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“Free Leonard Peltier,” the new documentary about the imprisoned Indigenous activist, whose life sentence was just commuted to house imprisonment by President Joe Biden days before this film’s Sundance premiere, is a useful primer for viewers new to his case. But it’s not much of a film, and it’s even unclear what kind of film its directors Jesse Short Bull and David France wish it to be.

This is a documentary as a textbook — we’d say it’s like a Wikipedia summary, except checking actual Wikipedia is almost essential for making sense of certain events presented in “Free Leonard Peltier” — providing a broad overview without delving deeper into the humanity of Peltier or why his story matters. It opens in the near-present with Native American activists coming to Washington to plead Peltier’s case, one even saying that overturning Peltier’s conviction has not just been...

Acclaimed filmmaker Michael Mann wants one of his most beloved movies, the only one to win an Oscar, to get a 4K Uhd release. The Last of the Mohicans, starring the iconic Daniel Day-Lewis, debuted in 1992 and is considered one of the director's best films.

In a recent sit-down with Collider to discuss the 25th anniversary of his 1999 film, The Insider, it was brought to Mann's attention that The Last of the Mohicans had not yet gotten a 4K Uhd release. He also discovered that The Insider and Thief are yet to arrive on 4K, denying the movies the benefits of the upgraded restoration. The Heat director is intent on righting these wrongs. "I didn't realize The Last of the Mohicans wasn't available in 4K," he said. "We absolutely gotta pursue that. Same thing with Insider."

Related 'She Destroyed Me': Ridley Scott Says 1 Critic Shattered Blade Runner's Box Office Prospects...

Kali Reis does not take her identity for granted.

“I’m the first generation of my line who was actually able to grow up in the culture,” said the True Detective: Night Country star of being from the Seaconke Wampanoag people. “My great-grandmother, grandmother, mother were taught, generation after generation, ‘You don’t say you’re Wamp.’”

She explained that New England, where she grew up, was a hostile place for Wampanoag people even as recently as 20 years ago, with hostility tracing back to bloodshed between the tribe and the British colonists in King Philip’s War in the 17th century. (The Seaconke are not one of the two Wampanoag tribes recognized by the federal government.)

Reis’ comments came from the stage at a brunch on Friday that was the capper to the 15th annual Native Women in Film Festival, a weeklong event that saw the screening of 45 films. The actress,...

Michael Mann is revisiting the disaster that was “Blackhat.”

Mann, whose upcoming “Ferrari” is his first film in eight years since 2015’s “Blackhat,” admitted to Variety that the feature was not ready to go into production.

“It’s my responsibility,” Mann said. The script was not ready to shoot.”

“Blackhat” starred Chris Hemsworth as a hacker, with Viola Davis and Tang Wei co-starring. The film made only $19.7 million at the global box office against a budget of $70 million, and became a critical flop.

However, Mann stands by the themes of the film, saying, “The subject may have been ahead of the curve, because there were a number of people who thought this was all fantasy. Wrong. Everything is stone-cold accurate.”

The writer-director spent three years in research for the “Blackhat” script, telling IndieWire that the film was a hard sell to executives.

“When we came back to L.A. to pitch it,...

Sacheen Littlefeather made Oscars history in 1973 when she became the first Native woman to stand on stage at the awards ceremony. When Marlon Brando was named best actor for “The Godfather,” Littlefeather declined the prize on behalf of him, as he had boycotted the Oscars in protest of Hollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans. Met with both boos and cheers, she was escorted off the stage.

But her 60-second Oscar speech was life-changing for her, as well as others. “He very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award,” Littlefeather said to an audience of millions in her 1973 speech. “And the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry… and on television in movie re-runs, and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee.”

Now, 50 years later, Littlefeather has received a letter of apology from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. And this weekend,...

This week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences attempted to right a decades-old wrong with an apology. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that the Academy privately presented Native American activist and former actress Sacheen Littlefeather with a statement apologizing for her public mistreatment at the 45th Academy Awards. Littlefeather, who is Apache and Yaqui, is 75 years old now, but she was just 26 when she stepped up to the stage to decline Marlon Brando's best actor award and speak about America's mistreatment of Indigenous peoples in 1973.

The actor won the award for his role in "The Godfather," but sent Littlefeather to speak on his behalf with at least eight pages of his remarks typed in advance. The moment that followed is a black mark on the history of the Academy. Littlefeather has since revealed that she wasn't allowed to read Brando's statement, as show producer Howard Koch...

