After narrowing down 144 eligible documentary features to a remarkably strong shortlist of 15 docs, the Academy’s nonfiction branch whittled down that batch to five nominees: “All That Breathes,” “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” “Fire of Love,” “A House Made of Splinters,” and “Navalny.” It’s a quintuplet of powerful films from five formidable helmers….

From “Walk on By” to “The Look of Love” to “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” to “The Blob,” Burt Bacharach composed indelible pop songs that became staples of the soundtrack of their eras. The prolific tunesmith, who died Feb. 8 at age 94, grew to prominence early in his career by penning film scores…

Disney+ Hotstar film “Gulmohar” marks the comeback film of veteran Indian actor Sharmila Tagore and the feature debut of Rahul V. Chittella. Tagore, who debuted with Satyajit Ray’s “The World of Apu” (1959) was last seen in “Break Ke Baad” (2010). Chittella has directed a few shorts and previously worked with “Monsoon Wedding” filmmaker Mira…

You might go in expecting an “elevated” IFC Midnight version of “The Exorcist,” but “Consecration” is closer to “Black Narcissus” directed by Roger Corman.

SPOILER ALERT: This interview contains spoilers from Episode 5 of “The Last of Us,” now streaming on HBO Max. If you thought the clickers from “The Last of Us” were scary, think again. The massive, lumbering bloater is one of the most fearsome enemies in the original “The Last of Us” video game. Nearly impenetrable fungi…

SPOILER ALERT: This interview contains spoilers from Episode 5 of “The Last of Us,” now streaming on HBO Max.  Brothers Henry and Sam have really been through the ringer by the time their storyline collides with Joel and Ellie’s in “Endure and Survive,” the fifth episode of HBO’s “The Last of Us.”  As rebel faction leader Kathleen…

Cody Longo, the actor best known for playing Nicholas “Nikki” Alamain in NBC’s daytime soap opera “Days of Our Lives,” has died, according to his representative. He was 34. The actor and musician, who was sometimes credited as Cody Anthony, was found dead at his home in Austin, Texas on Wednesday, according to TMZ. The…

To date, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has included only three feature films that focus on a single female superhero: 2019’s “Captain Marvel,” 2021’s “Black Widow” and 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”  Evangeline Lilly is hoping Marvel is in the mood for a fourth. “I’m going to make a pitch that I think it might be…

Vin Diesel is set to return for a fourth film in the “Riddick” franchise, titled “Riddick: Furya.” The new film is written and directed by David Twohy, who first teamed up with Diesel on 2000’s “Pitch Black,” and continued the hit sci-fi franchise with two sequels, 2004’s “The Chronicles of Riddick” and 2013’s “Riddick.” Diesel…

CBS is reviewing its closed captioning process for all live entertainment events, following criticism over the network’s Grammys telecast and its initial lack of Spanish captioning. That’s according to CBS president/CEO George Cheeks, who has responded to a letter from U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) that had addressed the controversy. During last Sunday’s initial live…