BAFTA Circles Calendar
The British Academy has confirmed the date of the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards, which will now be held on Sunday February. 16.
As per recent scheduling arrangements, the awards — arguably the biggest film awards outside the U.S. — takes place two weeks before the Oscars on March 2, 2025. Regular film festival attendees may note that the BAFTA awards will, once again, be held during the Berlinale, set to run February 13-23, with there likely to be a spike in industry professionals flying back to London on the morning of Feb. 16.
The full timeline and eligibility details for the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards will be announced in due course. Voting will take place over three rounds: longlisting, nominations and winners, by the academy’s global voting film membership which comprises more than 7,800 industry creatives.
The 2024 BAFTA Film Awards, which saw “Oppenheimer” dominate with wins for best film, director and actor, were watched...
The British Academy has confirmed the date of the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards, which will now be held on Sunday February. 16.
As per recent scheduling arrangements, the awards — arguably the biggest film awards outside the U.S. — takes place two weeks before the Oscars on March 2, 2025. Regular film festival attendees may note that the BAFTA awards will, once again, be held during the Berlinale, set to run February 13-23, with there likely to be a spike in industry professionals flying back to London on the morning of Feb. 16.
The full timeline and eligibility details for the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards will be announced in due course. Voting will take place over three rounds: longlisting, nominations and winners, by the academy’s global voting film membership which comprises more than 7,800 industry creatives.
The 2024 BAFTA Film Awards, which saw “Oppenheimer” dominate with wins for best film, director and actor, were watched...
- 4/19/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Albert Dieudonné as Napoleon which 'amazed audiences and critics alike when it premiered at the Paris Opera on 7 April, 1927' Photo: Photoplay January 1925. First turn of the crank at the Boulogne studio. Abel Gance explains the filming set-up to the young Bonaparte (Vladimir Roudenko), surrounded by the technical crew Photo: © La Cinémathèque française An epic of silent cinema Abel Gance’s Napoleon, which has been seen over the years in various restored versions presented by the likes of film historian Kevin Brownlow and director Francis Ford Coppola, with live scores by Carl Davis and Coppola’s father Carmine, has been resurrected in a new guise for a premiere in the Classics section of the Cannes Film Festival.
The first part of the “new” film will be unveiled on May 14 with Napoléon (1st period), in a version resulting from what is described as "a colossal, passionate effort by the Cinémathèque française,...
The first part of the “new” film will be unveiled on May 14 with Napoléon (1st period), in a version resulting from what is described as "a colossal, passionate effort by the Cinémathèque française,...
- 4/19/2024
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Jeanine Basinger, a veteran film professor, historian and author, helped build Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, into a film powerhouse during her 60 years at the institution. On April 20, the esteemed academic will receive the TCM Classic Film Festival’s Robert Osborne Award, which recognizes an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive for future generations. Its four previous recipients were Martin Scorsese and film historians/authors Kevin Brownlow, Leonard Maltin and Donald Bogle. Basinger, a youthful 88, spoke with THR about her life and career.
How did you fall in love with movies?
Jeanine Basinger
I grew up in South Dakota, and at 11 I got a job as an usher at a local movie theater. My film school was watching movies — and how audiences reacted to them — over and over again. I began visiting film archives and interviewing film personalities who responded to my outreach. I was hooked.
How did you fall in love with movies?
Jeanine Basinger
I grew up in South Dakota, and at 11 I got a job as an usher at a local movie theater. My film school was watching movies — and how audiences reacted to them — over and over again. I began visiting film archives and interviewing film personalities who responded to my outreach. I was hooked.
- 4/12/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Every time a presumed-lost silent film is rediscovered, it’s cause for celebration. When elements were found to restore complete versions of “The Passion of Joan of Arc” and “Metropolis,” the resulting restoration premiere was a major cinematic event. For his part, the silent film historian Kevin Brownlow told me he thinks a treasure trove of lost silents is just awaiting rediscovery in the archives of the Cinemateca de Cuba.
One major new find occurred right in the United States, however. Filmmaker Gary Huggins was hoping to buy a celluloid reel for a cartoon as part of the auction of films an Omaha-based distributor had held, after the distributor folded. He had to purchase a number of other films as well in order to get the one he wanted, and among those other titles? A presumed-lost 1923 movie with silent film megastar Clara Bow called “The Pill Pounder.”
A fun broadcast...
One major new find occurred right in the United States, however. Filmmaker Gary Huggins was hoping to buy a celluloid reel for a cartoon as part of the auction of films an Omaha-based distributor had held, after the distributor folded. He had to purchase a number of other films as well in order to get the one he wanted, and among those other titles? A presumed-lost 1923 movie with silent film megastar Clara Bow called “The Pill Pounder.”
A fun broadcast...
- 3/10/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
One of the long-awaited crown jewels of silent cinema will be seen in its full glory soon. For nearly two decades work has been underway to restore Abel Gance’s 1927 epic Napoleon to as close as possible to its “Apollo version,” a seven-hour cut that screened at the Apollo Theatre in Paris in 1927. As led by Georges Mourier and backed by Cinémathèque Française, with financing from Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée and Netflix, among others, this definitive version will now premiere this summer in Paris.
This new version will hold its world premiere across two evenings on July 4 and 5 at the Seine Musicale, located in the western suburbs of Paris, according to a news release (with a hat tip to our friend Peter Labuza). This special screening will feature a new live score by over 250 musicians from the National Orchestra of France, the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra,...
This new version will hold its world premiere across two evenings on July 4 and 5 at the Seine Musicale, located in the western suburbs of Paris, according to a news release (with a hat tip to our friend Peter Labuza). This special screening will feature a new live score by over 250 musicians from the National Orchestra of France, the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra,...
- 2/21/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
“We didn’t need dialogue. We had faces,” proclaimed former silent film queen Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) in Billy Wilder’s 1950 masterwork “Sunset Boulevard.” One of the greatest faces of the era belonged to French actor Albert Dieudonne who starred in Abel Gance’s breathtaking 1927 epic “Napoleon.” With this dark eyes, distinct nose and rock star style hair, Dieudonne channels the infamous French military leader and emperor who conquered most of Europe in the early 19th century until his disastrous 1812 invasion of Russia. Exiled to Elba in 1814, he emerged once again and suffered a massive defeat at Waterloo in 1815. He died in exile six years later at the age of 51.
Dieudonne commands the 5 ½ hour film restored by Kevin Brownlow which features the jaw-dropping triptych finale that is as exciting now as it was 96 years ago. BFI states that the film is “monumental and visionary, the story’s chapters play out...
Dieudonne commands the 5 ½ hour film restored by Kevin Brownlow which features the jaw-dropping triptych finale that is as exciting now as it was 96 years ago. BFI states that the film is “monumental and visionary, the story’s chapters play out...
- 12/1/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Emmy-winning production designer and a past president of the Art Directors Guild Thomas Walsh is in prepro and raising funds to make a documentary about pioneering art director and painter Ben Carré (1883-1978), whose little-known story, which begins in Paris with the invention of motion pictures, also serves as an early history of his art form.
“The history, origin and profession of art direction for motion pictures has never been properly documented and Ben’s journey is our Rosetta Stone,” explains film history enthusiast Walsh, who is writing, producing and directing the project based on Carré’s unpublished 400-page memoir, archival material and exhaustive research.
Ben Carré: A Parisian in Hollywood will trace the subject’s life, starting in silent movies in Paris, before moving to Fort Lee, New Jersey, when the Hudson River region was an early filmmaking destination, and then to Hollywood. Carré is credited with set designs...
“The history, origin and profession of art direction for motion pictures has never been properly documented and Ben’s journey is our Rosetta Stone,” explains film history enthusiast Walsh, who is writing, producing and directing the project based on Carré’s unpublished 400-page memoir, archival material and exhaustive research.
Ben Carré: A Parisian in Hollywood will trace the subject’s life, starting in silent movies in Paris, before moving to Fort Lee, New Jersey, when the Hudson River region was an early filmmaking destination, and then to Hollywood. Carré is credited with set designs...
