HollywoodBollywood&everythingElse

Hollywood Film Review Johnson Thomas A docudrama on Trump that flatters to decieve Film: The Apprentice (2025) Cast: Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Maria Bakalova, Emily Mitchell, Martin Donovan, Patch Darragh, Stuart Hughes, Eoin Duffy Director: Ali Abbasi Rating: * * * Runtime: 122 m This film is not really a life story of Donald Trump but it briefly details his formative years in the real estate business and the strong influence that lawyer Roy Cohn had on him. Based on actual events with fictional elements meshed in, the Indian censor board refused to pass the film as is, and with Abbasi unwilling to compromise on his work the only alternative was OTT. This film is airing on Lionsgate play. Trump, of German and Scottish descent, belonged to a well-off family that ran a business focused on developing middle-class housing in New York. He had exposure to the company as a child.While in college, he began investing in real estate and, after graduation, joined his father, ...

Hollywood Film Review Johnson Thomas An all too obvious melodrama Film: Regretting You (2025) Cast: Allison Williams, Mckenna Grace, Dave Franco, Mason Thames, Sam Morelos, Scott Eastwood, Willa Fitzgerald, Clancy Brown Director: Josh Boone Rating: * 1/2 Runtime: 116 min. This schmaltzy romantic drama, a relationship saga that attempts to give your tear ducts a workout, is an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s romantic novel of the same name. Film adaptations of her books Reminders of Him and Verity are also in the make and are scheduled to come out soon. Adapted for the screen by Susan McMartin, directed by Josh Boone and filmed by cinematographer Tim Orr, this film is a spurious melodrama. There’s a lot of crying to go through here. The story is about infidelity which gets discovered after a fatal crash. It’s the late 2000s. Morgan (Allison Williams), her boyfriend Chris (Scott Eastwood), her sister Jenny (Willa Fitzgerald) and Jenny’s boyfriend Jonah (Dave Franco),...

Hollywood Film Review Johnson Thomas A fairly distinctive supernatural horror thriller Film: Black Phone 2 (2025) Cast: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Ethan Hawke, Demián Bichir, Miguel Mora, Arianna Rivas, Anna Lore, Jeremy Davies Director: Scott Derrickson Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 114 min. Blumhouse’s “Black Phone 2” is set in 1982, a four years after Finney (Mason Thames) survived the vengeful killer Grabber (Ethan Hawke in the earlier film). One would have thought that with the villain no longer available to terrorize, franchise ambitions would lie low. But there’s no accounting for creativity. “The Black Phone” was adapted from a short story by Stephen King’s son, Joe Hill. This film though, gets inventive creating a bogie that comes entirely from mental instability. Grabber was killed in the climax in the earlier film, but Finney Blake, now 17, in the present film, hasn’t really recovered from that trauma. He is struggling with his life after captivity. He take...

Hollywood Film Review Johnson Thomas A gently persuasive romcom Film: A Nice Indian Boy Cast: Karan Soni, Jonathan Groff, Sunita Mani, Zarna Garg, Harish Patel Director: Roshan Sethi Rating: * * * 1/2 Runtime: 96 m ‘A Nice Indian Boy,’ based on a play by Madhuri Shekar and directed by Roshan Sethi, is a romcom that ekes out genuine sentiment, while delineating a gay love story between an introverted American Indian and a extroverted white man adopted by Indian parents. Karan Soni who became known for being Deadpool’s regular taxi driver plays Naveen, a doctor who hesitates to take the first step in a relationship for fear that his parents would disapprove. He is conflicted and inarticulate and needs to be nudged into expressing himself. His first meeting with Jay (Jonathan Groff), his polar opposite in personality, a queer freelance photographer, happens in a Ganesh temple. The next time they meet is when Jay is appointed the official staff photographer for the hospital....

