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Prior to its beloved 2011 anime adaptation by Madhouse, Yoshihiro Togahi's Hunter X Hunter was previously adapted for television by Nippon Animation in 1999. While there are a litany of reasons to prefer Nippon's take on the iconic Shōnen, it suffers from a major issue outside its control. Specifically, its final run of episodes struggled with adapting a story that was still being written. The 90s Hunter X Hunter anime suffers from the same critical flaw as one of television's most infamous disappointments, Game of Thrones.

Similar to George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series, the Hunter X Hunter manga is infamous for its long hiatuses. And while Book 6 of ASoIaF not being written caused Games of Thrones to have one of the most hated final seasons ever, the Yorknew City Arc being incomplete in the early 2000s resulted in Nippon's Hxh concluding with a...

On Thursday January 16 2025, TLC broadcasts The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin!

Revelations Season 1 Episode 4 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin,” titled “Revelations,” promises to delve into the aftermath of a tragic accident. This episode will air on TLC and focuses on the lives lost, including Gwen Shamblin and Joe, along with several key members of their inner circle. The impact of this event will be explored through the eyes of former members of the Remnant, who are left to confront the complicated legacy left behind by their leader.

Viewers can expect to see a range of emotions as these former followers reflect on their experiences and the influence Gwen had on their lives. The episode aims to provide insight into the struggles and conflicts that arise when a charismatic leader suddenly disappears. It will...

The upcoming episode of “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin,” titled “Revelations,” promises to be a gripping installment for viewers. This fourth episode dives deep into the aftermath of a tragic accident that takes the lives of Gwen Shamblin, her husband Joe, and several key figures from their inner circle. As the dust settles, former members of the Remnant community are left to confront the complicated legacy of their once-beloved leader.

In “Revelations,” the emotional weight of Gwen’s passing is palpable. Former followers share their experiences and struggles, revealing the complexities of their time within the cult. The episode introduces new voices, offering fresh perspectives on Gwen’s influence and the impact of her teachings. These testimonials may challenge long-held beliefs and provide insight into the inner workings of the controversial organization.

As the episode unfolds, the tension between loyalty and truth becomes a central theme.

In the upcoming episode of “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin,” titled “The Way Forward,” viewers can expect a deep dive into the complexities of the Remnant Fellowship. This episode, airing on Thursday, January 16, 2025, at 10:15 Pm on TLC, promises to reveal the lengths to which the organization will go to control its narrative.

As the episode unfolds, never-before-seen footage from a reality series pilot surfaces. This footage sheds new light on Gwen Shamblin’s carefully crafted image and the impact she had on her followers. The revelations from this unseen material may challenge long-held perceptions about the cult and its leader.

With tensions rising within the Remnant Fellowship, the episode explores how Gwen shaped not only her public persona but also the lives of those devoted to her teachings. The combination of fresh insights and the ongoing struggle for control within the group sets...

Chuck Woolery, a prominent entertainment figure as a game show host, musician and later a controversial podcaster, has died at the age of 83. His death was confirmed by his podcast cohost and friend Mark Young in a social media post.

“It is with a broken heart that I tell you that my dear brother @chuckwoolery has just passed away,” Young shared on X. “Life will not be the same without him. Rip, brother.”

Woolery became a household name as the host of the dating show Love Connection, which ran from 1983 to 1994, and was also the original host of Wheel of Fortune before Pat Sajak took over the role. His career in entertainment spanned decades, evolving from music to television to political podcasting.

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Born Charles Herbert Woolery in Ashland, Kentucky, on March 16, 1941, he served...

Game show veteran Chuck Woolery, who hosted the original versions of Wheel of Fortune and Love Connection, died November 23. He was 83.

Woolery’s passing was announced on X by his longtime friend and Blunt Force Truth podcast co-host Mark Young.

“It is with a broken heart that I tell you that my dear brother @chuckwoolery has just passed away,” he wrote. “Life will not be the same without him.”

Young told TMZ that Woolery died at his Texas home after experiencing trouble breathing.

Woolery, who started his career as a country singer and was half of pop duo The Avant-Garde, was hired as Wheel of Fortune host when the show first launched in 1975. After hosting the program for seven years, he departed over a salary dispute and was replaced by Pat Sajak.

“Chuck Woolery was without doubt the Real Deal. He was an original. There was no one like Chuck,...

French sales outfit Ginger & Fed has boarded Fabien Gorgeart’s comedy drama What Is Love? (C’est Quoi l’Amour?) starring Laure Calamy and Vincent Macaigne as a long-divorced couple attempting to annul their Catholic marriage at the Vatican.

Ginger & Fed, the theatrical sales arm of French group Federation run by Sabine Chemaly, will kick off sales for the film at the American Film Market.

Lyes Salem, Melanie Thierry, Celeste Brunnquell and Saül Benchetrit round out the cast of the feature, which is shooting now and produced by Petit Film and Deuxième Lign.

