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It certainly feels like Disney+ Emea (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) scripted originals are in a good place. That’s according to the man in charge, Lee Mason, executive director of scripted originals, Emea Disney+, who sat down with The Hollywood Reporter for an interview on how his team’s successes are shaping the streamer’s strategy.

“I’m feeling positive,” Mason, previously the commissioning editor for drama at Channel 4, says. “[Especially] off the back of Rivals and A Thousand Blows.”

These two shows — vastly different in terms of genre — have a lot in common, the executive argues. “My feeling has always been about not moving too far away from what Disney+ is,” Mason explains. “That’s characters you care about, worlds that intrigue you and stories that move you. That’s got to be the starting point.”

Rivals, already confirmed for a season two, took the U.K. by...

He went from Harold Pinter’s protege to barely scraping a living to roaring success in Jilly Cooper’s Rivals. With the release of his new film Marching Powder, he talks about his journey from national joke to national treasure

The Danny Dyer fanbase is an eclectic one. There are the ravers who got in on the ground floor, idolising Moff, the ranting pill dealer Dyer played in the 1999 film Human Traffic. There are the “sort of alpha males”, as he calls them; basically, lads who were into The Football Factory and his run of 00s films about hooliganism, drugs and sex (usually all three). Then, a nine-year run in EastEnders brought onside a lot of “old ladies”, he says. And now, with the success of Rivals – the TV adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s book, in which he plays the kind-hearted self-made millionaire Freddie Jones – a hornier faction has joined his supporters’ ranks.

Danny Dyer is on the awards trail for his turn in Disney+ series Rivals.

The EastEnders actor will compete for Best Actor at the Broadcasting Press Guild (Bpg) Awards, which is voted on by British television and media journalists.

Dyer starred as electronics businessman Freddie Jones in Disney’s series about sex and skulduggery in the British television business in the 1980s.

To win the Bpg prize, he will have to fend off competition from Lennie James (Mr Loverman), Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs the Post Office), Eddie Redmayne (Day of the Jackal), and Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall).

Rivals, based on Jilly Cooper’s novels, will do battle for Best Drama Series alongside Baby Reindeer, Day of the Jackal, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, and Wolf Hall.

Baby Reindeer star Jessica Gunning, a darling of the awards season, has been nominated for Best Actress, where her competition includes Monica Dolan...

Quick Links What Is 'The Elephant Man' About? Lynch Deconstructed Disability Narratives With 'The Elephant Man' 'The Elephant Man' Is Pure David Lynch

One of the all-time greats has left us. David Lynch, a master of surrealist and abstract cinema, sadly passed away this week at the age of 78. To put it simply, he had a style all his own, defined by dream logic and a deft mix of psychological terror with dark humor, and he was arguably one of the only contemporary filmmakers who could genuinely be called a “visionary.” On top of directing some of the greatest movies of all time, namely Blue Velvet and Mulholland Dr., he was also the genius behind Twin Peaks, one of the most influential TV shows in history.

Yet maybe Lynch’s most underrated work of all was one of his first and one of his most straightforward.

Fantasy is a hard nut to crack. Where science fiction can build on the rust and chrome of worlds we know, fantasy asks us to envision something new, often helped along by tidbits of real world history (as many fans of George R.R. Martin know quite well). To bring these worlds to life on screen requires more magic than words on a page, making the special effects budget blow the king's purse wide open.

When it works, it's something special. We get to see impossible worlds, meet cultures and countries where the riddle of steel and the law of chivalry thrive. We take to skies full of dragons, and sandy deserts full of bandits. Of this grand niche, the sword and sorcery movie is the most approachable, with a down to earth ruffian flair. The distinction between this and high fantasy is slim, but for our purposes, if the world...

Courtesy of Eureka Entertainment

by James Cameron-wilson

Perhaps surprisingly, Juggernaut is being released on Blu-ray for the first time in the United Kingdom, from a high-definition restoration, to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. When Juggernaut was first released in cinemas in 1974, it was at the height of the disaster movie era, following on from The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and, in the same year, Airport 1975, Earthquake and The Towering Inferno, all stories featuring numerous sundry characters trapped together in terrifying circumstances. However, Juggernaut was a very different thing, both in its execution and in its presentation. Loosely inspired by the bomb hoax on board the QE2 luxury liner in 1972, the film was originally to have been directed by Bryan Forbes. However, when Forbes jumped ship, he was replaced by the American TV director Don Medford, who also left the project at the last minute, leaving the production company with the enormous daily...

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The Substance is a satirical body horror film written and directed by Coralie Fargeat. The 2024 film follows the story of Elisabeth Sparkle, a popular star renowned for an aerobics show but on her 50th birthday, she gets fired from her boss for being old. She soon finds a laboratory that offers her a drug that promises to transform her into a better and younger version of herself. The Substance stars Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley in the lead roles with Dennis Quaid, Hugo Diego Garcia, Oscar Lesage, Tiffany Hofstetter, and Alexandra Papoulias Barton starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the body horror, biting commentary, and compelling characters in The Substance here are some similar movies you should check out next.