On March 6, 1978, during a legal battle in Georgia over obscenity charges, Larry Flynt, the owner and publisher of Hustler magazine, was shot on the sidewalk, an assassination attempt that left him partially paralyzed. It didn’t take long for him to become an iconic figure in his gold wheelchair, but the shooting devastated him. It kicked-off a five-year descent into drugs, overeating, and a paranoid withdrawal from the world. By 1983, Flynt had pulled himself out of the swamp of despair, and one of the inspirations to do so is that he now had a cause. He convinced himself that either the CIA or the FBI was behind the assassination attempt. After years of legal fights over Hustler, Flynt already saw the U.S. government as his adversary; now he was convinced that it had become his mortal enemy, from President Reagan on down. He was going to get his revenge. How?...

Prepare to feel pleasantly nostalgic, as the beloved locomotive with the slightly creepy face, Thomas the Tank Engine, is chugging his way back onto the big screen courtesy of Mattel Films and Marc Forster's production company 2Dux². Described as a mixture of CGI and live-action akin to Alvin and the Chipmunks and Detective Pikachu, the script for the new take on Thomas & Friends is ready to go with director Marc Forster on board to helm the project.

"Thomas has been a personal favorite of mine since childhood," said Marc Forster. "I couldn't be more excited to be working with Robbie and the entire team at Mattel, and embarking on this beautiful journey with such a timeless property."

Forster is best known for directing the apocalyptic action horror World War Z starring Brad Pitt and the twenty-second movie in the James Bond franchise and second starring Daniel Craig, Quantum of Solace.

In the summer of 2017 Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis surprised Hollywood, London, and the entire entertainment world when he revealed that he is retiring from acting and would make no more films. His final performance in Paul Thomas Anderson‘s recently-released “Phantom Thread” has brought Day-Lewis his sixth Oscar nomination and his eighth Golden Globe nom (losing there to Gary Oldman for “Darkest Hour”).

One of the most respected actors of his generation, Day-Lewis is the only man who has won three Oscars for Best Actor. Those victories were for “My Left Foot” (1989), “There Will Be Blood” (2007), and “Lincoln” (2012). In fact he is one of only three men to win acting Oscars three times; the others are Walter Brennan and Jack Nicholson. In addition, he has won two Best Actor awards each from the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden Globes.

Most importantly (if retirement actually happens), he will have left...

IFC Films has released the first trailer and poster for the upcoming independent drama Days and Nights, inspired by Anton Chekhov's story The Seagull.

Set in 1980s New England, the story follows a movie star (Allison Janney), who brings her new boyfriend to a family retreat on Memorial Day weekend that turns disastrous. Christian Camargo co-stars and makes his directorial debut with this adaptation, which also stars Katie Holmes, Ben Whishaw, Jean Reno, William Hurt, Juliet Rylance, Michael Nyqvist, Cherry Jones, Russell Means and Mark Rylance, arriving in theaters and on VOD platforms September 26.

Days and Nights is writer/director Christian Camargo's directorial debut, inspired by Anton Chekhov's The Seagull and set in rural New England in the 1980s. The film centers around Elizabeth (Allison Janney), a movie star, who brings her paramour Peter to her lakeside estate to visit her family on Memorial Day weekend. The...

IFC Films has picked up North American rights to Christian Camargo’s story inspired by Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull.

Katie Holmes, William Hurt and Allison Janney star in the 1980s-set story of a fading star at the centre of a dysfunctional family visit.

Rounding out the key cast are Cherry Jones, Russell Means, Michael Nyqvist, Jean Reno, Juliet Rylance, Mark Rylance and Ben Whishaw.

Juliet Rylance and Barbara Romer produced the film, which will be released theatrically and on VOD on September 26. ICM Partners represented the filmmakers in the deal.

Factory 25 has acquired North American rights to the comedy Hellaware, Michael M Bilandic’s comedy inspired by the New York art scene and the band Insane Clown Posse. The story of a photographer who becomes seduced by success stars Keith Poulson and Sophia Takal and will open theatrically on September 26, three days after digital launch.

Resurrecting the Lone Ranger with Johnny Depp must’ve sounded like one of the all-time Hollywood no-brainers when it was pitched to Disney in 2011. After all, the mysterious masked man used to be the all-American icon with the greatest chase-music (“The William Tell Overture”), the greatest sidekick (Tonto), and the greatest catchphrase (“Hi-yo, Silver, away!”). Plus, though Depp is playing a boldly reimagined Tonto opposite Armie Hammer’s Ranger, he was reuniting with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski, the creative triumvirate that made Disney billions with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. But getting The Lone Ranger into...

