Led Zeppelin’s September 4, 1970 concert at the LA Forum is one of the group’s most famous concerts, thanks to the Live on Blueberry Hill LP that is widely credited as one of the first rock bootlegs. But footage from the show wasn’t seen until earlier this week when seven tantalizing minutes hit YouTube. Check it out right here.
The footage was shot by a fan named Eddie Vincent, who snuck a Kodak Brownie 8mm camera into the arena. “When my friends and I got to the Forum, I tucked it under my jacket,...
The footage was shot by a fan named Eddie Vincent, who snuck a Kodak Brownie 8mm camera into the arena. “When my friends and I got to the Forum, I tucked it under my jacket,...
- 9/6/2022
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
An A-list panel was invited to discuss the question of animated film for adults in a conversation entitled “What Is Adult Animation Film’s Strategy and Where Is It Headed?” at the Cannes Film Market’s fourth edition of Animation Day on Sunday.
Panelists included Dutch-born French filmmaker Jan Kounen, who also presented his latest project “Epiphania” in the morning’s pitching sessions, alongside Sun Creature (“Flee”) co-founder and producer Charlotte de La Gournerie, Bruno Felix, founder and co-ceo of Amsterdam-based Submarine, and Amel Lacombe, CEO and founder of Paris-based indie distributor Eurozoom.
Asked whether the perception of adult animation is evolving, Lacombe, who heads Europe’s leading theatrical distributor of Japanese animation, alluded to the genre’s exponential growth over the past two years, saying: “Change will come with big money and big business. Audiences are ready to go to theaters to see animation for adults. A few months ago,...
Panelists included Dutch-born French filmmaker Jan Kounen, who also presented his latest project “Epiphania” in the morning’s pitching sessions, alongside Sun Creature (“Flee”) co-founder and producer Charlotte de La Gournerie, Bruno Felix, founder and co-ceo of Amsterdam-based Submarine, and Amel Lacombe, CEO and founder of Paris-based indie distributor Eurozoom.
Asked whether the perception of adult animation is evolving, Lacombe, who heads Europe’s leading theatrical distributor of Japanese animation, alluded to the genre’s exponential growth over the past two years, saying: “Change will come with big money and big business. Audiences are ready to go to theaters to see animation for adults. A few months ago,...
- 5/23/2022
- by Lise Pedersen
- Variety Film + TV
The fourth edition of Animation Day, which is part of the Cannes Film Festival’s Market, will take place on May 22.
A one-day event aimed at the global animation filmmaking community, it is a joint initiative launched in 2019 by the Cannes Film Market and the Annecy Intl. Animation Film Festival, in partnership with Animation! Ventana Sur, the animation branch of Latin America’s leading film market.
This edition will kick off with the Annecy Goes to Cannes pitching sessions, featuring five works-in-progress projects at various stages of development. Attendees will also be able to attend a morning panel discussion entitled “What Is Adult Animation Film’s Strategy and Where Is It Headed?,” which will address the question of the animated film offer for adults, both in theaters and on smaller screens, as viewing habits evolve.
Panelists include Dutch-born French filmmaker Jan Kounen, who is also presenting his latest project “Epiphania” in the pitching sessions,...
A one-day event aimed at the global animation filmmaking community, it is a joint initiative launched in 2019 by the Cannes Film Market and the Annecy Intl. Animation Film Festival, in partnership with Animation! Ventana Sur, the animation branch of Latin America’s leading film market.
This edition will kick off with the Annecy Goes to Cannes pitching sessions, featuring five works-in-progress projects at various stages of development. Attendees will also be able to attend a morning panel discussion entitled “What Is Adult Animation Film’s Strategy and Where Is It Headed?,” which will address the question of the animated film offer for adults, both in theaters and on smaller screens, as viewing habits evolve.
Panelists include Dutch-born French filmmaker Jan Kounen, who is also presenting his latest project “Epiphania” in the pitching sessions,...
- 5/17/2022
- by Lise Pedersen
- Variety Film + TV
Whether it’s coming out of Nashville, New York, L.A., or points in between, there’s no shortage of fresh tunes, especially from artists who have yet to become household names. Rolling Stone Country selects some of the best new music releases from country and Americana artists.
Morgan Wade, “Wilder Days”
“I wish I’d known you in your wilder days,” Morgan Wade sings to a hot-and-cold lover in this polished country-rock gem off her upcoming debut LP Reckless, produced by the 400 Unit’s Sadler Vaden. The guitars chime,...
Morgan Wade, “Wilder Days”
“I wish I’d known you in your wilder days,” Morgan Wade sings to a hot-and-cold lover in this polished country-rock gem off her upcoming debut LP Reckless, produced by the 400 Unit’s Sadler Vaden. The guitars chime,...
