Top to bottom: Lawrence Of Arabia (Columbia Pictures), Avatar (20th Century Fox), Blade Runner 2049 (Warner Bros.)Graphic: The A.V. Club
There are artists who work on such a large scale that seeing their art in person for the first time can completely change your impression of a piece, no...
There are artists who work on such a large scale that seeing their art in person for the first time can completely change your impression of a piece, no...
- 3/21/2024
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
It’s a rare type of cinephile who wasn’t introduced to the idea of film as more than just idle entertainment by the ritual of the Academy Awards. And it’s an even rarer type of cinephile who didn’t soon thereafter vehemently reject the Oscar as the ultimate barometer of a film’s artistic worth. Those of us who started off with The Godfather, Schindler’s List, All About Eve, or Casablanca all eventually got around to Out of Africa, Around the World in 80 Days, The Greatest Show on Earth, Cimarron, and Cavalcade. First loves being first loves, we still find ourselves regressing if for only one night a year, succumbing to the allure of instant canonization even as it comes in the form of repeated slap-in-the-face reminders of Oscar’s bracing wrongness: Gladiator, Braveheart, Chicago, Crash. In that sense, consider this project part cathartic exorcism and part...
- 3/17/2024
- by Slant Staff
- Slant Magazine
As she ascended the Hollywood ladder in the late 2000s, Emily Blunt was a rising star who worked at the forefront of modern cinema and appeared in movies like The Young Victoria and The Devil Wears Prada. The Into the Woods actress’ recent performances in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer have further cemented her status among the greatest actors of our time.
Moreover, her acclaimed performance led to her being nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. Well, as she becomes a more important icon in modern cinema, Blunt has begun to share her thoughts on the industry, revealing her top four films during a SXSW Q&a session.
Emily Blunt in Oppenheimer
Surprisingly enough, though, none of these works belong to the Interstellar director.
Emily Blunt’s 4 Favorite Movies: No Room for Christopher Nolan?
With a diverse taste in movies, Emily Blunt’s all-time favorite is a reflection of her own bright choices,...
Moreover, her acclaimed performance led to her being nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. Well, as she becomes a more important icon in modern cinema, Blunt has begun to share her thoughts on the industry, revealing her top four films during a SXSW Q&a session.
Emily Blunt in Oppenheimer
Surprisingly enough, though, none of these works belong to the Interstellar director.
Emily Blunt’s 4 Favorite Movies: No Room for Christopher Nolan?
With a diverse taste in movies, Emily Blunt’s all-time favorite is a reflection of her own bright choices,...
- 3/16/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
Alec Guinness is one of the most renowned actors in the history of the arts — a true thespian, an Academy Award winner with three other acting nominations and a lifetime achievement award to his name. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and is forever tied to the legacies of great filmmakers like David Lean, Alexander Mackendrick, and Ronald Neame. But to a lot of people, he's still just the guy who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy. Once he became Obi-Wan, that shadow loomed over his head for the rest of his life, and Guinness never got over it. For a man who seemed perpetually dissatisfied and unhappy with his life, the idea that his role as a space wizard mattered more than his lifetime devoted to what he perceived as higher art must have felt like no less than a profound insult.
- 3/15/2024
- by Jacob Slankard
- Collider.com
Michael Culver, the veteran British actor who portrayed the doomed Captain Needa in The Empire Strikes Back and a bigoted police inspector in David Lean’s A Passage to India, has died. He was 85.
Culver died Feb. 27, according to Alliance Agents, which represented him for the past decade. No other details were immediately available.
Culver also appeared on lots of British television over the years, from The Befrienders, Secret Army and The Adventures of Black Beauty to The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Game Set and Match, The House of Eliott and the Derek Jacobi-starring Cadfael.
In Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980), directed by Irvin Kershner, Culver’s character, as captain of the Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger, loses track of the Millennium Falcon piloted by Han Solo during a pursuit.
Needa takes full responsibility and apologizes to Darth Vader, who then kills him (“Apology accepted, Captain...
Culver died Feb. 27, according to Alliance Agents, which represented him for the past decade. No other details were immediately available.
Culver also appeared on lots of British television over the years, from The Befrienders, Secret Army and The Adventures of Black Beauty to The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Game Set and Match, The House of Eliott and the Derek Jacobi-starring Cadfael.
In Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980), directed by Irvin Kershner, Culver’s character, as captain of the Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger, loses track of the Millennium Falcon piloted by Han Solo during a pursuit.
Needa takes full responsibility and apologizes to Darth Vader, who then kills him (“Apology accepted, Captain...
- 3/13/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the film 12th Fail has done it again! The universally praised and award winning film bagged the ‘Best Film Award’ at the Critics Choice Awards last night.
While giving out the Best Feature Film award, dynamic actor Anil Kapoor praised his dear friend and talk of the town director-writer Vidhu Vinod Chopra as he said, “That’s the kind of madness he has, 39 years back and he still has it and I’m sure, I’m 100% sure that it is going to amplify more and more in the coming years. It is a privilege and honour to call David Lean also known as Vidhu Vinod Chopra for the best film ‘12th Fail”.
The actor also added, “The maverick, the crazy, the mad man- Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Sir, you don’t know how happy I am to give you this award, because seriously you deserve it.
While giving out the Best Feature Film award, dynamic actor Anil Kapoor praised his dear friend and talk of the town director-writer Vidhu Vinod Chopra as he said, “That’s the kind of madness he has, 39 years back and he still has it and I’m sure, I’m 100% sure that it is going to amplify more and more in the coming years. It is a privilege and honour to call David Lean also known as Vidhu Vinod Chopra for the best film ‘12th Fail”.
The actor also added, “The maverick, the crazy, the mad man- Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Sir, you don’t know how happy I am to give you this award, because seriously you deserve it.
- 3/13/2024
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
When director George Miller needed to fill the role of Immortan Joe in Mad Max: Fury Road, he turned to actor Hugh Keays-Byrne, who had previously played the villainous Toecutter in the original Mad Max. Sadly, Keays-Byrne passed away in 2020, before Miller could get the prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga into production – so in this movie, which is set to reach theatres on May 24, the role of Immortan Joe is being played by Lachy Hulme. Hulme’s casting in the role was confirmed by Empire, and they also scored a great quote from Hulme about the scope of the film. He told them Furiosa is “David Lean, but with motorbikes instead of camels. When you see 4,000 custom-made motorbikes come over a hill, you shit your pants.“
Hulme pulls double duty in the Furiosa, as he also plays a character called Rizzdale Pell, who is “one of the gang members...
Hulme pulls double duty in the Furiosa, as he also plays a character called Rizzdale Pell, who is “one of the gang members...
- 3/12/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Witness Lachy Hulme as Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga's Immortan Joe!
Empire Magazine recently announced that Hulme, who worked with director George Miller on 2022's Three Thousand Years of Longing, will play the younger incarnation of Mad Max: Fury Road's warlord adversary. According to Hulme, he was initially cast as a member of Dementus' (Chris Hemsworth) gang, but obtained the Immortan Joe part as well after convincing Miller to not use a body double in place of the late Hugh Keays-Byrne. As he recalled, "I said, 'Well, somebody needs to step up for Hugh. Someone needs to honor this great man. I can do it. I can do the voice. And it's all in the eyes.' He said, 'Do you want to do it?' I said, 'What took you so long? You've finally figured out that this movie ain't gonna make dollar one until you've got double Lachy Hulme in it!
