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Exclusive: The 29th LA Shorts International Film Festival is about to get underway in downtown Los Angeles, an Oscar- and BAFTA-qualifying event that will showcase 470 films between July 16-28.

The festival opens at Regal LA Live with a selection of four shorts including Como si la tierra se las hubiera tragado, directed by Natalia León, an animated short that won the jury award at the Sundance Film Festival.

“In Olivia’s Mexican hometown, femicide and gender-based violence are increasing at an alarming rate,” notes a description of León’s film in the program guide for Hot Docs, where the film also played. “Upon her return after a long absence, she quickly notices the city walls are covered with posters of missing women. The mistreatment of women is pervasive, and the once-vibrant city is gradually losing its vitality.”

‘The Letter’ LA Shorts International Film Festival

Also screening tonight is The Letter,...

Walker, Texas Ranger gave Taylor Sheridan his first on-screen role, and looking back, it’s outlandish that he didn’t get a shot at directing the reboot. The original series, created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, aired from 1993 to 2001 on CBS with Chuck Norris in the lead. Inspired by Lone Wolf McQuade, the show ran for eight seasons and spawned a 2005 TV movie. It’s since aired in over 100 countries and found a second life in syndication.

Sheridan appeared in a Season 3 episode titled War Zone, years before becoming the mind behind Yellowstone. Now, the reboot is canceled, without ever tapping Ts’ creative firepower.

Walker, Texas Ranger Launched Taylor Sheridan – The Reboot Deserved His Return, But It Got Canceled Too Soon

Before Yellowstone and the Taylor Sheridan TV empire, there was Walker, Texas Ranger. And tucked inside its Season 3 episode War Zone was Sheridan’s first-ever acting role – a...

Brokeback Mountainco-writer Diana Ossana predicted that the iconic film wouldn't win Best Picture after an encounter with Clint Eastwood at a party before the awards show. Diana Ossana did win the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Brokeback Mountain alongside Larry McMurtry, which tells the story of two cowboys in the 1960s who begin a secret love affair that became a cultural touchstone when it hit theaters in December 2005. The film was a powerhouse and was the odds-on favorite to win Best Picture. However, in one of the biggest and most baffling upsets in Oscar history, Crash took home Best Picture.

Twenty years following Brokeback Mountain's release, writer Diana Ossana spoke to The New York Times about how she knew before the Oscar ceremony that they weren't going to win Best Picture. Ossana recalls attending a party at Crash director Paul Haggis's house shortly after Oscar voting...

Clint Eastwood not watching Brokeback Mountain effectively confirmed that the movie wouldn’t win the Oscar for Best Picture, according to its co-writer Diana Ossana. Brokeback Mountain had been the favorite to scoop the biggest prize of the night at the Academy Awards in 2006, amid criticism from conservative elements of the media and film industry about its portrayal of LGBTQ+ themes.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, the writer who scripted one of Heath Ledger’s best movies alongside Larry McMurtry recounted meeting Eastwood at the Oscar nomination party that year. According to Ossana, director Paul Haggis, whose film Crash ultimately won Best Picture that year, warned her that the legendary Western star hadn’t seen her movie. She recalled:

“Paul started walking me over and he goes, ‘Diana, I have to tell you, he hasn’t seen your movie.’ And it was like somebody kicked me in the stomach,...

Brokeback Mountain co-writer Diana Ossana says she realised the film’s 2006 Oscar dream was over when, at a nominees’ party after voting closed, director Paul Haggis quietly told her that Clint Eastwood “hasn’t seen your movie,” a revelation she likened to “somebody kicking me in the stomach.”

Ossana’s account, first reported this week during the picture’s 20th-anniversary press tour, revives debate over how the gay Western—then a critical and commercial frontrunner—lost best picture to Crash. The screenwriter argues that a bloc of voters who never watched the film, some of whom had publicly dismissed its subject matter, allowed ingrained homophobia to tip the outcome.

Brokeback had dominated precursor awards, winning the Golden Globe, BAFTA and more before the Academy ceremony; it still collected statuettes for direction, adapted screenplay and score. Industry veterans note that earlier snubs included Oscar voters Ernest Borgnine and Tony Curtis saying...

It’s been two decades since Brokeback Mountain first hit our screens, breaking hearts and barriers across the global box office. But sadly, despite being such a hit and winning most best film prizes of the awards season, the film shockingly lost the Academy Award in 2006, to Crash. Well, thanks to co-writer Diana Ossana’s recent revelation, we finally have a clearer picture of when and why its Best Picture hopes slipped away.

On the film’s 20th anniversary, Diana Ossana recalled a gut-punch moment that made her realize the odds had turned. It happened at a party for Oscar nominees, when she learned Clint Eastwood hadn’t even seen Brokeback Mountain before voting ended. For Ossana, the answer was clear: homophobia. Despite packed theaters and audiences leaving in tears, Ossana realized that the film lost because of the biases that lingered beneath the surface of the industry

Clint Eastwood...

