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Song and dance man or gangster? Few stars of Hollywood’s Golden Era could claim they were equally well known for two such diverse genres. Yet, the legendary James Cagney worked hard to be able to make such a claim.

He was born on July 17, 1899, in New York City. His family was poor, and Cagney was sickly as a child. While growing up in a rough neighborhood, he learned a variety of skills, including tap dancing, street fighting, baseball and boxing. When he was 19, his father died, and he took odd jobs to help support his mother and siblings. On a whim, he auditioned for a role of a chorus girl in a local production. Although he had never had professional training, he landed the role and learned the dances from watching the other performers – and it never bothered him to dress as a girl and perform. Despite his mother...

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez‘s love story remains one of the most documented in Hollywood. However, their romance would have never begun had it not been for Halle Berry’s exit from the film that brought Lopez and Affleck together: Gigli.

In 2003, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez discussed their love affair with ‘Dateline’

Public interest in Ben Affleck’s romance with Jennifer Lopez was so high that the NBC news series Dateline devoted an entire hour to their relationship. The interview aired in 2003.

Fate brought the couple together after meeting on the set of the film Gigli. Lopez won the role after Oscar-winning actor Halle Berry bowed out of the project.

Speaking with interviewer Pat O’Brien from Access Hollywood, Affleck and Lopez discussed how this twist of fate opened up a channel for their romance. O’Brien addressed the origins of their relationship.

He asked Lopez, “Have you thanked...

When Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck first began dating in the early 2000s, they captured endless media attention. Lopez spoke about her new relationship with a number of different outlets. When she heard some of what she said about Affleck read back to her, she cringed.

Jennifer Lopez was embarrassed to hear something she said about Ben Affleck

In a 2003 Access Hollywood interview, journalist Pat O’Brien asked Lopez about something she had once said about feeling most at home with Affleck.

“Curled under Ben’s arm is where you want to be, ‘those are my favorite places,’” O’Brien said. “That’s great.”

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck | Gotham/Gc Images

Lopez couldn’t help but blush when she heard the words read back to her.

“You’re embarrassing me,” she said. “Why did I say that? That was girl talk.”

Still, Lopez didn’t deny the sentiment. While she...

In the years after winning an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, Ben Affleck proved his star was still on the rise when he entered into a high-profile relationship with Jennifer Lopez. Their romance captured global attention and landed them on the covers of countless tabloids. Affleck said news of his relationship brought him attention from people he hadn’t spoken to in years. They seemed to view his romance with Lopez as a bigger deal than his career.

Ben Affleck joked that people from his hometown saw his relationship with Jennifer Lopez as a major achievement

When Affleck and Lopez’s relationship became public knowledge, he began getting phone calls from people in his old neighborhood. In an interview, Access Hollywood’s Pat O’Brien asked Affleck what his old friends said about his new girlfriend.

“‘I got you bro. Listen I don’t mean to get in your business or nothing,...

Clockwise from bottom left: Burt Reynolds in The Longest Yard (Paramount Pictures/Courtesy of Getty Images), Sylvester Stallone and Jamie Foxx in Any Given Sunday (Getty Images), Sean Astin in Rudy (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images), Billy Bob Thornton and Garrett Hedlund in Friday Night Lights (Universal Pictures)Graphic: The A.

Those who fought in World War II are considered the Greatest Generation. And executive producers Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Gary Goetzman paid homage to these young men who risked life and limb during the global conflict in their award-winning 2001 HBO series “Band of Brothers” and 2010’s “The Pacific.” And now they’ve taken to the not-so-friendly skies in their latest World War II series, Apple TV +’s “Masters of the Air.”

Created by John Shiban and John Orloff, “Masters of the Air” is based on the 2007 book: “Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the War Against Nazi Germany,” the series starring Austin Butler focuses on the 8th Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group stationed in England. It was known as the “Bloody Hundredth” because of the high causalty rate.

Watching the series, one can’t help but remember the numerous bombardier films produced by Hollywood...

The big news about the new Transformers movie (not a sentence I envisioned writing while attending journalism school) is that this seventh installment features the first appearance of the Maximals on the big screen. Whether that information means anything to you or not will determine if you’re the target audience for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, a de facto sequel to 2018’s Bumblebee that features enough rock ‘em, sock ‘em robot action to thrill the faithful while showcasing appealing performances by Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback as the token humans on hand.

The story begins in New York City circa 1994, providing plenty of opportunity for the soundtrack inclusion of classic ‘90s-era hip-hop cuts to complement the thundering score by Jongnic “Jb” Bontemps. We’re introduced to Noah (Ramos, In the Heights), a former Army private and tech wiz trying to make ends meet by setting up illegal cable boxes for his friends.

