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☆ Bernard Hill death: ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Titanic’ actor dies at 79
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Thom Poole | Audry Jeong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —British actor Bernard Hill, best known for supporting roles in “Titanic” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, has died, his family announced on Sunday. “It is with the greatest sadness that we must announce that Bernard Hill, renowned actor known for his roles in ‘Titanic’ and ‘Lord of the Rings,’ passed away in the early hours of this morning at the age of 79,” his family said in a statement. In James Cameron’s 1997 multi-Oscar winning “Titanic”, Hill plays the ship’s Captain Edward Smith as a man haunted by his role in the tragedy and ultimately resigned to his fate. We last see him alone, still clutching the ship’s helm, before the rising water bursts in through the windows. Bernard Hill in The Return Of The King, 2003.

Persons: Bernard Hill, ’, ”, Alison, Gabriel, ” Hill, Thatcher, James Cameron’s, Hill, Edward Smith, Shutterstock, Peter Jackson’s, King of Rohan, “ Gandhi, ” “ Shirley Valentine ”, Lou Coulson, Lindsay Salt, “ Organizations: CNN, BBC Locations: British, New

☆ He Carried the Bags (and the Secrets) for the Beatles
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Alexandra Jacobs | More About Alexandra Jacobs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

LIVING THE BEATLES LEGEND: The Untold Story of Mal Evans, by Kenneth WomackHe was a “gentle giant.” A “teddy bear” who once posed with a koala. A “lovable, cuddly guy.” Of all the people in the Beatles’ entourage, Mal Evans was indisputably the most Muppet-like. You may have seen the 6-foot-3 Evans looming over shoulders in “Get Back,” Peter Jackson’s blockbuster 2021 documentary. He was rarely called the fifth Beatle, as was his comrade in factotum-dom, Neil Aspinall, but certainly could have qualified as the sixth or seventh. Unlike Aspinall and so many other Beatles associates, however, Evans did not receive an obituary in The New York Times when he died at 40 on Jan. 4, 1976.

Persons: Mal Evans, Kenneth Womack, Evans, Peter Jackson’s, Paul McCartney, Maxwell’s, Neil Aspinall, Aspinall Organizations: Beatles, Cavern Club, New York Times Locations: Liverpool, Los Angeles

☆ What’s Your Favorite Movie to Watch at the Holidays? We Want to Know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Barbara Chai | More About Barbara Chai | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I had watched the movie so many times. When I was in college, I’d come home for Thanksgiving break and flip on Jodie Foster’s “Home for the Holidays” while sipping a peppermint mocha. Maybe he’ll take to the Charlie Brown holiday specials this year. Or maybe he’ll continue to worship “The Polar Express,” turning the pages of the hardcover book in his lap as he watches the snowy scenes unfold. Images like this burn into my memory more than any still, scene or set from a movie.

Persons: Ralphie, I’d, Jodie Foster’s “, Peter Jackson’s “, I’m, Charlie Brown

Titled “Now and Then,” the almost impossible-to-believe track is four minutes and eight seconds of the first and only original Beatles recording of the 21st century. But there were technical limitations to finishing “Now and Then.”On Wednesday, a short film titled “The Beatles — Now And Then — The Last Beatles Song” was released, detailing the creation of the track. On the original tape, Lennon's voice was hidden; the piano was “hard to hear,” as Paul McCartney describes it. “Like we would do that anyway.”“This is the last track, ever, that you’ll get the four Beatles on the track. John, Paul, George, and Ringo,” he continued.

Persons: John Lennon, George Harrison's, ”, Lennon, Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney, —, Peter Jackson’s, McCartney, “, ” “, ” Ringo Starr, you’ll, John, Paul, George, Ringo, Starr, George Harrison, Giles Martin, George Martin —, couldn’t, Jackson, ’ ” Jackson, Lennon's, Sean, Olivia Harrison, George's, Pete Best Organizations: ANGELES, Beatles, Associated Press Locations: ”

CNN —Matt Damon turned down a major role years ago – except this role was one that could have made the Oscar-winner upwards of $250 million. “Water” sits behind “Avatar” and “Avengers: Endgame,” which has grossed nearly $2.8 billion since its release in 2019. It’s a decision that may haunt him, but all signs seem to indicate that Damon did just fine without venturing around Cameron’s planet of Pandora. For now, Damon stars in director Christopher Nolan’s latest war-era epic “Oppenheimer,” which premieres in theaters on Friday. As for Damon’s claim that his decision resulted in the most money an actor has declined ever, that’s debatable.

Persons: Matt Damon, Chris Wallace, ” Damon, James Cameron’s, ” Cameron, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Joel David Moore, Michelle Rodriguez, ”, It’s, Damon, Christopher Nolan’s, Oppenheimer, Sean Connery, Gandalf, Peter Jackson’s, “ didn’t, Bond Organizations: CNN

☆ Orlando Bloom auditioned for 'Moulin Rouge' six times before breakout 'Lord of the Rings' role
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Imagine if Orlando Bloom was seen on the big screen serenading Nicole Kidman in “Moulin Rouge!” in 2001 instead of Ewan McGregor. It was a real possibility according to Bloom, who told Howard Stern in a resurfaced 2019 interview that he actually auditioned for the iconic role of Christian in director Baz Luhrmann’s Oscar-winning film six times. “I thought that was going to be the one that was going to go my way just before ‘Lord of the Rings,’” Bloom said, adding that the “Moulin” audition was “around the same sort of time” as his “Rings” audition. Bloom told Stern that the “Moulin Rouge!” filmmakers were originally planning to cast unknown actors, saying, “obviously, I’d have been the unknown” given that he had only a few professional acting credits under his belt at the time. Regardless of the low payday for the original “Rings” trilogy, Bloom knew the value of how it impacted his career, and told Stern that the role of Legolas was “the greatest gift of my life.”

☆ 'Rings of Power' series reveals another underdiscussed aspect of representation
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Polynesian scholars are pointing out “Lord of the Rings” productions have traditionally been filmed on their land, but with Pacific Islander actors relegated to the background. The new prequel on Amazon Prime did slightly better with representation, but experts stopped short of declaring it true progress. Na'puti pointed out that the Māori community experienced significant land loss, now holding just roughly 5% of all land there. McCartney also said that indigenous, Polynesian representation means incorporating the culture into the writing, given the Māori displacement in the country. And so if you’re on it, you have a responsibility.”Ultimately, Young questioned the necessity to continuously adapt the work of Tolkien, who wrote the “Lord of The Rings” series in the early 1900s.

☆ 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' season finale: Amazon has more battles to come (SPOILERS)
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers about “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” season finale. CNN —“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” has ended its first season, with plans for several more to come. Yet the real battle for Amazon could be convincing everyone that its very expensive – and mostly underwhelming – gamble on J.R.R. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was personally involved in acquiring rights from the Tolkien estate way back in 2017, reflecting the company’s high-stakes bet. It’s become popular to refer to certain large corporations as being “Too big to fail,” and in TV terms, “Rings of Power” is about as big as they come.

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