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At the dawn of the 1980s, Warner Bros. had two major in-house artists who could do just about anything they wanted. One was a movie star, the other a filmmaking genius, and they couldn't have been more different in aesthetic or temperament.
Clint Eastwood was a television star who found big-screen success by making Spaghetti Westerns in Europe with an upstart named Sergio Leone before becoming the avatar of the angry, Miranda rights-burdened American police officer as "Dirty Harry." Stanley Kubrick was a Bronx born-and-bred autodidact who found his love for filmmaking via photography; after a string of critical successes with "Paths of Glory," "Loilita" and "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb," he was hailed as a visionary for the groundbreaking "2001: A Space Odyssey," upon which he became renowned for his perfectionism and technical boundary pushing.
At the dawn of the 1980s, Warner Bros. had two major in-house artists who could do just about anything they wanted. One was a movie star, the other a filmmaking genius, and they couldn't have been more different in aesthetic or temperament.
Clint Eastwood was a television star who found big-screen success by making Spaghetti Westerns in Europe with an upstart named Sergio Leone before becoming the avatar of the angry, Miranda rights-burdened American police officer as "Dirty Harry." Stanley Kubrick was a Bronx born-and-bred autodidact who found his love for filmmaking via photography; after a string of critical successes with "Paths of Glory," "Loilita" and "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb," he was hailed as a visionary for the groundbreaking "2001: A Space Odyssey," upon which he became renowned for his perfectionism and technical boundary pushing.
- 10/28/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The Shining is often hailed as one of the best works in the horror genre. The Stephen King adaptation’s unconventional approach and Jack Nicholson’s menacing performance make it iconic among horror film fans. However, sadly, the 1980 film never found a fan in the author.
A still from The Shining | Credits: The Producer Circle Company
Stephen King has always been vocal against Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation. The film had some considerable deviations from the original novel, disappointing the author. Although the film was even selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2018 for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance, King never supported it.
Stephen King was displeased with the coldness of The Shining Jack Nicholson in The Shining | Credits: The Producer Circle Company
Stanley Kubrick‘s The Shining had some notable differences from the iconic Stephen King novel. According to King, these changes were absolutely unnecessary and affected the depth of the story.
A still from The Shining | Credits: The Producer Circle Company
Stephen King has always been vocal against Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation. The film had some considerable deviations from the original novel, disappointing the author. Although the film was even selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2018 for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance, King never supported it.
Stephen King was displeased with the coldness of The Shining Jack Nicholson in The Shining | Credits: The Producer Circle Company
Stanley Kubrick‘s The Shining had some notable differences from the iconic Stephen King novel. According to King, these changes were absolutely unnecessary and affected the depth of the story.
- 9/9/2024
- by Subham Mandal
- FandomWire
Kurt Russell was everywhere in the '80s, but there was one 1985 film he can't be spotted in despite having originally signed on for it. It's "Ladyhawke," the largely forgotten fantasy epic starring a pre-"Ferris Bueller" Matthew Broderick alongside Michelle Pfeiffer and Rutger Hauer. Directed by "The Omen" and "The Goonies" filmmaker Richard Donner, "Ladyhawke" received a lukewarm welcome at the box office and critical reviews to match.
So, how did Russell end up dodging this bullet? Well, apparently, by sticking to his no-tights rule. The actor once spoke about exiting the film in an interview with Whitney Scott Bain for Starburst Magazine, and confessed that a few factors led to his decision not to see the project through. "When I got there, I see wardrobe and the character has to wear tights," Russell explained, adding plainly: "I don't wear tights. That's not for me." Coming from anyone else,...
So, how did Russell end up dodging this bullet? Well, apparently, by sticking to his no-tights rule. The actor once spoke about exiting the film in an interview with Whitney Scott Bain for Starburst Magazine, and confessed that a few factors led to his decision not to see the project through. "When I got there, I see wardrobe and the character has to wear tights," Russell explained, adding plainly: "I don't wear tights. That's not for me." Coming from anyone else,...
- 9/6/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
My World Of Flops is Nathan Rabin’s survey of books, television shows, musical releases, or other forms of entertainment that were financial flops, critical failures, or lack a substantial cult following.In a 2022 interview with Vulture, Golden Raspberries co-founder Maureen Murphy addressed one of the odious organization’s most...
- 7/25/2024
- by Nathan Rabin
- avclub.com
While last month saw typically dramatic actor/writer/director Viggo Mortensen share his TCM picks in honor of the release of his western romance film “The Dead Don’t Hurt,” the beloved channel has recruited a filmmaker with a more comedic voice to spearhead its July slate. Having produced for film and television since the early ’90s, Judd Apatow made his directorial debut in 2005 with the critical and cultural smash hit, “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” He’s helped build the careers of Seth Rogen, Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Kristen Wiig, and many others, while also honoring the careers of those who’ve passed with HBO documentaries “The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling” and “George Carlin’s American Dream.”
Apatow’s first picks for the month harken back to his youth, with George Lucas’ coming-of-age hang-out flick “American Grafitti” (1973) airing on July 4 at 3:45am Et and Richard Brooks’ adaptation of Judith Rossner...
Apatow’s first picks for the month harken back to his youth, with George Lucas’ coming-of-age hang-out flick “American Grafitti” (1973) airing on July 4 at 3:45am Et and Richard Brooks’ adaptation of Judith Rossner...
- 7/2/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Modern-day fans know Donald Sutherland as the villainous President Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games franchise. When the films were released, Sutherland excitedly promoted the films, speaking highly of them. He even called Jennifer Lawrence, who played the lead Katniss Everdeen, a genius and compared her to Jesus Christ.
Donald Sutherland in The Hunger Games | Color Force
The legendary actor passed away at the age of 88 on Thursday. He had been suffering from a long illness and the news of his passing was announced by his son and actor Kiefer Sutherland. With a film career spanning more than half a century, Donald Sutherland starred in almost 200 films.
Donald Sutherland Compared His The Hunger Games Co-Star To Jesus Christ
Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games | Color Force
Donald Sutherland amazed fans with his villain performance in Jennifer Lawrence‘s The Hunger Games. Playing President Snow in the four films, Sutherland was...
Donald Sutherland in The Hunger Games | Color Force
The legendary actor passed away at the age of 88 on Thursday. He had been suffering from a long illness and the news of his passing was announced by his son and actor Kiefer Sutherland. With a film career spanning more than half a century, Donald Sutherland starred in almost 200 films.
Donald Sutherland Compared His The Hunger Games Co-Star To Jesus Christ
Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games | Color Force
Donald Sutherland amazed fans with his villain performance in Jennifer Lawrence‘s The Hunger Games. Playing President Snow in the four films, Sutherland was...
- 6/21/2024
- by Hashim Asraff
- FandomWire
Oi there, listen up! Amazon Prime Video’s list of new releases for June 2024 includes another season of its biggest, bloodiest hit.
The Boys season 4 premieres its first three episodes on Thursday, June 13. Based on the trailers, The Boys is really leaning into the political side of its social satire with a presidential election underway and Homelander on trial for the small matter of killing a guy last season. The season will continue to air on Thursdays, culminating with the finale on July 18.
Amazon is really leaning into its sports offerings this month as well. Fans will get to watch the New York Yankees, the WNBA, and the Nwsl several times throughout June. That’s in addition to a couple of sports docs: Power of the Dream on June 18 and Federer: Twelve Final Days on June 20.
