Throughout the 1950s, big-budget musicals were de rigueur for Hollywood, and there was a sudden glut of epics that sported gigantic budgets, recognizable stars, and no small amount of studio hype. Such films were exhibited as touring roadshow productions, which was a great way for films to make fistfuls of cash. Roadshow epics were also, it should be noted, a concerted ploy by studios to distract audiences from the rising threat of television. Studios felt the need to invest a lot of money into musicals and epics, hoping the massive productions could draw people into theaters and keep the industry afloat.
One might logically predict, however, that Hollywood tried to ride the trend of epics for a little longer than was healthy, and foolish overspending eventually became common. The age of the "roadshow epic" pretty much came to a close with the release of the notorious bomb "Cleopatra" in 1963.
But then,...
One might logically predict, however, that Hollywood tried to ride the trend of epics for a little longer than was healthy, and foolish overspending eventually became common. The age of the "roadshow epic" pretty much came to a close with the release of the notorious bomb "Cleopatra" in 1963.
But then,...
- 6/3/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Alien didn’t just spring fully formed out of the heads of director Ridley Scott and writers Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett, Walter Hill, and David Giler. Its combination of “monster on the loose” and “haunted house in space” scenario was perhaps the ultimate distillation of a long line of sci-fi and horror pictures that had come before it, from quick B-movie cheapies to some of the genre’s most elegant offerings. What Alien did under the visionary hand of its director, however, was meld all those influences together in a way that transcended the schlockier elements of the film’s influences and elevated the more artistic and meaningful ones. The result wasn’t just a monster movie, but a psychosexual nightmare with Lovecraftian overtones and a sense of existential dread.
It was also a film that impacted countless others in the 45 years since its release (it came out in May...
It was also a film that impacted countless others in the 45 years since its release (it came out in May...
- 5/29/2024
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
At the beginning of Robert Wise's 1951 sci-fi classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still," a flaying saucer lands in Washington, D.C. and a stern, masked alien named Klaatu (Michael Rennie) emerges. He announces to the gathered military and curious humans that he comes in peace, and even has a gift for the people of Earth. He extracts a small, palm-sized tube and flicks it open, revealing multiple small antennae. The flicking device, however, spooks one of the nearby military men, and he fires off a shot, injuring Klaatu's hand. He falls in pain.
Almost instantly, as if sensing Klaatu's panic, an enormous eight-foot humanoid robot emerges from the flying saucer. It is silvery and featureless, sporting a mysterious visor across its face. This is Gort. Gort steps out onto the ground, and its visor lifts, revealing a glowing power source. A laser beam emerges from Gort's head, striking all the Army's weapons.
Almost instantly, as if sensing Klaatu's panic, an enormous eight-foot humanoid robot emerges from the flying saucer. It is silvery and featureless, sporting a mysterious visor across its face. This is Gort. Gort steps out onto the ground, and its visor lifts, revealing a glowing power source. A laser beam emerges from Gort's head, striking all the Army's weapons.
- 5/20/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Note: This article discusses sexual misconduct and abuse.
As much as I roll my eyes at Joe Russo blaming Marvel's pandemic-era box office woes on the children, he's right about one thing: Hollywood, like the world at large, is at a crossroads at the time of this writing. Superhero films, which have been the bread and butter of the industry for most of the 21st century, are no longer a reliable draw. We also find ourselves in a curious place where franchise fatigue seems to be settling in, yet it remains challenging for anything that isn't based on an IP to find financial success. At the same time, the growing popularity of smaller and scrappier fare from studios like A24 could point to a way forward.
It's a lot like the 1960s, when you think about it. By the end of that decade, the American New Wave was in full swing.
As much as I roll my eyes at Joe Russo blaming Marvel's pandemic-era box office woes on the children, he's right about one thing: Hollywood, like the world at large, is at a crossroads at the time of this writing. Superhero films, which have been the bread and butter of the industry for most of the 21st century, are no longer a reliable draw. We also find ourselves in a curious place where franchise fatigue seems to be settling in, yet it remains challenging for anything that isn't based on an IP to find financial success. At the same time, the growing popularity of smaller and scrappier fare from studios like A24 could point to a way forward.
It's a lot like the 1960s, when you think about it. By the end of that decade, the American New Wave was in full swing.
- 5/17/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
For as long as “teenager” has been a demographic, there have been stories about teens breaking free from the status quo. While a lot of the modern great teen rebellion media is confined to the world of TV — where shows like “Euphoria” attract constant buzz — the archetypal troubled teen story remains 1955’s “Rebel Without a Cause.” Starring James Dean in unquestionably his defining role, a rebellious teen struggling with his demons in L.A., Nicholas Ray’s film spoke to young people at the time with its story of high schoolers struggling with, and going against, the social pressures that bring them down. Over the years it became a touchstone because its themes and its honesty transcends generations.
As the teen film has evolved and morphed as a genre, there’s always been room for stories of iconoclastic youth who don’t fit in with the status quo. Oftentimes, these...
As the teen film has evolved and morphed as a genre, there’s always been room for stories of iconoclastic youth who don’t fit in with the status quo. Oftentimes, these...
- 4/23/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
John Flynn’s Rolling Thunder is a lean, mean revenge thriller that could have only been made in the 1970s. It’s 1973, to be exact, and Major Charles Rane (William Devane) has recently returned to San Antonio after several years in a Viet Cong prison camp. Greeted with a hero’s welcome, Rane has little use for his neighbors’ praise, which he appears to regard (correctly) as an almost poignantly inadequate expression of collective survivor’s guilt.
Rane, along with his friend and fellow veteran Johnny Vohden (Tommy Lee Jones), inhabits the film with a calm pragmatism that might be disconcerting for viewers accustomed to cinema’s more overheated depictions of soldiers coming home. The men don’t appear to resent the friends and family who’re blessedly ignorant of the atrocities they experienced abroad, but the soldiers no longer possess the facilities necessary to uphold basic social conventions such...
Rane, along with his friend and fellow veteran Johnny Vohden (Tommy Lee Jones), inhabits the film with a calm pragmatism that might be disconcerting for viewers accustomed to cinema’s more overheated depictions of soldiers coming home. The men don’t appear to resent the friends and family who’re blessedly ignorant of the atrocities they experienced abroad, but the soldiers no longer possess the facilities necessary to uphold basic social conventions such...
- 4/23/2024
- by Chuck Bowen
- Slant Magazine
Remakes are always a tricky proposition. Some of the greats both in the horror genre and elsewhere are actually remakes, whether it’s a loose one or not. Be it The Magnificent Seven coming from Seven Samurai or The Thing being birthed into imitation dog from the Christian Nyby and Howard Hawks original. I talk about The Thing A Lot but obviously it’s for a reason. You could also throw The Fly in that same category too while we are here. Those are some of the examples of the good but unfortunately, things can go downhill and fast. You have harmless ones like the Friday the 13th remake or Texas Chainsaw, the annoyingly unnecessary like Halloween and Amityville Horror, or the egregiously awful like The Fog and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Like them or loathe them, or in our case both, they are here to stay, and each...
