Ahmed El-Shenawi, the Egyptian-born actor whose character delightfully announces that a slithering helping of “snake surprise” is about to be served in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, has died. He was 75.
El-Shenawi died Feb. 1 in Chelsea, London, his daughter, Eman El-Shenawi, told The Hollywood Reporter. He had been in the hospital for an operation to repair a fracture and developed an infection that led to sepsis, she said.
El-Shenawi also portrayed a prisoner who inherits a radio in Alan Parker’s harrowing Midnight Express (1978), starring Brad Davis, and he had the pivotal role of the therapist who hypnotizes the detective (Michael Elphick) in The Element of Crime (1984) — Lars von Trier’s first feature and the first in his Europa trilogy. Both movies played at Cannes.
“I believe his brief but impactful moments of fame resonated so much among many,” his daughter said.
In Steven Spielberg’s Temple of Doom (1984), the extremely large El-Shenawi,...
El-Shenawi died Feb. 1 in Chelsea, London, his daughter, Eman El-Shenawi, told The Hollywood Reporter. He had been in the hospital for an operation to repair a fracture and developed an infection that led to sepsis, she said.
El-Shenawi also portrayed a prisoner who inherits a radio in Alan Parker’s harrowing Midnight Express (1978), starring Brad Davis, and he had the pivotal role of the therapist who hypnotizes the detective (Michael Elphick) in The Element of Crime (1984) — Lars von Trier’s first feature and the first in his Europa trilogy. Both movies played at Cannes.
“I believe his brief but impactful moments of fame resonated so much among many,” his daughter said.
In Steven Spielberg’s Temple of Doom (1984), the extremely large El-Shenawi,...
- 3/9/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Oof, "Madame Web." Critics have savaged the latest Spider-Manless Spider-Man spin-off from Sony Pictures (read /Film's review here). Unlike the Sydney Sweeney picture I'm actually looking forward to this year, "Madame Web" is not "Immaculate." It's a hackneyed joke that in bad movies of this sort, the best part is when the credits hit. In "Madame Web," that's doubly true because you'll get to hear some nice music: "Dreams" by The Cranberries.
Released in 1992, "Dreams" is the Irish band's debut single, part of their first album "Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?" Dolores O'Riordan, The Cranberries' late singer, and guitarist Noal Hogan wrote the song about the experience of love. O'Riordan's whimsical brogue becomes a melody played against the soft rock instrumentals from her bandmates. It's not just a great love song, but a song about how it feels to be in love: the floating excitement, how...
Released in 1992, "Dreams" is the Irish band's debut single, part of their first album "Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?" Dolores O'Riordan, The Cranberries' late singer, and guitarist Noal Hogan wrote the song about the experience of love. O'Riordan's whimsical brogue becomes a melody played against the soft rock instrumentals from her bandmates. It's not just a great love song, but a song about how it feels to be in love: the floating excitement, how...
- 2/18/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
It doesn’t sound like Ryan Gosling and Oliver Stone are ever going to work together after these comments from the acclaimed director.
The four-time Oscar-winning filmmaker slammed Ryan for taking on the role of Ken in the movie Barbie, despite the actor receiving universal acclaim for his performance and getting tons of awards nominations.
Oliver was asked about the comments from a Mattel boss who jokingly said that he should direct Barbie 2.
Keep reading to find out more…
“Ridiculous,” he told CityAM. “Ryan Gosling is wasting his time if he’s doing that sh-t for money. He should be doing more serious films. He shouldn’t be a part of this infantilization of Hollywood.”
Oliver continued, “Now it’s all fantasy, fantasy, fantasy, including all the war pictures: fantasy, fantasy. Even the Fast and Furious movies, which I used to enjoy, have become like Marvel movies. I mean, how many crashes can you see?...
The four-time Oscar-winning filmmaker slammed Ryan for taking on the role of Ken in the movie Barbie, despite the actor receiving universal acclaim for his performance and getting tons of awards nominations.
Oliver was asked about the comments from a Mattel boss who jokingly said that he should direct Barbie 2.
Keep reading to find out more…
“Ridiculous,” he told CityAM. “Ryan Gosling is wasting his time if he’s doing that sh-t for money. He should be doing more serious films. He shouldn’t be a part of this infantilization of Hollywood.”
Oliver continued, “Now it’s all fantasy, fantasy, fantasy, including all the war pictures: fantasy, fantasy. Even the Fast and Furious movies, which I used to enjoy, have become like Marvel movies. I mean, how many crashes can you see?...
- 1/23/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Oliver Stone has a lot of opinions about the current film industry and says movies like Barbie are contributing to the “infantilization of Hollywood.”
In an interview from June 2023, the filmmaker suggested Ryan Gosling shouldn’t have been involved in the Greta Gerwig film and instead focus on “more serious films.”
“Ryan Gosling is wasting his time if he’s doing that shit for money. He should be doing more serious films. He shouldn’t be a part of this infantilization of Hollywood. Now it’s all fantasy, fantasy, fantasy, including all the war pictures: fantasy, fantasy,” Oliver said in an interview with City Am.
Update: Oliver Stone Clears Up Resurfaced ‘Barbie’ Comments: “I Apologize For Speaking Ignorantly”
Stone took a shot at the Fast and Furious franchise as well, saying that he used to enjoy the films, but recently, they “have become like Marvel movies. I mean, how many crashes can you see?...
In an interview from June 2023, the filmmaker suggested Ryan Gosling shouldn’t have been involved in the Greta Gerwig film and instead focus on “more serious films.”
“Ryan Gosling is wasting his time if he’s doing that shit for money. He should be doing more serious films. He shouldn’t be a part of this infantilization of Hollywood. Now it’s all fantasy, fantasy, fantasy, including all the war pictures: fantasy, fantasy,” Oliver said in an interview with City Am.
Update: Oliver Stone Clears Up Resurfaced ‘Barbie’ Comments: “I Apologize For Speaking Ignorantly”
Stone took a shot at the Fast and Furious franchise as well, saying that he used to enjoy the films, but recently, they “have become like Marvel movies. I mean, how many crashes can you see?...
- 1/22/2024
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Long before he made Popeye Doyle race a Brooklyn subway and Regan MacNeil’s head spin, William Friedkin began his career doing live TV. He’d move on to an episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, short documentaries, a Sonny-and-Cher joint (Good Times), theatrical adaptations (The Birthday Party, The Boys in the Band), and then an all-guts-all-glory double shot that instantly made him a New Hollywood power player. But like a lot of directors coming up in the early 1960s, his roots were with actors, words, conflict, and not much more.
- 10/7/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Matteo Garrone’s talent for weaving stories out of the fabric of real events––especially those involving desperate or violent people––gets another airing in Io Capitano, an engrossing, visceral portrait of one young man’s brutal journey from Senegal to the coast of Italy. The director won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2008 for Gomorrah, his defining, excoriating portrait of the Camorra crime syndicate, and he performed the trick again ten years later in Dogman, inspired by a gruesome gangland murder in Rome. He’s also had success in comedies (Reality) and fantasy (Tale of Tales), but his new film is an epic embracing the defining issue of Italian politics right now––the flow of refugees crossing the Mediterranean heading for Europe––making a potentially abstract, no-less-urgent topic tactile and approachable.
The migrant crisis is having a moment this year in European cinema, with Agnieszka Holland’s recent Green Border,...
