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Of all the blockbusters to receive the never-ending franchise revival treatment, "The Lord of the Rings" was always going to be the toughest nut to crack. Prime Video found this out the hard way with their "The Rings of Power" streaming series, seemingly unprepared for the feedback from a (let's call it passionate) fanbase that might as well have multiple PhDs in J.R.R. Tolkien apologia and never take kindly to deviations from established canon. And as anyone who sat through the mind-numbing "The Hobbit" trilogy can attest, we've already seen what happens when the fine line between art and commerce isn't merely crossed, but obliterated. In that sense, Middle-earth is the furthest thing from the mystical realm of Shambhala, blissfully isolated from Hollywood getting its grubby little hands on it. It's over a decade too late for that, I'm afraid.

So it falls upon "The War of the Rohirrim" to...

“All Middle-earth knows the tale of the War Of The Ring,” moodily intones Miranda Otto’s Cate Blanchett-esque voiceover at the beginning of The War Of The Rohirrim. But the story of Helm Hammerhand and his daughter Hèra, we are told, is “not a song you will have heard sung”. That’s partly because it’s a tale plucked from the depths of J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices, set two centuries before Frodo was even a twinkle in Sauron’s Great Eye. It is almost literally a footnote, a feeling this spin-off film sometimes struggles to shake off — despite some impressive work.

Directed by Japanese anime master Kenji Kamiyama, this is the first Middle-earth feature-length film in a decade, and the first major animated outing for the series since Ralph Bakshi’s psychedelic 1978 adaptation. It’s an interesting match-up of people behind the camera — an odd fellowship of strangers from distant lands,...

Assuming you haven’t bought tickets to the symphony lately, your only exposure to classical music has been hearing it as the score playing in the background of movies. In that sense, musically, that stupid superhero movie you watched might just be the highest form of art you’ve experienced all year.

Those movies are going to be the absolute pinnacle of any composer’s career. Before that, they’ll be doing even sillier stuff, and that goes equally for the most famous composers of all.

6 John Williams Did the Original Theme Song to ‘Gilligan’s Island’

In the 20 years after 1976, four new movies broke the record for highest-grossing movie of all-time: Jaws, Star Wars, E.T. and Jurassic Park. All four of them were scored by John Williams. But a decade before the earliest of those four, Williams was enlisted to write the theme song to a TV show — a new series called Gilligan’s Island.

In 1995, David Fincher pivoted from making a "Blade" movie and instead gave us one of the best neo-noir crime dramas of all time. "Se7en" follows Morgan Freeman as Somerset, a retiring police detective who takes on one final case with the new transfer David Mills (Brad Pitt), only to find himself investigating a string of increasingly gruesome murders perpetrated by an elaborate serial killer.

Decades after its original theatrical release, "Se7en" remains a masterpiece. It's a thrilling cat-and-mouse game with a cast at their peak of their acting powers, along with an eerie atmosphere that can best be described as Gotham City without Batman to protect it (which makes sense since "The Batman" owes so much to this movie). Even if you know what's coming, it's hard not to become so engrossed in the world and the story that you find yourself surprised by the film's shocking ending as if...

There are few films that can capture the forthcoming bad vibes of 2025 better than this one. Celebrating its 30th anniversary next year, David Fincher’s newly-remastered Se7en is returning to theaters. Set open theatrically worldwide with exclusive IMAX engagements in the U.S. and Canada beginning on January 3, and international theatrical engagements on select dates, the theatrical run will be followed by a 4K Uhd and digital release on January 7, 2025.

The 4K restoration of Se7en was completed at Warner Bros. Discovery’s Motion Picture Imaging (MPI) and was sourced from the original camera negative. The restoration was overseen by director David Fincher.

Scott Nye said at its TCM Classic Film Festival premiere earlier this year, “David Fincher’s 1995 triumph Se7en was restored in 8K for IMAX presentation and an eventual 4K disc release. Fincher appeared in person at the Tcl Chinese IMAX Theater to relay familiar anecdotes––the...

Se7en will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a 4K Ultra HD + Digital release on January 7 via Warner Bros.

Two packaging options will be available: a SteelBook edition and a fold-out DigiPak housed in a rigid slipcase.

Director David Fincher supervised a new 4K restoration, presented in HDR10 with 5.1 DTS-hd Master Audio.

Special Features include:

Audio Commentary by Director David Fincher and Actors Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt Audio Commentary by Director David Fincher, Writer Andrew Kevin Walker, Editor Richard Francis-Bruce, former New Line President of Production Michael de Luca, and Author Richard Dyer Audio Commentary by Director David Fincher, Cinematographer Darius Khondji, Production Designer Arthur Max, Editor Richard Francis-Bruce, and Author Richard Dyer Audio Commentary by Director David Fincher, Sound Designer Ren Klyce, Composer Howard Shore, and Author Richard Dyer Deleted and Extended Scenes Alternate Endings Production Design Mastering for the Home Theater Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence...

