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Brokeback Mountainco-writer Diana Ossana predicted that the iconic film wouldn't win Best Picture after an encounter with Clint Eastwood at a party before the awards show. Diana Ossana did win the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Brokeback Mountain alongside Larry McMurtry, which tells the story of two cowboys in the 1960s who begin a secret love affair that became a cultural touchstone when it hit theaters in December 2005. The film was a powerhouse and was the odds-on favorite to win Best Picture. However, in one of the biggest and most baffling upsets in Oscar history, Crash took home Best Picture.

Twenty years following Brokeback Mountain's release, writer Diana Ossana spoke to The New York Times about how she knew before the Oscar ceremony that they weren't going to win Best Picture. Ossana recalls attending a party at Crash director Paul Haggis's house shortly after Oscar voting...

Even though almost 20 years have passed since Brokeback Mountain historically lost the Oscar for Best Picture to the less-than-perfect Crash, film buffs still scratch their heads over what the heck happened for the Ang Leemovie to lose the most important prize of that night when it was very clearly the favorite to make history at the Academy Awards. During an interview with The New York Times to celebrate the drama's 20th anniversary, Brokeback Mountain screenwriter Diana Ossana (Good Joe Bell) revealed that there were some early indications that the movie wouldn't win.

Ossana co-wrote the script for Brokeback Mountain with Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove), and they adapted it from the short story by Annie Proulx. The screenwriter told Nyt that when she started to attend events to promote the movie during the awards season, it became clear that there was "entrenched homophobia" hailing from the Hollywood elite, which might suggest...

Clint Eastwood not watching Brokeback Mountain effectively confirmed that the movie wouldn’t win the Oscar for Best Picture, according to its co-writer Diana Ossana. Brokeback Mountain had been the favorite to scoop the biggest prize of the night at the Academy Awards in 2006, amid criticism from conservative elements of the media and film industry about its portrayal of LGBTQ+ themes.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, the writer who scripted one of Heath Ledger’s best movies alongside Larry McMurtry recounted meeting Eastwood at the Oscar nomination party that year. According to Ossana, director Paul Haggis, whose film Crash ultimately won Best Picture that year, warned her that the legendary Western star hadn’t seen her movie. She recalled:

“Paul started walking me over and he goes, ‘Diana, I have to tell you, he hasn’t seen your movie.’ And it was like somebody kicked me in the stomach,...

As Brokeback Mountain returns to theaters for its 20th anniversary, a writer behind the 2005 gay neo-Western romance recently recalled its Oscars snub.

Co-writer Diana Ossana recently recalled Crash director Paul Haggis introducing her to Clint Eastwood at a party for the Academy Award nominees after voting had ended, several weeks before the awards show.

“Paul started walking me over and he goes, ‘Diana, I have to tell you, he hasn’t seen your movie,'” recalled Ossana to The New York Times. “And it was like somebody kicked me in the stomach. That’s when I knew we would not win Best Picture.”

Despite winning a record number of Best Picture prizes during the awards season, including the Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice Award and Independent Spirit Award, Brokeback Mountain infamously lost the Oscar to Crash.

Ossana is still convinced homophobia in Hollywood played a part in the defeat. “People want to deny that,...

“Brokeback Mountain” losing Best Picture to “Crash” at the 78th Academy Awards in 2006 is often cited as one of the most egregious Oscar snubs of all time. Two decades later, “Brokeback Mountain” co-writer and producer Diana Ossana still remembers the sting of losing and the moment she realized the prize would evade her.

Speaking to the New York Times for the film’s 20th anniversary, Ossana, who co-wrote the script with Larry McMurtry, said she saw entrenched homophobia towards Ang Lee’s film from some of Hollywood’s elite. She recalled attending a party at “Crash” director Paul Haggis’ house and being excited to meet Clint Eastwood, who had enjoyed his own Oscars sweep the previous year for “Million Dollar Baby,” only to be told that the Western icon hadn’t watched her cowboy movie.

“Paul started walking me over and he goes, ‘Diana, I have to tell you, he hasn’t seen your movie.

It’s been 20 years since a couple of cowboys, Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar, first met herding sheep on Brokeback Mountain – and 20 years since director Ang Lee, screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana and stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger changed the course of queer American cinema with their adaptation of Annie Proulx’s 1997 short story.

Lee recently said “Brokeback Mountain,” which earned him the 2006 Academy Award for Best Director, is “uniquely, and universally, a great American love story.” The gravitas and delicacy with which he and his collaborators handled the solemn, soaring tale of two young men falling in love while working on the plains of 1963 Wyoming is what allowed the Focus Features release – initially known as merely the “gay cowboy movie” – to gross over $178 million at the global box office and become the landmark classic it is today.

But the film’s road to success was a rocky one,...

