For readers of Alexandre Dumas’ novel, extravagant French adaptation “The Three Musketeers – Part II: Milady” packs its share of surprises: killing off important characters, sparing others and reimagining allegiances that have stood for nearly two centuries. For viewers of “Part I: D’Artagnan,” however, this swashbuckling sequel feels totally in keeping with what came before. Even the twists track, paying off what amounts to a nearly four-hour investment (not counting however many months audiences may have waited to see how the story ends).
Loyalty — to the crown, to one another, but not necessarily to the source material — remains the driving theme of director Martin Bourboulon’s blockbuster treatment, which tapped French megastars Vincent Cassel, Pio Marmaï and Romain Duris as titular trio Athos, Porthos and Aramis. The second film opens with fourth musketeer D’Artagnan (François Civil) in a coffin, though he’s not dead, merely captured by traitors who...
Loyalty — to the crown, to one another, but not necessarily to the source material — remains the driving theme of director Martin Bourboulon’s blockbuster treatment, which tapped French megastars Vincent Cassel, Pio Marmaï and Romain Duris as titular trio Athos, Porthos and Aramis. The second film opens with fourth musketeer D’Artagnan (François Civil) in a coffin, though he’s not dead, merely captured by traitors who...
- 4/19/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Quinn Donoghue, whose long career as a Hollywood publicist included beating the drum for Superman, Pink Panther and Three Musketeers films, Steven Soderbergh’s The Limey and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s 21 Grams, has died. He was 86.
Donoghue died Dec. 28 in Los Angeles, his son Alex Donoghue announced.
Donoghue also served as a unit publicist on Norman Jewison’s Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Quest for Fire (1981), Roman Polanski’s Frantic (1988) and Bitter Moon (1992), Michael Caton-Jones’ Rob Roy (1995), Robert Altman’s Kansas City (1996) and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000) and Kingdom of Heaven (2005).
He did publicity for Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther (1963), The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) and The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) and Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers (1973), The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge (1974) and The Return of the Musketeers (1989), Superman II (1980) and Superman III (1983) and Cuba (1979).
Plus, he produced several films,...
Donoghue died Dec. 28 in Los Angeles, his son Alex Donoghue announced.
Donoghue also served as a unit publicist on Norman Jewison’s Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Quest for Fire (1981), Roman Polanski’s Frantic (1988) and Bitter Moon (1992), Michael Caton-Jones’ Rob Roy (1995), Robert Altman’s Kansas City (1996) and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000) and Kingdom of Heaven (2005).
He did publicity for Blake Edwards’ The Pink Panther (1963), The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) and The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) and Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers (1973), The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge (1974) and The Return of the Musketeers (1989), Superman II (1980) and Superman III (1983) and Cuba (1979).
Plus, he produced several films,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This past weekend, Wamg attended the annual TCM Film Festival (honestly this writer’s favorite event of the year) and as usual, it did not disappoint! There was a ton of great programming this year, with something for just about everyone.
Opening Night of the 14th annual TCM Classic Film Festival kicked off with a screening of Rio Bravo (1959) in celebration of Warner Bros.’ 100th anniversary, featuring a conversation with Wbd CEO David Zaslav and The Film Foundation Board members Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson about the mission of The Film Foundation as well as Rio Bravo star Angie Dickinson.
Hollywood, California – April 13: (L-r) TCM host Ben Mankiewicz; General Manager, Turner Classic Movies Pola Changnon; Steven Spielberg; Angie Dickinson; and President and Chief Executive Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav attend the opening night gala and world premiere of the 4k restoration of “Rio Bravo” during the...
Opening Night of the 14th annual TCM Classic Film Festival kicked off with a screening of Rio Bravo (1959) in celebration of Warner Bros.’ 100th anniversary, featuring a conversation with Wbd CEO David Zaslav and The Film Foundation Board members Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson about the mission of The Film Foundation as well as Rio Bravo star Angie Dickinson.
Hollywood, California – April 13: (L-r) TCM host Ben Mankiewicz; General Manager, Turner Classic Movies Pola Changnon; Steven Spielberg; Angie Dickinson; and President and Chief Executive Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav attend the opening night gala and world premiere of the 4k restoration of “Rio Bravo” during the...
- 4/19/2023
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Later in life, Raquel Welch would occasionally acknowledge that Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974) provided her with the best reviews of her career. And it’s hard to argue. Prior to those successful, and slyly subversive, reworkings of Alexandre Dumas’ most famous novel, Welch was known as the sex symbol of the ’60s. She was the redhead in the fur bikini of One Million Years B.C. (1966); the poster image that was so iconic her figure became the primary sales pitch for a movie about dinosaurs!
The bombshell persona opened the doors of Hollywood, but for a woman who was already a mother of two at the time and had to change her name to hide her Bolivian heritage, it was a mirage. She ran with it throughout the ‘60s, leaving a legacy that lingered on in movies which ranged from The Shawshank Redemption (1994) to Belfast...
The bombshell persona opened the doors of Hollywood, but for a woman who was already a mother of two at the time and had to change her name to hide her Bolivian heritage, it was a mirage. She ran with it throughout the ‘60s, leaving a legacy that lingered on in movies which ranged from The Shawshank Redemption (1994) to Belfast...
- 2/18/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Raquel Welch, the actor who became an icon and sex symbol thanks to films such as ‘One Million Years B.C.’ and ‘Three Musketeers’, died on Wednesday in Los Angeles after a brief illness, her manager confirmed to ‘Variety’. She was 82 and is survived by son Damon and daughter Tahnee.
She came onto the movie scene in 1966 with the sci-fi film ‘Fantastic Voyage’ and the prehistoric adventure ‘One Million Years B.C.’, the latter of which established Welch as a sex symbol.
The actor, notes ‘Variety’, went on to appear in the controversial adaptation of Gore Vidal’s ‘Myra Beckrinridge’, ‘Kansas City Bomber’ and Richard Lester’s delightful romps ‘The Three Musketeers’ (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe, and ‘The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge’ (1974).
She was one of the first women to play the lead role – not the romantic interest – in a Western, 1971 revenge tale ‘Hannie Caulder’ – an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino...
She came onto the movie scene in 1966 with the sci-fi film ‘Fantastic Voyage’ and the prehistoric adventure ‘One Million Years B.C.’, the latter of which established Welch as a sex symbol.
The actor, notes ‘Variety’, went on to appear in the controversial adaptation of Gore Vidal’s ‘Myra Beckrinridge’, ‘Kansas City Bomber’ and Richard Lester’s delightful romps ‘The Three Musketeers’ (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe, and ‘The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge’ (1974).
She was one of the first women to play the lead role – not the romantic interest – in a Western, 1971 revenge tale ‘Hannie Caulder’ – an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino...
- 2/16/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Raquel Welch, an iconic actress whose image adorned posters in bedrooms around the world partly because of her bikini-clad role in One Million Years BC, but enjoyed a career that was so much more than one acting job, has died. She was 82.
Jo Raquel Tejada was born in Chicago in 1940. The family moved to San Diego, where she took ballet and acting lessons, and as a teen she won beauty contests. Welch also did some professional modeling.
She made her screen debut as one of the call girls in Russel Rouse’s film A House Is Not a Home in 1964, and in the same year made an uncredited appearance in the Elvis Presley movie Roustabout.
One of her earliest and best known roles was in 1966 sci-fi adventure Fantastic Voyage, in which she played one of a team of scientists miniaturized and injected into another scientist's body to clear a blood clot.
Jo Raquel Tejada was born in Chicago in 1940. The family moved to San Diego, where she took ballet and acting lessons, and as a teen she won beauty contests. Welch also did some professional modeling.
She made her screen debut as one of the call girls in Russel Rouse’s film A House Is Not a Home in 1964, and in the same year made an uncredited appearance in the Elvis Presley movie Roustabout.
One of her earliest and best known roles was in 1966 sci-fi adventure Fantastic Voyage, in which she played one of a team of scientists miniaturized and injected into another scientist's body to clear a blood clot.
- 2/15/2023
- Empire - Movies
Raquel Welch, the big-screen star of the 1960s and ’70s who gained fame in movies including Fantastic Voyage, One Million Years B.C., Myra Breckinridge and many others, died today after a brief illness. She was 82.
