Animated feature world premiered at Toronto earlier this month.
Poland is submitting animated featureThe Peasants as its candidate for best International feature film for next year’s Academy Awards.
Co-directors Dk Welchman and Hugh Welchman used the same painting animation technique as in their previous film Loving Vincent forThe Peasants.
The Peasants had its world premiere in the Special Presentations section at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month, with international sales being handled by New Europe Film Sales.
Last weekend saw The Peasants win its first ever audience prize in Poland when festival-goers at the Polish Film Festival...
Poland is submitting animated featureThe Peasants as its candidate for best International feature film for next year’s Academy Awards.
Co-directors Dk Welchman and Hugh Welchman used the same painting animation technique as in their previous film Loving Vincent forThe Peasants.
The Peasants had its world premiere in the Special Presentations section at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month, with international sales being handled by New Europe Film Sales.
Last weekend saw The Peasants win its first ever audience prize in Poland when festival-goers at the Polish Film Festival...
- 9/25/2023
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
With her enigmatically titled Woman Of… (Kobieta z..), Malgorzata Szumowska returns from the magical satire of Never Gonna Snow Again to trenchant social realism, recounting a journey lasting half a lifetime, of sacrifice, sorrow and resilience.
Written and directed in collaboration with regular cinematographer and creative partner Michal Englert, this is a rare close-up of an older trans woman making tough choices in a majority Catholic country that remains legislatively and socially hostile. The film’s compassionate gaze and stirring performances make it an illuminating window into gender recognition in an unaccommodating environment.
Like many dramas focused on a highly specific community and developed out of extensive interviews, Woman Of… doesn’t entirely escape the feel of a representational project that ticks all the required boxes in a not entirely seamless narrative. However, that doesn’t make it any less sincere or moving, not only in the principal character’s...
Written and directed in collaboration with regular cinematographer and creative partner Michal Englert, this is a rare close-up of an older trans woman making tough choices in a majority Catholic country that remains legislatively and socially hostile. The film’s compassionate gaze and stirring performances make it an illuminating window into gender recognition in an unaccommodating environment.
Like many dramas focused on a highly specific community and developed out of extensive interviews, Woman Of… doesn’t entirely escape the feel of a representational project that ticks all the required boxes in a not entirely seamless narrative. However, that doesn’t make it any less sincere or moving, not only in the principal character’s...
- 9/8/2023
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There will come a time, perhaps not even too far from now, when films like “Woman Of…” may feel, if not old hat, at least familiar, part of a genre unto itself: not a coming-of-age story but a coming-of-self one, tracing the particular life stages of identifying oneself as transgender, accepting oneself as such, and finally living that truth out loud. Spanning decades in its closeup portrait of a Polish trans woman traveling that trajectory in a social climate hostile to her very existence, Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert’s heart-on-sleeve film isn’t aiming to be revolutionary — there’s an old-fashioned melodramatic heft to its episodic construction, setting its heroine’s tale in a pointedly mainstream context. But it still represents a bold gesture of cinematic allyship, drawing attention as it does to Poland’s dire record on LGBT rights.
Those merits will serve this Venice competition premiere well on the festival circuit,...
Those merits will serve this Venice competition premiere well on the festival circuit,...
- 9/8/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert’s transgender drama Women Of world premieres in Competition at the Venice Film Festival on Friday.
As ever the filmmaking team – who have been working together for more than two decades on titles such as Mug, In The Name Of and French-language drama Elles – are pushing boundaries in their native Poland.
Set against the backdrop of the country’s transition from communism to capitalism, Woman Of follows protagonist Aniela Wesoły across the course of 45 years as she seeks to live freely as a trans woman in a small provincial town.
The film charts Wesoly’s journey with her wife, as the couple navigate her transition in an environment where it is neither recognized nor accepted.
“We’ve been thinking about this for a long time. The first impulse was 20 years ago when Michal [who is also a cinematographer] filmed one of the first [transition] surgeries,” says Szumowska.
“But there...
As ever the filmmaking team – who have been working together for more than two decades on titles such as Mug, In The Name Of and French-language drama Elles – are pushing boundaries in their native Poland.
Set against the backdrop of the country’s transition from communism to capitalism, Woman Of follows protagonist Aniela Wesoły across the course of 45 years as she seeks to live freely as a trans woman in a small provincial town.
The film charts Wesoly’s journey with her wife, as the couple navigate her transition in an environment where it is neither recognized nor accepted.
“We’ve been thinking about this for a long time. The first impulse was 20 years ago when Michal [who is also a cinematographer] filmed one of the first [transition] surgeries,” says Szumowska.
“But there...
- 9/8/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Hot on the heels of their first collection of Shaw Brothers movies, Shout! Factory’s Shaw Brothers Classics Vol. 2 continues the ongoing, multi-label effort to restore and release notable entries in the Hong Kong studio’s vast catalog. As it did with their previous collection, Shout! limits the selections for this second box set to a concentrated period of the studio’s productions. Whereas the 1967-69 range of the first box showed the studio frantically capitalizing on the breakout success of The One-Armed Swordsmen with a slew of like-minded wuxia films, the broader selection here among the first half of the ’70s finds Shaw Brothers both setting and chasing after trends.
Shout!’s first volume demonstrated how the Shaw Brothers studio made so many functionally identical movies, between the revenge-based plots, sword-based action, and reused sets, that within two years of The One-Armed Swordsmen’s paradigm shift, the house brand was already getting stale.
Shout!’s first volume demonstrated how the Shaw Brothers studio made so many functionally identical movies, between the revenge-based plots, sword-based action, and reused sets, that within two years of The One-Armed Swordsmen’s paradigm shift, the house brand was already getting stale.
- 8/31/2023
- by Jake Cole
- Slant Magazine
The 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival came to a close on Saturday, May 27 after two weeks of films, celebrities, parties and interviews in the small city on the French Riviera. Now that the prizes have been given out, we can start looking at what could be top contenders for next year’s Oscars. Let’s analyze the results from this year’s festival and see this history that each category has when it comes to the Academy Awards.
Over the past several years the festival has been a springboard for major players in the Oscar derby. We’ve really seen it be an influence in the International Feature category where in-competition films have been nominated a regular basis. Recent Cannes films that ended up being top awards contenders in above the line categories include “Triangle of Sadness,” “Drive My Car,” “Parasite,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “BlacKkKlansman.
Over the past several years the festival has been a springboard for major players in the Oscar derby. We’ve really seen it be an influence in the International Feature category where in-competition films have been nominated a regular basis. Recent Cannes films that ended up being top awards contenders in above the line categories include “Triangle of Sadness,” “Drive My Car,” “Parasite,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “BlacKkKlansman.
- 5/28/2023
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
After two years of cancellations and delays, the Cannes Film Festival finally returned to the south of France during the month of May. The winners of this year’s festivities were announced on Saturday, May 25. How many of these will become major players in this year’s Oscar derby? Below let’s review the results from the 75th installment of the international festival and examine the history each serves as a forecaster for the Academy Awards.
In recent years, Cannes has served as a launching pad for films that have become major contenders in awards season. This is particularly true in the International Feature category which, for the past several years, has had several nominees that were screened in competition. It’s also been true in other categories, including several above the line races, with films like “Drive My Car,” “Parasite,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “BlacKkKlansman” having their premieres on the Croissette.