To help Buck Bloomingdale understand cowboy culture as he fine-tuned the script for his heist film “Riding Hurt,” the team from Teton Ridge Entertainment took the screenwriter to watch some bull riding.

“We brought him out to Texas for the American Rodeo,” says Jillian Share, the president of Teton Ridge Entertainment. “We got him into the bullpen, , where he was up close and personal with the bulls, and then we took him to drinks with all the folks who had competed in the rodeo. We wanted him to get ingrained in that world.”

The goal is for “Riding Hurt,” which unfolds in the world of professional bull riding, to have the grit and authenticity that will make it recognizable to a part of America that Hollywood traditionally ignores. Catering to “red state” customers is an important part of Teton Ridge’s business model. And the production company is hoping to...

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This June, Prime Video is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the much-anticipated streaming release of Robert Eggers‘ Nosferatu to all the beloved K-dramas coming to Prime Video next month. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Prime Video this month and have an 85% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the 10 best films that are coming to Prime Video in June 2025 with an 85% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

12 Angry Men (June 1) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100% Credit – United Artists

12 Angry Men is a legal drama film directed by Sidney Lumet from a screenplay by Reginald Rose. Based on Reginald Rose’s 1954 television play of the same name, the 1957 film revolves around twelve men serving as jury members on a murder trial, but their prejudices and doubts get...

Throughout his showbiz run, Kevin Costner has become notable for his prolific presence in the western landscape, which dates back to his initial days in the industry, starting with Silverado in ’85. Even though Silverado served as a breakout point for the actor, the movie that made his presence prominent within the genre was his directorial debut, which premiered 5 years later.

Interestingly, Taylor Sheridan’s inspiration for Yellowstone stemmed from Costner’s directorial feature, whose impact on the genre can’t be overstated.

Kevin Costner’s directorial debut shaped Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone years later Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan | Credit: Paramount+

Like Costner, Taylor Sheridan‘s fascination with westerns began at a very young age, especially from the media he consumed. This involved works from writers Cormac McCarthy, Larry McMurtry, and Toni Morrison, and as for what shaped his modern-day western epic, in addition to Clint Eastwood‘s Unforgiven, Sheridan also...

When it comes to ranking the best Western movie actors, Paul Newman rarely troubles the likes of John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Gary Cooper at the top of all-time lists. Sure,  one of his most beloved movies was starring alongside Robert Redford in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," but arguably his most iconic roles were brooding outsiders like Eddie Felson in "The Hustler" and Luke Jackson in "Cool Hand Luke." Even so, Newman starred in his fair share of Westerns over the course of his career, putting in big performances for Arthur Penn in "The Left-Handed Gun," John Huston in "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean," and Robert Altman in "Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson." He also made two of the greatest Westerns ever with one particularly underrated director, Martin Ritt.

Ritt is arguably one of the most unsung Hollywood filmmakers, working...

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A film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's zonked-out, gonzo 1971 autobiography "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" began in earnest as long ago as 1976. The story goes that Larry McMurtry signed on to adapt Thompson's unadaptable novel into a screenplay, but that the project fell apart. Several notable filmmakers each flirted with the idea of making a "Fear and Loathing" movie, including Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone, and even famed animator Ralph Bakshi. 

The film didn't make it to the big screen until 1998, when audiences were treated to an ultra-chaotic version directed by Terry Gilliam. Production on the 1998 version started six years earlier, in 1992, when Rhino Films (!) sought to produce a version directed by Lee Tamahori. Tamahori couldn't do it, however, as he was busy shooting either the lugubrious noir "Mulholland Falls" or the survivalist thriller "The Edge." Johnny Depp,...

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the landmark film, Focus Features is re-releasing Brokeback Mountain nationwide in theaters, with special showings beginning on June 22nd and 25th.

Tickets are now on sale for the theatrical event, which will be accompanied by an all-new film poster, as well as forthcoming merchandise and other connected initiatives.

Photo courtesy of Focus Features

Directed by Ang Lee and starring Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, and Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain grossed over $178 million at the global box office.

The sweeping Western epic about two cowboys’ secretive, lifelong bond became an instant classic, breaking cinematic and social barriers and solidifying its cast and filmmakers as among the industry’s finest. The film helped establish Focus Features as an industry leader working with visionary filmmakers to bring resonant films to wide audiences.

Photo courtesy of Focus Features

Beyond its cultural impact and box office success, Brokeback Mountain achieved extensive critical acclaim,...

It’s been 20 years since Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain moseyed into theaters. The highly-celebrated film, which depicts the unexpected relationship between two young cowboys, won three Oscars at the 2006 Academy Awards and remains a classic take on Western romance in cinema. To honor the film’s legacy, Focus Features is re-releasing the emotionally charged film in theaters for special screenings starting on June 22 and 25.

