In 1965, Sir Ridley Scott made his directorial debut with the short film, Boy and Bicycle. His illustrious filmmaking career began with a short that cost him $120 and starred his brother, the late Tony Scott. It led to a career that is nothing short of spectacular, one never lacking passion or permanence. He’s a filmmaker who’s been ahead of the […]
The post Five Great Ridley Scott Audio Commentaries appeared first on /Film.
The post Five Great Ridley Scott Audio Commentaries appeared first on /Film.
- 5/23/2017
- by Jack Giroux
- Slash Film
“Let’s grab this night by the pussy,” said Russell Crowe, exhorting the Beverly Hilton ballroom attendees at the annual American Cinematheque Ball to go out and vote on election day. Then the night’s charming master of ceremonies got down to the business at hand: tributing director Ridley Scott.
Crowe reminded us that Scott made his first feature film at 40—and showed us his delightful black and white 1962 “Boy and Bicycle” short student film, shot on a borrowed 16mm camera and starring his younger brother by six years, Tony, who also became a director.
At night’s end, when grateful “The Martian” Oscar nominee Matt Damon presented Scott, 78, with his award, Scott tracked back in time, recalling how he wasn’t a very good student, hard as he tried, and the teacher who suggested that he go to art school. Scott attended the Royal College of Art and studied film,...
Crowe reminded us that Scott made his first feature film at 40—and showed us his delightful black and white 1962 “Boy and Bicycle” short student film, shot on a borrowed 16mm camera and starring his younger brother by six years, Tony, who also became a director.
At night’s end, when grateful “The Martian” Oscar nominee Matt Damon presented Scott, 78, with his award, Scott tracked back in time, recalling how he wasn’t a very good student, hard as he tried, and the teacher who suggested that he go to art school. Scott attended the Royal College of Art and studied film,...
- 10/16/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
“Let’s grab this night by the pussy,” said Russell Crowe, exhorting the Beverly Hilton ballroom attendees at the annual American Cinematheque Ball to go out and vote on election day. Then the night’s charming master of ceremonies got down to the business at hand: tributing director Ridley Scott.
Crowe reminded us that Scott made his first feature film at 40—and showed us his delightful black and white 1962 “Boy and Bicycle” short student film, shot on a borrowed 16mm camera and starring his younger brother by six years, Tony, who also became a director.
At night’s end, when grateful “The Martian” Oscar nominee Matt Damon presented Scott, 78, with his award, Scott tracked back in time, recalling how he wasn’t a very good student, hard as he tried, and the teacher who suggested that he go to art school. Scott attended the Royal College of Art and studied film,...
Crowe reminded us that Scott made his first feature film at 40—and showed us his delightful black and white 1962 “Boy and Bicycle” short student film, shot on a borrowed 16mm camera and starring his younger brother by six years, Tony, who also became a director.
At night’s end, when grateful “The Martian” Oscar nominee Matt Damon presented Scott, 78, with his award, Scott tracked back in time, recalling how he wasn’t a very good student, hard as he tried, and the teacher who suggested that he go to art school. Scott attended the Royal College of Art and studied film,...
- 10/16/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Yesterday I stumbled on the following short film from Ridley Scott titled "Boy and Bicycle" of which he directed in 1962 while a student at the Royal College of Art in London. Shot over the course of six weeks, for ?65 (approx. $108 today) on 16mm and featuring his brother, the late Tony Scott, in the lead role, the short follows a young teen as he skips school. The film was shot in various locations in Hartlepool, North East England. The short would eventually be finished in 1965 when Scott secured financing from the British Film Institute and would then include theme music by James Bond composer John Barry. The short immediately caught my eye and after searching the Internet for commentary from others, most of which feel they see imagery they will later recognize in Scott's Alien, Blade Runner and Black Rain, I think the more obvious discussion points are visual comparisons to...