The Cell will enter the mind of a killer on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on January 21, 2025 via Arrow Video. The 2000 psychological sci-fi horror film will be celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Tarsem Singh directs from a script by Mark Protosevich. Jennifer Lopez, Vince Vaughn, and Vincent D’Onofrio star with Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Jake Weber, and Dylan Baker.

The theatrical and director’s cuts have been newly restored in 4K, approved by Singh, with Dolby Vision. An alternate version of the theatrical cut created by director of photography Paul Laufer is also included.

Disc 1 – 4K Uhd:

Theatrical cut (107 min) Director’s cut (109 min) Audio commentary with film scholars Josh Nelson & Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (new) Audio commentary with screenwriter Mark Protosevich & film critic Kay Lynch (new) Audio commentary with director Tarsem Singh Audio commentary with director of photography Paul Laufer, production designer Tom Foden, makeup supervisor Michèle Burke, costume designer April Napier, visual effects supervisor Kevin Tod Haug,...

There were great cinema composers before John Williams and there will be great composers after him. And yet, through his seven-decade career, he towers over everyone else. His music is not only iconic, but the movies we revere as classics wouldn’t have acquired such legendary status if not for his scores.

“Jaws” without John Williams isn’t “Jaws.” “Star Wars” without John Williams isn’t “Star Wars.” Although he only handles the music, the composer has left such a mark on cinema history that he makes a case as co-author of some of Hollywood’s biggest triumphs.

Director Laurent Bouzerau gives the full spotlight to the composer in the new documentary, “Music by John Williams.” Bouzerau is fully comfortable in his mode as celebrating Williams and his legacy, which is fine. I’m not sure I was looking for someone to “rip the lid off” the subject, and while...

Das 20. Zurich Film Festival meldet für die Jubiläumsausgabe einen Rekord bei den Besucher:innen: Insgesamt zog das Festival unter der Künstlerischen Leitung von Christian Jungen und unter neuer Präsidentschaft von Roger Crotti 140.000 Filmfans an. So viele, wie nie zuvor.

Rekord beim 20. Zff (Credit: Joshua Sammer (Getty) for Zurich Film Festival)

Mit 140.000 Besucher:innen erreichte das Zurich Film Festival im Jahr seines 20. Jubiläums einen neuen Rekord.

Wie das Festival unter der Künstlerischen Leitung von Christian Jungen und unter neuer Präsidentschaft von Roger Crotti mitteilt, habe man dieses gute Ergebnis dank einer Mischung aus hochkarätigen Filmvorführungen, erstklassigen Gästen und prestigeträchtigen Events wie dem Zurich Summit erreicht. Alles in allem konnte man auch mit dem neuen, sehr ansprechend gestalteten Festivalzentrum punkten. Roger Crotti beschreibt diese erfreuliche Bilanz mit den Worten: „Unsere zahlreichen Partner und Gäste aus der Stadt und dem Kanton Zürich oder aus dem Ausland, die ich persönlich durch das neue Zentrum geführt habe,...

The 20th Zurich Film Festival wrapped up this past weekend after celebrating many accomplishments in cinema. The international film event, held in Zurich, Switzerland, recognizes films and people in the movie industry through competitive awards.

In the main film competition, the movie “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” won the top Golden Eye award. The film’s director, Rungano Nyoni, Accepted the prize from the jury of five film experts led by acclaimed director Lee Daniels. Nyoni’s movie stood out from other strong competitors. Another competition highlight was giving special recognition to Jianjie Lin’s film “Brief History of a Family”.

The documentary competition also saw “Black Box Diaries” take the Golden Eye award. The film was directed by Shiori Itō and impressed the documentary jury led by Kevin Macdonald. They noted the film’s powerful story and filmmaking quality. Other documtentaries earning mentions included Sandi DuBowski’s “Sabbath Queen...

Composer Howard Shore likes to sleep on it.

“I try to get in touch with my inner feelings,” he said at the Zurich Film Festival, explaining his preferred method of working.

“If you think about cinema, you go into a dark room and all this imagery starts appearing. You are in a dream-like state and I like to use that idea when I write music for film. There is some napping involved, you try to be very relaxed and imagine what the piece could be. And then I set to work with my pencil, creating the actual score to what I am dreaming,” he said.

“I don’t study a film: I listen to it. I listen to the rhythm of the actors, the sounds. I kind of imagine the visualization, writing to this more abstract idea in my mind.”

A three-time Oscar winner, Shore received the Career Achievement Award at the Swiss festival,...

Gestern wurde der dreifache Academy Award Gewinner Howard Shore in der Tonhalle Zürich mit dem Career Achievement Award ausgezeichnet. Ebenfalls ein Goldenes Auge ging an den Gewinner des 12. Internationalen Filmmusikwettbewerbs für die beste Filmmusik.

