On Dec. 16, 1985, Warner Bros. unveiled Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of The Color Purple at its premiere in New York. The film went on to garner 11 Oscar nominations, including for best picture, at the 58th Academy Awards. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below:
To those who think of Steven Spielberg solely as the creator of sci-fi adventure movies or high-tech horror films, The Color Purple will come as an exhilarating surprise. It’s a film filled with tenderness and love, the enduring love of two sisters cruelly separated in their childhood, the love of one of them for two infants taken from her at birth. Based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, it tells us quite simply that every thing and everybody needs love, and that putting our faith in love will make everything come out all right.
While I wish with all my heart that I were sanguine enough to believe this,...
To those who think of Steven Spielberg solely as the creator of sci-fi adventure movies or high-tech horror films, The Color Purple will come as an exhilarating surprise. It’s a film filled with tenderness and love, the enduring love of two sisters cruelly separated in their childhood, the love of one of them for two infants taken from her at birth. Based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, it tells us quite simply that every thing and everybody needs love, and that putting our faith in love will make everything come out all right.
While I wish with all my heart that I were sanguine enough to believe this,...
- 12/15/2023
- by Arthur Knight
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For a director whose body of work contains some of the most instantly recognizable images in all of cinema, Steven Spielberg's 1982 masterpiece "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" is arguably his most visually rich movie. The mixture of cinematographer Allen Daviau's expressive color palette and the cast's open-hearted faith in a creature that was ultimately a hunk of wires and rubber helped make the film a slice of pure movie magic.
One of the collaborators that deserves a large amount of credit for bringing "E.T." to life is Academy Award-winning costume designer Deborah Lynn Scott. Her work on the film ensured that not only would the look of the titular alien enter the popular culture, but that the human characters of the film would be just as memorable. Her penchant for iconography began with "E.T.," and has continued in her subsequent work designing costumes for "Back to the Future," "Heat," "Titanic,...
One of the collaborators that deserves a large amount of credit for bringing "E.T." to life is Academy Award-winning costume designer Deborah Lynn Scott. Her work on the film ensured that not only would the look of the titular alien enter the popular culture, but that the human characters of the film would be just as memorable. Her penchant for iconography began with "E.T.," and has continued in her subsequent work designing costumes for "Back to the Future," "Heat," "Titanic,...
- 10/19/2022
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Universal City, California, August 23, 2022 – Journey back to the magic and adventure of E.T. The Extra-terrestrial, the beloved masterpiece from Academy Award®-winning director Steven Spielberg, with this all-new release celebrating the 40th anniversary of the film, available to own on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-rayTM, and Digital October 18th, 2022 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. There has never been a better time to relive this cinematic classic and four-time Academy Award® winner including Best Music by legendary composer John Williams. The anniversary release showcases over 45 minutes of all-new bonus features including a retrospective of the film and its lasting legacy and a featurette with Steven Spielberg reflecting on his career and the making of E.T. 40 years later. This release also includes all the original bonus features including deleted scenes, cast and filmmaker reunion, a discussion with John Williams about the iconic music from the film, and more. This E.T. The Extra-terrestrial...
- 8/24/2022
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
The five Emmy Award-nominated cinematographers who participated in our Gold Derby Meet the Experts: Cinematography panel are known not just for creating some of the most indelible images on television last year but for consistency in their collaborators. Each has been nominated for their show previously and frequently works together with the same directors and crew.
See over 150 interviews with 2022 Emmy contenders
“Something I learned throughout my film school years, is that it’s worth trusting the people you’re working with, especially directors you elect to work with,” “Euphoria” cinematographer and Emmy nominee Marcell Rev tells Gold Derby in our exclusive video interview. “Because when you’re in film school, and when you’re starting out, you’re really focused on your part in this machine. I think you have to learn – or at least I had to learn – to listen and to actually understand what’s going on...
See over 150 interviews with 2022 Emmy contenders
“Something I learned throughout my film school years, is that it’s worth trusting the people you’re working with, especially directors you elect to work with,” “Euphoria” cinematographer and Emmy nominee Marcell Rev tells Gold Derby in our exclusive video interview. “Because when you’re in film school, and when you’re starting out, you’re really focused on your part in this machine. I think you have to learn – or at least I had to learn – to listen and to actually understand what’s going on...
- 8/8/2022
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
This year’s TCM Classic Film Festival, which took place over the weekend in Hollywood, showcased more than 80 movies, including a particularly memorable classic that takes a child’s-eye view of the aftermath of a spaceship landing on Earth. And no, I’m not talking about the festival’s opening-night movie, Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”
Sure, “E.T.” is probably the most famous movie in which aliens are shown through the eyes of children, and it was a kick to see its IMAX remaster screened at the huge Tcl Chinese Theatre as the opening attraction on Thursday.
(And it was a kick to hear Spielberg, who was supposed to have been joined by stars Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore until unspecified events prevented them from coming, talk about how he persuaded screenwriter Melissa Mathison to take on the film, and how the first 50 or so people to see the...
Sure, “E.T.” is probably the most famous movie in which aliens are shown through the eyes of children, and it was a kick to see its IMAX remaster screened at the huge Tcl Chinese Theatre as the opening attraction on Thursday.
(And it was a kick to hear Spielberg, who was supposed to have been joined by stars Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore until unspecified events prevented them from coming, talk about how he persuaded screenwriter Melissa Mathison to take on the film, and how the first 50 or so people to see the...
- 4/25/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
“His influence will never wane; there simply isn’t anyone who’s any good who isn’t standing on his shoulders.”
That’s what Steven Soderbergh wrote about Gordon Willis, the cinematographer who changed the American cinema forever with his work on Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather.” Though other filmmakers had used some of the same techniques as Willis — John Ford and Gregg Toland made extensive use of practically motivated light sources on “The Long Voyage Home,” and many noir films experimented with placing their characters in darkness — the revolution didn’t really take hold until he applied the approach to what became one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful movies of all time.
“The Godfather” celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and Willis’ work continues to inform the ways in which cinematographers approach their work; look no further than Greig Fraser’s character and psychology-driven lighting on “The Batman” for proof.
That’s what Steven Soderbergh wrote about Gordon Willis, the cinematographer who changed the American cinema forever with his work on Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather.” Though other filmmakers had used some of the same techniques as Willis — John Ford and Gregg Toland made extensive use of practically motivated light sources on “The Long Voyage Home,” and many noir films experimented with placing their characters in darkness — the revolution didn’t really take hold until he applied the approach to what became one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful movies of all time.
“The Godfather” celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and Willis’ work continues to inform the ways in which cinematographers approach their work; look no further than Greig Fraser’s character and psychology-driven lighting on “The Batman” for proof.
- 4/14/2022
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Acclaimed cinematographers and ASC members Michael Chapman and Allen Daviau, who both died last year, were the focus of a legacy panel at EnergaCamerimage Film Festival on Monday, led by the likes of Lawrence Sher (“Joker”), Xavier Pérez Grobet (“Watchmen”), Amy Vincent (‘Footloose”) and Seamus McGarvey (“Atonement”).
Nominated for five Oscars for his work on “Bugsy,” “Avalon,” “Empire of the Sun,” “The Color Purple” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” Daviau won the ASC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, but he was remembered also for his aversion to cars.
“I would follow him around in a supermarket, not to see what he was buying, but hoping to say hello. Then I acquired the responsibility of driving him to a whole bunch of different events,” said Vincent. “There are not many of us who did not have the experience of driving him, sometimes conveniently and sometimes not.”
Recognized for his collaborations with Steven Spielberg,...
Nominated for five Oscars for his work on “Bugsy,” “Avalon,” “Empire of the Sun,” “The Color Purple” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” Daviau won the ASC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, but he was remembered also for his aversion to cars.
“I would follow him around in a supermarket, not to see what he was buying, but hoping to say hello. Then I acquired the responsibility of driving him to a whole bunch of different events,” said Vincent. “There are not many of us who did not have the experience of driving him, sometimes conveniently and sometimes not.”
Recognized for his collaborations with Steven Spielberg,...
- 11/16/2021
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
“That’s all he ever wanted out of life… was love. That’s the tragedy of Charles Foster Kane. You see, he just didn’t have any to give.”
Orson Welles’ classic Citizen Kane (1941) will be available on 4k and Blu-ray October 19th. A 4-disc 4K Uhd+Blu-ray Combo and a 3-blu-ray Edition will both be available.