The Neon Demon (Prime Video) Credit – Amazon Studios

The Neon Demon is a psychological horror film...

Disney+’s Rivals, based on Jilly Cooper’s popular novel, has made waves with its star-studded cast, dramatic tension, and 1980s glamour. The eight-part series, which premiered on October 18, 2024, boasts performances from David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Alex Hassell, and Bella Maclean. Set in the competitive world of British television, Rivals follows the intense power struggle between Lord Tony Baddingham (Tennant) and his nemesis Rupert Campbell-Black (Hassell), as well as the tangled relationships within their social circle. After a thrilling first season, fans are eager to know: will there be a Season 2 of Rivals? Has ‘Rivals’ Been Confirmed for Season 2?

As of now, Disney+ has not officially confirmed a renewal for Rivals Season 2. However, this isn’t unusual for streaming platforms, which often take a few weeks to announce renewals. Fortunately, the cast and crew have hinted that they’re keen to continue the story. Danny Dyer, who plays Freddie Jones,...

Exclusive: Disney+’s Rivals may launch tomorrow but the Jilly Cooper adaptation has been living inside producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins’ head since he entered the TV industry 25 years ago.

Treadwell-Collins has had a stellar career including a lengthy stint running BBC soap EastEnders and the idea to adapt Cooper’s novels has always remained front and center of his mind. But until Disney gave him the greenlight in 2022, he told Deadline he felt he was consistently coming up against the same enemy – the innate “snobbery” of British TV.

“I had meetings with the BBC and ITV years ago when I didn’t have the rights and when I said, ‘Would you go for something like Jilly Cooper?’ they would look at me like I’d farted,” he said. “There’s a snobbery about her. Throughout my career I had kept mentioning Jilly and everyone sort of laughed at and ridiculed me.

Rivals starring David Tennant receives an overwhelmingly positive response from critics ahead of its Disney+ debut.

As of the time of writing, Rivals has currently amassed an 88% rating from 8 critical reviews, as per review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The series, which stars Tennant alongside Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner, Katherine Parkinson, Lisa McGrillis, Emily Atack, Danny Dyer, and a host of other featured players, is currently set to debut on Disney+ on October 18.

Related 'Asinine Thing to Say': Eric Roberts Apologizes to Sister Julia Roberts for Controversial Comments

Eric Roberts opens up about past comments regarding his sister and daughter and apologizes for previous "asinine" remarks.

Rivals is based on Jilly Cooper's 1988 novel of the same name, the second in her Rutshire Chronicles set within the series' eponymous fictional English county. The series itself largely follows the exploits of upper-class British families, focusing on all the adultery, scandal, and occasional tragic...

Based on Jilly Cooper's second Rutshire Chronicles novel, Rivals sees cutthroat independent television station director Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) out to rise to the top of his industry, having poached both brilliant producer Cameron Cook (Nafessa Williams) from New York and radical journalist Declan O'Hara (Aiden Turner) from the BBC. Taking place in Thatcher-era England, Rivals showcases the fascinating professional world that is the chessboard of these determined players for a few fleeting moments. Sadly, the rest of the initially promising show is spent on a tangled web of meaningless sexual entanglements among its interconnected cast.

Rivals

Cast Bella Maclean, Georgia Mack, Wendy Albiston, Milo Callaghan, Bryony Hannah, Louis Landau, David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Katherine Parkinson, Danny Dyer, Aidan TurnerCharacter(s) Archie Baddingham, Sharon Jones, Mrs. Makepiece, Seb Burrows, Deirdre Kilpatrick, Freddie Jones, Declan O'Hara, Tony BaddinghamRelease Date October 18, 2024Seasons 1Genres Drama David Tennant Reigns Supreme In Rivals, With...

When Walt Disney Pictures' Wish arrived on movie screens in 2023, marketing materials heralded it as a celebration of the Disney Animation legacy, a movie loaded with Easter eggs for Disney fans to spot over the runtime. Fans who sat through the closing credits would also enjoy a montage of character portraits from every Disney animated movie to date, though keen eyes would spot one glaring omission. 1985's The Black Cauldron did not get a shout-out from Wish.

In the almost 40 years since hitting cinemas, The Black Cauldron has earned something of a reputation as Disney's blackest sheep a movie so embarrassing the company would rather pretend it doesn't exist at all. Indeed, the Disney theme parks only feature a handful of off-hand references to The Black Cauldron. Tourists will not spot the characters signing autographs in Fantasyland. Disney television networks that helped other flop movies of the same period Tron,...

This article contains brief mention of self-harm and suicide.

