Paul Mazursky's 1986 comedy "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" is a sharp indictment of ultra-moneyed yuppie culture, which was running rampant during the Reagan administration. Culturally speaking, the mid 1980s saw a redoubled effort to enrich the already-wealthy and encourage rich people to become obsessed with conspicuous consumption. Many, many films and TV shows about Beverly Hills were released at this time, delving deep into the cockroach nest where America's wealthy classes gathered and cannibalized each other.

Prominent among these was Mazursky's film about a rich family, the Whitemans, that recently became wealthy thanks to a wire hanger manufacturing empire. The family are all empty and unhappy. Matriarch Barbara (Bette Midler) is attempting to fill her emptiness with increasingly strange renditions of New Age spirituality, while patriarch Dave (Richard Dreyfuss) is filling his own emptiness by having an affair with the family's live-in maid, Carmen (Elizabeth Peña). Their child...

A little while back, we ran a special Wtf episode about the 1979 Disney movie, The Black Hole, an uncommonly adult film for the family-friendly studio. It kicked off an experiment for the studio to move into adult fare, eventually spawning no less than three subsidiaries that produced some of the most influential movies of the 80s, 90s and 2000s. These off-shoots paved the way for Disney’s place as the most powerful motion picture studio in the world, with them owning Lucasfilm, Pixar and the MCU. This summer, the Mouse House released an uncommonly bold MCU movie, Deadpool & Wolverine, which sported an R-rating, and has done blockbuster business. Many are wondering if perhaps this could have the way for Disney to tackle some adult fare, but it wouldn’t be the first time, and maybe now is the time to bring back Touchstone Pictures.

So, what’s Touchstone Pictures...

It’s rare when a ripped-from-the-headlines adaptation fails to capitalize upon the wilder, weirder aspects of its real-life counterpart. Yet that’s what happens in the case of director Austin Peters’ “Skincare,” which, to be fair, only claims to be a fictionalized version of the true-crime story of a successful celebrity aesthetician who allegedly hired a hitman to take out her competition. What’s there borrows from the real scandal to lightly explore the feminine rage, jealousy and paranoia festering underneath a girl-boss gloss so prevalent in the early 2010s. Through slick aesthetics bolstered by a sensational soundscape, the filmmakers build an entrancing, atmospheric mood piece. But given a few of its omissions, it’s questionable why the storytellers didn’t go in for the kill.

Skin is fragile (it’s the largest organ in the human body), tasked with keeping us healthy and in one piece. It’s no...

Bleecker Street’s new comedy “The Fabulous Four” finds Bette Midler doing what she does best: broad comedy with a touch of poignancy peeking out from just beneath the surface.

It’s a quality that characterizes many of Midler’s most memorable performances in films like “The First Wives Club,” “Down and Out in Beverly Hills,” and “That Old Feeling,” and according to Midler, it’s been part of her approach since the beginning.

“When I worked live, starting from the time I was 19, I was very much aware of the melancholy underneath certain kinds of scenes,” Midler told IndieWire in a recent interview. “There’s a musical term for it: contrapuntal. ‘Miss M’ is loud and boisterous on the outside, but there’s an undercurrent of despair because it’s very hard to be a human being.”

In “The Fabulous Four,” Midler plays a widow who surprises her friends...

Bill Pullman probably isn’t the first actor you’d think would be cast to portray a drug-addicted sociopath who is convicted of killing his wife Maggie and son Paul, as he does playing Alex Murdaugh in the Lifetime two-part docudrama “Murdaugh Murders: The Movie.” This is, after all the same guy who played the heroic President of the U.S. in the 1996 blockbuster “Independence Day,” and his impressive career has found him playing an assortment of characters similarly defined by their inherent decency. This is also a man who has been married for 37 years – to the same woman. Not that Pullman necessarily sees himself as having a brand. “Everybody says, ‘Oh, you do’,” he admits. “But I think I’m available for (the whole of) human behavior. And it’s nice to live on the other side every once in a while.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.

To be sure,...

Swanning around Italy like side characters from the second season of “The White Lotus,” well-to-do gay couple Dom (Nick Kroll) and Cole (Andrew Rannells) have decided the world is against them. As Americans, they live at a time in a country when they can legally get married, adopt and do pretty much everything straight people can — but they’re also old enough to remember when that wasn’t the case, and so they anticipate rejection and homophobia at every turn. They’re prepared for the worst, and somehow they attract it.

Loosely inspired by filmmakers Brian Crano and David Craig’s bumpy road to fatherhood, catty black comedy “I Don’t Understand You” depicts a stretch in Dom and Cole’s relationship when everything seems to be going their way … until suddenly it doesn’t. While celebrating their anniversary in Italy, the pair get the news that the baby they’ve...

