Italian filmmaker Roberto Minervini’s artfully crafted movies, which include such works as Stop the Pounding Heart, The Other Side and What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire?, have always sat in a murky gray zone separating fiction from documentary.
Nonprofessional actors play themselves, or versions of themselves, in narratives that seem to have been crafted out of their own lives. And while the locations are always real places, with an emphasis on swaths of the American South — as his name suggests, Minervini is Italian, but he’s lived in the U.S. since 2000 — the director transforms them into sublime backdrops for his gritty tales of poverty and abandon.
His latest film, The Damned, is not technically a documentary: It’s set in 1862 at the height of the Civil War and follows a pack of Union soldiers treacherously exploring unmapped territories in the West. And yet, if...
Nonprofessional actors play themselves, or versions of themselves, in narratives that seem to have been crafted out of their own lives. And while the locations are always real places, with an emphasis on swaths of the American South — as his name suggests, Minervini is Italian, but he’s lived in the U.S. since 2000 — the director transforms them into sublime backdrops for his gritty tales of poverty and abandon.
His latest film, The Damned, is not technically a documentary: It’s set in 1862 at the height of the Civil War and follows a pack of Union soldiers treacherously exploring unmapped territories in the West. And yet, if...
- 5/16/2024
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sure, while actors can play any kind of role, the training necessary to play these characters is also a crucial aspect of the process, often reaching previously unheard-of levels. That being said, when Michael Keaton played Riggan Thomson in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Birdman (2014), he took on a new challenge in his already lucrative acting career.
Given that Keaton had starred in a superhero flick, Batman Returns, that came out in 1992, Birdman was undoubtedly an interesting one. It was shot by Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki to give the impression that it is a single, uninterrupted 119-minute shot. In order to pull it off, the filmmakers combined roughly ten different takes with ingenious special effects.
A still from Birdman (Credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures)
The filming process was, of course, exhausting and exhilarating, pushing Keaton to his limits both physically and mentally.
Michael Keaton’s Test of Endurance: The Thrills and Challenges...
Given that Keaton had starred in a superhero flick, Batman Returns, that came out in 1992, Birdman was undoubtedly an interesting one. It was shot by Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki to give the impression that it is a single, uninterrupted 119-minute shot. In order to pull it off, the filmmakers combined roughly ten different takes with ingenious special effects.
A still from Birdman (Credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures)
The filming process was, of course, exhausting and exhilarating, pushing Keaton to his limits both physically and mentally.
Michael Keaton’s Test of Endurance: The Thrills and Challenges...
- 5/7/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
Alejandro González Iñárritu's Oscar-winning film "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" was a pretty ballsy move to make in 2014. The film stars Michael Keaton as actor Riggan Thompson, a once-massive Hollywood action star who has aged out of action roles. Notably, Riggan starred in three crowd-pleasing superhero movies about Birdman, a Batman-like vigilante. Keaton, of course, played Batman in 1989, 1991, and 2023.
Riggan is set to star in a high-profile Broadway production, hoping to prove to himself and the world that he is a pliable and capable actor, not merely a nostalgia-laced superhero figure. There is a lot of dialogue in "Birdman" about how superhero movies are the antithesis of art and that superhero actors are aggressively robbed of their thespian instincts. Good actors, Riggan complains, are ripped from meaningful projects and thrust into commercial FX bonanzas where they are expected to do little beyond pose and wear silly costumes.
Riggan is set to star in a high-profile Broadway production, hoping to prove to himself and the world that he is a pliable and capable actor, not merely a nostalgia-laced superhero figure. There is a lot of dialogue in "Birdman" about how superhero movies are the antithesis of art and that superhero actors are aggressively robbed of their thespian instincts. Good actors, Riggan complains, are ripped from meaningful projects and thrust into commercial FX bonanzas where they are expected to do little beyond pose and wear silly costumes.
- 5/6/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Outside of perhaps Steven Spielberg and Janusz Kamiński, there may be no director-cinematographer collaboration that’s more extensive in modern-day cinema than that of Wes Anderson and Robert Yeoman. Having shot all of his live-action features, along with his recent Oscar-winning The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Yeoman is now taking a break for Anderson’s next feature The Phoenician Scheme.
Stepping in as director of photography, as he did for the Coens when Roger Deakins wasn’t available for Inside Llewyn Davis, is Bruno Delbonnel, who also shot Amélie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Across the Universe, and The Tragedy of Macbeth. However, it won’t be the first time the cinematographer has worked with Wes Anderson, as he shot his H&m holiday ad “Come Together” and even briefly appeared in The French Dispatch.
Co-written by Roman Coppola and Wes Anderson, this new film stars Benicio Del Toro,...
Stepping in as director of photography, as he did for the Coens when Roger Deakins wasn’t available for Inside Llewyn Davis, is Bruno Delbonnel, who also shot Amélie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Across the Universe, and The Tragedy of Macbeth. However, it won’t be the first time the cinematographer has worked with Wes Anderson, as he shot his H&m holiday ad “Come Together” and even briefly appeared in The French Dispatch.
Co-written by Roman Coppola and Wes Anderson, this new film stars Benicio Del Toro,...
- 4/9/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Netflix has just approved the new Sony CineAlta Burano. It was pretty fast approval since the camera started to ship out on February 27. Explore the Camera Production Guide below.
The Sony’s Burano Menu Simulator. Source: SonyCine Sony Burano: Netflix Approved
Designed for highly mobile, solo cine-style shooting, the Sony Burano 8K Digital Cinema Camera offers up to 8.6K video capture in a compact, full-frame form. Unique in-camera stabilization for both E- and Pl-mount lenses, Fast Hybrid Autofocus, and an easily adjustable Nd filter enhance single-user capture and seamless image matching, making the CineAlta Burano camera ideal for use as your Venice B or C camera.
Sony Burano. Credit: Y.M.Cinema
Sony Burano’s key features:
Compact, Highly Mobile Design Full-Frame Cmos 8.6K Sensor 16 Stops of Dynamic Range In-Body Image Stabilization|E & Pl Mount Dual-Base 800/3200 Iso Range Electronically Variable 0.6-21Nd Filter Phase Detection Af | Face/Eye Tracking Full-Frame...
The Sony’s Burano Menu Simulator. Source: SonyCine Sony Burano: Netflix Approved
Designed for highly mobile, solo cine-style shooting, the Sony Burano 8K Digital Cinema Camera offers up to 8.6K video capture in a compact, full-frame form. Unique in-camera stabilization for both E- and Pl-mount lenses, Fast Hybrid Autofocus, and an easily adjustable Nd filter enhance single-user capture and seamless image matching, making the CineAlta Burano camera ideal for use as your Venice B or C camera.
Sony Burano. Credit: Y.M.Cinema
Sony Burano’s key features:
Compact, Highly Mobile Design Full-Frame Cmos 8.6K Sensor 16 Stops of Dynamic Range In-Body Image Stabilization|E & Pl Mount Dual-Base 800/3200 Iso Range Electronically Variable 0.6-21Nd Filter Phase Detection Af | Face/Eye Tracking Full-Frame...
- 3/6/2024
- by Yossy Mendelovich
- YMCinema
The films in contention for the 2024 Best Cinematography Oscar are “El Conde,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Maestro,” “Oppenheimer,” and “Poor Things.” Our odds currently favor “Oppenheimer” (31/10) taking the prize, followed in order by “Killers of the Flower Moon” (4/1), “Poor Things” (4/1), “Maestro” (9/2), and “El Conde” (9/2).
After 2013 and 2016, this is the third time that a 21st century cinematography lineup has exclusively consisted of previously nominated lensers. This case differs from the preceding two, however, in that none of the current contenders have ever won before. The one with the most losses so far is Rodrigo Prieto, whose bid for “Killers of the Flower Moon” is his third for a Martin Scorsese-directed film, following “Silence” (2017) and “The Irishman” (2020). Having initially earned a notice for his work on “Brokeback Mountain” (2006), he remains the category’s second most recognized Latin American-born nominee behind fellow Mexican Emmanuel Lubezki.
Currently on their respective third nominations...
