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Roger Corman, the B-movie legend who helped launch the careers of Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, and Francis Ford Coppola, among many others, has passed away at the age of 98. His family told Variety that he died on Thursday, May 9, at his home in Santa Monica, surrounded by his loved ones. The family also released this statement:

"His films were revolutionary and iconoclastic, and captured the spirit of an age. When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, 'I was a filmmaker, just that.'"

It's no exaggeration to say that Hollywood wouldn't be the same without Roger Corman. In a career that spanned half a century and hundreds of films, he directed and/or produced B-movie hits and cult classics like "House of Usher," "The Little Shop of Horrors," "Death Race 2000," and "Attack of the Crab Monsters" (not to mention a famously unreleased "Fantastic Four" movie...

George Lazenby, whose sole turn as James Bond in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was blessed with the casting of costar Diana Rigg, dispelled those ancient tales of an on-set feud today, writing, ” Much was made of our supposed differences but that was the Press looking for a news story.”

Rigg, who died this morning at the age of 82, played the doomed Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo in the Peter R. Hunt-directed 007 film, earning her praise as one of the best, if not the best, Bond Girl ever. The character didn’t live long though, getting killed off soon after the Bond wedding.

Longer lasting were rumors of discord between Rigg and Lazenby, notably the anecdote that the actress so disliked the actor that she ate garlic before a big kissing scene.

According to an account of the feud’s history published in The Independent, Rigg wrote...

Successfully launched in May, and featured on The Independent, Screen Anime is a monthly curated online film festival, offering an ideal opportunity for those new to the medium to discover quality hand-picked anime composed of four movies and an entire TV Show that changes each month. Committed anime fans can enhance their experience by exploring extra features and much more.

This is an amazing service born out of the adversity of the pandemic shutting down shared film-viewing in cinemas to bring fans together in their homes.

Every week a title will be picked for a watch-a-long on twitter as part of a long-term drive to offer a true sense of community. On 2 July at 7.30 pm “Weathering with You” will be presented, followed only a few days after on 9 July” by “Your Name“. You can join the screening using the #ScreenAnimeParty hashtag.

At the virtual Cannes market, the Exchange is pre-selling political thriller “The Independent,” the narrative feature debut of twice Emmy-nominated director Amy Rice, starring “The Big Sick” star Kumail Nanjiani. Variety spoke to Rice about the film.

In “The Independent,” America’s first viable independent presidential candidate is poised for victory when an idealistic journalist uncovers a conspiracy, which places the fate of the election and the country in his hands.

Rice, whose credits include HBO’s “By the People: The Election of Barack Obama,” is scheduled to shoot the movie next year. The screenplay is written by two-time Black List scribe Evan Parter, who is writing the upcoming Amazon Studios Original feature about former Nixon administration staffer John Dean, starring Chris Pine.

Rice, who describes herself as a “political junkie,” says: “It is rare these days to come across such a thought-provoking political thriller, so the second I finished...

Winona Ryder tells The Sunday Times (via The Independent) in a new interview that her longtime friendship with Keanu Reeves started on the set of “Dracula” when Reeves refused to insult his co-star in order to get her to cry during a scene. Reeves was instructed to do so by “Dracula” director Francis Ford Coppola. The scene in question featured Gary Oldman’s Dracula turning into a pile of rats and Ryder’s Mina Harker reacting in shock. Ryder was supposed to cry during the scene but was having trouble producing tears during her takes.

According to Ryder, Coppola thought he might be able to get her to cry on set by hurling insults at her. The director stood off camera and reportedly shouted “You whore!” at Ryder in order to offend her to the point of tears, but that bit of direction didn’t work. Ryder said that’s...

Winona Ryder tells The Sunday Times (via The Independent) in a new interview that her longtime friendship with Keanu Reeves started on the set of “Dracula” when Reeves refused to insult his co-star in order to get her to cry during a scene. Reeves was instructed to do so by “Dracula” director Francis Ford Coppola. The scene in question featured Gary Oldman’s Dracula turning into a pile of rats and Ryder’s Mina Harker reacting in shock. Ryder was supposed to cry during the scene but was having trouble producing tears during her takes.

According to Ryder, Coppola thought he might be able to get her to cry on set by hurling insults at her. The director stood off camera and reportedly shouted “You whore!” at Ryder in order to offend her to the point of tears, but that bit of direction didn’t work. Ryder said that’s...

