It’s been 10 years since David Oyelowo made his U.S. breakthrough portraying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in “Selma.” Playing the awe-inspiring civil rights leader was an opportunity for the British-Nigerian actor to live up to his surname, which translates to “a king deserves respect.”
Oyelowo has been reflecting on that time in his life a lot more lately, thanks in part to “Becoming King,” a documentary directed by his wife, Jessica Oyelowo, that captures the seven-year journey to bring “Selma” to the big screen.
“It was a big year,” he says of 2014. “There was no way you could know the sheer amount of things that would happen, because at the beginning of it, nothing was happening. ‘Selma’ felt dead. I was in the middle of shooting ‘A Most Violent Year,’ having a good time with that, but just feeling in a state of limbo and then—”
He stops mid-thought.
Oyelowo has been reflecting on that time in his life a lot more lately, thanks in part to “Becoming King,” a documentary directed by his wife, Jessica Oyelowo, that captures the seven-year journey to bring “Selma” to the big screen.
“It was a big year,” he says of 2014. “There was no way you could know the sheer amount of things that would happen, because at the beginning of it, nothing was happening. ‘Selma’ felt dead. I was in the middle of shooting ‘A Most Violent Year,’ having a good time with that, but just feeling in a state of limbo and then—”
He stops mid-thought.
- 5/23/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is now available on Premium Video on Demand and Premium Electronic Sell-Through from Lionsgate, and following its launch, we were able to sit down with star Babs Olusanmokun (Dune; Dune: Part Two; The Book of Clarence) to talk about his pivotal role in the Guy Ritchie-directed actioner.
In the film, Olusanmokun plays Richard Heron, one of the members of the team and works closely with Eiza González ("Marjorie Stewart") to take down the Nazis by land while the rest of the team head to the sea. He tells me about the importance of telling this story, his experience working with Guy Ritchie again, and a whole lot more.
Additionally, the film will also be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on June 25!
Watch our full video interview with Babs Olusanmokun below and/or keep scrolling to read the transcript. Plus, please remember...
In the film, Olusanmokun plays Richard Heron, one of the members of the team and works closely with Eiza González ("Marjorie Stewart") to take down the Nazis by land while the rest of the team head to the sea. He tells me about the importance of telling this story, his experience working with Guy Ritchie again, and a whole lot more.
Additionally, the film will also be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on June 25!
Watch our full video interview with Babs Olusanmokun below and/or keep scrolling to read the transcript. Plus, please remember...
- 5/22/2024
- ComicBookMovie.com
Abashiri Prison is a famous prison in Japan that had spawned numerous films, books and video games featuring the location. One of it's inmates was Hajime Ito whose novel Abashiri Bangaichi would form the basis of the feature reviewed here. With Eureka Entertainment bringing the first three of the lengthy series to blu ray it's time to look back at a launchpad for several prominent careers.
on Terracotta by clicking on the image below
A young Yakuza (Ken Takakura) is sent to prison following an attack on a rival gangster. After an incident results in his solitary confinement, he resolves to be a model prisoner and serve his time. He ignores several efforts of other prisoners to get him to join their escape. Fellow inmate Honda (Koji Nanbara) refuses to let go and ultimately a combination of manipulation by Yoda (Toru Abe) and discovery of his mother's illness force his hand.
on Terracotta by clicking on the image below
A young Yakuza (Ken Takakura) is sent to prison following an attack on a rival gangster. After an incident results in his solitary confinement, he resolves to be a model prisoner and serve his time. He ignores several efforts of other prisoners to get him to join their escape. Fellow inmate Honda (Koji Nanbara) refuses to let go and ultimately a combination of manipulation by Yoda (Toru Abe) and discovery of his mother's illness force his hand.
- 5/19/2024
- by Ben Stykuc
- AsianMoviePulse
A few months ago, I wrote an article listing ten movies that – despite being well known – were difficult to find (legally) on any streaming service or even on disc. Those titles ranged from Ron Howard’s Cocoon to movies like Dawn of the Dead (the original). In the comments, many of our readers chimed in with their two cents on films they’ve found difficult to find over the years, so here are a few more challenging-to-find flicks, some of which may surprise you.
Panic Room:
The fact that David Fincher’s Panic Room has never been issued on Blu-ray blows me away. It’s been announced a few times, but a physical release never seems to happen (although you can stream it in HD pretty easily). What gives? You’d think the fact that it has Fincher’s name on it, and stars Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker,...
Panic Room:
The fact that David Fincher’s Panic Room has never been issued on Blu-ray blows me away. It’s been announced a few times, but a physical release never seems to happen (although you can stream it in HD pretty easily). What gives? You’d think the fact that it has Fincher’s name on it, and stars Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
King Kong ain’t got nothin’ on Denzel Washington but he did have something on Ethan Hawke on Oscar night 2002, when Hawke lost Best Supporting Actor for his remarkable performance in Training Day. But without his co-star, Hawke might have been plenty more devastated than he was allowed to be.
Appearing on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? (via Variety), Ethan Hawke remembered that Denzel Washington had some sage wisdom after he lost to Iris’ Jim Broadbent. According to Hawke, Washington told him, “‘It’s better that you didn’t win. Losing was better…You don’t want an award to improve your status. You want to improve the award’s status.’ That’s the way he thinks…The Academy Award has more power, because Denzel has a couple. It didn’t elevate who he was.” Washington would go on to win Best Actor later that night, which we’d...
Appearing on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? (via Variety), Ethan Hawke remembered that Denzel Washington had some sage wisdom after he lost to Iris’ Jim Broadbent. According to Hawke, Washington told him, “‘It’s better that you didn’t win. Losing was better…You don’t want an award to improve your status. You want to improve the award’s status.’ That’s the way he thinks…The Academy Award has more power, because Denzel has a couple. It didn’t elevate who he was.” Washington would go on to win Best Actor later that night, which we’d...
- 5/2/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Chris Pine, Cynthia Erivo, Kieran Culkin, Sharon Stone and Rosie Perez celebrated Jeff Bridges’ seven-decade career at the 49th annual Chaplin Awards Gala in New York City on Monday night. But the Big Lebowski star almost chose a different career path.
During his acceptance speech for the Film at Lincoln Center‘s prestigious honor, the True Grit star shared that he originally “resisted” the idea of pursuing acting full-time for a few different reasons.
“It made me nervous, anxious, and I had other things I wanted to do,” he told the full auditorium at Alice Tully Hall. “I was very much into music. I loved ceramics, painting, and who wants to do what their parents do anyway?”
He recalled his father, actor Lloyd Bridges, explaining to him that he could do all of those things in this career path and use them all to some degree, which was one of the beauties of the job.
During his acceptance speech for the Film at Lincoln Center‘s prestigious honor, the True Grit star shared that he originally “resisted” the idea of pursuing acting full-time for a few different reasons.
“It made me nervous, anxious, and I had other things I wanted to do,” he told the full auditorium at Alice Tully Hall. “I was very much into music. I loved ceramics, painting, and who wants to do what their parents do anyway?”
He recalled his father, actor Lloyd Bridges, explaining to him that he could do all of those things in this career path and use them all to some degree, which was one of the beauties of the job.
- 4/30/2024
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“I think it was Andy Warhol who said, “Make art and let others decide whether it is good or bad. But while they are deciding, make some more”.
That was the line with which Nicole Kidman ended her 15-minute acceptance speech after Meryl Streep had presented her with the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award.
That is something that seems entirely appropriate for Kidman, who doesn’t seem to stop “making art,” taking risks at every turn, telling stories through her power not just as an actor, but also a producer dedicated to bringing those stories to screens big and small. At 56, she is on the younger side of the previous 48 recipients of this very high honor, the first Australian to receive it. And someone very much in the middle of creating those life achievements that led to last night’s honor at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, where a large...
That was the line with which Nicole Kidman ended her 15-minute acceptance speech after Meryl Streep had presented her with the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award.
That is something that seems entirely appropriate for Kidman, who doesn’t seem to stop “making art,” taking risks at every turn, telling stories through her power not just as an actor, but also a producer dedicated to bringing those stories to screens big and small. At 56, she is on the younger side of the previous 48 recipients of this very high honor, the first Australian to receive it. And someone very much in the middle of creating those life achievements that led to last night’s honor at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, where a large...
