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
There was a fragile consensus about "Eyes Wide Shut" when it debuted back in 1999: that it was a bit of a letdown. Audiences had expected to see married co-stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman play out erotic fantasies and were disappointed to experience Stanley Kubrick's oneiric odyssey instead. But while the effect of that disappointment still lingers, as with all Kubrick films, time has seen "Eyes Wide Shut" gain more respect as a multi-layered exploration of sexual desire and naivety.
The film defies precise definition with its mix of dark humor, drama, and erotic imagery. It's based on Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 novella "Traumnovelle" ("Dream Story"), shifting the events of the book from early 20th-century Vienna to late-'90s New York City. Tom Cruise plays Dr. Bill Harford whose wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), sends him reeling into the New York night after revealing she'd considered having an affair. The...
The film defies precise definition with its mix of dark humor, drama, and erotic imagery. It's based on Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 novella "Traumnovelle" ("Dream Story"), shifting the events of the book from early 20th-century Vienna to late-'90s New York City. Tom Cruise plays Dr. Bill Harford whose wife, Alice (Nicole Kidman), sends him reeling into the New York night after revealing she'd considered having an affair. The...
- 1/14/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
By the time Stanley Kubrick came to direct "Full Metal Jacket" in the mid-1980s, his legendary status had been well and truly established. At that point, most of his filmography was behind him. "Full Metal Jacket," released in 1987, would be his penultimate film, followed by "Eyes Wide Shut" in 1999 — the same year the director passed away. But Kubrick had long since ascended to a status in Hollywood that few other directors ever had or would reach. Naturally, actors were eager to be a part of his Vietnam War epic.
Kubrick, ever the informed and calculating artist, was well-aware of his reputation and took a characteristically unique approach to casting "Full Metal Jacket" by playing on that reputation. The director had always put the story first on whatever project he was working on, and as such was diligent about getting the right actors for his roles. As "Full Metal Jacket...
Kubrick, ever the informed and calculating artist, was well-aware of his reputation and took a characteristically unique approach to casting "Full Metal Jacket" by playing on that reputation. The director had always put the story first on whatever project he was working on, and as such was diligent about getting the right actors for his roles. As "Full Metal Jacket...
- 12/31/2022
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Galling Oscar snubs are often as well remembered as the actual winners. R. Lee Ermey's performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" is a legendary one, but it was totally unrecognized by the Academy. Ermey, a former Marine and drill instructor himself, drew on his past life to play the psychopathic Sergeant. Hartman goes above and beyond what's required of him, speaking in a constantly raised tone and saying nothing but bigotry and abuse. In the end, he pushes Private Leonard Lawrence (Vincent D'Onofrio) too far and gets a personal taste of how successful he was at making the boy into a killer.
When awards season came around, the best result Ermey came to was a Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor nomination (he also won the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor). Matthew Modine, who played the movie's protagonist Private...
When awards season came around, the best result Ermey came to was a Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor nomination (he also won the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor). Matthew Modine, who played the movie's protagonist Private...
- 11/14/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
For cinephiles, every Cate Blanchett film is a major event simply because of her participation, but "TÁR" represents the turning of a new page for the actress. The film is both aware of and informed by Blanchett's stature and prowess. It's the most overt sign to date that her commanding screen presence is too big to deny. Her brilliance is now just a commonly held truth.
At this point, declaring that Cate Blanchett is the best actress of her generation should hardly qualify as a controversial statement. She's Gen X's answer to Meryl Streep, both in the consistent quality of her work and her undeniable commitment to the craft of acting. While we've come to expect certain elements from a Blanchett performance — resolute strength, undeniable intelligence, and a flair for the theatrical — each is its own distinct and special experience. And with her interest in producing only just beginning to...
At this point, declaring that Cate Blanchett is the best actress of her generation should hardly qualify as a controversial statement. She's Gen X's answer to Meryl Streep, both in the consistent quality of her work and her undeniable commitment to the craft of acting. While we've come to expect certain elements from a Blanchett performance — resolute strength, undeniable intelligence, and a flair for the theatrical — each is its own distinct and special experience. And with her interest in producing only just beginning to...
- 11/9/2022
- by Marshall Shaffer
- Slash Film
Above: US Teaser poster for Crimes of the Future. Design by Bangers & Mash.In the middle of the Venice Film Festival, and in the lead-up to the Toronto and New York fests, still the most “liked” poster of the last six months of my Movie Poster of the Day Instagram was a teaser poster that appeared in the run-up to Cannes in the spring. The poster was for was one of the most anticipated films of Cannes, a film that has since been disseminated to the world with a much tamer big-head poster and even tamer home video art. The Crimes of the Future teaser racked up nearly 2,000 likes and not far behind it was a gorgeous art print for Cronenberg’s 30-year-old Naked Lunch by the very talented (and seemingly Cronenberg-obsessed) Nick Charge that I posted a few months later. As I’ve been doing for the past few years,...
- 9/9/2022
- MUBI
British actor who went on to work for the film director Stanley Kubrick as an assistant, casting adviser and ‘sort of gatekeeper’
Leon Vitali, who has died aged 74, occupied a unique position in the life and cinema of Stanley Kubrick. He was assistant, facilitator, casting adviser, archivist, intermediary and dogsbody. “A sort of gatekeeper” was how Vitali put it in 2018. It could be difficult to tell where one man ended and the other began: Kubrick sometimes signed letters with Vitali’s name, while Vitali had permission to tell intransigent colleagues: “What you say to me, you say to Stanley.” The men even shared the same birthday, two decades apart.
They met when Vitali was cast at the age of 24 in the director’s magisterial Thackeray adaptation Barry Lyndon (1975). Vitali gave an indignant, explosive performance as Lord Bullingdon, who rages against his stepfather, an opportunistic cad played by Ryan O’Neal, finally...
Leon Vitali, who has died aged 74, occupied a unique position in the life and cinema of Stanley Kubrick. He was assistant, facilitator, casting adviser, archivist, intermediary and dogsbody. “A sort of gatekeeper” was how Vitali put it in 2018. It could be difficult to tell where one man ended and the other began: Kubrick sometimes signed letters with Vitali’s name, while Vitali had permission to tell intransigent colleagues: “What you say to me, you say to Stanley.” The men even shared the same birthday, two decades apart.
They met when Vitali was cast at the age of 24 in the director’s magisterial Thackeray adaptation Barry Lyndon (1975). Vitali gave an indignant, explosive performance as Lord Bullingdon, who rages against his stepfather, an opportunistic cad played by Ryan O’Neal, finally...
- 8/28/2022
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Vitali, who gave up acting to become the demanding director’s right-hand man, died in Los Angeles on Friday
Leon Vitali, the Barry Lyndon actor who became one of Stanley Kubrick’s closest associates, has died at the age of 74.
Vitali died on Friday in Los Angeles, his family said on Sunday. He died peacefully surrounded by loved ones including his three children, Masha, Max and Vera.
Leon Vitali, the Barry Lyndon actor who became one of Stanley Kubrick’s closest associates, has died at the age of 74.
Vitali died on Friday in Los Angeles, his family said on Sunday. He died peacefully surrounded by loved ones including his three children, Masha, Max and Vera.
- 8/22/2022
- by Associated Press
- The Guardian - Film News
Leon Vitali, one of Stanley Kubrick’s closest collaborators, died on Saturday night at the age of 74, Kubrick announced in a series of tweets Sunday.
“It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night. Our thoughts are with his family and all that new and loved him. 26 July 1948 – 20 August 2022,” Kubrick wrote.
