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After all the masterpieces he has delivered to date, anyone who would still argue over the fact that Steven Spielberg is actually one of the best filmmakers of all time might as well be nothing short of a fool. While most of his pieces have been commercial blockbusters, even those that weren’t have managed to hold a significant position in fans’ hearts. Like his film with Rachel Zegler.

Steven Spielberg. | Credits: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Though the pair have only collaborated on this one movie so far in their respective careers, this said piece still served as the breakthrough role for Zegler that launched her as a household name in the entertainment industry. But even then, with its pretty much zero profit from box office earnings, the film is still one of Spielberg’s most underrated movies to date: West Side Story.

Rachel Zegler’s West Side Story...

The movie musical is hard not to love as a genre, with dynamic dance numbers, moving songs, and familiar characters who fans will remember from the staged versions. Hollywood has recently embraced movie musicals, finding success with them at the box office, such as Jon M. Chu's Wicked, or Oprah Winfrey's The Color Purple.

However, the movie musical has been popular for many decades, with several becoming classics, surpassing even the legacy of their original theater shows. One of the main recipes for success in these musicals is their large music numbers that specifically stand out to audiences. For example, "Dancing Queen" in Mamma Mia! and "Carnival Del Barrio" in In The Heights, are exciting ensemble moments that paint colorful depictions of both communities in their prospective films. Whether they be large, upbeat ensemble numbers, or smaller emotional songs that move audiences, these standout movie musical moments help...

Stripper movies pull back the curtain on the exotic dancing industry, and show the artistry and humanity behind the business. Whether stripping is merely a gimmick to sell tickets, or the film makes legitimate commentary on the art form, stripper movies have grown and changed as moral standards shift. At their heart, films about stripping use the medium as a backdrop to tell compelling stories, and they often say a lot about larger issues in society.

Many movies about stripping put exotic dance at the forefront of their stories, and those films have offered a mixed bag of quality, from award-winners to notoriously panned flops. Additionally, stripper movies often also cross over into other forms of dance, with some of the best dance movies involving stripping as their main subject. As with any other art form, stripper movies are ultimately about expression, and though there are common plot threads across the subgenre,...

Fargo is one of the most brilliant and weird series that has probably ever been made. While the series is brilliant and gets better with each season, the wait between each season is very long because the creator Noah Hawley is attached to many projects, and he doesn’t have much time to create new seasons every year. So, if you love the surreal humor, psychological thriller, and crime drama aspects of Fargo here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Twin Peaks (Paramount+ & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – ABC

Twin Peaks is a surreal psychological mystery drama series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. The ABC series follows the story of Dale Cooper, an eccentric FBI agent as he visits a quaint little town, Twin Peaks to investigate the murder of a 17-year-old girl, the homecoming queen with the help of local Sheriff Harry S. Truman.

Twin Peaks boasts an unforgettable ensemble cast, exploring a world where life is fragile and meaningful, allowing each character to stand out uniquely. Supporting characters like the Log Lady and Major Garland Briggs are crucial for establishing the world and aesthetic of the show, but the best characters are more prominent with defined arcs. Characters like Bob and Leland Palmer add depth and complexity to the series, with haunting performances that leave a lasting impact.

Twin Peaks is populated with one of the most eccentric and engaging ensemble casts in TV history, with three phenomenal seasons and a prequel movie's worth of character-building. From the moment Laura Palmer's face is unveiled for the first time in the pilot, viewers are transported into another realm of black coffee and delicious cherry pie. The aspect of Twin Peaks that differentiates it from other crime series and makes it one of the best...

A one armed man selling shoes, a lady with a log obsession, evil spirits called Bob who feed on pain and suffering, dwarves speaking backwards, a ton of doughnuts, plus a murder mystery with a killer reveal. It can only be one crazy series, can’t it? That’s right my fellow wonderful gore-hounds, we’re taking a psychedelic trip to the fictional Washington town of Twin Peaks. The original show ran from 1990 to 1991 and followed an investigation by FBI agent Dale Cooper, played to perfection by Kyle MacLachlan, into the murder of Sheryl Lee’s homecoming queen, Laura Palmer. The series didn’t end there though, no siree, writer / director David Lynch had grander plans for the residents of Twin Peaks.

In fact, in was only one year later, 1992, that Lynch unleashed his big screen movie based around the events leading up to the first season of the show; prequel,...

For as long as “teenager” has been a demographic, there have been stories about teens breaking free from the status quo. While a lot of the modern great teen rebellion media is confined to the world of TV — where shows like “Euphoria” attract constant buzz — the archetypal troubled teen story remains 1955’s “Rebel Without a Cause.” Starring James Dean in unquestionably his defining role, a rebellious teen struggling with his demons in L.A., Nicholas Ray’s film spoke to young people at the time with its story of high schoolers struggling with, and going against, the social pressures that bring them down. Over the years it became a touchstone because its themes and its honesty transcends generations.

As the teen film has evolved and morphed as a genre, there’s always been room for stories of iconoclastic youth who don’t fit in with the status quo. Oftentimes, these...