- 4/2/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Looking back at a renowned filmmaker’s oeuvre, there are usually noticeable marks of talent and genius, even in the early years — something unique that sets them apart from the rest. Ridley Scott attended the Royal College of Art and eventually helped establish the school’s film department. During that time, in 1962, he made a 27-minute, 16 mm film that featured his younger brother, the recently departed Tony, as the young protagonist. Their father also appeared in the short. The footage for Boy and Bicycle was shot in a ravaged-looking, bleak Northeast England town with an industrial skyline. The imagery is striking, and the young Scott’s eye was already drawn to a darker motif. Here we can see elements of future works, particularly in the...
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- 2/24/2014
- by Alison Nastasi
- Movies.com
This is another edition of Short Starts, where we present a weekly short film(s) from the start of a filmmaker or actor’s career. It’s not often we see a short film debut by someone of Ridley Scott‘s generation. And even if one does exist and is made available on the Internet, the copy tends to be poor quality. Check out the film school works of Spielberg and Scorsese on YouTube and see what I mean. And those guys seem most likely to have preserved that early amateur stuff, or else embarrassingly kept it hidden away. Scott’s first film, though, still looks amazing after more than 50 years and even transferred to non-hd video. It’s not a total surprise. The 27-minute black and white short, Boy and Bicycle, was ultimately paid for by the British Film Institute, which probably retained a good print. So when it was time to include it on the...
- 10/26/2013
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
You don't see many blimps, canoes or ships on film these days, a sure sign that when you do it can only mean trouble
Bicycles
Premium Rush is a strange anomaly when it comes to bicycle movies, because it deals with the reality of urban cycling: every journey involves zipping between objects massive enough to immediately kill you, and the constant risk of slamming your spine awkwardly on the side of a skip because someone opened their car door unexpectedly. Traditionally, however, bikes on film tend to represent innocence and freedom. While his future lay in dystopian sci-fi and Russell Crowe grunting at things, Ridley Scott's first ever short Boy And Bicycle was concerned with nothing more than showing a young Tony Scott contemplatively pedalling around west Hartlepool and Seaton Carew when he should have been at school. Then take Et's centrepiece, where a boy's bicycle is propelled skywards...
Bicycles
Premium Rush is a strange anomaly when it comes to bicycle movies, because it deals with the reality of urban cycling: every journey involves zipping between objects massive enough to immediately kill you, and the constant risk of slamming your spine awkwardly on the side of a skip because someone opened their car door unexpectedly. Traditionally, however, bikes on film tend to represent innocence and freedom. While his future lay in dystopian sci-fi and Russell Crowe grunting at things, Ridley Scott's first ever short Boy And Bicycle was concerned with nothing more than showing a young Tony Scott contemplatively pedalling around west Hartlepool and Seaton Carew when he should have been at school. Then take Et's centrepiece, where a boy's bicycle is propelled skywards...
- 9/7/2012
- by Stuart Heritage
- The Guardian - Film News
As we all come to grips with the loss of one of Hollywood's most esteemed directors, Tony Scott, there has been an outpouring of tributes to the man and his films. This 1965 short film, Boy And Bicycle, directed by Tony's brother, Ridley Scott, features a young Tony (roughly 21 years old) exploring the streets and outskirts of England, played to Hans Zimmer's score for Tony's 1993 film, True Romance. It's a touching picture of youth, freedom, and spirit, at a time before the great...
- 8/22/2012
- by Paul Shirey
- JoBlo.com
The written tributes for fallen director Tony Scott have been pouring in, and they're certainly touching. The cinematic odes will follow — supercuts of the most affecting moments in his films, behind-the-scenes footage of him directing on set, rediscovered interviews. But one of the most poignant remembrances possible has already arrived — footage of Ridley Scott's 1965 black-and-white short film Boy and Bicycle set to Hans Zimmer's uplifting theme to Tony Scott's True Romance. It's a beautiful thing to see Tony young, happy, and adventuring around England, fancying himself the world's only inhabitant. And of course those prone to morbid connections will want to note the moment when Tony inspects a bridge and then walks on its edge.
- 8/22/2012
- by Zach Dionne
- Vulture
The director's fondness for quick cuts and tight editing resulted in a catalogue of simple but exhilarating action movies
'I feel the need … the need for speed!" is probably the most famous line from Tony Scott's most famous film, Top Gun (what else?), the movie that made Scott's career and defined the look of commercial films for the late 20th and early 21st century. It is also a line that sums up what audiences loved about Scott's movies, and what critics did not.
