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Exclusive:Benjamin NetanyahudocThe Bibi Fileshas secured distribution in multiple territories, flying in the face of the controversial Israeli prime minister’s attempts to block the film.

The work, directed byAlexis Bloomand produced byAlex Gibney,gives unprecedented insight into the backstory of Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial, through never-before-seen footage of police interrogations of the politician as well as his wife sara and sonYair.

In Europe, the doc has sold to Benelux (September Film), France (Dulac Distribution), Poland (Against Gravity), Spain (Filmin) and the UK (Dogwoof).

It has also been acquired for Australia & New Zealand (Madman), Indonesia (Pt Falcon), and the Middle East and Turkey (Teleview).

Thoms Powers, Alexis Bloom, Alex Gibney

Goodfellasboarded sales on the doc on the eve of the Toronto International Film Festival, where it screened as a work in progress, one day after an attempt by Netanyahu’s lawyers...

It’s the late greatCarrie Fisher’s birthday, as the Star Wars icon and prolific writer would have turned 68 today. Fisher is obviously best known for playing Princess Leia, but her long list of acting credits also includes the “Mystery Woman”fromThe Blues Brothers,Marie fromWhen Harry Met Sallyand “Bianca Burnette,” the washed-up actress who accusesGeorge Lucasof sexual misconduct inScream 3.

Less high up on Fisher’s list of accomplishments is the 1981 comedyUnder the Rainbow,a notorious turd about the making ofThe Wizard of Oz,also starringChevy Chase.Inspired by possibly apocryphal stories involving the hotel hosting the “drunken”Munchkinactors,Under the Rainbowalso threw in a wacky espionage plot line about Nazi spies, which is why Hitler gets heil-ed in the balls just five minutes into the movie.

It seems that the only positive aspect of starring in...

Dick Van Dykeis a national treasure. For the better part of a century, the comedic actor has been entertaining audiences with his endlessly flexible physical comedy, his sunny personality, and his big heart. He makes everything he's in better, which means there's really no such thing as a bad Dick Van Dyke movie. Plenty of Van Dyke's films are crowd-pleasers, but only one was ever a certified, unanimously loved critic-pleaser -- at least according toRotten Tomatoes.

The movie in question is "Divorce American Style,"a comedy from sitcom producing powerhouseBud Yorkin.Yorkin is best-known today as the producing partner ofNorman Learand one half of the team behind groundbreaking shows like "All in the Family,""Sanford and Son,"and"Maude."Four years before"All in the Family"hit the airwaves, though, Yorkin was seated in the director's chair for"Divorce American Style,"a breakup comedy penned...

This past weekend,Heritage Auctionsauctioned off nearly 900 props, costumes, maps and more fromGame of Thrones.There were bidding wars galore, and at the end of the three-day session, every single lot was sold for a total of $21,115,718, according to Heritage Auctions itself.

In the end, this was the most successful auction themed around a single film or TV show, and the second most successful auction in the history of Heritage Auctions. The most successful, interestingly, was a 2011 auction featuring pieces of Hollywood memorabilia archived by movie starDebbie Reynolds,which included items like the camera on whichGeorge Lucasshot Star Wars and clothing worn byMarilyn Monroe.I guess Hollywood as a whole still beats Westeros.

All in all, 32 items from theGame of Thronesauction fetched $100,000 or more. Let's look at a sampling:

Obviously, the Iron Throne commanded the highest price: $1,490,000JonSnow's sword Longclaw was very popular.

The month of October brings with it plenty of annual viewing traditions, and chief among them for ’90s kids is the “Halloweentown”franchise. The series launched in 1998 with aDisney ChannelOriginal Movie about a 13-year-old girl who learned that not only did she descend from a line of witches, but there’s actually an entire community calledHalloweentownpopulated by witches, warlocks and all sorts of spooky creatures.

“Halloweentown”played on Disney Channel ad nauseum every October, and eventually spawned three additional sequels. With spooky season in full swing – and with all four movies currently streaming onDisney+— now is as good a time as any to get straight how to watch the “Halloweentown”movies in order.

“Halloweentown”(1998) Disney

The first “Halloweentown”film sets the stage for all to come.Kimberly J. Brownplays Marnie Piper, an ambitious 13-year-old who learns that her mother Gwen (Judith Hoag) and her grandmother (Debbie Reynolds) are witches,...

Here's a lightly intriguing bit of Hollywood history that involves "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis,""Gilligan's Island"andArthur Penn's New Hollywood masterpiece "Bonnie and Clyde."

Like most showbiz lore, it begins withBob Denver's physical condition. If you're reading this, there is a very good chance that you've never seen an episode of "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis,"let alone heard of it. Created by humoristMax Shulman,whose other major claim to fame is having written "The Tender Trap",the sitcom aired for four seasons onCBSand quickly became a showcase forDenver,whose Maynard G. Krebs brought beatnik culture into America's living rooms.

