You can chart Steven Spielberg's evolution as a director by the "Indiana Jones" films. By 1981, the former wunderkind had gotten the wind knocked out of him by the muted reaction to his erratic 1979 burlesque "1941" (which earned him a tsk-tsking from John Wayne) and was hungry for a rebound. Teaming up with his buddy George Lucas, he made "Raiders of the Lost Ark," a rollicking pastiche that has since supplanted the '30s and '40s serials that inspired their action-adventure in our cultural consciousness.
1984's "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" saw Spielberg wade further into the horror pool he'd explored two years earlier in "Poltergeist," a suburban nightmare that neither he nor director Tobe Hooper can take full credit for. "Temple of Doom" might just feature some of the most exhilarating pacing and grandest spectacle of the filmmaker's career, but that's difficult to appreciate beneath the film's racial insensitivity and general mean-spiritedness.
1984's "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" saw Spielberg wade further into the horror pool he'd explored two years earlier in "Poltergeist," a suburban nightmare that neither he nor director Tobe Hooper can take full credit for. "Temple of Doom" might just feature some of the most exhilarating pacing and grandest spectacle of the filmmaker's career, but that's difficult to appreciate beneath the film's racial insensitivity and general mean-spiritedness.
- 5/30/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Steven Spielberg had a great run in the 80s and 90s churning out blockbusters while also venturing into compelling dramas. He entertained audiences with the Indiana Jones franchise that has since become a significant part of pop culture and also made audiences cry with emotionally driven films such as Empire of the Sun and The Color Purple.
George Lucas helped in the editing process of Jurassic Park for Steven Spielberg
The 90s saw some of the best works from the director and Spielberg managed to churn out two of the best films of the 90s in the same year Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List (both 1993). Star Wars creator George Lucas was instrumental in making that possible but when it came to Lucas needing help from Spielberg, the maverick turned it down for a very logical reason.
Steven Spielberg Turned Down the Offer to Direct One of the Star Wars Prequel...
George Lucas helped in the editing process of Jurassic Park for Steven Spielberg
The 90s saw some of the best works from the director and Spielberg managed to churn out two of the best films of the 90s in the same year Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List (both 1993). Star Wars creator George Lucas was instrumental in making that possible but when it came to Lucas needing help from Spielberg, the maverick turned it down for a very logical reason.
Steven Spielberg Turned Down the Offer to Direct One of the Star Wars Prequel...
- 5/20/2024
- by Rahul Thokchom
- FandomWire
Christian Bale has established himself as a bonafide movie star as he has done numerous films that have made him one of the biggest names in the film industry. Throughout his prolific career, Bale has done films in different genres to showcase his versatility as an actor. Empire of the Sun, The Machinist, American Psycho, and The Dark Knight Trilogy, are just a few films that he has featured in.
Christian Bale. Credits: Siebbi/ Wikimedia Commons
Needless to say, the Little Women actor has extensive film knowledge and he enjoys watching films and TV Series that pique his interest. However, he surprised the world during one of his interviews where he opened up about how he has no interest in Robert Pattinson’s fantasy film series, The Twilight Saga.
Christian Bale Is Least Bothered About The Twilight Saga’s Existence
Back in the day, The Twilight Saga was a big pop culture phenomenon,...
Christian Bale. Credits: Siebbi/ Wikimedia Commons
Needless to say, the Little Women actor has extensive film knowledge and he enjoys watching films and TV Series that pique his interest. However, he surprised the world during one of his interviews where he opened up about how he has no interest in Robert Pattinson’s fantasy film series, The Twilight Saga.
Christian Bale Is Least Bothered About The Twilight Saga’s Existence
Back in the day, The Twilight Saga was a big pop culture phenomenon,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Tushar Auddy
- FandomWire
Australian duo Empire of the Sun are back to announce Ask That God, their first new album in eight years. They’ve also shared the album’s latest preview, “Music on the Radio.”
Ask That God is Empire of the Sun’s fourth studio album and is due for release on July 26th. After taking several years off on a “sonic pilgrimage,” the duo are resurrecting their fantastical personas (Luke “Emperor” Steele and Nick “Lord” Littlemore) and are embarking on a “holistic musical adventure” for Ask That God. “It has been a journey unlike any other that Empire Of The Sun has undertaken,” Littlemore says in a statement. “We always ‘go there’ when it comes to exploration of both the self and the outside world… This body of work represents the greatest shift in consciousness our world has ever seen and that’s reflected in the music.”
The announcement arrives...
Ask That God is Empire of the Sun’s fourth studio album and is due for release on July 26th. After taking several years off on a “sonic pilgrimage,” the duo are resurrecting their fantastical personas (Luke “Emperor” Steele and Nick “Lord” Littlemore) and are embarking on a “holistic musical adventure” for Ask That God. “It has been a journey unlike any other that Empire Of The Sun has undertaken,” Littlemore says in a statement. “We always ‘go there’ when it comes to exploration of both the self and the outside world… This body of work represents the greatest shift in consciousness our world has ever seen and that’s reflected in the music.”
The announcement arrives...
- 5/17/2024
- by Paolo Ragusa
- Consequence - Music
Veteran filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has been vocal about his preferences when it comes to movies and he’s not afraid to criticize or slam those that did not hit the mark for him. One of his filmmaking idols is Steven Spielberg, and while he loves some of the director’s projects, there’s one he hates the most.
Harrison Ford and Sean Connery in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
It became controversial because the movie in question is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The film has been celebrated by many fans, so it’s a huge mystery why Tarantino did not like it.
Quentin Tarantino Isn’t A Huge Fan Of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Quentin Tarantino on the set of Pulp Fiction
During an interview via ReelBlend podcast, Pulp Fiction director Quentin Tarantino shared that he is not a fan of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,...
Harrison Ford and Sean Connery in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
It became controversial because the movie in question is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The film has been celebrated by many fans, so it’s a huge mystery why Tarantino did not like it.
Quentin Tarantino Isn’t A Huge Fan Of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Quentin Tarantino on the set of Pulp Fiction
During an interview via ReelBlend podcast, Pulp Fiction director Quentin Tarantino shared that he is not a fan of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Ariane Cruz
- FandomWire
While we gloat over the achievements of Tinseltown, we should ask ourselves if Schindler’s List, Steven Spielberg’s 1993 moving historical drama, could have come to fruition without the support of any super alliance. The Ohio-born director, 77, himself expressed his deep appreciation for the decisive support he received from none other than, George Lucas, his loyal comrade.
Earlier this year, Spielberg discussed in detail the paramount role that Lucas had in the creation of Schindler’s List. Indeed, thanks to Lucas and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, who was in the US completing Jurassic Park’s sound mixing, Spielberg was able to work effectively on the moving and impactful Holocaust flick.
Steven Spielberg | Credits: Wikimedia Commons
Spielberg even remembered saying, “George, I am in trouble”, when he reached out to Lucas. That being said, both Schindler’s List and Jurassic Park became timeless masterpieces because of Lucas’ helping hands and generosity.
Steven Spielberg...
Earlier this year, Spielberg discussed in detail the paramount role that Lucas had in the creation of Schindler’s List. Indeed, thanks to Lucas and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy, who was in the US completing Jurassic Park’s sound mixing, Spielberg was able to work effectively on the moving and impactful Holocaust flick.
Steven Spielberg | Credits: Wikimedia Commons
Spielberg even remembered saying, “George, I am in trouble”, when he reached out to Lucas. That being said, both Schindler’s List and Jurassic Park became timeless masterpieces because of Lucas’ helping hands and generosity.
Steven Spielberg...
- 4/29/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
The novelty of Christian Bale’s performance as the murderous and psychopathic Patrick Bateman in American Psycho is his inherent lust for murder. The cruel intentions that he keeps at bay despite the absolute façade of normality of his mask make his role even more seductive to the audience. However, the film was not the original piece of art from where the idea of Bateman was born.
Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman [Credit: Lionsgate Films]Originating from Robert Bloch’s 1959 novel Psycho featuring Norman Bates and adapted into a film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock in 1960, Bret Easton Ellis’ novel is not a far throw from the mid-20th century author’s work. Ellis’ American Psycho is a more capitalist take on the classical psychopath against the backdrop of a modern world.
Bret Easton Ellis Clears an American Psycho Misconception
In a world guided by myths and misconceptions, it...
Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman [Credit: Lionsgate Films]Originating from Robert Bloch’s 1959 novel Psycho featuring Norman Bates and adapted into a film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock in 1960, Bret Easton Ellis’ novel is not a far throw from the mid-20th century author’s work. Ellis’ American Psycho is a more capitalist take on the classical psychopath against the backdrop of a modern world.
Bret Easton Ellis Clears an American Psycho Misconception
In a world guided by myths and misconceptions, it...
- 4/28/2024
- by Diya Majumdar
- FandomWire
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are the two prominent Hollywood names that stand out above the rest. Having said that, with their inventive storytelling and huge hits, they have collectively transformed the movie business. Indeed, these visionaries have a profound impact on the cinematic universe, but when it comes to handling their beloved creations post-release, their paths diverge like a fork in the Yellow Brick Road.
Steven Spielberg | Credits: Wikimedia Commons
While both directors have created some of history’s most iconic flicks, Spielberg and Lucas take very different approaches when it comes to revisiting their earlier work. The former feels that his films should remain true to the era in which they were made, unlike Lucas, who is renowned for updating and improving his works digitally.
Steven Spielberg-George Lucas Dichotomy: What Sets These Directors Apart
When evaluating the best directors of profitable blockbusters, it is difficult to ignore Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.
Steven Spielberg | Credits: Wikimedia Commons
While both directors have created some of history’s most iconic flicks, Spielberg and Lucas take very different approaches when it comes to revisiting their earlier work. The former feels that his films should remain true to the era in which they were made, unlike Lucas, who is renowned for updating and improving his works digitally.
Steven Spielberg-George Lucas Dichotomy: What Sets These Directors Apart
When evaluating the best directors of profitable blockbusters, it is difficult to ignore Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.
- 4/28/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
While Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun pushed a 13-year-old Christian Bale to the limelight, transitioning into a prominent adult actor wasn’t easy. It would be another 13 years after the release of Spielberg’s war drama before the actor would eventually land his footing in Hollywood, thanks to his brilliance in American Psycho.
But prior to skyrocketing to the top after playing the sadistic killer, Bale did star in a plethora of movies, which involved a record-breaking Disney musical. However, the Batman Begins Star doesn’t share fond memories of working in the musical, as it wasn’t the film he initially signed up for.
Christian Bale Starred in One of Disney’s Lowest Grossing Features
Newsies | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The ’90s were a golden period for the House of the Mouse. Considered the Disney Renaissance era, from ’89 to ’99, the Industry giant kept hitting it out...
But prior to skyrocketing to the top after playing the sadistic killer, Bale did star in a plethora of movies, which involved a record-breaking Disney musical. However, the Batman Begins Star doesn’t share fond memories of working in the musical, as it wasn’t the film he initially signed up for.
Christian Bale Starred in One of Disney’s Lowest Grossing Features
Newsies | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The ’90s were a golden period for the House of the Mouse. Considered the Disney Renaissance era, from ’89 to ’99, the Industry giant kept hitting it out...
- 4/2/2024
- by Santanu Roy
- FandomWire
With the phenomenal response to Denis Villeneuve’s film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction epic, Dune 2, viewers have been desperately awaiting the next entry in the franchise. Nonetheless, recent hints from the Canadian filmmaker himself that he may not return to the director’s chair following the third flick have sparked speculation about who might take over the reins.
Not surprisingly, one name that has been popping up in our minds is none other than legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg. What is more exciting is that the Jurassic Park director has even heaped praise on the critically acclaimed Dune 2, declaring it “one of the most brilliant science fiction films” he has ever seen.
Florence Pugh in a still from Dune: Part Two
While some may regard Spielberg as an unusual choice for a project as large and complex as Dune, his experience with otherworldly creatures and fantastical...
Not surprisingly, one name that has been popping up in our minds is none other than legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg. What is more exciting is that the Jurassic Park director has even heaped praise on the critically acclaimed Dune 2, declaring it “one of the most brilliant science fiction films” he has ever seen.
Florence Pugh in a still from Dune: Part Two
While some may regard Spielberg as an unusual choice for a project as large and complex as Dune, his experience with otherworldly creatures and fantastical...
- 3/28/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
Ever since its premiere on January 26, 2024, fans of Masters of the Air have been fervently following the 100th Bomb Group’s harrowing journey. With production heavyweights like Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and Gary Goetzman, the nine-episode limited series was probably bound for success from the start.
In the Apple TV+ series, Austin Butler and Callum Turner portray Gale Cleven and John Egan, respectively, as best friends. Engrossing the reader in its gripping tale, The Bloody Hundredth, the 100th Bomb Group’s story illustrates the harsh realities of World War Two.
Steven Spielberg’s Masters of the Air
Arguably, Masters of the Air suggests that Spielberg should reconsider his previous attachment to helming a DC movie. Hold on, earlier attempts… DC flick? Yes, it has been revealed that he had attempted to adapt the DC property Blackhawks (the comics superhero team) several years ago.
SUGGESTEDSteven Spielberg Needed 3 Series Projects to Complete...
In the Apple TV+ series, Austin Butler and Callum Turner portray Gale Cleven and John Egan, respectively, as best friends. Engrossing the reader in its gripping tale, The Bloody Hundredth, the 100th Bomb Group’s story illustrates the harsh realities of World War Two.
Steven Spielberg’s Masters of the Air
Arguably, Masters of the Air suggests that Spielberg should reconsider his previous attachment to helming a DC movie. Hold on, earlier attempts… DC flick? Yes, it has been revealed that he had attempted to adapt the DC property Blackhawks (the comics superhero team) several years ago.
SUGGESTEDSteven Spielberg Needed 3 Series Projects to Complete...
- 3/25/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
Christian Bale is undeniably one of the most respected actors to ever portray the iconic Batman. His collaboration with director Christopher Nolan in 2005’s Batman Begins launched a gritty and now-legendary trilogy that made over $2 billion worldwide (via The Numbers).
Their version of Batman was serious and dark — quite different from the more playful superhero movies at the time. The Dark Knight from their film series is still seen as a super important movie in the superhero world.
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight
Nolan did an amazing job directing and writing the Batman trilogy, but Bale’s acting as Bruce Wayne/Batman was also a big part of why the film became a huge success.
SUGGESTEDChristian Bale Will Never Play “Despicable” James Bond For a Very Valid Reason But He Can Still be in it as a Villain
Before Batman Begins, Bale was famous for playing intense characters, like Patrick Bateman in American Psycho.
Their version of Batman was serious and dark — quite different from the more playful superhero movies at the time. The Dark Knight from their film series is still seen as a super important movie in the superhero world.
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight
Nolan did an amazing job directing and writing the Batman trilogy, but Bale’s acting as Bruce Wayne/Batman was also a big part of why the film became a huge success.
SUGGESTEDChristian Bale Will Never Play “Despicable” James Bond For a Very Valid Reason But He Can Still be in it as a Villain
Before Batman Begins, Bale was famous for playing intense characters, like Patrick Bateman in American Psycho.
- 3/23/2024
- by Shreya Jha
- FandomWire
Many actors would love to portray James Bond, yet there is a specific casting process that must be adhered to and not everybody is willing to play the role. For example, Christian Bale turned down the role of James Bond early in the new millennium.
Ian Fleming created the prominent British secret agent in 1953, and he has since been featured in 12 novels and two collections of short stories. Despite having a readership of their own, James Bond’s cinematic adaptations helped popularize the character on a large scale.
Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Rises
Following the expiration of Pierce Brosnan’s contract, Bale, the British actor, was deemed one of the best candidates to portray James Bond due to his acclaimed appearance. Unexpectedly, The Dark Knight star rejected the role—which has historically only been given to British actors—because he felt it promoted negative stereotypes about the country.
Ian Fleming created the prominent British secret agent in 1953, and he has since been featured in 12 novels and two collections of short stories. Despite having a readership of their own, James Bond’s cinematic adaptations helped popularize the character on a large scale.
Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Rises
Following the expiration of Pierce Brosnan’s contract, Bale, the British actor, was deemed one of the best candidates to portray James Bond due to his acclaimed appearance. Unexpectedly, The Dark Knight star rejected the role—which has historically only been given to British actors—because he felt it promoted negative stereotypes about the country.
- 3/22/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
Christian Bale has acted in many genres in the film industry, including musicals. He famously starred in the 1992 film Newsies, which developed a bit of a cult following over the years. It also allegedly had an unexpected effect on Bale’s movie career.
‘Newsies’ helped Christian Bale’s career thanks to Blockbuster Christian Bale | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Bale was still on the rise as an actor after doing the 1992 feature Newsies. The film was a musical where a very young Christian Bale played a homeless newsboy who later goes on strike. At the time the film came out, the Batman Begins star found himself starring in many critically and financially underwhelming movies.
Empire of the Sun, which he did with Steven Spielberg, didn’t earn as much as Spielberg’s other successful projects. Bale also had a small part in Henry V, which didn’t make much money at the box-office,...
‘Newsies’ helped Christian Bale’s career thanks to Blockbuster Christian Bale | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Bale was still on the rise as an actor after doing the 1992 feature Newsies. The film was a musical where a very young Christian Bale played a homeless newsboy who later goes on strike. At the time the film came out, the Batman Begins star found himself starring in many critically and financially underwhelming movies.
Empire of the Sun, which he did with Steven Spielberg, didn’t earn as much as Spielberg’s other successful projects. Bale also had a small part in Henry V, which didn’t make much money at the box-office,...
- 3/15/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
1993 was a year of change for filmmaker Steven Spielberg. On June 11, the director's dinosaur thriller "Jurassic Park" was released, making huge amounts of money and, eventually, becoming one of the biggest blockbusters of the decade. On December 15, the director's soul-rattling Holocaust drama "Schindler's List" was released, inviting a wave of praise and astonishment from audiences. It went on to win seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Up until June of 1993, Spielberg was perhaps best known for his action blockbusters and adventure films ("The Color Purple" and "Empire of the Sun" notwithstanding). After December 1993, Spielberg would become seemingly less interested in genre films and far more interested in movies aimed squarely at adults. He didn't seem terribly invested in his 1997 sequel to "Jurassic Park," titled "The Lost World," and, indeed, Spielberg's adventure films released since then have all felt distant and automatic, especially when compared to his more politically-bent historical dramas like "Munich,...
Up until June of 1993, Spielberg was perhaps best known for his action blockbusters and adventure films ("The Color Purple" and "Empire of the Sun" notwithstanding). After December 1993, Spielberg would become seemingly less interested in genre films and far more interested in movies aimed squarely at adults. He didn't seem terribly invested in his 1997 sequel to "Jurassic Park," titled "The Lost World," and, indeed, Spielberg's adventure films released since then have all felt distant and automatic, especially when compared to his more politically-bent historical dramas like "Munich,...
- 3/11/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
30 years ago, "Schindler's List" earned Steven Spielberg his first Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director. It was a long-delayed coronation, one that was contingent on the director putting away childish things and making a serious movie for grown-ups. Spielberg was obviously deserving, but these should've been Oscars number five and six after "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial".
Though the Academy never showed Spielberg the love for his escapist classics, John Williams certainly made out well. He won Best Original Score for "Jaws" and "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" before taking home his fifth overall Oscar for "Schindler's List" -- which was as daunting of a challenge for Williams as it was for Spielberg (who credits the film with restoring his faith in filmmaking). Williams's music had always been an integral component of Spielberg's movies, but he'd never composed anything this somber for the director. In fact,...
Though the Academy never showed Spielberg the love for his escapist classics, John Williams certainly made out well. He won Best Original Score for "Jaws" and "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" before taking home his fifth overall Oscar for "Schindler's List" -- which was as daunting of a challenge for Williams as it was for Spielberg (who credits the film with restoring his faith in filmmaking). Williams's music had always been an integral component of Spielberg's movies, but he'd never composed anything this somber for the director. In fact,...
- 3/7/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Steven Spielberg kissed his wife and embraced his mother before his left hand floated to his temple in disbelief. Then he grew visibly emotional as he made his way to the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The 46-year-old Spielberg had just won his first Oscar — as best director for “Schindler’s List,” an unflinching look at the Holocaust and its horrors. “This is a big surprise,” presenter Clint Eastwood said somewhat sarcastically.
As Eastwood’s joke suggests, Spielberg’s victory at the 1994 Academy Awards was preordained — an unavoidable coronation after he had dominated popular culture so completely over the past year. Not only had he subverted his image as a boy genius, spinning escapist fantasies out of celluloid, by tackling a project as grown up as “Schindler’s List,” but he had also reestablished himself as the most successful director in Hollywood with another 1993 release, “Jurassic Park.” The adventure film, essentially “Jaws” with dinosaurs,...
As Eastwood’s joke suggests, Spielberg’s victory at the 1994 Academy Awards was preordained — an unavoidable coronation after he had dominated popular culture so completely over the past year. Not only had he subverted his image as a boy genius, spinning escapist fantasies out of celluloid, by tackling a project as grown up as “Schindler’s List,” but he had also reestablished himself as the most successful director in Hollywood with another 1993 release, “Jurassic Park.” The adventure film, essentially “Jaws” with dinosaurs,...
- 3/6/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Christian Bale’s bizarre childhood might have something to do with him becoming an actor. As a kid exposed to stage performance and a crowd of spectators, it’s no wonder he managed to find his way into the entertainment industry.
Christian Bale in American Psycho
His unconventional, nomadic lifestyle when he was a child became a huge part of Bale’s personality. By age 15, he has lived in 15 different towns. Many fans might not be aware, but the Batman star became a part of a circus caravan when he was seven.
Suggested“He just completely ruined all my plans”: Christian Bale Had One Remark for Heath Ledger’s Joker After Being Disappointed With His Own Batman Role Christian Bale Grew Up Surrounded By The Circus
Christian Bale’s mother, Jenny, worked as a circus clown whose acts included riding elephants and dancing on stage. This job forced her...
Christian Bale in American Psycho
His unconventional, nomadic lifestyle when he was a child became a huge part of Bale’s personality. By age 15, he has lived in 15 different towns. Many fans might not be aware, but the Batman star became a part of a circus caravan when he was seven.
Suggested“He just completely ruined all my plans”: Christian Bale Had One Remark for Heath Ledger’s Joker After Being Disappointed With His Own Batman Role Christian Bale Grew Up Surrounded By The Circus
Christian Bale’s mother, Jenny, worked as a circus clown whose acts included riding elephants and dancing on stage. This job forced her...
- 2/27/2024
- by Ariane Cruz
- FandomWire
The cult director grew up on the luscious island of Madagascar just as it was casting off French rule. It was a deliriously happy time for him – but now he realises what was really going on
Robin Campillo’s new movie, Red Island, is an amazing, moving evocation of his own childhood in Madagascar as what the Anglo-Saxons call an “army brat”. His soldier dad was posted there with the family in the early days of the island’s independence from French imperial control – and the 10-year-old roamed free in this lush and gorgeous place, but all the time aware of sexual licence among the grownups, their wan melancholy at their imminent expulsion from this paradise and the increasingly pointed anti-colonial rumblings among the Indigenous people. The boy is almost like young Jim in Jg Ballard’s Empire of the Sun (played by Christian Bale in Spielberg’s film version...
