Ewan McGregor not only received a lifetime achievement award, but also much love and adoration during a brief, but emotional ceremony at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on Saturday night.
During the event at the big cinema celebration in the Czech spa town, organizers and fans feted the Scottish actor, director and producer as the President’s Award for lifetime achievement was bestowed upon him. On Friday’s opening night of the fest, Alicia Vikander received the same award, while Russell Crowe was honored with the festival’s Crystal Globe.
A warm welcome to McGregor by a host was followed by a particularly well-received career highlights reel that repeatedly drew laughs and cheers for scenes from the likes of the Star Wars universe, I Love You Phillip Morris and, of course, Trainspotting.
“This is like a dream to see that,” McGregor told the audience at the Hotel Thermal, the...
During the event at the big cinema celebration in the Czech spa town, organizers and fans feted the Scottish actor, director and producer as the President’s Award for lifetime achievement was bestowed upon him. On Friday’s opening night of the fest, Alicia Vikander received the same award, while Russell Crowe was honored with the festival’s Crystal Globe.
A warm welcome to McGregor by a host was followed by a particularly well-received career highlights reel that repeatedly drew laughs and cheers for scenes from the likes of the Star Wars universe, I Love You Phillip Morris and, of course, Trainspotting.
“This is like a dream to see that,” McGregor told the audience at the Hotel Thermal, the...
- 7/1/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Following the world premiere of “My Neighbor Adolf” on the Piazza Grande in Locarno, Beta Cinema has sold the dark comedy to Vendetta Films, which will bring the Udo Kier and David Hayman starrer to cinemas across Australia and New Zealand in the first quarter of next year.
Prior to Locarno, Beta Cinema sold the film to Hungary (Cinetel) and Switzerland (Praesens Film), while deals for North America (Cohen Media Group), U.K. and Ireland (Signature Entertainment), Italy (I Wonder), South Korea (Lumix Media) and Japan (Tohokushinsha Film) had been revealed before.
The film is set in Colombia in 1960, just a few days after the Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann was caught by Mossad agents in Argentina. Polsky, played by Hayman, is a lonely and grumpy old man, living in the remote Colombian countryside. He is a survivor of the Holocaust. He spends his days playing chess and tending his beloved rosebushes.
Prior to Locarno, Beta Cinema sold the film to Hungary (Cinetel) and Switzerland (Praesens Film), while deals for North America (Cohen Media Group), U.K. and Ireland (Signature Entertainment), Italy (I Wonder), South Korea (Lumix Media) and Japan (Tohokushinsha Film) had been revealed before.
The film is set in Colombia in 1960, just a few days after the Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann was caught by Mossad agents in Argentina. Polsky, played by Hayman, is a lonely and grumpy old man, living in the remote Colombian countryside. He is a survivor of the Holocaust. He spends his days playing chess and tending his beloved rosebushes.
- 9/12/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Beta Cinema has sold the English-language tragicomedy “My Neighbor Adolf” to several major territories. The film stars German actor Udo Kier and Scottish actor David Hayman, and is directed by Israel’s Leon Prudovsky.
All rights for North America have gone to Cohen Media Group, Signature Entertainment has acquired the U.K./Ireland rights, I Wonder took Italy, Lumix Media has South Korea and Tohokushinsha Film took Japan.
The film, set in 1960, centers on Polsky, a Holocaust survivor, who lives in the remote Colombian countryside. One day, when a mysterious old German man moves in next door, he suspects that his new neighbor is Adolf Hitler. Since nobody believes him, he embarks on a mission to uncover the evidence. In order to gather it, however, he will need to come closer to his neighbor than he would like — so close that the two could almost become friends.
Prudovsky has co-written and directed three TV series,...
All rights for North America have gone to Cohen Media Group, Signature Entertainment has acquired the U.K./Ireland rights, I Wonder took Italy, Lumix Media has South Korea and Tohokushinsha Film took Japan.
The film, set in 1960, centers on Polsky, a Holocaust survivor, who lives in the remote Colombian countryside. One day, when a mysterious old German man moves in next door, he suspects that his new neighbor is Adolf Hitler. Since nobody believes him, he embarks on a mission to uncover the evidence. In order to gather it, however, he will need to come closer to his neighbor than he would like — so close that the two could almost become friends.
Prudovsky has co-written and directed three TV series,...
- 5/18/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
StudioCanal’s Red Production Company has secured the rights to Boy In The Striped Pyjamas author John Boyne’s latest novel The Echo Chamber, with Boyne set to adapt as a 10 x 30-minute series.
Red said the deal took place following a “highly competitive auction” for the book, which has already topped Irish bestseller lists after being published over the summer.
The Echo Chamber follows The Cleverley family, comprised of a TV interviewer dad, novelist mum and adult children, who live a privileged life but are just one Tweet away from disaster. A week may be a long time in politics, but five days is all it takes for the lives of the Cleverleys to be turned on their heads.
Boyne achieved global recognition for 2006 Holocaust YA novel The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, which was turned into a Mark Herman film starring Asa Butterfield, Vera Farmiga and David Thewlis.
Red said the deal took place following a “highly competitive auction” for the book, which has already topped Irish bestseller lists after being published over the summer.
The Echo Chamber follows The Cleverley family, comprised of a TV interviewer dad, novelist mum and adult children, who live a privileged life but are just one Tweet away from disaster. A week may be a long time in politics, but five days is all it takes for the lives of the Cleverleys to be turned on their heads.
Boyne achieved global recognition for 2006 Holocaust YA novel The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, which was turned into a Mark Herman film starring Asa Butterfield, Vera Farmiga and David Thewlis.
- 12/7/2021
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The CineLink Talks run August 14-19.
Screen International and Documentary Campus once again teamed up with the Sarajevo Film Festival (September 13-20) to host CineLink Talks, an online programme of panels for the festival’s 2021 industry strand.
The series of 60-minute CineLink Talks ran from August 15-19. Topics included filmmaking during the pandemic, working with streamers, female filmmaker quotas, mental health in the film industry and new models for distribution; and masterclasses with filmmakers Mads Brugger and Alexander Nanau.
The talks are available to watch in full below.
In conversation with filmmaker Mads Brugger
Moderator: Damir Šagolj
What have producers...
Screen International and Documentary Campus once again teamed up with the Sarajevo Film Festival (September 13-20) to host CineLink Talks, an online programme of panels for the festival’s 2021 industry strand.
The series of 60-minute CineLink Talks ran from August 15-19. Topics included filmmaking during the pandemic, working with streamers, female filmmaker quotas, mental health in the film industry and new models for distribution; and masterclasses with filmmakers Mads Brugger and Alexander Nanau.
The talks are available to watch in full below.
In conversation with filmmaker Mads Brugger
Moderator: Damir Šagolj
What have producers...
- 8/19/2021
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
‘Freaky’, ‘French Exit’ also in cinemas.
Studiocanal’s Another Round will finally make its UK-Ireland bow this weekend, as the box office looks to continue its strong performance since cinemas reopened in the territory.
Thomas Vinterberg’s drinking comedy-drama will play in 131 locations from today (July 2). It was originally scheduled for release on November 27, before being put on hold due to the second lockdown. Its date was set for June 25 in March, before being moved back a week to its final spot.
Another Round was selected for the Cannes 2020 label of titles that would have played at last year’s...
Studiocanal’s Another Round will finally make its UK-Ireland bow this weekend, as the box office looks to continue its strong performance since cinemas reopened in the territory.
Thomas Vinterberg’s drinking comedy-drama will play in 131 locations from today (July 2). It was originally scheduled for release on November 27, before being put on hold due to the second lockdown. Its date was set for June 25 in March, before being moved back a week to its final spot.
Another Round was selected for the Cannes 2020 label of titles that would have played at last year’s...
- 7/2/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Film4 is partnering with film distributor Park Circus on a campaign to entice Brits back to the cinema. Under the deal, the duo will offer UK cinemas a season of six classic features from the Film4 library, including Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting and Jonathan Glazer’s Sexy Beast.
The films will initially screen in Picturehouse, Everyman, Odeon, Vue, and Showcase theaters across the country from the start of July, with other venues joining the initiative in the coming weeks. It follows cinemas reopening in the UK on May 17 after the most recent coronavirus lockdown.
