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The American Film Market, which runs Nov. 5 – 10, kicks off in new digs as the event relocates from its long-standing base in Santa Monica to the bright lights of Las Vegas. The move will see hundreds of exhibitors setting up shop in the Palms Casino Resort, which will also play host to the AFM’s conference series, the AFM Sessions, as well as industry screenings inside the resort’s 14-screen multiplex, the Brenden Theatres.

More than 285 companies and organizations from 80 countries are exhibiting at this year’s AFM, with the event’s organizers announcing that exhibition space in the Palms Casino Resort has sold out. Countries including China, France, Germany, Italy, Romania and Thailand will host dedicated umbrella stands showcasing national companies and producers, and a total of 34 countries will be represented by international trade organizations, film commissions and national delegations.

Here are some of the buzziest films at AFM 2024:...

Xavier Giannoli hat die sehenswerte True-Crime-Serie „Of Money and Blood“ über einen Jahrhundertbetrug gemacht, die jetzt auf Magenta TV gestartet ist. Der profilierte Regisseur und Dauergast in Cannes spricht darüber, warum dieser Stoff sein allererstes Serienprojekt wurde.

Xavier Giannoli (l.) und seine Serie „Of Money and Blood“

Der profilierte französische Filmemacher Xavier Giannoli hat mit „Of Money and Blood“ seine erste Serie gedreht. Eine unterhaltsame, episch in zwölf Episoden erzählte Crime-Serie über den „Betrug des Jahrhunderts“, wie ihn französische Journalisten bezeichneten: einen milliardenschweren Kohlendioxidsteuerbetrug nach dem Sachbuch des Journalisten Fabrice Arfi. In den Hauptrollen spielen unter anderen Vincent Lindon, Niels Schneider und Ramzy Bedia. Die unterhaltsame Serie ist jetzt in Deutschland auf Magenta TV zu sehen.

„Of Money and Blood“ war Ihr allererstes Serienprojekt. Wie war die Erfahrung für Sie als Kinofilm-Regisseur?

Xavier Giannoli: Ich habe die Erfahrung geliebt, eine Serie mit zwölf Episoden zu drehen, weil man so die Zeit hat,...

Producers and distributors heading to Las Vegas for this year’s American Film Market, which runs Nov. 5-10, are betting big that indie action is primed for a comeback.

The AFM was built on action movies — the leading independent film bazaar launched in 1981 at the start of a decade defined by the cinematic stylings of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Segal, Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme. But in recent markets, with the headline-grabbing success of breakouts like Neon’s Longlegs and Cineverse’s Terrifier 3, action has taken a backseat to horror.

There will be scares-a-plenty at AFM 2024, but many of the market’s buzziest projects sit squarely in the action space. Even a few that don’t star Liam Neeson, Gerard Butler, Jason Statham or Nic Cage. How buyers respond to this new generation of would-be action stars — Daisy Ridley, Amber Midthunder, Alan Ritchson — will determine who...

Following up Sasquatch Sunset, it was announced the Zellner Brothers would embark on the alien invasion comedy Alpha Gang led by Cate Blanchett. They’ve now amassed quite an ensemble, with Dave Bautista, Steven Yeun, Zoë Kravitz, Léa Seydoux, Riley Keough, and Channing Tatum all coming aboard the project, Deadline reports. Here’s the synopsis: Alpha Gang centers on a group of alien invaders sent to conquer Earth. Disguised in human form as a 1950s leather-clad biker gang, dubbed the Alpha Gang. They are ruthless in their mission, until they succumb to the most toxic and contagious human condition of all: emotions.”

Al Pacino has some new cast members for his next feature. Jessica Chastain, Brendan Fraser, and Bryan Cranston have joined Barry Levinson’s mystery thriller Assassination, scripted by David Mamet. Deadline reports the film explores a new angle on the JFK conspiracy, “centering around Kilgallen (Chastain), one of...

Jessica Chastain, Brendan Fraser and Bryan Cranston have been added to the cast of Barry Levinson’s mystery thriller ‘Assassination’.

Chastain, Fraser, and Cranston joined the previously announced cast of Al Pacino on the call sheet.

Centering on the JFK assassination, the movie is inspired by Dorothy Kilgallen (Chastain), one of the most famous voices in media at the time. When she suspects that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone, she uses her fame and influence to find President John F. Kennedy’s real killer. Part murder mystery, part film noir, Kilgallen’s journey will put her up against the CIA, mafia bosses and the FBI, all who would love nothing more than to make her and this story disappear.

Also in news – Dave Bautista, Steven Yeun, Channing Tatum, Zoë Kravitz set for sci-fi comedy ‘Alpha Gang’

Levinson directs the project from a script by David Mamet, Levinson, and Sam Bromell.

