Burt Reynolds has issued a statement saying he underwent quintuple bypass heart surgery last week. He is now recovering at home with 24 hour medical care. Reynolds vows to get back to work as soon as possible. The last year has been stressful for him in terms of his health. He recently underwent treatment for prescription drug addiction and went into rehab. For more click here

By Lee Pfeiffer

Barbara Walters has announced she will end her highly-rated TV specials in which she interviews key Oscar nominees. The tradition started 29 years ago. The shows are aired immediately prior to the Oscar broadcast. Walters' last show will be seen on March 7. In unusually blunt language, Walters explained the reason for her retiring the specials: "I think I'm sick of them...I feel I've been there, done that." We can only speculate, but we also would think that the smaller-than-life stature of today's "stars" may have something to do with Walters' decision. Years ago, she interviewed screen legends. This year's special will feature Sandra Bullock and Mo'Nique. Nothing against these talented ladies, but when you've got Bette Davis, John Wayne, Al Pacino and seemingly every other screen legend on your list of interview subjects, today's actors must pale by comparison. In fact, Walters has said that she feels she is now interviewing people whose claim to fame is making one big movie. For more click here

Dann Gire (L) and Raymond Benson

Author and Cinema Retro columnist Raymond Benson has a long-running friendship with Daily Herald film critic Dann Gire that has resulted in their acclaimed series of movie screenings and discussions at the Schaumberg Township District Library in suburban Chicago. The events have caught on with the public, who often brave bad weather to hear the two film scholars discuss their favorite movies. Click here for more info

The BBC has ordered massive cuts to its operations, including radically reducing their web site operations and closing two radio stations. Additionally, the budget for importing foreign TV series has been drastically slashed. The strategy will result in major layoffs across-the-board as the legendary BBC focuses more on "quality rather than quantity." There are political overtones to the strategy, according to The Times of London. With a Tory government led by David Cameron a real possibility in the next election, the BBC is trying to show it can clean up its own house with oversight by the government. The cutbacks will impact the average British household in terms of programming selection and availability. For more click here

Lawrence O'Donnell, TV producer and political pundit, is going against the grain in stating that Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds should not only win the Best Picture Oscar- but will, indeed, do so. Read his rationale by clicking here.

Cinema Retro columnist Herb Shadrak has been nominated for a Rondo Award for his article Peter Lorre: The Lost One is Found. The Rondo Awards are named after the character actor Rondo Hatton, who was a mainstay of horror films. Additionally, Cinema Retro has been nominated for Best Web Site. Our friends at the Little Shoppe of Horrors magazine, which is devoted to Hammer Films legacy, are also up for awards. The Rondos pertain to coverage of the horror and sci-fi film genres. For more information and to vote click here

Warner Brothers informs us they are to release a number of Clint Eastwood features on Blu-ray in June. Among them will be double feature discs that sell for $30 each. The double features will include Where Eagles Dare/Kelly's Heroes; Dirty Harry/Magnum Force and The Enforcer/Sudden Impact. Great news, to be sure, but we hope they at least issue a single disc Blu-ray release of The Dead Pool so the entire Dirty Harry series will be available in that format. Stay tuned for further news.