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“This process is similar to my acting,” says Timothy Olyphant. “It’s a little something I call winging it.”

The 57-year-old, a cultural fixture since the late ’90s who’s claimed to have found the absolute “sweet spot” of fame, is discussing his approach to ceramics at his Westside studio. And like that dig at his Hollywood career, he’s being modest. Olyphant majored in Studio Art at USC. If you frequent Los Angeles galleries, you might have spotted him — likely in a cowboy hat. “What a cry for attention,” he jokes. “The guy that’s played a cowboy most of his career wears a cowboy hat.”

After donning Western gear for lead roles in Deadwood, Justified and Fargo, the guy just looks good in a wide brim. But Olyphant, who shares three grown children with his wife of 34 years, is more than just a cowboy and budding ceramicist. He...

Exclusive: Yellowjackets co-showrunner and executive producer Jonathan Lisco has signed an overall deal with Warner Bros. Television and HBO Max.

Per Wbd practice, terms were not disclosed; however, Wbtv and HBO Max confirm that it is an exclusive, multi-year pact for Lisco to develop and produce new television projects.

Outside of the agreement, Lisco will continue to consult and EP on Season 4 of Yellowjackets. In addition to his co-showrunner and EP duties, Lisco served as writer and director on the Showtime hit for its first three seasons under an overall with the network, during which the series received ten Emmy nominations—including Best Drama and Best Writing for a Drama Series—the Critics Choice Award for Best Horror Series and a GLAAD Award. It also received nominations from the WGA, Peabody Awards, Gotham Awards, and TCA Awards.

Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, Yellowjackets is the saga of a...

So Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone has finally ridden off into the sunset. Kevin Costner’s John Dutton III, all gravel-voiced grit and rancher gravitas, left behind more than just a power vacuum in Montana. He left a void in our streaming queues and our hearts. And no, a dozen Sheridan spin-offs won’t quite cut it. Because if you’re aching for something that hits just as hard, or even harder, in the Western genre, you’re in for a treat.

Some of these shows are classic dusty-saddle epics; others throw lasso-sized curveballs with sci-fi twists, feminist vengeance, or steely-eyed detectives. But they all have one thing in common: they echo that thunderous energy Yellowstone fans crave.

From Robert Duvall’s swagger in Lonesome Dove to Timothy Olyphant’s lawman cool in Justified, to the almost poetic lawlessness of Deadwood, each series here offers something Yellowstone touched on but never fully mastered.

Exclusive: Random House has taken the North American rights off the table to I’m on the Moon, the debut comedy memoir by former Late Show and Late Night With David Letterman producer Daniel Kellison.

The deal was sealed ahead of a scheduled auction that had already attracted offers from several major publishers.

Originally titled The Fuck-Up—a name that reflected Kellison’s own self-perception during those formative years—the memoir now goes by I’m on the Moon. It chronicles Kellison’s darkly funny and wildly unlikely journey from being raised by a four-time-divorced Vermont hippie mom and a one-eyed babysitter, to taking a hit of acid and deciding, with sudden clarity, that he had to work for his hero, David Letterman. “From the ominous glow of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant to the bright lights of 30 Rock…”

The book charts Kellison’s rise from a chaotic childhood...

When Hulk Hogan pinned the Iron Sheik at Madison Square Garden on January 23, 1984, to become the Worldwide Wrestling Federation's new heavyweight champion, professional wrestling was transformed practically overnight into a pop cultural phenomenon. This roughly coincided with Captain Lou Albano appearing in Cyndi Lauper's music video for "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," which laid the groundwork for the popular singer to participate in a crossover narrative that caught the attention of millions of non-wrestling fans. Though killjoy snobs lamented this explosion of interest in what had long been considered a tawdry, low-aiming entertainment, the never ending soap opera of the WWF and competitors like the Ted Turner-backed Nwa and the Awa proved irresistible to many.

When it became clear that the pro wrestling trend wasn't a passing fad, enterprising promoters sought to capitalize on its popularity by launching their own leagues. The most inventive of these new...