- 1/25/2021
- by Jon Freeman and Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Jan Kounen’s comedy “My Cousin,” starring Vincent Lindon and François Damiens, will be one of the biggest French releases of the year. The film screens Friday at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris. In an exclusive interview with Variety, he talks about his key motivations for the project.
“My Cousin” is about two cousins (Lindon and Damiens) with wildly incompatible personalities and different ways of life, set in a luxurious Bordeaux vineyard. It marks a major new departure for Kounen, and is his first feature film for 11 years, after his 2009 Cannes closing film, “Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky.”
Kounen has a cult following from previous pics such as “Dobermann” (1997), and spiritual Western “Blueberry” (2004), and is well known for his interest in shamanism, including his 2004 documentary “Other Worlds.” This interest has fed into his recent Vr projects – “Ayahuasca” (Kosmik Journey), “7 Lives” and “-22.7°C.”
“My Cousin” is produced by Richard Grandpierre’s Eskwad,...
“My Cousin” is about two cousins (Lindon and Damiens) with wildly incompatible personalities and different ways of life, set in a luxurious Bordeaux vineyard. It marks a major new departure for Kounen, and is his first feature film for 11 years, after his 2009 Cannes closing film, “Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky.”
Kounen has a cult following from previous pics such as “Dobermann” (1997), and spiritual Western “Blueberry” (2004), and is well known for his interest in shamanism, including his 2004 documentary “Other Worlds.” This interest has fed into his recent Vr projects – “Ayahuasca” (Kosmik Journey), “7 Lives” and “-22.7°C.”
“My Cousin” is produced by Richard Grandpierre’s Eskwad,...
- 1/16/2020
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
Director Jan Kounen has been a favorite here at Twitch pretty much since the site's inception. Coming from an art school background and beginning with animated short films, Kounen has since carved a completely personal and unique career path, and proved himself impossible to pigeonhole. He established a cult following with his first feature, the hyper-stylized, ultra-violent gangster film Dobermann, but rather than following that up with more of the same, he has since made documentaries about Shaminism and Eastern spiritual figures, created a singular, mystic reworking of the Western with Blueberry (Aka Renegade), taken on the modern advertising world in 99 Francs and (deep breath) and chronicled an infamous love affair with the chamber-drama Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky.It's no surprise then that L'Etrange...
- 9/12/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Ernest Borgnine has died at the age of 95. We look back over his career in clips
Borgnine's first screen credit was, somewhat improbably, as a Chinese gambling-den operator called Hu Chang in a studio thriller called China Corsair. After more bit parts as racketeers, heavies and gun-toting villains, Borgnine put himself on the map with the memorably-named nasty Fatso Judson in From Here to Eternity. The aggressive, loutish Judson, quick with a switchblade, is the guard sergeant in the stockade, where he eventually does for the mercurial Angelo Maggio (played by Frank Sinatra).
Borgnine progressed to a string of more visible henchman roles – in Johnny Guitar, Vera Cruz, The Bounty Hunter – but probably his best from this period is another fight-picking bruiser from Bad Day at Black Rock – "I'm half horse, half alligator. You mess with me and I'll kick a lung outta' ya'."
Bad Day at Black Rock was...
Borgnine's first screen credit was, somewhat improbably, as a Chinese gambling-den operator called Hu Chang in a studio thriller called China Corsair. After more bit parts as racketeers, heavies and gun-toting villains, Borgnine put himself on the map with the memorably-named nasty Fatso Judson in From Here to Eternity. The aggressive, loutish Judson, quick with a switchblade, is the guard sergeant in the stockade, where he eventually does for the mercurial Angelo Maggio (played by Frank Sinatra).
Borgnine progressed to a string of more visible henchman roles – in Johnny Guitar, Vera Cruz, The Bounty Hunter – but probably his best from this period is another fight-picking bruiser from Bad Day at Black Rock – "I'm half horse, half alligator. You mess with me and I'll kick a lung outta' ya'."
Bad Day at Black Rock was...
- 7/9/2012
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 176 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2012 to the Academy.s roster of members.
.These film professionals represent some of the most talented, most passionate contributors to our industry,. said Academy President Tom Sherak. .I.m glad to recognize that by calling each of them a fellow Academy member..
Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.
The 2012 invitees are:
Actors
Simon Baker . .Margin Call,. .L.A. Confidential.
Sean Bean . .Flightplan,. .The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Bérénice Bejo . .The Artist,. .Oss 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies.
Tom Berenger . .Inception,. .Platoon.
Demián Bichir . .A Better Life,. .Che.