Krebs was a hepcat with an affinity for jazz and a hatred of work. He spoke via a too-cool-for-school patois, and, being too young to know much of what he was talking about, often made an ass of himself in doing so.

Pamela Anderson‘s long-awaited opportunity to showcase her acting chops has finally arrived withThe Last Showgirl,a role that took three decades to materialize.

In this emotional ensemble drama directed byGia Coppola,Andersonplays Shelley, a Las Vegas showgirl who has spent 30 years performing in the same show, “Le Razzle Dazzle.”

The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Friday, delves into Shelley’s life as she faces the uncertainty of losing her career and navigating personal challenges, including reconnecting with her estranged daughter.

Anderson Talks Movie Preparations And How She Resonated With Shelley’s Journey

“I think I’ve been getting ready my whole life for this role,” Anderson, 57, expressed during a Q&a session after the film’s premiere. Reflecting on her past roles in films likeBarb WireandRaw Justice,she admitted, “It’s the first time I ever read a good script…...

In her latest film,Billie Lourddrew from some personal inspiration for a beautiful mother-daughter story.

While attending the movie’s Toronto International Film Festival world premiere on Friday, the Last Showgirl actress explained how her role in theGia Coppolamovie reminded her of late motherCarrie Fisherand grandmotherDebbie Reynolds.

“That’s so weird, a movie about Vegas and mothers and daughters… did I relate to that? 100 percent,”Lourdtold People. “That’s why I fell in love with it.”

She continued, “When Gia sent me the script for the first time, I was so excited to get to be involved in it because it reminded me so much of my mom and grandma. My grandma was a showgirl in her own right and my mom was a little bit of the character that I got to play. So, it was really cathartic and incredible to get...

The Toronto International Film Festival upped the razzle dazzle factor on the second day of its 49th edition with the world premiere of “The Last Showgirl,”a Vegas-set drama that sees starPamela Andersonenter the awards-season conversation for the first time in her iconic career.

The film, directed byGia Coppola( “Palo Alto” ), follows a 30-year veteran dancer, who toils in sequin in the last remaining traditional floor show in the gambling mecca known as Sin City.Dave Bautistaplays the show’s stage manager, who must deliver the news to the dancers that their act will close permanently in two weeks. “Mad Men”starKiernan ShipkaandBrenda Songare the next-gen dancers who perform alongsideAnderson,whileBillie Lourdportrays her estranged daughter. Recent Oscar winnerJamie Lee Curtis,with a perma-tan and frosted lipstick, brings the comic relief as a Vegas cocktail waitress who must endure...

Exclusive:Alex Gibney-producedBenjamin Netanyahudoc The Bibi Files, directed byAlexis Bloom,has set sales with Goodfellas ahead of a work-in-progress screening in Toronto.

With the global spotlight on Netanyahu as the death toll continues to rise in the Israel-Gaza war sparked by the October 7 Hamas attacks, the doc promises unprecedented insight into the backstory behind the Israeli prime minister’s ongoing corruption trial and how it is informing his current actions.

The work features leaked footage of police interrogation videos with Netanyahu, wife Sara, and sonYair,conducted from 2016 to 2018 as part of the eight-year criminal investigation which led up to the controversial politician’s indictment in November 2019, for breach of trust, bribery, and fraud.

This material has been intercut with interviews with key Israeli figures including former prime minister Ehud Olmert, Netanyahu’s former spokesman Nir Hefetz, former Shin Bet leader Ami Ayalon, and investigative journalist Raviv Drucker among others.

Albert Brooks’s films are as smooth and polished as any American comedy could hope to be, and yet they’re freighted with submerged neuroses. Mother embodies this tension between a book and its cover. It has a high concept, the jokes are honed with a jeweler’s precision, and the staging values functionality over poetry. It superficially suggests a sitcom, and yet there’s still very much the possibility of the audience feeling “seen” by Mother, as Brooks’s sharp punchlines are more revealing than they initially appear to be.

One of Brooks’s governing themes here—and perhaps the dominant theme of his work—is how neurotics of his generation try to talk themselves out of their neuroses. Brooks’s characters appear to say what they mean, giving his films a veneer of having no subtext. But his characters’ outbursts, modeled on their generation’s obsession with therapy,...

We will update this article throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checkingIndieWirefor the latest news from the 2024 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 13 to June 24, with the official Emmy nominations announced Wednesday, July 17. Afterwards, final voting commences on August 15 and ends the night of August 26. The 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, September 15, and air live on ABC at 8:00 p.m. Et/ 5:00 p.m. Pt.

Click on for more of our previous thoughts on what to expect at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.

The State of the Race

For those paying close attention to some of the categories down the line, the nominations for the Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series came as quite a surprise. Not only did noHuluproject make it in, despite being the reigning...

What doBillie Lourd,Colin Hanks,andBette Midlerhave in common? The answer: They were all rather taken withDaniel Reisinger.

