News

David Lynch is gone, and I'm not handling it well. Lynch was the very definition of a singular artist — there will never be anyone else like him. For over 50 years, Lynch was a filmmaker who almost never compromised, making unique, challenging, mind-blowing art on his own terms. We were immensely lucky to have him, and we are worse off without him. Perhaps we all should've known this was coming — death eventually comes for us all, and last year, word broke that Lynch's health had deteriorated due to emphysema (a fact Lynch confirmed on Twitter/X). And yet, a world without David Lynch feels almost cosmically wrong. I'm sure I wasn't alone in thinking that despite poor health, Lynch would somehow keep on going, and somehow make another movie or TV show again. Just one more.

In addition to his unique directing career, Lynch would sometimes act. Not only did appear...

The start of the new year means it’s time to get ready for Oscar voting. Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences have less than a week to catch up on 2024’s best movies before voting for the 2025 Oscars officially begins. How does Oscar voting work? Ahead, everything to know about the Academy’s rules and regulations on picking Oscar nominees and winners.

What are the Oscars?

A great place to start. The Oscars are the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences annual awards ceremony. The first Oscars ceremony was held in 1929. Back then it was just called the Academy Awards. The Academy didn’t start using Oscars officially until 1939.

Why is the Academy Award called an Oscar?

As they said in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, when legend becomes fact, print the legend. While it’s not exactly known how the Academy Awards became known as the Oscars,...

Despite John Wayne being a huge admirer of Wyatt Earp, he was bizarrely overlooked for the role in Western classic My Darling Clementine. There have been many, many movie and TV retellings of the Wyatt Earp story. From James Garner's Hour of the Gun to the famous Tombstone vs Wyatt Earp box-office rivalry of the 1990s, the lawman's story has been recounted often. Despite John Wayne fronting 80 Westerns throughout his career, it's odd in hindsight that he never got own Wyatt Earp movie off the ground.

After breaking through with 1939's Stagecoach, Wayne became one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Despite this and his well-known love of Earp, whenever studio projects like 1957's Gunfight at the O.K. Corral moved into production, he was overlooked. Easily the best film about Earp produced during the apex of Wayne's stardom was My Darling Clementine, helmed by his old pal John Ford.

When John Wayne named his personal favorite top five out of the movies he’d starred in, he left out the classic that finally earned him an Academy Award: 1969’s True Grit. Over the course of his legendary, decades-long film career, Wayne starred in some truly great movies. He starred in hits like Big Jake and El Dorado and appeared alongside fellow screen legends in the sprawling ensembles of classic epics like The Longest Day and How the West Was Won.

So, when Wayne was asked to name the best movies he’d starred in, he had a lot of gems to choose from. Wayne co-starred with Jimmy Stewart in the character-driven western drama The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. He made Rio Bravo, one of the greatest hangout movies ever made, as a response to the cowardice displayed by Gary Cooper in High Noon. But surprisingly, when Wayne named his top five,...

Throughout movie history, there have been some iconic rivalries between actors that have kept audiences intrigued. Some of the best movies of all time featured cast members who clashed behind the scenes, but a few of these feuds were so heightened that they continued long after the cameras stopped rolling. These wild disputes happened for a range of reasons, whether that be a professional qualm, or something dramatic off-screen in their personal lives.

While there were plenty of shocking TV feuds for viewers to invest in, there have been just as many rivalries created in the movie industry. The pressure of working on long and harrowing shoots, working with a wide range of people from different backgrounds, and producing a good performance often made actors fight with one another. There have been several fascinating rivalries between movie actors over the years, but some were more prominent than others.

Clint Eastwood...

Legendary Western director John Ford's long-lost movie, The Scarlet Drop, was recently found 106 years after it premiered, but what is the film, and why is its recovery so important? For decades, The Scarlet Drop was thought to be completely lost to time. The Getty Archive had about half an hour of the film's 50-minute runtime, but there hadn't been a widely available complete copy of the film in nearly a century. Now, however, John Ford's lost Western has been recovered, and The Scarlet Drop can be viewed in its entirety for the first time in over a century.

John Ford has become a legend of Western cinema, so rediscovering any of his movies is a big deal. Ford made some of the best Western movies ever made, such as The Searchers, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and Stagecoach. Aside from the fact that The Scarlet Drop fills in...