Jessica Chastain . .The Help,. .The Tree of Life.
Clifton Collins,...
.These film professionals represent some of the most talented, most passionate contributors to our industry,. said Academy President Tom Sherak. .I.m glad to recognize that by calling each of them a fellow Academy member..
Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.
The 2012 invitees are:
Actors
Simon Baker . .Margin Call,. .L.A. Confidential.
Sean Bean . .Flightplan,. .The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Bérénice Bejo . .The Artist,. .Oss 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies.
Tom Berenger . .Inception,. .Platoon.
Demián Bichir . .A Better Life,. .Che.
Jessica Chastain . .The Help,. .The Tree of Life.
Clifton Collins,...
- 6/29/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Here at ComicMix we’ve run a couple tributes to Jean Giraud, a.k.a. Moebius. Michael Davis did his yesterday, Glenn Hauman wrote the obituary on Saturday. There might be more coming because Jean Giraud, a.k.a. Moebius, was exactly that important. Here’s how this master of our beloved medium affected me.
It was December 31, 1973, and I was in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Quebec is Canada’s most French province, and most of the people speak French-Canadian and most of the signs and radio stations are in French. They care about their heritage and their culture and, surrounded by the United States and Ontario, they have an understandably protectionist attitude.
So there I was in downtown Montreal. To be specific, I was in a Woolworth’s, then a distinctly United States institution, now sadly missed. There is no easier way to absorb the cultural differences than to see how others interpret our stuff,...
It was December 31, 1973, and I was in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Quebec is Canada’s most French province, and most of the people speak French-Canadian and most of the signs and radio stations are in French. They care about their heritage and their culture and, surrounded by the United States and Ontario, they have an understandably protectionist attitude.
So there I was in downtown Montreal. To be specific, I was in a Woolworth’s, then a distinctly United States institution, now sadly missed. There is no easier way to absorb the cultural differences than to see how others interpret our stuff,...
- 3/14/2012
- by Mike Gold
- Comicmix.com
French comic book artist internationally known by his pen names Moebius and Gir
The artist Jean Giraud was principally known for his work on comic books under two pen names. As Gir, the co-creator of Blueberry, one of France's most popular strips, his brushwork was detailed and realistic; as Moebius, he used intricate, visually arresting penwork to explore the subconscious in his creations Arzach, Le Garage Hermétique (The Airtight Garage) and L'Incal (The Incal). But Giraud, who has died of cancer aged 73, had an impact on the visual arts that went beyond comics. He was seen as a figurehead linking bandes dessinées with modernism and nouveau réalisme. As the co-creator of Métal Hurlant magazine, he took comics to an older, more literate audience. In cinema, his fans ranged from Federico Fellini to Hayao Miyazaki and his style influenced dozens of others, including Ridley Scott, George Lucas, James Cameron and Luc Besson.
The artist Jean Giraud was principally known for his work on comic books under two pen names. As Gir, the co-creator of Blueberry, one of France's most popular strips, his brushwork was detailed and realistic; as Moebius, he used intricate, visually arresting penwork to explore the subconscious in his creations Arzach, Le Garage Hermétique (The Airtight Garage) and L'Incal (The Incal). But Giraud, who has died of cancer aged 73, had an impact on the visual arts that went beyond comics. He was seen as a figurehead linking bandes dessinées with modernism and nouveau réalisme. As the co-creator of Métal Hurlant magazine, he took comics to an older, more literate audience. In cinema, his fans ranged from Federico Fellini to Hayao Miyazaki and his style influenced dozens of others, including Ridley Scott, George Lucas, James Cameron and Luc Besson.
- 3/13/2012
- by Steve Holland
- The Guardian - Film News
French comic book artist Jean Giraud has died at the age of 73.
Giraud, who was also known by the name Moebius, passed away in Paris, France on Friday night after a battle with cancer.
He began his career as an illustrator in the advertising industry, but went on to create a number of famous comic book characters, including French creation Lieutenant Blueberry and a collaboration with Marvel boss Stan Lee on the Silver Surfer.
Giraud also worked on storyboards for a number of science fiction films and helped create the look of Sir Ridley Scott's Alien and 1982's Tron, as well as The Abyss, The Fifth Element, Willow and Masters of the Universe.
Giraud, who was also known by the name Moebius, passed away in Paris, France on Friday night after a battle with cancer.
He began his career as an illustrator in the advertising industry, but went on to create a number of famous comic book characters, including French creation Lieutenant Blueberry and a collaboration with Marvel boss Stan Lee on the Silver Surfer.
Giraud also worked on storyboards for a number of science fiction films and helped create the look of Sir Ridley Scott's Alien and 1982's Tron, as well as The Abyss, The Fifth Element, Willow and Masters of the Universe.