R&B/hip-hop artist Anderson Paak was a surprising nominee for Best New Artist in 2017, and he was arguably an even more surprising winner in 2019 when he claimed Best Rap Performance for “Bubblin” in a rare tie with Kendrick Lamar and his collaborators for “King’s Dead.” Hardly any of our readers saw that coming. Now that he has gotten his first win out of the way, he could be back for more. He released his fourth studio album, “Ventura,” on April 12, and the reviews as of this writing have been excellent.

It’s early yet, but “Ventura” has a MetaCritic score of 81 based on 7 reviews, all of them positive. It comes only five months after the release of his last album, “Oxnard,” which was recorded at the same time but wasn’t quite as well received as Paak’s previous music due to its shift away from soul towards more commercial hip-hop.

It hasn’t been a good week for Liam Neeson. He’s still getting raked over the coals for an interview telling the story of how he fantasized about killing “some black bastard” after a close friend was raped. And now, his latest gritty action film, “Cold Pursuit,” is yielding one of the worst opening weekends in the actor’s box office career.

The Lionsgate film opened with an estimated $10.8 million, the worst opening for any wide release starring Neeson since 2010. That year, he starred alongside Russell Crowe in “The Next Three Days,” which opened to $6.5 million.

To be fair, “Cold Pursuit” wasn’t tracking to be a blockbuster even before his ill-timed interview with London’s The Independent — or a Tuesday “Good Morning America” appearance in which he insisted he’s not a racist.

Prior to this past week, the Lionsgate film was expected by independent trackers to only open to $7-10 million.

Liam Neeson is on the ropes and ducking faster than a pro boxer -- he's reportedly pulled out of an interview with Stephen Colbert on the heels of his tale of seeking race-based revenge. Neeson's backed out of a scheduled Friday night appearance on the 'Late Show' ... according to The Wrap. He's clearly doing everything he can to avoid any further questions about his confession this week that 40 years ago he went out trying to...

Liam Neeson's own words -- about looking for a "black bastard" to kill 40 years ago -- are derailing the NYC rollout of his new movie. "Cold Pursuit" is premiering Tuesday night in NYC, but the studio's decided to cancel the red carpet event -- meaning Neeson won't have to face the media. That change was announced just hours before the premiere -- and a few hours after Neeson tried to soften the blow of his bombshell revelation.

Liam Neeson is insisting that he’s not racist after revealing that he once sought out any random black man to “kill.”

The Irish actor, 66, sat down with Good Morning America‘s Robin Roberts on Tuesday, speaking out for the first time about the controversy surrounding the shocking comments he made in an interview with The Independent, published Monday.

In the interview with the U.K. outlet, Neeson recalled how he had sought “revenge” after a female friend of his was allegedly raped. The actor claimed he was walking the streets with a weapon wanting to murder a black man,...

Liam Neeson has responded to his controversial interview with The Independent in which he revealed he once sought an “awful” revenge for his friend’s rape. Speaking to Good Morning America, Neeson said he is not racist and that his intent to kill the “black man” who sexually assaulted his friend was stimulated purely out of the “primal urge” to stand up for his friend.

“We were doing a press junket and the topic of our film is revenge,” Neeson said about The Independent interview. “It’s a dark comedy, but its basis is revenge. The lady journalist asked me how I tapped into that. I remembered an incident nearly 40 years ago where a dear friend of mine was brutally raped. I was out of the country. When she came back she told me about this and she handled the situation herself with incredible bravery, I have to say that.

Liam Neeson is grabbing the attention of many followers for his latest interview. As the actor supports his new film Cold Pursuit, the 66-year-old is making headlines for a recent incident he described in detail. While speaking to The Independent, Liam recalled the moment he found out that a friend had been sexually violated. "She handled the situation of the rape in the most extraordinary way. But my immediate reaction was…I asked, Did she know who it was? No. What color were they? She said it was a black person," Liam explained. "I went up and down areas with a cosh, hoping I'd be approached by somebody – I'm ashamed to say that – and I did it for maybe a week, hoping...

If you’re looking for measured, considered discussions about current events, the internet probably isn’t the place for you. Filmmakers Marc Silverstein and Abby Kohn learned that lesson the hard way back in February, when the first trailer for their comedy “I Feel Pretty” hit the web. Amy Schumer stars in the film as Renee, a seemingly regular gal with low self-esteem who literally wacks herself — she cracks her head open during a particularly bad SoulCycle class — into believing she’s the most beautiful and confident woman in the world.

It didn’t go over well.

