Alex Liu’s comedic sex education documentary Arrives on TVOD June 7 On all major streaming and cable platforms in the U.S. and Canada
A FILM THAT TALKS ABOUT SEX IN A WAY YOU LIKELY
HAVEN’T SEEN AND WITH PEOPLE YOU WOULDN’T EXPECT
To right the wrongs of his all-American sex education, 36-year-old health reporter Alex Liu goes on a quest to uncover naked truths and hard facts—no matter how awkward it gets. From neuroscience labs to church pews, A Sexplanation features provocative conversations with psychologists, sex researchers, a Jesuit priest, and several generations of Alex’s own family. With humor and grit, Alex takes audiences on a playful, heartfelt journey from a shame-filled past to a happier, healthier, sexier future.
Not your typical queer, Asian American, comedic sex education documentary about the universal search for love, connection, and family acceptance. A SEXPLANATION is an award-winning film that has been screened at 32 film festivals on four continents, eight countries, and 18 states. Festival awards include Audience Award, Feature Documentary (Cinequest, Inside Out LGBTQ, Asian American International, ReelQ, Paris International), Jury Award, Feature Documentary (DC Asian Pacific, Honolulu Rainbow), Jury Award, Best First Time Film (Tallgrass), and Audience Award, Feature Film (Phoenix).
Directed by Liu, A Sexplanation is written by Leonardo Neri and Alex Liu, produced by Steven Flynn, and edited by Brian Emerick and Alex Liu. Brian Emerick serves as Cinematographer.
Day 3 at the 13th TCM Classic Film Festival brought forth a plethora of memories and good feelings. Film critic Leonard Maltin received the Robert Osborne Award and spoke at length about film as a true art form followed up by a tour de force performance by Actor John Barrymore in the 1932 Counsellor at Law.
In addition, several cast members from the 1982 classic, Diner, gathered for a pre-screening conversation at the Hollywood Legion Theatre. Also, Warren Beatty was in the house at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theatre for a conversation with TCM Host Ben Mankiewicz following the Beatty-led Heaven Can Wait (1981).
Check out the Highlights!
Respected film critic Leonard Maltin receives the Robert Osborne Award presented by actor and director Warren Beatty and TCM host Ben Mankiewicz.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 23: (L-R) TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, Robert Osborne Award recipient Leonard Maltin, and special guest Warren Beatty attend the Robert Osborne Award Reception during the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival at the Hollywood Legion Theater on April 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for TCM)
Special guests Kevin Bacon, Tim Daly, Steve Guttenberg, and Paul Reiser join TCM host Dave Karger for the 40th-anniversary screening of “Diner”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 23: (L-R) Special guests Paul Reiser, Tim Daly, Kevin Bacon, Steve Guttenberg, and TCM host Dave Karger attend the screening of “Diner” during the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival at the Hollywood Legion Theater on April 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for TCM)
Warren Beatty joins TCM host Ben Mankiewicz for a screening of “Heaven Can Wait,” followed by a conversation about the film
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 23: (L-R) TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, special guest Warren Beatty, and General Manager of Turner Classic Movies Pola Changnon attend the screening of “Heaven Can Wait” during the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival at the The Hollywood Roosevelt on April 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for TCM.
Until next time…. I’ll see you at the movies!
Larry Gleeson poses in front of the TCM display at the 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival. (Photo courtesy of HollywoodGlee/Larry Gleeson)
TCM’s Critically Acclaimed Podcast To Spotlight Iconic Actress Pam Grier
Actress Pam Grier will be on the first episode of season four of “The Plot Thickens.” (Image courtesy of Warner Media)
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) award-winning podcast The Plot Thickens will premiere season four this fall, in which trailblazing actress Pam Grier shares her remarkable life story with host Ben Mankiewicz.
Ben Mankiewicz
“The word ‘iconic’ is overused in this industry, but Pam has been a true revolutionary regarding the depiction of Black women in Hollywood,” said host Ben Mankiewicz. “Pam’s characters are
unapologetic, tough, and fiercely independent, just like she was when she started in Hollywood five decades ago and remains to this day.”
