The most notorious unmade Stanley Kubrick project is probably his "Napoleon," a massive biopic that the director infamously researched for years. In 2012, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art hosted a Kubrick exhibit, and guests were permitted to see Kubrick's filing cabinet where he stored thousands of hand-written notecards, each one detailing a single day in Napoleon Bonaparte's life. Kubrick worked on "Napoleon" in the 1970s, and claimed he wanted Jack Nicholson to play the part. Kubrick wrote a screenplay, secured filming locations in Romania, and was all ready to go. The 1970 film "Waterloo" bombed, however, and the then-recent film version of "War and Peace" threatened to flood the market with too much Napoleon. A lot of Kubrick's "Napoleon" research went into the production of 1975's "Barry Lyndon."
Kubrick's unrealized projects are plentiful. Audiences may also know all about Kubrick's plans to make "A.I.: Artificial Intelligence" near the end of his life,...
Kubrick's unrealized projects are plentiful. Audiences may also know all about Kubrick's plans to make "A.I.: Artificial Intelligence" near the end of his life,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Turner Classic Movies, the leading authority and definitive home of classic film, will celebrate its 30th anniversary on April 14, 2024. To honor the milestone, TCM will present on-air programming salutes featuring TCM staff who were there from the very beginning, as well as a 24-hour marathon of films with historical introductions from TCM’s first host and champion, Robert Osborne.
“How many other channels on television celebrate their anniversary? How many other channels’ fans know where they were the day a network launched?” says TCM Primetime Host Ben Mankiewicz. “I’m not sure either of those things are true without Robert Osborne. He’s the Walter Cronkite of TCM. The Johnny Carson. The Alex Trebek. With these intros of Robert’s, we’re celebrating his impact and his continued influence. Plus, as we do with the movies we show, we’ll put Robert into context. Additionally, we’ll also look back...
“How many other channels on television celebrate their anniversary? How many other channels’ fans know where they were the day a network launched?” says TCM Primetime Host Ben Mankiewicz. “I’m not sure either of those things are true without Robert Osborne. He’s the Walter Cronkite of TCM. The Johnny Carson. The Alex Trebek. With these intros of Robert’s, we’re celebrating his impact and his continued influence. Plus, as we do with the movies we show, we’ll put Robert into context. Additionally, we’ll also look back...
- 3/14/2024
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
I honestly never expected Steven Spielberg in a Criterion Channel series––certainly not one that pairs him with Kogonada, anime, and Johnny Mnemonic––but so’s the power of artificial intelligence. Perhaps his greatest film (at this point I don’t need to tell you the title) plays with After Yang, Ghost in the Shell, and pre-Matrix Keanu in July’s aptly titled “AI” boasting also Spike Jonze’s Her, Carpenter’s Dark Star, and Computer Chess. Much more analog is a British Noir collection obviously carrying the likes of Odd Man Out, Night and the City, and The Small Back Room, further filled by Joseph Losey’s Time Without Pity and Basil Dearden’s It Always Rains on Sunday. (No two ways about it: these movies have great titles.) An Elvis retrospective brings six features, and the consensus best (Don Siegel’s Flaming Star) comes September 1.
While Isabella Rossellini...
While Isabella Rossellini...
- 6/22/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
The desert will again be a hotbed of deceit and larceny in luxurious black-and-white as the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival returns to Palm Springs this Thursday through Sunday, with the quintessential noir classics “The Killing” and “Double Indemnity” bookending a marathon weekend that otherwise tends toward more rarely screened ‘40s and ‘50s titles.
Several sons or daughters of the original actors or directors will be on hand, but of special interest to festival attendees will be the presence of one of the actual filmmakers: James B. Harris, 94, Stanley Kubrick’s producing partner for several of his best early films, who’ll be able to speak first-hand about the making of 1956’s “The Killing,” the crime drama that turned out to be Kubrick’s first real masterpiece.
“I’m just utterly thrilled that ‘The Killing’ will show and Jimmy will be the guest on opening night,” says the festival’s longtime guiding light,...
Several sons or daughters of the original actors or directors will be on hand, but of special interest to festival attendees will be the presence of one of the actual filmmakers: James B. Harris, 94, Stanley Kubrick’s producing partner for several of his best early films, who’ll be able to speak first-hand about the making of 1956’s “The Killing,” the crime drama that turned out to be Kubrick’s first real masterpiece.
“I’m just utterly thrilled that ‘The Killing’ will show and Jimmy will be the guest on opening night,” says the festival’s longtime guiding light,...
- 5/9/2023
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
The first time you see Marlon Brando in the 1961 Western "One-Eyed Jacks," he's robbing a bank. But it's not an action scene. The actor is instead eating bananas and weighing the peels on a scale meant for coins, relaxed and confident while his posse finishes up the robbery.
That approach is typical of the film, which would be the only movie Brando ever directed. The actor had become renowned for his fusion of masculine intensity and sensitivity to minute details, but he was also fast becoming known for his own eccentric behavior, something that naturally found its way into his performances. You see it in his best films and in his worst, a unique and immediate screen presence that radically changed the film.
Whether "One-Eyed Jacks" is a misunderstood masterpiece or a bizarre psychological Western, it's notable for demonstrating the actor's capability with filmmaking. It's also notable that it destroyed...
That approach is typical of the film, which would be the only movie Brando ever directed. The actor had become renowned for his fusion of masculine intensity and sensitivity to minute details, but he was also fast becoming known for his own eccentric behavior, something that naturally found its way into his performances. You see it in his best films and in his worst, a unique and immediate screen presence that radically changed the film.
Whether "One-Eyed Jacks" is a misunderstood masterpiece or a bizarre psychological Western, it's notable for demonstrating the actor's capability with filmmaking. It's also notable that it destroyed...
- 4/1/2023
- by Anthony Crislip
- Slash Film
Gerald Fried, the Oscar-nominated composer known for scoring the original Star Trek series and Roots, has died at the age of 95.
Fried died on Friday, February 17th, of pneumonia, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The New York City native scored a number of early Star Trek episodes beginning in 1966. Most notably, he composed the music for the season two episode “Amok Time,” which soundtracked the battle between William Shatner’s Kirk and Leonard Nimoy’s Spock. The music from “Amok Time” was featured on several subsequent episodes of Star Trek, as well as on The Simpsons and Futurama and in the movie The Cable Guy.
In 1977, after original composer Quincy Jones suffered from writers block, Fried was brought on to compose music for the ABC miniseries Roots. He ended up composing the theme song, as well as the underscores for several episodes. For his efforts, Fried was awarded a Primetime Emmy Award.