- 3/11/2012
- WENN
Moebius, the legendary French comics artist, has died at the age of 73. Jean Giraud passed away in Paris after a long illness, bringing to the end a career spanning over 50 years, reports the BBC. Best known in France for his work on Fort Navajo and its spin-off Blueberry, Moebius also famously teamed with Stan Lee on Silver Surfer: Parable in 1988. He was also active in the movie industry, producing concept artwork and storyboards for sci-fi classics including Alien, Tron, The Abyss and The Fifth Element. "When anyone challenges the worth of comics as an art, you can always bash (more)...
- 3/11/2012
- by By Hugh Armitage
- Digital Spy
The French comic book illustrator and designer Jean Giraud, aka 'Moebius' has died.
Born Jean Henri Gaston Giraud in Nogent-sur-Marne, France in 1938, Giraud started his art career for the French advertising and fashion industries before going on to become of the country’s most popular comic strip artists, later finding fame in North America and Japan.
Among his most famous works is the long-running series "Blueberry", the story of a western anti-hero he co-created with writer Jean-Michel Charlier.
In 1975 he revived his 'Moebius' pseudonym and with Jean-Pierre Dionnet, Philippe Druillet and Bernard Farkas founded the magazine "Métal Hurlant" aka "Heavy Metal", showcasing Moebius' serial "The Airtight Garage" and the groundbreaking "Arzach".
In 1982 he collaborated with director René Laloux to create the science fiction feature-length animated movie "Les Maîtres du temps" (released in English as "Time Masters") based on a novel by author Stefan Wul.
He continued to contribute storyboards and...
Born Jean Henri Gaston Giraud in Nogent-sur-Marne, France in 1938, Giraud started his art career for the French advertising and fashion industries before going on to become of the country’s most popular comic strip artists, later finding fame in North America and Japan.
Among his most famous works is the long-running series "Blueberry", the story of a western anti-hero he co-created with writer Jean-Michel Charlier.
In 1975 he revived his 'Moebius' pseudonym and with Jean-Pierre Dionnet, Philippe Druillet and Bernard Farkas founded the magazine "Métal Hurlant" aka "Heavy Metal", showcasing Moebius' serial "The Airtight Garage" and the groundbreaking "Arzach".
In 1982 he collaborated with director René Laloux to create the science fiction feature-length animated movie "Les Maîtres du temps" (released in English as "Time Masters") based on a novel by author Stefan Wul.
He continued to contribute storyboards and...
- 3/11/2012
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
French artist Jean Giraud aka Moebius has passed away at age 73, according to the BBC (via THR). He is best known for creating the Western anti-hero Blueberry, which first appeared in 1963 in France. The character was "a loner who traveled the post-Civil War American West after being framed for a murder he did not commit. The character started out as a racist but came to oppose discrimination of all kinds."
American fans known him for his work on the two-part Silver Surfer mini-series he scripted with Stan Lee. The comic won an Eisner Award. He also worked on concepts and storyboards for numerous science fiction films, including Alien,Tron, The Abyss, and The Fifth Element. He also co-created the feature-length animated science fiction film Les Maîtres du temps, which was released in English as Time Masters.
Giraud's work was featured in a retrospective exhibition in 2010 at the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art in Paris.
American fans known him for his work on the two-part Silver Surfer mini-series he scripted with Stan Lee. The comic won an Eisner Award. He also worked on concepts and storyboards for numerous science fiction films, including Alien,Tron, The Abyss, and The Fifth Element. He also co-created the feature-length animated science fiction film Les Maîtres du temps, which was released in English as Time Masters.
Giraud's work was featured in a retrospective exhibition in 2010 at the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art in Paris.
- 3/11/2012
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
The younger geek won't remember the skulking atmosphere in which Sf was trying to breathe through most of the 1970s, and neither will they remember the extraordinary, often adult-oriented world of Heavy Metal, the English-language edition of the famed Sf dystopian comic-fest Metal Hurlant. Nor yet how many of those strange fantasies and amazing designs were created by the man known as 'Moebius' - Jean Giraud, who died of cancer today at the age of 73.
The man was a breath of fresh air in that struggling decade for science-fiction and futurism.
Director Ridley Scott, already an admirer of the French comic artist (who had by the mid-1970s amassed much-admired coffee-table books of illustrations, apart from his esteemed contributions to Heavy Metal and the comics world) was easily persuaded by Alien creator Dan O'Bannon to bring Moebius on-board as another artistic refugee, from Jodorowsky's Dune, to Alien. He came together...
The man was a breath of fresh air in that struggling decade for science-fiction and futurism.
