News

Like Spirit Halloween seizing a once-beloved store, Silver Scream Con moved into the old stomping grounds of Rock and Shock — New England’s premier horror convention, which came to an end in 2019 — at the Dcu Center in Worcester, Ma for its three-quel on September 13-15.

It was a full circle moment for Silver Scream mastermind and Ice Nine Kills frontman Spencer Charnas, whose experiences attending Rock and Shock inspired him to start his own convention. Having quickly outgrown its previous venue, the Doubletree hotel in Danvers, Silver Scream Con III’s new setting was able to accommodate even more horror fans for three days of horror, music, gore, and more.

The guest list included: Scream‘s David Arquette, Jamie Kennedy, and Lee Waddell; Cabin Fever‘s Eli Roth, Cerina Vincent, and Jordan Ladd; Terrifier‘s Damien Leone, David Howard Thornton, Lauren Lavera, Elliott Fullam, and Amelie McLain; Halloween‘s Nick Castle,...

With his long hair, sunglasses and bellbottoms, Hal Ashby was the epitome of the 1970s flower child, even though he was a decade older than most of the filmmakers working at the time. Though his flame burned brightly and briefly, he left behind a series of classics that signified the nose-thumbing, countercultural attitude of the era, with a bit of humanism and heart thrown in for good measure. Let’s take a look back at all 12 of his films, ranked worst to best.

Born on September 2, 1929 in Utah, Ashby ambled around before becoming an apprentice editor for Robert Swink, working for Hollywood legends William Wyler and George Stevens. He moved up the ranks to become an editor for Norman Jewison, with whom he shared a fraternal and professional relationship. They cut five films together, including “The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!” (1966), which earned him his first Oscar nomination,...

This past week saw the release of The Book of Clarence, a movie about a down-on-his-luck guy who hits upon a get-rich-quick scheme that leads him into a heap of trouble. It’s a classic topic for a movie, but it is treading on more controversial ground than usual. Because in the case of this story about a hustler getting in over his head, the hustle happens to be set around Israel and Palestine during the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth. In fact, that is Clarence’s whole scheme: He sees Jesus and decides to get into the messiah business.

This is not the first film to portray the story of one of Jesus’ fictional contemporaries. Monty Python’s Life of Brian attracted protests, controversy, and endless talk show guest slots over its portrayal of a man who was definitely not the messiah, just a very naughty boy.

It’s not every day that a filmmaker will rise up during an interview and recite Old Testament tales and sing out their favorite hymn. Well, hallelujah, brother Jeymes Samuel for spreading the gospel’s good news.

The director’s spectacular Jesus in the hood movie, The Book of Clarence, starring a mighty fine Lakeith Stanfield playing a charlatan wannabe Messiah, shakes up the toga and peepy toe genre.

Samuel’s movie has its world premiere Wednesday at the BFI London Film Festival. The Legendary Pictures production is released through Tristar with congregations taking their pews from January 12, 2024.

The movie’s thrilling prologue kicks off with a rip-roaring, wheel-screeching chariot race with Mary Magdalene thrashing the lads.

The moment was of course inspired by the iconic chariot scene between Charlton Heston’s Judah Ben-Hur and Stephen Boyd’s Messala in William Wyler...

There’s a lot to watch on Prime Video in October and, as you may have guessed, there’s spooky stuff galore in amongst Prime’s usual rotation of extensive library content.

In the movie Totally Killer, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star Kiernan Shipka travels back in time to the 1980s to stop a serial killer. Then there’s Make Me Scream, a Halloween special that challenges celebrities to “a gruesome game of terror.” Renfield will also be streaming on the service for anyone who’s been dying (muahahaha!) to catch the Nic Cage Dracula film.

Outside of Prime Video’s more creepy fare, Shazam! Fury Of The Gods will debut, Upload will be back for a third season, and new film Awareness should scratch your sci-fi itch. Meanwhile, for Frasier heads – those who consider themselves utterly Frasier-pilled – all eleven seasons of the Cheers spinoff show will be streaming at the touch of a button.

If you’re looking for a complete list of every new movie and TV show coming to Amazon Prime Video in October, you’ve come to the right place. This month kicks off with a slew of great library additions, from James Bond films to relatively new releases (“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” and the Nicolas Cage Dracula movie “Renfield”) and beyond.

There are also some high-profile originals landing in October. The third season of the sci-fi comedy series “Upload” arrives on Oct. 20, while Oct. 6 marks the release of the Prime Video original film “Totally Killer,” a fun slasher set in the 1980s that stars Kiernan Shipka.

Check out the full list of what’s new on Amazon Prime Video in October 2023 below, followed by a complete list of new arrivals for Freevee in October as well.

Arriving October 1

Frasier, Seasons 1-11 (1994)

Hit, Season 3 (2020)

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

A Guy Thing...