Described by Chemaly as“a comedy...

Christopher Nolan has been attracting the eyes of critics throughout his entire career. Although it was working with a minuscule budget of $6,000 and only played in a few theaters in the United States, his 1998 debut feature "Following" was praised for its tight storytelling and terse psychological underpinnings. Nolan then rose to international fame with his 2000 film "Memento," a neo-noir about a man unable to form new memories. Its backward-chronological-order plot was cleverly conceived and impeccably laid out, somehow coming to a traditional narrative climax even while running in reverse.

From there it was off to the races, so to speak. Nolan became a power player in Hollywood, directing gigantic movie stars like Al Pacino and Robin Williams in a remake of "Insomnia" and making a gigantic, zeitgeist-shifting hit with 2005's "Batman Begins." Nolan's three Batman movies are still spoken of with enthusiasm to this day. Their success also allowed him...

On Sunday October 13 2024, Investigation Discovery broadcasts Evil Lives Here!

Greed, Jealousy, Malice Season 15 Episode 7 Episode Summary

The next episode of “Evil Lives Here,” titled “Greed, Jealousy, Malice,” is set to air on Investigation Discovery. This gripping episode delves into the chilling experiences of individuals who have shared their homes with those they loved, only to discover that these loved ones could turn into killers. The stories told in this episode will undoubtedly leave viewers on the edge of their seats.

As the narrative unfolds, the episode will explore the complex emotions of trust and betrayal. It will showcase how greed, jealousy, and malice can lurk beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary relationships. Each story shared will highlight the chilling reality that those closest to us can sometimes harbor dark intentions, transforming from loved ones into threats.

Viewers can expect powerful testimonials that capture the fear and confusion faced by these...

Rafe Spall (The English, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) and Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone, Here) will lead Sky Original’s new crime thriller, Under Salt Marsh, now in production.

Jonathan Pryce (The Crown, Slow Horses), Naomi Yang (Nightsleeper, Wolfe) and Harry Lawtey (Industry, Joker: Folie à Deux) will also feature in the six-part limited event series, which earlier confirmed Reilly’s involvement, created and directed by Claire Oakley.

Set in the fictional Welsh town of Morfa Halen, a tight-knit community nestled between towering mountains and a sea that threatens its very existence, a once-in-a-generation storm begins to gather. Former detective turned teacher Jackie (Reilly) discovers the body of her eight-year-old student, Cefin, seemingly drowned. The death sends shockwaves through the town, reviving the ghost of an unsolved cold case that rocked the Morfa Halen three years prior — the disappearance of Jackie’s niece, Nessa, which cost her career.

Cefin’s death summons Jackie’s former partner,...

The story of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood challenged the heroes not just with armies and sinister plots, but also a handful of homunculi with supernatural powers, all fueled by the elusive Philosopher's Stone. In this shonen anime world, homunculi are artificial beings powered by the Stone, and the most notable seven of them all reflect the original deadly sins. Father created them to enforce his will and protect his plans from anyone who would get in his way.

Over time, the homunculi all got involved in mortal combat against many of Father's enemies, such as the Elric brothers and their wide array of allies, including Amestris officers and even trained assassins from the far-off land of Xing. Ten of the best homunculus battles proved just how powerful these artificial warriors are and showed off the full extent of their bizarre powers, from Pride's deadly shadows to Greed's armored skin and Wrath's peerless skill with sabers.

NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.

Bam

The controversial, remarkable The Spook Who Sat By the Door plays in a new restoration.

Roxy Cinema

Fidelio, our four-film program with Chapo Trap House’s Movie Mindset, has an encore with Eyes Wide Shut on a spectacular 35mm print this Saturday; Amalia Ulman has programmed prints of The Piano Teacher and The Holy Girl.

Film at Lincoln Center

An essential restoration of Shinji Somai’s Moving continues.

Museum of the Moving Image

Erich von Stroheim’s Greed plays on 35mm with live accompaniment this Sunday; Alice in the Cities, Insiang, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, and The Muppet Movie have screenings.

Paris Theater

“Big & Loud!” returns with 70mm prints of Vertigo and Boogie Nights, along with The Abyss, Close Encounters, and Days of Heaven.

Film Forum

A new restoration of Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy begins playing; Army of Shadows continues.

1987's "Wall Street" was released in theaters two months after Black Monday: the day the real stock market took a dive. In the timely film, Charlie Sheen plays Bud Fox, a young stockbroker who admires underhanded corporate raider Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas). Bud pursues Gekko as a client with non-stop calls and contraband Cuban cigars, and when he finally makes contact, his entire life changes. Under the influence of Gekko, who famously utters the line "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good," Bud does some terrible things, including offering up insider information that could destroy his blue-collar father, played by Charlie Sheen's real-life dad, Martin Sheen.