The four other films in the Film4 season are Mark Herman’s Brassed Off, Stephen Frears’ rom-com My Beautiful Launderette, Bill Forsyth’s Local Hero, and Bhaji on the Beach, from director Gurinder Chadha.
Film4’s parent Channel 4 will support the season with an advertising campaign across its TV channels, as well as online.
The films will initially screen in Picturehouse, Everyman, Odeon, Vue, and Showcase theaters across the country from the start of July, with other venues joining the initiative in the coming weeks. It follows cinemas reopening in the UK on May 17 after the most recent coronavirus lockdown.
The four other films in the Film4 season are Mark Herman’s Brassed Off, Stephen Frears’ rom-com My Beautiful Launderette, Bill Forsyth’s Local Hero, and Bhaji on the Beach, from director Gurinder Chadha.
Film4’s parent Channel 4 will support the season with an advertising campaign across its TV channels, as well as online.
- 6/11/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Photo: ‘The Crossing’/Menemsha Films ‘The Crossing’ - Children of the Holocaust It’s a daunting task, creating a film about the Holocaust that can be enjoyed by audiences both young and old. Attempting to adapt such a horrifying historical event in a way that is appropriate for younger audiences can render a film kitschy and historically misleading, as with Mark Herman’s ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’. Taika Waititi’s ‘Jojo Rabbit’ puts children's experiences of Nazi Germany at the forefront of its narrative, but his film is full of decidedly adult subversive humor. Roberto Benigni’s film ‘Life is Beautiful’ received many accolades for its hopeful story of a father and son using humor and imagination to cope with life in a concentration camp, but it was also criticized by some for trivializing the suffering endured there. Related article: The Jewish Actresses Who Ruled as Bollywood Heroines in Secret,...
- 2/23/2021
- by Trent Kinnucan
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Garnett also worked on Earth Girls Are Easy and seminal TV drama Cathy Come Home.
Tony Garnett, the film and television producer behind Ken Loach’s breakthrough features, has died aged 83.
The British producer collaborated with Loach from 1965 to 1979 on films including Kes, Family Life and Black Jack as well as seminal TV drama Cathy Come Home.
World Productions, the company he co-founded in 1990, said in a statement: “After a short illness, Tony Garnett, the legendary TV and film producer… died around midday on January 12. Tony was a great man and an inspirational producer who will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him.
Tony Garnett, the film and television producer behind Ken Loach’s breakthrough features, has died aged 83.
The British producer collaborated with Loach from 1965 to 1979 on films including Kes, Family Life and Black Jack as well as seminal TV drama Cathy Come Home.
World Productions, the company he co-founded in 1990, said in a statement: “After a short illness, Tony Garnett, the legendary TV and film producer… died around midday on January 12. Tony was a great man and an inspirational producer who will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him.
- 1/13/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Oscar-nominated Brenda Blethyn is set to star in the new sitcom “Kate and Kolo” for ITV, the U.K. broadcaster announced at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
Blethyn takes on the title role of Kate in the comedy alongside theater and film actor Jimmy Akingbola as Kolo. Blethyn is a popular star with ITV audiences after having starred as police detective Vera Stanhope since 2011 in long-running crime drama “Vera,” which is currently in production on its 10th season, due to air in 2020. The acclaimed actress has twice been Oscar-nominated, as best actress for Mike Leigh’s 1996 film “Secrets & Lies” and as supporting actress for Mark Herman’s “Little Voice” two years later. She won both Golden Globe and BAFTA awards for her role in “Secrets & Lies.”
Akingbola previously appeared as villain Baron Reiter in the CW’s adaptation of DC Comics’ “Arrow.” His British credits include comedy “Rev” and long-running medical drama “Holby City.
Blethyn takes on the title role of Kate in the comedy alongside theater and film actor Jimmy Akingbola as Kolo. Blethyn is a popular star with ITV audiences after having starred as police detective Vera Stanhope since 2011 in long-running crime drama “Vera,” which is currently in production on its 10th season, due to air in 2020. The acclaimed actress has twice been Oscar-nominated, as best actress for Mike Leigh’s 1996 film “Secrets & Lies” and as supporting actress for Mark Herman’s “Little Voice” two years later. She won both Golden Globe and BAFTA awards for her role in “Secrets & Lies.”
Akingbola previously appeared as villain Baron Reiter in the CW’s adaptation of DC Comics’ “Arrow.” His British credits include comedy “Rev” and long-running medical drama “Holby City.
- 8/22/2019
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
By Raymond Benson
The Criterion Collection has released its fourth entry in a group of Harold Lloyd silent classics, titles considered to be his very best work—and The Kid Brother could very well be at the top of the heap as the definitive Lloyd feature film. While Safety Last! (1923) contains the iconic sequence of Lloyd ascending a skyscraper and hanging on to the arm of a giant clock, there is much to be said about The Kid Brother’s storytelling, the depth of its characters, and Lloyd’s ability to make us laugh at peril. This time, instead of great heights or speeding cars, the threat comes from villains who want nothing more than to break poor Harold’s neck.
The setting is a rural town at the cusp of the changeover between “western times” and the modern age. Cars exist, but most people are still riding horses. Sheriff...
The Criterion Collection has released its fourth entry in a group of Harold Lloyd silent classics, titles considered to be his very best work—and The Kid Brother could very well be at the top of the heap as the definitive Lloyd feature film. While Safety Last! (1923) contains the iconic sequence of Lloyd ascending a skyscraper and hanging on to the arm of a giant clock, there is much to be said about The Kid Brother’s storytelling, the depth of its characters, and Lloyd’s ability to make us laugh at peril. This time, instead of great heights or speeding cars, the threat comes from villains who want nothing more than to break poor Harold’s neck.
The setting is a rural town at the cusp of the changeover between “western times” and the modern age. Cars exist, but most people are still riding horses. Sheriff...
- 3/14/2019
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The producers of Carol and Colette will receive the honour at the 2019 Bafta film awards.
Producers Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley, co-founders of Number 9 Films, will receive the outstanding British contribution to cinema award at the 2019 Bafta film awards (February 10).
The husband-and-wife producing duo founded independent powerhouse Number 9 in 2002. Known as makers of taste-driven, quality UK cinema, Karlsen and Woolley’s films include Todd Haynes’ Carol, which was nominated for six Oscars in 2016, On Chesil Beach, Their Finest, Made In Dagenham and Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth (as co-producers).
Upcoming Number 9 projects include So Much Love starring Gemma Arterton as Dusty Springfield,...
Producers Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley, co-founders of Number 9 Films, will receive the outstanding British contribution to cinema award at the 2019 Bafta film awards (February 10).
The husband-and-wife producing duo founded independent powerhouse Number 9 in 2002. Known as makers of taste-driven, quality UK cinema, Karlsen and Woolley’s films include Todd Haynes’ Carol, which was nominated for six Oscars in 2016, On Chesil Beach, Their Finest, Made In Dagenham and Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth (as co-producers).
Upcoming Number 9 projects include So Much Love starring Gemma Arterton as Dusty Springfield,...
- 12/17/2018
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Carol and Colette producers Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley, co-founders of Number 9 Films, are to receive the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award at the 72nd BAFTAs on Sunday 10 February in London. Previous recipients of the prestigious BAFTA award include Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, Ridley and Tony Scott, Working Title, John Hurt and BBC Films.
Producing duo Woolley and Karlsen are among the most prolific indie film producers working in the UK today. Woolley began his career in the mid-70s before owning and running iconic repertory cinema, the Scala. Alongside Nik Powell, he founded Palace Pictures, distributing more than 250 films from the likes of Mike Leigh and Ken Loach as well as international hits like Paris, Texas, When Harry Met Sally and The Evil Dead. On the production side, 1983 marked the beginning of his collaboration with Neil Jordan. The Company of Wolves was their first film together, which was nominated for four BAFTAs.
Producing duo Woolley and Karlsen are among the most prolific indie film producers working in the UK today. Woolley began his career in the mid-70s before owning and running iconic repertory cinema, the Scala. Alongside Nik Powell, he founded Palace Pictures, distributing more than 250 films from the likes of Mike Leigh and Ken Loach as well as international hits like Paris, Texas, When Harry Met Sally and The Evil Dead. On the production side, 1983 marked the beginning of his collaboration with Neil Jordan. The Company of Wolves was their first film together, which was nominated for four BAFTAs.