Brokeback Mountain premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2005, earning acclaim from audiences before its wide release. Many consider it a barrier-shattering release, as it spoke to various viewers and critics. The film revolves around Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), two young cowboys working at the picturesque sheep herding locale, Brokeback Mountain, who discover a deep and abiding love for one another that lasts a lifetime. Lee’s film became a critical and commercial success upon release, with a $178M global take.

Ang Lee fans, look alive, Brokeback Mountain is returning to the big screen to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Focus Feature has announced. The movie, starring the late Heath Ledger as well as Jake Gyllenhaal is a cult classic and is a seamless mixture of the Western and romance genres. Under Lee’s brilliant direction, the movie catapulted queer stories into mainstream cinema as this unique story was universally loved by fans and critics alike.

Brokeback Mountain will return to theaters for special screenings this June as the movie celebrates its 20th anniversary. An official trailer accompanies the announcement which showcases some of the most pertinent moments of the film. The movie’s return to theaters provides fans with an opportunity to not only see this classic again on the big screen but to also see Ledger again, who gives the most nuanced performance of his career in this one.

‘Brokeback Mountain...

Focus Features is re-releasing their 3x Oscar winner Brokeback Mountain in celebration of the pic’s 20th Anniversary. Special showings start on June 22 and 25.

Directed by Ang Lee and starring Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, and Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain grossed over $178 million at the global box office. The movie made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival back in 2005 and was an immediate awards contender that season, and a social barrier breaking movie. Brokeback Mountain follows Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) and Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal), two young cowboys dispatched to work as on the majestic Brokeback Mountain in the summer of 1963. During their experience, Ennis and Jack are drawn into an unexpected lifelong relationship, filled with love and loss.

Brokeback Mountain was nominated for eight Oscars including Best Picture. Brokeback Mountain delivered Ang Lee an Oscar win for Best Director, his second Academy Award after taking home one...

After 20 years, Michelle Williams is just as confused as the rest of us by a major Academy Award injustice.

The 5x Oscar nominee recently questioned why the Academy snubbed her 2005 Ang Lee-helmed gay western Brokeback Mountain, which infamously lost the Best Picture trophy to Paul Haggis’ Crash.

“I mean, what was Crash?” Williams asked on Watch What Happens Live while discussing the film’s continued impact.

“People were so open about it,” she recalled. “I just remember doing the junket. You don’t really get an opportunity to see a lot of grown men cry. That was the moment that I think that we all knew that it was going to be special.

Brokeback Mountain starred Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as ranch hand Ennis Del Mar and rodeo cowboy Jack Twist, who begin a 20-year love affair while herding sheep together in 1963.

Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams in...

Michelle Williams swung by “Watch What Happens Live” on Thursday and learning that “Brokeback Mountain” — the 2005 cowboy romance that earned her her first Oscar nomination — is one of host Andy Cohen’s favorite movies, took part in some light ribbing of the often-maligned race drama that beat it at the Oscars for Best Picture, “Crash.”

“I was very upset about the Best Picture loss,” Cohen said. “I mean, ‘Crash’? Is that what won?”

“I mean, what was ‘Crash’?” Williams questioned slyly.

Cohen, energized by the light shade, responded: “Right, thank you! By the way, who’s talking about ‘Crash’ right now? I hear a pin drop. Yes, very upset.”

The conversation began with Williams, visiting the Bravo talk show studio in promotion of her new FX sex dramedy “Dying for Sex,” reflecting on the significance “Brokeback Mountain” had at the time of its release for telling a gay love story...

Michelle Williams is still puzzled 20 years later by “Crash” beating out “Brokeback Mountain” for Best Picture. Williams said during “Watch What Happens Live!” (in the below video) while promoting series “Dying for Sex” that she is baffled by even the plot of “Crash.”

Paul Haggis wrote and directed the ensemble race drama that starred Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, and Brendan Fraser. (Haggis was later found liable on three counts of rape and sexual abuse in 2022.) “Crash” won Best Picture at the 2006 Oscars, despite Ang Lee’s queer Western romance “Brokeback Mountain” having already won Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Original Score.

“Brokeback Mountain” starred Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger as two closeted cowboys who leave their wives, played by Anne Hathaway and Williams, for a few days every few years. The film was adapted from Annie Proulx’s novella by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana.

Oscar-winning actors, Hollywood royalty, film auteurs – everyone wants a piece of that signature Taylor Sheridan action that will turn them into an instant classic. The part-cowboy, part-filmmaker identity of Sheridan is so deeply rooted in his pop culture reputation that he embeds the lost art of Westerns into every project that he spearheads.

Taylor Sheridan as Travis in Yellowstone [Credit: Paramount+]

However, while most reputed actors and directors in the field get stale beyond a certain limit if they keep working in a single genre, Sheridan only gets better with time. His initial frontier trilogy – Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River – was nothing short of extraordinary, and his work in television is the same.

