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A historian assesses the realism of a scene in a Jake Gyllenhaal action fantasy movie. Gyllenhaal's film debut was in the 1991 comedy City Slickers, where he played the son of Billy Crystal's character, Mitch Robbins. Several of Jake Gyllenhaal's best movies came in the following decade, beginning with Donnie Darko, in which he played the titular character. Donnie Darko did not perform well at the box office during its initial run, but has since become a cult classic, and is considered one of Gyllenhaal's defining roles.

The 2000s also saw Gyllenhaal starring in the disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow, the romantic drama Brokeback Mountain, the war movie Jarhead, and the mystery thriller Zodiac. He has continued to expand his career, including making his mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his role as the villainous Quentin Beck/Mysterio in 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home. However, not all of...

Some of the greatest Hollywood collaborations have come about through chance encounters and random conversations. Such was the case with "Zodiac," David Fincher's critically acclaimed 2007 true crime thriller about the Zodiac Killer and the investigation surrounding him. The film features something of an ensemble cast, with the likes of Robert Downey Jr. playing journalist Paul Avery and Brian Cox playing celebrity lawyer Melvin Belli.

The two lead roles, though, are played by the duo of Mark Ruffalo and Jake Gyllenhaal, with the latter playing famed writer Robert Graysmith and the former playing detective Dave Toschi. While both actors are big-time stars today -- and already were in 2007, with Gyllenhaal a particularly hot item coming off "Brokeback Mountain" and "Jarhead" -- the pair might never have been put together for "Zodiac" if not for Jennifer Aniston.

"I was talking to Jennifer Aniston," David Fincher explains on the film's DVD commentary track.

War movies have been a staple of Hollywood cinema almost since movies were invented. The war movie genre covers everything from historical conflicts and those in the present day, to even sci-fi imaginings of wars to come. Though the genre is perhaps most often associated with historical conflicts like World War II, World War I, and the Vietnam War, war movies that depict more recent conflicts, such as those in the Middle East, have also broken through as seminal entries.

Some notable recent war movies include Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down (2001), which chronicles a real-life incident during the Battle of Mogadishu, and Sam Mendes' Jarhead (2005), which follows a Marine's journey during the Persian Gulf War. Green Zone (2010), American Sniper (2014), Lone Survivor (2013), The Outpost (2019), and Zero Dark Thirty (2012) all take very different looks at similarly recent conflicts. One 2012 film, however, has largely fallen by the wayside when it comes to war movie genre history.

The 2000s were an incredible decade for filmmaking in general, but particularly for the war genre, which saw many modern classics being released. Many directors continued the traditions from the best war movies from generations past, pushing films about war to their limits with grand action sequences and intimate personal narratives on the battlefields. War films, by nature, lend themselves to epic, action-filled tales that feature some of the best and worst characteristics of human behavior and psychology.

Some of the best war films of all time were released in the 2000s, such as the haunting The Pianist and the captivating Inglourious Basterds, both of which represent how unique and different films in this genre can be. The Pianist is a harrowing story that follows one man's realistic journey through the Holocaust in heart-wrenching and authentic scenes, while Tarantino's epic takes a fictionalized look at an alternate reality of...

The closer one looks at "Bones," the more one begins to wonder if everything really does come back to Hart Hanson's long-lived rom-com/gnarly crime procedural. From multiple "Breaking Bad" actors showing up as guest stars to Kevin Yagher, the legendary creature designer who co-wrote Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow," playing a key creative role behind-the-scenes on the series with his brother Chris Yagher, it seems as though our plane of existence is merely a tangled web with "Bones" at the center. Were the show to somehow be lost to the ravages of time like so much older media has been, it's possible our reality as we know it would collapse. Clearly, we should stop playing Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon and start playing Six Degrees of Bones instead.

You think I'm kidding? Try this on for size: Before he came to fame playing Adonis Creed and Killmonger, Michael B. Jordan...

Peter Sarsgaard, the guest on this episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast — which was recorded in front of an audience at the Newport Beach Film Festival, where Sarsgaard was honored with the Film Performance of the Year Award — is a remarkable character actor who is enjoying the biggest year of his career. He shines in both the new Paramount film September 5, playing Roone Arledge as ABC Sports covers 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attack, and on the new Apple TV+ drama series Presumed Innocent, as a prosecutor tasked with convicting a former colleague of a murder.

The 53-year-old, who has a distinctive voice and sleepy-eyed gaze, has been acting professionally on the stage and screens big and small for 30 years. Early in his career, it was fashionable to describe him with sort of backhanded compliments — for instance, the New York Times noted in 2004 that he has a “tendency to...

