Movies

Melanie Griffith is learning that a home in the middle of nowhere might be hard to sell ... even if it’s posh Aspen, you know, where the beer flows like wine.

Griffith just lowered the price of her incredible Aspen retreat by a mil, after originally listing it for $9.9 million back in June.

We're told Melanie is ready to let go of the place now that all her kids are older and the massive home is not worth the hassle. She plans on staying at hotels when she visits.

She should find a buyer … the 7 bedroom pad has breathtaking 360 views of the Maroon Bells ... with a major bonus -- its own private ski run! It's also not too far from the lifts at Aspen Highlands and Ajax.

Kurt Russell's been around long enough to know how the game's played -- if your movie wins an award, shut up about the director being embroiled in a controversy about police brutality!

We got Kurt -- with Tim Roth and Walton Goggins -- hours after their flick, "Hateful Eight" won the Hollywood Film Award for best ensemble. Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed the movie ... long before he joined a NYC protest against police brutality.

Quentin's vocal stance reportedly got him in hot water with executive producer Harvey Weinstein, who probably doesn't want controversy affecting the box office.

As Kurt and the cast left Mr Chow Saturday night, they were obviously trying to keep it light. Translation: Just win, baby.

Former U.S. Senator and longtime Hollywood actor Fred Thompson died in Tennessee today after battling cancer.

Thompson famously co-starred in tons of big budget movies, like "Die Hard 2," "The Hunt for Red October" and "Cape Fear" -- before going on to win office as a U.S. Senator for Tennessee.

Thompson served in the Senate from 1994 to 2003. He was also an attorney and was appointed minority counsel for the Republican Senators who were on the Watergate Committee.

After his time in office Thompson went back to acting, and most notably starred in a couple of "Law and Order" TV series as D.A. Arthur Branch.

In 2007, he briefly jumped back into politics ... attempting to win the Republican nomination for President. He eventually dropped out of the race in early 2008.

His family said he died peacefully in Nashville, surrounded by loved ones. They said he'd been battling lymphoma.

Thompson was 73.

Ice Cube is true to his name -- the guy who just got sued for the millions and millions of dollars he made off "Straight Outta Compton" doesn't seem the least bit concerned.

Cube touched down at LAX just a few hours after Jerry Heller filed a lawsuit against him, and Dr. Dre, and NBC Universal for defaming him and ripping him off with the 'Compton' script.

There's potentially more than $100 million on the line, so you might expect Ice Cube to be pissed -- but check out the clip.

Jerry Heller is suing everyone connected with "Straight Outta Compton," alleging the movie defamed him ... and he wants $110 MILLION minimum.

Heller has just filed suit against Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, the Estate of Eazy-E, NBC Universal and others, claiming the portrayal of him in the movie was false and damaging.

Heller says he was portrayed as "the bad guy" and "a sleazy manager who took advantage of Eazy-E, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube." And he says there are other lies in the movie, including:

-- He withheld a $75k check from Ice Cube

-- He fraudulently induced Dre and Cube to sign unfavorable contracts

-- He enjoyed lobster brunches while the contracts were being signed

-- He was fired by Eazy-E

He claims he never gave permission to use his likeness and he wants profits from the movie as well because NBC sold tickets off his back. He also claims producers used his book without permission for pivotal scenes, including the one where Suge Knight strong-armed Eazy-E into signing away his rights to Death Row.

And this is funny ... he says producers didn't even bother to give his character a fake name, like "Gary Beller."

You'll recall Heller sat in the front row with his lawyers when the movie premiered.

He's suing for $35 million in compensatory damages and at least $75 mil in punitives ... plus all profits from the flick.

Zola -- the woman whose Twitter tale has taken the Internet by storm -- might soon have her own movie or TV series because Hollywood execs are hitting her up left and right.

Unless you've been living under a rock this week, Zola gained global attention when she took to Twitter and told the story of her trip to Florida to strip with a "white bitch" named Jessica. Zola tells TMZ her story captivated execs at MTV, VICE, WME and a few independent film makers.

Zola says she'd like her own TV series about her days as a dancer and wants Meagan Good or KeKe Palmer to play her.

