Remaking a 2002 Hong Kong hit and setting the story in Irish-Catholic Boston, Martin Scorsese seemed to be out of his element with The Departed—if not, that is, for the fact that the film marked a return to the director’s bread-and-butter mean streets, and that his source material, Wai Keung Lau and Siu Fai Mak’s Infernal Affairs, was itself heavily influenced by his iconic gangster films. Something of a genre homecoming after recent detours into the arenas of the historical epic (Gangs of New York) and the period biopic (The Aviator), The Departed again found him trawling a gritty, brutal urban underbelly where racial epithets spit from roughnecks’ mouths, class divisions are as sharp as a switchblade, and allegiances to others and one’s self are always tenuous at best.
The Rolling Stones’s “Gimme Shelter” plays over a blistering opening sequence edited by Thelma Schoonmaker with gunshot-punctuated...
The Rolling Stones’s “Gimme Shelter” plays over a blistering opening sequence edited by Thelma Schoonmaker with gunshot-punctuated...
- 4/24/2024
- by Nick Schager
- Slant Magazine
Eagle-eyed fans spotted a peculiar ad inside a local newspaper this week that seems to be an undercover nod to the Rolling Stones’ rumoured upcoming album.
In a bright red ad published in the Hackney Gazette, references to the Stones could be seen in an eye-catching manner under the guise of a stonecutting company.
Read More: Owen Wilson Explains How His All-Access Lifetime Rolling Stones Tour Pass Was Confiscated After 24 Hours
Anyone see this? An ad ran in Hackney Gazette for a company called Hackney Diamonds teasing Rolling Stones song titles. Their est. date is 1962, same year Stones formed. Website seems to be run by Universal Music, the Stones’ label. A clue their long-awaited new LP is on its way? pic.twitter.com/DFSnb2WE48
— Simon Harper (@Simon__Harper) August 21, 2023
Starting with the logo, The Hackney Diamonds wordmark used the iconic band’s globally-recognized lips logo to dot the letter ‘i.
In a bright red ad published in the Hackney Gazette, references to the Stones could be seen in an eye-catching manner under the guise of a stonecutting company.
Read More: Owen Wilson Explains How His All-Access Lifetime Rolling Stones Tour Pass Was Confiscated After 24 Hours
Anyone see this? An ad ran in Hackney Gazette for a company called Hackney Diamonds teasing Rolling Stones song titles. Their est. date is 1962, same year Stones formed. Website seems to be run by Universal Music, the Stones’ label. A clue their long-awaited new LP is on its way? pic.twitter.com/DFSnb2WE48
— Simon Harper (@Simon__Harper) August 21, 2023
Starting with the logo, The Hackney Diamonds wordmark used the iconic band’s globally-recognized lips logo to dot the letter ‘i.
- 8/22/2023
- by Emerson Pearson
- ET Canada
Documentarian Ellen Hovde, best known for co-directing the groundbreaking film “Grey Gardens” with the Maysles brothers, has died at age 97.
Hovde’s February 16 passing was confirmed last week by her children, Tessa Huxley and Mark Trevenen Huxley, who said the cause was Alzheimer’s disease, and shared July 11 with The New York Times.
“Grey Gardens” was released in 1975 and followed the reclusive relatives of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Edie Beale and her mother Edith Beale, who lived in East Hampton, New York in a deteriorating mansion. The film was co-directed by Hovde, Albert Maysles, and David Maysles. Hovde began working with the Maysles in the 1960s as a contributing editor on “Salesman,” their documentary made with Charlotte Zwerin about traveling Bible salesmen, and also worked as an editor on their Rolling Stones documentary “Gimme Shelter.” She was a credited director with the Maysles on their artist portrait “Christo’s Valley Curtain,...
Hovde’s February 16 passing was confirmed last week by her children, Tessa Huxley and Mark Trevenen Huxley, who said the cause was Alzheimer’s disease, and shared July 11 with The New York Times.
“Grey Gardens” was released in 1975 and followed the reclusive relatives of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Edie Beale and her mother Edith Beale, who lived in East Hampton, New York in a deteriorating mansion. The film was co-directed by Hovde, Albert Maysles, and David Maysles. Hovde began working with the Maysles in the 1960s as a contributing editor on “Salesman,” their documentary made with Charlotte Zwerin about traveling Bible salesmen, and also worked as an editor on their Rolling Stones documentary “Gimme Shelter.” She was a credited director with the Maysles on their artist portrait “Christo’s Valley Curtain,...
- 7/12/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Updated with new title of documentary Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg: Were it not for a chance encounter with the Rolling Stones in 1965, we might remember Anita Pallenberg as an exceptional actress and stunning model. Instead, her life was to be defined largely in relation to her ties with the “greatest rock n’ roll band in the world.”
In the documentary Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg, which premiered earlier this week at the Cannes Film Festival (under the abbreviated title Anita), the radiant and compelling Pallenberg finally gets her due as a creative force in her own right, a woman of alluring beauty, intelligence, dysfunction, addiction, and yes, an important figure in the world of the Stones at their apex.
Directors Alexis Bloom (L) & Svetlana Zill
Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Zill directed the documentary, which begins with grainy archive of a gorgeous Pallenberg outdoors in a park-like setting,...
In the documentary Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg, which premiered earlier this week at the Cannes Film Festival (under the abbreviated title Anita), the radiant and compelling Pallenberg finally gets her due as a creative force in her own right, a woman of alluring beauty, intelligence, dysfunction, addiction, and yes, an important figure in the world of the Stones at their apex.
Directors Alexis Bloom (L) & Svetlana Zill
Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Zill directed the documentary, which begins with grainy archive of a gorgeous Pallenberg outdoors in a park-like setting,...
- 5/25/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Rip singer, actress "Tina Turner", who was part of Mattel's signature "Barbie" doll collection, honoring 'trailblazing women', that sold out in its first day of release:
The doll depicted Turner...
.... from the 1985 music video "What's Love Got To Do With It?"...
"Tina", the documentary feature, directed by Dan Lindsay and T. J. Martin follows the life and career of Tina Turner, now streaming on HBO Max.
"...from 'Gimme Shelter' to 'Tommy', the film follows the life and career of musician Tina Turner, with Turner appearing in the film alongside Angela Bassett, Oprah Winfrey, Kurt Loder, Katori Hall, Erwin Bach, Carl Arrington, Jimmy Thomas, Le'Juene Fletcher, Rhonda Graam, Roger Davies and Terry Britten, described by Turner as a parallel story to her memoir 'Happiness Becomes You'..."
Click the images to enlarge...
The doll depicted Turner...
.... from the 1985 music video "What's Love Got To Do With It?"...
"Tina", the documentary feature, directed by Dan Lindsay and T. J. Martin follows the life and career of Tina Turner, now streaming on HBO Max.
"...from 'Gimme Shelter' to 'Tommy', the film follows the life and career of musician Tina Turner, with Turner appearing in the film alongside Angela Bassett, Oprah Winfrey, Kurt Loder, Katori Hall, Erwin Bach, Carl Arrington, Jimmy Thomas, Le'Juene Fletcher, Rhonda Graam, Roger Davies and Terry Britten, described by Turner as a parallel story to her memoir 'Happiness Becomes You'..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 5/25/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Martin Scorsese may like to think of “Killers of the Flower Moon” as the Western that he always wanted to make, but this frequently spectacular American epic about the genocidal conspiracy that was visited upon the Osage Nation during the 1920s is more potent and self-possessed when it sticks a finger in one of the other genres that bubble up to the surface over the course of its three-and-a-half-hour runtime.
The first and most obvious of those is a gangster drama in the grand tradition of the director’s previous work. Just when it seemed like “The Irishman” might’ve been Scorsese’s final word on his signature genre, they’ve pulled him back in for another movie full of brutal killings, bitter voiceovers, and biting conclusions about the corruptive spirit of American capitalism. “Gimme Shelter” may not have made it into the final cut, but the chugging bass groove...
