Humphrey Bogart in ‘Sahara’: A Brief Review
A few nights ago I decided on a whim to look for any Humphrey Bogart film I’d never seen. I landed on Sahara, a 1943 war film that was Bogart’s …..
Posts tagged: Hooray for Hollywood!
Emily Blunt Tries to Remember Her Lines
Here’s a great little video from Variety in which actress Emily Blunt is handed cards with lines from some of her past roles and tries to remember the movies. It’s …..
Happy Birthday to Jack Sowards, Who Wrote a Great ‘Star Trek’ Film
It might be going too far to say that Jack B. Sowards *saved* Star Trek. But he sure threw the franchise a lifeline when he wrote the 1982 film Star …..
Mark Gustafson Wins a Well-Deserved Oscar
Yes, yes, congrats to Michelle Yeoh and Brendan Fraser and The Daniels and all the famous names. But the really big winner of Oscar night 2023 is Mark Gustafson, director …..
James Cameron Got It Right Again
The whole Avatar thing is the biggest boondoggle in the history of cinema. Who cares? — A S Hamrah (@hamrahrama) September 24, 2022 A lot of Avatar 2 tweets …..
John Carpenter Looks Back On His Career
John Carpenter, the director of iconic films like Halloween and Escape from New York, discusses his movies, his career, and his life in this lively Q&A interview with film fanatic …..
Top Gun: The Marching Band Edition
Top Gun is back, 36 years later. Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to the 1986 fighter-jock classic (again starring the ageless Tom Cruise) arrives in theaters on May 27. Deadline.com …..
Ryūsuke Hamaguchi Biography – New!
Our new biography of film director Ryūsuke Hamaguchi is now live. Ryūsuke Hamaguchi is the Japanese film director whose drama Drive My Car has been nominated for four Academy Awards …..
Marlene Dietrich and Champagne: She Didn’t Quite Say That
Here’s a story about Hollywood legend Marlene Dietrich, Champagne, and a bad quote. The actress liked her sparkles, that much is clear. A supposed Marlene Dietrich quote about Champagne is …..
Orson Welles Wasn’t Drunk After All
This infamous Orson Welles too-drunk-to-work video has been having a moment lately, 40 years after it was filmed. Now we’re happy to report on a surprising new twist. The story in …..
Cloris Leachman Knew How to Turn It On
So long, Cloris Leachman. You really knew how to turn it on. In 1984 I was 23 years old and had a $1000-a-month job working for Susan Shadburne, an independent filmmaker …..
Answers, Questions, and the Big Dream
For decades, game shows have been the TikTok of television. Regular old you and I were never going to appear on I Love Lucy or Lost in Space or Breaking …..
Alex Trebek’s Memoir Hits the Highlights
“I don’t have a lot of ghosts. I don’t have any bad memories that affect my life. It’s all good. Sure, I think of Mom and Dad and [sister] Barbara …..
Baby Yoda Biography: New!
Our new Baby Yoda biography is now live. It’s a stretch to call it a biography, of course, since the world knows so few facts about the li’l guy who …..
Doris Day and Carol Channing, Linked Forever in Death
Actress, singer and eternal nice girl Doris Day has died of pneumonia at age 97. (She fudged her age for years, but biographer David Kaufman finally pegged her birth year as …..
Read Michael Caine’s Good-Natured Slag of ‘Jaws 4’
The great Michael Caine drops a quip about Jaws: The Revenge (in which he played “carefree airplane pilot” Hoagie Newcombe): He’s the best. The quote was prompted by a comment from Ricky …..
Jackie Robinson, Happy 100th Birthday!
Happy 100th birthday to Jackie Robinson, one of the true American heroes of the 20th century. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, a racist barrier so strange and …..
Stan Lee Has Died at the ER to the Stars
Marvel Comics mastermind and comic book legend Stan Lee has died at age 95. No cause of death has been given, but The New York Times says that he died …..
Bill Paxton Biography: From JFK to ‘Big Love’
Actor Bill Paxton has died, quite suddenly, at age 61. His family said in a statement that “It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed …..
Carrie Fisher Outlived General Patton, Fell Short of Leon Trotsky
Carrie Fisher died much too young, sadly: at 60 years and 67 days. However, age is relative. Some famous historical people we think of as “older folks” died right before …..
Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher: PHOTOS
Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, fellow actors as well as daughter and mother, have died one day apart. Fisher died of a heart attack on December 27th, and the next …..
Holiday Cheer: 90+ and Still Entertaining
2016 brought us some sad deaths, from David Bowie to Muhammad Ali, but The Hollywood Reporter is ending the year with a happier feature: Entertainers who are still going strong …..
Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy: Does She Even Look Like Jackie?
