Filmmaker Pablo Berger had never made an animated film before. He’d never even considered it until he read Sara Varon’s graphic novel “Robot Dreams.” Having recently lost his best friend and mother, the story of friendship and loss spoke to him on such an emotional level that he decided to adapt it — and learn how to make an animated film.
He spent two-and-years on animation education, but wanted to bring something from his previous directing experience: working with some of the best Spanish actors. Said Berger while on the Toolkit podcast, “In most animated film, [the characters] tend to overact.”
Berger began by working with a small animation team led by art director José Luis Ágreda and character supervisor Daniel Fernández Casas before “an army” of animators brought his vision to life.
“I started saying [to the animators], ‘I’m going to treat you as actors, you are my actors,’” said Berger. “They...
He spent two-and-years on animation education, but wanted to bring something from his previous directing experience: working with some of the best Spanish actors. Said Berger while on the Toolkit podcast, “In most animated film, [the characters] tend to overact.”
Berger began by working with a small animation team led by art director José Luis Ágreda and character supervisor Daniel Fernández Casas before “an army” of animators brought his vision to life.
“I started saying [to the animators], ‘I’m going to treat you as actors, you are my actors,’” said Berger. “They...
- 6/4/2024
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
The conventional wisdom when it comes to the early days of cinema is that five major studios — Paramount, Fox, Universal, MGM, and Warner Bros. — were responsible for key innovations of Hollywood filmmaking, such as the star system, the birth of the feature film, and the creation of nationwide and international distribution networks. In fact, the now largely forgotten Vitagraph Studios did all of these things before the five majors even existed, but the company’s ultimate demise and sale to Warner Bros. in 1925 (where it was renamed Vitaphone and created as an independent unit to produce early sound shorts) led to its near erasure from mainstream film history.
While intrepid souls like film historians Andrew A. Erish and Anthony Slide have tried to raise and sustain awareness of Vitagraph’s contributions, their efforts have often been impeded by the scarcity of the films themselves — even for those of us interested in Vitagraph’s output,...
While intrepid souls like film historians Andrew A. Erish and Anthony Slide have tried to raise and sustain awareness of Vitagraph’s contributions, their efforts have often been impeded by the scarcity of the films themselves — even for those of us interested in Vitagraph’s output,...
- 6/1/2024
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
What is the best Australian movie ever made? Walkabout? Wake in Fright? The Piano? Picnic at Hanging Rock? The Babadook? All worthy contenders, no doubt, but they’re all wrong answers. The only acceptable response regarding the best movie from the Land Down Under is Mad Max, George Miller’s marauding motorist mania that celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2024. Never mind the billion-dollar franchise it spawned, the creative ingenuity and low-budget DIY filmmaking of the original remains one of the most impressive cinematic feats on record.
A true independent movie with a rebellious spirit, Mad Max was made in just 12 weeks for a paltry $350,000 yet went on to gross $185 million worldwide. The film introduced the world to Mel Gibson, who would go on to play the badass road-racing Main Force Patrol officer Max Rockatansky twice more en route to becoming a bona fide Hollywood action star. Now, with the law-enforcing...
A true independent movie with a rebellious spirit, Mad Max was made in just 12 weeks for a paltry $350,000 yet went on to gross $185 million worldwide. The film introduced the world to Mel Gibson, who would go on to play the badass road-racing Main Force Patrol officer Max Rockatansky twice more en route to becoming a bona fide Hollywood action star. Now, with the law-enforcing...
- 5/22/2024
- by Jake Dee
- JoBlo.com
Filmmaker George Miller has made no bones about classic cinema’s influence on the Mad Max saga over the years. Iconic physical comedians like Buster Keaton or Harold Lloyd are cited often as inspirations for the queasy death-defying stunts that Max Rockatansky or Imperator Furiosa get up to, including when we spoke with the writer-director. He even muses to us, “Buster Keaton would survive very well, actually” in the fabled Wasteland.
Perhaps so too then would the stars he selected to bring his most epic adventure yet on the Fury Road to life. Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth are actors that most moviegoers will be familiar with when Furiosa opens later this month—although never in roles like these. Cast as diametrically opposed nemeses forced to endure the harsh desert ruins of a post-apocalyptic Australia, Taylor-Joy’s Furiosa and Hemsworth’s Dr. Dementus are radical departures for the performers. Yet...
Perhaps so too then would the stars he selected to bring his most epic adventure yet on the Fury Road to life. Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth are actors that most moviegoers will be familiar with when Furiosa opens later this month—although never in roles like these. Cast as diametrically opposed nemeses forced to endure the harsh desert ruins of a post-apocalyptic Australia, Taylor-Joy’s Furiosa and Hemsworth’s Dr. Dementus are radical departures for the performers. Yet...
- 5/15/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and Harold Lloyd were the clown jewels of silent comedy. Chaplin was off the screen in 1924; he was a year away from the release of one of his feature masterpieces “The Gold Rush.” Lloyd followed the blockbuster success of 1923’s “Safety Last!” in 1924 with the gems “Girl Shy” and “Hot Water.” And Keaton dazzled critics and audiences with the innovative “Sherlock Jr.” and the riotous “The Navigator.”
“Sherlock Jr.”, which opened in May 1924, was just Keaton’s third feature. Running a brisk 45 minutes, “Sherlock Jr” pushed the cinematic envelope. The stoic, deadpan comic plays a projectionist and janitor at a small-town movie theater who dreams, literally, of becoming a detective. He also discovers that he has a slick rival (Ward Crane) for his sweet girl (Kathryn McGuire). The slick even steals the pocket watch of the girl’s father and puts the blame on Buster. Banished from the house,...
“Sherlock Jr.”, which opened in May 1924, was just Keaton’s third feature. Running a brisk 45 minutes, “Sherlock Jr” pushed the cinematic envelope. The stoic, deadpan comic plays a projectionist and janitor at a small-town movie theater who dreams, literally, of becoming a detective. He also discovers that he has a slick rival (Ward Crane) for his sweet girl (Kathryn McGuire). The slick even steals the pocket watch of the girl’s father and puts the blame on Buster. Banished from the house,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Courtesy of Eureka Entertainment
by James Cameron-wilson
Eureka Classics have done it again and have now released the first 4K restoration copy of the original 1927 The Cat and the Canary, available for the first time on blu-ray. Considering how many prestigious silent classics have been lost forever, it is quite a treat to sit through the full 86 minutes that have been meticulous preserved of what really is a prototype of its kind. One might consider the dark house comedy-thriller a rare beast, but it was extremely popular in its day, kicked off by this hugely popular silent, made just nine months before the release of the very first feature-length talking picture, The Jazz Singer.
Looking at The Cat and the Canary today, it is emblematic of everything we know about silent cinema, with its comic intertitles, wide-eyed acting and stereotypes, but viewed more seriously it was a hugely influential title.
by James Cameron-wilson
Eureka Classics have done it again and have now released the first 4K restoration copy of the original 1927 The Cat and the Canary, available for the first time on blu-ray. Considering how many prestigious silent classics have been lost forever, it is quite a treat to sit through the full 86 minutes that have been meticulous preserved of what really is a prototype of its kind. One might consider the dark house comedy-thriller a rare beast, but it was extremely popular in its day, kicked off by this hugely popular silent, made just nine months before the release of the very first feature-length talking picture, The Jazz Singer.
Looking at The Cat and the Canary today, it is emblematic of everything we know about silent cinema, with its comic intertitles, wide-eyed acting and stereotypes, but viewed more seriously it was a hugely influential title.
