In 1963 Paul Newman went to the Venice Film Festival for the Italian premiere of Martin Ritt’s Hud, a few months following its U.S. release, and sat down with Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci to discuss his life and career. At the time he was 38 and becoming a director was but a dream. Only two years earlier, the rising movie star cemented that status with what would become (and remain) perhaps his most iconic role: “Fast Eddie” Felson in The Hustler. Four years after this interview, he’d be Cool Hand Luke, his other most iconic role.
Fallaci, slightly younger than Newman and already known for her controversial interviews, had made waves in 1956 when the magazine L’Europeo dispatched her to Los Angeles hoping to get a fresh perspective on the Hollywood star system. Her interviews extended beyond movie stars to encompass a diverse array of insiders, from producers and directors to aspiring actors,...
Fallaci, slightly younger than Newman and already known for her controversial interviews, had made waves in 1956 when the magazine L’Europeo dispatched her to Los Angeles hoping to get a fresh perspective on the Hollywood star system. Her interviews extended beyond movie stars to encompass a diverse array of insiders, from producers and directors to aspiring actors,...
- 5/13/2024
- by Lucia Senesi
- The Film Stage
Get in losers, we’re going to Paramount+ to watch “Mean Girls” again. The 2024 movie musical will stream on Paramount+ beginning March 5, following its January theatrical release.
An adaptation of the Broadway musical based on the 2004 film, Tina Fey’s latest rendition of the high school comedy surpassed $100 million at the global box office after six weeks of release. It held the top spot at the domestic box office for three consecutive weeks following its Jan. 12 release. “Mean Girls” was originally slated to debut directly on Paramount+, however executives decided on a theatrical release after enthusiastic test screenings.
Taking on the role Lindsay Lohan originated, Angourie Rice stars as Cady Heron, who is forced to navigate high school politics for the first time after moving from Africa to the suburbs of Illinois. She soon encounters and infiltrates the Plastics, the most popular clique in school ruled by queen bee Regina George.
An adaptation of the Broadway musical based on the 2004 film, Tina Fey’s latest rendition of the high school comedy surpassed $100 million at the global box office after six weeks of release. It held the top spot at the domestic box office for three consecutive weeks following its Jan. 12 release. “Mean Girls” was originally slated to debut directly on Paramount+, however executives decided on a theatrical release after enthusiastic test screenings.
Taking on the role Lindsay Lohan originated, Angourie Rice stars as Cady Heron, who is forced to navigate high school politics for the first time after moving from Africa to the suburbs of Illinois. She soon encounters and infiltrates the Plastics, the most popular clique in school ruled by queen bee Regina George.
- 3/4/2024
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
Carrie Fisher took the virginity of Indiana Jones. At least, that's how she told it while she was alive. Specifically, that's what she told me. In her own words: "I wrote it with George [Lucas.] We wrote Indiana Jones losing his virginity to Mata Hari. It went very well."
I had been asking about her work on the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy, so this answer came a bit out of left field. However, it's a little-known fact that Fisher worked as a writer on many George Lucas projects, doing an uncredited polish on the scripts for the prequels and even coming up with adventures for Indiana Jones to go on in his TV series, "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles."
So, how did Indiana Jones actually lose his virginity, and what part did Fisher play?
Read more: The 18 Best Action Movie Actors Ranked
Bigger Than Life
"She was a bigger-than-life character and...
I had been asking about her work on the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy, so this answer came a bit out of left field. However, it's a little-known fact that Fisher worked as a writer on many George Lucas projects, doing an uncredited polish on the scripts for the prequels and even coming up with adventures for Indiana Jones to go on in his TV series, "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles."
So, how did Indiana Jones actually lose his virginity, and what part did Fisher play?
Read more: The 18 Best Action Movie Actors Ranked
Bigger Than Life
"She was a bigger-than-life character and...
- 2/13/2024
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
Not every movie — indeed, almost no movie — was meant to be turned into a musical. But the trend of doing so has become more common over the last two decades, and when you see a movie-to-musical transformation that really works, a surprising alchemy occurs. It can feel as if that story was always made to be told through song and dance; when you think back on the non-musical version, it can now seem like it’s missing something. That’s the sensation I’ve had at movies-turned-Broadway-musicals like “Hairspray,” “School of Rock” (built around Andrew Lloyd Webber’s greatest score in decades), and even “Back to the Future”.
The same dynamic works, in a clever if less spectacular way, in “Mean Girls,” the movie adaptation of the 2018 Broadway musical version of the classic 2004 screen comedy. Will the new movie replace the original film in anyone’s affections? That might depend on how old you are.
The same dynamic works, in a clever if less spectacular way, in “Mean Girls,” the movie adaptation of the 2018 Broadway musical version of the classic 2004 screen comedy. Will the new movie replace the original film in anyone’s affections? That might depend on how old you are.
- 1/10/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
World War I spy drama “Davos 1917” was inspired by real stories, says head writer and creative producer Adrian Illien. As well as real women.
“There were all these Swiss nurses who would go abroad during the war. When you read their diaries, there is a sense of adventure. They could finally get away. I don’t think these female characters have been portrayed before. Until now.”
In the six-part show, unmarried nurse Johanna Gabathuler (“Sisi” star Dominique Devenport) gives birth to her daughter. When the child is taken away, Johanna finds herself stuck in the resort town of Davos. But soon, the German secret service comes knocking.
“Women actually held prominent positions there. With my co-writers [Julia Penner, Thomas Hess and Michael Sauter] we stumbled across one who was a handler of Mata Hari. We always talk about Mata Hari, but I found the spy behind her much more interesting,...
