News

Tom Neuwirth, the cinematographer who worked alongside his wife, history-making TV director Karen Arthur, on episodes of Cagney & Lacey and many other projects, has died. He was 78.

Neuwirth died June 29 at his home in Manhattan, friend and producer Craig Anderson announced (they worked on six films together). No cause of death was revealed.

Over four decades, “Neuwirth’s career was defined by his extraordinary eye for capturing emotion, character and place — whether through the lens of his camera or from the cockpit of his own plane,” Anderson noted. “He earned his pilot’s license in high school and found joy and freedom in flying throughout his life. That same spirit guided his work behind the camera: bold, precise and always seeking a new perspective.”

Survivors include his wife of 41 years, Arthur, who became the first woman to receive a Primetime Emmy for outstanding directing for a drama series when...

It took 30 years after the Emmy Awards’ Outstanding Director for a Drama Series category was launched for the first woman, Karen Arthur, to be nominated in 1985. And it took almost 40 more years for the first Black woman, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, to land a nomination in the field, something she accomplished last week. She did it for her work on HBO’s Winning Time, which she also executive produced.

This marks the first Emmy nomination for the veteran actress-turned-director, who last week also earned her second, sharing the Outstanding Drama Series nom for HBO’s The Gilded Age in her role as executive producer.

In an interview with Deadline, Richardson-Whitfield spoke about the key role Ava DuVernay played (twice) in her taking on a new career as a director in her 40s, the challenges she has faced as a woman in a male-dominated drama-directing field, and her relationship with HBO where she...

Jan Haag, who a half-century ago founded the landmark Directing Workshop for Women at the American Film Institute, has died. She was 90.

The remarkable Haag, who also was an actress, painter, poet, novelist, playwright, writer of travel stories and creator of needlepoint canvases, some of which required hundreds of hours to complete, died Monday in Shoreline, Washington, according to the AFI and the Mb Abram agency.

Haag had directed dozens of educational films for the John Tracy Clinic and the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare when she became the first woman accepted into the Academy Intern Program at the AFI in 1970, three years after it was founded by George Stevens Jr.

She was assigned to Paramount’s Harold and Maude (1971), directed by Hal Ashby, then joined the AFI staff in 1971, and among her duties was to administer the nonprofit’s film grant program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Click here to read the full article.

Joan Hotchkis, who appeared as Oscar Madison’s girlfriend on ABC’s The Odd Couple and in films including Breezy and Ode to Billie Joe before becoming a playwright, screenwriter and feminist performance artist, has died. She was 95.

Hotchkis died Sept. 27 of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles, her daughter, Paula Chambers, announced.

A member of The Actors Studio, Hotchkis played the wife of William Windom’s James Thurber-like cartoonist on the high-concept NBC comedy My World and Welcome to It in 1969-70 and the lascivious Lydia on the five-days-a-week syndicated sitcom The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts in 1980.

In 1974, Hotchkis wrote her first play, Legacy, about a day when an upper-class housewife suffers a mental and emotional breakdown. She starred in the one-woman drama, directed by noted Method acting teacher Eric Morris, at Actors Studio West in Los Angeles.

Hotchkis...

Last year, Jessica Hobbs became just the fourth woman to win the Best Drama Directing Emmy when she prevailed for helming “War,” the Season 4 finale of “The Crown.” This year, three women have a chance to grow that number to five and make it back-to-back female champs for the first time ever.

Karyn Kusama (the “Yellowjackets” pilot), Lorene Scafaria (“Too Much Birthday” from “Succession”) and Cathy Yan (“The Disruption” from “Succession”) are vying for the prize alongside former champ Jason Bateman (“A Hard Way to Go” from “Ozark”), Hwang Dong-hyuk, Mark Mylod (“All the Bells Say” from “Succession”) and Ben Stiller (“The We We Are” from “Severance”). Kusama, Scafaria and Yan are looking to join Hobbs, Karen Arthur (“Cagney & Lacey,” 1985) and Mimi Leder and Reed Morano as the handful of women to win the category.

That number is embarrassingly small, but voters have been nominating more women in recent years.

