News

A revival of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and of Oedipus, starring Mark Strong and Lesley Manville, will be part of Roundabout Theater Company’s 2025-2026 Broadway season.

Created and directed by Robert Icke, Oedipus comes to Broadway after a West End run, also starring Strong and Manville, which has been nominated for four Olivier Awards and was the highest-growing limited run in the Wyndham Theatre’s history. The play, which sets Sophocles’ Greek tragedy in modern times on election night, is set to play Studio 54 for a 14-week run starting in November.

The play is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Sue Wagner, John Johnson and Patrick Catullo, in association with Roundabout. This is the Broadway debut for Manville, who was an Oscar nominee for her role in Phantom Thread. Strong, known for his onscreen roles in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Zero Dark Thirty and more, last appeared on Broadway...

Oedipus, Robert Icke’s West End hit reimagining of the Sophocles tragedy starring Mark Strong and Lesley Manville, will transfer to Broadway this fall for a 14-week engagement as part of the Roundabout Theatre Company’s 2025-2026 season.

Produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, and Patrick Catullo, in association with the Roundabout, Oedipus will kick off the Roundabout’s upcoming season with performances beginning in November at the theater company’s Studio 54 Broadway venue.

Reprising their roles from the sold-out London staging, Strong plays Oedipus and Manville portrays Jacosta. Strong was last seen on Broadway in the 2015 Tony Award-winning A View From the Bridge (for which he earned a Tony nomination), and Manville, an Oscar nominee for her performance in 2017’s Phantom Thread, will be making her Broadway debut.

The official synopsis: “It’s Oedipus’s Election night. The polls predict a landslide victory. Everything is about to change.

Ranking high on the list of the all-time greatest heroes in the horror genre is the badass ice cream man Reggie, who took on The Tall Man and the forces of evil in all five of the Phantasm films. Reggie was named after the actor who played him, Reggie Bannister – and some sad news about our hero has made its way online this morning. Bannister associate Russell GreWolf Mauck, who recently worked with Reggie and his wife Gigi Fast Elk Bannister on their fan fiction script-turned-novel Phantasm SurVIval (which is available for purchase on Amazon), has taken to social media to reveal that Reggie’s health has taken a turn for the worse and he will now be in home hospice care.

Mauck wrote, “My beloved Phantasm Phamily and Phriends. Most of you know, beloved Reggie Bannister was diagnosed with Dementia and Parkinson’s in June 2016. They were able to...

While some question the power of celebrities to guarantee box office success, there is one actor whose name value seldom wavers in getting people into the theaters. Tom Cruise has become one of the world's most recognized and revered actors, with an impressive filmography of fan favorites throughout the decades, including Risky Business (1983), Top Gun (1986), Mission Impossible (1996), Jerry Maguire (1996), Minority Report (2002), and the list goes on and on up to the modern era with massive blockbuster his like Top Gun: Maverick (2022) and fan favorites like Edge of Tomorrow (2014).

His success as an actor has remained prevalent for decades, despite controversies involving his association with the Church of Scientology and some oddball interviews (who can forget Cruise jumping on Oprah Winfrey's couch in 2005?). Still, Cruise remains best known as an actor who is very much in charge of his career trajectory. That is what makes his first and last directed work such an oddity.

Metrograph Pictures is ending the year strong with a variety of new film series and special presentations. The NYC cinema has a rich calendar of screenings and events for December, and their streaming service has some delights as well. One of the best bits of programming this month features deep cuts from the Deutsche Kinemathek, but also the annual bit of holiday programming the theater presents beginning Dec. 20, 2024. You can stream movies at Metrograph At Home here and find the Metrograph Theater's calendar here. Learn about the programming below:

Obscure Films from the Deutsche Kinemathek

Metrograph

The Deutsche Kinemathek is a Berlin institution devoted to preserving cinema, with more than 20,000 titles in its archive. Metrograph is collaborating with them in December to unearth some forgotten films from Eastern Germany's history with "An Alternate Cinema." The titans of prewar Expressionism and New German Cinema have never lacked for repertory programming slots,...

Stephen King, the bestselling horror author behind some of your favorite books, has a series to suggest. Disclaimer*, a new thriller series on Apple TV+, is described by King as a worthy show to watch. That is, if you can get past the first episode.

One of the most active celebrities on X, formerly known as Twitter, King continues using the platform to say good things about the latest shows or movies he's watched. Disclaimer* joins recent call-outs by King that include shows like Teacup and Evil, and the movies The Rule of Jenny Pen and Rebel Ridge.

4.5/5 Disclaimer

Told in seven chapters, Disclaimer is based on the novel of the same name by Rene Knight. Acclaimed journalist Catherine Ravenscroft (Blanchett) built her reputation revealing the misdeeds and transgressions of others. When she receives a novel from an unknown author, she is horrified to realize she is now the main...

Han Shuai’s 2020 thriller Green Night wowed audiences with its visually stunning portrayal of two women finding inner strength together against the backdrop of Seoul’s gritty neon alleyways. The film stars Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing as Jin Xia, an airport security guard trapped in an abusive marriage, and newcomer Lee Joo-young as an unnamed drug smuggler with green hair. Their chance encounter sets off an explosive chain of events that changes both their lives forever.