It takes a village to make a movie, but when it comes to producers, at best they’re stereotyped as the money people — at worst, their efforts are nullified by honorary titles handed out like Halloween candy among anyone in need of recognition. It can be difficult to discern what producers do because unlike regulated union and guild positions where responsibilities are clearly delineated, they don’t have an over-arching protective governing body. Complicating the matter is the proliferation of titles that are typically misunderstood: How many people really know the difference between what an executive, co- and line producer does?

And it’s a job that women have been doing for a long time in the indie world. This awards season, awards contenders like “Nightbitch,” “Babygirl,” “Anora,” “The Brutalist” and others all have women in some type of producer capacity.

The PGA is trying to change that muddled perception...

The return of a reality TV monster that’s sure to dominate social media conversation; Charlie and Nick’s blossoming romance; a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the NBA courtesy of LeBron James and Anthony Edwards; the latest gem from an action auteur; Tyler Perry’s first Netflix television drama and another helping espionage and drama from Keri Russell are some of the highlights among the new films and series hitting Netflix in October.

Coming in hot on Oct. 2 is the new season of Netflix’s reality dating show Love Is Blind. The seventh go around for the main franchise — the brand has now expanded into several country-specific versions — will see a fresh batch of singles heading into the pods, hoping to find love and marry their match, all within a worryingly compressed timeline. The show, which is still billed as a “social experiment,” has experienced some bad PR in recent seasons,...

The new TV shows and movies arriving on Netflix in October 2024 see the streaming platform offering a plethora of titles across a diverse range of genres. Netflix emerged as one of the first major streaming services, helping to reshape how people watch content. From there, their library grew to include Netflix Original programming as well as many licensed movies and TV shows. With an already extensive library of content, Netflix is adding new titles each month with some highly-anticipated new additions in October 2024.

September 2024 was a big month for Netflix, marked by some talked-about original content. The Perfect Couple emerged as the latest engrossing murder mystery series while the thriller Rebel Ridge became a surprise hit for Netflix. October 2024 is another exciting month for Netflix users, with a number of popular shows returning with new seasons, like Outer Banks, Heartstopper, and The Diplomat, providing a wide variety of viewing options for Netflix users.

Making a sequel for a war movie is a difficult thing to do, as has been proven by the countless amounts of strange ideas for follow-ups to classic militaristic films over the years. The best war movies give in-depth glimpses on the true horrors of war while also featuring exciting action. Historical accuracy doesn't hurt either, though it isn't strictly required to generate a powerful story depicting the terrors of combat. However, it can be difficult to capitalize on the success of a war movie for various reasons.

A big part of the difficulty that comes with generating ideas for a war movie sequel is the adherence to real-life conflicts, which already have predetermined endings. It can be hard to find excuses to revive a recognizable war movie IP while staying faithful to actual history, putting follow-ups to war films in a difficult place. While the odd box office success...

Scott Stuber wasn’t out of the game for long, and he’s bringing back with him a venerated classic film brand. The former Netflix film chief is teaming with Amazon MGM Studios to relaunch the United Artists label and help produce movies for both theatrical and streaming.

Stuber left Netflix this spring, and under his new production company about to launch, he’ll already have a first-look, multiyear film deal with Amazon MGM Studios and will be involved in anything released by the new United Artists.

“With his proven track record of delivering global hits and an eye towards theatrical fare, Scott’s expertise and vision align perfectly with our film strategy,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios. “We are so proud to welcome him to our lot and partner with him on the relaunch of the legendary UA brand, as we work to leverage existing and new IP into big,...

Updated: Amazon MGM has confirmed the Scott Stuber hire. Find their release below Deadline’s break on the story.

Previously, 7:55 Am Pt: Former Netflix Chairman Film and Universal Vice Chairman Scott Stuber is near a deal to revive United Artists under the Amazon MGM umbrella, sources said.

Stuber left in January, though he stayed on a bit to help the transition that led to former Warner Bros exec Dan Lin taking the film reins at the streamer. Stuber was expected to form his own company, and Deadline revealed that his first project would be Deliver Me From Nowhere. That is the Scott Cooper-directed film that will star Emmy winning The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen. The film covers how the singer came out of the depths of depression writing and recording his seminal album Nebraska. 20th Century’s David Greenbaum and Steve Asbell landed the film in heated competition,...

Jake Gyllenhaal learned the biggest lesson of his acting career during a scene in which he thought he was nailing it. He starred in the 1999 family drama movie October Sky alongside veteran actor Chris Cooper, who was responsible for instilling in him the true essence of acting.

Jake Gyllenhaal in October Sky / Universal Pictures

Fans would recognize Cooper from the 2002 film The Bourne Identity as Alexander Conklin. The Oscar-winning actor was also in 1996’s A Time to Kill and 1999’s American Beauty.