FX is tapping into the movie world once again for a limited series based on the 1992 classic The Last of the Mohicans. This news comes three months after the network gave the green light for an event series based on the 1996 film Fargo.

Christopher Crowe, who wrote The Last of the Mohicans screenplay with director Michael Mann, is on board to write the pilot script, with Kerry McCluggage and Steve Beck also developing the project. The story, based on James Fenimore Cooper's 1826 novel, will explore the origins of America as a nation, as told through the author's characters.

Christopher Crowe and Kerry McCluggage are executive producing, while Steve Beck is serving as a producer.

The Last of the Mohicans, which starred Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, and Russell Means, grossed $75 miillion at the domestic box office during its theatrical release in 1992.

The Last of the Mohicans was released September 25th,...

Tiger Eyes marks the first major motion picture adaptation from the work of iconic author Judy Blume, whose books have sold more than 82 million copies in 41 countries. Davey (Willa Holland) is a 17 year-old girl abruptly relocated by her grieving mother to the strange "atom bomb" town of Los Alamos, New Mexico. With the sudden and violent death of her father, the displaced Davey no longer knows who to be or how to fit in. Everything that once mattered suddenly seems insignificant. But when she meets Wolf, a mysterious young Native-American, while exploring the surrounding canyons, she feels he is able to see past her pain and into her true self. The connection they make brings Davey back from the edge and sets her on a journey from heartbreak and confusion to life and love after tragedy. Take a look at a clip from this upcoming drama, which lands in select theaters this Friday.

Title: Tiger Eyes Freestyle Releasing Director: Lawrence Blume Screenwriter: Judy Blume, Lawrence Blume from Judy Blume’s novel Cast: Willa Holland, Army Jo Johnson, Tatanka means, Elise Eberle, Cynthia Stevenson, Lucien Dale, Forrest Fyre, Russell Means Screened at: Dolby88, NYC, 5/20/13 Opens: June 7, 2013 When I was in junior high school, our English teachers would hand out lists of recommended summer reading, warning that some of these books would appear after vacation for our pleasure. The lists were divided in half: one half for boys and the other for girls. Maybe “Little Women” for the fair sex and “Johnny Tremain” for the guys. The assumption was that the twain of [ Read More ]

The post Tiger Eyes Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Marking the first big screen adaptation of novelist Judy Blume’s work, Tiger Eyes will finally be arriving in Us theatres and through VOD next month, having spent much of the past year on the festival circuit.

Directed and adapted by Blume’s own son, Lawrence Blume, the film sees the great Willa Holland (The O.C.) take the lead as the young Davey. And with its release date now just over a month away, the first trailer and the official poster have finally debuted online.

Tiger Eyes marks the first major motion picture adaptation from the work of iconic author Judy Blume, whose books have sold more than 82 million copies in 41 countries.

Davey is a 17 year-old girl abruptly relocated by her grieving mother to the strange “atom bomb” town of Los Alamos, New Mexico. With the sudden and violent death of her father, the displaced Davey no longer knows who...

From iconic author, Judy Blume, comes the story of a girl on a journey from heartbreak and confusion to life and love after tragedy in Tiger Eyes. Set in the mountains and canyons of New Mexico, where Davey meets Wolf, a young Native American man with a secret. Starring Willa Holland, Amy Jo Johnson, Tatanka Means, and Russell Means, we have the first trailer for you to check out.

Tiger Eyes - Trailer

Tiger Eyes comes to theaters June 7th, 2013 and stars Willa Holland, Amy Jo Johnson, Tatanka Means, Elise Eberle, Cynthia Stevenson, Lucien Dale, Forrest Fyre, Russell Means. The film is directed by Lawrence Blume.

Judy Blume has been writing books since the 1960s. A lot of the books she's written could have made some good movies. A couple of my favorite books that I remember are Tales of A Fourth Grade Nothing and Superfudge. After all these years, one of her books is finally getting the big screen treatment. Tiger Eyes is the first book from Blume's collection that has been made into a feature, and we have the first trailer for it!

The movie was directed and co-written by her son, Lawrence Blume, and it stars Willa Holland, Amy Jo Johnson, Cynthia Stevenson, Tatanka Means, Elise Eberle, and Russell Means. This actually looks like a solid adaptation of the story. Here's the synopsis...

Davey is a 17 year-old girl abruptly relocated by her grieving mother to the strange “atom bomb” town of Los Alamos, New Mexico. With the sudden and violent death of her father,...