- 4/23/2024
- by Andrew Hatfield
- JoBlo.com
On September 15, 1965, Irwin Allen whisked television viewers out of their living rooms on a journey to the outer reaches of space, where the Robinson family finds themselves marooned on a strange, not-entirely-hospitable planet thanks to the sabotage of their chief medical officer. For a nation dreaming of a seemingly impossible moon landing, "Lost in Space" was both wish fulfillment and cautionary tale; a part of us was enthralled by the notion of exploring the cosmos, but we were also terrified by the thought of aimlessly hurtling through a universe with no known end and no direction home.
Allen's series didn't dwell much on the more frightening aspects of the Robinsons' predicament. Unlike Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek" (which would debut a year later), Allen employed a fairly rigid formula that found the Robinsons and the hunky Major Don West (Mark Goddard) having to outwit the generally inept scheming of Dr.
Allen's series didn't dwell much on the more frightening aspects of the Robinsons' predicament. Unlike Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek" (which would debut a year later), Allen employed a fairly rigid formula that found the Robinsons and the hunky Major Don West (Mark Goddard) having to outwit the generally inept scheming of Dr.
- 4/22/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Steve McQueen was the Oscar-nominated performer who helped define the meaning of “cool” in just a handful of movies before his untimely death in 1980 at the age of 50. But how many of those titles remain classics? Let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1930, McQueen first came to the attentions of movie audiences with his leading role in the sci-fi B-movie classic “The Blob” (1958). He quickly made a name for himself as an action star thanks to a series of hits through the 1960s and early 1970s, including “The Magnificent Seven” (1960), “The Great Escape” (1963), “Bullitt” (1968), “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968), “The Getaway” (1972), and “The Towering Inferno” (1974). Known as “The Kind of Cool,” his onscreen persona as a reluctant antihero made him a favorite of both men who wanted to be him and women who wanted to be with him.
His sole Oscar...
Born in 1930, McQueen first came to the attentions of movie audiences with his leading role in the sci-fi B-movie classic “The Blob” (1958). He quickly made a name for himself as an action star thanks to a series of hits through the 1960s and early 1970s, including “The Magnificent Seven” (1960), “The Great Escape” (1963), “Bullitt” (1968), “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968), “The Getaway” (1972), and “The Towering Inferno” (1974). Known as “The Kind of Cool,” his onscreen persona as a reluctant antihero made him a favorite of both men who wanted to be him and women who wanted to be with him.
His sole Oscar...
- 3/15/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
When Gene Roddenberry began developing the screenplay for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" in 1975, expectations for how a science fiction film could look and feel were rapidly shifting. "2001: A Space Odyssey" offered moviegoers a 70mm trip to outer space, while "The Omega Man," "Soylent Green," and the "Planet of the Apes" series fed off the sociopolitical tumult of the times to thrust audiences into dystopian futures of our own foolish making.
Where did a show that was, at its core, a dream of racially and ethnically inclusive space exploration fit in an era of consciousness-raising spectacle and pessimistic earthbound forecasting? Though the series had failed to enthrall a sizable enough viewership to survive more than three seasons during its initial run on NBC in the late 1960s, "Star Trek" had become popular in syndication with 1970s couch potatoes. There was clearly a hunger for more, and there weren't any...
Where did a show that was, at its core, a dream of racially and ethnically inclusive space exploration fit in an era of consciousness-raising spectacle and pessimistic earthbound forecasting? Though the series had failed to enthrall a sizable enough viewership to survive more than three seasons during its initial run on NBC in the late 1960s, "Star Trek" had become popular in syndication with 1970s couch potatoes. There was clearly a hunger for more, and there weren't any...
- 3/3/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
In the late Spring of 1979, Paramount Pictures' production of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was in big trouble. With a looming release date of December 7 of that year, the film was still struggling to be completed, with the bulk of its visual effects work yet to be even attempted, let alone finished.
In retrospect, given the movie's production history, this was an inevitable problem. Ever since the original "Star Trek" series was cancelled in the summer of 1969, the franchise had experienced a number of stops and starts when it came to being revived. Around the mid-'70s, creator Gene Roddenberry had seemingly set up a script and a production for the show's leap to the big screen, only for Paramount to pivot and seek to turn that work into a proposed reboot of the series back on television, to be known as "Star Trek: Phase II." That show was literal...
In retrospect, given the movie's production history, this was an inevitable problem. Ever since the original "Star Trek" series was cancelled in the summer of 1969, the franchise had experienced a number of stops and starts when it came to being revived. Around the mid-'70s, creator Gene Roddenberry had seemingly set up a script and a production for the show's leap to the big screen, only for Paramount to pivot and seek to turn that work into a proposed reboot of the series back on television, to be known as "Star Trek: Phase II." That show was literal...
- 2/25/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Robert Wise's 1965 musical "The Sound of Music" is, when adjusted for inflation, the sixth-highest-grossing film of all time. In 2024 dollars, "The Sound of Music" made $2.89 billion internationally, which is slightly more than "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" and slightly less than "Avengers: Endgame." The only additional films above it in terms of earnings are "Star Wars," "Titanic," "Avatar," and "Gone with the Wind." Something about Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical captured the popular imagination, and the world really, really needed to see the kindly, musical nun Maria (Julie Andrews) raise a gaggle of Von Trapp children in Salzburg in 1938.
The film's famous opening shot was an extensive helicopter view of the hills of Austria, depicted as verdant and placid, a place ideal for swinging one's arms around and belting out the film's title song. The camera, still poised from a helicopter, settles on Andrews, way out in the middle of a grassy plateau,...
The film's famous opening shot was an extensive helicopter view of the hills of Austria, depicted as verdant and placid, a place ideal for swinging one's arms around and belting out the film's title song. The camera, still poised from a helicopter, settles on Andrews, way out in the middle of a grassy plateau,...
- 2/25/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Actors do not get to pick the roles that make them stars. They might have an inkling in certain cases that a part has the potential to catapult them off the B-list (look no further than Humphrey Bogart convincing George Raft to surrender the lead in Raoul Walsh's 1941 gangster classic "High Sierra"), but, ultimately, the public chooses. And this can be the source of lifelong agony for actors who envisioned entirely different careers for themselves.
Take Christopher Plummer. The great Canadian actor worked steadily in theater, film, and television for over seven decades. He was equally at home playing Cyrano de Bergerac on Broadway or hamming it up as a paganistic reverend in Tom Mankiewicz's irredeemably silly "Dragnet." He won an Oscar, two Tonys, and two Primetime Emmys, and seemed to be having the time of his life even in the worst of movies (and they don't get...
Take Christopher Plummer. The great Canadian actor worked steadily in theater, film, and television for over seven decades. He was equally at home playing Cyrano de Bergerac on Broadway or hamming it up as a paganistic reverend in Tom Mankiewicz's irredeemably silly "Dragnet." He won an Oscar, two Tonys, and two Primetime Emmys, and seemed to be having the time of his life even in the worst of movies (and they don't get...
- 2/24/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
On February 7, 2022, special effect pioneer Douglas Trumbull died at the age of 79. He left behind a massive and impressive legacy of cinematic visuals that might be some of the best in the history of the medium. Trumbull worked on the effects for "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," and "Blade Runner." Trumbull was also the inventor of a filming process called Showscan, which involved shooting 70mm film at 60 frames per second. Showscan was meant to increase the visual fidelity of film by a massive margin. Modern-day 8K cameras are close to the visual fidelity of 70mm film, and most movies, despite tinkering by Peter Jackson and Ang Lee, still run at 24 frames per second.
