Henry Winkler once had his face on T-shirts and lunchboxes all across America, but until this week, he didn’t have an Emmy Award. After more than four decades in show business, he finally won an award for his role in the series Barry. Of course, it’s hard to find TV stars who have been at it as long as Winkler has, and he credits his longevity to the lessons he’s learned along the way. One of the biggest came from Happy Days creator and producer Garry Marshall, who taught him a lot about self-discipline and keeping his ego in check. (Click on the media bar below to hear Henry Winkler)
Barry has been renewed for a second season by HBO, and subscribers can stream the first season on demand.
Mary Poppins is widely acknowledged as a classic, and rightly so. It was nominated for 13 Oscars and won five of them, including a Best Actress trophy for its legendary star, Julie Andrews. Now, 54 years later, Disney is continuing the story with a new movie, Mary Poppins Returns. It’s had some people scratching their heads, wondering why a movie like Mary Poppins would ever need a sequel. But Emily Blunt, who was given the daunting task of taking the role Andrews played to perfection, says the reason is simple: There’s more we can learn from Mary and the Banks family. (Click on the media bar below to hear Emily Blunt)
Mary Poppins Returns opens in theaters on December 19.
Since she’s been doing her talk show for 16 years, it’s become difficult to remember a time when Ellen DeGeneres made her living by doing stand-up comedy. And it was a long time since she’d done any stand-up comedy — 15 years, to be exact. But she decided to take her summer hiatus and go back on the road again, working on material that would be filmed for a new Netflix special. Of course, our earliest memories of her stand-up career were her standout performances on The Tonight Show. Those came back in the days when Johnny Carson was the host, and she told us how making Carson laugh — and getting called over to the couch after she finished her routine — were moments that changed her life forever. (Click on the media bar below to hear Ellen DeGeneres)
Netflix will begin streaming the new Ellen DeGeneres stand-up special, Relatable, on December 18.
Steve Carell and Timothée Chalametare no strangers to Oscar talk and nominations, and the actors should be prime contenders once again with Beautiful Boy. Based on the memoirs of David Sheff (Carell) and Nic Sheff (Chalamet), the feature centers on Nic’s struggles with drug addiction and its effect on his family. The good news is the film received heaps of critical praise at the Toronto Film Festival, and the trailer suggests that this drama may be an insightful and not overly manipulative or maudlin look at a devastating situation.
The picture, will delve into two different points of view (David’s memoir is titled Beautiful Boy, and Nic penned the book Tweak) on the events at hand, and with two excellent actors steering the ship, this film has definite potential. Check out the new trailer and tell us what you think!
Co-starring Maura Tierney and Amy Ryan, Beautiful Boy opens October 12.
Casey Affleck has collaborated with director David Lowery in the critically acclaimed films Ain’t Them Bodies Saints and A Ghost Story. The pair continue their work with The Old Man & The Gun, but this time out a huge focus of the film is its celebration of Robert Redford’s career. The true story centers on the life of career criminal Forrest Tucker (Redford), and the iconic actor said The Old Man & The Gun will be his last performance.
“I wouldn’t even begin to try to analyze or capture his career because it’s too long and there’s been too many great movies,” said Affleck. “I think this thing fits in with the spirit of what his career is and who he is as a person which is just incredibly charismatic and just genuinely decent all the way to the core. It feels like a Robert Redford movie through and through. If it is his last acting role, it’s a beautiful way to go out.”
Click on the media bar to hear Casey Affleck talk about playing Detective John Hunt in the flick (co-star Tika Sumpter, who plays his wife in the flick, is also heard on the clip):
The Old Man & The Gun opens nationwide September 28.
When actors sign on to play a superhero, it’s often a “double your pleasure, double your fun” experience. After all, not only do they get to play the superhero, but also the character’s alter ego. For Tom Hardy, getting the lead in Venom was, indeed, such an experience, but he admits it was a little bit tougher, too, because when he is playing Venom in the film, he’s doing it without saying a word. (Click on the media bar below to hear Tom Hardy)
Model Alexis Ren knows her way up and down the catwalk, but does she know her way around the dance floor? That’s what we’ll be finding out on the new season of Dancing with the Stars, as she competes for the title. She might have a leg up, so to speak, on the competition because of some previous dance experience, but she’s not convinced it’s an advantage. (Click on the media bar below to hear Alexis Ren)
Dancing with the Stars airs its season premiere next Monday night at 8/7c on ABC.
Though most audiences won’t see it until next month, First Man has already been getting a great reception at film festivals throughout the world. Ryan Gosling, who plays astronaut Neil Armstrong in the biopic, isn’t surprised, because he thinks everything about the movie is extraordinary. (Click on the media bar below to hear Ryan Gosling)
The Captain Marvel trailer is upon us, and kudos the clip literally starts off with a welcome nod to Blockbuster Video the defunct chain which was a powerful video rental staple some twenty years ago. Captain Marvel, featuring Brie Larson as the titular character, is set in the 1990s, and seeing Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) having both eyes was definitely one of the trailer’s many highlights. The titular character, whose real name is Carol Danvers, is an earthing who, after attaining superhuman powers, becomes involved in the epic war between two alien races (the Krees and the shape shifting Skrulls). Jude Law is briefly seen as Mar-Vell, a mentor to Carol Danvers (and the original Captain Marvel).
What may get lost amidst all the hoopla is that Brie Larson and Captain Marvel directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden have devoted a huge portion of their careers working in independent cinema. Fleck and Boden’s previous work include Mississippi Grind, the underrated baseball film Sugar, and Half Nelson (which featured a memorable performance from Ryan Gosling). Before winning the Best Actress Oscar in Room, Larson starred in the critically acclaimed features The Spectacular Now and Short Term 12.
Check out the trailer to Captain Marvel and tell us what you think!
Filmmaker and scribe Dan Fogelman, as evidenced from his TV shows This Is Usand Galavant, doesn’t play it safe with his narratives. In exploring the human condition in all its triumphs and seemingly overwhelming tragedies, Fogelman has crafted dramas that, while some naysayers will say are manipulative tearjerkers, go deep into the heart of who we really are (or want to be).
His latest film Life Itself features a New York couple (Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde) whose relationship should be at an all-time high with their impending baby. Fogelman’s feature, like This Is Us, takes us on a non-linear journey of people whose lives may eventually intersect (Olivia Cooke plays the grown up daughter of the couple).
“I was just blown away by it,” said Wilde. “I was really just taken for the ride. “I was able to kind of remove myself from it and be swept away. I got emotional, but I really just felt happy to be a part of it. I felt really proud.”
Click on the media bar to hear Wilde talk about the interconnected spirit of Life Itself:
Henry Winkler once had his face on T-shirts and lunchboxes all across America, but until this week, he didn’t have an Emmy Award. After more than four decades in show business, he finally won an award for his role in the series Barry. Of course, it’s hard to find TV stars who have been at it as long as Winkler has, and he credits his longevity to the lessons he’s learned along the way. One of the biggest came from Happy Days creator and producer Garry Marshall, who taught him a lot about self-discipline and keeping his ego in check. (Click on the media bar below to hear Henry Winkler)