Hollywood Film Review Johnson Thomas Candy colored child-friendly fare Film: Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie Cast: Laila Lockhart Kraner, Gloria Estefan, Kristen Wiig, Logan Bailey, Eduardo Franco, Juliet Donenfeld, Donovan Patton, Sainty Nelsen, Thomas Lennon, Jason Mantzoukas, Ego Nwodim, Kyle Mooney, Melissa Villasenor, Fortune Feimster Director: Ryan Crego Rating: * * 1/2 Runtime: 98 min. The popular Netflix show gets a live-action animation movie makeover, DreamWorks Animation’s Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie, directed by Ryan Crego, with Laila Lockhart Kraner as Gabby, Kristen Wiig as Vera and Gloria Estefan as Grandma Gigi. The film probably hopes to create a franchise nearing the size of the Netflix series that spawned 11 seasons, 76 episodes. This film, given the pre-teen target demographic may not achieve that kind of success but certainly the kids would love it. The titular character Gabby, played in both human and animated form by Laila Lockhart Kraner, pos...

Civic Studios Joins UK Prime Minister’s India Delegation to Strengthen Cross-Border Creative Collaboration ~From Gurinder Chadha’s vibrant musical Christmas Karma to a pioneering £1 million Climate Media Fund, the women-led studio is redefining how stories inspire change across borders~ Civic Studios is one of the only creative industry delegates with deep roots in India Mumbai, 9th October 2025: Civic Studios, the global media company known for creating socially conscious and purpose-driven content, is proud to be part of the HMG Trade Delegation to India, led by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Taking place on 8-9th October, the visit brings together over 130 UK delegates, including 40 from the creative industries, to strengthen trade and cultural partnerships with India. This follows a landmark UK–India Cultural Cooperation Agreement, signed earlier this year between UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and India’s Minister for Culture and Tourism, aimed at boosting coll...

GRAMMY NOMINATED SUPERSTAR KHALID ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM "AFTER THE SUN GOES DOWN" RELEASING OCTOBER 10TH “IN PLAIN SIGHT” SONG AND VIDEO OUT NOW Los Angeles, CA –2025: Multi-platinum selling global superstar Khalid announces his new album After The Sun Goes Down releasing October 10th via Right Hand Music Group/RCA Records. Exploring themes of love, self-discovery, openness, and a refreshed sense of freedom, the album ushers in a bold new chapter for Khalid. Pre-save HERE. Today, Khalid releases his upbeat, infectious new song “In Plain Sight” alongside the music video which is directed by 91 Rules (Camila Cabello, Jon Bellion). Visually arresting and symbolically meaningful, the video celebrates Khalid’s personal and artistic evolution as he embarks into the night. Watch HERE. Khalid says, "This chapter is about taking my power back, living in my truth, and being able to express myself freely. I’m excited for my fans to experience this new era with me, not just ...

Hollywood Film Review Johnson Thomas A genre-bending thriller that keeps you on your toes Film: Caught Stealing Cast: Austin Butler, Zöe Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, Nikita Kukushkin, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio, Carol Kane, Laura Dern, Tonic the cat Director: Darren Aronofsky Rating: * * * 1/2 Runtime: 107 m In Caught Stealing, a genre-bending crime thriller based on Charlie Huston’s novel, Darren Aronofsky pivots from an intense psychological drama to an accelerating, wild adventure set in late 1990s New York. Stylish and capricious this crime thriller is sprinkled with dark humor, and works in some depth along with it. Hank Thompson (Austin Butler), a burned out former high school baseball player who has an alcohol problem, and a past trauma that haunts him, now tending a bar and dating a paramedic Yvonne (Zoë Kravitz), is called on to cat-sit for his neighbor, Russ (Matt Smith). Before he knows it, he finds himself embroiled in a ...

