News

Stars: Nathan Shepka, Grace Cordell, Sylvester McCoy, Rebekah Clark, Manjot Sumal, Patrick Bergin | Written by Nathan Shepka | Directed by Andy Crane, Nathan Shepka

Nathan Shepka’s been a busy man, over the past couple of years and working in various combinations of actor/writer/director/producer, has given us a trio of solid, if rather low budget films, the crime thriller Holiday Monday, its sequel Lock & Load and the mystery When Darkness Falls. His first foray into horror, a nunsploitation film The Baby in the Basket, will drop in February.

Today, however, the film up for review is Dead Before They Wake, a crime film that gets considerably dirtier and grimmer than his previous efforts. It opens as Alex (Nathan Shepka) has to break up an attempted rape behind the Glasgow nightclub where he works as a bouncer.

Most of the time, though, his life is rather dull. He lives alone in a trailer park,...

Jodie Foster won her first ever Emmy in September for her turn in HBO’s True Detective: Night Country and tonight she won her fifth Golden Globe for that same role.

Foster won the award for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television for the fourth season of the dark crime series.

She beat out Cate Blanchett (Disclaimer), Cristin Milioti (The Penguin), Sofía Vergara (Griselda)

Naomi Watts (Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans) and Kate Winslet (The Regime).

“The great thing about being this age and being in this time, is having a community of all these people… our True Detective team, we love you so much. We’re really here for only one reason, and that is the wonderful, beautiful Issa Lopez, our showrunner, writer, director, I’m so grateful to you and your talents and your friendship,...

Before Ms. Marvel even premiered, Iman Vellani quickly became a fan favorite. Her genuine, fun-loving personality and effortless charm made her stand out from the start. Although the movie didn’t do so hot, fans couldn’t help but fall in love with Vellani.

Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/ Ms. Marvel in Ms. Marvel | Marvel

And the further proof of that is her hilarious Letterboxd account, where she boldly claims Spider-Man 3 is better than Deadpool & Wolverine.

Iman Vellani picks Spider-Man 3 over Deadpool and Wolverine

Iman Vellani is just as charming and relatable off-screen as her Ms. Marvel character, Kamala Khan. When she’s not busy fighting villains, she’s indulging her inner fangirl by watching and reviewing movies. Unlike most celebrities, Vellani keeps her social media presence refreshingly low-key, but her Letterboxd account is where her personality truly shines.

So far, she’s rated somewhat 1776 films as of writing this,...

“Loneliness has followed me my whole life, everywhere. In bars, in cars, on sidewalks, in stores—everywhere. There’s no escape. I’m God’s lonely man.” These are the words of Travis Bickle from Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver.” They also resonate deeply with the two central characters in Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “Uzak”. While Travis, an insomniac loner who struggles with relationships and human interactions, turns to violence as a last resort to assert his existence, the characters in “Uzak” are so consumed by their loneliness that they refuse even to acknowledge it. As a result, they become apathetic, resentful, and even nihilistic, placing disproportionate value on fleeting pleasures like smoking, watching pornography, or aimlessly wandering, rather than attempting to form meaningful human connections.

“Uzak” tells the story of two pivotal characters: Yusuf, an illiterate and shy villager who moves to Istanbul to find work in a dockyard, and Mahmut,...

I’ve always avoided New Year’s resolutions, but this week I happened to recall one that was brief but resolute: I resolved to quit Hollywood.

And I did. Almost.

That decision seems relevant today for reasons that require a bit of history. Consider January 1975, 50 years ago: It was a Hollywood moment that was the opposite of the present, both in numbers and nuance. It was a great time to be around – and not to be.

The audience was expanding and was determined to get scared: Jaws was a smash. But millions also were welcoming the weirdities of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. TV fans were puzzled over something new called SNL, and music fans continued to discover Elton John (still are).

As box office kept growing, opportunity was abundant. Words like “downsizing” or “contracting” were still unknown.

There were hints of quantum change, but just hints: The Hollywood...

From ‘Bad Boys’ to ‘Fargo,’ Tubi is bringing a few great titles to streaming in January 2025. All titles below begin streaming for free on January 1 unless otherwise noted:

Originals Action Don’T Mess With Grandma (1/24):

A drunk Army ranger must fight off the vicious robbers who plan to loot the cabin belonging to his sweet, oblivious grandmother.

Documentary TMZ Presents: UFO Revolution S2 (1/15):

Embed with UFO journalist Jeremy Corbell on his mission for transparency culminating in the explosive November 13, 2024 UFO congressional hearing.

Thriller Sugar Mama (1/3):

When a businesswoman pursues a relationship with a sugar baby for research purposes, her curiosity with him spirals into obsession.

A Kill For A Kill (1/17):

A deceptive motivational speaker becomes entangled in a deadly game with a fan who suggests they kill each other’s spouses.

