Quentin Tarantino does not view Kill Bill as two separate films. That should be acknowledged upfront as fair. After all, it is this detail which allows Tarantino the ability to claim Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood as his ninth instead of 10th film (thereby delaying any obligatory early retirements). And to be sure, Tarantino shot Kill Bill as one epic vision that was only encouraged to be broken up by, ahem, Harvey Weinstein while Tarantino was finishing up principal photography.
So while the story was released as Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2, they’re two sides of the same tale. Be that as it may, there’s no denying that they’re two incredibly different sides. Whether a creative choice made in post-production after realizing he had hours more of running time to play with, or because the filmmaker was already at his most indulgent...
So while the story was released as Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2, they’re two sides of the same tale. Be that as it may, there’s no denying that they’re two incredibly different sides. Whether a creative choice made in post-production after realizing he had hours more of running time to play with, or because the filmmaker was already at his most indulgent...
- 5/6/2024
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Michael Jackson‘s biggest hits were all inspired by one style of music — and it’s not pop. It’s not even modern. One of the other members of The Jackson 5 explained the King of Pop’s “scientific” approach to songwriting.
Michael Jackson’s brother explained what he was thinking when he wrote his biggest hits
Jermaine Jackson was a member of The Jackson 5. In his 2011 book You Are Not Alone: Michael, Through a Brother’s Eyes, Jermaine had great insight into his brother’s musical compositions. The King of Pop felt music was a “science” and he wanted to study it the same way that scientists study DNA. Jermaine revealed that the “Thriller” singer tried to listen to classical pieces as much as possible in order to study their compositions. He also felt that different pieces had different “colors” and he discussed these colors with his brother.
“Michael’s...
Michael Jackson’s brother explained what he was thinking when he wrote his biggest hits
Jermaine Jackson was a member of The Jackson 5. In his 2011 book You Are Not Alone: Michael, Through a Brother’s Eyes, Jermaine had great insight into his brother’s musical compositions. The King of Pop felt music was a “science” and he wanted to study it the same way that scientists study DNA. Jermaine revealed that the “Thriller” singer tried to listen to classical pieces as much as possible in order to study their compositions. He also felt that different pieces had different “colors” and he discussed these colors with his brother.
“Michael’s...
- 4/16/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
When Toddy Haynes’s May December was released last year, it prompted a worldwide (or at least Twitter-wide) reckoning with the meaning of camp. There were furious debates as to the exact parameters of the term and which works fell within them. For Mothers’ Instinct, this matter becomes a kind of existential crisis, because celebrated cinematographer Benoît Delhomme’s 1960s-set directorial debut can’t decide whether it wants to be considered camp or not, as it awkwardly pitches itself between a somber drama and antic melodrama.
Like May December, this remake of the Olivier Masset-Depasse’s 2018 film Duelles is a domestic drama that throws two women into the same space and steadily ratchets up the tension between them. Alice (Jessica Chastain) and Céline (Anne Hathaway) live in neighboring homes in the suburbs. Alice’s son Theo (Eamon Patrick O’Connell) and Céline’s son Max (Baylen D. Bielitz) are best friends,...
Like May December, this remake of the Olivier Masset-Depasse’s 2018 film Duelles is a domestic drama that throws two women into the same space and steadily ratchets up the tension between them. Alice (Jessica Chastain) and Céline (Anne Hathaway) live in neighboring homes in the suburbs. Alice’s son Theo (Eamon Patrick O’Connell) and Céline’s son Max (Baylen D. Bielitz) are best friends,...
- 4/13/2024
- by Ross McIndoe
- Slant Magazine
Released soon after the end of the Great Depression and on the precipice of America’s entry into World War II, William Dieterle’s All That Money Can Buy is a peculiar and fascinating blend of the populist agitprop of the 1930s and the patriotic hokum that defined much of the war years.
In transposing the legend of Faust and his pact with the devil to a rousing bit of American folklore, the screenplay by Dan Totheroh and Stephen Vincent Benét presents greed as anathema to the American way of life, and in one of the few brief eras where that notion was anything short of risible. As such, rugged individualism is spurned in favor of collectivism, specifically in the exalting of the values of an agricultural grange—a communal safety net for small farmers like All That Money Can Buy’s protagonist, Jabez Stone (James Craig).
After a string of bad luck,...
In transposing the legend of Faust and his pact with the devil to a rousing bit of American folklore, the screenplay by Dan Totheroh and Stephen Vincent Benét presents greed as anathema to the American way of life, and in one of the few brief eras where that notion was anything short of risible. As such, rugged individualism is spurned in favor of collectivism, specifically in the exalting of the values of an agricultural grange—a communal safety net for small farmers like All That Money Can Buy’s protagonist, Jabez Stone (James Craig).
After a string of bad luck,...
- 3/19/2024
- by Derek Smith
- Slant Magazine
Spoilers for "Psycho" to follow.
Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" created a watershed moment in American cinema when it was released in 1960, setting an unforgettable precedent for the slasher genre and the portrayal of shocking violence and complex psychosexual deviance on the big screen. There is a palpable edge to "Psycho" that has served as a blueprint for slasher-thrillers down the line, where the violence is sudden and shocking, with the examination into minds like that of Norman Bates' (Anthony Perkins) conveyed in unabashedly visceral and layered terms. Although "Psycho" is designed to keep us on the edge of our seats, as Hitchcock utilizes his mastery over suspense to sustain that sentiment throughout, the shower scene is still considered one of the most jarring scenes where a character dies when least expected.
Janet Leigh stars as Marion Crane, a woman on the run who takes shelter at the Bates Motel when...
Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" created a watershed moment in American cinema when it was released in 1960, setting an unforgettable precedent for the slasher genre and the portrayal of shocking violence and complex psychosexual deviance on the big screen. There is a palpable edge to "Psycho" that has served as a blueprint for slasher-thrillers down the line, where the violence is sudden and shocking, with the examination into minds like that of Norman Bates' (Anthony Perkins) conveyed in unabashedly visceral and layered terms. Although "Psycho" is designed to keep us on the edge of our seats, as Hitchcock utilizes his mastery over suspense to sustain that sentiment throughout, the shower scene is still considered one of the most jarring scenes where a character dies when least expected.
Janet Leigh stars as Marion Crane, a woman on the run who takes shelter at the Bates Motel when...
- 3/18/2024
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Who could've imagined "Community" launching the careers of so many big-name artists? From the Russo Brothers to Donald Glover and Alison Brie, Dan Harmon's cult-favorite comedy series was a breeding ground for then-budding talents, perhaps none more so than composer Ludwig Göransson. Over the last 15 years, Göransson has cemented himself as one of the best music-making millennials in the business, along the way picking up an Oscar for the sick Afrofuturistic beats of his "Black Panther" soundtrack (although his Oscar-nominated score for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" was just as impressive). He's now landed a well-deserved second Academy Award for his electrifying work on "Oppenheimer," placing him in some reputable company when it comes to the Oscars.
Specifically, this gives Göransson just as many Oscars as Hans Zimmer. It's actually kind of mind-boggling that the legendary composer doesn't have more than that, considering just how many iconic movie scores he's...
Specifically, this gives Göransson just as many Oscars as Hans Zimmer. It's actually kind of mind-boggling that the legendary composer doesn't have more than that, considering just how many iconic movie scores he's...
