Sim is superbly insinuating as the detective arriving with a few questions for the complacent residents of a grand Edwardian home
Jb Priestley’s drawing-room melodrama of Edwardian guilt and fear is rereleased for its 70th anniversary; it is an intricate clockwork mechanism ticking inexorably to the final reveal, with beautiful monochrome cinematography and thoroughbred character-actor faces looming out of the screen like a bad dream. It was adapted by Desmond Davis from Priestley’s stage play, directed by Guy Hamilton and unforgettably stars Alastair Sim as the implacable Inspector Poole, with his cool professional insolence, a needling, insinuating manner and sonorously droll voice; it is a performance to put alongside Sim’s Scrooge and his Professor Potter in School for Scoundrels.
It is 1912, and the inspector arrives unexpectedly at the sumptuous home of well-to-do magistrate and captain of industry Arthur Birling (Arthur Young), who is hosting a dinner party...
Jb Priestley’s drawing-room melodrama of Edwardian guilt and fear is rereleased for its 70th anniversary; it is an intricate clockwork mechanism ticking inexorably to the final reveal, with beautiful monochrome cinematography and thoroughbred character-actor faces looming out of the screen like a bad dream. It was adapted by Desmond Davis from Priestley’s stage play, directed by Guy Hamilton and unforgettably stars Alastair Sim as the implacable Inspector Poole, with his cool professional insolence, a needling, insinuating manner and sonorously droll voice; it is a performance to put alongside Sim’s Scrooge and his Professor Potter in School for Scoundrels.
It is 1912, and the inspector arrives unexpectedly at the sumptuous home of well-to-do magistrate and captain of industry Arthur Birling (Arthur Young), who is hosting a dinner party...
- 10/3/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Studiocanal are proud to announce the release of a spectacular 4K restoration of the gripping mystery thriller An Inspector Calls (1954) for its 70th Anniversary this year, available on 4K Uhd, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital from 7 October, so to celebrate we are giving away a 4K Uhd & Blu-Ray to a lucky winner!
Based on J.B. Priestley’s classic stage play, the film stars the incomparable Alastair Sim (A Christmas Carol), Arthur Young (The Lady with a Lamp), Jane Wenham (The Teckman Mystery), Olga Lindo (Sapphire), Brian Worth (Holiday Week) and Eileen More (The Green Man). The new restoration will be available for the first time on 4K Uhd plus 4K Blu-ray, DVD and Digital from 7 October.
The Birling family are rich, pampered and complacent. It is 1912, and the shadow of the impending war has yet to fall across their lives. As they sit down to dinner one night, a knock at...
Based on J.B. Priestley’s classic stage play, the film stars the incomparable Alastair Sim (A Christmas Carol), Arthur Young (The Lady with a Lamp), Jane Wenham (The Teckman Mystery), Olga Lindo (Sapphire), Brian Worth (Holiday Week) and Eileen More (The Green Man). The new restoration will be available for the first time on 4K Uhd plus 4K Blu-ray, DVD and Digital from 7 October.
The Birling family are rich, pampered and complacent. It is 1912, and the shadow of the impending war has yet to fall across their lives. As they sit down to dinner one night, a knock at...
- 9/26/2024
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Das britische Meisterwerk „Der dritte Mann“ von Carol Reed feiert 75-jähriges Jubiläum. Aus diesem Anlass präsentiert es Studiocanal erstmals auf 4K Uhd in einer umfangreichen Special Edition und zeigt einen neuen Trailer. Die Special Edition ist ab 7. November erhältlich.
„Der dritte Mann“ mit u.a. Joseph Cotten und Orson Welles gilt als eines der größten Meisterwerke der Kinogeschichte. Der Film-Noir-Klassiker von Carol Reed nach einer Erzählung von Graham Greene wurde in Wien gedreht. Die Verfolgungsjagd in der Wiener Kanalisation und die eingängige Zither-Musik von Anton Karas sind unvergesslich. Dieses Jahr feiert der Film 75. Jubiläum. Aus diesem Anlass präsentiert ihn Studiocanal erstmals auf 4K Uhd in einer umfangreichen Special Edition. Die „75th Anniversary Edition“ erscheint als 2er Schuber mit einem neuen Artwork des französischen Illustrators Nico Delort mit 64-seitigem Booklet und umfangreichen Bonusmaterial wie einem Audio-Interview mit Noreen Ackland, Audiokommentaren von Guy Hamilton, Simon Callow & Angela Allen, verschiedene Featurettes, Joseph Cottens...
„Der dritte Mann“ mit u.a. Joseph Cotten und Orson Welles gilt als eines der größten Meisterwerke der Kinogeschichte. Der Film-Noir-Klassiker von Carol Reed nach einer Erzählung von Graham Greene wurde in Wien gedreht. Die Verfolgungsjagd in der Wiener Kanalisation und die eingängige Zither-Musik von Anton Karas sind unvergesslich. Dieses Jahr feiert der Film 75. Jubiläum. Aus diesem Anlass präsentiert ihn Studiocanal erstmals auf 4K Uhd in einer umfangreichen Special Edition. Die „75th Anniversary Edition“ erscheint als 2er Schuber mit einem neuen Artwork des französischen Illustrators Nico Delort mit 64-seitigem Booklet und umfangreichen Bonusmaterial wie einem Audio-Interview mit Noreen Ackland, Audiokommentaren von Guy Hamilton, Simon Callow & Angela Allen, verschiedene Featurettes, Joseph Cottens...
- 9/13/2024
- by Barbara Schuster
- Spot - Media & Film
Steven Spielberg once revealed that he was rejected twice from helming a James Bond film. He shared that it was right after the success of his blockbuster film, Jaws. When he approached producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, he shared that Spielberg didn’t have enough experience to direct a big-budget film like James Bond.
Steven Spielberg | Elena Ternovaja, licensed under Cc By-sa 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
However, Spielberg had the last laugh since he became one of the pioneer filmmakers in the industry. He has far outgrown the spy thriller franchise, which is looking to reboot the character for a modern audience after Daniel Craig retired from the role.
Steven Spielberg Was Rejected From Helming A James Bond Film Despite His Jaws Success Roger Moore and Lois Chiles in Moonraker (1979) | Credits: MGM
James Bond films were brought to life by six different actors and directed by twelve different directors. Steven Spielberg could...
Steven Spielberg | Elena Ternovaja, licensed under Cc By-sa 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
However, Spielberg had the last laugh since he became one of the pioneer filmmakers in the industry. He has far outgrown the spy thriller franchise, which is looking to reboot the character for a modern audience after Daniel Craig retired from the role.
Steven Spielberg Was Rejected From Helming A James Bond Film Despite His Jaws Success Roger Moore and Lois Chiles in Moonraker (1979) | Credits: MGM
James Bond films were brought to life by six different actors and directed by twelve different directors. Steven Spielberg could...
- 9/7/2024
- by Hashim Asraff
- FandomWire
Gareth Edwards' 2016 nostalgia-fest "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" seems to have been made to address what some people call a plot hole in George Lucas' 1977 film "Star Wars." In Lucas' film, the young Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) pilots a light attack craft up to a miniature hole in the exterior of the moon-sized Death Star, drops a bomb in it, and causes the entire superstructure to blow up. It is a satisfying ending to an exhilarating sci-fi pulp adventure.
Starwoids, however, watched Lucas films enough times that they began to ask questions. Why, the query went, would the deathly efficient Empire build a moon-sized planet-killing machine with such a grievous design flaw? Why build something so large and overpowered if a single bomb from a light attack craft can destroy it entirely?
The makers of "Rogue One" took that criticism to heart, and backward-engineered a story to explain the flaw.
Starwoids, however, watched Lucas films enough times that they began to ask questions. Why, the query went, would the deathly efficient Empire build a moon-sized planet-killing machine with such a grievous design flaw? Why build something so large and overpowered if a single bomb from a light attack craft can destroy it entirely?
The makers of "Rogue One" took that criticism to heart, and backward-engineered a story to explain the flaw.
