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Lauren James Mar 6, 2019

Author Lauren James takes a look at the good – and not-so-good – Stem role models in movies and TV.

As a science student, it’s always been difficult to find fictional scientists who feel real. Most of the time, the scientists I see in films are wildly absurd – geniuses in not just their field but in everything, who know how to hack any server, recreate any molecule, identify any liquid, and calculate the angle of impact of any bomb.

If people grow up only ever seeing scientists as being impossibly, unbelievably clever, then they are going to be discouraged from ever studying science themselves. This is especially true for women: who wants to become a scientist when your on-screen counterparts are constantly harassed, seen as bossy or lacking social skills, and are either comically unattractive or so sexy that it makes it unsafe to be in a laboratory environment?...

Alfonso Cuarón is a celebrated auteur whose career has spanned international releases and major Hollywood productions, but no matter what industry he’s working in he doesn’t play by anyone’s rules but his own. Case in point: “Gravity.” As shared by Guillermo del Toro on social media, Cuarón refused to take notes from Warner Bros. about the ending to his 2013 space drama, turning down multiple suggestions in favor of what he knew was the appropriate conclusion.

“Gravity” concludes with Sandra Bullock’s character, Dr. Ryan Stone, returning to Earth and crash landing in a lake. Dr. Ryan sheds her spacesuit and swims to the surface, struggling at first to pick herself up on her feet but ultimately finding the strength to stand tall. Cuarón films the character standing on the shore from the ground up, making Dr. Ryan appear like a conquering giant in order to fully express her resilience and strength.

Bring the heist home, the box office smash hit Ocean’s 8, is out now. To celebrate, we are giving 3 lucky readers the chance to win a copy of the film on Blu-ray.

Five years, eight months, 12 days… and counting. That’s how long Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) – just released from prison – has been concocting the greatest heist of her storied career. She knows what it’s going to take – a team of the best in their field, starting with her former partner-in-crime Lou (Cate Blanchett). Together, they recruit a crew of specialists: jeweller Amita (Mindy Kaling), street con Constance (Awkwafina), expert fence Tammy (Sarah Paulson), hacker Nine Ball (Rihanna) and fashion designer Rose Weil (Helena Bonham Carter). The target is $150 million in diamonds – diamonds that will adorn the neck of world-famous actress Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway), who will be centre stage at the event of the year, the Met Gala.

Friday, May 25th, 1979. A cinema anniversary I celebrate every year with a screening of Ridley Scott’s Alien.

Since my initial revisiting of the movie in 2014 for the 35th anniversary, 20th Century Fox continues the franchise with more prequels including Alien Covenant in 2017 (Trailer), and more to follow in the timeline leading audiences right up to Alien. Prometheus (2012) starred Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron and Idris Elba, was well received by critics and subsequently a box office hit.

The marketing of Covenant invoked spine-tingling chills when the initial posters were released. The tagline from the 1979 film, “In space no one can hear you scream” is still foreboding, but “Run” and Hide” with images of the Xenomorph and Egg were terrifying and a warning of whats to come.

Fans have seen the birth of Alien Day, celebrated on April 26 and a new Aliens story with the recent comic book series “Aliens: Dust to Dust.

This article marks Part 18 of the 21-part Gold Derby series analyzing Meryl Streep at the Oscars. Join us as we look back at Meryl Streep’s nominations, the performances that competed with her at the Academy Awards, the results of each race and the overall rankings of the contenders.

In 2006, Meryl Streep and director David Frankel scored box office gold – the greatest financial success of Streep’s career at that point – with “The Devil Wears Prada.” Given her affection for working alongside filmmakers on several occasions, it was a sure thing the paths of Streep and Frankel would cross again.

They reunited six years later with “Hope Springs” (2012), a genial, breezy comedy-drama that at last paired Streep with Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones. While hardly a smash hit, the picture, which found both stars in fine form, was warmly received by critics and audiences alike. No Oscar nominations, however.

That...