Storytelling is considered the most powerful way to convey specific events and emotions. In cinema, the story is written to be combined with all the other components of a movie to fully express the filmmakers' take on the story. Cinematography, sound, editing and other areas certainly have their role in evoking the emotion wanted. Still, people have the main emotional reactions and remember a particular movie because of its plot and dialogue.

Throughout the history of cinema, and across all genres, the writing of a compelling story with memorable quotes is what eternalized the most heartbreaking movies. In parallel, some lesser known films became widely considered some of the saddest of all time for the same reason. The most heartbreaking movie quotes of all time are not necessarily the most famous, but the ones that fully capture their movie's saddest point.

Disney+ has set a premiere date for Rivals, the Jilly Cooper adaptation starring David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Katherine Parkinson, and Danny Dyer.

Lee Mason, Disney’s director of scripted content in Europe, announced at the Edinburgh TV Festival that the eight-part series will drop on October 18 in the UK. Rivals will stream on Hulu in the U.S.

It is part of Cooper’s bestselling Rutshire Chronicles and is set against the backdrop of the excess and antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England.

The series chronicles the cutthroat world of independent television in 1986 and the long-standing rivalry of ex-Olympian, MP, and notorious womanizer Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and his neighbor Tony Baddingham (Tennant), controller of Corinium Television.

Poldark star Turner is TV presenter Declan O’Hara, a fierce intellectual with an even fiercer temper who is wooed to Corinium from the BBC. Other cast includes EastEnders actor Dyer as Freddie Jones,...

Dune: Part One & Part Two are lengthy epics that adapt dense source material, requiring certain changes. Thufir Hawat, a significant character in Dune, was cut from Part Two due to the need for central focus. Director Villeneuve's deletion of Hawat was difficult but ultimately necessary for the film adaptation's coherence.

At 2 hours 35 minutes and 2 hours 46 minutes for the first two opuses, respectively, Denis Villeneuve's Dune saga is not comprised of short movies. The source material of Dune is prolific, at the very least. As proven empirically with series such as Harry Potter, The Maze Runner, or even Twilight, it is always hard to faithfully make a book into a movie. Directors must choose what to focus on and what to let go of. One such choice is to remove secondary characters, who could distract from the main plot, or add scenes that unnecessarily extend the runtime in the era of three-hour-long epics.

David Lynch has been making movies since the 1960s, when he was an art student who wanted to see his paintings move. Since then, he’s become one of the most recognizable and beloved auteurs in cinema history, a filmmaker who enjoys remarkable success, given his idiosyncratic work.

Because Lynch’s work is so personal, it has long been difficult for critics and fans to reach a consensus regarding which is his very best work. Every single one of his movies and TV series has value, and each one strikes different people in different ways. Indeed, even this writer finds himself changing his own personal ranking from time to time.

Like Lynch himself, his works are impossible to categorize and, thus, near impossible to rank, but we’ve given a go in order to celebrate the filmmakers long and celebrated career. We’re looking back at both his movies and...

Hulu has revealed a new teaser trailer and more photos for the eight-part series Rivals, based on the celebrated novel by Dame Jilly Cooper and produced by Happy Prince, part of ITV Studios. The series is set to debut on Hulu in the U.S. and on Disney+ in other countries later this year.

Set against the backdrop of the drama, excess, and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England, Rivals delves headfirst into the ruthless world of independent television in 1986.

This second wave of images (view the first wave of images here) introduces nine more iconic characters from the drama: Sarah Stratton, Caitlin O’Hara, James Vereker, and Freddie Jones.

There’s also Paul Stratton, Valerie Jones, Bas Baddingham, Lady Monica Baddingham, and Maud O’Hara.

The first looks are accompanied by a teaser trailer showcasing the ’80s set saga, which also stars Alex Hassell, Bella Maclean,...

Horses, helicopters and hanky-panky are what fans of Jilly Cooper’s iconic novel “Rivals” can expect from Disney’s screen adaptation.

Starring Emily Atack (“The Inbetweeners”), David Tennant (“Doctor Who”) and Aidan Turner (“Poldark”), “Rivals” follows the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England as they break up and couple up.

In the first teaser trailer, which dropped today, Tennant can be seen dressed as an upper crust gentleman farmer, Turner dons a smart suit and Tom Selleck-inspired bushy moustache while Atack adjusts herself in front of a full-length mirror clad in a period-inspired bodycon dress.

Rounding out the cast are Catriona Chandler (“Enola Holmes 2”) as Caitlin O’Hara, Oliver Chris (“The Crown”) as James Vereker, Danny Dyer (“Eastenders”) as Freddie Jones, Rufus Jones (“W1A”) as Paul Stratton, Lisa McGrillis (“Maternal”) as Valerie Jones, Luke Pasqualino (“Skins”) as Bas Baddingham, Claire Rushbrook (“Sherwood”) as Lady Monica Baddingham and Victoria Smurfit...

