Clockwise from top left: Notting Hill (Universal Pictures), Love & Basketball (New Line Cinema), Amelie (20th Century Fox),Say Anything (Ugc-Fox Distribution)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Running through the airport to stop a lover’s flight. Making a big speech in front of a crowd of strangers. Picking the perfect song for a serenade.
Running through the airport to stop a lover’s flight. Making a big speech in front of a crowd of strangers. Picking the perfect song for a serenade.
- 2/12/2024
- by Mary Kate Carr, Gabrielle Sanchez, and Saloni Gajjar
- avclub.com
Clockwise from top left: Priceless (Screengrab); 2 Days In Paris (Screengrab); Jeffrey (Screengrab); Something’s Gotta Give (Screengrab); The Big Sick (Amazon/Lionsgate); My Man Godfrey (Screengrab)
Lovers of romantic comedies have an array of options on Amazon Prime Video—particularly when it comes to oldies but goodies. Cary Grant classics abound,...
Lovers of romantic comedies have an array of options on Amazon Prime Video—particularly when it comes to oldies but goodies. Cary Grant classics abound,...
- 2/10/2024
- by The A.V. Club
- avclub.com
Lucy Hale and Nat Wolff are relatable and startlingly easy on the eye in this likable tale that’s carrying slightly too much plot luggage
The maxim “expect little, forgive much” is apparently how to approach marriage; it may be a little depressing in real life, but it’s not a bad rule for movie romcoms, a genre in which, for whatever reason, the bar is extraordinarily low. For every His Girl Friday or When Harry Met Sally or Four Weddings, there are thousands of direct-to-streaming timewasters; if the films’ frequent lesson is that you’ll have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince, it also applies to the films themselves.
Happily, this will-they-won’t-they between two adorable wedding guests (Lucy Hale and Nat Wolff) may not feature an actual prince, he’s closer to a handsome dude in a crown than a lil fella on a lily-pad; by romcom standards,...
The maxim “expect little, forgive much” is apparently how to approach marriage; it may be a little depressing in real life, but it’s not a bad rule for movie romcoms, a genre in which, for whatever reason, the bar is extraordinarily low. For every His Girl Friday or When Harry Met Sally or Four Weddings, there are thousands of direct-to-streaming timewasters; if the films’ frequent lesson is that you’ll have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince, it also applies to the films themselves.
Happily, this will-they-won’t-they between two adorable wedding guests (Lucy Hale and Nat Wolff) may not feature an actual prince, he’s closer to a handsome dude in a crown than a lil fella on a lily-pad; by romcom standards,...
- 2/6/2024
- by Catherine Bray
- The Guardian - Film News
He was born Archibald Alec Leach in South West England on January 18, 1904. As a teen, he became attracted to show biz at an early age, becoming friends with a troupe of acrobats and doing odd jobs while hanging out backstage at theaters. At 16, he would travel by ship to the United States, where he would eventually change his name to Cary Grant after signing his first movie contract in 1931. He became one of the most admired and beloved leading men that Hollywood would ever produce.
Grant’s suave looks and elegant voice served him well when he started acting in films, but his artistry and nuance on screen matured considerably over the years. He would work with the master Alfred Hitchcock several times, including “North by Northwest,” “Notorious” and “To Catch a Thief.” Grant was also quite deft with comedy roles, including “His Girl Friday,” “The Awful Truth,” “Arsenic and Old Lace...
Grant’s suave looks and elegant voice served him well when he started acting in films, but his artistry and nuance on screen matured considerably over the years. He would work with the master Alfred Hitchcock several times, including “North by Northwest,” “Notorious” and “To Catch a Thief.” Grant was also quite deft with comedy roles, including “His Girl Friday,” “The Awful Truth,” “Arsenic and Old Lace...
- 1/12/2024
- by Susan Wloszczyna, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
On Jan. 11, 1940, Columbia bowed director-producer Howard Hawks’ newspaper comedy His Girl Friday, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below:
With the original Hildy Johnson of the Hecht-MacArthur newspaper yarn, Front Page, metamorphized into Hildegarde Johnson and played by Rosalind Russell, Columbia has made a fast-moving, always interesting picture out of the story. There may, and probably will be those who will say it is not up to the former version, but it nevertheless furnishes good entertainment.
In the present version, Hildegarde is the former wife of the editor, played by Cary Grant, and instead of wishing to retire, as did Hildy, she wants to marry an insurance salesman (Ralph Bellamy). It is to prevent this marriage that the complications, instigated by Grant, ensue. Also, the twist of making the star reporter a woman gives opportunity for some new situations,...
With the original Hildy Johnson of the Hecht-MacArthur newspaper yarn, Front Page, metamorphized into Hildegarde Johnson and played by Rosalind Russell, Columbia has made a fast-moving, always interesting picture out of the story. There may, and probably will be those who will say it is not up to the former version, but it nevertheless furnishes good entertainment.
In the present version, Hildegarde is the former wife of the editor, played by Cary Grant, and instead of wishing to retire, as did Hildy, she wants to marry an insurance salesman (Ralph Bellamy). It is to prevent this marriage that the complications, instigated by Grant, ensue. Also, the twist of making the star reporter a woman gives opportunity for some new situations,...
- 1/10/2024
- by THR Staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Today, Jan. 1, isn’t just New Year’s Day — it’s also Public Domain Day, where thousands of cinematic treasures, literary classics, Great American Songbook selections, and works of art see their copyrights expire and enter the public domain.
The headliner this year is the fair use of Mickey Mouse — at least, the Steamboat Willie version of the beloved character — as that copyright expiration has been anticipated for years. However, there’s much more than just Mickey entering the public domain in 2024.
Jennifer Jenkins, Director of Duke’s Center for...
The headliner this year is the fair use of Mickey Mouse — at least, the Steamboat Willie version of the beloved character — as that copyright expiration has been anticipated for years. However, there’s much more than just Mickey entering the public domain in 2024.
Jennifer Jenkins, Director of Duke’s Center for...
- 1/1/2024
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Charlize Theron and Daniel Craig will star in Two For The Money, which is said to have a His Girl Friday feel and will be directed by Justin Lin.
Here’s some news on a rather interesting-sounding project: Apple Studios has landed the rights for heist thriller, Two For The Money, reportedly managing to see off some pretty fierce competition.
What’s more, the project is set to feature Charlize Theron and Daniel Craig opposite each other in a heist thriller directed by Justin Lin.
If that isn’t enough to pique your interest,, the project is said to possess a His Girl Friday feel, echoing the ‘Cary Grant-Rosalind Russell snappy rapport vibe’ of the 1940 Howards Hawks film.
That’s what reportedly drew Theron into the project and she in turn is said to have suggested Craig as her opposite number.
Justin Lin has worked with Theron during...
Here’s some news on a rather interesting-sounding project: Apple Studios has landed the rights for heist thriller, Two For The Money, reportedly managing to see off some pretty fierce competition.
What’s more, the project is set to feature Charlize Theron and Daniel Craig opposite each other in a heist thriller directed by Justin Lin.
If that isn’t enough to pique your interest,, the project is said to possess a His Girl Friday feel, echoing the ‘Cary Grant-Rosalind Russell snappy rapport vibe’ of the 1940 Howards Hawks film.
That’s what reportedly drew Theron into the project and she in turn is said to have suggested Craig as her opposite number.
