Sidney Lumet would’ve celebrated his 95th birthday on June 25, 2019. The Oscar-nominated director proved incredibly prolific during his career, directing over 40 movies in 50 years, from his feature debut “12 Angry Men” (1957) through his cinematic farewell “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” (2007). But how many of those titles remain classics? In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 20 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1924, Lumet got his start as a child actor, appearing in “One Third of a Nation” (1939) when he was 15 years old. After serving during WWII, he quickly began directing Off-Broadway plays before moving into the burgeoning medium of television, where he helmed hundreds of live teleplays. While working on episodes of “Playhouse 90,” “Kraft Theater” and many more, he honed his abilities to shoot quickly and economically.
SEEHenry Fonda movies: 25 greatest films ranked worst to best
His turned to movies with “12 Angry Men,...
Born in 1924, Lumet got his start as a child actor, appearing in “One Third of a Nation” (1939) when he was 15 years old. After serving during WWII, he quickly began directing Off-Broadway plays before moving into the burgeoning medium of television, where he helmed hundreds of live teleplays. While working on episodes of “Playhouse 90,” “Kraft Theater” and many more, he honed his abilities to shoot quickly and economically.
SEEHenry Fonda movies: 25 greatest films ranked worst to best
His turned to movies with “12 Angry Men,...
- 6/25/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
George Clooney has two Oscars, but he’s never won a competitive Emmy, despite becoming a huge star on television. But that could finally change this year with his Hulu limited series “Catch-22.”
Clooney is currently in second place in our Best Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actor odds, behind Ben Whishaw (“A Very English Scandal”), and he has the backing of two of our Experts, Ben Travers (IndieWire) and Gold Derby’s own Tom O’Neil, to take the crown. He could have up to three chances to win an Emmy, as he’s also an executive producer on the show, which is sitting outside the top five in sixth place in our Best Limited Series predictions, and he also directed two of the six episodes, so he’d have to submit one for that category.
See George Clooney’s mustache is the star of this new madcap ‘Catch-22...
Clooney is currently in second place in our Best Limited Series/TV Movie Supporting Actor odds, behind Ben Whishaw (“A Very English Scandal”), and he has the backing of two of our Experts, Ben Travers (IndieWire) and Gold Derby’s own Tom O’Neil, to take the crown. He could have up to three chances to win an Emmy, as he’s also an executive producer on the show, which is sitting outside the top five in sixth place in our Best Limited Series predictions, and he also directed two of the six episodes, so he’d have to submit one for that category.
See George Clooney’s mustache is the star of this new madcap ‘Catch-22...
- 5/17/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Humor is one of the most effective communication tools at our disposal. It is capable of delivering powerful truths in difficult situations. That is what makes it such an effective method to deal with political topics.
It’s easy to dismiss movies for farce. Especially these days, with Hollywood always trying to outdo itself, boring ol’ reality is just not entertaining anymore. How many times do we hear the excuse of “oh, it’s just a movie”, or “only in the movies” when writing off some plot or character development? For the most part, we don’t believe what happens in movies could actually happen in real life. Yes, there are movies that strive to be realistic, but ultimately most people see film as a form of entertainment, a method to escape their mundane everyday lives.
Politics in film is no exception. As important as politics may be, we tend...
It’s easy to dismiss movies for farce. Especially these days, with Hollywood always trying to outdo itself, boring ol’ reality is just not entertaining anymore. How many times do we hear the excuse of “oh, it’s just a movie”, or “only in the movies” when writing off some plot or character development? For the most part, we don’t believe what happens in movies could actually happen in real life. Yes, there are movies that strive to be realistic, but ultimately most people see film as a form of entertainment, a method to escape their mundane everyday lives.
Politics in film is no exception. As important as politics may be, we tend...
- 11/19/2018
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (G.S. Perno)
- Cinelinx
Walter Matthau would’ve celebrated his 98th birthday on October 1, 2018. Born in 1920, the actor was a celebrated performer on both the stage and screen, known for his gruff, rumpled persona. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Matthau turned to acting after serving in the United States Army Air Force during WWII. He became a frequent presence on the small screen with appearances in “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “Goodyear Playhouse,” and “The Du Pont Show of the Week” (which brought him an Emmy bid in 1963), to name a few. During this period he also appeared in several films, few of them comedies, including “A Face in the Crowd” (1957) and “Fail Safe” (1964).
At the same time, he gained increasing respect as a stage actor with Tony Award-winning performances in “A Shot in the Dark” (Featured Actor in a Play...
Matthau turned to acting after serving in the United States Army Air Force during WWII. He became a frequent presence on the small screen with appearances in “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “Goodyear Playhouse,” and “The Du Pont Show of the Week” (which brought him an Emmy bid in 1963), to name a few. During this period he also appeared in several films, few of them comedies, including “A Face in the Crowd” (1957) and “Fail Safe” (1964).
At the same time, he gained increasing respect as a stage actor with Tony Award-winning performances in “A Shot in the Dark” (Featured Actor in a Play...
- 10/1/2018
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
A little Reservoir Dogs, a touch of Fail Safe, and a heaping dose of 2nd Amendment commentary at its core, writer/director Henry Dunham for his feature debut delivers a tightly constructed and incredibly intense thriller in The Standoff at Sparrow Creek. Packed with sharp dialogue, intriguing characters through and through, and masterful performances from a slate of very talented, character actors, the film builds mystery as well as any, modern whodunit on its surface-level. Underneath, though, Dunham's The Standoff at Sparrow Creek brings with it a mountain of ideas, most of them fervently politically-charged and more than appropriate in the 2018 climate of gun rights debates and continual, mass shootings. The film begins with the distant sounds of rapid-fire shots from a machine gun. Someone has opened fire on the funeral for a slain police officer killing several and escaping undetected. Members of a local militia, panicking at the thought...
- 9/23/2018
- by Jeremy Kirk
- firstshowing.net
This is the second part of Gold Derby’s coverage of the 9th Annual TCM Classic Film Festival where Oscar winners and film fans gathered at Hollywood’s famed Chinese Theater. (Read Part 1 of our report here.) Every day was filled with Oscar winners sharing stories and here are some of the best.
Martin Scorsese (2006 Best Director for “The Departed”) received the first Robert Osborne Award on the opening night of the festival from Leonardo DiCaprio (2015 Best Actor for “The Revenant”) and gave an impassioned speech about the importance of preserving film culture. He also joked that he refuses to stay in a hotel that doesn’t have TCM on their cable television and that he and DiCaprio’s film “The Aviator” is probably the only film of his that TCM would be able to show unedited.
SEEEmmys 2018 exclusive: PBS ‘Masterpiece’ categories for ‘Little Women,’ ‘The Child in Time’ and...
Martin Scorsese (2006 Best Director for “The Departed”) received the first Robert Osborne Award on the opening night of the festival from Leonardo DiCaprio (2015 Best Actor for “The Revenant”) and gave an impassioned speech about the importance of preserving film culture. He also joked that he refuses to stay in a hotel that doesn’t have TCM on their cable television and that he and DiCaprio’s film “The Aviator” is probably the only film of his that TCM would be able to show unedited.
SEEEmmys 2018 exclusive: PBS ‘Masterpiece’ categories for ‘Little Women,’ ‘The Child in Time’ and...
- 5/29/2018
- by Robert Pius
- Gold Derby
Seven movies have been digitally restored.
Wim Wenders
The Berlinale Classics section of the 68th Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 15-25) will present the world premieres of seven digitally restored films.
The strand will open on February 16 with the premiere of 1923 silent classic The Ancient Law, restored digitally by the Deutsche Kinemathek. Zdf/Arte have commissioned French composer Philippe Schoeller to make new music for this version.
Wim Wenders’ Wings Of Desire (1987) will screen in a 4K Dcp version. The version is restored by the Wim Wenders Foundation and is based on its original negatives; StudioCanal will be releasing it in German cinemas later this year.
My 20th Century (1989) is the feature debut of Hungarian filmmaker Ildikó Enyedi, who won the 2017 Golden Bear. It is a black-and-white story about the diverging lives of identical twins at the start of the Twentieth century. The film owes its 4K restoration to the Hungarian National Film Fund.
Sony Pictures Entertainment’s head of...
Wim Wenders
The Berlinale Classics section of the 68th Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 15-25) will present the world premieres of seven digitally restored films.
The strand will open on February 16 with the premiere of 1923 silent classic The Ancient Law, restored digitally by the Deutsche Kinemathek. Zdf/Arte have commissioned French composer Philippe Schoeller to make new music for this version.
Wim Wenders’ Wings Of Desire (1987) will screen in a 4K Dcp version. The version is restored by the Wim Wenders Foundation and is based on its original negatives; StudioCanal will be releasing it in German cinemas later this year.