In the most dazzling debut feature in cinema history, twenty-five-year-old writer-producer-director-star Orson Welles synthesized the possibilities of sound-era filmmaking into what could be called the first truly modern movie. In telling the story of the meteoric rise and precipitous fall of a William Randolph Hearst–like newspaper magnate named Charles Foster Kane, Welles not only created the definitive portrait of American megalomania, he also unleashed a torrent of stylistic innovations—from the jigsaw-puzzle narrative structure to the stunning deep-focus camera work of Gregg Toland—that have ensured that Citizen Kane remains fresh and...
Orson Welles’ classic Citizen Kane (1941) will be available on 4k and Blu-ray October 19th. A 4-disc 4K Uhd+Blu-ray Combo and a 3-blu-ray Edition will both be available.
In the most dazzling debut feature in cinema history, twenty-five-year-old writer-producer-director-star Orson Welles synthesized the possibilities of sound-era filmmaking into what could be called the first truly modern movie. In telling the story of the meteoric rise and precipitous fall of a William Randolph Hearst–like newspaper magnate named Charles Foster Kane, Welles not only created the definitive portrait of American megalomania, he also unleashed a torrent of stylistic innovations—from the jigsaw-puzzle narrative structure to the stunning deep-focus camera work of Gregg Toland—that have ensured that Citizen Kane remains fresh and...
- 8/31/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Who will be included for the special “In Memoriam” segment for Sunday night’s Oscars 2021 ceremony? With last year’s Academy Awards happening over 14 months ago, it means an even larger number of film veterans have died. Producers will hopefully be offering a longer remembrance and not leaving out people for the sake of time.
Superstar actor Chadwick Boseman died late last summer and is a nominee as Best Actor for his role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Previous Oscar winners from acting categories show who will likely be honored include Sean Connery, Olivia de Havilland, Cloris Leachman and Christopher Plummer. Past acting nominees include Hal Holbrook, Ian Holm, Shirley Knight, George Segal, Cicely Tyson, Max von Sydow and Stuart Whitman.
SEE2021 Oscars presenters: Last year’s winners Renee Zellweger, Joaquin Phoenix, Laura Dern, Brad Pitt returning
Almost all of the near 100 people on the list below were Academy members.
Superstar actor Chadwick Boseman died late last summer and is a nominee as Best Actor for his role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Previous Oscar winners from acting categories show who will likely be honored include Sean Connery, Olivia de Havilland, Cloris Leachman and Christopher Plummer. Past acting nominees include Hal Holbrook, Ian Holm, Shirley Knight, George Segal, Cicely Tyson, Max von Sydow and Stuart Whitman.
SEE2021 Oscars presenters: Last year’s winners Renee Zellweger, Joaquin Phoenix, Laura Dern, Brad Pitt returning
Almost all of the near 100 people on the list below were Academy members.
- 4/23/2021
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Albert Brooks’ most entertaining picture is still about modern anxieties, but this time seen through a satirical ‘film blanc’ filter. Neurotic ad man Daniel has a bad encounter with a bus and finds himself in a bizarre Heavenly Waiting Room for the Afterlife … except that it’s an entirely different system than that of St. Peter — he’s judged not for his sins or lack of faith, but his character and courage. This stopping-off point to a new life is plenty disconcerting for Daniel, especially when he meets the woman of his dreams (Meryl Streep). The judges practically applaud her exemplary, near-perfect life. How can Daniel ever compete? Criterion’s extras give us a genuine theologian’s analysis of Brooks’ astute afterlife comedy.
Defending Your Life
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1071
1991 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 111 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date March 30, 2021 / 39.95
Starring: Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep, Rip Torn, Lee Grant,...
Defending Your Life
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1071
1991 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 111 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date March 30, 2021 / 39.95
Starring: Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep, Rip Torn, Lee Grant,...
- 4/20/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The Art Directors Guild will award Ryan Murphy with the Cinematic Imagery Award at its upcoming 25th Adg Awards. “The Prom” director will be honored in a ceremony on April 10.
“Ryan Murphy is a visionary whose impact spans a wide spectrum of film, television, and streaming projects, all the while creating memorable, visual storytelling experiences as one of Hollywood’s most prolific and successful writers-directors-producers,” Adg president Nelson Coates said in a statement. “His imagination and consistent emphasis on high production values have fostered the creation of worlds that will have a lasting impact on the visual lexicon of entertainment for years to come.”
The Adg’s Cinematic Imagery Award is given to those whose body of work in the film and TV industry has richly enhanced the visual aspects of the viewer’s experience. Previous recipients have been Chuck Lorre, Rob Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, Brad Bird, David O. Russell,...
“Ryan Murphy is a visionary whose impact spans a wide spectrum of film, television, and streaming projects, all the while creating memorable, visual storytelling experiences as one of Hollywood’s most prolific and successful writers-directors-producers,” Adg president Nelson Coates said in a statement. “His imagination and consistent emphasis on high production values have fostered the creation of worlds that will have a lasting impact on the visual lexicon of entertainment for years to come.”
The Adg’s Cinematic Imagery Award is given to those whose body of work in the film and TV industry has richly enhanced the visual aspects of the viewer’s experience. Previous recipients have been Chuck Lorre, Rob Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, Brad Bird, David O. Russell,...
- 2/16/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Stanley Kramer’s executive secretary Leah Bernstein died on Thursday of complications from coronavirus at the Motion Picture & Television Fund retirement home in Woodland Hills in Los Angeles. She was 99.
She is the sixth Mptf resident to die of coronavirus complications in the past two weeks, beginning with John Breier on April 7 followed by Allen Garfield, Ann Sullivan, Allen Daviau and Joel Rogosin. There are 162 residents at the residential campus and another 62 in the nursing facilities, with 14 who have tested positive in an isolation wing and two others in hospitals. Nine of the facility’s 400 employees have tested positive.
Bernstein also served as executive secretary to Irving Fein, Jack Benny’s manager, and animator Ralph Bakshi. She worked on 28 films with Kramer and counted Sidney Poitier, Bobby Darin, and Vivien Leigh among her friends. In a 2015 interview, she said, “I remember Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney playing outside the window,...
She is the sixth Mptf resident to die of coronavirus complications in the past two weeks, beginning with John Breier on April 7 followed by Allen Garfield, Ann Sullivan, Allen Daviau and Joel Rogosin. There are 162 residents at the residential campus and another 62 in the nursing facilities, with 14 who have tested positive in an isolation wing and two others in hospitals. Nine of the facility’s 400 employees have tested positive.
Bernstein also served as executive secretary to Irving Fein, Jack Benny’s manager, and animator Ralph Bakshi. She worked on 28 films with Kramer and counted Sidney Poitier, Bobby Darin, and Vivien Leigh among her friends. In a 2015 interview, she said, “I remember Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney playing outside the window,...
- 4/24/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Longtime television producer Joel Rogosin died Sunday of complications from Covid-19 at the Motion Picture Television Fund’s retirement home in the Los Angeles suburb of Woodland Hills. He was 87.
He is the fifth MPTF resident to die of coronavirus complications in the past two weeks, beginning with John Breier on April 7 followed by Allen Garfield, Ann Sullivan and Allen Daviau. There are 162 residents at the residential campus and another 62 in the nursing facilities, with 14 who have tested positive in an isolation wing and two others in hospitals. Nine of the facility’s 400 employees have tested positive.
Rogosin began living on the Motion Picture campus in 2013. He broke into the business in 1957 as a messenger at Columbia Pictures. His producing credits include “The Virginian,” “77 Sunset Strip,” “Ironsides,” “The Blue Knight,” “Magnum, P.I.” and “Knight Rider.” He was nominated for an Emmy for his work on “Magnum P.I.” and “Ironside.
He is the fifth MPTF resident to die of coronavirus complications in the past two weeks, beginning with John Breier on April 7 followed by Allen Garfield, Ann Sullivan and Allen Daviau. There are 162 residents at the residential campus and another 62 in the nursing facilities, with 14 who have tested positive in an isolation wing and two others in hospitals. Nine of the facility’s 400 employees have tested positive.
Rogosin began living on the Motion Picture campus in 2013. He broke into the business in 1957 as a messenger at Columbia Pictures. His producing credits include “The Virginian,” “77 Sunset Strip,” “Ironsides,” “The Blue Knight,” “Magnum, P.I.” and “Knight Rider.” He was nominated for an Emmy for his work on “Magnum P.I.” and “Ironside.