Turning a short-lived parody TV series into a feature film was always going to involve taking a chance, but as the team behind the Naked Gun franchise learned, it wasn’t quite on the level of sticking your face in a fan.

Following the breakout success of the 1980 smash hit Airplane!, that film’s writer-director team — David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker — found themselves grounded when ABC promptly canceled their police-spoofing show Police Squad! in 1982. But the series’ co-creators refused to let the concept die and went on to adapt it for The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, which Paramount Pictures released theatrically on Dec. 2, 1988. The movie, featuring Leslie Nielsen reprising his Police Squad! lead role as accident-prone police lieutenant Frank Drebin, also starred Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalbán, George Kennedy and O. J. Simpson.

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the original Naked Gun film that...

Emmy-and-Golden Globe winning actor. Oscar-nominated producer. Director. Writer. In his 50 years in the industry, Danny DeVito has worn many hats, becoming one of the most successful and popular entertainers of his generation.

Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. was born on November 17, 1944, in New Jersey, with multiple epiphyseal dysplasia. Also known as Fairbank’s disease, this rare genetic disorder affects bone growth and contributed to his short stature. This has not hindered his successes, beginning with his training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and early work in the theater.

In 1975, DeVito successfully reprised his off-Broadway role in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in the film version, and soon found success as Louie DePalma in the television sitcom “Taxi,” for which he received four Primetime Emmy and four Golden Globe nominations, winning the Emmy in 1978 and the Globe in 1980. Louie was the arrogant dispatcher of the Sunshine Cab Company who...

Chicago – Use the word “surely” in any conversation, such as “Surely …” and inevitably you’ll get the answer, “Blah Blah, and don’t call me Shirley.” One of a trio that came up with that famous riposte, David Zucker, was at the Chicago Humanities Festival as co-author of “Surely you Can’t be Serious: The True Story of Airplane!”

The book was written with the other two members of the legendary movie comedy creators nicknamed Zaz … for (David) Zucker, (Jim) Abrahams and (Jerry) Zucker. In 1980, the trio wrote and directed one of the most influential comedy movies of their generation, the deliciously funny farce “Airplane!,” forever changing comic sensibilities and satire. The book is a look back to a different time and place in American entertainment, and David Zucker appeared on its behalf as part of the ongoing Fall Chicago Humanities Festival on October 21st, 2023.

David Zucker and His Book...

Robert Schmidt, the film editor whose decades-long collaboration with director Robert Zemeckis on classics such as Forrest Gump, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Cast Away, Contact and all three Back to the Future films won him two Oscars, has died, Deadline has confirmed. He was 86.

Schmidt’s two Best Film Editing Oscars came for Roger Rabbit (1988) and Forrest Gump (1994). His other collaborations with Zemeckis included Death Becomes Her (1992) and What Lies Beneath (2000).

“Arthur Schmidt was incredibly talented and a joy to work with,” Zemeckis said in a statement to Deadline. “He was a true gentleman and I am honored to have known him and to have created what we did together.”

Schmidt had a distinguished career beyond that artistic partnership.

He edited films directed by Michael Mann, Taylor Hackford, Michael Apted, Mike Nichols, Barry Sonnenfeld and many others.

In addition to his Oscars, Schmidt won Ace Eddies for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl...

Arthur Schmidt, the two-time Oscar-winning film editor who collaborated with director Robert Zemeckis on 10 films, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump and the Back to the Future trilogy, has died. He was 86.

Schmidt died Saturday of an unknown cause at his home in Santa Barbara, his brother Ron Schmidt told The Hollywood Reporter.

The second-generation film editor also cut three Mike Nichols features — The Fortune (1975), The Birdcage (1996) and Primary Colors (1998) — and two helmed by Michael Apted — Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980), for which he received his first Oscar nom, and Firstborn (1984).

His résumé over four decades included work on Marathon Man (1976), Jaws 2 (1978), Ruthless People (1986), Beaches (1988), The Rocketeer (1991), The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and Congo (1995), and he was brought in for three months to help tidy up the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie in 2003.

Schmidt received his Academy Awards in 1989 for Who Framed Roger Rabbit and in 1995 for Forrest Gump,...

In 1988 Tom Cruise was arguably the biggest star in the world. Top Gun came out in 1986 and was the year’s top-grossing movie. It wasn’t only a hit – it was a cultural phenomenon, and Cruise became a rare kind of movie star. He was a sex symbol for the ladies, but the guys liked him too. Speaking personally, having been born in 1981, I vividly remember owning the VHS tape of Top Gun and playing it on a loop. Cruise was my first concept of a movie star; to kids like me, he was like a cool Big Brother-type figure. He was the guy we all wanted to be with him riding motorcycles, rocking fantastic hair and an attitude which was never too threatening while blasting awesome 80s rock music and having the girls go crazy for him. He was the man, and if any movie ever cemented his big-screen stardom,...