- 3/11/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
The films in the running for the 2024 Best Original Score Oscar are “American Fiction,” “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Oppenheimer,” and “Poor Things.” Our current odds indicate that “Oppenheimer” (3/1) will take the prize, followed in order of likelihood by “Killers of the Flower Moon” (4/1), “Poor Things” (9/2), “Indiana Jones” (9/2), and “American Fiction” (9/2).
Just two of the five musicians on this roster are returning contenders, with the first-timer subgroup consisting of Jerskin Fendrix (“Poor Things”), Laura Karpman (“American Fiction”), and Robbie Robertson (“Killers of the Flower Moon”). Robertson, who died last August at age 80, is this category’s eighth posthumous nominee and first since 1977, when Bernard Herrmann earned dual bids for “Obsession” and “Taxi Driver” nearly 14 months after his death. He would be the fourth deceased composer to win an Academy Award, following Victor Young and “Limelight” (1973) duo Raymond Rasch and Larry Russell.
Of the...
Just two of the five musicians on this roster are returning contenders, with the first-timer subgroup consisting of Jerskin Fendrix (“Poor Things”), Laura Karpman (“American Fiction”), and Robbie Robertson (“Killers of the Flower Moon”). Robertson, who died last August at age 80, is this category’s eighth posthumous nominee and first since 1977, when Bernard Herrmann earned dual bids for “Obsession” and “Taxi Driver” nearly 14 months after his death. He would be the fourth deceased composer to win an Academy Award, following Victor Young and “Limelight” (1973) duo Raymond Rasch and Larry Russell.
Of the...
- 3/7/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
If would be hard to name an artist in any medium who illustrated Flaubert’s famous maxim of creativity better than Ennio Morricone. Morricone, who died in 2020 (at 91), was certainly one of the greatest composers of movie soundtracks who ever lived. But even if you consider him next to his fellow giants, Morricone scaled his own wild peak, inventing his own kind of beauty, his own transcendent cacophony. Yet you would never have guessed it to look at him.
“Ennio,” directed by Guiseppe Tornatore (“Cinema Paradiso”), is a 156-minute portrait of Morricone built around an extensive interview with the composer. (It also includes comments from a murderers’ row of filmmakers and artists.) The movie opens on a beating metronome, which seems to set the orderly, clockwork rhythm of Morricone’s life. Strolling into his ornately furnished living room, he walks quickly, not like a man of 90, and his voice is light and direct.
“Ennio,” directed by Guiseppe Tornatore (“Cinema Paradiso”), is a 156-minute portrait of Morricone built around an extensive interview with the composer. (It also includes comments from a murderers’ row of filmmakers and artists.) The movie opens on a beating metronome, which seems to set the orderly, clockwork rhythm of Morricone’s life. Strolling into his ornately furnished living room, he walks quickly, not like a man of 90, and his voice is light and direct.
- 2/9/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Online dating can be a minefield. Your feelings can get hurt. Your confidence can be shaken. Your time can be wasted. And you can wander into a maelstrom of murder, arson, and identity theft that leaves you questioning your previously established reality. This is the point at which a situation morphs from social annoyance to Netflix true crime documentary.
Lover, Stalker, Killer, whose title practically screams “edgy true crime doc!,” is a sort of tech-age cautionary tale about what can happen when you go looking for love on all the wrong websites.
Lover, Stalker, Killer, whose title practically screams “edgy true crime doc!,” is a sort of tech-age cautionary tale about what can happen when you go looking for love on all the wrong websites.
- 2/9/2024
- by Chris Vognar
- Rollingstone.com
Two songs from “Barbie” are Oscar-nominated, part of a diverse collection of songs and musical scores nominated for the 96th annual Academy Awards.
“What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, and “I’m Just Ken,” by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, were chosen by the 390 voting members of the Academy music branch. Three “Barbie” songs were shortlisted (Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” being the third) but only two can be nominated, per Academy rules.
The “Barbie” songs are already considered frontrunners, and if either number prevails on March 10, the Oscar will go to a pair of songwriters who already have one of those golden statues. Siblings Eilish and O’Connell won for 2021’s James Bond film “No Time to Die,” while Ronson and Wyatt were two of four 2018 winners for Lady Gaga’s song “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born.”
They will compete against Jon Batiste...
“What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, and “I’m Just Ken,” by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, were chosen by the 390 voting members of the Academy music branch. Three “Barbie” songs were shortlisted (Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night” being the third) but only two can be nominated, per Academy rules.
The “Barbie” songs are already considered frontrunners, and if either number prevails on March 10, the Oscar will go to a pair of songwriters who already have one of those golden statues. Siblings Eilish and O’Connell won for 2021’s James Bond film “No Time to Die,” while Ronson and Wyatt were two of four 2018 winners for Lady Gaga’s song “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born.”
They will compete against Jon Batiste...
- 1/23/2024
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
You probably know the premise of "Bones." Set in Washington DC, forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and FBI agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) solve murders by studying the mortal remains of the victims. Or do they?
For the show's 200th episode, "The 200th in the 10th", the team decided to do something totally different (and non-canon). In this episode, the show moves to 1950s Los Angeles, where Brennan is an LAPD detective pursuing Booth, a jewel thief. At his latest robbery, Booth finds a burnt skeleton while safecracking and is immediately labeled as suspect No. 1 of the murder. Brennan, knowing it's not Booth's Mo, recruits her quarry to solve this new case together. Hey, after 10 seasons, a show has earned the right to swing for the fences!
"The 200th in the 10th" is made in the style of Old Hollywood thrillers, especially Alfred Hitchcock's 1950s technicolor noir films.
For the show's 200th episode, "The 200th in the 10th", the team decided to do something totally different (and non-canon). In this episode, the show moves to 1950s Los Angeles, where Brennan is an LAPD detective pursuing Booth, a jewel thief. At his latest robbery, Booth finds a burnt skeleton while safecracking and is immediately labeled as suspect No. 1 of the murder. Brennan, knowing it's not Booth's Mo, recruits her quarry to solve this new case together. Hey, after 10 seasons, a show has earned the right to swing for the fences!
"The 200th in the 10th" is made in the style of Old Hollywood thrillers, especially Alfred Hitchcock's 1950s technicolor noir films.
- 1/6/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Did you know that Alfred Hitchcock made a film starring Shirley MacLaine and John Forsythe? Did you know he made a broad comedy? Did you know he shot an entire film in Craftsbury, Vermont?! Well, I guess the last one isn't so shocking. And "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", Hitchcock's Carole Lombard-starring screwball comedy from 1941, is quite well-known and liked.
But I'm not talking about "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." I'm talking about the other comedy made by the master of suspense. 1955's "The Trouble With Harry" represented several firsts for Hitchcock -- his first dark comedy, the first film he made after obtaining American citizenship (he had been living and working in the country for 16 years by that point), and the first film he made after commencing production on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." That series quickly became popular with audiences and was cemented in short order as an American institution,...
But I'm not talking about "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." I'm talking about the other comedy made by the master of suspense. 1955's "The Trouble With Harry" represented several firsts for Hitchcock -- his first dark comedy, the first film he made after obtaining American citizenship (he had been living and working in the country for 16 years by that point), and the first film he made after commencing production on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." That series quickly became popular with audiences and was cemented in short order as an American institution,...
