As Billy Wilder prepared to make "Some Like It Hot," his classic comedy about two jazz musicians forced to go on the run as women after they witness a gangland massacre, he found himself in a bit of a casting quandary. His first choices for the roles of the casanova saxophone player Joe and nervy bassist Jerry were, respectively, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. Though he eventually cast the stars he wanted, getting United Artists to accede to his demands was a circuitous process.
The primary stumbling block was Lemmon. The then 34-year-old actor was very much in demand after winning Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Ensign Pulver in John Ford and Mervyn LeRoy's blockbuster "Mister Roberts," but he was under contract to Columbia Pictures at the time, and considered unbankable as a leading man. Though Lemmon had given Wilder a verbal commitment to star alongside the already signed Tony Curtis,...
The primary stumbling block was Lemmon. The then 34-year-old actor was very much in demand after winning Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Ensign Pulver in John Ford and Mervyn LeRoy's blockbuster "Mister Roberts," but he was under contract to Columbia Pictures at the time, and considered unbankable as a leading man. Though Lemmon had given Wilder a verbal commitment to star alongside the already signed Tony Curtis,...
- 1/22/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Marilyn Monroe is absolutely unforgettable as Sugar Cane in the 1959 comedy "Some Like it Hot," but her time on set wasn't quite so sweet. The deeply troubled starlet frequently butt heads with director Billy Wilder and co-star Tony Curtis. Her antics were a headache for the cast and crew, but everyone agreed that her performance made it all worth it in the end.
"Some Like it Hot" stars Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as two musicians saddled with debt and in desperate need of work. They're sure they've struck gold when they hear about two openings in a traveling band, but there's just one catch — the band is all women. Strapped for cash and out of options, the men disguise themselves in drag and join the band. Their perfect plan hits its first road bump when they meet Sugar, an irresistible ukulele player with a drinking problem and a thing for saxophone players.
"Some Like it Hot" stars Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as two musicians saddled with debt and in desperate need of work. They're sure they've struck gold when they hear about two openings in a traveling band, but there's just one catch — the band is all women. Strapped for cash and out of options, the men disguise themselves in drag and join the band. Their perfect plan hits its first road bump when they meet Sugar, an irresistible ukulele player with a drinking problem and a thing for saxophone players.
- 8/27/2022
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
The highpoint of Dee Rees’ Ifp Week appearance was a complete surprise. There to discuss her latest feature, the Sundance fave Mudbound (hitting theaters and Netflix on Nov. 17) with Buzzfeed film critic Alison Willmore, the Pariah filmmaker waxed nostalgic over one of the films that most inspired her to take up the craft: Sugar Cane Alley, Euzhan Palcy’s 1983 César-winner about life in a small village in Martinique during the 1930s. Rees’ mother had it on VHS when she was a kid, and she would watch it over and over again. “That was before I understood what a director did,” […]...
- 9/19/2017
- by Matt Prigge
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Robert Keeling Apr 25, 2017
Saluting the movie characters who make an impression, the minute they appear on the screen...
One thing that unites all of cinema’s most iconic characters is that they were able to make a memorable first impression. Whether it’s bursting onto the scene in a flurry of noise or slowly skulking their way into shot, there’s a fine art to ensuring a character makes an instant impact on screen. An iconic entrance is not just about a momentary impact however, it can also emphasise a character’s importance and help to cement their influence over the rest of the movie.
See related Westworld episode 10 review: The Bicameral Mind Westworld episode 9 review: The Well-Tempered Clavier
There are any number of contributory factors that can be blended together in order to make an entrance truly memorable. These include the accompanying music, the choice of camera shot, the...
Saluting the movie characters who make an impression, the minute they appear on the screen...
One thing that unites all of cinema’s most iconic characters is that they were able to make a memorable first impression. Whether it’s bursting onto the scene in a flurry of noise or slowly skulking their way into shot, there’s a fine art to ensuring a character makes an instant impact on screen. An iconic entrance is not just about a momentary impact however, it can also emphasise a character’s importance and help to cement their influence over the rest of the movie.
See related Westworld episode 10 review: The Bicameral Mind Westworld episode 9 review: The Well-Tempered Clavier
There are any number of contributory factors that can be blended together in order to make an entrance truly memorable. These include the accompanying music, the choice of camera shot, the...
- 4/16/2017
- Den of Geek
Members of the film community are coming out of the woodwork to band together and push back on the repression that is anticipated to come out of the incoming Trump administration. From documentarians reaffirming their commitment to exposing hidden truths to narrative filmmakers pledging to combat racism with their work, many are planning a strong response to the 2016 presidential election.
Read More: President Donald Trump: How the Indie Film World Will Respond
The Film Society of Lincoln Center assembled some of those voices Wednesday by convening an “urgent conversation” with Film Quarterly entitled “Film & Media in a Time of Repression.” Moderated by Film Quarterly editor and Uc Santa Cruz professor Ruby Rich, the event featured speakers including “House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon, blacklisted screenwriter Walter Bernstein and Portugese documentary filmmaker Susana de Sousa Dias. Here are some of the highlights from the discussion, which outlined some key points...
Read More: President Donald Trump: How the Indie Film World Will Respond
The Film Society of Lincoln Center assembled some of those voices Wednesday by convening an “urgent conversation” with Film Quarterly entitled “Film & Media in a Time of Repression.” Moderated by Film Quarterly editor and Uc Santa Cruz professor Ruby Rich, the event featured speakers including “House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon, blacklisted screenwriter Walter Bernstein and Portugese documentary filmmaker Susana de Sousa Dias. Here are some of the highlights from the discussion, which outlined some key points...
- 12/16/2016
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Fly over the moon. Sing in the rain. Fasten your seatbelts. Make an offer no one can refuse. See classic movies on the big screen!
Gene Kelly will sing in the rain, Bette Davis will fasten her seatbelt for a bumpy night, Marlon Brando will make an offer no one can refuse, Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint will scurry across Mount Rushmore, and Elliott and E.T. will fly over the moon – and they’ll do it all on the silver screen in 2017. Today, Fathom Events and TCM announce their continuing partnership to bring monthly screenings of their “TCM Big Screen Classics” series to movie theaters nationwide throughout the year.
For the second consecutive year, “TCM Big Screen Classics” offers film fans an amazing journey into the magic of movies year-round. Beginning in January, the series presents one or more films each month in movie theaters – all accompanied by specially...
Gene Kelly will sing in the rain, Bette Davis will fasten her seatbelt for a bumpy night, Marlon Brando will make an offer no one can refuse, Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint will scurry across Mount Rushmore, and Elliott and E.T. will fly over the moon – and they’ll do it all on the silver screen in 2017. Today, Fathom Events and TCM announce their continuing partnership to bring monthly screenings of their “TCM Big Screen Classics” series to movie theaters nationwide throughout the year.
For the second consecutive year, “TCM Big Screen Classics” offers film fans an amazing journey into the magic of movies year-round. Beginning in January, the series presents one or more films each month in movie theaters – all accompanied by specially...
- 12/13/2016
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
With vinyl being a hot music commodity and back in vogue, it would seem inevitable that one of the music giants of the vinyl era would get remastered and re-released. Frank Zappa remains one of the those musical geniuses where his impact was missed by a deservedly larger fanbase while he roamed planet Earth. With a must-see documentary -- Eat That Question: Frank Zappa In His Own Words (Sony Pictures Classic) -- currently in theaters and on demand, hopefully some of his genius will be discovered by a new generation of fans. Certainly the above-titled masterpiece Hot Rats, reissued by Zappa Records in August on 180gram vinyl cut directly from the original analog master tapes by Bernie Grundman, remains one of his cornerstone releases in his immense and musically varied catalog.
Which brings us to the album itself... an album that I've purchased a few years after its initial vinyl...
Which brings us to the album itself... an album that I've purchased a few years after its initial vinyl...
- 12/5/2016
- by Dusty Wright
- www.culturecatch.com
How I Feel / How I Wish I Felt as demonstrated by DeliveranceI seem to have done something to my shoulder* so typing has become painful. People are performing superhuman feats at the Olympics whilst looking sexy and I'm watching like a mangled corpse in my living room. Fun times. Alas, that means this week's Best Shot Special Edition focusing on both cinematography and a Best Costume choice (as tribute to Orry-Kelly with the release of the documentary "Women He Undressed") might be very late. I'm taking frequent long stretching breaks.