Empire Magazine recently announced that Hulme, who worked with director George Miller on 2022's Three Thousand Years of Longing, will play the younger incarnation of Mad Max: Fury Road's warlord adversary. According to Hulme, he was initially cast as a member of Dementus' (Chris Hemsworth) gang, but obtained the Immortan Joe part as well after convincing Miller to not use a body double in place of the late Hugh Keays-Byrne. As he recalled, "I said, 'Well, somebody needs to step up for Hugh. Someone needs to honor this great man. I can do it. I can do the voice. And it's all in the eyes.' He said, 'Do you want to do it?' I said, 'What took you so long? You've finally figured out that this movie ain't gonna make dollar one until you've got double Lachy Hulme in it!
- 3/12/2024
- by Ben Wasserman
- Comic Book Resources
You’ve got to live up to a name like Immortan Joe. And the villain in Mad Max: Fury Road did exactly that, cutting a mercurial, mesmerising, menacing figure in the Wasteland, ruling his War Boys with an iron fist, and barking out put-downs like “Mediocre!” with relish. Now, get ready to ride eternal, shiny and chrome, once more – Immortan Joe is back in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, ready to unleash more vehicular chaos. But until now, it’s been unknown who exactly would be stepping into the plastic-abs bodysuit and fearsome breathing mask this time around – the legendary Hugh Keays-Byrne, who played the role in Fury Road, passed away in 2020.
Empire can confirm that the role in Furiosa will be played by Lachy Hulme – a firm friend of filmmaker George Miller who now pulls double-duty in the prequel. Hulme was first cast as Rizzdale Pell, one of the...
Empire can confirm that the role in Furiosa will be played by Lachy Hulme – a firm friend of filmmaker George Miller who now pulls double-duty in the prequel. Hulme was first cast as Rizzdale Pell, one of the...
- 3/11/2024
- by Ben Travis
- Empire - Movies
Best Picture winner “Oppenheimer” and “Poor Things” were the big Oscar craft winners March 10, each winning three awards. Christopher Nolan’s historical thriller about the atomic bomb grabbed cinematography, editing, and original score, while Yargos Lanthimos’ surreal “Frankenstein” gender-bender snagged costume design, production design, and makeup and hairstyling.
The rest went to “Godzilla Minus One” (visual effects), “The Zone of Interest” (sound), and “Barbie”. The lone “Barbie” win was a major disappointment for Greta Gerwig’s billion-dollar blockbuster, which was expected to also take costume design and/or production design for the inventive Mattel-inspired fashion and world-building.
The wins for “Godzilla Minus One” and “The Zone of Interest” were both upsets: Takashi Yamazaki’s Kaiju actioner bested Gareth Edwards’ AI-themed “The Creator,” which won the Ves prize, and Jonathan Glazer’s Holocaust drama about the banality of evil (the international feature film Oscar winner) overtook “Oppenheimer,” which won the...
The rest went to “Godzilla Minus One” (visual effects), “The Zone of Interest” (sound), and “Barbie”. The lone “Barbie” win was a major disappointment for Greta Gerwig’s billion-dollar blockbuster, which was expected to also take costume design and/or production design for the inventive Mattel-inspired fashion and world-building.
The wins for “Godzilla Minus One” and “The Zone of Interest” were both upsets: Takashi Yamazaki’s Kaiju actioner bested Gareth Edwards’ AI-themed “The Creator,” which won the Ves prize, and Jonathan Glazer’s Holocaust drama about the banality of evil (the international feature film Oscar winner) overtook “Oppenheimer,” which won the...
- 3/11/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Few filmmakers have left a mark on cinema as formidable and consequential as Sir David Lean. Often regarded as one of the all-time greats, the English filmmaker is revered for iconic large-scale epics, including The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, and Doctor Zhivago, as well as intimate character studies like Brief Encounter and adaptations of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations and Oliver Twist. With a career comprised of 16 feature films over four decades, Lean's legacy has influenced countless fellow filmmakers across generations, including icons Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, and Steven Spielberg, among others.
- 3/5/2024
- by Reid Goldberg
- Collider.com
There’s nothing IndieWire loves more than directors talking about their favorite movies. So, of course, we took notice when, in late 2023, Turner Classic Movies started looping in directors to share their favorites from TCM’s lineup each month: Steven Spielberg’s TCM picks kicked things off, then Martin Scorsese waxed rhapsodic about “Madonna of the Seven Moons,” and Guillermo del Toro gushed about the greatness of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Suspicion.”
Now Chris Columbus is sharing his own TCM picks, along with some especially insightful anecdotes. Watch the video above.
Columbus starts off sharing his love of “Singin’ in the Rain”: “An amazing, almost flawless movie. You can say that about very few movies. I showed ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ to my 16-month-old granddaughter who was absolutely absorbed in the musical numbers. Moreso than any Disney animated films. I go back to it once or twice a year.
Particularly...
Now Chris Columbus is sharing his own TCM picks, along with some especially insightful anecdotes. Watch the video above.
Columbus starts off sharing his love of “Singin’ in the Rain”: “An amazing, almost flawless movie. You can say that about very few movies. I showed ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ to my 16-month-old granddaughter who was absolutely absorbed in the musical numbers. Moreso than any Disney animated films. I go back to it once or twice a year.
Particularly...
- 3/1/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Superbly acted and beautiful to look at, Dune: Part Two is 2024’s first truly great multiplex film from director Denis Villeneuve. Here’s our review:
There’s the old saying that by trying to please everybody, you end up pleasing no one. To his credit, director Denis Villeneuve has somehow managed to forge a path through mainstream filmmaking without sacrificing the understated, arthouse sensibility that has marked out his work since the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Dune: Part Two, like its 2021 opening chapter, may be a space fantasy shot on an IMAX scale, but it’s also every bit as personal, human and intimate as Villeneuve’s earlier, more raw films like Polytechnique (2009) or Incendies (2010). It also might be the most darkly enthralling $190m-plus sci-fi film ever made.
Ahead of Dune: Part Two’s release, there have been some suggestions that it’s possible to watch this film without having seen the first.
There’s the old saying that by trying to please everybody, you end up pleasing no one. To his credit, director Denis Villeneuve has somehow managed to forge a path through mainstream filmmaking without sacrificing the understated, arthouse sensibility that has marked out his work since the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Dune: Part Two, like its 2021 opening chapter, may be a space fantasy shot on an IMAX scale, but it’s also every bit as personal, human and intimate as Villeneuve’s earlier, more raw films like Polytechnique (2009) or Incendies (2010). It also might be the most darkly enthralling $190m-plus sci-fi film ever made.
Ahead of Dune: Part Two’s release, there have been some suggestions that it’s possible to watch this film without having seen the first.
- 3/1/2024
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
Ironically, David Lean began his career helming smaller-scale enterprises, like the 1945 masterpiece Brief Encounter and the 1955 Katharine Hepburn star vehicle Summertime. Lean always carried a gift for working with actors, but he wasn't necessarily synonymous with productions as big as the silver screen itself. That all changed with the 1957 project The Bridge on the River Kwai, an acclaimed title following British prisoners-of-war who are forced to build a massive bridge. This expansive production dazzled moviegoers around the world, secured a Best Picture Oscar win, and solidified Lean as a go-to helmer of epics. From here, he’d go on to helm titles like Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago that reinforced his reputation as a master of grand spectacle.
