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While the Harry Potter movie franchise was renowned for its massive cast of the UK's best actors, it also saw a surprising number of recast characters. Many Harry Potter stars became synonymous with their characters, as an entire generation of fans will associate Ralph Fiennes with his role as Lord Voldemort. But Fiennes wasn't the first person to play the Dark Lord, and it appears that the franchise took full advantage at opportunities to recast roles with bigger stars.

Recasting a popular character can be a jarring experience for the audience, so it's never one producers take lightly. In terms of the Harry Potter franchise, it's important to note that not every book had been released by the time the movies debuted. This means that characters who were minor in the first part of the story may have had bigger roles to play as Harry Potter's journey as the Chosen One progressed,...

The 90th Annual Academy Awards will take place Sunday March 4th at 7pm Eastern time. Here is our overview of the major awards nominees in case you didn’t get to see them yourself.

There’s always a lot of talk leading up to the big day about who will win what awards. We try to make our predictions based on trends from the past, but we can’t help to be swayed by our own personal opinions. Some movies truly strike a chord with us, while others aren’t interesting at all. Furthermore, Oscar films are usually heavy in the drama department and therefore they aren’t always the easiest or most entertaining movies to watch.

That’s why we’re here. Here is your guide to the nominees of this year’s Academy Awards. We’ve compiled the following brief summaries, interesting facts, and critical reviews for all these films and people.

"We must launch now." Lionsgate UK has released a trailer for the new Winston Churchill film titled simply Churchill, from Australian director Jonathan Teplitzky. Brian Cox stars as Churchill in the film, joining a shortlist of talented actors who have played the prominent politician - including Albert Finney, Richard Burton, David Ryall, and Brendan Gleeson. There's also another totally different Churchill film due out this year, starring Gary Oldman. This particular film is described as a "ticking-clock thriller following Winston Churchill in the 24 hours before D-Day." The cast includes John Slattery, Miranda Richardson, Ella Purnell, James Purefoy, Richard Durden, and Julian Wadham. This definitely looks intriguing, with some strong moments, but I'm much more interested in seeing Gary Oldman's film more. Take a look below. Here's the first official trailer for Jonathan Teplitzky's Churchill film, direct from Lionsgate's YouTube: June 1944. Allied Forces stand on the brink: a massive...

Stars: Antonio Banderas, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Dylan McDermott, Melanie Griffith, Robert Forster, Tim McInnerny, Andy Nyman, David Ryall, Javier Bardem, Andrew Tiernan, Lyubomir Neikov, Krasimir Kutsurapov, Geraldine Somerville | Written by Gabe Ibáñez, Igor Legarreta, Javier Sánchez Donate | Directed by Gabe Ibáñez

Thirty years in the future, mankind struggles to survive as the environment deteriorates. Technology combats the prevailing uncertainty and fear with the creation of the first quantum android, the Automata Pilgrim 7000. Roc corporation has set forth security protocols to ensure mankind maintains control over the manufactured population. However, as Roc insurance agent Jacq Vaucan investigates cases surrounding defective androids, he begins to uncover the secrets behind who is really manipulating the Automata Pilgrim 7000 – and the truth is far more complex than the make or model of any machine.

Take I-Robot, Blade Runner and a hefty tome on the philosophy of life, remove most of the action, stir in a...

The Making of Harry Potter tour is to feature a host of creatures from the films, including the characters Hedwig and Crookshanks.

The Warner Bros Studio Tour in London is to include the original animals that played Harry's beloved owl and Hermione's cat over February half-term.

Animal trainer Julie Tottman will present over 250 live creatures that featured in the film series to the public between February 13 and February 25.

The snowy owl and Red Persian cat will be joined by Argus Filch's Maine Coone cat Mrs Norris and Neville Longbottom's pet toad Trevor, among other magical and non-magical creatures.

Jk Rowling spoke last month about the nature of the monsters in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, revealing the origin of the 'Inferi'.

The author recently completed work on the script for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and the Harry Potter spinoff will begin shooting later this year.

Harry Potter...

