Martin Starger, who shepherded Roots, Happy Days and Rich Man, Poor Man as the first president of ABC Entertainment before producing such films as Robert Altman’s Nashville and Peter Bogdanovich’s Mask, has died. He was 92.
Starger died Friday at his home in Los Angeles, his niece, New York-based casting director Ilene Starger, announced. “He was a brilliant, elegant, remarkable man and had wonderful taste in projects,” she noted.
As an executive producer, Starger worked on films including Stanley Donen’s Movie Movie (1978), Ingmar Bergman’s Autumn Sonata, The Muppet Movie (1979) and The Great Muppet Caper (1981), Mark Rydell’s On Golden Pond (1981), The Last Unicorn (1982) and Alan J. Pakula’s Sophie’s Choice (1982)
He received Tony nominations in 1987 and 1989 for producing the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Starlight Express and the comedy Lend Me a Tenor, respectively,
Starger was born on May 8, 1932, in the Bronx, New York. After graduating from City College,...
Starger died Friday at his home in Los Angeles, his niece, New York-based casting director Ilene Starger, announced. “He was a brilliant, elegant, remarkable man and had wonderful taste in projects,” she noted.
As an executive producer, Starger worked on films including Stanley Donen’s Movie Movie (1978), Ingmar Bergman’s Autumn Sonata, The Muppet Movie (1979) and The Great Muppet Caper (1981), Mark Rydell’s On Golden Pond (1981), The Last Unicorn (1982) and Alan J. Pakula’s Sophie’s Choice (1982)
He received Tony nominations in 1987 and 1989 for producing the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Starlight Express and the comedy Lend Me a Tenor, respectively,
Starger was born on May 8, 1932, in the Bronx, New York. After graduating from City College,...
- 6/1/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Roxy Cinema
Stanley Donen’s Funny Face plays on Friday and Sunday, the latter day bringing a program of work by Nicola Tyson and Son of Kong on 35mm.
Paris Theater
Prints of Prizzi’s Honor, The Mechanic, Grosse Pointe Blank, and Killer Joe play in a hitman retrospective; Yi Yi shows on 35mm this Sunday.
Museum of Modern Art
A massive overview of Bulle Ogier continues with films by Fassbinder, Rivette, and more.
IFC Center
Man Ray: Return to Reason begins; After Hours and the Bob Fosse retrospective begin; Labyrinth, Flashdance, and Tank Girl play late.
Japan Society
America’s largest-ever Hiroshi Shimizu retrospective migrates to Japan Society (watch our exclusive trailer debut).
Museum of the Moving Image
Two more Shimizu films play; House on Haunted Hill screens Friday and Sunday, while The Right Stuff shows on 35mm this Saturday.
Roxy Cinema
Stanley Donen’s Funny Face plays on Friday and Sunday, the latter day bringing a program of work by Nicola Tyson and Son of Kong on 35mm.
Paris Theater
Prints of Prizzi’s Honor, The Mechanic, Grosse Pointe Blank, and Killer Joe play in a hitman retrospective; Yi Yi shows on 35mm this Sunday.
Museum of Modern Art
A massive overview of Bulle Ogier continues with films by Fassbinder, Rivette, and more.
IFC Center
Man Ray: Return to Reason begins; After Hours and the Bob Fosse retrospective begin; Labyrinth, Flashdance, and Tank Girl play late.
Japan Society
America’s largest-ever Hiroshi Shimizu retrospective migrates to Japan Society (watch our exclusive trailer debut).
Museum of the Moving Image
Two more Shimizu films play; House on Haunted Hill screens Friday and Sunday, while The Right Stuff shows on 35mm this Saturday.
- 5/17/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
by Baby Clyde
With their increasingly bizarre choices and lamentable decision to move recipients from the main telecast, long gone are the days when the Academy’s Honorary Awards made any cultural impact. We’re all the losers, because not only did truly deserving legends of the industry being belated rewarded give deep satisfaction to the Oscar nerds at home, from an ailing Myrna Loy and triumphant Charlie Chaplin to a sprightly Lillian Gish and a regal Deborah Kerr, they created some of the most memorable and moving moments in Academy history.
None more so than the man who celebrates his centenary yesterday, Stanley Donen. The master of the movie musical was unaccountably never nominated for a competitive Oscar during his illustrious career but took his opportunity at the 70th Annual Academy awards to give the most charming speech of all time...
With their increasingly bizarre choices and lamentable decision to move recipients from the main telecast, long gone are the days when the Academy’s Honorary Awards made any cultural impact. We’re all the losers, because not only did truly deserving legends of the industry being belated rewarded give deep satisfaction to the Oscar nerds at home, from an ailing Myrna Loy and triumphant Charlie Chaplin to a sprightly Lillian Gish and a regal Deborah Kerr, they created some of the most memorable and moving moments in Academy history.
None more so than the man who celebrates his centenary yesterday, Stanley Donen. The master of the movie musical was unaccountably never nominated for a competitive Oscar during his illustrious career but took his opportunity at the 70th Annual Academy awards to give the most charming speech of all time...
- 4/14/2024
- by Baby Clyde
- FilmExperience
by Cláudio Alves
It's been a while since the Over & Overs series has shown up on The Film Experience's timeline, and it's as good a time as any to rectify that. Indeed, revisiting a beloved picture one has seen more times than one can count is the perfect idea for today's celebration. You see, a century ago, Stanley Donen was born in Columbia, South Carolina, the son of a dress shop manager and future movie lover. He'd also be a movie magician, capable of turning the screen into materialized joy, like an alchemist who used the camera to transform and transport his audiences. Though one finds several titles are worth appraising in his filmography, a single picture stands above all others, the musical to end all musicals. It's Singin' in the Rain, of course…...
It's been a while since the Over & Overs series has shown up on The Film Experience's timeline, and it's as good a time as any to rectify that. Indeed, revisiting a beloved picture one has seen more times than one can count is the perfect idea for today's celebration. You see, a century ago, Stanley Donen was born in Columbia, South Carolina, the son of a dress shop manager and future movie lover. He'd also be a movie magician, capable of turning the screen into materialized joy, like an alchemist who used the camera to transform and transport his audiences. Though one finds several titles are worth appraising in his filmography, a single picture stands above all others, the musical to end all musicals. It's Singin' in the Rain, of course…...
- 4/14/2024
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
When David Boreanaz read for FBI agent Seeley Booth in the "Bones" pilot, he instantly thought of "Harry and the Hendersons." It's not hard to see why. The character's relationship with his then newfound partner, the forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel), readily evokes that between the open-hearted Bigfoot Harry and John Lithgow's uptight, disapproving patriarch George Henderson Jr. in William Dear's Oscar-winning 1987 fantasy comedy film. Much like Harry and George, however, Bones gradually opens up to Booth in spite of his shenanigans and even bids him a teary farewell when he rejoins his fellow federal investigators living in the wilderness.
Alright, alright, fine, Boreanaz actually thought of "Romancing the Stone." Even in the pilot, long before they became a romantic item, Booth and Bones' repartee recalled Robert Zemeckis' 1984 hit action-rom-com, itself a throwback to Golden Age Hollywood screwball comedy and action-adventure classics like "It Happened One Night" and "The African Queen,...
Alright, alright, fine, Boreanaz actually thought of "Romancing the Stone." Even in the pilot, long before they became a romantic item, Booth and Bones' repartee recalled Robert Zemeckis' 1984 hit action-rom-com, itself a throwback to Golden Age Hollywood screwball comedy and action-adventure classics like "It Happened One Night" and "The African Queen,...
