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Why do we like Gerard Butler? As of the publishing of this piece, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is performing as expected, looking to become yet another reliable, mid-budgeted programmer hit for the movie star. It’ll round out nicely in theaters, then do well with VOD and home sales. This kind of success is exceedingly rare these days; even Liam Neeson actioners underperform after years of semi-reliability. So: what is it about Butler?

There is a scene somewhere in the middle of Pantera in which “Big Nick” O’Brien (Butler) and Donnie Wilson (O’Shea Jackson) are sitting outside a bar in the south of France, sipping beers on the come down from a night of hard-partying. Los Angeles cop Big Nick has both “gone gangster” and gone international, turning to a life of crime and following Donnie into a heist-laden world of intrigue. The two frenemies proceed to...

It's part of the mythos of Hollywood action stars that they're not afraid to do their own stunts, risk their necks, and just generally court danger in order to maintain their larger-than life mystique. Even on that scale, though, the stories Gerard Butler told during a recent conversation with his...

While Dawn of the Dead established Zack Snyder as a filmmaker to watch, it was 300 that put him on the map. The movie grossed over $450 million at the worldwide box office and made an action star out of Gerard Butler.

Reflecting on his role as King Leonidas while discussing his role in Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, Butler told People that an "insane" number of actors were injured while shooting the 2006 release.

"I remember every day somebody was getting taken to the hospital," the actor recalled. "You’d be doing a fight, you turn around, there’s a guy down there, a spear went in his eye. Another time, you turn around, there’s a guy over there who just fell, broke his ankle. I mean, it was insane."

While Butler never sustained an injury while shooting 300, he did "almost drown" while shooting 2012 surf drama Chasing Mavericks after...

Action star Gerard Butler has had many accidents while filming. He discussed this while supporting his new movie, “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,” on January 10. The Scottish star shared some stories as the film’s director announced plans for a third movie in the series.

During the filming of “300,” when the cast frequently required medical care, Butler experienced his most dramatic moments. Butler told People magazine that “every day, someone was being taken to the hospital.” He talked about instances where players got hurt badly, including one getting a spear in the eye and others breaking their ankles during fight scenes.

The actor has faced danger in more than one movie. In 2012, Butler needed hospital care and a defibrillator after nearly drowning while filming “Chasing Mavericks.” He has also had some close calls, like accidentally hurting Hilary Swank while filming “P.S. I Love You” and nearly shooting Angelina Jolie...

Zack Snyder’s 300 came out nearly two decades ago, and for many, it continues to be placed among the long list of classics that would unarguably go down as some of the finest in Hollywood’s entertainment industry. Starring Gerard Butler’s iconic performance in the lead alongside a star-studded cast, the project’s final cut was epic and widely commended by fans worldwide.

Zack Snyder’s 300. | Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures.

As much as the onscreen depiction was praiseworthy, the offscreen and behind-the-lens scenes were disastrous. Although surprising it may seem, the truth is that shooting this piece took an “insane” amount of actors getting injured behind the scenes. To say the least, delivering the manliest Spartans in the film was a nightmare, as Butler himself confessed.

Zack Snyder’s 300 took more than just a bit of blood, sweat, and tears to make

As brutal and gruesome as the...

Gerard Butler recalls the difficulties of filming 300 and how many of his co-stars were being taken to the hospital due to injuries.

Butler starred as the King of Sparta in the 2006 Zack Snyder film 300, in which the actor co-starred with Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, and many more.

“I remember every day somebody was getting taken to the hospital,” Butler told People. “You’d be doing a fight, you turn around, there’s a guy down there, a spear went in his eye. Another time, you turn around, there’s a guy over there who just fell, broke his ankle. I mean, it was insane.”

Butler also mentioned that while filming 2012’s Chasing Mavericks, he was “taken down by a huge set of waves” and “almost drowning,” adding, “I thought I was done. They had to take me out, take me to hospital, put me out, give me the defibrillator.

Zack Snyder’s “300” grossed more than $450 million by the end of its theatrical run, but according to star Gerard Butler, that box office success wasn’t a bit of blood, sweat and tears.

While speaking with People, Butler said that an “insane” amount of actors were injured while filming the 2006 action epic, which followed King Leonidas (Butler) as he leads his 300 Spartan soldiers to war against an invading Persian army.

