This past week I happily immersed myself in the latest book by protean film critic/biographer/sometime novelist David Thomson, A Light in the Dark: A History of Movie Directors. Even as he approaches 80, the author of the invaluable Biographical Dictionary of Film editions is able to find fresh things to say about such cinematic imperishables as Hitchcock, Welles, Lang, Renoir, Bunuel, Hawks, Godard and Nicholas Ray.
Midway through the new tome, Thomson delivers his most unexpected and welcome piece, a savory appreciation of a director who, almost defiantly, is not an auteur and therefore remains somewhat taken for granted, far too much so, despite having made any number of notable films of considerable class and merit. That would be Stephen Frears, who himself will turn 80 in June.
Like such Hollywood non-auteurs as Michael Curtiz, Raoul Walsh, Don Siegel, Henry Hathaway, Richard Fleischer and any number of others, Frears is not a writer.
Midway through the new tome, Thomson delivers his most unexpected and welcome piece, a savory appreciation of a director who, almost defiantly, is not an auteur and therefore remains somewhat taken for granted, far too much so, despite having made any number of notable films of considerable class and merit. That would be Stephen Frears, who himself will turn 80 in June.
Like such Hollywood non-auteurs as Michael Curtiz, Raoul Walsh, Don Siegel, Henry Hathaway, Richard Fleischer and any number of others, Frears is not a writer.
- 4/21/2021
- by Todd McCarthy
- Deadline Film + TV
Acorn/Sundance Acquire ‘The Drowning’
AMC Networks streamers Acorn TV and Sundance Now have swooped for the U.S. and Canadian rights to four-part identity thriller The Drowning. Produced by Noel Clarke and Jason Maza’s All3Media-backed Unstoppable Film & Television, the series will premiere on the streamers on May 6 after becoming a hit in the UK, where it premiered to 2.8 million viewers on Channel 5. Starring Jill Halfpenny, Jonas Armstrong, and Rupert Penry-Jones, it follows Jodie, who is convinced that a teenage boy is her missing son. Sold by All3Media International, other deals include C More, Sky Network Television (New Zealand), and Hellenic Telecommunications (Greece). Dazzler Media has also secured DVD rights for UK and Eire. Written by Tim Dynevor, Francesca Brill, and Luke Watson, The Drowning is directed by Carolina Giammetta (Vera) and produced by Mary McCarthy. Executive producers are Clarke (Bulletproof), Maza (Bulletproof), Alexandra Stone,...
AMC Networks streamers Acorn TV and Sundance Now have swooped for the U.S. and Canadian rights to four-part identity thriller The Drowning. Produced by Noel Clarke and Jason Maza’s All3Media-backed Unstoppable Film & Television, the series will premiere on the streamers on May 6 after becoming a hit in the UK, where it premiered to 2.8 million viewers on Channel 5. Starring Jill Halfpenny, Jonas Armstrong, and Rupert Penry-Jones, it follows Jodie, who is convinced that a teenage boy is her missing son. Sold by All3Media International, other deals include C More, Sky Network Television (New Zealand), and Hellenic Telecommunications (Greece). Dazzler Media has also secured DVD rights for UK and Eire. Written by Tim Dynevor, Francesca Brill, and Luke Watson, The Drowning is directed by Carolina Giammetta (Vera) and produced by Mary McCarthy. Executive producers are Clarke (Bulletproof), Maza (Bulletproof), Alexandra Stone,...
- 4/13/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Shirley Knight, who was twice Oscar nominated for best supporting actress, for “The Dark at the Top of the Stairs” (1960) and “Sweet Bird of Youth” (1962), and won a Tony and three Emmys, died on Wednesday of natural causes in San Marcos, Texas. She was 83.
Her daughter, actress Kaitlin Hopkins, paid tribute to Knight in a lengthy Facebook post.
Knight continued to work as she approached 80, reprising her role as Mom in “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” in 2015 after appearing in the 2009 original.
In 1997’s “As Good as It Gets,” starring Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, Knight played the mother of Hunt’s character; the New York Times called her performance “tenderly funny.”
Other film credits of recent vintage include Luis Mandoki’s “Angel Eyes” (2001), starring Jennifer Lopez; thriller “The Salton Sea” (2002); “Grandma’s Boy” (2006); Rebecca Miller’s “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” (2009), with Robin Wright; “Our Idiot Brother” (2011), toplined by...
Her daughter, actress Kaitlin Hopkins, paid tribute to Knight in a lengthy Facebook post.
Knight continued to work as she approached 80, reprising her role as Mom in “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” in 2015 after appearing in the 2009 original.
In 1997’s “As Good as It Gets,” starring Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, Knight played the mother of Hunt’s character; the New York Times called her performance “tenderly funny.”
Other film credits of recent vintage include Luis Mandoki’s “Angel Eyes” (2001), starring Jennifer Lopez; thriller “The Salton Sea” (2002); “Grandma’s Boy” (2006); Rebecca Miller’s “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” (2009), with Robin Wright; “Our Idiot Brother” (2011), toplined by...
