It’s a romantic comedy thriller with winning performances from Glen Powell and Adria Arjona. But isn’t there also darkness in Richard Linklater’s Hit Man, Ryan wonders…?
Nb: The following contains spoilers for Hit Man and 2005’s A History Of Violence.
As two lovers gaze into one another’s eyes, solemnly devoting their lives to one another, the body of a man lies on the floor. There’s a plastic bag over his head, and he’s fighting for breath. In a few seconds, the man will be dead and the lovers will kiss.
It’s a bold, extraordinarily dark turning point in an otherwise glossy romantic comedy-thriller.
Did Richard Linklater and Glen Powell consciously set out to make a subversive rom-com with Hit Man? Quite possibly. Whatever their intentions, the film has certainly resonated. Directed with vim by Linklater and given plenty of smiling charisma by Powell and co-star Adria Arjona,...
Nb: The following contains spoilers for Hit Man and 2005’s A History Of Violence.
As two lovers gaze into one another’s eyes, solemnly devoting their lives to one another, the body of a man lies on the floor. There’s a plastic bag over his head, and he’s fighting for breath. In a few seconds, the man will be dead and the lovers will kiss.
It’s a bold, extraordinarily dark turning point in an otherwise glossy romantic comedy-thriller.
Did Richard Linklater and Glen Powell consciously set out to make a subversive rom-com with Hit Man? Quite possibly. Whatever their intentions, the film has certainly resonated. Directed with vim by Linklater and given plenty of smiling charisma by Powell and co-star Adria Arjona,...
- 6/11/2024
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
A nifty little neo-noir carried by two likeable leads, Lake George follows a pair of down-and-out, middle-aged criminals who try to rip off a rich gangster and somehow get away with it.
Is that a familiar premise? Yes. Do stars Shea Whigham and Carrie Coon manage to make the material feel both fresh and engaging? Yes. Is there still a theatrical audience out there for this kind of modest, well-acted and slickly crafted B-level thriller? That remains to be seen.
Premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival, veteran director Jeffrey Reiner’s latest feature offers up a few welcome twists on a typical noir scenario: Ex-con Don (Whigham) gets out of jail and tries to collect the money he’s owed by an L.A. thug, Armen (Glenn Fleshler), who lives in a massive McMansion up in the Hollywood Hills. But Don is no tough guy, and he winds up getting...
Is that a familiar premise? Yes. Do stars Shea Whigham and Carrie Coon manage to make the material feel both fresh and engaging? Yes. Is there still a theatrical audience out there for this kind of modest, well-acted and slickly crafted B-level thriller? That remains to be seen.
Premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival, veteran director Jeffrey Reiner’s latest feature offers up a few welcome twists on a typical noir scenario: Ex-con Don (Whigham) gets out of jail and tries to collect the money he’s owed by an L.A. thug, Armen (Glenn Fleshler), who lives in a massive McMansion up in the Hollywood Hills. But Don is no tough guy, and he winds up getting...
- 6/11/2024
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Elmore Leonard — cinematically, perhaps the most influential writer of the 20th century whose name never gave rise to an adjective — casts a long shadow over Jeffrey Reiner’s Lake George, a satisfying L.A. noir that follows his legacy almost to the letter. There’s no chiaroscuro here, nothing bad happens even remotely in darkness, but there’s a moral shading that Leonard would most likely enjoy. For some reason, though, these sunshine-crime stories never seem to stick like their shadowy counterparts do, which means that Lake George might have to wait a while before it finds out where it sits in the whole noir canon.
Reiner’s script leans into a lot of traditional crime-movie tropes, and it begins with an ambiguous one: Don (Shea Whigham), a middle-aged divorcé, has just been released from jail after 10 years inside. But for what? Don doesn’t seem the type, and his first calls on the outside,...
Reiner’s script leans into a lot of traditional crime-movie tropes, and it begins with an ambiguous one: Don (Shea Whigham), a middle-aged divorcé, has just been released from jail after 10 years inside. But for what? Don doesn’t seem the type, and his first calls on the outside,...
- 6/11/2024
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
[Editor’s note: The following article contains spoilers for the ending of “Hit Man.”]
“Hit Man” debuted on Netflix as #1 on its most-watched list, which means the ending may have shocked millions of people this weekend. After all, it’s not exactly a staple of the romantic comedy that the couple the audience is rooting for kills a cop in order to be together. But that’s “Hit Man,” a film that cross-pollinates a sexy screwball comedy with a noir like “Double Indemnity.”
The film is sort-of based on a true story, although the real Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) didn’t kill anyone. However, director Richard Linklater told IndieWire that once he and Powell (they co-wrote the screenplay) came up with that ending, it was never really questioned.
“I think the ending has to be inevitable,” said Linklater. “And it’s kind of the thesis of the movie.”
As the end credits detail, the real-life Johnson did work with the police and...
“Hit Man” debuted on Netflix as #1 on its most-watched list, which means the ending may have shocked millions of people this weekend. After all, it’s not exactly a staple of the romantic comedy that the couple the audience is rooting for kills a cop in order to be together. But that’s “Hit Man,” a film that cross-pollinates a sexy screwball comedy with a noir like “Double Indemnity.”
The film is sort-of based on a true story, although the real Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) didn’t kill anyone. However, director Richard Linklater told IndieWire that once he and Powell (they co-wrote the screenplay) came up with that ending, it was never really questioned.
“I think the ending has to be inevitable,” said Linklater. “And it’s kind of the thesis of the movie.”
As the end credits detail, the real-life Johnson did work with the police and...
- 6/10/2024
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Nihilism and neon-popped lust collide in Brazilian filmmaker Karim Aïnouz’s Portuguese-language “Motel Destino,” set in a love motel so sordid that lay tourists should best avoid it, and only criminals and castaways are likely to check in. The “Invisible Life” director’s steamy psychosexual thriller set in the sweatiest armpit of the equator speaks melodrama and noir but with a Brazilian accent, Aïnouz returning to his home state of Ceará to shoot on his own turf for the first time in five years. The writer/director lifts from classics such as Lawrence Kasdan’s “Body Heat” and Billy Wilder’s “Double Indemnity” but also from ‘70s Brazilian sex comedies to tell a perverse yarn of extramarital betrayal turned murderous. But while the pre-“Body Heat” noirs he’s channeling could only suggest rather than spell out sex, Aïnouz goes graphic — and relentlessly — in an arthouse-only erotic genre piece that...
- 5/22/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
World War II was still raging in May 1944. The allied invasion of Normandy — aka D-Day — was just around the corner on June 6th. Americans kept the home fires burning and escaped from the global conflict by going to the movies. Two of the biggest films of the year, Leo McCarey’s “Going My Way” and George Cukor’s “Gaslight,” recently celebrated their 80th anniversaries.
Actually, “Going My Way” had a special “Fighting Front” premiere on April 27th: 65 prints were shipped to battle fronts and shown “from Alaska to Italy, and from England to the jungles of Burma.” The sentimental comedy-drama-musical arrived in New York on May 3rd.
And it was just the uplifting film audiences needed. Bing Crosby starred as Father O’Malley, a laid-back young priest who arrives at a debt-ridden New York City church that is run by the older, set-in-his ways Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald). The elder...
Actually, “Going My Way” had a special “Fighting Front” premiere on April 27th: 65 prints were shipped to battle fronts and shown “from Alaska to Italy, and from England to the jungles of Burma.” The sentimental comedy-drama-musical arrived in New York on May 3rd.
