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‘American Horror Stories’ delivers five uniquely alarming tales of terror that tackle liminal spaces, clones, Leprechauns, and more.

“You know, we invented hell.”

There was a lot of promise in American Horror Stories — an episodic anthology horror series — when it was first announced as a companion piece to American Horror Story proper. American Horror Stories’ first season was a lackluster effort that oddly felt compelled to needlessly connect its stories to American Horror Story. The second season worked out many of these kinks and, while still imperfect, there are some genuine gems in the mix, like the Twilight Zone-aping “Facelift.” The third season was an even greater improvement that arguably didn’t have any duds in the mix. More importantly, American Horror Stories seemed to finally find the right rhythm and creative team to do this series justice. Additionally, Season 3 eclipsed the modern seasons of American Horror Story and felt...

Netflix is once again setting a place at the Chef’s Table.

The sumptuously filmed culinary documentary will launch two new installments later this year, with a third due in 2025. First up is a spinoff titled Chef’s Table: Noodles, which will profile four chefs — L.A.’s Evan Funke, the U.K. and China-based Guirong Wei, Italian Peppe Guida and rising star Nite Yun of Oakland, California — who are renowned for their mastery of the title ingredient. It’s set to premiere Oct. 2.

A seventh season of the main series will follow on Nov. 27, focusing on chefs Nok Suntaranon of Philadelphia, Kwame Onwuachi in New York, Ángel León in Spain and Mexico City’s Norma Listman and Saqib Keval. Next year, Netflix will stream Chef’s Table: Legends, which “pay tribute to the culinary legends who have shaped the modern world of food as we know it.” Legends will coincide...

New episodes of Chef’s Table are coming to Netflix.

The streamer is serving up three additional seasons, beginning with Chef’s Table: Noodles on October. 2

That iteration will explore the rich and diverse world of noodles through the eyes of four masterful chefs, taking a deep dive into both traditional and innovative techniques.

A trailer released Wednesday for Noodles, which is embedded above, gives a glimpse at four of the chefs whose skills will be featured throughout, including:

Evan Funke – Renowned for his dedication to the craft of handmade pasta, Funke brings the vibrant flavors of Italian cuisine to life. Guirong Wei – A pioneer of Shaanxi cuisine in the UK, Wei’s noodle dishes are a perfect blend of bold flavors and meticulous technique. Peppe Guida (Italy) – Celebrated for his simple yet delicious approach to cooking with dried pasta, Guida’s dishes showcase the...

A subject’s charm can take a documentary a long way. That’s the case in Matt Tyrnauer’s latest project, Nobu, a glowing portrait of Nobu Matsuhisa. The Japanese chef is best known for his empire of luxury sushi restaurants (and more recently, hotels), where guests can experience his medley of dishes inspired by his Japanese roots and early foray into Peruvian cuisine. In Nobu, based on Matsuhisa’s memoir of the same name, Tyrnauer (also in Telluride this year with Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid) anchors the global phenom’s name to a personality.

Nobu is a straightforward and admiring portrait of its subject. The film will likely appeal to fans of the chef (especially since this year marks the 30th anniversary of the first Nobu restaurant), but it may not completely satiate the culinary-curious. Less process-oriented and more wide-ranging than David Gelb’s glossy doc Jiro Dreams of Sushi,...

There’s a scene in the 2010 film Eat Pray Love where Julia Roberts’s character Liz basks in the experience of eating a guilt-free pizza. It was an important character moment for her–and for many audience members. And whatever your specific dietary preferences or requirements may be, we hope that you’ll enjoy whatever your guilt-free “pizza moment” is this Thanksgiving, surrounded by friends and family (chosen or otherwise.)

Food, of course, has played as major a role in cinema as any other basic human biological function, from the sprawling bowls of pasta in the works of Martin Scorsese, to the last decade’s trend of thoughtfully investigative health-leaning food docs such as Food Inc. and Forks Over Knives. Today, though, we’re leaving the scare-mongering at the kids’ table and indulging in some seriously calorie-dense, celebratory depictions of food on film.

So cinch up that lobster bib and...

The Hulu series The 1619 Project and the Showtime feature Nothing Lasts Forever scored a leading three nominations apiece today as the Cinema Eye Honors announced its first round of contenders for the prestigious documentary-focused awards.

The 1619 Project, based on Nikole Hannah-Jones’s Pulitzer Prize-winning examination of slavery in North America and its impact up until the present day, earned nominations for Best Anthology Series, broadcast editing and broadcast cinematography. Oprah Winfrey, Oscar winner Roger Ross Williams and Hannah-Jones are among the producers of the six-part series.

‘Nothing Lasts Forever’

Nothing Lasts Forever, director Jason Kohn’s glittering examination of the world of diamonds – the real kind and the emergence of undetectable “synthetic” diamonds – earned nominations for Best Broadcast Film, broadcast editing and broadcast cinematography. Scroll for the full list of nominations announced today.

Other films and series that scored multiple nominations include Hulu’s Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields...

