On Dec. 11, 1998, Touchstone Pictures unveiled Wes Anderson’s Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray starrer Rushmore in theaters, where it would go on to gross $17 million domestically. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below:
This sophomore feature from director Wes Anderson (Bottle Rocket) is an unusually stylish and quirky comedy that represents a significant marketing challenge for Touchstone Pictures.
A bizarre romantic triangle among a precocious teen wunderkind, a millionaire industrialist and a young schoolteacher, Rushmore has far more imagination and wit than most major studio efforts, but it is occasionally undone by its preciousness. The presence of Bill Murray, delivering one of his sharpest comic performances in eons, should help significantly. The film screened at the recent New York Film Festival.
Jason Schwartzman, making an auspicious screen debut, plays Max Fischer, a bespectacled l0th-grader at the upscale, snotty Rushmore Academy. Max is not exactly an academic star, but...
This sophomore feature from director Wes Anderson (Bottle Rocket) is an unusually stylish and quirky comedy that represents a significant marketing challenge for Touchstone Pictures.
A bizarre romantic triangle among a precocious teen wunderkind, a millionaire industrialist and a young schoolteacher, Rushmore has far more imagination and wit than most major studio efforts, but it is occasionally undone by its preciousness. The presence of Bill Murray, delivering one of his sharpest comic performances in eons, should help significantly. The film screened at the recent New York Film Festival.
Jason Schwartzman, making an auspicious screen debut, plays Max Fischer, a bespectacled l0th-grader at the upscale, snotty Rushmore Academy. Max is not exactly an academic star, but...
- 12/9/2023
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Wes Anderson has once again recruited Jason Schwartzman for another one of his films. Over the past two decades, the pair have worked together several times, including on "Rushmore," "Fantastic Mr. Fox," and "Moonrise Kingdom." Now, Schwartzman is the star of Anderson's latest theatrical release, "Asteroid City," which premiered on June 16. The period film, which takes place during the 1950s, follows a group of gifted students and their parents who visit a desert town for the annual Junior Stargazer convention. During their stay, they experience a mysterious cosmic event together.
Schwartzman plays a war photographer named Augie Steenbeck, whose son, Woodrow (Jake Ryan), is a Junior Stargazer winner. Also making up the cast are Scarlett Johansson as actor Midge Campbell; Tom Hanks as Augie's father-in-law, Stanley Zak; Jeffrey Wright as the convention's host, General Grif Gibson; and Tilda Swinton as scientist Dr. Hickenlooper.
In addition to their star-studded casts,...
Schwartzman plays a war photographer named Augie Steenbeck, whose son, Woodrow (Jake Ryan), is a Junior Stargazer winner. Also making up the cast are Scarlett Johansson as actor Midge Campbell; Tom Hanks as Augie's father-in-law, Stanley Zak; Jeffrey Wright as the convention's host, General Grif Gibson; and Tilda Swinton as scientist Dr. Hickenlooper.
In addition to their star-studded casts,...
- 6/21/2023
- by Michele Mendez
- Popsugar.com
Gena Rowlands is the Ocar-nominated thespian who made a name for herself thanks to a series of manic, high-wire performances in several films, many of them directed by her late husband, indie maverick John Cassavetes. But how many of her titles remain classics? Let’s take a look back at 12 of Rowlands’s greatest films, ranked worst to best.
After making a name for herself with bit parts onstage and onscreen, Rowlands flourished when she became the muse of Cassavetes, who she married in 1954. A fellow performer, Cassavetes would raise money from appearing in movies like “The Dirty Dozen” (1967) and “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968), immediately funneling the funds into his own projects. His wife was usually front and center, as were their family members and friends.
Rowlands’s operatic performances were a perfect match for her husband’s improvisational, energetic films, including “Faces” (1968), “Minnie and Moskowitz” (1971), “Opening Night” (1977) and “Love Streams” (1984). Her...
After making a name for herself with bit parts onstage and onscreen, Rowlands flourished when she became the muse of Cassavetes, who she married in 1954. A fellow performer, Cassavetes would raise money from appearing in movies like “The Dirty Dozen” (1967) and “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968), immediately funneling the funds into his own projects. His wife was usually front and center, as were their family members and friends.
Rowlands’s operatic performances were a perfect match for her husband’s improvisational, energetic films, including “Faces” (1968), “Minnie and Moskowitz” (1971), “Opening Night” (1977) and “Love Streams” (1984). Her...
- 6/17/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Clockwise from top left: Gene Hackman in The Royal Tenenbaums (Screenshot: YouTube), George Clooney in Fantastic Mr. Fox (Screenshot: YouTube), Bill Murray in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (Screenshot: YouTube), Tom Hanks in Asteroid City (Screenshot: YouTube), Wes Anderson (Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images), and Jason Schwartzman in Asteroid City...
- 6/17/2023
- by William Hughes
- avclub.com
Bloody Disgusting is excited to exclusively report this morning that Grindhouse Releasing is bringing two Italian horror classics to 4K Uhd, The Beyond and Cannibal Holocaust!
Additionally, we can report that Grindhouse Releasing has teamed with legendary composer Fabio Frizzi to present a brand-new version of The Beyond, director Lucio Fulci’s 1981 horror masterpiece starring Catriona MacColl, David Warbeck and Cinzia Monreale.
Premiering this fall in theatrical release from Grindhouse, The Beyond: The Composer’s Cut features Fabio Frizzi’s new score for The Beyond with a brand-new 4K presentation of The Beyond newly scanned from the original camera negatives.
The Beyond: The Composer’s Cut will premiere in October with a nationwide release in November at the Alamo Drafthouse and other theaters across the US.
“Fulci fans will definitely want to see this on the big screen for the maximum impact,” said Grindhouse Releasing co-founder Bob Murawski. “It’s...
Additionally, we can report that Grindhouse Releasing has teamed with legendary composer Fabio Frizzi to present a brand-new version of The Beyond, director Lucio Fulci’s 1981 horror masterpiece starring Catriona MacColl, David Warbeck and Cinzia Monreale.
Premiering this fall in theatrical release from Grindhouse, The Beyond: The Composer’s Cut features Fabio Frizzi’s new score for The Beyond with a brand-new 4K presentation of The Beyond newly scanned from the original camera negatives.
The Beyond: The Composer’s Cut will premiere in October with a nationwide release in November at the Alamo Drafthouse and other theaters across the US.
“Fulci fans will definitely want to see this on the big screen for the maximum impact,” said Grindhouse Releasing co-founder Bob Murawski. “It’s...
- 8/26/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
“You have the manners of an alley cat”
Don’t answer the door! But do head to the Marcus Des Peres Cinema this Friday and Saturday (January 14th and 15th) at 10pm for the 4k restoration of Death Game (1974) starring Sandra Locke and Colleen Camp. This is of course this month’s Destroy the Brain.com’s entry in their ‘Late Nite Grindhouse’ film series. Tickets are $10 each. A Facebook invite with advance ticket details can be found Here
Death Game is a sexy and intriguing spin on the cat-and-mouse home-invasion thriller. 70s foxes Sandra Locke and Colleen Camp energetically play the cats, with the mouse played by Seymour Cassel, the good husband who, when home alone, falls prey to their kinky temptations. Faithlessness, lust, and violence ensue. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see this somewhat forgotten classic on the big screen this weekend at The Des Peres.
Don’t answer the door! But do head to the Marcus Des Peres Cinema this Friday and Saturday (January 14th and 15th) at 10pm for the 4k restoration of Death Game (1974) starring Sandra Locke and Colleen Camp. This is of course this month’s Destroy the Brain.com’s entry in their ‘Late Nite Grindhouse’ film series. Tickets are $10 each. A Facebook invite with advance ticket details can be found Here
Death Game is a sexy and intriguing spin on the cat-and-mouse home-invasion thriller. 70s foxes Sandra Locke and Colleen Camp energetically play the cats, with the mouse played by Seymour Cassel, the good husband who, when home alone, falls prey to their kinky temptations. Faithlessness, lust, and violence ensue. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see this somewhat forgotten classic on the big screen this weekend at The Des Peres.