In recent years, Cannes has served as a launching pad for films that have become major contenders in awards season. This is particularly true in the International Feature category which, for the past several years, has had several nominees that were screened in competition. It’s also been true in other categories, including several above the line races, with films like “Drive My Car,” “Parasite,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “BlacKkKlansman” having their premieres on the Croissette.
- 6/6/2022
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
With the six Oscar nominations Bong Joon Ho‘s “Parasite” scored on Monday morning, the film became the latest to have won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and score an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Only one film has actually succeeded in winning both of those honors: Delbert Mann‘s “Marty,” which prevailed in 1955.
Since the Palme d’Or was established, 15 other films have managed to take the top prize at Cannes and make it into the Best Picture race: “Marty” (1955), “Friendly Persuasion” (1957), “M*A*S*H” (1970), “The Conversation” (1974), “Taxi Driver” (1976), “Apocalypse Now” (1979), “All That Jazz” (1979), “Missing” (1982), “The Mission” (1986), “The Piano” (1993), “Pulp Fiction” (1994), “Secrets & Lies” (1996), “The Pianist” (2002), “The Tree of Life” (2011) and “Amour” (2012).
See 2020 Oscar nominations: Full list of Academy Awards nominees in all 24 categories
The top prize from the French film festival is not always a reliable barometer for what will get in at the Oscars.
Since the Palme d’Or was established, 15 other films have managed to take the top prize at Cannes and make it into the Best Picture race: “Marty” (1955), “Friendly Persuasion” (1957), “M*A*S*H” (1970), “The Conversation” (1974), “Taxi Driver” (1976), “Apocalypse Now” (1979), “All That Jazz” (1979), “Missing” (1982), “The Mission” (1986), “The Piano” (1993), “Pulp Fiction” (1994), “Secrets & Lies” (1996), “The Pianist” (2002), “The Tree of Life” (2011) and “Amour” (2012).
See 2020 Oscar nominations: Full list of Academy Awards nominees in all 24 categories
The top prize from the French film festival is not always a reliable barometer for what will get in at the Oscars.
- 1/16/2020
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSThe word is out: Mubi has acquired the worldwide rights for Luca Guadagnino's luminous short film The Staggering Girl, starring Julianne Moore, Mia Goth, KiKi Layne, Kyle MacLachlan and more. Deadline has the full report.We're very saddened that due to Ontario's arts funding cuts, the essential feminist film magazine cléo has announced their immediate closure. At The Globe & Mail, the magazine's editors and contributors reflect upon their run and the tangible community it fostered.The wait for Apichatpong Weerasethakul's long gestating project with Tilda Swinton, entitled Memoria, is nearly over. The film has finally gone to camera, and Variety provides a glimpse of the set.Recommended Viewing With The Laundromat, it looks like Soderbergh returns to his (welcomed!) comedic register alongside a stellar cast—Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, and Sharon Stone...
- 8/28/2019
- MUBI
The 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival has wrapped and the two films that looked well-positioned for this year’s Oscars (Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” and Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life”) both went home empty-handed.
Cannes’ coveted Palme d’Or went to South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s comedy-drama, “Parasite.” The film, about two families from different classes that find themselves on a collision course with each other, had the most glowing reviews of this year’s entries. Bong is now the first Korean director to win the top honor. The film’s win here could catapult it into serious Oscar consideration. Since 1955, 39 winners of this top honor have amassed a total of 129 Academy Award nominations, with 28 Oscar wins spanning 16 films. And 15 Palme d’Or champs scored Best Picture nominations: “Marty” (1955), “Friendly Persuasion” (1957), “M*A*S*H” (1970), “The Conversation” (1974), “Taxi Driver” (1976), “Apocalypse Now...
Cannes’ coveted Palme d’Or went to South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s comedy-drama, “Parasite.” The film, about two families from different classes that find themselves on a collision course with each other, had the most glowing reviews of this year’s entries. Bong is now the first Korean director to win the top honor. The film’s win here could catapult it into serious Oscar consideration. Since 1955, 39 winners of this top honor have amassed a total of 129 Academy Award nominations, with 28 Oscar wins spanning 16 films. And 15 Palme d’Or champs scored Best Picture nominations: “Marty” (1955), “Friendly Persuasion” (1957), “M*A*S*H” (1970), “The Conversation” (1974), “Taxi Driver” (1976), “Apocalypse Now...
- 5/26/2019
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
The former head of the Polish Film Institute gave me a stunning boxed set of the works of Andrzej Wajda two years ago at the Locarno Film Festival, and I am finally watching them. Most know Wajda is a one of Poland’s preeminent film directors, an Acadmey Award winner, recipeint of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d’Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the “Polish Film School”. He is best known today for The Promised Land (1975), Man of Iron (1981), and Katyn (2007).
What I learned was that he was born March 6, 1926, Suwałki, Poland the ancestral town of my own ancestors on my paternal grandfather’s side.
Wadja’s first film, A Generation, originally entitled Candidate Term, was by the first post-war generation to leave Lodz Film School who worked with Wajda on his first film. One of those graduates,...
What I learned was that he was born March 6, 1926, Suwałki, Poland the ancestral town of my own ancestors on my paternal grandfather’s side.
Wadja’s first film, A Generation, originally entitled Candidate Term, was by the first post-war generation to leave Lodz Film School who worked with Wajda on his first film. One of those graduates,...
- 8/22/2018
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The 2017 Cannes Film Festival has announced the lineup for Cannes Classics, a selection of vintage films and masterpieces from the history of cinema. This year’s program is dedicated primarily to the history of the festival, and includes one short film and five new documentaries.
Read More: Cannes Adds Roman Polanski Film to Lineup
Highlights from the lineup include “Belle du Jour” (1967), Luis Bunuel’s classic about a housewife who dabbles in prostitution, and “All That Jazz ” (1979) Bob Fosse’s story of a womanizing, drug-using dancer played by Roy Scheider. There is also the documentary “Filmworker,” which tells the story of Leon Vitali, an actor who abandoned his career after “Barry Lyndon” to become Stanley Kubrick’s right hand man and creative collaborator behind the scenes.
Rights holders to the films decide whether to screen them in 2K or 4K, or use an original print. Jean Vigo’s “L’Atalante,...
Read More: Cannes Adds Roman Polanski Film to Lineup
Highlights from the lineup include “Belle du Jour” (1967), Luis Bunuel’s classic about a housewife who dabbles in prostitution, and “All That Jazz ” (1979) Bob Fosse’s story of a womanizing, drug-using dancer played by Roy Scheider. There is also the documentary “Filmworker,” which tells the story of Leon Vitali, an actor who abandoned his career after “Barry Lyndon” to become Stanley Kubrick’s right hand man and creative collaborator behind the scenes.
Rights holders to the films decide whether to screen them in 2K or 4K, or use an original print. Jean Vigo’s “L’Atalante,...
- 5/3/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Strand will focus on the history of Cannes for the festival’s 70th anniversary.
Cannes Film Festival (May 17-28) has unveiled the line-up for this year’s Classic programme, with 24 screenings set to take place alongside five documentaries and one short film.
Documentaries about cinema including Filmworker - which focuses of Stanley Kubrick’s right hand man Leon Vitali, who played a crucial role behind the scenes of the director’s films - as well as Cary Grant doc Becoming Cary Grant, are set to feature.
This year’s selection is also set to focus on the history of the festival itself, with prize-winning films such as Michelangelo Antonioni Grand 1966 Prix winning film Blow-Up and Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Le Salaire de la peur (The Wages of Fear) from 1952 screening.