The migrant crisis is having a moment this year in European cinema, with Agnieszka Holland’s recent Green Border,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Ed Frankl
- The Film Stage
Three-time Oscar winner Oliver Stone has courted controversy with a series of technically ambitious, rabble rousing political dramas, chronicling the highs and lows of American history. But how many of his titles remain classics? In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at all 20 of his films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1946, Stone served in the Vietnam War before enrolling in NYU film school. He first came to prominence as a screenwriter, winning an Oscar for penning “Midnight Express” (Best Original Screenplay in 1978) before writing “Conan the Barbarian” (1982), “Scarface” (1983) and “Year of the Dragon” (1985). During this same period, he directed the low-budget horror films “Seizure” (1974) and “The Hand” (1981).
He emerged as a an A-list director when he was 40 years old with a pair of acclaimed war dramas released in 1986: “Salvador” and “Platoon.” Both earned him Best Original Screenplay nominations, while “Platoon,” which was based on...
Born in 1946, Stone served in the Vietnam War before enrolling in NYU film school. He first came to prominence as a screenwriter, winning an Oscar for penning “Midnight Express” (Best Original Screenplay in 1978) before writing “Conan the Barbarian” (1982), “Scarface” (1983) and “Year of the Dragon” (1985). During this same period, he directed the low-budget horror films “Seizure” (1974) and “The Hand” (1981).
He emerged as a an A-list director when he was 40 years old with a pair of acclaimed war dramas released in 1986: “Salvador” and “Platoon.” Both earned him Best Original Screenplay nominations, while “Platoon,” which was based on...
- 9/8/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Before author J.K. Rowling — on whose book series the films are based — said some awful, unforgivable, transphobic things, the "Harry Potter" franchise hooked audiences around the world. As someone who used to stand outside bookstores for the midnight launches of "Harry Potter" books, I can tell you that I was totally hooked.
For those who weren't into the books, the craze must have seemed bananas. People wandering around Universal Studios Hollywood's Wizarding World in the hot California summers, dressed in polyester wizard robes, waving their wands at walls ... well, we all looked nuts. If you didn't love the series the way fans did, the budget alone for these films would make a person cringe.
British actor Sir John Hurt, who played wand shop owner Garrick Ollivander, had some rather disparaging things to say about how much money was spent on these films, though put in context, it makes sense.
For those who weren't into the books, the craze must have seemed bananas. People wandering around Universal Studios Hollywood's Wizarding World in the hot California summers, dressed in polyester wizard robes, waving their wands at walls ... well, we all looked nuts. If you didn't love the series the way fans did, the budget alone for these films would make a person cringe.
British actor Sir John Hurt, who played wand shop owner Garrick Ollivander, had some rather disparaging things to say about how much money was spent on these films, though put in context, it makes sense.
- 9/5/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
You’re a wizard indeed–and only a wizard could work the sort of spell that was cast over children and adults all over the world beginning in the late ‘90s, turning the wildly successful Harry Potter books (we’re talking 120 million copies sold here) into one of the most profitable franchises ever.
With J.K. Rowling watching over the production diligently (sometimes to a fault), Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone aka …Sorcerer’s Stone was a marvel of an adaptation. And what eventually arrived didn’t come from a burly half-giant, but rather a wide-eyed cast of newcomers, a visionary crew conjuring the proper vision and the guy who directed Adventures in Babysitting…
So put on your sorting hat and head for Platform 9 ¾ as we find out…Wtf Happened to this movie?!
The making of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone goes back to 1997, the same year the novel was published.
With J.K. Rowling watching over the production diligently (sometimes to a fault), Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone aka …Sorcerer’s Stone was a marvel of an adaptation. And what eventually arrived didn’t come from a burly half-giant, but rather a wide-eyed cast of newcomers, a visionary crew conjuring the proper vision and the guy who directed Adventures in Babysitting…
So put on your sorting hat and head for Platform 9 ¾ as we find out…Wtf Happened to this movie?!
The making of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone goes back to 1997, the same year the novel was published.
- 7/19/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
The superhero genre and action movies with great fight choreographies may be at the top of the box-office, but not everyone likes them. Sagas like John Wick or the Marvel Cinematic Universe are going through a great moment on the big screen, and even on television and streaming, but the more popular they get, the more critics they receive.
Several emblematic Hollywood directors such as Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino have been reluctant to the great fame that this type of productions have gained in recent years, calling these productions not memorable or more similar to an amusement park than a movie. And it seems that they keep gaining enemies.
In an interview with Variety, the director of the 80s classic Scarface Oliver Stone confessed that he is not a fan of movies like those starring Keanu Reeves as the famous assassin, or the Marvel Studios franchise:
“I saw John Wick 4 on the plane.
Several emblematic Hollywood directors such as Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino have been reluctant to the great fame that this type of productions have gained in recent years, calling these productions not memorable or more similar to an amusement park than a movie. And it seems that they keep gaining enemies.
In an interview with Variety, the director of the 80s classic Scarface Oliver Stone confessed that he is not a fan of movies like those starring Keanu Reeves as the famous assassin, or the Marvel Studios franchise:
“I saw John Wick 4 on the plane.
- 6/19/2023
- by Maca Reynolds
- MovieWeb
In his latest podcast/interview, host and screenwriter Stuart Wright talks to Pat Kelman, co-founder of 606 Distribution about new releases Love According To Dalva and The Old Man Movie: Lactopalypse! and “3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life”
Towering Inferno (1974) All That Jazz (1979) Midnight Express (1978)/Taxi Driver (1976) Double Bill
“3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life” is about those films that made you fall in love with film. The guest selects their trio of movies and we talk for 5 minutes, against the clock. When the alarm goes off for five minutes we move on to the next film.
Powered by RedCircle...
Towering Inferno (1974) All That Jazz (1979) Midnight Express (1978)/Taxi Driver (1976) Double Bill
“3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life” is about those films that made you fall in love with film. The guest selects their trio of movies and we talk for 5 minutes, against the clock. When the alarm goes off for five minutes we move on to the next film.
Powered by RedCircle...
- 5/31/2023
- by Stuart Wright
- Nerdly
Tom Whitlock, who won a Best Song Oscar for co-writing the No. 1 smash ‘Take My Breath Away’ from Top Gun and also wrote the film’s other hit single “Danger Zone,” has died. He was 68.
Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home confirmed that he died February 18 in Gallatin, Tn. No cause was given.
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Rihanna Will Perform "Lift Me Up" At Oscars Related Story "Crisis Team" In Place At Oscars For First Time, Academy CEO Says: "We've Run So Many Scenarios"
Born on February 20, 1954, in Springfield, Mo, Whitlock had been a longtime songwriter and performer without much success when he had a chance meeting with Giorgio Moroder in a Los Angeles recording studio. Whitlock told a story about the Italian composer complaining about the brakes on his Ferrari, leading the opportunistic lyricist to picking up some brake fluid and make the repairs.
Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home confirmed that he died February 18 in Gallatin, Tn. No cause was given.
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Rihanna Will Perform "Lift Me Up" At Oscars Related Story "Crisis Team" In Place At Oscars For First Time, Academy CEO Says: "We've Run So Many Scenarios"
Born on February 20, 1954, in Springfield, Mo, Whitlock had been a longtime songwriter and performer without much success when he had a chance meeting with Giorgio Moroder in a Los Angeles recording studio. Whitlock told a story about the Italian composer complaining about the brakes on his Ferrari, leading the opportunistic lyricist to picking up some brake fluid and make the repairs.
- 2/23/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Movie star John Wayne had a hug at his final public appearance at the 1979 Academy Awards that he said he wouldn’t miss for anything else in the world. He presented a tough exterior that became popular on the silver screen through his Western and war movie roles. However, Wayne showed a softer center to many of his colleagues, which allowed him to develop deep connections with them.
John Wayne earned the respect of his colleagues John Wayne | ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
Wayne had conservative morals and values that he brought from his real life onto the silver screen. He represented a specific view of America, standing for more than a movie star. Hollywood initially turned its back on Wayne, believing that he could only play himself. However, his impact on moviegoing audiences and popular culture was undeniable.