The trailer and poster for Judy Blume’s Tiger Eyes are here. Based on the best-selling novel by Judy Blume, the film features Willa Holland, Amy Jo Johnson, Cynthia Stevenson, Tatanka Means, Elise Eberle and Russell Means.

Tiger Eyes marks the first major motion picture adaptation from the work of iconic author, whose books have sold more than 82 million copies in 41 countries.

Davey is a 17 year-old girl abruptly relocated by her grieving mother to the strange “atom bomb” town of Los Alamos, New Mexico. With the sudden and violent death of her father, the displaced Davey no longer knows who to be or how to fit in. Everything that once mattered suddenly seems insignificant. But when she meets Wolf, a mysterious young Native-American, while exploring the surrounding canyons, she feels he is able to see past her pain and into her true self. The connection they make brings Davey back...

After Russell Means' character Benjamin Longshadow passed away in the Cinemax series "Banshee," the Native American actor passed away in real life on Oct. 22, 2012. Now Zap2it can exclusively reveal that Means' son, Tatanka Means, will have a role in the series' upcoming second season.

"'Banshee' had the honor of being Russell Means' last project before he passed," showrunner Greg Yaitanes tells Zap2it in a statement. "Tatanka, his son, brings not only his talent but a legacy to our show. The Native American culture is a rich aspect of our series and knowing the Means family is part of that is extremely validating. We are excited to have Tatanka join this season as Hoyt Rivers."

Tatanka will appear in approximately five episodes in the second season of "Banshee." His character, Hoyt Rivers, will be the Head of Security for Anthony Ruvivar's Alex Longshadow, who is...

Freestyle Releasing and Freestyle Digital Media announced today that they have acquired domestic theatrical and VOD rights to Tiger Eyes, based on Judy Bloom's acclaimed young adult novel of the same name. Tiger Eyes marks the first major motion picture adaptation from Judy Bloom's work, whose books have sold more than 82 million copies in 41 countries.&#8232 &#8232

Tiger Eyes tells the story of Davey (Willa Holland), a 17 year old girl abruptly relocated by her grieving mother to the strange "atom bomb" town of Los Alamos, New Mexico. With the sudden and violent death of her father, everything that once mattered suddenly seems insignificant. But while exploring the surrounding canyons Davey meets Wolf (Tatanka Means), a mysterious young Native-American who is able to see past her pain. The connection they make brings Davey back from the edge and sets her on a journey from heartbreak and confusion to love and life after tragedy.

Freestyle Releasing and Freestyle Digital Media announced today that they have acquired domestic theatrical and VOD rights to Tiger Eyes, based on Judy Blume’s acclaimed young adult novel of the same name. Tiger Eyes marks the first major motion picture adaptation from Blume’s work, whose books have sold more than 82 million copies in 41 countries.

Co-written by Blume and her son, Lawrence Blume, who also directed, the film stars Willa Holland (“Arrow,” “Gossip Girl”), Tatanka Means (“The Host”), Amy Jo Johnson (“Flashpoint”), Russell Means (“The Last of the Mohicans”), Cynthia Stevenson (“The Player”), and Elise Eberle (“The Astronaut Farmer”). Tiger Eyes was a co-production of Amber Entertainment (Mark Ordesky, Ileen Maisel) and Tashmoo Productions (George Cooper, Judy Blume, Lawrence Blume) with Linda Moran co-producing, and Ruth Pomerance executive producing.

Freestyle has set June 7th for the day and date release in multiple markets.

Tiger Eyes tells the story of Davey,...

The adaptation of Judy Blume's Tiger Eyes will be distributed domestically by Freestyle Releasing. Lawrence Blume directs, and also adapted the script alongside his mother Judy. Willa Holland, Tatanka Means, Elise Eberle, Amy Jo Johnson, Cynthia Stevenson and Russell Means star. Variety reports that Freestyle's set a June 7th release for the film. Mark Ordesky, Ileen Maisel, Lawrence and Judy Blume produce. George Cooper and Jane Fleming serve as executive producers.

The adaptation of Judy Blume's Tiger Eyes will be distributed domestically by Freestyle Releasing. Lawrence Blume directs, and also adapted the script alongside his mother Judy. Willa Holland, Tatanka Means, Elise Eberle, Amy Jo Johnson, Cynthia Stevenson and Russell Means star. Variety reports that Freestyle's set a June 7th release for the film. Mark Ordesky, Ileen Maisel, Lawrence and Judy Blume produce. George Cooper and Jane Fleming serve as executive producers.