- 4/22/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Another great mind and talent from the days of yesteryear has passed on. Allan Daviau, who many people might not know about but is a very celebrated artist, passed away recently due to complications brought on by the coronavirus. The 77-year old led a rather impressive life and for over four decades was part of Hollywood as one of the most well-known and respected cinematographers in the business. In fact he’s partially responsible for Steven Spielberg becoming the big name he is today as Kevin Burwick of MovieWeb might agree with, and collaborated on several projects with Spielberg throughout the
Remembering E.T. Cinematographer Allen Daviau...
Remembering E.T. Cinematographer Allen Daviau...
- 4/22/2020
- by Tom
- TVovermind.com
When someone who works in the industry dies, we usually focus on the actors, writers, and directors — after all, so does the Academy’s In Memoriam segment. One role we generally don’t focus on so much are the cinematographers, and we just lost one of the greats. Allen Daviau, the 5-time Academy Award nominee cinematographer perhaps best known for his work with Steven Spielberg in “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” “Empire of the Sun,” and “The Color Purple,” passed away earlier this week at the age of 77 from complications with the coronavirus.
Continue reading Steven Spielberg Pays Tribute To ‘E.T.’ Cinematographer Allen Daviau, Who Died Of Covid-19 at The Playlist.
Continue reading Steven Spielberg Pays Tribute To ‘E.T.’ Cinematographer Allen Daviau, Who Died Of Covid-19 at The Playlist.
- 4/18/2020
- by Rafael Motamayor
- The Playlist
Exclusive: Seven residents at the Actors Fund Home in New Jersey have died from Covid-19 and 11 others have tested positive for the virus, according to officials at the entertainment industry retirement home. With 116 residents, the home in Englewood, NJ, sits in one of the nation’s hotspots for the coronavirus.
The first coronavirus-related death at the facility was recorded April 10.
Some 35-40 staff members – mostly care-givers – also have tested positive, or are showing symptoms and are in quarantine because of their direct exposure to residents who tested positive. No staffer has died, however.
Allen Daviau, ‘E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial’, ‘Empire Of The Sun’ Cinematographer Dies...
The first coronavirus-related death at the facility was recorded April 10.
Some 35-40 staff members – mostly care-givers – also have tested positive, or are showing symptoms and are in quarantine because of their direct exposure to residents who tested positive. No staffer has died, however.
Allen Daviau, ‘E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial’, ‘Empire Of The Sun’ Cinematographer Dies...
- 4/17/2020
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
on the set of Empire of the Sun (1987) with Christian Baleby Nathaniel R
The film industry has lost another major talent to the coronavirus. Five time Oscar nominated cinematographer Allen Daviau has passed away at age 77 from complications from Covid-19. The acclaimed director of photography was born in New Orleans but grew up in Los Angeles so he was close to the movies before making them.
He met Steven Spielberg in the 1960s and worked with him before either of them had ever had a Hollywood gig on the short film Amblin' which Spielberg's production company was later named for. Though Daviau was never particularly prolific and retired from the cinema in 2004 he left behind beautiful pictures and was honored with a liftetime achievement award from the American Society of Cinematographers in 2007. Let's celebrate that fine eye after the jump with some of his work...
The film industry has lost another major talent to the coronavirus. Five time Oscar nominated cinematographer Allen Daviau has passed away at age 77 from complications from Covid-19. The acclaimed director of photography was born in New Orleans but grew up in Los Angeles so he was close to the movies before making them.
He met Steven Spielberg in the 1960s and worked with him before either of them had ever had a Hollywood gig on the short film Amblin' which Spielberg's production company was later named for. Though Daviau was never particularly prolific and retired from the cinema in 2004 he left behind beautiful pictures and was honored with a liftetime achievement award from the American Society of Cinematographers in 2007. Let's celebrate that fine eye after the jump with some of his work...
- 4/17/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Allen Daviau, a cinematographer whose work includes E.T., Empire of the Sun, Bugsy, and more, has died at the age of 77 due to complications from the coronavirus. Daviau had a long-standing relationship with Steven Spielberg, having worked with the director on his short films, including 1968’s Amblin’. He would go on to shoot four feature films for Spielberg. […]
The post ‘E.T.’ Cinematographer Allen Daviau Dead at 77 From Coronavirus Complications appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘E.T.’ Cinematographer Allen Daviau Dead at 77 From Coronavirus Complications appeared first on /Film.
- 4/16/2020
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Allen Daviau, five-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer who worked on Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Empire of the Sun and The Color Purple, among many other filmes, died Wednesday of coronavirus. He was 77.
Daviau died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital, the fourth resident at the facility to die of the virus.
Spielberg released a statement on hearing of Daviau’s passing. “In 1968, Allen and I started our careers side by side with the short film Amblin. Allen was a wonderful artist but his warmth and humanity were as powerful as his lens. He was a singular talent and a beautiful human being,...
Daviau died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital, the fourth resident at the facility to die of the virus.
Spielberg released a statement on hearing of Daviau’s passing. “In 1968, Allen and I started our careers side by side with the short film Amblin. Allen was a wonderful artist but his warmth and humanity were as powerful as his lens. He was a singular talent and a beautiful human being,...
- 4/16/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Allen Daviau, five-time Academy Award nominated cinematographer who worked on films like Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. The Extra Terrestrial,” “The Color Purple” and “Empire of the Sun,” died on Wednesday. He was 77.
His cousin, Christopher Rice, wrote on Facebook that Daviau died of Covid-19. “Goodbye, my sweet, brilliant cousin. You live on for us in the many frames of beautiful film you helped bring into the world. And your loss sadly makes this terrible pandemic feel all the more real,” he wrote.
Additionally, food editor and writer Colman Andrews sent his condolences on Twitter. “Rip Allen Daviau, my friend of almost 60 years, cinematographer and bon vivant, five-time Academy Award nominee, dining companion extraordinaire, pure soul, who left us last night at the Mptf Hospital, his longtime home, after contracting Covid-19. Salut, mon ami.”
Also Read: Remembering Stuart Gordon, a Re-Animator of the Horror Genre (Guest Blog)
A spokesperson for...
His cousin, Christopher Rice, wrote on Facebook that Daviau died of Covid-19. “Goodbye, my sweet, brilliant cousin. You live on for us in the many frames of beautiful film you helped bring into the world. And your loss sadly makes this terrible pandemic feel all the more real,” he wrote.
Additionally, food editor and writer Colman Andrews sent his condolences on Twitter. “Rip Allen Daviau, my friend of almost 60 years, cinematographer and bon vivant, five-time Academy Award nominee, dining companion extraordinaire, pure soul, who left us last night at the Mptf Hospital, his longtime home, after contracting Covid-19. Salut, mon ami.”
Also Read: Remembering Stuart Gordon, a Re-Animator of the Horror Genre (Guest Blog)
A spokesperson for...
- 4/16/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Cinematographer Allen Daviau, a five-time Academy Award nominee for films including Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra Terrestrial” and “Empire of the Sun,” died Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 77.
Food editor and writer Colman Andrews wrote on Twitter that Daviau had died of coronavirus at the Mptf hospital. “Rip Allen Daviau, my friend of almost 60 years, cinematographer and bon vivant, five-time Academy Award nominee, dining companion extraordinaire, pure soul, who left us last night at the Mptf Hospital, his longtime home, after contracting Covid-19. Salut, mon ami.”
Daviau, a New Orleans native, was nominated for best cinematography Oscars for Spielberg movies “The Color Purple,” “Empire of the Sun,” and “E.T. the Extraterrestrial” — along with two Barry Levinson films, “Avalon” and “Bugsy.” He also shot the Gobi desert sequence for Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”
Spielberg said in a statement, “In 1968, Allen and I started our...
Food editor and writer Colman Andrews wrote on Twitter that Daviau had died of coronavirus at the Mptf hospital. “Rip Allen Daviau, my friend of almost 60 years, cinematographer and bon vivant, five-time Academy Award nominee, dining companion extraordinaire, pure soul, who left us last night at the Mptf Hospital, his longtime home, after contracting Covid-19. Salut, mon ami.”
Daviau, a New Orleans native, was nominated for best cinematography Oscars for Spielberg movies “The Color Purple,” “Empire of the Sun,” and “E.T. the Extraterrestrial” — along with two Barry Levinson films, “Avalon” and “Bugsy.” He also shot the Gobi desert sequence for Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”
Spielberg said in a statement, “In 1968, Allen and I started our...
- 4/16/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Career brought five Oscar nominations.
Allen Daviau, the cinematographer and frequent Steven Spielberg collaborator whose credits included E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and The Color Purple, has died of complications related to coronavirus. He was 77.