Trumbull's work on Robert Wise's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" might be the most impressive gig of his career merely because of the circumstances under which he worked. The story goes...
Trumbull's work on Robert Wise's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" might be the most impressive gig of his career merely because of the circumstances under which he worked. The story goes...
- 2/23/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Robert Wise’s Odds Against Tomorrow came along at the tail end of film noir’s steady decline in popularity in the 1950s and just before the civil rights movement reached its peak in the ’60s. The quintessential male icons of these two distinct eras clash in the film through the extremely confrontational yet mutually beneficial collaboration between a virulently racist ex-con, Earle (Robert Ryan), and a slick, Black jazz musician, Johnny (Harry Belaafonte).
The unlikely pair are brought together by a disgraced retired cop, Burke (Ed Begley), who caught wind of a robbery that’s a sure thing. If something sounds too good to be true in a noir, it always is, but the weaselly Earle’s too macho to let his doting wife, Lorry (Shelley Winters), continue being the breadwinner. Meanwhile, Johnny’s gambling debts have caused him to be estranged from his wife, Ruth (Kim Hamilton), as...
The unlikely pair are brought together by a disgraced retired cop, Burke (Ed Begley), who caught wind of a robbery that’s a sure thing. If something sounds too good to be true in a noir, it always is, but the weaselly Earle’s too macho to let his doting wife, Lorry (Shelley Winters), continue being the breadwinner. Meanwhile, Johnny’s gambling debts have caused him to be estranged from his wife, Ruth (Kim Hamilton), as...
- 2/1/2024
- by Derek Smith
- Slant Magazine
Most Trekkies will be able to tell you that Robert Wise's 1979 film "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" wasn't as big a success as Paramount had hoped. The film is famously slow-moving, aiming for cosmic grandeur and hefty evolutionary themes over the then-popular whizzbang action of "Star Wars." "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry oversaw the production of "Motion Picture," and the overall tepid response left him in Paramount's bad graces. This was in addition to multiple delays in filming, the production going over budget, and those common studio spats so often classified as "creative differences." According to William Shatner (as he wrote in his autobiography "Star Trek Movie Memories"), Roddenberry was essentially fired from the production of any potential sequel for "Motion Picture" as a result of all the drama, and the Great Bird of the Galaxy was given the faraway and somewhat demeaning title of "executive consultant" on any future productions.
- 1/28/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
"Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" is not everyone's favorite movie in the franchise, but it is an important one. Not only did it revive Spock after the events of the much-beloved "Wrath of Khan," but it also was an important first as Leonard Nimoy stepped behind the camera to direct the film as well. Before that, Nimoy had only directed select episodes of TV shows like "Night Gallery." But this was his feature directorial debut, and fittingly, it was within the franchise that made him famous. However, it did create a bit of awkward tension with his friend and co-star, William Shatner, who had starred as Captain Kirk since the beginning of the original series.
Nimoy and Shatner had worked together for nearly 20 years by the time the 1984 film rolled around. But with Nimoy behind the camera, the power dynamic was about to change in a meaningful way.
Nimoy and Shatner had worked together for nearly 20 years by the time the 1984 film rolled around. But with Nimoy behind the camera, the power dynamic was about to change in a meaningful way.
- 1/21/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Courtesy of Kino Lorber
by Chad Kennerk
Considered the first film noir to feature a leading black protagonist, Odds Against Tomorrow is a vital entry in the noir canon. Directed by legend Robert Wise and produced by star Harry Belafonte’s HarBel Productions, the gritty look at racial tension is also one of cinema’s most important films about prejudice. Created amidst growing disquiet in America, the film heralds the explosive events to come at the dawn of the 1960s and the Civil Rights Movement.
The screenplay was based on the novel by William P. McGivern (The Big Heat) and secretly written by Abraham Polonsky, who penned the screenplays for films such as Body and Soul and Force of Evil. Polonsky had been blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee, so Belafonte approached black novelist and friend John O. Killens to serve as the credited screenwriter. It would take until...
by Chad Kennerk
Considered the first film noir to feature a leading black protagonist, Odds Against Tomorrow is a vital entry in the noir canon. Directed by legend Robert Wise and produced by star Harry Belafonte’s HarBel Productions, the gritty look at racial tension is also one of cinema’s most important films about prejudice. Created amidst growing disquiet in America, the film heralds the explosive events to come at the dawn of the 1960s and the Civil Rights Movement.
The screenplay was based on the novel by William P. McGivern (The Big Heat) and secretly written by Abraham Polonsky, who penned the screenplays for films such as Body and Soul and Force of Evil. Polonsky had been blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee, so Belafonte approached black novelist and friend John O. Killens to serve as the credited screenwriter. It would take until...
- 1/20/2024
- by Chad Kennerk
- Film Review Daily
Peter Berkos, the Universal Pictures sound effects maestro and champion of sound editors everywhere who shared a special achievement Oscar for his work on the Robert Wise-directed disaster epic The Hindenburg, has died. He was 101.
Berkos died Tuesday in Rancho Bernardo, California, his friend Brae Wyckoff told The Hollywood Reporter.
While president of the Motion Picture Sound Editors from 1963-66, Berkos began a successful campaign for his colleagues to gain full membership into the film and television academies and to receive credit onscreen and off for their work.
Berkos himself was uncredited for the first 20 years of his career until Car Wash (1976), and the Oscars would eventually revive its dormant competitive sound effects category from 1983 onward.
Across four decades, he worked for Universal on such films as Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil (1958), four features directed by George Roy Hill — Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), the Oscar best picture winner The Sting...
Berkos died Tuesday in Rancho Bernardo, California, his friend Brae Wyckoff told The Hollywood Reporter.
While president of the Motion Picture Sound Editors from 1963-66, Berkos began a successful campaign for his colleagues to gain full membership into the film and television academies and to receive credit onscreen and off for their work.
Berkos himself was uncredited for the first 20 years of his career until Car Wash (1976), and the Oscars would eventually revive its dormant competitive sound effects category from 1983 onward.
Across four decades, he worked for Universal on such films as Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil (1958), four features directed by George Roy Hill — Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), the Oscar best picture winner The Sting...
- 1/3/2024
- by Rhett Bartlett
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It's pretty well known among Trekkies that Robert Wise's 1979 feature film "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" came about after the proposed 1977 TV series "Star Trek: Phase II" never quite made it off the ground. "Phase II" was meant to be the initial "Star Trek" spinoff series, but various behind-the-scenes decisions eventually saw the project mutating to fit the big screen. "Phase II" characters were changed to be part of "The Motion Picture," and several ideas for "Phase II" scripts made their way into future episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," which debuted in 1987.
Trekkies will also tell you that Paramount was unimpressed by the box office numbers for "Motion Picture," a film that "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry was heavily involved in. Harold Livingston is the credited screenwriter, but Roddenberry aided in the story and served as producer. Because "Motion Picture" was a relative dud, Roddenberry was pushed out of the sequel.
Trekkies will also tell you that Paramount was unimpressed by the box office numbers for "Motion Picture," a film that "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry was heavily involved in. Harold Livingston is the credited screenwriter, but Roddenberry aided in the story and served as producer. Because "Motion Picture" was a relative dud, Roddenberry was pushed out of the sequel.