- 10/20/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Google “forgiving John Galliano.” I’ll wait.
That’s quite a list of headlines, huh? “How Fashion Forgave John Galliano.” “Why Won’t People Forgive John Galliano?” “Should John Galliano Be Forgiven?” “Can We Forgive John Galliano Already?” Those are just within the first five results.
With hindsight, the-then Dior creative director was the first to really feel the brunt of today’s so-called “cancel culture” — and with good reason. His comments from December 2010 at Parisian Cafe La Perle, captured via smartphone in a way that vulgar remarks could not have been beforehand and released only a couple months later after yet another altercation, were truly vile. He spoke about his love of Hitler, his hatred of Jews, and his seeming approval of the Holocaust.
What Kevin Macdonald’s riveting, empathetic documentary “High & Low: John Galliano” goes to show is that the one person who really doesn’t remember those comments is…...
That’s quite a list of headlines, huh? “How Fashion Forgave John Galliano.” “Why Won’t People Forgive John Galliano?” “Should John Galliano Be Forgiven?” “Can We Forgive John Galliano Already?” Those are just within the first five results.
With hindsight, the-then Dior creative director was the first to really feel the brunt of today’s so-called “cancel culture” — and with good reason. His comments from December 2010 at Parisian Cafe La Perle, captured via smartphone in a way that vulgar remarks could not have been beforehand and released only a couple months later after yet another altercation, were truly vile. He spoke about his love of Hitler, his hatred of Jews, and his seeming approval of the Holocaust.
What Kevin Macdonald’s riveting, empathetic documentary “High & Low: John Galliano” goes to show is that the one person who really doesn’t remember those comments is…...
- 9/2/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Carl Davis, who composed the scores for The French Lieutenant’s Woman, the BBC miniseries Pride and Prejudice and perhaps most famously Abel Gance’s epic 1927 silent film Napoléon, has died. He was 86.
Davis died Thursday after suffering a brain hemorrhage, his family announced.
“We are so proud that Carl’s legacy will be his astonishing impact on music,” they wrote on Twitter. “A consummate all-round musician, he was the driving force behind the reinvention of the silent movie for this generation, and he wrote scores for some of the most-loved and remembered British television dramas.”
Born in Brooklyn but living in the U.K. since 1961, Davis was hired by documentarians Kevin Brownlow and David Gill to create music for the 13-hour 1980 miniseries Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film and for Napoléon.
“My first score for a silent movie was Napoleon,” he said in 2010. “Five hours of it! It...
Davis died Thursday after suffering a brain hemorrhage, his family announced.
“We are so proud that Carl’s legacy will be his astonishing impact on music,” they wrote on Twitter. “A consummate all-round musician, he was the driving force behind the reinvention of the silent movie for this generation, and he wrote scores for some of the most-loved and remembered British television dramas.”
Born in Brooklyn but living in the U.K. since 1961, Davis was hired by documentarians Kevin Brownlow and David Gill to create music for the 13-hour 1980 miniseries Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film and for Napoléon.
“My first score for a silent movie was Napoleon,” he said in 2010. “Five hours of it! It...
- 8/3/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Alex Tonisson has been appointed the new national executive director of IATSE Local 600’s International Cinematographers Guild (Icg).
As the new national executive director, Tonisson will spearhead critical negotiations, in effort to solicit new opportunities and changes on behalf of the Icg, as well as supervise the full-time staff that work closely with other IATSE Local and International chapters.
“I am excited for this opportunity to continue the important work that Icg does, including the crucial support the Guild provides during this industry-wide strike that has impacted so many of our members,” said Tonisson. “During this critical moment of technology-driven change in film and the arts – it’s my honor to represent the best interests of our members who include some of the most brilliant, creative and talented individuals in our industry.”
Prior to joining Local 600, Tonisson formerly served as the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (Ifpte Local 21) director of field services,...
As the new national executive director, Tonisson will spearhead critical negotiations, in effort to solicit new opportunities and changes on behalf of the Icg, as well as supervise the full-time staff that work closely with other IATSE Local and International chapters.
“I am excited for this opportunity to continue the important work that Icg does, including the crucial support the Guild provides during this industry-wide strike that has impacted so many of our members,” said Tonisson. “During this critical moment of technology-driven change in film and the arts – it’s my honor to represent the best interests of our members who include some of the most brilliant, creative and talented individuals in our industry.”
Prior to joining Local 600, Tonisson formerly served as the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (Ifpte Local 21) director of field services,...
- 6/24/2023
- by McKinley Franklin, Sophia Sun and Charna Flam
- Variety Film + TV
A rare and extensive animation collection from Steven Spielberg, Shirley Kurata’s Oscar-nominated costumes from 2022 Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once, a blacklisted writer’s original Oscar statuette from 1958’s The Defiant Ones and the more than 700-film collection of legendary film scholar and Honorary Oscar recipient Kevin Brownlow are just a few of the latest donations to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ vast collections housed at the Margaret Herrick Library on Beverly Hills, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and the Academy Film Archive. These items and many more just add to the eye-popping collected works for AMPAS, the largest film-related collection in the world (next to my garage – Not).
The Steven Spielberg Animation Collection, which includes more an 150 pieces of original animation art from 1932-52 is such a prize that the Academy is renaming its Herrick Library’s Graphic Arts department — which also includes posters,...
The Steven Spielberg Animation Collection, which includes more an 150 pieces of original animation art from 1932-52 is such a prize that the Academy is renaming its Herrick Library’s Graphic Arts department — which also includes posters,...
- 6/20/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has obtained several new acquisitions to its already extensive collection, housed at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, the organization announced Tuesday.
Included among the additions are costumes from the most recent Best Picture Oscar winner “Everything Everywhere All at Once”; more than 600 rare silent film posters; personal film collections and film-related materials from producer Gale Anne Hurd, director Harold Ramis, filmmaker Gregg Araki and film scholar Kevin Brownlow; conceptual art for “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial”; and more than 150 hand-painted animation artworks dating back to 1932, donated by Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw.
The latter donation will be celebrated with the renaming of the Margaret Herrick Library’s Graphic Arts Department as the Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw Graphic Arts Department.
Also Read:
Yim Soon-rye Hopes the Academy Museum’s Series Will Bring More Attention to Korean...
Included among the additions are costumes from the most recent Best Picture Oscar winner “Everything Everywhere All at Once”; more than 600 rare silent film posters; personal film collections and film-related materials from producer Gale Anne Hurd, director Harold Ramis, filmmaker Gregg Araki and film scholar Kevin Brownlow; conceptual art for “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial”; and more than 150 hand-painted animation artworks dating back to 1932, donated by Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw.
The latter donation will be celebrated with the renaming of the Margaret Herrick Library’s Graphic Arts Department as the Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw Graphic Arts Department.
Also Read:
Yim Soon-rye Hopes the Academy Museum’s Series Will Bring More Attention to Korean...
- 6/20/2023
- by Libby Hill
- The Wrap
Turner Classic Movies, TCM for short, today announced that the fourth annual Robert Osborne Award will be given to Donald Bogle. Bogle, considered to be among the foremost authorities on African Americans in Hollywood, will receive the award at the 2023 TCM Classic Film Festival prior to a screening of “Carmen Jones.” That 1954 feature first ignited Bogle’s interest in Black artists in the movies.
The award, recognizing an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive for future generations, has been previously awarded to director Martin Scorsese, film preservationist Kevin Brownlow and film author and historian Leonard Maltin.
Bogle is a pioneer in the study of Black artists working in cinema. He is also an award-winning author, having written nine books, including (but not limited to) “Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies” and “Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films. The latter will this year celebrate its 50th anniversary.
The award, recognizing an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive for future generations, has been previously awarded to director Martin Scorsese, film preservationist Kevin Brownlow and film author and historian Leonard Maltin.
Bogle is a pioneer in the study of Black artists working in cinema. He is also an award-winning author, having written nine books, including (but not limited to) “Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies” and “Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films. The latter will this year celebrate its 50th anniversary.