After 2013 and 2016, this is the third time that a 21st century cinematography lineup has exclusively consisted of previously nominated lensers. This case differs from the preceding two, however, in that none of the current contenders have ever won before. The one with the most losses so far is Rodrigo Prieto, whose bid for “Killers of the Flower Moon” is his third for a Martin Scorsese-directed film, following “Silence” (2017) and “The Irishman” (2020). Having initially earned a notice for his work on “Brokeback Mountain” (2006), he remains the category’s second most recognized Latin American-born nominee behind fellow Mexican Emmanuel Lubezki.
Currently on their respective third nominations...
- 3/6/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
“Oppenheimer” lenser Hoyte van Hoytema took top honors from the American Society of Cinematographers on Sunday. He edged out all four of his Oscar rivals for Best Cinematography: Edward Lachman (“El Conde”), Matthew Libatique (“Maestro”), Rodrigo Prieto (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) and Robbie Ryan (“Poor Things”).
Over its 38-year history, the ASC has predicted 152 of the 190 Oscar nominees, including four in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and all five this year and in both 2018 and 2017. Last year, it previewed three of the Best Cinematography contenders — Roger Deakins (“Empire of Light”), Darius Khondji (“Bardo”) and Mandy Walker (“Elvis”). While Walker won over the ASC, she lost the Oscar to “All Quiet on the Western Front” lenser James Friend.
Indeed, the ASC choice for the best in the business has presaged the eventual winner at the Oscars only 17 times:
Dean Semler, “Dances with Wolves” (1991)
John Toll, “Braveheart” (1996)
John Seale, “The English Patient” (1997)
Russell Carpenter, “Titanic” (1998)
Conrad L. Hall,...
Over its 38-year history, the ASC has predicted 152 of the 190 Oscar nominees, including four in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and all five this year and in both 2018 and 2017. Last year, it previewed three of the Best Cinematography contenders — Roger Deakins (“Empire of Light”), Darius Khondji (“Bardo”) and Mandy Walker (“Elvis”). While Walker won over the ASC, she lost the Oscar to “All Quiet on the Western Front” lenser James Friend.
Indeed, the ASC choice for the best in the business has presaged the eventual winner at the Oscars only 17 times:
Dean Semler, “Dances with Wolves” (1991)
John Toll, “Braveheart” (1996)
John Seale, “The English Patient” (1997)
Russell Carpenter, “Titanic” (1998)
Conrad L. Hall,...
- 3/4/2024
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
SonyCine has released the Burano’s Recording Format and Recording Times posters along with some essential educational assets regarding the Burano. One of these cool materials is the simulator. Check them out.
Sony Burano. Credit: Y.M.Cinema Sony Burano
The new Burano is the latest addition to Sony’s prestigious CineAlta lineup. It combines exceptional image quality with high mobility. Compact, versatile, and flexible, the Burano is the world’s first digital cinema camera with a Pl-Mount to feature in-body image stabilization and autofocus. It’s the ultimate tool for single-camera operators and small crews. Read our articles about it:
Sony Burano Announced: Advanced Cinema Camera for Solo Shooters Shot on Burano: Watch These Videos Made on the New Sony CineAltaB Camera X-ocn: Sony Compressed Raw (Venice & Burano) Renan Ozturk Talks About The Advantages of the Sony Burano Emmanuel Lubezki Tries the Sony Burano The Sony Burano. Credit: Y.
Sony Burano. Credit: Y.M.Cinema Sony Burano
The new Burano is the latest addition to Sony’s prestigious CineAlta lineup. It combines exceptional image quality with high mobility. Compact, versatile, and flexible, the Burano is the world’s first digital cinema camera with a Pl-Mount to feature in-body image stabilization and autofocus. It’s the ultimate tool for single-camera operators and small crews. Read our articles about it:
Sony Burano Announced: Advanced Cinema Camera for Solo Shooters Shot on Burano: Watch These Videos Made on the New Sony CineAltaB Camera X-ocn: Sony Compressed Raw (Venice & Burano) Renan Ozturk Talks About The Advantages of the Sony Burano Emmanuel Lubezki Tries the Sony Burano The Sony Burano. Credit: Y.
- 2/2/2024
- by Yossy Mendelovich
- YMCinema
The master of cinematography, Emmanuel Lubezki, has tried the Sony Burano for a short documentary project. Lubezki paired the Burano with the Venice 2 and applied his ultra-wide-angle approach by using Sony G lenses combined with the impressive Af capabilities of the Burano. Watch the final video below.
Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and the Sony Burano, Source: SonyCine Shot on Burano by Emmanuel Lubezki
As stated by the official blog of SonyCine: “Conservation photographers Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen, co-founders of SeaLegacy, and three-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer Emmanuel ‘Chivo’ Lubezki traveled to Western Australia with Sony’s new digital cinema camera, the Burano, to create an important film on the ocean and the future of the planet. The cinematographers put the Burano through the paces to capture footage of the endangered Southern Right Whale. The filmmakers also combined the Venice 2 with the Burano to show how they match”. Check out some BTS...
Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and the Sony Burano, Source: SonyCine Shot on Burano by Emmanuel Lubezki
As stated by the official blog of SonyCine: “Conservation photographers Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen, co-founders of SeaLegacy, and three-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer Emmanuel ‘Chivo’ Lubezki traveled to Western Australia with Sony’s new digital cinema camera, the Burano, to create an important film on the ocean and the future of the planet. The cinematographers put the Burano through the paces to capture footage of the endangered Southern Right Whale. The filmmakers also combined the Venice 2 with the Burano to show how they match”. Check out some BTS...
- 1/13/2024
- by Yossy Mendelovich
- YMCinema
The American Society of Cinematographers nominees announced on January 11 include only four of our five leading Oscar contenders for Best Cinematography: frontrunner Hoyte van Hoytema for “Oppenheimer”plus Matthew Libatique (“Maestro”), Rodrigo Prieto (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) and Robbie Ryan (“Poor Things”). Our other predicted nominee, Łukasz Zal (“The Zone of Interest”), got bumped by Edward Lachman (“El Conde”).
Over its 37-year history, the ASC has predicted 147 of the 185 Oscar nominees, including four in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and all five in both 2018 and 2017. Last year, it previewed three of the Best Cinematography contenders — Roger Deakins (“Empire of Light”), Darius Khondji (“Bardo”) and Mandy Walker (“Elvis”). While Walker won over the ASC, she lost the Oscar to “All Quiet on the Western Front” lenser James Friend.
Indeed, the ASC choice for the best in the business has presaged the eventual winner at the Oscars only 17 times:
Dean Semler, “Dances with Wolves” (1991)
John Toll,...
Over its 37-year history, the ASC has predicted 147 of the 185 Oscar nominees, including four in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and all five in both 2018 and 2017. Last year, it previewed three of the Best Cinematography contenders — Roger Deakins (“Empire of Light”), Darius Khondji (“Bardo”) and Mandy Walker (“Elvis”). While Walker won over the ASC, she lost the Oscar to “All Quiet on the Western Front” lenser James Friend.
Indeed, the ASC choice for the best in the business has presaged the eventual winner at the Oscars only 17 times:
Dean Semler, “Dances with Wolves” (1991)
John Toll,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
While it’s unlikely we’ll ever see a reunion between one of the greatest creative partnerships of the century thus far––that of director Terrence Malick and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki––a new short has arrived that hits the sweet spot of feeling like it could’ve been borne from it. Lubezki has teamed with conservation photographers Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen for a new West Australia-shot film testing out Sony’s new digital cinema camera, the Burano, capturing the planet and our ocean.
“Our planet is in real trouble, but we still have time. We must work together to prevent the loss of amazing species, like the Southern Right Whale,” says Mittermeier, a marine biologist and National Geographic explorer. “The Southern Right Whale is an endangered species, hunted to near extinction in the 19th century. Now, barely beginning to recover, this species faces a new threat: the changing ocean.
“Our planet is in real trouble, but we still have time. We must work together to prevent the loss of amazing species, like the Southern Right Whale,” says Mittermeier, a marine biologist and National Geographic explorer. “The Southern Right Whale is an endangered species, hunted to near extinction in the 19th century. Now, barely beginning to recover, this species faces a new threat: the changing ocean.
