This post contains major spoilers for "True Detective: Night Country."
"True Detective: Night Country" isn't afraid to wear its influences on its sleeve. Episode 2 saw new showrunner Issa López borrow directly from David Fincher's "Seven," in which a presumed corpse suddenly wakes up with a jolt, making for the biggest jump scare in the director's 1995 crime thriller masterpiece. In "Night Country," this moment is echoed when the frozen body of a scientist awakens while still immersed in the ice, shocking police gathered around the horrific scene.
But Fincher isn't the only director López borrowed from to create "Night Country" and its eerie, haunting atmosphere. In fact, the fourth season of "True Detective" is notable for its wide array of inspirations, which span everything from John Carpenter's horror classic "The Thing" to the movie that established Jodie Foster herself as a true dramatic force, "The Silence of the Lambs.
"True Detective: Night Country" isn't afraid to wear its influences on its sleeve. Episode 2 saw new showrunner Issa López borrow directly from David Fincher's "Seven," in which a presumed corpse suddenly wakes up with a jolt, making for the biggest jump scare in the director's 1995 crime thriller masterpiece. In "Night Country," this moment is echoed when the frozen body of a scientist awakens while still immersed in the ice, shocking police gathered around the horrific scene.
But Fincher isn't the only director López borrowed from to create "Night Country" and its eerie, haunting atmosphere. In fact, the fourth season of "True Detective" is notable for its wide array of inspirations, which span everything from John Carpenter's horror classic "The Thing" to the movie that established Jodie Foster herself as a true dramatic force, "The Silence of the Lambs.
- 2/19/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
While most would say The Untouchables is the movie that made Kevin Costner a star, in many ways, Orion’s No Way Out solidified his stardom. The film was shot before The Untouchables, with him scoring the leading role after being cast by Lawrence Kasdan in the Western classic Silverado (as a way to make up for cutting all his scenes from The Big Chill). No Way Out was the first time he headlined a big film on his own, and it was the perfect showcase. If gave him a chance to do action, drama and romance, with his backseat love scene with Sean Young noted as one of the steamiest in Hollywood history up to that point.
It was part of an essential three-movie deal that Costner signed with the now-defunct Orion Pictures, which included Bull Durham and Dances With Wolves, both of which helped cement him as one...
It was part of an essential three-movie deal that Costner signed with the now-defunct Orion Pictures, which included Bull Durham and Dances With Wolves, both of which helped cement him as one...
- 1/28/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Considering we share the same rare first name, I’ve always had a strong affinity with Redmond Barry. His epic travails across Europe – lovingly, beautifully, cynically portrayed in Stanley Kubrick’s once-underrated, now-reappraised classic Barry Lyndon – carry the sweep of history while never losing its romantic core. Like most Stanley Kubrick projects, the behind-the-scenes antics, including a potential threat from the Ira, are legendary – they also prove fertile ground for a metafictional exploration of the life of a below-the-line film crew falling in and out of love across the Irish countryside. With Kubrick By Candelight, location-manager-turned-director (and Stanley Kubrick superfan) David O’Reilly weaves a delicate romantic metafictional comedy that functions both as a tribute to the legendary filmmaker’s unique cinematic vision and as a delightful short in its own right. We had the chance to talk to O’Reilly about recreating Kubrick’s cinematic techniques, being inspired by countless days...
- 4/20/2023
- by Redmond Bacon
- Directors Notes
When Chad Stahelski and David Leitch made the switch from stunt work to directing with "John Wick" back in 2014, they gave rise to a whole new wave of action movies. From "Atomic Blonde" to "Nobody" to "Bullet Train," the "John Wick"-style action thriller has basically become a subgenre in and of itself. But there's nothing quite like the original, and since that 2014 debut, John Wick has been dispatching his enemies in unreasonably entertaining and inventive ways across a full trilogy of films.
Stahelski has been directing solo since "John Wick: Chapter 2," steering the Keanu Reeves-led franchise into ever more epic waters. As the titular hitman uncovers the scope of the underground criminal empire for which he once worked, the John Wick saga has become more ambitious with each successive film — even spawning some upcoming spinoffs with the Ana De Armas-starring "Ballerina" and TV series "The Continental.
Stahelski has been directing solo since "John Wick: Chapter 2," steering the Keanu Reeves-led franchise into ever more epic waters. As the titular hitman uncovers the scope of the underground criminal empire for which he once worked, the John Wick saga has become more ambitious with each successive film — even spawning some upcoming spinoffs with the Ana De Armas-starring "Ballerina" and TV series "The Continental.
- 2/8/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
The most striking aspect of the commemorative events marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings on 6 June 2019 was the testimony of the veterans who participated in the conflict and who spoke eloquently and movingly about the events of 6 June 1944.
These interviews should be compulsory viewing so people understand the courage and sacrifice of a generation of men and women who displayed the “unconquerable resolve” the Queen spoke about during her speech in Portsmouth.
The film world has, of course, brought us many depictions of the Normandy landings and the subsequent battles. You will find a number of those titles in this list of the 20 greatest Second World War films.
These 20 movies only scratch the surface of the countless number made about the momentous event, but remind us of the horrors and sacrifices made during the devastating global conflict.
Scroll through the gallery below to see the 20 greatest war films:...
These interviews should be compulsory viewing so people understand the courage and sacrifice of a generation of men and women who displayed the “unconquerable resolve” the Queen spoke about during her speech in Portsmouth.
The film world has, of course, brought us many depictions of the Normandy landings and the subsequent battles. You will find a number of those titles in this list of the 20 greatest Second World War films.
These 20 movies only scratch the surface of the countless number made about the momentous event, but remind us of the horrors and sacrifices made during the devastating global conflict.
Scroll through the gallery below to see the 20 greatest war films:...
- 1/29/2023
- by Graeme Ross
- The Independent - Film
With 1975's "Barry Lyndon," Stanley Kubrick took the constraints of the novelistic period piece and tore them apart. This adaptation of William Makepace Thackeray's novel "The Luck of Barry Lyndon" follows the rules of the so-called costume drama, the repression and restrained manners, and turns them into something else. The movie is chaotic and bitterly ironic, establishing and exploring two of Kubrick's most compelling characters over the course of its three hours.
Just before its making, Kubrick had previously explored the far reaches of space with "2001: A Space Odyssey" and the chilling causes and effects of violence with "A Clockwork Orange." Watching his movies gives the impression of a vast openness, not just in the compositions but in the staging of the characters and the viewer's flexibility of interpretation. His movies were massive and unpredictable simultaneously, inventing whole new worlds and visual languages out of nowhere. In search of something new,...
Just before its making, Kubrick had previously explored the far reaches of space with "2001: A Space Odyssey" and the chilling causes and effects of violence with "A Clockwork Orange." Watching his movies gives the impression of a vast openness, not just in the compositions but in the staging of the characters and the viewer's flexibility of interpretation. His movies were massive and unpredictable simultaneously, inventing whole new worlds and visual languages out of nowhere. In search of something new,...
- 1/21/2023
- by Anthony Crislip
- Slash Film
Céline Sciamma's "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" is not only a heart-wrenching romantic drama featuring two revelatory performances, but it's also a visually stunning film as beautiful as the love story within it. Although the titular painting is worth the price of admission alone, the cinematography — which was wrongfully snubbed at the Oscars — is worth admiring in the same way. From the pastel colors to the dimly lit night sequences, "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" is a mesmerizing sight that tells its story just as efficiently as any piece of dialogue does. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the filmmakers behind "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" looked to another revered period piece for their lighting philosophy, namely Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon."
"Portrait of a Lady on Fire" takes place during the 18th century, a point in time that sees Marianne (Noémie Merlant) and Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) fall in love on an isolated French island.
"Portrait of a Lady on Fire" takes place during the 18th century, a point in time that sees Marianne (Noémie Merlant) and Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) fall in love on an isolated French island.
