by admin | May 10, 2025 | Articles, Hollywood Reporter Articles
Greg Cannom, the masterful prosthetics and makeup specialist who received Oscars for his work on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Vice, has died. He was 73.
Cannom worked often with makeup maestro Rick Baker early in his career, and Baker on Friday reported his death in an Instagram post. “His work will be remembered long after his passing,” he wrote. No details were immediately available.
In March 2023, a GoFundMe page was set up to help Cannom with expenses as he battled diabetes and a staph infection that led to one of his legs being amputated below his knee.
In addition to his four wins, Cannom received six other Oscar makeup noms: for Hook (1991), Hoffa (1992), Roommates (1995), Titanic (1997), Bicentennial Man (1999) and A Beautiful Mind (2001).
He and Wesley Wofford shared an Academy Award for Technical Achievement in 2005 for “the development of their special modified silicone material for makeup applications used in motion pictures.”
And in 2019, the Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild presented him with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Cannom was especially skillful at making actors age onscreen; witness Kevin Pollak in The Whole Ten Yards (2004), Brad Pitt in Babel (2006) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind, Robin Williams in Bicentennial Man and Christian Bale — as Dick Cheney — in Vice (2018).
In 2006, he landed one of his five career Emmy nominations for his work in the finale of the original run of the NBC sitcom Will & Grace when the characters age some 20 years.
“With monsters, you design whatever you want. With age makeup, everybody knows what they look like, so it’s got to be really good,” he said in a 2021 interview.
His skill on transforming the young actors in The Lost Boys (1987) into vampires — while still retaining their boyish good looks — is universally admired. He also helped turn Williams and Martin Lawrence into believable women in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) and the Big Momma’s House movies of 2000 and ’06.
Cannom said he was inspired to pursue a career in Hollywood after being wowed by the aging makeup handled by Dick Smith on Max Von Sydow in The Exorcist (1973).
After attending Cypress College in Southern California and working at the Knott’s Berry Farm theme park during Halloween seasons, he connected with Baker and served as his assistant on It Lives Again (1978).
The two also collaborated on The Howling (1981), The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981), Cocoon (1985), the 1987-88 Fox series Werewolf and perhaps most significantly on the 1983 music video for Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
In that, Cannom appears near the end in full closeup as one of the vampires in makeup applied by Charles H. Schram of Wizard of Oz fame.
His remarkable film résumé also included Dreamscape (1984), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 (1987), Big Top Pee-wee (1988), Dick Tracy (1990), Postcards From the Edge (1990), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), Alien 3 (1992), Batman Returns (1992), The Man Without a Face (1993), The Mask (1994), Thinner (1996), Kull the Conqueror (1997), Blade (1998), The Insider (1999), Hannibal (2001), Ali (2001), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003), Van Helsing (2004), The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) and The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021), his final film.
Cannom assisted on seven films nominated for best picture: Titanic, The Insider, A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander, Babel, Benjamin Button and Vice, with Titanic and A Beautiful Mind coming out on top.
He shared his Oscars with Michèle Burke and Matthew W. Mungle on Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), with Ve Neill and Yolanda Toussieng on Mrs. Doubtfire and with Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney on Vice.
by admin | May 10, 2025 | Articles, Hollywood Reporter Articles
Ryan Coogler‘s genre-bending Sinners continues to bare sharp teeth in its fourth weekend, thanks to golden word-of-mouth that few films enjoy.
In its latest milestone, Sinners has crossed the $200 million mark at the domestic office after finishing Friday with a cume of $199.8 million. The supernatural vampire pic is another coup for Coolger, the bold and audacious filmmaker behind the Black Panther and Creed franchises. Sinners‘ actor Michael B. Jordan has starred in all five of his movies. Through Sunday, the pic’s domestic total is an estimated $214.9 million; globally, it has grossed $283.3 million.
This weekend is a notable double win for Warner Bros. Motion group co-chairs Michael Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy as A Minecraft Movie — the second-top grossing video adaptation of all time, not adjusted for inflation — jumps the $900 million mark globally to make Minecraft and Sinners the top two grossing films of the year so far domestically.
Minecraft is the top Hollywood film of 2025 to date at the worldwide box office, followed by Disney and Marvel‘s Captain America:Brave New World ($416 million) and Sinners ($250.8 million).
Marvel is winning the May 9-10 weekend overall with Thunderbolts*, which, like Sinners, is benefiting from stellar audience scores. The verdict is out on the film’s ultimate standing, which will depend on how well it holds up when more competition enters the marketplace (there are no new Hollywood event pics on the marquee this weekend).