The first and most obvious of those is a gangster drama in the grand tradition of the director’s previous work. Just when it seemed like “The Irishman” might’ve been Scorsese’s final word on his signature genre, they’ve pulled him back in for another movie full of brutal killings, bitter voiceovers, and biting conclusions about the corruptive spirit of American capitalism. “Gimme Shelter” may not have made it into the final cut, but the chugging bass groove...
- 5/20/2023
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Sam Smith and Kim Petras brought their viral song "Unholy" to the 2023 Grammys stage, proving exactly why the track has been such an inescapable hit with a fiery performance. Smith opened the segment surrounded by a circle of dancers bathed in red light, later wearing a set of devil horns, while Petras sang her verse from inside a cage as a line of fire blazed behind her.
The Feb. 5 performance was introduced by Madonna, who praised the duo for their subversiveness. "Here's what I've learned after four decades of music," she said. "If they call you shocking, scandalous, troublesome, problematic, provocative, or dangerous - you're definitely onto something. That's where you make noise. So I'm here to give thanks to all the rebels out there forging a new path and taking the heat for all of it."
Earlier in the night, the pair took home the award for best pop duo/group performance,...
The Feb. 5 performance was introduced by Madonna, who praised the duo for their subversiveness. "Here's what I've learned after four decades of music," she said. "If they call you shocking, scandalous, troublesome, problematic, provocative, or dangerous - you're definitely onto something. That's where you make noise. So I'm here to give thanks to all the rebels out there forging a new path and taking the heat for all of it."
Earlier in the night, the pair took home the award for best pop duo/group performance,...
- 2/6/2023
- by Eden Arielle Gordon
- Popsugar.com
“You like them crazy do you? I’m crazy through and through...” croons Sam Smith on their fourth album, Gloria. Smith seems too sweet to live up to the boast. You could safely take every song on this easygoing record home to meet the parents. Even on “I’m Not Here to Make Friends”, a track about searching for a lover in the darkness of a club, you can still imagine Smith at said club volunteering to be the designated driver for their mates.
This warmly conversational quality is nicely expressed on opener “Love Me More”, in which Smith asks listeners: “Have you ever felt like being somebody else?” They admit that the identity that “used to burn” now feels increasingly comfortable. Set to an affable, Nineties R&b beat, the song sees the mainstream pioneer of non-binary life holding out a companionable hand to anyone struggling to accept themselves.
This warmly conversational quality is nicely expressed on opener “Love Me More”, in which Smith asks listeners: “Have you ever felt like being somebody else?” They admit that the identity that “used to burn” now feels increasingly comfortable. Set to an affable, Nineties R&b beat, the song sees the mainstream pioneer of non-binary life holding out a companionable hand to anyone struggling to accept themselves.
- 1/27/2023
- by Helen Brown
- The Independent - Music
As far back as I could remember, no film has had such a grand cultural impact than Goodfellas. At my high school in Cape Cod, Massachusetts–a far cry from Scorsese’s mean streets of New York––almost every locker had at least one picture of Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Ray Liotta staring with steel-gazed coolness at my fellow students as they gathered their books and rolled up copies of Playboy for Study Hall. When I was commuting to college in New Hampshire, The Rolling Stones’ “Let it Bleed” album blared from my 85’ Cutlass Supreme as I imagined hearing the thumping of Frank Vincent’s body in the trunk rather than the pulsating sounds of “Gimme Shelter” or “Monkey Man.” During late-night sessions with my friends and family, as soon as one of us called each other funny, it was only a matter of time before one of us replied,...
- 9/8/2020
- by David Stewart
- The Film Stage
“Their best album since Exile on Main St!” an FM DJ gushed in 1974 when the Rolling Stones released It’s Only Rock ’n Roll. Only one other new record had come between them, but the implication was clear: that record, Goats Head Soup, was, well, unappetizing. A Stones album with a strummed love-song ballad ripe for Am radio (“Angie”) and a pretty silly song about the demonic underworld (“Dancing with Mr. D.”)? Goats Head Soup had those and more, and looking back, the album feels historic: The mixed response it...
- 9/3/2020
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
She’s baaack! And “America’s Got Talent” fans couldn’t be happier.
In our recent poll, we asked “Agt” viewers to weigh in on Heidi Klum returning to sit at the judges’ table after taking a year off, and a whopping 87% said they’re happy because “it’s simply not ‘Agt’ without Heidi.” The other 13% were less than enthused, voting they were “hoping for a different judge” to fill the empty seats of Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough. For Season 15 Heidi is joined by longtime “Agt” judges Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel as well as newbie Sofia Vergara. Do you agree or disagree with our readers’ poll results?
SEEHeidi Klum on hitting her ‘America’s Got Talent’ Golden Buzzer for Cristina Rae: ‘My hands are still shaking’ [Watch]
The popular German judge originally served as a panelist between 2013 and 2018, plus two seasons on spin-off series “Agt: The Champions.” Heidi and Mel B...
In our recent poll, we asked “Agt” viewers to weigh in on Heidi Klum returning to sit at the judges’ table after taking a year off, and a whopping 87% said they’re happy because “it’s simply not ‘Agt’ without Heidi.” The other 13% were less than enthused, voting they were “hoping for a different judge” to fill the empty seats of Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough. For Season 15 Heidi is joined by longtime “Agt” judges Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel as well as newbie Sofia Vergara. Do you agree or disagree with our readers’ poll results?
SEEHeidi Klum on hitting her ‘America’s Got Talent’ Golden Buzzer for Cristina Rae: ‘My hands are still shaking’ [Watch]
The popular German judge originally served as a panelist between 2013 and 2018, plus two seasons on spin-off series “Agt: The Champions.” Heidi and Mel B...
- 6/12/2020
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
“My hands are still shaking and my heart is racing a hundred miles an hour,” Heidi Klum proclaimed just moments after hitting her “America’s Got Talent” Golden Buzzer in the third episode for soul singer Cristina Rae. The popular German judge admitted she “didn’t even want” to push her Golden Buzzer so soon in the audition process because there were still “so many more days” left to go in the competition. (Watch the video interview above.) Luckily Heidi pressed the button when she did, because she soon fell ill and had to be temporarily replaced on the panel by Eric Stonestreet.
SEE4 reasons why Howie Mandel is simply the best ‘America’s Got Talent’ judge
Heidi thought to herself that she would “wait till next week or the week after” to push her Golden Buzzer. “But no, Cristina Rae is just belting it out,” she continued, “and her range is...
SEE4 reasons why Howie Mandel is simply the best ‘America’s Got Talent’ judge
Heidi thought to herself that she would “wait till next week or the week after” to push her Golden Buzzer. “But no, Cristina Rae is just belting it out,” she continued, “and her range is...
- 6/10/2020
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
And just like that, soul singer Cristina Rae became the next person to earn the coveted Golden Buzzer on “America’s Got Talent” Season 15. (See the list of all Golden Buzzers through the years.) Cristina, whose son Jeremiah accompanied her from Nashville, Tennessee, was anointed by Heidi Klum, the popular judge who returned to NBC’s reality TV show after taking off last season. Watch the tear-jerking Golden Buzzer video above.
Before the golden confetti showered down from the ceiling, Cristina had a rather tumultuous audition thanks to none other than Simon Cowell. The British judge didn’t seem to fall in love with her original song choice, “In the Air Tonight,” so he made a shocking request: sing something else! Luckily, Cristina had “Gimme Shelter” at the ready as her “encore” performance. With the help of her “adrenaline,” that’s when she truly blew the roof off the theater.
SEESimon...
