Free Republic

John Guillermin, a prolific British director best known for blockbusters like the 1974 disaster movie “The Towering Inferno” and the 1976 remake of “King Kong,” died on Sunday at his home in Topanga, Calif. He was 89. The cause was a heart attack, his wife, Mary Guillermin, said. In addition to big-budget extravaganzas, Mr. Guillermin (the name is French, but he pronounced it GILL-er-min) directed a raft of films in various genres from the end of the 1940s until he retired from filmmaking in the 1980s.

Fire engulfs Shanghai high-rise, five deaths reported via AP - people reported jumping from the building.

Jennifer Jones, the beautiful, raven-haired actress who was nominated for Academy Awards five times, winning in 1943 for her portrayal of a saintly nun in "The Song of Bernadette," died Thursday. She was 90. Jones, who in later years was a leader of the Norton Simon Museum, died at her home in Malibu of natural causes, museum spokeswoman Leslie Denk told The Associated Press. Jones was the widow of the museum's founder, wealthy industrialist Norton Simon, and served as chair of the museum's board of directors after his death. Known for her intense performances, Jones was one of Hollywood's biggest...

Something you won’t hear or read about as McQueen enters a chic status among the Beautiful Poseurs that would’ve revolted him, is that he was a true iconoclast: a born-again Christian and conservative Republican who backed the Vietnam War. Keep in mind this was during the 60s and 70s when his generation of Hollywood was as liberal and hyper-politicized as today’s generation, only talented.

Blaze ... a 31-storey skyscraper in Madrid was gutted after a fire consumed it for more than 20 hours The fire broke out on the 21st floor of Madrid's Windsor building after an apparent short circuit. The fire was so large it lit the city of Madrid for a radius of several kilometres with an eerie glow. The building burned so fiercely it could clearly be seen from many kilometres away. Luckily there was no one in the building when it went up in flames. The stresses caused by the intense heat of the fire caused the top of the...