Scottish actor David McCallum, known for his role as a secret agent in the 1960s spy drama ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ has passed away at the age of 90.

The actor is said to have peacefully departed this morning due to natural causes at New York Presbyterian Hospital, with family members by his side. The previously scheduled 20th anniversary NCIS marathon will now feature an ‘In Memoriam’ card in his honour.

The Glasgow-born McCallum was the last remaining original cast member on CBS’ ‘NCIS’ portraying the eccentric but efficient Chief Medical Examiner Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard.

One tribute came in via social media from the NCIS account “We will miss his warmth and endearing sense of humour that lit up any room or soundstage he stepped onto,”

“David was a gifted actor and author, and beloved by many around the world,” the NCIS tribute said.

Also in news – Martin Scorsese, Emerald Fennell,...

David McCallum, who rose to fame in the 1960s spy series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and then won a whole new audience as pathologist Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard on long-running US drama NCIS has died. He was 90.

David Keith McCallum was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1933. With both parents as musicians, he originally followed in their footsteps pursued a career in music, training on the oboe and studying for a time at the Royal Academy of Music, though he soon left and enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After Rada he started performing with repertory theater companies.

He'd already been acting since the age of 12, however, as part of the BBC radio repertory company. McCallum made his screen debut in 1953 on the Beeb's fantasy series The Rose And The Ring.

His big screen career included the likes of The Great Escape, Robbery Under Arms, The Greatest Story Ever Told,...

Glasgow-born McCallum moved to America in 1961 and was best known recently for NCIS.

David McCallum, the veteran Scottish-born actor best known for TV hits The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and NCIS, has died aged 90.

According to a statement from CBS, the broadcast network that airs NCIS in the US, McCallum died of natural causes surrounded by family at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Born in Glasgow in 1933, McCallum began his career in the UK working on BBC radio and in repertory theatre. He moved to the US in 1961.

His early feature films included Hell Drivers, A Night To Remember, The Greatest Story Ever Told...

The actor was also known for his roles in ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ and ‘The Great Escape.’

David McCallum has died. The actor, best known for his role as Ducky on NCIS, died on Monday of natural causes while surrounded by family at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He was 90.

“He was the kindest, coolest, most patient and loving father,” McCallum’s son, Peter McCallum, said in a statement. “He always put family before self. He looked forward to any chance to connect with his grandchildren, and had a unique bond with each of them. He and his youngest grandson, Whit, 9, could often be found in the corner of a room at family parties having deep philosophical conversations.”

“He was a true renaissance man — he was fascinated by science and culture and would turn those passions into knowledge,” he continued. “For example, he was capable of conducting a symphony orchestra and...

David McCallum, who played Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard on CBS procedural “NCIS” and Illya Kuryakin on ’60s series “The Man From U.N.C.L.E,” has died at 90. The actor passed away peacefully Monday morning of natural causes surrounded by family at New York Presbyterian Hospital, CBS said in a statement.

Son Peter McCallum remembered him as “the kindest, coolest, most patient and loving father” and as a true renaissance man.” Added Peter, “He was fascinated by science and culture and would turn those passions into knowledge. For example, he was capable of conducting a symphony orchestra and (if needed) could actually perform an autopsy, based on his decades-long studies for his role on ‘NCIS.'”

He ended his statement with, “Somehow, even at 90, Daddy never grew old.”

David McCallum in 1966 (Photo by Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

“For over 20 years, David McCallum endeared himself to audiences around the world playing the wise,...

NCIS veteran David McCallum, also known for his Emmy-nominated role in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., died peacefully this morning of natural causes at New York Presbyterian Hospital, surrounded by family. He was 90, having celebrated his birthday less than a week ago.

A fan favorite, McCallum was the last remaining original cast member on CBS’ NCIS, in which he played Chief Medical Examiner Donald “Ducky” Mallard, an eccentric but highly efficient investigator with a knack for psychological profiling, for two decades.

David McCallum as Medical Examiner Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard. (Photo by Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images)

“For over 20 years, David McCallum endeared himself to audiences around the world playing the wise, quirky, and sometimes enigmatic, Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard,” said NCIS executive producers Steven D. Binder and David North. “But as much as his fans may have loved him, those who worked side by side with David loved him that much more.

In 2021, Jeymes Samuel unleashed “The Harder They Fall,” a revisionist Black Western with an All-Star cast and an equally impressive soundtrack. He turned the genre on its head, while still celebrating everything that he loved about Westerns of the past. And he looks to be doing the same thing with his new biblical epic “The Book of Clarence,” due out at the beginning of next year from TriStar Pictures and Legendary. And you can watch the brand-new trailer for it above.