The charismatic Australian director (Sideswiped,Players) spoke toThe Hollywood Reporteron just how he landed such an impressive cast for what is a relatively niche British rom-com. AndMrsis one of Edinburgh Film Festival‘s world premieres in its out of competition category this year.

To describe this film, penned byMelissa Bubnic,as a rom-com feels misleading; its protagonist Gemma, played by Irish actressAisling Bea,is left bereft and blindsided when her fiancé Nathan (Hanks) drops dead months before their wedding. In a bizarre but incredibly endearing effort to honor their love and distract herself from her own grief, she sets about trying to posthumously marry him.

Lourd,the daughter of Star Wars legendCarrie Fisher,is Nathan’s zany and heavily pregnant sisterAudrey,...

Existential crisis, sarcasm, dry wit and soured relationships collide in Albert Brooks‘ charming comedy Mother. The director uses his signature style of comedic delivery and sentiment to explore the delicate nature of a mother’s bond with her son. Brooks has been called “The West CoastWoody Allen.”It’s easy to understand the comparison between the two prolific filmmakers. Afterall, they each write, direct and star in their own films, their stories are grounded and contemplative, and they’ve each voiced characters in animated features (AntsandFinding Nemo).

However, the nickname over simplifies Brooks’ work and minimizes the originality of his creative style. In Mother, Brooks uses his talents and skills — honed and perfected from over a decade behind the camera — for an in-depth, humanized reflection on growth, redemption and healing.

Mother plot

Struggling sci-fi writerJohn Henderson(Albert Brooks) finds his life at an impasse following his second divorce.

The HBO Original documentaryElizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes,directed by award-winning filmmakerNanette Burstein,debuted on Saturday, August 3rd on HBO and streaming onMax.An official selection of the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, the film had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost TapesallowsElizabeth Taylor’s own voice to narrate her story, inviting audiences to rediscover not just a mega star of Hollywood’s Golden Age but a complex woman who navigated lifelong fame, personal identity, and public scrutiny on a global stage from early childhood. Through newly recovered interviews with Taylor and unprecedented access to the movie star’s personal archive, the film reveals the complex inner life and vulnerability of the Hollywood legend while also challenging audiences to recontextualize her achievements and her legacy.

In 1964, at the height of her fame, Elizabeth Taylor sat down with journalistRichard Merymanfor a candid,...

Hollywood will get to hearElizabeth Taylor’s voice once more in the newly-released HBO documentary,Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes.Nanette Bursteinhelms the project that relies on 40 hours of lost interviews of the actress throughout 1984. One of the most devastating topics covered in the documentary is the death of her third husbandMike Todd.

Elizabeth Taylor inCleopatra|20th Century Fox

The death of the producer came at a time when Taylor was acting in the 1958 film, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The production of the film was already going through several troubles and Taylor’s husband’s death halted it for a month. She was allegedly forced to return to the film byMGM,the studio behind the film.

Elizabeth Taylor Was Forced To Film One Of Her Most Prominent Films Amidst A Personal Tragedy Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | MGM

Elizabeth Taylor was married eight times,...

In 1964, at the height of her career, megastarElizabeth Taylorsat down with journalistRichard Merymanfor a combined 40 hours of audio interviews discussing the highs and lows of her work and life. Now, 60 years later, award-winning “Hillary”filmmakerNanette Bursteinoffers “the most intimate portrait of the actress to date” with a new feature-length documentary with Taylor in her own words, in addition to personal photos, home movies, news footage, film clips, and more. “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes”premieres on Saturday, Aug. 3 at 8 p.m. Et on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. You can watch with Subscription to Max.

How to Watch “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes”When: Saturday, Aug. 3 at 8 p.m. Et Where: HBO, Max Stream: Watch with a Subscription to Max. Sign Up $9.99+ / monthMaxAbout “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes”

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Nanette Burstein, “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes...

The seed for In & Out, according to screenwriterPaul Rudnick,was planted during the 1994 Academy Awards whenTom Hanks,accepting the best actor Oscar for Philadelphia, thanked his high school drama teacher, who was gay. What if, Rudnick wondered, that teacher lived in a small Indiana town and wasn’t gay—or, more to the point, what if that teacher was gay and just didn’t realize it yet?

The comic tone ofFrank Oz’s film recalls the 1993 episode ofSeinfeldtitled “The Outing,”in which Jerry is falsely labeled as gay in a college newspaper. That episode’s refrain, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that” —offered by the central characters as both a badge of liberal awareness and a declaration of their skittishness concerning the subject of gay sex—works as a comedic complement to the prestige orientation of something like Philadelphia. After all, the subject...

Beat the summer heat with the latest additions at Max! This August, truth is stranger than fiction, and HBO will premiere multiple documentary series and films, including the four-part Original “Chimp Crazy,”a new installment of the Emmy-winning “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears,” and the streaming premiere of the recent Cannes and Tribeca entrant “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes.”