Hulu’s “The 1619 Project” and Showtime’s “Nothing Lasts Forever” lead all broadcast documentaries in nominations for the 17th annual Cinema Eye Honors, which were announced on Thursday during the Cinema Eye Fall Lunch at Redbird in downtown Los Angeles.

Each of the programs received three nominations in the five broadcast categories, with “The 1619 Project” nominated in the Anthology Series, cinematography and editing categories and “Nothing Lasts Forever” singled out in Broadcast film, cinematography and editing categories.

Other programs with multiple nominations include the broadcast movie “Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields,” the nonfiction series “Dear Mama” and “Paul T. Goldman” and the anthology series “Edge of the Unknown With Jimmy Chin” and “Our Planet II.”

Hulu led all networks and platforms with eight nominations, followed by Netflix with five and Showtime with four.

Cinema Eye Honors, a New York-based organization devoted to honoring all facets of nonfiction filmmaking, also...

Ask any person on the street if they are at least somewhat familiar with comic book legend Stan Lee, and almost always the answer will be a resounding yes.

Lee has become such an icon in not just the world of superheroes, but in just popular culture as a whole. The man has helped create some of the most iconic characters in all of fiction, so naturally, considering the legacy that Lee has left on the world since his passing, it only makes sense for a documentary to be made about his life. However, while I’m sure that a great, honest and detailed documentary about Lee will exist at some point in my lifetime, this is certainly not that.

Regardless of my personal feelings about how this film approached its subject matter, it should be said that this is not a poorly-made documentary. The film is directed by David Gelb,...

Roy Thomas was hired by Stan Lee in 1965 and succeeded him as Marvel editor-in-chief in 1972 when Lee became the publisher. Here, Thomas examines Stan Lee, the new documentary on Disney+ that has sparked debate over who deserves primary credit for the success of the Marvel Universe and its heroes — Lee or close collaborators such as artists Jack Kirby, whose son Neil has expressed disappointment in the documentary’s sidelining of his father’s contributions.

“Stan Lee was his own greatest creation.”

That’s a line that’s often tossed around these days — the more so since Stan died in late 2018 and isn’t around to respond in person to it — and there’s an argument to be made for it, as anyone who watches the new David Gelb documentary Stan Lee, now streaming on Disney+, can testify.

After all, a young Stanley Martin Lieber (though around age 18, not 16 as he...

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film reviews for the new biography documentaries “Stan Lee,” an overview of the Marvel Universe creator (on Disney+ since June 16th) and baseballer “Yogi Berra It Ain’t Over” (currently in select theaters and available for digital download).

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Stan Lee was born Stanley Lieber in New York City way back in 1922, and as a teenager accidentally became a writer at Timely Comics, a small rival to Superman’s National Comics in the late 1930s. Because World War 2 was on … which Stan would eventually serve in for one of the great stories in the doc … the boy wonder rose to editor at the tender age of 17. Post the war he would cement his legacy, convince the publishers to change the company to Marvel in the early 1960s, and began a revolution – with artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko – that would become the Marvel Universe.

Last week, I was rewatching Spider-man: Into The Spiderverse (2018) before going for the sequel. When the mandatory Stan Lee cameo scene appeared, my immediate thought was how I was going to miss seeing the man doing his thing for one minute while watching Across The Spiderverse. For a lot of people around the world, Stan Lee used to be the goofy old guy who cameoed in every single Marvel movie until his death back in December 2018. He made one posthumous appearance in Avengers: Endgame (2019), but even after that, the MCU managed to find creative ways to pay tribute to Lee in many of their projects.

Lee’s legacy goes far beyond the MCU, of course. It’s safe to say that the man will forever be remembered as the person who made Marvel Comics what it is. A documentary on the man’s life was long-time due, and we finally have it,...

Stan Lee’s legendary career as a Marvel Comics writer is the subject of a glowing new documentary produced by the company that now owns his most iconic characters. “Stan Lee” began streaming on Disney+ on Friday following its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, and diehard Marvel fans have praised David Gelb’s film for paying tribute to a man who is synonymous with comic books. But others have criticized the film for oversimplifying a nuanced story.

Neal Kirby, the son of Lee’s longtime partner Jack Kirby, took to his daughter’s Twitter account on Saturday to release a statement condemning what he sees as the film’s omission of his father’s contributions. While Lee and Kirby are credited as co-creating most of their iconic characters, comic industry observers have long wondered if Lee’s media persona led to him getting a larger share of the credit than he deserved.

The new Disney+ documentary, “Stan Lee,” was brought to task Saturday by Neal Kirby, son of revered comics creator Jack Kirby, who slammed the bio-doc as the latest in Lee’s “over 35 years of uncontested publicity.”

