Film

Producer Will Packer Stumps to Get Out the Vote and Launch a Private HBCU Fundraising Campaign

• Will Packer urged FAMU students to vote.
• He is starting a private fundraising effort for FAMU.
• He hopes the model can later help other HBCUs.

Producer Will Packer urged students at Florida A&M University to vote in the midterm elections and announced a private fundraising campaign for the university. He said decades of Republican control in Florida had contributed to FAMU being underfunded, and plans to develop a fundraising model that could later…

Peter Jackson’s Worst Lord of the Rings Sin Was Forgetting the Story’s Fairy Tale Roots

• The films expanded a compact fairy tale into a sprawling trilogy.
• Tolkien first told Bilbo’s story as bedtime tales for his children.
• The article points to *The Princess Bride* as a better adaptation model.

The article argues that Peter Jackson’s *The Hobbit* films lost the book’s distinctive fairy-tale character by turning a compact story into a sprawling, effects-heavy epic. It says the adaptation’s problem goes beyond adding material: the films missed the intimate, playful quality of a tale Tolkien first told to…

The Time John Lennon Cut His Beatles Bandmates Out of a Classic Track: “For a Moment I Thought There Was Going To Be an Explosion”

• Lennon told McCartney to sit out the overdubs.
• McCartney left the studio after the exchange.
• The recording reflected widening creative differences.

John Lennon took charge of recording “Come Together”, telling Paul McCartney not to handle his usual overdubs and that he would do them himself. The incident highlighted the growing creative distance between the pair as The Beatles neared their end. Engineer Geoff Emerick recalled that McCartney asked what…

‘It: Welcome to Derry’ Surprise Halloween Episode Drops on HBO Max

• HBO released a surprise 30-minute Halloween episode.
• The special is set centuries before Pennywise’s introduction.
• Season 2 will follow the Bradley Gang in 1935.

HBO has surprise-released a 30-minute Halloween episode of “It: Welcome to Derry”, titled “A Story of Derry”. Set hundreds of years before the series’ events and Pennywise’s introduction, it extends the story’s timeline. Based on Stephen King’s novel, the series is a prequel to the 2017 and 2019…

Born 114 Years Ago Today in the Lone Star State, the Singing Cowgirl Who Became a Country Music and TV Icon Alongside Roy Rogers

• Dale Evans was born in Texas in 1912.
• She appeared in 28 films with Roy Rogers.
• She wrote “Happy Trails” and more than 400 songs.

Dale Evans, born Frances Octavia Smith in Texas on 31 October 1912, became a country singer, songwriter and Western film star. Her partnership with Roy Rogers, both on screen and in music, made her a prominent figure in mid-century cowboy entertainment. Evans co-starred with Rogers in 28 films…

The 1997 movie that gave Winona Ryder a serious case of imposter syndrome: “I couldn’t hold my own”

• Ryder felt she could not match Sigourney Weaver in *Alien Resurrection*.
• Filming an underwater scene triggered anxiety linked to a childhood near-drowning.
• The 1997 film made around $100 million in profit.

Winona Ryder said filming *Alien Resurrection* in 1997 left her feeling out of her depth beside Sigourney Weaver and the film’s special effects. Her experience shows how a demanding role can unsettle even an established actor, particularly when it involves confronting a personal fear. A scene required Ryder…

The 10 Best Opening Credits in Film History

• Opening credits can set a film’s tone and tell part of its story.
• The list covers ten sequences across several genres.
• *Goldfinger* and *Drive* are among the examples discussed.

The article argues that film opening credits can do more than list names: they can establish a film’s style and mood, introduce its characters and themes, and contribute to its storytelling. It presents ten sequences as examples of how directors and designers have turned a routine part of…

Rail disruption costs Avanti £20m as Cumbria peatland restoration begins

A Guardian warning says reliance on AI may weaken independent thought and curiosity. Japan’s planned anime award aims to spotlight creators, while the original Twilight Zone is now streaming free with adverts.

In fourth grade, Billy Joel wanted to be Elvis Presley. In 1982, he took a swipe at what Elvis became

• Joel admired Elvis from childhood.
• His 1982 song mourned Presley’s later image.
• It criticised Graceland’s commercialisation.

Billy Joel’s 1982 song ‘Elvis Presley Boulevard’ paid tribute to the singer who first inspired him, while criticising how Presley’s later career and image were handled. Joel admired Elvis as a child, but felt that Hollywood films and the commercialisation of Graceland turned a once extraordinary performer into…

Netflix Officially Says Goodbye to Jake Gyllenhaal’s Explosive $52M Michael Bay Thriller

• Netflix has removed *Ambulance* from its streaming library.
• The 2022 Michael Bay thriller grossed over $52 million.
• It remains available to rent or buy on VOD.

Netflix has removed Michael Bay’s thriller *Ambulance* from its streaming library, ending its recent run on the platform. The 2022 film stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and follows two brothers who hijack an ambulance during a getaway from a bank robbery. The film earned more than…