Social media backlash to the trailer was so immediate and widespread that it became a Twitter Moment. Comedian Sofia Hagen took to the platform with her concerns, writing a long thread that opened with some questions, “Who is this supposed to resonate with? Before we can enjoy the premise, surely we have to...

Kacey Musgraves made a big impact with her major label debut album “Same Trailer Different Park,” which set her apart from her country-music contemporaries with lyrics questioning religion and small town life, embracing the Lgbt community, and occasionally extolling the pleasures of marijuana. But while she has always been lyrically progressive, she has always balanced that with a quieter, contemplative sound. Now comes her fourth major-label album — and third non-holiday album — “Golden Hour,” which was released on March 30, which marks a significant sonic departure for the singer-songwriter, blending her usual country-pop with disco and electronic influences.

As of this writing “Golden Hour” has earned raves from critics, receiving a score of 92 on MetaCritic based on six reviews. Musgrave has “never sounded as confident as this,” according to music journalists. “Her talent as a songwriter … is second to none.” “You’ll be hard pushed to find a better collection of pop...

Yes, you’ve read all about Margot Robbie’s I, Tonya transformation and you know Saoirse Ronan proudly rocked her acne in Lady Bird, but are you familiar with the lesser-known trivia about the 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards nominees? Never fear: We’ve rounded up a variety of tidbits that are perfect for peppering in viewing party conversations (and will likely serve you well in future rounds of trivia).

Being an actress wasn’t Margot Robbie’s childhood dream.

“When I was little, I thought I was going to be a magician,” she told Vanity Fair. “I had tricks and thought they were genius.

Just as one Star Wars mainstay climbs aboard (read: Warwick Davis), The Independent is reporting that Spencer Wilding has landed a role in Ron Howard’s Han Solo spinoff as well. But does that mean Darth Vader is a shoo-in to appear?

Sources close to the production claim that Wilding, who portrayed the physical Vader in last year’s Rogue One Anthology film – the great James Earl Jones lent his booming voice to the part – is actually playing a different character altogether, given his vast expertise in costume (see: Doctor Who, Game of Thrones and Guardians of the Galaxy). No Vader for Han Solo, then, which is just as well considering the famous smuggler doesn’t seem to have much luck when he crosses paths with the glowering Sith Lord. Ditto for Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), who actually betrayed Han and Leia aboard Cloud City.

All that being said, earlier...

It’s not over ’til the electors say it’s over.

Democratic and Republican electors are still working on last-ditch efforts to block President-elect Donald Trump from winning the Electoral College vote on Monday.

Democratic electors filed lawsuits in Colorado, California and Washington state seeking to overturn — or avoid being fined for breaking — laws binding them to vote for the candidate who won their state’s popular vote. (In the cases of those three states, that’s former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.)

The lawsuits were filed as part of a larger effort to unite with Republican electors to vote for...

The Notebook, Knocked Up and Magic Mike will never be the same again. Moviegoers might be shocked to learn that some of their favorite films have almost been overshadowed by on-set drama between cast and crew members - but the reality of it is: it's more common than one would think. Here are some of the most memorable moments in movie history. 1. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Called Out Less-than-stellar Fast 8 Co-stars A photo posted by therock (@therock) on Aug 5, 2016 at 6:37am Pdt As is the norm in Hollywood, Johnson took to social media - specifically Instagram...

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BBC Three put Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding’s wilfully shambolic live act and radio series, The Mighty Boosh, on TV…

Part of The Mighty Boosh’s delight comes from its unlikelihood as a TV sitcom. Its boundless Day-Glo imagination isn’t an immediate fit with the constraints of the form. A sunshine simpleton and his awkward, jazz-obsessed colleague meet mythic monsters and talking animals while performing expertly observed musical parody? It’s not exactly My Family.

As comedian, writer, and director of Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding’s 1999 Edinburgh show Arctic Boosh, Stewart Lee, put it, “No television exec would ever have gone ‘What we need is a kind of purple head with tentacles coming out of it which speaks like a member of the Small Faces’”.

And yet a television exec did. Granted, probably not in those exact words. After Danny Wallace opened the door...

Coleen Gray actress ca. 1950. Coleen Gray: Actress in early Stanley Kubrick film noir, destroyer of men in cult horror 'classic' Actress Coleen Gray, best known as the leading lady in Stanley Kubrick's film noir The Killing and – as far as B horror movie aficionados are concerned – for playing the title role in The Leech Woman, died at age 92 in Aug. 2015. This two-part article, which focuses on Gray's film career, is a revised and expanded version of the original post published at the time of her death. Born Doris Bernice Jensen on Oct. 23, 1922, in Staplehurst, Nebraska, at a young age she moved with her parents, strict Lutheran Danish farmers, to Minnesota. After getting a degree from St. Paul's Hamline University, she relocated to Southern California to be with her then fiancé, an army private. At first, she eked out a living as a waitress at a La Jolla hotel...

