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The gravel-voiced character actor Michael Madsen, who often played sneering tough guys in Quentin Tarantino's films, including "Reservoir Dogs" and "Kill Bill," died. He was 67. Marsden has racked up dozens of screen roles in an acting career of more than 40 years. However, he most frequently collaborated with Tarantino, who cast him in roles such as a deranged thief in "Reservoir Dogs" and a washed-up hitman in the two "Kill Bill" movies.
Born in Chicago on September 25, 1957, Michael is the son of a firefighter and a filmmaker. Virginia Madsen, an Oscar-nominated actress, was one of his siblings. His professional journey began at Chicago's renowned Steppenwolf Theatre, where he honed his craft under the mentorship of John Malkovich. This experience opened the door to minor film roles, such as "WarGames" and "The Natural." Madsen's subsequent breakthrough came with the low-budget crime thriller "Reservoir Dogs," a film that launched Tarantino's career and helped turn the Sundance Film Festival from a small-scale event into a major Hollywood hotspot.
His performance as the psychotic and trigger-happy Mr Blonde secured Madsen an everlasting place in film history. He famously played Budd, a former elite assassin who eventually finds himself working as a low-rent bouncer and living in a trailer, in "Kill Bill: Volumes 1" and "2," which allowed him to showcase his dramatic talents.
Madsen collaborated with Tarantino on the violent western "The Hateful Eight" and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."
Madsen also appeared in other films, such as "The Doors," "Thelma & Louise," the family film "Free Willy," "Donnie Brasco," the 2002 Bond movie "Die Another Day," "Sin City," and "Scary Movie 4." Additionally, Marsden has voiced characters in video games such as "Grand Theft Auto III," the "Dishonored" series, and "Crime Boss: Rockay City."
The English film and television actor Kenneth Colley has died. He was 87. People mostly remember him for playing Admiral Piett, an Imperial officer commanding Darth Vader's flagship in the two "Star Wars" movies, "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi." The actor's agent confirmed that he had died peacefully in his home in Kent, UK, after falling ill with pneumonia following a bout of COVID-19.
At the start of his career, he had roles in episodes of "The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes," "Special Branch," "The Sweeney," and "Pennies from Heaven." Colley became part of the "Star Wars" saga in 1980, when he played one of Darth Vader's Imperial officers in "The Empire Strikes Back." In 1983, the actor would reprise his role in "Return of the Jedi." In later years, Colley returned to voice the character in the 2012 animated TV movie "Lego Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out."
Additionally, Colley played Jesus in the 1979 Monty Python film "Life of Brian" and appeared in numerous productions by director Ken Russell. Colley also starred in other movies, including Clint Eastwood's "Firefox," "War and Remembrance," "Measure for Measure," "Return to Waterloo," "The Whistle Blower," "The Plot to Kill Hitler," and "The Rainbow." In 2007, he directed the horror movie "Greetings," featuring Kirsty Cox, Henry Dunn, and Ben Shockley.
Lalo Schifrin, the composer behind the memorable theme for "Mission: Impossible" and film scores like "Cool Hand Luke," "Bullitt," and "Dirty Harry," died on June 26, 2025. He was 93.
An Argentinian by birth, Schifrin was among the first to blend jazz and rock to create music for film and television. Over the decades, he has produced a wealth of music, numerous films, TV shows, and more than 40 TV movies and miniseries. However, his most notable contribution was perhaps the instantly recognisable theme tune to the television series "Mission: Impossible." In 1968, the soundtrack became a bestseller, and the theme peaked at #41 on the Billboard Pop Charts, earning two Grammy Awards. Years later, the song appeared in the "Mission: Impossible" film series starring Tom Cruise. Schifrin composed music scores for movies like "The Cincinnati Kid," "Cool Hand Luke," "Bullitt," "THX 1138," "Enter the Dragon," "The Four Musketeers," "Rollercoaster," "The Amityville Horror," "The Osterman Weekend," "Rush Hour" and its two sequels, "Tango," and "Bringing Down the House" and has been nominated for six Oscars.He even scored films that starred Clint Eastwood, such as the "Dirty Harry" series.
In 2018, he received an honorary Oscar, becoming only the third composer to do so.