The legendary Ian McShane has been acting for more than 60 years, from The Wild and The Willing, The Last of Shelia, and Jesus of Nazareth to Lovejoy, Sexy Beast, and the John Wick films. His two latest films are Ballerina, set in the John Wick universe, and and the action comedy Deep Cover. On this episode he talks about what made his time as Al Swearengen on Deadwood (perhaps his most iconic role) so special, and tells a story about an unforgettable suggestion from creator David Milch. He explains what sets Wick’s Chad Stahalski apart as a director/producer, why […]

The post “It Was Like Being on a Cliff and You Just Leapt Off It, with Whatever You Had to Give”: Ian McShane, Back To One, Episode 344 first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

The legendary Ian McShane has been acting for more than 60 years, from The Wild and The Willing, The Last of Shelia, and Jesus of Nazareth to Lovejoy, Sexy Beast, and the John Wick films. His two latest films are Ballerina, set in the John Wick universe, and and the action comedy Deep Cover. On this episode he talks about what made his time as Al Swearengen on Deadwood (perhaps his most iconic role) so special, and tells a story about an unforgettable suggestion from creator David Milch. He explains what sets Wick’s Chad Stahalski apart as a director/producer, why […]

The post “It Was Like Being on a Cliff and You Just Leapt Off It, with Whatever You Had to Give”: Ian McShane, Back To One, Episode 344 first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

5 TV Shows That Were Gone Too Soon—And Still Hurt Years Later ( Photo Credit – Facebook )

Television is a tough business. Getting any show to the airwaves is one thing—but staying on is a different beast entirely. Some of the boldest, weirdest, and most brilliant series barely make it out of the gate before they get the axe. Whether due to budget, viewership, or plain bad timing, these shows were gone before they ran out of story. Here’s my personal ranking of the five TV shows that ended far too soon.

Over a lifetime of watching TV shows, I’ve come to realise that television show life expectancy is the exact opposite of boxing. In boxing, great fighters almost always continue when their best days are long behind them, but when it comes to TV, a metric tonne of great shows are often cancelled after one or two seasons...

The Better Sister tells two stories about two different sets of siblings, one fictional, one real. Officially, the Prime Video series (premiering May 29) is an adaptation of the 2019 novel by Alafair Burke, about a pair of estranged siblings, played by Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks, reuniting when one’s husband is murdered. But it’s also a way for the show’s creator, Olivia Milch, to work through the family dynamics with her own sister, Elizabeth Milch (who’s also a Better Sister producer), and their dad David Milch, the...

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While Max (formerly known as HBO Max) is in no way the success story that Netflix is, and even if it doesn’t have the vast library that Netflix has, you can’t deny the sheer quality of shows that Max has. With some of the greatest stories ever told in the world of television, Max completely justifies its premium subscription price. So, today, we are listing the best shows you can check out on Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service.

Chernobyl Credit – HBO

Chernobyl is a historical tragedy drama miniseries created by Craig Mazin. Based on the Chernobyl disaster, the HBO series is set in 1986, and it revolves around cleanup efforts that took place around the Chernobyl disaster. Chernobyl stars Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgard, Paul Ritter, Jessie Buckley, Adam Nagaitis, Con O’Neill, Adrian Rawlins, Sam Troughton, Robert Emms,...

NYPD Blue alum Kim Delaney was arrested on March 29, following an alleged domestic disturbance. The actor is best known for her role as Detective Diane Russell in the hit ABC procedural drama, which ran for 12 seasons.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's inmate information website (via TMZ), Delaney was arrested along with her partner James Morgan following what has been described as a "heated argument that turned physical." The pair were taken into custody as soon as they were examined by paramedics at the scene.

Speaking to People, a spokesperson for the Marina Del Rey Sheriff's Station revealed that "Delaney was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, while Morgan was arrested for domestic violence." As of March 30, they were both still in custody. According to the outlet, Morgan was arrested approximately 30 minutes before Delaney, with his bail set at $20,000. They are both scheduled to appear in...

The action drama series Tracker was an instant hit for CBS, sharing the top ratings spots with Kathy Bates' Matlock. The procedural features Justin Hartley in the lead, widely known for his standout role as Kevin on This Is Us. As a lone wolf survivalist named Colter Shaw, he makes his way in the world by tracking down missing people for both law enforcement and private citizens. However, part of Tracker's charm in the first season was Robin Weigert as Teddi, who, along with her wife Velma, keeps the business side of Cole's job running smoothly while he's out in the field.

However, before the start of Season 2, it was revealed that Weigert would not be continuing her role on the show. Though not uncommon for actors to abruptly leave projects, it was a bit of a shock due to her significant presence in the first season and the...

Peter Jason, the extremely busy character actor who appeared in nine features for Walter Hill and seven for John Carpenter and portrayed the card dealer-turned-reverend Con Stapleton on HBO’s Deadwood, has died. He was 80.

Jason died Thursday in his West Hollywood home after a long battle with cancer, a family representative told The Hollywood Reporter.

Jason amassed more than 275 acting credits on IMDb alone during his seven-decade onscreen career that began in the mid-1960s with a comedy sketch on CBS’ The Red Skelton Show, and he made his big-screen debut in Howard Hawks’ final film, Rio Lobo (1970), where his character died in the arms of John Wayne.