Pam Grier starred in the lead role of Coffy and is depicted on the film’s poster above.
In August of 1973, an unknown Black actress named Pam Grier knocked James Bond out of the number one spot at the box office. Pam Grier was the lead in Coffy, a Blaxploitation film with a ridiculously low budget, tons of nudity, and blood-splattering violence. Pam was just 24, and she was suddenly Hollywood’s first female action hero.
Pam Grier will be appearing this weekend at the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood to introduce her breakout film Coffy. This will be Pam Grier’s first appearance at the TCM Classic Film.
Stay tuned this summer for the first trailer for season four of “The Plot Thickens.” Previous seasons are available on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
About The Plot Thickens
The Plot Thickens is the official podcast from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) about movies and the people who make them. Season one premiered in May 2020, diving into the life and work of Oscar®-nominated director, writer, and actor Peter Bogdanovich. Season two, “The Devil’s Candy,” launched in June 2021 and chronicled the tumultuous production of the 1990 film The Bonfire of the Vanities. Season three uncovered fresh insights into the life and times of the iconic Lucille Ball and debuted in October 2021. The podcast has garnered more than six million downloads and several industry awards: it was named a Webby Honoree in 2021 and 2022; won best-branded podcast from the 2021 Adweek Podcast Awards; and was nominated for best entertainment podcast at the Ambie Awards two years in a row. It has been featured on “best-of” lists from The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, NPR and Vanity Fair.
About Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is a two-time Peabody Award-winning network that presents classic films, uncut and commercial-free, from the largest film libraries in the world highlighting “where then meets now.” TCM features the insights from Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz along with hosts Alicia Malone, Dave Karger, Jacqueline Stewart, and Eddie Muller, plus interviews with a wide range of special guests, and serves as the ultimate movie lover destination. With more than two decades as a leading authority in classic film, TCM offers critically acclaimed series like The Essentials, along with annual programming events like 31 Days of Oscar® and Summer Under the Stars. TCM also directly connects with movie fans through popular events such as the annual TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, the TCM Big Screen Classics screening series, and the TCM Classic Cruise. In addition, TCM produces the wildly successful podcast “The Plot Thickens,” which has had more than 6 million downloads to date. TCM hosts a wealth of material online at tcm.com and through the Watch TCM mobile app. Fans can also enjoy a classic movie experience on the Classics Curated by TCM hub on HBO Max.
The red carpet that leads up the steps to the hope of being in the limelight.
A poetic celebration of the insuperable quest for expression and freedom.
An upward journey to contemplate the past and move ahead towards the promise of a revival. From Tuesday, May 17 to Saturday, May 28, the Festival de Cannes will hold its 75th edition, and here is its poster.
Just as the unforgettable Truman embodied by the one-and-only Jim Carrey whose fingers brush his horizon, the Festival de Cannes takes the extreme nature of the world in its stride in order to grasp it again. The climate crisis, humanitarian disasters, and armed conflicts… the reasons for concerns are numerous. As in 1939 and in 1946, the Festival is once again asserting its strong conviction that art and cinema are where contemplation and the renewal of society unravel. And yet it remains faithful to its founding commitment enshrined in article 1 of its rules: “The purpose of the Festival International du Film, in a spirit of friendship and universal cooperation, is to reveal and showcase quality films in the interest of the evolution of the art of cinematography.”
Peter Weir and Andrew Niccol’s The Truman Show(1998) is a modern reflection of Plato’s cave and the decisive scene urges viewers to not only experience the border between reality and its representation but to ponder the power of fiction, between manipulation and catharsis. Just as Truman escapes falsehood as he rises, the Festival, with its famous ascending red carpet, offers viewers the truth of the artists when they enter the theater.
On Thursday 14 April at 11:00 am, Pierre Lescure and Thierry Frémaux announced the Official Selection for the 75th edition of the Festival de Cannes at the UGC Normandie in Paris.
