Steve Pond's Blog, page 57

Martin Scorsese Says He Wanted to Steal Rough Cut of ‘Taxi Driver’ to Protect It From the Studio in Apple TV+ Docuseries Clip

This fall, Apple TV+ will release the five-part docuseries “Mr. Scorsese,” looking back on Martin Scorsese‘s legendary career.

But in a first look at the series, Scorsese looks back at a point in his career he’d probably rather forget, when Columbia Pictures pushed him to make sweeping cuts to what would become his breakthrough film, “Taxi Driver.”

In the sneak peek clip, which you can view below, Steven Spielberg talks about getting an upset phone call from Scorsese telling him that the studio wanted him to drastically cut down on the graphic violence in the film, most notably in the climatic shootout where an enraged Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) exacts bloody judgment on a pimp that sells child prostitutes.

“‘They want me to cut all the blood spurting. They want me to cut the guy who loses his hand,” Spielberg recalls Scorsese telling him.

The rumor around director circles was that Scorsese had a gun and planned to threaten the studio execs into keeping his cut. When asked by “Mr. Scorsese” director Rebecca Miller about the rumors, the filmmaker rolled his eyes.

“I wasn’t going to get it,” he said. “I was angry. I said I was going to threaten them or shoot or something. I had no idea. What I wanted to do — and not with a gun — I would go in, find out where the rough cut is, break the windows and take it away.”

Of course, that didn’t happen. Instead, Scorsese and Columbia famously agreed on a compromise that managed to get the film an R rating instead of a box office-killing X rating. Rather than cut out any of the gruesome shootout footage, the colors were desaturated to make the blood look more brown than red. Scorsese compared the result to pictures from a tabloid.

The rest is history. “Taxi Driver,” despite shocking audiences at the Cannes Film Festival, won the Palme d’Or and went on to receive four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Scorsese and De Niro went on to become one of the most famous director-actor duos in cinematic history, working on eight more films together, including Scorsese’s most recent film, “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

“Mr. Scorsese” will premiere on Apple TV+ on Oct. 17.

The post Martin Scorsese Says He Wanted to Steal Rough Cut of ‘Taxi Driver’ to Protect It From the Studio in Apple TV+ Docuseries Clip appeared first on TheWrap.

‘The Gilded Age’ Finale: Bosses Break Down Bertha’s Reckoning, Peggy’s Twist and That Baby Reveal

Note: This story contains spoilers from “The Gilded Age” Season 3, Episode 8.

“The Gilded Age” ended its celebrated third season with two lavish parties, an engagement and a life saved. But the morning after came with a rude awakening for Bertha Russell — setting the stage for plenty of drama ahead in Season 4.

Episode 8, titled “My Mind Is Made Up,” continued “Gilded Age” tradition of wrapping things up with Bertha’s (Carrie Coon) latest triumph on her way up the societal food chain, until the final moments of Season 3. Victory came to her doorstep with the end-of-the-season gala, in which she ended the exclusion of divorced women from society with the approval of Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy) and presented a united front with her husband and children in attendance. But the final sequence the morning after saw George (Morgan Spector) admit that his near-death experience from the prior episode left him reassessing his priorities, including whether to stay by his wife’s side.

“When you have a partner you’re very close to, you can find that you were part of decisions that you wouldn’t have made if you’d been left to yourself. That’s what happened to George,” series creator Julian Fellowes told TheWrap, referencing the season-long argument between Bertha and George surrounding their daughter’s marriage to the Duke of Buckingham.

“We felt that George would look at his life after this attempt on it and not be pleased by everything he saw … [with Season 4] now there’s room to explore where that takes him, in comparison to his wife, who is still very firmly committed to her ambition,” he added.

Bertha and George’s impasse

Fellowes cited historical context for George’s decision to reassess his life and partnership with Bertha. The executive producer noted that after years securing their fortunes through intimidation tactics and schemes, robber barons of the era eventually turned to philanthropy and charity work to paint a better picture of their legacies. Whether a career change is in George’s future remains to be seen, now that he and Larry secured fortune for the Russells moving forward with their railroad business venture.