Brace yourselves for another film that touches upon the JFK files! Bryan Cranston, Al Pacino, Brendan Fraser, and Jessica Chastain will come together in Barry Levinson’s mystery thriller, Assassination. The film comes almost three and a half decades after Oliver Stone’s controversial film JFK hit theaters.

The cast of Assassination: Jessica Chastain (Miss Sloane | Credits: EuropaCorp), Bryan Cranston (Your Honor | Credits: Showtime), Al Pacino (The Irishman | Credits: Netflix), Brendan Fraser (Killers of the Flower Moon | Credits: Apple Studios)

The Kevin Costner-starrer was based on the conspiracy that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone. Assassination will be a modern take on this conspiracy and comes at a time when most of the JFK files are made public. Costner earlier mentioned that the film was to be partially credited for the JFK Act which resulted in the unsealing of the files.

Bryan Cranston, Brendan Fraser, Al Pacino, And...

Jessica Chastain, Brendan Fraser and Bryan Cranston have boarded Al Pacino‘s new movie Assassination, which explores a new angle on the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

The movie, from director Barry Levinson, focuses on the first female crime reporter Dorothy Kilgallen and the role that she played in investigating the murder of the president.

Additional details have been revealed about the project, which was described as the blend of a murder mystery and a film noire.

Keep reading to find out more…

Deadline confirmed the casting news, noting that Jessica would bring Dorothy to life.

“Dorothy Kilgallen was the first female crime reporter in America. She was the only woman to ever cover the JFK case. The only reporter to speak with Jack Ruby. With back-channel sources to the Warren Commission, she started putting pieces together that no one else did. She died under very suspicious circumstances, but it was never investigated,...

It’s been announced that Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Brendan Fraser (Killers of the Flower Moon), and Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) have joined the cast of Assassination, a mystery thriller that reveals a new take on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Barry Levinson (Rain Man) will direct from a script by David Mamet (Glengarry Glen Ross), with Levinson and Sam Bromell (Elvis). Al Pacino (House of Gucci) is also attached to star in the project.

Assassination centers around Dorothy Kilgallen, “one of the most famous voices in media at the time. When Dorothy suspects that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone, she uses her fame and influence to find the real killer of JFK. Part murder mystery, part film noir, Dorothy’s journey will put her up against the CIA, Mafia bosses, and the FBI, all who would love nothing more than to make her and this story disappear.

Los Angeles-based producer and global sales executive Pia Patatian has launched production, sales and financing company Concord Studios on the eve of AFM.

Patatian, who most recent served as president of worldwide sales at Arclight Films and SVP of sales at Capstone Pictures, secured private backing for her company and plans to bring12-15 features a year to the global marketplace, focused on high-quality, director-driven films for theatrical audience.

The inaugural slate is led by Barry Levinson’s JFK conspiracy featureAssassinationstarring Jessica Chastain, Brendan Fraser, Bryan Cranston, and Al Pacino.

Oscar-winner Chastain will portray Dorothy Kilgallen, an American columnist and reporter,...

Exclusive: Jessica Chastain, Brendan Fraser and Bryan Cranston have joined Al Pacino in the mystery thriller Assassination. The film will be directed by Barry Levinson from a script by David Mamet, Levinson and Sam Bromell.

The film offers up a new take on the JFK conspiracy, centering around Kilgallen (Chastain), one of the most famous voices in media at the time. When she suspects that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone, she uses her fame and influence to find President John F. Kennedy’s real killer. Part murder mystery, part film noir, Kilgallen’s journey will put her up against the CIA, mafia bosses and the FBI, all who would love nothing more than to make her and this story disappear.

“Dorothy Kilgallen was the first female crime reporter in America. She was the only woman to ever cover the JFK case. The only reporter to speak with Jack Ruby.

These are frightening times. Of this, there is no doubt. We may even believe there’s never been more to fear. And for some populations, that’s true. But humanity has always lived in frightening times.

Since we first cast shadows onto cavern walls, we’ve made things to fear. Over time, those shadows evolved into performers donning masks, authors putting ink to paper, and filmmakers harnessing technology to project our nightmares onto the screen as we returned to our cave-dwelling roots to sit in the dark with others. We are a horror people. And as the world has gotten scarier, horror has been there to reflect back our fears.

The rise of Hollywood and independent filmmaking in the 20th century created a lasting dialogue between what we see in the fear-seeking news, and what films are made in response. Early American horror movies of the mid-1920s and 30s,...

Ridley Scott's 2001 horror thriller "Hannibal" was a long-in-the-tooth sequel to "The Silence of the Lambs," both of them based on the works of author Thomas Harris. "Silence of the Lambs" was a boffo blockbuster when it came out in 1991, winning many Oscars and making millions. Anthony Hopkins took the world by storm with his lip-smacking performance as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist with a penchant for mutilating, killing, and often eating his victims. At the end of "Lambs," Hannibal escapes his high-security prison and proceeds to wreak havoc in the world.