The actor had a certain charm...
John Wayne earned the respect of his colleagues John Wayne | ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
Wayne had conservative morals and values that he brought from his real life onto the silver screen. He represented a specific view of America, standing for more than a movie star. Hollywood initially turned its back on Wayne, believing that he could only play himself. However, his impact on moviegoing audiences and popular culture was undeniable.
The actor had a certain charm...
- 2/19/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Hugh Hudson, a British filmmaker who debuted as a feature director with the Oscar-winning Olympics drama “Chariots of Fire” and later made such well-regarded movies as “My Life So Far” and the Oscar-nominated “Greystoke,” has died at age 86.
Hudson’s family issued a brief statement announcing that he died Friday at a hospital in London “after a short illness.”
Read More: Cody Longo, ‘Days Of Our Lives’ And ‘Hollywood Heights’ Actor, Dead At 34
A London native, Hudson started out as a documentary editor and producer and also worked in television advertising before finding work in feature films in the late 1970s as a second-unit director on Alan Parker’s “Midnight Express”. In 1981, producer David Puttnam asked Hudson to direct “Chariots of Fire”, which starred Ben Cross and Nigel Havers as British athletes of contrasting religions and backgrounds at the 1924 Olympics.
With its inspirational plot and sentimental theme music by the Greek composer Vangelis,...
Hudson’s family issued a brief statement announcing that he died Friday at a hospital in London “after a short illness.”
Read More: Cody Longo, ‘Days Of Our Lives’ And ‘Hollywood Heights’ Actor, Dead At 34
A London native, Hudson started out as a documentary editor and producer and also worked in television advertising before finding work in feature films in the late 1970s as a second-unit director on Alan Parker’s “Midnight Express”. In 1981, producer David Puttnam asked Hudson to direct “Chariots of Fire”, which starred Ben Cross and Nigel Havers as British athletes of contrasting religions and backgrounds at the 1924 Olympics.
With its inspirational plot and sentimental theme music by the Greek composer Vangelis,...
- 2/11/2023
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
The Oscar-nominated British filmmaker Hugh Hudson has passed away. Famous for his documentary and advertising work, Hudson shot Chariots of Fire, one of the most celebrated films in British history, and Best Picture winner at the 1981 Oscars ceremony. Hudson was 86 when he passed away on Friday at Charing Cross hospital in London after a brief illness.
Hudson directed seven films throughout his career, including Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984), Revolution, Lost Angels, and more. Hailed as a maker of lasting cinema, Hudson’s Revolution, starring Al Pacino, was a box office bomb, earning roughly 350,000 against a reported 29 million budget. The backlash left a lasting impression on Hudson and compelled Pacino to exit the acting scene for roughly four years.
Hudson cut his teeth as a second-unit director for filmmaker Alan Parker and producer David Puttnam on Midnight Express. Puttnam was impressed by Hudson’s keen eye...
Hudson directed seven films throughout his career, including Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984), Revolution, Lost Angels, and more. Hailed as a maker of lasting cinema, Hudson’s Revolution, starring Al Pacino, was a box office bomb, earning roughly 350,000 against a reported 29 million budget. The backlash left a lasting impression on Hudson and compelled Pacino to exit the acting scene for roughly four years.
Hudson cut his teeth as a second-unit director for filmmaker Alan Parker and producer David Puttnam on Midnight Express. Puttnam was impressed by Hudson’s keen eye...
- 2/10/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Hugh Hudson, whose first feature directing effort Chariots of Fire won four Academy Awards including Best Picture, has died, according to a statement from his family obtained by the BBC. He was 86.
Hudson began his career making documentaries and television commercials, which he continued to do even after his big-screen breakthrough with Chariots of Fire. He worked alongside Alan Parker, Ridley Scott and Tony Scott for Ridley Scott Associates (Rsa). His first filmmaking job was as a second-unit director on Parker’s Midnight Express.
Vincent Canby wrote of Hudson’s Oscar-winning debut in 1981: “It’s to the credit of both Mr. Hudson and Mr. Welland [Colin Welland wrote the screenplay] that Chariots of Fire is simultaneously romantic and commonsensical, lyrical and comic. … It’s an exceptional film, about some exceptional people.”
Also deserving credit for the film’s lyricism was the late composer Vangelis, whom Puttnam had worked with...
Hudson began his career making documentaries and television commercials, which he continued to do even after his big-screen breakthrough with Chariots of Fire. He worked alongside Alan Parker, Ridley Scott and Tony Scott for Ridley Scott Associates (Rsa). His first filmmaking job was as a second-unit director on Parker’s Midnight Express.
Vincent Canby wrote of Hudson’s Oscar-winning debut in 1981: “It’s to the credit of both Mr. Hudson and Mr. Welland [Colin Welland wrote the screenplay] that Chariots of Fire is simultaneously romantic and commonsensical, lyrical and comic. … It’s an exceptional film, about some exceptional people.”
Also deserving credit for the film’s lyricism was the late composer Vangelis, whom Puttnam had worked with...
- 2/10/2023
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Hugh Hudson, who came from the worlds of documentaries and advertising to make his feature directing debut on the stirring Oscar best picture winner Chariots of Fire, one of the most admired British films ever made, has died. He was 86.
Hudson died Friday at Charing Cross hospital in London after a short illness, his family told The Guardian newspaper.
Hudson helmed just seven features during his career. After earning an Oscar nomination for his 1981 masterpiece, he followed with the highly regarded Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984). Starring Christopher Lambert, it was the first Tarzan feature to receive an Oscar nom (it landed three).
Up next for Hudson, however, was Revolution (1985), which starred Al Pacino as a fur trapper thrust into the American Revolutionary War. Made for a reported 28 million, it was a major bust, grossing just 350,000 in the U.S. Critics hammered Pacino, who left acting for about four years,...
Hudson died Friday at Charing Cross hospital in London after a short illness, his family told The Guardian newspaper.
Hudson helmed just seven features during his career. After earning an Oscar nomination for his 1981 masterpiece, he followed with the highly regarded Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984). Starring Christopher Lambert, it was the first Tarzan feature to receive an Oscar nom (it landed three).
Up next for Hudson, however, was Revolution (1985), which starred Al Pacino as a fur trapper thrust into the American Revolutionary War. Made for a reported 28 million, it was a major bust, grossing just 350,000 in the U.S. Critics hammered Pacino, who left acting for about four years,...
- 2/10/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
(Welcome to Animation Celebration, a recurring feature where we explore the limitless possibilities of animation as a medium. In this edition: "Pink Floyd — The Wall.")
The first time I watched "Pink Floyd — The Wall" was also the first time I experimented with hallucinogenic drugs. A '90s kid to the core, I had heard countless stories from my parents and their friends about how life-changing it was to experience the film for the first time and I wanted a little taste of that. The joke's on me though, because I have aphantasia, and hallucinogens are one of the only ways folks like me can actually visualize with my eyes closed. Needless to say, I totally freaked out and had to lie down for what felt like approximately three days. Regardless, 10/10 would do again in a heartbeat.
"Pink Floyd — The Wall" is a dramatization of the legendary British rock band's eponymous concept album.
The first time I watched "Pink Floyd — The Wall" was also the first time I experimented with hallucinogenic drugs. A '90s kid to the core, I had heard countless stories from my parents and their friends about how life-changing it was to experience the film for the first time and I wanted a little taste of that. The joke's on me though, because I have aphantasia, and hallucinogens are one of the only ways folks like me can actually visualize with my eyes closed. Needless to say, I totally freaked out and had to lie down for what felt like approximately three days. Regardless, 10/10 would do again in a heartbeat.
