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Polish director Olga Chajdas continues chasing different projects as she follows Netflix’s “1983,” HBO’s “The Border” and award-winning features “Nina” and “Imago” with the new six-episode historical drama “A World Divided.”

“A long time ago, I promised myself I wouldn’t repeat myself, ever,” she explained to Variety. “I lean towards fiction, so it seemed intriguing, but I wasn’t interested in making another documentary about World War II. We focus on real-life characters. Some are more famous than others, but we keep things subjective, trying to reflect what they were experiencing at that very time.”

She co-directed the show with Frank Devos.

“We decided to ‘split’ the characters. I ended up focusing on women, Frank focused on men, but only because these were our favorites. It was an interesting process because we work very differently. He’s read all the books and was concentrating on the factual layer.

Next year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and it’s no surprise networks and distributors are gathering the troops to commemorate. With war spreading in the Middle East and conflicts ongoing elsewhere around the world, the poignancy of programming in this area has been amplified this year.

What sets apart the noisiest of the new productions in this space that are heading for MIPCOM in Cannes, is that many of them aren’t using the global conflict as the actual setting for their stories. Instead, the war is a jumping-off point for wider, exploratory narratives, and themes different to those in traditional programs.

Among the most notable is the six-episode drama series A World Divided, which integrates archive footage with fictional drama. The series follows six people whose personal and political stories crystallized divisions and decisions that impacted the Second World War through to...

Today, Apple TV+ debuted the trailer for the new documentary series Omnivore, which will premiere globally on July 19, 2024.

Created and narrated by René Redzepi, the esteemed chef and co-owner of world-renowned restaurant Noma, Omnivore takes viewers on an immersive journey into the world of food. It explores the profound beauty and intricate complexities of the human experience through the lens of the key ingredients that connect us all.

Each episode of Omnivore celebrates the cultivation, transformation, and consumption of eight of the world’s most essential ingredients, including banana, chile, coffee, corn, pork, rice, salt, and tuna, revealing how they serve as the cornerstones of global cultural heritage.

Redzepi and Emmy Award-winning executive producer Matt Goulding (Anthony Bourdain: Explore Parts Unknown) guide audiences on a globe-spanning odyssey, unveiling the intricate stories behind the ingredients that have shaped societies, cultures, beliefs, and the course of human history.

The series takes viewers to destinations around the world,...

Apple TV+ startet die achtteilige Doku-Serie „Allesesser“ am 19. Juli und hat jetzt den Trailer veröffentlicht.

In der achtteiligen Doku-Serie „Allesesser“ (Originaltitel: „Omnivore“) stellt der dänische Koch René Redzepi, dessen Restaurant „Noma“ in Kopenhagen 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 und 2021 von der britischen Fachzeitschrift „Restaurant“ zum „besten Restaurant der Welt“ gekürt wurde, in jeder Folge ein anderes Lebensmittel – Bananen, Chili, Kaffee, Mais, Schweinefleisch, Reis, Salz und Thunfisch – in den Mittelpunkt seiner Reise um die ganze Welt.

Dabei versucht er, die Geschichte hinter diesen Lebensmitteln zu erkunden und wie sie die Gesellschaften, Kulturen, Glauben und den Lauf der Menschheitsgeschichte geprägt haben.

Neben Matt Goulding, Chris Rice, Ben Liebmann, Michael Antinoro, Max Wagner, Collin Orcutt und Mateo Willis fungierte René Redzepi auch als ausführender Produzent; auf dem Regiestuhl nahm in jeder Folge jemand anderes Platz: Isabel Coixet, Drea Cooper, Nicola B. Marsh, Sami Khan, Collin Orcutt, David Charles Rodrigues, Rintu Thomas und Mateo Willis.

Apple TV+ startet „Allesesser“ am 19. Juli.

James Beard Award winner, humanitarian and philanthropist José Andrés has a new half-hour special, Dinner Party Diaries with José Andrés, coming to Prime Video on March 19, 2024.

The Prime Video and Amazon Freevee collaboration celebrates the joy of cooking together and how food is a source of hope, inspired by Andrés’ work with the non-profit he founded in 2010, World Central Kitchen.

Andrés will host Jamie Lee Curtis, Bryan Cranston and O’Shea Jackson Jr. to join him in the kitchen, getting their hands dirty with approachable Spanish-influenced recipes while sharing stories that inspire them. Beyond cooking and conversation, the Chef will give viewers important takeaways to apply in their own homes while embracing imperfection and spontaneity in the kitchen.