- 1/14/2023
- by Marcos Melendez
- Slash Film
Stanley Kubrick's 1975 epic "Barry Lyndon" is one of the most beautifully photographed movies ever committed to celluloid. The film's cinematographer John Alcott had previously shot "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "A Clockwork Orange" for Kubrick, and would win an Academy Award for his work on "Lyndon." Alcott would also shoot "The Shining," as well as the sleazy but gorgeous-looking B-movies "Terror Train," "Vice Squad," and "The Beastmaster."
The warm, dim, flame-dappled, Vermeer-like shimmer of "Barry Lyndon" came from Kubrick's insistence that the film be shot entirely with natural light. Because the film was set in the 1770s and 1780s, that meant there were to be no electric lights whatsoever. If a scene was set outdoors, the lighting would be dictated by where the sun was -- and what the weather was like -- at time of shooting. Indoor scenes set at night would be lit with nothing less than hundreds and hundreds of candles.
The warm, dim, flame-dappled, Vermeer-like shimmer of "Barry Lyndon" came from Kubrick's insistence that the film be shot entirely with natural light. Because the film was set in the 1770s and 1780s, that meant there were to be no electric lights whatsoever. If a scene was set outdoors, the lighting would be dictated by where the sun was -- and what the weather was like -- at time of shooting. Indoor scenes set at night would be lit with nothing less than hundreds and hundreds of candles.
- 8/29/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Director Stanley Kubrick's 1975 feature "Barry Lyndon", based on the 1844 novel "The Luck of Barry Lyndon" by author William Makepeace Thackeray, is now available newly restored on Blu-ray:
Considered Kubrick's masterpiece, "Barry Lyndon" recounts the (satirical) exploits of an insincere, 18th century, fortune-hunting Irish rogue.
Director Martin Scorsese has said that "Barry Lyndon" is his favorite Kubrick film.
Although we love certain parts of "2001: A Space Odyssey", "The Shining" and "Full Metal Jacket", next to Kubrick's Oscar-nominated "Dr. Strangelove" and "A Clockwork Orange", we concur with Scorsese, delighted by one-note actor Ryan O'Neal's performance, perfectly cast as a wooden innocent, determined to maintain his standing as a 'gentleman', while evolving into a devious scoundrel, in order to survive the era's useless wars, thievery and debauchery.
Drawing inspiration from "the landscapes of Watteau and Gainsborough," Kubrick and cinematographer John Alcott also relied on the meticulous art direction of Ken Adam and Roy Walker,...
Considered Kubrick's masterpiece, "Barry Lyndon" recounts the (satirical) exploits of an insincere, 18th century, fortune-hunting Irish rogue.
Director Martin Scorsese has said that "Barry Lyndon" is his favorite Kubrick film.
Although we love certain parts of "2001: A Space Odyssey", "The Shining" and "Full Metal Jacket", next to Kubrick's Oscar-nominated "Dr. Strangelove" and "A Clockwork Orange", we concur with Scorsese, delighted by one-note actor Ryan O'Neal's performance, perfectly cast as a wooden innocent, determined to maintain his standing as a 'gentleman', while evolving into a devious scoundrel, in order to survive the era's useless wars, thievery and debauchery.
Drawing inspiration from "the landscapes of Watteau and Gainsborough," Kubrick and cinematographer John Alcott also relied on the meticulous art direction of Ken Adam and Roy Walker,...
- 5/18/2022
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Dexter: New Blood is already a hit for Showtime.
The highly-anticipated revival kicked off Sunday with a projected 2.2 million viewers according to Deadline.
What's more, the series is poised to become the most-watched Showtime premiere on its opening day ever on Ott.
Dexter: New Blood Season 1 Episode 1 is said to have attracted 866.000 viewers on Sunday in its linear debut, along with around 1.3 million viewers on streaming.
The TV industry has understandably changed since the original series was on the air, so it will be exciting to see how Dexter: New Blood holds up and if the good word of mouth makes the ratings soar.
Michael C. Hall returned for the revival which is currently being billed as a limited series.
It picked up with him living in the fictional small town of Iron Lake, New York, where Dexter is embracing a new life.
Unfortunately for him, he is still plagued by his Dark Passenger,...
The highly-anticipated revival kicked off Sunday with a projected 2.2 million viewers according to Deadline.
What's more, the series is poised to become the most-watched Showtime premiere on its opening day ever on Ott.
Dexter: New Blood Season 1 Episode 1 is said to have attracted 866.000 viewers on Sunday in its linear debut, along with around 1.3 million viewers on streaming.
The TV industry has understandably changed since the original series was on the air, so it will be exciting to see how Dexter: New Blood holds up and if the good word of mouth makes the ratings soar.
Michael C. Hall returned for the revival which is currently being billed as a limited series.
It picked up with him living in the fictional small town of Iron Lake, New York, where Dexter is embracing a new life.
Unfortunately for him, he is still plagued by his Dark Passenger,...
- 11/9/2021
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
‘Dexter: New Blood’ Series Premiere Draws 2.2 Million Viewers For Showtime, Eyes Ott Audience Record
Dexter: New Blood, Showtime’s revival of the long-running serial killer drama Dexter, pulled in strong viewership numbers in its premiere Sunday.
The premiere episode is projected to have delivered 2.2 million viewers across linear and streaming platforms and is on track to become the most-watched Showtime title ever on Ott on its premiere day, according to the network. It also was the most-watched scripted drama season opener telecast among all premium channels so far this year.
On linear, the premiere episode drew 866K viewers Sunday. On-demand and streaming viewership is projected to hit 1.303M, making for a 2.169M total viewers projected for Sunday across platforms.
Michael C. Hall, who starred as the title character in the 2006-13 series, is back for the revival, along with showrunner Clyde Phillips.
Dexter, which aired for eight seasons on Showtime, centered on the mild-mannered Dexter Morgan (Hall). By day, Dexter worked as a...
The premiere episode is projected to have delivered 2.2 million viewers across linear and streaming platforms and is on track to become the most-watched Showtime title ever on Ott on its premiere day, according to the network. It also was the most-watched scripted drama season opener telecast among all premium channels so far this year.
On linear, the premiere episode drew 866K viewers Sunday. On-demand and streaming viewership is projected to hit 1.303M, making for a 2.169M total viewers projected for Sunday across platforms.
Michael C. Hall, who starred as the title character in the 2006-13 series, is back for the revival, along with showrunner Clyde Phillips.
Dexter, which aired for eight seasons on Showtime, centered on the mild-mannered Dexter Morgan (Hall). By day, Dexter worked as a...
- 11/9/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Hello, everyone! Before we say goodbye to the month of July, we have one last round of home media releases on tap, and there are a lot of great films headed to Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K that genre fans are going to want to check out. After a successful run in theaters, A Quiet Place Part II is getting released on a variety of formats, and if you haven’t had a chance to nab the first film as part of your collection, Paramount has also put together a 2-Movie Collection for the Quiet Place films on Blu-ray as well.
Both Dario Argento’s The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and Don Coscarelli’s The Beastmaster are getting the 4K treatment this Tuesday, and Scream Factory is keeping busy with a handful of releases this week, too, including The Dead Zone, Brotherhood of the Wolf, and Chamber of Horrors. Other...
Both Dario Argento’s The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and Don Coscarelli’s The Beastmaster are getting the 4K treatment this Tuesday, and Scream Factory is keeping busy with a handful of releases this week, too, including The Dead Zone, Brotherhood of the Wolf, and Chamber of Horrors. Other...
- 7/26/2021
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Forget the divide between baby boomers, Generation X, and millennials, our society can most easily be divided into those who are old enough to have seen Don Coscarelli’s 1982 sword and sorcery masterpiece The Beastmaster roughly one hundred times on HBO (or maybe TBS if you’re slightly younger) and those who have not. If you haven’t seen it, get thee to Amazon Prime in the US, where you can currently watch one of the best fantasy flicks of its era for free.