Raising questions about creator credit for much of his father’s work at Marvel — credit that for years has fallen to Lee, particularly in the public eye — Kirby shared a series of messages via his daughter Jillian’s Twitter account to express his continued frustration with Lee’s ubiquity as the mind behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Also Read:

‘Stan Lee’ Review: Marvel Pays Tribute to Its Comic Book Legend

“If you were to look at a list and timeline of Marvel’s characters from 1960 through 1966, the period in which the vast majority of Marvel’s major characters were created during Lee’s tenure, you will see Lee’s name as a cocreator on every character,...

Face front, true believers! Here’s an interesting lil’ tidbit about the current cinema landscape. Just who has been the major part of several huge box office hits over the last fifteen years? Well, we’re not talking about an actor, or a filmmaker, or a studio exec. Oh, and he left the planet almost five years ago. Okay, you got it, I’m talking about the comic book writing superstar who co-created almost the entire staple of Marvel superheroes. And he became a fun bit of business in the screen adaptations of those characters by popping up in brief cameo roles (I made it a game with my nephews to nudge me when he flashed that big grin). He’s been profiled by several TV newsmagazine shows and mini-bios, but now he’s getting the full feature-length documentary treatment with the simply titled Stan Lee. Excelsior!

After a brief...

“Stan Lee” — a documentary on the man who, along with Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, created Spider-Man, X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther and many other iconic Marvel characters —

selectively focuses on the comic book legend’s career and, to a much lesser extent, his personal life, pruning considerable information about his other ventures and legal disputes as seen on Wikipedia. It’s co-produced by Marvel Studios, so the film, which receives its world premiere at Tribeca Festival and streams on Disney Plus on June 16, expectedly sings his praises.

Lee himself posthumously supplies the first-person voiceover narration, albeit indirectly through various archival interviews and speeches given over the years, which filmmaker David Gelb (“Jiro Dreams of Sushi”) has carefully spliced together based on the chronology of seminal events in his lifetime. To illustrate the narration, Gelb has employed conventional archival footage and photos as well as not-so-conventional comic strips and clay figures.

There’s a moment in “Stan Lee,” David Gelb’s lively and illuminating documentary about the visionary of Marvel Comics, that’s momentous enough to give you a tingle. The year is 1961, and Lee, approaching 40, is burnt out on comics. It’s a form he has never taken all that seriously, even though he’s been working at it since 1939, when he started, at 17, as a gofer for Timely Comics. The comics he creates get so little respect that he tries to hide his profession when asked about it at cocktail parties.

In 1961, though, Lee receives a directive from Martin Goodman, the publisher of the company that’s about to be renamed Marvel. He is ordered to devise a team of superheroes that can compete with DC’s Justice League (who have become the fulcrum of the so-called Silver Age of Comics). Lee, weary of superheroes, is ready to quit the business.

A man who lives alone in spartan accommodation, sticking to the same daily routine, devoting himself to his job and barely speaking to anyone? Cinema has taught us that he is bound to be an assassin, a spy, a fugitive or a potential mass murderer. But in Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days,” which premiered in the Main Competition at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday, he is a modest toilet cleaner – and this gentle, philosophical character study is all the more mesmeric for it.

The 77-year-old director’s fictional work has been overshadowed by his documentaries lately, but his new film, a fictional work which sometimes resembles a documentary, is a significant return to form for the director who won the Palme d’Or in 1984 for “Paris, Texas.” It begins by introducing us to the middle-aged Hirayama (Koji Yakusho) as he wakes up alone in his small flat. Once he’s cleaned his teeth,...

The man, the characters, the cameos… the catchphrase. Yes, Stan "Excelsior!" Lee is the subject of another documentary, this time a big-scale Disney+ effort. And the doc is headed to the streaming service this summer.

Directed by David Gelb, the documentary chronicles Lee's fascinating life and his time with Marvel including as co-creator of such legendary characters as Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Black Panther, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men, Thor, Silver Surfer, Ant-Man, Nick Fury and hundreds more. A new poster for the documentary is below.

Following a premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, the documentary will be available on Disney+ from 16 June.

New documentaries about Biz Markie and Milli Vanilli are among the films set to screen at 2023 Tribeca Festival, which takes place June 7 through 18 in New York City.

The Sacha Jenkins-directed All Up in the Biz, a documentary on the late New York hip-hop legend Biz Markie — featuring celebrity interviews, rare film, reenactments, and animation — will get its world premiere at Tribeca. Milli Vanilli also makes its world premiere. Directed by Luke Korem, the film traces the origins and downfall of singers Rob & Fab.

Other music-oriented documentaries include the Jake Sumner-directed Ron Delsener Presents,...

The 2023 Tribeca Festival feature film lineup has been unveiled.

This year’s festival takes place June 7 — 18 and includes a range of feature narrative, documentary, and animated films. The 2023 Tribeca Festival launches 109 feature films from 127 filmmakers across 36 countries, with 93 world premieres, one international premiere, eight North American premieres, one U.S. premiere, and six New York premieres.

There are 43 first-time directors and 29 directors returning to Tribeca with their latest projects. A total of 41 percent of all feature films are directed by women and, for the first time, more than half of competition feature films are directed by women at 68 percent. Additionally, 36 percent of feature films are directed by Bipoc filmmakers, including two Indigenous filmmakers.