- 2/8/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Author Donald Bogle, one of the foremost authorities on African Americans in Hollywood, will receive the fourth annual Robert Osborne Award at the TCM Classic Film Festival in April, it was announced Wednesday.
The honor recognizes an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive for future generations. The first three recipients were director Martin Scorsese, film preservationist Kevin Brownlow and author-historian Leonard Maltin.
Bogle pioneered the study of Black artists working in cinema and is the award-winning author of nine books, including the groundbreaking Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
He also wrote 2019’s Hollywood Black: The Stars, The Films, The Filmmakers for TCM as well as a definitive 1999 biography of Dorothy Dandridge, the star of Carmen Jones (1954) and the first African American to be nominated for an Oscar in a lead acting category.
The honor recognizes an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive for future generations. The first three recipients were director Martin Scorsese, film preservationist Kevin Brownlow and author-historian Leonard Maltin.
Bogle pioneered the study of Black artists working in cinema and is the award-winning author of nine books, including the groundbreaking Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
He also wrote 2019’s Hollywood Black: The Stars, The Films, The Filmmakers for TCM as well as a definitive 1999 biography of Dorothy Dandridge, the star of Carmen Jones (1954) and the first African American to be nominated for an Oscar in a lead acting category.
- 2/8/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It's unsurprising how many have compared "Babylon," director Damien Chazzelle's super-charged elegy for early Hollywood, to "Boogie Nights" and "Singin' in the Rain." In its tensions -- talent and luck, apocryphal myth-making and the lesser-known truths, moral incongruity and creative spunk, and the critique of an apathetic business that nonetheless creates empathetic works -- Chazelle's "Babylon" bears some lineage to both films.
If you only focus on those influences, however, you will miss the primary tension: The fight between identity and assimilation. These politics, as viewed through the film's protagonist, Manuel Torres (Diego Calva), position Chazelle's behemoth vision closer to "The Last Black Man in San Francisco," "Medicine for Melancholy," and "Bamboozled" as an assimilation narrative affixed to a fable.
In Joe Talbot's "The Last Black Man in San Francisco," amid a gentrifying city selling the remnants of its Black heritage to the highest bidder, Jimmie Fails (played by...
If you only focus on those influences, however, you will miss the primary tension: The fight between identity and assimilation. These politics, as viewed through the film's protagonist, Manuel Torres (Diego Calva), position Chazelle's behemoth vision closer to "The Last Black Man in San Francisco," "Medicine for Melancholy," and "Bamboozled" as an assimilation narrative affixed to a fable.
In Joe Talbot's "The Last Black Man in San Francisco," amid a gentrifying city selling the remnants of its Black heritage to the highest bidder, Jimmie Fails (played by...
- 12/29/2022
- by Robert Daniels
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
When Blanche Sweet sang “there’s a tear for every smile in Hollywood” in Show Girl in Hollywood (1930), she wasn’t wrong. Movie people have long been warning starry eyed wannabes to tread carefully if there were coming to Tinseltown full of hopes and dreams. In The Truth About the Movies by the Stars (1924), screenwriter Frank Butler wrote that “From every corner of the earth they come and across the Seven Seas – borne on the tireless wings of youthful optimism. Pathetic pilgrims these, struggling on to ultimate disillusion.”
A large part of Damien Chazelle’s Babylon (2022) explores the dark side of Hollywood’s Golden Age. The twenties roared in Hollywood, but there was also something larger at stake for characters in Babylon. Like any audience in front of a film, they were chasing that magic on the screen. They were chasing an idea.
When Blanche Sweet sang “there’s a tear for every smile in Hollywood” in Show Girl in Hollywood (1930), she wasn’t wrong. Movie people have long been warning starry eyed wannabes to tread carefully if there were coming to Tinseltown full of hopes and dreams. In The Truth About the Movies by the Stars (1924), screenwriter Frank Butler wrote that “From every corner of the earth they come and across the Seven Seas – borne on the tireless wings of youthful optimism. Pathetic pilgrims these, struggling on to ultimate disillusion.”
A large part of Damien Chazelle’s Babylon (2022) explores the dark side of Hollywood’s Golden Age. The twenties roared in Hollywood, but there was also something larger at stake for characters in Babylon. Like any audience in front of a film, they were chasing that magic on the screen. They were chasing an idea.
- 12/23/2022
- by Chris Yogerst
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In the late 1920s, silent era filmmaking was at the height of its artistry, and Hollywood was one big, debaucherous party. This was the roaring twenties, after all. In fact, it was the depravity — on screen and off — of this era that led to the creation of the Production Code that would handicap studio films for decades to come.
Although many films have paid tribute to these wild, early days like James Ivory’s “The Wild Party” or Michel Hazanavicius’ “The Artist,” few have boasted as impressive a grasp the magic and darkness of its history and mythology as Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon.” This era is a perfect collision of all the Oscar winner’s interests.
In his three-hour epic “Babylon,” the romantic cinephilia of “La La Land” meets the obsessive jazz rhythms of “Whiplash” meets the detailed history of “First Man.” Inspired in part by the racier (though often...
Although many films have paid tribute to these wild, early days like James Ivory’s “The Wild Party” or Michel Hazanavicius’ “The Artist,” few have boasted as impressive a grasp the magic and darkness of its history and mythology as Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon.” This era is a perfect collision of all the Oscar winner’s interests.
In his three-hour epic “Babylon,” the romantic cinephilia of “La La Land” meets the obsessive jazz rhythms of “Whiplash” meets the detailed history of “First Man.” Inspired in part by the racier (though often...
- 12/21/2022
- by Marya E. Gates
- Indiewire
Pitt and Margot Robbie, and many razzle dazzle setpieces, help lift a story in no hurry to engage with the true-life nastiness of its era
Damien Chazelle returns to that la la land in which he made his big breakthrough, with a turbocharged but heavy-handed epic about the secret chaos and excess of 1920s silent-era Hollywood on the verge of talkie extinction, inspired by some well-known anecdotes and further embellishing the apocryphal rumours and tales. It’s a love letter to the movies, inevitably, though I remember Chazelle’s previous films being love letters to actual human beings. There are preemptive references to Singin’ in the Rain and it climaxes with a swoony-solemn Oscar-telecast-type montage including clips from Maya Deren’s Meshes of the Afternoon and James Cameron’s Terminator 2. Funny though Babylon often is, in all its frantic melodrama it is weirdly without the gentle romantic sweetness and...
Damien Chazelle returns to that la la land in which he made his big breakthrough, with a turbocharged but heavy-handed epic about the secret chaos and excess of 1920s silent-era Hollywood on the verge of talkie extinction, inspired by some well-known anecdotes and further embellishing the apocryphal rumours and tales. It’s a love letter to the movies, inevitably, though I remember Chazelle’s previous films being love letters to actual human beings. There are preemptive references to Singin’ in the Rain and it climaxes with a swoony-solemn Oscar-telecast-type montage including clips from Maya Deren’s Meshes of the Afternoon and James Cameron’s Terminator 2. Funny though Babylon often is, in all its frantic melodrama it is weirdly without the gentle romantic sweetness and...
- 12/16/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Satyajit Ray conducting in Music of Satyajit Ray.Throughout his life, Satyajit Ray's passion for the cinema and zeal for spreading film culture in India found him entertaining requests to contribute writing to film-club journals, newspapers, and periodicals. These myriad writings—spanning film criticism, reflections on silent cinema and eminent film personalities, and snippets of greetings for film festivals and retrospectives—come together in Satyajit Ray: Miscellany—On Life, Cinema, People, & Much More. Edited by Ray’s son Sandip, this new volume is part of an ongoing endeavor from Penguin Random House India to bring out his entire written oeuvre. The collection gathers Ray’s generous introductions to other people's works—such as books on film, photography, painting, translations, and LP liner notes—which indicate his reverence toward the exponents of these diverse art forms. The humanist in him shines while reminiscing about people he admired and loved.Miscellany opens...
