Latest news with #HeathLedger
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Don't miss these 3 Netflix movies all with 94% on Rotten Tomatoes – they're all leaving soon!
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. As all of the best streaming services give their libraries a refresh, there's plenty of new Netflix movies to watch this month – however, 'in with the new' also means 'out with the old', with a host of content set to leave the streamer in the coming weeks. While plenty of the best Netflix movies will be around to stream for a while yet, some flicks don't make the cut, so to keep you ahead of the game, we've picked out three movies that you'll want to make sure you catch before the service bids them farewell. From superhero action, to gangster epics and moving romance, there's something for all tastes, so if you're looking to make the most out of your Netflix subscription, we've got you, with these three classic movies that you'll want to catch before they're gone. Leaving Netflix: Sunday, June 1Runtime: 152 minutesMain cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Gary OldmanDirector: Christopher Nolan The middle chapter in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight is considered by many to be among the greatest superhero movies ever made. The films follows the efforts of Batman (Christian Bale), Gotham PD lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to crack down on organized crime, that is until the Joker (Heath Ledger) surfaces and begins to create anarchy across the city, kicking off a chain of events that have personal ramifications for all three men. The film was released to huge acclaim back in 2008, particularly for Ledger's Academy Award-winning portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime which critics have called 'one of the best performances of the last twenty years.' But while that performance in particular dominated review headlines back in 2008, Little White Lies point out 'as gigantic as it was, it is only one important feature of an intricately wrought canvas.' The Independent echoed much of the critical sentiment regarding the deft way the film grounds a big superhero movie in an realistic setting, saying 'Among the great strengths of The Dark Knight is the way it combines hardboiled naturalism with the kind of stunts and set-pieces you expect in summer blockbusters.' Taken as a whole, Nolan's trilogy is a masterclass in blockbuster cinema and perhaps the director's best work, but as a stand alone film, The Dark Knight requires little foreknowledge and will have you gripped from opening titles to closing credits. Leaving Netflix: Sunday, June 1Runtime: 146 minutesMain cast: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul SorvinoDirector: Martin Scorsese Another epic film about male angst from a legendary filmmaker, Goodfellas sees Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi adapt Pileggi's book, Wiseguy. Often brought up in the same conversation as The Godfather, Goodfellas is perhaps the magnum opus of Scorsese's gangster film output. The film charts the rise and fall of Mafia member Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) along with his associates, including Robert De Niro's Jimmy Conway and Joe Pesci's Tommy DeVito. Starting in 1955, the film follows Henry's journey from his rundown Irish-Italian neighborhood in New York, to his rise through the ranks of an organized crime syndicate, ending in 1980 with his entry into the FBI's witness protection programme. Critics have praised the nuance of the film and its realistic portrayal of a world many movies depict as glamorous. Screen Rant called it 'a sobering cautionary tale warning against a life of crime,' while The Telegraph commented that 'seldom has violence been portrayed less glamorously or with more moral effectiveness.' Other critics have noted its importance among Scorsese's body of work, with The Times calling it 'the one towards which all his subsequent films have been reaching,' while Film4 says the film is 'arguably Scorsese's finest hour.' If you're in the mood for an epic journey through the moralities, the lure and the consequences of a life of crime, you could do a lot worse than one of the godfathers of gangster cinema. Leaving Netflix: Tuesday, June 17Runtime: 119 minutesMain cast: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy, Kyle ChandlerDirector: Todd Haynes Based on Patricia Highsmith's book The Price of Salt, Carol is a beautiful portrayal of forbidden love between two women in 1950s New York. Cate Blanchett plays Carol, a woman going through a divorce, struggling to find happiness in the world around her. Entering a department store to buy her daughter a toy train for Christmas, she lays eyes on store assistant Therese (Rooney Mara) and finds herself instantly in love. Conspiring to meet Therese again via a toy delivery and a missing pair of gloves, Carol insights a friendship that soon blossoms into a captivating romance. Drawing favorable comparisons to Brief Encounter, Carol wowed critics on release, while earning Academy Award nominations for both Blanchett and Mara, whose performances Herald Sun called 'Achingly precise (and unexpectedly poignant).' Many reviews praised the cinematography and direction from Todd Haynes, with Flickering Myth saying 'there isn't a single scene that is anything less than stunning to look at,' while RTÉ called it 'a sensuous, enchanting piece of work.' A gorgeous and moving romance, you'll want to catch the film Next Best Picture called 'a timeless love story' on Netflix while you still can. For more Netflix TV show-based coverage, read our guides on Stranger Things season 5, One Piece season 2, Squid Game season 3, and Knives Out 3.
