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Hollywood is brimming with skillful actors who perform their own stunts, but not a lot of major A-listers are well-trained and actual fighters. We know the likes of Tom Cruise, who delivers death-defying choreography in his movies, and we know Sylvester Stallone, who has been an iconic action star since the ‘70s.

Credits: Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One / Paramount Pictures

This is not to discredit their works because they are truly one of the hallmarks of action films, but we are talking about actors who can genuinely fight in real life and have in-depth knowledge of their respective martial arts.

1. Jason Statham Credits: Jason Statham in Mechanic: Resurrection / Summit Entertainment

We’ve seen his fight moves in action thrillers like The Mechanic and Furious 7, and they were all impressive – thanks to his expertise in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The actor also trained in several martial arts disciplines such as karate,...

Netflix’s rom-com series Nobody Wants This attracted more viewing in its second week, moving up one spot to second overall in Nielsen’s weekly streaming charts.

The series starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody drew 1.21 billion minutes of watch time for the week of Sept. 30-Oct. 6, a 16 percent improvement on its premiere week. It also moved up one spot in the overall rankings, as the prior week’s second-place title, Inside Out 2, dropped by 50 percent to a still strong 908 million minutes of viewing on Disney+.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story finished first overall for the third consecutive week with 1.41 billion minutes of viewing, down about 41 percent week to week. Netflix’s dating show Love Is Blind returned to the charts with a billion-minute week; its seventh season premiered on Oct. 2.

Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power debuted its season two finale on Oct.

In a sense, Netflix really is the new Blockbuster Video (or Hollywood Video or whatever rental chain my fellow old people preferred to frequent). Once you marched past the rows stacked with endless copies of the latest release at your local Blockbuster, you could uncover films and TV shows that either flew under the radar or were deemed too scandalous for mainstream tastes. (Stumbling upon and being mildly traumatized by the grotesque cover artwork for horror B-movies was practically a rite of passage for folks of a certain age.) You don't get anywhere near the same range of choices on Netflix -- especially now that its library is increasingly composed of the service's originals -- but it does similarly allow certain older, somewhat forgotten titles to gain a new lease on life, however fleeting it may be.

Admittedly, it's easier to understand why certain movies or series abruptly crack Netflix's...

The Writers Guild of America is telling its members not to work for Millennium Films, the production company behind the “Expendables” franchise.

In a memo sent to WGA members and obtained by IndieWire, the guild says Millennium is not a signatory to the 2023 contract and that it has a history of failing to pay writers both compensation and residuals on time.

“The Guild has determined that Millennium is not financially responsible and requires the posting of an adequate bond before it can become signatory. Millennium has, to date, refused to do so,” the guild’s leaders wrote in part. “It is crucial that Millennium be prevented from undercutting writers’ standards and conditions. Until there is resolution, Millennium cannot be allowed to benefit from writing services provided by WGA members.”

The guild adds that you should contact the WGA if you’ve been approached or employed by Millennium since May 1, 2023.

Reps...

The Writers Guild of America ordered members on Wednesday not to work for Millennium Films, the producer of action fare including the “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” and the “Expendables” franchise.

The guild told members that the company has a history of not paying up-front compensation and residuals, and of not paying on time.

The company and the union are at loggerheads over the conditions it must fulfill in order to become a guild signatory. As of now, it is not a signatory to the 2023 writers contract, which is a requirement to hire guild writers.

“The Guild has determined that Millennium is not financially responsible and requires the posting of an adequate bond before it can become signatory,” the union said. “Millennium has, to date, refused to do so.”

Millennium Films was founded by Avi Lerner in 1996, and has amassed a significant library of independent action movies. In addition to the “Expendables” films,...

Having carved his niche as a bonafide action star over a multi-decade career, Jason Statham needs no introduction in the entertainment industry. With blockbuster hits like The Meg and The Expendables franchise under his belt, the actor has reportedly become one of the wealthiest British talents in Hollywood.

Jason Statham in The Transporter | image: 20th Century Studios

But for those who aren’t well versed with Jason Statham, the actor used to work as a street merchant when he was first exposed to the big screen through Guy Ritchie’s 1998 film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Two years later, he was cast alongside Brad Pitt in 2000’s Snatch and since then, Statham never had to look back.

Jason Statham’s Early Life and Rise as a Movie Star

Born on July 26, 1967, in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, Jason Statham grew up in a working-class family. Before his Hollywood dreams took flight, he...

Number two film of the summer “Deadpool & Wolverine” (Disney), held back from any home viewing until after its tenth weekend in theaters, took the #1 spot on both iTunes (ranking by transactions) and Fandango (by revenue). But perhaps only for a brief stay.