This year’s Emmy nominations for Best Drama Directing are interesting in that, unlike in Best Drama Writing, there is no clear frontrunner. Yes, HBO’s “Succession” is likely going to come out on top with wins for writing and series, but the problem it may have in directing is the issue of vote-splitting, as it has three episodes in contention. Therefore, be on the lookout for the other shows like Netflix’s “Squid Game” or Apple’s “Severance,” which could prevail for their directorial choices and lavish sceneries.

Here are Gold Derby’s current Best Drama Directing Emmy 2022 racetrack odds:

“Squid Game” — 5/1 odds

“Severance” (“The We We Are” by Ben Stiller) — 11/2 odds

“Succession” (“All The Bells Say” by Mark Mylod) — 6/1 odds

“Ozark” (“A Hard Way To Go” by Jason Bateman) — 13/2 odds

“Yellowjackets” (“Pilot” by Karyn Kusama) — 13/2 odds

“Succession” (“Too Much Birthday” by Lorene Scafaria) — 13/2 odds

“Succession” (“The Disruption” by...

From slashers, to zombies, eco horror, and much, much more, MoMA's "Horror: Messaging the Monstrous" is a 10-week film series that includes 110 films, including a 3D screening of George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead! Featuring horror from around the world and taking place from June 23rd through September 5th, we have all the details so you can start planning your visit! Full program details can also be found at: moma.org/horror

Press Release:

The Museum of Modern Art announces Horror: Messaging the Monstrous, a 10-week film series that includes over 110 features and a selection of short films that capture the horror genre’s uncanny ability to express the lurking fears of a society and the anxieties caused by social, cultural, and political change. Presented in the Museum’s Titus Theaters in the Black Family Film Center from June 23 through September 5, 2022, Horror: Messaging the Monstrous is organized weekly...

The Primetime Emmy Awards were unable to capitalize on its historic and diverse nomination fields, with all major acting trophies going to white actors.

Actors that were seen as solid contenders included Billy Porter and Mj Rodriguez (“Pose”), the late Michael K. Williams (“Lovecraft Country”) and Kenan Thompson and Bowen Yang (“Saturday Night Live”) — but in the end, all ended up empty-handed.

Michaela Coel, nominated for four Emmys, picked up the writing limited category for “I May Destroy You,” the third time a Black creative has won the category and first for a Black woman. Past Black winners have included David Mills (“The Corner”), Anthony Hemingway (“American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson”) and Stephen Williams and Christal Henry (“Watchmen”).

A record number of 49 non-Anglo creatives were recognized in the acting and reality competition categories. While many didn’t expect anyone to unseat Jason Sudeikis (“Ted Lasso”), Jean Smart...

Female directors hit another milestone tonight when The Crown‘s Jessica Hobbs won Outstanding Directing For a Drama Series and Hacks‘ Lucia Aniello Won Outstanding Directing For a Comedy Series, respectively. This marks the first time women have swept both directing categories in the same year.

Hobbs being recognized for directing the Season 4 finale of Netflix’s The Crown, marks only the fourth time in 67 years that the Emmy Award in the Outstanding Directing For a Drama Series category has been won by a woman.

The rarity of the occasion was not lost on Hobbs, who also was nominated in the category for The Crown last year

“Not a lot of women have won this award so I feel I’m standing on the shoulders of some really extraordinary people,” she said on stage accepting the awards. “I’m very grateful for the path they led, and I particularly would...

In 2017, “The Handmaid’s Tale” director Reed Morano ended a 22-year dry spell when she became the only the third woman to win the Best Drama Directing Emmy. A woman has not won since, but this year, three have a chance to become the fourth.

Liz Garbus (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), Jessica Hobbs (“The Crown”) and Julie Anne Robinson (“Bridgerton”) are up for the honor alongside Steven Canals (“Pose”), Benjamin Caron (“The Crown”) and Jon Favreau (“The Mandalorian”). If Garbus, Hobbs or Robinson wins, they’ll join Morano, Karen Arthur (“Cagney & Lacey,” 1985) and Mimi Leder as the category’s only female champs.

This is the second straight year with three female drama directing nominees. Leder was nominated last year for “The Morning Show” alongside Hobbs for “The Crown” and Lesli Linka Glatter for “Homeland,” but they lost to Andrij Parekh for “Succession.”