Geek Vibes Nation
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
'A Knight's Tale' 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook Review - A Propulsive Popcorn Spectacle
The 14th century takes a rocking new twist in A Knight's Tale, a stylish, music driven, action packed adventure starring Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight, The Patriot), with heroic performances from Mark Addy (The Full Monty, Down to Earth) and Rufus Sewell (Dangerous Beauty, Dark City). Ledger plays William Thatcher, a peasant squire who breaks all the rules when he passes himself off as a nobleman and takes the jousting world by storm. The only thing that stands between William and his dream of becoming the World Champion of the most extreme of sports is the bad boy of the sport Count Adhemar. And when the two rivals go lance to lance at the world finals, you'd better arm yourself and hang on tight for the ride of your life! For thoughts on A Knight's Tale, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required: Video Quality The 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut of A Knight's Tale offers a sterling presentation for this adventure courtesy of a 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negative approved by director Brian Helgeland for both the Theatrical and Extended versions of the film deployed through seamless branching. The previous Blu-Ray was first released in 2006, but we have never been able to view that disc. By all accounts, it was a major disappointment, and luckily this new release comes with a fresh Blu-Ray derived from the new 4K restoration. As nice as it is to get a stronger Blu-Ray, the 2160p Dolby Vision/HDR master is what allows the film to look the best it ever has on home entertainment. This new release preserves the filmic origins of the feature to unleash a world of pleasing texture and detail. The Dolby Vision presentation brings nuance to the rich period aesthetic with a commendable saturation. Highlights offer a great stability without veering into blooming. Black levels are deep which allows this transfer to provide a notable level of fine detail in darker environments. Skin tones look natural and the clarity of the transfer gives you a wonderful amount of facial detail. You can effortlessly distinguish specific details within the makeup, backgrounds, and production design that have otherwise been murkily defined before on streaming and Blu-Ray. The interiors of various structures are given more depth which makes for a more compelling exploration of the world. The improvements in contrast and overall clarity are a standout aspect of the disc, especially when wading through shadowy corridors. This is another top-tier effort from Sony, and fans will delight in watching it. Audio Quality This 4K UHD Blu-Ray gets an audio upgrade in the form of a thrilling Dolby Atmos track that gives the film a dynamic soundscape with a suitably intense and immersive quality. The new disc also offers up the original soundtrack in lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio. Both of these tracks are tremendous in their own ways, but we are glad Sony is continuing the trend of giving fans a choice. Those who choose to embark with the original track may not get the cutting edge in audio, but you will be served a perfectly formidable track without any age-related flaws. The Atmos track conjures atmospheric sound effects appropriately within the mix so that directionality is unrelentingly precise. The track yields the expected emphasis on the front channels for dialogue and other distinct sounds while additional activity flows to the surrounds, rears and overhead speakers to make the world feel more three-dimensional. The height channels are implemented flawlessly as they fully transport you into the journey. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting overshadowed by the music or sound effects. The low end effects from the subwoofer deliver the desired extra weight to enhance the action sequences. Every single sound feels natural and energizing in a way that lifts up every moment. The film shines when it comes to the anachronistic rock soundtrack which complements the narrative really well. Sony has delivered a bombastic audio experience for fans. Optional English, English SDH, and a vast array of other subtitles are provided. Special Features Sony has provided A Knight's Tale with a sleek new SteelBook featuring artwork that is pleasing in person. The front artwork is William in his armor with a sword, and the rear features the whole gang with their arms around one another. The interior is a photo still from a joust. Video of the SteelBook can be found at the top of this review. Audio Commentary: Director Brian Helgeland and Actor Paul Bettany provide a very thorough archival commentary track in which they discuss the production of the film, the Carter Burwell score, the characteristics of the performers, the tricky choreography of certain sequences, the location shooting and much more. Gag Reel: A new two-minute collection of flubbed lines, goofing around, and more. Deleted & Extended Scenes From Tape Dailies: A new nine-minute selection of unused footage is provided in fairly rough quality. Quill & Quarterhorse – 2nd Unit Photography: A new nearly nine-minute look at some of the 2nd unit photography including horses launching off of their mark and a hand writing on parchment. Behind-The-Scenes Featurettes: A 33-minute selection of featurettes is provided here in which the cast and creative team provide the details about the creation of various moments including the complicated stunt work, the music, props, and more. Deleted Scenes: Six unused scenes are provided that didn't make the