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Tom Cruise has appeared in several science fiction films over his career, and one of his more overlooked efforts, Oblivion, is now a streaming hit on Prime Video. Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) directed Oblivion, and it follows a maintenance technician named Jack (Cruise) who is about to complete his mission on a desolate Earth, 60 years after an alien war. However, when he finds a woman named Julia (Olga Kurylenko) who survived a spaceship crash, and learns she has been in stasis since the war began, he sets out to discover the truth about the war.

While Tom Cruise is one of the main draws of Oblivion, there are plenty of great cast members joining him, including Kurylenko, Morgan Freeman as Malcolm, a leader of the resistance on Earth, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Melissa Leo, and Zoë Bell. It is a smart sci-fi drama involving plenty of twists and turns that work...

Who is the moat badass actor according to Quentin Tarantino? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Quentin Tarantino, the guy known for turning everyday actors into pop-culture icons went old-school with his pick, and the answer was peak Tarantino.

During a candid sit-down on the El Rey Network, Tarantino answered a question from fellow filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. The Oscar-winning Pulp Fiction mastermind had plenty of choices, but his response was instant:

“There’s a lot of guys you can say, but I have to say right now, I’m, in particular, the last few years, I’ve been on a real Lee Van Cleef kick,” he said. “I mean, I really wish I could have worked with Lee Van Cleef in that ’69, ’70 time period. I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed this, but Lee Van Cleef is a dead ringer for Snoop Dogg. They look exactly alike. Like as if...

One of the most influential box office failures of the 21st century, Grindhouse spawned several spin-off movies in addition to reintroducing a vintage aesthetic that has been mimicked by countless other throwback movies in its wake.

Now the 2007 love letter to exploitation cinema has received a new collection of apparel form Gutter Garbs.

Sam Coyne created appropriately retro-style designs for both Robert Rodriguez‘s Planet Terror and Quentin Tarantino‘s Death Proof.

The line also includes three other designs: Dr. Dakota Block from Planet Terror, the Death Proof key art, and Stuntman Mike’s emblem from Death Proof.

T-shirts start at $32 with Comfort Colors tees for $34. A “Double Feature” 24×18 poster featuring a mash-up of Coyne’s designs is also avaialble for $40.

Pre-orders are open through Thursday, March 13, and will ship the week of March 30.

Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Michael Biehn, Jeff Fahey, Josh Brolin, and Marley Shelton star in Planet Terror.

The Sisters Brothers featuring Jake Gyllenhaal – Picture: Annapurna Pictures

The second month of 2025 is beginning to wind down, and as always, when we enter a new month that means we’re about to see some rotation of Netflix’s movie library. Over 30 movies are leaving as we enter March 2025, but which ones should you be watching before they leave? Here are our nine picks.

Want to see the complete list of what’s leaving Netflix throughout March 2025? We’ve got you covered with the most comprehensive departures list on the net!

Note: This list covers removals planned for Netflix in the United States – other regions’ departures may and often will vary dramatically.

Leaving Mar 1The Sisters Brothers (2018) Genre: Drama, WesternRating: RRelease Date: November 15, 2024Director: Jacques AudiardCast: John C. Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix, Jake GyllenhaalLanguage: EnglishRuntime: 122 minWatch on Netflix

Are Westerns back? They are at least on Netflix with the success of...

A little late, but they're still free! Check out the horror titles streaming for free on Vizio WatchFree+ this month!

February Horror Titles On Vizio Watchfree+

I'm a little (lot) late on getting this out, but don't worry, these are still free to watch! Let's check out the horror that's on Vizio WatchFree+.

What’s that strange bump in the night? It’s the best in chilling titles delivered right to your front door for Free thanks to your friends from Vizio WatchFree+!

WatchFree+ has thousands of free premium movies and shows that can be streamed on demand on Vizio TVs, or Anyone can enjoy titles like these and more using the Vizio mobile app! All you need is a free Vizio Account to start enjoying WatchFree+.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Johnny Blaze, tortured by the Ghost Rider's curse, gets a chance of redemption through protecting the Devil's son,...

Butterfly Blues.

After closing out December with a look at Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3 (listen) and Sophia Takal’s Into the Dark entry “New Year, New You” (listen), we’re kicking off 2025 with a bang by concluding the Grindhouse double feature that we started last summer with Planet Terror (listen) and finally making our way to Quentin Tarantino‘s Death Proof (2007)!

In Death Proof, two separate groups of women are stalked by a vicious serial killer named Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), who uses his “death proof” car to execute his murderous plans.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 316: Death Proof (2007)

Grab your belts and hop on the roof of that car because we’re discussing our very first Quentin Tarantino film in 2007’s pseudo-slasher/exploitation film Death Proof.