“The Book of Clarence” stars Lakeith Stanfield as a man living in Jerusalem at the same time as Jesus. Inspired by Jesus’ rise, he “risks everything to carve his own path to a divine life, and ultimately discovers that the redemptive power of belief may be his only way out” (according to the official synopsis). The movie also stars Omar Sy, Anna Diop, Rj Cyler, David Oyelowo (rocking a...

“The Help” is coming to Freevee on June 1. The top-notch cast includes Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Jessica Chastain. The plot focuses on two black maids who work in white homes in Jackson, Mississippi, in the 1960s. Stone plays a writer who wants to help the women chronicle the hardships they face, so their injustices are exposed nationwide. “The Help” chronicles real-life conditions in the Deep South, while celebrating female friendship and empowerment.

Watch the trailer for “The Help”:

Also streaming on June 1 is the hit dystopian thriller “The Hunger Games,” turned into a four-film franchise, starring Jennifer Lawrence. In the first, the nation of Panem pits one girl and one boy from 12 tribes to fight to the death each year in the games. There can be only one survivor. The story is written from the perspective of a 16-year-old girl, who takes her sister’s place...

It was announced today that controversial actor Robert Blake has died at the age of 89. His niece, Noreen Austin, confirmed that he died at his Los Angeles home after a longtime battle with heart disease. Blake was best known for his roles in Richard Brooks’ adaptation of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, David Lynch’s Lost Highway, and for starring in the 1970s detective series Baretta.

Robert Blake got his start as a child actor, appearing as Mickey in forty installments of MGM’s Our Gang short films. He also played Little Beaver in twenty-three installments of the Red Ryder film series. He also appeared in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre as a young Mexican boy who sells a lottery ticket to Humphrey Bogart. Although many child actors can’t transition to adult roles, Blake managed to pull it off. His biggest break came with In Cold Blood,...

Actor Robert Blake, a man with a long and complex legacy, has died, a representative for his son-in-law Gregg Hurwitz confirmed to Variety. The former child actor was best known for his Emmy-winning role as the cockatoo-owning undercover cop in the popular 1970s TV series “Baretta” and, more infamously, for his trial following the 2001 murder of his wife. He was 89.

As reported by the Associated Press, Blake died from heart disease on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles.

These two aspects of Blake’s legacy were inseparable in some ways, and the personal turmoil that made the latter at least circumstantially plausible (the case against Blake hinged on motive — he may have wanted to be free of his rocky marriage) fueled his acting.

Blake was acquitted of the murder charge, as well as of one count of soliciting murder, in his criminal trial in 2005, but in a civil trial later that year,...

Director / Producer / Showrunner Greg Yaitanes discusses a few of his favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Innerspace (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, The Atomo-Vision Of Joe Dante At The American Cinematheque

The Ipcress File (1965) – Howard Rodman’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

On The Border (1998)

Hard Justice (1995)

Rorschach (1993)

Hard Target (1993)

Hard Boiled (1992)

Risky Business (1983)

Assault Platoon (1990)

Forrest Gump (1994)

Star Wars (1977)

All That Jazz (1979) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary

Star 80 (1983)

Lenny (1974) – Robert Weide’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing

The Pope Of Greenwich Village (1984)

Southern Comfort (1981)

The Trial (1962) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary

How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

Babylon (2022)

Hitman’s Run (1999)

Birdy (1984)

The Last Temptation Of Christ (1988)

The Paper House (1986)

A History Of Violence (2005)

The Passion Of The Christ (2004)

Hail Mary (1985)

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

Double Tap (1997)

Conspiracy Theory (1997)

Die Hard (1988)

Heat (1995)

Manhunter (1986) – Josh Olson’s...

Nothing beats a good villain theme. Yet despite being the world's dominant media franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn't produced many memorable character themes (I'll defer an explanation to Every Frame a Painting), and there are even fewer villains with a signature leitmotif. 

That doesn't mean they don't have unofficial villain songs, though. In a recent interview for the upcoming issue of Total Film, which hits shelves next Thursday, Jonathan Majors revealed he brought his own theme for Kang the Conqueror to the set of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." While director Peyton Reed and star Paul Rudd were listening to '80s New Romantic bands, Majors was getting into the mindset of a conqueror with the rap song "9mm." A track on David Banner's 2008 album "The Greatest Story Ever Told," the song features Akon, Lil Wayne, and Snoop Dogg. 

The lyrics are just one part of the sound in "9mm,...

As 2022 comes to a close, we here at JoBlo.com would like to take a moment to pay tribute to some of the people who sadly passed away this year. Our deepest respect goes out to everyone in the industry we have lost, and our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of those who died in 2022. These talented individuals will always be remembered for their impact on the world of film and television.