John Wayne got a great send-off in his final movie, The Shootist, but a different late-career western 1972s The Cowboys would've been an even better swansong for the Hollywood icon. There are plenty of legendary actors who put their stamp on the western genre, from Clint Eastwood to James Stewart, but no actor is more intrinsically tied to the western than Wayne. Wayne starred in such classic westerns as Red River, Rio Bravo, and The Comancheros. Wayne initially made his name playing clear-cut heroes who spring into action and take down the bad guys without a moments hesitation.

But as his career went on, Wayne increasingly stepped outside his comfort zone and took darker, more dramatically challenging roles in movies like True Grit and The Searchers. As he got older, he began to reckon with his legacy and appeared in movies that would act as a fitting farewell to the...

Howard Hawks' 1948 Western Red River finally convinced John Ford that John Wayne was a great actor, even though they had made four movies together already. John Wayne and John Ford made nine great Westerns together, and both the director and the actor became known as legends of the genre. Ford and Wayne were even responsible for some of the best Western movies of all time, like Stagecoach, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and The Searchers. Most of Ford's movies cast Wayne as a traditional, upstanding hero, but one of the first films that cast him against type surprised everyone.

Even though Wayne and Ford were an absolutely legendary pairing, Ford was still shocked by another movie Wayne made with a different director. Wayne's performance in Red River, directed by Howard Hawks, proved to Ford that the Duke was a great actor, even though their professional relationship was well under way by that point.

Out of all the great Westerns produced by Hollywood during John Wayne's time in the industry, both with and without the actor, one stands out as his all-time favorite. The Searchers, one of several Westerns John Wayne made in the 1950s, has been recognized as one of the actor's biggest and best contributions to the genre. And apparently, this is a notion shared by Wayne himself.

The Searchers was among the products of John Wayne's long and storied working relationship with John Ford. With Wayne as the star and Ford as the director, the pair collaborated on several movies, beginning with Stagecoach in 1939 and ending with Donovan's Reef in 1963. The two films bookended an impressive list of films, mostly Westerns. Their partnership seemed to peak in the 1950s, which was when they had multiple hits together. A tremendous part of that success stemmed from The Searchers.

John Wayne Thought...

John Ford's success at the Oscars speaks to the director's reputation as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. Over the course of his long career in the industry, Ford worked with many of the most prominent actors in Hollywood from the 1920s to 1960s, pumping out a long list of memorable hits at the box office. Many were born from his collaborations with John Wayne, but it's important to note that his own directorial style, not necessarily Wayne or any other actor, that made Ford the Hollywood legend he is today.

Ford's work represents a very distinctive version of America, and his films often centered on specific themes and genres. Ford is well known for making Westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, among many others. John Ford was also well known for having served in World War II and for...

John Wayne was a humbled man early in the 1960s. His passion project, "The Alamo," had fallen well short of box office expectations in 1961. An epic Western about the siege of the basement-less San Antonio mission, Wayne directed the film and took its failure personally. He didn't need a hit; even at his lowest point in the 1970s, a Wayne picture at a certain budget level was an automatic greenlight. Still, Wayne was a prideful man who actively tended to his legacy; he was mindful of his fan base, and sought their approval. So Wayne came charging out of his corner in 1962, and knocked out every last naysayer with Howard Hawks' "Hatari!," "How the West Was Won," "The Longest Day" and John Ford's "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance."

The Ford movie could've been Wayne's Western swan song, but a rifle-toting Wayne astride a horse still held commercial appeal,...

At 77, Steven Spielberg isn’t holding back! The legendary director just dropped some truth bombs about his post-War of the Worlds flicks, admitting that the films that followed didn’t quite hit the mark. It’s not every day you hear a titan of cinema reflect so candidly, but Spielberg’s honesty shines through as he acknowledges a string of less-than-stellar projects.

Steven Spielberg | Image by: Gage Skidmore licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

It’s a bold move for a guy who’s given us classics like Jaws and E.T., proving that even the best can have their off days. So, what’s behind his revelation? Let’s dive into Spielberg’s journey through the highs and lows of Hollywood as he reexamines his filmography!

Steven Spielberg at 77: Why the Legendary Director’s Choosing History Over Blockbusters Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise from the set of...

You can't have "Jaws" without Quint, a modern Captain Ahab if he'd been hunting a great white shark rather than a white whale. It's difficult to picture anyone but Robert Shaw (in one of his last roles before his premature death in 1978) in the part, but the actor actually wasn't who director Steven Spielberg first had in mind.