- 5/9/2024
- by James Cameron-Wilson
- Film Review Daily
Australian director George Miller made his first feature film, "Mad Max," in 1979. It was a very low-budget affair costing about $200,000. The film takes place in the near future when the Earth is running low on oil and civilization is just beginning to crumble. "Mad" Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) is a road cop tasked with reigning in the chaos. "Mad Max" was decidedly low-fi, but it struck a chord with audiences, ultimately earning almost $100 million worldwide. It remains one of the most profitable movies of all time, comparable only to "The Blair Witch Project," "Paranormal Activity," and "Deep Throat." Miller would go on to make several sequels to "Mad Max" in 1981, 1985, and 2015. The fifth film in the series, "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," is hitting theaters this month, with a potential sixth entry, "Mad Max: The Wasteland," in the early planning stages.
Miller recently participated in a "Furiosa" screening and Q&a event,...
Miller recently participated in a "Furiosa" screening and Q&a event,...
- 5/8/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, Winston Duke, Ben Knight, Matuse, Adam Dunn | Written by Drew Pearce | Directed by David Leitch
Stunts have been at the forefront of cinema since the beginning. Some of the earliest directors, actors, and writers were the very best stunt performers. Think Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and Harold Lloyd. Their influence can be seen across the history of cinema, from bridge jumps in Smokey and the Bandit, to lorry flips in The Dark Knight, shopping centre jumps in Police Story, to jumping off cliffs in the latest Mission Impossible. Stunts are in every action movie and ingrained in the very fabric of the art form – why it’s not yet recognised by the academy is a mystery, but David Leitch and his talented cast and crew look set on solving the mystery by putting a spotlight on those stunt performers.
Stunts have been at the forefront of cinema since the beginning. Some of the earliest directors, actors, and writers were the very best stunt performers. Think Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and Harold Lloyd. Their influence can be seen across the history of cinema, from bridge jumps in Smokey and the Bandit, to lorry flips in The Dark Knight, shopping centre jumps in Police Story, to jumping off cliffs in the latest Mission Impossible. Stunts are in every action movie and ingrained in the very fabric of the art form – why it’s not yet recognised by the academy is a mystery, but David Leitch and his talented cast and crew look set on solving the mystery by putting a spotlight on those stunt performers.
- 5/7/2024
- by Alex Ginnelly
- Nerdly
This article contains massive spoilers for "The Fall Guy."
Stunt work is all about selling an illusion. When the medium of cinema was first invented, it was initially marketed and thought of as something akin to a sideshow attraction, a wondrous magic trick where a series of pictures put next to each other and illuminated in rapid succession gave the illusion of movement. After this initial novelty gave way to artists utilizing the medium to tell stories, the craftspeople making movies realized that the concept of illusion extended to every aspect of filmmaking.
Where theatre was traditionally bound to a stage or perhaps a circus tent, the movies could expand the canvas of what could be done physically — if cameras could capture it, it could be performed. It's no surprise, then, that films saw people like Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and others push the boundaries of physicality and feats of derring-do in the cinema.
Stunt work is all about selling an illusion. When the medium of cinema was first invented, it was initially marketed and thought of as something akin to a sideshow attraction, a wondrous magic trick where a series of pictures put next to each other and illuminated in rapid succession gave the illusion of movement. After this initial novelty gave way to artists utilizing the medium to tell stories, the craftspeople making movies realized that the concept of illusion extended to every aspect of filmmaking.
Where theatre was traditionally bound to a stage or perhaps a circus tent, the movies could expand the canvas of what could be done physically — if cameras could capture it, it could be performed. It's no surprise, then, that films saw people like Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and others push the boundaries of physicality and feats of derring-do in the cinema.
- 5/3/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Behind the scenes, director David Leitch and producer Kelly McCormick have been instrumental in the movement for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts to recognize stunts. The director-producer husband-wife team hasn’t been shy in using their new film, “The Fall Guy,” a love letter to stunt professionals, to advance the cause. And it’s a cause that is increasingly looking like it will become a reality; a significant victory came last spring with the creation of the new Production and Technology Academy branch, which includes stunt professionals and therefore supplies the necessary pathway to a Best Stunt Design category at the Oscars.
“We’ve always been in the shadows, [but] that’s not the problem,” Leitch said when he was a guest on an upcoming episode of the Toolkit podcast to discuss “The Fall Guy.” “That was maybe the misconception for the Academy, ‘Well, these guys want awards because they...
“We’ve always been in the shadows, [but] that’s not the problem,” Leitch said when he was a guest on an upcoming episode of the Toolkit podcast to discuss “The Fall Guy.” “That was maybe the misconception for the Academy, ‘Well, these guys want awards because they...
- 4/27/2024
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
For over 25 years, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival called the Castro Theatre home. With the iconic theater now closed for a year-plus-long renovation, Sfsff has relocated to the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, located in a beautiful park created for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition at the north edge of the Presidio. The auditorium, primarily a performance space, seats nearly a thousand and features a spacious foyer where passholders could visit and relax between shows (particularly useful on chilly weekends).
Sfsff prides itself on mixing landmark productions and audience favorites with rediscoveries, revelations, and rarities, often recently uncovered and restored. And for its 27th edition this year, the festival presented 20 features and six short films over five days, all with live musical scores by some of the finest silent film accompanists in the world.
The opening night film, Albert Parker’s 1926 swashbuckler The Black Pirate, certainly qualifies as both landmark and favorite.
Sfsff prides itself on mixing landmark productions and audience favorites with rediscoveries, revelations, and rarities, often recently uncovered and restored. And for its 27th edition this year, the festival presented 20 features and six short films over five days, all with live musical scores by some of the finest silent film accompanists in the world.
The opening night film, Albert Parker’s 1926 swashbuckler The Black Pirate, certainly qualifies as both landmark and favorite.
- 4/20/2024
- by Sean Axmaker
- Slant Magazine
Jackie Chan is recognized for his slapstick acrobatic fighting style, innovative stunts which he is known to perform on his own, and comic timing. The actor is one of the most influential action stars who’s had a global presence in both Eastern and Western industries. Without a doubt, the influence the actor has had over the years on pop culture is very hard to match and he is known to be the most recognized star in the world.
The actor who has appeared in near about 150 movies in his career has a reputation for performing his stunts with a lot of preparation but injuries are inevitable. Jackie Chan has managed to not only survive but also thrive after taking tons of knocks, which could probably knock down an average person easily. Jackie Chan’s injuries have outdone Sylvester Stallone’s injuries; who is also regarded as one of the...
The actor who has appeared in near about 150 movies in his career has a reputation for performing his stunts with a lot of preparation but injuries are inevitable. Jackie Chan has managed to not only survive but also thrive after taking tons of knocks, which could probably knock down an average person easily. Jackie Chan’s injuries have outdone Sylvester Stallone’s injuries; who is also regarded as one of the...
- 3/4/2024
- by Avneet Ahluwalia
- FandomWire
The last American movie star. The savior of cinema. Maverick. There are plenty of superlatives thrown around Tom Cruise these days—including by us—and for good reason. In an era where audiences increasingly only venture to the theater for familiar intellectual property (if at all), Tom Cruise remains one of the last old school marquee names people turn out for in order to watch the actor.
And more often than not, they’re justified in that trust, because Cruise has spent his middle-age proving that like his most popular alter-ego—Navy pilot Pete Mitchell—he has no intention of turning in his wings. It’s a common observation to even note that the Mission: Impossible movies Cruise made in his 50s were better than the ones he made in his 30s, and his dedication to in-camera stunts in those films, as well as Top Gun: Maverick, have increasingly resembled...
And more often than not, they’re justified in that trust, because Cruise has spent his middle-age proving that like his most popular alter-ego—Navy pilot Pete Mitchell—he has no intention of turning in his wings. It’s a common observation to even note that the Mission: Impossible movies Cruise made in his 50s were better than the ones he made in his 30s, and his dedication to in-camera stunts in those films, as well as Top Gun: Maverick, have increasingly resembled...
- 2/22/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Film at Lincoln Center
A retrospective of Denis Villeneuve’s work also brings the director’s programming choices, among them films by Godard, Resnais, Cassavetes, and Wong Kar-wai.