Justin Lin has worked with Theron during...
- 12/11/2023
- by Dan Cooper
- Film Stories
Charlize Theron and Daniel Craig as repartee-trading thieves in a heist thriller? That's certainly something we'd watch. Thank goodness, then, that it's becoming a reality via new film Two For The Money, which Apple has snapped up after a competitive bidding situation.
The genesis for this one comes from an unlikely place: :a[Fast X]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/fast-x/' }. Because it was an idea that writer/director Justin Lin hatched with his co-writer on the movie, Dan Mazeau. Theron, who returned (albeit briefly) as the villainous Cipher for the film, liked the concept and pitched that Craig should co-star.
Lin, of course, left the latest Fast instalment after roughly a week’s shooting, citing creative differences. Which means he’s had time to focus on getting this one ready. According to The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the news, the plot is being kept in a vault.
The genesis for this one comes from an unlikely place: :a[Fast X]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/fast-x/' }. Because it was an idea that writer/director Justin Lin hatched with his co-writer on the movie, Dan Mazeau. Theron, who returned (albeit briefly) as the villainous Cipher for the film, liked the concept and pitched that Craig should co-star.
Lin, of course, left the latest Fast instalment after roughly a week’s shooting, citing creative differences. Which means he’s had time to focus on getting this one ready. According to The Hollywood Reporter, which broke the news, the plot is being kept in a vault.
- 12/11/2023
- by James White
- Empire - Movies
“You can’t create a character like Cary Grant,” says Oscar-nominated screenwriter Jeff Pope (Philomena) of the Hollywood legend, the subject of BritBox’s four-part biodrama Archie. The debonair actor’s ascension from an impoverished English lad, born Archibald Leach in 1904, to movie stardom in films like The Philadelphia Story, His Girl Friday, and North by Northwest is dramatic enough. Add to that Grant’s startling discovery when he was a rising star in the 1930s that the mother he thought had died when he was a boy was actually living in a mental institution and you have, according to Pope, “some story that Dickens might have created.” Starring Jason Isaacs — who donned prosthetics to give him Grant’s dimpled chin — the series jumps between three timelines: the ’60s, when Grant wed the much-younger Dyan Cannon and gave up acting to raise his only child, Jennifer; the ’80s, when he...
- 12/1/2023
- TV Insider
Culver City, Calif. – Continuing the fan-favorite and award-winning series—and as part of the upcoming 100th anniversary of Columbia Pictures—Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is proud to debut six more beloved films from its library on 4K Ultra HD disc for the first time ever, exclusively within the Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4, available February 13. This must-own set includes films with which audiences around the world have fallen in love: His Girl Friday, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, Kramer Vs. Kramer, Starman, Sleepless In Seattle and Punch-drunk Love. Each film is presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range, and five of the films have all-new Dolby Atmos mixes.
The six films in the Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4 are only available on 4K Ultra HD disc within this special limited edition collector’s set. The collection includes a gorgeous hardbound 80-page book, featuring...
The six films in the Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4 are only available on 4K Ultra HD disc within this special limited edition collector’s set. The collection includes a gorgeous hardbound 80-page book, featuring...
- 11/19/2023
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
Continuing the fan-favorite and award-winning series—and as part of the upcoming 100th anniversary of Columbia Pictures—Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is proud to debut six more beloved films from its library on 4K Ultra HD disc for the first time ever, exclusively within the Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 4, available February 13. This must-own set includes films with which audiences around the world have fallen in love: His Girl Friday, Guess Who’S Coming To Dinner, Kramer Vs. Kramer, Starman, Sleepless In SEATTLEand Punch-drunk Love. Each film is presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range, and five of the films have ... Read more...
- 11/18/2023
- by Thomas Miller
- Seat42F
“Sleepless in Seattle,” “Punch-Drunk Love” and four more films from Columbia Pictures will make their 4K Ultra HD debut Feb. 13, 2024, via Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Vol. 4, the latest installment in Sphe’s series of limited edition sets culling critical and commercial hits from the studio’s storied library, will feature Nora Ephron and Paul Thomas Anderson’s romantic comedies — along with Howard Hawks’ “His Girl Friday,” Stanley Kramer’s “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” Robert Benton’s “Kramer vs. Kramer” and John Carpenter’s “Starman.” In addition to more than 30 hours of legacy bonus content for each film, the set includes a bonus disc featuring the entirety of the 1986 “Starman” television series, as well as an 80-page hardbound book exploring the impact and legacy of the six films.
Matching its predecessors, the packaging for the set showcases the included titles, and opens to display...
Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Vol. 4, the latest installment in Sphe’s series of limited edition sets culling critical and commercial hits from the studio’s storied library, will feature Nora Ephron and Paul Thomas Anderson’s romantic comedies — along with Howard Hawks’ “His Girl Friday,” Stanley Kramer’s “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” Robert Benton’s “Kramer vs. Kramer” and John Carpenter’s “Starman.” In addition to more than 30 hours of legacy bonus content for each film, the set includes a bonus disc featuring the entirety of the 1986 “Starman” television series, as well as an 80-page hardbound book exploring the impact and legacy of the six films.
Matching its predecessors, the packaging for the set showcases the included titles, and opens to display...
- 11/17/2023
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
There have been movies based on TV shows almost as long as there have been TV shows. Even in the 1950s, the first decades where large numbers of Americans owned a TV set, hit crime series like "Dragnet" and "The Lineup" made their way to theaters, alongside hit comedies like "Our Miss Brooks." Even TV movies got the fancy big-screen remake treatment, with the 1953 teleplay "Marty" not only getting a feature-length movie adaptation two years later, but also winning the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor, and the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
While some TV shows, even those popular enough to get their own movie, wind up forgotten, the big ones usually stick around in the public consciousness. Rod Serling's award-winning anthology series "The Twilight Zone" wasn't just a hit, it became something of an institution. It was an instantly recognizable brand, with...
While some TV shows, even those popular enough to get their own movie, wind up forgotten, the big ones usually stick around in the public consciousness. Rod Serling's award-winning anthology series "The Twilight Zone" wasn't just a hit, it became something of an institution. It was an instantly recognizable brand, with...
- 11/11/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
“Moonlighting” was more than a watercooler show. It was an obsession. Episodes were taped and rewatched. And for good reason. There had never been a anything on the small screen like the 1985-89 ABC romantic screwball comedy detective series. The rapid-fire dialogue recalled such Howard Hawks’ classics as 1938’s ‘Bringing Up Baby” and 1940’ “His Girl Friday.” Fourth walls were broken. There was a black-and-white episode and even and wild and crazy take on William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” That was just the tip of the innovations.
Creator and executive producer Glenn Gordon Caron told me in a 2000 L.A. Times interview that ABC didn’t give him total freedom when it came to the episodes: “The truth is no one let me do everything. I just did it. Ignorance is bliss. There were rules and I chose not to listen to anybody. At a certain point, the network said- ‘This is working.
Creator and executive producer Glenn Gordon Caron told me in a 2000 L.A. Times interview that ABC didn’t give him total freedom when it came to the episodes: “The truth is no one let me do everything. I just did it. Ignorance is bliss. There were rules and I chose not to listen to anybody. At a certain point, the network said- ‘This is working.
- 10/16/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
It’s Frasier Week at IndieWire. Grab some tossed salad and scrambled eggs, settle into your coziest easy chair, and join us. We’re listening.