Fried died on Friday, February 17th, of pneumonia, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The New York City native scored a number of early Star Trek episodes beginning in 1966. Most notably, he composed the music for the season two episode “Amok Time,” which soundtracked the battle between William Shatner’s Kirk and Leonard Nimoy’s Spock. The music from “Amok Time” was featured on several subsequent episodes of Star Trek, as well as on The Simpsons and Futurama and in the movie The Cable Guy.
In 1977, after original composer Quincy Jones suffered from writers block, Fried was brought on to compose music for the ABC miniseries Roots. He ended up composing the theme song, as well as the underscores for several episodes. For his efforts, Fried was awarded a Primetime Emmy Award.
- 2/19/2023
- by Alex Young
- Consequence - Music
Gerald Fried, the Oscar-nominated, oboe-playing composer who created iconic gladiatorial fight music for the original Star Trek series and collaborated with Quincy Jones to win an Emmy for their theme to the landmark miniseries Roots, has died. He was 95.
Fried died Friday of pneumonia at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Connecticut, his wife, Anita Hall, told The Hollywood Reporter.
After meeting Stanley Kubrick on a baseball field in the Bronx in the early 1950s, Fried wound up scoring the filmmaker’s first four features: Fear and Desire (1953), Killer’s Kiss (1955), The Killing (1956) and Paths of Glory (1957).
Fried also supplied the music for such cult Roger Corman classics as Machine-Gun Kelly (1958), The Cry Baby Killer (1958) and I Mobster (1959). He also worked with directors Larry Peerce on One Potato Two Potato (1964) and The Bell Jar (1979), as well as with Robert Aldrich on The Killing of Sister George (1968), What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?...
Fried died Friday of pneumonia at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Connecticut, his wife, Anita Hall, told The Hollywood Reporter.
After meeting Stanley Kubrick on a baseball field in the Bronx in the early 1950s, Fried wound up scoring the filmmaker’s first four features: Fear and Desire (1953), Killer’s Kiss (1955), The Killing (1956) and Paths of Glory (1957).
Fried also supplied the music for such cult Roger Corman classics as Machine-Gun Kelly (1958), The Cry Baby Killer (1958) and I Mobster (1959). He also worked with directors Larry Peerce on One Potato Two Potato (1964) and The Bell Jar (1979), as well as with Robert Aldrich on The Killing of Sister George (1968), What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?...
- 2/18/2023
- by Chris Koseluk
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Composer Gerald Fried, who won an Emmy for the landmark miniseries “Roots” and whose 1960s scores, from “Star Trek” to “Gilligan’s Island,” left an indelible impression on a generation of TV watchers, died of pneumonia Friday at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Ct. He was 95.
His wide-ranging career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing”; receiving the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It”; and earning five other Emmy nominations for music in specials, TV movies and miniseries.
The prolific Fried scored approximately 40 films, some three dozen TV-movies and miniseries, and episodes of another 40 TV series during a career that spanned more than six decades.
Among his most famous TV series music was from the original “Star Trek.” He scored five episodes of the series, most famously the Spock-in-heat episode “Amok Time,” which...
His wide-ranging career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing”; receiving the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It”; and earning five other Emmy nominations for music in specials, TV movies and miniseries.
The prolific Fried scored approximately 40 films, some three dozen TV-movies and miniseries, and episodes of another 40 TV series during a career that spanned more than six decades.
Among his most famous TV series music was from the original “Star Trek.” He scored five episodes of the series, most famously the Spock-in-heat episode “Amok Time,” which...
- 2/18/2023
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
This picture looks as modern and radical as anything from Italy in the 1960s, yet it’s a tough-talking take on hardboiled crime caper fiction. In three pictures Stanley Kubrick went from amateur to contender: now he has a like-minded producer, a top-flight cast, and the help of the legendary pulp author Jim Thompson. Sterling Hayden, Marie Windsor, Elisha Cook Jr., Coleen Gray, Vince Edwards peg the cynical film noir style, and Kubrick maintains the source book’s splintered chronology for the tense racetrack heist. All Hollywood took notice — at least that part of the industry looking out for daring, progressive storytelling. Now in 4K, Kubrick’s superb B&w images look better than ever.
The Killing
4K Ultra HD
Kl Studio Classics
1956 / B&w / 1:66 widescreen / 84 min. / Street Date July 26, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 39.95
Starring: Sterling Hayden, Marie Windsor, Elisha Cook Jr., Coleen Gray, Vince Edwards, Jay C. Flippen,...
The Killing
4K Ultra HD
Kl Studio Classics
1956 / B&w / 1:66 widescreen / 84 min. / Street Date July 26, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 39.95
Starring: Sterling Hayden, Marie Windsor, Elisha Cook Jr., Coleen Gray, Vince Edwards, Jay C. Flippen,...
- 7/30/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
After a hiatus as theaters in New York City closed their doors during the pandemic, we’re delighted to announce the return of NYC Weekend Watch, our weekly round-up of repertory offerings. While many theaters are still focused on a selection of new releases, a handful of worthwhile repertory screenings are taking place.
Film Forum
A huge Humphrey Bogart series has begun; Le Cercle Rouge and La Piscine continue.
Museum of the Moving Image
2001 continues, while a rare 35mm print of Kubrick’s debut Fear and Desire plays this Friday, Killer’s Kiss on Sunday; Rollerball and Thief play Saturday to conclude this year’s Caan Film Festival.
Film at Lincoln Center
The restoration of Hou Hsiao-hsien’s masterpiece Flowers of Shanghai continues.
IFC Center
Working Girls and the World of Wong Kar-wai continue.
Roxy Cinema
Body Double and a print of Body Heat are screening.
The post NYC Weekend Watch: Humphrey Bogart,...
Film Forum
A huge Humphrey Bogart series has begun; Le Cercle Rouge and La Piscine continue.
Museum of the Moving Image
2001 continues, while a rare 35mm print of Kubrick’s debut Fear and Desire plays this Friday, Killer’s Kiss on Sunday; Rollerball and Thief play Saturday to conclude this year’s Caan Film Festival.
Film at Lincoln Center
The restoration of Hou Hsiao-hsien’s masterpiece Flowers of Shanghai continues.
IFC Center
Working Girls and the World of Wong Kar-wai continue.
Roxy Cinema
Body Double and a print of Body Heat are screening.
The post NYC Weekend Watch: Humphrey Bogart,...