Michelle Williams found herself the unlikely center of a controversy this week. One of the photos in a spread for AnOther Magazine features the Oz: The Great and Powerful actress in hollowed-out makeup, long braids, and feathers in her hair. She’s meant to look like a Native American, and it has not gone over well.

Tuesday, Jezebel published an article from Ruth Hopkins, a writer, scientist, and tribal attorney, who also happens to be a Native American. Hopkins wrote that it was “redface,” and also cited the unfortunate connection between the photo and the fact that Wonderful Wizard of...

Where were Andy Griffith, Larry Hagman and other well-known celebrities in this year's Oscars In Memoriam montage? They were online at Oscar.com.

Every year it's one of the more reliably ridiculous award show controversies: Who didn't make the cut for In Memoriam?

When it comes to the Oscars, these "snubs" are particularly sensitive given the prestige and viewership of the show, and the fact that the montage inevitably leaves out names and faces of recognizable stars -- usually those known far more for their work in television than their work in film, which is the medium that the Academy Awards actually celebrate.

However, the Academy is hip to the annual controversy and this year produced a supplemental slideshow on their website featuring 114 names and photos of entertainers and film craftspeople who passed away in the past year.

Among the late greats included in the slideshow but not on the...

The 6th episode of Banshee airs Friday. Check out video clips and three new photos. In the sixth episode which airs on Friday, February 15th at 10:00-10:50 p.m., Wicks (Michael Kostroff), an ex-con from Lucas’ past, passes through Banshee, triggering memories about the Albino (Joseph Gatt), a brutal insider enlisted by Rabbit (Ben Cross) to make Lucas’ prison life a living hell. Proctor turns to extortion when a reverend refuses to sell his home to make room for a casino hotel. The Cinemax series created by David Schickler and Jonathan Tropper stars Antony Starr, Ivana Milicevic, Rus Blackwell, Matt Servito, Ulrich Thomsen, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Ryann Shane, Frankie Faison, Lili Simmons, Russell Means, Anthony Ruivivar and Cedric Stewart.

The 6th episode of Banshee airs Friday. Check out video clips and three new photos. In the sixth episode which airs on Friday, February 15th at 10:00-10:50 p.m., Wicks (Michael Kostroff), an ex-con from Lucas’ past, passes through Banshee, triggering memories about the Albino (Joseph Gatt), a brutal insider enlisted by Rabbit (Ben Cross) to make Lucas’ prison life a living hell. Proctor turns to extortion when a reverend refuses to sell his home to make room for a casino hotel. The Cinemax series created by David Schickler and Jonathan Tropper stars Antony Starr, Ivana Milicevic, Rus Blackwell, Matt Servito, Ulrich Thomsen, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Ryann Shane, Frankie Faison, Lili Simmons, Russell Means, Anthony Ruivivar and Cedric Stewart.

NBC's "Dracula" has found its Van Helsing in Thomas Kretschmann, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The "Wanted" alum will play opposite Jonathan Rhys Meyers' titular character. THR reports that in NBC's take on the Dracula legend, Kretschmann's Abraham Van Helsing is a professor whose secret obsession with power could pose a danger not only to Dracula, but to Londoners at large.

The 10-episode drama series has also added Oliver Jackson-Cohen to its cast as Jonathan Harker, "a tenacious and slightly gauche journalist desperate to climb the ranks of aristocracy."

NBC's upcoming series is set in London, where Dracula is pretending to be American entrepreneur Alan Grayson and secretly hopes to get revenge on those who ruined his life centuries earlier. When he sees Mina Murray (Jessica De Gouw), who appears to be the reincarnation of his dead wife, he falls for her and things could change.

In more casting...

Banshee has made its first major Season 2 casting move.

Cinemax’s hit noir-esque drama, which is five episodes into its inaugural season, has promoted current recurring player Anthony Ruivivar to a full-fledged series regular, TVLine has learned exclusively.

Third Watch alum Ruivivar plays Alex Longshadow, the son of of Kinaho Tribe chief Benjamin Longshadow (Russell Means).

Ruivivar is also set to recur as a veteran cop on the upcoming fifth season of TNT’s Southland.

Banshee, from True Blood‘s Alan Ball and House‘s Greg Yaitanes, ranks as Cinemax’s most-watched series with an average gross audience of 2.7 million viewers.

