In a heartfelt example of life imitating art, “Babe” star James Cromwell is helping save a real baby big from being slaughtered. Cromwell serves as an honorary director at PETA and is working with the animal rights organization to transfer a piglet to the Indraloka Animal Sanctuary after it fell off a truck that was transporting it to be fattened for slaughter.
According to PETA, the abandoned piglet was found “scraped, bruised and covered in mud” when he was rescued shortly before the Easter holiday weekend. Cromwell met the piglet virtually (see photo below) and named him Babe, a nod to his films “Babe” (1995) and “Babe: Pig in the City” (1998). Cromwell starred in the franchise as Arthur Hoggett, a farmer who becomes the father of the eponymous orphaned pig.
“Having had the privilege of witnessing and experiencing pigs’ intelligence and inquisitive personalities while filming, the movie ‘Babe’ changed my life and my way of eating,...
According to PETA, the abandoned piglet was found “scraped, bruised and covered in mud” when he was rescued shortly before the Easter holiday weekend. Cromwell met the piglet virtually (see photo below) and named him Babe, a nod to his films “Babe” (1995) and “Babe: Pig in the City” (1998). Cromwell starred in the franchise as Arthur Hoggett, a farmer who becomes the father of the eponymous orphaned pig.
“Having had the privilege of witnessing and experiencing pigs’ intelligence and inquisitive personalities while filming, the movie ‘Babe’ changed my life and my way of eating,...
- 4/7/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Aaron Stewart-Ahn, writer of Mandy (yes… That Mandy), discusses a few of his favorite films with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Mandy (2018)
The ’Burbs (1989) – Ti West’s trailer commentary, Tfh’s ’Burbs Mania
Explorers (1985)
The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)
Cyborg (1990)
Masters Of The Universe (1987) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Down Twisted (1987)
Rumble In The Bronx (1996)
Green Book (2018)
Hellraiser (1987)
Nemesis (1992)
Heat (1995)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind a.k.a. Warriors of the Wind (1984)
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Star Wars (1977)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Dune (1984)
Blue Velvet (1986) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Waterworld (1995)
Super Mario Bros. (1993)
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary celebration
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Do The Right Thing (1989) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Minari (2020)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Mandy (2018)
The ’Burbs (1989) – Ti West’s trailer commentary, Tfh’s ’Burbs Mania
Explorers (1985)
The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)
Cyborg (1990)
Masters Of The Universe (1987) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Down Twisted (1987)
Rumble In The Bronx (1996)
Green Book (2018)
Hellraiser (1987)
Nemesis (1992)
Heat (1995)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind a.k.a. Warriors of the Wind (1984)
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Star Wars (1977)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Dune (1984)
Blue Velvet (1986) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Waterworld (1995)
Super Mario Bros. (1993)
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary celebration
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Do The Right Thing (1989) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Minari (2020)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review...
- 11/29/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Fierce Irish rebels go head-to-head with Brit occupation forces, and James Cagney is first on the barricades. Michael Anderson’s thriller about terror violence in 1921 Dublin has suspense, beautiful cinematography in real Irish locations, and a standout cast: Don Murray, Glynis Johns, Dana Wynter, Michael Redgrave, Cyril Cusack and Sybil Thorndike — plus added-value players Richard Harris, Donal Donnelly and Niall MacGinness. Cagney’s surgeon-turned guerilla doesn’t yell “Top of the World!” but he’s as psychotic as Cody Jarrett: he wants to shoot both the leading ladies. Included is a good interview with Don Murray.
Shake Hands with the Devil
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1959 / Color B&w / 1:66 widescreen/ 111 min. / Street Date January 4, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: James Cagney, Don Murray, Dana Wynter, Glynis Johns, Michael Redgrave, Sybil Thorndike, Cyril Cusack, Marianne Benet, Robert Brown, John Cairney, Harry H. Corbett, Eileen Crowe, Allan Cuthbertson, Donal Donnelly, Richard Harris,...
Shake Hands with the Devil
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1959 / Color B&w / 1:66 widescreen/ 111 min. / Street Date January 4, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: James Cagney, Don Murray, Dana Wynter, Glynis Johns, Michael Redgrave, Sybil Thorndike, Cyril Cusack, Marianne Benet, Robert Brown, John Cairney, Harry H. Corbett, Eileen Crowe, Allan Cuthbertson, Donal Donnelly, Richard Harris,...
- 3/1/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Australian Film, Television and Radio School
This Sydney-based school benefits from a deep pool of industry lecturers and close ties with the Australian film community. Notable alumni include Black Widow director Cate Shortland and a slew of Oscar winners and nominees, including Jane Campion (The Piano), writer-director Chris Noonan (Babe) and David White (sound editing for Mad Max: Fury Road). The school has developed and implemented a “COVIDSafe Plan” that sets out a return to on-campus learning, with protocols being revised on a weekly basis in accordance with local public health circumstances and government advice.
Beijing Film Academy
The USC of the ...
This Sydney-based school benefits from a deep pool of industry lecturers and close ties with the Australian film community. Notable alumni include Black Widow director Cate Shortland and a slew of Oscar winners and nominees, including Jane Campion (The Piano), writer-director Chris Noonan (Babe) and David White (sound editing for Mad Max: Fury Road). The school has developed and implemented a “COVIDSafe Plan” that sets out a return to on-campus learning, with protocols being revised on a weekly basis in accordance with local public health circumstances and government advice.
Beijing Film Academy
The USC of the ...
- 8/13/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Australian Film, Television and Radio School
This Sydney-based school benefits from a deep pool of industry lecturers and close ties with the Australian film community. Notable alumni include Black Widow director Cate Shortland and a slew of Oscar winners and nominees, including Jane Campion (The Piano), writer-director Chris Noonan (Babe) and David White (sound editing for Mad Max: Fury Road). The school has developed and implemented a “COVIDSafe Plan” that sets out a return to on-campus learning, with protocols being revised on a weekly basis in accordance with local public health circumstances and government advice.
Beijing Film Academy
The USC of the ...
This Sydney-based school benefits from a deep pool of industry lecturers and close ties with the Australian film community. Notable alumni include Black Widow director Cate Shortland and a slew of Oscar winners and nominees, including Jane Campion (The Piano), writer-director Chris Noonan (Babe) and David White (sound editing for Mad Max: Fury Road). The school has developed and implemented a “COVIDSafe Plan” that sets out a return to on-campus learning, with protocols being revised on a weekly basis in accordance with local public health circumstances and government advice.
Beijing Film Academy
The USC of the ...
- 8/13/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It was the year of fresh faces, surprise wins, tear-inducing moments, battling pigs and Sharon Stone making Gap red-carpet worthy, all of which added up to one of the most well-received Oscar ceremonies of the past 30 years. Out of 24 categories, an outstanding 15 winners were first-time nominees. Whoopi Goldberg helmed the 68th Annual Academy Awards ceremony on March 25, 1996, and earned rave reviews after a lackluster previous year.
The year prior, David Letterman‘s hosting was met with largely negative reviews, so the Academy brought in legendary music producer Quincy Jones to liven things up, and it was he who picked Goldberg. This was the comedienne’s second time to host, having done so two years prior (she would host again in 1999 and 2002), and she managed to honor the nominated films, while also getting laughs with subtle digs – beginning with her opening remark, “So, did you miss me?” The “mighty afro-deity” also...
The year prior, David Letterman‘s hosting was met with largely negative reviews, so the Academy brought in legendary music producer Quincy Jones to liven things up, and it was he who picked Goldberg. This was the comedienne’s second time to host, having done so two years prior (she would host again in 1999 and 2002), and she managed to honor the nominated films, while also getting laughs with subtle digs – beginning with her opening remark, “So, did you miss me?” The “mighty afro-deity” also...
- 3/22/2021
- by Susan Pennington
- Gold Derby
The year continues to provide plenty more surprises — and flies on the heads of politicians — and over the last week we saw “Dune” from Warner Bros. exit the calendar year, something that was very much expected around these parts. While many on the internet want to decry “the end of cinema” and that the film year is “canceled,” it’s time to start expanding your cinematic palates.
In terms of what it means to awards, an interesting observation is how young and “novice” the best director field seems this year. Traditional Oscar years have always had a good amount of the “Og masters” of cinema in the mix like Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg, which brought the average age of the nomination pool up considerably. In the current contenders for best director, Aaron Sorkin would be the oldest of the top five predicted lineup, at 59, for “The Trial of the Chicago 7.
