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Chile’s Storyboard Media, run by Gabriela Sandoval and Carlos Nuñez, has boarded crime drama “Wildness” (“Salvajes”) by two of Latin America’s leading women filmmakers, Claudia Huaiquimilla from Chile and Peru’s Joanna Lombardi.

Pact was sealed at Madrid-based confab Iberseries & Platino Industria where the project participates in the annual event’s co-production forum.

Written by Diego Vega, “Wildness” is a crime drama inspired by actual events that traces the explosive encounter between a fading Parisian model and a young surfer who deal in drugs to fund their lavish lifestyle. Set in the 1970s, the story begins in Paris and spirals toward tragedy on the remote shores of Peru.

Said Sandoval: “We are very excited to finally collaborate with Joanna Lombardi, as we have been exploring ways to join forces and develop a film together for some time now. ‘Wildness’ seems like the perfect project to move forward with,...

It's fair to say no one goes to a Roland Emmerich movie expecting Shakespeare. Ever since breaking through with the sci-fi action hit "Universal Soldier" in 1992, his name has been synonymous with switch-off-your-brain blockbuster entertainment. At his best, he thrusts a colorful assortment of stars and character actors into a series of mayhem-laden set pieces with a gleeful shamelessness unseen since the heyday of Irwin Allen. He's well aware of his dialogue-writing shortcomings, and casts big personalities like Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Judd Hirsch, Oliver Platt and so on to sell the heck out of his implausible exposition and shopworn banter.

When it works, it's Arby's. When it doesn't, it's hour-old Arby's.

Take "Stargate" for example. Emmerich and co-writer Dean Devlin's follow-up to "Universal Soldier" was an ambitious, big-budget attempt at an off-brand Indiana Jones adventure starring James Spader as a bookish Egyptologist who gets recruited by a...

Omah Lay recoils hard when he sees the snow piling up outside of my window over Zoom. “I cannot deal with snow,” says the 26 year-old Nigerian star. “Bro, I can’t even deal with the weather in London.”

Lately, when he’s not in Lagos, he’s been spending a lot of time in Europe, where he has a fervent fan base that sings his distinct brand of emotional Afrobeats back to him at large shows. He’s been in London working on his new album since not long after his debut,...

The 1990s are regularly regarded as the era of the high-concept thriller. In the wake of eighties smashes like Jagged Edge and Fatal Attraction, audiences tended to flock to these kinds of movies, although it’s worth noting they quickly spun off into two different mini-genres. There was the erotic thriller genre, whose queen was definitely Sharon Stone, with movies like Basic Instinct and Sliver, but there was also the so-called yuppie thriller.

These movies often centred around upwardly mobile middle-class couples who wind up in the crosshairs of a maniac who wants to dismantle their lives. Fatal Attraction was arguably the first of these. Still, many more would follow, including Pacific Heights, which featured Michael Keaton in a memorably evil role, Bad Influence (with Rob Lowe), Internal Affairs (which revitalized Richard Gere’s career), Malice, and the great Single White Female. But, of the genre, one of the most effective was 1992’s Unlawful Entry,...

Prime Video has a fair amount in store for subscribers in November, as the uber-violent hit animated show Invincible returns for its highly anticipated second season. Based on the iconic comic book by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley, season two will find super-powered protagonist Mark attempting to rebuild his life after finding out the truth about his father Nolan.

Elsewhere on the streamer, the producing team behind the James Bond movies are out to spin the franchise in a completely different direction by debuting their curious new globe-trotting adventure series, pitched somewhere between a quiz show and a treasure hunt. 007: Road To A Million features Brian Cox as the game’s “mastermind”, watching over the contestants as they try to win a million quid.

Here’s everything coming to Amazon Prime Video and Freevee this month. Amazon Originals are accompanied by an asterisk!

New on Amazon Prime...

On Sunday, October 15, 2023, at 8:00 Pm, Disney will air Season 2, Episode 16 of “The Villains of Valley View” titled “Bad Influence.” In this episode, viewers will witness a pivotal moment as the superhero Starling faces overwhelming pressure, leading her to contemplate quitting her superhero duties. The burden of being a hero becomes too much to bear, and Starling grapples with a difficult decision.