- 9/28/2022
- MUBI
I’m going to start by setting a scene. The head of the Moving Image Section at the Library of Congress, Mike Mashon, takes the stage at the Castro Theater to introduce a screening of Erich Von Stroheim’s ambitious debut Blind Husbands (1919) at the 25th San Francisco Silent Film Festival. It’s a full house and that’s certainly not unusual for this event. “Recently, I was watching a conversation on the Criterion Channel,” Mashon tells the crowd. “Critic/curator Dave Kehr and historian Farran Smith Nehme were discussing Raoul Walsh and one of them said that Walsh was one of the least intellectual directors. He didn’t have a pretentious bone in his body; he was just a straight-ahead guy.” Mashon pauses, timing the silence for comic impact. “So… Erich Von Stroheim.” He need say nothing more. The entire audience erupts in laughter. Mashon smiles, saying, “You know,...
- 5/18/2022
- by Daniel Kremer
- Trailers from Hell
From his impoverished alter ego to the many silenced women in his life, the real Chaplin continues to prove elusive – even in his own words – in this inventive documentary
Opening the Gotham hotel press conference for Monsieur Verdoux in 1947, Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) told journalists to “proceed with the butchery”. I’d read that comment before, but in this expansive documentary the original audiotape is dramatised in the verbatim theatre style of Clio Barnard’s The Arbor, enabling us to see and hear it – sort of. As with their wonderful previous work Notes on Blindness (2016), co-directors James Spinney and Peter Middleton make adventurous use of lip-synced recreations, bringing old audio recordings to new cinematic life as they wrestle with the contradictory spectre of one of cinema’s true pioneers.
It’s a technique that proves particularly powerful when applied to the tape-recorded recollections of Effie Wisdom, a childhood friend of Chaplin...
Opening the Gotham hotel press conference for Monsieur Verdoux in 1947, Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) told journalists to “proceed with the butchery”. I’d read that comment before, but in this expansive documentary the original audiotape is dramatised in the verbatim theatre style of Clio Barnard’s The Arbor, enabling us to see and hear it – sort of. As with their wonderful previous work Notes on Blindness (2016), co-directors James Spinney and Peter Middleton make adventurous use of lip-synced recreations, bringing old audio recordings to new cinematic life as they wrestle with the contradictory spectre of one of cinema’s true pioneers.
It’s a technique that proves particularly powerful when applied to the tape-recorded recollections of Effie Wisdom, a childhood friend of Chaplin...
- 2/20/2022
- by Mark Kermode, Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
Exhaustive look at a remarkable career includes numerous starry interviews but loses some lustre with shonky production values
This assiduous survey of the life and career of the actor Boris Karloff gracefully acknowledges that he will always be welded in the public imagination to his role as the monster in the classic 1931 adaptation of Frankenstein. However, this documentary has a lot more to say about his long and quite fascinating acting career, which he began in the silent era as a handsome action man and saw him become a considerable box-office draw for the many horror films he made in the 1930s and 40s. By the end, he was a sweetly self-spoofing TV host and icon happy to do cameo roles in cheerful horror schlock despite his increasing physical frailty, and made an indelible impression on many generations with his deep, velvety voice as the title character of the 1966 animated...
This assiduous survey of the life and career of the actor Boris Karloff gracefully acknowledges that he will always be welded in the public imagination to his role as the monster in the classic 1931 adaptation of Frankenstein. However, this documentary has a lot more to say about his long and quite fascinating acting career, which he began in the silent era as a handsome action man and saw him become a considerable box-office draw for the many horror films he made in the 1930s and 40s. By the end, he was a sweetly self-spoofing TV host and icon happy to do cameo roles in cheerful horror schlock despite his increasing physical frailty, and made an indelible impression on many generations with his deep, velvety voice as the title character of the 1966 animated...
- 1/26/2022
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
Film, the Living Record of Our Memory director Inés Toharia with Anne-Katrin Titze on Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker: “We were hoping to catch up with them both, because they work together so closely and they are so crucial for Michael Powell’s work.”
Film, The Living Record Of Our Memory (a highlight of the 12th edition of Doc NYC) features insightful commentary from filmmakers Ken Loach, Jonas Mekas (Todd Haynes dedicated The Velvet Underground to Jonas), Kevin Brownlow, Fernando Trueba, Costa-Gavras, Patricio Guzmán, Ahmad Kiarostami (producer for Abbas Kiarostami), Idrissa Ouédraogo, Martin Scorsese, Bill Morrison, Ridley Scott, Nicolas Rey, Wim Wenders (on music rights and restoration), and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro.
Inés Toharia on Martin Scorsese speaking on film preservation at the Cineteca di Bologna: “I think Langlois and him are the two people - they’re very different, but they opened everyone to understand why.”
In the first instalment with Inés Toharia,...
Film, The Living Record Of Our Memory (a highlight of the 12th edition of Doc NYC) features insightful commentary from filmmakers Ken Loach, Jonas Mekas (Todd Haynes dedicated The Velvet Underground to Jonas), Kevin Brownlow, Fernando Trueba, Costa-Gavras, Patricio Guzmán, Ahmad Kiarostami (producer for Abbas Kiarostami), Idrissa Ouédraogo, Martin Scorsese, Bill Morrison, Ridley Scott, Nicolas Rey, Wim Wenders (on music rights and restoration), and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro.
Inés Toharia on Martin Scorsese speaking on film preservation at the Cineteca di Bologna: “I think Langlois and him are the two people - they’re very different, but they opened everyone to understand why.”
In the first instalment with Inés Toharia,...
- 11/25/2021
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster is now Streaming on Apple, Amazon Prime, Vudu, and Microsoft. Read Cate Marquis’ We Are Movie Geeks review of the movie Here
Watch the trailer:
Beginning just before his debut as Frankenstein’s creation, “Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster” compellingly explores the life and legacy of a cinema legend, presenting a perceptive history of the genre he personified. His films were long derided as hokum and attacked by censors. But his phenomenal popularity and pervasive influence endures, inspiring some of our greatest actors and directors into the 21st Century – among them Guillermo Del Toro, Ron Perlman, Roger Corman & John Landis all of whom and many more contribute their personal insights and anecdotes.
Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster features interviews with Guillermo Del Toro, John Landis, Roger Corman, Ron Perlman, Sara Karloff, Peter Bogdanovich, Christopher Plummer, Stefanie Powers, Lee Grant,...
Watch the trailer:
Beginning just before his debut as Frankenstein’s creation, “Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster” compellingly explores the life and legacy of a cinema legend, presenting a perceptive history of the genre he personified. His films were long derided as hokum and attacked by censors. But his phenomenal popularity and pervasive influence endures, inspiring some of our greatest actors and directors into the 21st Century – among them Guillermo Del Toro, Ron Perlman, Roger Corman & John Landis all of whom and many more contribute their personal insights and anecdotes.
Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster features interviews with Guillermo Del Toro, John Landis, Roger Corman, Ron Perlman, Sara Karloff, Peter Bogdanovich, Christopher Plummer, Stefanie Powers, Lee Grant,...
- 11/8/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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By Hank Reineke
There’s a telling moment at the dénouement of Thomas Hamilton’s and Ron MacCloskey’s affectionate documentary Boris Karloff: The Man behind the Monster. Sara Karloff, the now eighty-two year old daughter of the beloved actor, opines that her father’s lasting cinematic legacy is due, in part, to the tenaciousness of his devoted fan base. It’s a demographic that we soon discover consists of a number of amazingly creative people: folks whose loyalty to and enthusiasm for Karloff’s work has not wavered over the decades. Sara’s contention is inarguably true. As this ninety-nine minute Voltage Films/Abramorama documentary (presented by Shout! Studios) unspools – crisply narrated by Paul Ryan and featuring commentary by preeminent Karloff scholar and “Biographical Consultant” Stephen Jacobs - we discover the actor’s admirer’s bridge several generations of fans and filmmakers.