This season, it’s all about the actor-director, with films from a slew of A-list stars behind the camera. Highlights include the world premieres of Chelsea Peretti’s meta-comedy “First Time Female Director” and John Slattery’s...

Tribeca Festival has announced the lineup of its 2023 festival, which includes new films from actors Chelsea Peretti and David Duchovny and documentaries about Rock Hudson and news anchor Dan Rather.

This year’s event, which takes place from June 7-18, will feature 109 feature films from 127 filmmakers across 36 countries. There will be 93 world premieres, one international premiere, eight North American premieres, one U.S. premiere and six New York premieres.

Among the lineup, there are offerings from 43 first-time directors and 29 directors returning to Tribeca with their latest projects. For the first time, more than half of feature films in competition (68%) are directed by women, while 41% (45) of all feature films are directed by women. Additionally, 36% (39) of feature films are directed by Bipoc filmmakers, including two indigenous filmmakers.

This year’s festival also spotlights a number of films directed by actors, such as “First Time Female Director” by Peretti; “Maggie Moore(s)” by...

The 22nd edition of the Tribeca Festival unveiled a 2023 lineup with a record number of female helmers and heavy on films directed by actors like Chelsea Peretti’s First Time Female Director, John Slattery thriller Maggie Moore(s) with Tina Fey and Jon Hamm, David Duchovny’s Bucky F*cking Dent and Steve Buscemi’s The Listener.

Marvel also screens its first original documentary, Stan Lee by David Gelb, as the fest unspools June 7-18 in New York City. Also making an appearance: Downtown Owl by Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater, and Eric Larue by Michael Shannon.

In all, 109 feature, narrative, documentary and animated films from 127 directors across 36 countries will showcase emerging and household names.

Tribeca is expanding its Midnight offering this year, and will also present its second annual Human/Nature award for environmental storytelling to world-premiering Common Ground by Rebecca and Josh Tickell.

Related music and live events...

Exclusive: Hiro Murai and his producing partner Nate Matteson, who have exec produced series including HBO Max’s Station Eleven and FX’s The Bear, are parting ways.

Deadline understands that the parting of ways is amicable but the pair decided to strike out on their own. It comes four years after the launch of Super Frog Films.

We hear that former 42 exec Claudia Shin, who joined Super Frog in 2021 as VP of Film and Television, will continue to work with Murai to develop and produce projects. Murai and Matteson also have a development slate that they’ll both continue to support. Murai struck a first-look deal with FX in 2020.

The pair also produced The Choe Show for FX.

Filmmaker Murai is best known for his work on Donald Glover’s Atlanta, where he has directed over 25 episodes of the FX comedy. He also directed episodes of Station Eleven as well as episodes of Snowfall,...

Warning: This article contains significant spoilers for “The Menu”

Like the final dish in a multi-course meal, the end of a movie can either leave a bad taste in your mouth or send you home feeling nice and full.

“The Menu,” which stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult as a couple that dines at the mercy of a world-renowned chef (Ralph Fiennes), combines both structures: the film unfolds over the length of a single day, each painstakingly-prepared course signaling a new chapter in the story.

Though the guest list is exactly what you’d expect of a private island restaurant that charges more than a thousand bucks per head, the same cannot be said of the meal. With each dish, Chef Slowik lifts a cloche on a new condemnation of the privileged sycophants who have come to feast on his food. What begins as a mockery quickly devolves into a series of violent spectacles,...

The sixth season of Paramount+ original series “Seal Team” has a new official trailer ahead of its September 18 premiere. Produced by CBS Studios, the series will debut episodes of its ten-episode season weekly on Sundays on Paramount+.

The show stars David Boreanaz, Max Thieriot, Neil Brown, Jr., A.J. Buckley, Toni Trucks and Raffi Barsoumian. The military drama follows the professional and personal lives of an elite unit of Navy SEALs, who are often deployed on missions worldwide at a moment’s notice.

“Seal Team” is produced by CBS Studios and executive produced by Spencer Hudnut, Christopher Chulack, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly, Mark Owen and David Boreanaz. The series is distributed worldwide by Paramount Global Content Distribution. Watch the full trailer below.

Also in today’s TV news:

Streaming

The CNN Originals hub on Discovery+ debuted today in the United States giving subscribers access to a library of CNN content from...

On a recent Sunday morning, lines to get into Spago Beverly Hills ran around the block, from Canon Drive onto Clifton Way. Crowds at a Wolfgang Puck restaurant aren’t unusual – in fact, they’re commonplace – but this was an unusual occasion: an opportunity to hear from the chef about the Emmy-contending documentary Wolfgang, directed by David Gelb, and the tantalizing prospect of sampling Spago cuisine.