- 12/24/2023
- by Ryan Coleman
- Slash Film
Robert De Niro has been working in Hollywood for almost six decades now, with eight Oscar nominations to his name and two wins. His most noted collaboration has been with director Martin Scorsese, with whom he has done 10 films, including their latest partnership on “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which was released October 20 through Apple Original Films. In celebration of the western crime epic, let’s take a look back at De Niro’s eight Oscar nominations in 45 years; seven for acting and one for producing.
His first Oscar nomination and victory came on the heels of Francis Ford Coppola’s epic crime film “The Godfather” with the equally successful second installment “The Godfather Part II” (1974), in which De Niro plays a young Vito Corleone, played by Oscar winner Marlon Brando in the first movie. Just like Brando, De Niro triumphed at the 1975 Oscars for the character, albeit in the...
His first Oscar nomination and victory came on the heels of Francis Ford Coppola’s epic crime film “The Godfather” with the equally successful second installment “The Godfather Part II” (1974), in which De Niro plays a young Vito Corleone, played by Oscar winner Marlon Brando in the first movie. Just like Brando, De Niro triumphed at the 1975 Oscars for the character, albeit in the...
- 12/15/2023
- by Christopher Tsang
- Gold Derby
Ihsahn has announced a new self-titled solo album arriving February 16th. The Norwegian black metal legend has also unveiled two different versions — one black metal and one symphonic — of the lead single “Pilgrimage to Oblivion.”
The metal version immediately calls to mind Celtic Frost’s seminal album Into the Pandemonium with its fusion of black metal and bombastic orchestral arrangement. Ihsahn’s vocals are starkly placed among the music, which has tangible prog-metal slant in its composition, following the template of the Emperor founder’s latter solo material.
“‘Pilgrimage to Oblivion’ serves as a rather immediate introduction to the overarching musical and conceptual aspects of the album,” remarked Ihsahn in a press release. “The lyrics go directly into the storyline and the video is the first in a sequel of videos portraying the whole story.”
Ihsahn’s upcoming album will be issued with an alternate symphonic version. The accompanying symphonic...
The metal version immediately calls to mind Celtic Frost’s seminal album Into the Pandemonium with its fusion of black metal and bombastic orchestral arrangement. Ihsahn’s vocals are starkly placed among the music, which has tangible prog-metal slant in its composition, following the template of the Emperor founder’s latter solo material.
“‘Pilgrimage to Oblivion’ serves as a rather immediate introduction to the overarching musical and conceptual aspects of the album,” remarked Ihsahn in a press release. “The lyrics go directly into the storyline and the video is the first in a sequel of videos portraying the whole story.”
Ihsahn’s upcoming album will be issued with an alternate symphonic version. The accompanying symphonic...
- 11/16/2023
- by Jon Hadusek
- Consequence - Music
"Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis" is the comedy talk show TV series, hosted by Zach Galifianakis ("The Hangover") featuring celebrity guests, including Charlize Theron, Brie Larson and Natalie Portman, hilariously insulted:
"... the show opens with Dave Blume's arrangement of Bernard Herrmann's theme from 'Taxi Driver'.
"The set intentionally resembles a low-budget amateur production for public-access television.
"Galifianakis maintains an awkward and often antagonistic demeanor with his guests...
"...asking bizarre, inappropriate or insulting questions mixed with offhand non-sequiturs. The guests' responses are mostly improvised..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"... the show opens with Dave Blume's arrangement of Bernard Herrmann's theme from 'Taxi Driver'.
"The set intentionally resembles a low-budget amateur production for public-access television.
"Galifianakis maintains an awkward and often antagonistic demeanor with his guests...
"...asking bizarre, inappropriate or insulting questions mixed with offhand non-sequiturs. The guests' responses are mostly improvised..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 10/15/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
64 years after its debut on CBS, no series has been able to match the consistency of quality or the rigorousness of thought that Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone" demonstrated over its five stellar seasons. For many, the series' most memorable episodes set us on edge via science fiction or straight-up horror elements, but Serling and his roster of first-rate writers could be just as brilliant when using nothing but plain old reality to freak us out.
The Red Scare metaphor "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" is probably the finest example of this (especially in an era where a massive blackout could easily plunge millions of technology reliant humans into utter chaos), but it's closely followed by the pilot episode that established the series as a one-of-a-kind mindf***. Written by Serling himself, "Where Is Everybody?" sets up as a post-apocalyptic nightmare. Earl Holliman plays an amnesiac who finds...
The Red Scare metaphor "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" is probably the finest example of this (especially in an era where a massive blackout could easily plunge millions of technology reliant humans into utter chaos), but it's closely followed by the pilot episode that established the series as a one-of-a-kind mindf***. Written by Serling himself, "Where Is Everybody?" sets up as a post-apocalyptic nightmare. Earl Holliman plays an amnesiac who finds...
- 9/5/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Have you heard of a movie about a brilliant quantum physicist who travels to a remote location so he can test a groundbreaking theory that could change the world forever? It’s shot in breathtaking black-and-white, and features Nazis and a doomed romance.
If you’re thinking of Oppenheimer, you’re wrong by a good two decades (in terms of the time setting), as well as a good hundred million dollars (in terms of budget). And yet, like a smaller, distant cousin to the Christopher Nolan blockbuster, German director Timm Kröger’s The Theory of Everything (Die Theorie Von Allem) is also an artfully made, ambitious period piece where reality sometimes bends to the laws of modern physics.
However, the similarities end there. Nolan’s movie was science-fact, remaining as close to historic events as technically possible. Kröger’s second feature is more of a genre-jumping experiment, combining Hollywood sci-fi...
If you’re thinking of Oppenheimer, you’re wrong by a good two decades (in terms of the time setting), as well as a good hundred million dollars (in terms of budget). And yet, like a smaller, distant cousin to the Christopher Nolan blockbuster, German director Timm Kröger’s The Theory of Everything (Die Theorie Von Allem) is also an artfully made, ambitious period piece where reality sometimes bends to the laws of modern physics.
However, the similarities end there. Nolan’s movie was science-fact, remaining as close to historic events as technically possible. Kröger’s second feature is more of a genre-jumping experiment, combining Hollywood sci-fi...
- 9/3/2023
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paul McCartney said The Beatles‘ “Eleanor Rigby” has a “madcap connection” to a character from Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Despite this, the Psycho character doesn’t actually have much in common with the protagonist of “Eleanor Rigby.” Notably, John Lennon said the hit was inspired by the music of a famous composer.
Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ inspired The Beatles’ ‘Eleanor Rigby’ lyrically and musically
During a 2021 interview with The New Yorker, Paul discussed the origins of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.” “It did feel like a breakthrough for me lyrically — more of a serious song,” he recalled. “[Producer] George Martin had introduced me to the string-quartet idea through ‘Yesterday.’ I’d resisted the idea at first, but when it worked I fell in love with it. So I ended up writing ‘Eleanor Rigby’ with a string component in mind. When I took the song to George, I said that, for accompaniment, I...
Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ inspired The Beatles’ ‘Eleanor Rigby’ lyrically and musically
During a 2021 interview with The New Yorker, Paul discussed the origins of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.” “It did feel like a breakthrough for me lyrically — more of a serious song,” he recalled. “[Producer] George Martin had introduced me to the string-quartet idea through ‘Yesterday.’ I’d resisted the idea at first, but when it worked I fell in love with it. So I ended up writing ‘Eleanor Rigby’ with a string component in mind. When I took the song to George, I said that, for accompaniment, I...
