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The character of James Bond might've made Sean Connery a global movie star, but the actor didn't really enjoy the initial nine years he spent playing the MI6 agent. As Michael Caine once observed, "If you were his friend in these early days, you didn't raise the subject of Bond." A big part of the issue, according to Caine, was that Connery knew he had more to offer as an actor than 007, and thus, he bristled every time someone would identify him as Bond when he was out in public. Connery himself made no bones about his annoyance with the character. "I have always hated that damned James Bond," he once remarked (via The Guardian). "I'd like to kill him."

Producers Harry Saltzman and Albert "Cubby" Broccoli, who were sitting on top of a box office goldmine, had no such desire. They were keen to keep knocking out Bond flicks at a once-every-other-year clip,...

Even though Supernatural already got one short-lived spinoff, one storyline from season 6 would make an incredibly epic spinoff series – but, unfortunately, it will likely never happen now after the doomed The Winchesters spinoff. Over 15 seasons, Supernatural was no stranger to huge, sprawling storylines with grand consequences. The overarching stakes of most seasons involved a literal world-ending threat, and, upon occasion, Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory ending, too. It's enough that the final season even set up a hypothetical Supernatural season 16.

Of course, that opened the door for many potential spinoff series - it's impossible not to when a show runs as long as Supernatural did. While most of the potential spinoff wishlist involved supporting Supernatural characters that fans grew to love, such as Bobby and Sheriffs Jody and Donna, rarer cases that set up the perfect spinoff involved the plotlines themselves. One of those stories was the biggest missed opportunity of all regarding Supernatural's spinoffs.

Sean Connery holds the honor of being the first big screen 007. Connery made his James Bond debut in 1962 with the Terrence Young-directed film Dr. No. Connery went on to star in five more James Bond films — From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever — even returning to the franchise after a brief interruption by George Lazenby's one-off Bond film and the non-Eon Bond movie Never Say Never Again. Little did he know at the time that the Bond movies would become one of the biggest action franchises to date.

Bond took up the better part of a decade of Connery's career, beginning in 1962 and ending with Diamonds Are Forever in 1971 in the traditional series. Prior to his death in 2020, Connery went on to have a long acting career after ending his Bond tenure. His first 007 follow-up was The Offence...

Michael Caine's perfect James Bond replacement, The Ipcress File, was unfortunately cut short by two back-to-back sequel flops. With more than 175 acting credits to his name, Caine has starred in classic movies such as The Man Who Would Be King (1975), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Get Carter (1971), and Alfie (1966). Caine is also celebrated for starring in several of Christopher Nolan's best movies, such as Interstellar, Inception, The Dark Knight, and The Prestige.

The Ipcress File was released in 1965 and starred Caine and a clever spy in London named Harry Palmer. The film was directed by Sidney J. Furie and also featured appearances by Nigel Green, Guy Doleman, Sue Lloyd, and Gordon Jackson. The Ipcress File received an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 97% matched with an audience score of 85%. The success and acclaim of the first film sparked two back-to-back sequels in 1966 and 1967, which tanked hard and essentially sunk the spy franchise.

Sean Connery and Michael Caine co-starred in A Bridge Too Far, a massively underrated war epic that received mixed reviews from critics on its initial release, but deserves a lot more love. Connery is best known for playing James Bond in six official movies (and one unofficial one), but he was a screen legend outside his connection to the role of 007. He starred in a wide range of movies, from the psychological thriller Marnie to the Agatha Christie whodunit Murder on the Orient Express. He worked with such legendary directors as Alfred Hitchcock, Sidney Lumet, and John Huston.

These days, Caine is perhaps best known for his collaborations with Christopher Nolan, having played Alfred Pennyworth in The Dark Knight trilogy and Professor John Brand in Interstellar. Caine played his own iconic spy character, Harry Palmer, across five movies, and starred in such classics as Get Carter, The Italian Job, and Hannah and Her Sisters,...

No two actors shaped the role of James Bond as profoundly as Sean Connery and Daniel Craig. Connery was the first to bring him to life, and Craig saw him die. Both were physically imposing—Connery the ex-bodybuilder, and Craig with “that beautiful boxer’s face.” Both were in their...

Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy are synonyms of the Hollywood industry. One of the biggest directors of the 21st century and the Oscar-winning Irish star of modern cinema has an iconic partnership that goes beyond working together professionally. Nolan and Murphy have worked on some of the biggest projects such as Inception, Oppenheimer, Batman Begins, Dunkirk, and The Dark Knight Rises. While Murphy’s unbelievable acting performances in Nolan’s movies have been universally acclaimed, the Peaky Blinders star isn’t the one who has most appeared in Nolan movies.

Christopher Nolan directing Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer

Interestingly, it is Sir Michael Caine who has collaborated the most with Nolan and has appeared in eight of his films.