My 20th Century (1989) is the feature debut of Hungarian filmmaker Ildikó Enyedi, who won the 2017 Golden Bear. It is a black-and-white story about the diverging lives of identical twins at the start of the Twentieth century. The film owes its 4K restoration to the Hungarian National Film Fund.
Sony Pictures Entertainment’s head of...
- 1/16/2018
- by Jasper Hart
- ScreenDaily
George Clooney is set to star in and direct a six-episode adaptation of the Joseph Heller novel Catch-22.
RelatedReese Witherspoon/Jennifer Aniston Morning-Show Drama Gets Series Order at Apple
Previously adapted as a 1970 film directed by Mike Nichols, this Paramount Television/Anonymous Content production will be penned by Luke Davies (Lion) and David Michôd (TV’s Animal Kingdom), THR.com reports. The limited series will be shopped to prospective outlets in December.
RelatedNicole Kidman on Big Little Lies Season 2: ‘That Would Be a Beautiful Prospect’
The novel, published in 1961, is set during World War II and follows Captain John Yossarian,...
RelatedReese Witherspoon/Jennifer Aniston Morning-Show Drama Gets Series Order at Apple
Previously adapted as a 1970 film directed by Mike Nichols, this Paramount Television/Anonymous Content production will be penned by Luke Davies (Lion) and David Michôd (TV’s Animal Kingdom), THR.com reports. The limited series will be shopped to prospective outlets in December.
RelatedNicole Kidman on Big Little Lies Season 2: ‘That Would Be a Beautiful Prospect’
The novel, published in 1961, is set during World War II and follows Captain John Yossarian,...
- 11/16/2017
- TVLine.com
Continuing their support for women directors, Horizon Award co-founding producers Cassian Elwes, Lynette Howell Taylor, and Christine Vachon, announced the winners of the second annual Horizon Award. Academy Award nominee Chloë Sevigny will bestow up-and-coming filmmakers Macarena Gaona, Juliette Gosselin, Shanice Malakai Johnson, and Florence Pelletier with the Horizon Award at a reception in Park City, Utah, with creative talent, producers, entertainment executives and media in attendance to celebrate these rising women directors and their achievements in independent filmmaking.
The Horizon Award ceremony and reception will take place on Sunday, January 24th, 2016 at 6:30 pm at the WireImage Portrait Studio at Village at the Lift (825 Main Street, Park City), co-hosted by Jeff Vespa.
The Horizon Award is an annual award that seeks to identify and mentor talented, up-and-coming female directors – the primary goal being to support women directors early enough in their development to help them overcome the hurdles in advancing their learning curve and careers.
In addition to the Horizon Award, the four winners will receive grants from the Adrienne Shelly Foundation. The Foundation supports the artistic achievements of female filmmakers through a series of grants that reflect Adrienne Shelly’s dedication to the art of filmmaking and her own successful transition from actress to filmmaker.
This year’s winners are:
Horizon Award First Place
Juliette Gosselin (University of Quebec in Montreal) & Florence Pelletier (Concordia University, Montreal)
Co-directors of "Mes Anges à Tête Noire"
Horizon Award Runners-Up
Macarena (Macqui) Gaona (New York University) Director of "Channel 999 and Channel 1000"
Shanice Malakai Johnson (Scottsdale Community College) Director of "End to the Suffering"
On making the announcement, Cassian Elwes said: “I’m so excited to announce the winners of the second annual Horizon Award. This year’s overwhelming number of submissions and caliber of work made it very hard indeed to pick just one winner – the jury identified one grand prize winner, and two runners-up. Additionally, we have added new partners to our already formidable team – proving that not only is the move towards gender equality in the zeitgeist, but that there are very real advocates amongst our peers. After the recent summit for systemic change (hosted by Sundance and Women in Film), I am more convinced than ever that we can make a difference and that history is on our side. I remain steadfastly committed to the idea that, one day soon, women will have exactly the same opportunities as men to direct movies.”
Franklin Leonard, Founder and CEO of The Black List and one of the award’s original advocates added: “We are passionate supporters of this award that recognizes fresh voices and perspectives in storytelling. This effort mirrors our own effort – the Black List's 500 Feminist Films project, created by our Director of Community, Kate Hagen. We look forward to mentoring the winners in the year to come.”
The jury was comprised of 38 influential directors, producers, and executives from the filmmaking community who viewed 483 short film submissions from over 200 colleges and universities world-wide, including the U.S., Canada, England, Australia, India, China, South Africa, Scotland, France, Mexico, Portugal, Columbia, Brazil, Russia, Serbia, the Ukraine, and more. This year, submissions increased by over one hundred from last year, with additional countries and universities participating. Submissions were received from Nyu, USC, UCLA, Chapman, Emerson, Penn State, Loyola Marymount, University of Wisconsin, University of Washington, Syracuse, Tcu, Ryerson (Toronto), Oxford, University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, University of Delhi, and more.
Now in its second year, the Horizon Award provides an all-expense-paid trip for the winning female college students to the Sundance Film Festival, where they will have the opportunity to present their films to some of the industry’s most influential names. The winners receive mentorship, festival access, and important introductions by Elwes, Howell, and Vachon to agents, producers, executives, festival staff, and other influencers throughout the Sundance Film Festival.
The Horizon Award was founded by producer, Cassian Elwes ("Margin Call," "All is Lost," "Dallas Buyers Club"), and Michelle Satter, Founding Director, Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, in response to a Sundance Institute and Women In Film Los Angeles study that revealed that only 4.2% of the top 100 films each year from 2002-2013 were directed by women. Elwes partnered with Howell ("Captain Fantastic," "Mississippi Grind," "Big Eyes," "The Place Beyond the Pines:), and Vachon ( "Goat," "Carol," "Boys Don’t Cry," "One Hour Photo," "Far From Heaven"), to create the award as an opportunity for young female directors to have mentorship and networking opportunities in conjunction with Sundance, the home of American Independent film.
You can see links for more info on the study:
Phase I and II
Phase III
Sponsors and Partners for the 2016 Horizon Award are: The Black List, CreativeFuture, The Creative Mind Group, Done To Your Taste Catering, FilmLA, Indiegogo, Mprm Communications, the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, Sundance Institute, Twitter, Verge, Vimeo, WireImage, Adina Design, and Women in Film. This impressive group has come together to support an award that they hope will continue to identify, nurture, and launch the careers of future female directors for years to come.
Full List of Jurors:
Stephanie Allain Producer ("Dear White People," "Hustle & Flow")
Dori Begley Magnolia Pictures (Svp, Acquisitions)
Amy Berg Director ("Janis: Little Girl Blue," "Deliver Us From Evil," "Prophet’s Prey")
Arianna Bocco IFC Films (Svp, Acquisitions & Co-Productions)
Robbie Brenner The Firm (Partner, President of Film)
Susan Carter Hall Painter
Amal ElWardi Zeal Media Company (Producer)
Cassian Elwes Producer ("Margin Call," "All is Lost," "Dallas Buyers Club")
Janet Grillo Director ("Jack of the Red Hearts," "Fly Away")
Poppy Hanks Macro Venture (Svp, Development & Production)
Catherine Hardwicke Director ("Miss You Already," "Red Riding Hood," "Twilight")
Lynette Howell Taylor Producer ("Captain Fantastic," "Mississippi Grind," "Big Eyes")
Liza Johnson Director ("Elvis & Nixon," "Return," "Hateship Loveship," "In the Air")
Eda Kowan Lionsgate (Svp, Acquisitions & Co-Productions)
Gina Kwon Amazon Studios (Executive, Comedy)
Helen Lee-Kim Good Universe (Partner, Head of International)
Laura Lewis CAA (Agent, Film Finance)
Alix Madigan Broad Green Pictures (Head, Creative)
Marianna Palka Actress/Director ("I’m the Same,""Always Worthy," "Good Dick")
Bruna Papandrea Pacific Standard (Producer/Partner)
Keri Putnam Sundance Institute (Executive Director)
Dee Rees Director ("Bessie," “Empire”)
Laura Rister Untitled Entertainment (Head of Production)
Rena Ronson UTA (Partner)
Michelle Satter Sundance Institute (Director, Feature Film Program)
Cathy Schulman Stx Entertainment (President & Chief Content Officer)
Lauren Selig Shake and Bake Productions (Executive Producer)
Mary Jane Skalski Producer ("The Visitor," "Mysterious Skin," "The Station Agent")
Lara Thompson E1 Entertainment (Svp, Worldwide Acquisitions)
Christine Vachon Producer ("Goat," "Carol," "Boys Don’t Cry")
Ruth Vitale CreativeFuture (CEO)
Angie Wang Director ("Cardinal X")
Hanna Weg Producer ("Septembers of Shiraz")
Tanya Wexler Director ("Hysteria," "Finding North," "Ball in the House")
Joanne Wiles ICM (Partner/Agent, Motion Picture Talent)
Pam Williams Pam Williams Productions ("Lee Daniels’ The Butler," "Fail Safe")
Lisa Wilson The Solution Entertainment (Co-Founder/Partner)
So Yong Kim Director ("Love Song," "For Ellen," "In Between Days")...