- 1/9/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
"Planet Earth is a masterpiece. But it's also incredibly fragile. We have ignored it, neglected, and abused it for centuries. It's on the verge of collapse. How much longer can we last...?" Sadly an important question. Sony Cine has revealed a new 3-minute short film called The Knowing, filmed by the legendary Mexican cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (aka "Chivo" Lubezki). It's a promo for the latest Sony pro digital cinema camera called the Burano, as well as a conservationist short film, following two photographers to the deep South-Western region of Australia. There they encounter the endangered Southern Right Whale in its natural habitat. It's a gorgeous short that looks great but is also meant to remind us we still need to do more to save this planet and take care of it and let it heal properly. To help tell this story, the filmmakers used the Sony Burano, a digital cinema...
- 1/8/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
“Lyrical” is often used to describe poet-turned-filmmaker Raven Jackson’s first feature film, “All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt.” Inspired by Terence Malick and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki’s collaboration on “Tree of Life,” Jackson and cinematographer Jomo Fray wanted to make a film that had a unified aesthetic that came through process and principles rather than rehearsal and refining of the camera work.
“Jomo and I started off talking about the emotionality of the film before we were thinking visually,” Jackson told IndieWire. “What feelings we were aiming to evoke with the images. And eventually Jomo had a suggestion to do a manifesto.”
Before shooting every day of production on the decades-spanning exploration of a woman’s life in the South, Jackson and Fray read aloud their 12-point manifesto. Although the collaborators had a shot list and a visual language for the film, the manifesto served as a way of...
“Jomo and I started off talking about the emotionality of the film before we were thinking visually,” Jackson told IndieWire. “What feelings we were aiming to evoke with the images. And eventually Jomo had a suggestion to do a manifesto.”
Before shooting every day of production on the decades-spanning exploration of a woman’s life in the South, Jackson and Fray read aloud their 12-point manifesto. Although the collaborators had a shot list and a visual language for the film, the manifesto served as a way of...
- 11/9/2023
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Very excited yesterday to see a teaser emerge for Mexican antholgoy series La hora marcada. The series is a relaunch of a show that ran in Mexico from 1988 through 1990. It is considerd to be the launching pad for filmmakers like Emmanuel Lubezki, Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuarón. Around this time last year we shared with you that the series was in production that that many of our friends in and from Mexico, and elsewhere in Latin America, were in the batch of young filmmakers brought in to create new frights for a new generation of viewers. The lineup of directors includes Andrés Beltran (Tarumama), Adrián García Bogliano (La exorcista), Andrés Rothschild, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Issac Ezban (Mal...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/4/2023
- Screen Anarchy
The Sleepy Hollow episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? was Written by Ric Solomon, Narrated by Travis Hopson, Edited by Victoria Verduzco, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
Back in 1820, author Washington Irving created a short story entitled The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It brought to life the haunting character of The Headless Horseman. This legendary tale would become the stuff of nightmares and scare people of all ages. So what was the next best thing to do? That’s right…adapt it into a movie! And not just any movie… we’re talking about Disney’s The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (Record Scratch)…Sorry I meant Tim Burton’s 1999 Horror film Sleepy Hollow (watch it Here). Of all the adaptations to release, this one is the perfect version. So why and how did this get made? And how...
Back in 1820, author Washington Irving created a short story entitled The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It brought to life the haunting character of The Headless Horseman. This legendary tale would become the stuff of nightmares and scare people of all ages. So what was the next best thing to do? That’s right…adapt it into a movie! And not just any movie… we’re talking about Disney’s The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (Record Scratch)…Sorry I meant Tim Burton’s 1999 Horror film Sleepy Hollow (watch it Here). Of all the adaptations to release, this one is the perfect version. So why and how did this get made? And how...
- 10/3/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
At five of the last 10 Oscars, Best Cinematography has gone hand-in-hand with Best Director: Emmanuel Lubezki and Alfonso Cuaron for “Gravity” (2014); Lubezki and Alejandro G. Inarritu for both “Birdman” (2015) and “The Revenant” (2016); Linus Sandgren and Damien Chazelle for “La La Land” (2017); and Cuaron doing double duty on “Roma” (2019). Will that trend hold true this year? (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2024 Oscar predictions for Best Cinematography.)
The academy usually regards award-winning cinematography as pretty pictures within an epic technical feat of filmmaking. While great lighting and framing are laudable on their own, having a movie that looks like it was difficult to shoot goes a long way to snagging an Oscar. Recent lensing winners “Avatar” (2009), “Inception” (2010), “Hugo” (2011), “Life of Pi” (2012), “Gravity” (2013), “Blade Runner 2049” (2018) and “1917” (2020) also took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
While the lensers of “Inception” and “Gravity” first prevailed at the American Society of Cinematographers Awards,...
The academy usually regards award-winning cinematography as pretty pictures within an epic technical feat of filmmaking. While great lighting and framing are laudable on their own, having a movie that looks like it was difficult to shoot goes a long way to snagging an Oscar. Recent lensing winners “Avatar” (2009), “Inception” (2010), “Hugo” (2011), “Life of Pi” (2012), “Gravity” (2013), “Blade Runner 2049” (2018) and “1917” (2020) also took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
While the lensers of “Inception” and “Gravity” first prevailed at the American Society of Cinematographers Awards,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Paul Sheehan and Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
(Welcome to Best Action Scene Ever, a column dedicated to breaking down the best, most effective action sequences throughout the genre. In this edition, we revisit the groundbreaking triumph of Alfonso Cuarón's "Gravity" and the adrenaline-pumping thrills of that opening one-shot sequence.)
Space is where things go to die. Whether it's literal stars going supernova, another of Elon Musk's Space-x rockets experiencing a "rapid unscheduled disassembly," or poor George Clooney on his last-ever mission to the International Space Station, the seemingly infinite vacuum surrounding our planet and the rest of the entire known universe is as inhospitable as environments get. So the fact that humanity keeps encroaching on this final frontier despite the mind-melting risks either speaks to our relentless industriousness as a species ... or our unparalleled pigheadedness. What "Gravity" suggests is: What if it were both?
Director Alfonso Cuarón's 2013 masterpiece is easy to praise as a technological marvel,...
Space is where things go to die. Whether it's literal stars going supernova, another of Elon Musk's Space-x rockets experiencing a "rapid unscheduled disassembly," or poor George Clooney on his last-ever mission to the International Space Station, the seemingly infinite vacuum surrounding our planet and the rest of the entire known universe is as inhospitable as environments get. So the fact that humanity keeps encroaching on this final frontier despite the mind-melting risks either speaks to our relentless industriousness as a species ... or our unparalleled pigheadedness. What "Gravity" suggests is: What if it were both?
Director Alfonso Cuarón's 2013 masterpiece is easy to praise as a technological marvel,...
- 8/14/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
With “Command Z” and “Full Circle” out now, Steven Soderbergh continues build the legend that he’s the busiest filmmaker in show business. Why so busy? Part of the reason is because Soderbergh shoots his own films. In fact, he hasn’t worked with a cinematographer since 1994 when he made “Fallen Angels,” a neo-noir anthology short film series with other directors for Showtime in the 90s.
Continue reading Steven Soderbergh On Working With Emmanuel Lubezki In The ‘90s & Why He Doesn’t Use Great Cinematographers Anymore at The Playlist.
Continue reading Steven Soderbergh On Working With Emmanuel Lubezki In The ‘90s & Why He Doesn’t Use Great Cinematographers Anymore at The Playlist.
- 7/28/2023
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
This article is presented by Paramount Pictures.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem brings back the iconic reptilian quadruplets for another wild adventure in the animated world of New York City. But for this story, director Jeff Rowe and writers Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, and Rowe himself bring two new ideas to the screen: casting actual teenagers as the Turtles themselves and applying their own unique spin on the current trend of stylized, exaggerated visuals, jump-started by Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and continued with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and The Mitchells vs. The Machines, which Rowe also co-wrote and co-directed.