Best Shot Articles Elsewhere
• Jason Choi *first time participant* looks at the final sequence in An American in Paris (1951)
• I Want to Believe relates to Sugar Kane in Some Like it Hot (1959)
• Dancin' Dan on Marilyn's curves and despair in Some Like It Hot (1959)
• Allison Tooey looks at the musical Les Girls (1957)
• Timothy Brayton has a lot to say about...
Best Shot Articles Elsewhere
• Jason Choi *first time participant* looks at the final sequence in An American in Paris (1951)
• I Want to Believe relates to Sugar Kane in Some Like it Hot (1959)
• Dancin' Dan on Marilyn's curves and despair in Some Like It Hot (1959)
• Allison Tooey looks at the musical Les Girls (1957)
• Timothy Brayton has a lot to say about...
- 8/10/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
The recent box office success of The Boss firmly establishes Melissa McCarthy as the current queen of movie comedies (Amy Schumer could be a new contender after an impressive debut last Summer with Trainwreck), but let us think back about those other funny ladies of filmdom. So while we’re enjoying the female reboot/re-imagining of Ghostbusters and those Bad Moms, here’s a top ten list that will hopefully inspire lots of laughter and cause you to search out some classic comedies. It’s tough to narrow them down to ten, but we’ll do our best, beginning with… 10. Eve Arden The droll Ms. Arden represents the comic sidekicks who will attempt to puncture the pomposity of the leading ladies with a well-placed wisecrack (see also the great Thelma Ritter in Rear Window). Her career began in the early 1930’s with great bit roles in Stage Door and Dancing Lady.
- 8/8/2016
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Well, we’ve finally reached the summit: the 10 most definitive romantic comedies of all time. Unlike the other sections of this list, there is not a movie here that approaches “bad.” As always, some are better than others, despite the order. But one thing is for sure: if you plan to have a rom-com binge-a-thon soon, this is where you start, no questions asked. In fact, after reading this, you should go do that and report back.
courtesy of reverseshot.com 10. Some Like It Hot (1959)
What’s funnier than men dressing in drag? Depends on who you ask. It’s Billy Wilder again with a fictional story of two musicians – Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) – who witness the St. Valentine’s Day massacre in Chicago and leave town. But, since the mob has ties everywhere, they need to disguise themselves as best they can: as women in an...
courtesy of reverseshot.com 10. Some Like It Hot (1959)
What’s funnier than men dressing in drag? Depends on who you ask. It’s Billy Wilder again with a fictional story of two musicians – Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) – who witness the St. Valentine’s Day massacre in Chicago and leave town. But, since the mob has ties everywhere, they need to disguise themselves as best they can: as women in an...
- 1/10/2016
- by Joshua Gaul
- SoundOnSight
The trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) has unveiled its first selections for this year’s edition of the Festival with the announcement that ten classic Caribbean films will form part of the 2015 lineup.
These ten films will screen in a special sidebar to the main program in honor of the ttff’s tenth anniversary. The Festival takes place from September 15–29.
“Many people are unaware that there has been a Caribbean film industry for quite some time, or that almost every country in the region has produced feature films,” said Bruce Paddington, ttff Founder and Festival Director. “We are therefore very proud to present ten of the very best classic films from the Caribbean that will help one to appreciate and enjoy the rich diversity of the region.”
Comprising films from nine different countries, the sidebar ranges across the English, Spanish, French and Dutch-speaking sections of the region.
The lineup includes the Jamaican classic, "The Harder They Come," and "Bim," from T&T.
"Memories of Underdevelopment," the oldest film in the lineup, is from 1968, while the most recent, "Strawberry and Chocolate," was released in 1993. Both of those films hail from Cuba.
The full slate of films is as follows:
-"Memories of Underdevelopment" (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Cuba, 1968)
-"The Harder They Come (Perry Henzell," Jamaica, 1972)
-"Bim" (Hugh A. Robertson, Trinidad and Tobago, 1974)
-"One People" (Pim de la Parra, Suriname, 1976)
-"Man By the Shore" (Raoul Peck, Haiti, 1983)
-"Sugar Cane Alley" (Euzhan Palcy, Martinique, 1983)
-"One Way Ticket" (Agliberto Menéndez, Dominican Republic, 1988)
-"What Happened to Santiago" (Jacobo Morales, Puerto Rico, 1989)
-"Ava and Gabriel: A Love Story" (Felix de Rooy, Curaçao, 1990)
-"Strawberry and Chocolate" (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío, Cuba, 1993)
In addition to screening in honor of the Festival’s tenth anniversary, the classics also screen in recognition of the launch of the Caribbean Film Database, an online resource which, in the first instance, will present information on over 600 independent feature-length films made in and about the Caribbean. The database is co-financed by the Acp Cultures+ Program, funded by the European Union and implemented by the Acp Group of States.
The rest of the lineup for the ttff/15 will be unveiled over the upcoming months. For more information about the Festival, visit http://ttfilmfestival.com.
These ten films will screen in a special sidebar to the main program in honor of the ttff’s tenth anniversary. The Festival takes place from September 15–29.
“Many people are unaware that there has been a Caribbean film industry for quite some time, or that almost every country in the region has produced feature films,” said Bruce Paddington, ttff Founder and Festival Director. “We are therefore very proud to present ten of the very best classic films from the Caribbean that will help one to appreciate and enjoy the rich diversity of the region.”
Comprising films from nine different countries, the sidebar ranges across the English, Spanish, French and Dutch-speaking sections of the region.
The lineup includes the Jamaican classic, "The Harder They Come," and "Bim," from T&T.
"Memories of Underdevelopment," the oldest film in the lineup, is from 1968, while the most recent, "Strawberry and Chocolate," was released in 1993. Both of those films hail from Cuba.
The full slate of films is as follows:
-"Memories of Underdevelopment" (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Cuba, 1968)
-"The Harder They Come (Perry Henzell," Jamaica, 1972)
-"Bim" (Hugh A. Robertson, Trinidad and Tobago, 1974)
-"One People" (Pim de la Parra, Suriname, 1976)
-"Man By the Shore" (Raoul Peck, Haiti, 1983)
-"Sugar Cane Alley" (Euzhan Palcy, Martinique, 1983)
-"One Way Ticket" (Agliberto Menéndez, Dominican Republic, 1988)
-"What Happened to Santiago" (Jacobo Morales, Puerto Rico, 1989)
-"Ava and Gabriel: A Love Story" (Felix de Rooy, Curaçao, 1990)
-"Strawberry and Chocolate" (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío, Cuba, 1993)
In addition to screening in honor of the Festival’s tenth anniversary, the classics also screen in recognition of the launch of the Caribbean Film Database, an online resource which, in the first instance, will present information on over 600 independent feature-length films made in and about the Caribbean. The database is co-financed by the Acp Cultures+ Program, funded by the European Union and implemented by the Acp Group of States.
The rest of the lineup for the ttff/15 will be unveiled over the upcoming months. For more information about the Festival, visit http://ttfilmfestival.com.
- 7/11/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Top brass at the 2015 trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) said on Monday they have selected ten classic Caribbean films in the first programming wave of this year’s edition.
The films will screen in a sidebar at the ttff’s tenth anniversary outing, set to run from September 15–29.
“Many people are unaware that there has been a Caribbean film industry for quite some time, or that almost every country in the region has produced feature films,” said ttff founder and festival director Bruce Paddington.
“We are therefore very proud to present ten of the very best classic films from the Caribbean that will help one to appreciate and enjoy the rich diversity of the region.”
The sidebar covers multiple languages spoken across the region and features:
Memories Of Underdevelopment (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Cuba, 1968);
The Harder They Come (pictured, Perry Henzell, Jamaica, 1972);
Bim (Hugh A Robertson, Trinidad and Tobago, 1974);
One People (Pim de la Parra, Suriname, 1976);
Man...
The films will screen in a sidebar at the ttff’s tenth anniversary outing, set to run from September 15–29.
“Many people are unaware that there has been a Caribbean film industry for quite some time, or that almost every country in the region has produced feature films,” said ttff founder and festival director Bruce Paddington.
“We are therefore very proud to present ten of the very best classic films from the Caribbean that will help one to appreciate and enjoy the rich diversity of the region.”
The sidebar covers multiple languages spoken across the region and features:
Memories Of Underdevelopment (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Cuba, 1968);
The Harder They Come (pictured, Perry Henzell, Jamaica, 1972);
Bim (Hugh A Robertson, Trinidad and Tobago, 1974);
One People (Pim de la Parra, Suriname, 1976);
Man...