And it was just the uplifting film audiences needed. Bing Crosby starred as Father O’Malley, a laid-back young priest who arrives at a debt-ridden New York City church that is run by the older, set-in-his ways Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald). The elder...
- 5/9/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman in GaslightScreenshot: Fandango/YouTube
1944 signaled a high-water mark for film noir with the release of Double Indemnity. The film codified elements that we now think of as genre tropes: the detective delivering backstory via voiceover, the shadows of Venetian blinds on the wall. But, really,...
1944 signaled a high-water mark for film noir with the release of Double Indemnity. The film codified elements that we now think of as genre tropes: the detective delivering backstory via voiceover, the shadows of Venetian blinds on the wall. But, really,...
- 5/4/2024
- by Drew Gillis
- avclub.com
Directors are lining up left and right each month to share their favorite films from the TCM lineup, and the latest is Jason Reitman. He follows Steven Spielberg going deep on “Meet Me in St. Louis,” Martin Scorsese praising “Madonna of the Seven Moons,” Guillermo del Toro making the case why overlooked “Suspicion” is top-tier Hitchcock, and so many more.
IndieWire simply loves directors sharing their favorite films and paying tribute to the directors and screenwriters behind them. And that enthusiasm comes across loud and clear in “SNL 1975” director Reitman’s picks. First up, Reitman, whose always had an ear for dialogue himself, talks about what’s so great about the patter in Barry Levinson’s “Diner.”
“[‘Diner’] is probably one of the best first movies for a filmmaker of all time,” Reitman said. “And the dialogue is delicious. You can’t look at a Quentin Tarantino movie and...
IndieWire simply loves directors sharing their favorite films and paying tribute to the directors and screenwriters behind them. And that enthusiasm comes across loud and clear in “SNL 1975” director Reitman’s picks. First up, Reitman, whose always had an ear for dialogue himself, talks about what’s so great about the patter in Barry Levinson’s “Diner.”
“[‘Diner’] is probably one of the best first movies for a filmmaker of all time,” Reitman said. “And the dialogue is delicious. You can’t look at a Quentin Tarantino movie and...
- 4/2/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Daniel Sackheim’s intriguing landscapes of Los Angeles evoke a time of classic film of the Film Noir period. His landscapes of Downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood Blvd, the distant pier of Santa Monica create a moody scene iridescent of classics like Double Indemnity; Mildred Pierce, The Third Man, and Shadow of a Doubt. The seductive tones of a bygone era are visually stimulating creating a mood of mystery that captured the eyes of audiences when The Maltese Falcon was first released.
Sackheim’s directing credits include Lovecraft Country, Game of Thrones, True Detective, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, and Ozark to name a few. Having been a director for many years before delving into photography, he says his eye tends to land on a cinematic sensibility naturally. This perspective then informs his approach to photographic storytelling.
“There is not so much one specific film, though there are iconic images from...
Sackheim’s directing credits include Lovecraft Country, Game of Thrones, True Detective, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, and Ozark to name a few. Having been a director for many years before delving into photography, he says his eye tends to land on a cinematic sensibility naturally. This perspective then informs his approach to photographic storytelling.
“There is not so much one specific film, though there are iconic images from...
- 3/18/2024
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
World-renowned director Steven Spielberg was at the height of his career when he made the Oscar-winning film "Schindler's List," but he wasn't the only filmmaker who was interested in adapting the novel of the same name for the silver screen. The acclaimed director Billy Wilder, an auteur of classic Hollywood cinema who penned and directed such renowned films as "The Apartment" and "Sunset Boulevard," was also vying for the rights to turn this story into a movie. However, by the time Thomas Keneally's evocative historical novel was published in 1993, Wilder's career was already winding down.
For a long time, Wilder enjoyed one of the most prosperous careers in Hollywood. His Oscar-nominated 1944 film "Double Indemnity" is considered the signal film of noir cinema and the model of the femme fatale trope. After Wilder's smashing success "Sunset Boulevard" earned three Oscars in 1951, he quickly went on to release several star vehicles...
For a long time, Wilder enjoyed one of the most prosperous careers in Hollywood. His Oscar-nominated 1944 film "Double Indemnity" is considered the signal film of noir cinema and the model of the femme fatale trope. After Wilder's smashing success "Sunset Boulevard" earned three Oscars in 1951, he quickly went on to release several star vehicles...
- 3/4/2024
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
There’s nothing IndieWire loves more than directors talking about their favorite movies. So, of course, we took notice when, in late 2023, Turner Classic Movies started looping in directors to share their favorites from TCM’s lineup each month: Steven Spielberg’s TCM picks kicked things off, then Martin Scorsese waxed rhapsodic about “Madonna of the Seven Moons,” and Guillermo del Toro gushed about the greatness of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Suspicion.”
Now Chris Columbus is sharing his own TCM picks, along with some especially insightful anecdotes. Watch the video above.
Columbus starts off sharing his love of “Singin’ in the Rain”: “An amazing, almost flawless movie. You can say that about very few movies. I showed ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ to my 16-month-old granddaughter who was absolutely absorbed in the musical numbers. Moreso than any Disney animated films. I go back to it once or twice a year.
Particularly...
Now Chris Columbus is sharing his own TCM picks, along with some especially insightful anecdotes. Watch the video above.
Columbus starts off sharing his love of “Singin’ in the Rain”: “An amazing, almost flawless movie. You can say that about very few movies. I showed ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ to my 16-month-old granddaughter who was absolutely absorbed in the musical numbers. Moreso than any Disney animated films. I go back to it once or twice a year.
Particularly...
- 3/1/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
If Valentine cards are too lame and saccharine for your taste, then maybe you need something a little more hard-boiled for this lovers’ holiday. Perhaps, “What do I call you besides stupid?” or “We go together like guns and ammunition” are more in line with the romantic sentiments you’d like to express to your gumshoe or femme fatale. If that’s the case, then here are some lethally attractive film noir romances with the cynical bite your cold heart craves.
Marriage vows state, “till death do us part.” But in noir, that death is very rarely of natural causes. I mean, there’s a reason women in noir are referred to as femme fatales – they can be deadly.
Here’s a list of the 10 best classic American films noir to celebrate with on Valentine’s Day.
Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t already figured it out, I will be...
Marriage vows state, “till death do us part.” But in noir, that death is very rarely of natural causes. I mean, there’s a reason women in noir are referred to as femme fatales – they can be deadly.
Here’s a list of the 10 best classic American films noir to celebrate with on Valentine’s Day.
Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t already figured it out, I will be...
- 2/14/2024
- by Beth Accomando
- Showbiz Junkies
Actor turned director Keir O’Donnell’s first feature behind the camera is a primary coloured effort with some smart plot twists
Although largely comic in tone, this frothy thriller is obviously modelled on classic films noir, with their tales of betrayal and cunning, gullible heroes tricked into crime by femmes fatales, and the ever-present backbeat of quiet economic desperation. But Keir O’Donnell, a character actor making his writing-directing debut, has juiced up the formula with a palette of poppy primary colours and bright stabs of pink, and an ironic, self-mocking tone. That should help this slip down easy with new-generation viewers who may never have seen such classics as The Postman Always Rings Twice or Double Indemnity, let alone later remakes or homages like Body Heat or Blue Velvet.
It also helps that O’Donnell has cast Gen-z-star-on-the-rise Joe Keery (Steve from Stranger Things) as protagonist Baron, a guileless poor...