Within the first few scenes, we understand Jin’s desperation through subtle clues—the fresh cut on her face tells the story. But when a troublemaking passenger with green locks winks at Jin during a security check, it lights a spark that can’t be put out. Suddenly finding herself dragged into the other woman’s shadowy world, Jin is thrust into situations far outside her experience. Yet facing danger alongside this carefree rebel stirs something within.

Returning to the limelight after a few years away is never easy, and that’s been especially true for Fan Bingbing in the years since the Chinese superstar she was fined $127 million for tax evasion in 2018. Although, for some, it might feel like Fan never really went away, despite being blacklisted in mainland China. Not only was she able to maintain a social media presence during this time, finding new success in her personal brand Fan Beauty, she also appeared in two Hollywood films that cast her before the tax scandal came to light.

Unfortunately, both “The 355” and “The King’s Daughter” are so bad that Fan would have benefited from being blacklisted there too, especially after she picked up a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Supporting Actress in 2022. Undeterred, Fan was able to find a plum role in “Green Night,” the sophomore feature by “Summer Blur” director Han Shuai.

Famed director Alfonso Cuarón is taking on the small screen with a few of his longtime collaborators.

Famed director Alfonso Cuarón doesn’t usually tell stories on the small screen. From “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” to “Children of Men” and “Gravity,” the images he creates alongside his frequent collaborator, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, are built for the theater.

But all that is changing with his new Apple TV+ seven-episode limited series “Disclaimer,” premiering on Friday, Oct. 11, with its first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Friday through Nov. 15. Here’s everything you need to know about Alfonso Cuarón first-ever TV series: “Disclaimer.”

Everything You Need to Know About ‘Disclaimer’:

What is ‘Disclaimer’ About?

Who Are the Main Characters of ‘Disclaimer’?

Who Are the Creators Behind ‘Disclaimer’?

What Time Will Episodes of ‘Disclaimer’ Come on Apple TV+?

What Other Alfonso Cuarón Titles Are Available to Stream?

What is ‘Disclaimer’ About?...

Warning: Contains spoilers for Uncanny X-Men #2!!Since the founding of the X-Men, the Xavier Institute was their homebase, and a place of refuge for the world's wayward mutants. Yet now it has taken on a very different role in the post-Krakoan era of the franchise; the school is now Greymalkin Prison, and the mutant known as Siryn has been revealed as its first prisoner.

Uncanny X-Men #2 written by Gail Simone, with art by David Marquez offered a look inside the horrifying Graymalkin Prison, created from the shell of the former Xavier Institute. As the nightmarish creature called "the Hag" hunts mutants to drag them to confinement, Dr. Ellis approaches the first of her mutant inmates: Theresa Cassidy, aka Siryn.

Claiming Siryn as a prisoner is a bold move for Greymalkin Prison, and a major twist for this new Uncanny X-Men run, hinting at how dangerous the people in charge of it truly are.

Before "Salem's Lot" returned to the zeitgeist with a highly-anticipated reboot movie, the Stephen King classic was a miniseries that shook the world. Directed by "Texas Chain Saw Massacre" mastermind Tobe Hooper, the two-part 1979 series was event TV at its spookiest.

The original "Salem's Lot" limited series has never been among the best King adaptations out there, but it holds a unique place in pop culture history thanks to its status as one of the earliest on-screen takes on a King book — plus some truly frightening moments. Several members of the show's sprawling ensemble cast, including David Soul, James Mason, Lance Kerwin, and vamp actor Reggie Nalder, have passed away in the decades since "Salem's Lot" first beamed its way into our collective consciousness. Of the actors who are still with us, several have gone on to award-winning careers in film and television, while others retired or found fulfillment in other careers.

A galaxy far, far away keeps getting bigger and bigger thanks to Disney+ expanding the “Star Wars” franchise with several TV shows, such as “The Mandalorian” and “Ahsoka,” to go alongside their film output. As such, “Star Wars” fans have gotten used to seeing actors from the franchise popping up at various awards shows — either for “Star Wars” projects or for other works. Giancarlo Esposito was Emmy-nominated for his villainous work in “The Mandalorian,” for example,” while last year’s Best Drama Actor Emmys lineup included Mando himself, Pedro Pascal, who was cited for “The Last of Us.” With this in mind, here are eight “Star Wars” actors who could be nominated at this year’s Emmys.

Rosario Dawson — “Ahsoka”

Dawson will be looking to secure a nomination for her work in “Star Wars” itself. She plays the live-action version of Ahsoka Tano, a fan-favorite character who originated in the...

Not all martial arts stars were trained fighters, relying on illusion, intense training, or transferable skills from dance. Some actors initially untrained built up martial arts skills over time, impressing in martial arts classics and Hollywood blockbusters. Talent, commitment, and adaptability allowed actors like Tony Leung and Maggie Q to excel in martial arts roles despite lacking formal training.

