(Welcome to Did They Get It Right?, a series where we look at Oscars categories from yesteryear and examine whether the Academy's winners stand the test of time.)
When we think of great Hollywood directors, we think of names like John Ford, Frank Capra, Billy Wilder, and moving on up to the likes of Steven Spielberg. These are filmmakers who not only had strong artistic and creative instincts and abilities, but they also knew how to translate those skills into making films that appealed to gigantic mass audiences. They made the films that Hollywood always strives to make.
Unquestionably, another filmmaker who belongs on that list is Alfred Hitchcock, the so-dubbed "Master of Suspense." That moniker suits him perfectly, as he was able to craft some of the most tense pictures ever produced in Hollywood. He perfectly understood set-up and payoff. He knew how to ride the line between euphemism and explicitness,...
When we think of great Hollywood directors, we think of names like John Ford, Frank Capra, Billy Wilder, and moving on up to the likes of Steven Spielberg. These are filmmakers who not only had strong artistic and creative instincts and abilities, but they also knew how to translate those skills into making films that appealed to gigantic mass audiences. They made the films that Hollywood always strives to make.
Unquestionably, another filmmaker who belongs on that list is Alfred Hitchcock, the so-dubbed "Master of Suspense." That moniker suits him perfectly, as he was able to craft some of the most tense pictures ever produced in Hollywood. He perfectly understood set-up and payoff. He knew how to ride the line between euphemism and explicitness,...
- 5/28/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
There was nothing "partial" about the restoration in the early 1980s of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's great wartime film masterpiece, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (Good fellows, Arts, G2, 29 October). This was a thorough, comprehensive and state-of-the-art photochemical restoration carried out by the British Film Institute's National Film Archive (now the BFI National Archive) – of which I was then the deputy curator – working from original materials and supervised by experienced laboratory veterans.
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp was part of an ambitious project, generously supported by the BBC and the UK's National Heritage Memorial Fund – their first recognition of film as art and heritage – to restore British Technicolor classics, including The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus, A Matter of Life and Death, Gone to Earth, The Thief of Baghdad, and Alexander Korda's The Divorce of Lady X.
On occasion, Martin Scorsese – campaigning at the...
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp was part of an ambitious project, generously supported by the BBC and the UK's National Heritage Memorial Fund – their first recognition of film as art and heritage – to restore British Technicolor classics, including The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus, A Matter of Life and Death, Gone to Earth, The Thief of Baghdad, and Alexander Korda's The Divorce of Lady X.
On occasion, Martin Scorsese – campaigning at the...
- 11/3/2012
- The Guardian - Film News
Picking your favorite Akira Kurosawa film is a tricky choice for any movie fan. From "Rashomon" to "Ran," the great Japanese filmmaker, one of the most beloved and influential directors of all time, knocked out a string of classics in a career that lasted well over 40 years. But more often than not, at the top of the list for Kurosawa fans is "The Seven Samurai," the 1954 samurai epic that redefined the action movie for generations.
Following six samurai (and one pretender, iconically played by Toshiro Mifune) who are recruited by a village of farmers to protect them from bandits, it remains to this day one of the most stirring, thrilling adventures in cinema history, and landed Kurosawa firmly on the map in international cinema. The film was released in Japan 58 years ago today, on April 26th, 1954 (a U.S. release, heavily cut down, would follow 30 months later), and to mark the occasion,...
Following six samurai (and one pretender, iconically played by Toshiro Mifune) who are recruited by a village of farmers to protect them from bandits, it remains to this day one of the most stirring, thrilling adventures in cinema history, and landed Kurosawa firmly on the map in international cinema. The film was released in Japan 58 years ago today, on April 26th, 1954 (a U.S. release, heavily cut down, would follow 30 months later), and to mark the occasion,...
- 4/26/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Every writer has his or her way of settling down to write. Mine is to bring a Diet Pepsi and a pack of Salem cigarettes – yeah, yeah, I know… my bad – to my computer desk. Oh, yeah, and slipping in a CD.
Here’s the dope.
I’m pretty much out of the loop when it comes to music.
On the radio I listen to our local NPR (I love everything about that station); the local CBS sports station (especially during the football season – and during the past two or three weeks, the Peyton Manning-Tim Tebow-Mark Sanchez drama here in New York City has mesmerized me); Wrl-1600 Am (the progressive station that took over for Air America here); occasionally Wwor-710 Am (though the station has moved too far to the right for my tastes – at least they got rid of Lou Dobbs!); and CBS’s “oldies” station when I’m commuting.
Here’s the dope.
I’m pretty much out of the loop when it comes to music.