Although largely comic in tone, this frothy thriller is obviously modelled on classic films noir, with their tales of betrayal and cunning, gullible heroes tricked into crime by femmes fatales, and the ever-present backbeat of quiet economic desperation. But Keir O’Donnell, a character actor making his writing-directing debut, has juiced up the formula with a palette of poppy primary colours and bright stabs of pink, and an ironic, self-mocking tone. That should help this slip down easy with new-generation viewers who may never have seen such classics as The Postman Always Rings Twice or Double Indemnity, let alone later remakes or homages like Body Heat or Blue Velvet.
It also helps that O’Donnell has cast Gen-z-star-on-the-rise Joe Keery (Steve from Stranger Things) as protagonist Baron, a guileless poor...
- 2/5/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
Maya Hawke and Jon Hamm have joined Christoph Waltz in the starry cast for Stephen Frears’ upcoming drama, Wilder & Me.
Stephen Frears has managed to assemble quite a formidable cast for his upcoming drama, Wilder & Me, based on Jonathan Coe’s novel Mr Wilder And Me.
Christoph Waltz has long been cast in one of the title roles as the legendary director Billy Wilder, who wrote and directed some of America’s all-time great films across his long career – Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend, Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment... we could go on, but there’s a news post we ought to be getting on with.
Wilder & Me’s other major role, though, has gone to Maya Hawke, who’ll play the young composer Calista (essentially the ‘Me’ of the title). The film will be set during the latter stages of Wilder’s career – specifically in late 1970s Greece,...
Stephen Frears has managed to assemble quite a formidable cast for his upcoming drama, Wilder & Me, based on Jonathan Coe’s novel Mr Wilder And Me.
Christoph Waltz has long been cast in one of the title roles as the legendary director Billy Wilder, who wrote and directed some of America’s all-time great films across his long career – Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend, Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment... we could go on, but there’s a news post we ought to be getting on with.
Wilder & Me’s other major role, though, has gone to Maya Hawke, who’ll play the young composer Calista (essentially the ‘Me’ of the title). The film will be set during the latter stages of Wilder’s career – specifically in late 1970s Greece,...
- 2/2/2024
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
Remembering ‘Remember the Night’: A Christmas movie classic with Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray
Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray sizzled as the duplicitous lovers in Billy Wilder’s exceptional 1944 film noir “Double Indemnity.” But that classic based on James M. Cain’s novel wasn’t their first pairing. Four years earlier, they played very different lovers in “Remember the Night,” which was penned by the brilliant Preston Sturges and directed by Mitchell Leisen. The exquisite holiday film, ironically released in January of 1940, has become a Christmas favorite thanks to TCM, streaming services and DVDs.
MacMurray stars as Jack, a young New York City assistant district attorney. Stanwyck’s Lee has seen her share of bad breaks is on trial before Christmas for shoplifting a bracelet at a jewelry store. MacMurray decides to bail her out of jail for the holidays and ends up taking her back to his Indiana family farm where she is warmly welcomed by his mother and aunt. His mother (Beulah Bondi...
MacMurray stars as Jack, a young New York City assistant district attorney. Stanwyck’s Lee has seen her share of bad breaks is on trial before Christmas for shoplifting a bracelet at a jewelry store. MacMurray decides to bail her out of jail for the holidays and ends up taking her back to his Indiana family farm where she is warmly welcomed by his mother and aunt. His mother (Beulah Bondi...
- 12/11/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Femme fatales have existed since the dawn of narrative art. This intoxicating female archetype is known for her alluring sensuality and dark habit of causing harm or destruction to any man who falls into her grasp. From the sirens of Greek literature and Shakespeare’s Lady MacBeth to the vamps of the silent film era and gangster movie gun molls, femme fatales have continued to change with times.
A surge of classic examples arose in pulp literature and the subsequent film noir heyday of the 1940s and 50s – possibly a response to shifting gender roles in the wake of World War II. Many consider Barbara Stanwyck’s Phyllis Dietrichson to be the prototypical film fatale of the silver screen. In Double Indemnity, this magnetic blonde seduces a hapless salesman and convinces him to kill her husband in order to cash in on the titular insurance policy.
Despite her classical origins,...
A surge of classic examples arose in pulp literature and the subsequent film noir heyday of the 1940s and 50s – possibly a response to shifting gender roles in the wake of World War II. Many consider Barbara Stanwyck’s Phyllis Dietrichson to be the prototypical film fatale of the silver screen. In Double Indemnity, this magnetic blonde seduces a hapless salesman and convinces him to kill her husband in order to cash in on the titular insurance policy.
Despite her classical origins,...
- 12/5/2023
- by Jenn Adams
- bloody-disgusting.com
It might be Thanksgiving, but for Phil Connors, every day is Groundhog Day. And poor Ned Ryerson, he was sucked right into the weatherman’s seemingly endless loop of misery. But his portrayer, Stephen Tobolowsky, remains proud of what is surely his most popular movie, even though the production was doozier than a Punxsutawney puddle – something we detailed in an episode of “Wtf Happened To This Movie?!”
On the occasion of Groundhog Day’s 30th anniversary, Tobolowsky said the production brought much debate between co-screenwriters Harold Ramis and Danny Rubin. “After the first week, Harold Ramis got with Danny Rubin, our writer, and he says, ‘What’s the story we’re really telling here?’ Are we going to have a series of sequences where Bill just has no consequences and acts crazy, like he was doing in all of those movies back then, or are we telling the story about,...
On the occasion of Groundhog Day’s 30th anniversary, Tobolowsky said the production brought much debate between co-screenwriters Harold Ramis and Danny Rubin. “After the first week, Harold Ramis got with Danny Rubin, our writer, and he says, ‘What’s the story we’re really telling here?’ Are we going to have a series of sequences where Bill just has no consequences and acts crazy, like he was doing in all of those movies back then, or are we telling the story about,...
- 11/23/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: The company that holds rights to the literary estates of Langston Hughes and Evelyn Waugh is heading on a West Coast charm offensive and has snapped up the estate of Somerset Maugham.
International Literary Properties (Ilp) launched in 2019 but has so far focused on the UK and East Coast. Over the coming weeks, however, UK and Europe CEO Hilary Strong has numerous meetings in the diary with LA producers as Ilp looks to strike deals for adaptations of books from its 50-author roster across TV, film and in other areas.
“As we continue to buy considerable assets we need to broaden our relationships with the U.S. production community and showrunners,” Strong told Deadline. “We are going out to make sure people understand the message so we can start to develop producer networks in Hollywood akin to what we have on the East Coast and in the UK.”
Hilary...
International Literary Properties (Ilp) launched in 2019 but has so far focused on the UK and East Coast. Over the coming weeks, however, UK and Europe CEO Hilary Strong has numerous meetings in the diary with LA producers as Ilp looks to strike deals for adaptations of books from its 50-author roster across TV, film and in other areas.
“As we continue to buy considerable assets we need to broaden our relationships with the U.S. production community and showrunners,” Strong told Deadline. “We are going out to make sure people understand the message so we can start to develop producer networks in Hollywood akin to what we have on the East Coast and in the UK.”
Hilary...
- 11/8/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man” stars Glen Powell as Gary Johnson, a milquetoast philosophy professor who moonlights as an undercover cop set on flushing out people who hire contract killers.
One day, Johnson gets the call to pose as a killer for hire, and proves he has a real talent for impersonation — and arrests. He dons different contract killer personas for different stings. When he meets Madison (Adria Arjona), a woman who wants her husband killed, he tries to talk her out of the decision. Instead, they fall for each other.
A modern-day noir — based on a true story by Skip Hollandsworth that ran 20 years ago in Texas Monthly — is infused with shaggy humor, sexy chemistry between the leads, and a giant twist. Powell and Arjona deliver star turns in Linklater’s Venice screener, and a terrific time at the movies for adults.