- 7/16/2021
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Nobody director Ilya Naishuller joins Josh and Joe to talk about his favorite movies.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Nobody (2021)
Hardcore Henry (2016)
Billy Jack (1971)
My Winnipeg (2007)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Top Gun (1986)
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Seven (1995)
Bill Hicks: Revelations (1993)
The Mission (1986)
The Killing Fields (1984)
Captivity (2007)
The Killing (1956)
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)
Once Upon A Time In America (1984)
You And I (2008)
Infested (2002)
No Country For Old Men (2007)
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
Goodfellas (1990)
Goldfinger (1964)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
Papillon (1973)
Papillon (2017)
Midnight Run (1988)
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Oldboy (2003)
Parasite (2019)
Assassins (1995)
Ladder 49 (2004)
Waterworld (1995)
Heathers (1989)
Mad Max (1979)
A History Of Violence (2005)
The ’Burbs (1989)
Punishment Park (1971)
The War Game (1966)
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Uncut Gems (2019)
Culloden (1964)
Bonnie Prince Charlie (1948)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Fail Safe (1964)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
Let The Right One In (2008)
Patton (1970)
Hardcore (1979)
Mr. Nobody (2009)
District 9 (2009)
Paths of Glory (1957)
A Clockwork Orange...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Nobody (2021)
Hardcore Henry (2016)
Billy Jack (1971)
My Winnipeg (2007)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Top Gun (1986)
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Seven (1995)
Bill Hicks: Revelations (1993)
The Mission (1986)
The Killing Fields (1984)
Captivity (2007)
The Killing (1956)
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)
Once Upon A Time In America (1984)
You And I (2008)
Infested (2002)
No Country For Old Men (2007)
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
Goodfellas (1990)
Goldfinger (1964)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
Papillon (1973)
Papillon (2017)
Midnight Run (1988)
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Oldboy (2003)
Parasite (2019)
Assassins (1995)
Ladder 49 (2004)
Waterworld (1995)
Heathers (1989)
Mad Max (1979)
A History Of Violence (2005)
The ’Burbs (1989)
Punishment Park (1971)
The War Game (1966)
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Uncut Gems (2019)
Culloden (1964)
Bonnie Prince Charlie (1948)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Fail Safe (1964)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
Let The Right One In (2008)
Patton (1970)
Hardcore (1979)
Mr. Nobody (2009)
District 9 (2009)
Paths of Glory (1957)
A Clockwork Orange...
- 3/30/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Producers Bruce Hendricks and Galen Walker have optioned the rights to Stanley Kubrick’s “Lunatic at Large,” one of three unmade Kubrick screenplays discovered in the film director’s library after his death in March 1999. Variety first reported the news. While plot details for “Lunatic at Large” are a mystery, Hendricks and Walker describe Kubrick’s script as a “film noir thriller in keeping with other collaborations between Kubrick and his frequent collaborator, screenwriter Jim Thompson.” Kubrick and Thompson’s shared filmography includes the 1956 film noir “The Killing,” plus “Paths of Glory” and “Spartacus.”
“The opportunity to bring a Stanley Kubrick project to the screen after so many years is a dream come true,” Walker said in a statement. “We look forward to making a film in keeping with his unique style and vision.”
Hendricks added, “Stanley Kubrick was an enormous influence on so many directors, and we are honored...
“The opportunity to bring a Stanley Kubrick project to the screen after so many years is a dream come true,” Walker said in a statement. “We look forward to making a film in keeping with his unique style and vision.”
Hendricks added, “Stanley Kubrick was an enormous influence on so many directors, and we are honored...
- 2/10/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Albert Hughes takes us on a wild journey through the movies that made him, then explains why he’s not a cinephile (Spoiler: He is). Heads up – you’re going to hear some words you’ve never heard on our show before, and only one of them is Metropolis.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Gremlins (1984)
A Christmas Story (1983)
The Candidate (1972)
Menace II Society (1993)
Die Hard (1988)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Scarface (1983)
Goodfellas (1990)
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Raging Bull (1980)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Alpha (2018)
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
Metropolis (1927)
True Romance (1993)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
The Matrix (1999)
Man Bites Dog (1992)
Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003)
A Serbian Film (2010)
Scarface (1932)
The Book of Eli (2010)
The Departed (2006)
Infernal Affairs (2002)
The Godfather (1972)
Casino (1995)
JFK (1991)
Dead Presidents (1996)
Eve’s Bayou (1997)
Basic Instinct (1992)
Psycho (1960)
The Cremator (1969)
The Firemen’s Ball (1967)
Halloween (2018)
From Hell (2001)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Hoffa (1992)
V For Vendetta (2005)
Spartacus (1960)
You Were Never Really Here...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Gremlins (1984)
A Christmas Story (1983)
The Candidate (1972)
Menace II Society (1993)
Die Hard (1988)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Scarface (1983)
Goodfellas (1990)
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Raging Bull (1980)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Alpha (2018)
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
Metropolis (1927)
True Romance (1993)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
The Matrix (1999)
Man Bites Dog (1992)
Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003)
A Serbian Film (2010)
Scarface (1932)
The Book of Eli (2010)
The Departed (2006)
Infernal Affairs (2002)
The Godfather (1972)
Casino (1995)
JFK (1991)
Dead Presidents (1996)
Eve’s Bayou (1997)
Basic Instinct (1992)
Psycho (1960)
The Cremator (1969)
The Firemen’s Ball (1967)
Halloween (2018)
From Hell (2001)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Hoffa (1992)
V For Vendetta (2005)
Spartacus (1960)
You Were Never Really Here...
- 9/29/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
It’s mid-summer. Normally we’d be covering the openings of “The Forever Purge” and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” with “Minions: Rise of Gru” in its second weekend competing for #1. As usual, all franchise titles, likely all hits.
Thirty-three years ago on the same weekend, another “franchise” was #2. His name was Stanley Kubrick, and “Full Metal Jacket,” his 12th film, went wide and began its successful road to profit.
The master filmmaker’s first release in seven years, “Jacket” continued his fruitful exclusive relationship with Warner Bros. (similar to the studio’s ties with Clint Eastwood and Christopher Nolan). Atypically for the season and the studio, it started as a limited release on June 26, then expanded on July 10. 12 years later his posthumously released “Eyes Wide Shut” opened on July 16. It’s impossible imagining either going in summer or even being made.
Kubrick’s ability to make such esoteric films didn’t happen in a vacuum.
Thirty-three years ago on the same weekend, another “franchise” was #2. His name was Stanley Kubrick, and “Full Metal Jacket,” his 12th film, went wide and began its successful road to profit.