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (Warner Bros.), a major hit though not quite in the same league as the Marvel sequel ($235 million U.S./Canada gross so far versus $634 million; both films still in the top 10) will likely replace it when released Tuesday on PVOD after its fifth weekend. That feels a little early (32 days), more so since Tim Burton’s sequel is still #3, with over $10 million.

But if anything, it appears PVOD release boosts theatrical play as of late, at least in the short term. In any event, with the opening weekend debacle of “Joker: Folie à Deux” (revised downward to $37.8 million), it will provide some immediate cash to the Burbank studio.

Fall is here, which means it’s time to bundle up on your couch and stream the weekend away. Let’s get into it: There’s plenty to enjoy in October on Netflix, from a new Ali Wong special to new seasons of shows like “Love Is Blind” and “Unsolved Mysteries.” The real unsolved mystery is how it feels like there is more “Love Is Blind” dropping every month, but I digress.

October also brings with it the chance to watch Season 1 of “Yellowjackets” (a Showtime hit) for the first time on the Netflix platform, as well as more “Outer Banks” and “The Lincoln Lawyer.” The best bet, however, is the return of Keri Russell.

Top Pick: “The Diplomat” Season 2

Russell returns as U.S. ambassador to the U.K. Kate Wyler in this “The Americans” meets “Homeland” Emmy-nominated hit. Season 1 ended with a massive cliffhanger, so the six-episode Season...

Simon West’s “Old Guy,” starring Christoph Waltz, Cooper Hoffman and Lucy Liu, will make its world premiere as the opening night film at this year’s Newport Beach Film Festival.

West and Waltz are expected to attend the screening on Oct. 17, kicking off the 25th edition of the Festival from Oct. 17-24. The Avenue will release “Old Guy” in the spring of 2025.

Waltz will receive the Icon Award at the screening in celebration of his storied career. He is a two-time Academy Award winner for his performances in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds” and “Django Unchained.” His other credits include “Big Eyes,” “The French Dispatch,” “Horrible Bosses 2,” “No Time To Die,” “Spectre,” and “Water for Elephants.” His upcoming projects include “Dracula: A Love Tale” and “Frankenstein.”

“The Festival is thrilled to host the World Premiere of Simon West’s ‘Old Guy’ as the Opening Night Film to kick...

Kim Kahana, the stunt performer, teacher, coordinator and war hero who played Chongo on the kids show Danger Island and doubled for Charles Bronson in several action films, has died. He was 94.

Kahana died Monday of natural causes at his home in Groveland, Florida, his wife, Sandy Kahana, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Kahana, 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds, taught stunts to many thousands of students since the mid-1970s in six-week courses that took place in Chatsworth, California, and Central Florida. Many went on to have thriving careers in show business.

He also had six different black belt degrees — he taught martial arts, too — and worked as a professional bodyguard protecting Hollywood types.

A native of Hawaii, Kahana appeared in his first film as a biker in the Marlon Brando-starring The Wild One (1953) and was an extra in other movies before he realized that stunt performers got paid more than he did.

Some actors are just born to play action stars, and Jason Statham is one of them. For the better part of the 2000s, the celebrity was responsible for the resurgence of the tough, no-holes barred action hero in films like The Transporter, The Italian Job, The Mechanic, and many more.

A still from The Transporter (image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Thanks to his extensive martial arts training, these roles became second nature to him. Interestingly, Statham also had the opportunity to become a serious sportsman in Hollywood when he took up diving professionally. While the star even represented Britain as part of the national team, his greatest disappointment was narrowly missing the golden chance to participate at the Olympics.

Jason Statham Almost Became An Olympian, But The Dream was Not To Be

Jason Statham took to action like a fish to water. Incidentally, the action star could have literally made...

Pluto TV, Paramount’s free streaming service, has revealed its July highlights. The Pluto TV July 2024 schedule includes a new Westerns category and a Yellowstone Fourth of July marathon.

You can also expect fireworks at the Big Brother house when season 26 premieres, and with Pluto TV’s dedicated 24/7 live feeds, you won’t miss a second of the drama. Fans can also relive past seasons of the competition series on a new dedicated channel.

Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service, delivering hundreds of live, linear channels and thousands of titles on-demand to a global audience. The Emmy Award-winning service curates a diverse lineup of channels in partnership with hundreds of international media companies.

Pluto TV offers various genres, languages, and categories featuring movies, television series, sports, news, lifestyle, kids, and much more. The service can be easily accessed and streamed across mobile, web, and connected TV devices.

If being a Hollywood star consists of having either major box office clout or a few Oscar nominations (and, preferably, at least one win), the great Donald Sutherland never had any of those. Then why, since his death last Thursday at age 88, has he been celebrated the world over as one of the true legends to grace the modern screen?