Bodies is a British sci-fi murder-mystery series created by Paul Tomalin. Based on the DC Vertigo comic and graphic novel of the same name written by Si Spencer, and illustrated by Dean Ormston, Tula Lotay, Meghan Hetrick, and Phil Winsdale. The Netflix series follows four different detectives in four different periods trying to solve the same murder in London. Bodies stars Stephen Graham, Amaka Okafor, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Shira Haas, Kyle Soller, Tom Mothersdale, and Synnove Karlsen. So, if you loved the Netflix series here are some similar shows you could watch next.

Altered Carbon (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Altered Carbon is a high-concept sci-fi series created by Laeta Kalogridis, but at the heart of the first season of this series is a murder mystery which should be interesting for the fans of Bodies. Based on a 2002 cyberpunk novel of the same name by Richard K. Morgan, the Netflix series is set...

Li Nalas' death in season 2 of DS9 was more than just a setback, as it showcased his sacrifice and reaffirmed the Bajorans' desire to join the Federation. The death of Li Nalas paved the way for the introduction of Shakaar Edon in season 3, who filled the role of a influential Bajoran figure in the series. Like Li Nalas, Shakaar only appeared in three episodes of DS9 but continued to exert his political influence off-screen, until season 6.

One of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's producers was wrong about the death of a key season 2 character. After a rocky start, DS9 came into its own in season 2, with a three-part premiere that, in retrospect, feels like a proof of concept for DS9's more ambitious story arcs. Referred to as the Circle Trilogy, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's season 2 opener introduced the character of Li Nalas (Richard Beymer), hailed as...

For 12 seasons, "Murder, She Wrote" was the definitive cozy murder mystery show. Set in the small and charming yet dead-body-filled fictional town of Cabot Cove, Maine, the show wormed its way into the hearts of procedural fans everywhere with its familiar structure and unlikely hero -- middle-aged mystery writer Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury). While the actor behind the beloved amateur sleuth passed away in 2022, "Murder, She Wrote" lives on, both in the form of much-watched reruns and in an upcoming movie adaptation.

Little is known about the new version of "Murder, She Wrote" at this point, but screenwriters Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo have said that the story will relate back to Cabot Cove and Jessica in some capacity. When it comes to potential cameos from old cast members, the pool is unfortunately limited, as several of the series' lead actors have passed away in the decades since the show ended.

The episode of Best Horror Movie You Never Saw covering Silent Night, Deadly Night 3 was Written by Andrew Hatfield, Edited by Paul Bookstaber, Narrated by Kier Gomes, Produced by John Fallon and Tyler Nichols, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

Not everything in a given horror series has to be a stone cold classic. That being said, some series entries don’t get the fair shake they deserve. For example, there are some absolute bangers in the later entries of series like Puppet Master or Child’s Play that are overlooked thanks to entries in, say, Leprechaun or Hellraiser that would make you swear off sequels be it direct to video or not. Some series, like the focus of today’s entry, probably didn’t need or deserve sequels but that never stopped an executive from being greedy before. Silent Night, Deadly Night is an all time classic for a reason but what about its 4, yes,...

War has always been a touchy subject for "Star Trek." Throughout the original series, the Federation had formed an uneasy alliance with the Klingons and was not on the rosiest terms with the Romulans, so war was constantly hanging over everyone's heads. There were occasional episodes involving combat or espionage, but there were no outright full-scale battles; that's not what "Star Trek" was about. A large part of Gene Roddenberry's utopian future was a devotion to pacifism. Being strong was now defined by one's ability to reason, to help others. It was no longer about might or domination. 

But, it seems, "Star Trek" had a long way to go. In the episode "Patterns of Force", William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, both Jewish actors, were required to put on Nazi uniforms and read lines about how, welp, the Third Reich may have been evil, but they got the trains running on time.

NatGeo’s widely acclaimed new limited series “A Small Light” chronicles the heroism of Miep Gies and several other brave Amsterdam residents who hid Anne Frank and her family, as well as four other people from the Nazis in a hidden attic apartment in Otto Frank’s office building. After the eight Jewish residents were arrested and sent to concentration camps in 1944, it was Gies who saved Anne’s diary and kept it in her desk drawer. Otto Frank, who was the only member of the immediate family who survived the camps — Anne died of typhus in March 1945 at Bergen-Belson — returned to Amsterdam, Gies gave him Anne’s diary. And in 1947 “The Diary of a Young Girl” was published in Europe. Five years later, “Diary” made its way to America. It has been translated into over 67 languages.

Anne had received a red checkered autograph book for her 13th birthday on...

Walter Mirisch, former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Oscar-winning producer for In the Heat of the Night, died Friday in Los Angeles of natural causes. was 101. He had been the longest-living Oscar winner.

Mirisch — whose producing credits stretch to the 1940s and also include West Side Story, The Apartment and the 1960 and 2016 versions of The Magnificent Seven — also won a pair of Honorary Oscars: Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1978 and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1983. He also received the Producer Guild of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Motion Pictures in 1996.