In Memory Of…

Peter Bogdanovich

When Peter Bogdanovich was twelve-years-old, he began keeping a record of every film he saw, even including reviews, a practice he kept up for decades, seeing as many as four hundred films a year. This sparked a love of movies and he was intent on becoming a director. Bogdanovich caught his break when he happened to strike up a conversation with Roger Corman at a screening, who quickly offered him a job.

Nehemiah Persoff, an actor who went from the uncredited role of a cab driver in On The Waterfront‘s iconic “coulda been a contender” scene to become one of the busiest character actors in television and film for five decades, died Tuesday at a rehabilitation facility in San Luis Obispo, California. He was 102.

Persoff had retired from acting in recent decades after suffering a stroke and other health issues. His death was reported to Deadline by a family friend.

Born in Jerusalem, Palestine, Persoff and his family moved to the United States in 1929, and after serving in the U.S. Army in World War II he relocated to New York to pursue a career in theater. He became a member of the famed Actors Studio in the late 1940s, studying with Elia Kazan, who would pay him a reported 75 to play the silent cab driver in Waterfront.

Persoff was also performing...

March 2022 is a great month for blonde women with cold, dead stares on Hulu.

With its list of new releases for March 2022, Hulu is highlighting two major original series ripped straight from the headlines. The first is The Dropout, which premieres on March 3. This show stars Amanda Seyfried (taking over from the previously cast Kate McKinnon) as Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. This story about high-level corporate fraud is truly wild, enough so to accommodate several books, podcasts, and even an upcoming film starring Jennifer Lawrence. Hulu is certainly hoping its version is the definitive one.

Read more TV Pam & Tommy Will Make You Hate Everyone But Pam By Alec Bojalad Movies Why The Princess Bride Is a Perfect Fantasy Movie By David Crow

The Dropout‘s spiritual counterpart will be The Girl From Plainville, which premieres on March 29. This is another story you might be familiar with. If not, just...

Anders Thomas Jensen takes us through some of his most formative cinematic experiences.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Election Night (1998)

Mifune (1999)

Riders of Justice (2020)

Star Wars (1977)

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Reptilicus (1961)

Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959)

Innerspace (1987)

Amazon Women On The Moon (1987)

Airplane! (1980)

The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)

Das Boot (1982)

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Ryan’s Daughter (1970)

The Apartment (1960)

The Producers (1967)

The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother (1975)

Key Largo (1948)

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

Blood Simple (1984)

Groundhog Day (1993)

Boss Level (2021?)

Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Palm Springs (2020)

Barry Lyndon (1975)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Amadeus (1984)

Ed Wood (1994)

The Buddy Holly Story (1978)

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

A Prophet (2009)

The Sisters Brothers (2018)

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

Unforgiven (1992)

Joe Kidd (1972)

Dirty Harry (1971)

Other Notable Items

Our friends at Movies Unlimited!

Bill Maher took aim at what he perceives to be the work of cancel culture during his usual Friday night “Real Time with Bill Maher” slot, sending up potentially problematic classic movies that could warrant a more contemporary content warning. Maher is riffing off Turner Classic Movies’ recent series “Reframed: Classic Films in the Rearview Mirror,” which reconsiders old movies due for a new cultural context.

“Of course in this new era, they had to reframe the classics. So they have to have a guy come on at the beginning, and give a little speech about why movies that you used to just enjoy because you understood, you understood the times change, people change and mores change it’s called evolution, but now it’s called problematic,” Maher said. Check out the clip below.

Among the films in TCM’s series are “My Fair Lady,” “Gone with the Wind,” “The Searchers,...

Owen Marsh, who served as a camera operator for such classic films as Ben-Hur, How the West Was Won and The Greatest Story Ever Told and for television shows from The Brady Bunch to Murder, She Wrote, has died. He was 90.

Marsh died Sunday of natural causes at his home in Portland, Oregon, his daughter, Cher Levendosky, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Marsh was among the 13 founders who established what was then known as the Society of Operating Cameramen (now the Society of Camera Operators). He served as the nonprofit’s inaugural president from 1979-81 and received its Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992.

The younger ...

Owen Marsh, who served as a camera operator for such classic films as Ben-Hur, How the West Was Won and The Greatest Story Ever Told and for television shows from The Brady Bunch to Murder, She Wrote, has died. He was 90.

Marsh died Sunday of natural causes at his home in Portland, Oregon, his daughter, Cher Levendosky, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Marsh was among the 13 founders who established what was then known as the Society of Operating Cameramen (now the Society of Camera Operators). He served as the nonprofit’s inaugural president from 1979-81 and received its Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992.

