BET News & ET Present James Earl Jones: Life and Legacy (2024)

TINA

Tina Turner overcame impossible odds to become one of the first female Black artists to reach a mainstream international audience. Her road to superstardom is an undeniable story of triumph over adversity. It’s the ultimate story of survival – and an inspirational story of our times.

A Tribute to Ryan Dunn

Ryan Dunn's friends and family pay tribute to the 'Jackass' star with a look back at his extraordinary life. Join the gang as they come together to share stories and bid a final farewell to both Ryan Dunn and Zac Hartwell.

Tina Turner - My Songs. My Life

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Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna

A personal look at the life, work and untimely death of celebrated indie cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was shot and killed in a tragic accident on the set of the film Rust in 2021.

Gérard Philipe, le dernier hiver du Cid

An adaptation of Jérôme Garcin’s novel Le dernier hiver du cid, this documentary built exclusively on archive footage and a delicate story telling style will permit a Cannes style celebration of Gerard Philipe’s 100th birthday anniversary. He will also be coming back to the Croisette through the screening of Fanfan la tulipe.

Still Laugh-In: The Stars Celebrate

Hollywood's finest pay tribute to "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" for an uncensored and unforgettable celebration at The Dolby Theater.

My Journey Through French Cinema

Famous French director Tavernier tells us about his fantastic voyage through the cinema of his country.

Milestone No. 2

A documentary showcasing a family as they pack up their home of twelve years and begin looking towards the future.

Land of Dreams - Randy Newman's America

A portrait of Randy Newman, the American singer-songwriter, arranger and composer known for his Southern-affected singing style, early Americana-influenced songs (often with mordant or satirical lyrics), and various film scores. He has been a professional songwriter since he was 17. He cites Ray Charles as his greatest influence growing up, stating, "I loved Charles' music to excess.

Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special

In his final comedy special, Norm Macdonald ponders casinos, cannibalism, living wills and why you have to be ready for whatever life throws your way, all done in front of a camera, without an audience, and in one take. After his set, Norm's friends and fellow comics gather to salute him.

The Méliès Mystery

A documentary that details the process of restoring 270 of the 520 lost films of pioneering director Georges Méliès, all orchestrated by a Franco-American collaboration between Lobster Films, the National Film Center, and the Library of Congress.

Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist

A subtle portrait of Japanese director Satoshi Kon by the specialist of Japanese cinema Pascal-Alex Vincent and a dive into a rich work. With interviews of the greatest Japanese, French and American directors inspired by his work.

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert

A live concert in tribute to Freddie Mercury, former lead singer of Queen. Mercury died of AIDS and so some of the proceeds of this concert went to AIDS research. Features performers such as Metallica, Def Leppard, Elton John, Axl Rose, Extreme, George Michael, and many others. Performers alternate between doing their own hits, covering Queen songs, or jamming with the surviving members of Queen.

Dolly Parton: A MusiCares Tribute

In a star-studded evening of music and memories, a community of iconic performers honor Dolly Parton as the MusiCares Person of the Year.

Dastaan-E-Rafi

The biography of one of the greatest playback singers of Hindi cinema, Mohammed Rafi is a trip down memory lane. Fans of Rafi will love Dastaan E Rafi, a biography of celebrated singer Mohammed Rafi that showcases the celebrated singer’s extraordinary journey. The award-winning film by Shemaroo traces his life from his birth in Amritsar, to his struggle in Bombay before he got his break and his rise to stardom.

Concert for George

As a memorial to George Harrison on the first anniversary of his passing, The Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 29 November 2002 . Organized by Harrison's widow, Olivia, and son, Dhani, and arranged under the musical direction of Eric Clapton and Jeff Lynne. A benefit for Harrison's Material World Charitable Foundation, the all-star concert took place on the day of the first anniversary of his death. Proceeds from the film also went to the Material World Charitable Foundation. The film was shot using discreet cameras from over twelve locations.

This Is It

A compilation of interviews, rehearsals and backstage footage of Michael Jackson as he prepared for his series of sold-out shows in London.

Partition Libre - Sur Les Traces De Patrick Berhault

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Concert for Diana

Live broadcast of the concert at Wembley Stadium in London on July 1st 2007 to commemorate the life of Princess Diana on what would have been her 46th birthday. It was broadcast live to over 140 countries.

L'Histoire secrète des Inconnus, le doc événement

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Tokyo Phoenix

In 150 years, twice marked by total destruction —a terrible earthquake in 1923 and incendiary bombings in 1945— followed by a spectacular rebirth, Tokyo, the old city of Edo, has become the largest and most futuristic capital in the world in a transformation process fueled by the exceptional resilience of its inhabitants, and nourished by a unique phenomenon of cultural hybridization.

Nous les ouvriers

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Bruce Lee: The Legend

The Official Golden Harvest tribute to the Master of the Martial Arts Film, Bruce Lee.