Michael Caine Has Worked the Most With Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan is a both critical and commercially acclaimed director who has worked with some of the biggest actors in the industry. From Ken Watanabe,...

Peter E. Strauss, the film executive behind projects such as “The Jacket” and “Air,” died Oct. 6 at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 83.

Strauss held a number of roles over the course of his five-decade career, including most recently, executive vice president of Mandalay Pictures and previously president of Lions Gate Entertainment. At Mandalay, he oversaw the financing and distribution for film and television titles. Strauss is credited with contributing to the growth of independent cinema through his involvement in foreign sales and off-balance-sheet financing for independent films.

Strauss joined Lionsgate in 1998, overseeing U.S. operations for the company. During his time there, Lionsgate evolved its independent film production and distribution. Prior to this role, Strauss had worked at International Movie Group, where he produced and executive produced over 30 films as president, CEO and chairman, including the “Best of the Best” series, “Buster” with Phil Collins, and “Cadence” starring...

Peter E. Strauss, a producer behind recent films like The Jacket and Air who served as an executive at Lionsgate, Mandalay Pictures, Img and Allied Artists, has died. He was 83.

Strauss died on Oct. 6 at his home in Beverly Hills. At his side were his wife of 46 years, Susan, and his son, Jonathan.

Strauss most recently served as executive vice president at Mandalay for 25 years. He well-known for his work in expanding independent cinema, pioneering foreign sales and off-balance-sheet financing for independent films.

Prior to Mandalay, Strauss worked as president of Lionsgate Entertainment, which he helped establish with founder Frank Giustra in 1997. He also oversaw the production of over 30 films, including Phil Collins’ Buster, Charlie and Martin Sheen’s Cadence and the Best of the Best series, while president, CEO and chairman of the International Movie Group.

Strauss also worked as executive vice president of Rastar Films, Ray Stark’s production company,...

The Story: On Io, Jupiter’s moon, miners have begun randomly committing suicide in gruesome ways. This is chalked out to their grueling working conditions, but the outpost’s new marshal, William O’Niel (Sean Connery) becomes convinced something else is afoot. Soon, he discovers the deadly truth, that the miners are being given stimulants with the nasty side effect that they cause psychosis. His pursuit of the truth lands him on the hit list of the outpost’s general director, Sheppard (Peter Boyle), who hires professional hit men to deal with the pesky marshal. Knowing that skilled gunmen are on the way, and without anyone to turn to, O’Niel waits to face the men alone.

The Players: Starring: Sean Connery, Peter Boyle, and Frances Sternhagen. Music by Jerry Goldsmith. Directed by Peter Hyams.

I wanted to do a Western. Everybody said, ‘You can’t do a Western; Westerns are...

The 1800s continue to be a fascinating era for movies, with Little Women being a highly regarded period drama that captured viewers' hearts. Films set in the 1800s can transport audiences back in time, allowing them to explore the technology, beliefs, and society of that era. There are numerous movies set in the 1800s across different genres, such as Sherlock Holmes, The Great Train Robbery, Amistad, Cold Mountain, The Lighthouse, The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, The Elephant Man, Pride & Prejudice, The Man Who Would Be King, Les Misrables, and Nosferatu.

Before her success with Barbie, Greta Gerig delivered one of the best movies set in the 1800s with Little Women. Her adaptation of the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott captured viewers' hearts with its rich storytelling and beautiful recreation of the 1800s setting. Though it's one of the most highly regarded period dramas of recent years,...

Fullmetal Alchemist’s Hiromu Arakawa, one of the greatest manga creators of all time, has never shied away from expressing her love for George Lucas’ Star Wars franchise. She has talked about it multiple times, but what Fullmetal Alchemist’s fans don’t know is that Arakawa is also a fan of another Lucas franchise that features Harrison Ford as the main character.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009) | Bones Inc.

While Arakawa has been a supporter of Indiana Jones, there is one particular actor from the series that she has been a follower of for a long time. This actor is none other than Sean Connery, the famous James Bond actor who also plays Henry Jones, Sr., a Scottish professor of medieval literature and the father of Indiana Jones in the movie.

Although Arakawa expressed her love for Sean Connery in Indiana Jones, she might have just done more than that. There...

Hollywood veteran, Michael Caine has had one of the long-standing careers in the film industry. Along with his illustrious professional journey, Caine’s personal life shines brightly, characterized by a remarkable 50-year-long romance filled with familial bliss. Caine has been happily married to the former actress and model, Shakira Caine.

Hollywood actor Michael Caine | Credit: Manfred Werner via Wikimedia Commons

Their love story unfolds akin to a cinematic masterpiece, as Caine once shared that he was smitten the moment he first laid eyes on his wife in a coffee commercial. Convinced she was his soulmate, he even decided to embark on a journey to Brazil to meet her, determined to express his heartfelt emotions.