“I remember every day somebody was getting taken to the hospital,” Butler said. “You’d be doing a fight, you turn around, there’s a guy down there, a spear went in his eye. Another time, you turn around, there’s a guy over there who just fell, broke his ankle. I mean, it was insane.”

Butler never sustained an injury while shooting “300,” but he did “almost drown” while shooting the 2012 surf drama “Chasing Mavericks” after “getting taken...

Tonight we dine in the hospital!

Gerard Butler says there were an “insane” number of injuries when filming his fan-favorite action hit 300.

The Zack Snyder film from 2006 — which marked Butler’s breakout role, playing the fearsome Spartan King Leonidas — was apparently quite war zone on set.

“I remember every day somebody was getting taken to the hospital,” Butler told People. “You’d be doing a fight, you turn around, there’s a guy down there, a spear went in his eye. Another time, you turn around, there’s a guy over there who just fell, broke his ankle. I mean, it was insane.”

Butler himself apparently walked away from 300 unscathed, though he detailed injuries he sustained on other film sets, such as nearly drowning while learning to surf for the 2012 movie Chasing Mavericks.

“I thought I was done,” the 55-year-old actor said. “They had to take me out, take me to hospital,...

Edgar Burcksen, a veteran TV and film editor who won an Emmy for The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, worked at Industrial Light & Magic and was a longtime American Cinema Editors board member, has died. He was 76.

Innovative Artists said he died April 7 in Los Angeles from complications of a heart attack.

A Holland native, Burcksen began his career editing features in Amsterdam and won the Golden Calf at the Nederlands Film Festival. He moved to California in 1985 and was supervising editor for more than 50 episodes of Seabert, a cartoon series that aired Saturday mornings in France and later aired on HBO.

Burcksen then was hired at Colossal Pictures in San Francisco, where he worked on commercials for the likes of Disney and Budweiser and on music videos for Thomas Dolby and the Grateful Dead, during the legendary band’s late-’80s commercial resurgence.

An early backer of non-linear editing, Burcksen then joined Industrial Light & Magic,...

It’s a new month, and Hulu subscribers are getting a slew of new movies and TV shows to enjoy.

June 1 is jam-packed with more than 30 titles that have landed on the streamer, including the seventh and final season of Ava DuVernay’s “Queen Sugar,” the Jack Nicholson-led film “Hoffa,” Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Borat” and the entire “Twilight” franchise.

Mixing in a little of the old with new come goodies from 2023, like “Flamin’ Hot,” which tells the story of Mexican migrant Richard Montanez who came up with the idea for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos while working as a janitor at Frito Lay. The film lands on Hulu June 9.

Ending June with a bang will the be second season of “The Bear,” (June 22), Season 20 of “The Bachelorette” (June 27) and the sixth and final season of “Grown-ish.”

Here’s everything you can expect to hit Hulu this June.

Also Read:

The Best Free Movie Streaming Sites,...

It’s summer time on Hulu and that can only mean one thing. With its list of new releases for June 2023, Hulu is bringing back last summer’s unexpected hit.

FX’s The Bear season 2 premieres all episodes on June 22. If you’re not already captivated by this intense culinary story about the little Italian beef shop that could, definitely catch up now. This time around, Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and friends will attempt a major foodie rebrand. The only other Hulu series of note this month is the docuseries The Age of Influence. Premiering on June 5, this doc will examine the dark side of influencer culture.

Just like its corporate partner Disney+, Hulu will premiere Eva Longoria’s directorial debut, Flamin’ Hot, in June 9. The movie tells the true story of Frito-Lay janitor Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia) who created an iconic snack that forever changed the food industry. Also...

Season 2 of last summer’s hit breakout series “The Bear” is set to premiere on Hulu on Thursday, June 22. After a tumultuous return to his family’s hole-in-the-wall Chicago restaurant, chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) and his staff transform the greasy sandwich joint into a first-class dining experience after he discovers the slush fund his brother left behind. Despite having the extra money to make his dreams a reality, the future proves to be both a personal and professional challenge for Carmy and the crew.

Watch the trailer for Season 2 of “The Bear”:

Beginning on June 14, the new series continuation of the beloved film “The Full Monty” arrives on Hulu. It’s 25 years later and the men and women of Sheffield, England, are in reboot mode, navigating life and family. The original 1997 movie focused on a group of down-on-their-luck, blue-collar men who put on a strip show to make ends meet.

