• Joseph Pevney (1911-2008) - Director, Actor - Directed James Cagney as Lon Chaney in Man of a Thousand Faces, Boris Karloff in The Strange Door, Debbie Reynolds in Tammy and the Bachelor, Frank Sinatra in Meet Danny Wilson, Joan Crawford in Female on the Beach, Martin and Lewis in 3 Ring Circus, which he also co-wrote, and Rock Hudson in Back to God's Country, Shakedown, Air Cadet, 1951's Iron Man and Twilight for the Gods. Beginning in the '60s, he mostly directed for television, including a number of episodes of Star Trek. Prior to directing, he acted in films noir of the '40s, including Robert Rossen's Body and Soul and Jules Dassin's Thieves' Highway. He died May 24 in Palm Desert, California. (The Desert Sun)

• Sydney Pollack (1934-2008) - Oscar-winning Director, Producer, Actor - Won two Academy Awards for directing and producing Out of Africa and was nominated for directing and producing Tootsie and for directing They Shoot Horses, Don't They and for producing Michael Clayton. For more on his career and death, read Eric's full post.
• Del Ankers (1916-2008) - Cinematographer, Photographer - Shot the early Jim Henson shorts Wilson's Meats Meeting Film #1 and Wilson's Meats Meeting Film #2 and appears as himself in the former. He also shot Henson's actual Wilson's Meats commercials. He died May 15 in Great Falls, Virginia. (Washington Post)

Oscar-winning director and occasional actor Sydney Pollack died of stomach cancer on Monday at the age of 73. The New York Times has a fairly astute and comprehensive obituary that details his achievements behind the camera, which include The Way We Were, Absence of Malice, Tootsie, and The Firm. He was nominated for three directing Oscars, winning for Out of Africa, and directed a dozen different actors in Oscar-nominated performances.

To me, it seems like Pollack never quite got his due. Despite the majority of his films being above-average in quality (and at least one, Tootsie, being a genuine classic), he was rarely mentioned in the same breath as the other 1970s and '80s powerhouse filmmakers. Maybe he wasn't prolific enough: In a 40-year theatrical career he made just 21 films, and only a few were major box-office blockbusters.

People liked him, though. I know I did. His frequent supporting roles (sometimes in his own films) gave moviegoers a face to go with the name, and he always came across as a friendly, knowledgeable man, the kind of guy you could chat with. (It's a pity his final onscreen performance was in the wretched Made of Honor. Then again, Orson Welles' last film was the 1985 Transformers movie, so Pollack's in good company.)

I was talking with a friend the other day about the shocking decline in the quality of Kevin Spacey's films. It seems as though that Oscar for American Beauty was some sort of horrific curse, sending him into a long run of ill-advised, disastrous movie projects. Look at the man's filmography pre and then post Beauty. It's distressing! But Variety is reporting on a flick that sounds like it might turn things around. HBO Films' Recount will tell the story of the Florida results in the 2000 election, one of the most controversial political events of recent years. As Monika recently told you, Sydney Pollack was supposed to direct but dropped out due to "an undisclosed illness." Jay Roach, a director primarily known for broad comedy (Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Meet the Parents, and their lesser sequels), will now direct. Danny Strong wrote the screenplay. The film will document "the legal and political maneuvering from the point of view of both the Bush and Gore camps."

Spacey will star as Ron Klain, "former chief of staff to vice president Al Gore and one of the lead attorneys who challenged the voting results in Florida." In addition to Spacey, Recount has lined up one hell of a supporting cast: Laura Dern will play Katherine Harris, the Florida secretary of state who certified that George W. Bush had won the state. Denis Leary (what went wrong on this season of Rescue Me, DL?) plays Michael Whouley, a Democrat pollster. John Hurt plays Warren Christopher, a key player for Gore. Tom Wilkinson plays James Baker, brought in by the Republicans to see that the disputed results held up. And two Christopher Guest alums will duke it out in the courtroom. Ed Begley, Jr will play David Boies, the lawyer who appealed the results and argued for the Democrats. Bob Balaban plays Ben Ginsberg, head attorney for George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. See what I mean about that supporting cast? You won't have to demand a Recount -- look for the film on HBO during the 2008 presidential election.