Taylor Sheridan: The most wanted man in Hollywood Hell or High Water feat. Chris Pine and Ben Foster [Credit: Lionsgate Films]

Storytelling comes easily to Taylor Sheridan. The actor-turned-scriptwriter credits his 20+ years as a struggling artist...

Jennifer Carpenter made her brief introduction this week on 1923.

The second season of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequel series picked up where it left off with Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves), the Native girl who escaped the assimilation school where she was being abused in North Dakota — killing several nuns along the way — and who is now wanted by the head priest (Sebastian Roché) and a marshal (Jamie McShane) traveling with him on horseback to find her.

When Father Renaud (Roché) and Marshal Kent (McShane) trace Teonna to Anadarko, Oklahoma, they meet with the marshal in charge and are taken aback to see that it’s a woman. It’s there they are greeted by Mamie Fossett, played by 1923 new cast member Jennifer Carpenter in the early 20th century-set series.

When Kent questions her ability to serve the badge because she’s a woman, she promptly shuts him down. “You patrol this territory,...

A female CIA operative leads a dangerous undercover mission. A just-out-of-jail gangster relocates to the sticks. An oil company fixer deals with cartels, corporate intrigue and his chaotic ex-wife. A real-life cowboy, said to be the inspiration for The Lone Ranger, has his life more fully dramatized. And a man leading a private prison struggles to maintain order.

What all of these shows have in common – besides being massive hits for streaming service Paramount+ — is the involvement of one man: Taylor Sheridan. While TV remains an unpredictable business, Sheridan has become as close as a talent can get to representing a sure thing, launching one success after another. Sheridan often creates, executive produces and writes most of the episodes of every season. If his shows are cattle, he’s the lone cowboy.

And this is a rodeo people love to watch. During its most popular week, “Landman” was the second-most-watched title across streaming,...

Next month, the story of Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar can be revisited by Peacock subscribers. On March 1, the 20-year-old movie Brokeback Mountain will start streaming on Peacock.

Directed by Hulk helmer Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain was a neo-Western drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger. Written by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, the film is based on the original story by Annie Proulx. Because of the same-sex intimacy involving the main characters, the movie was met with controversy at the time of its release, but it nevertheless drew widespread praise, resulting in major Academy Award nominations.

Related'It's Really Sad That He's Gone': Heath Ledger Remembered by 10 Things I Hate About You's Julia Stiles

Julia Stiles starred in 1999's 10 Things I Hate About You with the Oscar-winning Heath Ledger

Brokeback Mountain particularly focused on the complex relationship between Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal) and Ennis Del...

Television shows with a Western theme have been very popular in the last few years. As a result, a literary classic, which received the miniseries treatment in 1989, is making a comeback.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Lonesome Dove and the other books in the Pulitzer Prize-winning series from author Larry McMurtry will be adapted for the screen once more. Teton Ridge Entertainment acquired the film and television rights to the property in a deal with McMurty's estate. However, the publishing rights remain with Simon and Schuster. It is unclear if the novel adaptation will be a movie or a television show.

RelatedThis 96% Fresh Thriller Secretly Steals 1 of the Greatest Western Storytelling Tropes (& It's Perfect)

Jeremy Saulnier's Rebel Ridge uses western tropes to tell a modern story about police brutality and racial profiling.

Thomas Tull and Jillian Share from Teton Ridge Entertainment will produce the project, along with Jon Jashni. McMurtry's...

America is in another Western ascendancy, as the sweepingly cinematic genre has been given new life on TV. With Taylor Sheridan's continued iron grip on the drama side of the genre with his shows Yellowstone and its spin-offs, as well as the latest series from writer Mark L. Smith, American Primeval on Netflix, the dirt-flecked New World creation is on the come up. And as the prevailing winds move in this creative direction, studios have been eager to gobble up the rights to the classics. An according to The Hollywood Reporter, production company Teton Ridge has just acquired the rights to Larry McMurtry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Lonesome Dove book series.

Lonesome Dove — which was published in 1985 — is the first in McMurtry’s series (but third chronologically), which also includes the subsequent books, Dead Man's Walk, Comanche Moon, and Streets of Laredo. The book, which was made into a popular...

Teton Ridge Entertainment has landed the rights to literary franchise Lonesome Dove for future film and TV projects.

Development will begin with the first book in the series, Lonesome Dove, followed by the rest of the tetralogy, including Streets of Laredo, Dead Man’s Walk and Comanche Moon.

The deal was made between Teton Ridge Entertainment and Larry McMurtry’s estate. It covers all rights except publishing, which remain with the novels’ publisher, Simon and Schuster. Thomas Tull and Jillian Share from Teton Ridge Entertainment will produce, as will Jon Jashni, Curtis McMurtry and Diana Ossana.

Published by Simon & Schuster, Lonesome Dove reached huge commercial and critical success upon its release in 1986. On the New York Times Best Sellers list for 24 consecutive weeks in hardcover and 28 consecutive weeks in paperback, Lonesome Dove sold over 4 million copies, was translated in numerous languages and won the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction before it was...