Nagisa Oshima’s 1976 film Ai No Korîda (In The Realm Of The Senses/L’Empire Des Sens), Luis Buñuel’s 1967 classic Belle De Jour (Beauty Of The Day...
Cannes Film Festival (May 17-28) has unveiled the line-up for this year’s Classic programme, with 24 screenings set to take place alongside five documentaries and one short film.
Documentaries about cinema including Filmworker - which focuses of Stanley Kubrick’s right hand man Leon Vitali, who played a crucial role behind the scenes of the director’s films - as well as Cary Grant doc Becoming Cary Grant, are set to feature.
This year’s selection is also set to focus on the history of the festival itself, with prize-winning films such as Michelangelo Antonioni Grand 1966 Prix winning film Blow-Up and Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Le Salaire de la peur (The Wages of Fear) from 1952 screening.
Nagisa Oshima’s 1976 film Ai No Korîda (In The Realm Of The Senses/L’Empire Des Sens), Luis Buñuel’s 1967 classic Belle De Jour (Beauty Of The Day...
- 5/3/2017
- ScreenDaily
While Cannes Film Festival premieres some of the best new films of the year, they also have a rich history of highlighting cinema history with their Cannes Classics line-up, many of which are new restorations of films that previously premiered at the festival. This year they are taking that idea further, featuring 16 films that made history at the festival, along with a handful of others, and five new documentaries. So, if you can’t make it to Cannes, to get a sense of restorations that may come to your city (or on Blu-ray) in the coming months/years, check out the line-up below.
From 1946 to 1992, from René Clément to Victor Erice, sixteen history-making films of the Festival de Cannes
1946: La Bataille du Rail (Battle of the Rails) by René Clément (1h25, France): Grand Prix International de la mise en scène and Prix du Jury International.
Presented by Ina.
From 1946 to 1992, from René Clément to Victor Erice, sixteen history-making films of the Festival de Cannes
1946: La Bataille du Rail (Battle of the Rails) by René Clément (1h25, France): Grand Prix International de la mise en scène and Prix du Jury International.
Presented by Ina.
- 5/3/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
By Darren Allison
Attending a film festival in the mid-seventies, Sam Peckinpah was once questioned about how the studios regularly bastardised his vision, his intension and more specifically, if he would ever be able to make a ''pure Peckinpah'' picture. He replied, '’I did 'Alfredo Garcia' and I did it exactly the way I wanted to. Good or bad, like it or not, that was my film.''
The overall narrative for Alfredo Garcia is neither complicated nor convoluted. Warren Oates plays Bennie, a simple pianist residing in a squalid barroom in Mexico. He is approached by two no-nonsense Americans (Robert Webber and Gig Young) who are attempting to track down Alfredo Garcia. The womanising Garcia is the man responsible for the pregnancy of Theresa (Janine Maldonado) the teenage daughter of a powerful Mexican boss El Jefe (Emilio Fernández). In a display of power, El Jefe offers...
Attending a film festival in the mid-seventies, Sam Peckinpah was once questioned about how the studios regularly bastardised his vision, his intension and more specifically, if he would ever be able to make a ''pure Peckinpah'' picture. He replied, '’I did 'Alfredo Garcia' and I did it exactly the way I wanted to. Good or bad, like it or not, that was my film.''
The overall narrative for Alfredo Garcia is neither complicated nor convoluted. Warren Oates plays Bennie, a simple pianist residing in a squalid barroom in Mexico. He is approached by two no-nonsense Americans (Robert Webber and Gig Young) who are attempting to track down Alfredo Garcia. The womanising Garcia is the man responsible for the pregnancy of Theresa (Janine Maldonado) the teenage daughter of a powerful Mexican boss El Jefe (Emilio Fernández). In a display of power, El Jefe offers...
- 3/8/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
A month after the world premiere of what ended up being his final film, Andrzej Wajda passed away at 90 last year. To honor the Polish master, whose career spanned decades, the Film Society of Lincoln Center is holding an 11-film tribute next month. It begins with the New York premiere of “Afterimage,” his unintentional swan song.
Read More: Andrzej Wajda, Academy Award–Winning Icon of Polish Cinema, Dies at 90
“A Generation,” “Kanał” and “Ashes and Diamonds” — better known as Wajda’s war trilogy — will also be featured, as will his 1981 Palme d’Or winner “Man of Iron” and the film it serves as a loose sequel to, 1977’s “Man of Marble.” “The Conductor,” “Innocent Sorcerers,” “The Maids of Wilko,” “The Promised Land” and “Rough Treatment” (aka “Without Anesthesia”) round out the program, and all but “Afterimage” will screen on 35mm.
Read More: Mubi Unveils New Discoveries Series Highlighting International Film...
Read More: Andrzej Wajda, Academy Award–Winning Icon of Polish Cinema, Dies at 90
“A Generation,” “Kanał” and “Ashes and Diamonds” — better known as Wajda’s war trilogy — will also be featured, as will his 1981 Palme d’Or winner “Man of Iron” and the film it serves as a loose sequel to, 1977’s “Man of Marble.” “The Conductor,” “Innocent Sorcerers,” “The Maids of Wilko,” “The Promised Land” and “Rough Treatment” (aka “Without Anesthesia”) round out the program, and all but “Afterimage” will screen on 35mm.
Read More: Mubi Unveils New Discoveries Series Highlighting International Film...
- 1/9/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Above: Mondo poster for The Graduate (Mike Nichols, USA, 1967); artist: Rory Kurtz; lettering: Jay Shaw.On my daily movie poster Tumblr I don’t make a habit of posting fan art or art prints—call them what you will—because I’m most interested in the intersection of commerce and art that is the theatrical movie poster. But I make an exception when something stands out, and nothing stood out last year quite like Rory Kurtz’s beautiful, elegant and unexpected Mondo illustration for The Graduate, which quite rightly racked up over 200 more likes than even its nearest competitor. But its nearest competitor was fan art too: a brilliant poster for Badlands by the insanely talented Adam Juresko, whose art poster for In the Mood for Love (featured in my Maggie Cheung article) was also in the top four. What makes art posters easy to like—beyond their extraordinary artistry...
- 1/7/2017
- MUBI
We pay tribute to the film stars and directors from around the world who sadly passed away in 2016.Hector BabencoArgentine-born Brazilian director Hector Babenco died on July 13 at 70-years-old.He found international success with Brazilian slum drama Pixote (1981), going on to make Kiss Of
We pay tribute to the film stars and directors from around the world who sadly passed away in 2016.
Hector Babenco
Argentine-born Brazilian director Hector Babenco died on July 13 at 70-years-old.
He found international success with Brazilian slum drama Pixote (1981), going on to make Kiss Of The Spider Woman (1985), for which he earned a best director Oscar nominee and William Hurt earned an Oscar win for best actor.
Babenco went on to direct Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson in Ironweed (1987) and Tom Berenger and John Lithgow in At Play In The Fields Of The Lord (1991).
After undergoing cancer treatment in the 1990s, he returned to the director’s chair for films including Brazilian prison...
We pay tribute to the film stars and directors from around the world who sadly passed away in 2016.
Hector Babenco
Argentine-born Brazilian director Hector Babenco died on July 13 at 70-years-old.
He found international success with Brazilian slum drama Pixote (1981), going on to make Kiss Of The Spider Woman (1985), for which he earned a best director Oscar nominee and William Hurt earned an Oscar win for best actor.