Her death was confirmed by her reps at Media 4 Management.
Related: Raquel Welch: A Career In Photos
Welch’s career spanned more than 50 years, 30 films and scores of TV series and appearances, including about a dozen visits to The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson spanning two decades. She also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Imagen Foundation in 2001.
From left: Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch and Donald Pleasence in ‘Fantastic Voyage’ (Everett Collection)
Born Jo Raquel Tejada on September 5, 1940, in Chicago, Welch’s family moved to San Diego when she was a toddler. She attended San Diego State on a theater arts scholarship and got her start as a local TV weathercaster before starting to...
Her death was confirmed by her reps at Media 4 Management.
Related: Raquel Welch: A Career In Photos
Welch’s career spanned more than 50 years, 30 films and scores of TV series and appearances, including about a dozen visits to The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson spanning two decades. She also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Imagen Foundation in 2001.
From left: Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch and Donald Pleasence in ‘Fantastic Voyage’ (Everett Collection)
Born Jo Raquel Tejada on September 5, 1940, in Chicago, Welch’s family moved to San Diego when she was a toddler. She attended San Diego State on a theater arts scholarship and got her start as a local TV weathercaster before starting to...
- 2/15/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Raquel Welch, the actor who became an icon and sex symbol thanks to films like “One Million Years B.C.” and “Three Musketeers,” died Wednesday in Los Angeles after a brief illness, her manager confirmed to Variety. She was 82.
She came onto the movie scene in 1966 with the sci-fi film “Fantastic Voyage” and the prehistoric adventure “One Million Years B.C.,” the latter of which established Welch as a sex symbol. The actor went on to appear in the controversial adaptation of Gore Vidal’s “Myra Beckrinridge,” “Kansas City Bomber” and Richard Lester’s delightful romps “The Three Musketeers” (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe, and “The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge” (1974). She was one of the first women to play the lead role — not the romantic interest — in a Western, 1971 revenge tale “Hannie Caulder” — an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” (2003), according to the director.
(Earlier, Marlene Dietrich and Joan Crawford...
She came onto the movie scene in 1966 with the sci-fi film “Fantastic Voyage” and the prehistoric adventure “One Million Years B.C.,” the latter of which established Welch as a sex symbol. The actor went on to appear in the controversial adaptation of Gore Vidal’s “Myra Beckrinridge,” “Kansas City Bomber” and Richard Lester’s delightful romps “The Three Musketeers” (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe, and “The Four Musketeers: Milady’s Revenge” (1974). She was one of the first women to play the lead role — not the romantic interest — in a Western, 1971 revenge tale “Hannie Caulder” — an inspiration for Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” (2003), according to the director.
(Earlier, Marlene Dietrich and Joan Crawford...
- 2/15/2023
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Raquel Welch, an international sex symbol and icon of the 1960s and 70s has died after a brief illness, according to her management company Media Four. Welch was 82.
Welch’s films included “Fantastic Voyage,” “The three Musketeers” and “Legally Blonde.”
Welch is best known for her breakout role in “Fantastic Voyage” (1966), after which she was signed to a talent contract with 20th Century Fox. She followed that with “One Million Years B.C.” in which she had only three lines. But her skimpy two-piece deerskin bikini became a best-selling poster and launched her into star status as an international sex symbol.
Raquel Welch publicity portrait for the film ‘One Million Years B.C.’, 1966. (Photo by 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images)
Welch would then go on to star with Dudley Moore and Peter Cook in “Bedazzled” (1967) and star in the Western “Bandolero!” (1968) opposite Dean Martin and James Stewart.
Also Read:
Hollywood’s Notable Deaths...
Welch’s films included “Fantastic Voyage,” “The three Musketeers” and “Legally Blonde.”
Welch is best known for her breakout role in “Fantastic Voyage” (1966), after which she was signed to a talent contract with 20th Century Fox. She followed that with “One Million Years B.C.” in which she had only three lines. But her skimpy two-piece deerskin bikini became a best-selling poster and launched her into star status as an international sex symbol.
Raquel Welch publicity portrait for the film ‘One Million Years B.C.’, 1966. (Photo by 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images)
Welch would then go on to star with Dudley Moore and Peter Cook in “Bedazzled” (1967) and star in the Western “Bandolero!” (1968) opposite Dean Martin and James Stewart.
Also Read:
Hollywood’s Notable Deaths...
- 2/15/2023
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
It is not a surprise to learn that Quentin Tarantino is a lifelong admirer of Richard Lester’s The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974). Filmed as one movie but released in two volumes during the early ‘70s—a concept Tarantino popularized further some decades later with Kill Bill—the Musketeer movie(s) stood among the most popular action and comedy films of their day, and featured the type of swaggering bravado performances from the likes of Oliver Reed and Faye Dunaway that have long appealed to Tarantino’s sensibilities.
Nonetheless, it was still a surprise that when discussing those movies on a recent podcast, Tarantino revealed his love for Lester’s Musketeer duology is also responsible for one of his few fears in cinema: watching the belated sequel to that sprawling effort, 1989’s The Return of the Musketeers. While appearing on the Unspooled podcast alongside Roger Avary to promote their own podcast,...
Nonetheless, it was still a surprise that when discussing those movies on a recent podcast, Tarantino revealed his love for Lester’s Musketeer duology is also responsible for one of his few fears in cinema: watching the belated sequel to that sprawling effort, 1989’s The Return of the Musketeers. While appearing on the Unspooled podcast alongside Roger Avary to promote their own podcast,...
- 8/16/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Christopher Lee, born on this day in 1922, had an amazing career of fantastic performances and remains the greatest villain actor in film history. He was the last classic horror star and Wamg thanks him for all the monster memories.
Christopher Lee was married to his wife Birgit (Gitte) for 54 years.
Here, according to Movie Geeks Jim Batts, Dana Jung, Sam Moffitt, and myself, are Christopher Lee’s ten best roles.
10. Frankenstein
It’s only fitting that The Curse Of Frankenstein, the film that truly began England’s Hammer Studios’ theatrical run of full color gothic horror epics, should team their greatest stars, Peter Cushing as Baron Victor Frankenstein and Christopher Lee as his monster. This was the first big screen incarnation of the monster after Universal’s 30’s and 40’s classics with Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange, and, of course, Boris Karloff. Because the Jack Pierce make-up is owned by that studio,...
Christopher Lee was married to his wife Birgit (Gitte) for 54 years.
Here, according to Movie Geeks Jim Batts, Dana Jung, Sam Moffitt, and myself, are Christopher Lee’s ten best roles.
10. Frankenstein
It’s only fitting that The Curse Of Frankenstein, the film that truly began England’s Hammer Studios’ theatrical run of full color gothic horror epics, should team their greatest stars, Peter Cushing as Baron Victor Frankenstein and Christopher Lee as his monster. This was the first big screen incarnation of the monster after Universal’s 30’s and 40’s classics with Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange, and, of course, Boris Karloff. Because the Jack Pierce make-up is owned by that studio,...
- 5/27/2022
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Pathé and Dimitri Rassam’s Chapter 2, a Mediawan Company, have unveiled the first stills of their sprawling 75 million two-part European film based on Alexandre Dumas’s masterpiece “The Three Musketeers” – D’Artagnan” and “The Three Musketeers – Milady.”
The companies will present a 15-minute promo reel at Cannes. Directed by Martin Bourboulon (“Eiffel”), the two ‘Musketeers’ films are currently completing principal photography after more than 140 days of shooting at prestigious French landmarks, including the Louvre Palace, the Hôtel des Invalides, the Castles of Fontainebleau and Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Fort la Latte and Chantilly, as well as the citadel of Saint-Malo and the historic city center of Troyes.
Penned by Alexandre de la Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte (“What’s in a Name?”), the films are headlined by a galaxy of stars who have an international profile, including François Civil (“The Stronghold”), Vincent Cassel (“Black Swan”), Eva Green (“Casino Royal”), Romain Duris (“Eiffel”), Vicky Krieps (“Phantom Thread...
