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Individuals so well-recognized for their talents and charisma have often privately suffered at the merciless hands of Parkinson’s. A progressive neurodegenerative disorder, it has affected millions worldwide. The disease is characterized by tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with movement, which worsens over time.

Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future (1985) | Credits: Universal

Although more than 10 million people worldwide currently live with Pd, the optics and the understanding of the disease remain largely misunderstood. Many people, however, only associate Parkinson’s with famous figures like Muhammad Ali or the recent diagnosis of Back to the Future’s Michael J. Fox.

Hollywood has its fair share of celebrities who are not immune to the devastating effects of this condition, and in a long list of sad passings, here are five.

Michael Newman

Michael Newman first gained fame from the success of Baywatch, where he played himself, a lifeguard. Unlike many of his co-stars in the show,...

Studiocanal are delighted to announce the release of two compelling dramas from British director J. Lee Thompson into their Vintage Classics Collection The Weak And The Wicked and No Trees In The Street, both Blu-ray, DVD and Digital from 5 August. We’re giving you the chance to win both copies on Blu-Ray.

Studiocanal are delighted to announce the release of two compelling dramas from British director J. Lee Thompson (Ice Cold in Alex) into their Vintage Classics Collection featuring standout performances from two legendary and much-missed British actresses Glynis Johns and Sylvia Syms. The Weak And The Wicked stars the late Diana Dors (Yield to The Night) alongside Glynis Johns (Mary Poppins), and No Trees In The Street features Herbert Lom (The Pink Panther Strikes Again) and Melvyn Hayes (Summer Holiday) alongside Sylvia Syms (Woman in a Dressing Gown) in her BAFTA-nominated performance. Both films will premiere at Bristol’s...

King Charles has retained his patronage of the British Film Institute.

The organization made the announcement this morning, marking the 25th anniversary of the opening of BFI IMAX in London where King Charles III (then Prince Charles) cut the ribbon on June 11, 1999.

A registered charity founded in 1933, the BFI has been governed by Royal Charter since 1983. In 2018, Charles visited the BFI Southbank to celebrate 40 years as the BFI’s Patron, where he met BFI employees including Chief Executive Ben Roberts, BFI Film Academy alumni, and talent including actors Ruth Wilson, Hayley Atwell, David Oyelowo OBE, and BFI Ambassador Tom Hiddleston. The monarch was also shown Peter Sellers’ script from The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) with handwritten notes by the comic actor, and promotional material from The Pink Panther, one of his favorite films.

The BFI also preserves the Royal Collection of film. The film collection dates from 1931 with more than 1,000 individual reels of film.

Quinn Donoghue, whose long career as a Hollywood publicist included beating the drum for Superman, Pink Panther and Three Musketeers films, Steven Soderbergh’s The Limey and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s 21 Grams, has died. He was 86.

Donoghue died Dec. 28 in Los Angeles, his son Alex Donoghue announced.

Donoghue also served as a unit publicist on Norman Jewison’s Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Quest for Fire (1981), Roman Polanski’s Frantic (1988) and Bitter Moon (1992), Michael Caton-Jones’ Rob Roy (1995), Robert Altman’s Kansas City (1996) and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000) and Kingdom of Heaven (2005).

He did publicity for Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther (1963), The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) and The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) and Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers (1973), The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge (1974) and The Return of the Musketeers (1989), Superman II (1980) and Superman III (1983) and Cuba (1979).

Plus, he produced several films,...

1964's "The Pink Panther" is not a complex film. There is little to suggest a full-fledged film series in its story of a jewel with the shape of a panther buried deep within. Somehow, that premise resulted in a series of films lasting decades, with eleven unique (or mostly unique) live-action entries. And the cartoon character who showed up in the title sequence, dancing to Henry Mancini's iconic theme music? There was a Saturday morning series starring him that ran in various incarnations from 1969 to 1980.

When writer Maurice Richlin pursued director Blake Edwards with an idea for a film about a jewel thief, neither man could have predicted the surprising longevity of that idea. Certainly, they couldn't have predicted that the extremely thin premise of "The Pink Panther" would result in a series of films running into the 1990s. Nor could they have predicted that the protagonist would be...

A24 are delivering a special gift to Max this December, as Leo Reich’s acclaimed stand-up show Literally Who Cares?! hits the streamer. The comedian has already won over the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Off-Broadway with runs of the show, but this performance was taped at EartH in London. Consider checking it out – if A24 got involved in the project, you know you’ll definitely see something weird and special.