- 7/6/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
If you missed the From Dusk Till Dawn TV series when it premiered on the El Rey Network, it has been announced that the entire first season is now available on Netflix:
“Beginning Tuesday, August 19th fans of “From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series” will get a chance to experience the thrill ride all over again with the launch of the entire 10-episode first season on Netflix. Based on the cult-classic film of the same name, the series from creator/executive producer/ director Robert Rodriguez (who has created such films as Sin City, Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn) premiered on the Rodriguez founded El Rey Network this past March. The first season is already available on the Netflix service in itsinternational markets including: UK, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Canada, and Latin America.
The Netflix launch comes on the heels of a recent announcement from El Rey Network that...
“Beginning Tuesday, August 19th fans of “From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series” will get a chance to experience the thrill ride all over again with the launch of the entire 10-episode first season on Netflix. Based on the cult-classic film of the same name, the series from creator/executive producer/ director Robert Rodriguez (who has created such films as Sin City, Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn) premiered on the Rodriguez founded El Rey Network this past March. The first season is already available on the Netflix service in itsinternational markets including: UK, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Canada, and Latin America.
The Netflix launch comes on the heels of a recent announcement from El Rey Network that...
- 8/20/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Regularly voted one of the best comedies of all time, Some Like It Hot proves that men dressed up as women is a gag that never gets old, but apart from what Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are hiding up their skirts, there's more to this 1959 classic than meets the eye.
Essentially, it's a film about sex, made just before America lost its innocence, fuelled by frustration and littered with double-entendres, all delivered with elegance, taste and impeccable timing by writer/director Billy Wilder.
Curtis and Lemmon in high heels offer a rib-tickling demonstration of everything opposite to that, at least in the beginning when they're forced on the run after witnessing the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago, 1929, and its bloody fall-out.
They play their way into a touring all-girl band where Marilyn is up front and showing a lot of it, too, in plunging necklines. She makes love...
Essentially, it's a film about sex, made just before America lost its innocence, fuelled by frustration and littered with double-entendres, all delivered with elegance, taste and impeccable timing by writer/director Billy Wilder.
Curtis and Lemmon in high heels offer a rib-tickling demonstration of everything opposite to that, at least in the beginning when they're forced on the run after witnessing the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago, 1929, and its bloody fall-out.
They play their way into a touring all-girl band where Marilyn is up front and showing a lot of it, too, in plunging necklines. She makes love...
- 7/18/2014
- Digital Spy
Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis keep this joyous Billy Wilder comedy fizzing from start to finish
"I tell you … it's a whole different sex!" This is the awed insight from the terrified 20s Chicago musician Jerry, played by Jack Lemmon, in Billy Wilder's 1959 comedy Some Like It Hot — now on re-release. He is disguised as a woman to escape scary gangsters, and so is his buddy Joe, played by Tony Curtis. They will get up close and personal with a girl-band on a night-train to Florida, including the demure ukulele player Sugar Kane, superbly played by Marilyn Monroe, demonstrating the most famous lip-pursing mannerism since Mae West: somewhere between a pout and a moue.
As well as everything else, it is the best remake in movie history: reworked from a 1951 German comedy that Wilder had discovered called Fanfares of Love written by Peter Thoeren and Michael Logan,...
"I tell you … it's a whole different sex!" This is the awed insight from the terrified 20s Chicago musician Jerry, played by Jack Lemmon, in Billy Wilder's 1959 comedy Some Like It Hot — now on re-release. He is disguised as a woman to escape scary gangsters, and so is his buddy Joe, played by Tony Curtis. They will get up close and personal with a girl-band on a night-train to Florida, including the demure ukulele player Sugar Kane, superbly played by Marilyn Monroe, demonstrating the most famous lip-pursing mannerism since Mae West: somewhere between a pout and a moue.
As well as everything else, it is the best remake in movie history: reworked from a 1951 German comedy that Wilder had discovered called Fanfares of Love written by Peter Thoeren and Michael Logan,...
- 7/17/2014
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
During a recent presentation to TV critics, El Rey announced premiere dates for new installments of “The Director’s Chair” as well as when production kicks off on Season Two of “From Dusk Till Dawn.”
From the Press Release:
El Rey Network plans to debut two new and exciting installments of “El Rey Network Presents: The Director’s Chair,” a series of hour-long specials featuring the industry's most notable directors engaging in a revealing and unexpected exchange about the world of filmmaking.
Premiering Wednesday, July 30th, at 9 Pm Et/Pt, El Rey Network Founder and Chairman Robert Rodriguez sits down with longtime friend and Oscar nominated director Guillermo del Toro to discuss his journey from artist to director/producer. From groundbreaking Pan’s Labyrinth to Hellboy to Pacific Rim to his upcoming series "The Strain," Del Toro reveals the madness behind his monsters.
In August, Rodriguez explores the world of...
From the Press Release:
El Rey Network plans to debut two new and exciting installments of “El Rey Network Presents: The Director’s Chair,” a series of hour-long specials featuring the industry's most notable directors engaging in a revealing and unexpected exchange about the world of filmmaking.
Premiering Wednesday, July 30th, at 9 Pm Et/Pt, El Rey Network Founder and Chairman Robert Rodriguez sits down with longtime friend and Oscar nominated director Guillermo del Toro to discuss his journey from artist to director/producer. From groundbreaking Pan’s Labyrinth to Hellboy to Pacific Rim to his upcoming series "The Strain," Del Toro reveals the madness behind his monsters.
In August, Rodriguez explores the world of...
- 7/12/2014
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
Jessica Chastain has been cast as Marilyn Monroe in director Andrew Dominik's upcoming biopic Blonde.
Brad Pitt's Plan B and Worldview Entertainment will produce the adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates's 2001 novel of the same title, which Naomi Watts originally signed up to star in.
From Michelle Williams to Kerry Katona, we compile 12 other actresses who have portrayed or paid tribute to Hollywood's original blonde bombshell below.
Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams was Oscar-nominated for her critically-acclaimed performance as Monroe in Simon Curtis's My Week with Marilyn (2011). The movie centered on Monroe's fraught relationship with her then co-star Laurence Olivier, played by Kenneth Branagh, during the production of The Prince and the Showgirl in Britain.
Reflecting upon the role, Williams said: "Gosh, sometimes I can't even believe I did it because the challenges were just...
"In a way, you had to remove the fact that she was an...
Brad Pitt's Plan B and Worldview Entertainment will produce the adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates's 2001 novel of the same title, which Naomi Watts originally signed up to star in.
From Michelle Williams to Kerry Katona, we compile 12 other actresses who have portrayed or paid tribute to Hollywood's original blonde bombshell below.
Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams was Oscar-nominated for her critically-acclaimed performance as Monroe in Simon Curtis's My Week with Marilyn (2011). The movie centered on Monroe's fraught relationship with her then co-star Laurence Olivier, played by Kenneth Branagh, during the production of The Prince and the Showgirl in Britain.
Reflecting upon the role, Williams said: "Gosh, sometimes I can't even believe I did it because the challenges were just...
"In a way, you had to remove the fact that she was an...
- 4/23/2014
- Digital Spy
Well, we’ve finally reached the summit: the 10 most definitive romantic comedies of all time. Unlike the other sections of this list, there is not a movie here that approaches “bad.” As always, some are better than others, despite the order. But one thing is for sure: if you plan to have a rom-com binge-a-thon soon, this is where you start, no questions asked. In fact, after reading this, you should go do that and report back.
courtesy of reverseshot.com
10. Some Like It Hot (1959)
What’s funnier than men dressing in drag? Depends on who you ask. It’s Billy Wilder again with a fictional story of two musicians – Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) – who witness the St. Valentine’s Day massacre in Chicago and leave town. But, since the mob has ties everywhere, they need to disguise themselves as best they can: as women in an...
courtesy of reverseshot.com
10. Some Like It Hot (1959)
What’s funnier than men dressing in drag? Depends on who you ask. It’s Billy Wilder again with a fictional story of two musicians – Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) – who witness the St. Valentine’s Day massacre in Chicago and leave town. But, since the mob has ties everywhere, they need to disguise themselves as best they can: as women in an...
- 2/10/2014
- by Joshua Gaul
- SoundOnSight
Los Angeles — When scandalous tales of fraud involving superstar athletes Lance Armstrong and Manti Te'o were exposed in the last week, connections to films were immediate and obvious. The story of Notre Dame Football hero Te'o falling for a fake dead girlfriend on the Internet called to mind the documentary "Catfish." And disgraced cyclist Armstrong, who has finally admitted to doping in winning the Tour de France a record seven times, is already the subject of a biopic that's in the works.