Robin Campillo’s new movie, Red Island, is an amazing, moving evocation of his own childhood in Madagascar as what the Anglo-Saxons call an “army brat”. His soldier dad was posted there with the family in the early days of the island’s independence from French imperial control – and the 10-year-old roamed free in this lush and gorgeous place, but all the time aware of sexual licence among the grownups, their wan melancholy at their imminent expulsion from this paradise and the increasingly pointed anti-colonial rumblings among the Indigenous people. The boy is almost like young Jim in Jg Ballard’s Empire of the Sun (played by Christian Bale in Spielberg’s film version...
- 2/27/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Christian Bale has been one of the most fascinating actors to witness on screen due to his dedication and commitment to presenting himself differently every time. He is ready to put his heart, mind, and soul into every project and is known for his drastic physical transformations in his films throughout the years.
Christian Bale in 2017’s Hostiles
His breakout role was in Steven Spielberg’s 1987 film Empire of the Sun, which made him an overnight sensation. Unfortunately, with fame came a terrible consequence for young Bale at the time, as he was constantly bullied by his classmates for years.
Christian Bale’s Fame From Empire of The Sun Had Dire Consequences
Christian Bale as James Graham in Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun
As a child actor, Christian Bale starred in many commercials and plays in schools. While he initially was interested in acting, he slowly and surely found enjoyment in it.
Christian Bale in 2017’s Hostiles
His breakout role was in Steven Spielberg’s 1987 film Empire of the Sun, which made him an overnight sensation. Unfortunately, with fame came a terrible consequence for young Bale at the time, as he was constantly bullied by his classmates for years.
Christian Bale’s Fame From Empire of The Sun Had Dire Consequences
Christian Bale as James Graham in Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun
As a child actor, Christian Bale starred in many commercials and plays in schools. While he initially was interested in acting, he slowly and surely found enjoyment in it.
- 2/27/2024
- by Rahul Thokchom
- FandomWire
It's fair to say that "Schindler's List" changed the course of Steven Spielberg's career. The wunderkind filmmaker invented the blockbuster with "Jaws" and rose to become one of the most successful directors of all time. But there was something Spielberg wanted more than fame and money: respect. He didn't just want to be the blockbuster guy; he wanted to be taken seriously as an artist.
"Schindler's List" was the film that finally did that, signaling Spielberg as a "serious" filmmaker capable of winning multiple Oscars for his hard work. The historical drama earned Spielberg some of the best reviews of his career, and it took home seven Academy Awards — including giving Spielberg his first Best Director Oscar.
Spielberg had to work his way up to making such a serious movie, and "Schindler's List" wasn't the first time the filmmaker chased Oscar gold and artistic respect. In a new oral history of "Schindler's List,...
"Schindler's List" was the film that finally did that, signaling Spielberg as a "serious" filmmaker capable of winning multiple Oscars for his hard work. The historical drama earned Spielberg some of the best reviews of his career, and it took home seven Academy Awards — including giving Spielberg his first Best Director Oscar.
Spielberg had to work his way up to making such a serious movie, and "Schindler's List" wasn't the first time the filmmaker chased Oscar gold and artistic respect. In a new oral history of "Schindler's List,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
“Stop messing with classics”: One of the Christian Bale Movies is Getting a Remake, Fans are Furious
Christian Bale has a prolific career, as he has worked in a variety of films where he embodied the role and became synonymous with the characters he played. From drama to action films, Bale can play any role and his performance has been commended as he is a recipient of an Academy Award and winner of 2 Golden Globe Awards.
Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho
One of his iconic films was American Psycho which was released in 2000. The crime thriller was initially thought to be a box office bomb, but Christian Bale’s outstanding performance saved the day, making the film a hit and a cult classic. However, it looks like Lionsgate has decided to make a modern remake of the film, and fans of the original film are not happy, as they comment against it on social media.
Lionsgate Decides To Remake Christian Bale’s American Psycho...
Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho
One of his iconic films was American Psycho which was released in 2000. The crime thriller was initially thought to be a box office bomb, but Christian Bale’s outstanding performance saved the day, making the film a hit and a cult classic. However, it looks like Lionsgate has decided to make a modern remake of the film, and fans of the original film are not happy, as they comment against it on social media.
Lionsgate Decides To Remake Christian Bale’s American Psycho...
- 2/24/2024
- by Tushar Auddy
- FandomWire
The Batman actor has been developing the idea since the birth of his daughter in 2005, after being ‘stunned and mad’ to learn how many children were in care in California
Christian Bale has led a tour round the new village in California where he plans to build 12 foster homes, as well as two studio flats to help children transition into independent living, and a 7,000 sq ft community centre.
The actor, who broke through aged 12 in Empire of the Sun before starring in films such as American Psycho and Christopher Nolan’s Batman series, has spearheaded the building of a unique complex of facilities with the aim of keeping siblings in the foster care system together, and ideally under the same roof.
Christian Bale has led a tour round the new village in California where he plans to build 12 foster homes, as well as two studio flats to help children transition into independent living, and a 7,000 sq ft community centre.
The actor, who broke through aged 12 in Empire of the Sun before starring in films such as American Psycho and Christopher Nolan’s Batman series, has spearheaded the building of a unique complex of facilities with the aim of keeping siblings in the foster care system together, and ideally under the same roof.
- 2/8/2024
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
Christian Bale is thought by many to have become an “actor’s actor.” He is fully committed to his characters, often staying in character during shooting, and he is not afraid to lose or gain weight in order to make a character more believable, as was the case with his Oscar-nominated role as former U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney in “Vice.”
Good reviews are something that Bale has gotten used to during his three-decade film career, beginning with his starring role in Steven Spielberg‘s “Empire of the Sun” when he was only 13 years old. In that time, Bale has been nominated for three Oscars (winning one for “The Fighter” with bids for “American Hustle” and “The Big Short”), three Golden Globes and five Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations of which he won two (for “The Fighter” and “American Hustle”). His 2022 films included “Amsterdam” for David O. Russell and “The Pale Blue Eye...
Good reviews are something that Bale has gotten used to during his three-decade film career, beginning with his starring role in Steven Spielberg‘s “Empire of the Sun” when he was only 13 years old. In that time, Bale has been nominated for three Oscars (winning one for “The Fighter” with bids for “American Hustle” and “The Big Short”), three Golden Globes and five Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations of which he won two (for “The Fighter” and “American Hustle”). His 2022 films included “Amsterdam” for David O. Russell and “The Pale Blue Eye...
- 1/26/2024
- by Tom O'Brien, Ray Richmond, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
An is the main character of the Doan Gioi novel Song of the South. The Vietnamese author tapped into the spirit of adventure when he wrote about a son’s quest to meet his father. The emotional journey has a very interesting backdrop: the strife between the French army and the rebel army. The new Netflix film adapts the novel and tries to create a cinematic equivalent of An’s journey, and it works in most parts, especially when dealing with An’s story.
The novel was the foundation for the TV series in 1997, which was quite a hit in Vietnam, and it’s no surprise that Quang Dung Nguyen has tried to tell the story again by directing this film. The film immediately reminded me of stories that are quite profound, usually because of the journey of the protagonist. The coming-of-age aspect of the film is reminiscent of films...
The novel was the foundation for the TV series in 1997, which was quite a hit in Vietnam, and it’s no surprise that Quang Dung Nguyen has tried to tell the story again by directing this film. The film immediately reminded me of stories that are quite profound, usually because of the journey of the protagonist. The coming-of-age aspect of the film is reminiscent of films...
- 1/21/2024
- by Ayush Awasthi
- Film Fugitives
John Williams’ film legacy is being immortalized with a Sony Pictures studio building dedicated to the Oscar-, Emmy,- and Grammy-winning composer.
The newly renamed John Williams Music Building on the Sony Pictures’ Culver City lot was unveiled January 18, with Williams’ longtime collaborator Steven Spielberg sharing his admiration for the musician.