- 7/4/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The Story: A New York cop is unwillingly recruited as an assassin for a top-secret government agency, Cure. Re-christened Remo Williams (Fred Ward), he’s sent on the trail of an unscrupulous weapons dealer, but first must survive his training with Chiun (Joel Grey) master of Sinanju.
The Players: Starring: Fred Ward, Joel Grey, Kate Mulgrew & Wilford Brimley. Music by Craig Safan. Directed by Guy Hamilton.
The History: The Adventure Begins…and ends, with this, the lone big-screen adventure of Remo Williams, the veteran of well over a hundred pulp novels (published as “The Destroyer” series – written by Warren Murphy & Richard Sapir). This was an attempt by Dick Clark (of all people) and the then-fledgling Orion Pictures to launch their own James Bond-style series of adventures. While people may laugh at the attempt now, they definitely had reason to think this could work, with the brain trust at Orion the...
The Players: Starring: Fred Ward, Joel Grey, Kate Mulgrew & Wilford Brimley. Music by Craig Safan. Directed by Guy Hamilton.
The History: The Adventure Begins…and ends, with this, the lone big-screen adventure of Remo Williams, the veteran of well over a hundred pulp novels (published as “The Destroyer” series – written by Warren Murphy & Richard Sapir). This was an attempt by Dick Clark (of all people) and the then-fledgling Orion Pictures to launch their own James Bond-style series of adventures. While people may laugh at the attempt now, they definitely had reason to think this could work, with the brain trust at Orion the...
- 3/23/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Moviegoers are truly living in the golden age of post-credit scenes. What was once considered something of a novelty has been rendered a necessity in an era when the Marvel Cinematic Universe and other film franchises are expanding faster than Dwayne Johnson’s biceps in a 5 a.m. weight session. However, the concept’s origins date back further than the dawn of the superhero movie era or anything equally fast and furious. Back in 1966, in fact, Dean Martin was proving to the world that not all heroes wear capes or drive ludicrously fast cars; some prefer a suave suit and a scotch. He may have been known as a crooner, but in the 1960s, Martin also played the part of Matt Helm, a U.S. government counter agent in a series of films based on books by author Guy Hamilton.
Essentially pitched as a more laid-back James Bond, Martin’s first outing as Helm,...
Essentially pitched as a more laid-back James Bond, Martin’s first outing as Helm,...
- 10/9/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
There’s no shortage of brilliant detectives in novels, film and television, but one of the greatest — or at least the one with the fanciest facial hair — is Hercule Poirot. The Belgian investigator, created by Agatha Christie, has appeared 33 novels, more than 50 short stories, and has been played by a variety of iconic actors.
But for whatever reason, Poirot has only sporadically appeared on the big screen, with many of his earliest movie appearances being lost to time, while some of his other noteworthy adventures were rewritten as vehicles for Christie’s other beloved creation, Miss Marple.
Here we take a look at the various theatrically-released adventures of Hercule Poirot, from the 1930s to today, and see which of his mysteries were truly worth solving.
Photo credit: Columbia
Honorable Mention: “Murder By Death” (1976)
Neil Simon’s wacky spoof of the supersleuth genre, directed by Robert Moore, features an all-star cast...
But for whatever reason, Poirot has only sporadically appeared on the big screen, with many of his earliest movie appearances being lost to time, while some of his other noteworthy adventures were rewritten as vehicles for Christie’s other beloved creation, Miss Marple.
Here we take a look at the various theatrically-released adventures of Hercule Poirot, from the 1930s to today, and see which of his mysteries were truly worth solving.
Photo credit: Columbia
Honorable Mention: “Murder By Death” (1976)
Neil Simon’s wacky spoof of the supersleuth genre, directed by Robert Moore, features an all-star cast...
- 9/15/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
Of all the James Bond movies, "The Man with the Golden Gun" isn't the most beloved. Debuting to lackluster reviews in 1974, following the success that was '73's "Live and Let Die," Roger Moore's sophomore outing as Bond failed to dazzle audiences who were growing weary of the franchise.
The producers had a rough time replacing Sean Connery, who'd come to define the character with his run as England's greatest spy, before departing the series and being replaced by Aussie actor George Lazenby. While Lazenby did a solid job in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," he too left the role after his one and only appearance, after which Connery returned for the less than stellar "Diamonds Are Forever."
Unfortunately, Connery would once again leave the role that helped launch his career following this brief return, clearing the way for Roger Moore to take on the mantle with "Live and Let Die.
The producers had a rough time replacing Sean Connery, who'd come to define the character with his run as England's greatest spy, before departing the series and being replaced by Aussie actor George Lazenby. While Lazenby did a solid job in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," he too left the role after his one and only appearance, after which Connery returned for the less than stellar "Diamonds Are Forever."
Unfortunately, Connery would once again leave the role that helped launch his career following this brief return, clearing the way for Roger Moore to take on the mantle with "Live and Let Die.
- 9/3/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Among James Bond movies, "Goldfinger" stands as the film that cemented 007's status as a global icon. Guy Hamilton's 1964 effort has since become known as the blueprint for all future Bond films, establishing longstanding tropes that still define the franchise today. A globe-spanning adventure, "Goldfinger" introduced that gadget-filled Aston Martin DB5 alongside legendary Bond girl Pussy Galore, played by the late Honor Blackman. Then there was that famous laser beam scene, in which Sean Connery's Bond is strapped to a table and forced to await an inexplicably slow death.
But it wasn't just gadgets and Bond girls with dodgy names that "Goldfinger" brought to the table. Richard Maibaum and Paul Dehn's script also introduced more subtle staples to the 007 saga, including an opening sequence seemingly unrelated to the film's main plot and a testy relationship between the titular spy and Desmond Llewelyn's Q that established the pair's dynamic going forward.
But it wasn't just gadgets and Bond girls with dodgy names that "Goldfinger" brought to the table. Richard Maibaum and Paul Dehn's script also introduced more subtle staples to the 007 saga, including an opening sequence seemingly unrelated to the film's main plot and a testy relationship between the titular spy and Desmond Llewelyn's Q that established the pair's dynamic going forward.
- 8/14/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Birkin’s death has shocked her adopted France over the long Bastille Day weekend.
Anglo-French actress, director and singer Jane Birkin has died at the age of 76.
Born and brought up in the UK, Birkin rose to fame in France in the 1960s with a parallel acting and singing career and became a global fashion icon and a woman’s rights activist. France claimed the naturalised citizen as their own.
Birkin starred in around 70 films including Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 film Blow Up, 1969’s The Swimming Pool opposite Alain Delon and Romy Schneider, Roger Vadim’s Don Juan, Or if Don...
Anglo-French actress, director and singer Jane Birkin has died at the age of 76.
Born and brought up in the UK, Birkin rose to fame in France in the 1960s with a parallel acting and singing career and became a global fashion icon and a woman’s rights activist. France claimed the naturalised citizen as their own.
Birkin starred in around 70 films including Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 film Blow Up, 1969’s The Swimming Pool opposite Alain Delon and Romy Schneider, Roger Vadim’s Don Juan, Or if Don...
- 7/16/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Picture if you will, a world in which someone would say no to Steven Spielberg. After all, the guy changed cinema with 1975’s Jaws, creating the summer blockbuster, earning tons of money, and getting a Best Director nomination. But that’s exactly what happened, several times when Spielberg begged producer Cubby Broccoli to let him make a movie about his childhood hero, James Bond. But after numerous rejections, Spielberg’s best bud George Lucas came to him with another idea: a movie about an adventurer called Indiana Jones.
Spielberg’s James Bond Mission
It’s no surprise that Spielberg loves James Bond. As anyone who saw The Fabelmans can tell you, the director developed his remarkable cinematic sense not by going to film school but by replicating the images of movies he saw at the local suburban theaters. And few movies of that formative era were bigger in the minds...
Spielberg’s James Bond Mission
It’s no surprise that Spielberg loves James Bond. As anyone who saw The Fabelmans can tell you, the director developed his remarkable cinematic sense not by going to film school but by replicating the images of movies he saw at the local suburban theaters. And few movies of that formative era were bigger in the minds...