- 1/1/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The Starfleet uniforms seen on the original "Star Trek" series back in 1966 were designed by William Ware Theiss, a costume designer who had previously worked on major Hollywood productions like "Spartacus," and who would go on to design for films like "Harold & Maude," "Bound for Glory," and "Pete's Dragon." According to an article on StarTrek.com, Theiss became friends with D.C. Fontana on the set of "Spartacus" (Fontana worked as a member of the studio's typing pool), which gave him the connection he needed to land his "Star Trek" job. It was Theiss' idea to make futuristic space uniforms look more shirt-like and casual, which stood in contrast to the shiny-and-chrome sci-fi costumes that were more in vogue at the time.
Theiss was also notorious for the skin-revealing outfits he designed for the show's many female guest stars, and he was noted for being able to ride the line...
Theiss was also notorious for the skin-revealing outfits he designed for the show's many female guest stars, and he was noted for being able to ride the line...
- 12/30/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Celine Song could join a rare club of just filmmakers to win the Academy Award for Best Director with their first-ever movie. Usually, we predict experienced, veteran helmers to win the award or at filmmakers who have at least had a couple of smaller movies under their belt. But sometimes, a debut director comes along with a film that is so special, they earn their place in the history books. This has only happened six times in Oscars history.
Delbert Mann was the first to do it when he won for “Marty” in 1956, six years before Jerome Robbins won for his acclaimed debut “West Side Story” in 1962. Robert Wise, who had already helmed 27 movies before, co-directed the movie with Robbins, but it was Robbins’ debut. Actor Robert Redford then took a trip behind the camera and emerged victorious in 1981 for “Ordinary People.” Three years later, in 1984, James L. Brooks won for “Terms of Endearment.
Delbert Mann was the first to do it when he won for “Marty” in 1956, six years before Jerome Robbins won for his acclaimed debut “West Side Story” in 1962. Robert Wise, who had already helmed 27 movies before, co-directed the movie with Robbins, but it was Robbins’ debut. Actor Robert Redford then took a trip behind the camera and emerged victorious in 1981 for “Ordinary People.” Three years later, in 1984, James L. Brooks won for “Terms of Endearment.
- 12/21/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Quentin Tarantino will not direct his much talked about Star Trek movie. We have known that for a while, with the iconoclastic filmmaker moving away from the project back in late 2019 and following the release of his last film, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. But now as Tarantino edges close to lensing his fabled final film, we are getting some better insight into the starship that got away.
In a new interview with Collider, screenwriter Mark L. Smith, the Oscar-nominated scribe who co-wrote The Revenant with Alejandro G. Inárritu, and who’s next film is the George Clooney-directed The Boys in the Boat, opened up about the Qt Star Trek film he was brought in to write, and how it would have been a whole different kind of captain’s log.
“It was a different thing,” Smith said, “but this was such a particular different type of story...
In a new interview with Collider, screenwriter Mark L. Smith, the Oscar-nominated scribe who co-wrote The Revenant with Alejandro G. Inárritu, and who’s next film is the George Clooney-directed The Boys in the Boat, opened up about the Qt Star Trek film he was brought in to write, and how it would have been a whole different kind of captain’s log.
“It was a different thing,” Smith said, “but this was such a particular different type of story...
- 12/19/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
On the 8th day of Creepmas, we’re celebrating the Victorian holiday tradition of sharing ghost stories. Telling ghost stories during winter was a folk custom that dated back centuries but slowly faded over time. Any tradition that involves scaring each other with horror stories feels like one worth reviving, so today’s Creepmas festivities embrace holiday horror movies that center around ghosts and hauntings. The eight titles below run the gamut from inducing warm holiday feels to ghostly insanity to chilling terror.
The 12 Days of Creepmas continues on Bloody Disgusting, this time with 8 Christmas ghosts to haunt your holiday season.
Keep track of the 12 Days of Creepmas here.
Anything for Jackson
Sheila McCarthy and Julian Richings star as Audrey and Henry Walsh, a well-to-do couple mourning their young grandson’s tragic loss. Still deep in the denial stage of grief, they turn to Satanism. The couple kidnaps a pregnant...
The 12 Days of Creepmas continues on Bloody Disgusting, this time with 8 Christmas ghosts to haunt your holiday season.
Keep track of the 12 Days of Creepmas here.
Anything for Jackson
Sheila McCarthy and Julian Richings star as Audrey and Henry Walsh, a well-to-do couple mourning their young grandson’s tragic loss. Still deep in the denial stage of grief, they turn to Satanism. The couple kidnaps a pregnant...
- 12/18/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Victor J. Kemper, the former president of the American Society of Cinematographers whose career spanned four decades and included films as diverse as Dog Day Afternoon and Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, has died according to the ASC. He was 96.
Kemper made films with many of the greats of ’70s cinema, including John Cassavetes, Arthur Hiller, Michael Ritchie, Peter Yates, Sidney Lumet, George Roy Hill, Robert Wise, Carl Reiner, Richard Attenborough and Norman Jewison.
His very first film was Cassavetes’ Husbands, and it was an education in itself.
“We shot more than a million-and-a-half feet of film during 10 weeks in New York and 12 weeks in London,” Kemper recalled. “That’s the way Cassavetes worked.”
He went on to make Mikey & Nicky with the director.
Subsequent work included The Candidate, And Justice for All, Audrey Rose, Slap Shot, Oh God!, The Gambler, The Jerk, The Four Seasons, Coma, Mr. Mom, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure,...
Kemper made films with many of the greats of ’70s cinema, including John Cassavetes, Arthur Hiller, Michael Ritchie, Peter Yates, Sidney Lumet, George Roy Hill, Robert Wise, Carl Reiner, Richard Attenborough and Norman Jewison.
His very first film was Cassavetes’ Husbands, and it was an education in itself.
“We shot more than a million-and-a-half feet of film during 10 weeks in New York and 12 weeks in London,” Kemper recalled. “That’s the way Cassavetes worked.”
He went on to make Mikey & Nicky with the director.
Subsequent work included The Candidate, And Justice for All, Audrey Rose, Slap Shot, Oh God!, The Gambler, The Jerk, The Four Seasons, Coma, Mr. Mom, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure,...
- 11/29/2023
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Victor J. Kemper, the veteran cinematographer who shot more than 50 features, including Dog Day Afternoon, Eyes of Laura Mars, The Jerk and Slap Shot, has died. He was 96.
Kemper died Monday of natural causes in Sherman Oaks, his son, Steven Kemper, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Kemper earned his inaugural D.P. credit on Husbands (1970), written and directed by John Cassavetes, then shot Elia Kazan’s final feature, The Last Tycoon (1976) and Tim Burton’s first, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985).
Kemper also did six films for director Arthur Hiller — The Tiger Makes Out (1967), The Hospital (1971), Author! Author! (1982), The Lonely Guy (1984), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) and Married to It (1991) — and three in a row for Carl Reiner: Oh God! (1977), The One and Only (1978) and The Jerk (1979).
The New Jersey native said he had to wear ice skates when he photographed the hockey scenes in George Roy Hill’s Slap Shot (1977) and...
Kemper died Monday of natural causes in Sherman Oaks, his son, Steven Kemper, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Kemper earned his inaugural D.P. credit on Husbands (1970), written and directed by John Cassavetes, then shot Elia Kazan’s final feature, The Last Tycoon (1976) and Tim Burton’s first, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985).