By Hank Reineke
There’s a telling moment at the dénouement of Thomas Hamilton’s and Ron MacCloskey’s affectionate documentary Boris Karloff: The Man behind the Monster. Sara Karloff, the now eighty-two year old daughter of the beloved actor, opines that her father’s lasting cinematic legacy is due, in part, to the tenaciousness of his devoted fan base. It’s a demographic that we soon discover consists of a number of amazingly creative people: folks whose loyalty to and enthusiasm for Karloff’s work has not wavered over the decades. Sara’s contention is inarguably true. As this ninety-nine minute Voltage Films/Abramorama documentary (presented by Shout! Studios) unspools – crisply narrated by Paul Ryan and featuring commentary by preeminent Karloff scholar and “Biographical Consultant” Stephen Jacobs - we discover the actor’s admirer’s bridge several generations of fans and filmmakers.
- 10/27/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Switzerland became Charlie Chaplin’s home after he was hounded out of the U.S. in 1952, so it’s perhaps fitting that the Zurich Film Festival hosted the European premiere of feature documentary “The Real Charlie Chaplin.”
Playing in the festival’s documentary competition section, “The Real Charlie Chaplin” is an innovative montage of film clips, behind-the-scenes footage, newly-unearthed audio recordings, dramatic reconstructions and personal archive about cinema’s first and arguably greatest icon – tracing his meteoric rise from the slums of Victorian London to Hollywood stardom and eventual banishment.
The darker side of Chaplin’s life is explored too, from the treatment of his ex-wives (his second wife Lita Grey was just 15 when their relationship began) to his eccentric working methods.
The film is directed by Peter Middleton and James Spinney, whose acclaimed 2016 debut feature doc “Notes on Blindness” won the British Independent Film Award for Best Documentary Film.
Playing in the festival’s documentary competition section, “The Real Charlie Chaplin” is an innovative montage of film clips, behind-the-scenes footage, newly-unearthed audio recordings, dramatic reconstructions and personal archive about cinema’s first and arguably greatest icon – tracing his meteoric rise from the slums of Victorian London to Hollywood stardom and eventual banishment.
The darker side of Chaplin’s life is explored too, from the treatment of his ex-wives (his second wife Lita Grey was just 15 when their relationship began) to his eccentric working methods.
The film is directed by Peter Middleton and James Spinney, whose acclaimed 2016 debut feature doc “Notes on Blindness” won the British Independent Film Award for Best Documentary Film.
- 9/30/2021
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
(L-r) Boris Karloff with fellow horror star Vincent Price, in a publicity photo. Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster is a documentary about the career and life of Karloff. Courtesy of Abramarama and Shout Studios
Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster is a gloriously enjoyable retrospective of the legendary actor, who is forever tied to the horror genre and the monster role of Frankenstein’s monster, which first brought him fame. The film, directed by Thomas Hamilton, is thoroughly enjoyable but, despite its subtitle, it is less a personal biography than a review of this career, with an emphasis on how his work influenced future filmmakers and the horror genre. Karloff fans and serious film history buffs will find little that was not already known about the man but it is a wonderful introduction and retrospective on Boris Karloff.
If ever there was an iconic Hollywood figure who deserves a biopic,...
Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster is a gloriously enjoyable retrospective of the legendary actor, who is forever tied to the horror genre and the monster role of Frankenstein’s monster, which first brought him fame. The film, directed by Thomas Hamilton, is thoroughly enjoyable but, despite its subtitle, it is less a personal biography than a review of this career, with an emphasis on how his work influenced future filmmakers and the horror genre. Karloff fans and serious film history buffs will find little that was not already known about the man but it is a wonderful introduction and retrospective on Boris Karloff.
If ever there was an iconic Hollywood figure who deserves a biopic,...
- 9/17/2021
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“Icon” is the most overused word in film journalism, but there’s no other word to use when describing Charlie Chaplin. So famous that he all but created the idea of the movie star, he was the first person ever to conquer the entire world with simply a mass-produced image of himself — as his creation, the Little Tramp. See that bowler hat, those charcoal-lined eyes, that too-tight coat, baggy points, wobbly cane, and toothbrush mustache, and you know you’re seeing Charlie Chaplin. You may have never seen a Mickey Mouse cartoon all the way through, but you know Mickey Mouse. You may have never seen a Chaplin film either, and yet you’ll know Charlie Chaplin when you see him. There are many contrasting artistic renderings of Jesus. There is only one singular image of the Little Tramp.
From the title of their new documentary, you may think Peter Middleton...
From the title of their new documentary, you may think Peter Middleton...
- 9/4/2021
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Shout! Studios has announced today their acquisition of North American distribution rights to Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster. This captivating new documentary sheds light on William Henry Pratt (better known by his stage name, Boris Karloff) as Hollywood’s master of menace, as well as his films, his legend and the fears that haunted him through his life.
Abramorama will release the film in theaters on September 17th.
Karloff is best known for his role as “The Monster” in the classic horror films Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Son of Frankenstein (1939). This documentary examines his extraordinary 60-year career in the entertainment industry, as well as his continuing influence as a horror icon.
Directed by Thomas Hamilton (Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn) and co-produced and co-written by Ron MacCloskey, the film provides a riveting depiction of Karloff and the genre he helped define through exclusive interviews with his daughter,...
Abramorama will release the film in theaters on September 17th.
Karloff is best known for his role as “The Monster” in the classic horror films Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Son of Frankenstein (1939). This documentary examines his extraordinary 60-year career in the entertainment industry, as well as his continuing influence as a horror icon.
Directed by Thomas Hamilton (Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn) and co-produced and co-written by Ron MacCloskey, the film provides a riveting depiction of Karloff and the genre he helped define through exclusive interviews with his daughter,...
- 8/20/2021
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
"He was Uncle Boris." Shout Factory has revealed an official trailer for Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster, a documentary about the horror icon - actor Boris Karloff. He passed away back in 1969, but has left a remarkable legacy that still lives on today. Karloff is best known for his role as "The Monster" in the classic horror films Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and also Son of Frankenstein (1939). This documentary examines his extraordinary 60-year career in the entertainment industry, as well as his continuing influence as a horror icon. Directed by Thomas Hamilton and co-produced and co-written by Ron MacCloskey, the film provides a riveting depiction of Karloff and the genre he helped define through exclusive interviews with his daughter, Sarah Karloff, and many filmmakers he influenced, including Peter Bogdanovich, Guillermo del Toro, Christopher Plummer, John Landis, Roger Corman and Kevin Brownlow. It features the original song "Frankenstein's Lament...
- 8/17/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
A new documentary about “Frankenstein” actor Boris Karloff is in the works.
Voltage Films is currently in production on the feature documentary “Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster.” Co-produced and co-written by Ron MacCloskey and Thomas Hamilton with Hamilton directing and Tracy Jenkins producing, the film offers a fascinating portrait of Karloff, examining his illustrious 60-year career in the entertainment industry and his enduring legacy as one of the icons of 20th century popular culture.
The film follows on from the acclaimed 2010 biography “Boris Karloff: More Than A Monster,” written by Karloff’s official biographer Stephen Jacobs, who serves as the film’s historical consultant.
MacCloskey dedicated 23 years to the project, travelling the world to conduct extensive research. Since 2018, the team has filmed 50 interviews in Toronto, New York, Los Angeles and London. Contributors include Peter Bogdanovich, Guillermo del Toro, Christopher Plummer, John Landis, Roger Corman and Kevin Brownlow.
The...
Voltage Films is currently in production on the feature documentary “Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster.” Co-produced and co-written by Ron MacCloskey and Thomas Hamilton with Hamilton directing and Tracy Jenkins producing, the film offers a fascinating portrait of Karloff, examining his illustrious 60-year career in the entertainment industry and his enduring legacy as one of the icons of 20th century popular culture.
The film follows on from the acclaimed 2010 biography “Boris Karloff: More Than A Monster,” written by Karloff’s official biographer Stephen Jacobs, who serves as the film’s historical consultant.