Jamie Lee Curtis, José Andrés, Bryan Cranston & O’Shea Jackson Jr.

Dinner Party Diaries with José Andrés is executive produced by José Andrés, Richard Wolffe, Matthew Goldberg, Ellen Rocamora, Max Wagner, Ryan Schiavo,...

The disc of the year has finally arrived and it’s 1000 worth the wait. William Cameron Menzies’ flight into schoolboy paranoia now really looks like it ought to hang in the Louvre; the entire show is inspired Modern Art. When Martians conduct a brain-snatching takeover of Middle America little David MacLean must save the day, with an assist from an astronomer buddy and a sexy city nurse. The review is mostly concerned with how the new Ignite release looks and sounds. The rejuvenation of this fantasy masterpiece will turn fans of the 1950s sci-fi boom back into delighted ‘Gee Whiz’ kids.

Invaders from Mars

Blu-ray

Ignite Films

1953 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 81 min. / Street Date September 27, 2022 that was the plan … delivery expected . . . ? / Available from Ignite Films / 55.00

Starring: Helena Carter, Arthur Franz, Jimmy Hunt, Leif Erickson, Hillary Brooke, Morris Ankrum, Max Wagner, William Phipps, Milburn Stone, Janine Perreau, Barbara Billingsley, Peter Brocco, Richard Deacon,...

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Pickleball is getting the documentary treatment.

Producer Ashley Underwood (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) and writer-producer Craig Coyne (Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix) are teaming with Peter Berg’s Film 45 to serve up a nonfiction exploration of one of the fastest growing sports that will be co-directed by Seth Porges and Mary Pilon.

Per intel about the project, the as yet untitled documentary will use access to pickleball’s top leagues, events, players and celebrity fans to “examine the professionalization and commodification” of the sport, one that exploded in popularity amid the pandemic and continues its rise.

Case in point: Just yesterday, NFL legend Tom Brady and tennis champ Kim Clijsters confirmed that they are part of an ownership group for a Major League Pickleball expansion team while CBS revealed final details of Pickled, the two-hour CBS sports comedy special hosted by Stephen Colbert.

Exclusive: In honor of National Space Day today, Amazon Original Films has dated their Ryan White directed documentary Good Night Oppy for theatrical release on Nov. 4 with a worldwide drop on Prime Video on Nov. 23.

The movie produced by Jessica Hargrave, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Brandon Carroll, and Matthew Goldberg tells the inspirational true story of Opportunity, a rover that was sent to Mars for a 90-day mission but ended up surviving for 15 years. The film follows Opportunity’s groundbreaking journey on Mars and the remarkable bond forged between a robot and her humans millions of miles away.

EPs are Max Wagner, Stephen Neely and Ryan Schiavo.

Said White, “We worked closely with our partners at Industrial Light & Magic to create visual effects that will transport audiences to Mars, so I am thrilled that Good Night Oppy will play both in theaters and on Prime Video. Oppy and her human...

Cary Joji Fukunaga and chef René Redzepi are teaming for a new docuseries at Apple, Variety has learned exclusively.

The series is produced by Film 45, Noma Projects, Parliament of Owls and Endeavor Content, with Endeavor serving as the studio. Narrated by Redzepi of the famed restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, the series is titled “Omnivore.”

It will look at the world through the lens of food and explores how food binds and defines us, powers politics, shapes our beliefs, explains our past, and forecasts our future .Each episode will take viewers on a journey around the world, exploring the ingredients that have built societies, shaped spirituality, and forever altered the human story.

The series was developed by Redzepi, Fukunaga, and James Beard & Emmy Award winner Matt Goulding. Xan Aranda serves as showrunner and executive producer. Redzepi, Fukunaga and Goulding serve as executive producers. Chris Rice will executive produce for Endeavor...

Every once in a while a movie studio would ruin what might have been a masterpiece — and Preston Sturges’ last-released Paramount comedy suffered exactly that. “Triumph Over Pain” was supposed to be something new, a daring blend of comedy and tragedy. Studio politics intervened and tried to turn it into a straight comedy. Disc producer Constantine Nasr oversees two extras that explain what happened in full detail; it’s a fascinating story of a brillant and successful writer-director at odds with his studio bosses. Joel McCrea, Betty Field and William Demarest star — and the show is still entertaining despite its problems.