The hit TV show Taxi aired on ABC and NBC from 1979 to 1983. The series focused on the employees of the Sunshine Taxi Company. Which Taxi cast member has the highest net worth today? Here’s what we know.

Jeff Conaway The cast of ‘Taxi.’ | ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Net worth: $250,000

The late Jeff Conaway played the character Bobby Wheeler. Conaway had an estimated net worth of $250,000 at the time of his death, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He died on May 27, 2011. Conaway reportedly died after an accidental drug overdose. He was 60 years old.

Carol Kane Carol Kane | ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Net worth: $3 million

Carol Kane played the character Simka Dahblitz-Gravas. As of this writing, she has an estimated net worth of $3 million. One of Kane’s early acting roles was an appearance in the 1971 movie Carnal Knowledge.

With its win for Best Film Editing on Sunday, “Everything Everywhere All At Once” became the first comedy to score this statuette in an astonishing 34 years — since 1988’s “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.”

Editor Paul Rogers’ deft handling of multiverses is likely what garnered his work more votes from the Academy than his competition: “Elvis,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “Tár.” But despite a heartwarming plot thread about the power of family, “Eeaao” is still at its heart an outlandish, overt comedy, complete with hot dog fingers, magical bagels and a racoon-meets-Ratatouille subplot.

Also Read:

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’: How Costume Designer Shirley Kurata Outfitted the Multiverse

A mere glance at winners in this category proves the extraordinary rarity of this victory. Limiting the list to recent decades, it has been thoroughly dominated by war films, ensemble pieces, action epics and musical dramas.

Between the Oscar...

Beverly Hills Cop fans are all saying the same thing about Judge Reinhold after the actor was spotted on set.

Reinhold’s career took off in 1984 after he played junior detective Billy Rosewood, alongside Eddie Murphy, in the buddy comedy film.

Reinhold went on to appear in the film’s two sequels, released in 1987 and 1994. His other credits include Gremlins (1984), Ruthless People (1986) and The Santa Clause (1996).

In the past two decades, Reinhold’s high-profile film roles have dwindled, but fans were elated when a photo of him on set of Beverly Hills Cop 4, titled Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley, circulated on social media.

Shared by screenwriter David Stokes, the image shows Reinhold alongside co-star John Ashton, who is set to return as Sergeant John Taggart.

After the elation surrounding their return subsided, many couldn’t help but highlight that Reinhold, who is 65, now looks exactly like Mickey Rourke.

The Movie Robcast wrote: “Must admit,...

Who knew when the year began that a sequel to a 36-year-old movie starring its 60-year-old actor who headlined the original would be the box office champ so far this year? But “Top Gun: Maverick” starring Tom Cruise, which was released Aug. 23 on digital formats while still flying high in theaters is not only the No. 1 film of the year with a staggering haul of 683.4 million domestically and 720 million overseas. And the acclaimed film didn’t even play in China or Russia. “Top Gun: Maverick” is also the biggest film of Cruise’s career which began in 1981 with Franco Zeffirelli’s “Endless Love.”

And with the digital release, let’s relive 1986, the year we first felt the need for speed and flew into the danger zone. The year the original “Top Gun” took our breath away.

Top 10 Box Office Hits

Top Gun (natch)

Crocodile Dundee

Platoon

The Karate Kid Part...

When My Cousin Vinny arrived in theaters on March 13, 1992, nobody had any idea we’d still be talking about it 30 years later. A midmarket, fish-out-water comedy about a streetwise Brooklyn attorney (Joe Pesci) who travels to Alabama with his plucky girlfriend (Marisa Tomei) to help his innocent nephew (Ralph Macchio) beat a bum murder rap, the film didn’t get much promotion out of the gate. Instead, the studio that produced it, 20th Century Fox, invested heavily in higher-profile offerings like Alien 3 and White Men Can’t Jump. Wayne’s World...

Emmy-and-Golden Globe winning actor. Oscar-nominated producer. Director. Writer. In his 50 years in the industry, Danny DeVito has worn many hats, becoming one of the most successful and popular entertainers of his generation.

Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. was born on November 17, 1944, in New Jersey, with multiple epiphyseal dysplasia. Also known as Fairbank’s disease, this rare genetic disorder affects bone growth and contributed to his short stature. This has not hindered his successes, beginning with his training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and early work in the theater.

