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'Twisters' Film Thrill-packed and Science-backed, its Stars Say

Harry Hadden-Paton, from left, Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos and director Lee Isaac Chung pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'Twisters' in London on Monday, July 8, 2024. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Harry Hadden-Paton, from left, Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos and director Lee Isaac Chung pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'Twisters' in London on Monday, July 8, 2024. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
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'Twisters' Film Thrill-packed and Science-backed, its Stars Say

Harry Hadden-Paton, from left, Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos and director Lee Isaac Chung pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'Twisters' in London on Monday, July 8, 2024. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Harry Hadden-Paton, from left, Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos and director Lee Isaac Chung pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'Twisters' in London on Monday, July 8, 2024. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Almost 30 years on from the blockbuster "Twister," deadly tornadoes and their chasers return to the screen for an updated extreme weather tale.
"Twisters" is a "current-day chapter" of its 1996 predecessor, its makers say.
It centers on storm expert Kate Carter, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, and chaser and superstar streamer Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) whose paths cross during a once in a generation tornado outbreak in Oklahoma, Reuters reported.
Directed by "Minari" filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung, in his big-budget action movie debut, "Twisters" introduces advanced technology and a new generation of adrenaline junkies with a large social media following.
"This is a new chapter. This is just a modern telling of that same community that audiences responded to in '96," said Powell, premiering the film in London on Monday.
"Audiences can expect lots of fun, lots of thrills and just to strap in and go on the ride," added Edgar-Jones.
Powell's Owens is a former rodeo star and self-titled "tornado wrangler" whose rowdy team courts danger with gusto. Texan Powell, 35, said both the original movie and the reboot resonated with him personally.
"When I was like nine years old, there was a tornado that went through Jarrell, Texas, and we were on the road to my aunt's ranch and got kind of stuck in it. It was a really terrifying thing...But we cleaned up after that tornado. It's one of those things that imprints on you for the rest of your life," he said.
"This movie's really about what we do in the face of storms, but also how we pick up after each other in the wake of disaster," said Powell. "It's a thing that affects a lot of people, and not just tornadoes but weather all over the planet. I think this is a universal movie for that reason."
"Twisters", written by Mark L. Smith, is based on consultations with meteorologists, climate scientists and real-life storm chasers, said Chung.
"We had people working on the forefront of climate science and also tornado science. We tried to incorporate as much of that into this film as possible to honor what is actually happening and also honor the scientists who are heroes in many ways. If we're going to look to any solutions, we have to look to the scientists," he said.
Like "Twister", Chung hopes his follow-up will leave a lasting impact.
"That first film inspired so many people to get into weather science and research. I would love if that would happen with this movie, that we would inspire a new generation of people want to research and get out there and study."
"Twisters" begins its global cinematic rollout on July 10.

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‘Dirty Dancing,’ ‘Beverly Hills Cop,’ ‘Up in Smoke’ among Movies Entering the National Film Registry

This image released by the Library of Congress shows James Cagney, right, in a scene from the 1938 film "Angels with Dirty Faces." (Warner Bros/Discovery/Library of Congress via AP)
This image released by the Library of Congress shows James Cagney, right, in a scene from the 1938 film "Angels with Dirty Faces." (Warner Bros/Discovery/Library of Congress via AP)
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‘Dirty Dancing,’ ‘Beverly Hills Cop,’ ‘Up in Smoke’ among Movies Entering the National Film Registry

This image released by the Library of Congress shows James Cagney, right, in a scene from the 1938 film "Angels with Dirty Faces." (Warner Bros/Discovery/Library of Congress via AP)
This image released by the Library of Congress shows James Cagney, right, in a scene from the 1938 film "Angels with Dirty Faces." (Warner Bros/Discovery/Library of Congress via AP)

Nobody puts baby in a corner, but they're putting her in the National Film Registry.

“Dirty Dancing,” along with another 1980s culture-changer, “Beverly Hills Cop,” are entering the Library of Congress' registry, part of an annual group of 25 announced Wednesday that spans 115 years of filmmaking.

“Dirty Dancing” from 1987 used the physicality and chemistry of Patrick Swayze as Johnny Castle and Jennifer Grey as Frances “Baby” Houseman to charm generations of moviegoers, while also taking on issues like abortion, classism and antisemitism. In the climactic moment, Swayze defiantly declares, “Nobody puts baby in a corner” before taking Grey to dance to “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.”

1984's “Beverly Hills Cop,” the first Eddie Murphy film in the registry, arguably made him the world's biggest movie star at the time and made action comedies a blockbuster staple for a decade.

Since 1988, the Librarian of Congress has annually selected movies for preservation that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant. The current picks bring the registry to 900 films. Turner Classic Movies will host a TV special on Wednesday, screening a selection of the class of 2024.

The oldest film is from 1895 and brought its own form of dirty dancing: “Annabelle Serpentine Dance” is a minute-long short of a shimmying Annabelle Moore that was decried by many as a public indecency for the suggestiveness of her moves. The newest is David Fincher's “The Social Network" from 2010.

A look at some of the films entering the registry “Pride of the Yankees” (1942): The film became the model for the modern sports tear-jerker, with Gary Cooper playing Lou Gehrig and delivering the classic real-life line: “Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.”

“The Miracle Worker” (1962): Anne Bancroft won an Oscar for best actress for playing title character Anne Sullivan and 16-year-old Patty Duke won best supporting actress for playing her deaf and blind protege Helen Keller in director Arthur Penn's film.

“Up in Smoke” (1978): The first feature to star the duo of Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong established a template for the stoner genre and brought weed culture to the mainstream. Marin, who also appears in the inductee “Spy Kids” from 2001, is one of many Latinos with prominent roles in this year's crop of films.

“Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan” (1982): The second movie in the “Star Trek” franchise featured one of filmdom's great villains in Ricardo Montalban's Khan, and showed that the world of Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock could bring vital thrills to the cinema.

“Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt” (1989): The Oscar-winning documentary on the NAMES Project Aids Memorial Quilt was a landmark telling of the devastation wrought by the disease.

“My Own Private Idaho” (1991): Director Gus Van Sant's film featured perhaps the greatest performance of River Phoenix, a year before the actor's death at age 23.

“American Me” (1992): Edward James Olmos starred and made his film directorial debut in this tale of Chicano gang life in Los Angeles and the brutal prison experience of its main character.

“No Country for Old Men” (2007): Joel and Ethan Coen broke through at the Oscars with their adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel, winning best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay, while Javier Bardem won best supporting actor for playing a relentless killer with an unforgettable haircut.