- 4/28/2024
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s always fascinating when a movie with a top star, and directed by another star, goes as far under the radar as Steve Buscemi‘s “The Listener,” starring Tessa Thompson, has.
But in the case of this particularly gentle movie — available on VOD now for $6.99 — maybe that’s part of its DNA. Like the mental health helpline operator Thompson plays, this is a movie that’s there if you need it: Quiet, thoughtful, and totally shunning the kind of splashiness that most movies are thought to require these days to stand out.
“The Listener” premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2022, where it was the closing night film of the Venice Days sidebar. On April 13, it was the closing night film of the Sarasota Film Festival, out of competition — in this over 18-month festival journey, it’s also made stops at the festivals in Vienna, Thessaloniki, Stockholm, The Hague,...
But in the case of this particularly gentle movie — available on VOD now for $6.99 — maybe that’s part of its DNA. Like the mental health helpline operator Thompson plays, this is a movie that’s there if you need it: Quiet, thoughtful, and totally shunning the kind of splashiness that most movies are thought to require these days to stand out.
“The Listener” premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2022, where it was the closing night film of the Venice Days sidebar. On April 13, it was the closing night film of the Sarasota Film Festival, out of competition — in this over 18-month festival journey, it’s also made stops at the festivals in Vienna, Thessaloniki, Stockholm, The Hague,...
- 4/20/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Nicole Kidman’s friends and collaborators will be in the building when she is honored at the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award Gala.
AFI shared that Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Naomi Watts and Reese Witherspoon are set as presenters for the gala, scheduled to take place at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on April 27.
Fellow AFI Life Achievement Award winner Streep worked with Kidman on HBO’s Big Little Lies, as did Witherspoon. Both Kidman and Witherspoon served as executive producers of the Emmy Award-winning hit series. Watts is a longtime friend of Kidman, dating back to their early acting careers. They both starred in the 1991 feature Flirting. Freeman and Kidman collaborated on the Paramount series Lioness for Taylor Sheridan.
“Nicole Kidman embodies the glamour and romance of Hollywood past — a true screen icon — but she is also a risk taker — and so each performance is something new and something profound,...
AFI shared that Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Naomi Watts and Reese Witherspoon are set as presenters for the gala, scheduled to take place at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on April 27.
Fellow AFI Life Achievement Award winner Streep worked with Kidman on HBO’s Big Little Lies, as did Witherspoon. Both Kidman and Witherspoon served as executive producers of the Emmy Award-winning hit series. Watts is a longtime friend of Kidman, dating back to their early acting careers. They both starred in the 1991 feature Flirting. Freeman and Kidman collaborated on the Paramount series Lioness for Taylor Sheridan.
“Nicole Kidman embodies the glamour and romance of Hollywood past — a true screen icon — but she is also a risk taker — and so each performance is something new and something profound,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Veena Sud is no stranger to the tangled streaming rights game when it comes to distribution.
After her Quibi series folded, the filmmaker is now bringing her breakout horror hit “The Stranger” to Hulu with a new director’s cut. “Longlegs” actress and horror staple Maika Monroe plays a rideshare driver who goes through a twelve-hour fight for survival when she picks up Carl (Dane DeHaan), a passenger who becomes her worst nightmare. Avan Jogia co-stars in the former series which is now a feature film.
“The Stranger” began as a Quibi series, which meant that Sud co-owned the copyright to the work, as part of the Quibi business model. Sud is now able to “self-distribute” the footage, recut as a feature.
“For artists and creatives in the industry, the right to own one’s work has been a decades-long
struggle. From the creation of United Artists in 1919, to Paul Newman,...
After her Quibi series folded, the filmmaker is now bringing her breakout horror hit “The Stranger” to Hulu with a new director’s cut. “Longlegs” actress and horror staple Maika Monroe plays a rideshare driver who goes through a twelve-hour fight for survival when she picks up Carl (Dane DeHaan), a passenger who becomes her worst nightmare. Avan Jogia co-stars in the former series which is now a feature film.
“The Stranger” began as a Quibi series, which meant that Sud co-owned the copyright to the work, as part of the Quibi business model. Sud is now able to “self-distribute” the footage, recut as a feature.
“For artists and creatives in the industry, the right to own one’s work has been a decades-long
struggle. From the creation of United Artists in 1919, to Paul Newman,...
- 4/11/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The 49th annual Chaplin Gala presenters have been officially unveiled to honor award recipient Jeff Bridges.
Bridges’ former co-stars Sharon Stone, Chris Pine, Cynthia Erivo, and Rosie Perez will all toast the Academy Award winner’s contributions to film as Bridges receives the coveted Chaplin Award on April 29.
Erivo starred with Bridges in “Bad Times at the El Royale” (2018), while Perez appeared with Bridges in “Fearless” (1993). Pine was side-by-side with Bridges in Oscar-nominated Western “Hell or High Water” (2016), and Sharon Stone acted opposite Bridges in both “Simpatico” (1999) and “The Muse” (1999).
The Chaplin Award Tribute will feature excerpts from a selection of Bridges’ work, appearances by co-stars, friends, and colleagues, and the presentation of the award itself. An acclaimed actor, producer, and musician, Bridges’ film career has spanned seven decades and features a slew of iconic roles in “True Grit,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Hell or High Water,” “Heaven’s Gate,” and “Crazy Heart,...
Bridges’ former co-stars Sharon Stone, Chris Pine, Cynthia Erivo, and Rosie Perez will all toast the Academy Award winner’s contributions to film as Bridges receives the coveted Chaplin Award on April 29.
Erivo starred with Bridges in “Bad Times at the El Royale” (2018), while Perez appeared with Bridges in “Fearless” (1993). Pine was side-by-side with Bridges in Oscar-nominated Western “Hell or High Water” (2016), and Sharon Stone acted opposite Bridges in both “Simpatico” (1999) and “The Muse” (1999).
The Chaplin Award Tribute will feature excerpts from a selection of Bridges’ work, appearances by co-stars, friends, and colleagues, and the presentation of the award itself. An acclaimed actor, producer, and musician, Bridges’ film career has spanned seven decades and features a slew of iconic roles in “True Grit,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Hell or High Water,” “Heaven’s Gate,” and “Crazy Heart,...
- 4/11/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
American actor best known for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman
The actor Lou Gossett Jr, who has died aged 87, is best known for his performance in An Officer and A Gentleman (1982) as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley, whose tough training transforms recruit Richard Gere into the man of the film’s title. He was the first black winner of an Academy Award for best supporting actor, and only the third black actor (after Hattie McDaniel and Sidney Poitier) to take home any Oscar.
The director, Taylor Hackford, said he cast Gossett in a role written for a white actor, following a familiar Hollywood trope played by John Wayne, Burt Lancaster, Victor McLaglen or R Lee Ermey, because while researching he realised the tension of “black enlisted men having make-or-break control over whether white college graduates would become officers”. Gossett had already...
The actor Lou Gossett Jr, who has died aged 87, is best known for his performance in An Officer and A Gentleman (1982) as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley, whose tough training transforms recruit Richard Gere into the man of the film’s title. He was the first black winner of an Academy Award for best supporting actor, and only the third black actor (after Hattie McDaniel and Sidney Poitier) to take home any Oscar.
The director, Taylor Hackford, said he cast Gossett in a role written for a white actor, following a familiar Hollywood trope played by John Wayne, Burt Lancaster, Victor McLaglen or R Lee Ermey, because while researching he realised the tension of “black enlisted men having make-or-break control over whether white college graduates would become officers”. Gossett had already...
- 4/1/2024
- by Michael Carlson
- The Guardian - Film News
Colman Domingo is an Emmy winner, as well as Academy Award and Tony-nominated actor, playwright and director. Domingo and Gossett Jr. co-starred in 2023’s “The Color Purple,” one of the late Oscar winner’s final films.
There is a moment that our wunderkind director Blitz Bazawule set up for the great Louis Gossett Jr. and me that is one of my most memorable cinematic moments of my entire career. It is a moment created just for our offering of Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple.”
The moment of legacy between two characters are shared as the world of the film and its women have evolved past these two broken and harmful humans that are steeped in generational trauma. It is a silent moment. Blitz saw something in one of our rehearsals and leaned into it. He allowed for us to tap into something that only we as Black men can...