Natalie Portman is playing First Lady Jackie Kennedy in the new biopic Jackie. The film just premiered at the Venice Film Festival and it’s a “brilliantly constructed, diamond-hard character study,” according …..
Marilyn Monroe Didn’t Have Six Toes on Her Left Foot, Alas
Sad but true: Marilyn Monroe did not have six toes on her left foot. Or on her right foot, either. She was a ten-toed beauty. We were unaware of the …..
Cary Grant’s Suits: The Not-So-Strange Journey
Cary Grant has been dead since 1984, but his suits live on, according to a new Wall Street Journal article titled The Strange Journey of Cary Grant’s Suits. [2024 note: Article is …..
Leonardo DiCaprio Gets His Oscar Engraved
How do you get your name engraved on your Oscar? Turns out you just go to the Governors Ball and wait in line, as this Variety video shows: .@LeoDiCaprio gets his Oscar engraved at …..
Are You Ready for The Hamster Revenant?
Congratulations to Leonardo DiCaprio for his Oscar win for the gory mountain-man drama The Revenant. Now for more good news: the sequel is already here! Prepare yourself for: The Hamster Revenant. Next …..
Leonardo DiCaprio: The Last Movie Star?
Is Leonardo DiCaprio the world’s last movie star? Ty Burr makes the case: Tom Cruise can’t open a movie anymore, unless it’s called “Mission Impossible: The Quest for Relevance”… Will …..
Cate Blanchett for SK-II Skin Cream: Whole Lotta Posin’ Going On
One of the curiosities of being an Oscar-winning movie star is that you may be asked to promote certain odd products. Like, say, $215-a-jar skin cream. That’s what Cate Blanchett …..
Star Wars World Premiere: Photos and Torch-Passings
Yes, the Star Wars: The Force Awakens world premiere was held last night in Los Angeles, and Hollywood turned out for the passing of the light saber. Let’s go …..
Eddie Redmayne is a Handsome Devil
Eddie Redmayne is looking good! The Oscar-winning actor has been on a press tour for his upcoming film The Danish Girl, in which he dons a wig, lipstick and dresses to …..
Laverne Cox was born in 1972, we’re pretty sure
Some say the Orange Is the New Black star is only 30 years old, but we think she turns 43 in 2015.
How Far Did Rocky Run?
Hint: more than a marathon. The Philly Post has a funny analysis.
Grumpy Cat is Going Hollywood
The popular feline meme is soon to be a star of books and (maybe) major motion pictures.
How One Large Omelet Led to Disney Buying Lucasfilm
Young George Lucas probably didn’t imagine he’d sell his empire to Disney for $4 billion someday. Here’s how it happened.
Fixing the Oscar Host Problem
In which we wade in, clean up the mess, and pick the perfect host for next year.
Oscars Live Blog 2013! As They Happened
Show us your guns, guns, guns! Our live coverage of the Academy Awards is here.
Best Picture Nominees: Negging Our Way to the Winner
Amour is out, right off the bat.
Pre-Oscar Glam: The Vanity Fair Photo Booth
Stars cram into the photo booth at Vanity Fair’s annual Oscar party for a good cause: Hollywood glamour.
Movie Stills, Put In Their Place
Christopher Moloney poses movie stills in front of their real-life locations. Fun!
James Bond’s Knee Suction Cups Can Be Yours
Christie’s is auctioning off a whole lot of James Bond memorabilia for the 50th anniversary of Dr. No.
Just a Nice Photo: Blake Lively
Blake Lively has married Ryan Reynolds. Here’s a swell 2012 photo of Lively.
The Dark Knight Rises: A Minority Report
“A whole lot of gabbing goes on” — our review of the new Batman movie.
Ernest Borgnine, From ‘Eternity’ to Here (Revisited)
Ernest Borgnine has died at age 95. We revisit a favorite blog post from 2011, when (just in time, it turns out) he won a special lifetime award from the Screen Actor’s Guild.
Uggie Leaves His Pawprints at Grauman’s Chinese Theater: Dial the Cute Meter Up to ’11’
Uggie the Dog — star of Oscar-winning film The Artist — has become the first dog to leave his pawprints at Grauman’s Chinese Theater.
Variety Slang: The Six Best and Six Most Annoying Terms
From “ankle” (good) to “cleffer” (bad): the 12 best and worst terms of the classic old trade paper.
Men In Black 3: World’s Shortest Review
The quickest possible review of the weekend’s highest-grossing film.
Was 1982 the Best Summer in the History of Movies?
David Morgan says it was the vintage year for summer flicks.
Nicole Kidman’s Reverse Angle Stays Busy at Cannes
A selection of reverse-angle photos of the distinguished actress.