But if you’re looking for something even more explosive than Homelander and Roger Federer,...
The Boys season 4 premieres its first three episodes on Thursday, June 13. Based on the trailers, The Boys is really leaning into the political side of its social satire with a presidential election underway and Homelander on trial for the small matter of killing a guy last season. The season will continue to air on Thursdays, culminating with the finale on July 18.
Amazon is really leaning into its sports offerings this month as well. Fans will get to watch the New York Yankees, the WNBA, and the Nwsl several times throughout June. That’s in addition to a couple of sports docs: Power of the Dream on June 18 and Federer: Twelve Final Days on June 20.
But if you’re looking for something even more explosive than Homelander and Roger Federer,...
- 6/1/2024
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Stephen King had a very public dislike towards Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of his novel The Shining. He believed that Kubrick’s version had no real heart in it as he changed some of the fundamental elements in the book. The difference in their adaptation came from King and Kubrick’s view of good and evil. King believed in the Biblical demarcations of good and evil, while Kubrick did not believe in hell.
Jack Nicholson in a still from The Shining | The Producer Circle Company
The character Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, had psychopathic tendencies which made him a terrifying character in the movie. However, King’s novel suggests that external evil forces played a crucial role in the insanity of the character.
Stephen King v. Stanley Kubrick Over The Shining Had One Deep Reason Stephen King (credits: Stephanie Lawton | Wikimedia Commons)
Stanley Kubrick and Stephen King had two...
Jack Nicholson in a still from The Shining | The Producer Circle Company
The character Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, had psychopathic tendencies which made him a terrifying character in the movie. However, King’s novel suggests that external evil forces played a crucial role in the insanity of the character.
Stephen King v. Stanley Kubrick Over The Shining Had One Deep Reason Stephen King (credits: Stephanie Lawton | Wikimedia Commons)
Stanley Kubrick and Stephen King had two...
- 5/25/2024
- by Hashim Asraff
- FandomWire
Director Stanley Kubrick is known for his perfectionist tendencies while on set. His commitment to getting the shot technically and artistically right has resulted in some of the best films of all time such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Barry Lyndon, Paths of Glory, Full Metal Jacket, and The Shining among others.
Kubrick passed away before the release of his final film Eyes Wide Shut, which starred Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, who were then married. While the psychological thriller drama has been regarded as one of Kubrick’s best and is considered to be one of the greats, the filmmaker himself reportedly did not like the film and especially hated working with Cruise and Kidman.
Stanley Kubrick Reportedly Hated Working With Tom Cruise And Nicole Kidman A still from Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut
After working with newcomers and unknown actors for a long time, Stanley Kubrick reportedly...
Kubrick passed away before the release of his final film Eyes Wide Shut, which starred Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, who were then married. While the psychological thriller drama has been regarded as one of Kubrick’s best and is considered to be one of the greats, the filmmaker himself reportedly did not like the film and especially hated working with Cruise and Kidman.
Stanley Kubrick Reportedly Hated Working With Tom Cruise And Nicole Kidman A still from Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut
After working with newcomers and unknown actors for a long time, Stanley Kubrick reportedly...
- 5/5/2024
- by Nishanth A
- FandomWire
Courtesy of Eureka Entertainment
by James Cameron-wilson
There are few greater pleasures, for me, than watching an old film that I have admired all my life resurrected in all its pristine glory. The distributor Eureka Entertainment is a dab hand at such home entertainment miracles and this week releases a Special Edition 4K Ultra-hd Blu-ray of Stanley Kubrick’s anti-war classic Paths of Glory. To be honest, I only watch the film about once a decade at most, but its power never diminishes. After watching it again, in the crispest print I have yet seen, I felt completely numb by the end. And rightly so. The war film has never been the same again since Saving Private Ryan in 1998, but Paths of Glory, made in 1957, summons up neither special effects nor the gore of war, just the abominable power of words and language, semantics used to distort the meaning of heroism and sacrifice.
by James Cameron-wilson
There are few greater pleasures, for me, than watching an old film that I have admired all my life resurrected in all its pristine glory. The distributor Eureka Entertainment is a dab hand at such home entertainment miracles and this week releases a Special Edition 4K Ultra-hd Blu-ray of Stanley Kubrick’s anti-war classic Paths of Glory. To be honest, I only watch the film about once a decade at most, but its power never diminishes. After watching it again, in the crispest print I have yet seen, I felt completely numb by the end. And rightly so. The war film has never been the same again since Saving Private Ryan in 1998, but Paths of Glory, made in 1957, summons up neither special effects nor the gore of war, just the abominable power of words and language, semantics used to distort the meaning of heroism and sacrifice.
- 3/8/2024
- by James Cameron-Wilson
- Film Review Daily
Above: first US teaser poster for Poor Things. Design by Vasilis Marmatakis.I don’t know whether it’s because of the power of Yorgos Lanthimos, or the popularity of Emma Stone, or the sheer genius of designer Vasilis Marmatakis, or a combination of all of them, but three out of the four most liked posters on my Movie Poster of the Day Instagram over the past six months have all been posters for Lanthimos’s latest, Poor Things. The teaser above is now the most liked poster ever on my feed.Breaking up the Poor Things monopoly at number two is Polish designer Maks Bereski’s fan-art design for Ridley Scott’s yet-to-be-released Napoleon, which also went through the roof with over 4,000 likes when I posted it in June in conjunction with my article on Bereski and his favorite movie posters. Instagram likes are a fickle thing but it...
- 10/12/2023
- MUBI
Movies about movies tend to be as sentimental as Cinema Paradiso, the all-time tearjerker in the genre, or as caustic as the recent Babylon. But Lone Scherfig finds a fine balance between love of movies and the harsh wider world in The Movie Teller, a beautifully made coming-of-age film about Maria Margarita, who acts out the Hollywood movies she has seen at the local cinema in her small mining town. Set in the Chilean desert in the late 1960s and early ’70s, the drama benefits greatly from the sure hand and clear eye Scherfig has brought to her best films, other period pieces including An Education (2009) and Their Finest (2016). All that can’t quite make up for the rocky screenplay, though.
The story is adapted from the Chilean writer Hernan Rivera Letelier’s 2009 novel. The first version of the screenplay was tackled years ago by the Brazilian director Walter Salles,...
The story is adapted from the Chilean writer Hernan Rivera Letelier’s 2009 novel. The first version of the screenplay was tackled years ago by the Brazilian director Walter Salles,...
- 9/18/2023
- by Caryn James
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Last year, as movies conceived and shot during the Covid-19 pandemic began to be released, we saw a sudden influx of films rejoicing in the act of moviemaking and movie-watching. From Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” to Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon,” from Sam Mendes’ “Empire of Light” to the Indian Oscar entry “Last Film Show,” a surprising number of films bred during pandemic isolation were movies about movies.
And a year later, during the final days of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, another movie that belongs in that company had its world premiere. “The Movie Teller,” a Spanish-language film set in Chile and made by a Danish director with a cast whose biggest names are known for French and German movies, puts an international spin on the love of movies and embraces the art of storytelling in a way that is at times profoundly moving.
The film is a mixture of genres,...
And a year later, during the final days of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, another movie that belongs in that company had its world premiere. “The Movie Teller,” a Spanish-language film set in Chile and made by a Danish director with a cast whose biggest names are known for French and German movies, puts an international spin on the love of movies and embraces the art of storytelling in a way that is at times profoundly moving.