Still, there’s a plethora of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles visions out there: several comics, more than five different TV shows, and six movies, not to mention the churn of toys and merchandise that have spawned from Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s original creation.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem brings back the iconic reptilian quadruplets for another wild adventure in the animated world of New York City. But for this story, director Jeff Rowe and writers Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, and Rowe himself bring two new ideas to the screen: casting actual teenagers as the Turtles themselves and applying their own unique spin on the current trend of stylized, exaggerated visuals, jump-started by Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and continued with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and The Mitchells vs. The Machines, which Rowe also co-wrote and co-directed.
Still, there’s a plethora of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles visions out there: several comics, more than five different TV shows, and six movies, not to mention the churn of toys and merchandise that have spawned from Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s original creation.
- 7/22/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
If you’re a movie enthusiast like me, Leonardo DiCaprio is a name that undoubtedly reverberates within your movie-loving soul.
From that unforgettable breakout role in “Titanic” to his killer collaborations with the legendary Martin Scorsese, this guy keeps improving with each passing year.
Over three decades, Leo has graced us with iconic characters and performances that have shaped cinema history.
And with a cumulative box office figure of over $2.5 billion, his movies have left audiences completely astounded.
This feat puts him among the top 50 highest-grossing leading actors of all time.
Ranking Leonardo DiCaprio movies is a tough task because, let’s face it, most of them are incomparable.
Each film holds a special place solely because he graces it with his presence.
To get by that challenge, we decided to go with his top 10 highest-rated, as seen on IMDb.
Prepare for the ultimate cinematic treat with the best Leonardo DiCaprio movies.
From that unforgettable breakout role in “Titanic” to his killer collaborations with the legendary Martin Scorsese, this guy keeps improving with each passing year.
Over three decades, Leo has graced us with iconic characters and performances that have shaped cinema history.
And with a cumulative box office figure of over $2.5 billion, his movies have left audiences completely astounded.
This feat puts him among the top 50 highest-grossing leading actors of all time.
Ranking Leonardo DiCaprio movies is a tough task because, let’s face it, most of them are incomparable.
Each film holds a special place solely because he graces it with his presence.
To get by that challenge, we decided to go with his top 10 highest-rated, as seen on IMDb.
Prepare for the ultimate cinematic treat with the best Leonardo DiCaprio movies.
- 6/7/2023
- by Dee Gambit
- buddytv.com
Filmmakers Sergei Spirin and Andrei Beresnev’s spiritual drama Iyov follows a lone individual named Job who, in the aftermath of a profound loss, searches for meaning as he battles depression. Visually, the co-directors evoke the work of Emmanuel Lubezki, whose awe-inspiring wide-lensed work with Terrence Malick and Alejandro Iñárritu similarly draws upon profound philosophical themes, with characters negotiating their place amongst immense environments. Spirin and Beresnev’s tale sees Job’s journey throughout several stunning locations across Georgia, highlighting the beauty of the world he struggles to remain a part of. Dn is delighted to premiere Iyov on our pages today and joined Spirin and Beresnev for a comprehensive conversation about their journey creating the film, covering the personal story of loss that inspired it, the inspiration of Lubezki and Malick, and their working approach to creating beautiful cinematography.
What drew you to tell this story of a man...
What drew you to tell this story of a man...
- 6/5/2023
- by James Maitre
- Directors Notes
Roger Deakins wasn’t onboard with how “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” train sequence was turning out.
The Oscar-winning cinematographer reflected on the iconic scene from the 2007 film starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, namely calling out how “frustrated” he was over the “dinky” train used for historical purposes on set. The sequence in question involves Jesse James (Pitt) staging an elaborate robbery of a train during the first act of the Andrew Dominik film.
“I’ve got to say, Andrew and I got kind of frustrated because we couldn’t really find a train line that we liked and we couldn’t find a period train to the scale that Andrew wanted,” Deakins said during a panel discussion at the 92nd Street Y. “We ended up shooting in Edmonton [in Alberta, Canada] on a museum line and luckily it goes through this little wooded area, but the train was really dinky.
The Oscar-winning cinematographer reflected on the iconic scene from the 2007 film starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, namely calling out how “frustrated” he was over the “dinky” train used for historical purposes on set. The sequence in question involves Jesse James (Pitt) staging an elaborate robbery of a train during the first act of the Andrew Dominik film.
“I’ve got to say, Andrew and I got kind of frustrated because we couldn’t really find a train line that we liked and we couldn’t find a period train to the scale that Andrew wanted,” Deakins said during a panel discussion at the 92nd Street Y. “We ended up shooting in Edmonton [in Alberta, Canada] on a museum line and luckily it goes through this little wooded area, but the train was really dinky.
- 5/18/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
This post contains spoilers for "Children of Men."
One of the greatest movie scenes of the 21st century comes early in the dystopian sci-fi masterpiece "Children of Men," as five characters pile into a car for what initially seems like a blissful ride. Though the near future they inhabit is beset by human infertility, all is going well as our protagonist, Theo (Clive Owen), wakes from a backseat nap and begins playing a game with the mother of his late child, Julian (Julianne Moore). She turns from the passenger's seat, and they blow a ping pong ball back and forth, laughing right up until the moment when a flaming car comes rolling downhill ahead of them, followed by a band of marauders, the Zeds.
What follows next is the kind of movie scene the phrase "tour de force" was invented for. As they took to the road in a modified Fiat Multipla,...
One of the greatest movie scenes of the 21st century comes early in the dystopian sci-fi masterpiece "Children of Men," as five characters pile into a car for what initially seems like a blissful ride. Though the near future they inhabit is beset by human infertility, all is going well as our protagonist, Theo (Clive Owen), wakes from a backseat nap and begins playing a game with the mother of his late child, Julian (Julianne Moore). She turns from the passenger's seat, and they blow a ping pong ball back and forth, laughing right up until the moment when a flaming car comes rolling downhill ahead of them, followed by a band of marauders, the Zeds.
What follows next is the kind of movie scene the phrase "tour de force" was invented for. As they took to the road in a modified Fiat Multipla,...
- 3/18/2023
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
“Elvis” lenser Mandy Walker became the first woman to take top honors from the American Society of Cinematographers on Sunday. She edged out two of her Oscar rivals for Best Cinematography — Roger Deakins (“Empire of Light”) who reaped his 17th bid, and Darius Khondji (“Bardo”) — plus last year’s winner with both the guild and the Oscars Greig Fraser (“The Batman”) and Claudio Miranda (“Top Gun: Maverick”). The other Oscar nominees are James Friend (“All Quiet on the Western Front”) and Florian Hoffmeister (“Tar”).
Over its 37-year history, the ASC has predicted 147 of the 185 Oscar nominees, including four in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and all five in both 2018 and 2017. However, the ASC choice for the best in the business has presaged the eventual winner at the Oscars only 17 times:
Dean Semler, “Dances with Wolves” (1991)
John Toll, “Braveheart” (1996)
John Seale, “The English Patient” (1997)
Russell Carpenter, “Titanic” (1998)
Conrad L. Hall, “American Beauty” (2000)
Conrad L. Hall,...
Over its 37-year history, the ASC has predicted 147 of the 185 Oscar nominees, including four in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and all five in both 2018 and 2017. However, the ASC choice for the best in the business has presaged the eventual winner at the Oscars only 17 times:
Dean Semler, “Dances with Wolves” (1991)
John Toll, “Braveheart” (1996)
John Seale, “The English Patient” (1997)
Russell Carpenter, “Titanic” (1998)
Conrad L. Hall, “American Beauty” (2000)
Conrad L. Hall,...
- 3/6/2023
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Yet another impressive marketing maneuver, and this time by Samsung, that has recruited the acclaimed director, Ridley Scott, to shoot an action film using only the smartphone flagship, Galaxy S23 Ultra. What does Ridley Scott think about the S23 Ultra? Read below and watch the first film shot on the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra. BTS of Behold’ by Director Ridley Scott. Picture: Samsung Using acclaimed directors for marketing smartphones
This is not the first time that a cellular company utilizes famous directors and cinematographers to market its smartphones. As you remember, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki has shot a short film on the iPhone 13 Pro, and Greig Fraser, Acs, ASC, together with award-winning director Kathryn Ann Bigelow, have used the iPhone 13 Pro to shoot short films. Now it’s Samsung’s turn, calling for duty the top-notch action director Ridley Scott, with his cinematographer Flavio Labiano, to produce an...
