The English actress bluntly tells film and TV stories in her new memoir, including the less-than-optimal experiences with some actors.

English actress Miriam Margolyes is a veteran of many projects and has always been hilariously eccentric and inappropriate for someone who looks like a sweet grandmother. She also minces no words when it comes to working with actors who were acting rude, even to the faces of those who had close relationships with the said subjects. She’s openly criticized her encounter with the creator of the hit sitcom Friends to Matthew Perry’s face, as well as not enjoying Winona Ryder’s attitude when working with her on The Age of Innocence, although she maintains that Martin Scorsese was as sweet as can be.

The Harry Potter actress had released her memoir in which she bestows her inside experiences on the many TV and film productions she’s worked on. One of the stories she reveals was Steve Martin being a little too into his dentist role in 1986’s Little Shop of Horrors. Margolyes played his secretary who was unfortunately in his warpath without fail as the sadist makes his way through torturing people in his office. It’s one of the best scenes in the movie and an absolute classic performance by Martin. However, Margolyes’ experience behind the scenes didn’t exactly match the laughs.

Variety reveals via HuffPo UK that Margolyes wrote, “During my only musical number (‘Dentist!’) I was hit all day by doors opening in my face; repeatedly punched, slapped, and knocked down by an unlovely and unapologetic Steve Martin. Perhaps he was method acting – and [I] came home grumpy with a splitting headache.” She recognized that Martin was still amazing in the scene despite taking the brunt of his unpleasantness as she says he was “undeniably brilliant, but horrid to me….Let it not be said that I have never suffered in the name of Art.”

Steve Martin is a legacy in the comedy world, and nearly everyone he’s worked with has nothing but good things to say about him. However, there are vets of that era who are brilliant in their craft with known behind-the-scenes drama such as Chevy Chase and Bill Murray. Martin, though, hasn’t earned that kind of overwhelming reputation.

Inversely, Margolyes would glow about working with Steve Buscemi on 1993’s Ed and His Dead Mother, saying, “Steve Buscemi is a brilliant actor and we had a delightful rapport. For somebody who’s being terrorized by me in the form of a murderous living corpse, he was unerringly sweet – knocked spots off Steve Martin.”

Rhys Darby explains how the Multiverse is a misconception in an exclusive Relax, I’m From the Future clip.

I’ve watched enough Doctor Who to know time is a complicated construct with rules fluctuating from one interpretation to the next. Thankfully, Rhys Darby’s Casper has time travel all figured out in Relax, I’m From the Future, a new time-traveling comedy that finally breaks the multiversal merry-go-round we’ve been riding for the past few years. In today’s exclusive Relax, I’m From the Future clip, Casper dismisses the Butterfly Effect and misinformation about multiple realities.

The scene finds Casper and Holly (Gabrielle Graham) discussing multiversal misnomers in a dimly lit diner over piping hot mugs of jitter juice. Casper explains how there’s only one reality, and that time is more like a mushy blob than anything we’ve seen in movies. Doc Brown lied to us, folks! Oh, the humanity! While branching paths in the timeline exist, they eventually converge in the same direction, leading toward a pre-determined future. Still, pivotal events such as life, death, political dealings, and significant world events determine our future. When Holly looks unconvinced, Casper attempts to prove his point, but funnily enough, his timing is a bit off.

Here’s the official synopsis for Relax, I’m From The Future:

Relax, I’m From The Future follows CASPER, a charming but embarrassingly underprepared Time Traveler, now trapped in the past. When he befriends HOLLY, a jaded drifter, she helps him exploit his trivial knowledge of the future for a series of quick payouts, oblivious to the consequences they have set in motion. When DORIS, a more competent Time Traveler, tracks them down, Casper and Holly are forced to figure out exactly what they mean to each other and whether the future they’ve threatened is even worth saving. Will they embrace their fate, or do they have the courage to change it?

