Tag Archives: movies

Entertainment Tonight reports: Charles Grodin, who famously starred in The Heartbreak Kid, Midnight Run, and Beethoven, died on Tuesday from bone marrow cancer, EW has confirmed. He was 86. Although Grodin was mostly known for his work on the big screen, throughout his long career he also appeared on television, dazzled on Broadway, authored multiple books, and was a political …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Billie Hayes, whose portrayal of the flamboyantly and comically wicked witch Witchiepoo on the 1969-70 Saturday morning live-action children’s classic H.R. Pufnstuf, died of natural causes April 29 at Cedar’s Hospital in Los Angeles. She was 96. A Broadway veteran by the time she reached national fame as the flute-stealing nemesis to a psychedelic dragon, Hayes had …

The Los Angeles Times reports: Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis, the theater veteran who rose to prominence late in her career with memorable turns in 1980s films such as “Moonstruck” and “Steel Magnolias,” has died at the age of 89. Dukakis, who also starred in “Look Who’s Talking” and “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” died at her home in New York City. “The …

The New York Times reports: “Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao’s meditation on grief and the damaged American dream, won Academy Awards for best picture, director and actress at Sunday night’s surreal ceremony, a stage show broadcast on television about films mostly distributed on the internet. It was a sleepy event until the final minutes, when academy voters served up a dramatic twist …

The Associated Press reports: Hollywood’s theatrical business may be slowly rebounding but for some exhibitors the last year has been catastrophic. Pacific Theaters, which operates some 300 screens in California, including the beloved ArcLight theaters and the historic Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, said Monday that it will not be reopening. “This was not the outcome anyone wanted, but despite a …

The New York Times reports: Will Smith and the director Antoine Fuqua said on Monday that they were pulling their upcoming film production “Emancipation” out of Georgia because of the state’s new voting law, which has been denounced by activists as an effort to make voting harder for the state’s Black population. The slavery-era drama, which is being produced and …

Law & Crime reports: Federal prosecutors on Tuesday announced that agents with the FBI arrested a 34-year-old Los Angeles actor on charges that he oversaw a Ponzi scheme that swindled investors out of approximately $227 million. Zachary Joseph Horwitz, who also uses the stage name “Zach Avery,” allegedly bilked investors out of their funds by promising the money would be …

Variety reports: Jessica Walter, an Emmy-winning actress known for her work as the stalker in Clint Eastwood’s “Play Misty for Me,” and for the TV series “Arrested Development” and “Archer,” died Wednesday in New York. She was 80. Walter received an Emmy nomination in 2005 for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy for playing the manipulative alcoholic Lucille Bluth in …

Variety reports: George Segal, whose long career included playing Albert “Pops” Solomon on “The Goldbergs,” and garnering an Oscar nom for supporting actor for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” died Tuesday. He was 87. His wife Sonia announced his death, saying, “The family is devastated to announce that this morning George Segal passed away due to complications from bypass surgery.” …

NBC News reports: Netflix has never made a big deal about password-sharing, but a new test suggests the company may be reconsidering. Netflix is trying out a new policy with some customers, prompting certain people to sign up for a separate account if they aren’t watching with the subscriber. The message reads: “If you don’t live with the owner of …

The Hollywood Reporter reports: Gina Carano will not be returning to The Mandalorian or the Star Wars galaxy after sharing a post on social media implying that being a Republican today is like being Jewish during the Holocaust. “Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future,” a Lucasfilm …

Via press release: The SAG-AFTRA National Board, meeting via Zoom video conference, passed a resolution preemptively denying any potential re-admission applications by former member Donald J. Trump. The resolution cites the same concerns that prompted the initial disciplinary charges — which were resolved by Trump’s resignation on Thursday — notably his antagonism of the union’s journalist members and disregard for …

Variety reports: Christopher Plummer, the Canadian-born Shakespearean actor who starred in films including “The Sound of Music” and “Beginners,” died on Friday morning at his home in Connecticut. He was 91. Plummer was best known for playing Captain Von Trapp in the Oscar-winning musical “The Sound of Music.” He also won an Oscar in 2012 for his supporting turn in …

Variety reports: Oscar winner and multiple Emmy winner Cloris Leachman, best remembered as the delightfully neurotic Phyllis Lindstrom on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and her own subsequent sitcom, died of natural causes on Tuesday in Encinitas, Calif. She was 94. The daffy, self-absorbed Phyllis, a character she claimed was close to her own persona, brought the actress two Emmys …

Politico reports: Actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger received his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, making him among the first residents 65 and older to get the shot in Los Angeles County. Schwarzenegger, 73, booked an appointment himself at one of the city’s large-scale vaccination sites Tuesday after county health officials announced that …

Mediaite reports: President Donald Trump probably won’t be tuning in to Turner Classic Movies on Jan. 20. The network has scheduled an Inauguration Day lineup of films to celebrate incoming President Joe Biden, while not-so-subtly trolling Trump. TCM’s lineup on Jan. 20 is as follows: Ode to Billy Joe (1976), Polo Joe (1936), The Fabulous Joe (1947), The Story of …

The New York Daily News reports: The actor formerly known as Ellen Page announced he is transgender and now goes by Elliot Page. “I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they, and my name is Elliot,” the “Juno” star shared in a tweet Tuesday. “I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. …

Variety reports: Sean Connery, the Scottish-born actor who rocketed to fame as James Bond and became one of the movies’ most popular and enduring international stars, has died. He was 90. Connery, long regarded as one of the best actors to have portrayed the iconic spy, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000 and marked his 90th birthday only …

The New York Daily News reports: If you can’t beat Borat, join him. After condemning Sacha Baron Cohen’s first “Borat” movie for portraying the former Soviet republic as backward and bigoted in 2006, Kazakhstan has now embraced the character’s famous catchphrase as a tourism slogan. The Kazakh Tourism board released a series of promotional spots Sunday showing travelers exploring the …

ABC News reports: As indoor entertainment venues continue to struggle against the coronavirus pandemic, AMC Theaters announced this weekend it’s got a special offer for moviegoers looking to see some of their favorite flicks on the big screen. And they won’t have to worry about getting the worst seat in the house. The theater chain is offering rentals for an …