Worlds clash when the Flash uses his super speed to travel back in time and change
the past. But he finds himself
stuck in a reality where General Zod has returned, intent on wreaking havoc when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the present. Without another hero to turn to, the Flash tries to lure a different Batman out of retirement and rescue a captured Kryptonian - but not the Kryptonian he seeks.
Cast
Ezra Miller - Barry Allen/
The Flash
Ben Affleck - Bruce Wayne/
Batman
Michael Shannon - General Zod
Michael Keaton - Bruce Wayne/Batman
Jeremy Irons - Alfred Pennyworth
Sasha Calle - Supergirl
Kiersey Clemons - Iris West
Maribel Verdú - Nora Allen
Saoirse-Monica Jackson - Patty Spivot
Ian Loh - Little Barry
Antje Traue - Faora-Ul
Ruby Mancuso - Albert Desmond
Isabelle Bernardo - Iris
Ian Loh - Little Barry
Ron Livingston - Henry Allen
Antje Traue - Faora-UI
Gal Gadot - Diana Prince/Wonder Woman
Sean Rogers - Gary
Luke Brandon Field - Al
Falcone
Temuera Morrison - Thomas
Curry (Cameo)
Andy Muschetti - Hot Dog
Reporter (Cameo)
Nicolas Cage - Superman (Cameo) (Uncredited)
Jason Momoa - Arthur Curry
(Cameo) (Uncredited)
George Clooney - Bruce
Wayne (Cameo) (Uncredited)
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau - Pizza Man (Cameo) (Uncredited)
Crew
Director - Andy Muschietti
The Flash Creators - Harry
Lambert and Gardner Fox
Barry Allen Version Creators - Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino
Superman Creators - Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
Batman Creators - Bob Kane
and Bill Finger
Wonder Woman Creator - William Moulton Marston
Screen Story - John Francis Daley,
Jonathan Goldstein and Joby Harold
Screenplay - Christina Hodson
Executive Producers - Toby Emmerich,
Walter Hamada and Galen Vaisman
Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -
Marianne Jenkins
Producer - Barbara Muschietti
and Michael Disco
Co-Producers - Michael Lerman
and Richard Mirisch
Co-Producer/First Assistant Director -
Michael Lerman
Production Designer - Paul D. Austerberry
Supervising Art Director - Jason Knox-Johnston
Art Directors - Julia Dehoff,
Steven Lawrence, Laura Mickiewicz,
Marco Anton Restivo and Adam Squires
Concept Artists - Dan Walker,
Julian Caldow and Magda Kusowska
Construction Manager - Ray Barrett
Set Decorator - Dominic Capon
Property Master - Terry Wood
Costume Designer - Alexandra Byrne
Costume Supervisor - Dan Grace
Costume Consultant - Bob Ringwood (Uncredited)
HOD Costume Modelling/Prop
Manufacturing - Pierre Bohanna
Makeup Designer - Victoria Down
Director of Photography - Henry Braham
Supervising Location Manager - Amanda Stevens
First Assistant Director - Michael Lerman
Second Unit Director - Robert Alonzo
Stunt Coordinator - Eunice Hurhart
Fight Coordinator - Mike Lambert
Special Effects Supervisor - Dominic Tuohy
Visual Effects Supervisor - John 'D.J.' Des Jardin
Visual Effects Supervisor: DNEG - Andrew Lockley
Visual Effects Supervisor: Weta FX - Kevin Andrew Smith
Visualization Supervisor: Day for Nite - Kyle Robinson
Editors - Jason Ballantine and Paul Machliss
Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer/
Additional Re-Recording Mixer - John Marquis
Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer -
Nancy Nugent
Sound Designer - Brandon Jones
Additional Sound Designers - Tobias Poppe
and Tim Walston
Re-Recording Mixers - Michael Keller
and Tim LeBlanc
Additional Re-Recording Mixer - John Marquis
Foley Artists - Alyson Dee Moore
and Chris Moriana
Music/Score Producer & Mixer - Benjamin Wallfisch
Music Supervisor - Kim Baum
Review
After numerous production delays and controversies (including director changes, COVID-19, and Ezra Miller's legal problems), THE FLASH zooms onto the big screen; however, it is the end of an era for the Snyderverse as a new age of the DC Movie Universe begins, with James Gunn spearheading its development. Looking back, I've read a few comics of the Scarlet Speedster and watched the Justice League cartoons and the TV series. However, it's about time the Flash got his own movie, which fans would want. Unfortunately, it's anything but a standalone big-screen adaptation.