Michael Caine Met His Wife Through a Coffee Commercial

Michael Caine met his wife Shakira Caine in the 1970s when he saw her in a Maxwell House coffee commercial. The moment he saw the former actress,...

Almera nightmare motivated Sir Michael Caine's strict no-work clause for terrible movie locations. Classic actor's autobiography recounts horrible filming experiences like "Play Dirty" production in Almera. Caine broke his own bad movie rule freezing himself in Alaska for awful Steven Seagal film in the '90s.

Sir Michael Caine is one of the most respected actors ever to star in films, and his autobiography depicts a dreadful movie shooting experience that led to a personal contract rule in his career. To modern audiences, Michael Caine can be recognized best as one of Christopher Nolan's most frequent collaborators, having played vital roles in iconic movies like The Dark Knight, Interstellar, and Inception. However, the 91-year-old actor has worked in the industry since 1950, appearing in over 130 films before announcing his retirement in 2023.

While the British actor has had hits in the 21st century, many of Michael Caine's best movies date...

90-year-old actor Michael Caine has officially retired after an incredible career spanning over 70 years. Caine confirmed in an interview that he no longer has opportunities to lead movies as there are few roles available for elderly actors. Caine nearly turned down his latest movie because he considered himself retired, realizing he would only be offered roles as an elderly man and not as a leading character.

After an incredible career, Michael Caine is officially done acting. The 90-year-old actor has starred in over 160 movies and has earned numerous awards, including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA, three Golden Globes, and a SAG award. His career began in 1950, meaning the actor has been working for over 70 years and featured in iconic movies, including Batman Begins, Interstellar, and The Italian Job.

With over 160 movies behind him, Caine has decided to retire. While in an interview with BBC Radio 4 Today (via BBC News...

A new Dio box set, The Studio Albums 1996-2004, will collect the final four solo albums from the late Ronnie James Dio’s eponymous band.

The box set is set to drop on September 22nd on CD and vinyl formats. The super deluxe edition vinyl set includes the following LPs on 180-gram wax with updated artwork: 1996’s Angry Machines (on Halloween orange/black marble vinyl); 2000’s Magica on transparent blood red/black smoke double-vinyl, plus the rare “Electra” single on a cobalt blue 7-inch vinyl); 2002’s Killing the Dragon (on transparent yellow/black marble vinyl); and 2004’s Master of the Moon (on electric blue/milky clear marble vinyl).

It marks the first time all four albums have been housed in one package. Back in 2020, Dio’s estate teamed with BMG to reissue each of the aforementioned albums individually. At the time, Angry Machines received its first official LP release, while Magica,...

Renowned filmmaker Shekhar Kapur (“Bandit Queen,” “Elizabeth”) has revealed the theme for the sequel to his 1983 directorial debut “Masoom.”

Written by Gulzar (Oscar-winner for “Slumdog Millionaire” song “Jai Ho”), “Masoom” was an adaptation of Erich Segal’s 1980 novel “Man, Woman and Child.” It followed a happily married couple and their two daughters whose lives are disrupted with the arrival of a boy who is the man’s son from an earlier affair. The cast included Naseeruddin Shah (“Taj: Divided by Blood”), Shabana Azmi (“Halo”), Jugal Hansraj (“Nri Wives”), Supriya Pathak (“Tabbar”), Saeed Jaffrey (“The Man Who Would Be King”) and Urmila Matondkar (“Rangeela”).

The sequel, titled “Masoom… The New Generation,” is about the “idea of home,” Kapur told Variety. Kapur was in London for the National Film Awards where his last film, Working Title/Studiocanal production “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” scored nine nominations and won four awards including best director,...

Renowned filmmaker Shekhar Kapur (“Bandit Queen,” “Elizabeth”) is planning a sequel to his 1983 directorial debut “Masoom,” Variety can reveal.

The film is titled “Masoom… The New Generation.” Details of the plot, studio and cast are under wraps at the moment.

Written by Gulzar (Oscar winner for “Slumdog Millionaire”), “Masoom” was an adaptation of Erich Segal’s 1980 novel “Man, Woman and Child.” It followed a happily married couple and their two daughters whose lives are disrupted with the arrival of a boy who is the man’s son from an earlier affair. The cast included Naseeruddin Shah (“Taj: Divided by Blood”), Shabana Azmi (“Halo”), Jugal Hansraj (“Nri Wives”), Supriya Pathak (“Tabbar”), Saeed Jaffrey (“The Man Who Would Be King”) and Urmila Matondkar (“Rangeela”).