- 12/16/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Considering that it was designed by Mark Herman and published by GMT Games (both of whom are well known for producing relatively heavy war games) I was both surprised and delighted to discover how light and accessible Fort Sumter: The Secession Crisis 1860-61 (Fort Sumter from here on out) actually is. A strictly two player game that uses card driven area control mechanics to determine the winner, Fort Sumter can be played in around twenty to thirty minutes, but incredibly, it never feels as if it is particularly lacking in depth.
One player controls the blue Union pieces, whilst the other controls the grey Secessionists. Whilst it may not be known to all of our UK readers, the real life crisis at Fort Sumter marked the first conflict in the American Civil War, with a dominant Confederate army bombarding an out-of-supply Union garrison for a full day before forcing it to surrender.
One player controls the blue Union pieces, whilst the other controls the grey Secessionists. Whilst it may not be known to all of our UK readers, the real life crisis at Fort Sumter marked the first conflict in the American Civil War, with a dominant Confederate army bombarding an out-of-supply Union garrison for a full day before forcing it to surrender.
- 6/25/2018
- by Matthew Smail
- Nerdly
When composer Nathan Barr found the instrument he had been looking for, he built a studio for it.
Barr collects unusual musical devices, especially mechanical ones from the early 20th century. His search for a theater organ started when he scored “Hemlock Grove,” a Netflix horror series that earned him his first Emmy nomination. Five years ago, he discovered an old Wurlitzer pipe organ in floor-to-ceiling crates in a warehouse in Reno, Nev. The organ had occupied the scoring stage at 20th Century-Fox; you can hear its grand and powerful sounds in such classic scores as Bernard Herrmann’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” Jerry Goldsmith’s “Patton” and John Williams’ “Witches of Eastwick.”
Installed at Fox in 1928, the organ was designed to accompany silent films but remained in use until 1997, when the studio sold it. When Barr bought the instrument, it had been acquired by Ken Crome,...
Barr collects unusual musical devices, especially mechanical ones from the early 20th century. His search for a theater organ started when he scored “Hemlock Grove,” a Netflix horror series that earned him his first Emmy nomination. Five years ago, he discovered an old Wurlitzer pipe organ in floor-to-ceiling crates in a warehouse in Reno, Nev. The organ had occupied the scoring stage at 20th Century-Fox; you can hear its grand and powerful sounds in such classic scores as Bernard Herrmann’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” Jerry Goldsmith’s “Patton” and John Williams’ “Witches of Eastwick.”
Installed at Fox in 1928, the organ was designed to accompany silent films but remained in use until 1997, when the studio sold it. When Barr bought the instrument, it had been acquired by Ken Crome,...
- 6/6/2018
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Simon Brew Aug 14, 2017
Brassed Off! heads to the stage later this month, along with a full brass band...
We’ve no shortage of love for the wonderful Brassed Off! around these parts, Mark Herman’s superb film about a miners’ colliery band and how its future is threatened when the coal mine itself comes under threat of closure. The film is now 20 years old, but still feels relevant and fresh. And now, it’s the latest movie to make the jump from the big screen to the stage.
See related Deadpool: Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick interview Deadpool: Ryan Reynolds on channeling the character
Interestingly, this isn’t a massive West End endeavour, either. Rather, it’s the first time in nearly 40 years that the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre is putting together its own full scale production itself.
Gareth Tudor Prince is directing the new production, and Paul Allen has...
Brassed Off! heads to the stage later this month, along with a full brass band...
We’ve no shortage of love for the wonderful Brassed Off! around these parts, Mark Herman’s superb film about a miners’ colliery band and how its future is threatened when the coal mine itself comes under threat of closure. The film is now 20 years old, but still feels relevant and fresh. And now, it’s the latest movie to make the jump from the big screen to the stage.
See related Deadpool: Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick interview Deadpool: Ryan Reynolds on channeling the character
Interestingly, this isn’t a massive West End endeavour, either. Rather, it’s the first time in nearly 40 years that the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre is putting together its own full scale production itself.
Gareth Tudor Prince is directing the new production, and Paul Allen has...
- 8/14/2017
- Den of Geek
Tupac Shakur's final resting place -- the place he lived until his death -- is on the market, with a slab of hip-hop history ... the rapper's "Made N****z" lyrics are etched in stone. The San Fernando Valley home is listed for $2.65 million. It's the place Tupac rented after being released from prison in 1995. He was in escrow to buy it outright when he was gunned down the following year in Vegas. The 6,000 square foot,...
- 7/7/2017
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
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It's funny, it's moving, it's brilliant: we look back at Brassed Off, starring the late, great Pete Postlethwaite...
This article contains spoilers for Brassed Off and The Full Monty.
“If this lot were seals or whales, you'd all be up in bloody arms. But they're not, are they? No, no they're not. They're just ordinary common-or-garden honest, decent human beings. And not one of them with an ounce of bloody hope left”. – Danny, Brassed Off
One of the things that I love about a certain subset of contemporary British comedies is their core of steel. That, hiding underneath some often very hefty belly laughs, there’s a political story, a foundation of social outrage, and a desire to address through cinema issues that often get swept under the carpet. It’s what keeps such films in my mind, long after the latest R-rated comedy screen filler has...
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It's funny, it's moving, it's brilliant: we look back at Brassed Off, starring the late, great Pete Postlethwaite...
This article contains spoilers for Brassed Off and The Full Monty.
“If this lot were seals or whales, you'd all be up in bloody arms. But they're not, are they? No, no they're not. They're just ordinary common-or-garden honest, decent human beings. And not one of them with an ounce of bloody hope left”. – Danny, Brassed Off
One of the things that I love about a certain subset of contemporary British comedies is their core of steel. That, hiding underneath some often very hefty belly laughs, there’s a political story, a foundation of social outrage, and a desire to address through cinema issues that often get swept under the carpet. It’s what keeps such films in my mind, long after the latest R-rated comedy screen filler has...
- 6/16/2016
- Den of Geek
A father who authorities say fatally shot two adults and four of his children and critically wounded his 15-year-old daughter, sank to his knees in surrender after a three-hour standoff in suburban Houston, police said. Investigators planned to charge the man Thursday, a day after the rampage in a usually quiet middle-class subdivision in Spring, Texas, said Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Thomas Gilliland. Police did not release the identities of the gunman or his victims. Gilliland described the dead as two boys, ages 4 and 14; two girls, ages 7 and 9; a 39-year-old man; and a 33-year-old woman. The gunman and his wife are estranged,...
- 7/10/2014
- by Associated Press
- PEOPLE.com
The director's new film is an elegy for pit workers, while up in the north-east the theme of this year's Av is 'extraction'. Together they explore the legacy of a hammer blow to workers' power
Film-maker Bill Morrison is feeling a little rueful. "Striking was once an effective means of leveraging power. Today's striking worker may feel fortunate to wake up and still have a job." He's reflecting on his film The Miners' Hymns, a collaboration with Icelandic musician Jóhann Jóhannsson, which trawls through hundreds of hours of archival footage of mines in the north-east of England to fashion an elegy for the workers, brass bands, local communities and unions that sustained the region throughout much of the 20th century. This month there will be many articles, radio programmes and TV documentaries marking the 30th anniversary of the beginning of the miners' strike: few will be as beautiful or as...
Film-maker Bill Morrison is feeling a little rueful. "Striking was once an effective means of leveraging power. Today's striking worker may feel fortunate to wake up and still have a job." He's reflecting on his film The Miners' Hymns, a collaboration with Icelandic musician Jóhann Jóhannsson, which trawls through hundreds of hours of archival footage of mines in the north-east of England to fashion an elegy for the workers, brass bands, local communities and unions that sustained the region throughout much of the 20th century. This month there will be many articles, radio programmes and TV documentaries marking the 30th anniversary of the beginning of the miners' strike: few will be as beautiful or as...
- 3/8/2014
- by Sukhdev Sandhu
- The Guardian - Film News
After a pair of edgy indies and a Palme d’Or to boot, Steven Soderbergh was given his first opportunity to bed down with the studio system and take advantage of the much deeper pockets that such an opportunity affords, but no one expected that under the watch of Universal the young auteur would make the polished and saccharine King of the Hill his first project. Adapted from A. E. Hotchner’s depression era memoir of the same title in which a preadolescent boy named Aaron is faced with the harsh realities of true poverty, Soderbergh’s first studio effort remains a wholesome oddity within a filmography that seems increasingly chameleonic, but rarely sentimental. After the subversion of Sex, Lies, and Videotape and the experimentalism of the bio-pic Kafka, the chances that his next film would boast the fluffiness of a made for TV afternoon special about how hard it...