Martial arts cinema was full of incredible performers capable of awe-inspiring feats of human ingenuity, but some viewers would be shocked to learn just how many stars were not actually trained as fighters. With the power of illusion, intense training packed into a few short months, or transferable skills from dancing, some actors convinced the world that they were true martial artists. Of course, martial arts cinema has greatly benefited from the varied skills of its performers, and actors dont always need to take a traditional approach when it comes to becoming a martial arts star.

Charly Bliss have set a 2024 North American tour in support of their forthcoming album, Forever, and further previewed the release with a new single called “Calling You Out.”

After kicking off on September 5th in Washington, DC, the tour will feature stops in cities including Brooklyn, Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Austin before wrapping up in Philadelphia on October 10th. See the full itinerary below.

Get Charly Bliss Tickets Here

A Live Nation pre-sale for select dates is ongoing (use access code Soundcheck) ahead of the general on-sale on Friday, May 31st via Ticketmaster.

“Calling You Out” recounts vocalist/guitarist Eva Hendricks’ experience with “falling in love with someone wonderful,” she explained in a statement. “I didn’t know how to not fall into the same bullshit that was part of all my previous relationships — namely jealousy. I wasted a lot of time at the beginning trying to poke holes,...

With Wong Kar-wai being one of the names that are always mentioned when people all around the world refer to Asian cinema, we thought it would be interesting to do another ranking, and having his movies, a number of which are definitely masterpieces. As such, we asked Amp writers who have seen at least 8 of his features to rank them from worst to best. Notably, the two first titles got the same amount of votes and the third had just one vote less. In case you are wondering, the number one was the one who got most first places in the vote. Here is what the votes of Adriana Rosati, Rhythm Zaveri, Rouven Linnarz, Panos Kotzathanasis, Andrew Thayne and Jean Claude resulted in.

11. My Blueberry Nights (2007)

A young lonely woman takes a soul-searching journey across America to resolve her questions about love while encountering a series of off-beat characters along the way.

Exclusive: Three and a half decades into his career as a playwright and film and TV writer, Jon Robin Baitz has never been busier, coming off one series, with three others in production or preproduction. Baitz has now signed a big multi-year deal with 20th Television, the studio behind the four series, which all hail from Ryan Murphy Productions. Noone is commenting but I hear the pact — said to be in the premium top range for writing talent — spans five years.

Under the deal, Baitz will develop, write and executive produce original series with 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios, for Disney Entertainment Television, as well as collaborate with Murphy on more projects.

The overall agreement comes on the heels of FX/20th Television/Ryan Murphy Prods.’ limited series Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans, on which Baitz served as an executive producer/showrunner and wrote every episode.

His...

Wong Kar-wai's films like Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love are highly respected and regarded as some of the best movies ever made. Fallen Angels, though less recognized, deserves more credit and should be considered among Kar-wai's greatest works. The visuals, cinematography, and soundtrack in Fallen Angels are visually inventive and contribute to its stylish and atmospheric storytelling.

Perhaps the greatest filmmaker in the illustrious history of Chinese cinema is Wong Kar-wai. He's known for various recurring methods of filmmaking, from nonlinear narratives and slow-motion camera shots to off-center frames and saturated color palettes. Near the end of the 1980s, he debuted with As Tears Go By (1988). It received widespread praise upon release and is still held in high regard today.

His next project was Days of Being Wild (1990), followed by two films in the same year: Chungking Express (1994) and Ashes of Time (1994). The former landed the...

Each decade of cinema has pushed the industry forward with advancements in storytelling, technology, and the expansion of different genres. The 1920s saw silent films become king, with classics such as Nosferatu setting the groundwork for the horror genre for decades to come. Moving forward to the '30s, musicals shot to the pinnacle of film, with Westerns then taking over in the two decades after. The introduction of surround sound in the '70s allowed films like Jaws and Star Wars to be the groundbreaking cinema titans that they were, and then the '80s came out with iconic films that defined an entire generation.

By the 1990s, the film industry had become very similar to what we recognize today. Compared to the periods before this decade, the '90s saw a rise in technological development that allowed filmmakers to tell their stories through groundbreaking visuals as well as dialogue.

Oscar winner Bong Joon-ho’s 2006 monster movie “The Host” is among Paris-based distributor The Jokers Films’ recent releases, made available for the first time ever as a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray edition.

The Jokers’ other new French release, the 4K restoration of Bruce Weber’s 1988 Chet Baker doc “Let’s Get Lost,” also screened at the Lumière Festival in Lyon with Weber in attendance.

Describing the film’s sound and 4K restoration as “sublime,” The Jokers head Manuel Chiche says, “‘Let’s Get Lost’ is now a timeless classic not only about life but also about art and creation.”

“Let’s Get Lost” is due to hit French theaters in summer 2024.

“The Host,” meanwhile, premiered earlier this year in France with a special screening, along with the Oscar-winning “Parasite,” and master class by Bong at Paris’ famed Grand Rex theater and also unspooled at the Institut Lumière in Lyon as part of a Bong retrospective.

