Celebration of cinema has always been extended by the Oscars honoring the prowess of cinematic excellence with one of the most recognized accolades. Throughout the rich history of cinema, there have been several movies based on true events, that left a mark among moviegoers or in the pages of history.
A still from Lawrence of Arabia
Also, movies that are based on true events are another way of documenting the particular incident, albeit a portion of fictionalization may alter the accuracy, but for cinema’s sake, filmmakers enjoy the basic freedom to have their own touch to the narrative. Throughout history, movies like The Great Ziegfeld by Robert Z. Leonard, or it would be criminal not to mention David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia, and several other movies have claimed the Best Picture Oscars. Here is a list of six movies that won an Oscar in the Best Picture category.
A still from Lawrence of Arabia
Also, movies that are based on true events are another way of documenting the particular incident, albeit a portion of fictionalization may alter the accuracy, but for cinema’s sake, filmmakers enjoy the basic freedom to have their own touch to the narrative. Throughout history, movies like The Great Ziegfeld by Robert Z. Leonard, or it would be criminal not to mention David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia, and several other movies have claimed the Best Picture Oscars. Here is a list of six movies that won an Oscar in the Best Picture category.
- 5/9/2024
- by Lachit Roy
- FandomWire
The National Film Registry just granted immortality to 25 classic films. Every year, the Library of Congress chooses another class to be preserved for posterity, and this year’s group includes some major blockbusters like “Terminator 2,” “Home Alone,” and “Apollo 13.”
To be eligible, a film must be at least 10 years old and carry what the library considers to be “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance,” in consultation with National Film Preservation Board members and other experts.
The list now stands at 875 remarkable films. If you’d like to nominate your favorite film for preservation, just fill out this form.
2023 Inductees into the National Film Registry 20 Feet from Stardom June 14, 2013
Directed by Morgan Neville and produced by Gil Friesen, “20 Feet from Stardom” uses archival footage and interviews sharing behind-the-scenes experiences, and shining the spotlight on backup singers, including Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill, Jo Lawry, Claudia Lennear,...
To be eligible, a film must be at least 10 years old and carry what the library considers to be “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance,” in consultation with National Film Preservation Board members and other experts.
The list now stands at 875 remarkable films. If you’d like to nominate your favorite film for preservation, just fill out this form.
2023 Inductees into the National Film Registry 20 Feet from Stardom June 14, 2013
Directed by Morgan Neville and produced by Gil Friesen, “20 Feet from Stardom” uses archival footage and interviews sharing behind-the-scenes experiences, and shining the spotlight on backup singers, including Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill, Jo Lawry, Claudia Lennear,...
- 12/13/2023
- by Ben Bowman
- The Streamable
Whenever films reach a certain point of cultural, historical or aesthetic significance, they get added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. The movies are preserved for their contribution to the nation’s film heritage. Deadline reveals the 25 films that have been selected this year include Apollo 13, Home Alone and Lady and the Tramp, Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet; James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love & Basketball, Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, and Steve McQueen’s Best Picture Oscar winner 12 Years a Slave.
Ron Howard commented on his Apollo 13 film’s inclusion, “It’s a very honest, heartfelt reflection of something that was very American, which was the space program in that time and what it meant to the country and to the world… I was very proud of the outcome. The experience remains an absolute highlight. It was...
Ron Howard commented on his Apollo 13 film’s inclusion, “It’s a very honest, heartfelt reflection of something that was very American, which was the space program in that time and what it meant to the country and to the world… I was very proud of the outcome. The experience remains an absolute highlight. It was...
- 12/13/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
The Library of Congress has unveiled its annual list of 25 movies to be added to the National Film Registry. The films selected each year are noted for their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage.
Among the titles making the cut this year are Ron Howard’s space drama Apollo 13; family classics Home Alone and Lady and the Tramp; Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet; James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day;’ Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love & Basketball; Spike Lee’s Bamboozled; and Steve McQueen’s Best Picture Oscar winner 12 Years a Slave. (Scroll down for the full list of films.)
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden made the announcement today saying the selection dates back more than 100 years to a 1921 Kodak educational film titled A Movie Trip Through Filmland about how film stock is produced and the impact of movies globally. In total,...
Among the titles making the cut this year are Ron Howard’s space drama Apollo 13; family classics Home Alone and Lady and the Tramp; Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet; James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day;’ Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love & Basketball; Spike Lee’s Bamboozled; and Steve McQueen’s Best Picture Oscar winner 12 Years a Slave. (Scroll down for the full list of films.)
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden made the announcement today saying the selection dates back more than 100 years to a 1921 Kodak educational film titled A Movie Trip Through Filmland about how film stock is produced and the impact of movies globally. In total,...
- 12/13/2023
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Biography films are a fascinating genre that depict the lives of real people, often with dramatic and artistic flair. They can inspire us, educate us, entertain us, and challenge us to think about the world in new ways. Some of the most acclaimed and influential films of all time belong to this genre, and they span across different eras, cultures, and themes.
In this article, we will rank the 10 best biography films of all time, after the release of Oppenheimer in 2023. Oppenheimer is a biographical film directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American scientist who led the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. The film has been praised for its stunning cinematography, complex narrative, and powerful performances. It is widely considered to be one of the best films of 2023, and a masterpiece of biographical cinema.
But what are the other films...
In this article, we will rank the 10 best biography films of all time, after the release of Oppenheimer in 2023. Oppenheimer is a biographical film directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American scientist who led the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. The film has been praised for its stunning cinematography, complex narrative, and powerful performances. It is widely considered to be one of the best films of 2023, and a masterpiece of biographical cinema.
But what are the other films...
- 7/28/2023
- by amalprasadappu
- https://thecinemanews.online/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_4649
Today he may be best known for setting up the multiverse threads of the MCU, but before (and after) taking on the role of Dr. Stephen Strange, British actor Benedict Cumberbatch put together an impressive resume of performances, ranging from the stage to television to the silver screen. After graduating from the University of Manchester's Drama program and earning a master's from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in 2000, Cumberbatch found steady work in the U.K., eventually answering Steven Spielberg's call in 2011's "War Horse."
Since then, he's been a mainstay in Hollywood, with an ardent fan base ready to fight for him online and show up to (most) of his films. Throughout his 20-plus years as a working actor, Cumberbatch has had his share of missteps, but for the most part, his movie choices have typically been sound and his performances solid, even on...
Since then, he's been a mainstay in Hollywood, with an ardent fan base ready to fight for him online and show up to (most) of his films. Throughout his 20-plus years as a working actor, Cumberbatch has had his share of missteps, but for the most part, his movie choices have typically been sound and his performances solid, even on...
- 4/8/2023
- by Rachel Ho
- Slash Film
Steve McQueen has shared his belief that his Oscar-winning film 12 Years a Slave would never have been made if Barack Obama wasn’t the president.
The filmmaker and artist directed the 2013 Best Picture winner, based on the true account of Solomon Northup, a Black man who was born free but was captured and sold into slavery in Louisiana in 1841. He was released 12 years later.
For its strong performance and its portrayal of the brutal experiences of enslaved people, the film and McQueen received widespread praise.