- 1/10/2022
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Better late than never. After the traditional Cannes Film Festival was cancelled last year due to Covid, the glitzy event is back with Covid protocols in order. Instead of taking place in May, the 74th annual gala opened on July 6 and will continue through July 17th at the glamorous French resort town.
Spike Lee, who was supposed to be jury head last year, was asked to take up the reigns of this edition. And he appeared on the legendary red carpet decked out in a striking pink ensemble. The festival opened with the Leos Carax’ offbeat musical “Annette” featuring music by the Sparks Brother and Val Kilmer’s self-titled documentary “Val,” which earned kudos and a long-standing ovation. Other films premiering at the festival including Sean Penn’s “Flag Day,” Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” Asghar Farhadi’s “The Hero” and Francois Ozon’s “Everything Went Fine.”
Besides screening and selling movies,...
Spike Lee, who was supposed to be jury head last year, was asked to take up the reigns of this edition. And he appeared on the legendary red carpet decked out in a striking pink ensemble. The festival opened with the Leos Carax’ offbeat musical “Annette” featuring music by the Sparks Brother and Val Kilmer’s self-titled documentary “Val,” which earned kudos and a long-standing ovation. Other films premiering at the festival including Sean Penn’s “Flag Day,” Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” Asghar Farhadi’s “The Hero” and Francois Ozon’s “Everything Went Fine.”
Besides screening and selling movies,...
- 7/8/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
The Academy Awards paid tribute to the actors, actresses, icons and industry stalwarts that have died in 2019 and earlier this year.
Steven Spielberg introduced the in memoriam segment of Sunday’s Oscars ceremony, saying, “This evening, as we celebrate the artistic highlights of the past year, we also pause to remember those from our community who we lost. Legends and icons, our friends and fellow artists. All who inspired and touched us.”
“They have left an indelible imprint on our industry, our imaginations and our understanding of the world,” he said, before Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas O’Connell, launched...
Steven Spielberg introduced the in memoriam segment of Sunday’s Oscars ceremony, saying, “This evening, as we celebrate the artistic highlights of the past year, we also pause to remember those from our community who we lost. Legends and icons, our friends and fellow artists. All who inspired and touched us.”
“They have left an indelible imprint on our industry, our imaginations and our understanding of the world,” he said, before Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas O’Connell, launched...
- 2/10/2020
- by Alexia Fernandez
- PEOPLE.com
For Sunday’s Oscars 2020 ceremony on ABC, producers had a difficult decision of which film industry people would make the cut and who would unfortunately be left out of the “In Memoriam.” For the segment, for the song “Yesterday” performed by Grammy champ Billie Eilish.
Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam gallery for the year of 2019 and the just launched gallery for 2020.
SEE2020 Oscars: Full list of winners (and losers) at the 92nd Academy Awards
Over 100 people in the film industry, many of them academy members, have passed away in the past 12 months. Here is a list of the some of the names included in the tribute:
Danny Aiello (actor)
Jim Alexander (sound)
Bibi Andersson (actor)
Ben Barenholtz (executive)
Kobe Bryant (producer)
Diahann Carroll (actor)
Seymour Cassel (actor)
William J. Creber (production designer)
Doris Day (actress)
Stanley Donen (director)
Kirk Douglas (actor/producer)
Robert Evans (executive)
Peter Fonda (actor)
Robert Forster (actor)
Harriet Frank,...
Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam gallery for the year of 2019 and the just launched gallery for 2020.
SEE2020 Oscars: Full list of winners (and losers) at the 92nd Academy Awards
Over 100 people in the film industry, many of them academy members, have passed away in the past 12 months. Here is a list of the some of the names included in the tribute:
Danny Aiello (actor)
Jim Alexander (sound)
Bibi Andersson (actor)
Ben Barenholtz (executive)
Kobe Bryant (producer)
Diahann Carroll (actor)
Seymour Cassel (actor)
William J. Creber (production designer)
Doris Day (actress)
Stanley Donen (director)
Kirk Douglas (actor/producer)
Robert Evans (executive)
Peter Fonda (actor)
Robert Forster (actor)
Harriet Frank,...
- 2/10/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
One of the most significant additions to the Academy Awards ceremony around 30 years ago has been the In Memoriam segment. Producers find the perfect blend of music, photos and clips for the short annual presentation.
Which of the past Oscar winners and nominees from many different branches will be featured this Sunday, February 9, on the Oscars 2020 ceremony for ABC? Some of the most likely to be included will be acting nominees Danny Aiello, Diahann Carroll, Doris Day, Kirk Douglas, Peter Fonda, Robert Forster, Sylvia Miles, Michael J. Pollard and Rip Torn. How about major creatives such as Stanley Donen, Robert Evans, Buck Henry, Andre Previn and John Singleton?
Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam gallery for the year of 2019 and the just launched gallery for 2020.
SEEWho is Performing at the Oscars 2020?: Full List of Presenters and Performers
Over 100 people in the film industry, many of them academy members, have...
Which of the past Oscar winners and nominees from many different branches will be featured this Sunday, February 9, on the Oscars 2020 ceremony for ABC? Some of the most likely to be included will be acting nominees Danny Aiello, Diahann Carroll, Doris Day, Kirk Douglas, Peter Fonda, Robert Forster, Sylvia Miles, Michael J. Pollard and Rip Torn. How about major creatives such as Stanley Donen, Robert Evans, Buck Henry, Andre Previn and John Singleton?
Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam gallery for the year of 2019 and the just launched gallery for 2020.
SEEWho is Performing at the Oscars 2020?: Full List of Presenters and Performers
Over 100 people in the film industry, many of them academy members, have...
- 2/7/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
SAG Awards 2020: In Memoriam segment will honor Diahann Carroll, Doris Day, Luke Perry and who else?
Sunday’s telecast of the 2020 Screen Actors Guild Awards will feature a special In Memoriam segment devoted to many of the actors and actresses who have died since last year’s ceremony in late January. Sure to be among those saluted include Oscar-nominated actresses Diahann Carroll and Doris Day, plus nominated “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” actor Luke Perry. Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam gallery for the year of 2019.
The 26th annual ceremony will be live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, January 19, at 8:00 p.m. Et; 5:00 p.m. Pt. The SAG life achievement award will be presented to Robert De Niro.
SEE2020 SAG Awards nominations: Full list of Screen Actors Guild Awards nominees
Over 100 people in SAG/AFTRA have passed away in the past 12 months. Which of the following 50+ names will also be featured in the televised tribute?
Julie Adams
Danny Aiello
Jed Allan
Bibi Andersson...
The 26th annual ceremony will be live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, January 19, at 8:00 p.m. Et; 5:00 p.m. Pt. The SAG life achievement award will be presented to Robert De Niro.
SEE2020 SAG Awards nominations: Full list of Screen Actors Guild Awards nominees
Over 100 people in SAG/AFTRA have passed away in the past 12 months. Which of the following 50+ names will also be featured in the televised tribute?
Julie Adams
Danny Aiello
Jed Allan
Bibi Andersson...
- 1/17/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Amid the chaos that was 2019, the show business industry lost some major players. There were icons of the big screen and TV, along with such legends as Broadway director Harold Prince and actress Carol Channing; singers Eddie Money, Ric Ocasek and José José; musicians Peter Tork, Ginger Baker and Dr. John; and composers Michel Legrand, André Previn and Jerry Herman, to name just a few of the year’s high-profile passings.
Hollywood also lost groundbreaking directors, unforgettable writers, and executives.
Familiar actors who left us this year include Robert Forster, Luke Perry, Katherine Helmond, Rutger Hauer, Jan-Michael Vincent, Arte Johnson, Rip Torn, Diahann Carroll, Peter “Chewbacca” Mayhew, Cameron Boyce, Bob Einstein, Seymour Cassel, Michael J. Pollard and Danny Aiello.