Related Story Happy Birthday, Walter Mirisch: Oldest Living Oscar Winner Turns 100; His Films Include ‘West Side Story’, ‘The Apartment’ & ‘In The Heat Of The Night’ Related Story Oscars: Sofia Carson & Diane Warren To Perform 'Applause' During Ceremony Related Story Tom Whitlock Dies: Oscar-Winning Co-Writer Of 'Top Gun' Hits 'Take...

The Innerview.In August 2021, when the contracts of Sheffield DocFest’s programming team were abruptly terminated following the departure of festival director Cíntia Gil, they published an open letter in Variety titled “What is a film festival even for?” This question–of what, or who, film festivals are for–hung in the air of the most recent International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), an event that has also struggled with its identity for many years, often trying to successfully encompass various competing objectives and visions. Over recent editions, this approach has created more significant issues. Having faced a declining operating budget, plus reduced income as a result of having to hold 2021 and 2022 editions online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in May 2022 the festival announced a “restructure” which resulted in a 15 percent reduction of the staff headcount and saw a majority of the festival’s film programmers let go, with a new selection committee announced shortly after.

Over the past half decade, film academy members have demonstrated a clear preference for lengthy featured male performances while generally being drawn to comparatively shorter female ones. However, after four consecutive instances of Best Supporting Actor Oscar winners outpacing their corresponding female victors by margins of at least 20 minutes, last year’s duo were only separated by six minutes and 40 seconds. The supporting actress who pulled off a win with more screen time than her four closest predecessors was Ariana DeBose, whose performance in “West Side Story” lasts for 28 minutes and 54 seconds.

Since DeBose’s screen time total in “West Side Story” is 49 seconds higher than the all-time Best Supporting Actress winner average, her performance is naturally counted within the longer half of those that have merited the honor. Included among the women on the opposite side of the line is Rita Moreno, who received this award in 1962 for playing...

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Michael Callan, the actor and dancer who portrayed Riff in the original Broadway production of West Side Story before starring in such films as Gidget Goes Hawaiian, The Interns and Cat Ballou, has died. He was 86.

Callan died Monday night of pneumonia at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, his daughter Rebecca Goodman told The Hollywood Reporter.

A contract player at Columbia Pictures, Callan made about a dozen movies at the studio, starting with They Came to Cordura (1959), a Western starring Gary Cooper, Rita Hayworth, Van Heflin and Tab Hunter.

On the 1966-67 NBC comedy Occasional Wife, Callan starred as a confirmed bachelor who sets up a woman (Patricia Harty) in an upstairs apartment so she can pose as his wife in order to help him advance at the baby food company where he works. (His boss believes...

Rumors are rampant that Oscars 2022 producer Will Packer is planning some surprise movie reunions for this year’s ceremony. ABC will broadcast the 94th annual Academy Awards on Sunday, March 27, with hosts Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes. The first six presenters for the event were announced on Thursday.

SEE1962 Oscars flashback: When ‘West Side Story’ swept and Sophia Loren made history

Here are 13 memorable casts celebrating anniversaries of their Oscar wins or their releases in theaters. Any or all would be exciting to see on the event and would bring the house down.

“West Side Story” — Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn (60th anniversary of wins)

“The Godfather — Francis Ford Coppola, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, James Caan, plus Robert De Niro possibly (50th anniversary of release)

“Cabaret” — Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey (50th anniversary of release)

“The Silence of the Lambs” — Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster...

Take a look at more new footage from director Steven Spielberg's feature film reboot of "West Side Story", adapting the original 'street gang' "Romeo and Juliet"- inspired Broadway musical, starring Ansel Elgort as 'Tony' and Rachel Zegler as 'Maria', opening December 10, in theaters:

Cast includes the 'Jets' members 'Anybodys' (Ezra Menas), 'Mouthpiece' (Ben Cook), 'Action' (Sean Harrison Jones), Jets leader 'Riff' (Mike Faist), 'Baby John' (Patrick Higgins)...

...Maria’s brother and 'Sharks' leader 'Bernardo' (David Alvarez), Sharks members 'Quique' (Julius Anthony Rubio)...

...'Chago' (Ricardo Zayas), 'Chino' (Josh Andrés Rivera), 'Braulio' (Sebastian Serra) and 'Pipo' (Carlos Sánchez Falú).

Spielberg organized open casting calls for the new film in New York City April 29, 2018 and Orlando Florida May 25, 2018.

Casting was seeking actors to play four leading roles: 'Maria' (18-20), 'Tony' (18-23), 'Bernardo' (20-24) and 'Anita' (20-24 years):

"...All four actors must be able to sing. Maria, Anita and Bernardo must speak Spanish.

In his 91-year life, prolific composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim crafted some of Broadway’s most iconic tunes. From “West Side Story” to “Into the Woods,” his music has stood the test of time and cemented him as a theater legend. The Broadway community paid tribute to Sondheim on Friday, with longtime collaborator Bernadette Peters writing, “He gave me so much to sing about. I loved him dearly and will miss him so much. Thank you for all the gifts you gave the world Steve.”