Before almond-encrusted salmon, wienerschnitzel, succotash, creamy mashed potatoes and other savory dishes were served, Puck spoke of his decision to open up for the Disney+ documentary. He said he was inspired to say yes after watching Gelb’s 2011 film Jiro Dreams of Sushi, about the famed Japanese chef and restaurateur Jiro Ono. Jiro has become a classic of the culinary documentary genre.

“I thought it was really amazing,” Puck told the audience, noting “how wonderful [David] told the story. And making a movie is always about telling a great story.

Exclusive: 1091 Pictures has scooped digital rights to actor Dante Basco’s (Hook) directorial debut, The Fabulous Filipino Brothers, with plans for a release across platforms on February 8, 2022.

Pic follows four brothers as their Fil-Am family prepares for the ultimate Filipino event: a wedding. It’s comprised of four vignettes, ranging in location from Northern California to The Philippiness, which feature everything from cockfights and adultery to romance, food and family.

Dante Basco and his brother Darion co-wrote the film, which made its world premiere at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival. Together, they star alongside their entire family, including brothers Derek and Dionysio, and sister Arianna, with Solenn Heussaff, Tirso Cruz III, Liza Lapira, Joe Jitsukawa and Joey Guilla rounding out the cast.

The film was produced in collaboration with LA-based management and production company, TheMachine. In celebration of its release, Dante Basco and his co-stars will soon be going on tour,...

Cinema Napa Valley announced the lineup of filmmaker tributes taking place virtually at this year’s Napa Valley Film Festival from Nov. 10-14. Video tributes will play following screenings of the honorees’ work and include conversations with them.

This year, in addition to the annual Napa Valley Filmmaker Awards, the festival will debut a new series of Culinary Cinema Awards honoring achievements in storytelling devoted to food, wine, and spirits. Across both categories, the 2021 honorees include Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Harvey Keitel, Marlee Matlin, Odessa Young, David Gelb, Phil Rosenthal and Jon Taffer. Each honoree will be presented with a special bottle of wine from a festival sponsor.

“Our tributes highlight those that share an unabashed passion for cinema in many forms throughout their careers,” said Cinema Napa Valley chairman Rick Garber. “We recognize and acknowledge not only their personal accomplishments and critical thinking, but also their career achievements. We embrace their artistic vision,...

On Wednesday, Disney+ announced three new film projects from Pixar Animation Studios’ SparkShorts Program, which will debut on the streamer in September.

Two of the films are shorts: Director Aphton Corbin’s Twenty Something, and director Louis Gonzales’ Nona. The third, A Spark Story, is a feature-length documentary from directors Jason Sterman and Leanne Dare.

Created using hand-drawn animation, Twenty Something examines the challenges and insecurities of ‘adulting.’ Some days you’re nailing it, while other days, you’re just a stack of kids hiding in a trench coat, hoping no one notices. The film’s protagonist is Gia, who finds herself in this exact scenario the night of her 21st birthday. Twenty Something is produced by Erik Langley and will debut on Disney+ on September 10.

Nona centers on a grandmother who plans to spend her day off by shutting out the world to watch her favorite TV show, E.

Photo: ‘Wolfgang'/Disney+ Anyone who has ever been to any of Wolfgang Puck’s restaurants knows how special of a dining experience the celebrity chef has curated with his talent and years of experience. Now, a new documentary on Disney +, ‘Wolfgang’ explores the man behind the chic restaurants, casual but elegant cafes, TV appearances, and frozen pizza and food brands. It’s an eye-opener for sure, before watching I had no idea the monumental impact Puck has had on America’s conception of the “celebrity chef.” Related article: ‘In the Heights’ – Behind the Scenes and Full Commentary/Reactions from Cast & Crew Related article: A Tribute to Cannes Film Festival: A Celebration of Cinema, Glamour, and Humanity | Statement From The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase 'Wolfgang' Painting him as the founder and the innovator of such a concept and persona, director David Gelb’s film is also a bit unintentionally perhaps,...

In David Gelb’s documentary Wolfgang, about the renowned chef Wolfgang Puck that launches today on Disney+, Puck states a simple but surefire mantra: “You start out with the best product, and then you don’t screw it up.”

Puck took the farm-to-table concept that he inherited from mentor and father figure Raymond Thuilier in Provence and brought it to Los Angeles, where he transformed the menu at Ma Maison into something worthy of its celebrity clientele before becoming an overnight smash in 1982 with Spago in West Hollywood.

That flagship restaurant, perched above the Sunset Strip, became the epitome of Hollywood power dining,...

In David Gelb’s documentary Wolfgang, about the renowned chef Wolfgang Puck that launches today on Disney+, Puck states a simple but surefire mantra: “You start out with the best product, and then you don’t screw it up.”

Puck took the farm-to-table concept that he inherited from mentor and father figure Raymond Thuilier in Provence and brought it to Los Angeles, where he transformed the menu at Ma Maison into something worthy of its celebrity clientele before becoming an overnight smash in 1982 with Spago in West Hollywood.

That flagship restaurant, perched above the Sunset Strip, became the epitome of Hollywood power dining,...