In a subsequent post, Kubrick continued, “Whether giving the performance of his life as Lord Bullingdon, portraying the ominous Red Cloak, providing BTS technical support on Fmj and attending the Cannes Film Festival 4K release of The Shining, Leon Vitali was the heartbeat of Kubrick’s films after the master himself.”
Also Read:
Virginia Patton, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Actress, Dies at 97
No further details of his passing or the cause of death have been released.
It...
“It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night. Our thoughts are with his family and all that new and loved him. 26 July 1948 – 20 August 2022,” Kubrick wrote.
In a subsequent post, Kubrick continued, “Whether giving the performance of his life as Lord Bullingdon, portraying the ominous Red Cloak, providing BTS technical support on Fmj and attending the Cannes Film Festival 4K release of The Shining, Leon Vitali was the heartbeat of Kubrick’s films after the master himself.”
Also Read:
Virginia Patton, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Actress, Dies at 97
No further details of his passing or the cause of death have been released.
It...
- 8/21/2022
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Leon Vitali, an actor in Barry Lyndon who went on to become director Stanley Kubrick’s right-hand man, died Friday in Los Angeles at age 74. His family confirmed his death to Associated Press, but no cause was given.
“Leon was a special and lovely man driven by his curiosity, who spread love and warmth wherever he went,” his children said in a statement provided by his daughter, Masha Vitali. “He will be remembered with love and be hugely missed by the many people he touched.”
Vitali was profiled in the 2017 documentary Filmworker, which spotlighted his contributions to Kubrick’ work. Filmmaker Tony Zierra’s noted that Vitali did everything from casting and coaching actors to overseeing restorations.
His duties went so far as to once setting up a video monitor so that Kubrick could keep an eye on his dying cat.
Matthew Modine, who starred in Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket,...
“Leon was a special and lovely man driven by his curiosity, who spread love and warmth wherever he went,” his children said in a statement provided by his daughter, Masha Vitali. “He will be remembered with love and be hugely missed by the many people he touched.”
Vitali was profiled in the 2017 documentary Filmworker, which spotlighted his contributions to Kubrick’ work. Filmmaker Tony Zierra’s noted that Vitali did everything from casting and coaching actors to overseeing restorations.
His duties went so far as to once setting up a video monitor so that Kubrick could keep an eye on his dying cat.
Matthew Modine, who starred in Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket,...
- 8/21/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Leon Vitali, who starred in Eyes Wide Shut and Barry Lyndon before switching his career focus from acting to serving as Stanley Kubrick’s personal assistant, has died. He was 74.
Details of Vitali’s death were not immediately available, but it was confirmed by Kubrick’s official social media presence.
“These announcements are never easy, but this one has hit us particularly hard this morning,” Kubrick’s account wrote on Instagram. “It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the talented, loyal & mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night.”
The post continued, “Our thoughts are with his family and all that knew and loved him. We will be paying tribute to Leon all day to honour him.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Stanley Kubrick...
Leon Vitali, who starred in Eyes Wide Shut and Barry Lyndon before switching his career focus from acting to serving as Stanley Kubrick’s personal assistant, has died. He was 74.
Details of Vitali’s death were not immediately available, but it was confirmed by Kubrick’s official social media presence.
“These announcements are never easy, but this one has hit us particularly hard this morning,” Kubrick’s account wrote on Instagram. “It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the talented, loyal & mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night.”
The post continued, “Our thoughts are with his family and all that knew and loved him. We will be paying tribute to Leon all day to honour him.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Stanley Kubrick...
- 8/21/2022
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
We all think of Stanley Kubrick as the ultimate mastermind director, someone in complete control of every minute detail of a picture, where every frame sprung entirely from his brain and onto the screen. In reality, he had a whole host of collaborators around him to aid in bringing that vision to life. Kubrick needed dedicated, talented people around him in order to make his films what they were. On his last four pictures, one of those invaluable team members was Leon Vitali, who sadly has passed away at the age of 74.
According to the official Stanley Kubrick Twitter account, Vitali "passed away peacefully in his sleep last night." Vitali began his partnership with Kubrick on the film "Barry Lyndon," where he gives a truly incredible performance as the titular character's step-son and rival Lord Bullingdon. Prior to that, he had been a jobbing actor, working mostly on British television.
According to the official Stanley Kubrick Twitter account, Vitali "passed away peacefully in his sleep last night." Vitali began his partnership with Kubrick on the film "Barry Lyndon," where he gives a truly incredible performance as the titular character's step-son and rival Lord Bullingdon. Prior to that, he had been a jobbing actor, working mostly on British television.
- 8/21/2022
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
Leon Vitali, Stanley Kubrick’s longtime associate who starred in “Barry Lyndon” and “Eyes Wide Shut” in addition to assisting the filmmaker throughout his career, his died at the age of 74. The news was revealed by the official Twitter account of Kubrick’s estate.
The official statement reads: “It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night. Our thoughts are with his family and all that knew and loved him. 26 July 1948 – 20 August 2022.”
Vitali began pursuing an acting career after attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He had small guest spots on a variety of television shows in the early 1970s before pivoting to feature films in 1973. He starred in the Italian film “Super Bitch,” which was directed by Sergio Leone’s longtime cinematographer Massimo Dallamano,...
The official statement reads: “It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night. Our thoughts are with his family and all that knew and loved him. 26 July 1948 – 20 August 2022.”
Vitali began pursuing an acting career after attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He had small guest spots on a variety of television shows in the early 1970s before pivoting to feature films in 1973. He starred in the Italian film “Super Bitch,” which was directed by Sergio Leone’s longtime cinematographer Massimo Dallamano,...
- 8/21/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Leon Vitali, an English actor who most notably played Lord Bullingdon in “Barry Lyndon” before becoming director Stanley Kubrick’s personal assistant, died Saturday. He was 74 years old.
Vitali’s death was confirmed by the official social media presence for Kubrick. No further details regarding Vitali’s death are available at this time.
“It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night,” the account wrote in a statement. “Our thoughts are with his family.”
It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick's films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night. Our thoughts are with his family and all that new and loved him.
26 July 1948 – 20 August 2022 pic.twitter.com/uE0Q1KvQi1
— Stanley Kubrick (@StanleyKubrick) August 21, 2022
As a screen actor,...
Vitali’s death was confirmed by the official social media presence for Kubrick. No further details regarding Vitali’s death are available at this time.
“It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night,” the account wrote in a statement. “Our thoughts are with his family.”
It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick's films, Leon Vitali, passed away peacefully last night. Our thoughts are with his family and all that new and loved him.
26 July 1948 – 20 August 2022 pic.twitter.com/uE0Q1KvQi1
— Stanley Kubrick (@StanleyKubrick) August 21, 2022
As a screen actor,...
- 8/21/2022
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Stanley Kubrick collaborator Leon Vitali has died, aged 74.
Vitali, who not only appeared in two Kubrick films, but worked as the director’s personal assistant, was described by the Kubrick estate on Sunday (21 August) as “the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films”.
He had roles in 1975’s Barry Lydon, in which he played Lord Bullingdon, and Eyes Wide Shut (1999), which also features a nod to Vitali in the form of a newspaper headline read by Tom Cruise’s lead character.
It was after his role in the former that Vitali struck up a friendship with Kubrick, and earned a “personal assistant to director” credit on his 1980 Stephen King adaptation of The Shining.
He was also the casting director for 1987’s Full Metal Jacket, which starred Matthew Modine.
“It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films,...
Vitali, who not only appeared in two Kubrick films, but worked as the director’s personal assistant, was described by the Kubrick estate on Sunday (21 August) as “the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films”.
