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Constance Cummings: Stage and film actress ca. early 1940s. Constance Cummings on stage: From Sacha Guitry to Clifford Odets (See previous post: “Constance Cummings: Flawless 'Blithe Spirit,' Supporter of Political Refugees.”) In the post-World War II years, Constance Cummings' stage reputation continued to grow on the English stage, in plays as diverse as: Stephen Powys (pseudonym for P.G. Wodehouse) and Guy Bolton's English-language adaptation of Sacha Guitry's Don't Listen, Ladies! (1948), with Cummings as one of shop clerk Denholm Elliott's mistresses (the other one was Betty Marsden). “Miss Cummings and Miss Marsden act as fetchingly as they look,” commented The Spectator. Rodney Ackland's Before the Party (1949), delivering “a superb performance of controlled hysteria” according to theater director and Michael Redgrave biographer Alan Strachan, writing for The Independent at the time of Cummings' death. Clifford Odets' Winter Journey / The Country Girl (1952), as...

The fifth film in the "Mission: Impossible" series, 'Rogue Nation,' had its world premiere in Vienna earlier this week ahead of a global launch late next week.

The series has had a rocky history though there's no question that the John Woo-directed second film is seen as an outright dud. Whether Brian DePalma's espionage-oriented first film or J.J. Abrams action-driven third film is better depends upon whom you talk to though both seem to be pretty close.

What is clear is that Brad Bird's fourth film, "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," was a winner both with audiences and critics - garnering good reviews and way more box-office than any of the previous entries, revitalising the brand.

The good news is reviews for 'Rogue Nation' so far indicate writer/director Christopher McQuarrie has continued the uptick in quality and has delivered something at least on par -...

Though Rooney Mara and Martin Sheen are the big names in Stephen Daldry’s Trash, a new trailer highlights Eduardo Luis, Gabriel Weinstein, and Rickson Tevez. All three are making their screen debuts in the film, playing the three boys who are led on an adventure after finding important items in the landfill where they work.

Though Andy Mulligan’s novel on which the movie was based wasn’t set in a particular location, Daldry (whose other tale of youth, Billy Elliot, is being touted in the trailer) filmed Trash in Rio, and, per Variety, the movie is 80 percent in Portuguese and 20 percent in English.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 premiered in London last night (April 8), with Andrew Garfield carrying on his reign as Peter Parker.

There may have been concerns over the film's length and villain count, but Marc Webb's sequel has been met with mostly positive reviews so far. Digital Spy presents a roundup of what the critics thought of the latest Marvel instalment.

Simon Reynolds - Digital Spy

"Despite the uneven nature of the whole endeavour, praise needs to go to Garfield for holding it all together. He's more at ease in the role than Tobey Maguire ever was, and manages to nail the big moments when called upon. He's an absolute revelation as this character.

"Peter's past, present and future all intertwine in a sequel that offers bang for your buck. That said, you can't help feel the franchise bean counters at work here thanks to all the ominous foreshadowing and unresolved character arcs.

Looking back over the year at what films moved and impressed us, it is clear that watching old films is a crucial part of making new films meaningful. Thus, the annual tradition of our end of year poll, which calls upon our writers to pick both a new and an old film: they were challenged to choose a new film they saw in 2013—in theaters or at a festival—and creatively pair it with an old film they also saw in 2013 to create a unique double feature.

All the contributors were given the option to write some text explaining their 2013 fantasy double feature. What's more, each writer was given the option to list more pairings, with or without explanation, as further imaginative film programming we'd be lucky to catch in that perfect world we know doesn't exist but can keep dreaming of every time we go to the movies.

How...

The Wolverine lands in cinemas this week, vowing to fulfil the broken promises of 2009's disappointing X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Hugh Jackman channels the Adamantium rage once again, as the mutant anti-hero travels to Japan to battle deadly samurai, the ghosts of his past, and his inner demons.

Not everyone is well-versed in their Marvel Comics lore or the annals of the X-Men movie universe, so Digital Spy has taken the liberty of bringing you everything you need to know about The Wolverine.

Premise and source material

Directed by James Mangold, The Wolverine takes place sometime after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, but tells a standalone story that isn't necessarily reliant on prior knowledge of the movie series.

Century-old mutant Logan is lured to Japan for the first time since he fought in World War II, and becomes caught up in a shadowy world of Yakuza and samurai.