The film is a mixture of genres,...
- 9/17/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
When I was in college cinema courses I made a Super 8 film called Movie Girl. It was a Hollywood-set love letter to movies centered on a Musso & Frank waitress who put herself dreamily into the plots of classic films. It won an award there but was the highlight of the directing career I never had. However, I have always been partial to filmmakers who put their own early film-going experience and passion into their careers now. You may have heard of them: Kenneth Branagh won an Oscar for doing just that in Belfast. Steven Spielberg got several nominations last year for his very personal The Fabelmans. Woody Allen had his own charming take in The Purple Rose of Cairo. Peter Bogdanovich made a lasting impression with 1971’s The Last Picture Show, as did Giuseppe Tornatore with his Oscar winner Cinema Paradiso.
It is a combination of the latter two especially...
It is a combination of the latter two especially...
- 9/16/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
The ticking time bomb is one of cinema’s most familiar tropes. Ten seconds until detonation, a big red button, our heroes fate precariously in the balance. All of this features in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, except this is real. Usually the hero has to save the day, to stop the aforementioned bomb from untold damage, more often than not preventing the explosion with just a single second to go. But in this instance, the hero of the piece created the damn thing.
J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) was a visionary; a theoretical physicist who wasn’t restricted in conventional thinking, with a keen fascination into quantum mechanics. His progressive, unorthodox teaching methods caught the attention of the army, as Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) headhunted Oppenheimer to oversee the Los Alamos project, with the intention of creating and building an atomic bomb, before the Nazis do, in a bid to...
J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) was a visionary; a theoretical physicist who wasn’t restricted in conventional thinking, with a keen fascination into quantum mechanics. His progressive, unorthodox teaching methods caught the attention of the army, as Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) headhunted Oppenheimer to oversee the Los Alamos project, with the intention of creating and building an atomic bomb, before the Nazis do, in a bid to...
- 7/20/2023
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
With its list of new releases for July 2023, Prime Video is going to help you stay safe from the oppressive July sun.
Highlighting the Amazon Originals on the TV side this month are two heavy hitters. The first is The Horror of Dolores Roach on July 7. Based on a podcast of the same name, this series could best be described as a modern day Sweeney Todd? Why, you ask? Well you know why. Think about it. Then season 2 of Neil Gaiman adaptation Good Omens premieres on July 28. This season will follow angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tenant) as they seek to keep the Archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) away from both heaven and hell.
There aren’t any Amazon Original movies of note this month and that’s alright as the influx of library titles is more than enough. July 1 sees the arrival of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, No Country for Old Men,...
Highlighting the Amazon Originals on the TV side this month are two heavy hitters. The first is The Horror of Dolores Roach on July 7. Based on a podcast of the same name, this series could best be described as a modern day Sweeney Todd? Why, you ask? Well you know why. Think about it. Then season 2 of Neil Gaiman adaptation Good Omens premieres on July 28. This season will follow angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tenant) as they seek to keep the Archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) away from both heaven and hell.
There aren’t any Amazon Original movies of note this month and that’s alright as the influx of library titles is more than enough. July 1 sees the arrival of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, No Country for Old Men,...
- 7/1/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
While summer starts in June, things truly heat up in July, and that includes all the hot new drops on streamers. Amazon’s Prime Video has refreshed its slate of content with over 60 new movies, like Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born” and the 1973 animated adaption of the children’s book “Charlotte’s Web.”
Prime Video kicks off the start of the month with Doug McHenry’s “Jason’s Lyric,” “Father of the Bride,” and “Little Nicky.”
Plus, if you’re a Reese Witherspoon fan, Prime Video sets you up with her very first film and her breakout role as Dani in “Man in the Moon.” And the entire “Legally Blonde” trilogy is also available, for those who bend and snap.
Prime Video is also giving watchers some ultimate film classics like “Free Willy,” ”Gladiator,” and “Dances With Wolves.”
Last but absolutely not least, Season 2 of “Good Omens” will land on...
Prime Video kicks off the start of the month with Doug McHenry’s “Jason’s Lyric,” “Father of the Bride,” and “Little Nicky.”
Plus, if you’re a Reese Witherspoon fan, Prime Video sets you up with her very first film and her breakout role as Dani in “Man in the Moon.” And the entire “Legally Blonde” trilogy is also available, for those who bend and snap.
Prime Video is also giving watchers some ultimate film classics like “Free Willy,” ”Gladiator,” and “Dances With Wolves.”
Last but absolutely not least, Season 2 of “Good Omens” will land on...
- 6/30/2023
- by Raquel "Rocky" Harris
- The Wrap
Amazon originals like season two of The Summer I Turned Pretty and Good Omens, as well as The Horror of Dolores Roach, are just some of the titles hitting Prime Video this July.
Blockbusters like Fast X, 80 for Brady, Till, Knock at the Cabin, Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, Men in Black 1-3, Saving Private Ryan, Scarface and more will also be coming to the streamer this month.
The fourth and final season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan sees the titular character, played by John Krasinski, on his most dangerous mission yet, against a foreign and domestic enemy. Two new episodes of the thriller drop on the streamer every Friday until July 14.
Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty returns with its second season on July 14 and picks up where season one left off at Cousins Beach. When an unexpected visitor threatens the future...
Blockbusters like Fast X, 80 for Brady, Till, Knock at the Cabin, Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, Men in Black 1-3, Saving Private Ryan, Scarface and more will also be coming to the streamer this month.
The fourth and final season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan sees the titular character, played by John Krasinski, on his most dangerous mission yet, against a foreign and domestic enemy. Two new episodes of the thriller drop on the streamer every Friday until July 14.
Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty returns with its second season on July 14 and picks up where season one left off at Cousins Beach. When an unexpected visitor threatens the future...
- 6/30/2023
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Prime Video has adapted the one-woman podcast “Empanada Loca” into a new series. “The Horror of Dolores Roach” will begin streaming on the service on July 7. Buckle up, because this one is gruesome. Roach (Justina Machado) returns to a gentrified Washington Heights after a long prison sentence and works as a masseuse in the basement of a friend’s empanada shop. But when her security is threatened, Roach is driven to extremes to survive.
Watch “The Horror of Dolores Roach” trailer:
Season 2 of “Good Omens” also will premiere on Prime Video in July. Arriving July 28, the series focuses on the friendship between Aziraphale (Michael Sheen), a fussy angel and rare-book dealer, and the snarky demon Crowley (David Tennant). While the Apocalypse has been averted, the pair are back living their lives in London, until the archangel Gabriel shows up. The series is based on the novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.
Watch “The Horror of Dolores Roach” trailer:
Season 2 of “Good Omens” also will premiere on Prime Video in July. Arriving July 28, the series focuses on the friendship between Aziraphale (Michael Sheen), a fussy angel and rare-book dealer, and the snarky demon Crowley (David Tennant). While the Apocalypse has been averted, the pair are back living their lives in London, until the archangel Gabriel shows up. The series is based on the novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.