- 2/25/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Odd List Simon Brew Ryan Lambie 17 Feb 2014 - 06:24
Whether they're bleak, shocking or sad, the endings to these 22 movies have haunted us for years...
Warning: There are spoilers to the endings for every film we talk about in this article. So if you don't want to know an ending for a film, then don't read that entry.
It's probably best to start by talking about what this article isn't. It's not a list of the best movie endings, the best twists, the most depressing endings or anything like that. Instead, we're focusing here on the endings that seeped into our brain and stayed there for some time after we'd seen the film. The endings that provoke in an interesting way, and haunt you for days afterwards.
As such, whilst not every ending we're going to talk about here is a flat out classic - although lots of them are...
Whether they're bleak, shocking or sad, the endings to these 22 movies have haunted us for years...
Warning: There are spoilers to the endings for every film we talk about in this article. So if you don't want to know an ending for a film, then don't read that entry.
It's probably best to start by talking about what this article isn't. It's not a list of the best movie endings, the best twists, the most depressing endings or anything like that. Instead, we're focusing here on the endings that seeped into our brain and stayed there for some time after we'd seen the film. The endings that provoke in an interesting way, and haunt you for days afterwards.
As such, whilst not every ending we're going to talk about here is a flat out classic - although lots of them are...
- 2/14/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Odd List Ryan Lambie Simon Brew 13 Feb 2014 - 06:39
Our voyage through history's underappreciated films arrives at the year 2008 - another great year for lesser-seen gems...
For some, 2008 will be memorable as the year of The Dark Knight, with its astonishingly unhinged turn from the late Heath Ledger. Alternatively, it could be remembered as the year a legion Indiana Jones fans left cinemas glum-faced, having sat through Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull.
Elsewhere, Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan sang and danced on a Greek island in Mamma Mia!, while Will Smith played an alcoholic superhero in Hancock. But as usual, 2008 offered plenty of watchable movies outside the top 10, which is where we swoop in - like Hancock after a bottle of gin.
So as usual, here's our selection of 25 underappreciated films from the year 2008 - starting with a British horror film starring Michael Fassbender...
25. Eden Lake
James Watkins had written...
Our voyage through history's underappreciated films arrives at the year 2008 - another great year for lesser-seen gems...
For some, 2008 will be memorable as the year of The Dark Knight, with its astonishingly unhinged turn from the late Heath Ledger. Alternatively, it could be remembered as the year a legion Indiana Jones fans left cinemas glum-faced, having sat through Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull.
Elsewhere, Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan sang and danced on a Greek island in Mamma Mia!, while Will Smith played an alcoholic superhero in Hancock. But as usual, 2008 offered plenty of watchable movies outside the top 10, which is where we swoop in - like Hancock after a bottle of gin.
So as usual, here's our selection of 25 underappreciated films from the year 2008 - starting with a British horror film starring Michael Fassbender...
25. Eden Lake
James Watkins had written...
- 2/12/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Odd List Ryan Lambie Simon Brew 14 Nov 2013 - 06:19
The overlooked greats of the year 1998 come under the spotlight in our list of its 25 underappreciated movies...
Dominated as it was by the financial success of two giant killer asteroid movies, gross-out comedy hit There's Something About Mary and Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, 1998 proved to be an extraordinary year for cinema.
Okay, so history doesn't look back too fondly on Roland Emmerich's mishandled Godzilla remake, and Lethal Weapon 4 was hardly the best buddy-cop flick ever made, despite its handsome profit. But search outside the top-10 grossing films of that year, and you'll find all kinds of spectacular modern classics: Peter Weir's wonderful The Truman Show, John Frankenheimer's rock-solid thriller Ronin, and Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line.
Then there was The Big Lebowski, the Coen brothers' sublime comedy that has since become a deserved and oft-quoted cult favourite.
The overlooked greats of the year 1998 come under the spotlight in our list of its 25 underappreciated movies...
Dominated as it was by the financial success of two giant killer asteroid movies, gross-out comedy hit There's Something About Mary and Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, 1998 proved to be an extraordinary year for cinema.
Okay, so history doesn't look back too fondly on Roland Emmerich's mishandled Godzilla remake, and Lethal Weapon 4 was hardly the best buddy-cop flick ever made, despite its handsome profit. But search outside the top-10 grossing films of that year, and you'll find all kinds of spectacular modern classics: Peter Weir's wonderful The Truman Show, John Frankenheimer's rock-solid thriller Ronin, and Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line.
Then there was The Big Lebowski, the Coen brothers' sublime comedy that has since become a deserved and oft-quoted cult favourite.
- 11/13/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Odd List Ryan Lambie Simon Brew 31 Oct 2013 - 07:01
We train our sights on the year 1996, and the 25 underappreciated films it has to offer...
Independence Day managed to revive both the alien invasion movie and the disaster flick in 1996, and just about every other mainstream picture released that year lived in its saucer-shaped shadow.
Yet beyond the aerial battles of Independence Day, the flying cows in Twister, and the high-wire antics of Tom Cruise in Brian De Palma's Mission: Impossible, there sat an entire library of lesser-known and underappreciated movies.
As part of our attempts to highlight the unsung greats of the 90s, here's our selection of 25 such films from 1996 - the year chess champion Garry Kasparov lost to the might of the computer Deep Blue, and the year comedy star Jim Carrey starred in an unexpectedly dark tale of obsession...
25. The Cable Guy
We can't sit here and...
We train our sights on the year 1996, and the 25 underappreciated films it has to offer...
Independence Day managed to revive both the alien invasion movie and the disaster flick in 1996, and just about every other mainstream picture released that year lived in its saucer-shaped shadow.
Yet beyond the aerial battles of Independence Day, the flying cows in Twister, and the high-wire antics of Tom Cruise in Brian De Palma's Mission: Impossible, there sat an entire library of lesser-known and underappreciated movies.
As part of our attempts to highlight the unsung greats of the 90s, here's our selection of 25 such films from 1996 - the year chess champion Garry Kasparov lost to the might of the computer Deep Blue, and the year comedy star Jim Carrey starred in an unexpectedly dark tale of obsession...
25. The Cable Guy
We can't sit here and...
- 10/30/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Withdrawal of funding by Cinema First is said to have led to charity's closure, with all 15 staff to be made redundant
The privately funded charity Film Education has announced it will close this week after 26 years, leading to the redundancies of all 15 full-time and part-time staff.
The organisation, which provides curriculum-based teaching resources, teacher training and cinema-based events across the UK, says its closure is the result of a withdrawal of funding by its main backer Cinema First. The film industry-backed organisation is believed to be transferring its resources to two publicly financed organisations, Filmclub and First Light, which are currently vying to secure the £28m National Lottery-funded BFI 5-19 film education scheme for the next four years.
Film Education, which launched in 1985, has received backing from film-makers such as Bend It Like Beckham's Gurinder Chadha, Richard Attenborough and Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' Mark Herman, as well as critic Mark Kermode.
The privately funded charity Film Education has announced it will close this week after 26 years, leading to the redundancies of all 15 full-time and part-time staff.
The organisation, which provides curriculum-based teaching resources, teacher training and cinema-based events across the UK, says its closure is the result of a withdrawal of funding by its main backer Cinema First. The film industry-backed organisation is believed to be transferring its resources to two publicly financed organisations, Filmclub and First Light, which are currently vying to secure the £28m National Lottery-funded BFI 5-19 film education scheme for the next four years.
Film Education, which launched in 1985, has received backing from film-makers such as Bend It Like Beckham's Gurinder Chadha, Richard Attenborough and Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' Mark Herman, as well as critic Mark Kermode.
- 4/23/2013
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Screen Australia has committed more than $450,000 in development funding across 19 feature films.
Of the 19 projects, six are new to Screen Australia.s developmental slate, while the other 13 will continue to receive support.
The new projects include the drama script Clive, about a privileged man whose life is transformed after a serious accident, and Em, a comedic take on Jane Austen.s classic Emma.