Lupita Nyong’o received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for playing Patsey, an enslaved woman.
Despite 12 Years a Slave’s successes, McQueen believes that without President Obama being in office, and the specific cultural and social moment that it represented, the film would not have had received essential funding.
Speaking at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on Saturday (28 January), the Small Axe creator recalled...
The filmmaker and artist directed the 2013 Best Picture winner, based on the true account of Solomon Northup, a Black man who was born free but was captured and sold into slavery in Louisiana in 1841. He was released 12 years later.
For its strong performance and its portrayal of the brutal experiences of enslaved people, the film and McQueen received widespread praise.
Lupita Nyong’o received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for playing Patsey, an enslaved woman.
Despite 12 Years a Slave’s successes, McQueen believes that without President Obama being in office, and the specific cultural and social moment that it represented, the film would not have had received essential funding.
Speaking at the International Film Festival Rotterdam on Saturday (28 January), the Small Axe creator recalled...
- 1/29/2023
- by Nicole Vassell
- The Independent - Film
The year of madness better known as 2022 is almost over. December is coming to an end, and like the end of every month, the streaming services are sharing which shows, movies, and specials will be leaving each platform in the next month. HBO Max shared their list for January 2023, and there are some pretty major movies leaving the streamer that fans will want to check out Asap. A few Christmas specials and movies are fairly typical losses for January, but HBO Max will also be losing huge titles like the first three "Jurassic Park" movies, the "John Wick" flicks, and "Chinatown." On the TV front, they're getting rid of the entirety of "The Bachelor" franchise and "Babylon 5," disappointing fans of both reality TV and 1990s space operas everywhere.
I've put together five of my favorite films that are leaving the streamer in January 2023, plus we have the entire list of everything that's disappearing.
I've put together five of my favorite films that are leaving the streamer in January 2023, plus we have the entire list of everything that's disappearing.
- 12/20/2022
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
If there’s anything unexpected about the depiction of slavery in director Antoine Fuqua’s “Emancipation,” it’s the unflinchingly grim imagery that populates its frames. The intent seems to derive from the photographs of the real-life subject who inspired the film: Gordon, or “Whipped Peter,” an escaped slave whose viciously scarred back was immortalized as a way to show the world the unspeakable horrors Black people faced in the United States.
For their part, Fuqua and screenwriter Bill Collage (“Assassin’s Creed”) feature severed heads, burning corpses and hanged men, among other hard-to-stomach acts of brutality, as well as casualties of combat, made only slightly less bluntly shocking by the phantasmagoric quality of the extreme desaturation of colors on screen. But for as much sense as the correlation between the aesthetic choices and the themes make, the visual statements on such dehumanization overpower most other narrative elements.
The historical drama...
For their part, Fuqua and screenwriter Bill Collage (“Assassin’s Creed”) feature severed heads, burning corpses and hanged men, among other hard-to-stomach acts of brutality, as well as casualties of combat, made only slightly less bluntly shocking by the phantasmagoric quality of the extreme desaturation of colors on screen. But for as much sense as the correlation between the aesthetic choices and the themes make, the visual statements on such dehumanization overpower most other narrative elements.
The historical drama...
- 12/1/2022
- by Carlos Aguilar
- The Wrap
A series by Juan Carlos Ojano. Introduction / Explanation
Steve McQueen became the first Black director to helm a Best Picture winner for 12 Years a Slave (2013), telling the harrowing story of African-American freeman Solomon Northup who was kidnapped in 1841 and was sold to slavery. McQueen also became the first Black producer to receive a Best Picture award. Meanwhile, the film’s biggest competition was Gravity, a science fiction-thriller film set in space. Winning seven Oscars, the film was directed by Alfonso Cuarón, becoming the first Latin American to win the Best Director Oscar.
While having these two films as frontrunners is a win for representation at the Oscars, female directors were still left out of the conversation for majority of the awards season. Out of the 289 films included in the Reminder List of Eligible Films in 2013 (86th Academy Awards), only 32* (11.1) were directed/co-directed by women...
Steve McQueen became the first Black director to helm a Best Picture winner for 12 Years a Slave (2013), telling the harrowing story of African-American freeman Solomon Northup who was kidnapped in 1841 and was sold to slavery. McQueen also became the first Black producer to receive a Best Picture award. Meanwhile, the film’s biggest competition was Gravity, a science fiction-thriller film set in space. Winning seven Oscars, the film was directed by Alfonso Cuarón, becoming the first Latin American to win the Best Director Oscar.
While having these two films as frontrunners is a win for representation at the Oscars, female directors were still left out of the conversation for majority of the awards season. Out of the 289 films included in the Reminder List of Eligible Films in 2013 (86th Academy Awards), only 32* (11.1) were directed/co-directed by women...
- 7/4/2022
- by Juan Carlos Ojano
- FilmExperience
“I had seen the David Bowie film and I loved it,” says Chiwetel Ejiofor, the star of Showtime’s sci-fi drama “The Man Who Fell to Earth,” which is based on the 1976 Bowie film. “I had seen it when I was a kid so there were certain things that went over my head. I thought it was beautiful and brilliant, but it was strange and kind of wild. What I took away from it on that first viewing was this iconic center of this extraordinary performance and persona that David Bowie had.” Watch our full interview with Ejiofor above.
See ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ creators on making ’45-year later sequel’
In Showtime’s inspired continuation of the novel by Walter Tevis and the iconic film, an alien named Faraday (Ejiofor) crashes deep into the oilfields of New Mexico with a mission: he must find the brilliant scientist Justin Falls...
See ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth’ creators on making ’45-year later sequel’
In Showtime’s inspired continuation of the novel by Walter Tevis and the iconic film, an alien named Faraday (Ejiofor) crashes deep into the oilfields of New Mexico with a mission: he must find the brilliant scientist Justin Falls...
- 4/25/2022
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
In less than a month, Spider-Man: No Way Home is set to be released in theaters, and the latest adventure involves Peter Parker battling numerous villains outside of the multi-verse. The highly anticipated feature also stars Jamie Foxx, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Willem DaFoe. This article will list the five excellent movies involving the cast of Spider-Man: No Way Home. The only films exempt from this list are animated and superhero features. Let’s get started with the first movie: 12 Years a Slave Solomon Northup is a free black man that’s kidnapped and sold down south into slavery. For the
Five Excellent Movies Involving The Cast of Spider-Man: No Way Home...
Five Excellent Movies Involving The Cast of Spider-Man: No Way Home...
- 12/14/2021
- by Jeffrey Bowie Jr.
- TVovermind.com
In celebration of black films, two of the most notable movies that have hit the media landscape are 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight. 12 Years a Slave is based on a true story of Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York; however, Solomon ends up being abducted in and sold into slavery. The Steve McQueen feature took the world by storm in 2013 and ended up with nine Oscar nominations. 12 Years a Slave would ended winning three: Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Writing (Adapted
12 Years A Slave vs. Moonlight: Which Oscar-Nominated Film Is Better?...
12 Years A Slave vs. Moonlight: Which Oscar-Nominated Film Is Better?...
- 12/13/2021
- by Jeffrey Bowie Jr.