However, Amy, one of Starling’s allies, tries to offer helpful advice in this challenging time. Unfortunately, her well-intentioned advice takes an unexpected turn, creating more complications for Starling.

This episode explores the theme of coping with stress and the consequences of well-meaning actions. “The Villains of Valley View” is a family-friendly show that delves into the lives and challenges faced by superheroes, providing viewers with valuable life lessons along the way.

Tune in to Disney on October 15, 2023, at 8:00 Pm to follow the latest developments in the...

With its list of new releases for July 2023, Prime Video is going to help you stay safe from the oppressive July sun.

Highlighting the Amazon Originals on the TV side this month are two heavy hitters. The first is The Horror of Dolores Roach on July 7. Based on a podcast of the same name, this series could best be described as a modern day Sweeney Todd? Why, you ask? Well you know why. Think about it. Then season 2 of Neil Gaiman adaptation Good Omens premieres on July 28. This season will follow angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tenant) as they seek to keep the Archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) away from both heaven and hell.

There aren’t any Amazon Original movies of note this month and that’s alright as the influx of library titles is more than enough. July 1 sees the arrival of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, No Country for Old Men,...

The second season of original series “Almost Paradise” is set to premiere on Freevee on July 21. When hypertension forces DEA agent Alex Walker (played by Christian Kane) into early retirement, he moves to the Philippines in hopes of a quieter life. But unfortunately for him, he can’t avoid danger. Soon, the local police ask him to help solve a series of serious crimes.

Watch the “Almost Paradise” Season 2 trailer:

Also coming to Amazon’s free streaming service in July is the incredibly meta action series “Ze Network.” In the show, David Hasselhoff plays himself as he takes a gig at an English-language theater in Germany — and we all know that Germans love David Hasselhoff. However, once there, he is recruited into an elite society of super-spies, who must work together to prevent a dangerous plot from striking the nation.

Check out the trailer for “Ze Network”:

The Coen Bros.

Rob Lowe has been a Hollywood staple for over three decades, appearing in some of the most iconic films and TV shows of all time. From successful rom-coms to hit dramas, Rob Lowe has consistently delivered amazing performances.

From his early days as a teen heartthrob in The Outsiders, to his solidified icon status in St. Elmo’s Fire and The West Wing, Rob Lowe has taken the entertainment industry by storm. Since then he’s gone on to star in countless films and television shows that have won him accolades from fans, critics and peers alike.

In this article we will take an intimate look at Rob Lowe’s incredible journey from Hollywood newcomer to superstar, from his early successes in films and TV to his current projects. We will explore what makes him an industry favorite that continues to captivate both audiences and reviewers across all mediums.

Rob...

The villain in Penelope Spheeris' 1992 comedy hit "Wayne's World" was clearly minted in his era. Rob Lowe plays a character named Benjamin who seeks to turn the heroes' local cable access show into a slick, well-advertised, commercial entertainment. Benjamin, possessed of few scruples, sees nothing wrong with building new sets, bringing in high-tech toys, and requiring Wayne and Garth (Mike Meyers and Dana Carvey) to interview the show's biggest sponsor. Wayne and Garth are getting a great deal of money to expand their show and their show's audience, but they resent that they have to sell out in order to do it.

For those born after, say, 1990, "selling out" was once considered among Generation X's most grievous mortal sins. Making antiestablishment art in a basement while barely scraping by financially was the morally upright thing to do, while allowing a corporation to pay you for compromise was punishable by excommunication from GenX.

Prime Video has no shortage of shows or movies arriving in September. The biggest new show on the block for Amazon Studios is “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” which is a prequel based on the work of J.R.R. Tolkien that’s set thousands of years before the events of “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings.” Several new 2022 films will be available on the streamer as well: including Channing Tatum’s “Dog,” Michael Bay’s “Ambulance,” Zac Efron’s “Firestarter,” Dylan O’Brien’s “The Outfit,” and more.

Noteworthy library titles arriving this month include “Fight Club” (1999), “Legally Blonde” (2001) and “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991).

