News

Giannetto De Rossi tragically, has left us, as a result of the same plague that has cut short the lives of many. He leaves behind a mammoth filmography which, with roughly 163 films, contains plenty of contradictions and surprises and further outlines the career of a true independent, a bona fide iconoclast, and the third generation of a family to leave a lasting mark on the film industry, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Camillo De Rossi, considered by many historians Italy’s first make-up artist, and his father, Alberto De Rossi. Giannetto, however, will be the first De Rossi to delve deep into the world of practical special effects, and his legacy lives on in the work of one of his two daughters, Lorella. To truly put into perspective the incredibly multi-faceted career of this giant, let us briefly go through a handful of the many diverse directors he...

Rossana Podestà dead at 79: ‘Helen of Troy’ actress later featured in sword-and-sandal spectacles, risqué sex comedies (photo: Jacques Sernas and Rossana Podestà in ‘Helen of Troy’) Rossana Podestà, the sensual star of the 1955 epic Helen of Troy and other sword-and-sandal European productions of the ’50s and ’60s — in addition to a handful of risqué sex comedies of the ’70s — died earlier today, December 10, 2013, in Rome according to several Italian news outlets. Podestà was 79. She was born Carla Dora Podestà on August 20, 1934, in, depending on the source, either Zlitan or Tripoli, in Libya, at the time an Italian colony. According to the IMDb, the renamed Rossana Podestà began her film career in 1950, when she was featured in a small role in Dezsö Ákos Hamza’s Strano appuntamento ("Strange Appointment"). However, according to online reports, she was actually discovered by director Léonide Moguy, who cast her in a small role in...

Hitting movie theaters this weekend:

Jumping the Broom – Paula Patton, Laz Alonso, Angela Bassett

Something Borrowed – Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, Colin Egglesfield

Thor – Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman

Movie of the Week

Thor

The Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman

The Plot: The powerful but arrogant warrior Thor (Hemsworth) is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard and sent to live amongst humans on Earth.

The Buzz: When I first heard about this film there was no accompanying metaphorical rumble of thunder. As a matter of fact, I instead grumbled at Marvel’s blunder — a film about Thor? He’s got to be one of the least popular Marvel Comics heroes out there. He’s not even a super hero, he’s the god of thunder, and his books are some of the most boring that Marvel has ever published. What was Marvel thinking? I just couldn...