Kemper also did six films for director Arthur Hiller — The Tiger Makes Out (1967), The Hospital (1971), Author! Author! (1982), The Lonely Guy (1984), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) and Married to It (1991) — and three in a row for Carl Reiner: Oh God! (1977), The One and Only (1978) and The Jerk (1979).
The New Jersey native said he had to wear ice skates when he photographed the hockey scenes in George Roy Hill’s Slap Shot (1977) and...
- 11/29/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within…and whatever walked there, walked alone.” – Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House (1959).
Of all the subgenres of horror, the haunted house story has provided the most opportunities for slow and subtle terror that creeps and crawls its way under the skin and into the psyche. The Old Dark House (1932), The Uninvited (1944), The Innocents (1961), Burnt Offerings (1976), and The Changeling (1980) stand among the best that not only the haunted house film, but all of horror have to offer. For many, the absolute pinnacle of these films is Robert Wise’s 1963 masterpiece of suggestive horror The Haunting. Based on the novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, the film owes much to the influences of the past while still carving a way toward the future, is populated by rich and relatable characters, and is a deeply felt...
Of all the subgenres of horror, the haunted house story has provided the most opportunities for slow and subtle terror that creeps and crawls its way under the skin and into the psyche. The Old Dark House (1932), The Uninvited (1944), The Innocents (1961), Burnt Offerings (1976), and The Changeling (1980) stand among the best that not only the haunted house film, but all of horror have to offer. For many, the absolute pinnacle of these films is Robert Wise’s 1963 masterpiece of suggestive horror The Haunting. Based on the novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, the film owes much to the influences of the past while still carving a way toward the future, is populated by rich and relatable characters, and is a deeply felt...
- 11/28/2023
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
“Maestro” brought together three filmmakers — the sophomore director Bradley Cooper and the screen masters Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese — as producers. “Maestro” chronicles the marriage of famed composer Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) and his muse Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan). You can catch this acclaimed films in cinemas before it starts streaming on Netflix on Dec. 20. Either way, you’re in for a treat.
While Scorsese has his own film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” in contention for this year’s Oscars, Spielberg is also a producer on the musical remake of “The Color Purple.” (This fact was omitted in the original version of this article due to an editing error.) He is one of the most successful filmmakers of all time and has an Oscars track record to prove it. He’s won two of his nine bids for Best Director: in 1994 for “Schindler’s List” and 1999 for “Saving Private Ryan.” While...
While Scorsese has his own film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” in contention for this year’s Oscars, Spielberg is also a producer on the musical remake of “The Color Purple.” (This fact was omitted in the original version of this article due to an editing error.) He is one of the most successful filmmakers of all time and has an Oscars track record to prove it. He’s won two of his nine bids for Best Director: in 1994 for “Schindler’s List” and 1999 for “Saving Private Ryan.” While...
- 11/28/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
The "Star Trek" movie franchise was almost a one-and-done fiasco. Paramount had the highest of hopes when they released "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" on December 7, 1979, and, at first, it appeared as though their commercial expectations would be exceeded. The film scored the biggest opening of the year with a gross of $11.9 million (slightly better than the openings for "Alien" and "Moonraker"), but mixed reviews and ho-hum word of mouth (particularly from non-fans) kept it from being the runaway blockbuster it needed to be given its then exorbitant $44 million budget. It wound up being the fourth highest grossing film of 1979 behind "Kramer vs. Kramer," "The Amityville Horror" and "Rocky II").
The film's primary problem was its length and lack of action. At 132 minutes, Robert Wise's movie kind of lumbered; there are long, reverent shots of the U.S.S. Enterprise that, for many in the audience, quickly went from awe-inspiring to tedious.
The film's primary problem was its length and lack of action. At 132 minutes, Robert Wise's movie kind of lumbered; there are long, reverent shots of the U.S.S. Enterprise that, for many in the audience, quickly went from awe-inspiring to tedious.
- 11/19/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
After a dearth of new releases worth discussing in the few months since Barbenheimer, it’s been refreshing to see the response to Martin Scorsese’s epic Killers of the Flower Moon as it enters a wide release. While we’ll have our own extensive discussion coming soon on The Film Stage Show, the director himself has now provided some welcome homework as he’s highlighted six key films to watch that influenced the making of his David Grann adaptation.
Courtesy of TCM and Letterboxd, the director has joined the latter platform and provided nearly 60 companion films that he studied in preparation for making all of his features. While that entire list is well worth checking out, particularly the accompanying notes the director has provided, we’re keying in on the influences for Killers of the Flower Moon. Find the list below, including where to watch each film, as well as Scorsese’s full commentary.
Courtesy of TCM and Letterboxd, the director has joined the latter platform and provided nearly 60 companion films that he studied in preparation for making all of his features. While that entire list is well worth checking out, particularly the accompanying notes the director has provided, we’re keying in on the influences for Killers of the Flower Moon. Find the list below, including where to watch each film, as well as Scorsese’s full commentary.
- 10/27/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Among the myriad reasons we could call the Criterion Channel the single greatest streaming service is its leveling of cinematic snobbery. Where a new World Cinema Project restoration plays, so too does Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight. I think about this looking at November’s lineup and being happiest about two new additions: a nine-film Robert Bresson retro including L’argent and The Devil, Probably; and a one-film Hype Williams retro including Belly and only Belly, but bringing as a bonus the direct-to-video Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club. Until recently such curation seemed impossible.
November will also feature a 20-film noir series boasting the obvious and the not. Maybe the single tightest collection is “Women of the West,” with Johnny Guitar and The Beguiled and Rancho Notorious and The Furies only half of it. Lynch/Oz, Irradiated, and My Two Voices make streaming premieres; Drylongso gets a Criterion Edition; and joining...
November will also feature a 20-film noir series boasting the obvious and the not. Maybe the single tightest collection is “Women of the West,” with Johnny Guitar and The Beguiled and Rancho Notorious and The Furies only half of it. Lynch/Oz, Irradiated, and My Two Voices make streaming premieres; Drylongso gets a Criterion Edition; and joining...
- 10/24/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
When cinephiles of a certain sensibility talk about the best decades for horror, they’ll probably point to the 1980s with its explosion of cutting-edge special effects and home video-induced demand for material. Or they might point to the era of Universal Pictures’ domination in the 1930s, followed up then by the moody Val Lewton thrillers of the 1940s. Maybe even a very unpopular kid will try to make an argument for the 2010s, at least until everyone pulls the A24 hat over his eyes and kicks him out.
But moviegoers would be foolish to overlook the 1960s. The decade saw not only two amazing horror flicks from Alfred Hitchcock but also caught the genre in an interesting time of transition. Filmmakers built on the Gothic approach of previous decades by adding a psychological dimension, finding new chills in an established model. Furthermore, the decade saw the first steps toward the ho,...
But moviegoers would be foolish to overlook the 1960s. The decade saw not only two amazing horror flicks from Alfred Hitchcock but also caught the genre in an interesting time of transition. Filmmakers built on the Gothic approach of previous decades by adding a psychological dimension, finding new chills in an established model. Furthermore, the decade saw the first steps toward the ho,...