Meanwhile, Rachel Zegler, who plays Maria in the upcoming Steven Spielberg adaptation of “West Side Story,” recalled Sondheim’s profound impact on her love for musical theater. “Sweeney Todd was the first musical I ever comprehended. 5 years old, dancing around to ‘A Little Priest’ without knowing what it was about. My heart is so shattered. What a life.”

Sondheim racked up seven Tony awards over his career,...

Sneak Peek director Steven Spielberg's movie reboot of "West Side Story", adapting the original 'street gang' Broadway musical, starring Ansel Elgort as 'Tony' and Rachel Zegler as 'Maria', opening December 10, in theaters:

Cast includes the 'Jets' members 'Anybodys' (Ezra Menas), 'Mouthpiece' (Ben Cook), 'Action' (Sean Harrison Jones), Jets leader 'Riff' (Mike Faist), 'Baby John' (Patrick Higgins)...

...Maria’s brother and 'Sharks' leader 'Bernardo' (David Alvarez), Sharks members 'Quique' (Julius Anthony Rubio)...

...'Chago' (Ricardo Zayas), 'Chino' (Josh Andrés Rivera), 'Braulio' (Sebastian Serra) and 'Pipo' (Carlos Sánchez Falú).

Spielberg organized open casting calls for the new film in New York City April 29, 2018 and Orlando Florida May 25, 2018.

Casting was seeking actors to play four leading roles: 'Maria' (18-20), 'Tony' (18-23), 'Bernardo' (20-24) and 'Anita' (20-24 years):

"...All four actors must be able to sing. Maria, Anita and Bernardo must speak Spanish. Dancing experience is a plus..."

The 1961 musical drama "West Side Story" starring Natalie Wood,...

Sneak Peek more new footage from director Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story", adapting the original 'street gang' Broadway musical, (inspired by Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet") starring Ansel Elgort as 'Tony' and Rachel Zegler as 'Maria', targeting a December 10, 2021 theatrical release:

Cast includes the 'Jets' members 'Anybodys' (Ezra Menas), 'Mouthpiece' (Ben Cook), 'Action' (Sean Harrison Jones), Jets leader 'Riff' (Mike Faist), 'Baby John' (Patrick Higgins)...

...Maria’s brother and 'Sharks' leader 'Bernardo' (David Alvarez), Sharks members 'Quique' (Julius Anthony Rubio)...

...'Chago' (Ricardo Zayas), 'Chino' (Josh Andrés Rivera), 'Braulio' (Sebastian Serra) and 'Pipo' (Carlos Sánchez Falú).

Spielberg organized open casting calls for the new film in New York City April 29, 2018 and Orlando Florida May 25, 2018.

Casting was seeking actors to play four leading roles: 'Maria' (18-20), 'Tony' (18-23), 'Bernardo' (20-24) and 'Anita' (20-24 years):

"...All four actors must be able to sing. Maria, Anita and Bernardo must speak Spanish. Dancing experience is a plus.

Sneak Peek more new footage from director Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story", adapting the original 'street gang' Broadway musical, (inspired by Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet") starring Ansel Elgort as 'Tony' and Rachel Zegler as 'Maria', targeting a December 10, 2021 theatrical release:

Cast includes the 'Jets' members 'Anybodys' (Ezra Menas), 'Mouthpiece' (Ben Cook), 'Action' (Sean Harrison Jones), Jets leader 'Riff' (Mike Faist), 'Baby John' (Patrick Higgins)...

...Maria’s brother and 'Sharks' leader 'Bernardo' (David Alvarez), Sharks members 'Quique' (Julius Anthony Rubio)...

...'Chago' (Ricardo Zayas), 'Chino' (Josh Andrés Rivera), 'Braulio' (Sebastian Serra) and 'Pipo' (Carlos Sánchez Falú).

Spielberg organized open casting calls for the new film in New York City April 29, 2018 and Orlando Florida May 25, 2018.

Casting was seeking actors to play four leading roles: 'Maria' (18-20), 'Tony' (18-23), 'Bernardo' (20-24) and 'Anita' (20-24 years): "...All four actors must be able to sing. Maria, Anita and Bernardo must speak Spanish. Dancing experience is a plus.

The second, fuller trailer for Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of “West Side Story” dropped Wednesday morning, depicting the first magical meeting between starcrossed lovers Maria (Rachel Zegler) and Tony (Ansel Elgort).

Maria sets eyes upon Tony at the school dance and there’s instant chemistry, but the young woman, newly arrived in New York City from Puerto Rico, is warned about falling in love with a “gringo.”

“Tonight is about family. The first gringo boy who smiles at you (Pow!),” her brother Bernardo tells Maria in the trailer.

“West Side Story” retells the classic tale of “Romeo and Juliet” through the story of young lovers amid fierce gang rivalries in 1957 New York City.

In addition to Zegler and Elgort, “West Side Story” stars Ariana DeBose (Anita); David Alvarez (Bernardo); Mike Faist (Riff); Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino); Ana Isabelle (Rosalía); Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank); Brian d’Arcy James (Officer Krupke); and Rita Moreno as Valentina,...