But if you’re looking for something more serious, add the new three-part documentary series Murder In Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning to your watch list this month. The upcoming series delves into the fallout from the investigation into Charles “Chuck” Stuart’s 911 call reporting that he and his pregnant wife, had been shot in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood in 1989.

Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) HBO and Max this month…

HBO and Max New Releases – December 2023

December...

Just before he reaches the age of 28, Timothée Chalamet will very likely achieve his third Golden Globe (and first Best Comedy/Musical Actor) nomination for “Wonka.” Following his previous bids for “Call Me By Your Name” and “Beautiful Boy”, this notice would make him the youngest man to have ever vied for all three possible film Golden Globes, smashing a record set by 35-year-old James Caan in 1976. He would also make history due to the fact that he would be the third actor recognized by this organization for playing Willy Wonka, thus putting the fictional chocolatier on a very short list of film characters that have inspired at least three Golden Globe nominations.

Directed and co-written by Paul King (“Paddington”), “Wonka” serves as an origin story for its title character, who was first introduced in the 1964 Roald Dahl book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Chalamet puts a relatively youthful spin...

From left: Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther Strikes Again (Keystone/Getty Images), Angela Lansbury in The Mirror Crack’d (YouTube screenshot), Albert Finney in Murder On The Orient Express (Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images), Denzel Washington in Devil In A Blue Dress (D Stevens/Tri Star/Kobal/Shutterstock), Daniel Craig...

With its list of new releases for August 2023, Prime Video is relying on a heaping dose of fun library movies.

The first of the month brings a big influx of worthwhile flicks, including Galaxy Quest, Saw, F9: The Fast Saga, and Jurassic Park (the last two via Amazon’s Freevee free streaming option). Then some other recents hits arrive later on like the appropriately titled Cocaine Bear on Aug. 15 and the Chris Pine-starring Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves on Aug. 25.

August also sees the arrival of a major Amazon Original movie in the form of Red, White & Royal Blue. Based on a New York Times bestselling book, this LGBTQ romance follows a U.S. president’s son and a British prince. Over on the TV side of things, Prime Video subscribers can check out the Sigourney Weaver project The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart on Aug. 4 and Harlan Coben’s Shelter on Aug.

The Bloody Disgusting-powered Screambox is home to a variety of unique horror content, from originals and exclusives to cult classics and documentaries. With such a rapidly-growing library, there are many hidden gems waiting to be discovered.

Here are five recommendations you can stream on Screambox right now.

Pool Party Massacre

Summer is well underway, and if you’ve already exhausted all the seasonal classics, Pool Party Massacre can fill the void with a comedic send-up to ’80s slashers like Slumber Party Massacre and Sleepaway Camp (both also on Screambox). Written and directed by Drew Marvick, the 2017 low-budget indie embraces the era with 80 minutes of over-the-top characters, campy performances, and cheesy practical effects.

The titular party isn’t very festive; it’s more like a small gathering of vapid, Real Housewives rejects that barely tolerate one another while lounging by the pool. One by one, a character excuses themselves — including, in one instance,...

The Pink Panther franchise is one of the most iconic and beloved series in film history. From its debut in 1963 with the original movie to its most recent installment in 2009, the Pink Panther has been a staple of comedy-mystery films for generations.

Related: 10 Best Comedies of All Time, Ranked by Viewers

Inspector Clouseau’s misadventures have captivated audiences worldwide and left them laughing, guessing, and wanting more.

The films were mainly created by Blake Edwards and had theme music composed by Henry Mancini. Other forms of media, such as books, comic books, video games, and animated series, were later produced based on the elements and characters from the films.

With its unique blend of slapstick humor, witty dialogue, and clever mysteries, it’s no wonder why this franchise has become so popular over the years. In this blog post, we’ll look at all the Pink Panther movies in order...

Los Angeles, May 18 (Ians) Hollywood actor Eddie Murphy is readying his magnifying glass, as the actor is in talks to star as Inspector Clouseau in upcoming ‘Pink Panther’ film.

The reboot of the classic property will be directed by ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ filmmaker Jeff Fowler. Chris Bremner is writing the script, while Rideback’s Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich serve as producers alongside Larry Mirisch and Julie Andrews, reports Variety.