The younger ...

by Nathaniel R

Calling your picture From Here To Eternity, even if that's the name of the book its based on, is a major flex and a tempting of fate. How to live up to the title? 1950s and 1960s movies did this frequently, of course, in their battle against the looming threat of television. Screens got bigger and wider and the studio system was, if already mortally wounded, still working hard at making their movie stars iconic. Titles like Giant, The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Greatest Show on Earth, frequently dared to proclaim their epic-ness, and if the titles weren't size-conscious, why not add an exclamation point a la Oliver!, Hello, Dolly!, Viva Zapata! or I Want To Live!  In this lust for enormous movies, From Here To Eternity stands out, not just for living up to its promise and being eminently swoon-worthy but for its relative modesty...

If you had to pluck one image from cinema to evoke the heady grandeur of the mid-20th-century art-film revolution, you couldn’t do better than Max von Sydow as the shimmering-coiffed, dourly ambivalent knight Antonius Block, playing chess with Death in “The Seventh Seal.”

Released in 1957, Ingmar Bergman’s film was a dark medieval mystery tour, fusing elemental drama with the thrill of “symbolism” to provide a new kind of charge for audiences. What remains remarkable about that fateful chess game is that though von Sydow was an unknown actor, he seemed nearly as stylized as Death himself. Toweringly tall, with a tapered thin smile, eyes that twinkled even when they were in pain, and hair that fell somewhere between Nordic blond and premature white (it’s as if the character’s travails were already aging him), von Sydow cut such a striking presence in “The Seventh Seal” that he appeared captivatingly real and,...

The great Larry Wilmore joins us to share some very personal double features.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

1917 (2019)

Animal Crackers (1930)

Duck Soup (1933)

My Little Chickadee (1940)

A Night At The Opera (1935)

A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

The Parallax View (1974)

Singin’ In The Rain (1952)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Planet of the Apes (1968)

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Jaws (1975)

The Stepford Wives (1975)

The Party (1968)

The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)

The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)

Richard Pryor: Live In Concert (1979)

Richard Pryor: Live And Smokin’ (1971)

Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

Lenny (1974)

The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)

Lolita (1962)

Caligula (1979)

The Night of the Iguana (1964)

The Elephant Man (1980)

What Would Jack Do? (2020)

Blue Velvet (1986)

The Apartment (1960)

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Double Indemnity (1944)

The Sting (1973)

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid...

Stage and screen acting legend Max Von Sydow, who starred in The Seventh Seal and appeared in The Exorcist, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Flash Gordon, and Game of Thrones, died on March 8 at the age of 90, according to Variety.

“It is with a broken heart and with infinite sadness that we have the extreme pain of announcing the departure of Max von Sydow,” his wife, the producer Catherine Brelet, said in a statement.

Von Sydow made his Hollywood debut as Jesus in the 1965 Biblical epic The Greatest Story Ever Told. This gave him the authority to observe “if Jesus were alive today and saw what they are saying in his name, he would never stop throwing up” in Woody Allen’s 1986 film Hannah and Her Sisters. Von Sydow had the power to compel Satan as Father Merrin in William Friedkin’s 1973 horror classic The Exorcist and Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), directed by John Boorman.

Max von Sydow’s death on Sunday at age 90 brings to a close one of the most illustrious acting careers in history, from his first credit in 1949’s Only a Mother to his collaborations with Ingmar Bergman to his later recent work in pop culture staples Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Game of Thrones.

In between were more than 100 film credits including iconic roles in Bergman’s The Seventh Seal, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist, and as Emperor Ming in Flash Gordon.

The Sweden-born von Sydow studied at Stockholm’s Royal Dramatic Theatre before getting his start in the film business through his work with Bergman, his mentor. He made the move to Hollywood in the mid-1960s, appearing in such varied roles as Jesus in George Stevens’ The Greatest Story Ever Told, a Nazi major in the soccer classic Victory and as Brewmaster Smith in Strange Brew.

The...

Famous for his roles in the classic films The Seventh Seal, The Virgin Spring, The Exorcist, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Dune, Hannah and Her Sisters, Awakenings and Flash Gordon, Swedish-born, French actor Max von Sydow has died, his wife Catherine announced Monday. He was 90.

From the Upi:

“It is with a broken heart and with infinite sadness that we have the extreme pain of announcing the departure of Max von Sydow (on) March 8, 2020,” Catherine said in a statement to USA Today and Deadline.

No cause of death was specified.

The legendary actor who gave us both Brewmeister Smith and Ming the Merciless has finally laid down his King in the eternal chess match. Farewell, Max von Sydow. You were in many much more respected movies than Strange Brew and Flash Gordon but I loved you for those flicks first. https://t.co/ltytehF5Rm

— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) March 9, 2020

He...

(Von  Sydow in "The Exorcist" in 1973.) 