Teton Ridge Entertainment has acquired the rights to “Lonesome Dove,” Larry McMurtry’s sprawling series of novels about the American West. The deal was made between the entertainment company and the author’s estate and covers all rights except publishing, which remain with the novels’ publisher, Simon and Schuster.

In a release announcing the pact, Teton Ridge announced that development will begin with the first book in the series, “Lonesome Dove,” followed by the rest of the tetralogy, including “Streets of Laredo,” “Dead Man’s Walk” and “Comanche Moon.” The novels focus on members of the Texas Ranger Division, spanning from when Texas was a republic until the start of the 20th century when it was part of the U.S. The books could inspire a series of films or shows — or both.

Thomas Tull and Jillian Share from Teton Ridge Entertainment will produce, as will Jon Jashni, the veteran producer and media investor; Curtis McMurtry,...

As the Western genre continues its renaissance thanks to Yellowstone and its Taylor Sheridan-backed spinoffs, one of the classics of the literary genre is being put into development.

Teton Ridge has acquired the rights to adapt Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove and the subsequent books in the Pulitzer Prize-winning series. The deal, which was made with McMurty’s estate, covers film, TV, and all rights except publishing, which remain with Simon and Schuster. It’s unclear if the new adaptation will be a film or for television.

McMurtry’s epic follows retired Texas Rangers who go on a cattle drive from Texas to Montana, during which time they encounter many dangers. Streets of Laredo, Dead Man’s Walk and Comanche Moon followed Lonesome Dove, and were also adapted for TV, with Comanche Moon airing in 2008.

Thomas Tull and Jillian Share from Teton Ridge Entertainment will produce the Lonesome Dove adaptation,...

Perhaps more than any other genre, the Western demands a specific, rugged essence from its actors to be believable. For example, character actors such as Ben Johnson, Jack Elam, Chill Willis, and John Ireland possessed a certain aesthetic that allowed them to become part of the iconography of the genre as a whole. However, some Western stars can manage the aesthetics of the genre without the acting chops of character actors.

Cinema's greatest Western stars embody toughness, grit, and self-reliance. They also are able to transcend time, shedding their modern sensibilities and encompassing the spirit of the Old West. Actors such as Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, and James Stewart rank among the best Western stars of all time.

This article was updated on February 4, 2025, by Christopher Raley: The Western is one of the greatest genres in cinema. It straddles the line between fantasy and reality, and the Golden Age of...

Among the most recognizable performers in the American entertainment industry, few actors have had a more eclectic career than Sam Elliott. The respected figure has appeared in multiple films and television shows, allowing a wide range of audiences to enjoy his talents. In particular, Elliott's prolific work in the Western genre features some of his best material.

As one of the most stylized genres in fiction, Westerns can evoke several themes in storytelling, construct great action and create several dynamic characters. Thanks to various roles across film and TV, Sam Elliott has a career that encompasses some of the best acting performances of his era.

The Sacketts Details a Journey Amongst Brothers Role: Tell Sackett

Adapting two novels by author Louis L’Amour, the 1979 NBC two-part Western miniseries The Sacketts recounts a tale of three brothers who leave Tennessee and start a new life together in Santa Fe. With an emphasis on classic Western action,...

When Pamela Anderson was announced as the star of Gia Coppola’s third film, “The Last Showgirl,” the stage was set for a massive career resurgence for the one-time “Baywatch” star. That the film — which sees Anderson taking on a full-bodied, deeply emotional role as a fading Las Vegas dancer — would alter the trajectory of Anderson’s life and career was never really in doubt, but the fruits of Coppola’s latest have been profound for the star.

And, as it turns out, the same is true for Coppola. As she tells IndieWire, the extremely edifying experience of making and releasing the film has also changed the way she thinks about her own life and work. Now, she said, she trusts herself. Challenges aren’t as scary. The world looks different.

As is typical with the Coppola clan, “The Last Showgirl” is also very much a family affair, with a...

Call it…The Criterion Collection will add yet another Coen Bros. film to their catalog, as 2007’s No Country for Old Men is arriving on December 10th as spine #1243. This will be the fourth from the fellas after Inside Llewyn Davis, Blood Simple and Miller’s Crossing. Now if we can just get Raising Arizona…

Here are the special features for Criterion’s forthcoming 4K release of No Country for Old Men:

New 4K digital master, supervised and approved by director of photography Roger Deakins, with 5.1 surround DTS-hd Master Audio soundtrack

One 4K Uhd disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision Hdr and one Blu-ray with the film and special features

New conversation between filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen and author Megan Abbott

New conversation between Deakins and associate producer David Diliberto, also featuring Abbott

Archival interviews with actors Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, and Kelly Macdonald...

