Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" is about as quintessentially American as a classic book can get. The 1960 novel, which is still commonly read in schools today, follows young Alabaman girl Scout Finch as she endures the trials and tribulations of her pre-teen years -- and witnesses the grim realities of the Jim Crow-era South. Some aspects of "To Kill A Mockingbird" haven't aged perfectly, but the book remains beloved for good reason. It's funny, sharp, and emotional, full of wisdom and harsh truth, and builds a world that's vividly alive.
That world made the leap from the page to the big screen in 1962, when director Robert Mulligan and playwright Horton Foote adapted "To Kill A Mockingbird" as a film. The movie version is indelible in its own right. It's anchored by a precise performance from Gregory Peck, who plays compassionate defense attorney Atticus Finch. In the 60 years since...
That world made the leap from the page to the big screen in 1962, when director Robert Mulligan and playwright Horton Foote adapted "To Kill A Mockingbird" as a film. The movie version is indelible in its own right. It's anchored by a precise performance from Gregory Peck, who plays compassionate defense attorney Atticus Finch. In the 60 years since...
- 12/26/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
It was announced today that controversial actor Robert Blake has died at the age of 89. His niece, Noreen Austin, confirmed that he died at his Los Angeles home after a longtime battle with heart disease. Blake was best known for his roles in Richard Brooks’ adaptation of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, David Lynch’s Lost Highway, and for starring in the 1970s detective series Baretta.
Robert Blake got his start as a child actor, appearing as Mickey in forty installments of MGM’s Our Gang short films. He also played Little Beaver in twenty-three installments of the Red Ryder film series. He also appeared in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre as a young Mexican boy who sells a lottery ticket to Humphrey Bogart. Although many child actors can’t transition to adult roles, Blake managed to pull it off. His biggest break came with In Cold Blood,...
Robert Blake got his start as a child actor, appearing as Mickey in forty installments of MGM’s Our Gang short films. He also played Little Beaver in twenty-three installments of the Red Ryder film series. He also appeared in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre as a young Mexican boy who sells a lottery ticket to Humphrey Bogart. Although many child actors can’t transition to adult roles, Blake managed to pull it off. His biggest break came with In Cold Blood,...
- 3/10/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Cinematography retrospectives are the way to go—more than a thorough display of talent, it exposes the vast expanse a Dp will travel, like an education in form and business all the same. Accordingly I’m happy to see the Criterion Channel give a 25-film tribute to James Wong Howe, whose career spanned silent cinema to the ’70s, populated with work by Howard Hawks, Michael Curtz, Samuel Fuller, Alexander Mackendrick, Sydney Pollack, John Frankenheimer, and Raoul Walsh.
Further retrospectives are granted to Romy Schneider (recent repertory sensation La piscine among them), Carlos Saura (finally a chance to see Peppermint frappe!), the British New Wave, and groundbreaking distributor Cinema 5, who brought to U.S. shores everything from The Man Who Fell to Earth and Putney Swope to Pumping Iron and Scenes from a Marriage.
September also yields streaming premieres for the recently restored Bronco Bullfrog, Ang Lee’s Pushing Hands,...
Further retrospectives are granted to Romy Schneider (recent repertory sensation La piscine among them), Carlos Saura (finally a chance to see Peppermint frappe!), the British New Wave, and groundbreaking distributor Cinema 5, who brought to U.S. shores everything from The Man Who Fell to Earth and Putney Swope to Pumping Iron and Scenes from a Marriage.
September also yields streaming premieres for the recently restored Bronco Bullfrog, Ang Lee’s Pushing Hands,...
- 8/22/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Mary Badham, Hollywood’s original Scout Finch in the 1962 film of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, has been cast in the touring stage production of Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation. This time around, Badham, who has acted infrequently in the decades since her indelible performance in the classic movie, will portray Scout’s mean-as-a-snake drug-addicted racist neighbor Mrs. Dubose.
Badham’s surprise casting was announced today by producers, who unveiled the complete cast of the play’s first national tour. The tour, which stars the previously announced Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch, launches March 27 in Buffalo, before moving on to Boston, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, Cincinnati and other cities.