Over the course of its 11 seasons, “Frasier” won a slew of Emmy Awards. Actually, it earned 37 out of 107 nominations, including five for guest actors ranging from Jean Smart to Anthony Lapaglia. But somehow, someway, even amidst the glut of gold showered upon Frasier’s cashmere-clad shoulders, the show’s stealth secret weapon never scored even a nomination for her 11 episodes.
“Frasier” fans know there is only one person it could possibly be: The irresistible, indefatigable, and indelible Harriet Sansom Harris as Frasier’s agent, Bebe Glazer. And Bebe was exactly the type of fast-talking snake charmer who could make that alliteration seem not just virtuosic but mesmeric.
Every Bebe episode is the best Bebe episode because Harris (who scored her career-first Emmy nomination for “Hacks...
Over the course of its 11 seasons, “Frasier” won a slew of Emmy Awards. Actually, it earned 37 out of 107 nominations, including five for guest actors ranging from Jean Smart to Anthony Lapaglia. But somehow, someway, even amidst the glut of gold showered upon Frasier’s cashmere-clad shoulders, the show’s stealth secret weapon never scored even a nomination for her 11 episodes.
“Frasier” fans know there is only one person it could possibly be: The irresistible, indefatigable, and indelible Harriet Sansom Harris as Frasier’s agent, Bebe Glazer. And Bebe was exactly the type of fast-talking snake charmer who could make that alliteration seem not just virtuosic but mesmeric.
Every Bebe episode is the best Bebe episode because Harris (who scored her career-first Emmy nomination for “Hacks...
- 10/13/2023
- by Mark Peikert
- Indiewire
Lukas Gage and Zachary Quinto are keeping their clandestine meeting on the down low.
“The White Lotus” and “You” star Gage co-wrote queer sex comedy “Down Low” with Phoebe Fisher. Gage stars as a sex worker who is hired by a depressed (and repressed) divorcé to kickstart his new love life. Simon Rex, Audra McDonald, and Judith Light also star.
“Down Low” is directed by “Bonding” series creator Rightor Doyle, who also acted in the final season of “Barry.” The film debuted at 2023 SXSW.
In the film, Gary (Quinto) hires Cameron (Gage), a spirited and boundary-free sex worker to give him an erotic massage. When Cameron learns how inexperienced middle-aged Gary is, he becomes determined to deliver a crash course in unapologetic queer life. Cameron’s agenda of hookup apps and gay nomenclature quickly causes the day to take several riotously obscure turns as the pair endure a nosy, pill-popping neighbor,...
“The White Lotus” and “You” star Gage co-wrote queer sex comedy “Down Low” with Phoebe Fisher. Gage stars as a sex worker who is hired by a depressed (and repressed) divorcé to kickstart his new love life. Simon Rex, Audra McDonald, and Judith Light also star.
“Down Low” is directed by “Bonding” series creator Rightor Doyle, who also acted in the final season of “Barry.” The film debuted at 2023 SXSW.
In the film, Gary (Quinto) hires Cameron (Gage), a spirited and boundary-free sex worker to give him an erotic massage. When Cameron learns how inexperienced middle-aged Gary is, he becomes determined to deliver a crash course in unapologetic queer life. Cameron’s agenda of hookup apps and gay nomenclature quickly causes the day to take several riotously obscure turns as the pair endure a nosy, pill-popping neighbor,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Like Agatha Christie herself, Kenneth Branagh found a reliable formula for mysteries. In his two previous adaptations of Christie novels, he directed and played the cerebral detective Hercule Poirot amid a star-filled cast, in an exotic location with at least one killer on the loose. Murder on the Orient Express (2017), with Michelle Pfeiffer and Johnny Depp, had an enjoyably retro, over-the-top style. Death on the Nile (2022) was a bit less starry and diverting.
Now, A Haunting in Venice sets a definite pattern of diminishing returns. The new film is much pokier in its pacing, with duller characters. Despite some highlights, including Branagh in top form as an even more somber than usual Poirot, the film is watchable but it is also something lethal to a mystery: uninvolving.
The story takes place in 1947 and is very loosely based on a lesser-known, late-career Christie novel, Hallowe’en Party (1969), altering the plot, changing...
Now, A Haunting in Venice sets a definite pattern of diminishing returns. The new film is much pokier in its pacing, with duller characters. Despite some highlights, including Branagh in top form as an even more somber than usual Poirot, the film is watchable but it is also something lethal to a mystery: uninvolving.
The story takes place in 1947 and is very loosely based on a lesser-known, late-career Christie novel, Hallowe’en Party (1969), altering the plot, changing...
- 9/9/2023
- by Caryn James
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In his latest podcast/interview, host and screenwriter Stuart Wright talks to author and arts and culture writer Anna Cale about the writing of her book The Real Diana Dors, the Bill Forsyth podcast series Ten Thousand Grains Of Sand and 3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life.
Saturday Night And Sunday Morning (1960) His Girl Friday (1940) Local Hero (1983)
“3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life” is about those films that made you fall in love with film. The guest selects their trio of movies and we talk for 5 minutes, against the clock. When the alarm goes off for five minutes we move on to the next film.
Powered by RedCircle...
Saturday Night And Sunday Morning (1960) His Girl Friday (1940) Local Hero (1983)
“3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life” is about those films that made you fall in love with film. The guest selects their trio of movies and we talk for 5 minutes, against the clock. When the alarm goes off for five minutes we move on to the next film.
Powered by RedCircle...
- 9/1/2023
- by Stuart Wright
- Nerdly
Barbie and Ken's rollerblades were a defining part of the "Barbie" movie, but they also presented huge challenges for the star-studded cast. The 2023 summer blockbuster is filled to the brim with unforgettable moments, but perhaps the most memorable is when Barbie and Ken enter the real world for the very first time on a set of bespoke neon skates. It's a difficult reckoning for the dolls when the real world makes a spectacle of them, and the two actors had a similar experience filming the scene. But it wasn't just the rugged reality of Venice Beach that made the shoot so difficult — it was the rollerblades themselves.
Now, the film's producer and star Margot Robbie has experience on a set of skates. She started rollerskating in her free time while shooting the biopic "I, Tonya," the actress revealed to Vogue. Her character Tonya Harding is an Olympian figure skater, so...
Now, the film's producer and star Margot Robbie has experience on a set of skates. She started rollerskating in her free time while shooting the biopic "I, Tonya," the actress revealed to Vogue. Her character Tonya Harding is an Olympian figure skater, so...
- 8/28/2023
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” is destined to be a classic in its own right, already garnering nearly half a billion dollars at the box office in under a week. The film, about a stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) in the grips of an existential crisis that sees her going to the Real World, is all manner of fun and wacky, with a number of Old Hollywood influences.
Gerwig herself has cited a number of features that either directly or indirectly inspired “Barbie,” starting with the 1939 Technicolor classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” That film, with its now iconic transition between Kansas and the land of Oz, no doubt factored into how the feature approaches color. The idea of a character transitioning from one world to another draws comparisons to “The Truman Show” and “Heaven Can Wait.”
Among the more nuanced, less obvious films, Gerwig took inspiration from “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,...