MacCloskey dedicated 23 years to the project, travelling the world to conduct extensive research. Since 2018, the team has filmed 50 interviews in Toronto, New York, Los Angeles and London. Contributors include Peter Bogdanovich, Guillermo del Toro, Christopher Plummer, John Landis, Roger Corman and Kevin Brownlow.
The...
- 1/22/2021
- by Lynsey Ford
- Variety Film + TV
At Sunday’s Emmys Tyler Perry was honored with the Governors Award. It was presented by his pal Oprah Winfrey and Perry delivered a powerful acceptance speech that was a highlight of the virtual ceremony. The Oscars used to include honorary awards most years and these too were often the most memorable moments of the evening. In 2009, the academy moved these de facto lifetime achievement awards off of the Oscars and staged separate Governor Awards.
The ceremony in mid November has become a key date in awards season, with contenders getting to schmooze with academy members. When this year’s Oscars were postponed for several months back in June so too were the Governor Awards. But we haven’t heard an update on the status of these honorary Oscars since then.
By not being part of the televised Academy Awards, this has meant more people could be honored each year...
The ceremony in mid November has become a key date in awards season, with contenders getting to schmooze with academy members. When this year’s Oscars were postponed for several months back in June so too were the Governor Awards. But we haven’t heard an update on the status of these honorary Oscars since then.
By not being part of the televised Academy Awards, this has meant more people could be honored each year...
- 9/21/2020
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Article by Sam Moffitt
I have a personal connection to World War One combat aviation, a personal and family connection. My Uncle Millard Brooks, my maternal Grand Father’s (Eli Brook’s) brother and my mother’s uncle, volunteered for the American Expeditionary Force (Aef) when America finally got off the fence and committed troops to what was then called The Great War or the War to End all Wars
Uncle Millard had worked in Grandpa Brook’s blacksmith shop, at the crucial time when blacksmithing (shoeing horses and other work with iron) was giving way to mechanical work (repairing the engines in Model T Fords and other early automobiles).
I’ll give you the short version of Uncle Millard’s story Millard Brooks was such a good mechanic he was sent to a special school in Scotland to learn how to time the engines on the bi planes when...
I have a personal connection to World War One combat aviation, a personal and family connection. My Uncle Millard Brooks, my maternal Grand Father’s (Eli Brook’s) brother and my mother’s uncle, volunteered for the American Expeditionary Force (Aef) when America finally got off the fence and committed troops to what was then called The Great War or the War to End all Wars
Uncle Millard had worked in Grandpa Brook’s blacksmith shop, at the crucial time when blacksmithing (shoeing horses and other work with iron) was giving way to mechanical work (repairing the engines in Model T Fords and other early automobiles).
I’ll give you the short version of Uncle Millard’s story Millard Brooks was such a good mechanic he was sent to a special school in Scotland to learn how to time the engines on the bi planes when...
- 5/5/2020
- by Sam Moffitt
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Can a war movie be reassuring in a time of crisis? Each of the films in this excellent collection stress people working together: to repel invaders, escape from or attack the enemy, and just to survive in sticky situations. All are inspirational in that they see cooperation, organization and leadership doing good work. See: the ‘other’ great escape picture, the original account of Dunkirk, and the aerial bombing movie that inspired the final battle in Star Wars. Plus a tense ‘what if?’ invasion tale, and a desert trek suspense ordeal that’s one of the best war films ever. The most relevant dialogue in the set? Seeing the total screw-up at Dunkirk, Bernard Lee determines that England will have to re-organize with new people in key leadership positions, people who know what they’re doing. I’m all for that Here and Now, fella.
Their Finest Hour 5 British WWII Classics
Went The Day Well,...
Their Finest Hour 5 British WWII Classics
Went The Day Well,...
- 4/4/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The world may be crumbling, but at least a handful of stellar films are coming to The Criterion Collection this summer. They’ve announced their June slate which includes their first Neon release, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, with Parasite to come at a later date. Also among the slate is Elem Klimov’s anti-war masterpiece Come and See, which we recently explored in-depth here. Also including work from Buster Keaton, Kon Ichikawa, and Paul Mazursky, check out the full slate and special feature details below.
The Cameraman
Buster Keaton is at the peak of his slapstick powers in The Cameraman— the first film that the silent-screen legend made after signing with MGM, and his last great masterpiece. The final work over which he maintained creative control, this clever farce is the culmination of an extraordinary, decade-long run that produced some of the most innovative and enduring comedies of all time.
The Cameraman
Buster Keaton is at the peak of his slapstick powers in The Cameraman— the first film that the silent-screen legend made after signing with MGM, and his last great masterpiece. The final work over which he maintained creative control, this clever farce is the culmination of an extraordinary, decade-long run that produced some of the most innovative and enduring comedies of all time.
- 3/19/2020
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Wood also wrote ‘The Charge Of The Light Brigade’ and Beatles movie ‘Help!’.
Film and theatre director Richard Eyre has paid tribute to his former collaborator, screenwriter and playwright Charles Wood, who died on February 1 aged 87.
“[Wood] was one of the foremost screenwriters of the last 50 years,” Eyre told Screen. “He absolutely loved cinema.”
Born on Guernsey in the Channel Islands, Wood began his screenwriting career in the early 1960s and scripted films including Richard Lester’s The Knack… And How To Get It (1965), Beatles movie Help! (1965), Tony Richardson’s The Charge Of The Light Brigade (1968) and Mike Newell’s An Awfully Big Adventure...
Film and theatre director Richard Eyre has paid tribute to his former collaborator, screenwriter and playwright Charles Wood, who died on February 1 aged 87.
“[Wood] was one of the foremost screenwriters of the last 50 years,” Eyre told Screen. “He absolutely loved cinema.”
Born on Guernsey in the Channel Islands, Wood began his screenwriting career in the early 1960s and scripted films including Richard Lester’s The Knack… And How To Get It (1965), Beatles movie Help! (1965), Tony Richardson’s The Charge Of The Light Brigade (1968) and Mike Newell’s An Awfully Big Adventure...
- 2/6/2020
- by 57¦Geoffrey Macnab¦41¦
- ScreenDaily
Sam Mendes’ “1917” opens wide this weekend with high expectations after very strong initial limited engagements. Estimates range from $25 million up to $35 million for its 3,200 theater domestic run, bolstered by Golden Globe wins and mostly favorable reviews. However, that’s not its biggest draw: “1917” is the latest in a century-long history of high-profile war movies that capture both success and prestige, and often become classics.
“1917” is set in the killing fields of northeastern Europe, where for nearly four years Allied and German soldiers slaughtered each other with very little to show for it. World War I paralleled the growth of the movie industry; as film historian Kevin Brownlow noted in his 1979 “The War, the West and the Wilderness,” the war shaped the medium. It advanced its appeal with feature films and early newsreels, as well as technology as battlefield filmmakers improvised to shoot footage.
Flash forward a century and war...
“1917” is set in the killing fields of northeastern Europe, where for nearly four years Allied and German soldiers slaughtered each other with very little to show for it. World War I paralleled the growth of the movie industry; as film historian Kevin Brownlow noted in his 1979 “The War, the West and the Wilderness,” the war shaped the medium. It advanced its appeal with feature films and early newsreels, as well as technology as battlefield filmmakers improvised to shoot footage.
Flash forward a century and war...
- 1/9/2020
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Honorary Oscars for 2019 will be presented this Sunday, October 27. That’s earlier than ever due to a much short Academy Awards season this year. Trophies will be presented at the Governors Awards in Hollywood to actress Geena Davis, director David Lynch, actor Wes Studi and director Lina Wertmuller. Members of the Academy board of governors chose and announced these four recipients back in the early summer.
Davis is receiving the Jean Hersholt Award for her humanitarian work. She won the Best Supporting Actress trophy for “The Accidental Tourist” (1988) and was also nominated for “Thelma and Louise” (1991). Other films in her career have included “The Fly,” “Beetlejuice,” “A League of Their Own” and “Speechless.”