In "Spielberg: The First Ten Years" by Laurent Bouzereau, Spielberg claimed his first choice for Quint was Lee Marvin. He wanted a big star and Marvin was famous for playing sinister tough guys. See: "The Big Heat," "Point Blank," "The Dirty Dozen," and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (directed by the man who taught Spielberg how to frame a horizon.) Marvin, though, said no. Spielberg recounted: "What I heard was that [Marvin] wanted to go fishing for real! He took his fishing very seriously and didn't want to do it from a 'movie' boat.

The Dollars Trilogy chronology can be a bit confusing, but the loose connection between the three movies adds to the enjoyment of watching them. Starting with 1964's A Fistful of Dollars, Sergio Leone helped to popularize the Spaghetti Western film movement that revitalized the genre. A Fistful of Dollars also launched the movie career of then-tv star Clint Eastwood. Following A Fistful of Dollars, Leone directed the loose sequel, 1965's For a Few Dollars More. This was followed by a third Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Western, 1966's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Leone remains influential today with Star Wars taking inspiration from Eastwood's Western hero while filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino have expressed their love of Leone's work. According to the filmmaker, his films were not meant to spark a cinematic revolution, yet they inspired 200 additional Spaghetti Westerns. The three movies of the Dollars trilogy, also known as the Man with No Name trilogy,...

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is arguably the best Wayne/Stewart western, showcasing their unique on-screen chemistry and individual talents. How the West Was Won, a sprawling epic, features both Wayne and Stewart in a star-studded cast but lacks depth in exploring its themes. The Shootist serves as Wayne's poignant swansong, offering a powerful portrayal of an aging gunfighter and challenging his clean-cut hero image.

Throughout their legendary respective careers, John Wayne and James Stewart co-starred in three western movies together but which one was the best, and which one was the worst? Wayne and Stewart are two of the biggest names in Hollywood history. The former was John Fords muse; the latter was Alfred Hitchcocks. Wayne and Stewart were massive stars in the Golden Age, and they each represented something totally different. Wayne stood for the American ideal the gun-toting hero who doesnt hesitate to spring into action...

John Wayne & James Stewart's best collaboration was their first movie together, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." The film is a complex and morally intriguing Western, focusing on themes of stolen valor and the price of noble choices. Wayne and Stewart's characters were perfectly portrayed, making the movie a must-watch for fans of the actors and the Western genre.

John Wayne and James Stewart worked on a handful of Western movies together, but their best collaboration was also their first. Both John Wayne and James Stewart are legends of Hollywood, and they were at the height of their popularity in the early 1960s. Some of the movies that defined John Wayne's career came in that decade, as did some of James Stewart's best films. Since they were so popular, it seemed almost inevitable that Wayne and Stewart would work together, and they finally got their chance in 1962.

In total,...

Sergio Leone's "A Fistful of Dollars" is not the greatest Spaghetti Western ever made, but it is widely considered to be the first. As the film that made Clint Eastwood an global movie star, it is inarguably the most significant. Most importantly in today's movie marketplace, people who've never seen a Spaghetti Western likely know the title, which makes it a viable candidate for a remake.

And this is fitting because "A Fistful of Dollars" is itself a remake. In fact, it was such a brazenly beat-for-beat copy of Akira Kurosawa's 1961 samurai classic "Yojimbo" that U.S. distributors wouldn't release Leone's film until the filmmaker settled up with the Japanese master and his backers at Toho (Kurosawa wound up making more money off this deal than he did with "Yojimbo").

Of course, "Yojimbo" wasn't an original either. Kurosawa openly acknowledged that his film was inspired by Stuart Heisler...

John Wayne's final Western movie, The Shootist, is considered one of his best due to its honest portrayal of a dying cowboy. The Shootist also marks Wayne's last collaboration with James Stewart, who played Dr. E.W. "Doc" Hostetler, adding to its significance. Aside from The Shootist, Wayne, and Stewart worked together in How the West Was Won and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

John Wayne is considered one of the greatest Western stars of all time, yet his final Western movie with James Stewart was arguably one of his best works. Wayne, also known as "the Duke," starred in 179 films and television series throughout his 50-year career. Though Wayne was best known for Westerns and war movies, like True Grit and The Sands of Iwo Jima, he acted in a variety of different projects that ranged in genre. Although the concept of a movie star has changed over the years,...

Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga marks a return to the Western genre that Costner himself made a career in from films like Silverado to Dances With Wolves and even Yellowstone. Costner, who has planned four chapters of the project, has been working on it since 1988 with the character Hayes Ellison in mind for a while.

Costner has cited films like How the West Was Won and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance as inspiration for Horizon. We’ve rounded up 20 Western films to watch if viewers are in the mood after Horizon.