The...

Gkids, a distributor of award-winning animation for both adult and family audiences, has announced the English voice cast for Wrinkles, the Spanish animated film directed by Ignacio Ferreras and based on Paco Roca's award-winning graphic novel. The English voice cast includes George Coe (Archer, Kramer vs. Kramer), Matthew Modine (The Dark Knight Rises, Full Metal Jacket) and Martin Sheen (The Amazing Spider-Man, The West Wing). Recording is complete and Us theatrical release is set for early 2014. The Gkids-produced dub will be available in all English-language foreign territories, with Maria Fuentes at Six Sales handling international sales.

Wrinkles illustrates the visual beauty and tender emotion that can be created by traditional animation, as it tackles a universal subject matter with humor and acerbic wit. The story opens with former bank manager Emilio being dispatched to a retirement home by his family. His new roommate is a wily, wheeler-dealer named Miguel,...

The first reviews of Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, which stars Henry Cavill in the dual role of Superman and Clark Kent, have been released. While some critics have been apprehensive about character development, most have welcomed the sense of spectacle projected in Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder and David S Goyer's big-screen reboot.

Digital Spy's Movies Editor Simon Reynolds gave the film four stars out of five, writing: "Snyder's instincts as an action director quickly come to the fore as he marshals skirmishes on Krypton, a huge-scale battle in Smallville and a Metropolis smack-about that sends Superman and Zod careening through skyscrapers. With the latest digital tools at its disposal, Man of Steel is easily the most exhilarating and arresting interpretation of Superman yet."

DS rounds up the critical take so far below:

The Hollywood Reporter (Todd McCarthy)

"Zack Snyder's huge, backstory-heavy extravaganza is a rehab job that...

Word leaked last month that liberal icons Martin Sheen, Woody Harrelson and Ed Asner are tied to the upcoming "truther" film September Morn, described as a 12 Angry Men-style look at the events of 9/11.

"That’s a bit premature. I read the script and talked to the director, but it’s not a fait accompli,"Sheen told The Huffington Post Canada during a recent interview in Calgary. "[September Morn is] a very interesting examination of the 9/11 Commission’s report, and it really challenges a lot of their findings as being very, very less than complete."

September Morn, produced by the same studio behind the Oklahoma City bombing doc A Noble Lie, was initially revealed in an exclusive post on Deadline.com which was later pulled down. But don’t fire up your conspiracy engines just yet, as that was most likely because the film is still so up in the air.

"There’s a...

Word leaked last month that liberal icons Martin Sheen, Woody Harrelson and Ed Asner are tied to the upcoming "truther" film September Morn, described as a 12 Angry Men-style look at the events of 9/11.

"That's a bit premature. I read the script and talked to the director, but it's not a fait accompli,"Sheen told The Huffington Post Canada during a recent interview in Calgary. "[September Morn is] a very interesting examination of the 9/11 Commission's report, and it really challenges a lot of their findings as being very, very less than complete."

September Morn, produced by the same studio behind the Oklahoma City bombing doc A Noble Lie, was initially revealed in an exclusive post on Deadline.com which was later pulled down. But don't fire up your conspiracy engines just yet, as that was most likely because the film is still so up in the air.

"There's a possibility I may be doing it,...

The highly anticipated 23rd James Bond film "Skyfall", the third outing of Daniel Craig as James Bond, screened on Friday night to select press in both the United Kingdom and United States. The reviews that have begun pouring out are nothing short of spectacular, calling it as good (and in some cases better) than "Casino Royale", a massive improvement over the letdown of "Quantum of Solace", and one of the best Bond films in the history of the franchise.

Praise has been given all around to the performances, the balance of character which gives 'M' much more to do this time around, Roger Deakins' cinematography, Sam Mendes' directorial work, and a script which puts the emphasis on character and story. The tone is said to be both a mix of classic Bond era staples updated with a contemporary feel, some have even called certain parts of it "Nolan-esque...

The Amazing Spider-Man is set to hit theaters on July 3rd. Sony Pictures has screened the film to a few media outlets already, and the reviews are out! The reviews are mixed, but I still can't wait to see it! It looks like it's going to be a solidly entertaining movie. I guess it all depends on if you're willing to accept the changes director Marc Webb has made. What I like about what I'm hearing about the reviews is that the film actually focuses more on the characters and story.