It's a huge topic that's been explored in myriad ways on screen, and you'd probably come up with five entirely different choices, but here are my picks for five great movies about deception:
_ "Vertigo" (1958): Speaking of fake dead women. ... One of Alfred Hitchock's best, it also feels incredibly personal – stylish and frightening, of course but also achingly sad. Yes, Jimmy Stewart is being manipulated, being duped into...
It's a huge topic that's been explored in myriad ways on screen, and you'd probably come up with five entirely different choices, but here are my picks for five great movies about deception:
_ "Vertigo" (1958): Speaking of fake dead women. ... One of Alfred Hitchock's best, it also feels incredibly personal – stylish and frightening, of course but also achingly sad. Yes, Jimmy Stewart is being manipulated, being duped into...
- 1/25/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Written by Linda Rosenkrantz for Nameberry
You don’t have to be a rabid movie buff to associate certain names with classic movie stars. For many people, Judy Garland will always be Dorothy, Clark Gable is forever Rhett and Humphrey Bogart lives on as Rick.
But obviously they all inhabited any number of other movie character names throughout their careers, many of which now seem head-scratchingly unlikely. For example, Clark Gable played a character named Candy, Marilyn Monroe was Sugar Kane, Barbara Stanwyck a Sugarpuss, Sophia Loren, Bonbon, and Hedy Lamarr, Sweets.
So here are some iconic stars, and what we consider their two best character names -- in baby name terms -- together with the one that stands out as the most incongruous and the movie in which he/she answered to that name.
You don’t have to be a rabid movie buff to associate certain names with classic movie stars. For many people, Judy Garland will always be Dorothy, Clark Gable is forever Rhett and Humphrey Bogart lives on as Rick.
But obviously they all inhabited any number of other movie character names throughout their careers, many of which now seem head-scratchingly unlikely. For example, Clark Gable played a character named Candy, Marilyn Monroe was Sugar Kane, Barbara Stanwyck a Sugarpuss, Sophia Loren, Bonbon, and Hedy Lamarr, Sweets.
So here are some iconic stars, and what we consider their two best character names -- in baby name terms -- together with the one that stands out as the most incongruous and the movie in which he/she answered to that name.
- 12/2/2012
- Huffington Post
From Dorothy's shoes to Christian Bale's batsuit, costume is a crucial, although often unnoticed, part of film. Bee Wilson takes a tour of Hollywood's wardrobe department at the V&A's starry new exhibition
Carole Lombard "was just a tootsie when she came to Paramount," a movie insider once remarked. What transformed Lombard into a 1930s screwball goddess, the most highly paid in Hollywood in her day, were her gorgeous costumes, flowing, ornate and bias-cut. Designer Travis Banton "saw things in her even she didn't know she had". It was said of Banton that he could take a girl to lunch and instantly see what qualities he needed to accentuate. In Lombard's case, he weighted the gowns to drag backwards, giving her the elongated stature of a star. One of Lombard's most dazzling Banton dresses can be seen in the forthcoming Hollywood Costume show at the V&A. It is...
Carole Lombard "was just a tootsie when she came to Paramount," a movie insider once remarked. What transformed Lombard into a 1930s screwball goddess, the most highly paid in Hollywood in her day, were her gorgeous costumes, flowing, ornate and bias-cut. Designer Travis Banton "saw things in her even she didn't know she had". It was said of Banton that he could take a girl to lunch and instantly see what qualities he needed to accentuate. In Lombard's case, he weighted the gowns to drag backwards, giving her the elongated stature of a star. One of Lombard's most dazzling Banton dresses can be seen in the forthcoming Hollywood Costume show at the V&A. It is...
- 10/12/2012
- by Bee Wilson
- The Guardian - Film News
From Marilyn Monroe's chiffon dress to Natalie Portman's inky tutu, exhibition puts spotlight on film, not fashion
Hollywood Costume, the V&A's major autumn exhibition, will doubtless draw huge crowds with the sheer glamour of its content. The daringly filmy chiffon dress in which Marilyn Monroe played Sugar Kane Kowalczyk in Some Like it Hot shimmies close to Holly Golightly's original Givenchy "little black dress" from Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Moments of high drama from a century of filmmaking are captured, from Vivien Leigh's green velvet dress in Gone with the Wind to the inky tutu worn by Natalie Portman in Black Swan.
But sex appeal and beautiful women are just there to swell the box office. This is not an exhibition for visitors who come to coo over sequins, but one with a powerful and subtle message about the importance of costume in storytelling. It is a show about film,...
Hollywood Costume, the V&A's major autumn exhibition, will doubtless draw huge crowds with the sheer glamour of its content. The daringly filmy chiffon dress in which Marilyn Monroe played Sugar Kane Kowalczyk in Some Like it Hot shimmies close to Holly Golightly's original Givenchy "little black dress" from Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Moments of high drama from a century of filmmaking are captured, from Vivien Leigh's green velvet dress in Gone with the Wind to the inky tutu worn by Natalie Portman in Black Swan.
But sex appeal and beautiful women are just there to swell the box office. This is not an exhibition for visitors who come to coo over sequins, but one with a powerful and subtle message about the importance of costume in storytelling. It is a show about film,...
- 10/12/2012
- by Jess Cartner-Morley
- The Guardian - Film News
Los Angeles — There is the well-honed Marilyn Monroe screen persona – the breathy, girlish voice, the glamorous curves and the flirty sex appeal – and then there are the films that allowed her to stretch, or at least allowed her to try. A devout Method actress, Monroe took her craft seriously, dug deep in search of motivation and worked harder than her effortless screen presence would suggest. For a while, that is, until her demons took over.
On the 50th anniversary of her death, here's a look at five of her most memorable film performances, the ones that stand out over her prolific but sadly short career:
_ "Some Like It Hot" (1959): This was the first title that came to mind when I began pondering this list. Maybe because it's the best film she was ever in – the Billy Wilder classic is listed as the greatest comedy ever by the American Film Institute – but also,...
On the 50th anniversary of her death, here's a look at five of her most memorable film performances, the ones that stand out over her prolific but sadly short career:
_ "Some Like It Hot" (1959): This was the first title that came to mind when I began pondering this list. Maybe because it's the best film she was ever in – the Billy Wilder classic is listed as the greatest comedy ever by the American Film Institute – but also,...
- 8/3/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
New York — Only 11 years after her death, Elton John sang his ode to Marilyn Monroe. "And I would have liked to have known you, but I was just a kid," went the lyrics. "Your candle burned out long before your legend ever did."
What John didn't know was how much truer his words would ring a few decades later.
Monroe passed away a half-century ago this Sunday, a murky death that remains one of Hollywood's most tantalizing mysteries. But look around: Her legend lives on, more vibrantly than ever. In a development this fiercely ambitious actress surely would have appreciated, this 1950's bombshell has become a 21st-century pop culture phenomenon.
Just flip through a celebrity magazine: Some of-the-moment young starlet or pop singer will be channeling (or outright appropriating) those platinum locks, the bright red lips, moist and slightly parted, and that joyously, almost defiantly curvy figure, sheathed in something skin-tight and glamorous.
What John didn't know was how much truer his words would ring a few decades later.
Monroe passed away a half-century ago this Sunday, a murky death that remains one of Hollywood's most tantalizing mysteries. But look around: Her legend lives on, more vibrantly than ever. In a development this fiercely ambitious actress surely would have appreciated, this 1950's bombshell has become a 21st-century pop culture phenomenon.
Just flip through a celebrity magazine: Some of-the-moment young starlet or pop singer will be channeling (or outright appropriating) those platinum locks, the bright red lips, moist and slightly parted, and that joyously, almost defiantly curvy figure, sheathed in something skin-tight and glamorous.
- 7/31/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Four extraordinary film directors .Frank Capra, John Ford, John Huston and Billy Wilder . received a stamping ovation today with the issuance of the Great Film Directors First-Class Forever stamps. The dedication took place at the American Film Institute Silver Theatre and Cultural Center where some of their works were showcased. Available nationwide today, the stamps can be purchased online at usps.com/shop, by calling 1-800-stamp-24 (1-800-782-6724) or by visiting Post Offices.
“With these stamps, we’re bringing these filmmakers out from behind their cameras and putting them in the spotlight so that we can learn more about them,” said Samuel Pulcrano, U.S. Postal Service vice president, Corporate Communications in dedicating the stamps. “Movies offer a window into our history and heritage and tell the story of America. Similar to movies, stamps honor our past and celebrate our achievements while encouraging us to learn more about the people,...