I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale

John Cazale was in only five films – The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather: Part II, Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter – each was nominated for Best Picture. Yet today most people don't even know his name. I KNEW IT WAS YOU is a fresh tour through movies that defined a generation.

Celebrating Marvel's Stan Lee

Filmed in part in front of a live audience at The New Amsterdam Theater in New York City, this Stan Lee tribute takes viewers on an action-packed journey throughout the life of Lee and across the Marvel Universe, sharing never-before-seen interviews and archive footage with Lee himself from deep within the Marvel and ABC News archives.

Year of the Horse

Indie director Jim Jarmusch lenses a low-tech tribute to protean rocker Neil Young and his long-standing band, Crazy Horse. Stitched together from archival material shot in 1976 and 1986 along with candid scenes of Young and the band kicking back between shows, this rockumentary is as ragged as it is direct.

Grotte Chauvet - Dans les pas des artistes de la Préhistoire

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E. T., an Emotional Blockbuster

E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Steven Spielberg's endearing movie released in 1982, achieved the triple feat of bringing to life one of the most iconic characters in pop culture, revolutionizing science fiction cinema and establishing itself as one of the highest-grossing family movies in the history of cinema, capable of making the whole world laugh and cry.

Maurice and Katia Krafft: To the rhythm of the Earth

Maurice and Katia Krafft are a couple of scientists, filmmakers, researchers and photographers who have made vulcanology the reason for their existence. Together, they completed more than 800 hours of filming 128 volcanic eruptions and developed more than 450,000 films of great aesthetic and scientific value. A journey in stages around the world, the film pays tribute to the two protagonists, from the first ascent accomplished by Maurice, then aged 7, at Stromboli, to their tragic disappearance in 1991 on Mount Unzen in Japan.

What the World Needs Now: Words by Hal David

Hosted by Bette Midler, enjoy a musical tribute to the man who wrote some of the most enduring songs in American popular music. Lyricist Hal David and composer Burt Bacharach dominated the pop-music charts in the 1960s and early ’70s, crafting dozens of timeless Top 40 hits.

The Cook Who Changed Our Lives

Anna Del Conte is The Cook Who Changed Our Lives and the instrumental force in leading Britain beyond the land of spaghetti bolognese and tinned ravioli. Featuring and narrated by Nigella Lawson, Anna’s most ardent advocate, and starring a cast of familiar faces including: Giorgio Locatelli, Antonio Carluccio, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Prue Leith and Tom Parker Bowles, this film reveals how a Milanese cook, now 91, changed Britain’s attitude to Italian food at a time when we could only buy olive oil in Soho or the chemist. Infused with cherished recipes, revealing archive and personal testimony, The Cook Who Changed Our Lives time travels through Britain’s social history to reveal how we experienced and enjoyed our first taste of Italian food.

Hommage national à Jean-Paul Belmondo

A ceremony celebrated in the courtyard of the Invalides, in the presence of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, members of the Government, the actor's family and many personalities from entertainment and sport.

Tour de Cinema: The Swingin' Sixties

Dive into the game-changing 1960’s in the third installment of the “Tour de Cinema” series.

Tour de Cinema: The Eighties

Dive full-force into the most electric, profound, action-packed, and emotionally resonant decade in the history of filmmaking with the fifth installment of the “Tour de Cinema” series.

24 Hour Sunset

This film portrait of a new kind is a deep dive into the heart of the art scene of Los Angeles. From a ride on Sunset Boulevard in a convertible car at the sunrise, going through a lunch with the art dealer Patrick Painter and a visit to Peter Shire's studio... Having a beer and a deep talk with Paul McCarthy, calling Raymond Pettibon stuck in New-York or searching for Ed Ruscha in bars.... From Ariana Papademetropoulos opening exhibition to the visit of a car wreck with Umar Raschid... From the old house of Cary Grant to the dodgy underground of Downtown passing through Eugenio Lopez's private art collection on the Hollywood hills... Through intimate conversation, 24 Hour Sunset gives us access to the thoughts, inspirations and practice of legendary artists, world famous art dealers, appraised curators and collectors, as well as the young up coming scene of artists living in Los Angeles.

Tour de Cinema: The Grunge Era

Experience the 1990’s and the end of a millennium in the sixth installment of the “Tour de Cinema” series.

Side by Side

Since the invention of cinema, the standard format for recording moving images has been film. Over the past two decades, a new form of digital filmmaking has emerged, creating a groundbreaking evolution in the medium. Keanu Reeves explores the development of cinema and the impact of digital filmmaking via in-depth interviews with Hollywood masters, such as James Cameron, David Fincher, David Lynch, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Steven Soderbergh, and many more.

Pierre Clément, Cinéma et Révolution

Pierre Clément, student and photographer of René Vauthier, first accompanied him to Tunisia to make a film on the country's independence in 1957. Destiny led him to Algeria and his presence in February 1958 at the Tunisian-Algerian border changed his life. . Forever. He took his camera and photographed the attacks on Sakia Sidi Youssef before committing himself body and soul to the Algerian cause. Shortly after, he directed the film “Algerian Refugees” before being arrested, tortured and imprisoned, while his third film, “The National Liberation Army in Almaki”, was not finished. Abdel Nour Zahzah, a director who commemorates Pierre Clément, the director who risked his life, the brother of the Algerian resistance, who disappeared in 2007.

