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The British film-maker also wrote the landmark TV play Made in Britain, starring Tim Roth, and won an Emmy award for Band of Brothers

David Leland, the director behind popular 1980s hit Wish You Were Here and writer on a string of acclaimed British films including Made in Britain, Mona Lisa and Personal Services, has died aged 82. His agency Casarotto Ramsay and Associates said in a statement that Leland died on Sunday surrounded by his family. They added: “He is survived by his wife, Sabrina, his four daughters, his son and his six grandchildren … all of whom he loved almost as much as Arsenal football club.”

Born in 1941, Leland initially trained as an actor at the Central School of Speech of Drama, before becoming part of the breakaway that led to the creation of the Drama Centre in 1963. He secured small roles in 1970s films such as John Mackenzie’s directorial debut One Brief Summer,...

Glenda Jackson, the British actress who hit the snooze bar on her acting career for a 23-year career in politics, died on Thursday, as per her representatives. During her peak years in the 1970s and 80s, she won two Oscars (and was nominated for two more) and two Emmy Awards. She was nominated for four Tony Awards, finally winning one in 2018 after a late-in-life career resurgence. She was 87 years old.

Jackson, whose father was a bricklayer and whose mother was a barmaid and domestic, studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She was told by the academy’s principal that, due to her looks, she would likely only find work as a character actress, and she shouldn’t depend on getting jobs after 40.

This proved to be the opposite of true. Her big break came when experimental theater director Peter Brook cast her in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s groundbreaking adaptation of “Marat/Sade.

John Schlesinger decided not to attend the Academy Awards in 1970, even though his film “Midnight Cowboy” had been nominated for Best Picture and he was up for Best Director. On the evening of April 7, 1970, otherwise known as Oscar night, the British director remained in London with his American boyfriend, the photographer Michael Childers. Schlesinger didn’t want to make the brutal 24-hour roundtrip flight to Hollywood and back, and besides, he was well into production on his follow-up film, “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” For him, it was a very personal project, and, in some ways, an even more controversial film than “Midnight Cowboy.”

As Schlesinger explained it, the genesis of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” went back to the early 1960s when he was directing his first play for the Royal Shakespeare Company. “At the time, I had a very intense affair with one of the actors, a man who was bisexual,” Schlesinger recalled.

A24 has released the first trailer for “The Green Knight,” a medieval fantasy with giants, talking foxes and a brave knight played by Dev Patel.

Directed by David Lowery, the upcoming fantasy film will tell the story of Sir Gawain (Patel), King Arthur’s headstrong nephew and Knight of the Round Table, who embarks on a quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight (Ralph Ineson), a gigantic green-skinned stranger.

Based on the 14th-century poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” Gawain will come face-to-face with ghosts, giants, thieves and schemers, all while learning to define his own character and prove his worth in the eyes of his family and the kingdom.

“And what do you hope to gain in facing all of this?” Joel Edgerton’s kingly character named Lord asks of Sir Gawain in the trailer.

“Honor,” Gawain answers. “That is why a knight does what he does.”

“The Green Knight...

Exclusive: After teaming on the 2017 drama A Ghost Story, which starred Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, director David Lowery and A24 are back in business with Green Knight, a fantasy epic retelling of the medieval tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Lowery, who most recently helmed The Old Man & the Gun starring Robert Redford, will direct the film and produce along with Toby Halbrooks James M. Johnston. A24 is financing with Ley Line and Bron Studios.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of the most famous tales in early English literature. As the story goes, chivalrous and loyal Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur’s Round Table, accepts the challenge of beheading the Green Knight and must wait a year and a day to receive a blow in return. In the end it was a test of his loyalty to the king.

There have been two previous adaptations,...

The first West End production of Chess since 1986 stars Michael Ball as Anatoly, Alexandra Burke as Svetlana, Murray Head as The Arbiter, Tim Howar as Freddie, Cassidy Janson as Florence and Philip Browne as Molokov. This epic musical love story will open at the London Coliseum on Thursday 26 April 2018 Press night on Tuesday 1 May 2018 for a strictly limited 5 week season.