Coleen Gray actress ca. 1950. Coleen Gray: Actress in early Stanley Kubrick film noir, destroyer of men in cult horror 'classic' Actress Coleen Gray, best known as the leading lady in Stanley Kubrick's film noir The Killing and – as far as B horror movie aficionados are concerned – for playing the title role in The Leech Woman, died at age 92 in Aug. 2015. This two-part article, which focuses on Gray's film career, is a revised and expanded version of the original post published at the time of her death. Born Doris Bernice Jensen on Oct. 23, 1922, in Staplehurst, Nebraska, at a young age she moved with her parents, strict Lutheran Danish farmers, to Minnesota. After getting a degree from St. Paul's Hamline University, she relocated to Southern California to be with her then fiancé, an army private. At first, she eked out a living as a waitress at a La Jolla hotel...

Birthday shoutouts go to Duncan Sheik (above), who is 44, Linda Evans is 71, Susan Sullivan is 71, Chloe Sevigny is 39, Owen Wilson is 45, and Kim Wilde is 53. Here’s her greatest song.

Big congrats to Orlando Cruz, who married boyfriend José Manuel Colón in Central Park over the weekend

In ratings news, the premiere of Almost Human delivered solid numbers, while Revenge finally stopped the bleeding, and was up 15%.

Jack Andraka honored by The Vatican.

A Decade After Massachusetts’ Landmark Gay Marriage Ruling, The Gains Are Clear

A Few Words From a Real, Live C*cksucking Fag

Grant Gustin will introduce his Barry Allen character on episodes 8 and 9 of Arrow, but plans for him to come back in full The Flash gear on episode 20 have been scrapped. Instead, The Flash will have his own standalone pilot, which is a very good sign that we might be seeing more of him. Here are...

Los Angeles (September 17, 2013) – The Independent Film & Television Association (Ifta), the trade association representing producers and distributors worldwide, today announced that Paul Hertzberg (President and CEO, CineTel Films, Inc.) will continue as Chairman for a further two year term. Nominations for election to Ifta’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee are complete and the slate of candidates vying for seats is extensive, including executives from Entertainment One, FilmNation, Lionsgate, Relativity and Weinstein. The elections are held as part of Ifta’s Annual Members Meeting at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles and concurrently at the British Screen Advisory Council in London. This year’s election has 23 candidates from across the independent film industry seeking 12 open seats on Ifta’s Board of Directors. An additional 14 Board Members are starting the second year of their two year terms and are not up for election. Nominees for the Ifta Board of Directors...

Steve Delaney brought his much-loved Radio 4 comedy creation Count Arthur Strong to TV screens for the first time last night (July 8) and split viewers and critics in half with his old-fashioned and rather quaint sitcom.

Brought to TV with a helping hand from Graham Linehan (Father Ted, Black Books), the show's first episode was loved by some for its mix of silliness and pathos. However, other viewers were left cold and found the studio audience laughter grating.

Here's a snapshot sample of what Twitter, the forums and critics are saying.

The Critics

The Daily Telegraph

"It is a measure of Delaney's standing in comedy circles that, for this zany and long-overdue sitcom, none other than Father Ted creator Graham Linehan has joined him to co-write and direct. And, on the evidence of last night's first episode of Count Arthur Strong, the Count's transition to the telly is looking, if not perfect,...

News.

Liu Chia-liang (also known as Lau Kar-leung), the legendary Hong Kong martial artist, actor, and filmmaker, has passed away at the age of 78 (1934-2013). For the time being, it appears that one of his masterpieces, Eight-Diagram Pole Fighter, is streaming on YouTube (though in Mandarin). Also make sure to watch the stunning credit fight sequence above from Executioners From Shaolin. Another legend, science fiction master Richard Matheson, the author of numerous books, screenplays and stories, has passed away at the age of 87. We're also still processing the shocking news of James Gandolfini's death last week at the age of 51. Make sure to browse David Hudson's roundup of remembrances of the great actor at The Keyframe Daily. The Locarno Film Festival has announced Baltasar Kormákur’s 2 Guns and Pascal Plisson’s On the Way to School as its opening and closing films for this coming August, as well...