The film was warmly received upon release in India and won Filmfare awards for best actor for Shah, Gulzar’s lyrics, Rahul Dev Burman’s music, Aarti Mukherji...

When you have an adult animated series that's inspired by the like of Indiana Jones and "National Treasure," it would make sense if classic adventure movies provided a lot of inspiration. When it comes to Andy Samberg and Neil Campbell's new series "Digman!" on Comedy Central, that's certainly the case. But you might be surprised by the hefty helping of sci-fi that's thrown into the mix, and along with that come some unexpected allusions to other classic movies. Even films outside of the adventure and sci-fi arenas couldn't escape the comedic clutches of Rip Digman, a washed up archaeologist living in a world where these adventurers are huge celebrities. 

Leading up to the premiere of "Digman!" on Comedy Central this week, we spoke with series co-creators Andy Samberg and Neil Campbell, who revealed some of the surprising classic movies that inspired their absurd adventure antics in the eight episodes...

The cinematic universe would be far less rich without Michael Caine. It may sound like a well-worn cliché, but he truly is an international treasure. An enduring icon with a seven-decade career. He’s appeared in such acclaimed films as

“Alfie,” “Get Carter,” Sleuth,” “The Man Who Would Be King,” “Educating Rita,” “Hannah and Her Sisters,” “The Cider House Rules,” “The Muppet Christmas Carol” and Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy.

He’s received six Oscar nominations and won two Academy Awards, a BAFTA, three Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guld Award and numerous critics’ honors. He’s made Cockney accents and oversized glasses sexy. He’s an accomplished writer, penning two memoirs: 1992’s “What’s It All about” and 2010’s ‘The Elephant to Hollywood.” And two days after the 95th Oscars, Caine will celebrate his 90th birthday. Though Caine walks with a cane due to a spine issues, he...

A number of great movies are leaving HBO Max at the end of March, so it’s time to prioritize these titles in your queue. Filmmaker James Gunn’s sequel/soft reboot “The Suicide Squad” will depart the streaming service on March 22 after first hitting HBO Max the same day it was released in theaters back in 2021. Similarly, “Space Jam: A New Legacy” was whisked away on March 1 after also getting a day-and-date release in 2021 (sorry/not sorry if you missed it).

You also only have until March 7 to stream “Just a Boy From Tupelo: Bringing Elvis to the Big Screen,” a short documentary on the making of the Oscar-nominated biopic “Elvis.”

Other noteworthy films leaving HBO Max this month include “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” “Contagion,” the extended version of “Dances with Wolves,” “Ghostbusters,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Love & Basketball” and “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.

John Huston is one of the most celebrated directors and screenwriters in Hollywood. Born on August 5, 1906, in Nevadaville, Colorado, he was the son of actor Walter Huston and Rhea Gore. He began his career as a journalist and later worked as an amateur boxer before entering movies.

Huston’s movies were often morally ambiguous, with elements of both comedy and tragedy. He rose to fame for movies such as “The Maltese Falcon” (1941), which starred Humphrey Bogart, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948), starring Humphrey Bogart and Walter Huston, and “The African Queen” (1951), starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. He also wrote many movies including “The Asphalt Jungle” (1950) and directed iconic movies such as “The Man Who Would Be King” (1975).

Huston was highly acclaimed by critics for his skillful direction in movies that explored complex themes such as greed and morality. Many of his movies featured actors who had trained under revered director Erich von Stroheim.

Writer/Director Joe Cornish discusses a few of his favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Attack The Block (2011)

Rocks (2019)

Poltergeist (1982)

Gremlins (1984)

Avanti! (1972)

Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)

The Last Wave (1977)

Witness (1985)

Dead Poets Society (1989)

Fearless (1993)

Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003)

Gallipoli (1981)

The Year Of Living Dangerously (1982)

The Cars That Ate Paris (1974)

The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai (1984)

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985)

The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

The Rescuers (1977)

Bedknobs And Broomsticks (1971)

The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Moonraker (1979)

The Adventures Of Tintin (2011)

Bambi (1942)

Dumbo (1941)

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)

Forbidden Planet (1956)

This Island Earth (1955)

Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers (1956)

The Thing From Another World (1951)

Matinee (1993)

The Lord Of The Rings (1978)

The Omen (1976)

Damien: Omen II (1978)

Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)

Battleship Potemkin (1925)

The Exorcist (1973)

The Exterminator (1980)

Friday The 13th...

There is not a greater celebrity raconteur than Michael Caine. The 89-year-old movie star has lived the fullest of lives, appeared in a number of great films, and snatched up two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor -- and he loves to talk about it. The son of blue-collar parents seems perpetually tickled by his success. Ask him about a critically acclaimed classic like "The Man Who Would Be King" or a universally reviled bomb like "Jaws: The Revenge" and you'll get a good-humored story out of it. He is the platonic ideal of "affable."