‘The Pink Panther’ franchise began with the 1963 comedy film starring Peter Sellers as Inspector Jacques Clouseau. Sellers would go on to reprise the role in 1964’s ‘A Shot in the Dark,’ 1975’s ‘The Return of the Pink Panther,’ 1976’s ‘The Pink Panther Strikes Again’ and 1978’s ‘Revenge of the Pink Panther.’ The role has also been inhabited by Alan Arkin, Roger Moore and Steve Martin.

The IP extends to books, video games and animated series based on the bumbling French...

Eddie Murphy is readying his magnifying glass, as the actor is in talks to star as Inspector Clouseau in MGM’s upcoming “Pink Panther” film, Variety has confirmed.

The reboot of the classic property will be directed by “Sonic the Hedgehog” filmmaker Jeff Fowler. Chris Bremner is writing the script, while Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich will produce via their Rideback banner.

“The Pink Panther” franchise began with the 1963 comedy film starring Peter Sellers as Inspector Jacques Clouseau. Sellers would go on to reprise the role in 1964’s “A Shot in the Dark,” 1975’s “The Return of the Pink Panther,” 1976’s “The Pink Panther Strikes Again” and 1978’s “Revenge of the Pink Panther.” The role has also been inhabited by Alan Arkin, Roger Moore and Steve Martin.

The IP extends to books, video games and animated series based on the bumbling French police detective and the titular character, which started...

Amazon Studios has identified a batch of titles from its $8.45 billion acquisition of MGM that the company plans to develop into TV or film projects, including “Robocop,” “Stargate” “Legally Blonde,” “Fame,” Barbershop,” “The Magnificent Seven,” “Pink Panther” and “The Thomas Crown Affair.”

A source familiar with the matter confirmed to TheWrap that the company is in active early conversations for a “Legally Blonde” movie and potential TV series. Additionally, Amazon has similar plans for “Stargate” under consideration, with a movie expected to go first. “Robocop” is also being discussed for film and TV, with a TV series potentially going first.

The source added that Amazon Studios is actively developing TV series based on “Fame,” “Barbershop” and “The Magnificent Seven,” as well as discussing “Thomas Crown Affair” movie and “Pink Panther” movie, which could be animated. A “Poltergeist” project is also under consideration.

The news was first reported by Deadline.

Also...

TV had the run of the place for awhile there during the pandemic. But now that vaccinations are speeding up and the weather is warming, it’s film’s time to shine. At least that’s the conclusion that can be drawn from HBO Max’s list of new releases for June 2021.

There are no real original TV series of note coming this month, which is highly unusual for HBO and HBO Max. In their place, however, are some really impressive film offerings. Major Warner Bros. titles like The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (June 4) and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights (June 11) both arrive this month. So too do some interesting documentaries like Revolutionary Rent on June 15 and Lfg on June 24. The former deals with the staging of the musical Rent in Cuba and the latter follows the U.S. women’s soccer team’s fight for equal pay.

André Maranne, who portrayed Sgt. François Chevalier in six Pink Panther movies over two decades and a French chef who prepares duck in a beloved episode of Fawlty Towers, died April 12, The Times of London reported. He was 94.

The French actor appeared for the first time as Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus’ (Herbert Lom) assistant in A Shot in the Dark (1964) for director Blake Edwards and reprised the role in The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978), Trail of the Pink Panther (1982) and Curse of the Pink Panther (1983).

On 1975’s “Gourmet ...

André Maranne, who portrayed Sgt. François Chevalier in six Pink Panther movies over two decades and a French chef who prepares duck in a beloved episode of Fawlty Towers, died April 12, The Times of London reported. He was 94.

The French actor appeared for the first time as Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus’ (Herbert Lom) assistant in A Shot in the Dark (1964) for director Blake Edwards and reprised the role in The Return of the Pink Panther (1975), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978), Trail of the Pink Panther (1982) and Curse of the Pink Panther (1983).

On 1975’s “Gourmet ...

Production back up in Oklahoma after two-week Covid shutdown.

Voltage Pictures’ AFM sales title Reagan has found its Margaret Thatcher, with Lesley-Anne Down joining Dennis Quaid and Penelope Ann Miller to play the former British prime minister.

Quaid plays former US president Ronald Reagan and Miller portrays Nancy Reagan in the biopic, which has resumed production in Oklahoma after being shut down for two weeks when several members of the production tested positive for Covid-19.