On the day a U.S. appeals court lifted an injunction that blocked a Mississippi “religious freedom” law – i.e., giving Christian extremists the right to discriminate against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people, etc. – not to mention the publication of a Republican-backed health care bill targeting the poor, the sick, the elderly, and those with “pre-existing conditions” – which would include HIV-infected people, a large chunk of whom are gay and bisexual men, so the wealthy in the U.S. can get a massive tax cut, Turner Classic Movies' 2017 Gay Pride or Lgbt Month celebration continues (into tomorrow morning, Thursday & Friday, June 22–23) with the presentation of movies by or featuring an eclectic – though seemingly all male – group: Montgomery Clift, Anthony Perkins, Tab Hunter, Dirk Bogarde, John Schlesinger, Tennessee Williams, Gore Vidal, Arthur Laurents, and Jerome Robbins. After all, one assumes that, rumors or no, the presence of Mercedes McCambridge in one...

Glenda Jackson: Actress and former Labour MP. Two-time Oscar winner and former Labour MP Glenda Jackson returns to acting Two-time Best Actress Academy Award winner Glenda Jackson set aside her acting career after becoming a Labour Party MP in 1992. Four years ago, Jackson, who represented the Greater London constituency of Hampstead and Highgate, announced that she would stand down the 2015 general election – which, somewhat controversially, was won by right-wing prime minister David Cameron's Conservative party.[1] The silver lining: following a two-decade-plus break, Glenda Jackson is returning to acting. Now, Jackson isn't – for the time being – returning to acting in front of the camera. The 79-year-old is to be featured in the Radio 4 series Emile Zola: Blood, Sex and Money, described on their website as a “mash-up” adaptation of 20 Emile Zola novels collectively known as "Les Rougon-Macquart."[2] Part 1 of the three-part Radio 4 series will be broadcast daily during an...

*full dislcosure: an online screener of this film was provided by the distributor, Artsploitation Films. Director: Romain Basset Writers: Romain Basset and Karim Chériguène. Cast: Lilly-Fleur Pointeaux, Catriona MacColl, Gala Besson, Murray Head and Fu'ad Aït Aattou. Romain Basset's feature film debut, Horsehead, is conceptually and stylistically cool, but its story makes you work at piecing things together—if you're not careful, you could miss the mark. The film follows in the tradition of other dreamscape horror films like A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Cell, with the protagonist purposely falling into a dream state in order to solve a mystery and/or defeat the enemy. In Horsehead, the lovely Jessica, who studies the power of lucid dreaming, grapples with nightmares. While attempting to control her dreams, she unearths a sinister family secret. However intriguing, this film will have you wishing that you were in your own lucid dream,...

Horsehead Awaits – This June

Acclaimed horror-fantasy film Horsehead will be coming to Blu-ray and DVD on June 23. Starring Catriona MacColl (The Beyond, The House By The Cemetery) and Murray Head (Sunday Bloody Sunday, “One Night in Bangkok”), Horsehead enjoyed a long film festival run with screenings at Fantastic Fest, Sitges International Film Festival, and L’Etrange Festival. Synopsis: Beautiful young Jessica ...

Hnn | Horrornews.net - Official News Site...

We first told you about Horsehead (Fievre) two years ago, and it's only looking weirder now. Come on in and check out a trailer that certainly has our attention.

Fievre (or Fever in English) is an English-speaking French horror film and it's Basset's feature film directorial debut. The film is being brought to us by HorseHead Pictures. It was co-written by Basset and Karim Chériguène and stars starring legendary Catriona MacColl (Lucio Fulci's muse), Franco-Australian revelation Lilly-Fleur Pointeaux, famous English singer and actor Murray Head (Say It Ain't So, One Night In Bangkok), French model and actor Fu'ad Aït Aattou (The Last Mistress) and the French horror icon Philippe Nahon (I Stand Alone, High Tension).

For more visit the official Fievre website and "like" Fievre on Facebook.