Director Ridley Scott, already an admirer of the French comic artist (who had by the mid-1970s amassed much-admired coffee-table books of illustrations, apart from his esteemed contributions to Heavy Metal and the comics world) was easily persuaded by Alien creator Dan O'Bannon to bring Moebius on-board as another artistic refugee, from Jodorowsky's Dune, to Alien. He came together...
- 3/10/2012
- Shadowlocked
The legendary French artist Moebius, whose real name was Jean Giraud, died at age 73, according to the BBC. Giraud's career spanned more than fifty years. His most famous creation was the Western anti-hero Blueberry, which first appeared in 1963 in France. Blueberry was a loner who traveled the post-Civil War American West after being framed for a murder he did not commit. The character started out as a racist but came to oppose discrimination of all kinds. To American comics fans he is probably best known for a two-part Silver Surfer mini-series he scripted with
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- 3/10/2012
- by Andy Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
He was born Jean Henri Gaston Giraud but the world will always remember him by his chosen name: Moebius. The legendary French comic book artist, writer, conceptual design and illustrator passed away yesterday at the age of 72 after succumbing to a lengthy battle with cancer.
Even if you didn't know of his name, if you had seen Alien, Tron, The Fifth Element or The Abyss, you had seen his work. The astronaut suits that Dallas, Kane and Lambert wore in Alien were his creation; several of the light suits in Tron, the look of the futuristic New York City in The Fifth Element, and while he contributed designs of the underwater NTIs in The Abyss, James Cameron went instead for a different design.
It was in the pages of the French comic book magazine Metal Hurlant (known to western audiences by the name Heavy Metal) that Moebius first rose to fame.
Even if you didn't know of his name, if you had seen Alien, Tron, The Fifth Element or The Abyss, you had seen his work. The astronaut suits that Dallas, Kane and Lambert wore in Alien were his creation; several of the light suits in Tron, the look of the futuristic New York City in The Fifth Element, and while he contributed designs of the underwater NTIs in The Abyss, James Cameron went instead for a different design.
It was in the pages of the French comic book magazine Metal Hurlant (known to western audiences by the name Heavy Metal) that Moebius first rose to fame.
- 3/10/2012
- by Patrick Sauriol
- Corona's Coming Attractions
The BBC has bad news to report: Jean Henri Gaston Giraud, who first came to widespread prominence in America with the importing of Heavy Metal and known worldwide to his fans as Moebius, has died in Paris after a long battle with cancer. He was 73.
He was popular in the Us and Japan, working with legend Stan Lee and manga artists, as well as in his homeland.
He also worked on design concepts and storyboards for a number of top science fiction films, including Alien, Tron, The Abyss and The Fifth Element.
Giraud trained at art school and turned to comics after working as an illustrator in the advertising and fashion industries.
His best known work in his native country was probably the Lieutenant Blueberry character but he also worked on the Silver Surfer with Stan Lee.
via BBC News – France comics artist Jean Giraud – Moebius – dies at 73.
Active in comics since the 60s,...
He was popular in the Us and Japan, working with legend Stan Lee and manga artists, as well as in his homeland.
He also worked on design concepts and storyboards for a number of top science fiction films, including Alien, Tron, The Abyss and The Fifth Element.
Giraud trained at art school and turned to comics after working as an illustrator in the advertising and fashion industries.
His best known work in his native country was probably the Lieutenant Blueberry character but he also worked on the Silver Surfer with Stan Lee.
via BBC News – France comics artist Jean Giraud – Moebius – dies at 73.
Active in comics since the 60s,...
- 3/10/2012
- by Glenn Hauman
- Comicmix.com
Just one week after the loss of the highly influential Ralph McQuarrie, a key figure in creating the look of Star Wars, another luminary figure of visual design and artistry has passed on. French comic book creator and film concept designer Jean Giraud, better known as Moebius, passed away today in Paris, at the age of 73. Moebius was crucial in creating the looks for such films as Alien, Tron, Masters of the Universe, The Abyss, Willow, and The Fifth Element. As a comics artist in his native France he was held in the highest of artistic circles, co-creating with Belgian writer Jean-Michel Charlier the classic anti-western Blueberry; on his own, the pterodactyl-riding Arzach, and with Alejandro Jodorowsky, the sci-fi series The Incal. In America...
