“Them” tells the story of the Emorys, a Black family in the 1950s who moves into the — at the time — all-white community of Compton, California. As they start to settle in, the family faces not only face rampant racism from their white neighbors, led by Betty Wendell (Alison Pill), but also a strange supernatural entity. Little Marvin said the terror of navigating the country in Black skin, which goes all the way back the creation of the United States, was a secondary goal for him in developing the series....

“I used to walk on all fours off set when we were filming ‘Lord of the Rings,’” Serkis said. “I spent a lot of time in preparation for that; I would go off for walks on all fours for hours. I did occasionally come into contact with other people, so I just had to pretend I was looking for something. It’s fair to say that’s pretty method.” “The Fellowship of the Ring” will celebrate its 20th anniversary in December 2021....

When asked about the first time she felt disrespected in the industry, Jolie said, “Erm… well, no surprise, Harvey Weinstein. I worked with him when I was young.” Jolie was only 21 when she made the 1998 Miramax romantic comedy “Playing by Heart,” on which Weinstein served as an executive producer. She said that she managed to escape Weinstein, but that women often downplay their assaults if they managed to get away....

Chilly in all the ways that “At War” singed, staid in every way its predecessor frenzied, “Another World” takes another bleak snapshot of a globalized and financialized workforce, offering a character study so fatalistic (and no doubt entirely apt) in its appraisal of the larger system that its narrative plays out more as a passion play than one of morality. If the film breaks little new ground, it doesn’t really try; after all, we don’t attend the Passion wondering what surprises are in store....

“Ava,” released September 25, currently sits at #1 on both AppleTV and Google Play at a standard new-release price of $6.99. It was a troubled production: Matthew Newton wrote the film (originally titled “Eve”) and developed it with Chastain, who stars as an assassin in a secret organization. However, he stepped down as its director about a month before production began in September 2018 after facing public backlash to his past charges of domestic violence and assault....

Just weeks before the “Elvis” actor jets off to Cannes for the premiere of the Baz Luhrmann historical epic, Butler revealed to Vogue that his Disney Channel roles still weigh on his mind. “I was sort of embarrassed about some of the things that I had to do,” Butler admitted. “But I had to cut my teeth somewhere, so I decided to treat each one of these jobs as a way to grow....

If you’re unpacking the truth behind one of New York’s most confounding public sagas, sometimes it’s best to go straight to the source. To get a better idea about the truth behind the rise and unceremonious end of Manhattan raw food eatery Pure Food and Wine, “Bad Vegan” director Chris Smith spoke to former restaurant owner Sarma Melngailis. “On this one, it was really sitting down with Sarma. We did an eight-hour interview, just to get a sense of what this was or what it could be,” Smith said....

Variety reported: “The suit alleges that Margera was fired after testing positive for Adderall, even though he has taken Adderall by prescription for 10 years. The suit likens Margera’s treatment to Britney Spears’ conservatorship case, alleging that he has been victimized as a result of his mental health issues.” “Paramount’s inhumane treatment of Margera cannot be countenanced,” the suit states. “Margera was made to endure psychological torture in the form of a sham Wellness Agreement, and then ultimately terminated for his protected class status due to his medical condition, and his complaints about Defendants’ discriminatory conduct towards him....

“You inevitably turn into what people think you are,” someone opines a few hours (or years) into Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Bardo (or False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths),” a movie so nakedly personal in spite of its epic scope that even the most benign stray comments betray the sting of self-flagellation. And yet there’s a reason why this one manages to break the skin. By this point in the film’s oneiric non-story, it’s already clear that Silverio (Daniel Giménez Cacho) — a journalist turned documentarian who returns to Mexico a few days before he’s scheduled to receive a major industry award in his adopted home of Los Angeles — is a stand-in for the Oscar-winning auteur behind the camera, who’s shooting an entire movie in his birth country for the first time since “Amores Perros” catapulted him to fame 22 years ago....

“It was the big snub, right? That really taught me a lot. I did everything they told me. They told me, ‘You got to kiss the babies.’ And I schmoozed everybody in the world right. Part of this [is] because you’re the director, but truth is, I wanted it. I wanted it and most people, I think they are probably not totally honest. I wanted it and I wanted it for that reason....