Clive comes from writer/director Natasha Pincus, producer Bridget Ikin and executive producer John Maynard.
Em will be set in 1950s rural Australia and comes from writer Matthew Dabner, director Kate Riedl and producers Karen Radzyner and Anna Vincent.
Psychological thriller Lonely Girl will also receive developmental support. Written by Lynne Vincent McCarthy and produced by Samantha Jennings, the project was also supported through Screen Australia.s Springboard Program.
The crime drama My Country, written by Sam Meikle and Serhat Caradee and produced by Matthew Dabner, will also receive funding.
Of the 19 projects, six are new to Screen Australia.s developmental slate, while the other 13 will continue to receive support.
The new projects include the drama script Clive, about a privileged man whose life is transformed after a serious accident, and Em, a comedic take on Jane Austen.s classic Emma.
Clive comes from writer/director Natasha Pincus, producer Bridget Ikin and executive producer John Maynard.
Em will be set in 1950s rural Australia and comes from writer Matthew Dabner, director Kate Riedl and producers Karen Radzyner and Anna Vincent.
Psychological thriller Lonely Girl will also receive developmental support. Written by Lynne Vincent McCarthy and produced by Samantha Jennings, the project was also supported through Screen Australia.s Springboard Program.
The crime drama My Country, written by Sam Meikle and Serhat Caradee and produced by Matthew Dabner, will also receive funding.
- 11/19/2012
- by Emily Blatchford
- IF.com.au
Over $450 000 in funding will be spread across 19 feature films following an announcement from Screen Australia today.
Of the 19 projects, six are new to Screen Australia.s developmental slate, while the other 13 will continue to receive support.
The new projects include the drama script Clive, about a privileged man whose life is transformed after a serious accident, and Em, a comedic take on Jane Austen.s classic Emma.
Clive comes from writer/director Natasha Pincus, producer Bridget Ikin and executive producer John Maynard.
Em will be set in 1950s rural Australia and comes from writer Matthew Dabner, director Kate Riedl and producers Karen Radzyner and Anna Vincent.
.Pyschological thriller Lonely Girl will also receive developmental support. Written by Lynne Vincent McCarthy and produced by Samantha Jennings, the project was also supported through Screen Australia.s Springboard Program.
The crime drama My Country, written by Sam Meikle and Serhat Caradee and produced by Matthew Dabner,...
Of the 19 projects, six are new to Screen Australia.s developmental slate, while the other 13 will continue to receive support.
The new projects include the drama script Clive, about a privileged man whose life is transformed after a serious accident, and Em, a comedic take on Jane Austen.s classic Emma.
Clive comes from writer/director Natasha Pincus, producer Bridget Ikin and executive producer John Maynard.
Em will be set in 1950s rural Australia and comes from writer Matthew Dabner, director Kate Riedl and producers Karen Radzyner and Anna Vincent.
.Pyschological thriller Lonely Girl will also receive developmental support. Written by Lynne Vincent McCarthy and produced by Samantha Jennings, the project was also supported through Screen Australia.s Springboard Program.
The crime drama My Country, written by Sam Meikle and Serhat Caradee and produced by Matthew Dabner,...
- 11/19/2012
- by Emily Blatchford
- IF.com.au
Brendan Cowell
Writer and actor Brendan Cowell will make his feature film directorial debut with the adaptation of his play Ruben Guthrie - the story of a wild-boy agency creative who burns himself out.
Cowell’s project is among 19 films to receive a cut of the $450,000 development support from Screen Australia.
Cowell has teamed up with Yael Bergman, producer of I Love You Too, which starred Cowell, and executive producers Laura Waters and Andrea Denholm.
The film’s synopsis reads: “By day, 29-year-old Ruben Guthrie is the wunderkind creative at one of Sydney’s hottest boutique ad agencies; by night, he is one of Sydney’s most notorious party boys until he jumps off a hotel roof into a wading pool and nearly kills himself. Over the next 12 months, Ruben tries to build a life around AA, cups of tea, inner growth and sex with a reformed addict. His friends,...
Writer and actor Brendan Cowell will make his feature film directorial debut with the adaptation of his play Ruben Guthrie - the story of a wild-boy agency creative who burns himself out.
Cowell’s project is among 19 films to receive a cut of the $450,000 development support from Screen Australia.
Cowell has teamed up with Yael Bergman, producer of I Love You Too, which starred Cowell, and executive producers Laura Waters and Andrea Denholm.
The film’s synopsis reads: “By day, 29-year-old Ruben Guthrie is the wunderkind creative at one of Sydney’s hottest boutique ad agencies; by night, he is one of Sydney’s most notorious party boys until he jumps off a hotel roof into a wading pool and nearly kills himself. Over the next 12 months, Ruben tries to build a life around AA, cups of tea, inner growth and sex with a reformed addict. His friends,...
- 11/19/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
It's hard to think of many movie stars who have had the sort of career that Ewan McGregor has had -- long, prolific, and consistently impressive -- but have not received an Oscar nomination. And yet the dashing 41-year-old Scotsman, who has been acting on film for 18 years, is still in search of his first. THR Review: "The Impossible" McGregor has a credit list that includes Danny Boyle's Trainspotting (1996), Mark Herman's Little Voice (1998), Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down (2001), Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! (2001), Tim Burton's Big Fish (2003), Chris Noonan's Miss Potter (2006), Woody Allen's Cassandra's
read more...
read more...
- 11/15/2012
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Wolf Creek director Greg McLean has received development support from Screen Australia for a new film set in Vietnam.
McLean’s project Black Echoes is among 13 projects to have been selected in the latest round of funding from the national screen agency.
Set in in the Vietnamese countryside, the film is about a group of tourists who go on an adventure into Viet Cong tunnels more claustrophic and scary than the famous Cu Chi tunnels.
Other projects to receive funding include The Outrageous Barry Rush, directed by Red Dog’s Kriv Stenders, written by Andy Cox and produced by Alan Harris, The Dressmaker by written and directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse and produced by Sue Maslin and the sequel to last year’s online hit, The Tunnel, called The Tunnel: Dead End by Enzo Tedeschi and Julian Harvey.
Single-project Development: Feature Development
Addition
Genre Romantic Comedy
Producers Bruna Papandrea, Cristina Pozzan...
McLean’s project Black Echoes is among 13 projects to have been selected in the latest round of funding from the national screen agency.
Set in in the Vietnamese countryside, the film is about a group of tourists who go on an adventure into Viet Cong tunnels more claustrophic and scary than the famous Cu Chi tunnels.
Other projects to receive funding include The Outrageous Barry Rush, directed by Red Dog’s Kriv Stenders, written by Andy Cox and produced by Alan Harris, The Dressmaker by written and directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse and produced by Sue Maslin and the sequel to last year’s online hit, The Tunnel, called The Tunnel: Dead End by Enzo Tedeschi and Julian Harvey.
Single-project Development: Feature Development
Addition
Genre Romantic Comedy
Producers Bruna Papandrea, Cristina Pozzan...
- 3/2/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
A sequel to last year.s successful low-budget horror film The Tunnel is currently in the works.
The sequel . titled The Tunnel: Dead End . received development funding from Screen Australia earlier this month and will pick up the story years down the track. No shoot date has been set for the horror flick.
It.s a sequel creators Enzo Tedeschi and Julian Harvey weren.t planning on. .Initially, we weren.t anticipating doing another Tunnel film but the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the original . as well as our fans clamouring for another on an almost daily basis . made us go back and give it a second thought,. Tedeschi and Harvey, of Distracted Media, said in a joint statement.
.We weren't going to go ahead unless we could find a story we were 100 per cent behind, which we now have, and are thrilled to have the support of Screen Australia.
The sequel . titled The Tunnel: Dead End . received development funding from Screen Australia earlier this month and will pick up the story years down the track. No shoot date has been set for the horror flick.
It.s a sequel creators Enzo Tedeschi and Julian Harvey weren.t planning on. .Initially, we weren.t anticipating doing another Tunnel film but the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the original . as well as our fans clamouring for another on an almost daily basis . made us go back and give it a second thought,. Tedeschi and Harvey, of Distracted Media, said in a joint statement.
.We weren't going to go ahead unless we could find a story we were 100 per cent behind, which we now have, and are thrilled to have the support of Screen Australia.