- 6/26/2023
- by Fern Siegel
- The Streamable
I honestly never expected Steven Spielberg in a Criterion Channel series––certainly not one that pairs him with Kogonada, anime, and Johnny Mnemonic––but so’s the power of artificial intelligence. Perhaps his greatest film (at this point I don’t need to tell you the title) plays with After Yang, Ghost in the Shell, and pre-Matrix Keanu in July’s aptly titled “AI” boasting also Spike Jonze’s Her, Carpenter’s Dark Star, and Computer Chess. Much more analog is a British Noir collection obviously carrying the likes of Odd Man Out, Night and the City, and The Small Back Room, further filled by Joseph Losey’s Time Without Pity and Basil Dearden’s It Always Rains on Sunday. (No two ways about it: these movies have great titles.) An Elvis retrospective brings six features, and the consensus best (Don Siegel’s Flaming Star) comes September 1.
While Isabella Rossellini...
While Isabella Rossellini...
- 6/22/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
The desert will again be a hotbed of deceit and larceny in luxurious black-and-white as the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival returns to Palm Springs this Thursday through Sunday, with the quintessential noir classics “The Killing” and “Double Indemnity” bookending a marathon weekend that otherwise tends toward more rarely screened ‘40s and ‘50s titles.
Several sons or daughters of the original actors or directors will be on hand, but of special interest to festival attendees will be the presence of one of the actual filmmakers: James B. Harris, 94, Stanley Kubrick’s producing partner for several of his best early films, who’ll be able to speak first-hand about the making of 1956’s “The Killing,” the crime drama that turned out to be Kubrick’s first real masterpiece.
“I’m just utterly thrilled that ‘The Killing’ will show and Jimmy will be the guest on opening night,” says the festival’s longtime guiding light,...
Several sons or daughters of the original actors or directors will be on hand, but of special interest to festival attendees will be the presence of one of the actual filmmakers: James B. Harris, 94, Stanley Kubrick’s producing partner for several of his best early films, who’ll be able to speak first-hand about the making of 1956’s “The Killing,” the crime drama that turned out to be Kubrick’s first real masterpiece.
“I’m just utterly thrilled that ‘The Killing’ will show and Jimmy will be the guest on opening night,” says the festival’s longtime guiding light,...
- 5/9/2023
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Toward the end of the Lucasfilm Showcase panel at Star Wars Celebration, Kathleen Kennedy talked about how George Lucas's vision for "Star Wars" going forward was to explore the past, present, and future of the timeline and the universe. To that end, the television projects that were announced only mostly fit that bill. "The Acolyte" will take us deeper into the past of "Star Wars" than we've ever seen in live-action to the era of "The High Republic."
The Second Season of "Andor" will show us a growing Empire in the time before the battle of Yavin. The continuing adventures of "The Mandalorian," "Ahsoka," and "Skeleton Crew" will show us a galaxy in the midst of resurgence after the end of the Empire. These are all really safe periods of time. But when they made announcements for the films, Lucasfilm swung for the fences with movies set in three...
The Second Season of "Andor" will show us a growing Empire in the time before the battle of Yavin. The continuing adventures of "The Mandalorian," "Ahsoka," and "Skeleton Crew" will show us a galaxy in the midst of resurgence after the end of the Empire. These are all really safe periods of time. But when they made announcements for the films, Lucasfilm swung for the fences with movies set in three...
- 4/7/2023
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
The first time you see Marlon Brando in the 1961 Western "One-Eyed Jacks," he's robbing a bank. But it's not an action scene. The actor is instead eating bananas and weighing the peels on a scale meant for coins, relaxed and confident while his posse finishes up the robbery.
That approach is typical of the film, which would be the only movie Brando ever directed. The actor had become renowned for his fusion of masculine intensity and sensitivity to minute details, but he was also fast becoming known for his own eccentric behavior, something that naturally found its way into his performances. You see it in his best films and in his worst, a unique and immediate screen presence that radically changed the film.
Whether "One-Eyed Jacks" is a misunderstood masterpiece or a bizarre psychological Western, it's notable for demonstrating the actor's capability with filmmaking. It's also notable that it destroyed...
That approach is typical of the film, which would be the only movie Brando ever directed. The actor had become renowned for his fusion of masculine intensity and sensitivity to minute details, but he was also fast becoming known for his own eccentric behavior, something that naturally found its way into his performances. You see it in his best films and in his worst, a unique and immediate screen presence that radically changed the film.
Whether "One-Eyed Jacks" is a misunderstood masterpiece or a bizarre psychological Western, it's notable for demonstrating the actor's capability with filmmaking. It's also notable that it destroyed...
- 4/1/2023
- by Anthony Crislip
- Slash Film
With final Oscar balloting closed on March 7, we’re continuing with our sixth annual series of interviews with Academy voters from different branches for their unfiltered takes on what got picked, overlooked, and overvalued in the 2023 award season. Interview edited for brevity. Here we have a publicist who hasn’t seen “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” but might vote for Angela Bassett, dings Cate Blanchett for being unlikable as Lydia Tar, and thinks Brendan Fraser was “way too fat” in “The Whale.”
Best Picture
I’ve seen the important films, and all of the 10 that were nominated. The Best Picture category has been expanded: No more than three would I put in there, much less 10. The standards are minimized because of the number that they need. One movie I loved was “The Good Nurse,” which was superbly made and brilliantly acted by Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain. It was absorbing from top to bottom.
Best Picture
I’ve seen the important films, and all of the 10 that were nominated. The Best Picture category has been expanded: No more than three would I put in there, much less 10. The standards are minimized because of the number that they need. One movie I loved was “The Good Nurse,” which was superbly made and brilliantly acted by Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain. It was absorbing from top to bottom.
- 3/8/2023
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
There’s a lovely moment toward the end of All Quiet On The Western Front, sandwiched between several truly awful moments (and one absolutely devastating one). Felix Kammerer’s Paul Bäumer tries to walk his friend Kat (Albrecht Schuch) back to a field hospital in a church. He’s been shot, and he’s bleeding badly. Trying to stay chipper, Kat remembers a word game he used to play. You rhyme something with the last line someone sang. “Nothing rhymes with trifle,” Kat says. “Nothing.” Paul thinks. “Rifle rhymes with trifle,” he says. The two men laugh. It’s the last time anyone laughs in All Quiet On The Western Front.
Edward Berger. But it’s not your average war film. In Britain, the popular view of World War I is that phrase of the German General Ludendorff’s: that the heroic dead were lions led by donkeys in high command.
Edward Berger. But it’s not your average war film. In Britain, the popular view of World War I is that phrase of the German General Ludendorff’s: that the heroic dead were lions led by donkeys in high command.
- 3/1/2023
- by Tom Nicholson
- Empire - Movies
Amazon Prime Video has popped off with plenty of new content for March 2023 with original shows and some great catches for films to stream. “Top Gun: Maverick” will arrive March 24, and Jordan Peele’s “Nope” before that on March 21. For those anticipating “Creed III,” the first two films starring and directed by Michael B. Jordan will become available at the beginning of March along with all of the “Rocky” films as well as “Cinderella Man” for the broader boxing buff community. A theatrical release from 2022, “The Silent Twins,” starring Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrence arrives March 7.
Friday March 3 will see “Daisy Jones & The Six” rock the world when the band’s epic limited series comes out. Riley Keough, Sam Claflin, Suki Waterhouse, and more will bring Taylor Jenkins Reid’s best-selling novel to life. Other shows to look forward to on the streamer are Donald Glover’s horror series...
Friday March 3 will see “Daisy Jones & The Six” rock the world when the band’s epic limited series comes out. Riley Keough, Sam Claflin, Suki Waterhouse, and more will bring Taylor Jenkins Reid’s best-selling novel to life. Other shows to look forward to on the streamer are Donald Glover’s horror series...