Everybody in Hollywood in the 1980s and ‘90s wanted to go to Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant Spago, which featured an open kitchen with a wood-burning stove made for serving up fancy pizzas. Puck rode that initial success to a sort of food empire, often at some cost to his personal life, and that makes up the narrative thread of “Wolfgang,” a documentary directed by David Gelb, who also made the very popular food-based doc “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.”

The most impressive element of “Wolfgang” is the amount of ground it manages to cover in 78 minutes without ever seeming to rush over anything. Gelb takes time to linger for a few key moments over Puck looking for fresh fruits and vegetables — which was an innovation in the LA of the 1980s — and also over the concentration Puck brings to cooking itself, which seems to bring the legendary chef contentment that other...

Celebrity chefs proliferate everything from your TV screens to your grocery store shelves, but one man brought that to fruition.

Wolfgang Puck gets the documentary treatment in a film releasing on Disney+ titled, simply, Wolfgang.

Documenting how his love of cooking helped him escape the harsh rule of his stepfather as a teen in Austria turned into a lifelong passion and created an empire, Wolfgang shows the chef's passion for food, refusal to fail, and his unending optimism to be the keys to his success.

Director David Gelb was first introduced to Puck's magic when his father took him to Spago, Puck's lauded restaurant on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.

Through that first encounter, Gelb discovered his own passion for food, and without that early influence, he would have never become the filmmaker he is today.

That early impression and how Gelb describes its impact makes him the perfect...

There’s a good story in “Wolfgang” that captures how a chef goes with the flow. It was a bustling night at Spago (the only kind of night Spago had in the ’80s), and in walked Joan Collins, at the apex of her “Dynasty” fame. She always ordered one of Wolfgang Puck’s most popular dishes: smoked salmon on a brioche. But all the brioche was gone, and Puck didn’t want to face the wrath of Alexis. So he improvised. He cooked a pizza without tomato sauce and spread dill cream on it, covering it with smoked salmon and topping it with dollops of caviar. Voilà! A Spago classic was born.

That’s an anecdote to make you hungry, which happens a lot in “Wolfgang,” a Disney Plus documentary that tells Wolfgang Puck’s story, and does it justice, in a crisp light 78 minutes. As it happens, the Pizza...

Most people know Wolfgang Puck as the ebullient proprietor of celebrity-saturated Spago, purveyor of frozen pizzas to the masses and ubiquitous presence on TV magazine shows. But before all he blazed the trail as one of the first true celebrity chefs, there was an uncertain boy who grew up in a poor Austrian family with a difficult stepfather, who left to work in France at just 14 years old before coming to Hollywood.

That’s the story David Gelb, director of “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” and “Chef’s Table” creator, tells in “Wolfgang,” the new documentary about the man who not only invented the smoked salmon and goat cheese pizza but mentored a generation of chefs while building a restaurant empire. “Wolfgang” premieres Saturday at the Tribeca Festival and begins streaming on Disney Plus on June 25.

Puck has been driven by his early need for his stepfather’s approval his whole life,...

Apart from sushi, sake has to be one of the greatest culinary exports of Japan. Whereas many countries have mastered their own ways of brewing beer and making wine, the art of creating this drink remains a traditional Japanese craft, looking back at a long and colorful history. At present, the various brands and schools of brewing sake have long ago entered the high class of culinary taste, while at the same time remaining available to everyone interested in it and of course its taste.

“The Story Beyond a Cup of Sake” is screening at CAAMFest Forward

In his short documentary titled “The Story Beyond a Cup of Sake” Japanese director Hironori Sakai takes a look at the craft of brewing sake, from the planting of rice seeds in the terraces to meetings of culinary connoisseurs enjoying the taste of the latest vintage. For his feature, Sakai accompanied Shuzo Okazaki and Keniichi Okazaki,...

In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix announced a premiere date for “Sneakerheads,” and YouTube announced a premiere date for the Paris Hilton Documentary, “This is Paris.”

Dates

Netflix has announced a Sept. 25 premiere date for “Sneakerheads,” a comedy series starring Allen Maldonado, Andrew Bachelor, Jearnest Corchado, Matthew Josten, Yaani King Mondschein, Justin Lee and Aja Evans. Maldonado plays Devin, a stay-at-home dad who enlists the help of shoe lovers to search for “Zeroes,” a difficult-to-find pair of shoes, after losing $5,000 on a money-making scheme. The show’s executive producers are Jay Longino, Inny Clemons, Justin Killion, Will Gluck, Richard Schwartz, Kevin Mann, Brendan Bragg, Jason Belleville, Rod Grable and Dave Meyers. View photos from the show below.

YouTube announced that the documentary following Paris Hilton, “This is Paris,” will be available starting Sept. 14 on the personality’s YouTube channel. The documentary will take a look at the life of the celebrity,...

Disney+ has shared two exclusive sneak peek clips from the upcoming new original anthology docuseries, “Marvel’s 616.”