- 2/29/2012
- by Sam Dallas
- IF.com.au
Last weekend the historic city of York hosted its first ever(!) film festival at various venues within the walls, some conventional – cinemas – while others – museums and art galleries – not so much.
The inaugural Aesthetica Short Film Festival (3-6 November), put on by the lovely folks at art and culture mag Aesthetica, showcased 150 short films from all over the world along with hosting talks on film-related shenanigans with guest speakers including writer/director Mark Herman (Little Voice, The Boy In Striped Pyjamas), on screenwriting and SXSW’s Claudette Godfrey on making shorts for festivals.
The films themselves were selected from over a thousand entries by the editorial staff at Aesthetica and explore a wide array of genres, from conventional comedies, dramas and documentaries to art/experimental fare and, erm, adult animation (I’ll let you figure out what the ‘adult’ means). This writer was actually helping out at the festival along...
The inaugural Aesthetica Short Film Festival (3-6 November), put on by the lovely folks at art and culture mag Aesthetica, showcased 150 short films from all over the world along with hosting talks on film-related shenanigans with guest speakers including writer/director Mark Herman (Little Voice, The Boy In Striped Pyjamas), on screenwriting and SXSW’s Claudette Godfrey on making shorts for festivals.
The films themselves were selected from over a thousand entries by the editorial staff at Aesthetica and explore a wide array of genres, from conventional comedies, dramas and documentaries to art/experimental fare and, erm, adult animation (I’ll let you figure out what the ‘adult’ means). This writer was actually helping out at the festival along...
- 11/8/2011
- by Mark Allen
- Nerdly
Screen Australia today announced a round of development funding for eight feature films.
Included in the funding is Bruce Beresford’s Banjo & Matilda, as well as films by directors Adam Elliot, Nadia Tess, Eddie Martin and Richard Lowenstein, and investment in writers Alice Addison, Mark Herman and Glenda Hambly.
Banjo & Matilda is the dramatisation of Banjo Paterson’s Waltzing Matilda. Set in 1895, a young city poet and journalist travels to a remote sheep station to track down a political agitator. When the clashes between union shearers and landowners turn to violence, a man is found dead in a billabong. Was it suicide or murder? The film will be produced by Bill Leimbach (Beneath Hill 60, Bait 3D) and written by David Roach.
Adam Elliot (Mary & Max) will write and direct Ernee, an animated adventure romance, produced by Peter Kaufmann and executive produced by Brian Rosen and Bryce Menzies.
Two musical biopics were also funded.
Included in the funding is Bruce Beresford’s Banjo & Matilda, as well as films by directors Adam Elliot, Nadia Tess, Eddie Martin and Richard Lowenstein, and investment in writers Alice Addison, Mark Herman and Glenda Hambly.
Banjo & Matilda is the dramatisation of Banjo Paterson’s Waltzing Matilda. Set in 1895, a young city poet and journalist travels to a remote sheep station to track down a political agitator. When the clashes between union shearers and landowners turn to violence, a man is found dead in a billabong. Was it suicide or murder? The film will be produced by Bill Leimbach (Beneath Hill 60, Bait 3D) and written by David Roach.
Adam Elliot (Mary & Max) will write and direct Ernee, an animated adventure romance, produced by Peter Kaufmann and executive produced by Brian Rosen and Bryce Menzies.
Two musical biopics were also funded.
- 7/26/2011
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
Chicago – Hot on the heels of the return of the DVD Round-Up, we’re back with its fraternal twin, the Blu-Ray Round-Up, a collection of recently-released HD titles that could easily go ignored while you deal with the heat wave blanketing the country. Get out to the store. Pick one of these up. Come back to your A/C. Enjoy.
The Blu-Ray Round-Up is primarily for informational purposes but two of these recent releases are two of our favorites — “Amelie” and “Brazil.” The latter is depressingly bare-bones, especially when compared to the hard-to-find Criterion DVD release. Criterion, get on this. Get the rights back and release a Blu-ray. Until then, pick up this edition just to own one of Terry Gilliam’s best.
“Wake Wood” was released on July 5th, 2011.
“Brazil” was released on July 12th, 2011.
“Amelie,” “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” and “Chocolat” were released on July 19th,...
The Blu-Ray Round-Up is primarily for informational purposes but two of these recent releases are two of our favorites — “Amelie” and “Brazil.” The latter is depressingly bare-bones, especially when compared to the hard-to-find Criterion DVD release. Criterion, get on this. Get the rights back and release a Blu-ray. Until then, pick up this edition just to own one of Terry Gilliam’s best.
“Wake Wood” was released on July 5th, 2011.
“Brazil” was released on July 12th, 2011.
“Amelie,” “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” and “Chocolat” were released on July 19th,...
- 7/19/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Rank the week of July 19th’s Blu-ray and DVD new releases against the best films of all-time: New Releases Limitless
(DVD & Blu-ray | PG13 | 201)
Flickchart Ranking: #1890
Times Ranked: 3217
Win Percentage: 51%
Top-20 Rankings: 12
Directed By: Neil Burger
Starring: Bradley Cooper • Robert De Niro • Abbie Cornish • Anna Friel • Andrew Howard
Genres: Psychological Sci-Fi • Psychological Thriller • Science Fiction • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Take Me Home Tonight
(DVD & Blu-ray | R | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #5722
Times Ranked: 1234
Win Percentage: 49%
Top-20 Rankings: 2
Directed By: Michael Dowse
Starring: Topher Grace • Anna Faris • Dan Fogler • Teresa Palmer • Chris Pratt
Genres: Comedy • Comedy Drama • Coming-of-Age • Drama • Period Film • Romance • Romantic Comedy • Romantic Drama
Rank This Movie
The Reef
(DVD & Blu-ray | Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #10667
Times Ranked: 152
Win Percentage: 47%
Top-20 Rankings: 2
Directed By: Andrew Traucki
Starring: Adrienne Pickering • Gyton Grantley • Zoe Naylor • Damian Walshe-Howling • Kieran Darcy-Smith
Genres: Horror • Natural Horror • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Tekken
(DVD & Blu-ray | Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #9314
Times Ranked: 332
Win...
(DVD & Blu-ray | PG13 | 201)
Flickchart Ranking: #1890
Times Ranked: 3217
Win Percentage: 51%
Top-20 Rankings: 12
Directed By: Neil Burger
Starring: Bradley Cooper • Robert De Niro • Abbie Cornish • Anna Friel • Andrew Howard
Genres: Psychological Sci-Fi • Psychological Thriller • Science Fiction • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Take Me Home Tonight
(DVD & Blu-ray | R | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #5722
Times Ranked: 1234
Win Percentage: 49%
Top-20 Rankings: 2
Directed By: Michael Dowse
Starring: Topher Grace • Anna Faris • Dan Fogler • Teresa Palmer • Chris Pratt
Genres: Comedy • Comedy Drama • Coming-of-Age • Drama • Period Film • Romance • Romantic Comedy • Romantic Drama
Rank This Movie
The Reef
(DVD & Blu-ray | Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #10667
Times Ranked: 152
Win Percentage: 47%
Top-20 Rankings: 2
Directed By: Andrew Traucki
Starring: Adrienne Pickering • Gyton Grantley • Zoe Naylor • Damian Walshe-Howling • Kieran Darcy-Smith
Genres: Horror • Natural Horror • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Tekken
(DVD & Blu-ray | Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #9314
Times Ranked: 332
Win...
- 7/19/2011
- by Jonathan Hardesty
- Flickchart
Your Weekly Source for the Newest Releases to Blu-Ray Tuesday, July 19th, 2011
Amelie (2001)
Synopsis: Bursting with imagination and having seen her share of tragedy and fantasy, Amélie is not like the other girls. When she grows up she becomes a waitress in a Montmartre bar run by a former dancer. Amelie enjoys simple pleasures until she discovers that her goal in life is to help others. To that end, she invents all sorts of tricks that allow her to intervene incognito into other people’s lives, including an imbibing concierge and her hypochondriac neighbor. But Amélie’s most difficult case turns out to be Nino Quicampoix, a lonely sex shop employee who collects photos abandoned at coin-operated photobooths. (blu-ray.com)
Special Features: The Look of Amelie featurette; Fantasies of Audrey Tatou; Q&A with the director and cast; Auditions; Storyboard to screen comparisons; An Intimate Chat With Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet...