Happy Anniversary (1/31):

A young woman assumes three identities to prey upon the men who...

Looking for something to stream that won’t cost an arm and a leg in subscription and rental fees? A slew of shows and films like “Killing Eve,” “Black Jesus,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “You’ve Got Mail,” “Rye Lane,” “Fargo,” “Prey” and more will be arriving on the free ad-supported streaming service Tubi starting on Jan. 1.

With the new year quickly approaching, Tubi has a slew of offerings in multiple different genres. For your family members who love action flicks, tune into “Bad Boys” or “Kung Fu Hustle.” For more pure comedy fans, the outrageous “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” comes to streaming alongside classics like “Fargo.” Or maybe sci-fi is more your speed: try “Independence Day” or “Jack the Giant Slayer” for some adventure to kick off 2025.

As for originals, Tubi will premiere five new projects — an action film, documentary and three thrillers.

Here are all...

Netflix has just released the new teaser for the political thriller Zero Day. The series deals with the United States’ response to a devastating cyber attack and the attempt of bringing the perpetrators to justice. The series will be six episodes and is set to stream on Netflix on February 20, 2025.

The official synopsis reads,

“Zero Day is a limited series starring Robert De Niro as respected former U.S. President George Mullen, who, as head of the Zero Day Commission, is charged with finding the perpetrators of a devastating cyber attack that has caused chaos around the country and thousands of fatalities. As disinformation runs rampant and the personal ambition of power brokers in technology, Wall Street, and government collide, Mullen’s unwavering search for the truth forces him to confront his own dark secrets while risking all he holds dear.

Zero Day is written and executive produced by Eric Newman and Noah Oppenheim,...

Gunsmoke welcomed plenty of guest stars during its 20-season run from 1955 to 1975. Bette Davis, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Bruce Dern, and Angie Dickinson were among the notable actors who paid a visit to Dodge City over the years. Future Oscar-winner Jodie Foster is also on the list of actors who did time on Gunsmoke. She appeared several times on the show, including a memorable Christmas episode.

Jodie Foster appeared in the ‘Gunsmoke’ episode ‘P.S. Murry Christmas’ Jodie Foster and Amanda Blake in the 1971 ‘Gunsmoke’ episode ‘P.S. Murry Christmas’ | CBS via Getty Images

Foster started as a child model and actor in the ’60s, appearing in shows such as Mayberry R.F.D. and Julia. Later, she landed roles in Bonanza, My Three Sons, and Gunsmoke. She appeared in three episodes of the latter show, once in season 15 and twice in season 17, playing different characters each time.

Her second...

Sza has new music out!

On Friday (December 21), the 35-year-old Grammy-winning singer released several new songs on her latest album album Sos Deluxe: Lana.

In one of the songs, Sza revealed who her very unexpected celebrity crush is!

Keep reading to find out more…On the track “Scorsese Baby Daddy,” Sza paid tribute to Martin Scorsese.

“I rolled up all my problems / And then I smoked about it,” Sza sings. “I could’ve called my mom up / I’d rather f–k about it / Addicted to the drama / Scorsese baby daddy.”

Sza also fantasizes about being in a scenario like a scene from one of the 82-year-old Oscar-winning filmmaker’s movies, such as Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, or The Wolf of Wall Street, though she doesn’t specifically reference any characters or movie titles.

“I would pretend to do my favorite man, he’d call me tasty,” Sza sings. “Furious lady,...

Jonathan Majors will be back on the big screen this spring. Briarcliff Entertainment will release “Magazine Dreams,” the drama starring Jonathan Majors that premiered at Sundance 2023, in theaters on March 21, 2025, according to a Deadline report.

Briarcliff picked up the rights to “Magazine Dreams” back in October after it was dropped by Searchlight Pictures. At the time the new distributor announced its intentions to release the film theatrically in 2025. “Magazine Dreams” will now open alongside Disney’s “Snow White,” Robert De Niro crime drama “Alto Knights,” and the horror/sci-fi film “Ash.”

Elijah Bynum directed and wrote “Magazine Dreams,” which won raves out of Sundance and initially secured an awards season release from Searchlight. But the distributor shelved it and then dropped it following the December 2023 conviction of Majors on a charge of assault and harassment. The film remained in limbo for nearly a year.

“Dozens of incredibly talented people poured their time,...

Was Leonardo DiCaprio’s story all about humble beginnings? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

This advice shaped Leonardo DiCaprio’s wild ride to stardom. He didn’t grow up with private schools and limo rides — Leo’s childhood was more Taxi Driver gritty than Hollywood Boulevard glamorous. We’re talking about a kid who witnessed crack deals in alleys and saw a prostitution ring on his street corner. Yeah, that was his reality. Yet, Leo went from that chaos to becoming The Wolf of Wall Street and one of Hollywood’s biggest names.