As for Bertha, she had little time to nurse the wounds from the conversation with George before Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) walked in her room with the news that she is pregnant — after growing to love the Duke in the latter half of the season.

“Isn’t that what life is like? Something can be going perfectly with your life and then something else comes in and undercuts it a little bit,” co-writer Sonja Warfield said of the episode’s final sequence. The final moments show as Bertha heartbreakingly looks out her window and sees half her family riding away, unable to share Gladys’ big news as the beloved couple remains on the rocks.

Denée Benton and Jordan Donica in “The Gilded Age.” (HBO)Peggy’s love story

Beyond the Russells’ shifting dynamics, “The Gilded Age” put Peggy Scott (Denée Benton) through the ringer before taking her relationship with Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica) to the next level.

After his mother Elizabeth (Phylicia Rashad) spilled the beans on Peggy’s past adoption and the scandal that followed, the couple faced potential heartbreak as William worked through his feelings about Peggy keeping the information from him. Peggy felt hopeless at first, and almost missed the ball she and her family planned to attend in Elizabeth’s honor, but she ended up attending at the encouragement of her mother Dorothy (Audra McDonald).

Elizabeth got some stern words from Dorothy, her husband Frederick (Brian Stokes Mitchell) and William himself, who was then encouraged to follow his heart and asked Peggy’s dad for her hand. Then, in one of the show’s biggest romantic gestures yet, William stood in front of everyone at the ball and proposed to Peggy, ending the season as an engaged couple.

“I started crying on set at that last scene — even though I wrote it!” Warfield said. As for whether Elizabeth would continue to be a thorn on the side of the happy couple, she added, “Have you ever had a mother-in-law?”

Harry Richardson and Louisa Jacobson in “The Gilded Age.” (HBO)Marian and Larry

Another couple on shaky ground by the end of the season were Larry and Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson). After getting engaged earlier in Season 3, a misunderstanding and past trauma led to Marian calling it off via letter, a development that Larry did not take well.

Early in the finale, Larry was too preoccupied with his father’s health to mend fences with Marian, which initially led her to think all hope of reconciliation was lost. But when the pair reunited at Bertha’s ball, they talked through their differences and seemed willing to cautiously continue in their courtship. It’s not clear if their engagement is fully back on or not, but we’ll take it as a good sign that they ended the season with a dance.

“Marian is more at fault than Larry is in this third season, because she doesn’t trust him and is allowing her experiences in the past to color her opinion of Larry, which is really not fair. In that sense I’m more on Larry’s side,” Fellowes said. “But her life is complicated.”

“She has real abandonment issues, so I think she, in some ways, is recreating that by pushing Larry away,” Warfield added.

What’s next?

That’s just a taste of all that happened in the Season 3 finale. Elsewhere in the ensemble, Agnes (Christine Baranski) received good news when she was asked to become the new vice president of the New York Heritage Society. A deserved win after her recent misfortunes led Agnes to finally accept her sister Ada (Cynthia Nixon) as the new head of their household. And Jack (Ben Ahlers) was settling into his new life as a rich inventor, and seemed to be cozying up to Bridget (Taylor Richardson) during a visit to his home for dinner.

As for Oscar (Blake Ritson), after mourning the loss of his former lover John Adams, he seemed ready to bounce back and take on society. He ended the season agreeing to partner up with the recently widowed Mrs. Winterton aka Turner (Kelley Curran) with a potential marriage.

Fellowes and Warfield declined to tease their plans for where things will go next in Season 4, or how long it’ll take for the series to return with new episodes — Coon previously shared online that she has one film project ahead in her schedule before she’s available to return for filming. But the writers did express their gratitude, both to viewers who celebrated the show this season and for HBO allowing it to move forward and grow into the hit series it is today.

And with so many talented Broadway stars in the cast, will they ever put on a musical episode?