“I have grown up with Johnny from the very beginning,” Spielberg said of Williams. “What he’s done for me is something I haven’t been able to imagine. This building is where all my stress dissipates…when I finally get to this stage of a production, and I know I’m in your hands.”
Spielberg added, “In the end I don’t recognize the movies as mine but as ours. Thank you Johnny, my movies would not be the same without you.”
Williams has earned 53 Academy Award nominations thus far, and collaborated with Spielberg specifically on films like “Jaws,...
The newly renamed John Williams Music Building on the Sony Pictures’ Culver City lot was unveiled January 18, with Williams’ longtime collaborator Steven Spielberg sharing his admiration for the musician.
“I have grown up with Johnny from the very beginning,” Spielberg said of Williams. “What he’s done for me is something I haven’t been able to imagine. This building is where all my stress dissipates…when I finally get to this stage of a production, and I know I’m in your hands.”
Spielberg added, “In the end I don’t recognize the movies as mine but as ours. Thank you Johnny, my movies would not be the same without you.”
Williams has earned 53 Academy Award nominations thus far, and collaborated with Spielberg specifically on films like “Jaws,...
- 1/18/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
“Killers of the Flower Moon” has been named best picture by the National Board of Review, the organization announced on Wednesday.
Co-distributed by Apple Original Films and Paramount Pictures, the crime epic also nabbed prizes for director Martin Scorsese and actress Lily Gladstone. Scorsese’s win for directing is notable, as he is now tied with legendary filmmaker David Lean with four wins, the most of any director in NBR history. Interestingly, NBR has the least translation to an Oscar winner of all the major categories, the last being Scorsese for “The Departed” (2006).
Over the last 30 years, the winner of NBR’s best film has typically gone on to receive an Oscar nomination for best picture, except for once every decade — 2014’s “A Most Violent Year,” 2000’s “Quills” and 1998’s “Gods and Monsters.” In the 1980s, there were technically two misses with 1987’s “Empire of the Sun” and 1983’s “Betrayal,...
Co-distributed by Apple Original Films and Paramount Pictures, the crime epic also nabbed prizes for director Martin Scorsese and actress Lily Gladstone. Scorsese’s win for directing is notable, as he is now tied with legendary filmmaker David Lean with four wins, the most of any director in NBR history. Interestingly, NBR has the least translation to an Oscar winner of all the major categories, the last being Scorsese for “The Departed” (2006).
Over the last 30 years, the winner of NBR’s best film has typically gone on to receive an Oscar nomination for best picture, except for once every decade — 2014’s “A Most Violent Year,” 2000’s “Quills” and 1998’s “Gods and Monsters.” In the 1980s, there were technically two misses with 1987’s “Empire of the Sun” and 1983’s “Betrayal,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
While romantic-comedy lovers may not know his name, Nick Moore has been an absolutely crucial cog in many films considered absolute classics of the genre. The editor, whose career in the cutting room dates back to the early 80s (his second credit is Empire of the Sun, followed by Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), is best known in the industry for his work on the likes of Notting Hill, About a Boy and Love Actually, helping splice practically back-to-back hits for Working Title and make Hugh Grant the 1990s poster boy for foppishly charming Brits.
Moore has turned director for a handful of films already, but with This Time Next Year — screening at the American Film Market, where Protagonist are handling sales — he’s helming his first ever rom-com himself, asserting he was brought on board to “give it that Working Title touch”.
Starring Emily in Paris breakout Lucien Laviscount...
Moore has turned director for a handful of films already, but with This Time Next Year — screening at the American Film Market, where Protagonist are handling sales — he’s helming his first ever rom-com himself, asserting he was brought on board to “give it that Working Title touch”.
Starring Emily in Paris breakout Lucien Laviscount...
- 11/2/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Drew Barrymore and Batman Begins star Christian Bale already tested the waters with each other when they were younger. Barrymore didn’t fancy Bale much at the time, but she later shared she’d have a different reaction to the actor in their older years.
Drew Barrymore would’ve clammed up if she saw Christian Bale again after dumping him Drew Barrymore | Taylor Hill/WireImage
Barrymore and Bale both knew each other when they were child stars. But the two responded to child stardom quite differently. Barrymore’s fame and upbringing led to self-destructive behavior that landed her in rehab at 13. Bale, however, didn’t experience the same level of adversity that Barrymore did. But he confided that he wasn’t a fan of being a child star, either.
“It was crap for a while,” Bale once told LA Weekly. “It was crap because, suddenly, you got the real experience of actually doing it,...
Drew Barrymore would’ve clammed up if she saw Christian Bale again after dumping him Drew Barrymore | Taylor Hill/WireImage
Barrymore and Bale both knew each other when they were child stars. But the two responded to child stardom quite differently. Barrymore’s fame and upbringing led to self-destructive behavior that landed her in rehab at 13. Bale, however, didn’t experience the same level of adversity that Barrymore did. But he confided that he wasn’t a fan of being a child star, either.
“It was crap for a while,” Bale once told LA Weekly. “It was crap because, suddenly, you got the real experience of actually doing it,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Drew Barrymore starred in "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" when she was only six years old. Nearly 40 years later, her director, Steven Spielberg, appeared on "The Drew Barrymore Show" for a birthday celebration and they reminisced about filming the seminal alien classic. Spielberg recalled that Barrymore "came up with a lot of lines in the movie" as a little girl, including the memorable scene when Gertie first sees the titular E.T. In the movie, she takes one quizzical look at the alien and says, "I don't like his feet."
"She said that during rehearsal, and I said, 'Drew, can you remember to say that when the cameras are rolling?'" he remembered.
The feet observation was Barrymore's genuine response to the E.T. animatronic designed by the renowned special effects artist Carlo Rambaldi. It's not hard to see why she reacted this way. E.T. is the definition of ugly cute with his wrinkled,...
"She said that during rehearsal, and I said, 'Drew, can you remember to say that when the cameras are rolling?'" he remembered.
The feet observation was Barrymore's genuine response to the E.T. animatronic designed by the renowned special effects artist Carlo Rambaldi. It's not hard to see why she reacted this way. E.T. is the definition of ugly cute with his wrinkled,...
- 9/10/2023
- by Caroline Madden
- Slash Film
In 1981, Steven Spielberg admitted that filmmaking was a learning experience ... in what you hate. Spielberg's first feature was "Duel," a horror movie based on a short story by Richard Matheson, and it was made on a budget of only $450,000, cheap even for 1971. He followed that with "The Sugarland Express" in 1973, a crime thriller that he made for only $3 million. Next came 1975's "Jaws," one of the biggest movies of all time, produced with a budget of $9 million. One can already see the pattern at work. Spielberg started small, and his productions only got bigger and bigger over the years. It wouldn't be until "The Color Purple" in 1985 that Spielberg would break out of his reputation as a maker of mere blockbuster entertainments.
Spielberg never set out to achieve that kind of growth. Indeed, hearing him talk about it, Spielberg always wanted to make multiple small, intimate movies in between the gigantic genre pictures.
Spielberg never set out to achieve that kind of growth. Indeed, hearing him talk about it, Spielberg always wanted to make multiple small, intimate movies in between the gigantic genre pictures.
- 9/5/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The classic movie’s unforgettable performances and CGI effects remain glorious 30 years after its original release
This has long since become a tired franchise, but’s a treat now to revisit Steven Spielberg’s original film for its 30th anniversary. It is a spectacular and thrilling movie about Jurassic Park, the hubristic tourist attraction offering real-life dinosaurs cloned from dinosaur blood that has been extracted from insects encased in ancient amber. But what if something goes wrong and the dinosaurs turn out to be bigger, stronger and angrier in captivity than we thought?
The film is based on a bestseller by Michael Crichton, and – as with Spielberg’s version of Jg Ballard’s Empire of the Sun – the darker, dystopian notes of the original have been strategically de-emphasised to focus more brightly on the adventure and conventional jeopardy involved, along with childlike awe and wonder. Jurassic Park also has one...