There is a moment that our wunderkind director Blitz Bazawule set up for the great Louis Gossett Jr. and me that is one of my most memorable cinematic moments of my entire career. It is a moment created just for our offering of Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple.”
The moment of legacy between two characters are shared as the world of the film and its women have evolved past these two broken and harmful humans that are steeped in generational trauma. It is a silent moment. Blitz saw something in one of our rehearsals and leaned into it. He allowed for us to tap into something that only we as Black men can...
- 4/1/2024
- by Colman Domingo
- Variety Film + TV
It’s been more than 40 years since “An Officer and a Gentleman” became a surprise box office smash, but from time to time, star Richard Gere still gets called out about the classic military drama.
“Every once in a while, I hear people calling me from across the street, ‘Hey Mayo, Mayo-nnaise,’ and that’s Lou,” Gere tells Variety, reflecting on the legacy of the film following the death of his Oscar-winning co-star Louis Gossett Jr. on Friday at age 87.
In the 1982 film, Gere plays Zack Mayo, an aspiring Navy aviator who clashes with his hard-nosed drill instructor, Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley (Gossett). Gossett went on to win the best supporting actor Oscar for his performance, making history as the first Black actor to win in that category and joining Sidney Poitier and Hattie McDaniel as the only Black performers awarded at the time.
“We were all proud of the...
“Every once in a while, I hear people calling me from across the street, ‘Hey Mayo, Mayo-nnaise,’ and that’s Lou,” Gere tells Variety, reflecting on the legacy of the film following the death of his Oscar-winning co-star Louis Gossett Jr. on Friday at age 87.
In the 1982 film, Gere plays Zack Mayo, an aspiring Navy aviator who clashes with his hard-nosed drill instructor, Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley (Gossett). Gossett went on to win the best supporting actor Oscar for his performance, making history as the first Black actor to win in that category and joining Sidney Poitier and Hattie McDaniel as the only Black performers awarded at the time.
“We were all proud of the...
- 3/30/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Louis Gossett Jr., the esteemed actor known for his remarkable performances in films such as An Officer and a Gentleman and the groundbreaking miniseries Roots, has died at the age of 87, according to a statement released by his family.
Gossett made history in 1983 when he became the first black man to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a tough drill instructor in An Officer and a Gentleman, opposite Richard Gere.
In a statement, Gere remembered, “Lou was a sweetheart. He took his job very seriously. He did his research. He stayed in character the whole time…He was the drill sergeant 24 hours a day, and it showed clearly in his performance. He drove every scene he was in. A tough guy with a heart of gold.”
Prior to his Oscar-winning performance, Gossett captivated audiences in the miniseries adaptation of Alex Haley’s Roots, where he portrayed Fiddler,...
Gossett made history in 1983 when he became the first black man to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a tough drill instructor in An Officer and a Gentleman, opposite Richard Gere.
In a statement, Gere remembered, “Lou was a sweetheart. He took his job very seriously. He did his research. He stayed in character the whole time…He was the drill sergeant 24 hours a day, and it showed clearly in his performance. He drove every scene he was in. A tough guy with a heart of gold.”
Prior to his Oscar-winning performance, Gossett captivated audiences in the miniseries adaptation of Alex Haley’s Roots, where he portrayed Fiddler,...
- 3/29/2024
- by Baila Eve Zisman
- Uinterview
Hollywood is paying tribute to Louis Gossett Jr.
On Friday, Gossett’s family announced that the Officer and a Gentlemen star passed away at the age of 87. The cause of death is unknown, but Gossett announced in 2010 that he had prostate cancer.
In a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, his family said, “It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning. We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
Gossett’s most notable role was in Taylor Hackford’s Officer and a Gentleman (1982) as Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley which he won an Academy Award for in the best supporting actor category. He was the second Black man to win an acting Oscar, following Sidney Poitier in 1964.
After news of his passing, many in Hollywood took to social media to...
On Friday, Gossett’s family announced that the Officer and a Gentlemen star passed away at the age of 87. The cause of death is unknown, but Gossett announced in 2010 that he had prostate cancer.
In a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, his family said, “It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning. We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
Gossett’s most notable role was in Taylor Hackford’s Officer and a Gentleman (1982) as Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley which he won an Academy Award for in the best supporting actor category. He was the second Black man to win an acting Oscar, following Sidney Poitier in 1964.
After news of his passing, many in Hollywood took to social media to...
- 3/29/2024
- by Lexy Perez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Louis Gossett Jr., best known for his acclaimed roles in An Officer and a Gentleman and Roots, has died at 87 years old. He was the first Black man to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Gossett’s first cousin Neal L. Gossett revealed to The Associated Press that the actor died on Thursday night (March 28th) in Santa Monica. No cause of death was given, but Gossett announced that he had prostate cancer in 2010.
Born May 27th, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York, Gossett Jr. began acting in high school and debuted on Broadway when he was just 17 years old. In 1959, he played the role of George Murchison in A Raisin in the Sun, making his feature film debut a few years later in the movie adaptation of the play.
After returning to New York City and becoming a Broadway star, Gossett Jr. landed a breakout TV role in the 1977 ABC miniseries Roots.
Gossett’s first cousin Neal L. Gossett revealed to The Associated Press that the actor died on Thursday night (March 28th) in Santa Monica. No cause of death was given, but Gossett announced that he had prostate cancer in 2010.
Born May 27th, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York, Gossett Jr. began acting in high school and debuted on Broadway when he was just 17 years old. In 1959, he played the role of George Murchison in A Raisin in the Sun, making his feature film debut a few years later in the movie adaptation of the play.
After returning to New York City and becoming a Broadway star, Gossett Jr. landed a breakout TV role in the 1977 ABC miniseries Roots.
- 3/29/2024
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Film News
Louis Gossett Jr. has passed away at 87, sad news in the world of entertainment. The actor was the first-ever Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar for An Officer and a Gentleman and was also a primetime Emmy winner for his role in the television series, Roots.
Gossett Jr.’s first cousin announced his uncle’s death to The Associated Press on Friday, March 29. It’s being reported that the actor died in Santa Monica, California the night before.
Louis Gossett Jr.’s Legacy
It’s important to note that the cause of Gossett Jr.’s passing has not been released as of this writing.
Gossett’s first major role was in 1977, playing Fiddler in the groundbreaking TV miniseries Roots, which depicted the horrendous acts of slavery.
He would end up winning an Emmy for this portrayal. He became the third Black Oscar nominee in 1983, winning the statue for...
Gossett Jr.’s first cousin announced his uncle’s death to The Associated Press on Friday, March 29. It’s being reported that the actor died in Santa Monica, California the night before.
Louis Gossett Jr.’s Legacy
It’s important to note that the cause of Gossett Jr.’s passing has not been released as of this writing.
Gossett’s first major role was in 1977, playing Fiddler in the groundbreaking TV miniseries Roots, which depicted the horrendous acts of slavery.
He would end up winning an Emmy for this portrayal. He became the third Black Oscar nominee in 1983, winning the statue for...
- 3/29/2024
- by Dorathy Gass
- Celebrating The Soaps
Louis Gossett, Jr., a trailblazing actor who became the first Black man to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, sadly passed away late Thursday night on March 28, 2024. He was 87 years old. The news was reported by the Associated Press, who confirmed his death through the late actor's nephew Robert.
Most recently appearing in Warner Bros.' "The Color Purple" remake and in HBO's "Watchmen" series, Gossett, Jr. is perhaps most well known for his award-winning turn as drill instructor Emil Foley in 1982's "An Officer and a Gentleman." Additionally, he won an Emmy award for his role in the popular 1977 miniseries "Roots" and went on to earn widespread acclaim and recognition on both television and movies, racking up numerous Primetime Emmy Awards over the years. After first getting his start on Broadway at a time when the odds were severely stacked against him, Gossett, Jr. made his big-screen...
Most recently appearing in Warner Bros.' "The Color Purple" remake and in HBO's "Watchmen" series, Gossett, Jr. is perhaps most well known for his award-winning turn as drill instructor Emil Foley in 1982's "An Officer and a Gentleman." Additionally, he won an Emmy award for his role in the popular 1977 miniseries "Roots" and went on to earn widespread acclaim and recognition on both television and movies, racking up numerous Primetime Emmy Awards over the years. After first getting his start on Broadway at a time when the odds were severely stacked against him, Gossett, Jr. made his big-screen...