- 3/1/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
With its list of new releases for March 2023, Amazon Prime Video might be rolling out its most impressive monthly lineup yet.
We know that sounds like something straight out of a press release but in this case, it’s actually true! Prime Video, bless it, has some excellent original titles like The Boys and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but its monthly release updates have often been less inspiring than its TV peers. That’s certainly not the case with March 2023 though.
Prime Video gets its streaming party started early by premiering the first three episodes of Daisy Jones & The Six on March 3. This series, based on a book of the same name, tells the fictional Behind the Music-esque story of an equally fictional band. Then, on March 17, Amazon’s partnership with Donald Glover bears its first fruit with the series about obsessive fandom called Swarm. Reggie Jackson documentary Reggie premieres...
We know that sounds like something straight out of a press release but in this case, it’s actually true! Prime Video, bless it, has some excellent original titles like The Boys and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but its monthly release updates have often been less inspiring than its TV peers. That’s certainly not the case with March 2023 though.
Prime Video gets its streaming party started early by premiering the first three episodes of Daisy Jones & The Six on March 3. This series, based on a book of the same name, tells the fictional Behind the Music-esque story of an equally fictional band. Then, on March 17, Amazon’s partnership with Donald Glover bears its first fruit with the series about obsessive fandom called Swarm. Reggie Jackson documentary Reggie premieres...
- 3/1/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Even with predecessors such as “Paths of Glory,” “A Very Long Engagement,” “1917” and of course Lewis Milestone’s 1930 best picture winner of the same name, director Edward Berger’s adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s bestseller “All Quiet on the Western Front” conveys the meat-grinder brutality — the violence, the blood, and the mud — of trench warfare unlike almost any film in the history of the medium.
“These kids are chewed up by the merciless war machine,” says Berger. “They sign up for this war full of hopes and ideals, but very quickly they realize that they have lost everything in the mud, especially their innocence and their youth.”
Before Berger brought the story to life on screen — for the first time in its native German — co-screenwriter Lesley Paterson spent years trying to capture a feeling that placed the audience in the heat of the conflict.
“There’s a distance...
“These kids are chewed up by the merciless war machine,” says Berger. “They sign up for this war full of hopes and ideals, but very quickly they realize that they have lost everything in the mud, especially their innocence and their youth.”
Before Berger brought the story to life on screen — for the first time in its native German — co-screenwriter Lesley Paterson spent years trying to capture a feeling that placed the audience in the heat of the conflict.
“There’s a distance...
- 2/28/2023
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
I can't think of two people who would be more inherently at odds when it comes to filmmaking than Stanley Kubrick and Marlon Brando. Kubrick was a notorious perfectionist, a micro-manager who would do countless amounts of takes for every scene until he got exactly what he wanted. Brando was one of the most wild card actors out there, someone who was brilliant when he cared but often difficult to work with if he didn't. Both men had incredibly strong personalities, and I cannot imagine them sitting across from each other having a meaningful conversation of any kind, let alone developing a film to work on together.
Well, that is exactly what they were doing in the late 1950s. With Kubrick coming off his exquisite 1957 World War I film "Paths of Glory," Brando brought him on to direct an adaptation of the Western novel "The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones" by Charles Neider,...
Well, that is exactly what they were doing in the late 1950s. With Kubrick coming off his exquisite 1957 World War I film "Paths of Glory," Brando brought him on to direct an adaptation of the Western novel "The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones" by Charles Neider,...
- 2/25/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
March is still winter, no matter which animal you ask, which means it’s still completely acceptable to cancel all plans and curl up under a blanket in front of the TV. Prime Video’s movie library updates throughout the month, with most of its new additions on March 1 — including the “Rocky” saga, multiple “Carrie” adaptations, “12 Angry Men,” and more.
For Prime users who love books and TV, March means the highly-anticipated premiere of “Daisy Jones & the Six,” based on the best-selling novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The eponymous Daisy (Riley Keough) and Billy Dunne’s band (Sam Claflin) make a mean match, starting with a hit single and leading to what seems like endless fame and glory. But where there is success there is peril, and both the band’s rise and an electric connection with Daisy threaten Billy’s marriage and everyone’s personal lives. James Ponsoldt,...
For Prime users who love books and TV, March means the highly-anticipated premiere of “Daisy Jones & the Six,” based on the best-selling novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The eponymous Daisy (Riley Keough) and Billy Dunne’s band (Sam Claflin) make a mean match, starting with a hit single and leading to what seems like endless fame and glory. But where there is success there is peril, and both the band’s rise and an electric connection with Daisy threaten Billy’s marriage and everyone’s personal lives. James Ponsoldt,...
- 2/21/2023
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
Gerald Fried, the Oscar-nominated composer known for scoring the original Star Trek series and Roots, has died at the age of 95.
Fried died on Friday, February 17th, of pneumonia, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The New York City native scored a number of early Star Trek episodes beginning in 1966. Most notably, he composed the music for the season two episode “Amok Time,” which soundtracked the battle between William Shatner’s Kirk and Leonard Nimoy’s Spock. The music from “Amok Time” was featured on several subsequent episodes of Star Trek, as well as on The Simpsons and Futurama and in the movie The Cable Guy.
In 1977, after original composer Quincy Jones suffered from writers block, Fried was brought on to compose music for the ABC miniseries Roots. He ended up composing the theme song, as well as the underscores for several episodes. For his efforts, Fried was awarded a Primetime Emmy Award.
Fried died on Friday, February 17th, of pneumonia, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The New York City native scored a number of early Star Trek episodes beginning in 1966. Most notably, he composed the music for the season two episode “Amok Time,” which soundtracked the battle between William Shatner’s Kirk and Leonard Nimoy’s Spock. The music from “Amok Time” was featured on several subsequent episodes of Star Trek, as well as on The Simpsons and Futurama and in the movie The Cable Guy.
In 1977, after original composer Quincy Jones suffered from writers block, Fried was brought on to compose music for the ABC miniseries Roots. He ended up composing the theme song, as well as the underscores for several episodes. For his efforts, Fried was awarded a Primetime Emmy Award.
- 2/19/2023
- by Alex Young
- Consequence - Music
Gerald Fried, the Oscar-nominated, oboe-playing composer who created iconic gladiatorial fight music for the original Star Trek series and collaborated with Quincy Jones to win an Emmy for their theme to the landmark miniseries Roots, has died. He was 95.
Fried died Friday of pneumonia at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Connecticut, his wife, Anita Hall, told The Hollywood Reporter.
After meeting Stanley Kubrick on a baseball field in the Bronx in the early 1950s, Fried wound up scoring the filmmaker’s first four features: Fear and Desire (1953), Killer’s Kiss (1955), The Killing (1956) and Paths of Glory (1957).
Fried also supplied the music for such cult Roger Corman classics as Machine-Gun Kelly (1958), The Cry Baby Killer (1958) and I Mobster (1959). He also worked with directors Larry Peerce on One Potato Two Potato (1964) and The Bell Jar (1979), as well as with Robert Aldrich on The Killing of Sister George (1968), What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?...
Fried died Friday of pneumonia at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Connecticut, his wife, Anita Hall, told The Hollywood Reporter.
After meeting Stanley Kubrick on a baseball field in the Bronx in the early 1950s, Fried wound up scoring the filmmaker’s first four features: Fear and Desire (1953), Killer’s Kiss (1955), The Killing (1956) and Paths of Glory (1957).