Leo’s secret sauce? Supportive parents who kept him grounded. After George DiCaprio and Irmelin Indenbirken split up early on, they made a pact to steer Leo clear of the traps that come with growing up in a tough neighborhood. In a 2016 speech, Leo gave a shoutout to his parents: “To my parents, thank you for listening to an overly ambitious,...

Should you ever need to give your watchlist some extra oomph, you can't go wrong by referring to IMDb's Top 250 list, which includes some of the best movies that cinema has ever had to offer. The great thing about such a mammoth pile of films is that icons of Hollywood will be popping in more than one entry on the list. Of course, some stars have a greater presence on this compendium than others, and while it might not shock many as to who has the most entries, it's surprising to see who the runner-ups are.

Coming in at the number one spot with the most films in IMDb's Top 250 is the man many believe to be perhaps the best actor ever -- Robert De Niro. Having appeared in over 100 films, nine of De Niro's projects rank among the website's most beloved 250: "The Godfather Part II," "Goodfellas,...

These legends of laughter continued to light up the entertainment world, each carving out a legacy that rivals their time on the show.MEGAPeter Boyle Mega

Before Everybody Loves Raymond, Peter Boyle appeared in Joe (1970), The Candidate (1972), Young Frankenstein (1974) and Taxi Driver (1976), as well as on and off-Broadway. Fans adored him in the role of Ray and Robbie's deadpan, slightly cranky dad, Frank.

However, off-screen, he was nothing like his coarse character. Instead, he was a friendly, warmhearted guy.

"He made me feel welcome," said Ray Romano. "He made me feel part of the club."

Shortly after the sitcom wrapped, Boyle died of multiple myeloma and heart disease in 2006 at age 71.

Doris Roberts Mega

As the overbearing Marie, the Barone family matriarch, Doris Roberts doted on her sons while berating her two daughters-in-law and bickering with her husband.

Roberts earned four Emmys for her work on the series and, like Boyle,...

The best Christmas movies are full of surprises. For example, you wouldn’t expect to use the phrases “Fiona Apple” and “killer Santa Claus” in the same sentence. However, Apple’s father played a killer Santa in one of the most interesting horror films of the early 1980s. Here’s a look at a hidden Christmas chestnut of a movie that’s perfect for lovers of the holiday season and the macabre.

Michael Myers paved the way for Fiona Apple’s father to play a killer Santa Claus

Firstly, some background. In 1978, John Carpenter’s Halloween was a massive hit. In 1980, the film industry tried to cash in on its success by producing a glut of slasher films set around holidays and special events, including New Year’s Evil, Terror Train (which is also set on New Year’s Eve), Prom Night, Friday the 13th, and Mother’s Day. Perhaps the...

Tubi, Fox’s free streaming service, has announced its list of January titles. The Tubi January 2025 slate features new Tubi Originals, TV series, and numerous action, art house, Black cinema, comedy, documentary, drama, horror, kids and family, romance, sci-fi and fantasy, thriller, and Western titles.

As a leading ad-supported video-on-demand service, the company engages diverse audiences through a personalized experience and the world’s largest content library of over 250,000 movies and TV episodes, a growing collection of exclusive Originals, and nearly 250 live channels.

You can watch the Tubi January 2025 lineup for free on Android and iOS mobile devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub Max, Comcast Xfinity X1, and Cox Contour.

You can also watch the service on connected television devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Vizio TVs, Sony TVs, Samsung TVs, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and on the Tubi site.

Tubi Originals...

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.

It’s (almost) the most wonderful time of the year! As Christmas fast approaches, and the holiday craze begins to set in, you still have a few weeks to square away gifts for everyone on your list this year — no stress necessary.

Plus, companies are making it easier than ever to make your way through your shopping list this year, thanks to bountiful Black Friday deals (which are still kicking online), and fun new gadgets across a wide array of categories that will excite everyone on your list.

From Breville’s newest Barista Touch espresso machine to this Wicked Lego set these unrivaled Bowers and Wilkins earbuds, here are the absolute best gifts for every person on your list.

For the Criterion Collector

Taxi Driver (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment...

“Martin Scorsese only makes movies for men.” That’s often the prevailing wisdom about one of our finest filmmakers, an assertion that has dominated the discourse around his work as much as the falsehood that he endorses the bad actions of his characters. It’s an idea so embedded in...

From child actor to Academy Award winner to accomplished director, Jodie Foster has built an impressive career spanning over five decades in Hollywood. Her journey is a testament to both raw talent and business acumen, setting her apart from many of her peers in the entertainment industry. While many child stars struggled to maintain their success into adulthood, Foster not only survived but thrived, building a fortune estimated at $100 million.