Daviau earned five Oscar nominations in his career for the two aforementioned films, as well as for Empire Of The Sun, also for Spielberg, and Barry Levinson’s Bugsy and Avalon.
The cinematographer had been living at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital retirement community in the Los Angeles area.
Born in New Orleans, Daviau moved to Los Angeles and directed many commercials, educational films and documentaries.
Allen Daviau, the cinematographer and frequent Steven Spielberg collaborator whose credits included E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and The Color Purple, has died of complications related to coronavirus. He was 77.
Daviau earned five Oscar nominations in his career for the two aforementioned films, as well as for Empire Of The Sun, also for Spielberg, and Barry Levinson’s Bugsy and Avalon.
The cinematographer had been living at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital retirement community in the Los Angeles area.
Born in New Orleans, Daviau moved to Los Angeles and directed many commercials, educational films and documentaries.
- 4/16/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
Allen Daviau, the five-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer who worked for Steve Spielberg and Barry Levinson on films including E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Empire of the Sun and Bugsy, died Wednesday of complications from the coronavirus. He was 77.
His death was announced by the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital, where he lived. Daviau, who had surgery in 2012 that caused him to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life, is the fourth resident at the Mptf facility in Woodland Hills to die from the virus.
Daviau was introduced to Spielberg in 1967 and worked on two of ...
His death was announced by the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital, where he lived. Daviau, who had surgery in 2012 that caused him to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life, is the fourth resident at the Mptf facility in Woodland Hills to die from the virus.
Daviau was introduced to Spielberg in 1967 and worked on two of ...
- 4/16/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Allen Daviau, the five-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer who worked for Steve Spielberg and Barry Levinson on films including E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Empire of the Sun and Bugsy, died Wednesday of complications from the coronavirus. He was 77.
His death was announced by the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital, where he lived. Daviau is the fourth resident at the Mptf facility to die from the virus.
Daviau was introduced to Spielberg in 1967 and worked on two of the director's early short films, and the pair went on to collaborate on Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977);...
His death was announced by the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital, where he lived. Daviau is the fourth resident at the Mptf facility to die from the virus.
Daviau was introduced to Spielberg in 1967 and worked on two of the director's early short films, and the pair went on to collaborate on Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977);...
- 4/16/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Television sitcom hitmaker Chuck Lorre has been tapped to receive the Cinematic Imagery Award from the Art Directors Guild. The honor will be presented February 1 at the guild’s 24th annual Art Directors Guild’ Excellence in Production Design Awards in Los Angeles.
The Adg’s Cinematic Imagery Award is given to those whose body of work in the film and television industry has richly enhanced the visual aspects of the viewer’s experience.
A dominating force in network television over the past two decades, Lorre co-created and serves as executive producer of four series currently on the air, including the acclaimed, award-winning comedies Young Sheldon, Mom, Bob ♥ Abishola, and the Golden Globe Award– winning and three-time Emmy-nominated comedy The Kominsky Method, which stars Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin. The Kominsky Method was also recently nominated again for the 2020 Golden Globes Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, Best Actor for Douglas,...
The Adg’s Cinematic Imagery Award is given to those whose body of work in the film and television industry has richly enhanced the visual aspects of the viewer’s experience.
A dominating force in network television over the past two decades, Lorre co-created and serves as executive producer of four series currently on the air, including the acclaimed, award-winning comedies Young Sheldon, Mom, Bob ♥ Abishola, and the Golden Globe Award– winning and three-time Emmy-nominated comedy The Kominsky Method, which stars Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin. The Kominsky Method was also recently nominated again for the 2020 Golden Globes Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, Best Actor for Douglas,...
- 12/12/2019
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
It's been 35 years since E.T. first phoned home in Steven Spielberg's E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, and you can celebrate the film's anniversary with a new limited edition 4K Ultra HD / Blu-ray set from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (just make sure you're stocked up on Reese's Pieces).
Press Release: Universal City, Calif., July 13, 2017 -- In 1982, acclaimed director Steven Spielberg created iconic movie magic with his classic film, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the unforgettable and emotional adventure of an adorable alien lost on Earth and the lonely boy who befriends him. Winner of four Academy Awards®, including Best Music, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial has become a cinematic touchstone for generations of moviegoers and one of the most beloved films of all time. Now, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment celebrates the film's original theatrical release with a special gift set, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial 35th Anniversary Limited Edition on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray™ + Digital available...
Press Release: Universal City, Calif., July 13, 2017 -- In 1982, acclaimed director Steven Spielberg created iconic movie magic with his classic film, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the unforgettable and emotional adventure of an adorable alien lost on Earth and the lonely boy who befriends him. Winner of four Academy Awards®, including Best Music, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial has become a cinematic touchstone for generations of moviegoers and one of the most beloved films of all time. Now, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment celebrates the film's original theatrical release with a special gift set, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial 35th Anniversary Limited Edition on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray™ + Digital available...
- 7/17/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Keep up with the glitzy awards world with our weekly Awards Roundup column.
Awards
– The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television has announced that director Johnny Ma has won the Academy’s Best First Feature award, sponsored by Telefilm Canada, for his feature film, “Old Stone.” This award celebrates the outstanding debut of a first-time filmmaker. The film had its North American premiere at Tiff in the Discovery Programme and was awarded the City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film. The film can be pre-ordered on iTunes for viewing after April 7, 2017.
The Canadian Screen Awards will be broadcast live on CBC from Toronto’s Sony Centre for the Performing Arts on Sunday, March 12.
– Acclaimed screenwriter-director Richard Curtis has been named the recipient of the Writers Guild of America, West’s 2017 Valentine Davies Award in recognition of his humanitarian efforts, charitable initiatives and world service, which have achieved a...
Awards
– The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television has announced that director Johnny Ma has won the Academy’s Best First Feature award, sponsored by Telefilm Canada, for his feature film, “Old Stone.” This award celebrates the outstanding debut of a first-time filmmaker. The film had its North American premiere at Tiff in the Discovery Programme and was awarded the City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film. The film can be pre-ordered on iTunes for viewing after April 7, 2017.
The Canadian Screen Awards will be broadcast live on CBC from Toronto’s Sony Centre for the Performing Arts on Sunday, March 12.
– Acclaimed screenwriter-director Richard Curtis has been named the recipient of the Writers Guild of America, West’s 2017 Valentine Davies Award in recognition of his humanitarian efforts, charitable initiatives and world service, which have achieved a...
- 2/3/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
We're about one month away from the announcement of this year's Honorary Oscar recipients. They're usuallly announced at the end of August for a November Governor's Awards ceremony. This year's ceremony will be on November 12th. Last year rumors circled that it was Doris Day's turn but that didn't turn out to be accurate. For the past two years, The Film Experience has tried to make up for the dearth of movie site reporting about the Oscar Honorary careers (beyond the sharing of press releases / YouTube videos of their speeches) with mini-retrospectives so we're always hoping they'll choose well to give us wonderful careers to discuss right here.
Let's reprint a list of worthies we shared a year or so ago, with a few adjustments, in case any of the elites in the Academy are undecided about who to put forth or get behind for these coveted honors.
James Ivory...
Let's reprint a list of worthies we shared a year or so ago, with a few adjustments, in case any of the elites in the Academy are undecided about who to put forth or get behind for these coveted honors.
James Ivory...
- 7/19/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
If heaven exists, what would it look like?
It's one of life's big questions, and if you believe what you see in the movies, it's a place full of white fluffy clouds and friendly angels pining for their life back on our Big Blue Marble. But that's not how Albert Brooks sees it.
Twenty-five years ago — and less than a year after Ghost stormed the box office — Brooks wrote, directed, and starred in Defending Your Life, the story of an ad man who buys himself a Bimmer for his 40th birthday,...
It's one of life's big questions, and if you believe what you see in the movies, it's a place full of white fluffy clouds and friendly angels pining for their life back on our Big Blue Marble. But that's not how Albert Brooks sees it.
Twenty-five years ago — and less than a year after Ghost stormed the box office — Brooks wrote, directed, and starred in Defending Your Life, the story of an ad man who buys himself a Bimmer for his 40th birthday,...
- 3/22/2016
- Rollingstone.com
For this week's edition of Hit Me With Your Best Shot I challenged participating blogs (you should join us next week for The Bad and the Beautiful!) to rewatch Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Alice Walker's The Color Purple (1985) and make their choice for "best shot". The cinematography by Allen Daviau was Oscar-nominated, as were its central trio of actresses Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery, and Oprah Winfrey (who returns to the screen in The Butler this weekend). The Color Purple famously lost all of its nominations but remains a touchstone film for many moviegoers and a divisive one for others.