- TVovermind.com
Steve McQueen, the British filmmaker whose most recent project is documentary series “Uprising” after the anthology series “Small Axe,” talked to Variety about the memories he cherishes of Michael K. Williams, who died on Sept. 6. The actor played Robert in McQueen’s 2013 film “12 Years a Slave,” which won the Academy Award for best picture in 2014.
“Oh, my God, Michael,” McQueen said. “I remember we were doing re-shoots, so we were very tired and we’d been shooting for a long time. Michael came on set, and he lifted everybody. Because you’re shooting and tired and things are lagging, but when Michael came on set, he was so focused, so concentrated, that he gave energy to everybody. I’m not just saying it because he just passed. I remember that. His focus — we had to get to his standard. Like, ‘Let’s stop lying around. Let’s bring it up again!
“Oh, my God, Michael,” McQueen said. “I remember we were doing re-shoots, so we were very tired and we’d been shooting for a long time. Michael came on set, and he lifted everybody. Because you’re shooting and tired and things are lagging, but when Michael came on set, he was so focused, so concentrated, that he gave energy to everybody. I’m not just saying it because he just passed. I remember that. His focus — we had to get to his standard. Like, ‘Let’s stop lying around. Let’s bring it up again!
- 9/17/2021
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Crank up the Bowie: Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) has signed on to star in Paramount+’s series adaptation of The Man Who Fell to Earth.
The sci-fi series, first ordered by Paramount+ (currently known as CBS All Access) back in August 2019, centers on an alien (Ejiofor) “who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution and must confront his own past to determine our future,” per the official description. It’s based on the Walter Tevis novel of the same name, which inspired a 1976 film starring glam rocker David Bowie in the title role.
The sci-fi series, first ordered by Paramount+ (currently known as CBS All Access) back in August 2019, centers on an alien (Ejiofor) “who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution and must confront his own past to determine our future,” per the official description. It’s based on the Walter Tevis novel of the same name, which inspired a 1976 film starring glam rocker David Bowie in the title role.
- 2/5/2021
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
Chiwetel Ejiofor will succeed David Bowie as the Man Who Fell To Earth.
The Oscar-nominated 12 Years a Slave actor has been tapped as the lead of Paramount+’s series based on the Walter Tevis novel and Nicolas Roeg’s cult classic 1976 film starring Bowie.
Co-written and executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, The Man Who Fell To Earth will follow a new alien character, played by Ejiofor, who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution and must confront his own past to determine our future.
“Chiwetel Ejiofor’s stage and film career are staggering in their bravery, commitment and quality,” said Kurtzman and Lumet. “He’s everything we could imagine and a million things we can’t. We couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Kurtzman and Lumet serve as co-showrunners alongside executive producer John Hlavin, with Kurtzman set to direct. Rola Bauer, Tim Halkin, Sarah Timberman,...
The Oscar-nominated 12 Years a Slave actor has been tapped as the lead of Paramount+’s series based on the Walter Tevis novel and Nicolas Roeg’s cult classic 1976 film starring Bowie.
Co-written and executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, The Man Who Fell To Earth will follow a new alien character, played by Ejiofor, who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution and must confront his own past to determine our future.
“Chiwetel Ejiofor’s stage and film career are staggering in their bravery, commitment and quality,” said Kurtzman and Lumet. “He’s everything we could imagine and a million things we can’t. We couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Kurtzman and Lumet serve as co-showrunners alongside executive producer John Hlavin, with Kurtzman set to direct. Rola Bauer, Tim Halkin, Sarah Timberman,...
- 2/5/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
5 random things that happened on this day, January 4th, in history...
1853 New York born Solomon Northup regains his freedom after abduction and enslavery in 1841 in Washington DC. The abolitionist thankfully recorded his life story in the memoir 12 Years a Slave which became an instant best-seller. Over a century and a half later, the film version by the British auteur Steve McQueen deservedly won the 2013 Best Picture Oscar.
1903 A horrific end to a story of animal cruelty and a shameful event in the then nascent film-industry, too. Topsy, a 27 or so year-old elephant, who was ripped from her family as a baby in Southeast Asia and never adjusted well to life in the America circus, is famously electrocuted in Coney Island...
1853 New York born Solomon Northup regains his freedom after abduction and enslavery in 1841 in Washington DC. The abolitionist thankfully recorded his life story in the memoir 12 Years a Slave which became an instant best-seller. Over a century and a half later, the film version by the British auteur Steve McQueen deservedly won the 2013 Best Picture Oscar.
1903 A horrific end to a story of animal cruelty and a shameful event in the then nascent film-industry, too. Topsy, a 27 or so year-old elephant, who was ripped from her family as a baby in Southeast Asia and never adjusted well to life in the America circus, is famously electrocuted in Coney Island...
- 1/4/2021
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz’s Antebellum begins where you can rightly expect a film with a title this brash to begin: on a plantation. This is the kind of movie that makes a point of throwing its audience, to say nothing of its characters, into the deep end.
And so, in the disconcertingly smooth and showy tracking shot that opens the movie, we’re treated to American chattel slavery’s greatest hits, the summarizing details spilling out onscreen like a neat cascade of bullet points. The proud march of...
And so, in the disconcertingly smooth and showy tracking shot that opens the movie, we’re treated to American chattel slavery’s greatest hits, the summarizing details spilling out onscreen like a neat cascade of bullet points. The proud march of...
- 9/16/2020
- by K. Austin Collins
- Rollingstone.com
Although many biopics are formulaic enterprises, hitting familiar beats as the subject rises and falls and falls in love and writes that really popular song, they’re a vital element of entertainment industry. Biopics allow filmmakers to humanize our myths, mythologize our contemporaries, re-evaluate history at a fundamentally human level, and catalogue our present so that future generations can understand what the hell we are going through. It’s been an entire decade full of great biopics, too many to fit in a conventional list, but when all is said and done, we have to call these the ten absolutely essential films in the genre from the 2010s.
Runners-Up: “127 Hours,” “Behind the Candelabra,” “A Dangerous Method,” “Dolemite is My Name,” “Jackie,” “Mr. Turner,” “Rocketman,” “Southside With You,” “Straight Outta Compton,” “The Wind Rises”
10. “Stan & Ollie” (2018)
Earnest, bittersweet and oh, so very funny, Jon S. Baird’s biopic about famed...
Runners-Up: “127 Hours,” “Behind the Candelabra,” “A Dangerous Method,” “Dolemite is My Name,” “Jackie,” “Mr. Turner,” “Rocketman,” “Southside With You,” “Straight Outta Compton,” “The Wind Rises”
10. “Stan & Ollie” (2018)
Earnest, bittersweet and oh, so very funny, Jon S. Baird’s biopic about famed...