Taylor Sheridan—a revered writer, producer, and director— is the maestro behind some of the most thrilling and gripping stories in Hollywood today. If you haven’t heard of him yet, then you must be living under a rock in the Badlands.

Ever seen spoken word turn into a cinematic spectacle? Sheridan’s neo-Western drama, Yellowstone, has not just etched its name on the screen; it has garnered a fan base that’s thunderous enough to echo across the valleys. Two spin-offs to date, and with rumors of another on the horizon, you’d think Sheridan found Aladdin’s lamp!

Still from Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone |Credit: Paramount Network

Well, don’t be fooled; Yellowstone is just the tip of the iceberg. His portfolio proudly boasts cinematic gems like Wind River, Sicario, and Hell or High Water. His fervor for the Western genre is akin to a cowboy’s love for his hat,...

If you haven’t jumped on the Yellowstone bandwagon yet, what are you waiting for? This show is hotter than a pistol in a cowboy’s holster on a scorching summer day. The mastermind orchestrating this remarkable success is none other than co-creator Taylor Sheridan, a man whose touch has turned not just Yellowstone but also its numerous spin-offs into gold.

Wes Bentley and Kelly Reilly in Yellowstone | Credit: Paramount Network

He has created a world so immersive, that you’ll feel like you’re right there on the Montana plains, wrangling cattle and duking it out with land developers. Critically acclaimed at best, the show inexplicably morphed into a cultural phenomenon, capturing the imaginations of millions worldwide.

As Sheridan’s producing partner, David Glasser put it, the former’s commitment and dedication shine through in every project he undertakes, ensuring that his word truly is his bond.

How to...

Have you ever dared to dream big and shoot for the moon, only to land among the stars? Roll up your sleeves, saddle up your horses, and hold onto your cowboy hats, because we’ve got to embark on the trailblazing journey of Taylor Sheridan, a once under-the-radar actor who played his cards with a high-stakes gamble and rode into success with the blockbuster TV series, Yellowstone.

Well, that’s precisely the riveting tale of Sheridan, who, after his stint as Deputy David Hale on Sons of Anarchy, bid adieu to acting in pursuit of a new frontier—scriptwriting and producing. With no roadmap but a mightier pen, Sheridan galloped into Hollywood’s exclusive circle, armed with nothing but raw talent and a sheer determination that would even make John Wayne tip his hat.

Forrie J. Smith in Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone | Paramount Network

His audacious pitch for his acclaimed...

This may be painful, but prior to Taylor Sheridan’s arrival as a storyteller, the Western genre’s heartbeat was growing faint; its glory days were a mere echo in Hollywood’s canyon. Who would have dared to dream that a movie could really spur a renaissance and bring the Western back to the forefront of American culture, reminding us all of the thrill of the untamed land?

Ashley Platz in Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone | Paramount Network

Indeed, it was the Oscar-winning film Unforgiven, directed by and starring the legendary Clint Eastwood. This golden nugget of Western filmography not only capped off Eastwood’s illustrious career as a cowboy but also carved a path for new stories to gallop into modern audiences’ hearts. That being said, it even provided the creative tinder for Taylor Sheridan’s now-acclaimed Yellowstone.

How a Classic Clint Eastwood Film Influenced Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone

Taylor Sheridan,...

Pride month is over, but just because it is no longer June doesn’t mean we shouldn’t stop celebrating love and telling queer stories. In fact, we should always celebrate love and tell queer stories. So, here is a list of 62 films with canon main Lgbtqia+ characters and couples. Call Me by Your Name Original Title: Call Me by Your Name Year: 2017 Director(s): Luca Guadagnino Writer(s): James Ivory, André Aciman Country: Italy, France, United States, Brazil Language: English, Italian, French, German, Hebrew Genre: Drama, Romance Motion Picture Rating (MPA): R The rather sensitive Elio (Timothée Chalamet), the only son of the American family of Italian and French Perlman ancestry, is facing another lazy summer at his parents' home in the beautiful, languid Italian countryside. Every summer, Mr. Pearlman (Michael Stuhlbarg) hosts an academic to help with his research. This year’s student, Oliver (Armie Hammer), comes to bring change.

Ah, the past! As celluloid is first and foremost a method of recording things around us, it’s no surprise that archiving and recreating history, both communal and personal, is so central to the cinematic medium. But the one thing we know about the times is that they are a’changing,...

John Wayne's rejection of Lonesome Dove may have cost him a final classic, proving he should have accepted it. Wayne's refusal led to the acclaimed Lonesome Dove miniseries, featuring a stellar cast and emotional storytelling. Despite the decline of Westerns in the 1980s, Lonesome Dove became a standout, influencing a comeback in the genre.

The most acclaimed Western of the 1980s only came to pass because John Wayne originally turned it down. When Heaven's Gate bombed it killed Westerns during the 1980s, with the Michael Cimino epic barely taking in $4 million against its $44 million budget (via The Numbers). Of course, the genre had been fading with audiences for some time. Westerns used to be one of the biggest genres in Hollywood, but by the 1960s, younger audiences began to find them old-fashioned.