By Lee Pfeiffer

Max Von Sydow, the internationally acclaimed Swedish leading man who found fame in the films of Ingmar Bergman, has died at age 90. Von Sydow's most famous role may have been the knight who plays a game of chess with Death in an iconic scene from Bergman's 1958 classic "The Seventh Seal", but he also enjoyed broad international appeal. His other iconic role was as Father Merrin, the aging titular character in director William Friedkin's sensational 1973 film version of William Peter Blatty's bestseller, "The Exorcist". Von Sydow was already a major star in European cinema when he was cast in his first leading role in a Hollywood film, director George Stevens' 1965 religious epic "The Greatest Story Ever Told" in which he was cast as Jesus Christ. The film proved to be a major boxoffice flop but Von Sydow personally enjoyed good reviews for his dignified performance.

Max von Sydow, the Oscar-nominated actor best known for playing chess with Death in Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal and battling a demon in The Exorcist, died Sunday. He was 90.

His wife, Catherine Brelet, announced the news without citing a cause of death in Paris Match. “It is with a broken heart and with infinite sadness that we have the extreme pain of announcing the departure of Max von Sydow on 8 March 2020,” she said, according to The Guardian.

The Swedish actor became a breakout star in the late Fifties...

by Nathaniel R

It is with great sadness we must announce the passing of Max von Sydow. The international acting legend had worked steadily since his big screen debut in Sweden in 1949. Multiple Swedish classics followed including Miss Julie, Wild Strawberries, and The Virgin Spring. International fame happened quickly through his mutli-film collaboration with Sweden's most celebrated auteur Ingmar Bergman. By the mid 60s he began headlining international productions, first as Jesus in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) and by the 1970s he was a mandatory for prestige all star productions. He's been a mainstay of cinema for 70 years, that exceedingly memorable long face flipping from sweet to sinister to authoritative to wise (and everything inbetween) on command for the demands of any role.

Before his death he completed a lead role in an as yet unreleased WW II drama Echoes of the Past which is currently in post-production. Let's...

Hollywood stars and public figures took to social media on Monday to pay tribute to Max von Sydow. The acclaimed Swedish actor died on Sunday. He was 90.

The actor starred in 11 Ingmar Bergman films, including The Seventh Seal. Known for typically playing a tormented protagonist, von Sydow also appeared in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), The Exorcist (1973), Three Days of the Condor (1975), Never Say Never Again (1983), Minority Report (2002) and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011).

He received a best actor Oscar nomination for playing a Swedish father who emigrates to Denmark to build a better ...

Hollywood stars and public figures took to social media on Monday to pay tribute to Max von Sydow. The acclaimed Swedish actor died on Sunday. He was 90.

The actor starred in 11 Ingmar Bergman films, including The Seventh Seal. Known for typically playing a tormented protagonist, von Sydow also appeared in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), The Exorcist (1973), Three Days of the Condor (1975), Never Say Never Again (1983), Minority Report (2002) and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011).

He received a best actor Oscar nomination for playing a Swedish father who emigrates to Denmark to build a better ...

Swedish actor featured in more than 100 films and TV series.

Swedish actor Max von Sydow, who featured in more than 100 films and TV series, has died aged 90.

His wife, Catherine von Sydow, announced “with a broken heart and infinite sadness” that the actor had died in France on Sunday (March 8).

Born Carl Adolf von Sydow in Sweden in 1929, he studied at Stockholm’s Royal Dramatic Theatre (Dramaten) and made his screen debuts in Alf Sjöberg’s Only A Mother (1949) and Miss Julie (1951).

It was in 1955 that he met director Ingmar Bergman, with whom he made 11 films including The Seventh Seal...

He faced down Death itself in “The Seventh Seal,” then the demon Pazuzu in “The Exorcist,” and finally Kylo Ren in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

Max von Sydow, whose death Sunday at age 90 was confirmed by Variety, did all of these things in a singular career that spanned the European arthouse to Hollywood blockbusters. Lanky and chisel-faced, he was the kind of actor who grabbed your attention immediately and held it. And his deep, resonant voice — so memorable as he’s mansplaining culture and history to Barbara Hershey in “Hannah and Her Sisters” — seemed like it really could have been capable of sending demons back to hell.

He was born April 10, 1929 in Lund, Sweden, and began his career as an actor in several films by Alf Sjöberg, an early collaborator of Ingmar Bergman, before moving to Malmö and working with Bergman himself — first on stage at the Municipal Theatre,...

Max von Sydow in The Seventh Seal Photo: Criterion Collection Max von Sydow's French wife has said that the Swedish born star of The Seventh Seal and The Exorcist has died at the age of 90.

Documentarian Catherine Brelet announced that he had died yesterday "with a broken heart and with infinite sadness".

Von Sydow - whose final film Echoes Of The Past is currently in post-production - starred in more than 100 films and TV series. Although he began his career in theatre, he quickly carved out a career onscreen, working 11 times with Ingmar Bergman, including The Seventh Seal, Through A Glass Darkly and Wild Strawberries.