The Galaxy S23 Ultra. BTS of Behold’ by Director Ridley Scott. Picture: Samsung Using acclaimed directors for marketing smartphones
This is not the first time that a cellular company utilizes famous directors and cinematographers to market its smartphones. As you remember, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki has shot a short film on the iPhone 13 Pro, and Greig Fraser, Acs, ASC, together with award-winning director Kathryn Ann Bigelow, have used the iPhone 13 Pro to shoot short films. Now it’s Samsung’s turn, calling for duty the top-notch action director Ridley Scott, with his cinematographer Flavio Labiano, to produce an...
- 2/10/2023
- by Yossy Mendelovich
- YMCinema
At six of the last 10 Oscars, Best Cinematography has gone hand-in-hand with Best Director: Claudio Miranda and Ang Lee for “Life of Pi” (2013); Emmanuel Lubezki and Alfonso Cuaron for “Gravity” (2014); Lubezki and Alejandro G. Inarritu for both “Birdman” (2015) and “The Revenant” (2016); Linus Sandgren and Damien Chazelle for “La La Land” (2017); and Cuaron doing double duty on “Roma” (2019). Will that trend hold true this year? (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2023 Oscars Best Cinematography predictions.)
The academy usually regards award-winning cinematography as pretty pictures within an epic technical feat of filmmaking. While great lighting and framing are laudable on their own, having a movie that looks like it was difficult to shoot goes a long way to snagging an Oscar. Recent lensing winners “Avatar” (2009), “Inception” (2010), “Hugo” (2011), “Life of Pi” (2012), “Gravity” (2013), “Blade Runner 2049” (2018) and “1917” (2020) also took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
While the lensers of “Inception” and “Gravity...
The academy usually regards award-winning cinematography as pretty pictures within an epic technical feat of filmmaking. While great lighting and framing are laudable on their own, having a movie that looks like it was difficult to shoot goes a long way to snagging an Oscar. Recent lensing winners “Avatar” (2009), “Inception” (2010), “Hugo” (2011), “Life of Pi” (2012), “Gravity” (2013), “Blade Runner 2049” (2018) and “1917” (2020) also took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
While the lensers of “Inception” and “Gravity...
- 2/6/2023
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Here’s a super solid reference for the art of filmmaking. The acclaimed movie director, Steven Spielberg, filmed and directed his first music video, by using an Apple iPhone as the sole camera on set. The clip was filmed and edited as one long take (Oner). Explore it below.
Steven Spielberg shooting an oner on an iPhone. Picture: Marcus Mumford
The famous director didn’t use his favorite camera- the Panavision XL2, paired with Panavision anamorphic lenses. Nor he didn’t use a top-tier Arri Alexa 65 for the shoot. But he chose an Apple iPhone as the sole camera.
Oner, iPhone, and Steven Spielberg
6 months ago, not else than Steven Spielberg, has shot his first music video. The famous director didn’t use his favorite camera- the Panavision XL2, paired with Panavision anamorphic lenses. Nor he didn’t use a top-tier Arri Alexa 65 for the shoot. But he chose an...
Steven Spielberg shooting an oner on an iPhone. Picture: Marcus Mumford
The famous director didn’t use his favorite camera- the Panavision XL2, paired with Panavision anamorphic lenses. Nor he didn’t use a top-tier Arri Alexa 65 for the shoot. But he chose an Apple iPhone as the sole camera.
Oner, iPhone, and Steven Spielberg
6 months ago, not else than Steven Spielberg, has shot his first music video. The famous director didn’t use his favorite camera- the Panavision XL2, paired with Panavision anamorphic lenses. Nor he didn’t use a top-tier Arri Alexa 65 for the shoot. But he chose an...
- 2/3/2023
- by Yossy Mendelovich
- YMCinema
The Oscar nominations on January 24 left us with plenty of questions. How did Best Supporting Actor nominee Judd Hirsch get in without his co-star Paul Dano for “The Fabelmans”? How did “Triangle of Sadness” penetrate categories in which it was a longshot but miss its likeliest bid for Dolly de Leon in Best Supporting Actress? The biggest head-scratcher, though, is Best Cinematography.
See Top 20 Oscar snubs of actors and actresses: Viola Davis, Tom Cruise, Danielle Deadwyler …
This year’s nominees are James Friend (“All Quiet on the Western Front”), Darius Khondji, Mandy Walker (“Elvis”), Roger Deakins (“Empire of Light”) and Florian Hoffmeister (“Tár”). Notably absent is “Top Gun: Maverick” frontrunner Claudio Miranda. It’s especially shocking considering the blockbuster action flick picked up a surprise bid for Best Adapted Screenplay in addition to projected noms for Best Picture, Best Editing, Best Song, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects, showing clear support for the film.
See Top 20 Oscar snubs of actors and actresses: Viola Davis, Tom Cruise, Danielle Deadwyler …
This year’s nominees are James Friend (“All Quiet on the Western Front”), Darius Khondji, Mandy Walker (“Elvis”), Roger Deakins (“Empire of Light”) and Florian Hoffmeister (“Tár”). Notably absent is “Top Gun: Maverick” frontrunner Claudio Miranda. It’s especially shocking considering the blockbuster action flick picked up a surprise bid for Best Adapted Screenplay in addition to projected noms for Best Picture, Best Editing, Best Song, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects, showing clear support for the film.
- 1/25/2023
- by Ronald Meyer
- Gold Derby
Anyone requiring proof of veteran cinematographer Darius Khondji’s versatility need look no further than his work on two very different autobiographical projects this past year—James Gray’s subdued, ‘80s-set “Armageddon Time” and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s lush, ultra-modern “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths.” For the latter, Khondji placed second to Florian Hoffmeister (“TÁR”) at the 2022 EnergaCAMERIMAGE Festival, winning the Silver Frog.
See Alejandro G. Iñárritu: ‘Bardo’ is an ‘intimate experience’ that contemplates the ‘labyrinthine way that our memory works’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
Recent recipients of the cinematography-centric event’s runner-up prize to also compete at the Oscars include Bruno Delbonnel (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”), Łukasz Żal (“Cold War”) and Bradford Young (“Arrival”). Should Khondji join that list when Academy Award nominations are announced on January 24th (he’s eighth in our Best Cinematography odds), he’ll only be getting his second-ever nom—astonishing, considering a career that...
See Alejandro G. Iñárritu: ‘Bardo’ is an ‘intimate experience’ that contemplates the ‘labyrinthine way that our memory works’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
Recent recipients of the cinematography-centric event’s runner-up prize to also compete at the Oscars include Bruno Delbonnel (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”), Łukasz Żal (“Cold War”) and Bradford Young (“Arrival”). Should Khondji join that list when Academy Award nominations are announced on January 24th (he’s eighth in our Best Cinematography odds), he’ll only be getting his second-ever nom—astonishing, considering a career that...
- 1/12/2023
- by Ronald Meyer
- Gold Derby
The American Society of Cinematographers nominees announced on January 9 include only one of our five leading Oscar contenders for Best Cinematography: frontrunner Claudio Miranda for “Top Gun: Maverick.” The other four contenders are ASC stalwart Roger Deakins (“Empire of Light”) who reaped his 17th bid; last year’s winner with both the guild and the Oscars Greig Fraser (“The Batman”); Darius Khondji (“Bardo”) and Mandy Walker (“Elvis”).
This quartet figures in our top 10 but we are predicting that joining Miranda in the Oscar line-up will be Russell Carpenter (“Avatar: The Way of Water”); James Friend (“All Quiet on the Western Front”); Janusz Kaminski (“The Fabelmens”); and Linus Sandgren (“Babylon”).
Over its 36-year history, the ASC has predicted 144 of the 180 Oscar nominees, including four in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and all five in both 2018 and 2017.
However, the ASC choice for the best in the business has presaged the eventual winner at the Oscars only 17 times:
Dean Semler,...