All of which makes it an ideal candidate for this series. Here's what the various blogs chose so click on any of the pictures for the corresponding article. They're mostly in chronological order though I've had some strange html issues that have altered the look of the post which...
All of which makes it an ideal candidate for this series. Here's what the various blogs chose so click on any of the pictures for the corresponding article. They're mostly in chronological order though I've had some strange html issues that have altered the look of the post which...
- 8/15/2013
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Los Angeles — Steven Spielberg's longtime cinematographer, Janusz Kaminski, already has won two Academy Awards for their collaborations on "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan," which are considered the director's masterpieces. Kaminski is nominated again this year for his work on Spielberg's "Lincoln," which features a signature look that they've captured together: a mystical sort of lighting, often streaking in from the outside and casting dramatic shafts.
Despite the hectic nature of awards season, with "Lincoln" up for a leading 12 Oscars at the Feb. 24 ceremony, the master cinematographer was nice enough to answer our question this week: What are five of the most beautifully photographed films you've ever seen? Here are his picks:
_ "The Conformist" (1970): Bernardo Bertolucci's dramatically stylized commentary on 1930s fascism, starring Jean-Louis Trintignant of this year's best-picture nominee "Amour." Kaminski's reason for choosing it: "Use of color and light."
_ "In Cold Blood" (1967): Based on...
Despite the hectic nature of awards season, with "Lincoln" up for a leading 12 Oscars at the Feb. 24 ceremony, the master cinematographer was nice enough to answer our question this week: What are five of the most beautifully photographed films you've ever seen? Here are his picks:
_ "The Conformist" (1970): Bernardo Bertolucci's dramatically stylized commentary on 1930s fascism, starring Jean-Louis Trintignant of this year's best-picture nominee "Amour." Kaminski's reason for choosing it: "Use of color and light."
_ "In Cold Blood" (1967): Based on...
- 2/8/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Courtesy of AMPAS
The Science and Technology Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in conjunction with the Palo Alto International Film Festival (Paiff), presents a 30th anniversary screening of Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” on Friday, September 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Outdoor Festival Village Stage in Palo Alto, CA. Hosted by Variety tech columnist David S. Cohen, the evening features an onstage discussion with members of the film’s crew. Admission is free.
Described by Spielberg as his “most personal film” and considered by many to be a benchmark in the science fiction genre, “E.T.” continues to delight audiences with its emotional story of the intense relationship between the young Elliott (Henry Thomas) and the loveable alien who is trying to return to his home planet.
A great deal of ingenuity and technical expertise were needed to make E.T. a believable character. From...
The Science and Technology Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in conjunction with the Palo Alto International Film Festival (Paiff), presents a 30th anniversary screening of Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” on Friday, September 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Outdoor Festival Village Stage in Palo Alto, CA. Hosted by Variety tech columnist David S. Cohen, the evening features an onstage discussion with members of the film’s crew. Admission is free.
Described by Spielberg as his “most personal film” and considered by many to be a benchmark in the science fiction genre, “E.T.” continues to delight audiences with its emotional story of the intense relationship between the young Elliott (Henry Thomas) and the loveable alien who is trying to return to his home planet.
A great deal of ingenuity and technical expertise were needed to make E.T. a believable character. From...
- 9/6/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
To celebrate the 100 years that Universal Studios has been bringing us fantastic movies, we’ve just received info on the brand new Blu-Ray boxset that you can now re-order for one of their most loved movies of all time, E.T. The Boxset is simply brilliant and is packed to the rafters with extras as well as a replica spaceship from the movie.
When an imaginative boy meets a lost alien, it is the beginning of one of cinema’s most endearing friendships, as Elliot (Henry Thomas) helps the marvellous creature he calls E.T. find his way back home before government agents can capture him.
The full press release and info with details of all the extras below.
Click here to pre-order your copy of the movie with the digibook and spaceship or here for the standard versions.
Iframe Embed for Youtube Steven Spielberg’s Unforgettable Adventure Debuts in A Digitally...
When an imaginative boy meets a lost alien, it is the beginning of one of cinema’s most endearing friendships, as Elliot (Henry Thomas) helps the marvellous creature he calls E.T. find his way back home before government agents can capture him.
The full press release and info with details of all the extras below.
Click here to pre-order your copy of the movie with the digibook and spaceship or here for the standard versions.
Iframe Embed for Youtube Steven Spielberg’s Unforgettable Adventure Debuts in A Digitally...
- 8/24/2012
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
One of the most beloved sci-fi films of all time is finally coming to Blu-ray! That movie is Steven Spielberg's 1982 E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, and it's set to be released on October 9th 2012!
I grew up on this movie. I was 4-years-old when it was released, and I remember going to the movie theater to watch it with my parents! It's doesn't seem like it was that long ago. This is one of those iconic movies for me, I can watch it today and get that same feeling I had when I watched it as a kid. This is a must own Blu-ray for any film geek, and I'm looking forward to watching it in HD glory!
Below you will find a trailer for the Blu-ray along with all of the specs and details. Will you be picking up a copy for yourself?
Here's a trailer for the Blu-ray:
Here's...
I grew up on this movie. I was 4-years-old when it was released, and I remember going to the movie theater to watch it with my parents! It's doesn't seem like it was that long ago. This is one of those iconic movies for me, I can watch it today and get that same feeling I had when I watched it as a kid. This is a must own Blu-ray for any film geek, and I'm looking forward to watching it in HD glory!
Below you will find a trailer for the Blu-ray along with all of the specs and details. Will you be picking up a copy for yourself?
Here's a trailer for the Blu-ray:
Here's...
- 7/27/2012
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, AcademyAward®-winning director Steven Spielberg.s magical adventure, celebrates its 30th Anniversary with its first-ever release on Blu-ray. October 9, 2012. Featuring an all-new, digitally remastered picture that delivers six times the resolution of DVD, as well as all-new 7.1 surround sound, the E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Anniversary Edition Blu-ray. Combo Pack includes the 1982 theatrical movie, an all-new interview with director Steven Spielberg, and .The E.T. Journals. featuring never-before-seen footage from the set of the film. The Blu-ray. Combo Pack also includes UltraViolet., a DVD and a Digital Copy of the film, offering fans a chance to relive the mystery, laughter and wonder of the iconic movie anytime, anywhere on the platform of their choice.
In 1982, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial became the biggest blockbuster of the year, ranking #1 over 16 different weekends. Even today, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial remains the fourth most successful movie of all-time1 in the United States. Nominated for nine Academy Awards® including Best Picture,...
In 1982, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial became the biggest blockbuster of the year, ranking #1 over 16 different weekends. Even today, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial remains the fourth most successful movie of all-time1 in the United States. Nominated for nine Academy Awards® including Best Picture,...
- 7/26/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Hard to believe it’s been thirty years since that magical summer when tons of great films were released including Steven Spielberg’s E.T.: The Extraterrestrial. The film will celebrate the occasion with several events beginning with an exclusive airing Friday on The Hub on at 9 p.m.
It’s the season of Spielberg, it seems, as first Jaws, then E.T. and the Indiana Jones films finally make their Blu-ray debuts. The sea thriller will be out in August while the other two are scheduled for October releases.
Here are the E.T. release details from Universal Home Entertainment:
Universal City, California, May 30, 2012 – E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Academy Award®-winning director Steven Spielberg’s magical adventure, celebrates its 30th Anniversary with its first-ever release on Blu-ray™ this October. Featuring an all-new, digitally remastered picture that delivers six times the resolution of DVD, as well as all-new 7.1 surroundsound, the E.T....
It’s the season of Spielberg, it seems, as first Jaws, then E.T. and the Indiana Jones films finally make their Blu-ray debuts. The sea thriller will be out in August while the other two are scheduled for October releases.
Here are the E.T. release details from Universal Home Entertainment:
Universal City, California, May 30, 2012 – E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Academy Award®-winning director Steven Spielberg’s magical adventure, celebrates its 30th Anniversary with its first-ever release on Blu-ray™ this October. Featuring an all-new, digitally remastered picture that delivers six times the resolution of DVD, as well as all-new 7.1 surroundsound, the E.T....
- 5/31/2012
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Universal Studios, Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winning classic E.T is coming to Blu-ray for the first time.