Gerwig herself has cited a number of features that either directly or indirectly inspired “Barbie,” starting with the 1939 Technicolor classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” That film, with its now iconic transition between Kansas and the land of Oz, no doubt factored into how the feature approaches color. The idea of a character transitioning from one world to another draws comparisons to “The Truman Show” and “Heaven Can Wait.”
Among the more nuanced, less obvious films, Gerwig took inspiration from “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,...
- 7/28/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
The movie Clue features an incredible cast of actors and Madonna was almost among them. Despite this, the Queen of Pop was denied a role in the film. Subsequently, another actor explained why she landed the part instead.
Madonna lost a part in the movie ‘Clue’ to an actor who wore a maid outfit to her audition
Colleen Camp played Yvette, the French maid in Clue. During a 2023 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Camp discussed getting the role. “From what I understand, a number of people wanted the part, like Julianne Moore and Madonna,” she said. “But Jennifer Jason Leigh was the choice, and when she did not do the movie, my manager [whom I shared with Jennifer] suggested me. And I went full out — I dressed up in a maid’s outfit; I created this French accent. I basically got the part in the room.”
During a 2013 interview with BuzzFeed, director Jonathan Lynn was asked...
Madonna lost a part in the movie ‘Clue’ to an actor who wore a maid outfit to her audition
Colleen Camp played Yvette, the French maid in Clue. During a 2023 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Camp discussed getting the role. “From what I understand, a number of people wanted the part, like Julianne Moore and Madonna,” she said. “But Jennifer Jason Leigh was the choice, and when she did not do the movie, my manager [whom I shared with Jennifer] suggested me. And I went full out — I dressed up in a maid’s outfit; I created this French accent. I basically got the part in the room.”
During a 2013 interview with BuzzFeed, director Jonathan Lynn was asked...
- 7/25/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
As most streamers neglected to put much stock in their film libraries, one has stood out from the rest of the pack: Paramount+.
As the streaming wars hit a fever pitch over the last few years, the budgets for splashy originals expanded. To make room in the budget, streamers looked to cull their library of licensed titles. But, why license thousands of movies and shows from other studios when you’re making your own hits? Streamers quickly learned that for every “Stranger Things”-sized smash, there were five “Cowboy Bebop”-sized flops, and most original films failed to make much impact
Visit Paramount+ and you’ll not only see recent hits like “Scream 6” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” but library titles as varied as “Sunset Boulevard,” “His Girl Friday,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Almost Famous,” “Fatal Attraction,” “The Piano,” “Heaven’s Gate,” “Roman Holiday,” “In the Heat of the Night,” “Titanic,” the complete “Indiana Jones” franchise,...
As the streaming wars hit a fever pitch over the last few years, the budgets for splashy originals expanded. To make room in the budget, streamers looked to cull their library of licensed titles. But, why license thousands of movies and shows from other studios when you’re making your own hits? Streamers quickly learned that for every “Stranger Things”-sized smash, there were five “Cowboy Bebop”-sized flops, and most original films failed to make much impact
Visit Paramount+ and you’ll not only see recent hits like “Scream 6” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” but library titles as varied as “Sunset Boulevard,” “His Girl Friday,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Almost Famous,” “Fatal Attraction,” “The Piano,” “Heaven’s Gate,” “Roman Holiday,” “In the Heat of the Night,” “Titanic,” the complete “Indiana Jones” franchise,...
- 7/18/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
A version of this story about Rufus Sewell first ran in the Drama Series issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Apart from its geopolitical intrigue, “The Diplomat” is a series about a smart, driven pair of overachievers who can be a great team or can end up wrestling in the bushes while she swings tree branches at him. At the heart of the show is the relationship between Keri Russell’s Kate and Rufus Sewell’s Hal, a married couple of diplomats whose marriage may or may not be ending, but is both provocative and amusing with its nonstop mixture of flirting and fighting.
For Sewell, a 55-year-old British actor whose previous work has included “A Knight’s Tale,” “The Father” and “The Man in the High Castle,” the series supplied the kind of blend he’s been looking for through most of his career.
“I’ve always gravitated towards comedy,...
Apart from its geopolitical intrigue, “The Diplomat” is a series about a smart, driven pair of overachievers who can be a great team or can end up wrestling in the bushes while she swings tree branches at him. At the heart of the show is the relationship between Keri Russell’s Kate and Rufus Sewell’s Hal, a married couple of diplomats whose marriage may or may not be ending, but is both provocative and amusing with its nonstop mixture of flirting and fighting.
For Sewell, a 55-year-old British actor whose previous work has included “A Knight’s Tale,” “The Father” and “The Man in the High Castle,” the series supplied the kind of blend he’s been looking for through most of his career.
“I’ve always gravitated towards comedy,...
- 6/19/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Howard Hawks was the Oscar-nominated director who has become a favorite among cinephiles, praised as a master of genre entertainments. But how many of his titles have remained classics? Let’s take a look back at 20 of Hawks’ greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1896, Hawks had a background in engineering and aviation before turning to filmmaking during the silent era. He proved himself to be a versatile talent, adapting his direct, fast-paced style to a variety of genres, including comedies, westerns, film noir, adventures (“Only Angels Have Wings”), gangster epics (“Scarface”) and war dramas.
Although Hawks often explored the codes of masculinity in films starring Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne and Cary Grant, he was noted for his strong-willed, fast talking female characters, coined the “Hawksian woman.” The battle of the sexes was never more evenhanded than it was in one of his films, thanks to the likes of Katharine Hepburn,...
Born in 1896, Hawks had a background in engineering and aviation before turning to filmmaking during the silent era. He proved himself to be a versatile talent, adapting his direct, fast-paced style to a variety of genres, including comedies, westerns, film noir, adventures (“Only Angels Have Wings”), gangster epics (“Scarface”) and war dramas.
Although Hawks often explored the codes of masculinity in films starring Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne and Cary Grant, he was noted for his strong-willed, fast talking female characters, coined the “Hawksian woman.” The battle of the sexes was never more evenhanded than it was in one of his films, thanks to the likes of Katharine Hepburn,...
- 5/27/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
It's been 22 years since Rob Cohen directed a shameless knockoff of Kathryn Bigelow's "Point Break," starring Paul Walker instead of Keanu Reeves, Vin Diesel instead of Patrick Swayze, and street racing instead of surfing and sky diving. And while at the time, the success of the film "The Fast and the Furious" seemed only vaguely remarkable, over the course of the last two decades it has ballooned into a multi-billion dollar franchise, full of epic car stunts, ludicrous storylines, and endless ruminations about the meaning of "family."
Yes, "Fast and Furious" has become a household name, perhaps permanently associated with the blockbuster vehicular nonsense films of Vin Diesel and company. But it was not always this way. The common expression "fast and furious" has been used many times in Hollywood, for films about race car driving, funny murder mysteries, beloved Looney Tunes adventures, and low-budget crime thrillers.
Some of...
Yes, "Fast and Furious" has become a household name, perhaps permanently associated with the blockbuster vehicular nonsense films of Vin Diesel and company. But it was not always this way. The common expression "fast and furious" has been used many times in Hollywood, for films about race car driving, funny murder mysteries, beloved Looney Tunes adventures, and low-budget crime thrillers.
Some of...
- 5/16/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
The undisputed king of the screwball comedy is Cary Grant, and frankly, I don't think it's close. With classics of the genre like "His Girl Friday," "The Awful Truth," and "Holiday" under his belt, the most dapper man in Hollywood was also one of its funniest. Honestly, it's a little unfair that one person could be that handsome and that funny at the same time. Those two qualities should be at complete odds with one another. That's only fair.