Fried also supplied the music for such cult Roger Corman classics as Machine-Gun Kelly (1958), The Cry Baby Killer (1958) and I Mobster (1959). He also worked with directors Larry Peerce on One Potato Two Potato (1964) and The Bell Jar (1979), as well as with Robert Aldrich on The Killing of Sister George (1968), What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?...
- 2/18/2023
- by Chris Koseluk
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Gerald Fried, a composer for some of television’s biggest moments in the 1960s, died Friday at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Ct of pneumonia at age 95.
Fried won an Emmy for the miniseries Roots, rescuing the project when Quincy Jones missed several deadlines.
His career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing” and received the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It.” Fried earned five other Emmy nominations during his long career.
Fried was a go-to composer in his time. His resume includes providing music for episodes of Star Trek, Gilligan’s Island, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Ben Casey, Mission: Impossible, Lost in Space, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Mannix, Police Woman and “Dynasty.
He also composed the themes to the 1950s western Shotgun Slade, the sitcom It’s About Time, and the nighttime soap,...
Fried won an Emmy for the miniseries Roots, rescuing the project when Quincy Jones missed several deadlines.
His career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing” and received the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It.” Fried earned five other Emmy nominations during his long career.
Fried was a go-to composer in his time. His resume includes providing music for episodes of Star Trek, Gilligan’s Island, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Ben Casey, Mission: Impossible, Lost in Space, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Mannix, Police Woman and “Dynasty.
He also composed the themes to the 1950s western Shotgun Slade, the sitcom It’s About Time, and the nighttime soap,...
- 2/18/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Composer Gerald Fried, who won an Emmy for the landmark miniseries “Roots” and whose 1960s scores, from “Star Trek” to “Gilligan’s Island,” left an indelible impression on a generation of TV watchers, died of pneumonia Friday at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Ct. He was 95.
His wide-ranging career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing”; receiving the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It”; and earning five other Emmy nominations for music in specials, TV movies and miniseries.
The prolific Fried scored approximately 40 films, some three dozen TV-movies and miniseries, and episodes of another 40 TV series during a career that spanned more than six decades.
Among his most famous TV series music was from the original “Star Trek.” He scored five episodes of the series, most famously the Spock-in-heat episode “Amok Time,” which...
His wide-ranging career included scoring five early Stanley Kubrick films, including “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing”; receiving the only Oscar nomination ever given for a documentary score, 1975’s “Birds Do It, Bees Do It”; and earning five other Emmy nominations for music in specials, TV movies and miniseries.
The prolific Fried scored approximately 40 films, some three dozen TV-movies and miniseries, and episodes of another 40 TV series during a career that spanned more than six decades.
Among his most famous TV series music was from the original “Star Trek.” He scored five episodes of the series, most famously the Spock-in-heat episode “Amok Time,” which...
- 2/18/2023
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
It was the shootout that elevated the likes of Wyatt Earp and dentist-turned-gunslinger Doc Holiday to mythic status. Several features have honored the fabled event, but John Sturges' "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" stands tall as one of the most illustrious retellings of the infamous 1881 Tombstone, Arizona shootout.
The classic western stars Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp and a bristled Kirk Douglas as Holiday, in one of their several big-screen collaborations. Stricken with tuberculosis, Holiday's scenes are earmarked by an intermittent tickle in the throat that, over the runtime, progresses to a full-blown hack. "This kind of cough doesn't go away," he tells the lawman, but he won't resign himself to a slow, peaceful death. Never cowering, whether by the bullet or by bacteria, Douglas keeps his character's physical ailments wrapped under a thick cloak of steely-eyed grit. Earp saves his life from a lynch mob, earning loyalty – and in his own estimation,...
The classic western stars Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp and a bristled Kirk Douglas as Holiday, in one of their several big-screen collaborations. Stricken with tuberculosis, Holiday's scenes are earmarked by an intermittent tickle in the throat that, over the runtime, progresses to a full-blown hack. "This kind of cough doesn't go away," he tells the lawman, but he won't resign himself to a slow, peaceful death. Never cowering, whether by the bullet or by bacteria, Douglas keeps his character's physical ailments wrapped under a thick cloak of steely-eyed grit. Earp saves his life from a lynch mob, earning loyalty – and in his own estimation,...
- 2/12/2023
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
For Kirk Douglas, "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" was a breath of fresh air amid military man roles in the likes of "Top Secret Affair" and Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory." Opposite Burt Lancaster's mythical lawman Wyatt Earp, gunslinger Doc Holliday was resolute but ill, a former dentist with a telltale cough that followed him throughout the 122-minutes of runtime. In his autobiography "The Ragman's Son," Douglas makes it clear that he was into Leon Uris' script not so much as a loose historical account but as "an interesting relationship between two men."
Both men –- Lancaster and Douglas –- had some history with "Gunfight" producer Hal Wallis, whose Best Picture Academy Award for "Casablanca" had been on his mantle for over a decade by this time. The pair previously starred in Lizabeth Scott's '47 noir classic "I Walk Alone," backed by Wallis. Wallis eventually parted ways...
Both men –- Lancaster and Douglas –- had some history with "Gunfight" producer Hal Wallis, whose Best Picture Academy Award for "Casablanca" had been on his mantle for over a decade by this time. The pair previously starred in Lizabeth Scott's '47 noir classic "I Walk Alone," backed by Wallis. Wallis eventually parted ways...
- 2/10/2023
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
Narvik (Kampen om Narvik – Hitlers første nederlag) is a Norwegian film directed by Erik Skjoldbjaerg starring Kristine Hartgen, Carl Martin Eggesbø and Henrik Mestad.
This is a movie that despite its good work technically, does not manage to be a “great movie” which is very likely what was expected of a production like this one.
A good movie, but not memorable.
Storyline Narvik
Norway, a supposedly neutral country during World War II, was a target for the Germans and British because of the minerals and raw goods that left from the small town in the north of Norway for both war contingents. Obviously, the equilibrium was broken and Norwegians had to take part in a battle that lasted two months.
This was the first time in which Hitler´s army was defeated in the war.
And, technically speaking: the movie is pretty good tecnically. Norway has managed to re-invent itself and,...
This is a movie that despite its good work technically, does not manage to be a “great movie” which is very likely what was expected of a production like this one.
A good movie, but not memorable.
Storyline Narvik
Norway, a supposedly neutral country during World War II, was a target for the Germans and British because of the minerals and raw goods that left from the small town in the north of Norway for both war contingents. Obviously, the equilibrium was broken and Norwegians had to take part in a battle that lasted two months.
This was the first time in which Hitler´s army was defeated in the war.
And, technically speaking: the movie is pretty good tecnically. Norway has managed to re-invent itself and,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Martin Cid
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Stanley Kubrick always had a strange relationship with authors. On the one hand, the director relied on their work to prompt his own artistic exploits. He would spend his entire career searching for stories worth adapting for the big screen as though they were some sort of finite resource that required immediate mining. Almost all of the auteur's films were adaptations of pre-existing works, with Kubrick using the time between projects to peruse the pages of publications such as the Virginia Kirkus Review in search of the next story to spark his interest.
On the other hand, he had some, shall we say, complicated interactions with the various authors of these stories that were so crucial to his process. Gus Hasford, who wrote the 1979 novel "The Short-Timers," on which "Full Metal Jacket" was based, was so unhappy with what he witnessed on the film's set he waged his own battle...