The twisted, dreamy Glasgow underbelly Aaron John McIntyre conjures up in his short film Gomorrah feels like a marriage of Wong Kar-Wai’s hazy visual language and the bleak dark comedic sensibilities of Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting. It’s hard to believe McIntyre made this film as a student as it feels so confident and assured both in the story he’s telling and the means by which he tells it. The plot follows as a recovering addict as he relapses in the pits of Glasgow’s backstreets. We see him wonder about, monologuing with a deep pessimism for the world he has found himself in. It’s a really impressive film that has certainly put McIntyre on our radar as one to watch for the future. For now though, as Gomorrah continues its festival run, Dn caught up with the filmmaker to talk over the creative decision that resulted in his accomplished vision.

Asmodeus, the Prince of Demons, poses a significant threat to Father Amorth in "The Pope's Exorcist," testing his faith and forcing him to confront uncomfortable truths about the Catholic Church. Asmodeus represents Lust and is associated with the Seven Deadly Sins. His possession of Henry in the film is part of a plan to control the Vatican and unleash darkness upon the world. While the portrayal of Father Amorth's battles with Asmodeus is exaggerated for entertainment purposes, the film draws inspiration from his real-life experiences as a renowned exorcist, although he never specifically faced Asmodeus in his exorcisms.

In The Pope's Exorcist Russell Crowe's Father Gabriele Amorth faces Asmodeus, a demon possessing a young boy named Henry, who turns out to have a fascinating backstory. The horror film is inspired by the real Father Amorth, a WWII veteran and former journalist who eventually devoted himself to the Catholic Church and became the "Pope's Exorcist.

"A Royale with Cheese." Who wants one? Or two? McDonald's is going all out with a new promotion. Even though we usually despise any shameless marketing, especially when it's for extremely unhealthy fast food, this is is just too good to ignore. McDonald's has debuted a 60-second trailer along with their poster for a new "As Featured In Meal" deal. So what are they offering? "A collection of fan-favorite menu items that have made iconic appearances throughout film, television and music." Huh, okay. The trailer features some of the most iconic appearances - including The Fifth Element, Reality Bites, "The Office", Fallen Angels, The Longest Yard, and of course the "Royale with Cheese" in From Paris with Love. I have to give them props for fully embracing the hilariousness of finding every single McDonald's reference in any film from any country, including ones that kind of make them look bad,...

With “Command Z” and “Full Circle” out now, Steven Soderbergh continues build the legend that he’s the busiest filmmaker in show business. Why so busy? Part of the reason is because Soderbergh shoots his own films. In fact, he hasn’t worked with a cinematographer since 1994 when he made “Fallen Angels,” a neo-noir anthology short film series with other directors for Showtime in the 90s.

Continue reading Steven Soderbergh On Working With Emmanuel Lubezki In The ‘90s & Why He Doesn’t Use Great Cinematographers Anymore at The Playlist.

The '90s were an exciting but strange time for cinema. More franchise films were being made, more chaotic filmmaking styles were being employed, and there was a resurgence in the indie film scene with many promising new artists rising up. Many great movies came out during this period from great filmmakers, but one director had an exceptional run of films that could be considered some of the greatest of the decade. That director is the Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-wai.

The films made by Kar-wai during this decade would define his unique style of filmmaking and cement him as one of the greatest artists in filmmaking. They include such masterpieces as Days of Being Wild, Chunking Express, Fallen Angels, and Happy Together, each film bearing his iconic style and moving storytelling. To further prove how important he was to the decade, here are four reasons why Wong Kar-wai was...

As part of the 2023 Tribeca Festival, David Fincher candidly discussed his career, filmmaking process and philosophy with Steven Soderbergh before a capacity crowd in the Indeed Theater at Spring Studios for an hour on Thursday evening. The two have known one another for 31 years, and have been in frequent contact for 20, showing each other rough cuts for feedback. Audience members were treated to a rare glimpse of a meeting of two great minds working in American cinema, as they occasionally revisited topics of their private conversations.

They first met when Fincher was fired – for the second time – during production of his troubled feature debut, “Alien 3.” Both were set to direct episodes in the second season of the Showtime series “Fallen Angels,” but Fincher later pulled out after “Seven” got greenlit.

“I came out of a truly f–ked-up situation and kind of swore that I would never make the same mistake,...

Psylocke has been a fan-favorite X-Man for years, earning both fan love and respect from peers like Wolverine, and now an incredible cosplay is showing off just how great a design she has. Her history might be convoluted, but with her recent resurgence in the comics, there’s never been a better time for this cosplay of the assassin called Kwannon.

Now, Luna Maria Pyskow (@lunamariapyskow) has stunned as Psylocke in an incredible new cosplay. Captured perfectly by Marquard Photography (@marquardphotography), Pyskow looks equal parts dangerous and confident in Jim Lee’s classic costume, complete with requisite katana. Marquard’s action-packed backgrounds only accentuate the effect of the cosplay, with the photographer also sharing a behind the scenes video of how the photoshoot came together.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Marquard (@marquardphotography)

Looking at the cosplay, it’s no wonder that this design has stood the...

by Simon Ramshaw

Few production companies hold the same strength of trademark from its creator than Wong Kar-wai’s Jet Tone Films. While many of us know the celebrated Hong Kong filmmaker for his sumptuous romantic works like “Chungking Express” and “In the Mood for Love”, his career as a producer for other directors holds some of the same trail-blazing intrigue he brought to Hong Kong cinema since the 1980s. Set up in 1991, Jet Tone Films has been responsible for funding Wong’s oeuvre and has recently expanded overseas to collaborate with Japanese and Thai directors (Sabu and Nattawut Poonpiriya respectively) alike. But in this period of blossoming experimentation in the 1990s, Wong set prolific Hong Kong actor Eric Kot Man-Fai a challenge to direct a project about first love, and thus, the sprawling, affectionate “First Love: Litter on the Breeze” was born.

on Amazon by clicking...