And yet, despite a handful of headline-worthy moments and a generally blasphemous — or perhaps just humanistic? — attitude toward the dogmas of the Catholic Church, “Benedetta” can’t help but feel like one of Verhoeven’s tamer efforts. You get the sense that’s by design to a certain extent: While certainly not making any concessions to the puritan crowd, Verhoeven is only interested in provocation so far as it might slap people into appreciating how “God’s will” tends to reflect the self-interests of those who see fit to enforce it (anyone who would be outraged by the content of this movie will already be outraged by the mere idea of it)....

“Hoping? I’m going to plead with the guy,” Cumberbatch said when asked if he hopes Biden will close Guantanamo Bay. “It is a huge spend. It’s the most expensive prison on earth. And what are the results? Where are the prosecutions? That’s just being really brutally economic about it, it just doesn’t work.” Cumberbatch continued, “And then you have the human rights issue. It’s an atrocious own goal, I think for the free world to be incarcerating people through extraordinary rendition, torturing them and extracting confessions they think are then usable in prosecution…it is a really dangerous, unnecessary, and ineffectual place, I think, and enough people have suffered there....

The world of anime probably wouldn’t exist without the creation of manga. Even if you’re not familiar with the genre, the comics and graphic novels let you dive that much deeper into the story arcs that inspired anime favorites such as “Dragon Ball Z,” “Tokyo Ghoul,” “Naruto,” “Attack on Titan,” and “Fullmetal Alchemist.” And if you’ve been spending a lot of time at home, or simply crave some new reading material, manga offers a perfect hybrid of adventure-packed stories and incredible illustrations....

Ready for game night? Even during the pandemic your day-to-day schedule can get hectic. Whether you’re stationed at home or commuting to work, clocking long hours on the job can have you craving the weekend, and game night is the kind of activity that never really lets you down. Since we’re not out of the pandemic, our social circles may look a little smaller this year but as we inch towards safely gathering with friends and family on a semi-regular basis, there are fun ways to bring us closer together after spending so much time apart....

The holidays are here! If you’re looking for board games to add to your collection, or shopping around for gift ideas and stocking stuffers, you’ve come to the right place. We put together a list of nine of the best board games and trivia games to buy this holiday season. Find our roundup of festive games below, and for more game-night recommendations check out the best movie trivia games for cinephiles and film buffs....

From “Do the Right Thing” to “Da 5 Bloods,” Spike Lee’s film catalog is packed with classics that have shaped Black cinema, and film at large. The Brooklyn-born auteur is known for a unique storytelling style, and of course, his signature double-dolly shot (where the character remains stationary while the background moves), which he’s used in several films including “Mo’ Better Blueseppice” and “Malcolm X.” Last week, Film at Lincoln Center presented Lee with the Chaplin Award during the 46th Chaplin Award Gala, held at New York City’s Alice Tully Hall....

For as long as video games have been popular, Hollywood has tried to mine them for source material. It makes sense because the best video games can be thrilling, with special effects that can go toe-to-toe with Hollywood blockbusters. But time and time again, these adaptations fall short. Of course there are some notable, well-received exceptions. Mortal Kombat,” the latest video game adaptation to grace our screens, is a reboot of the classic game and movie franchise from Warner Bros....

Though the famously ratings-obsessed Trump did not tweet about the reaction to the event beyond claiming that his event received “very good reviews,” Biden press secretary TJ Ducklo argued in a tweet that Biden’s favorable ratings were due to voters being more interested in listening to the former vice president’s plans for responding to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “Turns out more people last night were interested in watching a leader with a clear plan to get this pandemic under control and Americans back to work, than the same combative, chaotic liar whose incompetence got us into this mess — regardless of how many channels he was on,” Ducklo said on Twitter....

“Great actors fall into darkness backwards,” Bill Duke likes to say, quoting an early teacher of his who suggested that the leap of faith required for someone to become the person they imagine in their mind requires a sense of self-belief powerful enough to overcome their fear of the unknown. Not only has Duke consistently done that over the course of the actor-director’s 40-plus-year career, he’s done it with an unparalleled degree of excellence and grace....

More importantly, Cruise’s return to the character that propelled him into superstardom 36 years ago also represents a significant advancement for theater recovery. It is the highest initial gross for any non-comic book movie since December 2019. Propelling its success is an audience that’s been slow to return. It is also that rarest of creatures: a standalone film propelled by a star’s draw. Though not the biggest Memorial Day opening, “Maverick” might have had the highest average per-ticket price of any blockbuster (thanks to recent increases, including premium showings)....