First Film Was Minghella's Finest Work

Even Hollywood can make movies for the non-'lily-livered:' Nile Gardiner

(NEWSER) - "Hollywood may well be a bastion of liberalism, but it does continue to occasionally produce major films that advance conservative principles," Nile Gardiner writes in the Telegraph . His best of the aughts:

1. Master and Commander, 2003: The Peter Weir flick starring Russell Crowe is "an epic tale of heroism and love for country in the face of incredible odds, and a glowing tribute to the grit and determination that forged the British Empire."
2. Black Hawk Down, 2001: Critics may have called it an "anti-war film," but Gardiner doesn't buy it. Instead, it's "an extraordinarily powerful and deeply patriotic tribute to the heroism and bravery of the US military."

French first lady returns director's fawning with a 'yes'

(NEWSER) - French first lady Carla Bruni doesn’t have any delusions about her acting ability—“Perhaps I’ll be completely hopeless”—but when Woody Allen comes a-knocking, you don’t say no. The director has asked the former model to appear in an upcoming movie after meeting her earlier this year. “I don't know what the role would be, but I said yes,” she tells the AFP . “I go into everything blindly, or I'd never do anything at all.” Besides, "when I'm a grandmother I'd like to be able to say I made a film with Woody Allen.” More»

Roger Corman, Gordon Willis, John Calley share the spotlight

(NEWSER) - A mere 65 years after her unforgettable screen debut, Lauren Bacall has won an Academy Award. The honorary Oscar was a high point of a ceremony last night in Los Angeles that also celebrated the careers of filmmaker Roger Corman, cinematographer Gordon Willis, and producer John Calley. "I can't believe it, a man at last!" the 85-year-old Bacall joked as she hoisted her new hardware. More»

Fugitive director vows not to flee if he makes bail

(NEWSER) - A stint in a Zurich prison has left Roman Polanski "depressed" and "dejected," and the longtime fugitive will promise to stay in Switzerland should he be granted bail, his lawyer says. Polanski, who fled the US in 1977 after pleading guilty to raping a 13-year-old girl, "was in an unsettled state of mind" during a visit, the lawyer says. If bail is granted, "he would fulfill all the conditions and stay in Switzerland until the extradition proceeding are decided." More»

Phillip Seymour Hoffman has a really good sense of humor

(NEWSER) - Ricky Gervais, perhaps best known for the original version of The Office, bids for movie stardom with The Invention of Lying, out next week. Gervais co-wrote, co-directed, and stars as the only person on earth with the ability to lie. He tells the Telegraph about the experience, and what jumps out is the tale of the casting of Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, who joined the cast after a somewhat unconventional approach by Gervais. More»