Luise Rainer, the first person to win back-to-back Academy Awards, died on Tuesday of pneumonia. She was 104.

Rainer took home the top actress trophies in 1936 and 1937 for her roles on “The Great Ziegfeld” and “The Good Earth,” respectively. Only four other actors have since match the feat.

Also Read: Hollywood’s Notable Deaths of 2014 (Photos)

Rainer closed out her brief Hollywood film career with “Hostages” in 1943, and spent most of her later life in England. She made the occasional film and TV appearances, including on a 1984 episode of “The Love Boat.” One of her last film roles was in 1998 Fyodor Dostoyevsky adaptation “The Gambler.

Christina Aguilera reportedly caused a scene at Disneyland - Us Weekly Rosie Huntington-Whiteley chopped off her hair - HuffPost Celebrity Mariah Carey spends Christmas without Nick Cannon - Lainey Gossip Guess how Gwyneth Paltrow refers to her mother - Dlisted Harry Potter actor David Ryall has passed away - Et Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale hit the ski slopes in Mammoth - JustJared Kat Graham poses in sultry shoot for GQ - Hollywood Tuna Judd Apatow has some harsh words for Bill Cosby - Pink Is the New Blog Chelsea Handler goes topless on Instagram, again - The Superficial Of course Michael Phelps wore a Speedo on Christmas - The Blemish...

British actor David Ryall died on Christmas Day at the age of 79.

Ryall is perhaps most famous for playing Elphias Doge, a wizard in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, but as his daughter Charlie tweeted, his career spanned five decades and he starred in much more than this one film.

Please take a moment to remember his huge five-decade-spanning career outside of the more well-known TV & film. Not just Harry Potter.

— Charlie Ryall (@charlie_ryall) December 27, 2014

Not that I don't love Harry Potter. I do, I do. But there's so much more.

— Charlie Ryall (@charlie_ryall) December 27, 2014

Photos: Stars We Lost in 2014

Ryall began his career on stage at the National Theater after receiving a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art back in 1962.

Since then he has appeared in numerous British TV series including The Singing Detective, Outnumbered, and The Village. He also starred in films, The [link=tt...

Veteran British actor David Ryall died Christmas Day at the age of 79. While he was probably best known for his role as the wizard Elphias Doge, a friend of Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, his career spanned five decades, from the stage to the big screen. Sherlock creator Mark Gatiss tweeted out the news that Ryall had passed away. Most recently, Ryall appeared in ensemble crews on British television series like The Village, Trollied, and Outnumbered. He played one of the more memorable villains on the long-running Inspector Morse. His daughter, Charlie Ryall, has asked that people remember him for more than just his role in Harry Potter. She tweeted: Ryall began his career on the stage, including work at the National Theater, during which time he was involved in several production such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Guys and Dolls, Animal Farm, and...

British star David Ryall passed away on Thursday, Dec. 25 at the age of 79. The character actor is best known for his role in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, in which he played Albus Dumbledore's close friend Elphias Doge.  Actor Mark Gatiss tweeted the news on Saturday, Dec. 27, writing, "The great David Ryall left us on Christmas Day. A twinkling, brilliant, wonderful actor I was privileged to call a friend. Rip."  Ryall's daughter Charlie also tweeted about her father's passing, writing, "Thank you [...]...

Veteran actor David Ryall, best known by Americans as Elphias Doge in the “Harry Potter” film franchise, died on Christmas, Dec. 25 at the age of 79.

Friend and colleague Mark Gatiss, “Sherlock” and “Doctor Who” writer, broke the news on Twitter.

“The great David Ryall left us on Christmas Day. A twinkling, brilliant, wonderful actor I was privileged to call a friend. Rip,” Gatiss wrote.

See photos: Hollywood’s Notable Deaths of 2014

The great David Ryall left us on Christmas Day. A twinkling, brilliant, wonderful actor I was privileged to call a friend. Rip.

— Mark Gatiss (@Markgatiss) December 27, 2014

Ryall replaced Peter Cartwright...

Harry Potter star David Ryall passed away on Christmas Day (December 25), aged 79.