Severin Launches New Seasonal Ghost Story Series On Shudder This December: "From boutique label Severin Films and renowned author, producer and filmmaker Kier-La Janisse comes new annual series The Haunted Season.

Created by Janisse and executive produced by Severin Films, new episodes of The Haunted Season will arrive on Shudder each December with chilling short form horror tales in the tradition of telling ghost stories for Christmas. Future episodes will be announced each year as the holiday season approaches.

The first of these original commissioned productions comes from director Sean Hogan, called To Fire You Come at Last.

In 17th century England, near a rural village where unquiet spirits gather, a grieving Squire hires three local men to help carry his son’s coffin to a graveyard across the countryside. But as darkness descends upon their journey, disturbing secrets will be revealed. Violence will rise to the surface. And as...

There's something sort of mythical about the state of Texas. It's one of the biggest states in the United States, both in terms of its geographical size and population, but it has an equally big reputation. Movies set in the state tend to be just as big, whether they're the laid-back ensemble comedies of Richard Linklater or one of the many gritty Westerns to which Texas has played host. But which among them is the best film set in Texas? Figuring that out is a pretty gargantuan task given the sheer number of truly great movies set in Texas, but I gave it my honest best. 

That being said, David Byrne's wacky musical comedy "True Stories," Ivan Reitman's farcical "Twins," Brian Robbins's soapy football drama "Varsity Blues," James L. Brooks's family tragicomedy "Terms of Endearment," and David Mackenzie's hard-boiled neo-western "Hell or High Water" all make the honorable mentions list.

On September 21, 2024, two women went blow-for-blow under the blazing lights of a boxing gym in Austin, Texas. Jabs. Hooks. Uppercuts. A handwritten sign that read “Death to Mainstream Cinema.” These are the Fantastic Fest Debates.

Ahbra Perry and Annick Mahnert are programmers for Alamo Drafthouse’s infamous genre film festival. For its 19th edition, they also participated as fighters in a controversial boxing ritual that has existed almost as long as the festival itself. Competitors select a subject for debate, and after three rounds of verbal back-and-forth, they put on gloves and duke it out — physically.

Over the years, big names like Michelle Rodriguez, Elijah Wood, Keanu Reeves, and Zoë Bell have participated in the theater chain’s gonzo exhibition. The celebration of disagreement lets actors, directors, critics, Fantastic Fest organizers, and more fans put their fists where their film opinions are. As America’s largest genre festival enters its second decade,...

Production is now underway on writer/director Ted Evans’ debut thriller “Retreat,” starring Anne Zander, James Boyle and Sophie Stone, with Ace Mahbaz and Anna Seymore rounding out the cast.

The film, featuring an all-deaf principal cast (Evans is also deaf), is set in an isolated deaf community, where cracks begin to appear in Matt’s (Boyle) seemingly idyllic world when the arrival of enigmatic outsider Eva (Zander) forces him to question the realities of his identity. Is Matt prepared to discover what lies beneath the surface of his supposedly utopian community and the costs demanded to maintain it?

XYZ Films is handling worldwide sales on “Retreat” as a part of their New Visions slate of films, an initiative designed to spotlight the boldest new voices alongside established talent striking a new path in the international space. It will be introducing the film to buyers at the upcoming American Film Market.

Variety is reporting that The Ritual — a new horror film starring Al Pacino and Dan Stevens — has been sold to numerous outlets in the international market by XYZ Films. Both Pacino and Stevens will be portraying priests in the exorcism movie, while Ashley Greene and Abigail Cowen join them in the cast. David Midell is helming the film. Midell directs from a script written by himself and is co-written by Enrico Natale. The film is produced by Andrew Stevens, Mitchell Welch and Natale. The Ritual plans for release sometime in 2025.

The plot synopsis, according to Variety, says the movie is based on a true story and “follows two priests — one questioning his faith (Stevens) and one reckoning with a troubled past (Pacino) — who must put aside their differences to save a possessed young woman through a difficult and dangerous series of exorcisms. The film is an authentic portrayal of Emma Schmidt,...

“The Ritual,” the upcoming exorcism horror in which Al Pacino and Dan Stevens play troubled priests, has sold out for most international territories by XYZ Films.

From director David Midell, the film was written by Midell and Enrico Natale, and produced by Andrew Stevens, Mitchell Welch and Natale. Ashley Greene and Abigail Cowen round out the cast.

XYZ, which has been quietly growing its own releasing arm on top of its sales operations, is planning a U.S. theatrical release in 2025.