Jodie Foster in a still from The Silence of the Lambs (1991) | Credits: Orion Pictures

Her story isn’t just about acting talent – it’s about strategic career moves, smart financial decisions, and an uncanny ability to adapt to the ever-changing entertainment landscape. What makes her success even more remarkable is her ability to maintain a relatively low profile while consistently delivering box-office hits and critically acclaimed performances. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Foster has managed to avoid the typical pitfalls of child stardom,...

To truly be regarded as one of Hollywood’s leading men, you need to possess a dynamic range of performance skills. Sharp comic instincts, an unconventional sex appeal, and an ability to express rich, contradictory emotions have all proven to be tickets to celebrity and critical acclaim. But there is...

It is said that the grand metaphor to describe the United States is a melting pot, where cultures from all over the world that have gathered in a shared space form a gumbo where their flavors merge, the whole supplanting the constituent parts. In Canada we habitually—perhaps with more...

Paul Schrader is bringing out the details on his dead movie “Xtreme City.”

Schrader was set to reunite with his “Taxi Driver” and “Bringing Out the Dead” collaborator Scorsese on now-infamous scrapped feature “Xtreme City.” Frequent Scorsese muse Leonardo DiCaprio was confirmed to star alongside Bollywood legend Shah Rukh Khan. The crime film, which was conceived during the 2011 Berlin Film Festival, was to be written by Schrader and Mushtaq Shiekh, with Scorsese as an executive producer.

During the “Pod Casty for Me” podcast (via The Film Stage), Schrader reflected on the film that never was.

“I wanted to do that, yeah. I wanted to do that with Shah Rukh Khan and Leo. In fact, we all met at Berlin. Scorsese was going to produce it. Shah Rukh was in Berlin; Leo was there; we all met about it,” Schrader said.

However, Khan’s international celebrity may have complicated things.

“Shah Rukh is the boss.

Oscar Isaac admits he may have been wrong. He didn’t initially understand the casting of his “Dune: Part Two” co-star Timothée Chalamet as the great folk icon Bob Dylan in director James Mangold’s upcoming musical biopic “A Complete Unknown.”

According to Isaac, Chalamet was telling him and their fellow “Dune” actors Josh Brolin and Stephen McKinley Henderson about the project on the set of the epic sci-fi sequel — and Isaac, a devoted Dylan fan, had raised his eyebrow about the whole thing. Set in New York in the early 1960s, “A Complete Unknown” chronicles the early life and times of Dylan who arrived in Greenwich Village an enigmatic, freewheelin’ 19-year-old from Minnesota and forever changed the folk community.

“My first thought was… sounds like a really bad idea. I mean, it’s Dylan. It’s the holy of holies for me. It just didn’t sound right,” Isaac...

In the late ’90s, producer James G. Robinson and screenwriter William Wisher Jr. started developing a prequel to the 1973 horror classic The Exorcist – and no one could have predicted just how messy this project would get. Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI director Tom McLoughlin was hired to take the helm, but then dropped out due to issues with the script. John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate) took the helm, with author Caleb Carr handling rewrites… then Frankenheimer left because his health was declining (he passed away soon after) and was replaced by Paul Schrader. Schrader was known for writing films like Taxi Driver, Rolling Thunder, Raging Bull, and The Last Temptation of Christ, and he had also directed several films: Blue Collar, Hardcore, American Gigolo, Cat People, and others. During a recent interview with MovieWeb, Schrader admitted that he shouldn’t have taken on the job of directing Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist.

Paul Schrader wishes he hadn't made ‘Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist’.The 78-year-old director helmed the controversial 2005 horror flick - which takes place before the events of the 1973 original - and now Schrader has admitted he never should have tackled the project because he doesn’t think he was “really suited” for the film.In an interview with MovieWeb, ‘The Card Counter’ director said: “I shouldn't have done it. It was not something I was really suited for.”Schrader - who has written some of Hollywood’s best thrillers like ‘Taxi Driver’ and ‘Rolling Thunder’ - added if he was presented with the chance to direct ‘Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist’ today, he would have turned it down.He continued: “I thought I could pull it off, but if I had that opportunity again, I would say, 'I think I will stick to what I do best.'”Schrader was...

The 1970s were a huge turning point for thriller movies. During this decade, cinema turned up the suspense. It kept us on the edge of our seats, gripping the armrests of theater chairs with white-knuckled intensity. Imagine a decade filled with psychological tension, mind-bending plots, gritty crime dramas, and raw, unpredictable action. It’s as if the decade was made for film fans who wanted intense thrills. This list of the best 70s thriller movies showcases how the decade became a turning point for suspense and action in cinema.

The 1970s film thrillers didn’t just entertain; they changed the genre by combining aspects that would impact film for decades to come. Those jump scares, heart-pounding chases, and mind-bending turns redefined the rules of suspense.