Synopsis

Jessica has never dreamed in her life but has had regular nightmares, the meanings of which have escaped her. This peculiarity...

We've been talking about Romain Basset's debut feature Fever for a few years now, and our excitement for the film has officially hit a fever pitch now that the trailer has finally made its way onto the net. If you love gory French horror, you're gonna love this sneak peek. Dig it!

The film stars Catriona MacColl, Philippe Nahon, Lilly-Fleur Pointeaux, Murray Head, Emmanuel Bonami, Shane Woodward, Gala Besson, Fu’ad Ait Aattou, Vernon Dobtcheff, and Joe Sheridan.

Synopsis

Jessica has never dreamed in her life but has had regular nightmares, the meaning of which escaped her. This peculiarity has led her to conduct studies specializing in the psychophysiology of dreams and to follow a therapy with Sean, her mentor and boyfriend, to try and understand the origins of her nightmares.

Following the death of her maternal grandmother whom she scarcely knew, Jessica must return reluctantly to the family home.

Neil and David at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Birthday shoutouts go to TheBacklot reader Carlos, Matt Lucas, who is 40, Eddy Grant is 66, and Murray Head is 68.

Everyone is in a tizzy because Steven Spielberg has “registered interest” in remaking West Side Story.

Why New Polling Shows Both the Gop and Lgbt Groups Are Out of Touch

Dutch Politicians Create Grindr Profiles To Earn Votes

The Mark Bingham Documentary The Rugby Player will have its mainstream festival premiere next week at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose

Here’s the official trailer for Oculus, starring Karen Gillan and her American accent.

Michelle Visage talks to eliminated Drag Race queen Magnolia Crawford.

Stephen Colbert on the absolute idiocy of Rep. Steve King‘s “Self-professed behavior” garbage. “Send photos and/or videos to Steve King, proving that you are gay. Be sure to label your envelope campaign contributions, so you know that he’ll read it.

By Lee Pfeiffer

You don't have to be gay to admire John Schlesinger's 1971 film Sunday Bloody Sunday, but it probably helps in terms of appreciating just how ground-breaking the movie was in its day. As a straight guy of high school age when the film was released, I do remember it causing a sensation, although it would literally take me decades before I finally caught up with it. Gay friends always spoke reverently of the movie and expressed how the most refreshing aspect of the story was how "normally" a loving relationship between two adult men was portrayed. In viewing the film as a recent Criterion Blu-ray release, I feel I can finally appreciate that point of view. Gay men have long been portrayed in movies, of course, but for the most part they have been depicted as objects of ridicule or as sexual deviants. There were the odd...

Matt Bomer from tonight's The New Normal.

Birthday shoutouts go to David Bowie, who is 66, Michelle Forbes is 47, and Mike Reno is 67. Jeanne Manford, the founder of Pflag, has died at 92. Our thoughts are with her family and all those she helped.Orlando Cruz on His Biggest Fight Yet.Five things Chuck Hagel should do for gay troops..Project Runway All Stars designer Joshua McKinley talks about growing up as an openly gay high-school athlete. Below you can see the NPR Snap Judgment Performance of the Year, 15-year-old Noah St. John talking about his two moms. It's spectacular.

Below you can see the the latest Spoiler Alert, with talk about the return of Cougar Town and the finale of Fringe, and scoop on Once Upon a Time

The latest Crate & Barrel features a page about spending a romantic night at home. "Spend a Saturday night at home, cooking together, dining together.

Chicago – Relate the now iconic term “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” and most likely a off-tune rendering of the famous rock song by U2 will follow. But the title was originally expressed in director John Schlesinger’s groundbreaking film of 1971, “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” recently released on Blu-ray through The Criterion Collection.

Blu-ray Rating: 4.5/5.0

The film has notoriety because it featured the first same-sex kiss between men in movie history (Peter Finch and Murray Head), but put aside that then-shocking expression and there is a psychologically complex film about unresolved relationship issues and identity. The drama is exquisitely cast, set against a post-Swingin’ 1960s London, when it seemed like the whole culture was waking up with a hangover from all that social change. Peter Finch, best known for his final role in 1976 of the mad news anchorman in “Network,” anchors this film with a passionate communication of middle age in both progress and regress.