Amelie (2001)
Synopsis: Bursting with imagination and having seen her share of tragedy and fantasy, Amélie is not like the other girls. When she grows up she becomes a waitress in a Montmartre bar run by a former dancer. Amelie enjoys simple pleasures until she discovers that her goal in life is to help others. To that end, she invents all sorts of tricks that allow her to intervene incognito into other people’s lives, including an imbibing concierge and her hypochondriac neighbor. But Amélie’s most difficult case turns out to be Nino Quicampoix, a lonely sex shop employee who collects photos abandoned at coin-operated photobooths. (blu-ray.com)
Special Features: The Look of Amelie featurette; Fantasies of Audrey Tatou; Q&A with the director and cast; Auditions; Storyboard to screen comparisons; An Intimate Chat With Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet...
- 7/18/2011
- by Travis Keune
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Netflix has revolutionized the home movie experience for fans of film with its instant streaming technology. Netflix Nuggets is my way of spreading the word about independent, classic and foreign films made available by Netflix for instant streaming.
Sorry, folks… there are simply too many great films streaming this week to post an image for them all, but that’s a good thing, eh? You’ve got your movie watching work cut out for you, due in great part to Miramax releasing damn near their entire catalog of films on one day!
B. Monkey (1999)
Streaming Available: 05/01/2011
Director: Michael Radford
Synopsis: Good-hearted schoolteacher Alan Furnace (Jared Harris) desperately wants some excitement in his life — and he may just get some. One lonely night at a London bar, Alan spies the raven-haired beauty Beatrice (Asia Argento) arguing with two friends, Paul (Rupert Everett) and Bruno (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). Beatrice quickly befriends Alan and...
Sorry, folks… there are simply too many great films streaming this week to post an image for them all, but that’s a good thing, eh? You’ve got your movie watching work cut out for you, due in great part to Miramax releasing damn near their entire catalog of films on one day!
B. Monkey (1999)
Streaming Available: 05/01/2011
Director: Michael Radford
Synopsis: Good-hearted schoolteacher Alan Furnace (Jared Harris) desperately wants some excitement in his life — and he may just get some. One lonely night at a London bar, Alan spies the raven-haired beauty Beatrice (Asia Argento) arguing with two friends, Paul (Rupert Everett) and Bruno (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). Beatrice quickly befriends Alan and...
- 4/29/2011
- by Travis Keune
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Pete Postlethwaite, who died on Sunday, was one of our finest actors. Peter Bradshaw recalls the rugged features that made him so famous – and the unwitting role he played in the Northern Ireland peace process
In the movies, an actor's face is his fortune. It isn't simply a matter of being good-looking enough to play the romantic hero or rugged enough to carry an action picture. It's about having an instantly available, readable screen personality; it's also about attitude, a continuous professional battle-readiness: Hollywood talks about someone having their "game-face on" or having "the chops" for a certain job. And perhaps no actor's career or industry presence has been defined by his face more than Pete Postlethwaite: the British character actor whose rugged features made him every casting director's go-to guy for raw, lived-in truth.
The stark planes and bulges of his face created a veritable Easter Island statue of authenticity and plainness.
In the movies, an actor's face is his fortune. It isn't simply a matter of being good-looking enough to play the romantic hero or rugged enough to carry an action picture. It's about having an instantly available, readable screen personality; it's also about attitude, a continuous professional battle-readiness: Hollywood talks about someone having their "game-face on" or having "the chops" for a certain job. And perhaps no actor's career or industry presence has been defined by his face more than Pete Postlethwaite: the British character actor whose rugged features made him every casting director's go-to guy for raw, lived-in truth.
The stark planes and bulges of his face created a veritable Easter Island statue of authenticity and plainness.
- 1/4/2011
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Oscar-nominated British actor with a vast range who could move between comedy and tragedy with ease
The actor Pete Postlethwaite had a face that elicited many similes, among them "a stone archway" and "a bag of spanners". These unflattering descriptions, plus his tongue-twisting surname, would suggest an actor with a career limited to minor supporting roles. But Postlethwaite, who has died of cancer aged 64, played a vast range of characters, often leading roles, on stage, television and film.
He was at ease in switching the masks of tragedy and comedy. The working-class martinet father he played in Terence Davies's film Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988), which Postlethwaite credited as his big break, can be seen as paradigmatic of his career. Postlethwaite powerfully conveyed the father's double-sided nature: at one moment he is tenderly kissing his children goodnight, the next he is ripping the tablecloth off in a rage.
Postlethwaite was...
The actor Pete Postlethwaite had a face that elicited many similes, among them "a stone archway" and "a bag of spanners". These unflattering descriptions, plus his tongue-twisting surname, would suggest an actor with a career limited to minor supporting roles. But Postlethwaite, who has died of cancer aged 64, played a vast range of characters, often leading roles, on stage, television and film.
He was at ease in switching the masks of tragedy and comedy. The working-class martinet father he played in Terence Davies's film Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988), which Postlethwaite credited as his big break, can be seen as paradigmatic of his career. Postlethwaite powerfully conveyed the father's double-sided nature: at one moment he is tenderly kissing his children goodnight, the next he is ripping the tablecloth off in a rage.
Postlethwaite was...
- 1/4/2011
- by Ronald Bergan
- The Guardian - Film News
The strength of this directorial debut by an experienced producer resides in the warm friendship it establishes between its central characters, the 15-year-old Liverpool schoolboys Robbie (Josh Bolt) and Ziggy (Eugene Byrne), both newcomers to acting. However, the story in which they appear is a little tricky and at times somewhat distasteful: Robbie, who has an incurable heart disease and is determined to lose his virginity before his imminent death, persuades his chum to find a woman to have sex with him for love, money or feminine duty. There is a likable performance from Liza Tarbuck as the big-hearted nurse in charge of Robbie's hospital ward, but the direction is often uneasy and the acting tentative.
A couple of years ago, Mark Herman's Purely Belter, a lively tale of the friendship between two Tyneside teenage lads, made impressive use of Antony Gormley's steel sculpture Angel of the North.
A couple of years ago, Mark Herman's Purely Belter, a lively tale of the friendship between two Tyneside teenage lads, made impressive use of Antony Gormley's steel sculpture Angel of the North.
- 12/5/2010
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
It may have had a little too much of the grimness removed, but this sweet-natured film about a 1968 strike for equal pay is a properly feelgood film, says Peter Bradshaw
There could hardly be anything more exotic and unfamiliar in mainstream commercial cinema than the story of a successful strike. But this is what screenwriter Billy Ivory and director Nigel Cole give us with their broad, primary-coloured, good-humoured comedy – almost, but not exactly, a shopfloor version of Calendar Girls (2003), also directed by Cole, the film about the Wi women who posed nude to raise money for charity. Made in Dagenham is based on the Ford women car workers' strike of 1968, in which female staff sewing seat covers for Cortinas and Zephyrs went on strike for the same wage as the men. This commanded headlines, galvanised the political debate, and indirectly led to the Equal Pay Act of 1970.
It stars Sally Hawkins as Rita,...
There could hardly be anything more exotic and unfamiliar in mainstream commercial cinema than the story of a successful strike. But this is what screenwriter Billy Ivory and director Nigel Cole give us with their broad, primary-coloured, good-humoured comedy – almost, but not exactly, a shopfloor version of Calendar Girls (2003), also directed by Cole, the film about the Wi women who posed nude to raise money for charity. Made in Dagenham is based on the Ford women car workers' strike of 1968, in which female staff sewing seat covers for Cortinas and Zephyrs went on strike for the same wage as the men. This commanded headlines, galvanised the political debate, and indirectly led to the Equal Pay Act of 1970.
It stars Sally Hawkins as Rita,...
- 9/30/2010
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
This film is vesting a whole lot in the concept of the purity of the child's soul. The opening title card alone displays a quote by John Betjeman, and it reads, "Childhood is measured out by sounds and smells and sights, before the dark hour of reason grows." That's all well and good, but honestly it's a theory I never really stood behind myself. Have you ever met a kid? Have you ever witnessed the unabashed joy that comes over a kid's face as he's, I don't know, burning a line of ants to death with a magnifying glass? A lot of these so called pure beings are nothing more than tiny little sociopaths who have yet to learn the rules of society. And humanity, for that matter.