Read on for Western films to watch right now and where they are streaming.

Justin Kroll and Pete Hammond contributed to this report.

“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”

If any eight words could sum up the best Western movies in their entirety, it’s those from “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.” At times misunderstood, at times marginalized, at times written off by Hollywood as less than bankable even following periods of extraordinary success, the Western is nonetheless the most enduring genre in the history of American movies. Assembling IndieWire’s list of the 100 Greatest Westerns of All Time resulted in movies appearing there that represent every single decade since the turn of the last century: The earliest film on the list is from 1903 and the most recent from 2023, with movies from five continents represented.

That endurance is not just because of sagebrush and spurs and cowboy hats and horses and train robberies and six-shooters, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. It’s because the best Western movies — whether modern Westerns...

Movies and television have often had a push-pull relationship. When brands and intellectual properties became king near the start of the 21st century, TV became the place to go for creatives who wanted to tell bold and original stories to a mainstream audience. In contrast, the social revolutions of the 1960s saw networks burying their heads in the sand, serving up a buffet of conservative-leaning sitcoms where just about everybody was white, straight, and Christian, nobody had sex or cursed, and things like the Civil Rights Movement or the Vietnam War might as well be happening on Neptune. Meanwhile, the pictures swung in the opposite direction; the rise of New Hollywood meant that the escapist studio fare of yore was no longer fashionable.

It was in this climate that Norman Lear came up with the idea for "All in the Family," inspired by the British dramedy series "Till Death Do Us Part...

The roots of the western genre can be traced back to Edwin S. Porter's silent 1903 thriller The Great Train Robbery. Masterpieces like Stagecoach and Shane established tropes and explored the gunslinger psyche. The Wild Bunch disrupts traditional cowboy heroism in Sam Peckinpah's blood-soaked rebel anthem.

The western is a cornerstone of American cinema and, from Shane to The Searchers, many of those early, seminal, genre-defining westerns still hold up today. Filmmakers have been mythologizing the Old West for as long as theyve been telling stories on film. Edwin S. Porters The Great Train Robbery, one of the first narrative films ever made, released in 1903, laid out the tropes and conventions of the western genre.

Fred Zinnemanns High Noon introduced a moralistic edge to the typically violent genre. Sergio Leones A Fistful of Dollars introduced a bleak, brutal Italian take on the American western. George Roy Hills Butch Cassidy...

In the heart of Western Europe, above the gorge of the Alzette river, sits Luxembourg City, a trash-free Eurotopia where the trams are free and the streets are ranked amongst the safest in the world. It’s a long way away from the frontier justice of The Dead Don’t Hurt, a revisionist Western about love in a lawless place written and directed by, and also starring Viggo Mortensen, who––never one to slouch––also composed the film’s score. “I did the score for my first movie as well,” the endearingly polite and casually plaid-shirted polymath explained to me on a recent morning at the Lux Film Fest, “that one took a long time to get financed, longer than this one, and while I was waiting, I was trying to think, ‘What can I do?’ I’ve got the script where I want it, I have the main actor, Lance Henriksen,...

Oi there, listen up! Amazon Prime Video’s list of new releases for June 2024 includes another season of its biggest, bloodiest hit.

The Boys season 4 premieres its first three episodes on Thursday, June 13. Based on the trailers, The Boys is really leaning into the political side of its social satire with a presidential election underway and Homelander on trial for the small matter of killing a guy last season. The season will continue to air on Thursdays, culminating with the finale on July 18.

Amazon is really leaning into its sports offerings this month as well. Fans will get to watch the New York Yankees, the WNBA, and the Nwsl several times throughout June. That’s in addition to a couple of sports docs: Power of the Dream on June 18 and Federer: Twelve Final Days on June 20.

But if you’re looking for something even more explosive than Homelander and Roger Federer,...

Oscar winner John Wayne, better known as “The Duke” to his fans, starred in over 165 movies throughout his career, oftentimes playing the swaggering, macho hero of westerns and war epics. But how many of his titles remain classics? Let’s take a look back at 25 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1907 as Marion Robert Morrison, Wayne worked his way up from bit player to leading man, appearing in a number of poverty row, Z-grade westerns throughout the 1930s. He shot to stardom with his role in John Ford‘s “Stagecoach” (1939), which brought new shades of nuance and artistry to the Cowboys and Indians genre. It also kicked off a lucrative, decades-long partnership between the director and star, who would make over two dozen films together, including “The Quiet Man” (1952), “The Searchers” (1956) and “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” (1962).