Click here to read the full article.

Mike Prickett not only served as director of photography on 100 Foot Wave, but his own story is so uniquely intertwined with big-wave surfing that it is even depicted in episode five of the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary series.

“In the world of cinematography in the ocean, Mike Prickett has been at the forefront,” says big-wave pioneer and subject of the series, Garrett McNamara, during the episode. Surf cinematographer Brock Ladd goes on to describe the Dp as a “legend in the surf community.”

Prickett resides on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, and has been lensing surfing for nearly four decades while compiling credits on movies including Chasing Mavericks and Step Into Liquid. Along the way, he has developed techniques and camera systems for photographing these unrepeatable moments, and has overcome his own personal challenge. Prickett was filming in Tahiti in 2012 when a...

After debuting moody Marvel hero Moon Knight at the tail end of March, Disney+ is taking a bit of a breather in April.

On Disney+’s list of new releases this month, you won’t find any major Pixar, Star Wars, or Marvel (save for the continuing episodes of the aforementioned Moon Knight) releases. Instead, you’ll find something perhaps more valuable: Bears.

Earth Day falls on April 22 this year and Disney+ is celebrating with four major nature documentaries. Polar Bear is narrated by Catherine Keener and follows a family of nature’s most adorable killing machines. Bear Witness is a companion piece that tells the story of the former documentary’s making. Explorer: The Last Tepui features elite climber Alex Honnold trying to scale another behemoth with a climbing team. And if that’s all a bit too grand, viewers can also spend some time living the rural life...

Time is running out to stream films like “Lincoln,” “The Fisher King” and “He Got Game” on HBO Max. Below is the complete list of everything leaving HBO and HBO Max in January 2022, which includes some classic “Planet of the Apes” films, Ben Affleck’s Oscar-winning “Argo” and 1988’s “Married to the Mob,” among others. Most of these titles leave the streaming service on Jan. 31, but departing HBO and HBO Max on Jan. 20 is a behind-the-scenes look at Guillermo del Toro’s new film “Nightmare Alley,” which is exclusively in theaters now.

If you’re looking for noteworthy titles to add to your watchlist before they depart, “Lincoln” is one of Steven Spielberg’s best, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” is a handsome and nail-biting spy thriller and “The Fisher King” is a great two-hander with Jeff Bridges and Robin Williams.

Check out the full list of what’s leaving HBO Max in January 2022 below.

Exclusive: Haroon Saleem, who was President of Production at Trevor Noah’s production company Day Zero Productions, has left the company.

Deadline understands that Saleem, who joined the company in 2019, exited last week.

Saleem, who was based in LA, reported to The Daily Show host Noah and worked with the comedian to build out his ViacomCBS-backed production company. He worked on projects including docuseries The Tipping Point and a remake of political feature film The President’s Analyst.

In a note to peers, Saleem said it was with “great sadness” that he was parting ways with Noah and Day Zero Productions.

“I’m so incredibly proud of the team that I was able to lead and the many successes we had in the almost three years I’ve spent with the company. We built a company from the ground up, with and for Trevor, and while many of us are moving on,...

Back when WarnerMedia (which technically no longer exists in the same form) announced that it would be premiering its entire slate of 2021 films on HBO Max, this is the kind of month they likely had in mind. For HBO Max’s list of new releases in August 2021 is highlighted by an honest-to-goodness blockbuster.

The Suicide Squad is set to premiere Aug. 5 on HBO Max. This film featuring some of DC Comics’ most curious villains borrows its name, format, and many of its characters from the David Ayers-directed 2016 film Suicide Squad. This time around, the rogues gallery is directing by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) and his colorful disposition. In addition to The Suicide Squad, August sees the arrival of the Hugh Jackman-starring Reminiscence on Aug. 20.

Read more Movies The Suicide Squad First Reactions Are In By John Saavedra Movies How The Suicide Squad is Different from Guardians of the Galaxy...

HBO Max will arguably debut its biggest Warner Bros. release yet on August 5, when James Gunn’s take on “The Suicide Squad” makes its day-and-date premiere on the streaming platform (the comic book blockbuster is also coming out in theaters nationwide).

