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| Famous birthdays for Aug. 15: David Zayas, Tess Harper | Those born on this date are under the sign of Leo. They include: -- French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in 1769 -- U.S. first lady Florence Harding in 1860 -- Musician Samuel Coleridge-Taylor in 1875 -- Actor Ethel Barrymore in 1879 -- Chef Julia Child in 1912 -- Conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly in 1924 -- Actor Mike Connors in 1925 -- Actor Jim Dale in 1935 (age 91) -- Civil rights leader Vernon Jordan Jr. in 1935 -- Actor Pat Priest in 1936 (age 90) -- Former U.S. |
| Jeff Daniels: 'Brink' is relevant because the world's still dangerous | The Newsroom and American Rust alum Jeff Daniels says The Brink of War, his new Cold War-era nail-biter, which tells an extraordinary true story, has themes that resonate today. "The world is still a dangerous place," Daniels, 71, told UPI in a Zoom interview Wednesday. "There are nuclear weapons out there. More countries have them than had them, say, back in 1986. More countries want them and the world seems to be on a path towards setting up mutually assured destruction, again, whether you have star wars shields or not." Written and directed by Michael Russell Gunn, the film follows U.S. President Ronald Reagan (Daniels) as he meets with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (Jared Harris) in Reykjavik to discuss nuclear arms de-escalation. |
| 'KPop Demon Hunters' joins Criterion Collection in November | The Criterion Collection announced their November titles on Friday. KPop Demon Hunters, Harold and Maude, The Right Stuff, Marie Antoinette (2006), Wild at Heart, Shoot the Piano Player, Blue Heron and Shadows of Forgotten Ancesters arrive in new editions. KPOP Demon Hunters is the latest Netflix film to enter the Criterion Collection, following the likes of Marriage Story, The Irishman, The Power of the Dog and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio and Frankenstein. The animated KPop Demon Hunters became a Netflix sensation last year, enjoyed a successful theatrical release and won two Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, "Golden." The film comes to 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD on Nov. 3. |
| Matthew McConaughey: Amziah learns about community from his bees | Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey says the titular widower he plays in The Rivals of Amziah King learns important life lessons from the bees he keeps. "The bees are Amziah's church," McConaughey, 56, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "They're like people. They're like this community," he explained. "When you see the end of the film, what Amziah is saying about the bees and how they live and how they treat each other, is a mirror to exactly who his tribe is." Directed by Andrew Patterson and in theaters on Friday, the film is set in contemporary Oklahoma and follows Amziah as he ekes out a living, plays music with his friends at potluck dinners and re-connects with his former foster daughter Kateri (Angelina LookingGlass). |
| 'Sid & Zoey': Netflix orders teen gothic romance series | Netflix is developing Sid & Zoey, a new teen gothic romance series. The streaming service announced Friday that it has ordered the mystery, romance and supernatural horror drama as part of its growing YA slate of TV series and films. Sid & Zoey is created by Willow and Solo: A Star Wars Story writer Jon Kasdan, who will serve as writer, showrunner and executive producer. John Shiban, J.J. Abrams, Rachel Rusch Rich, Jason Blum, James Wan and Rob Hackett are also on board as executive producers. The new series will consist of eight episodes and follow Sid, "a seductive, sophisticated, and amoral" teen from New York who is sent to live with a police chief in an idyllic Mississippi town. |