What to stream this week: Adam Sandler is in space, 'Elsbeth' sleuths and Japan shines in 'Shogun'
This week’s new streaming entertainment releases include Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” storming Apple TV+, East meets West in feudal Japan with the kick-off of the series “Shogun,” and Disney+'s animated series “Iwájú” offers a coming-of-age story set in the future in Lagos, Nigeria.
Delfonics lead singer William 'Poogie' Hart dead at 77
William “Poogie” Hart, a founder of the Grammy-winning trio the Delfonics who helped write and sang a soft lead tenor on such classic “Sound of Philadelphia” ballads as “La-La (Means I Love You)” and “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time),” has died at age 77.
Clooney honored by MoMA as actor, director and humanitarian
Clooney was honored Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, by co-stars and colleagues at the annual film benefit for the Museum of Modern Art, held virtually. MoMA’s annual film benefit raises funds to bring great works of film to the museum’s collection. Also giving virtual tributes Monday evening were actors Felicity Jones, Tiffany Boone, Kyle Chandler and Demian Bichir, who appear in “A Midnight Sky,” which Clooney stars in and directs. The benefit featured clips from some of Clooney’s many films: “Michael Clayton,” “Syriana,” "The Descendants,” “Gravity,” and “Good Night, and Good Luck,” among others. In earlier comments to The Associated Press, Clooney said “Good Night, and Good Luck” was probably his proudest professional accomplishment.
Tarantino has deal for 2 books on films, including 1 his own
The Oscar-winning director has a two-book deal with Harper, beginning with a novelization of “Once Upon a Time ... In Hollywood” was released in 2019 and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as an actor and Brad Pitt as his stunt double. “In the ‘70s movie novelizations were the first adult books I grew up reading," Tarantino said in a statement Tuesday. “I see myself writing film books and starting to write theater, so I’ll still be creative. I just think I’ve given all I have to give to movies.”_____AP Film Writer Jake Coyle contributed to this report.
Japanese director known for single shots releases Zoom film
This undated photo provided by the @One Cut of the Dead Mission: Remote shows Shinichiro Ueda, director of One Cut of the Dead Mission: Remote, a YouTube spinoff of his 2017 award-winning film. A comedic horror film centered around teleworking, "One Cut of the Dead Mission: Remote” was released earlier this year and shared for free on YouTube. It features the same characters from his award-winning 2017 film “One Cut of the Dead,” which has one shot that was 37-minutes long. Ueda’s style incorporates slapstick comedy and focuses on visual, rather than explanatory verbal storytelling, an approach relatively rare in contemporary Japanese film. “It’s only after 200 or 300 bad films you will have that one great film,” he said.
TV's 'Warrior' latest proof that Bruce Lee still holds sway
(Cinemax via AP)PHOENIX – Even nearly 50 years after his death, Bruce Lee can still make ripples. Shannon Lee isn’t giving up on finding a new home for “Warrior,” which will eventually be available on HBO Max. “I think he’s really getting his due as a creative — someone who knows how to story-tell,” Shannon Lee said. “It’s just little things that the writers put in there to pay homage to Bruce Lee without being a caricature, which I think is the danger zone whenever you get to the subject of Bruce Lee,” Nguyen said. “He believed in celebrating people’s cultures and backgrounds and not holding it against them,” Shannon Lee said.
Grammy Museum to launch online streaming service
FILE - Barbara Streisand performs at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 13, 2011. The Grammy Museum is launching its own online streaming service featuring performances and interviews from A-list musicians, as well as material from the museums archive. The Grammy Museum is launching its own online streaming service featuring performances and interviews from A-list musicians, as well as material from the museums archive. Without the GRAMMY Museum, we wouldnt have gotten to experience or learn about so many important artists before us, FINNEAS said in a statement. We are proud to be part of this series.The Grammy Museum is a nonprofit organization through The Recording Academy, which annually produces the Grammy Awards.