If someone wanted to understand what the archetypical screwball comedy is, the film I would most likely show them is Howard Hawks' 1938 classic "Bringing Up Baby," starring Grant with his frequent screwball partner Katharine Hepburn. Its brand of antics is particularly wacky even by the standards of the best screwball comedies, and every single time I throw on the movie, whether I'm watching it in full or just looking at individual scenes,...
If someone wanted to understand what the archetypical screwball comedy is, the film I would most likely show them is Howard Hawks' 1938 classic "Bringing Up Baby," starring Grant with his frequent screwball partner Katharine Hepburn. Its brand of antics is particularly wacky even by the standards of the best screwball comedies, and every single time I throw on the movie, whether I'm watching it in full or just looking at individual scenes,...
- 5/16/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
It's not easy for every film to be a hit, but Quentin Tarantino wants his body of work to be as close to perfect as possible. Almost every movie he's ever made has been met with widespread critical acclaim, and he plans to keep it that way. Although there's no surefire way to make every movie a success, there is one method that Tarantino's sticking to — quit while you're ahead.
Two of Tarantino's favorite directors are old Hollywood auteurs Howard Hawks and Billy Wilder. Both have a diverse set of hits in their extensive filmography, from noirs like "The Big Sleep" to musicals like "Some Like it Hot" and Westerns like "Rio Bravo." They also churned out successful movies for decades, but Tarantino and most critics would agree that they continued working past their prime. Making a film like "Rio Lobo," the sequel to "Rio Bravo," is Tarantino's worst nightmare as an artist.
Two of Tarantino's favorite directors are old Hollywood auteurs Howard Hawks and Billy Wilder. Both have a diverse set of hits in their extensive filmography, from noirs like "The Big Sleep" to musicals like "Some Like it Hot" and Westerns like "Rio Bravo." They also churned out successful movies for decades, but Tarantino and most critics would agree that they continued working past their prime. Making a film like "Rio Lobo," the sequel to "Rio Bravo," is Tarantino's worst nightmare as an artist.
- 3/19/2023
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
ABC‘s Alaska Daily almost lost two characters when the Concerned Citizen took Eileen Fitzgerald and Gabriel Tovar hostage in episode 7. However, Eileen got through to the man with the gun before he could physically hurt the two reporters. Unfortunately, the Concerned Citizen died by suicide by cop right in front of Eileen and Gabriel, adding to their trauma. And for Gabriel, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue down the path of journalism following the event.
Pablo Castelblanco as Gabriel Tovar and Hilary Swank as Eileen Fitzgerald | ABC/Darko Sikman Gabriel announced he was quitting his job in ‘Alaska Daily’ Episode 8
Following the Concerned Citizen’s attack on the Daily Alaskan, Gabriel took time off work to recover in Alaska Daily Episode 8.
Gabriel’s colleagues were worried about him, so they all showed up, one by one, at his house to help him at the end of the hour.
Pablo Castelblanco as Gabriel Tovar and Hilary Swank as Eileen Fitzgerald | ABC/Darko Sikman Gabriel announced he was quitting his job in ‘Alaska Daily’ Episode 8
Following the Concerned Citizen’s attack on the Daily Alaskan, Gabriel took time off work to recover in Alaska Daily Episode 8.
Gabriel’s colleagues were worried about him, so they all showed up, one by one, at his house to help him at the end of the hour.
- 3/16/2023
- by Sarah Little
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Gritty drama She Said, about the two reporters who exposed Harvey Weinstein, joins newsroom classics from His Girl Friday to All the President’s Men
Around the time that Tom McCarthy’s 2015 newsroom drama Spotlight started piling up critics’ awards en route to the best picture Oscar, more than a few wags commented that film critics are not to be trusted on films that make the journalism industry look good: it’s the hand that feeds us, after all. Still, Hollywood tends to oscillate between two extremes on journalists: they’re either virtuous crusaders for truth and justice or leeching, corrupt sleazebags.
Maria Schrader’s solidly absorbing She Said (2022) takes the former stance. Its story of how New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey (studiously played by Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan) exposed Harvey Weinstein’s serial sexual abuse and triggered the #MeToo movement is fresh in everyone’s minds.
Around the time that Tom McCarthy’s 2015 newsroom drama Spotlight started piling up critics’ awards en route to the best picture Oscar, more than a few wags commented that film critics are not to be trusted on films that make the journalism industry look good: it’s the hand that feeds us, after all. Still, Hollywood tends to oscillate between two extremes on journalists: they’re either virtuous crusaders for truth and justice or leeching, corrupt sleazebags.
Maria Schrader’s solidly absorbing She Said (2022) takes the former stance. Its story of how New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey (studiously played by Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan) exposed Harvey Weinstein’s serial sexual abuse and triggered the #MeToo movement is fresh in everyone’s minds.
- 3/4/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
No filmmaker loved ripping off their own work more than Howard Hawks. And if your oeuvre is riddled with all-timers like "Bringing Up Baby," "Only Angels Have Wings," "His Girl Friday" and "Ball of Fire," you might copy yourself, too.
Hawks' most egregious act of self-theft has its roots in "Rio Bravo," which is widely and correctly considered one of the finest Westerns ever made. The film that Quentin Tarantino calls the greatest "hangout" movie stars John Wayne as Sheriff John T. Chance, who teams up with his alcoholic former colleague (Dean Martin), a hotshot young gunfighter (Ricky Nelson), and Stumpy (Walter Brennan) to keep the outlaw brother of a wealthy local rancher in stir until the federal authorities can ride into town and take him into custody.
In an interview in the 1997 book, "Backstory 2: Interviews with Screenwriters of the 1940s and 1950s," scriptwriter Leigh Brackett shared that Hawks'...
Hawks' most egregious act of self-theft has its roots in "Rio Bravo," which is widely and correctly considered one of the finest Westerns ever made. The film that Quentin Tarantino calls the greatest "hangout" movie stars John Wayne as Sheriff John T. Chance, who teams up with his alcoholic former colleague (Dean Martin), a hotshot young gunfighter (Ricky Nelson), and Stumpy (Walter Brennan) to keep the outlaw brother of a wealthy local rancher in stir until the federal authorities can ride into town and take him into custody.
In an interview in the 1997 book, "Backstory 2: Interviews with Screenwriters of the 1940s and 1950s," scriptwriter Leigh Brackett shared that Hawks'...
- 2/15/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
For most of Hollywood history, the romantic comedy was a staple of theatrical moviegoing. From the glory days of Ernst Lubitsch (“Trouble in Paradise”) and George Cukor (“Adam’s Rib”) in the classical studio era to the onslaught of Julia Roberts, Matthew McConaughey, and Reese Witherspoon vehicles in the 1990s and early 2000s, pretty people saying funny things while falling in love was a consistent and reliable form of big screen entertainment. In the last few years, however, the genre largely moved to streaming, with studio slates leaning disproportionately toward comic book movies and other preexisting IP while reserving slots devoted to more modestly budgeted fare for horror films.
Yet the theatrically released, well-resourced romantic comedy made a glorious return to the big screen in 2022 with “Ticket to Paradise,” director Ol Parker’s hilarious and sweetly moving George Clooney and Julia Roberts vehicle. The movie has many pleasures, from Clooney and...