In terms of what it means to awards, an interesting observation is how young and “novice” the best director field seems this year. Traditional Oscar years have always had a good amount of the “Og masters” of cinema in the mix like Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg, which brought the average age of the nomination pool up considerably. In the current contenders for best director, Aaron Sorkin would be the oldest of the top five predicted lineup, at 59, for “The Trial of the Chicago 7.
- 10/8/2020
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
“Babe” turns 25 on August 4, and the sweet, endearing family drama from Down Under, about an orphan pig winning a sheepherding competition, revolutionized the talking animal movie in 1995. The underdog also became a surprising box office hit and Oscar contender for Universal.
“Babe” earned $64 million domestically and $254 million worldwide, and grabbed seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director (for Chris Noonan), Best Adapted Screenplay (Miller & Noonan), and Best Supporting Actor (for James Cromwell as avuncular Farmer Hoggett). Yet its lone prize was for Best Visual Effects, beating Universal’s heavily favored “Apollo 13.”
Thanks to the landmark collaboration between VFX studio Rhythm & Hues (overlaying CG animation over live-action animal footage), and more advanced animatronics from London-based Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, and Australia’s John Cox’s Creature Shop and Robotech, “Babe” altered the landscape of the industry. “We weren’t just changing technology, we were changing filmmaking,” said Oscar-winning...
“Babe” earned $64 million domestically and $254 million worldwide, and grabbed seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director (for Chris Noonan), Best Adapted Screenplay (Miller & Noonan), and Best Supporting Actor (for James Cromwell as avuncular Farmer Hoggett). Yet its lone prize was for Best Visual Effects, beating Universal’s heavily favored “Apollo 13.”
Thanks to the landmark collaboration between VFX studio Rhythm & Hues (overlaying CG animation over live-action animal footage), and more advanced animatronics from London-based Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, and Australia’s John Cox’s Creature Shop and Robotech, “Babe” altered the landscape of the industry. “We weren’t just changing technology, we were changing filmmaking,” said Oscar-winning...
- 8/2/2020
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
In a trimming of executive ranks at Warner Bros.’ Unscripted & Alternative Television division, Pam Healey, general manager of Shed Media, and Stuart Krasnow, executive vice president, creative affairs of Telepictures have exited the company, an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap. New executives will not be hired to replace them.
Along with Healey and Krasnow, Chris Noonan, a development executive at Telepictures, departed along with Krasnow. Both Shed and Telepictures will continue operating independently.
The reason for Healey and Krasnow’s departure and the elimination of their positions was not immediately made public, but Deadline reported Wednesday that Warner Bros. is streamlining Shed Media and Telepictures by also consolidating finance and some other back-office operations.
Also Read: Why 'Joker' Has Outperformed All Other R-Rated Films at the Box Office
Healey had been with Shed Media since 2013; Warner Bros. acquired a majority stake in the UK-based production outfit behind shows like “Supernanny,...
Along with Healey and Krasnow, Chris Noonan, a development executive at Telepictures, departed along with Krasnow. Both Shed and Telepictures will continue operating independently.
The reason for Healey and Krasnow’s departure and the elimination of their positions was not immediately made public, but Deadline reported Wednesday that Warner Bros. is streamlining Shed Media and Telepictures by also consolidating finance and some other back-office operations.
Also Read: Why 'Joker' Has Outperformed All Other R-Rated Films at the Box Office
Healey had been with Shed Media since 2013; Warner Bros. acquired a majority stake in the UK-based production outfit behind shows like “Supernanny,...
- 11/7/2019
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
James Cromwell.
Mark Lamprell’s Never Too Late (formerly The Chain Breakers), a comedy-drama about four heroic Vietnam veterans who plan to break out of their nursing home, will start shooting in South Australia on March 18.
Jack Thompson, James Cromwell, Dennis Waterman and Roy Billing play the quartet, who were famous for escaping from a Vietnamese Pow camp.
Now residents of the Hogan Hills Retirement Home for Returned Veterans, each has an unrealised dream he wants to achieve before it’s too late. They devise a plan to escape but the rules of engagement have changed. Indeed, they can’t even remember what the rules were and that’s half the problem.
Jacki Weaver plays Norma, the long-lost love of Cromwell’s character Bronson, formerly a Us soldier. They met when he was in Australia on R&R but he was posted back to Vietnam before he could propose. Norma’s...
Mark Lamprell’s Never Too Late (formerly The Chain Breakers), a comedy-drama about four heroic Vietnam veterans who plan to break out of their nursing home, will start shooting in South Australia on March 18.
Jack Thompson, James Cromwell, Dennis Waterman and Roy Billing play the quartet, who were famous for escaping from a Vietnamese Pow camp.
Now residents of the Hogan Hills Retirement Home for Returned Veterans, each has an unrealised dream he wants to achieve before it’s too late. They devise a plan to escape but the rules of engagement have changed. Indeed, they can’t even remember what the rules were and that’s half the problem.
Jacki Weaver plays Norma, the long-lost love of Cromwell’s character Bronson, formerly a Us soldier. They met when he was in Australia on R&R but he was posted back to Vietnam before he could propose. Norma’s...
- 3/6/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Mark Harrison Feb 20, 2019
Revisiting the family-friendly films of Martin Scorsese, Robert Rodriguez and others who usually make more grown-up fare…
This article comes from Den of Geek UK.
This feature contains mild spoilers for all the family films discussed, so if you haven’t seen one then proceed with caution.
Some family-friendly films come from the least expected sources. From Steven Spielberg to Robert Zemeckis, there are a fair few filmmakers whose output spans from grown-up films to G and PG-rated movies, but in the main, directors tend to become attached to films for similar demographics to their previous work.
This could be due to several big family-friendly properties, from franchises to adaptations of beloved stories, grouping in the four-quadrant center of the movie market. For instance, Transformers might have been a departure for the director who brought us the Bad Boys movies, except that all of Michael Bay's...
Revisiting the family-friendly films of Martin Scorsese, Robert Rodriguez and others who usually make more grown-up fare…
This article comes from Den of Geek UK.
This feature contains mild spoilers for all the family films discussed, so if you haven’t seen one then proceed with caution.
Some family-friendly films come from the least expected sources. From Steven Spielberg to Robert Zemeckis, there are a fair few filmmakers whose output spans from grown-up films to G and PG-rated movies, but in the main, directors tend to become attached to films for similar demographics to their previous work.
This could be due to several big family-friendly properties, from franchises to adaptations of beloved stories, grouping in the four-quadrant center of the movie market. For instance, Transformers might have been a departure for the director who brought us the Bad Boys movies, except that all of Michael Bay's...
- 2/20/2019
- Den of Geek
Writer and academic W.G. Sebald once said: “Men and animals regard each other across a gulf of mutual incomprehension.” In truth, an animal understands nothing of its place in the world, their mind focused merely on food and the prospect of comfort, if available. In cinema, there is an old actor’s adage that states: “Never work with children or animals. They will always upstage you.” When an animal performs successfully in a film, it’s undeniably captivating because we know that animal is unaware of its role in the overall story. The camera has recorded some beautiful cosmic miracle, appearing from the outside to somehow defy Sebald’s words.
Whether fictional friend or foe, the relationship between humans and animals in cinema has always captured our imaginations. These sometimes expand beyond the borders of the normal, and, beyond the Bourgeoisie pooper-scoopers and barked-out cry conveying that some hapless child has fallen down a well,...
Whether fictional friend or foe, the relationship between humans and animals in cinema has always captured our imaginations. These sometimes expand beyond the borders of the normal, and, beyond the Bourgeoisie pooper-scoopers and barked-out cry conveying that some hapless child has fallen down a well,...
- 6/23/2016
- by Tony Hinds
- The Film Stage
Australian filmmaker will award the Palme d’or at the close of the Festival.
Mad Mad director George Miller is to preside over the jury of the 69th Cannes Film Festival (May 11-22), capping a successful 12 months for the Australian filmmaker.
It was in Cannes last May that Mad Max: Fury Road received its world premiere. The action reboot, starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, was shown Out of Competition to critical acclaim and has been picking up awards ever since. It is nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture, and seven Baftas.
Miller said: “What an unmitigated delight. To be there in the middle of this storied festival at the unveiling of cinematic treasures from all over the planet. To spend time in passionate discourse with fellow members of the jury. Such an honor. I’ll be there with bells on.”
As well as heading the jury, it will be down to the 70-year-old director to award...
Mad Mad director George Miller is to preside over the jury of the 69th Cannes Film Festival (May 11-22), capping a successful 12 months for the Australian filmmaker.
It was in Cannes last May that Mad Max: Fury Road received its world premiere. The action reboot, starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, was shown Out of Competition to critical acclaim and has been picking up awards ever since. It is nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture, and seven Baftas.