'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' heads back to theaters
Quentin Tarantino's passion for old Hollywood finds an interesting outlet of expression in "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood," a movie that combines nostalgia, quirkiness and showy star performances while again weaving together fictional(CNN) - Quentin Tarantino's latest release, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," is being re-released in theaters with an extra 10 minutes. "Audiences have shown tremendous support for this movie," Adrian Smith, Sony's president of domestic distribution, said in a statement. "And we look forward to offering them another opportunity to see the film as it's meant to be seen -- in theaters on the big screen -- with more sights and sounds of the sixties from Quentin Tarantino as an added treat. "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" originally hit US theaters in late July. The movie is Tarantino's ninth, and grossed more than $139 million in North America and $228 million overseas.
Netflix's 'Mindhunter' returns
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(CNN) - Serial killers will be all over TV this weekend, which isn't particularly unusual these days. Yet the latest mini-wave devoted to the most sordid murderers -- including the return of Netflix's "Mindhunter" -- underscores the tension between feeding fascination with the topic and inadvertently glamorizing it. This weekend features more dives into history, with "Mindhunter" -- Netflix's series inspired by the FBI profilers who actually coined the term "serial killer" in the 1970s -- and "Mind of a Monster," an Investigation Discovery series that kicks off with a two-hour episode devoted to Ted Bundy. The question lingers, however, whether it's possible to spend so much time examining what makes serial killers tick without slipping from natural curiosity into romanticizing them through sheer overexposure. "Ted Bundy: Mind of a Monster" premieres Aug. 18 at 9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery.
Tarantino defends depiction of Bruce Lee in new film
Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images(CNN) - Quentin Tarantino has come under fire for the depiction of martial arts legend Bruce Lee in his new film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." "Could Cliff beat up Bruce Lee? Brad would not be able to beat up Bruce Lee, but Cliff maybe could," Tarantino said. "If you ask me the question, 'Well, who would win in a fight: Bruce Lee or Dracula?' If I say Cliff could beat Bruce Lee up, he's a fictional character, then he could beat Bruce Lee up."
'Once Upon a Time In Hollywood' Quentin Tarantino's biggest...
(CNN) - Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time In Hollywood" exceeded expectations this weekend becoming the director's highest-grossing opening weekend ever. 2 spot at the domestic box office this weekend. The big weekends from "Once Upon a Time In Hollywood" and "The Lion King" was welcomed news for the domestic box office, which has been sluggish so far this summer. The 2019 North American box office was down about 8% heading into Friday. This weekend's box office totals were up roughly 5% compared to the same weekend last year, according to Comscore.
How Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time' traveled back to 1969 LA
"Quentin is so not into digital or CGI," Ling, whose film credits include "The Doors," "Falling Down" and "Batman Forever," told CNN. You're dealing with real streets and real people and real everything...He loves the real world, so you can actually see it and smell it and touch it." He had the Vogue Theater looking exactly like it did, had movies from 1969 written on the marquee. Everywhere you turned on Hollywood Boulevard was something from 1969." "Hollywood Boulevard was an amazing mix of things," she said.
Tarantino, cast capture 1960s Hollywood in 'Once Upon a Time'
Now, after a nearly four year absence, Tarantino is back with a movie that looks at a particularly colorful time in Hollywood -- the late 1960s. He has one particularly wonderful scene opposite 12-year-old Julia Butters (from "American Housewife") as a no-nonsense child actress who takes her craft very seriously. Co-starring as Dalton's best friend, driver and confidant is another Tarantino alumnus -- Brad Pitt from "Inglourious Basterds." Andrew Cooper/Courtesy of Sony Pictures Quentin Tarantino directs Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in a scene from "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." Tarantino and his cast have delivered with a movie that really captures the look and feel of the late 1960s and, although at 160 minutes the film is a bit long, it's still a very entertaining and worthwhile experience.
'Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood' has Tarantino talking retirement
Academy Award-winning director Quentin Tarantino supports The Art of Elysium, which is a charity that encourages the art community to volunteer time to children who are battling serious medical conditions. HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - Is 10 the magic number for Quentin Tarantino? Monday, Tarantino was asked if it was true that he plans to only do one more movie. "I kind of like the idea of making 10 motion pictures and then, boom, that's it, that's done," he said. Naturally, the "one more movie" thought begs the question: Will it be the next film in the "Star Trek" franchise?