Hollywood also lost groundbreaking directors, unforgettable writers, and executives.
Familiar actors who left us this year include Robert Forster, Luke Perry, Katherine Helmond, Rutger Hauer, Jan-Michael Vincent, Arte Johnson, Rip Torn, Diahann Carroll, Peter “Chewbacca” Mayhew, Cameron Boyce, Bob Einstein, Seymour Cassel, Michael J. Pollard and Danny Aiello.
- 1/1/2020
- by Erik Pedersen and Brandon Choe
- Deadline Film + TV
Peter S. Traynor, a former insurance salesman who directed and produced the cult favorite Death Game, a suspense thriller starring Sondra Locke, Colleen Camp and Seymour Cassel, has died. He was 77.
Traynor died Oct. 15 of natural causes at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Bob Murawski, Oscar-winning editor on The Hurt Locker, announced.
Death Game starred Locke and Camp as psychotic nymphets who invade the home of a random married man (Cassel), then seduce and hold him captive for a weekend of terror. The film was finished in 1975, but an investigation into its finances delayed its ...
Traynor died Oct. 15 of natural causes at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Bob Murawski, Oscar-winning editor on The Hurt Locker, announced.
Death Game starred Locke and Camp as psychotic nymphets who invade the home of a random married man (Cassel), then seduce and hold him captive for a weekend of terror. The film was finished in 1975, but an investigation into its finances delayed its ...
- 12/5/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Peter S. Traynor, a former insurance salesman who directed and produced the cult favorite Death Game, a suspense thriller starring Sondra Locke, Colleen Camp and Seymour Cassel, has died. He was 77.
Traynor died Oct. 15 of natural causes at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Bob Murawski, Oscar-winning editor on The Hurt Locker, announced.
Death Game starred Locke and Camp as psychotic nymphets who invade the home of a random married man (Cassel), then seduce and hold him captive for a weekend of terror. The film was finished in 1975, but an investigation into its finances delayed its ...
Traynor died Oct. 15 of natural causes at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Bob Murawski, Oscar-winning editor on The Hurt Locker, announced.
Death Game starred Locke and Camp as psychotic nymphets who invade the home of a random married man (Cassel), then seduce and hold him captive for a weekend of terror. The film was finished in 1975, but an investigation into its finances delayed its ...
- 12/5/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The special “In Memoriam” segment on the 2019 Emmy Awards ceremony will be especially tearful this year. Beloved television legends Tim Conway, Doris Day, Bob Einstein, Valerie Harper, Katherine Helmond, Peggy Lipton, Penny Marshall, Luke Perry, John Singleton and Rip Torn will certainly be just a few people honored with in a musical tribute performed by pop star Halsey.
Let’s take a look back at these TV icons as well as over 60 others who have died since mid-September last year. Many will be included in the memoriam for the live Emmys ceremony for Fox on September 22.
SEECelebrity Deaths 2019: In Memoriam Gallery
Tim Conway died on May 14 at age 85. The comedy legend won six Emmy Awards during his lengthy career, including four for “The Carol Burnett Show,” one for “Coach” and one for “30 Rock.” He was inducted into the TV Academy Hall of Fame in 2002.
Legendary singer and actress...
Let’s take a look back at these TV icons as well as over 60 others who have died since mid-September last year. Many will be included in the memoriam for the live Emmys ceremony for Fox on September 22.
SEECelebrity Deaths 2019: In Memoriam Gallery
Tim Conway died on May 14 at age 85. The comedy legend won six Emmy Awards during his lengthy career, including four for “The Carol Burnett Show,” one for “Coach” and one for “30 Rock.” He was inducted into the TV Academy Hall of Fame in 2002.
Legendary singer and actress...
- 9/21/2019
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Gena Rowlands celebrates her 89th birthday on June 19, 2019. The Oscar-nominated thespian made a name for herself thanks to a series of manic, high-wire performances in several films, many of them directed by her late husband, indie maverick John Cassavetes. But how many of her titles remain classics? In honor of her birthday, let’s take a look back at 12 of Rowlands’s greatest films, ranked worst to best.
After making a name for herself with bit parts onstage and onscreen, Rowlands flourished when she became the muse of Cassavetes, who she married in 1954. A fellow performer, Cassavetes would raise money from appearing in movies like “The Dirty Dozen” (1967) and “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968), immediately funneling the funds into his own projects. His wife was usually front and center, as were their family members and friends.
SEEHonorary Oscars: Full gallery of acting recipients includes Charlie Chaplin, Angela Lansbury, Gena Rowlands
Rowlands’s...
After making a name for herself with bit parts onstage and onscreen, Rowlands flourished when she became the muse of Cassavetes, who she married in 1954. A fellow performer, Cassavetes would raise money from appearing in movies like “The Dirty Dozen” (1967) and “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968), immediately funneling the funds into his own projects. His wife was usually front and center, as were their family members and friends.
SEEHonorary Oscars: Full gallery of acting recipients includes Charlie Chaplin, Angela Lansbury, Gena Rowlands
Rowlands’s...
- 6/19/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Charles Van Doren, the disgraced ’50s-era quiz show contestant who was found to have received the answers in advance, has died. He was 93.
His son John told the New York Times that Van Doren died at a retirement community in Geer Village, Connecticut, where he had lived for several years.
Van Doren was an English instructor at Columbia University and the son of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and critic Mark Van Doren and novelist and writer Dorothy Van Doren.
Also Read: Seymour Cassel, Actor in Numerous Wes Anderson Films, Dies at 84
In the 1950s, Van Doren was involved in a quiz show scandal in which he testified before Congress that he had been given the answers in advance to “Twenty-One” and that it was rigged. Van Doren’s story was the subject of Robert Redford’s film “Quiz Show,” in which he was portrayed by Ralph Fiennes.
Van Doren rose to...
His son John told the New York Times that Van Doren died at a retirement community in Geer Village, Connecticut, where he had lived for several years.
Van Doren was an English instructor at Columbia University and the son of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and critic Mark Van Doren and novelist and writer Dorothy Van Doren.
Also Read: Seymour Cassel, Actor in Numerous Wes Anderson Films, Dies at 84
In the 1950s, Van Doren was involved in a quiz show scandal in which he testified before Congress that he had been given the answers in advance to “Twenty-One” and that it was rigged. Van Doren’s story was the subject of Robert Redford’s film “Quiz Show,” in which he was portrayed by Ralph Fiennes.
Van Doren rose to...
- 4/10/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
American actor closely associated with the directors John Cassavetes and Wes Anderson
Seymour Cassel, who has died aged 84, belonged to the stock company of compelling actors cast by John Cassavetes in his bracingly realistic studies of sour marriages and faltering friendships. He was in seven features directed by Cassavetes over 25 years, appearing opposite the film-maker’s other regulars, Peter Falk, Ben Gazzara and Gena Rowlands. Cassel’s best known character, the cocksure Chet, in Faces (1968), allowed him to show off his mischievous streak and earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.
A later generation of directors, including Steve Buscemi and Wes Anderson, gave Cassel mostly comedic supporting roles throughout his 60s and 70s, by which time his sandy hair had turned a striking silver. Frequently seen chewing a cigar, Cassel never lost his easy grin, always giving the impression that he was sharing a joke with himself.
Continue reading.
Seymour Cassel, who has died aged 84, belonged to the stock company of compelling actors cast by John Cassavetes in his bracingly realistic studies of sour marriages and faltering friendships. He was in seven features directed by Cassavetes over 25 years, appearing opposite the film-maker’s other regulars, Peter Falk, Ben Gazzara and Gena Rowlands. Cassel’s best known character, the cocksure Chet, in Faces (1968), allowed him to show off his mischievous streak and earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.