SEEEmmys Best Comedy Series Gallery: Every Winner in Emmy Awards History

In 1975, DeVito successfully reprised his off-Broadway role in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in the film version, and soon found success as Louie DePalma in the television sitcom “Taxi,” for which he received four Primetime Emmy and four Golden Globe nominations, winning the Emmy in 1978 and the Globe in...

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter In Studio, Bill Pullman opened up on his role in the series The Sinner, as well as his overall journey as an actor which has now spanned over 30 years.

After studying theater in New York state and subsequently teaching at Montana State University, Pullman got his first big break in the film industry at the age of 33 in the Bette Midler-Danny DeVito comedy Ruthless People. “I guess that would count as a late bloomer,” Pullman said with a smile.

The actor has performed in his fair share of genres, including ...

On December 1, 2018, Bette Midler will celebrate her 73rd birthday. Midler has had one of the most varied and successful careers in show business encompassing success on stage, screen and in the recording industry. She shows no signs of slowing down either since she has just completed one of her most successful ventures ever, starring for a year on Broadway in the revival of the musical “Hello Dolly!” That performance earned her a Tony Award as Best Actress in Musical. She has also won three Emmys, three Grammys, and three Golden Globes over the course of her career. One of the Emmys came for her much loved classic television moment when she sang on the second to last episode of Johnny Carson’s tenure as host of “The Tonight Show.”

SEEKennedy Center Honors: Our top 50 recommendations who need to be chosen include Dick Van Dyke, Liza Minnelli, Jessica Lange, Bette Midler

Midler was born in Honolulu,...

On December 1, 2018, Bette Midler will celebrate her 73rd birthday. Midler has had one of the most varied and successful careers in show business encompassing success on stage, screen and in the recording industry. She shows no signs of slowing down either since she has just completed one of her most successful ventures ever, starring for a year on Broadway in the revival of the musical “Hello Dolly!” That performance earned her a Tony Award as Best Actress in Musical. She has also won three Emmys, three Grammys, and three Golden Globes over the course of her career. One of the Emmys came for her much loved classic television moment when she sang on the second to last episode of Johnny Carson’s tenure as host of “The Tonight Show.”

Midler was born in Honolulu, Hawaii but left during her sophomore year of college to pursue a career in New York on the stage.

Bette Midler offered an apology Thursday for a tweet in which she called women “the N-word of the world.”

“The too brief investigation of allegations against Kavanaugh infuriated me,” she said in an explanation. “Angrily I tweeted w/o thinking my choice of words would be enraging to black women who doubly suffer, both by being women and by being black. I am an ally and stand with you; always have. And I apologize.”

The too brief investigation of allegations against Kavanaugh infuriated me. Angrily I tweeted w/o thinking my choice of words would be enraging to black women who doubly suffer, both by being women and by being black. I am an ally and stand with you; always have. And I apologize.

— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) October 5, 2018

Also Read: 'Young Turks' Founder Cenk Uygur Apologizes for 'Ugly,' 'Insensitive' Old Blog Posts (Exclusive)

“Women are the n-word of the world,...

“A Star Is Born” opens this weekend as one of the most anticipated releases of 2018. The film’s title may as well refer to its lead actress, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lady Gaga, whose previous movie experience came from brief appearances in two Robert Rodriguez films. Her reviews are rapturous and she’s a leading contender for a Best Actress Oscar nomination, all of which could make her the biggest singing crossover since Barbra Streisand.

Hollywood hasn’t seen a singer become a breakout success since Whitney Houston in 1992 — although many have tried. John Singleton’s 1993 “Poetic Justice” featured Janet Jackson opposite Tupac Shakur, which grossed $61 million. She costarred with Eddie Murphy in “The Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps” ($212 million), and was part of a Tyler Perry ensemble in two “Why Did I Get Married” films.

In 2001, Mariah Carey starred in “Glitter,” which was an embarrassing flop. The 2002 “Wise Girls” was a...

Danny DeVito will be presented with Donostia Award on September 22 Photo: Courtesy of San Sebastian Film Festival American actor, director and producer Danny DeVito is to be honoured with a Donostia Award for lifetime achievement at San Sebastian Film Festival

The Get Shorty and Batman Returns star - who will play the ringmaster in Tim Burton's upcoming live-action remake of Dumbo - will receive his accolade on September 22 and present animated film Smallfoot - about a Yeti who becomes convinced that mysterious creatures called 'humans' really exist - at the Velodrome the next day.

The award recognises his five-decade career in theatre, film and TV. The Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner is known for his roles in television series Taxi and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and movies including One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Terms of Endearment, Romancing The Stone, Twins, Ruthless People, and Tin Men.