"Pink Floyd — The Wall" is a dramatization of the legendary British rock band's eponymous concept album.
- 1/24/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Chances are if you've seen an American war film in the last 30 years, the name Dale Dye might ring a bell. Dye is a former Marine captain whose brief cameos and appearances are peppered throughout action films like "Under Siege," "Mission: Impossible," "Starship Troopers," and "Saving Private Ryan." After his first onscreen appearance in Tobe Hooper's "Invaders from Mars," Dye played Captain Harris in Oliver Stone's semi-autobiographical war epic "Platoon." The concept of actor boot camps is nothing new, and the intense soldier training that goes on at these grueling sessions does tend to bond the players together. The experience can also add some verisimilitude that pays respect to the actual soldiers that had to go through actual boot camp. Dale Dye's actor boot camps are legendary in the business. Apparently, the one that Charlie Sheen and the other actors went through during the making of "Platoon" in 1986 was particularly brutal.
- 11/14/2022
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
When buyers arrived at the 1987 edition of the American Film Market, one film was high on their shopping list: Platoon, writer-director Oliver Stone’s foray into the Vietnam War.
The film had taken years to reach the screen. Stone began the screenplay in the mid-’70s but could find no takers, although it did earn him a job penning the 1978 Turkish prison drama Midnight Express, for which he won his first Oscar. Eventually, Stone struck a deal with producer Dino De Laurentiis, agreeing to write the screenplay for Michael Cimino’s crime movie Year of the Dragon for less than his market rate if De Laurentiis would secure financing for him to direct Platoon. But when the veteran producer couldn’t find a distributor, John Daly of the British production company Helmdale came up with financing for the films Salvador and Platoon and signed Stone to direct both.
When buyers arrived at the 1987 edition of the American Film Market, one film was high on their shopping list: Platoon, writer-director Oliver Stone’s foray into the Vietnam War.
The film had taken years to reach the screen. Stone began the screenplay in the mid-’70s but could find no takers, although it did earn him a job penning the 1978 Turkish prison drama Midnight Express, for which he won his first Oscar. Eventually, Stone struck a deal with producer Dino De Laurentiis, agreeing to write the screenplay for Michael Cimino’s crime movie Year of the Dragon for less than his market rate if De Laurentiis would secure financing for him to direct Platoon. But when the veteran producer couldn’t find a distributor, John Daly of the British production company Helmdale came up with financing for the films Salvador and Platoon and signed Stone to direct both.
- 11/2/2022
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
The Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia has named Oliver Stone its jury president and unveiled the program for its second edition, which will run Dec. 1-10 in Jeddah.
“Legendary filmmaker Oliver Stone has been chosen to lead the jury of the Red Sea: Features Competition jury,” organizers said. “The three-time Academy Award winner is behind some of the all-time masterpieces of cinema, including Scarface, The Doors, Wall Street, JFK, Midnight Express, Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, Nixon and Natural Born Killers.”
The festival also unveiled its opening film: What’s Love Got to Do With It?, directed by Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth, Bandit Queen), written by Jemima Khan and produced by StudioCanal and Working Title. The film stars Lily James, Shazad Latif, Shabana Azmi, Sajal Aly, Asim Chaudhry and Emma Thompson. “Sliding between London and Lahore, love and friendship,...
The Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia has named Oliver Stone its jury president and unveiled the program for its second edition, which will run Dec. 1-10 in Jeddah.
“Legendary filmmaker Oliver Stone has been chosen to lead the jury of the Red Sea: Features Competition jury,” organizers said. “The three-time Academy Award winner is behind some of the all-time masterpieces of cinema, including Scarface, The Doors, Wall Street, JFK, Midnight Express, Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, Nixon and Natural Born Killers.”
The festival also unveiled its opening film: What’s Love Got to Do With It?, directed by Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth, Bandit Queen), written by Jemima Khan and produced by StudioCanal and Working Title. The film stars Lily James, Shazad Latif, Shabana Azmi, Sajal Aly, Asim Chaudhry and Emma Thompson. “Sliding between London and Lahore, love and friendship,...
- 10/31/2022
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Long before Brian De Palma's "Scarface" became a pop cultural obsession for the hip-hop community, it was considered a commercial misfire and an artistic failure for its director. The modernized riff on Howard Hawks 1932 gangster classic was an epic of wretched excess. It was crass, bloated, and unremittingly gruesome. De Palma's most fervent critical defender, The New Yorker's Pauline Kael, titled her review "A De Palma Movie for People Who Don't Like De Palma Movies," and she had a point. The sprawling 170-minute film lacked the formal/thematic cohesion of his best work. It was more of a showcase for Al Pacino, who delved so deep into the role of Cuban gang lord Tony Montana that he never fully shed the character's verbal tics.
39 years later, "Scarface" is still a lot of movie. It's too much. Montana's downfall is uncomfortably distended. His arc is flat: he's a monster from...
39 years later, "Scarface" is still a lot of movie. It's too much. Montana's downfall is uncomfortably distended. His arc is flat: he's a monster from...
- 10/21/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
English actor John Hurt had an illustrious acting career. In addition to four BAFTA wins, including a lifetime achievement award, he was nominated for two Academy Awards for his contributions to the films "Midnight Express" and "The Elephant Man." Although Hurt was introduced to a younger audience with his role as the elderly wand-maker Mr. Ollivander in the "Harry Potter" franchise, the actor is one of Britain's finest talents. In a career spanning half a century, Hurt witnessed the transformation of cinema — and particularly the evolution of British cinema, which was close to his heart.
The late actor, who starred in three "Harry Potter" films, sat down with Rotten Tomatoes before filming the fantasy adventure franchise's concluding movie. The performer explained how "Harry Potter" had highlighted his biggest concern over British Cinema and the industry's consistent ignorance toward middle-budget films.
'Our Film Business Is In The Independent World'
In a...
The late actor, who starred in three "Harry Potter" films, sat down with Rotten Tomatoes before filming the fantasy adventure franchise's concluding movie. The performer explained how "Harry Potter" had highlighted his biggest concern over British Cinema and the industry's consistent ignorance toward middle-budget films.
'Our Film Business Is In The Independent World'
In a...
- 9/9/2022
- by Fatemeh Mirjalili
- Slash Film
The set for Ridley Scott's 1979 film "Alien" was built differently from most sci-fi sets at the time. Looking over the cinematic and TV history of spacecraft interiors, one might find a set built for the bridge or command center, another for engineering or the engine room, perhaps an observation lounge, and maybe a few sleeping quarters. In the sci-fi films and TV shows wherein characters had to walk down hallways or corridors, filmmakers would often save space and time by filming them in the same corridor from several angles. Clever editing can make a 20-foot hallway look like it's several hundred feet.
"Alien," in contrast, built a much more elaborate set. Constructed of old electronics and plane parts, the corridors of the mining craft Nostromo all interconnected, allowing for long, contemplative shots. This was in addition to the usual bridge/engineering/quarters sets. Also the large, elaborate alien space...
"Alien," in contrast, built a much more elaborate set. Constructed of old electronics and plane parts, the corridors of the mining craft Nostromo all interconnected, allowing for long, contemplative shots. This was in addition to the usual bridge/engineering/quarters sets. Also the large, elaborate alien space...
- 9/8/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
As a twice-wounded veteran of the Vietnam War, Oliver Stone had a solemn responsibility to drive home the savagery of this tragically misguided conflict to modern audiences via "Platoon." It had been a little over a decade since the last U.S. helicopter left Saigon, and the filmmaker wanted to make sure no one would forget the myriad of atrocities committed in America's name. This meant he had to place the highest of premiums on authenticity, from the locations down to the cast.