Showrunner Eric Kripke joins podcast hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss a few of his favorite films.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings

Piranha (1978) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

My Octopus Teacher (2020)

The Evil Dead (1983) – Fede Alvarez’s trailer commentary

Evil Dead II (1987) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary, Alex Kirschenbaum’s review

Meet The Feebles (1989) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary

Dead Alive a.k.a. Braindead (1992) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary

Bad Taste (1987) – Ti West’s trailer commentary

Infested (2002)

Super (2010)

Forrest Gump (1994)

The Hidden (1987) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review

Uhf (1989)

Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid (1986)

The Dead Pit (1989)

Batgirl (2022) – Unreleased film

The Fantastic Four (1994) – Unreleased film...

“Look, I know you’re a smart lawyer – very smart – but don’t get smart with me.”

James Cagney and Pat O’Brien in Angels With Dirty Faces (1938) will be available on Blu-ray December 12th from Warner Archive

It’s back and looking better than ever! The acclaimed Warner Bros. gangster classic which paired off-screen pals James Cagney and Pat O’Brien for the sixth time in this timeless and unforgettable film. Cagney’s Rocky Sullivan is a charismatic ghetto tough whose underworld rise makes him a hero to a gang of slum punks. O’Brien is Father Connolly, the boyhood chum-turned-priest who vows to end Rocky’s influence. Other top talents join them including Humphrey Bogart as a scheming lawyer, Ann Sheridan (in her first major leading-lady role) as Rocky’s hard-edged girlfriend and the Dead End Kids as worshipful street urchins, all ably directed by the great Michael Curtiz...

Above: Easy LivingIn football, the American film industry found a setting to prattle its American platitudes—their -isms and -ivenesses that titivate the truth. By making a mill from America’s most popular sport, which was already riddled with truisms, Hollywood strove to insulate itself with lush banalities of American exceptionalism. They glommed to the mythology and readymade drama of the gridiron. Underdogs with long odds, inner crises, and familial strife—all seem to be absolved on the football field. Yet, as Don DeLillo writes in End Zone, the regnant work of fiction on football, “whatever complexities, whatever dark politics of the human mind, the heart—these are noted only within the chalked borders of the playing field. At times strange visions ripple across that turf; madness leaks out.” The tired tropes of the sport give way to something else, something unpolished but no less telling, all braced by...

Our 100th Guest! Comedy icon Martin Short joins us to discuss a few of the movies that made him.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Innerspace (1987)

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

On The Waterfront (1954)

To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)

Terms Of Endearment (1983)

Moby Dick (1956)

The Exorcist (1973)

King Kong (1933)

A History Of Violence (2005)

A Song To Remember (1945)

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Annie Hall (1977)

The Oscar (1966)

Sleeper (1973)

Bananas (1971)

City Lights (1931)

September (1987)

The Harder They Fall (1956)

Bad Day At Black Rock (1955)

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Schindler’s List (1993)

Kiss Me Stupid (1964)

The Ox-Bow Incident (1942)

The Bad And The Beautiful (1953)

Ben-Hur (1959)

Spartacus (1960)

The Ten Commandments (1956)

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

The Graduate (1967)

Klute (1971)

Blow-Up (1966)

Blow Out (1981)

The Godfather (1972)

The Godfather Part II (1974)

The Godfather Part III (1990)

Burn! (1970)

Reflections In A Golden Eye (1967)

Grease 2 (1982)

The Conversation (1974)

Back To The Future (1985)

Other Notable Items

Saturday Night Live TV...

Actor Roger Perry died on July 12 at his home in Indian Wells. California, after a battle with prostate cancer. He was 85.

Perry compiled dozens of feature, television, and stage credits during a long career that began when he was discovered by Lucille Ball, who put the young actor under contract to Desilu Studios. He co-starred with Pat O'Brien in the 1960 ABC series Harrigan and Son, and co-starred with Chuck Connors and Ben Gazzara in the 90-minute drama Arrest & Trial.

Perry was a guest star on the Star Trek TV series in a memorable first-season episode in 1967, “Tomorrow Is Yesterday,” playing Captain John Christopher. He appeared on Love, American Style, Ironside, The F.B.I., Hawaii Five-0, Barnaby Jones, The Bob Newhart Show, Quincy, CHiPs, The Fall Guy, and many more. He also recurred on programs such as The Facts of Life (as Charles Parker) and Falcon Crest (as John Costello from 1982-...

Billy Wilder always more or less disowned his one real musical, which leaves the enthusiast with a choice: keep re-watching the classic Wilder films, of which there are many, or probe into the obscure, disreputable corners of the great man's oeuvre?The year was 1948. Wilder had been involved with the war effort. Lost Weekend had belatedly come out in 1945 and won an Oscar for Ray Milland. And while the rest of Hollywood was churning out movies that developed the film noir genre Wilder had helped launch with Double Indemnity, he made a Bing Crosby musical set in Austria. He claimed it was offered to him, but the script is credited to Wilder and Charles Brackett, so he can't distance himself that easily."On a December night, some forty-odd years ago, His Majesty Franz Joseph the First, Emperor of Austria, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Galicia,...