- 10/21/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Right from the start, one gets the sense that something’s amiss in Alejandro Amenábar’s The Others. Three servants emerge from the fog that cloaks an estate on the Channel Island of Jersey to apply for jobs we soon learn weren’t yet listed in the local newspaper. Meanwhile, the imposing head of the household, Grace (Nicole Kidman), is perpetually on edge. When she instructs the new help to keep the curtains drawn at all times and always shut and lock every door behind them, it’s unclear whether her neuroses actually stem from the condition that supposedly prevents her two children from being in the sunlight for more than a few seconds or if it’s a calamitous side effect of her rigid Catholic beliefs.
It’s a familiar setup, but The Others doesn’t follow the same path of so many other horror films about women succumbing...
It’s a familiar setup, but The Others doesn’t follow the same path of so many other horror films about women succumbing...
- 10/20/2023
- by Derek Smith
- Slant Magazine
Piper Laurie, who blossomed as an actress only after extricating herself from the studio system and went on to rack up three Oscar nominations, has died. She was 91.
Laurie’s manager Marion Rosenberg confirmed the news to Variety, writing, “A beautiful human being and one of the great talents of our time.”
Laurie scored her first Oscar nomination for her work opposite Paul Newman in 1961’s classic poolhall drama “The Hustler,” in which she played an alcoholic who memorably tells Newman’s character, “Look, I’ve got troubles and I think maybe you’ve got troubles. Maybe it’d be better if we just leave each other alone.”
Though she informally retired to raise a family for more than a decade, she returned to film and television in the mid-’70s and racked up an impressive roster of characterizations, including Oscar-nominated turns in “Carrie” and in “Children of a Lesser God,...
Laurie’s manager Marion Rosenberg confirmed the news to Variety, writing, “A beautiful human being and one of the great talents of our time.”
Laurie scored her first Oscar nomination for her work opposite Paul Newman in 1961’s classic poolhall drama “The Hustler,” in which she played an alcoholic who memorably tells Newman’s character, “Look, I’ve got troubles and I think maybe you’ve got troubles. Maybe it’d be better if we just leave each other alone.”
Though she informally retired to raise a family for more than a decade, she returned to film and television in the mid-’70s and racked up an impressive roster of characterizations, including Oscar-nominated turns in “Carrie” and in “Children of a Lesser God,...
- 10/14/2023
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
These last few years the Criterion Channel have made October viewing much easier to prioritize, and in the spirit of their ’70s and ’80s horror series we’ve graduated to––you guessed it––”’90s Horror.” A couple of obvious classics stand with cult favorites and more unknown entities (When a Stranger Calls Back and Def By Temptation are new to me). Three more series continue the trend: “Technothrillers” does what it says on the tin, courtesy the likes of eXistenZ and Demonlover; “Art-House Horror” is precisely the kind of place to host Cure, Suspiria, Onibaba; and “Pre-Code Horror” is a black-and-white dream. Phantom of the Paradise, Unfriended, and John Brahm’s The Lodger are added elsewhere.
James Gray is the latest with an “Adventures in Moviegoing” series populated by deep cuts and straight classics. Stonewalling and restorations of Trouble Every Day and The Devil, Probably make streaming debuts, while Flesh for Frankenstein,...
James Gray is the latest with an “Adventures in Moviegoing” series populated by deep cuts and straight classics. Stonewalling and restorations of Trouble Every Day and The Devil, Probably make streaming debuts, while Flesh for Frankenstein,...
- 9/28/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
“Sound of Music” fans prepare: “Something Good” is coming your way.
A new version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music” soundtrack, featuring more than 40 previously unreleased tracks and unheard vocals by Christopher Plummer, will debut on Dec. 1. Released by Craft Recordings, this Super Deluxe Edition — one of many remixed and remastered issues — has 11 alternate takes from the film that audiences have never heard before.
The iconic 1965 musical stars Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer as a spunky governess and a strict father of seven who fall in love in Austria against the backdrop of the start of World War II. While Plummer did record songs for the film, his vocals were ultimately dubbed over by Bill Lee. Now, almost 60 years later, Plummer’s versions will be available for fans to hear. He died in February 2021 at the age of 91 after a decades-long career in acting.
Previously unheard songs include “The Little Dears,...
A new version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music” soundtrack, featuring more than 40 previously unreleased tracks and unheard vocals by Christopher Plummer, will debut on Dec. 1. Released by Craft Recordings, this Super Deluxe Edition — one of many remixed and remastered issues — has 11 alternate takes from the film that audiences have never heard before.
The iconic 1965 musical stars Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer as a spunky governess and a strict father of seven who fall in love in Austria against the backdrop of the start of World War II. While Plummer did record songs for the film, his vocals were ultimately dubbed over by Bill Lee. Now, almost 60 years later, Plummer’s versions will be available for fans to hear. He died in February 2021 at the age of 91 after a decades-long career in acting.
Previously unheard songs include “The Little Dears,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
The Sound of Music soundtrack is receiving a massive reissue featuring all of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s music from the film, along with the instrumentals of each song. The box set drops on December 1st via Craft Recordings.
Based on the 1959 Broadway musical, the Robert Wise-directed film adaptation of The Sound of Music was released in 1965. Within one year, the Julie Andrews-starring movie overtook Gone with the Wind as the highest-grossing film of all time. The Sound of Music received five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Score, and Best Actress for Andrews. The soundtrack, featuring now-classic songs like “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” and “The Sound of Music,” spent a whopping 109 weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart.
The reissue’s super deluxe edition — comprised of four CDs and one Blu-ray disc — features 40 previously unreleased tracks, including 11 never-before-heard alternate takes. The Blu-ray Audio disc contains the full score in hi-res audio,...
Based on the 1959 Broadway musical, the Robert Wise-directed film adaptation of The Sound of Music was released in 1965. Within one year, the Julie Andrews-starring movie overtook Gone with the Wind as the highest-grossing film of all time. The Sound of Music received five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Score, and Best Actress for Andrews. The soundtrack, featuring now-classic songs like “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” and “The Sound of Music,” spent a whopping 109 weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart.
The reissue’s super deluxe edition — comprised of four CDs and one Blu-ray disc — features 40 previously unreleased tracks, including 11 never-before-heard alternate takes. The Blu-ray Audio disc contains the full score in hi-res audio,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Music
The Sound of Music soundtrack is receiving a massive reissue featuring all of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s music from the film, along with the instrumentals of each song. The box set drops on December 1st via Craft Recordings.
Based on the 1959 Broadway musical, the Robert Wise-directed film adaptation of The Sound of Music was released in 1965. Within one year, the Julie Andrews-starring movie overtook Gone with the Wind as the highest-grossing film of all time. The Sound of Music received five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Score, and Best Actress for Andrews. The soundtrack, featuring now-classic songs like “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” and “The Sound of Music,” spent a whopping 109 weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart.
The reissue’s super deluxe edition — comprised of four CDs and one Blu-ray disc — features 40 previously unreleased tracks, including 11 never-before-heard alternate takes. The Blu-ray Audio disc contains the full score in hi-res audio,...
Based on the 1959 Broadway musical, the Robert Wise-directed film adaptation of The Sound of Music was released in 1965. Within one year, the Julie Andrews-starring movie overtook Gone with the Wind as the highest-grossing film of all time. The Sound of Music received five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Score, and Best Actress for Andrews. The soundtrack, featuring now-classic songs like “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” and “The Sound of Music,” spent a whopping 109 weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart.