Roxy Cinema
Bob Fosse’s Star 80, The Piano Teacher, The Pillow Book, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and End of Night all play on 35mm.
Anthology Film Archives
As retrospective of Haitian cinema continues, films by Hollis Frampton and Ernie Gehr play Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Film Forum
“Sapph-o-rama” continues with films by Nicholas Ray, Jonathan Demme, Lizzie Borden, and more; a 4K restoration of Pandora’s Box has begun a run; a print of The Third Man continues, while the Harold Lloyd film Hot Water shows on 35mm this Sunday.
Museum of the Moving Image
A retrospective of snubbed performances brings films by Scorsese, Elaine May, Jonathan Demme, and Gus Van Sant...
Film at Lincoln Center
A retrospective of Denis Villeneuve’s work also brings the director’s programming choices, among them films by Godard, Resnais, Cassavetes, and Wong Kar-wai.
Roxy Cinema
Bob Fosse’s Star 80, The Piano Teacher, The Pillow Book, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and End of Night all play on 35mm.
Anthology Film Archives
As retrospective of Haitian cinema continues, films by Hollis Frampton and Ernie Gehr play Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Film Forum
“Sapph-o-rama” continues with films by Nicholas Ray, Jonathan Demme, Lizzie Borden, and more; a 4K restoration of Pandora’s Box has begun a run; a print of The Third Man continues, while the Harold Lloyd film Hot Water shows on 35mm this Sunday.
Museum of the Moving Image
A retrospective of snubbed performances brings films by Scorsese, Elaine May, Jonathan Demme, and Gus Van Sant...
- 2/16/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Buster Keaton was one of the most prolific filmmakers of the silent era, comparable only to his contemporaries Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd. Unlike Lloyd with his distinctive spectacles or Chaplin with his signature stache, Keaton was identified by the emotionless expression he wore while enduring some of the most painful, dangerous, and hilarious bits of physical comedy the world has ever seen.
The filmmaker grew up as a vaudeville actor and took the stage as early as age four, where he first honed his slapstick skills in an act with his father. He was always known for taking hard falls without so much as a wince, which is how he earned his nickname, Buster, as an infant. As Keaton told it, legendary illusionist Harry Houdini gave him the nickname after an infant Keaton fell down a full flight of stairs without crying (a "buster" was a slang term for...
The filmmaker grew up as a vaudeville actor and took the stage as early as age four, where he first honed his slapstick skills in an act with his father. He was always known for taking hard falls without so much as a wince, which is how he earned his nickname, Buster, as an infant. As Keaton told it, legendary illusionist Harry Houdini gave him the nickname after an infant Keaton fell down a full flight of stairs without crying (a "buster" was a slang term for...
- 2/11/2024
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
The Advanced Imaging Society announced its 2024 Lumiere Award winners on Friday, with Oscars frontrunners “Oppenheimer” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” among the honorees.
This year’s Lumiere Awards celebrated “Masters and Magic,” according to a press release from the Advanced Imaging Society, and recognized “distinguished directors and professionals in film, television, and emerging media” as “voted for by members of the Hollywood creative and technology community.”
“Our awards have humorously been called the Oscars for geeks,” said Jim Chabin, the president of the Advanced Imaging Society, in a statement. “In 2023, amidst the industry’s chaos, we witnessed the culmination of years of dedication and sudden bursts of creativity. That work is so important to all of us who love film and television. The Lumiere winners of this year have notably expanded the boundaries of technology in filmmaking, enriching storytelling in remarkable ways.”
The Advanced Imaging Society awarded three films their 2024 Best Picture winners,...
This year’s Lumiere Awards celebrated “Masters and Magic,” according to a press release from the Advanced Imaging Society, and recognized “distinguished directors and professionals in film, television, and emerging media” as “voted for by members of the Hollywood creative and technology community.”
“Our awards have humorously been called the Oscars for geeks,” said Jim Chabin, the president of the Advanced Imaging Society, in a statement. “In 2023, amidst the industry’s chaos, we witnessed the culmination of years of dedication and sudden bursts of creativity. That work is so important to all of us who love film and television. The Lumiere winners of this year have notably expanded the boundaries of technology in filmmaking, enriching storytelling in remarkable ways.”
The Advanced Imaging Society awarded three films their 2024 Best Picture winners,...
- 2/10/2024
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
“Oppenheimer” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” were among the winners of the top honors at the Advanced Imaging Society’s Lumiere Awards. The 14th annual awards luncheon took place on Feb. 9 at the Beverly Hills Hotel, with Google Cloud, Barco Cinema, Microsoft and Ryff sponsoring.
Celebrating “Masters and Magic” this year, the Lumiere Awards recognize directors and professionals in film, TV and emerging media. They are voted on by members of Hollywood’s creative and technology community.
“Our awards have humorously been called the Oscars for geeks,” Ais president Jim Chabin stated. “In 2023, amidst the industry’s chaos, we witnessed the culmination of years of dedication and sudden bursts of creativity. That work is so important to all of us who love film and television. The Lumiere winners of this year have notably expanded the boundaries of technology in filmmaking, enriching storytelling in remarkable ways.”
In the episodic categories, “The Last of Us...
Celebrating “Masters and Magic” this year, the Lumiere Awards recognize directors and professionals in film, TV and emerging media. They are voted on by members of Hollywood’s creative and technology community.
“Our awards have humorously been called the Oscars for geeks,” Ais president Jim Chabin stated. “In 2023, amidst the industry’s chaos, we witnessed the culmination of years of dedication and sudden bursts of creativity. That work is so important to all of us who love film and television. The Lumiere winners of this year have notably expanded the boundaries of technology in filmmaking, enriching storytelling in remarkable ways.”
In the episodic categories, “The Last of Us...
- 2/10/2024
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
The Advanced Imaging Society announced a pair of special honors that will be presented at its 14th Lumiere Awards.
Alexander Payne will receive the society’s Harold Lloyd Award for achievement in filmmaking, while director Darren Aronofsky and Sphere Entertainment will receive Earthday.org’s Voices For the Earth Award for Postcard from Earth, the first movie made for new Las Vegas entertainment venue Sphere.
The ceremony will be held Feb. 9 at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Academy Award-winner Payne’s films include Sideways, Nebraska and his latest, The Holdovers, which won a pair of Golden Globes on Sunday for actors Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
“We are thrilled to be honoring Alexander Payne, a brilliant filmmaker whose career has inspired audiences by writing and directing nuanced personal stories that reveal deeper realities of American life,” said Suzanne Lloyd, chairman of Harold Lloyd Entertainment. “Harold Lloyd, who, like Alexander Payne,...
Alexander Payne will receive the society’s Harold Lloyd Award for achievement in filmmaking, while director Darren Aronofsky and Sphere Entertainment will receive Earthday.org’s Voices For the Earth Award for Postcard from Earth, the first movie made for new Las Vegas entertainment venue Sphere.
The ceremony will be held Feb. 9 at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Academy Award-winner Payne’s films include Sideways, Nebraska and his latest, The Holdovers, which won a pair of Golden Globes on Sunday for actors Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
“We are thrilled to be honoring Alexander Payne, a brilliant filmmaker whose career has inspired audiences by writing and directing nuanced personal stories that reveal deeper realities of American life,” said Suzanne Lloyd, chairman of Harold Lloyd Entertainment. “Harold Lloyd, who, like Alexander Payne,...
- 1/9/2024
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
One of Jackie Chan’s action masterpieces is 1983’s Project A. The film brought Chan together with his brothers from the China Drama Academy, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. Project A features Chan’s signature action with the famous set pieces that have been inspired by such classic silent-era performers as Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin. Now, the home video distribution company 88 Films, which has released remastered Chan movies like Dragons Forever and the Police Story movies, will now be releasing Project A and Project A – Part II on 4K Blu-ray. Blu-ray.com has announced that the set will be available on April 23, 2024.
