Brian De Palma has become the directorial litmus test of cinephiles everywhere. To supporters, he stands as a startling visual genius with a penchant for set pieces and lurid subject matter. To naysayers, he remains a lowbrow imitator who spends his studio budgets chasing the ghosts of Alfred Hitchcock and Jean-Luc Godard. Great director or high class hack? Inconsistent misogynist or Master of the Macabre? Much like his fractured narratives, the answer is never an easy one to attain.
Both sides provide ample support for their case. De Palma’s resume is riddled with enough hollow imitations (Sisters [1973], Raising Cain [1992]) and bloated commercial flops (The Bonfire of the Vanities [1990], The Black Dahlia [2006]) to sink any director. But even in misfires such as these, an undeniable attention to detail remains.
The split screen cover-up of Sisters or the heartbreaking screen tests of The Black Dahlia are breathtaking in scope and execution,...
Both sides provide ample support for their case. De Palma’s resume is riddled with enough hollow imitations (Sisters [1973], Raising Cain [1992]) and bloated commercial flops (The Bonfire of the Vanities [1990], The Black Dahlia [2006]) to sink any director. But even in misfires such as these, an undeniable attention to detail remains.
The split screen cover-up of Sisters or the heartbreaking screen tests of The Black Dahlia are breathtaking in scope and execution,...
- 11/13/2015
- by Danilo Castro
- CinemaNerdz
Sidney Lumet died aged 86 on today in his residence in Manhattan, New York, from lymphoma.
Lumet was an Oscar-nominated director, known for films such as for 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, Network and The Verdict.
He was born on June 25, 1924, in Philadelphia, to parents Baruch Lumet and Eugenia Wermus, both veteran players of the Yiddish stage. He studied theater acting at the Professional Children’s School of New York and Columbia University. By the time he was 4, Lumet was appearing onstage with his father, and by the age of five he made his stage debut at the Yiddish Art Theatre. He made his Broadway debut in 1935, and appeared in several Broadway shows until World War II broke out in 1939.
After serving three years in the U.S army as a radar repairman stationed, Lumet returned to New York and formed his own theater workshop. He then transitioned from theater to...
Lumet was an Oscar-nominated director, known for films such as for 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, Network and The Verdict.
He was born on June 25, 1924, in Philadelphia, to parents Baruch Lumet and Eugenia Wermus, both veteran players of the Yiddish stage. He studied theater acting at the Professional Children’s School of New York and Columbia University. By the time he was 4, Lumet was appearing onstage with his father, and by the age of five he made his stage debut at the Yiddish Art Theatre. He made his Broadway debut in 1935, and appeared in several Broadway shows until World War II broke out in 1939.
After serving three years in the U.S army as a radar repairman stationed, Lumet returned to New York and formed his own theater workshop. He then transitioned from theater to...
- 4/9/2011
- by Kristen Coates
- The Film Stage
To celebrate its 20th Anniversary, it appears as though the Tiff Cinematheque is set to pull out all the stops.
According to Criterion, the Tiff, formerly known as the Cinematheque Ontario, will be bringing out a rather superb and cartoonishly awesome summer schedule, that will include films ranging from Kurosawa pieces, to films from Pier Paolo Pasolini. Other films include a month long series dedicated to James Mason, Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales, a tribute to Robin Wood, and most interesting, a retrospective on the works of one Catherine Breillat.
Personally, while the Kurosawa, Pasolini, and Rohmer collections sound amazing, the Breillat series is ultimately the collective that I am most interested in. Ranging from films like the brilliant Fat Girl, to the superb and underrated Anatomy of Hell, these are some of the most interesting and under seen pieces of cinema of recent memory, and are more than...
According to Criterion, the Tiff, formerly known as the Cinematheque Ontario, will be bringing out a rather superb and cartoonishly awesome summer schedule, that will include films ranging from Kurosawa pieces, to films from Pier Paolo Pasolini. Other films include a month long series dedicated to James Mason, Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales, a tribute to Robin Wood, and most interesting, a retrospective on the works of one Catherine Breillat.
Personally, while the Kurosawa, Pasolini, and Rohmer collections sound amazing, the Breillat series is ultimately the collective that I am most interested in. Ranging from films like the brilliant Fat Girl, to the superb and underrated Anatomy of Hell, these are some of the most interesting and under seen pieces of cinema of recent memory, and are more than...
- 5/26/2010
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Another Tuesday is before us, with brand new Criterion Collection titles. It appears that with each pair of the April new releases, we’re treated to films separated by several decades, in both color and black & white. This week Criterion releases the first Sidney Lumet directed film in the Collection, featuring Marlon Brando’s first appearance in the Collection as well. The Fugitive Kind, Criterion # 515, is being released as a 2-Disc DVD. We’re also getting a brand new cut of Ang Lee’s Ride With The Devil, Criterion # 514, on DVD and Blu-ray. To read Travis’ initial thoughts on these releases, check out our announcement for the April Releases here.
After we watched Ang Lee’s The Ice Storm for the podcast, I decided that I had not see enough of Lee’s films. I decided to give The Hulk another chance, after several attempts to get through the comic...
After we watched Ang Lee’s The Ice Storm for the podcast, I decided that I had not see enough of Lee’s films. I decided to give The Hulk another chance, after several attempts to get through the comic...
- 4/27/2010
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
Today is the 100th birthday of Japanese master filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. He died back in 1998, but his films carry on his legacy in many ways. First, obviously, there are the literal titles that continue to be watched and studied religiously (13 of them are being aired on Turner Classic Movies today). Second, there are the upcoming remakes of "Seven Samurai," "High and Low," "Rashomon" and "Ikiru" in development. And third, there are those films directly inspired by Kurosawa's films.
Kurosawa himself had many influences, and a number of his films were loose remakes or direct adaptations of everything from Westerns to Dostoyevsky to films noir to Shakespeare. So it's unlikely he'd be upset about the idea that his work has gone on to influence some of today's most notable filmmakers. He might even be enjoying some of the following blockbuster movies, all owing much to his work, from beyond the grave:...
Kurosawa himself had many influences, and a number of his films were loose remakes or direct adaptations of everything from Westerns to Dostoyevsky to films noir to Shakespeare. So it's unlikely he'd be upset about the idea that his work has gone on to influence some of today's most notable filmmakers. He might even be enjoying some of the following blockbuster movies, all owing much to his work, from beyond the grave:...
- 3/23/2010
- by Christopher Campbell
- MTV Movies Blog
Warner Japan has released a first teaser trailer for Hiroyuki Nakano’s Tajomaru. The film is based on the short story ‘In a Grove’ by Ryunosuke Akutagawa which Akira Kurosawa also based his 1950 Rashomon on.
Luckily, this won’t be another remake but rather a new backstory for the bandit Tajomaru that takes place before the crime discussed in Kurosawa’s classic.
[See post to watch Flash video] [via Nippon Cinema]
Share...
Luckily, this won’t be another remake but rather a new backstory for the bandit Tajomaru that takes place before the crime discussed in Kurosawa’s classic.
[See post to watch Flash video] [via Nippon Cinema]
Share...
- 5/26/2009
- by Ulrik
- Affenheimtheater
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