See Can Elisabeth Moss return the favor to ‘The Crown...

White men have long dominated the Directing For a Drama Series Emmy category. Female and Black helmers did not land first nominations until three decades after the category’s 1955 inception

This year, for the first time ever, the majority of drama directing nominations — four out of six (67%) — went to female/non-white helmers, Steven Canals for the finale of Pose, Julie Anne Robinson for the pilot of Bridgerton, Jessica Hobbs for The Crown and Liz Garbus for The Handmaid’s Tale.

The tidal change for female representation had been brewing. After five and a half decades of just a handful of nominated women altogether, with a single instance of more than one making the list (two in 1992), female drama directors have ramped up their showing in the past two decades. This marks the fourth time since 2010 that three of the nominees in the drama directing category are women.

Last year, “Succession” became the first show since “The Practice” in 1998 to win its first Best Drama Series Emmy for its second season. This year, an even longer drought could end. “The Crown” feels like a shoo-in to prevail — it stands at 4/1 odds — which would make it the first show in 36 years to win its first drama series Emmy for its fourth season.

The last show to pull this off was “Cagney & Lacey” in 1985. The police procedural defeated four-time defending champ “Hill Street Blues” on what turned out to be a huge night as it claimed three other wins: Best Drama Actress for Tyne Daly (her third in a row), Best Drama Directing for Karen Arthur and Best Drama Writing for Patricia Green. “Cagney & Lacey,” which was on it third consecutive bid in the category, scored drama series again the following year for its fifth season.

But since “Cagney & Lacey’s” maiden victory,...

Emmy recognition for female directors was a long, long time coming. The playing field is a bit more level but has a long way to go. Eght of the 20 nominees for directing in the comedy series, drama series, and movie/limited series categories are women.

The first Emmy for outstanding directing was handed out in 1955 to Franklin Schaffner for the “Studio One” live drama “Twelve Angry Men” (he won an Oscar 15 years later for helming Best Picture champ “Patton”). It wasn’t until 30 years later that a woman director was even nominated in that category. Karen Arthur made history again when she won an Emmy for the “Heat” episode of CBS’ “Cagney & Lacey.” It was the only nomination and win for this prolific TV helmer.

The flood gates didn’t exactly open after Arthur’s win. More women were nominated in this category, but it took another decade for...

The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival has wrapped for 2019 and the complete list of award winners has been announced, including Daniel Isn't Real for "Best Picture" in the horror feature category and Travis Stevens' Girl on the Third Floor winning "Best Gooey Effects." Also in today's Horror Highlights: My Girlfriend the Serial Killer Indiegogo details, Pumpkin Spice Podcast season finale episode details, and The Spirit Gallery's new DVD and limited VHS info.

Brooklyn Horror Film Festival 2019 Awards Announced: "The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival closed out their fourth edition on October 24th with a sold-out screening of Joe Begos’ Vfw. The Screening was hosted at Nitehawk Cinema Prospect Park with Director Joe Begos, Writer Max Brallier, and cast members Stephen Lang, Tom Williamson and Linnea Wilson in attendance.

This year the festival featured over 100 films and events across Brooklyn at Nitehawk Cinema, Cobble Hill Cinema, Ifp Made in NY Media Center...

Two years ago, “The Handmaid’s Tale’s” Reed Morano ended a 22-year cold streak when she became just the third woman to win the Best Drama Directing Emmy. Two women have a chance of joining that group this year to be No. 4: Daina Reid for “Handmaid’s” and Lisa Brühlmann for “Killing Eve.”

Before Morano, the only female drama directing champs were Karen Arthur and Mimi Leder. Morano’s field included two other women, her fellow “Handmaid’s” director Kate Dennis and Lesli Linka Glatter for “Homeland.” Last year, “Handmaid’s” helmer Kari Skogland, who was the only woman in the lineup, was the odds-on frontrunner to win, but the award ended up going to Stephen Daldry for “The Crown.”

Reid, whose nominated episode is “Holly” — one of “Handmaid’s” three eligible orphaned episodes this cycle — and Brühlmann, nominated for “Desperate Times,” are up against three “Game of Thrones...