- 4/22/2020
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Robert Englund plus "based on true stories" make for a terrifyingly good time. Before Travel Channel's True Terror with Robert Englund premieres on March 18th, check out the sneak peek trailer. Also in today's Horror Highlights: Extra Ordinary theatrical release details, the 2nd annual Death's Parade Film Festival announced, and A Lot of Nothing's casting details.
True Terror with Robert Englund Trailer Revealed: "Hidden away in the dark shadows of our nation’s history are tales so terrifying, they must be true. Now, veteran actor and legendary horror movie icon Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger of the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise) scours news reports of yesteryear to bring viewers twisted tales ripped straight from the headlines in “True Terror with Robert Englund.” In each episode, Englund uses his ominous tones and creepy charisma to masterfully weave together a trilogy of spine-tingling tales, guided by newspaper accounts and layered...
True Terror with Robert Englund Trailer Revealed: "Hidden away in the dark shadows of our nation’s history are tales so terrifying, they must be true. Now, veteran actor and legendary horror movie icon Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger of the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise) scours news reports of yesteryear to bring viewers twisted tales ripped straight from the headlines in “True Terror with Robert Englund.” In each episode, Englund uses his ominous tones and creepy charisma to masterfully weave together a trilogy of spine-tingling tales, guided by newspaper accounts and layered...
- 2/13/2020
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
The Last Man on Earth creator-star Will Forte and Claudia O'Doherty have joined the supernatural comedy Extra Ordinary, now shooting in Ireland.
The Irish indie pic, directed by Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman, already has Maeve Higgins in the lead role of a lonely driving instructor who talks with spirits. Higgins' character, Rose Dooley, uses her powers to help a lonely widower's daughter escape from a rock star looking to use her for a sinister Satanic plan.
Katie Holly, Mary McCarthy, Yvonne Donohoe and Ailish Bracken are producing the Ireland-Belgium co-production, and Epic Pictures will introduce the feature, which...
The Irish indie pic, directed by Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman, already has Maeve Higgins in the lead role of a lonely driving instructor who talks with spirits. Higgins' character, Rose Dooley, uses her powers to help a lonely widower's daughter escape from a rock star looking to use her for a sinister Satanic plan.
Katie Holly, Mary McCarthy, Yvonne Donohoe and Ailish Bracken are producing the Ireland-Belgium co-production, and Epic Pictures will introduce the feature, which...
- 4/25/2018
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Will Forte and Claudia O’Doherty have joined the cast of Extra Ordinary, a supernatural comedy starring Maeve Higgins and Barry Ward that is beginning shooting now in Ireland. It marks the debut feature of writer-directors Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman.
The pic centers on a driving instructor who must use her otherwordly gifts to save a lonely man’s daughter from a rock star looking to use her for Satanic purposes. Epic Pictures is repping worldwide sales outside Ireland and will introduce footage to buyers next month at Cannes.
“We are delighted we have somehow convinced an incredible group of actors and funny people we really admire, along with an amazing crew and some random folk that we just wanted to meet, to join our fever dream and make this mysterious romantic oddball ghost story love comedy adventure film,” Ahern and Loughman said. “The timely script obviously hit...
The pic centers on a driving instructor who must use her otherwordly gifts to save a lonely man’s daughter from a rock star looking to use her for Satanic purposes. Epic Pictures is repping worldwide sales outside Ireland and will introduce footage to buyers next month at Cannes.
“We are delighted we have somehow convinced an incredible group of actors and funny people we really admire, along with an amazing crew and some random folk that we just wanted to meet, to join our fever dream and make this mysterious romantic oddball ghost story love comedy adventure film,” Ahern and Loughman said. “The timely script obviously hit...
- 4/25/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
<em>The Last Man on Earth</em> creator-star Will Forte and Claudia O'Doherty have joined the supernatural comedy <em>Extra Ordinary</em>, now shooting in Ireland<em>. </em>
The Irish indie pic, directed by Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman, already has Maeve Higgins in the lead role of a lonely driving instructor who talks with spirits. Higgins' character, Rose Dooley, uses her powers to help a lonely widower's daughter escape from a rock star looking to use her for a sinister Satanic plan.
Katie Holly, Mary McCarthy, Yvonne Donohoe and Ailish Bracken are producing the Ireland-Belgium co-production, and Epic Pictures will introduce the feature, which also stars ...
The Irish indie pic, directed by Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman, already has Maeve Higgins in the lead role of a lonely driving instructor who talks with spirits. Higgins' character, Rose Dooley, uses her powers to help a lonely widower's daughter escape from a rock star looking to use her for a sinister Satanic plan.
Katie Holly, Mary McCarthy, Yvonne Donohoe and Ailish Bracken are producing the Ireland-Belgium co-production, and Epic Pictures will introduce the feature, which also stars ...
- 4/25/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
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