The rest of the month at Max includes the Season 3 premiere of the HBO/BBC One finance industry drama “Industry,” returning after a two-year hiatus, and the surprise “City of God”follow-up series “City of God: The Fight Rages On.”All of the new titles, from new series premieres to classic films joining the library, as well as any new games and matches available this month on Bleacher Report, will be available on either an ad-supported Max plan beginning at $9.99 per month or an ad-free plan beginning at $16.99 per month.

The lateCarrie Fisherwas known best for her role in the Star Wars original trilogy. Fisher played Princess Leia beginning in 1977’s Star Wars and went on to appear in subsequent sequels, including the eighth episode of the seriesThe Last Jedi.

One of Fisher’s most iconic scenes is the ‘Golden Bikini’ scene fromReturn of the Jedi.the actress was reportedly extremely uncomfortable while filming the sequence but ultimately liked the way it was received by fans when she saw male fans at the conventions wearing a metallic bikini.

Carrie Fisher Was So Happy To Find Star Wars Fans Celebrating Her Popular Scene Carrie Fisher inStar Wars: A New Hope| Credits:Lucasfilm

Carrie Fisher had a wild life as an actress in the late ‘70s after being cast as the leading lady in George Lucas’ Star Wars. The daughter of actorsEddie FisherandDebbie Reynolds,...

Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost TapesdirectorNanette BursteinonEddie FisherandSusan OliverwithElizabeth TaylorinDaniel Mann’sBUtterfield 8:“They cast Eddie Fisher in the film and his love interest looks exactly likeDebbie Reynolds.”

In Nanette Burstein’sElizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes(Cannes Film Festival world première and a Spotlight Documentary selection of the 23rd edition of the Tribeca Festival), written and edited byTal Ben-David,we hear, through the audio tapes of journalistRichard Meryman,Elizabeth Taylor in her own words as she discusses her career and life, including her first five husbands,Conrad Hilton Jr.(Nick),Michael Wilding,Mike Todd,Eddie Fisher andRichard Burton.

Oscar nomineesKatharine Hepburnand Elizabeth Taylor withMontgomery CliftinJoseph L Mankiewicz’s Suddenly, Last Summer

The tapes start in 1964. Elizabeth Taylor offers her interviewer a drink. “I’m not illicit, not immoral,” she...

NetflixAnnounces “Bridgerton”Season 4

The most eligible Bridgerton bachelor is set to become the beau of the ball! Netflix andShondalandhave officially announced the fourth season of its beloved regency series “Bridgerton.”Season 4 will focus on the love story of Benedict Bridgerton (played byLuke Thompson), the bohemian second son of the title Bridgerton family. Despite witnessing his brothers’ happy marriages,Benedictis loath to settle down… until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother’s masquerade ball.

Watch the announcement video for “Bridgerton”Season 4 below:

“Bridgerton”wrapped up its third season on June 13 with the second of its two batch drops. The season centered on the friends-to-lovers arc of Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) opposite other returning cast membersClaudia Jessie,Golda Rosheuvel,Adjoa Andoh,Ruth Gemmell,Lorraine Ashbourne,Hannah Dodd,and more. A Season 4 premiere date has yet to be announced.

NetflixAnnounces “Bridgerton”Season 4

The most eligible Bridgerton bachelor is set to become the beau of the ball! Netflix andShondalandhave officially announced the fourth season of its beloved regency series “Bridgerton.”Season 4 will focus on the love story of Benedict Bridgerton (played byLuke Thompson), the bohemian second son of the title Bridgerton family. Despite witnessing his brothers’ happy marriages,Benedictis loath to settle down… until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother’s masquerade ball.

Watch the announcement video for “Bridgerton”Season 4 below:

“Bridgerton”wrapped up its third season on June 13 with the second of its two batch drops. The season centered on the friends-to-lovers arc of Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) opposite other returning cast membersClaudia Jessie,Golda Rosheuvel,Adjoa Andoh,Ruth Gemmell,Lorraine Ashbourne,Hannah Dodd,and more. A Season 4 premiere date has yet to be announced.

Elizabeth Taylor’s iconography as a Hollywood starlet, activist, and sex symbol is narrated by the late, legendary actress herself in documentary “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes.”

The HBO original film is directed byNanette Burstein.The feature had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and screened at Tribeca 2024.

Taylor’s 1964 interview with journalistRichard Merymanis the crux of the documentary. The film uses 40 hours of the newly unearthed audio and has access to personal photos, home movies, archival interviews, and news footage. “The Lost Tapes” is billed as the “most intimate portrait of the actress to date,” as Taylor charts her own filmography from her debut in 1943’s “Lassie Come Home”to “Giant,”“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Butterfield 8,”and “Cleopatra.”

Taylor’s personal life is also discussed, with her fifth marriage toRichard Burtona centerpiece of the documentary.

The synopsis reads: “The...