Former Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten has come under fire after launching a bizarre sexist rant on Australian TV when the show's female anchor, Carrie Bickmore, asked him about the death of Baroness Thatcher.

Rotten, real name John Lydon, has been branded a “sexist, misogynist pig” by Bickmore's co-host Andrew Rochford, after his appearance on talk show 'The Project' on Channel Ten.

The disgusting tirade started with Rotten saying "missus, shutup", he then told her, "when a man is talking do not interrupt."

He continued, with his seemingly over-inflated ego, thus: "You're beginning to sound like excited children, you're talking to a proper master of the universe here."

Rotten is currently touring the country with his band Public Image Limited.

However, he has hit back at claims he's sexist.“It’s quite clear to me I’m not a sexist and I’m not a misogynist.”

He said that if someone interrupts,...

Singer/songwriter Paul Williams, as Stephen Kessler’s brilliant (and occasionally heartbreaking) new documentary “Paul Williams: Still Alive” teaches us, is indeed, still very much alive. The versatile entertainer has had a profound impact on popular culture, writing songs for The Carpenters (“We’ve Only Just Begun,” as the documentary points out, originated from a television jingle), Helen Reddy, and Elvis Presley. Williams made nearly constant appearances on 1970s television, not only as a performer and guest on countless talk shows but also in episodic dramas like “Hawaii Five-o” and “The Love Boat.” He wrote “Rainbow Connection” for “The Muppet Movie,” won an Oscar for “Evergreen” from the Streisand/Kristofferson “A Star Is Born,” and wrote the songs, score, and co-starred in Brian De Palma’s cult classic “Phantom of the Paradise.” We sat down with Williams and Kessler to discuss making the film, how it became a buddy movie between the two of them,...

Stephen Kessler knows the secret to a successful career in film; "I grew up in NYC before there were personal computers, when moms liked to just take diet pills and lock you in your room with the TV as your friend and babysitter. As it turns out, it was the only thing I really needed." That, and the occasional Hungry Man TV dinner. "I still get excited when I see the words Hungry Man," the director admits. He is the director of films like "The Independent," "Vegas Vacation" and now "Paul Williams Still Alive." What it's about: "When I was a kid, I really wanted to be Paul Williams. For a long time, I thought he was dead. Turns out, he's not." Director Kessler says:  "My film tells the story of an amazing singer, songwriter, TV and movie star--but it's not a film about singing, songwriting, TV, or movies. It's...

As director Stephen Kessler notes in his documentary, Paul Williams Still Alive, in the ’70s, the tiny blond singer was everywhere. He could be found on daytime game shows (The Gong Show) and nighttime dramas (The Love Boat), on The Muppets as well as in the lead of a Brian DePalma film (The Phantom of the Paradise). And then he faded from the cultural limelight. How much of his disappearance can be explained by the simple fact that people — audiences and performers — get older? Or does the fade of Williams’ quirky and emotional star say something deeper about the state of our culture? For Kessler, the subject was also a re-entry to the feature business; it’s been over a decade since his films The Independent and Vegas Vacation. We talked to him about all of this, as well as what he’s learned from directing commercials.

Filmmaker: When did you first encounter Paul Williams?...

[1] What is Page 2? Page 2 is a compilation of stories and news tidbits, which for whatever reason, didn’t make the front page of /Film. After the jump we’ve included 46 different items, fun images, videos, casting tidbits, articles of interest and more. It’s like a mystery grab bag of movie web related goodness. If you have any interesting items that we might've missed that you think should go in /Film's Page 2 - email us [2]! [3] Paramount Pictures has released [4] a bunch of new images from Super 8, featuring mostly kids looking at something out of frame. Odh [5] lists the top 10 Best Post-apocalyptic Movies. Robbe Rees and Lee Keeler have created a retro movie trailer for The Tree of Life. A Moviehole [6] reader got an update on Last Starfighter 2 from Nick Castle: "I asked Nick if the rumers of a sequel were true and he said they were. They almost...

Ballet drama "Black Swan" triumphed at the 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards and won for Best Feature, Best Director for Darren Aronofsky, Best Female Lead for Natalie Portman, and Best Cinematography for Matthew Libatique.

Oscar nominee Natalie Portman added this victory to her impressive collection of awards she took home this season, including a Golden Globe, BAFTA and SAG Award for Best Actress. Best Supporting Female went to Dale Dickey for "Winter's Bone."

15 Facts about Natalie Portman!

The debate rages on as to whether the doomed Nina really did dance a "perfect" performance of "Swan Lake" in "Black Swan."

