Unfortunate news for today. Nora Ephron, the essayist, author and filmmaker who challenged and thrived in the male-dominated worlds of movies and journalism and was loved, respected and feared for her wit, died on Tuesday of leukemia. She was 71. As a screenwriter, Ephron was nominated three times for Academy Awards, for “Silkwood,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “Sleepless in Seattle,” and was the rare woman to write, direct and produce Hollywood movies. Meryl Streep, who starred in thee Ephron classics, “Silkwood” and “Heartburn” (as a writer) and “Julie & Julia,” (as a director) noted that her interests and intellect touched on all subject matters. “Nora just looked at every situation and cocked her head and thought, ‘Hmmmm, how can I make this more fun?’ ” Streep said. “You could call on her for anything: doctors, restaurants, recipes, speeches or just a few jokes, and we all did it, constantly. She was an expert in all the departments of living well.”

Yesterday, Meryl Streep spoke to a packed house at Kent Center School. The presentation was part of the Kent Memorial Library’s “Great Performances” series this year, which featured opera singer Marilyn Horne earlier in the season. On Sunday, Streep’s star power pulled in an audience of nearly 500 people. In a dialogue with author Frank Delaney, Streep spoke about how she started her career, the various people she’s portrayed in her numerous films and thoughts on life itself. “I remember summers when there was nothing to do [in suburban New Jersey]. “We would say, ‘WE’RE BORED!’” she told a rapt audience in Kent Sunday afternoon when she appeared as the closing act of Kent Memorial Library’s “Great Performances” spring lecture series. “My mother would say, ‘Go outside and don’t come back until dinner.’ I remember lying on the grass and watching the clouds, smelling the wonderful smell of the grass, and all those things that feed the soul.” In making the introduction, Delaney said audiences have enjoyed the emotional thrill of her every role and her performances have inspired us. A nice article with plenty of quotes from the evening can be found at Litchfield County Times website. Pictures will follow.

Here’s the last batch of appearances pictures, ranging from 1998 to 2000. Enjoy the new pictures!

Appearances – 2000 – Screen Actors Guild Awards
Appearances – 2000 – Golden Globe Awards
Appearances – 2000 – Joseph Papp Humanitarian Fund Dinner
Appearances – 1999 – “This is my Father” Premiere
Appearances – 1999 – “Music of the Heart” Premiere
Appearances – 1999 – Lincoln Center Tribute to Mike Nichols
Appearances – 1999 – Wooster St. Reading of “The Night Before Christmas”
Appearances – 1999 – What Women Want Gala
Appearances – 1999 – Gotham Awards
Appearances – 1999 – Bryant Park Grill Benefit
Appearances – 1999 – Glamour Magazine Benefit Gala
Appearances – 1999 – Berlin International Film Festival – Press Conference
Appearances – 1998 – “One True Thing” Premiere (New York)
Appearances – 1998 – Hollywood Walk of Fame Reception

The next batch of appearances pictures has been added, now ranging from 1993 to 1998.

Appearances – 1998 – “Dancing at Lughnasa” Premiere (New York)
Appearances – 1998 – “Dancing at Lughnasa” Photocall (Ireland)
Appearances – 1998 – Telluride Film Festival
Appearances – 1997 – Dartmouth Film Award
Appearances – 1997 – Vassar College Visit
Appearances – 1997 – Robert Rauschenberg Retrospective
Appearances – 1995 – “The Bridges of Madison County” Premiere (Los Angeles)
Appearances – 1995 – Raul Julia Memorial at the Public Theater
Appearances – 1995 – “The River Wild” Press Conference (Paris)
Appearances – 1994 – “The River Wild” Press Conference (Los Angeles)
Appearances – 1994 – Mann’s Chinese Theatre Handprints
Appearances – 1994 – AFI Lifetime Achievement Award Honoring Jack Nicholson
Appearances – 1994 – “The House of the Spirits” Premiere (New York)
Appearances – 1993 – “The House of the Spirits” Press Conference (Copenhagen)
Appearances – 1993 – Rungstedlund Award (Copenhagen)

Here’s part three of the new additions to the appearances albums, ranging from 1989 to 1992.