The Beastmaster stars Mark Singer as Dar, a young warrior in the kingdom of Aruk, which resides in a world that may or may not actually be our own. Because of some horrifying magical shenanigans surrounding his birth, Dar is able to communicate directly with animals, and his allies include a panther, an eagle, and two adorable ferrets who serve as his “thieves.” For kids of the early 1980s,...
The Beastmaster stars Mark Singer as Dar, a young warrior in the kingdom of Aruk, which resides in a world that may or may not actually be our own. Because of some horrifying magical shenanigans surrounding his birth, Dar is able to communicate directly with animals, and his allies include a panther, an eagle, and two adorable ferrets who serve as his “thieves.” For kids of the early 1980s,...
- 8/22/2020
- by Mike Cecchini
- Den of Geek
When it comes to discussing his films, Paul Thomas Anderson doesn’t necessarily exude Terrence Malick levels of reclusiveness, but there’s a playful coyness to his interviews in which he insinuates he wants the viewer to have a pure viewing experience––whether that may be one’s first screening of one of his films or their 50th. With that knowledge, it means it is often from other sources where we get the most information about the making of his films, and we now have the definitive exploration of the cinematography behind his latest film, Phantom Thread.
In a 2.5-hour masterclass courtesy of Lux Lighting, First AC Erik Brown, Gaffer Jonny Franklin, and Lighting Cameraman Mike Bauman gathered to have an in-depth discussion of lighting the film, featuring a wealth of behind-the-scene video and images detailing the production process. We’ve gathered the best bits from the conversation, but the...
In a 2.5-hour masterclass courtesy of Lux Lighting, First AC Erik Brown, Gaffer Jonny Franklin, and Lighting Cameraman Mike Bauman gathered to have an in-depth discussion of lighting the film, featuring a wealth of behind-the-scene video and images detailing the production process. We’ve gathered the best bits from the conversation, but the...
- 7/6/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Vilmos Zsigmond is a name that belongs on a very short list when it comes to cinematographers whose work came to define a certain kind of film made in America during the 1960’s and 1970’s. When we think of this legendary era of filmmaking, we often think of names like Gordon Willis, Michael Chapman, Sven Nyquist, Vittorio Storaro, John Alcott, and Nestor Almendros.
Continue reading Depth Of Field: The Essential Films Of Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond at The Playlist.
Continue reading Depth Of Field: The Essential Films Of Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond at The Playlist.
- 5/29/2020
- by The Playlist
- The Playlist
Stars: Ben Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hart Bochner, David Copperfield, Vanity | Written by T.Y. Drake | Directed by Roger Spottiswoode
I love the slasher film craze more so than any other sub-genre. Yes, they’re a little repetitive for the most part but they’re always fun to watch. I guess the big formula with most of them, is A) Insert traumatic event. B) Find a location, secluded or otherwise. C) Cast teenagers and have them doff their tops and D) Have them get killed in a variety of manners. Also, the more dated the production, the better. Terror Train follows all of these steps and more. It’s one of the more upstanding and inventive of the slasher films to come out of the early 80′s. The biggest reason why it stands out to me, is that while Jamie Lee Curtis is the star of the film and easily the most recognizable of the roles.
I love the slasher film craze more so than any other sub-genre. Yes, they’re a little repetitive for the most part but they’re always fun to watch. I guess the big formula with most of them, is A) Insert traumatic event. B) Find a location, secluded or otherwise. C) Cast teenagers and have them doff their tops and D) Have them get killed in a variety of manners. Also, the more dated the production, the better. Terror Train follows all of these steps and more. It’s one of the more upstanding and inventive of the slasher films to come out of the early 80′s. The biggest reason why it stands out to me, is that while Jamie Lee Curtis is the star of the film and easily the most recognizable of the roles.
- 11/4/2019
- by Nathan Smith
- Nerdly
Dressing dolls as a child at her parents’ Wisconsin farm, future costume designer Betty Pecha Madden created stories using clothes. By age 17, her interest in costuming having grown serious via high school plays, she left home upon graduation and went to Chicago to find work in the industry.
Madden clothed rock groups and college nightclub acts to pay the rent, but her sights were set higher, and in 1969 she headed to Las Vegas. There she toiled day and night — days as a host at the Hilton International Hotel, nights designing tuxedos for lounge singers and outfits for showgirls. But it was the functional changes to Hilton’s service uniforms that signaled her future direction: costume design.
Moving to Los Angeles in 1972, Madden got her first Hollywood jobs a few years later and, in 1976, scored a gig for producer Mike Wuergler for “The New Mickey Mouse Club.” The videotaped series allowed...
Madden clothed rock groups and college nightclub acts to pay the rent, but her sights were set higher, and in 1969 she headed to Las Vegas. There she toiled day and night — days as a host at the Hilton International Hotel, nights designing tuxedos for lounge singers and outfits for showgirls. But it was the functional changes to Hilton’s service uniforms that signaled her future direction: costume design.
Moving to Los Angeles in 1972, Madden got her first Hollywood jobs a few years later and, in 1976, scored a gig for producer Mike Wuergler for “The New Mickey Mouse Club.” The videotaped series allowed...
- 3/8/2019
- by James C. Udel
- Variety Film + TV
In celebration of its 100th anniversary, the American Society of Cinematographers has released a list of the 100 best shot films of the 20th century.
This list was released to "showcase the best of cinematography as selected by professional cinematographers.” Here's how the list was put together:
The process of cultivating the 100 films began with Asc members each submitting 10 to 25 titles that were personally inspirational or perhaps changed the way they approached their craft. “I asked them — as cinematographers, members of the Asc, artists, filmmakers and people who love film and whose lives were shaped by films — to list the films that were most influential,” Fierberg explains. A master list was then complied, and members voted on what they considered to be the most essential 100 titles.
Here's a little sizzle reel that was cut together showcasing some of the films on the list:
It's hard to argue with the Top 10 films,...
This list was released to "showcase the best of cinematography as selected by professional cinematographers.” Here's how the list was put together:
The process of cultivating the 100 films began with Asc members each submitting 10 to 25 titles that were personally inspirational or perhaps changed the way they approached their craft. “I asked them — as cinematographers, members of the Asc, artists, filmmakers and people who love film and whose lives were shaped by films — to list the films that were most influential,” Fierberg explains. A master list was then complied, and members voted on what they considered to be the most essential 100 titles.
Here's a little sizzle reel that was cut together showcasing some of the films on the list:
It's hard to argue with the Top 10 films,...
- 1/9/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the American Society of Cinematographers (Asc) this year, they’ve polled their members to determine 100 milestone films in the art and craft of cinematography of the 20th century. Topping the list is David Lean’s epic Lawrence of Arabia, shot by Freddie Young. Also in the top ten is Blade Runner (Jordan Cronenweth), The Conformist (Vittorio Storaro), Days of Heaven (Néstor Almendros), and more.
Organized by Steven Fierberg, he said “Asc members wanted to call attention to the most significant achievements of the cinematographer’s art but not refer to one achievement as ‘better’ than another. The selected films represent a range of styles, eras and visual artistry, but most importantly, it commemorates films that are inspirational or influential to Asc members and have exhibited enduring influence on generations of filmmakers.”
See the top 10 below, along with the full list.
1. Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Freddie Young,...
Organized by Steven Fierberg, he said “Asc members wanted to call attention to the most significant achievements of the cinematographer’s art but not refer to one achievement as ‘better’ than another. The selected films represent a range of styles, eras and visual artistry, but most importantly, it commemorates films that are inspirational or influential to Asc members and have exhibited enduring influence on generations of filmmakers.”
See the top 10 below, along with the full list.
1. Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Freddie Young,...
- 1/9/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The American Society of Cinematographers, in celebration of the organization’s 100th anniversary, has revealed its list of 100 milestone films in the art and craft of cinematography from the 20th century. The list culminates with a top 10, topped by Freddie Young’s lensing of David Lean’s Oscar-winning 1962 epic “Lawrence of Arabia.”