But the Independent Spirit Awards have certainly acknowledged that the movie itself came pretty close to perfection.

"Black Swan" swept the Spirit Awards with wins for Best Feature, Best Female Lead, Best Director and Best Cinematography. Darren Aronofsky's operatic tale of fear, loathing and madness at the New York City Ballet won in every category for which it was nominated.

While Natalie Portman may have beaten Jennifer Lawrence in the Best Female Lead category, "Winter's Bone" did take home awards for the performances of two of its supporting players, Dale Dickey and Jack Hawkes.

Meanwhile, the co-host of this year's Oscars, James Franco, won for his lead performance in "127 Hours." The newly PG-13-rated "The King's Speech" won Best Foreign Film and "Exit Through the Gift Shop" won Best Documentary,...

When we watch movies, it's always filtered through our own experiences. I never had pets growing up, so violence against animals never bothers me. But for some folks, it's a deal breaker. I like depressing relationship "comedies" like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Lars and the Real Girl and Blue Valentine, but for folks who like sunshine and rainbows, it's a dreary experience. We all watch movies differently, based on how we've lived our lives, and so our reactions are different. But even more so than that, it's how we watch the movies. A comedy watched in a theater full of an appreciative audience might be funnier than when we watch it alone at home during the week. The first film you see with your father or mother in a theater is going to resonate much differently than if you are watching it with a group of friends,...

Natalie Portman is going to get a stiff competition from Jennifer Lawrence at 2011 Independent Spirit Awards. The nominees for the annual awards dedicated to independent filmmakers have been announced on Tuesday, November 30, and both actresses were unraveled to be among those up for Best Female Lead.

29-year-old Natalie received the nomination for her portrayal of a ballet dancer in "Black Swan", while 20-year-old Jennifer got her nod for her role as a teen on a desperate search to find her missing father in "Winter's Bone". Both of them were nominated along with Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig, Nicole Kidman and Michelle Williams.

In addition to Natalie's acting nom, her psychological thriller "Black Swan" has nabbed three other nods. It is vying for Best Feature along with "Winter's Bone", "127 Hours", "Greenberg" and "The Kids Are All Right". Additionally, it also collected nomination for its director Darren Aronofsky and cinematographer Matthew Libatique.

Jennifer's "Winter's Bone", in the meantime,...

The gritty Ozarks drama "Winter's Bone," directed by Debra Granik, scored seven Independent Spirit Award nominations -- including nods for Best Feature, Best Director and Best Actress for star Jennifer Lawrence.

Other Best Feature nominees include Danny Boyle's "127 Hours," Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan," Noah Baumbach's "Greenberg" and Lisa Cholodenko's "The Kids Are All Right."

"Extra" also caught up with "Community's" Joel McHale, who is set to host the Indie Spirit Awards ceremony.

'127 Hours,' 'Greenberg,' 'The Kids Are All Right' also up for best feature.

By James Kuo

Jennifer Lawrence in "Winter's Bone"

Photo: Anonymous Content

Movie awards season is here again. And while most of the year's big Oscar-buzz-generating films have yet to open, the indies, as usual, are a step ahead. On Tuesday (November 30), a day after "Winter's Bone" won best feature at the Gotham Awards, the film garnered seven Independent Spirit Award nominations, including a nod for best feature.

"Winter's Bone," directed by Debra Granik, is a dark drama about a girl (Jennifer Lawrence) looking for her father in a drug-riddled rural Arkansas community. Granik earned nominations for best director and best screenplay along with co-writer Anne Rosellini.

Rounding out the nominations for Spirit's best feature list was Danny Boyle's "127 Hours," Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan," Noah Baumbach's "Greenberg" and Lisa Cholodenko...

'127 Hours,' 'Greenberg,' 'The Kids Are All Right' also up for best feature.

By James Kuo

Jennifer Lawrence in "Winter's Bone"

Photo: Anonymous Content

Movie awards season is here again. And while most of the year's big Oscar-buzz-generating films have yet to open, the indies, as usual, are a step ahead. On Tuesday (November 30), a day after "Winter's Bone" won best feature at the Gotham Awards, the film garnered seven Independent Spirit Award nominations, including a nod for best feature.

"Winter's Bone," directed by Debra Granik, is a dark drama about a girl (Jennifer Lawrence) looking for her father in a drug-riddled rural Arkansas community. Granik earned nominations for best director and best screenplay along with co-writer Anne Rosellini.

Rounding out the nominations for Spirit's best feature list was Danny Boyle's "127 Hours," Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan," Noah Baumbach's "Greenberg" and Lisa Cholodenko...

