In the late 1970s, when Hollywood was in the middle of its most seismic transformation since the collapse of the studio system (namely, the creation of blockbuster fundamentalism), there was a much-talked-about trend that seemed to fit all too snugly into the new world order. That was the arrival of hotshot British movie directors who
Month: July 2020
A portion of Chinese cinemas have been ordered to program an intermission for films that exceed two hours as a coronavirus prevention measure, Chinese reports said Friday. The requirement will affect a number of upcoming Hollywood films that run over 120 minutes, including a re-run of Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” set to hit screens on Sunday,
Before embarking on their multi-year journey to document the plight of immigrants under the Trump administration, filmmakers Christina Clusiau and Shaul Schwarz entered into a contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. While this did not given the agency approval over the final product, which is a six-episode docuseries entitled “Immigration Nation”
Actors and directors took to social media to pay tribute to British director Alan Parker, who died Friday. The filmmaker behind “Evita, “The Commitments” and “Bugsy Malone” was 76. Parker’s first feature film was 1976’s “Bugsy Malone.” He directed over 25 films, and his last film was “The Life of David Gale” starring Kevin Spacey
“The Fight” may have been released on Friday, but producer Kerry Washington understands if people are watching Beyoncé’s “Black Is King” first. “I know what I’ll be watching Friday. I’ll be firmly in the beehive, but [‘The Fight’ is] there,” Washington said Thursday during a taping of an upcoming episode of the Variety and iHeart
James Murdoch, former chief executive of 21st Century Fox and son of Rupert Murdoch, has resigned from the News Corp. board of directors over “disagreements over certain editorial content” published by the company’s news outlets, per an investor filing. His brief letter reads as follows: Ladies and Gentlemen: I hereby tender my resignation as a
The Independent Filmmaker Project’s Gotham Awards ceremonies have been shifted back almost two months, from Nov. 20 to Jan. 11, 2021. The move, announced Friday, is the latest in a wholesale revamp of the awards season calendar in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced in June
South Korea managed the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic unusually well, which is basically the opposite of how Yeon Sang-ho’s 2016 “Train to Busan” predicted the country might react to such a disaster. In a genre of mostly forgettable flesh-eating thrillers, Yeon’s cult zombie hit stood out as one of the more entertaining, coupling
In what’s shaping up to be the strangest weekend yet since the coronavirus outbreak forced American theaters to close, the biggest release is Beyoncé’s visual album, “Black Is King,” a visionary feature-length companion to her 2019 album, in the tradition of “Lemonade.” A number of studio movies — including Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” — had tentatively
“We’re confident that no viewer would conclude that Professor Dershowitz is a shyster based on one line of opinion from a fictional character on the Series, as opposed to the real-life, factual publications that have called him exactly that,” Anschell wrote. Dershowitz noted that legal issues stemming from a blend of fact and fiction are
This year’s Virgin Media BAFTA TV Awards provided an early upset when Mo Gilligan beat a host of TV’s established names to win the Entertainment Performance Award. Gilligan, the host of “The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan,” saw off well known performers Graham Norton, Frankie Boyle and Lee Mack to take the first prize of
The NBA returned on Thursday night to bumper TV ratings for TNT. A thrilling showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers drew 3.4 million total viewers, more than doubling the network’s average viewership for a regular season telecast. To put that number into perspective, that represents the eighth most-watched game of
Taylor Swift’s latest album, “Folklore,” has sold over 2 million copies worldwide in one week, already solidifying its place as one of 2020’s top-selling albums. Swift’s eighth studio album, which she announced roughly 15 hours before its surprise release, also generated more than 500 million streams across various platforms throughout its debut week. Republic Records,
Emmy-nominated actor Nicholas Braun, who plays the beloved character Cousin Greg on HBO’s “Succession,” is following in Kendall Roy’s footsteps by trying his hand at music. Braun released a song called “Antibodies” earlier this week. Inspired to write the tune during the coronavirus lockdown, he crowd-sourced lyrics via Instagram, asking musicians to help with verses
Donald Trump is gearing up to issue an order requiring ByteDance to sell its ownership interest in TikTok, according to multiple reports — otherwise, he’s threatened to ban the short-form video app in the U.S. over security concerns related to its ties to China. At the same time, Microsoft is currently in talks to buy
