Film
Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Actor and Spike Lee Collaborator, Shot and Killed in Atlanta
Thomas Jefferson Byrd, a longtime collaborator of Spike Lee, was shot and killed in Atlanta on Saturday. The Georgia native appeared in eight of Lee’s films, beginning with 1995’s Clockers. He also had roles in Girl 6, Get On the Bus, He Got Game, Bamboozled, Red Hook Summer, Sweet Blood of Jesus, and Chi-Raq. Aside from his work with Lee, Byrd also appeared in such films as Antoine Fuqua’s Brooklyn’s Finest, Jamie Foxx’s Ray Charles biopic Ray, and F. Gary Gray’s Set It Off. In 2003, he received a Tony Award nomination for for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. In an Instagram post, Lee wrote, “I’m so sad to announce the tragic murder of our beloved brother Thomas Jefferson Byrd last night in Atlanta, Georgia. Tom is my guy.” He proceeded to sha...
Spider-Man 3 Adds Jamie Foxx as Electro in Shocking Casting News: Update
In news that will truly shock Marvel fans, The Hollywood Reporter has it that Jamie Foxx is in final negotiations to reprise his The Amazing Spider-Man 2 role of Electro in the upcoming Spider-Man 3. Foxx portrayed the classic villain six years ago in the second and final movie featuring Andrew Garfield in Spidey’s webs. While the film was the ninth-highest-grossing release of 2014, its $709 million box office take remains the lowest of any Spider-Man movie to date, and it was generally panned by critics and fans alike. In fact, it was so poorly received that Sony abandoned plans for more sequels and a Sinister Six spinoff in favor of its now legendary deal with Marvel Studios bringing Spider-Man to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Infamously, Sony attempted to reclaim the web-head last summ...
This Is Spinal Tap Cast to Reunite for Pennsylvania Democrats Benefit
The trend of nostalgic virtual reunions is being cranked up to 11, as the cast of This Is Spinal Tap is set to reunite for a benefit livestream supporting the Pennsylvania Democrats. Set to take place October 14th, the event will see Spinal Tap themselves — Christopher Guest (Nigel Tufnel), Michael McKean (David St. Hubbins), and Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls) — coming together with Rob Reiner (Marty DiBergi). Comedian Patton Oswalt will serve as the evening’s moderator. The event is being put on by the same folks behind the recent Princess Bride table read, which also featured Reiner and Oswalt. That partial reunion (Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Carol Kane, and Billy Crystal also took part) raised $4.25 million for Wisconsin Democrats. The Spinal Tap gang will hope to hit similar numbers for t...
The Witches Heading to HBO Max Before Halloween
Robert Zemeckis’ re-imagining of Roald Dahl’s The Witches is heading to HBO Max. The potential Warner Bros. blockbuster was originally slated for theatrical release on October 9th, but will now bow on the streaming service on October 22nd. “The Witches is a wonderful reimagining of Roald Dahl’s timeless tale that combines world-class filmmaking with fantastic performances. It’s fun for the whole family and ideal for this time of year,” said Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. “This film, with its stellar cast, is outstanding,” said Casey Bloys, Chief Content Officer for HBO and HBO Max. “We are thrilled to be able to use our platform to deliver timely, relevant and engaging new content during this time when the theatrical experience is not available to everyone.” The...
John Boyega Walks the Thin Blue Line in the Astounding Red, White and Blue: NYFF Review
This review is part of our coverage of the 2020 New York Film Festival. The Pitch: Continuing his probing look at the lives of the West Indian immigrant communities of 1960s-1980s London, Steve McQueen concludes his Small Axe anthology with the real-life tale of Leroy Logan (John Boyega), who’d eventually become one of the Metropolitan Police’s most decorated superintendants. Before he got there, though, he was a young research scientist who decides to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a police officer — much to the chagrin of his father Kenneth (Steve Toussaint), a proud Jamaican who’s experienced the racism and brutality of the British bobbies firsthand. As a young recruit, Leroy excels; he’s top of his class, physically fit, and immensely principled. But the minute he str...
Dazed and Confused Cast to Reunite for Virtual Table Reading
Alright, alright, alright! The cast of Dazed and Confused is reuniting as part of a “get-out-the-vote” fundraiser in Texas. Donald Trump may be currently indisposed due to an unnecessary super spreader event (and perhaps a bit of bad karma), but the 2020 Election still appears to be on track. To ensure voters in the Lone Star state get to the polls November 3rd, original cast members like Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, and Parker Posey will reconvene on October 11th for a one-time virtual table reading of Richard Linklater’s classic 1993 film. Actors Joey Lauren Adams, Jason London, Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp, Rory Cochrane, and Marissa Ribisi are also expected to participate, as will Cole Hauser, Esteban Powell, Deena Martin, Christine Harnos, and Wiley Wiggins, among others. Com...