At Warner, De Luca and Abdy have come under scrutiny internally for putting too much trust in auteur filmmakers and original fare. Coogler’s R-rated film is one of several such projects, and has turned out to be an enormous feather in their cap. Rarely does a sleeper sensation come along like Sinners, a period-set story in the Jim Crow south of the early 1930s in which Jordan plays dual roles as twin brothers who buy a juke joint only to discover a menacing supernatural force.
When Sinners first opened, naysayers were quick to label the $80 million film a wash. They were wrong. Sinners continues to over-index among Black moviegoers, an underserved audience, as well as play to white and Latino moviegoers.
A Minecraft Movie, co-financed and co-produced by Legendary, has also exceeded all expectations for a video game adaptation and has no doubt launched a new franchise for Abdy and De Luca even if it comes short of joining the $1 billion club at the global box office as Paramount’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie succeeded in doing with more than $1.33 billion in ticket sales, not adjusted for inflation. Chris Lee’s Vertigo is also a producer on Minecraft.
May 11, 8:45 a.m.: Updated with weekend estimates.
by admin | May 10, 2025 | Articles, Cinemablend Articles
Following the high-profile end of his relationship with Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck is staying production. The actor/director/producer has a packed 2025 movie schedule and beyond. All the while, that reportedly isn’t stopping the Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker from wanting something more personal: love, and maybe even more kids. However, according to a source close to the A-lister, one “obstacle” is in his way.
Rumors continue to swirl around the Good Will Hunting alum in the aftermath of his relationship with JLo. It was just recently alleged that he wants a partner who’s “independent” and supportive of his sobriety. Per a new report from InTouch Weekly, Affleck continues to privately express a desire to settle down again following his latest split. A source told the outlet that despite the ups and downs of his romantic past, Affleck is still holding out hope for a long-term relationship with someone he considers an equal:
Gwyneth Paltrow to two chapters with Jennifer Lopez and his decade-long marriage to Jennifer Garner, with whom he shares three children. But, reportedly, the Gone Girl actor isn’t looking to repeat his past patterns of dating younger women or short-term flings. This time, the source says, he’s aiming for someone closer to his own age and with more shared life experience.
Still, there’s allegedly one major roadblock to his hopes for future love: work. Ben Affleck’s career has entered a demanding new phase. As co-founder and studio head of Artists Equity (the production company he launched with longtime friend Matt Damon), the actor is reportedly juggling a heavy slate of producing and directing duties. As for how that workload is now allegedly the biggest barrier to any serious romantic future for Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor, the source continued:
The demanding grind of daily life supposedly leaves little room for romance, making it nearly impossible for the two-time Oscar winner find a partner without some assistance. According to an insider, the star cannot maintain this pace if finding a partner is on their to-do list:
For now, Affleck’s love life might be on pause but, if the reports are accurate, he’s not giving up on the idea of finding the right person. He’ll just have to wait for the right time, and maybe a little help setting it up.
What should have fans pleased, though, is the fact that Ben Affleck’s back in action, at least on the big screen if not in his personal dating life. His latest film, The Accountant 2, is making waves among critics, with many calling it a worthy sequel to the 2016 hit. You can check the film out in theaters now, Also, if you’re looking to revisit where it all began, the original Accountant is currently streaming for anyone with an Amazon Prime subscription.
by admin | May 10, 2025 | Articles, Cinemablend Articles
I love Quentin Tarantino. I mean, who DOESN’T?
I’ve already written about how Pulp Fiction will likely always be Tarantino’s best movie (it’s hard to beat one of the top movies of the ‘90s), and I’ve also written about my second favorite movie of his, The Hateful Eight. But now, I want to talk about my third favorite Tarantino film, which is his debut picture, Reservoir Dogs.
Because I honestly think it’s the perfect first film. So, here are a few reasons why this filmmaker, like a few other prominent directors, made a career-defining movie on his very first try.
Tarantino’s Style Is Evident Right Out Of The Gate
Inglourious Basterds guy.
Instead, he was “just” the Pulp Fiction/Reservoir Dogs guy, which, even back then, was nothing to sneeze at, as the explosion that the former film created back in 1994 cannot be understated.
So, I went forward, and then backward, making sure to watch Jackie second (which rules, by the way. I will have no slander for that movie here), and RD third.