The first clip is from the episode “Higher, Further, Faster” directed by actor/director Gillian Jacobs, which shines a light on the trailblazing women of Marvel Comics and how they found ways to tell stories of representation and inclusion.

The second clip is from the Paul Scheer-directed episode “Lost and Found,” following the actor and comedian’s eye-opening and hilarious journey to discover the “forgotten” characters of Marvel Comics. Individually, each documentary in this series tells a compelling story that brings its filmmaker’s vision to life.

Join Gillian, Paul and executive producers Sarah Amos and Jason Sterman with moderator Angélique Roché (host of Marvel’s Voices and The Women of Marvel Podcasts), tomorrow, Thursday, July 23, 1:00 p.m. Pt for the virtual Comic-Con@Home panel; “A Look Inside ‘Marvel’s 616’”, where...

“Marvel’s 616” explores how Marvel’s rich legacy of stories, characters and creators exist within the world outside your window. Each documentary, helmed by a unique filmmaker, explores the intersections of storytelling, pop culture, and fandom within the Marvel Universe. Films in this anthology series will cover topics including Marvel’s world-spanning artists, the trailblazing women of Marvel Comics, discovering the “forgotten” characters of Marvel, and much more. “Marvel’s 616” is produced by Marvel New Media with Supper Club. The series is executive produced by Joe Quesada, Shane Rahmani, Stephen Wacker, John Cerilli, Harry Go, and Sarah Amos for Marvel; and Jason Sterman, Brian McGinn, and David Gelb for Supper Club. About Disney+Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. From The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International segment, Disney+ is available on most internet-connected devices...

Disney+ may have endured Covid-caused delays for developing Marvel Cinematic Universe spinoff series like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision and Hawkeye, but the streamer’s supplementary Marvel content is well on its way, as evidenced by two sneak peek previews of upcoming docuseries Marvel’s 616, which drops in September.

With over 80 years’ worth of Marvel history to cover, Marvel’s 616 focuses on the stories behind the stories, showcasing the comic creators themselves and their inspirations. Moreover, it will serve as a showcase that puts the Marvel Universe—both on page and onscreen—into the wider context regarding its effect on the readers and on popular culture in general.

On that note, do check out the two official sneak peek videos for Marvel’s 616.

The first clip hails from Episode 2, “Higher, Further, Faster,” which, directed by Community actress Gillian Jacobs, focuses on the groundbreaking conception of Marvel’s Muslim...

Disney+ released a generous sneak peek at their upcoming anthology docuseries Marvel 616 which is named after the primary reality in the Marvel comic book multi-universe. The series is set to debut later this fall.

With each episode, Marvel 616 dives into the canon of the world of Marvel comics and how it has impacted pop culture and beyond. The first clip is from the episode “Higher, Further, Faster” (which can be watched above) which spotlights trailblazing women of Marvel Comics and how they found ways to tell stories of representation and inclusion. Directed by actor Gillian Jacobs, the clip puts some shine on the origin of Ms. Marvel, the first Muslim superhero to headline a comic book.

The second clip is from “Lost and Found” directed by actor Paul Scheer. The episode follows Marvel characters that were ahead of their time such as Black Panther as well as “forgotten” and offbeat characters like Doctor Druid,...

Gravitas Ventures has obtained the North American rights Machine, a documentary about the rise of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning from I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead filmmaker Justin Krook. Set for an on-demand release on September 8, the James Maclurcan and Luke Mazzaferro-written film travels from Japan, Germany, America, Australia, and the United Nations in Geneva featuring inventors, engineers and thought leaders as they tackle the myriad of ethical dilemmas this radical new technology brings. Michael Hilliard and Luke Mazzaferro produced the pic via Australia-based production company Finch in association with Supper Club. Finch’s Rob Galluzzo, Supper Club’s David Gelb, Jason Sterman, Brian McGinn, and Sean Mckeever and Nick Cleaver served as executive producers. Endeavor Content negotiated the deal with Tony Piantedosi, Vice President of Acquisitions at Gravitas Ventures.

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Luke Wilson, Olivia Culpo, Adelaide Kane, Jon Lovitz, and Glee alum Chord Overstreet star in The Swing of Things,...

In today’s TV news roundup, HBO released the first look at its “Lovecraft Country” adaptation, and ABC revealed its lineup of stars for “The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II,” coming May 10.

Dates

Quibi has detailed all of the bite-sized shows coming to the platform in the month of May. In addition to the previously announced “Reno 911!” revival coming May 4, “Useless Celebrity History” starring Adam Rippon will launch that day as well. Then, sports documentary “Blackballed,” and “Barkitecture,” which is hosted by “The Bachelorette” finalist Tyler Cameron, launch May 11; Dave Franco-starrer “The Now” and floral design show “Centerpiece” will be available starting May 18; and the Nitro Circus-produced “Life-Size Toys” comes to the app on May 25.