Before the golden confetti showered down from the ceiling, Cristina had a rather tumultuous audition thanks to none other than Simon Cowell. The British judge didn’t seem to fall in love with her original song choice, “In the Air Tonight,” so he made a shocking request: sing something else! Luckily, Cristina had “Gimme Shelter” at the ready as her “encore” performance. With the help of her “adrenaline,” that’s when she truly blew the roof off the theater.
SEESimon...
- 6/10/2020
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
The board of governors at the American Society of Cinematographers on Tuesday elected Stephen Lighthill as its new president. It is the second term in the top spot for Lighthill, who takes over from outgoing Asc president Kees van Oostrum, who had served the maximum four terms.
The Asc board today also voted in vice presidents Amy Vincent, Bill Bennett and John Simmons; treasurer Levie Isaacks; secretary Gregg Heschong; and sergeant-at-arms David Darby.
Lighthill, whose credits range from shooting for 60 Minutes, documentaries like the Rolling Stones pic Gimme Shelter and the Oscar-nominated Berkeley in the Sixties, and TV series like Nash Bridges and Earth 2, previously served as Asc president from 2012-13; he most recently was vice president of the organization. He also long has served as an officer on the National Executive Board of the International Cinematographers Guild, and is also the Discipline Chair: Cinematography at the AFI Conservatory.
The Asc board today also voted in vice presidents Amy Vincent, Bill Bennett and John Simmons; treasurer Levie Isaacks; secretary Gregg Heschong; and sergeant-at-arms David Darby.
Lighthill, whose credits range from shooting for 60 Minutes, documentaries like the Rolling Stones pic Gimme Shelter and the Oscar-nominated Berkeley in the Sixties, and TV series like Nash Bridges and Earth 2, previously served as Asc president from 2012-13; he most recently was vice president of the organization. He also long has served as an officer on the National Executive Board of the International Cinematographers Guild, and is also the Discipline Chair: Cinematography at the AFI Conservatory.
- 6/10/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
In today’s film news roundup, Stephen Lighthill becomes president of the American Society of Cinematographers, Universal is teaming with Timur Bekmambetov and the DGA health plan is offering three months of free coverage to some members.
New President
The American Society of Cinematographers’ board of governors has elected Stephen Lighthill as president, replacing Kees van Oostrum.
The Asc noted that van Oostrum had served the maximum four terms and recently was appointed to lead Imago, the international federation of cinematographers. This is Lighthill’s second turn as Asc president, previously serving from 2012-2013. Most recently, he held the position of vice president. The board voted in three vice presidents — Amy Vincent, Bill Bennett and John Simmons. They elected Levie Isaacks as treasurer; Gregg Heschong as secretary; and David Darby as sergeant-at-arms
“This is a challenging moment for filmmaking in general and cinematography in particular,” Lighthill said. “As an organization,...
New President
The American Society of Cinematographers’ board of governors has elected Stephen Lighthill as president, replacing Kees van Oostrum.
The Asc noted that van Oostrum had served the maximum four terms and recently was appointed to lead Imago, the international federation of cinematographers. This is Lighthill’s second turn as Asc president, previously serving from 2012-2013. Most recently, he held the position of vice president. The board voted in three vice presidents — Amy Vincent, Bill Bennett and John Simmons. They elected Levie Isaacks as treasurer; Gregg Heschong as secretary; and David Darby as sergeant-at-arms
“This is a challenging moment for filmmaking in general and cinematography in particular,” Lighthill said. “As an organization,...
- 6/10/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Criterion lavishes a major upgrade to its older box set celebrating the first major rock concert event, the ‘California Dreamin’ idyll that some say marked the beginning of the Summer of Love. Get ready to hear and see some history-making performances from Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and The Who. Plus two more features and a bundle of ‘extra’ music sets . . . including Tiny Tim.
The Complete Monterey Pop Festival
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 167
1968 / Color / 1:33 flat / 79 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date December 12, 2017 / 69.95
Cinematography: James Desmond, Barry Feinstein, Richard Leacock, Albert Maysles, Roger Murphy, D.A. Pennebaker
Film Editor: Nina Schulman
Original Music: The Animals, The Association, Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Byrds, Canned Heat, Country Joe and the Fish, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Al Kooper, Hugh Masekela, Jefferson Airplane, The Mamas and the Papas, Laura Nyro, Otis Redding, The Quicksilver Messenger Service,...
The Complete Monterey Pop Festival
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 167
1968 / Color / 1:33 flat / 79 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date December 12, 2017 / 69.95
Cinematography: James Desmond, Barry Feinstein, Richard Leacock, Albert Maysles, Roger Murphy, D.A. Pennebaker
Film Editor: Nina Schulman
Original Music: The Animals, The Association, Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Byrds, Canned Heat, Country Joe and the Fish, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Al Kooper, Hugh Masekela, Jefferson Airplane, The Mamas and the Papas, Laura Nyro, Otis Redding, The Quicksilver Messenger Service,...
- 12/9/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Criterion Reflections is David Blakeslee’s ongoing project to watch all of the films included in the Criterion Collection in chronological order of their original release. Each episode features panel conversations and 1:1 interviews offering insights on movies that premiered in a particular season of a year in the past, which were destined to eventually bear the Criterion imprint. In this episode, David is joined by Martin Kessler, Jordan Essoe, Doug McCambridge, Jason Beamish and Trevor Berrett to discuss six titles from the Winter of 1969: Jaromil Jires’s The Joke, Juraj Herz’s The Cremator, Wim Winders’s Silver City Revisited, Fellini: A Director’s Notebook, Luis Bunuel’s The Milky Way and Pierre Etaix’s Le Grand Amour.
Episode Time Markers: Introduction: 0:00:00 – 0:09:47 The Joke: 0:09:48 – 0:36:30 Silver City Revisited: 0:36:31 – 0:54:30 The Cremator: 0:54:31 – 1:17:...
Episode Time Markers: Introduction: 0:00:00 – 0:09:47 The Joke: 0:09:48 – 0:36:30 Silver City Revisited: 0:36:31 – 0:54:30 The Cremator: 0:54:31 – 1:17:...
- 9/20/2017
- by David Blakeslee
- CriterionCast
For those who believe that death represents a journey from one plane of existence to another, it will seem apropos that the final feature directed by the late and legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles, made when he was nearly 90 years old, takes place entirely on a cross-country train. In Transit, on which Maysles collaborated with four other directors, can’t compare to the pioneering Direct Cinema docs he made with his brother, David (who died in 1987)—such classics as Salesman (1969), Gimme Shelter (1970), and Grey Gardens (1975). But it’s very much of a piece with Maysles’ lifelong commitment to capturing reality on the fly, offering a vivid cross-section of regular folks who all happen to be aboard the Empire Builder, an Amtrak train that makes a three-day journey between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest. The film’s ideal audience is people who, riding public transportation, would ...
- 6/21/2017
- by Mike D'Angelo
- avclub.com
Remembering Anita Pallenberg, the Muse at the Center of The Rolling Stones’ Tumultuous Love Triangle
With the death of Anita Pallenberg , the world lost an icon of the Swinging Sixties. The Italian-German model became a fashion It Girl of the age and her friendship with Andy Warhol integrated her into the cutting edge art world. She appeared in cult movie classics including Candy (featuring Ringo Starr) and Jane Fonda’s Barbarella, but her most famous role is undoubtedly that of muse for the Rolling Stones. Her high-profile relationships with two of the band’s guitarists, Brian Jones and Keith Richards, made her an enduring part of the Stones’ mythology. It became one of rock ‘n...
- 6/14/2017
- by Jordan Runtagh
- PEOPLE.com
Each month, the fine folks at FilmStruck and the Criterion Collection spend countless hours crafting their channels to highlight the many different types of films that they have in their streaming library. This April will feature an exciting assortment of films, as noted below.
To sign up for a free two-week trial here.