SEEGeena Davis movies: 15 greatest films ranked from worst to best
Lynch has received three directing nominations in his career for “The Elephant Man” (1980), “Blue Velvet” (1986) and “Mulholland Drive” (2001). He was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for “The Elephant Man.
Davis is receiving the Jean Hersholt Award for her humanitarian work. She won the Best Supporting Actress trophy for “The Accidental Tourist” (1988) and was also nominated for “Thelma and Louise” (1991). Other films in her career have included “The Fly,” “Beetlejuice,” “A League of Their Own” and “Speechless.”
SEEGeena Davis movies: 15 greatest films ranked from worst to best
Lynch has received three directing nominations in his career for “The Elephant Man” (1980), “Blue Velvet” (1986) and “Mulholland Drive” (2001). He was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for “The Elephant Man.
- 10/26/2019
- by Chris Beachum and Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Honorary Oscars for 2019 will be going to actress Geena Davis, director David Lynch, actor Wes Studi and director Lina Wertmuller. Members of the Academy board of governors have chosen these four people over the weekend for Academy Awards that will be given out a special Governors Awards ceremony in October.
Davis is receiving the Jean Hersholt Award for her humanitarian work. She won the Best Supporting Actress trophy for “The Accidental Tourist” (1988) and was also nominated for “Thelma and Louise” (1991). Other films in her career have included “The Fly,” “Beetlejuice,” “A League of Their Own” and “Speechless.”
SEEGeena Davis movies: 15 greatest films ranked from worst to best
Lynch has received three directing nominations in his career for “The Elephant Man” (1980), “Blue Velvet” (1986) and “Mulholland Drive” (2001). He was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for “The Elephant Man.” Other films have included “Eraserhead,” “Dune,” “Wild at Heart,” “Lost Highway” and “The Straight Story.
Davis is receiving the Jean Hersholt Award for her humanitarian work. She won the Best Supporting Actress trophy for “The Accidental Tourist” (1988) and was also nominated for “Thelma and Louise” (1991). Other films in her career have included “The Fly,” “Beetlejuice,” “A League of Their Own” and “Speechless.”
SEEGeena Davis movies: 15 greatest films ranked from worst to best
Lynch has received three directing nominations in his career for “The Elephant Man” (1980), “Blue Velvet” (1986) and “Mulholland Drive” (2001). He was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for “The Elephant Man.” Other films have included “Eraserhead,” “Dune,” “Wild at Heart,” “Lost Highway” and “The Straight Story.
- 6/3/2019
- by Chris Beachum and Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
When you speak to Kevin Brownlow, you have a direct link to some of the greatest silent film directors who ever lived. The British film historian, now 80, interviewed and befriended many early film veterans when he was just in his twenties. He then spearheaded early efforts to preserve and restore silent films at a time when silent film was often derided. To say Brownlow has some stories about those early directors would be an understatement.
“King Vidor would say to me, ‘Every time I saw a Cecil B. DeMille picture, it made me want to quit the business,’” Brownlow said during a phone interview with IndieWire from his home in London — a sentiment about the “Ten Commandments” filmmaker Brownlow disagrees with. In the 1960s, he also encountered Josef von Sternberg, Allan Dwan, and Abel Gance, whose 1927 epic “Napoleon” Brownlow spent over 12 years restoring before debuting a reconstituted print of the...
“King Vidor would say to me, ‘Every time I saw a Cecil B. DeMille picture, it made me want to quit the business,’” Brownlow said during a phone interview with IndieWire from his home in London — a sentiment about the “Ten Commandments” filmmaker Brownlow disagrees with. In the 1960s, he also encountered Josef von Sternberg, Allan Dwan, and Abel Gance, whose 1927 epic “Napoleon” Brownlow spent over 12 years restoring before debuting a reconstituted print of the...
- 4/20/2019
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
In today’s film news roundup, Gwendoline Christie is cast in “The Friend,” film preservationist Kevin Brownlow is honored, Demi Moore’s “Corporate Animals” gets sold, and BondIt Media Capital hires a CFO.
Castings
“Game of Thrones” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” star Gwendoline Christie has joined the cast of “The Friend” starring Jason Segel, Dakota Johnson, and Casey Affleck.
Gabriela Cowperthwaite is directing from a screenplay by Brad Ingelsby, based on Matthew Teague’s story about Nicole Teague and himself learning that Nicole had six months to live and receiving the unexpected support of their best friend, played by Segel. Johnson and Affleck are portraying the Teagues.
Scott Free and Black Bear Pictures are producing the project, which has begun shooting on location in Fairhope, Ala. — the town where the Teague family resided. Additional cast members are Jake Owen, Denee Benton, Marielle Scott, Ahna O’Reilly, Isabella Kai Rice,...
Castings
“Game of Thrones” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” star Gwendoline Christie has joined the cast of “The Friend” starring Jason Segel, Dakota Johnson, and Casey Affleck.
Gabriela Cowperthwaite is directing from a screenplay by Brad Ingelsby, based on Matthew Teague’s story about Nicole Teague and himself learning that Nicole had six months to live and receiving the unexpected support of their best friend, played by Segel. Johnson and Affleck are portraying the Teagues.
Scott Free and Black Bear Pictures are producing the project, which has begun shooting on location in Fairhope, Ala. — the town where the Teague family resided. Additional cast members are Jake Owen, Denee Benton, Marielle Scott, Ahna O’Reilly, Isabella Kai Rice,...
- 2/22/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Film preservationist Kevin Brownlow will receive the Robert Osborne Award at the 2019 TCM Classic Film Festival, which this year runs April 11-14 in Hollywood. The honor, recognizing an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive for future generations, is in its second year; Martin Scorsese won the inaugural award last year.
This Osborne award, named after the longtime Turner Classic Movies host and journalist who died in 2017, will be presented April 13 before a screening at the fest of 1965’s It Happened Here, the alt-history World War II pic directed and written by Brownlow (his first feature film) and Andrew Mollo that took six years to make.
Like Scorsese, Brownlow is revered for his work in restoration of classic film, with a focus on documenting and preserving the silent film era. The writer-director founded Photoplay Productions to make documentaries and revive classics including 1927’s Napoleon, which...
This Osborne award, named after the longtime Turner Classic Movies host and journalist who died in 2017, will be presented April 13 before a screening at the fest of 1965’s It Happened Here, the alt-history World War II pic directed and written by Brownlow (his first feature film) and Andrew Mollo that took six years to make.
Like Scorsese, Brownlow is revered for his work in restoration of classic film, with a focus on documenting and preserving the silent film era. The writer-director founded Photoplay Productions to make documentaries and revive classics including 1927’s Napoleon, which...
- 2/21/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Film historian and preservationist Kevin Brownlow will be presented with the second annual Robert Osborne Award, recognizing an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive, at the 2019 TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood. The award will be presented April 13 at a screening of It Happened Here, which Brownlow directed. The first Robert Osborne Award, named in honor of the late TCM host and anchor, was given to Martin Scorsese at the 2018 festival.
Brownlow, who was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2011, has devoted himself to the restoration of classic movies from the silent ...
Brownlow, who was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2011, has devoted himself to the restoration of classic movies from the silent ...
- 2/21/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Film historian and preservationist Kevin Brownlow will be presented with the second annual Robert Osborne Award, recognizing an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive, at the 2019 TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood. The award will be presented April 13 at a screening of It Happened Here, which Brownlow directed. The first Robert Osborne Award, named in honor of the late TCM host and anchor, was given to Martin Scorsese at the 2018 festival.
Brownlow, who was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2011, has devoted himself to the restoration of classic movies from the silent ...
Brownlow, who was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2011, has devoted himself to the restoration of classic movies from the silent ...
- 2/21/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Nick Redman, Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker, award-winning soundtrack producer and co-founder of the Twilight Time video label, died Thursday afternoon, Jan. 17, at a Santa Monica Hospital, after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 63.