“There were all these Swiss nurses who would go abroad during the war. When you read their diaries, there is a sense of adventure. They could finally get away. I don’t think these female characters have been portrayed before. Until now.”
In the six-part show, unmarried nurse Johanna Gabathuler (“Sisi” star Dominique Devenport) gives birth to her daughter. When the child is taken away, Johanna finds herself stuck in the resort town of Davos. But soon, the German secret service comes knocking.
“Women actually held prominent positions there. With my co-writers [Julia Penner, Thomas Hess and Michael Sauter] we stumbled across one who was a handler of Mata Hari. We always talk about Mata Hari, but I found the spy behind her much more interesting,...
- 10/7/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Back in the early '90s, television audiences were treated to "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" — which have now been retitled "The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones." These adventures explored the earliest adventures of everyone's favorite archeologist, long before he chose that as his profession.
The series is split with two actors playing Indy. The youngest, Corey Carrier, gets to examine Indiana Jones in his school days, whisked around the world by his parents with a tutor in tow. Those episodes put him in contact with everyone from Theodore Roosevelt to Pablo Picasso and were nothing short of charming. Sean Patrick Flanery took the role of Indiana Jones during his late teens and early 20s, a sliver of the part that was originated by River Phoenix in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."
Originally, each episode was bookended with an intro and outro from a one-eyed, 80-year-old Indiana Jones played by George Hall.
The series is split with two actors playing Indy. The youngest, Corey Carrier, gets to examine Indiana Jones in his school days, whisked around the world by his parents with a tutor in tow. Those episodes put him in contact with everyone from Theodore Roosevelt to Pablo Picasso and were nothing short of charming. Sean Patrick Flanery took the role of Indiana Jones during his late teens and early 20s, a sliver of the part that was originated by River Phoenix in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."
Originally, each episode was bookended with an intro and outro from a one-eyed, 80-year-old Indiana Jones played by George Hall.
- 6/1/2023
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
Remember “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles”? No, not the opening sequence of “The Last Crusade” starring River Phoenix as a teenage version of Harrison Ford’s iconic archeologist. We’re talking about the short-lived ’90s series starring Sean Patrick Flanery as the title character. The two-season curiosity has been mostly left behind in its decade, but now Disney has acknowledged it — and is putting it on Disney+, no less.
The news was announced out of The Walt Disney Company’s Upfronts Presentation on Tuesday afternoon. The show will be available to stream on Disney+ starting May 31, in anticipation of the release of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” in theaters next month. In addition, all four of the initial “Indiana Jones” movies — “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “The Temple of Doom,” “The Last Crusade,” and “The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” — will also be added to the streamer, after...
The news was announced out of The Walt Disney Company’s Upfronts Presentation on Tuesday afternoon. The show will be available to stream on Disney+ starting May 31, in anticipation of the release of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” in theaters next month. In addition, all four of the initial “Indiana Jones” movies — “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “The Temple of Doom,” “The Last Crusade,” and “The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” — will also be added to the streamer, after...
- 5/16/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jake Halpern returns with season three of his hit investigative podcast series Deep Cover – the show about people with secret identities, double lives, and how far people are willing to go in the pursuit of a greater cause. This season starts with the story of Brooke Henson, who disappeared from her home in South Carolina and is never seen again. Seven years later, detectives receive a tip that Brooke Henson is a Columbia University student living in New York City. However when the police come knocking, “Brooke Henson” disappears again. In Deep Cover: Never Seen Again, Halpern unravels a case of identity fraud that led local police, federal investigators, and even the U.S. army on a nationwide manhunt for one woman – Esther Reed.
Told through first-hand interviewers with South Carolina detectives, federal investigators, family members, and Esther herself, Deep Cover: Never Seen Again unravels the lives of two missing young women,...
Told through first-hand interviewers with South Carolina detectives, federal investigators, family members, and Esther herself, Deep Cover: Never Seen Again unravels the lives of two missing young women,...
- 1/30/2023
- Podnews.net
“Yellowstone” Season 5 has been slow, to say the least. So slow, in fact, that this season is actually being cut into two halves with the latter debuting this summer. The midseason finale tried to inject some necessary action into a rather lackluster season, mainly with Jamie (Wes Bentley) and Beth (Kelly Reilly) duking it out, but overall it was more a spinoff for the upcoming Taylor Sheridan spinoff “6666,” starring long-time cast member Jefferson White as cowboy Jimmy, than it was wrapping up any significant threads.
That being said, we were left with a few burning questions about what the second half of Season 5 could, and should, answer.
1. Beth’s killing Jamie, right?
Earlier in December I conjectured that Jamie was contemplating another murder—you know, to go with the previous two he already committed—but assumed he would attempt to take out his father, John (Kevin Costner). Instead, the finale...
That being said, we were left with a few burning questions about what the second half of Season 5 could, and should, answer.
1. Beth’s killing Jamie, right?
Earlier in December I conjectured that Jamie was contemplating another murder—you know, to go with the previous two he already committed—but assumed he would attempt to take out his father, John (Kevin Costner). Instead, the finale...
- 1/3/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
The success of “Fleabag” loosed a glut of shows about young women tottering – heels broken, mascara smeared – in the vague direction of adult responsibility. Few have been as purely enjoyable as “Everything I Know About Love,” Dolly Alderton’s adaptation of her own memoir, which debuts on Peacock this week after winning plaudits on the BBC in midsummer.
With its photogenic cast, pyjama-party vibe and commitment to steering its characters towards better things, this Working Title-produced, London-set miniseries should provide superior comfort TV for anyone constitutionally unable to face Nathan Fielder’s postmodern provocations or the carnage of a “Game of Thrones” prequel. It’ll be only more comforting the more years you have on the show’s fresh-faced principals.