The film, which won Douglas an Academy Award for Best Actor, was directed by Oliver Stone, who allowed the young actor to pick the person who would play his father in the film. He was given the choice between Jack Lemmon or...

Isla Fisher (Wolf Like Me) and Greg Kinnear (Shining Vale) will topline the family comedy The Present, from director Christian Ditter (How to Be Single), which has entered production in Los Angeles.

In the film from Stuart Ford’s independent content studio AGC Studios, a brilliant boy discovers he can manipulate time using an enchanted family heirloom, then teaming up with his siblings to go back to the eve of their parents’ separation in hopes of changing the outcome. As their schemes become more elaborate, the siblings will learn about family bonds and what they can and can’t control. Fisher and Kinnear are playing the parents in search of reconciliation, with Easton Rocket Sweda (General Hospital), Shay Rudolph (The Baby-Sitters Club) and Mason Shea Joyce (Euphoria) portraying the siblings who just might be the only people who can make that happen.

Ross Butler (Shazam!) also stars in the film...

Exclusive: Lifetime has greenlit the next two movies from the T.D. Jakes‘ Seven Deadly Sins anthology with Wrath and Greed. The films will debut on back-to-back Saturdays starting April 16.

Based on the series of books by Victoria Christopher Murray, Wrath: A Seven Deadly Sins Story stars Michelle Williams (Destiny’s Child), Tina Knowles-Lawson (Profiled: The Black Man), Romeo Miller (Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection), and Antonio Cupo (Blood & Treasure).

Wrath follows single lawyer Chastity Jeffries (Michelle Williams) as she meets Xavier Collins (Antonio Cupo), a man who seems to be everything she is looking for in a partner—handsome, smart, and a lawyer as well. As his affection turns to obsession, Chastity realizes that she has been swept up by Xavier’s passion and abandoned her principles. When Xavier’s jealousy and wrath lead to suspicious actions and dangerous threats, Chastity confides in her mother Sarah (Tina...

Sony Pictures International Productions and Film4 team on the feature.

Sony Pictures International Productions (Spip) and Film4 have wrapped production on Greed, a satire from Michael Winterbottom starring Steve Coogan, Isla Fisher and David Mitchell.

First images of Coogan in the film have been released. Set in the celebrity-heavy world of luxury fashion, the film follows the build-up to the 60th birthday party of a retail billionaire on the Greek island of Mykonos.

Newly announced cast members include Sophie Cookson, Shirley Henderson, Asa Butterfield, Sarah Solemani, Shanina Shaik, Dinita Gohil, Asim Chaudhry, Pearl Mackie, Jonny Sweet, Ollie Locke and Stephen Fry.

Sony Pictures International Productions and Film4 have wrapped production on Michael Winterbottom (The Killer Inside Me) comedy Greed, starring Steve Coogan, Isla Fisher and David Mitchell.

Also starring are Sophie Cookson, Shirley Henderson, Asa Butterfield, Sarah Solemani, Shanina Shaik, Dinita Gohil, Asim Chaudhry, Pearl Mackie, Jonny Sweet, Ollie Locke and Stephen Fry. Sony has also released some fun first-look images.

The satire, whose lead cast we revealed in September, is co-written by Winterbottom and two-time Emmy Award winner Sean Gray (Veep), and is produced by Melissa Parmenter (The Trip) for Revolution Films and DJ Films’ Damian Jones (Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie).

The film tells the fictional story of a retail billionaire, and is set in the glamorous and celebrity-filled world of luxury fashion, with a build up to a spectacular 60th birthday party in an exclusive hotel on the Greek island of Mykonos. Many believe the film’s subject was...

Cast includes Screen Star Of Tomorrow 2018 Marli Siu.

Michael Caton-Jones’ The Sopranos, an adaptation of Alan Warner’s novel of the same name about a choir of Catholic school girls on a trip to Edinburgh, has begun production in the Scottish capital backed by Sony Pictures International Productions (Spip) and Screen Scotland.

Caton-Jones first optioned Warner’s novel in 1998. “It was always fundamental that the spirit of these fantastic strong female characters was brought to life accurately,” he said.

The Scotland-born filmmaker has co-written the film with Alan Sharp and Rachel Hirons. Caton-Jones and Laura Viederman are producing for Four Point Play Pictures,...

Exclusive: Isla fisher has been set to star alongside Steve Coogan and David Mitchell in Greed, the Michael Winterbottom-directed film for Film 4 and Sony International. The film will begin shooting later this year in Europe.

Coogan stars as a self-absorbed retail billionaire. Fisher plays his wife, the only person who truly understands him and all his complexities.

Fisher was just seen in New Line’s Tag, and next stars alongside Zac Efron, Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughey in Beach Bum.

She’s repped by UTA.

Lifetime is beefing up its TV film slate for next year, increasing the total to 75 movies and has signed on “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts to help with the endevor.