Jordan Cronenweth’s work on Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi standard “Blade Runner” came in at number two. Celebrated cinematographer Roger Deakins finally won an Oscar last year for the film’s sequel, “Blade Runner 2049.”
Vittorio Storaro rounded out the top three for Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam odyssey “Apocalypse Now.” He, Conrad Hall and Gordon Willis each appeared on the overall list five times, leading the pack. John Alcott, Caleb Deschanel and Haskell Wexler each lensed four.
Organized by Steven Fierberg, Asc (“The Affair”) and voted on by Asc members, the milestones list is the first of...
Jordan Cronenweth’s work on Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi standard “Blade Runner” came in at number two. Celebrated cinematographer Roger Deakins finally won an Oscar last year for the film’s sequel, “Blade Runner 2049.”
Vittorio Storaro rounded out the top three for Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam odyssey “Apocalypse Now.” He, Conrad Hall and Gordon Willis each appeared on the overall list five times, leading the pack. John Alcott, Caleb Deschanel and Haskell Wexler each lensed four.
Organized by Steven Fierberg, Asc (“The Affair”) and voted on by Asc members, the milestones list is the first of...
- 1/8/2019
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Variety Film + TV
The American Society of Cinematographers (Asc), an elite organization of cinematographers at the top of their field, is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding today. What better way to honor that milestone than to create a list of 100 milestone films known for the art and craft of cinematography in the 20th century, and they call it the Best Shot Films Of All Time.
Asc says this is the first time a list like this has been compiled, at least by a group of pros who should know what they are talking about. The list culminates in a Top 10 (the other 90 are unranked). The Top 10 Best Shot Films Of All Time are:
Lawrence of Arabia (1962), shot by Freddie Young, Bsc (Dir. David Lean) Blade Runner (1982), shot by Jordan Cronenweth, Asc (Dir. Ridley Scott) Apocalypse Now (1979), shot by Vittorio Storaro, Asc, Aic (Dir. Francis Ford Coppola) Citizen Kane (1941), shot by Gregg Toland,...
Asc says this is the first time a list like this has been compiled, at least by a group of pros who should know what they are talking about. The list culminates in a Top 10 (the other 90 are unranked). The Top 10 Best Shot Films Of All Time are:
Lawrence of Arabia (1962), shot by Freddie Young, Bsc (Dir. David Lean) Blade Runner (1982), shot by Jordan Cronenweth, Asc (Dir. Ridley Scott) Apocalypse Now (1979), shot by Vittorio Storaro, Asc, Aic (Dir. Francis Ford Coppola) Citizen Kane (1941), shot by Gregg Toland,...
- 1/8/2019
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
The American Society of Cinematographers (Asc) celebrates its 100th anniversary on Tuesday by unveiling two lists devoted to 20th century visual achievements: the 100 Milestone Films and the top 10 Best-Shot Films, led by “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962), shot by Oscar-winning cinematographer Freddie Young.
The rest of the Top 10 list includes sci-fi classics “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968), shot by Geoffrey Unsworth, and “Blade Runner” (1982), shot by Jordan Cronenweth; two from director Francis Ford Coppola: “The Godfather” (1972), shot by Gordon Willis, and “Apocalypse Now” (1979), shot by Oscar-winner Vittorio Storaro; two black-and-white entries: “Citizen Kane” (1941), shot by Gregg Toland, and “Raging Bull” (1980), shot by Michael Chapman; “Days of Heaven” (1978), shot by Oscar winner Néstor Almendros; and “The French Connection” (1971), shot by five-time Oscar nominee Owen Roizman.
Alas, there are no silent movies in the top 10. And there’s no representation of the ’30s; ‘the ’50s; or the ’90s.
The lists were voted on by...
The rest of the Top 10 list includes sci-fi classics “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968), shot by Geoffrey Unsworth, and “Blade Runner” (1982), shot by Jordan Cronenweth; two from director Francis Ford Coppola: “The Godfather” (1972), shot by Gordon Willis, and “Apocalypse Now” (1979), shot by Oscar-winner Vittorio Storaro; two black-and-white entries: “Citizen Kane” (1941), shot by Gregg Toland, and “Raging Bull” (1980), shot by Michael Chapman; “Days of Heaven” (1978), shot by Oscar winner Néstor Almendros; and “The French Connection” (1971), shot by five-time Oscar nominee Owen Roizman.
Alas, there are no silent movies in the top 10. And there’s no representation of the ’30s; ‘the ’50s; or the ’90s.
The lists were voted on by...
- 1/8/2019
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
For Industrial Light & Magic, realizing the virtual reality of The Oasis from “Ready Player One” became an eerie trip down memory lane, as they recreated the “Back to the Future” DeLorean and the “Jurassic Park” T-Rex, among other iconic ’80s goodies.
And while it was extremely difficult building the virtual worlds of the Oasis and animating the avatars so they believably resembled their real-world counterparts (who were motion captured), the geekiest part was reconstructing the interior of The Overlook Hotel from Stanley Kubrick’s horror fave, “The Shining.” It was a Steven Spielberg masterstroke, a virtual thrill ride, in which the High Five enter the Overlook in search of the Jade Key, with Aech (Lena Waithe) stumbling through the movie within the movie, having never seen “The Shining.”
“The Shining” Meta Experience
But Roger Guyett, Ilm’s production visual effects supervisor (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) was skeptical at first,...
And while it was extremely difficult building the virtual worlds of the Oasis and animating the avatars so they believably resembled their real-world counterparts (who were motion captured), the geekiest part was reconstructing the interior of The Overlook Hotel from Stanley Kubrick’s horror fave, “The Shining.” It was a Steven Spielberg masterstroke, a virtual thrill ride, in which the High Five enter the Overlook in search of the Jade Key, with Aech (Lena Waithe) stumbling through the movie within the movie, having never seen “The Shining.”
“The Shining” Meta Experience
But Roger Guyett, Ilm’s production visual effects supervisor (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) was skeptical at first,...
- 4/12/2018
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Paul Thomas Anderson served as his own cinematographer on the “Phantom Thread,” which meant he collaborated closely with – and relied upon – his long-time gaffer Michael Bauman and camera/steadicam operator Colin Anderson more than on his previous seven films. Anderson has been reluctant to take the director of photography title – having given Bauman a lighting cameraman credit, a nod to the credit Stanley Kubrick gave John Alcott on “Barry Lyndon” – and views the film’s photography as having been a collaboration, with him being the final decision-maker.
In talking to Anderson’s collaborators, it’s clear there is a duality, or maybe more specifically a contradiction, to the way he works. He’s a filmmaker who knows exactly what he wants in terms of lighting, the cinematic style and look of his films, but he needs to see it before knowing what it is that he wants. It’s a...
In talking to Anderson’s collaborators, it’s clear there is a duality, or maybe more specifically a contradiction, to the way he works. He’s a filmmaker who knows exactly what he wants in terms of lighting, the cinematic style and look of his films, but he needs to see it before knowing what it is that he wants. It’s a...
- 12/20/2017
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
“The Beauty Of Irony”
By Raymond Benson
Leave it to The Criterion Collection to present a jaw-dropping, eye-popping Blu-ray release of Stanley Kubrick’s 1975 masterpiece that many critics have called one of the most beautiful films ever made. While the picture received many accolades upon its initial release, including Oscar nominations for Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay—and wins for Cinematography, Production Design, Costumes, and Adapted Score—it was again one those Kubrick films that was controversial and misunderstood at first. It was not a financial success in the U.S., and yet today it’s considered one of the auteur’s greatest works.
After such titles as Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and A Clockwork Orange, it may have seemed to be an odd choice for Kubrick to make a picture such as Barry Lyndon. One must look back to the period between 2001 and Clockwork to understand it. Kubrick...