The master filmmaker’s first release in seven years, “Jacket” continued his fruitful exclusive relationship with Warner Bros. (similar to the studio’s ties with Clint Eastwood and Christopher Nolan). Atypically for the season and the studio, it started as a limited release on June 26, then expanded on July 10. 12 years later his posthumously released “Eyes Wide Shut” opened on July 16. It’s impossible imagining either going in summer or even being made.
Kubrick’s ability to make such esoteric films didn’t happen in a vacuum.
- 7/12/2020
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Stanley Kubrick was a sucker for order, so he might have appreciated the desire to catalogue his career. However, since his films often warn against placing too much faith in systems, perhaps he knew that this way madness lies.
Frankly, most of his films have fair claim to being number one, so establishing first amongst equals means some hard choices have been made along the way - just try not to trigger the doomsday device or start swinging the axe if you don't agree.
So without further ado, let's open the pod bay doors and enter the enigmatic, exceptional work of Stanley Kubrick.
13. Fear and Desire (1953)
Even a genius has to start somewhere. Already a successful magazine photographer and documentary maker, 24-year-old Kubrick directed his debut about a military mission on limited funds - it was shot silently with sound added later.
Plagued by difficulties, Kubrick later called it "a completely inept oddity,...
Frankly, most of his films have fair claim to being number one, so establishing first amongst equals means some hard choices have been made along the way - just try not to trigger the doomsday device or start swinging the axe if you don't agree.
So without further ado, let's open the pod bay doors and enter the enigmatic, exceptional work of Stanley Kubrick.
13. Fear and Desire (1953)
Even a genius has to start somewhere. Already a successful magazine photographer and documentary maker, 24-year-old Kubrick directed his debut about a military mission on limited funds - it was shot silently with sound added later.
Plagued by difficulties, Kubrick later called it "a completely inept oddity,...
- 7/26/2015
- Digital Spy
Ingmar Bergman shot soap commercials, Orson Welles did radio and Stanley Kubrick took pictures: not every aspiring filmmaker was a dyed-in-the-wool cineaste. Stanley Kubrick took these photos in Chicago, around age 21, during his days at American coffee table magazine Look as a staff photographer. These shadowy images have the look of early Kubrick noir "Killer's Kiss" (1955) and "The Killing" (1956), before he abandoned black-and-white thrillers for his austere arthouse pictures. Find lots more from the series over at Mashable. (And see how young Kubrick pioneered the auteur selfie!)...
- 10/27/2014
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Without the help of some brave investors, or the pockets of their makers, the following films would never have existed...
It's now a fairly common mantra that you'd be a fool to put up all of your own personal money into a feature film. By all means invest, but share the risk, or throw a few quid at Kickstarter.
Paying for the bulk of the negative/hard drive yourself, and leaving your own assets exposed? Utter lunacy.
Not that anyone told this lot...
The Passion Of The Christ Paid for by: Mel Gibson
For some time, Mel Gibson had, alongside his acting roles, been heavily invested in his production company, Icon. As such, he had two significant ways to earn money, and he needed both of them when it came to making The Passion Of The Christ.
This is the kind of film that studios run a mile from. All...
It's now a fairly common mantra that you'd be a fool to put up all of your own personal money into a feature film. By all means invest, but share the risk, or throw a few quid at Kickstarter.
Paying for the bulk of the negative/hard drive yourself, and leaving your own assets exposed? Utter lunacy.
Not that anyone told this lot...
The Passion Of The Christ Paid for by: Mel Gibson
For some time, Mel Gibson had, alongside his acting roles, been heavily invested in his production company, Icon. As such, he had two significant ways to earn money, and he needed both of them when it came to making The Passion Of The Christ.
This is the kind of film that studios run a mile from. All...
- 7/31/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
"Room 237" is hardly your average documentary. Not only does it float some very out-there theories about what Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" is really about, it illustrates those points with clips from both the 1980 horror classic and dozens of other movies. Every single shot in the film is from an existing flick, including ones from Kubrick, Hitchcock, and Spielberg, as well as classic horror movies and silent films. Moviefone sat down with director Rodney Ascher and producer Tim Kirk, who provided insight into some of their choices. In the same spirit of obsessiveness, we've compiled every movie featured in "Room 237," below “The Shining” "Lolita" "Spartacus" "Eyes Wide Shut" "Paths of Glory" "Barry Lyndon" "2001: A Space Odyssey" "The Killing" "Fear and Desire" "Killer's Kiss" "Dr. Strangelove" "A Clockwork Orange" “Full Metal Jacket" "Drums Along the Mohawk" "The Battle of Apache Pass" "The White Buffalo" "Sitting Bull at the...
- 3/28/2013
- by Alex Suskind
- Moviefone
Deadly Puppies is comprised of Hyejin June Hong and Ori Kleiner and they put together the following 76-second animated tribute to the works of Stanley Kubrick, which tease the filmmaker's films chronologically beginning with Fear and Desire and continuing through Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket and, finally, Eyes Wide Shut. Give it a look below.
- 3/8/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
In anticipation of the March 29 opening of Rodney Ascher's documentary "Room 237," New York's IFC Center is mounting a complete retrospective of the the films of Stanley Kubrick. The series, entitled "Fear and Desire: The Films of Stanley Kubrick," runs from March 21-28 and will include all thirteen full-length features directed by Kubrick, a;; screened in 35mm and digital restoration prints, from his low budget independent debut "Fear and Desire," to his Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman starring final film "Eyes Wide Shut." Also included in the program, is the Kubrick conceived "AI: Artificial Intelligence" -- directed by Steven Spielberg after the director's death -- and a rare screening of Kubrick's early films "Killer's Kiss" and "The Killing." In addition to the screenings, a related exhibition of international movie posters from Kubrick's career will be held at the...
- 2/22/2013
- by Cameron Sinz
- Indiewire
As the much-anticipated Stanley Kubrick exhibition opened at Lacma on November 1, the museum hosts a parallel film retrospective of the director's 13 feature films, screening in chronological order. This puts Kubrick's two least-seen yet remarkable works, "Fear and Desire" and "Killer's Kiss," as the inaugural double-header for the film series on November 9. "Fear and Desire" was made in 1953, when Kubrick was just 24. Already an obsessive perfectionist, the young director reportedly had the negative of the film destroyed, calling the work "a completely inept oddity." But "Fear and Desire" is far better than Kubrick's withering estimation. The film opens on a vast expanse of forest, and narration tells us: "There is a war in this forest. Not a war that has been fought, nor one that will be, but any war." Four soldiers have survived a plane crash, and now remain stranded six miles behind enemy...