- 4/7/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
The late Stanley Donen was born on April 13, 1924. The legendary filmmaker — the last of the directors from Hollywood’s golden age — passed away on February 21, 2019, leaving behind a legacy of classic movies filled with color, song, and dance. Let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Donen got his start as a dancer. It was in the chorus line for George Abbott‘s production of “Pal Joey” that he met Gene Kelly. The two became quick friends, and Donen started working as Kelly’s assistant, helping him choreograph his intensely acrobatic dance sequences.
The two turned to filmmaking with “On the Town” (1949), a lavish Technicolor musical about three sailors on a 24 hour shore leave in New York City. They teamed up again for perhaps the greatest movie musical of all time: “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952). A satire of Hollywood’s rocky transition from silent cinema to sound,...
Donen got his start as a dancer. It was in the chorus line for George Abbott‘s production of “Pal Joey” that he met Gene Kelly. The two became quick friends, and Donen started working as Kelly’s assistant, helping him choreograph his intensely acrobatic dance sequences.
The two turned to filmmaking with “On the Town” (1949), a lavish Technicolor musical about three sailors on a 24 hour shore leave in New York City. They teamed up again for perhaps the greatest movie musical of all time: “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952). A satire of Hollywood’s rocky transition from silent cinema to sound,...
- 4/6/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Dianne Crittenden, the casting director whose impressive résumé included the first Star Wars film, The In-Laws and the Terrence Malick features Badlands, Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line, has died. She was 82.
Crittenden died Wednesday at her home in Pacific Palisades after a battle with several cancers, fellow casting director Ilene Starger told The Hollywood Reporter.
“Dianne was my mentor, we’ve known each other for 44 years,” Starger said. “She was also my dear friend, more like an older sister, really. So generous, kind, brilliant, funny. A people magnet. Her knowledge of and insight into actors was extraordinary.”
A former head of casting at Warner Bros., Crittenden collaborated with Martin Ritt on Murphy’s Romance (1985) and Stanley & Iris (1990); with Roger Donaldson on Thirteen Days (2000) and The World’s Fastest Indian (2005); and with Peter Weir on Witness (1985), The Mosquito Coast (1986) and Green Card (1990).
Crittenden was born in Queens on Aug.
Crittenden died Wednesday at her home in Pacific Palisades after a battle with several cancers, fellow casting director Ilene Starger told The Hollywood Reporter.
“Dianne was my mentor, we’ve known each other for 44 years,” Starger said. “She was also my dear friend, more like an older sister, really. So generous, kind, brilliant, funny. A people magnet. Her knowledge of and insight into actors was extraordinary.”
A former head of casting at Warner Bros., Crittenden collaborated with Martin Ritt on Murphy’s Romance (1985) and Stanley & Iris (1990); with Roger Donaldson on Thirteen Days (2000) and The World’s Fastest Indian (2005); and with Peter Weir on Witness (1985), The Mosquito Coast (1986) and Green Card (1990).
Crittenden was born in Queens on Aug.
- 3/21/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Clockwise from top left: Priceless (Screengrab); 2 Days In Paris (Screengrab); Jeffrey (Screengrab); Something’s Gotta Give (Screengrab); The Big Sick (Amazon/Lionsgate); My Man Godfrey (Screengrab)
Lovers of romantic comedies have an array of options on Amazon Prime Video—particularly when it comes to oldies but goodies. Cary Grant classics abound,...
Lovers of romantic comedies have an array of options on Amazon Prime Video—particularly when it comes to oldies but goodies. Cary Grant classics abound,...
- 2/10/2024
- by The A.V. Club
- avclub.com
The film-maker answers your questions on his famous collaborators, whether Brazil is a Christmas movie – and what he really thinks about baked beans
Variety falsely announced your death in 2015 with the headline “Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam dies at XXX”. How did the news reach you? DoubleRDiner
I saw it online. I couldn’t believe I died in a Vin Diesel movie! I thought it was very funny. My family were a little more concerned. My son went into work and his boss said: “Oh, Harry, I’m so sorry for your father’s death,” and Harry knew nothing about the fact that I had died. They have the obituaries ready to go for anybody halfway known. Whoever pushed the button, it was a big mistake. I got on to my agent and lawyer and said: “What do we do about this?” but they were really boring. I said: “I...
Variety falsely announced your death in 2015 with the headline “Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam dies at XXX”. How did the news reach you? DoubleRDiner
I saw it online. I couldn’t believe I died in a Vin Diesel movie! I thought it was very funny. My family were a little more concerned. My son went into work and his boss said: “Oh, Harry, I’m so sorry for your father’s death,” and Harry knew nothing about the fact that I had died. They have the obituaries ready to go for anybody halfway known. Whoever pushed the button, it was a big mistake. I got on to my agent and lawyer and said: “What do we do about this?” but they were really boring. I said: “I...
- 2/1/2024
- by As told to Rich Pelley
- The Guardian - Film News
Exclusive: Matthew Vaughn reveals that last year he received what he terms “flattering” offers to sell Marv Films, the production company behind productions that include the Kick-Ass and Kingsman franchises and the Apple Original Films romance spy-thriller Argylle. That film is having its world premiere today in London, ahead of its February 2 U.S. theatrical release through Universal.
Marv is owned and controlled by Vaughn and Claudia Schiffer, his wife of 23 years. At the time, he says, “everyone was buying everything, and it was all very flattering and tempting.”
Vaughn admits he that nearly entered into a deal to sell, but his biggest mentor — whom he won’t name — cautioned him, saying, ”There’s no money in the world which would make it worthwhile for you having a boss.”
Vaughn shot back, “What do you mean?” And his friend went, ”Trust me, it will be a f*cking disaster.”
The...
Marv is owned and controlled by Vaughn and Claudia Schiffer, his wife of 23 years. At the time, he says, “everyone was buying everything, and it was all very flattering and tempting.”
Vaughn admits he that nearly entered into a deal to sell, but his biggest mentor — whom he won’t name — cautioned him, saying, ”There’s no money in the world which would make it worthwhile for you having a boss.”
Vaughn shot back, “What do you mean?” And his friend went, ”Trust me, it will be a f*cking disaster.”
The...
- 1/24/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
If Ann Landers had it right, and hanging on to resentment amounts to letting someone you despise live rent-free in your head, then “Your Monster” is what happens when you kick open the door and let those feelings run amok. Drawing from personal experience, writer-director Caroline Lindy delivers a clumsy metaphor of a movie, in which a promising young actor named Laura Franco (“In the Heights” star Melissa Barrera) has her Broadway dreams derailed by a cancer diagnosis, only to discover a ferocious inner strength, courtesy of the beastly creature she finds hanging around her childhood home.
In what amounts to a heavy-handed empowerment tale, the monster in question is at first a surly roommate, later a potential love interest and ultimately a manifestation of Laura’s long-suppressed sense of rage. The symbolism isn’t exactly subtle as Laura learns to break free of her polite good-girl upbringing and embrace those roiling emotions.
In what amounts to a heavy-handed empowerment tale, the monster in question is at first a surly roommate, later a potential love interest and ultimately a manifestation of Laura’s long-suppressed sense of rage. The symbolism isn’t exactly subtle as Laura learns to break free of her polite good-girl upbringing and embrace those roiling emotions.
- 1/19/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Shirley Anne Field, the British leading lady who starred alongside Laurence Olivier in The Entertainer, Albert Finney in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, and Kenneth More in Man in the Moon — all in 1960 — has died. She was 87.
“It is with great sadness that we are sharing the news that Shirley Anne Field passed away peacefully on Sunday, Dec. 10, surrounded by her family and friends,” a spokesperson announced.
“Shirley Anne will be greatly missed and remembered for her unbreakable spirit and her amazing legacy spanning more than five decades on stage and screen.”