Despite being one of the top box office...

James Stewart, more affectionately known as “Jimmy” to his fans, was an Oscar-winning performer who became famous for his polite, gentle screen persona, often playing the aww-shucks boy next door. Yet he also showed his range with a series of performances that found him playing against type. Let’s take a look back at 25 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1908, Stewart earned his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor for playing an idealistic young senator in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939), which firmly established him as the patron saint of the common man. He clinched his one and only victory the very next year for “The Philadelphia Story” (1940), playing a tabloid reporter who stumbles into the marital strife of a high society couple (Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant).

After serving in WWII, Stewart returned home to play George Bailey, a businessman contemplating suicide on Christmas Eve,...

Hondo's unconventional swimming lesson embodies Wayne's no-nonsense heroism in unique ways, showcasing his iconic screen presence. Chisum's defense of Chief White Buffalo emphasizes justice and respect, highlighting Wayne's moral heroism and character growth. El Dorado's final shootout epitomizes Wayne's enduring Western hero status, showcasing his spirit and gunfighting prowess.

John Wayne has delivered remarkably impactful moments on screen within the Western genre, and these scenes stand out as some of the most memorable in his career. Throughout his illustrious filmography, Wayne's performances have captivated audiences, showcasing his charisma, commanding screen presence, and ability to embody the quintessential Western hero. From his iconic portrayal of Ethan Edwards in The Searchers to his Academy Award-winning role as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit, Wayne's contributions to the genre have made a major impact in Western films.

John Waynes collaborations with John Ford in Western movies such as Stagecoach and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,...

The studio once known as 20th Century Fox is a younger entity than the other major Hollywood Studios. It was founded in 1935 out of the ashes of Fox Film, compared to Warner Bros (1923), Universal Pictures (1912), Paramount Pictures (1912), Columbia Pictures (1923), and Disney (1923) — the latter being the new parent company of 20th Century Studios.

Still, Fox waited only seven years to take home the top prize at the Oscars. At the 14th Academy Awards, held in 1942, Fox's film "How Green Was My Valley" won Best Picture, presented to Fox studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck. That wasn't the only prize "Valley" won that night: it also got Best Director (John Ford), Best Supporting Actor (Donald Crisp), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (Arthur Miller), and finally Best Art Direction -- Interior Decoration, Black-and-White.

One of the films that "Valley" beat that night was "Citizen Kane" (which got only Best Original Screenplay for director Orson Welles and his co-writer Herman J.

John Wayne's iconic performances in films like Stagecoach and True Grit solidified his status as a Hollywood legend. Collaborations with directors like John Ford enhanced Wayne's versatility and deep impact on the Western genre. Wayne's ability to embody complex, morally ambiguous characters in films like The Searchers showcased his lasting influence.

Starring in over 150 movies, there are 8 films that epitomize the essence of John Wayne's career, solidifying his status as one of Hollywood's most iconic Western stars. From his breakout role in Stagecoach to his Academy Award-winning performance in True Grit, these films showcase Wayne's versatility, charisma, and enduring impact on the genre. Through collaborations with renowned directors like John Ford and Howard Hawks, Wayne brought to life complex characters that resonated with audiences and redefined the archetypal Western hero.

Films such as Red River, Fort Apache, and The Searchers not only chart the evolution of Wayne's career, but...

For as long as horror movies have existed, there have been carny-like marketing campaigns boasting audience members fainting, vomiting, running out of theaters in terror, and in some of the most extreme cases, having a heart attack. Films like "Psycho," "The Exorcist," and even 2023's "Talk To Me" have all become modern urban legends with the reported reactions from fans, but few films come close to the reputation of "Antrum." The Canuxploitation film from David Amito and Michael Laicini is two films in one: a documentary about "Antrum," a lost film from the 1970s that has been connected with over 85 deaths, and the remaining footage from the only known print of the film. Before the film plays, a warning covers the screen.

Legal Notice: By continuing to watch this film you agree that the producers of this film have made you aware of the history and danger(s) associated with 'Antrum.

Clint Eastwood's favorite John Ford movie is How Green Was My Valley, showcasing his appreciation for Ford's work beyond Westerns. How Green Was My Valley's influence on Eastwood as an actor can be seen in his ability to make unsentimental characters charismatic and easy to root for. Ford's influence on Eastwood as a director can be seen in the themes and plot choices of his films, such as the exploration of family, community, and masculinity.