Tom Cruise's only directing credit is an episode of Showtime's forgotten noir series Fallen Angels. Throughout his career, Cruise has worked with some of the greatest filmmakers who have ever lived. He's collaborated with Ridley and Tony Scott, Michael Mann, Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg and many, many more. He was so invested in working with Kubrick that he and then-wife Nicole Kidman committed to Eyes Wide Shut's mammoth shoot, which took 15 months and is still recognized as one of the longest, continuous movie productions.

Given his love of cinema and storytelling, it's a surprise Cruise never attempted to step behind the camera for one of his movies. That doesn't look set to change, though he did scratch that directorial itch once. Cruise was one of many guest directors on Showtime's short-lived Fallen Angels, which ran from 1993 to 1995. Filmmakers like Alfonso Cuarón, Tom Hanks and Cruise - who prepared...

"At the high point of our intimacy, we were just 0.01 cm from each other. I knew nothing about her. Six hours later, she fell in love with another man."

These lines spoken by Cop 223/He Qiwu (Takeshi Kaneshiro) mark the end of the first vignette in Wong Kar-Wai's intensely lovelorn, melancholic "Chungking Express." Two people who will never interact ever again bump into one another, but this seemingly-serendipitous encounter means nothing in the bigger scheme of things. There's a sense of longing in He Qiwu's words, who is still nursing the cruel sting of heartbreak after the woman he loves unceremoniously dumps him over a phone call. Wong explores these turbulent emotions via vivid, dreamlike sequences in "Chungking Express," a film about the agonies and ecstasies of love in an urban landscape.

The impromptu vibe that permeates "Chungking Express" can be attributed to the fact that Wong made the film in three months.

"Never meet your heroes" is one piece of advice Quentin Tarantino has never listened to. His first feature "Reservoir Dogs" starred Harvey Keitel, his "favorite actor in the world." "Jackie Brown" was a vehicle for Pam Grier, star of 1970s blaxploitation films like "Coffy" which Tarantino loves. "Kill Bill," a samurai film love letter, featured Japanese genre star Sonny Chiba as sword-smith Hattori Hanzō.

There's another collaboration between Tarantino and one of his personal acting icons, one we haven't gotten to see. Who's the icon in question? Hong Kong star Maggie Cheung, who played a character cut from "Inglourious Basterds."

The hero of said film is not one of the titular Nazi-killing squad. No, it's Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent), a young Jewish girl in Nazi-occupied France. The sole survivor of her family's massacre, she now poses as a Gentile cinema owner named "Emmanuelle Mimieux." When "Emmanuelle" comes face-to-face with Nazi...

Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead!

Long-time fans of The Amazing Race believe they know who’s going to win season 34 based on the show’s editing. Derek and Claire, a dating couple who met when they competed on Big Brother season 23, are heavily favored to take the prize. Speculation on who will win has long been an important part of reality TV fandom, and fans often look for clues about how each season will play out.

Fan predictions hinge on both performance and screen time, along with a bit of misdirection. Newly reunited twins Emily and Molly have been heavily featured in season 34, but in a Reddit thread started by user u/laughsymphony, a sharp-eyed commenter noted, “I don’t think I have ever seen a team Scream Fallen Angels as much as Emily and Molly in quite some time.” Another fan believes that Marcus and Michael are getting a winner’s edit,...

Miss Grit, the moniker of rising singer-songwriter Margaret Sohn, has released a new song, “Follow the Cyborg,” which will serve as the title track from their debut album, out Feb. 24, 2023, via Mute.

“Follow the Cyborg” boasts the energy of an unbridled dance track (the percussion was provided by Warpaint’s Stella Mozgawa) with breathy bits of saxophone and Sohn’s expertly crafted guitar tones. As Sohn builds to the hook, they sing, “Cause I was born to pose/Oh I was born with clothes/I’m a living girl/A...

Stars: Dino Tripodis, Sharon Klopfenstein, Shanna Thomas, Nick Baldasare, Lee Page, Linnea Quigley, John Dunleavy | Written and Directed by Eric Swelstad

Back in the early 90s Heartland of Darkness, or Blood Church as it was titled then, was one of those films my friends and I all wanted to see, but never seemed to materialize. We read snippets about it in magazines, we knew Linnea Quigley was in it and the plot sounded cool. But for all we kept hearing the only thing that ever emerged was a half hour’s worth of workprint. Now after thirty years on the shelf they’ve finished post-production, added in a few digital effects and it’s getting released by Visual Vengeance. I’m sure one of the extras on the Blu-ray will be a documentary explaining just what happened…

Heartland of Darkness opens with a man fleeing for his life through the woods.