Monday, April 3 The Chaos of Cool: A Tribute to Seijun Suzuki
In February, cinema lost an icon of excess, Seijun Suzuki, the Japanese master who took the art of the B movie to sublime new heights with his deliriously inventive approach to narrative and visual style. This series showcases seven of the New Wave renegade’s works from his career breakthrough in the sixties: Take Aim at the Police Van (1960), an off-kilter whodunit; Youth of the Beast (1963), an explosive yakuza thriller; Gate of Flesh (1964), a pulpy social critique; Story of a Prostitute (1965), a tragic romance; Tokyo Drifter...
To sign up for a free two-week trial here.
Monday, April 3 The Chaos of Cool: A Tribute to Seijun Suzuki
In February, cinema lost an icon of excess, Seijun Suzuki, the Japanese master who took the art of the B movie to sublime new heights with his deliriously inventive approach to narrative and visual style. This series showcases seven of the New Wave renegade’s works from his career breakthrough in the sixties: Take Aim at the Police Van (1960), an off-kilter whodunit; Youth of the Beast (1963), an explosive yakuza thriller; Gate of Flesh (1964), a pulpy social critique; Story of a Prostitute (1965), a tragic romance; Tokyo Drifter...
- 3/29/2017
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
The cast of “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2” graces the latest cover of Empire Magazine, ahead of the film’s May 5 release. Taking either their favorite song or a tune they would have liked to be included in the Marvel superhero film, Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Kurt Russell (Ego), Elizabeth Debicki (Ayesha), Pom Klementieff (Mantis), Michael Rooker (Yondu), Dave Bautista (Drax), Sean Gunn (Rocket/Kraglin), Karen Gillan (Nebula) and director James Gunn curated a mixtape for the magazine, which can be found on Spotify. Listen to each song chosen by the cast and the director below.
Read More: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ Trailer: Kurt Russell and Baby Groot Highlight Action-Packed Clip
“Whiskey And You,” by Chris Stapleton – chosen by Pratt
“When I’m on the road, I tend to listen to songs that allow me to bask fully in my loneliness. When I want to dive headfirst into sorrow,...
Read More: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ Trailer: Kurt Russell and Baby Groot Highlight Action-Packed Clip
“Whiskey And You,” by Chris Stapleton – chosen by Pratt
“When I’m on the road, I tend to listen to songs that allow me to bask fully in my loneliness. When I want to dive headfirst into sorrow,...
- 3/23/2017
- by Yoselin Acevedo
- Indiewire
David’s Quick Take for the tl;dr Media Consumer:
Just as the Monterey International Pop Music Festival marked a pivotal and definitive turning point (in this case, upward) in the cultural ferment of the 1960s, so too the film document of that event, D.A. Pennebaker’s Monterey Pop, initiated a new way of capturing music and its performance for posterity. The weekend-long Festival, featuring mostly West Coast hippie rock and folk combos, with a few international surprises tossed into the mix, was like a meteor that streaked across the sky of an emerging new civilization, illuminating the landscape, brightening the eyes of its witnesses, summoning a potent mix of emotions: joy, euphoria, ecstasy, bewilderment, even dread. The cinematic document, a short film clocking in at just under 80 minutes, that confirmed all those conflicting, incredulous impressions is like the meteorite that survived its hard descent into the atmosphere – potently powerful...
Just as the Monterey International Pop Music Festival marked a pivotal and definitive turning point (in this case, upward) in the cultural ferment of the 1960s, so too the film document of that event, D.A. Pennebaker’s Monterey Pop, initiated a new way of capturing music and its performance for posterity. The weekend-long Festival, featuring mostly West Coast hippie rock and folk combos, with a few international surprises tossed into the mix, was like a meteor that streaked across the sky of an emerging new civilization, illuminating the landscape, brightening the eyes of its witnesses, summoning a potent mix of emotions: joy, euphoria, ecstasy, bewilderment, even dread. The cinematic document, a short film clocking in at just under 80 minutes, that confirmed all those conflicting, incredulous impressions is like the meteorite that survived its hard descent into the atmosphere – potently powerful...
- 1/28/2017
- by David Blakeslee
- CriterionCast
The haunting Rolling Stones documentary “Gimme Shelter” helped close the book on the ’60s. Nearly a half-century later, writer/director Jody Hill argues that those terrors remain fresh.
Read More: Watch: ‘Jackie’ Director Pablo Larraín Discusses ‘Movies That Inspire Me’ in New IndieWire Video Series Presented by FilmStruck
Legendary documentary filmmaking duo Albert and David Maysles, along with Charlotte Zwerin, captured the excess and fatal mishandling of the landmark Altamont Free Concert in December 1969. Following the Stones through their American tour and invitation to headline the fateful show, the film eventually embeds itself in the Altamont audience, looking on as a murder plays out beneath the band’s performance.
For our fourth installment in our “Movies That Inspire Me” conversation series, presented in partnership with FilmStruck, we spoke to Hill about how the film slowly unfolds from an impeccably made rock doc into something with a more sinister edge. Hill describes a film that,...
Read More: Watch: ‘Jackie’ Director Pablo Larraín Discusses ‘Movies That Inspire Me’ in New IndieWire Video Series Presented by FilmStruck
Legendary documentary filmmaking duo Albert and David Maysles, along with Charlotte Zwerin, captured the excess and fatal mishandling of the landmark Altamont Free Concert in December 1969. Following the Stones through their American tour and invitation to headline the fateful show, the film eventually embeds itself in the Altamont audience, looking on as a murder plays out beneath the band’s performance.
For our fourth installment in our “Movies That Inspire Me” conversation series, presented in partnership with FilmStruck, we spoke to Hill about how the film slowly unfolds from an impeccably made rock doc into something with a more sinister edge. Hill describes a film that,...
- 12/12/2016
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Milestone wraps up its ‘Project Shirley,’ an in-depth study of the independent director of The Connection and Portrait of Jason. Practically all of Shirley Clarke’s small and experimental films are here from the early 1950s forward, plus a wealth of biographical film.
The Magic Box: The films of Shirley Clarke, 1929-1987
Blu-ray
The Milestone Cinematheque
1929-1987 / B&W + Color
1:37 flat full frame / 502 min.
Street Date November 15, 2016 / 99.99
featuring Shirley Clarke
Produced by Dennis Doros & Amy Heller
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Some disc boutique companies license ready-made movie classics for home video, and some slap whatever odd-sourced items can be had into the Blu-ray format and call it a restoration. Although the general tide for quality releases is rising, only a few companies will invest time and effort in historically- and artistically- important films lacking an obvious commercial hook. Milestone Films has been consistent in its championing of abandoned ‘marginal’ films,...
The Magic Box: The films of Shirley Clarke, 1929-1987
Blu-ray
The Milestone Cinematheque
1929-1987 / B&W + Color
1:37 flat full frame / 502 min.
Street Date November 15, 2016 / 99.99
featuring Shirley Clarke
Produced by Dennis Doros & Amy Heller
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Some disc boutique companies license ready-made movie classics for home video, and some slap whatever odd-sourced items can be had into the Blu-ray format and call it a restoration. Although the general tide for quality releases is rising, only a few companies will invest time and effort in historically- and artistically- important films lacking an obvious commercial hook. Milestone Films has been consistent in its championing of abandoned ‘marginal’ films,...
- 11/19/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
This fall, Amazon’s had a notable run of new series that really champion female voices — with Tig Notaro’s “One Mississippi,” Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s “Fleabag” and Season 3 of “Transparent,” these ostensible comedies have brought subtle depths to the streaming service, telling stories that you might not see on any conventional network.
Read More: ‘Mad Men’ Creator Matthew Weiner Returning to TV with New Anthology Series from Amazon and the Weinstein Company
“Good Girls Revolt,” meanwhile, wouldn’t feel terribly out of place on a basic or premium cable network, but does still keep that feminine energy going. The period drama focuses on ambitious Patti (Genevieve Angelson), timid Cindy (Erin Darke) and conservative Jane (Anna Camp), who among other women working at news magazine “News of the Week,” serve as researchers, but often go well beyond their basic duties to help the male reporters on staff complete their assignments. For their hard work,...