Sherlock writer and star Mark Gatiss revealed the news by tweeting his sadness at the passing of his colleague.

The great David Ryall left us on Christmas Day. A twinkling, brilliant, wonderful actor I was privileged to call a friend. Rip.

— Mark Gatiss (@Markgatiss) December 27, 2014

"The great David Ryall left us on Christmas Day. A twinkling, brilliant, wonderful actor I was privileged to call a friend. Rip," Gatiss wrote.

The actor had a long and successful career across theatre, film and television.

Ryall appeared in numerous films, including playing the role of Elphias Doge in 2010's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.

He was featured in the first two series of BBC One comedy Outnumbered as Frank, a grandfather who suffers from dementia.

He also starred in The Village as Britain's oldest man Old Bert, who narrated the series through flashback scenes.

An insurance agent for a robotics company makes a startling discovery that could change the world in the first trailer for Aut&#243mata. Set 50 years in the future, Antonio Banderas plays Jacq Vaucan, who works for the Roc corporation, at a time when artificial intelligence has caught up with human intelligence. After investigating an accident, Jacq learns how these robots have evolved in astounding ways as the future of humanity lies in the balance.

Check out the first footage from director Gabe Ib&#225&#241ez' sci-fi thriller, co-starring Melanie Griffith, Dylan McDermott and Robert Forster, before it arrives in theaters and VOD formats October 10.

Jacq Vaucan, an insurance agent of Roc robotics corporation, routinely investigates the case of manipulating a robot. What he discovers will have profound consequences for the future of humanity.

Autómata: Posters

Autómata comes to theaters October 10th, 2014 and stars Antonio Banderas, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Melanie Griffith,...

An insurance agent for a robotics company makes a startling discovery that could change the world in the first trailer for Aut&#243mata. Set 50 years in the future, Antonio Banderas plays Jacq Vaucan, who works for the Roc corporation, at a time when artificial intelligence has caught up with human intelligence. After investigating an accident, Jacq learns how these robots have evolved in astounding ways as the future of humanity lies in the balance.

Check out the first footage from director Gabe Ib&#225&#241ez' sci-fi thriller, co-starring Melanie Griffith, Dylan McDermott and Robert Forster, before it arrives in theaters and VOD formats October 10.

Jacq Vaucan, an insurance agent of Roc robotics corporation, routinely investigates the case of manipulating a robot. What he discovers will have profound consequences for the future of humanity.

Autómata: Posters

Autómata comes to theaters October 10th, 2014 and stars Antonio Banderas, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Melanie Griffith,...

Millennium Entertainment has released the trailer for the upcoming Sci-Fi Thriller "Automata" starring Antonio Banderas, Birgitte Hjort Sørensen, Melanie Griffith, Dylan McDermott, Robert Forster, Andy Nyman, Tim McInnerny, David Ryall, Lubomir Neikov, Harry Anichkin and Andrew Tiernan.

The film is directed by Gabe Ibáñez from a screenplay he wrote along with Igor Legarreta and Javier Sánchez Donate.

The film follows an insurance agent of Roc robotics corporation who routinely investigates the case of manipulating a robot. What he discovers will have profound consequences for the future of humanity.

Have a look at the trailer below.

"Automata" will hit theaters and On Demand on October 10, 2014.

Source: Yahoo! Movies...

The Tractate Middoth

Once upon a time, ghost stories were an integral part of the BBC’s Christmas line-up. Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) is attempting to revive that tradition and he took his first steps in that direction with tonight’s broadcast of M R James’ The Tractate Middoth.

I love a good ghost story but M R James isn’t really my cup of tea. That being said, Mark Gatiss did well to turn this short story into a fairly entertaining half-hour of TV. It always helps when you have a good cast and for The Tractate Middoth, Gatiss signed up some big-hitters. The cast included Sacha Dhawan (Outsourced), Louise Jameson (Doc Martin), John Castle (I, Claudius), Eleanor Bron (Ab Fab) and David Ryall (The Village). The aforementioned A-listers all put in a good shift but the show was fun rather than scary. It wasn’t exactly Randall and Hopkirk...