The companies will present a 15-minute promo reel at Cannes. Directed by Martin Bourboulon (“Eiffel”), the two ‘Musketeers’ films are currently completing principal photography after more than 140 days of shooting at prestigious French landmarks, including the Louvre Palace, the Hôtel des Invalides, the Castles of Fontainebleau and Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Fort la Latte and Chantilly, as well as the citadel of Saint-Malo and the historic city center of Troyes.
Penned by Alexandre de la Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte (“What’s in a Name?”), the films are headlined by a galaxy of stars who have an international profile, including François Civil (“The Stronghold”), Vincent Cassel (“Black Swan”), Eva Green (“Casino Royal”), Romain Duris (“Eiffel”), Vicky Krieps (“Phantom Thread...
- 5/4/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Indie Sales has boarded Philippe Van Leeuw’s “The Wall,” an English-language film headlined by rising star Vicky Krieps and set on the border of Mexico and Arizona.
“The Wall” follows Jessica Comley (Krieps), a committed and zealous border patrol agent who one day loses control and kills a harmless migrant in front of three witnesses: her colleague, who tries to cover the crime, and a Native American man with his grandson.
Van Leeuw is a Belgian filmmaker known for his politically-minded films, including “Insyriated,” which won the Berlinale audience award in 2017, as well as “The Day God Walked Away” which earned San Sebastian festival’s New Director Award in 2009. With “The Wall,” Van Leew said he wanted to portray “today’s America.”
Indie Sales is handling global rights on the anticipated feature and will launch it at the European Film Market.
“We’re proud to work with a director whose talent has been proven,...
“The Wall” follows Jessica Comley (Krieps), a committed and zealous border patrol agent who one day loses control and kills a harmless migrant in front of three witnesses: her colleague, who tries to cover the crime, and a Native American man with his grandson.
Van Leeuw is a Belgian filmmaker known for his politically-minded films, including “Insyriated,” which won the Berlinale audience award in 2017, as well as “The Day God Walked Away” which earned San Sebastian festival’s New Director Award in 2009. With “The Wall,” Van Leew said he wanted to portray “today’s America.”
Indie Sales is handling global rights on the anticipated feature and will launch it at the European Film Market.
“We’re proud to work with a director whose talent has been proven,...
- 1/31/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
In his original review for Back to the Future Part II, Roger Ebert (the Alpha and Omega of film criticism) called the movie “an exercise in goofiness, an excursion into various versions of the past and future that is so baffling that even the characters are constantly trying to explain it to each other.”
Although his review was largely a positive one, his sentiments echoed those of audiences who felt that Part II was an exercise in contrivance — one marked by baffling character choices, strange plot details (ditching Jennifer from the story), and the overwhelming darkness of the alternative 1985 sequence, and a cliffhanger ending that sidelined the feel good elements of the first film for something strange and unfamiliar. Which is exactly what a sequel should do, i.e. The Empire Strikes Back.
Cut to 2020 and all of us are living in the Biff Tannen’s Pleasure Palace timeline, so...
Although his review was largely a positive one, his sentiments echoed those of audiences who felt that Part II was an exercise in contrivance — one marked by baffling character choices, strange plot details (ditching Jennifer from the story), and the overwhelming darkness of the alternative 1985 sequence, and a cliffhanger ending that sidelined the feel good elements of the first film for something strange and unfamiliar. Which is exactly what a sequel should do, i.e. The Empire Strikes Back.
Cut to 2020 and all of us are living in the Biff Tannen’s Pleasure Palace timeline, so...
- 10/23/2020
- by Chris Cummins
- Den of Geek
The director of Over The Edge and The Accused takes us on a journey through some of his favorite movies.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Student Teachers (1973)
Night Call Nurses (1972)
White Line Fever (1975)
Truck Turner (1974)
Heart Like A Wheel (1983)
The Accused (1988)
Over The Edge (1979)
Modern Times (1936)
City Lights (1931)
Manhattan (1979)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
The Apartment (1960)
North By Northwest (1959)
Moon Pilot (1962)
Mr. Billion (1977)
White Heat (1949)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Three Musketeers (1973)
The Four Musketeers (1974)
Superman (1978)
Superman II (1980)
The Three Musketeers (1948)
Shane (1953)
The 400 Blows (1959)
8 ½ (1963)
Fellini Satyricon (1969)
Richard (1972)
Millhouse (1971)
The Projectionist (1970)
El Dorado (1966)
The Shootist (1976)
Woodstock (1970)
Payback (1999)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)
Billy Liar (1963)
Ford Vs Ferrari (2019)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970)
Bad Girls (1994)
Masters of the Universe (1987)
Giant (1956)
The More The Merrier (1943)
The Graduate (1967)
The Victors (1963)
…And Justice For All (1979)
Citizen Kane (1941)
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Student Teachers (1973)
Night Call Nurses (1972)
White Line Fever (1975)
Truck Turner (1974)
Heart Like A Wheel (1983)
The Accused (1988)
Over The Edge (1979)
Modern Times (1936)
City Lights (1931)
Manhattan (1979)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
The Apartment (1960)
North By Northwest (1959)
Moon Pilot (1962)
Mr. Billion (1977)
White Heat (1949)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Three Musketeers (1973)
The Four Musketeers (1974)
Superman (1978)
Superman II (1980)
The Three Musketeers (1948)
Shane (1953)
The 400 Blows (1959)
8 ½ (1963)
Fellini Satyricon (1969)
Richard (1972)
Millhouse (1971)
The Projectionist (1970)
El Dorado (1966)
The Shootist (1976)
Woodstock (1970)
Payback (1999)
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)
Billy Liar (1963)
Ford Vs Ferrari (2019)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970)
Bad Girls (1994)
Masters of the Universe (1987)
Giant (1956)
The More The Merrier (1943)
The Graduate (1967)
The Victors (1963)
…And Justice For All (1979)
Citizen Kane (1941)
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn...
- 7/7/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Christopher Lee, born on this day in 1922, had an amazing career of fantastic performances and remains the greatest villain actor in film history. He was the last classic horror star and Wamg thanks him for all the monster memories.
Christopher Lee was married to his wife Birgit (Gitte) for 54 years.
Here, according to Movie Geeks Jim Batts, Dana Jung, Sam Moffitt, and myself, are Christopher Lee’s ten best roles.
10. Frankenstein
It’s only fitting that The Curse Of Frankenstein, the film that truly began England’s Hammer Studios’ theatrical run of full color gothic horror epics, should team their greatest stars, Peter Cushing as Baron Victor Frankenstein and Christopher Lee as his monster. This was the first big screen incarnation of the monster after Universal’s 30’s and 40’s classics with Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange, and, of course, Boris Karloff. Because the Jack Pierce make-up is owned by that studio,...
Christopher Lee was married to his wife Birgit (Gitte) for 54 years.
Here, according to Movie Geeks Jim Batts, Dana Jung, Sam Moffitt, and myself, are Christopher Lee’s ten best roles.
10. Frankenstein
It’s only fitting that The Curse Of Frankenstein, the film that truly began England’s Hammer Studios’ theatrical run of full color gothic horror epics, should team their greatest stars, Peter Cushing as Baron Victor Frankenstein and Christopher Lee as his monster. This was the first big screen incarnation of the monster after Universal’s 30’s and 40’s classics with Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange, and, of course, Boris Karloff. Because the Jack Pierce make-up is owned by that studio,...
- 5/27/2020
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Collider is reporting that after much deliberation, Marvel Studios has decided to shoot The Avengers: Infinity War film and Avengers 4 separately. Initially, the plan was to film the two movies at the same time, with the intention of potentially filming scenes for both movies on the same day. The benefits of filming the two movies separately was addressed by Kevin Feige.
“We’re doing them one right after another… It became too complicated to cross-board them like that, and we found ourselves—again, something would always pay the price. We wanted to be able to focus and shoot one movie and then focus and shoot another movie.”
This isn't the first superhero movie with similar filming schedules that changed course to focus on the first film. The movies in question were Superman: The Movie and Superman 2. Produced by Illya and Alexander Salkind, they intended to film the movies simultaneously,...