- 9/2/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Film Independent is currently in the middle of a Matching Campaign to raise support for the next 30 years of filmmaker support. All donations make before or on September 15 will be doubled—dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000. To celebrate the campaign, we’re re-posting a few of our most popular blogs.
Since the early 2000s, there’s been a disappointing trend in movies away from full-fledged opening title sequences. Whether because of the desire to jump straight into the action or the impulse to keep the audience focused on a film’s story (rather than its creators), elaborate, artful opening title sequences, once commonplace, have become increasingly rare—which is too bad.
Great opening title sequences do a whole lot more than just show the names and guild memberships of those behind-the-scenes folks who make it all happen. They can do the critical early-movie work of establishing a movie’s mood and texture,...
Since the early 2000s, there’s been a disappointing trend in movies away from full-fledged opening title sequences. Whether because of the desire to jump straight into the action or the impulse to keep the audience focused on a film’s story (rather than its creators), elaborate, artful opening title sequences, once commonplace, have become increasingly rare—which is too bad.
Great opening title sequences do a whole lot more than just show the names and guild memberships of those behind-the-scenes folks who make it all happen. They can do the critical early-movie work of establishing a movie’s mood and texture,...
- 8/30/2023
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
When Alfred Hitchcock fired the composer behind “Vertigo” and “Psycho” over creative differences during the production of “Torn Curtain” in May 1966, it was clear that film music was changing. Although Bernard Herrmann’s theremin-laden score for “The Day the Earth Stood Still” had changed the game, his rugged determination not to succumb to rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, or (God forbid) “theme tune” scores that were quickly becoming all the rage in Hollywood made him an enemy of serial pragmatist Hitchcock. They never worked together again.
Three months later, The Beatles released “Revolver,” with what The Village Voice called a “bent and pulverised sound” — and pop music had gone electronic. Amid times a-changin’, Herrmann dug his heels in. His final score a decade later, for “Taxi Driver,” is as classic as they come.
When the synthesizer again altered the sound of film music in the 1980s, Herrmann’s fingerprints were, ironically,...
Three months later, The Beatles released “Revolver,” with what The Village Voice called a “bent and pulverised sound” — and pop music had gone electronic. Amid times a-changin’, Herrmann dug his heels in. His final score a decade later, for “Taxi Driver,” is as classic as they come.
When the synthesizer again altered the sound of film music in the 1980s, Herrmann’s fingerprints were, ironically,...
- 8/15/2023
- by Adam Solomons
- Indiewire
It goes without saying that movie music has come a mighty long way in the last 100 years or so, but the first two decades of the 21st century have nevertheless been an extraordinarily active and evolutionary stretch of time for film scores. Without discounting the bold and formative achievements of old masters like Bernard Hermann and Toru Takemitsu, it’s fair to say that the rise of independent cinema and the challenge of the digital age have provoked a true paradigm shift in how we think about musical accompaniment.
Rock and avant-garde musicians like Jonny Greenwood and Mica Levi have used narrative projects as inspiration to explore new facets of their genius, while more traditional composers such as Alexandre Desplat and Carter Burwell have risen to the challenge by delivering the most beautiful work of their careers. Indeed, some of the very best movie scores in recent memory (including the...
Rock and avant-garde musicians like Jonny Greenwood and Mica Levi have used narrative projects as inspiration to explore new facets of their genius, while more traditional composers such as Alexandre Desplat and Carter Burwell have risen to the challenge by delivering the most beautiful work of their careers. Indeed, some of the very best movie scores in recent memory (including the...
- 8/10/2023
- by Wilson Chapman, David Ehrlich, Kate Erbland and Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Film Independent is currently in the middle of a Matching Campaign to raise support for the next 30 years of filmmaker support. All donations make before or on September 15 will be doubled—dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000. To kick off the campaign, we’re re-posting a few of our most popular blogs.
Regardless of its importance to the storytelling process, film music is too often an afterthought. There are a variety of theories that composers have as to why, and they’re mostly related to a lack of education. So I’ve decided to take an active stance in educating filmmakers about the role of music in film and the process of how a film score comes into being.
My hope is that by the end of this piece you’ll be more familiar with: A) the history of film music in general, and B) the key composers who have contributed to the...
Regardless of its importance to the storytelling process, film music is too often an afterthought. There are a variety of theories that composers have as to why, and they’re mostly related to a lack of education. So I’ve decided to take an active stance in educating filmmakers about the role of music in film and the process of how a film score comes into being.
My hope is that by the end of this piece you’ll be more familiar with: A) the history of film music in general, and B) the key composers who have contributed to the...
- 7/28/2023
- by Olajide Paris
- Film Independent News & More
Midway through Steven Soderbergh’s new thriller miniseries Full Circle, Sam Browne (Claire Danes) asks her brooding husband Derek (Timothy Olyphant), “Is there something else going on?” The query comes as the Brownes are dealing with a kidnap threat against their son, an apparent murder, and someone targeting the corporate empire that the couple runs on behalf of Sam’s celebrity chef father, Jeff McCusker (Dennis Quaid).
“You mean more than all this?” an incredulous Derek replies.
So, yes, the Brownes are dealing with a lot. And Soderbergh and writer...
“You mean more than all this?” an incredulous Derek replies.
So, yes, the Brownes are dealing with a lot. And Soderbergh and writer...
- 7/13/2023
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
Donnie Yen is the premier martial arts showman on Earth. He is the heir to Jackie Chan, who was Bruce Lee's successor, and, like those legends, his fighting style is a fluid amalgam of hand-to-hand combat techniques. Watching Yen ply his craft is like listening to a vintage De La Soul track. His fight scenes are an exhilarating, expertly choreographed blur of disciplines. Yen samples from Tai Chi, karate, Taekwondo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, aikido, wrestling, judo and so much more. And when you spot a reference to a patented punch, kick, or feint from another film or a notable fighter, you get every bit as giddy as the first time you heard the Beastie Boys blend John Williams' "Jaws" theme with Bernard Herrmann's legendary "Psycho" cue in the song, "Egg Man," on their "Paul's Boutique" album.
At the age of 59, Yen shows no signs of slowing down, nor has...
At the age of 59, Yen shows no signs of slowing down, nor has...
- 4/18/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
William is a highly successful pediatric surgeon, a little uptight but living a good life with his family in London. But from the moment he locks eyes with Anna, standing across the room at a lavish party, he’s doomed. He knows it. We know it. The fun of Obsession, a new four-part erotic thriller from Netflix, lies in watching it all fall down. That, and a whole lot of kinky, animalistic sex.
This is a tale of amour fou, in which lust tramples everything in its path – family, respectability,...
This is a tale of amour fou, in which lust tramples everything in its path – family, respectability,...
- 4/13/2023
- by Chris Vognar
- Rollingstone.com
A children's animated film, re-dubbed from Spanish and released to UK theatres in time for the Easter holidays, Mummies is entertaining enough but that is unlikely to translate to anything more significant.
While the Rosetta Stone was initially considered unique, there are partial copies of the same decree and three earlier sets of text commanded by Ptolemy V. In a similar vein, Epic Tails from earlier this year takes something roughly like the past and makes of it something roughly contemporary, with mixed impact. The utility of that revelatory rock was in its repetition, the same set of dated references again and again.
A character's ringtone is the violin stab from the score of Hitchock's Psycho, and while it's assigned to their mother I find myself wondering who among its intended audience will have consumed Bernard Herrmann's score in that work or if they'll have absorbed it as cultural background.