The Hollywood native also was an actor and production associate for Orson Welles on The Other Side of the Wind, which came out in 2018 after 48 years in development.

After working for Hill in The Driver (1978) and The Long Riders (1980), the fun-loving...

American Primeval is one of the most popular Netflix shows of 2025 so far! After fans tuned in for the first season of the series, everyone is looking for another Western series to watch. If that describes you and your search, we have you covered!

The new series from writer Mark L. Smith and director Peter Berg follows a mother and her son, Sara and Devin, played by Betty Gilpin and Preston Mota, on a journey West in 1857. After getting caught up in an attack, Sara and Devin find themselves in the middle of a conflict between the US Army, Brigham Young and the Mormon people, and the Indigenous people. With the help of Isaac Reed (Taylor Kitsch), Sara tries to stay a step ahead of those who wish her harm.

There's already some chatter about a possible prequel series, so while we wait for more information, you should check out...

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American Primeval is a Western thriller drama series created by Mark L. Smith. The Netflix series is set in 1857 during the Utah War, and it revolves around the violent feuds and schemes to gain control over the American West. American Primeval stars Taylor Kitsch, Betty Gilpin, Dane DeHaan, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Derek Hinkey, Joe Tippett, Jai Courtney, Preston Mota, Shawnee Pourier, and Shea Whigham. So, if you loved the gritty Western backdrop, thrilling story, and compelling characters in American Primeval, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Hell on Wheels Credit – AMC

Hell on Wheels is a Western thriller drama series created by Joe and Tony Gayton. The AMC series follows Cullen Bohannon, a former Confederate soldier who joins the railroad construction to find the Union soldiers who killed his wife and son during the Civil War.

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Bookie is a comedy-drama series created by Chuk Lorre and Nick Bakay. The Max series follows a veteran bookie as he tries to survive in the face of sports gambling legalization while also dealing with unstable clients and worried family members. Bookie stars Sebastian Maniscalco, Omar Dorsey, Andrea Anders, Vanessa Ferlito, Jorge Garcia, Maxim Swinton, and Rob Corddry. So, if you loved the dark comedy, a bit of crime drama, and compelling characters in Bookie here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Mr. Inbetween (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – FX

Mr. Inbetween is a dark comedy crime-drama series created by Scott Ryan. Based on Ryan’s 2005 film The Magician, the FX series follows Ray Shoesmith, an assassin and a divorced father who tries to find a balance between his life of crime and being a loving father.

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On Call is a procedural crime drama series created by Tim Walsh and Elliot Wolf. The Prime Video series follows Long Beach Police Department veteran training officer Traci Harmon and her latest rookie Alex Diaz as they patrol the streets to keep the people of their city safe while trying to get over the loss their recently fallen colleague. On Call stars Troian Bellisario, Brandon Larracuente, Eriq Lasalle, Lori Loughlin, and Rich Ting. So, if you loved the thrilling rush, police procedural drama, and compelling characters in On Call here are some similar shows you should check out next.

The Rookie (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – ABC

The Rookie is a police procedural action crime drama series created by Alexi Hawley. The ABC series follows John Nolan, a 40-year-old man as he moves to Los Angeles to...

Quick Links Deadwood Delivers Shakespearian Drama and True Grit Deadwood Details Historical Events and Mythic Figures Wild Bill Hickok Leaves an Indelible Impact Deadwood’s Legacy Still Lives On Years Later

Hailed as one of the best HBO shows of all time, the beloved Western series Deadwood crafts a perfect concoction of rich storytelling, committed performances and impressive production design that not only takes audiences back to a bygone era but also recounts an important piece of American history that helped define the nation. Bringing forth real historical events, along with expertly written dramatization, the show delivers on both fronts of honoring the past and entertaining viewers with the material at hand; where the complex characters on display are all given depth and work to give context to the series’ central themes.

Whether watching dynamic fictional characters or an interpretation of real historical figures, every personality in Deadwood helps move its narrative; that said,...

20 years ago this year, Deadwood premiered on HBO on March 21st, 2004. Helmed by former NYPD Blue co-creator David Milch, the series debuted to nearly universal acclaim, and is still in the conversation of the greatest TV series of all time. Set in the 1870s in the gold mining town of Deadwood in what would later become South Dakota, it depicted life on the frontier as hard and fraught with peril, where scheming opportunists could come and make their fortunes, as long as their morals were flexible enough to do what was necessary.