Yet the theatrically released, well-resourced romantic comedy made a glorious return to the big screen in 2022 with “Ticket to Paradise,” director Ol Parker’s hilarious and sweetly moving George Clooney and Julia Roberts vehicle. The movie has many pleasures, from Clooney and...
- 2/12/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
The premise was simple enough: A no-nonsense, non-conformist, feminine “guy’s girl” journalist sets out to make a man fall in love with her — all for the sake of a big break at work. When “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” hit theaters on February 7, 2003, the Kate Hudson- and Matthew McConaughey-starring romantic comedy ushered in a new generation of a revived rom-com sub-genre: quippy romances all about female journalists.
In the Donald Petrie film, Andie Anderson (Hudson) half-jokingly pitches the idea of using all the “what not to do” tips of Composure, the Cosmo-esque fastest growing women’s magazine she works at, to prove the opposite: being disinterested and not clingy works better to land a husband, or better yet, find true love. Kathryn Hahn is her unlucky-in-love coworker whose exploits inspire Andie’s approach to a new lifestyle feature article, while Bebe Neuwirth is her...
In the Donald Petrie film, Andie Anderson (Hudson) half-jokingly pitches the idea of using all the “what not to do” tips of Composure, the Cosmo-esque fastest growing women’s magazine she works at, to prove the opposite: being disinterested and not clingy works better to land a husband, or better yet, find true love. Kathryn Hahn is her unlucky-in-love coworker whose exploits inspire Andie’s approach to a new lifestyle feature article, while Bebe Neuwirth is her...
- 2/7/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Back in 2004, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" had ended, and fans were ready for another female character who was clever, capable of dealing with difficult circumstances, and prone to quipping snarkily at villains. Viewers soon found her in Veronica Mars. Played by Kristen Bell, Veronica had been through hell after being assaulted and the death of her best friend, Lilly Kane (Amanda Seyfried). Her father, the town sheriff (Enrico Colantoni), accused the wrong man, and all of a sudden, Veronica was on the outs with the rich and popular crowd at her high school.
As such, Veronica began acting as the school's private investigator, all while dealing with mysteries in her own life. Add in a love/hate/chemistry-filled relationship with Lilly's former boyfriend, Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring), and you have a recipe for a cult hit that was still so popular years later that it was brought back as a...
As such, Veronica began acting as the school's private investigator, all while dealing with mysteries in her own life. Add in a love/hate/chemistry-filled relationship with Lilly's former boyfriend, Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring), and you have a recipe for a cult hit that was still so popular years later that it was brought back as a...
- 12/8/2022
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
It’s a foolhardy plan to craft a film almost entirely around the onscreen chemistry between two movie stars and hope for the best. But when those stars are George Clooney and Julia Roberts, the combustive power of their pairing will go a long-ish way. Thinly scripted rom-com Ticket to Paradise puffs its way through 104 minutes mostly on the vapors of its lead actors gassing around together, albeit with an assist from spectacular Australian scenery standing in for Bali.
It’s the first time the actors have been paired on screen since dreary hostage drama Money Monster (2016), and it’s their first proper comedy together since they made those first two highly enjoyable Ocean’s movies with Steven Soderbergh at the helm back in the aughts. In fact, it’s the first time in a while either of them have done anything substantial...
It’s a foolhardy plan to craft a film almost entirely around the onscreen chemistry between two movie stars and hope for the best. But when those stars are George Clooney and Julia Roberts, the combustive power of their pairing will go a long-ish way. Thinly scripted rom-com Ticket to Paradise puffs its way through 104 minutes mostly on the vapors of its lead actors gassing around together, albeit with an assist from spectacular Australian scenery standing in for Bali.
It’s the first time the actors have been paired on screen since dreary hostage drama Money Monster (2016), and it’s their first proper comedy together since they made those first two highly enjoyable Ocean’s movies with Steven Soderbergh at the helm back in the aughts. In fact, it’s the first time in a while either of them have done anything substantial...
- 9/14/2022
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Showrunner Eric Kripke joins podcast hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss a few of his favorite films.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Piranha (1978) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
My Octopus Teacher (2020)
The Evil Dead (1983) – Fede Alvarez’s trailer commentary
Evil Dead II (1987) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary, Alex Kirschenbaum’s review
Meet The Feebles (1989) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary
Dead Alive a.k.a. Braindead (1992) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary
Bad Taste (1987) – Ti West’s trailer commentary
Infested (2002)
Super (2010)
Forrest Gump (1994)
The Hidden (1987) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Uhf (1989)
Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid (1986)
The Dead Pit (1989)
Batgirl (2022) – Unreleased film
The Fantastic Four (1994) – Unreleased film...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Piranha (1978) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
My Octopus Teacher (2020)
The Evil Dead (1983) – Fede Alvarez’s trailer commentary
Evil Dead II (1987) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary, Alex Kirschenbaum’s review
Meet The Feebles (1989) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary
Dead Alive a.k.a. Braindead (1992) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary
Bad Taste (1987) – Ti West’s trailer commentary
Infested (2002)
Super (2010)
Forrest Gump (1994)
The Hidden (1987) – Mike Mendez’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Uhf (1989)
Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid (1986)
The Dead Pit (1989)
Batgirl (2022) – Unreleased film
The Fantastic Four (1994) – Unreleased film...
- 8/23/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Even after dozens of rewatches, it's nearly impossible to keep up with the lightning-paced dialogue of Howard Hawks' screwball comedy, His Girl Friday. Some one-liner gems packed a punch in the 1940s — "Take Hitler and stick him on the funny pages" — while others have stood the test of time — "Oh and I see you've got your rubbers too, always good to be prepared for anything." There are a few self-aware barbs at co-stars throughout the film from Grant, like, "He looks like that fellow in the movies. You know ... Ralph Bellamy," but none quite as satisfying as the one...
The post One Line from His Girl Friday Revealed Cary Grant's True Identity appeared first on /Film.
The post One Line from His Girl Friday Revealed Cary Grant's True Identity appeared first on /Film.
- 8/7/2022
- by Leigh Giangreco
- Slash Film
Notebook is covering the Cannes Film Festival with an ongoing correspondence between critics Leonardo Goi and Lawrence Garcia, and editor Daniel Kasman.Stars at Noon.Dear Leo and Danny,Danny, I’m glad you brought up Three Thousand Years of Longing, a film whose conceptual explorations of myth and storytelling sustained my interest for quite some time. The fundamental question it raises—and which is studied by narratologists and students of comparative religion the world over—is whether there is a finite number of narrative patterns and character archetypes, whether there is a theoretically enumerable list of story structures which we simply repeat again and again. In Three Thousand Years, the basic idea, voiced by Tilda Swinton's academic, is whether it is possible to tell a story about wish-granting that is not a cautionary tale? In its exploration of this, the film played, for a time, a bit like...
- 5/27/2022
- MUBI
Within the burgeoning action sub-genre of fathers scorching earth to save their child, one will not find a film meaner than There Are No Saints. Written by Paul Schrader and directed by Alfonso Pineda Ulloa, this nasty thriller concerns Neto (Jose Maria Yazpi), a former hitman fresh out of prison and determined to get on the straight-and-narrow. Unfortunately, his former cartel employers don’t love the idea. Neither do the corrupt law enforcers they have on payroll. This discontentment extends to his ex-flame Nadia (Paz Vega) and estranged son Julio (Keidrich Sellati). Everyone’s in danger. Turns out Nadia’s new boyfriend (Neal McDonough) is affiliated with the cartel, and kidnaps Julio once the heat is on.