Andrzej Wajda’s most celebrated film in the West is a serious thriller about doubt and corruption in a Poland ‘liberated’ by the Soviet Union. It has a cerebral script and a hero with a hipster attitude befitting a window of relative freedom briefly given to Polish filmmakers. Touted as the James Dean of the Eastern Bloc, the dashing Zbigniew Cybulski cuts an image as clean as J.F.K.. But his character, an assassin working for the reactionaries, undergoes a crisis of conscience. The miracle is that the Party censors allowed any doubt as to what our hero’s path should be. Given a stylized, almost expressionist B&w look, Wajda’s masterpiece is an intelligent thinkpiece that lays off the direct propagandizing.

Ashes and Diamonds

Blu-ray

The Criterion Collection 285

1958 / B&W / 1:66 widescreen / 103 min. / Popiól I Diament / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date August 24, 2021 / 39.95

Starring: Zbigniew Cybulski, Ewa Krzyzewska,...

Take a look at new footage from director Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story", adapting the original 'street gang' Broadway musical, (inspired by Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet") starring Ansel Elgort as 'Tony' and Rachel Zegler as 'Maria', targeting a December 10, 2021 theatrical release:

Cast includes the 'Jets' members 'Anybodys' (Ezra Menas), 'Mouthpiece' (Ben Cook), 'Action' (Sean Harrison Jones), Jets leader 'Riff' (Mike Faist), 'Baby John' (Patrick Higgins)...

...Maria’s brother and 'Sharks' leader 'Bernardo' (David Alvarez), Sharks members 'Quique' (Julius Anthony Rubio)...

...'Chago' (Ricardo Zayas), 'Chino' (Josh Andrés Rivera), 'Braulio' (Sebastian Serra) and 'Pipo' (Carlos Sánchez Falú).

Spielberg organized open casting calls for the new film in New York City April 29, 2018 and Orlando Florida May 25, 2018.

Casting was seeking actors to play four leading roles: 'Maria' (18-20), 'Tony' (18-23), 'Bernardo' (20-24) and 'Anita' (20-24 years): "...All four actors must be able to sing. Maria, Anita and Bernardo must speak Spanish. Dancing experience is a plus.

Take a look at new footage from director Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story", adapting the original 'street gang' Broadway musical, (inspired by Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet") starring Ansel Elgort as 'Tony' and Rachel Zegler as 'Maria', targeting a December 10, 2021 release:

Cast includes the 'Jets' members 'Anybodys' (Ezra Menas), 'Mouthpiece' (Ben Cook), 'Action' (Sean Harrison Jones), Jets leader 'Riff' (Mike Faist), 'Baby John' (Patrick Higgins)...

...Maria’s brother and 'Sharks' leader 'Bernardo' (David Alvarez), Sharks members 'Quique' (Julius Anthony Rubio)...

...'Chago' (Ricardo Zayas), 'Chino' (Josh Andrés Rivera), 'Braulio' (Sebastian Serra) and 'Pipo' (Carlos Sánchez Falú).

Spielberg organized open casting calls for the new film in New York City April 29, 2018 and Orlando Florida May 25, 2018.

Casting was seeking actors to play four leading roles: 'Maria' (18-20), 'Tony' (18-23), 'Bernardo' (20-24) and 'Anita' (20-24 years): "...All four actors must be able to sing. Maria, Anita and Bernardo must speak Spanish. Dancing experience is a plus.

After exploring “The Civil War,” “Baseball” and “Country Music,” award-winning documentarian Ken Burns and his frequent collaborator Lynn Novick examined the importance of being Ernest Hemingway in their three-part PBS documentary “Hemingway.” Premiering in April to strong reviews and Emmys buzz, the series weaves Papa’s biography with excerpts from his fiction, non-fiction, and personal correspondence. The series also reviews the mythology around the larger-than-life Hemingway, who penned such classic novels as “The Sun Also Rises,” “A Farewell to Arms,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “The Old Man and the Sea,” to reveal the truth behind the bravado.

Feature film adaptations of Hemingway’s works had mixed results. Hemingway Bff Gary Cooper excelled in 1932’s “A Farewell to Arms” and 1943’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” receiving an Oscar nomination for the latter. John Garfield gave one of his strongest performance in 1950’s superb noir “The Breaking Point,” based...

Take a look at new footage from director Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story", adapting the original 'street gang' Broadway musical, (inspired by Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet") starring Ansel Elgort as 'Tony' and Rachel Zegler as 'Maria', targeting a December 10, 2021 release:

Cast includes the 'Jets' members 'Anybodys' (Ezra Menas), 'Mouthpiece' (Ben Cook), 'Action' (Sean Harrison Jones), Jets leader 'Riff' (Mike Faist), 'Baby John' (Patrick Higgins)...

...Maria’s brother and 'Sharks' leader 'Bernardo' (David Alvarez), Sharks members 'Quique' (Julius Anthony Rubio)...