He had roles in 1975’s Barry Lydon, in which he played Lord Bullingdon, and Eyes Wide Shut (1999), which also features a nod to Vitali in the form of a newspaper headline read by Tom Cruise’s lead character.
It was after his role in the former that Vitali struck up a friendship with Kubrick, and earned a “personal assistant to director” credit on his 1980 Stephen King adaptation of The Shining.
He was also the casting director for 1987’s Full Metal Jacket, which starred Matthew Modine.
“It is with the greatest of sadness that we have to tell you that the mainstay of a vast number of Kubrick’s films,...
- 8/21/2022
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
Burbank, CA – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that A Clockwork Orange, Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 classic dystopian film, will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital on September 21. Adapted from Anthony Burgess’s 1962 decline-of-civilization novel, A Clockwork Orange received four Academy Award® nominations; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Based on Material from Another Medium) and Best Film Editing.
Directed, written and produced by Kubrick, the film stars Malcolm McDowell as Alex DeLarge, Warren Clarke, James Marcus and Michael Tarn as his droogs, Patrick Magee and Michael Bates.
In 2020, the United States Library of Congress selected A Clockwork Orange for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
The 4K restoration was conducted by Warner Bros.’ Motion Picture Imaging (MPI). Kubrick’s former right-hand man Leon Vitali and the Kubrick Estate worked closely with the team at Warner Bros. during the mastering process.
Ultra...
Directed, written and produced by Kubrick, the film stars Malcolm McDowell as Alex DeLarge, Warren Clarke, James Marcus and Michael Tarn as his droogs, Patrick Magee and Michael Bates.
In 2020, the United States Library of Congress selected A Clockwork Orange for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
The 4K restoration was conducted by Warner Bros.’ Motion Picture Imaging (MPI). Kubrick’s former right-hand man Leon Vitali and the Kubrick Estate worked closely with the team at Warner Bros. during the mastering process.
Ultra...
- 8/5/2021
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
“Ho, ho, ho! Well, if it isn’t fat stinking billy goat Billy Boy in poison! How art thou, thou globby bottle of cheap, stinking chip oil? Come and get one in the yarbles, if ya have any yarbles, you eunuch jelly thou! “
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that A Clockwork Orange, Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 classic dystopian film, will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital on September 21. Adapted from Anthony Burgess’s 1962 decline-of-civilization novel, A Clockwork Orange received four Academy Award® nominations; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Based on Material from Another Medium) and Best Film Editing.
Directed, written and produced by Kubrick, the film stars Malcolm McDowell as Alex DeLarge, Warren Clarke, James Marcus and Michael Tarn as his droogs, Patrick Magee and Michael Bates.
In 2020, the United States Library of Congress selected A Clockwork Orange for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it “culturally,...
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that A Clockwork Orange, Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 classic dystopian film, will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital on September 21. Adapted from Anthony Burgess’s 1962 decline-of-civilization novel, A Clockwork Orange received four Academy Award® nominations; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Based on Material from Another Medium) and Best Film Editing.
Directed, written and produced by Kubrick, the film stars Malcolm McDowell as Alex DeLarge, Warren Clarke, James Marcus and Michael Tarn as his droogs, Patrick Magee and Michael Bates.
In 2020, the United States Library of Congress selected A Clockwork Orange for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it “culturally,...
- 8/3/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange) with Stanley Kubrick in Gregory Monro’s Tribeca Film Festival highlight Kubrick by Kubrick
In the first instalment of my conversation on Tribeca Film Festival highlight Kubrick By Kubrick with director Gregory Monro, we discussed Stanley Kubrick’s thoughts as a room and the rarity of hearing his voice in the recorded taped interviews by Michel Ciment. Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange) saying “John Wayne is more violent”, Marisa Berenson (Barry Lyndon), and Sterling Hayden (The Killing and Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb), Kubrick’s longtime association with Leon Vitali, the mystery of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Shining also came up. I noted two other Tribeca highlights - Pan Nalin’s Last Film Show, where he references Kubrick and Douglas Tirola’s use of a Look magazine photo taken by Kubrick for his documentary on Leonard Bernstein,...
In the first instalment of my conversation on Tribeca Film Festival highlight Kubrick By Kubrick with director Gregory Monro, we discussed Stanley Kubrick’s thoughts as a room and the rarity of hearing his voice in the recorded taped interviews by Michel Ciment. Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange) saying “John Wayne is more violent”, Marisa Berenson (Barry Lyndon), and Sterling Hayden (The Killing and Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb), Kubrick’s longtime association with Leon Vitali, the mystery of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Shining also came up. I noted two other Tribeca highlights - Pan Nalin’s Last Film Show, where he references Kubrick and Douglas Tirola’s use of a Look magazine photo taken by Kubrick for his documentary on Leonard Bernstein,...
- 6/26/2021
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
New Indie
Michael Almereyda has tackled science (as a topic of either biopics or dramas) in a fascinating way in “Experimenter” and “Marjorie Prime,” and now he’s bringing that same energy to the inventor-biopic with “Tesla” (Shout Factory/IFC), a bold and audacious look at the life of Nikola Tesla. Ethan Hawke, in the title role, is evenly matched by Eve Hewson’s Anne Morgan, and they both nail Almereyda’s unique tone, which throws in anachronisms and green-screens to tell the story of someone who stretched the notions of what his peers imagined could be possible.
Also available: Madison Iseman plays a young girl with mental-health issues who can’t convince anyone she’s witnessed a crime in “Fear of Rain” (Lionsgate); 2012 indie “Watching TV with the Red Chinese” (Mvd Visual), co-starring Constance Wu and Gillian Jacobs, makes its U.S. DVD debut; Sienna Miller and Diego Luna...
Michael Almereyda has tackled science (as a topic of either biopics or dramas) in a fascinating way in “Experimenter” and “Marjorie Prime,” and now he’s bringing that same energy to the inventor-biopic with “Tesla” (Shout Factory/IFC), a bold and audacious look at the life of Nikola Tesla. Ethan Hawke, in the title role, is evenly matched by Eve Hewson’s Anne Morgan, and they both nail Almereyda’s unique tone, which throws in anachronisms and green-screens to tell the story of someone who stretched the notions of what his peers imagined could be possible.
Also available: Madison Iseman plays a young girl with mental-health issues who can’t convince anyone she’s witnessed a crime in “Fear of Rain” (Lionsgate); 2012 indie “Watching TV with the Red Chinese” (Mvd Visual), co-starring Constance Wu and Gillian Jacobs, makes its U.S. DVD debut; Sienna Miller and Diego Luna...