While Clint Eastwood’s most-loved John Ford movie might not be a Western, it is still no surprise that this classic topped the list of the director’s favorites. Ford was a legend in the Western genre, and Eastwood even called the filmmaker one of his favorite directors. Eastwood became a major mainstream star shortly after Ford’s career came to a close, meaning that the pair never got to work together. However,...

Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Rupert Everett, Mark Bonnar, Paul Rhys, Ben Miles, Riana Duce, Ludivine Sagnier, Edouard Philipponnat, Miles Jupp, Scott Handy, Youssef Kerkour | Written by David Scarpa | Directed by Ridley Scott

“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend” – one of cinema’s most famous quotes from John Ford’s 1962 classic western The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. That quote can be used to describe how Ridley Scott has chosen to approach the story of Napoleon. Scott has chosen to ignore much of the historical accuracy in this historical biopic and that has caused historians to be irate and critics to be torn.

Joaquin Phoenix is Napoleon and throughout the film we get to witness his rise and fall across 32 years, from the beginning of the French Revolution to the eventual death of Napoleon in 1821. The first instance we get to see what Napoleon is all...

Last year, as movies conceived and shot during the Covid-19 pandemic began to be released, we saw a sudden influx of films rejoicing in the act of moviemaking and movie-watching. From Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” to Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon,” from Sam Mendes’ “Empire of Light” to the Indian Oscar entry “Last Film Show,” a surprising number of films bred during pandemic isolation were movies about movies.

And a year later, during the final days of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, another movie that belongs in that company had its world premiere. “The Movie Teller,” a Spanish-language film set in Chile and made by a Danish director with a cast whose biggest names are known for French and German movies, puts an international spin on the love of movies and embraces the art of storytelling in a way that is at times profoundly moving.

The film is a mixture of genres,...

When I was in college cinema courses I made a Super 8 film called Movie Girl. It was a Hollywood-set love letter to movies centered on a Musso & Frank waitress who put herself dreamily into the plots of classic films. It won an award there but was the highlight of the directing career I never had. However, I have always been partial to filmmakers who put their own early film-going experience and passion into their careers now. You may have heard of them: Kenneth Branagh won an Oscar for doing just that in Belfast. Steven Spielberg got several nominations last year for his very personal The Fabelmans. Woody Allen had his own charming take in The Purple Rose of Cairo. Peter Bogdanovich made a lasting impression with 1971’s The Last Picture Show, as did Giuseppe Tornatore with his Oscar winner Cinema Paradiso.

It is a combination of the latter two especially...

John Wayne is best known for his roles in Western films and is considered the most famous movie star in the genre. Among the top 20 John Wayne movies, 16 of them are Westerns, with one specific Western movie being named the greatest of all time. John Wayne stars in three of the top 10 Western movies listed by the American Film Institute, proving his dominance in the genre.

When it comes to one particular film genre, John Wayne was the most famous movie star of them all, and unsurprisingly a 15-year-old American Film Institute poll named his 1956 masterpiece the greatest Western ever made. While John Wayne made some great movies that are not Westerns, the actor is mostly known for playing cowboys in the quintessentially American genre. His first big movie role was in a failed 1930 Western titled The Big Trail, and his star-making success came by the end of the decade...

Jimmy Stewart's career in Westerns showcased his versatility as an actor, portraying both stoic pacifists and smoldering lawmen. His military service in WWII influenced the dark and complex roles he took on in Western films, bringing depth and thoughtfulness to the genre. Stewart's performances in Westerns like "Destry Rides Again" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" solidified his status as a Western legend, with his charm and range making him a standout among his contemporaries.

While he's known for dramas like It's A Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, James "Jimmy" Stewart built quite a career in Westerns playing righteous heroes and complicated antagonists in the American West. With his gentle drawl and everyman reliability, Jimmy Stewart could embody stoic pacifists as easily as he could smoldering lawmen and protective homesteaders. In 1939, the same year he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor...

James Stewart's venture into Western movies, like "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," was surprising considering his earlier career in beloved classics and thrillers. John C. Reilly's standout performance in "The Sisters Brothers" was unexpected given his comedic background, holding his own against acclaimed actors. Don Knotts' hilarious performance in the Western comedy "The Shakiest Gun in the West" was a surprising departure from his comedic work on "The Andy Griffith Show."

Western movies are one of the most popular genres in film, and these 10 actors have given surprisingly great performances in these genre films. Although Westerns aren't as popular today as they once were, plenty of Westerns are still released each year. Because of this, tons of actors have had a chance to dip their toes into Western movies since their height in popularity from the 1950s to the early 1970s, and here are 10 of the most surprising ones.

