In Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara, longtime Rolling Stone contributor Emily Zemler takes a deep dive into how various beloved princesses became the cultural icons they are today, from Snow White’s lasting reign to newer, inspiring royalty like Moana.
The book weaves interviews with historians and those who helped shape the characters, including directors and voice talent, alongside concept art and memorabilia, and breaks down important themes integral to how the princesses serve as inspirations.
Music, of course, is a key element to the storytelling and what makes the characters resonate for decades,...
The book weaves interviews with historians and those who helped shape the characters, including directors and voice talent, alongside concept art and memorabilia, and breaks down important themes integral to how the princesses serve as inspirations.
Music, of course, is a key element to the storytelling and what makes the characters resonate for decades,...
- 9/20/2022
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy can’t be a cheap show to make. This superhero story is based on an ambitious, colorful comic book series by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá and as such it features big action setpieces, depictions of superpowers, and even a talking chimp or two.
Still it’s hard to imagine any portion of The Umbrella Academy’s budget is larger than the music clearance department. The series features a moody score from Jeff Russo but also a truly stunning amount of pop hits. The Umbrella Academy made its musical intentions clear in its first episode with the now-beloved dance scene set to Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now.” And the show’s investment in soundtrack and music has only grown from there.
“Music is such an important thing to me and I really take time to pick the songs,” showrunner Steve Blackman says.
“We...
Still it’s hard to imagine any portion of The Umbrella Academy’s budget is larger than the music clearance department. The series features a moody score from Jeff Russo but also a truly stunning amount of pop hits. The Umbrella Academy made its musical intentions clear in its first episode with the now-beloved dance scene set to Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now.” And the show’s investment in soundtrack and music has only grown from there.
“Music is such an important thing to me and I really take time to pick the songs,” showrunner Steve Blackman says.
“We...
- 7/31/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
After five years of combining animated short subjects, and a combo live-action/animation feature, Disney dove into full feature animation fantasy again with the most basic of Fairy Tales. Just because he learned to create animation for a price doesn’t mean that the quality slacked off — the wondrous design and animation is augmented by terrific songs. Yes, half the picture is about cute mice and birds and other critters … which are done so well, the show is worth seeing multiple times. This handsome Signature Collection release follows earlier Diamond and Platinum releases … and don’t ask me to decode that classification system.
Cinderella
Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Code
Walt Disney
1950 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 75 min. / The Signature Collection / Street Date June 25, 2019 / 39.99
Voice Actors: Ilene Woods, Eleanor Audley, Lucille Bliss, Rhoda Williams, Verna Felton.
Songs: Mack David, Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston
Directing Animators: Les Clark, Marc Davis, Norm Ferguson, Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl,...
Cinderella
Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Code
Walt Disney
1950 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 75 min. / The Signature Collection / Street Date June 25, 2019 / 39.99
Voice Actors: Ilene Woods, Eleanor Audley, Lucille Bliss, Rhoda Williams, Verna Felton.
Songs: Mack David, Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston
Directing Animators: Les Clark, Marc Davis, Norm Ferguson, Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl,...
- 6/15/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
We never get tired of the story of Cinderella, and whether we know it or not, the version we never get tired of is the one put forth by Walt Disney 65 years ago. The 1950 animated feature, released 65 years ago this week (on February 15, 1950) was an instant classic, and its this version we think of when we imagine all the visual details of the story -- the slipper, the pumpkin, the fairy godmother, the mice, and Cinderella and Prince Charming dancing all over the palace grounds.
Still, as many times as we've heard the story or seen the cartoon, there's still more to be mined from the 17th-century fairy tale. (Indeed, Disney is releasing a new live-action retelling next month.) As many times as you've seen the 1950 classic, there's plenty you may not know about it -- how the actress who played Cinderella landed the part without even knowing she'd auditioned,...
Still, as many times as we've heard the story or seen the cartoon, there's still more to be mined from the 17th-century fairy tale. (Indeed, Disney is releasing a new live-action retelling next month.) As many times as you've seen the 1950 classic, there's plenty you may not know about it -- how the actress who played Cinderella landed the part without even knowing she'd auditioned,...
- 2/15/2015
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
He's played Truman Capote and Karl Rove – now Toby Jones is donning a fat suit and prosthetic chin to play the Master in new TV drama The Girl. Steve Rose talks to him about Hitchcock's dark side, failure and funky clothes
Little seems to have changed at Simpson's in the Strand since the days when Alfred Hitchcock dined here: the wood panelling, the chandeliers, the white-robed chefs carving hunks of meat on silver trolleys. Hitchcock liked the place so much, he featured it in his 1936 film Sabotage – though back then its star Sylvia Sidney and her kid brother had to dine upstairs, since women weren't admitted to the main room. The clientele doesn't appear to have changed since those days, either. Toby Jones and I are both in our 40s, and still the youngest people in the room by several decades.
We're here because Hitchcock is back on the menu.
Little seems to have changed at Simpson's in the Strand since the days when Alfred Hitchcock dined here: the wood panelling, the chandeliers, the white-robed chefs carving hunks of meat on silver trolleys. Hitchcock liked the place so much, he featured it in his 1936 film Sabotage – though back then its star Sylvia Sidney and her kid brother had to dine upstairs, since women weren't admitted to the main room. The clientele doesn't appear to have changed since those days, either. Toby Jones and I are both in our 40s, and still the youngest people in the room by several decades.