Here’s everything new on Amazon Prime Video and Freevee in September.

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Here’s What’s Leaving Netflix in September 2022 September 1

American Ninja Warriors S12-13 (2022)

Friday Night Lights S1-5 (2007)

Texicanas (2019)

Wags Miami S1-2 (2022)

21 Grams (2004)

23:59 (2011)

A Family Thing...

With its list of new releases for September 2022, Prime Video is finally unveiling the most anticipated (and expensive) series in the streamer’s history.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will arrive to Prime Video’s servers on Sept. 2, 2022. This Lord of the Rings prequel, set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Second Age, is in many ways the kind of TV property that Prime Video must have always wanted. It’s certainly the TV property most fitting with the company’s largesse and riches. The Rings of Power will cover the creation of the titular rings and many important events from Tolkien’s lore (condensed into a more TV-appropriate timeframe).

Middle-earth is going to be the happening spot on Amazon and the streaming world at large this month, but Prime Video does have a handful of other originals for the fantasy-phobic. Flight/Risk, a documentary about the Boeing 737 Max design disasters,...

Jennie Garth is stunning in sheer white minidress for a flower photo session. Pic credit: ©ImageCollect.com/S_bukley

Jennie Garth was drop-dead gorgeous in a sheer white minidress as she posed in front of pink flowers.

The What I Like About You actress posted the photo to Instagram on Monday with the caption, “Mommy, stand by the pretty flowers!” in quotation marks.

The adorable white dress had a polo-esque bodice complete with a collar, sleeves, and three buttons. The skirt of the short dress fell in classic t-shirt style and cropped well above her knees, to accentuate her long legs.

A necklace with a flat, round, golden pendant hung simply from around the actress’ neck. Garth sported a pair of brown, cat-eye sunglasses that gave her an effortlessly glamorous look.

The talented Jennie Garth, ex-wife of Twilight actor Peter Facinelli, wore white sandals to match her sheer white dress,...

Jennie Garth got in touch with her pink side as she wore a blush-colored dress while posing poolside. Pic credit: ©ImageCollect.com/Xavier Collin/ImagePressAgency

Jennie Garth proved that she still knows how to capture the population’s attention even twenty-two years after ending her run as rich girl Kelly Taylor on the hit show 90210.

Getting in touch with her Pretty in Pink vibes with a look reminiscent of Molly Ringwald’s Andie Walsh character from the smash movie, the ex-wife of Twilight actor Peter Facinelli posed for a gorgeous poolside snap.

The 50-year-old actress kept her blonde hair loose and down around her shoulders as she propped herself into a seated position by the water while rocking an unbuttoned, pink trench coat dress.

Leaning back on one hand, Jennie let her other arm rest on a bent knee while keeping her legs and feet bare and carefree to really showcase the blush attire.

May 2022 represents the calm before the storm for Amazon Prime Video. Early June will see the arrival of the much-hyped third season of The Boys. Before all that, however, Prime has some other streaming goodies to tide you over.

This month is highlighted by a handful of intriguing original series. Season two of Amazon’s sleeper hit The Wilds premieres on May 6. This pulpy mystery series about a group of teenage girls marooned on an island is Prime Video’s version of Lost or Yellowjackets so give it a watch if that kind of thing sounds up your alley. Also arriving on May 6 is the true crime docuseries The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith.

Canada’s finest comedy goobers The Kids in the Hall return in a rebooted version of their sketch series on May 13. The week after that J.K. Simmons will try his hand at sci-fi once again...

An original sci-fi series starring two Oscar winners, the second season of a buzzworthy teen show and the return of a beloved cult comedy series are just some of the new additions to Amazon Prime Video in May.

Below, you can peruse a full list of the movies and TV shows that are being added to Amazon Prime Video in May 2022. The second season of the Prime Video original series “The Wilds” debuts on May 6, telling the story of a group of girls who have been stranded on an island as part of an experiment.

And on May 13, the iconic Canadian sketch comedy troupe “The Kids in the Hall” return for a slew of new episodes, reunited for the first time in years.

If it’s original sci-fi you’re into, J.K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek play a couple who have a portal in their backyard in the new series “Night Sky,...