Funding To Support Unprecedented Research On Short Films And Diversity In Early Hollywood
The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today that the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) awarded AFI a $350,000 grant to embark upon a landmark initiative to study thousands of short films released in the silent and early sound eras. Titled Behind the Veil after a lost 1914 film directed by pioneering filmmaker Lois Weber, the project will be spearheaded by the AFI research team at the AFI Catalog, the world’s most authoritative, freely accessible database of every American feature film and co-production released in the first century of the art form. The project is intended to document the cultural impact of women and people of color in the creation, distribution, and reception of early cinema.
According to the NEH, the project is being funded in part by a special initiative called A More Perfect Union, which will “help Americans commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 by exploring, reflecting on, or telling stories of our quest for a more just, inclusive and sustainable society throughout our history.”
“Film scholarship has long favored feature-length titles, and this partiality has significantly limited historians’ efforts to study how people from diverse communities made films and how they saw themselves onscreen. Behind the Veil is essential to working toward establishing a more inclusive and accurate canon of American film history,” said Sarah Blankfort Clothier, Manager of the AFI Catalog. “Documenting short film creators will provide opportunities for discovering the work of storytellers who have been excluded to date and open new doors of possibility for a more accurate account of America’s cultural legacy.”
Film still from A FOOL AND HIS MONEY (1912) – the earliest known surviving short film featuring an all-Black cast
The research initiative aims to chronicle the groundbreaking work of female and BIPOC pioneers who were working mainly on short films in the early days of American filmmaking, including Alice Guy Blaché, the world’s first female director who made hundreds of shorts; William D. Foster, America’s first Black filmmaker who worked solely in the short film form; and actors such as Sessue Hayakawa, Tsuru Aoki, Myrtle Gonzalez, Red Wing and countless others who got their start in short films. By documenting early short films and those involved in their creation, the AFI Catalog will work to expand the scope of scholarship to bring marginalized perspectives into view and unearth the complex, multi-layered diversity within American film history.
Behind the Veil will continue the innovative work from the AFI Catalog on diversity and parity in Hollywood. In 2019, AFI received a $350,000 grant from the NEH for the Women They Talk About initiative, a groundbreaking project that documented the widely unrecorded contributions of female filmmakers in the silent film era and uncovered the true story of women’s pioneering role in the creation of American cinema.
When a town of cats is in danger, an unlikely hero rises:
a dog named Hank!
PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF HANK
IS IN THEATRES JULY 15, 2022
A hard-on-his-luck hound Hank (Michael Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Ricky Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Samuel L. Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day. The only problem… cats hate dogs! Also starring Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh, Kylie Kuioka, and Cathy Shim, PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF HANK pounces into theatres July 15, 2022.
Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies and Align and Aniventure Present In association with HB Wink Animation and GFM Animation A Flying Tigers Entertainment Production in association with Aniventure In association with Cinesite.
PAWS OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF HANK has been rated:
PG for action, violence, rude and suggestive humor, and some language.
On April 8, 2022, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued an “Open Letter to Our Academy Family.” Here it is:
“The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage.
During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry. This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short — unprepared for the unprecedented.
Today, the Board of Governors convened a meeting to discuss how best to respond to Will Smith’s actions at the Oscars, in addition to accepting his resignation. The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards.
We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances. We also want to thank our hosts, nominees, presenters and winners for their poise and grace during our telecast.
This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith’s behavior is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy. We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted.”
At the start of the 21st century, Cannes was the premier cinema event in the world. It stood out from the other international film festivals events such as the Berlinale and Venice festivals.
And, to further strengthen the indissoluble link that united Cannes with the most important cultural event in the world, the International Film Festival became the Cannes Film Festival in 2002, under the impetus of Cannes’ Mayor and Member of Parliament, Bernard Brochand.
The arrival of the new millennium brought about changes in awareness under the filmgoer’s trained eye. After the creation of the Caméra d’Or, awarded to the Best First Film, the Festival went a step further by recognizing the best film-school short films with the creation of Cinéfondation in 1998.