- 7/12/2023
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
George Lucas didn't just revolutionize the film business with "Star Wars" in 1977, he also turned relative unknowns Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford into overnight superstars. These actors entered homes all over the United States as Kenner action figures, and their images adorned everything from bed sheets to lunch boxes. They were recognizable superstars to children and adults alike.
There was no roadmap to deal with this kind of stardom. The three principal actors knew a second journey to that galaxy far, far away loomed on the horizon, but what they should do in the interim was something of a puzzle. Were they box-office draws outside of "Star Wars?"
Hamill and Fisher were so young and fresh-faced that it wasn't clear how they could capitalize on their unprecedented fame. They were still ingenues. Ford, however, was well into his 30s, and, after a decade-long struggle to make good on his big-screen promise,...
There was no roadmap to deal with this kind of stardom. The three principal actors knew a second journey to that galaxy far, far away loomed on the horizon, but what they should do in the interim was something of a puzzle. Were they box-office draws outside of "Star Wars?"
Hamill and Fisher were so young and fresh-faced that it wasn't clear how they could capitalize on their unprecedented fame. They were still ingenues. Ford, however, was well into his 30s, and, after a decade-long struggle to make good on his big-screen promise,...
- 12/23/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Legendary Hollywood men typically stick to specific archetypes when playing the romantic lead in their films. Where Humphrey Bogart was often coarse and cynical with a heart of gold, Cary Grant tended to be debonair and sharp-witted with a mischievous streak. At the peak of his movie stardom, Harrison Ford had a touch of both those gents. He was a cocky scoundrel who bore his skepticism like a shield yet would allow himself to be unguarded and even sweet in the right company. Ford was also just as foxy donning a fedora as he was rocking the adorkable getup of a mild-mannered professor.
After breaking out as the suave cosmic reprobate Han Solo in "Star Wars: A New Hope," Ford co-starred in Jeremy Paul Kagan's 1977 Vietnam War veteran drama, "Heroes" (a film he worked on prior to "A New Hope" reaching theaters), and Guy Hamilton's 1978 "Guns of Navarone" sequel,...
After breaking out as the suave cosmic reprobate Han Solo in "Star Wars: A New Hope," Ford co-starred in Jeremy Paul Kagan's 1977 Vietnam War veteran drama, "Heroes" (a film he worked on prior to "A New Hope" reaching theaters), and Guy Hamilton's 1978 "Guns of Navarone" sequel,...
- 12/6/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Major spoilers for "Glass Onion" follow.
After the success of "Knives Out," you can imagine Rian Johnson had the ability to rope in just about anyone he wanted to be a part of the latest case for the brilliant detective Benoit Blanc, "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery." Just look at the people on the poster. Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, and more fill out the latest slate of potential murder mystery suspects, and when the cast for the inevitable third film gets announced, I do not doubt that its ensemble will be just as eclectic and exciting.
But this doesn't just stop at the main cast. Oh, no. Even though the film is mostly confined to a secluded private island off the coast of Greece, "Glass Onion" is peppered with a string of delightful, and in a couple of cases bittersweet, cameos that each got massive...
After the success of "Knives Out," you can imagine Rian Johnson had the ability to rope in just about anyone he wanted to be a part of the latest case for the brilliant detective Benoit Blanc, "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery." Just look at the people on the poster. Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, and more fill out the latest slate of potential murder mystery suspects, and when the cast for the inevitable third film gets announced, I do not doubt that its ensemble will be just as eclectic and exciting.
But this doesn't just stop at the main cast. Oh, no. Even though the film is mostly confined to a secluded private island off the coast of Greece, "Glass Onion" is peppered with a string of delightful, and in a couple of cases bittersweet, cameos that each got massive...
- 11/23/2022
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
When Sean Connery returned to the James Bond films after skipping out on "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (which is a great movie but seen as lesser at the time), anticipation was high. In 1971, Connery was Bond. George Lazenby was some pretender. There wasn't a tradition of handing over the character to a new actor yet. This was his grand return, and the film's creatives needed to get it right. They even brought back "Goldfinger" director Guy Hamilton to call the shots.
On a financial level, everyone was happy. "Diamonds Are Forever" was the third-highest grossing film at the domestic box office in 1971. On an artistic level ... it's one of the worst films in the series. Connery is clearly only in it for the paycheck, the story is weirdly low-stakes and silly, and the Las Vegas setting feels chintzy.
The film does have two major bright spots though. First, there's...
On a financial level, everyone was happy. "Diamonds Are Forever" was the third-highest grossing film at the domestic box office in 1971. On an artistic level ... it's one of the worst films in the series. Connery is clearly only in it for the paycheck, the story is weirdly low-stakes and silly, and the Las Vegas setting feels chintzy.
The film does have two major bright spots though. First, there's...
- 11/13/2022
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
It’s been six full decades since Sean Connery looked up from a handful of cards and announced, “The name’s Bond, James Bond.” All this time later, and despite hearing that catch phrase being repeated in oh, so many variations, we’re still hanging onto every word.
The James Bond franchise has been one of the most important, and certainly among the longest, in film history. Back when it started, Eon Productions (originally helmed by producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Satlzman) were releasing a new Bond movie every year; more recently, we’re lucky if we get the next one every couple of years. Nonetheless, Eon and the James Bond character have remained preternaturally consistent, reliably turning out new adventures, and ever creating new fans from one generation to the next. The times change; the world changes; 007 does not.
These days he feels like a throwback to a forgotten type of action movie.
The James Bond franchise has been one of the most important, and certainly among the longest, in film history. Back when it started, Eon Productions (originally helmed by producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Satlzman) were releasing a new Bond movie every year; more recently, we’re lucky if we get the next one every couple of years. Nonetheless, Eon and the James Bond character have remained preternaturally consistent, reliably turning out new adventures, and ever creating new fans from one generation to the next. The times change; the world changes; 007 does not.
These days he feels like a throwback to a forgotten type of action movie.
- 11/8/2022
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
Sixty years is a long time in the lifespan of a human being. And in the life cycle of a fictional character’s popularity, it’s usually unthinkable: a vast ocean of time which is rarely crossed by products of something as fleeting and fickle as pop culture. Nevertheless, six decades since Sean Connery first donned the tuxedo and uttered the iconic line of “Bond, James Bond,” the 007 character has endured in popularity.
In fact, during the character’s golden jubilee in 2012, Bond became arguably bigger than ever with the 50th anniversary also coinciding with the highest grossing Bond film at the box office, courtesy of Skyfall… of course that record only holds if you don’t count inflation, or certainly the amount of tickets sold by Connery’s fourth outing as MI6’s best man, Thunderball (1965). Either way, even the dour and brooding Craig movies still act as a reflection,...
In fact, during the character’s golden jubilee in 2012, Bond became arguably bigger than ever with the 50th anniversary also coinciding with the highest grossing Bond film at the box office, courtesy of Skyfall… of course that record only holds if you don’t count inflation, or certainly the amount of tickets sold by Connery’s fourth outing as MI6’s best man, Thunderball (1965). Either way, even the dour and brooding Craig movies still act as a reflection,...
- 11/4/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Sean Connery in the role of James Bond is the very definition of a tough act to follow. Most actors who have the good fortune to portray a character on screen for the first time become associated with that character by default, but Connery did more than perfectly portray novelist and creator Ian Fleming's British spy — he defined the character completely, turning Bond into an icon.
