Penn eventually left Ukraine for safety reasons, but in a new interview with Hollywood Authentic, the actor said he almost stayed and joined the fight himself. “The only possible reason for me staying in Ukraine longer last time would’ve been for me to be holding a rifle,” Penn said. “Probably without body armor, because as a foreigner, you would want to give that body armor to one of the civilian fighters who doesn’t have it or to a fighter with more skills than I have, or to a younger man or woman who could fight for longer or whatever....

The rooms are dressed with holly and candles. The tree is aglow, with a raft of presents beneath it; the larder is stocked with festive treats. And a group of friends converge on this jubilant scene, after a couple of front-seat arguments about whether the new Christmas #1 single is fun or rubbish. It’s probably rubbish, but no one wants to be too negative for this Yuletide gathering. It’s not just the warm glow of the season keeping the cynicism at bay, but the glowing stormclouds on the horizon....

With its vibrant sun-soaked tapestry and whimsical characters committed to an idyllic fantasy, “Some Kind of Heaven” plays like a companion piece to “The Beach Bum,” or perhaps adds some fragment to its expanded universe. At the same time, there’s an element of executive producer Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” to Oppenheim’s melancholic portrait of aging men and women keen on capturing the rascally, devil-may-care energy of their youth — no matter the risks....

While a number of other film festivals have had to rejigger their plans in recent months (most notably, Sundance, which had to pivot to another virtual edition just days before it was set to roll out in Park City, UT in January), SXSW stands out: it’s one of the first major U.S. festivals to get back to a mostly in-person affair since the start of the pandemic. And this year’s programming won’t disappoint those who opt to travel to Texas for the event, with a slate packed with both proven quantities and actual discoveries....

The streamer reported that “Gray” amassed over 88 million hours in worldwide viewing its initial weekend, the fifth highest for an original film. That’s 60 million fewer hours than last year’s “Red Notice” starring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot. “Red” spent 12 days as #1, including two full weekends, but more important is the staying power of an expensive original. “Red” placed in the top 10 over 11 weeks; “Gray” will need to stick around until mid-October to accomplish the same, with total hours viewed as the most important metric....

Now, with Hulu’s “The Kardashians” premiering April 14, the former E! stars give an unprecedented look into their very public private lives. “We’ve had so much time off, we’ve kind of gone into our own worlds,” Khloé Kardashian says in the new trailer, with a glimpse at her “complicated” relationship with her ex, Tristan Thompson. “Trust takes time,” the Good American founder adds, and that sentiment certainly rings true for all of the siblings....

In its second week of PVOD play, “The Marksman” notched #1 at FandangoNow, #2 at Apple TV, and #3 at Google Play. That’s a strong response for the last two which, unlike FandangoNow, list by number of rentals rather than revenue. “Nomadland,” newly reduced in price at Spectrum, placed #1 there. The Best Picture winner fell elsewhere, notching lower slots at Apple TV and GooglePlay. Original Screenplay winner “Promising Young Woman,” a presence for four months in PVOD and now VOD, was the only other Oscar recipient to remain on the lists....