By Raymond Benson
Leave it to The Criterion Collection to present a jaw-dropping, eye-popping Blu-ray release of Stanley Kubrick’s 1975 masterpiece that many critics have called one of the most beautiful films ever made. While the picture received many accolades upon its initial release, including Oscar nominations for Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay—and wins for Cinematography, Production Design, Costumes, and Adapted Score—it was again one those Kubrick films that was controversial and misunderstood at first. It was not a financial success in the U.S., and yet today it’s considered one of the auteur’s greatest works.
After such titles as Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and A Clockwork Orange, it may have seemed to be an odd choice for Kubrick to make a picture such as Barry Lyndon. One must look back to the period between 2001 and Clockwork to understand it. Kubrick...
- 10/28/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Even well before his death in 1999, the life and work of Stanley Kubrick has been meticulously documented and expounded upon to such an extent that a cult of personality has inevitably developed around his universally acclaimed films and his notoriously fastidious, perfectionist tendencies as a filmmaker. But a bonafide auteur is not without his key collaborators. Although he did periodically work with the same crew members — e.g. cinematographer John Alcott and editor Ray Lovejoy — there is only one associate who remained a constant fixture of his late-career output.
Englishman Leon Vitali initially started as a minor, albeit prolific player in theater and television, particularly prestige costume dramas for the BBC during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Though Vitali occasionally starred in ultimately negligible films, it wasn’t until 1975 that he got his big break, securing an audition for Kubrick’s newest production, Barry Lyndon. He was handed a script with a single,...
Englishman Leon Vitali initially started as a minor, albeit prolific player in theater and television, particularly prestige costume dramas for the BBC during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Though Vitali occasionally starred in ultimately negligible films, it wasn’t until 1975 that he got his big break, securing an audition for Kubrick’s newest production, Barry Lyndon. He was handed a script with a single,...
- 10/7/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Stanley Kubrick’s contribution to great cinema of the 1970s offers his vision of what an epic should be. Transported by images that recall great paintings of the period, and Kubrick’s new approaches to low-light cinematography, we witness a rogue’s progress through troubled times. And even Ryan O’Neal is good!
Barry Lyndon
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 897
1975 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 185 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date October 17, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: Ryan O’Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Hardy Krüger, Steven Berkoff, Gay Hamilton, Marie Kean, Diana Körner, Murray Melvin, Frank Middlemass, André Morell, Arthur O’Sullivan, Godfrey Quigley, Leonard Rossiter, Philip Stone, Leon Vitali Leon Vitali, Wolf Kahler, Ferdy Mayne, George Sewell, Michael Hordern (narrator).
Cinematography: John Alcott
Editor: Tony Lawson
Production design: Ken Adam
Conductor & Musical Adaptor: Leonard Rosenman
Written by Stanley Kubrick from the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray
Produced and Directed by Stanley Kubrick
The...
Barry Lyndon
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 897
1975 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 185 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date October 17, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: Ryan O’Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Hardy Krüger, Steven Berkoff, Gay Hamilton, Marie Kean, Diana Körner, Murray Melvin, Frank Middlemass, André Morell, Arthur O’Sullivan, Godfrey Quigley, Leonard Rossiter, Philip Stone, Leon Vitali Leon Vitali, Wolf Kahler, Ferdy Mayne, George Sewell, Michael Hordern (narrator).
Cinematography: John Alcott
Editor: Tony Lawson
Production design: Ken Adam
Conductor & Musical Adaptor: Leonard Rosenman
Written by Stanley Kubrick from the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray
Produced and Directed by Stanley Kubrick
The...
- 10/3/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The internet is chock full of Stanley Kubrick video essays, and by now you’ve probably seen a couple. But the third entry in CinemaTyler’s ongoing “Kubrick Files” series (via NoFilmSchool) takes a unique approach in outlining the cameras and lenses that came to define Kubrick’s rise from young photography to master filmmaker.
Read More: Here’s How Stanley Kubrick Did It: Check Out This Video Essay About Dp John Alcott — Watch
The video begins with Kubrick’s first camera, a Garflex Pacemaker Speed Graphic Camera, which he received as a gift when he was only 13 years old. The video then tracks the gear used on films like “2001: A Spacey Odyssey,” “Barry Lyndon,” “Eyes Wide Shut” and more.
The famous Zeiss Planar 50mm F0.7 lens, for instance, was used on “Lyndon” iso that Kubrick could shoot a majority of the interior scenes using only natural lighting. Other...
Read More: Here’s How Stanley Kubrick Did It: Check Out This Video Essay About Dp John Alcott — Watch
The video begins with Kubrick’s first camera, a Garflex Pacemaker Speed Graphic Camera, which he received as a gift when he was only 13 years old. The video then tracks the gear used on films like “2001: A Spacey Odyssey,” “Barry Lyndon,” “Eyes Wide Shut” and more.
The famous Zeiss Planar 50mm F0.7 lens, for instance, was used on “Lyndon” iso that Kubrick could shoot a majority of the interior scenes using only natural lighting. Other...
- 6/30/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Thirty-five years later, questions remain about the ultimate in alien terror. “The Thing” features an ambiguous ending — what becomes of MacReady and Childs after the screen fades to black? — and a pivotal sequence that answers a number of important questions while raising another: Who sabotaged the blood bank? Collative Learning takes a look in its latest video.
Read More: John Carpenter Talks To Marc Maron About His Bloody Great Filmography, Rages at Modern Reaganites – Listen
The scene in question finds the besieged residents of Outpost 31 using a blood test in an attempt to figure out who among them has been infected by the Thing. Collative Learning’s obsessive examination of this central mystery is like something out of “JFK,” with John Carpenter’s sci-fi/horror classic becoming its own kind of Zapruder film, and following along with it is almost as confusing as it is revealing.
Read More: ‘The Thing’ Making-Of Documentary: John Carpenter,...
Read More: John Carpenter Talks To Marc Maron About His Bloody Great Filmography, Rages at Modern Reaganites – Listen
The scene in question finds the besieged residents of Outpost 31 using a blood test in an attempt to figure out who among them has been infected by the Thing. Collative Learning’s obsessive examination of this central mystery is like something out of “JFK,” with John Carpenter’s sci-fi/horror classic becoming its own kind of Zapruder film, and following along with it is almost as confusing as it is revealing.
Read More: ‘The Thing’ Making-Of Documentary: John Carpenter,...
- 5/6/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Dp of Kubrick’s most memorable productions.
For his first job in the industry, John Alcott started as a clapper boy; you know, the guy who holds the clapper and clicks it to mark the start of filming. But from this absolute bottom rung of the camera crew Alcott ascended to the ultimate peak, that of an Oscar winner for Best Cinematography, along the way contributing to some of the most important films of the 20th century.
Alcott got his big break while working on Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey as a lighting cameraman. When the film’s original cinematographer, Geoffrey Unsworth, had to leave the project after two years owing to other commitments, Alcott was promoted — though not credited — and helped Kubrick finish the film, including shooting the entire “Dawn of Man” sequence. Two years later it was Kubrick who gave Alcott his first official job as a cinematographer, and...
For his first job in the industry, John Alcott started as a clapper boy; you know, the guy who holds the clapper and clicks it to mark the start of filming. But from this absolute bottom rung of the camera crew Alcott ascended to the ultimate peak, that of an Oscar winner for Best Cinematography, along the way contributing to some of the most important films of the 20th century.
Alcott got his big break while working on Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey as a lighting cameraman. When the film’s original cinematographer, Geoffrey Unsworth, had to leave the project after two years owing to other commitments, Alcott was promoted — though not credited — and helped Kubrick finish the film, including shooting the entire “Dawn of Man” sequence. Two years later it was Kubrick who gave Alcott his first official job as a cinematographer, and...
- 4/18/2017
- by H. Perry Horton
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
It’s hard living in Stanley Kubrick’s shadow, but somebody had to do it. As this video essay explains, cinematographer John Alcott owes much of his career to the legendary director, but he was a talent in his own right. Alcott lensed “The Shining,” “A Clockwork Orange,” “Barry Lyndon,” and provided additional photography on “20o1: A Space Odyssey.” His creative uses of natural lighting, in-depth knowledge of film stock, and ability to hold his own against Kubrick while maintaining his vision are all worthy of study.