For her first Hollywood film, Field passed up John Schlesinger’s A Kind of Loving to star opposite Steve McQueen and Robert Wagner in the World War II drama The War Lover (1962). It was a decision she would regret, she explained in a 2009 interview.
“I finally had a chance to go to Hollywood and become a worldwide name.
“It is with great sadness that we are sharing the news that Shirley Anne Field passed away peacefully on Sunday, Dec. 10, surrounded by her family and friends,” a spokesperson announced.
“Shirley Anne will be greatly missed and remembered for her unbreakable spirit and her amazing legacy spanning more than five decades on stage and screen.”
For her first Hollywood film, Field passed up John Schlesinger’s A Kind of Loving to star opposite Steve McQueen and Robert Wagner in the World War II drama The War Lover (1962). It was a decision she would regret, she explained in a 2009 interview.
“I finally had a chance to go to Hollywood and become a worldwide name.
- 12/12/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There are films you watched every time they pop up on TCM or streaming services. It’s like visiting an old friend. These movies put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. And one such film is “Charade,” which celebrates its 60th anniversary on Dec. 5. Deftly directed by Stanley Donen from a fun and thrilling Peter Stone screenplay, “Charade” stars Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn who exude a William Powell/Myrna Loy style chemistry that leaps off the screen. And let’s not forget that gorgeous Henry Mancini score, the romantic Oscar-nominated title tune “Charade,” with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and the pulsating Saul Bass title sequence.
I saw “Charade” when it was released, and I’ve probably seen it at least 15 more times. And each time seems like the first. Not many films have that kind of power. A 2010 Criterion Collection article by film historian...
I saw “Charade” when it was released, and I’ve probably seen it at least 15 more times. And each time seems like the first. Not many films have that kind of power. A 2010 Criterion Collection article by film historian...
- 12/6/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Martin Scorsese is famous for his collaborations with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, and the first feature-length film with all three, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” has become a critical and commercial success. It’s not unusual for a director to find a “favorite” actor and form a successful relationship. In fact, this practice goes back to the beginning of the industry.
In 1912, pioneering filmmaker D.W. Griffith cast 18-year-old Lillian Gish in his short film “An Unseen Enemy,” and the two worked on more than 40 short and feature-length productions over the next decade. One of the most famous scenes from the silent era is in their film “Way Down East,” in which Gish floats unconscious on an ice floe; she had lifelong nerve damage in several fingers as a result of her performance in that scene.
SEEMartin Scorsese movies: All 26 films ranked worst to best
During the Golden Age of Hollywood,...
In 1912, pioneering filmmaker D.W. Griffith cast 18-year-old Lillian Gish in his short film “An Unseen Enemy,” and the two worked on more than 40 short and feature-length productions over the next decade. One of the most famous scenes from the silent era is in their film “Way Down East,” in which Gish floats unconscious on an ice floe; she had lifelong nerve damage in several fingers as a result of her performance in that scene.
SEEMartin Scorsese movies: All 26 films ranked worst to best
During the Golden Age of Hollywood,...
- 11/18/2023
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Martin Scorsese is famous for his collaborations with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, and the first feature-length film with all three, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” has become a critical and commercial success. It’s not unusual for a director to find a “favorite” actor and form a successful relationship. In fact, this practice goes back to the beginning of the industry.
In 1912, pioneering filmmaker D.W. Griffith cast 18-year-old Lillian Gish in his short film “An Unseen Enemy,” and the two worked on more than 40 short and feature-length productions over the next decade. One of the most famous scenes from the silent era is in their film “Way Down East,” in which Gish floats unconscious on an ice floe; she had lifelong nerve damage in several fingers as a result of her performance in that scene.
During the Golden Age of Hollywood, there were quite a few famous collaborations,...
In 1912, pioneering filmmaker D.W. Griffith cast 18-year-old Lillian Gish in his short film “An Unseen Enemy,” and the two worked on more than 40 short and feature-length productions over the next decade. One of the most famous scenes from the silent era is in their film “Way Down East,” in which Gish floats unconscious on an ice floe; she had lifelong nerve damage in several fingers as a result of her performance in that scene.
During the Golden Age of Hollywood, there were quite a few famous collaborations,...
- 11/18/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
The Criterion Channel is closing the year out with a bang––they’ve announced their December lineup. Among the highlights are retrospectives on Yasujiro Ozu (featuring nearly 40 films!), Ousmane Sembène, Alfred Hitchcock (along with Kent Jones’ Hitchcock/Truffaut), and Parker Posey. Well-timed for the season is a holiday noir series that includes They Live By Night, Blast of Silence, Lady in the Lake, and more.
Other highlights are the recent restoration of Abel Gance’s La roue, an MGM Musicals series with introduction by Michael Koresky, Helena Wittmann’s riveting second feature Human Flowers of Flesh, the recent Sundance highlight The Mountains Are a Dream That Call To Me, the new restoration of The Cassandra Cat, Lynne Ramsay’s Morvern Callar, Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster, and more.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Terry Gilliam, 1988
An American in Paris, Vincente Minnelli,...
Other highlights are the recent restoration of Abel Gance’s La roue, an MGM Musicals series with introduction by Michael Koresky, Helena Wittmann’s riveting second feature Human Flowers of Flesh, the recent Sundance highlight The Mountains Are a Dream That Call To Me, the new restoration of The Cassandra Cat, Lynne Ramsay’s Morvern Callar, Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster, and more.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Terry Gilliam, 1988
An American in Paris, Vincente Minnelli,...
- 11/13/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Film Forum
“50 from the ’50s” continues with films by Howard Hawks, Elia Kazan, Stanley Donen, and many more.
Bam
“Let the Record Show” offers films built from archival material.
Museum of the Moving Image
Reverse Shot celebrates its 20th anniversary with a months-long programming run, continuing this weekend with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on 35mm and two by Maren Ade.
Anthology Film Archives
Work by John Carpenter, Stuart Gordon, and more play in a series of films inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, while two from Buñuel show in “Essential Cinema.”
IFC Center
An extensive William Friedkin series continues, while The Holy Mountain and Army of Darkness play late; Oldboy screens in a new restoration.
Museum of Modern Art
A series on pre-revolution Iranian cinema is underway, as well as a collection of female-made silent cinema.
Roxy Cinema
The Shining...
Film Forum
“50 from the ’50s” continues with films by Howard Hawks, Elia Kazan, Stanley Donen, and many more.
Bam
“Let the Record Show” offers films built from archival material.
Museum of the Moving Image
Reverse Shot celebrates its 20th anniversary with a months-long programming run, continuing this weekend with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on 35mm and two by Maren Ade.
Anthology Film Archives
Work by John Carpenter, Stuart Gordon, and more play in a series of films inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, while two from Buñuel show in “Essential Cinema.”
IFC Center
An extensive William Friedkin series continues, while The Holy Mountain and Army of Darkness play late; Oldboy screens in a new restoration.
Museum of Modern Art
A series on pre-revolution Iranian cinema is underway, as well as a collection of female-made silent cinema.
Roxy Cinema
The Shining...
- 11/3/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Clockwise from top left: The Wicker Man (Warner Bros.), Vanilla Sky (Paramont), Oldboy (FilmDistrict), The Toy (Columbia)Image: AVClub
In Hollywood, it often seems that the sincerest form of flattery is to remake a foreign film. Domestic versions of international hits are a long-running thing in a town where familiarity assumes success,...
In Hollywood, it often seems that the sincerest form of flattery is to remake a foreign film. Domestic versions of international hits are a long-running thing in a town where familiarity assumes success,...