Ahmed Soroko & Howard Shore (Credit: Andreas Rentz for Zff)

Das Zurich Film Festival räumt seit vielen Jahren der Filmmusik einen zentralen Platz ein im Festivalprogramm. Der Internationale Filmmusikwettbewerb im Rahmen der „Cinema in Concert“-Gala wurde dieses Jahr zum zwölften Mal ausgetragen: Aus fast 200 eingereichten Scores wurden die drei besten Kompositionen zum Kurzfilm „The Flying Sailor“ vom Tonhalle Orchester Zürich gestern Abend in einer komplett ausverkauften Tonhalle uraufgeführt und von der Fachjury, präsidiert von Howard Shore, bewertet. Der Gewinner des Filmmusikwettbewerbs heißt Ahmed Soroko. Überzeugt und beeindruckt hat Soroko die Jury besonders mit der Emotionalität und der Lyrik seiner Musik, doch auch durch die „stillen Momente“, die er geschickt einsetzte. „Sprachlos“ war der Kanadier über die Ehre,...

Much of the press about The Shrouds since its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year has focused on the deeply personal inspiration for the film: David Cronenberg’s grief over the death of his wife in 2017. For those who are aware of this context going in, one could see signs of that extra investment on the writer-director’s part here and there, especially in the way one of the film’s stars, Vincent Cassel, is made up to look like Cronenberg himself. Lest that suggests something more overtly emotional than what one might expect from the Canadian auteur, though, The Shrouds dispels that notion very early on.

The film’s opening credits sequence features a bunch of swirling dots that eventually form into the outline of a woman. Allied with the insinuating low-pitched electronic droning of Howard Shore’s score, the sequence dissolves into a dreamy...

"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" is a fantastic adaptation of Tolkien's Legendarium, one that expands on what's on the page, capturing the brutality of war in the way that Tolkien portrayed it, and also incorporating the specific brand of silliness and whimsy that Tolkien infused into his world. (Season 2 doubles down on this by finally bringing Tom Bombadill to the screen.)

One big problem the series can't really shake is that it simply has too many characters and storylines. There is the story of Celebrimbor and Annatar working on the rings, Durin IV dealing with the corruption of the dwarves' rings, Galadriel trying to find Sauron, the political maneuvering in Númenor, Arondir and Isildur dealing with orcs and Entwives, and even The Stranger and the Harfoots on Rhûn.

That last subplot can often feel disconnected from the rest of the show, starting with the fact that...

The Zurich Film Festival (Zff) has unveiled its full line-up for its 20th anniversary edition, which takes place from 3-13 October.

Zff’s main competition line-up comprises 14 films, with eight of them directed by women. Two of them are world premieres: Lucia Chiarla’s Es Geht Um Luis from Germany and Lisa Bruhlmann’s When We Were Sisters from Switzerland.

“This year the female gaze dominates our competition. Numerous films tell their stories through the eyes of women, for example Linda or Mother Mara,” Christian Jungen said.

The competition is aimed at discovering new talents compromising first, second and third directorial works,...

When the world of music and the fantasy realm collide, we get something as beautiful and nostalgic as John Williams’ Harry Potter score and Howard Shore’s Lord of the Rings theme song. But while both the enchanting scores transported audiences to a world of magic and wonder, the iconic composers faced major competition during the 2002 Academy Awards.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone composer, John Williams | Image: YouTube/ Stephan Aubé

With Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring competing against each other, fans seemingly held their breath. However, considering how Hedwig’s theme transcended boundaries and remained popular through generations, people had anticipated a magical victory for Williams. Yet, the night ended with Shore’s epic composition taking the trophy, stirring both applause and chaos.

John Williams vs. Howard Shore at the 2002 Oscars

In the realm of film music,...

"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" season 2 is not only a triumph, but it's also a vast improvement on the first installment and a treat for fans of Tolkien. Prime Video's Middle-earth series is an ambitious show that's not afraid to slow down and appreciate the sheer vibes of Middle-earth or get extremely weird — by, say, bringing in Tom Bombadil and Old Man Willow. The show's secret weapon lies not in the titular rings, but in composer Bear McCreary, who brings a truly unique and at times strange sound that builds on Howard Shore's music for Peter Jackson's Tolkien adaptations. Only McCreary would bring Meshuggah's Jens Kidman to sing the theme for Damrod the hill troll (or finally give Tom Bombadil a song and make it sound like a folk tune performed by Rufus Wainwright).

In fact, during a livestream on Instagram where he took questions from fans,...

Peter Jackson presents a groundbreaking journey back to Middle-earth through the eyes of legendary director Kenji Kamiyama.

#Lotr The War of the Rohirrim – only in theaters December 13.

The highly anticipated trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim has finally been released, and it’s already stirring excitement among fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic saga.

A Return to Middle-earth

The trailer opens with a sweeping panorama of Rohan’s vast, rolling plains, bringing back the familiar, majestic landscapes that fans have come to love. The iconic Edoras, capital of Rohan, stands tall against a dramatic sky, setting the tone for the epic conflict that is about to unfold. The animation style, while distinctly different from Peter Jackson’s live-action films, retains a sense of grandeur and loyalty to Tolkien’s rich descriptions of Middle-earth.