Connery was rakishly handsome, effortlessly charming, and devilishly witty while also being able to tap into 007's coldness. His performance did the heavy lifting in explaining how a man with a license to kill is able to operate on a daily basis, and slyly offset the kitschy tone of the films by giving a grounded darkness to the character. When Connery briefly exited the role, Eon Productions recast Bond with George Lazenby, who was only afforded one at-bat in 1969's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Connery was rakishly handsome, effortlessly charming, and devilishly witty while also being able to tap into 007's coldness. His performance did the heavy lifting in explaining how a man with a license to kill is able to operate on a daily basis, and slyly offset the kitschy tone of the films by giving a grounded darkness to the character. When Connery briefly exited the role, Eon Productions recast Bond with George Lazenby, who was only afforded one at-bat in 1969's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
- 10/16/2022
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Established during the early heyday of motion pictures, the "star system" is an informal rule of thumb that most movie producers still swear by, even though the elements of a film's package deal in order to get a green light and raise funds have changed in the last 20-odd years. Nowadays, while having an actor with an established fanbase or persona is still a boon to getting a project off the ground, Hollywood is awash with risk-averse producers using an IP to get a movie made — and that IP is usually comic-book superhero material.
Arguably the film that started Hollywood on this superhero-saturated path, 1978's "Superman," was ironically far from a sure-fire hit when producers Pierre Spengler, Alexander Salkind, and Ilya Salkind were attempting to put it together. Since the Superman character himself wasn't enough to raise the money, the production needed an established star and a seasoned director.
As...
Arguably the film that started Hollywood on this superhero-saturated path, 1978's "Superman," was ironically far from a sure-fire hit when producers Pierre Spengler, Alexander Salkind, and Ilya Salkind were attempting to put it together. Since the Superman character himself wasn't enough to raise the money, the production needed an established star and a seasoned director.
As...
- 8/15/2022
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
Doug Liman was so committed to getting an adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity made for the big screen, he crashed a wedding and later piloted a prop plane to make it happen.
“I spent years hitting brick walls,” says Liman, who broke out directing indie stunner Swingers in 1996 but had yet to make a major studio play. “I even crashed a wedding to accost Warner Bros. president Terry Semel because Warners had the rights at the time,” Liman tells THR. “It got to the point that if I mentioned Bourne Identity to my agent, he would groan and roll his eyes.”
Eventually, the rights reverted to Ludlum, so Liman went to Montana to meet with him. The director flew solo in a tiny propeller plane to get there. “I had just gotten a license to fly,” Liman recalls. “My arrival...
Doug Liman was so committed to getting an adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity made for the big screen, he crashed a wedding and later piloted a prop plane to make it happen.
“I spent years hitting brick walls,” says Liman, who broke out directing indie stunner Swingers in 1996 but had yet to make a major studio play. “I even crashed a wedding to accost Warner Bros. president Terry Semel because Warners had the rights at the time,” Liman tells THR. “It got to the point that if I mentioned Bourne Identity to my agent, he would groan and roll his eyes.”
Eventually, the rights reverted to Ludlum, so Liman went to Montana to meet with him. The director flew solo in a tiny propeller plane to get there. “I had just gotten a license to fly,” Liman recalls. “My arrival...
- 6/13/2022
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This article contains spoilers for No Time to Die.
With the MCU continuing to dominate cinemas, much talk has been directed at producer Kevin Feige and his ability to maintain a popular franchise of 14 years. But before Feige, there was Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, producer of the James Bond franchise. Since the first Bond feature film, Dr. No, released in 1962, the Broccoli family has remained at the helm, ensuring that the beloved secret agent remains his essential self, even as he keeps up with the changing times.
For that reason, it was a bit of a surprise when, in 2018, Broccoli’s children, Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli (who have managed the franchise since 1995), announced Danny Boyle as the director of the 25th Bond film, taking over from Skyfall and Spectre director Sam Mendes. The director of everything from the blockbuster hit Slumdog Millionaire to offbeat classic Trainspotting, Boyle seemed like an...
With the MCU continuing to dominate cinemas, much talk has been directed at producer Kevin Feige and his ability to maintain a popular franchise of 14 years. But before Feige, there was Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, producer of the James Bond franchise. Since the first Bond feature film, Dr. No, released in 1962, the Broccoli family has remained at the helm, ensuring that the beloved secret agent remains his essential self, even as he keeps up with the changing times.
For that reason, it was a bit of a surprise when, in 2018, Broccoli’s children, Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli (who have managed the franchise since 1995), announced Danny Boyle as the director of the 25th Bond film, taking over from Skyfall and Spectre director Sam Mendes. The director of everything from the blockbuster hit Slumdog Millionaire to offbeat classic Trainspotting, Boyle seemed like an...
- 5/11/2022
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
Tommy Lane, an actor and stuntman who appeared in such classic films as Shaft and Live and Let Die, died Monday at Fort Lauderdale’s Florida Medical Center after a long battle with Copd. He was 83.
His daughter, Kamala Lane, confirming his passing to Deadline.
Born on December 17, 1937, in Miami, Lane primarily was active as an actor from the 1960s through the 1990s. In Gordon Parks’ classic 1971 private eye thriller Shaft, he played gangster Bumpy Jonas’ (Moses Gun) hitman, Leroy, who memorably is dragged up steps and thrown out of a window by Richard Roundtree’s detective John Shaft. In Guy Hamilton’s 1973 Bond film Live and Let Die, starring Roger Moore, he portrayed Adam, a gangster and enforcer reporting to Yaphet Kotto’s Mr. Big and Julius Harris’ Tee Hee.
Yaphet Kotto Dies: Bond Villain, ‘Homicide’ Star, ‘Alien’ & ‘Midnight Run’ Actor Was 81
Lane’s film credits also include Cotton Comes to Harlem...
His daughter, Kamala Lane, confirming his passing to Deadline.
Born on December 17, 1937, in Miami, Lane primarily was active as an actor from the 1960s through the 1990s. In Gordon Parks’ classic 1971 private eye thriller Shaft, he played gangster Bumpy Jonas’ (Moses Gun) hitman, Leroy, who memorably is dragged up steps and thrown out of a window by Richard Roundtree’s detective John Shaft. In Guy Hamilton’s 1973 Bond film Live and Let Die, starring Roger Moore, he portrayed Adam, a gangster and enforcer reporting to Yaphet Kotto’s Mr. Big and Julius Harris’ Tee Hee.
Yaphet Kotto Dies: Bond Villain, ‘Homicide’ Star, ‘Alien’ & ‘Midnight Run’ Actor Was 81
Lane’s film credits also include Cotton Comes to Harlem...
- 11/30/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
We loved James Bond but diehard ’60s spy fans hold a special admiration for Len Deighton’s ‘thinking man’s secret agent’ Harry Palmer. Viavision pulls off a slick trick by assembling the three top Michael Caine Harry Palmer pictures, each from a different studio, in a single deluxe gift box. Harry fights the Brain Drain, encounters criss-crossing conspiracies at the Berlin Wall, and witnesses a privatized invasion of the U.S.S.R., in The Ipcress File, Funeral in Berlin and Billion Dollar Brain, three great pictures by three very different directors. The presentations come with a glut of special edition extras.
The Harry Palmer Collection
All-Region Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 75, 76, 77
1965-67 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / Street Date October 20, 2021 / Available from Amazon / 109.99
Starring: Michael Caine
From the novels by Len Deighton
Produced by Harry Saltzman
Directed by Sidney J. Furie, Guy Hamilton, Ken Russell
It didn’t seem possible that there...
The Harry Palmer Collection
All-Region Blu-ray
Viavision [Imprint] 75, 76, 77
1965-67 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / Street Date October 20, 2021 / Available from Amazon / 109.99
Starring: Michael Caine
From the novels by Len Deighton
Produced by Harry Saltzman
Directed by Sidney J. Furie, Guy Hamilton, Ken Russell
It didn’t seem possible that there...
- 11/13/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Not only is the 25th James Bond film “No Time to Die” the last 007 adventure thriller starring Daniel Craig, it’s also the first one directed by an American: Cary Joji Fukunaga. The 44-year-old filmmaker won the Sundance dramatic directing award in 2009 for “Sin Nombre,” was the first Asian-American director to win an Emmy for directing in 2014 for “True Detective” and earned a Peabody in 2015 for “Beasts of No Nation.”