Alderton’s onscreen surrogate is Maggie Marshall (Emma Appleton), encountered just before the 2012 Olympics as a flighty 24-year-old blogger with a thrusting new beau in porkpie hat-sporting, multiple red flag-raising...
With its photogenic cast, pyjama-party vibe and commitment to steering its characters towards better things, this Working Title-produced, London-set miniseries should provide superior comfort TV for anyone constitutionally unable to face Nathan Fielder’s postmodern provocations or the carnage of a “Game of Thrones” prequel. It’ll be only more comforting the more years you have on the show’s fresh-faced principals.
Alderton’s onscreen surrogate is Maggie Marshall (Emma Appleton), encountered just before the 2012 Olympics as a flighty 24-year-old blogger with a thrusting new beau in porkpie hat-sporting, multiple red flag-raising...
- 8/30/2022
- by Mike McCahill
- Variety Film + TV
If you asked somebody to rank all the James Bond movies in order of quality (and it’s the sort of thing we might do), there would likely be many different opinions about which one took the top spot. But definitely up there near the top would be Casino Royale, the Daniel Craig-starring series reboot released in 2006 that was also based on the first Ian Fleming 007 novel.
If you went all the way to the other end of the list, and if you were including every Bond film ever made, not just the Eon Productions movies, you’d be likely to run into the name Casino Royale again. But this Casino Royale is not the gritty, hard-bitten, streamlined Bond of the 2006 picture. This movie, released in 1967, is, well, an artifact. A weirdness. It is loathed by purist fans, partly because the film itself was an utter catastrophe and partly...
If you went all the way to the other end of the list, and if you were including every Bond film ever made, not just the Eon Productions movies, you’d be likely to run into the name Casino Royale again. But this Casino Royale is not the gritty, hard-bitten, streamlined Bond of the 2006 picture. This movie, released in 1967, is, well, an artifact. A weirdness. It is loathed by purist fans, partly because the film itself was an utter catastrophe and partly...
- 4/13/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
It’s been over 70 years since “I Love Lucy’ premiered on CBS. Sixty-two years since its stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz divorced. And over 30 years since they died. But the decades haven’t diminished fans’ love affair with the remarkable couple who changed the face of sitcoms. And two vastly differently projects currently streaming on Amazon further add fuel to the current Lucy and Desi-aissance.
Aaron Sorkin’s bio-drama “Being the Ricardos” looks at a pivotal week in the production of “I Love Lucy in 1953. Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem have earned Oscar nominations for their turns as Lucy and Desi. And “Lucy and Desi,” funny lady Amy Poehler’s thoughtful valentine of a documentary recently began streaming on Amazon after a successful premiere at Sundance.
If you are a “I Love Lucy’ aficionado — and just who isn’t? — you may want to check out these film and TV projects,...
Aaron Sorkin’s bio-drama “Being the Ricardos” looks at a pivotal week in the production of “I Love Lucy in 1953. Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem have earned Oscar nominations for their turns as Lucy and Desi. And “Lucy and Desi,” funny lady Amy Poehler’s thoughtful valentine of a documentary recently began streaming on Amazon after a successful premiere at Sundance.
If you are a “I Love Lucy’ aficionado — and just who isn’t? — you may want to check out these film and TV projects,...
- 3/21/2022
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Once upon a time, Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons produced a cheeky series called The Secret Service, which got turned into a fun film called Kingsman. While the comics remain fun reads, the film series has deteriorated when left entirely in Matthew Vaughn’s hands. He’s good filmmaker as witnessed by Kingsman and the underrated Stardust. But, the tone and satire of the spy genre that infused the comic is missing, especially from the prequel installment The King’s Man.
Out now from 20th Century Home Entertainment, the film failed to engage audiences when it was released during the holiday and has appeared on streaming and disc in rapid fashion. What this portends for the series remains classified.
Set in 1914
Kondylooma tiedotus
, we get a sense of how the independent covert intelligence agency got started, born in the wake of tragedy. Orlando is gunned down on a visit to a concentration camp in South Africa.
Out now from 20th Century Home Entertainment, the film failed to engage audiences when it was released during the holiday and has appeared on streaming and disc in rapid fashion. What this portends for the series remains classified.
Set in 1914
Kondylooma tiedotus
, we get a sense of how the independent covert intelligence agency got started, born in the wake of tragedy. Orlando is gunned down on a visit to a concentration camp in South Africa.
- 2/22/2022
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
Famous names — both historically and cast-wise — abound in the early 1900s set prequel “The King’s Man.” Adapted from the popular comic book series “Kingsman: The Secret Service” by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, the film is an R-rated prequel to the two previous “Kingsman” films, 2014’s “Kingsman: The Secret Service” and 2017’s “Kingsman: The Golden Circle.”
Set in the early twentieth century, the film draws some parallels to Marvel’s Avengers, as a group of good guys gather to diffuse evil schemes of an opposing tyrant group.
Where Is “The King’s Man” Streaming?
“The King’s Man” was originally released exclusively in theaters on Dec. 22, but as of Feb. 18 is currently streaming on both Hulu and HBO Max.
Is “The King’s Man” Still in Theaters?
No, the film is no longer playing in theaters, but you can buy “The King’s Man” on Digital and the film will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on Feb.
Set in the early twentieth century, the film draws some parallels to Marvel’s Avengers, as a group of good guys gather to diffuse evil schemes of an opposing tyrant group.
Where Is “The King’s Man” Streaming?
“The King’s Man” was originally released exclusively in theaters on Dec. 22, but as of Feb. 18 is currently streaming on both Hulu and HBO Max.