The Broadway production of Sorkin’s adaptation is currently on hiatus and is scheduled to reopen with Greg Kinnear as Atticus on June 1. Jeff Daniels originated the role when Mockingbird opened in 2018 and returned when the production re-opened (at the Shubert Theatre) following the pandemic shutdown.
Badham’s surprise casting was announced today by producers, who unveiled the complete cast of the play’s first national tour. The tour, which stars the previously announced Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch, launches March 27 in Buffalo, before moving on to Boston, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, Cincinnati and other cities.
The Broadway production of Sorkin’s adaptation is currently on hiatus and is scheduled to reopen with Greg Kinnear as Atticus on June 1. Jeff Daniels originated the role when Mockingbird opened in 2018 and returned when the production re-opened (at the Shubert Theatre) following the pandemic shutdown.
- 3/7/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
It was announced by a spokesperson from the Icg (International Cinematographers guild-Local 600), that cinematographer and Emmy winner George Spiro Dibie has died at his home in L.A. He was 90.
The cinematographer got his start after attending L.A. City College and then where he focused on lighting and directing before graduating in 1959.
Eventually, he got a job on an electrical crew on the film Cleopatra (1963), and quickly moved up the ranks. On his next film he worked as a best boy and gaffer on films including This Property Is Condemned (1966), On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970), The Molly Maguires (1970) and Plaza Suite (1971).
Dibie’s big break in television came in 1975, when executive producer Danny Arnold hired him as a lighting consultant on Barney Miller. He rose through the ranks again eventually serving as director of photography on Barney Miller, and Barney Miller spin-off show Fish.
Throughout the years,...
The cinematographer got his start after attending L.A. City College and then where he focused on lighting and directing before graduating in 1959.
Eventually, he got a job on an electrical crew on the film Cleopatra (1963), and quickly moved up the ranks. On his next film he worked as a best boy and gaffer on films including This Property Is Condemned (1966), On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970), The Molly Maguires (1970) and Plaza Suite (1971).
Dibie’s big break in television came in 1975, when executive producer Danny Arnold hired him as a lighting consultant on Barney Miller. He rose through the ranks again eventually serving as director of photography on Barney Miller, and Barney Miller spin-off show Fish.
Throughout the years,...
- 2/9/2022
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
As 2021 mercifully winds down, the Criterion Channel have a (November) lineup that marks one of their most diverse selections in some time—films by the new masters Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Garrett Bradley, Dan Sallitt’s Fourteen (one of 2020’s best films) couched in a fantastic retrospective, and Criterion editions of old favorites.
Fourteen is featured in “Between Us Girls: Bonds Between Women,” which also includes Céline and Julie, The Virgin Suicides, and Yvonne Rainer’s Privilege. Of equal note are Criterion editions for Ghost World, Night of the Hunter, and (just in time for del Toro’s spin) Nightmare Alley—all stacked releases in their own right.
See the full list of October titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
300 Nassau, Marina Lameiro, 2015
5 Card Stud, Henry Hathaway, 1968
Alone, Garrett Bradley, 2017
Álvaro, Daniel Wilson, Elizabeth Warren, Alexandra Lazarowich, and Chloe Zimmerman, 2015
America, Garrett Bradley, 2019
Angel Face, Otto Preminger, 1953
Angels Wear White,...
Fourteen is featured in “Between Us Girls: Bonds Between Women,” which also includes Céline and Julie, The Virgin Suicides, and Yvonne Rainer’s Privilege. Of equal note are Criterion editions for Ghost World, Night of the Hunter, and (just in time for del Toro’s spin) Nightmare Alley—all stacked releases in their own right.
See the full list of October titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
300 Nassau, Marina Lameiro, 2015
5 Card Stud, Henry Hathaway, 1968
Alone, Garrett Bradley, 2017
Álvaro, Daniel Wilson, Elizabeth Warren, Alexandra Lazarowich, and Chloe Zimmerman, 2015
America, Garrett Bradley, 2019
Angel Face, Otto Preminger, 1953
Angels Wear White,...
- 10/25/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
“I feel that this documentary is definitive documentary of her life you know, and my book is the definitive deep dive into our relationship, but I also talk about the night she died and the sheriff’s department reopening the case, I get into that in the book as well, and I just think this narrative of fiction that has been peddled, it’s time for that to stop now.”