“We’re doing them one right after another… It became too complicated to cross-board them like that, and we found ourselves—again, something would always pay the price. We wanted to be able to focus and shoot one movie and then focus and shoot another movie.”
This isn't the first superhero movie with similar filming schedules that changed course to focus on the first film. The movies in question were Superman: The Movie and Superman 2. Produced by Illya and Alexander Salkind, they intended to film the movies simultaneously,...
- 4/22/2017
- by Tim Jousma
- LRMonline.com
Recently I watched Richard Lester's Royal Flash (1975), starring Malcolm McDowell, for the first time. Adapted by author George MacDonald Fraser from his own novel, it's a broad and sprightly comic adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed. To be frank, I only purchased Twilight Time's Blu-ray, available since 2013, because it was on sale. I had no memory of the film's U.S. theatrical release in the fall of 1975 and didn't recall any raves about it, either. Also, I've never read any of the acclaimed books by Fraser, a popular series that placed the disreputable Harry Flashman in the center of meticulously researched historical adventures. But I saw and thoroughly enjoyed The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers, first during their theatrical releases and then again...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 2/17/2017
- Screen Anarchy
The great film historian Kevin Brownlow, who has devoted large sections of his life to restoring Abel Gance's 1927 epic Napoleon, takes a dim view of this one. And indeed Austerlitz, a.k.a. The Battle of Austerlitz, has several strikes against it, belongs to several categories of film maudit all at once. It's a late film by a seventy-one-year-old director whose best work, by universal consensus, was in the silent era; it's a kind of belated sequel, the further adventures of Napoleon Bonaparte; it's a Salkind production.Incidentally, viewing the lavish sets for this movie, we can see how the Salkinds, those roving multinational mountebanks, ran up the unpaid studio bills in Yugoslavia which kept Orson Welles from building the elaborate vanishing sets he had planned for The Trial (starting realistic, it would have ended up playing in a featureless void), necessitating the repurposing of a disused Parisian railway station.
- 12/1/2016
- MUBI
By Lee Pfeiffer
Charlton Heston fans will appreciate the fact that one of his few major films not to be released on home video has finally made it to DVD through MGM. "Number One" (released in certain countries under the title "Pro") is an off-beat vehicle for the superstar, who was then at his peak of popularity. The fact that the movie under-performed at the box-office and failed to score with critics didn't diminish Heston's status as a leading man. He would go on to star in such hits as "The Omega Man", "Skyjacked", "Soylent Green" "Earthquake", "Midway"and "Airport '75"- with cameos in the popular "The Three Musketeers" and "The Four Musketeers". The poor response to "Number One" doesn't diminish its many merits - and the fact that Heston was willing to play against type in a largely unsympathetic role. For the film, he reunited with director Tom Gries,...
Charlton Heston fans will appreciate the fact that one of his few major films not to be released on home video has finally made it to DVD through MGM. "Number One" (released in certain countries under the title "Pro") is an off-beat vehicle for the superstar, who was then at his peak of popularity. The fact that the movie under-performed at the box-office and failed to score with critics didn't diminish Heston's status as a leading man. He would go on to star in such hits as "The Omega Man", "Skyjacked", "Soylent Green" "Earthquake", "Midway"and "Airport '75"- with cameos in the popular "The Three Musketeers" and "The Four Musketeers". The poor response to "Number One" doesn't diminish its many merits - and the fact that Heston was willing to play against type in a largely unsympathetic role. For the film, he reunited with director Tom Gries,...
- 5/21/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Todd Garbarini
Update: Producer Ilya Salkind now also slated to appear.
Richard Lester’s film The Four Musketeers is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. With an all-star cast that includes Oliver Reed, Faye Dunaway, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York, and Sir Christopher Lee, the film will be shown on Tuesday, September 29th, 2015 at 7:00 pm as a special tribute to Sir Christopher as well as part of the theatre's Anniversary Classics series. Actors Richard Chamberlain and Michael York are scheduled to appear at the screening and take part in a Q & A and discussion on the making of the film.
From the press release:
Last year the Anniversary Classics series presented a successful 40th anniversary screening of The Three Musketeers, director Richard Lester's stylish and entertaining retelling of Alexandre Dumas' classic novel. Join us this year to see Lester's stirring conclusion of the tale, The Four Musketeers...
Update: Producer Ilya Salkind now also slated to appear.
Richard Lester’s film The Four Musketeers is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. With an all-star cast that includes Oliver Reed, Faye Dunaway, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York, and Sir Christopher Lee, the film will be shown on Tuesday, September 29th, 2015 at 7:00 pm as a special tribute to Sir Christopher as well as part of the theatre's Anniversary Classics series. Actors Richard Chamberlain and Michael York are scheduled to appear at the screening and take part in a Q & A and discussion on the making of the film.
From the press release:
Last year the Anniversary Classics series presented a successful 40th anniversary screening of The Three Musketeers, director Richard Lester's stylish and entertaining retelling of Alexandre Dumas' classic novel. Join us this year to see Lester's stirring conclusion of the tale, The Four Musketeers...
- 9/1/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Special Sir Christopher Lee Tribute Screening of The Four Musketeers (1975) in Los Angeles
Richard Lester’s film The Four Musketeers is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Produced by Ilya Salkind of Superman fame and with an all-star cast that includes Oliver Reed, Faye Dunaway, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York, and Sir Christopher Lee, the film will be shown on Tuesday, September 29th, 2015 at 7:00 pm as ...
Hnn | Horrornews.net - Official News Site...
Richard Lester’s film The Four Musketeers is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Produced by Ilya Salkind of Superman fame and with an all-star cast that includes Oliver Reed, Faye Dunaway, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York, and Sir Christopher Lee, the film will be shown on Tuesday, September 29th, 2015 at 7:00 pm as ...
Hnn | Horrornews.net - Official News Site...
- 8/30/2015
- by Jonathan Stryker
- Horror News
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will celebrate the life and career of the late actor Christopher Lee, Lee, who passed Sunday June 11 at the age of 93. (Our obit is here.) The British actor owned Dracula through nine movies and also played the Frankenstein monster and Fu Manchu. TCM will play eight of Lee's films on Monday, June 22. He boasted 275 film credits including Peter Jackson’s "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and four films with director Tim Burton. Read More: Rip Christopher Lee, Who Played Dracula 9 Times The following is the complete schedule for "TCM Remembers Christopher Lee" – Monday, June 22: 6:15 a.m. The Mummy (1959) 8:00 a.m. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) 9:30 a.m. Horror of Dracula (1959) 11:00 a.m. Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966) 12:45 p.m. Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1969) 2:30 p.m. Horror Express (1972) 4:00 p.m. The Three Musketeers (1972) 6:00 p.m. The Four Musketeers...
- 6/12/2015
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will celebrate the life and career of acclaimed British actor Christopher Lee, whose haunting, intimidating performances as Count Dracula, the Frankenstein monster and Fu Manchu made him an icon of horror films with an eight film tribute on Monday, June 22.
Lee, who passed Sunday June 7th at the age of 93, had long career which emcompased more than 275 credits including Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and four films with director Tim Burton.
The following is the complete schedule for TCM’s tribute to Christopher Lee:
TCM Remembers Christopher Lee – Monday, June 22
6:15 a.m. The Mummy (1959)
8:00 a.m. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
9:30 a.m. Horror of Dracula (1959)
11:00 a.m. Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966)
12:45 p.m. Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1969)
2:30 p.m. Horror Express (1972)
4:00 p.m. The Three Musketeers (1972)
6:00 p.m. The Four Musketeers (1975)
(All...
Lee, who passed Sunday June 7th at the age of 93, had long career which emcompased more than 275 credits including Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and four films with director Tim Burton.
The following is the complete schedule for TCM’s tribute to Christopher Lee:
TCM Remembers Christopher Lee – Monday, June 22
6:15 a.m. The Mummy (1959)
8:00 a.m. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
9:30 a.m. Horror of Dracula (1959)
11:00 a.m. Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966)
12:45 p.m. Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1969)
2:30 p.m. Horror Express (1972)
4:00 p.m. The Three Musketeers (1972)
6:00 p.m. The Four Musketeers (1975)
(All...