Disney+ has unveiled a teaser trailer alongside more first-look images of the eight-part series, ‘Rivals’, based on the celebrated novel by Dame Jilly Cooper and produced by Happy Prince, part of ITV Studios.

Set against the backdrop of the drama, excess, and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England, the show delves headfirst into the ruthless world of independent television in 1986. Part of Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles series it is packed full of romantic entanglements, dastardly deals, sex and wit.

The first-looks feature alongside a teaser trailer showcasing the ’80s set saga which also stars Alex Hassell, Bella Maclean, Katherine Parkinson, David Tennant, Aidan Turner and Nafessa Williams.

Nine more iconic characters from the drama have been unveiled in this second wave of images, introducing Sarah Stratton, Caitlin O’Hara (Catriona Chandler – ‘Pistol’, ‘Enola Holmes 2’), James Vereker (Oliver Chris – ‘The Crown’, ‘Trying’), Freddie Jones (Danny Dyer – ‘EastEnders,...

Jilly Cooper’s Rivals have nearly entered the building. Disney+ has unveiled a trailer and first looks for the adaptation that will launch later this year starring David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Katherine Parkinson and Danny Dyer. Scroll down for some more pics

Set in the fictional upper-class county of Rutshire, Rivals dives headfirst into the cutthroat world of independent television in 1986 when a long-standing rivalry between two powerful men is about to boil over: Ex-Olympian, Member of Parliament and notorious womanizer Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and his neighbor Tony Baddingham (Tennant), controller of the independent TV franchise Corinium Television. The series is set to debut on Hulu in the U.S. and on Disney+ in other countries later this year.

Nine characters are introduced via the wave of images including Sarah Stratton (Emily Atack), Caitlin O’Hara (Catriona Chandler), James Vereker (Oliver Chris), Freddie Jones (Dyer), Paul Stratton (Rufus Jones), Valerie Jones...

Disney+ is building buzz for its Jilly Cooper adaptation Rivals by teasing first-look images of the eight-part series. The series will stream on Hulu in the U.S.

Rivals is part of Cooper’s bestselling Rutshire Chronicles and is set against the backdrop of the excess and antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England. Scroll on for more images.

Rivals chronicles the cutthroat world of independent television in 1986 and the long-standing rivalry of ex-Olympian, MP, and notorious womanizer Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and his neighbor Tony Baddingham (David Tennant), controller of Corinium Television.

Poldark star Aidan Turner is TV presenter Declan O’Hara, a fierce intellectual with an even fiercer temper who is wooed to Corinium from the BBC. Other cast includes EastEnders actor Danny Dyer as Freddie Jones, a self-made electrics millionaire.

Among the wider ensemble is Nafessa Williams (Black Lighting), Bella Maclean (Sex Education), Katherine Parkinson...

Clockwise from top left: This Is Me... Now: A Love Story (Prime Video), Red Rocket (A24), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount)Image: The A.V. Club

Amazon’s Prime Video kicks off February with a summer blockbuster, a new “narrative-driven cinematic odyssey” from Jennifer Lopez, and a bunch of...

Exclusive: Doctor Who star David Tennant, Danny Dyer and Aidan Turner are featuring in an ensemble cast for Disney+’s adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals.

Unveiled at last year’s Edinburgh TV Festival, Rivals is part of iconic British author Cooper’s bestselling Rutshire Chronicles and is set against the backdrop of the drama, excess and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England.

Related Story ‘Doctor Who’ Spin-Off Details Emerge As Russell T. Davies Says Episode Of New Series Is “One Of The Greatest Things I’ve Ever Made In My Life” Related Story 'The Crown' Star Erin Doherty Boards Disney+ Period Drama 'A Thousand Blows' Related Story Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan's Action-Comedy Series 'American Born Chinese' Sets Release Date, Unleashes Teaser

Set in the fictional upper-class county of Rutshire, Rivals dives headfirst into the cutthroat world of independent...

Ignored, maligned and hammered out into an ‘Alan Smithee’ extended cut for TV, David Lynch’s outstanding Sci-fi epic arrives on 4K Ultra HD, finally achieving the visual opulence on home video that it had in 70mm prints at the end of 1984. The fractured, de-Lynched storyline can be argued over, but the amazing design and arresting characterizations never fail to impress — Lynch attracted a world-class cast of movie stars and used them well. Even if it’s described as a hundred fragmented scenes from a larger narrative, they’re superlative fragments. Lynch should have been authorized to make an alternate cut, his own completely personal ‘impressionist’ version of the Frank Herbert story.

Dune

4K Ultra HD

Arrow Video

1984 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 137 min. / Street Date August 31, 2021 / 59.95

Starring (alphabetically): Francesca Annis, Leonardo Cimino, Brad Dourif, José Ferrer, Linda Hunt, Freddie Jones, Richard Jordan, Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Silvana Mangano, Everett McGill,...

