Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
Peeping Tom 4K Uhd from Criterion
Peeping Tom will join The Criterion Collection on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on May 14. The 1960 British horror-thriller has been newly restored in 4K with Dolby Vision Hdr and uncompressed monaural sound.
A progenitor of the contemporary slasher, Michael Powell (The Red Shoes) produces and directs from a script by Leo Marks. Carl Boehm, Moira Shearer, Anna Massey, and Maxine Audley star.
Special features include: a new introduction by Martin Scorsese; a new interview with Thelma Schoonmaker; a new featurette with Scorsese, Schoonmaker, and Boehm; audio commentaries by film scholar Laura Mulvey and film historian Ian Christie; featurettes Marks and on the restoration; and more.
Chucky Talking Board from...
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
Peeping Tom 4K Uhd from Criterion
Peeping Tom will join The Criterion Collection on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray on May 14. The 1960 British horror-thriller has been newly restored in 4K with Dolby Vision Hdr and uncompressed monaural sound.
A progenitor of the contemporary slasher, Michael Powell (The Red Shoes) produces and directs from a script by Leo Marks. Carl Boehm, Moira Shearer, Anna Massey, and Maxine Audley star.
Special features include: a new introduction by Martin Scorsese; a new interview with Thelma Schoonmaker; a new featurette with Scorsese, Schoonmaker, and Boehm; audio commentaries by film scholar Laura Mulvey and film historian Ian Christie; featurettes Marks and on the restoration; and more.
Chucky Talking Board from...
- 2/23/2024
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Courtesy of Studiocanal
by James Cameron-wilson
1960 was a year that sent shockwaves throughout the film industry. Alfred Hitchcock, who was to direct Anna Massey twelve years later in his lurid thriller Frenzy – about a serial killer in central London – opened a movie called Psycho. Psycho was significant in several regards. Hitchcock refused to show the film to critics and barred his two leads, Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh, from doing any promotional interviews as he wanted total control over the film’s publicity and its content. This was in June of 1960. Two months earlier another celebrated filmmaker had released an equally shocking film called Peeping Tom and whose critical reception ruined both the movie and the reputation of its director, Michael Powell. Hitchcock wanted audiences to judge Psycho for themselves. Most audiences never got a chance to evaluate Peeping Tom.
Both films were about serial killers and both showed the murderer as a self-effacing,...
by James Cameron-wilson
1960 was a year that sent shockwaves throughout the film industry. Alfred Hitchcock, who was to direct Anna Massey twelve years later in his lurid thriller Frenzy – about a serial killer in central London – opened a movie called Psycho. Psycho was significant in several regards. Hitchcock refused to show the film to critics and barred his two leads, Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh, from doing any promotional interviews as he wanted total control over the film’s publicity and its content. This was in June of 1960. Two months earlier another celebrated filmmaker had released an equally shocking film called Peeping Tom and whose critical reception ruined both the movie and the reputation of its director, Michael Powell. Hitchcock wanted audiences to judge Psycho for themselves. Most audiences never got a chance to evaluate Peeping Tom.
Both films were about serial killers and both showed the murderer as a self-effacing,...
- 2/15/2024
- by James Cameron-Wilson
- Film Review Daily
The BBC is celebrating the art of the literary adaptation by screening a variety of classics on BBC Four. More details here.
The BBC is quite rightly celebrated for its rich history of book to screen adaptations, such as the iconic 1995 version of Jane Austen’a Pride And Prejudice to Cbbc’s hugely successful adaptation of Dame Jacqueline Wilson’s Tracy Beaker series.
It has now put together a season of 14 adaptations from the BBC archive, some of which have rarely been seen since their original broadcast.
The dramas are:
The Great Gatsby
Toby Stephens, Mira Sorvino and Paul Rudd lead the cast in this 2000 BBC adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel on the American dream in the jazz age.
Small Island
Naomie Harris, Ruth Wilson, David Oyelowo, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ashley Walters star in this 2009 TV version of Andrea Levy’s novel focusing on the lives and...
The BBC is quite rightly celebrated for its rich history of book to screen adaptations, such as the iconic 1995 version of Jane Austen’a Pride And Prejudice to Cbbc’s hugely successful adaptation of Dame Jacqueline Wilson’s Tracy Beaker series.
It has now put together a season of 14 adaptations from the BBC archive, some of which have rarely been seen since their original broadcast.
The dramas are:
The Great Gatsby
Toby Stephens, Mira Sorvino and Paul Rudd lead the cast in this 2000 BBC adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel on the American dream in the jazz age.
Small Island
Naomie Harris, Ruth Wilson, David Oyelowo, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ashley Walters star in this 2009 TV version of Andrea Levy’s novel focusing on the lives and...
- 2/6/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Stars: Karlheinz Bohm, Maxine Audley, Anna Massey, Moira Shearer, Brenda Bruce, Esmond Knight, Martin Miller, Michael Goodliffe, Jack Watson, Shirley Anne Field | Written by Leo Marks | Directed by Michael Powell
Released 64 years ago (!!!), a Martin Scorsese favourite, Peeping Tom, is getting a special edition 4K release this year after being restored by The Film Foundation and BFI National Archive in association with StudioCanal.
This was a first-time watch for me, and my immediate reaction, almost from the opening scene is that for a film that was made so long ago, it has aged extremely well and I imagine it might have seemed quite shocking at the time.
That does seem to be the case as “on its initial release in 1960, Peeping Tom received a savage reception from critics who were dismayed by its controversial subject matter and the sympathy it seems to engender for its murderous protagonist.” It then remained...
Released 64 years ago (!!!), a Martin Scorsese favourite, Peeping Tom, is getting a special edition 4K release this year after being restored by The Film Foundation and BFI National Archive in association with StudioCanal.
This was a first-time watch for me, and my immediate reaction, almost from the opening scene is that for a film that was made so long ago, it has aged extremely well and I imagine it might have seemed quite shocking at the time.
That does seem to be the case as “on its initial release in 1960, Peeping Tom received a savage reception from critics who were dismayed by its controversial subject matter and the sympathy it seems to engender for its murderous protagonist.” It then remained...
- 1/29/2024
- by Alain Elliott
- Nerdly
To celebrate Studiocanal’s Release Brand New 4K Restoration of Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom available on Special Edition 4K Uhd, Blu-ray & DVD on 29 January, we have a 4K Uhd copy to give away to a lucky winner!
Studiocanal are proud to announce the release of a spectacular 4K restoration of Michael Powell’s iconic serial killer classic Peeping Tom, restored by The Film Foundation and BFI National Archive in association with Studiocanal. Written by Leo Marks (Twisted Nerve) and starring Carl Boehm (Sissi), Anna Massey (Frenzy), Moira Shearer (The Red Shoes) and Maxine Audley (A King in New York), this influential cinematic masterpiece will be available on Special Edition 4K Uhd, Blu-ray and DVD with 32-page booklet and 90 mins of brand new extra content from 29 January 2024.
Mark (Carl Boehm), a focus puller at the local film studio, supplements his wages by taking glamour photographs in a seedy studio above a newsagent.
Studiocanal are proud to announce the release of a spectacular 4K restoration of Michael Powell’s iconic serial killer classic Peeping Tom, restored by The Film Foundation and BFI National Archive in association with Studiocanal. Written by Leo Marks (Twisted Nerve) and starring Carl Boehm (Sissi), Anna Massey (Frenzy), Moira Shearer (The Red Shoes) and Maxine Audley (A King in New York), this influential cinematic masterpiece will be available on Special Edition 4K Uhd, Blu-ray and DVD with 32-page booklet and 90 mins of brand new extra content from 29 January 2024.
Mark (Carl Boehm), a focus puller at the local film studio, supplements his wages by taking glamour photographs in a seedy studio above a newsagent.
- 1/22/2024
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Is there a better work at the intersection of filmmaking, cinephilia, and their attendant madnesses? However evident its genius, Peeping Tom has awaited a proper upgrade––its Criterion is long out-of-print, Blu-rays are region-locked for the U.S., and whatever copy’s streaming is a bit of an eyesore. But 63 years after effectively killing Michael Powell’s career it’s just debuted a 4K restoration at the London Film Festival, will start playing U.K. theaters on October 27, and get a Uhd release on January 29––one hopes with equal treatment stateside.