The US leader and his British counterpart Thatcher forged a strong alliance in the 1980s, a time when the Cold War was never far from...

The great Larry Wilmore joins us to share some very personal double features.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

1917 (2019)

Animal Crackers (1930)

Duck Soup (1933)

My Little Chickadee (1940)

A Night At The Opera (1935)

A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

The Parallax View (1974)

Singin’ In The Rain (1952)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Planet of the Apes (1968)

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Jaws (1975)

The Stepford Wives (1975)

The Party (1968)

The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)

The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)

Richard Pryor: Live In Concert (1979)

Richard Pryor: Live And Smokin’ (1971)

Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

Lenny (1974)

The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)

Lolita (1962)

Caligula (1979)

The Night of the Iguana (1964)

The Elephant Man (1980)

What Would Jack Do? (2020)

Blue Velvet (1986)

The Apartment (1960)

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Double Indemnity (1944)

The Sting (1973)

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid...

One could be forgiven for not suspecting that Hammer Films, known for their comparatively lurid and bloody, sometimes pointedly lusty, and otherwise vividly imagined (and reimagined) catalogue of horror classics, would be the first place to look if one were in the market for a low-key yet spirited take on a holiday classic to turn to once the perennial screenings of It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Die Hard and countless other popular titles have begun to wear out their welcome. Yet the studio delivered just that in Cash on Demand (1962), a dandy and delicious suspense thriller directed by Quentin Lawrence, from a script by David T. Chantler and Lewis Griefer, itself based on a play by Jacques Gillies, which echoes of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the book and the countless movie and TV iterations which came before, to fresh and potent purpose.

Lawrence, a British TV veteran...

Goldsack also helped develop films with Werner Herzog, Mike Newell and Michael Radford.

London-based producer Nigel Goldsack, whose credits include The Merchant Of Venice and The World Is Not Enough, died suddenly aged 62 on October 18.

Goldsack was born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in 1957 and was involved in film from an early age, working as a runner on Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther Strikes Again while he was a teenager.

He began his career in the late 1970s as an assistant director on several independent UK films, including Brian Gibson’s rock drama Breaking Glass, Dh Lawrence biopic Priest Of Love starring Ian McKellen,...

Richard Williams, the acclaimed animator who created the iconic characters Roger and Jessica Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, has died. He was 86.

Williams’ family announced the news to The Guardian and The Hollywood Reporter, saying that the three-time Oscar winner died at his home in Bristol, England, on Friday.

Besides Roger Rabbit, Williams also worked on two films in the classic Pink Panther series: The Return of the Pink Panther and The Pink Panther Strikes Again. The animator also created a number of short films, and won his first Oscar with the short film A Christmas Carol in 1973.

Williams...

Richard Williams, the Oscar-winning animator who served as animation director on Who Framed Roger Rabbit, has died at the age of 86.

Williams’ family announced Saturday that the Canadian-born animator died Friday at his home in Bristol, England, the Guardian reports.

Williams won three Oscars over the course of his career, first a Best Short Subject, Animated Films Academy Award for 1973’s A Christmas Carol, then a pair of Oscars – for Best Visual Effects and Special Achievement Award – for Who Framed Roger Rabbit, a 1989 comedy that seamlessly blended Robert Zemeckis’ live-action...

Blake Edwards would’ve celebrated his 97th birthday on July 26, 2019. Though best known for his comedies, the Oscar-nominated director dipped his toes into a number of different genres throughout his career, including thrillers, musicals and westerns. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1922, Edwards got his start as an actor before becoming a writer for movies and television. He rose to prominence after creating the TV show “Peter Gunn,” which starred Craig Stevens as a super-stylish detective. The series brought Edwards Emmy nominations for writing and directing in 1959.

He enjoyed his greatest big screen successes with the “Pink Panther” series, featuring Peter Sellers as bumbling French detective Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The films established Edwards as a master of physical comedy and sight gags, which his leading man was more than capable of delivering. The two...

Blake Edwards would’ve celebrated his 97th birthday on July 26, 2019. Though best known for his comedies, the Oscar-nominated director dipped his toes into a number of different genres throughout his career, including thrillers, musicals and westerns. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1922, Edwards got his start as an actor before becoming a writer for movies and television. He rose to prominence after creating the TV show “Peter Gunn,” which starred Craig Stevens as a super-stylish detective. The series brought Edwards Emmy nominations for writing and directing in 1959.