Linklater and Powell co-wrote the screenplay. AGC Intl.
One day, Johnson gets the call to pose as a killer for hire, and proves he has a real talent for impersonation — and arrests. He dons different contract killer personas for different stings. When he meets Madison (Adria Arjona), a woman who wants her husband killed, he tries to talk her out of the decision. Instead, they fall for each other.
A modern-day noir — based on a true story by Skip Hollandsworth that ran 20 years ago in Texas Monthly — is infused with shaggy humor, sexy chemistry between the leads, and a giant twist. Powell and Arjona deliver star turns in Linklater’s Venice screener, and a terrific time at the movies for adults.
Linklater and Powell co-wrote the screenplay. AGC Intl.
- 9/6/2023
- by Carole Horst
- Variety Film + TV
For the first time since beginning this editorial series, we’re discussing a documentary rather than a fiction film. That’s because Yellow Veil just released a supersized documentary about the history of the Erotic Thriller called We Kill For Love: The Lost World of the Erotic Thriller (2023).
Clocking in at 163 minutes, this is a thorough, occasionally indulgent documentary written and directed by Anthony Penta. The doc uses a framing device featuring an archivist character, played by Michael Reed, cataloguing countless VHS tapes and watching “Suspect Interviews” (aka talking head interviews) in his dimly lit office. These segments recur throughout We Kill For Love, and also feature voice-over narration from Penta that are partially purple prose, partially quotations from academic articles and books on the genre.
The vast majority of the documentary, however, is taken up by clips and talking head interviews. There’s a good variety of interviewees, including scholars such Linda Ruth Williams,...
Clocking in at 163 minutes, this is a thorough, occasionally indulgent documentary written and directed by Anthony Penta. The doc uses a framing device featuring an archivist character, played by Michael Reed, cataloguing countless VHS tapes and watching “Suspect Interviews” (aka talking head interviews) in his dimly lit office. These segments recur throughout We Kill For Love, and also feature voice-over narration from Penta that are partially purple prose, partially quotations from academic articles and books on the genre.
The vast majority of the documentary, however, is taken up by clips and talking head interviews. There’s a good variety of interviewees, including scholars such Linda Ruth Williams,...
- 9/5/2023
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
“The Afterparty” has placed all sorts of lenses on its murder mystery wedding romp in Season 2: the generic conventions of rom-com and film noir, specific directorial styles like Alfred Hitchcock’s and Wes Anderson’s, and even whole modes of filmmaking as in Feng’s (Ken Jeong) found-footage episode peppered with vertical iPhone videos ready for TikTok.
The sheer number of different visual styles the show needs is a challenge, but so is creating a “normal” look for the present-day interrogation scenes with Danner (Tiffany Haddish), Aniq (Sam Richardson), and Zoë (Zoe Chao). Working out the feeling of that grounding “home base” look was as challenging as crafting the show’s most extreme visual styles, and in both cases required cinematographer Ross Riege to do a lot of calibrating in order to get it right — and then keep it straight.
“We’d shoot something [in the] present day, and then the...
The sheer number of different visual styles the show needs is a challenge, but so is creating a “normal” look for the present-day interrogation scenes with Danner (Tiffany Haddish), Aniq (Sam Richardson), and Zoë (Zoe Chao). Working out the feeling of that grounding “home base” look was as challenging as crafting the show’s most extreme visual styles, and in both cases required cinematographer Ross Riege to do a lot of calibrating in order to get it right — and then keep it straight.
“We’d shoot something [in the] present day, and then the...
- 8/30/2023
- by Sarah Shachat
- Indiewire
He is best remembered as the affable dad on the long-running television series “My Three Sons” and for his good-natured characters in a string in Disney films. But Fred MacMurray had a rich and varied career that spanned over half a century.
Frederick Martin MacMurray was born on August 30, 1908, in Kankakee, Il. His father was a concert violinist, and young Fred initially followed his father steps into the music business. He worked as a saxophonist and vocalist to pay his way through college, eventually moving to Los Angeles and joining the California Collegians vocal ensemble. This led him cross-country to Broadway, where he was discovered by a Paramount scout, who brought him back to L.A. and film stardom.
MacMurray is widely considered one of the most underrated actors of the Golden Age of Hollywood. He held his own against some of the industry’s most talented actresses, including four...
Frederick Martin MacMurray was born on August 30, 1908, in Kankakee, Il. His father was a concert violinist, and young Fred initially followed his father steps into the music business. He worked as a saxophonist and vocalist to pay his way through college, eventually moving to Los Angeles and joining the California Collegians vocal ensemble. This led him cross-country to Broadway, where he was discovered by a Paramount scout, who brought him back to L.A. and film stardom.
MacMurray is widely considered one of the most underrated actors of the Golden Age of Hollywood. He held his own against some of the industry’s most talented actresses, including four...
- 8/25/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Based on Emile Zola’s 1980 novel La Bête Humaine, Fritz Lang’s Human Desire is an entirely different beast than Jean Renoir’s 1938 adaptation. The Renoir film’s pointed humanism and everybody-has-their-reasons ethos is swapped out here for a considerably steelier point of view. Indeed, the film is less interested in its characters’ interiority than it is in viewing their lives through a fatalistic lens.
What’s most compelling about Lang’s film is how elegantly it toys with noir tropes and subverts our expectations, particularly with regard to Vicki (Gloria Grahame), who’s initially presented as your prototypical femme fatale. Vicki is trying to convince her new lover, Jeff (Glenn Ford), to murder her slovenly, abusive husband, Carl (Broderick Crawford). It’s a setup familiar from countless noirs, most notably Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity and Tay Garnett’s The Postman Always Rings Twice, so the audience is already...
What’s most compelling about Lang’s film is how elegantly it toys with noir tropes and subverts our expectations, particularly with regard to Vicki (Gloria Grahame), who’s initially presented as your prototypical femme fatale. Vicki is trying to convince her new lover, Jeff (Glenn Ford), to murder her slovenly, abusive husband, Carl (Broderick Crawford). It’s a setup familiar from countless noirs, most notably Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity and Tay Garnett’s The Postman Always Rings Twice, so the audience is already...
- 7/19/2023
- by Derek Smith
- Slant Magazine
Mr. Wilder And Me author Jonathan Coe with Anne-Katrin Titze: “I love Powell and Pressburger, so I was very happy to get in a reference to them.”
With Film Forum’s Written and Directed By Billy Wilder tribute, programmed by Bruce Goldstein, starting next week in New York, Jonathan Coe’s Mr. Wilder And Me is the perfect summer read.
Jonathan Coe on Fedora: “The imagery always reminds me of that Georges Franju film Eyes Without A Face.”
In the first instalment with the author we discuss Christoph Waltz as Billy Wilder in Stephen Frears’ yet-to-be-filmed adaptation of Jonathan’s novel; meeting Volker Schlöndorff just before the Covid lockdown; the images of Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now staying with him; a connection between Georges Franju’s [film id=13604]Eyes Without A...
With Film Forum’s Written and Directed By Billy Wilder tribute, programmed by Bruce Goldstein, starting next week in New York, Jonathan Coe’s Mr. Wilder And Me is the perfect summer read.
Jonathan Coe on Fedora: “The imagery always reminds me of that Georges Franju film Eyes Without A Face.”
In the first instalment with the author we discuss Christoph Waltz as Billy Wilder in Stephen Frears’ yet-to-be-filmed adaptation of Jonathan’s novel; meeting Volker Schlöndorff just before the Covid lockdown; the images of Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now staying with him; a connection between Georges Franju’s [film id=13604]Eyes Without A...