We're here because Hitchcock is back on the menu.
- 12/10/2012
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Surprise hit starring Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith and Bill Nighy as English retirees in India is to get a sequel
John Madden's surprise box-office smash The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which starred Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith and Bill Nighy as English retirees in India, is to get a sequel.
MovieScope magazine reports that original screenwriter Ol Parker is set to deliver a new script to studio 20th Century Fox in the next couple of months. Dench, Nighy and Smith are all said to be willing to consider returning for the followup, though it is not yet known if Madden is in line to direct.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was not a hit with critics – the Guardian's Peter Bradshaw labelled it "a film that looks as if it has been conceived to be shown on a continuous loop in a Post Office queue" – but made...
John Madden's surprise box-office smash The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which starred Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith and Bill Nighy as English retirees in India, is to get a sequel.
MovieScope magazine reports that original screenwriter Ol Parker is set to deliver a new script to studio 20th Century Fox in the next couple of months. Dench, Nighy and Smith are all said to be willing to consider returning for the followup, though it is not yet known if Madden is in line to direct.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was not a hit with critics – the Guardian's Peter Bradshaw labelled it "a film that looks as if it has been conceived to be shown on a continuous loop in a Post Office queue" – but made...
- 10/31/2012
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
We brought you some minor details this morning; now, it’s time for the motherload. BusinessInsider managed to snag Terrence Winter‘s screenplay for The Wolf of Wall Street, which, by now, you surely know Martin Scorsese will imminently begin directing with Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role. So, you also know it’ll be a pretty great time.
Their report only further emboldens this belief, with the screenplay having everything from Gene Hackman‘s potential return to sex on piles of money. The film starts off with the former — though not the former doing the latter — who narrates a commercial for Jordan Belfort’s firm, Stratton-Oakmont, which is accompanied by classical music and shots of “a conservative group of smiling ethnically diverse actors surrounding their young chairman Jordan Belfort.”
Wolf cuts through that nice little illusion by following with “700 20-something stockbroker bros [who] are chanting and throwing around dollars bills...
Their report only further emboldens this belief, with the screenplay having everything from Gene Hackman‘s potential return to sex on piles of money. The film starts off with the former — though not the former doing the latter — who narrates a commercial for Jordan Belfort’s firm, Stratton-Oakmont, which is accompanied by classical music and shots of “a conservative group of smiling ethnically diverse actors surrounding their young chairman Jordan Belfort.”
Wolf cuts through that nice little illusion by following with “700 20-something stockbroker bros [who] are chanting and throwing around dollars bills...
- 8/23/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
We felt lucky last week when The Weinstein Company moved the release date of Paul Thomas Anderson's latest movie to September 21, more than a month earlier than we originally expected, but one group of blessed moviegoers in L.A. got to see "The Master" before any of us.
Before the Aero Theater in Santa Monica screened Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," the staff announced that there would be a secret screening afterward for anyone who wanted to stick around. Those smart enough to see what was happening were treated to the first public screening of "The Master," Anderson's newest film, which supposedly takes the foundations of Scientology as its inspiration.
Read some reactions from the screening after the jump!
Several of the attendees took the Twitter immediately after the screening to rave about the film, specifically the performances from Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman, but most of the...
Before the Aero Theater in Santa Monica screened Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," the staff announced that there would be a secret screening afterward for anyone who wanted to stick around. Those smart enough to see what was happening were treated to the first public screening of "The Master," Anderson's newest film, which supposedly takes the foundations of Scientology as its inspiration.
Read some reactions from the screening after the jump!
Several of the attendees took the Twitter immediately after the screening to rave about the film, specifically the performances from Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman, but most of the...
- 8/6/2012
- by Kevin P. Sullivan
- MTV Movies Blog
Last night Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master screened at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica as part of the American Cinematheque screening of a new Dcp restoration of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. It was the first public screening of the film, and it was shown in 70mm, which is reportedly causing some problems for distributors with Time Out Chicago quoting a source at the city's Music Box theatre saying, "They're not offering it to us... the Weinstein Company seems to be moving forward with its own booking plans." The film is targeting a limited September 14 release followed by a nationwide roll-out a week later, but it will first premiere at the Venice Film Festival followed by a screening at the Toronto Film Festival with press screenings assumed to be lined-up in advance as well. However, Friday night's screening is already causing a lot of noise. It was a...
- 8/4/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Leave it to Paul Thomas Anderson to keep us guessing, only to surprise everyone. After a flurry of rumors on where The Master would premiere, dating way back to Cannes up though Venice, Tiff and even Fantastic Fest, the director secretly attached his new film to a screening of Stanley Kubrick‘s The Shining at an American Cinematheque screening last night in Santa Monica’s Aero Theater. Yes, quite the double feature.
A source at Hollywood Elsewhere said he saw PTA “lingering in the back [of the theater] before The Shining started” with wife Maya Rudolph. Before Kubrick’s film came on screen, there was the announcement “that there would be a mystery 70mm movie projected as a second feature.” Audiences left after watching Kubrick’s masterpiece and then came back half-hour later to see a 70mm project of The Master, which was reportedly around 150 minutes. So, without further ado check out some of the glowing reactions below,...