final cut of the movie. This footage totals 21:40 by itself, or 48:43 if you select to watch it with the optional video introductions from the creative team. HBO Making-Of: A 15-minute archival promotional video in which the cast and creative team discuss the creation of the film. Robbie Williams & Queen: 'We Are The Champions' Music Video (4:08) Trailers (5:03) Final Thoughts A Knight's Tale is a crowd-pleasing action outing that leans heavily into popcorn sensibilities with its aggressively modern soundtrack, its gorgeous (and talented) ensemble, and its sleek, propulsive editing. Those coming for something painstakingly accurate to history or narratively complex are not going to be the most nourished here, but those looking to have a lot of fun will be feasting. This is the definition of a good time. Sony Pictures has released a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a fabulous A/V presentation and a worthwhile collection of special features. If you only own this one on Blu-Ray or not at all, this package is by far the best way to view the film. Recommended A Knight's Tale is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook. Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray. Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Michelle Williams Makes Rare But Touching Comment About Relationship With Heath Ledger
The notoriously private Michelle Williams doesn't comment on much about her personal life, especially when it comes to the tragic death of her former partner and father of her daughter, Heath Ledger. So, when she got started chatting about him while appearing on an episode of Dax Shephard's Armchair Expert, fans couldn't help but take notice. Related: Jenna Bush Hager Reveals Unusual Name Her Kids Insist on Calling Her The duo started talking about Ledger when Shephard mentioned that he had known the late actor, according to Hola! magazine. "I feel obligated to say that I knew him a little bit when he was getting sober, and I don't know that I've ever fallen in love with somebody so quickly," Shephard said. "This is one of the most special boys I've ever met, and I can feel the weight of the world on him in a very special way that kind of broke my heart." "I was very, very sad, and I thought he was just so special," Shephard said of the Brokeback Mountain star who died in 2008 of a suspected unintentional overdose of a combination of drugs, which included oxycodone, diazepam, hydrocodone, doxylamine, temazepam, alprazolam, and a suspected chest infection. "So special, so special," Williams responding, bringing their daughter into the conversation. "Thank god there's Matilda," she said before commenting on her exe's "incredible sensitivity." For those who may not remember, Matilda was just two when her father died, likely further compounding the feelings of grief and loss that Williams experienced upon his death. While she may not comment much about her late ex, it's clear from the very few comments that she does make that Williams still misses her ex dearly and holds his memory in a special place in her heart. Hopefully now that Matilda is approaching 20-years-old she is able to learn more about her father and the impact he had on so many that knew him. Up Next:Michelle Williams Makes Rare But Touching Comment About Relationship With Heath Ledger first appeared on WeHaveKids on May 22, 2025
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Michelle Williams spills on 'horrible' experience living with Ryan Gosling
15 years after earning an Oscar nomination for Blue Valentine, Michelle Williams recounts the 'horrible' experience where she actually lived with co-star Ryan Gosling. The film from writer-director Derek Cianfrance (The Place Between the Pines) was critically acclaimed, earning praise for both Williams and Gosling's raw performances. They portrayed a young married couple named Dean and Cindy, as the film shifts the narrative between various points of their relationship, including the dissolution of their marriage. Williams, 44, who was just a year removed from losing her partner Heath Ledger when filming began in 2009, opened up on the unique experience on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast. The actors both agreed that to fully explore the depths of their characters relationship, they should temporarily live together, in a purely professional setting. However, she described the experience as 'horrible,' since it also marked a major shift in the couple's dynamic. The film goes back and forth from Dean and Cindy being happy and in love to them being quite the opposite, with Williams explaining there was a 'break in filming' between those two halves. 'We shot the first part when they're young and in love and everything's going really great, then we took a two-week break and we lived together,' Williams explained. She added it was more like, 'office hours, 9 to 5, baby,' and they were not actually cohabitating, but they did this so they could 'destroy' the loving couple they had built before their filming break. 'We did these improvisations during the day, honestly, to figure out ways to annoy each other. And to destroy this thing that we had made,' she admitted. The actress continued that they originally weren't going to take that break but added, 'We were having such a hard time letting go of the thing that we loved.' Director Cianfrance told them, 'We gotta mess this up, and we need to burn it down,' which lead to a bizarre ceremony. 