It's important to not only view a film in the context of current societal norms, but when viewing older films it's just as important to think of them in the context of how it would have been perceived when it was originally released. This is easy enough when it comes to visual effects, but when it comes to societal norms and thematic material it's importance goes beyond what's visually believable. Released in 1971 on the heels of the unanticipated success of Midnight Cowboy, John Schlesinger's Sunday Bloody Sunday centers on a trio of Londoners. Daniel Hirsh (Peter Finch) is a middle-aged, Jewish doctor, Alex (Glenda Jackson) is a thirty-something divorcee and between the two is Bob (Murray Head), a young artist who is sleeping with both of them. Bob isn't keeping his love affair secret from either Daniel or Alex, both of which do their best to understand while craving his attention and affection.

This week offers a wide range of titles including Criterion's presentation of John Schlesinger's Sunday Bloody Sunday, a new anniversary edition of Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and then Steven Soderbergh's latest film Magic Mike. On top of that I have several new releases added to the calendar including The Bourne Legacy, Butter, The Paperboy and Criterion's upcoming release of Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby. But before we get to the upcoming releases, let's check out this week's new releases. Magic Mike I wonder, can Magic Mike make my top ten for the year? I haven't taken a look at it a second time yet, but I hope to before the year is up. I was looking through my reviews for the year so far and I have given out 11 B+ grades (which seems like a lot) already and Magic Mike was one of them and one of...

By Allen Gardner

Prometheus (20th Century Fox) Ridley Scott’s quasi-prequel to his 1979 classic “Alien” has an intergalactic exploratory team (Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba) arriving on a uncharted planet, where they discover what appears to be a dormant alien spacecraft and what might be the first discovery of intelligent life outside of Earth. Of course, everything goes straight to hell before you can scream “Don’t touch that egg!” Sumptuous visuals and strong performances from the cast (not to mention a nearly-perfect first half) can’t compensate for gaping plot and logic holes that nearly sink the proceedings in the film’s protracted second half. It feels as though some very crucial footage wound up on the cutting room floor. Perhaps, as with “Alien” and “Aliens” we’ll see a “Director’s Cut” of “Prometheus” arriving on DVD within the next year. In the meantime,...

We've given you the information as we've gotten it about the upcoming Roman Basset film Fievre. You can now take your first look at the movie in a teaser trailer that left us wondering what exactly we saw, and wanting to see more.

Fievre (or Fever in English) is an English-speaking French horror film and it's Basset's feature film directorial debut. The film is being brought to us by HorseHead Pictures. It was co-written by Basset and Karim Chériguène and stars starring legendary Catriona MacColl (Lucio Fulci's muse), Franco-Australian revelation Lilly-Fleur Pointeaux, famous English singer and actor Murray Head (Say It Ain't So, One Night In Bangkok), French model and actor Fu'ad Aït Aattou (The Last Mistress) and the French horror icon Philippe Nahon (I Stand Alone, High Tension).

For more visit the official Fievre website and "like" Fievre on Facebook.

Synopsis

Jessica has never dreamed in her life but has had regular nightmares,...

Here's the fist teaser trailer for {Romain Basset}}'s first feature "Fievre", co-produced by Oh My Gore !. As a reminder, the casting of "Fever" is composed of: -- Catriona MacColl (Lucio Fulci's muse), -- Lilly-Fleur Pointeaux ("Platane" - French TV Show), -- Murray Head (actor - "Sunday Bloody Sunday", Singer - "Say it ain't so", "One Night in Bangkok"), -- Vernon Dobtcheff ("The Spy Who Loved Me", "The Name Of The Rose", "Indiana Jones And The Last Cruisade"), -- Emmanuel Bonami ("Djinns"), -- Fu'ad Ait Aattou ("The Last Mistress", he's the lead role in the next Alexander Arcady movie "Ce Que Le Jour Doit A La Nuit"), -- Joe Sheridan ("The Ninth Gate", "Dangerous Liaisons"); -- Gala Besson ("Romeo And Juliet" stage play), -- Philippe Nahon ("I Stand Alone", "The Crimson...