As Brokeback Mountain returns to theaters for its 20th anniversary, a writer behind the 2005 gay neo-Western romance recently recalled its Oscars snub.

Co-writer Diana Ossana recently recalled Crash director Paul Haggis introducing her to Clint Eastwood at a party for the Academy Award nominees after voting had ended, several weeks before the awards show.

“Paul started walking me over and he goes, ‘Diana, I have to tell you, he hasn’t seen your movie,'” recalled Ossana to The New York Times. “And it was like somebody kicked me in the stomach. That’s when I knew we would not win Best Picture.”

Despite winning a record number of Best Picture prizes during the awards season, including the Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics’ Choice Award and Independent Spirit Award, Brokeback Mountain infamously lost the Oscar to Crash.

Ossana is still convinced homophobia in Hollywood played a part in the defeat. “People want to deny that,...

“Brokeback Mountain’s” Oscar-winning co-writer Diana Ossana recently marked the film’s 20th anniversary with an interview in The New York Times, in which she revealed the exact moment she realized Ang Lee’s acclaimed romance film would not win the Oscar for best picture despite being the far-and-away frontrunner of the 2005-2006 awards season.

As recounted by The Times: “Weeks before the ceremony, after Oscar voting was closed, she attended a party for the nominees at the home of Paul Haggis, the director of ‘Crash.’ Clint Eastwood was in attendance and Ossana, a fan of ‘Unforgiven,’ was eager to meet him.”

“Paul started walking me over and he goes, ‘Diana, I have to tell you, he hasn’t seen your movie.’ And it was like somebody kicked me in the stomach,” Ossanna recalled. “That’s when I knew we would not win best picture.”

“Brokeback Mountain” infamously lost...

One of Clint Eastwood's great World War II films has found a new streaming home -- but there's a catch. Letters from Iwo Jima is now available for streaming on Prime Video.

Letters From Iwo Jima was one part of Eastwood's fantastic WWII epic, released in December 2006 and critically acclaimed, including multiple Academy Award nominations. The move to Prime Video allows it to find a new audience, but the film's companion piece, Flags of Our Fathers, is not available on the streamer.

Letters from Iwo Jima arrived in theaters just months after Flags of Our Fathers. Both films were directed by Eastwood, with the former written by Iris Yamashita and the latter written by William Broyels Jr. and Paul Haggis. Whereas Flags of Our Fathers was based on James Bradley and Ron Powers' book of the same name about the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima -- following the action...

While I still have some fun classic sci fi stories to address coming up, I wanted to break off and take a look as well as give props to one of the more prolific yet slept-on horror authors to get adaptations. Stephen King is the all-time number 1 but there are others in the 20th century that could at least eat at the same table as him. For the younger generation, that certainly means R.L. Stine has entered the conversation and maybe we will get to an adaptation video about his recent Fear Street collection but the guy I’m thinking of is a little different. Dean Koontz is often derogatorily referred to as a poor man’s Stephen King but he has sold and made millions while having plenty of his works turned into films. While The Funhouse from Tobe Hooper will certainly be discussed at some point as I...

Paul Haggis will not face trial over an alleged sexual assault that occurred in Italy in 2022 after a judge dropped the charges against the writer-director.

In June 2022, Haggis was detained in Brindisi, Italy, on charges of sexual assault after a “young foreign woman” told investigators that she was “forced to seek medical care” following “non-consensual sexual relations” with a man Italian authorities identified as Haggis.

Prosecutors said that the alleged victim was dropped off at a nearby airport on Sunday morning following an alleged encounter with Haggis that lasted two days.

Paul Haggis’s interconnected drama about racism in Los Angeles remains one of the most embarrassing Oscar decisions ever made

It doesn’t take long for Paul Haggis’s Crash to end up on the shortest of shortlists for the worst film ever to win best picture at the Oscars, maybe the single worst in the color era since 1954’s Around the World in 80 Days. At the time, it was a dark-horse favorite to upset the widely acclaimed Brokeback Mountain, premiering a full year earlier at the Toronto film festival before riding an unexpected cultural wave to awards-season glory. Now 20 years later, it feels like a “you had to be there” moment that’s hard to explain, because the movie itself is so obviously rancid that it suggests few answers on its own. The job is probably better suited to cultural anthropologists than film critics.

Nonetheless, Haggis’s ensemble piece...

The 2025 Academy Awards will live on as an exciting night for first-time nominees. The ceremony saw a handful of veteran actors getting nominated for the first time in their careers, including Demi Moore ("The Substance"), Guy Pearce ("The Brutalist"), and Isabella Rossellini ("Conclave"), and one actor got a big, shocking boost when first-time nominee Mikey Madison won Best Actress for "Anora." But for every new Oscar nominee that comes along each year, there's still a surprising number of talented performers who have yet to be honored by the Academy with even a single nomination. 