“I don’t know what it would take before we did a musical of ‘The Gilded Age,’ although I have done musicals before, and I have had a couple of Broadway openings and I can tell you those nights stand out in my memory,” Fellowes said. “It’s very enjoyable when you’re in the middle of it.”

“The Gilded Age” Seasons 1-3 are now streaming on HBO Max.

The post ‘The Gilded Age’ Finale: Bosses Break Down Bertha’s Reckoning, Peggy’s Twist and That Baby Reveal appeared first on TheWrap.

‘The Gilded Age’: Inside George’s High-Stakes Surgery in Season 3 Finale

“The Gilded Age” upped the stakes with every passing episode in Season 3, but nothing prepared fans for the intense rescue operation that kicked off this week’s finale.

Episode 8, titled “My Mind Is Made Up,” picked up soon after last week’s cliffhanger in which a delivery man opened fire on George Russell (Morgan Spector) and his associates. The Season 3 finale opened with a chaotic carriage ride back to the Russell mansion on 61st Street, with the household ready to spring into action when their wounded leader arrived. With the Russells’ regular doctor unavailable, they recruited Dr. William Kirkland (Jordan Donica) to help — a task that came with great risk to him being a doctor of color in that era.

That reality did not deter William from getting to work, performing surgery on George in the dining hall to remove the bullet and save his life with the help of Marian (Louisa Jacobson) and the house’s staff.

“In the beginning of the season we had a white doctor who would not touch Peggy (Denée Benton), so we wanted to show that contrast,” series co-writer Sonja Warfield told TheWrap.

“If anything had gone wrong and George had died, there were plenty of people who would have attempted to blame the doctor if he was Black,” series creator Julian Fellowes said.

Fellowes and Warfield consulted with Dr. Stanley Burns, who previously consulted on the HBO series “The Knick” with his expertise in Victorian-era medicine, to ensure the dramatic moment was as historically accurate as possible. Warfield noted that it was common for luminaries like George to retreat to their homes to treat such wounds, so as to prevent prying eyes at the hospital as well as the risk of contracting other diseases.

Jordan Donica, Morgan Spector and Carrie Coon in “The Gilded Age.” (HBO)

Donica said he spent about a month and a half preparing to shoot the surgery scene. Along with on-set consultants, he sought guidance from his sister, a registered nurse at a trauma center in Indiana who has performed the same surgery many times before.

“It was a great opportunity to show Dr. Kirkland in his arena of expertise, which is something our director Salli [Richardson Whitfield] was very keen to show,” Donica told TheWrap. “It’s not until after he’s done that he realizes all the stakes … he just sees a human life that needs saving.”

The episode also made it clear that William’s efforts and proximity to the Russell household were George’s saving grace. He got some begrudging kudos from the Russell family doctor upon his arrival, but the real reward came after George’s recovery, when the mogul gave William a big check for saving his life (though we are not shown the actual number).

As for Spector, he relished the opportunity to play victim in a sequence that “didn’t seem like the kind of thing we do” on “The Gilded Age” — especially since “I knew I wasn’t going to get fired.”

“The Gilded Age” Seasons 1-3 are now streaming on HBO Max.

The post ‘The Gilded Age’: Inside George’s High-Stakes Surgery in Season 3 Finale appeared first on TheWrap.

Bobby Whitlock, Derek and the Dominos Founder of ‘Layla’ Fame and ‘Exile on Main St.’ Session Player,’ Dies at 77

Bobby Whitlock, founding member of Derek and the Dominos whose soulful keyboard and vocals shaped the band’s only album, “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs,” and whose session work is heard on records by George Harrison, Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones, has died. He was 77.

Following a brief illness, Whitlock died early Sunday morning in his Texas home surrounded by family and friends, his manager confirmed to multiple media outlets.

Whitlock grew up immersed in the Southern soul scene, becoming the first white artist signed to Stax Records. He recorded as a teen with acts including Sam & Dave and Booker T. & the M.G.’s, later joining Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, a loose collective of touring musicians that included Clapton, Carl Radle and Jim Gordon.