NBC’s (admittedly critiqued) coverage of the Olympics in London — which to date has been regularly trumping the Beijing 2008 numbers and hitting highs for a non-u.S. summer games — delivered an inevitable low on Monday night.

Drawing 26 million total viewers and an 8.1 demo rating, NBC’s coverage was down 18 and 24 percent week-to-week and off 4 percent from the comparable night in Beijing (which is not a Murray Head song).

That said, I reiterate: NBC averaged 33.6 million viewers through the Games’ first 10 nights (through Sunday), so to quote Vivian Ward: Big. Huge.

Related | Olympics Watch: What Was Your Favorite Moment From London 2012, Day 10?

Elsewhere on Monday,...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Oct. 23, 2012

Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95

Studio: Criterion

Glenda Jackson stands between Peter Finch (l.) and Murray Head--or does she?--in Sunday Bloody Sunday.

British filmmaker John Schlesinger followed his Academy Award–winning 1969 film Midnight Cowboy with 1971’s Sunday Bloody Sunday, a sophisticated and highly personal drama about love and sex.

Sunday Bloody Sunday depicts the romantic lives of two Londoners—a middle-aged doctor (Peter Finch, Network) and a prickly thirty-something divorcée (Glenda Jackson, Women in Love) —who are sleeping with the same handsome young artist (Murray Head, TV’s Heartbeat).

Written by novelist and critic Penelope Gilliatt, the R-rated Sunday Bloody Sunday was considered to be quite a racy revelation way back when. Looking back on the film now, it’s definitely one of the 1970s’ most intelligent, multi-textured films about the complexities of romantic relationships.

The Criterion Blu-ray and DVD editions of the film contains...

Intense! We cannot better describe the first three weeks of shooting which have just been completed. "Fever" - Romain Basset's first feature film co-produced by the Oh My Gore! team - is a fantastic feature film which takes place in the ethereal world of lucid dreams. Here are the first official pictures, as well as behind-the-scenes photos. (Photos credit: Fabien Delage from Rue Morgue France and Johan Villeneuve). As a reminder, the casting of "Fever" is composed of: -- Catriona MacColl (Lucio Fulci's muse), -- Lilly-Fleur Pointeaux ("Platane" - French TV Show), -- Murray Head (actor - "Sunday Bloody Sunday", Singer - "Say it ain't so", "One Night in Bangkok"), -- Vernon Dobtcheff ("The Spy Who Loved Me", "The Name Of The Rose", "Indiana Jones And The Last...

Following the announcement of Catriona MacColl, Lilly-Fleur Pointeaux, Gala Besson and Emmanuel Bonami, we are proud and happy to unveil the official cast of “Fever”, the first feature film of Romain Basset, co-produced by Oh My Gore !.

Murray Head (actor – Sunday Bloody Sunday, Singer – “Say it ain’t so”, “One Night in Bangkok”), Vernon Dobtcheff (The Spy Who Loved Me, The Name Of The Rose, Indiana Jones And The Last Cruisade), Fu’ad Ait… More...

British actor and singer Murray Head has joined the cast of dream-themed movie Fever.

London-born Head, 66, is the elder brother of Anthony Head (Buffy, Merlin) and is known for his 80s pop hit One Night in Bangkok along with TV and film roles including 1971's Sunday Bloody Sunday.

Also in the cast of Romain Basset's feature film debut is Vernon Dobtcheff, whose credits include Roger Moore's Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me as well as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Dobtcheff appeared with another Bond actor, Sean Connery, in thriller The Name of the Rose.

Fever co-producers Oh My Gore revealed the names in an announcement of the full cast of the film, which takes place in the world of lucid dreams.

Also on board are Fu'ad Ait Aattou, Joe Sheridan (Hannibal Rising, The Ninth Gate, Dangerous Liaisons) and Philippe Nahon (Brotherhood of the Wolf, War Horse).