In 2000, the Festival continued to show its support for new talents by creating a new initiative called The Residence to welcome young filmmakers and help them develop their projects. 2005 saw another innovation called the Children’s Session, a class for the youngest fans to encourage their curiosity about cinema.
In 2002, for the 55th anniversary of the Festival, the top award went to alternative American director, Michael Moore, for Bowling for Columbine. Two years later Moore received a second Palme d’Or for Fahrenheit 9/11.
American cinema d’auteur was still in favor in 2003 when Gus Van Sant won the Palme d’Or and the award for Best Director. His film Elephant recounted the day that two teenagers gunned down their fellow students in a school in Columbine in America.
The Festival thus had to encourage relations between cinema professionals and defend its interests against outside influences. Furthermore, historical events were seared into the public’s mind, in this case, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in the United States, or the bomb threats of 2002, demonstrating the importance of the tensions weighing on the event as it was happening.
Fahrenheit 9/11
Nonetheless, the Festival was not immune to such media/political phenomena, as can be seen with the release of Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 in 2004, with took a position favorable to France during the Iraq conflict and the wrong-minded American strategy.
In 2005, the Festival emphasized its International dimension. The Festival’s Atelier (Workshop), organized by the Cinéfondation, invited 18 filmmakers from around the world to come to Cannes to present their projects to producers during the Festival. A new program, called ‘All the cinemas of the World’, offered different countries the chance to present their films.
Thierry Fremaux
Thierry Fremaux, who was appointed Delegate General in 2007, said: “The Festival is also a market for international buyers and sellers; today it is the culmination, not the starting point. It used to be that films were discovered here. Now, everything is done upstream and the selections are known to the professionals one month before they are made public. But sales are often finalized after screening at Cannes.”
In 2007, the Festival celebrated its 60th anniversary. It continued to denounce a fragile world in need of unity. Both 2007 and 2009, the Palme d’or was given to movies that referenced a painful past: 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days from director Cristian Mungiu told the story of two young girls, trying to abort in Ceaucescu’s Romania , and The White Ribbon from Michael Haneke darkly depicted society and family in a northern German village just before World War I.
However, in 2008, Jury President Sean Penn stated, he wanted to reward a filmmaker who was “very aware of the times within which he lives.” Consequently, The Class from Laurent Cantet received the Palme d’or in 2008. The film depicted a French teacher (François Bégaudeau, both teacher and writer, is acting his own part in the movie ), and his experience, during one whole school year, in teaching French class to racially mixed students in a tough Parisian neighborhood.
Although the commercial blockbusters were largely absent from the competition, their stars could often be seen on La Croisette, and independent films were also competitors to be reckoned with.
The TCM Classic Film Festival is back! Earlier today, TCM announced the schedule for the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival, With a run slated for April 21-24, 2022, the festival will kick off April 21st with a 40th Anniversary screening of Steven Spielberg’s classic E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial at the world-famous TCL Chinese Theatre. This year’s edition is centered around the theme, “All Together Now: Back To The Big Screen.”
On Opening Night Drew Barrymore and Henry Thomas will appear on the red carpet at the 40th-anniversary screening of the beloved family sci-fi film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial joining director Steven Spielberg and producer Kathleen Kennedy.
In addition, iconic actress and comedian LilyTomlin will be honored a hand and footprint ceremony in the courtyard of the world-famous TCL Chinese Theatre Imax® in Hollywood on Friday, April 22.
Iconic actress and comedian, Lily Tomlin (pictured above) will be honored a hand and footprint ceremony in the courtyard of the world-famous TCL Chinese Theatre Imax® during the 13th TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood on Friday, April 22. (Photo courtesy of TCM)
But wait..there’s more! Legendary film critic/historian Leonard Maltin will receive the third Robert Osborne Award, “recognizing an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive for future generations.”