Read More: Lush New Video Essay Compares ‘Moonlight’ With the Masterworks of Wong Kar-Wai — Watch
Kubrick was a perfectionist who often switched cinematographers, making his longstanding relationship with Alcott all the more impressive. “I hope you will not fall into the trap of believing John Alcott was just a puppet,” the video explains. “He held his own. And maybe they should have...
Read More: Lush New Video Essay Compares ‘Moonlight’ With the Masterworks of Wong Kar-Wai — Watch
Kubrick was a perfectionist who often switched cinematographers, making his longstanding relationship with Alcott all the more impressive. “I hope you will not fall into the trap of believing John Alcott was just a puppet,” the video explains. “He held his own. And maybe they should have...
- 4/15/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
From Michel Hazanavicius, director of ‘The Artist.’
Jean-Luc Godard is no less than one of the five most influential filmmakers in the history of the medium. He’s best known as the figurehead of the French New Wave, but that’s a movement that’s been over nearly a half century now, and point of fact the overwhelming majority of Godard’s 124 directing credits come after the Fnw. He’s a man who started a movement and then was somewhat forced to remain in its shadow. There’s a feeling of old cinema — perhaps “classic” is the word — to the director’s oeuvre, but in truth Godard has always been at the forefront of cinematic experimentation no matter what the year or movement du jour, he’s always put innovation ahead of traditional storytelling. This is the man, after all, who gave us the famous quote: “A story should have a beginning, a...
Jean-Luc Godard is no less than one of the five most influential filmmakers in the history of the medium. He’s best known as the figurehead of the French New Wave, but that’s a movement that’s been over nearly a half century now, and point of fact the overwhelming majority of Godard’s 124 directing credits come after the Fnw. He’s a man who started a movement and then was somewhat forced to remain in its shadow. There’s a feeling of old cinema — perhaps “classic” is the word — to the director’s oeuvre, but in truth Godard has always been at the forefront of cinematic experimentation no matter what the year or movement du jour, he’s always put innovation ahead of traditional storytelling. This is the man, after all, who gave us the famous quote: “A story should have a beginning, a...
- 3/29/2017
- by H. Perry Horton
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
A supercut of every eye image in Kubrick’s masterpiece.
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is a film about understanding, both what it means to have that capacity and how that capacity can catapult a species further, both positively and negatively. It is a film about looking at the universe surrounding us with new eyes, eyes that don’t just look but that see, eyes that look through the surface of things into the core where understanding is waiting to be attained.
Narratively, this is a tough concept to get across, which is why plot-wise 2001 can feel lose, lightly-structured or even nonsensical in spots. But visually, Kubrick and his cinematographers Geoffrey Unsworth and John Alcott are enforcing this concept all throughout the film with the repetition of ocular images, that is, images that resemble or recreate eyes.
https://medium.com/media/d62f9ca70397e7133db35923684ace1e/href
Obviously there’s the glowing red...
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is a film about understanding, both what it means to have that capacity and how that capacity can catapult a species further, both positively and negatively. It is a film about looking at the universe surrounding us with new eyes, eyes that don’t just look but that see, eyes that look through the surface of things into the core where understanding is waiting to be attained.
Narratively, this is a tough concept to get across, which is why plot-wise 2001 can feel lose, lightly-structured or even nonsensical in spots. But visually, Kubrick and his cinematographers Geoffrey Unsworth and John Alcott are enforcing this concept all throughout the film with the repetition of ocular images, that is, images that resemble or recreate eyes.
https://medium.com/media/d62f9ca70397e7133db35923684ace1e/href
Obviously there’s the glowing red...
- 3/24/2017
- by H. Perry Horton
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
A companion piece to the Shot by Shot podcast.
For the inaugural episode of our Shot by Shot podcast, Geoff Todd — One Perfect Shot founder — and myself decided to swing for the fences by tackling what we both consider to be a film that has some of the absolute best cinematography ever captured on film: 2001: A Space Odyssey, directed by Stanley Kubrick and shot by both Geoffrey Unsworth and John Alcott.
https://medium.com/media/d62f9ca70397e7133db35923684ace1e/href
In many ways, 2001 is the film that attracted popular attention to cinematography, so we thought it was the perfect place to start this new podcast, which each week will be looking at the perfect shots of a different film. Below you’ll find a link to the podcast and the six shots Geoff and I selected for discussion. Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or...
For the inaugural episode of our Shot by Shot podcast, Geoff Todd — One Perfect Shot founder — and myself decided to swing for the fences by tackling what we both consider to be a film that has some of the absolute best cinematography ever captured on film: 2001: A Space Odyssey, directed by Stanley Kubrick and shot by both Geoffrey Unsworth and John Alcott.
https://medium.com/media/d62f9ca70397e7133db35923684ace1e/href
In many ways, 2001 is the film that attracted popular attention to cinematography, so we thought it was the perfect place to start this new podcast, which each week will be looking at the perfect shots of a different film. Below you’ll find a link to the podcast and the six shots Geoff and I selected for discussion. Be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, or...
- 3/22/2017
- by H. Perry Horton
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Plus: A lot more ‘Alien,’ the first photo of Luke Skywalker, and the weekend’s best shots.
This week marks the start of a great new chapter in the history of Film School Rejects/One Perfect Shot, as we’re pleased to present the premiere episodes of our first three shows under the new One Perfect Podcast banner.
Up first and available today, After the Credits, a new kind of movie review show hosted by Fsr Columnist Matthew Monagle. Each week Matthew will be joined by a special guest to help him explore our expectations of certain films and how they impact the way we feel about what we ultimately see in theaters. This week the special guest is Fsr Chief Film Critic Rob Hunter, and the film in question is The Belko Experment.
Subscribe to One Perfect Pod: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS | Soundcloud
Then on Wednesday, March 22nd, the first episode of Shot by Shot drops. Hosted...
This week marks the start of a great new chapter in the history of Film School Rejects/One Perfect Shot, as we’re pleased to present the premiere episodes of our first three shows under the new One Perfect Podcast banner.
Up first and available today, After the Credits, a new kind of movie review show hosted by Fsr Columnist Matthew Monagle. Each week Matthew will be joined by a special guest to help him explore our expectations of certain films and how they impact the way we feel about what we ultimately see in theaters. This week the special guest is Fsr Chief Film Critic Rob Hunter, and the film in question is The Belko Experment.
Subscribe to One Perfect Pod: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS | Soundcloud
Then on Wednesday, March 22nd, the first episode of Shot by Shot drops. Hosted...
- 3/20/2017
- by H. Perry Horton
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
This past weekend, the American Society of Cinematographers awarded Greig Fraser for his contribution to Lion as last year’s greatest accomplishment in the field. Of course, his achievement was just a small sampling of the fantastic work from directors of photography, but it did give us a stronger hint at what may be the winner on Oscar night. Ahead of the ceremony, we have a new video compilation that honors all the past winners in the category at the Academy Awards
Created by Burger Fiction, it spans the stunning silent landmark Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans all the way up to the end of Emmanuel Lubezki‘s three-peat win for The Revenant. Aside from the advancements in color and aspect ration, it’s a thrill to see some of cinema’s most iconic shots side-by-side. However, the best way to experience the evolution of the craft is by...
Created by Burger Fiction, it spans the stunning silent landmark Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans all the way up to the end of Emmanuel Lubezki‘s three-peat win for The Revenant. Aside from the advancements in color and aspect ration, it’s a thrill to see some of cinema’s most iconic shots side-by-side. However, the best way to experience the evolution of the craft is by...