The Horizon Award ceremony and reception will take place on Sunday, January 24th, 2016 at 6:30 pm at the WireImage Portrait Studio at Village at the Lift (825 Main Street, Park City), co-hosted by Jeff Vespa.
The Horizon Award is an annual award that seeks to identify and mentor talented, up-and-coming female directors – the primary goal being to support women directors early enough in their development to help them overcome the hurdles in advancing their learning curve and careers.
In addition to the Horizon Award, the four winners will receive grants from the Adrienne Shelly Foundation. The Foundation supports the artistic achievements of female filmmakers through a series of grants that reflect Adrienne Shelly’s dedication to the art of filmmaking and her own successful transition from actress to filmmaker.
This year’s winners are:
Horizon Award First Place
Juliette Gosselin (University of Quebec in Montreal) & Florence Pelletier (Concordia University, Montreal)
Co-directors of "Mes Anges à Tête Noire"
Horizon Award Runners-Up
Macarena (Macqui) Gaona (New York University) Director of "Channel 999 and Channel 1000"
Shanice Malakai Johnson (Scottsdale Community College) Director of "End to the Suffering"
On making the announcement, Cassian Elwes said: “I’m so excited to announce the winners of the second annual Horizon Award. This year’s overwhelming number of submissions and caliber of work made it very hard indeed to pick just one winner – the jury identified one grand prize winner, and two runners-up. Additionally, we have added new partners to our already formidable team – proving that not only is the move towards gender equality in the zeitgeist, but that there are very real advocates amongst our peers. After the recent summit for systemic change (hosted by Sundance and Women in Film), I am more convinced than ever that we can make a difference and that history is on our side. I remain steadfastly committed to the idea that, one day soon, women will have exactly the same opportunities as men to direct movies.”
Franklin Leonard, Founder and CEO of The Black List and one of the award’s original advocates added: “We are passionate supporters of this award that recognizes fresh voices and perspectives in storytelling. This effort mirrors our own effort – the Black List's 500 Feminist Films project, created by our Director of Community, Kate Hagen. We look forward to mentoring the winners in the year to come.”
The jury was comprised of 38 influential directors, producers, and executives from the filmmaking community who viewed 483 short film submissions from over 200 colleges and universities world-wide, including the U.S., Canada, England, Australia, India, China, South Africa, Scotland, France, Mexico, Portugal, Columbia, Brazil, Russia, Serbia, the Ukraine, and more. This year, submissions increased by over one hundred from last year, with additional countries and universities participating. Submissions were received from Nyu, USC, UCLA, Chapman, Emerson, Penn State, Loyola Marymount, University of Wisconsin, University of Washington, Syracuse, Tcu, Ryerson (Toronto), Oxford, University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, University of Delhi, and more.
Now in its second year, the Horizon Award provides an all-expense-paid trip for the winning female college students to the Sundance Film Festival, where they will have the opportunity to present their films to some of the industry’s most influential names. The winners receive mentorship, festival access, and important introductions by Elwes, Howell, and Vachon to agents, producers, executives, festival staff, and other influencers throughout the Sundance Film Festival.
The Horizon Award was founded by producer, Cassian Elwes ("Margin Call," "All is Lost," "Dallas Buyers Club"), and Michelle Satter, Founding Director, Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, in response to a Sundance Institute and Women In Film Los Angeles study that revealed that only 4.2% of the top 100 films each year from 2002-2013 were directed by women. Elwes partnered with Howell ("Captain Fantastic," "Mississippi Grind," "Big Eyes," "The Place Beyond the Pines:), and Vachon ( "Goat," "Carol," "Boys Don’t Cry," "One Hour Photo," "Far From Heaven"), to create the award as an opportunity for young female directors to have mentorship and networking opportunities in conjunction with Sundance, the home of American Independent film.
You can see links for more info on the study:
Phase I and II
Phase III
Sponsors and Partners for the 2016 Horizon Award are: The Black List, CreativeFuture, The Creative Mind Group, Done To Your Taste Catering, FilmLA, Indiegogo, Mprm Communications, the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, Sundance Institute, Twitter, Verge, Vimeo, WireImage, Adina Design, and Women in Film. This impressive group has come together to support an award that they hope will continue to identify, nurture, and launch the careers of future female directors for years to come.
Full List of Jurors:
Stephanie Allain Producer ("Dear White People," "Hustle & Flow")
Dori Begley Magnolia Pictures (Svp, Acquisitions)
Amy Berg Director ("Janis: Little Girl Blue," "Deliver Us From Evil," "Prophet’s Prey")
Arianna Bocco IFC Films (Svp, Acquisitions & Co-Productions)
Robbie Brenner The Firm (Partner, President of Film)
Susan Carter Hall Painter
Amal ElWardi Zeal Media Company (Producer)
Cassian Elwes Producer ("Margin Call," "All is Lost," "Dallas Buyers Club")
Janet Grillo Director ("Jack of the Red Hearts," "Fly Away")
Poppy Hanks Macro Venture (Svp, Development & Production)
Catherine Hardwicke Director ("Miss You Already," "Red Riding Hood," "Twilight")
Lynette Howell Taylor Producer ("Captain Fantastic," "Mississippi Grind," "Big Eyes")
Liza Johnson Director ("Elvis & Nixon," "Return," "Hateship Loveship," "In the Air")
Eda Kowan Lionsgate (Svp, Acquisitions & Co-Productions)
Gina Kwon Amazon Studios (Executive, Comedy)
Helen Lee-Kim Good Universe (Partner, Head of International)
Laura Lewis CAA (Agent, Film Finance)
Alix Madigan Broad Green Pictures (Head, Creative)
Marianna Palka Actress/Director ("I’m the Same,""Always Worthy," "Good Dick")
Bruna Papandrea Pacific Standard (Producer/Partner)
Keri Putnam Sundance Institute (Executive Director)
Dee Rees Director ("Bessie," “Empire”)
Laura Rister Untitled Entertainment (Head of Production)
Rena Ronson UTA (Partner)
Michelle Satter Sundance Institute (Director, Feature Film Program)
Cathy Schulman Stx Entertainment (President & Chief Content Officer)
Lauren Selig Shake and Bake Productions (Executive Producer)
Mary Jane Skalski Producer ("The Visitor," "Mysterious Skin," "The Station Agent")
Lara Thompson E1 Entertainment (Svp, Worldwide Acquisitions)
Christine Vachon Producer ("Goat," "Carol," "Boys Don’t Cry")
Ruth Vitale CreativeFuture (CEO)
Angie Wang Director ("Cardinal X")
Hanna Weg Producer ("Septembers of Shiraz")
Tanya Wexler Director ("Hysteria," "Finding North," "Ball in the House")
Joanne Wiles ICM (Partner/Agent, Motion Picture Talent)
Pam Williams Pam Williams Productions ("Lee Daniels’ The Butler," "Fail Safe")
Lisa Wilson The Solution Entertainment (Co-Founder/Partner)
So Yong Kim Director ("Love Song," "For Ellen," "In Between Days")...
- 1/22/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The first time I met Jennifer Aniston, she was naked. During the rehearsals for the live broadcast version of "Fail Safe" directed by Stephen Frears, I was invited to tour the sets, talk to the people behind the event, and possibly take a peek at some rehearsals. George Clooney was our host for the day, and his assistant at the time, Amy, was the one assigned to drive us around the lot that afternoon. Amy was the sort of person who knew everyone, and she pointed out a soundstage where they were shooting the Mark Wahlberg film "Rock God." As she was pointing it out, the door to the soundstage opened and Jennifer Aniston came strolling out, wearing the tiniest kimono I've ever seen. Amy waved her over, and the two of them started talking. As they did, it was fairly obvious that Aniston was wearing the kimono and nothing else,...
- 11/17/2014
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
Cinema Retro has received the following press release:
The Hollywood Blacklist, with Screenwriter Walter Bernstein\
When: Thursday, March 6, 6:30 pm
Where: The New School, The Auditorium at 66 West 12th St (between 5th and 6th Aves.)
Register: visit www.cencom.org, e-mail info@cencom.org or call (212) 686-5005
In the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, Sen. Joseph McCarthy carried out a witch hunt for Communists that led to the creation of the infamous Hollywood blacklist, resulting in 150 directors, actors, writers, and others in the entertainment business, being banned from making a living for over a decade.