This quartet figures in our top 10 but we are predicting that joining Miranda in the Oscar line-up will be Russell Carpenter (“Avatar: The Way of Water”); James Friend (“All Quiet on the Western Front”); Janusz Kaminski (“The Fabelmens”); and Linus Sandgren (“Babylon”).
Over its 36-year history, the ASC has predicted 144 of the 180 Oscar nominees, including four in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and all five in both 2018 and 2017.
However, the ASC choice for the best in the business has presaged the eventual winner at the Oscars only 17 times:
Dean Semler,...
- 1/9/2023
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
If we can define the Camera of the Year, then the Sony Venice would be a very solid candidate. This camera shot the top-grossing movies of 2022, which are: Top Gun: Maverick, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and of course Avatar: The Way of Water. The most interesting fact is, that each Director and Dp have used the Venice in various configurations, making this high-end technology masterpiece, an ultra-versatile tool for filmmakers.
Building a Sony Venice Rialto Backpack System. Picture: Sony The Sony Venice shot 2022’s top-grossing movies
As stated by Tanya Lyon from the Sony Cine Marketing Division: “What a time to be a part of Sony! Five years after the launch of the Sony Venice, our high-end digital cinema camera, it’s been used on three of the year’s top-grossing movies: Top Gun: Maverick, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and, of course, Avatar: The Way of Water. Yesterday, we invited...
Building a Sony Venice Rialto Backpack System. Picture: Sony The Sony Venice shot 2022’s top-grossing movies
As stated by Tanya Lyon from the Sony Cine Marketing Division: “What a time to be a part of Sony! Five years after the launch of the Sony Venice, our high-end digital cinema camera, it’s been used on three of the year’s top-grossing movies: Top Gun: Maverick, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and, of course, Avatar: The Way of Water. Yesterday, we invited...
- 12/27/2022
- by Yossy Mendelovich
- YMCinema
In “On Exactitude in Science,” a 1946 short story from the Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges, a fictional 17th century chronicler describes a guild of cartographers who make ever-bigger maps until, eventually, they create a “Map of the Empire whose size was that of the Empire, and which coincided point for point with it.” As tastes change, later generations declare the map “Useless” and leave the great work to wither in the desert sun, where “Animals and Beggars” live within the map’s “Tattered Ruins.” The brief tale manages to probe the nature of inquiry and spoof the history of empire, quite a feat for a piece that’s only a paragraph long.
Watching the films of Alejandro González Iñárritu, the multi-Oscar-winning writer-director behind The Revenant, Birdman, and Babel, can feel like watching both Borges and the cartographers work at the same time. He’s a man who often seems to...
Watching the films of Alejandro González Iñárritu, the multi-Oscar-winning writer-director behind The Revenant, Birdman, and Babel, can feel like watching both Borges and the cartographers work at the same time. He’s a man who often seems to...
- 12/20/2022
- by Josh Marcus
- The Independent - Film
Stars: Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Robert De Niro, Anya Taylor-Joy | Written and Directed by David O. Russell
In the 1930s, three friends—a doctor, a nurse, and an attorney—witness a murder, become suspects themselves and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in North American history.
There are a ton of moving parts and a lot of respectable elements on display in Amsterdam – a movie that genuinely could’ve been great had the script been reworked considerably to make it more digestible and easier to follow, and if the film had about thirty minutes of its running time chopped down.
It runs at a hefty two hours and fourteen minutes and yet it feels even longer than that at the end of it all. This is one of the most annoying kinds of movies there is; the kind that prides itself on having a gigantic, A-list cast of actors,...
In the 1930s, three friends—a doctor, a nurse, and an attorney—witness a murder, become suspects themselves and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in North American history.
There are a ton of moving parts and a lot of respectable elements on display in Amsterdam – a movie that genuinely could’ve been great had the script been reworked considerably to make it more digestible and easier to follow, and if the film had about thirty minutes of its running time chopped down.
It runs at a hefty two hours and fourteen minutes and yet it feels even longer than that at the end of it all. This is one of the most annoying kinds of movies there is; the kind that prides itself on having a gigantic, A-list cast of actors,...
- 11/23/2022
- by Caillou Pettis
- Nerdly
Netflix’s masterpiece, Athena, was shot mainly on the Arri Alexa 65 by cinematographer Matias Boucard AFC. Boucard utilized this extra-large sensor to enhance motion and storytelling in long takes, and within extreme environments.
Athena BTS. Picture: Netflix Athena: Children of Men
Athena is a 2022 French epic action tragedy film directed by Romain Gavras. Starring Dali Benssalah, Sami Slimane, Anthony Bajon, Ouassini Embarek, and Alexis Manenti, the film examines inequality and police violence in a French banlieue community. The film had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 2022, where it competed for the Golden Lion award, and was released on 23 September 2022 by Netflix.
Athena BTS. Picture: Netflix Athena BTS. Picture: Netflix
It was praised for its acting, score, direction, and technical aspects, especially regarding its cinematography. Athena’s Dp is Matias Boucard AFC, who used the extra-large sensor of the Arri Alexa 65 to enhance motion, and camera kinetics,...
Athena BTS. Picture: Netflix Athena: Children of Men
Athena is a 2022 French epic action tragedy film directed by Romain Gavras. Starring Dali Benssalah, Sami Slimane, Anthony Bajon, Ouassini Embarek, and Alexis Manenti, the film examines inequality and police violence in a French banlieue community. The film had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 2022, where it competed for the Golden Lion award, and was released on 23 September 2022 by Netflix.
Athena BTS. Picture: Netflix Athena BTS. Picture: Netflix
It was praised for its acting, score, direction, and technical aspects, especially regarding its cinematography. Athena’s Dp is Matias Boucard AFC, who used the extra-large sensor of the Arri Alexa 65 to enhance motion, and camera kinetics,...
- 11/10/2022
- by Yossy Mendelovich
- YMCinema
In the early years of this century, many fans were hoping Clive Owen (who we’re huge fans of) would be the next James Bond. He never was cast as that character, but that hasn’t held him back from having a great career. One of his best movies came out the same year Daniel Craig made his Bond debut in Casino Royale. It’s a dark action film set in a dystopian future, where the fate of humanity lies in the hands of Owen’s character. A depressed alcoholic who doesn’t have the proper footwear for the dangerous journey he’s on. The film is Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men, and it’s time for it to be Revisited!
Indeed, when people make a list of the best movies of the 2000s, Children of Men is often in the Top 10 and should be at the top of...
Indeed, when people make a list of the best movies of the 2000s, Children of Men is often in the Top 10 and should be at the top of...
- 11/10/2022
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking” is based on a 2018 Miriam Toews novel inspired by a Bolivian religious colony’s epidemic of sexual violence. It primarily takes place inside a hayloft, where three generations of Mennonite women convene to discuss their future in the colony. True to its title, the film has a dense script. It also boasts a number of incredible performances that are sure to be recognized by awards bodies all season long.
“Women Talking” is Gold Derby’s projected Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar winner and is currently ranked third in the odds for Best Film Ensemble at the SAG Awards. Both Claire Foy and Jessie Buckley appear to be locks for Best Supporting Actress nominations, and Ben Whishaw has recently risen in Best Supporting Supporting Actor. As of now, he occupies third place. Furthermore, Polley is behind only Steven Spielberg in Best Director. While the movie also deserves top-five status in Best Cinematography,...
“Women Talking” is Gold Derby’s projected Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar winner and is currently ranked third in the odds for Best Film Ensemble at the SAG Awards. Both Claire Foy and Jessie Buckley appear to be locks for Best Supporting Actress nominations, and Ben Whishaw has recently risen in Best Supporting Supporting Actor. As of now, he occupies third place. Furthermore, Polley is behind only Steven Spielberg in Best Director. While the movie also deserves top-five status in Best Cinematography,...
- 11/8/2022
- by Ronald Meyer
- Gold Derby
It's a cliché to claim overnight success takes years, but that doesn't make it untrue.