On the radio I listen to our local NPR (I love everything about that station); the local CBS sports station (especially during the football season – and during the past two or three weeks, the Peyton Manning-Tim Tebow-Mark Sanchez drama here in New York City has mesmerized me); Wrl-1600 Am (the progressive station that took over for Air America here); occasionally Wwor-710 Am (though the station has moved too far to the right for my tastes – at least they got rid of Lou Dobbs!); and CBS’s “oldies” station when I’m commuting.
- 3/26/2012
- by Mindy Newell
- Comicmix.com
Three dimensional films seem to be the rage today, starting with Vikram Bhatt's Haunted to Srk's Don 2 as well as Ra.One. Now, producer Sunil Bohra is all set with his next, The Thief Of Baghdad which will also be in 3D. Sunil confirmed, "Yes I am making The Thief of Bhagdad in 3D, for the plain reason that since we have made three versions of the film earlier, the fourth has to be different. The script is ready but we needed to have something different for the film and hence the format of 3D." Though rumours have it that Shahid Kapoor is a strong contender for the lead role, Bohra says, "It's really too early to say anything about this, in fact we haven't even thought of that yet. To be frank, we are still contemplating on locking on a director and will lock that in the next couple of weeks,...
- 9/26/2011
- by Bollywood Hungama News Network
- BollywoodHungama
Shahid Kapoor is said to be playing the lead in a 3D remake of The Thief of Baghdad. The project will be the fourth version of the film that director Sunil Bohra has been linked to, reports Mumbai Mirror. "The Thief of Baghdad has been made thrice before under my family's banner. And yes, I'm now doing a 3D version of this fabulous fable," said the filmmaker. The production is based on Ahmed Abdullah's 1924 novel of the same name, with film versions released in 1965, 1968 and 1978 by Bohra's production house. "Bohra has cast (more)...
- 9/26/2011
- by By Steven Baker
- Digital Spy
Cinema has been shortsighted about specs appeal. Lads and lasses, let's have your film glasses
A simple pair of spectacles denotes so much on the screen, but rarely anything good for the person wearing them. Affixed to a man, they can instantly render him geek or weakling – or pervert (the ordeal of viewing the world through that extra lens having stopped him from attaining the more accepted "heroic" stature of non-glasses-wearing men). And woe betide those who dare to take theirs off, or – worse still – lose the things. For they bring down the wrath of the movie gods, with their insatiable thirst for the blood of marginal character actors.
Much better to be a glasses-wearing woman; then the only way is up. Usually it takes some interference from a charismatic, non-glasses-wearing man. Patrick Swayze, for instance. But with the magic of his manly touch, a woman can go from functionally...
A simple pair of spectacles denotes so much on the screen, but rarely anything good for the person wearing them. Affixed to a man, they can instantly render him geek or weakling – or pervert (the ordeal of viewing the world through that extra lens having stopped him from attaining the more accepted "heroic" stature of non-glasses-wearing men). And woe betide those who dare to take theirs off, or – worse still – lose the things. For they bring down the wrath of the movie gods, with their insatiable thirst for the blood of marginal character actors.
Much better to be a glasses-wearing woman; then the only way is up. Usually it takes some interference from a charismatic, non-glasses-wearing man. Patrick Swayze, for instance. But with the magic of his manly touch, a woman can go from functionally...
- 6/9/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
It would be easy to call the Seattle Film Festival a "best of fest," a collection of the world's most impressive films culled from nearly every festival that happened since the 36th edition of the festival ended last June. In purely relative terms, Seattle doesn't boast a ton of world premieres amongst the 441 films they'll show during the next 25 days, though Siff definitely has more than most other festivals half their size. Instead, they bring the world to their doorstep with an unparalleled array of international and regional cinema that makes it a rare and precious event unto itself. Unfortunately, I have just a weekend in Pacific Northwest, where I'll be reporting from over the next week, but given the amount of films we've already seen at other festivals, we can certainly make some recommendations for the fest, which kicks off tonight with a premiere of the drama "The First...
- 5/20/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
After his electrifying performance as Blacula (1972), the great William Marshall was briefly considered a worthy successor to Christopher Lee's vampire king. A respected Shakespearean actor with an impressive theatre background, he was set to become a major horror star of the seventies, but like his fellow stage actor Robert Quarry, who achieved the same status as Count Yorga, his film career faded rapidly after the genre went through a radical re-think following the commercial success of The Exorcist (1973).
Marshall remained in New York to train in as an actor and director in Grand Opera and Shakespeare, although he had to support himself in a variety of jobs before making his professional stage debut. At 6ft 5inches, he was an impressively built, handsome, strong-featured actor with a booming bass baritone voice to match his towering presence. Not surprisingly, he quickly built up a formidable reputation as America's finest Shakespearean actor,...