Darby (What We Do In The Shadows, Flight of the Conchords), Graham (Possessor, On the Basis of Sex), and Theriault (Murder Most Likely, Pompeii), and Julian Richings (Man of Steel, Beau Is Afraid) lead the cast, with Zachary Bennett (The Umbrella Academy, Cube Zero), and Louisa Zhu (Rising Suns, Ghostwriter).

The sci-fi comedy hails from Luke Higginson for his feature directorial debut. In addition to operating the camera, Higginson wrote the screenplay and edited the film inspired by his short film of the same name that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 10 years ago.

Relax, I’m From The Future premiered last month at Montreal’s Fantasia Fest to enthusiastic critical acclaim. The film debuts in the United States on September 22, 2023, and opens theatrically in Canada on October 6, 2023.

Kenneth Branagh’s A Haunting in Venice holds a magnifying glass up to $1.2M in Thursday Preview screenings.

The third film in Kenneth Branagh’s re-imagined Hercule Poirot series, A Haunting in Venice, earned $1.2M at Thursday Preview screenings. The spooktacular adaptation of Agatha Christie‘s Hallowe’en novel could perform similarly to other chapters of Branagh’s Poirot films, with a weekend gross of roughly $15M.

While the numbers barely move the needle compared to 2023’s other box office barn burners, it’s worth noting that A Haunting in Venice is Branagh’s best-reviewed Poirot film with a 77% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Poirot’s latest case might not pack the star power of 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express or 2022’s Death on the Nile. Still, it includes Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh and multi-talented funny gal Tina Fey. If A Haunting in Venice plays its tarot cards right, it could send The Nun II to the back of the pews after a 60%+ dip in attendance.

A Haunting in Venice delivers a scary mystery in 3,305 theaters, including Imax and PLF screenings, which charge more for big screens and sound luxury.

A Haunting in Venice is set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve. It is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets.

Kenneth Branagh returns as Hercule Poirot, with Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan, Kelly Reilly, Kyle Allen, Jude Hill, Emma Laird, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ali Khan, Tina Fey, and Camille Cottin leading the cast.

Branagh also produced A Haunting in Venice with Judy Hofflund, Ridley Scott, and Simon Kinberg. Louise Killin, James Prichard, and Mark Gordon serve as executive producers. Hildur Guđnadóttir, who provided the Oscar-winning score for Joker, has also composed the score for this film.

Do you think A Haunting in Venice can defeat The Nun II at the box office this weekend? Are you digging the spooky vibes of Poirot’s latest case? Is the palazzo haunted, or is this a Scooby-Doo situation? You can find out this weekend now that the film is in theaters!

The composer of Poirot’s newest mystery used unconventional methods to get scared reactions with classical instruments.

Hercule Poirot is returning on a new case this week with A Haunting in Venice. The seasoned detective is once again portrayed by Kenneth Branaugh after his previous entries, Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. This time around, things get scary as Poirot is investigating supernatural happenings in a Venetian villa. The spooky installment opened with Thursday previews that grossed $1.2 million and is on track to earn roughly $15 million over the weekend.

Variety reports that the composer on the film, Hildur Guðnadóttir, who is a big fan of Agatha Christie, wanted to achieve something darker than Branagh previously had with the other films. She explains, “I took a classical romanticism melodic approach because the way you express melody says so much about how you’re expressing yourself. Post-war composers were drawn to tonal expression or lots of experimentation where they used extended techniques and looked at different ways of playing classical instruments.”

Guðnadóttir adds that, by experimenting with the manipulation of classical instruments, such as a solo clarinet, she was able to make something that sounded incredibly paranormal, “Those sounds were happening at the time, and were forward thinking and it lent itself so gloriously to those jump scares.” The movie’s editor, Lucy Donaldson added that one of the big scenes involving the séance was spent getting cut without the music, “We temped very few spots with her previous scores, but it was very late [when we added in the music] because it helped find the natural rhythm of that scene. And if it’s working without music, you know it’s only going to level up when you do add it.”

According to Donaldson, it was an arduous sequence to edit, “This was when things get real. We come with Poirot into this situation. He’s the representation of logic, facts and deduction. The séance questions, is there anything supernatural happening here? And you’re cutting back to his skepticism.”