The film suffered from several issues, including flawed CGI, a convoluted, messy plot, excessive fan service, and poor time logic. Even the third act is a nonstop action scene, with little opportunity for the audience to relax. The problem with the movie was that it was more interested in mining nostalgia for other DC films than in adapting the titular character to the big screen, which slowed the film down. While he has little experience with the superhero genre, having explored only horror with the two chapters of It, director Andy Muschietti recaptures the sense of fun and energy that Zack Snyder's DCEU films (especially Man of Steeland Batman v Superman) have been missing in the past several years.
Despite the ongoing turmoil and controversy that ended their acting career, I don't mind seeing Ezra Miller again as the Scarlet Speedster, even though the actor needs all the help they can get and does deserve a second chance. After 31 years, Michael Keaton returns as the legendary Caped Crusader, but as an older alternate version. His performance adds a new layer of depth and nostalgia to the film, but sadly, his rendition has gone to waste. Sasha Calle didn't get a chance to shine as Supergirl, and her role didn't save this movie. The rest of the cast, such as Michael Shannon, returns as General Zod, albeit in a less prominent role.
While far from a satisfying send-off to the DC Extended Universe, THE FLASH remains an average film. Unfortunately, it wasn't the best DC movie, nor the best comic book film of all time. However, some DC fans can enjoy the movie on their preferred streaming platform and DVD/Blu-ray, while everyone else will see it only once.
Val Kilmer, the renowned actor known for his roles in "Top Gun," "The Doors," "Tombstone," and "Batman Forever," has died. He was 65. His daughter, Mercedes, told the US media that the actor had passed away from pneumonia.
Kilmer was born in Los Angeles to a working-class family on December 31, 1959. He was the youngest student admitted to the Juilliard School acting program. His first roles were "Top Secret!" and "Real Genius." However, his breakthrough performance came in "Top Gun," where he played the arrogant naval pilot Iceman alongside Tom Cruise.
In 1991, he established himself as a leading man by portraying the legendary rock star Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's biopic "The Doors." He followed it up with a star-studded run of '90s films. These included "Tombstone," "True Romance," and "Heat" opposite Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. In 1995, Kilmer received the biggest challenge of his acting career when he replaced Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader in "Batman Forever." The film was a box-office success but received mixed reviews, and Kilmer declined to appear in the next Batman movie. Instead, he starred as the master criminal and master of disguise in 1997's "The Saint," based on the Leslie Charteris books, which also inspired the 1960s TV series starring Roger Moore. In 1998, he also voiced Moses and God in the DreamWorks animated movie "The Prince of Egypt." With several films, such as "The Island of Dr. Moreau" and "Red Planet," underperforming and his reputation for being tough on set, Kilmer's stardom began to falter.
Throughout the 2000s, he primarily worked in smaller indie films, including "The Salton Sea" and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" opposite Robert Downey Jr., as well as in supporting roles in larger films, such as Oliver Stone's "Alexander" and "Deja Vu." He starred as John Holmes, a porn star, in "Wonderland" and appeared with Nicolas Cage in "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans."
In later years, he faced health issues and was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. Though he recovered after several surgeries, his voice was never the same. Kilmer starred in several direct-to-video films, but another actor dubbed his character's voice. In 2021, he gave a career retrospective in the documentary "Val." But his last appearance on the big screen was back where it all started, a cameo role alongside Tom Cruise in 2022's "Top Gun: Maverick."
Kilmer was married to British actress Joanna Whalley, with whom they had co-starred in movies like "Willow" and "Kill Me Again." The couple had two children. Their names were Mercedes and Jack. But after eight years of marriage, they divorced.
Now, here are the winners of the 97th Academy Awards.
This year's Oscars had 23 categories, and the biggest winner was Anora. It won Best Picture (which the award should have been for Wicked), Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. As I predicted, Wicked won Best Costume Design, and Dune: Part Two won Best Visual Effects. However, I didn't expect The Wild Robot to lose the Best Animated Feature award to the now-obvious contender, Flow. I enjoyed watching the ceremony.