But beyond its colorful profanity and merciless violence, a more tender heart beats at the core of Deadwood. Amidst the jockeying and murdering for power and wealth, some of the series' most memorable moments came from watching its sprawling cast of characters taking care of each other, finding moments of connection as they worked to build a community from the ground up.

“American Star” is an introspective British thriller with Ian McShane in the lead role of Wilson, a mysterious hitman of few words. Filmed on location in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, the English actor revels in the fact that his character “goes there and disobeys his first rule, which is, do the job and leave.” But is Wilson a government operative, a black ops soldier, or something else entirely? “There’s a whole other world out there we don’t know about,” McShane theorizes. Watch our exclusive video interview above.

The actor discusses some of Wilson’s quirks, including taking down a flower painting at his hotel and seemingly always wearing black. “In these three days, you get a reflection of what his life is,” McShane says. “He’s missed out on a lot, as exemplified by the people he comes into contact with. I’m not saying he regrets it,...

Spoiler Alert: This article contains details for the Season 5 return of Yellowstone on Sunday.

Written as usual by Taylor Sheridan, the long-awaited final half of Yellowstone’s fifth season opened Sunday with Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) pulling up to the governor’s mansion to see all hell has broken loose with emergency vehicles flashing everywhere. It isn’t much suspense that her beloved father, John Dutton (Kevin Costner), lay dead inside, before he was to face an impeachment tribunal set up by his son Jamie (Wes Bentley), the Montana attorney general.

She’s held outside by police, but brother Kayce (Luke Grimes) pulls up, flashes a badge and tells the lawman to piss off. And their worst nightmare is revealed. We don’t see John Dutton’s face, but the body is frail and bluing, the wall in the bathroom is painted with blood from a single gunshot to the head.

Playing the beloved character of Bobby Simone to great acclaim, there is still some question as to why Jimmy Smits left NYPD Blue. NYPD Blue is ranked high among the best cop shows of all time, and its attention to detail, gritty storytelling, and across-the-board top-notch performances have made it stand out among a packed field of police procedurals. Its mature themes have kept it in the pop culture consciousness long after it ended in 2005. One of the most enduring characters on the show was Detective Bobby Simone, played by Jimmy Smits.

Bobby Simone first appeared on NYPD Blue in season 2, episode 5, "Simon Says", immediately making an impression. Initially a police commissioner's driver, the detective quickly proves his abilities, and his street smarts and empathy earned him love from fans and critics, with six Emmy nominations over his run on the show and one Golden Globe win. This only made...

It has been over 40 years since the premium cable channel HBO started launching its first original series and 25 years since the breakout success of The Sopranos. Ever since then, the name HBO has become synonymous with quality. The network's lack of obligations to advertisers has allowed it to give its creators far more creative freedom than traditional television networks and take bigger chances with the stories it tells.

The major Hollywood television awards show is the Primetime Emmys, handed out annually to celebrate the very best in American prime time television in a wide range of technical and artistic categories. HBO has consistently been one of the leading networks with the most Emmy nominations every year for more than a decade.

Updated by Alex Roush on September 08, 2024: The quality and craftsmanship of HBO's shows are routinely acknowledged, with some of them being among the biggest Emmy winners of the modern era.

I remember the moment I realized how much I love television. It was March 2, 2014, and for the first time in years, I skipped the Oscar telecast completely. I did it to watch a new episode of "True Detective," which was nearing the end of its phenomenal, influential, heavily-discussed first season. The show's grip on American pop culture that year was incredible: It won five Emmys, inspired countless parodies, and lit up the internet with theories and Easter egg hunts. People read Robert W. Chambers' "The King in Yellow" after the word "Carcosa" popped up in the show. Viewers made gifs and edits of every single shot of Matthew McConaughey's hilariously bleak protagonist. And, importantly, people in Hollywood clearly started searching for the next "True Detective."

In the years that followed the show's first season, a whole host of TV series appeared that clearly followed the "True Detective" rulebook: Slow-burn criminal investigations,...

Yellowstone has become one of the biggest shows on television, as it should because the series is a brilliant piece of art, which deserves every praise it gets. Created by Taylor Sheridan, the neo-Western drama series revolves around the Dutton family who own the largest ranch in America. While there is a lot of infighting amongst the family they must all stand together to protect what’s there from several enemies. Yellowstone stars Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes, Kelsey Asbille, Wes Bentley, Jefferson White, and Ian Bohen. Now, that Yellowstone is ending soon with Part 2 of its Season 5, we are here to suggest some similar shows while you wait for the final Yellowstone episodes.

Succession (Max & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – HBO

Succession is a satirical dark comedy-drama series created by Jesse Armstrong. The HBO series revolves around the Roy family, who own one of the biggest...