- 7/8/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
She was one of the hardest working, most versatile actresses of the Golden Era of Hollywood, lauded by directors, costars and crew members for her professionalism and pleasant demeanor. During a time when most actors were typecasts, her most famous roles included a range of characters from society lady to sassy con artist, working class girl to helpless invalid and from heartbroken mother to one of the most infamous femme fatales of film noir.
Barbara Stanwyck was born Ruby Catherine Stevens on July 16, 1907, in Brooklyn, NY. Orphaned very young, Ruby dropped out of school at the age of 14, starting a series of odd jobs, eventually working for the telephone company. However, she had big dreams, and was soon a chorus girl in several shows, including the Ziegfeld Follies. In 1926, she had a part in the moderately successful play “The Noose,” and decided to change her name – “Barbara” was the name of her character,...
Barbara Stanwyck was born Ruby Catherine Stevens on July 16, 1907, in Brooklyn, NY. Orphaned very young, Ruby dropped out of school at the age of 14, starting a series of odd jobs, eventually working for the telephone company. However, she had big dreams, and was soon a chorus girl in several shows, including the Ziegfeld Follies. In 1926, she had a part in the moderately successful play “The Noose,” and decided to change her name – “Barbara” was the name of her character,...
- 7/8/2023
- by Susan Pennington, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Billy Wilder was the six-time Oscar winner who left behind a series of classically quotable features from Hollywood’s Golden Age, crafting sharp witted and darkly cynical stories that blended comedy and pathos in equal measure. Let’s take a look back at 25 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Wilder was born to a family of Austrian Jews in 1906. After working as a journalist, he developed an interest in filmmaking and collaborated on the silent feature “People on Sunday” (1929) with fellow rookies Fred Zinnemann, Robert Siodmak and Edgar G. Ulmer. With the rise of Adolph Hitler, Wilder fled to Paris, where he co-directed the feature “Mauvaise Graine” (1934). Tragically, his mother, stepfather and grandmother all died in the Holocaust.
After moving to Hollywood, Wilder enjoyed a successful career as a screenwriter, earning Oscar nominations for penning 1939’s “Ninotchka” and 1941’s “Hold Back the Dawn” and “Ball of Fire.” He...
Wilder was born to a family of Austrian Jews in 1906. After working as a journalist, he developed an interest in filmmaking and collaborated on the silent feature “People on Sunday” (1929) with fellow rookies Fred Zinnemann, Robert Siodmak and Edgar G. Ulmer. With the rise of Adolph Hitler, Wilder fled to Paris, where he co-directed the feature “Mauvaise Graine” (1934). Tragically, his mother, stepfather and grandmother all died in the Holocaust.
After moving to Hollywood, Wilder enjoyed a successful career as a screenwriter, earning Oscar nominations for penning 1939’s “Ninotchka” and 1941’s “Hold Back the Dawn” and “Ball of Fire.” He...
- 6/17/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
History ended in the 1990s, at least according to a famous essay by American political scientist Francis Fukuyama. Under his inflammatory headline, Fukuyama argues that the end of the Cold War and the establishment of the United States as the world’s sole global power pole meant that liberal democracies have become the ultimate form of government. As if to prove the argument correct, the US and the UK entered a period of governmental peace and capitalist expansion.
However, those of us who actually lived through the 90s know that the decade wasn’t nearly as rosy as some predicted (or recall). Against the picture of ascendancy painted by Bill Clinton and, eventually, Tony Blair, pop culture reflected the fragmented state of actual lives, and we ended up with some of the most controversial movies of all time.
In addition to the big breakthroughs of the decade, such as Quentin Tarantino...
However, those of us who actually lived through the 90s know that the decade wasn’t nearly as rosy as some predicted (or recall). Against the picture of ascendancy painted by Bill Clinton and, eventually, Tony Blair, pop culture reflected the fragmented state of actual lives, and we ended up with some of the most controversial movies of all time.
In addition to the big breakthroughs of the decade, such as Quentin Tarantino...
- 5/31/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Flying saucers and alien invasion movies were the trend in the 1950s. UFO sightings in Washington State in 1947 and the famous crash near Roswell, New Mexico in 1948 had ignited a fever for all things alien. The movies soon followed the public interest with films like The Thing from Another World (1951), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), War of the Worlds (1953), This Island Earth (1955), Earth vs. The Flying Saucers (1956), Invasion of the Saucer-Men (1957), and many more of varying levels of quality. Many of these science fiction/horror hybrids were aimed toward an audience of children and teenagers and often featured young people, but few placed the viewer so deeply in the child’s perspective as the 1953 classic Invaders from Mars.
In many ways, Invaders from Mars walked so that Invasion of the Body Snatchers could run just three years later. Much of this is due to its extremely low budget and independent production.
In many ways, Invaders from Mars walked so that Invasion of the Body Snatchers could run just three years later. Much of this is due to its extremely low budget and independent production.
- 5/30/2023
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
(Welcome to Did They Get It Right?, a series where we look at Oscars categories from yesteryear and examine whether the Academy's winners stand the test of time.)
When we think of great Hollywood directors, we think of names like John Ford, Frank Capra, Billy Wilder, and moving on up to the likes of Steven Spielberg. These are filmmakers who not only had strong artistic and creative instincts and abilities, but they also knew how to translate those skills into making films that appealed to gigantic mass audiences. They made the films that Hollywood always strives to make.
Unquestionably, another filmmaker who belongs on that list is Alfred Hitchcock, the so-dubbed "Master of Suspense." That moniker suits him perfectly, as he was able to craft some of the most tense pictures ever produced in Hollywood. He perfectly understood set-up and payoff. He knew how to ride the line between euphemism and explicitness,...
When we think of great Hollywood directors, we think of names like John Ford, Frank Capra, Billy Wilder, and moving on up to the likes of Steven Spielberg. These are filmmakers who not only had strong artistic and creative instincts and abilities, but they also knew how to translate those skills into making films that appealed to gigantic mass audiences. They made the films that Hollywood always strives to make.
Unquestionably, another filmmaker who belongs on that list is Alfred Hitchcock, the so-dubbed "Master of Suspense." That moniker suits him perfectly, as he was able to craft some of the most tense pictures ever produced in Hollywood. He perfectly understood set-up and payoff. He knew how to ride the line between euphemism and explicitness,...
- 5/28/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
The desert will again be a hotbed of deceit and larceny in luxurious black-and-white as the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival returns to Palm Springs this Thursday through Sunday, with the quintessential noir classics “The Killing” and “Double Indemnity” bookending a marathon weekend that otherwise tends toward more rarely screened ‘40s and ‘50s titles.
Several sons or daughters of the original actors or directors will be on hand, but of special interest to festival attendees will be the presence of one of the actual filmmakers: James B. Harris, 94, Stanley Kubrick’s producing partner for several of his best early films, who’ll be able to speak first-hand about the making of 1956’s “The Killing,” the crime drama that turned out to be Kubrick’s first real masterpiece.
“I’m just utterly thrilled that ‘The Killing’ will show and Jimmy will be the guest on opening night,” says the festival’s longtime guiding light,...
Several sons or daughters of the original actors or directors will be on hand, but of special interest to festival attendees will be the presence of one of the actual filmmakers: James B. Harris, 94, Stanley Kubrick’s producing partner for several of his best early films, who’ll be able to speak first-hand about the making of 1956’s “The Killing,” the crime drama that turned out to be Kubrick’s first real masterpiece.