Appearances – 1992 – Pediatric Aids Foundation Fundraiser
Appearances – 1992 – “Death Becomes Her” Premiere (Tokyo)
Appearances – 1992 – “Death Becomes Her” Press Conference (Paris)
Appearances – 1992 – “Death Becomes Her” Photocall (Paris)
Appearances – 1992 – Taping of “Oprah: Behind the Scenes”
Appearances – 1991 – Taping of “Voices that Care” music video
Appearances – 1990 – “Postcards from the Edge” Premiere
Appearances – 1990 – People’s Choice Awards
Appearances – 1989 – Rolling Stones “Steel Wheels” Tour – Backstage
Appearances – 1989 – “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” Premiere
Appearances – 1989 – Cannes Film Festival – Premiere
Appearances – 1989 – Cannes Film Festival – Sightings
Appearances – 1989 – Cannes Film Festival – Press Conference
Appearances – 1989 – New York Film Critics Circle Awards

Here’s part two of today’s appearances update, ranging from 1982 to 1989.

Appearances – 1989 – Washington Testifies Against No Alar
Appearances – 1988 – Capitol Hill Washington Meeting
Appearances – 1988 – Michael Jackson “Bad” Tour – Backstage
Appearances – 1988 – Actors Equity Association 75th Anniversary Gala
Appearances – 1986 – Academy Awards
Appearances – 1985 – Lafayette College Honorary Degree
Appearances – 1984 – New York City Party 1984
Appearances – 1983 – “Silkwood” Premiere (New York)
Appearances – 1983 – “Silkwood” Screening (Los Angeles)
Appearances – 1983 – Yale Honorary Degree
Appearances – 1983 – Vassar Commencement Speech
Appearances – 1983 – Academy Awards – Press-Room
Appearances – 1983 – “Sophie’s Choice” Press Conference (Paris)
Appearances – 1983 – “Sophie’s Choice” Premiere (Boston)
Appearances – 1982 – New York Rallye Against Nuclear Power
Appearances – 1982 – Unknown Event 02

Today, the image library will be updated with hundreds of additional appearances pictures, ranging from 1976 to 2000. Since these additions include quite some albums, updates have been split into five parts for a better overview. So let’s start with 1976-1983. Enjoy the new pictures.

Appearances – 1983 – New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Appearances – 1982 – “Sophie’s Choice” Premiere (New York)
Appearances – 1982 – Less Strasberg Memorial Service
Appearances – 1982 – Unknown Event 01
Appearances – 1981 – New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Appearances – 1980 – Academy Awards – Press-Room
Appearances – 1980 – Academy Awards – Stage
Appearances – 1980 – Academy Awards – Red Carpet
Appearances – 1980 – Hasty Pudding Awards
Appearances – 1980 – “Kramer vs. Kramer” Premiere (London)
Appearances – 1979 – “Kramer vs. Kramer” Premiere (New York)
Appearances – 1979 – “The Seduction of Joe Tynan” Premiere
Appearances – 1979 – Unknown Broadway Sighting
Appearances – 1978 – Unknown Event 01
Appearances – 1976 – Lee Strasberg’s 75th Birthday Party

I remember having parts of this interview posted before, but somehow – I guess with the new video archive – this one got lost. So here’s a treat from the past I was reminded of when preparing “The Manchurian Candidate” as Movie of the Week. In 2004, Jonathan Ross aired a half-hour interview special with Meryl as part of his “Film 2004” series. The full interview can be watched in two parts in the video archive.

Besides the insightful and funny interview, footage from the 2003 BAFTA Awards (“I would like to spank Spike Jonze”), the 1983 Oscar press room as well as from the makings of “The French Lieteunant’s Woman” and “Plenty” are – unfortunately only briefly featured. Screencaptures from the interview have been added as well. My thanks to Alvaro, who originally taped and sent this to me. Thanks!

This week we spotlight “The Manchurian Candidate”, Jonathan Demme’s remake of John Frankenheimer’s 1962 classic film. New DVD screencaptures have been added as well as new video clips – including a full making of and deleted scenes in the video archive. Production notes and my review can be found after the cut. As always, please share your thoughts on the film in the comments. Also, watch out for a special treat in the following update!