The 30th anniversary edition will arrive on Blu-ray and Special Edition Blu-ray Steelbook on November 12, 2012, with a digitally remastered picture that delivers six times the resolution of DVD, plus new 7.1 surround sound.
Both editions feature the 1982 theatrical movie and a new interview with Spielberg, plus The E.T. Journals with an hour of never-before-seen footage from the set of the film.
Also included is a Digital Copy and UltraViolet copy of the film, offering fans a chance to enjoy the movie anywhere on the platform of their choice.
In 1982, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial became the biggest blockbuster of the year, debuting at No1 around the world. Nominated for nine Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Writing and Best Screenplay, the film took home...
The 30th anniversary edition will arrive on Blu-ray and Special Edition Blu-ray Steelbook on November 12, 2012, with a digitally remastered picture that delivers six times the resolution of DVD, plus new 7.1 surround sound.
Both editions feature the 1982 theatrical movie and a new interview with Spielberg, plus The E.T. Journals with an hour of never-before-seen footage from the set of the film.
Also included is a Digital Copy and UltraViolet copy of the film, offering fans a chance to enjoy the movie anywhere on the platform of their choice.
In 1982, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial became the biggest blockbuster of the year, debuting at No1 around the world. Nominated for nine Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Writing and Best Screenplay, the film took home...
- 5/31/2012
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Academy Award®-winning director Steven Spielberg.s magical adventure, celebrates its 30th Anniversary with its first-ever release on Blu-ray. this October. Featuring an all-new, digitally remastered picture that delivers six times the resolution of DVD, as well as all-new 7.1 surround sound, the E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Anniversary Edition Blu-ray. Combo Pack includes the 1982 theatrical movie, an all-new interview with director Steven Spielberg, and .The E.T. Journals. featuring never-before-seen footage from the set of the film. The Blu-ray. Combo Pack also includes UltraViolet., a DVD and a Digital Copy of the film, offering fans a chance to relive the mystery, laughter and wonder of the iconic movie anytime, anywhere on the platform of their choice.
In 1982, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial became the biggest blockbuster of the year, ranking #1 over 16 different weekends. Even today, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial remains the fourth most successful movie of all-time1 in the United States. Nominated for...
In 1982, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial became the biggest blockbuster of the year, ranking #1 over 16 different weekends. Even today, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial remains the fourth most successful movie of all-time1 in the United States. Nominated for...
- 5/30/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Filed under: Features, Columns, Cinematical
Welcome to Framed, a column at Cinematical that runs every Thursday and celebrates the artistry of cinema -- one frame at a time.
Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic, 'E.T.,' has been described as a thinly veiled autobiography. The extra-terrestrial creature had been on the director's mind years before he started working on the fantasy-driven tale about a lonely boy and his alien friend who lifts him out of the sadness of his parent's divorce. Spielberg's own relationship with his family has played into a recurring theme throughout his filmography about the struggles between parents and children. 'E.T.' is probably the Rosetta Stone of this idea -- and Spielberg's career in general -- capturing a childlike wonder of the world in a way that many have tried to imitate.
Aside from 'E.T.'s' thematics, visually everything in the film supports this sentiment.
Welcome to Framed, a column at Cinematical that runs every Thursday and celebrates the artistry of cinema -- one frame at a time.
Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic, 'E.T.,' has been described as a thinly veiled autobiography. The extra-terrestrial creature had been on the director's mind years before he started working on the fantasy-driven tale about a lonely boy and his alien friend who lifts him out of the sadness of his parent's divorce. Spielberg's own relationship with his family has played into a recurring theme throughout his filmography about the struggles between parents and children. 'E.T.' is probably the Rosetta Stone of this idea -- and Spielberg's career in general -- capturing a childlike wonder of the world in a way that many have tried to imitate.
Aside from 'E.T.'s' thematics, visually everything in the film supports this sentiment.
- 3/17/2011
- by Alison Nastasi
- Cinematical
Filed under: Features, Columns, Cinematical
Welcome to Framed, a column at Cinematical that runs every Thursday and celebrates the artistry of cinema -- one frame at a time.
Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic, 'E.T.,' has been described as a thinly veiled autobiography. The extra-terrestrial creature had been on the director's mind years before he started working on the fantasy-driven tale about a lonely boy and his alien friend who lifts him out of the sadness of his parent's divorce. Spielberg's own relationship with his family has played into a recurring theme throughout his filmography about the struggles between parents and children. 'E.T.' is probably the Rosetta Stone of this idea -- and Spielberg's career in general -- capturing a childlike wonder of the world in a way that many have tried to imitate.
Aside from 'E.T.'s' thematics, visually everything in the film supports this sentiment.
Welcome to Framed, a column at Cinematical that runs every Thursday and celebrates the artistry of cinema -- one frame at a time.
Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic, 'E.T.,' has been described as a thinly veiled autobiography. The extra-terrestrial creature had been on the director's mind years before he started working on the fantasy-driven tale about a lonely boy and his alien friend who lifts him out of the sadness of his parent's divorce. Spielberg's own relationship with his family has played into a recurring theme throughout his filmography about the struggles between parents and children. 'E.T.' is probably the Rosetta Stone of this idea -- and Spielberg's career in general -- capturing a childlike wonder of the world in a way that many have tried to imitate.
Aside from 'E.T.'s' thematics, visually everything in the film supports this sentiment.
- 3/17/2011
- by Alison Nastasi
- Moviefone
If asked to name five Steven Spielberg films the majority of moviegoers would rarely think of The Color Purple. Like a long forgotten, and even long-lost, piece of movie magic, Spielberg’s adaptation of the acclaimed Alice Walker novel deserves some belated mass-recognition, at last, in high-definition.
Warner Home Video have released the film on Blu-ray today. Here is our review…
The story follows a young afro-American woman who overcomes the prejudices of the early 20th Century played with extraordinary depth by a young Whoopi Goldberg. Giving the character incredibly tangible extremes of emotion from a repressed, terrified victim of abuse to the beautifully naïve joy of a woman inspired by a role model, Goldberg makes The Color Purple nothing short of a character masterpiece.
With the benefit of hindsight The Color Purple can now be seen as the first film to signal Spielberg’s maturation as a moviemaker – a...
Warner Home Video have released the film on Blu-ray today. Here is our review…
The story follows a young afro-American woman who overcomes the prejudices of the early 20th Century played with extraordinary depth by a young Whoopi Goldberg. Giving the character incredibly tangible extremes of emotion from a repressed, terrified victim of abuse to the beautifully naïve joy of a woman inspired by a role model, Goldberg makes The Color Purple nothing short of a character masterpiece.
With the benefit of hindsight The Color Purple can now be seen as the first film to signal Spielberg’s maturation as a moviemaker – a...
- 1/31/2011
- by Paul Cook
- Obsessed with Film
HollywoodNews.com: Emmy Award® winner Bill Taylor, Asc and Emmy Award® winner Syd Dutton have been selected to receive the Art Directors Guild’s coveted honorary Outstanding Contribution to Cinematic Imagery Award, it was announced today by Thomas A. Walsh, Adg President, and Awards co-producers Dawn Snyder and Tom Wilkins. Taylor and Dutton are co-founders of Illusion Arts, where they earned credits on nearly 200 films. As Illusion Arts wound up its 26 year run, the company completed dozens of shots for Michael Mann’s Public Enemies (2009) for supervisor Robert Stadd and some key environments for G.I. Joe. One of their first major assignments was to create special effects for the new version of the television series The Twilight Zone.
Both Taylor and Dutton were visual effects artists on numerous notable films together, including U-571 (2000), The Fast and the Furious (2001), Bruce Almighty (2003), and Casanova (2005). More recently Taylor and Dutton co-supervised Milk...
Both Taylor and Dutton were visual effects artists on numerous notable films together, including U-571 (2000), The Fast and the Furious (2001), Bruce Almighty (2003), and Casanova (2005). More recently Taylor and Dutton co-supervised Milk...
- 1/25/2011
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
In honor of the release of a film about the 1995 controversy surrounding an infamous bit of footage known as Alien Autopsy called (what else?) Alien Autopsy, we had the opportunity to speak with the real men behind the mania -- Ray Santilli and Gary Shoefield. Time to separate fact from fiction.
Alien Autopsy is available now from Warner Premiere. Order your copy below.
About the Film:
The autopsy allegedly occurred in 1947 after the Army issued a press release that a crashed "flying disc" had been recovered. Soon after the army reported debris from a classified radar tracking balloon was recovered, and the speculation began.