But beyond “The Suicide Squad,” film fans will find a copious amount of features on HBO Max in August 2021, including a new Hugh Jackman movie, plus classic ‘90s favorites like “Basic Instinct,” “The Birdcage,” “The Fugitive,” “Deep Cover,” “Malcolm X,” and “The Shawshank Redemption.”

Ahead, every new movie and series coming to HBO Max in August 2021, plus the top titles leaving the service before September 1.

New on HBO Max in August 2021

August 1

2 Days in the Valley, 1996 (HBO)

9/11: Fifteen Years Later, 2016

A Mighty Wind, 2003 (HBO)

A Walk Among the Tombstones, 2014 (HBO)

The Accidental Spy, 2002 (HBO)

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, 2005 (HBO)

Americano, 2017 (HBO)

Anna to the Infinite Power,...

Michael Apted, the director of Coal Miner’s Daughter, the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough and the Up documentary series, has died at the age of 79. Apted’s reps the Gersh Agency confirmed the filmmaker’s death to Variety, though a date or cause of death was not revealed.

“Director Michael Apted will always be remembered for the groundbreaking documentary Up series,” the Academy tweeted Friday. “A past president of the Directors Guild and Academy Governor, he also made many acclaimed feature films, from Coal Miner’s...

Michael Apted, the award-winning British filmmaker behind the groundbreaking 7 Up documentaries and such feature films as Coal Miner’s Daughter, The World Is Not Enough, Gorillas in the Mist and Gorky Park, has died. He was 79. The Gersh Agency confirmed the news but did not immediately provide details of Apted’s death.

Apted served as DGA president for three terms from 2003-09, the longest consecutive presidential service since the 1960s.

“Our hearts are heavy today as we mourn the passing of esteemed director, longtime DGA leader and my friend Michael Apted,” said DGA president Thomas Schlamme. “His legacy will be forever woven into the fabric of cinema and our Guild. A fearless visionary as a director and unparalleled Guild leader, Michael saw the trajectory of things when others didn’t, and we were all the beneficiaries of his wisdom and lifelong dedication.”

Apted had dozens of film and TV credits during...

Above: The Nose or Conspiracy of MavericksThe Annecy International Animation film festival—one of the oldest and most important animation festivals in the world—took place online this year, as many other festivals have during the pandemic. Overall the online version of the festival was strong, though it postponed a sidebar on African animation until next summer. But one clear misstep was the presentation of a number of feature films in the competition only as short extracts, or worse, promotions. While this did not diminish the overall quality of the festival’s range of movies, it was certainly dismissive of the audience, especially in the case of the film awarded the Cristal: Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary, directed by Rémi Chayé. That a film only accessible to the jury won the festival’s highest award is problematic. The decision to wait to release the film in theaters is fine,...

Independent filmmaker Steven Lewis Simpson takes on many roles in “Neither Wolf Nor Dog”: He simultaneously serves as a director, producer, cinematographer, editor and co-screenwriter, and for some films, having the director serve in many roles benefits the storytelling.

However, in this particular movie (which is based on co-screenwriter Kent Nerburn’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name), it would have behooved Simpson to consult others — not just regarding direction, editing and writing, but perhaps just to speak to someone else before taking on this particular narrative and creating yet another Native American story told through a white man’s lens that benefits absolutely no one.

Kent Nerburn receives a mysterious call from a Native American woman who says her grandfather requested she call him, and that Newburn needs to come meet with him. Although hesitant (and seemingly angry) about it, Kent drives more than 400 miles to meet with the elderly grandfather,...

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy this new episode of The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we examine movies from established movie stars that have flopped at the box office, been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. Today, in honor (?) of Angel Has Fallen, we discuss Scotland’s own Gerard Butler. Following his star-making turn in Zack Snyder’s 300, Butler headlined a slew of projects, mostly action programmers and romantic comedies.

In 2011 & 2012, he released four unsuccessful movies that ran the gamut of available genres: the misguided awards push Machine Gun Preacher, the Ralph Fiennes-directed Coriolanus, the based-on-a-true-story surfer drama Chasing Mavericks and the soccer rom-com family dramedy (?) Playing For Keeps.

We talk about the modes where Butler’s rugged good looks are best utilized, the controversies that surrounded Machine Gun Preacher upon its release,...

Ava DuVernay announced on Twitter today that Batman writer Tom King is coming aboard to write The New Gods with her, the DC film project she has set up at Warner Bros.