- 12/12/2019
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
There are plenty of things you can say about the upcoming remake of Disney's classic The Lion King, but "the cast sucks" certainly isn't one of them. The voice cast is chock-full of big-name stars, from Donald Glover as Simba to Beyoncé as Nala to John Oliver as Zazu. There's even a bit of casting nostalgia: the legendary James Earl Jones and his unmistakeable voice will be returning as Mufasa, the same character he voiced in the 1994 original movie. And if you've been to the movies at all in the past few years, chances are you also recognize the actor who's lending his voice to Scar, the villainous usurper at the heart of the conflict, voiced by Jeremy Irons in the original film.
Chiwetel Ejiofor began his career on stage in his native England, where he starred in several Shakespeare plays including Othello and Romeo and Juliet. He made...
Chiwetel Ejiofor began his career on stage in his native England, where he starred in several Shakespeare plays including Othello and Romeo and Juliet. He made...
- 1/8/2019
- by Amanda Prahl
- Popsugar.com
While Scar wasn’t in the teaser trailer released by Walt Disney Studios this Thanksgiving, fans of the Disney classic are wondering who will voice the evil uncle, who ultimately plays a role in the demise of Mufasa. We can reveal that Chiwetel Ejiofor is the voice behind Scar, and here’s what you need to know about him. Chiwetel Ejiofor is an English actor, who may best be known for his role as Solomon Northup in 12 Years A Slave, a role that won him several award nominations at the Academy Awards and The Golden Globe Awards. The English actor was born […]
The post Who plays Scar in the new Lion King? appeared first on Monsters and Critics.
The post Who plays Scar in the new Lion King? appeared first on Monsters and Critics.
- 11/23/2018
- by Mary Jane
- Monsters and Critics
John Carter, the pioneering African-American film editor who worked on The Heartbreak Kid, Paper Lion and Barbershop and shaped powerful documentaries about Martin Luther King Jr. and Solomon Northup, has died. He was 95.
Carter died Aug. 13 at his home in White Plains, New York, his daughter Carolyn told The Hollywood Reporter.
The first African-American to join the American Cinema Editors society, Carter co-edited the George Plimpton football tale Paper Lion (1968); Lean on Me (1989), starring Morgan Freeman as real-life high school principal Joe Clark; The Karate Kid Part III (1989), one of three features he did with director John G. Avildsen; and Men of ...
Carter died Aug. 13 at his home in White Plains, New York, his daughter Carolyn told The Hollywood Reporter.
The first African-American to join the American Cinema Editors society, Carter co-edited the George Plimpton football tale Paper Lion (1968); Lean on Me (1989), starring Morgan Freeman as real-life high school principal Joe Clark; The Karate Kid Part III (1989), one of three features he did with director John G. Avildsen; and Men of ...
- 8/24/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
John Carter, the pioneering African-American film editor who worked on The Heartbreak Kid, Paper Lion and Barbershop and shaped powerful documentaries about Martin Luther King Jr. and Solomon Northup, has died. He was 95.
Carter died Aug. 13 at his home in White Plains, New York, his daughter Carolyn told The Hollywood Reporter.
The first African-American to join the American Cinema Editors society, Carter co-edited the George Plimpton football tale Paper Lion (1968); Lean on Me (1989), starring Morgan Freeman as real-life high school principal Joe Clark; The Karate Kid Part III (1989), one of three features he did with director John G. Avildsen; and Men of ...
Carter died Aug. 13 at his home in White Plains, New York, his daughter Carolyn told The Hollywood Reporter.
The first African-American to join the American Cinema Editors society, Carter co-edited the George Plimpton football tale Paper Lion (1968); Lean on Me (1989), starring Morgan Freeman as real-life high school principal Joe Clark; The Karate Kid Part III (1989), one of three features he did with director John G. Avildsen; and Men of ...
- 8/24/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Oscar season is in full swing, with experts and moviegoers alike trying to predict what will be crowned the 2018 Best Picture. With the decade nearing its end, Best Picture has gone to a diverse selection of movies, including a lighthearted homage to the silent era, a brutal drama about slavery and an eccentric tragicomedy about how difficult it is to be a creative person. But which one is your absolute favorite winner of the decade?
Let’s take a look back on the first seven Oscar winners for Best Picture from the 2010s and be sure to vote in our poll below.
“The King’s Speech” (2010) — Tom Hooper’s “The King’s Speech” is a love letter to the power of friendship and patience, telling the story of King George VI (Colin Firth) and his battle to overcome his stammer. Its victory was a notorious one, with “The Social Network...
Let’s take a look back on the first seven Oscar winners for Best Picture from the 2010s and be sure to vote in our poll below.
“The King’s Speech” (2010) — Tom Hooper’s “The King’s Speech” is a love letter to the power of friendship and patience, telling the story of King George VI (Colin Firth) and his battle to overcome his stammer. Its victory was a notorious one, with “The Social Network...
- 1/24/2018
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
[Editor’s Note: This post is presented in partnership with Spectrum. Catch up on this year’s Awards Season contenders and past winners On Demand. Today’s flashback winner is “12 Years a Slave.”]
At this point, hardly anyone would mistake Steve McQueen — the British-born, Amsterdam-based African-American director of “12 Years a Slave” — with the late “Bullitt” star of the same name. The living McQueen started out as an acclaimed experimental shorts filmmaker before landing critical acclaim with his 2007 directorial debut “Hunger,” a spare, haunting portrait of an Ira fighter on a hunger strike during the late 1970’s; he followed that up with another unsettling treatment of male physicality in crisis, the sex addiction drama “Shame.” Both movies starred Michael Fassbender as deeply troubled souls, and “12 Years a Slave” is no exception, though it has much bigger aims than personal strife: The true story of Solomon Northup, a free African American in the 19th century kidnapped and sold into slavery, the movie features Chiwetel Ejiofor at the center of a remarkably poignant and tense story that many have deemed the most compelling treatment of the American slavery experience to date.
At this point, hardly anyone would mistake Steve McQueen — the British-born, Amsterdam-based African-American director of “12 Years a Slave” — with the late “Bullitt” star of the same name. The living McQueen started out as an acclaimed experimental shorts filmmaker before landing critical acclaim with his 2007 directorial debut “Hunger,” a spare, haunting portrait of an Ira fighter on a hunger strike during the late 1970’s; he followed that up with another unsettling treatment of male physicality in crisis, the sex addiction drama “Shame.” Both movies starred Michael Fassbender as deeply troubled souls, and “12 Years a Slave” is no exception, though it has much bigger aims than personal strife: The true story of Solomon Northup, a free African American in the 19th century kidnapped and sold into slavery, the movie features Chiwetel Ejiofor at the center of a remarkably poignant and tense story that many have deemed the most compelling treatment of the American slavery experience to date.
- 2/21/2017
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
In 2015, when Vikram Gandhi was making a movie about Barack Obama’s college years in New York, the filmmaker knew the finished product would arrive at a bigger sweet moment. “We didn’t have the same optimism that much of the country had when he was running,” said Gandhi.
Yet the result, a lively take on the actor’s experiences at Colombia in the early eighties now available on Netflix, speaks to the zeitgeist even more than Gandhi could have anticipated. In “Barry,” a disillusioned Obama (Devon Terrell) grapples with his racial identity while dating a white classmate (Anya Taylor-Joy) and examining the country’s economic disparities at the height of Ronald Reagan’s conservative government.