On the other hand, he had some, shall we say, complicated interactions with the various authors of these stories that were so crucial to his process. Gus Hasford, who wrote the 1979 novel "The Short-Timers," on which "Full Metal Jacket" was based, was so unhappy with what he witnessed on the film's set he waged his own battle...
- 1/13/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
The holidays are upon us, so whether you looking for film-related gifts or simply want to pick up some of the finest the year had to offer in the category for yourself, we have a gift guide for you. Including must-have books on filmmaking, the best from the Criterion Collection, Kino Lorber, and more home-video picks, subscriptions, magazines, music, and more, dive in below.
4Ks & Blu-rays
There’s no better gift than an epic film collection and this year was an embarrassment of riches thanks to new 4K releases. There’s the perennial holiday viewing that is Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Trilogy, now in 4K, as well as George Miller’s Mad Max 4-Film Anthology, and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy. If you’re looking for some classic Hollywood picks, don’t miss The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection and the Universal Classic Monsters: Icons of Horror Collection.
On the international Blu-ray side,...
4Ks & Blu-rays
There’s no better gift than an epic film collection and this year was an embarrassment of riches thanks to new 4K releases. There’s the perennial holiday viewing that is Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Trilogy, now in 4K, as well as George Miller’s Mad Max 4-Film Anthology, and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy. If you’re looking for some classic Hollywood picks, don’t miss The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection and the Universal Classic Monsters: Icons of Horror Collection.
On the international Blu-ray side,...
- 11/16/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
It’s a reality of modern war films — or, at least, the good ones — that they tend to be horrifying and exciting at the same time. You could say that’s a contradiction that grows out of the kinetic, larger-than-life nature of the movie medium. Or you could say it’s a truth that expresses something fundamental about war: that the very reason war persists, for all its terror and destruction and death, is that there’s something in human nature that is drawn to war. The movies, in their way, act this out for us. Once again, though, I’m speaking of the good ones. There is no more powerful an example than “Saving Private Ryan.” I have never seen a war film more thrilling, and I have never seen a war film that made me confront, more memorably, the unspeakable blood-spurting fear and devastation of war.
By contrast,...
By contrast,...
- 11/5/2022
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Stanley Kubrick is known for his meticulous devotion to every aspect of his films, which are painstakingly handcrafted from start to finish. The director's body of work still inspires conversations about the craft of filmmaking, and while some of his works have undergone critical reappraisal over the years, others continue to be lauded due to their thematic richness and enduring appeal.
The vastly interpretative nature of Kubrick's work has led to folks attempting to parse hidden layers of meaning in his films — a good example would be Rodney Ascher's "Room 237," which minutely unboxes what "The Shining" means, almost to a fault. Not every visual or thematic reference in a Kubrick film, however, is a deliberate or conscious nod to some grander idea.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Kubrick was asked whether there was some thematic resonance between certain scenes of "Paths of Glory" and "Full Metal Jacket." While...
The vastly interpretative nature of Kubrick's work has led to folks attempting to parse hidden layers of meaning in his films — a good example would be Rodney Ascher's "Room 237," which minutely unboxes what "The Shining" means, almost to a fault. Not every visual or thematic reference in a Kubrick film, however, is a deliberate or conscious nod to some grander idea.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Kubrick was asked whether there was some thematic resonance between certain scenes of "Paths of Glory" and "Full Metal Jacket." While...
- 11/4/2022
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Kirk Douglas was one of the most well-regarded actors of the 20th century, and for good reason. He starred in countless great films, such as "Spartacus," "Paths of Glory," and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," bringing a unique mix of classical acting ability and charisma. He was such a great performer that he achieved movie stardom without that even being his intention.
One of Douglas' most famous roles was that of tragic painter Vincent Van Gogh in "Lust for Life" in 1956. A biographical film about the Dutch artist, "Lust for Life" was praised by critics for its fabulous design that was reminiscent of Van Gogh's art, as well as Douglas' performance as the artist, for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. While, to most people, the role was yet another success in Douglas' long line of excellent performances, one of his peers in particular was not a fan of Douglas' work.
One of Douglas' most famous roles was that of tragic painter Vincent Van Gogh in "Lust for Life" in 1956. A biographical film about the Dutch artist, "Lust for Life" was praised by critics for its fabulous design that was reminiscent of Van Gogh's art, as well as Douglas' performance as the artist, for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. While, to most people, the role was yet another success in Douglas' long line of excellent performances, one of his peers in particular was not a fan of Douglas' work.
- 10/13/2022
- by Matt Rainis
- Slash Film
For every movie that has never been made, Hollywood history has countless individual movie moments that almost never existed. These moments are sometimes small touches in a movie's production. For example, on the set of the opening scene for "The Godfather," Director Francis Ford Coppola spotted a cat by chance that he placed in Marlon Brando's lap and that would become a hallmark of the character Don Corleone. Unplanned but lasting moments can also manifest from improvised acting, such as when Spider-Man actor Tom Holland improvised the repeated line "I don't want to go" while shooting his final appearance in "Avengers: Infinity War."
In other cases, legendary scenes have nearly been cut, such as when the producers of "The Wizard of Oz" considered removing "Over the Rainbow." When moments like this, which define a film's cultural footprint were at risk of being removed entirely, it's interesting to imagine the...
In other cases, legendary scenes have nearly been cut, such as when the producers of "The Wizard of Oz" considered removing "Over the Rainbow." When moments like this, which define a film's cultural footprint were at risk of being removed entirely, it's interesting to imagine the...
- 9/18/2022
- by Dillon MacInnis
- Slash Film
Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on demand, vintage and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalogue titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This twice-monthly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching.
This week’s round-up of new disc and streaming releases includes two of the year’s most striking genre movies, along with new releases from Criterion and Vinegar Syndrome, a handful of classic and international exploitation movies, and a 4K release for an antiwar classic:
Pick Of The Week:
“Paths of Glory”: Kl Studio Classics continues their welcome series of early Stanley Kubrick on 4K with this crisply rendered restoration of this 1957 masterpiece – his first war movie, boasting one of Kirk Douglas’ finest performances.
Continue reading The Best...
This week’s round-up of new disc and streaming releases includes two of the year’s most striking genre movies, along with new releases from Criterion and Vinegar Syndrome, a handful of classic and international exploitation movies, and a 4K release for an antiwar classic:
Pick Of The Week:
“Paths of Glory”: Kl Studio Classics continues their welcome series of early Stanley Kubrick on 4K with this crisply rendered restoration of this 1957 masterpiece – his first war movie, boasting one of Kirk Douglas’ finest performances.
Continue reading The Best...
- 8/30/2022
- by Jason Bailey
- The Playlist
Francois Truffaut famously said, "There's no such thing as an anti-war film." But if there's a counter-argument, it's Stanley Kubrick's 1957 "Paths of Glory." Contrary to its title, the film depicts battle as anything but glorious.
Set in France during World War 1, the film stars Kirk Douglas as Colonel Dax. After infantrymen under Dax's command refuse to charge into a suicidal attack, three men, Paris, Ferol, and Arnaud, are chosen to be court-martialed for cowardice and made an example of via execution. The Colonel tries his best to get them acquitted but to no avail.
In another movie, the three men might be saved at the last minute by Dax's ingenuity, but in a Kubrick movie, they're slowly marched to the firing squad and executed. The movie underscores the meaninglessness of their deaths by ending with an acknowledgment that soon, their comrades will be thrown back into the meat grinder of combat.