A later generation of directors, including Steve Buscemi and Wes Anderson, gave Cassel mostly comedic supporting roles throughout his 60s and 70s, by which time his sandy hair had turned a striking silver. Frequently seen chewing a cigar, Cassel never lost his easy grin, always giving the impression that he was sharing a joke with himself.
Continue reading.
- 4/9/2019
- by Chris Wiegand
- The Guardian - Film News
Seymour Cassel, the veteran character actor known for his work with directors John Cassavetes and Wes Anderson, has died at the age of 84.
Cassel died Sunday in Los Angeles, Variety reported, adding that the actor suffered from Alzheimer’s disease in recent years.
A longtime character actor with over 200 credits on his resume, Cassel first appeared onscreen in Cassavetes’ 1958 directorial debut Shadows, with Cassel serving as both actor and crewmember on the independent production.
The film was the first in a nearly 30-year-long collaboration and friendship between Cassavetes and Cassel,...
Cassel died Sunday in Los Angeles, Variety reported, adding that the actor suffered from Alzheimer’s disease in recent years.
A longtime character actor with over 200 credits on his resume, Cassel first appeared onscreen in Cassavetes’ 1958 directorial debut Shadows, with Cassel serving as both actor and crewmember on the independent production.
The film was the first in a nearly 30-year-long collaboration and friendship between Cassavetes and Cassel,...
- 4/8/2019
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Seymour Cassel, the Academy Award-nominated actor who regularly collaborated with Wes Anderson and John Cassavetes, died Sunday following complications from Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 84, according to multiple media outlets including the Associated Press.
Born in Detroit in 1935, Cassel’s career in film began alongside Cassavetes’ as he took a role as a crew member on the legendary filmmaker’s 1959 debut film “Shadows,” a job which turned into an uncredited onscreen role and then into a credit as associate producer.
Also Read: Nadja Regin, 'From Russia With Love' and 'Goldfinger' Actress, Dies at 87
Cassel would go on to appear in six more of Cassavetes’ films, receiving a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his performance as the hippie Chet in the 1968 drama “Faces.” Other films they worked on together included “Minnie and Moskowitz,” “The Killing of a Chinese Bookie” and “Opening Night.”
The 1980s...
Born in Detroit in 1935, Cassel’s career in film began alongside Cassavetes’ as he took a role as a crew member on the legendary filmmaker’s 1959 debut film “Shadows,” a job which turned into an uncredited onscreen role and then into a credit as associate producer.
Also Read: Nadja Regin, 'From Russia With Love' and 'Goldfinger' Actress, Dies at 87
Cassel would go on to appear in six more of Cassavetes’ films, receiving a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his performance as the hippie Chet in the 1968 drama “Faces.” Other films they worked on together included “Minnie and Moskowitz,” “The Killing of a Chinese Bookie” and “Opening Night.”
The 1980s...
- 4/8/2019
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Seymour Cassel, an Oscar-nominated longtime actor whose 200-plus screen credits include several John Cassavetes movies and three for Wes Anderson, died Sunday of Alzheimer’s complications in Los Angeles. He was 84.
Cassel scored a Supporting Actor Oscar nom for Cassavetes’ 1968 film Faces, a role that also earned him a trophy from the National Society of Film Critics. He appeared in about a half-dozen of Cassavetes’ films and also acted opposite him in a few others. Anderson cast Cassel in his films The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and Rushmore (1998).
Cassel also was active in pre-merger SAG politics, running for national president in 2007 and 2009.
Born on January 22, 1935, in Detroit, Cassel’s film debut was an uncredited role in Cassavetes’ Shadows (1958). We would co-star alongside the filmmaker-actor in the early-’60s movies The Webster Boy, Too Late Blues — which Cassavetes also helmed — and The Killers, which was Ronald Reagan’s last movie.
Cassel scored a Supporting Actor Oscar nom for Cassavetes’ 1968 film Faces, a role that also earned him a trophy from the National Society of Film Critics. He appeared in about a half-dozen of Cassavetes’ films and also acted opposite him in a few others. Anderson cast Cassel in his films The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and Rushmore (1998).
Cassel also was active in pre-merger SAG politics, running for national president in 2007 and 2009.
Born on January 22, 1935, in Detroit, Cassel’s film debut was an uncredited role in Cassavetes’ Shadows (1958). We would co-star alongside the filmmaker-actor in the early-’60s movies The Webster Boy, Too Late Blues — which Cassavetes also helmed — and The Killers, which was Ronald Reagan’s last movie.
- 4/8/2019
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Prolific actor Seymour Cassel, who received an Academy Award nomination for “Faces” and appeared in Wes Anderson films including “Rushmore,” died Sunday in Los Angeles of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 84.
Cassel was a veteran of dozens of independent films, appearing in multiple roles in films directed by John Cassavetes and Anderson. In addition to playing Bert Fischer in “Rushmore,” he appeared in “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.”
Cassel was born in Detroit on Jan. 22, 1935. His early career was tied to Cassavetes and he made his movie debut in an uncredited role in Cassavetes’ first film, “Shadows,” in 1958 and became an associate producer on the project. He co-starred with Cassavetes in “Too Late Blues” and “The Webster Boy” and appeared on “The Lloyd Bridges Show” in the episode “A Pair of Boots” directed by Cassavetes. His early TV credits included “Twelve O’Clock High,” “Combat!,...
Cassel was a veteran of dozens of independent films, appearing in multiple roles in films directed by John Cassavetes and Anderson. In addition to playing Bert Fischer in “Rushmore,” he appeared in “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.”
Cassel was born in Detroit on Jan. 22, 1935. His early career was tied to Cassavetes and he made his movie debut in an uncredited role in Cassavetes’ first film, “Shadows,” in 1958 and became an associate producer on the project. He co-starred with Cassavetes in “Too Late Blues” and “The Webster Boy” and appeared on “The Lloyd Bridges Show” in the episode “A Pair of Boots” directed by Cassavetes. His early TV credits included “Twelve O’Clock High,” “Combat!,...
- 4/8/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Seymour Cassel, a revered actor beloved by cinephiles for his frequent collaborations with John Cassavetes and Wes Anderson, has died. The actor was 84. An Oscar nominee for his performance in “Faces,” his third of seven films with Cassavetes, Cassel worked with Anderson on “Rushmore,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” and “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.”
The thespian had more than 200 acting credits to his name throughout his nearly 60-year career, which began with a role in Cassavetes’ “Shadows.” He wasn’t confined to independent productions, however, with roles in films like “Dick Tracy,” “Indecent Proposal,” and “Tin Men” balancing his more arthouse-inclined fare. Even so, he made it clear in a 1997 discussion with IndieWire where his allegiance was: “Independent film is film that has thought in it. There’s no independent thought in studio films. It’s collective thought,” he said.
“With independent film, simply because they don’t have the...
The thespian had more than 200 acting credits to his name throughout his nearly 60-year career, which began with a role in Cassavetes’ “Shadows.” He wasn’t confined to independent productions, however, with roles in films like “Dick Tracy,” “Indecent Proposal,” and “Tin Men” balancing his more arthouse-inclined fare. Even so, he made it clear in a 1997 discussion with IndieWire where his allegiance was: “Independent film is film that has thought in it. There’s no independent thought in studio films. It’s collective thought,” he said.
“With independent film, simply because they don’t have the...
- 4/8/2019
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Seymour Cassel, the Oscar-nominated John Cassavetes regular whose wily glint, weathered look and versatile talent made him an admired character actor, has died. He was 84.
Cassel died Sunday in Los Angeles of complications from Alzheimer's disease, his son, Matt, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Cassel also was a favorite of Wes Anderson, who cast the irascible actor in Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004).
Cassel first teamed with Cassavetes during the making of the improvisational Shadows (1959). On Cassavetes' directorial debut, he started out as an unpaid crewmember but was given an uncredited onscreen ...
Cassel died Sunday in Los Angeles of complications from Alzheimer's disease, his son, Matt, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Cassel also was a favorite of Wes Anderson, who cast the irascible actor in Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004).