The Great Moment

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1944 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 83 min. / Great without Glory, Immortal Secret, Morton the Magnificent, Triumph over Pain / Street Date February 1, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95

Starring: Joel McCrea, Betty Field, Harry Carey, William Demarest, Louis Jean Heydt, Julius Tannen, Edwin Maxwell, Porter Hall, Franklin Pangborn,...

When did murder thrillers become horror pix? This one is horror only by association, and star Basil Rathbone would be a suave leading man if he wasn’t slaying wives left and right. He sets his sights on the rich, conveniently suicidal Ellen Drew, yes (sigh) that Ellen Drew. This atypical Paramount thriller has glamour to spare and also some unexpected sideways sexuality with the sinister Martin Kosleck, who almost steals the movie. But not our hearts — in that department it’s Ellen Forever and Ever.

The Mad Doctor

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1940 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 90 min. / Street Date November 2, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95

Starring: Basil Rathbone, Ellen Drew, John Howard, Barbara Jo Allen aka Vera Vague, Ralph Morgan, Martin Kosleck, Kitty Kelly, Sheila Ryan, Norma Varden, Max Wagner.

Cinematography: Ted Tetzlaff

Art Directors: Hans Dreier, Robert Usher

Film Editor: Archie Marshek

Original Music: Victor Young

Written by Howard J. Green...

Amazon Studios, Film 45, Amblin Television and Tripod Media are co-producing the upcoming feature documentary “Good Night Oppy” from director Ryan White.

With the support of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Industrial Light & Magic, the film recounts the true story of Mars exploration rover Opportunity and the bond forged between the robot and the humans that created her. Opportunity, nicknamed “Oppy,” was originally expected to live for only 90 days, but ended up exploring the Red Planet for nearly 15 years.

“We are so thrilled to be working with these extraordinary partners to bring Oppy’s story to our global customers,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios. “The innovation and determination that made Oppy’s journey possible, and the spirit of discovery that drives the team at Jpl, are an inspiration. As we celebrate their achievements, we are delighted to also be working with the extremely talented filmmaker Ryan White, and...

The Mars documentary attacks! Amazon Studios, Film 45, Amblin Television and Tripod Media are co-producing Good Night Oppy, a feature about the Mars exploration rover Opportunity.

Ryan White (Assassins) directs the pic, which is in production and tells the inspirational true story of the veteran interstellar vehicle nicknamed “Oppy” and the bond forged between the robot and the humans that created it. The machine originally was expected to live for only 90 days but ultimately explored the Red Planet for nearly 15 years.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory also is along for the voyage, as is Industrial Light & Magic, which created the visual effects. Jpl, which successfully landed Opportunity’s “younger sister” Perseverance on Mars last month, is providing the filmmakers with access and unique footage in the filming of this documentary, along with their scientific expertise and knowledge of Oppy’s mission.

Clint Lavigne will oversee the day-to-day development of the project for Amblin,...

Shortly after NASA landed its Curiosity and Perseverance rovers on Mars, a new documentary is in the works about another little robot that first captured hearts and minds: Opportunity, the Mars Exploration Rover.

The film about this “real-life Wall-e” is called “Good Night Oppy” and will be directed by “Assassins” filmmaker Ryan White. The heartwarming film shows how a robot that was only expected to be active for 90 days managed to explore Mars for nearly 15 years before making its final contact in June 2018. It’s about a robot traveling a planet on her own, but also about the literal connection and bond formed between human and machine.

Amazon Studios, Film 45, Amblin Television and Tripod Media are co-producing “Good Night Oppy,” which is currently in production and has the support of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Jpl) and Industrial Light & Magic (Ilm). The documentary was even part of an intense bidding...

Billy Wilder’s first big Oscar winner holds up as fine work in every respect, and serves as evidence of the writer-director’s moviemaking instincts at a time when he could do no wrong. Starring Ray Milland as a self-destructive alcoholic, Wilder and Charles Brackett manage to retain much of the sordid truth and nightmarish horror of the ordeal of would-be writer Don Birnham, who ducks his guilty self-loathing by taking to the bottle. It’s still a harrowing experience, with a sharp emotional kick. This new remastered edition carries a commentary by Joseph McBride. Co-starring Jane Wyman, Howard Da Silva, Doris Dowling, Frank Faylen and Phillip Terry; the scary music is by Miklos Rozsa.