The Firestarter remake has found its titular pyromaniac in It Chapter Two star Ryan Kiera Armstrong. Moving from one Stephen King adaptation to another, Armstrong has reportedly been cast in the new Firestarter as Charlie, the role played by Drew Barrymore in the original movie adaptation. A first look photo of Armstrong in character with charred clothing has also been revealed, showing that the young actress has already started work on the project.

Already established as a child star, Armstrong previously appeared in the horror sequel It Chapter Two as a little girl maimed by Pennywise when he lures her under the bleachers at a ball game. After starting her acting career in 2015, she has since worked alongside many big names in Hollywood like Julie Taymor, Julianne Moore, Alicia Vikander, Timothy Hutton, Bill Skarsgard, Amanda Seyfried, Milo Ventimiglia, Kevin Costner, Chris Pratt, Scarlett Johansson, Betty Gilpin and J.K. Simmons.

Horror...

Michael Greyeyes (True Detective) has joined the cast of the Firestarter reboot, a new movie in the works based on the Stephen King horror story. In the new Firestarter movie - which comes from Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, and Weed Road Pictures - Greyeyes will play Rainbird, a "relentless powerful fan who has been pushed into a violent life." The role was previously portrayed by George C. Scott in the original 1984 movie adaptation.

The story is directly based on the original novel of the same name by Stephen King, which was first published in 1980. In Firestarter, a "young girl develops pyrokinetic abilities and is abducted by a secret government agency that wants to harness her powerful gift as a weapon." There's no word yet on who will be playing Charlie McGee, the titular fire-starting child, but it's been reported that Zac Efron will play her father Andy.

Keith Thomas (The...

"The Furniture," by Daniel Walber. (Click on the images for magnified detail)

There’s an image from The Elephant Man I can’t get out of my head.

Well, there are a few. David Lynch and Freddie Francis didn’t exactly slouch here. But there’s one moment, quite early on, that struck me with its oddness. Dr. Treves (Anthony Hopkins) has snuck into the legally-tenuous circus of Mr. Bytes (Freddie Jones), just as the police are about to shut him down. The deeper one ventures, the strange the surroundings look. Here we see a cop navigating this temporary labyrinth of light and shadow...

The Firestarter reboot has found its lead star in Zac Efron. In the works at Blumhouse for years, the upcoming remake is written by Scott Teems. Following initial reports that Fatih Akin would be directing the new take on the classic Stephen King horror story, it has since been confirmed that Keith Thomas has signed on to helm the movie. Progress must now be moving along swimmingly at this point, as Efron's casting shows that the cast of the remake is now starting to take shape.

Like the original movie, Efron's Firestarter is inspired by the Stephen King novel of the same name. The remake also seems to have a storyline very similar to the book as well as the 1984 movie adaptation, although it's possible the new take may introduce some significant changes. Per the official logline: "A young girl develops pyrokinetic abilities and is abducted by a secret government...

Why is it that, when a horror film achieves something special, both the critics and the public tend to elevate it above and beyond the ‘lowly’ horror genre? David Lynch’s most humane and sympathetic film still makes our heads spin, and this new 4K remaster renders Freddie Francis’s great cinematography at its best. Lynch extends and develops the visual nightmares of his experimental Eraserhead for this true-life classic. Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller and Freddie Jones all give indelible, emotionally-moving performances. How many horror pictures hold up hope for social decency and personal dignity?

The Elephant Man

Blu-ray

The Criterion Collection 1051

1980 / B&w / 2:35 widescreen / 123 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date September 29, 2020 / 39.95

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Freddie Jones, Michael Elphick, Hannah Gordon, Helen Ryan, John Standing, Dexter Fletcher, Lesley Dunlop, Phoebe Nicholls, Lydia Lisle,...

Here’s a first look at the trailer for director Denis Villeneuve’s highly anticipated Dune, the big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal bestseller.

A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

And gosh, is this a great cast or what?!

Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac (the “Star Wars” franchise) Oscar nominee Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, David Dastmalchian, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling,...

So often the king of surrealism, The Elephant Man has always been one of David Lynch’s more restrained features. That’s not to say that there aren’t the usual flourishes. The opening splice of wild elephants and a terrified human face imparts the tone of what is to come. But above all, this is a deeply human film, one replete with intensely emotive moments. The profoundly beguiled look on the face of Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins) the first time he sees the man captures both the fear and awe inspired by this entirely novel person.

The man, of course, was Joseph Merrick (though referred to as John), a Victorian who lived with severe deformities across his body. Brought to life by a melancholy John Hurt, there is a desperate sadness to the Elephant Man’s being.Though saved from the humiliation of a carnival and the constant abuse...