Above: 2019 art poster by Maks Bereski aka Plakiat for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.The artist known as Plakiat, real name Maks Bereski, is one of a couple of incredibly talented poster designers currently spearheading a revival in the art of the Polish movie poster. The heyday of the Polish poster was from the early 1950s through the late 1980s, but the demise of Communism and the opening of borders brought about the end of a movement that used metaphor and surrealism as a form of subversion. In the age of the internet, however, appreciation of classic mid- to late-century Polish movie posters has only increased and there seems to have been a revival of the art form within Poland itself. Bereski, who has a Master of Fine Arts from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland, began in 2010 making his own fan art posters and is now much...

The story of Wong Fei Hung can best be summed up by the adage taken from John Ford's “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”. g”. For modern audiences this would apply to the seemingly endless variations on the life of Ip Man. Yet before him we had generations of audiences growing up to the feats of the master of the “No Shadow Kick” and member of the Ten Tigers of Canton, Wong Fei Hung. Over the years there have been numerous incarnations representing him at various aspects of his life. In addition, we have gained a supporting cast of familiar sidekicks, mentors, and comic relief. All alongside the familiar sound of the “General Marching Under Orders” theme that has become so associated with the character. It's not often we get to see a character grow up on screen and so here we present the life of Wong Fei Hung in several cinematic chapters.

This article contains spoilers for the "Barry" finale as well as "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang."

Satire is one of the oldest artistic impulses; to mock and examine whatever systems, order, or supposed truths exist in any given era. Although cinema is a relatively young medium, it's no surprise that an enormous number of satires of the film and television industries have been made nearly since movies began.

HBO's "Barry," which concluded its four-season run this past Sunday night, proudly belongs to this long-standing tradition of biting the hand that feeds it, seeing as "Barry" is a highly cinematic TV series set in and around Hollywood. The grand satiric irony baked into the show's premise is the idea of a professional assassin, Barry Berkman, arriving in L.A. and deciding to try and have an acting career. The latent joke is, of course, that the showbiz world is just as morally...

Clockwise from left: The Rundown (Screenshot: Universal Pictures/YouTube), Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure(Screenshot: Orion Pictures/YouTube), Howard The Duck (Screenshot: Universal Pictures)Graphic: The A.V. Club

As we all welcome the move to warmer weather, Prime Video has a great lineup in May to try and keep you indoors.

Fort Apache actor John Wayne had experience working with a wide array of his peers on sets over the years. His conservative political beliefs put him at odds with many co-stars over the years, but he still had a certain charm that enticed many of those around him. Wayne went out of his way to help those in need on his movie sets, which was exactly the case when a female co-star fainted while working on Fort Apache due to heat stroke.

John Wayne-collaborator John Ford became worried about Anna Lee John Wayne as Capt. Kirby York | Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images

Wayne had several collaborators that he was closely associated with over the course of his filmography. Director John Ford was one of those, who amplified the actor to movie star status with 1939’s Stagecoach. However, Wayne’s connection with the filmmaker ultimately gave him the unique opportunity...

Movie star John Wayne was familiar with the type of work that went into being a stuntman. He had a deep appreciation for the folks who made the dangerous stunts come to life on the silver screen. However, Wayne had a favorite stuntman whom he deeply respected and enjoyed working with. In fact, they made a total of 32 movies together, making it clear that they had a long history together.

Who was John Wayne’s favorite stuntman? John Wayne | John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images

Wayne had one stuntman that he valued working with above all the rest – Chuck Roberson. He went from working as a police officer to serving in World War II to stuntwork. It all started thanks to a well-known stuntman named Guy Teague, he got his first job in the field at Republic Pictures.

Roberson starred in small roles as an actor, but he also went on...

Actor John Wayne was an inspiration for many movie stars around the world seeking to achieve his level of success. Some critics attacked his performances, claiming that he couldn’t act. Nevertheless, he continued to build the on-screen persona that Western and war genre audiences came to love. Wayne once explained that there was one actor that was an “enormous” impact on his career.

John Wayne had a signature walk and talk John Wayne | Getty Images

Wayne initially provided inspiration for filmmakers, such as John Ford and Raoul Walsh, who saw something in him. He was working in the props department at Fox before he landed his first leading role in 1930’s The Big Trail. However, Wayne didn’t develop his acting chops overnight, as he initially had difficulty finding the rhythm that became unique to him.

Red River and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance demonstrated some of the...