Despite being recognized by the Golden Globes, BAFTAs (basically the British Oscars), Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and other distinguished institutions, certain artists just can't seem to get on the Academy's radar. A few famous names received honorary Oscars, despite never getting nominated, while the Academy has completely iced out others with some pretty controversial Oscar snubs.

Michelle Williams appeared on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen this week, revisiting her experience filming Brokeback Mountain and reflecting on the response the movie received during its 2005 release. While promoting her upcoming FX series Dying for Sex, Williams responded to Cohen’s comments about the film’s lasting effect.

Cohen opened the conversation by expressing how much the film meant to him personally. “May I gush to you about what an important movie Brokeback Mountain was to me, and it is still I think in my top two movies of all time,” he said. He asked Williams whether she sensed its cultural weight while working on it. Williams responded, “Yes, because people were so open about it.”

She spoke about her experience during the press tour, saying, “I just remember doing the junket and you don’t get an opportunity to see a lot of grown men cry.

Michelle Williams is still puzzled 20 years later by “Crash” beating out “Brokeback Mountain” for Best Picture. Williams said during “Watch What Happens Live!” (in the below video) while promoting series “Dying for Sex” that she is baffled by even the plot of “Crash.”

Paul Haggis wrote and directed the ensemble race drama that starred Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, and Brendan Fraser. (Haggis was later found liable on three counts of rape and sexual abuse in 2022.) “Crash” won Best Picture at the 2006 Oscars, despite Ang Lee’s queer Western romance “Brokeback Mountain” having already won Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Original Score.

“Brokeback Mountain” starred Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger as two closeted cowboys who leave their wives, played by Anne Hathaway and Williams, for a few days every few years. The film was adapted from Annie Proulx’s novella by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana.

Ever since Sean Connery brought James Bond to life in Dr. No (1992), the name became synonymous with Hollywood’s quintessential spy. Over time, actor after actor took over the mantle, and the last time we saw the 007 agent, he had Daniel Craig’s face. With a powerful and deeply personal take on the character, the actor gave us a brooding and grounded James Bond, considered as one of the best in franchise history. But even the best of the best have a point where they stumble and fall.

Daniel Craig in Casino Royale (2006) | Credits: Sony Pictures Releasing

While many would say that the ultimate film of his 007 career, No Time to Die (2021), wasn’t up to the mark, we will have to disagree. There is at least one film that deserves the last spot more than No Time to Die – Quantum of Solace.

Why Quantum of Solace is Daniel Craig...

As always with awards season, there have been many declarations of whether the group of nominees or winners would be the best or worst films ever to take home Best Picture. To help us quantify that statement, we jumped into Oscar history and filled in any of our blind spots over the last few weeks. Here is our ranking (from worst to best) of every Best Picture winner from the Academy Awards.

97. Cimarron (1931) FandomWire Best Picture Rankings – Cimarron Directed by Wesley Ruggles

While the Western has struggled with depicting non-white characters since the beginning of the genre, Cimarron is beyond many of its contemporaries. It’s hard to fully explain how racist Cimarron comes across in 2025, especially in its depictions of black and Indigenous characters. However, Cimarron is also boring beyond compare. Unlike Gigi, which was wildly celebrated as one of the great Oscar winners of all time, Cimarron only took home three wins,...

It’s a rare type of cinephile who wasn’t introduced to the idea of film as more than just idle entertainment by the ritual of the Academy Awards. And it’s an even rarer type of cinephile who didn’t soon thereafter vehemently reject the Oscars as the ultimate barometer of a film’s artistic worth. Those of us who started off with The Godfather, Schindler’s List, All About Eve, or Casablanca all eventually got around to Out of Africa, Around the World in 80 Days, The Greatest Show on Earth, Cimarron, and Cavalcade.

First loves being first loves, we still find ourselves regressing if for only one night a year, succumbing to the allure of instant canonization even as it comes in the form of repeated slap-in-the-face reminders of Oscar’s bracing wrongness: Gladiator, Braveheart, Chicago, Crash. In that sense, consider this project part cathartic exorcism and part...

Russell Croweturns to Taken and aged action icon Liam Neeson for advice in this underrated and divisive crime thriller, which is now streaming free. Released back in 2010, The Next Three Days finds Crowe taking the lead as an everyman who is forced to leap into action after his wife is wrongfully convicted of murder.

Written and directed by Paul Haggis, The Next Three Days is a remake of the 2008 French film Pour elle (Anything for Her) by filmmaker Fred Cavayé, and stars Elizabeth Banks, Brian Dennehy, Olivia Wilde, Lennie James, Ty Simpkins, and Liam Neeson alongside Russell Crowe. The Next Three Days is now streaming free on the popular platform, Tubi, and you can check out the official synopsis below.