Chris Wilcha has spent decades in the film industry, yet found his career taking unexpected turns. Starting in his twenties as an ambitious documentarian, he made “The Target Shoots First,” a well-received look at his job in music marketing. But making a living as an independent filmmaker was difficult, so commercial work soon followed. Over the years, Wilcha tried starting other documentary projects but rarely finished them.

In “Flipside,” Wilcha revisits this path with reflection and humor. The film centers around a New Jersey record store where he worked as a teen, Flipside Records, that now struggles to stay relevant. Wilcha’s goal was to document the store’s history as it faced an uncertain future. Yet the film becomes much more, exploring Wilcha’s own journey from those early days with high ideals to his current life with a family and career in television commercials.

We learn of unfinished...

Deadwood was one of HBO's most popular series during its initial run from 2004 to 2006 but, despite this, the show was canceled with no concrete ending due to its lofty budget. This was partly because, at the time and unlike today, high-budgeted prestige TV series were not yet the norm. There had been conversations early on about a film or two to wrap up the story but, at the time, creator David Milch wasn't convinced he could properly wrap up the lingering threads in such a limited amount of time. Over the following 12 years, fans remained hopeful that a revival of the iconic Western would somehow materialize. Finally, in 2019, Deadwood: The Movie arrived on HBO's streaming service, Max.

Despite fans clamoring for a finale to their favorite episodic Western, many remained skeptical about how one film - let alone one released so long after the final episode aired far back in...

Two of the best pop culture fixtures of the aughts briefly collided behind the scenes, according to "The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast." In a recent episode of the endlessly delightful Lonely Island retrospective project, host Meyers and "Saturday Night Live" digital short mainstays Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone shared a surprising behind-the-scenes moment from Schaffer's cult favorite comedy "Hot Rod," and it featured none other than prolific "Deadwood" pottymouth Al Swearengen.

In case you haven't rewatched "Hot Rod" lately, it's worth noting that "Deadwood" star Ian McShane plays the bullying stepfather to stuntman Rod (Samberg), and his antagonism is one of the major driving forces of the surreal and silly movie. "Hot Rod" came out in 2007, but it filmed a year earlier, apparently before "Deadwood" had wrapped filming on its third and final season. On that show, McShane put in an awards-worthy performance as the irascible Swearengen,...

“Freeze mother bitches!” What’s the all-time best buddy cop movie ever made? 48 Hrs? Lethal Weapon? Beverly Hills Cop? Rush Hour? The Nice Guys? In terms of story and dramatic action, any one of these titles warrants serious consideration. But when it comes to the onscreen rapport and natural chemistry between two stars in a buddy cop movie, it’s hard to beat 1995’s Bad Boys – the directorial debut of the divisive filmmaker Michael Bay. Sure, Bay has earned a rightful rep as a bold and boisterous music-video director turned filmmaker who favors big, dumb, pyrotechnic excesses over quality cinematic storytelling.

However, Bay does deserve at least a modicum of credit for pairing the comedic talents of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence together as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett – two immensely likable Miami narcotics officers who trade crackling banter and witty one-liners whose onscreen partnership drives the engagement and entertainment level.

In “Flipside,” documentary filmmaker Chris Wilcha grapples with personal regrets and middle age through the lens of the documentary projects he started but never finished. The 96-minute doc, which premiered last year at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival, looks at those abandoned ideas including one about television writer David Milch and his connection to jazz photographer Herman Leonard; a passion project on the New Jersey record store where Wilcha worked as a teenager and a look at radio host Ira Glass’ attempts to make a musical.

Writer/director Judd Apatow executive produced “Flipside.” Apatow met Wilcha in 2009 when he hired him to make a behind-the-scenes movie about the making of “Funny People.” Wilcha moved his family of four from New York to Los Angeles to work on the project with the idea that he would become a successful documentary filmmaker. But when that career didn’t take off, Wilcha began a lucrative career making commercials.

Few big new studio wide releases, yes, but Viggo Mortensen’s latest is on 700 screens, plus limited openings for Chris Wilcha’s Flipside, Judd Apatow EP, and Spanish animated, Oscar-nominated Robot Dreams from Neon. Bleecker Street’s family drama Ezra and IFC Films’ arthouse slasher In A Violent Nature are technically wide but both well under 1,500 screens.

Viggo Mortensen directed, wrote and stars in Western The Dead Don’t Hurt presented by Shout! Studios on 730 screens. The story of star-crossed lovers on the western U.S. frontier in the 1860s sees Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps), a fiercely independent woman, settle in Nevada with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen (Mortensen). But the outbreak of the Civil War separates them as Olsen goes to fight with the Union army, leaving Vivienne alone in a town full of corrupt officials. Premiered in Toronto, see Deadline review. It’s Mortensen’s second outing behind the camera since 2020’s Falling.