- 6/12/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The day monster kids have dreaded for some time has arrived. Mournful, nostalgic, and melancholy – it’s the end of an era for more than one generation of horror fans. It seemed like Christopher Lee would live through all eternity, but unlike some of the characters he played, there’s no bringing him back to life this time. He made it to 93 and went out on a high note, appearing in the final Hobbit film just this past winter. He had an amazing career of fantastic performances and remains the greatest villain actor in film history. Rip to the last classic horror star and thank you for all the monster memories.
Christopher Lee was married to his wife Birgit (Gitte) for 54 years.
Here, according to Movie Geeks Jim Batts, Dana Jung, Sam Moffitt, and myself, are Christopher Lee’s ten best roles.
10. Frankenstein
It’s only fitting that The Curse Of Frankenstein,...
Christopher Lee was married to his wife Birgit (Gitte) for 54 years.
Here, according to Movie Geeks Jim Batts, Dana Jung, Sam Moffitt, and myself, are Christopher Lee’s ten best roles.
10. Frankenstein
It’s only fitting that The Curse Of Frankenstein,...
- 6/11/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Artist Jeff Marshall created this tribute to Sir Christopher Lee, which was presented to him by Cinema Retro publishers Lee Pfeiffer and Dave Worrall.
By Lee Pfeiffer
Sir Christopher Lee, the acclaimed British actor, passed away last Sunday in London. He was 93 years old. The family waited to make the announcement until all family members could be notified. Lee was an early contributor to Cinema Retro magazine and periodically provided interviews and personal insights into the making of his films. We, along with movie lovers everywhere, mourn his loss. Lee was more often than not associated with the horror film genre, a fact that often frustrated him. He would routinely point out that he made many diverse films and played many diverse roles in movies of all genres, from comedies to westerns. For many years he was most closely associated with the films of Hammer studios, the British production firm...
By Lee Pfeiffer
Sir Christopher Lee, the acclaimed British actor, passed away last Sunday in London. He was 93 years old. The family waited to make the announcement until all family members could be notified. Lee was an early contributor to Cinema Retro magazine and periodically provided interviews and personal insights into the making of his films. We, along with movie lovers everywhere, mourn his loss. Lee was more often than not associated with the horror film genre, a fact that often frustrated him. He would routinely point out that he made many diverse films and played many diverse roles in movies of all genres, from comedies to westerns. For many years he was most closely associated with the films of Hammer studios, the British production firm...
- 6/11/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Awards Daily takes on the unfortunate phrase "but is it an Oscar movie?" in relation (partially at least) to Gone Girl.
Empire Leonardo DiCaprio continues to have a bajillion movies in development. He's now bought the rights toAmerican Wolf which Robert Zemeckis wanted, too
i09 Be careful what you wish for. We've always wanted Christopher Walken in another movie musical. But this picture of him as Captain Hook is Terrifying
The Stake good piece on the casting of Vince Vaughn in True Detective 2 and what has happened to the actors original gifts
/bent 10 great queer films by straight directors. This was not prompted by Pride -- which you should totally see in theaters now -- but that also applies
My New Plaid Pants Frankenstein is so hot right now
Telegraph Profile of Luke Evans who headlines Dracula Untold. This time he actually acknowledges that "Noted Homosexual" business albeit in a...
Empire Leonardo DiCaprio continues to have a bajillion movies in development. He's now bought the rights toAmerican Wolf which Robert Zemeckis wanted, too
i09 Be careful what you wish for. We've always wanted Christopher Walken in another movie musical. But this picture of him as Captain Hook is Terrifying
The Stake good piece on the casting of Vince Vaughn in True Detective 2 and what has happened to the actors original gifts
/bent 10 great queer films by straight directors. This was not prompted by Pride -- which you should totally see in theaters now -- but that also applies
My New Plaid Pants Frankenstein is so hot right now
Telegraph Profile of Luke Evans who headlines Dracula Untold. This time he actually acknowledges that "Noted Homosexual" business albeit in a...
- 9/29/2014
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Richard Lester’s directing career has had a rather tortured epilogue. His last completed film was the dreadful, unloved Return of The Musketeers (1989), during the making of which his long-time friend and troupe-member Roy Kinnear died after a freak accident. To add insult to injury, the Comic-Con crowd has been burning Lester in effigy ever since Richard Donner’s cut of Superman II was released in 2006. Donner had been fired as director of the 1980 sequel half way through filming and Lester was hired to finish the job. Since the release of the Donner cut, expressing a preference for the original, jokier version is rather like suggesting that Cesar Romero was a better Joker than Heath Ledger.
I do wonder sometimes whether the fanboys realise what an important, highly influential and iconoclastic director they’re dismissing when they’re kicking sand into Lester’s face. Martin Scorsese would certainly correct them (sternly,...
I do wonder sometimes whether the fanboys realise what an important, highly influential and iconoclastic director they’re dismissing when they’re kicking sand into Lester’s face. Martin Scorsese would certainly correct them (sternly,...
- 7/8/2014
- by Cai Ross
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The Musketeers will return for a second series on BBC One.
The period romp launched with 9.3m total viewers on January 19, with the first three episodes averaging 6.3m in overnights.
BBC One Controller Charlotte Moore said: "Drama in 2014 has got off to a great start on BBC One and The Musketeers has really brought something fresh and new to the channel. I can't wait to see how things will develop in the next series."
Adrian Hodges - who adapted the show from the original Alexandre Dumas stories - added that he is "completely thrilled" by the renewal news.
"Writing and helping produce the show has been one of the greatest challenges and joys of my professional life," Hodges said.
The four Musketeers - Luke Pasqualino (D'Artagnan), Tom Burke (Athos), Santiago Cabrera (Aramis) and Howard Charles (Porthos) will all return for the second series.
Further cast details are yet to be announced,...
The period romp launched with 9.3m total viewers on January 19, with the first three episodes averaging 6.3m in overnights.
BBC One Controller Charlotte Moore said: "Drama in 2014 has got off to a great start on BBC One and The Musketeers has really brought something fresh and new to the channel. I can't wait to see how things will develop in the next series."
Adrian Hodges - who adapted the show from the original Alexandre Dumas stories - added that he is "completely thrilled" by the renewal news.
"Writing and helping produce the show has been one of the greatest challenges and joys of my professional life," Hodges said.
The four Musketeers - Luke Pasqualino (D'Artagnan), Tom Burke (Athos), Santiago Cabrera (Aramis) and Howard Charles (Porthos) will all return for the second series.
Further cast details are yet to be announced,...
- 2/9/2014
- Digital Spy
When you’re on a role you’re on a role! Once again here is a list of ten actors who achieved cult movie villainy on the strength of one movie. Some of the actors faded into obscurity while others continued their careers without scaling the heights of their defining cinematic performance. Perhaps I should do a one for heroes! Nah! Villains are much more fun!
[Spoilers follow]
Rudolph Klein-Rogge (Metropolis – 1927)
Although dated, Fritz Lang’s utopian masterpiece still has the unique power to fascinate. Not only did the film make a star of Brigitte Helm, it introduced the father of all mad scientists, C A Rotwang, played with eye rolling relish by Lang’s favourite actor Rudolph Klein-Rogge. The Austrian born star specialised in villainous roles so he was a natural for playing the nutty inventor who creates the legendary female robot used to impersonate Helm’s freedom fighter. With his exaggerated mannerisms and facial expressions,...
[Spoilers follow]
Rudolph Klein-Rogge (Metropolis – 1927)
Although dated, Fritz Lang’s utopian masterpiece still has the unique power to fascinate. Not only did the film make a star of Brigitte Helm, it introduced the father of all mad scientists, C A Rotwang, played with eye rolling relish by Lang’s favourite actor Rudolph Klein-Rogge. The Austrian born star specialised in villainous roles so he was a natural for playing the nutty inventor who creates the legendary female robot used to impersonate Helm’s freedom fighter. With his exaggerated mannerisms and facial expressions,...