Previously announced were Catriona MacColl,...

We recently dropped the news that Lilly-Fleur Pointeaux and Gala Besson were the newest lovely ladies added to the cast of Romain Basset's French horror film Fever (Fievre). Today co-production company Oh My Gore! has announced the rest of the cast.

Joining the also previously announced Catriona MacColl and Emmanuel Bonami, the official cast of Fever includes: Murray Head (actor - Sunday Bloody Sunday, singer - Say it Ain't So, One Night in Bangkok), Vernon Dobtcheff (The Spy Who Loved Me, The Name of the Rose, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), Fu'ad Ait Aattou (The Last Mistress, he's also the lead in the next Alexander Arcady film Ce Que Le Jour Doit A La Nuit), Joe Sheridan (The Ninth Gate, Dangerous Liaisons) and Philippe Nahon (I Stand Alone, The Crimson Rivers, War Horse). Those players bring some pretty impressive resumes to Fever, which takes place in the world of lucid dreams.

Following the announcement of Catriona MacColl, Lilly-Fleur Pointeaux, Gala Besson and Emmanuel Bonami, the official cast of Fever, the first feature film of Romain Basset.

Murray Head (yes, the man who sang "One Night in Bangkok"), Vernon Dobtcheff (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), Fu'ad Ait Aattou (The Last Mistress), Joe Sheridan (The Ninth Gate) and Philippe Nahon (Crimson Rivers) just finished completing the cast of this fantastic movie which takes place in the world of lucid dreams.

Read more...

Happy Birthday to New Zealand rugby star Daniel Carter (above), who turns 30, Murray Head is 66, Eddy Grant is 64, Elaine Paige is 64, Penn Jillette is 57, Matt Lucas is 38, Andy Gibb would've been 54, and Teena Marie would've been 56. Time to name your top five Lady T songs. Here are my picks: 5. "I Need Your Lovin'," 4. "Behind The Groove," 3. "Ooh La La La," 2. "Lovergirl," 1. "Out On A Limb". Oh, and a special Birthday shoutout to Ae Reader Carlos!Neil Patrick Harris will host the opening gala for the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas on Saturday. The show will be taped for PBS, and among the performers will be Cheyenne Jackson and Jennifer Hudson.The faboo Gloria Estefan and the decidely not faboo John Rich will serve as mentors on the upcoming CW singing competition The Star Next Door.In today's Nicolette Vs. Marc Cherry: “I tapped her head,...

Can you feel it coming in the air tonight? Mike Tyson will be back for another "Hangover."

The scene-stealing, '80s pop song-crooning, former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world revealed in a radio interview that he will once again be a completely random part of whatever misadventure the "Hangover" jackasses get themselves into in "The Hangover Part III," according to Cinema Blend.

For the record, Tyson was one of the best things about the original "Hangover," especially when he broke into a rousing rendition of Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" for no particular reason. While he (sort of) played into the actual plot of the original movie, he was reduced to a gratuitous cameo at the end of "The Hangover Part II," where he sang Murray Head's "One Night in Bangkok" at Ted's (Ed Helms) wedding.

We have no idea what the plot of the third "Hangover" will be,...

London — Bob Weston, a British guitarist who played with Fleetwood Mac, has died aged 64.

Police say Weston's body was found in his north London home on Tuesday after neighbors raised the alarm.

Police said Friday that his death was not being treated as suspicious. An autopsy revealed the causes of death as gastric intestinal hemorrhage, cirrhosis of the liver and throat problems.

Weston joined Fleetwood Mac in 1972 as replacement for Danny Kirwan, and played on the band's albums "Penguin" and "Mystery to Me."

But during an American tour the next year, Mick Fleetwood discovered Weston was having an affair with his wife, Jenny Boyd. Weston was fired.

He released several solo albums and played with musicians including Long John Baldry, Murray Head, Sandy Denny and Steve Marriott.

He is survived by a brother.