The Story of Helm Hammerhand

The film, set to be a prequel to the original trilogy,...

Episodes viewed: 8 of 8

Streaming on: Prime Video

Rumour has it that Prime Video's The Rings Of Power is the highest-budgeted TV show ever made — though the maths depends on including the vast amount paid for the rights to J.R.R. Tolkien’s magnum opus, The Lord Of The Rings. It certainly looks expensive, from its extensive locations to the huge sets. More importantly, however, the plot lives up to the packaging.

It may be cobbled together from tag-ends of material in Tolkien’s appendices, but this packs more incident and excitement into its second season than some entire books. If you’re going to throw money at a TV screen, you can only hope it looks and sounds as good as this.

Admittedly, showrunners J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay are standing on the shoulders of giants. They have Tolkien’s unmatched worldbuilding, and the visuals owe a heavy debt to...

Before "The Lord of the Rings" and before "The Hobbit," there was "The War of the Rohirrim." Merely the first of several new "Rings" movies currently in the pipeline, this animated film is set to bring J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved fantasy world to life like we've never seen it before -- reinterpreting Middle-earth and its entire iconography through the heightened magic of anime. Warner Bros. debuted the official full-length trailer earlier today after only releasing snippets of footage at exclusive events over the last few years, finally giving animation fans and Tolkien nerds alike plenty of reason to join forces in anticipation of this next grand adventure. The epic tale is set almost 200 years before the events of the original "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, chronicling a key moment from the history of Rohan and its horse-riding people: the legendary tale of Helm Hammerhand and his war against the marauding Dunlendings.

Nearly 20 years after "The Return of the King" brought the original "Lord of the Rings" trilogy to a close, fans are about to go on yet another adventure in Peter Jackson's distinctive version of Middle-earth -- and it's utterly unlike anything we've seen from this franchise before. Prime Video's "The Rings of Power" has provided a welcome return to author J.R.R. Tolkien's groundbreaking fantasy world, but the series remains otherwise unconnected to the films that most audiences consider the definitive adaptations of the source material. That all changes with "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim."

Warner Bros. has finally unleashed the first official trailer for the prequel film (watch above), giving us a chance to sink our teeth into the new footage like Gollum taking a bite out of some fish, raw and wriggling. The official synopsis is as follows:

Set 183 years before the...

"All the crossroads converge as Galadriel faces Sauron." Prime Video has revealed a series of featurettes for Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power focusing on the score by composer Bear McCreary. In Season 2, after the finale of Season 1: Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will. The latest trailer looks incredible, even bigger & better this time. Bear McCreary returns after composing the score for Season 1 and continues to follow in the footsteps of maestro Howard Shore to create a new score for Middle Earth. He doesn't talk about that much in these videos below, but he does say how he's excited every...

This article is part of IndieWire’s 2000s Week celebration. Click here for a whole lot more.

If the movies of the 2000s were defined by a period of violent transition (both onscreen and off), the music that was written for those movies captured the full sweep of that change — and the endless possibilities it allowed for in turn. The aughts were absent a single identifying element as strong to the decade as synths were to the ’80s or symphonic grandeur was to the ’90s, and to judge by our list of the period’s best scores it sounds like they might have been all the better for it.

On the one hand, the 2000s saw venerated masters like John Williams and Terence Blanchard deliver some of the greatest work of their careers, while journeyman like “Lord of the Rings” composer Howard Shore emerged into legendary status with a single...

This article contains (likely) spoilers for "The Rings of Power" season 2.

Soundtracks are a big part of what brings a story to life — nowhere more than in Middle-earth. Howard Shore's award-winning score for Peter Jackson's trilogy is an iconic part of the "Lord of the Rings" experience. Bear McCreary's musical compositions for Amazon Studios' "The Rings of Power" series, while newer, are already a fantasy staple, as well. They're also a body of work that is about to get a lot bigger when season 2 arrives on August 29, 2024.

In preparation for the new music, the streaming studio released the 25 names of the songs that will be on the digital track list, which will be released for fans' listening pleasure on August 23, six days before the season premieres. With so many titles, it's no surprise that there are also some light spoilers in the mix. This isn't anything new.

Almost nothing’s more important than a first impression. It’s a chance to put your best foot forward and leave a mark that folks will remember. But what if you don’t want them to remember your best foot? What if the impression intended to be left is of five toes digging into their backsides—and crawling under the skin?

It’s a funny idea, yet for more than a hundred years filmmakers have reached for exactly such visceral reactions to character introductions and entrances. They have striven to create sequences, movie moments, and performances that promise or forewarn of terrible sights to come, and characters who will never be forgotten. But not all villain intros are created equal, and in this list we humbly attempt to figure out some of the most infamous and revered.

26. Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

We...