A source at Hollywood Elsewhere said he saw PTA “lingering in the back [of the theater] before The Shining started” with wife Maya Rudolph. Before Kubrick’s film came on screen, there was the announcement “that there would be a mystery 70mm movie projected as a second feature.” Audiences left after watching Kubrick’s masterpiece and then came back half-hour later to see a 70mm project of The Master, which was reportedly around 150 minutes. So, without further ado check out some of the glowing reactions below,...
- 8/4/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Louie, Season 3, Episode 1: “Something Is Wrong”
Written by Louis Ck
Directed by Louis Ck
Airs Thursdays at 10:30pm Et on FX
An an exercise to prepare for reviewing Louie on a weekly basis, I did something I hadn’t in years: I watched Lucky Louie, Louis Ck’s previous attempt at a TV show. Since Louie has risen to prominence, the show’s been reconsidered in a few places, like this Vulture piece claiming the show was an underrated, ahead-of-its-time classic. Frankly, I don’t buy it. If anything, Lucky Louie appears worse with time, now that we know what Ck is capable of as a writer, director, and actor; the show is too often too bleak and nihilistic in its treatment of family for its own good (the clear product of someone going through a seriously tough marriage), further hampered by Ck’s stiff, awkward performance, and...
Written by Louis Ck
Directed by Louis Ck
Airs Thursdays at 10:30pm Et on FX
An an exercise to prepare for reviewing Louie on a weekly basis, I did something I hadn’t in years: I watched Lucky Louie, Louis Ck’s previous attempt at a TV show. Since Louie has risen to prominence, the show’s been reconsidered in a few places, like this Vulture piece claiming the show was an underrated, ahead-of-its-time classic. Frankly, I don’t buy it. If anything, Lucky Louie appears worse with time, now that we know what Ck is capable of as a writer, director, and actor; the show is too often too bleak and nihilistic in its treatment of family for its own good (the clear product of someone going through a seriously tough marriage), further hampered by Ck’s stiff, awkward performance, and...
- 6/29/2012
- by Simon Howell
- SoundOnSight
Even in cancellation, "Luck" cost HBO a lot. According to Vulture, HBO lost $35 million by canceling the Dustin Hoffman horse racing drama. Time Warner revealed the number in their quarterly earnings report.
"Luck" was canceled in March, three months after renewing the low-rated series starring Hoffman, Nick Nolte and Dennis Farina. The series premiered to more than a million viewers, but audiences soon fled with the last episode reaching about 440,000 viewers.
During production of Season 1, "Luck" faced controversy after three horses died.
“The two of us loved this series, loved the cast, crew and writers," Michael Mann and David Milch, "Luck" executive producers, said in a statement. "This has been a tremendous collaboration and one that we plan to continue in the future."
TheWrap reports most of the $35 million cost came from shutting down production since Season 2 had already begun shooting. The show was originally picked up for a second...
"Luck" was canceled in March, three months after renewing the low-rated series starring Hoffman, Nick Nolte and Dennis Farina. The series premiered to more than a million viewers, but audiences soon fled with the last episode reaching about 440,000 viewers.
During production of Season 1, "Luck" faced controversy after three horses died.
“The two of us loved this series, loved the cast, crew and writers," Michael Mann and David Milch, "Luck" executive producers, said in a statement. "This has been a tremendous collaboration and one that we plan to continue in the future."
TheWrap reports most of the $35 million cost came from shutting down production since Season 2 had already begun shooting. The show was originally picked up for a second...
- 5/2/2012
- by Chris Harnick
- Huffington Post
Even in cancellation, "Luck" cost HBO a lot. According to Vulture, HBO lost $35 million by canceling the Dustin Hoffman horse racing drama. Time Warner revealed the number in their quarterly earnings report.
"Luck" was canceled in March, three months after renewing the low-rated series starring Hoffman, Nick Nolte and Dennis Farina. The series premiered to more than a million viewers, but audiences soon fled with the last episode reaching about 440,000 viewers.
During production of Season 1, "Luck" faced controversy after three horses died.
“The two of us loved this series, loved the cast, crew and writers," Michael Mann and David Milch, "Luck" executive producers, said in a statement. "This has been a tremendous collaboration and one that we plan to continue in the future."
TheWrap reports most of the $35 million cost came from shutting down production since Season 2 had already begun shooting. The show was originally picked up for a second...
"Luck" was canceled in March, three months after renewing the low-rated series starring Hoffman, Nick Nolte and Dennis Farina. The series premiered to more than a million viewers, but audiences soon fled with the last episode reaching about 440,000 viewers.
During production of Season 1, "Luck" faced controversy after three horses died.
“The two of us loved this series, loved the cast, crew and writers," Michael Mann and David Milch, "Luck" executive producers, said in a statement. "This has been a tremendous collaboration and one that we plan to continue in the future."
TheWrap reports most of the $35 million cost came from shutting down production since Season 2 had already begun shooting. The show was originally picked up for a second...
- 5/2/2012
- by Chris Harnick
- Aol TV.