Image: Oscilloscope Laboratories You don’t have to be of a certain age to appreciate everything Chris Wilcha sets out to do in his new documentary Flipside, but it certainly helps. The way this project speaks to the Gen X experience, especially if you’ve ever thought of yourself as an artist,...

Image: Oscilloscope Laboratories

You don’t have to be of a certain age to appreciate everything Chris Wilcha sets out to do in his new documentary Flipside, but it certainly helps. The way this project speaks to the Gen X experience, especially if you’ve ever thought of yourself as an artist,...

From the second scene of Mortensen’s second feature, “The Dead Don’t Hurt” (following 2020’s excellent father-son drama “Following”), audiences know the fate of Vivienne LeCoudy (Vicky Krieps). A resilient French Canadian pioneer woman left alone for years, Vivienne dies at home in bed, a single tear making tracks on her dusty cheek. For no good reason, Mortensen opts to tell her story out of order, flashing back to Vivienne’s childhood (to show the character-defining disappearance of her fur-trapper father) and carrying on past her death to reveal whether her absentee partner (played by Mortensen) manages to avenge what happened to her.

That nonlinear narrative choice in an otherwise understated art-house Western serves to confuse more than it reveals, complicating things for the meat-and-potatoes crowd that regularly turn out for cowboy stories. Set during the Civil War but made with a mindset more in line with the #MeToo era,...

Fifteen years ago, writer/director Judd Apatow hired documentary filmmaker Chris Wilcha to film a behind-the-scenes movie about the making of “Funny People” and changed Wilcha’s life forever when the documentarian moved from New York to Los Angeles to work on the project. After he was done with the shoot, Wilcha had a hard time finding documentary work and ultimately settled into a life of directing commercials, returning to his first love of non-fiction filmmaking only sporadically as he accumulated hard drive after hard drive of footage from unfinished projects. Apatow was stunned to learn what an effect he had had on Wilcha’s life. “I didn’t even know that he moved to L.A. for the job,” Apatow told IndieWire, “and that his mom has been mad at me for decades.”

The unexpected connections between people and the unknown ways in which they affect each other are...

When the teaser trailer for "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" debuted last March, our reintroduction to Delia Deetz (Catherine O'Hara) and Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) was a somber one. The mother and daughter were standing graveside in a cemetery, mourning an undisclosed character. Fans of the original quickly guessed that the person being committed to the Earth was the family's patriarch, Charles Deetz (Jeffrey Jones), but Tim Burton, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, refused to confirm this suspicion. "We'll see," was all he said at the time.

Two months later, with the release of the first full theatrical trailer, this minor mystery has been solved thanks to an utterance by Jenna Ortega, who plays Lydia's rebellious teenage daughter Astrid. "I can't believe grandpa's dead." It's Charles' death, then, that serves as the catalyst for the sequel's plot, as confirmed by the following synopsis:

After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the...

The historical drama miniseries Manhunt was a fascinating look at the pursuit to track down President Abraham Lincoln’s assassin John Wilkes Booth, and, following its conclusion, many viewers may be looking for a similarly great historical drama series to watch. Luckily, there have been plenty of fantastic historical dramas that dealt with similar themes and present extraordinary depictions of real-life historical figures. Lots of these explored the incredibly varied history of the United States, but several historical dramas looked at other locations, periods, and themes.

From high-quality Westerns like Deadwood, which explored the formation of modern American civilization and the disintegration of the Wild West, to fascinating chronicles of other United States presidents like the miniseries John Adams, historical dramas have the power to both entertain and inform. Outside of America, there were also highly engrossing series dealing with other cultures, including Ancient Rome in Rome or feudal Japan in Shōgun.

"It's beautiful and inspiring." Oscilloscope Labs has revealed an official trailer for a documentary film titled Flipside, which first premiered last year at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival. It's the latest creation from doc filmmaker Chris Wilcha, who worked for "This American Life" and also made a few docs, including Knock Knock It's Tig Notaro in 2015 and his breakout The Target Shoots First. Flipside is his comical attempt to save a New Jersey record store and confront a mid-life crisis. TIFF adds: "In the process of looking back, he gets inspired to revisit the half-finished documentaries that exist only on his hard drives. He pulls up old interviews that no one has seen with creative people who faced their own crossroads, including radio host Ira Glass, writer Starlee Kine, jazz photographer Herman Leonard, and television writer David Milch. The passage of time brings a deeper poignancy to their testimonies... His quest may be personal,...