If you love horror and are anywhere La, London, or NYC area (or if there's a local event at a festival), you owe it to yourself to check out events from The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies. Where else are you going to get in-depth discussions on vegetal horror or the role of corridors in gothic fiction and horror movies? We have the full fall semester lineup for all three locations, plus details on other special events and information on ticket sales:

The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies, the world’s longest-running educational organization devoted to the study of horror history, theory and production, is pleased to announce its Fall 2019 lineup of classes, led by some of the genre world’s most renowned critical, literary and filmmaking luminaries at all three of our branches.

In addition to Lisa Petrucci’s previously-announced class on exploitation pioneers Roberta Findlay and Doris Wishman,...

Mondo has revealed a limited edition killer-rific poster for Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter by artist Jonathan Bartlett. If that wasn't awesome enough, Mondo has revived their Camp Crystal Lake enamel pin. Also: the Music Box of Horrors lineup and Family of Fear's debut on iTunes.

Mondo's Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter Poster and Camp Crystal Lake Enamel Pin Details: "October is the best month. This is just a fact. Case closed. It's spooky and scary and one big horror movie marathon. Over the next couple of weeks we'll have plenty of horror products coming your way... so sleep with one eye open...

First up is this poster for Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter by Jonathan Bartlett! Arguably the best entry in the iconic slasher series, we love Jonathan's rendering of Jason and treatment for the film. This is our first time working with Jonathan and we...

Last year, Reed Morano (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) became the first woman in 22 years to win the Best Drama Directing Emmy. Fortunately, we probably won’t have to wait anywhere near as long for the next one: Morano’s “Handmaid’s Tale” colleague Kari Skogland is our odds-on favorite to prevail in September for the episode “After.”

If Skogland wins, she’ll be just the fourth female winner of the category, joining Morano, Mimi Leder and Karen Arthur. This is her first nomination, and she is the only woman nominated in a field of men that includes Stephen Daldry (“The Crown”), Alan Taylor (“Game of Thrones”), Jeremy Podeswa (“Game of Thrones”), Jason Bateman (“Ozark”), Daniel Sackheim (“Ozark”) and the Duffer Brothers (“Stranger Things”).

See Emmy-nominated director Kari Skogland (‘The Handmaid’s Tale’) on why she chose to submit ‘After’ [Exclusive Video Interview]

Before “Game of Thrones” sat out the 2017 Emmys, it had won directing the previous two years,...

“I want to thank me for hiring me as a director when no one else would,” Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan quipped when accepting the 2012 Emmy Award for directing an episode of the Emmy-winning series. Two years before that, Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy had started the trend of creators winning the comedy series directing Emmy for helming episodes of their shows. In the eight years since 2010, creators have won the directing for a comedy series category five times, including the last three years, Transparent’s Jill Soloway and Atlanta‘s Donald Glover (Atlanta).

Louis Ck took the concept of multi-hyphenated creator to a new level with seven Emmy nominations in 2015 — four for his FX series Louie — lead actor in a comedy series, writing, directing and executive producing the best comedy series-nominated show — as well as a guest actor in a comedy series nom for guest hosting Saturday Night Live, and...

Mimi Leder has boarded Apple’s untitled morning show drama series as executive producer and director. The Emmy winner is rounding out an all-female core creative team on the Media Res-produced series, which includes executive producers and stars Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston and writer, executive producer and showrunner Kerry Ehrin.

Based on an original idea by Media Res’ Michael Ellenberg, the yet untitled series provides an inside look at the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning, exploring the unique challenges faced by the women (and men) who carry out this daily televised ritual.

Ehrin and Leder executive produce alongside Aniston through her Echo Films banner; Witherspoon and Lauren Levy Neustadter through Hello Sunshine; and Ellenberg through Media Res. Brian Stelter consults on the project, with his book Top of the Morning providing additional background material.

Leder has long been a flag-bearer for female directors.

“The Handmaid’s Tale” director Reed Morano is on track to make history: The cinematographer-turned-helmer could become the first woman to win both the Emmy and Directors Guild Award for directing a drama series.

