Is it too late for public apologies? It seems fugitive director Roman Polanski doesn't think so, as a new documentary film about his life and work includes his offering of apology to Samantha Greimer, the woman he was convicted of sexually assaulting 33 years ago. more ›

Sometimes the good deeds of Southern Californians truly impress us, and this past Friday's example of selflessness and hospitality certainly rang our "compassionate local" bell. The humanitarian in Santa Ana Zoo's Director, Kent Yamaguchi, surfaced on Friday after a woman's engagement ring went flying off her finger into the mucky muck of the Amazon's Edge exhibit, reports CBS LA. more ›

One of the cinematic greats, director Sidney Lumet, died of lymphoma at home on Saturday morning. He was 86. The iconic 1957 courtroom drama 12 Angry Men was Lumet's feature debut, and over his lifetime the prolific filmmaker received five Academy Award nominations and was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2005. Here's an extra special video lunch tribute to Lumet's classic films. Click the more ›

Director Roman Polanski is expected to be released on bail from a Swiss prison, and will be living in an Alpine chalet equipped with extensive security mechanisms, reports LA Now. The 76-year-old French citizen has been held in Switzerland since his arrest in late September on a warrant from Los Angeles associated with a 1977 rape case. more ›

Director Roman Polanski remains confined in a Swiss prison following his arrest this weekend while traveling to Zurich to receive a prestigious award for his film career. The 76-year-old Polish-born French citizen has been in exile in Europe since fleeing Los Angeles following his conviction in the rape case that found him guilty of engaging in sex with a 13-year-old girl. more ›

Director John Hughes, 59, has died, according to TMZ. He was in New York City on a trip taking a morning walk when he suffered from a heart attack today. Hughes' movies--some of them that he wrote, director or both--many of them based in around Chicago, included classics such as Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Home Alone and Planes, Trains & Automobiles. After stepping back from the film industry, he resided in Northern Illinois on a functioning farm, enjoying his time with a family and supporting independent art, notes Variety. R.I.P., John Hughes and you were right when you wrote this line for Ferris: "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." more ›

The Oscar winning director fled to France, who does not extradite anyone for any reason, 30 years ago after admittedly having sex with a 13-year-old at Jack Nicholson's house. So he chose: jail for France? But now he wants to be back stateside as a free man, the LA Times finds: "Lawyers for Polanski, a French citizen, cited misconduct by prosecutors and a judge in papers filed in L.A. County Superior Court today. The attorneys said that a recent HBO documentary about the case, 'Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired,' 'revealed a pattern of misconduct and improper communications between the Superior Court and the district attorney’s office in violation of the rule of law and without the knowledge' of the director and his defense." more ›

Veteran actor and director Sydney Pollack has died. The 73-year-old Oscar winner died today in his home in the Pacific Palisades, and representatives are saying the cause was cancer. more ›

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- All five of the Oscar-nominees for Best Supporting Actress have appeared topless, here are their lady parts, and analysis - Defamer - UCLA only admitted 100 African-American freshman last fall. This year they got applications from 2,444 blacks. LAist will be keeping an eye on how many of those are admitted to Taser U. - LA Times - iTunes illegal in Norway - 901am - Almost two months after shaking hands, JD Drew... more ›

What can I say about a film where images of Shirley Temple are juxtaposed with swastikas? Where Fairuza Balk's voice comes wailing through a snail? Where there's a scene of a naked man with cerebral palsy lying in a giant clam as he appears to be masturbated by a woman who's wearing a rubber monkey mask while a racist folk song plays on an old record player? I'm not totally sure I didn't hallucinate... more ›

Writers, directors and artists of all stripes are often told, "Write what you know," but few filmmakers accomplish this as successfully as Andrew Bujalski. At age 29 the Boston-based filmmaker has directed two well-received feature films, both of which are set in a post-college, indie rock milieu that he seems to know intimately. Describing his own post-college experience Bujalski says, "Since college I've basically been pursuing these loony little independent movies." Funny Ha Ha... more ›