If you were to pick an actor who resided on the opposite end of the "affable" scale, you couldn't find a more ornery cuss than John Wayne. Wayne was aloof. It took a cagey journalist like Joan Didion to humanize him, and, in retrospect, she seemed a little starstruck. Wayne seemed to have made all...

Writer/director Guillermo del Toro discusses a few of his favorite movies with Josh and Joe.

Show Notes:

Movies Referenced In This Episode

Nightmare Alley (2021)

Nightmare Alley (1947) – Stuart Gordon’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review

Drive My Car (2021)

Wicked Woman (1953) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)

Modern Times (1936)

City Lights (1931)

The Great Dictator (1940)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Dennis Cozzalio’s review, Dennis Cozzalio’s Muriel Awards capsule review

Vertigo (1958) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary, Brian Trenchard-Smith’s review

The Man Who Would Be King (1975) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)

The Young And The Damned (1950)

Gone With The Wind (1939)

The Golem (1920) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans (1927)

Alucarda (1977)

Greed (1924) – Dennis Cozzalio’s Muriel Awards capsule review

Taxi Driver (1976) – Rod Lurie’s trailer commentary

District 9 (2009) – John Sayles...

“What I have an opinion about 25 years ago, it’s not necessarily the opinion I have now,” admits Brian Cox as response to the viewpoint the Succession star offers on the likes of Johnny Depp, Michael Caine, Ed Norton, Game of Thrones and others in his new memoir Putting the Rabbit in the Hat.

“I don’t really dismiss or disrespect anybody who goes for this profession because it’s a tough, bloody profession,” the seasoned Shakespearean thespian adds with the hindsight of a career spanning more than 60 years.

First released in the UK late last year and out today Stateside, the 384-page book proves to be part meditation on the craft, partially very personal, partially political (Scotland-born Cox is very much in favor of Independence for the former Caledonia) and full of tales of legends including Peter O’Toole, a wig-tossing Vanessa Redgrave and Spike Lee and digging in to do the job.

Writer/director Adam McKay kicks off Season 5 by discussing a few of his favorite movies with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Don’t Look Up (2021)

Parasite (2019) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

The Big Short (2015)

Vice (2018)

Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary links

The Second Civil War (1997) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary, Joe Dante revisits the movie

Network (1976) – Chris Wilkinson’s trailer commentary

Broadcast News (1987)

To Die For (1995) – Illeana Douglas’s trailer commentary

The Hospital (1971) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Ace In The Hole (1951) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

Dr. Strangelove (1964) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review

Over The Edge (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing

The Warriors (1979)

River’s Edge (1986)

Tex (1982)

Rumble Fish (1983) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray...

Matthew Vaughn loves watching The Man Who Would Be King (1975). It’s easy to see why. The John Huston adaptation of a Rudyard Kipling yarn is one of the best adventure films ever made, not least of all because Huston and his co-screenwriter Gladys Hill were able to quietly insert some anti-imperialist critiques into the story of Danny and Peachy (Sean Connery and Michael Caine), two former British sergeants in 19th century India who turn soldiers of fortune and, eventually, men who might call themselves living gods. It doesn’t end well for either, and yet there is something so adroit about the performances that they never cease to charm.

They more than charmed Vaughn during a recent rewatch, however. They inspired him to approach his whole Kingsman universe, which he has developed across three films at his production company, Marv Studios, from an entirely different angle: one where the...

Nicholas Meyer’s ‘other’ fantastic film project was ignored for all the wrong reasons; Pierce Brosnan fills a heroic leading role in a revisit of The Stranglers of Bombay, but filmed on location with great attention to authentic details. An officer of the East India Company detects an incredibly murderous cult of Kali-worshipping Thugs, a criminal underclass of thieves that practice ritual mass murder. The story has roots in history, snarled in colonial injustice and xenophobia. It’s a period picture unafraid to be controversial. Also starring Saeed Jaffrey and Helena Mitchell.

The Deceivers

Blu-ray

The Cohen Film Collection / Kino

1988 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 103 min. / Street Date November 16, 2021 / Available from Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Saeed Jaffrey, Shashi Kapoor, Helena Michell, Keith Michell, David Robb.

Cinematography: Walter Lassally

Art Directors: Gianfranco Fumagalli, Ram Yedekar

Film Editor: Richard Trevor

Original Music: John Scott

Written by Michael Hirst from the novel by John Masters

Produced by Ismail Merchant,...