While the Rosetta Stone was initially considered unique, there are partial copies of the same decree and three earlier sets of text commanded by Ptolemy V. In a similar vein, Epic Tails from earlier this year takes something roughly like the past and makes of it something roughly contemporary, with mixed impact. The utility of that revelatory rock was in its repetition, the same set of dated references again and again.
A character's ringtone is the violin stab from the score of Hitchock's Psycho, and while it's assigned to their mother I find myself wondering who among its intended audience will have consumed Bernard Herrmann's score in that work or if they'll have absorbed it as cultural background.
- 3/28/2023
- by Andrew Robertson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
To the mission tower once more!
Paramount Pictures has acquired rights to remake “Vertigo,” the James Stewart and Kim Novak-led Alfred Hitchcock psychological thriller that is considered by many critics to be the greatest film of all time.
The project is being developed by Team Downey, Robert Downey Jr.’s production company, and Steven Knight, the British writer-director-producer behind “Peaky Blinders” is attached to write. Knight also just landed a deal to bring “Star Wars” back to theaters after Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson exited the franchise. Trade reports suggest that this is likely being packaged as a vehicle for Downey to star in.
“Vertigo,” based on a 1954 French novel by the team of Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, was released in 1958 by Paramount and was nominated for two Oscars—sound and production design. On the one hand, it’s a simple crime mystery, but on the other it...
Paramount Pictures has acquired rights to remake “Vertigo,” the James Stewart and Kim Novak-led Alfred Hitchcock psychological thriller that is considered by many critics to be the greatest film of all time.
The project is being developed by Team Downey, Robert Downey Jr.’s production company, and Steven Knight, the British writer-director-producer behind “Peaky Blinders” is attached to write. Knight also just landed a deal to bring “Star Wars” back to theaters after Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson exited the franchise. Trade reports suggest that this is likely being packaged as a vehicle for Downey to star in.
“Vertigo,” based on a 1954 French novel by the team of Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, was released in 1958 by Paramount and was nominated for two Oscars—sound and production design. On the one hand, it’s a simple crime mystery, but on the other it...
- 3/24/2023
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
Forrest Gump is Andrew Scott Bell’s origin story, in a manner of speaking. When his parents bought the two-disc soundtrack, packed with cuts from Bob Dylan and Creedence Clearwater Revival, he gravitated most to the final track, “Forrest Gump Suite,” by composer Alan Silvestri, who is also known for What Lies Beneath, Castaway, and Avengers: Infinity War, among countless other works.
“I remember hearing the track and lightning sparks going off in my brain,” he tells Bloody Disgusting. So, he listened to it over and over again until he learned how to play it on piano. “I’ll never forget how to play it,” he adds.
From upstate New York, Bell grew up in a very religious home. Being a “weird queer kid,” he found himself taking dance, ballet, and piano lessons. “When I was very young, I landed on art and drawing, and I was really into that.
“I remember hearing the track and lightning sparks going off in my brain,” he tells Bloody Disgusting. So, he listened to it over and over again until he learned how to play it on piano. “I’ll never forget how to play it,” he adds.
From upstate New York, Bell grew up in a very religious home. Being a “weird queer kid,” he found himself taking dance, ballet, and piano lessons. “When I was very young, I landed on art and drawing, and I was really into that.
- 2/16/2023
- by Bee Delores
- bloody-disgusting.com
"Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis" is the ongoing comedy talk show TV series, hosted by Zach Galifianakis ("The Hangover") featuring celebrity guests, trading barbs and insults:
"... the series' theme music is Dave Blume's arrangement of Bernard Herrmann's theme from 'Taxi Driver'.
"The set intentionally resembles a low-budget amateur production for public-access television.
"Galifianakis maintains a very awkward and often antagonistic demeanor with his guests...
"...hilariously asking them bizarre, inappropriate or insulting questions mixed with offhand non-sequiturs. The guests' responses are mostly improvised, despite pre-interviews..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"... the series' theme music is Dave Blume's arrangement of Bernard Herrmann's theme from 'Taxi Driver'.
"The set intentionally resembles a low-budget amateur production for public-access television.
"Galifianakis maintains a very awkward and often antagonistic demeanor with his guests...
"...hilariously asking them bizarre, inappropriate or insulting questions mixed with offhand non-sequiturs. The guests' responses are mostly improvised, despite pre-interviews..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 2/11/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
This post contains spoilers for "Knock at the Cabin."
M. Night Shyamalan has made a throwback picture with "Knock at the Cabin." The old Universal logo and the old-school opening credits make that abundantly clear. When unwanted guests arrive and say the end is near, Shyamalan tells a story about the dangers, fear, and hate that plagues society. With composer Herdís Stefánsdóttir ("Y: The Last Man"), the filmmaker creates a near constant sense of dread.
Stefánsdóttir was never explicitly instructed to go back to the past and pay homage to the likes of Alfred Hitchock's go-to composer, Bernard Herrmann -- she just knew that was the route to go. She also wanted modern touches and biblical references in the thunderous score. Recently, Stefánsdóttir was in Los Angeles to take a break from film composing to work on an album, but she made the time discuss her ambitions and influences for "Knock at the Cabin.
M. Night Shyamalan has made a throwback picture with "Knock at the Cabin." The old Universal logo and the old-school opening credits make that abundantly clear. When unwanted guests arrive and say the end is near, Shyamalan tells a story about the dangers, fear, and hate that plagues society. With composer Herdís Stefánsdóttir ("Y: The Last Man"), the filmmaker creates a near constant sense of dread.
Stefánsdóttir was never explicitly instructed to go back to the past and pay homage to the likes of Alfred Hitchock's go-to composer, Bernard Herrmann -- she just knew that was the route to go. She also wanted modern touches and biblical references in the thunderous score. Recently, Stefánsdóttir was in Los Angeles to take a break from film composing to work on an album, but she made the time discuss her ambitions and influences for "Knock at the Cabin.
- 2/4/2023
- by Jack Giroux
- Slash Film
François Truffaut’s ode to Hitchcock and Cornell Woolrich is an ice-cold femme revenge tale. Jeanne Moreau exacts retribution from five men who made her a widow on her wedding day. Truffaut winds it as tightly as a mousetrap, leaving Ms. Moreau’s psychology a mystery — feminists can debate whether the film is misogynistic. Raoul Coutard’s color cinematography is deceptively warm and inviting; the film’s biggest boost comes from Bernard Herrmann’s powerful music score.
The Bride Wore Black
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1968 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 107 min. / Street Date February 14, 2023 / La mariée était en noir / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Jeanne Moreau, Michel Bouquet, Jean-Claude Brialy, Charles Denner, Claude Rich, Michael Lonsdale, Daniel Boulanger, Alexandra Stewart, Sylvine Delannoy, Luce Fabiole, Michèle Montfort.
Cinematography: Raoul Coutard
Production Designer: Pierre Guffroy
Film Editor: Claudine Bouché
Original Music: Bernard Herrmann
Written by François Truffaut, Jean-Louis Richard from the novel by William Irish...
The Bride Wore Black
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1968 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 107 min. / Street Date February 14, 2023 / La mariée était en noir / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Jeanne Moreau, Michel Bouquet, Jean-Claude Brialy, Charles Denner, Claude Rich, Michael Lonsdale, Daniel Boulanger, Alexandra Stewart, Sylvine Delannoy, Luce Fabiole, Michèle Montfort.