Jake Gyllenhaal On The Greatest Acting Lesson He Learned From Chris Cooper

During his interview with The Howard Stern Show, actor Jake Gyllenhaal said the greatest acting lesson he received was from fellow actor Chris Cooper. The latter portrayed John Hickam in Joe Johnston’s October Sky. In one of their scenes, Gyllenhaal was pouring his heart out by screaming.

Every actor loves to pretend like they’re tough,...

Sam Mendes is undoubtedly one of the best filmmakers of our times. Among his many hit films are American Beauty (1999), which earned him the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Director, then Road to Perdition (2002), Jarhead (2005), Revolutionary Road (2008), the James Bond films Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015), and the critically acclaimed war film 1917 (2019). He also made Empire of Light in 2022 but has not been active since. Yet, earlier this year, it was reported that Mendes was working on an ambitious four-film project related to arguably the best band ever – The Beatles!

Mandes is working on four individual biopics, each dedicated to one member of the famous group – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. All four movies are currently planned for a 2027 release, which demonstrates just how big this project is. But this is old news. What we have for you here is some important casting information,...

While in the middle of filming his latest mystery film, Fountain of Youth, Guy Ritchie is revealing another film project, Wife and Dog. Ritchie’s 18th feature hails from Black Bear, who launches Wife and Dog at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival event. Plot details about Wife and Dog remain a mystery, though Variety hears Ritchie is returning to the shady world of British Aristocracy for this anticipated feature. Cameras roll for Wife and Dog in October, with top-tier Hollywood actors negotiating for starring roles.

Like many of Ritchie’s film projects, he’s writing the screenplay and producing alongside his production partner, Ivan Atkinson, and Black Bear’s John Friedberg. Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler of Black Bear executive produce.

As Cannes revs up for another competitive year, Ritchie is rolling cameras for Fountain of Youth, a mystery written by James Vanderbilt, starring Eiza González, Natalie Portman, John Krasinski,...

Fresh off the release of “Road House,” Amazon MGM Studios has closed a three-year, first-look film deal with Jake Gyllenhaal’s Nine Stories. Under the pact, Amazon MGM Studios will have first dibs on narrative features that the actor’s production company makes. The deal includes theatrical, as well as streaming releases.

Gyllenhaal most recently starred in “Road House,” a remake of the cult Patrick Swayze film, which was released on Amazon’s streaming service, Prime Video. The film debuted on March 21 and has reached over 50 million worldwide viewers on the service. Prior to that, Gyllenhaal starred in “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant,” which the studio released theatrically last year.

Gyllenhaal founded Nine Stories in 2015 with Riva Marker. Most recently, Nine Stories produced Antoine Fuqua’s “The Guilty,” which starred Gyllenhaal and debuted on Netflix. It also produced “Wildlife,” which marked Paul Dano’s directorial debut and starred Carey Mulligan; David Gordon Green’s “Stronger,...

Fallout is the most exciting Amazon Original dropping this month. From Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, this long-awaited adaptation of the popular video game franchise looks incredible, and is bound to be a hit among video game fans and newcomers alike. The series stars Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets), Walton Goggins (The Righteous Gemstones), and Aaron Clifton Moten (Disjointed).

Prime Video doesn’t have much else in the way of original offerings this month, aside from the return of Alex Rider on Freevee a few other films and TV series, but there are plenty of popular films joining the streaming service’s library. Cloverfield, Batman & Robin, Titanic, and The Notebook are just a few of the notable movies coming to Prime this month.

Here’s everything coming to Prime Video and Freevee in April – Amazon originals are designated with an asterisk.

New on Amazon Prime Video – April 2024 April 1 Blaze...

Spring has officially arrived, and plenty is blossoming at Prime Video this April! The streamer will kick off the month with dozens of film additions, from classics such as “To Catch a Thief,” “Rosemary's Baby,” and “Saturday Night Fever,” to recent Oscar Best Picture nominee “The Holdovers,” starring Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Dominic Sessa.

But mid-April will bring the premiere of the streamer’s long-awaited adaptation of “Fallout,” starring Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, and Walton Goggins. Other premieres this month include the debut of Rudy Mancuso’s “Música,” Season 2 of the Black horror anthology series “Them: The Scare,” and

Find out The Streamable’s top picks for Prime Video’s April additions, and find out everything coming to the platform this month!

30-Day Free Trial $8.99+ / month amazon.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Prime Video in April 2024? “Música” | Thursday, April 4

Real-life couple Rudy Mancuso and...

Despite the mixed reviews for Road House, the viewers and critics unanimously loved Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance in the bouncer role. It’s no wonder that the actor has such a good portfolio and even his rejected roles speak volumes of his skills. Gyllenhaal was in the running to play Batman in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. While the role eventually went to Christian Bale, Gyllenhaal was not bummed out by the rejection.