The case was eventually forgotten but resurfaced in the late 1970s when physicist Stanton T. Friedman interviewed Major Jesse Marcel, who was involved with the original recovery and said he thought the military covered up the incident.
Then in 1995 Santilli, a London-based video producer, promoted a...
Alien Autopsy is available now from Warner Premiere. Order your copy below.
About the Film:
The autopsy allegedly occurred in 1947 after the Army issued a press release that a crashed "flying disc" had been recovered. Soon after the army reported debris from a classified radar tracking balloon was recovered, and the speculation began.
The case was eventually forgotten but resurfaced in the late 1970s when physicist Stanton T. Friedman interviewed Major Jesse Marcel, who was involved with the original recovery and said he thought the military covered up the incident.
Then in 1995 Santilli, a London-based video producer, promoted a...
- 9/30/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Around the mid-Nineties two amateur filmmakers pulled off one of the biggest hoaxes of all time by creating footage of an actual alien undergoing an autopsy back in the Fifties, thereby setting every single news outlet on fire. Years later a film has been made that details every unbelievable instance that happened, and we're giving it away for free!
That's right, kids! We're giving away five (5) copies of Alien Autopsy, and winning yourself one couldn't be more simple.
All you have to do to win is send us an E-mail Here including your Full Name And Mailing Address, and we’ll take care of the rest. Pretty nifty, no?
About the Film
The autopsy allegedly occurred in 1947 after the Army issued a press release that a crashed "flying disc" had been recovered. Soon after, the army reported debris from a classified radar tracking balloon was recovered and the speculation began.
That's right, kids! We're giving away five (5) copies of Alien Autopsy, and winning yourself one couldn't be more simple.
All you have to do to win is send us an E-mail Here including your Full Name And Mailing Address, and we’ll take care of the rest. Pretty nifty, no?
About the Film
The autopsy allegedly occurred in 1947 after the Army issued a press release that a crashed "flying disc" had been recovered. Soon after, the army reported debris from a classified radar tracking balloon was recovered and the speculation began.
- 9/20/2010
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
The Caretaker Set in the late 1930s, a humble caretaker keeps Tinseltown shining bright. Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke lights up the screen in this nostalgic wink to old-fashioned star power. Produced by: Jeffrey Amaral Screenplay: Jeffrey Amaral, Sean Isroelit Cinematography: Allen Daviau, Svetlana Cvetko Editing: Sound: Music: Cast: Dick Van Dyke Animation The New Tenant A nosy neighbour, a nutty drug [...]...
- 6/6/2010
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
It started for me with a letter from a Los Angeles filmmaker named Mike Williamson, who contacted me March 7 in outrage about a bait-and-switch involving IMAX. He paid an extra fee to see a movie in Burbank, and wrote the company in protest: "As soon as I walked in the theatre, I was disgusted. This was not an IMAX screen. Simply extending a traditional multiplex screen to touch the sides and floor does not constitute an IMAX experience. An IMAX screen is gargantuan. It is like looking at the side of a large building, and it runs vertically in a pronounced way. It is not a traditional movie screen shape....This screen was pathetic by IMAX standards."
If you will click to enlarge the graphic below, you will see that Williamson has a point. The illustration comes from Jeff Leins of newsinfilm.com, based on one with a useful article by James Hyder,...
If you will click to enlarge the graphic below, you will see that Williamson has a point. The illustration comes from Jeff Leins of newsinfilm.com, based on one with a useful article by James Hyder,...
- 5/29/2009
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
Emmanuel Lubezki was honored for "Children of Men" in the feature film competition at the 21st Annual American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement Awards on Sunday at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. The prize capped a big week for the Academy Award nominee, who last weekend won in the cinematography category at the Orange British Academy Film Awards.
In the ASC competition, Lubezski topped a field that included nominees Dick Pope for "The Illusionist", Dean Semler for "Apocalypto", Robert Richardson for "The Good Shepard" and Vilmos Zsigmond for "The Black Dahlia".
In the ASC's television categories, John Stokes was recognized in the television movie competition for "Umney's Last Case" from the "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" miniseries, and David Mockness won the episodic TV trophy for the "Arrow" episode of "Smallville".
Additionally, the ASC presented Allen Daviau its Lifetime Achievement Award; Ron Howard, the Board of Governors Award; Michael Ballhaus, the International Achievement Award; and Jerry Hirschfield, the Presidents Award. Donald M. Morgan was honored with the first ASC Award for Career Achievement for Television Cinematography.
In the ASC competition, Lubezski topped a field that included nominees Dick Pope for "The Illusionist", Dean Semler for "Apocalypto", Robert Richardson for "The Good Shepard" and Vilmos Zsigmond for "The Black Dahlia".
In the ASC's television categories, John Stokes was recognized in the television movie competition for "Umney's Last Case" from the "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" miniseries, and David Mockness won the episodic TV trophy for the "Arrow" episode of "Smallville".
Additionally, the ASC presented Allen Daviau its Lifetime Achievement Award; Ron Howard, the Board of Governors Award; Michael Ballhaus, the International Achievement Award; and Jerry Hirschfield, the Presidents Award. Donald M. Morgan was honored with the first ASC Award for Career Achievement for Television Cinematography.
- 2/19/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The man who shot Empire of the Sun, E.T. the Extraterrestrial and The Color Purple will be recognized for his life's work by the American Society of Cinematographers. Allen Daviau, a five-time Oscar nominee for cinematography, will be honored Feb. 18 with the ASC Lifetime Achievement Award at the 21st Annual ASC Awards at the Century Plaza. In addition to his artistic contributions to film, Daviau is a generous mentor to young cinematographers and actively tests and experiments with new motion picture production and postproduction tools.
- 10/15/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
LAS VEGAS -- The prototype Sony SXRD 4K projector, which is being demonstrated at ShoWest this week, will display uncompressed and unencrypted media streaming from a newly specially designed server configuration. The question of the server configuration is important because it raises the issue of whether the projector system being developed is truly compliant with Digital Cinema Initiative specifications. Rather than project a seamless image, the demonstration will project four streams of uncompressed data, which will be tiled together to create a whole image. The streams are fed from four separate Keisoku Giken UDR 2E servers. Previously, Sony relied on a costly SGI server configuration to display uncompressed media in a single stream. The projector was prepared by an independent Hollywood contractor, which Sony declined to name, under the supervision of cinematographer Allen Daviau. The color has been calibrated with Daviau's input to meet DCI's StEM -- or standardized evaluation material -- specifications.
- 3/15/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Van Helsing reminds you of the NBA All-Star Game, where basketball superstars take turns scoring with flashy three-pointers or slam-dunks, no one plays defense, and coaches rotate players in and out of the game so fans can see the entire rosters. Van Helsing is, of course, an all-star monster mash featuring Universal's prized horror-film megastars of the '30s and '40s -- Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolf Man and -- for good measure, though strictly speaking he was originally a Paramount monster -- Mr. Hyde.
Writer-director Stephen Sommers' idea to bring the studio's triumvirate of classic monsters together into one epic adventure film is, like an All-Star Game, a mixed blessing. The purposes of the original, high-atmospheric movies get distorted in the struggle to involve all the monsters in a credible tale. And the digital age encourages Sommers to leap from one elaborate sequence to the next without so much as a pause for a glass of blood. Nevertheless, this creature feature is exhilarating fun, a richly designed and often quite funny re-exploration of the movie past.
Sommers, who brought the Mummy back to life for Universal with his past two films, has delivered exactly what the studio wants in this reportedly $148 million production: an event movie capable of attracting a wide audience that could send domestic boxoffice gross north of $150 million and make viable plans already under way for a sequel, TV show and video game.
Ruggedly handsome Hugh Jackman plays the title character with a steady gait and confident demeanor. Originally an aging Amsterdam professor specializing in exotic diseases in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, Sommers has turned Van Helsing into a 19th century monster hunter. He wears a cool broad-brimmed black hat and a sturdy body-length leather coat and carries an implausible rotary-magazine crossbow. (As in The Wild Wild West, Van Helsing's weaponry is both retro and futuristic.) He takes his orders from a secret organization composed of all religions to rid the world of nightmarish creatures but is uncertain and even conflicted over why he does so. For he has no memory of any past life.
In the film's opening in Transylvania, cinematographer Allen Daviau and designer Allan Cameron pay tribute to James Whales' dazzlingly beautiful 1935 Bride of Frankenstein when a frenzied, torch-lit mob armed with pitchforks and scythes surges toward Dr. Frankenstein's castle against a huge night sky.