The HBO Original documentaryElizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes,directed by award-winning filmmakerNanette Burstein,debuts Saturday, August 3 (8:00 p.m.–9:45 p.m. Et/Pt) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. An official selection of the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, the film had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost TapesallowsElizabeth Taylor’s own voice to narrate her story, inviting audiences to rediscover not just a megastar of Hollywood’s Golden Age but a complex woman who navigated lifelong fame, personal identity, and public scrutiny on a global stage from early childhood.

Photo Courtesy of HBO

Through newly recovered interviews with Taylor and unprecedented access to the movie star’s personal archive, the film reveals the complex inner life and vulnerability of the Hollywood legend while also challenging audiences to recontextualize her achievements and her legacy.

In 1964, at the height of her fame,...

Carrie Fisherwas born for the Hollywood life, since both her parents, actressDebbie Reynoldsand singerEddie Fisher,were well-known Hollywood stars. Her initial break came with the filmShampoo,but her portrayal as Princess Leia in George Lucas’ Star Wars (1977) propelled her to international recognition. While the actress passed away in 2016 at the age of 60, she left behind a significant Princess Leia legacy that many people still remember fondly.

Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in Star Wars (1977) ||20th Century Fox

While the movie was released almost five decades ago, the behind-the-scenes happenings still linger around Hollywood halls. One of the most prominent examples of that would be another actress was in the running for Fisher’s legendary role, and if it hadn’t been forHarrison Ford’s lack of interest, she could have gotten it.

Not Carrie Fisher but another actress could have grabbed the role of...

On June 6, the 2024 IndieWire Honors ceremony celebrated 13 creators and stars responsible for some of the most stellar work of the TV season. Curated and selected byIndieWire’s editorial team, the event was a new edition of previous IndieWire Honors ceremonies, this time focused entirely on television. We showcased their work with new interviews leading up to the Los Angeles celebration.

“Is your desk very messy or is it very clean?”

This was the question hostAlex Edelmanasked renaissance man, actor, filmmaker, and documentarianFisher Stevensbefore welcoming him to the stage to accept the Magnify Award at the 2024 IndieWire Honors. It’s a fair ask, asStevensremains one of the busiest men in Hollywood and abroad. He’s a jack-of-all-trades, starring in films fromWes Anderson,as well as being a part of the hit series “Succession,”producing movies like “Swimfan”and “Uptown Girls,”and taking on...

On June 6, the 2024 IndieWire Honors ceremony will celebrate 13 creators and stars responsible for some of the most stellar work of the TV season. Curated and selected byIndieWire’s editorial team, the event is a new edition of previous IndieWire Honors ceremonies, this time focused entirely on television. We’re showcasing their work with new interviews leading up to the Los Angeles celebration.

“What are you doing a fucking series onDavid Beckhamfor?”

It’s a question directorFisher Stevenssaid he fielded multiple times as he told friends and colleagues he had been courted to make what has becomeNetflix’s most-watched documentary of the past year. In discussion with IndieWire over Zoom, the multi-talented filmmaker revealed that he, too, was surprised at first to be approached with the idea for “Beckham,”and even a bit resistant to taking it on.

“I love sports documentaries, but most of...

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life pays tribute to a pioneer whose irreverent humor has spanned late night TV, comedy albums, features, animated voice work and a novel. But what makes the film sing is the extended rap session between Brooks and his dear friendRob Reiner,who directed the HBO documentary. The Hollywood legends met as teenagers atBeverly Hills High School,andReinerstructures the film around a lunch in which they swap anecdotes and punchlines about Brooks’ influential career. It’s an energizing way to frame what might otherwise be just another gushy celebrity profile.

Onscreen, Brooks tells stories about the early days ofSaturday Night LiveandJohnny Carson’sTonight Show,his friendships withCarrie FisherandStanley Kubrick,the seven movies he’s written and directed and the marriage that made him a new father in his 50s. Many of today’s wry humorists owe a debt to Brooks,...

The lateCarrie Fisherwas one of the prime contributors to the success of Star Wars. She along withMark HamillandHarrison Fordimpressed the fans with the iconic Star Wars Original Trilogy. The late actress returned to the franchise after three decades in 2015’sStar Wars: The Force Awakens.

Sadly, Carrie Fisher did not have a pleasant return to the epic space opera franchise. She realized a major issue female physique in Hollywood. The Princess Leia fame was disheartened to see the industry being so appearance-driven even after so many years.

Carrie Fisher in a still fromStar Wars: Episode VII –The Force Awakens | Lucasfilm Ltd.

Presently, the late actress has once again been subjected to headlines after her close friend and musicianJames Bluntmade some disappointing revelations. He admitted that Fisher had intense pressure to meet the physical demands of the Sequel Trilogy.

Carrie Fisher...

