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Akira Kurosawa’s classic epic “Seven Samurai” is celebrating its 70th anniversary with a 4K restoration and theatrical re-release.

“Seven Samurai” centers on 16th-century Japanese warriors who protect their village from invaders. Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura lead the three-hour feature hailing from legendary auteur Kurosawa. “Seven Samurai” was his third film following “Rashomon” and “Ikiru.” “Seven Samurai” famously debuted at the 1954 Venice Film Festival, where Kurosawa won the Silver Lion for Best Director.

The 70th anniversary 4K restoration was made possible by Toho Co. Ltd, which released the original film. The restored film debuted at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival; the festival further honored Kurosawa’s contributions to cinema by incorporating a still of “Rhapsody in August” in the official Cannes poster.

The restoration of “Seven Samurai” will be released in the U.S. by Janus Films. Deadline debuted the trailer.

“Seven Samurai” infamously quadrupled its budget during production, with...

Paul Schrader had a special job on the set of his latest film, “Oh, Canada”: drawing on the jockstrap that Jacob Elordi wears in one of the Vietnam War drama’s pivotal scenes.

There’s a choice at the heart of “Oh, Canada,” when the fictional filmmaker Leonard Fife dodges the Vietnam draft and escapes to Canada. The script leaves breadcrumbs as to what exactly happens until very late in the film, but finally Elordi is seen reporting for an Army physical. He shows up in a jockstrap with “peace and love” written on the jock, surrounded by tiny flowers. He jitters and shakes and waves his arms flamboyantly. In character, Elordi is attempting to look as unstable as possible to avoid enlisting into military service.

At the Cannes Film Festival press conference for the film, Schrader revealed that he added a finishing touch to the jockstrap that Elordi...

Paul Schrader shed tears as his new film “Oh, Canada” earned a four-minute standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival on Friday night.

Jacob Elordi was notably absent from the premiere because he is filming Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” in which he stars as The Monster. After the ovation finished, Schrader addressed Elordi not being there, saying: “I’m very happy with Richard, Uma, Jake — not here with us –and it all worked out. Im very happy to be back here on the Croisette.”

Elordi, whose star continues to rise after acclaimed turns in “Saltburn” and “Priscilla,” made his Cannes debut last year in Sean Price Williams’ road movie “The Sweet East.”

The drama tells the life story of a troubled writer, Leonard Fife, who at the end of his life reflects on his decision to flee to Canada to avoid the Vietnam War draft. Richard Gere plays the present-day Leonard,...

Let’s catch up on all things Cannes Film Festival. For one, if you haven’t seen it, Cannes recently revealed its 2024 poster, featuring a scene from “Rhapsody in August,” directed by the great Japanese master Akira Kurosawa, 81 at the time (see it below in full). But there’s much more, including today’s announcement of new titles. This morning, the Cannes Festival announced the addition of thirteen titles to the line-up, featuring notable names from filmmakers like Oliver Stone and Lou Ye and French filmmakers like Arnaud Desplechin and Michel Hazanavicius.

Continue reading Cannes 2024 Adds 13 New Titles: Films By Arnaud Desplechin, Michel Hazanavicius & Oliver Stone at The Playlist.

Every year one of the signposts that the Cannes Film Festival is nigh is the release of that edition’s official poster. The Cannes posters of the past have run the gamut, from the glorified tourism posters of the early years to some of the more witty, playful ones of recent vintage — such as Agnès Varda getting some height help by standing atop an assistant to look into her camera on her debut “La Pointe Courte” for the 2019 festival, or Spike Lee and his giant glasses peeping over the lower edge of the frame in 2021.

In their release of the 2024 festival poster, the organizers commented that each year’s poster “sets the tone” for the festival to come. Many of these in the past have been exuberant and full of the colorful possibilities of cinema. This one in 2024 sets a more muted tone, perhaps fitting for this festival set against a backdrop of horrific war.

The poster for the Cannes Film Festival’s 2024 edition (May 14-25) pays tribute to Akira Kurosawa’s film Rhapsody In August.

The film played out of competition at Cannes in 1991, and follows a grandmother who lost her husband to the Nagasaki bombing in 1945 and how three generations of her family respond to the tragedy. It stars Sachiko Murase as the grandmother, with Richard Gere also among the cast.

It was the penultimate film from the renowned Japanese filmmaker behind masterpieces such as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Ikiru and Ran.

The festival said: “Mirroring the movie theatre, this poster celebrates the Seventh Art,...

Being an under-the-radar production, which was made on a budget of $7M, no one expected An Officer and a Gentleman to be a humongous hit. But against all odds, the Richard Gere-led film went on to smash the box office upon its release, becoming a surprise hit, which not only racked in $190M but also garnered 2 Academy wins under his belt.

Among the two wins, one involved Louis Gossett Jr.’s Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, which made him the first Black actor in history to receive the honor in that category. But the actor’s greatness transcends far beyond what’s onscreen, as his costar Richard Gere dives deep into what made Gossett so special.

Richard Gere Recounts Louis Gossett Jr.’s Greatness

An Officer and A Gentleman | 1982. (Credit: Paramount / Courtesy Everett Collection)

Starring in the Taylor Hackford-directed feature, Gere played the boy named Zack, who goes...

It’s been more than 40 years since “An Officer and a Gentleman” became a surprise box office smash, but from time to time, star Richard Gere still gets called out about the classic military drama.

“Every once in a while, I hear people calling me from across the street, ‘Hey Mayo, Mayo-nnaise,’ and that’s Lou,” Gere tells Variety, reflecting on the legacy of the film following the death of his Oscar-winning co-star Louis Gossett Jr. on Friday at age 87.

In the 1982 film, Gere plays Zack Mayo, an aspiring Navy aviator who clashes with his hard-nosed drill instructor, Gunnery Sgt. Emil Foley (Gossett). Gossett went on to win the best supporting actor Oscar for his performance, making history as the first Black actor to win in that category and joining Sidney Poitier and Hattie McDaniel as the only Black performers awarded at the time.

“We were all proud of the...

Nearly 70 years ago, monster movies changed forever with the introduction of Godzilla. The Japanese prehistoric monster awoke from its slumber in 1954 to terrorize villagers from Odo Island, announcing its presence with loud, lumbering footsteps and a bone-chilling roar. Since the original "Godzilla," kaiju movies have become a subgenre all their own, populated by epic monsters like Mothra and Ghidorah, with regular installments that range from corny to incredible.

In recent years, Hollywood has gotten in on the Godzilla game with Legendary Pictures' own spin on the world of giant monsters. But as exciting as it is to watch Kyle Chandler, Brian Tyree Henry, and Millie Bobby Brown face off against Godzilla, Japanese studio Toho (home to the vast majority of Godzilla flicks ever made) has something even more thrilling up its sleeve: a movie that looks poised to recapture the post-war terror of the beloved original. "Godzilla Minus One" is still a few months away,...