Set in France during World War 1, the film stars Kirk Douglas as Colonel Dax. After infantrymen under Dax's command refuse to charge into a suicidal attack, three men, Paris, Ferol, and Arnaud, are chosen to be court-martialed for cowardice and made an example of via execution. The Colonel tries his best to get them acquitted but to no avail.
In another movie, the three men might be saved at the last minute by Dax's ingenuity, but in a Kubrick movie, they're slowly marched to the firing squad and executed. The movie underscores the meaninglessness of their deaths by ending with an acknowledgment that soon, their comrades will be thrown back into the meat grinder of combat.
- 8/20/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Kirk Douglas had many things to be proud of in his life and career. He was a hugely successful movie star, producer and had a wonderful and multi-talented family, but the accomplishment he was most proud of might surprise you.
Douglas made a name for himself as a heroic tough guy on the silver screen, but it turns out he was a stand up guy in real life, too. When he got enough power within Hollywood he created his own production company called Bryna, named after his mother. He didn't do it as some ego stroking power move, he founded Bryna because he wanted to make more challenging pictures, like the anti-war film "Paths of Glory" and the now infamous epic "Spartacus," both directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Because he was a producer on "Spartacus" he was able to make one monumental decision that had an impact not just in his own industry,...
Douglas made a name for himself as a heroic tough guy on the silver screen, but it turns out he was a stand up guy in real life, too. When he got enough power within Hollywood he created his own production company called Bryna, named after his mother. He didn't do it as some ego stroking power move, he founded Bryna because he wanted to make more challenging pictures, like the anti-war film "Paths of Glory" and the now infamous epic "Spartacus," both directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Because he was a producer on "Spartacus" he was able to make one monumental decision that had an impact not just in his own industry,...
- 8/20/2022
- by Eric Vespe
- Slash Film
Kino boosts the third United Artists Stanley Kubrick classic to 4K clarity, bringing out every nuance of the director’s fine B&w imagery. Kubrick’s major career achievement this time was forming a mutually positive relationship with a big star. Their show is an artful anti-militaristic shout that accuses the French officer corps of willful murder. Producer-star Kirk Douglas gets the best grandstanding soapbox of his career, while Kubrick proves he can shape a dozen fine performances into a mainstream movie masterpiece.
Paths of Glory 4K
4K Ultra HD
Kl Studio Classics
1957 / B&w / 1:66 widescreen / 88 min. / Street Date August 23, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 39.95
Starring: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Wayne Morris, Richard Anderson, Joe Turkel, Timothy Carey, Suzanne Christian, Jerry Hausner, Emile Meyer, Bert Freed.
Cinematography: George Krause
Production Designer: Art Director: Ludwig Reiber
Film Editor: Eva Kroll
Original Music: Gerald Fried
Written by Stanley Kubrick,...
Paths of Glory 4K
4K Ultra HD
Kl Studio Classics
1957 / B&w / 1:66 widescreen / 88 min. / Street Date August 23, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 39.95
Starring: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Wayne Morris, Richard Anderson, Joe Turkel, Timothy Carey, Suzanne Christian, Jerry Hausner, Emile Meyer, Bert Freed.
Cinematography: George Krause
Production Designer: Art Director: Ludwig Reiber
Film Editor: Eva Kroll
Original Music: Gerald Fried
Written by Stanley Kubrick,...
- 8/16/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Steven Spielberg is a pure visual storyteller. You can watch most of his movies on mute, and figure out the plot via the meticulous composition of each shot and how it flows into the next. Since the advent of sound, the number of directors capable of or interested in crafting a film in this manner has gradually dwindled. Movies nowadays are generally dialogue delivery systems. So we must savor our Spielbergs, and, if this style of filmmaking interests you, learn from them.
Framing and mise-en-scène are critical elements, but guiding your audience from shot to shot is every bit as important. Cutting from the master to a close up or whatever angle most clearly conveys the story is an art in itself. So while Spielberg will always cite David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" as "the film that set me on my journey," he feels equally indebted to a filmmaker from roughly the same era,...
Framing and mise-en-scène are critical elements, but guiding your audience from shot to shot is every bit as important. Cutting from the master to a close up or whatever angle most clearly conveys the story is an art in itself. So while Spielberg will always cite David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" as "the film that set me on my journey," he feels equally indebted to a filmmaker from roughly the same era,...
- 8/14/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Joe Turkel, a prolific actor who appeared in “The Shining” and “Blade Runner” and boasted more than 100 credits to his name, has died at 94 at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, California.
Turkel was a frequent performer in Stanley Kubrick films; in addition to the seminal 1980 horror flick, he acted in 1956’s “The Killing” and “Paths of Glory” a year later. In “The Shining,” he played the ghoulish bartender named Lloyd at the hotel, opposite star Jack Nicholson. Two years later, he embodied another sinister persona as the eccentric replicant founder Eldon Tyrell in the original “Blade Runner.”
A Brooklyn, New York native, he was born on July 15, 1927. He joined the U.S. Army at age of 17, serving in Europe during World War II. Afterward, he moved to California to pursue acting, and landed his first film credit with “City Across the River” in 1948.
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Turkel was a frequent performer in Stanley Kubrick films; in addition to the seminal 1980 horror flick, he acted in 1956’s “The Killing” and “Paths of Glory” a year later. In “The Shining,” he played the ghoulish bartender named Lloyd at the hotel, opposite star Jack Nicholson. Two years later, he embodied another sinister persona as the eccentric replicant founder Eldon Tyrell in the original “Blade Runner.”
A Brooklyn, New York native, he was born on July 15, 1927. He joined the U.S. Army at age of 17, serving in Europe during World War II. Afterward, he moved to California to pursue acting, and landed his first film credit with “City Across the River” in 1948.
Also Read:
Margaret Keane, Artist Who...
- 7/1/2022
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Joe Turkel, who portrayed the haunting bartender in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and the creator of the replicants in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, has died. He was 94.
Turkel died Monday at Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, his family announced.
Turkel also appeared in two other Kubrick films: as a gunman in the climactic shootout in The Killing (1956) and as a soldier sent to the firing squad in Paths of Glory (1957), which the lanky Brooklyn-born actor called the greatest film ever made. (Only Philip Stone has appeared in as many as three Kubrick movies.)
For Bert I. Gordon, Turkel appeared as Abu the Genie and as a gangster, respectively, in the 1960 releases The Boy and the Pirates and Tormented. He also played a prisoner of war in Robert Wise’s The Sand Pebbles (1966) and was the real-life bribe...
Joe Turkel, who portrayed the haunting bartender in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and the creator of the replicants in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, has died. He was 94.
Turkel died Monday at Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, his family announced.
Turkel also appeared in two other Kubrick films: as a gunman in the climactic shootout in The Killing (1956) and as a soldier sent to the firing squad in Paths of Glory (1957), which the lanky Brooklyn-born actor called the greatest film ever made. (Only Philip Stone has appeared in as many as three Kubrick movies.)
For Bert I. Gordon, Turkel appeared as Abu the Genie and as a gangster, respectively, in the 1960 releases The Boy and the Pirates and Tormented. He also played a prisoner of war in Robert Wise’s The Sand Pebbles (1966) and was the real-life bribe...
- 7/1/2022
- by Rhett Bartlett
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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