With Terrell’s subtle performance as its guide, “Barry” provides a keen window into the national mood among many young progressive Americans some 30 years ago, but it also picks up on echoes of those...
Yet the result, a lively take on the actor’s experiences at Colombia in the early eighties now available on Netflix, speaks to the zeitgeist even more than Gandhi could have anticipated. In “Barry,” a disillusioned Obama (Devon Terrell) grapples with his racial identity while dating a white classmate (Anya Taylor-Joy) and examining the country’s economic disparities at the height of Ronald Reagan’s conservative government.
With Terrell’s subtle performance as its guide, “Barry” provides a keen window into the national mood among many young progressive Americans some 30 years ago, but it also picks up on echoes of those...
- 12/26/2016
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
‘The Birth of a Nation’ (Courtesy: Sundance Film Festival)
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
With Birth of a Nation’s disappointing box office numbers and a receptive-yet-tiny screening for Academy members, it’s time to start looking at the odds of the Nate Parker film snagging a best picture nomination at Oscars that take place on February 26, 2017.
The cinematic dramatization of the 1831 Nat Turner slave revolt — which Fox Searchlight acquired for a record $17.5 million — has made headlines due to Parker’s past rape charge coupled with an expensive and troubling media tour likely has not helped the situation.
The best prognosticator here is looking back at the Academy’s relationship to films with black actors and actresses at the lead that were lucky enough to get a nomination for best picture. The hope here is to see what chance Birth of a Nation might have in the race.
Only seven...
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
With Birth of a Nation’s disappointing box office numbers and a receptive-yet-tiny screening for Academy members, it’s time to start looking at the odds of the Nate Parker film snagging a best picture nomination at Oscars that take place on February 26, 2017.
The cinematic dramatization of the 1831 Nat Turner slave revolt — which Fox Searchlight acquired for a record $17.5 million — has made headlines due to Parker’s past rape charge coupled with an expensive and troubling media tour likely has not helped the situation.
The best prognosticator here is looking back at the Academy’s relationship to films with black actors and actresses at the lead that were lucky enough to get a nomination for best picture. The hope here is to see what chance Birth of a Nation might have in the race.
Only seven...
- 10/10/2016
- by Carson Blackwelder
- Scott Feinberg
It’s one thing to come up with a top 10 list of the best movies in any given year. The best movies of the decade is even harder. But the best movies of a century? Ok, when it comes to the new millennium, that’s just a decade and a half. Still, it’s no easy task to consider the highlights from 16 years of viewing — but that’s part of what makes it such a compelling challenge.
Recently, BBC polled a large group of critics, including IndieWire’s Eric Kohn and David Ehrlich, for their lists of the best achievements of the 21st century. (The full results will run in mid-to-late August.) The results of the poll have yet to run, but as countless participants have begun sharing their results, we felt compelled to weigh in. Of course, lists are highly subjective and almost always omit some major titles, so...
Recently, BBC polled a large group of critics, including IndieWire’s Eric Kohn and David Ehrlich, for their lists of the best achievements of the 21st century. (The full results will run in mid-to-late August.) The results of the poll have yet to run, but as countless participants have begun sharing their results, we felt compelled to weigh in. Of course, lists are highly subjective and almost always omit some major titles, so...
- 6/25/2016
- by Eric Kohn and David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
In her recent Jezebel piece “I’m So Damn Tired of Slave Movies,” Kara Brown notes, “I want stories about Solomon Northup and Nat Turner and Harriet Tubman to be told. But I also want to watch movies about black debutante balls and the Great Migration and a coming-of-age movie about a black teenager in Houston who loves to skateboard and gets into trouble with her Desi best friend.” Missing from Brown’s wish list is a desire for a black Seltzer & Friedberg — the perpetrators of “Epic Movie” and the like — mainly because a) no one in their right...
- 1/30/2016
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Our countdown of the top 100 films of the 21st Century (so far) concludes here with the top 25.
Click here for Part 1! (#100-76)
Click here for Part 2! (#75-51)
Click here for Part 3! (#50-26)
The first decade and a half of the 21st century has brought a lot of changes to the landscape of film. The advancement and sophistication of computers has made realistic computer generated effects a mainstay in both big-budget and small-budget films. The internet and streaming technologies have given big Hollywood new competition in films produced independently and by non-traditional means. We went from purchasing films on yards of tape to plastic disks, and now we can simply upload them to the cloud. Advertisements for films have reached a higher, more ruthless level where generating hype through trailers and teasers is crucial for a film’s commercial success. Movie attendance has fluctuated along with the economy, but that hasn...
Click here for Part 1! (#100-76)
Click here for Part 2! (#75-51)
Click here for Part 3! (#50-26)
The first decade and a half of the 21st century has brought a lot of changes to the landscape of film. The advancement and sophistication of computers has made realistic computer generated effects a mainstay in both big-budget and small-budget films. The internet and streaming technologies have given big Hollywood new competition in films produced independently and by non-traditional means. We went from purchasing films on yards of tape to plastic disks, and now we can simply upload them to the cloud. Advertisements for films have reached a higher, more ruthless level where generating hype through trailers and teasers is crucial for a film’s commercial success. Movie attendance has fluctuated along with the economy, but that hasn...
- 1/27/2016
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (G.S. Perno)
- Cinelinx
British star of 12 Years A Slave to receive Richard Harris Award.
The Moët British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) had announced that Chiwetel Ejiofor is to be honoured with The Richard Harris Award at this year’s ceremony on Dec 6 at London’s Old Billingsgate.
The award, introduced in 2002 in honour of actor Richard Harris, recognises outstanding contribution to British film by an actor. Previous winners have included John Hurt, David Thewlis, Bob Hoskins, Jim Broadbent, Daniel Day-Lewis, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Julie Walters and Emma Thompson in 2014.
A statement from the festival said Ejiofor had been selected to receive the honour “in recognition of his exceptional service to the film industry, not just here in the UK but internationally as an ambassador for British film”.
Jared Harris, son of Richard Harris, said: “I am so happy this award is going to Chiwetel. Although the recipients of this award have all been embraced by the...
The Moët British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) had announced that Chiwetel Ejiofor is to be honoured with The Richard Harris Award at this year’s ceremony on Dec 6 at London’s Old Billingsgate.
The award, introduced in 2002 in honour of actor Richard Harris, recognises outstanding contribution to British film by an actor. Previous winners have included John Hurt, David Thewlis, Bob Hoskins, Jim Broadbent, Daniel Day-Lewis, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Julie Walters and Emma Thompson in 2014.
A statement from the festival said Ejiofor had been selected to receive the honour “in recognition of his exceptional service to the film industry, not just here in the UK but internationally as an ambassador for British film”.
Jared Harris, son of Richard Harris, said: “I am so happy this award is going to Chiwetel. Although the recipients of this award have all been embraced by the...
- 11/24/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
By Patrick Shanley
Managing Editor
Winning the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival is a major feather in the cap for any film — and, for many, the launching pad for even loftier goals. Indeed, five went on to win best picture at the Academy Awards.