Cinematography: Raoul Coutard
Production Designer: Pierre Guffroy
Film Editor: Claudine Bouché
Original Music: Bernard Herrmann
Written by François Truffaut, Jean-Louis Richard from the novel by William Irish...
- 2/4/2023
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
If you grew up wanting to be a filmmaker, you are inescapably indebted to the directors of your youth. While your work will likely be infused with the going style (e.g. any kid hopping into what is now an old-fashioned artform won't be able to expunge countless hours of TikTok videos from their brain), you'll probably be standing on the shoulders of Barry Jenkins, Chloe Zhao and Ryan Coogler -- which means you'll be drawing from their reservoir of inspiration. Whether you know it or not, Robert Bresson, Agnes Varda, and Jean-Luc Godard are speaking through you. Every artist is always looking backward.
Steven Spielberg might've been the youngest of the 1970s New Hollywood film brats, but aesthetically, he was more deeply in touch with the just-ended era of studio filmmaking than any of his peers. He wanted to harness the groundbreaking technology at his blockbuster disposal to make classical,...
Steven Spielberg might've been the youngest of the 1970s New Hollywood film brats, but aesthetically, he was more deeply in touch with the just-ended era of studio filmmaking than any of his peers. He wanted to harness the groundbreaking technology at his blockbuster disposal to make classical,...
- 1/14/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Baby Boy has plenty of sex and drugs, but no rock and roll. An abrasive, gripping and dark descent into the heart of London’s underbelly, this tale of a typical suburban man succumbing to his worst impulses suggests Taxi Driver meeting Uncut Gems. Yet the locale and the feel are undeniably British, with experienced low-budget Director Greg Hall (whose Dn association predates this website) turning in a particularly harrowing look at how easy it is to fall back on one’s inner weaknesses. Told with a great sense of empathy from a screenplay by George Russo who also puts in a terrifying central performance, Baby Boy makes great use of a dual-lighting scheme, carefully co-ordinated camerawork and fantastic acting to flip the script on traditional masculinity in favour of something far more nuanced and interesting. Ahead of today’s online premiere, we had the chance to talk to Hall about making violence believable,...
- 1/11/2023
- by Redmond Bacon
- Directors Notes
Despite any longevity and adaptability they may have, every artist is inevitably forever associated with a particular time. In terms of movie directors, there exists an association between, for instance, Jean-Luc Godard and the 1960s, or Steven Spielberg and the 1980s, and so on.
In that way, Quentin Tarantino is inexorably tied to the 1990s, with his films "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction" impacting pop culture on a seismic level. As these things usually happen, this was entirely by chance and not design; one of the joys of Tarantino's work as a filmmaker is that his numerous references to other films, TV shows and music are purely based around his own likes rather than some attempt to be hip and up-to-the-minute.
That wasn't always the case, however. One of the two screenplays the struggling young writer first wrote was "True Romance," a script that featured as many character quirks...
In that way, Quentin Tarantino is inexorably tied to the 1990s, with his films "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction" impacting pop culture on a seismic level. As these things usually happen, this was entirely by chance and not design; one of the joys of Tarantino's work as a filmmaker is that his numerous references to other films, TV shows and music are purely based around his own likes rather than some attempt to be hip and up-to-the-minute.
That wasn't always the case, however. One of the two screenplays the struggling young writer first wrote was "True Romance," a script that featured as many character quirks...
- 12/28/2022
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Of all our craft Best of 2022 lists, film scores was the one where there was the widest list of nominees and least amount of consensus about a top 10. There was just such a wide variety of great work done that delineating what was best wasn’t always clear.
What was clear from our picks, however, was that a number of the best composers working today — from Michael Giacchino to Michael Abels — were on their game in 2022; it was also apparent that this was a year of innovative uses of film music that played a subtle and almost sound design-like role. And by no surprise, so much of that best work came from director-composer collaborations that started early and stretched over many months, sometimes over year, and evolved to find the best way for the music sit in the film.
Chris O’Falt, Steve Greene, David Ehrlich, and Erik Adams also contributed to this article.
What was clear from our picks, however, was that a number of the best composers working today — from Michael Giacchino to Michael Abels — were on their game in 2022; it was also apparent that this was a year of innovative uses of film music that played a subtle and almost sound design-like role. And by no surprise, so much of that best work came from director-composer collaborations that started early and stretched over many months, sometimes over year, and evolved to find the best way for the music sit in the film.
Chris O’Falt, Steve Greene, David Ehrlich, and Erik Adams also contributed to this article.
- 12/20/2022
- by Sarah Shachat, Jim Hemphill and Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Angelo Badalamenti, the Grammy-winning composer whose synthy soundtracks for Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet ushered dream pop into the mainstream, has died. Rolling Stone confirmed the composer’s death with his manager, Kraft-Engel Management. He was 85.
“Angelo Badalamenti was a composer, loving husband, father, and grandfather,” his family tells Rolling Stone via Kraft-Engel Management. “The family confirmed he passed away on Dec. 11, 2022 at 85 years old peacefully due to natural causes and was surrounded by his loving family. The family appreciates their privacy at their difficult time.”
The composer received widespread...
“Angelo Badalamenti was a composer, loving husband, father, and grandfather,” his family tells Rolling Stone via Kraft-Engel Management. “The family confirmed he passed away on Dec. 11, 2022 at 85 years old peacefully due to natural causes and was surrounded by his loving family. The family appreciates their privacy at their difficult time.”
The composer received widespread...
- 12/12/2022
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Music producer The Atg has returned with his latest full-length album called Demon Time following his work for the film ‘Trap City’ starring Brandon T. Jackson, Clifton Powell and G.V. Prakash Kumar.
Having been inspired by a number of genres throughout his early career including classical music, The Atg’s latest collaboration with Chicago rapper, Lil Reese, is gaining traction in the UK.
The fast-rising subgenre of drill music, which found its origins on the streets of Chicago several years ago, has made its way to the UK’s musical scene, with the cultural significance of the movement gaining traction in the film business.
The young record producer’s newest album, Demon Time, features a track-list full of ominous yet energetic bangers. With an already impressive career behind him that speaks for itself, The Atg’s latest collaboration showcases his distinctive style flavoured with avant-garde gothic overtones. Some of Atg’s inspirations include Dr. Dre,...
Having been inspired by a number of genres throughout his early career including classical music, The Atg’s latest collaboration with Chicago rapper, Lil Reese, is gaining traction in the UK.
The fast-rising subgenre of drill music, which found its origins on the streets of Chicago several years ago, has made its way to the UK’s musical scene, with the cultural significance of the movement gaining traction in the film business.
The young record producer’s newest album, Demon Time, features a track-list full of ominous yet energetic bangers. With an already impressive career behind him that speaks for itself, The Atg’s latest collaboration showcases his distinctive style flavoured with avant-garde gothic overtones. Some of Atg’s inspirations include Dr. Dre,...
- 12/12/2022
- by Michael Walsh
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
For a long time, "Vertigo" was consigned to the vault. Once the rights to Hitchcock's masterpiece reverted back to the director in the '60s, he kept the film under lock and key right up until his death in 1980. Universal then got their hands on the rights and in the 1990s decided "Vertigo" was due an overhaul.