Read More: ‘Mad Men’ Creator Matthew Weiner Returning to TV with New Anthology Series from Amazon and the Weinstein Company
“Good Girls Revolt,” meanwhile, wouldn’t feel terribly out of place on a basic or premium cable network, but does still keep that feminine energy going. The period drama focuses on ambitious Patti (Genevieve Angelson), timid Cindy (Erin Darke) and conservative Jane (Anna Camp), who among other women working at news magazine “News of the Week,” serve as researchers, but often go well beyond their basic duties to help the male reporters on staff complete their assignments. For their hard work,...
- 10/28/2016
- by Liz Shannon Miller
- Indiewire
The traditional fall season of award-season releases gets a late start on Friday with “Moonlight” (A24) and “The Handmaiden” (Magnolia) leading the way. It can’t come a moment too soon.
This weekend, top-quality films “Certain Women” (IFC), “Christine” (The Orchard), “Miss Hokusai” (Gkids) and “Aquarius” (Vitagraph) competed in limited openings. All nabbed good or better reviews. But none scored at the level likely to lead to the sort of wider response and multi-million grosses that normally come along regularly at this time of year.
The weakness can be seen among later-week grosses as films expand. There hasn’t been a breakout crossover release of any significance since “Hell or High Water” (Lionsgate), which is still grossing better than most recent releases.
“Shin Godzilla” (Funimation) showed strength with a midweek opening in a mixed plan of bookings. Similar to “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week” (Abramorama), out-of- the-box distribution seems to be finding positive results.
This weekend, top-quality films “Certain Women” (IFC), “Christine” (The Orchard), “Miss Hokusai” (Gkids) and “Aquarius” (Vitagraph) competed in limited openings. All nabbed good or better reviews. But none scored at the level likely to lead to the sort of wider response and multi-million grosses that normally come along regularly at this time of year.
The weakness can be seen among later-week grosses as films expand. There hasn’t been a breakout crossover release of any significance since “Hell or High Water” (Lionsgate), which is still grossing better than most recent releases.
“Shin Godzilla” (Funimation) showed strength with a midweek opening in a mixed plan of bookings. Similar to “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week” (Abramorama), out-of- the-box distribution seems to be finding positive results.
- 10/16/2016
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
On March 25th of this year, the Rolling Stones made history by playing a free concert for over half a million people in Havana, Cuba. In addition to the record-breaking crowd, the show was an important benchmark in the thawing relations between the embargoed Communist country and much of the Western world. Now the Stones are issuing a live album and concert film of the once-in-a-lifetime event. Dubbed Havana Moon , it's due out Nov. 11. and will be available as a DVD + 2Cd, Blu-ray + 2Cd, DVD + 3Lp, and as a special deluxe edition. The announcement was accompanied by a 30-second teaser,...
- 9/27/2016
- by Jordan Runtagh, @JordanRuntagh
- PEOPLE.com
On March 25th of this year, the Rolling Stones made history by playing a free concert for over half a million people in Havana, Cuba. In addition to the record-breaking crowd, the show was an important benchmark in the thawing relations between the embargoed Communist country and much of the Western world. Now the Stones are issuing a live album and concert film of the once-in-a-lifetime event. Dubbed Havana Moon , it's due out Nov. 11. and will be available as a DVD + 2Cd, Blu-ray + 2Cd, DVD + 3Lp, and as a special deluxe edition. The announcement was accompanied by a 30-second teaser,...
- 9/27/2016
- by Jordan Runtagh, @JordanRuntagh
- PEOPLE.com
“Making a Murderer” subject Brendan Dassey had his conviction overturned by a federal judge on Friday. But “Making a Murderer” is not the first time a film or documentary has been a factor in a major legal reversal of fortune. “Gimme Shelter” (1970) A documentary directed by the Maysles brothers, “Gimme Shelter” started out as a simple concert film about The Rolling Stones, but turned out to be essential documentation of the fights and violence that erupted at the Altamont Free Concert. “The Thin Blue Line” (1988) Errol Morris‘ documentary depicted Randall Dale Adams, a man serving life in prison for a murder.
- 8/12/2016
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
We return with a look at Soul Power, enjoy!
From Masters of Cinema:
Soul Power is a vérité documentary – compiled entirely from footage shot in 1974 – of the astonishing back-to-Africa 3-day music festival “Zaire ‘74”. It was held in Kinshasa ahead of the biggest boxing event of all time: the Muhammad Ali–George Foreman “Rumble in the Jungle”. Directed by Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, editor of Leon Gast’s Oscar®-winning (Best Documentary) When We Were Kings, and sourced from the same archival pool, Soul Power features a legendary line-up of African and African-diaspora musicians – all of whom are at the very peak of their creative powers.
Alongside Ali’s wit and wisdom – profoundly lyrical in its own right – vibrant street scenes of downtown Kinshasa, and “fly-on-the-wall” footage of the festival’s staging, rehearsals, and jams, the three nights of concerts (lensed by Albert Maysles and a host of other legendary cameramen) offer electrifying performances by James Brown,...
From Masters of Cinema:
Soul Power is a vérité documentary – compiled entirely from footage shot in 1974 – of the astonishing back-to-Africa 3-day music festival “Zaire ‘74”. It was held in Kinshasa ahead of the biggest boxing event of all time: the Muhammad Ali–George Foreman “Rumble in the Jungle”. Directed by Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, editor of Leon Gast’s Oscar®-winning (Best Documentary) When We Were Kings, and sourced from the same archival pool, Soul Power features a legendary line-up of African and African-diaspora musicians – all of whom are at the very peak of their creative powers.
Alongside Ali’s wit and wisdom – profoundly lyrical in its own right – vibrant street scenes of downtown Kinshasa, and “fly-on-the-wall” footage of the festival’s staging, rehearsals, and jams, the three nights of concerts (lensed by Albert Maysles and a host of other legendary cameramen) offer electrifying performances by James Brown,...
- 7/22/2016
- by Tom Jennings
- CriterionCast
Glenn here. Each Tuesday we bring you reviews and features on documentaries from theatres, festivals, and on demand. This week we look at the final work of Albert Maysles, In Transit.
Last week we looked at Chantal Akerman's final film, and this week completely by accident I am reviewing another final film by another towering name in documentary filmmaking. In a career that includes Grey Gardens, Salesman, Gimme Shelter, and Monterey Pop, Albert Maysles has made many films that are considered among the greatest non-fiction titles ever made. And while last year’s glimpse into the life of aging fashion icon Iris Apfel, Iris, was billed as his last work, it is in fact this deeply searching piece of cinema verite made in collaboration with Lynn True, David Usui, Nelson Walker III, and Benjamin Wu that is his last work and an incredibly fitting one, too. It’s the...
Last week we looked at Chantal Akerman's final film, and this week completely by accident I am reviewing another final film by another towering name in documentary filmmaking. In a career that includes Grey Gardens, Salesman, Gimme Shelter, and Monterey Pop, Albert Maysles has made many films that are considered among the greatest non-fiction titles ever made. And while last year’s glimpse into the life of aging fashion icon Iris Apfel, Iris, was billed as his last work, it is in fact this deeply searching piece of cinema verite made in collaboration with Lynn True, David Usui, Nelson Walker III, and Benjamin Wu that is his last work and an incredibly fitting one, too. It’s the...
- 6/7/2016
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
What does it take to succeed in a man’s world? A Los Angeles Film Festival panel of women cinematographers ivealed what it took to make it to the top of a competitive industry.