The reissue’s super deluxe edition — comprised of four CDs and one Blu-ray disc — features 40 previously unreleased tracks, including 11 never-before-heard alternate takes. The Blu-ray Audio disc contains the full score in hi-res audio,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Film News
Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg count the slow-burn 1963 horror as one of the greatest of all time but it wasn’t always seen as a classic
There’s a strange kind of pride that many people take in not being frightened by certain celebrated horror films. “Oh, it’s not scary at all,” they’ll say loftily about The Shining or The Exorcist or The Babadook, as if they’ve somehow outsmarted the film and the other, weaker viewers it worked on, all still cowering too much to give the holdout’s smug bravery the shrug it merits. Scariness, in addition to being wholly subjective, is not exactly a value judgement. There are any number of shoddy identikit slashers out there that can make an otherwise discerning viewer jump in all the right places; there are likewise many smart, artful horror films that may not elicit much more than a stray shiver,...
There’s a strange kind of pride that many people take in not being frightened by certain celebrated horror films. “Oh, it’s not scary at all,” they’ll say loftily about The Shining or The Exorcist or The Babadook, as if they’ve somehow outsmarted the film and the other, weaker viewers it worked on, all still cowering too much to give the holdout’s smug bravery the shrug it merits. Scariness, in addition to being wholly subjective, is not exactly a value judgement. There are any number of shoddy identikit slashers out there that can make an otherwise discerning viewer jump in all the right places; there are likewise many smart, artful horror films that may not elicit much more than a stray shiver,...
- 9/18/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
Martin Scorsese is one of the greatest movie makers of all time, with titles such as “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” “Goodfellas,” and “The Irishman.” The Academy Awards think that highly of him, too. Scorsese has reaped nine Best Director nominations. That tally ties him with Steven Spielberg. Here’s the breakdown of Best Director bids for both of them:
Scorsese:
“Raging Bull” in 1981 — lost to Robert Redford for “Ordinary People.” “The Last Temptation of Christ” in 1989 — lost to Barry Levinson for “Rain Man.” “Goodfellas” in 1991 — lost to Kevin Costner for “Dances With Wolves.” “Gangs of New York” in 2003 — lost to Roman Polanski for “The Pianist.” “The Aviator” in 2005 — lost to Clint Eastwood for “Million Dollar Baby.” “The Departed” in 2007 — Won. “Hugo” in 2012 — lost to Michel Hazanavicius for “The Artist.” “The Wolf of Wall Street” in 2014 — lost to Alfonso Cuarón for “Gravity.” “The Irishman” in 2020 — lost to Bong Joon Ho for “Parasite.
Scorsese:
“Raging Bull” in 1981 — lost to Robert Redford for “Ordinary People.” “The Last Temptation of Christ” in 1989 — lost to Barry Levinson for “Rain Man.” “Goodfellas” in 1991 — lost to Kevin Costner for “Dances With Wolves.” “Gangs of New York” in 2003 — lost to Roman Polanski for “The Pianist.” “The Aviator” in 2005 — lost to Clint Eastwood for “Million Dollar Baby.” “The Departed” in 2007 — Won. “Hugo” in 2012 — lost to Michel Hazanavicius for “The Artist.” “The Wolf of Wall Street” in 2014 — lost to Alfonso Cuarón for “Gravity.” “The Irishman” in 2020 — lost to Bong Joon Ho for “Parasite.
- 9/13/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Last year, "Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Director's Edition" was released on home media. The new version of the sci-fi classic was described as director Robert Wise's "definitive vision" for the big screen adaptation of the TV series, and it was given a restored and remastered 4K Ultra HD release with Hdr-10 and Dolby Vision for optimal picture and Dolby Atmos for immersive sound. Along with the new cut of the film came an updated version of Jerry Goldsmith's astounding score, and now, in honor of Star Trek Day (that's today!), that soundtrack is finally being released on vinyl.
Mondo and Enjoy the Ride Records are releasing a variety of limited edition vinyl soundtracks for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Director's Edition," which has the film's music restored, remixed, and mastered from the first-generation multi-track masters by Bruce Botnick, the original album's executive producer and Goldsmith's long-time engineer.
Mondo and Enjoy the Ride Records are releasing a variety of limited edition vinyl soundtracks for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Director's Edition," which has the film's music restored, remixed, and mastered from the first-generation multi-track masters by Bruce Botnick, the original album's executive producer and Goldsmith's long-time engineer.
- 9/8/2023
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Although you won’t often hear his name mentioned among auteur theorists, four-time Oscar winner Robert Wise amassed an impressive filmography in his lifetime. Let’s take a look back at 20 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Wise cut his teeth as a film editor, most notably working on Orson Welles‘ landmark film “Citizen Kane” (1941), for which he received an Oscar nomination. He made his directorial debut with “The Curse of the Cat People” (1944), the first of many successful collaborations with low-budget horror producer Val Lewton.
Throughout his career, Wise excelled at a number of genres, including science fiction (“The Day the Earth Stood Still”), film noir (“Odds Against Tomorrow”), horror (“The Haunting”), war (“The Desert Rats”), comedy (“Two for the Seesaw”), and drama (“Executive Suite”). Rather than imposing his own directorial fingerprint on each film, Wise instead tried to adapt his style to best suit the material.
Wise cut his teeth as a film editor, most notably working on Orson Welles‘ landmark film “Citizen Kane” (1941), for which he received an Oscar nomination. He made his directorial debut with “The Curse of the Cat People” (1944), the first of many successful collaborations with low-budget horror producer Val Lewton.
Throughout his career, Wise excelled at a number of genres, including science fiction (“The Day the Earth Stood Still”), film noir (“Odds Against Tomorrow”), horror (“The Haunting”), war (“The Desert Rats”), comedy (“Two for the Seesaw”), and drama (“Executive Suite”). Rather than imposing his own directorial fingerprint on each film, Wise instead tried to adapt his style to best suit the material.
- 9/1/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Clockwise from top left: The Lion King (Disney), 2001: A Space Odyssey (Warner Bros.), Toy Story 3 (Disney), The Muppet Movie (Disney)Illustration: AVClub
It’s hard to imagine a world without G-rated movies, but we’re getting there. Since the rating system was instituted in 1968, beloved films like Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory,...
It’s hard to imagine a world without G-rated movies, but we’re getting there. Since the rating system was instituted in 1968, beloved films like Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory,...
- 8/22/2023
- by Ian Spelling
- avclub.com
The term "vulgar auteurism" was coined in the early 2010s to describe the work of low art big-budget filmmakers like Michael Bay. I've always felt it was a silly expression, myself. "Auteur" is a loaded word for reasons too complicated to get into here, but for me, "auteur" isn't necessarily synonymous with quality. It simply refers to a storyteller with a clear set of interests and fixations.
In Bay's case, he worships those who wear badges and uniforms for a living, and his craft involves a form of technical maximalism that's come to be known as "Bayhem." As Bay once put it while explaining his love of Robert Wise's classic 1961 musical "West Side Story," "It was all about form, style, how they use the medium. That's what I try to do with my action."
The opening to Bay's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" is a perfect example of what he's talking about.
In Bay's case, he worships those who wear badges and uniforms for a living, and his craft involves a form of technical maximalism that's come to be known as "Bayhem." As Bay once put it while explaining his love of Robert Wise's classic 1961 musical "West Side Story," "It was all about form, style, how they use the medium. That's what I try to do with my action."
The opening to Bay's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" is a perfect example of what he's talking about.