The reason is simple: the Canadian-born Sutherland, whose incredibly prolific and versatile career kicked off in 1964 with the Italian horror flick, The Castle of the Living Dead, possessed the extremely rare quality — call it a kind of alchemy — where he could disappear into a role and yet somehow remain Donald Sutherland at the same time.

Whether he was playing a sinister Nazi spy (The Eye of a Needle), a boozy G.I. medic (M*A*S*H), an existentially lovesick detective (Klute), the benevolent English patriarch of a classic 19th...

Oi there, listen up! Amazon Prime Video’s list of new releases for June 2024 includes another season of its biggest, bloodiest hit.

The Boys season 4 premieres its first three episodes on Thursday, June 13. Based on the trailers, The Boys is really leaning into the political side of its social satire with a presidential election underway and Homelander on trial for the small matter of killing a guy last season. The season will continue to air on Thursdays, culminating with the finale on July 18.

Amazon is really leaning into its sports offerings this month as well. Fans will get to watch the New York Yankees, the WNBA, and the Nwsl several times throughout June. That’s in addition to a couple of sports docs: Power of the Dream on June 18 and Federer: Twelve Final Days on June 20.

But if you’re looking for something even more explosive than Homelander and Roger Federer,...

NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.

Roxy Cinema

Stanley Donen’s Funny Face plays on Friday and Sunday, the latter day bringing a program of work by Nicola Tyson and Son of Kong on 35mm.

Paris Theater

Prints of Prizzi’s Honor, The Mechanic, Grosse Pointe Blank, and Killer Joe play in a hitman retrospective; Yi Yi shows on 35mm this Sunday.

Museum of Modern Art

A massive overview of Bulle Ogier continues with films by Fassbinder, Rivette, and more.

IFC Center

Man Ray: Return to Reason begins; After Hours and the Bob Fosse retrospective begin; Labyrinth, Flashdance, and Tank Girl play late.

Japan Society

America’s largest-ever Hiroshi Shimizu retrospective migrates to Japan Society (watch our exclusive trailer debut).

Museum of the Moving Image

Two more Shimizu films play; House on Haunted Hill screens Friday and Sunday, while The Right Stuff shows on 35mm this Saturday.

Shailene Woodley, Ben Foster and Pablo Schreiber will join the previously announced Alan Ritchson in the action thriller “Motor City.”

Potsy Ponciroli will direct the picture. Production begins July 10 in New Jersey and AlUla, Saudi Arabia as part of Stampede Ventures’ 10-picture slate deal with Film AlUla.

Greg Silverman and Jon Berg will produce for Stampede Ventures, alongside Rohini Singh, Paramdeep Singh and Manmeet Singh of Astro Lion Pictures, and Cliff Roberts and Chad St. John, who also penned the script. Mike Tadross Jr. and Eric Hedayat will executive produce.

Black Bear represents international rights with WME Independent co-representing domestic rights with Stampede, and Sacker Entertainment Law overseeing production legal.

“Motor City” follows John Miller (Ritchson), a Detroit auto-worker whose life and girlfriend (Woodley) are taken away from him when he’s framed by a local gangster (Foster) and sent to prison. On his release, Miller unleashes a maelstrom of...

Oscar nominees Kodi Smit-McPhee and Djimon Hounsou are set to star in claustrophobic thriller “The Zealot.”

The two-hander, being introduced to buyers in Cannes by WestEnd Films, comes from director Vadim Perelman working from a screenplay by Bennett Fisher, and touches on themes involving privilege, paranoia, and the assumptions we make about one another.

“The Zealot” follows Hassan, a Somali-American airport shuttle driver in Minneapolis, who is struggling to make ends meet. When Lloyd, a stranded twentysomething at the airport, offers to pay Hassan to take him overland to Chicago, it seems worth the risk. But as the realization grows that his passenger is not what he seems, Hassan finds he is trapped in a terrifying ride which he can’t escape from, knowing that to save himself might put countless others in danger.

Jib Polhemus (“Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” “The Mechanic”) produces alongside Michael Helfant and Bradley Gallo (“The Green Hornet and Kato,...

The Avenue has landed North American rights to the action comedy “Old Guy,” starring Christoph Waltz, Lucy Liu and Cooper Hoffman.

Simon West directed the film, while “The Last Son” scribe Greg Johnson penned the script.

The film follows aging contract killer Danny Dolinski (Waltz), who still believes he’s the best at what he does. Stuck at a dead end but vying for the love of club manager Anata (Liu), Danny is thrilled when The Company pulls him back in the field — but it’s only to train Gen Z newcomer Wihlborg (Hoffman), a prodigy assassin with an attitude. The mismatched pair is asked to eliminate top members of a competing crime syndicate and, in the process, uncover their employer’s true motive: removing the old guard in a full takeover. However, The Company didn’t anticipate that Danny’s experience, coupled with Wihlbord’s brilliance, could enable them...

