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This post contains spoilers for "The Rookie."

Those who grew up watching "Firefly" or "Castle" (like me) are already aware of Nathan Fillion's charismatic appeal as a television actor. Fillion excels in both dramatic and comedic roles, and when these two elements merge, it yields a recipe that works in favor of most multi-season shows. ABC's police procedural dramedy "The Rookie" fits the bill perfectly, with Fillion playing leading man John Nolan, who opts for an abrupt mid-life career change by becoming a part of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). This sudden professional pivot comes with its own challenges, as Nolan is wholly unprepared to tackle the unpredictability that comes with being a police officer. Things get convoluted over time, thanks to a dozen character arcs and plot contrivances, but "The Rookie" is still going strong, with its seventh season premiering in January this year.

In season 4 of the show,...

This City Is Ours is a crime drama epic filmed in Liverpool and Spain that comes with creative pedigree. The series stars Sean Bean and comes from The Crown producer Left Bank Pictures. All episodes will become available on the BBC iPlayer streaming service from 6 a.m. London time Sunday, with the series beginning to air on BBC One in its weekly 9 p.m. time slot that night. Sony Pictures Television is distributing the series internationally.

The eight-part show was created and written by Stephen Butchard (The Good Mothers, The Last Kingdom, Five Daughters) and directed by Saul Dibb (The Salisbury Poisonings, The Sixth Commandment) and John Hayes (Nightsleeper, Dublin Murders).

Bean (Marriage, Time) plays crime gang leader Ronnie Phelan, with James Nelson-Joyce (Bird, A Thousand Blows) portraying Ronnie’s friend Michael Kavanagh. Hannah Onslow (Empire of Light, This Is Going to Hurt) plays Diana Williams, Michael’s partner, while Jack McMullen (Hijack,...

The BBC has released several first-look photos of their new crime drama, This City is Ours, and it features a killer ensemble led by two-time BAFTA-winner Sean Bean and Julie Graham (Shetland). Bean and Graham will play Ronnie and Elaine Phelan, a married couple who lead a criminal gang operating out of Liverpool, and judging by that title, the Phelans won't be taking it likely with anyone who encroaches onto their territory. The 8-part series is created by Stephen Butchard (The Last Kingdom) and directed by the trio of BAFTA award winner, Saul Dibb (The Sixth Commandment), John Hayes (Dublin Murders), and Eshref Reybrouck (Undercover).

Exclusive: Wicked production sound mixer Simon Hayes says Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba opposite Ariana Grande’s Glinda in the musical extravaganza, has the prowess of an Olympian, which enabled his team to achieve vastly more than they’d expected.

When Hayes and his unit were setting up microphones for the dynamic tour de force number “Defying Gravity” that sees Erivo soar away on a broomstick, they figured that the star would have to stop to catch her breath while doing somersaults for Universal’s hit picture.

Erivo had three microphones on her: a personal mic on the center of her forehead, another fixed on the brim of her hat and one placed on her costume.

“What we didn’t realize was that Cynthia would be able to do these gymnastic movements and still sing perfectly. It didn’t faze her in any way,” he marvels.

Related: Jon M. Chu...

Today is a great day for Tom Hardy fans, as one of the Warrior and Venom star’s highest rated (yet most disappointing when it comes to box office) crime dramas lands on Prime Video. Released in December last year, The Bikeriders finds Hardy starring alongside Austin Butler and Jodie Comer in this tale of a Midwestern motorcycle club who finds themselves evolving from a welcoming place for outsiders to something far more sinister.

Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, who is known for crafting powerful dramas such as Take Shelter, Mud, Midnight Special, and Loving, The Bikeriders stars a stellar ensemble cast that includes Jodie Comer (28 Years Later), Austin Butler, Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road), Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water), Mike Faist (West Side Story), Boyd Holbrook (Logan), and Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead). The Bikeriders is available to stream on Prime Video from December 10, and it’s well worth a ride.

Kate Middleton has invited child survivors of the Southport stabbings to her annual Christmas carol concert, which will take place on December 6th this year.

Kate Middleton And Prince William Met With The Victims And Their Families

In July, a 17-year-old targeted children at a dance workshop and stabbed ten people, including eight children, in Southport, Merseyside, in the UK. Sadly, three children were killed. Bebe King, age six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, age seven, and Alice Dasilva, age nine, died in the attack.