The Lost Weekend

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1945 / B&w / 1:37 flat Academy / 101 min. / Street Date November 24, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: Ray Milland, Jane Wyman, Phillip Terry, Howard Da Silva, Doris Dowling, Frank Faylen, Douglas Spencer,...

No, this isn’t a documentary about the sorry situation faced by too many American homeowners. Howard Hughes takes Rko into SuperScope and color for this attractive, somewhat tame sunken treasure adventure starring his captive glamour star Jane Russell. No off-color advertising slogans this time around, but the show shapes up as a swimsuit catalog for Jane as well as her handsome co-stars Richard Egan and Gilbert Roland. Plus, the Latin rhythms of the incomparable Pérez Prado!

Underwater!

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1955 / Color / 2:1 widescreen (SuperScope) / 99 min. / Street Date January 29, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Jane Russell, Richard Egan, Gilbert Roland, Lori Nelson, Robert Keith, Joseph Calleia, Eugene Iglesias, Ric Roman, Dámaso Pérez Prado, Max Wagner.

Cinematography: Harry J. Wild

Film Editors: Stuart Gilmore, Frederic Knudtson

Original Music: Roy Webb

Second Unit Director: William Dorfman

Underwater photography: Lamar Boren

Written by Walter Newman story by Hugh King, Robert B. Bailey

Produced by Harry Tatelman,...

Another 3-D breakthrough, this time for a Paramount musical rescued from oblivion and remastered by the 3-D Archive. Rhonda Fleming and Gene Barry star in a blend of songs and Alaskan adventure filmed in downtown Hollywood. The depth effects are great, but the big surprise is Teresa Brewer, the radio star turned one-shot movie musical wonder. Her voice resurrects memories of pop vocals just prior to the arrival of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Those Redheads from Seattle

3-D Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1953 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 90 min. / Street Date May 23, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 34.95

Starring: Rhonda Fleming, Gene Barry, Agnes Moorehead, Teresa Brewer, The Bell Sisters, Guy Mitchell, Jean Parker, Roscoe Ates, John Kellogg, Sheila James Kuehl, Dub Taylor, Max Wagner.

Cinematography: Lionel Lindon

Film Editor: Archie Marshek

Original Music: Sidney Cutner, Leo Shuken

Written by Lewis R. Foster, Geoffrey Holmes (Daniel Mainwearing) and George Worthing Yates

Produced by William H. Pine,...

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. ca. 1935. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was never as popular as his father, silent film superstar Douglas Fairbanks, who starred in one action-adventure blockbuster after another in the 1920s (The Mark of Zorro, Robin Hood, The Thief of Bagdad) and whose stardom dates back to the mid-1910s, when Fairbanks toplined a series of light, modern-day comedies in which he was cast as the embodiment of the enterprising, 20th century “all-American.” What this particular go-getter got was screen queen Mary Pickford as his wife and United Artists as his studio, which he co-founded with Pickford, D.W. Griffith, and Charles Chaplin. Now, although Jr. never had the following of Sr., he did enjoy a solid two-decade-plus movie career. In fact, he was one of the few children of major film stars – e.g., Jane Fonda, Liza Minnelli, Angelina Jolie, Michael Douglas, Jamie Lee Curtis – who had successful film careers of their own.

Rex Harrison hat on TCM: ‘My Fair Lady,’ ‘Anna and the King of Siam’ Rex Harrison is Turner Classic Movies’ final "Summer Under the Stars" star today, August 31, 2013. TCM is currently showing George Cukor’s lavish My Fair Lady (1964), an Academy Award-winning musical that has (in my humble opinion) unfairly lost quite a bit of its prestige in the last several decades. Rex Harrison, invariably a major ham whether playing Saladin, the King of Siam, Julius Caesar, the ghost of a dead sea captain, or Richard Burton’s lover, is for once flawlessly cast as Professor Henry Higgins, who on stage transformed Julie Andrews from cockney duckling to diction-master swan and who in the movie version does the same for Audrey Hepburn. Harrison, by the way, was the year’s Best Actor Oscar winner. (See also: "Audrey Hepburn vs. Julie Andrews: Biggest Oscar Snubs.") Following My Fair Lady, Rex Harrison...