His career saw him span a range of genres and included roles as Jesus (The Greatest Story Ever Told), a priest (The Exorcist), the Devil (Needful Things) and Bond villain Blofeld (Never Say Never Again). He also featured as Lor San Tekka in Star Wars: The Force Awakens...

Max von Sydow, the prolific Swedish actor who first made his name in Ingmar Bergman films like 1957’s “The Seventh Seal” before progressing to international renown in hits like “The Exorcist” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” died Sunday at age 90.

During his decades-long career, he earned two Oscar nominations, for his lead role as a picked-on Swedish immigrant to a Danish farming community in Bille August’s 1987 drama “Pelle the Conqueror” and then as a mute old man in Stephen Daldry’s post-9/11 drama “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.”

Born into a wealthy family on the Swedish coast, von Sydow studied at the national drama school before meeting Bergman in 1955. The two collaborated in theater before embarking on a series of influential films that increased in reputation worldwide, beginning with “The Seventh Seal” and then “The Magician,” “The Virgin Spring” and “Wild Strawberries.”

Also Read: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of...

Max von Sydow, the tall, tragic-faced Swedish actor whose name was virtually synonymous with the films of Ingmar Bergman, has died. He was 90.

Variety has confirmed that the actor died on Sunday.

Von Sydow, who became Bergman’s symbol for the modern man in such films as “The Passion of Anna” and “Shame” after making his Bergman debut as the errant knight in “The Seventh Seal,” also had an unusually prolific career in Hollywood and international films.

He made his American debut in the role of Jesus Christ in George Stevens’ turgid 1965 epic “The Greatest Story Ever Told” and went on to make strong impressions with audiences in “The Exorcist,” Woody Allen’s “Hannah and Her Sisters,” David Lynch’s “Dune,” “Three Days of the Condor,” “Hawaii,” “Conan the Barbarian” and “Awakenings.”

Von Sydow worked for other Scandinavian directors as well, drawing an Oscar nomination for his role in Bille August...

Max von Sydow, the Sweden-born French actor whose credits included Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist, and the role of Emperor Ming in Flash Gordon, has died at the age of 90.

The actor’s 65-year career spanned acclaimed arthouse, Hollywood blockbusters, and television. In recent years, he played Lor San Tekka in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the Three-Eyed Raven in Game Of Thrones, and voiced a character on The Simpsons.

“It is with a broken heart and with infinite sadness that we have the extreme pain of announcing the departure of Max von Sydow, on March 8, 2020,” a statement from his widow Catherine von Sydow read, sent via the actor’s international reps who confirmed to Deadline that he passed away on Sunday, March 8.

Born in Lund, Sweden, von Sydow studied at Stockholm’s Royal Dramatic Theatre before getting his start in the film business...

In today’s film news roundup, “Bombshell” writer Charles Randolph and production designers William J. Creber and Roland Anderson are set for honors and Abrams Agency opens a London office.

Award Winners

Charles Randolph has been named the recipient of the Writers Guild of America West’s 2020 Paul Selvin Award in recognition of his script for “Bombshell.”

Randolph will be honored at the 2020 Writers Guild Awards West Coast ceremony on Feb. 1 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.

“Charles Randolph’s masterful screenplay has turned a challenging and significant cultural moment into a deeply captivating human drama,” said WGA West President David A. Goodman. “His work illustrates that the experience of standing up to abuse transcends the barriers of partisanship and political affiliation. The Wgaw is proud to honor him for this outstanding script.”

“Bombshell” recaps the sexual harassment scandals at Fox News that led to the departure of Roger Ailes.

The Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame will be induct William J. Creber – the production designer responsible for, among other achievements, the Statue of Liberty scene in the original Planet of the Apes – and frequent Cecil B. DeMille collaborator Roland Anderson into its ranks at the 24th Annual Art Directors Guild’s Excellence in Production Design Awards next month.

The announcement was made today by President Nelson Coates, Adg and Awards Producer Scott Moses, Adg. The 2020 Awards will be held Saturday, February 1, at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.

Creber, who died last year, is best known for his work on the Irwin Allen disaster movies The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno as well as the first three Planet of the Apes movies. He was Oscar-nominated three times, for The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and The Towering Inferno (1974). He was Emmy-nominated for his work on ABC’s...

In today’s TV news roundup, Ovation announces its “Twelve Days of Christmas” programming lineup and Sony Pictures Television announced “The Good Dish.”