Axel Rudakubana of Banks in Lancashire is charged with three counts of murder and the attempted killing of eight other children, dance teacher Leanne Lucas, and businessman John Hayes.

The killings provoked large-scale riots triggered by misinformation on social media in cities and towns throughout Britain. The violence was sparked by false claims about the identity of the teenage suspect, charged with murder.

In October, the Princess...

Intense thriller Nightsleeper comes to the BBC in September, and here’s the trailer for the train-based series.

One of the most thrilling scenes to come out of a BBC drama in recent years was the opening of Jed Mercurio’s Bodyguard, in which the titular character foils a terrorist on a train.

New BBC thriller Nightsleeper takes this to the extreme by setting all six episodes on a high speed train. Think of it as Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, but on a modern BBC budget. And with no Steven Seagal.

The synopsis reads as follows:

Nightsleeper is a six-part series in which a train is ‘hackjacked’ while travelling from Glasgow to London, and suddenly finds itself on an uncertain journey with an even less certain destination. Part fast-moving heart-in-the-mouth action-adventure and part twisty-turny whodunnit detective story, it’s a roller coaster ride set across a single night where...

After airing on Rte in Ireland last September, all six episodes of the darkly comedic crime drama Obituary made their way over to the Hulu streaming service in November. Now, Variety reports that Obituary season 2 has been given the greenlight and, like its predecessor, is expected to consist of six episodes.

Written by Ray Lawlor (Le Ceangal) and directed by John Hayes (Dublin Murders) and Oonagh Kearney (Vardy vs. Rooney), Obituary has the following synopsis: 24-year-old Elvira Clancy is feeling a little unfulfilled, although she adores her new job writing obituaries, but when her newspaper falls on hard times and her boss cuts her salary, she finds herself being paid per obituary overnight. When she “accidentally” kills a nasty piece of work in the town, she discovers she might have a previously untapped bloodlust!

She relishes using ever more crafty methods to kill off the town’s unpleasant residents while making them look like accidents.

Irish comedy “Obituary” is prepping for a second season, Variety has learned.

The popular black comedy, which features Siobhán Cullen as an underpaid obituarist who turns to murder, is written by Ray Lawlor.

The plan is for Season 2 to run to six episodes, Variety understands, with Lawlor returning to helm the script. The show’s original producers — Magamedia and Apc Studios — are once again involved, while Hulu is contributing funding.

Casting hasn’t yet been confirmed but it seems unlikely the show would return without lead star Cullen, who has also recently appeared in “The Dry” and Netflix series “Bodkin.”

The first season of “Obituary,” which aired on Irish network Rte, followed Cullen as obituary writer Elvira Clancy, who takes matters into her own hands when her work begins drying up. Soon a crime correspondent at the local paper starts investigating the murders — and falling for Clancy.

Michael Smiley (“Bad Sisters...

Real-time thriller “Nightsleeper” has been acquired by French network TF1.

Starring Alexandra Roach (“The Light in the Hall”) and Joe Cole (“Gangs of London”), the six-episode thriller unfolds in real-time as a sleeper train travelling from Glasgow to London is hacked and events rapidly escalate on board, causing a government agency to frantically intervene.

“Can two people who’ve never met, one on the train and one not, work together to save the lives of its disparate group of passengers as the Heart of Britain overnight service hurtles towards what might quite literally be its final destination?” reads the logline.

The series, which is produced by Fremantle’s Euston Films for BBC One and BBC iPlayer, was written by “Murdered For Being Different” scribe Nick Leather with Laura Grace writing episodes 4 and 5. It’s directed by Jamie Magnus Stone (“Doctor Who”) and John Hayes (“Dublin Murders”).

It will air in the U.

Foxtel/Binge Topper Amanda Laing Exiting

Foxtel and Binge’s Chief Commercial and Content Officer Amanda Laing has resigned and is exiting later this year. She joined the Australian TV giant in 2018 and has overseen the launch of streamer Binge, which is behind worldwide comedy hit Colin From Accounts. No word on her next move, but in a statement Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany paid tribute to Laing, saying she has “led dozens of negotiations with US studios for content and channel acquisitions, as well as supported the business as a leading executive on our sports rights deals.” Laing said it had been “privilege to work across both sport and entertainment.” She will remain with the company until September to ensure “a smooth transition of leadership.”