There’s now a trailer that’s impressive in clarity if not, perhaps, a bit concerning for its jaundice––an all-too-common issue in modern restorations. The legitimacy of concerns notwithstanding, it’s also quite possible this has a bit more fidelity to the original image on a big screen, uncompressed.
Find the trailer below:
An influential cinematic masterpiece written...
There’s now a trailer that’s impressive in clarity if not, perhaps, a bit concerning for its jaundice––an all-too-common issue in modern restorations. The legitimacy of concerns notwithstanding, it’s also quite possible this has a bit more fidelity to the original image on a big screen, uncompressed.
Find the trailer below:
An influential cinematic masterpiece written...
- 10/9/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
"All this filming isn't healthy..." Studiocanal UK has unveiled a brand new trailer for a 4K restoration + re-release of a provocative classic titled Peeping Tom. This originally opened in 1960, but then was banned and shunned for years, finally being appreciated only decades later as a precursor to slasher films. It was the second film made on his own by Michael Powell, one half of the famous Powell & Pressburger duo, but this time he explores a dark topic. A young man murders women, using a movie camera to film their dying expressions of terror. Now regarded as a ground-breaking masterpiece of the British horror movement, on its initial release in 1960, Peeping Tom received a savage reception from critics who were dismayed by its controversial subject matter and the sympathy it seems to engender for its murderous protagonist. An influential cinematic film written by Leo Marks, starring Carl Boehm, Anna Massey, Moira Shearer,...
- 10/9/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
A version of this story about Judi Dench first appeared in the Down to the Wire issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Dame Judi Dench and and Sir Kenneth Branagh’s twelfth collaboration since they met in 1987 was a auspicious one: Playing her longtime friend’s grandmother in his autobiographical coming-of-age drama “Belfast” earned Dench her eighth Oscar nomination.
“It is good, always, to know somebody so well that you have a kind of shorthand with them, which I have with Ken because we’ve worked together for such a long time,” Dench told TheWrap. “But this was a very personal story to him and we all, I think, felt a tremendous responsibility to him to get it right. And I hope that’s what we did.”
Dench’s career, of course, was thriving for decades before she and Branagh crossed paths. She spent years in the London theater beginning in the 1950s,...
Dame Judi Dench and and Sir Kenneth Branagh’s twelfth collaboration since they met in 1987 was a auspicious one: Playing her longtime friend’s grandmother in his autobiographical coming-of-age drama “Belfast” earned Dench her eighth Oscar nomination.
“It is good, always, to know somebody so well that you have a kind of shorthand with them, which I have with Ken because we’ve worked together for such a long time,” Dench told TheWrap. “But this was a very personal story to him and we all, I think, felt a tremendous responsibility to him to get it right. And I hope that’s what we did.”
Dench’s career, of course, was thriving for decades before she and Branagh crossed paths. She spent years in the London theater beginning in the 1950s,...
- 3/15/2022
- by Missy Schwartz
- The Wrap
“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”
That haunting line opened Daphne Du Maurier’s treasured 1938 romantic thriller “Rebecca,” which was published in 1938. Lauded by critics, it quickly became a best-seller and has been in print ever since. And for good reason.
Du Maurier wraps readers around her little finger with this addictive tale of a timid young woman-her name is never mentioned-who meets and falls in love with an enigmatic wealthy widower, Maxim de Winter, while in Monte Carlo working as a paid companion to the obnoxious American, Mrs. Van Hopper. Max and the young woman soon fall in love. They marry and he takes her home to his gothic estate Manderley run with an iron-fist by the tightly wound housekeeper Mrs. Danvers who is obsessed with the late, charismatic Rebecca, the late wife of Maxim.
Two years after its publication, “Gone with the Wind” producer David O. Selznick...
That haunting line opened Daphne Du Maurier’s treasured 1938 romantic thriller “Rebecca,” which was published in 1938. Lauded by critics, it quickly became a best-seller and has been in print ever since. And for good reason.
Du Maurier wraps readers around her little finger with this addictive tale of a timid young woman-her name is never mentioned-who meets and falls in love with an enigmatic wealthy widower, Maxim de Winter, while in Monte Carlo working as a paid companion to the obnoxious American, Mrs. Van Hopper. Max and the young woman soon fall in love. They marry and he takes her home to his gothic estate Manderley run with an iron-fist by the tightly wound housekeeper Mrs. Danvers who is obsessed with the late, charismatic Rebecca, the late wife of Maxim.
Two years after its publication, “Gone with the Wind” producer David O. Selznick...
- 10/22/2020
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
by Jason Adams
The adage goes that curiosity kills the cat, but in Michael Powell's 1960 shocker Peeping Tom it's only half true -- curiosity kills one while saving the other. Mark, the deranged killer camera-man at the film's heart (played with shy finesse by Karlheinz Böhm), finds Helen (Anna Massey) by perching on her windowsill and peering in at her birthday party -- she's his downstairs neighbor and full of life as irrepressible as her vast array of bright monochromatic dresses. They seem an odd match from the start but Helen can't seem to get Mark off her mind -- there's something curious about that upstairs man, and she's going to find out if it... well you know.
Is Helen film's very first Final Girl? ...
The adage goes that curiosity kills the cat, but in Michael Powell's 1960 shocker Peeping Tom it's only half true -- curiosity kills one while saving the other. Mark, the deranged killer camera-man at the film's heart (played with shy finesse by Karlheinz Böhm), finds Helen (Anna Massey) by perching on her windowsill and peering in at her birthday party -- she's his downstairs neighbor and full of life as irrepressible as her vast array of bright monochromatic dresses. They seem an odd match from the start but Helen can't seem to get Mark off her mind -- there's something curious about that upstairs man, and she's going to find out if it... well you know.
Is Helen film's very first Final Girl? ...
- 8/11/2020
- by JA
- FilmExperience
Vincente Minnelli took time out from expensive MGM shows like Gigi to knock off this tale about the London debutante season, a light-comedy Cinderella story without satire or social comment. Young Sandra Dee and John Saxon come off well, but the show belongs to stars Rex Harrison and especially Kay Kendall, whose comedy timing and finesse lift the tame, weightless material.
The Reluctant Debutante
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1958 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 96 min. / Street Date May 26, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Rex Harrison, Kay Kendall, John Saxon, Sandra Dee, Angela Lansbury, Peter Myers, Diane Clare, Charles Herbert.
Cinematography: Joseph Ruttenberg
Film Editor: Adrienne Fazan
Written by William Douglas-Home from his play
Produced by Pandro S. Berman
Directed by Vincente Minnelli
Not often mentioned as a highlight of Vincente Minnelli’s career, The Reluctant Debutante is enjoyable now for the comedy playing of Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall. Harrison hadn’t been...
The Reluctant Debutante
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1958 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 96 min. / Street Date May 26, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Rex Harrison, Kay Kendall, John Saxon, Sandra Dee, Angela Lansbury, Peter Myers, Diane Clare, Charles Herbert.
Cinematography: Joseph Ruttenberg
Film Editor: Adrienne Fazan
Written by William Douglas-Home from his play
Produced by Pandro S. Berman
Directed by Vincente Minnelli
Not often mentioned as a highlight of Vincente Minnelli’s career, The Reluctant Debutante is enjoyable now for the comedy playing of Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall. Harrison hadn’t been...
- 6/30/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
For producer-director John Ford Columbia Studios was apparently a calm port in a hostile movie climate. Away from the bankability guaranteed by John Wayne, Ford never quite regained the power of his earlier triumphs, from the silent era to his socially conscious classics at Fox. The four Columbia-controlled pictures presented on Powerhouse Indicator’s lavishly appointed disc set consist of two winners and (for this viewer) a pair of odd ducks. But the quality of his filmmaking remained consistent.
John Ford at Columbia 1935-1958
The Whole Town’s Talking, The Long Gray Line, Gideon’s Day, The Last Hurrah
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1935-1958 / Color & B&w / 1:37 Academy, 2:55 widescreen, 1:85 widescreen / / Street Date April 27, 2020 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £ 42.99
Starring: Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur; Tyrone Power, Maureen O’Hara; Jack Hawkins, Anna Massey; Spencer Tracy, Jeffrey Hunter.
Cinematography: Joseph August; Charles Lawton Jr., Charles Lang; Frederick A.
John Ford at Columbia 1935-1958
The Whole Town’s Talking, The Long Gray Line, Gideon’s Day, The Last Hurrah
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1935-1958 / Color & B&w / 1:37 Academy, 2:55 widescreen, 1:85 widescreen / / Street Date April 27, 2020 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £ 42.99
Starring: Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur; Tyrone Power, Maureen O’Hara; Jack Hawkins, Anna Massey; Spencer Tracy, Jeffrey Hunter.