SEEJulie Andrews movies: 15 greatest films ranked from worst to best

He enjoyed his greatest big screen successes with the “Pink Panther” series, featuring Peter Sellers as bumbling French detective Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The films established Edwards as a master of physical comedy and sight gags, which his...

Before we get to your Amazon Prime June updates, the streaming service has a special surprise for its members: every season of “Dawson’s Creek” is available now, and you don’t even have to wait until next month.

Starting June 1, stream “All or Nothing” which follows the New Zealand rugby team the All Blacks throughout their 2017 season. On June 3, you can stream the Oscar-nominated “Lady Bird,” followed by Amazon Original series “Goliath” Season 2 on June 15.

See below for the complete list of titles hitting Amazon next month.

Also Read: Amazon Sets Awards Release for Luca Guadagnino's 'Suspiria'

Available June 1

1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)

2 Days in the Valley (1996)

Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1987)

As Good As Dead (2010)

August Rush (2007)

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)

Beer for My Horses (2008)

Beowulf (2007)

Black Widow (Aka: Before It Had a Name) (2005)

Blitz (2011)

Blood and Glory (2016)

Blue Like Jazz...

'The Pink Panther' with Peter Sellers: Blake Edwards' 1963 comedy hit and its many sequels revolve around one of the most iconic film characters of the 20th century: clueless, thick-accented Inspector Clouseau – in some quarters surely deemed politically incorrect, or 'insensitive,' despite the lack of brown face make-up à la Sellers' clueless Indian guest in Edwards' 'The Party.' 'The Pink Panther' movies [1] There were a total of eight big-screen Pink Panther movies co-written and directed by Blake Edwards, most of them starring Peter Sellers – even after his death in 1980. Edwards was also one of the producers of every (direct) Pink Panther sequel, from A Shot in the Dark to Curse of the Pink Panther. Despite its iconic lead character, the last three movies in the Pink Panther franchise were box office bombs. Two of these, The Trail of the Pink Panther and Curse of the Pink Panther, were co-written by Edwards' son,...

Whenever I went to Memphis with my parents, my time was divided between staying with my two grandmothers. How I thought about that time with them was defined, not surprisingly, by what sort of movie experiences I had with each. My dad’s mom was the one who had cable, and she liked to go to bed early, meaning I learned all sorts of things at night. My mom’s mom was the one who took me to the theater more often, and she’d take me to see pretty much anything as long as the rating was okay. One afternoon, she told me to get in the car because there was something special playing. I was ten years old, and I only knew The Pink Panther as a cartoon character. That afternoon, though, I saw The Return Of The Pink Panther, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, and Revenge Of The Pink Panther...

Actor best known for roles in Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago.

Actor Omar Sharif has died aged 83. The Egypt-born actor, who had stepped away from acting since being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, died following a heart attack this afternoon in a hospital in Cairo.

Sharif won two Golden Globes and an Oscar nomination for his role as Sherif Ali in David Lean’s 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia.

He won a further Golden Globe three years later for Doctor Zhivago.

Sharif was born Michel Demetri Chalhoub in Alexandria on April 10, 1932, and studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

Sharif began his acting career in 1953 with a role in romantic drama Sira` Fi al-Wadi before appearing in more than 20 Egyptian productions, including Ayyamna el helwa with singer Abdel Halim Hafez, La anam (1958), Sayedat el kasr (1959) and Anna Karenina adaptation Nahr el hub (1961). He also starred with his wife, Egyptian actress...

Omar Sharif, the Egyptian-born actor known for his classic roles in Lawrence of Arabia and Dr. Zhivago, passed away Friday in a Cairo, Egypt hospital after suffering a heart attack. Both the actor's agent Steve Kenis and the head of Egypt's Theatrical Arts Guild Ashraf Zaki confirmed his passing;  Sharif was 83. It was recently revealed that the Golden Globe-winning actor was also suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Variety reports.

After beginning his career as a major star in Middle Eastern cinema, Sharif was cast to play Sherif Ali in 1962's epic Lawrence of Arabia,...

Legendary Egyptian-born, British trained actor Omar Sharif has died at the age of 83.

Though studying maths and physics at University, and working in the family business of precious woods, Sharif felt the lure of performing and ended up appearing in more than twenty productions in Egypt from 1953.