The culture zeitgeist was the center of the best 1970s thrillers’ pulse, which went beyond the plot. The political unrest, Watergate scandals, and social upheaval...

Love him or hate him, Robert De Niro is stepping into uncharted territory: episodic television.

And he’s doing it in a way only De Niro can — by playing a former U.S. president caught in the chaos of a devastating cyberattack in Netflix’s Zero Day.

Premiering February 20, 2025, the six-episode limited series finds De Niro in the role of George Mullen, a highly respected but complicated former president.

(Netflix)

He’s called back into action to lead an investigation after a cyberattack leaves thousands dead.

As head of the Zero Day Commission, Mullen must unravel a crisis steeped in disinformation, conspiracy, and power struggles.

But the stakes aren’t just political; they’re personal. Mullen’s relentless search for answers forces him to confront his own demons, risking his family, reputation, and legacy in the process.

The premise alone feels eerily relevant. Cybersecurity threats, rampant misinformation, and distrust in leadership dominate today’s headlines,...

Making a big-budget musical seems to be the great white whale for any aspiring director. Many have tried, many have failed. Those include names like Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and most recently Todd Phillips. Undeterred, Jesse Eisenberg, fresh off the success of his breakout hit A Real Pain, has signed on to direct his third movie which – wait for it – is set to be a musical comedy.

Indeed, according to Deadline, Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti are set to co-star in the film which, is about “a shy woman who is unexpectedly cast in a local production of an original musical. Under the spell of the strong-willed and enigmatic director, she loses herself in the role and the high-stakes world of this community theater production.”

Sounds good, right? Given how A Real Pain is, it may well be, but, the non-musical/musical genre has humbled some truly great directors before,...

There are three ways to make your TV lead debut: the right way, the wrong way, and the way that Robert De Niro does it. And the way that Robert De Niro does it is by dominating the silver screen for half a century, winning two Oscars, and then taking on the role of a former United States president in an all-star prestige conspiracy thriller — naturally. Yes, the Taxi Driver star is set to play ex-potus George Mullen in Zero Day, an original Netflix series from Eric Newman (Griselda), Noah Oppenheim (Jackie), and Nyt writer Michael S. Schmidt which sees the acting heavyweight leading an investigation into a major cyber attack while dealing with his own demons. The show's stacked ensemble includes Angela Bassett, Jesse Plemons, Lizzy Caplan, Dan Stevens, and Connie Britton — and you can enjoy a first look at the show, courtesy of Netflix, in the pictures below:...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

A movie doesn't have to be successful to be a classic. Take "Heathers" — written by Daniel Waters, directed by Michael Lehmann, starring Winona Ryder.

Ryder, fresh off "Beetlejuice," played another death-obsessed teenager. Unlike gothic outsider Lydia Deetz, though, Veronica Sawyer from "Heathers" is in the in-crowd. She hangs out with Westerburg High School's trio of mean girls, all named Heather, but feels disillusioned. So her new bad boy lover J.D. (Christian Slater) convinces her to pull a lethal prank on queen bee Heather Chandler (Kim Walker).

"Heathers" is the template for other biting black comedy teen movies, from "Mean Girls" to "Jennifer's Body." It even inspired a "Heathers" musical! But it only made $1.1 million on a $3 million budget.

Entertainment Weekly's oral history of "Heathers" (published in 2014 for its 25th anniversary) has some explanations for why it flopped. Distributor New World Pictures...

The Berlinale has lost €2m in financial support from the Berlin Senate for its upcoming 2025 edition as part of drastic expenditure cuts to the €3bn overall budget of the city government.

However, Berlinale spokesperson Frauke Greiner said the event would not be impacted. “Despite the tight financial situation, we are able to secure balanced financing until the end of March 2025.”

“We are in regular contact with the Senate and learned that the €2m is not incoming for the 2025 financial year this summer,” Greiner told Screen. “We have a balanced budget through the next festival, and with a new director and executive team in place,...

Hugh Grant called an Honorary Oscar winner an a–hole, studios spent big money to show off all their awards contenders and a posthumous tribute to Quincy Jones left everybody buzzing at the Academy’s 15th annual Governors Awards on Sunday night in Hollywood, turning a fraught time in the movie business into a satisfying celebration – and, of course, a prime campaign opportunity for everyone hoping to attract the attention of Oscar voters.

While the Governors Awards, the annual event at which honorary Academy Awards are given out, has become a reliably grand combination of cinematic cclebration and campaign event, two factors conspired to cast a shadow over Sunday’s ceremony, which took place at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland.

The first was the fact that Jones was announced as a winner of the Honorary Oscar back in June, but died on Nov. 3, two weeks before he was to receive the award.