1. A shot of LSD. Cinema verite shooter Joan Churchill (“Last Days in Vietnam”) started out by recovering from an eight-hour acid trip, she admitted, to shoot some of the most iconic images from the Rolling Stones Altamont doc, “Gimme Shelter.” That led to the assignment of shooting the Louds in PBS’s “An American Family.” A documentary cameraperson, often working with a hand-held camera and natural light, has to have “people skills,” she said. “You have to be interested in your subjects.” When she moved to London, she couldn’t get work until she joined the Asc—and became its first woman member. Her membership card read: “Lady Cameraman.”
2. Read and reread the script. French-born Maryse Alberti...
1. A shot of LSD. Cinema verite shooter Joan Churchill (“Last Days in Vietnam”) started out by recovering from an eight-hour acid trip, she admitted, to shoot some of the most iconic images from the Rolling Stones Altamont doc, “Gimme Shelter.” That led to the assignment of shooting the Louds in PBS’s “An American Family.” A documentary cameraperson, often working with a hand-held camera and natural light, has to have “people skills,” she said. “You have to be interested in your subjects.” When she moved to London, she couldn’t get work until she joined the Asc—and became its first woman member. Her membership card read: “Lady Cameraman.”
2. Read and reread the script. French-born Maryse Alberti...
- 6/6/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
If there is one blemish in Jim Jarmusch’s exceptional filmography, it’s his first foray into documentary: 1997’s little-seen Year of the Horse, a surprisingly insipid portrait of Neil Young and Crazy Horse on tour. He gives it a second try with Gimme Danger, another homage to a legendary rock band, The Stooges, which, though more enjoyable and informative, nevertheless confirms that the director should stick to fiction.
Those hoping for something in the line of the Maysles brothers’ and Charlotte Zwerin’s Gimme Shelter will be sorely disappointed, as similarities don’t extend much beyond their titles. Unlike that canonical masterpiece, Jarmusch’s film is a strictly conventional affair that resembles any number of TV documentaries.
Addressing the camera, Iggy Pop (née James Osterberg) narrates the history of The Stooges, starting with a childhood living in a cramped trailer with his parents in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He describes...
Those hoping for something in the line of the Maysles brothers’ and Charlotte Zwerin’s Gimme Shelter will be sorely disappointed, as similarities don’t extend much beyond their titles. Unlike that canonical masterpiece, Jarmusch’s film is a strictly conventional affair that resembles any number of TV documentaries.
Addressing the camera, Iggy Pop (née James Osterberg) narrates the history of The Stooges, starting with a childhood living in a cramped trailer with his parents in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He describes...
- 5/19/2016
- by Giovanni Marchini Camia
- The Film Stage
Mubi is exclusively showing two new, brilliant and unconventional films from Spain: Luis López Carrasco's El Futuro (April 11 - May 10) and Ion de Sosa's Androids Dream (April 12 - May 11). We asked the two filmmakers—friends and collaborators—a few questions about their work. For an in-depth exploration of the two films, we recommend Michael Pattison's article, Back to the Future: Androids Dream and El Futuro.Spanish directors Ion de Sosa (front left) and Luis López Carrasco (back right).Notebook: How did you each manage to bring your projects to life?Luis LÓPEZ Carrasco: After living in Berlin for a few months through a scholarship program, I came back to Spain in 2010 fully energized with the aim to set up a production company, finance my own projects and support friends whose work I deeply admire. The international success of Los Hijos Collective led me to believe...
- 4/22/2016
- by Notebook
- MUBI
Above: Us poster for Salesman (Maysles Brothers & Charlotte Zwerin, USA, 1968). Designer: Henry Wolf. Courtesy of Film/Art Gallery.Starting today, Film Forum in New York is hosting The Maysles & Co., a comprehensive two-week long retrospective of the work of the legendary “Direct Cinema” documentarians Albert and David Maysles—best known for Gimme Shelter (1970) and Grey Gardens (1976)—and their various collaborators, most especially Charlotte Zwerin. Grey Gardens, a film whose title has entered the lingua franca, is the only documentary ever to be turned into a Tony-winning Broadway musical, an Emmy-winning TV dramatization, and an SNL-alumni parody, but its poster, a simple framing of a photograph by Herb Goro, doesn’t really do the film justice. Gimme Shelter, on the other hand—the Maysles’ biggest international success—has inspired a wide variety of designs. For me, the stand-out is the stark black and white one sheet with all-Helvetica type, the first one featured below.
- 4/16/2016
- by Adrian Curry
- MUBI
“The President’S Reality Show”
By Raymond Benson
Robert Drew was a pioneer who changed the way we think about the documentary film. As first a writer/editor at Life Magazine in the 1950s, and then the head of a unit that produced short documentaries for Time Inc., Drew knew how to tell a story visually. When he formed his own company, Robert Drew & Associates, he was the guiding force for other talented (and later, more well-known) filmmakers such as D. A. Pennebaker (Don’t Look Back, Monterey Pop), Albert and David Maysles (Gimme Shelter), and Richard Leacock, among others. Together they invented a novel way to present a documentary film, something historians coined “direct cinema.”
Documentaries had previously been scripted, usually shot to order, and more often than not, were textbook dull. Drew and his colleagues developed the you-are-there style of following subjects around as they did their business,...
By Raymond Benson
Robert Drew was a pioneer who changed the way we think about the documentary film. As first a writer/editor at Life Magazine in the 1950s, and then the head of a unit that produced short documentaries for Time Inc., Drew knew how to tell a story visually. When he formed his own company, Robert Drew & Associates, he was the guiding force for other talented (and later, more well-known) filmmakers such as D. A. Pennebaker (Don’t Look Back, Monterey Pop), Albert and David Maysles (Gimme Shelter), and Richard Leacock, among others. Together they invented a novel way to present a documentary film, something historians coined “direct cinema.”
Documentaries had previously been scripted, usually shot to order, and more often than not, were textbook dull. Drew and his colleagues developed the you-are-there style of following subjects around as they did their business,...
- 4/9/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Piff 39: Five Films Criterion Collection Fans Should See at the Portland International Film Festival
Tomorrow night, the Northwest Film Center kicks off their 39th annual Portland International Film Festival. They’ll be screening Klaus Härö’s The Fencer as the opening night film (unfortunately the screenings are sold out, but there will be an additional showing on Sunday the 14th). Over the course of the next sixteen days there will be over 90 feature films shown around town at various theaters.
This is one of my favorite festivals that I’ve had the privilege of attending, and I cannot wait to see a some of the films that they have programmed.
As usual, we here at the site will be covering a number of the films throughout the festival, but I wanted to make sure that any local Criterion Collection fans were alerted to some of the treats that we have in store. While there are many films at the festival that will align with...
This is one of my favorite festivals that I’ve had the privilege of attending, and I cannot wait to see a some of the films that they have programmed.
As usual, we here at the site will be covering a number of the films throughout the festival, but I wanted to make sure that any local Criterion Collection fans were alerted to some of the treats that we have in store. While there are many films at the festival that will align with...
- 2/11/2016
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
Lady Gaga just toasted Frank Sinatra's 100th birthday on CBS with what can only be described as an unbelievable rendition of "New York, New York." It made me realize something: I've used the term "unbelievable rendition" about a dozen times when describing Lady Gaga's cover work. Though she'll always be best known for her kooky, salacious original output, let's give Gaga even more credit where it's due: She's the greatest cover artist we have. A huge part of what makes Lady Gaga exciting is how she constantly celebrates the artists who've influenced her. During her first blitz of interviews for "The Fame," her debut disc, she continuously touted Madonna, Marilyn Manson, Sinead O'Connor, and of course Queen, the band that inspired her stage name. She's spent her career evolving as a both an original and tribute artist, and here are a bunch of clips to prove she's the greatest toastmaster in pop.