Given that the film was going to be a showcase for numerous young actors, Stone found himself inundated with hungry ingenues eager to make the leap to stardom. Though the higher ranking officers like Sargents Barnes and Elias would be played by more seasoned performers like Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe, their charges had to be fresh-faced kids who looked like they'd been plucked out of their...
Given that the film was going to be a showcase for numerous young actors, Stone found himself inundated with hungry ingenues eager to make the leap to stardom. Though the higher ranking officers like Sargents Barnes and Elias would be played by more seasoned performers like Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe, their charges had to be fresh-faced kids who looked like they'd been plucked out of their...
- 8/29/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Conan the Barbarian holds a special place in the history of cinema as the movie that effectively launched the career of Arnold Schwarzenegger and kickstarted a heady decade of sword and sorcery epics. Yet to writer Oliver Stone, two words will forever hang over John Milius’ rough-and-ready adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s proto comic book hero: What if.
Stone may have earned a writing credit on the finished film, but what ended up on the screen was a far cry of “Crom!” from what he had envisioned in the script he presented to producer Edward R. Pressman in 1978.
That screenplay was bold, brilliant, and, potentially, unfilmable. But to Stone at least those two words will linger on: What if. Pressman had recruited Stone amid the buzz surrounding his script for Midnight Express, the real-life story of the imprisonment and eventual escape of American national Billy Hayes from a Turkish prison,...
Stone may have earned a writing credit on the finished film, but what ended up on the screen was a far cry of “Crom!” from what he had envisioned in the script he presented to producer Edward R. Pressman in 1978.
That screenplay was bold, brilliant, and, potentially, unfilmable. But to Stone at least those two words will linger on: What if. Pressman had recruited Stone amid the buzz surrounding his script for Midnight Express, the real-life story of the imprisonment and eventual escape of American national Billy Hayes from a Turkish prison,...
- 5/29/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Bo Hopkins, the actor who has appeared in classics like “American Graffiti,” “The Wild Bunch,” “Midnight Express” and “The Getaway,” died Friday. He was 80 years old.
Hopkins’ death was confirmed on the actor’s official website.
“It is with great sadness that we announce that Bo has passed away,” reads a statement on the website. “Bo loved hearing from his fans from around the world and although he was unable to respond to every email over the last few years, he appreciated hearing from each and every one of you.”
The actor was born William Hopkins in Greenville, S.C. on February 2, 1942.. He later changed his name to “Bo” in reference to the character he played in “Bus Stop,” his first off-Broadway play. After his father died when he was only nine years old, Hopkins was raised by his mother and grandmother. He later learned he was an adopted child...
Hopkins’ death was confirmed on the actor’s official website.
“It is with great sadness that we announce that Bo has passed away,” reads a statement on the website. “Bo loved hearing from his fans from around the world and although he was unable to respond to every email over the last few years, he appreciated hearing from each and every one of you.”
The actor was born William Hopkins in Greenville, S.C. on February 2, 1942.. He later changed his name to “Bo” in reference to the character he played in “Bus Stop,” his first off-Broadway play. After his father died when he was only nine years old, Hopkins was raised by his mother and grandmother. He later learned he was an adopted child...
- 5/28/2022
- by Carson Burton
- Variety Film + TV
Bo Hopkins, who appeared in such memorable films as The Wild Bunch (1969), The Getaway (1972), American Graffiti (1973), The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973), Posse (1975), and Midnight Express (1978), has died at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys. He was 80 and had a heart attack.
Born William Hopkins in 1942 in Greenville, South Carolina, Hopkins appeared in more than 100 film and television roles in a career that spanned more than five decades.
He picked up the nickname “Bo” thanks to a character of the same name he played in Bus Stop, his first off-Broadway play.
Hopkins television appearances included The Phyllis Diller Show, The Virginian, Gunsmoke, The Wild Wild West and The Andy Griffith Show. His first shot at a regularly scheduled TV series came in 1973 in medical drama Doc Elliott, which lasted one season.
He also appeared in a number of made-for-television movies of the mid-1970s, including Judgment: The Court Martial of...
Born William Hopkins in 1942 in Greenville, South Carolina, Hopkins appeared in more than 100 film and television roles in a career that spanned more than five decades.
He picked up the nickname “Bo” thanks to a character of the same name he played in Bus Stop, his first off-Broadway play.
Hopkins television appearances included The Phyllis Diller Show, The Virginian, Gunsmoke, The Wild Wild West and The Andy Griffith Show. His first shot at a regularly scheduled TV series came in 1973 in medical drama Doc Elliott, which lasted one season.
He also appeared in a number of made-for-television movies of the mid-1970s, including Judgment: The Court Martial of...
- 5/28/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Hot French helmer Cedric Jimenez, whose latest hit movie “The Stronghold” is nominated for seven Cesar awards, is developing “Verde,” an epic adventure drama revolving around the kidnapping of former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and her campaign manager Clara Rojas, who were held captive in the jungle for seven years.
Inspired by a true story like all of Jimenez’s films, “Verde” opens in 2002, when Betancourt — a high-profile French-Colombian senator who was running for president and had vowed to end political corruption — was brutally kidnapped with her campaign manager, Rojas, by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). The pair were held hostage by the rebel group in the hostile jungle for nearly a decade, along with many other victims of Colombia’s civil war.
Jimenez is writing the script for “Verde” with Olivier Demangel, the co-screenwriter of Mati Diop’s Cannes’ grand prize winner “Atlantics” and Jimenez’s upcoming movie “November,...
Inspired by a true story like all of Jimenez’s films, “Verde” opens in 2002, when Betancourt — a high-profile French-Colombian senator who was running for president and had vowed to end political corruption — was brutally kidnapped with her campaign manager, Rojas, by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc). The pair were held hostage by the rebel group in the hostile jungle for nearly a decade, along with many other victims of Colombia’s civil war.
Jimenez is writing the script for “Verde” with Olivier Demangel, the co-screenwriter of Mati Diop’s Cannes’ grand prize winner “Atlantics” and Jimenez’s upcoming movie “November,...
- 1/27/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
‘Forest Whitaker macheted his thumb, Tom Berenger knifed his foot, Willem Dafoe got medivacked – and Oliver Stone jumped up and down with joy’
Charlie Sheen, played Chris Taylor
My brother Emilio Estevez and I were huge fans of Scarface and Midnight Express, which were both written by Oliver Stone. Emilio kept talking to me about Oliver’s new Vietnam film, which he was auditioning for. He got the lead part, Chris Taylor, but then couldn’t do it because of scheduling conflicts. When I auditioned, Oliver said I was “too mannered” and needed to do more work. So I did The Boys Next Door and Lucas – and I got the part, but only if Willem Dafoe approved. I didn’t meet Willem until we got to the Philippines. He ran past me in our hotel and gave me a hug. Later, Oliver came up to me and said: “Willem digs ya.
Charlie Sheen, played Chris Taylor
My brother Emilio Estevez and I were huge fans of Scarface and Midnight Express, which were both written by Oliver Stone. Emilio kept talking to me about Oliver’s new Vietnam film, which he was auditioning for. He got the lead part, Chris Taylor, but then couldn’t do it because of scheduling conflicts. When I auditioned, Oliver said I was “too mannered” and needed to do more work. So I did The Boys Next Door and Lucas – and I got the part, but only if Willem Dafoe approved. I didn’t meet Willem until we got to the Philippines. He ran past me in our hotel and gave me a hug. Later, Oliver came up to me and said: “Willem digs ya.
- 1/3/2022
- by Interviews by Simon Bland
- The Guardian - Film News
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There are plenty of juicy biographies and autobiographies about Hollywood’s biggest personalities in front of the camera, but just as dramatic — and sometimes even more so — are the ones that focus on the figures behind the scenes.