“I’m just utterly thrilled that ‘The Killing’ will show and Jimmy will be the guest on opening night,” says the festival’s longtime guiding light,...
- 5/9/2023
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Obsession is a series starring Indira Varma and Charlie Murphy. It is based on the novel by Josephine Hart.
A dark-looking, good thriller story that, pretending to look daring, doesn’t take too many risks after all. However, it knows how to play the dark thriller at times (not always) and, in its irregularity, serves as a good piece of entertainment for fans of the genre.
About the Series
There are times when, on a blind date or in a movie, you have to know what you want and where you’re going. In other words, be clear about things. Obsession is a British series that, almost like a TV movie, pretends to go to the dark side of life, deep down, like in a Lou Reed-style but unwillingly to look at the David Lynch-side of things.
Woven with a deep moralistic tone, it is a film that...
A dark-looking, good thriller story that, pretending to look daring, doesn’t take too many risks after all. However, it knows how to play the dark thriller at times (not always) and, in its irregularity, serves as a good piece of entertainment for fans of the genre.
About the Series
There are times when, on a blind date or in a movie, you have to know what you want and where you’re going. In other words, be clear about things. Obsession is a British series that, almost like a TV movie, pretends to go to the dark side of life, deep down, like in a Lou Reed-style but unwillingly to look at the David Lynch-side of things.
Woven with a deep moralistic tone, it is a film that...
- 4/13/2023
- by Veronica Loop
- Martin Cid - TV
Los Angeles is such a large and sprawling city, it doesn't have a singular identity. As can be seen from the wide variety of movies set here, neighborhoods in the east, south, and west of LA, from the beaches to the vast San Fernando Valley, all have extremely different flavors. LA is a city of transplants and immigrants, and I'm no exception, as I moved here 6.5 years ago from the UK. Most of the best-known LA movies were made by outsiders trying to get to grips with a city that in one sense is dominated by the movie industry but also has a rich cultural life outside of that.
One of the best ways to discover LA is through documentaries, such as "City of Gold" (2015), "Los Angeles Plays Itself" (2003), and "Dogtown and Z-Boys" (2001). Like most people, my perception of LA was entirely built by the movies I watched growing up,...
One of the best ways to discover LA is through documentaries, such as "City of Gold" (2015), "Los Angeles Plays Itself" (2003), and "Dogtown and Z-Boys" (2001). Like most people, my perception of LA was entirely built by the movies I watched growing up,...
- 3/26/2023
- by Fiona Underhill
- Slash Film
The headline of this column is doubtlessly unfair. I’m judging a movie before I’ve seen it, before it has even been made. Given the vast volume of junky indifferent product that now slides through the megaplex, and the streaming ocean, on a weekly basis, why not settle in for an ambitious remake of “Vertigo,” Alfred Hitchcock’s romantically kinky and voluptuous dream thriller of 1958? At least it’s not “Texas Chainsaw Xviii” or another “Minions” movie. At least it will be interesting (right?).
Robert Downey Jr., who is in talks to produce and possibly star in a remake of “Vertigo” at Paramount (home of the original film), is a great actor. But once he became a box-office superstar, 15 years ago, with “Iron Man,” he got sucked into the escapist vortex of Marvel and “Sherlock Holmes” and duds like “Dolittle.” Downey, who is about to turn 58, needs to rediscover himself as an actor.
Robert Downey Jr., who is in talks to produce and possibly star in a remake of “Vertigo” at Paramount (home of the original film), is a great actor. But once he became a box-office superstar, 15 years ago, with “Iron Man,” he got sucked into the escapist vortex of Marvel and “Sherlock Holmes” and duds like “Dolittle.” Downey, who is about to turn 58, needs to rediscover himself as an actor.
- 3/25/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Any belief that the Oscars award the right films, directors and performances has faded over the years.
While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions – trophies handed to the right people for the right films – more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.
The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But his does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.
With the 2023 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 17 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks – the film...
While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions – trophies handed to the right people for the right films – more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.
The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But his does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.
With the 2023 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 17 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks – the film...
- 3/12/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
In much the same way you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, you can’t have the Oscars without breaking a few hearts along the way.
Over the years, a glut of films have swept the board at the Academy Awards. In 1991, The Silence of the Lambs became the first and so far only horror film to win Oscars in all five major categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Titanic, of course, won 11 Oscars in 1998 with James Cameron naturally declaring: “I’m the King of the World!”
More recently still, movies like Slumdog Millionaire and Gravity took home a slew of Oscars for their efforts. But while the movies that take home the night’s big awards continue to live long in the memory – Crash aside – it’s worth not just sparing a thought for the also-rans and nearly...
Over the years, a glut of films have swept the board at the Academy Awards. In 1991, The Silence of the Lambs became the first and so far only horror film to win Oscars in all five major categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Titanic, of course, won 11 Oscars in 1998 with James Cameron naturally declaring: “I’m the King of the World!”
More recently still, movies like Slumdog Millionaire and Gravity took home a slew of Oscars for their efforts. But while the movies that take home the night’s big awards continue to live long in the memory – Crash aside – it’s worth not just sparing a thought for the also-rans and nearly...
- 3/12/2023
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
Any belief that the Oscars award the right films, directors and performances has faded over the years.
While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions – trophies handed to the right people for the right films – more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.
The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But his does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.
With the 2023 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 17 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks – the film...
While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions – trophies handed to the right people for the right films – more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.
The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But his does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.
With the 2023 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 17 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks – the film...
- 3/11/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
Barbara Stanwyck is an early-Hollywood icon. The actor overcame a challenging childhood to become a performer of remarkable range, equally praised for her work in screwball comedies, Westerns, and film noirs. Unfortunately, the Big Valley star’s personal life was as fraught as some of her more complicated characters, but her artistic legacy made her a wealthy woman and a timeless on-screen presence.
Barbara Stanwyck grew up an orphan and began working as a pre-teen Barbara Stanwyck in ‘The Big Valley’ | ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
The youngest of five children, Barbara Stanwyck was born Ruby Catherine Stevens on Jul. 16, 1907, in Brooklyn, New York. Tragedy struck early in her life. Her mother, Catherine, died after a drunk passenger pushed her off a moving streetcar in 1911. Two weeks after the funeral, Stanwyck’s father, Byron, left to join a work crew digging the Panama Canal and...
Barbara Stanwyck grew up an orphan and began working as a pre-teen Barbara Stanwyck in ‘The Big Valley’ | ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
The youngest of five children, Barbara Stanwyck was born Ruby Catherine Stevens on Jul. 16, 1907, in Brooklyn, New York. Tragedy struck early in her life. Her mother, Catherine, died after a drunk passenger pushed her off a moving streetcar in 1911. Two weeks after the funeral, Stanwyck’s father, Byron, left to join a work crew digging the Panama Canal and...
- 3/8/2023
- by Sam Hines
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Any belief that the Oscars award the right films, directors and performances has faded over the years.
While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions – trophies handed to the right people for the right films – more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.
The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But his does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.
With the 2023 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 17 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks – the film...
While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions – trophies handed to the right people for the right films – more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.
The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But his does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.
With the 2023 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 17 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks – the film...
- 3/4/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
This year, all the Oscar-contending directors are nominated for original screenplay: the Daniels, Todd Field, Martin McDonagh, Ruben Östlund and Steven Spielberg (writing with Tony Kushner).
This is the first time it’s happened in AMPAS history.
The only year that came close was 2017, when all five helmers had written or co-written their scripts, though they didn’t all get writing noms.