The female-skewing network has signed Roberts to a production deal for a series of movies and documentaries that will all fall under the banner, “Robin Roberts Presents.” The network also detailed the first two projects from Roberts.

The first one will focus on African American Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, whose inspirational music and faith were a great support for Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement. Roberts will executive produce the movie alongside Linda Berman of Lincoln Square Productions, with a script written by Bettina Gilois.

Also Read: Original 'Project Runway' Production Company to Return for Bravo Reboot

The second project is based on the true story of Alexis Manigo, who at age 18, discovers her real name...

Lifetime announced at TCA today an ambitious slate of original movies for 2019. Among the 75 films planned for next year are a series of telepics and documentaries from veteran newswoman Robin Roberts along with book franchises from authors V.C. Andrews and Victoria Christopher Murray.

The A+E Networks-owned cable net unveiled today a major production deal with Roberts for movies and docs under the Robin Roberts Presents banner to debut next year. It also is in development on Murray’s Seven Deadly Sins anthology, reteaming with producer T.D. Jakes, and has commissioned the first three books — Lust, Envy and Greed – to debut next year.

Andrews’ five-book series about the twisted relationships of the Casteel Family also being turned into movies. First up is V.C. Andrews’ Heaven, starring Annalise Basso, Julie Benz, Chris William Martin and Chris McNally.

Those projects join the previously announced Jane Green three-picture deal. The first movie,...

Lifetime has unveiled a big expansion of its original movie lineup for next year. As part of the push the A+E Networks cabler has set new franchises with ABC News’ Robin Roberts and megachurch leader Bishop T.D. Jakes.

Lifetime plans to produce or acquire some 75 movies next year, a significant increase from 2018. The cabler has signed a wide-ranging production deal with “Good Morning America” anchor Roberts to produce movies and feature-length documentaries under the “Robin Roberts Presents” banner.

Also in the works for Lifetime is a five-movie series based on the novels of V.C. Andrews, starting next year with “V.C. Andrews’ Heaven.”

Roberts will focus on projects based on true events with an inspirational or educational focus. The first project under the deal will be a drama based on the life of famed gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. Roberts and Linda Berman of ABC’s Lincoln Square Productions...

Sacha Baron Cohen has posted a 4th of July tease for a new project that appears to take on the comedian’s old foe, Donald Trump.

“He’s back,” the trailer promises, “as you’ve never seen him before.” The words are interspersed with a “Happy Fourth of July” message from Trump and footage of the President saying “Sacha Baron Cohen, go to school! Learn about being funny.”

“Sacha graduates soon,” the teaser says, ending with a title card for Trump University that uses the actual logo for the defunct real estate training school. The new project might also include other targets, as he was also reported to have filmed a stunt with O.J. Simpson in his Las Vegas hotel room in February.

A message from your President @realDonaldTrump on Independence Day pic.twitter.com/O2PwZqO0cs

— Sacha Baron Cohen (@SachaBaronCohen) July 4, 2018

Baron Cohen and Trump have a long and antagonistic relationship.

Since any New York City cinephile has a nearly suffocating wealth of theatrical options, we figured it’d be best to compile some of the more worthwhile repertory showings into one handy list. Displayed below are a few of the city’s most reliable theaters and links to screenings of their weekend offerings — films you’re not likely to see in a theater again anytime soon, and many of which are, also, on 35mm. If you have a chance to attend any of these, we’re of the mind that it’s time extremely well-spent.

Film Society of Lincoln Center

A retrospective of the great, perpetually underseen Raúl Ruiz winds down its second part.

Anthology Film Archives

Films by Elaine May, Albert Brooks, Pialat, and Zulowski play in “Valentine’s Day Massacre.”

Erich von Stroheim’s Greed will play on Saturday and Sunday.

Metrograph

Retrospectives Alex Ross Perry and St.

“I spent a lot of time reviewing the silent films for crowd scenes –the way extras move, evolve, how the space is staged and how the cameras capture it, the views used,” Nolan said earlier this year when it came to the creation of his WWII epic Dunkirk, referencing films such as Intolerance, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, and Greed, as well as the films of Robert Bresson.

Throughout the entire month of July, if you’re in the U.K., you are lucky enough to witness a selection of these influences in a program at BFI Southbank. Featuring all screenings in 35mm or 70mm — including a preview of Dunkirk over a week before it hits theaters — there’s classics such as Greed, Sunrise, and The Wages of Fear, as well as Alien, Speed, and even Tony Scott’s final film.

Check out Nolan’s introduction below, followed by...

Running from 1-31 July, BFI Southbank are delighted to present a season of films which have inspired director Christopher Nolan’s new feature Dunkirk (2017), released in cinemas across the UK on Friday 21 July.

Christopher Nolan Presents has been personally curated by the award-winning director and will offer audiences unique insight into the films which influenced his hotly anticipated take on one of the key moments of WWII.