The studio set about restoring the 1958 classic to its former glory via an in-depth process that involved creating new negatives in 35mm and 65mm and reportedly finding original elements of the film in the US, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Along with the visual restoration, Hitchcock's dreamy tale of obsession and madness also got a full, and controversial, audio overhaul. As former head of Universal Classics, James C. Katz, recounted upon the 1996 release of the restored movie, both the score and dialogue were given a digital stereo remaster alongside a newly recorded Foley track.
The studio set about restoring the 1958 classic to its former glory via an in-depth process that involved creating new negatives in 35mm and 65mm and reportedly finding original elements of the film in the US, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Along with the visual restoration, Hitchcock's dreamy tale of obsession and madness also got a full, and controversial, audio overhaul. As former head of Universal Classics, James C. Katz, recounted upon the 1996 release of the restored movie, both the score and dialogue were given a digital stereo remaster alongside a newly recorded Foley track.
- 12/8/2022
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Composer Bear McCreary discusses a few of his favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Wolf Man (1941) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s Wolf Man movie power rankings
Host (2020)
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary celebration
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Total Recall (1990)
Robot Monster (1953) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary
Cat-Women Of The Moon (1953)
The Man With The Golden Arm (1955) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary
The Ten Commandments (1956) – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary
The Swarm (1978) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Batman (1989)
Dick Tracy (1990)
Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003) – Mike Schlesinger’s trailer commentary
Chinatown (1974) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary
The Professor And The Madman (2019)
Hollywood Boulevard (1976) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
Do The Right Thing (1989) – Allan Arkush...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Wolf Man (1941) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s Wolf Man movie power rankings
Host (2020)
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary celebration
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Total Recall (1990)
Robot Monster (1953) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary
Cat-Women Of The Moon (1953)
The Man With The Golden Arm (1955) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary
The Ten Commandments (1956) – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary
The Swarm (1978) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Batman (1989)
Dick Tracy (1990)
Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003) – Mike Schlesinger’s trailer commentary
Chinatown (1974) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary
The Professor And The Madman (2019)
Hollywood Boulevard (1976) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
Do The Right Thing (1989) – Allan Arkush...
- 12/6/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
In the 1990s, Batman was still undergoing a transformation, with Tim Burton's grim "Batman" and "Batman Returns" having altered the perception of the character from his campier Adam West days. Warner Bros. Animation was gearing up to drop a revolutionary take on the hero that would help cement his legacy as the truly gothic and brooding figure of the shadows he was always meant to be. By now, fans probably know the story of how co-creators Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski borrowed from film noir and Burton's movies to create the moody environs of what would become "Batman: The Animated Series." And the late Kevin Conroy, who we sadly lost this year, is famous for his authoritative Batman/Bruce Wayne voice.
But, as Vulture's oral history of the show revealed, there's more to the story of what made the show a success. After all, a dark and moody series...
But, as Vulture's oral history of the show revealed, there's more to the story of what made the show a success. After all, a dark and moody series...
- 11/23/2022
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Martin Scorsese's 1976 drama "Taxi Driver" opens on a large white plume of steam, billowing from a vent in a street in New York City. It is night, and the plume captures the garish white light of a nearby streetlamp. Plaintive, scary Bernard Herrmann jazz plays on the soundtrack. An NYC taxicab then pushes its way through the cloud. It is a shining beast of a car, heavy, and threatening. It looks like a tank, rolling its way through the acrid, death-scented smoke of a World War I battlefield. As it passes, the film's title appears on the screen.
Cut to: a closeup of Travis Bickle's eyes. He is bathed in red neon light. He stares, baffled and judgmental, at the world. The exteriors of New York are jittery, smeared, abstract chaos. He sees a world dissipating and incoherent. The world is reduced to the reds and blues of the wet,...
Cut to: a closeup of Travis Bickle's eyes. He is bathed in red neon light. He stares, baffled and judgmental, at the world. The exteriors of New York are jittery, smeared, abstract chaos. He sees a world dissipating and incoherent. The world is reduced to the reds and blues of the wet,...
- 11/22/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
If you know the work of Park Chan-wook — key member of the Korean New Wave, cinematic agent provocateur, architect of the greatest hammer fight sequence ever and the closest thing to a K-Pop Brian De Palma we’re likely to be blessed with in this lifetime — then you know this is a filmmaker who isn’t afraid of high style. His motto seems to be that if it’s baroque, don’t fix it; from his “Vengeance Trilogy” onward, he’s given us dizzying, punch-drunk examples of genre movies and...
- 10/13/2022
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Click here to read the full article.
Last year, it was just a lark.
For its 2021 event, Oldenburg Film Festival invited Somtow Sucharitkul, one of Thailand’s most acclaimed classical composers and conductors, to the world premiere of The Maestro, a Thai horror film starring Somtow as a murderous conductor. “Some would call it typecasting,” jokes Somtow, who also wrote the film’s script.
But instead of just coming for the red carpet, Somtow invited members of his youth orchestra, the Siam Sinfonietta — which performs in The Maestro — to join him. Together they wowed the crowds at the festival’s opening and closing ceremonies, performing music from the film, as well as a tribute to Oldenburg’s 2021 guest of honor, Italian genre master Ovidio Assonitis (Tentacles, Beyond the Door).
“The kids had never seen anything like it, coming to Oldenburg just opened the door to a whole other universe for them,...
Last year, it was just a lark.
For its 2021 event, Oldenburg Film Festival invited Somtow Sucharitkul, one of Thailand’s most acclaimed classical composers and conductors, to the world premiere of The Maestro, a Thai horror film starring Somtow as a murderous conductor. “Some would call it typecasting,” jokes Somtow, who also wrote the film’s script.
But instead of just coming for the red carpet, Somtow invited members of his youth orchestra, the Siam Sinfonietta — which performs in The Maestro — to join him. Together they wowed the crowds at the festival’s opening and closing ceremonies, performing music from the film, as well as a tribute to Oldenburg’s 2021 guest of honor, Italian genre master Ovidio Assonitis (Tentacles, Beyond the Door).
“The kids had never seen anything like it, coming to Oldenburg just opened the door to a whole other universe for them,...
- 9/15/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Animation legend Genndy Tartakovsky joins Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss his favorite silent sequences from great movies.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Infested (2002)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Godfather (1972) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Apocalypse Now (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
A Fistful of Dollars (1964) – John Badham’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray reviews
Once Upon A Time In The West (1968) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
The Birds (1963) – Eli Roth’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray reviews
Conan The Barbarian (1982)
Conan The Destroyer (1984)
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
The Party (1968) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary
The Pink Panther...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Infested (2002)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Godfather (1972) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Apocalypse Now (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
A Fistful of Dollars (1964) – John Badham’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray reviews
Once Upon A Time In The West (1968) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
The Birds (1963) – Eli Roth’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray reviews
Conan The Barbarian (1982)
Conan The Destroyer (1984)
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
The Party (1968) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary
The Pink Panther...
- 9/13/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Great film scores are inseparable from the movies they were made for. Who can think of "Jaws" without John Williams' famously dread-inducing two-note theme springing to mind? Or imagine "Psycho" absent Bernard Herrmann's screeching violin? And what better way to get yourself hyped up to perform even the most unremarkable of tasks than by listening to Howard Shore's grandiose leitmotifs for the "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy?