- 11/9/2012
- by Beth Hanna
- Thompson on Hollywood
This week on Toh!, we covered the start of both AFI Fest (with "Hitchcock" as the opening night film) and Afm, we followed Hurricane Sandy's violent effects on the Northeast, looked at Disney's major purchase of Lucasfilm and much more! Awards: The Hollywood Foreign Press Loves Women, Including Jodie Foster Interviews: "Seal Team Six" Director John Stockwell Talks Fact and Fiction, Harvey Weinstein, "Zero Dark Thirty" Features: Rating "Psycho," Behind-the-Scenes "Hitchcock" and the Universal Hitchcock Fifteen Immersed in Movies: Previewing "Rise of the Guardians" Makeup Artists Talk Challenges of "Cloud Atlas": Multiple Characters, Movie Stars Hanks & Berry, Yellowface and Political Correctness Challenge! Take David Thomson's Second Stump-the-Film-Buff Quiz Kubrick's Early Odyssey: "Fear and Desire" and "Killer's Kiss" ...
- 11/3/2012
- by Beth Hanna
- Thompson on Hollywood
You'd think a movie starring Marlon Brando at the height of his young-firebrand sex appeal, written by Nobel laureate John Steinbeck, and directed by the great Elia Kazan, would be better remembered today. Yet "Viva Zapata!", released exactly 60 years ago (on Feburary 7, 1952), is all but regarded as a footnote in the careers of Brando, Steinbeck, and Kazan. That's a shame, since it's at once a terrifically exciting action film, a heroic biopic, and a penetrating political study. Of course, even then, it was an odd one -- a movie about legendary figures in Mexican history portrayed by an almost Mexican-free cast; a movie about a pro-peasant revolutionary hero made at a time of anti-Communist hysteria in Hollywood. That it got made at all was remarkable, given the battles over censorship and casting, not to mention the battles between Brando and co-star Anthony Quinn, whose bitter tension often erupted into elaborate pranks and practical jokes.
- 2/7/2012
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
As a Hollywood ad man from the early 60s through the early 90s, Merv Bloch developed campaigns for dozens and dozens of major motion pictures (here's the tip of the iceberg), and he's got stories to tell, names to drop and photos to point to when Steve Macfarlane drops by his Upper West Side office for an interview for the L. "Bloch grew up in Manhattan; as a high school student, he caught word that a movie was being shot in his apartment building. He perched himself in a corner and, for hours, watched a scene reworked ad nauseum by a lanky, nasal-voiced director in his early 20s: it was Stanley Kubrick, shooting Killer's Kiss." The fun begins. Bloch produced but one feature, Nelson Lyon's The Telephone Book (1971), which he described in 2009 as "a dark comedy about a girl who falls in love with the world's greatest obscene phone call.
- 1/25/2012
- MUBI
Back in August of 2011 Criterion hinted they would be adding the classic Japanese monster movie Godzilla (Gojira) to their collection. This immediately sparked online enthusiasm and was shortly thereafter confirmed for release. And not only would we be receiving a new high-definition digital restoration of the 1954 original, but an HD restoration of Terry Morse's 1956 Godzilla, King of the Monsters along with a commentary on both films and a disc full of interviews and featurettes. For me, however, the biggest realization at that time was... I had never seen Godzilla, a fact I remedied only days later. In what served as good preparation for this release, last August I watched both Ishiro Honda's 1954 original as well as Morse's remake from a couple of years later for the first time, the latter of which uses footage from Honda's film and recuts it around a new story featuring Raymond Burr as American journalist Steve Martin who,...
- 1/23/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Best Contemporary Titles
Winner: "The Tree of Life"
Runner-up: "Black Swan"
Love it or hate it, Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" is visually the most luscious film of the year and Blu-ray transfer recreates this in perfect detail. No digital artifacts or enhancements are done here, there is a bit of grain but that's expected with the photography on offer, while the IMAX 65mm sequences are true visual wonders.
Coming in second is my favourite film of last year, Darren Aronofsky's psychological thriller "Black Swan". Here is a challenge of a different sort, a film shot on both 16mm film and off the shelf Dslr video cameras. The result is a deliberately soft and grainy handheld-style image which lends a realistic documentary feel to proceedings and could look terrible if the Blu-ray transfer was handled poorly. Full kudos to Fox for a high quality presentation lacking in...
Winner: "The Tree of Life"
Runner-up: "Black Swan"
Love it or hate it, Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" is visually the most luscious film of the year and Blu-ray transfer recreates this in perfect detail. No digital artifacts or enhancements are done here, there is a bit of grain but that's expected with the photography on offer, while the IMAX 65mm sequences are true visual wonders.
Coming in second is my favourite film of last year, Darren Aronofsky's psychological thriller "Black Swan". Here is a challenge of a different sort, a film shot on both 16mm film and off the shelf Dslr video cameras. The result is a deliberately soft and grainy handheld-style image which lends a realistic documentary feel to proceedings and could look terrible if the Blu-ray transfer was handled poorly. Full kudos to Fox for a high quality presentation lacking in...
- 1/3/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Thanks to Criterion, Stanley Kubrick's The Seafarers is now the only film from the iconic director not available on Blu-ray. Criterion recently brought Kubrick's Paths of Glory to beautiful high-definition and now the director's 1956 heist feature, The Killing, arrives with a special inclusion, the helmer's 1955 feature Killer's Kiss. Releasing The Killing is one thing and should be enough to get you to buy this title, but the fact it also includes Killer's Kiss pretty much means any Kubrick fan simply has to buy it. I'm sorry, but those are the rules.
The screenplay was co-written by Kubrick with dialogue by pulp novelist Jim Thompson (though Thompson would later claim he wrote most of the film, a spat that almost ended their relationship), The Killing is based on "Clean Break" by Lionel White. The story is told using a fractured narrative, following the planning of a racetrack robbery. Throughout the film's brisk,...
The screenplay was co-written by Kubrick with dialogue by pulp novelist Jim Thompson (though Thompson would later claim he wrote most of the film, a spat that almost ended their relationship), The Killing is based on "Clean Break" by Lionel White. The story is told using a fractured narrative, following the planning of a racetrack robbery. Throughout the film's brisk,...
- 9/27/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
When it comes to owning movies the last concern of mine is the supplements. Special features are akin to the sprinkles on a cupcake most of the time and rarely do they add to the flavor of the overall package. Certainly there are moments when features stand out, such as the inclusion of Killer's Kiss on Criterion's release of Stanley Kubrick's The Killing, but if you're going to try comparing a studio release to a Criterion release you're already fighting a losing battle.