I walked out of Michael Clayton feeling something like 'let down,' although a brief examination of my expectations got to the root of the matter. Walking into Michael Clayton, I was hoping for a film along the lines of classic '70s Sidney Lumet or Alan J. Pakula; what I got was something more along the lines of an above-average '90s John Grisham adaptation.

And even that's not necessarily dismissing Michael Clayton; when you realize that it's gone off track from the destination it tried to reach, you're still gladly along for the ride. George Clooney plays the title character -- a New York lawyer with a fairly specific brief. Clayton's been at the big-time firm of Kenner, Back and Ledeen for years, but he's not a partner, and he hasn't set foot in a courtroom in a long time. He's a troubleshooter, a fixer; when a client's in the glue, Clayton's the guy with enough grease to just maybe get him unstuck. That's how we first meet him -- driving in the middle of the night to the house of a client who's gotten in trouble. Clayton can brace the man for what's coming, and guide him through it, but he can't make it go away: "I'm not a miracle worker; I'm a janitor."

And so, we get a fast understanding of Clayton: He knows how the law works -- even if he may not necessarily like it. He can fix anything -- except, it seems, his own life. He's not crazy about his work -- but it pays the bills, and he's got plenty of them. The film (after an unexpected development) flashes back a few days, to show just how Clayton got to where he is right at the moment ...

I was at a dinner party recently, and the conversation turned to movies. Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut (1999) came up, accompanied by the usual groans of disapproval and boredom. I felt obligated to say what I usually say in such situations, to say something that results in shock and disbelief: that Eyes Wide Shut is the best movie I've seen since I have been a professional movie critic.

The initial responses to Eyes Wide Shut revolved around the following: 1) The MPAA, their threat of an NC-17 rating and Warner Bros' decision to alter the offending scene by censoring it with "digital figures." 2) Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's marriage and how it was affected by the filming. 3) Kubrick's death in March of 1999 and whether or not the released film was as he intended. 4) The fact that the film was set, but not shot in New York City and didn't look at all like the real thing; that Kubrick was an exile who hadn't actually been to New York for more than three decades. There were other rumors, and specific complaints about certain scenes that colored nearly everyone's opinion, but none of these had anything to do with the movie itself, as it actually exists.

Variety is reporting that two of Hollywood's palest and chilliest stars are joining forces for The Reader. Nicole Kidman and Ralph Fiennes will star in the romance, which is to be based on the international bestselling novel by German writer Bernhard Schlink. IMDb lists Anthony Minghella as director of the film, but it appears that information is inaccurate or has changed. Minghella will produce, along with Sydney Pollack and Scott Rudin. Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot) is now set to direct the movie, and David Hare will write the script. The project is something of a reunion of the team that worked on 2002's The Hours. Daldry directed that film, Hare wrote it, Rudin produced it, and it won Kidman a Best Actress Oscar.

The Reader is set in contemporary Germany, where "a man recounts the story of his erotic awakening in a covert love affair with an older woman in the wake of World War II." I assume Fiennes is playing the man recounting his story and Kidman is playing the older woman here? That might be tricky to pull off, considering Kidman is five years younger than Fiennes. And "erotic awakening?" I thought that term wasn't used outside of Cinemax plot descriptions. I must admit, I have a real problem getting into a lot of these period romance films, they all just sort of run together for me. I'm glad Minghella isn't at the wheel, though. Just writing that guy's name makes my eyelids heavy. The Reader was an Oprah's Book Club selection, and with her massive following, the film adaptation should have a built-in audience. Have any of our readers read The Reader? And can you say that three times fast? And what did you think of the book?

While all you women out there might be a bit miffed over the fact that red lettering is taking away from a crystal clear picture of the overly hunk-ish George Clooney, I happen to think it looks great. Warner Bros. has supplied Cinematical with the first and final one-sheet for Clooney's upcoming drama/thriller Michael Clayton (click on the poster for a larger version), and I certainly dig it. In the film, Clooney plays Michael Clayton; an in-house "fixer" at a major law firm. Basically, when someone screws up, they send this guy in to, well, fix it. Problem is, Clayton has issues of his own to deal with (a divorce, a failed business, lots of debt -- essentially, it appears his entire life is out of focus; hence the image), and when a lawyer at his firm sabotages a multi-million dollar class action suit, guess who's job it is to clean up the mess? And what a mess it is ...