- 12/8/2015
- by Louis Virtel
- Hitfix
When documentary legend Albert Maysles passed away in March of 2015, the world of cinema lost a giant. Working as a team with his brother David, The Maysles Brothers made some of the finest documentary features ever seen. Films like Salesman, Gimme Shelter, and Grey Gardens gave new life to the documentary format.Thankfully, before he left us, Maysles completed work on Iris, a documentary about fashion icon Iris Apfel. Our own, Chase Whale reviewed the film in advance of its North American theatrical release shortly after Maysles death in April:Iris continues the tradition of Maysles' style of fly-on-the-wall filmmaking. You forget he's there until someone, and in this case, Iris, addresses him -- which she does quite often and in the most endearing ways. We...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 10/24/2015
- Screen Anarchy
Damon Lindelof wears his heart on his sleeve, which at once makes him an ideal person to run a show like "Lost" or "The Leftovers," and the absolute last person you would want to wish that burden on. He holds nothing back, whether in his writing or in his discussion of his writing, and he takes every criticism of his work very deeply. (He quit Twitter two years ago because it wasn't healthy for him anymore to wake up every day to people cursing at him and demanding six years of their lives back.) That openness and sincerity was on display in "Leftovers" season 1. The show was despised by some for being too depressing, too slow, too opaque, and spending far too much time with the mute, chain-smoking members of the Guilty Remnant cult. But it was adored by others (like me) who fell right into the show's parallel world — one just like ours,...
- 9/29/2015
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit the interwebs. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead (Douglas Tirola)
While the last few decades or so of National Lampoon’s output has been less than stellar, their influence through their humor magazine and films such as the original Vacation and Animal House can still be felt today. For those curious about the formation of the group and their rise to ubiquitous status, a new documentary looks to provide the behind-the-scenes story.
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead (Douglas Tirola)
While the last few decades or so of National Lampoon’s output has been less than stellar, their influence through their humor magazine and films such as the original Vacation and Animal House can still be felt today. For those curious about the formation of the group and their rise to ubiquitous status, a new documentary looks to provide the behind-the-scenes story.
- 9/25/2015
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
Read More: Advice to Doc Filmmakers from Albert Maysles: Establish an Empathizing Relationship The Film Society of Lincoln Center has announced it will co-host a tribute to the late Albert Maysles ("Grey Gardens," "Gimme Shelter") at Alice Tully Hall on Sunday, October 4 at 10am. The event, co-hosted by the Maysles family, will coincide with the 53rd New York Film Festival and will include special in-person appearances and a selection of clips to celebrate the work of the iconic documentarian. All tickets will be free to the public. "Al Maysles's touch with the camera is as distinctive as Richter’s on the piano or Miles Davis’s with his horn," said New York Film Festival Director Kent Jones. "And his sensitivity to human energies is inseparable from his fierce love for the people he filmed—all those faces over all those years...It was always great to see Al, to hang out with him.
- 9/21/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
DokuFest has announced its full slate of films for the 2015 festival, which runs from August 8 – 16 in the city of Prizren, Kosovo. Selected from a record number of over 3.000 submissions, DokuFest will showcase 228 films from 43 countries across 6 competitive sections and more than a dozen specially curated programs.
Migration is central theme of the festival this year and its global, as well as local social context and consequences, will be highlighted and explored through a number of events, including panels and discussions with filmmakers and invited international and local experts. A hand picked film program focusing on the issue of migration has been created. Bafta winning filmmaker Daniel Mulloy created a striking visual campaign to match with this year’s theme.
This year’s selection brings some of the finest work of non-fiction cinema, as well as a great array of short fictions and experimental cinema to the charming city of Prizren and its celebrated outdoor cinemas. The festival is also adding the 5th installment of this outdoor screenings known as the Dream Cinema.
DokuFest will also present a record number of films made in Albanian, both by filmmakers living and working in Kosovo and Albania, but also abroad. Nearly a dozen short documentaries under the banner of DokuFest have also been produced and will be shown at the festival.
Added to this, the festival will pay tribute to one the world’s greatest filmmakers, Albert Maysles. DokuFest will screen six of his films including landmark works such as " Gimme Shelter' and "Grey Gardens" as well as his last two films, "Iris" and "In Transit." Albert Maysles, who died earlier this year, together with his brother David, redefined documentary filmmaking, and influenced a generation of filmmakers with their ability to capture reality as it was unfolding.
The View From The World, non-competitive section of the festival will once again bring some of the biggest films of the year, including, among others,"Citizenfour," winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature,"The Wolfpack," Sundance sensation and winner of the U.S Grand Jury Prize and "The Pearl Button," Best Screenplay winner at this year’s Berlinale.
This year’s rich and varied program also includes film critic’s Neil Young survey of American independent scene in "Uncharted States of America" program and Pamela Cohn’s now continuous exploration of music documentary landscape, albeit in very different form this year, in the "Sound of my Soul" selection.
“DokuFest is returning with yet another eclectic program of films that is sure to amaze, move, question and surprise,” says Veton Nurkollari, Artistic Director of DokuFest. “ We are delighted to be able to present works of the highest quality, both from emerging filmmakers and masters of the craft, to our growing audience”.
You can take a closer look at the diverse sections below:
Competition Programs:
Balkan Dox Competition
International Dox Competition/Feature & Short
Green Dox Competition
Human Rights Dox Competition
International Shorts Competition
National Competition
Special Programs:
View from the World
Should I Stay or Should I go: Films on Migration
Uncharted States of America
Sound of My Soul
Golden Ages of Croatian Experiment
Efa Short
Amdocs@Dokufest
Tribute: Albert Maysles
Films on Film
Food on Film
Life is Elsewhere
Stories We Tell
Future is Here
Special Presentations
Flashes...
Migration is central theme of the festival this year and its global, as well as local social context and consequences, will be highlighted and explored through a number of events, including panels and discussions with filmmakers and invited international and local experts. A hand picked film program focusing on the issue of migration has been created. Bafta winning filmmaker Daniel Mulloy created a striking visual campaign to match with this year’s theme.
This year’s selection brings some of the finest work of non-fiction cinema, as well as a great array of short fictions and experimental cinema to the charming city of Prizren and its celebrated outdoor cinemas. The festival is also adding the 5th installment of this outdoor screenings known as the Dream Cinema.
DokuFest will also present a record number of films made in Albanian, both by filmmakers living and working in Kosovo and Albania, but also abroad. Nearly a dozen short documentaries under the banner of DokuFest have also been produced and will be shown at the festival.
Added to this, the festival will pay tribute to one the world’s greatest filmmakers, Albert Maysles. DokuFest will screen six of his films including landmark works such as " Gimme Shelter' and "Grey Gardens" as well as his last two films, "Iris" and "In Transit." Albert Maysles, who died earlier this year, together with his brother David, redefined documentary filmmaking, and influenced a generation of filmmakers with their ability to capture reality as it was unfolding.
The View From The World, non-competitive section of the festival will once again bring some of the biggest films of the year, including, among others,"Citizenfour," winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature,"The Wolfpack," Sundance sensation and winner of the U.S Grand Jury Prize and "The Pearl Button," Best Screenplay winner at this year’s Berlinale.
This year’s rich and varied program also includes film critic’s Neil Young survey of American independent scene in "Uncharted States of America" program and Pamela Cohn’s now continuous exploration of music documentary landscape, albeit in very different form this year, in the "Sound of my Soul" selection.
“DokuFest is returning with yet another eclectic program of films that is sure to amaze, move, question and surprise,” says Veton Nurkollari, Artistic Director of DokuFest. “ We are delighted to be able to present works of the highest quality, both from emerging filmmakers and masters of the craft, to our growing audience”.