Despite the diversity of his career, a common thread throughout all his films, from the gleeful highs of Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, True Romance, The Last Boy Scout and Crimson Tide, to the deadening lows of his first film The Hunger, Revenge and Domino (Keira Knightley plays a bounty hunter – let us speak no more about it), is the whizz-bang-chop-cut style. His spinning camera...
'I feel the need … the need for speed!" is probably the most famous line from Tony Scott's most famous film, Top Gun (what else?), the movie that made Scott's career and defined the look of commercial films for the late 20th and early 21st century. It is also a line that sums up what audiences loved about Scott's movies, and what critics did not.
Despite the diversity of his career, a common thread throughout all his films, from the gleeful highs of Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, True Romance, The Last Boy Scout and Crimson Tide, to the deadening lows of his first film The Hunger, Revenge and Domino (Keira Knightley plays a bounty hunter – let us speak no more about it), is the whizz-bang-chop-cut style. His spinning camera...
- 8/20/2012
- by Hadley Freeman
- The Guardian - Film News
Last night, some really sad news hit the net. Tony Scott, the acclaimed director of Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, Crimson Tide, Spy Game and a producer on innumerable others, including this summer’s Prometheus, has died of an apparent suicide (according to Styd):
According to the Los Angeles County coroner’s officials, Scott (68) climbed a fence on the south side of the bridge’s apex and leapt off “without hesitation” around 12:30 p.m. Investigators found a note in Scott’s black Toyota Prius which listed contact information. A suicide note was later found at his office. A spokesman for the Scott family said: “I can confirm that Mr. Scott has indeed passed away. The family asks that their privacy be respected at this time.”
We here at FM would like to pay tribute to the master film director, and younger brother of Ridley Scott, by providing...
According to the Los Angeles County coroner’s officials, Scott (68) climbed a fence on the south side of the bridge’s apex and leapt off “without hesitation” around 12:30 p.m. Investigators found a note in Scott’s black Toyota Prius which listed contact information. A suicide note was later found at his office. A spokesman for the Scott family said: “I can confirm that Mr. Scott has indeed passed away. The family asks that their privacy be respected at this time.”
We here at FM would like to pay tribute to the master film director, and younger brother of Ridley Scott, by providing...
- 8/20/2012
- by Alvin
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Tony Scott was a showman. As news of his apparent suicide on Sunday prompts mourning across Hollywood, E! News takes a look back at the seminal moments of the acclaimed director's life and films, many of which contain some of the best action, coolest shootouts and most memorable quotes in movie history. The Family Business: Born June 21, 1944 in North Shields, Northumberland England, Scott was the youngest of three brothers. After starring at the age of 16 in older sibling Ridley Scott's debut short film, Boy and Bicycle, he followed in his brother's footsteps, graduating from the Royal College of Art. He initially spent several years as a painter, but it wasn't long before Ridley came calling...
- 8/20/2012
- E! Online
"The most frightening thing I do in my life is getting up and shooting movies," said the director Tony Scott in 2009. "Every morning I'm bolt upright on one hour or two hours' sleep, before the alarm clock goes off. That's a good thing. That fear motivates me, and I enjoy that fear. I'm perverse in that way." Scott's take on film-making as an adrenalised, intimidating experience in itself was reflected in the tone and pace of his box-office hits, which included Top Gun (1986), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) and Days of Thunder (1990).
A lover of fast cars and motorbikes on the screen and off, and a lifelong rock climber, Scott was adept at injecting thrills into his slick films. This approach rarely brought him critical acclaim and his movies were sometimes unfavourably compared with the more ambitious, philosophical works...
A lover of fast cars and motorbikes on the screen and off, and a lifelong rock climber, Scott was adept at injecting thrills into his slick films. This approach rarely brought him critical acclaim and his movies were sometimes unfavourably compared with the more ambitious, philosophical works...