“With these stamps, we’re bringing these filmmakers out from behind their cameras and putting them in the spotlight so that we can learn more about them,” said Samuel Pulcrano, U.S. Postal Service vice president, Corporate Communications in dedicating the stamps. “Movies offer a window into our history and heritage and tell the story of America. Similar to movies, stamps honor our past and celebrate our achievements while encouraging us to learn more about the people,...
- 5/23/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
As another hectic awards season draws to a close, it is now only a matter of days until we discover which films and performers have triumphed at the 2012 Oscars and every year there are performers or actors who fail to be recognised, not surprising when we consider that most categories have a mere five nomination slots.
From 2009, the number of films allowed to be nominated in the Best Picture category rose to ten, with the intention of allowing smaller films which could easily be ignored to have a chance at recognition. Despite the efforts of the Academy, nearly every year seems to provoke furious debate over a film which was unfairly overlooked and ignored.
Here we consider the ten films whose lack of nomination can be regarded as nothing short of outrageous, and which thoroughly deserved the recognition they did not receive.
10. Zodiac (David Fincher, 2007)
The Academy has notoriously short memories,...
From 2009, the number of films allowed to be nominated in the Best Picture category rose to ten, with the intention of allowing smaller films which could easily be ignored to have a chance at recognition. Despite the efforts of the Academy, nearly every year seems to provoke furious debate over a film which was unfairly overlooked and ignored.
Here we consider the ten films whose lack of nomination can be regarded as nothing short of outrageous, and which thoroughly deserved the recognition they did not receive.
10. Zodiac (David Fincher, 2007)
The Academy has notoriously short memories,...
- 2/20/2012
- by Natalie Holmes
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
My Week with Marilyn envelops the star in a chaste aura. This desire to desexualise goes back to Arthur Miller
It is not entirely the fault of the recent movie My Week with Marilyn – about Monroe's disastrous attempt to make The Prince and the Showgirl with Laurence Olivier – that it is devoid of sex, which is something like depicting the life of Napoleon without mentioning that he was French. Monroe might have been one of the most sexual beings who ever lived, but the portrayals of her, even by disillusioned observers, sooner or later descend into a sanitised ideal.
The sex is overtaken by sentimental treacle, or heroic fantasy, or defensive over-analysis. In his book on Monroe, Norman Mailer, for all his worldly candour, concluded that "she was our angel, the sweet angel of sex, and the sugar of sex came up from her like a resonance of sound in...
It is not entirely the fault of the recent movie My Week with Marilyn – about Monroe's disastrous attempt to make The Prince and the Showgirl with Laurence Olivier – that it is devoid of sex, which is something like depicting the life of Napoleon without mentioning that he was French. Monroe might have been one of the most sexual beings who ever lived, but the portrayals of her, even by disillusioned observers, sooner or later descend into a sanitised ideal.
The sex is overtaken by sentimental treacle, or heroic fantasy, or defensive over-analysis. In his book on Monroe, Norman Mailer, for all his worldly candour, concluded that "she was our angel, the sweet angel of sex, and the sugar of sex came up from her like a resonance of sound in...
- 1/7/2012
- The Guardian - Film News
This is the way Sonic Youth ends: With a concert in Brazil.
After Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore's separation was announced in October, the band's future has been up in the air. The concert in Sao Paolo was the last on their scheduled tour -- who knows what's next?
If you want to see Sonic Youth play what could be their last performance ever, check out this three video playlist of the 70-minute show.
Setlist [via Slicing Up Eyeballs]:
1. "Brave Men Run"
2. "Death Valley '69"
3. "Sacred Trickster"
4. "Calming the Snake"
5. "Mote"
6. "Cross the Breeze"
7. "Schizophrenia"
8. "Drunken Butterfly"
9. "Starfield Rd."
10. "Flower"
11. "Sugar Kane"
12. 'Teen Age Riot'
Watch below:...
After Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore's separation was announced in October, the band's future has been up in the air. The concert in Sao Paolo was the last on their scheduled tour -- who knows what's next?
If you want to see Sonic Youth play what could be their last performance ever, check out this three video playlist of the 70-minute show.
Setlist [via Slicing Up Eyeballs]:
1. "Brave Men Run"
2. "Death Valley '69"
3. "Sacred Trickster"
4. "Calming the Snake"
5. "Mote"
6. "Cross the Breeze"
7. "Schizophrenia"
8. "Drunken Butterfly"
9. "Starfield Rd."
10. "Flower"
11. "Sugar Kane"
12. 'Teen Age Riot'
Watch below:...
- 11/16/2011
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
This week's news in the arts
London Fashion Week drew to a close yesterday, leaving us with only memories and a thousand photographs. But while fashion and photography have long been soul mates, the catwalk has also made a strong showing across film, music and literature – well beyond Naomi Campbell's classic Swan, and Lauren Weisenberg's seminal The Devil Wears Prada. Eighties sparring partners Bret Easton Ellis and Jay McInerney covered the territory with Glamorama (1998) and Model Behaviour (2007) respectively. A portrait of the empty world of the catwalk, Easton Ellis's anti-hero keeps himself entertained by joining a male model terrorist group.
In fact, the model caught up in world events is a recurring theme. As Zoolander's Derek Zoolander says: "I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good-looking." It turns out that more is saving the world from the evil Mugatu during the course of a fashion show.
London Fashion Week drew to a close yesterday, leaving us with only memories and a thousand photographs. But while fashion and photography have long been soul mates, the catwalk has also made a strong showing across film, music and literature – well beyond Naomi Campbell's classic Swan, and Lauren Weisenberg's seminal The Devil Wears Prada. Eighties sparring partners Bret Easton Ellis and Jay McInerney covered the territory with Glamorama (1998) and Model Behaviour (2007) respectively. A portrait of the empty world of the catwalk, Easton Ellis's anti-hero keeps himself entertained by joining a male model terrorist group.
In fact, the model caught up in world events is a recurring theme. As Zoolander's Derek Zoolander says: "I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good-looking." It turns out that more is saving the world from the evil Mugatu during the course of a fashion show.
- 9/21/2011
- by Lauren Cochrane
- The Guardian - Film News
'I just really wanted the international audience to come in and just see what we're really about,' he tells MTV News.
By Rahman Dukes
Shaggy
Photo: MTV News
For diamond-selling dancehall artist Shaggy, the homecoming festivities he experienced over the weekend in Jamaica were as sweet as his new single "Sugar Cane."
On Saturday, "Mr. Boombastic" took his melodic reggae sounds back to the island that made him famous, performing a free show in front of his fellow Jamaicans with the assistance of a few other notable reggae stars. The concert, called "Shaggy and Friends," came on the heels of the release of his 10th studio album, Summer in Kingston.
"It's home. This is my hometown. This is where I was born, where I was raised," Shaggy told MTV News following the performance. "This is where I currently live. I just really wanted the international audience to come in...
By Rahman Dukes
Shaggy
Photo: MTV News
For diamond-selling dancehall artist Shaggy, the homecoming festivities he experienced over the weekend in Jamaica were as sweet as his new single "Sugar Cane."
On Saturday, "Mr. Boombastic" took his melodic reggae sounds back to the island that made him famous, performing a free show in front of his fellow Jamaicans with the assistance of a few other notable reggae stars. The concert, called "Shaggy and Friends," came on the heels of the release of his 10th studio album, Summer in Kingston.
"It's home. This is my hometown. This is where I was born, where I was raised," Shaggy told MTV News following the performance. "This is where I currently live. I just really wanted the international audience to come in...
- 7/18/2011
- MTV Music News
Some Like It Hot Blu-RayMGM Home Entertainment1959/Not Rated/121 MinsList Price: $19.99 – Now AvailableFew films stand the test of time or even remain as humorous as Billy Wilder's 1959 comedy Some Like It Hot. The American Film Institute, named even Wilder's wise-cracking, gender-bending farce as the number one comedy of all time. It is a perfectly pitched comedy of romance and masquerade, with its outrageous scenario constantly kept in check by the finely tuned performance from its stars Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe. Joe and Jerry (Curtis and Lemon) are two struggling musicians trying to make ends meet during the Prohibition Era of the late 1920s. After witnessing the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre, in which a Chicago gangster named Spats Columbo (George Raft) machine-guns seven men in a car garage, the pair are forced to flee the city to save their lives. Since they're flat broke they have...
- 6/30/2011
- LRMonline.com
I’m just gonna say it… We Like To Party, but even we can’t party as hard as the Wolfpack! Alan, Stu and Phil are bringing the party back to theaters this Thursday with The Hangover Part II, so we thought, what better way to ring in the party than to count down our favorite party animals!