When it comes to Hanna, a film that sits easily in my top two of 2011 so far all, all I cared about was whether or not the film would be presented with a picture perfect image and crisp soundtrack and in both departments the Blu-ray scores high marks. Clarity can be found in all corners as the film bounces from the icy wilds of Finland to the scorched desert of Morocco,...
When it comes to Hanna, a film that sits easily in my top two of 2011 so far all, all I cared about was whether or not the film would be presented with a picture perfect image and crisp soundtrack and in both departments the Blu-ray scores high marks. Clarity can be found in all corners as the film bounces from the icy wilds of Finland to the scorched desert of Morocco,...
- 9/6/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
And 10 Things Learned From The Criterion Collection's Release Of The Classic Film Noir Last week, the Criterion Collection released, "The Killing," Stanley Kubrick's ambitious 1956 classic film noir. While it was technically his third feature-length effort ("Fear and Desire" he disavowed as an amateur work and "Killer's Kiss" was so low-budget it was shot without sound and the actors dubbed in their lines later), "The Killing" was arguably Kubrick's first real picture with a budget and real cast. Produced by James B. Harris (he would also produce "Paths of Glory" and "Lolita"), "The Killing" was written by Kubrick and…...
- 8/23/2011
- The Playlist
"Often unfairly dismissed as a minor prelude to Stanley Kubrick's work from his attention-demanding antiwar indictment Paths of Glory onwards, 1956's The Killing finds the master imposing Big Direction on Small Ideas," argues Vadim Rizov at GreenCine Daily. "Instead of the headier themes associated with Kubrick — nuclear war, Vietnam, extraterrestrial monoliths — here is an 84-minute noir, adapted from a Lionel White novel by expert nihilist Jim Thompson, confined to the bare minimum of sets and a few street exteriors. The dialogue has Thompson's characteristic mean-spirited tone: when Sherry Peatty (Marie Windsor) tells her lover Val Cannon (Vince Edwards) about her meek husband George's (Elisha Cook Jr) upcoming involvement in a robbery, he scoffs. 'That meatball?' Sherry corrects him: 'A meatball with gravy.'"
"The first product of the reportedly strained, multi-film collaboration between Kubrick and Thompson, their incendiary script for The Killing remains cinematic legend, lightning trapped in...
"The first product of the reportedly strained, multi-film collaboration between Kubrick and Thompson, their incendiary script for The Killing remains cinematic legend, lightning trapped in...
- 8/19/2011
- MUBI
Now this is good stuff and thanks goes to Awards Daily for bringing to my attention.
Designed by Martin Woutisseth with music by Romain Trouillet the following is an animated filmography of director Stanley Kubrick's work from 1955's Killer's Kiss to 1999's Eyes Wide Shut.
The caption that accompanied the video reads as: "Animation made with mixing each Kubrick's movies. Typography, colors, patterns and symbols are re interprating. The old man is watching behind his life, nostalgic and the young one is thinking about his future to write."
Check it out below. Kubrick fans will certainly enjoy these three minutes and 31 seconds.
Designed by Martin Woutisseth with music by Romain Trouillet the following is an animated filmography of director Stanley Kubrick's work from 1955's Killer's Kiss to 1999's Eyes Wide Shut.
The caption that accompanied the video reads as: "Animation made with mixing each Kubrick's movies. Typography, colors, patterns and symbols are re interprating. The old man is watching behind his life, nostalgic and the young one is thinking about his future to write."
Check it out below. Kubrick fans will certainly enjoy these three minutes and 31 seconds.
- 4/29/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
If you're a true movie fan, then you without doubt love at least one of the many great works of the late Stanley Kubrick, if not most of them.
With titles like A Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Spartacus, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, and Full Metal Jacket to his name, Kubrick is a true god of cinema, worthy of endless discussion.
All of that said, popular movie podcast and good friends to Geeks of Doom, Movie Geeks United! (featuring our own Jerry Dennis) is currently in the midst of an epic 8-part series celebrating the life and works of this legendary filmmaker -- a tribute to a man whose name will live on for eternity that no fan should miss.
The first episode in the series, titled The Journey to Strangelove, aired this past Sunday and discussed Kubrick's earlier works,...
With titles like A Clockwork Orange, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Spartacus, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, and Full Metal Jacket to his name, Kubrick is a true god of cinema, worthy of endless discussion.
All of that said, popular movie podcast and good friends to Geeks of Doom, Movie Geeks United! (featuring our own Jerry Dennis) is currently in the midst of an epic 8-part series celebrating the life and works of this legendary filmmaker -- a tribute to a man whose name will live on for eternity that no fan should miss.
The first episode in the series, titled The Journey to Strangelove, aired this past Sunday and discussed Kubrick's earlier works,...
- 12/8/2010
- by The Movie God
- Geeks of Doom
Paths of Glory Quick Thoughts:
I have not yet seen the whole of Stanley Kubrick's readily available filmography. The one film that eludes me is 1962's Lolita after finally watching Barry Lyndon last December. It wasn't until August 1, 2008 that I finally saw Paths of Glory for the first time, and with each viewing of a Kubrick film the feeling you are watching something special never escapes your conscience. His films are unlike most anything you've seen before and you can tell when today's filmmakers are trying to accomplish something along similar lines. Even earlier this year, Christopher Nolan's Inception was referred to as Kubrickian by indieWire's Anne Thompson and whether you agree or not, it's evident Kubrick's stamp on cinema is one that will be felt throughout the ages.
Kubrick's often discussed as being one of the only directors to tackle all genres, but as noted by his...
I have not yet seen the whole of Stanley Kubrick's readily available filmography. The one film that eludes me is 1962's Lolita after finally watching Barry Lyndon last December. It wasn't until August 1, 2008 that I finally saw Paths of Glory for the first time, and with each viewing of a Kubrick film the feeling you are watching something special never escapes your conscience. His films are unlike most anything you've seen before and you can tell when today's filmmakers are trying to accomplish something along similar lines. Even earlier this year, Christopher Nolan's Inception was referred to as Kubrickian by indieWire's Anne Thompson and whether you agree or not, it's evident Kubrick's stamp on cinema is one that will be felt throughout the ages.
Kubrick's often discussed as being one of the only directors to tackle all genres, but as noted by his...
- 11/2/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
As part of the Guardian and Observer Film Season, we settled down for an afternoon matinee of John Wayne romance The Quiet Man, as voted for by you. What happened when Andrew Pulver turned on Channel 4 at 12:05pm?