Cassel first teamed with Cassavetes during the making of the improvisational Shadows (1959). On Cassavetes' directorial debut, he started out as an unpaid crewmember but was given an uncredited onscreen ...
Seymour Cassel, the Oscar-nominated John Cassavetes regular whose wily glint, weathered look and versatile talent made him an admired character actor, has died. He was 84.
Cassel died Sunday in Los Angeles of complications from Alzheimer's disease, his son, Matt, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Cassel also was a favorite of Wes Anderson, who cast the irascible actor in Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004).
Cassel first teamed with Cassavetes during the making of the improvisational Shadows (1959). On Cassavetes' directorial debut, he started out as an unpaid crewmember but was given an uncredited onscreen ...
Cassel died Sunday in Los Angeles of complications from Alzheimer's disease, his son, Matt, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Cassel also was a favorite of Wes Anderson, who cast the irascible actor in Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004).
Cassel first teamed with Cassavetes during the making of the improvisational Shadows (1959). On Cassavetes' directorial debut, he started out as an unpaid crewmember but was given an uncredited onscreen ...
Stars: Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams, Brian Cox, Seymour Cassel | Written by Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson | Directed by Wes Anderson
15-year-old Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) dreams of greatness. Actually, he dreams he’s already achieved it. And why not? After all, he got a scholarship at the revered Rushmore private school. Except, according to the man who gave him the opportunity in the first place, Dr Guggenheim (Brian Cox), he’s the worst pupil at the school. It’s not for want of trying. Problem is, Max tries too hard. He’s the founder or president of every obscure team and group under the sun, whether it’s the beekeepers’ association, the choir or the kung fu team. He’ll even give wrestling a go.
Max’s enthusiasm awakens something in Herman Blume (Bill Murray), a wealthy local businessman. Herman is fascinated by Max’s directness and self-belief. They strike up a half-assed friendship.
15-year-old Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) dreams of greatness. Actually, he dreams he’s already achieved it. And why not? After all, he got a scholarship at the revered Rushmore private school. Except, according to the man who gave him the opportunity in the first place, Dr Guggenheim (Brian Cox), he’s the worst pupil at the school. It’s not for want of trying. Problem is, Max tries too hard. He’s the founder or president of every obscure team and group under the sun, whether it’s the beekeepers’ association, the choir or the kung fu team. He’ll even give wrestling a go.
Max’s enthusiasm awakens something in Herman Blume (Bill Murray), a wealthy local businessman. Herman is fascinated by Max’s directness and self-belief. They strike up a half-assed friendship.
- 10/29/2018
- by Rupert Harvey
- Nerdly
Close-Up is a feature that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. John Cassavetes's Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) is showing July 17 - August 16, 2018 in the United Kingdom and July 15 - August 14, 2018 in many countries around the world.It is difficult to write about a John Cassavetes film. His work, which is so elusive and textured in form and style, is deeply experiential. Watching his films is an immersive, enthralling, and often challenging experience. Although Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) is, in many ways, one of Cassavetes’s more accessible, straightforward and lighthearted films, it also embodies the meandering, irrational, and at times absurd and chaotic style that has come to define his body of work. Minnie and Moskowitz is Cassavetes’ revisionist take on the screwball comedy, following its titular protagonists Minnie Moore (Gena Rowlands) and Seymour Moskowitz (Seymour Cassel) as they negotiate the most unlikely of romantic courtships over a brief but intense four days.
- 7/17/2018
- MUBI
Stars: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Anjelica Huston | Written by Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach | Directed by Wes Anderson
“This is an adventure.” That’s the last spoken line of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, the fourth feature from everyone’s favourite Texan oddball, Wes Anderson. Released in 2004, three years after the highly acclaimed The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic was easily Anderson’s highest-budget film up to that point, and it was met with indifference both critically and commercially. I’ve always found this unusual because I regard it not only as Anderson’s best film, but also the most quintessentially Andersonian.
Zissou (Bill Murray) himself is clearly modelled on the naval explorer and filmmaker Jacques Cousteau, right down to the red bobble hat. The film opens with the death of Steve’s lifelong friend, Esteban (Seymour Cassel), in the jaws of a jaguar shark.
“This is an adventure.” That’s the last spoken line of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, the fourth feature from everyone’s favourite Texan oddball, Wes Anderson. Released in 2004, three years after the highly acclaimed The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic was easily Anderson’s highest-budget film up to that point, and it was met with indifference both critically and commercially. I’ve always found this unusual because I regard it not only as Anderson’s best film, but also the most quintessentially Andersonian.
Zissou (Bill Murray) himself is clearly modelled on the naval explorer and filmmaker Jacques Cousteau, right down to the red bobble hat. The film opens with the death of Steve’s lifelong friend, Esteban (Seymour Cassel), in the jaws of a jaguar shark.
- 6/25/2018
- by Rupert Harvey
- Nerdly
Among the many American independent films made in the ‘90s, few reflect the climate better than “In the Soup.” Director Alexandre Rockwell’s black-and-white comedy, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival, follows wannabe New York filmmaker Adolpho Rolo (a young Steve Buscemi) as he attempts to turn his 500-page screenplay into a movie starring his next-door neighbor Angelica (Jennifer Beals). Adolpho’s ambitions are exploited by the mysterious Joe (Seymour Cassel in one of his most endearing performances). The alternately charming and confrontational cigar-chomping raconteur proclaims his desire to produce Adolpho’s movie, while forcing him into a series of strange criminal antics, as Adolpho’s project drifts further away from his original intentions.
The scrappy movie resembles the indie-filmmaking energy at the time — not for nothing does Jim Jarmusch make a cameo — and remains a charming statement on the conflict between artistic passion and...
The scrappy movie resembles the indie-filmmaking energy at the time — not for nothing does Jim Jarmusch make a cameo — and remains a charming statement on the conflict between artistic passion and...
- 4/27/2018
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Next week sees the arrival of New York’s 17th annual Tribeca Film Festival, running 18th-29th April, boasting a vast array of film and TV screenings, starry anniversary reunion events, concerts, on stage interviews and discussions, as well as a focus on games and Vr experiences. Below are just some of this year’s highlights, for the full lineup and to purchase tickets for films and events visit the official Tribeca website: https://www.tribecafilm.com/
Stars and filmmakers set to attend this year’s festival include Steven Spielberg, Liam Neeson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sam Rockwell, Alec Baldwin, Bradley Cooper, Jamie Foxx, Spike Lee, Brian De Palma, Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Viola Davis, Thandie Newton, Saoirse Ronan and Tribeca Co-Founder Robert De Niro.
Opening Night
2018 Tribeca Opening Night ‘Love Gilda’
The 2018 edition opens with the World Premiere of documentary Love, Gilda, directed by Lisa D’Apolito, saluting the career...
Stars and filmmakers set to attend this year’s festival include Steven Spielberg, Liam Neeson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sam Rockwell, Alec Baldwin, Bradley Cooper, Jamie Foxx, Spike Lee, Brian De Palma, Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Viola Davis, Thandie Newton, Saoirse Ronan and Tribeca Co-Founder Robert De Niro.
Opening Night
2018 Tribeca Opening Night ‘Love Gilda’
The 2018 edition opens with the World Premiere of documentary Love, Gilda, directed by Lisa D’Apolito, saluting the career...
- 4/13/2018
- by James Kleinmann
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Wes Anderson has never won an Oscar, much to the consternation of many indie film lovers. With six career nominations to his credit, he’s certainly a chief member of the Overdue Auteurs Club. But he could cash in that awards Iou with “Isle of Dogs,” an animated fantasy about a future where Japan has banished pups to a remote island to combat a strain of canine flu. It opens on Friday, March 23. Could the academy finally reward him with a Best Animated Feature win? And how does this latest effort compare to the rest of his filmography? Tour through our photo gallery above of all nine of Anderson’s films ranked from worst to best.