Special Features and Technical Specs include:
Dolby Vision/Hdr Presentation Of The Hong Kong Cut (106 min) Dolby Vision/Hdr Presentation Of The Taiwan Cut (115 min) Cantonese Dolby Atmos Track and Cantonese 1.0 and with newly translated subtitles + English Dub New Interview with Stuntman Mars (2024) Interview with Jackie...
Special Features and Technical Specs include:
Dolby Vision/Hdr Presentation Of The Hong Kong Cut (106 min) Dolby Vision/Hdr Presentation Of The Taiwan Cut (115 min) Cantonese Dolby Atmos Track and Cantonese 1.0 and with newly translated subtitles + English Dub New Interview with Stuntman Mars (2024) Interview with Jackie...
- 12/20/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
The classic Harold Lloyd comedy “Safety Last” is turning 100 years old this year. But with its heavy dollops of action and a superstar’s real-life derring-do, it doesn’t seem a day over 10, even if it does date back to the silent era. The film screens this Sunday as the climax of the Academy Museum’s “Silent Sundays” series, with a live score from a 24-piece orchestra helping heighten the suspense in the ultimate fear-of-heights movie.
Lloyd’s granddaughter, Suzanne Lloyd, will be on hand for the anniversary screening. As the keeper of her granddad’s flame for decades, she has perspective on how “Safety Last” resonates with contemporary audiences, especially an extended final act that has the ‘20s star climbing a skyscraper in downtown L.A. and finally hanging from a wayward clockface, in one of the most iconographic images in all of movie history.
“Maybe he was the 1920s Tom Cruise,...
Lloyd’s granddaughter, Suzanne Lloyd, will be on hand for the anniversary screening. As the keeper of her granddad’s flame for decades, she has perspective on how “Safety Last” resonates with contemporary audiences, especially an extended final act that has the ‘20s star climbing a skyscraper in downtown L.A. and finally hanging from a wayward clockface, in one of the most iconographic images in all of movie history.
“Maybe he was the 1920s Tom Cruise,...
- 8/25/2023
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Bespectacled Harold Lloyd, one of the legendary clown jewels of silent film, is best known for such films as 1924’s “Girl Shy” and “Hot Water,” 1925’s “The Freshman” and 1928’s “Speedy.” And his masterpiece “Safety Last!” is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. In this charming comedy, Lloyd’s “The Boy” leaves his small hometown hoping to make it good in the big city and earn enough money to send for his starry-eyed girlfriend (Mildred Davis). Though there are many wonderful moments in the film, “Safety Last!” is best membered for the sequence in which Lloyd defies gravity hanging from the hands of a gigantic clock of a high-rise building.
And if you live in Los Angeles and its environs, you can catch a beautifully restored screening of “Safety Last!” Sunday August 27 at 2 p.m. at the Academy Museum’s David Geffen Theater. A live orchestra conducted by Angel Velez...
And if you live in Los Angeles and its environs, you can catch a beautifully restored screening of “Safety Last!” Sunday August 27 at 2 p.m. at the Academy Museum’s David Geffen Theater. A live orchestra conducted by Angel Velez...
- 8/22/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
There’s a moment early on in Harold Lloyd’s perennial silent hit in which his character (sometimes called ‘the boy’ but sometimes bearing his own name) and the said character’s roommate Limpy Bill are in their shared apartment and hear the landlady approaching. Two weeks late with the rent and having pawned al the furniture, they glance around anxiously the somewhere to hide, then dart for the wall where their long coats are hanging, grab the hooks behind them and pull themselves up out of sight. The landlady is baffled, the threat of eviction postponed. It’s a simple but inspired comedy moment which also demonstrated the athleticism which marks out Lloyd’s particular brand of comedy.
The film is full of spirited gags like this, all building up to the famous scene in which our hero dangles from a clock face six floors up over a busy.
The film is full of spirited gags like this, all building up to the famous scene in which our hero dangles from a clock face six floors up over a busy.
- 8/18/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Carl Davis, the composer known for his BAFTA-winning score for “The French Lieutenant’s Woman” (1981), died of a brain hemorrhage on Thursday. He was 86.
Davis’ family issued a statement on social media, writing: “We are so proud that Carl’s legacy will be his astonishing impact on music. A consummate all-round musician, he was the driving force behind the reinvention of the silent movie for this generation and he wrote scores for some of the most loved and remembered British television dramas.”
Born in New York, Davis co-authored revue “Diversions” (1959), which won an off-Broadway Emmy and featured at the 1961 Edinburgh Festival. Davis moved to the U.K. in 1961 and was commissioned by the BBC to compose music for “That Was the Week That Was.” Subsequent work included BBC’s anthology play series “The Wednesday Play” (1964-70) and “Play for Today” (1970-84).
Davis then composed for several iconic British television shows, including...
Davis’ family issued a statement on social media, writing: “We are so proud that Carl’s legacy will be his astonishing impact on music. A consummate all-round musician, he was the driving force behind the reinvention of the silent movie for this generation and he wrote scores for some of the most loved and remembered British television dramas.”
Born in New York, Davis co-authored revue “Diversions” (1959), which won an off-Broadway Emmy and featured at the 1961 Edinburgh Festival. Davis moved to the U.K. in 1961 and was commissioned by the BBC to compose music for “That Was the Week That Was.” Subsequent work included BBC’s anthology play series “The Wednesday Play” (1964-70) and “Play for Today” (1970-84).
Davis then composed for several iconic British television shows, including...
- 8/3/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is twirling offstage and “The Crown” finally got to The Revenge Dress, so it has not exactly been a low-key television season when it comes to costuming. (Not to mention the genius Easter eggs hidden in Tanya’s costumes on “The White Lotus.”) But no one is surprised when shows with fabulous costumes continue to exhibit their skill at crafting fabulous costumes that serve as eye candy and character development. Here are five series that premiered during the 2022-2023 season that deserve attention from the 2023 Emmys for their costumes.
“1923” (Paramount+) “1923”Emerson Miller/Paramount+
The latest addition to Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” universe is a fascinating study of a society in transition from the rural world of “1883” to the more technologically oriented America that will see the Dutton family arriving at their home in helicopters on “Yellowstone.” Costume designer Janie Bryant straddles both worlds impeccably, with clothes...
“1923” (Paramount+) “1923”Emerson Miller/Paramount+
The latest addition to Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” universe is a fascinating study of a society in transition from the rural world of “1883” to the more technologically oriented America that will see the Dutton family arriving at their home in helicopters on “Yellowstone.” Costume designer Janie Bryant straddles both worlds impeccably, with clothes...
- 5/22/2023
- by Mark Peikert, Bill Desowitz, Sarah Shachat and Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Japan Society
One of Japan’s greatest directors, Shinji Somai, is subject of a retrospective that features many of his films in new restorations. Read our piece on Somai here.
Museum of Modern Art
A Rialto Pictures retrospective offers a smorgasbord of classic films, including The Conversation and That Obscure Object of Desire on 35mm.
Bam
A series on actor-director jobs includes Touch of Evil, Do the Right Thing, and Playtime on 35mm.
Anthology Film Archives
Three by Jean Cocteau screen in Essential Cinema, while Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One screens and a Jean Rouch retrospective begins.
Film at Lincoln Center
György Fehér’s remarkable, Béla Tarr-produced Twilight continues in a new restoration (read Z.W. Lewis on the film and its history here).
Museum of the Moving Image
Major League and a print of The Untouchables screen on Saturday.
Roxy Cinema
Schrader’s Affliction,...
Japan Society
One of Japan’s greatest directors, Shinji Somai, is subject of a retrospective that features many of his films in new restorations. Read our piece on Somai here.
Museum of Modern Art
A Rialto Pictures retrospective offers a smorgasbord of classic films, including The Conversation and That Obscure Object of Desire on 35mm.