But hell, this movie won me over. It's kind of like a slightly tweaked, slightly more relevant version of Au Revoir les Enfants.
But hell, this movie won me over. It's kind of like a slightly tweaked, slightly more relevant version of Au Revoir les Enfants.
- 3/20/2009
- by Inna Mkrtycheva
- JustPressPlay.net
DVD Rating: 1.5/5.0 Chicago – The plot of “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” new to DVD and based on a best-selling novel by John Boyne, may have worked on the page but a number of awful decisions on the way to the screen have taken a story with inherent emotional strength and turned it into misguided, manipulative drama.
People who rent or buy “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” will probably cry, but does that make it a good film? Of course not. Filmmakers who are willing to use children in peril stories just to make you shed a tear aren’t doing anything put pulling at your heartstrings. To what end? If it doesn’t feel real, it’s just manipulation.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was released on DVD on March 10th, 2009.
Photo credit: Miramax Home Video
“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” feels misguided from minute one.
People who rent or buy “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” will probably cry, but does that make it a good film? Of course not. Filmmakers who are willing to use children in peril stories just to make you shed a tear aren’t doing anything put pulling at your heartstrings. To what end? If it doesn’t feel real, it’s just manipulation.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was released on DVD on March 10th, 2009.
Photo credit: Miramax Home Video
“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” feels misguided from minute one.
- 3/16/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
More Berlinale coverage
Berlin -- Stephen Daldry will likely be holding his breath before Friday's Berlinale premiere of "The Reader."
The Oscar-nominated drama starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes already has drawn the slings and arrows of U.S. critics for its mixing of an erotic love story with the history of the Holocaust. Berlin will be the film's first screening in front of a German audience and Sturm und Drang from the local press seems inevitable.
But when it comes to the film's boxoffice prospects here, Daldry, "Reader" producers the Weinstein Co. and local distributor Senator Film can take heart. German audiences are still hungry for Holocaust drama.
"The Reader" is the latest in a seemingly unprecedented wave of films that deal, in some way, with the Nazi horror and its aftermath.
From Bryan Singer's "Valkyrie," to Paul Schrader's "Adam Resurrected," from Daniel Craig starrer "Defiance" to...
Berlin -- Stephen Daldry will likely be holding his breath before Friday's Berlinale premiere of "The Reader."
The Oscar-nominated drama starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes already has drawn the slings and arrows of U.S. critics for its mixing of an erotic love story with the history of the Holocaust. Berlin will be the film's first screening in front of a German audience and Sturm und Drang from the local press seems inevitable.
But when it comes to the film's boxoffice prospects here, Daldry, "Reader" producers the Weinstein Co. and local distributor Senator Film can take heart. German audiences are still hungry for Holocaust drama.
"The Reader" is the latest in a seemingly unprecedented wave of films that deal, in some way, with the Nazi horror and its aftermath.
From Bryan Singer's "Valkyrie," to Paul Schrader's "Adam Resurrected," from Daniel Craig starrer "Defiance" to...
- 2/5/2009
- by By Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Nick Schager
The Holocaust is a serious subject. And November and December is serious subject matter time in Hollywood. No surprise, then, that every awards season sees its fair share of dramas set in and around WWII concentration camps. But even in light of this predictable pattern, 2008 has, to put it diplomatically, lost its freakin' mind. In the last two months of this year, there will have been six -- Six?!? -- films released that, in one way or another, deal with Nazis. Part of the problem is simply quality, as all of these releases barely rise to the level of mediocre. Yet the issue of quantity seems just as troubling, as their basic, simultaneous existence calls into question not only the continuing viability of extracting drama from this most momentous (and, consequently, well-trod) of historical tragedies, but also, fundamentally, the growing absence of originality or ingenuity in mainstream cinema,...
The Holocaust is a serious subject. And November and December is serious subject matter time in Hollywood. No surprise, then, that every awards season sees its fair share of dramas set in and around WWII concentration camps. But even in light of this predictable pattern, 2008 has, to put it diplomatically, lost its freakin' mind. In the last two months of this year, there will have been six -- Six?!? -- films released that, in one way or another, deal with Nazis. Part of the problem is simply quality, as all of these releases barely rise to the level of mediocre. Yet the issue of quantity seems just as troubling, as their basic, simultaneous existence calls into question not only the continuing viability of extracting drama from this most momentous (and, consequently, well-trod) of historical tragedies, but also, fundamentally, the growing absence of originality or ingenuity in mainstream cinema,...
- 12/15/2008
- by Nick Schager
- ifc.com
London -- Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" snared a trio of top awards Sunday evening at the British Independent Film Awards.
Danny Boyle walked off with the best director nod for his film, which also took the plaudits for best independent film.
The movie's star, Dev Patel, picked up the ceremony's most promising newcomer award for his role in Boyle's India-set romantic drama.
Elsewhere, Michael Fassbender's turn in "Hunger," Steve McQueen's portrait of Ira hunger striker Bobby Sands, earned best actor. Best actress went to Vera Farmiga for her role in Mark Herman's harrowing concentration camp drama "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas."
Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" smiled its way to a pair of acting nods, with Eddie Marsan and Alexis Zegerman taking home the best supporting actor and actress plaudits, respectively.
Martin McDonagh's "In Bruges," which shared the most nominations along with "Hunger," took home...
Danny Boyle walked off with the best director nod for his film, which also took the plaudits for best independent film.
The movie's star, Dev Patel, picked up the ceremony's most promising newcomer award for his role in Boyle's India-set romantic drama.
Elsewhere, Michael Fassbender's turn in "Hunger," Steve McQueen's portrait of Ira hunger striker Bobby Sands, earned best actor. Best actress went to Vera Farmiga for her role in Mark Herman's harrowing concentration camp drama "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas."
Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" smiled its way to a pair of acting nods, with Eddie Marsan and Alexis Zegerman taking home the best supporting actor and actress plaudits, respectively.
Martin McDonagh's "In Bruges," which shared the most nominations along with "Hunger," took home...
- 11/30/2008
- by By Stuart Kemp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- First time feature filmmakers Steve McQueen’s Hunger and Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges are the toast of the 11th British Independent Film nominations this year -- each share a total of seven nominations a piece, while Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire has a total of six noms in five categories and should be a serious contender in at least the screenwriting category. I’d be surprised if the votes get split equally between McQueen and McDonagh’s respective pictures, Cannes-winning Hunger carries some serious critical weight behind it. Best acting nods should go to Sally Hawkins and Michael Fassbender should come ready with a speech in hand. Here is the complete list of noms:… British Independent Film"Hunger""In Bruges""Man on Wire""Slumdog Millionaire""Somers Town" Actress Vera Farmiga, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"Sally Hawkins, "Happy-Go-Lucky"Keira Knightley, "The Duchess"Samantha Morton, "The Daisy Chain"Kelly Reilly,
- 11/24/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
In general, we think of David Thewlis as a thoroughly solid actor who is undoubtedly a good person, even when playing revolting (the pimp who serves neighborhood pedophiles in Prime Suspect 3). He has also played romantically obsessed (French poet Paul Verlaine in Total Eclipse), a bemused hero (Edward in1996's The Island of Dr. Moreau), and of course a patently good guy (Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter franchise). The British actor started his artistic life in a band but decided to study acting at London's Guildhall School of Music & Drama when his friends did so. His breakout performance came nearly 10 years into his career, as "rambling street philosopher" Johnny in Mike Leigh's 1993 film Naked, earning Thewlis awards and accolades for playing the fugitive rapist. But in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Thewlis may have given a milestone performance, delving so profoundly into the mind of a...
- 11/17/2008
- by Dany Margolies
- backstage.com
How’s this for a rude childhood awakening? You discover that your father, whom you adore and worship, is actually an evil Nazi stooge. And you discover this because he’s moving the whole family from Berlin to the countryside near Auschwitz, because there’s some important work for the war effort that needs to be done there, and he’s in charge of it. Of course, Auschwitz isn’t yet “Auschwitz,” in Germany in the early 1940s, isn’t yet a name to be dreaded and wept for, and to eight-year-old Bruno, “Nazi” just means “soldier,” and a sharp uniform for Dad to look handsome and important in. But we know what it all means, and the weight of it all hangs heavily on us as we watch Bruno starting to discover what it all means, too. It seems like a tough line to walk, approaching the Holocaust from...
- 11/14/2008
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
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