- 3/10/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Deep Winter
Stars: Kellan Lutz, Eric Lively, Peyton List, Luke Goss, Michael Madsen, Robert Carradine | Written and Directed by Mikey Hilb
Renegade downhill skier Tyler Crowe (Lively) and his best friend, snowboarder Mark Rider (Lutz), may adopt different methods of descent but they’re both addicted to the rush of living on the edge and making a perfect run in seemingly impossible conditions. Reunited for the first time in years following Tyler’s recent undignified departure from his ski team, the pair set their sights on making history by conquering a legendarily unrideable mountain known as “The Meteorite” and catching it all on film for extreme sports video producer Stephen Weaks (Goss). On hand to assist them is helicopter pilot and veteran mountain guide Dean (Madsen), whose former partner was killed making his own attempt to descend the notorious peak. As the day of reckoning approaches, tensions arise and the...
Stars: Kellan Lutz, Eric Lively, Peyton List, Luke Goss, Michael Madsen, Robert Carradine | Written and Directed by Mikey Hilb
Renegade downhill skier Tyler Crowe (Lively) and his best friend, snowboarder Mark Rider (Lutz), may adopt different methods of descent but they’re both addicted to the rush of living on the edge and making a perfect run in seemingly impossible conditions. Reunited for the first time in years following Tyler’s recent undignified departure from his ski team, the pair set their sights on making history by conquering a legendarily unrideable mountain known as “The Meteorite” and catching it all on film for extreme sports video producer Stephen Weaks (Goss). On hand to assist them is helicopter pilot and veteran mountain guide Dean (Madsen), whose former partner was killed making his own attempt to descend the notorious peak. As the day of reckoning approaches, tensions arise and the...
- 10/8/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Americans have realised the global box-office potential of comic-book adaptations. So why are the creators themselves – the French and Belgians – failing to cash in on the comic strip?
Comic-book fans love an alternate universe, so let's build one for them: how about a world in which cinema isn't clogged up with comic-book adaptations full of superheroes with tedious identity issues? In which audiences are flocking to see a different kind of crisply pencilled protagonist leap off the page: girl adventurers, boy reporters, reluctant CEOs, indomitable Gauls and lysergic cowboys.
Guess what? This alternate universe could be about to invade ours, if the little blue men have their way. A blow was struck for the Franco-Belgian comic-book tradition over the last three weekends, as Sony's Smurfs adaptation knocked Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 off its overseas box-office perch. Having taken $329m worldwide to date, it's already the year's 11th biggest film,...
Comic-book fans love an alternate universe, so let's build one for them: how about a world in which cinema isn't clogged up with comic-book adaptations full of superheroes with tedious identity issues? In which audiences are flocking to see a different kind of crisply pencilled protagonist leap off the page: girl adventurers, boy reporters, reluctant CEOs, indomitable Gauls and lysergic cowboys.
Guess what? This alternate universe could be about to invade ours, if the little blue men have their way. A blow was struck for the Franco-Belgian comic-book tradition over the last three weekends, as Sony's Smurfs adaptation knocked Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 off its overseas box-office perch. Having taken $329m worldwide to date, it's already the year's 11th biggest film,...
- 8/23/2011
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
It is our very sincere opinion here at Twitch that French director Jan Kounen (Dobermann, 99 Francs) has never really received the international recognition that he deserves. Perhaps the failure of his English language western Blueberry (aka Renegade) turned the international market against him or perhaps people are simply confused by his long standing fixation with shamanism but for whatever reason Kounen's potent blend of visual skill, flair for action and sheer audaciousness has never really made the impact that many though it would.But regardless of what the world at large may think, we love the guy and anxiously await whatever he may choose to do next. And, at the moment, that appears to be a television adaptation of Jean-Christophe Grange's novel Flight Of...
- 4/25/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Paul MacInnes tuned in at 12:15pm to watch classic 1972 upside-down-ocean-liner drama The Poseidon Adventure. It was a grand end to our week of liveblogging films from the TV. See what happened here
2.24pm: "If you're a blogger and you've been watching with us this week, it's been lovely Channel Four". I don't think that was delivered quite as it was intended. But thanks! We lovely you too!
Conclusions: This film is terrible. High concept, tedious execution, with bizarre relgious allegory layered on top for good measure. At least it was absolutely jam-packed with Seventies cliches - like sexual exploitation and shouting.
It's been an absolute pleasure to share this movie with you. Let's do it again some time!
2.21pm: One last shot of Susan and Nonnie (Hippy's) thighs, and we're free!
Final survivor count (unless the chopper blows up unexpectedly): Borgnine, Susan, Nonny, Mr Rosen, Cagoule Kid, and Mr Red Buttons.
2.24pm: "If you're a blogger and you've been watching with us this week, it's been lovely Channel Four". I don't think that was delivered quite as it was intended. But thanks! We lovely you too!
Conclusions: This film is terrible. High concept, tedious execution, with bizarre relgious allegory layered on top for good measure. At least it was absolutely jam-packed with Seventies cliches - like sexual exploitation and shouting.