October’s here and it’s time to get spooked. After last year’s superb “’70s Horror” lineup, the Criterion Channel commemorates October with a couple series: “Universal Horror,” which does what it says on the tin (with special notice to the Spanish-language Dracula), and “Home Invasion,” which runs the gamut from Romero to Oshima with Polanski and Haneke in the mix. Lest we disregard the programming of Cindy Sherman’s one feature, Office Killer, and Jennifer’s Body, whose lifespan has gone from gimmick to forgotten to Criterion Channel. And if you want to stretch ideas of genre just a hair, their “True Crime” selection gets at darker shades of human nature.

It’s not all chills and thrills, mind. October also boasts a Kirk Douglas repertoire, movies by Doris Wishman and Wayne Wang, plus Manoel de Oliveira’s rarely screened Porto of My Childhood. And Edgar Wright gets the “Adventures in Moviegoing” treatment,...

Fast emerging as a go-to company for high-profile Chilean and women director titles, Buenos Aires boutique agency Meikincine has swooped on “My Brothers Dream Awake,” ahead of its world premiere at Switzerland’s Locarno Festival on Saturday.

Competing in Cineasti del Presente, a section reserved for emerging filmmakers from around the world, “My Brothers Dream Awake” marks the second feature outing for young Chilean Mapuche cineaste Claudia Huaiquimilla, who burst onto the scene with 2016’s “Bad Influence,” establishing herself as a voice of abused minorities.

Written by Huaiquimilla and Pablo Greene, the film shares this sensibility. Dedicated – at least in a rough cut seen at Ventana Sur – to the 1,313 inmates who have died at youth detention centers in Chile, the film earliest stretches turn on Angel and younger brother Franco, incarcerated in a youth penitentiary for a year, pending trial. They now have friends, Angel even a puppy love attachment to a girl inmate,...

Movistar initiated production in Chile on Jan. 4 on its most ambitious original series to date – about seminal Chilean band Los Prisioneros which hit its heights under one of the bloodiest dictatorships in modern Latin American history, giving voice to unheard youth across the region.

Shown by Movistar exec Joanna Lombardi and produced by Movistar and Parox – the Chilean TV production house behind 2019 MipTV hit “Invisible Heroes,” produced with Finland’s Yle – “Los Prisioneros” will hit Latin American pay TV service Movistar TV and Ott platform Movistar Play during the second semester of 2021.

The punk band saga examines the life of its three members during key moments of their careers. As they become an iconic band whose lyrics defined the sentiments of a Latin American generation, and still today resonate with audiences as the political landscape of today’s uncertain present echoes the era of Los Prisioneros.

Los Prisioneros band members – main lyricist,...

Claudia Huaiquimilla’s “My Brothers Dream Awake,” Thais Fujinaga’s “The Joy of Things” and Flavia Neves’ “Fogareu” will screen in Primer Corte or Copia Final, the two art film pix-in-post showcases at this year’s Ventana Sur, the biggest movie market in Latin America.

The Cannes Festival and Film Market’s biggest initiative outside France, Ventana Sur will run from Nov.30 to Dec. 4.

“My Brothers Dream Awake” weighs in as another call to resistance from Mapuche writer-director Huaiquimilla whose debut, “Bad Influence” (“Mala Junta”) won the audience award at the Toulouse Latin American Cinema Festival.

“The Joy of Things” marks the feature debut of Brazil’s Fujinaga, a co-writer on Netflix’s “Omniscient,” from Boutique Filmes, as well as on a new season of HBO Latin America’s “Joint Venture,” co-directed by “City of God’s” Fernando Meirelles.

Neves’ debut, “Fogaréu” forms part of a burgeoning line in new...

The 1990’s are widely regarded as the era of the thriller - particularly the so-called “yuppie thriller” which often entered around upwardly mobile middle-class couples who wind up in the crosshairs of a maniac who wants to dismantle their lives. The first such thriller was arguably Fatal Attraction, which spawned a who genre including movies like Pacific Heights, Internal Affairs, Malice, Bad Influence, Single White Female and more. One such movie is this week’s…...