Hulu’s Irish Comedy-Drama ‘Obituary’ Travels

Dark Irish comedy-drama series Obituary has landed on a host of networks around the world. The six-part RTÉ series,...

Fresh from his Academy Award win for best actor, “Oppenheimer” star Cillian Murphy now has a chance to claim the same honor at his local awards.

The Irish Film and TV Academy (IFTA) has unveiled the nominees for its 2024 awards, with Murphy going up against “Saltburn’s'” Barry Keoghan and “All of Us Strangers” star Andrew Scott in the best actor category. Elsewhere, Jessie Buckley (“Fingernails”) and Saoirse Ronan (“Foe”) are among those nominated for best actress, while Paul Mescal (“All of Us Strangers”) and Kenneth Branagh (“Oppenheimer”) are in the running for best supporting actor.

But it was actually Irish features leading the pack of nominees, with Lisa Mulcahy’s “Lies We Tell” landing 13, followed by “That They May Face the Rising Sun” and “Double Blind.”

The IFTAs ceremony will be take place on April 20 at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre with Irish TV personality Baz Ashmawy on hosting duties.

Nominations are out for the 21st Irish Film & Television Awards with Lisa Mulcahy’s thriller Lies We Tell leading the pack on the feature side at 13, and crime drama Kin heading up the TV fields with 11 (scroll down for the ful list of nominees). The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) will hand out its prizes on April 20 in Dublin.

Alongside Lies We Tell in the Best Film category are Double Blind, Flora and Son, Lola, That They May Face the Rising Sun and Verdigris. Each of those films also scored a mention for their directors.

In what was a banner year for Irish talent, there are several awards season notables vying for Best Actor as well, including Oppenheimer Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, Saltburn’s Barry Keoghan and All of Us Strangers’ Andrew Scott.

The Best International Film race includes All of Us Strangers, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things, Saltburn and The Holdovers.

Lies We Tell, with 13, That They May Face the Rising Sun and Double Blind, with 11 each, are leading the nominations for the movie portion of the Irish Film & Television Awards 2024.

Lies We Tell is about an orphaned teenage heiress in 19th-century Ireland who is forced to embrace the dark legacy of her family when she becomes the ward of an uncle determined to marry her off. Rising Sun is an adaptation of John McGahern’s novel of passion, war, and migration. Double Blind is a horror film about an experimental drug trial that goes horribly wrong. Andrew Legge’s Lola, a science fiction drama set in 1940, received seven noms on Thursday.

Among the lead acting nominees are such big names as Cillian Murphy, Barry Keoghan, Andrew Scott, Pierce Brosnan, Saoirse Ronan, Eve Hewson, and Jessie Buckley. The best supporting film actor category, meanwhile, includes Kenneth Branagh and Paul Mescal.

And...

The Bikeriders, an upcoming drama starring Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, and Jodie Comer, is being released by Focus Features on June 1, 2024. The film follows a fictional 1960s motorcycle club's rise, showcasing the lives and choices of its members in a gritty and authentic way. With a star-studded ensemble cast, including Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, and Tom Hardy, The Bikeriders has received critical acclaim and currently holds a promising 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Following the decision from Disney to drop The Bikeriders, an upcoming drama starring Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, and Jodie Comer, Focus Features acquired the worldwide rights to the New Regency film, and the movie will now rev into theaters on June 21, 2024. Now there's a new trailer in anticipation for the film, which you can watch above. Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski said in a statement:

We are delighted to add such a riveting project to next year's strong slate of films.

The Night Agent Season 2 won't have a book to adapt, creating new territory for the Netflix series. Peter Sutherland's story was told in a self-contained novel, so the show will need to create an original story for season 2. The absence of source material for season 2 sets The Night Agent apart from other shows like Reacher, offering an unpredictable storyline.

The Night Agent season 2 is currently in the works, and the next chapter of Peter Sutherland’s journey is already different from Netflix’s hit action thriller thanks to one major change. Netflix’s The Night Agent season 1 was a massive success for the streamer, becoming the most-watched show on the platform between January and July 2023 with over 812 million hours watched within less than four months (via What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report). Therefore, it is no surprise that The Night Agent was renewed for season 2.

The first season of The Night Agent,...