So here’s Film History 101.
In Hollywood lore, Preston Sturges is often credited as the first scribe to become a hyphenate, as writer-director of the 1940 “The Great McGinty.” But as with all Hollywood “facts,” there is only an element of truth here.
In the next few years, he was joined by some heavyweights: Orson Welles (“Citizen Kane”) and John Huston (“The Maltese Falcon”) in 1941; Leo McCarey (co-writer of “Going My Way”); Billy Wilder (writing with Raymond Chandler) for “Double Indemnity” in 1944; and Joseph L. Mankiewicz (“Dragonwyck”), 1946.
However, a writer-director wasn’t an innovation.
This is the first time it’s happened in AMPAS history.
The only year that came close was 2017, when all five helmers had written or co-written their scripts, though they didn’t all get writing noms.
So here’s Film History 101.
In Hollywood lore, Preston Sturges is often credited as the first scribe to become a hyphenate, as writer-director of the 1940 “The Great McGinty.” But as with all Hollywood “facts,” there is only an element of truth here.
In the next few years, he was joined by some heavyweights: Orson Welles (“Citizen Kane”) and John Huston (“The Maltese Falcon”) in 1941; Leo McCarey (co-writer of “Going My Way”); Billy Wilder (writing with Raymond Chandler) for “Double Indemnity” in 1944; and Joseph L. Mankiewicz (“Dragonwyck”), 1946.
However, a writer-director wasn’t an innovation.
- 3/3/2023
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
The Best Picture win at the Oscars is the highest prize in the film industry. However, some films manage to take home the top award, yet they still don’t manage to stand the test of time. There are some Best Picture winners that no one talks about, even though they’ll always be a part of Academy Award history.
‘The Broadway Melody’ (1929) L-r: Charles King as Eddie Kearns, Bessie Love as Harriet ‘Hank’ Mahoney, Mary Doran as Flo, Anita Page as Queen Mahoney, and Nacio Herb Brown as Pianist | John Springer Collection/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Harriet ‘Hank’ Mahoney (Bessie Love) and Queenie Mahoney (Anita Page) are vaudeville sister performers looking to break into the Broadway scene. However, romantic melodrama quickly overshadows their attempt to pursue fame as a duo.
The Broadway Melody is the second film to win the Best Picture Oscar, with only Wings coming before it.
‘The Broadway Melody’ (1929) L-r: Charles King as Eddie Kearns, Bessie Love as Harriet ‘Hank’ Mahoney, Mary Doran as Flo, Anita Page as Queen Mahoney, and Nacio Herb Brown as Pianist | John Springer Collection/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
Harriet ‘Hank’ Mahoney (Bessie Love) and Queenie Mahoney (Anita Page) are vaudeville sister performers looking to break into the Broadway scene. However, romantic melodrama quickly overshadows their attempt to pursue fame as a duo.
The Broadway Melody is the second film to win the Best Picture Oscar, with only Wings coming before it.
- 2/28/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "A Simple Favor"
Where You Can Stream It: Prime Video
The Pitch: "A Simple Favor" poses a very (appropriately) simple question: what if Phillip Marlowe was a suburban single mom with a vlog? You'd get Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick), best friend to Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) who went missing after asking Stephanie for, you guessed it, a simple favor. In the aftermath of Emily's disappearance, Stephanie takes it upon herself to find her bestie, which leads her down a dark path littered with secrets, some of which are her own.
Emily Nelson works as a PR executive for a high-end fashion designer with an attitude, Dennis Nylon, and she knows how to handle him (and others like him). "You've gotta go right at 'em,...
The Movie: "A Simple Favor"
Where You Can Stream It: Prime Video
The Pitch: "A Simple Favor" poses a very (appropriately) simple question: what if Phillip Marlowe was a suburban single mom with a vlog? You'd get Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick), best friend to Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) who went missing after asking Stephanie for, you guessed it, a simple favor. In the aftermath of Emily's disappearance, Stephanie takes it upon herself to find her bestie, which leads her down a dark path littered with secrets, some of which are her own.
Emily Nelson works as a PR executive for a high-end fashion designer with an attitude, Dennis Nylon, and she knows how to handle him (and others like him). "You've gotta go right at 'em,...
- 2/19/2023
- by Ariel Fisher
- Slash Film
Any belief that the Oscars award the right films, directors and performances has faded over the years.
While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions – trophies handed to the right people for the right films – more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.
The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But his does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.
With the 2023 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 17 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks – the film...
While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions – trophies handed to the right people for the right films – more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.
The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But his does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.
With the 2023 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 17 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks – the film...
- 2/19/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese are the most famous working directors of the last several decades, but that doesn't mean that they're in competition. In fact, the two filmmakers are fans of each other's work. Spielberg is particularly fond of Scorsese's 1990 mob movie, the widely acclaimed modern classic, "Goodfellas." And who can blame him? What's not to like? But "Goodfellas" is more than just a good movie to Spielberg — it's a master class in directing.
"Henry Hill, Jimmy the Gent, Tommy DeVito, Paulie, Karen, Billy Batts, the Lufthansa heist ... all someone has to do is mention some of these names and I get the sudden and irresistible urge to watch Martin Scorsese's 'Goodfellas' again," the director reminisced in an interview with Variety. "I've lost count of how many times I've experienced this epic cinematic masterpiece, which includes a brilliant screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and one...
"Henry Hill, Jimmy the Gent, Tommy DeVito, Paulie, Karen, Billy Batts, the Lufthansa heist ... all someone has to do is mention some of these names and I get the sudden and irresistible urge to watch Martin Scorsese's 'Goodfellas' again," the director reminisced in an interview with Variety. "I've lost count of how many times I've experienced this epic cinematic masterpiece, which includes a brilliant screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and one...
- 2/7/2023
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
Actor Liam Neeson is set to portray the iconic character Philip Marlowe in the upcoming film, Marlowe. But he is hardly the first. Neeson has become known in recent decades for his leading roles in action movies like The Grey and Taken.
In Marlowe, he’ll go noir as he attempts to fill the shoes of one of the most storied private eyes in history: a character who’s been played by some of the biggest actors in Hollywood history.
Liam Neeson takes his penchant for action movies noir in ‘Marlowe’ Marlowe stars Diane Kruger and Liam Neeson | Jb Lacroix/WireImage
Set in Bay Cities, California, in the ’50s, Marlowe follows a “tough as nails private detective” as he investigates the disappearance of a beautiful heiress’ ex-lover. But the more he digs into the case, the more he realizes the spider’s web has spun far larger than he originally thought.
In Marlowe, he’ll go noir as he attempts to fill the shoes of one of the most storied private eyes in history: a character who’s been played by some of the biggest actors in Hollywood history.
Liam Neeson takes his penchant for action movies noir in ‘Marlowe’ Marlowe stars Diane Kruger and Liam Neeson | Jb Lacroix/WireImage
Set in Bay Cities, California, in the ’50s, Marlowe follows a “tough as nails private detective” as he investigates the disappearance of a beautiful heiress’ ex-lover. But the more he digs into the case, the more he realizes the spider’s web has spun far larger than he originally thought.
- 2/5/2023
- by Lindsay Kusiak
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Irma la Douce"
Where You Can Stream It: Prime Video
The Pitch: Jack Lemmon stars as by-the-book but naïve police officer Nestor Patou who starts a new beat in Paris' red light district. Being a vigilant lawman, he decides to round up all of the sex workers and arrest them, which in turn exposes the corrupt ring within the police force that allows this to usually go on unnoticed by the cops. Nestor is swiftly fired from the force and finds himself drawn to one of the sex workers, the titular Irma la Douce (Shirley MacLaine). After he dispatches her abusive pimp, the two end up moving in together, but Nestor is rather uneasy about Irma still providing service to other men for work.