Jake Gyllenhaal in Prisoners

The Donnie Darko actor’s positive mindset was influenced by the fact that Nolan personally called him to tell him that he did not get the role. Gyllenhaal went on to land roles in critically acclaimed films like Brokeback Mountain and Jarhead, following his Batman rejection.

Jake Gyllenhaal Was Pretty Cool About His Batman Rejection Road House star Jake Gyllenhaal took his Batman rejection with a positive mindset

Last year, The Dark Knight...

Jake Gyllenhaal recently opened up on “The Howard Stern Show” about what it was like losing two major roles during the final rounds of casting: Batman in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins” and Christian in Baz Luhrmann’s “Moulin Rouge!” On the latter film, the audition process came down to Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger and Ewan McGregor. It’s here where Gyllenhaal first heard of Ledger, who would later become his co-star in “Brokeback Mountain.”

“What I felt was disappointment when I didn’t get it. Both Heath and I were disappointed,” Gyllenhaal said. “But that’s Ewan McGregor’s part. You learn to go, ‘There’s another one. I can try and go in and audition for another one. I’ll get something else.’ You keep that attitude.”

Gyllenhaal maintained that healthy mindset when he lost out on “Batman Begins” a few years after “Moulin Rouge!” fell through. David S. Goyer,...

Sam Mercer, producer on several M. Night Shyamalan movies and former head of Ilm, died Feb. 12 of younger onset Alzheimer’s in South Pasadena. He was 69.

Raised in Weston, Mass., he attended Occidental College and then started working as a location manager on 1980s classics including “Stripes,” “The Escape Artist,” “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure,” “Swing Shift,” “Peggy Sue Got Married” and “The Witches of Eastwick.”

He joined the Walt Disney Company as a production executive, supervising films including “Good Morning Vietnam,” “Three Fugitives” and “Dead Poets Society.” He then became VP of motion picture production at Hollywood Pictures, where he oversaw releases including “Quiz Show,” “The Joy Luck Club,” “Born Yesterday,” “Swing Kids,” “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” and “Arachnophobia.”

Mercer then worked as an independent producer, starting with “Congo,” “The Relic” and “Mission to Mars.” After working with Shyamalan on “The Sixth Sense,” then went on...

Sam Mercer, who produced eight M. Night Shyamalan films starting with the spooky blockbuster The Sixth Sense, has died. He was 69.

Mercer died Feb. 12 at his home in South Pasadena after a battle with younger-onset Alzheimer’s, his wife, Tegan Jones, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Mercer was seen as an out-of-the-box hire when he joined Industrial Light & Magic in September 2015 to oversee and coordinate activities of the VFX giant’s studios in San Francisco, Vancouver, London and Singapore. However, he left the next year after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Mercer began his career as a location manager on films including Stripes (1981), National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985), Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) and The Witches of Eastwick (1987).

He joined Disney and was a production executive on such features as Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) and Dead Poets Society (1989), and as a production vp at Hollywood Pictures, he oversaw the release of films...

Sam Mercer, who produced seven M. Night Shyamalan films including The Sixth Sense, headed Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic and was location manager on several classic 1980s pics, has died. He was 69.

His wife Tegan Jones told Deadline that Mercer died February 12 of younger-onset Alzheimer’s.

“He was the best big brother I could have hoped for,” Shyamalan said in a statement. “He made every movie a family, and I’ve tried to emulate that in every film since.”

Mercer moved to Los Angeles from Weston, Ma, to work in the movie industry. He began his career as a location manager on such 1980s gems as Stripes, National Lampoon’s Vacation, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Peggy Sue Got Married and The Witches of Eastwick before moving to Walt Disney Studios.

Paul Reubens in ‘Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure’ (1985)

There he worked as a production executive, supervising movies including Good Morning Vietnam and Dead Poets Society,...

The film and TV star on leading his girlfriends on, working for rich people, and why most vehicles should be banned from New York

Born in Illinois, Sarsgaard, 52, appeared in Boys Don’t Cry with Hilary Swank in 1999. His other films include Shattered Glass, An Education, Jarhead, The Lost Daughter, The Batman and The Survivor. His TV work includes The Killing, The Looming Tower, Interrogation and Dopesick, for which he was nominated for an Emmy in 2022. Memory, which is in cinemas now, was nominated for the Golden Lion for best film at last year’s Venice film festival and won him the best actor award. He is married to Maggie Gyllenhaal, they have two children and live in New York.

What is your greatest fear?

Drowning.

Exclusive: Independent Artist Group has signed actor Laz Alonso (The Boys) for representation.