Merle Oberon movies: Mysterious star of British and American cinema. Merle Oberon on TCM: Donning men's clothes in 'A Song to Remember,' fighting hiccups in 'That Uncertain Feeling' Merle Oberon is Turner Classic Movies' Star of the Month of March 2016. The good news: the exquisite (and mysterious) Oberon, whose ancestry has been a matter of conjecture for decades, makes any movie worth a look. The bad news: TCM isn't offering any Oberon premieres despite the fact that a number of the actress' films – e.g., Temptation, Night in Paradise, Pardon My French, Interval – can be tough to find. This evening, March 18, TCM will be showing six Merle Oberon movies released during the first half of the 1940s. Never a top box office draw in the United States, Oberon was an important international star all the same, having worked with many of the top actors and filmmakers of the studio era.

[[tmz:video id="0_hw17ummf"]] TMZ Sports obtained the bar fight footage of Tcu quarterback Trevone Boykin -- showing the college football star swinging wildly at two bar staffers and getting into it with cops.  The video begins as Boykin is being wrestled out of Pat O'Brien's in San Antonio Wednesday just before midnight --  he goes berserk after one of the staffers puts him in a choke hold. Boykin then swings at a second staffer before being tossed into the street.

The stylistics of documentary filmmaking helped wipe out the old Hollywood way of doing things, and this sharp look at Olympic skiing is a prime example. Michael Ritchie became a director to be watched filming a killer competitor (Robert Redford), a blaze on the ski slopes and an Sob in every other aspect of his life. The style still looks fresh, 36 years later. Downhill Racer Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 494 1969 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 101 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date December 1, 2015 / 39.95 Starring Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, Camilla Sparv, Dabney Coleman, Karl Michael Vogler, Jim McMullan, Kathleen Crowley, Carole Carle. Cinematography Brian Probyn Film Editor Richard A. Harris Original Music Kenyon Hopkins Written by James Salter from a book by Oakley Hall Produced by Richard Gregson Directed by Michael Ritchie

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

In the late 1960s, when the standard Hollywood way of making movies began to fall apart,...

Depraved convicts ! Crazy Manhattan gin parties! Society dames poaching other women's husbands! A flimflam artist scamming the uptown sophisticates! All these forbidden attractions are here and more -- including Bette Davis's epochal seduction line about impulsive kissing versus good hair care. It's a 9th collection of racy pre-Code wonders. Forbidden Hollywood Volume 9 Big City Blues, Hell's Highway, The Cabin in the Cotton, When Ladies Meet, I Sell Anything DVD-r The Warner Archive Collection 1932-1934 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 63, 62, 78, 85, 70 min. / Street Date October 27, 2015 / available through the WBshop / 40.99 Starring Joan Blondell, Eric Linden, Humphrey Bogart; Richard Dix, Tom Brown; Richard Barthelmess, Bette Davis, Dorothy Jordan, Berton Churchill; Ann Harding, Robert Montgomery, Myrna Loy, Alice Brady, Frank Morgan; Pat O' Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd, Roscoe Karns. Cinematography James Van Trees; Edward Cronjager; Barney McGill; Ray June Written by Lillie Hayward, Ward Morehouse, from his play; Samuel Ornitz, Robert Tasker, Rowland Brown...

Pat O'Brien movies on TCM: 'The Front Page,' 'Oil for the Lamps of China' Remember Pat O'Brien? In case you don't, you're not alone despite the fact that O'Brien was featured – in both large and small roles – in about 100 films, from the dawn of the sound era to 1981. That in addition to nearly 50 television appearances, from the early '50s to the early '80s. Never a top star or a critics' favorite, O'Brien was nevertheless one of the busiest Hollywood leading men – and second leads – of the 1930s. In that decade alone, mostly at Warner Bros., he was seen in nearly 60 films, from Bs (Hell's House, The Final Edition) to classics (American Madness, Angels with Dirty Faces). Turner Classic Movies is showing nine of those today, Nov. 11, '15, in honor of what would have been the Milwaukee-born O'Brien's 116th birthday. Pat O'Brien and James Cagney Spencer Tracy had Katharine Hepburn.

