He was 94.

His death was confirmed by business manager Dean A. Avedon to The New York Times.

A son of the noted New York art collectors and gallerists Sidney and Harriet Janis, Janis, who along with his brother took over the family business, the Sidney Janis Gallery, later in life, was also a successful and lifelong jazz trombonist who even at the height of his Mork & Mindy success performed regularly with his group, the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band.

Born on February 11, 1928, in Manhattan, Janis launched his acting career in the mid-1940s, appearing in what would be the first of 12 Broadway shows, 1945’s Dark of the Moon and,...

Few television series boast an ensemble as rich as HBO’s “The Gilded Age,” at least in terms of Tony Awards. Julian Fellowes’ new period drama, which takes place in 1882 New York during a period of American industrialization and affluence, was shot predominantly in New York City. It draws on the wealth of theatre performers available due to the pandemic. The result is a cast of Broadway luminaries whose accolades total in the dozens, or 64 nominations and 23 wins, to be exact.

At the center of the action are a pair of two-time Tony winners — Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon — who play sisters Agnes van Rhijn and Ada Brook. These doyennes of old, moneyed New York try to bar the door to the new wealth elbowing their way into high society. Baranski won her first Tony for her performance in Tom Stoppard’s “The Real Thing,” which featured Nixon as Baranski’s daughter.

Lewis Milestone directed this poetic, optimistic ode to the American infantryman, a ‘lone patrol’ saga that emphasizes its soldiers’ hopes and fears. The lineup of fresh, eager acting talent is remarkable: Dana Andrews, Richard Conte, George Tyne, John Ireland, Lloyd Bridges, Sterling Holloway, Norman Lloyd, Herbert Rudley, Richard Benedict, Huntz Hall, James Cardwell, Steve Brodie. Voiceovers and ‘ballads’ give a six-mile beachhead incursion the tone of a spiritual rumination. A beautiful full film restoration brings the image back to prime quality. The controversial filmmakers and the unusual production circumstances are covered in Alan K. Rode’s commentary.

A Walk in the Sun

Blu-ray + DVD

Kit Parker Films / Mvd Visual

1945 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 117 min. / Street Date January 18, 2022 / The Definitive Restoration / Available from Amazon / 29.95

Starring: Dana Andrews, Richard Conte, George Tyne, John Ireland, Lloyd Bridges, Sterling Holloway, Norman Lloyd, Herbert Rudley, Richard Benedict, Huntz Hall, James Cardwell, Steve Brodie, Matt Willis,...

Exclusive: Tony nominated stage actor Micah Stock has joined the John Slattery directed feature Maggie Moore(s) in a supporting role, starring opposite Jon Hamm and Tina Fey.

The black comedy takes place in a dusty desert town where nothing ever happens, as a police chief is suddenly faced with the back-to-back murders of two women with the same name.

Stock will play Jay Moore, described as a lifetime schemer with a personality as greasy as his hair. Additional details about the character are under wraps. Slattery produces with Cary Woods, Vincent Newman, Dan Reardon and Santosh Govindaraju.

Stock most recently starred in Netflix’s Emmy-nominated short form comedy series Bonding; as well as a series regular role on Disney+’s drama series The Right Stuff, portraying real-life NASA astronaut Deke Slayton. He also starred in the 2019 Sundance Audience Award winner Brittany Runs A Marathon, the directorial debut of Paul Downs Colaizzo,...

William Wellman’s The Public Enemy (1931) turns 90 this weekend. When the film first came out, a theater in Times Square showed it nonstop, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The movie marks the true beginning of gangster movies as a genre. Mervyn LeRoy’s Little Caesar may have hit theaters first, but The Public Enemy set the pattern, and James Cagney nailed the patter. Not just the street talk either; he also understood its machine gun delivery. His Tommy Powers is just a hoodlum, never a boss. He is a button man at best, even if he insisted his suits have six buttons.

The Public Enemy character wasn’t even as high up the ladder as Paul Sorvino’s caporegime Paul Cicero in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas. But Cagney secured the turf Edward G. Robinson’s Rico Bandello took a bullet to claim in Little Caesar, and for the...

Sony Classics’ “The Father” is an act of daring; it could have gone wrong in so many ways, but it works like gangbusters.

The film marks the movie debut of writer-director Florian Zeller, whose background is as a novelist and playwright; in many cases, that would send warning signals.

What’s more, it all takes place in one location, the apartment of Anthony (Anthony Hopkins), so it might have turned out to be a photographed stage play. Third, it toys with the audience, keeping them off-balance about what is real and what’s not.

Those are potential danger areas, but the film is so good that it defies all logic.