It's been an absolute pleasure to share this movie with you. Let's do it again some time!
2.21pm: One last shot of Susan and Nonnie (Hippy's) thighs, and we're free!
Final survivor count (unless the chopper blows up unexpectedly): Borgnine, Susan, Nonny, Mr Rosen, Cagoule Kid, and Mr Red Buttons.
- 10/8/2010
- by Paul MacInnes
- The Guardian - Film News
Among France's great younger actors, Vincent Cassel gained a fan base for portraying his nation's disenfranchised. Playing a rageful character living an aimless existence (the drama "La haine") or playing a literally lifelong criminal (the action film "Dobermann"), Cassel excelled at the quintessential angry young man. But those who have observed the skills underpinning his characterizations should not be surprised to learn that Cassel first trained at a circus school in France, at age 16, and that his earliest performances were as a street dancer and acrobat. Of course those skills came in handy for his role as the bendy burglar François Toulour in the "Ocean's" franchise. But Cassel's brilliant tour de force acting is now fully on view: "Mésrine: Killer Instinct" opens Aug. 27 in Los Angeles and New York after already winning Cassel a host of best-actor awards. (Part two of the saga, "Mésrine: Public Enemy No. 1," follows...
- 8/20/2010
- backstage.com
British writer Louis Mellis is making a strong comeback. He wrote the indie gangster hit Sexy Beast back in 2000 as well as Blueberry in 2004. It wasn't until last year that he returned again, writing the 44 Inch Chest script. Now THR is reporting that Mellis has been hired by Smuggler Films to write the screenplay for The Princess' Gangster. The film concerns the true story of Princess Margaret's affair with the gangster-turned-movie-tough-guy John Bindon in the late '60s. Interestingly, Guardian (via The Playlist) mentions that French director Jacques Audiard (of Un Prophete most recently) could possibly be directing this. Smuggler Films exec Patrick Milling Smith about choosing Mellis: "We needed someone who could give us an authentic voice, because Bindon, who could break your legs but who was also a mini-celebrity, was a force of nature. He was a real raconteur and full-on entertainer. There aren't many people who...
- 2/1/2010
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Michael Madsen calls movies "pictures" and makes a new one every couple weeks. I happened to check his IMDb page recently, and I noticed something incredible: the man acted in 25 movies released this year. 25*! Sure, they all have dubious titles like You Might As Well Live, Lost in the Woods, and Road of No Return. Sure, Madsen mostly plays characters with names like "The Reverend," "The Associate," and "Clinton Manitoba." But the sheer quantity of Madsen-imprinted cinema in 2009 deserves a special kind of acclaim. Madsen is philosophical about his workaholic output. "I'm only good when I'm busy. When I've got nothing to do,...
- 11/11/2009
- by Darren Franich
- EW.com - PopWatch
A bio-pic of a classical composer and fashion maven may not be what you’d expect from French director Jan Kounen but it’s what the hyper stylized and unpredictable helmer is turning in next. While the promo shows that this is entirely a more subdued Kounen than the one who made Dobermann, Blueberry and 99 Francs – not to mention one who has seemingly left behind his typical obsessions – he’s obviously lost none of his visual flair. Production design and cinematography are simply gorgeous and the performances look to be spot on. Which, of course, you’d fully expect from a film with Mads Mikkelsen in the lead. Now that these two have hooked up is it too much to hope for some sort of action collaboration between the two of them in the future?...
- 2/10/2009
- by Todd Brown
- Screen Anarchy
Say what you will about director Jan Kounen but his career has certainly never charted a boring or predictable course. Since making his feature debut with the ultra-violent Dobermann the Frenchman has gone on to create a psychedelic western (Blueberry), shoot documentaries on shamanism and the life of a modern Indian (as in from India) saint, and direct a hyper-stylized adaptation of stinging anti-consumerist cult novel 99 Francs. And how do you follow that up? With a biopic on the relationship between fashion icon Coco Chanel and composer Igor Stravinsky, of course.
Paris 1913, Coco Chanel is devoted to her work and madly in love with the handsome and very wealthy Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel.
At the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Igor Stravinsky premieres his “Rite of Spring”. Coco attends the premiere and is mesmerised. But the revolutionary work is too modern, too radical: the enraged audience boos and jeers. A near-riot ensues. Stravinsky is inconsolable.
Paris 1913, Coco Chanel is devoted to her work and madly in love with the handsome and very wealthy Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel.
At the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Igor Stravinsky premieres his “Rite of Spring”. Coco attends the premiere and is mesmerised. But the revolutionary work is too modern, too radical: the enraged audience boos and jeers. A near-riot ensues. Stravinsky is inconsolable.
