Remembering movie comedy pioneer Al Christie and several Vitagraph Studios comedians – including John Bunny and Larry Semon – whose shorts are included in a new Kino Classics DVD set.
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Blue Beetle box office: Hollywood’s first ‘Hispanic’ or ‘Latino’ superhero movie is not only a major flop but also very bad news for Warner Bros. Discovery. Xolo Maridueña stars.
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The Equalizer 3 box office: The latest Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington title had a far more modest domestic debut than the previous two entries (adjusted for inflation).
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Barbie box office: Despite the best efforts of American bigots and fascists, Greta Gerwig’s pink-hued fantasy dramedy is a billion-dollar hit. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling star.
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Elemental box office: Peter Sohn’s computer-animated romantic comedy fantasy is Pixar and the Walt Disney Studios’ latest costly money-loser. Leah Lewis heads the voice cast.
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The Flash box office: Starring Ezra Miller, DC Studios and Warner Bros.’ mega-budget superhero actioner is an outright global dud. Andy Muschietti directed. Sasha Calle costars.
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Transformers: Rise of the Beasts movie box office: Despite ‘solid debut’ claims, latest franchise entry has zero chance of recovering its budget in the U.S. and Canada.
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McLintock! (movie 1963): Loosely based on The Taming of the Shrew, this reactionary comedy Western marked the final pairing of John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara.
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Hondo (movie 1953): John Farrow’s 3D Western provided future Best Actress Oscar winner Geraldine Page with her first major big-screen role. John Wayne costars as a ‘Shane’ type.
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Track of the Cat (movie 1954): William A. Wellman’s family drama is notable for its mostly prestigious cast and for its unconventional use of color. Robert Mitchum and Teresa Wright …
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Oscars’ war movies: Turner Classic Movies’ monthlong Academy Award-themed series continues with nine features, including two Best Picture winners and three nominees.
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’31 Days of Oscar’: Turner Classic Movies’ (TCM) series continues with an eclectic array of 12 comedies that (hopefully) will make you laugh while forcing you to ask some tough …
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Gunga Din (movie 1939): George Stevens’ adventure pays homage to British colonialism while revamping The Front Page. Cary Grant and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. star.
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The Alternate (movie 2022): Partly set in a seemingly rosier parallel universe, Alrik Bursell’s sci-fi thriller is both clever and gripping. In the cast: Patrice Binaisa and Phillip Caires.
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Sylvie of the Sunshine State (movie 2022) review: Sasha Levinson’s mother and daughter documentary depicts the difficulties of parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic era.
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Pandemic Pillow Talk (series 2022): Summer Moore’s nutty and hilarious nine-episode web series revolves around the difficulties of dating during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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5 Nazi movies: Joseph Goebbels’ ‘Third Reich’ cinema – a crucial and extremely popular propaganda tool – promoted the White Nationalist German ethos in a variety of cinematic genres.
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10 examples of theocracy in movies and TV – from Quo Vadis to His Dark Materials – showcase the authoritarian communion between religion and government.
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Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe joined forces on the problem-plagued The Misfits. See also: The playwright’s answer to Elia Kazan’s 1954 Oscar winner On the Waterfront.
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The COVID-19 positive test of actor Robert Pattinson has halted – once again – The Batman while unsettling the already wobbly film industry.
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Playwright Arthur Miller vs. Red Scare paranoia: The Crucible and the Salem witch hunts demythologize the concept of ‘American exceptionalism.’
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Little Fugitive director Morris Engel was the post-WWII ‘Father of American Independent Cinema,’ inspiring John Cassavetes and the French New Wave.
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Technicolor siren Virginia Mayo was most impressive as callous black-and-white women in films like The Best Years of Our Lives + White Heat.
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Frank and Ava movie interview: Frank Sinatra portrayer Rico Simonini discusses the indie drama about singer’s turbulent marriage with Ava Gardner.
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Actress Sandra Dee is seen as a sweet-looking but gutsy rule-breaker in the 1959 blockbusters A Summer Place and Imitation of Life.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny box office: Disney suits know things are bad when their mega-budget, globally branded Harrison Ford sequel falls behind QAnon-tainted fare.
The Little Mermaid movie box office: Disney’s $250 million 3D live-action reboot had a solid domestic debut – though below expectations. Worse yet, international figures were disappointing.
Oscars’ Westerns: Turner Classic Movies’ ’31 Days of Oscar’ continues with 11 titles, including John Ford’s classic Stagecoach and the so-called Worst Best Picture Winner Ever.
I Remember Mama (movie 1948): George Stevens’ nostalgic immigrant family drama provided veteran Irene Dunne with one of the best roles of her career. Barbara Bel Geddes costars.
The Forty-Year-Old Version (movie 2020): Making her directorial feature debut, Radha Blank also stars in midlife-crisis tale that evokes memories of Woody Allen and Paul Mazursky.
Belfast movie: Kenneth Branagh is shooting his ‘most personal film,’ set in tumultuous 1960s Northern Ireland. Judi Dench and Jamie Dornan among stars.
Visions of the shattered American Dream in 2 ‘Arthur Miller movies’: The subversive family dramas All My Sons and Death of a Salesman.