The season will include a special preview screening of Dunkirk on Thursday 13 July, which will be presented in 70mm and include an introduction from the director himself.

Christopher Nolan is a passionate advocate for the importance of seeing films projected on film, and as one of the few cinemas in the UK that still shows a vast amount of celluloid film, BFI Southbank will screen all the films in the season on 35mm or 70mm.

In 2015 Nolan appeared on stage alongside visual artist...

And so the prostitute says, "Create the Illusion, but don't believe it."  I am not sure if that is Terrence Malick's thesis with Song To Song, an elliptical fairy tale of despondency, but the film does feature Val Kilmer wielding a chainsaw on stage at the SXSW music festival, so there is that. It also embeds clips from Eric Von Stroheim's Greed, offers heartbreaking relationship advice from punk rock goddess Patti Smith, cheerfully cuts off Iggy Pop in mid-sentence and makes a little time for Natalie Portman to wait tables and attend church services kitted out in Erin Brockovich inspired push-up bras. Song to Song is Malick's fifth film in six years, not including his forthcoming Europe-set WWII epic, to be released later in 2017. Apparently,...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The Ninth Annual Robert Classic French Film Festival — co-presented by Cinema St. Louis and the Webster University Film Series starts this Friday, March 10th. — The Classic French Film Festival celebrates St. Louis’ Gallic heritage and France’s cinematic legacy. The featured films span the decades from the 1920s through the mid-1990s, offering a revealing overview of French cinema.

All films are screened at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood).

The fest is annually highlighted by significant restorations, which this year includes films by two New Wave masters: Jacques Rivette’s first feature, “Paris Belongs to Us,” and François Truffaut’s cinephilic love letter, “Day for Night.” The fest also provides one of the few opportunities available in St. Louis to see films projected the old-school, time-honored way, with both Alain Resnais’ “Last Year at Marienbad” and Robert Bresson’s “Au hasard Balthazar” screening from 35mm prints. Even more traditional,...

As this year’s awards season comes to an end this weekend, if history has proven anything, it’s that one must not judge a film’s legacy by the amount of trophies or box-office it receives. In fact, it’s often quite the contrary: as the years go on, under-appreciated (or even initially mis-understood) films start to find an audience and are prime for a re-evaluation. A new video essay explores this process, primarily through three paramount examples, and how time is perhaps the only thing that matters.

Coming from Andrew Saladino’s The Royal Ocean Film Society, the five-minute video essay The Story of the Re-Evaluated is a brief overview of this, showing the initial reception of Michael Cimino‘s ambitious flop Heaven’s Gate, Michael Powell‘s dark character study Peeping Tom, and Eric von Stroheim‘s studio-mangled Greed, and how these films have been re-embraced.

In the end,...

Do rediscovered ‘lost’ movies always disappoint? This Depression-era pre-Code science fiction disaster thriller was unique in its day, and its outrageously ambitious special effects –New York City is tossed into a blender — were considered the state of the art. Sidney Blackmer and a fetching Peggy Shannon fight off rapacious gangs in what may be the first post-apocalyptic survival thriller.

Deluge

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1933 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 67 min. / Street Date February 21, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring Peggy Shannon, Lois Wilson, Sidney Blackmer, Lane Chandler, Samuel S. Hinds, Fred Kohler, Matt Moore, Edward Van Sloan .

Cinematography: Norbert Brodine

Film Editor: Martin G. Cohn, Rose Loewinger

Special Effects: Ned Mann, Williams Wiliams, Russell Lawson, Ernie Crockett, Victor Scheurich, Carl Wester

Original Music: Val Burton

Written by Warren Duff, John F. Goodrich from the novel by Sydney Fowler Wright

Produced by Samuel Bischoff, Burt Kelly, William Saal

Directed by Felix E. Feist...

The Ninth Annual Robert Classic French Film Festival — co-presented by Cinema St. Louis and the Webster University Film Series — celebrates St. Louis’ Gallic heritage and France’s cinematic legacy. The featured films span the decades from the 1920s through the mid-1990s, offering a revealing overview of French cinema.

The fest is annually highlighted by significant restorations, which this year includes films by two New Wave masters: Jacques Rivette’s first feature, “Paris Belongs to Us,” and François Truffaut’s cinephilic love letter, “Day for Night.” The fest also provides one of the few opportunities available in St. Louis to see films projected the old-school, time-honored way, with both Alain Resnais’ “Last Year at Marienbad” and Robert Bresson’s “Au hasard Balthazar” screening from 35mm prints. Even more traditional, we also offer a silent film with live music, and audiences are sure to delight in the Poor People of Paris...