Don't miss our screening of The Front, written by Walter Bernstein, who received an Oscar nomination for best screenplay in 1976, and directed by Martin Ritt. Both were victims of the blacklist themselves. The movie takes a comedic look at what happened during this dark period in American History. Screening to be followed by a conversation and Q&A.
The Hollywood Blacklist, with Screenwriter Walter Bernstein\
When: Thursday, March 6, 6:30 pm
Where: The New School, The Auditorium at 66 West 12th St (between 5th and 6th Aves.)
Register: visit www.cencom.org, e-mail info@cencom.org or call (212) 686-5005
In the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, Sen. Joseph McCarthy carried out a witch hunt for Communists that led to the creation of the infamous Hollywood blacklist, resulting in 150 directors, actors, writers, and others in the entertainment business, being banned from making a living for over a decade.
Don't miss our screening of The Front, written by Walter Bernstein, who received an Oscar nomination for best screenplay in 1976, and directed by Martin Ritt. Both were victims of the blacklist themselves. The movie takes a comedic look at what happened during this dark period in American History. Screening to be followed by a conversation and Q&A.
- 3/5/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
George Clooney says the special effects wizardry in his new space adventure “Gravity” justify shooting it in 3D — a format he thinks is overused. “It’s an actual argument for 3D,” Clooney told TheWrap at the film’s New York premiere. “It’s crazy how good it is.” The actor noted that all too often, filmmakers fail to ask why they are taking a certain approach to a film. He cited his live televised broadcast of “Fail Safe,” a play about a pending nuclear attack, in 2000. Also read: 3D Still A Hit With Foreign Audiences, But Domestically It’s a...
- 10/2/2013
- by Brent Lang
- The Wrap
The Wasteland:
Television is a gold goose that lays scrambled eggs;
and it is futile and probably fatal to beat it for not laying caviar.
Lee Loevinger
When people argue over the quality of television programming, both sides — it’s addictive crap v. underappreciated populist art — seem to forget one of the essentials about commercial TV. By definition, it is not a public service. It is not commercial TV’s job to enlighten, inform, educate, elevate, inspire, or offer insight. Frankly, it’s not even commercial TV’s job to entertain. Bottom line: its purpose is simply to deliver as many sets of eyes to advertisers as possible. As it happens, it tends to do this by offering various forms of entertainment, and occasionally by offering content that does enlighten, inform, etc., but a cynic would make the point that if TV could do the same job televising fish aimlessly swimming around an aquarium,...
Television is a gold goose that lays scrambled eggs;
and it is futile and probably fatal to beat it for not laying caviar.
Lee Loevinger
When people argue over the quality of television programming, both sides — it’s addictive crap v. underappreciated populist art — seem to forget one of the essentials about commercial TV. By definition, it is not a public service. It is not commercial TV’s job to enlighten, inform, educate, elevate, inspire, or offer insight. Frankly, it’s not even commercial TV’s job to entertain. Bottom line: its purpose is simply to deliver as many sets of eyes to advertisers as possible. As it happens, it tends to do this by offering various forms of entertainment, and occasionally by offering content that does enlighten, inform, etc., but a cynic would make the point that if TV could do the same job televising fish aimlessly swimming around an aquarium,...
- 7/22/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
The apocalypse has been given the Hollywood treatment perhaps more than any other scenario, with literally hundreds of films showing the events leading up to it, or life going on after it.
This year has been a big year for the end of the world. Oblivion showed a sci-fi vision of what life might be like on an all but deserted Earth, as did After Earth. This Is The End showed what the final hours of life on Earth what might be like for celebrities, and out today Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and director Edgar Wright team up for the final instalment in the Cornetto Trilogy, The World’s End.
The dictionary definition of ‘Apocalypse’ is 1. The complete final destruction of the world, and 2. An event involving destruction or damage on a catastrophic scale. These are obviously two quite different things, and the existence of the post-apocalyptic genre suggests that...
This year has been a big year for the end of the world. Oblivion showed a sci-fi vision of what life might be like on an all but deserted Earth, as did After Earth. This Is The End showed what the final hours of life on Earth what might be like for celebrities, and out today Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and director Edgar Wright team up for the final instalment in the Cornetto Trilogy, The World’s End.
The dictionary definition of ‘Apocalypse’ is 1. The complete final destruction of the world, and 2. An event involving destruction or damage on a catastrophic scale. These are obviously two quite different things, and the existence of the post-apocalyptic genre suggests that...
- 7/17/2013
- by Barry Steele
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Six months after Michael Westen’s burn notice unofficially came to an end, he has almost exhausted the Noc list of those responsible for his exile. Only one target remains. Yet Michael is struggling to settle back into the suited/booted embrace of the CIA. Formal wear and formalities don’t suit the new Westen way of working. Fortunately the extraction of the final spy on the hit list takes Michael and team to Caracas, where he can shrug off his jacket, turn up the volume on his shirts and take a few familiar faces along for the ride.
The mission to Caracas is a surgical strike, requiring meticulous planning and flawless execution. The help Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) chooses to enlist comes in the less-than-regular-shape of underground compadres Sam Axe and Fi (Bruce Campbell and Gabrielle Anwar). Still, as long as they can obey the rules, everything will go without a hitch.
The mission to Caracas is a surgical strike, requiring meticulous planning and flawless execution. The help Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) chooses to enlist comes in the less-than-regular-shape of underground compadres Sam Axe and Fi (Bruce Campbell and Gabrielle Anwar). Still, as long as they can obey the rules, everything will go without a hitch.
- 12/7/2012
- by Emily Breen
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Actor Larry Hagman, immortalized for his performance as the legendary villain J.R. Ewing in the TV show Dallas, has died from throat cancer. He was 81 years old and had been actively acting until recently, when he appeared in the reboot of the famous TV series. The last few years had been difficult ones for Hagman. Not only did he have to battle cancer but also had to contend with his wife Maj's affliction from Alzheimer's Disease. Hagman was a working character actor when he was cast as the male lead in the 1965 sitcom I Dream of Jeannie opposite Barbara Eden. The show's success helped launch him to star status and he appeared in dozens of TV series and feature films. However, it was his portrayal of lovable cad J.R. Ewing in the 1981 CBS hit Dallas that elevated him to the status of a TV icon. The show ran...
- 11/24/2012
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Seems like we always say goodbye to someone big on Thanksgiving weekend. Larry Hagman was more a TV figure, and a major one at that, but he had quite a few big-screen credits to brag about including key roles in Fail Safe (1964), Mother, Jugs, And Speed (1976) , and the David Essex cult music drama Stardust (1974). His only directing credit was the 1972 horror film Beware! The Blob which was released on video with the tag line “The film Jr shot!”.. Hagman was the son of actress Mary Martin and was married to the same woman, Maj Axellson, for 58 years. Hagman was 81.
From The Hollywood Reporter:
Larry Hagman, who played the evil oilman J.R. Ewing for 14 seasons on the hit primetime soap Dallas, has died, sources close to the actor told The Dallas Morning News. He was 81. Hagman, who starred with Barbara Eden on another TV hit, the 1960s comedy I Dream of Jeannie,...
From The Hollywood Reporter:
Larry Hagman, who played the evil oilman J.R. Ewing for 14 seasons on the hit primetime soap Dallas, has died, sources close to the actor told The Dallas Morning News. He was 81. Hagman, who starred with Barbara Eden on another TV hit, the 1960s comedy I Dream of Jeannie,...
- 11/24/2012
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Larry Hagman, who played J.R. the conniving, villainous head of the Ewing clan on the TV series Dallas, died today at a Dallas hospital, sources close to the actor told the Dallas Morning News. He was 81. Born in Fort Worth, Hagman was the son of legendary actress Mary Martin. He played the character in the long-running primetime soap from 1978 through 1991 on CBS. He returned last year when the series was resurrected on TNT, focusing on a new generation of Ewings. Prior to Dallas, Hagman’s biggest TV role had been as the astronaut Major Anthony Nelson on NBC’s I Dream Of Jeannie opposite Barbara Eden. Among those confirming the death were co-star Linda Gray’s agent, Jeffrey Lane, who said the actress was at Hagman’s bedside when he died. Lane said another co-star, Patrick Duffy, was also present. Hagman appeared in Season 1 of the Dallas reboot and...
- 11/24/2012
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Enjoy classic silent films with live music accompaniment on October 2nd at The Way Out Club in St. Louis with Super-8 Silent Movie Madness Featuring Live Music !!!
Talented musician Linda Gurney will be bringing her keyboard and skill to play along as we screen condensed versions (average length: 17 minutes) of three famous silent films: Lon Chaney in Phantom Of The Opera, Charlie Chaplin in The Tramp, and the 1922 Vampire classic Nosferatu.