Based on a true story, “The Ritual” follows two priests — one questioning his faith (Stevens) and one reckoning with a troubled past (Pacino) — who must put aside their differences to save a possessed young woman through a difficult and dangerous series of exorcisms. The film is an authentic portrayal of Emma Schmidt, an American woman whose demonic possession culminated in harrowing exorcisms. Her case remains the most thoroughly documented exorcism in American history.

Japanese director Tanigaki Kenji has completed production in Bangkok, Thailand, on his upcoming film “The Furious,” intended as an elite-level Asian martial arts actioner.

Written by Mak Tin Shu, the film follows a simple tradesman (portrayed by mainland Chinese star Xie Miao) who fights his way through a complex web of criminals and evil agents in a frantic attempt to win back his kidnapped daughter by any means necessary.

(For full Bangkok set report see here.)

Produced by the region’s top producer Bill Kong, Frank Hui and Shan Tam, the film features a pan-Asian cast that also includes Indonesian’s Joe Taslim, Thai star Jeeja Yanin (“Chocolate”), Yang Enyu, Brian Le, Joey Iwanaga and Yayan Ruhian.

Michael J. Werner, former principal at Fortissimo Films, joins Todd Brown and Aram Tertzakian of XYZ Films as an executive producer.

Kong’s Edko Films is financing the movie and will distribute in Hong Kong,...

“Fuck that shit! Let’s kill this bastard.”

Slashers are a staple of the horror genre. When we think about this lovably formulaic narrative trope we imagine masked killers, sharp knives, and final girls who find empowerment by picking up the killer’s weapon and refuse to play a part in someone else’s story. What we don’t often think about is cars. Typical slasher villains are more likely to be seen hiding in bushes or lurking on the edges of a placid lake than behind the wheel of a tricked out stunt car. But not in Quentin Tarantino’s world. The unique director takes his own crack at the slasher with Death Proof, a thrilling action/horror blend with intoxicating hangout vibes and a group of ferocious female friends.

Julia (Sydney Tamiia Poitier) is excited for a night out on the town in sweaty Austin, Texas when a...

One door closes, another opens. Just the other day, we heard that filmmaker Mike Flanagan was done with something: he doesn’t want to send any more bleak, hopeless endings into the world. And now, we hear that he has started something: a podcast called Directors Commentary, which is part of the newly launched SpectreVision Radio network. SpectreVision Radio is the podcast branch of the SpectreVision production company, headed up by Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, and Lawrence Ingle. The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that SpectreVision Radio is set to be a home for podcasts focused on film, music and the arts, in addition to esoteric subjects including the paranormal and surprising history.

Podcasts on the network will include The Spiel, which is hosted by Scott Wampler and Eric Vespe (they recorded 12 episodes before Wampler passed away unexpectedly earlier this year); Visitations, from SpectreVision co-founders Wood and Noah; and shows...

For cinephiles who came of moviegoing age during the 1970s and/or '80s, there is a shortlist of movie stars that, if you were talented and fortunate enough to become a filmmaker of some renown, you'd give anything to direct. And if you grew up with a hankering for horror and science-fiction flicks, the name Kurt Russell was probably at or near the top of that list.

Russell wasn't always one of the cool kids. In fact, he was a literally uncool kid for Disney as the teenage star of family comedies like "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes." Indeed, no one viewed Russell as a grown-up actor until he impressed in the title role of Carpenter's 1979 TV movie "Elvis." This did the trick. Two years later, Russell slipped under the scaly skin of laconic scoundrel Snake Plissken in Carpenter's dystopian actioner "Escape from New York." Then he went the...

Jeannie Epper, who was a stunt double for Lynda Carter in the original “Wonder Woman” TV series and performed stunts in many movies and TV shows, died Sunday evening at her home in Simi Valley, Calif. She was 83.

Born in 1941, Epper went on to perform stunts on over 150 feature films like “Catch Me If You Can,” “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,” “The Princess Diaries,” “Kill Bill: Vol. 2,” “Flight” and many more.

She was featured in Amanda Micheli’s 2004 documentary film about stuntwomen, “Double Dare.” The movie followed Epper and fellow stuntwoman Zoë Bell over several years of their stunt work.

Epper was a founding member of the Stuntwomen’s Association of Motion Pictures in 1968, became president of the association of 1999 and remained an honorary member. She also received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 from the Taurus World Stunt Awards and was the first woman to be selected for the honor.

‘Shazam’ actor, Zachary Levi, has been cast in the rock climbing action thriller ‘Free Fall’.

The project tells the story of a father’s attempt to reconcile with his estranged daughter on a rock-climbing trip that turns deadly as an accident leaves them stranded hundreds of feet in the air.