His big international break came in 1962 when he joined David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" and scored both a Golden Globe award and an Oscar nomination for his work as Sherif Ali Ben El Kharish. He went on to roles in various major movies including "Doctor Zhivago," "Funny Girl," "Behold a Pale Horse," "Che!," "Top Secret," "Hidalgo," "The Fall of the Roman Empire ," "The Pink Panther Strikes Again," "The Mysterious Island," "The Last Valley," "The Baltimore Bullet," "Mayerling," "The Night of the Generals," "Genghis Khan," "Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna," "One Night with the King " and "Monsieur Ibrahim".

Surprisingly he also became famous...

In celebration of Sound on Sight’s 7th anniversary, writers were asked to come up with articles that present their childhood favorites in the realm of films, TV shows, books or games.

I chose films and anyone who has any familiarity with my writing knows I am virtually incapable of writing an article about a single film so I’m going to focus on a number of movies I saw in my youth.

Growing up in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio, I was fortunate enough to have my own room and my own TV set.

My family didn’t go out to the cinema very often so my introduction to movies was primarily through television.

The household cable television was limited to the family room and the parental restrictions that went with that so a far as movie watching went, it was mostly just me in my room where there were no...

‘The Thief and the Cobbler’: Original version of Richard Williams’ animated film has first public screening at the Academy The first public screening of the original version of Richard Williams’ The Thief and the Cobbler will be held at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 10, 2013. Williams will be in attendance to introduce the recently reconstructed original workprint from 1992. The Thief and the Cobbler will be accompanied by Richard Williams’s 1972 Oscar-winning animated short A Christmas Carol, adapted from Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella. Featuring animation by Ken Harris and Abe Levitow, among others, A Christmas Carol has, according to the Academy’s website, "a distinctive and dark tone" inspired by John Leech’s engraved illustrations of the Dickens’ tale. In conjunction with the screenings, the Academy’s public exhibition “Richard Williams: Master of Animation,” featuring film clips,...

McM Expo/London Comic Con returns to ExCel London on 25th – 27th October. As well as hosting a galaxy of great sci-fi, movie, games, comics, anime and cosplay content, they’ve also got their usual huge line up of special guests – with more guests being added all the time! see www.mcmcomiccon.com for the latest London Comic Con news – but here’s a round-up of who’s been announced so far:

Red hot fantasy-noir show Lost Girl is coming to McM London Comic Com, with stars Ksenia Solo (Black Swan, Life Unexpected) and Rachel Skarsten (Transporter: The Series, Birds Of Prey) plus executive producer Jay Firestone (Andromeda, La Femme Nikita). Stars from hit sci-fi series Warehouse 13: Kelly Hu (Arrow, X-Men 2, The Vampire Diaries); Eddie McClintock (Bones, Desperate Housewives) and actor/director Saul Rubinek (Frasier, Curb Your Enthusiasm). The stars of new crime thriller By Any Means: Warren Brown (Luther,...

Cinema is a kind of uber-art form that’s made up of a multitude of other forms of art including writing, directing, acting, drawing, design, photography and fashion. As such, film is, as all cinema aficionados know, a highly collaborative venture.

One of the most consistently fascinating collaborations in cinema is that of the director and actor.

This article will examine some of the great director & actor teams. It’s important to note that this piece is not intended as a film history survey detailing all the generally revered collaborations.

There is a wealth of information and study available on such duos as John Ford & John Wayne, Howard Hawks & John Wayne, Elia Kazan & Marlon Brando, Akira Kurosawa & Toshiro Mifune, Alfred Hitchcock & James Stewart, Ingmar Bergman & Max Von Sydow, Federico Fellini & Giulietta Masina/Marcello Mastroianni, Billy Wilder & Jack Lemmon, Francis Ford Coppola & Al Pacino, Woody Allen & Diane Keaton, Martin Scorsese & Robert DeNiro...

Most Doctor Who fans know Peter Cushing played Dr. Who (not The Doctor) twice, in the feature film Dr. Who and the Daleks, as well as the adaptation Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. Most also know of his star turn as the unforgettably evil Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

Many may not know that between movies, TV series, video games, cartoons, and audio dramas, Doctor Who and Star Wars share many more actors in common. These ten actors have been pulled from both the the classic years and new series, as well as the original trilogy and it’s prequels.