RelatedMark Wahlberg’s Box Office Bomb Thriller Is Streaming Free...and It Deserves Another Chance

The neo-noir thriller follows a private detective seeking redemption for past sins.

“Life for John...

Before Daniel Craig became the detective with the weirdest accent ever in the Knives Out franchise, he played James Bond for fifteen years. While his debut as Agent 007 revolutionized the franchise and brought it to a whole new generation, his series of films were filled with both hits and misses.

Craig’s sophomore film Quantum of Solace faced several hurdles before making it to production. Plagued with a writer’s strike shortly before production began, Craig called the filming process a nightmare as the studio went ahead without a proper script. It shows as it is considered one of the weakest Bond films in the franchise.

Daniel Craig did not approve of Quantum of Solace being filmed without a script Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace | Credits: Sony Pictures

When Daniel Craig replaced Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, the franchise was in a bit of a dry spell. Brosnan’s series of films,...

Oscar nominated movies go through meticulous discussions and careful considerations before becoming a candidate to win the actual award. But sometimes public opinion does not necessarily align with the experts. The audience does not shy away from expressing their opinions—especially when they do not like a movie.

But that doesn’t mean these films aren’t worth watching, they’re entertaining. However, if we start handing out nominations to every entertaining movie, the Academy Awards would lose their value, wouldn’t they? In some cases, these films even overshadowed more deserving contenders, fueling criticism about the very selection process of movie nomination.

In this list, we will look at some of the most controversial and surprising movies nominated for an Academy Award. Without further ado, let’s find out if the movies selected were justified or not.

Selena Gomez in Emilia Pérez, Ben Afflect and Josh Harnett | Credit: Why Not Productions,...

A new James Bond favorite is slowly emerging and, much like fellow 007 favorite Henry Cavill, he’s something of a Zack Snyder staple. Scottish actor Stuart Martin, who is best recognized for his roles in Snyder’s Army of Thieves and Rebel Moon saga, has seen his odds improve as he gradually catches up with the likes of Kraven the Hunter star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, The Gentlemen’s Theo James, and Little Women actor James Norton as the top choice to take over the iconic role from Daniel Craig.

According to William Hill spokesperson, Lee Phelps (via GBNews), Stuart Martin’s emergence as another firm-favorite has been an “intriguing turn” in the ongoing search for the next James Bond, with the Slow West star now “a serious contender.”

“The search for Daniel Craig’s successor as James Bond has taken another intriguing turn, with Scottish actor Stuart Martin gaining significant attention...

Quick LinksHenry Cavill Is a Massive and Beloved StarNext James Bond Candidates?Why Henry Cavill Just Proved He's Right to Play 007

James Bond fans hoping Henry Cavill will portray the next version of 007 on the big screen may have just gotten their wish. 20 years after Cavill's audition to play the dashing British superspy in Casino Royale, the screen test footage has been released online. While it's easy to notice Cavill's youthful inexperience in the video, his raw magnetism, charismatic energy, and undeniable charms are off the charts, further stoking enthusiasm for the British actor to don the tuxedo in Bond 26.

With two decades of experience since auditioning for Casino Royale, Cavill has proven his leading man bona fides countless times. Between playing Clark Kent/Superman and The Witcher, and British spies in Argylle and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and more, the newly released Casino Royale screen...

In 1999, The Sopranos set the standard for contemporary cinematic television, which has since gone on to become the norm for most television shows released. But The Sopranos also set the bar for quality genre television, the genre specifically being the gangster drama. The other great crime series it inspired are also worth watching.

While The Sopranos might be the best, the shows it inspired are some of the best series on television. As The Sopranos continues to influence creators to this day, with the latest example being The Penguin, The Sopranos is only the best in a long line of brilliant gangster television shows, such as Sons of Anarchy, Ozark, and Godfather of Harlem, to name a few.

Update: 2025/01/31 16:12 Est By Brian Cronin

I have updated this informative look at some of the best gangster TV series inspired by the success of The Sopranos to add five more series to the list.

Films that depict World War II exist across many decades of the history of cinema, starting even as the war was continuing to rage on. These films have the ability to transport the audience to a world that was torn apart by one of the most costly conflicts in modern history, putting viewers in the shoes of the fighters and bystanders in one of the defining moments of the 21st Century.

Some of the best World War II films are ones that closely follow real historical events, using true stories about real people to tell even more captivating tales. Period pieces that are able to accurately depict real events, especially events that had such a profound impact on the world, can create some of the most impactful and interesting movies of all time.

This Biopic Won a Great Actor an Oscar Darkest Hour (2017)

Biopics are often some of the most...

Leah Remini is remembering her Scientology and the Aftermath co-host Mike Rinder with an emotional tribute. Rinder died Jan. 5 at the age of 69.