Her main approach was to capture all the characters’ nervousness, “We’ve met our cast of characters and everyone is jumpy so there were lots of cuts to objects and reactions and builds and builds and builds, and there’s the middle section, and the climax. We were trying to show that everybody is out of their comfort zone for one reason or another. And it makes them more vulnerable, including Poirot.”

The day of Saw X’s premiere is approaching, and while the marketing has thus far been a fun one, now’s the time for grisly goodies.

John Kramer may be sick (in many senses of the word), but he isn’t losing a step. Saw X is set to open later this month and while the promotion for the film has been tongue-in-cheek, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty of it all. Lionsgate has released a clip of the film courtesy of Bloody Disgusting that showcases this entry’s signature trap. Recently, the marketing for Saw X has been having a ball poking fun at the Nicole Kidman AMC promo with their own version where Jigsaw goes to the theater narrating the wonder of watching people getting tortured. There was also a cheeky little video that showcased a Saw version of Milton Bradley’s Operation, which was rebranded Saw-peration.

In this new clip, a custodian of the hospital that Kramer has targeted is bound to a chair with two tubes strapped to each eye. The long tubes are led into loops that eventually connect to some sort of giant pressurized canister. His left hand is somewhat free as it will be used to turn a dial in this game. But his right hand is stuck in a metal mechanism with each finger individually fastened to wires. Jigsaw mocks that the game is to “address those sticky fingers of yours.” He explains that the custodial duties are important in that they additionally keep patients safe from an unsanitary conditions that could hinder their health recovery. Jigsaw gives the man 60 seconds to complete the game, which will cost him his fingers, but you’ll have to wait with bated breath on what the canister will do to his eyes.

The synopsis for Saw X reads, “In the Twisted Pictures next installment John Kramer (Tobin Bell) is back, and it’s the untold chapter of Jigsaw’s final games. Set between the events of Saw I and II, a sick and desperate John travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer – only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable. The infamous serial killer returns to his work, turning the tables on the con artists in his signature visceral way through devious, deranged, and ingenious traps.”

Saw X bleeds into theaters on September 29.

Kevin Costner reportedly wanted the right to review, approve, and potentially veto every Yellowstone script.

Yellowstone fans were shocked when it was announced several months ago that the current incarnation of the series would be coming to an end as Kevin Costner had decided to depart. However, it wasn’t entirely a done deal, as the actor was still willing to return for the second half of the fifth season and perhaps even more. But according to Puck (via TVLine), Kevin Costner had a number of demands, including the right to review, approve, and potentially veto every Yellowstone script. That obviously didn’t sit well with series co-creator Taylor Sheridan, who has written or co-written every episode.

In addition to veto power over the Yellowstone scripts, Kevin Costner also wanted more money and a reduced shooting schedule. The reduced schedule was to give him enough time to shoot his Western epic, Horizon. It remains to be seen what will happen to Costner’s character in Yellowstone, but if he’s killed off, Costner will still have to approve it. Puck reported that Costner’s Yellowstone contract includes a “moral death” clause that lists all the ways John Dutton can and cannot be killed. I can’t say I’ve heard of that before.

Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan opened up about the unfortunate drama regarding Kevin Costner’s exit. “My opinion of Kevin as an actor hasn’t altered. His creation of John Dutton is symbolic and powerful … and I’ve never had an issue with Kevin that he and I couldn’t work out on the phone,” Sheridan explained. “But once lawyers get involved, then people don’t get to talk to each other and start saying things that aren’t true and attempt to shift blame based on how the press or public seem to be reacting. He took a lot of this on the chin and I don’t know that anyone deserves it. His movie seems to be a great priority to him and he wants to shift focus. I sure hope [the movie is] worth it — and that it’s a good one.“

Paramount quickly announced a Yellowstone sequel series that would continue the story of the Duttons with Matthew McConaughey tapped to star. While Taylor Sheridan is “disappointed” by the exit of his leading man, he is looking forward to working with Matthew McConaughey. “He seems like a natural fit,” Sheridan said. “We had a few conversations over the years, and spitballed a few ideas. Then he started watching Yellowstone and responded to it. He was like, ‘I want to do that.’ And by ‘that’ he meant diving into a raw world clashing up against the modern world. And then I said, ‘Buddy, that we can do.’“

Sylvester Stallone says he’s done with Rambo at the Toronto International Film Festival and wishes he’d directed Cobra himself.