Miller said: “What an unmitigated delight. To be there in the middle of this storied festival at the unveiling of cinematic treasures from all over the planet. To spend time in passionate discourse with fellow members of the jury. Such an honor. I’ll be there with bells on.”
As well as heading the jury, it will be down to the 70-year-old director to award...
- 2/2/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
By Patrick Shanley
Managing Editor
The man behind one of this summer’s biggest hits, and now a best picture nominee, Mad Max: Fury Road has been directing films for four decades but many fans would have a hard time picking him out of a lineup. George Miller, the 70-year-old visionary director behind all four films in the Mad Max franchise, earned the first best directing Oscar nomination of his career yesterday morning, though his history with the Academy goes all the way back to 1993.
To say Miller has an eclectic resume is an understatement, as his directing credits have bounced from post-apocalyptic action films to heavy family drama to family films. This year, his film is second in nominations to only The Revenant, from last year’s best director winner, Alejandro G. Inarritu.
Much of Miller’s anonymity springs from his ability to not be pegged down to one specific genre,...
Managing Editor
The man behind one of this summer’s biggest hits, and now a best picture nominee, Mad Max: Fury Road has been directing films for four decades but many fans would have a hard time picking him out of a lineup. George Miller, the 70-year-old visionary director behind all four films in the Mad Max franchise, earned the first best directing Oscar nomination of his career yesterday morning, though his history with the Academy goes all the way back to 1993.
To say Miller has an eclectic resume is an understatement, as his directing credits have bounced from post-apocalyptic action films to heavy family drama to family films. This year, his film is second in nominations to only The Revenant, from last year’s best director winner, Alejandro G. Inarritu.
Much of Miller’s anonymity springs from his ability to not be pegged down to one specific genre,...
- 1/15/2016
- by Patrick Shanley
- Scott Feinberg
"That'll do, pig. That'll do."
It's been 20 years since the world fell in love with the sheep-herding pig at the center of the film "Babe," which opened August 4, 1995. The movie was hailed as a kids' movie that delighted viewers of all ages -- it was the rare children's film nominated for a Best Picture Oscar -- as well as an advance in effects magic that launched a wave of live-action, talking-animal flicks.
It's hard to imagine that the G-rated classic came from George Miller, the same filmmaker behind the ultra-violent, hard-r "Mad Max" franchise. That's one of many things you may not know about "Babe," here are 19 more:
1. In 1986, producer/co-screenwriter Miller became interested in the story during a long plane flight from Sydney to London, where the woman seated next to him was laughing uproariously at Dick King-Smith's book, "The Sheep-Pig." Upon landing, he found the book in...
It's been 20 years since the world fell in love with the sheep-herding pig at the center of the film "Babe," which opened August 4, 1995. The movie was hailed as a kids' movie that delighted viewers of all ages -- it was the rare children's film nominated for a Best Picture Oscar -- as well as an advance in effects magic that launched a wave of live-action, talking-animal flicks.
It's hard to imagine that the G-rated classic came from George Miller, the same filmmaker behind the ultra-violent, hard-r "Mad Max" franchise. That's one of many things you may not know about "Babe," here are 19 more:
1. In 1986, producer/co-screenwriter Miller became interested in the story during a long plane flight from Sydney to London, where the woman seated next to him was laughing uproariously at Dick King-Smith's book, "The Sheep-Pig." Upon landing, he found the book in...
- 8/4/2015
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Andrew Lesnie was remembered as one of Australia.s finest cinematographers and a warm and generous bloke at a celebration of his life and career on Sunday.
Dozens of collaborators and friends including Sir Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, Cate Blanchett, George Miller, Chris Noonan, Bill Bennett, Craig Monahan, Jack Thompson and Andrew Mason gathered to pay tribute to Lesnie, who died in April after a heart attack, aged 59.
Ray Martin hosted the event, Remembering Andrew, staged by the Australian Cinematographers Society at Event Cinemas Bondi Junction.
Video tributes from Russell Crowe, Bruce Beresford, Martin Freeman, Sir Ian McKellen, Barrie Osborne, Don McAlpine, Richard Roxburgh, Dean Semler and Peter Menzies Jnr, among others, were screened.
Among the clips of his work shown were The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (for which he won an Oscar) and other Jackson-directed films, The Water Diviner, Babe, Healing and Two If By Sea.
Dozens of collaborators and friends including Sir Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, Cate Blanchett, George Miller, Chris Noonan, Bill Bennett, Craig Monahan, Jack Thompson and Andrew Mason gathered to pay tribute to Lesnie, who died in April after a heart attack, aged 59.
Ray Martin hosted the event, Remembering Andrew, staged by the Australian Cinematographers Society at Event Cinemas Bondi Junction.
Video tributes from Russell Crowe, Bruce Beresford, Martin Freeman, Sir Ian McKellen, Barrie Osborne, Don McAlpine, Richard Roxburgh, Dean Semler and Peter Menzies Jnr, among others, were screened.
Among the clips of his work shown were The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (for which he won an Oscar) and other Jackson-directed films, The Water Diviner, Babe, Healing and Two If By Sea.
- 7/12/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Six selected directors include Michaël R. Roskam [pictured], Kim Ki-duk and Sion Sono.
Six international directors who share a history with the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (July 3-11) are to present one of their favourite films at the 50th edition of the festival in the Czech spa town.
The special section, titled Six Close Encounters, will include contributions from directors Mark Cousins, Kim Ki-duk, Sergei Loznitsa, Luis Miñarro, Michael R. Roskam and Sion Sono.
Each will select and personally present a favourite film that played a fundamental role in defining their own styles on filmmaking.
“It is extremely important to us that we maintain long-term relationships with filmmakers whose work we follow continuously, often from the beginning of their careers, which in many cases were launched at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival,” says Kviff artistic director Karel Och.
Mark Cousins: A Moment of Innocence (Nun va Goldoon, 1996), Mohsen Makhmalbaf. Kim Ki-duk:...
Six international directors who share a history with the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (July 3-11) are to present one of their favourite films at the 50th edition of the festival in the Czech spa town.
The special section, titled Six Close Encounters, will include contributions from directors Mark Cousins, Kim Ki-duk, Sergei Loznitsa, Luis Miñarro, Michael R. Roskam and Sion Sono.
Each will select and personally present a favourite film that played a fundamental role in defining their own styles on filmmaking.
“It is extremely important to us that we maintain long-term relationships with filmmakers whose work we follow continuously, often from the beginning of their careers, which in many cases were launched at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival,” says Kviff artistic director Karel Och.
Mark Cousins: A Moment of Innocence (Nun va Goldoon, 1996), Mohsen Makhmalbaf. Kim Ki-duk:...
- 6/17/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
All week our writers will debate: Which was the greatest film year of the past half century. Click here for a complete list of our essays. When I picked this year, it was under the mistaken assumption that we were writing on the best film of a year, and not the best film year in general. But having realized the mistake, I stand by my choice. 1995 is still the best! Straight up: 1995 wins, because Todd Haynes’s “[Safe]" is still my favorite film to have come out since, Idk, I’ve been alive. It’s deeply self-conscious about genre, while still managing to not really resemble anything I’ve ever seen. It’s the perfect film about L.A.; about how space is mobilized in cinema; about the environment; about Gothic horror; about white femininity; about film bodies; about falling in love in the movies. It’s Todd Motherf*#@$^ Haynes’s best film.
- 4/30/2015
- by Jane Hu
- Hitfix
Oscar-winner, who worked with Peter Jackson on the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, most recently collaborated with Russell Crowe on The Water Diviner.
The unexpected death of Australian cinematographer Andrew Lesnie has sparked an outpouring of touching sentiment about his skills behind the camera, his huge contribution to his own and New Zealand cinema and also, from those who knew him, his decency and goodwill.
“After 17 years and eight movies together, the loss of Andrew is very hard to bear,” said Peter Jackson in a Facebook post this evening. He described him as “one of the great cinematographers of our time” and “an irreplaceable part of my family” who “always had my back”.
Jackson sought him out for the fantasy/adventure The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring because of the quality of his work on the Australian fairytale Babe. The New Zealand-based collaboration earned Lesnie the 2002 Academy Award for his cinematography...
The unexpected death of Australian cinematographer Andrew Lesnie has sparked an outpouring of touching sentiment about his skills behind the camera, his huge contribution to his own and New Zealand cinema and also, from those who knew him, his decency and goodwill.