This has long since become a tired franchise, but’s a treat now to revisit Steven Spielberg’s original film for its 30th anniversary. It is a spectacular and thrilling movie about Jurassic Park, the hubristic tourist attraction offering real-life dinosaurs cloned from dinosaur blood that has been extracted from insects encased in ancient amber. But what if something goes wrong and the dinosaurs turn out to be bigger, stronger and angrier in captivity than we thought?
The film is based on a bestseller by Michael Crichton, and – as with Spielberg’s version of Jg Ballard’s Empire of the Sun – the darker, dystopian notes of the original have been strategically de-emphasised to focus more brightly on the adventure and conventional jeopardy involved, along with childlike awe and wonder. Jurassic Park also has one...
- 8/31/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Steven Spielberg has many cinematic hits under his belt. But even his filmography has experienced a few setbacks according to the filmmaker. Spielberg explained how one of his most critically acclaimed projects might have been a personal disappointment for him.
The three films that Steven Spielberg regarded as his biggest stinkers Steven Spielberg | Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
On his documentary Spielberg (via Time), Spielberg reflected on three movies that he might have redone if given the opportunity. The Color Purple was on Spielberg’s list of stinkers. Although the movie earned several Oscar nominations and was a moderate box office success, Spielberg felt that he didn’t do the film’s source material justice.
“I was timid. I was just a little embarrassed,” he said.
Spielberg faced criticism from some who believed a black director should’ve handled the material. Some also thought Spielberg’s take on the movie was safer than the book’s.
The three films that Steven Spielberg regarded as his biggest stinkers Steven Spielberg | Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
On his documentary Spielberg (via Time), Spielberg reflected on three movies that he might have redone if given the opportunity. The Color Purple was on Spielberg’s list of stinkers. Although the movie earned several Oscar nominations and was a moderate box office success, Spielberg felt that he didn’t do the film’s source material justice.
“I was timid. I was just a little embarrassed,” he said.
Spielberg faced criticism from some who believed a black director should’ve handled the material. Some also thought Spielberg’s take on the movie was safer than the book’s.
- 8/2/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Janet Yang, the film producer who a year ago was elected the 36th president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was re-elected to that post on Tuesday during the first meeting of the Academy’s recently reconstituted board of governors, the Academy has announced.
Yang, 67, the Queens-born daughter of Chinese immigrants, broke into showbiz by connecting key players in the Chinese and Hollywood film industries to make possible films like Empire of the Sun before becoming a producer of films including The Joy Luck Club and The People vs. Larry Flynt. She is just the fourth female (after Bette Davis, Fay Kanin and Cheryl Boone Isaacs) and second person of color (after Boone Isaacs) ever tapped for the board’s top job.
A member of the producers branch since 2002, she has served on the board since 2019 as a governor-at-large. Three seats for governors-at-large were added to the...
Yang, 67, the Queens-born daughter of Chinese immigrants, broke into showbiz by connecting key players in the Chinese and Hollywood film industries to make possible films like Empire of the Sun before becoming a producer of films including The Joy Luck Club and The People vs. Larry Flynt. She is just the fourth female (after Bette Davis, Fay Kanin and Cheryl Boone Isaacs) and second person of color (after Boone Isaacs) ever tapped for the board’s top job.
A member of the producers branch since 2002, she has served on the board since 2019 as a governor-at-large. Three seats for governors-at-large were added to the...
- 8/1/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves McConaughey announced on Instagram that one of their birthday gifts to their 15-year-old son Levi McConaughey is allowing him to join Instagram.
The two posted a video where Matthew started off by saying, “Hey, buddy, your mama’s a little nervous today about one of the gifts we are giving you.” Camila nodded in agreement saying, “I am. I’m a little nervous.”
They continued to announce, “Yes, we are allowing you, Levi, today on your 15th birthday, to join the social media universe.”
Matthew commented that they have “been preparing for this, talking about it for three years now.”
Additionally, Matthew praised his son and let all their fans know that “You’re getting a very cool and respectful young man in Levi McConaughey coming at you. I hope you all can do your best to treat him the same way.”
The couple ended...
The two posted a video where Matthew started off by saying, “Hey, buddy, your mama’s a little nervous today about one of the gifts we are giving you.” Camila nodded in agreement saying, “I am. I’m a little nervous.”
They continued to announce, “Yes, we are allowing you, Levi, today on your 15th birthday, to join the social media universe.”
Matthew commented that they have “been preparing for this, talking about it for three years now.”
Additionally, Matthew praised his son and let all their fans know that “You’re getting a very cool and respectful young man in Levi McConaughey coming at you. I hope you all can do your best to treat him the same way.”
The couple ended...
- 7/11/2023
- by Nina Hauswirth
- Uinterview
Steven Spielberg has one of the most impressive filmographies that cinema has to offer. But not everyone’s film resume is flawless, including Spielberg’s.
There’s one feature in his iconic roster of films that the director didn’t enjoy making. But it also turned out to be one of his children’s favorite movies.
Steven Spielberg didn’t understand how his kids liked the 1 film he hated making Steven Spielberg | Michael Short/Getty Images
Not every film of his came out the way that Spielberg might have wanted to. One film that perhaps didn’t live up to expectations was his 1991 film Hook. The movie was a retelling of the classic Peter Pan fairy tale with comedian Robin Williams as Peter Pan. Dustin Hoffman co-starred in the film as the titular character Captain Hook.
But the film was a bit of a sore spot for Spielberg. The feature...
There’s one feature in his iconic roster of films that the director didn’t enjoy making. But it also turned out to be one of his children’s favorite movies.
Steven Spielberg didn’t understand how his kids liked the 1 film he hated making Steven Spielberg | Michael Short/Getty Images
Not every film of his came out the way that Spielberg might have wanted to. One film that perhaps didn’t live up to expectations was his 1991 film Hook. The movie was a retelling of the classic Peter Pan fairy tale with comedian Robin Williams as Peter Pan. Dustin Hoffman co-starred in the film as the titular character Captain Hook.
But the film was a bit of a sore spot for Spielberg. The feature...
- 6/4/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The American Psycho episode of Wtf Happened to This Adaptation? was Written and Narrated by Andrew Hatfield, Edited by Mike Conway, Produced by Lance Vlcek and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian. Here is the text of Hatfield’s script:
Horror can take many forms and its high time we talked about something firmly in the psychological realm. Author Brett Easton Ellis is known to broach subjects that are uncomfortable or outright horrifying, but it is with his 3rd book that he went for the throat so to speak and tackle a more traditional genre topic in a thoroughly nontraditional way. American Psycho was quite controversial upon its release in 1991 and the film based on it in 2000 (watch it Here) was divisive then and it’s divisive now.
Take a look at the craftsmanship on that card as we find out what the f*ck happened to this adaptation.
Horror can take many forms and its high time we talked about something firmly in the psychological realm. Author Brett Easton Ellis is known to broach subjects that are uncomfortable or outright horrifying, but it is with his 3rd book that he went for the throat so to speak and tackle a more traditional genre topic in a thoroughly nontraditional way. American Psycho was quite controversial upon its release in 1991 and the film based on it in 2000 (watch it Here) was divisive then and it’s divisive now.
Take a look at the craftsmanship on that card as we find out what the f*ck happened to this adaptation.
- 6/2/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Arguably, no other established Spanish film and TV industry has grown faster over the last decade than its service sector for international shoots. Some of the world’s most favorable tax incentives have helped propel business to historic heights.
Kicking off in 2015, tax regs rose muscularly during mid-pandemic in 2020. But in December, the Spanish government took it up another notch, establishing tax advantages for international productions of up to €20 million ($22.2 million) per movie and $11.1 million for a TV series episode. That increase went into effect Jan. 1.