- 2/6/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
At the turn of the ‘80s, Jamie Lee Curtis was The face of horror; by this point she had already starred in Halloween (1978), and cemented her position with three releases in 1980 alone – The Fog in February, Prom Night in July, and today’s title, Terror Train, in October. It was a banner year for her, and for horror fans alike – well, apart from that snoozy school picture. Terror Train was a great way to end her 1980, and a fitting way to cap off 2016, as it’s a – ta da! – New Year’s Eve movie. Climb aboard for a fun, surprisingly classy ride.
There just aren’t that many horror films that take advantage of the holiday. New Year’s Evil (also 1980) is probably the most well known, and uses the neat conceit of the killer performing a bad deed for every time zone to, sadly, dull effect. Terror Train doesn...
There just aren’t that many horror films that take advantage of the holiday. New Year’s Evil (also 1980) is probably the most well known, and uses the neat conceit of the killer performing a bad deed for every time zone to, sadly, dull effect. Terror Train doesn...
- 12/31/2016
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Barry Lyndon. It’s one of Stanley Kubrick’s greatest achievements, and yet it is has rarely been uttered in the same league as A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey, or Dr. Strangelove. However, as the years have gone by they’ve been very kind to Kubrick’s 18th-century tale. It was ranked 59th on Sight & Sound’s prestigious critics poll of the greatest movies ever made and has been hailed by Martin Scorsese, among many others, as his favorite Kubrick film. John Alcott’s cinematography also ranks as one of the landmarks of the field of photography, with its ingenious natural lighting that, in one very famous scene, lit up rooms with dozens of chandeliers. Its impact has been felt all the way to last year’s The Revenant, which also used natural lighting and was clearly inspired by Alcott’s famous lens.
All this to say that...
All this to say that...
- 6/17/2016
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then there will never be a definitive list of the greatest cinematography, but for our money, one of the finest polls has been recently conducted on the matter. Our friend Scout Tafoya polled over 60 critics on Fandor, including some of us here, and the results can be found in a fantastic video essay below. Rather than the various wordless supercuts that crowd Vimeo, Tafoya wrestles with his thoughts on cinematography as we see the beautiful images overlaid from the top 12 choices.
“I’ve been thinking of the world cinematographically since high school,” Scout says. “Sometime around tenth grade I started looking out windows, at crowds of my peers, at the girls I had crushes on, and imagining the best way to film them. Lowlight, mini-dv or 35mm? Curious and washed out like the way Emmanuel Lubezki shot Y Tu Mamá También,...
“I’ve been thinking of the world cinematographically since high school,” Scout says. “Sometime around tenth grade I started looking out windows, at crowds of my peers, at the girls I had crushes on, and imagining the best way to film them. Lowlight, mini-dv or 35mm? Curious and washed out like the way Emmanuel Lubezki shot Y Tu Mamá También,...
- 4/28/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
10. Alien
Directed by Ridley Scott
Written by Dan O’Bannon
UK / USA, 1979
Genre: Sci-Fi Horror
Boasting one of the greatest taglines of all time – “In space, no one can hear you scream” – Alien blends science fiction, horror, and bleak poetry into what could have easily turned into a simple B-monster movie. In fact, the movie was originally pitched to producers as “Jaws in space,” but thankfully Ridley Scott, who was stepping behind the camera for only the second time, took the film far more seriously. Like Steven Spielberg’s great thriller, most of the running time relies on the viewer’s imagination since Scott carefully restricts how little we see of the creature. Alien can certainly test a viewer’s patience. This is an extremely slow burn (something unusual for the genre) and despite the budget, stellar effects, and ambitious set design, Alien in a sense is a minimalist film...
Directed by Ridley Scott
Written by Dan O’Bannon
UK / USA, 1979
Genre: Sci-Fi Horror
Boasting one of the greatest taglines of all time – “In space, no one can hear you scream” – Alien blends science fiction, horror, and bleak poetry into what could have easily turned into a simple B-monster movie. In fact, the movie was originally pitched to producers as “Jaws in space,” but thankfully Ridley Scott, who was stepping behind the camera for only the second time, took the film far more seriously. Like Steven Spielberg’s great thriller, most of the running time relies on the viewer’s imagination since Scott carefully restricts how little we see of the creature. Alien can certainly test a viewer’s patience. This is an extremely slow burn (something unusual for the genre) and despite the budget, stellar effects, and ambitious set design, Alien in a sense is a minimalist film...
- 10/31/2015
- by Ricky Fernandes
- SoundOnSight
A while back we posted a vintage half-hour documentary about the great cinematographer John Alcott. For Kubrick fans reluctant to commit to that whole program, here’s an excerpt in which Shelley Duvall talks about the director’s use of the 18mm lens on The Shining. The lens is great for furniture but terrible for faces, she says, speculating that Kubrick was trying to make everybody look more frightening. In her telling, Alcott tried to get Kubrick to occasionally relent and use a 50 or 75mm lens, but with no success.
- 6/16/2015
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
A while back we posted a vintage half-hour documentary about the great cinematographer John Alcott. For Kubrick fans reluctant to commit to that whole program, here’s an excerpt in which Shelley Duvall talks about the director’s use of the 18mm lens on The Shining. The lens is great for furniture but terrible for faces, she says, speculating that Kubrick was trying to make everybody look more frightening. In her telling, Alcott tried to get Kubrick to occasionally relent and use a 50 or 75mm lens, but with no success.
- 6/16/2015
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Sunday’s Academy Awards marked an historical moment in the annals of cinematography. With his win for “Birdman,” Emmanuel Lubezki became just the fifth cinematographer ever in Hollywood history to win back-to-back Oscars (he took home the statuette last year for “Gravity”). Lubezki’s impressive and deservingly Oscar-winning “single-take” illusion will surely be much discussed over the coming weeks, but let’s take a moment now to turn back the pages of the history books and revisit one of the late, great cinematographers — John Alcott. Alcott passed away nearly 30 years ago, but he remains, in memory, one of the best cinematographers of his time. Though he has multiple additional credits to his name, he is best known for his four collaborations with Stanley Kubrick. The two men first worked together on “2001: A Space Odyssey”; their partnership then continued over Kubrick’s next three films, “A Clockwork Orange,” “Barry Lyndon,...
- 2/24/2015
- by Zach Hollwedel
- The Playlist
Here’s a true deep cut, evidently taped off New Jersey’s Wnet and now resurrected on the internet. This ’80s profile of d.p. John Alcott (A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon) features a lot of on-set footage of the cinematographer plying his craft; if you’re a big Beastmaster fan, this is for you. If just interested in the Kubrick stories you may want to skip to the 8-minute mark (where the d.p. talks about his initial collaborations with the director) and then to 14:20 or so, where Alcott discusses waiting patiently to capture very particular wind and cloud changes on the set of Barry […]...
- 2/18/2015
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Here’s a true deep cut, evidently taped off New Jersey’s Wnet and now resurrected on the internet. This ’80s profile of d.p. John Alcott (A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon) features a lot of on-set footage of the cinematographer plying his craft; if you’re a big Beastmaster fan, this is for you. If just interested in the Kubrick stories you may want to skip to the 8-minute mark (where the d.p. talks about his initial collaborations with the director) and then to 14:20 or so, where Alcott discusses waiting patiently to capture very particular wind and cloud changes on the set of Barry […]...
- 2/18/2015
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Debut competition titles at cinematography festival unveiled.
Camerimage, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography (Nov 15-22), has revealed the line-up of films screening in three of the festival’s competition sections including Cinematographers’ Debut, Directors’ Debut and Student Etudes.