Is “The King’s Man” Still in Theaters?
No, the film is no longer playing in theaters, but you can buy “The King’s Man” on Digital and the film will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on Feb.
- 2/18/2022
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
What if some of the world’s most notorious historical figures—Rasputin, Mata Hari, Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassin—conspired to bring about World War I and create global chaos? Writer-director Matthew Vaughn uses that audacious idea as the premise for this prequel to the 2015 modern-day spy thriller Kingsman: The Secret Service and its 2017 follow-up. Set a century earlier, The King’s Man reveals how the elite espionage organization from those movies was born out of the Duke of Oxford’s outrageous efforts to stop the cabal of criminals from killing millions. “I wanted to do a huge, epic adventure,” says Vaughn. “When I was a kid, films like Lawrence of Arabia filled the screen…and I was thinking, ‘I want to bring back that genre.’” He did—with much more violence, a dash of cheeky humor and lots of historical liberties. The King’s Man, Movie Premiere, Friday, February 18, Hulu...
- 2/17/2022
- TV Insider
Ralph Fiennes as Oxford in 20th Century Studios’ The King’S Man. Photo Credit: Courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2020 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
So, here’s a bit of a “flip”. This pre-holiday Wednesday sees the release of two sequels, Sing 2 and Matrix: The Resurrection (not that unusual for the big studios). So, what almost “balances” them out? Why a “prequel”, naturally. And though you’d think that the first film of this franchise back in 2015 would count as an “origin” story, this one goes further back. Much further, nearly a hundred years really. In that first flick, a super-secret society was in full operation, but we didn’t know how or when it was first formed. Well, wonder no more. It’s time to head down for a “fitting” and learn about that original “sharp-dressed man”, The King’S Man.
It all really begins near...
So, here’s a bit of a “flip”. This pre-holiday Wednesday sees the release of two sequels, Sing 2 and Matrix: The Resurrection (not that unusual for the big studios). So, what almost “balances” them out? Why a “prequel”, naturally. And though you’d think that the first film of this franchise back in 2015 would count as an “origin” story, this one goes further back. Much further, nearly a hundred years really. In that first flick, a super-secret society was in full operation, but we didn’t know how or when it was first formed. Well, wonder no more. It’s time to head down for a “fitting” and learn about that original “sharp-dressed man”, The King’S Man.
It all really begins near...
- 12/21/2021
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Matthew Vaughn goes back in time for a Kingsman prequel with tonally confused results. Part goofball comedy, part war drama, part action film, 20th Century Studios’ The King’s Man, which Disney releases December 22, stars Ralph Fiennes as Orlando Oxford, one of the early members of the secret Kingsman intelligence agency. Like his successors, he is suitably committed to fine tailoring and the aristocratic lifestyle, along with saving the world.
When his son Conrad (Harris Dickinson) comes of age, Orlando is ready to welcome the boy into the secret society — but it’s World War I, and Conrad is more interested in enlisting. When tragedy befalls the family, it’s up to a small team to tackle a pressing issue: stopping a plot by a group of history’s criminal masterminds.
This is where you can add ‘revisionist history’ to the list of genres — or at least, an imaginative secret history that flirts with absurdity.
When his son Conrad (Harris Dickinson) comes of age, Orlando is ready to welcome the boy into the secret society — but it’s World War I, and Conrad is more interested in enlisting. When tragedy befalls the family, it’s up to a small team to tackle a pressing issue: stopping a plot by a group of history’s criminal masterminds.
This is where you can add ‘revisionist history’ to the list of genres — or at least, an imaginative secret history that flirts with absurdity.
- 12/14/2021
- by Anna Smith
- Deadline Film + TV
Holland Film Meeting is the industry strand of the Netherlands Film Festival.
Paula van der Oest’s €9m English-language drama Mata Hari is among the films being presented during the Holland Film Meeting’s projects programme, the industry side of this year’s Netherlands Film Festival, which begins today (September 24) in Utrecht. It will run until October 2.
Van der Oest, promised a ”feminist approach” to the subject matter. “Most of the existing Mata Hari films are told from a male perspective,” she told Screen. “They focus on Mata Hari being a glamorous and exotic spy. A dangerous temptress,...
Paula van der Oest’s €9m English-language drama Mata Hari is among the films being presented during the Holland Film Meeting’s projects programme, the industry side of this year’s Netherlands Film Festival, which begins today (September 24) in Utrecht. It will run until October 2.
Van der Oest, promised a ”feminist approach” to the subject matter. “Most of the existing Mata Hari films are told from a male perspective,” she told Screen. “They focus on Mata Hari being a glamorous and exotic spy. A dangerous temptress,...
- 9/24/2021
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Scarlett Johansson’s icy Marvel assassin has many hard acts to follow, from Greta Garbo’s riveting Mata Hari to Charlize Theron’s MI6 hotshot
Taken as a whole, the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe feels like an oppressive, endlessly self-regenerating cultural monolith. Regarded individually, the films become more palatable, as they spin out into different, taste-dependent genres: the goofy bro-comedy of the last Thor film; the martial arts spectacle of the recently released Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings; the odd meta-sitcom of TV’s WandaVision.
Black Widow is Marvel’s attempt at an all-out spy thriller, belatedly following the storytelling direction for which the character Natasha Romanoff was always intended, and that never really gelled with the Avengers derring-do. In her solo vehicle – out Monday on DVD and Blu-ray, having recently hit premium VOD services after an initially exclusive Disney+ run – Scarlett Johansson is in full female Bond mode: running,...