Check out new videos from Cinemax's "Banshee" as well as new images from the third episode called Meet the New Boss. A mixed martial arts title bout is being planned at the Kinaho Moon Casino, run by tribe leader Benjamin Longshadow (Russell Means) and his son Alex (Anthony Ruivivar). Huge profits are anticipated for Banshee investors, but the enterprise is threatened when the champion (Cedric Stewart) arrives and angers Lucas and especially Siobahn. Will Lucas keep his mouth shut and allow the fight to go on as planned? The episode airs on Friday, January 25th at 10:00 p.m.

Check out new videos from Cinemax's "Banshee" as well as new images from the third episode called Meet the New Boss. A mixed martial arts title bout is being planned at the Kinaho Moon Casino, run by tribe leader Benjamin Longshadow (Russell Means) and his son Alex (Anthony Ruivivar). Huge profits are anticipated for Banshee investors, but the enterprise is threatened when the champion (Cedric Stewart) arrives and angers Lucas and especially Siobahn. Will Lucas keep his mouth shut and allow the fight to go on as planned? The episode airs on Friday, January 25th at 10:00 p.m.

Champion of Native American rights across five decades

On 27 February 1973, members and supporters of the American Indian Movement (Aim), mostly Lakota Sioux, occupied the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota – the site of what is sometimes described as the last battle of the Indian wars, where in December 1890 the Us 7th Cavalry, the regiment led by General Custer at the Little Big Horn, massacred some 350 Lakota, mostly women and children.

The 300 protesters were soon surrounded by some 800 federal marshals, FBI agents and national guardsmen in a siege that lasted 71 days and led to the deaths of two Native Americans, one a Cherokee, and left one agent paralysed.

As the spokesman for Aim brought to Washington to negotiate, Russell Means, who has died aged 72 after suffering from throat cancer, became the leading face of Native Americans. Viewed as the most notorious Indian since Sitting Bull, he assumed a position of de...

I'm incredibly sick right now, and a little loopy from cold medication, so we're going to fall back on a partially crowdsourced Meme today. But I've got some things to get you started.

In Happy Endings news, Saved By the Bell's Mark-Paul Gosselaar has been cast as Max's mysterious new roommate, but before that, Max will be playing nurse to Penny in a scenario right out of Misery. “If you’ve seen the movie Misery or read the book, picture me in the Kathy Bates role and Casey in the James Caan role and multiple that by 15, add in a little gay sex and you’ve got the Happy Endings storyline.” Yay! for the gay sex part.

A speaker at a rally for the Maryland Alliance for Marriage, a Nom affiliated group, said that gays are worthy of death, and "If we don't vote against it (Question 6), then we...

Native American activist and actor Russell Means has died at the age of 72. A member of the Oglala Sioux tribe born on the Pine River Indian Reservation, Means joined the American Indian Movement (Aim) in 1968 and became the group’s first national leader two years later. The charismatic Means quickly became one of the most prominent faces of the movement, partly through his role in such public protests as the 1970 takeover of the Mayflower II and the 1972 occupation of the Washington, D.C. offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. In 1973, he served as spokesman ...

Russell Means, an Oglala Sioux who helped found the American Indian Movement and starred in the feature film "The Last of the Mohicans," died early Monday at his ranch in Porcupine, S.D. He was 72. Means announced in August 2011 that he had developed inoperable throat cancer. He opted to be treated with American Indian remedies, Oglala Sioux Tribe spokeswoman Donna Salomon said in announcing his death.  His acting career began in 1992 when he portrayed Chingachgook alongside Daniel Day-Lewis' Hawkeye in "The Last of the Mohicans." He also appeared in the...

Russell Means, the Oglala Sioux activist who revived indigenous pride as a leader of the American Indian Movement and appeared in such Hollywood movies later in life as The Last of the Mohicans and Natural Born Killers, has died. He was 72. Means passed away early Monday at his ranch in Porcupine, S.D., on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, his family stated on his website. The cause of death was esophageal cancer that had metastasized to his tongue, lymph nodes and lungs. Means rose to national prominence as the first national director of the American Indian Movement, staging a number of high-profile protests in the '60s and early '70s that called attention to the plight of Native Americans. Among...

Activist and actor Russell Means died of cancer Monday at his home in Porcupine, South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He was 72. A prominent member of the American Indian movement, he was instrumental in Marlon Brando having a Native American accept Brando’s Best Actor Oscar at the 1973 Academy Awards as a way of highlighting the plight of American Indians. Means also appeared in several films: He debuted as an actor in Michael Mann’s 1992 film The Last Of The Mohicans with Daniel Day-Lewis, and his big-screen credits include Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers and the voice of the Powhatan in Disney’s 1995 animated Pocahontas as well as the 1998 sequel. Means also appeared on TV in show such as HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and CBS’ Nash Bridges.