Constance Cummings in 'Night After Night.' Constance Cummings: Working with Frank Capra and Mae West (See previous post: “Constance Cummings: Actress Went from Harold Lloyd to Eugene O'Neill.”) Back at Columbia, Harry Cohn didn't do a very good job at making Constance Cummings feel important. By the end of 1932, Columbia and its sweet ingenue found themselves in court, fighting bitterly over stipulations in her contract. According to the actress and lawyer's daughter, Columbia had failed to notify her that they were picking up her option. Therefore, she was a free agent, able to offer her services wherever she pleased. Harry Cohn felt otherwise, claiming that his contract player had waived such a notice. The battle would spill over into 1933. On the positive side, in addition to Movie Crazy 1932 provided Cummings with three other notable Hollywood movies: Washington Merry-Go-Round, American Madness, and Night After Night. 'Washington Merry-Go-Round...

Constance Cummings: Actress in minor Hollywood movies became major London stage star. Constance Cummings: Actress went from Harold Lloyd and Frank Capra to Noël Coward and Eugene O'Neill Actress Constance Cummings, whose career spanned more than six decades on stage, in films, and on television in both the U.S. and the U.K., died ten years ago on Nov. 23. Unlike other Broadway imports such as Ann Harding, Katharine Hepburn, Miriam Hopkins, and Claudette Colbert, the pretty, elegant Cummings – who could have been turned into a less edgy Constance Bennett had she landed at Rko or Paramount instead of Columbia – never became a Hollywood star. In fact, her most acclaimed work, whether in films or – more frequently – on stage, was almost invariably found in British productions. That's most likely why the name Constance Cummings – despite the DVD availability of several of her best-received performances – is all but forgotten.

Coleen Gray in 'The Sleeping City' with Richard Conte. Coleen Gray after Fox: B Westerns and films noirs (See previous post: “Coleen Gray Actress: From Red River to Film Noir 'Good Girls'.”) Regarding the demise of her Fox career (the year after her divorce from Rod Amateau), Coleen Gray would recall for Confessions of a Scream Queen author Matt Beckoff: I thought that was the end of the world and that I was a total failure. I was a mass of insecurity and depended on agents. … Whether it was an 'A' picture or a 'B' picture didn't bother me. It could be a Western movie, a sci-fi film. A job was a job. You did the best with the script that you had. Fox had dropped Gray at a time of dramatic upheavals in the American film industry: fast-dwindling box office receipts as a result of competition from television,...

Olivia de Havilland picture U.S. labor history-making 'Gone with the Wind' star and two-time Best Actress winner Olivia de Havilland turns 99 (This Olivia de Havilland article is currently being revised and expanded.) Two-time Best Actress Academy Award winner Olivia de Havilland, the only surviving major Gone with the Wind cast member and oldest surviving Oscar winner, is turning 99 years old today, July 1.[1] Also known for her widely publicized feud with sister Joan Fontaine and for her eight movies with Errol Flynn, de Havilland should be remembered as well for having made Hollywood labor history. This particular history has nothing to do with de Havilland's films, her two Oscars, Gone with the Wind, Joan Fontaine, or Errol Flynn. Instead, history was made as a result of a legal fight: after winning a lawsuit against Warner Bros. in the mid-'40s, Olivia de Havilland put an end to treacherous...

Nine people were shot on touristy Bourbon Street in New Orleans' celebrated French Quarter. One person was in critical condition after the early Sunday shooting, said New Orleans police spokesman Frank Robertson. Seven others were hospitalized in stable condition. The remaining victim's condition was not available. The victims were shot just two blocks from historic Jackson Square and just around the corner from the popular Pat O'Brien's piano bar. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu on Sunday pledged a swift law-enforcement response. "Our No. 1 priority is to keep New Orleans safe," Landrieu said in a statement issued through City Hall spokesman Tyler Gamble.

Nine people were shot in violence-prone but touristy Bourbon Street in New Orleans' celebrated French Quarter. One person was in critical condition after the early Sunday shooting, said New Orleans police spokesman Frank Robertson. Seven others were hospitalized in stable condition. The remaining victim's condition was not available. The victims were shot just two blocks from historic Jackson Square and just around the corner from the popular Pat O'Brien's piano bar. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu on Sunday pledged a swift law-enforcement response. "Our No. 1 priority is to keep New Orleans safe," Landrieu said in a statement issued through City Hall spokesman Tyler Gamble.

In John Michael McDonagh's exhilarating and angry satirical drama, a priest faces a deadly high noon with a murderous, damaged parishioner

John Michael McDonagh could yet be the Anthony Mann or the Fred Zinnemann of modern Irish cinema. He is at home in Ireland's Wild West, and makes the Knocknarea mountain of County Sligo look like northern Europe's answer to Monument Valley. His lawman here is Brendan Gleeson, playing Father James Lavelle, an embattled priest facing a high-noon confrontation with one of his flock. Gleeson is craggy, troubled, burdened, drolly resentful part Gary Cooper, part Pat O'Brien, part Clement Freud.

