cinema
Busan's top prize now qualifies a film for the Oscars without its country selecting it
Busan opens on Monday with A-list status and a new power: its top prize now qualifies a film for the international feature Oscar without any national committee selecting it. Two countries with films in this year's competition did not submit to the Academy at all.
October 1, 2026 4:47 pm
The Oscar international deadline closes today and nobody can agree how many countries entered
Submissions for the international feature Oscar close today. Depending on which tracker you open, either 68 or about 87 countries have entered, and four of the biggest film-producing nations in the world are not among them.
September 30, 2026 4:12 pm
Angh Did Not Take India’s Oscar Slot. The Academy’s Rule Says “In Addition To”
A Konyak-language debut from Nagaland won TIFF's Platform Prize and was reported as seizing an Oscar slot India had already given to another film. The Academy's rule says the word 'addition' and nobody quoted it.
September 21, 2026 5:24 pm
Lee Chang-dong Was Away Eight Years, Not Sixteen, and Burning Was Never Nominated
Lee Chang-dong came back to Venice after eight years and took the Grand Jury Prize. Half the coverage says sixteen years, and the Oscar claim attached to his last film has been wrong since 2019.
September 16, 2026 7:08 am
Venice Picks Its Golden Lion Saturday, and the Frontrunner Story Falls Apart on Inspection
Venice awards the Golden Lion on Saturday. Martin McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine is being written up everywhere as the frontrunner, on the strength of a standing ovation nobody can source and an awards conversation about a different prize entirely — while two films in the same competition are rated higher.
September 12, 2026 1:20 am
Korea Spent Its Biggest Budget Ever on Hope. Na Hong-jin Made More Money With $8 Million.
Na Hong-jin has not released a film since The Wailing in 2016. His return, Hope, opens in the US on 9 September on the biggest budget in Korean cinema history — and has so far taken less money at home than the film he made for a fraction of the price.
September 10, 2026 1:10 am
Two Star Wars Films Just Reappeared on Paper. Neither Has a Date.
A trade listing dated 3 September put both Star Wars: New Jedi Order and Dave Filoni's long-dormant crossover film back on paper — the first sign of life from either in about a year. It is not a greenlight, and Lucasfilm has said nothing. But these are the two films Kathleen Kennedy pointedly did not discuss on her way out the door.
September 8, 2026 1:10 am
Band of Brothers Turns 25, and the New Documentary Can Only Interview the Actors
Band of Brothers turns 25 on Wednesday, and HBO is marking it with a documentary called Legacy. In 2001 the series came packaged with a film in which the real men of Easy Company told their own story. This one interviews the actors. Not by choice — there is nobody else left to ask.
September 7, 2026 1:05 am
The Lord of the Rings Producer Is Starting a New Fantasy Franchise at 82
Barrie M. Osborne, one of only three producers credited on all three original Lord of the Rings films, is launching a new fantasy franchise called Wars of the Drakons. It is his first producing job in more than a decade, and he is 82.
September 2, 2026 1:35 am
Adèle Exarchopoulos Is Joining Zoë Kravitz in Megan Park's Apple Mystery
Apple's untitled mystery from My Old Ass director Megan Park has landed Adèle Exarchopoulos in a lead role opposite Zoë Kravitz, per Deadline. What she's playing hasn't been disclosed. Apple declined to comment, which is Apple's default posture on everything short of a hardware launch.
August 28, 2026 3:18 am
IMAX, 70mm, Dolby: What the Formats Actually Mean When You Buy the Ticket
The ticket page offers you six options at four prices and explains none of them. Here's the plain version.
August 23, 2026 1:00 am
TV’s biggest myth? Ryan Murphy busts it with The Shards
Ryan Murphy draws a line in the sand for The Shards, explaining why it avoids graphic content—and what sets the FX coming-of-age thriller apart from Heated Rivalry.
August 16, 2026 3:51 am
December 18’s box office showdown comes with bigger stakes than ticket sales
Call it the main event at the box office: Denis Villeneuve’s vision vs. RDJ’s MCU return — place your bets.
August 8, 2026 6:01 am
Before Reacher Season 4, stream Tom Cruise’s overlooked Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
If you've kept up with Reacher on Prime Video, you know it's not exactly subtle television.
August 3, 2026 2:11 am
Roger Ebert’s Harsh Take on The Raid: Redemption Sparks Debate
Roger Ebert’s scathing review of The Raid: Redemption left fans stunned, especially as the film’s influence on action cinema rivalled even John Wick. Discover why his verdict still divides audiences.
January 26, 2026 9:46 am
Tommy Lee Jones Reveals the Only Actor He Rates Flawless
Tommy Lee Jones opens up about his deep respect for John Wayne, sharing why he rates the Western legend’s work so highly—even as Wayne’s off-screen views remain divisive.
January 26, 2026 7:31 am
Ben Affleck Reveals His Pick for Cinema’s Most Overlooked Gem
Ben Affleck opens up about the film he believes is unfairly left out of the conversation, highlighting its script, direction, and cast.
January 26, 2026 7:26 am
Will Smith’s Unexpected Pick for Best Film Ever
Will Smith stuns fans by naming a classic war epic as his all-time favourite film, and opens up about his admiration for Humphrey Bogart and the legendary Casablanca.
January 26, 2026 7:13 am
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