Babenco went on to direct Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson in Ironweed (1987) and Tom Berenger and John Lithgow in At Play In The Fields Of The Lord (1991).
After undergoing cancer treatment in the 1990s, he returned to the director’s chair for films including Brazilian prison...
- 12/31/2016
- ScreenDaily
Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture: Character Resurrection of the Day: Daniel Stern reprises his Rooke of the Year role of Coach Phil Brickma for a couple videos on YouTube. See more at /Film. Movie Takedown of the Day: In case you need more reason to dislike it, Honest Trailers goes biblical on X-Men: Apocalypse: Alternate Ending of the Day: Suicide Squad also takes more beatings with this animated parody and suggestion for how it should have ended: Vintage Image of the Day: Andrzej Wajda, who died Saturday, filming Jerzy Radziwilowicz and Krystyna Janda for Man of Iron, which was released in the U.S. on this day 35 years ago: Filmmaker...
Read More...
Read More...
- 10/12/2016
- by Christopher Campbell
- Movies.com
Revered director of Katyn and The Promised Land passed away on Sunday.
Polish cinema - and the international film community at large – are mourning the passing yesterday (Oct 9) of the Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda.
His career spanned more than 60 years and included such classics as Ashes And Diamonds, Innocent Sorcerers, The Wedding, Man Of Marble, and Man Of Iron. Four of his features were Oscar-nominated, and he received an honorary Academy Award in 2000.
Wajda had been a resistance fighter during the Second World War and a Fine Art student in Krakow before studying film directing at the Lodz Film School, his debut feature A Generation in 1954 being the first part of a trilogy completed by Canal (1956) and Ashes and Diamonds (1958).
The films introduced Wajda to an international audience.
In the early 1970s, he formed his own film unit, Film Studio ‘X’, where he worked with a group of young film-makers such as Ryszard Bugajski and Agnieska Holland, using...
Polish cinema - and the international film community at large – are mourning the passing yesterday (Oct 9) of the Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda.
His career spanned more than 60 years and included such classics as Ashes And Diamonds, Innocent Sorcerers, The Wedding, Man Of Marble, and Man Of Iron. Four of his features were Oscar-nominated, and he received an honorary Academy Award in 2000.
Wajda had been a resistance fighter during the Second World War and a Fine Art student in Krakow before studying film directing at the Lodz Film School, his debut feature A Generation in 1954 being the first part of a trilogy completed by Canal (1956) and Ashes and Diamonds (1958).
The films introduced Wajda to an international audience.
In the early 1970s, he formed his own film unit, Film Studio ‘X’, where he worked with a group of young film-makers such as Ryszard Bugajski and Agnieska Holland, using...
- 10/10/2016
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Afterimage, which is Poland's submission for this year's foreign language Oscar Polish film director Andrez Wajda - who made more than 40 films during his career - has died at age 90.
He once said: "We want to know who we are. To know who we are, we have to know who we used to be."
It was an idea that he carried into his films - including Katyn, Ashes And Diamonds and Man Of Iron - which frequently drew on the Communist history and wartime strife in Poland.
He was still working up until his death and his film Afterimage - about avant-garde artist Wladyslaw Strzeminski - was recently been selected as Poland’s foreign language Oscar submission. He has been nominated for the foreign language award four times before and he received an honorary Oscar "for five decades of extraordinary film direction" in 2000.
The former Polish prime minister and the...
He once said: "We want to know who we are. To know who we are, we have to know who we used to be."
It was an idea that he carried into his films - including Katyn, Ashes And Diamonds and Man Of Iron - which frequently drew on the Communist history and wartime strife in Poland.
He was still working up until his death and his film Afterimage - about avant-garde artist Wladyslaw Strzeminski - was recently been selected as Poland’s foreign language Oscar submission. He has been nominated for the foreign language award four times before and he received an honorary Oscar "for five decades of extraordinary film direction" in 2000.
The former Polish prime minister and the...
- 10/10/2016
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Andrzej Wajda, considered Poland’s greatest director with credits including the Oscar-nominated The Promised Land (1975), The Maids of Wilko (1979), Man of Iron (1981), and Katyń (2007) has died. He was 90, and among numerous accolades over his long career received an honorary Oscar and Palme d’Or. Born in 1926 in Suwałki, Wajda grew up during some of Poland’s most terrifying years. His father was executed by the Soviets after the partitioning of the country with Germany…...
- 10/10/2016
- Deadline
Andrzej Wajda, an enormously influential icon of Polish cinema who received an honorary Academy Award in 2000, has died at the age of 90. According to fellow filmmaker Jacek Bromski, who spoke to The Hollywood Reporter, Wajda was recently hospitalized and passed away earlier today.
Read More: Marc Webb To Direct Non-‘Spider-Man’ Spy Flick, Andrzej Wajda Preps Biopic & More
Best known for his war trilogy of “A Generation,” “Kanal” and especially “Ashes and Diamonds,” he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film on four occasions over the course of more than 30 years: “The Promised Land,” “The Maids of Wilko,” “Man of Iron” and “Katyń”; “Man of Iron” won the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or. His most recent film, “Afterimage,” screened in Toronto and was selected as Poland’s Oscar submission; though not intended as such, it serves as the swan song of a nonpareil career that lasted more than six decades.
Read More: Marc Webb To Direct Non-‘Spider-Man’ Spy Flick, Andrzej Wajda Preps Biopic & More
Best known for his war trilogy of “A Generation,” “Kanal” and especially “Ashes and Diamonds,” he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film on four occasions over the course of more than 30 years: “The Promised Land,” “The Maids of Wilko,” “Man of Iron” and “Katyń”; “Man of Iron” won the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or. His most recent film, “Afterimage,” screened in Toronto and was selected as Poland’s Oscar submission; though not intended as such, it serves as the swan song of a nonpareil career that lasted more than six decades.
- 10/9/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Andrew Wajda, the Academy Award-winning Polish film director, has died at 90, according to Polish media reports. Wajda was one of Poland’s most revered directors. Four of his films were nominated for the Oscar for best foreign film: “The Promised Land” (1976), “The Maids of Wilko” (1980), “Man of Iron” (1982), and “Katyn” (2008). Also Read: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2016 (Photos) His new film “Afterimage” is Poland’s entry in this year’s Oscar foreign-language race. It’s the ninth time he’s represented Poland in the Academy competition. In 2000, Wajda was awarded an honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement. He was the recipient of multiple other film.
- 10/9/2016
- by Sharon Waxman
- The Wrap
We've been faithfully updating the Oscar charts daily to reflect the submissions in one of our favorite categories. We'd call it our favorite but then how would Cinematography, Production Design, both Actress categories, and Costume Design feel? The deadline for submission is just a few days away so in a week or two the Academy will make the list official. Generally speaking, there are one or two surprises from our charts once they do -- a sudden addition or replacement and maybe a single disqualification. But if this list holds we are just short of the all time record number. The are currently 82 submissions, which is one shy of the record from 2014 (the Ida year).
90 year old legend Andrezj Wajda with his film trophies
Among the newly announced films are After Image, a biopic of an avant garde artist, by Andrzej Wajda for Poland and The Idol, the true story...
90 year old legend Andrezj Wajda with his film trophies
Among the newly announced films are After Image, a biopic of an avant garde artist, by Andrzej Wajda for Poland and The Idol, the true story...