Yazpi is a brooding sort, to be sure, though he lacks bravado for the lead role. In fairness, this film asks him to play a multitude of emotions without the scenes to support the complexity.
Yazpi is a brooding sort, to be sure, though he lacks bravado for the lead role. In fairness, this film asks him to play a multitude of emotions without the scenes to support the complexity.
- 5/26/2022
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
The 2020 Oscars produced a record four films that all received at least 10 nominations. While it created a wide-open field, it also meant great movies like “The Farewell,” “Hustlers,” “Midsommar” and more were completely snubbed. And believe us, there have been some bad movies nominated for plenty of Oscars in the past. And while we could go all day naming movies that have been unfairly overlooked by The Academy for one reason or another, these near classics feel like they should’ve been awards season shoo-ins and yet ultimately received no Oscar love at all.
“King Kong” (1933)
It was the quintessential monster movie of the era and was a landmark for special effects, but the Academy handed it zero nominations.
“Modern Times” (1936)
Many of Charlie Chaplin’s silent masterpieces predate the Oscars, but the Academy didn’t take the chance to nominate his final turn as The Tramp. Chaplin himself wouldn...
“King Kong” (1933)
It was the quintessential monster movie of the era and was a landmark for special effects, but the Academy handed it zero nominations.
“Modern Times” (1936)
Many of Charlie Chaplin’s silent masterpieces predate the Oscars, but the Academy didn’t take the chance to nominate his final turn as The Tramp. Chaplin himself wouldn...
- 3/22/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
To lose ourselves in a world of winks and wisecracks from quick-witted showgirls, ditzy heiresses and fast-talking career women may seem like a borderline irresponsible choice in These Troubled Times. But the blast of pure pleasure that is the Berlin Film Festival’s 27-movie tribute to Mae West, Rosalind Russell and Carole Lombard is an act of cinematic self-care with a precedent. The “No Angels” Retrospective, which co-ordinator Annika Haupts says was conceived as “mood-lightening” counter-programming during Germany’s first corona lockdown, comprises comedies that were themselves developed during America’s Great Depression. Spanning 1932 to 1943, there are ordained classics like “My Man Godfrey,” “His Girl Friday,” “Twentieth Century,” “To Be or Not to Be” and “The Women.” But there’s also a trove of less well-known treasures, united by irreverence and leading ladies whose charisma transforms the contrivances of Hayes Code-era Hollywood into escapism so effervescent it froths the blues away.
- 2/11/2022
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
The Notebook Primer introduces readers to some of the most important figures, films, genres, and movements in film history.Twentieth CenturyA common misconception about 1930s Hollywood cinema is that escapism was the trend du jour. The ubiquity of genres like historical melodramas and musicals indicates that rationale may be true to an extent, but even the most fantastic films were grounded in some semblance of social realism. And how could they not be? With nearly one in four Americans out of work by 1933 and a slow-but-stable economic recovery stimulated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal program, the bleakness of the Great Depression and the disparity between the haves and have-nots was an omnipresent thread throughout the decade’s popular culture. Like any major American industry, Hollywood was formative to the public’s perception of culture and politics, and the movies were a temperature gauge of the decade’s cultural climate.
- 1/3/2022
- MUBI
Jonathan Reynolds, a playwright and screenwriter whose string of film credits in the 1980s included the comedies Micki & Maude, Switching Channels, My Stepmother Is an Alien and the notorious flop Leonard Part 6, died Oct. 27 of organ failure at the Actors Fund Home in Englewood, N.J. He was 79.
His death was announced by family to The New York Times.
A prolific Off Broadway playwright, Reynolds stage works included the acclaimed 1982 Hollywood satire Geniuses, produced by Playwrights Horizons and based on the journals Reynolds wrote during his three months on location in the Philippines to observe the infamously difficult filming of Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now.
An intended book about the making of the film never made it to print, but his satirical play was a hit with both audiences and critics. And Reynolds would have an even more lasting connection to Apocalypse Now: He contributed, uncredited, a line of...
His death was announced by family to The New York Times.
A prolific Off Broadway playwright, Reynolds stage works included the acclaimed 1982 Hollywood satire Geniuses, produced by Playwrights Horizons and based on the journals Reynolds wrote during his three months on location in the Philippines to observe the infamously difficult filming of Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now.
An intended book about the making of the film never made it to print, but his satirical play was a hit with both audiences and critics. And Reynolds would have an even more lasting connection to Apocalypse Now: He contributed, uncredited, a line of...
- 11/11/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
As 2021 mercifully winds down, the Criterion Channel have a (November) lineup that marks one of their most diverse selections in some time—films by the new masters Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Garrett Bradley, Dan Sallitt’s Fourteen (one of 2020’s best films) couched in a fantastic retrospective, and Criterion editions of old favorites.
Fourteen is featured in “Between Us Girls: Bonds Between Women,” which also includes Céline and Julie, The Virgin Suicides, and Yvonne Rainer’s Privilege. Of equal note are Criterion editions for Ghost World, Night of the Hunter, and (just in time for del Toro’s spin) Nightmare Alley—all stacked releases in their own right.
See the full list of October titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
300 Nassau, Marina Lameiro, 2015
5 Card Stud, Henry Hathaway, 1968
Alone, Garrett Bradley, 2017
Álvaro, Daniel Wilson, Elizabeth Warren, Alexandra Lazarowich, and Chloe Zimmerman, 2015
America, Garrett Bradley, 2019
Angel Face, Otto Preminger, 1953
Angels Wear White,...
Fourteen is featured in “Between Us Girls: Bonds Between Women,” which also includes Céline and Julie, The Virgin Suicides, and Yvonne Rainer’s Privilege. Of equal note are Criterion editions for Ghost World, Night of the Hunter, and (just in time for del Toro’s spin) Nightmare Alley—all stacked releases in their own right.
See the full list of October titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
300 Nassau, Marina Lameiro, 2015
5 Card Stud, Henry Hathaway, 1968
Alone, Garrett Bradley, 2017
Álvaro, Daniel Wilson, Elizabeth Warren, Alexandra Lazarowich, and Chloe Zimmerman, 2015
America, Garrett Bradley, 2019
Angel Face, Otto Preminger, 1953
Angels Wear White,...
- 10/25/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Rom-coms have been popular since the '30s and '40s, when classics like "It Happened One Night," "His Girl Friday," "The Philadelphia Story," "Bringing Up Baby," and "Some Like It Hot" courted moviegoers. It wasn't uncommon for these uproarious films to receive rave reviews from both critics and viewers, and they continued to permeate as Hollywood moved into the '50s and beyond.
'80s rom-coms continued this beloved tradition, infusing classical filmmaking techniques with the innovations of blockbuster movies, pioneered by the likes of "Jaws" and "Star Wars." Accordingly, rom-coms of the era borrowed from many different genres, including fantasy, satire, and science fiction. The rise of John Hughes...
The post The 14 Greatest '80s Romantic Comedies Ranked appeared first on /Film.