This sets the tone for the movie's look -- a respectful homage to the Universal classics that contemporary technology trumps with demonic creatures, sets of misshapen weirdness and a fantastical Eastern Europe of such cold darkness that the movie clearly takes place in a world ruled by evil forces.
Val Helsing is sent to Transylvania to confront 400-year-old Count Dracula (a mesmerizing Richard Roxburgh). He aligns himself, after initial and mutual resistance, with Anna Valerious (a luminous Kate Beckinsale), the last of a royal family line nearly eliminated by the vampire. Her brother Velkan (Will Kemp) has already been bitten by a werewolf, so he is fated at the next full moon to turn into the Wolf Man, who will act under Dracula's orders to destroy his own sister.
Dracula and his three vampire brides (Elena Anaya, Silvia Colloca and Josie Maran) desperately need Frankenstein's patched-together Monster (Shuler Hensley) to bring to life thousands of vampire children the three have sired. All, of course, were born dead.
Thus, the all-star matchup begins. There are two attacks on the village by the vampire brides, who can fly and swarm like bats. Van Helsing and Anna rescue Frankenstein's Monster, leading to a chase involving two six-horse coaches with Van Helsing thrown and landing in between two horses. The two monster hunters fight ambivalent battles with the Wolf Man, who after all is still partly Anna's brother. They crash an amazing All Hallow's Eve vampire costume ball with jugglers, flame throwers and circus performers.
Side battles between Anna and the three vampire brides lead to a climactic duel between Van Helsing, now bitten himself by a werewolf, and the Count. Comic relief comes from Carl (David Wenham), a nervous friar who supplies Van Helsing with his gadgets and weaponry, and sneering Igor (Kevin J. O'Connor), a misshapen doer of evil because, in his own deadpan words, It's what I do.
Visually, Van Helsing is a stunner. The morphing monsters -- vampires who assume bat bodies with huge, muscular wings and humans who turn into creatures of the night -- magnificently blend digital with human forms. (Viewers even get a peek at the butt crack of CG creature Mr. Hyde.)
There is more wire work in this movie than any circus as nearly every creature either flies or swings on ropes. The sets add drama but also humor. Consider the half-finished Eiffel Tower in the Paris sequence or Dracula's lair all electronically wired like a huge cappuccino machine to transform his pod "children" into legions of vampires.
Alan Silvestri's music merges choral with symphonic bombast and even a hint of '70s disco. Only the damn soundtrack booms ceaselessly. Which brings up the movie's major drawback: Sommers fears a moment of quiet or a scene dominated by dialogue. Introspection is somehow equated with storytelling weakness, and subtlety is banished. Sommers wants his monster mash to rock nonstop at high-decibel levels. So bring your earplugs.
VAN HELSING
Universal Pictures
A Sommers Co. production
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Stephen Sommers
Producers: Stephen Sommers, Bob Ducsay
Executive producer: Sam Mercer
Director of photography: Allen Daviau
Production designer: Allan Cameron
Music: Alan Silvestri
Costume designer: Gabriella Pescucci
Editors: Bob Ducsay, Kelly Matsumoto
Cast:
Van Helsing: Hugh Jackman
Anna Valerious: Kate Beckinsale
Count Dracula: Richard Roxburgh
Carl: David Wenham
Frankenstein's Monster: Shuler Hensley
Aleera: Elena Anaya
Velkan: Will Kemp
Igor: Kevin J. O'Connnor
Running time: 132 minutes.
MPAA rating -- PG-13...
Writer-director Stephen Sommers' idea to bring the studio's triumvirate of classic monsters together into one epic adventure film is, like an All-Star Game, a mixed blessing. The purposes of the original, high-atmospheric movies get distorted in the struggle to involve all the monsters in a credible tale. And the digital age encourages Sommers to leap from one elaborate sequence to the next without so much as a pause for a glass of blood. Nevertheless, this creature feature is exhilarating fun, a richly designed and often quite funny re-exploration of the movie past.
Sommers, who brought the Mummy back to life for Universal with his past two films, has delivered exactly what the studio wants in this reportedly $148 million production: an event movie capable of attracting a wide audience that could send domestic boxoffice gross north of $150 million and make viable plans already under way for a sequel, TV show and video game.
Ruggedly handsome Hugh Jackman plays the title character with a steady gait and confident demeanor. Originally an aging Amsterdam professor specializing in exotic diseases in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, Sommers has turned Van Helsing into a 19th century monster hunter. He wears a cool broad-brimmed black hat and a sturdy body-length leather coat and carries an implausible rotary-magazine crossbow. (As in The Wild Wild West, Van Helsing's weaponry is both retro and futuristic.) He takes his orders from a secret organization composed of all religions to rid the world of nightmarish creatures but is uncertain and even conflicted over why he does so. For he has no memory of any past life.
In the film's opening in Transylvania, cinematographer Allen Daviau and designer Allan Cameron pay tribute to James Whales' dazzlingly beautiful 1935 Bride of Frankenstein when a frenzied, torch-lit mob armed with pitchforks and scythes surges toward Dr. Frankenstein's castle against a huge night sky.
This sets the tone for the movie's look -- a respectful homage to the Universal classics that contemporary technology trumps with demonic creatures, sets of misshapen weirdness and a fantastical Eastern Europe of such cold darkness that the movie clearly takes place in a world ruled by evil forces.
Val Helsing is sent to Transylvania to confront 400-year-old Count Dracula (a mesmerizing Richard Roxburgh). He aligns himself, after initial and mutual resistance, with Anna Valerious (a luminous Kate Beckinsale), the last of a royal family line nearly eliminated by the vampire. Her brother Velkan (Will Kemp) has already been bitten by a werewolf, so he is fated at the next full moon to turn into the Wolf Man, who will act under Dracula's orders to destroy his own sister.
Dracula and his three vampire brides (Elena Anaya, Silvia Colloca and Josie Maran) desperately need Frankenstein's patched-together Monster (Shuler Hensley) to bring to life thousands of vampire children the three have sired. All, of course, were born dead.
Thus, the all-star matchup begins. There are two attacks on the village by the vampire brides, who can fly and swarm like bats. Van Helsing and Anna rescue Frankenstein's Monster, leading to a chase involving two six-horse coaches with Van Helsing thrown and landing in between two horses. The two monster hunters fight ambivalent battles with the Wolf Man, who after all is still partly Anna's brother. They crash an amazing All Hallow's Eve vampire costume ball with jugglers, flame throwers and circus performers.
Side battles between Anna and the three vampire brides lead to a climactic duel between Van Helsing, now bitten himself by a werewolf, and the Count. Comic relief comes from Carl (David Wenham), a nervous friar who supplies Van Helsing with his gadgets and weaponry, and sneering Igor (Kevin J. O'Connor), a misshapen doer of evil because, in his own deadpan words, It's what I do.
Visually, Van Helsing is a stunner. The morphing monsters -- vampires who assume bat bodies with huge, muscular wings and humans who turn into creatures of the night -- magnificently blend digital with human forms. (Viewers even get a peek at the butt crack of CG creature Mr. Hyde.)
There is more wire work in this movie than any circus as nearly every creature either flies or swings on ropes. The sets add drama but also humor. Consider the half-finished Eiffel Tower in the Paris sequence or Dracula's lair all electronically wired like a huge cappuccino machine to transform his pod "children" into legions of vampires.
Alan Silvestri's music merges choral with symphonic bombast and even a hint of '70s disco. Only the damn soundtrack booms ceaselessly. Which brings up the movie's major drawback: Sommers fears a moment of quiet or a scene dominated by dialogue. Introspection is somehow equated with storytelling weakness, and subtlety is banished. Sommers wants his monster mash to rock nonstop at high-decibel levels. So bring your earplugs.
VAN HELSING
Universal Pictures
A Sommers Co. production
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Stephen Sommers
Producers: Stephen Sommers, Bob Ducsay
Executive producer: Sam Mercer
Director of photography: Allen Daviau
Production designer: Allan Cameron
Music: Alan Silvestri
Costume designer: Gabriella Pescucci
Editors: Bob Ducsay, Kelly Matsumoto
Cast:
Van Helsing: Hugh Jackman
Anna Valerious: Kate Beckinsale
Count Dracula: Richard Roxburgh
Carl: David Wenham
Frankenstein's Monster: Shuler Hensley
Aleera: Elena Anaya
Velkan: Will Kemp
Igor: Kevin J. O'Connnor
Running time: 132 minutes.
MPAA rating -- PG-13...
- 6/10/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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