The .talkies. we.re showing October 2nd (also condensed) are: Steve Martin in The Jerk, John Carradine and Lon Chaney Jr. in House Of Dracula, Henry Fonda and Walter Matthau in Fail Safe, William Shatner in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Land That Time Forgot, The Car, The Ritz Brothers in Hotel Anchovy, Vincent Price in The Conqueror Worm, Larry Semon in Weakend Driver, Mighty Joe Young, and Mel Brook.s Blazing Saddles.
Cover charge is a mere...
Talented musician Linda Gurney will be bringing her keyboard and skill to play along as we screen condensed versions (average length: 17 minutes) of three famous silent films: Lon Chaney in Phantom Of The Opera, Charlie Chaplin in The Tramp, and the 1922 Vampire classic Nosferatu.
The .talkies. we.re showing October 2nd (also condensed) are: Steve Martin in The Jerk, John Carradine and Lon Chaney Jr. in House Of Dracula, Henry Fonda and Walter Matthau in Fail Safe, William Shatner in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Land That Time Forgot, The Car, The Ritz Brothers in Hotel Anchovy, Vincent Price in The Conqueror Worm, Larry Semon in Weakend Driver, Mighty Joe Young, and Mel Brook.s Blazing Saddles.
Cover charge is a mere...
- 9/28/2012
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
On a night that's hardly starved for appealing programming, two of the season's most enjoyable and intriguing pilots make their bow.
First, the underdog: ABC's Last Resort (8/7c), an electrifying military-gone-amok thriller that bridges the macho hardware of Tom Clancy with the suspense of paranoid Cold War classics from the '60s like Fail Safe and Seven Days in May. (Look them up if you've never seen them.) This series is like nothing else on network TV, which is why one's first impulse is to pray for its survival. It's also airing in what has become one of ABC's more treacherous time periods, and beyond the fact that there are very attractive people in the cast (starting with Felicity alum Scott Speedman) and the story is heavily serialized, it has nearly nothing in common tonally with the night's sudsy anchor, Grey's Anatomy.
Read More >...
First, the underdog: ABC's Last Resort (8/7c), an electrifying military-gone-amok thriller that bridges the macho hardware of Tom Clancy with the suspense of paranoid Cold War classics from the '60s like Fail Safe and Seven Days in May. (Look them up if you've never seen them.) This series is like nothing else on network TV, which is why one's first impulse is to pray for its survival. It's also airing in what has become one of ABC's more treacherous time periods, and beyond the fact that there are very attractive people in the cast (starting with Felicity alum Scott Speedman) and the story is heavily serialized, it has nearly nothing in common tonally with the night's sudsy anchor, Grey's Anatomy.
Read More >...
- 9/27/2012
- by Matt Roush
- TVGuide - Breaking News
Who’s ready to see Burn Notice tonight? How is Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) going to handle life with Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar behind bars, especially now that he’s so much more emotionally involved with her now than he was when he was first burned as a spy for the CIA? And what kind of friends will Fiona attract in the slammer? New allies? New foes? What are you most excited about this season?
Burn Notice came in at #5 in our Must-See Shows of the Summer and word is that the premiere picks up just minutes after last season’s shocking finale where Fiona turns herself into authorities for a crime she didn’t commit. Considering the Miami Heat is playing Game 2 of the NBA Finals and Burn Notice’s new season is tonight, “Scorched Earth” is an appropriate title, because Miami is feeling hot-hot-hot!
Editor’S Pick: Read our...
Burn Notice came in at #5 in our Must-See Shows of the Summer and word is that the premiere picks up just minutes after last season’s shocking finale where Fiona turns herself into authorities for a crime she didn’t commit. Considering the Miami Heat is playing Game 2 of the NBA Finals and Burn Notice’s new season is tonight, “Scorched Earth” is an appropriate title, because Miami is feeling hot-hot-hot!
Editor’S Pick: Read our...
- 6/15/2012
- by Ernie Estrella
- BuzzFocus.com
When season 5 of USA’s Burn Notice started, I thought we’d see something different and we did for a little while. Super-spy Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) had reached the end of his Burn List, and taken care of the people who contributed to his burning with the help of the Us Government. He got a new partner to work with named Max (Grant Show) and became an unofficial member of the C.I.A. – that’s code for if Michael died in the line of duty, no one would know about it. For the first third of the season, not much had changed except that Michael had to follow more rules and guidelines.
Michael still managed to pick up side jobs in his spare time, helping out friends of his friends, Jesse, Sam, and Fiona (Coby Bell, Bruce Campbell, and Gabrielle Anwar) but so much of season 5 resembled prior...
Michael still managed to pick up side jobs in his spare time, helping out friends of his friends, Jesse, Sam, and Fiona (Coby Bell, Bruce Campbell, and Gabrielle Anwar) but so much of season 5 resembled prior...
- 6/14/2012
- by Ernie Estrella
- BuzzFocus.com
Chicago – USA and TNT have battled for Summer dominance and they’re both set to bring back several of their biggest hits in the coming weeks. Timed to get fans even more excited for the USA stable, Universal and Fox have released the most recent seasons of hits “Burn Notice,” “White Collar,” and “Fairly Legal” today and all should satisfy hardcore fans even if it is a bit surprising that none of them are being released in HD.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Of the three, I think “Burn Notice: Season Five” is the best option but these are sets that aren’t really designed to bring in new fans (except for perhaps the inaugural outing for Sarah Shahi’s so-so “Fairly Legal”) but rather appeal to collectors who already know they love these programs. To that end, it’s a bit bizarre that Universal and Fox have stopped releasing them in HD...
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Of the three, I think “Burn Notice: Season Five” is the best option but these are sets that aren’t really designed to bring in new fans (except for perhaps the inaugural outing for Sarah Shahi’s so-so “Fairly Legal”) but rather appeal to collectors who already know they love these programs. To that end, it’s a bit bizarre that Universal and Fox have stopped releasing them in HD...
- 6/5/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The art of the glass shot or matte painting is one which originated very much in the early ‘teens’ of the silent era. Pioneer film maker, director, cameraman and visual effects inventor Norman Dawn is generally acknowledged as the father of the painted matte composite, with other visionary film makers such as Ferdinand Pinney Earle, Walter Hall and Walter Percy Day being heralded as making vast contributions to the trick process in the early 1920’s.
Boiled down, the matte process is one whereby a limited film set may be extended to whatever, or wherever the director’s imagination dictates with the employment of a matte artist. In it’s most pure form, the artist would set up a large plate of clear glass in front of the motion picture camera upon which he would carefully paint in new scenery an ornate period ceiling, snow capped mountains, a Gothic castle or even an alien world.
Boiled down, the matte process is one whereby a limited film set may be extended to whatever, or wherever the director’s imagination dictates with the employment of a matte artist. In it’s most pure form, the artist would set up a large plate of clear glass in front of the motion picture camera upon which he would carefully paint in new scenery an ornate period ceiling, snow capped mountains, a Gothic castle or even an alien world.
- 5/27/2012
- Shadowlocked
It has been a year since Sidney Lumet passed away on April 9, 2011. Here is our retrospective on the legendary filmmaker to honor his memory. Originally published April 15, 2011.
Almost a week after the fact, we, like everyone that loves film, are still mourning the passing of the great American master Sidney Lumet, one of the true titans of cinema.
Lumet was never fancy. He never needed to be, as a master of blocking, economic camera movements and framing that empowered the emotion and or exact punctuation of a particular scene. First and foremost, as you’ve likely heard ad nauseum -- but hell, it’s true -- Lumet was a storyteller, and one that preferred his beloved New York to soundstages (though let's not romanticize it too much, he did his fair share of work on studio film sets too as most TV journeyman and early studio filmmakers did).
His directing career stretched well over 50 years,...
Almost a week after the fact, we, like everyone that loves film, are still mourning the passing of the great American master Sidney Lumet, one of the true titans of cinema.
Lumet was never fancy. He never needed to be, as a master of blocking, economic camera movements and framing that empowered the emotion and or exact punctuation of a particular scene. First and foremost, as you’ve likely heard ad nauseum -- but hell, it’s true -- Lumet was a storyteller, and one that preferred his beloved New York to soundstages (though let's not romanticize it too much, he did his fair share of work on studio film sets too as most TV journeyman and early studio filmmakers did).
His directing career stretched well over 50 years,...
- 4/9/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
As this season has come to a close, the emotional intensity has been practically tangible. So much so that the last two episodes have both garnered a perfect rating from this reviewer. Last week, I threw down the gauntlet when I asked if Matt Nix and his team could make it a triplicate and end the season the same way.
In response to my challenge "Fail Safe" picked up said gauntlet and promptly used it against me in an episode that was so well done, I would have given it a 6 star rating had it been possible.