“On Sunday, we lost a giant, and I lost a man who was more than a friend—he was my family,” Remini wrote in a statement on social media. “It’s impossible to imagine the last 13 years of my life without Mike Rinder. He was my anchor, my trusted partner, and my closest confidant. The thought of moving forward without him feels unbearable.”

Remini and Rinder teamed on Scientology and the Aftermath, which ran for three seasons from 2016 to 2019. Rinder was nominated for two Emmys for his work, winning one.

“When I left Scientology, Mike was one of the first people I turned to. From that moment, he became my lifeline,” she continued. “Together, we embarked on an incredible journey that included The Aftermath and our podcast,...

While Entourage isn't returning for another reunion, fans are getting the next best thing. The show's creator, Doug Ellin, is reuniting with stars Kevin Connolly and Kevin Dillon for a new series. Entourage debuted on HBO in 2004 and was loosely inspired by the life of Mark Wahlberg, as the series focused on fictional movie star Vincent Chase (Adrien Grenier) and his childhood friend-turned-manager, Eric "E" Murphy (Connolly). They're joined in the show by Vincent's half-brother Johnny "Drama" Chase (Dillon), his childhood friend and personal driver Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), and his loud, foul-mouthed agent, Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven). The series was a big hit for HBO, earning multiple Emmy wins over its eight-season run and returning for a 2015 film that did poorly at the box office with critics.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Ellin, Connolly, and Dillon are reuniting for a new series, Ramble On, that will follow Kevin Connolly playing...

Devra Wasserman, a onetime executive assistant in Hollywood and the wife of producer, literary agent and manager Larry Becsey, has died. She was 74.

Wasserman died Oct. 23 at her home in Los Angeles after a long battle with Als, her husband announced.

Born on July 31, 1950, Devi Jane Wasserman was raised in St. Louis Park, a suburb of Minneapolis. She graduated from St. Louis Park High School in 1968 and from the University of Denver in 1972.

She moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to start a career in the entertainment business and spent years as an executive assistant to major entertainment executives and attorneys.

Wasserman met Becsey in 1997, and they married in 2006. They traveled the world for his work and for their pleasure until the onset of Als 13 years ago began to limit her mobility.

She and her husband were board of governors supporters at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and were patrons of Moma, Lacma,...

Daniel Craig dismissed mounting rumors he was being considered to play James Bond. When the offer finally came, he feared what that could mean for his career and declined the part.

Daniel Craig revealed he didn't audition to play Agent 007; he was offered the role outright. Per THR, Craig said he was oblivious he was even shortlisted for the part, even when Steven Spielberg played the Bond theme while filming Craig's last scene for 2005's Munich. He said, "Eric [Bana] and I had to run with guns down the side of this wall, and [Spielberg] said, 'Action,' and then suddenly it was over these big speakers: 'Dun, dun, dun, dun' [the Bond theme music]. So I mean, it was obviously in the air. But seriously, I was like, 'It can't be. It's very nice. But me and 200 other people? Come on.'"

Related 'It's a Big Decision': 007 Producer Shares Major Update on...

Over the years, that shiny gold statuette known as the Oscar has been handed out to a wide variety of films, including certain winners that plenty of film fans might think didn't even deserve the little shiny plaque the actual awards are nailed to. For example, not even filmmaker Paul Haggis thinks his movie "Crash" should've taken home the Best Picture Oscar. It's not up to him, though! This is the internet, after all. But how are we to determine the worst film to have won that coveted coveted man-shaped medal (don't make it weird)? According to Rotten Tomatoes' metrics, the worst Best Picture Oscar winner of all time also happens to be the first of its kind in a different but related respect.

Long before James Cameron was crowned king of the world thanks to "Titanic" and the wildest Oscars moment of our lifetime (i.e. the "La La Land...

Quantum of Solace is widely panned as Daniel Craig's worst James Bond film. Critics agree it suffered from a disjointed narrative; Craig echoed the backlash with a new reveal on the sequel's development.

Daniel Craig revealed he's an uncredited scriptwriter for 2008's Quantum of Solace, his second James Bond film. The actor told THR the sequel's production was doomed when the 2007 writers' strike hit. "F—ing nightmare," he recalled. "[Screenwriter] Paul Haggis did a pass on the script, then he went off and joined a picket line, and we didn't have writers, so we didn't have a script. We probably should never have gone and started production, but we did. I ended up writing a lot of that film — I probably shouldn't really say, and I do not want a credit, it's fine — but we were in that state because that's what we're allowed to do. I was allowed to work.

Clint Eastwood is one of the biggest Hollywood stars of his generation, but that doesnt mean he can take on every single role thats offered to him. The actors career has stretched over seven decades, comprising a huge amount of different genres and styles, as hes continually tried new things and tried to keep up with the changing face of the industry. The reason Eastwoods career has been filled with so many great movies and lasted for so many years is his ability to change his signature style at the drop of a hat, which has kept him relevant.