Morano, who became the third woman to win the drama directing Emmy in September after Karen Arthur (“Cagney & Lacey”) and Mimi Leder (“ER”), has 2/7 odds to claim the DGA on Saturday, according to our latest predictions. Morano is up for her work on the “Handmaid’s Tale” pilot, for which she also won the Emmy.

See 2018 DGA nominations: ‘Game of Thrones’ leads with 3, ‘Master of None’ has 2

Morano would be the fourth woman to win the drama DGA, joining Barbara Kopple (1997’s “The Documentary” from “Homicide: Life on the Street”), two-time champ Lesli Linka Glatter (2009’s “Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency” from “Mad Men,” 2014’s “From A to B and Back Again” from “Homeland...

Teresa Wright in 'Shadow of a Doubt': Alfred Hitchcock heroine (image: Joseph Cotten about to strangle Teresa Wright in 'Shadow of a Doubt') (See preceding article: "Teresa Wright Movies: Actress Made Oscar History.") After scoring with The Little Foxes, Mrs. Miniver, and The Pride of the Yankees, Teresa Wright was loaned to Universal – once initial choices Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland became unavailable – to play the small-town heroine in Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt. (Check out video below: Teresa Wright reminiscing about the making of Shadow of a Doubt.) Co-written by Thornton Wilder, whose Our Town had provided Wright with her first chance on Broadway and who had suggested her to Hitchcock; Meet Me in St. Louis and Junior Miss author Sally Benson; and Hitchcock's wife, Alma Reville, Shadow of a Doubt was based on "Uncle Charlie," a story outline by Gordon McDonell – itself based on actual events.

This week is Ben Barenholtz' birthday.

We'd like to celebrate by running 2 pieces on his amazing wonderful life.

This is his public bio, which in itself, tells of a rich wonderful career in film.

In the next days we'll publish his amazing memoir of his European childhood when he narrowly escaped from the hands of Jew killers during the War.

I personally owe Ben a lot. When I was producing some years back Ben was working for Almi and bought an indie film I produced 'Home Free All' by Director Stewart Bird for that company. The money from that deal paid our investors and took us out of a deep financial hole. I am always grateful to Ben for his vision and belief in us then.

Now for his professional bio -

Biography for Ben Barenholtz

Birth Name Benjamin Barenholtz

Mini Biography

As an exhibitor, distributor, and producer, Ben Barenholtz has been a key presence in the independent film scene since the late 1960s, when he opened the Elgin Cinema in New York City.

Barenholtz secured his first job in the film business when he became assistant manager of the Rko Bushwick Theater in Brooklyn in 1958. From 1966-68 he managed and lived in the Village Theater, which ultimately became the Filmore East. At the Village Theater Barenholtz provided a home for the counterculture, with appearances by Timothy Leary, Stokley Carmichael, Rap Brown, and Paul Krasner. Some of the first meetings of the anti-Vietnam War movement, including the Poets Against Vietnam, were held at the Village Theater. It was also a major music venue, with performances by The Who, Cream, Leonard Cohen, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Nina Simone and many others.

In 1968 he opened the Elgin Cinema. The theater became the world's most innovative specialty and revival house, relaunching the films of Buster Keaton and D.W. Griffith, running a variety of independent films by young American directors, and screening cult, underground, and experimental films for the emerging countercultural audience. The films of Stan Brakhage, Jack Smith, Maya Deren, Kenneth Anger, Jonas Mekas, and Andy Warhol, as well as early works by Jonathan Demme and Martin Scorsese, all played at the Elgin.

Barenholtz also developed new ways of screening movies. He started screening dance and opera films on Saturday and Sunday mornings. He created the "All Night Show" - movies started at midnight and ended at dawn. Most notably, Barenholtz originated the "Midnight Movie" in 1970 with Alexander Jodorowsky's El Topo, which ran for 6 months, 7 days a week, to sold out audiences.

The film was eventually bought by John Lennon. El Topo was followed at midnight by John Waters' Pink Flamingoes and Perry Henzell's The Harder They Come. Barenholtz formed the specialty distributor Libra Films in 1972.