Bam
A series on actor-director jobs includes Touch of Evil, Do the Right Thing, and Playtime on 35mm.
Anthology Film Archives
Three by Jean Cocteau screen in Essential Cinema, while Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One screens and a Jean Rouch retrospective begins.
Film at Lincoln Center
György Fehér’s remarkable, Béla Tarr-produced Twilight continues in a new restoration (read Z.W. Lewis on the film and its history here).
Museum of the Moving Image
Major League and a print of The Untouchables screen on Saturday.
Roxy Cinema
Schrader’s Affliction,...
- 4/28/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
The Deadites are set to return to theaters this weekend with director Lee Cronin's gloriously unhinged "Evil Dead Rise." Visionary director Sam Raimi's twisted version of the undead bowled over unsuspecting audiences when the original "The Evil Dead" hit in 1981, ushering in a new wave of blood-soaked mayhem and low-budget terror. When Raimi first cracked open the pages of The Necronomicon (a.k.a. the Book of the Dead) in that first film, the overall tone and texture of his breakthrough debut was decidedly darker and grittier than the films that followed. When five innocent college kids accidentally unleash Hell itself at a remote cabin in the woods, the dark spirits found in "The Evil Dead" are only concerned with wreaking as much havoc as possible. If you're Ash (Bruce Campbell), the reality of watching your girlfriend Linda (Betsy Baker) and your buddies transform into possessed soul eaters...
- 4/21/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Film at Lincoln Center
György Fehér’s remarkable, Béla Tarr-produced Twilight opens in a new restoration (read Z.W. Lewis on the film and its history here) while Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s early feature Passion continues screening (read Daniel Eagen’s interview with him here).
Museum of the Moving Image
A series on Jeanne Dielman‘s influences brings the film itself, further work by Akerman and Michael Snow; a program of Maya Deren movies plays on 16mm this Sunday; Sunrise plays on 35mm this Sunday, while Coraline shows in 3D.
Roxy Cinema
Resident Evil, Spring Breakers, and The Terminator have 35mm showings while Dennis Hopper’s Out of the Blue and The Trial screen in 4K restorations.
Light Industry
The Hong Kong Category III (read: very dirty) films of Fan Ho play this weekend, including a special 16mm presentation on Sunday.
Film at Lincoln Center
György Fehér’s remarkable, Béla Tarr-produced Twilight opens in a new restoration (read Z.W. Lewis on the film and its history here) while Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s early feature Passion continues screening (read Daniel Eagen’s interview with him here).
Museum of the Moving Image
A series on Jeanne Dielman‘s influences brings the film itself, further work by Akerman and Michael Snow; a program of Maya Deren movies plays on 16mm this Sunday; Sunrise plays on 35mm this Sunday, while Coraline shows in 3D.
Roxy Cinema
Resident Evil, Spring Breakers, and The Terminator have 35mm showings while Dennis Hopper’s Out of the Blue and The Trial screen in 4K restorations.
Light Industry
The Hong Kong Category III (read: very dirty) films of Fan Ho play this weekend, including a special 16mm presentation on Sunday.
- 4/21/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
In this silent supernatural epic, a drunken applejack salesman is thrust into the frigid wilderness. Can he go from zero to hero, become North America's greatest fur trapper, and defeat hundreds of beavers? I've been making a concentrated effort to go through the filmography of Harold Lloyd lately. It's the perfect remedy for what ails you. Of course you watch enough of Lloyd's antics and it gets you thinking, "There just are not enough silent films, even rarer, silent horror comedy films". Cue Mike Cheslik's Hundreds of Beavers. Hundreds of Beavers is currently romping through the festival circuit, appearing in a dozen festivals during the month of April alone. It had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest back in September. The teaser...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 4/13/2023
- Screen Anarchy
NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Roxy Cinema
The Last Temptation of Christ and The Flowers of St. Francis have 35mm showings for Easter Weekend, while Barbarella and The Terminator also screen on film; Ken Jacobs’ Two Wrenching Departures plays on Sunday with Jacobs present.
IFC Center
Gregg Araki presents Something Wild on 35mm this Friday, while his film The Doom Generation opens in a director’s cut; Beau Travail offers a Claire Denis fix; Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight screen, while Akira and Barb Wire have late showings, with Wild Things showing on 35mm.
Bam
One of Shôhei Imamura’s last films, Warm Water Under a Red Bridge, is screening, while “Queering the Canon” offers films by Lizzie Borden, Funeral Parade of Roses, and more.
Museum of the Moving Image
A series on Jeanne Dielman‘s influences brings the film itself and work by Varda,...
Roxy Cinema
The Last Temptation of Christ and The Flowers of St. Francis have 35mm showings for Easter Weekend, while Barbarella and The Terminator also screen on film; Ken Jacobs’ Two Wrenching Departures plays on Sunday with Jacobs present.
IFC Center
Gregg Araki presents Something Wild on 35mm this Friday, while his film The Doom Generation opens in a director’s cut; Beau Travail offers a Claire Denis fix; Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight screen, while Akira and Barb Wire have late showings, with Wild Things showing on 35mm.
Bam
One of Shôhei Imamura’s last films, Warm Water Under a Red Bridge, is screening, while “Queering the Canon” offers films by Lizzie Borden, Funeral Parade of Roses, and more.
Museum of the Moving Image
A series on Jeanne Dielman‘s influences brings the film itself and work by Varda,...
- 4/7/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
“Jumping off is easy, Stepping off is hard”. A line uttered by Jackie Chan in his latest feature, a tribute to the role of the stuntman. In many ways a line that echoes the career of the great performer. Over the past decade, we have gone from the expectation of a Jackie Chan release, to hope after recent disappointments such as “Kung Fu Yoga” and “The Vanguard”. Whilst those made references to his advancing years, they still felt like imitations of what we had seen and become accustomed to before. With “Ride On”, we get a glimpse of a man finally coming to terms with his own mortality. Consequently, we got one of his most interesting works in quite some time.
Trinity CineAsia proudly presents heart-warming action comedy Ride On, starring international superstar Jackie Chan, in selected UK cinemas from 7th Apri
Luo (Jackie Chan) is a washed up stuntman...
Trinity CineAsia proudly presents heart-warming action comedy Ride On, starring international superstar Jackie Chan, in selected UK cinemas from 7th Apri
Luo (Jackie Chan) is a washed up stuntman...
- 4/6/2023
- by Ben Stykuc
- AsianMoviePulse
by Cláudio Alves
Today marks a century since Harold Lloyd delivered his most legendary work to movie theaters. Safety Last! is a silent comedy classic, featuring such riveting stunts as the famous climax that finds our hero hanging from a clock. Though no other Lloyd picture has a comparable legacy, the man's filmography is a treasure trove for slapstick lovers with an inclination for bespectacled hunks. If you have any doubts, jump over to the Criterion Channel, where a new 42-title collection showcases the man's work from the late 1910s to the advent of sound and 1936's Milky Way. If you're not entertained, see a doctor, stat.
But of course, maybe Lloyd's not your preferred flavor of silent comedy. Amid the classic loving community, it seems everyone has a favorite from the three big names that defined Hollywood slapstick and continue to live in the public imagination. So, because this is a day for foolishness,...
Today marks a century since Harold Lloyd delivered his most legendary work to movie theaters. Safety Last! is a silent comedy classic, featuring such riveting stunts as the famous climax that finds our hero hanging from a clock. Though no other Lloyd picture has a comparable legacy, the man's filmography is a treasure trove for slapstick lovers with an inclination for bespectacled hunks. If you have any doubts, jump over to the Criterion Channel, where a new 42-title collection showcases the man's work from the late 1910s to the advent of sound and 1936's Milky Way. If you're not entertained, see a doctor, stat.
But of course, maybe Lloyd's not your preferred flavor of silent comedy. Amid the classic loving community, it seems everyone has a favorite from the three big names that defined Hollywood slapstick and continue to live in the public imagination. So, because this is a day for foolishness,...