Clint Eastwood outings like A Fistful of Dollars or Hang 'Em High offered darker, more cynical takes that connected with audiences,...

Kinky Friedman — the Texas-raised musician, writer, satirist, dog lover, gubernatorial candidate and overall provocateur — died after a battle with Parkinson’s on Thursday at his Echo Hill Ranch in TX, according to a post on his X account. He was 79.

To say Friedman was larger-than-life was an understatement. His quick wit was as ubiquitous as his cowboy hat and cigar. He was often more colorful than his famous friends such as Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Larry McMurtry and Billy Bob Thornton.

His persona made him a lively guest on late night shows such as The Late Show With David Letterman and The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno. He also had parts in several films, including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.

Friedman wrote detective novels — many of them featuring a character styled after himself — as well as a column for Texas Monthly.

In music, Friedman never had a hit record, but...

Taylor Sheridan may not have much to show for when it comes to his acting career but as a writer, producer, showrunner, and director, he more than makes up for what he lost while struggling as #11 (maybe) on the call sheet. His impossibly swift and staggering rise in Hollywood was marked not by luck but by genius and sheer willpower.

Taylor Sheridan in Yellowstone [Credit: Paramount Network]

Sheridan’s affluent career as the creator of Yellowstone and its spin-off universe, a dominion of shows at Paramount, and 4 major Hollywood movies easily makes him one of the most profitable assets of the entertainment industry. What makes him truly stand out though, even amidst the masses of creative talent and overflow of content, is his self-made reputation in an era dominated by power, influence, and nepotism.

Taylor Sheridan Redefines the Term “Comeback”

While slaving away under the radar and away from the limelight for two whole decades,...

Quick Links Lonesome Dove's Struggle to Make It to the Screen Lonesome Dove TV-Miniseries Plot and Cast Lonesome Dove's Legacy on TV Where to Watch Lonesome Dove

Being met with fanfare and critical acclaim, Lonesome Dove came out when the Western genre's staying power on TV was questioned because the quality and commercial viability, in many people's eyes, were declining. The show would bring a star-studded cast and a new take on the genre, less glorified than the previous Western TV fare, cemented itself in pop culture, and inspired many to keep the dreams of portraying the Wild West alive.

However, the landmark Western miniseries struggled to make it to the screens, having been pitched more than a decade before and left to sit. We will examine the journey of Lonesome Dove, what could have been, and the legacy it has left on the TV landscape.

Lonesome Dove...

Talking to Kevin Costner after the Cannes premiere of “Horizon: An American Saga,” IndieWire’s Anne Thompson asked the filmmaker if he thought he could improve on Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone.” Costner starred as John Dutton for five seasons; he is unmentioned in the press release for the sixth, which just began production.

“No, of course not,” he said.

However, Costner noted, it could be the other way around: During the second season of “Yellowstone” in 2019, he said, Sheridan was looking for writers. He and Baird sent him the “Horizon” script. Thompson noted that both “1883” and “Horizon” share a wagon train story.

“So I don’t know if there’s any duplications there,” Costner said. “Whether he borrowed something, only he’d have to admit to.” (Reps for Sheridan did not respond to multiple requests for comment.)

Vague accusations of “borrowing” aren’t new to “Yellowstone.” It’s a popular topic on fan sites,...

Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee believes discrimination played a role in the film losing the Best Picture Oscar to Crash. Despite the loss, the film won accolades for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Director for Lee. Lee recalls the uncertainty at the Oscar ceremony, where even after winning Best Director, the Best Picture was unexpectedly awarded to Crash.

Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee believes his movie lost out on a Best Picture Oscar due to discrimination against the central gay love story of the movie. The film was nominated for several awards back in 2006, and although it won three, it was beaten to the Best Picture award by crime drama Crash.

Brokeback Mountain RDramaDocumentaryRomance Release DateSeptember 10, 2005DirectorAng LeeCastHeath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Randy Quaid, Valerie Planche, Michelle Williams, Anne HathawayRuntime134Main GenreDramaWritersAnnie Proulx, Larry McMurtry, Diana OssanaStudioFocus FeaturesTaglineLove is a force of natureWebsitehttp://www.brokebackmountain.com

The Academy...

Director Ang Lee says he was prepped to accept the Best Picture Oscar for Brokeback Mountain at the Academy Awards just to see the film come up short.

At the Academy Awards in 2006, Brokeback Mountain was up for multiple Oscars, and though it picked up some big wins, it lost out on Best Picture to the crime drama Crash. In a new interview with IndieWire, Brokeback Mountain helmer Ang Lee shared his memories of the moment he learned that Crash was the winner. When asked if Brokeback Mountain failing to win Best Picture was an effect of Academy discrimination against a gay love story, the Hulk helmer responded, "I think so, yeah."