- 11/1/2023
- by Ian Spelling
- avclub.com
Guillermo del Toro doesn’t hold back about his love for his favorite movies. If you’ve spent any time on his Twitter feed over the years, you’ve likely seen him praise Stanley Donen’s use of the color red throughout the late director’s body of work, and hail everything from William Wellman’s 1931 film “Other Men’s Women” to David Cronenberg’s “Crimes of the Future” from 2022. The man has wide-ranging taste, and a deep awareness of cinematic history that’s informed his own films.
Now he follows Turner Classic Movies advisors Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson in giving his own picks from TCM’s lineup, all titles that will be airing in October. Watch the video, exclusive to IndieWire, above.
First up, he picks one of the most sorely underrated titles from Alfred Hitchcock’s filmography, 1941’s “Suspicion,” airing on TCM at 2:00am...
Now he follows Turner Classic Movies advisors Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Thomas Anderson in giving his own picks from TCM’s lineup, all titles that will be airing in October. Watch the video, exclusive to IndieWire, above.
First up, he picks one of the most sorely underrated titles from Alfred Hitchcock’s filmography, 1941’s “Suspicion,” airing on TCM at 2:00am...
- 9/29/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
by Bastian Meiresonne
“Cobweb”, Kim Jee-woon's tenth feature film, marks the director's return to comedy for the first time since the beginning of his career. This satire on the film industry is a true cinematic layer cake: one can dig into it with hearty bites for the sheer pleasure of the visual feast, or one can peel it apart, layer by layer, to unveil a fascinating portrayal of the dark period of Korean history in the 1970s and a profound introspection by the director on creativity and the filmmaking profession.
Kim Jee-woon began his career in the 1990s as an actor and a theater director before directing his debut feature film, “The Quiet Family”, in 1998. He is part of a new generation of filmmakers, along with Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook, who no longer followed the traditional apprenticeship model of old studios, but are authentic cinephiles who came to cinema out of pure passion.
“Cobweb”, Kim Jee-woon's tenth feature film, marks the director's return to comedy for the first time since the beginning of his career. This satire on the film industry is a true cinematic layer cake: one can dig into it with hearty bites for the sheer pleasure of the visual feast, or one can peel it apart, layer by layer, to unveil a fascinating portrayal of the dark period of Korean history in the 1970s and a profound introspection by the director on creativity and the filmmaking profession.
Kim Jee-woon began his career in the 1990s as an actor and a theater director before directing his debut feature film, “The Quiet Family”, in 1998. He is part of a new generation of filmmakers, along with Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook, who no longer followed the traditional apprenticeship model of old studios, but are authentic cinephiles who came to cinema out of pure passion.
- 8/31/2023
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” is destined to be a classic in its own right, already garnering nearly half a billion dollars at the box office in under a week. The film, about a stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) in the grips of an existential crisis that sees her going to the Real World, is all manner of fun and wacky, with a number of Old Hollywood influences.
Gerwig herself has cited a number of features that either directly or indirectly inspired “Barbie,” starting with the 1939 Technicolor classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” That film, with its now iconic transition between Kansas and the land of Oz, no doubt factored into how the feature approaches color. The idea of a character transitioning from one world to another draws comparisons to “The Truman Show” and “Heaven Can Wait.”
Among the more nuanced, less obvious films, Gerwig took inspiration from “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,...
Gerwig herself has cited a number of features that either directly or indirectly inspired “Barbie,” starting with the 1939 Technicolor classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” That film, with its now iconic transition between Kansas and the land of Oz, no doubt factored into how the feature approaches color. The idea of a character transitioning from one world to another draws comparisons to “The Truman Show” and “Heaven Can Wait.”
Among the more nuanced, less obvious films, Gerwig took inspiration from “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,...
- 7/28/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
There are so many big sells for the 1955 musical It’s Always Fair Weather. Firstly, the golden pairing of Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen is the key factor. The musical maestros behind such great heavy hitters such as Singing in the Rain (1952) and On the Town (1949) return for another outing, promising an exquisite smorgasbord of dancing and colour.
The other interest in this musical is that it is an MGM musical. That means all the scintillating scenes of the spectrum on the screen. A nouvelle advancement here is It’s Always Fair Weather is shot in CinemaScope and, instead of Technicolor, it is filmed in brilliant Eastmancolor.
Plus, seeing the original 1955 print, as the filmmakers intended, thanks to the BFI Film on Film festival made It’s Always Fair Weather a must-see outing.
So, one heads into It’s Always Fair Weather with all this in mind and comes away with one name – Dolores Gray…...
The other interest in this musical is that it is an MGM musical. That means all the scintillating scenes of the spectrum on the screen. A nouvelle advancement here is It’s Always Fair Weather is shot in CinemaScope and, instead of Technicolor, it is filmed in brilliant Eastmancolor.
Plus, seeing the original 1955 print, as the filmmakers intended, thanks to the BFI Film on Film festival made It’s Always Fair Weather a must-see outing.
So, one heads into It’s Always Fair Weather with all this in mind and comes away with one name – Dolores Gray…...
- 6/12/2023
- by Sarah Cook
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Damien Chazelle’s three-hour ode to Tinseltown debauchery joins classic films about Hollywood from Sunset Boulevard to Barton Fink and Adaptation
It’s an old industry adage that Hollywood likes nothing more than films about itself. But the line between alluring insider lore and indulgent navel-gazing can be a fine one, and Damien Chazelle bounds so heedlessly across it in Babylon (2022), a three-hour ode to 1920s movie-making and off-camera debauchery, that even Hollywood found it a bit much. Rejected by audiences and awards voters alike, the film, now streaming on multiple platforms, is a grand, beautiful folly but not a disaster. There’s something wryly self-knowing about its excesses, a love for warts-and-all Hollywood that gives every wart its own meticulous closeup. I think it’ll find its cult.
Still, it joins a crowded subgenre: even under the more specific criterion of “portraits of Tinseltown in the transition from silent...
It’s an old industry adage that Hollywood likes nothing more than films about itself. But the line between alluring insider lore and indulgent navel-gazing can be a fine one, and Damien Chazelle bounds so heedlessly across it in Babylon (2022), a three-hour ode to 1920s movie-making and off-camera debauchery, that even Hollywood found it a bit much. Rejected by audiences and awards voters alike, the film, now streaming on multiple platforms, is a grand, beautiful folly but not a disaster. There’s something wryly self-knowing about its excesses, a love for warts-and-all Hollywood that gives every wart its own meticulous closeup. I think it’ll find its cult.
Still, it joins a crowded subgenre: even under the more specific criterion of “portraits of Tinseltown in the transition from silent...
- 4/1/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
Last year, Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle made a decadent hate letter to Hollywood, a film which dived into the seedy, salacious, and ultimately gruesome side of an industry that trades on fantasy and prefers to look at itself through glasses a shade of rose. Chazelle’s Babylon failed to set the world on fire at the box office, but it does have its admirers, including those enamored by an ending sequence in which a crucial character wanders into a movie house decades after his heyday in the silent era and early talkies. And he catches, as it so happens, Singin’ in the Rain during its original 1952 theatrical run.
The choice of ending a movie like that on a character watching Singin’ in the Rain is both obvious yet profound. On the one hand, Singin’ in the Rain is the textbook definition of a rose-tinted filter being cast across Hollywood’s...
The choice of ending a movie like that on a character watching Singin’ in the Rain is both obvious yet profound. On the one hand, Singin’ in the Rain is the textbook definition of a rose-tinted filter being cast across Hollywood’s...