The first film Libra distributed was a revival of Jean-Pierre Melville's Les Enfants Terrible, followed by Claude Chabrol's Just Before Nightfall, and Jean-Charles Tacchella's Cousin, Cousine, which became one of the largest grossing foreign films in the Us and was nominated for 3 Academy Awards.

Libra also launched and distributed, among others, George Romero's Martin, John Sayles' first feature Return of the Secaucus Seven, David Lynch's first feature Eraserhead, Karen Arthur's first feature Legacy, Earl Mack's first feature Children of Theater Street, and Peter Gothar's first feature Time Stands Still.

Barenholtz sold Libra Films to the Almi Group in 1982, but stayed with the company to become the President of Libra-Cinema 5 Films. In 1984 he left Almi and joined with Ted and Jim Pedas to form Circle Releasing. Among the films released by Circle were Yoshimitsu Morita's The Family Game, Guy Maddin's first feature Tales From the Gimli Hospital, Vincent Ward's The Navigator, John Woo's The Killer, Catherine Breillat's 36 Fillette, DeWitt Sage's first feature Pavarotti In China, Alain Cavalier's Therese, and Blood Simple, the first film by Joel and Ethan Coen.

His involvement in film production began with Wynn Chamberlain's Brand X and George Romero's Martin. He continued working with the Coens on the production of Raising Arizona, and as executive producer of Miller's Crossing and Barton Fink, which won the Palme d'Or at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival, as well as awards for Best Director and Best Actor. This was the first and last time the three top honors have all gone to the same film at Cannes.

Barenholtz went on to produce George Romero's Bruiser, J Todd Anderson's The Naked Man, Adek Drabinski's Cheat, executive-produced Gregory Hines' directorial debut Bleeding Hearts and Ulu Grossbard's Georgia, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Mare Winningham. He served as co-executive producer of Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream, which earned Ellen Burstyn an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in 2000.

Barenholtz appeared in the documentary The Hicks in Hollywood, had a bit role in Liquid Sky, and appeared as a zombie in Romero's classic Dawn of the Dead. He was the main subject of Stuart Samuels' 2005 documentary Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream.

Barenholtz directed his first feature, Music Inn, a documentary about the famed jazz venue.

Barenholtz was the producer of Jamie Greenberg's feature film Stags.

In 2012, Barenholtz produced Suzuya Bobo's first feature Family Games.

Barenholtz has recently completed directing and post production on Wakaliwood the Documentary, which was shot entirely in Kampala, Uganda. The film will be released in 2013.

He is now developing two feature fiction films which begin production in 2013.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Ben Barenholtz...

At the end of this month, author and Fango contributor Kier-La Janisse is coming to town for a three-film series called “House of Psychotic Women,” tied to her excellent new book of the same title (available from Fab Press). Showing at 92YTribeca (200 Hudson Street) are Karen Arthur’s The Mafu Cage, starring Lee Grant and Carol Kane, on Friday, November 30 at 7:15 p.m.; Sidney J. Furie’s The Entity (pictured above), starring Barbara Hershey (Friday the 30th at 9:45 p.m.) and Matt Cimber’s The Witch Who Came From The Sea, starring Millie Perkins (Saturday, December 1 at 10 p.m.). Janisse will introduce the movies and sell her book at the screenings on the 30th; for more info and to order tickets, click here.

Also at the venue, a 35mm print of Gary Sherman’s underground cult fave Raw Meat (a.k.a. Death Line), starring Donald Pleasence and Christopher Lee,...

At the end of this month, author and Fango contributor Kier-La Janisse is coming to town for a three-film series called “House of Psychotic Women,” tied to her excellent new book of the same title (available from Fab Press). Showing at 92YTribeca (200 Hudson Street) are Karen Arthur’s The Mafu Cage, starring Lee Grant and Carol Kane, on Friday, November 30 at 7:15 p.m.; Sidney J. Furie’s The Entity (pictured above), starring Barbara Hershey (Friday the 30th at 9:45 p.m.) and Matt Cimber’s The Witch Who Came From The Sea, starring Millie Perkins (Saturday, December 1 at 10 p.m.). Janisse will introduce the movies and sell her book at the screenings on the 30th; for more info and to order tickets, click here.

Also at the venue, a 35mm print of Gary Sherman’s underground cult fave Raw Meat (a.k.a. Death Line), starring Donald Pleasence and Christopher Lee,...