Alonso is perhaps best known for starring on the hit Amazon series The Boys, centering on vigilantes’ efforts to take down a group of corrupt superheroes, which returns for its fourth season this year. On the show developed by Eric Kripke from the same-name comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the actor portrays the vigilante Mother’s Milk, sharing the screen with Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty and more.

Also currently voicing the title character on Netflix’s animated series My Dad the Bounty Hunter, Alonso’s past TV credits include A&e’s cult hit Breakout Kings, Starz’s Power Book II: Ghost, TNT’s Southland, NBC’s Deception and The Mysteries Of Laura, and Spectrum Originals’ L.A.’s Finest.

On the film side, he’s been seen portraying the villain Fenix opposite Vin Diesel...

Scott Stuber, the film chief at Netflix, is leaving the streaming service in March. He’ll (again) form his own company.

Stuber will stay with the streamer through the middle of March, a person with knowledge of the plan told IndieWire. The former Universal Pictures executive and Bluegrass Films principal has overseen the acquisition, development, or production of Netflix’s biggest movies; the list includes “Red Notice,” “Bird Box,” “Hustle,” “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” “The Adam Project,” “The Gray Man,” “The Power of the Dog,” “Don’t Look Up,” “The Irishman,” “Marriage Story,” and “Roma.”

“Seven years ago, Reed and Ted offered me the amazing opportunity to join Netflix and create a new home for original movies,” Stuber said in a statement. “I am proud of what we accomplished and am so grateful to all the filmmakers and...

Scott Stuber is leaving Netflix. The chairman of Netflix film since 2017, he will be leaving in March to start his own media company.

This has been in the works for some time, as rumors were rampant he had a different philosophy than Netflix toppers, whose prime focus has always been to make premium movies to be consumed by streaming. Other streamers have evolved into a theatrical first window for many of their big budget films, as Apple did in securing traditional distributors to globally release films like Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon. While Netflix has acquired some posh theaters in qualifying cities like New York and Los Angeles, its business plan is mainly global streaming without the giant P&a spend needed for films to do big movie house grosses.

Stuber will stay to help the transition, and then Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria will oversee things until a permanent replacement is secured.

Exclusive: Annette Bening is joining Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Frankenstein lore feature at Warner Bros; the studio making it official that this is a go-project. Cameras roll in Q1. This package with its attachments has been out there since it was at Netflix, and the deals have finally closed with everyone. Jessie Buckley is the star of the movie which follows Frankenstein’s pursuit of love.

There’s already been word out there about the cast, including Buckley, and it’s a murderers’ row with Christian Bale, Penélope Cruz, and Peter Sarsgaard. Bale and Buckley have been circling this project well before the strikes.

Logline: A lonely Frankenstein travels to 1930s Chicago to seek the aide of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman and the Bride is born. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the...

Historically accurate war movies gain respect from historians and soldiers for their attention to detail and portrayal of real-life events. Saving Private Ryan's D-Day landing sequence is praised for its intense and realistic depiction, earning praise from veterans for capturing the experience accurately. Cold Mountain's attention to detail, including accurate flags and trench warfare, contributes to its authenticity and makes it more realistic for viewers.

War movies are often judged by their commitment to historical accuracy, and the best war movies can win praise from historians, or even soldiers who lived out the events being depicted on screen. War movies focus on real-life stories more than most other genres, so it's always interesting to see how well they portray historical events. Some movies don't pay much attention to the finer details, but inaccurate war movies can often be distracting. Deviations from historical fact can ruin a movie.

The...

Mark Ruffalo is revealing that he felt like he had a target on his back for the Paramount Pictures serial killer drama “Zodiac.”

The 2007 David Fincher film follows two reporters, played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruffalo’s future MCU co-star Robert Downey Jr., as they try to track down the anonymous murderer who tormented San Francisco in the 1970s. Ruffalo portrays a police officer who is narrowing in on the case.

Almost 20 years later, and Ruffalo is now detailing how representatives for the “Zodiac” production were not interested in hiring him.

“Studios, they weren’t coming to me in that way,” Ruffalo told High Snobiety of his career at the time. “I’ll never forget when they were negotiating my deal [for ‘Zodiac’], the studio negotiator literally said to my manager, ‘Look, we don’t give a shit about Mark Ruffalo, we don’t even want Mark Ruffalo in this movie,...

Just as it was beginning to look like the dance card for this season’s Oscar race was full, the release date for a highly acclaimed film that was not expected to drop until 2024 has been set for December 2023.

The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the North American distribution rights of Michel Franco‘s Memory, which stars Peter Sarsgaard and Oscar winner Jessica Chastain, have been acquired by Ketchup Entertainment, which will release it shortly before the end of the year.

Memory tells the story of Sylvia (Chastain), a social worker who leads a simple and structured life until Saul (Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion. Their surprise encounter profoundly impacts both of them and opens the door to memories, challenges and revelations that will leave a lasting impact.