- 10/1/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
★★★☆☆ They say never meet your idols, and it might also be advisable not to make films about them but Andrzej Wajda has always defied such cliches. Some of his early masterpieces - Man of Iron and Man of Marble - were fictional odes to Solidarity hero Lech Walesa and then he concluded a loose trilogy with a direct portrayal in 2013's Walesa: Man of Hope. Now the 90-year-old auteur has turned his attention to the renowned avant garde artist Władysław Strzemiński in his new film Afterimage.
- 9/15/2016
- by CineVue
- CineVue
The Us one sheet for Michael Mann’s 1981 debut feature Thief—which screens tonight and all weekend at BAMcinématek to kick off their retrospective "Heat & Vice: The Films of Michael Mann"—is an unusual design for its era. The colorful script title treatment is echt 80s of course, but the posterized monochrome portrait of James Caan overlaid over a photographic image of sparks from blowtorches (the titular character’s tool of choice) is something I haven’t seen before. It gives the poster an unusual three dimensional look, though at first glance those glowing goggles make it look more like a sci-fi film.Thief was released on March 27, 1981 and was damned with faint praise in The New York Times by Vincent Canby:“Mr. Mann may well become a very good theatrical film maker but, among other things, he's going to have to learn how to edit himself, to resist the...
- 2/6/2016
- by Adrian Curry
- MUBI
Special Mention: Dead Ringers
Directed by David Cronenberg
Written by David Cronenberg and Norman Snider
Canada, 1988
Genre: Thriller / Drama
Dead Ringers is one of David Cronenberg’s masterpieces, and Jeremy Irons gives the most highly accomplished performance of his entire career – times two. This is the story of Beverly and Elliot Mantle (both played by Irons), identical twins who, since birth, have been inseparable. Together, they work as gynecologists in their own clinic, and literally share everything between them, including the women they work and sleep with. Jealousy comes between the two when Beverly falls in love with a new patient and decides he no longer wants to share his lady friend with Elliot. The twins, who have always existed together as one, have trouble adapting and soon turn against one another. Unlike the director’s previous films, the biological horror in Dead Ringers is entirely conveyed through the psychological...
Directed by David Cronenberg
Written by David Cronenberg and Norman Snider
Canada, 1988
Genre: Thriller / Drama
Dead Ringers is one of David Cronenberg’s masterpieces, and Jeremy Irons gives the most highly accomplished performance of his entire career – times two. This is the story of Beverly and Elliot Mantle (both played by Irons), identical twins who, since birth, have been inseparable. Together, they work as gynecologists in their own clinic, and literally share everything between them, including the women they work and sleep with. Jealousy comes between the two when Beverly falls in love with a new patient and decides he no longer wants to share his lady friend with Elliot. The twins, who have always existed together as one, have trouble adapting and soon turn against one another. Unlike the director’s previous films, the biological horror in Dead Ringers is entirely conveyed through the psychological...
- 10/29/2015
- by Ricky Fernandes
- SoundOnSight
Film director Martin Scorsese has long been a champion of classic European cinema, and has recently overseen a project restoring some of Poland's greatest films to their former glory. Here we see the work done on three of the country's finest: Knife in the Water, directed by Roman Polanski; A Short Film About Killing, directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski; and Man of Iron, directed by Andrzej Wajda. All three are screened as part of the Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema section of the Kinoteka Polish Film Festival, at the Filmhouse in Edinburgh and the BFI Southbank in London. For full details and screenings, click here.
• Read Scorsese's appreciation of Polish cinema Continue reading...
• Read Scorsese's appreciation of Polish cinema Continue reading...
- 4/21/2015
- by Guardian Staff
- The Guardian - Film News
Best Foreign Language Film Oscar 2014: ‘The Past,’ Berlin winner ‘Child’s Pose,’ Andrzej Wajda among notable omissions (photo: Asghar Farhadi’s ‘The Past,’ with Bérénice Bejo) (See previous post: "Best Foreign Language Film Oscar 2014 semi-finalists: Liv Ullmann, Mads Mikkelsen, Ziyi Zhang star vehicles.") The previous post focused on the nine semi-finalists for the 2014 Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category. This post focuses on the surprising omissions from that list. ‘The Past’ The most glaring omission from the Academy’s list of Best Foreign Language Film semi-finalists is Asghar Farhadi’s Sony Pictures Classics-distributed (in the U.S.) The Past / Le Passé, starring Tahar Rahim and 2013 Cannes Film Festival Best Actress winner Bérénice Bejo. Iran’s official Oscar 2014 entry, The Past was considered a shoo-in following overwhelmingly positive notices — e.g., 93% approval rating and 8.6/10 average among Rotten Tomatoes‘ top critics — the fact that both Rahim (A Prophet...
- 12/25/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Trailer mashups are a beautiful diversion. On the surface they’re frivolous, but they also manage to re-contextualize the familiar and shine a blinding bulb on thematic similarities. You might get fired for watching them all day (come on, Mr. Danforth!), but there’s a deep power in connecting two seemingly incongruous films or accentuating the copycat nature of tentpoles. There’s a wacky romance to be found in Gravity, a steampunk spectacle in an animated world, adorable Pixar revenge and much more to be discovered. If you watch all of this year’s best, you’ll be overwhelmed with the patterns — not just in the plotting, but also in trailer construction. There’s a bit less Brrrrrwwaaaaaaam this time around, but the hero’s journey is still thriving alongside the explosions. You’ll also notice that pretty much no one makes trailers for Stories We Tell or 12 Years a Slave. Blockbusters...
- 12/17/2013
- by Scott Beggs
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Exclusive: Berlin-based sales company racks up deals ahead of Afm.
Films Boutique is set to attend the American Film Market next week with Polish Oscar submission Walesa. Man of Hope, and has already secured a slew of sales.
Andrzej Wajda’s biopic, which received its world premiere at Venice before screening at Toronto, has been picked up for:
France, Version OriginaleSpain, A Contracorriente FilmsJapan, New SelectPortugal, Films 4 YouSweden, TriartDenmark, Camera filmsGreece: FilmtradeHungary, CirkoRomania, Independenta filmsCzech/Slovak, ArtcamBrazil, Esfera FilmesColombia/LatAm TV: CineplexEstonia, Estin Film
As previously reported by ScreenDaily, Fidalgo acquired the film for Norway while Project London Films picked it up in the UK directly from Polish producer Akson Studio.
Negotiations are ongoing in North America, German-speaking territories and Benelux.
The film has recorded 615,000 admissions after just three weeks on release in Poland.
It depicts the life of Lech Walesa, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of Poland’s Solidarity movement, as events...
Films Boutique is set to attend the American Film Market next week with Polish Oscar submission Walesa. Man of Hope, and has already secured a slew of sales.
Andrzej Wajda’s biopic, which received its world premiere at Venice before screening at Toronto, has been picked up for:
France, Version OriginaleSpain, A Contracorriente FilmsJapan, New SelectPortugal, Films 4 YouSweden, TriartDenmark, Camera filmsGreece: FilmtradeHungary, CirkoRomania, Independenta filmsCzech/Slovak, ArtcamBrazil, Esfera FilmesColombia/LatAm TV: CineplexEstonia, Estin Film
As previously reported by ScreenDaily, Fidalgo acquired the film for Norway while Project London Films picked it up in the UK directly from Polish producer Akson Studio.
Negotiations are ongoing in North America, German-speaking territories and Benelux.
The film has recorded 615,000 admissions after just three weeks on release in Poland.
It depicts the life of Lech Walesa, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of Poland’s Solidarity movement, as events...