The Village BBC One

Grey Feeney

BBC One’s new drama The Village began with Old Bert (David Ryall) explaining to an unseen interviewer that he is the second oldest man in Britain. After a few moments of private reflection, Old Bert began to recount the events of his childhood beginning in the summer of 1914.

Stylistically, the BBC got it spot on as The Village and its inhabitants looked surprisingly authentic. In terms of casting, they picked the cream of the crop with a line-up that included John Simm, Maxine Peake, Nico Mirallegro, Juliet Stevenson and the aforementioned Mr Ryall. The pre-war setting was a familiar one and we saw the predictable shots of bunting and cobbled streets that we’ve been overly exposed to in recent productions such as War Horse and Downton Abbey. We also saw themes that were explored in another BBC drama from that era – South Riding – as women’s lib,...

The Village BBC One

John Simm (Life on Mars) and Maxine Peake (Silk) team up in the new BBC One drama The Village. The drama begins when Britain’s second oldest man – Bert Middleton – begins to recall the events of his childhood. Middleton’s tales begin in 1914 when he is a 12 year old boy living in a farming community. His family are poor, his Dad is an alcoholic, his mum’s pregnant and his home country is about to get sucked into World War I.

Suffice to say, The Village is an epic of Dr Zhivago proportions as we see how the inhabitants of one particular village navigate the heady waters of the 20th century Britain. Season one covers the period between 1914 and 1920 with David Ryall and Bill Jones sharing the role of Bert (Old and young) while John Simm and Maxine Peake play the central character’s troubled parents.

Extending from 1914 to 1920, the first series of epic new series The Village written by Peter Moffat comes to BBC One Sunday 31st March at 9pm.

The series stars John Simm and Maxine Peake as impoverished, alcoholic Peak District farmer John Middleton and his wife, Grace.

13-year-old newcomer Bill Jones, a member of the Nottingham-based Television Workshop, stars as young Bert Middleton, whose long life is central to the anticipated on-going serial. Bert is growing up in extreme poverty on a family farm in Derbyshire. He is twelve years old at the start of the series, and his days are filled with school, his friends, working in the fields with his father and secret swimming lessons with his brother Joe, whom he adores. Young Bert, like his brother, falls in love with new arrival Martha Lane the moment she arrives in the village. He is very confused as he watches the...

Aging isn't for sissies, or so Bette Davis and the four protagonists of Quartet would have us believe. Throw that quote alongside the Bard's famous line about music being the food of love, and you've got the gist of Hollywood legend Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut. Play on, indeed.

Given the film's A-list director it should come as no surprise that Quartet contains some pretty impressive talent in front of the camera too. Peppered through with actual retired baritones, sopranos and pianists, the film's cast is led by Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly, Tom Courtenay and Pauline Collins. Joining them on-screen is perpetual scene stealer Michael Gambon, alongside stalwart British thesps Michael Byrne, David Ryall, Andrew Sachs and Trevor Peacock.

The undoubtedly British movie seems a bit of an odd choice by Hoffman for his first foray behind the camera, so when we caught up with three of the film's stars,...

Dustin Hoffman directs a stellar cast in this bittersweet tale of ageing opera singers forced to face their mortality

Dustin Hoffman was 30 when he made his screen debut as the 21-year-old Benjamin Braddock in The Graduate. Three years later, in 1970, he played the 121-year-old frontiersman Jack Crabb in Arthur Penn's western Little Big Man. In his 50s he returned to star as Willy Loman and Shylock. So he knows something about the vagaries of ageing. It seems therefore not inappropriate that he makes his confident directorial debut at 75, directing a formidable ensemble cast ranging in age from the 31-year-old Sheridan Smith to actors pushing 80 and beyond in a movie adapted by the 78-year-old Ronald Harwood from his own adroitly crafted play Quartet.

Sheridan Smith plays Dr Lucy Cogan, sympathetic manager and resident physician at Beecham House, a handsomely appointed home for elderly opera singers fallen on hard times. It's...