“After 17 years and eight movies together, the loss of Andrew is very hard to bear,” said Peter Jackson in a Facebook post this evening. He described him as “one of the great cinematographers of our time” and “an irreplaceable part of my family” who “always had my back”.
Jackson sought him out for the fantasy/adventure The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring because of the quality of his work on the Australian fairytale Babe. The New Zealand-based collaboration earned Lesnie the 2002 Academy Award for his cinematography...
- 4/28/2015
- by Sandy.George@me.com (Sandy George)
- ScreenDaily
10. Waterworld
Directed by: Kevin Reynolds
It could be the flop of all flops. At the time, “Waterworld” was the most expensive film ever made. Starring Kevin Costner, “Waterworld” is a science-fiction/fantasy film taking place roughly 500 years after the polar ice caps melted in the beginning of the 21st century, effectively covering the entire world with water. Dirt has become a commodity and an unknown traveler named “the Mariner” (Costner) is trying to find anywhere to trade his stash. The catch: he’s a mutant, with gills, allowing him to breathe underwater. He is joined by a woman named Helen (Jeannie Tripplehorn) and child named Enola (Tina Majorino) with an elaborate map tattooed on her back. They sail the world and encounter various groups of survivors. They are pursued by a group of evil forces, led by an eye-patched man called “the Deacon” (Dennis Hopper). The special effects are actually pretty impressive,...
Directed by: Kevin Reynolds
It could be the flop of all flops. At the time, “Waterworld” was the most expensive film ever made. Starring Kevin Costner, “Waterworld” is a science-fiction/fantasy film taking place roughly 500 years after the polar ice caps melted in the beginning of the 21st century, effectively covering the entire world with water. Dirt has become a commodity and an unknown traveler named “the Mariner” (Costner) is trying to find anywhere to trade his stash. The catch: he’s a mutant, with gills, allowing him to breathe underwater. He is joined by a woman named Helen (Jeannie Tripplehorn) and child named Enola (Tina Majorino) with an elaborate map tattooed on her back. They sail the world and encounter various groups of survivors. They are pursued by a group of evil forces, led by an eye-patched man called “the Deacon” (Dennis Hopper). The special effects are actually pretty impressive,...
- 1/31/2015
- by Joshua Gaul
- SoundOnSight
There are people out there who have never seen The Princess Bride. They walk among us, holding down jobs, contributing to society, and generally living happy, semi-fulfilled lives. But whisper a perfectly-timed “mawage” in their direction during a wedding, and the resulting blank stare or awkward chuckle will expose an inconceivable pop-cultural blind spot. Someone failed them when they were growing up.
In many ways it’s too late for them, but we can still save the next generation. The 55 Essential Movies Kids Must Experience (Before They Turn 13) is a starting point. This isn’t a list of the 55 “best” kids movies,...
In many ways it’s too late for them, but we can still save the next generation. The 55 Essential Movies Kids Must Experience (Before They Turn 13) is a starting point. This isn’t a list of the 55 “best” kids movies,...
- 6/23/2014
- by EW staff
- EW.com - PopWatch
Baz Luhrmann now occupies three of the top six slots in the list of Australia.s top-grossing films on home turf.
The director.s The Great Gatsby ranks as the sixth-highest grossing local film of all time, behind Peter Faiman's Crocodile Dundee ($47.7 million), his Australia ($37.5 million),. Chris Noonan's Babe ($36.7 million) George Miller.s Happy Feet ($31.7 million) and Baz's Moulin Rouge!
With earnings of $27.5 million, Gatsby is about $190,000 below Moulin Rouge!.s $27.7 million and won't catch it, having earned just $20,000 last week.
Here.s the updated scorecard of the Australian films released this year..
.
.
Australian Films Scorecard 2013
.
.
.
Title
.
Release Date
.
Total
1
The Great Gatsby
.May 30
$27,547,129
.
2
Goddess
March 14
1,636,018
.
3
Return to Nim.s Island
April 4
1,211,399
.
4
Drift
May 2
903,103
.
5
Save Your Legs!
Feb 28
380,488
.
6
Satellite Boy
June 20
310,433
.
7
.
Red Obsession
August 15
250,764
8
Blinder
March 7
.
101,027
9
The 25th Reich*
June 21
28,200
.
10
100 Bloody Acres
August 1
18,354
.
................... Source:. Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia
.
................. *Producer.s figure...
The director.s The Great Gatsby ranks as the sixth-highest grossing local film of all time, behind Peter Faiman's Crocodile Dundee ($47.7 million), his Australia ($37.5 million),. Chris Noonan's Babe ($36.7 million) George Miller.s Happy Feet ($31.7 million) and Baz's Moulin Rouge!
With earnings of $27.5 million, Gatsby is about $190,000 below Moulin Rouge!.s $27.7 million and won't catch it, having earned just $20,000 last week.
Here.s the updated scorecard of the Australian films released this year..
.
.
Australian Films Scorecard 2013
.
.
.
Title
.
Release Date
.
Total
1
The Great Gatsby
.May 30
$27,547,129
.
2
Goddess
March 14
1,636,018
.
3
Return to Nim.s Island
April 4
1,211,399
.
4
Drift
May 2
903,103
.
5
Save Your Legs!
Feb 28
380,488
.
6
Satellite Boy
June 20
310,433
.
7
.
Red Obsession
August 15
250,764
8
Blinder
March 7
.
101,027
9
The 25th Reich*
June 21
28,200
.
10
100 Bloody Acres
August 1
18,354
.
................... Source:. Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia
.
................. *Producer.s figure...
- 8/29/2013
- by Inside Film Correspondent
- IF.com.au
It's hard to think of many movie stars who have had the sort of career that Ewan McGregor has had -- long, prolific, and consistently impressive -- but have not received an Oscar nomination. And yet the dashing 41-year-old Scotsman, who has been acting on film for 18 years, is still in search of his first. THR Review: "The Impossible" McGregor has a credit list that includes Danny Boyle's Trainspotting (1996), Mark Herman's Little Voice (1998), Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down (2001), Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! (2001), Tim Burton's Big Fish (2003), Chris Noonan's Miss Potter (2006), Woody Allen's Cassandra's
read more...
read more...
- 11/15/2012
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
12 horses, three cows, nine geese, two goats and 70 sheep among participants in Isles of Wonder-themed event
The director of the London 2012 opening ceremony, Danny Boyle, has moved to assuage concerns about the welfare of animals who will feature in his £27m show by promising to remove them from the stadium early and ensure they do not face a grisly end afterwards.
In response to concerns raised by six animal welfare groups, Boyle has sent a letter to Peta's founder Ingrid Newkirk to offer a range of assurances over plans to use live animals in his Isles of Wonder-themed opening ceremony.
After revealing this month that 12 horses, three cows, two goats, 10 chickens, 10 ducks, nine geese, 70 sheep and three sheepdogs would be part of the opening scene, animal rights campaigners claimed it could breach the Animal Welfare Act by subjecting them to undue distress.
Boyle said that "genuine care will be taken...
The director of the London 2012 opening ceremony, Danny Boyle, has moved to assuage concerns about the welfare of animals who will feature in his £27m show by promising to remove them from the stadium early and ensure they do not face a grisly end afterwards.
In response to concerns raised by six animal welfare groups, Boyle has sent a letter to Peta's founder Ingrid Newkirk to offer a range of assurances over plans to use live animals in his Isles of Wonder-themed opening ceremony.
After revealing this month that 12 horses, three cows, two goats, 10 chickens, 10 ducks, nine geese, 70 sheep and three sheepdogs would be part of the opening scene, animal rights campaigners claimed it could breach the Animal Welfare Act by subjecting them to undue distress.
Boyle said that "genuine care will be taken...
- 6/29/2012
- by Owen Gibson
- The Guardian - Film News
Tristram Miall
Seven screen veterans have been added to the roster of Screen Australia’s project assessors, as two depart, and a revised set of Feature Film Production Guidelines is announced.
The change sees the departure of assessors Victoria Treole and Matthew Dabner after serving out their contracts as Tristram Miall producer of Strictly Ballroom, Children of the Revolution and The Black Balloon returns.
Treole came under fire last month in the Encore comment thread when a film that she was executive producing, Galore, received funding while she contributed on the assessment board.
Screen Australia followed up the industry concerns of nepotism within the agency by publishing a statement defending its Conflict of Interest Policy.
Glen Boreham, chair of Screen Australia said: “Screen Australia has a rigorous conflict of interest policy to ensure that Board members and industry specialists employed by Screen Australia are not advantaged by their involvement.
“In essence,...
Seven screen veterans have been added to the roster of Screen Australia’s project assessors, as two depart, and a revised set of Feature Film Production Guidelines is announced.