While Doug Bradley doesn’t count in the confines of this list, due to just doing voice acting, it should be mentioned that besides his turn as Talbot in the Big Finish Productions audio drama Pier Pressure, and The Emperor in video game Star Wars: The Old Republic,...

Character actor best known for his role in The Italian Job

The distinctive character actor John Clive, who has died aged 79, will be best remembered by cinemagoers for his appearances in a string of films that gained cult status. In The Italian Job (1969), the British-flag-flying yarn about a daring heist in Turin using Minis as getaway cars, Clive was the garage manager gleefully receiving a wad of banknotes from the released convict Michael Caine as payment for storing his Aston Martin DB4 convertible. The scene was said to have been ad-libbed between the two actors, with Caine putting his enforced absence down to tiger shoots in India. "You must have shot an awful lot of tigers, sir," said Clive as he counted the notes enthusiastically. "Yes, I used a machine gun," retorted Caine.

Two years later, Clive was the tormentor forcing Malcolm McDowell's psychotic teenager into licking his boot...

Czech-born actor best known as Inspector Clouseau's crazed boss in the Pink Panther films

Herbert Lom, who has died aged 95, spent more than 50 years in dramatic roles, playing mostly smooth villains, but he was best known for his portrayal of Charles Dreyfus, the hysterically twitching boss of the bumbling Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) in the series of slapstick Pink Panther comedies. "Give me 10 men like Clouseau and I could destroy the world," blurts out the bewildered Dreyfus in A Shot in the Dark (1964).

Herbert Charles Angelo Kuchacevich ze Schluderpacheru was born into an impoverished aristocratic family in Prague. He studied philosophy at Prague University, where he organised student theatre. In 1939, on the eve of the German invasion of Czechoslovakia, he arrived in Britain with his Jewish girlfriend, Didi, but she was sent back at Dover because she did not have the correct papers. Her subsequent death in a concentration...

Oliver Reed as Athos in The Three Musketeers & The Four Musketeers (Richard Lester, 1973/1974, UK):

These films were actually shot all at once but ultimately released as two separate films telling one long story. As the musketeer with a dark past, Oliver Reed provides a lot of the heart and soul in these very entertaining and well-made films. Technically, since we have to isolate one film for our fantasy nomination, it would be The Four Musketeers as his role is more prominent in that film. Reed’s reunion scene with Faye Dunaway’s Milady is superb as is Reed’s intense swordplay with an array of opponents including Christopher Lee. An underrated actor whose career was damaged by well-documented alcohol problems and notorious off-screen behavior, Reed still logged in some truly incredible acting performances over the course of his career. His portrayal of Athos is definitely one of them.

Other...

Comedy is very subjective, so this list may not represent your favorite comedic moments in cinema. Time Out London has compiled their list of the 100 Best Comedies Of All Time, and did it in a unique manner. 200 people that work in, with, or around comedy were surveyed to find out their top ten comedies. Then those lists were averaged to get the top 100.

The cool thing about the list is that the mag also included thet top ten of each person surveyed, including Edgar Wright, Dan Aykroyd and The Office creator, Steven Merchant. Below is the top 100 and a few other top ten lists. To check out all the lists visit Time Out London.

100. Sister Act (1992)

99. Carry on Screaming (1966)

98. Brazil (1985)

97. Swingers (1996)

96. BASEketball (1998)

95. The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)

94. Midnight Run (1988)

93. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

92. Nuts in May (1976)

91. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)

90. Mean Girls (2004)

89. The Great Dictator (1940)

88. Arthur (1981)

87. A Fish Called Wanda...

From time to time, major organizations such as the AFI give us lists of the best movies of all time. There's some kind of grand countdown from 100 to 1 and then we debate for a few days over how low this one was ranked or why was another ranked too high. And most of the time, we rarely get a glimpse behind the process. Time Out London has just released their list of the 100 Best Comedies Of All Time but have done it in a fun and uniquely transparent way. They surveyed over 200 people who work in, with, or around comedy and asked them for their top tens. Then they averaged all those lists together to come up with the top 100. The best part, though, is that all the lists are public. So instead of just listing the 100 best comedies of all time, we can also find out which ten comedies...