- 3/29/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Louis Gossett Jr., who was the first Black man to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, has died. He was 87.
(Sidney Poitier was the first Black man to win an acting Oscar. His win, in 1964, was as the lead in “Lilies of the Field.”)
Gossett won the Academy Award for his role as Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley, Richard Gere’s hardcore drill instructor in 1982 film “An Officer and a Gentleman.” He was just the third Black actor to receive a nomination in the category. Gossett won a Golden Globe for the role as well.
In 2023, Gossett appeared in the remake of “The Color Purple,” as well as in a pair of episodes of BET+ original series “Kingdom Business.” The same year, he lent his voice to an uncredited part of Michael Jai White’s “Outlaw Johnny Black.”
Gossett’s nephew told The Associated Press that the actor died in Santa Monica,...
(Sidney Poitier was the first Black man to win an acting Oscar. His win, in 1964, was as the lead in “Lilies of the Field.”)
Gossett won the Academy Award for his role as Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley, Richard Gere’s hardcore drill instructor in 1982 film “An Officer and a Gentleman.” He was just the third Black actor to receive a nomination in the category. Gossett won a Golden Globe for the role as well.
In 2023, Gossett appeared in the remake of “The Color Purple,” as well as in a pair of episodes of BET+ original series “Kingdom Business.” The same year, he lent his voice to an uncredited part of Michael Jai White’s “Outlaw Johnny Black.”
Gossett’s nephew told The Associated Press that the actor died in Santa Monica,...
- 3/29/2024
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
Louis Gossett Jr., the tough guy with a sensitive side who won an Oscar for his portrayal of a steely sergeant in An Officer and a Gentleman and an Emmy for his performance as a compassionate slave in the landmark miniseries Roots, has died. He was 87.
Gossett’s nephew told the Associated Press that the actor died Thursday night in Santa Monica. The cause of death is unknown, but Gossett announced in 2010 that he had prostate cancer.
With his sleek, bald pate and athlete’s physique, Gossett was intimidating in a wide array of no-nonsense roles, most notably in Taylor Hackford’s Officer and a Gentleman (1982), where as Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley he rides Richard Gere’s character mercilessly (but for his own good) at an officer candidate school and gets into a memorable martial arts fight.
He was the second Black man to win an acting Oscar, following Sidney Poitier in 1964.
For the role,...
Gossett’s nephew told the Associated Press that the actor died Thursday night in Santa Monica. The cause of death is unknown, but Gossett announced in 2010 that he had prostate cancer.
With his sleek, bald pate and athlete’s physique, Gossett was intimidating in a wide array of no-nonsense roles, most notably in Taylor Hackford’s Officer and a Gentleman (1982), where as Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley he rides Richard Gere’s character mercilessly (but for his own good) at an officer candidate school and gets into a memorable martial arts fight.
He was the second Black man to win an acting Oscar, following Sidney Poitier in 1964.
For the role,...
- 3/29/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
British actor Sheyi Cole has a prominent role in Thea Sharrock’s Netflix original film “The Beautiful Game.”
The film revolves around the Homeless World Cup, an annual soccer tournament bringing together displaced or dispossessed players from nearly 50 countries, playing not merely for a trophy but for a second shot at life. Cole plays Jason, a would-be ladies’ man given a sharp #MeToo education when he inappropriately comes onto sparky Mexican-American player Rosita (Cristina Rodio).
“One thing that was great about Thea is that she was so hands on – any concerns that we had, she was willing to have conversations and was able to alleviate any concerns that we essentially had, surrounding that conversation with Jason,” Cole told Variety. “I think what she really wanted to highlight was Jason’s naivety and innocence. And the lack of role models that he had in his life. So although Jason does make grave mistakes,...
The film revolves around the Homeless World Cup, an annual soccer tournament bringing together displaced or dispossessed players from nearly 50 countries, playing not merely for a trophy but for a second shot at life. Cole plays Jason, a would-be ladies’ man given a sharp #MeToo education when he inappropriately comes onto sparky Mexican-American player Rosita (Cristina Rodio).
“One thing that was great about Thea is that she was so hands on – any concerns that we had, she was willing to have conversations and was able to alleviate any concerns that we essentially had, surrounding that conversation with Jason,” Cole told Variety. “I think what she really wanted to highlight was Jason’s naivety and innocence. And the lack of role models that he had in his life. So although Jason does make grave mistakes,...
- 3/29/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Will Smith may have fallen in love with Stockard Channing on the set of 1993’s Six Degrees of Separation, but Channing only felt “motherly” to the rising star, who was 23 and a newly married, first-time father at the time.
Channing — who earned an Oscar nomination playing a New York socialite who connects with a young con artist played by Smith in the film — opened up about working with the rising star in a new episode of The Hollywood Reporter‘s It Happened in Hollywood podcast.
“He made a lot [of money] from his music, or even Fresh Prince [of Bel-Air],” Channing said. “Because I remember we talked about it.” Despite his massive success in music and TV at a young age, “there was no big shot stuff at all” about Smith, she said.
“He had a real survival instinct in him,” Channing added, “which was completely perfect for the part. [There was a] genuine charm and a lovely sweetness about him.
Channing — who earned an Oscar nomination playing a New York socialite who connects with a young con artist played by Smith in the film — opened up about working with the rising star in a new episode of The Hollywood Reporter‘s It Happened in Hollywood podcast.
“He made a lot [of money] from his music, or even Fresh Prince [of Bel-Air],” Channing said. “Because I remember we talked about it.” Despite his massive success in music and TV at a young age, “there was no big shot stuff at all” about Smith, she said.
“He had a real survival instinct in him,” Channing added, “which was completely perfect for the part. [There was a] genuine charm and a lovely sweetness about him.
- 3/27/2024
- by Seth Abramovitch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Since the inception of the Academy Awards, the U.S.-based organization behind them has always strived to honor worldwide film achievements. Their extensive roster of competitive acting winners alone consists of artists from 30 unique countries, three of which first gained representation during the 2020s. The last full decade’s worth of triumphant performers hail from eight countries, while 42.1% of the individual actors nominated during that time originate from outside of America.
The academy’s history of recognizing acting talent on a global scale dates all the way back to the inaugural Oscars ceremony in 1929, when Swiss-born Emil Jannings (who was of German and American parentage) won Best Actor for his work in both “The Last Command” and “The Way of All Flesh.” Over the next three years, the Best Actress prize was exclusively awarded to Canadians: Mary Pickford (“Coquette”), Norma Shearer (“The Divorcee”), and Marie Dressler (“Min and Bill...
The academy’s history of recognizing acting talent on a global scale dates all the way back to the inaugural Oscars ceremony in 1929, when Swiss-born Emil Jannings (who was of German and American parentage) won Best Actor for his work in both “The Last Command” and “The Way of All Flesh.” Over the next three years, the Best Actress prize was exclusively awarded to Canadians: Mary Pickford (“Coquette”), Norma Shearer (“The Divorcee”), and Marie Dressler (“Min and Bill...
- 3/18/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
At the inaugural Academy Awards in 1929, native Pennsylvanian Janet Gaynor made history as the first American-born performer to win an Oscar by taking the Best Actress prize for her body of work in “7th Heaven,” “Street Angel,” and “Sunrise.” Over the subsequent 95 years, 215 more thespians originating from the United States won the academy’s favor, meaning the country has now produced 68.1% of all individual acting Oscar recipients. Considering the last decade alone, the rate of such winners is even higher, at 70.3%.
At this point, 96.8% of American-born acting Oscar victors have hailed from one of 34 actual states. Of those constituting the remainder, three originated from the federal District of Columbia, while four were born in the territory of Puerto Rico. New York (home to 49 winners) is the most common birth state among the entire group, followed by California (34), Illinois (13), Massachusetts (11), and Pennsylvania (11).
Bearing in mind our specific birthplace focus, the 16 states...