Kevin Grevioux, who created the “Underworld” franchise, and wrote and directed “King of Killers,” will direct action-adventure film “Shurika.”

The film will go into production later this year and rights are being pre-sold by Reiko Bradley’s Eclipse Intl. at the European Film Market, which accompanies the Berlin Film Festival.

The film is adapted by Grevioux from a graphic novel published by his Darkstorm Comics & Media company, about a biracial Black Japanese woman. She had been hidden from her Yakuza grandfather by her mother after he had her African American husband killed because of their taboo relationship. Years later, while trying to find her birth mother, the woman finds herself caught in a conflict between the ninja clan who raised her and the Japanese underworld.

“I’ve been wanting to tell this story for quite some time. It’s not only filled with high-octane action, but it also delves deep into the importance of family,...

Sunday Am Update: How bad was this year’s Super Bowl weekend? Realize that Kenneth Branagh’s romance mystery misfire, Death on the Nile, opened to more over the Big Game weekend ($12.8M) two years ago, and that’s when female moviegoers were scared of Omicron!

Super Bowl weekend, despite its damper on Sunday business, used to be a box office frame that could still yield results, even for films aimed at dudes. Like in 2015, when the sixth weekend of American Sniper drummed up $30.7 million, or in 2020, when the third weekend of Bad Boys for Life did $17.6M.

Last year’s Super Bowl weekend totaled $52.6M, per Box Office Mojo, led by Warner Bros’ Magic Mike’s Last Dance, with an $8.3M opening. This year, we’re lower at $40M, -24% from a year ago and that’s because there isn’t a notable major studio wide release. That’s also...

Amigo the Devil is prepping for the release of his new album, Yours Until the War Is Over, arriving February 23rd. In advance of the LP, the dark-folk troubadour has unveiled a new song, albeit in an unconventional manner.

Following the official release of the singles “Cannibal Within” and “The Mechanic,” the singer-guitarist also known as Danny Kiranos has leaked another new tune, “Once Upon a Time at Texaco (Pt. 1).” Although it was posted unlisted on YouTube a few days ago, many fans discovered the new track via a voicemail at the phone number (458) 867-1239.

That phone number came from a wild and wacky late-night TV commercial promoting “The Mechanic” that Amigo hoped to get aired on MTV and Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block. Unfortunately, the ad got resoundingly rejected for being “too violent.”

“We made a commercial for our little mechanic shop and it was clearly too hot for TV,...

In an age of streaming services and diversification of content platforms, old-fashioned distinctions like 'B movies' or 'straight to video' matter less from an economic perspective. They're still pretty handy as an indicator of quality though, and this might be one of the few ways that The Beekeeper doesn't disappoint.

Jason Statham's mid-market action history includes films involving Luc Besson, John Carpenter and Uwe Boll. That's the ones by auteurs whose output, while sometimes sparkling, is most likely to see 'ouevre' as something used to collect dust. He's enough of a draw to offer support to action-movie retirement package franchise The Expendables and the naked physics of filmmaking are diagramatically applied in works like Crank and The Mechanic.

If you enjoyed any of these, then The Beekeeper will probably suffice. If that seems like faint praise then understand that it's intentional. David Ayer wrote [film id=9003]Training...

If anyone is good at spotting hidden meanings in movies, it’s Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino wrote a book of film criticism in which he said one of Elvis Presley’s movies had a rich subtext. The film was helmed by one of the most consequential action movie directors of all time.

Quentin Tarantino felt 1 Elvis Presley movie is similar its director’s struggles in Hollywood

In his 2022 book Cinema Speculation, Tarantino talked about the work of film director Don Siegel of Dirty Harry fame. “But the rogue law enforcement officer, at odds with their superiors, who operates independently to get their man and enforce their own self-determined version of justice, is practically the quintessential Siegel protagonist,” he wrote. “Even his criminals go rogue.

“Mickey Rooney’s Baby Face Nelson stands in direct contrast to Leo Gordon’s Dillinger, and both Walter Matthau’s Charley Varrick and Burt Reynolds’ cat burglar...