For those who enjoy delving deeper into filmmaking from the viewpoint of directors and screenwriters, we rounded up a list of memoirs to add to your reading list (or holiday gift list). This selection of memoirs from some of cinema’s most celebrated filmmakers, from pioneering Oscar winners to unsung figures and plenty in between, follows the making of specific films, explores the courses of entire careers, and even includes some instructional advice along the way.
There are plenty of juicy biographies and autobiographies about Hollywood’s biggest personalities in front of the camera, but just as dramatic — and sometimes even more so — are the ones that focus on the figures behind the scenes.
For those who enjoy delving deeper into filmmaking from the viewpoint of directors and screenwriters, we rounded up a list of memoirs to add to your reading list (or holiday gift list). This selection of memoirs from some of cinema’s most celebrated filmmakers, from pioneering Oscar winners to unsung figures and plenty in between, follows the making of specific films, explores the courses of entire careers, and even includes some instructional advice along the way.
- 11/1/2021
- by Jean Bentley and Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
Much like John Wick before it, Netflix's Gunpowder Milkshake offers glimpses and clues hinting towards a complex mythology far beyond what we see in the movie. And again, much like the pencil-wielding assassin, these elements could be explored in sequels, and while he has plenty of ideas for more, director, Navot Papushado, is patiently waiting to see audiences' reactions to the first movie before pressing ahead.
"My entire focus is on making sure people see it and love it and are passionate about it. Even when you write something that's such an incredible scene but there's no room for it, instead of forcing it, you're like, 'Okay, let's put it in the back pocket.' Then when you start working on [a follow-up], you have so many ideas. Even when you decide there's no room for it here, you're like, 'Okay, let's keep it aside.' Actually, if people are going...
"My entire focus is on making sure people see it and love it and are passionate about it. Even when you write something that's such an incredible scene but there's no room for it, instead of forcing it, you're like, 'Okay, let's put it in the back pocket.' Then when you start working on [a follow-up], you have so many ideas. Even when you decide there's no room for it here, you're like, 'Okay, let's keep it aside.' Actually, if people are going...
- 7/19/2021
- by Jon Fuge
- MovieWeb
Gunpowder Milkshake is a movie that lives up to its title. For starters, it looks like sugar, with its candy-like aesthetic – it’s a visual treat from director Navot Papushado and one of the all-time great cinematographers, Michael Seresin. Seresin shot several of filmmaker Alan Parker’s films, including Angel Heart, Midnight Express, and the joyous Bugsy Malone. To say Papushado […]
The post ‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ Director Navot Papushado on Taking Inspiration From Jackie Chan and Buster Keaton [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ Director Navot Papushado on Taking Inspiration From Jackie Chan and Buster Keaton [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
- 7/14/2021
- by Jack Giroux
- Slash Film
Welcome to this week’s WWE Friday Night SmackDown review, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have the continued build toward Money In The Bank. I hope that this year’s version of Mitb is better than the one where they ran up a building. Superman: Shut up, nerd! Me: Eat Kryptonite, Super-Bitch! Superman: Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhh!!!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! Me: Yeah! Didn’t think of that, did you…smart mouth mother-f–ker?! Superman: Ahhhhhhh!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! Me: While Super-Bitch dies from touching a rock, let’s dive right into SmackDown. Superman: Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! Me: Take a salt tablet! Walk it off!
Match #1: Bayley/Seth Rollins b. Bianca Belair/Cesaro The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Prior to their scheduled Mixed Tag Team Match, Seth Rollins & Bayley interrupted SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, leading to The Est of WWE and her emerging partner Cesaro to...
Match #1: Bayley/Seth Rollins b. Bianca Belair/Cesaro The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Prior to their scheduled Mixed Tag Team Match, Seth Rollins & Bayley interrupted SmackDown Women’s Champion Bianca Belair, leading to The Est of WWE and her emerging partner Cesaro to...
- 6/28/2021
- by Nathan Favel
- Nerdly
Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change.
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Emmys Collective
Visit each individual category, according to the awards show from The Emmys Hub
Link to film awards hub The Oscars Hub
(Draft>>>Pre-season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season)
Updated: May 6, 2021
2021 Primetime Emmy Awards Predictions Outstanding Drama Series Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Outstanding...
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Emmys Collective
Visit each individual category, according to the awards show from The Emmys Hub
Link to film awards hub The Oscars Hub
(Draft>>>Pre-season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season)
Updated: May 6, 2021
2021 Primetime Emmy Awards Predictions Outstanding Drama Series Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Outstanding...
- 5/6/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Illustration by Jeff CashvanMovie-lovers!Welcome back to The Deuce Notebook, a collaboration between Mubi Notebook and The Deuce Film Series, our monthly event at Nitehawk Williamsburg that excavates the facts and fantasies of cinema's most infamous block in the world: 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. For each screening, my co-hosts and I pick a flick that we think embodies the era of all-night moviegoing down the “Flamboyant Floodway,” and present the theater at which it premiered.Back in October 2013, for our second screening at Nitehawk, we presented Abel Ferrara’s second feature—so, we thought for our second Mubi column we would feature the film a second time. You dig?Every screening concludes with our 'famous' raffle, the grand prize of which is always an original poster by the 'Maestro’ Jeff Cashvan. Enter for your chance to win Jeff’s one-sheet above by shooting us an email and saying ciao: thedeucefilmseries@gmail.
- 4/20/2021
- MUBI
a series by Christopher James looking at the 'Gay Best Friend' trope
Norbert Weisser co-stars as Erich in Alan Pakula's 1978 hit "Midnight Express."Our journeys into classic cinema has allowed us to explore the beginnings of the gay best friend trope and coding during the Hayes Code. Once the code was abolished, the late 60s and 70s were able to go wild. While sex, swearing and violence began to populate films, the depiction of gay people stayed relatively the same. Movies were able to actually define characters as LGBTQ+, but they were often villains or would meet a tragic fate. Sympathetic LGBTQ+ characters were tough to come by.
At first glance, the brutal prison drama Midnight Express would not seem like the place to find a nice gay best friend. But Erich (Norbert Weisser) stands out as a light among the considerable darkness. Erich acts as the confidant and guide for our protagonist,...
Norbert Weisser co-stars as Erich in Alan Pakula's 1978 hit "Midnight Express."Our journeys into classic cinema has allowed us to explore the beginnings of the gay best friend trope and coding during the Hayes Code. Once the code was abolished, the late 60s and 70s were able to go wild. While sex, swearing and violence began to populate films, the depiction of gay people stayed relatively the same. Movies were able to actually define characters as LGBTQ+, but they were often villains or would meet a tragic fate. Sympathetic LGBTQ+ characters were tough to come by.
At first glance, the brutal prison drama Midnight Express would not seem like the place to find a nice gay best friend. But Erich (Norbert Weisser) stands out as a light among the considerable darkness. Erich acts as the confidant and guide for our protagonist,...
- 3/8/2021
- by Christopher James
- FilmExperience
Looking back over the beloved stars we lost in the past year is always emotional, and this year has been especially devastating, given how many members of the entertainment community died due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The pandemic hit the music community especially hard, but television and film performers, as well as stage actors and below-the-line workers were also affected. Singer-songwriter John Prine, record producer Hal Willner and “Nashville” actor Allen Garfield all died of coronavirus on April 7. Broadway actor Nick Cordero died on July 5 after a four-month battle with the disease.
Adam Schlesinger, a composer and co-founder of Fountains of Wayne, died on April 1 at 52. Charley Pride, remembered as country music’s first Black superstar, died on Dec. 12 of coronavirus complications.