Russell Means, a former American Indian Movement activist and actor in such films as The Last of the Mohicans, died Monday at his ranch in Porcupine, S.D. He was 72 years old. The Associated Press confirmed Means' death with a spokesperson for the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Means revealed in August of last year that he had inoperable throat cancer, and according to the AP, said he was bypassing mainstream medical treatments in favor of American Indian remedies and other alternative cancer treatments. "I'm not going to argue with the Great Mystery," he said. "Lakota belief is that death

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Sioux Falls, S.D. — Russell Means never shunned attention. Whether leading Native Americans in railing against broken federal treaties, appearing in a Hollywood blockbuster or advocating a sovereign American Indian nation within U.S. borders, the activist who helped lead the 1973 uprising at Wounded Knee reveled in the spotlight.

But it was only on his terms. Openly critical of mainstream media, the onetime leader of the American Indian Movement often refused interviews and verbally blasted journalists who showed up to cover his public appearances. Instead, he chose to speak to his fan base through YouTube videos and blog posts on his personal website.

When he did speak out publicly, he remained steadfast in his defense of Aim. He found himself dogged for decades by questions about the group's alleged involvement in the slaying of a tribe member and the several gun battles with federal officers during the 71-day occupation of Wounded Knee,...

Russell Means, a former American Indian Movement activist who helped lead the 1973 uprising at Wounded Knee, reveled in stirring up attention and appeared in several Hollywood films, has died. He was 72.

Means died early Monday at his ranch in in Porcupine, S.D., Oglala Sioux Tribe spokeswoman Donna Solomon said.

Means, a Wanblee native who grew up in the San Francisco area, announced in August 2011 that he had developed inoperable throat cancer. He told The Associated Press he was forgoing mainstream medical treatments in favor of traditional American Indian remedies and alternative treatments away from his home on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Online film investment hub Slated, which launched at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, has fostered its first two projects: a modern version of Anton Chekov’s “The Seagull” and Marina Zenovich’s documentary follow-up to “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired.” Co-founded by Duncan Cork, Stephan Paternot, William Mapother and Gavan Gravesen, Slated is designed to link up filmmakers, producers and investors in a secure and self-vetted digital environment devoted to creating high-quality indie films. Still in beta, Slated has accrued a pool of accredited investors with more than $100 million in capital for film investment. Directed by actor Christian Camargo (“The Hurt Locker”), “Seagull” stars Allison Janney, William Hurt and Katie Holmes and is scheduled to begin filming in upstate New York this summer with funds raised partially through Slated. Russell Means, Jean Reno, Mark Rylance and Juliet Rylance are also...

Sorry, Daniel Craig, but Michael Nyqvist will always be my Mikael Blomkvist. After portraying the besmirched journalist in the original Millennium trilogy, Nyqvist broke out big time by playing Tom Cruise.s chief nemesis in Brad Bird.s Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Now he.s parlaying that exposure into a high-profile job on a star-studded ensemble tackling Anton Chekhov.s classic play, The Seagull. The production already boasts Katie Holmes, William Hurt, Allison Janney, Cherry Jones, Russell Means and Jean Reno, according to Variety. The trade notes that the independent production will launch production in June, with an eye on location shooting in Connecticut. Chekhov.s play first saw the stage in 1896, following a handful of mismatched lovers as they fall in and out of love on a country estate. Sidney Lumet famously adapted Chekhov.s complicated prose in 1968, with James Mason and Vanessa Redgrave in the leads. Variety says...

We have some casting additions for you today.  Here they are at a glance: Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) and Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids) will square off in the salsa-dancing revenge comedy, Cuban Fury. Michael Nyqvist (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) has joined the untitled adaptation of Anton Chekhov's play, The Seagull. Hit the jump for more on each project. From Twitchfilm comes word that Frost and O'Dowd will star in Cuban Fury, featuring Frost as a former teen salsa prodigy who attempts a comeback after a rival (O'Dowd) ruins his career.  Jon Brown penned the script, but the picture does not yet have a director. The project is backed by the UK's Big Talk Productions (Hot Fuzz, Attack the Block). Variety reports that Nyqvist has joined the adaptation of The Seagull, a dramatization of artistic and romantic conflicts that arise during a Memorial Day retreat for a New England family.