Cinematography: Joseph August; Charles Lawton Jr., Charles Lang; Frederick A.
- 5/5/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
As Disney quietly disappears huge swathes of film history into its vaults, I'm going to spend 2020 celebrating Twentieth Century Fox and the Fox Film Corporation's films, what one might call their output if only someone were putting it out. The great movie factories were so prolific, none of them have succeeded in making anything like all their major works available on the repertory circuit, home video, television, or streaming, but Fox now seems particularly indifferent to providing any access to their catalog, so focusing on them seems fair. I hope to illuminate the movies Fox ought to be proud of, and a few you couldn't blame them for wanting to hide under a rock.Oh, and we're doing it chronologically, so first up is a crummy kids' film from 1917.Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp is directed by workhorses Sidney and Chester M. Franklin, perhaps best remembered for the Dorothy Gish...
- 1/22/2020
- MUBI
Isabelle Huppert as Marie Stuart in Robert Wilson's production of Mary Said What She Said to be presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August Photo: Théâtre de la Ville Paris
Isabelle Huppert admits she has an obsession with Mary Stuart, the Queen of Scotland and France who lost her crown because of her passions.
She has already played her on stage in London at the National Theatre in a 1996 production (directed by Howard Davies) of Schiller’s play, opposite Anna Massey as the Protestant Elizabeth of England.
One review said that Huppert “devoured the stage with the animal vigour of a refined thoroughbred.”
At the Rendezvous with French Cinema in Paris, Huppert, who was there primarily to talk about her role as a woman facing up to death in Ira Sachs’s film Frankie, revealed that she will bring Mary back to Scotland as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August,...
Isabelle Huppert admits she has an obsession with Mary Stuart, the Queen of Scotland and France who lost her crown because of her passions.
She has already played her on stage in London at the National Theatre in a 1996 production (directed by Howard Davies) of Schiller’s play, opposite Anna Massey as the Protestant Elizabeth of England.
One review said that Huppert “devoured the stage with the animal vigour of a refined thoroughbred.”
At the Rendezvous with French Cinema in Paris, Huppert, who was there primarily to talk about her role as a woman facing up to death in Ira Sachs’s film Frankie, revealed that she will bring Mary back to Scotland as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August,...
- 1/21/2020
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Mubi is showing Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Small Back Room (1949), The Tales of Hoffmann (1951) and Michael Powell's Peeping Tom (1960) in November and December, 2017 in the United States in the series Powell & Pressburger: Together and Apart.The story goes that when they were casting their first flat-out masterpiece together, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger sent a letter to an actress outlining a manifesto of their production company, called "the Archers." At the time, the Archers was freshly incorporated, with Powell and Pressburger sharing all credit for writing, directing, and producing, and their manifesto had five points. Point one was to ensure that they provided their financial backers with "a profit, not a loss," which may raise eyebrows among those who are used to manifestos burning with anti-capitalist fire—but then, in a system like commercial cinema, profitability buys freedom.
- 11/8/2017
- MUBI
I’ve always had a great appreciation and fondness for horror anthologies, and I devoured horror comics as a kid; whether it was House of Mystery or Creepy magazine, they never failed to fire my imagination in short, sharp bursts. When the Romero/King collaboration Creepshow (1982) came out, my dream of seeing these kinds of stories translated to film was nothing but revelatory. I soon discovered it was not the first of its ilk, and began a journey through dusty video store shelves looking for its long-lost relatives. One of my first (and favorite) finds was Vault of Horror (1973), a five-fingered punch to my nascent, pubescent, omnibus-loving heart.
Released by Cinerama Releasing stateside in March and produced by Amicus (the fine folks behind its predecessor, Tales from the Crypt), Vault of Horror (aka The Vault of Horror, for the easily confused, I guess) was not as well received by critics as Tales,...
Released by Cinerama Releasing stateside in March and produced by Amicus (the fine folks behind its predecessor, Tales from the Crypt), Vault of Horror (aka The Vault of Horror, for the easily confused, I guess) was not as well received by critics as Tales,...
- 11/4/2017
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
When it comes to discussing ’60s British horror, most conversations usually begin and end with Hammer’s gothics and their sleazy derivatives. Mind you, it’s not hard to see why—the studio practically revived the genre in the UK during the late ’50s, and competitors would have to be fools to not want to ride their coattails, creating their own bloody (and occasionally brilliant) gothics chock-full of sex and violence. But the ’60s also saw the rise of a different, darker sub-genre—the modern psychological thriller, birthed from Alfred Hitchcock’s visual vocabulary and directors focused less on the supernatural and more on the depths of human cruelty and depravity. These thrillers are violent, sexual, and no stranger to controversy, and on today’s entry of the Crypt of Curiosities, we’ll be looking at three of the best and most noteworthy films.
The first big British thriller of...
The first big British thriller of...
- 7/7/2017
- by Perry Ruhland
- DailyDead
The great Fred Zinnemann's last feature is a very personal story, a fairly uncomplicated drama with a mountain climbing backdrop. Sean Connery plays older than his age as a Scotsman on an Alpine vacation, toying with social disaster. With excellent, non- grandstanding performances from Betsy Brantley and Lambert Wilson. Five Days One Summer DVD-r The Warner Archive Collection 1982 / Color / 1:85 enhanced widescreen / 108 96 min. / Street Date July 12, 2016 / available through the WBshop / 21.99 Starring Sean Connery, Betsy Brantley, Lambert Wilson, Jennifer Hilary, Isabel Dean, Gérard Buhr, Anna Massey, Sheila Reid, Emilie Lihou. Cinematography Giuseppe Rotunno Film Editor Stuart Baird Original Music Elmer Bernstein Written by Michael Austin from the story 'Maiden Maiden' by Kay Boyle Produced and Directed by Fred Zinnemann
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Fred Zinnemann is a filmmaker that I've come to admire, as much for his personal integrity as for the movies he made. He could be inconsistent and...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Fred Zinnemann is a filmmaker that I've come to admire, as much for his personal integrity as for the movies he made. He could be inconsistent and...
- 10/17/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Raymond Massey ca. 1940. Raymond Massey movies: From Lincoln to Boris Karloff Though hardly remembered today, the Toronto-born Raymond Massey was a top supporting player – and sometime lead – in both British and American movies from the early '30s all the way to the early '60s. During that period, Massey was featured in nearly 50 films. Turner Classic Movies generally selects the same old MGM / Rko / Warner Bros. stars for its annual “Summer Under the Stars” series. For that reason, it's great to see someone like Raymond Massey – who was with Warners in the '40s – be the focus of a whole day: Sat., Aug. 8, '15. (See TCM's Raymond Massey movie schedule further below.) Admittedly, despite his prestige – his stage credits included the title role in the short-lived 1931 Broadway production of Hamlet – the quality of Massey's performances varied wildly. Sometimes he could be quite effective; most of the time, however, he was an unabashed scenery chewer,...
- 8/8/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Ron Moody in Mel Brooks' 'The Twelve Chairs.' The 'Doctor Who' that never was. Ron Moody: 'Doctor Who' was biggest professional regret (See previous post: "Ron Moody: From Charles Dickens to Walt Disney – But No Harry Potter.") Ron Moody was featured in about 50 television productions, both in the U.K. and the U.S., from the late 1950s to 2012. These included guest roles in the series The Avengers, Gunsmoke, Starsky and Hutch, Hart to Hart, and Murder She Wrote, in addition to leads in the short-lived U.S. sitcom Nobody's Perfect (1980), starring Moody as a Scotland Yard detective transferred to the San Francisco Police Department, and in the British fantasy Into the Labyrinth (1981), with Moody as the noble sorcerer Rothgo. Throughout the decades, he could also be spotted in several TV movies, among them:[1] David Copperfield (1969). As Uriah Heep in this disappointing all-star showcase distributed theatrically in some countries.