Here's some experts from a bunch of reviews below from around the web. Chech them out and let us know if they change your opinion on seeing the film.

SFX: "But as the film to kickstart the franchise afresh, The Amazing Spider-Man more than succeeds. It may not have the non-stop action and spectacle of Avengers Assemble, but it...

Damon Albarn released all 18 tracks for "Dr. Dee" this month, the opera about a powerful Elizabethan court advisor and occultist, that Albarn's calling the most important thing he's ever done. Reviewers (unfairly) expecting the same kind of mass appeal as in a Gorillaz or Blur album are finding themselves disappointed, but so what? Albarn is one of those artists who can do whatever he wants now, including limiting himself to African and Elizabethan instruments, and writing a song about apple carts being set on fire.

In this video from The Guardian, Albarn and a baroque ensemble perform the apple cart song ("Apple Carts"), and a switched-up version of the prayerful, "O Spirit, Animate Us," in which Albarn sings the part of John Dee's daughter and Dee's is sung by a woman. As you'd expect for an opera commissioned by the cheering squad for the London Olympics, it all sounds awesomely British.

By Zachary Swickey

There are few notable artists that keep as busy as Damon Albarn. The mastermind behind trip poppers Gorillaz and English rockers Blur has revealed plans for a new album that will be recorded entirely in the Democratic Republic of Congo over just a one week period.

With Gorillaz on hiatus, Albarn has enlisted a slew of artists for the project, including some of the usual suspects: London DJ Darren Cunningham, old Gorillaz chum/production genius Dan the Automator, and Xl label boss Richard Russell, who produced the late Gil Scott-Heron’s critically acclaimed final album. The effort is being recorded to benefit Oxfam’s long-time work in the Congo. Other expected contributors include Marc Antoine, Jo Gunton, Jneiro Jarel, Kwes and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs.

This will be Albarn’s second experience producing an album for Oxfam. He created a collaborative album with local artists of Mali in 2001, Mali Music.

Damon Albarn has said that his new opera project Doctor Dee gave him an opportunity to explore his English heritage. The Blur singer launches his self-penned Elizabethan opera in Manchester next month, based on the real life of astronomer and occultist John Dee. "This is all a personal thing, my relationship with these aspects of being English," Albarn explained to The Guardian. "But this story had so many catalysts, it didn't seem like it would be too mad an idea to start thinking in music terms. "I do harbour this feeling about my country, and it doesn't come out that often because I'm off doing other things. Which is great, because that way it gets stronger, (more)...

Texan director is considered a frontrunner, with one critic saying Cannes has been desperate to give him prize for 30 years

Judges at the Cannes film festival, who this year include Jude Law, Uma Thurman and jury president Robert De Niro, will decide on Sunday night which director wins the prestigious Palme d'Or.

But hanging over the jury's last-minute deliberations on the Riviera is an even bigger question. Will the favourite, Terrence Malick, turn up to receive his honour if he wins?

The director's long-awaited latest film, The Tree of Life, starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, is in hot contention for the prize, but Malick, a Texan, is notoriously private and has failed to make a public appearance so far at the festival.

The 67-year old prefers to slip in and out of screenings incognito and wander among the crowd to pick up reaction.

There has been no shortage of eccentric film-makers here this year.

Updated through 5/20.

"Partly because of his devotion to a meticulous, artisanal approach to filmmaking, and partly because of the sheer secrecy in which his projects are enshrouded, a Malick film is more than an event — it has the religious quality of an ecstatic unveiling." That's Tim Robey in the Telegraph back in early April: "By Malick's standards, the period that has elapsed since his last film, 2005's underseen Pocahontas epic The New World, is little longer than the blink of an eye — his 20-year absence between Days of Heaven (1978) and The Thin Red Line (1998) is the stuff an entire legend is built on. Still, when you bear in mind that shooting for The Tree of Life began in early 2008, and the film was first tipped for release during in 2009, the delay has been torture enough."

The wait's over, Twitter's a-flutter with mixed instant takes and the first reviews are just coming in.

Van Halen have reportedly started recording a new album with original frontman David Lee Roth. According to The Guardian, the band are currently working on their first LP in more than a decade, and their first with Roth in 26 years. "The group are currently in the studio recording an album with Roth that is due for release in 2011," confirmed a press release from their publishing company (more)...