...'Chago' (Ricardo Zayas), 'Chino' (Josh Andrés Rivera), 'Braulio' (Sebastian Serra) and 'Pipo' (Carlos Sánchez Falú).

Spielberg organized open casting calls for the new film in New York City April 29, 2018 and Orlando Florida May 25, 2018.

Casting was seeking actors to play four leading roles: 'Maria' (18-20), 'Tony' (18-23), 'Bernardo' (20-24) and 'Anita' (20-24 years): "...All four actors must be able to sing. Maria, Anita and Bernardo must speak Spanish. Dancing experience is a plus.

Steven Spielberg is hoping that there's a place in your heart for a new version of romantic musical West Side Story. After its theatrical release was delayed for a full year amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the new film adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical dropped its first trailer during the 2021 Oscars ceremony.  The footage features the beloved song "Somewhere" and introduces viewers to the new cast, including Ansel Elgort (Tony), Rachel Zegler (Maria), Ariana DeBose (Anita), David Alvarez (Bernardo) and Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino). A previous film version, starring Richard Beymer as Tony and Natalie Wood as Maria, was directed by Robert Wise and...

” You all killed him! And my brother, and Riff. Not with bullets, or guns, with hate. Well now I can kill, too, because now I have hate!”

The Skyview Drive-in in Belleville (5700 N Belt W, Belleville, Il 62226) will be showing West Side Story (1961) beginning July 24th. The Skyview’s site can be found Here . The other screen at the Skyview will be showing Space Jam and Spaceballs

Visually inventive and emotionally resonant, “West Side Story” is the tale of two warring New York City gangs – the Jets and the Sharks – and the ill-fated love story that springs up in their midst. The film stars Natalie Wood as Maria, Richard Beymer as her boyfriend Tony, Rita Moreno as Maria’s sister Anita, and George Chakiris as Bernardo. Both Moreno and Chakiris received Oscars® for their indelible work in supporting roles.

By blending realistic settings, stylized choreography, an extraordinary cast of performers and an unforgettable score,...

Don’t do it Vittorio! The Italian master’s last neorealist project was done ‘in collaboration’ with American producer David O. Selznick, who proceeded to crowbar his way into every directorial decision. The resulting ‘creative differences’ spoiled Signor De Sica’s Italian version, but that wasn’t enough. Selznick put it through a sausage machine for the American release, which is almost half an hour shorter. Jennifer Jones and Montgomery Clift are excellent in both versions, but De Sica’s is far superior — and studying the differences tells why the first demand of powerful directors is to retain final cut. The presentation offers both full films, plus the short subject Selznick added to bring his version up to minimal feature length.

Terminal Station & Indiscretion of an American Wife

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1953 / B&w / 1:37 flat Academy / 89 + 72 min. / Street Date March 31, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: Jennifer Jones, Montgomery Clift,...

Take a look at new images from director Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story", adapting the original 'street gang' Broadway musical, inspired by Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", starring Ansel Elgort as 'Tony' and Rachel Zegler as 'Maria', targeting a December 2020 Disney release:

Cast includes the 'Jets' members 'Anybodys' (Ezra Menas), 'Mouthpiece' (Ben Cook), 'Action' (Sean Harrison Jones), Jets leader 'Riff' (Mike Faist), 'Baby John' (Patrick Higgins)...

...Maria’s brother and 'Sharks' leader 'Bernardo' (David Alvarez), Sharks members 'Quique' (Julius Anthony Rubio)...

...'Chago' (Ricardo Zayas), 'Chino' (Josh Andrés Rivera), 'Braulio' (Sebastian Serra) and 'Pipo' (Carlos Sánchez Falú).

Spielberg organized open casting calls for the new film in New York City April 29, 2018 and Orlando Florida May 25, 2018.

Casting was seeking actors to play four leading roles: 'Maria' (18-20), 'Tony' (18-23), 'Bernardo' (20-24) and 'Anita' (20-24 years): "...All four actors must be able to sing. Maria, Anita and Bernardo must speak Spanish. Dancing experience is a plus.

Some of the most beloved songs of the musical theatre canon come from Bernstein's score, which includes 'Tonight,' 'America,' 'Maria,' and of course, Tony's big Act I moment, 'Something's Coming.'Today, we celebrate the show's return with that very tune, featuring original Tonys Larry Kert original Broadway cast and Richard Beymer 1961 film, Broadway leading men Matt Cavenaugh 2009 revival, Jeremy Jordan 2009 revival, Cheyenne Jackson, Gavin Creel, Colton Ryan, Santino Fontana, and Darren Criss, and even Barbra Streisand, Shirley Bassey and Judy Garland.

If we’re being honest, West Side Story has seemed a little out of date for quite a while.

Rather than having the rebellious teenagers of the 1950s represented through rock & roll, the musical about Puerto Ricans newly arrived to New York City being targeted by earlier immigrants (Irish, Poles, and Italians) had Leonard Bernstein’s magnificent dissonant score coupled with Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics that capture the collision of rhythms and impulses. The book by Arthur Laurents is lean but filled with lines like, “Ya done good, Buddy boy” and “Thanks,...