Dates

Ovation announced its “Twelve Days of Christmas” programming lineup will start Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. with “Eve’s Christmas.” The 13 nights of programming will feature modern classic holiday programming that also includes “An Accidental Christmas” on Dec. 10; “Christmas Caper” on Dec. 11; “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” on Dec. 12; “Chasing Christmas” on Dec. 13; “12 Dogs of Christmas” on Dec. 16; “His and Her Christmas” on Dec. 17; “A Very Murdoch Christmas” and “Crazy for Christmas” on Dec. 18; “A Christmas Grace” and “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations’s” eighth season holiday special on Dec. 19; “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations’s”sixth season holiday special, “The Librarians’s” first and fourth season holiday episodes and “A Frosty Affair” on Dec. 20; “Deck The Halls” on Dec. 23 and Dec. 24; “Travel Man,” “Amazing Hotels’s” second season holiday episode,...

Hal Ashby would’ve celebrated his 90th birthday on September 2, 2019. With his long hair, sunglasses and bellbottoms, he was the epitome of the 1970s flower child, even though he was a decade older than most of the filmmakers working at the time. Though his flame burned brightly and briefly, he left behind a series of classics that signified the nose-thumbing, countercultural attitude of the era, with a bit of humanism and heart thrown in for good measure. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at all 12 of his films, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1929 in Utah, Ashby ambled around before becoming an apprentice editor for Robert Swink, working for Hollywood legends William Wyler and George Stevens. He moved up the ranks to become an editor for Norman Jewison, with whom he shared a fraternal and professional relationship. They cut five films together, including “The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!...

Here’s a highly suspenseful thriller with fine characterizations, set in a grim but meaningful place — Fascist Spain in the late 1950s, when Franco’s operatives still hold the country in a tight grip. The very modern story (by Emeric Pressburger) is also timeless: the old lost-cause warrior takes on one last mission into enemy territory. Gregory Peck (he’s good) is the legendary raider on a mission to kill an old enemy, Anthony Quinn.

Behold a Pale Horse

Blu-ray

Twilight Time

1964 / B&w / 1:85 widescreen / 118 min. / Street Date July 29, 2019 / Available from Twilight Time Movies / 29.95

Starring: Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif, Raymond Pellegrin, Paolo Stoppa, Mildred Dunnock, Daniela Rocca, Christian Marquand, Marietto Angeletti, Perrette Pradier, Zia Mohyeddin, Rosalie Crutchley, Michael Lonsdale, Martin Benson, Claude Berri, Albert Rémy, Alan Saury.

Cinematography: Jean Badal

Original Music: Maurice Chevalier

Written by J.P. Miller from a novel by Emeric Pressburger

Produced by Gregory...

(Hedison with Roger Moore on the set of Live and Let Die, 1973)

By Lee Pfeiffer

David Hedison has died at age 92. The Rhode Island native started in theater, studying at the famed Actor's Studio under the guidance of Lee Strasberg and made an impression off-Broadway in the 1950s. Hedison originally was billed under his birth name as "Al Hedison" but would later change it to David. He found himself in demand for television and feature film. He played the role of a scientist who is transformed into a deadly creature in the 1958 cult classic "The Fly" in which Hedison co-starred with Vincent Price. Hedison began to guest star on many popular TV series before landing his first series, starring in "Five Fingers", an espionage show that ran from 1959-60. His best-known role was on Irwin Allen's sci-fi series "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", which ran from...

David Hedison, an actor who appeared in Off Broadway productions by Clifford Odets and in the original version of horror sci-fi classic The Fly but is best known for his starring role in the popular ’60s adventure series Voyage To The Bottom of The Sea, died July 18 in Los Angeles. He was 92.

His death was announced by his daughters Alexandra and Serena, who were at his side when he “passed away peacefully,” the family reports.

Hedison, who began his career using his given name Al Hedison, was a native of Providence, Rhode Island, and discovered his passion for theater at Brown University. He studied under Sanford Meisner at The Neighborhood Playhouse and Lee Strasberg at The Actors Studio, and was soon performing Off Broadway alongside Uta Hagen and Michael Redgrave (Hedison performed Off Broadway in 1956’s A Month in the Country under Redgrave’s direction).

In 1958, Hedison appeared, with Vincent Price,...

“Avengers: Endgame” might have surpassed 2009’s “Avatar” when it comes to its domestic box-office — besting James Cameron’s sci-fi fantasy’s $750 million handily by taking in $816 million since its opening on April 26. But it is still a far cry from 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” still the champ with $937 million in domestic ticket sales.

But on social media, there has been some discussion beyond the big bucks about whether “Endgame” with its multitudes of Marvel-ous superhero actors might have the most Oscar winners and nominees ever for a cast of a feature film. I know there is an ongoing thread in the forums about just this topic with various permutations on who counts or not. But for my purposes, actors who won or were nominated in categories other than acting do not qualify. Same with honorary trophies.

By that measure, I count seven winners among the names: Brie Larson,...