He joins other cutting-edge filmmakers to direct Craig as Bond including Oscar-winning English director Sam Mendes (“American Beauty”) who helmed 2012’s “Skyfall” and 2015’s “Spectre” and indie German filmmaker Marc Forster (2008’s “Quantum of Solace”), who had directed Halle Berry to an Oscar for 2001’s “Monster’s Ball” and Johnny Depp to a nomination for 2004’s “Finding Neverland.”
These three are a far cry from the early Bond directors who were British and had worked their way up the ranks...
He joins other cutting-edge filmmakers to direct Craig as Bond including Oscar-winning English director Sam Mendes (“American Beauty”) who helmed 2012’s “Skyfall” and 2015’s “Spectre” and indie German filmmaker Marc Forster (2008’s “Quantum of Solace”), who had directed Halle Berry to an Oscar for 2001’s “Monster’s Ball” and Johnny Depp to a nomination for 2004’s “Finding Neverland.”
These three are a far cry from the early Bond directors who were British and had worked their way up the ranks...
- 10/8/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
When Ian Fleming first created the character of 007, he settled on calling him James Bond because it was the “dullest name I’ve ever heard.” How ironic that nearly 70 years after that decision, and almost 60 years since the first James Bond movie, Dr. No (1962), that moniker is still associated around the world with thrilling action and exotic danger.
Beginning with the first Bond film from producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, and which starred Sean Connery as the international man of mystery, 007 has burrowed into the global zeitgeist. And he’s never left. There have been 24 canonical Bond films produced by either Broccoli and Saltzman, or their successors Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, and six actors who’ve donned the tuxedo during that run. Over the years, the debate has been endless over who is the Best Bond, and which is the best Bond movie. Well, we’re here...
Beginning with the first Bond film from producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, and which starred Sean Connery as the international man of mystery, 007 has burrowed into the global zeitgeist. And he’s never left. There have been 24 canonical Bond films produced by either Broccoli and Saltzman, or their successors Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, and six actors who’ve donned the tuxedo during that run. Over the years, the debate has been endless over who is the Best Bond, and which is the best Bond movie. Well, we’re here...
- 9/28/2021
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
October’s here and it’s time to get spooked. After last year’s superb “’70s Horror” lineup, the Criterion Channel commemorates October with a couple series: “Universal Horror,” which does what it says on the tin (with special notice to the Spanish-language Dracula), and “Home Invasion,” which runs the gamut from Romero to Oshima with Polanski and Haneke in the mix. Lest we disregard the programming of Cindy Sherman’s one feature, Office Killer, and Jennifer’s Body, whose lifespan has gone from gimmick to forgotten to Criterion Channel. And if you want to stretch ideas of genre just a hair, their “True Crime” selection gets at darker shades of human nature.
It’s not all chills and thrills, mind. October also boasts a Kirk Douglas repertoire, movies by Doris Wishman and Wayne Wang, plus Manoel de Oliveira’s rarely screened Porto of My Childhood. And Edgar Wright gets the “Adventures in Moviegoing” treatment,...
It’s not all chills and thrills, mind. October also boasts a Kirk Douglas repertoire, movies by Doris Wishman and Wayne Wang, plus Manoel de Oliveira’s rarely screened Porto of My Childhood. And Edgar Wright gets the “Adventures in Moviegoing” treatment,...
- 9/24/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
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By Tim McGlynn
“If you were a man, I’d divorce you!”
Myra Gardener (Sylvia Miles) insults her stage producer husband, Odell (James Mason), with this line in the 1982 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Evil Under the Sun during a spat while vacationing on a fictional Italian island in the Adriatic Sea. They are attempting to entice Broadway legend Arlena Stuart Marshall (Diana Rigg) to appear in their next musical, despite her reputation as a spoiled diva. Evil Under the Sun has recently been released on Blu-ray by the good people at Kino Lorber, who have also seen fit to issue new editions of The Mirror Crack’d and Death on the Nile.
The screenplay, by Anthony Shaffer, is loaded with witty and sometimes randy putdowns that help breathe a bit of life into this rather formulaic whodunit from director Guy Hamilton. When Arlena...
By Tim McGlynn
“If you were a man, I’d divorce you!”
Myra Gardener (Sylvia Miles) insults her stage producer husband, Odell (James Mason), with this line in the 1982 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Evil Under the Sun during a spat while vacationing on a fictional Italian island in the Adriatic Sea. They are attempting to entice Broadway legend Arlena Stuart Marshall (Diana Rigg) to appear in their next musical, despite her reputation as a spoiled diva. Evil Under the Sun has recently been released on Blu-ray by the good people at Kino Lorber, who have also seen fit to issue new editions of The Mirror Crack’d and Death on the Nile.
The screenplay, by Anthony Shaffer, is loaded with witty and sometimes randy putdowns that help breathe a bit of life into this rather formulaic whodunit from director Guy Hamilton. When Arlena...
- 2/10/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Peter Lamont interviewed by Gareth Owen at a celebration of his career at Pinewood Studios, 2016. (Photo: Mark Mawston).
We at Cinema Retro mourn the passing of our good friend Peter Lamont, the legendary Production Designer of many James Bond films as well as "Titanic", for which he received the Academy Award. Cr columnist and author Gareth Owen reflects on Peter's life and career.
By Gareth Owen
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British Oscar winning (and four-time nominee) Production Designer Peter Lamont passed away on December 18th aged 91 after suffering complications from pneumonia.
Having seen his name on the silver screen throughout my formative years on films such as The Seven Percent Solution, Sleuth, Fiddler On The Roof, and of course pretty much every James Bond film, I first met Peter in 1990 at Pinewood Studios and was immediately struck by his friendliness, charm and modesty. I bumped into him...
We at Cinema Retro mourn the passing of our good friend Peter Lamont, the legendary Production Designer of many James Bond films as well as "Titanic", for which he received the Academy Award. Cr columnist and author Gareth Owen reflects on Peter's life and career.
By Gareth Owen
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British Oscar winning (and four-time nominee) Production Designer Peter Lamont passed away on December 18th aged 91 after suffering complications from pneumonia.
Having seen his name on the silver screen throughout my formative years on films such as The Seven Percent Solution, Sleuth, Fiddler On The Roof, and of course pretty much every James Bond film, I first met Peter in 1990 at Pinewood Studios and was immediately struck by his friendliness, charm and modesty. I bumped into him...
- 12/19/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Four-time Oscar nominee Peter Lamont, who worked on 18 James Bond films and received an Academy Award for production design for “Titanic,” has died. He was 91.
Lamont’s death was disclosed Friday by the official 007 account on Twitter, which posted a statement by producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli that reads, “Peter Lamont was a much beloved member of the Bond family and a giant in the industry. Inextricably linked with the design and aesthetic of James Bond since Goldfinger (1964).”
“He became Production Designer on For Your Eyes Only (1981) working on 18 of the 25 films including nine as Production Designer. He was a true success story proving that with talent and hard work you will achieve your dreams,” the statement went on. “He won the Academy Award for Titanic in 1998 as well as nominations for Fiddler On The Roof (1971), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), and Aliens (1986). Our hearts go out to...
Lamont’s death was disclosed Friday by the official 007 account on Twitter, which posted a statement by producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli that reads, “Peter Lamont was a much beloved member of the Bond family and a giant in the industry. Inextricably linked with the design and aesthetic of James Bond since Goldfinger (1964).”
“He became Production Designer on For Your Eyes Only (1981) working on 18 of the 25 films including nine as Production Designer. He was a true success story proving that with talent and hard work you will achieve your dreams,” the statement went on. “He won the Academy Award for Titanic in 1998 as well as nominations for Fiddler On The Roof (1971), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), and Aliens (1986). Our hearts go out to...
- 12/18/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
In today’s film news roundup, “40 Years of Rocky” gets a release date, Pierce Brosnan’s “The King’s Daughter” finds a home and the 2020 Lower East Side Film Festival unveils its programming.
Release Date
Virgil Films has set a June 9 digital release date for the documentary “40 Years of Rocky,” which chronicles the behind-the-scenes journey of the 1976 classic “Rocky.”