- 12/22/2013
- Shadowlocked
J.D. Salinger, left, after the Normandy invasion with his fellow counterintelligence officers. The group called itself ‘The Four Musketeers.’ Photo Courtesy of the Weinstein Company
The Salinger documentary made it’s world premiere today at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado and was met with positive responses by the critics in attendance. Filmmaker Ken Burns called the film “extraordinary” during the q&a following the screening.
For more than fifty years, J.D. Salinger, the elusive author of The Catcher in the Rye, has been the subject of a relentless stream of newspaper and magazine articles as well as several biographies. Yet all of these attempts have been hampered by lack of access and the recycling of inaccurate information. Thus, Salinger has largely remained an enigma to the public and media alike.
During the nine years in which Salinger was in production – including the six years while the project was being...
The Salinger documentary made it’s world premiere today at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado and was met with positive responses by the critics in attendance. Filmmaker Ken Burns called the film “extraordinary” during the q&a following the screening.
For more than fifty years, J.D. Salinger, the elusive author of The Catcher in the Rye, has been the subject of a relentless stream of newspaper and magazine articles as well as several biographies. Yet all of these attempts have been hampered by lack of access and the recycling of inaccurate information. Thus, Salinger has largely remained an enigma to the public and media alike.
During the nine years in which Salinger was in production – including the six years while the project was being...
- 9/2/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, Sam Moffitt, and Tom Stockman
The film career of legendary English actor Sir Christopher Lee began in 1948 and continues to the present day. Lee is best known for his roles in horror films, especially the string of seven Dracula movies he starred in for Hammer Studios between 1958 and 1974, but be may be best known to younger audiences for his roles in the Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. Almost all of the roles that Lee has played have been villains and here, according to We Are Movie Geeks, are his ten best.
10. Frankenstein
It’s only fitting that The Curse Of Frankenstein, the film that truly began England’s Hammer Studios’ theatrical run of full color gothic horror epics, should team (well, they’re both in the 1948 Hamlet, but have no scenes together) their greatest stars, Peter Cushing as Baron Victor Frankenstein...
The film career of legendary English actor Sir Christopher Lee began in 1948 and continues to the present day. Lee is best known for his roles in horror films, especially the string of seven Dracula movies he starred in for Hammer Studios between 1958 and 1974, but be may be best known to younger audiences for his roles in the Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. Almost all of the roles that Lee has played have been villains and here, according to We Are Movie Geeks, are his ten best.
10. Frankenstein
It’s only fitting that The Curse Of Frankenstein, the film that truly began England’s Hammer Studios’ theatrical run of full color gothic horror epics, should team (well, they’re both in the 1948 Hamlet, but have no scenes together) their greatest stars, Peter Cushing as Baron Victor Frankenstein...
- 8/6/2013
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Of all the cinéma de papa stylists so despised by the nouvelle vague, René Clair stands alone as the sole member of the old guard to stand down in the face of critical opposition. Or so it seems: Les fêtes galantes (1965) was his last film.
While Carné and the rest struggled on, defiantly filming when they could, Clair apparently had no stomach for the fight: if people thought he was old-fashioned, maybe he should stop.
One doesn't have to hate Clair with the ferocity that Truffaut could muster in order to see some sad wisdom in this retirement: for some time, Clair's films had been a little stiff. His early days among the surrealists, when he could make a kinetic exercise in visual absurdity like Entr'acte (1924), were long gone, and the vein of absurdist fantasy that enlivened his earliest narrative movies had its last expression in 1952's Les belles de nuit,...
While Carné and the rest struggled on, defiantly filming when they could, Clair apparently had no stomach for the fight: if people thought he was old-fashioned, maybe he should stop.
One doesn't have to hate Clair with the ferocity that Truffaut could muster in order to see some sad wisdom in this retirement: for some time, Clair's films had been a little stiff. His early days among the surrealists, when he could make a kinetic exercise in visual absurdity like Entr'acte (1924), were long gone, and the vein of absurdist fantasy that enlivened his earliest narrative movies had its last expression in 1952's Les belles de nuit,...
- 7/11/2013
- by David Cairns
- MUBI
Graceful stage actor who stood out in Doctor Who on TV and the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
In a long and distinguished career, the actor Aubrey Woods, who has died aged 85, covered the waterfront, from West End revues and musicals to TV series and films, most notably, perhaps, singing The Candy Man in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), starring Gene Wilder, and playing the Controller in the Day of the Daleks storyline in Doctor Who (1972).
Tall and well-favoured in grace and authority on the stage, he played Fagin in the musical Oliver! for three years, succeeding Ron Moody in the original 1960 production. He was equally in demand on BBC radio, writing and appearing in many plays, including his own adaptations of the Mapp and Lucia novels by Ef Benson (he was a vice-president of the Ef Benson society).
In the early part of his career he...
In a long and distinguished career, the actor Aubrey Woods, who has died aged 85, covered the waterfront, from West End revues and musicals to TV series and films, most notably, perhaps, singing The Candy Man in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), starring Gene Wilder, and playing the Controller in the Day of the Daleks storyline in Doctor Who (1972).
Tall and well-favoured in grace and authority on the stage, he played Fagin in the musical Oliver! for three years, succeeding Ron Moody in the original 1960 production. He was equally in demand on BBC radio, writing and appearing in many plays, including his own adaptations of the Mapp and Lucia novels by Ef Benson (he was a vice-president of the Ef Benson society).
In the early part of his career he...
- 5/14/2013
- by Michael Coveney
- The Guardian - Film News
This article is dedicated to Andrew Copp: filmmaker, film writer, artist and close friend who passed away on January 19, 2013. You are loved and missed, brother.
****
Looking at the Best Actor Academy Award nominations for the film year 2012, the one miss that clearly cries out for more attention is Liam Neeson’s powerful performance in Joe Carnahan’s excellent survival film The Grey, easily one of the best roles of Neeson’s career.
In Neeson’s case, his lack of a nomination was a case of neglect similar to the Albert Brooks snub in the Best Supporting Actor category for the film year 2011 for Drive(Nicolas Winding Refn, USA).
Along with negligence, other factors commonly prevent outstanding lead acting performances from getting the kind of critical attention they deserve. Sometimes it’s that the performance is in a film not considered “Oscar material” or even worthy of any substantial critical attention.
****
Looking at the Best Actor Academy Award nominations for the film year 2012, the one miss that clearly cries out for more attention is Liam Neeson’s powerful performance in Joe Carnahan’s excellent survival film The Grey, easily one of the best roles of Neeson’s career.
In Neeson’s case, his lack of a nomination was a case of neglect similar to the Albert Brooks snub in the Best Supporting Actor category for the film year 2011 for Drive(Nicolas Winding Refn, USA).
Along with negligence, other factors commonly prevent outstanding lead acting performances from getting the kind of critical attention they deserve. Sometimes it’s that the performance is in a film not considered “Oscar material” or even worthy of any substantial critical attention.
- 2/27/2013
- by Terek Puckett
- SoundOnSight
Update: "Hobbit" director Peter Jackson announced confirmation of a trilogy on his Facebook page today.
Jackson wrote, "We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance. The richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, allows us to tell the full story of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and the part he played in the sometimes dangerous, but at all times exciting, history of Middle-earth."
"So, without further ado and on behalf of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wingnut Films, and the entire cast and crew of The Hobbit films, I’d like to announce that two films will become three.
"It has been an unexpected journey indeed,...
Jackson wrote, "We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance. The richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, allows us to tell the full story of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and the part he played in the sometimes dangerous, but at all times exciting, history of Middle-earth."
"So, without further ado and on behalf of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wingnut Films, and the entire cast and crew of The Hobbit films, I’d like to announce that two films will become three.
"It has been an unexpected journey indeed,...
- 7/30/2012
- by Max Evry
- NextMovie
Stage and screen actor known for his roles in The Three Musketeers and Young Winston
In 1971 the actor Simon Ward, who has died after a long illness aged 70, was plucked from virtual obscurity by the director Richard Attenborough to play Winston Churchill in the film Young Winston, supported by actors of longstanding reputation including Robert Shaw, Anne Bancroft and John Mills. After the film's release a year later, Ward found himself a star on several continents. "That was a frightening role," he recalled. "You were playing someone whom everyone had very strong feelings about. As a movie, it had the most extraordinary mixture of adventure – the fighting, riding, running up and down mountains – and some wonderful dialogue scenes shot at Shepperton."