Ansel Elgort returns to theaters this weekend in “The Goldfinch,” his widest release since 2017’s “Baby Driver.” Excoriated by critics after its Toronto International Film Festival world premiere, “The Goldfinch” stars Elgort as the troubled Theodore Decker, whose mother’s death ripples through a coming-of-age that finds him on the art-theft circuit and tumbling into drug addiction. It’s based on Donna Tartt’s bestselling tome.

It’s Golden Globe nominee Elgort’s meatiest role in a while, and in a recent interview with The Huffington Post, Elgort revealed the roles he lost out on in order to get here. Probably the biggest loss was as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s forthcoming biopic, set to open in October 2021 from Warner Bros.

“With Elvis, I think it just wasn’t right. Or so they thought. That’s fine. Baz has a vision,” Elgort said. He recalled thinking, “If I don’t get Elvis,...

Shooting continues on director Steven Spielberg's Fox musical feature "West Side Story", adapting the original 'street gang' Broadway musical, inspired by Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", starring Ansel Elgort as 'Tony' and Rachel Zegler as 'Maria', targeting a December 2020 Disney release:

Cast includes the 'Jets' members 'Anybodys' (Ezra Menas), 'Mouthpiece' (Ben Cook), 'Action' (Sean Harrison Jones), Jets leader 'Riff' (Mike Faist), 'Baby John' (Patrick Higgins), Maria’s brother and 'Sharks' leader 'Bernardo' (David Alvarez), Sharks members 'Quique' (Julius Anthony Rubio), 'Chago' (Ricardo Zayas), 'Chino' (Josh Andrés Rivera), 'Braulio' (Sebastian Serra) and 'Pipo' (Carlos Sánchez Falú).

Spielberg organized open casting calls for the new film in New York City April 29, 2018 and Orlando Florida May 25, 2018.

Casting was seeking actors to play four leading roles: 'Maria' (18-20), 'Tony' (18-23), 'Bernardo' (20-24) and 'Anita' (20-24 years): "...All four actors must be able to sing. Maria,...

The Jets and the Sharks are about to dance their way into the 21st century!

Steven Spielberg hasn’t begun filming for his remake of West Side Story but the prolific director has already made some major casting choices for the upcoming film.

With a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner (Angels in America), this latest take on the iconic 1957 Broadway musical, which was adapted into a movie in 1961, is set to bring the classic to a whole new generation.

Centering on two teenagers from opposing street gangs who fall in love, the story is based on William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

1985: Santa Barbara's Brick & Amy were married.

1995: Loving spinoff The City premiered on ABC.

1998: Guiding Light's Danny met Michelle.

2003: One Life to Live's Blair married Walker."The best prophet of the future is the past."

― Lord Byron

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

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1942: On Clara, Lu and Em, Emma "Em" Krueger (Helen King) threw a party.

1964: On Another World, Mitchell Dru (Geoffrey Lumb) asked John Randolph to take on Pat Matthew's case. Michael M. Ryan and Gaye Huston made their first appearances as John and Lee Randolph.

1967: On Dark Shadows, Julia Hoffman (Grayson Hall) panicked when Woodard's ghost appeared.

1979: On As the World Turns,...

Even after 57 years, Rita Moreno is just as opinionated as Anita, her character from “West Side Story.” When asked her thoughts on Steven Spielberg’s forthcoming “West Side Story” remake, Moreno said she most likely would not be making a cameo. Moreno appeared alongside several original cast members at the Beverly Hills Paley Center for an event honoring choreographer Jerome Robbins last week, where director Rob Marshall (“Chicago”) moderated a Q and A.

According to Entertainment Weekly, while Russ Tamblyn (Riff), George Chakiris (Bernardo), and Eliot Feld (Baby John) all expressed interest in making cameos, Moreno demurred. “That would be strange,” she said in a red carpet interview. “I think it would be distracting. No, no, no I don’t belong in there in any capacity.”

Remaking “West Side Story” has been a passion project of Spielberg’s for many years, having pursued the rights for decades. Spielberg worked with Kushner on “Lincoln” and “Munich,...

West Side Story has found its leading man. Ansel Elgort has reportedly been cast to portray Tony in Steven Spielberg's forthcoming adaptation of the classic musical set in Manhattan. The 24-year-old actor previously receive critical acclaim for his role in 2017's Baby Driver, but this will be Elgort's biggest role to date by far.

Tony and Maria are the protagonists of the tragic love story modeled after Romeo and Juliet. Tony is a former member of American gang the Jets, which rivals Puerto Rican gang the Sharks. Maria's older brother is the leader of the Sharks, and thus enters the story's central dilemma. Tony was first portrayed by Larry Kert in the original 1957 musical and later by Richard Beymer in the 1961 film.

The remake's Maria has yet to be announced. Though Natalie Wood is famous for her impassioned portrayal of the star-crossed lover in the screen adaptation, the casting...

Before Ansel Elgort nabbed the leading role in Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story, he was gaining some early experience for the role.