Those are the determined words of Natasha Gregson Wagner, daughter of the late Natalie Wood, in talking to me recently about her new film for which she is not only a producer but also an on-camera guide and interviewer in exploring the career, life and yes death of her famous mother, who died at age 43 while on a weekend boating excursion to Catalina Island in late November 1981. That mysterious death, in which Wood was found floating in the shallow surf,...
Those are the determined words of Natasha Gregson Wagner, daughter of the late Natalie Wood, in talking to me recently about her new film for which she is not only a producer but also an on-camera guide and interviewer in exploring the career, life and yes death of her famous mother, who died at age 43 while on a weekend boating excursion to Catalina Island in late November 1981. That mysterious death, in which Wood was found floating in the shallow surf,...
- 5/1/2020
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
The illustrious career of Natalie Wood is often overlooked because of her tragic death, but a new documentary aims to give a closer look at the actress. Wood’s daughter, actress Natasha Gregson Wagner produced Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind to give a closer look at her career and [...]
The post Natalie Wood Documentary Produced By Natasha Gregson Wagner Hits HBO In May appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
The post Natalie Wood Documentary Produced By Natasha Gregson Wagner Hits HBO In May appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 4/12/2020
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
When it comes to Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind, what you see is what you get. Zipping by at a manageable 100 minutes, established producer and documentarian Laurent Bouzereau pays proper tribute to Natalie Wood, the movie star who perished at the young age of 43 in a boat accident off the coast of California.
There will be no grand revelations here, no shocking moments. Guided through her mother’s impressive life by daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner, the documentary focuses primarily on the good that Wood left behind. Famous as a child, Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko had her name changed to “Natalie Wood” by producer William Goetz in honor of director Sam Wood. You may remember the young starlet as the girl in Miracle on 34th Street.
By the time Wood was nineteen years old, she was married to matinee star Robert Wagner, called “Rj” by his friends. They would divorce five years later,...
There will be no grand revelations here, no shocking moments. Guided through her mother’s impressive life by daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner, the documentary focuses primarily on the good that Wood left behind. Famous as a child, Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko had her name changed to “Natalie Wood” by producer William Goetz in honor of director Sam Wood. You may remember the young starlet as the girl in Miracle on 34th Street.
By the time Wood was nineteen years old, she was married to matinee star Robert Wagner, called “Rj” by his friends. They would divorce five years later,...
- 2/2/2020
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Natalie Wood would’ve celebrated her 81st birthday on July 20, 2019. A former child actress who racked up three Oscar nominations before she was 25, Wood’s life ended in a tragedy that often overshadows her movie career. Yet many of her titles remain classics, so in honor of her birthday, let’s take a look back at 15 of her greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1938 in San Francisco, Wood snagged her first starring role when she was just nine years old in the holiday classic “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947), playing a precocious girl who tugs on Santa Claus’ beard. She earned her first Oscar nomination when she was 17 for the juvenile delinquent drama “Rebel Without a Cause” (Best Supporting Actress in 1955), which made an icon out of James Dean, who died before its release. Wood added two more Best Actress bids to her resume with the romantic melodramas “Splendor in the Grass...
Born in 1938 in San Francisco, Wood snagged her first starring role when she was just nine years old in the holiday classic “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947), playing a precocious girl who tugs on Santa Claus’ beard. She earned her first Oscar nomination when she was 17 for the juvenile delinquent drama “Rebel Without a Cause” (Best Supporting Actress in 1955), which made an icon out of James Dean, who died before its release. Wood added two more Best Actress bids to her resume with the romantic melodramas “Splendor in the Grass...
- 7/20/2019
- by Chris Beachum and Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
“We can have a real ’60s summer here, setting up for it,” said Quentin Tarantino as he settled in for a nearly three-hour conversation about his July programming at his New Beverly Cinema, a survey of the 1960s films that inspired his forthcoming “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” The movie is Tarantino’s love letter to the filmmaking era that made him fall in love with cinema as a kid. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie, and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year to considerable acclaim. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” opens in theaters on July 26.
“I did that ’60s kinda thing, but now I wanted to get more into the interior of the Hollywood that this movie is discussing,” Tarantino told Pure Cinema Podcast hosts Elric Kane and Brian Saur. Setting up “Hollywood,” he explains that DiCaprio plays an actor named Rick Dalton,...