Zola's married to the guy from the saga and she's expecting a kid. She tells us she hasn't stripped since her wild weekend in March.

It's Robert Englund's day for sure, and he gave us his best Freddy Krueger impersonation at LAX.

The 'Nightmare on Elm Street' star said he's working with the folks on "The Walking Dead" to celebrate Halloween.

He also gave up his idea for a 'Nightmare' sequel.

Dennis Quaid can thank Donald Trump for inspiring him on his new Crackle show, "The Art Of More."

We're told Quaid and Trump are buds and his "I don't give a f***" persona perfect fits Quaid's character. In fact, the two have played golf together so Dennis knows Trump's mannerisms.

The show's about the shady secrets of the art world. Quaid plays a billionaire real estate tycoon who wants to try his hand in politics.

If you were a TMZ photog and could fire off one question to Prince Harry, what would it be?

From our vantage point our photog Colin did it right, because it could have at the very least gotten a chuckle.

Jeffrey Katzenberg can't drive right now but he's still a driven man ... because he won't let a pesky car accident that landed him in a hospital O.R. keep him from running his super successful company.

We've learned Jeffrey was driving his Tesla in Bev Hills Monday when he got in a bad accident ... so bad he was taken to a nearby hospital.

We're told doctors operated on his arm and when they were done they put the appendage in a full cast.

Painful for sure, but Tuesday morning the DreamWorks Animation CEO was back at work, holding meetings and making deals ... pain be damned.

89-year-old Doris Roberts' date night did NOT end well -- her guy friend unloaded on us about the movie they saw ... and it was NOT GOOD.

Doris and her longtime BF Jack Betts were leaving Arclight Theaters in Hollywood when our photog made the mistake of asking what they saw, and while Doris was quiet ... Betts launched into one of the most brutal movie reviews we've ever seen.

Sorry, producers of 'Room.' Your touching movie about a mother and her little boy escaping the room where they've been held captive for years ... just didn't touch Jack.

Aka, it blows. IHO.

Justin Bieber's new song will become part of a new movie that showcases the entire album ... TMZ has learned.

The new song, "Sorry," is the latest release from Bieber's new album, Purpose. Our sources say the movie will feature the 18 songs on the album, with interpretive dance. It's being choreographed by Parris Goebel, who's worked with Biebs for years.

We're told the movie will run approximately 35 minutes.

As for "Sorry," a source connected to Bieber's label tells us the title and song reflect Bieber's mea culpa for past hijinks.

Batman or Superman -- which one's gonna bang your wife when you're not looking ... is the question we put to the world's leading expert on the caped wonders.

Of course, Zack Snyder's directing the highly anticipated "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" ... so when our camera guy spotted him in Hollywood, he fired off a super series of questions about the heroes.

Who's cheap, who'd babysit, and best of all -- who'd you trust hanging out with your wife? Zack played along, answering all 3.

We trust he knew this was hypothetical, and not really about Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill.

Sarah Silverman brought two dates to the Hollywood premiere of her new movie "I Smile Back." We're sure everyone around her was doing just that.

As for eye contact? Not happening ...

"Back to the Future" actress Lea Thompson is pumped up to reunite with her castmates, but bummed about one piece of technology from the movie she just can't get her hands on ... yet.

Lea was on TMZ Live today to help us celebrate "Back to the Future" Day. She was getting ready for Wednesday night's screening of the film's original sequel ... which featured those cool self-lacing shoes.

Nike says it's finally created the kicks in real life, but even though Lea had a starring role as Marty McFly's mother ... she told us the swag hasn't shown up on her doorstep.

This is one of the things that happens if you try to wish Siri a "Happy Back to the Future Day."

Ouch.

Of course, in 'BTTF2' the Cubbies won the World Series in 2015 -- and up until a few days ago, it seemed like there was a real chance life was going to imitate art.

But that was before CHI choked and lost the first 3 games of the NLCS to the Mets.

And now, as our friends at BSO pointed out ... Cubs fans can't even use their iPhones without a reminder their team sucks in the playoffs.