At this point, 96.8% of American-born acting Oscar victors have hailed from one of 34 actual states. Of those constituting the remainder, three originated from the federal District of Columbia, while four were born in the territory of Puerto Rico. New York (home to 49 winners) is the most common birth state among the entire group, followed by California (34), Illinois (13), Massachusetts (11), and Pennsylvania (11).
Bearing in mind our specific birthplace focus, the 16 states...
- 3/18/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
How does an “A” CinemaScore and 4 1/2 star PostTrak movie with a major star and a dog underdeliver at the box office?
The adventure sports-charged, doggie-with-a-heart title Arthur the King from Lionsgate had no chance of winning a crown this weekend with an $8M-$10M projection. However, many expected this well-received movie to come at the top of expectations. It did not with a $7.5M opening.
Also, the misfiring of “A” CinemaScore, mid-budget movies at the box office is becoming a trend.
Arthur the King‘s underperformance had to do with the fact that it looked ripe for streaming by today’s standards and not theatrical, right? That’s why people didn’t show up? Yeah, but that’s not 100% of the reason.
True, stars need to have a come-to-Jesus with themselves when making streaming movies in conjunction with theatrical titles: Do you water down your marquee image by making yourself available for free at home?...
The adventure sports-charged, doggie-with-a-heart title Arthur the King from Lionsgate had no chance of winning a crown this weekend with an $8M-$10M projection. However, many expected this well-received movie to come at the top of expectations. It did not with a $7.5M opening.
Also, the misfiring of “A” CinemaScore, mid-budget movies at the box office is becoming a trend.
Arthur the King‘s underperformance had to do with the fact that it looked ripe for streaming by today’s standards and not theatrical, right? That’s why people didn’t show up? Yeah, but that’s not 100% of the reason.
True, stars need to have a come-to-Jesus with themselves when making streaming movies in conjunction with theatrical titles: Do you water down your marquee image by making yourself available for free at home?...
- 3/17/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
At a glance, Shirley Chisholm’s 1972 campaign for president was the definition of quixotic. She was 47 years old; at the time, she had served only one term (starting in 1968) as the first Black woman to be elected to Congress. (Her district centered on the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.) To say that Chisholm wasn’t a seasoned Washington, D.C., player would be putting it mildly. And she looked like an outsider. She wore puffy wigs, schoolmarm glasses, and tasteful print dresses. There was a slightly prim stoicism about her, though she lit up whenever she flashed her smile with the gap tooth on the right side. She looked like who she was — a day-care supervisor from Bed-Stuy, and a devout Christian.
But her persona didn’t end there. This church lady was a fighter, of Guyanese and Bajan descent, and she spoke with a pristine propriety that carried a hint...
But her persona didn’t end there. This church lady was a fighter, of Guyanese and Bajan descent, and she spoke with a pristine propriety that carried a hint...
- 3/16/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Remember Quibi? The short-lived, bite-sized entertainment experiment gave us some horror gems including a brand new horror anthology series from Sam Raimi, most of which is currently unavailable to watch anywhere. But there’s good news for one of Quibi’s projects this week, as Veena Sud’s series “The Stranger” has found new life as a Hulu feature film.
Written and directed by Veena Sud (The Lie, Seven Seconds, The Killing), Quibi’s “The Stranger” has been recut into a feature film, and it’s coming to Hulu on April 15, 2024.
In The Stranger, “New to Los Angeles, rideshare driver Clare picks up Carl from a home deep in the Hollywood Hills. What begins as a routine ride turns into Clare’s worst nightmare: a twelve-hour fight for survival through the city’s seedy underbelly. Carl is not the passenger Clare thought he was, and Clare is not easy prey.
Written and directed by Veena Sud (The Lie, Seven Seconds, The Killing), Quibi’s “The Stranger” has been recut into a feature film, and it’s coming to Hulu on April 15, 2024.
In The Stranger, “New to Los Angeles, rideshare driver Clare picks up Carl from a home deep in the Hollywood Hills. What begins as a routine ride turns into Clare’s worst nightmare: a twelve-hour fight for survival through the city’s seedy underbelly. Carl is not the passenger Clare thought he was, and Clare is not easy prey.
- 3/13/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Since the Academy Awards were first handed out in 1929, only 23 Oscars have been awarded to performances given by Black actresses and actors. Hattie McDaniel made history for Black performers by winning for “Gone With the Wind” (supporting in 1939), while Sidney Poitier was the first male actor to prevail for “Lilies of the Field” (lead in 1963). Denzel Washington became the first two-time Black acting champion when he claimed victory for “Glory” (supporting in 1989) and “Training Day” (lead in 2001), with Mahershala Ali joining him years later for “Moonlight” (supporting in 2016) and “Green Book” (supporting in 2018). Halle Berry was the first, and so far only, Black Best Actress thanks to “Monster’s Ball” (2001). The acting category with the most Black winners is Best Supporting Actress, with 10 including recent champ Da’Vine Joy Randolph for “The Holdovers” (2023). Tour our photo gallery above of every Black actress and actor who won Academy Awards.
Let’s take a...
Let’s take a...
- 3/11/2024
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Since the Academy Awards were first handed out in 1929, only 23 Oscars have been awarded to performances given by Black actresses and actors. Hattie McDaniel made history for Black performers by winning for “Gone With the Wind” (supporting in 1939), while Sidney Poitier was the first such male actor to prevail for “Lilies of the Field” (lead in 1963). Denzel Washington became the first two-time African-American acting champion when he claimed victory for “Glory” (supporting in 1989) and “Training Day” (lead in 2001), with Mahershala Ali joining him years later for “Moonlight” (supporting in 2016) and “Green Book” (supporting in 2018). Halle Berry was the first, and so far only, Black Best Actress thanks to “Monster’s Ball” (2001). The acting category with the most Black winners is Best Supporting Actress, with 10 including recent champ Da’Vine Joy Randolph for “The Holdovers” (2023). Tour our photos below to see every Black actress and actor who won Academy Awards. Gallery originally published...
- 3/11/2024
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
If you’re like us here at Reel Action, you probably love martial arts movies. And if you love martial arts movies, chances are, you are a fan of Mark Dacascos. And if you’re a fan of Mark Dacascos, then you probably know the movie, Only the Strong. Only the Strong is the best Jean-Claude Van Damme movie that Van Damme never starred in. In fact, if you look at the director’s filmography, he had a successful collaboration streak with Jcvd that led to Only the Strong. However, the movie actually fares better without him, because it features a star-making turn by the unanimously perceived underrated martial arts actor Mark Dacascos. Add in the teacher-savior plot and an introduction to a unique brand of martial art and you have an incredibly fun way to spend 90 minutes. We talk Only the Strong on this entry of Reel Action.
The...
The...
- 3/10/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
New Edition, the legendary R&b group made up of Ricky Bell, Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe, is set to be inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame.
The group will be inducted during the 2024 NAACP Image Awards ceremony being held in Los Angeles on March 16. Previous inductees include Eddie Murphy, Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee, Carlos Santana, Little Richard, Sidney Poitier, Earth Wind and Fire, and Aretha Franklin.
Formed in Boston in 1978, New Edition became phenomenally popular in the 1980s and set the template for the modern boy band. The group has released seven studio albums and scored a No. 1 on the Billboard album charts with the 1996 release Home Again. Their best-known songs include “Candy Girl,” “Mr. Telephone Man,” “Cool It Now,” “If This Isn’t Love” and “Hit Me Off.”
All the members of New Edition have enjoyed solo...
The group will be inducted during the 2024 NAACP Image Awards ceremony being held in Los Angeles on March 16. Previous inductees include Eddie Murphy, Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee, Carlos Santana, Little Richard, Sidney Poitier, Earth Wind and Fire, and Aretha Franklin.
Formed in Boston in 1978, New Edition became phenomenally popular in the 1980s and set the template for the modern boy band. The group has released seven studio albums and scored a No. 1 on the Billboard album charts with the 1996 release Home Again. Their best-known songs include “Candy Girl,” “Mr. Telephone Man,” “Cool It Now,” “If This Isn’t Love” and “Hit Me Off.”
All the members of New Edition have enjoyed solo...
- 3/7/2024
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Throughout the past decade, Gold Derby has been creating photo galleries for many performers and directors. We rank the best movies for each person from all stages of their careers. For the Oscars 2024 nominees, we’ve also added in their current projects to the rankings. Click each name below to see if you agree with our rankings for those nominees with at least 10 films in their careers.