Let’s start with the biggest game changer: Fiona turned herself in. To the very last second I thought Michael was going to be able to stop her. Even after the first agent drew his gun, I though Michael would rescue her.
Michael made it very clear to Fiona that there was no...
In response to my challenge "Fail Safe" picked up said gauntlet and promptly used it against me in an episode that was so well done, I would have given it a 6 star rating had it been possible.
Let’s start with the biggest game changer: Fiona turned herself in. To the very last second I thought Michael was going to be able to stop her. Even after the first agent drew his gun, I though Michael would rescue her.
Michael made it very clear to Fiona that there was no...
- 12/16/2011
- by jim@tvfanatic.com (Jim G.)
- TVfanatic
For my money, the fifth season of "Burn Notice" has featured one of the show's most satisfying adversaries for Michael Westen.
Jere Burns, who plays Anson, the spy psychologist who has gotten inside Michael's head, has a cool but charismatic presence and can more than hold his own with Jeffrey Donovan's driven character, a spy who was exiled from the intelligence community. Anson's ability to anticipate Michael's moves and stymie Michael's attempts to break free of his control have made for one of the show's more interesting chess matches. I've enjoyed how Burns has underplayed the role yet made Anson's coolness into the character's most chilling trait.
The question before Michael in Thursday's season finale, "Fail Safe," is simple: Can he break free of the iron grip that Anson has on the burned spy's personal life? Anson has evidence linking Fiona to a fatal bomb blast; she was framed...
Jere Burns, who plays Anson, the spy psychologist who has gotten inside Michael's head, has a cool but charismatic presence and can more than hold his own with Jeffrey Donovan's driven character, a spy who was exiled from the intelligence community. Anson's ability to anticipate Michael's moves and stymie Michael's attempts to break free of his control have made for one of the show's more interesting chess matches. I've enjoyed how Burns has underplayed the role yet made Anson's coolness into the character's most chilling trait.
The question before Michael in Thursday's season finale, "Fail Safe," is simple: Can he break free of the iron grip that Anson has on the burned spy's personal life? Anson has evidence linking Fiona to a fatal bomb blast; she was framed...
- 12/14/2011
- by Maureen Ryan
- Huffington Post
For my money, the fifth season of "Burn Notice" has featured one of the show's most satisfying adversaries for Michael Westen.
Jere Burns, who plays Anson, the spy psychologist who has gotten inside Michael's head, has a cool but charismatic presence and can more than hold his own with Jeffrey Donovan's driven character, a spy who was exiled from the intelligence community. Anson's ability to anticipate Michael's moves and stymie Michael's attempts to break free of his control have made for one of the show's more interesting chess matches. I've enjoyed how Burns has underplayed the role yet made Anson's coolness into the character's most chilling trait.
The question before Michael in Thursday's season finale, "Fail Safe," is simple: Can he break free of the iron grip that Anson has on the burned spy's personal life? Anson has evidence linking Fiona to a fatal bomb blast; she was framed...
Jere Burns, who plays Anson, the spy psychologist who has gotten inside Michael's head, has a cool but charismatic presence and can more than hold his own with Jeffrey Donovan's driven character, a spy who was exiled from the intelligence community. Anson's ability to anticipate Michael's moves and stymie Michael's attempts to break free of his control have made for one of the show's more interesting chess matches. I've enjoyed how Burns has underplayed the role yet made Anson's coolness into the character's most chilling trait.
The question before Michael in Thursday's season finale, "Fail Safe," is simple: Can he break free of the iron grip that Anson has on the burned spy's personal life? Anson has evidence linking Fiona to a fatal bomb blast; she was framed...
- 12/14/2011
- by Maureen Ryan
- Aol TV.
"TCM Remembers 2011" is out. Remembered by Turner Classic Movies are many of those in the film world who left us this past year. As always, this latest "TCM Remembers" entry is a classy, immensely moving compilation. The haunting background song is "Before You Go," by Ok Sweetheart.
Among those featured in "TCM Remembers 2011" are Farley Granger, the star of Luchino Visconti's Senso and Alfred Hitchcock's Rope and Strangers on a Train; Oscar-nominated Australian actress Diane Cilento (Tom Jones, Hombre), formerly married to Sean Connery; and two-time Oscar nominee Peter Falk (Murder, Inc., Pocketful of Miracles, The Great Race), best remembered as television's Columbo. Or, for those into arthouse fare, for playing an angel in Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire.
Also, Jane Russell, whose cleavage and sensuous lips in Howard Hughes' The Outlaw left the puritans of the Production Code Association apoplectic; another Australian performer, Googie Withers, among...
Among those featured in "TCM Remembers 2011" are Farley Granger, the star of Luchino Visconti's Senso and Alfred Hitchcock's Rope and Strangers on a Train; Oscar-nominated Australian actress Diane Cilento (Tom Jones, Hombre), formerly married to Sean Connery; and two-time Oscar nominee Peter Falk (Murder, Inc., Pocketful of Miracles, The Great Race), best remembered as television's Columbo. Or, for those into arthouse fare, for playing an angel in Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire.
Also, Jane Russell, whose cleavage and sensuous lips in Howard Hughes' The Outlaw left the puritans of the Production Code Association apoplectic; another Australian performer, Googie Withers, among...
- 12/14/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The USA Network’s long-running action-adventure show “Burn Notice” closes out another fun season in traditional “Burn Notice” style — which is to say, a slam-bang action-packed hour. To celebrate the upcoming Season 5 finale, “Fail Safe”, airing this Thursday, December 15th at 10/9 central on the USA Network, we have an excellent Sam Axe-themed “Burn Notice” prize pack to giveaway to one (1) lucky winner. You don’t have to be a “Burn Notice” fan to win, but hey, it doesn’t hurt to appreciate the Chuck, am I right? Head on below for details. “Fail Safe” – Tensions reach a boiling point in this action-packed season conclusion. Michael and the gang move closer to ending Anson once and for all, but with a new CIA mission on the radar will Michael be able to close the deal? Guest stars include Jere Burns, Lauren Stamile, Dean Cain, Eric Roberts, and Kristanna Loken. Fans can...
- 12/13/2011
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
Burn Notice has been on quite the roll lately. Our critic has given the last two episodes a perfect rating and you can read why Here.
Can the USA hit maintain this momentum on next week's season five finale?
Titled "Fail Safe," it will find Michael tasked with his biggest CIA mission to date.. just as Anson's plans kick into serious gear. With Michael away, Sam and Fiona will be forced to watch Anson. Will they be able to stop him? Watch the following promo and sneak peek to get a taste of what's to come.
Burn Notice Promo: "Fail Safe"
Burn Notice Clip: "Fail Safe"...
Can the USA hit maintain this momentum on next week's season five finale?
Titled "Fail Safe," it will find Michael tasked with his biggest CIA mission to date.. just as Anson's plans kick into serious gear. With Michael away, Sam and Fiona will be forced to watch Anson. Will they be able to stop him? Watch the following promo and sneak peek to get a taste of what's to come.
Burn Notice Promo: "Fail Safe"
Burn Notice Clip: "Fail Safe"...
- 12/10/2011
- by matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal)
- TVfanatic
Countdown to Top Ten 2K11 is a column with one simple goal: to help you decide what films you need to see before making your end of the year top ten list. Each installment features my thoughts on a critically acclaimed 2011 movie, a sampling of other critics' reactions, the odds of the film making my own list, and the reasons why it might make yours.
This week, we're covering one of the biggest hits on the festival circuit this year, the financial collapse drama "Margin Call." Is it more entertaining than watching your retirement fund vanish in an afternoon? Let's find out.
Movie: "Margin Call"
Director: J.C. Chandor
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
Plot Synopsis: Twenty-four hours inside a powerful investment bank on the eve of the 2008 financial collapse. A young analyst (Zachary Quinto) stumbles onto a formula that forecasts doom for his firm, then watches as the news makes its way...
This week, we're covering one of the biggest hits on the festival circuit this year, the financial collapse drama "Margin Call." Is it more entertaining than watching your retirement fund vanish in an afternoon? Let's find out.
Movie: "Margin Call"
Director: J.C. Chandor
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
Plot Synopsis: Twenty-four hours inside a powerful investment bank on the eve of the 2008 financial collapse. A young analyst (Zachary Quinto) stumbles onto a formula that forecasts doom for his firm, then watches as the news makes its way...
- 10/28/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
Baron Zemo Returns?! In the midst of their greatest escape in history, will the return of Captain America’s best fiend push the Thunderbolts to making a Devil’s pact with a certain Red Menace? Find out, as the series’ stoic sentries Jeff Parker and Kev Walker bring you Fail Safe! Thunderbolts #164 Written by Jeff Parker Penciled by Kev Walker Cover by Joe Quinones...