First Looks

Netflix has released a trailer for new docuseries “Trial by Media,” which streams May 11. The six-episode show will take a look back on some of the most memorable trials in history — including those of Jenny Jones,...

The four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are pretty obsessed with food and so, it turns out, is the director of their most recent big screen outing.

Dave Green, who helmed 2016’s “Tmnt: Out of the Shadows,” is teaming up with actor Joe Cobden (“Fargo”) to create a food-based sketch comedy series at Quibi.

The project is called “Toothpix” and hails from “Tim & Eric Awesome Show” producers Abso Lutely and “Chef’s Table” production house Supper Club. Based on the Instagram account of the same name, the show is set entirely in the world of celebrity chefs, restaurants and influencer culture, and aims to celebrate the absurdities of the food world.

“Toothpix” is being produced by Josh Cohen and Dave Kneebone for Abso Lutely, and David Gelb, Brian McGinn, and Jason Sterman for Supper Club.

Green was recently tapped to direct Warner Bros.’ live action-animation hybrid Wile E. Coyote movie, as Variety reported exclusively.

Disney+ is making a significant push into nonfiction territory. Led by its revival of “The Quest” — a fantasy reality-competition show starring teen participants — the company announced a slew of other nonfiction projects at the RealScreen Summit in New Orleans Wednesday.

ABC’s original “The Quest” series aired one season in 2014. In its original format, the show featured a scripted storyline and had contestants interact with actors, but the competitive challenges were unscripted. Like the original series, the Disney+ “Quest” show will be filmed at a castle near Vienna, Australia and mix scripted fantasy elements with unscripted competitions.

The original “Quest” series’ production team is coming back for the Disney+ revival: The upcoming series will be executive produced by Court Five’s Mark Ordesky (“The Lord of the Rings”) and Jane Fleming; Scout Productions’ David Collins, Michael Williams, Rob Eric (“Queer Eye”); and New Media Collective’s Bertram van Munster, Elise Doganieri...

Disney+ has ordered four new non-fiction projects to series, including a remake of the fantasy-reality competition show “The Quest” from the executive producers of “The Lord of the Rings,” “Queer Eye” and “The Amazing Race.” The news was announced on Wednesday morning at the Realscreen Summit in New Orleans.

The remake of the reality series, which originally aired in 2014, will return to the man-made fantasy world of Everealm, which will be filmed at a castle outside Vienna, Austria. Teenaged contestants will compete “in an unfolding drama where they encounter mystical beings and magical encounters that rival their favorite books, games and movies,” according to Disney+. They will be immersed in a 360-degree technological world featuring creature design, practical effects and scripted characters who will interact with them throughout the competition.

The streaming service also ordered “The Maze” from the “Amazing Race” executive producers behind “The Quest.” The brainteaser competition series...

Disney+ is bringing back ABC fantasy competition reality series The Quest with the exec producers of Queer Eye, The Amazing Race and The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

The series is one of a number of projects unveiled by the streaming service at the Realscreen conference in New Orleans.

The Quest, which ran for one season on ABC in 2014, will now feature teen contestants and will feature more interactive elements. The series, which will once again be film at a castle outside of Vienna, Austria, is set in the fantasy world of Everealm. The contestants will encounter mystical beings and magical encounters and will be embedded in an immersive, 360-degree world complete with seamless technology, creature design, practical effects and scripted characters who interact dynamically with them as they take on a number of fantasy-themed challenges.

The series is executive produced by Court Five’s Mark Ordesky (The Lord of the Rings...

Disney Plus is reviving “The Quest,” a critically acclaimed but short-lived fantasy reality series that aired on ABC in summer 2014. Casting is under way for a new version of the series, which will now focus on teenage contestants.

“The Amazing Race” executive producers Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri are back as executive producers of “The Quest,” and they’re also behind “The Maze,” a competition series in which teams must solve puzzles and figure out clues through European cities, much like a real-life escape room.

Both shows have been ordered as part of a new slate of unscripted series on Disney Plus, which also includes the six-part “Meet the Chimps” docuseries (produced via National Geographic) and an untitled show centered on Pixar’s SparkShorts program.

The four projects were announced Wednesday at the Realscreen Summit in New Orleans. “These projects take people on epic adventures, immerse them in fantastical...

Wolfgang Puck is cooking up a new series at HBO Max.

The celebrity chef, known for concocting the menu at the Oscars each year, is executive producing a series called “The Event” about his catering company, which has been handed an eight-episode order at the forthcoming WarnerMedia streamer. The series was announced by HBO Max chief content officer Kevin Reilly during its Television Critics’ Association press tour presentation.

Hailing from Renegade 83, each one-hour episode will follow various members of Puck’s team as they try and surpass their clients’ highest expectations at events like the Academy Awards With and the 10,000 guest Adobe MaxBash.

“Wolfgang is one of the most accomplished chefs of our time and for decades has been the go-to restaurateur and caterer for the biggest names and events in Hollywood and across the country,” said Reilly, who also serves as president of TNT, TBS, and TruTV. “This series...