The change sees the departure of assessors Victoria Treole and Matthew Dabner after serving out their contracts as Tristram Miall producer of Strictly Ballroom, Children of the Revolution and The Black Balloon returns.
Treole came under fire last month in the Encore comment thread when a film that she was executive producing, Galore, received funding while she contributed on the assessment board.
Screen Australia followed up the industry concerns of nepotism within the agency by publishing a statement defending its Conflict of Interest Policy.
Glen Boreham, chair of Screen Australia said: “Screen Australia has a rigorous conflict of interest policy to ensure that Board members and industry specialists employed by Screen Australia are not advantaged by their involvement.
“In essence,...
- 4/26/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
Screen Australia has again called on producer Tristram Miall to help determine which feature film applications get letters of interest and production funding, and has also brought on six external specialists to advise on investment decisions.
Producer Jan Chapman (Lantana, The Piano), director Chris Noonan (Babe), writer Andrew Bovell (Lantana, Head On), editor Marcus D.Arcy (Tomorrow, When The War Began and the upcoming I, Frankenstein), script consultant Joan Sauers and Neil Peplow, head of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.s screen content division, make up the gang of six.
Miall was on board at Screen Australia during the early years of the agency and before industry specialists Victoria Treole and Matthew Dabner, whose contracts are due to expire, were appointed. Producer of the seventh biggest homegrown hit of all time in Strictly Ballroom and, most recently, The Black Balloon, he will be employed part-time under the new arrangements.
Producer Jan Chapman (Lantana, The Piano), director Chris Noonan (Babe), writer Andrew Bovell (Lantana, Head On), editor Marcus D.Arcy (Tomorrow, When The War Began and the upcoming I, Frankenstein), script consultant Joan Sauers and Neil Peplow, head of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.s screen content division, make up the gang of six.
Miall was on board at Screen Australia during the early years of the agency and before industry specialists Victoria Treole and Matthew Dabner, whose contracts are due to expire, were appointed. Producer of the seventh biggest homegrown hit of all time in Strictly Ballroom and, most recently, The Black Balloon, he will be employed part-time under the new arrangements.
- 4/24/2012
- by Sandy George
- IF.com.au
Mario Lopez, Anna Stuart, James Cromwell Mario Lopez interviews James Cromwell and guest Anna Stuart at the 84th Academy Awards from Hollywood, CA, on February 26, 2012. Cromwell wasn't nominated for anything this year, but he is one of the featured players in Michel Hazanavicius' The Artist, which won five Oscars, including Best Picture. Thus, Cromwell got the chance to hop onstage with his fellow cast members, among them Penelope Ann Miller, Bérénice Bejo, and Best Actor winner Jean Dujardin. (Matt Brown / ©A.M.P.A.S.) An animals rights advocate and a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominee for Chris Noonan's Babe, Cromwell is also the son of filmmaker John Cromwell and actress Kay Johnson, both of whom were kept quite busy at the dawn of the sound era — the time period in which The Artist is set. John Cromwell directed three 1929 releases, including two Nancy Carroll musicals, The Dance of Life and Close Harmony.
- 2/27/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Harrison Ford in Andrew Davis' DGA- (but not Oscar-) nominated The Fugitive (top); Madeleine Stowe, Tim Robbins in Robert Altman's Oscar- (but not DGA-) nominated Short Cuts (bottom) DGA Awards vs. Academy Awards 1980s: Odd Men Out Roman Polanski, Kenneth Branagh, David Lynch 1990 DGA Barry Levinson, Avalon Giuseppe Tornatore, Cinema Paradiso [the 1988 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar winner; ineligible for the 1990 Academy Awards] AMPAS Stephen Frears, The Grifters Barbet Schroeder, Reversal of Fortune DGA/AMPAS Kevin Costner, Dances with Wolves Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather Part III Martin Scorsese, Goodfellas 1991 DGA Barbra Streisand, The Prince of Tides AMPAS John Singleton, Boyz n the Hood DGA/AMPAS Jonathan Demme, The Silence of the Lambs Barry Levinson, Bugsy Ridley Scott, Thelma & Louise Oliver Stone, JFK 1992 DGA Rob Reiner, A Few Good Men AMPAS Martin Brest, Scent of a Woman DGA/AMPAS Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven Robert Altman, The Player James Ivory, Howards End Neil Jordan, The Crying Game 1993 DGA Martin Scorsese,...
- 1/10/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The DGA Awards vs. the Academy Awards: Usually But Not Always a Match. [Photo: Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider in Last Tango in Paris.] Since 1970, when the DGA instituted the five-nominee limit, a mere ten directors of (at least mostly) non-English-language films have received DGA nods: Lina Wertmüller (Seven Beauties, 1976), Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot, 1982), Ingmar Bergman (Fanny and Alexander, 1983), Lasse Hallström (My Life As a Dog, 1987), Giuseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso, 1990), Michael Radford (Il Postino / The Postman, 1995), Robert Benigni (Life Is Beautiful, 1998), Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000), Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), and Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 2009). The above list can be expanded to twelve if you include Bernardo Bertolucci for Last Tango in Paris, which has a sizable amount of English dialogue, and Michel Hazanavicius' French-made but Hollywood-set The Artist. During that same period (excepting 2011, as Oscar nominations will be announced only later this month), 21 directors of non-English-language films received Academy Award nominations. (Twenty-two if you...
- 1/9/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
‘Dogs look up to you, cats look down on you. Give me a pig! He looks you in the eye and treats you as an equal.’ – Winston Churchill
I was a little alarmed when I was reminded that 1995’s classic kids’ movie Babe was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. It is a testament to the reception of this story about a quixotic piglet who aspires to the national sheepdog championships. In a sense it shouldn’t have surprised me; the movie, very popular when it came out, was one of those movies parents dutifully took their kids to only to love it as much as, if not more than, their children.
Part of the success no doubt comes down to the relative cuteness of the pig. There were, in fact, 48 of the little blighters because they grow up so quickly. There was also an animatronic double and CGI...
I was a little alarmed when I was reminded that 1995’s classic kids’ movie Babe was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. It is a testament to the reception of this story about a quixotic piglet who aspires to the national sheepdog championships. In a sense it shouldn’t have surprised me; the movie, very popular when it came out, was one of those movies parents dutifully took their kids to only to love it as much as, if not more than, their children.
Part of the success no doubt comes down to the relative cuteness of the pig. There were, in fact, 48 of the little blighters because they grow up so quickly. There was also an animatronic double and CGI...
- 4/13/2011
- by Adam Whyte
- Obsessed with Film
Starring: James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, Christine Cavanaugh
Director: Chris Noonan
The Scoop: (1995) If you thought that a movie featuring a talking pig would never be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, well, have we got news for you, because "Babe" did just that. Cavanaugh provides the voice of Babe, a pig who becomes hero of the farm when he takes over as sheepdog. Guaranteed to warm even the coldest heart.
Special Features: Commentary, making-of featurette, interview
Rated G, 89 min. | Watch the trailer...
Director: Chris Noonan
The Scoop: (1995) If you thought that a movie featuring a talking pig would never be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, well, have we got news for you, because "Babe" did just that. Cavanaugh provides the voice of Babe, a pig who becomes hero of the farm when he takes over as sheepdog. Guaranteed to warm even the coldest heart.
Special Features: Commentary, making-of featurette, interview
Rated G, 89 min. | Watch the trailer...
- 4/10/2011
- by NextMovie Staff
- NextMovie
Universal Pictures International has signed a two-year first-look deal with Hopscotch Features, aiming to develop and produce “one or two” Australian projects with international appeal.
“This partnership is a fantastic outcome for Hopscotch Features as it gives us international expertise and muscle to make more larger scale local features. It is also a great result for the Australian industry in general as it shows real studio commitment to our cinema landscape and specifically the local talent that makes it happen,” said Hopscotch’s Troy Lum.
Mike Baard, managing director of Upi Australia, said the company had been looking for the right partner since the new Universal theatrical business was set up in 2006, ” a partner with whom to develop locally produced content for both Australian and international audiences. I am delighted that Universal and Hopscotch can combine our expertise to fulfill this ambition.”
Universal has similar arrangements in Germany (Ufa) and...
“This partnership is a fantastic outcome for Hopscotch Features as it gives us international expertise and muscle to make more larger scale local features. It is also a great result for the Australian industry in general as it shows real studio commitment to our cinema landscape and specifically the local talent that makes it happen,” said Hopscotch’s Troy Lum.