Remember this summer's Hangover Part II? The Todd Phillips sequel about American pals who indulge in blacked-out Bangkok escapades involving kidnapped Buddhist monks, a chain-smoking monkey, Toyota car chases, kathoey prostitutes, Russian mobsters and Mike Tyson singing an obscure '80s song from Murray Head? Well, now someone is claiming that the critically disappointing blockbuster was based on his own life, and he's suing the filmmakers.

Easter is here, which means it's time for flamboyantly gay hats to courageously come out of the closet, and time to ogle Hollywood's hottest Jesi!

Jesus is one of the most coveted roles in show business, but it's not for the timid. To succeed, you have to make us believe you're willing to die for our sins. Not stub your toe for our sins, not get a nasty paper cut for our sins, but you have to convince us you're willing to get nailed ... so we can do the same.

The actors on the following pages all have that Original Sinnocence™, that combination of piousness and grungy hotness. Take a look at our Calvacade of Christ, and decide which one deserves to be crowned awarded "Sexiest Jesus!"

Jeremy Sisto in Jesus

Jesus was a 1999 four-hour NBC mini-series that featured Jeremy in the title role and Debra Messing as the spunkiest Mary Magdalene in history.

When you have the worst weekend of your life because your best friend’s lame brother-in-law slips you roofies, you might not be inclined to party with him again. But that’s obviously not going to prevent Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Justin Bartha from hanging with Zach Galifianakis in the sequel to the $277 million hit comedy, The Hangover. According to Empire Magazine, production on the follow-up begins later this month, and director Todd Phillips says that his amnesia-afflicted party boys will wisely steer clear of Las Vegas the second time around. But don’t expect a mild golf weekend either.

Now that the 2010 line-up for the Criterion Collection has finally been announced with last week’s December titles, we can begin speculating on what we’ll get in 2011. With over 50 spine numbers in 2010, will we see # 600 in 2011? At the rate that Criterion is churning out these discs, we have to assume so. Where will they get all of these upcoming titles from?

Well, over the past few months we’ve seen several titles from MGM’s catalog announced, and hinted at in their monthly newsletter. Most likely due to MGM’s current financial problems, it’s nice to see Criterion stepping up to rescue these films from the abyss of “out of print”. If you head over to the various forums (CriterionForum.org, Mubi, etc.) you’ll find many people speculating on the MGM titles that Criterion has acquired the rights to. While some are mostly speculation, I have had...

Last week's mention of Aaron Johnson and Sam Taylor-Wood's romantic relationship actually got me thinking about May-December romances in film, in general. Specifically, the disparity between a couple's real-life age, and I sort of wondered just how many May-December romances are barely even mentioned, especially between an older man and younger woman.

Below, I give you the 20 greatest disparities between a romantic couple's real-life age -- or at least, where a mutual sexual relationship is involved (technically, I should exclude Lolita, as legally, an underage girl cannot give true consent. But I didn't). I tried to avoid movies where the romance was too tertiary to matter much, and I also excluded Woody Allen films. Otherwise, we'd be here all night.

1. Harold and Maude (Bud Cort, Ruth Gordon): 52 Years

2. Poison Ivy (Drew Barrymore, Tom Skeritt): 42 Years

3. Entrapment (Sean Connery, Catherine Zeta Jones) 39 Years

4. Lolita (1962) (James Mason, Sue Lyon...

Filed under: Action, Thrillers, New Releases, Lionsgate Films, Theatrical Reviews, Remakes and Sequels

"One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble..."

-Murray Head

Don't ask me what happened to the real Nicolas Cage, because I don't know where he is.

I don't know what happened to the man who left Las Vegas, or the man who made Donald Kaufman into such an endearing figment of imagination, or the man who stole diapers as he stole hearts. All I've seen of late is a face, a name, a profile, a character, the artist formerly known as Nic Cage, an entity on auto-pilot and damn near self-parody that knows what he looks like and sounds like and makes do with that alone.

In Bangkok Dangerous, a remake by the Pang Brothers of their own 1999 thriller, Cage-Or-Something-Like-Him plays an assassin, perhaps the most laconic one this side of Forest Whitaker in...