Annette Bening, acting nominee for “Nyad” (ranking 13 best performances)
Emily Blunt, acting nominee for “Oppenheimer” (ranking 16 best performances)
Bradley Cooper, nominee for producing, writing and acting in “Maestro” (ranking 16 best performances)
Robert De Niro, acting nominee for “Killers of the Flower Moon” (ranking 28 best performances)
Robert Downey, Jr., acting nominee for “Oppenheimer” (ranking 21 best performances)
Jodie Foster, acting nominee for “Nyad” (ranking 16 best performances)
Paul Giamatti, acting nominee for “The Holdovers”(ranking 16 best performances)
Ryan Gosling, acting nominee for “Barbie” (ranking 15 best performances)
Carey Mulligan,...
Annette Bening, acting nominee for “Nyad” (ranking 13 best performances)
Emily Blunt, acting nominee for “Oppenheimer” (ranking 16 best performances)
Bradley Cooper, nominee for producing, writing and acting in “Maestro” (ranking 16 best performances)
Robert De Niro, acting nominee for “Killers of the Flower Moon” (ranking 28 best performances)
Robert Downey, Jr., acting nominee for “Oppenheimer” (ranking 21 best performances)
Jodie Foster, acting nominee for “Nyad” (ranking 16 best performances)
Paul Giamatti, acting nominee for “The Holdovers”(ranking 16 best performances)
Ryan Gosling, acting nominee for “Barbie” (ranking 15 best performances)
Carey Mulligan,...
- 3/7/2024
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Apple TV+ has added more than 50 licensed movies included in the price of the subscription service — the streamer’s biggest collection of back-catalog studio content to date. But the third-party titles will only be available for a limited time.
Apple TV+’s lineup has mostly comprised original series, movies and specials commissioned for the platform (as well as a smattering of live MLB games). Now it has added a bouquet of older film favorites to the mix, including popular and award-winning movies like “Titanic,” “300,” “Argo,” “Black Hawk Down,” “The Bodyguard,” “Jurassic World,” “Gravity,” “Fast & Furious 6,” “Kill Bill” Volume 1 and 2, “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the original 2004 “Mean Girls” and “Zoolander.”
The movies are listed in a new section on the service labeled “Great Movies on Apple TV+” — however, the service notes, these are available for a “limited time.
Apple TV+’s lineup has mostly comprised original series, movies and specials commissioned for the platform (as well as a smattering of live MLB games). Now it has added a bouquet of older film favorites to the mix, including popular and award-winning movies like “Titanic,” “300,” “Argo,” “Black Hawk Down,” “The Bodyguard,” “Jurassic World,” “Gravity,” “Fast & Furious 6,” “Kill Bill” Volume 1 and 2, “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the original 2004 “Mean Girls” and “Zoolander.”
The movies are listed in a new section on the service labeled “Great Movies on Apple TV+” — however, the service notes, these are available for a “limited time.
- 3/1/2024
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
In the 95 years that they’ve been handing out Academy Awards, just 10 African-American actresses have won dating back to Hattie McDaniel’s famed supporting actress triumph for “Gone with the Wind” in 1940. Nine of those wins have come in Best Supporting Actress, with Halle Berry being the lone victor in Best Lead Actress for “Monster’s Ball” in 2002. Berry has expressed disappointment that no other Black winner has followed in her footsteps over the past two decades. But the truth is that while it was 51 years between McDaniel’s win and the second for Whoopi Goldberg in “Ghost” in 1991, things have improved significantly over the past few decades for African American actresses and actors in terms of winning at the Oscars in the supporting categories in particular.
This year, there are five opportunities for Black performers to take home an acting trophy spread across three categories: Colman Domingo (“Rustin”) and Jeffrey Wright...
This year, there are five opportunities for Black performers to take home an acting trophy spread across three categories: Colman Domingo (“Rustin”) and Jeffrey Wright...
- 2/28/2024
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Although he only made two fiction features, filmmaker Michael Roemer benefited greatly from an early rediscovery in the 1990s, thanks to the fortuitous unearthing of a film he made in 1969, The Plot Against Harry, a wry, dry comedy starring Martin Priest. His other film, 1964’s Nothing But a Man, is often compared by critics to the slicker, middle-America-friendly films that Sidney Poitier was making during the same era. Almost without exception, film about the minority experience in ’60s America were smoothed-over paeans to “the triumph of the human spirit,” starring or co-starring whites whose presence is required as witnesses, arbiters, and the final, thankful beneficiaries of growth and change. Bland but well-meaning, films like Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? and A Patch of Blue, seeking to instruct the white moviegoer by giving them a diagrammatic path to sociopolitical enlightenment, had a funny habit of discounting, even nullifying, the Black experience.
- 2/22/2024
- by Jaime N. Christley
- Slant Magazine
Samantha Morton, the British actor (She Said, The Whale, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The Walking Dead), writer (I Am…Kirsty) and director (The Unloved), received the BAFTA Fellowship, the British Academy’s highest honor at the BAFTA Film Awards in London on Sunday. But the outspoken star used her moment on stage to share very emotional words about children who live in poverty or who can’t live safely at home.
“For me, this is really nothing short of a miracle,” Morton said about receiving the honor, recalling how she was “hungry” and “cold” as a kid growing up in poverty.
“Film changed my life, it transformed me,” she continued. “When I first saw Ken Loach’s Kes… I was forever changed” seeing “poverty, people like me, my life and my family on the screen,” she said. Her conclusion: “Representation matters.”
Like British director Loach, Morton has...
“For me, this is really nothing short of a miracle,” Morton said about receiving the honor, recalling how she was “hungry” and “cold” as a kid growing up in poverty.
“Film changed my life, it transformed me,” she continued. “When I first saw Ken Loach’s Kes… I was forever changed” seeing “poverty, people like me, my life and my family on the screen,” she said. Her conclusion: “Representation matters.”
Like British director Loach, Morton has...
- 2/18/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When you have the SAG Award nominated ensemble of “American Fiction” – John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Tracee Ellis Ross and Jeffrey Wright (also individually nominated in male lead and Oscar nominated for the film) you have to ask them where it all began. In discussing their first jobs for the union, Ross revealed that, like many actors, she started with a commercial – this one for Infiniti cars.
But her co-stars soon revealed surprisingly momentous stories for their first SAG-AFTRA jobs. Wright noted his onscreen debut was opposite Burt Lancaster and Sidney Poitier in the 1991 miniseries “Separate but Equal” about the Brown v. Board of Education court case. “My first single was opposite Sidney Poitier,” Wright revealed. Alexander started in a 1986 film called “My Little Girl” that starred Mary Stuart Masterson, Geraldine Page and – in her film debut – Jennifer Lopez. And Ortiz
Ross joked, “My Infiniti commercial is getting smaller and smaller…...
But her co-stars soon revealed surprisingly momentous stories for their first SAG-AFTRA jobs. Wright noted his onscreen debut was opposite Burt Lancaster and Sidney Poitier in the 1991 miniseries “Separate but Equal” about the Brown v. Board of Education court case. “My first single was opposite Sidney Poitier,” Wright revealed. Alexander started in a 1986 film called “My Little Girl” that starred Mary Stuart Masterson, Geraldine Page and – in her film debut – Jennifer Lopez. And Ortiz
Ross joked, “My Infiniti commercial is getting smaller and smaller…...
- 2/18/2024
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
Since the beginning of the Academy Awards in the late 1920s, Hollywood filmmakers have been making socially conscious films. Many of the best of those have scored the film town’s top honor — Oscar best picture.
This year, that winner could be “Oppenheimer,” a film that boldly and starkly dramatizes the creation of man’s most dangerous invention: atomic weapons.
It could be “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a film that brought a lost and dreadful piece of American history into the sunlight of the Cannes Film Festival and ultimately the spotlights of awards season.
It could be either “Barbie” or “Poor Things,” two of the wildest, most colorful and inventive investigations of feminist and/or post-feminist womanhood to ever hit the big screen.
It could be “American Fiction,” a wry and witty look at Black American middle-class identity and family relations under preposterous, dispiriting cultural pressures.
But will the...