Calvary is a different proposition from his black comedy The Guard, from 2011, in which Gleeson played a highly unconventional cop. It's bleaker and dourer and less anti-clerical than you might expect. There are fewer laugh lines and zingers. Occasionally it looks as if it is straining for maturity. The...

Dead Space is still alive! At the San Diego Comic-Con today, EA's Pat O'Brien confirmed that the video game developers are taking an active role in the production of the adaptation (similar to what Ubisoft are doing with the likes of Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell), before revealing that they have hired Justin Marks (Hack/Slash) to pen the latest draft of the screenplay. "We decided we have to pitch the projects as scripts," O'Brien said of EA's decision to oversee any future movies based on their video games. "EA was batting 0 for 5 before we began funding scripts. We’ve had our knocks in the studio system." However, those of you thinking that this guarantees a faithful adaptation may be disappointed to learn that they're planning on taking it in a slightly different direction as the action and tone is a little too similar to some other well know sci-fi...

In old Hollywood films, you rarely come across a bad Catholic. Picture Bing Crosby as the kind-hearted Father O'Malley trying to have a school saved from closing down in The Bells of St Mary's (1945) or Pat O'Brien as the priest striving to keep kids away from crime – and his old friend James Cagney's bad example – in Angels With Dirty Faces (1938.)...

In old Hollywood films, you rarely come across a bad Catholic. Picture Bing Crosby as the kind-hearted Father O'Malley trying to have a school saved from closing down in The Bells of St Mary's (1945) or Pat O'Brien as the priest striving to keep kids away from crime – and his old friend James Cagney's bad example – in Angels With Dirty Faces (1938.)...

Christopher Maloney performed in Liverpool last night for his X Factor homecoming gig. The talent show finalist appeared at the Liverpool Empire yesterday (December 4) with mentor Gary Barlow in front of 1,500 fans. Insiders have claimed that the majority of fans in attendance were pensioners, including Maloney's 76-year-old gran Pat O'Brien. Fans were asked to provide their age when applying for free tickets, with the average age said to be 82, according to The Sun. "He's a favourite of the older generation, but we were amazed by how many pensioners wanted to support him at his gig," said an (more)...

Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul has found his next feature film project. THR reports that he is set to star in Need for Speed for DreamWorks Pictures. There are no specific details about his role at this time, so stay tuned to GeekTyrant for further details as the story develops.

Are you a fan of Breaking Bad? Would you like to see Paul in the lead role?

Here's some information about the project from an earlier press release:

DreamWorks Studios has acquired the feature film rights to EA’s (Nasdaq: EA) popular video game franchise, Need for Speed™, it was announced jointly today by DreamWorks CEO and Co-Chair Stacey Snider and EA President of Studios Frank Gibeau.

Brothers George and John Gatins developed the original story with George writing the feature’s screenplay. The screenplay is based on the Need for Speed series, but is not based on an individual game.

"Breaking Bad" star Aaron Paul is making his first break into mainstream Hollywood, and it turns out he's got a need for speed.

DreamWorks announced back in June that it's going to make a "Need for Speed" movie based on the popular video game series, and Entertainment Weekly has learned that Paul will be the man behind the wheel. It's unclear what route this story will take, but we're guessing Paul will again be playing a man on the wrong side of the law.

This casting news has earned "Need for Speed" a lot of credibility. Paul earned an Emmy (his second) for his turn as Jesse Pinkman in "Breaking Bad" this year, and it was well-deserved. He's added plenty of depth to a character that easily could have been one dimensional and, though he had five seasons to do it in "Breaking Bad" and will only have two hours or so in this movie,...

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart's cheating scandal is still fresh in everyone's minds, but that doesn't mean the story won't die down in the upcoming months. Unfortunately, those couple of months will be quite long because KStew had to go and get caught right before the two actors went on promotion for Breaking Dawn: Part 2 though. The couple always make big news, but Rupert what's his face will probably be just a memory in years to come. Too many other scandals have disappeared once the story just got too old for readers.

| Related: Rupert Sander's Wife Deletes Twitter Account |

| Related: Kristen Cheats With A Guy That's Not A Vampire |

Now, don't think scandals like sex tapes and huge splits still aren't spoken about. When something in Hollywood happens it's hard to forget. If Rob does a movie when he's 38 about cheating, this story will probably be brought up in a review.

Taylor Kitsch has reportedly been offered the lead role in Need for Speed. DreamWorks is currently adapting the series of racing video games into a film and has named the John Carter star as their top choice to headline the potential franchise, according to Zap2it. "I'm excited about getting back into the creative trenches with John and George Gatins and my partners at EA to bring to life an exhilarating script based on an epic video game that seems to have been made for the movies," Steven Spielberg said in a statement regarding the film. "This is a big piece of business for DreamWorks and we are grateful to Frank Gibeau, Pat O'Brien, Kevin (more)...