At the end of this month, author and Fango contributor Kier-La Janisse is coming to town for a three-film series called “House of Psychotic Women,” tied to her excellent new book of the same title (available from Fab Press). Showing at 92YTribeca (200 Hudson Street) are Karen Arthur’s The Mafu Cage, starring Lee Grant and Carol Kane, on Friday, November 30 at 7:15 p.m.; Sidney J. Furie’s The Entity (pictured above), starring Barbara Hershey (Friday the 30th at 9:45 p.m.) and Matt Cimber’s The Witch Who Came From The Sea, starring Millie Perkins (Saturday, December 1 at 10 p.m.). Janisse will introduce the movies and sell her book at the screenings on the 30th; for more info and to order tickets, click here.

Also at the venue, a 35mm print of Gary Sherman’s underground cult fave Raw Meat (a.k.a. Death Line), starring Donald Pleasence and Christopher Lee,...

At the end of this month, author and Fango contributor Kier-La Janisse is coming to town for a three-film series called “House of Psychotic Women,” tied to her excellent new book of the same title (available from Fab Press). Showing at 92YTribeca (200 Hudson Street) are Karen Arthur’s The Mafu Cage, starring Lee Grant and Carol Kane, on Friday, November 30 at 7:15 p.m.; Sidney J. Furie’s The Entity (pictured above), starring Barbara Hershey (Friday the 30th at 9:45 p.m.) and Matt Cimber’s The Witch Who Came From The Sea, starring Millie Perkins (Saturday, December 1 at 10 p.m.). Janisse will introduce the movies and sell her book at the screenings on the 30th; for more info and to order tickets, click here.

Also at the venue, a 35mm print of Gary Sherman’s underground cult fave Raw Meat (a.k.a. Death Line), starring Donald Pleasence and Christopher Lee,...

Los Angeles — At first glance, the television industry is in the grip of female empowerment so strong that men seem relegated to an afterthought.

"Girls" and "New Girl" are scoring ratings, buzz and Emmy Awards respect. Actor-writers Tina Fey ("30 Rock"), Amy Poehler ("Parks and Recreation") and Lena Dunham ("Girls") are case studies in hyphenate success.

But appearances are deceiving, especially within the Hollywood fantasy factory: Making TV overwhelmingly remains men's work even with the television business in its seventh decade.

Women are consistently underrepresented in top TV creative positions and face being treated as dismissively as bit players whatever their achievements.

"I certainly understand the impulse to celebrate high-profile women working in the business," said Martha M. Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University.

But to grasp how women really fare in the TV industry and how much work they're getting,...

Los Angeles — At first glance, the television industry is in the grip of female empowerment so strong that men seem relegated to an afterthought.

"Girls" and "New Girl" are scoring ratings, buzz and Emmy Awards respect. Actor-writers Tina Fey ("30 Rock"), Amy Poehler ("Parks and Recreation") and Lena Dunham ("Girls") are case studies in hyphenate success.

But appearances are deceiving, especially within the Hollywood fantasy factory: Making TV overwhelmingly remains men's work even with the television business in its seventh decade.

Women are consistently underrepresented in top TV creative positions and face being treated as dismissively as bit players whatever their achievements.

"I certainly understand the impulse to celebrate high-profile women working in the business," said Martha M. Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University.

But to grasp how women really fare in the TV industry and how much work they're getting,...

Let's face it, Kier-La Janisse is a force to be reckoned with.

Over the past 15 years, she has created the CineMuerte Horror Film Festival (Vancouver, BC, 1999–2005); founded the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies as well as the Blue Sunshine Psychotronic Film Center, Montreal's coolest micro-cinema (2010–2012); and programmed for the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (Austin, TX, 2003–2007). That's in addition to working for the Fantasia International Film Festival (Montreal, QC), being the subject of the documentary Celluloid Horror (Ashley Fester, 2004), writing A Violent Professional: The Films of Luciano Rossi (published by Fab Press) and contributing articles for Filmmaker magazine, Fangoria and Rue Morgue, among others. And this extensive list is only the tip of the iceberg that is this woman's achievements.