Anderson made his directorial debut with “Bottle Rocket” (1996), released when he was just 27-years-old. He received his first Oscar nomination five years later: Best Original Screenplay for “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001). He followed that eight...
Anderson made his directorial debut with “Bottle Rocket” (1996), released when he was just 27-years-old. He received his first Oscar nomination five years later: Best Original Screenplay for “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001). He followed that eight...
- 3/23/2018
- by Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Many of the victims in Hollywood's ever-widening sexual harassment and assault scandal are members of SAG-aftra, but many of the alleged perpetrators are members of the union as well. Which raises the question: Will the union take action to expel them, as the DGA and the Producers Guild did with Harvey Weinstein? In 2009, before its merger with AFTRA, the Screen Actors Guild suspended the membership of actor Seymour Cassel for two years after the board of…...
- 12/15/2017
- Deadline
Exclusive: Many of the victims in Hollywood's ever-widening sexual harassment and assault scandal are members of SAG-aftra, but many of the alleged perpetrators are members of the union as well. Which raises the question: Will the union take action to expel them, as the DGA and the Producers Guild did with Harvey Weinstein? In 2009, before its merger with AFTRA, the Screen Actors Guild suspended the membership of actor Seymour Cassel for two years after the board of…...
- 12/15/2017
- Deadline TV
Familye, gangster drama set in Berlin's ethnic Turkish community, has won the German Independence Award, the top prize at the Oldenburg International Film Festival in Germany.
A black-and-white feature from first-time director Kubilay Sarikaya and Sedat Kirtan, Familye is a true indie, having been made completely outside Germany's film subsidy system.
Oldenburg's acting honors, the Seymour Cassel Awards, went to Lindsay Burdge for her performance in Nathan Silver's Thirst Street and to Gregory Kasyan for his role in Quest, the debut feature of director Santiago Rizzo.
In Thirst Street, Burdge plays an American flight attendant who gets tangled up in...
A black-and-white feature from first-time director Kubilay Sarikaya and Sedat Kirtan, Familye is a true indie, having been made completely outside Germany's film subsidy system.
Oldenburg's acting honors, the Seymour Cassel Awards, went to Lindsay Burdge for her performance in Nathan Silver's Thirst Street and to Gregory Kasyan for his role in Quest, the debut feature of director Santiago Rizzo.
In Thirst Street, Burdge plays an American flight attendant who gets tangled up in...
- 9/17/2017
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For its twenty-fifth anniversary, Alexandre Rockwell’s 1992 Sundance winner “In the Soup” is asking for a big gift — but a necessary one. Indie distributor Factory 25 has now launched a crowdfunding campaign to finance the repair and preservation of the film, aiming to make it available digitally and on Blu-ray for the first time.
And while the allure of catching the pioneering feature — the one that beat out “Reservoir Dogs” at the lauded festival, no less — is compelling enough on its own, the real reason for the urgency of the campaign is something else entirely: without this restoration, the film will likely no longer exist. The only existing archival print of the feature is badly damaged, and without the addition of crowdfunded financing, Grady will be unable to restore the film.
Read MoreWes Anderson’s ‘Isle of Dogs’ Crowdfunding Campaign Raises Over $250k for Martin Scorsese’s Film Foundation
“‘In the Soup...
And while the allure of catching the pioneering feature — the one that beat out “Reservoir Dogs” at the lauded festival, no less — is compelling enough on its own, the real reason for the urgency of the campaign is something else entirely: without this restoration, the film will likely no longer exist. The only existing archival print of the feature is badly damaged, and without the addition of crowdfunded financing, Grady will be unable to restore the film.
Read MoreWes Anderson’s ‘Isle of Dogs’ Crowdfunding Campaign Raises Over $250k for Martin Scorsese’s Film Foundation
“‘In the Soup...
- 7/31/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
(See previous post: “Gay Pride Movie Series Comes to a Close: From Heterosexual Angst to Indonesian Coup.”) Ken Russell's Valentino (1977) is notable for starring ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev as silent era icon Rudolph Valentino, whose sexual orientation, despite countless gay rumors, seems to have been, according to the available evidence, heterosexual. (Valentino's supposed affair with fellow “Latin Lover” Ramon Novarro has no basis in reality.) The female cast is also impressive: Veteran Leslie Caron (Lili, Gigi) as stage and screen star Alla Nazimova, ex-The Mamas & the Papas singer Michelle Phillips as Valentino wife and Nazimova protégée Natacha Rambova, Felicity Kendal as screenwriter/producer June Mathis (The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse), and Carol Kane – lately of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fame. Bob Fosse's Cabaret (1972) is notable as one of the greatest musicals ever made. As a 1930s Cabaret presenter – and the Spirit of Germany – Joel Grey was the year's Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner. Liza Minnelli...
- 6/30/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Stars: Michael Callan, Joanna Pettet, Seymour Cassel, James Stacy, Pamela Hensley, Cleavon Little, Robert Tessier, Sally Kirkland | Written and Directed by William Bryon Hillman
A remake of director William Bryon Hillman’s own 1974 film The Photographer, Double Exposure is the latest slice of cinematic sleaze to be rescued from obscurity by the fine folks at Vinegar Syndrome; and unlike the majority of their releases I purchase, this was a blind-buy, Meaning I was going into this movie without any prior knowledge with what to expect, trusting in Vinegar Syndrome to deliver another fantastic flick. And that trust – as usual – was well founded.
Double Exposure stars Michael Callan as Adrian Wilde, a prolific photographer whose specialty is shooting nude models for men’s magazines. His life starts to unravel when he begins to experience strange and almost lifelike dreams in which he murders the very women he’s been photographing. What...
A remake of director William Bryon Hillman’s own 1974 film The Photographer, Double Exposure is the latest slice of cinematic sleaze to be rescued from obscurity by the fine folks at Vinegar Syndrome; and unlike the majority of their releases I purchase, this was a blind-buy, Meaning I was going into this movie without any prior knowledge with what to expect, trusting in Vinegar Syndrome to deliver another fantastic flick. And that trust – as usual – was well founded.
Double Exposure stars Michael Callan as Adrian Wilde, a prolific photographer whose specialty is shooting nude models for men’s magazines. His life starts to unravel when he begins to experience strange and almost lifelike dreams in which he murders the very women he’s been photographing. What...
- 5/17/2017
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
In search of male desire in a twee world.
Here’s a thesis: with the singular exception of his animated adventure story, Fantastic Mr. Fox, the movies of Wes Anderson are fundamentally about nice, fiery desire. But while a number of his movies explore this through the conventional terrain of the heterosexual relationship and its discontents — The Royal Tenenbaums and Moonrise Kingdom come to mind — others explore more curious expressions of desire, leaving Anderson’s plain and plaintive ladies behind. Shared aesthetic characteristics, from the constantly reprised Cornell boxes to the carefully referenced dead Eastern European novelists, are subject of much ruthless discussion among Anderson acolytes. And, considering Anderson’s diligent cooperation with turning a collection of essays and interviews into a $35 coffee table book, that seems to be the dissection that Anderson embraces. But what are those other, male-centric movies actually about? Most critics, when forced to give something like a serious and meaningful answer, will...
Here’s a thesis: with the singular exception of his animated adventure story, Fantastic Mr. Fox, the movies of Wes Anderson are fundamentally about nice, fiery desire. But while a number of his movies explore this through the conventional terrain of the heterosexual relationship and its discontents — The Royal Tenenbaums and Moonrise Kingdom come to mind — others explore more curious expressions of desire, leaving Anderson’s plain and plaintive ladies behind. Shared aesthetic characteristics, from the constantly reprised Cornell boxes to the carefully referenced dead Eastern European novelists, are subject of much ruthless discussion among Anderson acolytes. And, considering Anderson’s diligent cooperation with turning a collection of essays and interviews into a $35 coffee table book, that seems to be the dissection that Anderson embraces. But what are those other, male-centric movies actually about? Most critics, when forced to give something like a serious and meaningful answer, will...