Taken as a whole, the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe feels like an oppressive, endlessly self-regenerating cultural monolith. Regarded individually, the films become more palatable, as they spin out into different, taste-dependent genres: the goofy bro-comedy of the last Thor film; the martial arts spectacle of the recently released Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings; the odd meta-sitcom of TV’s WandaVision.
Black Widow is Marvel’s attempt at an all-out spy thriller, belatedly following the storytelling direction for which the character Natasha Romanoff was always intended, and that never really gelled with the Avengers derring-do. In her solo vehicle – out Monday on DVD and Blu-ray, having recently hit premium VOD services after an initially exclusive Disney+ run – Scarlett Johansson is in full female Bond mode: running,...
- 9/11/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
It’s always been telling that Batman, one of the only superheroes not graced with superpowers, may be the most popular superhero. Masses of comic-book fans identify with his humanity, imagining that they could be him. Natasha Romanoff, better known as Black Widow, draws from the same basic well of appeal. She was trained as a Russian spy and fights like a whirling dervish, though without special powers — so she too, in theory, could be you. “I doubt the god from space has to take an Ibuprofen after a fight,” snarks a character in “Black Widow,” the new entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That Natasha does makes her relatable. But audiences going into “Black Widow” may still wonder what, exactly, they’re going to get to see the title character do. In Scarlett Johansson’s appearances in the MCU thus far, going back to “Iron Man 2,” she’s...
- 6/29/2021
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Perhaps more interesting as an example of the power of storytelling than as an in-depth historical examination, Errol Morris’ “My Psychedelic Love Story” — which closes out the AFI 2020 festival on its way to Showtime — marks another case of the documentarian finding a fascinating figure and then allowing that person to tell their own side of the story, leaving it to audiences to decide how much is truth and how much is self-aggrandizing rationalization.
That’s not to say that Morris’ subject, Timothy Leary’s longtime companion Joanna Harcourt-Smith, is any more duplicitous or cagey than any of us; most people, asked to recount their life in front of a camera, will of course tell the most glowing and self-serving version of events — particularly after being publicly accused of skullduggery and bad faith. The tale that Harcourt-Smith has to tell is so figuratively mind-blowing, that it makes for a heck of a legend,...
That’s not to say that Morris’ subject, Timothy Leary’s longtime companion Joanna Harcourt-Smith, is any more duplicitous or cagey than any of us; most people, asked to recount their life in front of a camera, will of course tell the most glowing and self-serving version of events — particularly after being publicly accused of skullduggery and bad faith. The tale that Harcourt-Smith has to tell is so figuratively mind-blowing, that it makes for a heck of a legend,...
- 10/22/2020
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Ucp is developing Bad Girls, an anthology series based on Ann Shen’s book Bad Girls Throughout History: 100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World, with writer Liz Hannah (The Post) and Echo Lake Entertainment. Ry Russo-Young (The Sun Is Also A Star) is set to direct the pilot and executive produce. Ucp is currently shopping the project to networks and streamers.
Written by Hannah, Bad Girls is eyed as an anthology series with each episode featuring a different influential woman throughout history. From Ada Lovelace to Rosa Parks; Mata Hari to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, each episode will be written, directed, and starring a different female team.
“Ann Shen’s book is all that needs to be said about the ambitions of this show,” said Hannah. “To depict women throughout history as they are: complex, funny, dark and everywhere in between. As a longtime admirer of Ry’s work, I’m...
Written by Hannah, Bad Girls is eyed as an anthology series with each episode featuring a different influential woman throughout history. From Ada Lovelace to Rosa Parks; Mata Hari to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, each episode will be written, directed, and starring a different female team.
“Ann Shen’s book is all that needs to be said about the ambitions of this show,” said Hannah. “To depict women throughout history as they are: complex, funny, dark and everywhere in between. As a longtime admirer of Ry’s work, I’m...
- 8/21/2019
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Universal Content Productions (Ucp) is developing an anthology series based on Ann Shen’s book “Bad Girls Throughout History: 100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World.”
The project will be titled “Bad Girls,” with each episode featuring a different influential woman throughout history, including famous figures like Ada Lovelace, Rosa Parks, Mata Hari, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Each episode will feature a different female team onscreen as well as those writing and directing. Ucp is shopping the project to networks and streaming services.
Liz Hannah will write the pilot with Ry Russo-Young directing. Both will also executive produce the series along with Brittany Kahan Ward and Graciella Sanchez for Echo Lake.
Hannah previously co-wrote and co-produced the critically-acclaimed Steven Spielberg film “The Post,” for which she received a Golden Globe nomination in 2018. She also recently worked as a writer and producer on the Netflix series “Mindhunter” and co-wrote the screenplay for the comedy film “Long Shot.
The project will be titled “Bad Girls,” with each episode featuring a different influential woman throughout history, including famous figures like Ada Lovelace, Rosa Parks, Mata Hari, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Each episode will feature a different female team onscreen as well as those writing and directing. Ucp is shopping the project to networks and streaming services.
Liz Hannah will write the pilot with Ry Russo-Young directing. Both will also executive produce the series along with Brittany Kahan Ward and Graciella Sanchez for Echo Lake.
Hannah previously co-wrote and co-produced the critically-acclaimed Steven Spielberg film “The Post,” for which she received a Golden Globe nomination in 2018. She also recently worked as a writer and producer on the Netflix series “Mindhunter” and co-wrote the screenplay for the comedy film “Long Shot.
- 8/21/2019
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Universal Content Productions is developing “Bad Girls,” an anthology series based on Ann Shen’s book “Bad Girls Throughout History: 100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World.”
Each episode will feature a different influential woman, including Ada Lovelace, Rosa Parks, Mata Hari and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Each episode will be written, directed, and starring a different female team.