These are the cool kids that bring the party! They rage, they get down… heck, they might even get “jiggy wit it”! Sure, they might not be from the fluorescent box of crayons, but these folks can MacGyver a good time out of a paper clip, a broomstick and a Nelson cassette. (Yep, I said it!)
So, without further adeu…
Top Ten Party Animals Honorable Mention: Trent (Vince Vaughn) Swingers (1996)
Trent (Vince Vaughn) is an aspiring actor. He’s loud, flirtatious, and he’s living the swinging lifestyle. Vegas is this kings castle,...
These are the cool kids that bring the party! They rage, they get down… heck, they might even get “jiggy wit it”! Sure, they might not be from the fluorescent box of crayons, but these folks can MacGyver a good time out of a paper clip, a broomstick and a Nelson cassette. (Yep, I said it!)
So, without further adeu…
Top Ten Party Animals Honorable Mention: Trent (Vince Vaughn) Swingers (1996)
Trent (Vince Vaughn) is an aspiring actor. He’s loud, flirtatious, and he’s living the swinging lifestyle. Vegas is this kings castle,...
- 5/25/2011
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
We already have entries rolling on Midnight in Paris and Pirates 4, both updated through today, and, as the Playlist puts it in a headline today, there's "Not Much Else" opening in the metroplexes today. Otherwise, though, there's plenty going on.
Migrating Forms opens at Anthology Film Archives today and runs through May 29. You may remember how promising that lineup is. "Forms grew out of the New York Underground Film Festival," writes Tom McCormack in a terrific overview at Alt Screen, "and it expands upon that fest’s interest in bringing together heterogeneous material: the celluloid revival of the American avant-garde, the rough-hewn outer edges of the European art-house, old curios, New Media, the academy, the grindhouse, and the gutter. As a result, Forms has some of the most unpredictable and interesting — and some of the best—programming of any Us festival." Further recommended reads, even if you're nowhere near New York and can't attend,...
Migrating Forms opens at Anthology Film Archives today and runs through May 29. You may remember how promising that lineup is. "Forms grew out of the New York Underground Film Festival," writes Tom McCormack in a terrific overview at Alt Screen, "and it expands upon that fest’s interest in bringing together heterogeneous material: the celluloid revival of the American avant-garde, the rough-hewn outer edges of the European art-house, old curios, New Media, the academy, the grindhouse, and the gutter. As a result, Forms has some of the most unpredictable and interesting — and some of the best—programming of any Us festival." Further recommended reads, even if you're nowhere near New York and can't attend,...
- 5/20/2011
- MUBI
With each day that passes, Cannes is becoming closer and closer, and now, for those looking forward to seeing a few, let’s say, more classic features, your sidebar has just been announced.
Cannes has announced their Classics Sidebar lineup, and what a lineup it is. A few Criterion directors have found their way onto the list, including Roberto Rossellini (The Machine To Kill Bad People), Bernardo Bertolucci (The Conformist), and Rainer Werner Fassbinder (Despair). And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The most interesting additions are both Georges Melies’ classic 1902 silent film, A Trip To The Moon, as well as Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. The festival’s jury head, Robert De Niro, will also be focused on in this sidebar, as his film A Bronx Tale will also be showing during the festival.
Personally, the film that I’m most excited to see would have...
Cannes has announced their Classics Sidebar lineup, and what a lineup it is. A few Criterion directors have found their way onto the list, including Roberto Rossellini (The Machine To Kill Bad People), Bernardo Bertolucci (The Conformist), and Rainer Werner Fassbinder (Despair). And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The most interesting additions are both Georges Melies’ classic 1902 silent film, A Trip To The Moon, as well as Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. The festival’s jury head, Robert De Niro, will also be focused on in this sidebar, as his film A Bronx Tale will also be showing during the festival.
Personally, the film that I’m most excited to see would have...
- 4/29/2011
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
The Cinema de la Plage where screenings of classic films are held at 9:30 each night; click for a larger look
Photo: Brad Brevet I already mentioned how Warner Home Video would be releasing a *new* Stanley Kubrick Blu-ray collection, this time including high definition versions of Lolita and Barry Lyndon with previously released HD versions of Spartacus, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut and a new 40th Anniversary Edition of A Clockwork Orange. That set hits Blu-ray on May 31, but Kubrick's now-40-year-old A Clockwork Orange will be hitting the Cannes Croisette a little bit earlier than that.
Another, late night look at the Cinema de la Plage; click for a larger look
Photo: Brad Brevet It had been previously announced, but yesterday the Cannes Film Festival made it official that A Clockwork Orange would be part of the...
Photo: Brad Brevet I already mentioned how Warner Home Video would be releasing a *new* Stanley Kubrick Blu-ray collection, this time including high definition versions of Lolita and Barry Lyndon with previously released HD versions of Spartacus, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut and a new 40th Anniversary Edition of A Clockwork Orange. That set hits Blu-ray on May 31, but Kubrick's now-40-year-old A Clockwork Orange will be hitting the Cannes Croisette a little bit earlier than that.
Another, late night look at the Cinema de la Plage; click for a larger look
Photo: Brad Brevet It had been previously announced, but yesterday the Cannes Film Festival made it official that A Clockwork Orange would be part of the...
- 4/27/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The Cannes Film Festival is about far more than just the Competition titles, and the Cannes Classics line-up allows those willing to broaden their focus to experience often seminal works on the big-screen for the first time. Last year, I nearly got to see The African Queen for instance, but was sadly unable thanks to a clash in the chaotic screening schedule. This year, I’m determined to see at least one of the just-announced films in the line-up, and I shall not be thwarted. Unless there’s something, like really good on at the same time… Anyway, the official Cannes site has today released the Classics, and features some of the most important films in cinematic history, including the restored color version of Georges Méliès’ A Trip To The Moon, beefed up with a brand new soundtrack from French hipsters Air, plus restored prints of A Clockwork Orange and special screenings of Bertolucci’s The Conformist and...
- 4/27/2011
- by Simon Gallagher
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
The Cannes Film Festival's unveiled its Classics program today: "Fourteen films, five documentaries, surprises, a Masterclass (Malcolm McDowell), new or restored prints: The program is based on proposals from national archives, cinematheques, studios, producers and distributors. Rare classics to discover or re-discover, they will be presented in 35mm or high definition digital prints."
The Films
The first round of descriptions comes straight from the Festival.
A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la lune) by Georges Méliès (France, 1902, 16'). "The color version of Georges Méliès most famous film, A Trip to the Moon (1902) is visible again 109 years after its release: having been long considered lost, this version was found in 1993 in Barcelona. In 2010, a full restoration is initiated by Lobster Films, Gan Foundation for Cinema and Technicolor Foundation for Heritage Cinema. The digital tools of today allows them to re-assemble the fragments of 13 375 images from the film and restore them one by one.
The Films
The first round of descriptions comes straight from the Festival.
A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la lune) by Georges Méliès (France, 1902, 16'). "The color version of Georges Méliès most famous film, A Trip to the Moon (1902) is visible again 109 years after its release: having been long considered lost, this version was found in 1993 in Barcelona. In 2010, a full restoration is initiated by Lobster Films, Gan Foundation for Cinema and Technicolor Foundation for Heritage Cinema. The digital tools of today allows them to re-assemble the fragments of 13 375 images from the film and restore them one by one.
- 4/26/2011
- MUBI
The 64th festival de Cannes announced the selection for Cannes Classics on Tuesday. The selection will present fourteen films which includes the colour version of Georges Méliès famous A Trip to the Moon. The programme also comprises five documentaries and a Masterclass by actor Malcolm McDowell.
Established in 2004, the selection showcases heritage cinema, re-discovered films, restored prints and theatrical, television or DVD releases of the great works of the past.
Mrinal Sen s Khandahar and Ritwik Ghatak’s Titash Ekti Nadir Naam (A River Called Titas) were presented in this section in the 2010 edition of the festival.
Cannes Classics: The Films
1. A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la lune) by Georges Méliès (France, 1902, 16′)
2. Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick (USA, 1971, 137′)
3. The Machine to Kill Bad People (La Macchina Ammazzacattivi) by Roberto Rossellini (Italy, 1952, 80′)
4. A Bronx Tale by Robert De Niro (USA, 1993, 121′).
5. The Conformist (Il Conformista) by Bernardo Bertolucci (Italy,...
Established in 2004, the selection showcases heritage cinema, re-discovered films, restored prints and theatrical, television or DVD releases of the great works of the past.