Rick Moranis Hospitalized Following Unprovoked Attack in Manhattan
Rick Moranis was the victim of a random attack while walking in Manhattan’s Upper West Side on Thursday. According to ABC 7 News, police are searching for a man who walked up to Moranis and sucker punched him in the head. The incident took place around 7:30 a.m. ET on West 70th street near Central Park West. Moranis, 67, sustained injuries to his head, back, and hip in the attack and was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. “He is fine but grateful for everyone’s thoughts and well wishes,” a representative for Moranis told The Hollywood Reporter. Last month, Moranis made his first on-screen appearance in 23 years alongside Ryan Reynolds in a commercial for Mint Mobile. He’s next set to reprise his role as Wayne Szalinski in Disney+’s forthcoming reboot of Honey, I Shrunk the...
James Bond Film No Time to Die Pushed Back Until 2021
Looks like James Bond has no time to be released: No Time to Die has been delayed once again, and is now scheduled for April 2nd, 2021. Daniel Craig’s fifth and final mission as 007 was originally expected to premiere in the US on April 10th. Like most things in entertainment, it was delayed in the early days of the pandemic, setting a new date of November 20th. However, with major markets like Los Angeles and New York still in various stages of lockdown, and many European areas experiencing a “second wave” of increased infection rates, MGM has postponed the movie once again. The news is, sadly, not at all surprising. Bond is a huge moneymaker abroad, with 72.6% of the $1.111 billion gross for the last entry in the series, 2015’s Spectre, coming from the global box office. It makes se...
Donald Trump’s Walk of Fame Star Destroyed by Man Dressed as The Incredible Hulk
Out of all the celebrities named on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it seems like Donald Trump is the one whose star is most frequently and intentionally vandalized. Once again, someone has damaged his plaque, but this time it’s not at all who the cops expected: The Hulk. According to TMZ, law enforcement sources said a man who was dressed up as the Incredible Hulk in all of his green glory is to blame. The person took a pickaxe — seemingly the preferred demolition tool for the job, at least based on previous incidents — to Trump’s star at 5:00 a.m. PT this Friday, destroying it “beyond recognition.” Apparently, Trump gave him too many reasons to be angry. So far, nobody has been arrested and police are still investigating the scene. However, a felony vandalism report taken that morning lists ...
Millie Bobby Brown Wants to Play Amy Winehouse in Biopic: “She Is an Icon”
Millie Bobby Brown (photo via Instagram/@milliebobbybrown) and Amy Winehouse (photo courtesy of the artist’s estate) Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown has revealed that she “would love to play” Amy Winehouse in a biopic. During an interview with Netflix Latinoámerica in support of her new movie Enola Holmes, in which she portrays Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister, Brown was asked which historical figure she would like to bring to life next. Her response was almost immediate: “I wouldn’t say she’s historical, but I would love to play Amy Winehouse.” “I personally think she is like an icon to R&B, blues, and basically the whole culture of music,” Brown continued. “I just love her music and I really was impacted by her whole story. I always say that I would love to play her.” Br...
Creep Director Patrick Brice Records Full Commentary Track for David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
David Lynch is not an easy nut to crack. The auteur has long preferred to keep things close to the chest, leaving fans and followers to fend for themselves in his proverbial forests. The latest soul to venture out of Lynch’s Red Room is filmmaker Patrick Brice, who has recorded a full-length commentary track on Lynch’s Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. Brice is no stranger to creating strange and wonderful worlds. As the writer and filmmaker behind both Creep and The Overnight, he knows a thing or two about getting under people’s skin. So, hearing him dissect Lynch’s labyrinthine feature is nothing short of a delight. He also gets truly personal as he weighs in on how the film changed his career. It’s all part of Paul Davidson’s new podcast series The Side Track, which offers commentary track...
Taiwan selects ‘A Sun’ as foreign language Oscars contender
Taiwan has selected Chung Mong-hong’s dark drama “A Sun” as its contender for the best international feature film section of the Academy Awards, previously referred to as the Oscar for the best foreign-language film. The selection was announced by the Ministry of Culture, which said that its special panel at the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development had considered 18 candidate films. In a statement, the ministry praised the film for its “memorable and moving portrayal of parent-child relations.” The film which details the pressures on a family of four that follow the younger son being sent to juvenile detention, had its premiere last year at the Toronto International Film Festival. Shortly afterwards, it played at several of Asia’s leading festivals, Busan, Tokyo and the Gol...