The hope and belief of the film’s makers and new distributor is that Academy members will respond...

Chicago – That’s a wrap! The 59th Chicago International Film Festival (Ciff) Closing Night is October 22nd, 2023, with “The Bikeriders,” which is set in Chicago and directed by Jeff Nichols, who will make an appearance on behalf of the film. Click Closing for info and tickets.

“The Bikeriders” is an immersive experience into the look, feel, and sounds of the subculture of ’60s motorcycle riders. Kathy (Jodie Comer), a strong-willed member of the Vandals who’s married to a wild, reckless bikerider named Benny (Austin Butler of “Elvis”), recounts the Vandals’ evolution over the course of a decade, beginning as a local club of outsiders united by good times, rumbling bikes, and respect for their strong, steady leader Johnny (Tom Hardy).

Closing Night Film of the 59th Ciff is ‘The Bikeriders’

Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

On the Closing Night of a magnificent 11 Days, a reminder of the presenting...

Prime Video offers a diverse selection of war movies, including originals, classics, and recent hits, giving viewers plenty of options to choose from. Films like "The Covenant," "Jarhead," and "The Pianist" stand out as some of the best war movies available on Prime Video, with powerful performances and gripping narratives. From thought-provoking anti-war classics like "Paths of Glory" to true stories like "The Auschwitz Report" and "Shershaah," Prime Video has a range of war movies that are emotionally impactful and worth watching.

Amazon Prime Video is loaded with great war movies, but these 10 are the best it currently has to offer. War movies, like any other genre of film, vary greatly in terms of their overall quality. Since this is such a popular genre, streaming services like Prime Video often have a huge catalog of war movies ranging from generic duds to thrilling masterpieces. Many of the streaming giants make...

Military movies often focus on the mundane and traumatic aspects of soldier life, portraying its crushing repetition and occasional violence. The best military movies strike a balance between satire and observation, criticizing the military-industrial complex while humanizing soldiers and civilians. Lesser-known military satires like Buffalo Soldiers and Jarhead offer realistic depictions of military life while providing social commentary on war and futility.

While there are a lot of war movies that highlight the horrors of armed conflict, some great military satires have managed to mine dark humor from the same subject. Military movies have to strike a difficult balance and can often become quite dour as a result. Unlike more gung-ho war movies, military movies are often more concerned with the day-to-day lives of soldiers than spectacular battles and bloody sieges. However, this means that many of them focus on the crushing repetition, grinding boredom, and occasional traumatic violence of life in the military.

It’s time for Peter Sarsgaard to finally shatter the Oscar glass.

Once upon a time, actor Peter Sarsgaard won the most precursors prizes during the 2003-2004 awards season for his supporting turn in Billy Ray’s “Shattered Glass.” In the film, he plays Charles Lane, a newly promoted editor who suspects one of his revered writers (played by Hayden Christensen) could have fabricated some of his stories. It was a breakout performance in the early days of online Oscar punditry that had everyone buzzing. However, when it came time for the major televised ceremonies, he was only able to muster a Golden Globe nod, then to be followed by shocking snubs from SAG, BAFTA and eventually the Academy Awards.

It was one of the few times in recent awards history where the leader of critics’ acting prizes failed to nab Oscar recognition (others include Ethan Hawke for “First Reformed...

A brand new “The Boys” spinoff series, the second season of “Wheel of Time” and football highlight a robust lineup of new movies and shows coming to Amazon Prime Video in September. “Gen V,” a spinoff of “The Boys” set at a college, premieres on Sept. 29, while new episodes of “The Wheel of Time” Season 2 are rolling out all month long after the season premiere on Sept. 1.

Thursday Night Football is streaming starting Sept. 14, and a whole host of library movies worth checking out – from “Four Weddings and a Funeral” to “Dracula” to “10 Things I Hate About You” – are now streaming.

There’s also the premiere of the original film “Cassandro” starring Gael Garcia Bernal as a gay wrestler, and the acclaimed drama “A Thousand and One” comes to Prime Video on Sept. 19.

Check out the full list of what’s new on Amazon Prime Video in September 2023 below.

Jarhead 2: Field of Fire feels like a parody of sorts initially. The opening monologue has a lot of profanity, which you wouldn’t usually hear in the kind of war movies that go to the Oscars. Given that it was released directly on VOD, it is understandable that this one wouldn’t have the seriousness or technical brilliance of Jarhead (2005), which was directed by none other than Sam Mendes, or that of any other iconic war movie like Saving Private Ryan (1998).