Movie adaptations of plays, from Eugene O’Neill to Neil Simon, usually look like filmed theater, and that’s Ok; they’re still enjoyable. But it’s magic when a filmmaker can set his movie in one space, yet it seems like pure cinema.

Mollywood News media is unavoidable, but have we received a fair, in-depth, honest depiction of this profession onscreen?Neelima MenonIf someone is not screeching on prime time television, are you even watching the news? If you are not skimming through Page 3 with your morning chai, are you even reading the newspaper? While the latter may be difficult to answer in pandemic times, the former more than makes up for it. News media is unavoidable. But have we received a fair, in-depth, honest depiction of this profession on-screen? Or have we just been served the caricatures we suffer anyway? In this brief review, we look at the depiction of news media in Malayalam cinema...and dare we say the report card looks bad! In the Renji Panicker scripted Pathram (1999), a political thriller, directed by Joshiy and set in the backdrop of the newspaper industry, Suresh Gopi’s Nandagopal is flown in...

“It’s one of the best experiences of my career,” declares Nathan Lane. He’s speaking about playing Lewis Michener, a grizzled detective on Showtime’s “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.” The story gives events from 1938 Los Angeles a supernatural bent and allows Lane to bring his character to surprisingly dark places. Watch the exclusive video interview above.

“This is about what’s happening now, seen through this historical perspective,” explains Lane. Series creator and writer John Logan was adamant that the show not merely be a pretty period piece. The show is not afraid to dive headfirst into the racism and tension of the time period. The questions permeating every story beat are “how does history repeat itself? Are the monsters within us?”

See Natalie Dormer (‘Penny Dreadful: City of Angels’) on her shapeshifting role: ‘It’s really healthy to scare yourself’ [Exclusive Video Interview]

Lane’s detective is often seen as...

Beverly Hills Cop II actor Allen Garfield has died of coronavirus. He was 80.

The character actor’s sister, Lois Goorwitz, confirmed Garfield had died on Tuesday in Los Angeles, from complications of Covid-19, according to the Associated Press.

The news wire reported Garfield had been a resident of the Motion Picture Television Fund Home, a Hollywood retirement facility for those who worked in the industry. Several staffers and some residents have tested positive for the virus, according to the AP.

A spokesperson for the Mptf did not immediately respond to People’s request for comment.

Garfield was once a boxer...

Allen Garfield, the filmmaker-favorite character actor who played small but significant roles in Seventies classics like The Conversation and Nashville, has died at the age of 80.

The New Jersey Star-Ledger, where Garfield worked as a sportswriter in the Fifties, first reported the Newark-born actor’s death following complications from Covid-19. Garfield’s sister confirmed his death to the Hollywood Reporter.

A one-time Golden Gloves boxer who studied acting at the Actors Studio, Garfield threw his small but imposing physique into the role of tough-talking, surly heavies on both sides of the laws.

As Disney quietly disappears huge swathes of film history into its vaults, I'm going to spend 2020 celebrating Twentieth Century Fox and the Fox Film Corporation's films, what one might call their output if only someone were putting it out.And now they've quietly disappeared William Fox's name from the company: guilty by association with Rupert Murdoch, even though he never associated with him.***I really love old movies, and in tough times escaping into the past can be awfully attractive. Even the uglier side of studio product, for instance the racial caricaturing can seem like the necessary abrasive element in an otherwise smoothly pleasurable experience.I suppose everyone has their own tipping point, though, when the uncomfortable or disturbing elements overwhelm the entertainment. I can laugh at (not with) the jaw-dropping "Goin' To Heaven on a Mule" number in Warner Bros' Wonder Bar (1934), with its blackface afterlife and spot...

JohnSlatteryhad a moment after college where he was offered a great job in the hotel business and it was tempting - financial security, travel and lots of other perks. He sat down with his father and asked if he should change lanes from acting to this new job... well, we know what the answer was This week, Ilana sits down with her long-time friend and star of Broadway, film and television- JohnSlattery. Go behind the scenes of Mad Men, The Front Page and more plus find out this award winning actor's vocal warm-up tricks...

By now we all know that the film the Academy selects as the “Best Picture” of any given year is rarely the actual Best Picture, but some years it’s hard to explain why they picked what they picked. Never mind “Shakespeare in Love” beating “Saving Private Ryan,” because at least “Shakespeare in Love” is a handsome production with a witty script. Never mind “Dances with Wolves” beating “Goodfellas,” because at least “Dances with Wolves” is a respectable western. We’re taking a look at the films that we can’t watch, even in a vacuum, without cringing nowadays. And when you compare them with the nominees that didn’t earn the Oscar, it’s just plain hard to justify why the Academy voted the way it did.