The entries are:
Cinematographers’ Debut Competition
Duane Hopkins’ Bypass;
UK, 2014; Cinematographer: David Procter
Sidney Lexy Plaut’s Dark Samurai;
Denmark, 2014; Cinematographer: Sidney Lexy Plaut
Zeresenay Berhane Mehari’s Difret;
Ethiopia, USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Monika Lenczewska
Krzysztof Skonieczny’s Hardkor Disko;
Poland, 2014; Cinematographer: Kacper Fertacz
Arild Østin Ommundsen’s It’s Only Make Believe;
Norway, 2013; Cinematographer: Arild Østin Ommundsen
Michael Cody and Amiel Courtin-Wilson’s Ruin;
Australia, 2013; Cinematographer: Ari Wegner
Ester Martin Bergsmark’s Something Must Break;
Sweden, 2014; Cinematographers: Lisabi Fridell and Minka Jakerson
David Pablos’ The Life After;
Mexico, 2013; Cinematographer: José De- La-Torre
Saar Klein’s Things People Do;
USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Matthias Koenigswieser
Jonas Alexander Arnby’s When Animals Dream;
Denmark, 2013; Cinematographer: [link=nm...
Camerimage, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography (Nov 15-22), has revealed the line-up of films screening in three of the festival’s competition sections including Cinematographers’ Debut, Directors’ Debut and Student Etudes.
The entries are:
Cinematographers’ Debut Competition
Duane Hopkins’ Bypass;
UK, 2014; Cinematographer: David Procter
Sidney Lexy Plaut’s Dark Samurai;
Denmark, 2014; Cinematographer: Sidney Lexy Plaut
Zeresenay Berhane Mehari’s Difret;
Ethiopia, USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Monika Lenczewska
Krzysztof Skonieczny’s Hardkor Disko;
Poland, 2014; Cinematographer: Kacper Fertacz
Arild Østin Ommundsen’s It’s Only Make Believe;
Norway, 2013; Cinematographer: Arild Østin Ommundsen
Michael Cody and Amiel Courtin-Wilson’s Ruin;
Australia, 2013; Cinematographer: Ari Wegner
Ester Martin Bergsmark’s Something Must Break;
Sweden, 2014; Cinematographers: Lisabi Fridell and Minka Jakerson
David Pablos’ The Life After;
Mexico, 2013; Cinematographer: José De- La-Torre
Saar Klein’s Things People Do;
USA, 2014; Cinematographer: Matthias Koenigswieser
Jonas Alexander Arnby’s When Animals Dream;
Denmark, 2013; Cinematographer: [link=nm...
- 10/16/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
A retrospective of work by the Polish cinematographer, who worked with Polanski and Haneke, to screen at the festival.
Camerimage, the cinematography festival held in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, is to pay tribute to the late Jerzy Lipman with a retrospective of his work.
Films shot by the Polish cinematographer will be screened as part of Camerimage’s Remembering the Masters series throughout the 22nd edition of the festival (Nov 15-22).
Included in the series will be Kanal (1957), Knife in the Water (1962), A Generation (1955), The Ashes (1965) and Colonel Wolodyjowski (1969).
Lipman, who died in 1983, is considered one of the most eminent cinematographers in Polish cinema history and is a co-originator of the Polish Film School movement.
Lipman endured occupation and imprisonment during the Second World War before he became a celebrated filmmaker. After his release in 1948, he joined the Cinematography Department of the National Film School in Łódź and graduated in 1952.
As a student, he was the...
Camerimage, the cinematography festival held in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, is to pay tribute to the late Jerzy Lipman with a retrospective of his work.
Films shot by the Polish cinematographer will be screened as part of Camerimage’s Remembering the Masters series throughout the 22nd edition of the festival (Nov 15-22).
Included in the series will be Kanal (1957), Knife in the Water (1962), A Generation (1955), The Ashes (1965) and Colonel Wolodyjowski (1969).
Lipman, who died in 1983, is considered one of the most eminent cinematographers in Polish cinema history and is a co-originator of the Polish Film School movement.
Lipman endured occupation and imprisonment during the Second World War before he became a celebrated filmmaker. After his release in 1948, he joined the Cinematography Department of the National Film School in Łódź and graduated in 1952.
As a student, he was the...
- 9/12/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The Criterion Collection continues to impress through the remarkable range of what it offers cineastes on a monthly basis. Look at the highlights of their May 2014 Blu-ray offerings, all currently available in stores and for online order. What on Earth do “Overlord,” “Like Someone in Love,” and “Red River” have in common?
One is set in World War II, one during the Chisholm Trail, and one in present day. One is British, one defiantly American, and one is Japanese. Abbas Kiarostami really couldn’t have more distinctly different cinematic intentions than Howard Hawks. And yet Criterion wisely understands that film lovers love all different kinds of film. Pick your favorite.
For me, the best film is “Like Someone in Love,” the best release is “Red River.” “Overlord” remains an interesting curiosity, a film that blends archival footage and fictional filmmaking to achieve something unique. Directed by Stuart Cooper and shot...
One is set in World War II, one during the Chisholm Trail, and one in present day. One is British, one defiantly American, and one is Japanese. Abbas Kiarostami really couldn’t have more distinctly different cinematic intentions than Howard Hawks. And yet Criterion wisely understands that film lovers love all different kinds of film. Pick your favorite.
For me, the best film is “Like Someone in Love,” the best release is “Red River.” “Overlord” remains an interesting curiosity, a film that blends archival footage and fictional filmmaking to achieve something unique. Directed by Stuart Cooper and shot...
- 6/5/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Moviefone's Top DVD of the Week
"Her"
What's It About? A sad sack in high-waisted pants, Theodore spends his days writing love letters for other people. When he installs an intelligent operating system named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), his life takes a turn for the better. Or does it?
Why We're In: A weird, sad, beautiful love story from the delicious brain of Spike Jonze? We're so far in.
Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week
"Overlord" (Criterion)
What's It About? Cineastes and fans of war movies will dig this drama that uses real WWII footage in this tale of a young soldier headed to D Day. Sounds simple, but it's pretty heavy, and the unique use of real war footage adds to the narrative.
Why We're In: With Kubrick collaborator John Alcott as the cinematographer, a spiffy restoration, and loads of extras, "Overload" is a good addition to your collection.
"Her"
What's It About? A sad sack in high-waisted pants, Theodore spends his days writing love letters for other people. When he installs an intelligent operating system named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), his life takes a turn for the better. Or does it?
Why We're In: A weird, sad, beautiful love story from the delicious brain of Spike Jonze? We're so far in.
Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week
"Overlord" (Criterion)
What's It About? Cineastes and fans of war movies will dig this drama that uses real WWII footage in this tale of a young soldier headed to D Day. Sounds simple, but it's pretty heavy, and the unique use of real war footage adds to the narrative.
Why We're In: With Kubrick collaborator John Alcott as the cinematographer, a spiffy restoration, and loads of extras, "Overload" is a good addition to your collection.
- 5/13/2014
- by Jenni Miller
- Moviefone
Moviefone's Top DVD of the Week
"Her"
What's It About? A sad sack in high-waisted pants, Theodore spends his days writing love letters for other people. When he installs an intelligent operating system named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), his life takes a turn for the better. Or does it?
Why We're In: A weird, sad, beautiful love story from the delicious brain of Spike Jonze? We're so far in.
Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week
"Overlord" (Criterion)
What's It About? Cineastes and fans of war movies will dig this drama that uses real WWII footage in this tale of a young soldier headed to D Day. Sounds simple, but it's pretty heavy, and the unique use of real war footage adds to the narrative.
Why We're In: With Kubrick collaborator John Alcott as the cinematographer, a spiffy restoration, and loads of extras, "Overload" is a good addition to your collection.
"Her"
What's It About? A sad sack in high-waisted pants, Theodore spends his days writing love letters for other people. When he installs an intelligent operating system named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), his life takes a turn for the better. Or does it?
Why We're In: A weird, sad, beautiful love story from the delicious brain of Spike Jonze? We're so far in.
Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week
"Overlord" (Criterion)
What's It About? Cineastes and fans of war movies will dig this drama that uses real WWII footage in this tale of a young soldier headed to D Day. Sounds simple, but it's pretty heavy, and the unique use of real war footage adds to the narrative.
Why We're In: With Kubrick collaborator John Alcott as the cinematographer, a spiffy restoration, and loads of extras, "Overload" is a good addition to your collection.
- 5/13/2014
- by Jenni Miller
- Moviefone
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