Mrinal Sen s Khandahar and Ritwik Ghatak’s Titash Ekti Nadir Naam (A River Called Titas) were presented in this section in the 2010 edition of the festival.
Cannes Classics: The Films
1. A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la lune) by Georges Méliès (France, 1902, 16′)
2. Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick (USA, 1971, 137′)
3. The Machine to Kill Bad People (La Macchina Ammazzacattivi) by Roberto Rossellini (Italy, 1952, 80′)
4. A Bronx Tale by Robert De Niro (USA, 1993, 121′).
5. The Conformist (Il Conformista) by Bernardo Bertolucci (Italy,...
- 4/26/2011
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
Cannes Classics is a recent addition to the festival, and will enjoy its 8th instalment this year. Part of the line-up of this section of the fest is screened at Ceinema de la Plage, that’s right, on the beach. You’ve got to admit that it’s pretty cool – an open-aired screening of a classic film on the French Riviera, away from the exclusivity of the Palais, and able to be enjoyed by Panini-eating passers-by on the Croisette. There should be more of this at the festival, it’s good for the soul.
This year’s line-up of films includes work by Stanley Kubrick, Bernardo Bertolucci, Euzhan Palcy (currently being honored by MoMA in New York) and Jerry Schatzberg, whose photograph of Faye Dunaway is embedded into this year’s festival poster above.
Robert DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal will present a screening of “A Bronx Tale” to celebrate ten...
This year’s line-up of films includes work by Stanley Kubrick, Bernardo Bertolucci, Euzhan Palcy (currently being honored by MoMA in New York) and Jerry Schatzberg, whose photograph of Faye Dunaway is embedded into this year’s festival poster above.
Robert DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal will present a screening of “A Bronx Tale” to celebrate ten...
- 4/26/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Cannes Classics is a recent addition to the festival, and will enjoy its 8th instalment this year. Part of the line-up of this section of the fest is screened at Ceinema de la Plage, that’s right, on the beach. You’ve got to admit that it’s pretty cool – an open-aired screening of a classic film on the French Riviera, away from the exclusivity of the Palais, and able to be enjoyed by Panini-eating passers-by on the Croisette. There should be more of this at the festival, it’s good for the soul.
This year’s line-up of films includes work by Stanley Kubrick, Bernardo Bertolucci, Euzhan Palcy (currently being honored by MoMA in New York) and Jerry Schatzberg, whose photograph of Faye Dunaway is embedded into this year’s festival poster above.
Robert DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal will present a screening of “A Bronx Tale” to celebrate ten...
This year’s line-up of films includes work by Stanley Kubrick, Bernardo Bertolucci, Euzhan Palcy (currently being honored by MoMA in New York) and Jerry Schatzberg, whose photograph of Faye Dunaway is embedded into this year’s festival poster above.
Robert DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal will present a screening of “A Bronx Tale” to celebrate ten...
- 4/26/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Grant Morrison’s Batman Incorporated explodes in issue #4! One of the two titles featuring the returned Bruce Wayne, I found the previous three issues to be incredibly weak. The series started with Bruce Wayne revealing that he had been secretly funding Batman over the years, and that now, there was to be an organization of Batmen protecting the world. Subsequently, we witnessed some pretty ridiculous storylines featuring Bruce searching the globe for those worthy of wearing the cowl.
Thankfully that all changes with issue #4. Switching between Batman fighting for survival in the present, and the ‘true’ back story of the original Batwoman – Katherine Kane – this issue reminds one just how talented Morrison is. Between the fantastic reinvention of Batwoman’s past, and new artist Chris Burnham’s stunning artwork, issue #4 bears almost no resemblance to the three previous ones.
This comic is truly Grant Morrison’s love letter to all...
Thankfully that all changes with issue #4. Switching between Batman fighting for survival in the present, and the ‘true’ back story of the original Batwoman – Katherine Kane – this issue reminds one just how talented Morrison is. Between the fantastic reinvention of Batwoman’s past, and new artist Chris Burnham’s stunning artwork, issue #4 bears almost no resemblance to the three previous ones.
This comic is truly Grant Morrison’s love letter to all...
- 3/26/2011
- by Andrew Uys
- DorkShelf.com
Sex if funny… and sometimes just plain goofy! What better way to mix the two with a good ol’ fashioned sex comedy. That is exactly what they do in the new Warner Bros. movie Hall Pass. And since we here at Wamg appreciate a well done sex comedy, we bring you
Top Ten Sex Comedies Honorable Mention: The Sure Thing
In 1985 actor turned director Rob Reiner chose to make his second feature film (after the “mockumentary” This Is Spinal Tap) a more conventional narrative comedy. Specifically the teen sex comedy, but with a twist. He would combine this with a “love on the open road” theme ala It Happened One Night. This forms the structure of The Sure Thing. ‘ Gib’ (John Cusack) hears from his California based buddy Lance (Anthony Edwards) that his blond neighbor is a “sure thing”. Embarking on this cross-country trek West, Gib acquires the up-tight Alison...
Top Ten Sex Comedies Honorable Mention: The Sure Thing
In 1985 actor turned director Rob Reiner chose to make his second feature film (after the “mockumentary” This Is Spinal Tap) a more conventional narrative comedy. Specifically the teen sex comedy, but with a twist. He would combine this with a “love on the open road” theme ala It Happened One Night. This forms the structure of The Sure Thing. ‘ Gib’ (John Cusack) hears from his California based buddy Lance (Anthony Edwards) that his blond neighbor is a “sure thing”. Embarking on this cross-country trek West, Gib acquires the up-tight Alison...
- 2/22/2011
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Here is Sean Furfaro 's recap of The Amazing Race, Episode 8.
When I saw last week’s preview of the Double U-Turn coming up in this episode, I braced myself for the invariable whining and complaining from the team that gets U-Turned. As readers of my Amazing Race Recaps from previous seasons may remember, I am a big proponent of using the tools that are available to you to win the game. It’s the same concept as a stolen base in baseball…it’s not unethical or ‘dirty’ to do it, even though the name ‘stolen base’ itself is a connotation of wrongdoing.
In previous seasons, we’ve seen teams get riled up over being U-Turned, but if you’re not willing to use the U-Turn with only 5 teams left in the Race, then you don’t really want to win. As I stated last season when Brent and Caite U-Turned Carol and Brandi,...
When I saw last week’s preview of the Double U-Turn coming up in this episode, I braced myself for the invariable whining and complaining from the team that gets U-Turned. As readers of my Amazing Race Recaps from previous seasons may remember, I am a big proponent of using the tools that are available to you to win the game. It’s the same concept as a stolen base in baseball…it’s not unethical or ‘dirty’ to do it, even though the name ‘stolen base’ itself is a connotation of wrongdoing.
In previous seasons, we’ve seen teams get riled up over being U-Turned, but if you’re not willing to use the U-Turn with only 5 teams left in the Race, then you don’t really want to win. As I stated last season when Brent and Caite U-Turned Carol and Brandi,...
- 11/22/2010
- by Sean
Tony Curtis, whose career spans 60 years in Hollywood, has died aged 85. We look back over his career in clips
He was young, he was pretty and he came fired by ambition. As a contracted Hollywood actor, the youthful Tony Curtis found himself shoehorned into all manner of substandard (and at times wildly inappropriate) studio outings. In The Black Shield of Falworth (1954) he plays a hardy swashbuckler in the time of Henry IV. "Yonder stands the castle of my faddah," he is reputed to say at one stage. Except that he never actually did. The line was actually concocted by critics to poke fun at the actor's broad Bronx accent.
Few films better captured the corrupt underside of 1950s Manhattan than The Sweet Smell of Success (1957), with its swooping jazz soundtrack, smoke-filled saloon bars and poisonous inhabitants. Curtis rustled up a tour-de-force as Sidney Falco, the smooth-cheeked press agent who schemes,...
He was young, he was pretty and he came fired by ambition. As a contracted Hollywood actor, the youthful Tony Curtis found himself shoehorned into all manner of substandard (and at times wildly inappropriate) studio outings. In The Black Shield of Falworth (1954) he plays a hardy swashbuckler in the time of Henry IV. "Yonder stands the castle of my faddah," he is reputed to say at one stage. Except that he never actually did. The line was actually concocted by critics to poke fun at the actor's broad Bronx accent.
Few films better captured the corrupt underside of 1950s Manhattan than The Sweet Smell of Success (1957), with its swooping jazz soundtrack, smoke-filled saloon bars and poisonous inhabitants. Curtis rustled up a tour-de-force as Sidney Falco, the smooth-cheeked press agent who schemes,...