Premiering at TIFF last fall, Flipside follows filmmaker Chris Wilcha as he reflects on his past and what it means to live a life of creativity. Picked up by Oscilloscope Laboratories for a North American release, featuring Judd Apatow on board as executive producer, the first trailer has now landed ahead of a May 31 debut.

Here’s the synopsis: “When filmmaker Chris Wilcha revisits the record store he worked in as a teenager in New Jersey, he finds the once-thriving bastion of music and weirdness from his youth slowly falling apart and out of touch with the times. Flipside documents his tragicomic attempt to revive the store while revisiting the abandoned documentary projects that have marked his career. In the process, he captures “The American Life” icon Ira Glass in the midst of a creative rebirth, discovers the origin story of David Bowie’s ode to a local New Jersey cable television hero,...

Documentarian Chris Wilcha is stepping back through time for his latest feature “Flipside.”

Wilcha revisits his own shelved past projects including capturing “This American Life” icon Ira Glass in the midst of a creative rebirth, an origin story of David Bowie’s ode to a local New Jersey cable television hero, and an unlikely connection between jazz photographer Herman Leonard and TV writer David Milch.

The film is the product of Wilcha returning to the record store where he worked as a teenager in New Jersey and realizing that the staple of his youth is now out of touch with the times. Per the official synopsis, “Flipside” documents Wilcha’s “tragicomic attempt to revive the store while revisiting other documentary projects he has abandoned over the years. This disparate collection of stories coheres into something strange and expansive — a moving meditation on music, work, and the sacrifices and satisfaction of...

Exclusive: Tom Payne, the British actor who starred in Fox drama series Prodigal Son, has new representation.

Payne has signed with Independent Artist Group in all areas. He was previously repped by UTA and, before that, Paradigm.

He most recently starred in the Blumhouse feature Imaginary and his next role is in Kevin Costner’s western Horizon: An America Saga.

Elsewhere, he played Paul “Jesus” Monroe on The Walking Dead and his breakout role was in Michael Man and David Milch’s HBO series Luck.

Other roles include in Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day, opposite Amy Adams and Frances McDormand, The Physician, BBC drama Best, Miss Marple and Wuthering Heights.

It is the latest actor signing for Independent Artist Group, which was created as part of the merger between APA and Agi last year. Other recent signings include Regina Hall, William H Macy, Nathalie Emmanuel, Terrance Howard, Ken Jeong,...

There is no denying that theaters are losing their charm thanks to streaming platforms like Netflix. People now would much rather prefer paying a monthly fee and enjoying more content than ever before in the comfort of their own homes. Now, it takes films like Barbie and Oppenheimer to drive people to theater halls and experience cinema first-hand.

A still from Barbie (2023)

As if this was not enough, director and producer Judd Apatow recently gave his two cents on the state of television today and how shows are just getting recycled over and over again thanks to licensing pacts between streaming platforms. Judd Apatow expressed his worries that if things keep going on like this, it might lead to fewer new shows and television becoming more of a business than art.

Judd Apatow is Worried About Netflix’s Model Judd Apatow on The Tonight Show

Many people prefer doing re-runs of their favorite television series,...

Judd Apatow is commenting on the trend of streamers licensing content from rival studios.

It was recently announced that Warner Bros. Discovery struck a deal to license Sex and the City to Netflix. Apatow is now looking ahead at the implications that these types of deals might have in the industry in the years ahead.

“I’m of two minds. There’s a part of me that’s an audience member: I’ll go back and rewatch Deadwood or NYPD Blue or any of the David Milch shows. I understand why people like the comfort food of television,” Apatow told Vulture in a recent interview. “But it’s a scary thing as a creator of television, because of all the streamers going, ‘Wait a second. We don’t need to spend $200 million on a new show. We can just bring back Barnaby Jones.’ They’re going to do it, then...

Judd Apatow spoke to Vulture in a recent interview about the current state of television, including why the trend of rewatching older series and licensing pacts between streamers is “scary.”

“I’m of two minds,” Apatow said. “There’s a part of me that’s an audience member: I’ll go back and rewatch ‘Deadwood’ or ‘NYPD Blue’ or any of the David Milch shows. I understand why people like the comfort food of television. But it’s a scary thing as a creator of television, because of all the streamers going, ‘Wait a second. We don’t need to spend $200 million on a new show. We can just bring back “Barnaby Jones.”‘ They’re going to do it, then you’ll get fewer new shows.”

The “This Is 40” writer-director continued, “They realize, Oh wait, Netflix can just buy shows from HBO, and I would assume they’re cheaper than making new ones.