The cynical action comedy “Gringo” aims right for an imagined sweet spot where “Midnight Run” and “Ruthless People” meet, get drunk, and roll “Fargo” in an alley somewhere. But this wildly uneven mix of nasty and nervy — which drops a hapless corporate Everyman played by David Oyelowo into a pinging kidnap scenario in Mexico — is primarily a time-waster, trotting out clichéd misadventure tropes and predictable zigzags in a manner neither terribly funny nor suspenseful. Shot two years ago from a script written years prior, which would explain why its drug kingpin character is named The Black Panther (oops!),...

Joseph Baxter Nick Harley Kirsten Howard Jan 10, 2018

Danny Boyle’s new crime series, Trust, focuses on the Getty kidnapping. An impressive cast has been assembled...

FX recently expanded its prestige drama lineup with Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle’s new anthology series, titled Trust. This particular offering dramatises one of the most intriguing public criminal incidents of recent history with the ransom-seeking kidnapping of curly-locked young heir John Paul Getty III, which shockingly resulted in apparent indifference and noncompliance from the family patriarch.

While this story might ring familiar to those who caught All the Money In The World, the latest film from director Ridley Scott, expect this limited series to delve deeper into the Getty calamity.

A new trailer for the series has just arrived. Take a look...

Trust release date

Trust is set to debut in the Us on 25th March. We'll bring you the UK broadcast details when we have them.

Stars: Sally Anderson, Darren Barzegar, Erin Harth, Sonya Kalian, Connie Lamothe, Janna Livingston, Nataly Martin, Joe Mayes, Nathan McDonald, Madeline Mikitarian, Nick Nerangis, Hannah Overholtzer, Anna Grace Padgett, Tony Villa | Written and Directed by Lisa Mikitarian

I’m no stranger to the dark comedy genre, I mean come on I am British after all… So when I received Spent, a movie branded with the tagline “Ruthless People meets Fargo” well, there was no way I was letting this one pass me by. Throw in some comedy awards on the indie movie circuit, including Winner Best Comedy at the American Filmatic Arts Awards, and you got me.

Spent is the story of Lonnie Schumacher (Darren Barzegar) and his mother Evelyn (Connie Lamothe), who are having the time of there life, while penny pinching father and husband Herbert lays dying in hospital with a brain tumor. Lonnie has huge plans of buying...

"It is my lucky day!" An official trailer has debuted for an ultra low budget, indie dark comedy titled Spent, described as Ruthless People meets Fargo in "a tale of greed, love, and most of all...rat poison." A "delicious homage to '40s dark comedy about a wife and son that live it up while their miser-rat of a husband/father lies in a hospital bed--death by brain tumor imminent." His family goes wild spending his money until he experiences a miraculous 4th of July recovery." The film's cast includes Nick Nerangis, Sally Anderson, Darren Barzegar, Erin Harth, Madeline Mikitarian, Sonya Kalian, Connie Lamothe, Janna Livingston, Nataly Martin, Joe Mayes, and Nathan McDonald. This looks extremely goofy and weird. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Lisa Mikitarian's Spent, direct from YouTube: Poor Herbert (Nick Nerangis)...if only the brain tumor had killed him... A charming dark comedy with a vintage vibe.

Ruthless People Meets Fargo In Spent, In Theaters And On Demand December 15 In theaters this December Spent, the award-winning new dark comedy from writer-director Lisa Mikitarian, hits theaters and VOD December 15 from Indie Rights. Winner Best Comedy at the American Filmatic Arts Awards, Spent is a tale of greed, love, and most of …

The post Spent, Award-winning Dark Comedy, in Theaters and VOD 12/15 first appeared on Hnn | Horrornews.net 2018 - Official Horror News Site...

Previous | Image 1 of 3 | NextBill Pullman at the 53rd Chicago International Film Festival.

Chicago – Bill Pullman is one of Hollywood’s treasures. The rogue-ish and handsome actor has been plying his trade for over 30 years, in such classics as “Spaceballs,” “A League of Their Own,” “While You Were Sleeping,” “Independence Day,” “Lost Highway” and the recent “Battle of the Sexes.” His latest film, which he previewed at the 53rd Chicago International Film Festival with director Jared Moshe, is a western called “The Ballad of Lefty Brown.”

Pullman was born in Hornell, New York, and began his career as an acting instructor at Montana State University, where his students encouraged him to start a film career. He made his debut in “Ruthless People” (1986) and began his long and successful career. He has also done Broadway stage (“The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?”) and TV (“1600 Penn”), and will appear in the film “Lbj,...

Of all the fond memories Bill Pullman has of working on Spaceballs, explaining how the crew feared that working with a special effects blue screen could make them pass out or go blind is the tale which makes him laugh the hardest recounting.