In 1970 the foursome formed Derek and the Dominos in 1970, releasing their only studio album that year. Though met with modest sales, the record — featuring the title track “Layla” — would go on to be regarded as one of rock’s landmark works. The group disbanded in 1971 amid personal struggles and the death of guitarist Duane Allman.

Whitlock’s session work included contributions to George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass,” Dr. John’s “The Sun, Moon & Herbs,” Doris Troy’s self-titled album and uncredited – but key – passages on the Rolling Stones’ seminal “Exile on Main St.“ He also released four solo albums in the 1970s before stepping away from the industry.

Whitlock was also a prolific songwriter — he co-wrote half of Layla’s original tracks, including “Bell Bottom Blues” and “Tell the Truth” — and his compositions have been recorded by artists from Sheryl Crow to Derek Trucks.

In the 1990s, Whitlock returned to recording and frequently collaborated with his wife, CoCo Carmel. He reunited with Clapton in 2000 for a televised performance of “Bell Bottom Blues.”

The post Bobby Whitlock, Derek and the Dominos Founder of ‘Layla’ Fame and ‘Exile on Main St.’ Session Player,’ Dies at 77 appeared first on TheWrap.

Halle Berry’s First Husband David Justice Says They Split in Part Because She Didn’t Cook or Clean | Video

Halle Berry’s first husband, former Atlanta Braves right fielder David Justice, opened up about the pair’s three-year marriage in an interview on Matt Barnes’ “All the Smoke” podcast this week — and revealed they split up in part because he felt she should “cook, clean, [and be] traditional.”

The former athlete also admitted the marriage could have worked “if I knew about therapy.”

“My knowledge and my understanding, my wisdom around relationships just wasn’t vast,” Justice told Barnes. “So, I’m looking at my mom — and I’m a Midwest guy. So, in my mind, I’m thinking a wife at that time should cook, clean, [be] traditional, you know?”

The pair were married 1993 to 1997, a period that included Berry’s three-episode stint on the series “Queen” as well as her role in “The Flintstones.” Berry also made “Losing Isaiah” during the same span of time.

The years that followed included some of her best-loved, including her turn as Storm in “X-Men” and her Academy Award-winning role in 2001’s “Monster’s Ball.”

The baseball player admitted he’d only been in one relationship prior to dating Berry, which could have impacted his views as well. “Then I’m thinking, ‘OK, if we have kids, is this the woman I want to have kids with and build a family with?’ At that time, as a young guy — she don’t cook, don’t clean, don’t really seem like, motherly, and then we start having issues.”

Berry has since gone on to welcome daughter Nahla with ex Gabriel Aubrey and son Maceo-Robert with ex-husband Olivier Martinez.

Justice offered up another reason for why the marriage failed: Berry’s work schedule.

“We spent a lot of time apart because she was doing movies in this country, that country. And we honestly probably could have made it if I knew about therapy. If we knew about therapy, we probably could have made it,” he said.

Justice married Rebecca Villalobos in 2001 and is the father of three children: daughter Raquel and sons JR and Dionisio.

The post Halle Berry’s First Husband David Justice Says They Split in Part Because She Didn’t Cook or Clean | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

Al Jazeera Correspondent Anas al-Sharif, 4 Other Journalists Killed in Israeli Strike Outside Gaza City

Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif was killed along with four colleagues in an Israeli strike on a tent used by reporters outside Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital, the network reported Sunday.

Seven people were killed in the attack, including Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh and camera operators Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa. The attack was confirmed by the Israeli military and several news outlets, including the Associated Press.

Israeli military officials had alleged that the 28-year-old al-Sharif was a Hamas operative involved in rocket attacks. Al Jazeera rejected the accusation.

Al-Sharif was a well-known correspondent for Al Jazeera Arabic who reported extensively from northern Gaza since the start of the war. Moments before his death, he posted on X that Israeli forces were carrying out intense bombardment on the eastern and southern parts of Gaza City; in his final video, loud explosions and flashes from missile fire could be seen and heard in the background.