11.42am: Last night Michael Hann roughed it out with Daniel Craig in gangster thriller Layer Cake. The night before, Steve Rose and David Thomson tried to decipher David Lynch's Mulholland Drive.
Today, we're going for a change of pace, as Guardian film editor Andrew Pulver watches The Quiet Man, in which John Wayne plays a retired boxer who romances Maureen O'Hara in Ireland.
11.46am: But we need your help. Let us know what you reckon to the film. Does the Duke convince? Is this one of John Ford's finest? Post a comment at the bottom of the thread, tweet @guardianfilm or email Andrew Pulver.
11.49am: Hello everyone. Never...
11.42am: Last night Michael Hann roughed it out with Daniel Craig in gangster thriller Layer Cake. The night before, Steve Rose and David Thomson tried to decipher David Lynch's Mulholland Drive.
Today, we're going for a change of pace, as Guardian film editor Andrew Pulver watches The Quiet Man, in which John Wayne plays a retired boxer who romances Maureen O'Hara in Ireland.
11.46am: But we need your help. Let us know what you reckon to the film. Does the Duke convince? Is this one of John Ford's finest? Post a comment at the bottom of the thread, tweet @guardianfilm or email Andrew Pulver.
11.49am: Hello everyone. Never...
- 10/5/2010
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Acclaimed filmmaker Stanley Kubrick was responsible for three shorts and thirteen features throughout his lifetime.
Of those thirteen features, five have emerged as true cornerstones of cinema - "2001," "Dr. Strangelove," "A Clockwork Orange," "Full Metal Jacket" and "The Shining". Another five aren't as unanimously praised but are generally considered classics in their own right - "Barry Lyndon," "Paths of Glory," "Spartacus," "Eyes Wide Shut" and "Lolita".
The remaining three however, his low-budget first three films which were released in the mid-50's, are generally not widely known outside of Kubrick fans and cinemaphile circles. While "The Killing" and "Killer's Kiss" are easy to obtain on Amazon and the like, his first feature-length effort "Fear and Desire" has proven a collector's item which most have only been able to see through dodgy online copies or very low quality VHS copies of copies. Until now that is.
George Eastman House ran a...
Of those thirteen features, five have emerged as true cornerstones of cinema - "2001," "Dr. Strangelove," "A Clockwork Orange," "Full Metal Jacket" and "The Shining". Another five aren't as unanimously praised but are generally considered classics in their own right - "Barry Lyndon," "Paths of Glory," "Spartacus," "Eyes Wide Shut" and "Lolita".
The remaining three however, his low-budget first three films which were released in the mid-50's, are generally not widely known outside of Kubrick fans and cinemaphile circles. While "The Killing" and "Killer's Kiss" are easy to obtain on Amazon and the like, his first feature-length effort "Fear and Desire" has proven a collector's item which most have only been able to see through dodgy online copies or very low quality VHS copies of copies. Until now that is.
George Eastman House ran a...
- 9/24/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Aliens
In a video interview conducted during the promotion of this weekend's "Avatar" re-release, James Cameron confirmed he's done a "complete remaster" of "Aliens" for the upcoming "Alien Anthology" Blu-ray boxset and worked with the same colorist he used on "Avatar".
In comments that might cause controversy though, Cameron says he went in and "completely de-noised it, de-grained it, up-rezzed, color-corrected every frame". The film itself is famously heavy with grain because "it was shot on a high-speed negative that was a new negative that didn't pan out too well and got replaced the following year" says Cameron who adds that "We got rid of all the grain. It's sharper and clearer and more beautiful than it's ever looked. And we did that to the long version, to the 'director's cut'"
The worry is if the changes have a negative impact, much like the odd color timing on "French Connection...
In a video interview conducted during the promotion of this weekend's "Avatar" re-release, James Cameron confirmed he's done a "complete remaster" of "Aliens" for the upcoming "Alien Anthology" Blu-ray boxset and worked with the same colorist he used on "Avatar".
In comments that might cause controversy though, Cameron says he went in and "completely de-noised it, de-grained it, up-rezzed, color-corrected every frame". The film itself is famously heavy with grain because "it was shot on a high-speed negative that was a new negative that didn't pan out too well and got replaced the following year" says Cameron who adds that "We got rid of all the grain. It's sharper and clearer and more beautiful than it's ever looked. And we did that to the long version, to the 'director's cut'"
The worry is if the changes have a negative impact, much like the odd color timing on "French Connection...
- 8/29/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Hankies at the ready, surging euphoria to follow. This week on Clip joint, Karen Krizanovich rubbernecks on the best botched nuptials on screen
Whether you're the person being jilted or the one doing the jilting, an aborted wedding ceremony is that rarest of genres: the fantasy-horror. Everyone you know has gathered, in their best clothes, to witness not a fairytale ending but a car crash of love, money and humiliation.
But, sometimes, it just has to be done. There can be few things more upsetting than seeing the person you love – the only person for you – about to marry some idiot because of her dimwit parents, or because, like Patrick Dempsey in Made of Honor, you've forgotten to tell her how you feel , or, like Bing Crosby in Road to Rio, it just seems like the right thing to do.
So, how should you proceed if the object of your...
Whether you're the person being jilted or the one doing the jilting, an aborted wedding ceremony is that rarest of genres: the fantasy-horror. Everyone you know has gathered, in their best clothes, to witness not a fairytale ending but a car crash of love, money and humiliation.
But, sometimes, it just has to be done. There can be few things more upsetting than seeing the person you love – the only person for you – about to marry some idiot because of her dimwit parents, or because, like Patrick Dempsey in Made of Honor, you've forgotten to tell her how you feel , or, like Bing Crosby in Road to Rio, it just seems like the right thing to do.
So, how should you proceed if the object of your...
- 8/18/2010
- The Guardian - Film News
My most recent online time-waster (along with Flickchart) is Formspring, which asks you questions and posts your answers on various social media. For example, when asked to name my top ten directors of all time, I came up with this list: John Ford, Akira Kurosawa, Buster Keaton, Howard Hawks, Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Jean Renoir, David Lean, Stanley Kubrick. Here's a Clockwork Orange set story about how photographer Dmitri Kasterine snapped this iconic still of Kubrick. When asked on Formspring to rank 12 Kubrick films between Killer's Kiss and Eyes Wide Shut, I did: 1. A Clockwork Orange 2. Dr. Strangelove 3. 2001: A Space Odyssey 4. Paths of Glory 5. The Shining 6. Barry Lyndon 7. Spartacus 8. Lolita 9. The Killing ...