MusicianJames Bluntrecently said at the Hay Festival in Wales (viaPeople) that his close friendCarrie Fisherfaced tremendous pressure to be thin for “Star Wars” when she reprised her iconic role of Princess Leia in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”Fisher previously told Good Housekeeping U.K. in 2015 shortly before “The Force Awakens” opened in theaters that she lost 35 pounds for the movie. She died one year later in December 2016 after going into cardiac arrest while flying from London to Los Angeles.

“She’d been really mistreating her body, and she’d just got the job again of being Princess Leia in a new ‘Star Wars’ movie,” saidBluntat the arts festival, where he was speaking about his memoir, “Loosely Based on a Made-Up Story.”

Blunt became friends with Fisher in the 2000s and even lived with her and her mother, the lateDebbie Reynolds,when...

A celebrity from the age of 11,Elizabeth Taylorwas practiced at public relations for almost all her life, so there aren’t many personal revelations inElizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes.ButNanette Burstein’s elegantly constructed documentary, mostly in Taylor’s own words backed by illuminating archival images, works as a lively bit of film history about movie stardom in the volatile 1960s as the studio system was fading and the media exploding.

The film — which premiered at Cannes in the Cannes Classics sidebar — is based on 40 hours of recently rediscovered audiotapes, recordings Taylor made in the mid-1960s for a ghost-written memoir (long out of print). It was the most frenzied moment of her fame, when she was coming off the paparazzi-fueled scandal that wasCleopatra.Taylor, who died in 2011, recalls her many marriages — four when she made these recordings, since she was on the first of two...

There have been countless books written about the immortal starElizabeth Taylor,even some credited to her as both memoir or autobiography including 1989’s Elizabeth On Elizabeth. But a book released on January 1, 1965, probably comes closest to a pure autobiography, and the cover simply says, Elizabeth Taylor by Elizabeth Taylor. It is a by-the-numbers account of her life through her own words up until that point, but it actually was written byRichard Meryman,a journalist credited with among other things the last interview withMarilyn Monroe.

Meryman got Taylor to sit for some tape-recorded sessions in 1964, so he would be able to write the book as if Taylor did it herself. Sixty years later, those presumed “lost” recordings have been found and cleared for release by Taylor’s and Meryman’s estates. They have been in Meryman’s wife’s possession all these years,...

Boutique DVD/Blu-Ray label The Criterion Collection always has a terrific monthly line-up, and its August 2024 releases are no different. Highlighting late summer’s Criterion announcements are a pair of comedianAlbert Brooksfilms that have been out of print on DVD for quite some time. The first is Brooks’ 1979 directorial debut, the reality TV spoof “Real Life,” and the second is the 1996 comedy “Mother”co-starringDebbie Reynolds.

Continue reading Criterion Adds Two New Albert Brooks Films,Martha Coolidge’s ‘Not A Pretty Picture’ & More For August 2024 at The Playlist.

A muse, a mother, a fashionista, an actor, a rock ‘n’ roll icon — it’s hard to describe exactly whyAnita Pallenbergremains such a compelling figure more than a half-century after the captivating blonde sang backing vocals on the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil”and starred in movies like “Performance”and “Barbarella.”

The new documentary “Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg”delves into both the beautiful and tragic moments of her eventful life with the help of a treasure trove of home movies and interviews, as well as an unpublished memoir penned by Pallenberg and narrated byScarlett Johansson.The footage is coupled with interviews of the Rolling Stones’Keith Richards,with whom she had a significant relationship, their children Marlon andAngela Richards,directorVolker Schlondorff,who cast her in some of his films, and her former friends and associates.

“I’ve been called a witch,...

On Friday nights,IndieWireAfter Darktakes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.

First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.

Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.

The Pitch: After Dark but Make It for Gays of a Certain Age

When I was pressed into service for IndieWire After Dark, I hesitated all of five seconds before I screamed, “What’s the Matter With Helen?” at Ali. Partly because it’s a truly bonkers hagsploitation movie but mostly because I greedily grasp at every excuse to discussCurtis Harrington’s examination of what the mothers of thrill killersLeopoldand Loeb might have done with their lives after their sons’ convictions.

Move from the Midwest to Los Angeles to...

The season of the very first sign of the zodiac is here, and that’s exactly why being a leader comes so easy forAriesfolks.

And that’s no joke, Aries really don’t know what else to be but a Boss, CEO or innovator, because they’d rather play by their own rules. They march to the beat of their own drum and rarely ever need anyone to play backup instrumentals. Their charm, playful personality and great sense of humor make up for their impulsiveness and sometimes hot-temper, and there’s absolutely no other sign who will keep it all the way real with you like an Aries does, even if it’s something you don’t want to hear. They tell it like it is, as dishonesty goes against their entire m.o.

As ambitious as they are — known for being some of the greatest to ever...

Exclusive: Action megastarKeanu Reeveshas partnered with Academy Award winnerFisher Stevensto co-produce a documentary on the life story of Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, the iconic athlete who introduced mixed martial arts to the world.