- 4/1/2023
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Museum of the Moving Image
A series on Jeanne Dielman‘s influences brings the film itself and work by Snow, Bresson, and Pasolini; somewhat different from Jeanne Dielman, Godzilla vs. Megalon plays Friday and Sunday.
Anthology Film Archives
A Joe Dante retrospective begins; films by Luis Buñuel and Chaplin screen through the weekend in Essential Cinema.
Film Forum
The recently restored Finnish classic Eight Deadly Shots begins its two-part run; Bob Fosse’s Sweet Charity and The Conformist continue; two Harold Lloyd movies screen; The Jackie Robinson Story plays on 35mm this Sunday.
Film at Lincoln Center
The newly restored Drylongso continues screening. (Read our interview with director Cauleen Smith here.)
IFC Center
White Material, Chocolat, and Beau Travail offer a Claire Denis fix; Before Sunrise and Before Sunset screen, while Fight Club, Akira, Jaws, Barb Wire, and Poison Ivy have late showings,...
Museum of the Moving Image
A series on Jeanne Dielman‘s influences brings the film itself and work by Snow, Bresson, and Pasolini; somewhat different from Jeanne Dielman, Godzilla vs. Megalon plays Friday and Sunday.
Anthology Film Archives
A Joe Dante retrospective begins; films by Luis Buñuel and Chaplin screen through the weekend in Essential Cinema.
Film Forum
The recently restored Finnish classic Eight Deadly Shots begins its two-part run; Bob Fosse’s Sweet Charity and The Conformist continue; two Harold Lloyd movies screen; The Jackie Robinson Story plays on 35mm this Sunday.
Film at Lincoln Center
The newly restored Drylongso continues screening. (Read our interview with director Cauleen Smith here.)
IFC Center
White Material, Chocolat, and Beau Travail offer a Claire Denis fix; Before Sunrise and Before Sunset screen, while Fight Club, Akira, Jaws, Barb Wire, and Poison Ivy have late showings,...
- 3/31/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Let's clear something up: You don't have to love Jar Jar Binks to appreciate both the character and especially actor Ahmed Best's place in film history. By the same token, you're allowed to feel the inelegant Gungan was an unsuccessful attempt by George Lucas to pay homage to silent comedy giants like Harold Lloyd in the context of his "Star Wars" prequel trilogy. Or perhaps you've always had a soft spot for the flappy-eared, blundering sidekick. You're allowed to feel whichever way you want about him, I promise!
Whatever your outlook towards Mr. Binks and the way Lucas conceived him, we should all be able to agree Best wasn't the problem. The actor was unfairly maligned by toxic fans for his portrayal of the character in the wake of "The Phantom Menace" hitting theaters in 1999. Taken on its own terms, his performance as Jar Jar is quite remarkable -- seriously!
Whatever your outlook towards Mr. Binks and the way Lucas conceived him, we should all be able to agree Best wasn't the problem. The actor was unfairly maligned by toxic fans for his portrayal of the character in the wake of "The Phantom Menace" hitting theaters in 1999. Taken on its own terms, his performance as Jar Jar is quite remarkable -- seriously!
- 3/27/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Harold Lloyd’s stunts in Safety Last! make it one of the most heart-in-mouth films of all time. On its 100th birthday, his granddaughter remembers his mastery, inspiration – and the real-life love at the film’s heart
It is one of the most famous images in film history: a bespectacled man dangles from the hands of a broken clock, 12 storeys above the Los Angeles traffic. The climax of Harold Lloyd’s slapstick suspense masterpiece Safety Last!, which is about to celebrate its centenary, is also a defining image of the city, much like the construction workers perched on a steel beam in the 1932 news photograph Lunch Atop a Skyscraper is for New York. They share a sense of the giddy dangers of 20th-century urbanism, and the precarity of the working man.
Harold, the hero of Safety Last!, is just such an ordinary joe: a department store sales clerk struggling to keep his job,...
It is one of the most famous images in film history: a bespectacled man dangles from the hands of a broken clock, 12 storeys above the Los Angeles traffic. The climax of Harold Lloyd’s slapstick suspense masterpiece Safety Last!, which is about to celebrate its centenary, is also a defining image of the city, much like the construction workers perched on a steel beam in the 1932 news photograph Lunch Atop a Skyscraper is for New York. They share a sense of the giddy dangers of 20th-century urbanism, and the precarity of the working man.
Harold, the hero of Safety Last!, is just such an ordinary joe: a department store sales clerk struggling to keep his job,...
- 3/24/2023
- by Pamela Hutchinson
- The Guardian - Film News
Good news for those who wish to know what their Twitter feed’s jacking off to: the Criterion Channel are launching an erotic thriller series that includes De Palma’s Dressed to Kill and Body Double, the Wachowskis’ Bound, and so many other movies to stir up that ceaseless, fruitless “why do movies have sex scenes?” discourse. (Better or worse than middle-age film critics implying they have a hard-on? I’m so indignant at being forced to choose.) Similarly lurid, if not a bit more frightening, is a David Lynch retro that includes the Criterion editions of Lost Highway and Inland Empire (about which I spoke to Lynch last year), a series of shorts, and a one-month-only engagement for Dune, a film that should be there in perpetuity.
Retrospectives of Harold Lloyd, Rohmer’s Tales of the Four Seasons, and shorts by Fanta Régina Nacro round out the big debuts,...
Retrospectives of Harold Lloyd, Rohmer’s Tales of the Four Seasons, and shorts by Fanta Régina Nacro round out the big debuts,...
- 3/20/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Leslie H. Martinson's 1966 feature film "Batman," a spinoff feature from the popular TV series that launched the same year, is -- without hyperbole -- one of the best films of its decade. There is no film more sublimely self-aware, more colorful, funnier, or more brazenly entertaining than "Batman." None of the Batman films since have managed to approach Martinson's miraculous cinematic purity and subversive satire. "Batman" celebrates the ridiculous, childlike glory inherent in superhero comics, while also sending it up; Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) are so obnoxiously square, one can't help but laugh at them a little bit. However, West and Ward are so brilliantly earnest in their comedic performances, one can't help but also admire their genius. Add to that four over-the-top villain performances from Cesar Romero, Frank Gorshin, Lee Meriwether, and Burgess Meredith, and one can see how "Batman" approaches the sublime. It is...
- 2/27/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
There were numerous superstars during the silent era from the clown princes of comedy Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd to such dramatic and action icons as Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Rudolph Valentino, John Gilbert, Greta Garbo, Gloria Swanson and Lillian Gish. One was a good boy — the German Shepherd Rin Tin Tin. Not only is Rin Tin Tin, aka Rinty, credited with saving Warner Bros., but Hollywood lore also insists he, not Emil Jannings, was the first Best Actor Oscar winner.
With Warner Brothers celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and the Academy Awards just around the corner, it’s time to look at the Rinty phenomenon and its place in Hollywood history.
Rinty wasn’t the first canine star. Blair, the pet collie of British director Cecil Hepworth, headlined his 1905 thriller “Rescued by Rover.” The film was so popular it had to be shot twice because the...
With Warner Brothers celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and the Academy Awards just around the corner, it’s time to look at the Rinty phenomenon and its place in Hollywood history.
Rinty wasn’t the first canine star. Blair, the pet collie of British director Cecil Hepworth, headlined his 1905 thriller “Rescued by Rover.” The film was so popular it had to be shot twice because the...
- 2/27/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
As an accomplished character actor and leading man, David Harbour has just about done it all in his career. But his latest role as Ernest the Ghost in Netflix’s We Have a Ghost is unlike any character he—or almost any other modern actor—has ever attempted. The gimmick is this: Harbour has no lines. He doesn’t speak once in the entire movie.
Actors lend their voices to movies without showing their faces all the time, but rarely does it happen the other way around for a leading performance in the 21st century. The question is, why make a movie in which one of its most recognizable stars on Netflix doesn’t say a word?