“I did that ’60s kinda thing, but now I wanted to get more into the interior of the Hollywood that this movie is discussing,” Tarantino told Pure Cinema Podcast hosts Elric Kane and Brian Saur. Setting up “Hollywood,” he explains that DiCaprio plays an actor named Rick Dalton,...
- 7/7/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
We’ve entered July, which means it is the month of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time In… Hollywood. While we’re still waiting if the director re-edits some of the film as he hinted while at Cannes, as well as the full list of theaters that will present it in 35mm, the press tour is gearing up again, which gave the director an opportunity to reconfirm his retirement from feature filmmaking after his Hollywood follow-up–or maybe sooner.
“I think when it comes to theatrical movies, I’ve come to the end of the road. I see myself writing books and starting to write theatre, so I’ll still be creative. I just think I’ve given all I have to give to movies,” he tells GQ Australia. He added, “If it’s really well received, maybe I won’t go to 10. Maybe I’ll stop right now!
“I think when it comes to theatrical movies, I’ve come to the end of the road. I see myself writing books and starting to write theatre, so I’ll still be creative. I just think I’ve given all I have to give to movies,” he tells GQ Australia. He added, “If it’s really well received, maybe I won’t go to 10. Maybe I’ll stop right now!
- 7/5/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Robert Redford has announced his retirement from acting after nearly 60 years on screen. Here is a look at his top 20 feature films, according to IMDb user ratings. How many have you seen?
1. 'The Sting' (1973): 8.3
2. 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' (1969): 8.1
3. 'All the President's Men' (1976): 8
4. 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' (2014): 7.8
5. 'Jeremiah Johnson' (1972): 7.6
6. 'Three Days of the Condor' (1975): 7.5
7. 'The Natural' (1984): 7.5
8. 'A Bridge Too Far' (1977): 7.4
9. 'A River Runs Through It' (1992): 7.3
10. 'The Chase' (1966): 7.3
11. 'Out of Africa' (1985): 7.2
12. 'Sneakers' (1992): 7.1
13. 'Spy Game' (2001): 7.1
14. 'The Way We Were' (1973): 7.1
15. 'This Property Is Condemned' (1966): 7.1
16. 'Brubaker' (1980): 7.1
17. 'The Candidate' (1972): 7.1
18. 'An Unfinished Life' (2005): 7
19. 'Barefoot in the Park' (1967): 7
20. 'All Is Lost' (2013): 6.9
Ranking correct as of Aug. 7, 2018.
1. 'The Sting' (1973): 8.3
2. 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' (1969): 8.1
3. 'All the President's Men' (1976): 8
4. 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' (2014): 7.8
5. 'Jeremiah Johnson' (1972): 7.6
6. 'Three Days of the Condor' (1975): 7.5
7. 'The Natural' (1984): 7.5
8. 'A Bridge Too Far' (1977): 7.4
9. 'A River Runs Through It' (1992): 7.3
10. 'The Chase' (1966): 7.3
11. 'Out of Africa' (1985): 7.2
12. 'Sneakers' (1992): 7.1
13. 'Spy Game' (2001): 7.1
14. 'The Way We Were' (1973): 7.1
15. 'This Property Is Condemned' (1966): 7.1
16. 'Brubaker' (1980): 7.1
17. 'The Candidate' (1972): 7.1
18. 'An Unfinished Life' (2005): 7
19. 'Barefoot in the Park' (1967): 7
20. 'All Is Lost' (2013): 6.9
Ranking correct as of Aug. 7, 2018.
- 8/7/2018
- IMDb News
Young Robert Redford and politics: 'The Candidate' and 'All the President's Men' (photo: Robert Redford as Bob Woodward in 'All the President's Men') A young Robert Redford can be seen The Candidate, All the President's Men, Three Days of the Condor, and Downhill Racer as Turner Classic Movies' Redford series comes to a close this evening. The world of politics is the focus of the first three films, each one of them well-regarded box-office hits. The last title, which shows that politics is part of life no matter what, is set in the world of competitive sports. 'The Candidate' In the Michael Ritichie-directed The Candidate (1972), Robert Redford plays idealistic liberal Democrat Bob McKay, who, with no chance of winning, is convinced to run against the Republican incumbent in a fight for a California seat in Congress. See, McKay is too handsome. Too young. Too liberal.