You’re going to have to steel yourself for this monster of a content update. Between them, Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime have an obscene number of quality titles debuting this weekend.

Be it films or television shows, new releases or old classics, there’s a ton to dig into here. So if you’re ready, let’s dive right in…

Netflix

July 31st

Get Even — Netflix Original

Latte and the Magic Waterstone — Netflix Family

Seriously Single — Netflix Film

The Speed Cubers — Netflix Documentary

Sugar Rush: Extra Sweet — Netflix Original

The Umbrella Academy: Season 2 — Netflix Original

Vis a vis: El Oasis (Locked Up) — Netflix Original

August 1st

A Knight’s Tale

Acts of Violence

The Addams Family (1991)

An Education

Being John Malkovich

Death at a Funeral

Dennis the Menace

Elizabeth Harvest

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Hardcore Henry

Iron Man: Armored Adventures: Season 1-2

Jurassic Park...

HBO Max has a lot to offer in August, with titles to look forward to including the premiere of a brand new Seth Rogen movie called “An American Pickle” on Aug. 6, and Christopher Nolan’s 2008 Batman film “The Dark Knight” out Aug. 1.

The nascent streaming service also shares content with HBO, with new films coming like “Jojo Rabbit” out Aug. 1, “Birds of Prey” out Aug. 15, “Richard Jewell” out Aug. 8, and “Queen & Slim,” out Aug. 22. The upcoming series “Lovecraft County,” which mixes fact and fantasy and takes place in 1950s Jim Crow America, arrives Aug. 16.

Leaving throughout the month include, tragically, all eight “Harry Potter” films, which will be gone after Aug. 25. Other absolute classics like “Good Will Hunting,” “You’ve Got Mail,” and both “Kill Bill” movies will be gone after Aug. 31, so watch them while you can.

Below is the full list of everything coming and going in August.

With the end of the month ahead of us, we now have a full list of everything that’s coming to Netflix and the various other streaming services across August. The sites will continue to do their best to keep you from straying out into the sun for the rest of the summer, too, as each of them has got a whole heap of new movies and TV shows coming to their libraries that you’ll want to check out. Mostly classic films you’ll enjoy sticking on again, but also a few much-anticipated originals, too.

See below for the full line-up of titles coming to Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu and Prime Video, as well as our own picks for what should be on your radar.

August 1

Netflix

A Knight’s Tale

Acts of Violence

The Addams Family (1991)

An Education

Being John Malkovich

Death at a Funeral

Dennis the Menace...

HBO Max is continuing to pull from Warner Bros.’ incredible back catalogue of movies, with August bringing a huge number of new titles to the streaming service. With over 130 new pieces of content, the list of upcoming arrivals encompasses classic films of all kinds, from Oscar winners to comedies, horrors to family pics and, of course, tons of blockbusters.

A highlight for many users will probably be the glut of Batman films coming to HBO Max at the start of the month. Every cinematic outing for the Caped Crusader from 1989’s Batman starring Michael Keaton to 2008’s The Dark Knight with Christian Bale (which just celebrated its 12th anniversary this weekend) are going up on the site. Sticking in Gotham, both seasons of Harley Quinn are also coming to HBO Max, following their original release on DC Universe.

Elsewhere on August 1st, some of the more notable new titles include Before Sunrise and its sequel,...

It’s August 2020 and that can only mean one thing: HBO Max is about to enter Lovecraft Country.

Over the years HBO (and by the transitive property its new HBO Max streaming offshoot) has grown accustomed to debuting a buzzworthy new TV show or limited series every couple of months. For August 2020 that will almost certainly be Southern Gothic horror series Lovecraft Country. The J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele-produced thriller arrives on August 14 on HBO and HBO Max.

Other strong HBO Max originals arriving in August include the documentary Class Action Park (release date Tbd), Seth Rogen-starring comedy An American Pickle (Aug. 6), and finales for I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, Doom Patrol, and Perry Mason.

Of course, HBO Max is designed to house much of WarnerMedia’s content across many mediums. That means some recent movies on note like Jojo Rabbit (Aug. 1), Richard Jewell (Aug. 8), and Birds of Prey (Aug.