Timothée Chalamet brings the right amount of magic and eccentricity to the character of Willy Wonka, continuing the legacy of Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp. The trailers suggest that the movie has the potential to expand into a larger universe and may have continuity with future films. The impressive casting choices, including Timothée Chalamet, Hugh Grant, and Keegan-Michael Key, also hint at the possibility of sequels and further exploration of the Wonka universe.

Ahead of its theatrical release on the 15th of December, the creators of Wonka have been busy releasing trailers for the film, and the imagery is simply dazzling. Timothée Chalamet gives Roald Dahl’s character the right amount of magic and eccentricity that makes the chocolatier so unique, continuing the lasting legacy of amazing performances given by Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp. The upcoming movie, clearly explained by the trailers, is the prequel story of Willy Wonka...

The Bikeriders, an upcoming drama starring Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, and Jodie Comer, has been picked up by Focus Features with a 2024 release being planned. The film follows a fictional 1960s motorcycle club's rise, showcasing the lives and choices of its members in a gritty and authentic way. With a star-studded ensemble cast, including Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, and Tom Hardy, "The Bikeriders" has received critical acclaim and currently holds a promising 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Following the decision from Disney to drop The Bikeriders, an upcoming drama starring Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, and Jodie Comer, Focus Features has now acquired the worldwide rights to the New Regency film, with plans being made to release the movie in theaters in 2024. According to THR, Focus Features will take the reins regarding the domestic release of The Bikeriders, while Universal Pictures International will tackle the international release.

"We are delighted to add...

The BBC has released two first-look images from its upcoming real-time thriller ‘Nightsleeper.’

The story is about the hacking of a sleeper train travelling from Glasgow to London, and a government agency’s frantic efforts to intervene in the rapidly-escalating events onboard. Can two people who’ve never met, one on the train and one not, work together to save the lives of its disparate group of passengers as the Heart of Britain overnight service hurtles towards what might quite literally be its final destination?

Alexandra Roach (The Light in the Hall) and Joe Cole (Gangs of London) lead the cast of the suspense thriller, written by BAFTA award-winning writer Nick Leather (Murdered For Being Different) from Fremantle’s Euston Films, coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in early 2024.

Roach plays Abby Aysgarth, the Acting Technical Director at the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, who’s finally about...

Disney will no longer distribute "The Bikeriders" with New Regency now shopping the movie around. The film follows a fictional 1960s motorcycle club's rise, showcasing the lives and choices of its members in a gritty and authentic way. With a star-studded ensemble cast, including Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, and Tom Hardy, "The Bikeriders" has received critical acclaim and currently holds a promising 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Bikeriders starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, and Tom Hardy will no longer be released by Disney, a new report from Jeff Sneider reveals. The drama, which is set in the 1960s and follows the rise of a fictional Chicago motorcycle club, was removed from the Disney release schedule just two months before it was due to land in theaters, with The House of Mouse now reportedly dropping out of distribution. New Regency, the studio that financed The Bikeriders, will now shop the movie...

Chicken Run is a classic stop-motion animation film about chickens trying to escape a coop. When rooster Rocky suddenly arrives, flying over the fence, the hens approach Rocky for tutelage. For most of the film, he attempts to teach them how to fly over the fence so that they can escape captivity. The film stars Julia Swalha, Mel Gibson, Miranda Richardson, and Tony Haygarth. Chicken Run was subject to critical acclaim and staggering commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time.

In 2018, it was announced that Chicken Run 2 was in development, and at the 20th anniversary of Chicken Run, Netflix announced that it had purchased the rights to Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. While there has been a great deal of buzz surrounding this sequel, its late production has many dumbfounded. Considering the fact that the original film came out over 20 years ago and to massive popularity and success,...

All six episodes of the darkly comedic crime drama Obituary will be available to watch on the Hulu streaming service as of Tuesday, November 21st – and with that date just a week away, we have the trailer for the show for you to check out in the embed above.

Written by Ray Lawlor (Le Ceangal) and directed by John Hayes (Dublin Murders) and Oonagh Kearney (Vardy vs. Rooney), Obituary has the following synopsis: 24-year-old Elvira Clancy is feeling a little unfulfilled, although she adores her new job writing obituaries, but when her newspaper falls on hard times and her boss cuts her salary, she finds herself being paid per obituary overnight. When she “accidentally” kills a nasty piece of work in the town, she discovers she might have a previously untapped bloodlust!