- 2/17/2021
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Albert Hughes takes us on a wild journey through the movies that made him, then explains why he’s not a cinephile (Spoiler: He is). Heads up – you’re going to hear some words you’ve never heard on our show before, and only one of them is Metropolis.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Gremlins (1984)
A Christmas Story (1983)
The Candidate (1972)
Menace II Society (1993)
Die Hard (1988)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Scarface (1983)
Goodfellas (1990)
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Raging Bull (1980)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Alpha (2018)
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
Metropolis (1927)
True Romance (1993)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
The Matrix (1999)
Man Bites Dog (1992)
Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003)
A Serbian Film (2010)
Scarface (1932)
The Book of Eli (2010)
The Departed (2006)
Infernal Affairs (2002)
The Godfather (1972)
Casino (1995)
JFK (1991)
Dead Presidents (1996)
Eve’s Bayou (1997)
Basic Instinct (1992)
Psycho (1960)
The Cremator (1969)
The Firemen’s Ball (1967)
Halloween (2018)
From Hell (2001)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Hoffa (1992)
V For Vendetta (2005)
Spartacus (1960)
You Were Never Really Here...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Gremlins (1984)
A Christmas Story (1983)
The Candidate (1972)
Menace II Society (1993)
Die Hard (1988)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Scarface (1983)
Goodfellas (1990)
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Raging Bull (1980)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Alpha (2018)
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
Metropolis (1927)
True Romance (1993)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
The Matrix (1999)
Man Bites Dog (1992)
Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003)
A Serbian Film (2010)
Scarface (1932)
The Book of Eli (2010)
The Departed (2006)
Infernal Affairs (2002)
The Godfather (1972)
Casino (1995)
JFK (1991)
Dead Presidents (1996)
Eve’s Bayou (1997)
Basic Instinct (1992)
Psycho (1960)
The Cremator (1969)
The Firemen’s Ball (1967)
Halloween (2018)
From Hell (2001)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Hoffa (1992)
V For Vendetta (2005)
Spartacus (1960)
You Were Never Really Here...
- 9/29/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Industry Conference, talent development details.
A documentary about climate activist Greta Thunberg and a shot film about a teenage Indigenous communities activist have joined the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) line-up.
Nathan Grossman’s I Am Greta chronicles the young Swede’s meteoric rise to public attention, while James Burns’s short film The Water Walker focuses on the work of 15-year-old Autumn Peltier, an Anishinaabe water activist.
Peltier will take part in a live conversation with author Naomi Klein that will be made free to international audiences. The date will be announced closer to the start of TIFF, which...
A documentary about climate activist Greta Thunberg and a shot film about a teenage Indigenous communities activist have joined the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) line-up.
Nathan Grossman’s I Am Greta chronicles the young Swede’s meteoric rise to public attention, while James Burns’s short film The Water Walker focuses on the work of 15-year-old Autumn Peltier, an Anishinaabe water activist.
Peltier will take part in a live conversation with author Naomi Klein that will be made free to international audiences. The date will be announced closer to the start of TIFF, which...
- 8/27/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
Cate Blanchett will forever live in the hearts of “Lord of the Rings” fans for starring as Galadriel in Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning movie trilogy, but if the actress had her way the royal Elf wouldn’t have been her only “Lord of the Rings” role. During a recent appearance on Marc Maron’s “Wtf” podcast, the actress said she loved working on “Lord of the Rings” so much that she pitched a secret cameo role to Jackson and his co-producer and co-writer Fran Walsh. Blanchett wanted to transform into a male dwarf, which would’ve fulfilled her wish of staying on set longer.
“For me it was super quick,” Blanchett said of working on “Lords of the Rings.” “There’s not too many chicks in the Tolkien universe. I loved it so much and I did say to Peter and Fran, they were doing a banquet scene with a whole lot of dwarves.
“For me it was super quick,” Blanchett said of working on “Lords of the Rings.” “There’s not too many chicks in the Tolkien universe. I loved it so much and I did say to Peter and Fran, they were doing a banquet scene with a whole lot of dwarves.
- 5/13/2020
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
In the last 10 years, there’s been an ever-widening niche of documentaries about Stanley Kubrick. Every one of them has been fascinating, one or two (like “Stanley Kubrick’s Boxes”) are as idiosyncratic as the director himself, and the most artful and memorable — “Filmworker” (2017), a portrait of Kubrick’s monkishly devoted gofer and right-hand assistant, Leon Vitali — is an essential artifact. Amid the steady outpouring of Kubrickiana, the 72-minute-long “Kubrick by Kubrick” may be the least exotic, but it still gives any Kubrick believer a heady share of morsels to chew on.
The film is built around a series of tape-recorded interviews that Michel Ciment, the French film critic and editor of Positif, conducted with Kubrick over the course of 20 years. In 1968, Ciment wrote the first major overview of Kubrick’s work to appear in France, and the director got in touch with him. Kubrick, from that point on, virtually never gave interviews.
The film is built around a series of tape-recorded interviews that Michel Ciment, the French film critic and editor of Positif, conducted with Kubrick over the course of 20 years. In 1968, Ciment wrote the first major overview of Kubrick’s work to appear in France, and the director got in touch with him. Kubrick, from that point on, virtually never gave interviews.
- 5/9/2020
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Stanley Kubrick is one of the most written-about, discussed, dissected, pored-over filmmakers in history. He’s been an irresistible subject for critics, journalists, film scholars, documentarians, conspiracy theorists – in short, for everybody except maybe Kubrick himself.
The director, who was born in the Bronx but spent most of his adult life living in England, was famously reluctant to talk about himself. Other people may have wanted his thoughts on movies like “Paths of Glory,” “Spartacus,” “Lolita,” “Dr. Strangelove,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “A Clockwork Orange,” “Barry Lyndon,” “The Shining,” “Full Metal Jacket” and “Eyes Wide Shut,” but Kubrick wasn’t interested in explaining anything.
“I’ve never found it meaningful or even possible to talk about film,” said the director who to many might have been like that big black monolith in “2001”: an inscrutable blank with enormous powers, but who knows what’s lurking in the depths?
Also Read: Sue Lyon,...
The director, who was born in the Bronx but spent most of his adult life living in England, was famously reluctant to talk about himself. Other people may have wanted his thoughts on movies like “Paths of Glory,” “Spartacus,” “Lolita,” “Dr. Strangelove,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “A Clockwork Orange,” “Barry Lyndon,” “The Shining,” “Full Metal Jacket” and “Eyes Wide Shut,” but Kubrick wasn’t interested in explaining anything.
“I’ve never found it meaningful or even possible to talk about film,” said the director who to many might have been like that big black monolith in “2001”: an inscrutable blank with enormous powers, but who knows what’s lurking in the depths?
Also Read: Sue Lyon,...
- 4/22/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Stanley Kubrick’s career contained such multitudes that, over 20 years after his death, cinema is still sorting through the scope of his genius. There have been enough Kubrick documentaries in recent years to suggest a burgeoning subgenre based around his appeal, from the conventional overview “Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures” to “The Shining” conspiracy-theory deep dive “Room 237,” and “Filmworker,” a portrait of Kubrick righthand man Leon Vitali. The stories behind the storyteller have just gotten started.
Compared to these entries, the 72-minute French production “Kubrick by Kubrick” might look like a relatively minor addition to the canon, a concise assemblage of rare audio clips from Kubrick interviews in which he addresses his work in general terms. At the same, it may be the closest most of us can get to hearing the master explain himself, and
More from IndieWire'Fully Realized Humans' Review: Joshua Leonard and Jess Weixler Go...
Compared to these entries, the 72-minute French production “Kubrick by Kubrick” might look like a relatively minor addition to the canon, a concise assemblage of rare audio clips from Kubrick interviews in which he addresses his work in general terms. At the same, it may be the closest most of us can get to hearing the master explain himself, and
More from IndieWire'Fully Realized Humans' Review: Joshua Leonard and Jess Weixler Go...
- 4/19/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Anyone who’s ever worked with Stanley Kubrick has a story to tell, from Shelley Duvall’s traumatic experience while filming “The Shining,” to Malcolm McDowell’s physical injuries during the making of “A Clockwork Orange,” to Leon Vitali, the actor who became Kubrick’s assistant as seen in the 2017 documentary “Filmworker.” Such lore around the cinematic legend will be newly explored in the latest documentary on Stanley Kubrick, “Kubrick by Kubrick.” Watch the first trailer below.