When TCM channel host Dave Karger used to be a writer for Entertainment Weekly in his early days as a print journalist, he would focus a great deal on interviewing the big pop stars of the day, along with his duties on the film beat. But little did very many people suspect then that what he really wanted to be writing about was “Laura”… not Branigan, but David Raksin’s music for the classic 1945 noir. That was the film that really prompted Karger’s lifelong love of movie scoring.

“His score for ‘Laura’ really turned me on to classic film music, and film scores in general,” says Karger. “And then you go back and you learn that in 1945, there were 20 Oscar nominees that year in the category of best score for a non-musical film — and David Raksin wasn’t even one of the 20 nominees. That’s a score that has...

In a Variety profile of legendary composer John Williams earlier this year, director Steven Spielberg singled out a reason why the musician's work seems to stand out among his contemporaries.

"Every score he's ever composed, and even the ones that might have the most complicated orchestrations, he always has a beautiful main theme," Spielberg said. "And I don't hear themes being written for movies as much as they used to be by Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein, Max Steiner, Dimitri Tiomkin and Bernard Herrmann. Film composition isn't a lost art, but thematic scoring is becoming more and more a lost art. And the great thing about Johnny is, he's still got it."

Of course, to say Williams has "still got it" is something of an understatement. The prolific composer is synonymous with the type of sweeping, powerful, emotional music that helped to define blockbuster filmmaking. A crucial part of why those scores clicked with audiences,...

The first ever London Soundtrack Festival is taking place in association with the BFI from March 19-26 2025, headlined by Oscar-winning Lord Of The Rings composer Howard Shore.

He will take part in an in-conversation event with filmmaker David Cronenberg, where they will discuss their collaborations, having worked together on all but one of Cronenberg’s films.

Shore’s further credits include Mrs Doubtfire, Silence Of The Lambs and Martin Scorsese films such as The Departed and The Aviator. A retrospective of the Canadian composer’s work joins events celebrating the likes of Tar and Joker composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, as well as Anna Meredith,...

"The War of the Rohirrim" is one of our most anticipated movies of the year here at /Film. For me personally, ever since the prospect of a "Lord of the Rings" anime was announced, it's been the most exciting project set in Middle-earth, and it's not even close. When the very first early footage was shown at the 2023 Annecy Film Festival, it only made this project more exciting. Now, dear reader, I have seen about 20 minutes of the film, which is not quite done, but getting close to that point, and it left me as addicted to wanting to see more as Gollum is addicted to the One Ring.

This year's Annecy presentation started with a short video introduction by Peter Jackson, who, together with Fran Walsh, are back to executive produce the project. Jackson expressed his admiration for animators, how they brought Gollum to life, and how the medium...

The Zurich Film Festival (Zff) will honor legendary film composer Howard Shore with its career achievement award. The triple-Oscar winner, best known for his iconic scores for Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film trilogies, will receive the award at the 20th Zff in October.

In addition, Shore will head up the Zff’s international film music competition for its 20th edition. As jury president, the Canadian composer will judge young talents each tasked with creating an original score to the same 8-minute short film. The three compositions will be performed live by the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich under the direction of Frank Strobel on Oct. 5 during Zurich’s Cinema in Concert gala in the presence of the three nominees. The winning composition will receive a Chf 10,000 ($11,500) cash prize.

“I am honored to come to Zurich for the festival’s 20th anniversary, to receive this career achievement...

Der kanadische Komponist und dreifache Oscarpreisträger Howard Shore wird bei der Jubiläumsausgabe des Zurich Film Festival für sein Lebenswerk mit dem Career Achievement Award gewürdigt.

Dreifacher Oscarpreisträger: Howard Shore (Credit: B. Ealovega)

Das 20. Zurich Film Festival (3. bis 13. Oktober) ehrt den kanadischen Komponisten Howard Shore für sein Lebenswerk: Den Career Achievement Award nimmt der dreifache Oscarpreisträger am 5. Oktober im Rahmen der „Cinema Concert“-Gala in der Tonhalle Zürich entgegen. Zudem wird der 77-Jährige den Jury-Vorsitz des 12. Internationalen Filmmusikwettbewerbs übernehmen.

Shores bekannteste Arbeit ist die Musik für die „Herr der Ringe“-Trilogie von Peter Jackson. Für die Filmmusik zu „Die Gefährten“ erhielt Shore seinen ersten Oscar und einen Grammy. Im Jahr 2004 kamen dann ein Grammy, zwei Golden Globes und zwei Oscars hinzu. Peter Jackson holte ihn erneut für „The Hobbit“ an Bord. Überdies komponierte er die Filmmusiken von so unterschiedlichen Filmen wie „Das Schweigen der Lämmer“, „Philadelphia“, „Sieben“, „Panic Room“, „Ed Wood...