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

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

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

Breathless (1960) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary

Angels With Dirty Faces (1938)

The Fisher King (1991)

Tony Rome (1967)

Lady In Cement (1968)

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

The Killer (1989)

True Romance (1993)

True Lies (1994)

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

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

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

Double Trouble (1967)

Performance (1970) – Mark Goldblatt’s trailer commentary

The Driver (1978)

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

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

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

Honored this year at the Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival for his incredible volume of work over six decades, Michael Caine is remarkably down-to-earth as he reflects on lessons learned and how his plans to retire more than 20 years ago just never quite worked out. In addition to winning the Kviff award for contribution to world cinema, Caine came to the Czech Republic to screen “Best Sellers,” director Lina Roessler’s feature debut, in which he plays a cantankerous writer – a character into whom he says he has real insight as the author of several books of his own, ranging from biography to fiction. Caine will also be seen soon as Lord Boresh in the Czech historic epic “Jan Zizka.”

As you thanked the crowd here on opening night at the Karlovy Vary festival, many noticed your voice hasn’t seemed to lose its tenor a bit over the years.

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

The Hottest August (Brett Story)

Where better than New York City to make a structuralist film? Cities are iterative, their street grids diagrams of theme and variation, and New York most of all—with its streets and avenues named for numbers and letters and states and cities and presidents and Revolutionary War generals spanning an archipelago, intersecting at a million little data points at which to measure class, race, culture, history, architecture and infrastructure. And time, too—from this human density emerge daily and seasonal rituals, a set of biorhythms, reliable as the earth’s, against which to mark gradual shifts and momentary fashions. Summer is for lounging on fire escapes, always, and, today, for Mister Softee. Yesterday it was shaved ice.

Next month’s lineup at The Criterion Channel has been unveiled, featuring no shortage of excellent offerings. Leading the pack is a massive, 20-film retrospective dedicated to John Huston, featuring a mix of greatest and lesser-appreciated works, including Fat City, The Dead, Wise Blood, The Man Who Would Be King, and Key Largo. (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre will join the series on October 1.)

Also in the lineup is series on the works of Budd Boetticher (specifically his Randolph Scott-starring Ranown westerns), Ephraim Asili, Josephine Baker, Nikos Papatakis, Jean Harlow, Lee Isaac Chung (pre-Minari), Mani Kaul, and Michelle Parkerson.

The sparkling new restoration of La Piscine will also debut, along with Amores perros, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s To the Ends of the Earth, Cate Shortland’s Lore, both Oxhide films, Moonstruck, and much more.

See the full list of August titles below and more on The Criterion Channel.

Abigail Harm,...

Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays James Brooke, a British adventurer who became the White Rajah of Sarawak, in a film that fails to probe the complexity of its fascinating subject

While the name James Brooke might seem obscure to many viewers, his exploits in south-east Asia, retold here in Michael Haussman’s adventure biopic, are not so foreign. After all, they inspired Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim and Rudyard Kipling’s The Man Who Would Be King. Brooke’s stranger-than-fiction journey from ex-soldier in the Bengal army to becoming the White Rajah of Sarawak, which once attracted the attention of Errol Flynn, is especially ripe for the silver screen. Alas, Edge of the World fails to do justice to this fascinating and deeply complex chapter in British colonial history.

The film begins with Brooke (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) arriving in picturesque Sarawak via boat, along with his cousin Arthur (Dominic Monaghan) and...

With its winsome narration, frequent cutaways to nature and focus on discovery, “Edge of the World” resembles nothing so much as Terrence Malick’s similarly titled “The New World.” Say this for director Michael Haussman and writer Rob Allyn: They have good taste. Their period drama set in 19th-century Borneo may not rise to the level of its lyrical predecessor — few movies do, after all — but there are worse transgressions than a film’s grasp exceeding its reach.

In yet another similarity to Malick’s retelling of the American creation myth, “Edge of the World” follows an English explorer who finds more than he was expecting upon arriving in a foreign land. Here it’s Sir James Brooke (Johnathan Rhys Meyers), who arrives in Borneo in 1839 and quickly meets two princes vying for power; that they’re cousins only adds to the intrigue — and tension. Much to their surprise,...

Is there a place in cinema, today, for the kind of adventure stories which dominated the screen during the mid 20th Century? Even Marvel has had to acknowledge that the antics of its Avengers inflict a cost on bystanders, their homes and cultural values. The idea of the world as a playground for the rich is now seen less as glamorous and more as monstrous. Tales about the bold explorers involved in the expansion of the British Empire are now recognised as intrinsically bound up with oppression and brutal violence. There were, however, a few men who stood against the Empire's worst excesses even as they served under its banners, and their stories seem tailor made for audiences seeing a less problematic exploration of those days.

Among those men was James Brooke, the inspiration for Lord Jim and The Man Who Would Be King. This film picks up his story.

This feature contains Tenet spoilers.