Richard Williams' The Thief and the Cobbler is, in many ways the animation equivalent of Welles' Don Quixote. Williams, a successful animator making a lot of money in title sequences (Tony Richardson's The Charge of the Light Brigade, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, the original Casino Royale) and commercials, decided to make the world's greatest animated feature film, funding it himself. "The golden rule in film-making is Opm, Other People's Money. But I never had Opm. I only had Dm: Dick's Money."

For somewhere between twenty and thirty years, Williams worked on his masterpiece, employing many of the great animators who had worked at Disney in the studio's golden age. Then, he got the job of directing the animation in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? The film's success made Williams suddenly bankable, and The Thief and the Cobbler acquired a studio deal. Williams carried on making it at the leisurely...

Film director best known for the Pink Panther, Breakfast at Tiffany's and 10

The film-maker Blake Edwards, who has died aged 88, will be best remembered as the creator of the Pink Panther films, and as the husband of the entertainer Julie Andrews. But Edwards was a third-generation show-business figure whose complex and controversial career spanned more than 50 years, initially as an actor and writer and subsequently as one of America's most prolific producer-directors, primarily concerned with the popular genres of comedy and musicals and with creating television series.

Despite working in mainstream cinema, his maverick spirit and ego made him an uneasy partner with Hollywood studios. He famously savaged the hand that had fed him so well with S.O.B. (1981), a raucous, vitriolic attack on Tinseltown. His sophisticated work drew strongly on his love of early cinema (his stepgrandfather had directed silent films), and on his own life and psychological problems (he...

Director of film greats, Pink Panther, Breakfast At Tiffany’S,10, S.O.B., and Victor/Victoria, Blake Edwards has passed away at the age of 88 in Santa Monica. Edwards died from complications of pneumonia at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. John’s Health Center said publicist Gene Schwam. He had been hospitalized for about two weeks. In 1993, Edwards received a WGA award for best written comedy adapted from another medium for The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), won the Preston Sturges Award from the DGA, was an Academy Award nominee in 1983 for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Victor/Victoria) and awarded an Honorary Oscar in 2004 in recognition of his writing, directing and producing an extraordinary body of work for the screen.

Blake Edwards was married to actress Julie Andrews for over 40 years (1969). The couple has 5 children between them – they have two adopted daughters, Andrews has one daughter...

Five films are tied for having won the most Golden Globes (five). Four of them are "Doctor Zhivago," "The Godfather," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Love Story." What's the fifth? To see the answer, click the "Continue Reading" link below. Answer: Barbra Streisand's version of "A Star Is Born" (1976) went undefeated at the Golden Globes, winning best musical/comedy picture, actress, actor (Kris Kristofferson), song and music score. It was a weak year. The other nominees for best musical/comedy picture were "Bugsy Malone," "The Pink Panther Strikes Again," "The Ritz" and "Silent Movie." Personally, I think "The Ritz" should've won towels (instead of hands) down, but its subject matter (zaniness in a gay...

DVD Links: DVD News | Release Dates | New Dvds | Reviews | RSS Feed This week is a breath of fresh air compared to recent weeks as we have more than just one title to talk about with Jason Bourne coming to Blu-ray and the film I deemed to be the best of 2008 coming home on DVD and Blu-ray. We also have the very good Roman Polanski doc and the old school Pink Panther Collection arrives with the original Pink Panther available on DVD and Blu-ray. Vicky Cristina Barcelona Yup, Woody Allen's romance was my favorite film of 2008 and Genius Products didn't even send me a screener. Boooooo! But I have already ordered the Blu-ray release from Amazon and expect it any day and I suggest you do the same. This is a great little film with two of the better performances of the year from Penelope Cruz and most notably Rebecca Hall.

November is lining up to be Animation Month here in San Francisco, not only with the San Francisco Film Society’s International Animation Festival mid-month, but kicking off with a rare public appearance by award-winning animator Richard Williams at San Francisco’s Balboa Theatre on Sunday, November 2, 7:00Pm. Winner of three Academy Awards, animation director of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and author of the definite The Animator’s Survival Kit, Williams will be in the Bay Area to meet with animators at Pixar, Ilm and other effects and animation houses. He has agreed to appear at this public showing to benefit the local Animation Association, Asifa-sf. General Admission is $9.00. Seniors and children under 12 years are $6.50. Advance tickets are available here.

As Gary Meyer has advised, Richard Williams has been in the animation business for over 50 years. He created the Oscar-winning A Christmas Carol, directed the animation in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?...