Cannes film festival

Elaborate necrophiliac meditation on loss and longing stars Vincent Cassel as an oncologist who has founded a restaurant with a hi-tech cemetery attached

David Cronenberg’s new film is a contorted sphinx without a secret, an eroticised necrophiliac meditation on grief, longing and loss that returns this director to his now very familiar Ballardian fetishes. It’s intriguing and exhausting: a quasi-murder mystery and doppelganger sex drama combined with a sci-fi conspiracy thriller which comes very close to participating in that very xenophobia it purports to satirise. And among its exasperating plot convolutions, there is a centrally important oncologist who was having a possible affair with the hero’s dead wife and who had also been her first sexual partner as a teenager – but who never appears on camera.

Yet for all this, the film has its own creepy, enveloping mausoleum atmosphere of disquiet, helped by the...

Legendary filmmaker David Cronenberg's Crimes of the Future released in 2022, eight years after Maps to The Stars. Thankfully, we're not going to have to wait nearly as long for the body horror maestro's next film, which is set to premiere during this year's Cannes Film Festival next week.

Titled The Shrouds, the movie stars Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds), Guy Pearce (Memento) and Sandrine Holt (Fear the Walking Dead).

The first teaser trailer is now online.

The footage doesn't give us very much to go on, basically just serving as an introduction to Vincent Cassel's Karsh, "an innovative businessman and grieving widower, builds a novel device to connect with the dead inside a burial shroud. This burial tool installed at his own state-of-the-art – though controversial cemetery allows him and his clients to watch their specific departed loved one decompose in real time."

“Most burial rituals are about avoiding...

David Sanborn, the six time Grammy-winning alto saxophonist who played at Woodstock, composed music for the Lethal Weapon movies, played in the SNL and Late Night with David Letterman bands and worked with everyone from Stevie Wonder to David Bowie, died Sunday afternoon, May 12th, after an extended battle with prostate cancer with complications. He Was 78.

Sanborn’s music is often described “smooth jazz,” but he reportedly rejected that characterization, and one can see why. His lively, iconic sax solo on Bowie’s “Young Americans” is anything but. Sanborn preferred the idea that he “put the saxophone back into rock ’n’ roll.”

Indeed, he worked with a virtual who’s who of rock and R&b legends, including James Brown, Eric Clapton, Roger Daltrey, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Elton John, Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Billy Joel, Roger Waters, Steely Dan, the Eagles,...

Variety has been given exclusive access to the teaser (above) for David Cronenberg’s “The Shrouds,” ahead of its world premiere in the Competition section at Cannes. Sbs Intl. is handling international sales for the film, while WME is selling U.S. rights.

“The Shrouds” centers on Karsh, 50, a prominent businessman. Inconsolable since the death of his wife, he invents GraveTech, a revolutionary and controversial technology that enables the living to monitor their dear departed in their shrouds. One night, multiple graves, including that of Karsh’s wife, are desecrated. Karsh sets out to track down the perpetrators.

The film stars Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, Guy Pearce and Sandrine Holt.

It is produced by Sbs, Prospero Pictures and Saint Laurent Productions. The producers are Saïd Ben Saïd, Martin Katz and Anthony Vaccarello.

The music is by Howard Shore. The cinematographer is Douglas Koch.

In an interview with Serge Grünberg ahead of the premiere,...

It looks like Warner Bros. Discovery is going back for second breakfast.

Variety reported that fast work is underway for a new “Lord of the Rings” film, with Warner Bros. hoping to get it into theaters within two years. The project will focus on the character of Gollum/Smeagol and comes from director Andy Serkis, the actor who played the character in the early films.

Script development for the film, tentatively titled “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,” is underway, according to CEO David Zaslav, who spoke about the new project during the Wbd earning call. Moreover, the originators of the Oscar-winning trilogy (and highly profitable “Hobbit” prequel trilogy) director Peter Jackson and co-writers Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens “will be involved every step of the way.”

Amazon famously bought the rights to all things Middle Earth in late 2017 directly from the Tolkien estate for $250 million. This...

Legendary The Fly and Dead Ringers director David Cronenberg's Crimes of the Future released in 2022, eight years after his previous film, Maps to the Stars. Thankfully, we're not going to have to wait quite as long for the body horror maestro's next project.

Titled The Shrouds, the movie stars Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds), Guy Pearce (Memento) and Sandrine Holt (Fear the Walking Dead), and is set for its world premiere later this month at the Cannes Film Festival.

Plot details had been pretty vague up until now, but the following synopsis gives us a much better idea of what to expect.

"Karsh, an innovative businessman and grieving widower, builds a novel device to connect with the dead inside a burial shroud. This burial tool installed at his own state-of-the-art – though controversial cemetery allows him and his clients to watch their specific departed loved one decompose in real time.

After an eight-year gap between Maps to the Stars and Crimes of the Future, thankfully the wait for the next feature from David Cronenberg isn’t nearly as long: The Shrouds will premiere this month at the Cannes Film Festival. It’s led by Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, Guy Pearce, and Sandrine Holt, and while U.S. distribution has yet to be confirmed, French distributor Pyramide Films will release it on September 25, 2024. Ahead of the world premiere, the first poster and a batch of new images have arrived.