And, let me tell you. Tarantino’s trademark style – the harsh, but witty banter, the violence, the coolness – were all present, right there in Tarantino’s first film.
This is something I would become more and more impressed by over the years. Because while yes, the stories were different, the characters were different, and the actors were different in movies like Kill Bill, Django Unchained, and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, that trademark style of his was right there in RD. To be fully formed even from the very beginning? Now that’s saying something.
one of my favorite Stanley Kubrick flicks, The Killing. It’s excellent, sure, but I wouldn’t exactly call it “cool.”
Honestly, I think the music in the film does some of the legwork. For example, can you ever possibly listen to “Little Green Bag” by George Baker Selection without thinking of the slow-motion walk in the introduction of Reservoir Dogs?
Or, what about “Stuck in the Middle With You” by Stealers Wheel? I’m pretty sure anybody who’s seen the film will immediately have that scene where Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) is dancing around before he slices the cop’s ear off ingrained in their mind whenever this song hits the radio.
And, of course, the movie has been imitated on multiple occasions. In fact, the first time I ever even heard of Quentin Tarantino was on The Simpsons. They were parodying both Reservoir and Pulp Fiction, and I just had to check out who this fellow was after he was referenced on Itchy and Scratchy.
Bob’s Burgers has also referenced the Michael Madsen dancing scene in question, and Family Guy has referenced quite a bit of Tarantino’s work, with RD often being a focus. So, it’s just nifty that generations of kids who have no idea about this movie might become interested in it because, even as a parody, it just looks so damn cool. Not bad for a filmmaker’s very first feature length film.
Steve Buscemi, but that’s only because I had watched Fargo around that time, and it was interesting to see Buscemi a bit younger (Plus, the “I don’t tip” scene is almost as iconic as his “Why am I Mr. Pink?” quote, which I often recite regularly out of the blue).
Chris Penn is another big name with a prominent role in the film. At the time, I only knew him as Sean Penn’s brother, but after, I realized that he was actually in a number of films I had already seen, such as one of Francis Ford Coppola’s best movies, Rumble Fish, Pale Rider, and of course, Footloose. So, having him as the explosive “Nice Guy Eddie” was a big get for the director.
That said, I think arguably the biggest name in this film has got to be Harvey Keitel, who has one of the best performances of his career in Reservoir Dogs. He plays the surly (but also caring) Mr. White, and his commitment to Mr. Orange (who is actually an undercover cop) creates a lot of the tension in the film since others believe that Orange is a plant.
So, really, to get such great performances in your very first movie honestly couldn’t be more perfect. But, I guess Tarantino was just that great of a director, even back then.
Great bottle movies, and Reservoir Dogs is one of the best ones.
For those who don’t know, a bottle movie is one in which the setting for the entire film takes place in mostly one area, and though there are a few other locations in the movie (the diner in the beginning is one of the most memorable) a large percentage of the runtime takes place in a warehouse hideout.
This is the perfect location for a debut picture, since it was highly cost effective. The film itself was reportedly budgeted at $1.2 million dollars, and I’m sure that low cost had something to do with the location mostly being in one environment.
I understand that this really wouldn’t have worked if the film didn’t have the Tarantino flare attached to it. In fact, without the dialogue, characters, and violence that he is known for, this movie likely would have been pretty boring.
But, he is a master screenwriter, and also a master filmmaker. So, if he had only made two movies in his entire career, this and Pulp Fiction, I still think we’d be talking about him today. That’s the impact that these two movies alone made on the industry.
Lastly, Tarantino Even Gets To Act In The Film
Let’s just say that Tarantino got to make one movie, and one movie only, and it was this. Well, if that had been the case – and thank Heavens it wasn’t – at the very least, he could say, “I had a role in my own movie!”
This is something that I’m actually surprised that more directors don’t do. Kevin Smith, who also had success with his debut picture, Clerks, actually featured himself even more prominently than Tarantino did, making him an established character who many people say stole the show (I mean, Jay and Silent Bob even have their OWN movies).
Tarantino showed a bit more restraint in that regard, but he did feature himself in his first film as Mr. Brown. He doesn’t have many lines, but it’s interesting that he is one of the characters.
I love that about the film. Yes, it’s hard to see Tarantino as anybody besides himself here (he’s way more convincing as a character in Pulp), but the fact that he’s in the movie at all is just another reason why I think this is the perfect debut picture. He got to have his cake and eat it, too. What more could you possibly want as a director?
What do you think? Do you also find Reservoir Dogs to be the perfect debut movie? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