- 8/12/2010
- Thompson on Hollywood
A year in the making, young director Nolan shot his debut feature, Following, on a shoestring budget over the space of a year. So, how does it stand up twelve years on...?
Ambitious, darkly comic, but clumsy and cold, Christopher Nolan's (Inception, The Dark Knight) first feature, Following, showcases a talented writer/director's Herculean effort to show the world his neat bag of tricks.
Made for almost nothing, over a year of weekends (in between his job filming and recording sound on company training videos), and influenced by Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi) and Kevin Smith (Clerks), Nolan envisaged a film that explored his favourite aspect of film noir: men who were defined by their often brutal actions.
The idea was a bold one: to shoot no more than two usable takes per set-up, to shoot only with natural light, in cheap, available locations and to work around the respective...
Ambitious, darkly comic, but clumsy and cold, Christopher Nolan's (Inception, The Dark Knight) first feature, Following, showcases a talented writer/director's Herculean effort to show the world his neat bag of tricks.
Made for almost nothing, over a year of weekends (in between his job filming and recording sound on company training videos), and influenced by Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi) and Kevin Smith (Clerks), Nolan envisaged a film that explored his favourite aspect of film noir: men who were defined by their often brutal actions.
The idea was a bold one: to shoot no more than two usable takes per set-up, to shoot only with natural light, in cheap, available locations and to work around the respective...
- 7/27/2010
- Den of Geek
The Inception director, Christopher Nolan, has been touted as Kubrick's natural heir. Here are the arguments – you decide
The release of Inception has triggered a lot of talk – most of it no doubt emanating from the Warner Bros marketing department – that Christopher Nolan has some claim to be considered in the same league as Stanley Kubrick, a cinema legend of unarguable status.
Inception is Nolan's seventh film of a career that includes two Batman movies as well as the widely admired Memento, while Kubrick managed to complete 12 feature films (plus the 72-minute Fear and Loathing, which he suppressed shortly after its release in 1953). Are the two in any way comparable?
Four reasons why Nolan might be the new Kubrick
1. He was enterprising when starting out
Both film-makers had to self-finance to get themselves on their way. Nolan put together his debut, Following, on black and white film with no help...
The release of Inception has triggered a lot of talk – most of it no doubt emanating from the Warner Bros marketing department – that Christopher Nolan has some claim to be considered in the same league as Stanley Kubrick, a cinema legend of unarguable status.
Inception is Nolan's seventh film of a career that includes two Batman movies as well as the widely admired Memento, while Kubrick managed to complete 12 feature films (plus the 72-minute Fear and Loathing, which he suppressed shortly after its release in 1953). Are the two in any way comparable?
Four reasons why Nolan might be the new Kubrick
1. He was enterprising when starting out
Both film-makers had to self-finance to get themselves on their way. Nolan put together his debut, Following, on black and white film with no help...
- 7/15/2010
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
A cross between Blade Runner, V for Vendetta and George Orwell's "1984," Watchmen of Hellgate is an ambitious U.K. 3D project that is currently in early production. The man behind the project is Welsh actor/director Richard Driscoll, whose credits include The Comic, Killer's Kiss, Kannibal and Evil Calls: The Raven. The film is being produced by Driscoll's production company, House of Fear.
While on the surface this seems like a cash in on the popularity of "Watchmen," Driscoll's story is more like "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" in that it is an alternative history where Hitler won the war and features famous characters from other adventure stories(like Captain Nemo) coming together to fight the evil computerized version of Hitler.
Synopsis:
Watchmen Of Hellgate shows the aftermath of a world in which Hitler won the war. The year is 2084, the place is London and a new big brother is watching.
While on the surface this seems like a cash in on the popularity of "Watchmen," Driscoll's story is more like "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" in that it is an alternative history where Hitler won the war and features famous characters from other adventure stories(like Captain Nemo) coming together to fight the evil computerized version of Hitler.
Synopsis:
Watchmen Of Hellgate shows the aftermath of a world in which Hitler won the war. The year is 2084, the place is London and a new big brother is watching.
- 2/18/2010
- QuietEarth.us
Stanley Kubrick was an upstart kid from The Bronx when, in 1955, he borrowed $40,000 from an uncle and directed, wrote, edited and photographed a movie thriller called "Killer's Kiss."
Kubrick would not make a name for himself until his next movie, "The Killing" (1956), a yarn about a racetrack heist featuring Sterling Hayden. But more than half a century later, "Killer's Kiss" remains a watchable work of raw energy.
Rarely shown on the big screen, the black-and-white noir will unreel tomorrow and Saturday at midnight at...
Kubrick would not make a name for himself until his next movie, "The Killing" (1956), a yarn about a racetrack heist featuring Sterling Hayden. But more than half a century later, "Killer's Kiss" remains a watchable work of raw energy.
Rarely shown on the big screen, the black-and-white noir will unreel tomorrow and Saturday at midnight at...
- 6/18/2009
- by By V.A. MUSETTO
- NYPost.com
Horror cinephiles, take notice: Fango has the news on a host of upcoming genre-film screenings, premieres and festivals, in both various United States and Britain, to keep you out of the sunlight this summer. The films range from silent classics to contemporary favorites and brand new indie fare.
• New York City’s Film Forum (209 West Houston Street) is presenting Tod Browning Monday Evenings starting next week. Every Monday from May 11-June 8 will see a different silent-movie double feature, spotlighting the work of pioneering horror director Browning and actor Lon Chaney, with select shows featuring live piano accompaniment. Better yet, each presentation boasts a two-for-one admission price.
May 11
Freaks (1932): 6 and 9 p.m.
The Unholy Three (1925): 7:35 p.m.
May 18
The Devil Doll (1936): 6:35 and 9:35 p.m.
Where East Is East (1929): 8:10 p.m.
May 25
The Unknown (1927): 7 and 9:40 p.m.
Fast Workers (1933): 8 p.m.
• New York City’s Film Forum (209 West Houston Street) is presenting Tod Browning Monday Evenings starting next week. Every Monday from May 11-June 8 will see a different silent-movie double feature, spotlighting the work of pioneering horror director Browning and actor Lon Chaney, with select shows featuring live piano accompaniment. Better yet, each presentation boasts a two-for-one admission price.
May 11
Freaks (1932): 6 and 9 p.m.
The Unholy Three (1925): 7:35 p.m.
May 18
The Devil Doll (1936): 6:35 and 9:35 p.m.
Where East Is East (1929): 8:10 p.m.
May 25
The Unknown (1927): 7 and 9:40 p.m.
Fast Workers (1933): 8 p.m.
- 5/8/2009
- Fangoria
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