They've tried everything. One host. Two hosts. Four hosts. 32 hosts. Comic hosts. Serious-thespian hosts. Hollywood-legend hosts. Young hosts. Old hosts. Hip hosts. Square hosts. Singing-and-dancing hosts. Every year, it seems, the Academy Awards goes back to the drawing board to figure out what sort of emcee will keep the show lively, attract viewers (especially younger viewers) and keep them from flipping channels during the slow parts. It's a thankless gig; no wonder Billy Crystal, who's done it eight times, decided to sit out for eight years before agreeing to return to host this year's Academy Awards on Sunday night. The job requires a difficult and rare set of skills: a host must entertain both the Hollywood big-shots in the auditorium and regular folks at home. They can poke fun at the huge egos in the room, but can't deflate them with too much snark, and they can't be too inside-baseball.
- 2/22/2012
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Chicago – Legendary TV writer David Milch turns the world of horse racing and the people who populate it into a place not unlike the legendary title location in his beloved “Deadwood.” Just as everyone swirled around Al Swearengen’s saloon, almost all of the action in HBO’s stellar “Luck,” debuting January 29th, 2012, takes place at the track or the stables nearby. And the people who populate this world do so in a way not unlike the folks of the new west looking for gold. They’re looking for a break; looking for hope; looking for inspiration; looking for luck.
Television Rating: 5.0/5.0
Luck and desperation are intrinsically intertwined. Those who make their livings in a world filled with risk like horse racing pray for the former but live in a world dominated by the latter. Milch knows this well as he’s a horse owner and lover of horse racing himself.
Television Rating: 5.0/5.0
Luck and desperation are intrinsically intertwined. Those who make their livings in a world filled with risk like horse racing pray for the former but live in a world dominated by the latter. Milch knows this well as he’s a horse owner and lover of horse racing himself.
- 1/29/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Much of our lurid film community is of the belief that America’s acting prowess died with its classic stars like Marlon Brando, James Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, and Grace Kelly. However, I’m here to argue that America’s actors are stronger than ever and can match up toe to toe with the likes of both Europe and Asia.
The list will be split into two parts: in part one, I delve into the modern world of Hollywood actors with actresses soon to follow in part two.
Part one: Top Ten Actors Working In Hollywood Today
Actor With The Most Potential To Hit It Big: Paddy Considine
Before I begin the list, I want to take a moment to discuss an actor whom I believe has enormous potential. While not American born, British actor Paddy Considine has been in his fair share of American films like In America,...
The list will be split into two parts: in part one, I delve into the modern world of Hollywood actors with actresses soon to follow in part two.
Part one: Top Ten Actors Working In Hollywood Today
Actor With The Most Potential To Hit It Big: Paddy Considine
Before I begin the list, I want to take a moment to discuss an actor whom I believe has enormous potential. While not American born, British actor Paddy Considine has been in his fair share of American films like In America,...
- 12/17/2011
- by Connor Folse
- SoundOnSight
Marion Dougherty, a former Bergdorf-Goodman window dresser who rose to become one of Hollywood’s most influential casting directors, died December 4 in Manhattan of natural causes. She was 88. Once called “the father of casting as we know it” by Paul Newman, Dougherty was responsible for giving Al Pacino, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, Robert Redford, Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Ed Asner, Anne Bancroft, Bette Midler, Christopher Walken and numerous others their first breaks. She also was instrumental in the early careers of James Dean and Robert Duvall. Dougherty entered the business casting the TV series Kraft Television Theater, Naked City and Route 66 during the late 1940s and into the early 1960s. At that time, the end of the studio system meant actors were free agents to be discovered in regional theaters, off-Broadway and at local playhouses, and the demands of TV meant they had to be found fast. She eventually moved into film casting,...
- 12/6/2011
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Almost as soon as it was announced that J. Edgar Hoover would be getting a new biopic, speculation has been rife over how his relationship with Clyde Tolson would be portrayed.
Although there's no definitive proof either way, it's widely assumed that Hoover, long-term director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Tolson, his assistant director, were lovers. Director Clint Eastwood sparked concern that Hoover's story would be “straightwashed” when he told The Wall Street Journal that the script “didn't quite go down [the] road” of addressing rumors of Hoover's being closeted and a cross-dresser. (Eastwood later confirmed with The Hollywood Reporter that he included a scene showing Hoover wearing his mother's dress.)
Meanwhile, out J. Edgar screenwriter Dustin Lance Black assured AfterElton that Hoover and Tolson would not be “de-gayed,” saying “To think that somehow you’re going to make a movie about somebody like J. Edgar and...
Although there's no definitive proof either way, it's widely assumed that Hoover, long-term director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Tolson, his assistant director, were lovers. Director Clint Eastwood sparked concern that Hoover's story would be “straightwashed” when he told The Wall Street Journal that the script “didn't quite go down [the] road” of addressing rumors of Hoover's being closeted and a cross-dresser. (Eastwood later confirmed with The Hollywood Reporter that he included a scene showing Hoover wearing his mother's dress.)
Meanwhile, out J. Edgar screenwriter Dustin Lance Black assured AfterElton that Hoover and Tolson would not be “de-gayed,” saying “To think that somehow you’re going to make a movie about somebody like J. Edgar and...