David Lynch's The Elephant Man (1980) and Inland Empire (2006) are showing July and August on Mubi in the United Kingdom.“I am convinced we are all voyeurs. It’s part of the detective thing. We want to know secrets and we want to know what goes on behind those windows.” —David Lynch, interviewed by Newsday, March 9, 1997Whether or not you feel comfortable attaching the word horror to the universe of David Lynch depends on your receptiveness to the sort of terror that springs from the uncanny, from the moment familiar objects and situations take on the sinister glow of foreign, threatening things. To defend Lynch’s horror credentials is to embark in an act of taxonomical defence. For a genre that’s often seen to meddle with and grow alongside the thriller, Lynch’s version further obfuscates the distinction, conjuring up a hybrid that sits in between the two. Horror,...

By Hank Reineke

Basil Dearden’s intriguing The Man Who Haunted Himself is a feature-length remake of a thirty-minute televised episode of Alfred Hitchcock’s Presents. That episode - from the 1955 program’s first season - had the distinction of having been directed by the maestro of suspense himself. It was one of only a handful of dramas in the series that Hitchcock chose to helm. The episode was based on Anthony Armstrong’s short story (later novelized) “The Strange Case of Mr. Pelham” (Methuen & Co. Ltd., UK, 1957). The book was later published that very same year in the U.S. as part of Doubleday & Co.’s fabled “Crime Club” series.

Armstrong’s psychological thriller had been originally published in the November 1940 issue of Esquire magazine. The short story was later re-sold and re-published in June 1955 as part of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine… which is likely where Hitchcock became acquainted with it.

Freddie Jones, the veteran English stage and screen character actor known for his long stint on the ITV soap Emmerdale, died Tuesday in the UK after a brief illness, according to his agent Lesley Duff. He was 91.

“Freddie was a much loved and admired actor, known for his triumphs in classical theatre, film and television,” Duff said in a statement. “He will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him and most especially his family.”

The father of actors Toby and Casper Jones and writer-director Rupert Jones, he left Emmerdale last year after playing Sandy Thomas since 2005 — with a nearly yearlong hiatus in 2008-09. The popular soap has aired in the UK since 1972.

Born on September 12, 1927, in Staffordshire, Jones got a late start in acting — landing his first screen roles while in in the early 1960s. But he would have a prolific career, racking up more...

Freddie Jones, the British actor who over a nearly 70-year career played such memorable roles as the sadistic freakshow owner in David Lynch’s “The Elephant Man,” died July 9 in the U.K., according to numerous British media reports. He was 91.

The father of actor Toby Jones, he had more recently been appearing on British soap “Emmerdale” as Sandy Thomas.

In 1980, he starred his first film for Lynch, “The Elephant Man,” which starred John Hurt as a deformed man in Victorian London. Subsequently, the actor continued working with Lynch and appeared in “Dune” (1984), “Wild at Heart” (1990), and the three-part U.S. TV series “Hotel Room.” Upon news of Jones’ death, the filmmaker shared his remarks on Twitter.

“Dear Twitter Friends, I loved, loved, loved Freddie Jones,” Lynch tweeted. “Man-o-man will he be missed.”

Dear Twitter Friends, I loved, loved, loved Freddie Jones. Man-o-man will he be missed.

— David Lynch (@DAVID...

Much-loved performer and father of Toby Jones was stalwart of British TV as well as a regular in David Lynch films

Freddie Jones, the versatile actor who was a regular on British screens for more than five decades, has died aged 91, it has been announced. Jones was perhaps best known for his role as Sandy Thomas in the long-running soap Emmerdale. He was also the father of the actor Toby Jones.

Related: Freddie Jones obituary...

Freddie Jones, a British actor best known for his role in ITV soap opera Emmerdale and father of actor Toby Jones (Infamous, The Hunger Games), has died at the age of 91.

"It is with great sadness that I can confirm the death of Freddie Jones," his agent Lesley Duff said in a statement. "He passed away on the evening of July 9 after a short illness." She didn't provide details on his illness. "Freddie was a much loved and admired actor, known for his triumphs in classical theater, film and television," his agent added....

Hammer’s Dracula goes out with a whimper in this final Chris Lee-Peter Cushing vampire opus, which posits the Prince of Darkness as a super-mogul super-villain (with insufficient infrastructure). He’s battling Scotland Yard, MI5 and his old nemesis Van Helsing, while still arranging ritual sacrifices. And don’t forget the quartet of vampire babes he keeps in the cellar.

The Satanic Rites of Dracula

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1973 / Color / 1:75 widescreen / 88 min. / Street Date November 13, 2018 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Michael Coles, William Franklyn, Freddie Jones, Joanna Lumley.

Cinematography: Brian Probyn

Film Editor: Chris Barnes

Original Music: John Cacavas

Written by Don Houghton

Produced by Roy Skeggs

Directed by Alan Gibson

The final Hammer horror Dracula opus with Christopher Lee is The Satanic Rites of Dracula, a direct sequel to Dracula A.D. 1972, which is frequently named as the worst film of the series. A.