While chatting with audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival this afternoon, Sylvester Stallone said that he’s done with John Rambo.

Our own Chris Bumbray was in attendance when Sylvester Stallone mentioned the state of the Rambo franchise. “Rambo, I could leave him,” Stallone said. “He’s done pretty much, even though they want to do another one, but what am I fighting? Arthritis?” Although Stallone may be done playing Rambo, there have been rumours of a prequel which would take the character back to Vietnam. “I think it’s going to happen,” Stallone said last year. “I wanted to do it like a Ken Burns documentary on Vietnam, where you drop young Rambo in there, and he’s this outgoing guy, football captain, and then you see why he becomes Rambo. But what they want to do is a modern-day story where I pass the torch. That’s getting close.” I could see Stallone returning for a passing of the torch scenario, but starring in another full-blown Rambo action movie? It sounds like the actor is ready to close the book on that.

Stallone also spoke about Cobra, the 1986 action movie in which he starred as police detective Marion “Cobra” Cobretti. The film has become a cult classic over the years, but Stallone feels that it wasn’t one of his best. “Cobra to me, was half-baked, I could have done better, but I wasn’t concentrating enough,” he said. “I felt as though that’s something I should have directed, and I didn’t, and I regret that. That’s one thing about making movies, aside from watching your hairline recede, you go, ‘god, why didn’t I try harder?’” You can check out the JoBlo video from TIFF below:

Sylvester Stallone is attending TIFF as his upcoming documentary Sly will close out the festival. The description of the documentary reads, “For nearly 50 years, Sylvester Stallone has entertained millions with iconic characters and blockbuster franchises, from Rocky to Rambo to The Expendables. This retrospective documentary offers an intimate look at the Oscar-nominated actor-writer-director-producer, paralleling his inspirational underdog-story with the indelible characters he has brought to life.” Sly will have its world premiere tomorrow at Roy Thomson Hall, and as the film is not covered by the SAG-AFTRA TV and Film agreements, it means that Stallone is allowed to show up at the festival to walk the red carpet and promote it.

Get ready to sing and dance (and scream) as a Paranormal Activity stage play is in the early stages of development.

According to THR, the Paranormal Activity franchise is set to become a stage play. I can’t say I saw that one coming.

Simon Friend, who commissioned the Life of Pi stage play, picked up the license to Paranormal Activity and is seeking to bring it to the West End. Grey House scribe Levi Holloway has signed on to write the play, but the project is still in early development at this time. Although I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a fan of the franchise, I’ve got to admit that I’m a little curious about how they plan to adapt the found-footage story to the stage.

The original Paranormal Activity movie was written and directed by Oren Peli and followed Katie and Micah, a young couple who have recently moved to a new house and are being terrorized by a demon that has stalked Katie since childhood. The found-footage film was made up of security camera footage and other sources. It’s also been called one of the most profitable films ever made, as it was originally shot for just $15,000 and went on to gross $194 million worldwide.

The success of the first movie quickly led to sequels, including Paranormal Activity 2, Paranormal Activity 3, Paranormal Activity 4, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, and Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin.

It remains to be seen if another sequel will follow, but producer Jason Blum said last year that it was time for the franchise to end. He also wasn’t too fond of the last sequel. “It has been enough already,” Blum said. “That last Paranormal Activity movie was terrible. With Halloween, we only had the rights to three movies, so we said: Halloween Ends! It ends for Blumhouse, at least. With other things, you just have this feeling it’s time to put them to bed. It would come back if some director I love, like Scott Derrickson, said: ‘I have a great idea for a Paranormal Activity movie. But it’s not something I want to do [at the moment].“