- 11/7/2011
- by John
- The Backlot
DVD Playhouse—September 2011
By Allen Gardner
In A Better World (Sony) Winner of last year’s Best Foreign Film Oscar, this Danish export looks at two fractured families and the effect that the adult world dysfunction has on their two sons, who form an immediate and potentially deadly bond. Director Susanne Bier delivers another powerful work that maintains its drive during the films’ first 2/3, then falters somewhat during the last act. Still, well-worth seeing, and beautifully made. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Commentary by Bier and editor Pernille Bech Christensen; Interview with Bier. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 5.1 surround.
X-men First Class (20th Century Fox) “Origins” film set in the early 1960s, traces the beginnings of Magento and Professor X (played ably here by Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy), and how the once-close friends and colleagues became bitter enemies. First half is slam-bang entertainment at its stylish best,...
By Allen Gardner
In A Better World (Sony) Winner of last year’s Best Foreign Film Oscar, this Danish export looks at two fractured families and the effect that the adult world dysfunction has on their two sons, who form an immediate and potentially deadly bond. Director Susanne Bier delivers another powerful work that maintains its drive during the films’ first 2/3, then falters somewhat during the last act. Still, well-worth seeing, and beautifully made. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Deleted scenes; Commentary by Bier and editor Pernille Bech Christensen; Interview with Bier. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 5.1 surround.
X-men First Class (20th Century Fox) “Origins” film set in the early 1960s, traces the beginnings of Magento and Professor X (played ably here by Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy), and how the once-close friends and colleagues became bitter enemies. First half is slam-bang entertainment at its stylish best,...
- 9/11/2011
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
With the 83rd Academy Awards just a couple of days away, here are some interesting facts & figures about the film industry’s biggest annual event;
Viewing Figures:
The most watched Oscar ceremony according to Nielsen Ratings was in 1970 – an event which drew a 43.4% audience share. That year Midnight Cowboy prevailed in a category which also featured Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Anne of a Thousand Days, Hello Dolly and Z. Generally the Oscar ceremonies which feature big box office hits attract large audience figures as evidenced by Titanic’s win in 1997 which was watched by 57 million Americans.
Ceremonies with a number of artistic, independent, and lesser seen films nominated tend to pull in low audience figures. 2005 (where Crash defeated Brokeback Mountain) was the third least watched Oscar event and 2008 drew record low ratings with No Country for Old Men defeating There Will Be Blood. Juno was the only big...
Viewing Figures:
The most watched Oscar ceremony according to Nielsen Ratings was in 1970 – an event which drew a 43.4% audience share. That year Midnight Cowboy prevailed in a category which also featured Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Anne of a Thousand Days, Hello Dolly and Z. Generally the Oscar ceremonies which feature big box office hits attract large audience figures as evidenced by Titanic’s win in 1997 which was watched by 57 million Americans.
Ceremonies with a number of artistic, independent, and lesser seen films nominated tend to pull in low audience figures. 2005 (where Crash defeated Brokeback Mountain) was the third least watched Oscar event and 2008 drew record low ratings with No Country for Old Men defeating There Will Be Blood. Juno was the only big...
- 2/26/2011
- by Laurent Kelly
- Obsessed with Film
This is the last of my lists of the best films of 2010, and the hardest to name. Call it the Best Art Films. I can't precisely define an Art Film, but I knew I was seeing one when I saw these. I could also call them Adult Films, if that term hadn't been devalued by the porn industry. These are films based on the close observation of behavior. They are not mechanical constructions of infinitesimal thrills. They depend on intelligence and empathy to be appreciated.
They also require acting of a precision not necessary in many mass entertainments. They require directors with a clear idea of complex purposes. They require subtleties of lighting and sound that create a self-contained world. Most of all, they require sympathy. The directors care for their characters, and ask us to see them as individuals, not genre emblems. That requires us to see ourselves as individual viewers,...
They also require acting of a precision not necessary in many mass entertainments. They require directors with a clear idea of complex purposes. They require subtleties of lighting and sound that create a self-contained world. Most of all, they require sympathy. The directors care for their characters, and ask us to see them as individuals, not genre emblems. That requires us to see ourselves as individual viewers,...
- 2/18/2011
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
In recent years, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, in which union actors vote for the best acting performances in film and television, have become more and more regarded as a precursor for the Academy Awards. Take last year, in which all four SAG Award winners—Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock, Christoph Waltz, and Mo'Nique—went on to Oscar gold. And this year's four winners—Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, and Melissa Leo—are also regarded as the current front-runners in the Oscar race. But not so fast. In the last five years, the actor winners have lined up perfectly only that one time. In 2006, Paul Giamatti took home the SAG Award for his supporting role in "Cinderella Man" but was bested by George Clooney for "Syriana" when it came to the Oscars. The following year, Alan Arkin won the Academy Award for his turn in "Little Miss Sunshine," over frontrunner...