This year, that winner could be “Oppenheimer,” a film that boldly and starkly dramatizes the creation of man’s most dangerous invention: atomic weapons.
It could be “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a film that brought a lost and dreadful piece of American history into the sunlight of the Cannes Film Festival and ultimately the spotlights of awards season.
It could be either “Barbie” or “Poor Things,” two of the wildest, most colorful and inventive investigations of feminist and/or post-feminist womanhood to ever hit the big screen.
It could be “American Fiction,” a wry and witty look at Black American middle-class identity and family relations under preposterous, dispiriting cultural pressures.
But will the...
- 2/16/2024
- by Steven Gaydos
- Variety Film + TV
Actor Denzel Washington and director Spike Lee announced they are joining forces once more, the first time in 18 years, for a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller “High and Low.” The duo have collaborated four times previously, on “Mo’ Better Blues,” “Malcolm X,” “He Got Game,” and, most recently, “Inside Man.”
“High and Low” was originally based on the novel “King’s Ransom” by the prolific American author Ed McBain. McBain was a nom de plume for Evan Hunter, who also wrote “The Blackboard Jungle” (adapted to a popular film with a significant early turn by Sidney Poitier) and was a co-screenwriter of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.”
The original “High and Low” starred Toshiro Mifune as an executive who faces a moral crisis during a pivotal moment of his career—just as he had intended to move a vast amount of his personal wealth for business reasons, his son...
“High and Low” was originally based on the novel “King’s Ransom” by the prolific American author Ed McBain. McBain was a nom de plume for Evan Hunter, who also wrote “The Blackboard Jungle” (adapted to a popular film with a significant early turn by Sidney Poitier) and was a co-screenwriter of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.”
The original “High and Low” starred Toshiro Mifune as an executive who faces a moral crisis during a pivotal moment of his career—just as he had intended to move a vast amount of his personal wealth for business reasons, his son...
- 2/9/2024
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
British actor, writer, and director Samantha Morton will be awarded the BAFTA Fellowship at next week’s Ee BAFTA Film Awards.
Born in Nottingham in 1977, Morton garnered international attention in 1997 with her performance in Carine Adler’s Under the Skin, earning her a BIFA nomination and the Boston Film Critics Award for Best Actress. She has been nominated for an Academy Award first for Best Supporting Actress for Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown (1999), and later for Best Actress for Jim Sheridan’s In America (2003).
Other notable film credits include work with directors such as Lynne Ramsay on Morvern Callar (2002), for which she won Best Performance, Toronto Film Critics Award and a BIFA for Best Actress; Steven Spielberg on Minority Report (2002); Michael Winterbottom on Code 46 (2003); Shekhar Kapur on The Golden Age (2007); Harmony Korine on Mister Lonely (2007); Anton Corbijn on Control, (2007), earning her a Best Supporting Actress BAFTA Film Award nomination; Charlie Kaufman Synecdoche,...
Born in Nottingham in 1977, Morton garnered international attention in 1997 with her performance in Carine Adler’s Under the Skin, earning her a BIFA nomination and the Boston Film Critics Award for Best Actress. She has been nominated for an Academy Award first for Best Supporting Actress for Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown (1999), and later for Best Actress for Jim Sheridan’s In America (2003).
Other notable film credits include work with directors such as Lynne Ramsay on Morvern Callar (2002), for which she won Best Performance, Toronto Film Critics Award and a BIFA for Best Actress; Steven Spielberg on Minority Report (2002); Michael Winterbottom on Code 46 (2003); Shekhar Kapur on The Golden Age (2007); Harmony Korine on Mister Lonely (2007); Anton Corbijn on Control, (2007), earning her a Best Supporting Actress BAFTA Film Award nomination; Charlie Kaufman Synecdoche,...
- 2/7/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Acclaimed British actor, writer and director Samantha Morton will be awarded a Fellowship at the upcoming Ee BAFTA Film Awards.
The award is the highest recognition given by BAFTA to an individual for their exceptional contribution to the film, games or television industry.
After earning plaudits in theater and television, Morton’s breakthrough film role was Carine Adler’s “Under the Skin (1997) that earned her a BIFA nomination and the Boston Film Critics Award for best actress. She has been Oscar nominated twice – for best supporting actress for Woody Allen’s “Sweet and Lowdown” (1999), and for best actress for Jim Sheridan’s “In America” (2003).
For her portrayal of child-murderer Myra Hindley in “Longford” (2006) Morton scored best actress nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and BAFTA Television Award, and won a Golden Globe. In 2009, she made her directorial debut with television film “The Unloved,” a semi-autobiographical film based in the British children’s care system,...
The award is the highest recognition given by BAFTA to an individual for their exceptional contribution to the film, games or television industry.
After earning plaudits in theater and television, Morton’s breakthrough film role was Carine Adler’s “Under the Skin (1997) that earned her a BIFA nomination and the Boston Film Critics Award for best actress. She has been Oscar nominated twice – for best supporting actress for Woody Allen’s “Sweet and Lowdown” (1999), and for best actress for Jim Sheridan’s “In America” (2003).
For her portrayal of child-murderer Myra Hindley in “Longford” (2006) Morton scored best actress nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and BAFTA Television Award, and won a Golden Globe. In 2009, she made her directorial debut with television film “The Unloved,” a semi-autobiographical film based in the British children’s care system,...
- 2/7/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Samantha Morton, the British actor (She Said, The Whale, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The Walking Dead), writer (I Am…Kirsty) and director (The Unloved), will receive the BAFTA Fellowship, the British Academy’s highest honor.
She will be given the honor at the BAFTA Film Awards ceremony, hosted by David Tennant (Doctor Who, Inside Man), in London on Feb. 18.
“As a proud BAFTA member I am honored, profoundly humbled and grateful to BAFTA for giving me this award,” Morton said.
Anna Higgs, chair of BAFTA’s film committee, lauded her as “a mesmerizing storyteller with incredible range,” adding: “She has made an extraordinary impact on the British film industry – consistently shining a light on complex characters and championing underrepresented stories. On-and-off screen, she always works to break down societal barriers and change the make-up of the screen industries for the better – often against great odds.” She concluded:...
She will be given the honor at the BAFTA Film Awards ceremony, hosted by David Tennant (Doctor Who, Inside Man), in London on Feb. 18.
“As a proud BAFTA member I am honored, profoundly humbled and grateful to BAFTA for giving me this award,” Morton said.
Anna Higgs, chair of BAFTA’s film committee, lauded her as “a mesmerizing storyteller with incredible range,” adding: “She has made an extraordinary impact on the British film industry – consistently shining a light on complex characters and championing underrepresented stories. On-and-off screen, she always works to break down societal barriers and change the make-up of the screen industries for the better – often against great odds.” She concluded:...
- 2/7/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Recently, I wrote an article about movies that were surprisingly hard to find on streaming or Blu-ray, and one of the movies I mentioned was a little-remembered 1988 thriller called Shoot to Kill (aka Deadly Pursuit in the UK). The film was a decent box office hit in its day, but outside of a DVD release many years ago, it has sunk into obscurity.
This is a shame, as Shoot to Kill is a nifty little movie. After a few comments praised the film, I decided to revisit it for myself, as I honestly hadn’t seen it since the nineties and had no idea if it would hold up. To my surprise, not only did it hold up, but Shoot to Kill is a bit of a lost 80s action classic.
The film stars Sidney Poitier as a veteran FBI agent investigating a strange robbery where the owner of a...
This is a shame, as Shoot to Kill is a nifty little movie. After a few comments praised the film, I decided to revisit it for myself, as I honestly hadn’t seen it since the nineties and had no idea if it would hold up. To my surprise, not only did it hold up, but Shoot to Kill is a bit of a lost 80s action classic.
The film stars Sidney Poitier as a veteran FBI agent investigating a strange robbery where the owner of a...
- 1/28/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
As Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison in American Fiction, Wright, for so long Hollywood’s Mr Dependable, is now a fully fledged star – while also challenging mainstream presentations of Black life
There’s a fascinating Instagram account that digs up paparazzi shots of stars attending premieres and film events in the 1990s. The main attraction is the outlandish fashion, but also the randomness of the guest list and the questions the images throw up: why were Angela Lansbury and John Oates invited to the Untouchables premiere in 1987? Did Sidney Poitier really enjoy Predator 2? Why did Richard Harris decide to bring his dog to the 1993 Independent Film awards?