Zoë Bell, a renowned stuntwoman and stunt coordinator, is all set to take up the directorial duties for the upcoming film project. The movie has been penned by Sean Finegan and Gregg Maxwell Parker. The project is expected to be a thrilling and action-packed adventure that will keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

Also in news – Keanu Reeves set for ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ 3 as the voice of Shadow

Tom Hern and Nua Finau of Tavake are producing, with Navid McIlhargey and Erik Olsen executive producing alongside Finegan, Parker and Levi.

Production is set to start later this year in New Zealand.

With his time playing the superhero Shazam seemingly in the rearview mirror, actor Zachary Levi has set his sights on new projects. This includes the rock-climbing action thriller Free Fall, which he will headline for XYZ Films.

According to Variety, Free Fall "tells the story of a father's attempt to reconcile with his estranged daughter on a rock-climbing trip that turns deadly as an accident leaves them stranded hundreds of feet in the air." The screenplay was written by Sean Finegan and Gregg Maxwell Parker. Production will begin later this year in New Zealand with stunt coordinator Zöe Bell directing, Tom Hern and Nua Finau of Tavake producing, and Navid McIlhargey and Erik Olsen executive producing alongside Finegan, Parker, and Levi.

Related Zachary Levi Brings Drawings to Life in Harold and the Purple Crayon Trailer Zachary Levi's new film, Harold and the Purple Crayon, has debuted its first trailer.

Free Fall...

After appearing in what seems to be his final DC movie in 2023's Shazam: Fury of the Gods, Zachary Levi has signed on for another project. A new report from Variety revealed that Levi will play the lead role in Free Fall, a rock-climbing action thriller. Distinguished stuntwoman and coordinator Zoë Bell, who previously worked with Quentin Tarantino on Django Unchained, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Inglourious Basterds, and more will make her directorial debut. Bell has also worked with Marvel on Taika Waititi's Thor movies and Iron Man 3.

A stuntwoman, stunt coordinator and actor, Zoë Bell (Kill Bill, Death Proof) is on board to direct the upcoming action-survival thriller Free Fall, Variety has reported this morning.

Zachary Levi (Shazam) will star in the upcoming film. From XYZ Films, Free Fall “tells the story of a father’s attempt to reconcile with his estranged daughter on a rock-climbing trip that turns deadly as an accident leaves them stranded hundreds of feet in the air.”

Sean Finegan and Gregg Maxwell Parker wrote the screenplay.

“This script is the perfect combo of heartfelt and heart-stopping,” Zoë Bell said in a statement shared by Variety. “Between the producing team, the cast and the New Zealand crews, words don’t do justice to how thrilled I am to be bringing this film home.”

Producers Tom Hern and Nua Finau said, “We are stoked to be teaming up with the guys at XYZ again...

“Shazam” star Zachary Levi is set to headline rock-climbing action thriller “Free Fall” for XYZ Films, with acclaimed New Zealand stuntwoman and stunt coordinator Zoë Bell tapped to direct.

The film — written by Sean Finegan and Gregg Maxwell Parker — tells the story of a father’s attempt to reconcile with his estranged daughter on a rock-climbing trip that turns deadly as an accident leaves them stranded hundreds of feet in the air. Production is set to start later this year in New Zealand. Tom Hern and Nua Finau of Tavake are producing, with Navid McIlhargey and Erik Olsen executive producing alongside Finegan, Parker and Levi.

Bell began her career as a stunt performer on “Xena: Warrior Princess” and then alongside Quentin Tarantino as a stunt woman and coordinator over a decades-long relationship. She has worked on films such as “The Hateful Eight,” “Django Unchained,” “Kill Bill,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,...

Critics of Quentin Tarantino say his work is derivative of many other popular films, yet this isn't the insult it may seem to be. The director is a fan of exploitation cinema and often includes nods and Easter eggs that pay homage to the obscure films that inspired him to pick up a camera in the first place. The films of Quentin Tarantino may be less about ripping off what came before and more about fresh and unique homages.

Tarantino movies are modern interpretations of the gritty low-budget crime and action films of the late 1960s and early 1970s, known affectionately as Grindhouse cinema. If Tarantino did a shot-for-shot remake of Gone With the Wind and claimed it as his own, then the accusations of unoriginality would stick, but throwing some cool ideas from Kung-Fu movies into his scripts is nothing but a fan paying tribute to his influences.

Vanishing...

Patrick Wilson's many appearances in James Wan films have made the duo one of the most formidable pairings of The Conjuring Universe.