- 8/20/2012
- by Joel McIver
- The Guardian - Film News
Tony Scott, who died Sunday at age 68 of an apparent suicide, is best known for his work behind the camera. But in "Boy and Bicycle," a 1962 film shot by his older brother Ridley Scott, the director wasn't averse to playing leading man. The black-and-white film, which Ridley shot on 16mm film with a spring-wound camera, stars Tony as a teenager playing hooky from school, riding his bike through the town of Hartlepool as he spends time at the beach and a fair and muses about a variety of topics. Also...
- 8/20/2012
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
This should add a little poignancy to today's shocking news that veteran action director Tony Scott ("Top Gun," "True Romance") has jumped to his death from a San Pedro bridge. TheSpace.org has made available a film held in the British Film Institute archives that Scott's older brother Ridley (the director of "Blade Runner" and "Gladiator") made some 50 years ealier, when Tony was just 16 years old. Titled "Boy and Bicycle," the 1962 work shot on a 16mm Bolex received post-production funding from the BFI, and it shows Tony on a day spent playing hookie from school. Check out the film. Update: See the film via YouTube below:...
- 8/20/2012
- by Jay A. Fernandez
- Indiewire
Los Angeles – Director Tony Scott, the high octane helmsman of “Top Gun” (1986), “True Romance” (1993), “Enemy of the State” (1998) and the recent “Unstoppable” (2010), died on Sunday of an apparent suicide. Los Angeles officials say that Scott jumped from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, California. He was 68.
Tony Scott directed many of best action movies of the 1980s and ‘90s, putting memorable spins on genres such as military, car racing, thrillers, spy and disaster movies. Admirers constantly reference dialogue from his unforgettable “True Romance,” and the pulse of his most notable films was rapid and elemental. He worked with actors as diverse as Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Robert De Niro, Kevin Costner, Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, James Gandofini, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Susan Sarandon, John Travolta and Dennis Hopper.
Director Tony Scott on the Set in 2009 with “The Taking of Pelham 123...
Tony Scott directed many of best action movies of the 1980s and ‘90s, putting memorable spins on genres such as military, car racing, thrillers, spy and disaster movies. Admirers constantly reference dialogue from his unforgettable “True Romance,” and the pulse of his most notable films was rapid and elemental. He worked with actors as diverse as Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Robert De Niro, Kevin Costner, Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, James Gandofini, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Susan Sarandon, John Travolta and Dennis Hopper.
Director Tony Scott on the Set in 2009 with “The Taking of Pelham 123...
- 8/20/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Scott Jr was the quintessential 80s film-maker – a studio-system master flogging high-concept thrills with dizzying panache
On Sunday lunchtime, Tony Scott drove his car to the Vincent Thomas bridge in the port district of Los Angeles, parked it in the eastbound lane and then leapt to his death in the water below. "He jumped without hesitation," official sources told the press – and that sounds about right. We shall probably never know what prompted the 68-year-old film-maker – a Hollywood titan, rich as Croesus and respected by his peers – to take his own life. But having made the decision, Scott was not the sort to equivocate. In films and in life, the man went at things headlong. He left the doubt and the navel-gazing to the arthouse crowd. He jumped without hesitation.
"I'm more classical and he's rock'n'roll," Ridley Scott once remarked of his younger brother, who followed him into the business after training in fine art.
On Sunday lunchtime, Tony Scott drove his car to the Vincent Thomas bridge in the port district of Los Angeles, parked it in the eastbound lane and then leapt to his death in the water below. "He jumped without hesitation," official sources told the press – and that sounds about right. We shall probably never know what prompted the 68-year-old film-maker – a Hollywood titan, rich as Croesus and respected by his peers – to take his own life. But having made the decision, Scott was not the sort to equivocate. In films and in life, the man went at things headlong. He left the doubt and the navel-gazing to the arthouse crowd. He jumped without hesitation.
"I'm more classical and he's rock'n'roll," Ridley Scott once remarked of his younger brother, who followed him into the business after training in fine art.