- 1/28/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Robert Redford movies: TCM shows 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,' 'The Sting' They don't make movie stars like they used to, back in the days of Louis B. Mayer, Jack Warner, and Harry Cohn. That's what nostalgists have been bitching about for the last four or five decades; never mind the fact that movie stars have remained as big as ever despite the demise of the old studio system and the spectacular rise of television more than sixty years ago. This month of January 2015, Turner Classic Movies will be honoring one such post-studio era superstar: Robert Redford. Beginning this Monday evening, January 6, TCM will be presenting 15 Robert Redford movies. Tonight's entries include Redford's two biggest blockbusters, both directed by George Roy Hill and co-starring Paul Newman: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which turned Redford, already in his early 30s, into a major film star to rival Rudolph Valentino,...
- 1/7/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
“One time Atticus said you never really knew a man until you stood in his shoes and walked around in them; just standin’ on the Radley porch was enough. The summer that had begun so long ago had ended, and another summer had taken its place, and a fall, and Boo Radley had come out.”
The Wildey Theater in Edwardsville, Il (just outside St. Louis) will be hosting two screenings of the beloved, Oscar-winning 1963 classic To Kill A Mockingbird on Thursday May 15th at 3pm and at 7pm. They’re calling the event Memories of Mockingbird: An Evening with “Scout”.
Mary Badham, the actress who played Scout in the film will be attendance to answer questions and sign autographs. Guests will hear Badham’s perspective on the impact of this important film and have an opportunity to meet and get a “Selfie with Scout.” Ms Badham was just ten years...
The Wildey Theater in Edwardsville, Il (just outside St. Louis) will be hosting two screenings of the beloved, Oscar-winning 1963 classic To Kill A Mockingbird on Thursday May 15th at 3pm and at 7pm. They’re calling the event Memories of Mockingbird: An Evening with “Scout”.
Mary Badham, the actress who played Scout in the film will be attendance to answer questions and sign autographs. Guests will hear Badham’s perspective on the impact of this important film and have an opportunity to meet and get a “Selfie with Scout.” Ms Badham was just ten years...
- 4/10/2014
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
There's just days to go before Ellen DeGeneres hosts the biggest event in the movie world's calendar - the 86th annual Academy Awards.
This year's nominees include newcomers Lupita Nyong'o and Barkhad Abdi, who are recognised for their supporting breakthrough performances in 12 Years a Slave and Captain Phillips respectively.
Ahead of Sunday's (March 2) glittering ceremony at Hollywood's Kodak Theater, we reminisce upon other breakthrough roles from some of the youngest Oscar-nominated stars in history - and what they've gone on to do since - below:
Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon
Tatum O'Neal became the youngest Oscar winner in history, picking up the Best Supporting Actress trophy at the tender age of 10 for her role as strong-willed tomboy Addie in Paper Moon (1973), in which she appeared opposite her father Ryan O'Neal.
The actress went on to appear in successful movies such as The Bad News Bears Nickelodeon with Burt Reynolds, and...
This year's nominees include newcomers Lupita Nyong'o and Barkhad Abdi, who are recognised for their supporting breakthrough performances in 12 Years a Slave and Captain Phillips respectively.
Ahead of Sunday's (March 2) glittering ceremony at Hollywood's Kodak Theater, we reminisce upon other breakthrough roles from some of the youngest Oscar-nominated stars in history - and what they've gone on to do since - below:
Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon
Tatum O'Neal became the youngest Oscar winner in history, picking up the Best Supporting Actress trophy at the tender age of 10 for her role as strong-willed tomboy Addie in Paper Moon (1973), in which she appeared opposite her father Ryan O'Neal.
The actress went on to appear in successful movies such as The Bad News Bears Nickelodeon with Burt Reynolds, and...
- 2/26/2014
- Digital Spy
There's just days to go before Ellen DeGeneres hosts the biggest event in the movie world's calendar - the 86th annual Academy Awards.
This year's nominees include newcomers Lupita Nyong'o and Barkhad Abdi, who are recognised for their supporting breakthrough performances in 12 Years a Slave and Captain Phillips respectively.