Another reason that Eastwood has found such huge success is his ability to know exactly which roles are right for him, and which could be better tackled by a different actor. In his prime, the actor was starring in multiple different movies each year, but he wasnt just accepting any script...

The Francis Ford Coppola masterpiece “The Godfather” (1972) has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Picture winner ever. The results are from a recent Gold Derby ballot cast by 29 of our film experts and editors, who ranked all 96 movie champs.

Ranking in second place is the Michael Curtiz classic “Casablanca” (1943). Following in third place is the powerful Steven Spielberg film “Schindler’s List” (1993). Rounding out the top five are Coppola’s “The Godfather Part II” (1974) in fourth place and Billy Wilder‘s “The Apartment” (196o) in fifth place.

At the bottom of the list of the Best Picture winners is “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952) from Cecil B. DeMille. Just above that film in the rankings are “Cimarron” (1931) from Wesley Ruggles, “The Broadway Melody” (1929) from Harry Beaumont, “Crash” (2005) from Paul Haggis, and “Around the World in 80 Days’ (1956) from Michael Anderson.

Our photo gallery above features the full top 10. See the complete rankings of all 96 films below.

The Francis Ford Coppola masterpiece “The Godfather” (1972) has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Picture winner ever. The results are from a recent Gold Derby ballot cast by 29 of our film experts and editors, who ranked all 96 movie champs.

Ranking in second place is the Michael Curtiz classic “Casablanca” (1943). Following in third place is the powerful Steven Spielberg film “Schindler’s List” (1993). Rounding out the top five are Coppola’s “The Godfather Part II” (1974) in fourth place and Billy Wilder‘s “The Apartment” (196o) in fifth place.

The worst among 96 Best Picture winners is “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952) from Cecil B. DeMille. Just above that film on the bottom of the rankings are “Cimarron” (1931) from Wesley Ruggles, “The Broadway Melody” (1929) from Harry Beaumont, “Crash” (2005) from Paul Haggis, and “Around the World in 80 Days’ (1956) from Michael Anderson.

Our photo gallery below features the full top 10. See the complete rankings of all 96 films below.

When a true acting legend has already become associated with a certain role in the publics imagination, it will always be a tough act to follow for the new actor who steps into that part. In many instances, recasting movie legends with new actors can be poorly received, although there have been occasions where the stars aligned just right, and the replacement was perfect for the role. From franchise films to beloved works of literature, it's inevitable that characters will be played by multiple actors, although the new performers must find a way to make the role their own.

The best character replacements add something new and interesting to the part, with actors not only carving out their own legacy for the role but even surpassing the expectations set by the original. When characters have already been portrayed by some of the greatest actors of all time, reviving the role...

Quick Links Clint Eastwood's Poignant and Powerful War Drama Roger Ebert Was Blown Away by 'Flags of Our Fathers' Eastwood's Critically Acclaimed Two-Part Cinema Spectacle

Silver screen icon Clint Eastwood is undeniably one of the cinema's most decorated and brilliant presences, with the revered actor and director's illustrious career spanning nearly seven decades. Eastwood has helmed a slew of critically acclaimed masterpieces like Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, and American Sniper, and in 2006, he tugged on the heartstrings of audiences all across the world when he created two companion war dramas depicting the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima: Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima.

Flags of Our Fathers is told from the perspective of American soldiers and the five Marines and Navy corpsmen who participated in the iconic raising of the flag, while Letters from Iwo Jima depicts the harrowing conflict from the point-of-view of Japanese soldiers.

After the still entertaining but undeniably sillier Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, the Terminator franchise was ready for salvation. But what would be the next step? Arnold was fully engulfed in his political career; James Cameron would rather remake Piranha 2 than return; and per the usual for this franchise….no one even knows who owns the rights! This is What the F*ck Happened to Terminator Salvation.

A bit after Terminator 3’s release, both Nick Stahl and Claire Danes were recast to return as John Connor and Kate Brewster in the next installment of the franchise. Jonathan Mostow (director of Terminator 3) was also involved and helping with the script but a retread of Terminator 3 sounded dreadful. On top of that, the rights situation was once again a mess…. After months of fighting, lawsuits, and distribution hassles…. the rights to the franchise were again sold. This time,...

Sandra Bullock sent fans into a frenzy when she admitted her massive crush on Keanu Reeves—and her absolute fear of taking it further. Yeah, they had crazy chemistry in Speed, but Bullock was all nerves when it came to getting up close and personal with Hollywood’s favorite heartthrob. She was practically starstruck!

Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves in Speed | Credits: Mark Gordon Company

Her shy side gave their on-screen spark an extra kick, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. While fans were crossing their fingers for a real-life romance, Bullock kept those feelings tucked away, leaving us all wondering about the ultimate what-if.