However, as it moves forward, the movie takes itself seriously and actually makes it a point to tell a story that has merit. The tonal shift is sort of abrupt, but there is plenty of action, and the story is quite easy to grasp. With its arrival, Jarhead 2 has received a new surge in popularity, which is understandable. I wouldn’t call it a good movie, but I...

War movies, while addressing delicate subjects, allow filmmakers to explore historical events or tell epic fictional stories rooted in reality, but more often than not, these end up being so inaccurate that military experts have to step in to share the truth. Due to the topics addressed in war movies, these are often paired with the drama genre, sometimes combined with historical drama or biographical, depending on the story they are telling, though war movies have also teamed up with comedy for a lighter tone. However, in every case, either telling a true or fictional story, war movies are subjected to more analysis and scrutiny than any other genre.

Historical and biographical war movies will inevitably be analyzed by historians who will decide how accurate or inaccurate they are, but no matter if it's a fictional or real story, veterans and military experts will also come forward to point out...

The Gabrielle Union-starring rom-com The Perfect Find and new seasons of deceptive baking sensation Is It Cake? and The Witcher, marking the beginning of the end of Henry Cavill’s starring run, are some of the much-anticipated titles still set to come to Netflix this month.

In The Perfect Find, Union plays a fashion editor who, after a public breakup and career implosion, starts working for her former rival Darcy Hill (Gina Torres) and catches the eye of a younger videographer (Keith Powers), who happens to be the boss’ son. As a romance blossoms, Union’s character begins to question what she really wants from the next phase of her life. The film, directed by Numa Perrier, is based on Tia Williams’ award-winning novel of the same name and also stars Janet Hubert, D.B. Woodside, Aisha Hinds, La La Anthony and others.

More deceptive desserts are on the menu...

As we creep towards summer, Netflix has a hot new list of fresh content, including the final season of “Never Have I Ever,” the sophomore season of ‘Human Resources” and the highly anticipated sixth season of “Black Mirror.”

Kicking off the start of the month on mega streamer are lots of family-friendly goodies like both “Nanny McPhee” and “Nanny McPhee Returns,” “Kicking and Screaming,” “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius” and the “Angry Birds Movie.” But the adults won’t be left out of the conversation, as more mature flicks and series like “Jarhead,” “Funny People” and “We’re the Millers” are also hitting the platform this month.

And it wouldn’t be Netflix without its originals. “Take Care of Maya,” “Extraction 2” and the Sarah Snook-led “Run Rabit Run” will land on the site in June. And even if this isn’t enough to get you watching, Netflix will be streaming its Tudum festival on Saturday,...

Starting with the underrated original released in 2005, the Jarhead war movie franchise has received three straight-to-video sequels, and some are better than others. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sam Mendes, the first Jarhead follows the real-life account of Anthony Swofford as he serves in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s. Instead of focusing on the glorified aspects of military service, Jarhead is a unique specimen because it truly gets inside the mind of its main character as he experiences the highs and lows of active combat. Despite being a self-contained true story, the movie spawned three sequels that were released many years later.

Aside from bearing the recognizable Jarhead moniker, none of the sequels continue the story from the original, and all of the movies are disconnected from one another. As such, the low-budget follow-ups have largely flown under the radar or attracted a...

Netflix gained a new competitor last month (sort of) when HBO Max and Discovery+ combined forces to create the confusingly-named Max. With its list of new releases for June 2023, however, Netflix doesn’t have too much to worry about.

This month is filled with some major Netflix original titles, not the least of which is The Witcher season 3 volume 1 on June 29. Though star Henry Cavill is set to leave the Polish folklore/video game adaptation in season 4, he remains very much entrenched as the titular Witcher in this next go-around. Other big TV hits include Manifest season 4 part 2 (June 2), Big Mouth spinoff Human Resources season 2 (June 9), and animated King Kong series Skull Island (June 22). That’s not even to mention the return of Black Mirror season 6. That still has yet to receive a release date but we have no doubt it will be properly epic once it arrives.

Netflix’s...

One of the most anticipated titles coming to Netflix in June is “Extraction 2,” a sequel to the 2020 action thriller starring Chris Hemsworth. After being presumed dead following a massive battle in Bangladesh, Tyler Rake is back and ready to embark on another dangerous mission The film streams June 16.

Watch the trailer for “Extraction 2”:

The wacky animated film “Nimona” also arrives on the world’s largest streamer next month. The movie follows a shapeshifter sidekick to the villain Lord Blackheart. After his boss gets in trouble with Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin, who is charged with keeping the peace in a futuristic fantasy kingdom, Nimona has to become a new kind of hero for a new kind of fairy tale. The film arrives June 30 on Netflix.

Check out the trailer for “Nimona”:

Premiering in June — on a date to be announced — is the sixth season of the sci-fi dystopian technology anthology series “Black Mirror.