- 6/19/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Top 100 horror movies of all time: Chicago Film Critics' choices (photo: Sigourney Weaver and Alien creature show us that life is less horrific if you don't hold grudges) See previous post: A look at the Chicago Film Critics Association's Scariest Movies Ever Made. Below is the list of the Chicago Film Critics's Top 100 Horror Movies of All Time, including their directors and key cast members. Note: this list was first published in October 2006. (See also: Fay Wray, Lee Patrick, and Mary Philbin among the "Top Ten Scream Queens.") 1. Psycho (1960) Alfred Hitchcock; with Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam. 2. The Exorcist (1973) William Friedkin; with Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow (and the voice of Mercedes McCambridge). 3. Halloween (1978) John Carpenter; with Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Tony Moran. 4. Alien (1979) Ridley Scott; with Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt. 5. Night of the Living Dead (1968) George A. Romero; with Marilyn Eastman,...
- 10/31/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Frenzy
Written by Anthony Shaffer
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
UK, 1972
Family Plot
Written by Ernest Lehman
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
USA, 1976
There are some who opt for Alfred Hitchcock’s British years as his finest, taking into account his earliest silent features through Jamaica Inn in 1939. On the other hand, many regard the peak years in America as the Master of Suspense’s finest era, with films from Rebecca in 1940 to Marnie in 1964. Both have valid points to make and there are unquestionably several great works during each phase of the filmmaker’s career. Few, however, would rank Hitchcock’s final four films among his best. In a way, this is unfair, their lowly stature no doubt due to the masterworks that preceded them; with the films Hitchcock made before, the bar was set unassailably high. Taken apart from the imposing excellence of these earlier classics, these concluding films are solid movies.
Written by Anthony Shaffer
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
UK, 1972
Family Plot
Written by Ernest Lehman
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
USA, 1976
There are some who opt for Alfred Hitchcock’s British years as his finest, taking into account his earliest silent features through Jamaica Inn in 1939. On the other hand, many regard the peak years in America as the Master of Suspense’s finest era, with films from Rebecca in 1940 to Marnie in 1964. Both have valid points to make and there are unquestionably several great works during each phase of the filmmaker’s career. Few, however, would rank Hitchcock’s final four films among his best. In a way, this is unfair, their lowly stature no doubt due to the masterworks that preceded them; with the films Hitchcock made before, the bar was set unassailably high. Taken apart from the imposing excellence of these earlier classics, these concluding films are solid movies.
- 12/13/2013
- by Jeremy Carr
- SoundOnSight
Kieran Kinsella
Appropriately enough for this time of year, Acorn Media’s latest batch of DVD releases includes The Fall. It’s a Belfast based psychological crime drama in which Dsi Stella Gibson attempts to hunt down a sadistic serial killer who seems to delight in deviousness. Somewhat unusually for a crime drama, the killer is identified fairly early on as Paul Spector. Thereafter, Spector and Gibson become embroiled in a game of cat and mouse that lasts through five suspensful episodes. The relationship between Spector and Gibson is similar to the one involving Hannibal Lector and Clarice except for the fact that Lector was banged up while Spector is on the loose.
X-Files actress Gillian Anderson takes on the role of Gibson and she seems quite at home on British TV these days having enjoyed success in recent hits such as Great Expectations. Her nemesis is the rather less...
Appropriately enough for this time of year, Acorn Media’s latest batch of DVD releases includes The Fall. It’s a Belfast based psychological crime drama in which Dsi Stella Gibson attempts to hunt down a sadistic serial killer who seems to delight in deviousness. Somewhat unusually for a crime drama, the killer is identified fairly early on as Paul Spector. Thereafter, Spector and Gibson become embroiled in a game of cat and mouse that lasts through five suspensful episodes. The relationship between Spector and Gibson is similar to the one involving Hannibal Lector and Clarice except for the fact that Lector was banged up while Spector is on the loose.
X-Files actress Gillian Anderson takes on the role of Gibson and she seems quite at home on British TV these days having enjoyed success in recent hits such as Great Expectations. Her nemesis is the rather less...
- 10/18/2013
- by Edited by K Kinsella
Actor Dominic West was the toast of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) TV Awards on Sunday after scoring a top prize for his creepy portrayal of serial killer Fred West.
The Wire star landed the Best Actor prize for his role in U.K. series Appropriate Adult, a reconstruction of the police investigation into the notorious murderer, while his co-star Emily Watson won Best Actress for playing Janet Leach, who sat in on the interviews Fred West gave to cops.
As he collected his award, West said, "I hope she (Leach) has had some closure and I hope she feels we honoured the suffering she endured and the suffering of all of West's victims, living and dead."
Watson appeared emotional as she gave her winner's speech and told the BBC after the ceremony, "It was such a disturbing place to go. In my speech I was very overwhelmed I forgot to thank Janet Leach, she gave very generously to us.
"The public perception of the West case is a tabloid-driven view and then I read the script and it was a very intelligent piece full of integrity. It's a deep abyss right in the middle of our society."
Appropriate Adult enjoyed a triple win at the London ceremony - Monica Dolan won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Rosemary West, nm1377339 autoFred West[/link]'s wife. Sherlock's Andrew Scott fought off competition from his co-star Martin Freeman to win Best Supporting Actor.
Beloved Australian entertainer Rolf Harris was awarded a BAFTA Fellowship in honour of his lengthy career, and as he was applauded he declared, "Thank you so much, that's very moving", before adding, "How nice to be presented with this... I can't begin to tell you just how humbled I am by being here in this distinguished company, so many previous recipients of this BAFTA Fellowship."
Other winners included Shane Meadows' This Is England 88, which took the Best Mini-Series prize, Doctor Who writer Stephen Moffat, who received a Special BAFTA for "outstanding creative writing contribution to television", and Absolutely Fabulous star Jennifer Saunders (Female Performance in a Comedy Programme).
The ceremony also featured a memorial segment, remembering the stars lost in the past 12 months, including Davy Jones, actresses Anna Massey, Googie Withers and Betty Driver, presenters Jimmy Savile and Bob Holness, actors Peter Falk, George Baker and Colin Tarrant, and comedian Frank Carson.
Presenters at the ceremony included West, actresses Helen McCrory, Melissa George and Emilia Fox, and actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Matt Smith, Sam Claflin and Timothy Spall.
The Wire star landed the Best Actor prize for his role in U.K. series Appropriate Adult, a reconstruction of the police investigation into the notorious murderer, while his co-star Emily Watson won Best Actress for playing Janet Leach, who sat in on the interviews Fred West gave to cops.
As he collected his award, West said, "I hope she (Leach) has had some closure and I hope she feels we honoured the suffering she endured and the suffering of all of West's victims, living and dead."
Watson appeared emotional as she gave her winner's speech and told the BBC after the ceremony, "It was such a disturbing place to go. In my speech I was very overwhelmed I forgot to thank Janet Leach, she gave very generously to us.
"The public perception of the West case is a tabloid-driven view and then I read the script and it was a very intelligent piece full of integrity. It's a deep abyss right in the middle of our society."
Appropriate Adult enjoyed a triple win at the London ceremony - Monica Dolan won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Rosemary West, nm1377339 autoFred West[/link]'s wife. Sherlock's Andrew Scott fought off competition from his co-star Martin Freeman to win Best Supporting Actor.
Beloved Australian entertainer Rolf Harris was awarded a BAFTA Fellowship in honour of his lengthy career, and as he was applauded he declared, "Thank you so much, that's very moving", before adding, "How nice to be presented with this... I can't begin to tell you just how humbled I am by being here in this distinguished company, so many previous recipients of this BAFTA Fellowship."
Other winners included Shane Meadows' This Is England 88, which took the Best Mini-Series prize, Doctor Who writer Stephen Moffat, who received a Special BAFTA for "outstanding creative writing contribution to television", and Absolutely Fabulous star Jennifer Saunders (Female Performance in a Comedy Programme).
The ceremony also featured a memorial segment, remembering the stars lost in the past 12 months, including Davy Jones, actresses Anna Massey, Googie Withers and Betty Driver, presenters Jimmy Savile and Bob Holness, actors Peter Falk, George Baker and Colin Tarrant, and comedian Frank Carson.
Presenters at the ceremony included West, actresses Helen McCrory, Melissa George and Emilia Fox, and actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Matt Smith, Sam Claflin and Timothy Spall.
- 5/28/2012
- WENN
"TCM Remembers 2011" is out. Remembered by Turner Classic Movies are many of those in the film world who left us this past year. As always, this latest "TCM Remembers" entry is a classy, immensely moving compilation. The haunting background song is "Before You Go," by Ok Sweetheart.