For Alex S. Yu’s latest collection, Director Kevin (Jin Kwan) Kim has created a fashion film which pays a strong homage to the cinematic legacy of Wong Kar-Wai. Kim specifically echoes the visual aesthetic of Happy Together and Fallen Angels for his short Capsule 003, incorporating the camcorder visuals of the former and the wide-angled haziness of the latter to tell the story of a relationship between two young women. The result is a work which highlights the timeless stylishness of Wong Kar-Wai’s films and how the director’s signature visuals can be reworked and moulded to different formats and still retain the melancholic sense of longing that has come to define the filmmaker’s widely influential oeuvre. Directors Notes invite Kim to speak to us about his journey on the film, and the ambitious challenge of technically pulling off the award-winning style he was aping on a limited budget.

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products released each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Godzilla: The Official Guide to the King of the Monsters from Welbeck Publishing

Godzilla has been the subject of a number of books over the franchise’s 68-year history, but Godzilla: The Official Guide to the King of the Monsters aims to be the ultimate illustrated reference book.

Authorized by Godzilla creators Toho, the 256-page beast explores all 32 Japanese Godzilla films with facts and figures, actors and locations, co-starring monsters, and illustrated material.

Welbeck Publishing will release it in hardcover and e-book on October 25. It’s written by Graham Skipper, who you may recognize for his roles in such indie horror gems as Beyond the Gates, Vfw, and Tales of Halloween.

Heartland of Darkness Blu-ray...

For those who have watched Wong Kar-wai’s 1994 feature “Chungking Express” his following feature “Fallen Angels” is at times considered something like an addition to the prior story, especially since the director himself has stated he wanted to include it as the third segment in “Chungking Express”. However, Wong Kar-wai decided to go in a different direction, resulting in the decision to make this a stand-alone feature, which, nevertheless, is in many ways, story-wise and aesthetically, connected to “Chungking Express”. In the end, “Fallen Angels” explores some of the same themes as the director’s 1994 feature, for example the image of the city as a maze of obsessions, while also dealing with the darker side of extreme emotions, leading to isolation and rejection, thus adding another layer to his view on the dichotomy of man and metropolis.

“Fallen Angels” is screening at InlanDimensions

The story revolves around three main characters.

As the pioneer of premium cable, HBO became popular for a programming lineup that offered plenty of adult-oriented choices alongside shows for children. But the cabler’s streaming service HBO Max continues to make tweaks in the wake of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, film enthusiasts are fearful the service is over-compensating in trying to protect viewers from the dangers of smoking — through removing images of cigarettes and cigars.

“No Smoking! Twitter users report HBO Max removed Warren Beatty’s and Paul Newman’s cigars from movie poster art used on its home page: ‘McCabe & Mrs. Miller.’ ‘The Life and Times of [Judge] Roy Bean,'” Twitter user Pete Salisbury wrote.

No Smoking!

Twitter users report HBO Max removed Warren Beatty’s and Paul Newman's cigars from movie poster art used on its home page:

McCabe & Mrs. Miller.

The Life and Times of Roy Bean. pic.twitter.com/QLPz...

InlanDimensions International Arts Festival has established itself as Central Europe’s largest multidisciplinary festival that rejects a differentiation between Europe and Asia, building bridges between different countries and cultures. Presenting a kaleidoscope of arts ranging from theatre, performance, dance and cinema to music, literature and visual arts, it brings together artists and audiences from all over the world, launching co-productions and facilitating negotiations between venues and producers through professional language services.

The brainchild of the Bridges Foundation organized in partnership with the Grotowski Institute in Wrocław, the Gdansk Shakespeare Theatre, and the Jan Kochanowski Powszechny Theatre in Radom, InlanDimensions International Arts Festival 2022 showcases a range of theatre productions, films, musical concerts, workshops and meetings as it did before, coming back in the form of fully live events.

The special guest list this year includes: singer and actress Akatsuki Nanami, vocalist of the band Kaguramusō; experimental art pioneer and one of...

Season 2 of the Emmy-winning comedy “Hacks,” the debut of Colin Firth’s true-crime drama “The Staircase” and the streaming return of “The Matrix: Resurrections” all await HBO Max subscribers in May. If you’re looking for something new to watch or wondering what’s on HBO Max this month, not to worry, we’ve got the full rundown.

There are several must-watch new TV shows on both HBO and HBO Max this month, new and returning. Acclaimed Jean Smart comedy “Hacks” returns for Season 2 on May 12. As for the new debuts, May sees the premieres for HBO Max’s “The Staircase” on May 5, starring Colin Firth as Michael Peterson in the true-crime limited series, as well as the HBO premiere of Steven Moffat’s (”Doctor Who”) series adaptation of “The Time Traveler’s Wife” on May 15.

New films this month include the streaming return of “The Matrix: Resurrections” and streaming premieres...

In 1993, Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise directed a short film noire film called The Frightening Frammis.

In the 30 minutes short based on the short story by author Jim Thompson, we meet our anti-hero, grafter Mitch Allison, disheveled and walking by the side of the road.