With a special tax regime, the Canary Islands’ ceiling is $40.0 million for a film and a $20 mil- lion per series episode, some of the highest in Europe.
Discounts for foreign productions on mainland Spain are set at 30% for the first $1.11 million of deductible expenses and 25% for the rest. The Canaries offer a succulent 50%-45%. From Jan. 1, deduction rates in Basque Country’s Bizkaia reach...
Kicking off in 2015, tax regs rose muscularly during mid-pandemic in 2020. But in December, the Spanish government took it up another notch, establishing tax advantages for international productions of up to €20 million ($22.2 million) per movie and $11.1 million for a TV series episode. That increase went into effect Jan. 1.
With a special tax regime, the Canary Islands’ ceiling is $40.0 million for a film and a $20 mil- lion per series episode, some of the highest in Europe.
Discounts for foreign productions on mainland Spain are set at 30% for the first $1.11 million of deductible expenses and 25% for the rest. The Canaries offer a succulent 50%-45%. From Jan. 1, deduction rates in Basque Country’s Bizkaia reach...
- 5/10/2023
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
With a long and successful career spanning genres, Mia Farrow may not be considered a horror icon, but she’s certainly deserving of the title in terms of quality over quantity. The two genre efforts in which she starred are exemplary horror movies of their respective eras; while Rosemary’s Baby has been widely lauded since its release in 1968 (Roman Polanski’s personal life controversies notwithstanding), The Haunting of Julia – known internationally as Full Circle – is a hidden gem ripe for rediscovery.
Based on Peter Straub’s 1975 novel Julia, the 1977 British film is directed by Richard Loncraine and written by Dave Humphries (Quadrophenia), with Xtro filmmaker Harry Bromley Davenport receiving a “based on an adaptation by” credit. Although ostensibly a haunted house tale, its ambiguity also allows it to be viewed as a dramatic character study. Scream Factory shines a well-needed light on the atmospheric chiller with a new 4K Uhd + Blu-ray edition.
Based on Peter Straub’s 1975 novel Julia, the 1977 British film is directed by Richard Loncraine and written by Dave Humphries (Quadrophenia), with Xtro filmmaker Harry Bromley Davenport receiving a “based on an adaptation by” credit. Although ostensibly a haunted house tale, its ambiguity also allows it to be viewed as a dramatic character study. Scream Factory shines a well-needed light on the atmospheric chiller with a new 4K Uhd + Blu-ray edition.
- 4/27/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Norman Reynolds, who won Oscars in art direction for Star Wars Episode VI: A New Hope and Raiders of the Lost Ark has died, Lucasfilm confirmed. He was 89.
The U.K. native made important creative contributions to all three movies in the original Star Wars trilogy, as an art director on A New Hope and production designer on The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. According to a biography shared by Lucasfilm, Reynolds worked closely with John Barry, A New Hope‘s overall production designer, to help establish the core design philosophy behind Star Wars architecture and construction. They joined art director Leslie Dilley and set decorator Roger Christian as winners of the Academy Award for art direction in 1978. For The Empire Strikes Back, Reynolds was named production designer as Barry pursued directing.
For Raiders, Reynolds’ first collaboration with Spielberg, he sculpted the iconic golden idol that Indy...
The U.K. native made important creative contributions to all three movies in the original Star Wars trilogy, as an art director on A New Hope and production designer on The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. According to a biography shared by Lucasfilm, Reynolds worked closely with John Barry, A New Hope‘s overall production designer, to help establish the core design philosophy behind Star Wars architecture and construction. They joined art director Leslie Dilley and set decorator Roger Christian as winners of the Academy Award for art direction in 1978. For The Empire Strikes Back, Reynolds was named production designer as Barry pursued directing.
For Raiders, Reynolds’ first collaboration with Spielberg, he sculpted the iconic golden idol that Indy...
- 4/6/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Norman Reynolds, known for his production design work for films in the “Star Wars” franchise and the first Indiana Jones film, “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” has died. He was 89.
Production designer Dave Blass confirmed the designer’s death on Twitter along with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
“Norman was a cherished husband, father, father-in-law, granddad and great grandad,” read a statement obtained by BBC. “He died peacefully with his wife Ann and three daughters by his side.”
Also Read:
Judy Farrell, Actress Who Played Nurse Able on ‘M*A*S*H,’ Dies at 84
Reynolds worked as art director on “Star Wars: A New Hope” in 1977, winning an Oscar for it in 1978. He then took the production design reins from Josh Barry for the sequel films. He was behind the carbon freezing chamber that encased Han Solo in carbonite, The Emperor’s throne room, Yoda’s planet of Dagobah,...
Production designer Dave Blass confirmed the designer’s death on Twitter along with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
“Norman was a cherished husband, father, father-in-law, granddad and great grandad,” read a statement obtained by BBC. “He died peacefully with his wife Ann and three daughters by his side.”
Also Read:
Judy Farrell, Actress Who Played Nurse Able on ‘M*A*S*H,’ Dies at 84
Reynolds worked as art director on “Star Wars: A New Hope” in 1977, winning an Oscar for it in 1978. He then took the production design reins from Josh Barry for the sequel films. He was behind the carbon freezing chamber that encased Han Solo in carbonite, The Emperor’s throne room, Yoda’s planet of Dagobah,...
- 4/6/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Norman Reynolds, the two-time Oscar winning production and art designer on various Star Wars and Indiana Jones films who director Steven Spielberg once called the “creative core” of the franchises, has died. He was 89.
LucasFilm Ltd has confirmed his death, first reported by the BBC, which said that Reynolds “died peacefully with his wife Ann and three daughters by his side.”
Spielberg, who first collaborated with Reynolds on 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, said on a statement, “Norman was always smiling with enthusiasm, and there was nothing he couldn’t make work. Joyful and friendly and a massive talent.”
Among Reynolds’ many contributions to the franchises was his sculpting of the iconic golden idol that Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones attempts to steal during the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Reynolds based the idol on an Incan fertility sculpture he’d collected during overseas travels.
“The...
LucasFilm Ltd has confirmed his death, first reported by the BBC, which said that Reynolds “died peacefully with his wife Ann and three daughters by his side.”
Spielberg, who first collaborated with Reynolds on 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, said on a statement, “Norman was always smiling with enthusiasm, and there was nothing he couldn’t make work. Joyful and friendly and a massive talent.”
Among Reynolds’ many contributions to the franchises was his sculpting of the iconic golden idol that Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones attempts to steal during the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Reynolds based the idol on an Incan fertility sculpture he’d collected during overseas travels.
“The...
- 4/6/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Reynolds won an Oscar and Bafta for his work on 1981’s ’Raiders Of The Lost Ark’ and an Oscar for 1977’s ’Star Wars: A New Hope’.
Oscar and Bafta-winning UK production designer and art director Norman Reynolds has died aged 89.
Reynolds won an Oscar and Bafta for his work on 1981’s Raiders Of The Lost Ark and an Oscar for 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope.
He worked as art director on Star Wars: A New Hope and took over from John Barry as production designer for the sequels, after Barry died during the filming of The Empire Strikes Back.
Oscar and Bafta-winning UK production designer and art director Norman Reynolds has died aged 89.
Reynolds won an Oscar and Bafta for his work on 1981’s Raiders Of The Lost Ark and an Oscar for 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope.
He worked as art director on Star Wars: A New Hope and took over from John Barry as production designer for the sequels, after Barry died during the filming of The Empire Strikes Back.
- 4/6/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
There’s no question that Christian Bale is one of the top actors of this era of film. When he joins a movie, the producers know he’s a major audience draw and pay him accordingly. But earlier in his career — specifically, in the American Psycho days — that was decidedly not the case.
That isn’t to say that Bale was seen as untalented. Even when he was a fresh-faced young actor in movies like the 1987 war film Empire of the Sun and the 1992 musical Newsies, his abilities as a performer were obvious. But that critical praise wasn’t enough to get an oddball project like American Psycho off the ground.