Check out 2 new posters for Quartet, starring Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Billy Connolly and Tom Courtenay Dustin Hoffman directs from the script by Ronald Harwood and the film's produced by Stewart Mackinnon and Finola Dwyer. Pauline Collins, Sheridan Smith, Andrew Sachs, Trevor Peacock, Luke Newberry and David Ryall also star in Quartet which Weinstein Co is sending to to limited theaters on December 28th, followed by an expansion on January 11th, 2013. Beecham House is abuzz. The rumor circling the halls is that the home for retired musicians is soon to play host to a new resident. Word is, it's a star. For Reginald Paget (Tom Courtenay), Wilfred Bond (Billy Connolly) and Cecily Robson (Pauline Collins) this sort of talk is par for the course at the gossipy home. But they're in for a special shock when the new arrival turns out to be none other than their former singing partner,...

Check out 2 new posters for Quartet, starring Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Billy Connolly and Tom Courtenay Dustin Hoffman directs from the script by Ronald Harwood and the film's produced by Stewart Mackinnon and Finola Dwyer. Pauline Collins, Sheridan Smith, Andrew Sachs, Trevor Peacock, Luke Newberry and David Ryall also star in Quartet which Weinstein Co is sending to to limited theaters on December 28th, followed by an expansion on January 11th, 2013. Beecham House is abuzz. The rumor circling the halls is that the home for retired musicians is soon to play host to a new resident. Word is, it's a star. For Reginald Paget (Tom Courtenay), Wilfred Bond (Billy Connolly) and Cecily Robson (Pauline Collins) this sort of talk is par for the course at the gossipy home. But they're in for a special shock when the new arrival turns out to be none other than their former singing partner,...

Aging isn't for sissies, or so Bette Davis and the four protagonists of Quartet would have us believe. Throw that quote alongside the Bard's famous line about music being the food of love, and you've got the gist of Hollywood legend Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut. Play on, indeed.

Given the film's A-list director it should come as no surprise that Quartet contains some pretty impressive talent in front of the camera too. Peppered through with actual retired baritones, sopranos and pianists, the film's cast is led by Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly, Tom Courtenay and Pauline Collins. Joining them on-screen is perpetual scene stealer Michael Gambon, alongside stalwart British thesps Michael Byrne, David Ryall, Andrew Sachs and Trevor Peacock.

The undoubtedly British movie seems a bit of an odd choice by Hoffman for his first foray behind the camera, so when we caught up with three of the film's stars,...

Watch a new Gazebo Clip from Dustin Hoffman's Quartet comedy drama, starring Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon and Billy Connolly. The Weinstein Company film currently playing at the Toronto International Film Festival, also includes Sheridan Smith, Pauline Collins, Tom Courtenay, Trevor Peacock, David Ryall and Luke Newberry. Hoffman helms from the script and play by Ronald Harwood. Finola Dwyer and Stewart Mckinnon produce, while Marc Schmidheiny, Christoph Daniel and Dario Suter serve as executive producers. In Quartet, Cecily, Reggie and Wilfred are in a home for retired opera singers. Every year, on October 10, there is a concert to celebrate Verdi's birthday and they take part. Jean, who used to be married to Reggie, arrives at the home and disrupts their equilibrium. She still acts like a diva, but she refuses to sing. Still, the show must go on... and it does.

Watch a new Gazebo Clip from Dustin Hoffman's Quartet comedy drama, starring Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon and Billy Connolly. The Weinstein Company film currently playing at the Toronto International Film Festival, also includes Sheridan Smith, Pauline Collins, Tom Courtenay, Trevor Peacock, David Ryall and Luke Newberry. Hoffman helms from the script and play by Ronald Harwood. Finola Dwyer and Stewart Mckinnon produce, while Marc Schmidheiny, Christoph Daniel and Dario Suter serve as executive producers. In Quartet, Cecily, Reggie and Wilfred are in a home for retired opera singers. Every year, on October 10, there is a concert to celebrate Verdi's birthday and they take part. Jean, who used to be married to Reggie, arrives at the home and disrupts their equilibrium. She still acts like a diva, but she refuses to sing. Still, the show must go on... and it does.