Movie Photo of the Day: The Fondas in New York
Jane Fonda takes a moment with her dad and brother while filming your typical 1963 sex comedy in New York.
Obit of the Day: Joyce Redman, of the Famous Tom Jones ‘Eating Scene’
She and Albert Finney gnawed, slurped and grinned their way through a much-loved comedy scene.
The Rock’s 40th Birthday: What to Get Him
The Rock was born on May 2nd, 1972. What are you getting him for his 40th?
100 Facts for Universal Studios’ 100th Birthday
The studio that released both Dracula and Bridesmaids turns 100 today.
John Cusack IS Edgar Allan Poe: PHOTOS
If Sherlock Holmes can become an action hero, why not a shortish, sickly mystery author?
Lawrence Kasdan to Tavis Smiley: ‘There Is Nothing More Invigorating’
Lawrence Kasdan talks to the PBS interviewer about directing, his new movie, and working with Kevin Kline.
Is Adele Singing the Next James Bond Theme Song?
Bond fans are reading the tea leaves, as always.
Kate Winslet Looks Mighty Classy
Kate Winslet dressed up for the Titanic 3-D premiere in London.
Bruce Willis at 57: Recent Photos
Bruce Willis is now 57 years old. What’s he up to, and how’s he looking?
The Oscars: Seven Fun Photos and One Slightly Scary One
The winners weren’t the only ones having a good time at the 2012 Oscars, and one grizzled nominee is getting maybe a little too grizzled.
Oscar Nominees 2012: The Class Portraits
What do you get when 20 Oscar nominees sit down for quick portraits?
‘Albert Nobbs’: Did Glenn Close Steal It from Robin Williams?
Shocking but true: Glenn Close’s dream project is a secret remake of the 1999 weepie Bicentennial Man.
Oscar Nominees 2012: The Final Recap
Surely they won’t snub Meryl Streep again, will they? Yes, we think they will.
Drew Barrymore is Still Only 37 (Photos!)
Drew Barrymore has been acting since 1978 — and she’s not even 40.
Billy Crystal: How Old Do You Have to Be to Remember Him?
He’s a beloved figure if you’re a certain age. So what IS that certain age?
The Phantom Menace: Dreadful, Calamity, or Just Pretty Bad?
Critics hate the 3D reissue of The Phantom Menace. Let’s enjoy!
Oscar Nominee Michel Hazanavicius Talks About Uggie the Dog
In which a blog post about a celebrated French director is hijacked by a cute li’l Jack Russell terrier.
Let’s Wallow in Hollywood Glamour for A Moment
The Beverly Hills Hotel is so Old Hollywood that Liz Taylor honeymooned there. Six different times.
Cary Grant Preferred Double Vents, If You Know What We Mean
A wonderfully obsessive analysis of Cary Grant’s gray Kilgour suit from North By Northwest:”Ventless is unusual for an expensive single breasted jacket these days, yet have been familiar on double breasted suits since the ‘column’ look of the thirties. Grant apparently preferred double vents as he liked to put his hands in his pockets whilst acting.
Peter O’Toole Still Hasn’t Hit 80
Distinguished actor Peter O’Toole turns 79 years old today. He was born in 1932, which practically seems like yesterday.
Sherwood Schwartz Ends 823,000-Hour Tour
Sherwood Schwartz, creator of Gilligan and the Brady Bunch, has died. He was 94 years old — over 823,0
Busy Weekend at the “ER to the Stars”
It’s no secret that Cedars-Sinai is our favorite Hollywood hospital.So we’re thrilled — thrilled — to report that two celebs had babies there this weekend.
Greatest Movie Sandwiches
From Denzel’s pastrami to Busey’s meatball sub, they’re all here.
Cannes from the Backside
Johnny Depp lets his suspenders down as he poses for photographers at Cannes this weekend.
Uma Thurman Wears White at Cannes (Photos!)
Photos of the Cannes Film Festival never really get old, with the million photographers (in suits!) going crazy and the stars eating it up or enduring it, or both. Robert De Niro is heading up the jury this year, which also features Jude Law and the beautifulandtalented
George Clooney’s Landmark Birthday
Yes, George Clooney, today is that day. You were born in Kentucky on May 6th of 1961.
Angelina Jolie at Age 15
Angelina Jolie at age 15, in a portrait by photographer Harry Langdon. The shot was part of a large set of Langdon celebrity photos auctioned off last year; the group fetched a total of $122,000.Here’s Angelna Jolie as she looks 20 years later:
“Which of You Two Has the Checkbook?”
Shawn Southwick King tries to determine which lifelike figure is her 77-year-old husband at Madame Tussaud’s on Friday.