She relishes using ever more crafty methods to kill off the town’s unpleasant residents while making them look like accidents.

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

The college football world is abuzz with excitement as the Lsu Tigers prepare to face off against the Ole Miss Rebels this weekend in Oxford, Mississippi. Both teams are heading into the weekend ranked in the AP Top 25 with Lsu checking in at No. 13 and Ole Miss at No. 20. And good news: Fans can stream the game online and on ESPN.

If you’re wondering how to catch...

Exclusive: Bad Sisters star Michael Smiley has boarded Hulu dark comedy Obituary, as the show sets the rest of its cast and enters principal photography in Ireland.

Smiley will play lead Elvira Clancy’s (Siobhán Cullen) protective and troubled father Ward Clancy in the Apc/Magamedia-produced six-parter that was first revealed by Deadline late last year.

Smiley, whose past credits include the BBC’s Bloodlands and who played well-meaning-but-troubled-neighbor Roger Muldoon in Sharon Horgan’s Apple TV+ hit Bad Sisters, is joined by Ronan Raftery (The Rook), Danielle Galligan (Shadow and Bone) and David Ganly (Moon Knight) as the show rounds out cast and enters principal photography in County Donegal.

Obituary, which has been pre-bought by Irish network RTÉ, follows an unpaid obituarist working at a small town newspaper. When she ‘accidentally’ kills a nasty piece of work in the town, she discovers she might have an untapped bloodlust...

Exclusive: Apc Studios UK and Irish independent production company Tua Films (aka Magamedia) are co-producing Irish dark comedy-crime drama Obituary exclusively in the U.S. for streaming service Hulu, with RTÉ in Ireland pre-buying the series.

Irish TV and theatre actress Siobhán Cullen, whose recent credits include family comedy-drama The Dry and crime drama The Long Call, stars as Elvira Clancy, an obituarist working at a small-town newspaper, who suddenly finds herself being paid by the obituary due to cuts.

When she “accidentally” kills a nasty piece of work, she discovers she might have an untapped bloodlust, and sets her sights on other unpleasant residents of the town. Her killing spree hits a potential snag when the paper hires an attractive crime correspondent.

The six-part series is written by Irish scriptwriter Ray Lawlor (Le Ceangal), directed by John Hayes and produced by Nell Green.

Apc Studios’ Laurent Boissel and Magamedia’s Paddy Hayes are executive producers of the series which is being made in association with Fís Éireann/ Screen Ireland, Bai and The Wrap Fund.

“It has been a blast pitching this wonderful high-concept drama to various funders and broadcast partners over the past few years — an obituarist who resorts to murder to stay in a job,” they said in a joint statement.

“We’re genuinely thrilled that Hulu and Rte are already on board and it’s super exciting to be bringing it into production now in the West of Ireland,” said Boissel and Hayes.

Obituary goes into production in Ireland in 2023 and will exclusively premiere on Hulu in the U.S. later that year.

It marks the latest Irish drama series to attract U.S. investment, coming after Lionsgate boarded TG4 and Streamz drama series Northern Lights, as Deadline revealed at the time.

Cullen is currently filming Bodkin for Netflix, following a critically acclaimed run alongside Ralph Fiennes in Straight Line Crazy at The Bridge Theatre.

Paris-based independent production and distribution company Apc Studios is headed by Emmanuelle Guilbart and Boissel. Its Apc Studios UK recently produced Wolf for the BBC in co-production with Hartswood Films and The Light in the Hall with Duchess Productions and Triongl for S4C, Channel 4 and Sundance Now.

Galway-based Tua has over 20 years’ experience in the Irish entertainment industry, with recent credits including Irish Oscar entry Foscadh and TV drama winning Corp + Anam starring Maria Doyle Kennedy and the teen musical comedy-drama Eipic.

Exclusive: WME has signed Nigerian-American filmmaker Julius Onah (Luce) for representation.

Onah is best known for his 2019 Neon drama Luce, based on J.C. Lee’s play of the same name, in which parents Amy (Naomi Watts) and Peter (Tim Roth) are forced to reckon with their idealized image of their son (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), adopted from war-torn Eritrea, after an alarming discovery by a devoted high school teacher (Octavia Spencer) threatens his status as an all-star student. Luce made its world premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Director.