- 3/30/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
It only takes about five minutes of conversation with Chad Stahelski, the director of all four “John Wick” movies, to realize that he’s a passionate cinephile whose unique combination of influences is what gives the “Wick” franchise its distinct look. While Stahelski’s devotion to Sam Peckinpah, Sergio Leone, and other action directors might be expected, it’s an entirely different genre that provides the most important — and perhaps most surprising — basis for his work. “Everybody laughs when I say it, but I love musicals,” Stahelski told IndieWire. “Bob Fosse is a huge inspiration. Gene Kelly in ‘Singin’ in the Rain.’ We didn’t reinvent action or anything with ‘John Wick’ — we just spent all our money and time preparing Keanu to be our Gene Kelly.”
Read More: Why ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Earns Its Almost 3-Hour Running Time
All of the “John Wick” movies use Stahelski favorites like...
Read More: Why ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Earns Its Almost 3-Hour Running Time
All of the “John Wick” movies use Stahelski favorites like...
- 3/23/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
When editor Nathan Orloff first met with “John Wick: Chapter 4” director Chad Stahelski about working on the latest entry in American cinema’s greatest franchise, he quickly realized that this “John Wick” was going to be a bit different. “Chad said that it was going to be more of an ensemble movie, where you’re toggling between different stories,” Orloff told IndieWire. If the stripped-down original was Stahelski’s “A Fistful of Dollars” and the second and third installments expanded the “John Wick” universe in a manner comparable to “For a Few Dollars More,” “John Wick: Chapter 4” is Stahelski’s “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” the movie that takes “John Wick” into the realm of the epic.
At 169 minutes, the film is epic in length as well as scope, but it never feels overlong, the result of arduous but intuitive work in the editing room by Orloff and Stahelski.
At 169 minutes, the film is epic in length as well as scope, but it never feels overlong, the result of arduous but intuitive work in the editing room by Orloff and Stahelski.
- 3/22/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Danette Herman was one of the key staff members of the Academy Awards ceremonies from the 1970s into the 2010s, beginning as a production assistant and rising through the ranks to become the show’s executive in charge of talent and coordinating producer. One of the few women to serve in key positions at the Oscars, she was with the show during the years of its highest ratings and largest cultural impact.
As the Academy prepares for the 95th Oscars ceremony, Herman asked TheWrap if she could share some memories of past shows, from an encounter with Katharine Hepburn in 1974 to a pair of anniversary shows in which she assembled historic groups of past winners. —Steve Pond
Congratulations to the Academy on 95 years of the Academy Awards. Almost 40 of those years are my history, also.
It began in April 1968 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The 40th Academy Awards were hosted by Bob Hope,...
As the Academy prepares for the 95th Oscars ceremony, Herman asked TheWrap if she could share some memories of past shows, from an encounter with Katharine Hepburn in 1974 to a pair of anniversary shows in which she assembled historic groups of past winners. —Steve Pond
Congratulations to the Academy on 95 years of the Academy Awards. Almost 40 of those years are my history, also.
It began in April 1968 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The 40th Academy Awards were hosted by Bob Hope,...
- 3/10/2023
- by Danette Herman
- The Wrap
While we’ve known the results of Jeanne Dielman Tops Sight and Sound‘s 2022 Greatest Films of All-Time List”>Sight & Sound’s once-in-a-decade greatest films of all-time poll for a few months now, the recent release of the individual ballots has given data-crunching cinephiles a new opportunity to dive deeper. We have Letterboxd lists detailing all 4,400+ films that received at least one vote and another expanding the directors poll, spreadsheets calculating every entry, and now a list ranking how many votes individual directors received for their films.
Tabulated by Genjuro, the list of 35 directors, with two pairs, puts Alfred Hitchcock back on top, while Chantal Akerman is at number two. Elsewhere in the top ten are David Lynch, Francis Ford Coppola, Jean-Luc Godard, Agnès Varda, Orson Welles, Yasujirō Ozu, and Stanley Kubrick, and tied for the tenth spot is Wong Kar Wai and Ingmar Bergman.
Check out the list below,...
Tabulated by Genjuro, the list of 35 directors, with two pairs, puts Alfred Hitchcock back on top, while Chantal Akerman is at number two. Elsewhere in the top ten are David Lynch, Francis Ford Coppola, Jean-Luc Godard, Agnès Varda, Orson Welles, Yasujirō Ozu, and Stanley Kubrick, and tied for the tenth spot is Wong Kar Wai and Ingmar Bergman.
Check out the list below,...
- 3/5/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Los Angeles – Raquel Welch never let anyone define who she was, despite being touted as a sex symbol in her early career. She defined sexy in films such as “One Million Years B.C.,” “Fantastic Voyage” and the 1970s Three Musketeers series. The movie star and entrepreneur died at age 82 at her home in Los Angeles.
She was born in Chicago as Jo Raquel Tejada (her father was Bolivian). Her family moved to California and she desired a theatrical and dance career, attending San Diego State College on a theater arts scholarship. After marrying her high school sweetheart James Welch – they separated after having two children together – she began her early career in film as Raquel Welch … her agent advised her against a Latina last name. Her first credited film role was in “A Swingin’ Summer” (1964).
Raquel Welch in Chicago circa 2010
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com...
She was born in Chicago as Jo Raquel Tejada (her father was Bolivian). Her family moved to California and she desired a theatrical and dance career, attending San Diego State College on a theater arts scholarship. After marrying her high school sweetheart James Welch – they separated after having two children together – she began her early career in film as Raquel Welch … her agent advised her against a Latina last name. Her first credited film role was in “A Swingin’ Summer” (1964).
Raquel Welch in Chicago circa 2010
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com...
- 2/16/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Spanish-born fashion designer Paco Rabanne, who was best known for his metallic space-age outfits, has died in France at the age of 88 years old.
The self-taught designer broke into the Parisian Haute Couture scene in the early 1960s with a collection composed of 12 unwearable experimental metallic dresses.
His designs soon became favorites with stars and models of the time such as France’s Anouk Aimée, Françoise Hardy, Brigitte Bardot and the U.K.’s Twiggy.
He soon connected with the cinema world, designing the iconic costumes for Jane Fonda in Roger Vadim’s 1968 cult film Barbarella, which are still on display in MoMA in New York.
Other cinema credits included Roberto Enrico’s The Last Adventure and Joël Le Moigné’s Les Ponyettes.
Rabanne also created individual pieces for Jean-Luc Godard’s 1967 drama Two Or Three Things I Know About Her…, Stanley Donen’s Two For The Road and John Huston’s Casino Royale.
Rabanne retired in 1999 but his mothballed label was revived by Spanish company Puig in 2011, which relaunched it as a fashion house and fragrance business that it now controls.
“The House of Paco Rabanne wishes to honour our visionary designer and founder who passed away today at the age of 88,” the company said in a statement posted on its website.
“Among the most seminal fashion figures of the 20th century, his legacy will remain a constant source of inspiration.”...
The self-taught designer broke into the Parisian Haute Couture scene in the early 1960s with a collection composed of 12 unwearable experimental metallic dresses.
His designs soon became favorites with stars and models of the time such as France’s Anouk Aimée, Françoise Hardy, Brigitte Bardot and the U.K.’s Twiggy.
He soon connected with the cinema world, designing the iconic costumes for Jane Fonda in Roger Vadim’s 1968 cult film Barbarella, which are still on display in MoMA in New York.
Other cinema credits included Roberto Enrico’s The Last Adventure and Joël Le Moigné’s Les Ponyettes.
Rabanne also created individual pieces for Jean-Luc Godard’s 1967 drama Two Or Three Things I Know About Her…, Stanley Donen’s Two For The Road and John Huston’s Casino Royale.
Rabanne retired in 1999 but his mothballed label was revived by Spanish company Puig in 2011, which relaunched it as a fashion house and fragrance business that it now controls.