Related Batman's Michael Keaton Explains Viral Oscars Moment, Claps Back at Arnold & DeVito The actor proved that hes still got it at the Oscars during a bit in which he briefly reprised his role as the Caped Crusader.

Director Ang Lee is finally pointing the finger.

Lee told IndieWire in a recent interview that his Brokeback Mountain losing the Academy Awards Best Picture to Crash in 2006 was because of discrimination against a gay love story.

“Back then, [‘Brokeback Mountain’] had a ceiling. We got a lot of support — up to that much,” he said. “It has that feeling. I wasn’t holding a grudge or anything. It’s just how they were,” Lee said of the Academy at the time.

Brokeback Mountain did win three other Oscars that year for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay for Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, and Best Original Score for Gustavo Santaolalla.

Ang remembered coming off the stage after accepting his Best Director award.

“I got my award, which was [second to] last to the big one, and I was walking off the stage, they called me down, and said, stay here. That’s your mark.

Ang Lee isn’t complaining about his time at the Oscars. The Taiwanese filmmaker has won Best Director twice (for “Brokeback Mountain” and “Life of Pi”), and his 2000 wuxia classic “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” won four Academy Awards, including Best International Feature.

But he’s ready to admit that “Brokeback Mountain” — the most acclaimed film of 2005 — losing Best Picture to “Crash” was a response to Academy discrimination against a gay love story: “I think so, yeah,” he told IndieWire in a recent interview.

“Back then, [‘Brokeback Mountain’] had a ceiling. We got a lot of support — up to that much,” he said of the film’s three Oscar wins, with Best Adapted Screenplay for Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana (adapting Annie Proulx’s devastating novella) and Best Original Score for Gustavo Santaolalla. You know the music. “It has that feeling. I wasn’t holding a grudge or anything. It’s just how they were,...

Grounded in reality, The Last Picture Show offers a stark and somber look at growing up in a fading era of Americana. Characters reveal realistic regrets, desires, and disappointments in a small town where life doesn't necessarily get better with age. Unlike other coming-of-age films, The Last Picture Show portrays the brutal truths of youth and adulthood without melodrama.

Based on Larry McMurtry’s novel of the same name, The Last Picture Show is a wholly American heartbreaker. Rooted in a fading era when restless youth crossed unexpected paths with their listless elders, the film was a massive success upon its release in 1971. Earning eight Academy Award nominations and winning two Oscars, the film was championed by legendary film critics like Roger Ebert as a truly "Great Movie."

Over fifty years after it debuted in theaters, The Last Picture Show -- now available on 4K-uhd and Blu-Ray from the Criterion...

Calling a movie a “tearjerker” could practically qualify as a spoiler, especially in the case of “Terms of Endearment.” Because it is very, very funny.

For writer-director James L. Brooks, that heightened comic tone was always essential when he first began working to adapt Larry McMurtry’s novel of the same name. His devotion led to a unique challenge: turn a character mentioning “cancer” into a laugh line. In the finished film, he even follows the word’s utterance with a punctuative spit take for good measure.

“It was so important that it be a comedy,” Brooks says, speaking with Variety over a Zoom call. “The word ‘cancer’ then was just — you couldn’t imagine. It was just a word that nobody wanted to say or deal with at that time. It was a bizarre goal. But it was because the picture had to be a comedy to work.”

That...

Getting a movie off the page is rarely a straight line. What one writer envisions while typing away at the coffee shop is more likely to change entirely if and when it finally makes it in front of a camera. Occasionally some works will start as written for an entirely different medium and transform into another before being completed. Rather than adaptation, the origins shift before initially being constructed. Before it became a celebrated novel, Lonesome Dove was developed by writer Larry McMurtry as a movie for John Wayne. Similarly, before writing the recently released The Holdovers, writer David Hemingson had not a movie but a TV show in mind for a story about boarding school, until that pesky Alexander Payne approached with something else in mind.

Adapted from Larry McMurtry’s bittersweet 1966 novel of the same name by McMurtry and director Peter Bogdanovich, The Last Picture Show delineates the quiet, desperate lives of the citizens of Anarene, Texas, from November 1951 to October 1952. The film is a pure Janus-headed product of the New Hollywood. Bogdanovich pours the new wine of sexual frankness available to filmmakers after the inauguration of the MPAA ratings system into old bottles borrowed from the cellars of classic Hollywood cinema, namely those older films’ expressive visual grammar and obliquely suggestive dialogue.

As an erstwhile film critic and historian, Bogdanovich drew formal and technical inspiration from his years spent programming films from Hollywood’s Golden Age at MoMA. He also solicited advice from houseguest Orson Welles when it came to shooting the film in black and white, and employing long, unbroken takes rather than break up important scenes. As Welles reportedly put it:...