- 2/11/2011
- backstage.com
Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman in Barry Levinson's Academy Award winner Rain Man (1988). Hoffman won the Best Actor Oscar that year; Cruise wasn't even nominated. Biggest Oscar Snubs #8e: Non-Nominated Actors – From Charles Farrell to Rock Hudson Jean Simmons, Elmer Gantry (1960) Robert Mitchum, The Sundowners (1960) Fredric March, Inherit the Wind (1960) Fred MacMurray, The Apartment (1960) Leslie Caron and Maurice Chevalier, Fanny (1961) Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer, West Side Story (1961) Laurence Harvey, Summer and Smoke (1961) Alec Guinness, Lawrence of Arabia (1962) Paul Newman, Sweet Bird of Youth (1962) Joan Crawford, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Cleopatra (1963) Brandon DeWilde, Hud (1963) Susannah York, Tom Jones (1963) Alan Bates and Irene Papas, Zorba the Greek (1964) Dick Van Dyke, Mary Poppins (1964) Vivien Leigh, Ship of Fools (1965) Jason Robards and Barbara Harris, A Thousand Clowns (1965) Laurence Harvey and [...]...
- 1/29/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The Film:
A wise man once said, “All I have in this world is my balls and my word, and I don’t break them for nobody.” Okay, it was Tony Montana, but that’s not entirely true in the world of horror, as we’ve seen plenty of so-called “final chapters”, then that promise is broken as we get another sequel…and another sequel. It’s the best marketing ploy a franchise has this deep in the game. Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter. A Nightmare on Elm Street 6: Freddy’s Dead. Halloween: H20. All liars. So where does this leave one of horror most successful franchise in Saw: The Final Chapter?
It’s game over (perhaps finally), but Saw: The Final Chapter (formerly known as in theaters, Saw 3D) feels a lot like Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning. It’ll be the...
A wise man once said, “All I have in this world is my balls and my word, and I don’t break them for nobody.” Okay, it was Tony Montana, but that’s not entirely true in the world of horror, as we’ve seen plenty of so-called “final chapters”, then that promise is broken as we get another sequel…and another sequel. It’s the best marketing ploy a franchise has this deep in the game. Friday the 13th Part IV: The Final Chapter. A Nightmare on Elm Street 6: Freddy’s Dead. Halloween: H20. All liars. So where does this leave one of horror most successful franchise in Saw: The Final Chapter?
It’s game over (perhaps finally), but Saw: The Final Chapter (formerly known as in theaters, Saw 3D) feels a lot like Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning. It’ll be the...
- 1/25/2011
- by Jon Peters
- Killer Films
This Week in DVD & Blu-ray is a column that compiles all the latest info regarding new DVD and Blu-ray releases, sales, and exclusive deals from stores including Target, Best Buy and Fry’s. Buried Buried is everything that a single-location thriller about a man trapped in a coffin possibly could've been. It is economic, minimalist filmmaking at its finest. Where other filmmakers might look to this sort of concept to ease the burden of budgetary restrictions, director Rodrigo Cortés takes the opposite approach, employing the most challenging—and creatively satisfying—use of negative space, close-ups, alternating hues, and whirling camera movements at his disposal, all of which skillfully coalesce to deliver a constant sense of discomfort, dread, anxiety and claustrophobia. As the oxygen level and cell phone battery life depletes, the tension continues to increase, the viewer never granted a moment's rest from being stuck in that coffin right alongside Ryan Reynolds.
- 1/19/2011
- by Adam Quigley
- Slash Film
Little introduction is needed for today's Guide, so we won't bother. Simply put, these are the staffer's favorite Holiday movies and/or television shows. Chime in with your own in the comments, or share your bah humbuggery. 'Tis the Season, y'all.
Bad Santa: When I was a wee lad, I spent one Christmas Eve staying up as late as possible staring at the roofs of the row homes across the street, trying to see that fat sumbitch who visited all the goyim homes but wouldn't give this little Jew boy some holiday cheer. Needless to say, I saw no Santa Claus. But had I, I suspect that -- because this was Philly -- he would've been an awful lot like Billy Bob Thorton's Willie T. Stokes -- a rude, vulgar, thieving, lecherous, drunken Santa. That's my kind of Santa, and that's why Bad Santa is my kind of Christmas flick.
Bad Santa: When I was a wee lad, I spent one Christmas Eve staying up as late as possible staring at the roofs of the row homes across the street, trying to see that fat sumbitch who visited all the goyim homes but wouldn't give this little Jew boy some holiday cheer. Needless to say, I saw no Santa Claus. But had I, I suspect that -- because this was Philly -- he would've been an awful lot like Billy Bob Thorton's Willie T. Stokes -- a rude, vulgar, thieving, lecherous, drunken Santa. That's my kind of Santa, and that's why Bad Santa is my kind of Christmas flick.
- 12/23/2010
- by Dustin Rowles
[1] Alan Ball goes to the well once again, Judd Apatow makes a return to TV and Professor Dumbledore bets the ponies. Just another day on the cable powerhouse that is HBO. Ball, the Oscar-winning show runner of Six Feet Under and True Blood just shot a pilot called All Signs of Death, based on Charlie Huston's book The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death, which follows a trauma cleaning unit, much like Sunshine Cleaning, but less cute. Apatow, who made his name with TV shows Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared, is executive producing a pilot called Girls, which was created by Lena Dunham, currently riding the wave off her indie film Tiny Furniture. It's a more realistic take on the Sex and the City formula. Both shows are only in the pilot stage and neither has been picked up for series yet. It they do, Ball and Apatow will executive produce.