The Movie: "Irma la Douce"
Where You Can Stream It: Prime Video
The Pitch: Jack Lemmon stars as by-the-book but naïve police officer Nestor Patou who starts a new beat in Paris' red light district. Being a vigilant lawman, he decides to round up all of the sex workers and arrest them, which in turn exposes the corrupt ring within the police force that allows this to usually go on unnoticed by the cops. Nestor is swiftly fired from the force and finds himself drawn to one of the sex workers, the titular Irma la Douce (Shirley MacLaine). After he dispatches her abusive pimp, the two end up moving in together, but Nestor is rather uneasy about Irma still providing service to other men for work.
- 1/21/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
Every year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gives out shiny gold Oscar statuettes to actors in four categories: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. But believe it or not, what they don't do, anywhere in the Oscar rulebook, is clearly define what the difference is between a lead performance and a supporting performance.
In the end, they leave that decision up to the Academy voters, who can sometimes make weird calls. How the heck they thought Viola Davis was just "supporting" Denzel Washington in "Fences" is anyone's guess, for example. But the thing is, one rule the Academy does have for these categories, is that you are absolutely not allowed to be nominated for Best Lead and Best Supporting for the same performance, in the same film, in the same year.
At least, not anymore. Because someone already did get nominated for...
In the end, they leave that decision up to the Academy voters, who can sometimes make weird calls. How the heck they thought Viola Davis was just "supporting" Denzel Washington in "Fences" is anyone's guess, for example. But the thing is, one rule the Academy does have for these categories, is that you are absolutely not allowed to be nominated for Best Lead and Best Supporting for the same performance, in the same film, in the same year.
At least, not anymore. Because someone already did get nominated for...
- 1/19/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
Goodfellas is right up there with one of the greatest mob stories ever told. But many people hold it to an even higher degree as one of the greatest movies ever made. Recently, Steven Spielberg wrote a short guest essay for Variety on why the movie, made by his peer, Martin Scorsese, is not only one of his favorite movies but he also feels it’s a masterclass in filmmaking.
Spielberg mentions that all you need to do is mention the name of one of the characters from the film and that puts him in the mood to watch the gangster epic. He elaborates, “It’s no longer a guilty pleasure to sit for 2 hours and 26 minutes, but rather a master class for any aspiring filmmaker who wants to see a breathtaking balancing act of multiple storylines, timelines, shocking violence and violent humor. The film has an intoxicating energy expressed not only through masterful editing,...
Spielberg mentions that all you need to do is mention the name of one of the characters from the film and that puts him in the mood to watch the gangster epic. He elaborates, “It’s no longer a guilty pleasure to sit for 2 hours and 26 minutes, but rather a master class for any aspiring filmmaker who wants to see a breathtaking balancing act of multiple storylines, timelines, shocking violence and violent humor. The film has an intoxicating energy expressed not only through masterful editing,...
- 12/29/2022
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Motion pictures, for better or worse, shape the way that we view history. They bring the past to life using realistic costumes, production design, and visual effects. They tell vivid stories about real-life figures and important events that shaped the world around us to this day, and which provide meaningful parallels to the lives we currently lead.
And yet, if the movies have taught us anything, it's that every single historical figure, at some point in their storied life, has also solved at least one murder mystery. Or at least they fought a mummy or something. The desire to tell tales of historical fiction is perfectly understandable, but our collective and very specific urge to transform biographies into pulpy fan fiction is a little weird, if you think about it.
Consider, if you will, Scott Cooper's "The Pale Blue Eye," which co-stars Harry Melling as a young Edgar Allan Poe,...
And yet, if the movies have taught us anything, it's that every single historical figure, at some point in their storied life, has also solved at least one murder mystery. Or at least they fought a mummy or something. The desire to tell tales of historical fiction is perfectly understandable, but our collective and very specific urge to transform biographies into pulpy fan fiction is a little weird, if you think about it.
Consider, if you will, Scott Cooper's "The Pale Blue Eye," which co-stars Harry Melling as a young Edgar Allan Poe,...
- 12/22/2022
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
Steven Spielberg has said Goodfellas is his favourite Martin Scorsese picture.
Scorsese’s 1990 popular crime/drama follows Henry (late Ray Liotta), a member of the Irish-Italian mafia, and his two unstable friends Jimmy (Robert de Niro) and Tommy (Joe Pesci) as they advance beyond petty crimes to violent murder.
“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve experienced this epic cinematic masterpiece,” Spielberg wrote of the director’s Goodfellas in a new essay for Variety.
The Jaws director argued that “there are no background performances” in the film, claiming De Niro, Pesci and Liotta as “one of cinema history’s greatest acting ensembles”.
“It’s no longer a guilty pleasure to sit for 2 hours and 26 minutes,” Spielberg continued, “but rather a master class for any aspiring filmmaker who wants to see a breathtaking balancing act of multiple storylines, timelines, shocking violence and violent humour.”
Spielberg praised the movie...
Scorsese’s 1990 popular crime/drama follows Henry (late Ray Liotta), a member of the Irish-Italian mafia, and his two unstable friends Jimmy (Robert de Niro) and Tommy (Joe Pesci) as they advance beyond petty crimes to violent murder.
“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve experienced this epic cinematic masterpiece,” Spielberg wrote of the director’s Goodfellas in a new essay for Variety.
The Jaws director argued that “there are no background performances” in the film, claiming De Niro, Pesci and Liotta as “one of cinema history’s greatest acting ensembles”.
“It’s no longer a guilty pleasure to sit for 2 hours and 26 minutes,” Spielberg continued, “but rather a master class for any aspiring filmmaker who wants to see a breathtaking balancing act of multiple storylines, timelines, shocking violence and violent humour.”
Spielberg praised the movie...
- 12/21/2022
- by Inga Parkel
- The Independent - Film
This essay is one of several contributed by filmmakers and actors as part of Variety’s 100 Greatest Movies of All Time package.
Henry Hill, Jimmy the Gent, Tommy DeVito, Paulie, Karen, Billy Batts, the Lufthansa heist … all someone has to do is mention some of these names and I get the sudden and irresistible urge to watch Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas” again. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve experienced this epic cinematic masterpiece, which includes a brilliant screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and one of cinema history’s greatest acting ensembles: De Niro, Pesci, Liotta, and some of the most memorable supporting roles ever — from Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Imperioli, Chuck Low and Tony Darrow to Catherine and Charles Scorsese … there are no background performances in “Goodfellas.”
It’s no longer a guilty pleasure to sit for 2 hours and 26 minutes, but rather a master class...
Henry Hill, Jimmy the Gent, Tommy DeVito, Paulie, Karen, Billy Batts, the Lufthansa heist … all someone has to do is mention some of these names and I get the sudden and irresistible urge to watch Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas” again. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve experienced this epic cinematic masterpiece, which includes a brilliant screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and one of cinema history’s greatest acting ensembles: De Niro, Pesci, Liotta, and some of the most memorable supporting roles ever — from Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Imperioli, Chuck Low and Tony Darrow to Catherine and Charles Scorsese … there are no background performances in “Goodfellas.”
It’s no longer a guilty pleasure to sit for 2 hours and 26 minutes, but rather a master class...
- 12/21/2022
- by Steven Spielberg
- Variety Film + TV
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