Cinephiles likely have their own exhaustive lists of favorite Hollywood pairings. These can involve inseparable co-stars like Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, or Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Movie history also lists a long line of directors who prefer working with certain actors, like Quentin Tarantino with Zoë Bell, Martin Scorsese with Robert De Niro, or James Wan with Patrick Wilson. That last pairing is unmistakable to fans of The Conjuring Universe, and in a /Film interview, Wan admits he does enjoy working with Wilson on movie projects.

Related James Wan Calls Aquaman 2 a 'Bromance Action Adventure' James Wan says Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will focus on the relationship between Arthur Curry and his brother and former enemy, Orm.

Wan's...

Action cinema was traditionally male-driven, but pioneering female stars like Pam Grier and Sigourney Weaver proved that women could sell and excel in the genre. Angelina Jolie was Hollywood's go-to female action star, starring in iconic action movies like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Other badass female action stars include Cynthia Rothrock, Halle Berry, Lucy Liu, Linda Hamilton, and Michelle Yeoh, who have all made their mark in the action genre.

From Angelina Jolie to Lucy Liu to Sarah Connor herself, Linda Hamilton, the action movie genre is full of badass female action stars who proved that action movies aren’t just for men. For decades, action cinema was a typically male-driven genre, because the big Hollywood studios didn’t believe they could sell an action film to a wide audience with a woman in the lead role. But in the 1970s, pioneering female action stars...

Grindhouse is one of the most influential box office failures of the 21st century. Despite grossing a paltry $25.4 million at the box office on a budget of around $60 million, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s 2007 love letter to exploitation cinema has managed to spawn four spin-off movies — Machete, Machete Kills, Hobo with a Shotgun, and now Thanksgiving— in addition to reintroducing a vintage aesthetic that has been mimicked by countless other throwback movies.

Rodriguez’s Planet Terror and Tarantino’s Death Proof each have their merits — the former plays like a satirical pastiche of nonstop action, while the latter is more indicative of genuine exploitation fare — but Grindhouse is more than just a double feature. It’s an experience, complete with faux aging to recreate the look of beat-up film prints along with vintage interstitials and retro-inspired trailers for nonexistent movies.

Planet Terror is the first part of the double bill,...

Film currently in post. Well Go USA to distribute in US.

In the run-up to AFM Red Sea Media has come on board to handle international sales on the samurai action thriller Lone led by Japanese rising star Shogen from Brillante Ma Mendoza’s Busan selection Gensan Punch.

Josh Waller (Raze), a co-founder of Spectrevision with Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah, directed from his screenplay about a Japanese samurai and assassin who loses his family and finds himself stranded on an island where he gets kidnapped by a tribe of cannibals.

The warrior soon escapes and enacts revenge on his captors and their leader.

Quentin Tarantino thinks a lot about filmographies. It began in his youth when he realized he could compare and contrast the efforts of a director like Howard Hawks—tracing his rise in crime pictures, a la Scarface (1932), on through everything from screwball comedy classics to efforts that helped define what film noir was. Tarantino has likewise carefully, and very self-consciously, curated his filmography as it led the way in defining the indie revolution of the ‘90s, and then went on its own genre detours in the 2000.

This is one of the main reasons he’s insisted he will only direct 10 films, thereby bequeathing to posterity a concise and tidily self-aware legacy (although this only works if you count the sprawling two volumes of Kill Bill as a single film). Unfortunately, this also means his time behind the camera is almost up, with nine pictures to his name and 10th and final film,...

Quentin Tarantino's movies are known for their high amounts of violence and blood. Deaths of characters are expected and some are quite epic. Unlike other directors, Tarantino isn't scared of killing main characters and comes up with creative ways to kill them. Some deaths in Tarantino's movies are too shocking and disturbing, while others fall into the category of "epic" for different reasons.

Quentin Tarantino’s movies are known for their high amounts of violence and blood, so the deaths of various characters are expected to happen – but there are some that were quite epic, either because of how the characters were killed, the context, or a surprise factor in their deaths. Throughout his career as a filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino has explored different genres, but he always finds a way to add a dose of violence to them, and the amount of it will depend on the story he’s telling.

In 2023, Star Wars fans will be treated to the release of another spinoff in a galaxy far, far away. Ahsoka, the newest series in the world of Star Wars, stars Rosario Dawson as the titular former Jedi and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the Twi'lek New Republic general Hera Syndula. But what may come as a surprise to some is that Ahsoka is not the first time the two actors have worked together. And what may come as even more of a surprise is that the two of them starred in an action thriller flick written and directed by the infamous Quentin Tarantino.

Back in 2007, Tarantino partnered with fellow director Robert Rodriguez to create the Grindhouse-inspired double feature titled, well, Grindhouse. The two films featured were Planet Terror and Death Proof, the latter of which the two actors starred in. And while some might prefer the ridiculousness of the horror comedy Planet Terror,...