DreamWorks has officially announced that they are teaming up with EA games to bring us a big screen adaptation of the hit video game franchise Need for Speed. As previously rumored, Act of Valor director Scott Waugh will direct the feature film adaptation from a story developed by brothers George and John Gatins (Real Steel).

The movie won't be based on any individual game, but it will be "a fast-paced, high-octane film rooted in the tradition of the great car culture films of the 70s while being extremely faithful to the spirit of the video game franchise." We've previously heard that it will feature a cross-country race from San Francisco to New York.

The movie is set to be released in 2014, and as a fan of this franchise, I'm excited to see what they end up actually doing with it! Are you looking forward to seeing a Need For Speed feature film?...

DreamWorks has got a need. A need for a "Need For Speed" movie.

The studio has announced that they're going to be adapting the popular video game franchise into a feature length filmed with "Act of Valor" director Scott Waugh at the helm.

Screenwriting brothers George and John Gatins have come up with an original premise based on the EA series' tried-and-true gaming formula and are going to pen the script. Apparently the flick is being fast-tracked at Dreamworks and is being planned for a 2014 release date. Oh, and Steven Spielberg is pumped about the idea.

“I'm excited about getting back into the creative trenches with John and George Gatins and my partners at EA to bring to life an exhilarating script based on an epic video game that seems to have been made for the movies,” he said in a press release. “This is a big piece of business...

With the arrival of the auteur theory, filmmakers like Michael Curtiz no longer get as much sway among the current generation of directors. Curtiz (born Kertész Kaminer Manó in Hungary in 1886), was a journeyman, a man who flourished in the studio system after being picked out by Jack Warner for his Austrian Biblical epic "Moon of Israel" in 1924. He stayed at the studio for nearly 20 years, taking on whatever he was assigned at a terrifyingly prolific rate -- he made over 100 Hollywood movies up to "The Comancheros" in 1961. And some of them are terrible, as you might expect.

But Curtiz was also responsible for some of the greatest films of the era, and those who diminish his abilities (including the director himself, who once said "Who cares about character? I make it go so fast nobody notices") are ignoring his enormous skill behind the camera, and his undeniable capacity for...

The Irish mob is recognized as one of the oldest organized crime gangs in the Us. A sordid past and an existence in almost every city across America has resulted in the Irish mob being the source of countless motion pictures. Read on for a look at our top ten gangster movies that were influenced by Irish immigrants and their corrupt dealings. “The Boondock Saints” 1999 Starring Sean Patrick Flannery and Norman Reedus, Irish Catholic fraternal twins embark on a quest to take down a Boston mob all the while being pursued by FBI special agent Paul Smecker, played by Willem Dafoe. Written and directed by Troy Duffy, he said personal experiences inspired him to write the film. “The Boondock Saints II, All Saints Day” 2009 The sequel sees the MacManus twin brothers abandon their quiet lives in Ireland to return to Boston for revenge. The Catholic twins head for the U.

As they things tend to go, Whitney Houston's tragic death earlier this year has given the otherwise under-the-radar "Sparkle," a remake of the 1976 movie, an extra bit of shine. Following a brief preview this morning on "Today" followed by a brainshattering discussion about it with Kathie Lee Gifford and Pat O'Brien, the whole thing has now landed at Yahoo.

And well, it's...inoffensive. Following the music movie template pretty dead on, the film tells the story of a Supremes-like Motown group on the rise from humble beginnings. Whitney Houston plays a singer who never realized her potential and serves as a matriarch for the gals led by "American Idol" winer Jordin Sparks while the ensemble cast includes Michael K. Williams, Carmen Ejogo, Tika Sumpter, Derek Luke, Mike Epps and Omari Hardwick. All told, it looks a bit more like a TV movie, but it has the crowd pleasing potential...

Doesn't anyone know how to properly debut a trailer anymore? Lately, there's been a pernicious trend of offering mini-trailers days in advance of the actual trailer, but handed the exclusive for Whitney Houston's final film Sparkle, the Today show makes things even worse: They premiere most of the trailer, then Matt Lauer spends minutes awkwardly grilling Kathie Lee Gifford and Pat O'Brien about what they thought of it. Why would you want to see the Sparkle footage you missed when Pat O'Brien could instead talk about his own struggles with drug addiction, right? Anyway! It looks good and yes, it is sad to see Houston in her last role, though she seems to be giving a spirited and well-managed performance. Right, Kathie Lee? Update: Fortunately, Yahoo Movies has now posted the whole trailer, and we've got that for you.

Part of a series by David Cairns on forgotten pre-Code films.