The cry came forth from a dark corner of my living room as it usually does this time of year, as it does sometimes during other parts of the year too. It was my wife, shrieking from the depths of her soul, articulating a cry of despair and disbelief: “You’re watching this again??!!” As the familiar strains of James Bernard’s magnificent score rose from beneath the blood-red Warner Bros.-Seven Arts insignia and the subsequent and equally scarlet opening credits, my wife didn’t even need to look up from her book to realize what was happening. It was the week before Halloween, and therefore time for my in-the-neighborhood-of-annual dose of Terence Fisher’s masterful, terrifying Hammer classic, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969), the fifth in a line of gloriously lurid reiterations of the Frankenstein myth, the pinnacle of the series for the studio, and a movie I...

Few latecomer ’60s spy movies were big successes. This amusing Brit effort sank without a trace, perhaps taking with it the career of the talented Tom Courtenay as a leading man. The comic tale pits an underachieving, cheeky London lad against an intelligence conspiracy that wouldn’t be doing anybody much harm — if they didn’t insist on murdering people.

Otley

Blu-ray

Powerhouse Indicator (UK)

1969 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 92 min. / Available at The Ph page / Street Date March 19, 2018 / £15.99

Starring: Tom Courtenay, Romy Schneider, Alan Badel, James Villiers, Leonard Rossiter, James Bolam, Fiona Lewis, Freddie Jones, James Cossins, James Maxwell, Edward Hardwicke, Ronald Lacey, Phyllida Law, Geoffrey Bayldon, Frank Middlemass.

Cinematography: Austin Dempster

Film Editor: Richard Best

Art Direction: Carmen Dillon

Original Music: Stanley Myers

Written by Dick Clement, Ian la Frenais from a book by Martin Waddell

Produced by Bruce Cohn Curtis, Carl Foreman

Directed by Dick Clement

The British film...

It's a question we've been asking since the late Seventies: What exactly is David Lynch, and where the fuck did he come from?

With the ballyhooed resurrection of Twin Peaks, his legendary 1990-1991 TV series, Lynch yet again has stepped onto the cultural stage in a big way, and earned his profile as America's bullgoose weirdo. Magazine profiles once again try – and fail – to ascertain who exactly he is and what he's doing. Worse, they try to normalize him, place him within established cultural traditions and treating him like a wise man from Planet Whatzit.

The Stanley Film Festival kicked off at the Timberline Lodge in Mt. Hood, Oregon last night, with producer Jason Blum and director Akiva Goldsman debuting their new thriller Stephanie as the opening night screening. The producer and director also used the event to break some news, announcing that they are both collaborating on a new remake of Firestarter, the 1984 horror classic starring Drew Barrymore. Universal Pictures is also involved in the development, but it hasn't been said when production may begin.

Deadline reports that Scott Teems (Rectify) has come aboard to write the screenplay, with Akiva Goldsman set to direct and Jason Blum producing. Universal previously tried to put together a Firestarter reboot back in 2010, with the studio bringing on Mark L. Smith (The Revenant) to write the screenplay, but that incarnation never moved forward. Martha de Laurentiis, who made her producing debut as an associate producer on the original movie,...

With the glut of Stephen King novels adapted into movies during the early-to-mid 1980s, it became all too easy for certain films to fall through the cracks. It was even easier, in fact, when so many of those movies were high-profile productions made by A-list directors like Stanley Kubrick, David Cronenberg, and John Carpenter. One can understand how a movie like Mark L. Lester’s Firestarter, an adaptation of King’s 1980 novel of the same name, wound up getting overlooked. I’m guilty of it myself, having seen the movie and promptly filed it with the other middle-of-the-pack Stephen King movies. Luckily, Scream Factory has a new Blu-ray that has me reconsidering my opinion and hopefully will allow other horror fans to rediscover a really cool film.

Drew Barrymore plays Charlene “Charlie” McGee, the young daughter of college professor Andy McGee (David Keith). When he was a student, Andy and...

Well, I hope you guys have been saving your pennies, because there are a lot of great horror and sci-fi titles coming home on March 14th. Scream Factory is giving Firestarter the Collector’s Edition treatment this week, and both Drive-In Massacre and The Skull are being resurrected in HD as well.

If you missed them during their theatrical runs late last year, both The Love Witch and Paul Verhoeven’s award-winning thriller Elle are getting Blu-ray / DVD releases this Tuesday, and Demon Seed is making its way to Blu-ray as well (which I highly recommend watching if you haven't).

Other notable home entertainment titles for March 14th include Passengers, Z Nation Season 3, Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word, Stray Bullets, and The Man Who Could Cheat Death.