Since 2002, two Hollywood heavyweights have had an illustrious — and productive — working relationship, and cinema as a whole is better off because of it. Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have been working together for decades now, with DiCaprio playing essential roles in some of Scorsese's best modern films, and what makes their relationship all the more touching is that DiCaprio has publicly revealed that Scorsese's movie "Taxi Driver" served as a major inspiration for his own acting career. Before these two joined forces, it may have felt borderline impossible to imagine that they'd become one of the most tightly-knit Hollywood duos in cinematic history; while DiCaprio was getting his start in projects like "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" and "Titanic," Scorsese was already a directing legend thanks to "Taxi Driver" and other hits like "Mean Streets," "Raging Bull," "Goodfellas," "The Age of Innocence," and "Casino," just to name a few. Thanks...

Recently, Nicole Kidman took a sly jab at Martin Scorsese for lacking female leads in his films, sparking a renewed debate on does Scorsese really lack powerful female leads?

Nicole Kidman in Just Go with It (2011) | Credits: Columbia Pictures

While it’s not exactly a new topic, Scorsese has been peppered with this question for years, and his responses have been pretty blunt. So, let’s put this debate to rest once and for all with a list of powerful female leads that prove otherwise.

Nicole Kidman Subtly Slams Martin Scorsese!

Nicole Kidman has truly done it all, building an impressive career working alongside some of the best names in the industry every actor dreams of. In her AFI Lifetime Achievement Award speech, she highlighted directors who “took a bet” on her, including Stanley Kubrick, Sofia Coppola, Gus Van Sant and many more.

Related “It’s a question I’ve...

In April, Nicole Kidman delivered a killer speech when accepting the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award that included a list of directors who “took a bet” on her throughout her prolific career. The lineup included the likes of Susanne Bier, Stanley Kubrick, Sofia Coppola, Jane Campion, Gus Van Sant, and more.

In an interview with Vanity Fair published Wednesday, the Oscar-winning actress was asked if there was anyone she hasn’t worked with yet and would want to. “I’ve always said I want to work with [Martin] Scorsese,” replied Kidman, before adding,...

The holidays are upon us, so whether you’re looking for film-related gifts or simply want to get for yourself some of the finest this year had to offer, we have a gift guide for you. Including must-have books on filmmaking, the best from the Criterion Collection and other home-video lines, subscriptions, magazines, music, and more, dive in below.

4K & Blu-ray Box Sets

There’s no better gift than an epic film collection, and 2024 was an embarrassment of riches thanks to a number of box sets. The king of them all, especially if you’re looking for a gift for a burgeoning cinephile, is Criterion’s massive CC40, collecting 40 landmark films form their 40-year history. It’s not the only stellar set from the company, of course, as I adored the essential Chantal Akerman Masterpieces, 1968–1978, Éric Rohmer’s Tales of the Four Seasons, Gregg Araki’s Teen Apocalypse Trilogy, Three Revolutionary Films by Ousmane Sembène,...

In 1975, George Kennedy starred in an unusual revenge thriller in which AI was used to catch the bad guys. A look back at The ‘Human’ Factor:

Revenge films and vigilantes were all over the place in the 1970s, whether it was Charles Bronson’s Paul Kersey gunning down crooks in Death Wish (1974) or Robert De Niro’s Travis Bickle going on a rampage in Taxi Driver (1976). One of the more unusual thrillers of its type from the era, though, was The ‘Human’ Factor from 1975. For one thing, there’s its high-tech premise, in which George Kennedy’s protagonist uses cutting-edge technology to track down his enemies.

Kennedy plays John Kinsdale, a middle-aged, American computer expert stationed in Naples. Each day, he says goodbye to his picture-perfect Nuclear family – wife, two sons, a daughter with an outsized clown doll – and drives to his workplace at a nearby NATO base. There,...

Oh, Canada (2024) may noy be the last film that Paul Schrader ends up making, as the notoriously active writer/director has already hinted at what his next project might be. That being said, “Oh, Canada” certainly feels like an acclaimed artist looking back on the achievements of their career, as it is by its very nature a reflective story about two fixed points in a man’s life. Schrader has long been interested in exploring the lurking feelings of anxiety and self-destruction that exist within archetypes of masculinity, such as a priest (“First Reformed”), a drug dealer (“Light Sleeper”), a gambler (“The Card Counter”), a male escort (“American Gigolo”), or a family man (“Hardcore”). “Oh, Canada” is perhaps the best evidence that these stories were all derived from Schrader’s own self-analysis, as it recontextualizes the accoladed Russell Banks novel “Foregone” as a commentary on the ramifications of the New Hollywood movement.

Channing Tatum once wore his heart on his sleeve when it came to Zoë Kravitz. His open obsession, as he called it, left no room for chill—he was all in, sharing how head-over-heels he felt. From the outside, their vibe seemed like the kind Hollywood dreams are made of: effortlessly cool, creative, and impossibly stylish.