Movie greats
Chadwick Boseman‘s death due to colon cancer rocked the entertainment industry on Aug. 28. The “Black Panther” star was just 43, and his death came as a...
The pandemic hit the music community especially hard, but television and film performers, as well as stage actors and below-the-line workers were also affected. Singer-songwriter John Prine, record producer Hal Willner and “Nashville” actor Allen Garfield all died of coronavirus on April 7. Broadway actor Nick Cordero died on July 5 after a four-month battle with the disease.
Adam Schlesinger, a composer and co-founder of Fountains of Wayne, died on April 1 at 52. Charley Pride, remembered as country music’s first Black superstar, died on Dec. 12 of coronavirus complications.
Movie greats
Chadwick Boseman‘s death due to colon cancer rocked the entertainment industry on Aug. 28. The “Black Panther” star was just 43, and his death came as a...
- 12/29/2020
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
In his latest podcast/interview, host and screenwriter Stuart Wright talks to film composer Sacha Puttnam about his new music project which is out now: Spirit of Cinema: Sacha Puttnam with the Classic Film Orchestra.
Tracklisting: Love’s Theme
Original score by Giorgio Moroder for Midnight Express, 1978. Best Original score at the Oscars, 1979 First of May
Music by The Bee Gees for the film Melody, 1971 Chariots of Fire
Original score by Vangelis for the film Chariots of Fire, 1981. Best original score at The Oscars, 1982 Sailing Homeward
Music by Donovan for the film The Pied Piper, 1972 Gabriel’s Theme
Original score by Ennio Morricone for The Mission, 1986. Best Original Score at The Golden Globes and Best Music at The Baftas, 1986 Theme From Midnight Express (Istanbul)
Original score by Giorgio Moroder for Midnight Express, 1978. Best Original score at the Oscars, 1979 War of the Buttons Suite
Original score By Rachel Portman, from the film War of the Buttons,...
Tracklisting: Love’s Theme
Original score by Giorgio Moroder for Midnight Express, 1978. Best Original score at the Oscars, 1979 First of May
Music by The Bee Gees for the film Melody, 1971 Chariots of Fire
Original score by Vangelis for the film Chariots of Fire, 1981. Best original score at The Oscars, 1982 Sailing Homeward
Music by Donovan for the film The Pied Piper, 1972 Gabriel’s Theme
Original score by Ennio Morricone for The Mission, 1986. Best Original Score at The Golden Globes and Best Music at The Baftas, 1986 Theme From Midnight Express (Istanbul)
Original score by Giorgio Moroder for Midnight Express, 1978. Best Original score at the Oscars, 1979 War of the Buttons Suite
Original score By Rachel Portman, from the film War of the Buttons,...
- 11/24/2020
- by Stuart Wright
- Nerdly
Adapted by Oscar nominee Vanessa Taylor (“The Shape of Water”) from J.D. Vance’s bestselling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy” is exactly the sort of mainstream heart-tugger that many moviegoers and Oscar voters embrace. Ron Howard knows what he is doing. He’s been to the Oscar party many times, from “Apollo 13” to “Frost/Nixon” and “A Beautiful Mind,” which all featured actors in top form.
Howard’s stock-in-trade studio drama is harder to come by these days. Always a canny Hollywood player (with his Imagine Entertainment partner Brian Grazer), Howard pivoted over the past decade to more indie-minded projects such as “Rush” and documentaries like “Rebuilding Paradise.”
Netflix backed “Hillbilly Elegy,” a resonant family story that will likely lure far more viewers than the movie might have generated in theaters, Covid or no. In fact, it’s likely that no studio would have backed this, even with two of the great...
Howard’s stock-in-trade studio drama is harder to come by these days. Always a canny Hollywood player (with his Imagine Entertainment partner Brian Grazer), Howard pivoted over the past decade to more indie-minded projects such as “Rush” and documentaries like “Rebuilding Paradise.”
Netflix backed “Hillbilly Elegy,” a resonant family story that will likely lure far more viewers than the movie might have generated in theaters, Covid or no. In fact, it’s likely that no studio would have backed this, even with two of the great...
- 11/10/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Adapted by Oscar nominee Vanessa Taylor (“The Shape of Water”) from J.D. Vance’s bestselling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy” is exactly the sort of mainstream heart-tugger that many moviegoers and Oscar voters embrace. Ron Howard knows what he is doing. He’s been to the Oscar party many times, from “Apollo 13” to “Frost/Nixon” and “A Beautiful Mind,” which all featured actors in top form.
Howard’s stock-in-trade studio drama is harder to come by these days. Always a canny Hollywood player (with his Imagine Entertainment partner Brian Grazer), Howard pivoted over the past decade to more indie-minded projects such as “Rush” and documentaries like “Rebuilding Paradise.”
Netflix backed “Hillbilly Elegy,” a resonant family story that will likely lure far more viewers than the movie might have generated in theaters, Covid or no. In fact, it’s likely that no studio would have backed this, even with two of the great...
Howard’s stock-in-trade studio drama is harder to come by these days. Always a canny Hollywood player (with his Imagine Entertainment partner Brian Grazer), Howard pivoted over the past decade to more indie-minded projects such as “Rush” and documentaries like “Rebuilding Paradise.”
Netflix backed “Hillbilly Elegy,” a resonant family story that will likely lure far more viewers than the movie might have generated in theaters, Covid or no. In fact, it’s likely that no studio would have backed this, even with two of the great...
- 11/10/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
It has been a few months since our last rundown of new books exploring the world of cinema (and a little beyond), and the pile is growing with noteworthy texts. We have a memoir from Oliver Stone and a deep dive into the work of Kelly Reichardt, among others, but let’s start with the best film book of 2020, from the great critic Glenn Kenny.
(Note that another column is set to follow in a few weeks featuring even more recent gems, including Adam Nayman’s Paul Thomas Anderson: Masterworks and J. W. Rinzler’s The Making of Aliens.)
Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas by Glenn Kenny (Hanover Square Press)
Martin Scorsese has earned his share of explorative texts, but most look at his entire career arc. So, it is safe to say there has never been a single-film study of Scorsese as enlightening, as sharp, and as utterly...
(Note that another column is set to follow in a few weeks featuring even more recent gems, including Adam Nayman’s Paul Thomas Anderson: Masterworks and J. W. Rinzler’s The Making of Aliens.)
Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas by Glenn Kenny (Hanover Square Press)
Martin Scorsese has earned his share of explorative texts, but most look at his entire career arc. So, it is safe to say there has never been a single-film study of Scorsese as enlightening, as sharp, and as utterly...
- 10/15/2020
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
Considered to be one of the most important (and sometimes controversial) filmmakers working, Oliver Stone has a powerful filmography. The filmmaker began as a screenwriter, winning the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for 1978's Midnight Express. Stone spent the next six years trying to sell his script for Platoon to uninterested studios, finally making the film in 1986. The success of that film led Stone on an incredible streak as a filmmaker.
Related: Bring The Boys Home: 10 Movies About The Vietnam War
Oliver Stone takes honest looks at America and examines its hypocrisies. He is the foremost cinematic authority of Vietnam, examining the war over many films. Equally praised and criticized, Stone's body of work is one of the best by any American filmmaker.
Related: Bring The Boys Home: 10 Movies About The Vietnam War
Oliver Stone takes honest looks at America and examines its hypocrisies. He is the foremost cinematic authority of Vietnam, examining the war over many films. Equally praised and criticized, Stone's body of work is one of the best by any American filmmaker.