Among those featured in "TCM Remembers 2011" are Farley Granger, the star of Luchino Visconti's Senso and Alfred Hitchcock's Rope and Strangers on a Train; Oscar-nominated Australian actress Diane Cilento (Tom Jones, Hombre), formerly married to Sean Connery; and two-time Oscar nominee Peter Falk (Murder, Inc., Pocketful of Miracles, The Great Race), best remembered as television's Columbo. Or, for those into arthouse fare, for playing an angel in Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire.
Also, Jane Russell, whose cleavage and sensuous lips in Howard Hughes' The Outlaw left the puritans of the Production Code Association apoplectic; another Australian performer, Googie Withers, among...
Among those featured in "TCM Remembers 2011" are Farley Granger, the star of Luchino Visconti's Senso and Alfred Hitchcock's Rope and Strangers on a Train; Oscar-nominated Australian actress Diane Cilento (Tom Jones, Hombre), formerly married to Sean Connery; and two-time Oscar nominee Peter Falk (Murder, Inc., Pocketful of Miracles, The Great Race), best remembered as television's Columbo. Or, for those into arthouse fare, for playing an angel in Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire.
Also, Jane Russell, whose cleavage and sensuous lips in Howard Hughes' The Outlaw left the puritans of the Production Code Association apoplectic; another Australian performer, Googie Withers, among...
- 12/14/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
She had warmth, wit and talent. But most of all, she embodied the quality of friendship, recalls the playwright
Anna Massey was for a long time acknowledged and admired as the owner of the best fictional voice on BBC radio, and if you were lucky enough to meet her in person, then you would recognise that the voice was the woman: funny, warm, intelligent and lucid, with a sharp edge which very quietly but firmly kept you in line.
She and I were friends for 40 years, and if she hadn't died so soon, we intended to be friends for a great deal longer. In fact, when I think of friendship, I think of Anna: regular phone calls, very good jokes and steadfast loyalty.
She appeared in my first play, Slag. It had made a fair splash at Hampstead in 1970 when I was just 23, but the following year the Royal Court...
Anna Massey was for a long time acknowledged and admired as the owner of the best fictional voice on BBC radio, and if you were lucky enough to meet her in person, then you would recognise that the voice was the woman: funny, warm, intelligent and lucid, with a sharp edge which very quietly but firmly kept you in line.
She and I were friends for 40 years, and if she hadn't died so soon, we intended to be friends for a great deal longer. In fact, when I think of friendship, I think of Anna: regular phone calls, very good jokes and steadfast loyalty.
She appeared in my first play, Slag. It had made a fair splash at Hampstead in 1970 when I was just 23, but the following year the Royal Court...
- 12/12/2011
- by David Hare
- The Guardian - Film News
As year-end rituals go, remembering those we've lost over the past twelve months is the solemn twin of list-making, though it's often no less an act of celebration. In the new issue of the Brooklyn Rail, Charles Bernstein and Susan Bee look back on the life of George Kuchar, "one of the most creative, original, and influential filmmakers of our time, straddling two generations of North American iconoclasts, from Stan Brakhage, Ken Jacobs, Rudy Burckhardt, Kenneth Anger, and Michael Snow to Warren Sonbert, Ernie Gehr, Abigail Child, and Henry Hills. Often collaborating with his twin brother, Mike, George Kuchar started making films as a Bronx teenager, and the brothers' early films already show the ingenuity, exuberance, and do-it-yourself charm that would pervade scores of their subsequent films."
More from Clara Pais in the freely downloadable December issue of One + One, which also features Diamuid Hester on Jacques Tati, Donna K on Brent Green,...
More from Clara Pais in the freely downloadable December issue of One + One, which also features Diamuid Hester on Jacques Tati, Donna K on Brent Green,...
- 12/11/2011
- MUBI
David Suchet in Poirot.
N Campion
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David Suchet is to reprise his role as Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot in 2012. As of now, David Suchet has starred in dramatizations of all but five of Agatha Christie’s Poirot stories. The new season will see those five stories hit the small screen. The stories in question are as follows: Labours of Hercules, Dead Man’s Folly, The Big Four, Elephants Can Remember, and Curtain. The series is being co-produced by Wgbh – the Boston based PBS affiliate which means that the shows should air as part of PBS’ Masterpiece Theatre either in 2012 or 2013.
Meanwhile, Poirot will be back on ITV this Christmas as the network plan to rerun The Clocks which originally aired in 2009. The cast includes the late Anna Massey, Jaime Winstone, Tom Burke, Lesley Sharp,...
N Campion
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter.
David Suchet is to reprise his role as Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot in 2012. As of now, David Suchet has starred in dramatizations of all but five of Agatha Christie’s Poirot stories. The new season will see those five stories hit the small screen. The stories in question are as follows: Labours of Hercules, Dead Man’s Folly, The Big Four, Elephants Can Remember, and Curtain. The series is being co-produced by Wgbh – the Boston based PBS affiliate which means that the shows should air as part of PBS’ Masterpiece Theatre either in 2012 or 2013.
Meanwhile, Poirot will be back on ITV this Christmas as the network plan to rerun The Clocks which originally aired in 2009. The cast includes the late Anna Massey, Jaime Winstone, Tom Burke, Lesley Sharp,...
- 11/14/2011
- by admin
Attitudes to race and sex in 70s films may seem comically outdated, but have we moved on – or are we just pretending?
Amid the typically elegant praise in Peter Bradshaw's recent tribute to 1971's The French Connection came a mention of "the shock of the old" – a dizzying glimpse of the gulf between then and now, partly caused by the movie's dated approach to race. I know the feeling. My own came this week after reacquainting myself with one of British cinema's most gleefully perverse moments: Frenzy, the tale of a sex killer haunting Covent Garden, which was released a year later and marked Alfred Hitchcock's return to England.
It's a rich and fascinating film, loaded with old-school panache and cheeky invention – witness the late Anna Massey stepping out on to a busy London street, to be greeted not with the expected racket but unnerving silence. It's also...
Amid the typically elegant praise in Peter Bradshaw's recent tribute to 1971's The French Connection came a mention of "the shock of the old" – a dizzying glimpse of the gulf between then and now, partly caused by the movie's dated approach to race. I know the feeling. My own came this week after reacquainting myself with one of British cinema's most gleefully perverse moments: Frenzy, the tale of a sex killer haunting Covent Garden, which was released a year later and marked Alfred Hitchcock's return to England.
It's a rich and fascinating film, loaded with old-school panache and cheeky invention – witness the late Anna Massey stepping out on to a busy London street, to be greeted not with the expected racket but unnerving silence. It's also...
- 8/1/2011
- by Danny Leigh
- The Guardian - Film News
Bye bye Harry Potter as a mega-franchise hops on a broom and flies up, up and away
The big story
Stories don't come much bigger than the death of Harry Potter. And the plight of the hundreds who've camped out in the drizzle for up to 72 hours to mourn him.
The $6 billion franchise rumbles to a close with the boy wizard's final movie outing, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which will premiere in the capital's take-away slop tray ... ahem iconic and glamorous Trafalgar Square tonight. It's a momentous occasion - a premiere so big that for the first time since last Saturday night both Leicester and Trafalgar squares will be absolutely plastered ... in glitz and glamour.
Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermoine (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) and a whole host of vaguely familiar British character actors will be facing the muggle multitudes. We'll be live-blogging the magic from 4pm today,...
The big story
Stories don't come much bigger than the death of Harry Potter. And the plight of the hundreds who've camped out in the drizzle for up to 72 hours to mourn him.
The $6 billion franchise rumbles to a close with the boy wizard's final movie outing, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which will premiere in the capital's take-away slop tray ... ahem iconic and glamorous Trafalgar Square tonight. It's a momentous occasion - a premiere so big that for the first time since last Saturday night both Leicester and Trafalgar squares will be absolutely plastered ... in glitz and glamour.
Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermoine (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) and a whole host of vaguely familiar British character actors will be facing the muggle multitudes. We'll be live-blogging the magic from 4pm today,...
- 7/7/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
DVD Playhouse—July 2011
By Allen Gardner
The Music Room (Criterion) Satyajit Ray’s 1958 masterpiece looks at the life of a fallen aristocrat as a metaphor for an India that is not only becoming Westernized, but modernized technologically and culturally beyond recognition. When the beloved music room, where he has hosted lavish concerts in the past, starts falling into disrepair as attendance drops steadily, the man realizes his way of life is vanishing. Stunningly shot in black & white, one of Ray’s finest works. Bonuses: Documentary on Ray from 1984 by Shyam Benegal; Interviews with Ray biographer Andrew Robinson and filmmaker Mira Nair; Excerpt from 1981 roundtable discussion between Ray, critic Michael Ciment, director Claude Sautet. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
Beauty And The Beast (Criterion) Jean Cocteau’s sublime adaptation of the classic fairy tale become a beloved classic upon its 1946 release, and hasn’t faded since.