- 8/20/2012
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
We look back at the work of Tony Scott, the director of Top Gun, Days of Thunder, True Romance and a series of collaborations with Denzel Washington
Tony Scott, the blockbuster director and producer who has died at the age of 68, began his career as an actor – sort of. His first film credit, aged 16, was as the star of his brother Ridley's student short, Boy and Bicycle. He cycles down to the docks, puffs a fag and contemplates the water. A monologue lets us in on his thoughts – about the joy of skiving school and chasing the sun round the sky. It's geographically grounded, chimneys belching in the background, yet it's also universal: a portrait of a groovy, hungry youngster, looking west.
Reading this on mobile? Watch the clip here
And indeed Scott defined himself by his Yankophilia, shedding his roots fast. He was a director with a great enthusiasm...
Tony Scott, the blockbuster director and producer who has died at the age of 68, began his career as an actor – sort of. His first film credit, aged 16, was as the star of his brother Ridley's student short, Boy and Bicycle. He cycles down to the docks, puffs a fag and contemplates the water. A monologue lets us in on his thoughts – about the joy of skiving school and chasing the sun round the sky. It's geographically grounded, chimneys belching in the background, yet it's also universal: a portrait of a groovy, hungry youngster, looking west.
Reading this on mobile? Watch the clip here
And indeed Scott defined himself by his Yankophilia, shedding his roots fast. He was a director with a great enthusiasm...
- 8/20/2012
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
The brothers-in-film have been brilliant and Tony Scott will be sadly missed. He and Sir Ridley have also been part of a fascinating process: the creation of an unreal world beloved of London - and therefore of the UK's decision-makers
The careers of Tony Scott and his brother Sir Ridley are exemplars of how the talent of the north of England will out, in their case from Grangefield grammar at Stockton (whose alumni also include the novelist and Booker Prizewinner Pat Barker) and West Hartlepool college of art.
Both places are still part of the local education system although in different forms, as might be expected after more than half a century, Grangefield as a comprehensive technology college and West Hartlepool as part of Cleveland college of art and design. They continue a grand tradition which played a major part in an area requiring artistic and design talent for its...
The careers of Tony Scott and his brother Sir Ridley are exemplars of how the talent of the north of England will out, in their case from Grangefield grammar at Stockton (whose alumni also include the novelist and Booker Prizewinner Pat Barker) and West Hartlepool college of art.
Both places are still part of the local education system although in different forms, as might be expected after more than half a century, Grangefield as a comprehensive technology college and West Hartlepool as part of Cleveland college of art and design. They continue a grand tradition which played a major part in an area requiring artistic and design talent for its...
- 8/20/2012
- by Martin Wainwright
- The Guardian - Film News
Hollywood is reacting to the shocking news that one of its most beloved and celebrated directors, Tony Scott, has died after plunging from a bridge in La.
Denzel Washington was one of Tony Scott's most frequent stars
The 68-year-old younger brother of Ridley Scott was best known for his work on high-energy blockbusters like Top Gun, Crimson Tide, True Romance, The Taking of Pelham 123, but he had also directed thousands of commercials and pop videos, mostly for his brother's company, Ridley Scott Associates.
He had only made one feature film before Top Gun, when producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson chose him on the strength of a commercial he had made for Saab, pitching a car in a race against a fighter jet. The film became the biggest box office hit of 1986, and rocketed Scott into the A-lister bracket of directors.
Watch: 15 Films That Made Tony Scott A...
Denzel Washington was one of Tony Scott's most frequent stars
The 68-year-old younger brother of Ridley Scott was best known for his work on high-energy blockbusters like Top Gun, Crimson Tide, True Romance, The Taking of Pelham 123, but he had also directed thousands of commercials and pop videos, mostly for his brother's company, Ridley Scott Associates.
He had only made one feature film before Top Gun, when producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson chose him on the strength of a commercial he had made for Saab, pitching a car in a race against a fighter jet. The film became the biggest box office hit of 1986, and rocketed Scott into the A-lister bracket of directors.
Watch: 15 Films That Made Tony Scott A...