Trawling through Hollywood musicals before Gold Diggers of 1933 is a fascinating job. Asides from Lubitsch and the operetta-film, the most salient feature of films like Sunnyside Up (1929) and Follow Thru (1930) is the slenderness of their plots, which are willowy and attenuated in the extreme. Of course one expects musicals to have rather lightweight, simplistic storylines, but these movies extend rudimentary narrative conceits farther than one would think possible, coasting on pure charm.

In today's cinematic world, the art of the musical looks hopelessly difficult: how do you maintain enough story tension to keep the audience hooked, while suspending plot for minutes at a time to indulge in musical numbers which tend to capture the mood of a moment, extending it well past any narrative requirement? In the 30s, they not only did it regularly and effortlessly, they didn't...

Margaret Field, best remembered for the 1951 sci-fier The Man From Planet X, died at her Malibu home on Sunday, Nov. 6, the day her daughter Sally Field turned 65. Margaret Field, who had been diagnosed with cancer six years ago, was 89. Directed by cult B-movie director Edgar G. Ulmer, The Man From Planet X turned out to be the highlight of Field's film career. The story revolves around a mysterious journalist (Robert Clarke) who may or may not be an alien with ties to a spaceship that has landed near an observatory on a remote Scottish island. Most of Field's previous movie appearances had been uncredited bit parts, chiefly in Paramount productions such as The Perils of Pauline, Night Has a Thousand Eyes, and Samson and Delilah. Her parts got bigger following The Man from Planet X, but they remained subpar roles in mostly B movies. Among those were Philip Ford's...

Comedian/actor Russell Brand was honored as the "Man of the Year" at the 22nd Friendly House Annual Gala Awards.

Watch all the red carpet action!

As he accepted the award, Brand said, "This is a call to action; we all need to step up to the plate of citizens of the planet and do our part."

Broadcasting veteran Pat O'Brien, who hosts "Loose Cannons" for Fox Sports, served as Master of Ceremonies.

For more information on Friendly House,...

Silent All Quiet On The Western Front: TCM's Library of Congress Tribute [Photo: Kay Francis, Leslie Howard in British Agent.] Schedule (Et) and synopses from the TCM website: 8:00 Pm The Constant Nymph (1943). A composer finds inspiration in his wife's romantic cousin. Dir: Edmund Goulding. Cast: Charles Boyer, Joan Fontaine, Alexis Smith. Bw-112 mins. 10:00 Pm Baby Face (1933). A beautiful schemer sleeps her way to the top of a banking empire. Dir: Alfred E. Green. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, Donald Cook. Bw-76 mins. 11:30 Pm Two Heads On A Pillow (1934). Once-married attorneys face off during a heated divorce case. Dir: William Nigh. Cast: Neil Hamilton, Miriam Jordan, Henry Armetta. Bw-68 mins. 12:45 Am All Quiet On The Western Front (1930). Young German soldiers try to adjust to the horrors of World War I. Dir: Lewis Milestone. Cast: Lew Ayres, Louis Wolheim, John Wray. Bw-134 mins. 3:15 Am : Will Rogers Winging Around Europe (1927). Bw-0 mins. 3:30 Am...

Ronald Reagan, Knute Rockne: All American Kay Francis, William Powell, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow: Packard Campus Movies Thursday, September 1 (7:30 p.m.) The Wanderers (Orion, 1979) Set against the urban jungle of 1963 New York's gangland subculture, this coming of age teenage movie is set around the Italian gang the Wanderers. Directed by Philip Kaufman. With Ken Wahl, John Friedrich and Karen Allen. Action drama. Rated R. Color, 117 min. Thursday, September 8 (7:30 p.m.) Mildred Pierce (Warner Bros., 1945) A housewife-turned-waitress finds success in business but loses control of her ungrateful teenaged daughter. Directed by Michael Curtiz. With Joan Crawford, Zachary Scott and Ann Blyth. Drama. Black & White, 111 min. Selected for the National Film Registry in 1996. Friday, September 9 (7:30 p.m.) Pre-code Drama Double Feature Jewel Robbery (Warner Bros., 1932) A wealthy, married woman becomes captivated by a debonair jewel thief. Directed by William Dieterle. With Kay Francis and William Powell. Comedy,...

South African-born child movie star viewed as a rival to Shirley Temple

From 1935 to 1938, Shirley Temple was the world's biggest and smallest movie star. During this period, Warner Bros launched their answer to Temple in the cute, dark-haired, wide-eyed, button-nosed Sybil Jason, who has died aged 83. Jason made six feature films and four Technicolor two-reelers for the studio over these years. Unfortunately, most of her films and roles shamelessly resembled those of Temple's at 20th Century-Fox, and never equalled them in popularity. However, according to Time magazine in 1936: "Among child actresses, Sybil Jason is to Shirley Temple as Jean Harlow is to Ann Harding – less wholesome but more refreshing."