The Killer is a crime thriller film directed by David Fincher from a screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker. Based on a French graphic novel of the same name by Alexis “Matz” Nolent and illustrated by Luc Jacamon, the Netflix film follows the story of a mysterious assassin, who is cold, methodical, and looks out for his interest but after his personal life is disrupted by someone he goes on a mission to kill a series of people. The Killer stars Michael Fassbender, Sophie Charlotte, Tilda Swinton, Monique Ganderton, and Charles Parnell. So, if you loved the Netflix film here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Collateral Credit – DreamWorks Pictures

Synopsis: Vincent (Tom Cruise) is a cool, calculating, contract killer at the top of his game. Max (Jamie Foxx) is a hapless cabbie with big dreams and little to show for it. Now, Max has to transport Vincent on his next job – one night,...

I’ve had them and I’m sure you’ve had them. Lousy days at work will happen at some point and many times it’s our fault. We’ve “scrooched the pooch” as they say, made an error, perhaps a miscalculation or even an uncrossed”t”. What’s the worst that could happen? Well, we could get fired or perhaps suspended or given a “stern warning” maybe along with a verbal “dressing down”. Yes, that’s with most regular jobs, but what if your profession is life or death? But more toward the latter if you’re a “murder merchant”, or a “gun for hire”. That’s at the heart of a new thriller from one of the most inventive filmmakers of the last few decades. He gives us a look at a “very bad, no-good day”, leading to several wretched weeks in the life of The Killer.

After...

Escalation is an action drama film directed by Jimmy Mak from a screenplay by Brett Caron and Matthew Nayman. The action film follows the story of a former police officer who must put aside his anger at the force and ask for the help of a younger detective in order to catch his brother’s killer. Escalation stars Chris Mark, Nina Kiri, Cindy Sampson, and George Tchortov. So, if you liked Escalation here are some similar movies you could watch next.

The Accountant (Hulu Add-On & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Warner Bros.

Synopsis: Christian Wolff (Affleck) is a math savant with more affinity for numbers than people. Behind the cover of a small-town Cpa office, he works as a freelance accountant for some of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations. With the Treasury Department’s Crime Enforcement Division, run by Ray King (J.K. Simmons), starting to close in, Christian...

King of Killers is an action thriller film directed by written and directed by Kevin Grevioux. The action film follows the story of Marcus Garan (Alain Moussi), a member of a group of international hitmen who are contacted to kill the most dangerous killer of all time, but soon they realize that they are the ones being hunted. King of Killers also stars Frank Grillo and Marie Avgeropoulos. So, if you loved the action film here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Bullet Train (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Sony Pictures

Synopsis: In Bullet Train, Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug’s latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe – all with connected, yet conflicting,...

For many around the United States, summer break is here at last. To some, that means more time spent camping, playing sports, or just enjoying the great outdoors. For others, it’s time to head inside until the heat breaks and ride out the hottest months of the year while enjoying some A/C.

If you belong to the latter category of person, or if you just love watching free movies, Pluto TV has the announcement of the summer for you. Paramount is bringing its Popcorn Summer Movies promotion back to its free streaming service, which means Pluto TV users will be able to watch hundreds of hit movies on the service at zero cost over the next few months.

Watch Now $0 / month Pluto.TV

Pluto carries more than 350 streaming channels, in addition to its growing library of on-demand films and series. It has hundreds of classic TV episodes from shows...

photo credit Peter Marley

Highland Film Group announced today that it has locked distribution deals in key international territories in all media for the action comedy Old Guy starring two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz, Lucy Liu and Cooper Hoffman (Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza).

Directed by Simon West and written by Greg Johnson (The Last Son), Highland Film Group has sold the rights to Old Guy to Snd Films for France, Square One Entertainment GmbH for Germany, Vertigo Releasing and Lumiere Ventures for the UK, YouPlanet Pictures for Spain, Blue Swan Entertainment for Italy, Spentzos Film for Greece, Nos Lusomundo Audiovisuais for Portugal, Sf Studios for Scandinavia, Vertical Entertainment for Eastern Europe, Aqua Group for Turkey, Falcon Films for the Middle East, Forum Film for Israel, California Filmes for Latin America, MovieCloud for Taiwan, Filmfinity for South Africa and Village Road Show for Australia and New Zealand.

Aging...

Highland Film Group’s action-comedy Old Guy — starring Christoph Waltz, Lucy Liu and Cooper Hoffman — has landed a number of key international deals.

Directed by Simon West (The Expendables 2, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Mechanic) and written by Greg Johnson (The Last Son), the film has sold to Snd Films for France, Square One Entertainment GmbH for Germany, Vertigo Releasing and Lumiere Ventures for the U.K., YouPlanet Pictures for Spain, Blue Swan Entertainment for Italy, Spentzos Film for Greece, Nos Lusomundo Audiovisuais for Portugal, Sf Studios for Scandinavia, Vertical Entertainment for Eastern Europe, Aqua Group for Turkey, Falcon Films for the Middle East, Forum Film for Israel, California Filmes for Latin America, MovieCloud for Taiwan, Filmfinity for South Africa and Village Road Show for Australia and New Zealand.