I think this is the end of a beautiful friendship. Those are the (near) final words of the ever wry Neil in Tenet. Riffing on the last line of dialogue from another Warner Bros. film, Michael Curtiz’s Casablanca, it’s a wink and a nudge from Christopher Nolan toward classic Hollywood cinema. But it’s also an admission by the Robert Pattinson character that he is at least vaguely aware that he’s headed toward his death, and though he is about to die, his relationship with the Protagonist (John David Washington) has only just begun.

On first viewing it’s a bit of a bewildering revelation. In fact, many watched the whole film without realizing the Robert Pattinson character had already died onscreen before he saved the Protagonist and Ives (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), plus the Algorithm, from certain death in the bowels of subterranean Siberia.

Over the course of her legendary career, Alice Lee “Boaty” Boatwright has cast iconic movies, served as a studio exec and repped starry talent including Joan Didion, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Reflecting on it today, she says her career really took off after a pivotal encounter at Sardi’s restaurant more than 60 years ago. Sitting with her friend Sue Mengers, not yet the legendary agent she would become, Boatwright jumped out of her seat and grabbed Alan Pakula, whom she had never met.

“I have to find you Scout,” Boatwright, then a young publicist at Universal, informed Pakula. She knew that he and Robert Mulligan had recently secured the film rights to Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” for the studio.

The following day, after a conversation with her boss, Boatwright had lunch with Pakula and Mulligan. Her Southern background and charm won the producing-directing duo over, and...

"Might I be allowed to go up river?" Samuel Goldwyn Films has released an official US trailer for a colonial historic thriller titled Edge of the World, a jungle crusade movie from director Michael Haussman. We already posted the epic UK trailer one month ago. The film takes us on the true "adventures" of Sir James Brooke, who defied the British Empire to rule a jungle kingdom in 1840s Borneo, embarked on a lifelong crusade to end piracy, slavery and head-hunting, and partly inspired both the Rudyard Kipling story "The Man Who Would Be King" and Joseph Conrad's "Lord Jim". To save his people, he must shed Englishness and embrace the jungle: "All of it, the beauty and the blood." The film stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Brooke, along with Dominic Monaghan, Ralph Ineson, Hannah New, Josie Ho, & Bront Palarae. This looks like a very powerful story of defiant men.

"Now matter how far you run, you can never escape yourself..." Whoa, this trailer! Signature has released an official trailer for an epic new colonial historic thriller titled Edge of the World, a jungle crusade movie from filmmaker Michael Haussman. The film takes us on the true "adventures" of Sir James Brooke, who defied the British Empire to rule a jungle kingdom in 1840s Borneo, embarked on a lifelong crusade to end piracy, slavery and head-hunting, and partly inspired both the Rudyard Kipling story "The Man Who Would Be King" and Joseph Conrad's novel "Lord Jim". The film stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Brooke, along with Dominic Monaghan, Ralph Ineson, Hannah New, Josie Ho, & Bront Palarae. Wow this looks incredible! Reminds me of something as grand as The New World or The Lost City of Z in terms of taking us on this magnificent journey deep into the jungle to explore humanity.

Decades before he carried Batman’s breakfast, grunted “bah-humbug” at the Muppets, and launched a thousand mediocre Cockney impersonations, Michael Caine mostly played transgressors.

Listen: Kasi Lemmons: The Power of Myth, History, And Black Love [Be Reel Podcast]

In films like “Alfie” (1966), “The Italian Job” (1969), “Get Carter” (1971), and “The Man Who Would Be King” (1975), Caine brought a streetwise intelligence to a gallery of anti-social rogues: philanderers, killers and colonialists.

Continue reading The Man Who Would Be Caine [Be Reel Podcast] at The Playlist.

Exclusive: Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired U.S. rights to Margate House Films’ Edge of the World (previously known as Rajah), starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors), Josie Ho (Dream Home) and Dominic Monaghan (Lord of the Rings).

Rob Allyn penned the script and produced the period adventure film alongside sons and partners Conor and Jake Allyn via their production company Margate House Films, together with Ho and Conroy Chan for 852 Films. Samuel Goldwyn is planning a release in June.

Helmed by Sundance and Venice alum Michael Haussman, the movie charts the true story of Sir James Brooke, the English adventurer who partly inspired Rudyard Kipling story The Man Who Would Be King and Joseph Conrad novel Lord Jim. Brooke fought pirates and slavery to rule a kingdom larger than England in the jungles of Sarawak, Borneo, where the movie was filmed with support from the Sarawak Tourism Board and...

A long-cherished project of director John Huston, this memorable Rudyard Kipling adaptation finally came together with Sean Connery and Michael Caine on location in Morocco and Marrakech. Christopher Plummer, playing Kipling, immersed himself in every recording and picture of the novelist he could find. In the end Connery and Caine had to sue the overextended major-studio-wannabe Allied Artists for their percentages. A long-awaited Blu-ray is on its way from Warner Home Video.