Now a household name, the then 32-year-old actor was an unknown with only one film credit under his belt (Ruthless People) when Mel Brooks discovered him in a play called Barabbas at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. It was at that point — after Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks both turned down the lead role in his sci-fi parody — the...

Judge Reinhold's going to miss out on more exposure and a payday -- he's cancelled his appearance at Paradise City Comic Con this weekend. Paradise City organizers tell TMZ ... Judge was scheduled to be in Fort Lauderdale Thursday until Sunday to meet fans of his movies -- "Beverly Hills Cop," "Ruthless People," "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," etc. -- but they are no longer expecting him. We're told the cancellation is due to his...

Bill Pullman is a familiar face that’s hard to define. The eighties found the actor taking a comedic direction with “Ruthless People” and “Spaceballs”; by early the next decade, he was heading into romantic territory in a string of studio romcoms that culminated with “While You Were Sleeping.” The late nineties epitomized the versatility of Pullman’s career, when his roles ranged from the disoriented center of a Kafkaesque nightmare in David Lynch’s “Lost Highway” to the committed U.S. president in the midst of alien invasion in “Independence Day.”

While that film and its rousing speech remain Pullman’s best-known achievement, they hardly begin to epitomize the sheer range of performances in the actor’s roster. Even as Pullman returned this year to play that character for “Independence Day: Resurgence,” he remains nimble as ever, preparing to star in the independent western “The Ballad of Lefty Brown” while developing a play.

As with any actor whose work I love, there are films that stand out as particularly great in the career of Steve Martin, and one of those films is Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. There are many great things about Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Michael Caine is a perfect foil for Martin, whose work as nascent con man Freddy Benson is inspired. Frank Oz does a terrific job of creating this romantic, beautiful French fantasyland where people are going to believe the incredible lies told by Freddy and Caine’s master bullshit artist Lawrence Jamieson. Glenne Headly gives one of her most nimble performances as Janet Colgate, the poor defenseless tourist who ends up targeted by Freddy and Lawrence. Ian McDiarmid, best known to the fanboy nation as Emperor Palpatine, is dry and deadly as Arthur, Lawrence’s manservant. Miles Goodman’s score is terrific, one of the great comedy scores of the ‘80s,...

“Game over, man, game over!” It’s rare for a sequel to live up to the original film, but James Cameron managed to fulfill expectations with Aliens (July 18, 1986). This summer marks the 30th Anniversary of the action-packed sci-fi classic, so “stop your grinnin’ and drop your linen.”

Tune-in Saturday, July 23, to an exclusive Aliens YouTube live stream Q&A with the filmmakers and cast from San Diego Comic-Con! Submit your questions in the comments below for a chance to get them answered. #Aliens30th

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Aliens (1986), San Diego Comic-Con will host an Aliens reunion on Saturday, July 23. Attendees include director James Cameron, producer Gale Anne Hurd, Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton, Lance Henriksen, Paul Reiser, Michael Biehn, and Carrie Henn.

Subscribe to Fox Movies and follow on https://www.facebook.com/AlienAnthology so you don’t miss this exclusive live event.

The terror continues in James Cameron...

For the first time ever, Donald Cammell’s obscure 1987 serial killer thriller White of the Eye is available on DVD and Blu-ray in the United States (the UK arm of Arrow Video brandished its own striking package of the title in early 2014). Director of only four features, including his iconic 1970 debut Performance (co-directed by Nicolas Roeg), Cammell’s quartet of features were all labors of love, the filmmaker undergoing significant set backs on each project up until his death following 1995’s Wild Side.

With seven to ten years in-between each outing, this feature marked the end of a decade long hiatus following 1977’s adaptation of the Dean Koontz novel Demon Seed starring Julie Christie. Adapting from an obscure novel by brothers Laurence and Andrew Klavan (a notable writer of mystery thrillers) writing under the pseudonym Margaret Tracy, Cammell’s wife and actress China Kong co-wrote the screenplay. With his experience...

HitFix's recent spate of "Best Year in Film History" pieces inevitably spurred some furious debate among our readers, with some making compelling arguments for years not included in our pieces (2007 and 1968 were particularly popular choices) and others openly expressing their bewilderment at the inclusion of others (let's just say 2012 took a beating). In the interest of giving voice to your comments, below we've rounded up a few of the most thoughtful, passionate, surprising and occasionally incendiary responses to our pieces, including my own (I advocated for The Year of Our Lynch 2001, which is obviously the best). Here we go... Superstar commenter "A History of Matt," making an argument for 1968: The Graduate. Bullit. The Odd Couple. The Lion in Winter. Planet of the Apes. The Thomas Crown Affair. Funny Girl. Rosemary's Baby. And of course, 2001, A Space Odyssey. And that's only a taste of the greatness of that year. "Lothar the Flatulant,...