In Old Guy aging contract killer Danny Dolinski (Waltz) still believes he’s the best at what he does. Stuck...

Kirk Douglas in Champion, Lee Marvin in Point Blank Graphic: AVClub Dwayne Johnson once called himself “franchise Viagra,” based on the fact that he was cast as a substitute lead for the sequels to G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra and Journey To The Center Of The Earth, as well...

Jason StathamPhoto: Lintao Zhang (Getty Images)

Dwayne Johnson once called himself “franchise Viagra,” based on the fact that he was cast as a substitute lead for the sequels to G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra and Journey To The Center Of The Earth, as well as appearing in Fast Five...

Love binds two unlikely people together. “Wait With Me” is a romantic drama that tells the story of Kate and Miles. Kate Smith is a renowned author who doesn’t want to reveal her true identity to the world and thus writes under the pen name Mercedes Lee Loveletter. She lives with her ex-boyfriend, who has practically disappeared for the entire summer. But Kate doesn’t want to give up her house. Even though she’s a bestselling author, her recent works haven’t been up to scratch. But every time Kate visits the Tire Depot, her writing gets better. After making several excuses, Kate decides to sneak in through the back door until Miles catches her in the act. Miles Hudson is a mechanic who works at the depot. He notices her leaving, and Kate draws his attention to her quirky personality. Miles finds it very strange that she...

As befitting its status as one of the world’s biggest companies, every now and then Amazon likes to take a big swing with its Prime Video originals. With its list of new releases for April 2023, the streamer is taking one of its biggest swings yet.

Though it’s not quite as vast or expensive as fellow Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Citadel (premiering April 28) is a massive, massive undertaking. Starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, this spy series is described as “an expansive and groundbreaking global event comprising a mothership series and several local language satellite series.” This means that the Russo Brothers-produced project will eventually feature several spinoffs in multiple countries and languages around the world. Neat-o!

The only other major TV original of note this month is Dead Ringers, based on the 1988 David Cronenberg film of the same name,...

Prime Video is hoping to launch its own extended franchise universe in April with the premiere of international spy series “Citadel” from the minds of the Russo Brothers. The show stars Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra, and Stanley Tucci, and is intended to be the first block of an interconnected story with different spinoffs in countries and regions around the world. The first version will begin streaming on April 28. In the show, the world is in the grips of Manticore, a criminal organization, and several former spies are recruited to restore order despite having their memories erased.

Watch the trailer for “Citadel”:

Beloved young adult author Judy Blume opened the door to discussion about difficult subjects for generations of kids. Now, the writer is the subject of a new documentary, “Judy Blume Forever,” coming to Prime Video on April 21. The doc looks at her trajectory — from a scared kid to...

Production underway in Northern Ireland.

The Solution Entertainment Group is launching sales at EFM this week on the neo-noir Sunrise which stars Alex Pettyfer and Guy Pearce and has begun production in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Martin Brennan and Jib Polhemus are producing in association with Pettyfer’s Dark Dream Entertainment.

Pettyfer plays Fallon, a man who roams the land as a creature of the night while he comes to terms with the loss of his family at the hands of the brutal demagogue Reynolds.

Andrew Baird, who reunites with his Zone 414 star Pearce and directs from the screenplay by Ronan Blaney...

Highland Film Group co-finances, handles worldwide rights.

Christoph Waltz will star in the action comedy Old Guy, which Highland Film Group co-finances and will introduce to buyers at the EFM in Berlin next month.

Simon West is directing from a screenplay by Greg Johnson and production is scheduled to start early this year in Belfast.

Waltz will play an aging contract killer assigned to train a Gen Z newcomer who discovers with his new partner that their employers want to eliminate the older assassins like him.

Jib Polhemus and Martin Brennan are producing with Hal Sadoff and Norman Golightly on behalf of Dark Castle Entertainment.

Continuing to promote his first nonfiction book "Cinema Speculation," Quentin Tarantino has been given the opportunity to relive his formative years as an obsessive moviegoer. Although it's a much more detailed, refined piece of writing that's more in line with Pauline Kael's seminal compendium "I Lost it At the Movies," Tarantino's deep dive into the male-driven, violent movies of the 1970s maintains a spirit of film-geekery that's also reminiscent of Patton Oswalt's memoir "Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life from an Addiction to Film."

There's a fundamental, profound difference between being an inveterate cinephile and just being a causal movie fan that can go on about their lives right when the lights come up. For full-blooded cinephiles like Tarantino, a movie has the potential to fuse to your very DNA. It can become a part of you, especially at the malleable age that a young Quentin was...