Sneak Peek a new poster and trailer supporting the upcoming Brit romantic comedy feature, "Hysteria", directed by Tanya Wexler, starring Felicity Jones, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Hugh Dancy.

Set in the English 'Victorian' era, the film centers on the invention of the 'vibrator', with the film's title referencing the once-common medical diagnosis of 'female hysteria'.

Along with Jones, Gyllenhaal and Dancy, cast includes Rupert Everett, Jonathan Pryce, Anna Chancellor, Gemma Jones, Tobias Menzies, Sheridan Smith, Kate Linder, David Ryall, Dominic Borrelli, Georgie Glen, Malcolm Rennie, Jonathan Rhodes, Jules Werner, Elisabet Johannesdottir, Kim Criswell, Leila Schaus, Catherine Meunier and Corinna Marlowe.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Hysteria"...

Midsomer Murders

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Kieran Kinsella

On 6 September, Acorn Media are set to release Midsomer Murders: set 18 on DVD. This set contains three stories that have never aired in the United States and if you are a fan of the series you will not want to miss out on these episodes. Each of the stories is 100 minutes long which means that you get five hours of top notch drama when you buy the set.

Former Bergerac star John Nettles resumes his role as Dci Barnaby while Jason Hughes returns as his able assistant DS Ben Jones. When you buy this set you get to learn more about the latter because the third disc includes a fascinating 23 minute interview in which Welshman Jason Hughes talks frankly about how he broke into acting and what it is like working with John Nettles.

Outnumbered, the multi-award-winning comedy series from Hat Trick Productions, which captures the turbulent chaos of family life, is back on BBC One with a new six-part series starting on Friday 2 September and followed by a Christmas special.

In the new series, the family is confronted by an array of issues ranging from death, drugs, terrorism and getting old, to food science, Top Gear, the joy of ventriloquism and the perils of Subbuteo.

The casting director avoided stage-school talent, instead undertaking a lengthy audition process which involved lots of game playing, determined to find children who would enjoy the filming process. So the three juvenile leads came out at the top of the fairly exhausting casting process. Andy: "They're all really interesting to watch and they've all got very interesting, funny personalities. Confident, but also excellent actors."

Tyger Drew-Honey returns as Jake Brockman

Tyger was born Lindzi James Tyger Drew-Honey, he is now 15 years old,...

We have added the first trailer for Victorian romantic comedy "Hysteria." The film, based on actual events, is about the invention of the invention of the women's vibrator."Hysteria" stars Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hugh Dancy, Rupert Everett, Felicity Jones, Jonathan Pryce, Anna Chancellor, Gemma Jones, Tobias Menzies, Sheridan Smith, Kate Linder, David Ryall, Dominic Borrelli, Georgie Glen, Malcolm Rennie and Jonathan Rhodes.Watch the trailer below in various definitions;A release date for "Hysteria" is yet to be announced, but it will make its world premiere next month at the Toronto Film Festival.The comedy focuses on the events leading up to the invention of the vibrator in Victorian-era England.

Cottesloe; Hampstead; Arcola, all London

To celebrate his 80th birthday, Peter Hall has returned to the building he once ran and directed a sweetly autumnal Twelfth Night. His breeches-and-farthingale production, set under a canopy flecked with russet-coloured leaves, doesn't break much new ground – there's hardly a moment when it shows you something you'd never suspected was there – but, at its best, it does better than that: it seems completely natural.

Take Simon Paisley Day's icily exact Malvolio, who walks as if he were skating, and whose head lies so still on his ruff that it could be a severed bonce on a platter. Or his polar opposite, Simon Callow's Toby Belch: pink-faced, wobbly cheeks, a belting old fruit. He is every flabby inch the ramshackle roisterer, who announces the keynote of his unbuttoned, spilling-over performance in his spluttering rejection of the notion that he "confine" himself. Yet just as that looks too easy,...