Shore's music for Peter Jackson's J.R.R. Tolkien adaptation runs the gamut in terms of tone and emotion; from the cozy, comforting vibes of "Concerning Hobbits" to the bombast and bravado of "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm," the terror of "The Passage of the Marshes" and "Shelob's Lair," and, of course, the gentle heartbreak of "The Grey Havens." Like everything else in Jackson's movies, however, its score could have gone in a very different direction. Indeed, prior to hiring Shore,...
Shore's music for Peter Jackson's J.R.R. Tolkien adaptation runs the gamut in terms of tone and emotion; from the cozy, comforting vibes of "Concerning Hobbits" to the bombast and bravado of "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm," the terror of "The Passage of the Marshes" and "Shelob's Lair," and, of course, the gentle heartbreak of "The Grey Havens." Like everything else in Jackson's movies, however, its score could have gone in a very different direction. Indeed, prior to hiring Shore,...
- 9/2/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Time has been kind to Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo." Dismissed as dull and middling by the critics of 1958, "Vertigo" was named the greatest film of all time by Sight & Sound in 2012. Experimental films can take a while to receive due praise, and "Vertigo" is definitely one of Hitchcock's more experimental films. He even invented a whole new type of shot for it.
In the film's opening, Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart) is hanging off a skyscraper and glances stories down to the alleyway beneath. When he does, the shot distorts and the buildings on opposite sides of the alley seem to stretch. The effect was achieved by mounting a camera on a dolly track and then zooming in on the lens while moving the dolly backward. As a result, the subject of the shot remained in focus while the background of the frame distorts. While this camera trick is most accurately called a "dolly zoom,...
In the film's opening, Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart) is hanging off a skyscraper and glances stories down to the alleyway beneath. When he does, the shot distorts and the buildings on opposite sides of the alley seem to stretch. The effect was achieved by mounting a camera on a dolly track and then zooming in on the lens while moving the dolly backward. As a result, the subject of the shot remained in focus while the background of the frame distorts. While this camera trick is most accurately called a "dolly zoom,...
- 8/19/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
If you’re a fan of both horror and soundtracks, like me, you know there’s an embarrassment of riches to collect– especially in the current golden age of boutique labels like Waxwork Records and One Way Static. Some of these horror soundtracks are highly uncommon, not because they’re for obscure films or TV series, but because they break the mold in numerous ways.
Read on for some of the most unusual horror soundtracks ever released….
And feel free to add your own oddities in the comments!
Monster In My Pocket (1992)
This might just be the most unusual soundtrack on this list, given that it’s for a toy line! It’s a shame I didn’t pick this up as a kid, because I loved Monster In My Pocket toys and this Halloween-y compilation sounds right up my alley. (I probably would have worn out the cassette playing it year round.
Read on for some of the most unusual horror soundtracks ever released….
And feel free to add your own oddities in the comments!
Monster In My Pocket (1992)
This might just be the most unusual soundtrack on this list, given that it’s for a toy line! It’s a shame I didn’t pick this up as a kid, because I loved Monster In My Pocket toys and this Halloween-y compilation sounds right up my alley. (I probably would have worn out the cassette playing it year round.
- 8/10/2022
- by Justin Lockwood
- bloody-disgusting.com
Click here to read the full article.
On August 2, 2002, Buena Vista unveiled M. Night Shyamalan’s sci-fi thriller Signs in theaters, where it would go on to gross 408 million as an end of summer hit. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below:
Neither the home run he hit with The Sixth Sense nor the bunt single he laid down with Unbreakable, Signs will inspire an enthusiastic following but will probably disappoint the crowd that likes spooky alien space invasion movies to contain more hard-core action and less spirituality. Shyamalan’s name plus a cast headed by Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix ensures a solid opening for Disney followed by steady attendance into September.
After three major studio films and four if you count his second feature, Wide Awake, which Miramax released, it’s clear that Shyamalan can deliver chills. But equally as clear is his insistence upon investing the supernatural with the metaphysical,...
On August 2, 2002, Buena Vista unveiled M. Night Shyamalan’s sci-fi thriller Signs in theaters, where it would go on to gross 408 million as an end of summer hit. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below:
Neither the home run he hit with The Sixth Sense nor the bunt single he laid down with Unbreakable, Signs will inspire an enthusiastic following but will probably disappoint the crowd that likes spooky alien space invasion movies to contain more hard-core action and less spirituality. Shyamalan’s name plus a cast headed by Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix ensures a solid opening for Disney followed by steady attendance into September.
After three major studio films and four if you count his second feature, Wide Awake, which Miramax released, it’s clear that Shyamalan can deliver chills. But equally as clear is his insistence upon investing the supernatural with the metaphysical,...
- 8/2/2022
- by Kirk Honeycutt
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Before composer Jim Williams’ had ever heard of “Resurrection,” his music was a key component of writer-director Andrew Semans’ daring and affecting new thriller. “We temped a lot of the movie with Jim Williams before Jim Williams even came on,” Semans told IndieWire. “‘We were like, ‘Well, he’s all over the movie already, maybe we can get him.’” “Resurrection,” a film that is simultaneously a heartbreaking character study, a disturbing body horror film, and at times a pitch-black comedy, was exactly the kind of project that tends to attract Williams. Given credits on his resume like “A Field in England,” “Possessor,” and Julia Ducourneau’s “Raw” and “Titane,” the composer is clearly interested in the unusual and the challenging.
“I’m drawn to the opportunity to try something out of the ordinary,” Williams told IndieWire. “Julia Ducourneau and Andrew Semans give me a lot of scope to be creative.
“I’m drawn to the opportunity to try something out of the ordinary,” Williams told IndieWire. “Julia Ducourneau and Andrew Semans give me a lot of scope to be creative.
- 8/1/2022
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Click here to read the full article.
Faye Marlowe, a 1940s starlet best known for her turn opposite the doomed Laird Cregar, Linda Darnell and George Sanders in the film noir classic Hangover Square, has died. She was 95.
Marlowe died May 5 in Cary, North Carolina, her daughter Karen Joseph told The Hollywood Reporter.
In her brief Hollywood career, the dark-haired Marlowe also starred alongside Richard Conte in The Spider (1945), another excellent film noir; with Richard Crane in Johnny Comes Flying Home (1946); and, as the title character, with Eddie Albert in Rendezvous With Annie (1946).
After she appeared on the stage for John Brahm, the German director gave her a key role in her first movie, Fox’s Hangover Square (1945). She played the pianist girlfriend of a mild-mannered composer (Cregar) who suffers from blackouts and becomes a serial killer in the turn-of-the century, London-set thriller scored by Bernard Herrmann.
(Cregar, who was...
Faye Marlowe, a 1940s starlet best known for her turn opposite the doomed Laird Cregar, Linda Darnell and George Sanders in the film noir classic Hangover Square, has died. She was 95.
Marlowe died May 5 in Cary, North Carolina, her daughter Karen Joseph told The Hollywood Reporter.
In her brief Hollywood career, the dark-haired Marlowe also starred alongside Richard Conte in The Spider (1945), another excellent film noir; with Richard Crane in Johnny Comes Flying Home (1946); and, as the title character, with Eddie Albert in Rendezvous With Annie (1946).
After she appeared on the stage for John Brahm, the German director gave her a key role in her first movie, Fox’s Hangover Square (1945). She played the pianist girlfriend of a mild-mannered composer (Cregar) who suffers from blackouts and becomes a serial killer in the turn-of-the century, London-set thriller scored by Bernard Herrmann.
(Cregar, who was...
- 7/28/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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