Channing Tatum | Image by Peter Kudlacz, licensed under Cc By 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tatum had made no secret of his admiration, which only made their breakup hit harder. Fans were left scratching their heads, trying to piece together what went wrong between two people who seemed perfectly matched, amplifying the mystery behind their split.

Channing Tatum’s Confession Adds Twist to Breakup with Zoë Kravitz Channing Tatum and Zoë Kravitz behind the scenes on Blink Twice | Credit: Warner Bros.

Channing Tatum’s heartfelt confession—“I have no chill”—about his obsession with Zoe Kravitz...

Robert De Niro has a reputation for greatness. Looking back at his entire filmography, there are plenty of examples of how excellent of an actor he is. From Goodfellas to the Godfather franchise, Taxi Driver, and even The Intern, versatility is just one of his many talents.

Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver | Credit: Columbia Pictures

When an actor is as talented as De Niro, it is only natural that they would have peculiar ways to prepare for their roles. However, sometimes, these methods of getting into character end up clashing with the methods of other actors. During an interview, it was revealed by the director of The Joker that De Niro and Joaquin Phoenix ended up having quite a clash on the set of the film.

Robert De Niro Was At Odds With Joaquin Phoenix

Compared to all of Robert De Niro’s projects, The Joker stands out in its own way.

Back in the ’90s, Robert De Niro’s trip to France took a shocking turn—one he vowed never to repeat. After a scandal shook up Paris, the Raging Bull star found himself in a nine-hour grilling session with French authorities. The issue? A connection to an investigation that left him fuming.

Robert De Niro in The Untouchables | Credits: Paramount Pictures

De Niro fiercely denied the claims, vowing he’d never set foot in France again. What started as a glamorous getaway ended in a headline-grabbing ordeal, adding a wild chapter to the legendary actor’s life that’s still buzzing decades later.

Robert De Niro’s Parisian Nightmare: Nine-Hour Interrogation Over Prostitution Claims Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver | Credits: Italo-Judeo Productions

“His name was mentioned by one of the call girls”—a line that landed Robert De Niro in hot water in Paris back in 1998. The Taxi Driver...

One never knows how critics are going to react to a project when it comes to Hollywood. Robert De Niro has been a part of the film industry for decades, having made a career in a similar role. Although all his characters are multifaceted in every way possible, some of them have one thing in common: they are Italian.

Robert De Niro in a still from The Good Shepherd | Credit: Universal Pictures

This has helped in many ways, be it financially or when it comes to accolades. However, the kind of characters he gained a reputation for seemed to have also led him down a dark path at one point. One that left him with a great deal of his Italian viewers disliking him.

Robert De Niro’s Italian Decent Was Certainly Dominant

Be it the Godfather series or A Bronx Tale, Robert De Niro has more than enough to...

Spoilers ahead for the "Simpsons" season 36 episode "Desperately Seeking Lisa."

Since time immemorial, "The Simpsons" has done countless pop culture parodies. Its annual "Treehouse of Horror" episodes, in particular, have been responsible for spoofing famous horror movies like "The Shining," and "A Nightmare on Elm Street," as well as darker TV series such as the popular anime show "Death Note." Among the iconic animated sitcom's more frequent targets, however, is Martin Scorsese, the Oscar-winning filmmaker whose classics like "Goodfellas," "Taxi Driver," and "Raging Bull" alone have inspired multiple episodes of "The Simpsons."

Without a doubt, though, the show's best Scorsese sendup to date was the one based on his 1991 thriller "Cape Fear," which became the basis for one of the all time greatest episodes of "The Simpsons" — "Cape Feare." It's a classic installment that not only has the Simpson family terrorized by Sideshow Bob, but is also full of memorable slapstick gags.

James Gunn is a curious figure in popular culture. As a young man, just rising in the film business, Gunn co-wrote the witty and disgusting Troma epic "Tromeo & Juliet" with Lloyd Kaufman, and it featured kinky sex, a bisexual Juliet, cow monsters, mutant penis creatures, and an opening narration by Lemmy from Motörhead. After that, Gunn took the piss out of the superhero genre with "The Specials," a low-low budget film about what superheroes — petty jerks, mostly — do on their day off. He stayed aloft in Hollywood writing the screenplays for two surreal "Scooby-Doo" movies, and Zack Snyder's remake of "Dawn of the Dead" before making his directorial debut in 2006 with "Slither," another gross movie about body-invading worm monsters and wacko mutants.

Gunn then deconstructed superheroes even further with "Super" in 2010, a film that hypothesizes that superheroes are mentally ill and addicted to extreme violence. "Super" is bleak,...