Want a nine-hour dose of the truth of existence so harrowing that it will make you feel grateful no matter how humble your situation? Masaki Kobayshi's epic of the real cost of war boggles the mind with its creeping revelations of cosmic bleakness. Yet all the way through you know you're experiencing a truth far beyond slogans and sentiments. The Human Condition Region B Blu-ray Arrow Academy (UK) 1959-61 / B&W / 2:35 anamorphic widescreen / 574 min. / Ningen no jôken / Street Date September 19, 2016 / Available from Amazon UK £ 39.99 Starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Chikage Awashima, Ineko Arima, Keiji Sada, So Yamamura, Kunie Tanaka, Kei Sato, Chishu Ryu, Taketoshi Naito. Cinematography Yoshio Miyajima Art Direction Kazue Hirataka <Film Editor Keiichi Uraoka Original Music Chuji Kinoshita Written by Zenzo Matsuyama, Masaki Kobayashi from the novel by Jumpei Gomikawa Produced by Shigeru Wakatsuki Directed by Masaki Kobayashi

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

The first Blu-ray of perhaps...

The recent box office success of The Boss firmly establishes Melissa McCarthy as the current queen of movie comedies (Amy Schumer could be a new contender after an impressive debut last Summer with Trainwreck), but let us think back about those other funny ladies of filmdom. So while we’re enjoying the female reboot/re-imagining of Ghostbusters and those Bad Moms, here’s a top ten list that will hopefully inspire lots of laughter and cause you to search out some classic comedies. It’s tough to narrow them down to ten, but we’ll do our best, beginning with… 10. Eve Arden The droll Ms. Arden represents the comic sidekicks who will attempt to puncture the pomposity of the leading ladies with a well-placed wisecrack (see also the great Thelma Ritter in Rear Window). Her career began in the early 1930’s with great bit roles in Stage Door and Dancing Lady.

Ryan Lambie Aug 9, 2016

From 2001 and Metropolis, to The Wicker Man and Event Horizon: a look at nine films with scenes we may never see...

There are some movies whose images and ideas are so indelible, it's difficult to imagine a world without them. Yet films are by their nature delicate things; they're the end-product of months or even years of craftsmanship, and whether they're stored on celluloid or captured digitally, they're as vulnerable to the ravages of time or acts of god as any other artform.

Cinema history is littered with stories of lost and damaged movies. Back in the 1920s, eminent director Erich von Stroheim made Greed, an expensive, nine-and-a-half hour epic that was repeatedly cut until only 140 minutes of its original footage remained. Legend has it that a janitor accidentally threw out the removed footage and, just like that, years of work were gone - seemingly forever.

Since any New York cinephile has a nearly suffocating wealth of theatrical options, we figured it’d be best to compile some of the more worthwhile repertory showings into one handy list. Displayed below are a few of the city’s most reliable theaters and links to screenings of their weekend offerings — films you’re not likely to see in a theater again anytime soon, and many of which are, also, on 35mm. If you have a chance to attend any of these, we’re of the mind that it’s time extremely well-spent.

Museum of the Moving Image

“See It Big! Documentary” has an amazing weekend, starting with The Last Waltz on Friday. Following that are a new restoration of Vertov‘s Man with a Movie Camera (with live musical accompaniment) and a Maysles double-feature of Salesman and Gimme Shelter on Saturday. Sunday offers Errol Morris‘ Fast, Cheap & Out of Control,...

Ernst Lubitsch: The movies' lost 'Touch.' Ernst Lubitsch movies on TCM: Classics of a bygone era Ernst Lubitsch and William Cameron Menzies were Turner Classic Movies' “stars” on Jan. 28, '16. (This is a fully revised and expanded version of a post published on that day.) Lubitsch had the morning/afternoon, with seven films; Menzies had the evening/night, also with seven features. (TCM's Ernst Lubitsch schedule can be found further below.) The forgotten 'Touch' As a sign of the times, Ernst Lubitsch is hardly ever mentioned whenever “connoisseurs” (between quotes) discuss Hollywood movies of the studio era. But why? Well, probably because The Lubitsch Touch is considered passé at a time when the sledgehammer approach to filmmaking is deemed “fresh,” “innovative,” “cool,” and “daring” – as if a crass lack of subtlety in storytelling were anything new. Minus the multimillion-dollar budgets, the explicit violence and gore, and the overbearing smugness passing for hipness,...

The lure of a lottery win has captivated people for millennia, so it's no surprise that films featuring a lottery plotline have been produced long before the introduction of the talkie. Whether they spin it as a rags to riches tale or a morality play about greed, filmmakers have seen cinematic gold in lottery winners. From 1924 to 2014, we take a look back at some of the most intriguing lottery-themed films throughout the decades. Based on Frank Norris' 1899 novel McTeague, Erich von Stroheim's silent classic Greed (1924) tells the tale of three people ruined by avarice.