Take Clive Owen. After getting his start working on BBC and Channel 4 TV productions in the late 1980s, he suddenly found himself in high demand by the mid-2000s. Be it Antoine Fuqua's realism-driven take on the Arthurian legends with "King Arthur," Mike Nichols' big screen version of Patrick Marber's erotic play "Closer," Robert Rodriguez's visually trail-blazing neo-noir comic book movie "Sin City," or Spike Lee's '70s throwback heist thriller "Inside Man," it felt like Owen was being cast in anything and everything under the sun.
There's a good reason for that. Owen seems just as comfortable playing strong, silent types as he does insecure, entitled, affluent figures or hard-edged antiheroes with a habit of inner monologuing. It's the same versatility that allows him to easily slip into the role of Theo Faron,...
Take Clive Owen. After getting his start working on BBC and Channel 4 TV productions in the late 1980s, he suddenly found himself in high demand by the mid-2000s. Be it Antoine Fuqua's realism-driven take on the Arthurian legends with "King Arthur," Mike Nichols' big screen version of Patrick Marber's erotic play "Closer," Robert Rodriguez's visually trail-blazing neo-noir comic book movie "Sin City," or Spike Lee's '70s throwback heist thriller "Inside Man," it felt like Owen was being cast in anything and everything under the sun.
There's a good reason for that. Owen seems just as comfortable playing strong, silent types as he does insecure, entitled, affluent figures or hard-edged antiheroes with a habit of inner monologuing. It's the same versatility that allows him to easily slip into the role of Theo Faron,...
- 11/6/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
This story about the best international film schools first appeared in the College Issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Australian Film, Television And Radio School
Sydney, Australia
“Aftrs was perfect because it was…practical,” says songwriter Christine Kirkwood, who graduated from Australia’s national screen and broadcast school after a six-month government program to train women in filmmaking. Her fellow alums include Gillian Armstrong and Phillip Noyce, who were in the school’s first graduating class in 1973, as well as Jane Campion, Cate Shortland and cinematographer Andrew Lesnie. Located near the Fox Studios in Sydney, the campus includes studios, post-production facilities and an extensive library.
Aftrs has a robust First Nations and Outreach program for indigenous students, and in early 2023 a new partnership with Industrial Light & Magic will allow the school to begin offering a two-semester Graduate Diploma in Visual Effects program. Other new offerings include a Screen Warriors program that will recruit,...
Australian Film, Television And Radio School
Sydney, Australia
“Aftrs was perfect because it was…practical,” says songwriter Christine Kirkwood, who graduated from Australia’s national screen and broadcast school after a six-month government program to train women in filmmaking. Her fellow alums include Gillian Armstrong and Phillip Noyce, who were in the school’s first graduating class in 1973, as well as Jane Campion, Cate Shortland and cinematographer Andrew Lesnie. Located near the Fox Studios in Sydney, the campus includes studios, post-production facilities and an extensive library.
Aftrs has a robust First Nations and Outreach program for indigenous students, and in early 2023 a new partnership with Industrial Light & Magic will allow the school to begin offering a two-semester Graduate Diploma in Visual Effects program. Other new offerings include a Screen Warriors program that will recruit,...
- 11/2/2022
- by TheWrap Staff
- The Wrap
"Children of Men," which celebrated its 15th-anniversary last year, is highly regarded as Alfonso Cuarón's dystopian masterpiece. Loosely adapted from Pd James's novel of the same name, the film is set in a not-too-distant future where humans have faced total infertility for eighteen years straight. In this war-torn world, the United Kingdom is one of the only nations still standing; a total police state that has completely outlawed immigration.
Working with his regular cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, Cuarón's signature floating camera style is as hypnotic as it is functional. As a filmmaker that's consistently working in different genres and tones, his directorial style is always felt in the way he commands the camera, stuffing as much information into the frame as possible. It's in the wide open beach landscapes of "Y Tu Mamá También," and in this time-distorting way his lens explores Hogwarts through the seasons in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Working with his regular cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki, Cuarón's signature floating camera style is as hypnotic as it is functional. As a filmmaker that's consistently working in different genres and tones, his directorial style is always felt in the way he commands the camera, stuffing as much information into the frame as possible. It's in the wide open beach landscapes of "Y Tu Mamá También," and in this time-distorting way his lens explores Hogwarts through the seasons in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
- 10/30/2022
- by Tyler Llewyn Taing
- Slash Film
Yesterday ViX+ announced that production has begun on the anthology series La hora marcada (The Marked Hour). This is a relaunch of a very popular Mexican series that ran from 1988 to 1990. Consider it to be in the vein of The Twilight Zone. What is especially cool to learn is that La hora marcada was the first opportunity for many Mexican filmmakers which included Emmanuel Lubezki, Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuarón. So, it is now time for a new series to be made and for the torch to be passed on to the nuevos niños en la cuadra. There should be a lot of familiar names among those listed in the press release below. There are many friends of ours and...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/13/2022
- Screen Anarchy
“Amsterdam,” the new David O. Russell historical mystery, has enough mega-watt stars to power a midsized American city.
The cast includes (but is not limited to) Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rami Malek, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Zoe Saldaña, Timothy Olyphant and Matthias Schoenaerts. If there’s a lead in the movie, it’s Christian Bale, who developed the project with Russell and who stars as an injured veteran of World War I who is now looking to help his fellow wounded soldiers start their new lives in New York. He has one eye, extensive prosthetics and walks hunched over (his character has a back brace). It’s enough to remind you of an earlier Robert De Niro role, where he would transform himself physically to fit the needs of the character. Oh and De Niro is in the movie too, as a powerful ally, who can help expose a growing conspiracy.
The cast includes (but is not limited to) Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rami Malek, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Zoe Saldaña, Timothy Olyphant and Matthias Schoenaerts. If there’s a lead in the movie, it’s Christian Bale, who developed the project with Russell and who stars as an injured veteran of World War I who is now looking to help his fellow wounded soldiers start their new lives in New York. He has one eye, extensive prosthetics and walks hunched over (his character has a back brace). It’s enough to remind you of an earlier Robert De Niro role, where he would transform himself physically to fit the needs of the character. Oh and De Niro is in the movie too, as a powerful ally, who can help expose a growing conspiracy.
- 10/8/2022
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
This review of “Amsterdam” was first published on Sept. 27, 2022.
For a while now, David O. Russell has been the problematic uncle in the industry family, certain to entertain and disturb in equal measure, depending on what one is willing to overlook when the sausage is being made.
That the Oscar-nominated writer-director is in the mix again with the period comedy-adventure “Amsterdam” after seven years away (since 2015’s lumpy “Joy”) indicates a willingness in Hollywood to endure the reminders of his behavioral issues and to bet on the recipe of star power, emotional smarts and provocative farce that forged “Flirting with Disaster,” “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle.”
Only the first ingredient is in evidence with “Amsterdam,” however, and no amount of wattage from Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Zoe Saldana, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rami Malek or Robert De Niro — or even an A-list B-team of Taylor Swift, Chris Rock,...
For a while now, David O. Russell has been the problematic uncle in the industry family, certain to entertain and disturb in equal measure, depending on what one is willing to overlook when the sausage is being made.
That the Oscar-nominated writer-director is in the mix again with the period comedy-adventure “Amsterdam” after seven years away (since 2015’s lumpy “Joy”) indicates a willingness in Hollywood to endure the reminders of his behavioral issues and to bet on the recipe of star power, emotional smarts and provocative farce that forged “Flirting with Disaster,” “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle.”
Only the first ingredient is in evidence with “Amsterdam,” however, and no amount of wattage from Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Zoe Saldana, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rami Malek or Robert De Niro — or even an A-list B-team of Taylor Swift, Chris Rock,...
- 10/6/2022
- by Robert Abele
- The Wrap
Plot: Two World War I veterans, a doctor (Christian Bale) and a lawyer (John David Washington), are hired by the daughter of their former commanding officer to prove the man was murdered. Soon framed for murder, the two are reunited with the nurse (Margot Robbie) that was devoted to them after the war and stumble upon a Fascist plot to replace the president of the United States.
Review: A lot is going on in David O. Russell’s Amsterdam. The early reviews have been largely negative, with many criticizing the movie’s loose, sometimes shambling and uneasy mix of genres. However, if you can get over the off-putting tone, which ranges from slapstick comedy one moment to bursts of gory ultra-violence the next, you’ll find Amsterdam is an ambitious and entertaining film.