Swashbuckling and tongue-in-cheek slapstick were added to the mix when Ward, known for his aristocratic looks and high cheekbones, was cast as the Duke of Buckingham in Richard Lester's The Three Musketeers...
In 1971 the actor Simon Ward, who has died after a long illness aged 70, was plucked from virtual obscurity by the director Richard Attenborough to play Winston Churchill in the film Young Winston, supported by actors of longstanding reputation including Robert Shaw, Anne Bancroft and John Mills. After the film's release a year later, Ward found himself a star on several continents. "That was a frightening role," he recalled. "You were playing someone whom everyone had very strong feelings about. As a movie, it had the most extraordinary mixture of adventure – the fighting, riding, running up and down mountains – and some wonderful dialogue scenes shot at Shepperton."
Swashbuckling and tongue-in-cheek slapstick were added to the mix when Ward, known for his aristocratic looks and high cheekbones, was cast as the Duke of Buckingham in Richard Lester's The Three Musketeers...
- 7/23/2012
- by Anthony Hayward
- The Guardian - Film News
For moviegoers growing up in the last 20-30 years, big is the new normal. I’m talking about those big-budget, over-produced, effects/action-packed extravaganzas that are as expected and routine an arrival as a commuter bus, and never more so than during the summer months. Come a rise in temperatures, there’s an almost ceaseless parade of these megabuck behemoths through multiplexes starting in May and continuing until the kids go back to school, one rolling out almost every week.
Consider these May-August releases and their eye-popping price tags:
5/4: Marvel’s The Avengers — $220 million
5/11: Dark Shadows — $150 million
5/18: Battleship — $209 million
5/25: Men in Black 3 — $250 million
6/8: Prometheus — $120-130 million
7/3: The Amazing Spider-Man — $220 million
7/20: The Dark Knight Rises — $250 million
7/31: Total Recall — $200 million
8/5: The Expendables 2 — $100 million
For those of you who haven’t been keeping count, that’s a little over $1.7 billion in productions...
Consider these May-August releases and their eye-popping price tags:
5/4: Marvel’s The Avengers — $220 million
5/11: Dark Shadows — $150 million
5/18: Battleship — $209 million
5/25: Men in Black 3 — $250 million
6/8: Prometheus — $120-130 million
7/3: The Amazing Spider-Man — $220 million
7/20: The Dark Knight Rises — $250 million
7/31: Total Recall — $200 million
8/5: The Expendables 2 — $100 million
For those of you who haven’t been keeping count, that’s a little over $1.7 billion in productions...
- 6/29/2012
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
Oliver Reed as Athos in The Three Musketeers & The Four Musketeers (Richard Lester, 1973/1974, UK):
These films were actually shot all at once but ultimately released as two separate films telling one long story. As the musketeer with a dark past, Oliver Reed provides a lot of the heart and soul in these very entertaining and well-made films. Technically, since we have to isolate one film for our fantasy nomination, it would be The Four Musketeers as his role is more prominent in that film. Reed’s reunion scene with Faye Dunaway’s Milady is superb as is Reed’s intense swordplay with an array of opponents including Christopher Lee. An underrated actor whose career was damaged by well-documented alcohol problems and notorious off-screen behavior, Reed still logged in some truly incredible acting performances over the course of his career. His portrayal of Athos is definitely one of them.
Other...
These films were actually shot all at once but ultimately released as two separate films telling one long story. As the musketeer with a dark past, Oliver Reed provides a lot of the heart and soul in these very entertaining and well-made films. Technically, since we have to isolate one film for our fantasy nomination, it would be The Four Musketeers as his role is more prominent in that film. Reed’s reunion scene with Faye Dunaway’s Milady is superb as is Reed’s intense swordplay with an array of opponents including Christopher Lee. An underrated actor whose career was damaged by well-documented alcohol problems and notorious off-screen behavior, Reed still logged in some truly incredible acting performances over the course of his career. His portrayal of Athos is definitely one of them.
Other...
- 5/24/2012
- by Terek Puckett
- SoundOnSight
A little over a year from now, the most iconic comic character in history will be back on screens, courtesy of Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel." Seven years on from Bryan Singer's oft-derided "Superman Returns," it'll see "The Dark Knight" mastermind Christopher Nolan producing a new, seemingly darker take on the character, to be played by Henry Cavill with Michael Shannon as his Kryptonian nemesis, General Zod.
But Shannon will have big shoes to fill: the last time the character was on the big screen it was played by Terence Stamp in 1981's "Superman II," still seen by many fans as not only the best take on that character, but the best screen version of Superman to date. Which was impressive, considering it had about as troubled a production history as you could ask for, with two directors, production stretched over two years, and a recent, wildly different reissue of the film.
But Shannon will have big shoes to fill: the last time the character was on the big screen it was played by Terence Stamp in 1981's "Superman II," still seen by many fans as not only the best take on that character, but the best screen version of Superman to date. Which was impressive, considering it had about as troubled a production history as you could ask for, with two directors, production stretched over two years, and a recent, wildly different reissue of the film.
- 4/19/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
The Three Musketeers was clearly conceived as a franchise-starter and a predecessor of sorts to the fading Pirates of the Caribbean series. Hell, they even went as far as casting the now-unhirable Orlando Bloom as one of the lead villains. But as tired as the Pirates franchise may be after four films, even its most mediocre entries fare better than cheap imitators like The Three Musketeers. But why is the film even called The Three Musketeers in the first place? Our hero is D'Artagnan, a teenage swordsman played by Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief). He brings the three veteran Musketeers out of retirement and fights alongside them in hopes of stopping Bloom, Christoph Waltz and Milla Jovovich from starting a war between France and England, though everyone appears British since no one uses a French accent. Only the first ten minutes of the film, complete with The Good,...
- 3/14/2012
- by Kevin Blumeyer
- Rope of Silicon
I was looking forward to seeing Juggernaut on TCM not too long ago when I saw it show up on the classics channel’s schedule. Even in this cable/download/Netflix age of constant program recycling, the movie rarely shows up on TV, maybe because it had been such an instant and complete flop when released theatrically in 1974. Still, this UK-produced film has always been one of my pet favorites, a flick I have long felt died an undeserved death, and I was psyched at the chance to see it again.
In synopsis, I admit the movie doesn’t sound like much. Or perhaps I should say it sounds way too familiar. A nutcase has put seven bombs on an ocean liner and threatens to sink the ship unless he’s given a ransom of £500,000. The ship is far from land, no other vessels are close enough to render assistance,...
In synopsis, I admit the movie doesn’t sound like much. Or perhaps I should say it sounds way too familiar. A nutcase has put seven bombs on an ocean liner and threatens to sink the ship unless he’s given a ransom of £500,000. The ship is far from land, no other vessels are close enough to render assistance,...
- 11/28/2011
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
Rather shamelessly packaged to fool you into thinking these are in some way tied-in to the new Paul W.S. Anderson version, this duo of 70s classics have been released onto pin-sharp Blu-ray for the very first time. Enjoy some of the richest production values and costume design that 70s cinema had to offer – all as you’ve never seen it before (even on the big screen, I’d wager) as Blu-rays, here and here.
These are a truly odd and unique pair of films. They were produced by the father-and-son team of Alexander and Ilya Salkind who decided (very much as they did with their later Superman franchise) to produce both films back-to-back. This doesn’t seem especially unusual these days, but it was revolutionary back in the early seventies! The Three Musketeers finishes with a teaser trailer for the following year’s The Four Musketeers and the only other...
These are a truly odd and unique pair of films. They were produced by the father-and-son team of Alexander and Ilya Salkind who decided (very much as they did with their later Superman franchise) to produce both films back-to-back. This doesn’t seem especially unusual these days, but it was revolutionary back in the early seventies! The Three Musketeers finishes with a teaser trailer for the following year’s The Four Musketeers and the only other...
- 10/4/2011
- by John Ashbrook
- Obsessed with Film
George Harrison: Living In The Material World
As Beatles go, George Harrison might not immediately appear to be the obvious choice for a lengthy, Martin Scorsese-directed documentary.