'80s rom-coms continued this beloved tradition, infusing classical filmmaking techniques with the innovations of blockbuster movies, pioneered by the likes of "Jaws" and "Star Wars." Accordingly, rom-coms of the era borrowed from many different genres, including fantasy, satire, and science fiction. The rise of John Hughes...
The post The 14 Greatest '80s Romantic Comedies Ranked appeared first on /Film.
- 10/14/2021
- by Liam Gaughan
- Slash Film
With it being seven years since his last live-action film, 2014’s The Grand Budapast Hotel, Wes Anderson is hard at work. Following a Cannes premiere, The French Dispatch finally arrives in limited theaters on October 22 followed by a wide release the following week, and he’s already shooting his next film (recently revealed to have the title Asteroid City) outside of Madrid with Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, Adrien Brody, Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie, Rupert Friend, Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston, Hope Davis, Jeffrey Wright, Liev Schreiber, Tony Revolori, and Matt Dillon.
As is the case with all of his work, Wes Anderson synthesizes cinema history in his own specific language and for The French Dispatch he has provided a list of influences. As revealed in a promotional book sent to The Flim Stage and styled after the film’s magazine, 32 films are listed that “provided inspiration to the filmmakers,...
As is the case with all of his work, Wes Anderson synthesizes cinema history in his own specific language and for The French Dispatch he has provided a list of influences. As revealed in a promotional book sent to The Flim Stage and styled after the film’s magazine, 32 films are listed that “provided inspiration to the filmmakers,...
- 10/12/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Director Richard Donner, who died on Monday at age 91, was once compared to Victor Fleming (“Gone with the Wind”) and Michael Curtiz (“Casablanca”), old-school filmmakers who worked hard to give their studio bosses what they wanted (and to give the public what they thought it wanted).
Donner may have come into his own as a hit-maker during the New Hollywood of the 1970s, but no one ever accused him of being an auteur. He made accessible entertainments — and if that were an easy task, everyone would have done it — and helped usher in the modern era of superhero cinema with 1978’s “Superman,” a thrilling and utterly unironic take on the comic-book icon that feels more influential to contemporary moviemaking with each passing year.
Born Richard Donald Schwartzberg in the Bronx, Donner moved to Los Angeles in the 1950s with hopes of becoming an actor. He was soon mentored by director Martin Ritt,...
Donner may have come into his own as a hit-maker during the New Hollywood of the 1970s, but no one ever accused him of being an auteur. He made accessible entertainments — and if that were an easy task, everyone would have done it — and helped usher in the modern era of superhero cinema with 1978’s “Superman,” a thrilling and utterly unironic take on the comic-book icon that feels more influential to contemporary moviemaking with each passing year.
Born Richard Donald Schwartzberg in the Bronx, Donner moved to Los Angeles in the 1950s with hopes of becoming an actor. He was soon mentored by director Martin Ritt,...
- 7/5/2021
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
In his latest interview, screenwriter and film podcast host Stuart Wright talks to writer and filmmaker Paige Feldman about 5 Boss Bitch Romantic Comedies featuring savvy women who follow their dreams and find love too. The films include:
His Girl Friday (1940) Pillow Talk (1959) Working Girl (1988) Two Can Play That Game (2001) Music & Lyrics (2011)
For more on Paige see https://www.paigefeldman.com/...
His Girl Friday (1940) Pillow Talk (1959) Working Girl (1988) Two Can Play That Game (2001) Music & Lyrics (2011)
For more on Paige see https://www.paigefeldman.com/...
- 6/29/2021
- by Stuart Wright
- Nerdly
From video store clerk to eventual New York Times bestseller. It makes for quite the trajectory, eh?
That’s still clearly Quentin Tarantino’s thinking too. The mercurial and celebrated filmmaker behind such modern classics as Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds has teased for years that he looks forward to the day he can retire from filmmaking and leave his filmography at an allegedly perfect 10 films. He’s been discussing it since at least Django Unchained, and as he’s approached that mythical “tenth” film (he counts both volumes of Kill Bill as one movie), his opinion hasn’t changed on the matter. In fact, in a new interview with Pure Cinema Podcast (via Collider), Tarantino sounded audibly thrilled about the idea of settling down and being a family man author.
“Most directors have horrible last movies,” Tarantino said on the audio interview. “Usually their worst movies are their last movies.
That’s still clearly Quentin Tarantino’s thinking too. The mercurial and celebrated filmmaker behind such modern classics as Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds has teased for years that he looks forward to the day he can retire from filmmaking and leave his filmography at an allegedly perfect 10 films. He’s been discussing it since at least Django Unchained, and as he’s approached that mythical “tenth” film (he counts both volumes of Kill Bill as one movie), his opinion hasn’t changed on the matter. In fact, in a new interview with Pure Cinema Podcast (via Collider), Tarantino sounded audibly thrilled about the idea of settling down and being a family man author.
“Most directors have horrible last movies,” Tarantino said on the audio interview. “Usually their worst movies are their last movies.
- 6/4/2021
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
The 2021 festival will take place in two parts.
The Berlin International Film Festival has unveiled the first films selected for its 2021 edition which will take place in two parts, starting with the industry-focused, online-only event from March 1-5.
They are the titles that will comprise the Generation and Retrospective strands, and come nearly two months later than last year’s equivalent announcement as organisers prepare to host the first virtual edition of the festival.
A second event, titled Summer Special, is scheduled to run June 9-20 and set to include physical screenings of the selection and their filmmakers, at 10 venues in Berlin.
The Berlin International Film Festival has unveiled the first films selected for its 2021 edition which will take place in two parts, starting with the industry-focused, online-only event from March 1-5.
They are the titles that will comprise the Generation and Retrospective strands, and come nearly two months later than last year’s equivalent announcement as organisers prepare to host the first virtual edition of the festival.
A second event, titled Summer Special, is scheduled to run June 9-20 and set to include physical screenings of the selection and their filmmakers, at 10 venues in Berlin.
- 2/8/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
To celebrate Variety’s 115th anniversary, we went to the archives to see how some of Hollywood’s biggest stars first landed in the pages of our magazine. Read more from the archives here.
In 1929, Variety hated the musical comedy “A Wonderful Night” at Broadway’s Majestic Theater (“remarkably dull … the outlook for this one is dreary”). However, there was praise for one of the stars, Archie Leach — who in a few years would change his name to Cary Grant and conquer Hollywood and the world. “Archie Leach makes a handsome leading man, but some of the lines of fearsome insipidity that he has to utter discounted most of his natural grace.”
Handsome, natural grace: Those words offer a hint of Leach/Grant’s appeal. Three years later, in 1932, Variety ran a two-sentence item: “Cary Grant, new leading man on the Paramount contract list, hails from vaudeville where his monicker was Archie Leach.
In 1929, Variety hated the musical comedy “A Wonderful Night” at Broadway’s Majestic Theater (“remarkably dull … the outlook for this one is dreary”). However, there was praise for one of the stars, Archie Leach — who in a few years would change his name to Cary Grant and conquer Hollywood and the world. “Archie Leach makes a handsome leading man, but some of the lines of fearsome insipidity that he has to utter discounted most of his natural grace.”
Handsome, natural grace: Those words offer a hint of Leach/Grant’s appeal. Three years later, in 1932, Variety ran a two-sentence item: “Cary Grant, new leading man on the Paramount contract list, hails from vaudeville where his monicker was Archie Leach.
- 12/18/2020
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
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