Liam Neeson recently said that he’s planning to retire from the action revenge genre that injected his career with a second life, starting with “Taken” back in 2008. Neeson was 55 when he shot that movie — old enough to play a hardened former CIA operative, ageless enough that we believed in his strength and speed and badass vigor. In the 16 years since, the Liam Neeson vigilante B-movie with attitude became its own genre. I’m one of many who look forward to these films and enjoy, in theory, their no-frills sadistic mayhem. But the truth is that Neeson, with his towering presence and sinewy resolve, is always better than the movies themselves.

In memory, most of them blur together, and it’s amazing how much they all still feel powered by that speech in “Taken” (“I can tell you I don’t have any money. But what I do have are...

Quentin Tarantino, best known for his supporting turn in "Destiny Turns on the Radio," has never been shy about his taste in movies. Tarantino has long been drawn to aggressively masculine genre films, Westerns, war pictures, martial arts films, and anything one might have seen at a run-down grindhouse theater in 1977. He also likes very terse, tense movies, and has listed Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver," William Friedkin's "Sorcerer," and Sergio Leone's "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" as his favorites. He's likewise admitted to having fond feelings for "The Great Escape" (who doesn't?) and thinks very highly of Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk." It's easy to guess that he similarly loves "Rio Bravo" and "Apocalypse Now," and he often recommends the Sonny Chiba vehicle "The Street Fighter" from 1974.

Despite his tastes, however, Tarantino remains cinematically omnivorous, taking in hundreds of movies a year, sussing out the pop...

Famed director Quentin Tarantino is a vocal supporter of the Todd Phillips sequel “Joker: Folie à Deux.” In a recent podcast, Tarantino spoke enthusiastically about the film even as it has struggled at the box office compared to the first “Joker.” Tarantino praised Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as “one of the best” he’s seen. He also drew comparisons between the sequel and Oliver Stone’s “Natural Born Killers.”

Tarantino suggested Phillips directed “Folie à Deux” in the spirit of the Joker character. “The entire concept, even him spending the studio’s money – he’s spending it like the Joker would spend it,” Tarantino said. This subversive approach may explain the film’s commercial underperformance, which has earned just over $200 million globally so far compared to the first film’s $1 billion plus.

Francis Ford Coppola also praised Phillips for “staying one step ahead of the audience.” However, Paul Schrader, who...

Dating for three years, Channing Tatum and Zoë Kravitz appeared inseparable and often expressed their love and respect for each other. They even announced their engagement and revealed their collaboration in the upcoming alien invasion comedy Alpha Gang. But unfortunately, despite high hopes for the couple, the duo seemingly called off their engagement and parted ways, recently.

Channing Tatum and Zoë Kravitz | image: Instagram/@zoeisabellakravitz

After sparking romance rumors when they were spotted riding through the streets of N.Y.C. on a BMX bike in August 2021, Channing Tatum and Zoë Kravitz’s reported breakup recently sent shockwaves through the industry and their fanbase. Especially considering how they were supposed to collaborate in Alpha Gang, fans now seem concerned that filming might get awkward for the duo.

Channing Tatum and Zoë Kravitz’s Relationship Timeline

Despite being an unlikely Hollywood duo, Channing Tatum and Zoë Kravitz initially sparked romance rumors...

Most viewers have rejected “Joker: Folie à Deux” — the film currently has dismal 32% scores on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and audiences alike, an unusual consensus on this sort of thing, and is on track to lose over $150m — but it does have one high-profile fan: Quentin Tarantino.

During an appearance on author Bret Easton Ellis’ podcast (via Variety), the Academy Award-winning “Pulp Fiction” filmmaker effusively praised Todd Phillips’ musical “Joker” sequel. “I really, really liked it, really. A lot. Like, tremendously, and I went to see it expecting to be impressed by the filmmaking,” Tarantino said. “But I thought it was going to be an arms-length, intellectual exercise that ultimately I wouldn’t think worked like a movie, but that I would appreciate it for what it is. And I’m just nihilistic enough to kind of enjoy a movie that doesn’t quite work as a movie or that’s like a big,...

“Joker: Folie à Deux” bombed with critics and at the box office, but not with Quentin Tarantino. The filmmaker recently appeared on “The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast” and raved over the divisive “Joker” sequel, which is barely at the $60 million mark domestically after nearly a month in theaters. The movie’s worldwide total stands at $201 million, a huge nosedive from the 2019 movie’s billion dollar gross.

“I really, really liked it, really. A lot. Like, tremendously, and I went to see it expecting to be impressed by the filmmaking,” Tarantino said. “But I thought it was going to be an arms-length, intellectual exercise that ultimately I wouldn’t think worked like a movie, but that I would appreciate it for what it is. And I’m just nihilistic enough to kind of enjoy a movie that doesn’t quite work as a movie or that’s like a big, giant mess to some degree.