Sandra Bullock’s Nerves on Reuniting with Crush Keanu Reeves in The Lake House Sandra Bullock as Kate Forster and Keanu Reeves as Alex Wyler in The Lake House | Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures

Sandra Bullock once hilariously confessed, “I’m not ready to do this,...

Veteran actor Matt Dillon will receive the prestigious Golden Alexander award at the upcoming Thessaloniki Film Festival in Greece. Organizers will honor Dillon for his long acting career and diverse artistic contributions to cinema. The 65th annual festival runs from October 31 to November 10.

During the festival, Dillon will showcase several of his recent projects. This includes his portrayal of legendary actor Marlon Brando in the film “Being Maria.” The movie explores actress Maria Schneider’s experience filming the controversial 1972 film “Last Tango in Paris.” Dillon both acts in and directed “Being Maria,” which had its premiere earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival.

Festival organizers will also honor Dillon by screening his 2002 directorial debut “City of Ghosts.” In addition, Dillon will participate in an experimental art installation called “Interfears.” The piece will use Mri scans to visualize Dillon’s brain activity while he performs a monologue. Both the installation...

Matt Dillon will be feted at the 65th edition of Greece’s Thessaloniki Film Festival, where he will present his recent film “Being Maria,” in which he plays Marlon Brando.

Dillon will receive the festival’s honorary Golden Alexander award on Nov. 4, before a screening of his 2002 film “City of Ghosts,” which was his debut as a film director and screenwriter.

Other honorees at the festival, which runs Oct. 31-Nov. 10, include Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes, as previously announced.

“Being Maria,” which will screen at Thessaloniki on Nov. 3, had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Jessica Palud, it revolves around the troubled life of Maria Schneider, played by Anamaria Vartolomei.

When Schneider, a young, struggling actress with promise, is offered the lead role in “Last Tango in Paris,” playing opposite Brando, her dreams seem to be coming true. But what seems like a big break turns...

Letters From Iwo Jima (2007) earns high praise from a historian, who commends director Clint Eastwood's approach to capturing the conflict on film. Written by Iris Yamashita, Paul Haggis, and Tadamichi Kuribayashi, Eastwood's World War II film chronicles the Battle of Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Japanese commander and his forces defending the titular island. The film serves as a companion film to Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers (2006), which depicts the same battle but from an American perspective.

In a recent video for Insider, historian John McManus analyzes select scenes from Letters From Iwo Jima, awarding the film a strong grade of nine out of 10. According to McManus, the film accurately portrays elements of the battle, including the extensive Japanese tunnel system on the island, the weapons and fortifications they used, and actual military machine gun shooting techniques. What makes Letters From Iwo Jima particularly special, however,...

From gunslinging one-liners to angry cop retorts, Clint Eastwood quotes keep his characters iconic decades later. Eastwood is a seasoned Hollywood legend with dozens of classic films under his belt, both as a leading man and a sharp-eyed director. Throughout his career, Eastwood has played such unforgettable roles as vigilante cop Harry Callahan in the Dirty Harry series and vengeful bounty hunter The Man with No Name in the Dollars trilogy. These antihero characters are full of quotable lines.

In his Oscar-nominated career as an actor, Eastwood has delivered quotes written by John Milius, Paul Haggis, and William Goldman. Their scripts have given him plenty of great one-liners and impassioned speeches to work with, and hes nailed every on-camera delivery to create some fan-favorite quotes. From Walt Kowalskis quippy grumblings in Gran Torino to William Munnys grizzled monologues about the many regrets from his gunfighting days in Unforgiven, there are...

Artists for Peace and Justice (Apj), established in early 2009, is a fundraising effort founded by Paul Haggis and friends that encourages peace and social justice and addresses issues of poverty and enfranchisement in communities around the world. Over the past year, Apj has directed its efforts to raising enough funds to fully sponsor three schools in Haiti in support of the initiatives of Father Rick Frechette and his team. These schools aren’t just a place to learn but provide for a hot meal, clean water and a chance at the future to children who desperately need it. Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Apj has focused its efforts on raising much needed funds for emergency relief efforts in the ravaged country that is only a few hours from our shores.

How you can help

Donations can be made directly to the Apj website with 100 percent of the funds raised going directly to Haiti.

Casino Royale failed to accurately portray poker gameplay, with illogical and unrealistic scenes throughout the game. Mr. White's unrealistic endurance in Quantum of Solace raises questions about the believability of Bond villains' abilities. No Time to Die left holes in Bond's journey back to London and his sacrifice at the end, leading to some inconsistencies.

This article contains spoilers for all Daniel Craig James Bond movies.Daniel Craig has been an outstanding James Bond over the years, but there are some things about his James Bond movies that make no sense. Since joining the long list of Bonds in director Martin Campbell's 2006 movie Casino Royale, Craig has delivered style and substance in his role as 007 in Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time to Die. However, the movies still fell victim to some of the continuity errors, plot holes, and logical fallacies common in action movies.