Not as darkly acerbic as Lennon, or as cheerily prolific as McCartney or even as unwaveringly "fab" as Ringo, he gained an undeserved reputation as "the quiet one". Yet this film shows he was not only the most interesting of the four – the one who explored and changed the most – but also the most loved. Divided in two and three hours long, Part One deals with the Beatles; for the most photographed, talked about and documented band the world has ever seen, it manages to include some nuggets of stunningly restored, unseen footage. Part Two looks at his post-Beatles life, his other pursuits, beliefs and family matters. Unbothered about maintaining a press-friendly public life, Harrison was thought to be something of a hermit,...
As Beatles go, George Harrison might not immediately appear to be the obvious choice for a lengthy, Martin Scorsese-directed documentary.
Not as darkly acerbic as Lennon, or as cheerily prolific as McCartney or even as unwaveringly "fab" as Ringo, he gained an undeserved reputation as "the quiet one". Yet this film shows he was not only the most interesting of the four – the one who explored and changed the most – but also the most loved. Divided in two and three hours long, Part One deals with the Beatles; for the most photographed, talked about and documented band the world has ever seen, it manages to include some nuggets of stunningly restored, unseen footage. Part Two looks at his post-Beatles life, his other pursuits, beliefs and family matters. Unbothered about maintaining a press-friendly public life, Harrison was thought to be something of a hermit,...
- 9/30/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Oh, Arnie. I know you think there's some sort of magic left in the rusted hyperalloy combat chassis that once served so well.
To be honest, I'm at least a little encouraged you aren't returning to the late-90's doldrums, the period that began with Junior and Eraser and continued until you managed to convince Calee-forn-yah that you would make a suitable head of state government. Perhaps, locked away in that muddled mess of metallic mechanisms and bastard children, there's a decent film to be made.
But Justin Lin as the director? Didn't we try this when producers handed Terminator: Salvation over to McG, who deserves some kind of medal, say a hand grenade, for finding a way to be so inept he is best compared to Bret "insert expletive" Ratner.
Screw it, let's go ahead and do another one. But first, here are 5 bloated corpses I'd rather give...
To be honest, I'm at least a little encouraged you aren't returning to the late-90's doldrums, the period that began with Junior and Eraser and continued until you managed to convince Calee-forn-yah that you would make a suitable head of state government. Perhaps, locked away in that muddled mess of metallic mechanisms and bastard children, there's a decent film to be made.
But Justin Lin as the director? Didn't we try this when producers handed Terminator: Salvation over to McG, who deserves some kind of medal, say a hand grenade, for finding a way to be so inept he is best compared to Bret "insert expletive" Ratner.
Screw it, let's go ahead and do another one. But first, here are 5 bloated corpses I'd rather give...
- 5/18/2011
- by Dustin Rowles
The message of Anne Renton’s dramedy “The Perfect Family” (still seeking distribution), which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last month, is really quite simple: the things that we fear and hide from in our lives will generally prove to be harmless once we muster the courage to confront them. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, this is also the outlook that has been preached by one of the film’s stars, Richard Chamberlain — the 1960’s heart-throb who is now 76 years old and still as dapper and active as ever — ever since he became one the first high-profile actors to “come out of the closet” as a gay man back in 2003. Last week, I spoke by phone for 30 minutes with Chamberlain about his complex life, impressive career, and entertaining new film.
Click Here To Listen To Our Conversation!
Specifically, we discussed…
his early childhood theater/movie-going experiences/favorites his first foray...
Click Here To Listen To Our Conversation!
Specifically, we discussed…
his early childhood theater/movie-going experiences/favorites his first foray...
- 5/4/2011
- by Scott Feinberg
- Scott Feinberg
CBS, the home to so many nitty-gritty cop dramas, is trying something a bit different with Chaos, its new piece of Fridays-at-8/7c programming. But as my 8-year-old son will tell you when I labor to have him sample a new food, “different” can be an acquired taste.
Chaos presents Freddie Rodriguez (Six Feet Under) as a spanking-new CIA recruit assigned by prickly boss man Kurtwood Smith (Robocop) to the Clandestine Administration and Oversight Services division (see titular acronym, forgiving the “H”). There, his team mates include Eric Close (Without a Trace), James Murray (Primeval) and Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother,...
Chaos presents Freddie Rodriguez (Six Feet Under) as a spanking-new CIA recruit assigned by prickly boss man Kurtwood Smith (Robocop) to the Clandestine Administration and Oversight Services division (see titular acronym, forgiving the “H”). There, his team mates include Eric Close (Without a Trace), James Murray (Primeval) and Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother,...
- 4/1/2011
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
0:00 - Intro / Black Friday / Harry Potter Backlash 18:10 - Headlines: Tron DVD Disappears from Store Shelves, Harry Potter Coming Back To Theatres Again in 3-D, Rights to Long Lost Stallone Porn Auctioned Off, Ghostbusters 3 Casting Rumours, Mark Wahlberg to Star in Uncharted, Billy Bob Thornton Says Movies Suck Due to Video Games 45:30 - Review: 127 Hours 1:20:10 - Trailer Trash: Source Code, Untitled Neill Blomkamp Video 1:31:10 - Other Stuff We Watched: I’m Still Here, Brazil, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Megamind, In The Loop, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Paths of Glory, Head, The Complete Metropolis, Winter’s Bone, Valhalla Rising, The Four Musketeers, Psychomania, Five Easy Pieces, Pandorum, The Lottery 2:18:20 - Junk Mail: Black Friday, Steelbook DVDs, Cooking with Gerry Gear, Lost Finale, Dexter, Silent Films 2:42:...
- 11/29/2010
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
DVD Playhouse—June 2010
By
Allen Gardner
The White Ribbon (Sony) On the eve of Ww I, a small village in Germany is struck by a series of tragic, seemingly unconnected events until the townspeople, and the audience, start to connect the dots. Shot in stark, beautiful black & white, director Michael Haneke has fashioned a haunting metaphorical drama that is as coldly chilling as anything made by Ingmar Bergman, and darkly unsettling as anything from the canon of David Lynch. A rich, tough, brilliant cinematic experience you’re not likely to forget. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bd bonuses: Interviews with cast and crew; featurettes. Widescreen Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
Alice In Wonderland (Disney) Tim Burton’s take on the Lewis Carroll classic finds young Alice (Mia Wasikowska), a 19th century girl who finds herself in an unhappy engagement to a boorish suitor, tumbling down the rabbit hole into Wonderland, where she encounters magical cakes,...
By
Allen Gardner
The White Ribbon (Sony) On the eve of Ww I, a small village in Germany is struck by a series of tragic, seemingly unconnected events until the townspeople, and the audience, start to connect the dots. Shot in stark, beautiful black & white, director Michael Haneke has fashioned a haunting metaphorical drama that is as coldly chilling as anything made by Ingmar Bergman, and darkly unsettling as anything from the canon of David Lynch. A rich, tough, brilliant cinematic experience you’re not likely to forget. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bd bonuses: Interviews with cast and crew; featurettes. Widescreen Dolby and DTS 5.1 surround.
Alice In Wonderland (Disney) Tim Burton’s take on the Lewis Carroll classic finds young Alice (Mia Wasikowska), a 19th century girl who finds herself in an unhappy engagement to a boorish suitor, tumbling down the rabbit hole into Wonderland, where she encounters magical cakes,...
- 6/23/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Though I admittedly go into most films I watch here with some level of expectation, I must confess a certain bias with regards to these two films: I really hate Richard Lester in a way that extends beyond mere aesthetic difference and dangerously close to the personal. I hate what he did to the Superman franchise, and I hate how he conspired with Salkinds to make the entire series more like the 60s live-action Batman on purpose, in what can only strike me as a nefarious communist plot to strike us at the heart of one of our most cherished institutions. And so, by extension, I kind of hate The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers, the back-to-back hits that emboldened them to do it in the first place, which is really unfair, but just sort of the way it has to be.
At the outset of The Three Musketeers,...
At the outset of The Three Musketeers,...
- 6/13/2010
- by Anders Nelson
- JustPressPlay.net
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