- 2/29/2024
- by Lisa Laman
- Collider.com
Denis Villeneuve’s monumental adaptation expands its extraordinary world of shimmering strangeness. It’s impossible to imagine anyone doing it better
The second part of Denis Villeneuve’s monumental Dune adaptation lands with a sternum-juddering crash; it’s another shroom of a film, an epic sci-fi hallucination whose images speak of fascism and imperialism, of guerrilla resistance and romance. Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel – working with co-writer Jon Spaihts – draws on David Lean, George Lucas and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator in the (perhaps inevitable) mega-stadium combat scene with the tiny billions of CGI crowds in the bleachers. But he really has made it all his own: secular political cruelty meets Indigenous people’s struggle in those vast mysterious planetscapes. The sound design throbs and drones in this film’s bloodstream, lending a queasy frisson to its extraordinary visual spectacle and the recurrent horror-fetish Bdsm chic which appears...
The second part of Denis Villeneuve’s monumental Dune adaptation lands with a sternum-juddering crash; it’s another shroom of a film, an epic sci-fi hallucination whose images speak of fascism and imperialism, of guerrilla resistance and romance. Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel – working with co-writer Jon Spaihts – draws on David Lean, George Lucas and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator in the (perhaps inevitable) mega-stadium combat scene with the tiny billions of CGI crowds in the bleachers. But he really has made it all his own: secular political cruelty meets Indigenous people’s struggle in those vast mysterious planetscapes. The sound design throbs and drones in this film’s bloodstream, lending a queasy frisson to its extraordinary visual spectacle and the recurrent horror-fetish Bdsm chic which appears...
- 2/21/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Without Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, the films and career of Martin Scorsese would be very different. “Mean Streets” would be less red (thank those titular “Red Shoes”), the title fight in “Raging Bull” wouldn’t have been preceded by that thrilling oner (thank the duel in “Colonel Blimp”), and we wouldn’t have that audacious flash of yellow in “The Age of Innocence,” an idea swiped from the red-hot climax of “Black Narcissus.”
Scorsese has always been admirably honest about his tendency to steal from the best, and “Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger” is at its most fun when Marty talks the audience through how the ironic filmmaking duo’s most striking images reshaped the canon. And what — to him — ultimately made them worth stealing.
These seemingly spontaneous moments are well-illustrated by director David Hinton, a BAFTA-winning documentarian who also made an episode of the...
Scorsese has always been admirably honest about his tendency to steal from the best, and “Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger” is at its most fun when Marty talks the audience through how the ironic filmmaking duo’s most striking images reshaped the canon. And what — to him — ultimately made them worth stealing.
These seemingly spontaneous moments are well-illustrated by director David Hinton, a BAFTA-winning documentarian who also made an episode of the...
- 2/21/2024
- by Adam Solomons
- Indiewire
In honour of Empire's new Star Wars prequels issue, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the trilogy's launch, we're asking – which of the prequel movies is the best? Read the case for Episode II – Attack Of The Clones below, and find the issue on newsstands now.
When the camera pans up from the opening crawl in Attack Of The Clones — the only film in the Skywalker saga to buck the tradition of the pan down — George Lucas promises us a different kind of Star Wars movie, and he delivers from the very first frame. Every time Lucas set out to make a Star Wars film, he worked to make it different from the others in the most unexpected ways — and Attack Of The Clones is somehow more unique and brilliant amongst the entire Skywalker saga.
As the first film shot entirely digitally, George Lucas didn’t just set out to change...
When the camera pans up from the opening crawl in Attack Of The Clones — the only film in the Skywalker saga to buck the tradition of the pan down — George Lucas promises us a different kind of Star Wars movie, and he delivers from the very first frame. Every time Lucas set out to make a Star Wars film, he worked to make it different from the others in the most unexpected ways — and Attack Of The Clones is somehow more unique and brilliant amongst the entire Skywalker saga.
As the first film shot entirely digitally, George Lucas didn’t just set out to change...
- 2/21/2024
- by Bryan Young
- Empire - Movies
Considered one of the greatest of his generation, throughout his lifetime, the late Peter O’Toole witnessed himself starring in several classics, even joining forces with Brad Pitt on 2004’s Troy. But among the several gems O’Toole has worked on, earning the most Oscar nods for Best Actor without scoring a win, the performance that launched him to stardom remains his most notable one.
Regarded as the greatest Epic of all time by many, David Lean’s Laurence of Arabia has cemented itself as a modern classic, which saw the Troy Star earning his first of many Oscar nods. However, prior to attaining significant highs for playing T.E. Lawrence, the actor and his costar saw significant lows during the duration of their time filming the Epic.
Peter O’Toole | Troy
Peter O’Toole’s Gambling Addiction Left the Actor Broke After Filming Lawrence of Arabia
Notorious for having wild nights...
Regarded as the greatest Epic of all time by many, David Lean’s Laurence of Arabia has cemented itself as a modern classic, which saw the Troy Star earning his first of many Oscar nods. However, prior to attaining significant highs for playing T.E. Lawrence, the actor and his costar saw significant lows during the duration of their time filming the Epic.
Peter O’Toole | Troy
Peter O’Toole’s Gambling Addiction Left the Actor Broke After Filming Lawrence of Arabia
Notorious for having wild nights...
- 2/19/2024
- by Santanu Roy
- FandomWire
Like Citizen Kane or Ben-Hur before it, Lawrence of Arabia was a grand achievement in technical filmmaking that was instantly recognized as one of the greatest epics of all-time during its initial release in 1962. Spanning decades of history and delivering some of the grandest setpieces in cinematic history, David Lean’s unparalleled masterpiece touches on themes of identity, cultural diffusion, perpetual violence, and chivalry. It’s both a poignant character study and an absorbing adventure story, proving that films can be both highly educational and very entertaining. While Lawrence of Arabia’s impact on the world of cinema cannot be overstated, its depiction of real world political conflicts made it a hot button subject of debate. While still regarded as a classic, Lawrence of Arabia was both censored and banned due to its controversial depiction of history.
- 2/18/2024
- by Liam Gaughan
- Collider.com
Historically, the relationship between Hollywood and European comic books has been fraught with mutual distrust and cultural dissonance. Not to disparage Steven Spielberg — one of our national treasures — but his 2011 adaptation of The Adventures of Tintin was a bit of a disaster. And when La Femme Nikita director Luc Besson fulfilled a childhood fantasy in 2017 by bankrolling Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets out of his own pocket, the most expensive independent movie ever made landed with the thud of a global box office bomb.
But there’s hope on the horizon. European comic books — specifically, the Franco-Belgian school spearheaded by the Tintin character and his creator Hergé — are both a multimillion Euro industry and a sumptuous art form with dozens of successful franchises waiting to be developed. N
ow that the offerings of Marvel and DC are beginning to feel a tad fatigued, to say the least,...
But there’s hope on the horizon. European comic books — specifically, the Franco-Belgian school spearheaded by the Tintin character and his creator Hergé — are both a multimillion Euro industry and a sumptuous art form with dozens of successful franchises waiting to be developed. N
ow that the offerings of Marvel and DC are beginning to feel a tad fatigued, to say the least,...