The director of To Kill A Killer is auditioning for and is close to a full cast for his next film, tentatively titled "Frankenstein: The Day of the Beast". The titular doctor hires a group of mercenaries to protect him from the film's more feral Monster, giving the flick a more Predator-esque angle. Click through for the film's official Facebook page: Frankenstein 2011.

In an interview with The Independent, director Ridley Scott revealed possible details a two-part 3D prequel to the original "Alien" that focuses on the origins of the infamous xenomorphs, 30 years prior to the first flick. Lost scribe Damon Lindelof is reworking a script Ridley described as being about "...gods and engineers. Engineers of space."

The Deadline reports on meetings between a pool of possible directors for their upcoming adaptation of Suzanne Collins bestseller Hunger Games. David Slade (Twilight: Eclipse), Gary Ross (Pleasantville) and Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road) are...

Piranhas are proving a popular choice in films at the moment.

Released on the big screen on August 20 is Piranha 3D in which an underwater tremor frees a prehistoric variety of the flesh-eaters into Lake Victoria, just as residents and tourists gather for fun in the sun during the spring break.

And out on DVD from Metrodome this week is Mega Piranha, in which giant mutant fish escape from the Amazon and chomp their way towards Florida. Pop singer Tiffany is among the cast of the creature feature.

Mega Piranha went down a storm at a limited London screening last month, as viewers played a game to guess the number of deaths and revelled in the cheesy special effects, bad acting and overblown tone.

But reviewers were less than happy and, as you can see in the following compilation of critiques, proved their teeth were more than a match for the film's aquatic horrors.

If the film critic and blogger world is currently gushing like a busted dam over Inception, then they’re united in mutual loathing for the latest mockbuster – Mega Piranha. One is reminded of the critical drubbing given to Citizen Kane upon its release back in 1941.

So let’s call Mega Piranha the ‘Citizen Kane of Monster Movies’. Here’s a fine selection of reviews from UK-based outlets.

“The tiny pause at the end of every line and the wooden reaction shots tell us where we are: B-movie hell. The monster fish are about as scary as tinned tuna. Paul Logan plays one of the least Special Agents ever sent to troubleshoot. The screenplay is credited to Eric Forsberg. Watch out for his work.”

One Star / The Independent

“A cynical and humourless attempt to fabricate B-movie chuckles in the “creature-feature/red-scare” vein. With a nod and wink, the film serves up loads of wooden acting,...

Thursday:

10:00-11:00 – DreamWorks Animation: Megamind — DreamWorks Animation makes its Comic-Con debut with Megamind. The characters Megamind and Metro Man are jettisoned to Earth as babies when their home planets are destroyed. Megamind crash-lands inside a maximum-security prison, where he evolves into the wicked and diabolical genius he is today, while the dashingly handsome superhero Metro Man grows into the universally adored savior of Metro City, beloved by every man, woman and child — and especially the city’s ace reporter Roxanne Ritchi. These life-long archenemies will rewrite superhero movie lore when they challenge each other to the ultimate showdown of Good vs. Evil! Megamind stars Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Jonah Hill and director Tom McGrath join forces to unveil footage from DreamWorks Animation’s November 5 release. Hall H

10:30-11:30 – Danny Elfman — From Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure to Alice in Wonderland, composer Danny Elfman discusses his 25-year collaboration with director Tim Burton.

Next month, the geek world will converge on San Diego, California, it it’s yearly celebration of the popular arts, in the form of Comic Con International. This will be my 18th year attending the festival, although my first as a member of the “press.” I use that term lightly as I consider us here at the Criterion Cast, more like passionate amateurs (a term recently popularized by Michael Chabon), than actual film journalists. We certainly take everything we do here seriously, as evidenced by our commitment over the past year to producing multiple weekly podcasts, attending film screenings, and over the past six months, we’ve covered various film festivals (Sundance, SXSW, and Tribeca) to bring our unique cineaste perspectives towards the upcoming crop of films and filmmakers.

While the finalized, official Comic Con Panel Schedule has not been released at this point, Shout! Factory, one of our favorite DVD/Blu-ray distributors,...

The company that has given us countless goodies this year including a bevy of Roger Corman titles along with the resurrection of Gamera, Shout! Factory, is not only one of the first out of the gate with its San Diego Comic-Con news, but Shout! is ready to tackle the show with a vengeance!