- 12/10/2010
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
Between them, they have nearly a century’s worth of TV programming experience, and were part of a generation of Home Box Office management which helped turn company into the premier subscription television service not only in the U.S., but in the world. Their longevity has given them the opportunity to live through their company’s change from a raucously-growing enterprise to a mature business, evolving from what had primarily been a movie service to a programmer just as identified with such acclaimed, high-profile original programming as The Sopranos, Band of Brothers, True Blood, and, most recently, Boardwalk Empire.
Still, they have spent most of their professional lives dealing with movies. A production executive at a major studio might deal with two dozen released films a year. Programmers at HBO (and its sister channel Cinemax) easily deal with over a thousand. They appraise them, try to understand what people...
Still, they have spent most of their professional lives dealing with movies. A production executive at a major studio might deal with two dozen released films a year. Programmers at HBO (and its sister channel Cinemax) easily deal with over a thousand. They appraise them, try to understand what people...
- 12/4/2010
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
A unique event - a convention centered solely on the undead and “zombie culture” - took place here in the Emerald City. Organized by promoter Ryan Reiter (of “Red, White, and Dead” fame), this was an undertaking the size of which would have been bold for even an already established convention. For a first-time con, the scope of it was impressive, to say the least.
The guest list alone was one that would cause most promoters to lay awake at night fitfully worrying over logistics: George Romero, Bruce Campbell, Malcolm McDowell, Chuck Palahniuk (author, Fight Club), Max Brooks (author, World War Z), John Amplas (Martin, Day Of The Dead), Terry Alexander (Day Of The Dead), Scott Reiniger (Dawn Of The Dead) Ted Raimi (Spider-man), The Ladies of The Evil Dead (Theresa Tilly, Betsy Baker, Ellen Sandweiss), Danny Hicks (Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn), Timothy Patrick Quill (Army Of Darkness), the Zombie Research Society,...
The guest list alone was one that would cause most promoters to lay awake at night fitfully worrying over logistics: George Romero, Bruce Campbell, Malcolm McDowell, Chuck Palahniuk (author, Fight Club), Max Brooks (author, World War Z), John Amplas (Martin, Day Of The Dead), Terry Alexander (Day Of The Dead), Scott Reiniger (Dawn Of The Dead) Ted Raimi (Spider-man), The Ladies of The Evil Dead (Theresa Tilly, Betsy Baker, Ellen Sandweiss), Danny Hicks (Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn), Timothy Patrick Quill (Army Of Darkness), the Zombie Research Society,...
- 11/12/2010
- by Carnell
- DreadCentral.com
Joel Schumacher recruited Robert De Niro and Philip Seymour Hoffman for his lower-key 1999 movie Flawless. We continue our look back at the man's career right there...
"Well life's a bitch, so I became one honey!" - Rusty
The Recap
As the 90s drew to a close, Joel Schumacher could look back to a mixed bag of success and failure. Having managed to hit the nail on the head with projects such as Falling Down and A Time To Kill, he also hit some huge bum notes in the shape of the Batman franchise.
Having gone back to a more dramatic style of filmmaking with 8Mm, he continued the trend with his last film of the decade, which looks at the unlikely relationship between a homophobic cop and a transsexual.
Walt ‘The Wall' Koontz (Robert De Niro) is a retired security guard who left his job being well liked and respected.
"Well life's a bitch, so I became one honey!" - Rusty
The Recap
As the 90s drew to a close, Joel Schumacher could look back to a mixed bag of success and failure. Having managed to hit the nail on the head with projects such as Falling Down and A Time To Kill, he also hit some huge bum notes in the shape of the Batman franchise.
Having gone back to a more dramatic style of filmmaking with 8Mm, he continued the trend with his last film of the decade, which looks at the unlikely relationship between a homophobic cop and a transsexual.
Walt ‘The Wall' Koontz (Robert De Niro) is a retired security guard who left his job being well liked and respected.
- 5/12/2010
- Den of Geek
Michael Pataki was a leading character actor from the 1960s, who was best known for his roles in cult horror films. Pataki starred as Caleb Croft, a vicious vampire rapist whose offspring (William Smith) seeks his destruction in 1974’s Grave of the Vampire, and was Count Dracula and his modern-day descendant Michael Drake in Albert Band’s cult classic Dracula’s Dog (aka Zoltan, Hound of Dracula).
Pataki was born in Youngstown, Ohio, on January 16, 1938. He studied drama and political science at the University of Southern California. He made his film debut in the late 1950s, and appeared frequently on television, often in villainous roles. He was featured in episodes of The Twilight Zone, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, My Favorite Martian, Batman as bat-villain King Tut’s henchman Amenophis Tewfik, Mission: Impossible, and Mr. Terrific. He starred as Korax, the Klingon, in the classic Star Trek episode “The Trouble with Tribbles,...
Pataki was born in Youngstown, Ohio, on January 16, 1938. He studied drama and political science at the University of Southern California. He made his film debut in the late 1950s, and appeared frequently on television, often in villainous roles. He was featured in episodes of The Twilight Zone, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, My Favorite Martian, Batman as bat-villain King Tut’s henchman Amenophis Tewfik, Mission: Impossible, and Mr. Terrific. He starred as Korax, the Klingon, in the classic Star Trek episode “The Trouble with Tribbles,...