Clockwise from top left: Dune (Universal Pictures), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Tri-Star Pictures), The Ring (DreamWorks Pictures), Spider-Man 2 (Sony Pictures)Image: The A.V. Club

June marks a big moment for Netflix: it’s the first full month with the streaming platform’s new draconian rules on password sharing...

The Rio cast recruited acclaimed dramatic actors, beloved comedians, and distinctive musicians to breathe life into the colorful characters of this animated musical comedy. Rio follows Blu, a domesticated macaw who was raised in a small town in Minnesota, as he embarks on an exciting journey through his hometown of Rio de Janeiro when he meets the independent, adventurous Jewel. When it hit theaters in 2011, Rio was a big enough hit with critics and audiences to spawn a sequel, Rio 2, released in 2014, with most of the original voice cast returning.

From Oscar winners to blockbuster actors to chart-topping pop stars, the Rio cast is full of recognizable voices from other movies and TV shows. The voices of Les Misérables’ Fantine, The Smurfs’ Grouchy Smurf, and members of such bands as the Black Eyed Peas and Flight of the Conchords can be heard in the Rio cast, each playing their...

The Office cast is one of the most beloved ensembles in television history and it is hard to believe it has been a decade since they were last seen together on the show. Luckily for fans, they live in a day and age where they can still binge-watch old episodes at any time. This allows fans to look back on The Office cast as they began their journey on the show and how they compare to today.

When The Office first aired on NBC in 2005, many people weren’t sure how this remake of a quirky British mockumentary-style sitcom was going to translate for wider audiences. Well, it turns out it was a sleeper hit, and it has gone down in history as one of the most successful and most loved TV series of all time. Thanks to this show, many great actors that fans love and respect today got their big starts,...

Jake Gyllenhaal as Sgt. John Kinley in The Covenant, directed by Guy Ritchie, a Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film.

Credit: Christopher Raphael / Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures

© 2023 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved. Jake Gyllenhaal takes on the role of a U.S. Army officer in his new film, Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant. It was a familiar position for Gyllenhaal to be in, as he’s played characters with military experience in some of his previous films, including Jarhead, and Source Code, Because of those previous experiences, Gyllenhaal told us, he already felt like he had a head start on understanding the character when he got the role. (Click on the media bar below to hear Jake Gyllenhaal) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Jake_Glyenhal-Guy_Richie_The_Covenant_.mp3 Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant is now playing in theaters.

The post ‘Covenant’s’ Jake Gyllenhaal Has Done The Military Drill...

Exclusive: In Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant, Jake Gyllenhaal throws on the military fatigues he hasn’t worn since 2005’s Jarhead, this time joined by an award-winning actor and real-life veteran in Dar Salim. In the new action movie from STX and MGM, Gyllenhaal plays U.S. Army Master Sgt. John Kinley, whose bond with his interpreter, Ahmed (Salim), only grows after their unit is ambushed by the Taliban. After Kinley is injured during the escape, Ahmed embarks on a Herculean effort to carry Kinley across the Afghanistan mountains to safety. When Ahmed is unable to get a visa to get him and his family to the U.S., Kinley risks his life to return to Afghanistan and save him.

The film, which hits theaters Friday, features the edge-of-your seat suspense and impressive action sequences that Ritchie is known for, but it also shows the bond soldiers have with their interpreters...

In /Film's review of "Guy Ritchie's The Covenant," the critic (yours truly) made passing reference to the fact that the film was based on a real-life story, and stated that army sergeant John Kinley, the role played by Jake Gyllenhaal in the movie, was a real person. This wasn't accurate. While the film was extrapolated from a patchwork of actual events and experiences that happened during the Afghanistan war, it was not a direct biography of any one person in particular. As it happens, there is no actual person named John Kinley who fought in Afghanistan. The error has been corrected. 

"The Covenant" is about how Kinley was assigned a battle-capable interpreter named Ahmed (Dar Salim) to help him and his platoon locate Taliban bomb-making facilities. During a raid gone awry, Kinley and Ahmed find themselves the only survivors left, trekking deep into Taliban territory. When Kinley is injured, Ahmed...

With the caveat that Universal’s animated blockbuster “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is going to win a third weekend at the box office with very little effort, we’re still going to see four new wide releases this weekend, including one expanding nationwide after opening in just four theaters. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.

Warner Bros. and New Line team with Sam Raimi for the latest incarnation of his popular ’80s horror franchise, “Evil Dead Rise.” This one is directed by Irish filmmaker Lee Cronin (“The Hole in the Ground”), who isn’t quite that well known outside of horror circles, but he clearly impressed those that saw it at its SXSW Film Festival premiere. With 44 reviews at the time of this writing, the movie has a surprisingly high 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which should help the fact that it has a relatively no-name cast.