Judd Apatow is opening up about the current state of television and why he finds it “scary” that Netflix can license shows from HBO.

The writer-director-producer told Vulture in a recent interview that licensing pacts between streaming giants is just going to lead to viewers getting “fewer new shows.”

“I’m of two minds,” Apatow explained. “There’s a part of me that’s an audience member: I’ll go back and rewatch Deadwood or NYPD Blue or any of the David Milch shows. I understand why people like the comfort food of television.”

The This Is 40 writer-director continued, “But it’s a scary thing as a creator of television, because of all the streamers going, ‘Wait a second. We don’t need to spend $200 million on a new show. We can just bring back Barnaby Jones.’ They’re going to do it, then you’ll get fewer new shows.

Judd Apatow is warning against the rise of rewatching and the implications it has for streamers not to greenlight new series.

The writer/director/producer told Vulture that Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO licensing shows like “Sex and the City” to Netflix is just a recent example of limiting audiences’ “content” options, which is no doubt “cheaper than making new ones.”

“I’m of two minds,” Apatow said of the rise of viewers rediscovering older series. “There’s a part of me that’s an audience member: I’ll go back and rewatch ‘Deadwood’ or ‘NYPD Blue’ or any of the David Milch shows. I understand why people like the comfort food of television. But it’s a scary thing as a creator of television, because of all the streamers going, ‘Wait a second. We don’t need to spend $200 million on a new show. We can just bring back “Barnaby Jones.

Fans of Yellowstone still have months to go before the Paramount Network hit returns with its last batch of episodes, but we have a TV anniversary to celebrate in the meantime. HBO’s 2004 series Deadwood, another small-screen Western, turns 20 on March 21. Created by David Milch (NYPD Blue), Deadwood was set in the titular South Dakota town, with Timothy Olyphant playing the real-life sheriff Seth Bullock and Ian McShane playing the real-life saloon owner Al Swearengen. All 36 episodes of Deadwood are streaming on Max — as the 2019 follow-up, Deadwood: The Movie — and we reckon it’s high time for you to pay that town a visit, especially if you like Yellowstone. Here’s why. 1. Deadwood also tells a tale of greed and crime in the West, set around the time of Yellowstone spinoff 1883. As Deadwood starts, it’s 1876, and the namesake community is a lawless mining camp overrun by misfits and criminals...

On March 21, 2004, HBO introduced audiences to the frontier outpost of Deadwood, where the Timothy Olyphant and Ian McShane series ran for three seasons. Fifteen years after its premiere it was revived as a standalone movie on the premium cabler. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review of season one is below:

David Milch, executive producer of NYPD Blue and, before that, Hill Street Blues, has spent years looking at society from the perspective of those who enforce its laws and impose order. His new series, Deadwood, imagines a world without law, a world ruled only by the conscience of individuals, many of whom have none. The result is a Western unlike most others. It is brutal, passionate, heroic, tragic, blanketed by coarseness and always fascinating, though some times morbidly so.

Although it would be just as solid a drama if it were cut from whole cloth, Deadwood is deeply rooted in historical reality.

The Chattanooga Film Festival returns for its eleventh year, unleashing another summer camp for cinephiles from June 21-28, 2024. While the fest already teased exciting events for their 2024 event, the first wave of feature programming promises even more genre fun.

From the press release: “In filmmaker Michael Turney’s RetroTech Romance Video Vision, a woman unlocks a dark dimension through an old Vcr, combining romance, horror, and analog technology in unique and spellbinding ways.

“Video Vision in both vibes and execution perfectly embodies the genre-blending spirit of the Chattanooga Film Festival and serves as its opening night film selection for the year. Because of the festival’s ongoing commitment to accessibility for its 2024 edition, the Cff team endeavored to find filmmakers and partners who understand the importance of this issue, and audience members will have the option of tuning into this world premiere on-site and virtually (US residents only). This theme...

While the genre itself originated on the big screen, Western stories have been prominently featured on television throughout entertainment history. Although Western movies may be confined to a specific window of time for a more concentrated story, the freedom of television allows for a much more expansive version of what life in the “Wild West” was actually like. Western-themed shows, like their cinematic counterparts, are often guilty of embellishing and lionizing elements of American history that were much more repulsive in reality. However, HBO’s brilliant drama series Deadwood, by creator David Milch, examined the challenging notion of “civilizing” an evolving community and the hardships that its inhabitants face. Although its first season establishes the show’s core themes and characters, Deadwood’s Season 2 premiere, “A Lie Agreed Upon,” succeeds in unifying the main cast even further while hinting at the show’s dark future.