“This is my will and my final message,” Al-Sharif wrote in a posthumously published X post on Sunday. “If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice.”

Al-Sharif – and Al Jazeera – was a controversial figure even among some in Gaza, where some locals reportedly were upset that he would not cover their protests against Hamas.

Gaza wanted him out, and the video makes it clear. Locals are seen chasing Anas Al-Sharif, naming and shaming him for ignoring their protests against Hamas. Now he’s reportedly gone, along with four other Hamas Muslim Brotherhood mouthpieces who posed as journalists while serving… pic.twitter.com/MlfH2B0xD3

— Amjad Taha أمجد طه (@amjadt25) August 10, 2025

Photos published by Getty Images photographers on Sunday showed al-Sharif’s badly burned and damaged body being tended to by Palestinian emergency workers.

Al Jazeera has accused the Israeli military of waging a “campaign of incitement” against its reporters in Gaza, singling out al-Sharif in particular. Last month, the Committee to Protect Journalists said it was concerned for al-Sharif’s safety.

More than 200 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since the war began in October, according to rights groups, including several of the Qatar-based Al Jazeera’s journalists and their relatives. Israel has frequently accused Palestinian reporters of belonging to militant groups, a charge critics say is aimed at undermining coverage of its actions in the war.

The post Al Jazeera Correspondent Anas al-Sharif, 4 Other Journalists Killed in Israeli Strike Outside Gaza City appeared first on TheWrap.

Mike Huckabee Accuses CBS News of Intentionally Editing Gaza Interview for a ‘Different Story’

Mike Huckabee is unhappy with how a recent interview with CBS News was edited, insisting that the network made changes to “give you a different story than the one they had.”

On Aug. 7, Huckabee, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, spoke to the network’s Debora Patta about whether the country is committing genocide in Gaza. When asked about reports that the Palestinian population is starving to death, Huckabee answered: “Oh, I think that there are certainly people suffering in Gaza. It’s happening because Hamas has not allowed the food to get to the people who are hungry.”

After Patta said CBS “spoke to the World Food Program” and that the organization has “not shown evidence” of food theft by Hamas, Huckabee added, “I’m shocked they would say that.”

He then touted the work of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a Donald Trump-endorsed non-profit founded in February that has been tasked with distributing aid to Palestinians. “The GHF sites are effective and they are getting food to people. It’s not perfect, but it’s doing what President Trump required us to ask us to do that was set up through GHF,” Huckabee said.

“Get food to people but in a way that Hamas can’t do it. But GHF has no ability to verify who is getting that food. How do we know that those people aren’t from Hamas? You can’t absolutely guarantee that they’re not. But there’s zero verification process.”

Ever wonder how the media edits an interview to give you a different story than the one they had? Here’s @CBSNews interview with me yesterday and the unedited full transcript below. Take time and read. You’ll see it . https://t.co/6bubcQogyi

— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@USAmbIsrael) August 8, 2025

In July, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) director of philanthropy Hani Almadhoun told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes that GHF is made up of “mercenaries who are hired with big pay and brought into Gaza to shoot the people who are being starved.”

The narrative Huckabee suggested on Friday is also reminiscent of Trump’s October 2024 claims that CBS edited an interview with presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Trump specifically insisted the network intentionally edited her response to a question about Gaza and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Paramount eventually reached a $16 million settlement with Trump over the lawsuit, covering both plaintiffs’ fees and costs as well as a donation that will be allocated to a future presidential library. Going forward, “60 Minutes” will also “release transcripts of interviews with eligible U.S. presidential candidates after such interviews have aired, subject to redactions as required for legal or national security concerns.”

However, while Trump also claimed the network will be airing PSAs to combat deceptive editing, CBS refuted that detail and was not forced to apologize.

The post Mike Huckabee Accuses CBS News of Intentionally Editing Gaza Interview for a ‘Different Story’ appeared first on TheWrap.