- 8/20/2012
- by The Huffington Post UK
- Huffington Post
Update: ABC News reports that Tony Scott was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. Some wrenchingly sad news coming in this morning, as it's emerged in the last few hours that filmmaker Tony Scott has taken his own life at the age of 68. Scott was the director of a string of action classics, including "Top Gun," "The Last Boy Scout," "True Romance," "Crimson Tide" "Enemy of the State" and "Unstoppable," and also was responsible for producing a wealth of other film and TV through his production company, Scott Free, which he set up with elder brother Ridley Scott, the director of "Blade Runner" and "Alien." Scott was born in North Shields in north-east England, six years after his brother, and at the age of 16, starred in "Boy And Bicycle," the short film that launched Ridley's career. Tony followed his brother into art school,...
- 8/20/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Some shocking and tragic news emerged from California on Sunday: veteran film director Tony Scott died by apparent suicide at the age of 68.Scott was born in North Shields in 1944, the younger brother of fellow director (and, later, business partner) Ridley. His earliest foray into film was in front of the camera, not behind it, appearing at the age of 16 in Ridley’s directorial debut, a short film called Boy And Bicycle. He graduated from the Royal College Of Art, intending to become a painter, but was tempted into film and TV by his brother.Launching his career crafting adverts for Ridley Scott Associates, he made his directing debut on television with an adaptation of Henry James’ The Author Of Beltraffio in France. But what he really wanted to do was make movies, and Scott tried for several years to get a version of Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire.
- 8/20/2012
- EmpireOnline
Some very sad news has come in this evening: British film director and producer Tony Scott, who most recently worked on Prometheus and the upcoming Stoker, jumped to his death earlier today from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, according to Los Angeles County coroner's officials.
Daily Breeze reports that Scott, 68, climbed a fence on the south side of the bridge's apex and leapt off "without hesitation" around 12:30 p.m., Sunday, August 19th. A suicide note was found inside Scott's black Toyota Prius, which was parked on one of the eastbound lanes of the bridge, said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Jennifer Osburn.
Born June 21, 1944, in North Shields, England, Anthony David Scott was the younger brother of Ridley Scott. He starred in his brother's first movie, Boy and Bicycle, in 1960. Scott, an avid mountain climber, graduated from the Royal College of Art in London. He directed television commercials before his debut film,...
Daily Breeze reports that Scott, 68, climbed a fence on the south side of the bridge's apex and leapt off "without hesitation" around 12:30 p.m., Sunday, August 19th. A suicide note was found inside Scott's black Toyota Prius, which was parked on one of the eastbound lanes of the bridge, said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Jennifer Osburn.
Born June 21, 1944, in North Shields, England, Anthony David Scott was the younger brother of Ridley Scott. He starred in his brother's first movie, Boy and Bicycle, in 1960. Scott, an avid mountain climber, graduated from the Royal College of Art in London. He directed television commercials before his debut film,...
- 8/20/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
HollywoodNews.com: Film director Tony Scott, apparently commits suicide by jumping off Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro. Investigators found a suicide note in his car, which was parked on the bridge. Anthony D. L. "Tony" Scott (June 21, 1944 – August 19, 2012) was an English film director. His films include Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, Spy Game, Man on Fire, Déjà Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123 and Unstoppable. He was the younger brother of fellow film director Ridley Scott. Scott was born in North Shields, the son of Elizabeth and Colonel Francis Percy Scott. At the age of 16, Tony appeared in Boy and Bicycle, a short film marking the directorial debut of his then 23 year-old brother Ridley. He followed in his elder brother's footsteps, studying at Grangefield School, West Hartlepool College of Art and Sunderland Art School, the last for a fine arts degree.
- 8/20/2012
- by Josh Abraham
- Hollywoodnews.com
Cyclescreen 2011, a bicycle film festival enjoying a successful second year, showed exciting new and classic cycling films
Cycling and art have a long history. For Toulouse-Lautrec, track racing in 1890's Paris was an essential part of the city's vivid twilight. Duchamp's bicycle wheel is a powerful symbol: like his Fountain (the urinal), it is both everyday and a little bit subversive.
Since its invention, the bike has stoked the passion of diverse artists, some for the circus hustle of the race, others the egalitarian potency of the original and best mass transport. Last week's Cyclescreen 2011, a bicycle film festival enjoying a successful second year at the Watershed in Bristol, presented exciting new work and some of the best classic cycling films.