He tells us in a flash back narrative how he stole 25,000 from his con-artist wife Bette and jumped on a train hoping to double the money in a scam. He meets sultry Babe and gets involved in more than he bargained for. The twists and turns never stop in this fast paced tale.

The shot film, which is Tom Cuise's only directing credit was part of an anthology called Fallen Angels.

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With movie theaters fully back up and running, HBO Max no longer has any major film releases to point to with its list of new releases for May 2022. That’s alright though as the streamer is leaning into the HBO side of its branding to offer up some fun TV releases.

The biggest HBO Max original this month is undoubtedly the return of Hacks on May 12. The first season of this comedy starred Jean Smart as a venerated Vegas comedy and Hannah Einbinder as her new millennial assistant. The first batch of episodes was excellent and even won an Emmy or two for its troubles and now season 2 will look to keep up the good vibes.

Premiering on May 15, is The Time Traveler’s Wife. This series adaptation of the 2003 novel (which in turn became a a 2009 movie) keeps up with two star-crossed lovers who can never quite make the timing work…...

For those who have watched Wong Kar-wai’s 1994 feature “Chungking Express” his following feature “Fallen Angels” is at times considered something like an addition to the prior story, especially since the director himself has stated he wanted to include it as the third segment in “Chungking Express”. However, Wong Kar-wai decided to go in a different direction, resulting in the decision to make this a stand-alone feature, which, nevertheless, is in many ways, story-wise and aesthetically, connected to “Chungking Express”. In the end, “Fallen Angels” explores some of the same themes as the director’s 1994 feature, for example the image of the city as a maze of obsessions, while also dealing with the darker side of extreme emotions, leading to isolation and rejection, thus adding another layer to his view on the dichotomy of man and metropolis.

“Fallen Angels” is streaming on Mubi Malaysia

The story revolves around three main characters.

Racing

Sky and Channel 4 in the U.K. are partnering to bring Sky Sports’ coverage of this season’s F1 final to the entirety of the territory on both networks simultaneously. It looks to be an historic night for F1 and the U.K.’s highest-profile racer Lewis Hamilton, who could clinch his eighth world title cementing his place at the top of the sport’s all-time winningest drivers. At present, the seven-time world chimp is tied on points with Belgian driver Max Verstappen, meaning that whoever finishes higher at Yas Marina will walk away with this year’s title. The historic race is being billed as Lewis v Max: Decider in the Desert.

“Sunday’s Grand Prix is one of the biggest sporting events in the last decade, and could be an historic moment for British sport,” said Sky executive VP and CEO for Europe and the U.

Exclusive: Lifetime has rounded out cast for both installments of Toni Braxton’s Fallen Angels Murder Club, and Angie Harmon’s Barstow (working title) movies. The movies fall under previously signed deals with Braxton and Harmon, in which they will star in and executive produce multiple films for Lifetime.

Eddie Cibrian has joined the first installment of Braxton’s Fallen Angels, while Kelly Hu joins the cast of the second film. Both films are based on the Hollis Morgan mystery book series by author R. Franklin James.

Cibrian stars as Avery Mitchell, Hollis Morgan’s (Braxton) charismatic boss, while Hu will make her debut in the second installment as the mysterious Joelle. Both productions have started filming and will premiere in 2022. Additionally, Harmon’s Barstow (working title) movies has added Kristoffer Polaha as Elliot, a mysterious stranger with a troubling past.

In the first installment of Fallen Angels Murder Club (wt), members of the Club must have two things in common – a love for books and have a criminal record. Hollis Morgan (Braxton) meets both requirements. Left holding the bag in an insurance fraud scheme concocted by her ex-husband, Hollis served her time and now hopes the court will pardon her conviction so she can return to law school and fulfill her dream of becoming a lawyer. But when a member of her book club is murdered in a scene straight out of the previous night’s novel, Hollis once again becomes the subject of police scrutiny. Refusing to get stuck with another bad rap, Hollis sets out to investigate her fellow club members and after a second book-inspired murder, she races to identify the killer before she becomes the next victim.

Cast also includes Keith D. Robinson, Lisa Berry, Yanic Truesdale (Gilmore Girls), Kaitlyn Leeb (Spinning Out), Humberly Gonzalez (Ginny & Georgia), Rainbow Sun Francks (Umbrella Academy), Henderson Wade, Rob Stewart, Raoul Bhaneja and Shawn Ahmed.

The Fallen Angels Murder Club films fall in line with Lifetime’s Broader Focus initiative which supports the hiring of women in key production roles. The movies are produced for Lifetime by Brain Power Studio and executive produced by Beth Stevenson, Nancy Yeaman, Toni Braxton and Rhonda Baraka. The films are written and directed by Baraka.

In Barstow (wt),Harmon stars as Hazel King, a single mother determined to shield her daughter from the life she once had while protecting and defending those who can’t protect themselves. Plucked off the streets of Las Vegas at 15, Hazel was trained as a hit woman until a surprisng pregnancy drives her to leave it all behind. Living as a single mother running a diner in Barstow with her teenage daughter, Hazel’s past eventually catches up with her and she’s pulled back in for one more hit.