- 2/17/2024
- by Ernesto Lechner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This week started on a high for director Jonathan Glazer, after his Cannes Grand Prix-winner The Zone of Interest took Best Film and Best Director at the 44th London Film Critics’ Awards on Sunday. Glazer has been sparing in his appearances since the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, presumably keeping his powder dry for the BAFTAs and the Oscars, where his film is seen as a dark horse in the International Feature Film category (being a rare submission from the UK).
Last week, he broke that silence at great length, in an extensive interview conducted at London’s BFI Southbank by four-time Oscar winner — and 11-time nominee — Alfonso Cuarón.
During the chat, which preceded a last-minute UK preview screening of Zone of Interest on Thursday, Cuarón frequently praised the film, describing it as “probably the most important film in this century, both from the standpoint of his cinematic...
Last week, he broke that silence at great length, in an extensive interview conducted at London’s BFI Southbank by four-time Oscar winner — and 11-time nominee — Alfonso Cuarón.
During the chat, which preceded a last-minute UK preview screening of Zone of Interest on Thursday, Cuarón frequently praised the film, describing it as “probably the most important film in this century, both from the standpoint of his cinematic...
- 2/5/2024
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Hollywood's Golden Age produced legendary acting duos, known for their star power and incredible dynamics. From classic comedy pairings to musical duos and on-screen husband and wife, these duos left a lasting impact. Their collaborations revolutionized genres, shaped contemporary comedy, and showcased the power of on-screen chemistry.
Hollywood’s Golden Age, which lasted from approximately 1927 to 1960, produced some of the greatest acting duos the world of moviemaking had ever seen. Taking place amid the Hollywood studio system, where films were written, produced, and released at a rapid rate, the most marketable thing about a movie was its star power, and nothing drew audiences in more than a beloved pairing. Occasionally surrounded by gossip of lurid affairs, some partnerships had real-life romantic backstories, while others represented incredible dynamics of true friendship and strong working relationships.
Some of the greatest duos from Hollywood’s Golden Age are made up of classic comedy pairings,...
Hollywood’s Golden Age, which lasted from approximately 1927 to 1960, produced some of the greatest acting duos the world of moviemaking had ever seen. Taking place amid the Hollywood studio system, where films were written, produced, and released at a rapid rate, the most marketable thing about a movie was its star power, and nothing drew audiences in more than a beloved pairing. Occasionally surrounded by gossip of lurid affairs, some partnerships had real-life romantic backstories, while others represented incredible dynamics of true friendship and strong working relationships.
Some of the greatest duos from Hollywood’s Golden Age are made up of classic comedy pairings,...
- 2/5/2024
- by Stephen Holland
- ScreenRant.com
The Promised Land is a Danish film that feels more epic than most Hollywood blockbusters, with its vast landscapes, romantic subplots, and swaggering hero. The film explores 18th century Denmark during the transition from feudalism to capitalism, focusing on a retired soldier's attempt to cultivate uninhabitable land using the potato. Mads Mikkelsen delivers a superb performance as the stubborn and ambitious Captain Kahlen, while Simon Bennebjerg shines as the villainous magistrate who opposes him.
Hollywood blockbusters may be getting longer (or perhaps bloated), but that doesn't mean there have been many great epics in recent years. Just because a Marvel or Mission: Impossible film is 150 minutes long, it isn't necessarily an epic. The Promised Land, a new Danish film by filmmaker Nikolaj Arcel, is only 127 minutes, but feels more epic in scope than most big studio pictures today. With its stubborn hero, vast landscapes, large supporting cast, dreamily romantic subplots,...
Hollywood blockbusters may be getting longer (or perhaps bloated), but that doesn't mean there have been many great epics in recent years. Just because a Marvel or Mission: Impossible film is 150 minutes long, it isn't necessarily an epic. The Promised Land, a new Danish film by filmmaker Nikolaj Arcel, is only 127 minutes, but feels more epic in scope than most big studio pictures today. With its stubborn hero, vast landscapes, large supporting cast, dreamily romantic subplots,...
- 2/4/2024
- by Matt Mahler
- MovieWeb
Nikolaj Arcel and Mads Mikkelsen had similar trajectories on the international film scene, both beginning in their native Denmark. Mikkelsen made a name for himself with several Danish masterpieces from the directors Susanne Bier and Nicolas Winding Refn before heading to Hollywood and mastering a kind of intelligent and enigmatic villain. It's his Danish films, however, that remain his greatest work, from After the Wedding to The Hunt and Another Round.
Count A Royal Affair among them, as well. Directed by Nikolaj Arcel, the film found the two Danes developing a friendship and strong working relationship. Arcel himself would head to Hollywood and become attached to a giant blockbuster of his own, directing Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey in The Dark Tower. Seven years after they worked together, Arcel and Mikkelsen were both yearning for home, and have now collaborated on a grand historical epic, The Promised Land, based on...
Count A Royal Affair among them, as well. Directed by Nikolaj Arcel, the film found the two Danes developing a friendship and strong working relationship. Arcel himself would head to Hollywood and become attached to a giant blockbuster of his own, directing Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey in The Dark Tower. Seven years after they worked together, Arcel and Mikkelsen were both yearning for home, and have now collaborated on a grand historical epic, The Promised Land, based on...
- 2/3/2024
- by Matt Mahler
- MovieWeb
The Academy Awards grew up at the 16th annual ceremony March 2, 1944. Since the first Oscar ceremony at the Hollywood Roosevelt’s Blossom Room in 1929, the Academy Awards were small banquet ceremonies for La La Land movers and shakers. But that all changed 80 years ago. World War II was in its third year and movies meant more than ever to war-weary audiences.
So, the Oscars moved to the then-Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and bleachers were introduced giving fans a chance to see their favorites walk the red carpet. And instead of a select industry audience, attendees included members of all branches of the armed services many of whom sat in bleachers on the stage at the Chinese. The ceremony was heard locally on Kfwb; Jack Benny hosted the international broadcast for the troops on CBS Radio via shortwave. And for the first time, supporting performers finally received a full-size Academy Award.
So, the Oscars moved to the then-Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and bleachers were introduced giving fans a chance to see their favorites walk the red carpet. And instead of a select industry audience, attendees included members of all branches of the armed services many of whom sat in bleachers on the stage at the Chinese. The ceremony was heard locally on Kfwb; Jack Benny hosted the international broadcast for the troops on CBS Radio via shortwave. And for the first time, supporting performers finally received a full-size Academy Award.
- 1/23/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Martin Scorsese has now earned more Oscar nominations for best director than anyone alive.
The Academy nominated the 81-year-old icon for his film Killers of the Flower Moon with Tuesday’s Oscar nominations.
Scorsese now has 10 best director nominations, surpassing Steven Spielberg, who has nine. Scorsese has won the category just once — for 2006’s The Departed. On that front, Spielberg still has one up on Scorsese, having won the category twice (for 1994’s Schindler’s List and 1999’s Saving Private Ryan).
There is one deceased director who has more than 10 Oscar nominations for this category. Care to make a guess?
William Wyler, who was nominated 12 times, and won three times, for films such as 1959’s Ben-Hur.
To win the category this year, Scorsese will have to beat out Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall), Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer), Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things) and Jonathan Glazer (Zone of Interest). Surprisingly absent from the...
The Academy nominated the 81-year-old icon for his film Killers of the Flower Moon with Tuesday’s Oscar nominations.