“The Broadway Melody” (1929)

The second Best Picture winner, and the first synch sound movie to win the top prize, was innovative for the time.

One of the greatest newspaper pictures ever (can there be many more in our future?), Howard Hawks’ gender-bending remake of The Front Page stands as a comedy classic. Its improvisational-sounding overlapping dialog still impresses as modernistic. Such stars as Ginger Rogers, Jean Arthur, Irene Dunne, Carole Lombard and Claudette Colbert turned down Rosalind Russell’s revamped Hildy Parks role. Cary Grant’s surprised reaction to one of Russell’s unexpected ad-libs was directed directly to Hawks: “Is she going to do that?”. And it’s in the movie. Unfortunately all we could find was a textless trailer on this one.

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Why is this film about a raunchy standup comedian being touted as Eddie Murphy's comeback? An outstanding comic talent such as he doesn't go away. And even if we are looking at dates, Murphy was in much finer form in his last release "Mr Church", where he brought to great use his penchant for wry social comment into play.

There is more foreplay in Murphy's portrayal of the foulmouthed stand-up comedian Rudy Ray More (a.k.a Dolemite) than any actual swipes at salaciousness. Sure, there is a lot of abusive language and cusswords in "Dolemite", Eddie Murphy's stand-up act that shocked America in the 1970s. But nothing that they back then, and we now, can't handle.

We've seen worse.

What really provides this film about a rebel with a clause with its share of heft is the theme of segregation and and racial discrimination, both placed on their...

Like the aroma of any home-cooked favorite wafting from a kitchen long unused, watching Eddie Murphy’s beautifully funny and exuberant performance in “Dolemite Is My Name” playing bootleg-to-blaxploitation entertainer Rudy Ray Moore — the reclusive megastar’s first worthy comedy lead in ages — amounts to a longing well and truly satisfied.

Murphy’s resplendent turn anchors a true if predictably told story of showbiz aspirations and can-do spirit, but in the great whoosh of majestically profane, beaming energy he provides from beginning to end, it’s clear that his brand of electrifying, in-the-moment comedy has sorely been missed.

The fit of This Legend playing That Legend (one comedy giant cosplaying his forebear) is so perfect that it lifts director Craig Brewer’s rudimentary handling of Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski’s affectionately raucous if predictable script into a joyful realm. (It’s a reminder of how great comedy stars always plugged...

When the magnetic profanity and jolting energy effortlessly diffuse onto the big screen, it becomes clear that Eddie Murphy’s church of comedy was sorely missed. Fortunately, its reunion takes the form of Dolemite Is My Name, Craig Brewer’s glistening and hilarious odyssey of artistic determination, Black creativity, and pop culture on the brink of representative transformation. Telling the outrageously true story of one of the most successful blaxploitation films of the 1970s – Rudy Ray Moore’s madcap, wonky yet wildly adored action caper, Dolemite – Murphy projects the cult classic creator with every comedic tactic he’s got. And though the film as a whole sometimes feels generic, we let the red carpet roll for Murphy’s raw, untamed talent.

Of course, movies celebrating the clunky conception of outsider cinema have become a subgenre in their own right, often featuring a robust lead to orbit around. Most recently joining...

In Dolemite Is My Name, Eddie Murphy lets fly with all the comic and dramatic ammo in his acting arsenal. No more lobbing softballs in such family-friendly blockbusters as Dr. Dolittle and Daddy Day Care. Murphy, 58, is raw again, reason enough to be delirious. Dolemite gives Murphy his best and juiciest role since his Oscar-nominated turn in 2006’s Dreamgirls (he should have won that sucker, but that’s another story). In Dolemite Is My Name, Murphy plays real-life club comic Rudy Ray Moore, whose mouth was bigger than his talent.

Seven-time Tony Award winning producers Sue Wagner and John Johnson announced today the formation of Wagner Johnson Productions, a new venture that will see the longtime collaborators produce and general manage an array of theatrical productions including their current slate of the Almost Famous musical and the full range of Scott Rudin Productions’ theatrical ventures.

The Broadway-bound Almost Famous, based on the 2000 film and opening this month at the Old Globe in San Diego, is co-produced with Lia Vollack and Joey Parnes.

“I have worked alongside Sue and John since they first began in this business,” said Parnes, Wagner and Johnson’s longtime mentor, in a statement, and it has been a great privilege to see them grow into the industry powerhouses they’ve become. I’m particularly thrilled that we will get to continue working together on Almost Famous.”