How the Beatles Changed the World

The fascinating story of the cultural, social, spiritual, and musical revolution ignited by the coming of the Beatles. Tracing the impact that these four band members had, first in their native Britain and soon after worldwide, it reappraises the band and follows their path from young subversives to countercultural heroes. Featuring fresh, revealing interviews with key collaborators as well as a wealth of rarely-seen archival footage, this is a bold new take on the most significant band in the history of music and their enduring impact on popular culture.

Quicksand

"A week before he passed away, my grandfather shared with me his former aspirations of becoming a filmmaker. After many trials, a narrow escape from the Nazis and immigration to the United States, the dream slowly but surely came true. surely passed out. After his passing, I discovered a treasure trove of dust-covered 8mm film archives that had apparently not been seen by anyone for at least a generation. Mesmerized, what unfolded before me was something something most people, myself included, had never seen before: the development and complete decline of the human body and mind. Motivated by my grandfather's unrealized cinematic dreams, I decided to reconstruct a film that he had already made involuntarily." Lance Oppenheim

Queen: Days of Our Lives

In 1971, four college students got together to form a rock band. Since then, that certain band called Queen have released 26 albums and sold over 300 million records worldwide. The popularity of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon is stronger than ever 40 years on. But it was no bed of roses. No pleasure cruise. Queen had their share of kicks in the face, but they came through and this is how they did it, set against the backdrop of brilliant music and stunning live performances from every corner of the globe. In this film, for the first time, it is the band that tells their story. Featuring brand new interviews with the band and unseen archive footage (including their recently unearthed, first ever TV performance), it is a compelling story told with intelligence, wit, plenty of humor and painful honesty.

Tour de Cinema: The Nifty Fifties

Experience the 1950’s in the second installment of the “Tour de Cinema” series.

Nothing Compares

Since the beginning of her career, Sinéad O’Connor has used her powerful voice to challenge the narratives she was surrounded by while growing up in predominantly Roman Catholic Ireland. Despite her agency, depth and perspective, O’Connor’s unflinching refusal to conform means that she has often been patronized and unfairly dismissed as an attention-seeking pop star.

Strijdmakker

VPRO icon Wim Brands died on April 4, 2016. He was known to the general public as a presenter of the VPRO Boeken program and also closer, with six collections of poetry to his name. This documentary about his life and work, built entirely from archive material, pays tribute to this television personality. A portrait in which attention is also paid to his complicated relationship with death. With a.o. Karl Ove Knausgård, David Sedaris, Ellen Deckwitz and Pieter Boskma. Brands' work merges with his rich inner life and that he chose death at the age of 56 casts a shadow over everything.

Barry Humphries at the BBC

Alex Jones looks back at the highlights of Barry’s career on a selection of BBC shows, featuring some of Barry’s funniest, rudest and most revealing moments from over the decades.

Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King

A tribute to Chadwick Boseman, celebrating his life and legacy.

The Rembrandt Century: How Art Became Big Business

In the 17th century, the Netherlands experienced an unprecedented artistic explosion: painters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer and Hals were so prolific that they were able to make a living from their talent alone; so much so that, within a prosperous society, thanks to wealth from overseas colonies and financial speculation, collecting works of art became a status symbol.

Elvis Memphis-The Concise Magical History Tour

In 1953, a young man steeped into a recording studio to cut a disc as a present for his mother. A year later, he returned to Sun Studios, and musical history was made. Mike Freeman takes us on a personal guided tour of the Elvis sites. Under his expert and enthusiastic guidance, we visit around 50 locations, including not only the famous Sun Studios, Elvis' high school and teenage home, but everywhere Elvis. We cruise from the eateries where the King used to hang out with his ""Mafia"" buddies, to the karate school where he perfected the kicks and punches that he was to incorporated into his stage act. We meet the Memphis folk who tell you how it all came about.

Bill Hicks: It's Just a Ride

Short documentary / tribute to the late, truly great American stand-up comedian Bill Hicks, included as an extra in several box sets. Bill Hicks passed away in 1994, taken tragically young aged only 32. His legend and reputation, however, continue to grow. "It's Just a Ride" is a celebration of his life and work, featuring numerous clips of Bill's many recorded stand-up performances, along with trbutes from Sean Hughes, Eric Bogosian, David Letterman and Eddie Izzard, amongst others.

A Tribute to the Wizard of Oz

A tribute to the characters and makeup artists from the Wizard of Oz, as performed and created by some of the top makeup people in Hollywood. On September 12, 1998, a group of top makeup artists gathered in Studio City, CA, to pay tribute to Jack Dawn and his team from the seminal 1939 classic, The Wizard of Oz.