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood reunited Quentin Tarantino with some of his frequent collaborators, among them Kurt Russell, who was key in the making of the movie. After exploring an alternate version of historical events in Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino decided to explore another “what if?” scenario in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Set in 1960s Los Angeles, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood introduced the audience to actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his best friend and stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), who struggled to remain relevant as Hollywood’s golden age came to an end.

While Rick and Cliff did their best to find jobs and maintain their reputation, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood also took a look at Sharon Tate’s (Margot Robbie) life, following her around Hollywood alongside her best friend, Jay Sebring (Emile Hirsch). Once Upon a Time in Hollywood offered...

Clockwise from upper left: The French Connection (20th Century Fox), The Matrix Reloaded (Warner Bros.), Death Proof (Dimension Films), Thelma & Louise (MGM) Graphic: AVClub With the Fast & Furious franchise taking its latest lap—Fast X arrives in theaters Friday—we’re reminded just how much we love a great car chase.

Clockwise from upper left: The French Connection (20th Century Fox), The Matrix Reloaded (Warner Bros.), Death Proof (Dimension Films), Thelma & Louise (MGM)Graphic: AVClub

With the Fast & Furious franchise taking its latest lap—Fast X arrives in theaters Friday—we’re reminded just how much we love a great car chase.

Quentin Tarantino is one of the most respected (and controversial) filmmakers of his generation, and he has a very specific narrative and visual style that has earned the praise of critics and viewers for years, and he has Tarantino film techniques that he uses in every one of his movies. Quentin Tarantino’s career as a filmmaker began in 1992 with the crime movie Reservoir Dogs, which went on to become a classic of independent cinema, but his big break arrived two years later with Pulp Fiction, which is still widely regarded as his best movie.

Since then, Tarantino has explored a variety of genres in his movies – from martial arts with both Kill Bill movies to slasher with Death Proof and even alternate versions of historical events with Inglourious Basterds and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Although Tarantino hasn’t limited himself to one genre, every one of his...

Whatever you may think of his filmography, the one thing you can't take away from Quentin Tarantino is his impeccable ability to put a cast together. Chances are that if you join one of his productions, you'll likely show up again somewhere down the line, if not in the very next film. Zoë Bell, Michael Madsen, and Samuel L. Jackson are only a few of the many recurring actors who continue to make appearances across his body of work, with one of my favorites being Kurt Russell.

The "Escape from New York" star marked his first (and best) Tarantino venture with 2007's "Death Proof," where he played the sinister Stuntman Mike. His performance is such a blast, as it plays to his strengths as a charismatic actor. Mike is a calm and collected serial killer who uses a reinforced metal weapon to murder unassuming women on the road — that is,...

When Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez teamed up for the hybrid horror crime film "From Dusk Till Dawn," audiences knew to expect a sleazy drive-in movie that was going to be filled to the brim with sight gags, bloodstained carnage, and whip-smart dialogue. The vampire action comedy featured television star George Clooney in his first major role after breaking hearts as Dr. Ross on NBC's smash-hit hospital drama "ER." Seeing Clooney playing against type as a maniacal bad boy must have appealed to the mainstream, and the cinematic clout earned from the new indie classics "Pulp Fiction" and "Desperado" translated into an unlikely hit when "Dawn" staked its way into theaters in January of 1996. 

With that success under their belts, Tarantino and Rodriguez had every right to think that the regular moviegoing public knew what a grindhouse theater was, and that they were familiar with 1970s exploitation films. "From Dusk Till Dawn...

MotorTrend Group, a Warner Bros. Discovery company, has given a greenlight to “Super Turbo Story Time,” an all-new adult animated series telling larger than life, untold and (mostly) true stories from the automative world, it announced Thursday.

The eight-episode series, the first adult animated title in the history of MotorTrend, will be produced with legendary American animation studio Titmouse and by MotorTrend Studio.

“Super Turbo Story Time” will debut first quarter of 2023 on MotorTrend Plus, the top motoring SVOD service.

Every episode has two hosts who meet to trade their favorite car stories. “While one host shares their most unbelievable automotive legend, the other host listens carefully, ready to flag any holes in the story or simply crack jokes from the peanut gallery,” MotorTrend said in a press statement. It described the series animation as “energetic” and “stylized,” blended with active interviews with top celebrities and automotive authorities.

Featured hosts include Rob Corddry,...

Even the worst circumstances can inspire great art — or so Hollywood has spent the past year trying to prove with various filmed-in or inspired-by the pandemic. For better or worse, we'll be enduring stories about people trapped in isolation for many years to come, but on the brighter side, we also get to spend more time with the creativity that was born during quarantine. Sans a couple of "Imagine"-esque stinkers, being trapped inside worked wonders on some folks' imagination, including the likes of Zoë Bell, the stuntwoman and actress known for three decades of work. While the rest...