“The House of Paco Rabanne wishes to honour our visionary designer and founder who passed away today at the age of 88,” the company said in a statement posted on its website.
“Among the most seminal fashion figures of the 20th century, his legacy will remain a constant source of inspiration.”...
- 2/3/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Desmond Davis' 1981 fantasy film "Clash of the Titans" is a special effect extravaganza for the ages. Many of the film's creatures — Medusa, a Kraken, an evil satyr, and a mechanical owl named Bubo — were realized via some amazing stop-motion animation provided by SFX legend Ray Harryhausen. The bold, fantastical imagery matches the broad, archetypal story about the brave human hero Perseus (Harry Hamlin), and his role in a godly conflict involving Zeus (Laurence Olivier), the bitter Calibos (Neil McCarthy), and his bride-to-be Andromeda (Judi Bowker). The film at large is a little corny, but, like 1977's "Star Wars" or "Raiders of the Lost Ark" from the same year, "Clash of the Titans" takes something mythic and turns it into a slick, enjoyable Saturday matinee entertainment.
Prior to "Clash of the Titans," Hamlin had appeared in only one feature film, a diptych comedy called "Movie Movie," directed by Stanley Donen. The following year,...
Prior to "Clash of the Titans," Hamlin had appeared in only one feature film, a diptych comedy called "Movie Movie," directed by Stanley Donen. The following year,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
What was the movie Steven Spielberg saw as a child that inspired him to become one of the most successful, influential, and acclaimed filmmakers? According to his semi-autobiographical new film “The Fabelmans,” his cinematic alter-ego Sammy becomes obsessed with movies after his parents take him to the see Cecil B. DeMille’s 1952 circus epic “The Greatest Show on Earth.”
“The Greatest Show on Earth,” which not only won the Oscar for Best Picture and story, was the box office champ of the year earning 14 million domestically and 36 million worldwide. Critics were not so kind to his cotton-candy colored melodrama set under the big top at Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Films in Review declared “Mr. DeMille is so accomplished a showman that one is astonished he did not just photograph a circus performance without the synthetic story he injected here. After all, the Ringling Brothers-Barnum and Bailey Circus is a wonder in itself.
“The Greatest Show on Earth,” which not only won the Oscar for Best Picture and story, was the box office champ of the year earning 14 million domestically and 36 million worldwide. Critics were not so kind to his cotton-candy colored melodrama set under the big top at Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Films in Review declared “Mr. DeMille is so accomplished a showman that one is astonished he did not just photograph a circus performance without the synthetic story he injected here. After all, the Ringling Brothers-Barnum and Bailey Circus is a wonder in itself.
- 1/18/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
In 1952, Singin’ in the Rain delivered an indelible celluloid portrait of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Released some 70 years later, but during the same tumultuous transition from silent pictures to the ‘Talkies’, Babylon is both a call and response to Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s masterpiece, beautifully speaking to the timeless allure of cinema. In a little over three hours, Damien Chazelle masterfully captures the wonder and eccentricities of stardom, and does so with such panache that it’s easy to see Babylon becoming an all-time classic.
The eyes and ears of the story belong to Manny Torres (Diego Calva), a Mexican-American film assistant who aspires to more. Yet Manny is not alone in his intoxication with cinema. Early on, he meets the effervescent Nellie LeRoy (Margot Robbie), an actor hoping to find her way onto the silver screen. Their respective rises – Manny in the background, Nellie very much...
The eyes and ears of the story belong to Manny Torres (Diego Calva), a Mexican-American film assistant who aspires to more. Yet Manny is not alone in his intoxication with cinema. Early on, he meets the effervescent Nellie LeRoy (Margot Robbie), an actor hoping to find her way onto the silver screen. Their respective rises – Manny in the background, Nellie very much...
- 1/14/2023
- by Luke Walpole
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Steven Spielberg, Martin McDonagh, Todd Field, Joseph Kosinski and the team of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert have been nominated by the Directors Guild of America, which announced its nominees in the film categories for the 75th annual DGA Awards on Wednesday.
Spielberg was nominated for “The Fabelmans,” McDonagh for “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Field for “Tár,” Kosinski for “Top Gun: Maverick” and Kwan and Scheinert, who direct together under the name “The Daniels,” for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
It was the 13th DGA nomination for Spielberg, breaking his own record as the director with the most noms. Martin Scorsese is second with 10, and no other living director has more than five.
Kwan and Scheinert are the eighth directing team to be nominated for the top DGA award. The first was Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen for “Singin’ in the Rain” in 1952, followed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama...
Spielberg was nominated for “The Fabelmans,” McDonagh for “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Field for “Tár,” Kosinski for “Top Gun: Maverick” and Kwan and Scheinert, who direct together under the name “The Daniels,” for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
It was the 13th DGA nomination for Spielberg, breaking his own record as the director with the most noms. Martin Scorsese is second with 10, and no other living director has more than five.
Kwan and Scheinert are the eighth directing team to be nominated for the top DGA award. The first was Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen for “Singin’ in the Rain” in 1952, followed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama...
- 1/11/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
When MGM’s Singin’ in the Rain, Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s musical valentine to Hollywood’s silent film era as it transitioned into the world of talkies, opened in the spring of 1952, it instantly won over moviegoers. Writing in The New York Times, critic Bosley Crowther enthused, “Compounded generously of music, dance, color spectacle and a riotous abundance of Gene Kelly, Jean Hagen and Donald O’Connor on the screen, all elements in this rainbow program are carefully contrived and guaranteed to lift the dolors of winter and put you in a buttercup mood.” The movie went on to become a box office hit, ranking as the 10th highest-grossing film of the year in North America. The Writers Guild awarded Betty Comden and Adolph Green its prize for best-written American musical. The Directors Guild nominated Kelly and Donen for outstanding direction. And the Golden Globe Awards nominated it as best comedy or musical.
- 1/10/2023
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Damien Chazelle's new film "Babylon," a 189-minute drunken love letter to 1920s Hollywood, bears very little resemblance to actual Hollywood history. It follows a pair of fictional would-be silent movie stars named Manuel Torres (Diego Calva) and Nellie LeRoy (Margot Robbie) as they traverse the gloriously depraved, days-long, drug-and-urine-soaked house parties where all the industry higher-ups hang out. Crossing their paths on the way down is Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt), a once-big star who is most assuredly aging out of his hedonism phase. The entire town is thrown into upheaval by the introduction of synchronized sound, a technological advance that causes the unending party to finally end. The stars have to work overtime to adapt, not always taking the change well. Indeed, it ruins many lives, and even the parties eventually have to move into Hell-like pits of despair.
This, minus the hedonism, is the same story as Stanley Donen...
This, minus the hedonism, is the same story as Stanley Donen...
- 12/22/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
, Damien Chazelle’s sprawling “Babylon” may begin in 1926, but the movie is soon burdened with a clairvoyance that allows it to become unstuck in time. Several of the epic’s characters are haunted by glimpses of a future they’re powerless to prevent, a curse that its director brings to bear by drawing inspiration from across the entire spectrum of film history.
Burdened with the knowledge that this 80 million studio project could be the last of its kind, “Babylon” refracts Hollywood’s first major identity crisis through the prism of its latest one. It reminds us the movies have been dying for more than 100 years, and then — through its heart-bursting, endearingly galaxy-brained prayer of a finale — interprets that as uplifting proof they’ll actually live forever. It just doesn’t have any idea how the movies will do it, or where the hell they might go from here.
“Singin’ in the Rain...