Elgort, 24, starred in a stage production of the musical in 2007 for the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center when he was just 13, according to a photograph shared by Broadway.com.

The budding actor portrayed hot-tempered Action, one of the Jets, in the stage production. Earlier this month, multiple outlets confirmed Elgort was set to play Tony, the founder of the Jets.

The Baby Driver star is taking over the role from Larry Kert in the original...

As BroadwayWorld reported yesterday, film star Ansel Elgort Baby Driver, The Fault In Our Stars has been cast in the leading role of Tony in Steven Spielberg's upcoming remake of the movie musical West Side Story. Elgort will be stepping into the iconic role originated by Larry Kert on Broadway and embodied by Richard Beymer in the classic film.

Baby Driver star Ansel Elgort has landed himself the leading role of Tony in Steven Spielberg’s forthcoming adaptation of West Side Story.

Based on the Broadway musical, the story focuses on the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs. The story is inspired by William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Pulitzer prize winner and Oscar nominee Tony Kushner has penned the remake.

The original stage musical included music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and was set in the Upper West Side neighborhood in New York City in the mid 1950s, an ethnic, blue-collar neighborhood.

Also in the news – Taron Egerton is the spitting image of Elton John in first look image from Rocketman

The stage show was first adapted for film in 1961 and was directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. It starred Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, and George Chakiris.

Ansel Elgort just landed his next major role! Young Hollywood's most in-demand talent was cast in the lead role of Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of West Side Story, multiple outlets report. Elgort will reportedly star as Tony in the 21st century remake of the classic Broadway musical. Originally inspired by "Romeo and Juliet," West Side Story follows the rivalry between New York City street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. Conflict arises when Tony, a former member of the Jets, falls for Maria, the sister of a leader of the Sharks. Larry Kert played Tony in the 1957 stage production, which earned six Tony nominations. Richard Beymer went on to reprise the role in the 1961 big...

“Baby Driver” star Ansel Elgort has been cast in the lead role of Tony in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.” The script is written by Tony Kushner and based on the famous Broadway musical of the same name. Kushner has written the scripts for Spielberg’s “Lincoln” and “Munich,” both of which earned the playwright Oscar nominations.

“West Side Story” was written for Broadway by Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim and featured music by Leonard Bernstein and choreography by Jerome Robbins. The Broadway musical opened in 1957 and was first adapted on the big screen in 1961 by directors Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. Larry Kert originated the role of Tony on Broadway, while Richard Beymer played the lead in the 1961 movie, which was nominated for 11 Oscars and won best picture.

Elgort is the first actor to be cast in Spielberg’s “West Side Story.” The actor earned some of the...

Director Steven Spielberg has cast Baby Driver star Ansel Elgort in his upcoming adaptation of West Side Story. He will take on the role of Tony in the movie and I think he’s a perfect choice for the part!

The part of Tony was first portrayed by Larry Kert in the original 1957 Broadway musical and Richard Beymer played the role in the classic 1961 movie.

The latest West Side Story adaptation was written by Oscar nominated screenwriter and Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner. The story was originally written by Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim with music by Leonard Bernstein.

Spielberg has spent the about a year looking for actors to fill the role in this movie. It’s taking so long because he needs good actors that are able to sing and dance. These are two qualities that Elgort has and I’m looking forward to seeing him in the role of Tony.

Ansel Elgort has been cast as Tony in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” remake, an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.

Tony Kushner wrote the adaptation of the 1957 musical, originally written by Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim with music by Leonard Bernstein. Larry Kert played the role in the musical, while Richard Beymer took on the role in the 1961 film. “West Wide Story” explores forbidden love as well as the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds in New York.

Spielberg’s upcoming film will be produced by Spielberg, Kevin McCollum and Kristie Macosko Krieger.

Also Read: Hillary Clinton, Steven Spielberg Adapting Voting Drama 'Woman's Hour' for TV

Most recently, Elgort starred in “Baby Driver” for which he received a Golden Globe nomination in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy. His...

When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet all the way — and now we know who’ll play Tony in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. Baby Driver star Ansel Elgort has danced into the role originated by Larry Kert on Broadway and played by Richard Beymer in the Oscar-winning 1961 movie.

Inspired by William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. Filming is set to begin in summer 2019.

Tony Kushner wrote the adaptation of the 1957 musical originally written by Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim with music by Leonard Bernstein, and concept, direction, and choreography by Jerome Robbins. Spielberg, Kevin McCollum and Kristie Macosko Krieger will produce the film musical.

Elgort earned a Golden Globe nom for his lead role in last year’s Baby Driver and also starred...

Baby Driver star Ansel Elgort has nabbed the male lead in Steven Spielberg's upcoming take on West Side Story.

The actor will play Tony, a role first portrayed by Larry Kert in the original 1957 Broadway musical. Richard Beymer played the part in the classic 1961 movie.

Oscar-nominated screenwriter and Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner has written the adaptation of the musical originally penned by Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim with music by Leonard Bernstein.

Spielberg has spent the better part of the year looking for stars for his movie, with actors needing to be able to sing, dance and, of ...