The post Zoe Bell Will Direct An Action Comedy Based On Her Viral Boss B**** Fight Challenge appeared first on /Film.

As you may recall, Death Proof actress/stuntwoman Zoë Bell had put together a really fun YouTube video titled Boss Bitch Fight Challenge back in the early days of the pandemic, a clever video that brought together some of the most badass women in Hollywood for an epic fight, edited in such a way that it […]

The post ‘Death Proof’ Star Zoë Bell Directing ‘Boss Bitch Fight Challenge’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Exclusive: Lionsgate has picked up an action comedy pitch from writers Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith and Mamrie Hart for Zoë Bell to direct, inspired by the stuntwoman’s viral short film Boss Bitch Fight Challenge.

The new project will be produced by Rob Tapert and Romel Adam alongside Rock Shaink and Dash Aiken for Romark Entertainment. Smith and Hart will also executive produce. In the short, Bell is home and bored during the pandemic lockdown, and picks a fight with her Boss Bitch friends. Glorious mayhem ensues.

Meredith Wieck and Scott O’Brien will oversee the project for Lionsgate. The deal was negotiated on behalf of the studio by Bonnie Stylides.

Bell began her filmmaking career with producer Tapert on the cult TV classic Xena: Warrior Princess. She then continued on to forge a decades-long collaboration with two-time Oscar winning filmmaker Quentin Tarantino as a stuntwoman and actress in films such as Kill Bill and Death Proof,...

While writer and director Quentin Tarantino thinks it's his greatest failure of a film, "Death Proof" is a thrilling homage to car chases, stunt people, and all the folks who make movies happen. Tarantino even cast "Kill Bill" stuntwoman Zoë Bell as a version of herself in her first major speaking role. It was a huge risk that paid off in spades because the film's most thrilling sequence, a lengthy car chase where Bell rides on the hood of a 1971 Dodge Challenger, is about as real as a car chase can get. Bell spends most of the chase on the hood of the car with only a...

The post How Death Proof Pulled Off Its Dangerous Car Stunts appeared first on /Film.

TV’s erstwhile Xena, Warrior Princess reunites with her Gabrielle in these first photos from Renee O’Connor’s guest-starring role on Lucy Lawless’ Aussie crime drama.

During Season 2 of My Life Is Murder, which makes its Stateside premiere on Monday, Aug. 30 on Acorn TV, Lawless’ Alexa investigates the death of a self-help guru and finds herself in a cat-and-mouse game with the victim’s mysterious wife, who is played by O’Connor. (Season 2 will begin with two episodes, and release weekly following that; O’Connor appears in the season finale.)

More from TVLineLucy Lawless, Daniela Ruah, Many Others Trade...

Exclusive: Thunder Road president of production Erica Lee has been promoted to partner at the company.

During her 16-year tenure at Thunder Road, Lee has produced some of the company’s most successful films including all three installments of the $584.7 million worldwide-grossing John Wick franchise; Taylor Sheridan’s acclaimed Wind River; the three-time Oscar-nominated Sicario, directed by Denis Villeneuve; and the Stefano Sollima-directed sequel Sicario: Day of the Soldado.

On June 28, principal photography started on the fourth installment of John Wick in Berlin. Lee also serves as EP on The Continental, the John Wick prequel series for Lionsgate Television.

Said Thunder Road chairman Iwanyk, “It’s been a true joy to watch Erica evolve from being an assistant that was telling me what I was doing wrong, to now my partner who tells me what I’m doing wrong. Thunder Road wouldn’t be half the company it is today without her taste,...

[Editor’s note: Spoilers follow for the plot of Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” novel.]

One of the biggest mysteries of Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is whether Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth murdered his wife, Billie. Rumors about his wife’s mysterious demise swirl around the stuntman, with Mike Moh’s Bruce Lee showing recognition when a crew member says Booth “killed his wife and got away with it.” But it’s only in Tarantino’s “Hollywood” novel, out now, which the director has described as a “complete rethinking of the movie,” that we get a definitive answer about what happened.

Cliff’s culpability for the crime has been hotly debated since the film was released in July 2019. Brad Pitt himself said he knew the definitive answer — that Tarantino had told him — and certainly characters in the world of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” believe Cliff is guilty. Husband...

There are many hallmarks of Quentin Tarantino’s filmmaking style, from lengthy dialogue scenes discussing mundane subjects like the metric system to graphic violent scenes with cartoonish amounts of blood. The director is also known to draw his castings from the same company of actors, as well as bringing in some fresh faces for each project. Sometimes, the director’s regular collaborators, or big stars who couldn’t commit to a major role, will play a minor part in one of his movies.