The best cycling films capture the anarchic buzz of sleepy provincial town transformed into gladiatorial grandstand, and the short films Pour un Maillot Jaune, by Claude Lelouch, and Vive le Tour,...
Cycling and art have a long history. For Toulouse-Lautrec, track racing in 1890's Paris was an essential part of the city's vivid twilight. Duchamp's bicycle wheel is a powerful symbol: like his Fountain (the urinal), it is both everyday and a little bit subversive.
Since its invention, the bike has stoked the passion of diverse artists, some for the circus hustle of the race, others the egalitarian potency of the original and best mass transport. Last week's Cyclescreen 2011, a bicycle film festival enjoying a successful second year at the Watershed in Bristol, presented exciting new work and some of the best classic cycling films.
The best cycling films capture the anarchic buzz of sleepy provincial town transformed into gladiatorial grandstand, and the short films Pour un Maillot Jaune, by Claude Lelouch, and Vive le Tour,...
- 8/26/2011
- by Matthew Wright
- The Guardian - Film News
Philip French speaks to Ridley Scott, Ken Russell, Gurinder Chadha, Shane Meadows and Stephen Frears about their debut pictures and detects the styles of the then-fledgling auteurs
Do artists discover a personal style and develop their themes gradually or are these to be found in embryonic form in their earliest works? There's no easy answer to this dual question. Take, for example, Ken Russell's Amelia and the Angel (1957), Ridley Scott's Boy and Bicycle (1965), Stephen Frears's The Burning (1967), Gurinder Chadha's I'm British But… (1989) and Shane Meadows's Where's the Money, Ronnie? (1995). All were made on shoestring budgets and each lasts less than half an hour.
First, presented with the directors' names and the credits concealed, would you be able to match up film and film-maker? I think most moviegoers could, which suggests there is something in these first movies that we would now recognise as characteristic. Second,...
Do artists discover a personal style and develop their themes gradually or are these to be found in embryonic form in their earliest works? There's no easy answer to this dual question. Take, for example, Ken Russell's Amelia and the Angel (1957), Ridley Scott's Boy and Bicycle (1965), Stephen Frears's The Burning (1967), Gurinder Chadha's I'm British But… (1989) and Shane Meadows's Where's the Money, Ronnie? (1995). All were made on shoestring budgets and each lasts less than half an hour.
First, presented with the directors' names and the credits concealed, would you be able to match up film and film-maker? I think most moviegoers could, which suggests there is something in these first movies that we would now recognise as characteristic. Second,...
- 9/25/2010
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Can you see signs of greatness in our BFI DVD – free with today's paper – featuring early films by veteran British directors?
Can you spot the germ of Ridley Scott's career-defining epics like Alien and Gladiator in his first film, an introspective short featuring his brother, Tony, cycling about South Shields and smoking fags? Or how about hints of Shane Meadows's crisp coming-of-age tale, This is England, in his chaotic and very low budget debut Where's the Money, Ronnie?
Stephen Frears is no great fan of his inaugural effort, a 30-minute drama called The Burning, and likens the process of a director crafting his first film to a "baby playing with its own shit – you just hope to learn something". But Gurinder Chadha thinks the important themes that define her later work were all present in the documentary short I'm British But …; and Ken Russell is still very fond of his first film,...
Can you spot the germ of Ridley Scott's career-defining epics like Alien and Gladiator in his first film, an introspective short featuring his brother, Tony, cycling about South Shields and smoking fags? Or how about hints of Shane Meadows's crisp coming-of-age tale, This is England, in his chaotic and very low budget debut Where's the Money, Ronnie?
Stephen Frears is no great fan of his inaugural effort, a 30-minute drama called The Burning, and likens the process of a director crafting his first film to a "baby playing with its own shit – you just hope to learn something". But Gurinder Chadha thinks the important themes that define her later work were all present in the documentary short I'm British But …; and Ken Russell is still very fond of his first film,...
- 9/25/2010
- by Tom Lamont
- The Guardian - Film News
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