In "Hannibal," however, we learn that Dr. Lecter left one of his victims alive. Mason Verger (Gary Oldman) was a child stalker who, years ago, fell into Lecter's psychiatric care. Lecter, being a brilliant manipulator of minds, convinced Mason to use his autoerotic asphyxiation noose while slicing off his own face and feeding it to nearby dogs.

I went into “Suburban Fury,” a documentary about Sara Jane Moore, who tried to assassinate President Gerald R. Ford in 1975, not knowing much about her and never having given a lot of thought, frankly, to that particular freak spasm of 1970s violence. Moore, at the time, seemed the unlikeliest of assassins — a 45-year-old single mother who looked like she could have been played by Maureen Stapleton. The question that hangs over any shooting like this one is “Why?” (Assuming you think the answer stands apart from the person in question being seriously mentally ill.) And that question really lingered over the Moore case. Yet “Suburban Fury” does that rare thing and offers a highly specific motivation for Moore’s infamous crime.

Only one person is interviewed in the entire film, and that person is Sara Jane Moore. Moore, even in her 90s, is quite the babbling brook — twinkly and self-possessed,...

Some of the best pieces of art and content take reference from real life. However, sometimes, the bizarre occurs, and fans end up finding references to future events in various movies and TV shows. While franchises such as The Simpsons have often been accused of predicting real-life events, something similar happening with respect to the MCU is more unlikely, due to obvious reasons.

Harrison Ford in Captain America: Brave New World. | Marvel

And yet, the unthinkable may have happened, with respect to Captain America 4, set for a release in February 2025. Brave New World stars none other than Harrison Ford as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, set to transform into Red Hulk in the movie. However, according to the trailer, before the transformation occurs, Ross finds himself at the wrong end of an assassination attempt.

The scene is eerily similar to the assassination attempt on former US President and current candidate Donald Trump,...

Kevin Costner has played many roles that have chronicled different aspects of American culture and history. While he explored the Wild West in shows like Yellowstone and the film Easy Rider, he tackled the Government and the powerful structures behind them in the political epic JFK.

The Oliver Stone directorial was the first in the filmmaker’s trilogy of films based on American Presidents. Costner played the role of lawyer Jim Garrison, who brought out a conspiracy on the assassination of former President John F Kennedy. The actor mentioned that the film will always be relevant and that generations will revisit the film.

Kevin Costner On JFK’s Relevance After Generations Kevin Costner in JFK | Credits: Warner Bros.

With Donald Trump’s recent assassination attempts making the headlines, previous attempts (both failed and successful) have been brought to the forefront again. A direct attack on a prominent personality, especially a...

Kevin Costner appeared in one of his most controversial roles as New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison in JFK. The film came from Oliver Stone who was having a pretty great repertoire in the ’80s and ’90s. Despite the success of the film, the controversy surrounding the film gave Stone the image of a conspiracy theorist.

Kevin Costner as Jim Garrison in JFK | Warner Bros.

While he has no regrets about his film, he expressed 25 years later that he wished the talk around the film had died down soon. The film received critical acclaim and Costner’s performance in the film was praised by many. JFK went on to win the Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing.

Kevin Costner’s JFK Ruined Oliver Stone’s Image By Branding Him As A Controversial Director Kevin Costner and Oliver Stone on the sets of JFK | Warner Bros.

Oliver Stone...

Over the course of a screen acting career that stretched across fifty years, Charles Cyphers racked up 100 credits, but he’s best known for his collaborations with John Carpenter, having appeared in the director’s Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, Someone’s Watching Me!, Elvis, The Fog, and Escape from New York. His most popular character was Sheriff Leigh Brackett from the 1978 Halloween, a role he reprised in 1981’s Halloween II and, after a forty year absence from the Halloween franchise, 2021’s Halloween Kills. Sadly, we’ve lost this great character actor, as Variety reports that Cyphers has passed away “from a brief illness” at the age of 85.

Cyphers’ manager Chris Roe confirmed his passing to Variety and provided the following statement: “Charles was a lovable and sensitive man. He always had the best stories, and you got a full performance while he told you. He was a close friend and...

Kevin Costner took on the role of real-life attorney Jim Garrison in Oliver Stone’s JFK. Like other movies from Stone, this film also raised several questions about the political landscape of the country at the time, making it a controversial project. Costner’s Western roles, be it Dances with Wolves, Yellowstone, or Horizon, weren’t nearly as sharp or controversial as JFK.

Kevin Costner as Jim Garrison in JFK | Warner Bros.

However, the film received critical praise for Costner’s performance, direction, editing, and cinematography. The film even won the Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing. Costner initially turned down the project but was convinced by his agent who was a big fan of Stone.