First off, let's make one thing clear. We're not scratching our heads at Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing" making the BBC's 100 greatest American films. That movie, of which an image accompanies this post, not only made the list, but ranked appropriately at no. 25. It's the rest of the selections that have us scratching and, yes, shaking our heads in disbelief. A wonderful page view driver, these sorts of lists make great fodder for passionate movie fans no matter what their age or part of the world they hail from. There is nothing more entertaining than watching two critics from opposite ends of the globe try to debate whether "The Dark Knight" should have been nominated for best picture or make a list like this. Even in this age of short form content where Vines, Shapchats and Instagram videos have captured viewers attention, movies will continue to inspire because...

Leave it to the Brits to compile a list of the best American films of all-time. BBC Culture has published a list of what it calls "The 100 Greatest American Films", as selected by 62 international film critics in order to "get a global perspective on American film." As BBC Culture notes, the critics polled represent a combination of broadcasters, book authors and reviewers at various newspapers and magazines across the world. As for what makes an American filmc "Any movie that received funding from a U.S. source," BBC Culture's publication states, which is to say the terminology was quite loose, but the list contains a majority of the staples you'd expect to see. Citizen Kane -- what elsec -- comes in at #1, and in typical fashion The Godfather follows at #2. Vertigo, which in 2012 topped Sight & Sound's list of the greatest films of all-time, comes in at #3 on BBC Culture's list.

Every now and then a major publication or news organisation comes up with a top fifty or one hundred films of all time list - a list which always stirs up debate, discussion and often interesting arguments about the justifications of the list's inclusions, ordering and notable exclusions.

Today it's the turn of BBC Culture who consulted sixty-two international film critics including print reviews, bloggers, broadcasters and film academics to come up with what they consider the one-hundred greatest American films of all time. To qualify, the film had to be made by a U.S. studio or mostly funded by American money.

Usually when a list of this type is done it is by institutes or publications within the United States asking American critics their favourites. This time it's non-American critics born outside the culture what they think are the best representations of that culture. Specifically they were asked...

Ken Jacobs. Photo by María Meseguer.This past June in A Coruña, Spain (S8) 6th Mostra de Cinema Periferico hosted a retrospective of Ken Jacobs. A legend of experimental filmmaking, this New Yorker gave a master-class about the influence of abstract paintings on his work, presented a broad selection of films in his filmography to the audience, and premiered New Paintings by Ken Jacobs (2015), a new film performance using his famous Nervous Magic Lantern, consisting of a series of abstract slides that he projects with a special device of his own creation. The program focused on Jacobs’ first films, close to a kind of Brakhage-like documentary style, the long series he made along with Jack Smith as an actor/performer, and his experiments with 3D, both in film and digital formats. After all these screenings, we had a coffee or two with him and talked about the films in the program.

Erich von Stroheim's Greed tops Jonathan Rosenbaum's list of "The Greatest American Films Ever Made." More lists: "25 Emerging North American Indie Directors You Need To Know" and "Experimental Film & Video @ Los Angeles (1958 - 2010)." Also today: Terrence Rafferty on "The Decline of the American Actor"; James Knight on Samuel Fuller's Forty Guns; Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, pro and con; interviews with John Akomfrah, Hirokazu Koreeda, Mia Hansen-Løve and Miroslav Slaboshpitsky; a big awards night for Sebastian Schipper's Victoria; Todd Solondz's sequel to Welcome to the Dollhouse with Greta Gerwig and Julie Delpy—and more. » - David Hudson...

Erich von Stroheim's Greed tops Jonathan Rosenbaum's list of "The Greatest American Films Ever Made." More lists: "25 Emerging North American Indie Directors You Need To Know" and "Experimental Film & Video @ Los Angeles (1958 - 2010)." Also today: Terrence Rafferty on "The Decline of the American Actor"; James Knight on Samuel Fuller's Forty Guns; Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, pro and con; interviews with John Akomfrah, Hirokazu Koreeda, Mia Hansen-Løve and Miroslav Slaboshpitsky; a big awards night for Sebastian Schipper's Victoria; Todd Solondz's sequel to Welcome to the Dollhouse with Greta Gerwig and Julie Delpy—and more. » - David Hudson...

Orson Welles indisputably made a huge impact on the film industry, both in terms of technical proficiency and storytelling sophistication. However, Welles was never the biggest fan of films themselves. He just saw it as a way to tell stories he wanted to. That makes sense to me of how he approached filmmaking. Had he been a movie fan, I don't know if he would have thought so much outside of the box about to make them than he did. That isn't to say he didn't like all movies. In the early 1950s, Welles managed to cobble together a list of his ten favorite films for Sound on Sight (via Open Culture). As he had only been exposed to a couple of decades of cinema, I think this is a very interesting list, and one that makes a lot of sense for someone like Welles. City Lights (dir. Charles Chaplin) Greed (dir.