Christian Bale was sorely underpaid for ‘American Psycho’
Director Mary Harron went through a difficult path trying to get American Psycho made. The studio kept trying to step in on her vision for adapting the controversial Bret Easton Ellis novel,...
That isn’t to say that Bale was seen as untalented. Even when he was a fresh-faced young actor in movies like the 1987 war film Empire of the Sun and the 1992 musical Newsies, his abilities as a performer were obvious. But that critical praise wasn’t enough to get an oddball project like American Psycho off the ground.
Christian Bale was sorely underpaid for ‘American Psycho’
Director Mary Harron went through a difficult path trying to get American Psycho made. The studio kept trying to step in on her vision for adapting the controversial Bret Easton Ellis novel,...
- 3/15/2023
- by Agustin Mojica
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The guest on this episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, which is posting the day before the 95th Oscars takes place in Hollywood and airs on ABC, is Janet Yang, the first-term president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Yang, the Queens-born daughter of Chinese immigrants, is only the 36th person — and just the fourth female, second person of color and first person of Asian descent — to lead Hollywood’s most powerful organization, following in the footsteps of luminaries like Douglas Fairbanks, Frank Capra, Bette Davis, George Stevens, Gregory Peck, Robert Wise and Karl Malden.
Over the course of a conversation at the Loews Hollywood Hotel, where Yang has been staying this week in order to oversee preparations for the Oscars at the adjacent Dolby Theatre, the 66-year-old reflected on a life and career that has defied the odds at every turn.
Yang speaks...
Over the course of a conversation at the Loews Hollywood Hotel, where Yang has been staying this week in order to oversee preparations for the Oscars at the adjacent Dolby Theatre, the 66-year-old reflected on a life and career that has defied the odds at every turn.
Yang speaks...
- 3/11/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
U2 frontman Bono put in a surprise appearance at the Berlin Film Festival on Tuesday evening to pay tribute to Steven Spielberg as the film director received the event’s Honorary Golden Bear for Life Achievement.
The rock star, who has been at the festival these last few days for the world premiere of the U2-Siege Of Sarajevo documentary Kiss The Future, revealed a special love for Spielberg’s work.
“There are many reasons why people love Steven Spielberg. All of them are valid. Here is mine. It’s very personal but I’m two vodkas in so I’m going to share it with you,” Bono told the awards ceremony.
He named Spielberg’s 1974 drama Sugarland Express, starring Goldie Hawn as a woman who takes a police officer hostage in a desperate bid to reunite with her son before he is placed in care, as a film that...
The rock star, who has been at the festival these last few days for the world premiere of the U2-Siege Of Sarajevo documentary Kiss The Future, revealed a special love for Spielberg’s work.
“There are many reasons why people love Steven Spielberg. All of them are valid. Here is mine. It’s very personal but I’m two vodkas in so I’m going to share it with you,” Bono told the awards ceremony.
He named Spielberg’s 1974 drama Sugarland Express, starring Goldie Hawn as a woman who takes a police officer hostage in a desperate bid to reunite with her son before he is placed in care, as a film that...
- 2/21/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow and Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Best Film Editing and Best Picture have had an important relationship throughout Oscars history. While the two awards don’t always necessarily go to the same film, it is rare that a Best Picture winner isn’t at least nominated for Best Film Editing. Only two out of the last 20 Best Picture champs were snubbed by the editors’ branch: “Birdman” in 2015 and “Coda” in 2022.
One of the best cutters in the business is Thelma Schoonmaker. This longtime collaborator of Martin Scorsese reunites with him for this year’s red-hot Oscar contender, “Killers of the Flower Moon.” This story tells the true tale of the murder of several Osage tribe members in the USA in the 1920s, which led to an FBI investigation involving J. Edgar Hoover. Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone star.
Schoonmaker reaped her record ninth nomination for her work on this epic. Her other bids were as follows: 1971 for “Woodstock,...
One of the best cutters in the business is Thelma Schoonmaker. This longtime collaborator of Martin Scorsese reunites with him for this year’s red-hot Oscar contender, “Killers of the Flower Moon.” This story tells the true tale of the murder of several Osage tribe members in the USA in the 1920s, which led to an FBI investigation involving J. Edgar Hoover. Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone star.
Schoonmaker reaped her record ninth nomination for her work on this epic. Her other bids were as follows: 1971 for “Woodstock,...
- 1/25/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Steven Spielberg’s autobiopic The Fabelmans notched seven Oscar nominations today including Best Picture and the filmmaker’s ninth directing nod.
And while Spielberg already counts three Oscar wins –two for directing Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List and Best Picture for the latter– today the blockbuster filmmaker of Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park celebrated his first screenplay nomination ever, in the original category, for The Fabelmans.
“I just recently turned 76, where they say, ‘What’s left to accomplish?’ I suddenly get nominated for the first time in my career by the Academy as a co-author of Best screenplay — it made me feel like all those English and creative writing classes paid off!”
While Lincoln scribe, Tony Kushner, encouraged Spielberg to start putting his memories down on paper, the project didn’t come to life until after the death of the Jaws director’s parents, plus the onset of the pandemic.
And while Spielberg already counts three Oscar wins –two for directing Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List and Best Picture for the latter– today the blockbuster filmmaker of Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park celebrated his first screenplay nomination ever, in the original category, for The Fabelmans.
“I just recently turned 76, where they say, ‘What’s left to accomplish?’ I suddenly get nominated for the first time in my career by the Academy as a co-author of Best screenplay — it made me feel like all those English and creative writing classes paid off!”
While Lincoln scribe, Tony Kushner, encouraged Spielberg to start putting his memories down on paper, the project didn’t come to life until after the death of the Jaws director’s parents, plus the onset of the pandemic.
- 1/24/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Hollywood star Christian Bale thought he’d never work again after portraying Batman. Warned that he’d run the risk of being typecast and damaging his career when he accepted the role of the Caped Crusader in ‘Batman Begins’, the ‘Pale Blue Eye’ star actor admitted he was “tempted” by the prospect, reports aceshowbiz.com.
“I’ve had no strategy for anything I’ve ever done. I was quite taken with the idea of Batman being the last thing I ever did, the thing I’m remembered for,” said Bale – who played Batman in a further two films.
“I was also tempted by the fact that people said I might be typecast and not work again. But I’ve kept on working.”
When it comes to starting a new job, Bale, whose first film, ‘Empire of the Sun’, was made when he was just 13, approaches it like he’s never worked before.
“I’ve had no strategy for anything I’ve ever done. I was quite taken with the idea of Batman being the last thing I ever did, the thing I’m remembered for,” said Bale – who played Batman in a further two films.
“I was also tempted by the fact that people said I might be typecast and not work again. But I’ve kept on working.”
When it comes to starting a new job, Bale, whose first film, ‘Empire of the Sun’, was made when he was just 13, approaches it like he’s never worked before.
- 1/23/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Every film is personal, said Steven Spielberg, “but The Fabelmans was like moving back in with my parents and my sisters. I would walk into the house that [production designer] Rick Carter designed, exactly the spitting image of the house I grew up in in Phoenix, Arizona. Everything in my bedroom from those years wound up on the set. They say you can’t go home again. That’s wrong, I went home every single day.”
“My whole career, my job as I have seen it, is to be the accompanist and conductor to whomever and whatever should be the center of your attention – that could be an actor, a famous book, a big idea, a high concept,” he told a packed and cavernous Cipriani 42nd Street in NYC accepting the Best Director award from the National Board of Review Sunday night. But, “I realized for the first time that I couldn...
“My whole career, my job as I have seen it, is to be the accompanist and conductor to whomever and whatever should be the center of your attention – that could be an actor, a famous book, a big idea, a high concept,” he told a packed and cavernous Cipriani 42nd Street in NYC accepting the Best Director award from the National Board of Review Sunday night. But, “I realized for the first time that I couldn...
- 1/9/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
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