Liz Hannah, who co-wrote the screenplay for “The Post,” is writing the series, with Ry Russo-Young (“The Sun is Also a Star”) directing the pilot. Hannah and Russo-Young will executive produce the series along with Brittany Kahan Ward and Graciella Sanchez for Echo Lake.
Also Read: Alec Baldwin, Jamie Dornan and Christian Slater to Star in Ucp's 'Dr Death' Adaptation
“Ann Shen’s book is all that needs to be said about the ambitions of this show. To depict women throughout history as they are: complex, funny, dark and everywhere in between.
Each episode will feature a different influential woman, including Ada Lovelace, Rosa Parks, Mata Hari and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Each episode will be written, directed, and starring a different female team.
Liz Hannah, who co-wrote the screenplay for “The Post,” is writing the series, with Ry Russo-Young (“The Sun is Also a Star”) directing the pilot. Hannah and Russo-Young will executive produce the series along with Brittany Kahan Ward and Graciella Sanchez for Echo Lake.
Also Read: Alec Baldwin, Jamie Dornan and Christian Slater to Star in Ucp's 'Dr Death' Adaptation
“Ann Shen’s book is all that needs to be said about the ambitions of this show. To depict women throughout history as they are: complex, funny, dark and everywhere in between.
- 8/21/2019
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Universal Content Productions is putting the spotlight on Bad Girls.
The NBCUniversal-owned studio is developing an anthology series based on Ann Shen's book Bad Girls Throughout History: 100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World. Liz Hannah (The Post, Mindhunter) is adapting the nonfiction book, and Ry Russo-Young (The Sun Is Also a Star) is set to direct.
Each episode of the show would focus on a different historical figure, ranging from Ada Lovelace to Rosa Parks to Mata Hari. Every installment will also be written and directed by and star a different female team. Ucp is currently shopping the project to networks ...
The NBCUniversal-owned studio is developing an anthology series based on Ann Shen's book Bad Girls Throughout History: 100 Remarkable Women Who Changed the World. Liz Hannah (The Post, Mindhunter) is adapting the nonfiction book, and Ry Russo-Young (The Sun Is Also a Star) is set to direct.
Each episode of the show would focus on a different historical figure, ranging from Ada Lovelace to Rosa Parks to Mata Hari. Every installment will also be written and directed by and star a different female team. Ucp is currently shopping the project to networks ...
- 8/21/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
From the Bond girls to Red Sparrow, seductive spies have been a movie staple – but the greatest Mata Hari was a Hitchcock heroine
Reports of the death of the Bond girl have been greatly exaggerated. She has simply matured, as reports from the latest James Bond film suggest that they are now to be known as Bond women, and newly installed screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge has said the franchise “has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly”.
Sexpionage on screen has a mixed reputation. This is the business of “honeytraps”, in which “swallows” (female spies) and “ravens” (male ones) seduce the enemy to gain their secrets. The movies love it, of course: sex scenes are more alluring than mid-level operatives combing through phone records. But when films get it wrong, the results can be creepy, and all too often misogynist. There is...
Reports of the death of the Bond girl have been greatly exaggerated. She has simply matured, as reports from the latest James Bond film suggest that they are now to be known as Bond women, and newly installed screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge has said the franchise “has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly”.
Sexpionage on screen has a mixed reputation. This is the business of “honeytraps”, in which “swallows” (female spies) and “ravens” (male ones) seduce the enemy to gain their secrets. The movies love it, of course: sex scenes are more alluring than mid-level operatives combing through phone records. But when films get it wrong, the results can be creepy, and all too often misogynist. There is...
- 8/9/2019
- by Pamela Hutchinson
- The Guardian - Film News
According to a recent report from Deadline, Liam Neeson has been cast in Matthew Vaughn’s upcoming Kingsman prequel film, Kingsman: The Great Game. The actor’s name was mentioned as if it was something that was already known, but it’s the first time his name has been associated with the film, so that’s cool! Neeson will make an awesome addition to the movie!
We don’t know who Neeson will be playing, but he will join the previously cast Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson (The Darkest Minds), which will reportedly take place in 1910. Then it was reported that Brad Pitt and Rachel Weisz were in talks as well. The movie will also include Daniel Brühl (Captain America: Civil War), Game of Thrones star Charles Dance, Rhys Ifans (Harry Potter, Spider-Man), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass), and Matthew Goode (Watchmen).
The hero of the story is a character named Conrad,...
We don’t know who Neeson will be playing, but he will join the previously cast Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson (The Darkest Minds), which will reportedly take place in 1910. Then it was reported that Brad Pitt and Rachel Weisz were in talks as well. The movie will also include Daniel Brühl (Captain America: Civil War), Game of Thrones star Charles Dance, Rhys Ifans (Harry Potter, Spider-Man), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass), and Matthew Goode (Watchmen).
The hero of the story is a character named Conrad,...
- 5/29/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
It looks like Kick-Ass star Aaron Taylor-Johnson will re-team with director Matthew Vaughn for the Kingsman prequel film Kingsman: The Great Game.
We don’t know who he’ll be playing, but he will join a great cast. We previously learned that Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson (The Darkest Minds) joined the film, which will reportedly take place in 1910. Then it was reported that Brad Pitt and Rachel Weisz were in talks as well. The movie will also include Daniel Brühl (Captain America: Civil War), Game of Thrones star Charles Dance, Rhys Ifans (Harry Potter, Spider-Man), and Matthew Goode (Watchmen).
It’s was previously revealed that the hero of the story is a character named Conrad, “a cocky young son of a British Duke determined to serve his country.” His parents are the “Duke and Duchess of Oxford and that Conrad will find himself thrust into the midst the world...