Marshall remained in New York to train in as an actor and director in Grand Opera and Shakespeare, although he had to support himself in a variety of jobs before making his professional stage debut. At 6ft 5inches, he was an impressively built, handsome, strong-featured actor with a booming bass baritone voice to match his towering presence. Not surprisingly, he quickly built up a formidable reputation as America's finest Shakespearean actor,...
- 2/15/2011
- Shadowlocked
Mad Men @ The Movies looks at the many film references in the Emmy winning series.
Episode 2.2 "Flight 1"
The staff of Sterling Cooper have reluctantly trekked out to New Jersey for a party at Paul Kinsey's new place. He's the most bohemian of the ad men and he never lets anyone forget it.
Trust me Montclair is the knees*. We have Globe Trotter Antiques. We have the Wellmont theater -- silent movies with organ, the Montclair art gallery, George Inness.
Have you heard of him? Upcoming neighborhoods are always topics of conversation in NY. While I completely agree that loving silent movies is a badge of honor, Kinsey wields all such badges like weapons. He's trying to impress and belittle at the same time. Note the end of the convo: Have you heard of him? So bitchy. This happens to be one of the bitchiest episodes of Mad Men in total.
Episode 2.2 "Flight 1"
The staff of Sterling Cooper have reluctantly trekked out to New Jersey for a party at Paul Kinsey's new place. He's the most bohemian of the ad men and he never lets anyone forget it.
Trust me Montclair is the knees*. We have Globe Trotter Antiques. We have the Wellmont theater -- silent movies with organ, the Montclair art gallery, George Inness.
Have you heard of him? Upcoming neighborhoods are always topics of conversation in NY. While I completely agree that loving silent movies is a badge of honor, Kinsey wields all such badges like weapons. He's trying to impress and belittle at the same time. Note the end of the convo: Have you heard of him? So bitchy. This happens to be one of the bitchiest episodes of Mad Men in total.
- 6/19/2010
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Twenty-odd years ago, a game designer named Jordan Mechner sat down at his Apple 2E computer and created a world of intrigue and action where a Prince of Persia was born. Now, Mechner has realized his dream of seeing famous videogame characters brought to the big screen in Disney's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
Mechner and Gemma Arterton, who plays his vivacious heroine, Tamina, in the film, sat down with CinemaSpy to talk about the art of bringing a videogame to the big screen.
Jordan Mechner
CinemaSpy: Is Prince of Persia going to appeal more to gamers than to those who’ve never played the game. Is there material in the movie that will be more meaningful to game players?
Jordan Mechner: We really set out to make a movie that you didn’t need to be a video gamer to appreciate. It’s a movie for everyone.
Mechner and Gemma Arterton, who plays his vivacious heroine, Tamina, in the film, sat down with CinemaSpy to talk about the art of bringing a videogame to the big screen.
Jordan Mechner
CinemaSpy: Is Prince of Persia going to appeal more to gamers than to those who’ve never played the game. Is there material in the movie that will be more meaningful to game players?
Jordan Mechner: We really set out to make a movie that you didn’t need to be a video gamer to appreciate. It’s a movie for everyone.
- 5/28/2010
- CinemaSpy
Twenty-odd years ago, a game designer named Jordan Mechner sat down at his Apple 2E computer and created a world of intrigue and action where a Prince of Persia was born. Now, Mechner has realized his dream of seeing famous videogame characters brought to the big screen in Disney's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
Mechner and Gemma Arterton, who plays his vivacious heroine, Tamina, in the film, sat down with CinemaSpy to talk about the art of bringing a videogame to the big screen.
Jordan Mechner
CinemaSpy: Is Prince of Persia going to appeal more to gamers than to those who’ve never played the game. Is there material in the movie that will be more meaningful to game players?
Jordan Mechner: We really set out to make a movie that you didn’t need to be a video gamer to appreciate. It’s a movie for everyone.
Mechner and Gemma Arterton, who plays his vivacious heroine, Tamina, in the film, sat down with CinemaSpy to talk about the art of bringing a videogame to the big screen.
Jordan Mechner
CinemaSpy: Is Prince of Persia going to appeal more to gamers than to those who’ve never played the game. Is there material in the movie that will be more meaningful to game players?
Jordan Mechner: We really set out to make a movie that you didn’t need to be a video gamer to appreciate. It’s a movie for everyone.
- 5/28/2010
- CinemaSpy
Director Mike Newell and Jerry Bruckheimer couldn’t be more different. One a talkative and uncensored Brit, the other an All-American guy who keeps his cards close to the chest. But working together, Mike Newell and Jerry Bruckheimer have created the lavish world of Prince of Persia.
The pair sat down with CinemaSpy to talk about their opinions of action films, their talented cast of actors for the Disney fantasy epic, and each other's varied approaches to the art of movie-making.