- 10/28/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
A full-tilt biopic tribute to the Polish trade-union leader and founder of the Solidarity movement is very enjoyable
At the age of 87, that remarkable Polish film-maker Andrzej Wajda has directed a movie with terrific gusto and a first-rate lead performance from Robert Wieckiewicz. It's a full-tilt biopic tribute to the trade-union leader Lech Wałesa, founder of the Solidarity movement: bullish, cantankerous, with an exasperating charm and the gift of the gab. Wałesa's defiance of Poland's Soviet masters removed the very first brick from the Berlin Wall. Famously, Wałesa was the one subversive trade-union leader whom Margaret Thatcher felt able to love: Arthur Scargill did not enjoy the same admiration.
Wałesa: Man of Hope is a belated companion piece to his Man of Marble (1977) and Man of Iron (1981), respectively about a Stakhanovite bricklayer and his son in Poland; it discloses now an unexpected trilogy, and somehow suggests, in retrospect, that the...
At the age of 87, that remarkable Polish film-maker Andrzej Wajda has directed a movie with terrific gusto and a first-rate lead performance from Robert Wieckiewicz. It's a full-tilt biopic tribute to the trade-union leader Lech Wałesa, founder of the Solidarity movement: bullish, cantankerous, with an exasperating charm and the gift of the gab. Wałesa's defiance of Poland's Soviet masters removed the very first brick from the Berlin Wall. Famously, Wałesa was the one subversive trade-union leader whom Margaret Thatcher felt able to love: Arthur Scargill did not enjoy the same admiration.
Wałesa: Man of Hope is a belated companion piece to his Man of Marble (1977) and Man of Iron (1981), respectively about a Stakhanovite bricklayer and his son in Poland; it discloses now an unexpected trilogy, and somehow suggests, in retrospect, that the...
- 10/17/2013
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. Enjoy!
Special Mention:
Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking dance routines and unique vocals have influenced generations of musicians, dancers, and entertainers. He was one of entertainment’s greatest icons, and like most gifted individuals, he was always pushing boundaries, reinventing himself, and testing his limits. One of his biggest accomplishments was Thriller, a 14-minute...
Special Mention:
Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking dance routines and unique vocals have influenced generations of musicians, dancers, and entertainers. He was one of entertainment’s greatest icons, and like most gifted individuals, he was always pushing boundaries, reinventing himself, and testing his limits. One of his biggest accomplishments was Thriller, a 14-minute...
- 10/17/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
This biopic tribute to Lech Wałęsa, the Nobel peace prize-winning politician and human rights activist, is an enjoyable look at an unconventional hero
• Why you should go to the London film festival
• More on the London film festival
At the age of 87, that very remarkable Polish film-maker Andrzej Wajda has directed a movie with terrific force and irresistible storytelling gusto – and a first-rate lead performance by Robert Wieckiewicz. It's a full tilt biopic that pays tribute to the trade union leader Lech Wałęsa, founder of the Solidarity movement, a bullish, courageous man, stubborn and cantankerous, with an exasperating charm and the precious gift of the gab. Wałęsa's defiance of Poland's sclerotic Soviet Communist masters and their local apparatchiks removed the very first brick from the Berlin Wall. Famously, Lech Wałęsa was the one subversive trade-union leader that Margaret Thatcher felt able to love. (Arthur Scargill did not enjoy the same admiration.
• Why you should go to the London film festival
• More on the London film festival
At the age of 87, that very remarkable Polish film-maker Andrzej Wajda has directed a movie with terrific force and irresistible storytelling gusto – and a first-rate lead performance by Robert Wieckiewicz. It's a full tilt biopic that pays tribute to the trade union leader Lech Wałęsa, founder of the Solidarity movement, a bullish, courageous man, stubborn and cantankerous, with an exasperating charm and the precious gift of the gab. Wałęsa's defiance of Poland's sclerotic Soviet Communist masters and their local apparatchiks removed the very first brick from the Berlin Wall. Famously, Lech Wałęsa was the one subversive trade-union leader that Margaret Thatcher felt able to love. (Arthur Scargill did not enjoy the same admiration.
- 10/11/2013
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Exclusive: Walesa will be in attendance at Lff screening of Wajda’s film.
Ambitious young UK distribution outfit Project London Films Ltd. is planning a 45-site release for Andrzej Wajda’s new feature Walesa, Man Of Hope (out in UK cinemas on Oct 18).
Former Polish President Walesa will be in London next week for the film’s BFI London Film Festival screening. Robert Wieckiewicz (who plays Walesa) is also due in London for the Lff premiere of the film, recently chosen as Poland’s Oscar entry.
Project London, run by Managing Director Pawel Jodlowski and Business Development Director Mariusz Muskietorz, releases films targeted at the UK’s sizable Polish population.
The distributors have come up with an ingenious marketing campaign for the Walesa movie. They have joined forces with Polish Village Bread, the renowned UK-based Polish bread, pastry and cake company. In the week of the release of the film, all loaves...
Ambitious young UK distribution outfit Project London Films Ltd. is planning a 45-site release for Andrzej Wajda’s new feature Walesa, Man Of Hope (out in UK cinemas on Oct 18).
Former Polish President Walesa will be in London next week for the film’s BFI London Film Festival screening. Robert Wieckiewicz (who plays Walesa) is also due in London for the Lff premiere of the film, recently chosen as Poland’s Oscar entry.
Project London, run by Managing Director Pawel Jodlowski and Business Development Director Mariusz Muskietorz, releases films targeted at the UK’s sizable Polish population.
The distributors have come up with an ingenious marketing campaign for the Walesa movie. They have joined forces with Polish Village Bread, the renowned UK-based Polish bread, pastry and cake company. In the week of the release of the film, all loaves...
- 10/4/2013
- by geoffrey@macnab.demon.co.uk (Geoffrey Macnab)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Walesa will be in attendance at Lff screening of Wajda’s film.
Ambitious young UK distribution outfit Project London is planning a 45-site release for Andrzej Wajda’s new feature Walesa, Man Of Hope (out in UK cinemas on Oct 18). Former Polish President Walesa will be in London next week for the film’s BFI London Film Festival screening. Robert Wieckiewicz (who plays Walesa) is also due in London for the Lff premiere of the film, recently chosen as Poland’s Oscar entry.
Project London, run by Managing Director Pawel Jodlowski and Business Development Director Mariusz Muskietorz, releases films targeted at the UK’s sizable Polish population.
The distributors have come up with an ingenious marketing campaign for the Walesa movie. They have joined forces with Polish Village Bakery, the renowned UK-based Polish bread, pastry and cake company. In the week of the release of the film, all loaves of Polish Village Bread will have advertising...
Ambitious young UK distribution outfit Project London is planning a 45-site release for Andrzej Wajda’s new feature Walesa, Man Of Hope (out in UK cinemas on Oct 18). Former Polish President Walesa will be in London next week for the film’s BFI London Film Festival screening. Robert Wieckiewicz (who plays Walesa) is also due in London for the Lff premiere of the film, recently chosen as Poland’s Oscar entry.
Project London, run by Managing Director Pawel Jodlowski and Business Development Director Mariusz Muskietorz, releases films targeted at the UK’s sizable Polish population.
The distributors have come up with an ingenious marketing campaign for the Walesa movie. They have joined forces with Polish Village Bakery, the renowned UK-based Polish bread, pastry and cake company. In the week of the release of the film, all loaves of Polish Village Bread will have advertising...