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products released each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Mad God Steelbook Blu-ray from Rlje Films

Mad God will be released on Blu-ray in Steelbook packaging on December 6 via Rlje Films. If you haven’t seen the 2022 stop-motion spectacle, head over to Shudder to stream it Asap.

Written and directed by visual effects legend Phil Tippett, the movie was produced over a period of 30 years. Repo Man filmmaker Alex Cox leads the voice cast alongside Niketa Roman, Satish Ratakonda, Harper Taylor, and Brynn Taylor.

Special features include an audio commentary by Tippett and Guillermo del Toro, a cast and crew commentary track, an interview with Tippett, a making-of featurette, and more.

Mandy Blind Box Toys from Unbox Industries

Unbox Industries created a line of...

Click here to read the full article.

Action stars old and new, gun fights, punch ups, explosions, Gerard Butler saving the U.S. president — if it says Millennium on the tin, it’s generally easy to imagine what’s inside. To celebrate 30 hugely successful years in the busines, the company has picked out 10 films from its library that best represents its rise to , including multiple franchise-starters and one decidedly un-gung ho prestige moment.

16 Blocks (2006)

The first film to bare the Millennium name. Avi Lerner’s Nu Image had been producing films since 1992, but this gung-ho crime-thriller — starring Bruce Willis as a boozed-up, burned-out NYPD detective — was the debut outing from its, then, subsidiary label Millennium Films. It was also the final movie from legendary Hollywood director Richard Donner.

Rambo (2008)

John Rambo returns! Two decades after his last outing (and with rights eventually acquired by Millennium via Miramax), Stallone donned the...

Ronin Flix, in association with Scorpion Releasing, will issue a standard retail edition of Michael Winner's action thriller The Mechanic (1972), starring Charles Bronson, Jan-Michael Vincent, Keenan Wynn, Jill Ireland, and Frank DeKova.

The release will be available for purchase on May 10.

Synopsis: Arthur Bishop (Charles Bronson) is a veteran hit man who, owing to his penchant for making his targets' deaths seem like accidents, thinks him...

“La Femme Nikita” was almost certainly not the first film about a young woman rescued from life on the streets to become a cold-blooded assassin, but the success of Luc Besson’s 1990 thriller set a template that no one seems able to shake, even 31 years later. The new film “The Protégé” follows in the footsteps of “Nikita” and far too many of its successors, with just about half as much awareness as it needs to get out of their shadow.

Director Martin Campbell (“Casino Royale”) has become a reliable provider of sturdy, polished action, but he’s seldom been able to bring to the screen what wasn’t already on the page. And after scripting “The Mechanic,” “The Equalizer” and its sequel, screenwriter Richard Wenk appears to have nothing new to contribute to the decreasingly rarified subgenre. That said, Maggie Q — who previously played Nikita in a TV series inspired...

Ben Foster, Charmaine Bingwa, Gilbert Owuor and Mustafa Shakir have joined the cast of Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming thriller “Emancipation,” starring Will Smith.

Smith stars as Peter, a runaway slave who flees Louisiana in hopes of traveling north to freedom. “Emancipation” is inspired by the true story of “Whipped Peter,” an enslaved person who emancipated himself from a southern plantation and joined the Union Army. In 1863, photos taken of Peter during an Army medical examination first appeared in Harper’s Weekly. One image, known as “The Scourged Back,” shows the scars from a whipping on Peter’s bare back, illustrating the true cruelty of slavery and ultimately contributed to growing public opposition.

Fuqua will direct from a script by William N. Collage. Fuqua Films and Smith’s media company Westbrook Inc. are backing the project, which sold to Apple Studios for a reported $120 million.

Foster stars opposite Smith, playing Fassel,...

Exclusive: Shawn Xiang Yue, one of the producers of Chinese box office juggernaut franchise Detective Chinatown, is launching U.S. production banner Bamboo Curtain.

Yue has just produced Detective Chinatown 3, which currently sits at $680M globally. He also produced Detective Chinatown 2, and Chinese box office hit Go Away Mr Tumor, which was selected as China’s entry for the 88th Academy Awards. He previously served as Head of International Business Affairs at Wanda Media where he co-produced films including Police Story and Man of Taichi.

The new LA-based firm will be capitalized by and operate under Yue’s Beijing-based firm Goshfilm.

The focus of the new company, Yue tells us, is to create a conduit between the U.S. and Chinese industries by making projects that can work in both markets. Yue has lived and worked in both countries so is well-placed to help creators navigate the legal...