Sylvester Stallone recounts the making of the film — which won the 1977 Academy Award for Best Picture — through rare home movies filmed by “Rocky” director John G. Avildsen. The documentary was written and directed by Derek Wayne Johnson, who served as co-producer with Chris May of Cinema 83 Entertainment and Cinema 83 Documentary Films.
“The documentary is a golden nugget for ‘Rocky’ fans and casual audiences alike,” said Johnson. “It’s a charming piece of film history narrated by Rocky himself, Sylvester Stallone, and will give audiences an intimate, and at times, emotional experience.
Release Date
Virgil Films has set a June 9 digital release date for the documentary “40 Years of Rocky,” which chronicles the behind-the-scenes journey of the 1976 classic “Rocky.”
Sylvester Stallone recounts the making of the film — which won the 1977 Academy Award for Best Picture — through rare home movies filmed by “Rocky” director John G. Avildsen. The documentary was written and directed by Derek Wayne Johnson, who served as co-producer with Chris May of Cinema 83 Entertainment and Cinema 83 Documentary Films.
“The documentary is a golden nugget for ‘Rocky’ fans and casual audiences alike,” said Johnson. “It’s a charming piece of film history narrated by Rocky himself, Sylvester Stallone, and will give audiences an intimate, and at times, emotional experience.
- 6/2/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Myopic Harry Palmer, the great cook, lover and reluctant spy, returns to where his trouble with the British Army began. This time he’s tangled up in a political snarl that might have dire consequences: not only are the Russians involved, ex-Nazis are on the payroll. Israel may have an agent in the field, and not necessarily working in Her Majesty’s interest. Michael Caine’s star quality shines through in this second Harry Palmer spy yarn, filmed on German locations in high style by Guy Hamilton.
Funeral in Berlin
Blu-ray Disc
Paramount Pictures
1966 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 102 min. / Street Date May 26, 2020 / 20.49
Starring: Michael Caine, Oskar Homolka, Paul Hubschmid, Eva Renzi, Guy Doleman.
Cinematography: Otto Heller
Film Editor: John Bloom
Production Designer: Ken Adam
Original Music: Konrad Elfers
Written by Evan Jones from the novel by Len Deighton
Produced by Charles D. Kasher & Harry Saltzman
Directed by Guy Hamilton
All three...
Funeral in Berlin
Blu-ray Disc
Paramount Pictures
1966 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 102 min. / Street Date May 26, 2020 / 20.49
Starring: Michael Caine, Oskar Homolka, Paul Hubschmid, Eva Renzi, Guy Doleman.
Cinematography: Otto Heller
Film Editor: John Bloom
Production Designer: Ken Adam
Original Music: Konrad Elfers
Written by Evan Jones from the novel by Len Deighton
Produced by Charles D. Kasher & Harry Saltzman
Directed by Guy Hamilton
All three...
- 5/30/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Lust-filled treachery in the steaming tropics! He dared to love a cannibal empress! Taglines like that suggest that it wasn’t easy to sell Carol Reed’s phenomenally good adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s classic, a tale of human self-degradation and malevolence in the tropics. Long difficult to see, it’s finally here to dazzle a generation that might appreciate its superb performances. Forget Lord Jim and Colonel Kurtz. Trevor Howard’s back-stabbing Peter Willems shows us the price of total betrayal: permanent banishment from humanity.
Outcast of the Islands
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1951 / B&w / 1:37 flat / 100 93 min. / Street Date April 29, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Trevor Howard, Ralph Richardson, Robert Morley, Wendy Hiller, Aissa, George Coulouris, Tamine, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Peter Illing, Betty Ann Davies, Frederick Valk, A.V. Bramble, Marne Maitland, James Kenney, Annabel Morley.
Cinematography: Edward Scaife, John Wilcox
Production Design: Vincent Korda
Second Unit Director: Guy Hamilton...
Outcast of the Islands
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1951 / B&w / 1:37 flat / 100 93 min. / Street Date April 29, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Trevor Howard, Ralph Richardson, Robert Morley, Wendy Hiller, Aissa, George Coulouris, Tamine, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Peter Illing, Betty Ann Davies, Frederick Valk, A.V. Bramble, Marne Maitland, James Kenney, Annabel Morley.
Cinematography: Edward Scaife, John Wilcox
Production Design: Vincent Korda
Second Unit Director: Guy Hamilton...
- 4/18/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Can a war movie be reassuring in a time of crisis? Each of the films in this excellent collection stress people working together: to repel invaders, escape from or attack the enemy, and just to survive in sticky situations. All are inspirational in that they see cooperation, organization and leadership doing good work. See: the ‘other’ great escape picture, the original account of Dunkirk, and the aerial bombing movie that inspired the final battle in Star Wars. Plus a tense ‘what if?’ invasion tale, and a desert trek suspense ordeal that’s one of the best war films ever. The most relevant dialogue in the set? Seeing the total screw-up at Dunkirk, Bernard Lee determines that England will have to re-organize with new people in key leadership positions, people who know what they’re doing. I’m all for that Here and Now, fella.
Their Finest Hour 5 British WWII Classics
Went The Day Well,...
Their Finest Hour 5 British WWII Classics
Went The Day Well,...
- 4/4/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
In 1969, the movie business was starting to transition from old, proven formulas to more daring and original films that spoke to a younger demographic. Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood sets out capture the spirit of that year and the way the movies and their stars reflected the attitudes of the time.
Here’s a clip from The Jimmy Kimmel show where Quentin talks about the premiere of his new movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, attending a screening with Jimmy, shooting with Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt & Margot Robbie, Inglourious Basterds, naming his own Mad Magazine parody, asking actors to be in his movies, why he is close to ending his filmmaking career. Margot Robbie stops by with an announcement:
There were plenty of great movies made in 1969 celebrating their golden anniversaries this year. Here are 17 of them that the writers here at We Are Movie Geeks...
Here’s a clip from The Jimmy Kimmel show where Quentin talks about the premiere of his new movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, attending a screening with Jimmy, shooting with Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt & Margot Robbie, Inglourious Basterds, naming his own Mad Magazine parody, asking actors to be in his movies, why he is close to ending his filmmaking career. Margot Robbie stops by with an announcement:
There were plenty of great movies made in 1969 celebrating their golden anniversaries this year. Here are 17 of them that the writers here at We Are Movie Geeks...
- 7/25/2019
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
December marks the 40th anniversary of the “Superman” movie, which opened Dec. 15, 1978, and influenced generations of action films. In recent years, many people were distressed that Claire Foy was paid less than Matt Smith for Netflix’s “The Crown,” but pay gaps are not always about sexism. Blame the star system. Back on June 30, 1976,Variety reported that Marlon Brando agreed to play the title character’s father in “Superman” for a salary that was “unprecedented.” It was eventually revealed that the actor was paid $3.7 million and an amazing 11.75% backend to play Jor-El, for 13 days work and less than 20 minutes onscreen. In comparison, Christopher Reeve earned $250,000 in the title role, dominating most of the 143-minute running time.
Brando was at the height of his power, after “The Godfather” and “Last Tango in Paris.” In 1976, exec producers Ilya Salkind & Alexander Salkind and producer Pierre Spengler needed a star to get financing. “Star Wars” hadn’t opened.
Brando was at the height of his power, after “The Godfather” and “Last Tango in Paris.” In 1976, exec producers Ilya Salkind & Alexander Salkind and producer Pierre Spengler needed a star to get financing. “Star Wars” hadn’t opened.
- 11/16/2018
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Mark Harrison Sep 25, 2018
With Matt Reeves' The Batman still underway, these are the Batman movies we almost saw.
This article comes from Den of Geek UK.
Near the beginning of the hilarious Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, there’s a scene set at the premiere of a new movie called Batman Again. Before the main feature starts, there are trailers for Bat-spinoff movies called Alfred (“Coming broom”), Batmobile (“Coming vroom”), and Utility Belt (“It’s a belt that you put things in”). While these films don’t exist, that’s not to say Warner Bros wouldn’t have seriously considered developing them during the various peaks of cinematic Bat-mania.