Chariots of Fire (1981): This true story about two Olympic athletes, one a devout Christian running for God, the other an English Jew running to overcome prejudice, in the 1924 Games won best picture at the 54th Academy Awards. A few months before receiving that statue it premiered at Tiff and took home the audience award. The film’s legacy, and particularly its theme song (which earned composer Vangelis an Oscar), endures to this day.
American Beauty (1999): Screenwriter Alan Ball‘s family drama about a depressed suburban father (Kevin Spacey) who suffers a mid-life crisis after developing an infatuation on his teenage daughter’s best friend,...
Managing Editor
Winning the audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival is a major feather in the cap for any film — and, for many, the launching pad for even loftier goals. Indeed, five went on to win best picture at the Academy Awards.
Chariots of Fire (1981): This true story about two Olympic athletes, one a devout Christian running for God, the other an English Jew running to overcome prejudice, in the 1924 Games won best picture at the 54th Academy Awards. A few months before receiving that statue it premiered at Tiff and took home the audience award. The film’s legacy, and particularly its theme song (which earned composer Vangelis an Oscar), endures to this day.
American Beauty (1999): Screenwriter Alan Ball‘s family drama about a depressed suburban father (Kevin Spacey) who suffers a mid-life crisis after developing an infatuation on his teenage daughter’s best friend,...
- 9/18/2015
- by Patrick Shanley
- Scott Feinberg
The immediate draw to The Water Diviner is to settle in for Russell Crowe's directorial debut. From the outside the story doesn't exactly inspire a "must see" attitude and, to be entirely honest, the film itself is passably mediocre. Not a great time at the movies, not a bad time, but simply a time. Crowe seems to be experimenting at times with his camerawork and a couple of curious zoom in close-ups caught me a little off-guard, but it's a good start with some of the editorial decisions seeming more defensive than anything else, attempting to ensure he had all his ducks in a row rather than getting too experimental with the overall final cut. On top of directing, Crowe also stars as the film's main character, Joshua Connor, an Australian farmer whose world is torn apart following the end of the Battle of Gallipoli. Four years after his three sons died in battle,...
- 4/22/2015
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
This review was based off the first four episodes of season one, which were provided to us prior to broadcast.
Harrowing and horrifying as its depiction of slavery might have been, one of the iconic shots of 2013’s 12 Years a Slave was also one of its simplest. As the abducted free man Solomon Northup, star Chiwetel Ejiofor silently takes pause on a Georgian plantation and just…looks. It’s a lengthy shot, discomfiting at first for its rigidity, then outright confrontational once Ejiofor’s gaze happens upon the camera. Whether its purpose was to indict the audience or close the last inches separating them from Northup’s experience, the moment demanded the viewer look into the eyes of an oft unseen, but defining face of American identity.
Widely advertised as being “From the screenwriter of 12 Years a Slave,” John Ridley’s new series, American Crime, shares more in common with...
Harrowing and horrifying as its depiction of slavery might have been, one of the iconic shots of 2013’s 12 Years a Slave was also one of its simplest. As the abducted free man Solomon Northup, star Chiwetel Ejiofor silently takes pause on a Georgian plantation and just…looks. It’s a lengthy shot, discomfiting at first for its rigidity, then outright confrontational once Ejiofor’s gaze happens upon the camera. Whether its purpose was to indict the audience or close the last inches separating them from Northup’s experience, the moment demanded the viewer look into the eyes of an oft unseen, but defining face of American identity.
Widely advertised as being “From the screenwriter of 12 Years a Slave,” John Ridley’s new series, American Crime, shares more in common with...
- 3/3/2015
- by Sam Woolf
- We Got This Covered
Editor's Note: It next screens at the Toronto Black Film Festival's 3rd edition, which kicked off today, and will run through February 15th. There’s a scene in Victor Viyuoh’s film "Ninah’s Dowry," where Ninah (Mbufung Seikeh) is beaten and then strung up to a ceiling by her severely abusive husband, Memfi (Anurin Nwunembom), who leaves her there as a form of punishment. This scene, and many others, reminded me of a scene in Steve McQueen’s "12 Years A Slave," where Solomon Northup is left hanging to a tree for an entire day, as he holds onto life. But the brutality in this film is not based on race, but rather gender. Like...
- 2/11/2015
- by Nijla Mumin
- ShadowAndAct
By Anjelica Oswald
Managing Editor
Only one of this year’s adapted screenplay nominees isn’t adapted from a book, and that’s Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, which is adapted from his short film of the same name that took home the jury prize for short film from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. The other four adaptations all come from books, three non-fiction and one fiction.
American Sniper is based on Chris Kyle’s (portrayed in the film by Bradley Cooper) autobiography of the same name, which he wrote with Scott McEwan and Jim DeFelice.
The Imitation Game is adapted from Alan Turing: The Enigma, written by Andrew Hodges, a mathematician and author. Turing is played by Benedict Cumberbatch in the film.
Adapted from Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen Hawking by Jane Hawking, The Theory of Everything explores Stephen Hawking’s relationship with his ex-wife. The couple is played...
Managing Editor
Only one of this year’s adapted screenplay nominees isn’t adapted from a book, and that’s Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, which is adapted from his short film of the same name that took home the jury prize for short film from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. The other four adaptations all come from books, three non-fiction and one fiction.
American Sniper is based on Chris Kyle’s (portrayed in the film by Bradley Cooper) autobiography of the same name, which he wrote with Scott McEwan and Jim DeFelice.
The Imitation Game is adapted from Alan Turing: The Enigma, written by Andrew Hodges, a mathematician and author. Turing is played by Benedict Cumberbatch in the film.
Adapted from Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen Hawking by Jane Hawking, The Theory of Everything explores Stephen Hawking’s relationship with his ex-wife. The couple is played...
- 1/28/2015
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
By Anjelica Oswald
Managing Editor
The Imitation Game features Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, a mathematician and computer science pioneer who, along with his fellow code-breakers, broke the Nazi Enigma code to help end World War II. Though Turing was hailed as a hero, he was eventually arrested and prosecuted for homosexuality, along with 49,000 other British men and women. Turing chose to be chemically castrated rather than face imprisonment, so he could continue his work, and it is believed that he committed suicide a few years later. Queen Elizabeth II posthumously pardoned Turing in 2013.
On Jan. 21, Stephen Fry led a discussion about the The Imitation Game following a screening of the film for BAFTA voters, discussed Queen Elizabeth’s pardon and suggested that the 49,000 persecuted men and women should be as well. Chad Griffin, the president of Human Rights Campaign, which is honoring The Imitation Game at its Human Rights Gala on Jan.
Managing Editor
The Imitation Game features Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, a mathematician and computer science pioneer who, along with his fellow code-breakers, broke the Nazi Enigma code to help end World War II. Though Turing was hailed as a hero, he was eventually arrested and prosecuted for homosexuality, along with 49,000 other British men and women. Turing chose to be chemically castrated rather than face imprisonment, so he could continue his work, and it is believed that he committed suicide a few years later. Queen Elizabeth II posthumously pardoned Turing in 2013.