- 4/20/2017
- by Andrew Karpan
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Mubi in the United Kingdom will be showing four films by John Cassavetes beginning with Too Late Blues (March 9 - April 8), followed by Husbands (March 16 - April 15), Gloria (March 23 - April 22), and Love Streams (March 29 - April 28). “Life is a series of suicides, divorces, promises broken, children smashed, whatever.” — Robert, Love Streams“Love is a stream. It’s continuous. It doesn’t stop.” — Sarah, Love Streams I love a good punch. Not the kind Robert Mitchum could land, or the kind Errol Flynn once received, though the mythmaking breeziness of another era’s gossip columns ensures even these retain an ageless charm. I mean the verbal kind, the hit-you-in-the-belly kind. A gut punch. Putdowns are an art: cadence is a weapon, pithiness a bullet. Brevity bruises: it’s not so much what is said as everything that isn’t. The best knocks hurt precisely because, no matter how brutal they get,...
- 4/4/2016
- by Michael Pattison
- MUBI
(This is the first in an occasional series in which I remember some of the best double features I’ve been lucky enough to see projected in a theater.)
The New Beverly Cinema, the oldest surviving revival theater in Los Angeles, has this week dished up a time-capsule glimpse into America’s popular obsession with Cb, or citizen’s band, radio and the largely mythological outlaw trucker culture through which it crackled. If you’re of a certain age (mine), and you ever cruised around town or down the highway jabbering to friends and strangers on an open channel frequency (I did—my handle was The Godfather!), given the opportunity I don’t see how you could possibly resist the chance to see the ultimate trucker-cb action-comedy pairing, Hal Needham’s Smokey and the Bandit and Sam Peckinpah’s Convoy. (I couldn’t!) As of this writing, the morning of...
The New Beverly Cinema, the oldest surviving revival theater in Los Angeles, has this week dished up a time-capsule glimpse into America’s popular obsession with Cb, or citizen’s band, radio and the largely mythological outlaw trucker culture through which it crackled. If you’re of a certain age (mine), and you ever cruised around town or down the highway jabbering to friends and strangers on an open channel frequency (I did—my handle was The Godfather!), given the opportunity I don’t see how you could possibly resist the chance to see the ultimate trucker-cb action-comedy pairing, Hal Needham’s Smokey and the Bandit and Sam Peckinpah’s Convoy. (I couldn’t!) As of this writing, the morning of...
- 3/12/2016
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
In the summer of 1990, Warren Beatty’s labor-of-love, Dick Tracy, became a surprise commercial hit, earned acclaim for its visuals and technical artistry, and went on to win a number of high-profile awards. Its cast was bursting with stars and beloved character actors. So why, 25 years on, does it feel so forgotten?
Certainly, director-producer-star Beatty created a visual masterpiece and proved that “style over substance” isn’t always a bad thing. The design team was limited to the seven colors available to comic strip creator Chester Gould, and the movie reproduces that vivid look as faithfully as any live-action film could. From the spectacular flight across the twilit city that appears under the opening credits, it’s clear that Dick Tracy is something different.
Moments later, Gould’s trademark Rogues’ Gallery villains make their first appearance, brought to life by the makeup of John Caglione, Jr. and Doug Drexler, who...
Certainly, director-producer-star Beatty created a visual masterpiece and proved that “style over substance” isn’t always a bad thing. The design team was limited to the seven colors available to comic strip creator Chester Gould, and the movie reproduces that vivid look as faithfully as any live-action film could. From the spectacular flight across the twilit city that appears under the opening credits, it’s clear that Dick Tracy is something different.
Moments later, Gould’s trademark Rogues’ Gallery villains make their first appearance, brought to life by the makeup of John Caglione, Jr. and Doug Drexler, who...
- 12/15/2015
- by M. Robert Grunwald
- SoundOnSight
In the summer of 1990, Warren Beatty’s labor-of-love, Dick Tracy, became a surprise commercial hit, earned acclaim for its visuals and technical artistry, and went on to win a number of high-profile awards. Its cast was bursting with stars and beloved character actors. So why, 25 years on, does it feel so forgotten?
Certainly, director-producer-star Beatty created a visual masterpiece and proved that “style over substance” isn’t always a bad thing. The design team was limited to the seven colors available to comic strip creator Chester Gould, and the movie reproduces that vivid look as faithfully as any live-action film could. From the spectacular flight across the twilit city that appears under the opening credits, it’s clear that Dick Tracy is something different.
Moments later, Gould’s trademark Rogues’ Gallery villains make their first appearance, brought to life by the makeup of John Caglione, Jr. and Doug Drexler, who...
Certainly, director-producer-star Beatty created a visual masterpiece and proved that “style over substance” isn’t always a bad thing. The design team was limited to the seven colors available to comic strip creator Chester Gould, and the movie reproduces that vivid look as faithfully as any live-action film could. From the spectacular flight across the twilit city that appears under the opening credits, it’s clear that Dick Tracy is something different.
Moments later, Gould’s trademark Rogues’ Gallery villains make their first appearance, brought to life by the makeup of John Caglione, Jr. and Doug Drexler, who...
- 12/12/2015
- by M. Robert Grunwald
- SoundOnSight
Warner Archive Collection continues its commitment to fulfilling the wishes of animation fans everywhere with the first-ever Blu-ray™ release of Justice League Unlimited: The Complete Series. The enthralling anthology will be distributed in full 16×9 widescreen presentation starting Tuesday, November 10, 2015 via WBshop.com and popular online retailers.
As the follow-up to the popular Justice League animated series, Justice League Unlimited ran from 2004-2006 and featured a huge canon of characters from the DC Comics library. After fighting off an alien invasion in the previous two-season Justice League series, our heroes find their ranks diminished and – with new dangers arising at an ever-increasing pace – the remaining crime fighters realize that protecting the entire world is going to take more technology and more manpower. A lot more. The original seven Justice Leaguers – Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, J’onn J’onzz, Green Lantern and Hawkgirl – are now joined by an unlimited selection of allies including Green Arrow,...
As the follow-up to the popular Justice League animated series, Justice League Unlimited ran from 2004-2006 and featured a huge canon of characters from the DC Comics library. After fighting off an alien invasion in the previous two-season Justice League series, our heroes find their ranks diminished and – with new dangers arising at an ever-increasing pace – the remaining crime fighters realize that protecting the entire world is going to take more technology and more manpower. A lot more. The original seven Justice Leaguers – Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, J’onn J’onzz, Green Lantern and Hawkgirl – are now joined by an unlimited selection of allies including Green Arrow,...
- 11/15/2015
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
The popular animated series, Justice League Unlimited, is finally coming to blu-ray in a new complete series set and if you can't wait for it, you're in luck. It's releasing Tomorrow!
Well this is kinda neat. If you really enjoyed the Justice League Unlimited animated series, which has a pretty dedicated fan following (with good reason), then you should be pretty happy to hear that the entire season is coming to blu-ray for the first time in one collection. Better yet, it's landing tomorrow, November 10th.
Warner Archive Collection continues its commitment to fulfilling the wishes of animation fans everywhere with the first-ever Blu-ray™ release of Justice League Unlimited: The Complete Series. The enthralling anthology will be distributed in full 16x9 widescreen presentation starting Tuesday, November 10, 2015 via WBshop.com and popular online retailers.
As the follow-up to the popular Justice League animated series, Justice League Unlimited ran from 2004-...
Well this is kinda neat. If you really enjoyed the Justice League Unlimited animated series, which has a pretty dedicated fan following (with good reason), then you should be pretty happy to hear that the entire season is coming to blu-ray for the first time in one collection. Better yet, it's landing tomorrow, November 10th.
Warner Archive Collection continues its commitment to fulfilling the wishes of animation fans everywhere with the first-ever Blu-ray™ release of Justice League Unlimited: The Complete Series. The enthralling anthology will be distributed in full 16x9 widescreen presentation starting Tuesday, November 10, 2015 via WBshop.com and popular online retailers.