- 10/1/2010
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
"Some Like it Hot" star and father of Jamie Lee Curtis suffered cardiac arrest.
By Gil Kaufman
Tony Curtis in 1970
Photo: Jones/Express/Getty Images
From sword-and-sandal epics to the most famous drag show in movie history, Hollywood legend Tony Curtis did it all during his long career on the screen. The actor died on Wednesday in his Las Vegas of cardiac arrest at the age of 85.
Though he earned an Oscar nomination for his role as a an escaped convict in 1958's "The Defiant Ones," Curtis is best remembered for his role alongside Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe in Billy Wilder's 1959 comedy classic "Some Like It Hot." A dashing ladies man with a reputation for a wandering eye, Curtis donned women's clothes in the movie to play a jazz musician on the run from the mob who, along with cohort Lemmon, makes the acquaintance of singer Sugar Kane (Monroe). Hilarity ensues.
By Gil Kaufman
Tony Curtis in 1970
Photo: Jones/Express/Getty Images
From sword-and-sandal epics to the most famous drag show in movie history, Hollywood legend Tony Curtis did it all during his long career on the screen. The actor died on Wednesday in his Las Vegas of cardiac arrest at the age of 85.
Though he earned an Oscar nomination for his role as a an escaped convict in 1958's "The Defiant Ones," Curtis is best remembered for his role alongside Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe in Billy Wilder's 1959 comedy classic "Some Like It Hot." A dashing ladies man with a reputation for a wandering eye, Curtis donned women's clothes in the movie to play a jazz musician on the run from the mob who, along with cohort Lemmon, makes the acquaintance of singer Sugar Kane (Monroe). Hilarity ensues.
- 9/30/2010
- MTV Music News
As summer swings into high gear, here are 10 beach movies to help you get into the romancin', surfin', sunnin', beach-lovin' mood!
Best Beach Movies"Gidget" (1959)
Due to an accident while swimming in the sea, Francis meets the surfer Moondoggy. She’s fascinated of his sport and starts to hang out with his clique. Although they make fun of her at first, they teach her to surf. Soon she’s accepted and given the nickname “Gidget...
Best Beach Movies"Gidget" (1959)
Due to an accident while swimming in the sea, Francis meets the surfer Moondoggy. She’s fascinated of his sport and starts to hang out with his clique. Although they make fun of her at first, they teach her to surf. Soon she’s accepted and given the nickname “Gidget...
- 7/3/2010
- Extra
Chicago – Few but the most professorial of Broadway aficionados recall with clarity the short-lived “Sugar,” which is one of the first film-to-stage transfers that premiered on the Great White Way in 1972 to lowly acclaim and even lower financial prowess. Though serving as a harbinger for the soon-to-be endowed trend of film derivatives, “Sugar” debuted in the throws of an era thirsty for the provocation of Michael Bennett and the insight of Stephen Sondheim.
Play Rating: 2.5/5.0
More so, however, “Sugar” never seemed to quite crack the sweet recipe that buoyed its farcical siblings (“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” was a big winner the year of “Sugar’s” debut).
”Sugar” at Drury Lane Oakbrook
Photo credit: Brett Beiner
Which is surprising considering the seemingly peerless components that comprise the work. For one, the musical boasts a score by the songwriting team of Jule Styne and Bob Merrill,...
Play Rating: 2.5/5.0
More so, however, “Sugar” never seemed to quite crack the sweet recipe that buoyed its farcical siblings (“A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” was a big winner the year of “Sugar’s” debut).
”Sugar” at Drury Lane Oakbrook
Photo credit: Brett Beiner
Which is surprising considering the seemingly peerless components that comprise the work. For one, the musical boasts a score by the songwriting team of Jule Styne and Bob Merrill,...
- 6/21/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Thanks reader Sean for the heads-up. Read the press release below:
For Immediate Release
The Black Film Center/Archive at Indiana University Bloomington will welcome four acclaimed film directors for a week of free screenings and engagement with students, faculty and the community, starting tomorrow, Monday (March 1).
Most events for “From the Post Colonial to the Global Postmodern? African and Caribbean Francophone Filmmakers and Scholars in Conversation” will take place March 1-5 at the center’s new home in suite 044B of the Wells Library, 1320 E. Tenth St.
Filmmakers Gaston Kaboré, from Burkina Faso, Euzhan Palcy, from Martinique, Joseph Gaï Ramaka, from Senegal, and Jean-Marie Teno, from Cameroon, will screen and discuss their films in workshops throughout the week. Several of their films are being shown in Indiana for the first time.
All of the screenings, which will be from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. most days, are free and open to the public.
For Immediate Release
The Black Film Center/Archive at Indiana University Bloomington will welcome four acclaimed film directors for a week of free screenings and engagement with students, faculty and the community, starting tomorrow, Monday (March 1).
Most events for “From the Post Colonial to the Global Postmodern? African and Caribbean Francophone Filmmakers and Scholars in Conversation” will take place March 1-5 at the center’s new home in suite 044B of the Wells Library, 1320 E. Tenth St.
Filmmakers Gaston Kaboré, from Burkina Faso, Euzhan Palcy, from Martinique, Joseph Gaï Ramaka, from Senegal, and Jean-Marie Teno, from Cameroon, will screen and discuss their films in workshops throughout the week. Several of their films are being shown in Indiana for the first time.
All of the screenings, which will be from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. most days, are free and open to the public.
- 2/28/2010
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
The IMDb250. A list of the top 250 films, as ranked by the users of the biggest movie Internet site on the web. It is based upon the ratings provided by the users of The Internet Movie Database, which number into the millions. As such, it’s a perfect representation of the opinions of the movie masses, and arguably the most comprehensive ranking system on the Internet.
It’s because of this that we at HeyUGuys (and in this case, we, is myself and Bazmann) have decided to set ourselves a project. To watch and review all 250 movies on the list! We’ve frozen the list as of 1st January this year. It’s not as simple as it sounds, as we’ll be watching them in one year, 125 each. Click here to keep up with our progress.
This is our second update, a rundown of my first five movies watched for the project.
It’s because of this that we at HeyUGuys (and in this case, we, is myself and Bazmann) have decided to set ourselves a project. To watch and review all 250 movies on the list! We’ve frozen the list as of 1st January this year. It’s not as simple as it sounds, as we’ll be watching them in one year, 125 each. Click here to keep up with our progress.
This is our second update, a rundown of my first five movies watched for the project.
- 2/1/2010
- by Gary Phillips
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Not sure what to watch? We can help with our comprehensive guide to the best films on TV this Christmas and new year
Choose a date
Saturday 19 December | Sunday 20 December | Monday 21 December | Tuesday 22 December | Wednesday 23 December |Christmas Eve | Christmas Day | Boxing Day | Sunday 27 December | Monday 28 December | Tuesday 29 December | Wednesday 30 December | New Year's Eve | New Year's Day
Saturday 19 December
Yes Man (Peyton Reed, 2008)
10am, 8pm, Sky Movies Premiere
Remember Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar, where he forces himself to tell the truth for 24 hours? Well, here Jim Carrey forces himself to answer yes to any request, for a year. Which is upping the ante somewhat, but doesn't make it a better film. This is a return to the manic, gurning, not-very-funny Carrey, as if The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine etc hadn't happened. Just say no.
The Golden Compass (Chris Weitz, 2007)
11.40am, 8pm, Sky Movies Family
What with Harry Potter, Narnia, Lemony Snicket and all,...
Choose a date
Saturday 19 December | Sunday 20 December | Monday 21 December | Tuesday 22 December | Wednesday 23 December |Christmas Eve | Christmas Day | Boxing Day | Sunday 27 December | Monday 28 December | Tuesday 29 December | Wednesday 30 December | New Year's Eve | New Year's Day
Saturday 19 December
Yes Man (Peyton Reed, 2008)
10am, 8pm, Sky Movies Premiere
Remember Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar, where he forces himself to tell the truth for 24 hours? Well, here Jim Carrey forces himself to answer yes to any request, for a year. Which is upping the ante somewhat, but doesn't make it a better film. This is a return to the manic, gurning, not-very-funny Carrey, as if The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine etc hadn't happened. Just say no.
The Golden Compass (Chris Weitz, 2007)
11.40am, 8pm, Sky Movies Family
What with Harry Potter, Narnia, Lemony Snicket and all,...
- 12/18/2009
- by Paul Howlett
- The Guardian - Film News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.