By Allen Gardner
The Music Room (Criterion) Satyajit Ray’s 1958 masterpiece looks at the life of a fallen aristocrat as a metaphor for an India that is not only becoming Westernized, but modernized technologically and culturally beyond recognition. When the beloved music room, where he has hosted lavish concerts in the past, starts falling into disrepair as attendance drops steadily, the man realizes his way of life is vanishing. Stunningly shot in black & white, one of Ray’s finest works. Bonuses: Documentary on Ray from 1984 by Shyam Benegal; Interviews with Ray biographer Andrew Robinson and filmmaker Mira Nair; Excerpt from 1981 roundtable discussion between Ray, critic Michael Ciment, director Claude Sautet. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
Beauty And The Beast (Criterion) Jean Cocteau’s sublime adaptation of the classic fairy tale become a beloved classic upon its 1946 release, and hasn’t faded since.
- 7/7/2011
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Award-winning actor with a fastidious intelligence and a hint of inner steel
Anna Massey, who has died of cancer aged 73, made her name on the stage as a teenager in French-window froth. She then graduated, with effortless and extraordinary ease, to the classics and to the work of Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter and David Hare. In later years, she became best known for her award-winning work in television and film. What constantly impressed was her fastidious intelligence and capacity for stillness: always the mark of a first-rate actor.
Born in Thakeham, West Sussex, she was bred into show business although, in personal terms, that proved something of a mixed blessing. Her father was Raymond Massey, a Canadian actor who achieved success in Hollywood; her mother was Adrianne Allen who had appeared in the original production of Noël Coward's Private Lives. Anna's godfather was the film director John Ford.
Since...
Anna Massey, who has died of cancer aged 73, made her name on the stage as a teenager in French-window froth. She then graduated, with effortless and extraordinary ease, to the classics and to the work of Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter and David Hare. In later years, she became best known for her award-winning work in television and film. What constantly impressed was her fastidious intelligence and capacity for stillness: always the mark of a first-rate actor.
Born in Thakeham, West Sussex, she was bred into show business although, in personal terms, that proved something of a mixed blessing. Her father was Raymond Massey, a Canadian actor who achieved success in Hollywood; her mother was Adrianne Allen who had appeared in the original production of Noël Coward's Private Lives. Anna's godfather was the film director John Ford.
Since...
- 7/6/2011
- by Michael Billington, Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
Acclaimed British actress Anna Massey, the daughter of actor Raymond Massey, has passed away at age 73. Widely respected in England for her many costume dramas on British TV, Massey is best known to American audiences for her roles in two classic films about serial killers: Michael Powell's Peeping Tom and Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy, in which she played the ill-fated barmaid Babs. Massey overcame many obstacles and crisis in her personal life including battling anorexia and a tumultuous marriage to actor Jeremy Brett. Massey was awarded a Cbe title in 2004. For more click here
(For coverage of the making of Peeping Tom, see issue #20 of Cinema Retro)...
- 7/6/2011
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The actor Anna Massey has died aged 73. We look back at her career in clips, from Peeping Tom to The Machinist
Anna Massey, who has died aged 73, had two distinct stages to her career: first as the innocent victim in the films of two master directors trying their hand at horror, and then as a wily, wide-eyed staple of period TV drama. Yet the two seemed absolutely apiece: Massey was such a singular actor, with a constant, unafraid gaze and keen intelligence, that looking back it's hard not to be struck by her curious agelessness.
Her screen debut in 1960 was as the heroine of Michael Powell's once-loathed, now-lauded Peeping Tom. She doesn't get much airtime in this trailer, but her almost bolshie naivete is startling: a clang of reality beside Carl Boehm's killer.
Twelve years later she accepted Alfred Hitchcock's invitation to all but reprise her role in "necktie murders" chiller Frenzy.
Anna Massey, who has died aged 73, had two distinct stages to her career: first as the innocent victim in the films of two master directors trying their hand at horror, and then as a wily, wide-eyed staple of period TV drama. Yet the two seemed absolutely apiece: Massey was such a singular actor, with a constant, unafraid gaze and keen intelligence, that looking back it's hard not to be struck by her curious agelessness.
Her screen debut in 1960 was as the heroine of Michael Powell's once-loathed, now-lauded Peeping Tom. She doesn't get much airtime in this trailer, but her almost bolshie naivete is startling: a clang of reality beside Carl Boehm's killer.
Twelve years later she accepted Alfred Hitchcock's invitation to all but reprise her role in "necktie murders" chiller Frenzy.
- 7/5/2011
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
Anna Massey, a Tony nominee who played supporting roles in more than 40 movies, died of cancer on Sunday, July 3, in London. Massey was 73. The daughter of Academy Award nominee Raymond Massey (Abe Lincoln in Illinois) and sister of another Oscar nominee, Daniel Massey (Star!), Anna Massey began her acting career in the late '50s. She was nominated for a Tony for her performance in The Reluctant Debutante (1958), which was made into a movie that same year. Directed by Vincente Minnelli, the movie version starred Sandra Dee as an Americanized version of the role Massey had originated in the West End and on Broadway. Massey's first film appearance also took place in 1958, in John Ford's crime drama Gideon's Day, starring Jack Hawkins. Other notable film roles, invariably supporting bigger names, include those in Michael Powell's controversial Peeping Tom (photo, 1960), with Karl Böhm as a fetishistic serial killer; Otto Preminger...
- 7/4/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Actress Anna Massey, a veteran of stage and screen who worked with everyone from Hitchcock to Michael Powell, has died aged 73 following a battle with cancer. Massey was born into a theatrical family in 1937, and got her start playing victims in thrillers like Michael Powell's Peeping Tom and Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy. In later years, she's been busiest in costume dramas - such as Miss Prism in 2002's The Importance Of Being Earnest, or 2008's Tess of the D'Urbervilles - but also threw in rather less obvious roles, such as that of Christian Bale's landlady in The Machinist. She won a BAFTA for her role in TV's Hotel du Lac in 1986, and was a familiar voice on Radio 4 and in audiobooks. Said her agent in a statement, "She will be remembered as a loving wife and mother, a cherished grandmother, a generous colleague and, always, a consummate professional.
- 7/4/2011
- EmpireOnline
Anna Massey, the versatile actress made famous by her roles in Peeping Tom and The Importance of Being Earnest, died of cancer on Sunday. Massey had a long and impressive career in theatre, film and television. She first acted on stage as a teenager, going on to experience several formidable highlights – winning a British Academy TV Award for Best Actress for her role in the BBC’s 1986 adaptation of Anita Brookner’s Hotel du Lac. She has also worked with several icons of film, including Alfred Hitchcock (Frenzy), and Otto...
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- 7/4/2011
- by Total Film
- TotalFilm
Anna Massey, the member of an acting dynasty whose roles ranged from lonely spinsters to Margaret Thatcher, has died, her agent said Monday. She was 73.
Massey died Saturday after a battle with cancer, with her husband and son at her side, according to agent Pippa Markham.
The actress was born in 1937 into a performing family - her father was Canadian actor Raymond Massey and her mother British actress Adrianne Allen. Her brother Daniel Massey also became an actor, and her godfather was director John Ford.
Massey made her West End stage debut at 17 in The Reluctant Debutante and her film debut in Ford's 1958 police procedural Gideon's Day.
She had roles in films including Michael Powell's classic chiller Peeping Tom, Otto Preminger's Bunny Lake is Missing, Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy and the 2002 adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest, in which she played the comic governess Miss Prism.
Massey died Saturday after a battle with cancer, with her husband and son at her side, according to agent Pippa Markham.
The actress was born in 1937 into a performing family - her father was Canadian actor Raymond Massey and her mother British actress Adrianne Allen. Her brother Daniel Massey also became an actor, and her godfather was director John Ford.
Massey made her West End stage debut at 17 in The Reluctant Debutante and her film debut in Ford's 1958 police procedural Gideon's Day.