- 10/4/2013
- by geoffrey@macnab.demon.co.uk (Geoffrey Macnab)
- ScreenDaily
Hey y'all... I've been hard at work this week updating all the charts. Yep, every. single. one. So herewith ten notes for suggested comment fodder.
• Mystery Meat
American Hustle and Saving Mr Banks are the Oscar Bait Unknowns... unless you assume that Wolf of Wall Street will be finished in time. All have, to my knowledge, not been screened for even long lead critics. Most pundits, armchair or otherwise, believe in Hustle wholeheartedly (one assumes due to David O. Russell's recent track record) and are suspicious of Banks (one assumes because of the dangers of Disney-on-Disney hagiography but maybe also because movies-about-movies aren't always Hugos; sometimes they're Hitchcocks). So far I'm not expecting a lot of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty but maybe that's a stealth masterpiece about to blow us all away. Which of the unseens are you hoping deserves space in the Best Picture race?
• All...
• Mystery Meat
American Hustle and Saving Mr Banks are the Oscar Bait Unknowns... unless you assume that Wolf of Wall Street will be finished in time. All have, to my knowledge, not been screened for even long lead critics. Most pundits, armchair or otherwise, believe in Hustle wholeheartedly (one assumes due to David O. Russell's recent track record) and are suspicious of Banks (one assumes because of the dangers of Disney-on-Disney hagiography but maybe also because movies-about-movies aren't always Hugos; sometimes they're Hitchcocks). So far I'm not expecting a lot of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty but maybe that's a stealth masterpiece about to blow us all away. Which of the unseens are you hoping deserves space in the Best Picture race?
• All...
- 10/3/2013
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
His new film Walesa. Man of Hope premieres in Venice.
Venice will present the 2013 Persol prize to Polish director Andrzej Wajda.
The award will be presented on Sept 5, before the out of competition screening of Wajda’s latest film Walesa. Man of Hope.
Wajda’s films include Man of Iron, Ashes And Diamonds, The Promised Land, The Young Girls of Wilko and Katyn.
Venice film festival director Alberto Barbera said: “Wajda is not just the most emblematic director in post-war Polish filmmaking. He is the director who has been capable, in his work (over 50 films in his more than sixty-year career), of raising the most decisive and important questions about the history of his country, and consequently, of Europe in its entirety, inviting us to reflect on the critical relationship between personal experiences and those of an entire nation, between the anguish that often befalls individual destinies and the weight of the collective task they are called...
Venice will present the 2013 Persol prize to Polish director Andrzej Wajda.
The award will be presented on Sept 5, before the out of competition screening of Wajda’s latest film Walesa. Man of Hope.
Wajda’s films include Man of Iron, Ashes And Diamonds, The Promised Land, The Young Girls of Wilko and Katyn.
Venice film festival director Alberto Barbera said: “Wajda is not just the most emblematic director in post-war Polish filmmaking. He is the director who has been capable, in his work (over 50 films in his more than sixty-year career), of raising the most decisive and important questions about the history of his country, and consequently, of Europe in its entirety, inviting us to reflect on the critical relationship between personal experiences and those of an entire nation, between the anguish that often befalls individual destinies and the weight of the collective task they are called...
- 8/21/2013
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Controversial, violent, masculine, legend...those are just some of the adjectives thrown around to describe director Sam Peckinpah. As the man behind seminal pictures like "The Wild Bunch," "Straw Dogs," "The Getaway" and "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia," his body of work of is one that is continually influential and provocative, even decades after they first hit theaters. And a documentary has surfaced online that allows you to go even deeper with the filmmaker. The 82-minute 1993 documentary "Sam Peckinpah: Man of Iron" utilizes vintage footage of the filmmaker along with interviews from collaborators such as Kris Kristofferson, Ali McGraw, James Coburn, Monte Hellman and more to paint a portrait of the hard-living director. Covering his filmography, attitudes toward women, his go-for-broke approach and his own personal life, 'Man Of Iron' offers up pretty much everything you'd want to know about Peckinpah. It's definitely one to bookmark to watch later this weekend,...
- 8/15/2013
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Walking out of Man of Steel this weekend, I couldn’t help but think of the way in which this was particularly a creation of the modern DC Comics mindset. With its dour, somber lead, bombastic, faux-operatic plotting, and general grim and gritty outlook, this was a Superman film that fit in well with Nolan’s Batman trilogy (with its monochromatic color palette feeling at times like a parody of the visual scheme those films developed), yet also with the way DC Comics have looked in the New 52 Era.
Before we go any further, I should make something clear. I am new to the world of monthly comics, spurred to try the medium from the perspective of a regular by DC’s bold relaunch in September 2011. Prior to that fateful month, I had dabbled in comics in trade paperback form, and I have since read some landmark runs as I...
Before we go any further, I should make something clear. I am new to the world of monthly comics, spurred to try the medium from the perspective of a regular by DC’s bold relaunch in September 2011. Prior to that fateful month, I had dabbled in comics in trade paperback form, and I have since read some landmark runs as I...
- 6/20/2013
- by Jordan Ferguson
- SoundOnSight
With The Mandarin attacking Stark's home, will Iron Man has headed to China? Multiple scenes of Iron Man 3 are currently being filmed on location in Bejing. A new picture from the China set of the Film has surfaced online. It shows Chinese actor Wang Xueqi, in character as scientist Dr Wu, standing beside the Man of Iron himself. I am actually really excited for this part of the story. Why? Because there is So Much Freaking Mystery! Intriguing, No?...
- 12/16/2012
- by Lucas Lowman
- GeekTyrant
Throughout the month of October, Editor-in-Chief and resident Horror expert Ricky D, will be posting a list of his favorite Horror films of all time. The list will be posted in six parts. Click here to see every entry.
As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.
****
50: Thundercrack!
Directed by Curt McDowell
Written by George Kuchar
1975, USA
Thunderstruck! is by far the most obscure film you will find on this list. It is without a doubt one of the true landmarks of Underground cinema. With a screenplay by veteran underground film maker George Kuchar (story and characters by Mark Ellinger) and directed Curt McDowell (than student of Kuchar),
Thundercrack! is a work of a crazed genius.
As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.
****
50: Thundercrack!
Directed by Curt McDowell
Written by George Kuchar
1975, USA
Thunderstruck! is by far the most obscure film you will find on this list. It is without a doubt one of the true landmarks of Underground cinema. With a screenplay by veteran underground film maker George Kuchar (story and characters by Mark Ellinger) and directed Curt McDowell (than student of Kuchar),
Thundercrack! is a work of a crazed genius.
- 10/27/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
The de-evolution of the modern b-action movie is disheartening. The genre has been bisected by traditionalists and new-school practitioners. The old-school, red meat types like Sylvester Stallone and their ilk believe that real men doing real stunts and delivering brutal blows is the way to go, big tough guys in big tough situations, without any youngbloods or fancy gizmos. The more contemporary action filmmaker, however, spikes the punch, utilizing heavy-duty CGI to turn Tobey Maguire into Dolph Lundgren, Cameron Diaz into Jackie Chan. Neither side seems to understand that you don't need to be Dostoyevsky to infuse the same old tropes with just a little respect for characters, stories, suspense, and high stakes. It's the story, stupid. Believe in it.
Writer-director Boaz Yakin ("Remember The Titans") believes, which is why his latest picture, the old-school-baiting "Safe," knows exactly where that pleasure center lies. The finest of the generic output of action stud Jason Statham,...