There’s no denying that Jason Statham has found a very comfortable niche for himself in Hollywood, and the mere presence of his name in any movie is often enough to let audiences know exactly what they’re going to get. That’s hardly a bad thing, though, because he’s been established as one of cinema’s premiere action heroes for close to 20 years now, even if there is a sense of over-familiarity running through his work.

If you can’t remember the monikers of his specific projects, then it becomes increasingly difficult to pick them out of a lineup. Ask someone to guess the Jason Statham action thriller you’re thinking of with either a one-word title, or two words but one of them has to be ‘the’, where he plays a no-nonsense badass with either a military or law enforcement background who gets pulled back into the...

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By Darren Allison

Austrian label Cineploit continues to steadily add to their impressive list of cult European titles. 2020 has been another successful period for the independent label and they round off this somewhat testing year with a couple of highly enjoyable and much anticipated movies. I must begin with Tecnica di un Omicidio aka The Hired Killer (1966), an incredibly unappreciated film that, in many ways, has escaped general recognition for far too long. From a personal perspective, The Hired Killer has been high on my ‘most wanted’ list for several decades. It was one of those films that first captured my attention by way of a simple poster that caught my eye on an otherwise unspectacular stall at a London film fair back in the 1980s. It was one of those rare instances where you simply made an unconscious link; you just knew...

Screen Media has bought all North American rights to “Skyfire,” China’s first big-budget disaster movie, from Highland Film Group and plans to release the film in theaters and on demand in December.

“Skyfire” is directed by Simon West and stars Jason Isaacs (“Hotel Mumbai”), Hannah Quinlivan (“Skyscraper”), Xueqi Wang (“Iron Man 3”) and Shawn Dou (“Wolf Totem”). The film is produced by Meridian Entertainment and topped the box office in China when it debuted in December on its way to a $24 million cumulative take.

“Skyfire” centers on chaos erupting when the once dormant volcano at the world’s only volcano theme park and resort starts to rumble. Quinlivan portrays a young scientist who attempts to convince the resort owner, played by Isaacs, to evacuate the island before it is too late.

West’s credits include “Con Air,” “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” “The Mechanic” and “The Expendables 2.” VFX producer John Hughes,...

Screen Media has acquired all North American rights to the Simon West-directed Skyfire. The action disaster movie is slated for a domestic theatrical and on-demand release in December 2020.

Jason Isaacs, Hannah Quinlivan (Skyscraper), Xueqi Wang (Iron Man 3) and Shawn Dou (Wolf Totem) star in the pic that sees chaos erupt when the once dormant volcano at the world’s only volcano theme park and resort, located in the Pacific Rim’s “Ring of Fire,” starts to rumble. A young scientist (Quinlivan) must convince the resort owner (Isaacs) to evacuate the island before it’s too late.

Produced by Meridian Entertainment, Skyfire originally released in China in December last year, topping the box office on its first day out, and ultimately grossing $25M locally. It carried an 8.2 score on ticketing platform Maoyan.

West is best known for such action films Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Mechanic and...

Ernie F. Orsatti, best known for his unforgettable fall through a glass skylight in the 1972 movie The Poseidon Adventure, has died. He was 80 and passed Sept. 12 in La Quinta, Calif. from a hemorrhagic stroke, his son, Noon Orsatti, confirmed.

Ernie Orsatti was born in Beverly Hills on Feb. 13, 1940, to opera singer Inez Gorman and Ernie R. Orsatti, a former professional baseball player and double for Buster Keaton in Sherlock Jr. (1924). The younger Orsatti became a model and competitive swimmer before breaking into show business with appearances in the 1968 film The Acid Eaters and in The Green Berets, starring John Wayne.

He later had roles in the films The Mechanic (1972), The Last American Hero (1973), The Towering Inferno (1974) and Viva Knievel! (1977). He also appeared on TV shows Mannix, The Incredible Hulk, and Hill Street Blues.

In The Poseidon Adventure, the tale of an ocean liner capsized by a huge wave, Orsatti played Terry,...

Storied stuntman Ernie F. Orsatti, who is best known for falling 30 feet through a glass skylight in the 1972 film “The Poseidon Adventure,” has died. He was 80.

The Stunt Players Directory Facebook page confirmed his death, writing: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of legendary stuntman Ernie Orsatti. His impeccable work and contributions to the stunt community will live forever.” His son, Noon Orsatti, told The Hollywood Reporter that his father died on Sep. 12 in La Quinta, Calif., after experiencing a hemorrhagic stroke.

Orsatti got his start as a stuntman while acting in the disaster film “The Poseidon Adventure” in 1972 as Terry, the date of Pamela Sue Martin’s character. The film’s producer, Irwin Allen, informed Orsatti the day before the stunt was scheduled that he was to perform it, even though he had no experience in the field. However, after consulting with the film’s stunt coordinator,...