Free Republic

"Downton Abbey" is losing its Dowager Countess. Maggie Smith, who plays the sharp-tongued Violet on the beloved PBS drama, told the Times of London Sunday that the upcoming sixth season will be her last. Perhaps more alarming to fans, if that’s possible, was Smith’s broad hint that this could also be the finale for the show itself. "They say this is the last one, and I can't see how it could go on," Smith told the Times. “I mean, I certainly can't keep going ... To my knowledge, I must be 110 by now. We're into the late 1920s."

EXCLUSIVE: Paramount Pictures is talks to acquire feature-film rights for the classic sci-fi novel The Stars My Destination for producer Mary Parent. Written by Alfred Bester, the book (better known as Tiger! Tiger! in the U.K. for its opening-page reprint of a William Blake poem) follows a man who is shipwrecked in space for years when one day a rescue crew passes him by. Angered, he channels his energies into seeking revenge and begins scheming. The key art of the book is enough to get anyone intrigued.

Pretty much everyone who has ever seen "Star Wars" would love to be able to fly the Millennium Falcon around the galaxies. One crafty individual going by the social-media moniker Olivier C is living that dream, and released a YouTube video of himself piloting a custom Millennium Falcon radio-controlled quadcopter drone he built himself.

If you build custom chassis to make drones look like "Star Wars" starships, it's going to be hard to top the Millennium Falcon drone. A crafty guy who goes by the social-media moniker Olivier C is out with his latest "Star Wars" drone, and it's based on the TIE/IN Interceptor. It's arguably not as cool as his Falcon build, but it could still strike fear into the hearts of the Rebel Alliance.

Netflix’s enormously popular political thriller House of Cards returned for its third season on Friday—and unless you were playing politics in real life at CPAC 2015 you’ve probably seen the whole thing already. (Either way, don’t worry: No spoilers here.)Helmed by Kevin Spacey’s charismatic, manipulative and murderous President Frank Underwood, House of Cards has never offered a flattering portrait of politics. This season, though, several moments in particular stood out as offering an almost libertarian take on the fake promises and real sliminess of Washington. Entitlement programs are sucking us dry “Social Security. Medicare. Medicaid. Every entitlement program that...

The first couple of seasons were pretty good. Now it's just an homage to FDR and a rant against Walmart. When is Francis going to pay for all the crimes he committed getting to the White Hut?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L2fazw5Y9k

When it was released 50 years ago, The Sound of Music became one of the most successful films of all time. It was based on the true story of the von Trapp family (above) - but what did they think of it and was their life really like it was portrayed in the movie? "Everyone thinks the Sound of Music was exactly the way things happened, and of course it wasn't because there had to be artistic licence," says Johannes von Trapp. He is the youngest son of Georg and Maria - the decorated naval commander and singing nun turned...

A fitting tribute to Canada’s seventh Prime Minister. And the similarities to Star Trek’s Mr. Spock are extensive. Where Laurier said (of English and French Canadians living together): "Two races share today the soil of Canada. These people had not always been friends. But I hasten to say it. There is no longer any family here but the human family. It matters not the language people speak, or the altars at which they kneel." Mr. Spock said (in ‘City on the Edge of Forever’): "I am endeavoring, ma’am, to construct a mnemonic circuit using stone knives and bearskins." So, you...

Flight Nurse 1953. Director: Allan Dwan. Stars: Joan Leslie, Forrest Tucker, Arthur Franz [depicts Korean War 1950]

Melanie Griffith wasn't the only moviegoer who failed to check out "Fifty Shades of Grey" this weekend. Dakota Johnson's mom admitted in an awkward red-carpet interview at the Oscars that she hadn't seen her daughter's film. Plenty saw it over Valentine's Day, as the kinky romance grossed a record $93 million for the four-day Presidents Day frame. But the Universal release plunged 73 percent in its second weekend to an estimated $23.2 million. The fall-off wasn't unexpected for the femme-friendly drama, what with its unpopularity among critics (25 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) and ticket holders (a C+ grade from CinemaScore)...

It's as famous for its flash cars as it if for its action scenes. So James Bond fans will delighted to learn that its impressive auto-mobiles were seen getting a serious spin on the set of the franchise's latest film, this week. Two vehicles - including Bond's Aston Martin - brought the Italian city of Rome to a standstill on Friday morning as filming continued to gather pace on Spectre. Film-makers shut part of Rome's historic city centre to create an iconic car chase scenes for the upcoming release. Fans looked on as stunt doubles raced 007's Aston Martin DB10...

How did the famous Vulcan hand salute come to be? Leonard Nimoy "Spock" gives us the answer.

A NASA astronaut on board the International Space Station tweeted a picture Saturday from orbit of a 'Vulcan' hand salute as a tribute to actor Leonard Nimoy, known best for his 'Star Trek' role as 'Mr. Spock.' Nimoy, who died Friday at 83, of end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at his Los Angeles home, with family at his side, said his son, Adam Nimoy. His final public statement, last Sunday on Twitter, was thoughtful and bittersweet. "A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory," he wrote, followed by his customary "LLAP"...

Following in the footsteps of World of Warcraft's magical tribute to the late Robin Williams, Star Trek Online will feature an in-game tribute to veteran Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy, who passed away yesterday at age 83. "I want to once again express my heartfelt condolences to the friends, family, and fans of Leonard Nimoy," said executive producer Steve Ricossa in a statement. "Everyone at Cryptic Studios was saddened to hear of his passing and we want to make sure we never forget the cultural impact of the man or the character he played. To that end, the Star...

Our second feature tonight is the incredible but true story of the youngest American serviceman to serve in WW2. Rick Schroeder stars as Calvin Graham, who enlists in the Navy at just 12 years of age. Before his 13th birthday, Graham would be both a decorated veteran and a military prisoner...

An elusive child killer is stalking the streets of Berlin. The police have been unable to catch him, and panic so grips the city that even the city's underworld is determined to stop him at any cost. Peter Lorre stars in what has been called "The best film to ever wind up in the public domain." Directed by Fritz Lang. In German with English subtitles.

Spock is overtaken by the effects of the 'Pon Farr' a condition which effects Vulcans on a seven year cycle. He becomes emotional and starts acting strangely. A violent outburst and argument with Nurse Chapel is witnessed in the corridor of the Enterprise by everyone, and Kirk has to confront Spock in his quarters. After an uncomfortable conversation Spock finally reveals to Kirk that he must get to Vulcan to mate - or he will die. Kirk has to defy Starfleet to get Spock there after Dr McCoy convinces him that it is the only way to save his life.