Deadline reported last year that DuVernay is attached to direct a big screen adaptation of the Jack Kirby comic.

The New Gods was the Genesis of the uber-villain Darkseid. Also called “Fourth World,” the story unfolded in a trilogy of related comics written and drawn by Kirby that were published in the very early 1970s: New Gods, Forever People and Mister Miracle. The New Gods came into existence after the world of the gods of classic mythology were destroyed during Ragnarok. The deities inhabit two planets: one is New Genesis, a lush paradise, and the other Apokolips, which sounds like Dante’s version of hell. War ensues. There is a rich universe of extraordinary characters for DuVernay to play with here.

Exclusive: It was a female director who gave the industry and Warner Bros the highest overall summer film last year with $412.5 million at the domestic box office and provided the studio the wind to sail past Disney as the first to win the $2 billion domestic box office race. Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman made the industry sit up and take notice when the Superhero origin film opened to $103.2M domestically and $228M internationally. It was one of only three films last year the studio released from female directors. The others were Denise Di Novi’s Unforgettable and Stella Meghie’s Everything, Everything (an MGM co-production). New Line had zero, but these numbers are changing, and for the better.

We’ve come a long way since Jeffrey Katzenberg entrusted a female director who had only previously worked in TV — Mimi Leder — to helm DreamWorks’ first live-action title, The Peacemaker. That sent tongues...

Ava DuVernay’s New Gods finds a writer in Chasing Mavericks‘ Kario Salem. Warner Bros. isn’t slowing down when it comes to creating new movies based on DC Comics. Not only are the looking to expand their cinematic universe with Aquaman later this year, but they’ve got multiple DC films set to enter production this year. One of those may also be Todd Phillips’ Joker, the first outing from an “Elseworlds” banner.

New Gods: Ava DuVernay (A Wrinkle in Time, above with Storm Reid) will direct New Gods for Warner Bros. and DC. Kario Salem (Chasing Mavericks) has been hired to write the screenplay. The film will be based on characters created by Jack Kirby, featuring natives of two distant planets -- one a beautiful paradise, the other a polluted nightmare -- and the war that breaks out between them. [Deadline]   Queen and Country: Ridley Scott (All the Money in the World, above with Mark Wahlberg and Christopher Plummer) is in talks to direct Queen and Country. The thriller will be drawn from a comic book series by Greg Rucka about a British intelligence agent who is pitted against terrorists after an attack in London. A big-screen version has been in development for some time...

He was taken to the hospital nearly a week ago after his motorcycle was run off the road by a car in Los Angeles. But on Monday, Gerard Butler was in good spirits as he walked the red carpet premiere for his new disaster thriller, Geostorm.

The 47-year-old actor looked strong as he posed for photographers at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood wearing a dark green-tinted suit, light gray shirt and slim green tie.

Butler opened up about the “pretty painful” crash to reporters there, telling Entertainment Tonight it gave him “five fractures in right foot alone” and “a...

Gerard Butler Photo: Bob Bekian

Gerard Butler was rushed to hospital today following a motorbike accident. According to reports, he was riding his Harley Davidson through Los Angeles when a car cut him off, causing him to crash. He is understood to have escaped serious injury, suffering only a few cuts and bruises.

A passer-by quickly alerted the emergency services after the accident took place. The Paisley-born actor, who has previously joked about his susceptibility to accidents, is now recovering and is expected to continue work on promoting his latest film, Geostorm, by the end of the week.

Butler was hospitalised in 2011 after he nearly drowned while filming surf drama Chasing Mavericks, and again the following year when he broke two bones in his neck while filming Olympus Has Fallen.

Geostorm provides Butler with another action role as he goes up against a natural disaster unleashed when climate control satellites stop working as planned.

Sierra/Affinity is set to produce and finance the feature film Dangerous Ground. Janus Metz will direct a script by Kario Salem (The Score, Chasing Mavericks), which is based on the true story of war veteran Johnnie Porche. Dangerous Ground follows a decorated war hero who returns home to join the family business as a cop, only to find himself in a different war. This time, he's up against a dangerous drug cartel that is threatening those he loves most. Gary Foster, Russ…...