Scorsese now has 10 best director nominations, surpassing Steven Spielberg, who has nine. Scorsese has won the category just once — for 2006’s The Departed. On that front, Spielberg still has one up on Scorsese, having won the category twice (for 1994’s Schindler’s List and 1999’s Saving Private Ryan).
There is one deceased director who has more than 10 Oscar nominations for this category. Care to make a guess?
William Wyler, who was nominated 12 times, and won three times, for films such as 1959’s Ben-Hur.
To win the category this year, Scorsese will have to beat out Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall), Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer), Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things) and Jonathan Glazer (Zone of Interest). Surprisingly absent from the...
- 1/23/2024
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Dutch Estonian novelist Sana Valiulina investigates the life of her father who was compelled to betray Stalin’s Soviet Union by serving the Nazi war machine
Aliona van der Horst’s documentary tells an impossibly painful and sad story from the second world war; it is an extraordinary tale, arguably worthy of Boris Pasternak and David Lean. It is presented by Dutch Estonian novelist Sana Valiulina, born in Soviet-era Tallinn and resident in Amsterdam since 1989. All her life, she reveals, she has been obsessed with the memory of her father, Sayar, a cold and distant figure when she was growing up, because for 15 years after the war he had been imprisoned in the gulag and made to internalise a grotesque sense of shame for having allowed himself to be taken prisoner by the Nazis after the battle of Smolensk in 1941; Stalin had told his troops to die in combat rather than submit to this dishonour.
Aliona van der Horst’s documentary tells an impossibly painful and sad story from the second world war; it is an extraordinary tale, arguably worthy of Boris Pasternak and David Lean. It is presented by Dutch Estonian novelist Sana Valiulina, born in Soviet-era Tallinn and resident in Amsterdam since 1989. All her life, she reveals, she has been obsessed with the memory of her father, Sayar, a cold and distant figure when she was growing up, because for 15 years after the war he had been imprisoned in the gulag and made to internalise a grotesque sense of shame for having allowed himself to be taken prisoner by the Nazis after the battle of Smolensk in 1941; Stalin had told his troops to die in combat rather than submit to this dishonour.
- 1/22/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Dickens' most popular characters like Scrooge, Nicholas Nickleby, and Oliver Twist have been adapted for film and TV numerous times. The best adaptations of Dickens' works include Scrooge (1951), Great Expectations (1946), Nicholas Nickleby (2002), Oliver! (1968), and The Personal History Of David Copperfield (2019). Some lesser-known but excellent adaptations include A Tale Of Two Cities (1935), The Old Curiosity Shop (1995), The Pickwick Papers (1952), Little Dorrit (1987), and Bleak House (1920).
Charles Dickens has had several of his works adapted numerous times, but with each story, there is an adaptation that stands out as the definitive movie for the source material. Dickens created an extensive body of work in his lifetime between 1812 and 1870, with 15 novels, five novellas, and hundreds of short stories. He was well known for creating characters that were well-defined and have endured long after his death.
Characters like Ebeneezer Scrooge, Nicholas Nickleby, David Copperfield, and Oliver Twist remain some of the most popular characters ever created,...
Charles Dickens has had several of his works adapted numerous times, but with each story, there is an adaptation that stands out as the definitive movie for the source material. Dickens created an extensive body of work in his lifetime between 1812 and 1870, with 15 novels, five novellas, and hundreds of short stories. He was well known for creating characters that were well-defined and have endured long after his death.
Characters like Ebeneezer Scrooge, Nicholas Nickleby, David Copperfield, and Oliver Twist remain some of the most popular characters ever created,...
- 1/22/2024
- by Ben Gibbons
- ScreenRant.com
In 2009, Sally Menke, the splicer extraordinaire who cut her way to film industry prominence as Quentin Tarantino's most trusted collaborator, wrote, "Editors are the quiet heroes of movies and I like it that way." I emphatically agree and disagree with this observation. On one hand, the best film editing is seamless; watching a movie should be an entrancing experience, and it's the editor's job to not break the spell. Yes, there are singular, medium-altering cuts (the entire Odessa Steps sequence in Sergei Eisenstein's silent classic "Potemkin;" the blowing out of a match whisking us off to the desert in David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia;" the bone-to-spaceship transition in Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Opera"), but they're grand gestures deftly woven into the fabric of the movie. They pull you deeper into their worlds, not take you out of them.
Watch enough movies, however, and you become attuned to certain editorial rhythms.
Watch enough movies, however, and you become attuned to certain editorial rhythms.
- 1/9/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
When “Napoleon” visual effects supervisor Charley Henley began planning the massive Battle of Waterloo sequence with director Ridley Scott, the initial discussions centered on the question of how to stage it like the spectacles of Hollywood past. “We wanted to get as close as possible to an old David Lean movie where there are thousands of extras and you’re doing it all live,” Henley told IndieWire. “One of the ideas was to shoot in Ireland using the Irish army, but we pretty quickly realized we couldn’t afford to do that.”
A variety of economic factors — as well as the need to strip the production down due to Covid-19 — meant that “Napoleon” would have to rely heavily on digital effects to realize Scott’s epic vision, but the core principle of doing as much as possible practically remained. “One of the key things for me was getting something real into every shot,...
A variety of economic factors — as well as the need to strip the production down due to Covid-19 — meant that “Napoleon” would have to rely heavily on digital effects to realize Scott’s epic vision, but the core principle of doing as much as possible practically remained. “One of the key things for me was getting something real into every shot,...
- 1/8/2024
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Paul McCartney played The Beatles’ “Yesterday” for a major 1960s singer. He accidentally gave her the impression he was offering her the song. The 1960s star recorded the track anyway. Surprisingly, her cover sounds happy.
Paul McCartney played The Beatles’ ‘Yesterday’ for a singer when he was worried
In the 1997 book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, Paul said he went to the home of a famous singer after writing “Yesterday.” He worried the track sounded too much like a preexisting song, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. “I took it round to Alma Cogan at her flat in Kensington and asked, ‘What’s this song?’ because Alma was a bit of a song buff; there are a lot of people around like that and I admire them a lot,” Paul recalled. “Alma was very songy, knew a lot of Jerome Kern and Cole Porter and that kind of thing,...
Paul McCartney played The Beatles’ ‘Yesterday’ for a singer when he was worried
In the 1997 book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, Paul said he went to the home of a famous singer after writing “Yesterday.” He worried the track sounded too much like a preexisting song, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. “I took it round to Alma Cogan at her flat in Kensington and asked, ‘What’s this song?’ because Alma was a bit of a song buff; there are a lot of people around like that and I admire them a lot,” Paul recalled. “Alma was very songy, knew a lot of Jerome Kern and Cole Porter and that kind of thing,...
- 12/13/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Since 2012, revered filmmaker Martin Scorsese has belonged to a select group of three-time Best Director Golden Globe winners that grew to include six members when Steven Spielberg took last year’s prize for “The Fabelmans.” Over a decade later, the ever-active octogenarian has a strong chance at rising above his fellow triple champs by achieving another directing victory for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” thus following Elia Kazan as the second quadruple honoree in this category’s 81-year history. Since this would be his 10th time competing here, he would also join Spielberg in the rare distinction of having double-digit directing mentions.
Scorsese earned his first Golden Globe Award in 2003 for “Gangs of New York” (on his sixth bid) and was then further lauded for “The Departed” (2007) and “Hugo” (2012). His remaining half dozen directing notices came for his work on “Raging Bull” (1981), “Goodfellas” (1991), “The Age of Innocence” (1994), “Casino” (1996), “The Aviator...