Burdened with the knowledge that this 80 million studio project could be the last of its kind, “Babylon” refracts Hollywood’s first major identity crisis through the prism of its latest one. It reminds us the movies have been dying for more than 100 years, and then — through its heart-bursting, endearingly galaxy-brained prayer of a finale — interprets that as uplifting proof they’ll actually live forever. It just doesn’t have any idea how the movies will do it, or where the hell they might go from here.
“Singin’ in the Rain...
- 12/16/2022
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
70 years after its original release, the influence of musical juggernaut "Singin' in the Rain" is immeasurable. A Hollywood satire filled to the brim with show-stopping musical numbers from Nacio Herb Brown with lyrics by Arthur Freed, its DNA is present in the likes of modern movie musicals like "La La Land," and its whimsical, love-struck title song still gets airplay in Pnc Park in star Gene Kelly's hometown anytime the Pittsburgh Pirates catch a rain delay.
For all of its extravagance and pomp, the story of a trio of showbiz performers grappling with the advent of "talkies" in Hollywood had a modest reception upon its original 1952 release, and would collect just a handful of awards in its day. Over the decades, though, the movie (which was co-directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen) grew in reputation, and by 1989, the Library of Congress recognized its "cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance," preserving...
For all of its extravagance and pomp, the story of a trio of showbiz performers grappling with the advent of "talkies" in Hollywood had a modest reception upon its original 1952 release, and would collect just a handful of awards in its day. Over the decades, though, the movie (which was co-directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen) grew in reputation, and by 1989, the Library of Congress recognized its "cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance," preserving...
- 12/12/2022
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
The results of Sight and Sound’s once-a-decade Greatest Film of All Time poll are in.
Every 10 years, the British Film Institute-published magazine asks experts, including critics, academics, distributors, writers, curators, archivists and programmers, to send their personal top 10 favourite films.
In 2012, the winner was Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, which has been bumped into second place.
The 2022 poll, which recorded responses from just under double the amount that voted a decade ago, was topped by Chantal Akerman’s minimalistic Belgian drama Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975).
Akerman has become the first female director to have a film top the poll in its 70-year history. In the 2012 list, the film finished in 36th place.
The three-hour, 21-minute-long film, which was directed by Akerman when she was 25, charts the daily routine of a widow (Delphine Seyrig) over the course of three days.
Rounding out the top five is Orson Welles’s...
Every 10 years, the British Film Institute-published magazine asks experts, including critics, academics, distributors, writers, curators, archivists and programmers, to send their personal top 10 favourite films.
In 2012, the winner was Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, which has been bumped into second place.
The 2022 poll, which recorded responses from just under double the amount that voted a decade ago, was topped by Chantal Akerman’s minimalistic Belgian drama Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975).
Akerman has become the first female director to have a film top the poll in its 70-year history. In the 2012 list, the film finished in 36th place.
The three-hour, 21-minute-long film, which was directed by Akerman when she was 25, charts the daily routine of a widow (Delphine Seyrig) over the course of three days.
Rounding out the top five is Orson Welles’s...
- 12/1/2022
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
Chantal Akerman’s ’Jeanne Dielman 23, Quai Du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles’ previously sat at number 36 on the poll
Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman 23, Quai Du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles has topped Sight & Sound magazine’s Greatest Film of All Time Critics’ poll 2022, becoming the first woman director to do so.
Akerman’s 1975 French-language film was previously 36th place when the poll was last conducted in 2012.
The number one spot at the time, Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, has now fallen to second place with Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane - which was previously number one for 50 years - at number three.
Sight & Sound’s ’Greatest Film...
Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman 23, Quai Du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles has topped Sight & Sound magazine’s Greatest Film of All Time Critics’ poll 2022, becoming the first woman director to do so.
Akerman’s 1975 French-language film was previously 36th place when the poll was last conducted in 2012.
The number one spot at the time, Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, has now fallen to second place with Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane - which was previously number one for 50 years - at number three.
Sight & Sound’s ’Greatest Film...
- 12/1/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Click here to read the full article.
Almost 50 years after its release, Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles — Chantal Akerman’s groundbreaking 1975 drama following the meticulous daily routine of a middle-aged widow over the course of three days — has become the first film by a female director to top Sight & Sound magazine’s once-a-decade “Best Films of All Time” poll in 70 years.
More than 1,600 film critics, academics, distributors, writers, curators, archivists and programmers voted in the poll, which the BFI-backed publication has been running since 1952, with the results, announced Thursday, seeing Akerman’s feature — which was heralded by Le Monde in January 1976 as “the first masterpiece of the feminine in the history of the cinema” — leapfrog from 36th position in 2022 to No. 1.
The 2012 winner, Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, now sits in second place, with Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane (which held the No. 1 spot for 50 years) placed third and Yasujirō Ozu’s Tokyo Story fourth.
Almost 50 years after its release, Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles — Chantal Akerman’s groundbreaking 1975 drama following the meticulous daily routine of a middle-aged widow over the course of three days — has become the first film by a female director to top Sight & Sound magazine’s once-a-decade “Best Films of All Time” poll in 70 years.
More than 1,600 film critics, academics, distributors, writers, curators, archivists and programmers voted in the poll, which the BFI-backed publication has been running since 1952, with the results, announced Thursday, seeing Akerman’s feature — which was heralded by Le Monde in January 1976 as “the first masterpiece of the feminine in the history of the cinema” — leapfrog from 36th position in 2022 to No. 1.
The 2012 winner, Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, now sits in second place, with Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane (which held the No. 1 spot for 50 years) placed third and Yasujirō Ozu’s Tokyo Story fourth.
- 12/1/2022
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
An entire generation of cinephiles knew Vertigo as the greatest film ever made. Maybe they didn’t hold it in such high esteem; there’s odds they didn’t even like it that much. But the Sight and Sound list released summer 2012 left an imprint on film culture far beyond anything else striving to define consensus, and for a decade it’s been hard not to consider Hitchcock’s (if you ask me) pretty good film without quickly drifting to assessments of canon. Like the list before it (when Citizen Kane loomed larger than all) and the one before that.
From today to at least 2032 Jeanne Dielman will, with a certain shorthand, be known as the greatest film ever made. Sight and Sound have unveiled their once-per-decade poll, now topped by Chantal Akerman’s masterpiece—a good choice, and we all know it could be so much worse. Mulholland Dr....
From today to at least 2032 Jeanne Dielman will, with a certain shorthand, be known as the greatest film ever made. Sight and Sound have unveiled their once-per-decade poll, now topped by Chantal Akerman’s masterpiece—a good choice, and we all know it could be so much worse. Mulholland Dr....
- 12/1/2022
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Filmmaker Sally Potter discusses a few of her favorite movies with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Orlando (1992)
Look At Me (2022)
The Roads Not Taken (2020)
Singin’ In The Rain (1952) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
On The Town (1949)
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Whisky Galore! (1949) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
8 ½ (1963) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953)
Jules and Jim (1962) – Michael Peyser’s trailer commentary
Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) – Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Persona (1966)
On The Waterfront (1954) – John Badham’s trailer commentary
Sweet Smell Of Success (1957)
Citizen Kane (1941) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
The Third Man (1949) – George Hickenlooper’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Come And See (1985) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
The Cranes Are...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Orlando (1992)
Look At Me (2022)
The Roads Not Taken (2020)
Singin’ In The Rain (1952) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
On The Town (1949)
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Whisky Galore! (1949) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
8 ½ (1963) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953)
Jules and Jim (1962) – Michael Peyser’s trailer commentary
Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) – Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Persona (1966)
On The Waterfront (1954) – John Badham’s trailer commentary
Sweet Smell Of Success (1957)
Citizen Kane (1941) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
The Third Man (1949) – George Hickenlooper’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Come And See (1985) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
The Cranes Are...