The answer is the same for any question about good artistic choices: Because it makes the story better.
Speaking of the story, it revolves around the Presley family, who’s just moved into...
Actors lend their voices to movies without showing their faces all the time, but rarely does it happen the other way around for a leading performance in the 21st century. The question is, why make a movie in which one of its most recognizable stars on Netflix doesn’t say a word?
The answer is the same for any question about good artistic choices: Because it makes the story better.
Speaking of the story, it revolves around the Presley family, who’s just moved into...
- 2/24/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Avatar: The Way of Water and Elvis were big winners at the 13th Advanced Imaging Society Lumiere Awards, which celebrated the creative and technical achievements that brought showmanship to entertainment during the year.
“It’s just this great big glorious marriage between the performing arts and the technical arts,” summed up Elvis helmer Baz Luhrmann during the presentation Friday at The Beverly Hills Hotel. Honorees and presenters included The Way of Water producer Jon Landau and the film’s Oscar-nominated VFX supervisors, Eric Saindon from Wētā FX and Richie Baneham from Lightstorm; Elvis star Austin Butler; Pinocchio‘s Guillermo del Toro; Babylon‘s Damien Chazelle; and Top Gun: Maverick‘s Jerry Bruckheimer.
Avatar: The Way of Water won the award for best live-action feature. Accepting with Saindon and Baneham, Landau saluted the technical community and urged them to continue to “innovate technologies that allow filmmakers to tell stories that could not otherwise be told.
“It’s just this great big glorious marriage between the performing arts and the technical arts,” summed up Elvis helmer Baz Luhrmann during the presentation Friday at The Beverly Hills Hotel. Honorees and presenters included The Way of Water producer Jon Landau and the film’s Oscar-nominated VFX supervisors, Eric Saindon from Wētā FX and Richie Baneham from Lightstorm; Elvis star Austin Butler; Pinocchio‘s Guillermo del Toro; Babylon‘s Damien Chazelle; and Top Gun: Maverick‘s Jerry Bruckheimer.
Avatar: The Way of Water won the award for best live-action feature. Accepting with Saindon and Baneham, Landau saluted the technical community and urged them to continue to “innovate technologies that allow filmmakers to tell stories that could not otherwise be told.
- 2/11/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chicago – On the next stop on the book tour, Chicago International Film Festival Founder Michael Kutza will talk about his book “Starstruck: How I Magically Transformed Chicago into Hollywood for More than 50 Years” at Chicago’s Union Club on Tuesday, January 31st, 2023. The tome is a dishy insider account of his two generation run as a film influencer, and moderating the event will be entertainment reporter Candace Jordan. Tickets and more information are available by clicking Starstruck.
After retiring from the festival in 2018, Kutza authored the story, which talks of his early years growing up on Chicago’s West Side, his early interest as a short filmmaker and his founding of one of the most important film festivals in cinema history in 1964. Before Sundance, Telluride, Toronto and Tribeca, there was Michael Kutza and the Chicago International Film Festival.
Michael Kutza of ‘Starstruck’
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.
After retiring from the festival in 2018, Kutza authored the story, which talks of his early years growing up on Chicago’s West Side, his early interest as a short filmmaker and his founding of one of the most important film festivals in cinema history in 1964. Before Sundance, Telluride, Toronto and Tribeca, there was Michael Kutza and the Chicago International Film Festival.
Michael Kutza of ‘Starstruck’
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.
- 1/30/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
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
Exclusive: Elvis filmmaker Baz Luhrmann has been tapped to receive the Advanced Imaging Society’s Harold Lloyd Award at the 2023 Lumiere Awards, which are taking place at The Beverly Hills Hotel on February 10.
Named after the iconic 20th century movie star who over the course of his career starred in almost 200 comedies — both before and after the transition from silent films to talkies — the Harold Lloyd Lumiere Award is a recognition of distinguished achievement in filmmaking. It’s presented annually, in partnership with the Harold Lloyd family, to directors who have marshaled technology to empower their storytelling.
Past recipients of the honor include Denis Villeneuve, Martin Scorsese, Ang Lee, Jon Favreau, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Victoria Alonso, James Cameron, James Mangold and Christopher McQuarrie, to name a few.
Luhrmann will be joined as an honoree at the Advanced Imaging Society’s 13th annual awards luncheon by Avatar: The Way of Water collaborators James Cameron and Jon Landau,...
Named after the iconic 20th century movie star who over the course of his career starred in almost 200 comedies — both before and after the transition from silent films to talkies — the Harold Lloyd Lumiere Award is a recognition of distinguished achievement in filmmaking. It’s presented annually, in partnership with the Harold Lloyd family, to directors who have marshaled technology to empower their storytelling.
Past recipients of the honor include Denis Villeneuve, Martin Scorsese, Ang Lee, Jon Favreau, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Victoria Alonso, James Cameron, James Mangold and Christopher McQuarrie, to name a few.
Luhrmann will be joined as an honoree at the Advanced Imaging Society’s 13th annual awards luncheon by Avatar: The Way of Water collaborators James Cameron and Jon Landau,...
- 1/12/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Before John Wayne began making low-budget Westerns in the 1930s, stunt performers were rarely, if ever, acknowledged or given credit for their work. Studios didn't want to break the illusion to reveal that it wasn't the main star on-screen performing their own stunts, so the practice became one of Hollywood's biggest secrets. Looking back on the history of stunts from the era, the British Action Academy noted that, during that time, studios and directors began demanding more dangerous stunts that resulted in a large increase in on-set fatalities.
The marquee star wasn't in mortal jeopardy and some actors like Harold Lloyd had it written into their contracts that it could never be revealed when a stuntman was utilized. Tom Mix, the first bonafide movie star, always claimed that he was the one who made the famous horse jump across the Beale's Cut ravine in John Ford's 1923 short film, "3 Jumps Ahead.
The marquee star wasn't in mortal jeopardy and some actors like Harold Lloyd had it written into their contracts that it could never be revealed when a stuntman was utilized. Tom Mix, the first bonafide movie star, always claimed that he was the one who made the famous horse jump across the Beale's Cut ravine in John Ford's 1923 short film, "3 Jumps Ahead.
- 1/3/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
Chicago – Looking for a last minute book gift for the Chicago film buff? Well, it doesn’t get any more insider than “Starstruck: How I Magically Transformed Chicago into Hollywood for More than 50 Years” by Michael Kutza … the founder of the Chicago International Film Festival and a film influencer for a couple generations.
Michael Kutza is taking a well-deserved victory lap, after retiring from the festival in 2018. In “Starstruck,” he talks of his early years growing up on Chicago’s West Side, his early interest as a short filmmaker and his founding of one of the most important film festivals in cinema history in 1964. Before Sundance, Telluride, Toronto and Tribeca, there was Michael Kutza and the Chicago International Film Festival.
Michael Kutza of ‘Starstruck’
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
During his 55 years in film, Michael supported the early careers of many cinema titans, including Martin Scorsese,...
Michael Kutza is taking a well-deserved victory lap, after retiring from the festival in 2018. In “Starstruck,” he talks of his early years growing up on Chicago’s West Side, his early interest as a short filmmaker and his founding of one of the most important film festivals in cinema history in 1964. Before Sundance, Telluride, Toronto and Tribeca, there was Michael Kutza and the Chicago International Film Festival.
Michael Kutza of ‘Starstruck’
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
During his 55 years in film, Michael supported the early careers of many cinema titans, including Martin Scorsese,...
- 12/21/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Cate Blanchett has received a symphony of praise from critics for her starring role in Todd Fields’ “Tar”and as a strong-willed orchestra conductor. Lydia Tar speaks her mind whether making a fool out of a conducting student at Juilliard or threatening a young girl bullying her daughter at school. But Tar’s diva-tude has nothing on the Sir Alfred de Carter (Rex Harrison) the famed conductor with an ego as big as the Ritz in writer/director/producer Preston Sturges’ hilarious dark 1948 comedy “Unfaithfully Yours.”