Related: Quentin Tarantino's 5 Most Lovable Characters (& 5 That Fans Love To Hate)

Cameo appearances by high-profile performers — either high-profile in their meta relation to the rest of Tarantino’s filmography, like Zoë Bell, or high-profile in the more traditional sense, like Channing Tatum — are almost as common as gruesome gunshot wounds in Tarantino’s movies.

It's been 20 years since New Zealand’s Zoë Bell arrived in Los Angeles, California, trying to take her stunt double career to another level. Originally from Waiheke Island in New Zealand, Bell enjoyed physical activity from a very young age, including heights and speed. According to her mother, a trampoline she received when she was two years old was instrumental in discovering her passion. Eventually, during a sabbatical after high school, Bell turned her attention to stunts, heroic and necessary work, but dangerous and unappreciated as well. The series Xena: Warrior Princess, which ran from 1995 to 2001, is the most important production Bell worked on in New Zealand: she was the stunt double for lead actress Lucy Lawless from 1998 to 2001. As can...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

If you're feeling punchy from being masked, shutdown and locked-out, take a look at Margot Robbie and a gaggle of actresses appearing in the 'ensemble' action film "Boss Bitch Fight Challenge", produced by stunt performer Zoë Bell ("Kill Bill") also featuring Halle Berry, Florence Pugh, Drew Barrymore, Zoe Saldana, Cameron Diaz, Scarlett Johansson and a whole lot more:

Actresses appearing include Bell, Lucy Lawless, Tara Macken, Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, Tamiko Brownlee, Rosario Dawson, Amy Johnson, Diaz, Kim Murphy, Daniela Ruah, Michaela McAllister, Kaitlin Olson, Lauren Mary Kim, Pugh, Julia Butters, Angela Meryl, Sarah Irwin, Daryl Hannah, Sophia Di Martino, Tracie Thoms, Shauna Duggins, Saldana, Ming Qiu, Renee Goldsberry, Rosie Perez, Lilly Aspell, Thandie Newton, Mel Stubbs, Jessie Graff, Monique Ganderton, Berry, Heidi Moneymaker, Johansson, Dayna Grant, Robbie, Renae Moneymaker and KT Tunstall.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek the "Boss Bitch Fight Challenge"...

Haymaker will in Theaters, On Demand and Digital January 29th. Here’s the trailer:

Haymaker stars Nomi Ruiz, Nick Sasso, John Ventimiglia, Veronica Falcón, Udo Kier, Zoë Bell, and D.B. Sweeney

Haymaker follows a retired Muay Thai fighter (Sasso) working as a bouncer, who rescues an alluring transgender performer (Ruiz) from a nefarious thug, eventually becoming her bodyguard, protector, and confidant. The relationship leads Sasso’s character to make an unexpected return to fighting, risking not only his relationship, but his life. Haymaker tells a story about human dignity and love.

Haymaker is Directed and Written By Nick Sasso

The post Check Out the New Trailer For Haymaker starring Nomi Ruiz and Nick Sasso appeared first on We Are Movie Geeks.

"You owe me big time." Kamikaze Dogfight has unveiled an official trailer for an indie action thriller titled Haymaker, marking the feature directorial debut of Nick Sasso - who also wrote and stars in the film. This hasn't premiered anywhere yet, dropping on VOD next month. Haymaker follows a retired Muay Thai fighter now working as a bouncer, who rescues an alluring transgender performer from a nefarious thug, eventually becoming her bodyguard, protector, and confidant. The relationship leads Sasso’s character to make an unexpected return to fighting, risking not only his relationship but his life. Sasso stars with Nomi Ruiz as Nomi, along with Zoë Bell, Udo Kier, D.B. Sweeney, Veronica Falcón, John Ventimiglia, and Kathryn Kates. This actually looks pretty slick; or at least the trailer is compelling with a killer score. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Nick Sasso's Haymaker, direct from Kd's YouTube: Haymaker...

A retired Muay Thai fighter-turned-bodyguard falls for the mysterious singer he’s protecting in the first trailer for the upcoming film Haymaker.

Written, directed and starring first-time director Nick Sasso, the film, set for release in theatres and on demand January 29th, stars Jessica 6 singer Nomi Ruiz alongside John Ventimiglia, Udo Kier, D.B. Sweeney and Zoë Bell (Death Proof). Blending an alluring love story with gripping, up-close fight scenes, the feature draws from its creators’ real-life pasts, with Sasso a Muay Thai student and Ruiz playing a popular singer.

The...