Onah most recently co-wrote the Jean-Michel Basquiat biopic Samo Lives, which has Luce‘s Harrison on board to star as the titular artist. He’s also attached to direct and produce that pic for Endeavor Content, along with the college admissions thriller Bad Genius. Erik Feig and Patrick Wachsberger will also produce the latter pic,...

‘1917’ leads the way; Joaquin Phoenix, Renée Zellweger, ‘Parasite’, ‘Bait’ among the winners.

The 2020 Bafta Film Awards are taking place tonight (2 Feb) at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Screen will be posting all the winners on this page and on Twitter as they are announced.

The ceremony started at 18:45 UK time and finishes at approximately 21:30, with Graham Norton on hosting duties for the first time.

Joker leads the way with 11 nominations. The Irishman and Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood follow on 10, with 1917 earning nine nods.

Winners as they happen in bold (latest first), below.

Leading Actress Jessie Buckley...

Starz is set to premiere European crime drama Dublin Murders on Sunday November 10. The Lionsgate-backed broadcaster has also unveiled the first trailer for the drama, which stars Killian Scott (C.B. Strike) and Sarah Greene (Penny Dreadful).

The series, which airs in an 8pm slot, is based on Tana French’s novels. Starz acquired the series, which was originally commissioned by the BBC, in December and it will air it in the U.S., Canada as well as on its Starzplay service across Europe and Latin America. It will launch on BBC One in the UK in October.

The psychological thriller is adapted by series creator and writer Sarah Phelps. Dublin Murders follows Rob Reilly (Scott) – a smart-suited detective whose English accent marks him as an outsider – who is dispatched to investigate the murder of a young girl on the outskirts of Dublin with his partner, Cassie Maddox (Greene...

By Tim Greaves

It’s been three years since ‘American Horror Project’ was unleashed. Comprising an eclectic gathering of indie curios from the 1970s, the fact it was announced as Volume 1 led to much anticipation as to what future collections might serve up.

Well, Arrow Video has finally issued Volume 2. It’s been a long wait. Was it worth it? For those whose passions run to the sort of weird, otherworldly slices of 70s small-town America represented by the first, the answer would be a resounding yes. But, as before, for a more general audience it’s unlikely to harbour much appeal. Regardless, whether you think they’re deserving of Blu-ray resurrection or not, all power to Arrow – and ringmaster of this circus of the bizarre, film historian Stephen Thrower – for rescuing these micro-budget productions from the bowels of obscurity, giving them a wash and brush up and setting them...

Back to the ’70s and back to vampires we go; an upgrade was in order as everyone agreed (even Hammer) that bloodsuckers needed to be modernized, rejuvenized (?), and Martinized (blood stains are a bitch) for more discerning audiences post-Night of the Living Dead (1968). The cobwebbed décor and heaving bodices were old hat; it was time for sleek condos and full-on nudity. Progress! While Hammer and Aip were dropping their updated takes, an independent company called Entertainment Pyramid released Grave of the Vampire (1972), a fun, low-budget curiosity with a pretty high pedigree.

Released in October on a reported budget of $50,000, Grave played the drive-in circuit forever; bloodsuckers are always good for parting teens from their dough. As for that pedigree: any film that features Michael Pataki, William Smith, and has a script by future The Sopranos creator David Chase has my full attention. And for the most part, it earns it.

Starz has acquired the crime drama series Dublin Murders from Fremantle. The eight-episode series is adapted from Tana French’s first two novels in the Dublin Murder Squad crime series, In The Woods and The Likeness.

The atmospheric, psychological thriller, which is currently in production in Belfast and Dublin, is adapted by series creator and writer Sarah Phelps and stars Killian Scott (C.B. Strike) and Sarah Greene (Penny Dreadful).

Dublin Murders follows Rob Reilly (Scott) – a smart-suited detective whose English accent marks him as an outsider – who is dispatched to investigate the murder of a young girl on the outskirts of Dublin with his partner, Cassie Maddox (Greene). Against his better judgment and protected by his friendship with Cassie, he is pulled back into another case of missing children and forced to confront his own darkness. As the case intensifies, Rob and Cassie’s relationship is tested to the...

If you lived on the East Coast on September 18th, 1980, you probably have no idea how close you were to death.