You can take a closer look at the diverse sections below:
Competition Programs:
Balkan Dox Competition
International Dox Competition/Feature & Short
Green Dox Competition
Human Rights Dox Competition
International Shorts Competition
National Competition
Special Programs:
View from the World
Should I Stay or Should I go: Films on Migration
Uncharted States of America
Sound of My Soul
Golden Ages of Croatian Experiment
Efa Short
Amdocs@Dokufest
Tribute: Albert Maysles
Films on Film
Food on Film
Life is Elsewhere
Stories We Tell
Future is Here
Special Presentations
Flashes...
- 7/23/2015
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
If you see a movie for the first time and swear you've heard the score before, it may not be your imagination...
Last month, the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (Afm) sued six major studios for reusing film soundtracks in other films without paying the appropriate compensation. It's the kind of news that will make people roll their eyes. Ah yes, they'll say after seeing the headlines. Typical Hollywood. Not even the music's original any more.
But go beyond the headlines about reusing the same music too much and delve into the lawsuit and it reveals an interesting insight into the kind of situations where music does get repeated.
The lawsuit, it soon becomes evident, isn't about the use of music in itself (a quick browse through the soundtracks for the titles in question, such as This Means War or Argo, reveals that they have...
Last month, the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (Afm) sued six major studios for reusing film soundtracks in other films without paying the appropriate compensation. It's the kind of news that will make people roll their eyes. Ah yes, they'll say after seeing the headlines. Typical Hollywood. Not even the music's original any more.
But go beyond the headlines about reusing the same music too much and delve into the lawsuit and it reveals an interesting insight into the kind of situations where music does get repeated.
The lawsuit, it soon becomes evident, isn't about the use of music in itself (a quick browse through the soundtracks for the titles in question, such as This Means War or Argo, reveals that they have...
- 6/9/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
It is not surprising that documentarian Albert Maysles thought that fashion icon Iris Apfel would make a compelling subject for a film. Both artists kept on working late into the twilight of their careers, confounding expectations. Maysles, who died in March at the age of 88, will forever be one of the non-fiction film’s greatest forerunners, responsible for such indelible works as Gimme Shelter and Grey Gardens. Apfel, now 93, still works tirelessly and continues to be a no-holds-barred trendsetter of the New York fashion scene. Long beyond their time, both Maysles and Apfel will be immortalized by aspirants of the art form they championed.
With the exception of In Transit, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April, Iris marks Maysles’ last film. And while it may have a master both in front of and behind the camera, despite its often-effortless entertainment, this is a minor work. Nevertheless, Apfel is a terrific subject,...
With the exception of In Transit, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April, Iris marks Maysles’ last film. And while it may have a master both in front of and behind the camera, despite its often-effortless entertainment, this is a minor work. Nevertheless, Apfel is a terrific subject,...
- 5/15/2015
- by Jordan Adler
- We Got This Covered
George Lucas didn't just create the "Star Wars" universe. The filmmaker, who turns 71 on May 14, pretty much created the cinematic universe we live in now, the ones whose cornerstones include the Thx sound system at your multiplex, the Pixar movies that have dominated animation for the past 20 years, and the Industrial Light & Magic special-effects house, whose aesthetic has ruled the Hollywood blockbuster for nearly four decades. He's the pioneer of the effects-driven action spectacle and the conversion from celluloid to digital, the two trends that, for better and worse, have defined Hollywood's output for nearly 20 years.
As ubiquitous as Lucas and his creations loom in our cinematic dreamscapes, there's still a lot that most people don't know about him, from how he got his start to the famous folks who mentored him or were mentored by him, from the size of his fortune to what he plans to do now...
As ubiquitous as Lucas and his creations loom in our cinematic dreamscapes, there's still a lot that most people don't know about him, from how he got his start to the famous folks who mentored him or were mentored by him, from the size of his fortune to what he plans to do now...
- 5/14/2015
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Chicago – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 50 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the new documentary “Iris” on fashion icon Iris Apfel from legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles (“Gimme Shelter,” “Grey Gardens”)!
“Iris,” which opens in Chicago on May 15, 2015 and is rated “PG-13,” also stars Carl Apfel, Billy Apfel, Alexis Bittar, Mickey Boardman, Linda Fargo, Tavi Gevinson, David Hoey, Naeem Khan, Harold Koda, Jenna Lyons, Duro Olowu and Margaret Russell from director Albert Maysles.
To win your free “Iris” passes courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our social media widget below. That’s it! This screening is on Monday, May 4, 2015 at 7 p.m. in Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning! Completing these social actions only increases your odds of winning; this doesn’t intensify your competition!
Preferably, use your...
“Iris,” which opens in Chicago on May 15, 2015 and is rated “PG-13,” also stars Carl Apfel, Billy Apfel, Alexis Bittar, Mickey Boardman, Linda Fargo, Tavi Gevinson, David Hoey, Naeem Khan, Harold Koda, Jenna Lyons, Duro Olowu and Margaret Russell from director Albert Maysles.
To win your free “Iris” passes courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our social media widget below. That’s it! This screening is on Monday, May 4, 2015 at 7 p.m. in Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning! Completing these social actions only increases your odds of winning; this doesn’t intensify your competition!
Preferably, use your...
- 5/2/2015
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The recent death of American documentarian Albert Maysles places something of an unfair burden on “Iris,” his penultimate production. (“In Transit” was completed but has yet to be released.) This lightweight portrait of a style icon is best enjoyed without being seen as the one of the final films in a distinguished career that included such classic films as “Grey Gardens” and “Gimme Shelter.” In terms of personal style, Iris Apfel might be seen as a distant cousin to “Gardens” protagonist Little Edie Beale — both women have a taste level and a gift for fashionable improvisation that all the...
- 4/30/2015
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Meet Iris. The most precious 91-year-old on Earth. Now meet Iris, the most charming documentary about the most darling 91-year-old on Earth. (Note: Iris is now 93, which means this cover girl is still en vogue.) Iris is directed by the late, legendary pioneer Albert Maysles (Grey Gardens, Gimme Shelter) and documents the life of the jazzy, posh Iris Apbel, who made fashion her bitch. "If you hang around long enough, everything comes back," she says with a zippy, wide smile. (This means you can breathe easy, parachute pants will be cool again, someday.)Her wardrobe is based on what she finds while thrifting and window shopping, and now, whatever fashion designers send her. Just like the film, Iris' pizazz is untouchable. She's now 93, a...
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- 4/28/2015
- Screen Anarchy
Back at the start of March, the world of film lost one of its most revered documentarians, Albert Maysles. He and his brother David made three of Sight & Sound’s Top 50 Documentaries of all time, and to pay tribute to the late director, Turner Classic Movies is tonight changing their schedule to air three of those films, along with one of his early shorts.
TCM’s Albert Maysles Memorial Tribute will air Grey Gardens, Salesman, Gimme Shelter, and Meet Marlon Brando, starting at 8 Pm Et tonight. We first reported on the series back in our film Week in Review. Here’s the schedule:
TCM Remembers Albert Maysles– Monday, March 23
8 Pm Grey Gardens (1976)
10:00 Pm Salesman (1968)
11:45 Pm Gimme Shelter (1970)
1:30 Am Meet Marlon Brando (1968)
Grey Gardens recently received a restoration via the Criterion Collection, while the controversial Gimme Shelter is an absolute must-see and pinnacle of music history, ranking along...
TCM’s Albert Maysles Memorial Tribute will air Grey Gardens, Salesman, Gimme Shelter, and Meet Marlon Brando, starting at 8 Pm Et tonight. We first reported on the series back in our film Week in Review. Here’s the schedule:
TCM Remembers Albert Maysles– Monday, March 23
8 Pm Grey Gardens (1976)
10:00 Pm Salesman (1968)
11:45 Pm Gimme Shelter (1970)
1:30 Am Meet Marlon Brando (1968)
Grey Gardens recently received a restoration via the Criterion Collection, while the controversial Gimme Shelter is an absolute must-see and pinnacle of music history, ranking along...
- 3/23/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
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