The film is directed by French filmmaker Gregory Monro, a Hollywood obsessive who’s made movies about James Stewart, Robert Mitchum, Jerry Lewis, Calamity Jane, Toulouse-Lautrec, and other luminaries who’ve touched cinema in one way or another. “Kubrick by Kubrick” was set to premiere at this year’s edition of the Tribeca Film Festival, but the annual New York fest was called off back in March, with programming elements soon beginning to migrate online.
The film is directed by French filmmaker Gregory Monro, a Hollywood obsessive who’s made movies about James Stewart, Robert Mitchum, Jerry Lewis, Calamity Jane, Toulouse-Lautrec, and other luminaries who’ve touched cinema in one way or another. “Kubrick by Kubrick” was set to premiere at this year’s edition of the Tribeca Film Festival, but the annual New York fest was called off back in March, with programming elements soon beginning to migrate online.
- 4/9/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
“Eyes Wide Shut” is one of Stanley Kubrick’s most divisive movies, but it does contain one of his most iconic sequences: The orgy scene. Vulture critic and writer Bilge Ebiri has published an oral history on the sequence in which assistant director Brian Cook, choreographer Yolande Snaith, composer Jocelyn Pook, and more weigh in on its months-long making. One of the biggest revelations in the oral history comes from Leon Vitali, Kubrick’s assistant who gained fame in front of the camera as Lord Bullingdon in “Barry Lyndon.” According to Vitali, Cate Blanchett had a never-revealed cameo in the famous orgy scene as the voice of the mysterious masked woman, played on set by Abigail Good.
“It was Cate Blanchett!” Vitali said of the voice. “We wanted something warm and sensual but that at the same time could be a part of a ritual. Stanley had talked about finding...
“It was Cate Blanchett!” Vitali said of the voice. “We wanted something warm and sensual but that at the same time could be a part of a ritual. Stanley had talked about finding...
- 6/27/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Burbank, CA, May 15, 2019 – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that The Shining, Stanley Kubrick’s terrifying 1980 horror masterpiece, will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital on October 1. The 4K remastering is of Kubrick’s original 146 minute version of the film which premiered in the United States on May 23rd, 1980.
Now widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films ever made, The Shining was directed and produced by Kubrick, who wrote the screenplay with Diane Johnson. The film was based on the novel “The Shining” by Stephen King, and stars Jack Nicholson in an iconic role as Jack Torrance, Shelley Duval as Wendy Torrance, Scatman Crothers as Dick Halloran, and Danny Lloyd as Danny Torrance.
The 4K remastering was done using a new 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick’s former personal assistant Leon Vitali...
Now widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films ever made, The Shining was directed and produced by Kubrick, who wrote the screenplay with Diane Johnson. The film was based on the novel “The Shining” by Stephen King, and stars Jack Nicholson in an iconic role as Jack Torrance, Shelley Duval as Wendy Torrance, Scatman Crothers as Dick Halloran, and Danny Lloyd as Danny Torrance.
The 4K remastering was done using a new 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick’s former personal assistant Leon Vitali...
- 5/19/2019
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (based on Stephen King's novel of the same name) being released in theaters, and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is starting the celebration this year with a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital release of Kubrick's classic horror film on October 1st, featuring a 4K remaster that was overseen by Steven Spielberg and Leon Vitali, who worked as Kubrick's personal assistant.
From the Press Release: Burbank, CA, May 15, 2019 – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that
The Shining, Stanley Kubrick’s terrifying 1980 horror masterpiece, will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital on October 1. The 4K remastering is of Kubrick’s original 146 minute version of the film which premiered in the United States on May 23rd, 1980.
Now widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films ever made, The Shining was directed and produced by Kubrick, who...
From the Press Release: Burbank, CA, May 15, 2019 – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that
The Shining, Stanley Kubrick’s terrifying 1980 horror masterpiece, will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital on October 1. The 4K remastering is of Kubrick’s original 146 minute version of the film which premiered in the United States on May 23rd, 1980.
Now widely regarded as one of the greatest horror films ever made, The Shining was directed and produced by Kubrick, who...
- 5/15/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Everybody loves a classic. I really miss Jack Nicholson being in movies. Stanley Kubrick, too. If you agree with me on at least two out of those three, well then buckle up, kids, because I’ve got some great news for you: The Shining is making a big comeback this year! No, I’m not just talking about Mike Flanagan’s upcoming sequel, Doctor Sleep; nah, those wonderful folks over at Warner Brothers have commissioned a gorgeous 4K restoration of Kubrick’s revolutionary horror film.
The restoration was taken from an original 35mm negative of the movie, which means it’s as pure as it can get. Plus, Leon Vitali, Stanley’s personal assistant of many years, gave some vital input to the people restoring the pic. I just hope they’re keen enough to keep in the wide shot of the helicopter’s shadow during the opening tracking shot.
The restoration was taken from an original 35mm negative of the movie, which means it’s as pure as it can get. Plus, Leon Vitali, Stanley’s personal assistant of many years, gave some vital input to the people restoring the pic. I just hope they’re keen enough to keep in the wide shot of the helicopter’s shadow during the opening tracking shot.
- 4/26/2019
- by Josh Heath
- We Got This Covered
This year’s Cannes Classics lineup has been announced, with one screening immediately catching the eye: Alfonso Cuarón presenting the remastered version of “The Shining.” The “Roma” filmmaker will be on hand to introduce Stanley Kubrick’s horror classic, which is in the program alongside “Easy Rider,” three films from Luis Buñuel, Lina Wertmüller’s “Seven Beauties,” two from Milos Forman, and many others.
The full lineup:
The 50 years of the mythical “Easy Rider”
Presented half a century ago on the Croisette, in Competition at the Festival de Cannes, the film won the Prize for a first work. Co-writer, co-producer and lead actor, Peter Fonda will be in Cannes at the invitation of the Festival to celebrate this anniversary.
“Easy Rider” by Dennis Hopper
Restored in 4K by Sony Pictures Entertainment in collaboration with Cineteca di Bologna. Restored from the 35mm Original Picture Negative and 35mm Black and White Separation Masters.
The full lineup:
The 50 years of the mythical “Easy Rider”
Presented half a century ago on the Croisette, in Competition at the Festival de Cannes, the film won the Prize for a first work. Co-writer, co-producer and lead actor, Peter Fonda will be in Cannes at the invitation of the Festival to celebrate this anniversary.
“Easy Rider” by Dennis Hopper
Restored in 4K by Sony Pictures Entertainment in collaboration with Cineteca di Bologna. Restored from the 35mm Original Picture Negative and 35mm Black and White Separation Masters.
- 4/26/2019
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
The Broadcast Film Critics and the Broadcast Television Journalists associations had a good feeling about “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” on Saturday at their third annual Critics’ Choice documentary honors event. They bestowed the evening’s top prizes, both Best Documentary and Best Director — as well as Best Editing — to Morgan Neville‘s moving portrait of beloved children’s show TV host Fred Rogers.
According to Box Office Mojo, the winner is the highest-grossing doc of the year so far, raking in $23 million.
Among the other winners at the Brooklyn-based event hosted by Bill Nye the Science Guy:
Best Sports Documentary: “Free Solo,” about the first free solo climb of El Capitan at National Yosemite Park.
Best Limited Documentary Series: “The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling”
Best Ongoing Documentary Series: “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown”
Best Political Documentary: “Rbg,” about Supreme Court Justic Ruth Bader Ginsberg
SEECheck out the...
According to Box Office Mojo, the winner is the highest-grossing doc of the year so far, raking in $23 million.