That night, Air Force Airmen David Powell and Jeffrey Plumb arrived at the Titan II missile silo in Damascus, Arkansas to perform routine maintenance on the massive nuclear missile. "Routine" is a relative word, of course, when dealing with a nine-megaton warhead whose destructive power was 600 times that of the atomic bomb used on Hiroshima. Powell, then 21, began to go through the standard maintenance checklist when the unthinkable happened:...

On September 18, 1980, a mechanic accidentally dropped a socket while performing routine maintenance on a Titan II missile in Damascus, Arkansas. The resulting rupture in the fuel tank nearly resulted in the detonation of one of America’s most powerful nuclear warheads. This is the harrowing subject of Command and Control, which just premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival: a fascinating and terrifying documentary about the on-going effects of the Cold War arms race, and how close America came to nuclear catastrophe.

Coming from the producers and director of Food, Inc. and the executive producer of Last Days of Vietnam, Command and Control is based on the book of the same name by Eric Schlosser, who also acts as an occasional narrator of the film. Command and Control chronicles two historical events: the nuclear arms race and nuclear accidents in America, and their relationship to the near-catastrophe of the “Damascus Accident.

Sweet Trash

(1970, Dir: John Haynes)

“Some people are born to be Sweet Trash”

Michael (Duncan McLeod, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls) is a down on his luck drunken longshoreman whose life takes a weird and potentially deadly twist when he clashes with Dan (William Connors in his only role), a loan shark with a thirst for blood as big as his hunger for money. After losing big at one of Dan’s back room card games, Michael gets an opportunity to settle his $6,000 debt by joining Dan’s operation, but ultimately turns it down. This leads him to have his hand roughed up by a couple of heavies. After taking some drastic measures, Michael is forced to flea for his life. Does he go to Mexico or Columbia? No, he fleas to Coney Island of all places where he meets a seductive blonde carnival girl and then gets seduced...

The Cut-throats

(1969, dir: John Hayes)

“…A Blood Bath! Filled With Men and Women Obsessed With Death…”

We are thrown straight in to Nazi Germany (well, looks more like the American desert than the lush forests of Germany, but I won’t be That guy!) at the close of the war. After we witness one of those pesky Krauts taking an advantage of a rather attractive blonde haired citizen, played by an uncredited Sandy Carey (Deep Jaws), we are introduced to our heroes, an elite squad of American soldiers dubbed “The Cut-Throats”. They have been hand picked and are lead by the strict and rough Captain Franklin, played by E.J. Walsh (in his only role unfortunately). His mission for the group is to infiltrate a nearby Nazi occupied resort to steal plans as well as leaving no Nazi soldier left alive (who needs the Geneva Convention!?). However, he has much more seedier and greedier intentions.

1. Karl Austen, talent, Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Klein (Harvard Law School) 2. Lincoln Bandlow, litigator, Lathrop & Gage (Boston University) 3. Mark Baute, litigator, Baute Crochetiere & Gilford (UCLA Law School) 4. Daniel Black, corporate, Greenberg Traurig (George Washington University School of Law) 5. Jake Bloom, talent, Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal Laviolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman (Cornell Law School) 6. Skip Brittenham, talent, Ziffren Brittenham (UCLA School of Law) 7. Harold Brown, talent, Gang Tyre Ramer & Brown (Uc Berkeley School of Law) 8. John P. Burke, corporate, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld (Southwestern University

read more...

Deacon Jones wasn't just a Qb killa ... he's also responsible for bringing War to the world ... this according to two of the legendary band's founding members.  Back before War took over the music scene, some of the guys performed in a band called Nightshift ... which played backup for Deacon during his singing gigs. (Deacon was a hell of an R&B singer). In fact, Nightshift was reportedly "discovered" by a major record producer while backing...

Nine of the 10 films Hitchcock directed in the 1920s are getting a full restoration. Henry K Miller enters the dusty world of the archivists and learns about the race to save the silents

The audience at the Capitol cinema in London during the middle week of April 1926 witnessed an unusually bold declaration of authorship. The opening moments of The Pleasure Garden, touted in the fan magazines as the debut of "the youngest director in the world", contained, under the "directed by" credit, the slanted and underlined signature of the 26-year-old Alfred J Hitchcock. What followed was also – as it would become clear over the decades – signature Hitchcock film-making. The film's first scene gives us a voyeur's-eye-view of a dancer's legs; and then makes us share the voyeur's unease as the look is returned. The Spectator's influential critic Iris Barry scented the "new blood" desperately needed by the ailing British film industry,...