One that caught my eye recently was the premiere of Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting in New York. Metallica are there, looking wild-eyed and inebriated, as is a smouldering Ray Liotta. An incredibly young-looking trio of Jonny Lee Miller, Boyle and Ewen Bremner attempt to fit in.
There’s a fascinating Instagram account that digs up paparazzi shots of stars attending premieres and film events in the 1990s. The main attraction is the outlandish fashion, but also the randomness of the guest list and the questions the images throw up: why were Angela Lansbury and John Oates invited to the Untouchables premiere in 1987? Did Sidney Poitier really enjoy Predator 2? Why did Richard Harris decide to bring his dog to the 1993 Independent Film awards?
One that caught my eye recently was the premiere of Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting in New York. Metallica are there, looking wild-eyed and inebriated, as is a smouldering Ray Liotta. An incredibly young-looking trio of Jonny Lee Miller, Boyle and Ewen Bremner attempt to fit in.
- 1/25/2024
- by Lanre Bakare
- The Guardian - Film News
Norman Jewison made movies that mattered.
“Timing is everything,” the director told me the one time we met. I’d been enlisted to host a long Q&a with Jewison at the American Cinematheque — and I was more than a little intimidated.
From “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming” in 1966 to “Other People’s Money” in 1991, Jewison had an astonishing quarter-century run behind the camera, directing movies that impacted the culture when they came out (none more than “In the Heat of the Night”), a great many of which are still watched today. Turns out, this legendary talent couldn’t have been sweeter.
Jewison liked to tell the story of how he met Bobby Kennedy before making the landmark Sidney Poitier picture. He and Kennedy crossed paths while on vacation skiing, where both of their kids wound up in the hospital.
Still developing “In the Heat of the Night” at the time,...
“Timing is everything,” the director told me the one time we met. I’d been enlisted to host a long Q&a with Jewison at the American Cinematheque — and I was more than a little intimidated.
From “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming” in 1966 to “Other People’s Money” in 1991, Jewison had an astonishing quarter-century run behind the camera, directing movies that impacted the culture when they came out (none more than “In the Heat of the Night”), a great many of which are still watched today. Turns out, this legendary talent couldn’t have been sweeter.
Jewison liked to tell the story of how he met Bobby Kennedy before making the landmark Sidney Poitier picture. He and Kennedy crossed paths while on vacation skiing, where both of their kids wound up in the hospital.
Still developing “In the Heat of the Night” at the time,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Norman Jewison, the celebrated film director, has died. He was 97. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the filmmaker passed away at his home on Saturday, January 20, 2024.
Jewison had a long and varied directing and producing career that was peppered with accolades. His films "Moonstruck," "A Soldier's Story," "Fiddler on the Roof," "In the Heat of the Night," and "The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming" were nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 1987, 1984, 1971, 1967, and 1966 respectively, with "Heat of the Night" winning. Jewison also helmed dozens of other notable dramas and musicals besides, including "The Thomas Crown Affair", "Gaily, Gaily" (nominated for three Oscars), "Jesus Christ Superstar" (nominated for one Oscar), "...And Justice for All" (two), "Agnes of God" (three), and "The Hurricane" (one).
All told, Jewison's films were nominated for 41 Oscars, winning 12. He also directed the sci-fi thriller "Rollerball," the comedy "Bogus," the romance "Only You," the Stallone drama "F.I.S.T.,...
Jewison had a long and varied directing and producing career that was peppered with accolades. His films "Moonstruck," "A Soldier's Story," "Fiddler on the Roof," "In the Heat of the Night," and "The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming" were nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 1987, 1984, 1971, 1967, and 1966 respectively, with "Heat of the Night" winning. Jewison also helmed dozens of other notable dramas and musicals besides, including "The Thomas Crown Affair", "Gaily, Gaily" (nominated for three Oscars), "Jesus Christ Superstar" (nominated for one Oscar), "...And Justice for All" (two), "Agnes of God" (three), and "The Hurricane" (one).
All told, Jewison's films were nominated for 41 Oscars, winning 12. He also directed the sci-fi thriller "Rollerball," the comedy "Bogus," the romance "Only You," the Stallone drama "F.I.S.T.,...
- 1/22/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The virtuoso Canadian helped craft much of postwar Hollywood cinema, directing Sidney Poitier in In the Heat of the Night, Topol in Fiddler on the Roof and Cher in Moonstruck
For five extraordinary decades, Norman Jewison’s film-making was the beating heart of Hollywood drama: he could do anything and supercharged it with idealism, confidence and style. Jewison has been behind an extraordinary array of classics and hits: for half the time the cinema has been in existence, Norman Jewison was the gold standard of a night at the movies.
The 60s saw his fizzy Doris Day comedies, the sexy Steve McQueen thriller-capers The Cincinnati Kid and The Thomas Crown Affair, the mould-breaking In the Heat of the Night, with Sidney Poitier as the black cop in the US south. Then in the 70s we had his epic Broadway adaptation Fiddler on the Roof with Topol’s iconic performance as...
For five extraordinary decades, Norman Jewison’s film-making was the beating heart of Hollywood drama: he could do anything and supercharged it with idealism, confidence and style. Jewison has been behind an extraordinary array of classics and hits: for half the time the cinema has been in existence, Norman Jewison was the gold standard of a night at the movies.
The 60s saw his fizzy Doris Day comedies, the sexy Steve McQueen thriller-capers The Cincinnati Kid and The Thomas Crown Affair, the mould-breaking In the Heat of the Night, with Sidney Poitier as the black cop in the US south. Then in the 70s we had his epic Broadway adaptation Fiddler on the Roof with Topol’s iconic performance as...
- 1/22/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Oscar-nominated film director and producer Norman Jewison, who steered the 1967 racial drama “In the Heat of the Night” to a best picture Oscar and also helmed such popular films as “Moonstruck,” “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming” and “The Thomas Crown Affair,” as well as film musicals “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Jesus Christ Superstar,” died Saturday at his Los Angeles residence. He was 97.
His film career began with fluffy Doris Day comedies like “The Thrill of It All.” But Jewison’s social conscience began to surface with “In the Heat of the Night” and, later, the labor union drama “F.I.S.T.” and other films focusing on racial tensions such as “A Soldier’s Story” and “The Landlord” (the latter of which he only produced), though he never abandoned comedies and romances.
Jewison had his share of box office hits and was usually attuned to the audience pulse, but did...
His film career began with fluffy Doris Day comedies like “The Thrill of It All.” But Jewison’s social conscience began to surface with “In the Heat of the Night” and, later, the labor union drama “F.I.S.T.” and other films focusing on racial tensions such as “A Soldier’s Story” and “The Landlord” (the latter of which he only produced), though he never abandoned comedies and romances.
Jewison had his share of box office hits and was usually attuned to the audience pulse, but did...
- 1/22/2024
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Norman Jewison is dead at the age of 97. For over four decades he sustained a career of films that became major box office hits as well as others that presented current social issues in a Hollywood context (with some combining the two). He died peacefully at his home on Saturday January 20.
“In the Heat of the Night,” which beat “Bonnie and Clyde” and “The Graduate” for the Best Picture Oscar for 1967, is the most obvious example of Jewison’s talent for turning tough subjects into hit movies. It grossed (adjusted to current prices) over $200 million, with it already having become a major success before it won five Oscars. Ironically, the racially-charged story about a Northern Black detective (Sidney Poitier) investigating a murder and confronting a racist Southern police chief wons its Oscars in a ceremony delayed by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Norman Frederick Jewison was born on July 21, 1926 in Toronto,...
“In the Heat of the Night,” which beat “Bonnie and Clyde” and “The Graduate” for the Best Picture Oscar for 1967, is the most obvious example of Jewison’s talent for turning tough subjects into hit movies. It grossed (adjusted to current prices) over $200 million, with it already having become a major success before it won five Oscars. Ironically, the racially-charged story about a Northern Black detective (Sidney Poitier) investigating a murder and confronting a racist Southern police chief wons its Oscars in a ceremony delayed by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Norman Frederick Jewison was born on July 21, 1926 in Toronto,...
- 1/22/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
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