As the follow-up to the popular Justice League animated series, Justice League Unlimited ran from 2004-...
- 11/9/2015
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Jordan Maison)
- Cinelinx
This year, the regular and often reliable comedy team of James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Danny McBride will reunite for The Sound and the Fury – but not as you know them.
For those hoping for the spontaneous energy a la Pineapple Express or This is the End, you may exit the trailer with a profound feeling of disappointment – or you may feel that regardless of your expectations. You see, this adaptation of William Faulkner’s seminal novel of the same name isn’t nearly as impressionable as it needs to be, and even from our review it’s clear that the Franco-directed adaptation is one you could easily pass up.
Charting the trials and tribulations faced by the Compsons, a once tight-knit Southern family, The Sound and the Fury is, on paper, an understudy on familial drama and the universal challenges that each of us can relate to in our own unique way.
For those hoping for the spontaneous energy a la Pineapple Express or This is the End, you may exit the trailer with a profound feeling of disappointment – or you may feel that regardless of your expectations. You see, this adaptation of William Faulkner’s seminal novel of the same name isn’t nearly as impressionable as it needs to be, and even from our review it’s clear that the Franco-directed adaptation is one you could easily pass up.
Charting the trials and tribulations faced by the Compsons, a once tight-knit Southern family, The Sound and the Fury is, on paper, an understudy on familial drama and the universal challenges that each of us can relate to in our own unique way.
- 11/2/2015
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
Yes, James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Danny McBride are in a new movie together. However, for those expecting another Pineapple Express or This is the End, you may leave disappointed. The Franco-directed adaptation of William Faulkner‘s The Sound and the Fury premiered at Venice Film Festival last year and now it’s finally getting a theatrical release.
Also starring Jacob Loeb, Ahna O’Reilly, Tim Blake Nelson, Joey King and Loretta Devine, the film follows the lives and passions of the Compsons, a once proud Southern family caught in a tragic spiral of loss and misfortune. While it’s already been in limited release for a little bit, the first trailer has now dropped, which gives us a glimpse at Franco’s passion project and his second Faulkner adaptation following As I Lay Dying, as well as a heavy dose of the Beasts of the Southern Wild score.
Check it out below,...
Also starring Jacob Loeb, Ahna O’Reilly, Tim Blake Nelson, Joey King and Loretta Devine, the film follows the lives and passions of the Compsons, a once proud Southern family caught in a tragic spiral of loss and misfortune. While it’s already been in limited release for a little bit, the first trailer has now dropped, which gives us a glimpse at Franco’s passion project and his second Faulkner adaptation following As I Lay Dying, as well as a heavy dose of the Beasts of the Southern Wild score.
Check it out below,...
- 11/2/2015
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
While We’re Young: Roth’s Revisits Grindhouse Home Invasion
Genre director Eli Roth presents his first remake, Knock Knock, a rehash of a 1977 grindhouse thriller, Death Game (which starred Colleen Camp and Sondra Locke, both returning as producers), utilizing modern technology for this revamped mixture of home invasion nightmare and portrait of masculine anxiety. Entertaining as a bit of unintentional camp, Roth’s inability to reign in over-the-top antics from his wildly uneven cast members doffs its queasy sexual overtones nearly as soon as they begin to develop. Headliner Keanu Reeves, along with Roth’s own wife Lorenza Izzo, tend to run amok in a screenplay co-written by the director’s clutch of Chilean acolytes Nicolas Lopez and Guillermo Amodeo. Salty, overly exuberant bits of dialogue only solidify the film’s aptitude for off-putting ludicrousness, but for those inclined towards grungy, misanthropic portraits of cruel psychological games, it’s not a complete loss.
Genre director Eli Roth presents his first remake, Knock Knock, a rehash of a 1977 grindhouse thriller, Death Game (which starred Colleen Camp and Sondra Locke, both returning as producers), utilizing modern technology for this revamped mixture of home invasion nightmare and portrait of masculine anxiety. Entertaining as a bit of unintentional camp, Roth’s inability to reign in over-the-top antics from his wildly uneven cast members doffs its queasy sexual overtones nearly as soon as they begin to develop. Headliner Keanu Reeves, along with Roth’s own wife Lorenza Izzo, tend to run amok in a screenplay co-written by the director’s clutch of Chilean acolytes Nicolas Lopez and Guillermo Amodeo. Salty, overly exuberant bits of dialogue only solidify the film’s aptitude for off-putting ludicrousness, but for those inclined towards grungy, misanthropic portraits of cruel psychological games, it’s not a complete loss.
- 10/8/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Tom Sommerlatte’s debut Summers Downstairs (Im Sommer wohnt er unten) was picked by the audience at this year’s Oldenburg International Film Festival (Sep 16-20) for the German Independence Award.
The French-German co-production, handled internationally by Arri Worldsales, premiered in the Berlinale’s Perspektive Deutsches Kino sidebar in February, won Best Feature Film at the Achtung Berlin! festival in April, and was the opening film of Filmfest Schwerin in May.
There were double honours for Sommerlatte at the closing night gala on Sunday (Sep 20) when the nomination jury for the European Film Awards’ European Discovery - Prix Fipresci announced that Summers Downstairs had been chosen as one of five finalists.
The Seymour Cassel Award - in honour of one of Oldenburg’s aficianados - was shared this year for the first time between two actors: actress Sarah Silverman for her performance in I Smile Back and former European Shooting Star Nikola Rakočević for his role in...
The French-German co-production, handled internationally by Arri Worldsales, premiered in the Berlinale’s Perspektive Deutsches Kino sidebar in February, won Best Feature Film at the Achtung Berlin! festival in April, and was the opening film of Filmfest Schwerin in May.
There were double honours for Sommerlatte at the closing night gala on Sunday (Sep 20) when the nomination jury for the European Film Awards’ European Discovery - Prix Fipresci announced that Summers Downstairs had been chosen as one of five finalists.
The Seymour Cassel Award - in honour of one of Oldenburg’s aficianados - was shared this year for the first time between two actors: actress Sarah Silverman for her performance in I Smile Back and former European Shooting Star Nikola Rakočević for his role in...
- 9/21/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
20. Story of Ricky (Lik wong) – Starring Siu-Wong Fan as the titular character, Riki Oh, based on a manga series which eventually became an anime, marks the end of an era of Japanese exploitation flicks, before the new generation of filmmakers such as Takashi Miike took over. Unlike Miike’s movies, or other recent entries such as Tokyo Gore Police, Riki Oh’s tone borders on comedy, played up by bad voice dubbing, foolish plot lines, cartoonish gore and eccentric characters (including a one-eyed assistant warden with a hook for a hand). For a prison film, the movie never seems mean-spirited, and if anything it masquerades as a bizarre superhero flick. The effects are the main draw – Riki Oh exists simply to showcase several outlandish set pieces, ramping up the level of violence, gore and action with each new scene. Made before the days of CGI, director Lam relies simply on practical effects,...
- 9/2/2015
- by Staff
- SoundOnSight
Read More: Watch: Here's What 'The Shining' Would Look Like If It Were Directed By Wes Anderson Of all the hardcore film fans out there, the Wes Anderson brigade is a particular kind of beast. Unlike Tarantino fans, who skew male, or Fellini fans, who tend to belong to the older age bracket, Anderson's fans can't easily be classified. They're men and women; they're old and young; they're American, European, and Brazilian. What demarcates an Anderson fan is not identity, but whimsical dedication. Yesterday, at cinephile haunt Videology in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, dedicated Wes Anderson fans were put to the ultimate test. But how would you stack up? Take a look at the trivia questions deployed at the event, and see what you can answer. (Answers at the bottom of the page.) 1. Who has Anderson written the most screenplays with?2. Name the 3 Anderson films that feature Seymour Cassel.3. Anderson includes a...
- 7/20/2015
- by Emily Buder
- Indiewire
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