- 11/8/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Jamie Nares on integrating Thurston Moore’s music into the soundtrack of the spectacular Street: “I worked very closely with my sound designer, Bill Seery.” Photo: Nares Studio
Equipped with a high-definition camera and telephoto lens, Jamie Nares drove through the streets of New York in 2011 to film in six-second bursts the goings on. The footage then was slowed down and edited into a stream of floating street scenes, a moving snapshot of the hustle and bustle in the different neighbourhoods of the city. With our pandemic conditioned eyes, viewers today may notice no mask wearing.
Anne-Katrin Titze showing Jamie Nares a scene from Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s On The Town
There are pay phones and a lot of taxis. People still carry plastic bags with logos from shops and fewer than now have their glance fixed on the phone in hand. Food vendors and tourists, fire hydrants...
Equipped with a high-definition camera and telephoto lens, Jamie Nares drove through the streets of New York in 2011 to film in six-second bursts the goings on. The footage then was slowed down and edited into a stream of floating street scenes, a moving snapshot of the hustle and bustle in the different neighbourhoods of the city. With our pandemic conditioned eyes, viewers today may notice no mask wearing.
Anne-Katrin Titze showing Jamie Nares a scene from Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s On The Town
There are pay phones and a lot of taxis. People still carry plastic bags with logos from shops and fewer than now have their glance fixed on the phone in hand. Food vendors and tourists, fire hydrants...
- 10/7/2022
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
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Robert Brown, who starred alongside David Soul and Bobby Sherman by portraying the oldest of the three logging Bolt brothers on the 1968-70 ABC series Here Come the Brides, has died. He was 95.
Brown died Sept. 19 at his home in Ojai, his friend Kiki Bremont told The Hollywood Reporter.
Brown appeared twice on Broadway and guest-starred as alternating versions of a dilithium-lusting character named Lazarus on the 1967 Star Trek episode “The Alternative Factor.” He got that gig when John Drew Barrymore failed to show up on the morning of the shoot.
In 1968, Brown was on the other end of a last-minute replacement situation. All set to star as Det. Steve McGarrett on the original Hawaii Five-0, he was replaced by Jack Lord five days before filming on the pilot began after producer Leonard Freeman had a change of heart about his leading man.
Robert Brown, who starred alongside David Soul and Bobby Sherman by portraying the oldest of the three logging Bolt brothers on the 1968-70 ABC series Here Come the Brides, has died. He was 95.
Brown died Sept. 19 at his home in Ojai, his friend Kiki Bremont told The Hollywood Reporter.
Brown appeared twice on Broadway and guest-starred as alternating versions of a dilithium-lusting character named Lazarus on the 1967 Star Trek episode “The Alternative Factor.” He got that gig when John Drew Barrymore failed to show up on the morning of the shoot.
In 1968, Brown was on the other end of a last-minute replacement situation. All set to star as Det. Steve McGarrett on the original Hawaii Five-0, he was replaced by Jack Lord five days before filming on the pilot began after producer Leonard Freeman had a change of heart about his leading man.
- 10/3/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In the new article series Sound and Vision we will look at music videos made by renowned film directors. From arthouse darlings to Hollywood heavy hitters, there are a lot of examples of directors who made a music video or two, often unknown to most of the general public. In the first installment: Lionel Richie's Dancing on the Ceiling, directed by Stanley Donen. The revolving room has been a special effect staple since Stanley Donen's Royal Wedding. In a sequence that still amazes to this day, Fred Astaire dances up and down the walls and on the ceiling. The effect first occurred to Astaire in the '20s, but it took a while for him to be able to do it. In 1951, he and director...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 9/5/2022
- Screen Anarchy
I have been living a lie. To be fair to myself, I didn't know I was living a lie, but I was. When I was a teenager, I got really into classic Hollywood cinema, as many of us movie lovers do. Pretty early in my cinematic education I watched Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly's 1952 movie musical "Singin' in the Rain." You look at any list compiling the best films of all time, and it will inevitably be on it. The Sight & Sound poll listed it as the 20th best film of all time. The American Film Institute goes even further and ranks it at No. 5. I cannot deny that it belongs on the lists. Every time I watch it, I am utterly spellbound by its charm.
If you are a young cinephile who loves "Singin' in the Rain," you will unquestionably be told a piece of trivia by someone...
If you are a young cinephile who loves "Singin' in the Rain," you will unquestionably be told a piece of trivia by someone...
- 8/27/2022
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
Stanley Donen's 1952 film "Singin' in the Rain," starring Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, and the obnoxiously chipper Gene Kelly, was once held up in the pages of /Film as the Platonic ideal of movie musicals. It is a certainly a dance showcase of the highest order, and an unapologetic Hollywood nostalgia piece. Silent films are on the way out, sound pictures are on the way in, and singing and dancing are all set to be the future of cinema. "Singin' on the Rain" is also a jukebox musical. The songs are all old standards, including the title number, which came from "The Hollywood Revue of 1929" as did "You Were Meant for Me." "You Are My Lucky Star" was from "The Hollywood Revue of 1936," and "Good Morning" came from Busby Berkeley's 1939 film "Babes in Arms." Kelly and Donen concluded their film with a very, very long -- a Very long...
- 8/21/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
John Steiner, a British actor who appeared in Caligula and several other films in the 1960s and 1970s, has died. He was 81 and passed Sunday at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs after a two-vehicle automobile accident in La Quinta, the Riverside County Sheriff’s department told the Desert Sun newspaper.
Steiner played the treasurer Longinus opposite Malcolm McDowell in the 1979 film Caligula, one of several movies he made with Italian film director Giovanni “Tinto” Brass.
He portrayed the tycoon Beauty Smith in director Lucio Fulci’s White Fang (1973) and Challenge to White Fang (1974). He was also a vampire in Dracula in the Provinces (1975).
He also appeared in director Mario Bava’s Shock (1977) and director Dario Argento’s Tenebrae (1982), the latter memorable for his character taking an ax to the head.
Born on Jan. 7, 1941, in Chester, England, Steiner attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company,...
Steiner played the treasurer Longinus opposite Malcolm McDowell in the 1979 film Caligula, one of several movies he made with Italian film director Giovanni “Tinto” Brass.
He portrayed the tycoon Beauty Smith in director Lucio Fulci’s White Fang (1973) and Challenge to White Fang (1974). He was also a vampire in Dracula in the Provinces (1975).
He also appeared in director Mario Bava’s Shock (1977) and director Dario Argento’s Tenebrae (1982), the latter memorable for his character taking an ax to the head.
Born on Jan. 7, 1941, in Chester, England, Steiner attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company,...
- 8/4/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Look into the series Criterion Channel have programmed for August and this lineup is revealed as (in scientific terms) quite something. “Hollywood Chinese” proves an especially deep bench, spanning “cinema’s first hundred years to explore the ways in which the Chinese people have been imagined in American feature films” and bringing with it the likes of Cronenberg’s M. Butterfly, Cimino’s Year of the Dragon, Griffith’s Broken Blossoms, and Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet—among 20-or-so others. A three-film Marguerite Duras series brings one of the greatest films ever (India Song) and two lesser-screened experiments; films featuring Yaphet Kotto include Blue Collar, Across 110th Street, and Midnight Run; and lest we ignore a Myrna Loy retro that goes no later than 1949.
Criterion editions include The Asphalt Jungle, Husbands, Rouge, and Sweet Smell of Success; streaming premieres for Loznitsa’s Donbass, Béla Tarr’s watershed Damnation, and...
Criterion editions include The Asphalt Jungle, Husbands, Rouge, and Sweet Smell of Success; streaming premieres for Loznitsa’s Donbass, Béla Tarr’s watershed Damnation, and...
- 7/25/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
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