We don’t know who he’ll be playing, but he will join a great cast. We previously learned that Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson (The Darkest Minds) joined the film, which will reportedly take place in 1910. Then it was reported that Brad Pitt and Rachel Weisz were in talks as well. The movie will also include Daniel Brühl (Captain America: Civil War), Game of Thrones star Charles Dance, Rhys Ifans (Harry Potter, Spider-Man), and Matthew Goode (Watchmen).
It’s was previously revealed that the hero of the story is a character named Conrad, “a cocky young son of a British Duke determined to serve his country.” His parents are the “Duke and Duchess of Oxford and that Conrad will find himself thrust into the midst the world...
- 2/11/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
A TV series about the Wwi spy Mata Hari, directed by Roland Joffe, is one of two projects that adorn the debut slate of new production company Palanquin. Noir-thriller “Call Center” completes the initial line up.
Palanquin is jointly headed by producer Guy Louthan and Joffe. The company will focus on producing Southeast Asian projects including India-based film and television projects.
Joffe believes that that the true story of Mata Hari is more bizarre than the lurid reputation that she has since attracted as an exotic dancer and spy. To be produced by John Fitzgerald and Julian Grimmond (“The Amazing Race”), “Mata Hari” is structured as an eight-part series that charts the extraordinary life of Magritte, a Dutch girl who escaped an abusive childhood, fled to the Far East with a brilliant but manipulative adventurer who was more than twice her age, and was sucked into the world of espionage,...
Palanquin is jointly headed by producer Guy Louthan and Joffe. The company will focus on producing Southeast Asian projects including India-based film and television projects.
Joffe believes that that the true story of Mata Hari is more bizarre than the lurid reputation that she has since attracted as an exotic dancer and spy. To be produced by John Fitzgerald and Julian Grimmond (“The Amazing Race”), “Mata Hari” is structured as an eight-part series that charts the extraordinary life of Magritte, a Dutch girl who escaped an abusive childhood, fled to the Far East with a brilliant but manipulative adventurer who was more than twice her age, and was sucked into the world of espionage,...
- 2/8/2019
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Alfred Hitchcock’s nearly perfect romantic spy thriller teams Cary Grant with Ingrid Bergman to yield just what audiences wanted in 1946, an adult drama with menacing political themes… and an unusually adult approach to a perverse sex relationship!
Notorious
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 137
1946 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 101 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date January 15, 2018 / 39.95
Starring: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Louis Calhern, Madame Konstantin, Reinhold Schunzel.
Cinematography: Ted Tetzlaff
Film Editor: Theron Warth
Original Music: Roy Webb
Written by Ben Hecht
Produced by Alfred Hitchcock, Barbara Keon
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Along with the best of Hollywood, Rko had a banner year in 1946, profiting from several films produced in conjunction with David O. Selznick, a super-agent who profited six ways to sundown by providing his personally contracted talent. Probably the best of the Selznick-owned Hitchcocks and still the most dramatically satisfying product of that producer-director arrangement,...
Notorious
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 137
1946 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 101 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date January 15, 2018 / 39.95
Starring: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Louis Calhern, Madame Konstantin, Reinhold Schunzel.
Cinematography: Ted Tetzlaff
Film Editor: Theron Warth
Original Music: Roy Webb
Written by Ben Hecht
Produced by Alfred Hitchcock, Barbara Keon
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Along with the best of Hollywood, Rko had a banner year in 1946, profiting from several films produced in conjunction with David O. Selznick, a super-agent who profited six ways to sundown by providing his personally contracted talent. Probably the best of the Selznick-owned Hitchcocks and still the most dramatically satisfying product of that producer-director arrangement,...
- 12/29/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
We’ve got some new casting details regarding director Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman prequel film, Kingsman: The Great Game.
We previously learned that Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson (The Darkest Minds) joined the film, which will reportedly take place in 1910. Then it was reported that Brad Pitt and Rachel Weisz were in talks to join the film.
Today, Collider is bringing word that Daniel Brühl (Captain America: Civil War) and Game of Thrones star Charles Dance have also joined the cast. They are also reporting that Rhys Ifans (Harry Potter, Spider-Man) is in talks to join. Matthew Goode (Watchmen) is also being eyed for a role
Not much is known about the characters that these new actors will be playing. Ifans would “play a dangerous and manipulative Russian mystic, while Brühl and Dance’s roles are being kept under wraps.”
It’s was previously revealed that the hero of the...
We previously learned that Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson (The Darkest Minds) joined the film, which will reportedly take place in 1910. Then it was reported that Brad Pitt and Rachel Weisz were in talks to join the film.
Today, Collider is bringing word that Daniel Brühl (Captain America: Civil War) and Game of Thrones star Charles Dance have also joined the cast. They are also reporting that Rhys Ifans (Harry Potter, Spider-Man) is in talks to join. Matthew Goode (Watchmen) is also being eyed for a role
Not much is known about the characters that these new actors will be playing. Ifans would “play a dangerous and manipulative Russian mystic, while Brühl and Dance’s roles are being kept under wraps.”
It’s was previously revealed that the hero of the...
- 11/30/2018
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Brad Pitt and Rachel Weisz in Talks For Kingsman: The Great Game and There are New Character Details
Director Matthew Vaughan has got some ambitious plans for his Kingsman film franchise. Not only is he developing a third film that will close out the story of Harry and Eggsy, but he’s also developing a Statesmen spinoff film as well as a World War I prequel film called Kingsman: The Great Game.
We previously learned that Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson (The Darkest Minds) joined Kingsman: The Great Game, which will reportedly take place in 1910. Now, thanks to That Hashtag Show, we have some new rumored details on the story, characters, and cast. Apparently Brad Pitt and Rachel Weisz are in talks to join the film!