She was born Sybil Jacobson in Cape Town, South Africa, where her father ran a shoe business. As her mother was in fragile health, the girl was brought up mainly by her older sister Anita, who nurtured her precocious talent,...

Carole Lombard Best remembered for her light comedies of the '30s and early '40s, Carole Lombard is Turner Classic Movies Star of the Day on Sunday, August 28, as TCM's continues its "Summer Under the Stars" film series. Unfortunately, TCM isn't showing any hard-to-find Carole Lombard movies. So, don't expect Swing High, Swing Low; We're Not Dressing; the eminently dreadful (and compulsively watchable) White Woman; I Take This Woman; Up Pops the Devil; It Pays to Advertise, Power, etc. [Carole Lombard Movie Schedule.] Having said that, TCM did show the lesser-known Virtue (1932) and Brief Moment (1933) earlier today, and will be showing The Racketeer (1929) later this evening. Directed by the all but completely forgotten Howard Higgin, The Racketeer is a crime melodrama that features future King Kong semi-villain Robert Armstrong. Chances are The Racketeer will turn out to be nothing more than a historical curiosity — but that's not a bad thing at all. First,...

Carole Lombard on TCM: My Man Godfrey, Nothing Sacred, The Racketeer Mitchell Leisen's Hands Across the Table (1935) would have been more enjoyable had Carole Lombard ended up with Ralph Bellamy instead of Fred MacMurray. In fact, MacMurray's obnoxious Average Joe portrayal — who comes across as the Average Jerk instead — all but destroys the film. His character should have gone to, once again, Melvyn Douglas, Herbert Marshall, Cary Grant, Brian Aherne, Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Edward G. Robinson, Bela Lugosi, Ginger Rogers, May Robson, or just about anyone else in Hollywood at that time. I haven't watched Vigil in the Night (1940), a melodrama about two sisters/nurses that isn't considered one of George Stevens' best. The cast, however, is good: in addition to Lombard, there are Brian Aherne and Anne Shirley. Vigil in the Night is also of interest in that it's one of Lombard's rare post-1935 non-comedic roles.

Sybil Jason, Warner Bros.' answer to Shirley Temple, died Tuesday, August 23, according to film researcher and author Scott O'Brien. She was 83. Born Sybil Jacobson on November 23, 1927, in Cape Town, South Africa, while still a small child she moved to Britain with her parents. Thanks to her uncle Harry Jacobson, reportedly a London orchestra leader and pianist to highly popular entertainer Gracie Fields, by the age of five Sybil was appearing in London nightclubs, where she sang, danced, and mimicked Maurice Chevalier. In 1935, Sybil caught the eye of Irving Asher, the head of Warner Bros. London studio, who had spotted her in a supporting role in the British feature Barnacle Bill. Following a successful film test, she was brought to Hollywood, where the now renamed Sybil Jason was to become Warners' answer to 20th Century Fox's box-office goldmine Shirley Temple. Jason, however, failed to catch on despite working with some...

Joan Blondell: Q&A with Biographer Matthew Kennedy Pt.1 What did Joan Blondell have to say about the musicals she made for Busby Berkeley? What about Ruby Keeler, James Cagney, and her other fellow contract players? Did she get along with them? [Photo: Joan Blondell in Mervyn LeRoy's Gold Diggers of 1933.] Joan said, not surprisingly, that those musicals were tough. There was extra rehearsal needed for production numbers, and Berkeley was very demanding. But she always spoke well of her fellow contract players. Or at least most of them. She and Keeler were friendly, and they had a happy reunion in New York in the early 1970s when they were both appearing on Broadway. Cagney she adored and admired, and maybe fell in love with. But they were not romantic off screen, only on. She was particularly close to Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck, and Glenda Farrell, her costar in several low-budget comedies at Warners. She and [MGM contract player] Judy Garland...

Joan Blondell. Those who have heard the name will most likely picture either a blowsy, older woman playing the worldwise but warm-hearted saloon owner in the late 1960s television series Here Come the Brides, or a lively, fast-talking, no-nonsense, and unconventionally sexy gold digger in numerous Pre-Code Warner Bros. comedies and musicals of the early 1930s. Matthew Kennedy's Joan Blondell: A Life Between Takes (University Press of Mississippi, 2007) seeks to rectify that cultural memory lapse. Not that Blondell doesn't deserve to be remembered for Here Come the Brides or, say, Gold Diggers of 1933, Footlight Parade, Havana Widows, and Broadway Bad. It's just that her other work — from her immensely touching performance as a sexually liberated woman in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn to her invariably welcome (if brief) appearances in films as varied as The Blue Veil, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?, and Grease — should be remembered as well.