Los Angeles: A gritty drama about a real-life Iranian serial killer titled 'Holy Spider', stunned the Cannes Film Festival, earning a thunderous seven-minute standing ovation and bringing a jolt of electricity to what's been a sleepy festival so far. The film, from Iranian-Danish director Ali Abbasi, chronicles a killing spree in the streets of the religious city of Mashhad, where 16 prostitutes were found dead from 2000 to 2001.A local journalist, Rahimi (Zar Amir-Ebrahimi), is trying to crack the case as she grows frustrated by the police's apathy toward finding the murderer. But in one of many twists in this drama, the identity of the serial killer is revealed early on -- he's a war veteran named Saeed (Mehdi Bajestani), a seemingly normal family man who spends his nights picking up women on his motorcycle and brutally strangling them in his home as a religious cleansing ritual. 'Holy Spider' will surely be one of the most talked about movies at this year's Cannes.While the movie's violence led to a handful of walkouts, it drew comparisons from attendees to David Finchera's 'Zodiac', as it sparked buzz that it could be an early frontrunner for the Palme d'Or, reports 'Variety'. The film, which was shot in Jordan, will certainly provoke a response from the Iranian government for its depiction of a bare-breasted woman in an opening scene as well as featuring multiple sex scenes.In Iran, movies are not allowed to feature such images, which Abbasi alluded to in brief remarks at the premiere. "This means a lot for us," the director said. "This means a lot to my fantastic team, my crew, my actors. But it's also a great day for Iranian cinema. There's finally at least one movie where women actually have bodies, where they don't sleep with their headscarves on." To loud applause from inside the Palais, he referenced how so many Iranians at the time sided with the serial killer in the case."And in the past 20 years, I always thought of a huge injustice that has been against the real victims of this story," Abbasi said. "And how even when people condemn this, they never mentioned those women. I feel that there is a little piece of justice here being played out tonight." The film is seeking US distribution out of Cannes, and it will likely spark a bidding war from indie distributors looking for prestige offerings. 'Holy Spider' is one of two Iranian movies playing in competition in Cannes. The other is Saeed Roustaee's 'Leila's Brothers'. Neither film has been cleared by local authorities to screen in Iran. Cannes 2022 seems to be a year that could mark the passing of the torch in Iranian cinema -- Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhadi is part of the jury.With 'Holy Spider', Abbasi makes the case for why he could be the next great Iranian director to make a name for himself at the world's biggest stage for international cinema.—IANS

A gritty drama about a real-life Iranian serial killer titled 'Holy Spider', stunned the Cannes Film Festival, earning a thunderous seven-minute standing ovation and bringing a jolt of electricity to what's been a sleepy festival so far.

'Holy Spider' stuns Cannes by showing nudity, sex strangling scenes

Hollywood

Los Angeles: Hollywood star Tom Cruise says landing the role of Navy pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in 'Top Gun' was "life-changing." The Hollywood star had always dreamt of being either a pilot or an actor growing up, and when he could combine both careers in one film, it was a big thrill for him, reports aceshowbiz.com. The 59-year-old actor told HELLO! magazine: "All I ever wanted to be was a pilot or an actor, so 'Top Gun' was a huge moment in so many respects, including my passion for aviation."He further gushed, "It was life-changing for me." "I got to actually fly in an F-14 jet which was a dream come true, and play a character I loved in Maverick," Cruise shared. For the latest movie in the blockbuster series, 'Top Gun: Maverick', he got to do more plane stunts than ever before. Cruise said, "The P-51 Mustang you see in the movie is actually my plane, so I got to pilot in those sequences." He continued, "I also got to be in the jet fighter a lot more this time, which was thrilling. It was something I had been working up to."The sequel to the 1986 action-drama comes with an epic soundtrack by Oscar winner Lady GaGa in 'Hold My Hand'. On how the pop megastar came to record the song, he said: "I had seen one of Lady GaGa's shows in Las Vegas and been amazed, so I called her to ask if she could help us." He added, "She sent the song over and it was perfect. It really is the heartbeat of the score."—IANS

Hollywood star Tom Cruise says landing the role of Navy pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in 'Top Gun' was "life-changing."

Tom Cruise reveals 'life-changing' role in 'Top Gun'

Los Angeles: &nbsp;Marvel Studios and Stan Lee Universe have entered into a 20-year agreement to license the name and likeness of Stan Lee so that the late comic legend will continue to be part of pop culture. Lee, the beloved co-creator of&nbsp;Marvel characters Spider-Man, Avengers and Hulk who died in 2018 at the age of 95, became a fan favourite of new-age fans who would recognise him through his funny cameos in Fox’s X-Men and Sony’s Spider-Man franchises and later in the several Marvel Cinematic Universe films.According to The Hollywood Reporter, the deal will allow the studio to use Lee’s name and likeness in future feature films and television productions, as well as Disney theme parks, various “experiences” and merchandising. “It really ensures that Stan, through digital technology and archival footage and other forms, will live in the most important venues, the Marvel movies, and Disney theme parks. It’s a broad deal,” said Andy Heyward, chairman and CEO of Genius Brands. “The audience revered Stan, and if it’s done with taste and class, and respectful of who he was, (uses of his likeness) will be welcomed. He is a beloved personality, and long after you and I are gone, he will remain the essence of Marvel,” he added. However, this new deal does not necessarily spell the return of Lee cameos in movies, at least not in the way fans traditionally knew them. Lee’s last cameos were for Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame which released just months apart from each other in 2019. Apart from his name and likeness, the agreement allows Marvel to use Lee’s voice and signature in movies and television projects, as well as to use images, existing footage and existing audio recordings featuring him.The rights to use Lee’s name, voice, likeness and signature exclusively in theme parks, cruise lines and in-park merchandise were also included in the deal. Audiences and park goers could see Lee turn up as figures and toys, and on apparel and stationery. Stan Lee Universe is a venture between global kids media company Genius Brands International and POW! Entertainment, a media company co-founded by Lee along with Gill Champion and Arthur Lieberman, in July 2020. Lee filed a USD 1 billion lawsuit against POW! Entertainment in 2001 for allegedly forging his signature on legal documents, but later dropped the claim.—PTI