Among the other winners at the Brooklyn-based event hosted by Bill Nye the Science Guy:
Best Sports Documentary: “Free Solo,” about the first free solo climb of El Capitan at National Yosemite Park.
Best Limited Documentary Series: “The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling”
Best Ongoing Documentary Series: “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown”
Best Political Documentary: “Rbg,” about Supreme Court Justic Ruth Bader Ginsberg
SEECheck out the...
- 11/11/2018
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
Ever since the Fred Rogers documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” brought audiences to tears at the Sundance Film Festival in January, it has been the frontrunner for the Best Documentary Oscar. Sure enough, the Focus Features release, the highest-grossing biodoc of all time, took home Best Documentary and Director for Morgan Neville as well as Best Editing at the Third Annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards on Saturday, November 10.
Its closest competitor, NatGeo’s vertiginous climbing movie “Free Solo,” also took home three Critics’ Choice documentary awards from the Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja). Directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, “Free Solo” won Best Sports Documentary, Best Innovative Documentary, and Best Cinematography.
During the awards show hosted by Bill Nye at Bric in Brooklyn, filmmaker Michael Moore gave a rousing political speech as he accepted the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award,...
Its closest competitor, NatGeo’s vertiginous climbing movie “Free Solo,” also took home three Critics’ Choice documentary awards from the Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja). Directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, “Free Solo” won Best Sports Documentary, Best Innovative Documentary, and Best Cinematography.
During the awards show hosted by Bill Nye at Bric in Brooklyn, filmmaker Michael Moore gave a rousing political speech as he accepted the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award,...
- 11/11/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Ever since the Fred Rogers documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” brought audiences to tears at the Sundance Film Festival in January, it has been the frontrunner for the Best Documentary Oscar. Sure enough, the Focus Features release, the highest-grossing biodoc of all time, took home Best Documentary and Director for Morgan Neville as well as Best Editing at the Third Annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards on Saturday, November 10.
Its closest competitor, NatGeo’s vertiginous climbing movie “Free Solo,” also took home three Critics’ Choice documentary awards from the Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja). Directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, “Free Solo” won Best Sports Documentary, Best Innovative Documentary, and Best Cinematography.
During the awards show hosted by Bill Nye at Bric in Brooklyn, filmmaker Michael Moore gave a rousing political speech as he accepted the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award,...
Its closest competitor, NatGeo’s vertiginous climbing movie “Free Solo,” also took home three Critics’ Choice documentary awards from the Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (Btja). Directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, “Free Solo” won Best Sports Documentary, Best Innovative Documentary, and Best Cinematography.
During the awards show hosted by Bill Nye at Bric in Brooklyn, filmmaker Michael Moore gave a rousing political speech as he accepted the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award,...
- 11/11/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Morgan Neville’s “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” has been named the best documentary of 2018 at the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, which were handed out on Saturday evening at Bric in Brooklyn, New York.
The film about “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” star Fred Rogers won in a category whose other nominees were “Crime + Punishment,” “Dark Money,” “Free Solo,” “Hal,” “Hitler’s Hollywood,” “Minding the Gap,” “Rbg,” “Three Identical Strangers,” “Wild Wild Country.”
Michael Moore received a lifetime achievement award from Robert De Niro, who called him “an American hero.” Moore new film, “Fahrenheit 11/9,” was not nominated in the Best Documentary category, instead receiving a mention only in Best Political Documentary, where it lost to “Rbg.”
Also Read: 'Minding the Gap' Leads All Films in Nominations for Cinema Eye Honors
“Quincy” won the award for best music documentary, while “Free Solo” won for best sports documentary and most innovative documentary.
The film about “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” star Fred Rogers won in a category whose other nominees were “Crime + Punishment,” “Dark Money,” “Free Solo,” “Hal,” “Hitler’s Hollywood,” “Minding the Gap,” “Rbg,” “Three Identical Strangers,” “Wild Wild Country.”
Michael Moore received a lifetime achievement award from Robert De Niro, who called him “an American hero.” Moore new film, “Fahrenheit 11/9,” was not nominated in the Best Documentary category, instead receiving a mention only in Best Political Documentary, where it lost to “Rbg.”
Also Read: 'Minding the Gap' Leads All Films in Nominations for Cinema Eye Honors
“Quincy” won the award for best music documentary, while “Free Solo” won for best sports documentary and most innovative documentary.
- 11/11/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The perilous attempt by climber Alex Honnold to become the first person ever to scale and solo climb Yosemite’s 3000 foot high El Capitan Mountain with no ropes or safety gear is chronicled in the documentary Free Solo, a film that has climbed the list of nominees with six nods (and one honor) for the 2018 Critics Choice Documentary Awards. The awards take place on Saturday November 10 in Brooklyn.
Bing Liu’s skateboarding docu, Minding The Gap, and the Emmy winning Netflix limited docu series Wild Wild Country follow with five nominations each. All three films are nominated in the Best Documentary category which includes theatrical features and streaming/television entries.
In what has been an outstanding year for docus, both critically and at the box office, three films that have earned big dollars in theaters are also well represented on the list – Morgan Neville’s poignant Mr. Rogers docu, Won...
Bing Liu’s skateboarding docu, Minding The Gap, and the Emmy winning Netflix limited docu series Wild Wild Country follow with five nominations each. All three films are nominated in the Best Documentary category which includes theatrical features and streaming/television entries.
In what has been an outstanding year for docus, both critically and at the box office, three films that have earned big dollars in theaters are also well represented on the list – Morgan Neville’s poignant Mr. Rogers docu, Won...
- 10/15/2018
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
“Kubrick’S Right-hand Man…And Legs, Shoulders, Other Hand, Etc.”
By Raymond Benson
Tony Zierra’s fascinating documentary that premiered at Cannes in 2017 (and was released theatrically in 2018) is about an unsung hero in the lore of legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick—Leon Vitali, who describes himself not as an “assistant,” but as a “filmworker.”
Vitali, now 70 years old, began his career as an actor in the 1960s, appearing in various British films and television programs. After being impressed with Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange, Vitali told a friend, “I want to work for that guy.” He managed to get an audition for Kubrick’s next picture, Barry Lyndon, and landed the key role of Lord Bullingdon, the main antagonist of the film. Vitali received much praise for his performance, but instead of continuing an acting career, he made an extraordinary left turn. He asked Kubrick...
By Raymond Benson
Tony Zierra’s fascinating documentary that premiered at Cannes in 2017 (and was released theatrically in 2018) is about an unsung hero in the lore of legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick—Leon Vitali, who describes himself not as an “assistant,” but as a “filmworker.”
Vitali, now 70 years old, began his career as an actor in the 1960s, appearing in various British films and television programs. After being impressed with Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange, Vitali told a friend, “I want to work for that guy.” He managed to get an audition for Kubrick’s next picture, Barry Lyndon, and landed the key role of Lord Bullingdon, the main antagonist of the film. Vitali received much praise for his performance, but instead of continuing an acting career, he made an extraordinary left turn. He asked Kubrick...
- 8/29/2018
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Stanley Kubrick had a dedicated assistant, and not one who simply held the master’s cinematic paintbrushes. He staffed research, production, post-production and marketing departments all on his own. Tony Zierra’s brisk documentary teaches us much about a genius director, the assistant that devoted himself entirely to the director’s mission, and the nature of work and ambition.