Ryan Reynolds took to Twitter to announce a new initiative supporting aspiring filmmakers from unrepresented communities. In a two-minute video, the actor acknowledged that despite its collaborative work, the film industry continues to leave out certain voices. “Making a movie, well it’s a group effort,” he said. “But for entirely too long, that group has
Netflix will now let all users of its Android app play back video at different rates — ranging from half-speed to 1.5 times faster — a feature that elicited a strongly negative response from some Hollywood creators when the streamer began testing it out last fall. According to Netflix’s Keela Robison, VP of product innovation,
British star Idris Elba says a movie version of his hit BBC TV series “Luther” is happening. Speaking to the press on Friday after receiving one of BAFTA’s highest honours, the BAFTA Special Award at the Virgin Media BAFTA Television Awards, Elba said: “I’ve maintained I’d like to see it come to a film, and
HBO and Sky Atlantic’s “Chernobyl,” Channel 4’s “Stath Lets Flats” and Channel 4 and Netflix’s “The End of the F—king World” emerged with two BAFTAs apiece at this year’s awards. “Chernobyl” won for mini-series and leading actor for Jared Harris, adding two prizes to its existing haul of seven gongs at the BAFTA TV Craft
The “Mission: Impossible” movies promise two things: Tom Cruise risking his life to entertain audiences and a plethora of mask hijinks. The films, based on the 1966 television series of the same name, follow the adventures of Cruise’s Ethan Hunt and his team of spies traveling the globe. Members of the Impossible Mission Force, A.K.A.
Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull will give a keynote address at the 2020 VIEW Conference in October and Tomm Moore, co-director of the upcoming Apple TV Plus animated feature “Wolfwalkers,” will also be speaking at the event, which will be a mix of virtual and in-person talks and masterclasses this year, due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic.
The cast of “Nine Perfect Strangers” just keeps on getting more perfect and strange. Michel Shannon is the latest name to sign on for the Hulu series, joining previously announced cast members Melissa McCarthy, Nicole Kidman, Manny Jacinto, Luke Evans, and Tiffany Boone, among others. The show, which was received a greenlight from by Hulu
Tamar Braxton and WE tv are officially cutting ties, following Braxton’s call out of the network over its “excessive and unfair” work demands. In a new statement from WE tv, obtained exclusively by Variety, the network says it “will work with her representatives to honor her request to end all future work for the network.” The
How does the man who wrote “Rockin’ in the Free World” feel about the putative leader of the free world? There hasn’t been much doubt about that, as Neil Young has made headlines several times for his resistance to having his songs played at Donald Trump rallies, as they mysteriously often are. Last week, he
If you’ve watched Beyoncé’s “Black Is King” — now streaming on Disney Plus — then you’ve seen Folajomi “FJ” Akinmurele in action. Starring as a young Simba who is driven out of his home by Scar and must go on a journey of self-discovery, the star potential of the 7-year-old actor is already clear. Here’s
Jeff Logan, owner of Logan Luxury Theatres, has been struggling to make ends meet for most of 2020. After being closed for months due to coronavirus, he recently reopened the three movie theaters he runs in South Dakota, screening classics like Indiana Jones and Star Wars. But ticket sales are slow and Logan’s cinemas are
Basketball fans can’t sit courtside these days, but they might just get the ultimate view of NBA action when ESPN opens its coverage of the league’s season this evening. Fans who use the ESPN App will be able to access full games with a “rail-cam” view, which lets the streaming audience see the action through
Two years after agreeing to pay $17 million to settle a landmark privacy case, TV maker Vizio is back in court, accusing two insurers of failing to defend the suit. Vizio filed suit against Navigators Insurance Co. and Arch Insurance Co. on Thursday, accusing both of wrongfully denying coverage. The lawsuit is particularly harsh about
Toni Braxton is set to release her tenth studio album, “Spell My Name,” on August 28 through Island, a Universal Music Group label. The album’s new single, “Dance,” is a feel-good disco stomper and follows on the heels of “Do It,” co-written with longtime collaborator Babyface, which was the most added song at adult R&B
Jessica Swale’s World War II-era “Summerland,” debuting on demand via IFC on July 31, turns the English coastal countryside into a character in the tale of a reclusive writer played by Gemma Arterton — and the house in which much of the action takes place serves as a portal to those surroundings. Making her
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