Said Wagner and Johnson: “Joey Parnes has been an...

It’s safe to assume that Eddie Murphy has always worshipped at the altar of “Dolemite” mastermind Rudy Ray Moore, as the lewd, brash, and infectiously self-possessed blaxploitation icon blazed the trail that Murphy later followed to his own fame. At the very least, Moore’s foul-mouthed comedy records (e.g. “Eat Out More Often”) and his total disregard for white audiences helped light the way forward. But Murphy, who was a Hollywood-minted star by the time he was 25, probably never thought he would relate to Moore’s hardscrabble career quite as much as he has in recent years. Once you get paid $15 million to star in “Beverly Hills Cop III,” you can only have so much in common with a pioneer who self-financed his most famous movie, cast it full of strippers he found at a local club, and four-walled it into a single Indianapolis theater.

But Murphy is...

Basketball superstars arguably gave Hollywood a lesson in dealmaking prowess these past two weeks, “freaking out the sports elite into shelling out $3 billion,” in the words of the Wall Street Journal. In doing so they’ve also raised this question: Will Hollywood’s superstars be far behind?

What the NBA players did was to form furtive alliances with fellow stars, then, as free agents, hammer out multimillion-dollar trades with other teams. Kawhi Leonard, for example, didn’t wait for an Endeavor agent to negotiate a deal structure; the “talent” dictated the terms as he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Intriguingly, the UTA talent agency this week signed a deal with Rich Paul, who reps LeBron James among other NBA stars, to lead a new sports division.

And Hollywood has been paying attention: In times past, when the show-business ecosystem faced serious disruption, actors and directors reached out to recapture...

HBO is the new HBO, you guys.

No matter how much other networks want to tout their wares when it comes to great dramas and half-hour comedies with an adult bent, it's all about HBO.

To wit, we have Barry Season 2 Episode 1 picking up right where the first season ended but with more revelations from Barry and focus on some characters who were previously only supporting.

With the murder of Janice still on everyone's mind, Barry needs more than ever to bury himself in theater.

It doesn't help one bit that the cop who called him out was also Gene's girlfriend who was the very reason that scenario popped up in the first place.

It makes for some of the most complicated and heartbreaking comedy on television.

Barry's need in the premiere to push forward the class' production of The Front Page without another person in agreement perfectly highlights not...

Will there ever be another great journalism film? Given the chaos in both movies and the news media—audiences polarized, anonymous sourcing resurgent, Twitter rampant, prevailing narratives debunked (or not)—the temptation is to say, no, probably not.

But common sense says the next great media movie is bound to happen, sooner or later. And when it does, that film will probably look a lot more like Absence Of Malice than All The President’s Men.

Other films—Broadcast News, Network, The Insider, Shattered Glass, Truth, to name a few—have taken a serious cut at journalism in the years since classics like The Front Page, Citizen Kane, and The Sweet Smell Of Success put a framework around the genre.

But no movies in the last half-century have better defined inherent polarities in journalism—good reporter/bad reporter, fearless investigator/flawed newshound, bearer of truth/purveyor of damaging falsehood—than those two dramas,...

HBO's breakout hit Barry returns, setting up its central conflicts for Season 2 with shocking efficiency. Read our review!

This Barry review contains spoilers.

Barry Season 2 Episode 1

Barry, Bill Hader and Alec Berg’s hitman comedy for HBO, burst onto TV screens last year like a pinpoint shot from a high-powered sniper rifle, shooting to kill. The series was universally acclaimed, widely touted by critics as the best new show of 2018, and for good reason: Barry was a fully-formed thrill ride, taking the bones of Grosse Pointe Blank and infusing them with the moral quandaries, existential ennui, and downbeat, spirit-sucking compromises of Better Call Saul. Add in a pinch of potent Hollywood satire and a roster of scene stealing character actors, like Emmy-award winning Henry Winkler and Gotham’s Anthony Carrigan, and Barry was as sure to kill as the titular hitman turned wanna-be actor himself.

With that much praise heaped onto a freshman outing,...

Exclusive: Mad Men alum John Slattery has been tapped as the lead of neXT, Fox’s AI thriller drama pilot from 20th Century Fox TV.

This marks the first broadcast pilot for Slattery since his seven-season run on AMC’s Mad Men as Roger Sterling, which earned him four Emmy nominations. It is his first broadcast series regular role in a decade and a half, since Greg Berlanti’s 2014 CW drama Jack & Bobby. I( hear new Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier, who has a relationship with Slattery from his long tenure as head of AMC, was involved in bringing the actor to the the broadcast network.

Written on spec by Manny Coto and directed by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra,...