Filmworker
DVD
Kino Lorber
2018 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 93 min. / Stanley Kubrick’s Unsung Assistant / Street Date September 11, 2018 / 29.95
Starring: Leon Vitali
Produced by Elizabeth Yoffe, Tony Zierra
Cinematography,
Film Editor,
Director Tony Zierra
The cult of Stanley Kubrick is holding firm, and definitely widening as we learn more about his ultra meticulous lifestyle, habits and dedication to his art. He didn’t turn out many features but his filmography contains an impressive number of masterpieces. Although war themes figure strongly in almost half of his films, Kubrick moved between genres, scoring with crime thrillers,...
Filmworker
DVD
Kino Lorber
2018 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 93 min. / Stanley Kubrick’s Unsung Assistant / Street Date September 11, 2018 / 29.95
Starring: Leon Vitali
Produced by Elizabeth Yoffe, Tony Zierra
Cinematography,
Film Editor,
Director Tony Zierra
The cult of Stanley Kubrick is holding firm, and definitely widening as we learn more about his ultra meticulous lifestyle, habits and dedication to his art. He didn’t turn out many features but his filmography contains an impressive number of masterpieces. Although war themes figure strongly in almost half of his films, Kubrick moved between genres, scoring with crime thrillers,...
- 8/21/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Whit Stillman on getting confirmation of John Kelly's comment that Stanley Kubrick really loved both Barcelona and The Last Days Of Disco: "I went to the première of Eyes Wide Shut in Paris. And Nicole Kidman said the same thing." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Whit Stillman is currently working on episodes for The Cosmopolitan Amazon television series. The pilot TV movie starred Chloë Sevigny and Adam Brody (Damsels In Distress).
When I brought up to Whit Tony Zierra's Filmworker, the documentary on Leon Vitali and his all-encompassing role in the life and work of Stanley Kubrick, Stillman elaborated on his own Kubrick connection - from his love of Barry Lyndon to Barcelona and The Last Days Of Disco cinematographer John Thomas and how Thomas Gibson ended up in Eyes Wide Shut.
Whit Stillman on Filmworker, Tony Zierra's documentary on Leon Vitali: "I'd love to see that. You know, we have a slight Kubrick connection.
Whit Stillman is currently working on episodes for The Cosmopolitan Amazon television series. The pilot TV movie starred Chloë Sevigny and Adam Brody (Damsels In Distress).
When I brought up to Whit Tony Zierra's Filmworker, the documentary on Leon Vitali and his all-encompassing role in the life and work of Stanley Kubrick, Stillman elaborated on his own Kubrick connection - from his love of Barry Lyndon to Barcelona and The Last Days Of Disco cinematographer John Thomas and how Thomas Gibson ended up in Eyes Wide Shut.
Whit Stillman on Filmworker, Tony Zierra's documentary on Leon Vitali: "I'd love to see that. You know, we have a slight Kubrick connection.
- 7/4/2018
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
by Glenn Dunks
Sometimes you really can tell a book by its cover. Or in this case, a movie by its poster. The artwork for Tony Zierra’s Filmworker shows a photograph of Stanley Kubrick on set with his long-time yet little-known collaborator Leon Vitali hovering behind him. Kubrick, normally the focus of these sort of non-fiction works, is unusually blurred. Our eye naturally focuses on Vitali despite Kubrick’s appearance that can’t be entirely obscured no matter how hard they try.
It’s fitting for Filmworker, a documentary about Vitaly not Kubrick. Although, as was probably always inevitable about a film about the people around one of cinema’s most commanding and famous names, Kubrick remains a constant presence who is too hard to ignore...
Sometimes you really can tell a book by its cover. Or in this case, a movie by its poster. The artwork for Tony Zierra’s Filmworker shows a photograph of Stanley Kubrick on set with his long-time yet little-known collaborator Leon Vitali hovering behind him. Kubrick, normally the focus of these sort of non-fiction works, is unusually blurred. Our eye naturally focuses on Vitali despite Kubrick’s appearance that can’t be entirely obscured no matter how hard they try.
It’s fitting for Filmworker, a documentary about Vitaly not Kubrick. Although, as was probably always inevitable about a film about the people around one of cinema’s most commanding and famous names, Kubrick remains a constant presence who is too hard to ignore...
- 6/19/2018
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
Director Tony Zierra talks to Dr. Garth Twa about the incredible story of Leon Vitali, the all-encompassing long-time assistant to Stanley Kubrick.
In 1974 an acclaimed young actor, Leon Vitali, had landed a major, career-changing role in a Stanley Kubrick movie. Already an acclaimed actor before Barry Lyndon—Vitali had an avid following from British TV, had been given prestigious stage offers, and his picture frequently featured on the cover of fan magazines—his experience on the film developed into an obsession (eventually an addiction) about the mechanics and nuances of filmmaking: specifically, the filmmaking of Stanley Kubrick.
In 1974 an acclaimed young actor, Leon Vitali, had landed a major, career-changing role in a Stanley Kubrick movie. Already an acclaimed actor before Barry Lyndon—Vitali had an avid following from British TV, had been given prestigious stage offers, and his picture frequently featured on the cover of fan magazines—his experience on the film developed into an obsession (eventually an addiction) about the mechanics and nuances of filmmaking: specifically, the filmmaking of Stanley Kubrick.
- 5/21/2018
- by Dr. Garth Twa
- Pure Movies
Leon Vitali, who played Lord Bullingdon, on Stanley Kubrick: "We had taken a walk when we were filming. It was like a whistle-stop tour of every Stately Home in England, it seemed like, when we were filming Barry Lyndon." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
In the final installment of my conversation on the afternoon of the première in New York of Tony Zierra's Filmworker, Leon Vitali reveals that Stanley Kubrick was "nuts for animals", that the ballroom used in Barry Lyndon was "full of Joshua Reynolds' and Van Dykes", and that a scene they called the "Masked Ball" was filmed in the home of Lord Carnarvon, who discovered the Tutankhamun tomb.
We speak about Kubrick, the photographer, a secret nostalgia, the casting of the twins Lisa Burns and Louise Burns for The Shining, Diane Arbus and Bruno Dumont's Jeannette, The Childhood Of Joan Of Arc.
Leon Vitali on Stanley Kubrick,...
In the final installment of my conversation on the afternoon of the première in New York of Tony Zierra's Filmworker, Leon Vitali reveals that Stanley Kubrick was "nuts for animals", that the ballroom used in Barry Lyndon was "full of Joshua Reynolds' and Van Dykes", and that a scene they called the "Masked Ball" was filmed in the home of Lord Carnarvon, who discovered the Tutankhamun tomb.
We speak about Kubrick, the photographer, a secret nostalgia, the casting of the twins Lisa Burns and Louise Burns for The Shining, Diane Arbus and Bruno Dumont's Jeannette, The Childhood Of Joan Of Arc.
Leon Vitali on Stanley Kubrick,...
- 5/17/2018
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Leon Vitali could have had it all, fame, fortune and an army of adoring fans at his feet, but instead, the young promising actor decided to give it all up to serve for decades as Stanley Kubrick’s right-hand man on some the most iconic productions of the director’s career.
Having admired Kubrick for years, Vitali’s dreams came true when he landed a role in the master’s seminal 18th-century period piece Barry Lyndon as Lord Bullingdon, the title character’s mortal enemy. However, when the cameras stopped rolling, Vitali found himself shunning the limelight and the dozens of prestigious film and stage roles offered to him on the back of his brilliant performance in the film, deciding instead to dedicate the rest of his existence to working behind the scenes with Kubrick and remaining faithful to him until the director’s death in 1999.
In his remarkable documentary Filmworker,...