Here’s the synopsis: “Karsh, 50, is a prominent businessman. Inconsolable since the death of his wife, he invents GraveTech, revolutionary and controversial technology that enables the living to monitor their dear departed in their shrouds. One night, multiple graves, including that of Karsh’s wife, are desecrated. Karsh sets out to track down the perpetrators.”

Clocking in at 116 minutes, it’s just...

“Arise, arise, riders of Rohan! Spears shall be shaken! Shields shall be splintered! A sword-day…a red day…ere the sun rises!”

So begins The Battle of Pelennor Fields, a centerpiece in Peter Jackson’s Best Picture-winning adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”. It’s a visually triumphant scene, with thousands of fighters on horseback and the horns of Howard Shore’s score lifting the sequence off the screen, but it’s Bernard Hill and his character King Theóden’s rousing speech to his troops that pulls the audience in and makes us a part of the action. That was Bernard Hill’s gift. He made things real. He offered a level of authenticity and commitment that transcends the screen and made movie-going a holy experience. Sadly, it was confirmed by his agent, Lou Coulson, that Hill died early this morning...

Years after "The Sopranos" started what we consider the Peak TV era, there came a show that changed network TV forever: "Lost." It's a show that is as controversial as it is influential, one that helped bring serialization to mainstream TV, make the showrunner as recognizable among TV obsessives as the actors on screen, and delivered one of the most controversial endings in history (though it is a perfect send-off for the show).

Much like "Star Wars," it doesn't matter where you fall on the love/hate scale of "Lost," there is one thing all fans can agree on — the score remains consistently stellar throughout.

A big part of why "Lost" is still talked about so many years later is Michael Giacchino's score. There is a reason why Giacchino has played multiple concerts celebrating the music of the show since it ended in 2010, and why hundreds of people from...

When we talk about lost films, most people immediately think of silent movies, cinema on nitrate that either went up in flames or was in the hands of studios who didn't see the value in preserving it. Although we've come a long way in terms of film preservation since then, there are still plenty of films from the second half of the 20th century that may not be technically "lost," but are nearly impossible to track down and actually watch. They may have been put out on comparatively low-quality VHS back in the day, but not a peep since then -- these films never got a DVD or Blu-ray release, and aren't available on any of the streaming services. 

If you're lucky, you might be able to find a grainy, unsanctioned VHS transfer on an unauthorized YouTube account, but even then, there's a lack of permanency, since they could be...

With just ten days to go until the Cannes Film Festival lineup is unveiled, one title heavily tipped to premiere is David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds, starring Vincent Cassel, Diane Kruger, Guy Pearce, and Sandrine Holt. While U.S. distribution has yet to be confirmed, French distributor Pyramide Films has now unveiled a September 25, 2024 release date alongside news that it will be the director’s longest film yet.

Clocking in at 119 minutes, it’s just a hair longer than Dead Ringers and Naked Lunch, which both ran 115 minutes. The distributor also confirms returning collaborators cinematographer Douglas Koch and editor Christopher Donaldson, who shot and edited Crimes of the Future, respectively, and the Canadian director’s longtime composer Howard Shore.

Here’s a new synopsis as well: “Karsh, 50, is a renowned businessman. Inconsolable since the death of his wife, he invents a revolutionary and controversial system, GraveTech, which allows the living...

One does not simply watch the first season of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" without coming away impressed by composer Bear McCreary's luscious and evocative score for the series. Reactions to the Amazon Prime Video show may have ranged from one extreme to the other upon release in late 2022, but hopefully, fans of all stripes could agree that the music of Middle-earth lived up to the sky-high standards set by the original trilogy of movies. While the series remains indebted to the visuals and locations used by director Peter Jackson, there's no doubt that the legendary and award-winning efforts of Howard Shore played just as crucial a role in defining the soundscape of a world inhabited by Hobbits, Dwarves, and all sorts of other fantastical beings. In turn, those contributions certainly influenced the various themes, motifs, and original songs McCreary sprinkled throughout the fantasy show.

It’s been two decades since an epic fantasy film made history at the Oscars, winning every category in which it was nominated, and three women set new records. There weren’t many surprises at the 76th Academy Awards, but there were some memorable moments. Billy Crystal hosted for his eighth time on February 29, 2004. Read on for Gold Derby’s Oscars flashback 20 years ago to 2004.

It was finally Peter Jackson‘s time as the third installment of his “Lord of the Rings” trilogy earned him a trio of awards. Despite numerous nominations, the first two films failed to make big showings; however, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” not only claimed Best Picture, but won all 11 categories in which it was nominated. It tied with “Ben-Hur” (1960) and “Titanic” (1998) for most wins in one ceremony, and holds the record for biggest sweep. It was the 10th film...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Godzilla Minus One Figure from Super 7

Currently decimating theaters, Godzilla Minus One will stomp onto toy shelves in September 2024 as part of Super 7’s Ultimates action figure line.

Up for pre-order for $85, the King of the Monsters stands 8.4” tall and 14.22″ long. Two interchangeable heads (neutral and roaring) are included.