Ahead of Sunday's (March 2) glittering ceremony at Hollywood's Kodak Theater, we reminisce upon other breakthrough roles from some of the youngest Oscar-nominated stars in history - and what they've gone on to do since - below:
Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon
Tatum O'Neal became the youngest Oscar winner in history, picking up the Best Supporting Actress trophy at the tender age of 10 for her role as strong-willed tomboy Addie in Paper Moon (1973), in which she appeared opposite her father Ryan O'Neal.
The actress went on to appear in successful movies such as The Bad News Bears Nickelodeon with Burt Reynolds, and...
This year's nominees include newcomers Lupita Nyong'o and Barkhad Abdi, who are recognised for their supporting breakthrough performances in 12 Years a Slave and Captain Phillips respectively.
Ahead of Sunday's (March 2) glittering ceremony at Hollywood's Kodak Theater, we reminisce upon other breakthrough roles from some of the youngest Oscar-nominated stars in history - and what they've gone on to do since - below:
Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon
Tatum O'Neal became the youngest Oscar winner in history, picking up the Best Supporting Actress trophy at the tender age of 10 for her role as strong-willed tomboy Addie in Paper Moon (1973), in which she appeared opposite her father Ryan O'Neal.
The actress went on to appear in successful movies such as The Bad News Bears Nickelodeon with Burt Reynolds, and...
- 2/26/2014
- Digital Spy
By Alex Simon
John Badham cut his directorial teeth on ‘70s-era television shows like The Bold Ones, The Streets of San Francisco and Kung-Fu in the early ‘70s, before attaining A-list status with his second feature, Saturday Night Fever, in 1977. Films as diverse as WarGames, Blue Thunder, Nick of Time and Bird on a Wire kept John Badham one of the busiest directors in the biz, having literally not stopped working since 1971. His 2006 book I’ll Be in My Trailer (co-written with Craig Moderno) has become required reading for virtually every neophyte film director in the business.
2013 finds Badham releasing a follow-up volume, John Badham on Directing: Notes From the Set of Saturday Night Fever, WarGames, and More. The book offers an engaging look at the psychological, technical, and managerial elements that go into helming a film or TV show. A veteran of over 30 films and 45 TV episodes, Badham supports...
John Badham cut his directorial teeth on ‘70s-era television shows like The Bold Ones, The Streets of San Francisco and Kung-Fu in the early ‘70s, before attaining A-list status with his second feature, Saturday Night Fever, in 1977. Films as diverse as WarGames, Blue Thunder, Nick of Time and Bird on a Wire kept John Badham one of the busiest directors in the biz, having literally not stopped working since 1971. His 2006 book I’ll Be in My Trailer (co-written with Craig Moderno) has become required reading for virtually every neophyte film director in the business.
2013 finds Badham releasing a follow-up volume, John Badham on Directing: Notes From the Set of Saturday Night Fever, WarGames, and More. The book offers an engaging look at the psychological, technical, and managerial elements that go into helming a film or TV show. A veteran of over 30 films and 45 TV episodes, Badham supports...
- 9/3/2013
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Natalie Wood death: From "accidental drowning" to "drowning and other undetermined factors" Natalie Wood died on November 29, 1981. Her body was found floating about one mile from Catalina Island, located just south of Los Angeles County. According to a County coroner’s report publicly released today — though officially revised in June 2012 — at the time of her death Natalie Wood, a three-time Academy Award nominee and the star of the multiple Oscar-winning musical West Side Story, had several bruises on her body that might have been the result of injuries suffered before she entered the water. (See also: "Natalie Wood Death: Sensational Rumors Continue.") [Photo: Natalie Wood ca. 1970.] "With the presence of fresh bruises in the upper extremities in the right forearm/left wrist area and a small scratch in the anterior neck, this examiner is unable to exclude non-accidental mechanism causing these injuries," wrote chief medical examiner Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran. "The location of the bruises,...
- 1/14/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Hollywood script doctor favoured by Sydney Pollack
Like certain potentates who travel with a personal physician, the director Sydney Pollack almost always had his own script doctor close at hand to revitalise a sick screenplay. David Rayfiel, who has died of congestive heart failure aged 87, was called in on the majority of Pollack's features, usually for a few weeks, in order to fix specific problems, rewrite here and there, and add and subtract lines. Though well remunerated for his work, Rayfiel was usually given no screen credit.