Legendary film critic/historian Leonard Maltin (pictured above) will receive the third Robert Osborne Award at the 13th TCM Classic Film Festival, “recognizing an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive for future generations.” . (Photo courtesy of TCM)
Ben Mankiewicz, TCM primetime anchor and official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival beamed, “I am thrilled that the TCM Classic Film Festival will be returning to Hollywood in 2022 and that we’ll have the opportunity to celebrate these two legitimate legends in person. Lily Tomlin’s work has endured for decades because she brings a consistent joyous authenticity and richness to every character she plays…. And Leonard Maltin continues to be an indispensable source of film knowledge. His books were IMDB and Wikipedia in the pre-internet age. If you didn’t have a copy – or six – of Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide, you weren’t a serious film buff. He made information about movies accessible and compelling to millions of fans. I know because I was one.”
TCM Classic Film Festival Throwback: HollywoodGlee, center, with TCM host and film critic, Ben Mankiewicz, left, and David Beakel. at the historic Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, Calif. (Photo Credit: Rosie Pearson, Casablanca Entertainment)
With a slate of exciting events including a silent film presented with live accompaniment, pre-Codes, cult classics, world premiere restorations, and modern favorites with cast reunions, the 2022 TCM Classic Film Festival seems to have something for every film fan.
Larry Gleeson, left, with Hollywood starlet, Angie Dickinson, at the 2015 TCM Classic Film Festival Meet & Greet: An Evening With Angie Dickinson. (Photo credit: HollywoodGlee)
The pass holder exclusive Club TCM schedule, including Looney Tunes in Hollywood, a look at celebrity animation by historian and animation expert Mark McCray
Reframed, a panel on the complex topic of art vs. the artist, moderated by TCM host Jacqueline Stewart
Letters from Hollywood, a presentation from the team behind the book of rare correspondence from the studio era
A celebration of singer, actor, and activist Doris Day with some of her longtime friends and collaborators
Catch Them If You Can, a guided tour of movie chase scenes with TCM Senior Producer and author Scott McGee and stunt performers Buddy Joe Hooker and Debbie Evans
A live and lively table read of B-movie favorite, I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE (1958)
The world premiere of a new 70mm print of Stanley Kubrick’s SPARTACUS (1960) at the Hollywood Legion Theater at Post 43
A US Premiere restoration of the sci-fi cult classic INVADERS FROM MARS (1953) introduced by writer/director John Sayles
A timely selection of pre-Codes: COCKTAIL HOUR (1933), DINNER AT EIGHT(1933), and EVENINGS FOR SALE (1932)
A 60th-anniversary screening of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962) with John Mellencamp in attendance
Actor Richard Benjamin in attendance for a presentation of THE SUNSHINE BOYS (1975)
Actor Tess Harper in attendance for a screening of TENDER MERCIES (1983)
Director and cinematographer Ernest R. Dickerson attending a presentation of THE THIRD MAN(1949)
Actor Kate Flannery introducing an 80th-anniversary screening of MAISIE GETS HER MAN (1942)
Singer/songwriter Marty Stuart to introduce a 70th-anniversary screening of HIGH NOON (1952)
A LITTLE SONG, A LITTLE DANCE, a showcase of rarely seen musical performances from classic movies, curated by Andrea Kalas of the Paramount archives
Oscar-winner Ben Burtt’s novel edit of Republic Pictures’ 12-chapter action-adventure serial, SPY SMASHER STRIKES BACK (1942), into a new feature presentation
To view the full schedule including films and presentations, click here.
For more information about Special Guests attending the Festival, click here.
Festival passes are still available, but supplies are limited. For more information about Festival passes and/or to purchase one today, please click here.
The Festival has also updated the health protocols and safety measures for this year’s event. View the latest guidelines here.
Larry Gleeson poses in front of TCM Past at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. (Photo cr. HollywoodGlee)
Looking forward to seeing you in Hollywood!
Since 1927, The TCL Chinese Theatre has been the home of the most important, star-powered red carpet movie premieres and special events, where Hollywood’s biggest and brightest talents have come to watch their movies. The most famous movie theatre on the globe is world-renowned for its unique forecourt of the stars, featuring cement hands and footprints of major movie stars, from Marilyn Monroe to Brad Pitt, and numerous stars from all eras of Hollywood. In 2013, the main theatre was relaunched as the world’s largest IMAX® theatre.