On Jan. 21, Stephen Fry led a discussion about the The Imitation Game following a screening of the film for BAFTA voters, discussed Queen Elizabeth’s pardon and suggested that the 49,000 persecuted men and women should be as well. Chad Griffin, the president of Human Rights Campaign, which is honoring The Imitation Game at its Human Rights Gala on Jan.
- 1/27/2015
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
I am ready for Oscar speeches. I am ready for badass Oscar speeches. And here are 10 that remind you what it looks like when a bad-ass wields a gold statue and tells it like it is. 1. Lee Grant remembers what Hollywood did to her. And now they will never forget. Lee Grant, who won a Best Supporting Actress for "Shampoo," was blacklisted in the '50s and had to put her entire career on hold. She eventually rebounded with an Emmy for "Peyton Place" and a couple of Oscar nominations. When the time came to approach the dais, she had reckoning on her mind. Addressing her Oscar, she said, "We had a fight 20 years ago. I think he's changed. I know I haven't." Bam. 2. George Burns was the hottest young star of '75. George Burns picked up an Oscar for "The Sunshine Boys" at the age of 80. And yet, he...
- 1/17/2015
- by Louis Virtel
- Hitfix
[Editor's Note: This post is presented in partnership with Time Warner Cable Movies On Demand in support of Indie Film Month. Today's pick "Jimi: All Is by My Side" is available now On Demand. This interview was originally published last fall.] John Ridley has been honing his craft for years, apprenticing with John Wells on "Third Watch," through multiple movie scripts ("U-Turn," "Red Tails") and television series ("Barbershop," "Platinum") to his first feature "Cold Around the Heart." He wrote the Oscar-winning script for "12 Years a Slave" as well as his sophomore directing effort, Jimi Hendrix slice-of-life "All Is by My Side," now available to view on video on demand platforms. The Jimi Hendrix estate has been holding up a proper biopic for decades. But one night screenwriter John Ridley (who won the Oscar for his screen adaptation of Solomon Northup's "12 Years a...
- 1/13/2015
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Books, books, nothing but books.
Pages, letters, paragraphs and sentences,
Adjectives and syllables and
Consonants and adverbs-!
I said alright,
But it wasn't quite,
Cause he wasn't nominated
For a Scripter last night.
Glenn here, and while Into the Woods did not receive a nomination today from the USC Scripter organization, I just have the prologue stuck in my brain. Still. It will not leave, how about you?
The Scripters award both a film's screenwriter and the writer of the original work. They used to only be open to adaptations of novels, which meant - much like the WGA - certain films were not allowed to be nominated. In recent years I believe they have started to allow comic book adaptations and short films expanded to feature length (like District 9); they've never nominated a stage musical or play adaptation so I'm not even sure if they're eligible. The rules seem kind of vague.
Pages, letters, paragraphs and sentences,
Adjectives and syllables and
Consonants and adverbs-!
I said alright,
But it wasn't quite,
Cause he wasn't nominated
For a Scripter last night.
Glenn here, and while Into the Woods did not receive a nomination today from the USC Scripter organization, I just have the prologue stuck in my brain. Still. It will not leave, how about you?
The Scripters award both a film's screenwriter and the writer of the original work. They used to only be open to adaptations of novels, which meant - much like the WGA - certain films were not allowed to be nominated. In recent years I believe they have started to allow comic book adaptations and short films expanded to feature length (like District 9); they've never nominated a stage musical or play adaptation so I'm not even sure if they're eligible. The rules seem kind of vague.
- 1/8/2015
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
This story first appeared in the Dec. 5 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. For his follow-up to best picture Oscar winner 12 Years a Slave, Steve McQueen (CAA, the U.K.'s Casarotto Ramsay, Bloom Hergott) had his choice of projects. The auteur behind such intense male-led dramas as Hunger and Shame is making a bit of a departure with a female-led heist film, one based on the 1980s British TV series Widows that he devoured as a London teen. See more '12 Years a Slave': Portraits of Solomon Northup's Descendants But the film and TV
read more...
read more...
- 11/24/2014
- by Tatiana Siegel
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Anjelica Oswald
Managing Editor
Originally planned to screen as a 30-minute preview at AFI Fest, Ava DuVernay’s Selma, centered on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, premiered in its entirety and stirred up more Oscar buzz ahead of its Christmas Day release.
The Hollywood Reporter’s Stephen Farber says the film is “intelligently written, vividly shot, tightly edited and sharply acted,” and that it “represents a rare example of craftsmanship working to produce a deeply moving piece of history.” Meanwhile, Paul Webb’s screenplay and David Oyelowo’s portrayal of Dr. King have been praised. The Wrap’s James Rocchi says, “Oyelowo’s performance would be impressive enough if it merely recreated the icon we now revere as perfectly as he does through a variety of methods… But Oyelowo, and Webb’s screenplay, also give us a rich, rewarding portrait of King as a man,...
Managing Editor
Originally planned to screen as a 30-minute preview at AFI Fest, Ava DuVernay’s Selma, centered on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, premiered in its entirety and stirred up more Oscar buzz ahead of its Christmas Day release.
The Hollywood Reporter’s Stephen Farber says the film is “intelligently written, vividly shot, tightly edited and sharply acted,” and that it “represents a rare example of craftsmanship working to produce a deeply moving piece of history.” Meanwhile, Paul Webb’s screenplay and David Oyelowo’s portrayal of Dr. King have been praised. The Wrap’s James Rocchi says, “Oyelowo’s performance would be impressive enough if it merely recreated the icon we now revere as perfectly as he does through a variety of methods… But Oyelowo, and Webb’s screenplay, also give us a rich, rewarding portrait of King as a man,...
- 11/14/2014
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
12 Years a Slave's director has said that there were a lot of people who didn't want the movie to be made.
Steve McQueen explained that the subject matter of the Oscar-winning picture made some feel uncomfortable.
"A lot of people didn't want the movie made," he said in an interview with Ft Magazine.
"People want to close their eyes on some subjects. They want to keep on going, they don't want to look behind them."
Based on the autobiography of the same name by Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave follows the story of a black man who was kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery on the plantations of Louisiana.
The 2013 film went on to win numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards and a BAFTA for Best Film.
McQueen's next film, Ashes, is a short and will be showing at London's Thomas Dane Gallery from October 14.
Watch a trailer for 12 Years...
Steve McQueen explained that the subject matter of the Oscar-winning picture made some feel uncomfortable.
"A lot of people didn't want the movie made," he said in an interview with Ft Magazine.
"People want to close their eyes on some subjects. They want to keep on going, they don't want to look behind them."
Based on the autobiography of the same name by Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave follows the story of a black man who was kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery on the plantations of Louisiana.
The 2013 film went on to win numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards and a BAFTA for Best Film.
McQueen's next film, Ashes, is a short and will be showing at London's Thomas Dane Gallery from October 14.
Watch a trailer for 12 Years...