Sir Peter and Rebecca Hall's Twelfth Night is a father-and-daughter affair, but the critics feel it's lacking a sense of family fun

It's Bogof on Halls at the National right now, and the critics have been filling up their trolleys. "This production of Twelfth Night is [Sir Peter Hall's 80th] birthday present to himself and us," explains the Telegraph's Charles Spencer, "and it stars, movingly and magnificently, his daughter Rebecca Hall, now better known as a rising star of Hollywood."

"It catches perfectly the play's melancholy and preoccupation with time, transitoriness and loss," says our own Michael Billington, "even if it cannot efface golden memories of the one he did at Stratford in 1958." (No indeed. 1958, how will any of us forget it?) Even the Hollywood Reporter gets in on things, using words like "players" and "clad" to prove that, yes that's right, it does British theatre. (So long as there's a movie star involved.

British actor David Ryall (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0752379/) (Around the World in 80 Days, City of Ember), according to his agency (http://www.scottmarshall.co.uk/articles/view/79/david-ryall-joshua-herdman-in-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows), has been confirmed to play Elphias Doge, life-long friend of Albus Dumbledore, in Deathly Hallows. Doge notably wrote Dumbledore's obituary in the Daily Prophet, and discussed the late Hogwarts headmaster's dubious history with Harry and Molly Weasley's great Auntie Muriel at Bill and Fleur's wedding (scenes from which were filmed last month). Photos of David can be seen here (http://www.snitchseeker.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=776): Image: http://www.snitchseeker.com/gallery/albums/userpics/84186/131876_2.jpg Image: http://www.snitchseeker.com/gallery/albums/userpics/84186/David_Ryall_1.jpeg Image: http://www.snitchseeker.com/gallery/albums/userpics/84186/normal_leg5011.jpg Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be released November 19, 2010 and July 15, 2011.

Screened at the Hollywood International Film Festival

Purportedly based on actual events, Guerilla Films' "Two Men Went to War" is a wobbly comedy-drama about two misfit members of England's World War II Army Dental Corps on an unconventional mission to take on the enemy.

Although the performances are solid enough, the direction (by John Henderson) and script (credited to Richard Everett, Christopher Villiers and Raymond Foxall, from Foxall's book "Amateur Commandos") are engaged in an ongoing tonal battle, with the upshot being that the film can never decide if it wants to be "Kelly's Heroes" or "Hogan's Heroes".

Deemed too old for active duty, a crusty sergeant (Kenneth Cranham) recruits a wet-behind-the-ears private (Leo Bill) to join him on an unsanctioned mission into occupied France.

Nothing goes as planned, but somehow the bumbling duo ends up stumbling across a German radar station and saving the day for the good guys, despite having gone AWOL in the process.

It's all quite inoffensive, and the rest of the cast -- including old pros Derek Jacobi, Phyllida Law (Emma Thompson's mum) and David Ryall as an amusing Winston Churchill -- are their usual capable selves. But in the end, the picture comes up sufficiently short on both the wit and action fronts to be declared a keeper.

Screened at the Hollywood International Film Festival

Purportedly based on actual events, Guerilla Films' "Two Men Went to War" is a wobbly comedy-drama about two misfit members of England's World War II Army Dental Corps on an unconventional mission to take on the enemy.

Although the performances are solid enough, the direction (by John Henderson) and script (credited to Richard Everett, Christopher Villiers and Raymond Foxall, from Foxall's book "Amateur Commandos") are engaged in an ongoing tonal battle, with the upshot being that the film can never decide if it wants to be "Kelly's Heroes" or "Hogan's Heroes".

Deemed too old for active duty, a crusty sergeant (Kenneth Cranham) recruits a wet-behind-the-ears private (Leo Bill) to join him on an unsanctioned mission into occupied France.

Nothing goes as planned, but somehow the bumbling duo ends up stumbling across a German radar station and saving the day for the good guys, despite having gone AWOL in the process.

It's all quite inoffensive, and the rest of the cast -- including old pros Derek Jacobi, Phyllida Law (Emma Thompson's mum) and David Ryall as an amusing Winston Churchill -- are their usual capable selves. But in the end, the picture comes up sufficiently short on both the wit and action fronts to be declared a keeper.