Kevin Costner’s Sharpest Role Came In Oliver Stone’s JFK Kevin Costner and Oliver Stone on the sets of JFK | Warner Bros.

Oliver Stone‘s JFK was bound to rub...

For a sitcom with a premise and characters so basic they could be completely summed up in a minute-long (and absurdly catchy) theme song, "Gilligan's Island" was a real bear to get off the ground. 

To start off, creator Sherwood Schwartz was in a world of pain while writing the show's pilot (although that had nothing to do with his creative process and everything to do with the 40-something Schwartz -- as 40-something men are wont to do -- overestimating his ability to lift stacks of fresh timber unassisted). Then there were the brutal reactions from his agent and network execs, who practically laughed him out of the building when Schwartz proposed a comedy series about seven people being stranded on the same island, week after week. And then there was the pilot shoot in Hawaii, with the showrunner waking up one morning to find himself surveying what appeared to...

As the UK general election heats up, John Oliver is taking a look at his country’s options… and a social media moment that lives in his head rent-free.

On Sunday’s episode of Last Week Tonight, the comedian took aim at all political parties, including Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer for not having a clear political stance and “having no real notable attribute at all.

“You know how hard it is to have less than half the population know what you stand for in the modern age?” he asked. “Thanks to social media, I know what my high school chemistry teacher thinks about vegans who eat honey. I know my brother’s roommate’s ex-girlfriend thinks Lee Harvey Oswald couldn’t have acted alone.

“And I know that Shaq doesn’t fit in the seats at Knott’s Berry Farm, because he tweeted, and I quote, ‘I’m at...

Betsy Aidem has been in over 80 plays, off Broadway, on Broadway, and around the world. Recent titles of note: All The Way, where she played Lady Bird Johnson, Mama’s Boy, where she played Lee Harvey Oswald’s mother, Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt, and Prayer For The French Republic, for which she is nominated for her first Tony Award. On this gold-filled episode, she talks about her love of extensive research, why she doesn’t think the people she plays are just one person, the “golden moment when your character is unsure,” the importance of a director’s patience and willingness to let her […]

The post “The Most Human Part of Acting is the Moment In-Between When You Don’t Know What To Do”: Betsy Aidem, Back To One, Episode 294 first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Betsy Aidem has been in over 80 plays, off Broadway, on Broadway, and around the world. Recent titles of note: All The Way, where she played Lady Bird Johnson, Mama’s Boy, where she played Lee Harvey Oswald’s mother, Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt, and Prayer For The French Republic, for which she is nominated for her first Tony Award. On this gold-filled episode, she talks about her love of extensive research, why she doesn’t think the people she plays are just one person, the “golden moment when your character is unsure,” the importance of a director’s patience and willingness to let her […]

The post “The Most Human Part of Acting is the Moment In-Between When You Don’t Know What To Do”: Betsy Aidem, Back To One, Episode 294 first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Stephen King is an interesting follow on the site formerly known as Twitter. When not posting about politics or his latest literary find, he’s ranting about the state of the world and making observations that position him as a sort of elder statesman in the horror community. A recent tweet by the Master of Horror mentions a bygone era of salacious magazines that harkens back to his early career: “Hey, do you guys remember that supermarket tabloid that used to have stories about BatBoy? Man, I loved that shit.”

The world-famous author is likely referencing publications like The National Enquirer and similar periodicals that used to grab eyes in checkout lanes with claims of Elvis sightings and alien encounters. Frequently inspired by the world around him, King has his own literary brand of tabloid journalism with Inside View, a rag that has been appearing in his work for decades.

Stephen King may be an unquestionable master of the horror genre, but his storytelling reaches a whole new level when it comes to the proclaimed author’s dramatic narrative.

Behind the immense popularity of King’s eerie novels It, Carrie or The Shining, there are some truly brilliant pieces of his work like Stand by Me, The Green Mile or The Shawshank Redemption that for some reason went more into the scary stories’ shadows.

King’s drama novels nonetheless prove themselves to be a lot deeper regarding some mundane aspects, and Hulu’s unfairly forgotten miniseries appears to be a good example for it.

What Is 11.22.63 About?

Based on King’s 2011 novel of the same name, Hulu’s sci-fi drama show 11.22.63 follows Jake Epping, a recently divorced English teacher living in Maine (just like Stephen King’s many other fictional characters). Out of nowhere Jake is given a one-in-a-million...

Former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks took the stand in Manhattan court Friday to testify in the criminal trial of her ex-boss, Donald Trump.

Trump has been charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The case, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg last year, revolves around allegations that a 2016 hush-money payment made at Trump’s direction to adult film actress Stormy Daniels violated campaign finance laws.

Hicks, who left the White House alongside the former president in 2021, was a central figure in Trump’s 2016 campaign and subsequent...

Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial kicked off this week with witness testimony from media honcho David Pecker, who said that the former president was well aware of the catch-and-kill scheme and even thanked Pecker for his help in hiding two potentially “damaging” stories. The former American Media Inc. Chairman and CEO set the stage for the rest of the trial, giving a chronological overview of how he was brought into a meeting with Trump and his former fixer Michael Cohen at Trump Tower in August 2015, two months after...

It’s been Donald Trump’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week.

The past and potentially future leader of the free world spent most of it in a dingy Manhattan courtroom, no longer the master of his domain. It’s a place where he dutifully sits down when the judge tells him to sit, where he’s unable to say whatever he wants, where he’s not allowed to use his phone. And worst of all, where there’s no red button for him to push when he wants a Diet Coke. And according to him, it was bitterly cold — “freezing,” in fact, sounding like your elderly uncle at Thanksgiving. Forget a legal defense; someone needs to give him a sweater.

The criminal hearing in which he’s facing 34 felony counts is not the trial we deserve. That would be either the Georgia election interference case, the federal classified...

David Pecker, a former publisher for the National Enquirer, confessed that an article which claimed a connection between Sen. Ted Cruz‘s (R-Texas) father, Rafael Cruz, and Lee Harvey Oswald was completely fabricated.

The story, published in 2016, claimed that a previously unidentified man photographed with Oswald handing out leaflets to support the former Cuban president Fidel Castro in New Orleans was actually Rafael.

The report noted that “experts” who reviewed photos of the evangelical preacher from this period found that he appeared to look similar to the assassin’s companion.

Former President Donald Trump made comments about this article by saying that Sen. Cruz’s father was in the company of Oswald just months before when he shot John F. Kennedy in 1963.

Even though Rafael confessed that he once backed Castro, he says he had been “duped” and did not know he was a communist.

One of Sen. Cruz’s...

Jurors in Donald Trump’s hush money trial heard testimony on Tuesday from the architect of a notorious “catch-and-kill” scheme that buried damaging stories about the former president in the run-up to the 2016 election: former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.

During his testimony on Tuesday, Pecker lifted the veil on the National Enquirer’s catch-and-kill arrangement with the Trump campaign and revealed just how involved Trump and his fixer, Michael Cohen, were in dictating the publication’s 2016 campaign coverage.

Manhattan prosecutors argued in their opening statement on Monday that while...

Kevin Costner is one of Hollywood’s most recognizable faces. He has been in the industry for several decades, and he has no plans of stopping anytime soon. The actor is also known for taking on daring roles, ones that not only challenge himself as an actor but affect public perception too.

One such role that he tackled was in Oliver Stone’s hugely controversial 1991 film, JFK. The film stirred up a storm, and not many leading actors wanted to be involved in such a project, including Harrison Ford. Costner braved the storm, and he batted away the scandal that followed.

Costner took on the role that Ford rejected (Source: JFK) Kevin Costner took on a role that even Harrison Ford wanted to avoid at all costs

Oliver Stone had carved a niche for himself before he took on his most ambitious project, JFK, in 1991. The film revolved around the...

Robert “Robin” MacNeil, co-anchor and co-founder of PBS NewsHour, died April 12, PBS announced. He was 93

MacNeil died Friday morning of natural causes at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, his daughter, Alison MacNeil, told the New York Times.

Following their coverage of the 1973 Senate Watergate Hearings, MacNeil co-founded the predecessor to the PBS “MacNeil/Lehrer Report” in 1975 with fellow anchor Jim Lehrer.

“I am so deeply saddened at the loss of a precious friend. One of the greatest honors of my life was working with Robin MacNeil and being part of the way he and Jim Lehrer changed television news,” said Judy Woodruff, PBS NewsHour senior correspondent and former anchor and managing editor, in a statement. “He was brilliant and urbane, but always with a delightful sense of irony. I’m so grateful to have spoken with him in January on his birthday, when that iconic, deep Canadian baritone voice sounded exactly as...

Robert MacNeil, the trusted son of a Canadian naval officer who spent two decades alongside Jim Lehrer delivering the nightly news to PBS viewers, died Friday, PBS announced. He was 93.

MacNeil died of natural causes at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, his daughter, Alison MacNeil, told the Associated Press.

MacNeil and Lehrer first teamed to cover the Senate Watergate hearings in 1973, and their live coverage earned them an Emmy. In 1975, they launched a half-hour program that would become The MacNeil/Lehrer Report; it covered a single story in depth and collected more than 30 awards, including a Peabody, a DuPont and several Emmys.

The program in 1983 became The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, the nation’s first 60-minute evening news program. Rather than concentrate on one topic, it provided comprehensive coverage and analysis of the day’s important stories.

On the eve of his retirement from the broadcast in October 1995 to concentrate on writing, he was asked...