Scorsese earned his first Golden Globe Award in 2003 for “Gangs of New York” (on his sixth bid) and was then further lauded for “The Departed” (2007) and “Hugo” (2012). His remaining half dozen directing notices came for his work on “Raging Bull” (1981), “Goodfellas” (1991), “The Age of Innocence” (1994), “Casino” (1996), “The Aviator...
- 12/7/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
“Killers of the Flower Moon” has been named best picture by the National Board of Review, the organization announced on Wednesday.
Co-distributed by Apple Original Films and Paramount Pictures, the crime epic also nabbed prizes for director Martin Scorsese and actress Lily Gladstone. Scorsese’s win for directing is notable, as he is now tied with legendary filmmaker David Lean with four wins, the most of any director in NBR history. Interestingly, NBR has the least translation to an Oscar winner of all the major categories, the last being Scorsese for “The Departed” (2006).
Over the last 30 years, the winner of NBR’s best film has typically gone on to receive an Oscar nomination for best picture, except for once every decade — 2014’s “A Most Violent Year,” 2000’s “Quills” and 1998’s “Gods and Monsters.” In the 1980s, there were technically two misses with 1987’s “Empire of the Sun” and 1983’s “Betrayal,...
Co-distributed by Apple Original Films and Paramount Pictures, the crime epic also nabbed prizes for director Martin Scorsese and actress Lily Gladstone. Scorsese’s win for directing is notable, as he is now tied with legendary filmmaker David Lean with four wins, the most of any director in NBR history. Interestingly, NBR has the least translation to an Oscar winner of all the major categories, the last being Scorsese for “The Departed” (2006).
Over the last 30 years, the winner of NBR’s best film has typically gone on to receive an Oscar nomination for best picture, except for once every decade — 2014’s “A Most Violent Year,” 2000’s “Quills” and 1998’s “Gods and Monsters.” In the 1980s, there were technically two misses with 1987’s “Empire of the Sun” and 1983’s “Betrayal,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Dead Man’s Shoes and This is England director Shane Meadows used his BAFTA David Lean Lecture to discuss impostor syndrome and Paddy Considine’s improvizational skills.
Talking about his 2013 music doc Stone Roses: Made of Stone, the cult indie film director said: “It’s that impostor syndrome I’ve always had — and I’ve still got it to some degree — that you’re almost like, ‘I’m not deserving of that. How could I take on a concert film?'”
In the event, Made of Stone, which followed the British band The Stone Roses reuniting after 16 years, was released to acclaim — one of several critical triumphs in Meadows’ career.
Meadows said the experience taught him that treating a major production in “those little incremental stages” was key. “It’s like this little acorn that started to blossom, and once you actually realize when you’ve got an amazing team of people,...
Talking about his 2013 music doc Stone Roses: Made of Stone, the cult indie film director said: “It’s that impostor syndrome I’ve always had — and I’ve still got it to some degree — that you’re almost like, ‘I’m not deserving of that. How could I take on a concert film?'”
In the event, Made of Stone, which followed the British band The Stone Roses reuniting after 16 years, was released to acclaim — one of several critical triumphs in Meadows’ career.
Meadows said the experience taught him that treating a major production in “those little incremental stages” was key. “It’s like this little acorn that started to blossom, and once you actually realize when you’ve got an amazing team of people,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
The ‘Inception’, ‘Dunkirk’ director will receive the award at the BFI Chair’s dinner in February.
Christopher Nolan will receive the British Film Institute’s highest honour, the BFI Fellowship, in 2024.
The Fellowship will be presented to Nolan at the BFI Chair’s dinner in London on February 14, 2024, hosted by BFI Chair Tim Richards.
Nolan will then participate in an In Conversation event at the BFI Southbank and a special introduction to his 2020 film Tenet at the BFI Imax – both on February 15, and with public tickets available.
The UK filmmaker will also visit the BFI National Archive’s Conservation Centre,...
Christopher Nolan will receive the British Film Institute’s highest honour, the BFI Fellowship, in 2024.
The Fellowship will be presented to Nolan at the BFI Chair’s dinner in London on February 14, 2024, hosted by BFI Chair Tim Richards.
Nolan will then participate in an In Conversation event at the BFI Southbank and a special introduction to his 2020 film Tenet at the BFI Imax – both on February 15, and with public tickets available.
The UK filmmaker will also visit the BFI National Archive’s Conservation Centre,...
- 12/4/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The British Film Institute (BFI) will present English director Christopher Nolan with its highest honor, the BFI Fellowship, in recognition of the Oppenheimer filmmaker’s “extraordinary achievements and enormous contribution to cinema,” the BFI announced Monday.
The BFI Fellowship will be presented to Christopher Nolan at the BFI Chair’s Dinner in London on February 14, 2024, hosted by BFI Chair Tim Richards. This will be followed by an “In Conversation” event with Nolan on Feb.15 at the BFI Southbank theater and a special introduction to Nolan’s 2020 sci-fi film Tenet at the BFI IMAX.
In a statement, the BFI called Nolan the “rare director who marries his epic vision with an intelligent, unique approach to filmmaking and storytelling” and listed his many achievements for his films, which have won a total of 11 Oscars.
“I’m delighted to be honoring and recognizing Christopher Nolan with a BFI Fellowship,” said Richards. “Christopher Nolan...
The BFI Fellowship will be presented to Christopher Nolan at the BFI Chair’s Dinner in London on February 14, 2024, hosted by BFI Chair Tim Richards. This will be followed by an “In Conversation” event with Nolan on Feb.15 at the BFI Southbank theater and a special introduction to Nolan’s 2020 sci-fi film Tenet at the BFI IMAX.
In a statement, the BFI called Nolan the “rare director who marries his epic vision with an intelligent, unique approach to filmmaking and storytelling” and listed his many achievements for his films, which have won a total of 11 Oscars.
“I’m delighted to be honoring and recognizing Christopher Nolan with a BFI Fellowship,” said Richards. “Christopher Nolan...
- 12/4/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Christopher Nolan is to receive a BFI Fellowship, the highest honor bestowed by the UK’s lead organization for film.
The award will be presented to the Oppenheimer filmmaker at the BFI Chair’s Dinner in London on February 14, 2024, hosted by BFI Chair Tim Richards. This will be followed on February 15, 2024, by an In Conversation event at BFI Southbank and a special introduction to Tenet at BFI IMAX, for which public tickets will be available. During the visit, Nolan will also visit the BFI National Archive’s Conservation Centre.
Nolan’s films have won 11 Academy Awards and grossed over $6.1 billion worldwide. The release of his latest film, Oppenheimer, in July 2023 took the world by storm, grossing over $950 million globally for Universal Pictures. The pic is Nolan’s biggest film ever at the UK box office, grossing £58.7 million to date, surpassing The Dark Knight and Dunkirk. The film had a rare...
The award will be presented to the Oppenheimer filmmaker at the BFI Chair’s Dinner in London on February 14, 2024, hosted by BFI Chair Tim Richards. This will be followed on February 15, 2024, by an In Conversation event at BFI Southbank and a special introduction to Tenet at BFI IMAX, for which public tickets will be available. During the visit, Nolan will also visit the BFI National Archive’s Conservation Centre.