While it's taken until the 2010s to develop Wonder Woman and other characters from the Justice League, Batman and Superman have always been big business for Warners. The stories of the various attempts to reboot Superman in the 1990s...
With Matt Reeves' The Batman still underway, these are the Batman movies we almost saw.
This article comes from Den of Geek UK.
Near the beginning of the hilarious Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, there’s a scene set at the premiere of a new movie called Batman Again. Before the main feature starts, there are trailers for Bat-spinoff movies called Alfred (“Coming broom”), Batmobile (“Coming vroom”), and Utility Belt (“It’s a belt that you put things in”). While these films don’t exist, that’s not to say Warner Bros wouldn’t have seriously considered developing them during the various peaks of cinematic Bat-mania.
While it's taken until the 2010s to develop Wonder Woman and other characters from the Justice League, Batman and Superman have always been big business for Warners. The stories of the various attempts to reboot Superman in the 1990s...
- 9/25/2018
- Den of Geek
In case you hadn’t noticed, the filmmakers chosen in recent years to direct James Bond films represent a serious break with the past. The new way all started when the series’ overseers — who tend to weigh these decisions as if they were matters of state — chose Marc Forster, the acclaimed director of “Monster’s Ball” and “Finding Neverland,” to direct “Quantum of Solace.” The trend continued when Sam Mendes, the Oscar-winning director of “American Beauty,” was chosen to make “Skyfall,” and Danny Boyle, the Oscar-winning director of “Slumdog Millionaire,” was chosen to helm Bond 25 (even though he left before he began).
Now, with the choice of Cary Joji Fukunaga, the trend continues. Fukunaga has no Oscars under his belt, but he is, by any standard, an audacious and celebrated filmmaker. His first feature, “Sin Nombre,” took the best director prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. He followed that...
Now, with the choice of Cary Joji Fukunaga, the trend continues. Fukunaga has no Oscars under his belt, but he is, by any standard, an audacious and celebrated filmmaker. His first feature, “Sin Nombre,” took the best director prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. He followed that...
- 9/20/2018
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Paul Bradshaw Sep 23, 2018
Now a director has been confirmed for Bond 25, we take a look back at the men who made 007
Directing a James Bond movie is pretty big deal. Bond 25 was thrown into chaos when Danny Boyle dropped out, and the news that Cary Fukunaga signed-on to replace him has made headlines around the world. But it’s only recently that anyone actually cared who was behind the camera on a 007 film.
See related Our pick of the best Nintendo Switch deals Our pick of the best handheld consoles (from the current generation) Our pick of the best projector screens
Partly because big name “auteurs” don’t often make action movies, partly because the Bond producers have always aimed for a kind of stylistic consistency to stop anyone putting a particularly big stamp on it, and mostly because 007 has always been more about a dozen other things...
Now a director has been confirmed for Bond 25, we take a look back at the men who made 007
Directing a James Bond movie is pretty big deal. Bond 25 was thrown into chaos when Danny Boyle dropped out, and the news that Cary Fukunaga signed-on to replace him has made headlines around the world. But it’s only recently that anyone actually cared who was behind the camera on a 007 film.
See related Our pick of the best Nintendo Switch deals Our pick of the best handheld consoles (from the current generation) Our pick of the best projector screens
Partly because big name “auteurs” don’t often make action movies, partly because the Bond producers have always aimed for a kind of stylistic consistency to stop anyone putting a particularly big stamp on it, and mostly because 007 has always been more about a dozen other things...
- 9/20/2018
- Den of Geek
By Lee Pfeiffer And Dave Worrall
Actress Eunice Gayson, who made screen history by playing the first love interest of James Bond on the big screen, has passed away at age 90. Gayson played the sexy, single woman Sean Connery's 007 encounters at a high end gambling club in the first Bond thriller "Dr. No" in 1962. Gayson's character set the standard for future "Bond Girls" by portraying an independent, self-assured woman who had no pangs of guilt in regard to engaging in a sexual relationship for the pure pleasure of it. In fact, it is she who seduces Bond, turning up in his apartment and putting a golf ball while clad only in one of his shirts. The character, Sylvia Trench, also appeared in a brief love scene with Bond in the second film in the series, "From Russia with Love". Gayson got the role because she had worked with director...
Actress Eunice Gayson, who made screen history by playing the first love interest of James Bond on the big screen, has passed away at age 90. Gayson played the sexy, single woman Sean Connery's 007 encounters at a high end gambling club in the first Bond thriller "Dr. No" in 1962. Gayson's character set the standard for future "Bond Girls" by portraying an independent, self-assured woman who had no pangs of guilt in regard to engaging in a sexual relationship for the pure pleasure of it. In fact, it is she who seduces Bond, turning up in his apartment and putting a golf ball while clad only in one of his shirts. The character, Sylvia Trench, also appeared in a brief love scene with Bond in the second film in the series, "From Russia with Love". Gayson got the role because she had worked with director...
- 6/9/2018
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The Best Supporting Actress Oscar winners of the 1980s include both well-known leading ladies and beloved veteran actresses. The decade saw stars like Jessica Lange, Geena Davis and Anjelica Huston earn their Oscars, joining Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Linda Hunt, Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker, who have all had solid careers since their wins. The decade also has two winning actresses that have since died, Maureen Stapleton and Peggy Ashcroft, though their performances will not be forgotten.
Who is your favorite Best Supporting Actress winner of the 1980s? Look back on each and vote in our poll below.
Mary Steenburgen, “Melvin and Howard” (1980) — The decade started off with Steenburgen winning her Oscar for “Melvin and Howard,” about Melvin Dummar (Paul Le Mat), who claimed to be the heir of Howard Hughes‘ fortune. Steenburgen plays Lynda, Melvin’s wife who takes up stripping and is frustrated by Melvin’s behavior. This...
Who is your favorite Best Supporting Actress winner of the 1980s? Look back on each and vote in our poll below.
Mary Steenburgen, “Melvin and Howard” (1980) — The decade started off with Steenburgen winning her Oscar for “Melvin and Howard,” about Melvin Dummar (Paul Le Mat), who claimed to be the heir of Howard Hughes‘ fortune. Steenburgen plays Lynda, Melvin’s wife who takes up stripping and is frustrated by Melvin’s behavior. This...
- 3/25/2018
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
Joe Robinson, 2004. (Photo copyright Cinema Retro. All rights reserved.)
By Lee Pfeiffer
Joe Robinson, the estimable stuntman, stunt arranger and occasional actor, has passed away in his native England at age 90. Robinson came from a family of wrestlers and he won the European Heavyweight Championship in 1952. Robinson drifted into the film industry initially as an actor, starring in the 1955 movie "A Kid for Two Farthings". Leading man status eluded him but he found a steady career arranging stunts for films and television shows and occasionally acting in them as well. Like many British and American actors, he gravitated to Italy in the early 1960s to appear in some of the "Hercules"-inspired strongman films that were quite popular during that era. He scored small action roles in "Barabbas" and "Ursus" before returning to England, where he had a supporting role in Tony Richardson's classic "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Rnner.
By Lee Pfeiffer
Joe Robinson, the estimable stuntman, stunt arranger and occasional actor, has passed away in his native England at age 90. Robinson came from a family of wrestlers and he won the European Heavyweight Championship in 1952. Robinson drifted into the film industry initially as an actor, starring in the 1955 movie "A Kid for Two Farthings". Leading man status eluded him but he found a steady career arranging stunts for films and television shows and occasionally acting in them as well. Like many British and American actors, he gravitated to Italy in the early 1960s to appear in some of the "Hercules"-inspired strongman films that were quite popular during that era. He scored small action roles in "Barabbas" and "Ursus" before returning to England, where he had a supporting role in Tony Richardson's classic "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Rnner.
- 7/15/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Versatile star of Hollywood’s international years whose work spanned romantic comedies, period epics and spaghetti westerns
For more than a decade from the mid-1950s, the film star Elsa Martinelli, who has died aged 82, was one of the most prominent female Italian exports to Hollywood, along with her compatriots Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida and Claudia Cardinale. In addition, Martinelli’s appearance seemed to be the sine qua non of Italian co-productions of period epics, romantic comedies, erotic sketch movies and spaghetti westerns.