Paranoia, at least the kind stemming from a lack of confidence, isn’t the dominant sensation permeating Oliver Stone’s frenzied and decidedly campy pledge of malignance JFK, the film that briefly made conspiracy theorizing not just socially acceptable, but practically a cornerstone of citizens’ civic duty. No, in practice, JFK is as sure of itself as a QAnon truther, setting into centripetal motion hundreds of specious theories and dancing around the logical gaps like Max Ophüls’s camera did the titular jewelry of The Earrings of Madame de… It’s the crown jewel of the small but potent batch of mainstream American films of the late Boomer era that seemingly rode the collective insanity of the cultural zeitgeist to financial reward and cultural cachet—two other obvious examples being Network, which explicitly “articulated the popular rage” that had more or less been building since the Kennedy assassination, and the...

When reading actor Brian Cox's memoir "Putting the Rabbit in the Hat," I was disappointed that he didn't mention his work on David Fincher's superlative "Zodiac." Throughout the book, Cox shows no reluctance to burn bridges, and given his ribbing of "Succession" co-star Jeremy Strong's method acting, I was eager to see if he'd have similar words about Fincher's infamous perfectionism. Alas, no such stories exist.

True to its title, the 2007 "Zodiac" film is about the Zodiac killer, the still unidentified murderer who left Northern California quaking with fear as the 1960s closed. The film spans the 1960s to 1980s (with an epilogue in 1991), focusing on the killings and then Robert Graysmith's (Jake Gyllenhaal) investigation years later.

One of the movie's earlier sequences recreates an episode from October 22, 1969. Someone claiming to be the Zodiac said he would dial into Jim Dunbar's Kgo-tv (local to...

We (mostly) kept JFK conspiracy talk out of our 11/22/63 episodes, as the story is best enjoyed on Stephen King‘s terms. We did, however, think it would be enriching to chat with some smart people about King’s assertion that “it is very, very difficult for a reasonable person to believe” that Lee Harvey Oswald wasn’t the lone shooter.

Previously, we spoke with Brendan James of Blowback about the book, Oswald, and King’s political evolution. You can find that episode just a bit further down the feed. Now, we’re speaking with Jim Dieugenio, one of the leading experts on the political assassinations of the 1960s. Jim is the author of two books about the Kennedy Assassination, one of which was the basis for Oliver Stone’s documentary JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass. He also has a new book out, The JFK Assassination Chokeholds and a website,...

The Losers’ Club continues their journey through Stephen King‘s time-traveling drama: 11/22/63. In the fourth of six episodes, the Losers go on a stakeout and get stuck between stations, specifically Dallas and Jodie, Texas. It’s here Jake Epping gets lovingly closer to Sadie Dunhill and yet dangerously closer to Lee Harvey Oswald. Remember, though, time is obdurate.

Join the gang as they discuss “Pt. 4: Sadie and the General”. Together, they weigh in on the sweet and sour of life as it relates to Jake’s latest misadventures and chart the delicate dance King endures as he weaves fiction around facts. They also catch up on all the real-life pop culture that has culminated since 1958 over — you guessed it — a fresh slice of poundcake.

Stream the episode below and return next week when the Losers continue their coverage with “Pt. 5: 11/22/63”. For further adventures, join the Club via Apple Podcasts,...

Rob Reiner has directed some of the most beloved movies in the history of motion pictures. His seven-film run of "This Is Spinal Tap," "The Sure Thing," "Stand by Me," "The Princess Bride," "When Harry Met Sally...," "Misery" and "A Few Good Men" is remarkable.

That he transitioned from his portrayal of Archie Bunker's liberal son-in-law, contemptuously dubbed "Meathead," on "All in the Family" to being a first-rate director shouldn't have come as a surprise. His father, Carl Reiner, was one of the greatest comedy writers of the 20th century. No one is a preordained success, but if you decide to pursue a career in entertainment coming out of that environment, you at least have a rock-solid notion of what works.

Reiner also, thanks to his father, developed a social conscience. As he knocked out his string of hit films, he established himself as one of Hollywood's most outspoken celebrities.

Look, we would’ve been perfectly happy enjoying 11/22/63 without getting into the weeds of the JFK conspiracy, but Stephen King himself took pains to detail how his research for the book convinced him that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. “It is very, very difficult for a reasonable person to believe otherwise,” he writes in the book’s afterword. Since that’s no fun, we sought out some smart people to provide a counterpoint and share their own thoughts about the book’s depictions of Oswald, Kennedy, and the assassination.

In this episode, The Losers’ Club speaks with Blowback co-host (and recent King convert) Brendan James about 11/22/63‘s Oswald, conspiracy in the 21st century, and King’s political evolution over the years — from the paranoia of The Stand to the regret of Hearts in Atlantis to the ghastly spirit of Donald Trump pervading his latest novels (and Twitter account). Finally, Brendan...