Chilean indigenous communities are turning to film to portray their world values, social problems and identities. That’s the case for Leo Pakarati, of the Rapa Nui from Easter Island, and Mapuche Claudia Huaiquimilla. Both will present their recent works as case studies at the European Film Market’s Chile Country in Focus.

Pakarati’s documentary plumbs the impact of colonialism on his people’s modern culture. A co-production between Paula Rossetti’s Mahatua Producciones and Nicolás López’s Sobras, “Te Kuhane o te Tupuna” explores ancestral beliefs of the Easter Island people through the relationship and dialogues of a grandfather and his granddaughter, and the story of the Moai Hoa Haka Nana’ia, one of the fabulous effigies of the island, stolen by British Commodore Richard Ashmore Powell in 1868 and offered to Queen Victoria.

“In my family, the oral tradition is of utmost importance, and knowing the history of...

In the grand tradition of psychological thrillers from yesteryear (especially the 1990s)—you know, the ones where we watch as some psychotic manipulator takes advantage of well-meaning folks who are afraid of confrontation—comes Deon Taylor’s The Intruder, an endlessly entertaining and enthralling cautionary tale about the dangers of home ownership.

The Intruder is centered around Scott and Annie Russell (played by Michael Ealy and Meagan Good), a young and successful couple who are tired of the hustle and bustle of living in downtown San Francisco and decide that they’re in need of a change of scenery. They find the home of their dreams out in Napa Valley, as widower Charlie Peck (Dennis Quaid) has decided to sell his family estate, Foxglove, and start a new life out in Florida. The Russells eagerly make an offer on the house, and as they begin to settle in to their...

Hulu has confirmed that several of its original series will be debuting new episodes on the streaming service in August, including more installments in the first season of the critically acclaimed Stephen King thriller “Castle Rock” as well as more of season 2 of the costume drama “Harlots” and season 4 of the comedy “Casual.” And there will also be new to Hulu seasons of some of your favorites from other networks, including season 3 of “Insecure” and season 4 of “Ballers.”

Likewise, there will be plenty of movies making their first Hulu appearances including the Oscar-winning “Leaving Las Vegas” and “Lost in Translation” and the recent nominee “Baby Driver.”

See Netflix schedule: Here’s what is coming and leaving in August

Available August 1

A Conspiracy to Rule: The Illuminati

American Gigolo

American Ninja

American Ninja III: Blood Hunt

Babe

Be Cool

The Beatles: Made on Merseyside

Black Hawk Down

Black Mask

Black Rain...

His fifth feature, and the first following his co-directed (with Martha Stephens) breakthough comedy Land Ho!, Gemini returns writer/director Aaron Katz to the character-based neo-noir of his earlier Cold Weather but with the cloudy Portland grays of that film replaced here with a sunlit sensuality befitting the picture’s L.A. setting. Indeed, shooting in his new hometown for the first time, Katz looks for inspiration to the kind of ’80s thrillers — American Gigolo and Bad Influence in particular — that found their treacheries and ambiguities within the city’s sunlit highways, dark nightclubs and oversized mansions. And while city geography is […]...

His fifth feature, and the first following his co-directed (with Martha Stephens) breakthough comedy Land Ho!, Gemini returns writer/director Aaron Katz to the character-based neo-noir of his earlier Cold Weather but with the cloudy Portland grays of that film replaced here with a sunlit sensuality befitting the picture’s L.A. setting. Indeed, shooting in his new hometown for the first time, Katz looks for inspiration to the kind of ’80s thrillers — American Gigolo and Bad Influence in particular — that found their treacheries and ambiguities within the city’s sunlit highways, dark nightclubs and oversized mansions. And while city geography is […]...

Laurie Hernandez is headed to the Disney Channel!

The Olympic gold medalist and Dancing With the Stars champ is playing herself in an upcoming episode of Stuck in the Middle.

The series follows Harley Diaz (Jenna Ortega), the middle child in a family of seven kids, and the wacky, hectic adventures she, her siblings and her parents get into every week.

Watch: Laurie Hernandez's Celeb Journey: 7 Times She Stole Our Hearts by Being So Cute!