- 9/8/2011
- ComicBookMovie.com
Filmmakers like Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, Wes Craven, Edgar Wright and Steven Spielberg have made films that are so beloved, the fact we see fan art from them is expected. Then there's a whole other class of filmmaker who make amazing, but maybe not geek-centric, movies who regularly get the shaft. Thanks to one Denver, Colorado gallery, we can cross a name off the list. This Friday September 9 Laundry on Lawrence is hosting a show called The Machines Are Winning: A Tribute To Sidney Lumet which features 17 artists interpreting the work of the amazing director of films like Network, 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Fail Safe, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead and more. Check out some of the images after the jump. A huge thanks to Omg Posters [1] for the heads up on this exhibit which takes place from 7-11 p.m. September 9 at Laundry on Lawrence, 2701 Lawrence St.
- 9/7/2011
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
Clooney & Maguire Pay Tribute To Producer Ziskin
George Clooney and Tobey Maguire are among the stars paying tribute to late movie producer Laura Ziskin in a new Hollywood Reporter tribute to the brave cancer victim.
Ziskin passed away on Sunday and two of the biggest stars she worked with during her impressive 25-year career have offered their thoughts as part of the publication's memorial.
Clooney, who starred in her 2000 TV show Fail Safe, says, "Everything Laura has done, she's done with passion and humour... I couldn't be more proud to have known her."
And Maguire, who was producer Ziskin's Spider-Man, adds, "Our loss is a great one. My gifts from knowing and working with Laura are many and profound."...
Ziskin passed away on Sunday and two of the biggest stars she worked with during her impressive 25-year career have offered their thoughts as part of the publication's memorial.
Clooney, who starred in her 2000 TV show Fail Safe, says, "Everything Laura has done, she's done with passion and humour... I couldn't be more proud to have known her."
And Maguire, who was producer Ziskin's Spider-Man, adds, "Our loss is a great one. My gifts from knowing and working with Laura are many and profound."...
- 6/17/2011
- WENN
Laura Ziskin was an uncommonly decent person, and not just by the admittedly low standards of Hollywood culture. I had several encounters with Ziskin over the years, and always found her to be sharp, funny, and kind, and it was obvious on every set of hers I ever visited that she cared deeply about the work she was doing. I remember two different times that Harry Knowles and I dealt with her, once on the set for the original "Spider-Man" in 2001, and then again on the set of the live TV version of "Fail Safe," and in both cases, she...
- 6/13/2011
- Hitfix
Prolific film director with a reputation for exploring social and moral issues
Sidney Lumet, who has died aged 86, achieved critical and commercial success with his first film, 12 Angry Men (1957), which established his credentials as a liberal director who was sympathetic to actors, loved words and worked quickly. For the bulk of his career, he averaged a film a year, earning four Oscar nominations along the way for best director, for 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976) and The Verdict (1982).
It is arguable that, had he not been so prolific, Lumet's critical reputation would have been greater. Certainly, for every worthwhile film there was a dud, and occasionally a disaster, to match it. But Lumet loved to direct and he was greatly esteemed by the many actors – notably Al Pacino and Sean Connery – with whom he established a lasting rapport.
The majority of his films were shot not in Hollywood, but in and around New York.
Sidney Lumet, who has died aged 86, achieved critical and commercial success with his first film, 12 Angry Men (1957), which established his credentials as a liberal director who was sympathetic to actors, loved words and worked quickly. For the bulk of his career, he averaged a film a year, earning four Oscar nominations along the way for best director, for 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976) and The Verdict (1982).
It is arguable that, had he not been so prolific, Lumet's critical reputation would have been greater. Certainly, for every worthwhile film there was a dud, and occasionally a disaster, to match it. But Lumet loved to direct and he was greatly esteemed by the many actors – notably Al Pacino and Sean Connery – with whom he established a lasting rapport.
The majority of his films were shot not in Hollywood, but in and around New York.
- 4/10/2011
- by Brian Baxter
- The Guardian - Film News
Stephen Frears is an amused connoisseur. I can't dispute his estimate that the less money he's had at risk on a venture, the better it ends up
Inasmuch as he will be 70 next year, and is a national treasure, I suspect some honours list will notice Stephen Frears soon. Of course, it is possible in his humble, muttering self-effacement that he wouldn't hear of such a distinction (I think there's a republican in there). On the other hand, he did make The Queen (with writer Peter Morgan and pretender Helen Mirren), the most sophisticated public relations boost Hrh has had in 20 years, and all the more affectionate because it was wry and a bit of a tease.
By now, it is taken for granted that Frears – whom I count as a friend – gets away with nearly anything he cares to try, and as he grows older, he is less conventional and obvious.
Inasmuch as he will be 70 next year, and is a national treasure, I suspect some honours list will notice Stephen Frears soon. Of course, it is possible in his humble, muttering self-effacement that he wouldn't hear of such a distinction (I think there's a republican in there). On the other hand, he did make The Queen (with writer Peter Morgan and pretender Helen Mirren), the most sophisticated public relations boost Hrh has had in 20 years, and all the more affectionate because it was wry and a bit of a tease.
By now, it is taken for granted that Frears – whom I count as a friend – gets away with nearly anything he cares to try, and as he grows older, he is less conventional and obvious.
- 9/2/2010
- by David Thomson
- The Guardian - Film News
There are Famous Monsters…and then there are famous monsters.
Both Psycho and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre were inspired by the real-life crimes of mass murderer Ed Gein; The Silence of the Lambs, book and film, incorporated character traits of multiple serial killers in the depiction of Jame Gumb, the psychopath hunted by FBI agent Clarice Starling — with a little help from the imprisoned Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter, himself a (still-mysterious) amalgam of stranger-than-fiction monsters of past and present.
While the profoundly disturbing thriller Se7en reeked with authentic nihilism, and films like Dawn of the Dead and Hostel took blood-soaked pains to offer satiric commentaries on the sorry state of humanity, there’s an entire genre of films that bypass the more commercial goals of “escapism” in favor of more directly dramatizing the horrific tales we’ve read about in the newspapers, pored over in paperback, or seen described...
Both Psycho and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre were inspired by the real-life crimes of mass murderer Ed Gein; The Silence of the Lambs, book and film, incorporated character traits of multiple serial killers in the depiction of Jame Gumb, the psychopath hunted by FBI agent Clarice Starling — with a little help from the imprisoned Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter, himself a (still-mysterious) amalgam of stranger-than-fiction monsters of past and present.
While the profoundly disturbing thriller Se7en reeked with authentic nihilism, and films like Dawn of the Dead and Hostel took blood-soaked pains to offer satiric commentaries on the sorry state of humanity, there’s an entire genre of films that bypass the more commercial goals of “escapism” in favor of more directly dramatizing the horrific tales we’ve read about in the newspapers, pored over in paperback, or seen described...
- 3/15/2010
- by Movies Unlimited
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
At the request of our readers, we recently brought back the Music version of the Chopping List after an extended hiatus, and while the past few weeks have been light on the music front, this week changes that in a big way. Below the jump you'll find this week's list. With so many genres to cover, this is in no way comprehensive, but features 21 highlights we think you're gonna dig. We've hand-picked an assortment that runs the gamut from Soundtracks to metal, goth, alternative, punk, and more.
What will you be listening to this week?
The Book Of Eli - Soundtrack - Reprise Records
The Book of Eli Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features an original score by composer/musician/producer Atticus Ross, marking his third collaboration with the Hughes Brothers and his first feature film score. Ross' music is a unique hybrid score of electronic and organic elements; writing with...
What will you be listening to this week?
The Book Of Eli - Soundtrack - Reprise Records
The Book of Eli Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features an original score by composer/musician/producer Atticus Ross, marking his third collaboration with the Hughes Brothers and his first feature film score. Ross' music is a unique hybrid score of electronic and organic elements; writing with...
- 1/10/2010
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
- Fangoria
Dom DeLuise, who brought his unique comedic gifts to many films passed away Monday evening in his sleep, according to his son's publicist. He was 75.
DeLuise appeared in several Mel Brooks films, including Blazing Saddles and Silent Movie. Later, he was a frequent co-star of Burt Reynolds, appearing in films like The End, Smokey and the Bandit II and The Cannonball Run.
Reynolds released a statement to Entertainment Tonight Tuesday morning. "I was thinking the other day about this," Reynolds said. "As you get older you think about this more and more, I was dreading this moment. Dom always made everyone feel better when he was around. I never heard him say an unkind word about anyone. I will miss him very much."
DeLuise was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1933. In the 1960s he had bit parts in a handful of movies, including Fail Safe (1964), but became well known...