CBS and Warner Bros.' search is over – Supergirl will be played by Glee's Melissa Benoist…

First Grant Gustin and now Melissa Benoist, it seems starring in Glee has become an popular route to getting your own superhero TV show. Benoist, according to The Hollywood Reporter, is now confirmed to play Supergirl. It’s time to chuck out your previous betting slips with Claire Holt on them, it would seem.

As well as Glee (which she joined in season 4 and even sang in a faux-Wonder Woman costume in one episode), Benoist is currently gracing UK screens as poorly-treated love interest Nicole in the excellent Whiplash.

Supergirl, if you don’t know already, goes by the name Kara Zor-el and is cousins with the Man Of Steel himself. There are lots of parallels; She was also born on Krypton, but managed to escape its destruction, found a foster family, and...

CBS' in-development Supergirl series may have found its lead – The Vampire Diaries’ Claire Holt…

Welcome to casting rumour corner, where so many pinches of salt are doled out that pepper is beginning to feel woefully neglected. However, this rumour does at least have a ring of plausibility about it.

Claire Holt, known best as Rebekah to fans of The Vampire Diaries (and its spin-off The Originals), is being linked heavily to the much-speculated-about Supergirl TV series.

The element of believability here stems from the fact that Claire Holt made her name on The CW, the network that houses Arrow and The Flash as well as The Vampire Diaries and The Originals.

Picking up a familiar face from a sister network to try and sway a few viewers into checking out your new show? Sounds like TV network exec logic to us. That's no slight against Holt herself, mind.

The show,...

We’ve reviewed every summer movie season since 1980 to find out which are the best, and which are the worst. Last week we posted our picks for the worst, and here we post our picks for the best.

2015 and 2016 may just be the most overthetop summer movie seasons yet. It seems like nearly every movie slated for a summer 2015 or 2016 release is heavily anticipated. Because of these impending summers of movie awesomeness, we’ve decided to take a look back at summer movie seasons of years past. The idea of the summer movie season is currently in full swing, but it didn’t catch on immediately. Hollywood had to do its fair share of experimenting to determine what types of films would be most successful. As a result, some summer movie seasons have been better than others. We’ve reviewed them all for you and ranked them from worst to best.

Life of Crime

Written for the screen and directed by Daniel Schechter

USA, 2013

Elmore Leonard has one of the most distinctive voices in American film and television and while you may not recognize his name, you will surely recognize his work. His writing is pure cinema, so it should be no surprise that Leonard’s work served as inspiration for Out of Sight, 3:10 to Yuma, Get Shorty, and Justified. Life of Crime is based on Leonard’s novel The Switch, which is a lesser work, but the story still has the capacity for entertainment. In a slow week of new releases at the theatre, that’s more than enough.

Ordell Robbie (Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def) and Louis Gara (John Hawkes) get much more than they bargained for after kidnapping the wife of a corrupt real-estate developer (Tim Robbins). As it turns out, Frank Dawson has no...

A little over a year ago, the entertainment world mourned the passing of prolific author Elmore Leonard, a writer well-known in both literature and motion picture circles. His earliest works were in the Western genre and beginning in the late 1950′s many were filmed (his short story 3:10 To Yuma was made twice!). In the next decade Leonard switched genres and soon became known as one of the great creators of gritty crime thrillers. And Hollywood scooped these up for the screen, perhaps more so than the “oaters”. In the 90′s many celebrated young directors discovered his work and several critical (if not always box office) hits were released. 1998 saw Steven Soderbergh’s take on Out Of Sight following Quentin Tarantino’s spin on “Rum Punch” titled Jackie Brown the previous year. Both films even shared a Leonard character, Michael Keaton as Atf agent Ray Nicholette. This weekend sees a...

Ordell (Mos Def) and Louis (John Hawkes) have planned the perfect kidnapping. Their target is Mickey (Jennifer Aniston), wife to a sketchy businessman named Frank (Tim Robbins) who’s hiding a fortune in a secret bank account. The plan is simple. Kidnap Mickey, tell Frank to pay the ransom if he ever wants to see his wife again and then retire in style. But they never considered the possibility that Frank might not want his wife back. Chronology is a funny thing. The inclination will be (and has been if you check the IMDb page) to label Life of Crime a straight-up rip-off of 1986′s Ruthless People. In actuality though this is an adaptation of Elmore Leonard‘s 1978 novel, The Switch. Keep moving backward and you’ll find that all of these incarnations share an inspiration in O. Henry’s 1907 short story, “The Ransom of Red Chief.” The problem for this film then is how to stand...