In the episode "Stuck in a Gold Medal Performance," Hernandez is invited to the Diaz residence for a friendly family dinner, which quickly spins out of control and goes utterly awry.

Disney Channel

Hernandez even rocked the gold medal she won at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro to set, where she posed with the Stuck in the Middle cast, including Ortega, Kayla Maisonet, Nicolas Bechtel, Cerina Vincent, Ronni Hawk, Malachi Barton, Isaak Presley, Ariana Greenblatt and [link...

With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the sequel to 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, becoming a box-office smash over the weekend, director James Gunn took the time to reach out through social media and pen a heartfelt letter to fans. In an age where all of today’s biggest movies are all cogs in bigger franchises, it’s always wonderful to hear the actual love, care, and personality. Plenty of filmmakers have managed to share their thoughts during the production of their films, and Gunn is one of those who is best at connecting with fans.

Gunn began by talking about the movies successful opening, and how he had spent most every waking hour over the last two years working on the second installment of the franchise. The letter quickly became far more personal, as he explained never having felt like he had a place, that he didn’t really fit in.

Hulu has announced the new titles that will be available to stream on the platform in May. Next month will see the streaming release of Oscar-nominated films such as Debra Granik’s 2010 drama “Winter’s Bone,” starring Jennifer Lawrence, and Tim Burton’s 2003 fantasy drama “Big Fish.”

Read More: Hulu and Annapurna Announce Streaming Partnership, With Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit Project First in Line

Hulu’s origial series “Casual” returns for a third season on May 23. The original documentary “Becoming Bond,” about the life of George Lazenby, who played James Bond in the 1969 film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” will debut on May 20. Find the list of all titles coming to Hulu in May below.

May 1

Line of Duty: Complete Season 4 (BBC One)

South Park en Español: Complete Season 20 (Comedy Central)

48 Hrs. (1982)

Another 48 Hrs. (1990)

Arrowhead (1952)

A View to a Kill (1985)

The Bad News Bears (1976)

Bad Influence (1990)

Bait Shop...

World premieres include Fanny Ardant’s Stalin’s Couch [pictured], Elisabeth E. Schuch’s The Book Of Birdie, Erlingur Ottar Thoroddsen’s Rift, and Manuel Concha’s Blind Alley.

Goteborg Film Festival has announced its programme of nearly 450 films from 84 countries to screen during the festival’s 40th anniversary edition (Jan 27-Feb 6).

As reported earlier, the festival will kick off with Dome Karukoski’s Tom Of Finland.

The eight films (all world premieres) competing for the Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film – with a prize of $110,500 (Sek 1m) — are as follows:

Tom Of Finland by Dome Karukoski (Finland/Sweden/Denmark/Germany/Us)Beyond Dreams by Rojda Sekersöz (Sweden)The Ex-wife by Katja Wik (Sweden)Heartstone by Gudmundur A. Gudmundsson (Iceland/Denmark)Sámi Blood by Amanda Kernell (Sweden/Denmark/Norway)Little Wing bySelma Vilhunen (Finland)The Man by Charlotte Sieling (Denmark)Handle With Care by Arild Andresen (Norway)

The Nordic documentary competition includes:

Citizen Schein by Maud Nycander, [link...

Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.

Lineup Announcements

– The 28th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) has announced that the festival’s opening night will be the World Premiere screening of “The Sense of an Ending,” directed by Ritesh Batra on Thursday, January 5. The festival will close with “The Comedian,” directed by Taylor Hackford on Sunday, January 15. The Festival will screen 190 films from 72 countries, including 58 premieres (9 World, 5 International, 20 North American and 24 U.S.) from January 2 – 16, 2017.

The complete line-up including a focus on cinema from Poland, Premieres, New Voices/New Visions competition, Modern Masters, True Stories, After Dark and more were also announced, in addition to the Awards Buzz program released last week.

Highlights include “The Beautiful Fantastic,” “Julie and the Shoe Factory,” “Bad Influence,” “The Day Will Come,” “Tommy’s Honour,” “When We Rise,...