Mike Baard, managing director of Upi Australia, said the company had been looking for the right partner since the new Universal theatrical business was set up in 2006, ” a partner with whom to develop locally produced content for both Australian and international audiences. I am delighted that Universal and Hopscotch can combine our expertise to fulfill this ambition.”
Universal has similar arrangements in Germany (Ufa) and...
- 11/22/2010
- by Miguel Gonzalez
- Encore Magazine
Not sure what to watch? We can help with our comprehensive guide to the best films on TV this Christmas and new year
Choose a date
Saturday 19 December | Sunday 20 December | Monday 21 December | Tuesday 22 December | Wednesday 23 December |Christmas Eve | Christmas Day | Boxing Day | Sunday 27 December | Monday 28 December | Tuesday 29 December | Wednesday 30 December | New Year's Eve | New Year's Day
Saturday 19 December
Yes Man (Peyton Reed, 2008)
10am, 8pm, Sky Movies Premiere
Remember Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar, where he forces himself to tell the truth for 24 hours? Well, here Jim Carrey forces himself to answer yes to any request, for a year. Which is upping the ante somewhat, but doesn't make it a better film. This is a return to the manic, gurning, not-very-funny Carrey, as if The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine etc hadn't happened. Just say no.
The Golden Compass (Chris Weitz, 2007)
11.40am, 8pm, Sky Movies Family
What with Harry Potter, Narnia, Lemony Snicket and all,...
Choose a date
Saturday 19 December | Sunday 20 December | Monday 21 December | Tuesday 22 December | Wednesday 23 December |Christmas Eve | Christmas Day | Boxing Day | Sunday 27 December | Monday 28 December | Tuesday 29 December | Wednesday 30 December | New Year's Eve | New Year's Day
Saturday 19 December
Yes Man (Peyton Reed, 2008)
10am, 8pm, Sky Movies Premiere
Remember Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar, where he forces himself to tell the truth for 24 hours? Well, here Jim Carrey forces himself to answer yes to any request, for a year. Which is upping the ante somewhat, but doesn't make it a better film. This is a return to the manic, gurning, not-very-funny Carrey, as if The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine etc hadn't happened. Just say no.
The Golden Compass (Chris Weitz, 2007)
11.40am, 8pm, Sky Movies Family
What with Harry Potter, Narnia, Lemony Snicket and all,...
- 12/18/2009
- by Paul Howlett
- The Guardian - Film News
Let's kick this off by acknowledging that this isn't really a list of the decade's best kid movies because -- let's face it -- kids like nearly everything they see in a movie theater, as evidenced by the upcoming "squeakuel" to 2007's Alvin and the Chipmunks. While we'd all like to think that our progeny shall be born with very our own impeccable taste, that's just not how it works, but I do suppose that bodily function jokes are an inevitable rite of passage that most adults learn to either tolerate or ignore and, in unfortunate cases, never outgrow. At this point, I could put together a sanitized list of films that avoid such jokes and call it sufficient, but that's not of much use here. After all, when it comes to a list like this that concerns films that have been in circulation for a matter of years, most...
- 12/15/2009
- by Agent Bedhead
Celebrating the birthdays of the film-famous. If it's your birthday, we'll sing you a happy one in the comments.
Louise Brooks, Veronica Lake and Josh Duhamel
1906 Louise Brooks, dancer, silent film actress, icon, quotable diva, film critic, memoirist, ...Lost Girl, Lulu. Her hair is legend.
1908 Joseph McCarthy, he saw only Red(s). He's been a villainous figure in movies ever since, whether seen, unseen or fictionalized. See: Guilty by Suspicion, The Way We Were, The Manchurian Candidate, Good Night, and Good Luck. and many more...
1919 Veronica Lake, femme fatale, purveyor of the peek-a-boo bang (her hair also being legend). Kim Basinger didn't even have to get "cut" to look like this goddess in La Confidential. She just had to sell those glorious blonde waves.
1945 Paul Hirsch, editor of Carrie, Star Wars (Oscar win), Ferris Bueller's Day Off and more...
1951 Zhang Yimou, fine director, awesome goddess worshipper. Think of what he...
Louise Brooks, Veronica Lake and Josh Duhamel
1906 Louise Brooks, dancer, silent film actress, icon, quotable diva, film critic, memoirist, ...Lost Girl, Lulu. Her hair is legend.
1908 Joseph McCarthy, he saw only Red(s). He's been a villainous figure in movies ever since, whether seen, unseen or fictionalized. See: Guilty by Suspicion, The Way We Were, The Manchurian Candidate, Good Night, and Good Luck. and many more...
1919 Veronica Lake, femme fatale, purveyor of the peek-a-boo bang (her hair also being legend). Kim Basinger didn't even have to get "cut" to look like this goddess in La Confidential. She just had to sell those glorious blonde waves.
1945 Paul Hirsch, editor of Carrie, Star Wars (Oscar win), Ferris Bueller's Day Off and more...
1951 Zhang Yimou, fine director, awesome goddess worshipper. Think of what he...
- 11/14/2009
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Toronto -- Australian director Bruce Beresford is on board to shoot the Canadian-Australian co-production "Zebras" early next year in South Africa.
The Apartheid-era true story about an inspirational coach who leads the country's first multiracial soccer team comes from Sydney-based indie producer McElroy and McElroy and Halifax-based Dhx Media.
Australian playwright David Williamson ("The Year of Living Dangerously," "Gallipoli") penned the script for a project long developed by Australian co-producers Marta and James McElroy ("The Year of Living Dangerously").
Chris Noonan ("Miss Potter," "Babe") was formerly attached to direct "Zebras." Now Beresford will lead a nine-week shoot in March, seven weeks in South Africa and another two in Australia. No word on casting.
Michael Donovan ("Shake Hands With the Devil") and Floyd Kane will share the producer credits for Dhx Media. Beresford will debut his latest film, "Mao's Last Dancer," in Toronto on Sunday. Also that day, David Williamson will see his latest film,...
The Apartheid-era true story about an inspirational coach who leads the country's first multiracial soccer team comes from Sydney-based indie producer McElroy and McElroy and Halifax-based Dhx Media.
Australian playwright David Williamson ("The Year of Living Dangerously," "Gallipoli") penned the script for a project long developed by Australian co-producers Marta and James McElroy ("The Year of Living Dangerously").
Chris Noonan ("Miss Potter," "Babe") was formerly attached to direct "Zebras." Now Beresford will lead a nine-week shoot in March, seven weeks in South Africa and another two in Australia. No word on casting.
Michael Donovan ("Shake Hands With the Devil") and Floyd Kane will share the producer credits for Dhx Media. Beresford will debut his latest film, "Mao's Last Dancer," in Toronto on Sunday. Also that day, David Williamson will see his latest film,...
- 9/9/2009
- by By Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SOCHI, Russia -- Academy Award winner Renee Zellweger will present Chris Noonan's Beatrix Potter biopic, Miss Potter, at the 42nd edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, organizers said Thursday.
The actress, who has won acclaim for roles in such films as Chicago and Bridget Jones's Diary, will tread the red carpet in the Bohemian spa town and take the stage to present Potter, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for her performance as the children's writer and illustrator.
In a separate development, Russian director Alexei Popogrebsky, whose debut as a solo director, Simple Things (Prostye Veshchi), is screening this week in competition at the 18th edition of the Russian national film showcase Kinotavr, confirmed Thursday that the film will unspool in the main competition at Karlovy Vary.
Popogrebsky, whose Koktebel, co-directed with Boris Khlebnikov, won Karlovy Vary's East of the West sidebar in 2003, said another joint work, Free Floating (Svobonoye Plaviniye), also will screen in that category at this year's Karlovy Vary event.
The actress, who has won acclaim for roles in such films as Chicago and Bridget Jones's Diary, will tread the red carpet in the Bohemian spa town and take the stage to present Potter, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for her performance as the children's writer and illustrator.
In a separate development, Russian director Alexei Popogrebsky, whose debut as a solo director, Simple Things (Prostye Veshchi), is screening this week in competition at the 18th edition of the Russian national film showcase Kinotavr, confirmed Thursday that the film will unspool in the main competition at Karlovy Vary.
Popogrebsky, whose Koktebel, co-directed with Boris Khlebnikov, won Karlovy Vary's East of the West sidebar in 2003, said another joint work, Free Floating (Svobonoye Plaviniye), also will screen in that category at this year's Karlovy Vary event.