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on Ian Simmons Vodcast, Kicking The Seat, talking the 1973 first JFK conspiracy film “Executive Action” … it’s 50th Anniversary. Why was this particular anniversary film chosen? Because today … November 22nd, 2023, is the 60th Anniversary of the John F. Kennedy assassination.

At a gathering in June 1963, shadowy industrial, political and U.S. intelligence figures discuss their growing dissatisfaction with the Kennedy administration. The most powerful, a geopolitical oil mogul, is Ferguson (Will Geer). The rest of these figureheads include Foster (Robert Ryan) and Farrington (Burt Lancaster), a black ops expert. When the green light is lit on the operation, Farrington recruits a team of shooters and a fall guy named Lee Harvey Oswald. Their destination? Dallas, Texas, on November 22nd, 1963, and the presidential motorcade of destiny.

‘Executive Action’ on Kicking the Seat, Hosted by Ian Simmons

Photo credit: Patrick McDonald

Kicking The Seat is...

Chicago – Today is the 60th Anniversary of the John F. Kennedy assassination, November 22nd, 1963. His alleged assassin was Lee Harvey Oswald. On that day in Dallas, Oswald was staying at a boarding house owned by the grandmother of Patricia Puckett-Hall. Hall was 11 years old at the time, and knew “Mr. Lee.”

The boarding house, owned by Gladys Johnson, was located in the Oak Cliff neighborhood in Dallas, at 1026 North Beckley Avenue. After allegedly shooting the president, Oswald (Lho) took a cab to the house and rushed in past housekeeper Earlene Roberts, and without saying a word – even though Roberts mentioned the shooting – he collected some items, including a pistol. From there he walked ten blocks and allegedly shot police officer J.D. Tippit, and eventually was captured a half mile away at the movie exhibitor the Texas Theatre.

Patricia Puckett-Hall in 1963 & Today (inset) and the Oswald Rooming House Museum

Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.

Chicago – At 12:30pm Central Time on November 22nd, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was killed by an assassin’s bullet. The shots that echoed through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, has resonated now for 60 years, but beyond the actual event there was a treasure trove of TV and radio coverage that was recorded.

David Von Pein (Dvp) has collected this coverage and it can be found on his comprehensive YouTube channel. Click JFK Channel to start browsing. November 2023 Update: Since our 2021 interview, Dvp has uncovered some 11/23 & 11/24/63 radio coverage from (click link) Fort Wayne, Indiana and 11/22/63 TV coverage from ITV United Kingdom.

Walter Cronkite Delivers the ‘News’ on November 22nd, 1963

Photo credit: CBS-tv

Not only has David Von Pein found high quality as-it-happened video from the three major networks at the time – CBS-tv, NBC-tv and ABC-tv – but the channel also contains the local Dallas coverage (TV and radio) and a collection...

November 22 marks the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, and the particulars of who shot him and how he died enigmatically remain open questions.

Paramount+ on Tuesday premiered a new feature-length documentary that continues in a new direction the six-decade debate surrounding JFK’s murder. Directed by Barbara Shearer, “JFK: What the Doctors Saw” reveals what the filmmakers claim to be startling medical observations about Kennedy’s wounds. It features a reunion of seven doctors who were in the emergency room that day at Parkland Memorial Hospital – where the mortally wounded President was taken – to discuss the day. The doc includes never-before-seen footage from that 2013 reunion, during which the doctors share in vivid detail what they saw in Trauma Room 1. Watch the trailer above.

SEECharlotte Rodrigues (‘JFK: One Day in America’ producer): New doc on the Kennedy assassination ‘isn’t about the conspiracy...

One of the hallmarks of Quantum Leap, both the original and new series, is the leaper impacting different lives across time. Rarely did Sam (Scott Bakula) or Ben (Raymond Lee) encounter the same characters across multiple leaps but that’s all about to change in a big way.

In this exclusive clip from season 2 episode 6 of the new Quantum Leap, “Secret History,” Ben runs into Hannah Carson (Eliza Taylor), a diner waitress he’d previously met in 1949, but it’s now 1955 on a completely different leap!

As Jenn (Nanrisa Lee) summarizes to Ben, the odds are “crazy slim” that he’d run into the same person on two different leaps. She’s right and the history of Quantum Leap backs her up. In the original series, which mostly consisted of stand-alone episodes, Sam hardly ever ran across the same people on different leaps. The biggest exceptions to these would be...

Since this year marks the 60th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, a number of docu-specials are rolling out to revisit (and, in some cases, reexamine) that tragic day in Dallas, Texas. None of them seem more compelling than JFK: What the Doctors Saw, a documentary featuring previously unreleased footage — and the testimony of seven doctors who were there in the emergency room of Parkland Hospital trying to save the then-president’s life after he was shot as his motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza on Nov. 22, 1963.

Premiering Nov. 14 on Paramount+,...