- 10/6/2014
- Digital Spy
The Jimi Hendrix estate has been holding up a proper biopic for decades. But one night screenwriter John Ridley (who won the Oscar for his screen adaptation of Solomon Northup's "12 Years a Slave"), trolled the internet and found some splendid Hendrix covers from early in his career in London. Suddenly he saw a way to take a slice of life of the famed guitarist. And following years of directing in television for John Wells and others, Ridley got the project financed as his second feature directing gig. "Jimi: All Is By My Side" has played well on the festival circuit--i interviewed Ridley a year ago in Toronto-- and finally opened Friday to strong reviews. (The full interview, which includes more background behind "12 Years a Slave," is here.) Anne Thompson: I always knew you were a good writer with range. I didn't know you were a good director. John Ridley...
- 9/26/2014
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Then...
One final honor for last year's best picture winner 12 Years a Slave (2013). We've heard talk of this before but it's official now: The National School Boards Association has partnered with the filmmakers and Peguin Books to make 12 Years a Slave and its study guide available to high schools across America. When I attended a Steve McQueen event last year in La this dream was literally all that he wanted to talk about with the moderator despite the panel being called "On Directing" and his movie being an Oscar favorite.
The news was official a few days back
“I am thrilled that my dream of having 12 Years A Slave available to high school students is finally a reality. Solomon Northup’s powerful story needs to be shared and remembered for generations to come. This is a wonderful opportunity for our youth to learn about the past. I truly appreciate the efforts of Montel Williams,...
One final honor for last year's best picture winner 12 Years a Slave (2013). We've heard talk of this before but it's official now: The National School Boards Association has partnered with the filmmakers and Peguin Books to make 12 Years a Slave and its study guide available to high schools across America. When I attended a Steve McQueen event last year in La this dream was literally all that he wanted to talk about with the moderator despite the panel being called "On Directing" and his movie being an Oscar favorite.
The news was official a few days back
“I am thrilled that my dream of having 12 Years A Slave available to high school students is finally a reality. Solomon Northup’s powerful story needs to be shared and remembered for generations to come. This is a wonderful opportunity for our youth to learn about the past. I truly appreciate the efforts of Montel Williams,...
- 9/25/2014
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
If the National School Boards Association is to be believed, we're in a golden age of education Oscar movies. Fox Searchlight announced today that a partnership with the Nsba, New Regency and Penguin Books will make copies of the 2014 Best Picture winner "12 Years a Slave" and Solomon Northup's autobiographical source material available to America’s public high schools. This follows Participant Media's own educational campaign for "Lincoln," which put DVD copies of Steven Spielberg's historical film and the necessary projection technology in a number of underserved communities. According to Fox's press release, the initiative was the brainchild of director Steve McQueen and Montel Williams, the latter feeling particularly strong about getting the film in front of young eyes. Educators who gain permission to teach the movie in class can receive the "12 Years a Slave" educator toolkit, which includes a DVD, book and study guide. The push doesn't end there.
- 9/18/2014
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
By Anjelica Oswald
Managing Editor
As films make the festival circuit this fall, some of the cast and crew members are busy traveling with the movies, attending premieres and promoting their work. A number of actors visiting Toronto this year are there with multiple films, and this isn’t an uncommon occurrence.
Reese Witherspoon is promoting both Wild and The Good Lie, two roles that are far removed from her rom-com days. Both films have launched an awards discussion for the actress.
Where Al Pacino’s Manglehorn has been met with mixed reviews, The Humbling has propelled Pacino to a potential Oscar nomination.
Thanks to Still Alice, Julianne Moore could score an Oscar nomination, but she also has another film in Toronto. Maps to the Stars premiered in Cannes and scored Moore the best actress award.
Girls’ Adam Driver has three films showing at Tiff: This Is Where I Leave You,...
Managing Editor
As films make the festival circuit this fall, some of the cast and crew members are busy traveling with the movies, attending premieres and promoting their work. A number of actors visiting Toronto this year are there with multiple films, and this isn’t an uncommon occurrence.
Reese Witherspoon is promoting both Wild and The Good Lie, two roles that are far removed from her rom-com days. Both films have launched an awards discussion for the actress.
Where Al Pacino’s Manglehorn has been met with mixed reviews, The Humbling has propelled Pacino to a potential Oscar nomination.
Thanks to Still Alice, Julianne Moore could score an Oscar nomination, but she also has another film in Toronto. Maps to the Stars premiered in Cannes and scored Moore the best actress award.
Girls’ Adam Driver has three films showing at Tiff: This Is Where I Leave You,...
- 9/11/2014
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
London Film Festival: First Look - British director Steve McQueen's devastating indictment of the American slave trade is told through the eyes of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), an educated free man who is shanghaied into a life of vicious servitude in the South. Michael Fassbender chills as the plantation owner who spouts the Old Testament while inflicting unbearable cruelties and Lupita Nyong'o shines as the slave girl who becomes the object of his sex obsession. Relentless and heartbreaking, it's the most powerful film of the year.
- 9/4/2014
- Sky Movies
Many moviegoers consider the world of film as a reprieve from their current existing realities. This is rather interesting because in looking to escape the everyday realities for a fantasized slice of reality in cinema might seem quite redundant for some folks. However, the realities that are portrayed on the big screen are varied so whatever life experiences are depicted we may not have quite lived that particular episode therefore making it intriguing and fresh for our entertaining curiosities.
Films, when capturing a fragrance of reality through triumph and tragedy, are usually armed with a special messaging about the human condition through sacrifice, self-discovery, suffering and of course social awareness. In It’s About the Message: The Top 10 Oscar-winning Socially Aware Films we will take a look at Academy Award-winning movies that dared to examine the spirit about being socially aware–through inspiration and insidiousness (or both simultaneously)–and put...
Films, when capturing a fragrance of reality through triumph and tragedy, are usually armed with a special messaging about the human condition through sacrifice, self-discovery, suffering and of course social awareness. In It’s About the Message: The Top 10 Oscar-winning Socially Aware Films we will take a look at Academy Award-winning movies that dared to examine the spirit about being socially aware–through inspiration and insidiousness (or both simultaneously)–and put...
- 6/14/2014
- by Frank Ochieng
- SoundOnSight
Despite being an industry predominantly dominated by immense, superhero blockbusters and the continuing rise of 3D technology, there is still as big a demand as ever for the more traditionalist costume drama, illustrated in how Downton Abbey remains as one of the most talked about television shows on the planet. While Amma Asante’s sophomore feature may remain lovingly faithful to the tropes of the genre, and will give the fans what they’re after – Belle is unique in one simple way; by having a black protagonist.
The aforementioned character is Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the illegitimate, mixed race daughter of an Admiral (Matthew Goode), who is left with her aristocratic great uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson). Though reluctant at first, eventually the esteemed judge agrees to raise the young girl as his own flesh and blood, though as she grows older she becomes more aware of the restrictions in place,...
The aforementioned character is Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the illegitimate, mixed race daughter of an Admiral (Matthew Goode), who is left with her aristocratic great uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson). Though reluctant at first, eventually the esteemed judge agrees to raise the young girl as his own flesh and blood, though as she grows older she becomes more aware of the restrictions in place,...
- 6/11/2014
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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