Nolan’s films have won 11 Academy Awards and grossed over $6.1 billion worldwide. The release of his latest film, Oppenheimer, in July 2023 took the world by storm, grossing over $950 million globally for Universal Pictures. The pic is Nolan’s biggest film ever at the UK box office, grossing £58.7 million to date, surpassing The Dark Knight and Dunkirk. The film had a rare...
- 12/4/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Taste is subjective, but you'd be hard-pressed to find someone (who isn't just a frothing racist) who didn't enjoy "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse." The third highest-grossing film of the year domestically, "Across the Spider-Verse," is a visual feast for the eyes and a striking follow-up to the equally adored "Into the Spider-Verse." Serving as the second installment of Miles Morales' arc as Spider-Man, the animated feature is a high-octane adventure with multiverse traveling, alternate timelines, and earth-shattering conflicts. It is, as prolific filmmaker Christopher Miller said during a press conference I recently attended, "the largest and most ambitious animated movie ever made." And he's right.
Trying to comprehend just how much went into crafting "Across the Spider-Verse" is enough to make your brain short-circuit and make the Windows shutdown noise, but it truly is an animated epic. So it's no surprise that Miller and his creative partner Phil Lord were...
Trying to comprehend just how much went into crafting "Across the Spider-Verse" is enough to make your brain short-circuit and make the Windows shutdown noise, but it truly is an animated epic. So it's no surprise that Miller and his creative partner Phil Lord were...
- 12/4/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
“Oppenheimer” director Christopher Nolan is being accorded a BFI Fellowship, the highest honor bestowed by the British Film Institute.
“The fellowship recognizes Nolan’s extraordinary achievements and enormous contribution to cinema as one of the world’s most successful and influential film directors, constantly pushing the limits of what large-scale filmmaking can be whilst retaining a reverence for the history of the medium and the primacy of cinema-going,” the BFI said in a statement.
The fellowship will be presented to Nolan at the BFI chair’s dinner in London on Feb. 14, 2024, hosted by BFI Chair Tim Richards. This will be followed on Feb. 15, 2024, by an In Conversation event at BFI Southbank and an introduction to “Tenet” at BFI Imax. During his visit, Nolan will also visit the BFI National Archive’s Conservation Centre.
Nolan’s films, which also include “Memento,” “Batman Begins,” “Inception” and “Dunkirk,” have won 11 Oscars and grossed some $6.1 million globally.
“The fellowship recognizes Nolan’s extraordinary achievements and enormous contribution to cinema as one of the world’s most successful and influential film directors, constantly pushing the limits of what large-scale filmmaking can be whilst retaining a reverence for the history of the medium and the primacy of cinema-going,” the BFI said in a statement.
The fellowship will be presented to Nolan at the BFI chair’s dinner in London on Feb. 14, 2024, hosted by BFI Chair Tim Richards. This will be followed on Feb. 15, 2024, by an In Conversation event at BFI Southbank and an introduction to “Tenet” at BFI Imax. During his visit, Nolan will also visit the BFI National Archive’s Conservation Centre.
Nolan’s films, which also include “Memento,” “Batman Begins,” “Inception” and “Dunkirk,” have won 11 Oscars and grossed some $6.1 million globally.
- 12/4/2023
- by K.J. Yossman and Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
On Dec. 4, 1997, Steven Spielberg unveiled historical drama Amistad at its premiere in Washington, D.C. The film went on to gross $44 million and nab four Oscar nominations at the 70th Academy Awards, including for cinematography, score, costume design and supporting actor for Anthony Hopkins’ role. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below:
DreamWorks Skg’s Amistad is a holiday feast: Namely it is an ambitious story layout teeming with historical significance, packed with a sterling-set cast and dished up with the finest technical crockery. But like most holiday tables, after everything gets passed around for the first time, nothing much goes together.
Alas, this personal/legalistic story about 53 Africans who broke free of their shackles while aboard the Spanish slave ship La Amistad keeps afloat mainly on its kind-spirited intentions rather than the narrative craftsmanship of the vessel itself.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, this DreamWorks presentation in association with...
DreamWorks Skg’s Amistad is a holiday feast: Namely it is an ambitious story layout teeming with historical significance, packed with a sterling-set cast and dished up with the finest technical crockery. But like most holiday tables, after everything gets passed around for the first time, nothing much goes together.
Alas, this personal/legalistic story about 53 Africans who broke free of their shackles while aboard the Spanish slave ship La Amistad keeps afloat mainly on its kind-spirited intentions rather than the narrative craftsmanship of the vessel itself.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, this DreamWorks presentation in association with...
- 12/3/2023
- by Duane Byrge
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mark Shelmerdine, the veteran producer who revived London Films as an indie powerhouse and played a pivotal role in the development of the international TV distribution market, died October 26 in Santa Barbara surrounded by his family. He was 78.
Among his achievements, he was among the first UK indie TV producers to retain rights to a broadcast production and was a founder of the LA branch of BAFTA.
Shelmerdine’s death was confirmed to Deadline by his friend Brian Eastman. The producer had survived a rare and potentially deadly form of bile duct cancer by receiving a life-saving liver transplant in 2018 through a trial in Houston, and was one of the longest living survivors of the MD Anderson Cancer Center and Houston Methodist Hospital program.
Born on March 27, 1945, Shelmerdine spent part of his childhood in Singapore before moving to the UK. He was awarded a place to attend Sidney Sussex College...
Among his achievements, he was among the first UK indie TV producers to retain rights to a broadcast production and was a founder of the LA branch of BAFTA.
Shelmerdine’s death was confirmed to Deadline by his friend Brian Eastman. The producer had survived a rare and potentially deadly form of bile duct cancer by receiving a life-saving liver transplant in 2018 through a trial in Houston, and was one of the longest living survivors of the MD Anderson Cancer Center and Houston Methodist Hospital program.
Born on March 27, 1945, Shelmerdine spent part of his childhood in Singapore before moving to the UK. He was awarded a place to attend Sidney Sussex College...
- 12/1/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" isn't just a perfect movie, it's a delicate one. Director Steven Spielberg was coming off a rip-snorter of an adventure film in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," which, following the (unjustified) critical drubbing he received for "1941," reestablished him as Hollywood's preeminent orchestrator of escapist entertainments. Given his box office bona fides, he had clout to burn, and could've easily mounted a David Lean-sized epic (which had to be tempting considering that "Lawrence of Arabia" is one of his favorite movies). But he saw a piece of his melancholy childhood in Melissa Mathison's tale of a boy and his alien buddy, and let his heart be his guide instead of his ego.
Released on June 11, 1982, "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" hung out in the box-office Top 10 well into 1983. It was the highest-grossing movie of all time globally until Spielberg one-upped himself commercially 10 years later with "Jurassic Park." But...
Released on June 11, 1982, "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" hung out in the box-office Top 10 well into 1983. It was the highest-grossing movie of all time globally until Spielberg one-upped himself commercially 10 years later with "Jurassic Park." But...
- 11/23/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
“All art is autobiographical,” Federico Fellini once said. “The pearl is the oyster’s autobiography.” No one would accuse Napoleon, Ridley Scott’s two-and-a-half-hour epic (that’s the theatrical cut’s running time, mind you; there’s a four-hour version waiting in the wings as well) about the French dictator’s rise and fall, of being thinly veiled autofiction in period dress. You sure as hell wouldn’t call it a pearl, either. Starting with the French revolution and ending with Monsieur Bonaparte’s no-bang-all-whimper exit from this mortal coil,...