The post The Man Who Would Be King appeared first on Trailers From Hell.

Christopher Plummer appeared in over 200 films during a storied career spanning seven decades. Though he first found fame as Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music, that ultimately provided a springboard to an eclectic career that surprised and delighted in equal measure. Plummer was an accomplished theatre performer with an uncanny knack for stealing the show in minor yet memorable roles; a magnetic presence you simply couldn’t take your eyes off.

Everyone has a favourite Plummer performance whether it be as Rudyard Kipling in John Huston’s The Man Who Would Be King or his recent turn in Rian Johnson’s inventive murder mystery Knives Out. Yet for Star Trek fans, the late, great Oscar winner will always be remembered as General Chang from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, an iconic villain and one arguably responsible for rescuing the entire franchise.

Bringing Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country...

This one hurts, ladies and gentlemen. Legendary actor Christopher Plummer has passed away at the age of 91. The star of everything from The Sound of Music to Knives Out, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country to The Man Who Would Be King, Plummer was the definition of a Hollywood star. In a career that spanned eight decades, Plummer did it all from television and film to stage and even video games. The Canadian-born Plummer was the recipient of countless awards including the 2011 Best Supporting…...

It’s some kind of paradox — he probably thought of it as a joke played on him by the gods — that Christopher Plummer, the impishly irascible, velvet-voiced star of stage and screen who died Friday at 91, was one of the great Shakespearean actors of the 20th century, as well as a notorious rapscallion who spent decades living the dissolute high life, yet the first thing that most people think of when they hear his name is “The Sound of Music,” the timelessly beloved 1965 musical that’s the sugary quintessence of G-rated Hollywood wholesomeness. “The Sound of Music” is not a hip movie to like. Critics have spent half a century taking snide swipes at it, and Plummer himself liked to call it “The Sound of Mucus.” Yet as an unashamed fanatic for it, I’d argue that “The Sound of Music” carries the hint of a more turbulent inner quality...

Distinguished Canadian actor Christopher Plummer, best known for his role as Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, has died at the age of 91.

He won an Oscar in 2012 for the film Beginners and was also nominated for The Last Station in 2010 and All the Money in the World in 2018. In the latter film, he replaced Kevin Spacey, whose performance as billionaire J Paul Getty was removed.

According to reports, Plummer died peacefully at his home in Connecticut with his wife Elaine Taylor at his side. Lou Pitt, his long-time friend and manager of 46 years, remembered him as "an extraordinary man who deeply loved and respected his profession", the BBC reported.

Plummer's many other films included The Man Who Would Be King and Knives Out.

He was a memorably villainous Klingon in the sixth Star Trek film and played TV anchorman Mike Wallace in 1999's The Insider.

He also...

Plummer in "Battle of Britain" (1969).

By Lee Pfeiffer

Christopher Plummer, the world-acclaimed star of stage, screen and television, has passed away at age 91. Complications from a fall in his Connecticut home were cited as the cause of death. Plummer never had to make his way up the ranks on the big screen. He received prominent billing in his movie debut in Sidney Lumet's 1958 production of  "Stage Struck"- and henceforth he would generally enjoy starring roles. Plummer moved with ease between films, stage and TV, earning critical plaudits along the way, as well as winning two Tony Awards and a late career Oscar for the film "Beginnings" in 2010. He was especially acclaimed for his work in Shakespearean productions in the U.S., England and Canada. Plummer, a native Canadian, became a legend by playing the male lead, Captain von Trapp, in the 1965 Oscar-winning film production of "The Sound of Music...

Update: “Beginners” director Mike Mills has spoken to IndieWire about the passing of Christopher Plummer, who won an Academy Award for his role in the film. Plummer played Hal Fields, an aging patriarch who comes out to his son late in life, and chooses to live his final years as an out gay man.

“It was a great honor to work with Christopher, to be in conversation with such a dedicated artist,” Mike Mills said. “In his 80s when we met, I marveled at his intense curiosity, hunger to make something vulnerable, and his need to challenge himself. Christopher was both dignified and mischievous, deeply cultured and always looking for a good laugh. As he said about playing my father who was dying ‘not an ounce of self pity,’ and that’s how he was. I’ll always be indebted to Christopher for honoring the story of an older man...

Christopher Plummer, the prolific actor who starred in The Sound of Music, Beginners, The Last Station and countless more, died Friday, February 5th. He was 91.

Plummer’s manager, Lou Pitt, confirmed his death, in a statement to Variety, “Chris was an extraordinary man who deeply loved and respected his profession with great old fashion manners, self deprecating humor and the music of words. He was a National Treasure who deeply relished his Canadian roots. Through his art and humanity, he touched all of our hearts and his legendary life will...