Mike Newell
CinemaSpy: How were Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Artherton cast in their roles? Was it important to you to have bigger names in the roles?
Mike Newell: Right away when I started reading the script, I knew that I should be picturing an actor in my head. I started thinking about the young actors that I know and I kept coming back to Jake. I’d seen...
The pair sat down with CinemaSpy to talk about their opinions of action films, their talented cast of actors for the Disney fantasy epic, and each other's varied approaches to the art of movie-making.
Mike Newell
CinemaSpy: How were Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Artherton cast in their roles? Was it important to you to have bigger names in the roles?
Mike Newell: Right away when I started reading the script, I knew that I should be picturing an actor in my head. I started thinking about the young actors that I know and I kept coming back to Jake. I’d seen...
- 5/28/2010
- CinemaSpy
Cinema needs drama and characters; in a game it's the player who's the hero. Prince of Persia never grasps these basics
In the beginning, cinema and video games kept their distance from each other. Indeed, film feared gaming, and gaming scorned film. An age of interactivity was thought to have begun. People were expected to spurn passive forms of entertainment: instead, they'd supposedly insist on participating themselves. So, the movies would be superseded by the medium of the future. To the surprise of some, it never happened. The games business grew huge, but the movies too continued to flourish. Understandably, each side began to wonder if it could perhaps feed off the other's success.
Game-makers noted that while their customers were prepared to stump up more than cinemagoers, the latter were far more numerous. So, in the hope of expanding their market, they started to make games that were based on films.
In the beginning, cinema and video games kept their distance from each other. Indeed, film feared gaming, and gaming scorned film. An age of interactivity was thought to have begun. People were expected to spurn passive forms of entertainment: instead, they'd supposedly insist on participating themselves. So, the movies would be superseded by the medium of the future. To the surprise of some, it never happened. The games business grew huge, but the movies too continued to flourish. Understandably, each side began to wonder if it could perhaps feed off the other's success.
Game-makers noted that while their customers were prepared to stump up more than cinemagoers, the latter were far more numerous. So, in the hope of expanding their market, they started to make games that were based on films.
- 5/24/2010
- by David Cox
- The Guardian - Film News
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has all the makings of a big budget action/adventure movie. The original video game was created 20 years ago based on the adventure movies of the era, so it.s no surprise that director Mike Newell went back to the same sources for inspiration.
Mike Newell Directs Prince of Persia
.I looked at everything you.d expect me to look at,. Newell said. .I looked at The Thief of Baghdad, Harrison Ford [in Indiana Jones], David Lean was very important. I longed to do the charge on Aqaba from Lawrence of Arabia. All of those great big movies of the .50s and further back as well, they were all very important to me. But I also reckoned that if what I can do was to make this great big booming five ring circus of a movie that has so much in it, also have an anchor of very intimate,...
Mike Newell Directs Prince of Persia
.I looked at everything you.d expect me to look at,. Newell said. .I looked at The Thief of Baghdad, Harrison Ford [in Indiana Jones], David Lean was very important. I longed to do the charge on Aqaba from Lawrence of Arabia. All of those great big movies of the .50s and further back as well, they were all very important to me. But I also reckoned that if what I can do was to make this great big booming five ring circus of a movie that has so much in it, also have an anchor of very intimate,...
- 5/19/2010
- www.canmag.com
The man behind the Prince Of Persia games, Mr Jordan Mechner, tells us how he pitched the big screen version, and just how involved he got...
Den Of Geek talks to Jordan Mechner, the man behind the Prince Of Persia videogame, about turning a 20-year-old game into a Jerry Bruckheimer summer blockbuster, Super Mario Bros., WMDs, and what Megan Fox might do next.
Can we start from the beginning? You pitched it to Jerry Bruckheimer back in 2004, is that right?
That's right. The beginning is even before that, since it started with the Apple II game I made 20 years ago when I was just out of college. But, yes, the beginning of the movie was when I pitched it to Jerry in 2004.
What spurred that? Was it the first time you'd actively tried to make it into a film? Was it the success of the first Pirates film that made...
Den Of Geek talks to Jordan Mechner, the man behind the Prince Of Persia videogame, about turning a 20-year-old game into a Jerry Bruckheimer summer blockbuster, Super Mario Bros., WMDs, and what Megan Fox might do next.
Can we start from the beginning? You pitched it to Jerry Bruckheimer back in 2004, is that right?
That's right. The beginning is even before that, since it started with the Apple II game I made 20 years ago when I was just out of college. But, yes, the beginning of the movie was when I pitched it to Jerry in 2004.
What spurred that? Was it the first time you'd actively tried to make it into a film? Was it the success of the first Pirates film that made...
- 5/17/2010
- Den of Geek
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