I first met Kier-La in 2009 when she generously agreed to contribute to my Bloody Breasts documentary webseries by letting me interview her amid the craziness that is the Fantasia Film Festival – she...

It's been such a busy week for Austin film that we needed a second news roundup. Here are the highlights:

Fantastic Fest announced the first films in its lineup on Monday. The headline news is a red-carpet premiere of Dredd 3D, although no news yet who will be on the red carpet. The film's star, Karl Urban, was at Fantastic Fest in 2010 for the movie Red (my best photo here). Will he return? In addition, 17 other films were announced, including Wrong, the latest film from Rubber director Quentin Dupieux. No Austin or Texas films yet, but I've got my fingers crossed (coughBoneboyscough).The part of the Fantastic Fest announcement that pleased me most is a sidebar series programmed by Kier-La Janisse, one of the original Fantastic Fest programmers before she returned to Canada to program genre fests there. The "House of Psychotic Women" films tie into Janisse's new book of the same name,...

Judgment is coming to Fantastic Fest with the red carpet premiere of Dredd 3D and the festival's initial lineup of incredible genre films. Fantastic Fest will take place September 20-27 in Austin, Texas, at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar.

Below is the initial lineup of films at this year's festival (as previously announced, Frankenweenie will have its world premiere on September 20 as the opening night film for the 2012 festival).

From the Press Release:

The future America is an irradiated wasteland. On its East Coast, running from Boston to Washington, DC, lies Mega City One - a vast, violent metropolis where criminals rule the chaotic streets. The only force of order lies with the urban cops called "Judges" who possess the combined powers of judge, jury and instant executioner. Known and feared throughout the city, Dredd (Karl Urban) is the ultimate Judge, challenged with ridding the city of its latest scourge...

We are just under two months out from Fantastic Fest 2012 being unleashed upon genre fans making their pilgrimage of the weird, wild and bizarre to Austin, Texas. The final art for Fantastic Fest 2012 from artist Mike Saputo (as seen above) was recently revealed to the world, but now the first wave of film programming for this year’s event has surfaced. As always, there proves to be a wide array of films in genre, style and national origin available to film enthusiasts, listed below.

Cockneys Vs. Zombies (2011)

Us Premiere

Director – Matthias Hoene, 87min

When a badly planned bank robbery and a zombie outbreak collide, hilarity ensues in this balls-out, irreverent British comedy.

Dead Sushi (2012)

Us Premiere

Director – Noboru Iguchi, 91min

Japanese splatter action comedy is on the menu when director Noboru Iguchi & karate girl Rina Takeda join forces to take on flying killer sushi monsters in Dead Sushi!

Dredd 3D (2012)

Gala Premiere

Director: Pete Travis,...

Friday came & went and there was no Fantastic Fest 2012 announcement. We published a list of films we thought would play and so far, we got one hit on that (Dead Sushi). Fantastic Fest has officially announced their first wave of programming for this years festival. This is just the first wave and there will be plenty more films to announce between now and September along with the amazing events that are put on by the festival.

From the Press Release:

Judgment is coming to Fantastic Fest with the red carpet premiere of Dredd 3D and the festival’s initial lineup of incredible genre films. Fantastic Fest will take place September 20-27 in Austin, Texas at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar.

The future America is an irradiated waste land. On its East Coast, running from Boston to Washington DC, lies Mega City One – a vast, violent metropolis where criminals rule the chaotic streets.

A look at what's new on DVD today:

"Back to the Future: 25th Anniversary Trilogy"

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Released by Universal Home Entertainment

Yes, we're finally getting the footage of the original Marty McFly, Eric Stoltz, for the first time, but for many simply having the hi-def version of Robert Zemeckis' time-travel franchise will be good enough. Commentaries, deleted scenes, a full-length documentary and much, much more come on this new set of the trilogy.

"Alien Anthology"

Directed by Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Released by Fox Home Entertainment

While not as much of an upgrade over its previous DVD release as "Back to the Future," the Blu-ray update of the four "Alien" films worth owning now boasts isolated scores for each film, all of Ridley Scott's sketches for the first "Alien," the uncut documentary of David Fincher's ill-fated "Alien 3" as...