Willy’s Wonderland 4K Uhd from Scream Factory

Want more animatronic fun in the vein of Five Nights at Freddy’s? Willy’s Wonderland will be released on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray in Steelbook and standard packaging on February 13 via Scream Factory.

Nicolas Cage stars with Emily Tosta, Ric Reitz, Chris Warner, Kai Kadlec, Christian DelGrosso, Caylee Cowan, Terayle Hill, Jonathan Mercedes, David Sheftell, and Beth Grant also star.

The animated adaptations of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings from the 1970s and 1980s have a bit of a bad reputation these days, but these are not entirely deserved. In particular, Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass’ 1977 TV movie of The Hobbit, with a screenplay by Romeo Miller, gets a lot of things right that Peter Jackson’s three-part live-action film adaptation did not.

The most obvious advantage that the animated version has over the live-action films is its length. The fact that the live-action movies are too long is pretty well-established, but by way of a reminder, the book of The Hobbit is about 300 pages long, with slight variations in each edition. Other books of similar length that have been adapted into films include Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Emma Donoghue’s Room, John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in partnership with Netflix, has today unveiled 10 upcoming individuals from the screen industries selected for BAFTA Breakthrough in India. In this historic first, BAFTA simultaneously introduces its UK, USA, and India participants, with 42 talented individuals selected globally.

The ten names for BAFTA Breakthrough India were selected by a distinguished jury of industry experts, including Jury Chair and BAFTA Breakthrough Ambassador Guneet Monga Kapoor, Manvendra Shukul, Monika Shergill, Rajiv Menon (Filmmaker), Naman Ramachandran (Critic & Journalist), Sid Roy Kapur (Founder of Roy Kapur Films & Producer), Shaunak Sen (Filmmaker) and Ratna Pathak Shah.

The list of BAFTA Breakthrough India participants for 2023 is:

Abhay Koranne | Writer – Rocket Boys Abhinav Tyagi | Editor – An Insignificant Man Don Chacko Palathara | Director/Writer – Joyful Mystery Kislay| Writer – Soni Lipika Singh Darai | Director/Writer – Some Stories Around Witches Miriam Chandy Menacherry | Producer – From the Shadows and The Leopard’s Tribe...

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in partnership with Netflix, has today unveiled 10 upcoming individuals from the screen industries selected for BAFTA Breakthrough in India. In this historic first, BAFTA simultaneously introduces its UK, USA, and India participants, with 42 talented individuals selected globally.

The ten names for BAFTA Breakthrough India were selected by a distinguished jury of industry experts, including Jury Chair and BAFTA Breakthrough Ambassador Guneet Monga Kapoor, Manvendra Shukul, Monika Shergill, Rajiv Menon (Filmmaker), Naman Ramachandran (Critic & Journalist), Sid Roy Kapur (Founder of Roy Kapur Films & Producer), Shaunak Sen (Filmmaker) and Ratna Pathak Shah.

The list of BAFTA Breakthrough India participants for 2023 is:

Abhay Koranne | Writer – Rocket Boys Abhinav Tyagi | Editor – An Insignificant Man Don Chacko Palathara | Director/Writer – Joyful Mystery Kislay| Writer – Soni Lipika Singh Darai | Director/Writer – Some Stories Around Witches Miriam Chandy Menacherry | Producer – From the Shadows and The Leopard’s Tribe...

Sure, 28 Oscar nominations and 17 wins aren’t to be sniffed at. But the remarkable thing about Peter Jackson‘s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy is that it should have been nominated for more. Only one of the cast was nominated for an Oscar across all three films — that was for Best Supporting Actor for Sir Ian McKellen in 2002 for “The Fellowship of the Ring” — while there were a few other curious snubs that, in hindsight, just don’t make sense. So, there was actually more room to nominate this rightly-heralded trilogy of astounding films. With that in mind, here are five more Oscar nominations “The Lord of the Rings” should have landed.

Best Original Score: “The Two Towers”

The music of “The Lord of the Rings” has gone down as one of the best scores ever committed to film. Howard Shore‘s adored score is so top drawer it leaves you clamoring for more.

Although analog technology has gone all but extinct in the 40 years since Videodrome first permeated viewers’ psyches, there’s no denying the prescience of its themes. Writer-director David Cronenberg, circa 1983, portended the exploitation of the internet age, virtual reality, and media manipulation. At its core, Videodrome confronts the viewer to examine their own relationship with entertainment.

As the head of Civic TV, Max Renn caters to the subterranean market, transmitting sex and violence into Toronto homes over Uhf airwaves. His appetite for depravity no longer fulfilled by the likes of softcore pornography, Max’s interest is piqued by a mysterious pirated broadcast called Videodrome. As he describes it, “It’s just torture and murder. No plot, no characters. Very, very realistic. I think it’s what’s next.”

Max’s perception of reality is altered from the moment he’s first exposed to Videodrome, as devious hallucinations — from a cancerous...