Add one more point in Dead Man Down‘s favor, since Deadline reports that Niels Arden Oplev‘s English-language debut has just snagged Isabelle Huppert (The Piano Teacher, White Material) for an undisclosed role. And the cast she’s joining is already an international smattering of acting talent; Noomi Rapace and Colin Farrell are leading the picture, while Terrence Howard and Dominic Cooper have been set for to play the villain and the protagonist’s sidekick, respectively. (Sweden, Ireland, America, England, and, now, France.)

Written by J.H. Wyman, Dead Man Down sees Farrell play Victor, a former criminal aide who seeks vengeance on Alphonse Hoyt (Howard) a criminal overlord who helped orchestrate the death of his family. Rapace enters the swing of things as Beatrice, a woman blackmailing Victor for his services; Cooper will play Victor’s partner, Darcy. That run-down is another way of admitting we don’t know who Huppert is playing,...

The Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente is on through April 22. Diego Lerer's not only posted his own recommendations but also gathered more from Gabe Klinger, Robert Koehler, Jaime Pena and Neil Young. What's more, the Ferroni Brigade has programmed a series of midnight screenings featuring Croatian martial arts icon Bore Lee.

In other news. Tim Roth will be the president of the Un Certain Regard Jury at Cannes (May 16 through 27).

The North American premiere of Woody Allen's To Rome with Love will open the Los Angeles Film Festival (June 14 through 24).

Cinema Eye has released a statement of protest against the Us Department of Homeland Security's ongoing harassment of documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras signed by 60 people in the community, over 40 of them filmmakers themselves.

Fiachra Gibbons: "It's the film that is making millions of Turkish hearts swell with even more patriotic pride than usual. Fetih 1453, a turbans-and-testosterone epic,...

Remember back in high school when you didn't read Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull" even though it was assigned to you over and over again?

Well, now you can make up for lost time thanks to Christian Camargo's ambitious plans to reboot this literary classic. No, really, you might actually be interested this go-round.

That's because Camargo (best known for his killer role in season one of "Dexter") is gearing up to make his directorial debut (from a script he also wrote) with a retelling of Chekhov's most famous play that puts Katie Holmes front-and-center. If the negotiations go through, Mrs. Tom Cruise Holmes will star alongside other Hollywood heavyweights including William Hurt, Allison Janney, Russell Means, Jean Reno, Mark Rylance and Juliet Rylance.

According to Variety, the story will take place in rural New England where reckless desire wreaks havoc over Memorial Day weekend as a family confronts...

The are few works that have been more revered and adapted than "The Seagull" by Anton Chekhov. The Russian master's play, written over 100 years ago, still forms the basis for countless new stage iterations -- both professional and amateur -- inspired a ballet and an opera, but oddly enough, has never had a splashy big-screen version. Until now.

An ensemble cast including Katie Holmes, William Hurt, Allison Janney, Russell Means, Jean Reno, Mark Rylance and Juliet Rylance have come together for Christian Camargo's directorial debut. The actor-turned-helmer was featured in "The Hurt Locker" and Twihards know him best as Eleazar from 'Breaking Dawn,' but he's making a pretty bold career move here. He adapted the play, updating it to contemporary times, and has set the story in rural New England where desire and conflict mix and match over a Memorial Day weekend. Not all the roles are parceled out yet,...

Legendary Russian playwright Anton Chekov is getting the modernization treatment as Variety reports that Christian Carmago, an actor probably best known for his role in The Hurt Locker, is making his directorial debut with an adaptation of Chekov’s 1896 play The Seagull. The subtext-heavy play will shift from Russia to modern day New England, focusing on a family who confront the nature of love over Memorial Day weekend.

With the source material being deep and meaty, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it has attracted an eclectic mix of actors. Katie Holmes, William Hurt, Allison Janney, Jean Reno, Russell Means, Mark Rylance, and Julie Rylance are all negotiating for parts and according to the article are in various stages of the process. Provided they all sign on, Janney will star as Elizabeth (the modern version of the original’s Irina Arkadina), with Hurt as her brother and Holmes...

Katie Holmes, William Hurt, Allison Janney, Russell Means, Jean Reno, Mark Rylance and Juliet Rylance are all in various stages of negotiations to join a currently untitled modern indie re-telling of Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull" reports Variety.

The story is set in rural New England where reckless desire wreaks havoc over Memorial Day weekend as a family confronts the volatile and fragile nature of love. Janney will play a movie star, Hurt will play her ailing brother, Holmes will play the temperamental daughter of the estate's caretaker.

Christian Camargo, best known as the homicidal brother of the title character in Showtime's "Dexter", will make his directorial debut on the project which he penned. Juliet Rylance and Barbara Romer will produce. Shooting kicks off this summer in upstate New York.