It’s revealed that the protagonist of the story is a character named Conrad, “a cocky young son of a British Duke determined to serve his country.” His parents will be the “Duke and Duchess of Oxford and that Conrad will find...
We previously learned that Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson (The Darkest Minds) joined Kingsman: The Great Game, which will reportedly take place in 1910. Now, thanks to That Hashtag Show, we have some new rumored details on the story, characters, and cast. Apparently Brad Pitt and Rachel Weisz are in talks to join the film!
It’s revealed that the protagonist of the story is a character named Conrad, “a cocky young son of a British Duke determined to serve his country.” His parents will be the “Duke and Duchess of Oxford and that Conrad will find...
- 10/26/2018
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
10 random things that happened on this day, October 15th, in showbiz history
1888 A letter written "From Hell" was postmarked on this day for the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee. Was it actually from Jack the Ripper? The letter is now lost and the murders were forever unsolved. The story has fascinated Hollywood forever. Anyone remember the movie From Hell (2001) with Johnny Depp and Heather Graham?
1917 Exotic dancer Mata Hari is executed in France for espionage. Many films have been made about her.
More after the jump including Joan Crawford, Penny Marshall, Michelle Pfeiffer, a missing hunk, and "You Light Up My Life"...
1888 A letter written "From Hell" was postmarked on this day for the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee. Was it actually from Jack the Ripper? The letter is now lost and the murders were forever unsolved. The story has fascinated Hollywood forever. Anyone remember the movie From Hell (2001) with Johnny Depp and Heather Graham?
1917 Exotic dancer Mata Hari is executed in France for espionage. Many films have been made about her.
More after the jump including Joan Crawford, Penny Marshall, Michelle Pfeiffer, a missing hunk, and "You Light Up My Life"...
- 10/15/2018
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Julie Andrews started singing at a very young age. So young in fact, that at age 13, she became the youngest performer ever to give a Royal Command Performance for then British monarch King George VI. After many appearances on the British stage, Andrews made her Broadway debut at age 19 in the musical “The Boy Friend.” That performance led to her being cast as the lead in one of the biggest hits and most acclaimed productions in Broadway history, “My Fair Lady.”
Her great success in “My Fair Lady” would later become one of her greatest disappointments when she was deemed too unfamiliar to film audiences to recreate her role on film (though her Broadway co-stars Rex Harrison and Stanley Holloway were both hired). In her place the studio hired Audrey Hepburn who gave a good performance but had to have her singing dubbed by another performer. Some studios felt Andrews...
Her great success in “My Fair Lady” would later become one of her greatest disappointments when she was deemed too unfamiliar to film audiences to recreate her role on film (though her Broadway co-stars Rex Harrison and Stanley Holloway were both hired). In her place the studio hired Audrey Hepburn who gave a good performance but had to have her singing dubbed by another performer. Some studios felt Andrews...
- 10/1/2018
- by Robert Pius and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Dark Horse Comics' "Mata Hari" #4, available June 27, 2018, based on the trrue life adventures of the exotic dancer and superspy, is written by Emma Beeby and illustrated by Ariela Kristantina, with a cover by Kristantina:
"...from 'Lady MacLeod' to 'Lady Godiva', 'Mata Hari' looks back at the despair that surrounded her life as a wife and young mother in the Dutch East Indies.
"After a few short years, she leaves it all behind, changes her name, and heads to Paris, joining the 'Cirque'. Mata Hari is born, and the world hasn't seen anything like her before..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Mata Hari"...
"...from 'Lady MacLeod' to 'Lady Godiva', 'Mata Hari' looks back at the despair that surrounded her life as a wife and young mother in the Dutch East Indies.
"After a few short years, she leaves it all behind, changes her name, and heads to Paris, joining the 'Cirque'. Mata Hari is born, and the world hasn't seen anything like her before..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Mata Hari"...
- 6/27/2018
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Welcome back to another installment of Panel Discussion – this time featuring a rundown of my picks of the Top 30 comics released in February 2018. This is part one, a countdown of books 30-16… But first the caveats:
First and foremost this is simply my list and with that comes a great deal of subjectivity. Any art form is a subjective medium and taste plays a major role. So if you feel my rankings are way off you probably have a legitimate point. My hope is to simply to highlight great books that deserve attention. We too often focus on the negative so why not take some time to celebrate the positive. Since this is my list that also means I can only rank issues I have actually read. There may be a book that is in your top five that does not make the cut. Please let me know. I try...
First and foremost this is simply my list and with that comes a great deal of subjectivity. Any art form is a subjective medium and taste plays a major role. So if you feel my rankings are way off you probably have a legitimate point. My hope is to simply to highlight great books that deserve attention. We too often focus on the negative so why not take some time to celebrate the positive. Since this is my list that also means I can only rank issues I have actually read. There may be a book that is in your top five that does not make the cut. Please let me know. I try...
- 3/6/2018
- by Dan Clark
- Nerdly
"You sent me to whore school," says an indignant Bolshoi ballerina-turned-spy Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence to her less than caring uncle (Matthias Schoenaerts) in Red Sparrow, and it’s dialogue like that, with thicker-than-borscht Russian accents yet, that gets your hopes up for a trashy international-intrigue funfest. Consider them dashed. This piece of cinema du airport thriller starring Lawrence as a dancer who goes full Mata Hari after suffering a career-ending accident on stage, is a punishingly long (133 minutes), shamelessly shallow downer that makes the mistake of taking itself oh-so-seriously.
- 2/28/2018
- Rollingstone.com
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