She had roles in films including Michael Powell's classic chiller Peeping Tom, Otto Preminger's Bunny Lake is Missing, Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy and the 2002 adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest, in which she played the comic governess Miss Prism.
- 7/4/2011
- by Cineplex.com and contributors
- Cineplex
British actress Anna Massey has died at the age of 73.
She passed away on Sunday after a battle with cancer.
Her agent says in a statement, "She will be remembered as a loving wife and mother, a cherished grandmother, a generous colleague and, always, a consummate professional. She will be greatly missed."
Massey was born into a showbusiness family - her father was famed Canadian-born actor Raymond Massey and her mother was British actress Adrianne Allen, while legendary director John Ford was her godfather.
She began her career on the stage and her big break came when she landed a role in Alfred Hitchcock's 1972 movie Frenzy.
Massey went on to star opposite her actor brother Daniel in 1973's The Vault of Horror, in which they played siblings, while her other major roles included her BAFTA-winning portrayal of a lonely spinster in a 1986 TV adaptation of Hotel du Lac.
She also starred in the 2002 adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Importance Of Being Earnest with Reese Witherspoon, and landed a role opposite Gwyneth Paltrow in 2002's Possession, as well as appearances in British TV shows Poirot and Midsomer Murders.
Massey was awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Cbe) for services to acting in 2004 and is survived by her second husband, Russian scientist Uri Andres, and her son, writer David Huggins, from her first marriage to actor Jeremy Brett.
She passed away on Sunday after a battle with cancer.
Her agent says in a statement, "She will be remembered as a loving wife and mother, a cherished grandmother, a generous colleague and, always, a consummate professional. She will be greatly missed."
Massey was born into a showbusiness family - her father was famed Canadian-born actor Raymond Massey and her mother was British actress Adrianne Allen, while legendary director John Ford was her godfather.
She began her career on the stage and her big break came when she landed a role in Alfred Hitchcock's 1972 movie Frenzy.
Massey went on to star opposite her actor brother Daniel in 1973's The Vault of Horror, in which they played siblings, while her other major roles included her BAFTA-winning portrayal of a lonely spinster in a 1986 TV adaptation of Hotel du Lac.
She also starred in the 2002 adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Importance Of Being Earnest with Reese Witherspoon, and landed a role opposite Gwyneth Paltrow in 2002's Possession, as well as appearances in British TV shows Poirot and Midsomer Murders.
Massey was awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Cbe) for services to acting in 2004 and is survived by her second husband, Russian scientist Uri Andres, and her son, writer David Huggins, from her first marriage to actor Jeremy Brett.
- 7/4/2011
- WENN
The award-winning actor of stage and screen, who became the mainstay of the British costume drama, has died after suffering from cancer
Anna Massey, the award-winning British actor who played innocent victim for both Alfred Hitchcock and Michael Powell, has died from cancer at the age of 73. The news was confirmed in a brief statement from her agent: "Anna Massey Cbe passed away peacefully on Sunday 3rd July, with her husband and son by her side."
The daughter of the Hollywood actor Raymond Massey, Anna Massey began her career on stage, picking up a Tony nomination for her turn in The Reluctant Debutante at the age of 18. She made her screen debut in the 1958 crime drama Gideon's Day, directed by her godfather John Ford, and co-starred with Laurence Olivier on the cult 60s thriller Bunny Lake is Missing.
Yet Massey looks set to be best remembered for her roles in two of the most controversial pictures of post-war British cinema. In 1960 she played Helen, the sweet-natured friend of a serial killer in Michael Powell's notorious Peeping Tom. In 1972, she was cast as sacrificial barmaid Babs Milligan in Hitchcock's grubby, London-set thriller Frenzy. Peeping Tom found itself reviled by contemporary critics as "perverted" and "beastly", while Frenzy remains the only Hitchcock film to receive a prohibitive X-certificate in the UK. Today, both films are widely regarded as classics.
Anna Massey, the award-winning British actor who played innocent victim for both Alfred Hitchcock and Michael Powell, has died from cancer at the age of 73. The news was confirmed in a brief statement from her agent: "Anna Massey Cbe passed away peacefully on Sunday 3rd July, with her husband and son by her side."
The daughter of the Hollywood actor Raymond Massey, Anna Massey began her career on stage, picking up a Tony nomination for her turn in The Reluctant Debutante at the age of 18. She made her screen debut in the 1958 crime drama Gideon's Day, directed by her godfather John Ford, and co-starred with Laurence Olivier on the cult 60s thriller Bunny Lake is Missing.
Yet Massey looks set to be best remembered for her roles in two of the most controversial pictures of post-war British cinema. In 1960 she played Helen, the sweet-natured friend of a serial killer in Michael Powell's notorious Peeping Tom. In 1972, she was cast as sacrificial barmaid Babs Milligan in Hitchcock's grubby, London-set thriller Frenzy. Peeping Tom found itself reviled by contemporary critics as "perverted" and "beastly", while Frenzy remains the only Hitchcock film to receive a prohibitive X-certificate in the UK. Today, both films are widely regarded as classics.
- 7/4/2011
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
Anna Massey has died at the age of 73. The actress's agent confirmed the news of her passing today. Her agent said: "She will be remembered as a loving wife and mother, a cherished grandmother, a generous colleague and, always, a consummate professional. She will be greatly missed." Massey featured in a number of TV and film roles, including Alfred Hitchcock's 1972 film Frenzy, a 1986 TV adaptation of Hotel du Lac and Possession with Gwyneth Paltrow. She also appeared in Michael Powell's (more)...
- 7/4/2011
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
Multiple award winning actress passes away
The actress Anna Massey, who starred in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy and was known for her roles in TV movie adaptations of literary classics, has died at the age of 73. Honoured with a Cbe in 2005, she was much admired over the course of a long career in the British film industry.
With the actors Raymond Massey and Adrianne Allen as her parents, and with legendary director John Ford as her godfather, Massey was perhaps always destined to work in film. After making her debut in Ford's 1958 film Gideon's Day she went on to appear in...
The actress Anna Massey, who starred in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy and was known for her roles in TV movie adaptations of literary classics, has died at the age of 73. Honoured with a Cbe in 2005, she was much admired over the course of a long career in the British film industry.
With the actors Raymond Massey and Adrianne Allen as her parents, and with legendary director John Ford as her godfather, Massey was perhaps always destined to work in film. After making her debut in Ford's 1958 film Gideon's Day she went on to appear in...
- 7/4/2011
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Actor who won a string of awards – including a Bafta – for her stage and TV work died on Sunday after suffering from cancer
The veteran actor Anna Massey has died at the age of 73, her agent said.
Massey won a string of awards for her stage and TV roles, including a Bafta for her performance as a lonely spinster in the 1986 TV adaptation of Hotel du Lac.
Her agent said in a statement: "Actress Anna Massey Cbe passed away peacefully on Sunday 3rd July, with her husband and son by her side.
"She will be remembered as a loving wife and mother, a cherished grandmother, a generous colleague and, always, a consummate professional. She will be greatly missed."
Massey had been suffering from cancer, her agent said.
Her film work included roles in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy, Possession with Gwyneth Paltrow and an adaptation of The Importance Of Being Earnest.
The veteran actor Anna Massey has died at the age of 73, her agent said.
Massey won a string of awards for her stage and TV roles, including a Bafta for her performance as a lonely spinster in the 1986 TV adaptation of Hotel du Lac.
Her agent said in a statement: "Actress Anna Massey Cbe passed away peacefully on Sunday 3rd July, with her husband and son by her side.
"She will be remembered as a loving wife and mother, a cherished grandmother, a generous colleague and, always, a consummate professional. She will be greatly missed."
Massey had been suffering from cancer, her agent said.
Her film work included roles in Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy, Possession with Gwyneth Paltrow and an adaptation of The Importance Of Being Earnest.
- 7/4/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
From girlish flirt to monstrous sociopath, the former Pm has been variously interpreted on screen
"I don't really see her as a villain," says Meryl Streep. "People are driven by what they think is right [and] certainty is just so attractive in people … It's so nice not to have to listen … Unfortunately, it leads to fanaticism." Streep, I should point out, is not talking about her forthcoming performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, Phyllida Lloyd's portrait of the former Pm in the run-up to the Falklands war. She is in fact discussing Eleanor Shaw, the fearsome politician, mother and all-round nut-job she played in the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate. Even so, you could do worse than check out this interview for an inkling of how she may approach her latest role. "There were," she says, "very specific public personalities that I was inspired by in creating this character.