Sturges had had an incredible run at Paramount with his brilliant comedies: 1940’s “The Great McGinty,” for which he won the original screenplay Oscar and “Christmas in July”; 1941’s “The Lady Eve” and “Sullivan’s Travels”; 1942’s “The Palm Beach Story”; and 1944’s “The Miracle at Morgan’s Creek” and “Hail the Conquering Hero.” But then came many clashes with Paramount executives, the 1944 critical...
Sturges had had an incredible run at Paramount with his brilliant comedies: 1940’s “The Great McGinty,” for which he won the original screenplay Oscar and “Christmas in July”; 1941’s “The Lady Eve” and “Sullivan’s Travels”; 1942’s “The Palm Beach Story”; and 1944’s “The Miracle at Morgan’s Creek” and “Hail the Conquering Hero.” But then came many clashes with Paramount executives, the 1944 critical...
- 11/17/2022
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Judging from its dazzlingly chaotic trailer, Damien Chazelle's "Babylon" is hellbent on capturing early Hollywood in all its debauched, Roaring Twenties glory. The particulars of the plot are being kept under wraps, but it appears to be about the suddenly shifting fortunes of an industry about to plunge headlong into the era of sound motion pictures (aka "talkies"). With a ludicrously talented and attractive ensemble cast that includes Bradd Pitt, Margot Robie, Diego Calva, Olivia Wilde, Jovan Adepo and the should-be-in-everything Samara Weaving, it could be about the manufacturing of curling stones and we'd be there on opening day.
Though the film looks like a boozy blast, the sobering truth is that many great artists struggled with the transition from silents to talkies. Cinema had progressed tremendously as a visual medium. Masters like F.W. Murnau, Fritz Lang and Franz Borzage crafted films that were stylized, expressive and utterly captivating,...
Though the film looks like a boozy blast, the sobering truth is that many great artists struggled with the transition from silents to talkies. Cinema had progressed tremendously as a visual medium. Masters like F.W. Murnau, Fritz Lang and Franz Borzage crafted films that were stylized, expressive and utterly captivating,...
- 11/8/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
A few decades after the first experiments with the new technology of film, cinema in the 1920s was beginning to come of age. Filmmakers mastered the essentials and embarked on ambitious storytelling projects with increased flair and sophistication, turning movies from novelty to art in just a few short years. The film industry began operating at full capacity in the 1920s, churning out feature-length productions on a scale and frequency that would have been unthinkable a decade earlier.
Filmmakers of the 1920s start to diversify, some becoming experts in the large-scale epics that were the earliest versions of blockbusters, while others honed a unique style as auteurs that would define the period as part of a larger artistic movement. Our first movie stars come from this era, both silent comedians whose death-defying pratfalls rival any stunts performed today as well as romantic matinee idols who had audiences eating out of the palm of their hands.
Filmmakers of the 1920s start to diversify, some becoming experts in the large-scale epics that were the earliest versions of blockbusters, while others honed a unique style as auteurs that would define the period as part of a larger artistic movement. Our first movie stars come from this era, both silent comedians whose death-defying pratfalls rival any stunts performed today as well as romantic matinee idols who had audiences eating out of the palm of their hands.
- 11/8/2022
- by Audrey Fox
- Slash Film
Do you know when the first movie premiere in Hollywood history was held?
On Oct. 18. 1922 Sid Grauman opened his movie palace the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. with superstar Douglas Fairbank’s latest swashbuckler “Robin Hood.” The red carpet was rolled out for Fairbanks, his wife Mary Pickford and their good friend (and partner in United Artists) Charlie Chaplin. It cost 5 to attend the premiere. And the movie, which was the top box office draw, played there exclusively for several months. The Egyptian cost 800,000 to build and took 18 months to complete for Grauman and real estate developer Charles E. Toberman. It is currently being renovated by Netflix in cooperation with the American Cinematheque.
“Robin Hood,” directed by Allan Dwan, was one of the most expensive movies of the silent era, costing just under 1 million. The castle was the biggest set ever made for a silent movie. Some scenes feature over 1,200 extras.
On Oct. 18. 1922 Sid Grauman opened his movie palace the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. with superstar Douglas Fairbank’s latest swashbuckler “Robin Hood.” The red carpet was rolled out for Fairbanks, his wife Mary Pickford and their good friend (and partner in United Artists) Charlie Chaplin. It cost 5 to attend the premiere. And the movie, which was the top box office draw, played there exclusively for several months. The Egyptian cost 800,000 to build and took 18 months to complete for Grauman and real estate developer Charles E. Toberman. It is currently being renovated by Netflix in cooperation with the American Cinematheque.
“Robin Hood,” directed by Allan Dwan, was one of the most expensive movies of the silent era, costing just under 1 million. The castle was the biggest set ever made for a silent movie. Some scenes feature over 1,200 extras.
- 10/25/2022
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Chicago – Chicago International Film Festival Founder Michael Kutza will sign his new book – “Starstruck: How I Magically Transformed Chicago into Hollywood for More than 50 Years” – during the current Fest, at Chicago’s AMC River East lobby from 6-9pm on October 19th, 2022.
The powerful film influencer is taking a well-deserved victory lap, after retiring from the festival in 2018. In “Starstruck,” he tells stories of his early years growing up on Chicago’s West Side, his early interest as a short filmmaker and in 1964, his founding of one of the most important film festivals in cinema history. Before Sundance, Telluride, Toronto and Tribeca, there was Michael Kutza and the Chicago International Film Festival.
Michael Kutza to Sign ‘Starstruck’
Photo credit: ChicagoFilmFestival.com
During his 55 years in film, Michael supported the early careers of many cinema titans, including Martin Scorsese, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Claude LeLouch, Wim Wenders, Margarethe von Trotta, Mike Leigh,...
The powerful film influencer is taking a well-deserved victory lap, after retiring from the festival in 2018. In “Starstruck,” he tells stories of his early years growing up on Chicago’s West Side, his early interest as a short filmmaker and in 1964, his founding of one of the most important film festivals in cinema history. Before Sundance, Telluride, Toronto and Tribeca, there was Michael Kutza and the Chicago International Film Festival.
Michael Kutza to Sign ‘Starstruck’
Photo credit: ChicagoFilmFestival.com
During his 55 years in film, Michael supported the early careers of many cinema titans, including Martin Scorsese, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Claude LeLouch, Wim Wenders, Margarethe von Trotta, Mike Leigh,...
- 10/17/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
An age in which the use of CGI reigns supreme in Hollywood blockbusters means that audiences tend to be less impressed about the scale of imaginary worlds and the scope of action-packed battles, but "Mad Max: Fury Road" stands out as a milestone achievement in practical effects and visual storytelling. The film feels both groundbreaking in its use of modern technology yet classic in its embrace of traditional filmmaking spectacle that hearken back to the age of the silent film star.
The "Mad Max" films have almost never embraced heavy exposition or long speeches, and Max Rockatansky himself resembles gritty antiheroes like Clint Eastwood's The Man with No Name more than the fast-talking, quippy heroes that reign in today's blockbusters. Max is famously curt in his delivery, grunting and tongue-clicking more than actually talking, and his co-stars often follow his lead. This lack of dialogue may make it seem...
The "Mad Max" films have almost never embraced heavy exposition or long speeches, and Max Rockatansky himself resembles gritty antiheroes like Clint Eastwood's The Man with No Name more than the fast-talking, quippy heroes that reign in today's blockbusters. Max is famously curt in his delivery, grunting and tongue-clicking more than actually talking, and his co-stars often follow his lead. This lack of dialogue may make it seem...
- 10/9/2022
- by Andrew Housman
- Slash Film
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