Greg Gutfeld Says ‘It Took Guts’ for Jimmy Fallon to Host Him, Mocks Stephen Colbert – ‘My Uber Driver’ | Video

Greg Gutfeld and Co. took a victory lap for the Fox News host’s appearance last week on “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon,” with the consensus being that not only was it a fun moment – but something late-night culture needs more of.

“I brought fun by the gallon to our pal Jimmy Fallon,” the “Gutfeld!” [and self-proclaimed king of late night] said on Friday night’s monologue. “It went so well all the way home I could not stop talking about it with my Uber driver [displaying a picture of “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert.]

The canceled-by-May CBS host, criticized after his exit was announced for never having conservative guests, continued to get roasted as Gutfeld boasted.

“But it was nothing like the critics predicted,” Gutfeld said. “They expected me and Mr. Evil Fox News to attack Jimmy Fallon and they were mad when I did not. But I went on the show for the same reason I started the show. Late-night needs more fun. I was a gracious guest to a nice guy and he expected me to tear into Jimmy? You were as clueless and boring as the Stephen Colbert interviewing Kamala Harris.”

Gutfeld applauded Fallon for the invite – and suggested that had Colbert done the same, he, too, might be enjoying a contract extension instead of a pink slip.

“It took guts for Jimmy Fallon to have me on the show, not only because he risked criticism from the left,” Gutfeld said. “I’m talking about this coincidence. His contract’s just been renewed by NBC through 2028. You see that, Colbert? You should have had me on! And there is still time … I will even bring the tissues.”

“Gutfeld!” panelist Tom Shillue gushed about the appearance for being about anything but politics.

“To me, this was great to see and it reminded me that I think you and Fallon have a similar energy and that the model for the late-night host was always kind of detached and, you know, kind of sarcastic and above it all,” Shillue said. “But both you and Jimmy enjoy yourselves when you’re doing the show. Like you have a good time, you were always laughing at your guests, he is always enjoying his guests, so I thought it went great and I was just overjoyed to see it.”

Panelist C.J. Pearson noted that it seems like conservatives are “winning the battle”: “You going on Tonight Show, Sydney Sweeney being on the face of major fashion campaigns and not standing away from it but doubling down. … The more we do that, young people will come to our side and we will keep on winning.”

Watch the entire exchange in the video above.

The post Greg Gutfeld Says ‘It Took Guts’ for Jimmy Fallon to Host Him, Mocks Stephen Colbert – ‘My Uber Driver’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap.

The 7 Best Crime Movies on Netflix Right Now

Netflix has no lack of great crime movies for those looking for a great story about smash-and-grab robberies, lifetime criminals or even thieving magicians. Below, we’ve put together a curated list of some of the best crime movies on Netflix right now, ranging from Oscar-winning dramas to underseen indies and beyond. There’s a little something for everyone, which speaks to the diversity of stories inside the crime genre.

The DepartedJack Nicholson and Matt Damon in “The Departed” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Despite being the man behind classics like “Raging Bull,” “Taxi Driver” and “The King of Comedy,” Martin Scorsese didn’t win his first Oscar until 2006’s “The Departed,” a fairly straightforward crime thriller with tremendous commercial appeal. That’s not to ding “The Departed” – the movie’s a rich and wildly entertaining crime saga – but it was surprising that it was this film that finally netted Scorsese the trophy. No matter, “The Departed” stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a cop who’s enlisted to go undercover in a crime ring run by a murderous Jack Nicholson, while Matt Damon plays a cop secretly working for Nicholson. The whole movie is a cat-and-mouse game with reversals and surprises galore, plus an absolutely stacked cast that includes Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone and Vera Farmiga.