MaryAnn’s quick take… There’s stuff in this spy thriller that’s fresh, and lots that’s familiar, but Noomi Rapace using her brains and brawn to fight bad guys is a genuine thrill. I’m “biast” (pro): I’m desperate for stories women; love a good spy movie

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Is “unlock” genuine spook-speak, like the way it’s used in Unlocked: to get useful information out of a suspect during an interrogation? It makes sense, but who knows. Does the CIA actually have agents working as “community embeds,” as Noomi Rapace’s Alice Racine is as Unlocked opens? Cuz that would be authentically insidious: she seems to be a kindly public advocate in a poor London neighborhood, the sort of person you might go to if you were having trouble with your landlord or something,...

One of the most celebrated film makers of the last four decades has died. Here’s how the New York Times reported it….

Curtis Hanson, the film director whose adaptation of the James Ellroy noir novel “L.A. Confidential” won him an Academy Award, died on Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 71.

The death was confirmed by Officer Jenny Houser, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department. She said that officers had been called to the house shortly before 5 p.m., and that Mr. Hanson had died of natural causes.

Julie Mann, his business manager, said Mr. Hanson had been struggling for some time with a form of dementia.

Let’s take a look at his long career. His first screen credit is for helping to adapt H.P. Lovecraft’s short story in the 1970 American International Pictures’ The Dunwich Horror starring Sandra Dee and Dean Stockwell.

Last night, the cinematic world lost one of its own. Filmmaker Curtis Hanson passed away at the age of 71. The cause of death has been placed as natural causes. Hanson worked in the industry for well over 40 years, writing and directing movies that will stand the test of time. Oscar took notice in the late 90’s when Hanson made what most consider to be his masterpiece with L.A. Confidential, but he was a well known artist before then. He worked steadily on the big screen, also putting out the top notch HBO TV movie Too Big to Fail about five years ago. He will be missed in a big way. Hanson was an Academy Award winner and three time nominee, all for L.A. Confidential back in 1997. That highly regarded crime drama was a tale of corruption in the 1950’s, looking at how very different policemen dealt with enforcing the law.

Curtis Hanson, who won an Oscar for co-writing his film L.A. Confidential, died yesterday at the age of 71. The exact cause is unknown, but the director had been retired due to Alzheimer's disease and had suffered from heart problems in recent years. His final film was 2011's Chasing Mavericks, which he had to exit before finishing and leave to Michael Apted to complete. But he's left behind a wealth of work that also includes the excellent Wonder Boys and the Eminem-led 8 Mile, based on the rapper's own life.  Hanson came up in familiar fashion for filmmakers of his generation. Before becoming a director, he worked for Cinema magazine as a photographer and through his pictures helped land Faye Dunaway her breakout role...

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Curtis Hanson, the Oscar-winning director of films including L.A. Confidential, 8 Mile, and In Her Shoes, has died. He was 71 years old. Hanson was born March 24, 1945 in Reno, Nevada but grew up in Los Angeles. After dropping out of high school, he pursued opportunities as a freelance photographer and editor of the now-defunct Cinema magazine before turning to screenwriting, which bore fruit with 1970's The Dunwich Horror, a Roger Corman-produced fright film that he co-wrote with Henry Rosenbaum and Ronald Silkosky. Hanson subsequently moved to directing with Sweet Kill, a 1973 horror film about a sexually-repressed man who finds gratification in murdering the women he sleeps with. That was followed by a string of other low-budget efforts in multiple genres, including Losin' It, a teen comedy starring a pre-Risky Business Tom Cruise.  Though he worked consistently through the '70s and '80s, Hanson wouldn't achieve mainstream recognition until...

Director Curtis Hanson, the man behind the modern neo-noir “L.A. Confidential” and the hip-hop drama “8 Mile,” died yesterday afternoon at the age of 71. According to Variety, he reportedly died of “natural causes” in his Hollywood Hills home.

Read More: Michael Apted Will Replace Ailing Curtis Hanson For Last Few Weeks Of Surfing Drama ‘Of Men And Mavericks’

Hanson got his start working for the legendary Roger Corman, first writing the H.P. Lovecraft adaptation “The Dunwich Horror” and then writing and directing his first feature “Sweet Kill,” about a man who kills women while sleeping with them for sexual gratification.

The director worked steadily through the 70s and 80s, collaborating with actors like Tom Cruise on the 1983 teen comedy “Losin’ It” and with Rob Lowe and James Spader in “Bad Influence.” But his first major success came in 1992 with the psychological thriller “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle,” about a...