While Craig...

The Next Three Days ending reveals the truth about the murder, proving Lara's innocence despite earlier doubt. The ambiguity surrounding Lara's guilt adds to the suspense and questions throughout the movie. The decision to make Lara's innocence unclear deviates from the original French film and could have added to the story's impact.

Even though the 2010 thriller has largely gone under the radar, The Next Three Days ending remains a memorable conclusion. Helmed by Paul Haggis, prison-break story The Next Three Days is an American remake of 2008 French film Pour Elle (aka Anything For Her) directed by Fred Cavay. Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks star as husband and wife John and Lara Brennan him a mild-mannered college professor and her a hot-tempered businesswoman whose world is turned upside down when Lara is convicted of murdering her boss after a blistering argument and sentenced to life in prison.

While The Next Three Days...

Al Ruddy, who co-created the famed CBS sitcom Hogan’s Heroes, then captured Academy Awards for producing the best picture winners The Godfather and Million Dollar Baby, has died. He was 94.

Ruddy, also credited as one of the creators of the long-running CBS police drama Walker, Texas Ranger, died Saturday following a brief illness at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center, a publicist announced.

On the heels of The Godfather (1972), Ruddy produced another box-office hit with the original The Longest Yard (1974), the prison-set football movie that starred Burt Reynolds. The pair then reteamed for the action road films The Cannonball Run (1981) and its 1984 sequel, both directed by stuntman-turned-helmer Hal Needham.

The personable Ruddy also produced such films as Bad Girls (1994), the first Western with all female leads (Madeleine Stowe, Mary Stuart Masterson, Andie MacDowell and Drew Barrymore); the baseball comedy The Scout (1994), starring Albert Brooks and Brendan Fraser; and Matilda (1978), a comedy...

A Los Angeles judge has thrown out portions of Leah Remini’s lawsuit against Scientology, finding that some of the church’s attacks on her are protected under the First Amendment.

But in a mixed ruling, the judge also found that the church cannot claim free-speech protection for allegedly stalking, harassing and surveilling Remini, or for harassing producers and staff who worked on her anti-Scientology podcast.

Since leaving Scientology in 2013, the “King of Queens” actor has become its most prominent critic, writing a memoir and hosting two seasons of the A&e docuseries, “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.”

Last August, she filed a 68-page lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging she had been subject to a decade of online attacks, stalking and intimidation designed to punish her for her criticism of the church.

The suit alleged that Remini was the latest in a long line of Scientology critics to...

The criminal sexual assault case against Paul Haggis in Italy could be coming to an end, with prosecutors in the Southern Italy city Brindisi, where Haggis was charged with sexual assault, requesting that the case be dismissed.

The case dates back to June 2022, when the writer-director was booked and placed under house arrest following the complaint of a British woman who was attending the Allora Film Fest with the director. According to the charges, Haggis allegedly abused the woman for three days (June 12-15, 2022) in the lodgings they shared. As a result of the complaint, the director was kept under preventative house arrest from June 19 to July 4, a decision later revoked by Preliminary Investigation Judge Vilma Gilli once it was determined that there was no risk of recurrence.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Brindisi has told local media that the investigation could not establish that the relationship was nonconsensual.

Hello, and welcome to the Scene to Seen Podcast!

I am Valerie Complex Associate editor and film writer at Deadline. On today’s episode, we’re talking to director, writer, producers, and actress Jennifer Esposito, where we talk about her career and her directorial debut Fresh Kills.

With a career spanning over 25 years, Jennifer Esposito is a Screen Actors Guild, Critics Choice and Hollywood Foreign Press award recipient. She has appeared in over 60 films and television productions. She’s appeared in Crash by Paul Haggis, Summer of Sam by Spike Lee and Welcome To Collinwood, directed by The Russo Brothers. Her television work includes Spin City, Samantha Who, Blue Bloods, The Affair, The Boys, and Nora From Queens.

Jennifer makes her writing and directing debut with Fresh Kills, in which she also produced and plays a supporting role. She was also the first to incorporate NFTs as a fundraising tool for independent films.

After multiple Oscars, Silver Bears, Golden Globes, Grammys and a Tony, Denzel Washington has earned the right to be called one of the greatest actors of our time. He could drop the surname and still be instantly recognisable – two syllables that guarantee acting excellence.

Key to his success is his ability to mesmerise an audience into seeing past his instantly recognisable face and observing only the character. It’s arguably the central tenet to any actor’s success, yet it is with unusual success and consistency that Denzel Washington has been able to shift from character to character seemingly with ease. This is an actor who rarely repeats himself.

The need for variety and the consistency of execution makes his sole franchise role all the more intriguing. Today sees the digital premiere for the third entry in The Equalizer series, with his Training Day director Antoine Fuqua ending the trilogy...