By Dyana Carmella
With all the drama in the industry, including the proposed strikes from unsatisfied actors over their pay, there is still reason to cheer in Los Angeles, as filming was up 26 percent last quarter, a record high for the period. However, don’t get too excited as this increase is most likely stemming from […]

By Iain Blair
Went up to Santa Barbara for the gala opening night of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s great new exhibit, “MADE IN HOLLYWOOD: PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE JOHN KOBAL FOUNDATION” which has an accompanying book “GLAMOUR OF THE GODS” published by Steidl. It runs through October before traveling around the country and should not […]

By Iain Blair
Had dinner the other night at the beautiful Montecito home of legendary DP Haskell Wexler and his wife Rita. It was a very small group of friends, including director Chris Monger  (The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down A Mountain starring Hugh Grant)  and producer Karen Montgomery and we all […]

By Iain Blair
Saw early screening of Meet Dave, Eddie Murphy’s new sci-fi fantasy where the comedian plays a tiny alien from the planet Nill who lands near The Statue of Liberty in a spaceship shaped exactly like a life-sized Eddie Murphy…….none of what happens next makes much sense, but it gives Murphy a chance to show […]

By Iain Blair
Was chatting with director Paul W.S. Anderson – NOT to be confused with Paul Thomas Anderson or Wes Anderson. The Brit writer-director-producer has carved out a very successful Hollywood career thanks to such hits as his Resident Evil franchise, AVP: Alien vs. Predator and Mortal Kombat. Paul told me he’s lived in Hollywood […]

By Iain Blair
There’s an interesting new doc just out, Chris & Don: A Love Story, about the great Brit author Christopher Isherwood (his Berlin Stories formed the basis of Cabaret) and his artist lover Don Bachardy.  The film, narrated by Michael York, mixes great archival footage with Bachardy’s own reminiscing and is well worth seeing.
It […]

 By Iain Blair
Went to a special IMAX cast-and-crew screening of  The Dark Knight last week and wasn’t disappointed. The film works on every level– script, acting, direction etc. and looks AMAZING in IMAX.
Chris Nolan told me it’s the first time a major feature film has shot IMAX and he did all the major action sequences […]