Honorary Oscars have bypassed women: Angela Lansbury, Lauren Bacall among rare exceptions (photo: 2013 Honorary Oscar winner Angela Lansbury and Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award winner Angelina Jolie) September 4, 2014, Introduction: This four-part article on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Honorary Awards and the dearth of female Honorary Oscar winners was originally posted in February 2007. The article was updated in February 2012 and fully revised before its republication today. All outdated figures regarding the Honorary Oscars and the Academy's other Special Awards have been "scratched out," with the updated numbers and related information inserted below each affected paragraph or text section. See also "Honorary Oscars 2014 addendum" at the bottom of this post. At the 1936 Academy Awards ceremony, groundbreaking film pioneer D.W. Griffith, by then a veteran with more than 500 shorts and features to his credit — among them the epoch-making The Birth of a Nation and Intolerance — became the first individual to...

It's no secret that Lars von Trier pushes his actresses to the edge-- and sometimes all the way over. A director's commitment to wringing the most out of their actors dates back to another vainglorious Von: Eric von Stroheim ("Greed") was notorious for using offscreen acrimony to get what he wanted onscreen, while the lengths Abdellatif Kechiche took to achieve the three-hour intimacies of "Blue is the Warmest Color" made Léa Seydoux and newcomer Adèle Exarchopoulos the first actors to share the Palme d'Or with their writer-director.Here are four directors who stop at nothing to wring performances from their actors. 1. Lars von TrierFrom enslaving Nicole Kidman in "Dogville," taking the scissors to Charlotte Gainsbourg in "Antichrist" or fashioning Emily Watson the patron saint of selfless S&M in "Breaking the Waves," the dastardly Dane asks a lot of his women. But that's because they're actually playing him, or some...

Kino resurrects an odd curio with Shoot the Sun Down, a counter-culture Western from 1978, notable for headlining Christopher Walken just prior to his Oscar win for The Deer Hunter and Margot Kidder before she was that year’s Lois Lane in Superman. Of further note, director David Leeds, who financed with his own production company, would never again lend his name to another film in any capacity. The film, which is obviously modeled after Sergio Leone’s Man With No Name series, considering it’s mysterious protagonist, has all the makings of a subversive genre entry, it’s stance on violence guided by an incredibly idiosyncratic score (that’s not Ennio Morricone) and Michael Chapman’s beautifully photographed landscapes (with plenty shots of rising/setting suns for its grand motif). However, muddled plotting and a comatosely constructed climax peg the film as rather forgettable, which is unfortunate considering its strange ambience.

Orson Welles is often held up as the most abused child in the history of Hollywood, but Erich von Stroheim was easily his equal as whipping boy: Beginning with “Foolish Wives” -- Hollywood’s first “million-dollar movie,” for which von Stroheim recreated Monte Carlo on the back lot of Universal – the former assistant to D.W. Griffith lost one duel after another to the hedge-clippers of Hollywood. On “Greed” alone, he was probably relieved of more footage than Welles ever shot in his life. The loss to cinema history has been mourned since the ‘20s. The good news: On Tuesday [July30] “Foolish Wives” -- mastered in HD from an archival 35mm print of the 1972 AFI Arthur Lennig restoration -- comes to Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Classics. It features the original 1922 Sigmund Romberg score, performed by Rodney Sauer, as well as “The Man You Loved to Hate,” Patrick Montgomery's feature-length documentary profile of von Stroheim,...

News.

The lineup for the 66th Locarno Film Festival has been announced. Sections include the Concorso internazionale, (highlights which include premieres from Hong Sang-soo and Albert Serra and the long desired extended cut of Jacques Rivette's Va savoir), special Piazza Grande presentations, Histoire(s) du Cinéma, Fuori Concorso, and more. The various Jury members have also been announced, and heading the Concorso internazionale is Lav Diaz. David Hudson has more details for you over at Keyframe.

New issues now available on physical and digital shelves: Film Comment & Brooklyn Rail. Pitchfork's new film criticism sister site, The Dissolve, has opened its doors.

Finds.

Above: via Jonathan Rosenbaum, his introduction to Erich von Stroheim's Greed at the 2013 Greater St. Louis Humanities Festival. For Cinema Scope Online, Celluloid Liberation Front writes on Il Cinema Ritrovato Xxvii:

"Were we to emulate the Biblical terminology Il Cinema Ritrovato employs to describe one...

Can another silent, black and white film be a smash hit after the Artist? If it packs a surreal Spanish twist, believes the director who recast Snow White as a matador in Blancanieves

In May 2011 the Spanish writer-director Pablo Berger was busily prepping his second film, Blancanieves. After an eight-year struggle to raise funding, he was finally about to start shooting a film whose uniqueness he was convinced would surprise and delight audiences the world over. After all, this was the sort of mainstream entertainment that hadn't been seen in decades — a black and white, silent movie, complete with lush orchestration.

But then came the Cannes film festival, and The Artist.

"Nobody knew about The Artist until it appeared in Cannes," he recalls, with a reflex ruefulness. "It was completely out of the blue. I was in my office in Madrid, doing the storyboards for my film, when a producer...