Writer-director Boaz Yakin ("Remember The Titans") believes, which is why his latest picture, the old-school-baiting "Safe," knows exactly where that pleasure center lies. The finest of the generic output of action stud Jason Statham,...
- 4/24/2012
- by Gabe Toro
- The Playlist
Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho set The first recipient of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts' Fellowship, "awarded in recognition of outstanding achievement in the art forms of the moving image," was director Alfred Hitchcock in 1971. Dozens of film, television, and assorted media personalities have become BAFTA Fellows since then, though the pattern here — as most elsewhere — is that achievements by men are deemed much more important than those by women. [Full list of BAFTA Fellowship recipients.] The only woman to become a BAFTA Fellow in the Fellowship's first 25 years was television producer Grace Wyndham Goldie, a pioneer of Current Affairs programs on the BBC. Since then, that quite short list has gone on to include actresses Vanessa Redgrave, Julie Christie, Maggie Smith, Elizabeth Taylor, and Judi Dench; actress and sometime director Jeanne Moreau; editor Anne V. Coates; and actresses/writers Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders (whose latest Absolutely Fabulous episodes can be found online). Also...
- 1/4/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
For the horror buff, Fall is the best time of the year. The air is crisp, the leaves are falling and a feeling of death hangs on the air. Here at Sound on Sight we have some of the biggest horror fans you can find. We are continually showcasing the best of genre cinema, so we’ve decided to put our horror knowledge and passion to the test in a horror watching contest. Each week in October, Ricky D, James Merolla and Justine Smith will post a list of the horror films they have watched. By the end of the month, the person who has seen the most films wins. Prize Tbd.
Ricky D (5 viewings) Total of 76 viewings
-
Purchase
Spirits Of The Dead (Histoires extraordinaires)
Directed by Federico Fellini (segment Toby Dammit), Louis Malle (segment William Wilson), Roger Vadim (segment Metzengerstein)
France, 1968
First thing to notice is the three directors: Federico Fellini,...
Ricky D (5 viewings) Total of 76 viewings
-
Purchase
Spirits Of The Dead (Histoires extraordinaires)
Directed by Federico Fellini (segment Toby Dammit), Louis Malle (segment William Wilson), Roger Vadim (segment Metzengerstein)
France, 1968
First thing to notice is the three directors: Federico Fellini,...
- 11/2/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Choosing my favourite horror films of all time is like choosing between my children – not that I have children, but if I did, I am sure I would categorize them quite like my DVD collection. As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. Also, it was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried. I based my list taking into consideration three points:
1- Technical accomplishments / artistry and their influence on the genre.
2- How many times I’ve revisited the films and how easily it makes for a repeated viewings.
3- Its story, atmosphere and how much it affected me when I first watched them.
Finally, there are many great films such as The Witchfinder General, The Wickerman and even Hour Of The Wolf that won’t appear here. I...
1- Technical accomplishments / artistry and their influence on the genre.
2- How many times I’ve revisited the films and how easily it makes for a repeated viewings.
3- Its story, atmosphere and how much it affected me when I first watched them.
Finally, there are many great films such as The Witchfinder General, The Wickerman and even Hour Of The Wolf that won’t appear here. I...
- 10/29/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
25 – Halloween
Directed by John Carpenter
1978 – Us
A historical milestone that single-handedly shaped and altered the future of the entire genre. This seminal horror flick actually gets better with age; it’s downright transcendent and holds up with determination as an effective thriller that will always stand head and shoulders above the hundreds of imitators to come. Halloween had one hell of an influence on the entire film industry. You have to admire how Carpenter avoids explicit onscreen violence, and achieves a considerable power almost entirely through visual means, using its widescreen frame, expert hand-held camerawork, and terrifying foreground and background imagery.
24 – Black Christmas
Directed by Bob Clark
1974 – Canada
We never did find out who Billy was. Maybe it’s for the best, since they never made any sequels to Bob Clark’s seminal slasher film, a film which predates Carpenter’s Halloween by four years. Whereas Texas Chainsaw Massacre, released the same year,...
Directed by John Carpenter
1978 – Us
A historical milestone that single-handedly shaped and altered the future of the entire genre. This seminal horror flick actually gets better with age; it’s downright transcendent and holds up with determination as an effective thriller that will always stand head and shoulders above the hundreds of imitators to come. Halloween had one hell of an influence on the entire film industry. You have to admire how Carpenter avoids explicit onscreen violence, and achieves a considerable power almost entirely through visual means, using its widescreen frame, expert hand-held camerawork, and terrifying foreground and background imagery.
24 – Black Christmas
Directed by Bob Clark
1974 – Canada
We never did find out who Billy was. Maybe it’s for the best, since they never made any sequels to Bob Clark’s seminal slasher film, a film which predates Carpenter’s Halloween by four years. Whereas Texas Chainsaw Massacre, released the same year,...
- 10/28/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Polish film was an early frontrunner, before occupation forced wave after wave of talent abroad. Its fortitude is embodied by Andrzej Wajda – still going strong 50 years after his first feature
There aren't many traces on the internet of the early Polish pioneers: people such as Kazimierz Prószyński and Bolesław Matuszewski who were operating at the turn of the century, turning out silent short docos called things like Ślizgawka w Łazienkach (Skating-rink in the Royal Baths). (Prószyński was also a pioneering camera inventor, developing a model called a pleograph in 1894, and a handheld effort called an aeroscope in 1909.) Nor is there any link for Anton in Warsaw for the First Time, Poland's legendary first feature film, directed by and starring Antoni Fertner in 1908.
Fertner, though, went on to a respectable career as an actor in the interwar period – you can see him as an old man in Książątko (1937, above) and Gehenna...
There aren't many traces on the internet of the early Polish pioneers: people such as Kazimierz Prószyński and Bolesław Matuszewski who were operating at the turn of the century, turning out silent short docos called things like Ślizgawka w Łazienkach (Skating-rink in the Royal Baths). (Prószyński was also a pioneering camera inventor, developing a model called a pleograph in 1894, and a handheld effort called an aeroscope in 1909.) Nor is there any link for Anton in Warsaw for the First Time, Poland's legendary first feature film, directed by and starring Antoni Fertner in 1908.
Fertner, though, went on to a respectable career as an actor in the interwar period – you can see him as an old man in Książątko (1937, above) and Gehenna...
- 4/6/2011
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Happy birthday to Best Actress winner Joan Fontaine (Suspicion, 1941), also known as the second Mrs. DeWinter. She turns 93 years young today. What on earth was she thinking about when she won the Oscar. This photo to your left fascinates me on account of "who knows?" It seems so much more candid than many Oscar night photos.
I keep the following "still with us!" list, not from any morbid curiousity but from a genuine happiness that some legendary screen stars are still walking the earth even though most of them aren't walking the screens these days. This year has been rough with the losses so maybe I'm going to stop keep this list. My heart was in the right place! We want the following to know that their past accomplishments are acknowledged by new generations.
The Oldest Living Oscar Nominees
All of them were born before the movies even had sound!
I keep the following "still with us!" list, not from any morbid curiousity but from a genuine happiness that some legendary screen stars are still walking the earth even though most of them aren't walking the screens these days. This year has been rough with the losses so maybe I'm going to stop keep this list. My heart was in the right place! We want the following to know that their past accomplishments are acknowledged by new generations.
The Oldest Living Oscar Nominees
All of them were born before the movies even had sound!
- 10/23/2010
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
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.