'And we did a ceremonial burned our wedding photo and then we learned how to annoy each other,' Williams admitted. When Shepard admitted that would have been very difficult doing that with someone you have just met a few months earlier, Williams admitted, 'I know, it was horrible.' She added it was more like, 'office hours, 9 to 5, baby,' and they were not actually cohabitating, but they did this so they could 'destroy' the loving couple they had built before their filming break 'It was horrible i don't want to give you reasons to hate me or come in obnoxious,' adding, 'We were having such a good time the party has to be over so soon.' She added she, 'really was,' feeling the heartbreak in that second half of the shoot, adding, 'I was younger then,' and she couldn't always leave those emotions on set. 'A hard day at work for me now i feel it and I go through it but I definitely know that I get to go home i can really close the door on it. When I was younger it would definitely seep under the door,' she admitted. Williams was nominated for Best Actress for her portrayal of Cindy, though she ultimately lost to Natalie Portman for her portrayal in Black Swan.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Women really DO love a bad boy: Men with psychopathic traits are rated as more attractive, study finds
From Christian Bale in American Psycho to Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, psychopaths in films are often played by very handsome actors. And according to a new study, this is no coincidence. Researchers from Hunan Normal University have revealed that men with psychopathic traits are rated by women as more attractive. In their study, the researchers showed over 500 women photos of men with varying degrees of Dark Triad traits - narcissism, machiavellianism, and psychopathy. The women were asked to rate the men for attractiveness and trustworthiness. The results revealed that men with high Dark Triad traits were seen as both more trustworthy and more attractive. 'In short-term cooperative settings, individuals with high Dark Triad traits tend to inspire more trust,' said study author, Dr Qi Wu. '[This is] partly due to being seen as more attractive based on their facial features.' Psychopathy has been widely studied for decades. For example, previous studies have uncovered a link between the condition and eye-gaze, sadism, and being single. However, until now, the link between psychopathy and trustworthiness has remained largely unstudied. To address this research gap, the team enlisted 592 participants, who were split across four studies. In the first study, participants were shown neutral facial photos of men with varying levels of Dark Triad traits, and asked to rate them for trustworthiness. The second study was a trust game, while the third centred on another facial evluation taks - this time requiring participants to rate the men for dominance, extraversion, and attractiveness. Finally, the fourth study repeated tasks from the second and third studies, involving different participants. The results revealed that, across all four studies, men with high Dark Triad traits were rated as more trustworthy. Surprisingly, traits like dominance and extraversion did not play a big role in this effect. 'Notably, their faces still prompt greater trust even when other traits like dominance, extraversion, and attractiveness are accounted for, suggesting facial features have a unique influence on how trustworthy people are perceived,' Dr Wu added. The study comes shortly after scientists found a link between psychopathy and 'sadism' – deriving pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering or humiliation on others. Everyday examples of sadism include trolling people online, killing video game characters, killing bugs and even sticking pins on voodoo dolls. So if you engage in these sadistic behaviours – even if it's just making other people feel embarrassed online – you could be a psychopath. WOULD YOU KNOW HOW TO SPOT A PSYCHOPATH? Psychopaths display different traits depending on their disorder. Common signs include superficial charm, a grandiose notion of self-worth, the need for stimulation and impulsiveness, pathological lying, the ability to manipulate others and a lack of remorse and empathy. But despite the popular association, not all psychopaths become killers. Experts claim people usually find psychopaths intriguing, but can't put their finger on why. This is down to incongruous behaviour because psychopaths tend to do a lot of acting to deceive, or mimic normal reactions, sometimes changing their views and reactions quickly. For example, Self-professed psychopath Jacob Wells said that upon meeting someone, he tries to become 'the most interesting person they know' and presumably adopts suitable interests and responses to do this. His response also gives away another common trait - a grandiose notion of self-worth - in that he can be the most interesting person in the room. Psychopaths occasionally tend to exhibit unconvincing emotional responses, with slip-ups including tone of voice or body language. This may be because they are unable to understand emotions such as fear and love, but can mimic them. Generally psychopaths' 'emotions' are shallow and short-lived and there is a manipulative ulterior motive to showing them. For example, Mr Wells said he offers to do favours and tells false secrets to people to gain their complete trust. He also displays insincere charm - another trait associated with psychopaths. He says: 'I keep secrets, and tell them fake secrets to further gain their trust, and once they trust me enough, I ask for favours, reminding them of the favours I did them. I can get literally anything from them, which is incredibly useful.' Psychopaths typically display an incredible ability to manipulate others and sometimes take pleasure in doing so. Psychopaths often have an air of superiority about them, perhaps shown by Mr Wells' belief he can spot other psychopaths