- 4/27/2010
- by Jesse
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Chicago – There are two ways moviegoers can respond to an unapologetic crowd-pleaser such as this: either resist its shamelessly manipulative fist-pumping, or dive into its pleasurably untroubled waters. The latter will certainly make for a better experience, though British filmmaker Richard Curtis certainly makes the former tempting at times.
It’s hard to believe that Curtis was once the cynical mastermind behind Rowan Atkinson’s hilarious “Black Adder” series. Once he turned to the genre of romantic comedy, Curtis suddenly seemed determined to make films that were aggressively upbeat, resulting in 2003’s delightful, though overly sugar-coated ensemble piece, “Love Actually.” He claimed that he made the picture to piss off critics who found his work too cloying, and his latest effort, “Pirate Radio,” seems to have been made with the same sentiment. Since the film’s title seems to change on a country-by-country basis, I’m convinced that Curtis simply should’ve called it,...
It’s hard to believe that Curtis was once the cynical mastermind behind Rowan Atkinson’s hilarious “Black Adder” series. Once he turned to the genre of romantic comedy, Curtis suddenly seemed determined to make films that were aggressively upbeat, resulting in 2003’s delightful, though overly sugar-coated ensemble piece, “Love Actually.” He claimed that he made the picture to piss off critics who found his work too cloying, and his latest effort, “Pirate Radio,” seems to have been made with the same sentiment. Since the film’s title seems to change on a country-by-country basis, I’m convinced that Curtis simply should’ve called it,...
- 4/20/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
In Hollywood, it is celebrity which makes headlines, but what lasts longest in this industry is respect The key to respect is something nobody on Earth has the time or experience to analyze, but it is an easy thing to gauge: if you were at AMPAS’s tribute to legendary makeup artist Dick Smith, you saw respect in the eyes of the likes of Rick Baker, Linda Blair, and Hal Holbrook. This salute drew the newsworthy likes of J.J. Abrams and John Landis, but this was merely the audience. The great make-up artist Rick Baker moderated panels that included actor Linda Blair, recent Oscar-winner Greg Cannom, and a host of others who came to express their gratitude for this titan of make-up. You also saw a love for the art of makeup, and, indeed, love for the mastery of any art form, whether it be cinematic or otherwise. And you...
- 6/29/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (Cameron Koller)
- Fangoria
Paris -- Martin Provost's "Seraphine" brushed through a very colorful 34th annual Cesar Awards, taking the prize for best film at the Friday night ceremony in Paris.
The film took home seven awards, including a best actress statue for star Yolande Moreau and wins for original screenplay, costumes, sound, photography and decor.
"Milk" Oscar winner Sean Penn and Dustin Hoffman added Hollywood star power to the 34th annual Cesars ceremony. Held at the Chatelet theater, the evening was presided over by actress Charlotte Gainsbourg -- named most promising actress 23 years ago -- and hosted by TV personality/actor/director Antoine de Caunes.
De Caunes followed Hugh Jackman's Oscars sing-along with his own opening musical number, complete with an onstage shower as he sang "Singin' in the Rain."
More predictable than De Caunes' onstage antics was the best actor prize given to Vincent Cassel for his role as "Public...
The film took home seven awards, including a best actress statue for star Yolande Moreau and wins for original screenplay, costumes, sound, photography and decor.
"Milk" Oscar winner Sean Penn and Dustin Hoffman added Hollywood star power to the 34th annual Cesars ceremony. Held at the Chatelet theater, the evening was presided over by actress Charlotte Gainsbourg -- named most promising actress 23 years ago -- and hosted by TV personality/actor/director Antoine de Caunes.
De Caunes followed Hugh Jackman's Oscars sing-along with his own opening musical number, complete with an onstage shower as he sang "Singin' in the Rain."
More predictable than De Caunes' onstage antics was the best actor prize given to Vincent Cassel for his role as "Public...
- 2/27/2009
- by By Rebecca Leffler
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Apparently one of the most-discussed topics at this year's Cannes Film Festival is Angelina Jolie's pregnancy. First, Jolie's Kung Fu Panda costar Jack Black spilled the beans and confirmed that Jolie and partner Brad Pitt are expecting twins. Now fellow costar Dustin Hoffman has revealed her due date!The big day? Today show reporter Natalie Morales revealed on Thursday's program that Hoffman told her the babies were due Aug. 19. The new arrivals will be the fifth and sixth children for the Jolie and Pitt. The family currently consists of Maddox, 6, Pax, 4, Zahara, 3, and Shiloh, who turns 2 this month. "I'm very happy,...
- 5/15/2008
- by Stephen M. Silverman
- PEOPLE.com
We scored some pretty juicy Saw V bits from Lionsgate this afternoon starting with the final casting news for the film. We learned that Laura Gordon will play Ashley, Greg Bryk (Screamers 2, Shoot Em Up) will play Malick and Carlo Rota (Boondock Saints) will play Charles in the fourth sequel arriving in theaters October 24. If that wasn't cool enough, here's the Official synopsis for the film: In the fifth installment of the popular Saw franchise, Hoffman is seemingly the last person alive to carry on the Jigsaw legacy. But when his secret is threatened, Hoffman must go on the hunt to eliminate all loose ends. Click the title for the full cast for the film directed by David Hackl from a screenplay by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton.
- 5/14/2008
- bloody-disgusting.com
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