This review was written for the theatrical release of "Miss Potter".Beatrix Potter wrote and illustrated some of the most beloved children's books of the 20th century, creating a menagerie of such animal characters as Peter Rabbit, Mrs. Tiggy-winkle and Jemima Puddleduck. Fittingly, "Miss Potter", a film about her life starring Renee Zellweger, is an illustrated biopic. The problem confronting writer Richard Maltby Jr. and director Chris Noonan is that Potter lived a fairly uneventful life once you remove her success as an author.
She was born into wealth and died that way. Her great love passed away before they could wed, so she retreated to the English countryside to run a working farm, purchasing more and more property until she left thousands of acres to a British conservation trust. But she never wrote again.
So the film illustrates this worthy life by making every country shot a postcard view and letting her drawings of ducks and bunnies come tamely to life. Given that Noonan directed "Babe", one of the best comedies ever about talking animals, you wonder why these drawings didn't figure more prominently in the movie's overall design. Talk about a missed opportunity!
So the audience for "Miss Potter" appears extremely limited. It's a story about a children's author that few children will find interesting. Adults keen on art films will have to settle for a thematic look back at Victorian repression of women's self-expression. Even then, it's pretty mild repression as the parvenu Potters are so halfhearted in their restrictions -- and how could they not be as their daughter is soon richer than they are -- that the film barely scratches the Dickensian surface of true female repression.
Zellweger tries to make up for these deficiencies with a performance that bubbles over with coy mannerisms, squinty-eyed grimaces and outlandish "period" precision in her studied gestures. The actress has been playing Brits for so long that the accent is no bother, but a bit of her native Texas creeps into the exaggerated affectations. In a contemporary movie, you would assume such a character is on drugs.
The true Brits fare better. Ewan McGregor strikes the right balance between turn-of-the-20th century formality and turn-of-the-21th century commentary, showing you the man beneath the manners in Norman Warne, Beatrix's publisher and the love of her life. Same for Emily Watson as Norman's sister, Millie, who becomes Beatrix's great confidante. Hers is a character Jane Austen would willingly claim as her own. Watson turns Millie into a blazing hearth, a woman who radiates warmth and congeniality. The other British actors perform the minor roles with the usual aplomb.
Production values are superb, with exquisite period interiors, gorgeous countryside views, London exteriors that make you wonder how they hid the satellite dishes and parking meters, terrific costumes and facial hair on Bill Paterson, playing Beatrix's father Rupert, that deserves a special-effects award. Did anyone really have a beard like that?...
She was born into wealth and died that way. Her great love passed away before they could wed, so she retreated to the English countryside to run a working farm, purchasing more and more property until she left thousands of acres to a British conservation trust. But she never wrote again.
So the film illustrates this worthy life by making every country shot a postcard view and letting her drawings of ducks and bunnies come tamely to life. Given that Noonan directed "Babe", one of the best comedies ever about talking animals, you wonder why these drawings didn't figure more prominently in the movie's overall design. Talk about a missed opportunity!
So the audience for "Miss Potter" appears extremely limited. It's a story about a children's author that few children will find interesting. Adults keen on art films will have to settle for a thematic look back at Victorian repression of women's self-expression. Even then, it's pretty mild repression as the parvenu Potters are so halfhearted in their restrictions -- and how could they not be as their daughter is soon richer than they are -- that the film barely scratches the Dickensian surface of true female repression.
Zellweger tries to make up for these deficiencies with a performance that bubbles over with coy mannerisms, squinty-eyed grimaces and outlandish "period" precision in her studied gestures. The actress has been playing Brits for so long that the accent is no bother, but a bit of her native Texas creeps into the exaggerated affectations. In a contemporary movie, you would assume such a character is on drugs.
The true Brits fare better. Ewan McGregor strikes the right balance between turn-of-the-20th century formality and turn-of-the-21th century commentary, showing you the man beneath the manners in Norman Warne, Beatrix's publisher and the love of her life. Same for Emily Watson as Norman's sister, Millie, who becomes Beatrix's great confidante. Hers is a character Jane Austen would willingly claim as her own. Watson turns Millie into a blazing hearth, a woman who radiates warmth and congeniality. The other British actors perform the minor roles with the usual aplomb.
Production values are superb, with exquisite period interiors, gorgeous countryside views, London exteriors that make you wonder how they hid the satellite dishes and parking meters, terrific costumes and facial hair on Bill Paterson, playing Beatrix's father Rupert, that deserves a special-effects award. Did anyone really have a beard like that?...
- 12/20/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Beatrix Potter wrote and illustrated some of the most beloved children's books of the 20th century, creating a menagerie of such animal characters as Peter Rabbit, Mrs. Tiggy-winkle and Jemima Puddleduck. Fittingly, Miss Potter, a film about her life starring Renee Zellweger, is an illustrated biopic. The problem confronting writer Richard Maltby Jr. and director Chris Noonan is that Potter lived a fairly uneventful life once you remove her success as an author.
She was born into wealth and died that way. Her great love passed away before they could wed, so she retreated to the English countryside to run a working farm, purchasing more and more property until she left thousands of acres to a British conservation trust. But she never wrote again.
So the film illustrates this worthy life by making every country shot a postcard view and letting her drawings of ducks and bunnies come tamely to life. Given that Noonan directed Babe, one of the best comedies ever about talking animals, you wonder why these drawings didn't figure more prominently in the movie's overall design. Talk about a missed opportunity!
So the audience for Miss Potter appears extremely limited. It's a story about a children's author that few children will find interesting. Adults keen on art films will have to settle for a thematic look back at Victorian repression of women's self-expression. Even then, it's pretty mild repression as the parvenu Potters are so halfhearted in their restrictions -- and how could they not be as their daughter is soon richer than they are -- that the film barely scratches the Dickensian surface of true female repression.
Zellweger tries to make up for these deficiencies with a performance that bubbles over with coy mannerisms, squinty-eyed grimaces and outlandish "period" precision in her studied gestures. The actress has been playing Brits for so long that the accent is no bother, but a bit of her native Texas creeps into the exaggerated affectations. In a contemporary movie, you would assume such a character is on drugs.
The true Brits fare better. Ewan McGregor strikes the right balance between turn-of-the-20th century formality and turn-of-the-21th century commentary, showing you the man beneath the manners in Norman Warne, Beatrix's publisher and the love of her life. Same for Emily Watson as Norman's sister, Millie, who becomes Beatrix's great confidante. Hers is a character Jane Austin would willingly claim as her own. Watson turns Millie into a blazing hearth, a woman who radiates warmth and congeniality. The other British actors perform the minor roles with the usual aplomb.
Production values are superb, with exquisite period interiors, gorgeous countryside views, London exteriors that make you wonder how they hid the satellite dishes and parking meters, terrific costumes and facial hair on Bill Paterson, playing Beatrix's father Rupert, that deserves a special-effects award. Did anyone really have a beard like that?...
She was born into wealth and died that way. Her great love passed away before they could wed, so she retreated to the English countryside to run a working farm, purchasing more and more property until she left thousands of acres to a British conservation trust. But she never wrote again.
So the film illustrates this worthy life by making every country shot a postcard view and letting her drawings of ducks and bunnies come tamely to life. Given that Noonan directed Babe, one of the best comedies ever about talking animals, you wonder why these drawings didn't figure more prominently in the movie's overall design. Talk about a missed opportunity!
So the audience for Miss Potter appears extremely limited. It's a story about a children's author that few children will find interesting. Adults keen on art films will have to settle for a thematic look back at Victorian repression of women's self-expression. Even then, it's pretty mild repression as the parvenu Potters are so halfhearted in their restrictions -- and how could they not be as their daughter is soon richer than they are -- that the film barely scratches the Dickensian surface of true female repression.
Zellweger tries to make up for these deficiencies with a performance that bubbles over with coy mannerisms, squinty-eyed grimaces and outlandish "period" precision in her studied gestures. The actress has been playing Brits for so long that the accent is no bother, but a bit of her native Texas creeps into the exaggerated affectations. In a contemporary movie, you would assume such a character is on drugs.
The true Brits fare better. Ewan McGregor strikes the right balance between turn-of-the-20th century formality and turn-of-the-21th century commentary, showing you the man beneath the manners in Norman Warne, Beatrix's publisher and the love of her life. Same for Emily Watson as Norman's sister, Millie, who becomes Beatrix's great confidante. Hers is a character Jane Austin would willingly claim as her own. Watson turns Millie into a blazing hearth, a woman who radiates warmth and congeniality. The other British actors perform the minor roles with the usual aplomb.
Production values are superb, with exquisite period interiors, gorgeous countryside views, London exteriors that make you wonder how they hid the satellite dishes and parking meters, terrific costumes and facial hair on Bill Paterson, playing Beatrix's father Rupert, that deserves a special-effects award. Did anyone really have a beard like that?...