Curtis Hanson, who won an Oscar for cowriting his film L.A. Confidential, died yesterday at the age of 71. The exact cause is unknown, but the director had been retired due to Alzheimer's disease and had suffered from heart problems in recent years. His final film was 2011's Chasing Mavericks, which he had to exit before finishing and leave to Michael Apted to complete. But he's left behind a wealth of work that also includes the excellent Wonder Boys and the...

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Curtis Hanson, the Oscar-winning writer/director of L.A. Confidential, 8 Mile, In Her Shoes and Wonder Boys has died. TMZ reports that he passed away due to “natural causes. He was 71. The filmmaker suffered for many years with Alzheimer's, and since retired from the film community in 2011. The last film he worked on was the surfing drama Chasing Mavericks, which Hanson had to drop out of, and... Read More...

Curtis Hanson Photo: David Shankbone

Stars including Russell Crowe, James Woods and Tobey Maguire have today paid tribute to Curtis Hanson, who has died of natural causes at his Hollywood home. Aged 71, Hanson, whose films included L.A. Confidential and Wonder Boys, is believed to have suffered from Alzheimer's disease for some years.

Crowe thanked the director for making his acting into a real carer, while others praised him in a similar way, with Eminem saying that Hanson had made him into an actor for 8 Mile. Rob Lowe, who starred in Bad Influence, described him as smart, kind and a great storyteller.

Hanson, who started out as a screenwriter with an adaptation of Hp Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror, was known for his eclectic interests. His other successes included The River Wild and The Hand That Rocks The Cradle. He last worked in 2012, co-directing Chasing Mavericks with Michael Apted....

Simon Brew Sep 21, 2016

8 Mile, L.A. Confidential and Bad Influence director Curtis Hanson has died, at the age of 71.

Some sad news. The Academy Award-winning screenwriter and director Curtis Hanson has died at the age of 71.

Hanson’s career in film stretched back to the start of the 1970s, when he adapted H P Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror into a screenplay. Yet it was in the 1990s where he really found his groove. Between 1990 and 2002, he helmed Bad Influence, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, The River Wild, L A Confidential, 8 Mile and Wonder Boys. Each of them was either a critical or commercial success, a few of them both, and he would take home Oscar gold for his L A Confidential screenplay.

His final film was 2012’s Chasing Mavericks, that Michael Apted completed while Hanson recovered from complications arising from his heart surgery.

Hanson died of natural causes at his home in Hollywood.

Filmmaker Curtis Hanson, who directed Eminem in his film debut 8 Mile and earned an Oscar for his script for L.A. Confidential, died Tuesday, Variety reports. He was 71.

According to reports, paramedics responded to a call about an unconscious man and Hanson was pronounced dead at the scene. A cause of death has yet to be confirmed, though a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department said Hanson died of "natural causes."

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Hanson began his career as a film journalist, conducting interviews with filmmakers like John Ford and Vincente Minnelli.

Curtis Hanson, the director and Oscar-winning writer on L.A. Confidential, has died at 71, according to reports. Hanson was also responsible for creating box-office hits such as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and the Eminem hip-hop drama 8 Mile. He died on Tuesday of a heart attack in his Hollywood Hills home, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Variety reports that a paramedics responded to a call of an unconscious man at about 4:52 p.m. Hanson was pronounced dead at the scene. The filmmaker had not directed a movie since 2012, when he helmed the film Chasing Mavericks, but he left...

Curtis Hanson, the director and Oscar-winning writer on L.A. Confidential, has died at 71, according to reports. Hanson was also responsible for creating box-office hits such as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and the Eminem hip-hop drama 8 Mile. He died on Tuesday of a heart attack in his Hollywood Hills home, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Variety reports that a paramedics responded to a call of an unconscious man at about 4:52 p.m. Hanson was pronounced dead at the scene. The filmmaker had not directed a movie since 2012, when he helmed the film Chasing Mavericks, but he left...

Have any plans for moviegoing this weekend? I regret to inform that there isn't much new of note to choose from unless you hit the theaters that show limited releases. Though the Divergent Series has performed respectably at the box office it never remotely reached what it was going for: being the new Hunger Games in terms of loot and broad cultural reach. And interest does seem to be dwindling. The super unwieldy title of the third effort is The Divergent Series: Allegiant and it's sometimes called Allegiant - Part 1 (2016) -- at least according to IMDb. Strangely the fourth film is not called Part 2 but The Divergent Series: Ascendance. So perhaps even the studio has lost enough interest that no one is in charge of the details.