It was during Hollywood’s international years that Martinelli starred opposite Kirk Douglas, John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Charlton Heston and Anthony Quinn, and, both in the Us and Italy, worked with directors such as André De Toth, Guy Hamilton, Dino Risi, Howard Hawks and Orson Welles. Her slim, elfin looks led to her being described by one newspaper in the 1950s as a “kind of Audrey Hepburn with sex appeal”.
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For more than a decade from the mid-1950s, the film star Elsa Martinelli, who has died aged 82, was one of the most prominent female Italian exports to Hollywood, along with her compatriots Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida and Claudia Cardinale. In addition, Martinelli’s appearance seemed to be the sine qua non of Italian co-productions of period epics, romantic comedies, erotic sketch movies and spaghetti westerns.
It was during Hollywood’s international years that Martinelli starred opposite Kirk Douglas, John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Charlton Heston and Anthony Quinn, and, both in the Us and Italy, worked with directors such as André De Toth, Guy Hamilton, Dino Risi, Howard Hawks and Orson Welles. Her slim, elfin looks led to her being described by one newspaper in the 1950s as a “kind of Audrey Hepburn with sex appeal”.
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- 7/14/2017
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
(See previous post: Fourth of July Movies: Escapism During a Weird Year.) On the evening of the Fourth of July, besides fireworks, fire hazards, and Yankee Doodle Dandy, if you're watching TCM in the U.S. and Canada, there's the following: Peter H. Hunt's 1776 (1972), a largely forgotten film musical based on the Broadway hit with music by Sherman Edwards. William Daniels, who was recently on TCM talking about 1776 and a couple of other movies (A Thousand Clowns, Dodsworth), has one of the key roles as John Adams. Howard Da Silva, blacklisted for over a decade after being named a communist during the House Un-American Committee hearings of the early 1950s (Robert Taylor was one who mentioned him in his testimony), plays Benjamin Franklin. Ken Howard is Thomas Jefferson, a role he would reprise in John Huston's 1976 short Independence. (In the short, Pat Hingle was cast as John Adams; Eli Wallach was Benjamin Franklin.) Warner...
- 7/5/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Fourth of July movies: A few recommended titles that should help you temporarily escape current global madness Two thousand and seventeen has been a weirder-than-usual year on the already pretty weird Planet Earth. Unsurprisingly, this Fourth of July, the day the United States celebrates its Declaration of Independence from the British Empire, has been an unusual one as well. Instead of fireworks, (at least some) people's attention has been turned to missiles – more specifically, a carefully timed North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile test indicating that Kim Jong-un could theoretically gain (or could already have?) the capacity to strike North America with nuclear weapons. Then there were right-wing trolls & history-deficient Twitter users berating National Public Radio for tweeting the Declaration of Independence, 140 characters at a time. Besides, a few days ago the current U.S. president retweeted a video of himself body-slamming and choking a representation of CNN – courtesy of a gif originally created by a far-right Internet...
- 7/5/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
'Making Love': Groundbreaking romantic gay drama returns to the big screen As part of its Anniversary Classics series, Laemmle Theaters will be presenting Arthur Hiller's groundbreaking 1982 romantic drama Making Love, the first U.S. movie distributed by a major studio that focused on a romantic gay relationship. Michael Ontkean, Harry Hamlin, and Kate Jackson star. The 35th Anniversary Screening of Making Love will be held on Saturday, June 24 – it's Gay Pride month, after all – at 7:30 p.m. at the Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre on Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills. The movie will be followed by a Q&A session with Harry Hamlin, screenwriter Barry Sandler, and author A. Scott Berg, who wrote the “story” on which the film is based. 'Making Love' & What lies beneath In this 20th Century Fox release – Sherry Lansing was the studio head at the time – Michael Ontkean plays a...
- 6/24/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
He was the suave spy who could seduce women with little more than a shaken martini and the utterance of his name: “Bond, James Bond.”
But Roger Moore, the actor who deftly embodied the iconic character for years, said he never felt as confident as his alter ego when it came to romancing members of the opposite sex.
“No, no, I was not very self-confident with them,” he told U.K.’s The Telegraph last November in one of his final interviews before his death Tuesday at 89.
“I got lucky occasionally,” he added with a twinkle. “But with a lack of confidence.
But Roger Moore, the actor who deftly embodied the iconic character for years, said he never felt as confident as his alter ego when it came to romancing members of the opposite sex.
“No, no, I was not very self-confident with them,” he told U.K.’s The Telegraph last November in one of his final interviews before his death Tuesday at 89.
“I got lucky occasionally,” he added with a twinkle. “But with a lack of confidence.
- 5/23/2017
- by Kathy Ehrich Dowd
- PEOPLE.com
Actor preferred stage work but role as redneck officer opposite Roger Moore in Live and Let Die led to a reprise in The Man with the Golden Gun
Clifton James, an actor who was best known for his indelible portrayal of a southern sheriff in two James Bond films but who was most proud of his work on the stage, has died. He was 96.
Related: Bond director Guy Hamilton: a career in clips
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Clifton James, an actor who was best known for his indelible portrayal of a southern sheriff in two James Bond films but who was most proud of his work on the stage, has died. He was 96.
Related: Bond director Guy Hamilton: a career in clips
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- 4/15/2017
- by Associated Press
- The Guardian - Film News
Director Ridley Scott is looking to add a World War II film to his resume of films. According to Deadline, he's planning on directing a film based on the epic Battle of Britain, which was one of the first major battles fought entirely by air forces. The British were considered the underdogs in the fight but they ended up kicking the Nazi's asses.
The only other film that exists based on this epic battle was the 1969 film Battle of Britain, which was directed by Guy Hamilton. Here is a breif rundown of the story:
In the summer of 1940, after Adolf Hitler swept through France and drove the British army out of mainland Europe, the British public readied themselves for a Nazi invasion. A large part of Hitler’s early-war momentum was driven by his powerful air force, the Luftwaffe, and in late June 1940 (after the Dunkirk evacuation), Germany began to...
The only other film that exists based on this epic battle was the 1969 film Battle of Britain, which was directed by Guy Hamilton. Here is a breif rundown of the story:
In the summer of 1940, after Adolf Hitler swept through France and drove the British army out of mainland Europe, the British public readied themselves for a Nazi invasion. A large part of Hitler’s early-war momentum was driven by his powerful air force, the Luftwaffe, and in late June 1940 (after the Dunkirk evacuation), Germany began to...
- 4/4/2017
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
By Lee Pfeiffer
In the most notorious snafu in Oscars history, the wrong film- "La La Land"- was announced by presenters Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty (reunited for the 50th anniversary of "Bonnie and Clyde") as the winner of the Best Picture. However, within minutes, the triumphant producers had to hand the award over to the makers of "Moonlight", which was the official winner. Beatty and Dunaway were not to blame- they had been handed the envelope for Best Actress, which had just been given to Emma Stone for "La La Land". Confused, Dunaway announced the winner was "La La Land". The debacle left a group of incredulous people on stage even while the producers of "La La Land" graciously handed over the award to the "Moonlight" team. The finale looked like a scene from "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World".
The ceremony itself was over-produced and over-long...
In the most notorious snafu in Oscars history, the wrong film- "La La Land"- was announced by presenters Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty (reunited for the 50th anniversary of "Bonnie and Clyde") as the winner of the Best Picture. However, within minutes, the triumphant producers had to hand the award over to the makers of "Moonlight", which was the official winner. Beatty and Dunaway were not to blame- they had been handed the envelope for Best Actress, which had just been given to Emma Stone for "La La Land". Confused, Dunaway announced the winner was "La La Land". The debacle left a group of incredulous people on stage even while the producers of "La La Land" graciously handed over the award to the "Moonlight" team. The finale looked like a scene from "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World".
The ceremony itself was over-produced and over-long...
- 2/27/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
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