- 12/20/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Weinstein Co. has acquired North American rights to Miss Potter from Phoenix Pictures and David Kirschner Prods. The Beatrix Potter biopic, which is in production in the U.K., stars Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor and Emily Watson and is being directed by Chris Noonan. Kirschner Prods.' David Kirschner and Corey Sienega produce alongside Mike Medavoy, Arnie Messer and David Thwaites of Phoenix Pictures. Zellweger will serve as executive producer. Summit Entertainment is handling international sales and distribution. The project was brought to the Weinstein Co. by Michelle Krumm, executive vp acquisitions and co-productions at TWC.
- 3/20/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Weinstein Co. has acquired North American rights to Miss Potter from Phoenix Pictures and David Kirschner Prods. The Beatrix Potter biopic, which is in production in the U.K., stars Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor and Emily Watson and is being directed by Chris Noonan. Kirschner Prods.' David Kirschner and Corey Sienega produce alongside Mike Medavoy, Arnie Messer and David Thwaites of Phoenix Pictures. Zellweger will serve as executive producer. Summit Entertainment is handling international sales and distribution. The project was brought to the Weinstein Co. by Michelle Krumm, executive vp acquisitions and co-productions at TWC.
- 3/20/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Weinstein Co. has acquired North American rights to Miss Potter from Phoenix Pictures and David Kirschner Prods. The Beatrix Potter biopic, which is in production in the U.K., stars Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor and Emily Watson and is being directed by Chris Noonan. Kirschner Prods.' David Kirschner and Corey Sienega produce alongside Mike Medavoy, Arnie Messer and David Thwaites of Phoenix Pictures. Zellweger will serve as executive producer. Summit Entertainment is handling international sales and distribution. The project was brought to the Weinstein Co. by Michelle Krumm, executive vp acquisitions and co-productions at TWC.
- 3/19/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The amazing and hilarious achievement of director Chris Noonan and his team of animal trainers and CGI whizzes in the 1995 hit film Babe becomes more apparent every time someone else attempts a sequel or knockoff. Racing Stripes, directed by Frederik Du Chau, copies the formula of a farm animal unaware of its own identity. But the results don't come close to duplicating Noonan's charming and gentle barnyard fable. At best, Racing Stripes should play nicely to youngsters with the cutoff for enjoyment extending no further than midteens.
Instead of a pig who believes he is a sheepdog, Racing Stripes concerns a zebra who thinks he is a race horse. Like Babe, the zebra named Stripes converses with other animals on the family's Kentucky farm. This is achieved again with a mix of real animals, computer technology and animatronic doubles.
Stripes is named by the young daughter (Hayden Panettiere) of a former horse trainer (Bruce Greenwood) who rescues the lost foal. Once the humans retire from the barn, all the animals begin to chatter up a storm. Three years later, the daughter gets the idea she would like to ride the zebra, every bit as much as Stripes would like to be ridden because he thinks he can run in races against horses. But, in a bit of unconvincing melodrama, Dad won't allow this because his late wife lost her life after being thrown from a horse.
David Schmidt's screenplay switches back and forth between the two story lines of the animal kingdom and the horse race movie, but the narratives never really merge as the story lines never play off each other. Famous voice actors do inject a bit of whimsy into the barnyard banter, especially Dustin Hoffman as a cantankerous Shetland pony, Whoopi Goldberg as a sagacious goat and Joe Pantoliano as a Mafioso pelican on the lam from the big city. Meanwhile, Frankie Muniz and Mandy Moore give Stripes and his filly girlfriend, Sandy, a coltish innocence.
The human actors including M. Emmet Walsh as a racetrack junkie do respectable work with the stock characters in the National Velvet story line, though Wendie Malick is over the top as the coldblooded doyenne of the Kentucky racing circuit. Two well-animated horseflies with a penchant for breaking into song and dance, played with unapologetic zeal by Steve Harvey and David Spade, take the film south into poo humor so beloved by youngsters. They are not, however, the only offenders.
Du Chau is better at integrating the racing footage -- which must have been tricky given that zebras really aren't racers -- with the animation and animatronics. The CG work allowing the animals to mouth dialogue blends well into the live action. David Eggby's cinematography and Wolf Kroeger's sets make the South African locations look convincingly American.
RACING STRIPES
Warner Bros.
Alcon Entertainment
Credits:
Director: Frederik Du Chau
Screenwriter: David Schmidt
Story by: David Schmidt, Steven P. Wegner, Kirk DeMicco, Frederik Du Chau
Producers: Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Ed McDonnell, Lloyd Phillips
Executive producer: Steven P. Wegner
Director of photography: David Eggby
Production designer: Wolf Kroeger
Music: Mark Isham
Costumes: Jo Katsaras
Editor: Tom Finan
Cast:
Nolan Walsh: Bruce Greenwood
Channing Walsh: Hayden Panettiere
Woodzie: M. Emmet Walsh
Clara: Wendie Malick
Stripes: Frankie Muniz
Sandy: Mandy Moore
Tucker: Dustin Hoffman
Franny: Whoopi Goldberg
Goose: Joe Pantoliano
Buzz: Steve Harven
Scuzz: David Spade
Reggie: Jeff Foxworthy...
Instead of a pig who believes he is a sheepdog, Racing Stripes concerns a zebra who thinks he is a race horse. Like Babe, the zebra named Stripes converses with other animals on the family's Kentucky farm. This is achieved again with a mix of real animals, computer technology and animatronic doubles.
Stripes is named by the young daughter (Hayden Panettiere) of a former horse trainer (Bruce Greenwood) who rescues the lost foal. Once the humans retire from the barn, all the animals begin to chatter up a storm. Three years later, the daughter gets the idea she would like to ride the zebra, every bit as much as Stripes would like to be ridden because he thinks he can run in races against horses. But, in a bit of unconvincing melodrama, Dad won't allow this because his late wife lost her life after being thrown from a horse.
David Schmidt's screenplay switches back and forth between the two story lines of the animal kingdom and the horse race movie, but the narratives never really merge as the story lines never play off each other. Famous voice actors do inject a bit of whimsy into the barnyard banter, especially Dustin Hoffman as a cantankerous Shetland pony, Whoopi Goldberg as a sagacious goat and Joe Pantoliano as a Mafioso pelican on the lam from the big city. Meanwhile, Frankie Muniz and Mandy Moore give Stripes and his filly girlfriend, Sandy, a coltish innocence.
The human actors including M. Emmet Walsh as a racetrack junkie do respectable work with the stock characters in the National Velvet story line, though Wendie Malick is over the top as the coldblooded doyenne of the Kentucky racing circuit. Two well-animated horseflies with a penchant for breaking into song and dance, played with unapologetic zeal by Steve Harvey and David Spade, take the film south into poo humor so beloved by youngsters. They are not, however, the only offenders.
Du Chau is better at integrating the racing footage -- which must have been tricky given that zebras really aren't racers -- with the animation and animatronics. The CG work allowing the animals to mouth dialogue blends well into the live action. David Eggby's cinematography and Wolf Kroeger's sets make the South African locations look convincingly American.
RACING STRIPES
Warner Bros.
Alcon Entertainment
Credits:
Director: Frederik Du Chau
Screenwriter: David Schmidt
Story by: David Schmidt, Steven P. Wegner, Kirk DeMicco, Frederik Du Chau
Producers: Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Ed McDonnell, Lloyd Phillips
Executive producer: Steven P. Wegner
Director of photography: David Eggby
Production designer: Wolf Kroeger
Music: Mark Isham
Costumes: Jo Katsaras
Editor: Tom Finan
Cast:
Nolan Walsh: Bruce Greenwood
Channing Walsh: Hayden Panettiere
Woodzie: M. Emmet Walsh
Clara: Wendie Malick
Stripes: Frankie Muniz
Sandy: Mandy Moore
Tucker: Dustin Hoffman
Franny: Whoopi Goldberg
Goose: Joe Pantoliano
Buzz: Steve Harven
Scuzz: David Spade
Reggie: Jeff Foxworthy...
- 2/10/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SYDNEY -- The Australian Film, Television and Radio School has appointed Graham Thorburn as head of film, television and digital media, it was announced this week. Graduates of the prestigious training institute include directors Jane Campion ("The Piano"), Gillian Armstrong ("Little Women"), Chris Noonan ("Babe") and Phillip Noyce ("The Bone Collector"). Thorburn's television directing credits span numerous Australian TV dramas, including "Blue Heelers", "Heartbreak High", "GP," "A Country Practice", "The Flying Doctors" and "Rafferty's Rules".
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