Additional cast include Lauren Richards, George Paez, Tim Granaderos, Gabriel Rodriguez, Casey Mills, Ben Cain, Anthony Reynolds and Nelson Bonilla.

The Barstow movies are produced for Lifetime by Untitled Entertainment and executive produced by Angie Harmon, Michael Rosenberg, Laura Notarianni, Stan Spry and Eric Scott Woods. The first film is written by Tom Evans and directed by Howie Deutch.

For those who have watched Wong Kar-wai’s 1994 feature “Chungking Express” his following feature “Fallen Angels” is at times considered something like an addition to the prior story, especially since the director himself has stated he wanted to include it as the third segment in “Chungking Express”. However, Wong Kar-wai decided to go in a different direction, resulting in the decision to make this a stand-alone feature, which, nevertheless, is in many ways, story-wise and aesthetically, connected to “Chungking Express”. In the end, “Fallen Angels” explores some of the same themes as the director’s 1994 feature, for example the image of the city as a maze of obsessions, while also dealing with the darker side of extreme emotions, leading to isolation and rejection, thus adding another layer to his view on the dichotomy of man and metropolis.

Fallen Angels is screening at Five Flavours Asian Film Festival

The story revolves around three main characters.

When it comes to Hong Kong cinema, there is very little question about the international significance of the works, which, besides being artistic accomplishment, made worldwide audiences notice the level of quality within the cinematic landscape of the director’s home country. Starting with one of his first directorial efforts, the 1988 action-drama “As Tears Go By”, you notice the way the filmmaker weaved together a story of two brothers, about betrayal, loyalty and growing up, while also maintaining a unique audiovisual approach, influenced by the works of film noir as well as the diversity of Hong Kong and its citizens. The movie proved to be a formidable commercial success too, and remained Wong Kar-wai’s most lucrative feature until it was overtaken by “The Grandmaster”.

“As Tears Go By” Will Screen at Five Flavours Asian Film Festival

In the streets of Hong Kong, two brothers, Wah (Andy Lau) and Fly...

Wong Kar-wai is the most internationally renown Hong Kong auteur, whose personal vision of this unique city, enclosed in the stylized frames, seducing with lyrical beauty, has earned him a permanent space in the hearts of the viewers and in the history of cinema. The retrospective we will present at the 15th Five Flavours includes seven of his extraordinary works: from his grasping debut, flirting with the aesthetic of the best action cinema (“As Tears Go By”), through the tender portrayals of the inhabitants of the labyrinth city, pulsating with music video lights, to refined, sensual masterpieces about the impossible love.

The screenings will be a completely new experience – the radiant beauty of the films has been restored using cutting-edge digital techniques, under the director’s supervision. As the director himself said: No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.

When it comes to Hong Kong cinema, there is very little question about the international significance of the works, which, besides being artistic accomplishment, made worldwide audiences notice the level of quality within the cinematic landscape of the director’s home country. Starting with one of his first directorial efforts, the 1988 action-drama “As Tears Go By”, you notice the way the filmmaker weaved together a story of two brothers, about betrayal, loyalty and growing up, while also maintaining a unique audiovisual approach, influenced by the works of film noir as well as the diversity of Hong Kong and its citizens. The movie proved to be a formidable commercial success too, and remained Wong Kar-wai’s most lucrative feature until it was overtaken by “The Grandmaster”.

In the streets of Hong Kong, two brothers, Wah (Andy Lau) and Fly (Jacky Cheung), try to make a living working for the mob.

The July lineup at The Criterion Channel has been revealed, most notably featuring the new Wong Kar Wai restorations from the recent box set release, including As Tears Go By, Days of Being Wild, Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, Happy Together, In the Mood for Love, 2046, and his shorts Hua yang de nian hua and The Hand.

Also among the lineup is a series on neo-noir with Body Double, Manhunter, Thief, The Last Seduction, Cutter’s Way, Brick, Night Moves, The Long Goodbye, Chinatown, and more. The channel will also feature a spotlight on art-house animation with work by Marcell Jankovics, Satoshi Kon, Ari Folman, Don Hertzfeldt, Karel Zeman, and more.

With Jodie Mack’s delightful The Grand Bizarre, the landmark doc Hoop Dreams, Orson Welles’ take on Othello, the recent Oscar entries Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time and You Will Die at Twenty, and much more,...

Easing back into moviemaking after the months-long covid shutdown seems like a mighty stressful proposition, and from the looks of the cast and crew credits for “No Sudden Move,” Steven Soderbergh decided to alleviate that stress by surrounding himself with people he knew. It’s a picture chock full of reunions: with his frequent star Don Cheadle, with Cheadle’s “Traffic” co-star Benicio del Toro, with Amy Seimetz (of the “Girlfriend Experience” TV adaptation), with Bill Duke of “High Flying Bird”; even Brendan Fraser was previously directed by Soderbergh, on a wonderful episode of the long-forgotten Showtime anthology series “Fallen Angels.” The script is by Ed Solomon, who penned the director’s HBO series “Mosaic”; the music is by his regular collaborator David Holmes; the producer is Casey Silver, who, as head of Universal Pictures, offered Soderbergh the picture that saved his career, “Out of Sight.” (And, of course, he...