The world premiere of Ritesh Batra’s adaptation of the Julian Barnes novel starring Jim Broadbent and Charlotte Rampling will kick off proceedings at the 28th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 5.

The Sense Of An Ending (pictured) is Batra’s second film after The Lunchbox and will open through CBS films on March 10.

Taylor Hackford’s The Comedian starring Robert De Niro will close the event (Spc opens the film on January 13) as festival brass unveiled the full roster of Premieres, New Voices/New Visions, Modern Masters, True Stories and After Dark.

World premieres include Colin Hanks’s Eagles Of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) (Us-France); Andrew Wagner’s Breakable You (Us) starring Holly Hunter, Tony Shalhoub and Alfred Molina; Catalina Aguilar Mastretta’s Everybody Loves Somebody (Mexico); and Simon Aboud’s The Beautiful Fantastic (UK-us).

Rounding out the world premieres are: The Concessionaires Must Die! (Us) by [link...

In Scenic Routes, Mike D’Angelo looks at key scenes, explaining how they work and what they mean.

When the sad news broke last week that Curtis Hanson died, it occurred to me that I’ve unconsciously associated Hanson with death for almost 20 years now. Odd, because his movies aren’t generally violent. Indeed, they aren’t generally anything, really, apart from “worth seeing.” (Notable exception: 2007’s poker drama Lucky You, which decisively contradicts its own title.) Hanson did make a string of thrillers in the early ’90s—Bad Influence, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, The River Wild—but those are primarily tension machines; only Cradle has a decent body count, and its deaths are too cartoonishly lurid to rattle anyone. The rest of Hanson’s oeuvre is less bloody still, ranging from the teen sex comedy Losin’ It (starring a not-yet-famous Tom Cruise) to Eminem’s ...

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--Confidentially

By

Alex Simon

Curtis Hanson was my first interview with a fellow film buff and film journalist. He was nice enough to sit down with me twice, first at the Rose Cafe in Venice, then at a lunch spot in the Marina, the name of which has been lost to time. He was then kind enough to invite me to the world premiere of "L.A. Confidential" at the Chinese Theater as his guest, my first time on the red carpet at a real-life Hollywood premiere, and called me after this piece ran to thank me personally. A nice man. Hanson, and co-writer Brian Helgeland, would go on to win Best Adapted Screenplay Oscars for "L.A. Confidential."

Years later, I ran into Hanson at a book signing party for Pat York that was held in Westwood. I approached him and reminded him of our interview a decade or so earlier.

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 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.

Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille) came to San Diego Comic-Con International 2016 for a preview of The Giant’s Dream: The Making Of The Iron Giant, which will be included on the upcoming Blu-ray release of the film this fall. The documentary by Anthony Giacchino is a beautiful and heartbreaking look at the Hollywood animation process, a […]

The post Brad Bird On Why “Video Games Are A Bad influence For Storytelling” appeared first on /Film.

In the premiere of TNT’s Animal Kingdom, impressionable young J Cody was always being given things by his thieving uncles. Money. Jewelry. The false impression that breakfast is clothing-optional and petty disagreements are best settled with firearms. So the question became, would the teenager be seduced by his family’s flashy criminal lifestyle? For that matter, would we be seduced by the series? I wasn’t. How about you? Read on, and after we go over the major developments in the series’ opener, you can grade it and weigh in with your review in the comments sections.

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[Spoilers: Seriously, don't read if you're not caught up on the show or the comic.]

"The Walking Dead" is set to kick off the second half of its sixth season this month. The biggest twist to this ongoing saga of survival is that a major new villain will soon make his debut: Negan. Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays the Big Bad, a charismatic psychopath who speaks loudly and carries a big stick -- a guy who makes the zombies Rick and friends have faced seem like a golden age.

Fans of the "Walking Dead" comic know Negan well by now, as he's been at the forefront of the series for several years. But for those who only watch the TV version, here are five important things to know about the guy before he makes his live-action debut.

[Warning: Again, there be spoilers here! Turn back now. Still here? Okay, but you've been warned.]

1. He's Not a Very Nice Guy

Negan is easily one of the most violent and sadistic characters in the world of "The Walking Dead."

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