Delhi Charts Its Cinematic Future at FICCI Frames Silver Jubilee Edition MUMBAI, October 8, 2025: The second day of the prestigious FICCI Frames Silver Jubilee Edition turned the spotlight on the national capital as it hosted a high-impact roundtable titled “Made in Delhi: A Creative Capital Rising.” This dynamic session brought together policymakers and creative industry stalwarts to explore Delhi’s growing role as a cinematic and storytelling hub. Chaired by Kapil Mishra, Minister for Art & Culture, Tourism, Government of NCT of Delhi, the roundtable marked a significant moment in Delhi’s journey toward becoming a creative powerhouse. Attendees included filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Actress Divya Dutta, actor Rajat Kapoor, Mahima Kaul, Director, Public Policy, Netflix India, of Sabbas Joseph, CEO, Wizcraft, Aravamudhan K, Head of Public Policy, Jiostar, Ashish Kulkarni, Shilangi Mukherjee, Director, head of SVOD, Business, Amazon Prime, Uday Singh, MD, ...

Over 40% of the top 100 box office stars in 2025 are under 25, with Gen Z taking center stage in Hollywood. A deep dive by Heepsy, an influencer marketing platform, explored who Gen Z’s biggest and most influential celebrities are. Kylie Jenner leads the way, with a net worth of $700M. Coco Gauff stands out with her tennis career, making her the only sports celebrity on the list. Taking the social media spotlight is Sabrina Carpenter, with 83M people looking her up online each month. By picking celebrities born from the mid-1990s to the early 2010s, the list takes into account their net worth, their chosen field, and their most successful projects. Online and social media influence is covered by media mentions, Instagram hashtags, and monthly searches on Google. Biggest Gen Z stars The top 3 is led by Kylie Jenner. Previously known as the youngest self-made billionaire, Kylie Jenner now has a net worth of $700M, and she earned her fortune and influence through her popular p...

Film City to be converted into a world-class film ecosystem Industry has grown from ₹25,000 crore in 2000 to about ₹2.5 lakh crore today: Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Mumbai, 7 October 2025: Speaking during a fireside chat at the 25th edition of FICCI Frames, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, announced an ambitious four-year timeline to transform Mumbai's Film City in Goregaon into a world-class film ecosystem, signalling the state's determination to cement India's position as a global content production hub. The fireside chat with Renowned Actor & Producer, Padma Shri Akshay Kumar, saw CM Fadnavis acknowledging that the project had remained unexecuted during his previous tenure between 2014 and 2019 despite extensive planning. 'This time I have decided that we will convert Film City into a world-class film ecosystem,' he told Akshay Kumar, who directly requested the ...

TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti Highlights need for collaborative growth, digital radio rollout, and a simplified policy regime Mumbai, October 8, 2025: At the 25th edition of FICCI FRAMES, Mr. Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), emphasized the need for balanced regulation and innovation to drive the next phase of growth in India’s broadcasting and media industry. Mr. Lahoti noted that India’s Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector contributed ₹2.5 trillion to the economy in 2024 and is projected to cross ₹3 trillion by 2027. The television and broadcasting segment alone generated nearly ₹680 billion last year. He highlighted the sector’s transformation from analog to digital and now 4K broadcasting, complemented by the growth of Smart TVs, 5G, and OTT platforms serving over 600 million users. Despite this surge, linear television remains the primary medium across 190 million TV households. “TRAI’s approach is to ena...

Hollywood Film Review Johnson Thomas An immersive survival thriller Film: The Lost Bus Cast: Matthew McConaughey, America Ferrera, Yul Vazquez, Levi McConaughey, Kay McCabe McConaughey Director: Paul Greengrass Rating: * * * 1/2 Runtime: 129 m #AppleTV+ “The Lost Bus,” is an adaptation of a book, Lizzie Johnson’s nonfiction book Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire, which dramatizes the events of the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history.The film focuses on a school bus driver’s efforts to save a group of kids from a rampaging wildfire while ensnared by debilitating personal problems himself. Director Paul Greengrass who has made some memorable films based on true stories (“Bloody Sunday,” “22 July,” “United 93,”) returns to screens with yet another thriller true story in “The Lost Bus.” Kevin (Matthew McConaughey) who is in his late forties, has returned to his childhood hometown of Paradise, California, following his ...