"It's etched in my memory forever." Paramount+ is releasing a new documentary film this fall titled JFK: What The Doctors Saw, turning the latest evidence from the doctors into a whole film. You've probably heard about this as it first came from the doctor's book, but now they have All of them sitting down for an interview. Previously unreleased footage unveils an extraordinary reunion involving seven doctors who were present in the Parkland Hospital Emergency Room where President John F. Kennedy was rushed after being shot on November 22nd, 1963. Their testimonies divulge unsettling medical details about the assassination, raising doubt about government investigations that found Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. JFK: What the Doctors Saw also examines the inconsistencies and gaps that plagued the official autopsy, raising even more questions about how many bullets hit the President and what damage they caused, leaving viewers with the looming question: Was there more than one shooter?...

National Geographic’s Emmy-winning “One Day in America” series is back with its latest installment, this time commemorating six decades since one of the most tragic days in American history. “JFK: One Day in America” will provide a comprehensive account of the events leading up to and following Nov. 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Using firsthand recordings, and testimony from those on the ground in Dallas that day, the new landmark three-part docuseries will provide a real-time account of a moment that changed history forever. “JFK: One Day in America” will premiere with three back-to-back episodes on Sunday, Nov. 5 on National Geographic, followed by its streaming premiere on Monday, Nov. 6 on both Disney+ and Hulu.

How to Watch ‘JFK: One Day In America’ Premiere When: Sunday, November 5, 2023 TV: National Geographic Stream: Watch with a subscription to Disney+. Sign Up Now$7.99+ / month disneyplus.com

Get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN...

Zee-Sony Merger Back On Track

The merger of Zee Entertain Enterprises and Sony’s Indian arm looks to be back on track after an order banning Punit Goenka from managing the new entity was lifted yesterday. The merger of Zee and Culver Max Entertainment was given the go-ahead in August, but the merger has run into several problems. The India Securities and Exchange Board had barred Goenka and his father, Zee founder Subhash Chandra, from the boardrooms of listed companies for a year over allegations of insider trading. However, the Securities Appellate Tribunal has overturned that decision, paving the way for the $10B merger to go ahead and for Goenka to resume his role as MD and CEO of Zee. Sony and Zee have been planning the union for over two years now.

JFK Doc Set For Channel 5/Paramount+

UK network and its stablemate Paramount+ have ordered...

The documentary JFK: What the Doctors Saw offers a behind the scenes look at the day President John F. Kennedy was shot as his motorcade was traveling through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas, Texas. The documentary will premiere on Paramount+ on November 14, 2023, just days ahead of the 60th anniversary of JFK’s assassination.

Barbara Shearer (Loving Elvis) directed and serves as an executive producer with Jacque Lueth, Bill Garnet, and Lucky Elephant Media’s Adam Somer, Cheryl Leib, Joseph Leib, and Joseph Marvel. See It Now Studios’ Susan Zirinsky and Terence Wrong also executive produce along with Guy Davies.

Poster for ‘JFK: What the Doctors Saw’ (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Paramount+)

Paramount+ released this description of the documentary:

“The film reveals startling medical observations about JFK’s wounds when seven doctors who were in the Parkland Hospital ER reunite to discuss a day none of them can forget. In never-before-seen footage from this reunion,...

This Sunday, on November 5, 2023, at 11:00 Pm, National Geographic brings us a compelling episode of “JFK: One Day in America” titled “Revenge.”

In this episode, the focus shifts to the aftermath of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Viewers will witness the moment when assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, who had been in police custody, is shot. This shocking event adds a new layer of intrigue to the tragic events that unfolded on that fateful day.

“Revenge” promises to provide a unique perspective on the complex and tumultuous period surrounding the JFK assassination. It’s a pivotal moment in history that continues to captivate audiences as they seek to understand the motivations and circumstances behind these events.

Viewers can expect a thought-provoking and dramatic episode that delves into the repercussions of President Kennedy’s death and the immediate aftermath. It’s an opportunity to gain insights into this significant historical event,...

JFK Assassination Doc Goes To U.K.

Espresso Media Intl. has closed a deal with the U.K.’s Channel 4 for the new documentary “JFK: 24 Hours that Changed the World.” Produced by Coleman Television, the film marks the 60th anniversary of the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy this November.

In addition to Channel 4’s acquisition of the film for exclusive broadcast premiere in the U.K., Espresso Media has licensed the title to 10 further major, yet to be announced broadcasters across Europe and Asia.

Created for the 60th anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination, the film brings together archive material from across the world, rarely seen by the general public. It covers the last 24 hours of Kennedy’s term, and the subsequent arrest and murder of apparent sole gunman Lee Harvey Oswald.

Coleman Television’s previous credits include Channel 4’s primetime hit “Ve Day in Colour: Britain’s Biggest Party,...