Titled The Jet, the film is currently in production under the direction of Emmy-nominated sports documentary editor turned filmmakerJennifer Tiexiera.Its financiers areChris Quintos CathcartandTyler Boehmof the newly formedUnapologetic Projects,a company dedicated to working with underrepresented creators.Maura AndersonandZak Kilbergof Stevens’ recently launched production companyHighly Flammablewill also serve as producers along withJohn Scaliseand his Faya Project.Nancy Weisler,Brian Mayaand Chris Quintos Cathcart & Tyler Boehm of Unapologetic serve as executive producers on the project slated for release in 2025.

Nicknamed for his explosive spinning back kick, Sensei Benny “The Jet” Urquidez had a profound impact on martial arts in mainstream culture,...

Planet HollywoodAuction: (Almost) Everything Must Go!

You can’t put a price on memories, except, of course, when you can. And in March, we’ll all get a crack at buying some of the most unforgettable props in movie history at two huge, dueling movie memorabilia auctions in Los Angeles. The biggest, from March 20 to 24, will be Heritage Auctions’ Treasures From Planet Hollywood event, at which some 1,600 pieces — Princess Leia’s blaster, Indiana Jones’ whip, Jack and Rose’s lifeboat door from Titanic — will be on the block. For a mere $30,000, you could be brandishing Moses’ stone tablets fromThe Ten Commandmentsnext time you’re disciplining the kids. Planet Hollywood founderRobert Earlestimates that the Tinseltown-themed restaurant franchise spent between $20 and $30 million on film memorabilia over three decades and says the lots on sale represent just a fraction of its 60,000-item collection. Thirty-three years after its founding...

Sheila Nevinshas produced documentaries for most of her professional life. But at 84, she’s still notching career firsts.

Last month, Nevins added “Oscar-nominated director” to her résumé, having landed her first nod for co-directing the short “The ABCs of Book Banning” withTrish AdlesicandNazenet Habtezghi.

Nevins’ first Oscars as a nominee take place at the same time she is wrapping up her run as the head ofMTV Documentary Films.Nevins joined the company in 2019 after 38 years at HBO.

“I went there to raise the bar for the intellectual quotient of whatMTVcould produce in the documentary arena,” Nevins says. “I did highbrow and lowbrow at HBO, but when I got to MTV, I just did highbrow.”

On Nevins’ watch, MTV produced 40 docs and landed five Oscar nominations, including a feature doc bid this year for “The Eternal Memory.”

“Sheila Nevins is an extraordinary storyteller,...

Has any entertainment scripted project ever featured more Oscar winners? Tour our special Valentine’s Day photo gallery to see which 33 Academy Awards champs made appearances on the very popularAaron Spellingshow “The Love Boat.”

For one full decade of 1977 to 1987, ABC could count on its comedy/drama series “The Love Boat”to bring in millions of audience members on Saturday nights. The show would have multiple story arcs (often three for a one-hour episode) with five to 10 celebrity guest stars each time. Some arcs were playing out for laughs, others for romance and the remainder could take on tough issues. The show airs daily on theDecadesnetwork and on Sunday afternoons forMe-tv.You can also stream every episode onParamount+.

Regular cast members would either take command of some segments or be in the backseat on others. The charming actors throughout the decade wereGavin MacLeod...

TurnerClassic Movieshas a lot going on as it celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

On Friday, execs from the beloved cable channel unveiled a new podcast, 2024 programming initiatives, a new branded studio tour of theWarner Bros.lot in Burbank and details about the 15th annual TCM Classic Film Festival in April.

On Jan. 16,TCMand sister streamer Max will debut Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast. TCM hostBen Mankiewiczwill join filmmakers and actors as they discuss “their earliest film memories, favorite movies, creative influences and guilty pleasures,” with guests includingMel Brooks,Nancy MeyersandPatty Jenkins.

The TCM podcast The Plot Thickens is returning this year for a fifth season, with the subject yet to be disclosed.

In April, TCM will introduce a new franchise,Twofor One, with prominent filmmakers co-hosting a double feature of their choice on Saturday nights. Guests will include Jenkins,...

On the seven-year anniversary of her passing, actressBillie Lourdshared a heartfelt tribute to her late motherCarrie Fishervia Instagram.Lourdcaptioned the photo, showing her as a young girl alongside her mother on the beach, with “It has been 7 years since my mom died (but who’s counting?? Me I guess?) Every anniversary brings a different iteration of my grief.”

Lourd continued, “This year when I woke up I felt grateful – or griefullif you will. Grief has infused my life with a sense of appreciation I had never had before. It makes me soak up every moment of joy as if it were my last.”

Fisher died in 2016 at the age of 60 of cardiac arrest. Just one day after her passing Fisher’s mother, and Lourd’s grandmother, actressDebbie Reynoldspassed away at the age of 84.

Since that time Lourd has gone to cultivate her own career and raise two children.

“I loved Norman Lear with all my heart,” filmmaker and actorRob Reinerposted on X.