Criminal Intent: Leonard Done Light

What remains most enticing about Daniel Schechter’s Life of Crime is its connection to Quentin Tarantino’s 1997 masterwork, Jackie Brown. While Tarantino adapted Elmore Leonard’s Rum Punch, Schechter takes on the earlier work of The Switch, which features the younger version of three key characters from the later novel, here existing in 1978 Detroit. A bit too light to register the same malevolence (though apparently Schechter is more in tune with Leonard’s style than Tarantino), and inanely marketed as a ‘caper comedy,’ Schechter takes a rather familiar premise and turns it into a completely enjoyable, utterly innocuous film. Inbal Weinberg’s production design turns the late 70’s into a glossy postcard of kitsch, not unlike her similar rendering of the 80s in the primped The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which only furthers the film’s highly sanitized feel.

Frank Dawson (Tim Robbins...

Watching this trailer for the new dark caper comedy Life of Crime, a couple of things crossed my mind. Firstly, isn’t this the same plot as the Danny DeVito/Bette Midler dark comedy Ruthless People? Synopsis of Life of Crime: Two small-time crooks decide to kidnap the wife of a rich businessman and demand a million dollars for her safe […]

Read Trailer for the Elmore Leonard Adaptation ‘Life of Crime’ Starring Jennifer Aniston and Tim Robbins on Filmonic.

Two-time Oscar-nominated actress and multiple Grammy Award-winning singer Bette Midler will perform for the first time on the Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today.

“We are thrilled to have Bette perform on the Oscars for the very first time,” said Zadan and Meron. “We believe she will make our Oscar telecast an especially moving evening.”

Midler received Oscar nominations for Actress in a Leading Role for “For the Boys” and The Rose.”

She has recorded 13 studio albums, the first of which, 1972’s “The Divine Miss M,” sold over a million copies and earned her a Grammy for Best New Artist. Midler has gone on to sell over 30 million albums worldwide and win two additional Grammys for the songs “The Rose” (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance) and “Wind Beneath My Wings” (Record of the Year). She has been honored with three Emmy® Awards and a special Tony...

Two-time Oscar-nominated actress and multiple Grammy Award-winning singer Bette Midler will perform for the first time on the Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, will air on Sunday, March 2, live on ABC. "We are thrilled to have Bette perform on the Oscars for the very first time," said Zadan and Meron. "We believe she will make our Oscar telecast an especially moving evening." Midler received Oscar nominations for Actress in a Leading Role for For the Boys and The Rose The First Wives Club , Down and Out in Beverly Hills and Ruthless People . Last year Midler portrayed the late Hollywood agent Sue Mengers in the hit Broadway production, "I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue...

Two-time Oscar-nominated actress and multiple Grammy Award-winning singer Bette Midler will perform for the first time on the Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, will air on Sunday, March 2, live on ABC. "We are thrilled to have Bette perform on the Oscars for the very first time," said Zadan and Meron. "We believe she will make our Oscar telecast an especially moving evening." Midler received Oscar nominations for Actress in a Leading Role for For the Boys and The Rose The First Wives Club , Down and Out in Beverly Hills and Ruthless People . Last year Midler portrayed the late Hollywood agent Sue Mengers in the hit Broadway production, "I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue...

What’s new, what’s hot, and what you may have missed, now available to stream.

because you missed it

Welcome to the Punch: stylish Brit crime drama with a killer cast; stars James McAvoy and Mark Strong are even more engaging than usual [at Netflix]

new to stream

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: Terry Gilliam’s weird and funny tall tale about the legendary teller of tall tales [at Netflix] Ruthless People: the modern classic black comedy of kidnapping and revenge, with outrageous performances by Danny DeVito and Bette Midler [at Netflix]

streaming now, before dvd

Blue Jasmine: Woody Allen’s latest is a striking portrait of a woman on the edge; Cate Blanchett is amazing [at blinkbox] Prince Avalanche: quirky arthouse buddy dramedy with fantastic performances by Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch [at blinkbox] Ain’t Them Bodies Saints: oddly dreamy romance among criminals; like if Terrence Malick made Bonnie and Clyde [at blinkbox] The Fifth Estate...

While they may not necessarily be the villains and get all the glory, there's something to be said for the douchebag characters of the horror genre- they often add to the drama of any given situation, they generally complicate things and they make it oh, so fun to hate them.

That being said, I thought it might be kind of fun to look back at some of my favorite douchebag characters of the horror genre- past and present. The only rule? They aren't the film's "big bad." Be forewarned, though: If you haven't seen some of these films, this countdown may get a little spoiler-y for you.

So, in the immortal words of Kanye West, "Let's have a toast for the douchebags" and check out some of this writer's favorite unsavory characters in the horror genre of all time.

Bennett (Kim Coates) in Resident Evil: Afterlife: It's no shocker...