Marvel Studios and Stan Lee Universe have entered into a 20-year agreement to license the name and likeness of Stan Lee so that the late comic legend will continue to be part of pop culture.

Marvel Studios signs 20-year deal with Stan Lee Universe

Los Angeles: Hollywood star Johnny Depp's lawyer began the cross-examination of actress Amber Heard, seeking to undercut Heard's claim that Depp physically assaulted her numerous times. Camille Vasquez, Depp's attorney, presented a series of photos of Heard taken shortly after alleged incidents of violence. In the images, Heard did not appear to have bruises or other physical marks, reports 'Variety'. "You should see what it looked like under the make-up," Heard responded. Heard completed her direct testimony earlier on Monday, saying that she ultimately decided to leave Depp because she feared she would not survive the relationship.When it was her turn to begin cross-examination, Vasquez noted that Depp has not made eye contact with Heard since the trial began more than a month ago. She then played audio from one of the couple's final conversations, in July 2016, in which Depp said, "You will not see my eyes again." "As far as I know, he can't look at me," Heard said.Depp testified last month that Heard was the one who abused him, and that he would typically flee whenever their confrontations got physical. Vasquez pursued that theme early in her questioning. She said Depp had "told the world he was a victim of domestic violence." "Mr. Depp is your victim, isn't he?" she asked. "No, ma'am," Heard said. Vasquez also asked Heard about the lack of contemporaneous medical records that would document the abuse. Heard testified that she did not seek medical attention after Depp allegedly raped her with a bottle during a trip to Australia in 2015. "I did not want to tell anyone," she said.Over three days of direct examination, Heard's attorneys presented a series of photos that showed marks on her arms, as well as bruises on her face and hairline.Vasquez also asked a series of questions about Heard's claim that she had donated her $7 million divorce settlement to two charities: Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the American Civil Liberties Union. Earlier in the trial, the general counsel of the ACLU testified that the organisation has received only $1.3 million of the $3.5 million pledge, including $500,000 from an account linked to Elon Musk, who dated Heard after she split up with Depp. Heard made public statements after the divorce in which she claimed to have donated the full amount. On direct examination, she said she could not afford to make all of the payments because Depp had sued her, but she intends to fulfill the full pledge over time. She also said the suit has cost her more than $6 million -- though that testimony was cut off by an objection.On cross-examination, Vasquez noted that more than a year elapsed between the time Heard received the final payment from the divorce settlement and the time that Depp sued her. Vasquez also repeatedly tried to get Heard to acknowledge that she had lied when she said she had donated the full amount. But Heard maintained that she uses "pledge" and "donate" synonymously. Heard said she was being accused of being a gold digger and a liar, and that therefore it was important to make clear that she didn't want anything from Depp. "You did want something, didn't you?" Vasquez asked. "I didn't want anything and I didn't get anything," Heard said. "You wanted Mr. Depp's money?" she asked. "Didn't get it -- wasn't interested in it," she said. "I loved Johnny. That's why I was with him." Earlier in the day, Heard had testified that she did not care about the settlement amount, but was advised that if she did not agree to some figure, the settlement could be overturned. She said the $7 million was "far less than what they were offering and what I was entitled to."—IANS

Hollywood star Johnny Depp's lawyer began the cross-examination of actress Amber Heard, seeking to undercut Heard's claim that Depp physically assaulted her numerous times.

Johnny Depp's lawyer to Amber Heard: 'Mr. Depp is your victim, isn't he?'

Los Angeles: Actress Elizabeth Olsen says making Marvel movies involves a lot of acting on your own. The actress, who plays Wanda Maximoff also known as Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe media franchise, most recently reprised her role for 'Doctor Strange' sequel 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness', reports aceshowbiz.com. But despite the film's star-studded cast made up of Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Xochitl Gomez, Elizabeth revealed she never actually got to meet the majority of the people in the movie, as filming involved a lot of solo acting.Speaking to Collider, Olsen said, "I never met lots of people in the movie. Also, we were acting with ourselves as well. There's a lot of acting with an imagination that we get to do, which is a challenge and a joy. There's part of it that feels really imaginative and childlike that we get to do." "Also, this script was always a moving object. It was never something that was set in stone. I wasn't surprised when they were doing the reshoots. I knew that the reshoots didn't affect my arc so much. When it did affect me, I just did voiceover work for it," she continued.The sequel, directed by Sam Raimi, carries on the story of world-renowned neurosurgeon Dr Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch), whose life changed forever following a near fatal car accident where he lost the use of his hands. In his quest to regain their function he obtained mystical powers that turned him into a superhero. The second movie sees Strange cast a forbidden spell that opens a portal to the multiverse which poses a threat so great to humanity that not even the combined forces of Strange and Wanda can fight them off.—IANS

Actress Elizabeth Olsen says making Marvel movies involves a lot of acting on your own.