SicarioJosh Brolin in “Sicario” (Lionsgate)

Before Denis Villeneuve brought “Dune” to life, he casually made one of the best crime thrillers of the century by teaming up with future “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan. “Sicario” stars Emily Blunt as an FBI agent who teams up with a government task force to bring down a powerful cartel. Josh Brolin is a CIA officer who knows no limits while Benicio Del Toro plays a quiet assassin enlisted to help their cause. It’s taught and immaculately photographed by the great Roger Deakins, but it’s the film’s allegory that truly leaves a mark as Blunt is a stand-in for your average American citizen while Brolin’s ethically nebulous character represents the lengths to which the government will go in the name of “the greater good.”

Emily the CriminalRoadside/Vertical

If an indie is more your speed, the 2022 film “Emily the Criminal” is a great underrated gem. Aubrey Plaza plays a young woman struggling to overcome her college loan debt who finds herself embroiled in a credit card scam, excited by the challenge. It’s a sweet, thrilling little movie. 

American GangsterDenzel Washington and Josh Brolin in “American Gangster” (Universal Pictures)

This one was long-in-the-works before it finally got made by Ridley Scott, with Denzel Washington starring as a Harlem mob boss in late 1960s New York City and Russell Crowe as the detective hot on his trail. This is a crime epic, spanning years as Crowe’s character gets close to catching Washington’s crime boss only for him to slip away. The aces supporting cast includes Cuba Gooding Jr., Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin and Ted Levine.

Now You See Me“Now You See Me” (Credit: Lionsgate)

If you’re looking for a fun crime movie, how about magic crimes? “Now You See Me” follows a troupe of magicians – played by Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Isla Fischer – who use their craft to pull off various heists and crimes for the greater good. Mark Ruffalo is the cop trying to catch them, while Morgan Freeman plays a secretive supporting role. The 2013 film spawned two sequels, including the upcoming “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t.”

Hit ManGlen Powell in “Hit Man” (Netflix)

“Hit Man” is an absolute blast. From “School of Rock” and “Boyhood” filmmaker Richard Linklater, the movie stars Glen Powell as an unassuming teacher who has a part-time job helping with undercover operations in Texas. When he falls for a woman who tries to hire him to kill her abusive husband, he finds himself continuing to play the role of this tough guy to pursue a relationship, all while a key blunder puts him in hot water with the police. Powell delivers a powerhouse performance and Adria Arjona is lovely as the woman he’s trying to date.

The IrishmanRobert De Niro and Al Pacino in “The Irishman” (Netflix)

It wouldn’t be a “best crime movies” list without a double dose of Martin Scorsese. The filmmaker’s 3.5-hour opus “The Irishman” is a different kind of crime film as it chronicles the life of a hitman for the Italian Mafia, played by Robert De Niro, from his early days as a young man up through present day. Cutting edge VFX were used to de-age De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci so they could play their characters across decades, and the result is a violent yet thoughtful film about morality and mortality, and the value of human life.

The post The 7 Best Crime Movies on Netflix Right Now appeared first on TheWrap.

Marvel Spins Up ‘Spider-Man 4’ Sneak Peek From Tom Holland’s First Day on Set | Video

Filming of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is officially underway, and Marvel seems is making sure fans are there every step of the way. On Sunday the studio released a glimpse into the first day of shooting — with star Tom Holland front and center.

The video opens with Holland walking onset and telling someone off camera he’s “feeling good, man.” Holland then embraces director Destin Daniel Cretton and continues, “It’s my fourth-ever Day One on ‘Spider-Man.'”

“You know, it’s funny, putting the suit on, it feels different, this time, somehow,” Holland continues over footage of himself and Cretton discussing a scene. “It’s also the first time we’ve ever had fans on set for day one, so it’s really exciting to share this with them.”

The clip also shows Holland lifting a young boy — similarly clad in his own Spider-Man suit — out of the crowd and posing for photos.

“We’ve got some familiar faces on set,” Holland continues over footage of himself hugging an unidentified person before it cuts to the actor as he films a scene on top of a moving tank.

The fourth installment in Holland’s Spider-Man series will be released on theaters July 31, 2026.

The post Marvel Spins Up ‘Spider-Man 4’ Sneak Peek From Tom Holland’s First Day on Set | Video appeared first on TheWrap.