He was nominated for an Academy Award as producer of the 1996 documentary “The Wild Bunch: An Album in Montage,” a look back at Sam Peckinpah’s controversial film. He also produced and directed the 1998 “A Turning of the Earth: John Ford, John Wayne and The Searchers,” about the making of the Western classic, a prizewinner at multiple film festivals.
In 2007 he produced and directed the feature documentary “Becoming John Ford,” which debuted at the Venice International Film Festival and detailed the long and complex relationship between the famous director and 20th Century-Fox studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck.
He made numerous other short films including profiles of actress Stella Stevens and film composers Basil Poledouris and Jerry Fielding.
He was nominated for an Academy Award as producer of the 1996 documentary “The Wild Bunch: An Album in Montage,” a look back at Sam Peckinpah’s controversial film. He also produced and directed the 1998 “A Turning of the Earth: John Ford, John Wayne and The Searchers,” about the making of the Western classic, a prizewinner at multiple film festivals.
In 2007 he produced and directed the feature documentary “Becoming John Ford,” which debuted at the Venice International Film Festival and detailed the long and complex relationship between the famous director and 20th Century-Fox studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck.
He made numerous other short films including profiles of actress Stella Stevens and film composers Basil Poledouris and Jerry Fielding.
- 1/18/2019
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Honorary Oscars for 2018 will be going to actress Cicely Tyson, producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, publicist Marvin Levy and composer Lalo Schifrin. Academy board of governors have chosen these five people for awards that will be given out a special ceremony on November 18. Kennedy and Marshall are being honored with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.
Tyson was nominated for an Oscar as Best Actress for “Sounder” (1972). Schifrin has received six nominations for “Cool Hand Luke” (1967), “The Fox” (1968), “Voyage of the Damned” (1976), “The Amityville Horror” (1979), “The Competition” (1980) and “The Sting II” (1983). Levy is the first publicist to receive an honorary Oscar and has worked for MGM, Columbia, Amblin and DreamWorks.
SEECicely Tyson movies: 10 greatest films ranked from worst to best
Kennedy is the first woman to receive the Thalberg. She and Marshall have received Best Picture nominations for “The Sixth Sense” (1999), “Seabiscuit” (2003), “Munich” (2005) and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button...
Tyson was nominated for an Oscar as Best Actress for “Sounder” (1972). Schifrin has received six nominations for “Cool Hand Luke” (1967), “The Fox” (1968), “Voyage of the Damned” (1976), “The Amityville Horror” (1979), “The Competition” (1980) and “The Sting II” (1983). Levy is the first publicist to receive an honorary Oscar and has worked for MGM, Columbia, Amblin and DreamWorks.
SEECicely Tyson movies: 10 greatest films ranked from worst to best
Kennedy is the first woman to receive the Thalberg. She and Marshall have received Best Picture nominations for “The Sixth Sense” (1999), “Seabiscuit” (2003), “Munich” (2005) and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button...
- 9/5/2018
- by Chris Beachum and Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo were teenagers when filming began on this superlative wartime thriller. Taking over eight years to complete, it imagines life in an England occupied by Nazi Germany and run by home-grown English collaborators. The film’s realism outdoes any big-studio picture — the period detail and military hardware are uncannily authentic. It also pushes the limit of the documentary form by using the ugly testimony of real English fascists in a fictional context. Mr. Brownlow opens up his behind-the-scenes film archive for this dual-format release.
It Happened Here
Region A+B Blu-ray + Pal DVD
Bfi (UK)
1964 / B&W / 1:33 flat full frame / 100 min. / Street Date July 23, 2018 / available through Amazon UK / £14.99
Starring: Pauline Murray, Sebastian Shaw, Bart Allison, Reginald Marsh, Frank Bennett, Derek Milburn, Nicolette Bernard, Nicholas Moore, Rex Collett, Michael Passmore, Peter Dyneley.
Cinematography: Kevin Brownlow, Peter Suschitzky
Film Editor: Kevin Brownlow
Costumes and Military Consultant: Andrew Mollo
Written,...
It Happened Here
Region A+B Blu-ray + Pal DVD
Bfi (UK)
1964 / B&W / 1:33 flat full frame / 100 min. / Street Date July 23, 2018 / available through Amazon UK / £14.99
Starring: Pauline Murray, Sebastian Shaw, Bart Allison, Reginald Marsh, Frank Bennett, Derek Milburn, Nicolette Bernard, Nicholas Moore, Rex Collett, Michael Passmore, Peter Dyneley.
Cinematography: Kevin Brownlow, Peter Suschitzky
Film Editor: Kevin Brownlow
Costumes and Military Consultant: Andrew Mollo
Written,...
- 8/7/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The academy announced that it had extended invitations to join to a record 928 new members. While this incoming class of 2018 will get to vote for the next Oscars, they didn’t cast ballots in the recent elections to the board of governors. It is those 54 academy members who will decide in August the three or four recipients of this year’s honorary Oscars.
Who do you think among our top 10 of past Academy Award nominees is most overdue to be recognized at the Governors Awards in November? Vote in the poll below and then sound off in the comments section.
The selection process is very straightforward. Members of the board of governors put forth suggestions, with each of the top choices then voted on individually. Honorees must receive support from at least half of those on the board. The usual limit is three honorees. For a fourth to be named,...
Who do you think among our top 10 of past Academy Award nominees is most overdue to be recognized at the Governors Awards in November? Vote in the poll below and then sound off in the comments section.
The selection process is very straightforward. Members of the board of governors put forth suggestions, with each of the top choices then voted on individually. Honorees must receive support from at least half of those on the board. The usual limit is three honorees. For a fourth to be named,...
- 7/17/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.Recommended Viewinga light and bright start: here's the first trailer for Andrew Bujalski's marvelous workplace comedy Support the Girls. We cannot recommend this movie enough.The ecstatic first trailer for writer-director Josephine Decker's avidly anticipated Sundance hit, Madeline's Madeline. Andrei Tarkovsky's sophomore masterpiece needs no further introduction—here's the trailer for the sublime restoration of Andrei Rublev (1966) by Janus Films. Finally, the long awaited restoration for one of the most seminal films of the 1970s is here: Barbara Loden's Wanda, which by our estimation is a zenith of independent cinema.Yet another restoration we're thrilled by: Kevin Brownlow & Andrew Mollo's sly alternate history It Happened Here (1965). Here's a refreshed version of the original trailer.Furthering the topic of restorations, here's Martin Scorsese in conversations with Italian filmmakers Jonas Carpignano,...
- 6/27/2018
- MUBI
Cinema Retro has received the following press release:
It Happened Here
A film by Kevin Brownlow &
Andrew Mollo
Dual Format Edition release, 23 July 2018
Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo’s immensely powerful It Happened Here depicts an alternative history in which England has been invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany. Coming to Blu-ray for the first time, on 23 July 2018, the film is presented in a new 2K remaster (from the original camera negative) by the BFI National Archive, supervised by Kevin Brownlow, to mark his 80th birthday. A raft of exceptional extras include previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage, new interviews, news items, trailers and more.
‘The German invasion of England took place in July 1940 after the British retreat from Dunkirk. Strongly resisted at first, the German army took months to restore order, but the resistance movement, lacking outside support, was finally crushed. Then, in 1944, it reappeared.’
That is what happened when history...
It Happened Here
A film by Kevin Brownlow &
Andrew Mollo
Dual Format Edition release, 23 July 2018
Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo’s immensely powerful It Happened Here depicts an alternative history in which England has been invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany. Coming to Blu-ray for the first time, on 23 July 2018, the film is presented in a new 2K remaster (from the original camera negative) by the BFI National Archive, supervised by Kevin Brownlow, to mark his 80th birthday. A raft of exceptional extras include previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage, new interviews, news items, trailers and more.
‘The German invasion of England took place in July 1940 after the British retreat from Dunkirk. Strongly resisted at first, the German army took months to restore order, but the resistance movement, lacking outside support, was finally crushed. Then, in 1944, it reappeared.’
That is what happened when history...
- 6/23/2018
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
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