Believe it or not, the plot of Amsterdam, which relates to a Fascist plot to take over the United States government,...
Review: A lot is going on in David O. Russell’s Amsterdam. The early reviews have been largely negative, with many criticizing the movie’s loose, sometimes shambling and uneasy mix of genres. However, if you can get over the off-putting tone, which ranges from slapstick comedy one moment to bursts of gory ultra-violence the next, you’ll find Amsterdam is an ambitious and entertaining film.
Believe it or not, the plot of Amsterdam, which relates to a Fascist plot to take over the United States government,...
- 10/5/2022
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
The late, great Jean-Luc Godard wrote in his 1960 film "Le Petit Soldat" that photography was truth, and that cinema is truth at 24 frames per second. Every edit is a lie.
Editing is one of those alterations from truth that modern cinema audiences have long ago internalized and accepted as part of the medium's vernacular. We accept that a conversation between two on-screen characters will instantly shift from one person's point of view to the other. Shot, reverse shot. In terms of consumption, this provides a natural form of clarity and lends to cinema a certain kind of unconscious rhythm. In actuality, the shot-reverse-shot will, at the very least, require two cameras running simultaneously, one on each actor. More likely, a single camera will be used, and the actors will run through the scene several times, the camera filming both angles separately. Editors -- the eldritch wizards of the film world...
Editing is one of those alterations from truth that modern cinema audiences have long ago internalized and accepted as part of the medium's vernacular. We accept that a conversation between two on-screen characters will instantly shift from one person's point of view to the other. Shot, reverse shot. In terms of consumption, this provides a natural form of clarity and lends to cinema a certain kind of unconscious rhythm. In actuality, the shot-reverse-shot will, at the very least, require two cameras running simultaneously, one on each actor. More likely, a single camera will be used, and the actors will run through the scene several times, the camera filming both angles separately. Editors -- the eldritch wizards of the film world...
- 9/23/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
You're never going to believe it, but Alejandro G. Iñárritu has made an elaborately-titled, darkly comedic drama exploring the messy personal and professional lives of an artist who, in one of the film's many surreal moments, flies around through the air in a flowing single take.
Titled "Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths," the film is the latest from the director of "The Revenant" and "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)," and the first he's shot in his native Mexico since 2000's "Amores perros." Daniel Giménez Cacho stars as Silverio Gama, a revered Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker who decides to return to his homeland after being named the recipient of "a prestigious international award." If it's a Golden Globe then, well, I have bad news for you, buddy...
Upon returning to Mexico, Silverio is beset by his memories of the past and fears about his future,...
Titled "Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths," the film is the latest from the director of "The Revenant" and "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)," and the first he's shot in his native Mexico since 2000's "Amores perros." Daniel Giménez Cacho stars as Silverio Gama, a revered Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker who decides to return to his homeland after being named the recipient of "a prestigious international award." If it's a Golden Globe then, well, I have bad news for you, buddy...
Upon returning to Mexico, Silverio is beset by his memories of the past and fears about his future,...
- 9/22/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
It feels like a treatment from the Victorian Age: queer men and women being put under the horrors of gay conversion therapy, which, despite various legal regulations, persists to this day in many different countries across Europe. German Director Manuel Tröndle’s Mending takes an in-depth yet poetic look at how these barbaric treatments, deeply rooted in Christian teachings, can alter the very bones of who you are, resulting in a moving and empowering film. Taking the time to avoid simplistic diagnoses and trite conclusions in favour of an enigmatic portrait of queer lives under pressure from the church, it is a rewarding experience buoyed by the powerful music of collaborators Melting Palms. Dn jumped at the opportunity to talk to Tröndle about the reality of conversion therapy in Germany, making a ‘music film’ as opposed to a ‘music video’, and working slowly but surely in creating the final, devastating montage.
- 9/21/2022
- by Redmond Bacon
- Directors Notes
There was a lingering feeling of ambiguity and anticipation on Sunday night at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the site of 20th Century Studios’ worldwide premiere of David O. Russell’s “Amsterdam.”
Russell has not released a new film in nearly seven years — his last feature was 2015’s “Joy” with Jennifer Lawrence. Given his various controversies and 2011 sexual assault allegation, it was unclear whether Hollywood would re-embrace the director with open arms. And then Drake walked out on stage.
“This is just a real moment,” Drake said. “So I am here to introduce the extremely talented, very legendary, one of the most handsome men in Hollywood. He goes by the name of David O. Russell.”
Drake, who serves as an executive producer on “Amsterdam,” was one of many influential figures that readily praised the director during the film’s New York premiere. Russell has been accused of exhibiting antagonistic...
Russell has not released a new film in nearly seven years — his last feature was 2015’s “Joy” with Jennifer Lawrence. Given his various controversies and 2011 sexual assault allegation, it was unclear whether Hollywood would re-embrace the director with open arms. And then Drake walked out on stage.
“This is just a real moment,” Drake said. “So I am here to introduce the extremely talented, very legendary, one of the most handsome men in Hollywood. He goes by the name of David O. Russell.”
Drake, who serves as an executive producer on “Amsterdam,” was one of many influential figures that readily praised the director during the film’s New York premiere. Russell has been accused of exhibiting antagonistic...
- 9/19/2022
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
Silverio Gama (Daniel Giménez Cacho) is, as many artists like to imagine themselves, a disheveled-genius type. Once an independent journalist in his hometown of Mexico City, he now lives in Los Angeles—where he transitioned into an award-winning career as a documentarian—with his wife and two American-born children.
We aren’t in L.A. long before Silverio, begrudgingly accepting a career achievement-esque award, returns to the Mexican industry he left behind. Mexico is still his home away from L.A., but the choice to live and work stateside has cursed him to a lifetime of abandonment accusations, inner turmoil, and purported American exceptionalism, all of which (and more!) are explored ad nauseum over 174 minutes.
Any new entry in the unofficial 8½ franchise must debut on Italian soil or forfeit Fellini influence, and that’s a Venice Film Festival law. Writer-director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Bardo (or False Chronicle of a...
We aren’t in L.A. long before Silverio, begrudgingly accepting a career achievement-esque award, returns to the Mexican industry he left behind. Mexico is still his home away from L.A., but the choice to live and work stateside has cursed him to a lifetime of abandonment accusations, inner turmoil, and purported American exceptionalism, all of which (and more!) are explored ad nauseum over 174 minutes.
Any new entry in the unofficial 8½ franchise must debut on Italian soil or forfeit Fellini influence, and that’s a Venice Film Festival law. Writer-director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Bardo (or False Chronicle of a...
- 9/2/2022
- by Luke Hicks
- The Film Stage
A ridiculously huge cast — Chris Rock, Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert DeNiro, Rami Malek, Taylor Swift, Alessandro Nivola, Andrea Riseborough, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers and Zoe Saldaña! — are (mostly) all highlighted in this first trailer from David O’Russell’s latest, the comedy/thriller Amsterdam. With cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki and production design from Judy Becker, the film is set in the 1930s and deals with three people who witness a murder and find themselves drawn into “one of the most outrageous plots in American history.” Previously, David O. Russell was interviewed for Filmmaker‘s […]
The post Trailer Watch: David O. Russell’s Amsterdam first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Trailer Watch: David O. Russell’s Amsterdam first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 7/6/2022
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
A ridiculously huge cast — Chris Rock, Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert DeNiro, Rami Malek, Taylor Swift, Alessandro Nivola, Andrea Riseborough, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers and Zoe Saldaña! — are (mostly) all highlighted in this first trailer from David O’Russell’s latest, the comedy/thriller Amsterdam. With cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki and production design from Judy Becker, the film is set in the 1930s and deals with three people who witness a murder and find themselves drawn into “one of the most outrageous plots in American history.” Previously, David O. Russell was interviewed for Filmmaker‘s […]
The post Trailer Watch: David O. Russell’s Amsterdam first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Trailer Watch: David O. Russell’s Amsterdam first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 7/6/2022
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
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