- 11/4/2008
- by Todd Brown
- Screen Anarchy
By Neil Pedley
This week is something of a nostalgia trip with a period comedy, Freddie Prinze Jr. and a concert documentary about a group of men who, by all the laws of man and nature, should not still be alive and walking around.
"The Flight of the Red Balloon"
After being nominated for the Palme d'Or an incredible five times at Cannes, it's no wonder that director Hou Hsiao-hsien has become a Francophile. In his first film outside of Asia, the "Three Times" auteur directs the country's first lady of cinema, Juliette Binoche, in a story about an overburdened mother who receives a much-needed lift from her son's Chinese nanny (Song Fang) as they turn the City of Lights into a magical playground for the 7-year-old Simon . a tribute to Albert Lamorisse's 1956 short. In French with subtitles.
Opens in limited release.
"Jack and Jill vs. the World...
This week is something of a nostalgia trip with a period comedy, Freddie Prinze Jr. and a concert documentary about a group of men who, by all the laws of man and nature, should not still be alive and walking around.
"The Flight of the Red Balloon"
After being nominated for the Palme d'Or an incredible five times at Cannes, it's no wonder that director Hou Hsiao-hsien has become a Francophile. In his first film outside of Asia, the "Three Times" auteur directs the country's first lady of cinema, Juliette Binoche, in a story about an overburdened mother who receives a much-needed lift from her son's Chinese nanny (Song Fang) as they turn the City of Lights into a magical playground for the 7-year-old Simon . a tribute to Albert Lamorisse's 1956 short. In French with subtitles.
Opens in limited release.
"Jack and Jill vs. the World...
- 3/31/2008
- by Neil Pedley
- ifc.com
- #57. Death Instinct (L'Instinct de Mort) Director: Jean-François RichetWriters: Abdel Raouf Dafri Producers: Thomas Langmann (Blueberry) and Maxime Rémillard (Battle in Seattle) Distributor: Currently Seeking Distribution The Gist: Based on the script by Abdel Raouf Dafri this is based on the true story of a French criminal known for his clever disguises, womanizing and audacious bank robberies and jail-breaks. Fact: Jean-François Richet filmed parts I and II (Public Enemy No.1) simultaneously. See It: See footage here and you'll see what I'm talking about. Release Date/Status?: There is a small chance that volume one will play at Cannes followed by a France release in October. Cassel is a popular figure in the States now, so it is possible we'll see this one in U.S moviehouses. ...
- 1/30/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
PARIS -- Korean director Hong Sang-soo's A Tale of the Cinema will complete the lineup of films In Competition at the Festival de Cannes, organizers said Tuesday. Hong brought his film Woman Is the Future of Man to the Croisette last year. Also, two more films have been added to the Un Certain Regard sidebar. Eli, Eli, Lema Sabachthani, from Japan's Aoyama Shinji, and Marock, a France/Morocco co-production from Laila Marrakchi, complete the lineup. Marock will compete for the Camera d'Or. Organizers also announced a special screening of the documentary Darshan -- l'Etreinte, from Netherlands-born Jan Kounen (Blueberry). Selected extracts from Jean-Luc Godard's "Histoire(s) du Cinema" will be presented by the official selection and Critics' Week, and Pele Eterno (Pele Forever), a documentary by Anibal Massaini Neto, will be screened under the Cinema de la Plage (Beach Cinema) banner.
Dawson's Creek alum Joshua Jackson is joining Donald Sutherland, Juliette Lewis and Louise Fletcher in the indie Aurora Borealis. The project is lensing in Toronto. James Burke is helming from a script by Brent Boyd. Borealis centers on a troubled young man (Jackson) struggling to right himself after the premature death of his father. Sutherland and Fletcher play his grandparents, with Lewis starring as the home assistant to Sutherland's character who winds up as Jackson's love interest. Entitled Entertainment -- the production partnership between Burke and Scott Disharoon -- is producing in association with Rick Bieber Prods. Individual producing credits go to Disharoon and Bieber. Jackson is repped by WMA and Michael Bircumshaw at Water Street Management. Since the end of Creek, Jackson has worked on the indie Americano, with Dennis Hopper and Leonor Varela, I Love Your Work, for director Adam Goldberg, and as part of the voice talent in Racing Stripes. Lewis is repped by WMA and manager Brandy Lewis. She most recently starred in Old School and Cold Creek Manor. She next appears in Blueberry and Starsky & Hutch. Sutherland is repped by CAA. He next stars in Cold Mountain. Fletcher is repped by Bauman, Redanty & Shaul. She won an Oscar for her work in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Boyd is repped by Rogers Hartmann and manager Noah Rosen.
- 12/1/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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