Marion Robert Morrison, more commonly known as John Wayne or ‘The Duke,’ left a lasting imprint on American cinema. His career spanned five decades, during which time he starred in 179 films and delivered countless illustrious performances.

He rose to fame with his starring role as Ringo Kid in the 1939 classic ‘Stagecoach,’ and would go on to play characters like Ethan Edwards in Ford’s 1956 ‘The Searchers’ – cementing his place in American film history.

In this blog post, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best John Wayne movies, which capture the actor’s undeniable talent and unforgotten legacy. From westerns like ‘True Grit’ (1969) to war films like ‘The Longest Day’ (1962), Wayne left an indelible mark on our collective culture.

The Highest-Rated John Wayne Films on IMDb ‘The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance’ (1962) – 8.1/10 ‘Rio Bravo’ (1959) – 8/10 ‘The Searchers’ (1956) – 7.9/10 ‘Stagecoach’ (1939) – 7.8/10 ‘Red River’ (1948) – 7.8/10 ‘The Longest Day’ (1962) – 7.7/10 ‘The Quiet Man’ (1952) – 7.7/10 ‘The Shootist...

For well over four decades, the name “John Ford” has been synonymous with Hollywood classics.

Ford has been hailed as one of the greatest directors of all time, with a long list of acclaimed films that have won multiple Academy Awards. His subject matter ranged from westerns to war movies and even his own slice of Irish-American culture.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the life and career of John Ford, discussing his early years in Hollywood and the lasting impact he has had on cinema today. We’ll also explore some memorable moments from his cinematic legacy.

So whether you are a film buff or just have an appreciation for classic movies, join us as we pay tribute to the legendary filmmaker John Ford.

John Ford. By Allan warren – Own work, Cc By-sa 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16706120 Overview of John Ford...

The Western is back, again. After it died. Prior to which it came back again.

As film historian and co-host of the How the West was Cast podcast, Andrew Patrick Nelson argues, journalists and historians love to write about the Western being dead just as much as they enjoy writing about its resurgence. However, this ebb and flow is part of a predictable life cycle that has kept the genre alive for over a century.

The origins of the frontier narrative on our public consciousness dates to 1845, when John L. O’Sullivan coined the phrase “manifest destiny” in an essay about America’s perceived right to expansion. As the Wild West came to an end and the frontier became settled, Frederick Jackson Turner introduced his “frontier thesis” in 1893. Turner hit on the binary conflicts that make the Western as a mythological place so engaging. The frontier, as he defined it,...

The end was in sight for John Wayne when he took the part of aging gunfighter J.B. Books in Don Siegel's 1976 Western "The Shootist." He was only 69, but the quintessential American movie star hadn't been nice to his body. Decades of drinking and smoking had taken their toll. He'd lost a lung and a couple of ribs to cancer in the 1960s, but had evidently been in remission since. Still, his energy was flagging. He'd struggled throughout the filming of "Rooster Coburn," and was being asked to literally hop back on a horse in the elevated altitude of Carson City, Nevada. He had not been diagnosed with a return of the cancer that would kill him three years later, but The Duke looked a deathly shadow of his former, swaggering self.

Culturally, there was a sense that people should celebrate Wayne while he was still around (for those willing...

Movie stars John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara shared electric chemistry on the silver screen that had audiences swooning. They had a special relationship in real life, but that friendship meant more to the Duke than many people realized. Wayne once called O’Hara his only female friend, exclaiming that she’s “definitely my kind of woman.”

John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara met through John Ford L-r: John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara | Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images

Wayne and O’Hara both had big Hollywood dreams of becoming the next hot actor in the film industry. She made her leading role debut in 1939’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Meanwhile, he accomplished the same in 1930’s The Big Trail, but 1939 was also the year that marked his launch into stardom with Stagecoach. From there, his career transformed into one of the faces of the Western and war movie genres,...

Actor John Wayne didn’t always have stardom on the brain, especially when he was in high school. He had several passions, involving himself in several areas, involving journalism, debate, and sports. However, Wayne was undeniably a prankster who found a way to embarrass an actor in a way that caused the audience to erupt into a sea of laughter.

John Wayne worked with props in high school John Wayne | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Before Wayne developed his passion as an actor, he found enjoyment working in the Stage Society as a prop boy. There, he built sets and helped with production design and anything else required to pull off the school’s latest productions. According to Carolyn McGivern’s book, John Wayne: A Giant Shadow, he thought the school productions were “a source of never-ending amusement.”

The movie star developed a strong understanding of sets before heading into a career in acting.