- 7/24/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Welcome back to Oscars Playback, in which Gold Derby editors and Experts Christopher Rosen and Joyce Eng revisit Oscar ceremonies and winners of yesteryear. This week, we cover the 75th Academy Awards in 2003, honoring the films of 2002.
Oscars’ diamond jubilee crowned “Chicago” Best Picture. The Rob Marshall musical took home six trophies total, the most of the night, and was the heavy favorite going in, but the “Chicago” team was probably sweating bullets down to the wire. That’s because “The Pianist” pulled off three huge upsets, winning Best Actor for Adrien Brody, Best Director for Roman Polanski and Best Adapted Screenplay for Ronald Harwood. How close was “The Pianist” to winning Best Picture?
See Experts slugfest: Revisiting the 2002 ceremony when Halle Berry made history at the longest show ever
The biggest loser of the night was Martin Scorsese‘s “Gangs of New York,” which went 0-10. Backed by Harvey Weinstein,...
Oscars’ diamond jubilee crowned “Chicago” Best Picture. The Rob Marshall musical took home six trophies total, the most of the night, and was the heavy favorite going in, but the “Chicago” team was probably sweating bullets down to the wire. That’s because “The Pianist” pulled off three huge upsets, winning Best Actor for Adrien Brody, Best Director for Roman Polanski and Best Adapted Screenplay for Ronald Harwood. How close was “The Pianist” to winning Best Picture?
See Experts slugfest: Revisiting the 2002 ceremony when Halle Berry made history at the longest show ever
The biggest loser of the night was Martin Scorsese‘s “Gangs of New York,” which went 0-10. Backed by Harvey Weinstein,...
- 7/18/2023
- by Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
They’re newly minted Oscar winners, but the Daniels remain men of the people. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the directors of “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” are giving away a free dinner to the highest bidder, in order to raise money for the Southern California branch of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Kwan announced the giveaway via Twitter on June 10. “We’re helping @ACLU_SoCal celebrate their 100th year by auctioning off a Personalized Double Date in Los Angeles. Come get weird with us,” Kwan wrote. “Please help us raise a lot of money for the incredibly difficult and important work that the ACLU does everyday.”
We’re helping @ACLU_SoCal celebrate their 100th year by auctioning off a Personalized Double Date in Los Angeles. Come get weird with us.
Please help us raise a lot of money for the incredibly difficult and important work that the ACLU does everyday.
Kwan announced the giveaway via Twitter on June 10. “We’re helping @ACLU_SoCal celebrate their 100th year by auctioning off a Personalized Double Date in Los Angeles. Come get weird with us,” Kwan wrote. “Please help us raise a lot of money for the incredibly difficult and important work that the ACLU does everyday.”
We’re helping @ACLU_SoCal celebrate their 100th year by auctioning off a Personalized Double Date in Los Angeles. Come get weird with us.
Please help us raise a lot of money for the incredibly difficult and important work that the ACLU does everyday.
- 7/15/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Sometimes, a particular subgenre simply isn’t your thing. I can count the number of haunted house movies I like with no fear of running out of fingers: Robert Wise’s original The Haunting; The Innocents; Crimson Peak; Hausu; Beetlejuice if you count comedies. Lake Mungo is a borderline case, not truly a haunted house movie for me, but a great film. I might also say The Others, but I last saw it about 20 years ago, so who knows? There’s one more I enjoy a lot, and we’ll come to that, but to cut a long story short, The Changeling had a bit of a mountain to climb with me. I’ll say this upfront: if you’re generally into ghost/haunting movies, you can add a star to my grade here.
Composer John Russell (George C. Scott) loses his wife and daughter when a truck ploughs into their broken down car.
Composer John Russell (George C. Scott) loses his wife and daughter when a truck ploughs into their broken down car.
- 6/2/2023
- by Sam Inglis
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
If the title feels familiar you would not be wrong. The word “boogeyman” has been the subject of numerous movies all using the same moniker, at least ten on iMDB database before I stopped counting, but all of them dated post 1973 when the horror master Stephen King first published his 8-page short story in a magazine, followed five years later by its inclusion in one of his classic short story collections, “Night Shift”. So in one form or another this now 50 year old tale has become shorthand for lots of Hollywood concoctions that had nothing to do with it, but hey a good title is a good title.
King’s “The Boogeyman” was basically a two hander between a disturbed patient and his therapist who indeed turned out to be his boogeyman. It was actually shot as a short by some entertprising filmmakers in 2012, but clearly there was not enough...
King’s “The Boogeyman” was basically a two hander between a disturbed patient and his therapist who indeed turned out to be his boogeyman. It was actually shot as a short by some entertprising filmmakers in 2012, but clearly there was not enough...
- 5/31/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Just in time for Succession‘s end, let’s look at method acting. The Criterion Channel are highlighting the controversial practice in a 27-film series centered on Brando, Newman, Nicholson, and many other’s embodiment of “an intensely personal, internalized, and naturalistic approach to performance.” That series makes mention of Marilyn Monroe, who gets her own, 11-title highlight––the iconic commingling with deeper cuts.
Pride Month offers “Masc,” a consideration of “trans men, butch lesbians, and gender-nonconforming heroes” onscreen; the Michael Koresky-curated Queersighted returning with a study of the gay best friend; and the 20-film “LGBTQ+ Favorites.” Louis Garrel’s delightful The Innocent (about which I talked to him here), the director’s cut of Gregg Araki’s The Doom Generation, and Stanley Kwan’s hugely underseen Lan Yu make streaming premieres, while Araki’s Totally F***ed Up and Mysterious Skin also get a run. Criterion Editions include Five Easy Pieces,...
Pride Month offers “Masc,” a consideration of “trans men, butch lesbians, and gender-nonconforming heroes” onscreen; the Michael Koresky-curated Queersighted returning with a study of the gay best friend; and the 20-film “LGBTQ+ Favorites.” Louis Garrel’s delightful The Innocent (about which I talked to him here), the director’s cut of Gregg Araki’s The Doom Generation, and Stanley Kwan’s hugely underseen Lan Yu make streaming premieres, while Araki’s Totally F***ed Up and Mysterious Skin also get a run. Criterion Editions include Five Easy Pieces,...
- 5/22/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
If the 1950s was the decade in which science fiction cinema began to mature and evolve, and the 1960s was the era where it started to experiment and stretch in new directions, then the 1970s was the period when the genre more or less went batshit insane.
The movies of the era continued to touch on socially and globally relevant themes, a trend that began 20 years earlier, while also continuing the literary pedigree and even more progressive concerns of the decade prior. But they did so in ever weirder ways, taking big swings (and often steep plunges as well) as many of the films of the decade aimed high but lacked the resources to match their ambitions.
Still, even the clunkier efforts of the ‘70s had their charms, and the creative success stories touched nerves in ways that the films of the previous decades hadn’t quite achieved. But almost...
The movies of the era continued to touch on socially and globally relevant themes, a trend that began 20 years earlier, while also continuing the literary pedigree and even more progressive concerns of the decade prior. But they did so in ever weirder ways, taking big swings (and often steep plunges as well) as many of the films of the decade aimed high but lacked the resources to match their ambitions.
Still, even the clunkier efforts of the ‘70s had their charms, and the creative success stories touched nerves in ways that the films of the previous decades hadn’t quite achieved. But almost...
- 5/20/2023
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.