Having admired Kubrick for years, Vitali’s dreams came true when he landed a role in the master’s seminal 18th-century period piece Barry Lyndon as Lord Bullingdon, the title character’s mortal enemy. However, when the cameras stopped rolling, Vitali found himself shunning the limelight and the dozens of prestigious film and stage roles offered to him on the back of his brilliant performance in the film, deciding instead to dedicate the rest of his existence to working behind the scenes with Kubrick and remaining faithful to him until the director’s death in 1999.
In his remarkable documentary Filmworker,...
- 5/16/2018
- by Linda Marric
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Leon Vitali with Anne-Katrin Titze on Stanley Kubrick and the casting of Danny Lloyd for The Shining: "I could make that boy [David Morley in Barry Lyndon] focus." Photo: David Ninh
Tony Zierra's exhaustive Filmworker, which had its world première in last year's Cannes Film Festival (Christopher Nolan will present 2001: A Space Odyssey on a remastered 70mm print this year), tackles the volatile and loving relationship of the most indispensable person in Stanley Kubrick's world. Through interviews that include Matthew Modine, R Lee Ermey, and Tim Colceri on Full Metal Jacket, Marie Richardson and Lisa Leone on Eyes Wide Shut, Ryan O'Neal on Barry Lyndon, Danny Lloyd on The Shining, and executive producer Jan Harlan (nephew of Veit Harlan and brother of Christiane Kubrick) we learn about the all-encompassing role Leon Vitali ended up playing in the life of the demanding film director.
Leon Vitali as Lord Bullingdon: "As an actor,...
Tony Zierra's exhaustive Filmworker, which had its world première in last year's Cannes Film Festival (Christopher Nolan will present 2001: A Space Odyssey on a remastered 70mm print this year), tackles the volatile and loving relationship of the most indispensable person in Stanley Kubrick's world. Through interviews that include Matthew Modine, R Lee Ermey, and Tim Colceri on Full Metal Jacket, Marie Richardson and Lisa Leone on Eyes Wide Shut, Ryan O'Neal on Barry Lyndon, Danny Lloyd on The Shining, and executive producer Jan Harlan (nephew of Veit Harlan and brother of Christiane Kubrick) we learn about the all-encompassing role Leon Vitali ended up playing in the life of the demanding film director.
Leon Vitali as Lord Bullingdon: "As an actor,...
- 5/13/2018
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Filmworker, the title of Tony Zierra’s Cannes 2017-premiering portrait of Leon Vitali, is a term coined by the subject himself, probably still best known for his portrayal of Lord Bullingdon in Barry Lyndon. But the former British TV star, who set aside his rising career to spend three decades as Stanley Kubrick’s behind-the scenes right-hand man (and more), seems to have never fallen out of love with the acting craft. Indeed, chatting with Kubrick’s actors’ coach/location scout/sound engineer/marketer — and current film restorer — one gets the sense that every role Kubrick tasked Vitali with was just that, a new […]...
- 5/11/2018
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Filmworker, the title of Tony Zierra’s Cannes 2017-premiering portrait of Leon Vitali, is a term coined by the subject himself, probably still best known for his portrayal of Lord Bullingdon in Barry Lyndon. But the former British TV star, who set aside his rising career to spend three decades as Stanley Kubrick’s behind-the scenes right-hand man (and more), seems to have never fallen out of love with the acting craft. Indeed, chatting with Kubrick’s actors’ coach/location scout/sound engineer/marketer — and current film restorer — one gets the sense that every role Kubrick tasked Vitali with was just that, a new […]...
- 5/11/2018
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
"There's a saying: When the shit hits the fan, it's never evenly distributed."
Leon Vitali is describing what a bad day on a Stanley Kubrick set was like. And he knows better than any man alive. Not long after he was cast as Lord Bullingdon in the 1975 period piece Barry Lyndon, the then-25-year-old actor was seriously worried he wouldn't survive the shoot. He had been a devotee of the director since seeing 2001: A Space Odyssey during its theatrical release and had watched other actors come and go on...
Leon Vitali is describing what a bad day on a Stanley Kubrick set was like. And he knows better than any man alive. Not long after he was cast as Lord Bullingdon in the 1975 period piece Barry Lyndon, the then-25-year-old actor was seriously worried he wouldn't survive the shoot. He had been a devotee of the director since seeing 2001: A Space Odyssey during its theatrical release and had watched other actors come and go on...
- 5/11/2018
- Rollingstone.com
By The Power Of Kubrick: Zierra’s Delightful Spotlight On Vitali Ultimately A Mixed Bag
Stanley Kubrick has inspired artists the world over, creating movies so utterly unique and groundbreaking that nearly every one helped craft modern filmmaking as we know it. However, sustaining the gargantuan legend of the sovereign genius for the latter half of his career, effectively making these productions possible, was Leon Vitali. Tony Zierra profiles the actor-turned-assistant, whose devotion to Kubrick’s films carried them through a relationship lasting over two decades. Filmworker is a deeply sincere, nostalgic stroll through the wacky idealism and mountainous workloads comprising a…...
Stanley Kubrick has inspired artists the world over, creating movies so utterly unique and groundbreaking that nearly every one helped craft modern filmmaking as we know it. However, sustaining the gargantuan legend of the sovereign genius for the latter half of his career, effectively making these productions possible, was Leon Vitali. Tony Zierra profiles the actor-turned-assistant, whose devotion to Kubrick’s films carried them through a relationship lasting over two decades. Filmworker is a deeply sincere, nostalgic stroll through the wacky idealism and mountainous workloads comprising a…...
- 5/10/2018
- by Matthew Roe
- IONCINEMA.com
There's being someone's right-hand man, and then there is Leon Vitali. A strapping young lad who had begun making a name for himself in the early Seventies, this British actor had built up an impressive resumé of theater gigs, supporting parts, cop-show cameos and sitcom ensemble roles – he was being groomed as the hot new thing, a gentler, ginger next-gen Angry Young Man. One day, he walked in to a theater and watched a bunch of white-jumpsuited thugs pillage their way through a teenage-wasteland London. The movie was A Clockwork Orange.
- 5/9/2018
- Rollingstone.com
While the summer season got a humongous start last weekend, there’s still four long months of movies this season. After highlighting the ones we’re most looking forward to, it’s time to zero in on the first round of May. Around these parts, much of the month will be devoted to Cannes coverage, but there’s still much to be unveiled in theaters, including perhaps the finest film of the year thus far.
Matinees to See: The Desert Bride (5/4), The Guardians (5/4), Anon (5/4), Mountain (5/11), Revenge (5/11), Terminal (5/11), The Seagull (5/11), Boom for Real (5/18), Pope Francis – A Man of His Word (5/18), and The Gospel According To André (5/25), and Summer 1993 (5/25)
15. How to Talk to Girls at Parties (John Cameron Mitchell; May 25)
Synopsis: An alien touring the galaxy breaks away from her group and meets two young inhabitants of the most dangerous place in the universe: the London suburb of Croydon.
Trailer
Why You...
Matinees to See: The Desert Bride (5/4), The Guardians (5/4), Anon (5/4), Mountain (5/11), Revenge (5/11), Terminal (5/11), The Seagull (5/11), Boom for Real (5/18), Pope Francis – A Man of His Word (5/18), and The Gospel According To André (5/25), and Summer 1993 (5/25)
15. How to Talk to Girls at Parties (John Cameron Mitchell; May 25)
Synopsis: An alien touring the galaxy breaks away from her group and meets two young inhabitants of the most dangerous place in the universe: the London suburb of Croydon.
Trailer
Why You...
- 5/2/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
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