From the Press Release

Shout! Factory returns to Comic-Con International San Diego 2010 with a stellar lineup featuring upcoming and current home entertainment juggernauts that will be showcased in a special panel discussion, media appearances, special signings, interactive fan activities and Comic-Con exclusives at the Shout! Factory booth (#3749, main show floor) throughout the convention. Fan favorite filmmakers, creators and select stars from Shout! Factory’s branded properties scheduled to attend include: Roger Corman, Julie Corman, Joe Dante (Piranha, Trailers from Hell, Gremlins), Allan Holzman (Galaxy of Terror, Forbidden World), Sid Haig (Galaxy of Terror, The Devil’s Rejects), Mary Woronov (Death Race 2000,...

DVD Playhouse—May 2010

By

Allen Gardner

Avatar (20th Century Fox) James Cameron beat his own title as box office champ, set with Titanic over a decade ago, with this eye-popping sci-fi epic about a paraplegic Marine name Sully (Sam Worthington), who takes the form of an “avatar,” or virtual being, to go undercover on the planet Pandora, attempting to infiltrate the native Na’vi to gather intelligence that will aid a joint corporate and military operation to rape the planet of its natural resources, destroying its indigenous population in the process. When Sully suddenly “goes native,” he locks horns with the company CEO (Giovanni Ribisi) and his gung-ho commanding officer (Stephen Lang, in a wonderful, scenery-chewing turn from a long-underrated actor). Thought of by many scholars and film buffs as a “game-changer” as much as the first Star Wars film was—and they may be right. While Cameron’s politically-correct...

Thank goodness Hugh Hefner came in at the last minute to save the Hollywood Sign. At least for the sake of the tourism industry, which would have been left with an enormous supply of worthless redundantly captioned postcards and snow globes. I'm reminded of the poor stereotypical Italian guy in Superman III who has to make new models of the Tower of Pisa after Evil Superman straightens it.

But seriously, the Sign is little more than a relic of some ancient real estate scheme, so it would have been fitting for a modern real estate venture to do away with it. Just as it would be appropriate for the Chinese to demolish parts of the Great Wall as a sign of its willingness to let in certain foreign invaders influences so long as they contribute to the nation's rise as a global economic superpower.

No, but seriously, the Hollywood Sign is a necessary landmark,...

By Linelle Schultz

Former manager of “The Sex Pistols,” Malcom McLaren has passed away at the age of 64 in New York losing his struggle with cancer. “The Sex Pistols” are an iconic punk band from the UK that formed in 1975 and changed the future of punk in more ways than you can imagine. They were often the center of controversy, and still managed to top the music charts. They are most decidedly responsible for jump starting the punk movement in the UK and ultimately worldwide.

According to The Independent, McLaren received most of his fame in 1977 when “The Sex Pistol’s” God Save the Queen single got banned from radios including the BBC.

While it was McLaren who brought the band to fame and fortune, in the end he was ultimately the guy who they blamed for their disbandment. The members accused him of withholding money and as a result mismanaging them.

The Independent Spirit Awards celebrated their 25th Anniversary Friday night in a ceremony in downtown Los Angeles and the always irreverent show didn't disappoint in delivering some very memorable moments. From Ben Stiller killing to Mariah Carey's strange weight gain to winter Olympian Johnny Weir crashing the red carpet, here are the best and worst of the 2010 Spirit Awards.

John Lydon has revealed that he regrets allowing Sid Vicious to join the Sex Pistols. The singer, who is currently preparing to head out on a reunion tour with Public Image Ltd, said that Vicious lost his personality following the fame that accompanied his role in the band. "I'm sorry, God, for the day I brought Sid into the band," Lydon told The Independent. "He felt so isolated, poor old Sid, because he wasn't the sharpest knife on the block." He added: "The best aspect of his character, which was his humour, (more)...

If possible, keep your screams to a minimum when viewing the hot picture of Taylor Lautner soaking wet in a designer suit laying on a pool raft. In the middle of the summer, Taylor jetted out to Montauk, Long Island to work with famed photographer Bruce Weber to shoot the cover for Teen Vogue. Are you wishing you had video of this shoot> Don't fret, we've got you cover in your Twilight Saga Daily Dosage. The Official Twilight Convention wrapped yesterday in New Jersey and it was beyond a success. Fans came in the hundreds buying sweet Twilight merchandise, cheering on the Twilight stars, and being enchanted by the hosts of the event, the cast of The Hillywood Show. The wolf pack showed up and the screaming began, as hundreds lined up for autographs and pictures; some lucky fans even got to dance with the hunks at the Vampire Ball.