Drive-In Massacre (Severin Films, Blu-ray & DVD)

It was one of the few true slasher movies to pre-date Halloween and Friday The 13th,...

Scream Factory is channeling telekinetic, flammable powers with their Collector's Edition Blu-ray release of Firestarter, and we've been provided with three Blu-ray copies of the Stephen King adaptation to give away to lucky Daily Dead readers.

————

Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Collector's Edition Blu-ray copy of Firestarter.

How to Enter: We're giving Daily Dead readers multiple chances to enter and win:

1. Instagram: Following us on Instagram during the contest period will give you an automatic contest entry. Make sure to follow us at:

https://www.instagram.com/dailydead/

2. Email: For a chance to win via email, send an email to contest@dailydead.com with the subject “Firestarter Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on March 17th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older. Only one entry per entry method,...

The Shop is going to start making house calls on Tuesday, March 14th with Scream Factory's Collector's Edition Blu-ray release of the 1984 Stephen King adaptation Firestarter, and you can watch Charlene (Drew Barrymore) work her telekinetic magic in a high-def clip and trailer.

Firestarter Collector's Edition Blu-ray: "She has the power to set objects afire with just one glance!

Firestarter, based on the unforgettable best-seller by esteemed horror author Stephen King, chronicles the extraordinary life of Charlene "Charlie" McGee. Eight-year-old Drew Barrymore stars as the child who has the amazing ability to start fires with just a glance. Can her psychic power and the love of her father save her from the threatening government agency, "The Shop," which wants to control her… or destroy her? Filled with blazing special effects and featuring an all-star cast including Martin Sheen, Heather Locklear, Art Carney, Louise Fletcher and George C. Scott, Firestarter...

Seth Metoyer,

MoreHorror.com

A new Collector’s Edition Blu-ray of Firestarter will become available on March 14th, 2017 via Scream Factory.

I'm excited about this one as it's one of my personal favorite Stephen King movie adaptations. Check out all the details below, including a lot of new bonus features.

From The Press Release

Based on the unforgettable best-seller by esteemed horror author Stephen King, Firestarter chronicles the extraordinary life of Charlene "Charlie" McGee. Eight-year-old Drew Barrymore stars as the child who has the amazing ability to start fires with just a glance. Can her psychic power and the love of her father save her from "The Shop," the threatening government agency which wants to control her…or destroy her?

Available March 14th, 2017 from Scream Factory, the Collector’s Edition of Firestarter comes loaded with bonus features, including a new 2k scan of the inter-positive film element, new interviews with director Mark L. Lester,...

Get ready to run from the Shop, because Scream Factory will unleash their Firestarter Collector’s Edition Blu-ray on March 14th, complete with bonus features that include a new audio commentary by director Mark L. Lester, who reflects on his adaptation of Stephen King’s 1980 novel.

Press Release: Based on the unforgettable best-seller by esteemed horror author Stephen King, Firestarter chronicles the extraordinary life of Charlene “Charlie” McGee. Eight-year-old Drew Barrymore stars as the child who has the amazing ability to start fires with just a glance. Can her psychic power and the love of her father save her from “The Shop,” the threatening government agency which wants to control her…or destroy her? Available March 14th, 2017 from Scream Factory, the Collector’s Edition of Firestarter comes loaded with bonus features, including a new 2k scan of the inter-positive film element, new interviews with director Mark L. Lester, actors Freddie Jones and Drew Snyder,...

Yesterday, amid a crush of sweaty people desperate for last-minute props, I visited a local Halloween superstore with my daughter, looking for a Pikachu mask. Well, there wasn’t much to choose from in the Cute Kid Division. But this particular hall of Halloween hell definitely had the adult sensibility covered. Of course there were the usual skimpy or otherwise outrageous costumes for purchase —ladies, you can dress up like a sexy Kim Kardashian-esque vampire out for a night of Hollywood clubbing, and gents, how about impressing all the sexy Kim Kardashian vampires at your party by dressing up like a walking, talking matched set of cock and balls! It’s been a while since I’ve shopped for fake tools of terror, but it seems there’s been a real advance in sophistication in the market for “Leatherface-approved” (I swear) chainsaws with moving parts and authentic revving noises,...

By Tim Greaves

Writer Derek Pykett (whose excellent book " MGM British Studios: Hollywood in Borehamwood" was reviewed here earlier this year) has turned his hand to directing; setting up and playing host to a dozen intimate interviews with some of Britain's most respected and beloved thesps, the results are now available on DVD with "From Stage to Screen", a privately produced, limited edition 6-disc box set.

With each performer given their own ‘episode’ and a total running time of 15 hours, there's so much material here that it'll take the average viewer a number of sittings to get through it all. Beyond starting with disc one and working through methodically, where one begins is probably going to be proportionate to the level of esteem in which the viewer holds each particular actor or actress represented within the set; I confess that at the time of writing I still have a fair bit to get through.