Michael Clayton also marks the directorial debut of writer Tony Gilroy, who previously penned all three Bourne films, as well as another great law flick, The Devil's Advocate ("Free will, right?"). Joining Clooney in the film (which debuted a trailer back in May) are Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton and the great Sydney Pollack. Is it just me, or do I smell Oscar season on the horizon? Michael Clayton arrives in theaters on October 5th.

It looked like Danny Strong was going to hit it out of the park for his first written feature (or heck, film of any kind), the made-for-television Recount. Yes, I'm talking about the same Strong who played uber-geek Jonathan on Buffy, and Paris' main man Doyle on Gilmore Girls. In April, Sydney Pollack, of Tootsie fame, had signed onto direct the feature, which delves into the infamous Florida recount during the 2000 federal election. The plan was to begin shooting this fall, but now the project has lost its famed director.

Reuters has reported that the 73-year-old Pollack has withdrawn from the film, citing an undisclosed illness. While he will stay on as an executive producer, Leslie Dart is quoted as saying: "He's got some medical issues. He's not feeling well right now. It would be unrealistic for him to go into production right away." The project is a political drama that will focus on the "personal stories of ordinary people caught up in the acrimonious ballot recounts in Florida." Like The Queen, Recount will use archive footage to further the story. Considering the fact that the film will not focus on the headlining names, it'll be interesting to see what Strong has cooked up. Should no further challenges slow the project, we should expect the film just in time for next year's election.

Shopping, casting and rumors, oh my!

• On the first, Patrick Walsh shared word that Peter Jackson was shopping around his script for Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones. On the third, I shared New York magazine's first look at the script that Jackson was looking to sell for $65 million + fees. Now The Hollywood Reporter says that DreamWorks is the lucky winner. They have won the rights to the script, beating out other movie houses like Warner Brothers and Sony. Jackson is, of course, directing, and the film is set to shoot this October in Pennsylvania and New Zealand before being distributed by Paramount. Now... Who will star?
• As we told you last year, McDreamy doctor Patrick Dempsey had signed on to star in the upcoming romantic comedy, Made of Honor. In February, Michelle Monaghan signed to play his platonic, old friend-turned-love interest. Now The Hollywood Reporter is adding three new names to the mix. First, there is model/actress Beau Garrett, who will soon be seen as Frankie Raye in the next Fantastic Four film. Then, there is Tootsie director Sydney Pollack, who has signed on to play Dempsey's dad. Even better is one of the supporting cast -- Kadeem Hardison. Remember the name? He's Dwayne Wayne! Is it time for his comeback?
• Last we've got a rumor, but it's an interesting one, so I thought I'd share. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix has not come out yet, but the rumor mill has greased its wheels for the next installment. According to LaineyGossip, U.K. buzz says that Naomi Watts might grab the role of Narcissa Malfoy nee Black -- wife* to Lucius, mother to Malfoy and connections to others who will not be named for those who haven't read the books. The site muses that Watts claims she feels more British than Australian (she was born in England) recently to warm Rowling up to the thought of her taking the role -- legend says that the author says only British actors can be cast in the films. Can you see her as Momma Malfoy?

*Edited, because she's obviously not a husband. Thanks, Cine readers! MB

I can think of no one in the world better suited to teach a class on film than Martin Scorsese. Not only is he one of the most knowledgeable film buffs out there, he talks so fast I'd imagine you get three or four times the information in the same amount of time! Organizers of the Festival de Cannes (let me just grab my French/English dictionary...ah yes...Cannes Festival) just announced that Scorsese will be presenting a "Masterclass" at the 60th annual event. Scorsese will teach the class for students and film fans on Thursday, May 24th. Others who have taught the course are Wong Kar Wai, Nanni Moretti, Stephen Frears, and Sydney Pollack, who I don't imagine was bombarded with questions about Random Hearts.

Scorsese's got a busy trip planned, he will also present the Camera d'Or to the director of the best first film in competition at the closing ceremony. And most excitingly, he will be announcing the launch of his World Cinema Foundation, which will be "devoted to the preservation and restoration of cinematic masterpieces from across the globe." God, I love this guy. Scorsese won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1976 for Taxi Driver - amazingly, he wasn't even nominated for the Best Director Oscar for that film - and was president of the Cannes jury in 1998. If you'd like to get the experience of being taught by Mr. Scorsese and can't afford a trip to France, let me highly recommend the DVD A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies. It is absolutely fantastic and you can get it cheap.