Tributes have been pouring in forNorman Lear,the legendary producer, writer and political activist who died at his Los Angeles home from natural causes on Tuesday, aged 101.

Every major broadcast network in the US took the rare steop of simultaneously airing an in memoriam card in Lear’s honour on Wednesday evening.

“I loved Norman Lear with all my heart,” filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner, who played Michael “Meathead” Stivic inLear’s seminal 1970s sitcomAll In The Family,posted on X.

“Deep Dive”is an in-depth podcast and video essay series featuring interviews with the stars and creative team behind an exceptional piece of filmmaking. For this edition, the IndieWire Crafts and Special Projects team partnered withWarner Bros.to take a closer look at “Barbie”with director and co-writerGreta Gerwigand nine members of her creative team who breathed life into the iconicMatteldoll.

The tagline “Barbieis everything” turns out to be pretty apt. “Barbie”contains within it multiple kinds of high-concept comedy, musicals, action sequences, mother-daughter stories, and a liminal void wherein Barbie (Margot Robbie) can meet her maker,Ruth Handler(Rhea Pearlman), and elect to transcend toyhood to become a human woman. All in less than two hours!

That “Barbie”contains so much and accomplishes so much — stylistically, tonally, and emotionally — is a huge credit to co-writer and director Greta Gerwig and her creative team,...

James Bluntrevealed thatCarrie Fisher’s daughter,Billie Lourd,blames him for her mother’s death in 2016.

In his new memoir, Loosely Based On A Made-Up Story,Bluntdetailed how he and Fisher were close friends who began using drugs together, which led him andLourdto have a falling out.

Blunt and Fisher were last together the night before she was found unresponsive while on a flight to Los Angeles.

While there was no definitive cause of death, it was found that Fisher had a mixture of drugs in her system that led her to have a cardiac arrest while on the flight and she died a few days later. According to the toxicology report, Fisher had taken cocaine, Mdma, methadone and heroin.

Fisher had openly spoken about her struggles with drugs and substance abuse before her death. A few days after she passed away, her motherDebbie Reynoldsalso died.

On Oct. 28, TMZ was first to reportMatthew Perry’s drowning death. The media outlet, which over the past two decades has become a byword for hard-edged celebrity coverage, cited law enforcement sources and ran a redacted audio clip it’d obtained of a dispatcher communicating with emergency personnel before running photos of the actor’s stricken parents arriving at his home.

The site has been renowned and reviled for such lightning scoops. Its casualties includeTodd Fisher,who has uniquely experienced its force as a merciless reaper. TMZ broke the news of the death of his sister Carrie. Then, the next day, it was first to report that his mother,Debbie Reynolds,had been transported from his home, where she’d been discussing funeral plans for Carrie, to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center because of a possible stroke. (TMZ had audio of the dispatch call.) She soon died there. “They have...

When I heardRob Reinerwas planning to direct a documentary on a true comic icon and genius namedAlbert Brooks,I thought “Now this will be good!”Reineris not only a smart and talented filmmaker in his own right, but also a longtime friend of Brooks, with whom he went to high school and even co-starred with him in drama department productions. I am happy to report this HBO Original documentary,Albert Brooks: Defending My Life,premiering Saturday night and then streaming on Max, not only more than met my high expectations but exceeded them.

Set in a plush dark red restaurant booth, the film is anchored simply by a conversation between Reiner and Brooks. The visual is almost identical to the opening scene of Brooks’ 1981 Modern Romance, where he and his girlfriend are breaking up,...

Following his funeral, which was attended by his ‘Friends’ co-stars, actorMatthew Perryhas reportedly been secretly laid to rest in an A-list section of a star-studded cemetery. The ‘Friends’ star, who died aged 54 on October 28 in an apparent drowning in the hot tub in the backyard of his mansion in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, has reportedly had his casket placed within the walls of a corridor called Sanctuary of Treasured Love at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills.

According totmz,the private burial site is situated behind gates and also serves as the final resting place forMichael Clarke Duncan,who starred alongside Matthew in the 2000 comedy film ‘The Whole Nine Yards’, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Duncan also died aged 54, and died in 2012 by a heart attack.

Perry’s cause of death is still not known, but it has been reported that he...

Following his funeral, which was attended by his ‘Friends’ co-stars, actorMatthew Perryhas reportedly been secretly laid to rest in an A-list section of a star-studded cemetery. The ‘Friends’ star, who died aged 54 on October 28 in an apparent drowning in the hot tub in the backyard of his mansion in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, has reportedly had his casket placed within the walls of a corridor called Sanctuary of Treasured Love at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills.

According totmz,the private burial site is situated behind gates and also serves as the final resting place forMichael Clarke Duncan,who starred alongside Matthew in the 2000 comedy film ‘The Whole Nine Yards’, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Duncan also died aged 54, and died in 2012 by a heart attack.

Perry’s cause of death is still not known, but it has been reported that he...