However, the spotlight was sometimes turned on him, such as when Robert Redford called Rayfiel "the unsung hero of almost every picture Sydney Pollack and I have made together". When Out of Africa (1985) won the Oscar for best picture, Pollack thanked Rayfiel for "keeping us honest" and Kurt Luedtke, upon accepting the Academy award for his screenplay of the same film, also acknowledged Rayfiel.
Like certain potentates who travel with a personal physician, the director Sydney Pollack almost always had his own script doctor close at hand to revitalise a sick screenplay. David Rayfiel, who has died of congestive heart failure aged 87, was called in on the majority of Pollack's features, usually for a few weeks, in order to fix specific problems, rewrite here and there, and add and subtract lines. Though well remunerated for his work, Rayfiel was usually given no screen credit.
However, the spotlight was sometimes turned on him, such as when Robert Redford called Rayfiel "the unsung hero of almost every picture Sydney Pollack and I have made together". When Out of Africa (1985) won the Oscar for best picture, Pollack thanked Rayfiel for "keeping us honest" and Kurt Luedtke, upon accepting the Academy award for his screenplay of the same film, also acknowledged Rayfiel.
- 7/1/2011
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
Director Sydney Pollack 1934-2008.
Director Sydney Pollack passed two years ago today. I had the good fortune to meet and interview Sydney Pollack twice, both of which are included here: first in 1999 for his well-made but ill-fated romantic drama "Random Hearts," and again in 2006 for what would be his final film, "Sketches of Frank Gehry," a masterful documentary look at the eponymous architect's life, work and process. It was also in many respects a personal investigation for Pollack himself, which he spoke quite candidly about during our conversation.
This has been a tough year for those of us who were weaned on the films of the so-called "Easy Riders and Raging Bulls" who made the iconic films of the late 1960s and 1970s, with the loss of such figures as Pollack, Roy Scheider, and others of the era. Pollack was certainly among the lions of that pack, but was perhaps...
Director Sydney Pollack passed two years ago today. I had the good fortune to meet and interview Sydney Pollack twice, both of which are included here: first in 1999 for his well-made but ill-fated romantic drama "Random Hearts," and again in 2006 for what would be his final film, "Sketches of Frank Gehry," a masterful documentary look at the eponymous architect's life, work and process. It was also in many respects a personal investigation for Pollack himself, which he spoke quite candidly about during our conversation.
This has been a tough year for those of us who were weaned on the films of the so-called "Easy Riders and Raging Bulls" who made the iconic films of the late 1960s and 1970s, with the loss of such figures as Pollack, Roy Scheider, and others of the era. Pollack was certainly among the lions of that pack, but was perhaps...
- 5/26/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Acclaimed director, producer, and actor Sydney Pollack has died of cancer. He was 73.
- 5/27/2008
- IMDb News
Sydney Pollack, who won an Academy Award as best director for "Out of Africa," died Monday of cancer at his home in Pacific Palisades. He was 73.
Pollack also was nominated for a best director Oscar for "Tootsie" and "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" Pollack won an Emmy for his direction of "The Game" in 1965, starring Cliff Robertson. In addition to his Oscar for "Out of Africa," which also won best picture, that film also earned Pollack the best director honor from the New York Critics Film Circle.
Among the 100 best American love stories ranked by American Film Institute in June 2002, Pollack is the only director credited with two films near the top of list: "The Way We Were," at No. 6, and "Out of Africa," which is ranked No. 13.
In 2000, Pollack was honored with the John Huston Award from the DGA as a "defender of artists' rights."
His filmography included...
Pollack also was nominated for a best director Oscar for "Tootsie" and "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" Pollack won an Emmy for his direction of "The Game" in 1965, starring Cliff Robertson. In addition to his Oscar for "Out of Africa," which also won best picture, that film also earned Pollack the best director honor from the New York Critics Film Circle.
Among the 100 best American love stories ranked by American Film Institute in June 2002, Pollack is the only director credited with two films near the top of list: "The Way We Were," at No. 6, and "Out of Africa," which is ranked No. 13.
In 2000, Pollack was honored with the John Huston Award from the DGA as a "defender of artists' rights."
His filmography included...
- 5/26/2008
- by By Duane Byrge
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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.