"I don't really see her as a villain," says Meryl Streep. "People are driven by what they think is right [and] certainty is just so attractive in people … It's so nice not to have to listen … Unfortunately, it leads to fanaticism." Streep, I should point out, is not talking about her forthcoming performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, Phyllida Lloyd's portrait of the former Pm in the run-up to the Falklands war. She is in fact discussing Eleanor Shaw, the fearsome politician, mother and all-round nut-job she played in the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate. Even so, you could do worse than check out this interview for an inkling of how she may approach her latest role. "There were," she says, "very specific public personalities that I was inspired by in creating this character.
- 2/10/2011
- by Ben Walters
- The Guardian - Film News
Edgar Wright returns to the New Beverly grindhouse in Los Angeles with his resume of flicks along with a boatload of his favorites. This is the second time the fan favorite filmmaker has taken over the retro theater where he will be present for Q & A’s and a raucous good time.
january 14, 15 The Wright Stuff II – Triple Feature! All Tickets $10
Shaun Of The Dead Fri / Sat: 7:30 2004, UK / France / USA, 99 minutes Edgar Wright will appear In Person, schedule permitting, Friday & Saturday to discuss! directed by Edgar Wright; written by Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright; starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran Trailer
Hot Fuzz Fri / Sat: 9:30 2007, UK / France / USA, 121 minutes directed by Edgar Wright; written by Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright; starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Timothy Dalton, Jim Broadbent, Paddy Considine, Bill Nighy
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Fri / Sat: 11:59pm (Midnight) 2009, USA / UK / Canada,...
january 14, 15 The Wright Stuff II – Triple Feature! All Tickets $10
Shaun Of The Dead Fri / Sat: 7:30 2004, UK / France / USA, 99 minutes Edgar Wright will appear In Person, schedule permitting, Friday & Saturday to discuss! directed by Edgar Wright; written by Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright; starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran Trailer
Hot Fuzz Fri / Sat: 9:30 2007, UK / France / USA, 121 minutes directed by Edgar Wright; written by Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright; starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Timothy Dalton, Jim Broadbent, Paddy Considine, Bill Nighy
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Fri / Sat: 11:59pm (Midnight) 2009, USA / UK / Canada,...
- 1/3/2011
- by Jason Bene
- Killer Films
With British drama Cuckoo out now in cinemas, we caught up with its producer and writer-director, Tony and Richard Bracewell, to chat about it…
Brothers Tony and Richard Bracewell area formidable team. Richard, with his background in TV work, is the writer-director, while ex-pr man Tony has the production firmly under control. Together, they produced the cult movie The Gigolos, their first feature from 2006. Cuckoo is an atmospheric psychological thriller with riveting performances by Laura Fraser and Richard E. Grant.
We caught up with Tony and Richard to talk about the making of the latest film, marketing, and working with Richard E. Grant...
Your film has been ready for some time, but it has only just come out. I watched it for the first time a few months ago – why did you start showing it so early on?
Tony: It’s all about finding the right slot for the film to come out.
Brothers Tony and Richard Bracewell area formidable team. Richard, with his background in TV work, is the writer-director, while ex-pr man Tony has the production firmly under control. Together, they produced the cult movie The Gigolos, their first feature from 2006. Cuckoo is an atmospheric psychological thriller with riveting performances by Laura Fraser and Richard E. Grant.
We caught up with Tony and Richard to talk about the making of the latest film, marketing, and working with Richard E. Grant...
Your film has been ready for some time, but it has only just come out. I watched it for the first time a few months ago – why did you start showing it so early on?
Tony: It’s all about finding the right slot for the film to come out.
- 12/20/2010
- Den of Geek
Condemned upon its initial release in 1960, Michael Powell’s psychological thriller, Peeping Tom, has since been hailed as a classic. To tie in with its Blu-ray release, Ryan takes a look back…
The history of director Michael Powell's Peeping Tom is almost as disquieting as the film itself, and represents one of the most unfortunate falls from grace in cinema history. Partnered with screenwriter and producer Emeric Pressburger, Powell was one of the most respected directors of the 40s and 50s, internationally recognised for such films as The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus and The Red Shoes.
Then, in 1960, Powell embarked on a solo project, a psychological thriller called Peeping Tom. Written by former WWII cryptographer Leo Marks, the film's depiction of a creepy man-child serial killer was demolished by critics, effectively ending Powell's career as a filmmaker.
Only granted an X rating by the BBFC after several cuts were made,...
The history of director Michael Powell's Peeping Tom is almost as disquieting as the film itself, and represents one of the most unfortunate falls from grace in cinema history. Partnered with screenwriter and producer Emeric Pressburger, Powell was one of the most respected directors of the 40s and 50s, internationally recognised for such films as The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus and The Red Shoes.
Then, in 1960, Powell embarked on a solo project, a psychological thriller called Peeping Tom. Written by former WWII cryptographer Leo Marks, the film's depiction of a creepy man-child serial killer was demolished by critics, effectively ending Powell's career as a filmmaker.
Only granted an X rating by the BBFC after several cuts were made,...
- 11/30/2010
- Den of Geek
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (12A)
(Apitchatpong Weerasethakul, 2010, Thai/UK/Fra/Spa/Ger/Neth) Thanapat Saisaymar, Jenjira Pongpas, Sakda Kaewbuadee. 113 mins
Not for nothing was this dubbed "Uncle bong hit" when it took the top prize at Cannes this year. With its non-linear plot and fantastical elements – ghosts, ape-men, talking catfish, etc – woven into a story of a dying farmer in modern-day Thailand, it sounds like a far-out 1960s head-trip. But in reality (if that's the right word), it's a calm, sensual, captivating daydream of a movie that wears its weirdness without affectation. It makes the world feel like a rich and mysterious place. More of a natural high, then.
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part I (12A)
(David Yates, 2010, UK/Us) Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint. 146 mins
Given the choice between giving their audience a treat and milking them as much as possible,...
(Apitchatpong Weerasethakul, 2010, Thai/UK/Fra/Spa/Ger/Neth) Thanapat Saisaymar, Jenjira Pongpas, Sakda Kaewbuadee. 113 mins
Not for nothing was this dubbed "Uncle bong hit" when it took the top prize at Cannes this year. With its non-linear plot and fantastical elements – ghosts, ape-men, talking catfish, etc – woven into a story of a dying farmer in modern-day Thailand, it sounds like a far-out 1960s head-trip. But in reality (if that's the right word), it's a calm, sensual, captivating daydream of a movie that wears its weirdness without affectation. It makes the world feel like a rich and mysterious place. More of a natural high, then.
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part I (12A)
(David Yates, 2010, UK/Us) Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint. 146 mins
Given the choice between giving their audience a treat and milking them as much as possible,...
- 11/20/2010
- by The guide
- The Guardian - Film News
The story of how Peeping Tom (1960) all but ended director Michael Powell's career is a sad one. But there was a silver lining, in the form of a silver haired Martin Scorsese who was instrumental in the reappraisal the film started to receive in the late 70s. Looking at it now, certainly for those of us born post 1960, it's hard to imagine the fuss it caused being labelled amongst other things as "the sickest and filthiest film I can remember seeing" by the short-sighted British press. If it was made a decade later, one wonders how the reception may have changed with Bonnie and Clyde breaking cover and Straw Dogs just around the corner...
Mark Lewis is an awkward young man who spends his days working as a focus-puller for a film crew, with dreams of becoming a director himself. In his spare time he also photographs glamour models for a seedy Soho newsagent,...
Mark Lewis is an awkward young man who spends his days working as a focus-puller for a film crew, with dreams of becoming a director himself. In his spare time he also photographs glamour models for a seedy Soho newsagent,...
- 11/17/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Title: The Oxford Murders Directed By: Alex de la Iglesia Starring: Elijah Wood, John Hurt, Leonor Watling, Julie Cox, Jim Carter, Burn Gorman, Anna Massey Who doesn’t love a good riddle? Even if you can’t solve it on the spot, someone gives you the answer and even hearing the logic of it after the fact is immensely entertaining. But what fun is a riddle you can’t understand? None and that’s why The Oxford Murders fails. You’re curious, but then get a slew of wildly fantastical twists and turns making you wish you could just give up and find out the answer. But until you can watch this one on DVD, [...]...
- 8/8/2010
- by Perri Nemiroff
- ShockYa
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