Anyway this is just an excuse to show photos from the handsome red carpet. The headliners Shailene Woodley and Theo James dressed like...

A Nuremberg rally for 21st-century America. Pure terror porn: racist, jingoistic, thoroughly obnoxious. Donald Trump voters will love it. *sob* I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): hated the first movie

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

If only all those other stupid countries — you know, like Germany and the U.K. — could be as awesome as America. After the British prime minister dies suddenly and mysteriously, world leaders summoned to London for the funeral, allegedly “the most protected event on Earth,” come under terrorist attack. The only survivor among them is U.S. president Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart: My All American, I, Frankenstein), thanks to impossibly badass Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler: How to Train Your Dragon 2, Chasing Mavericks), even though Banning concedes that he is made of nothing more than “bourbon and poor choices.” (One wonders...

Curtis Hanson, whose sterling adaptation of the noir classic L.A. Confidential earned him an Oscar and vaulted him to A-list status as a screenwriter and director, has died. He was 71.  Hanson, who also helmed such box-office hits as the Rebecca De Mornay horror thriller The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) and the Eminem hip-hop drama 8 Mile (2002), died Tuesday afternoon in a home in the Hollywood Hills, according to the Lapd. Paramedics had been called to the scene and found him dead. He most recently directed the 2012 surfing movie Chasing Mavericks

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She’s made quite a name for herself with huge hits like “True Detective” and indie flicks like “7 Minutes,” but it sounds like Leven Rambin would be happy to just surf all day.

In her feature for the July 2015 issue of Marie Claire magazine, the 25-year-old knockout explains how she got into catching waves- "I was cast in Chasing Mavericks, a 2012 movie about a big-wave surfer from Santa Cruz, California, named Jay Moriarity. (I played his girlfriend, Kim.) As training, I surfed every day for two or three hours. It was like learning to run before you can walk. Santa Cruz in the winter has pretty intense conditions. I've always been a tomboy, but I never thought I was a big water-sports person. Once I got into the water and the culture, something just took over me."

Leven continues, "The first time I surfed on a beach break (a wave...

I don't usually wake up in the morning and listen to electronic music, that's more something my roommate likes to do, but it's also not every day a new trailer drops for We Are Your Friends, a romantic drama based in the Los Angeles electronic music scene. In other words, I allowed myself to do so for this occasion, and this occasion only. We Are Your Friends stars Zac Efron as Cole, an aspiring 23-year-old DJ who spends his days scheming with his childhood friends and his nights working on the one track that will set the world on fire. All of this changes though when he meets a charismatic but damaged older DJ named James (Wes Bentley), who takes him under his wing. Things get complicated, however, when Cole starts falling for James' much younger girlfriend, Sophie (Emily Ratajkowski). With Cole's forbidden relationship intensifying and his friendships unraveling, he must choose between love,...

Produced by Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes, “Project Almanac” is an agreeable and entertaining teen time-travel thriller that’s equal parts Ray Bradbury and John Hughes, as our five teen leads unlock the secrets of “temporal relocation” and then trample through the delicate space-time continuum in pursuit of riches, repair and romance. Directed by Dean Israelite in his feature-length debut, the big conceit of the script and story is that what we’re seeing is all footage recorded by the film’s characters throughout their adventures. It’s a stylistic and shooting decision that adds very little and ultimately distracts...

At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

There's not a whole lot coming out on DVD and Blu-ray this week that's worth your hard-earned ducats, but here are two that might be.

"The Equalizer"

This actioner with Denzel Washington and Chloë Grace Moretz got mixed reviews from critics, but if you love Washington in butt-kicking mode - especially with "Training Day" director Antoine Fuqua behind the wheel - it's is worth a look.

"Kelly & Cal"

Juliette Lewis stars as a new mother trying to cope with settling down from her punk rock past. She strikes up a friendship with a teenage neighbor named Cal that becomes a lifeline for them both. Jonny Weston ("Taken 3," "Chasing Mavericks") co-stars.

TV Worth Watching

New Year's Eve Specials!

Turn on almost any...