Just a Nice Photo: Tom Hanks and a Baby
Tom Hanks meets a random baby outside the Ed Sullivan Theater while doing the David Letterman show in 2009. I just like the matching expressions (and noses).Things hadn’t started out quite so badly…
The Violet Eyes of Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor’s eyes: what color were they, again?
Elizabeth Taylor Dead at 79: Her Career in Photos
Elizabeth Taylor, one of Hollywood’s grandest stars of the 1950s and 1960s, has died at age 79.
The Hunt for Red October: Alec Baldwin’s ‘Beady-Eyed’ Producer Responds
Yesterday Alec Baldwin described how he was forced off the sequel to The Hunt for Red October in 1991.He named the “beady-eyed” producer responsible, David Kirkpatrick, and hinted that he was a specimen of the “lyingest, thievingest scumbags on Earth.”Today Kirkpatrick responded.
Michael Bay Biography (With Ideas for His Next Film)
Our new biography of Michael Bay has just been posted, thanks to editor Paul Hehn at the Epics and Explosions Desk.
Oscar Winners Stare Bravely Ahead, Holding Their Oscars
It’s easier to look bravely into the future when you’re holding an Oscar in your hand. Academy Award winners Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, Melissa Leo and Colin Firth did just that last nigh
Ernest Borgnine, From ‘Eternity’ to Here (PHOTOS)
Ernest Borgnine was given a lifetime achievement award at the 2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards last night.
Clint Eastwood In Your Kitchen
Here’s what it’s like when a Hollywood icon shoots a 20-second bit outside your front door. Best line:
Donald Sutherland Still Looks Supercool
Donald Sutherland poses on Hollywood Boulevard after receiving his star on the Walk of Fame. Not many can pull off the pinstriped-suit-with-Santa-Claus-beard look.
“Who’s Gonna Tell Johnny Depp that He Didn’t Get the Part in ‘True Grit?'”
Johnny Depp poses with Angelina Jolie in Berlin at the premiere for the second-biggest movie of the holiday season.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Just Look Like Movie Stars
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt delivered the movie glamour on Monday night at the world premiere of The Tourist in New York City. Angelina Jolie stars with Johnny Depp in the big-budget thriller, set and filmed in Venice (
Meet the Latest Clown on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Guy Laliberte — fire-breather, founder of Cirque du Soleil, and one of the world’s richest humans — got his star yesterday on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“If You Want to Bag An Actress, Take My Seminar on Saturday”
Heh. NFL quarterback Tom Brady had a little on-field argument with linebacker Terrell Suggs during the Ravens-Patriots game last Sunday. Suggs’s account of the rhubarb:
Conan O’Brien Drives a Car off a Cliff with Explosives, Fireworks and Popcorn
Conan O’Brien seems to be having fun promoting his new show.
“Know What Mr. Peanut’s First Name Is?”
From a 2008 interview of Mad Men star Jon Hamm, conducted by fellow actor Paul Rudd:PR: Who’s your favorite cartoon potato-chip mascot?JH: The guy on the Pringles can. He looks like an old-time
shopkeeper, but he’s made of potato chips. If he got in a fight with Mr. Peanut and Mr. Salty, who do you think would come out on top?PR: Can Mr. Peanut use his cane as a weapon?JH: Absolutely.
Tony Curtis Dead at Age 85
Actor and old-school Hollywood icon Tony Curtis has died at his home near Las Vegas. Tony Curtis served in the Navy in World War II (he was in Tokyo Bay when the Japanese surrender was signed) and then worked his way up through the old Hollywood studio system. He acted with everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Cary Grant to Laurence Olivier — well over 100 movies in all.
Ouch! Roger Ebert Harshes on Joaquin Phoenix
The tragedy of Joaquin Phoenix’s self-destruction has been made into “I’m Still Here,” a sad and painful documentary that serves little useful purpose other than to pound another nail into the coffin.Roger Ebert takes on the new Joaquin Phoenix “documentary.”
Is Jerry Lewis Just Too Old for the Telethon?
Tom Shales goes there, delicately.Showing his cranky side, and hinting at his notorious temper, Lewis
complained repeatedly about the sound equipment, the plug in his ear and
not being able to hear.
Google Doodle Salutes ‘The Wizard of Oz’
Now, that’s a pretty cool Google Doodle. The Wizard of Oz was released on 12 August 1939, making it (as the Google Doodle points out) 71 years old today. The premiere was at the Strand Theater in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Why Oconomowoc?
Meryl Streep Nominated for Ten Millionth Oscar
Good grief, not again.Meryl Streep
Frank Sinatra and ‘La Bande de Rats’
Book review: Une Histoire AméricaineBy Georges Ayache256 pages for 20 euros [[wysiwyg_imageupload:1737:]]