Best Visual Effects
Dune: Part Two - Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe, and Gerd Nefzer
Best Film Editing
Anora - Sean Baker
Best Costume Design
Wicked - Paul Tazewell
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
The Substance - Pierre-Oliver Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, and Marilyne Scarseli
Best Cinematography
The Brutalist - Lol Crawley
Best Production Design
Wicked - Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales
Best Sound
Dune: Part Two - Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett, and Doug Hemphill
Best Original Song
"El Mal" from Emilia Pérez - Music by Clément Ducol and Camille; Lyrics by Clément Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard
Best Original Score
The Brutalist - Daniel Blumberg
Best Animated Short Film
In the Shadow of the Cypress - Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi
Best Live-Action Short Film
I'm Not a Robot - Victoria Warmerdam and Trent
Best Documentary Short Film
The Only Girl in the Orchestra - Molly O'Brien and Lisa Remington
Best Documentary Feature Film
No Other Land - Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal, and Yuval Abraham
Best International Feature Film
I'm Still Here (Brazil) in Portuguese - Directed by Walter Salles
Best Animated Feature Film
Flow - Gints Zilbalodis, Ron Dyens, Matiss Kaza, and Gregory Zalcman
Best Adapted Screenplay
Conclave - Peter Straughan; based on the novelby Robert Harris
Best Original Screenplay
Anora - Sean Baker
Best Supporting Actress
Zoe Saldana - Emilia Pérezas Rita Mora Castro
Best Supporting Actor
Kieran Culkin - A Real Painas Benji Kaplan
Best Actress
Mikey Madison - Anoraas Anora "Ani" Mikheeva
Best Actor
Adrien Brody - The Brutalistas László Tóth
Best Director
Sean Baker - Anora
Best Picture
Anora - Alex Cocos, Samantha Quan, and Sean Baker, producers
The actor Gene Hackman died in 2025. He was 95. The two-time Oscar-winning veteran actor was reportedly found dead in his home in New Mexico with his wife and dog. The cause of their deaths was unknown. An intense character actor with a storied career spanning five decades, he was best known for his subtle performances in movies such as "The French Connection" and "Unforgiven."
As a teenager, Hackman lied about his age to join the Marines, where he served for nearly five years. After the military, he lived and worked in New York. He majored in journalism and television production at the University of Illinois before relocating to California to fulfil his dream of becoming an actor. Hackman attended the Pasadena Playhouse in California, where he befriended a young Dustin Hoffman. In 1963, he returned to New York and appeared in off-Broadway productions and minor television roles. His movie acting career began in the 1960s, starting with "Lilith" opposite Warren Beatty. Fascinated by his performance, Beatty cast him as his brother, Buck Barrow, in "Bonnie & Clyde." This role earned Hackman his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He even scored a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in "I Never Sang for My Father" in 1971.It was the same year Hackman played the gruff New York detective, Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, in director William Friedkin's "The French Connection," which cemented his status as a leading man.His performance earned him an Oscar for Best Actor. In 1975, he returned to the role that made him famous in "The French Connection II."Hackman remained a box-office staple, appearing in films like "The Poseidon Adventure," "The Conversation," and "Night Moves."
Aside from playing tough guys, Gene also had a knack for comedy in "Young Frankenstein" andvillainy as Superman's arch-nemesis, Lex Luthor, in 1978's "Superman: The Movie" and its 1980 and 1987 sequels. He also enjoyed another successful decade in the 80s, especially for his role in "Mississippi Burning," for which he earned another Best Actor Oscar nomination. In 1992, Hackman portrayed the violent sheriff Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood's western "Unforgiven," which earned him another Oscar, this time as Best Supporting Actor. Hackman also appeared in movies like "Hoosiers," "The Firm" opposite Tom Cruise, "The Quick and the Dead," "Crimson Tide"with Denzel Washington, "Get Shorty" with John Travolta, "The Birdcage" with Nathan Lane and Robin Williams, and "Enemy of the State" with Will Smith.
He continued to work in the early 2000s and attracted audiences with "The Royal Tenenbaums." For the first and only time, he and former flatmate Dustin Hoffman appeared on screen together in "Runaway Jury." His last film role was as Monroe Cole in "Welcome to Mooseport" in 2004, after which he retired from acting and settled into a quieter life in New Mexico. In 2002, Hackman accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award for his accomplishments in Hollywood.