- 9/27/2020
- ScreenRant.com
Video Version of this Article Photo/Video: Oliver Stone/Behind the Scenes of 'Savages'/Universal Pictures/Hollywood Insider YouTube Channel As a tribute to Oliver Stone on his birthday, Happy Birthday Mister Stone! Oliver Stone is the legendary filmmaker behind many spectacular films. His career spans decades, and his work has covered pivotal moments of history. Stone was born in New York City in 1946, where he spent a lot of his youth. He attended Yale briefly before dropping out to teach English in Vietnam. Stone went back to Yale for a short period before dropping out again and enlisting in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War in 1967. He was a decorated soldier for his service, and when Stone returned to the States, he enrolled in NYU’s film school, where one of his teachers was Martin Scorsese. On a Joe Rogan Experience episode, Oliver Stone discusses a period before success,...
- 9/15/2020
- by Drew Alexander Ross
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Franco-uk event to include the European premiere of ‘Ammonite’.
The 31st Dinard Film Festival, the annual celebration of British cinema held in northern France, has unveiled its full line-up and secured the European premiere of Francis Lee’s Ammonite.
The festival is set to go ahead as a physical event from September 30-October 4 and its previews strand includes romantic drama Ammonite, which received a Cannes label and has its world premiere at TIFF today.
The six films in competition comprise Nick Rowland’s Calm With Horses; Thomas Clay’s Fanny Lye Deliver’d; Claire Oakley’s Make Up; Bassam Tariq’s...
The 31st Dinard Film Festival, the annual celebration of British cinema held in northern France, has unveiled its full line-up and secured the European premiere of Francis Lee’s Ammonite.
The festival is set to go ahead as a physical event from September 30-October 4 and its previews strand includes romantic drama Ammonite, which received a Cannes label and has its world premiere at TIFF today.
The six films in competition comprise Nick Rowland’s Calm With Horses; Thomas Clay’s Fanny Lye Deliver’d; Claire Oakley’s Make Up; Bassam Tariq’s...
- 9/11/2020
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Male hierarchies inside prison walls are well-trod ground, from “Brute Force” and “Birdman of Alcatraz,” to “Papillon,” “Midnight Express,” and “The Shawshank Redemption.” But rarely is an entry as visually rapturous as West African filmmaker Philippe Lacôte’s “Night of the Kings,” which takes place inside the bowels of the infamous La MacA prison in Abidjan, a city on the south side of the Ivory Coast. While the film, both written and directed by Lacôte, is grounded in oral traditions that may seem exotic to certain viewers, the movie is really about the universal power of storytelling regardless of tongue — and how it can be used as a way to survive. Though hampered by some shaky third-act visual effects, “Night of the Kings” is through and through .
When a young man is introduced into La MacA, he’s thrust into a dangerous and complicated world where the existentially and otherwise...
When a young man is introduced into La MacA, he’s thrust into a dangerous and complicated world where the existentially and otherwise...
- 9/11/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
US filmmaker discussed his career with an audience at the Venice Film Festival.
US filmmaker Oliver Stone has revealed the “anger” that still fuels him and praised the British talent that helped launch his career during a wide-ranging discussion in Venice.
The Oscar-winning director took part in a conversation while promoting the Italian edition of his autobiography, Chasing The Light, at an event organised by Giornate degli Autori, an independent sidebar of the Venice Film Festival.
Stone acknowledged the crucial role that British collaborators played early in his success. They included Alan Parker, the late director of Midnight Express, for...
US filmmaker Oliver Stone has revealed the “anger” that still fuels him and praised the British talent that helped launch his career during a wide-ranging discussion in Venice.
The Oscar-winning director took part in a conversation while promoting the Italian edition of his autobiography, Chasing The Light, at an event organised by Giornate degli Autori, an independent sidebar of the Venice Film Festival.
Stone acknowledged the crucial role that British collaborators played early in his success. They included Alan Parker, the late director of Midnight Express, for...
- 9/4/2020
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
When Oliver Stone interviewed for a Deadline The Film That Lit My Fuse timed with the release of his memoir Chasing the Light: Writing, Directing, and Surviving Platoon, Midnight Express, Scarface, Salvador and the Movie Game, the three-time Oscar-winning filmmaker gave Deadline permission to provide our readers with a few passages from the book that was recently published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
A dishy coming of age of a filmmaker tale, Chasing the Light is a lively read that describes how the idyllic childhood of a boy raised in privilege was fractured by the divorce of his beloved parents. It sends him on a mission of self discovery that leads him to the jungles of Vietnam, from which he brought back an intensity that served him in the classrooms of NYU Film School, learning from formative influences like Martin Scorsese. The book is rich in anecdotes about a period when...
A dishy coming of age of a filmmaker tale, Chasing the Light is a lively read that describes how the idyllic childhood of a boy raised in privilege was fractured by the divorce of his beloved parents. It sends him on a mission of self discovery that leads him to the jungles of Vietnam, from which he brought back an intensity that served him in the classrooms of NYU Film School, learning from formative influences like Martin Scorsese. The book is rich in anecdotes about a period when...
- 8/29/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Billy Hayes, author of the autobiographical book “Midnight Express,” on which the film directed by Alan Parker and written by Oliver Stone was based, disagreed with several of the assertions made in Stone’s new book, “Chasing the Light.”
Oliver Stone, acknowledged master of revisionist history, has made several self-serving comments about me and the film version of “Midnight Express” in his new book. As he embarks on his book tour and spreads his thoughts, I feel compelled to set the record straight.
Oliver claims he’d heard no objections from me about his script, as if anyone even asked me after I’d signed away the rights. He claims he was stunned to learn that I’d made three hash smuggling trips to Turkey prior to being arrested on my fourth trip, since I’d made no mention of the first three in my best-selling 1976 book or in the...
Oliver Stone, acknowledged master of revisionist history, has made several self-serving comments about me and the film version of “Midnight Express” in his new book. As he embarks on his book tour and spreads his thoughts, I feel compelled to set the record straight.
Oliver claims he’d heard no objections from me about his script, as if anyone even asked me after I’d signed away the rights. He claims he was stunned to learn that I’d made three hash smuggling trips to Turkey prior to being arrested on my fourth trip, since I’d made no mention of the first three in my best-selling 1976 book or in the...
- 8/28/2020
- by Billy Hayes
- Variety Film + TV
A working-class Londoner who started out in advertising, Parker knew how to play to the crowd but wasn’t afraid to take risks or challenge convention.
That was evident from his feature debut, Bugsy Malone, an inspired pastiche of Hollywood gangster films that saw Parker defy genre norms with the recruitment of an all-child cast wielding ‘Splurge’ guns firing whipped cream instead of bullets.
It was a decision that drew anger in some quarters with noted critic John Simon famously branding the film “an outrage” in New York Magazine.
“Wholesome youngsters have been duped into acting like adults,” he said, “stupid, brutal, criminal adults, at that.”
Bugsy Malone flopped in the US but Parker soon established himself stateside with Midnight Express and Fame, two box office hits and examples of Parker’s unrivalled versatility and habit of defying expectations.
In time, Bugsy Malone enjoyed critical reappraisal, emerging as a firm...
That was evident from his feature debut, Bugsy Malone, an inspired pastiche of Hollywood gangster films that saw Parker defy genre norms with the recruitment of an all-child cast wielding ‘Splurge’ guns firing whipped cream instead of bullets.
It was a decision that drew anger in some quarters with noted critic John Simon famously branding the film “an outrage” in New York Magazine.
“Wholesome youngsters have been duped into acting like adults,” he said, “stupid, brutal, criminal adults, at that.”
Bugsy Malone flopped in the US but Parker soon established himself stateside with Midnight Express and Fame, two box office hits and examples of Parker’s unrivalled versatility and habit of defying expectations.
In time, Bugsy Malone enjoyed critical reappraisal, emerging as a firm...
- 8/6/2020
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
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