David Linde and Reliance Entertainment jointly announced today the official formation and funding of Linde's new company, a new platform for film production and financing. Reliance Entertainment is providing the capital to finance the yet unnamed new venture. Working from a global distribution structure combining studio and independent distribution, the company will both produce and finance projects creating a clear "brand" of films designed for the worldwide marketplace. For nearly two decades, Linde has proven a unique ability to join a singular vision with the intricacies of the domestic and international film marketplace. The new entity is specifically designed to take advantage of Linde's experience in successfully bridging studio and independent production and distribution while managing and building both existing and start-up companies. "Our company is designed in response to a changing world. We have the opportunity to tap into the global industry's desire for films while at the same...

David Linde and Reliance Entertainment jointly announced today the official formation and funding of Linde's new company, a new platform for film production and financing. Reliance Entertainment is providing the capital to finance the yet unnamed new venture. Working from a global distribution structure combining studio and independent distribution, the company will both produce and finance projects creating a clear "brand" of films designed for the worldwide marketplace. For nearly two decades, Linde has proven a unique ability to join a singular vision with the intricacies of the domestic and international film marketplace. The new entity is specifically designed to take advantage of Linde's experience in successfully bridging studio and independent production and distribution while managing and building both existing and start-up companies. "Our company is designed in response to a changing world. We have the opportunity to tap into the global industry's desire for films while at the same...

• Steven J. Hayes, the man accused of killing a Connecticut women and her two daughters in 2007, was sentenced to death by lethal injection. [The New York Times] • Emilio Massera, one of the key orchestrators of a 1970s military coup of the Argentinian government, died at the age of 85. [CNN] • Last night saw the premiere of Conan O’Brien’s Conan program, the former Tonight Show host’s foray into basic cable. Did you get bingo? (We did not.) [Gawker] • In a protracted Washington congressional race, Democratic incumbent Rick Larsen defeated his Republican adversary John Koster. [Politico] • A no-fun federal judge ruled that Oklahoma cannot ban the implementation of Sharia law, despite support from 70 percent of the state’s participating electorate. [The Wall Street Journal]...

The trial of, Steven J. Hayes, one of the suspects in the Petit Family killings, began this week and his defense attorney, Thomas J. Ullmann, has attempted an unusual tactic. While he didn't deny his client's involvement in the gruesome torture and murder of a Connecticut family (he did however blame the other suspect, Joshua Komisarjevsky, for turning the planned robbery violent), Ullmann blamed the police for not stopping the two men from killing the family. This morning on Today, NBC’s Chief Legal Analyst and Mediaite founder Dan Abrams claimed this was a sign that Ullman "knows he has almost no case."...

The first vampire film to ever win a prize at Cannes, Park Chan-wook's "Thirst" places the ethical questions of human-community parasitism front and center, as you'd expect from a man whose most famous films are slow-pig-sticking ordeals of retribution and moral poisoning. Park's resume is also notorious for its merciless pop-movie extremism, and at times (as in the still rather spectacular "Oldboy") you can't help noticing a basic conflict between his Chandleresque exploration of life-or-death moral justice and his lurid sensationalism.

Going all genre in "Thirst" has obvious advantages for Park; the built-in conflicts are both familiar and as old as the hills. Still, few vampire narratives outside of, say, John Hayes' "Grave of the Vampire" (1974) expressly take on the responsibility of the predator to the prey as Park does -- his hero (Mr. Korean new wave Song Kang-ho) is an earnest priest who volunteers for an experiment with...

After sitting through Tom Shankland’s disturbing and brilliantly edited shocker The Children at this years Toronto After Dark Film Festival, I finally caught up with Grace, the highly acclaimed Sundance buzz flick from writer/director Paul Solet, based on his visceral short film of the same name. Grace mines the same parental paranoia as The Children but is otherwise a completely different experience – quieter, softer, slower, but no less upsetting. The film tells the tale of pretty vegan expectant mother Madeline (Jordan Ladd from Cabin Fever) who, after losing her husband in a violent car accident is told by doctors that her baby will be stillborn. Meanwhile, the naturopath (and, as we later learn, ex-lover) who is acting as her midwife obliges - against her better judgment - to deliver the dead child as per Madeline’s wishes. But when said infant emerges from the uterus in a literal pool of blood,...