DeLuise appeared in several Mel Brooks films, including Blazing Saddles and Silent Movie. Later, he was a frequent co-star of Burt Reynolds, appearing in films like The End, Smokey and the Bandit II and The Cannonball Run.
Reynolds released a statement to Entertainment Tonight Tuesday morning. "I was thinking the other day about this," Reynolds said. "As you get older you think about this more and more, I was dreading this moment. Dom always made everyone feel better when he was around. I never heard him say an unkind word about anyone. I will miss him very much."
DeLuise was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1933. In the 1960s he had bit parts in a handful of movies, including Fail Safe (1964), but became well known...
- 5/5/2009
- CinemaSpy
By Lee Pfeiffer
Dom DeLuise, the beloved comic actor of TV and feature films, has died at age 75. No details about cause of death have yet been released. DeLuise was a familiar face to moviegoers, generally playing second banana in many classic comedies. He was a favorite of Mel Brooks, who gave him prominent roles in Blazing Saddles, The Twelve Chairs, The History of the World: Part 1and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. DeLuise was also a close friend and co-star of Burt Reynolds. The two made both Cannonball Run films together and memorably starred in the dark comedy about death, The End in which DeLuise gave a hilarious performance as an escaped mental patient. In a rare starring role, DeLuise got to display both his comedic and dramatic skills in Fatso, a touching film directed by Anne Bancroft that centered on a man's lifelong battle with obesity. He also...
Dom DeLuise, the beloved comic actor of TV and feature films, has died at age 75. No details about cause of death have yet been released. DeLuise was a familiar face to moviegoers, generally playing second banana in many classic comedies. He was a favorite of Mel Brooks, who gave him prominent roles in Blazing Saddles, The Twelve Chairs, The History of the World: Part 1and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. DeLuise was also a close friend and co-star of Burt Reynolds. The two made both Cannonball Run films together and memorably starred in the dark comedy about death, The End in which DeLuise gave a hilarious performance as an escaped mental patient. In a rare starring role, DeLuise got to display both his comedic and dramatic skills in Fatso, a touching film directed by Anne Bancroft that centered on a man's lifelong battle with obesity. He also...
- 5/5/2009
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Not an easy list to make. All of us have our personal favorites and quickly this list filled up fast with all those flicks that I personally love but maybe don't fit the criteria of 'underrated.'
What's the criteria? Movies that have been mauled by critics, word of mouth or quite simply - no one seen them. Time to revist some of these pictures and remind yourself how good they really are...
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Number 10: Fail-Safe (1964)
6 years after making classic 12 Angry Men (1957), Sidney Lumet made another. Released the same year as Dr. Strangelove, Fail Safe was seen as Strangelove's little brother but upon revisit it's a cruelly ignored political drama that stands alone as the serious alternative to Kubrick's satire.
Number 9: Psycho 2 (1983)
Made 13 years after the original, Psycho 2 is much much better than it has any right to be. Marketed as a quick cash-in at the beginning 80's horror boom,...
What's the criteria? Movies that have been mauled by critics, word of mouth or quite simply - no one seen them. Time to revist some of these pictures and remind yourself how good they really are...
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Number 10: Fail-Safe (1964)
6 years after making classic 12 Angry Men (1957), Sidney Lumet made another. Released the same year as Dr. Strangelove, Fail Safe was seen as Strangelove's little brother but upon revisit it's a cruelly ignored political drama that stands alone as the serious alternative to Kubrick's satire.
Number 9: Psycho 2 (1983)
Made 13 years after the original, Psycho 2 is much much better than it has any right to be. Marketed as a quick cash-in at the beginning 80's horror boom,...
- 3/15/2009
- by admin
He’s the Chief Executive, the Chief Legislator, the Commander-In-Chief, the Chief Diplomat, and just about the Chief Everything. The President of the USA is one of the most symbolic and fictionalised figures in the world.
Barack Obama is inaugurated this week. Will he be able to sort out Iraq? Fix the economy? Restore faith and pride into a divided America? No one knows, but what we can do is look back at some of Hollywood’s offers of President of the United States, and see how they sized up to mighty challenges.
These are the Top Ten Movie Presidents to ever grace our screens.
10. President “Unknown Name” - Henry Fonda (Fail Safe)
In a movie that is practically the serious drama version of Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove; Henry Fonda plays a president on the brink of nuclear destruction. After an accidental breach of Russian security, a missile is launched and is heading for Moscow,...
Barack Obama is inaugurated this week. Will he be able to sort out Iraq? Fix the economy? Restore faith and pride into a divided America? No one knows, but what we can do is look back at some of Hollywood’s offers of President of the United States, and see how they sized up to mighty challenges.
These are the Top Ten Movie Presidents to ever grace our screens.
10. President “Unknown Name” - Henry Fonda (Fail Safe)
In a movie that is practically the serious drama version of Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove; Henry Fonda plays a president on the brink of nuclear destruction. After an accidental breach of Russian security, a missile is launched and is heading for Moscow,...
- 1/22/2009
- by Tomas Hinton
- Movie-moron.com
'Skip' pilot up next for Frears
Oscar-nominated director Stephen Frears is venturing into American series TV with CBS' drama pilot Skip Tracer, which he is set to direct and executive produce.
The project, from CBS Paramount Network TV, stars Stephen Dorff as a skip tracer -- a guy who finds people who have tried to disappear.
In addition to directing, Frears is executive producing the pilot with the project's writers Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green as well as Dorff and Tucker Tooley.
Frears has a relationship with CBS. In 2000, he directed the network's live restaging of Fail Safe, spearheaded by and starring George Clooney.
Frears is nominated for an Academy Award for directing The Queen. He also was nominated for an Oscar for directing the 1990 feature The Grifters.
Frears, whose credits also include Mrs. Henderson Presents and High Fidelity, is repped by ICM and U.K.-based Casarotto Ramsay & Associates.
In pilot pickup news, CW has given a presentation order to a drama from writer Maggie Friedman.
The project, from Warner Bros. TV, centers on a young life coach in New York who, while struggling with her life and relationships, uses her magical powers to help people who are desperate to overcome their problems.
The project, from CBS Paramount Network TV, stars Stephen Dorff as a skip tracer -- a guy who finds people who have tried to disappear.
In addition to directing, Frears is executive producing the pilot with the project's writers Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green as well as Dorff and Tucker Tooley.
Frears has a relationship with CBS. In 2000, he directed the network's live restaging of Fail Safe, spearheaded by and starring George Clooney.
Frears is nominated for an Academy Award for directing The Queen. He also was nominated for an Oscar for directing the 1990 feature The Grifters.
Frears, whose credits also include Mrs. Henderson Presents and High Fidelity, is repped by ICM and U.K.-based Casarotto Ramsay & Associates.
In pilot pickup news, CW has given a presentation order to a drama from writer Maggie Friedman.
The project, from Warner Bros. TV, centers on a young life coach in New York who, while struggling with her life and relationships, uses her magical powers to help people who are desperate to overcome their problems.
- 2/6/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sepulveda sr. vp at WBTV
Veteran WBTV casting director Anthony Sepulveda has been promoted to senior vp at the studio's casting department, headed by senior vp casting Mary Buck. Additionally, John Power has rejoined WBTV as director of casting. Sepulveda, an 18-year WBTV veteran, was upped from vp. He has been nominated for an Emmy for his casting work on The West Wing and Fail Safe. His credits also include Friends, The Drew Carey Show, Family Matters and Knots Landing. Power, who was manager of casting at WBTV's New York office from 2002-05, most recently was a casting executive at NBC, working on the pilots Heroes and Kidnapped, the series The Office and Las Vegas and the final season of Will & Grace.
- 8/3/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sound Of Music Duo Fall Into Pond
The stars of movie classic Sound of Music, The (1965) are teaming up again - on live TV. Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, who starred in the well-loved musical, are to be co-stars in a production of On Golden Pond which will be aired live on American television in the spring. The classic play is the latest at a live broadcast, following the success of George Clooney's project Fail Safe (2000)(TV).
- 11/8/2000
- WENN
Richard Dreyfuss Gets The Presidential Jitters
Richard Dreyfuss has confirmed he's one celebrity who definitely won't be running for President - after taking on the role for the screen. The Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) star is to become the next screen American President in the upcoming live television film Fail Safe (2000) (TV) in which he stars alongside Harvey Keitel, George Clooney and Noah Wyle. But unlike former President Ronald Reagan and actor Warren Beatty, Dreyfuss says the experience has taught him never to let his political aspirations stray from the screen. He says, "I play the President of the United States in a nuclear crisis. The film takes place in the mid 1950s-1960s." "I'm modelling my role on my own fantasy of being President. But it's a pretty scary position to be in. The world does seem to scrunch right down to one terrible moment of awesome responsibility. No way would I like to have to do it."...
- 3/30/2000
- WENN
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