- 11/21/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
The Criterion Channel is closing the year out with a bang––they’ve announced their December lineup. Among the highlights are retrospectives on Yasujiro Ozu (featuring nearly 40 films!), Ousmane Sembène, Alfred Hitchcock (along with Kent Jones’ Hitchcock/Truffaut), and Parker Posey. Well-timed for the season is a holiday noir series that includes They Live By Night, Blast of Silence, Lady in the Lake, and more.
Other highlights are the recent restoration of Abel Gance’s La roue, an MGM Musicals series with introduction by Michael Koresky, Helena Wittmann’s riveting second feature Human Flowers of Flesh, the recent Sundance highlight The Mountains Are a Dream That Call To Me, the new restoration of The Cassandra Cat, Lynne Ramsay’s Morvern Callar, Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster, and more.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Terry Gilliam, 1988
An American in Paris, Vincente Minnelli,...
Other highlights are the recent restoration of Abel Gance’s La roue, an MGM Musicals series with introduction by Michael Koresky, Helena Wittmann’s riveting second feature Human Flowers of Flesh, the recent Sundance highlight The Mountains Are a Dream That Call To Me, the new restoration of The Cassandra Cat, Lynne Ramsay’s Morvern Callar, Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster, and more.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Terry Gilliam, 1988
An American in Paris, Vincente Minnelli,...
- 11/13/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Anthony Hickox, the British director known for horrors such as Waxwork and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, has died aged 64.
Hickox had spent his recent years in Romania, where police found him dead last week at his house in Bucharest after friends had reported not seeing him for some time, according to close friend and InterTalent Rights Group CEO Jonathan Shalit.
Best known for his work in the comedy-horror genre, Hickox’s best known work was 1988’s Waxwork, which starred the likes of Zach Gilligan, Deborah Foreman and Michelle Johnson and was inspired by a 1920s German silent film. It is claimed Hickox wrote the script for Waxwork after driving into the back of Staffan Ahrenberg’s car and persuading the producer to let him pay for the damage by writing the script for just $3,000.
Hickox also directed a sequel and films such as Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat and Warlock: The Armageddon.
Hickox had spent his recent years in Romania, where police found him dead last week at his house in Bucharest after friends had reported not seeing him for some time, according to close friend and InterTalent Rights Group CEO Jonathan Shalit.
Best known for his work in the comedy-horror genre, Hickox’s best known work was 1988’s Waxwork, which starred the likes of Zach Gilligan, Deborah Foreman and Michelle Johnson and was inspired by a 1920s German silent film. It is claimed Hickox wrote the script for Waxwork after driving into the back of Staffan Ahrenberg’s car and persuading the producer to let him pay for the damage by writing the script for just $3,000.
Hickox also directed a sequel and films such as Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat and Warlock: The Armageddon.
- 10/10/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
1960’s Best Picture Oscar winner The Apartment has gone down in history as one of the best films Billy Wilder ever made, which is just a humble way of stating it’s one of the greatest films of all time. But none of that would have been possible if not for the unlikely film that inspired it: David Lean’s Brief Encounter. It’s a story so pure that its title was re-appropriated to define an entire genre and offers extraordinary insight into the melodramatic sensibilities of the director who gave us some of the most sweepingly epic, spectacle-filled movies ever made. Viewers of both will remember however that there’s hardly an ounce of humor to be found in Lean’s breakthrough classic, whereas The Apartment is overloaded with laughs, even if it concerns itself with calling out men with mistresses and the pain they put their lovers through.
- 10/6/2023
- by Orestes Adam
- Collider.com
The Creator begins with a title card and the textbook definition of a “Nirmati.” Nirmati is a Nepalese word, as well as the film’s own jargon-y term, for “creator.” As in the architect of artificial intelligence. This is a nifty bit of world-building for the movie. From the jump, we are immediately keyed into a crucial bit of minutiae while also having our toes dipped into the sci-fi movie’s pool of immersion. Yet when that pool turns out to be an ocean, and every nook, cranny, and robotic exoskeleton invites the audience to sink or swim in this vast vision of tomorrow, one wonders if the film might’ve been better served by starting with a glossary. It certainly could have helped what is an otherwise detached, and curiously shallow, story.
As director Gareth Edwards’ first film after the troubled production of Rogue One, the filmmaker and one of that picture’s screenwriters,...
As director Gareth Edwards’ first film after the troubled production of Rogue One, the filmmaker and one of that picture’s screenwriters,...
- 9/28/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
David Lean is often considered one of the greatest English filmmakers of all time, making a total of 16 films between the years 1942 and 1984. He was most prolific during the 1940s and 1950s, though began tackling increasingly large-scale projects as his career went on and his reputation grew. As such, he's often most well-regarded for his epic films, two of which won Best Picture at the Oscars, while the others also found critical acclaim and general success at the box office.
- 9/17/2023
- by Jeremy Urquhart
- Collider.com
After 2017’s Loving Vincent and Toronto International Film Festival world premiere The Peasants, it is clear that Dk Welchman and Hugh Welchman have developed a gorgeously distinct, personal, ludicrously involved style of filmmaking. Loving Vincent, a clever biography of Vincent Van Gogh, was sold as “the world’s first fully painted feature film,” and indeed it was. The painting process returns in The Peasants, an adaptation of Władysław Reymont’s early 1900s, Nobel Prize–winning novel. A staggering 40,000 frames of film were painted to bring The Peasants to life.
That is an incredible achievement, one that should give the filmmakers and all involved in the production a sense of pride. Unfortunately, watching the finished product inspires difficult questions. Was it worth it? Does the final product warrant the years of painstaking labor involved? Both questions must be answered with a firm no. The Peasants is a visually breathtaking, dramatically inert misfire.
That is an incredible achievement, one that should give the filmmakers and all involved in the production a sense of pride. Unfortunately, watching the finished product inspires difficult questions. Was it worth it? Does the final product warrant the years of painstaking labor involved? Both questions must be answered with a firm no. The Peasants is a visually breathtaking, dramatically inert misfire.
- 9/10/2023
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
Mumbai, Aug 28 (Ians) The teaser of the upcoming Bengali film ‘Raktbeej’, which was unveiled on Monday, promises a compelling thriller. The 1 minute long teaser begins with building the hype around Padma Bhushan and National Film Award recipient, the veteran actor Victor Banerjee as he can be seen signing a document with a fountain pen.
The teaser then goes onto showing the montages from the film in fast cuts thereby maintaining the intrigue and thriller about the plot and the characters.
The film has been directed by the renowned director duo Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee, and is inspired by the Burdwan blast in 2014, which shook up Bengal and also the nation, the film is about the homecoming of a man, who holds an important portfolio, and how an accidental blast in a firecracker unit unveils a bigger threat to his life.
On October 2, 2014, which coincided with Mahashtami that year, an...
The teaser then goes onto showing the montages from the film in fast cuts thereby maintaining the intrigue and thriller about the plot and the characters.
The film has been directed by the renowned director duo Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee, and is inspired by the Burdwan blast in 2014, which shook up Bengal and also the nation, the film is about the homecoming of a man, who holds an important portfolio, and how an accidental blast in a firecracker unit unveils a bigger threat to his life.
On October 2, 2014, which coincided with Mahashtami that year, an...
- 8/28/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.