In 1981’s “Lili Marleen,” directed by German provocateur R.W. Fassbinder, the titular song is repeatedly played to an imprisoned man in an effort to break his spirit. In “American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally,” it takes only one rendition to have much the same effect on the viewer, though that may be because by the time Mildred Gillars (Meadow Williams) performs it at some Nazi Party party, we’ve already had an hour of this utterly absurd movie, and are ready to crack.
Clumsy, campy and kitsch, but also deadeningly dull for long stretches, “American Traitor” is directed by Michael Polish (“The Astronaut Farmer”) and based on the true story of radio star Gillars, aka Axis Sally, an American wannabe actress who found notoriety as the English-language voice of the Third Reich’s propaganda machine. But the film swings very wide of recorded history, especially in terms of...
Clumsy, campy and kitsch, but also deadeningly dull for long stretches, “American Traitor” is directed by Michael Polish (“The Astronaut Farmer”) and based on the true story of radio star Gillars, aka Axis Sally, an American wannabe actress who found notoriety as the English-language voice of the Third Reich’s propaganda machine. But the film swings very wide of recorded history, especially in terms of...
- 5/27/2021
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Back in May, the Film Society of Lincoln Center presented the first part of the most complete retrospective of work by Rainer Werner Fassbinder in New York in over a decade. Fassbinder: Romantic Anarchist (Part 2) is now running through November 26 and we're collecting reviews and video related to Despair, In einem Jahr mit 13 Monden, Die Ehe der Maria Braun, Die dritte Generation, Lili Marleen, Lola, Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss, Querelle and many more. » - David Hudson...
- 11/8/2014
- Fandor: Keyframe
Back in May, the Film Society of Lincoln Center presented the first part of the most complete retrospective of work by Rainer Werner Fassbinder in New York in over a decade. Fassbinder: Romantic Anarchist (Part 2) is now running through November 26 and we're collecting reviews and video related to Despair, In einem Jahr mit 13 Monden, Die Ehe der Maria Braun, Die dritte Generation, Lili Marleen, Lola, Die Sehnsucht der Veronika Voss, Querelle and many more. » - David Hudson...
- 11/8/2014
- Keyframe
German actor Gottfried John has died, aged 72.
The character actor was best known internationally for his role of James Bond villain General Ourumov in 1995's GoldenEye.
He was a star of German theatre, film and TV for several decades, and was part of a group of actors who worked with director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
His work with Fassbinder included The Marriage of Maria Braun, Lili Marleen and the TV series Berlin Alexanderplatz.
Following his role in GoldenEye, he appeared in a number of international films including Volker Schlondorff's The Ogre, Proof of Life and the 1999 adaptation of Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar.
He also provided the German voice of Shifu in Kung Fu Panda 2, originally played by Dustin Hoffman.
John died in Munich on September 1 after battling cancer. He is survived by his wife Barbara.
Watch Gottfried John in GoldenEye's classic tank chase sequence below:...
The character actor was best known internationally for his role of James Bond villain General Ourumov in 1995's GoldenEye.
He was a star of German theatre, film and TV for several decades, and was part of a group of actors who worked with director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
His work with Fassbinder included The Marriage of Maria Braun, Lili Marleen and the TV series Berlin Alexanderplatz.
Following his role in GoldenEye, he appeared in a number of international films including Volker Schlondorff's The Ogre, Proof of Life and the 1999 adaptation of Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar.
He also provided the German voice of Shifu in Kung Fu Panda 2, originally played by Dustin Hoffman.
John died in Munich on September 1 after battling cancer. He is survived by his wife Barbara.
Watch Gottfried John in GoldenEye's classic tank chase sequence below:...
- 9/3/2014
- Digital Spy
German character actor Gottfried John, star of German stage, film and television who found international success as a James Bond villain, died this week of cancer. He was 72. John was one of a generation of German actors to emerge after World War 2 who took German theater and film in a new direction. He was part of the acting troupe surrounding directing legend Rainer Werner Fassbinder and shot several films with him, including The Marriage of Maria Braun, Lili Marleen and the acclaimed TV series Berlin Alexanderplatz. John's international breakthrough came in 1995 playing General Ourumov, the villain in
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- 9/3/2014
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Giancarlo Giannini was honored with the Excellence Award Moët & Chandon on 13 August at the Locarno International Film Festival. The Conversation took place the following afternoon.
Following his successes in the theater, Giancarlo Giannini made his film debut in 1965 in Gino Mangini’s "I criminali della metropoli." In 1967 this talented singer and dancer took on the popular “musicarello” genre in the film "Non stuzzicate la zanzara" directed by Lina Wertmüller with whom he worked on nine films, including "Seven Beauties," which earned both Giannini and Wertmüller Oscar nominations in 1977. Lina Wertmüller was the first woman director to be nominated for an Oscar.
On acting
My acting training started as a stage actor at the Academy of Dramatic Art D’Amico in Rome; one of the oldest schools in the world. I spent 12 years as a stage actor; that’s a profession you have to give your entire self to. I was like a monk.
Each character I play is someone new. When I approach a new character I don’t think about the previous ones I played or awards I won. This is the fun and fantasy part of it. A character must live. What is a character? It is a result of a fantasy; it’s what the audience wants to see that gets into the fairy tale you’ve heard since you were a child.
On the passing of Robin Williams
I’m very sad about Robin Williams I knew him very well. I worked with him on Toys, a very complicated film. I met him in Rome. He knew I had designed a musical jacket for kids, which had many different sound effects and voices; he asked me to build it for Toys, He wore it in the film. He played the role of a toy inventor. I am very sad.
On Working with Lina Wertmüller
We spent many nights writing scenes together. We also shot screen tests with color plates and tried different costumes to see what the best result would be. As an actor I could transform myself using different costumes, make up, and so on.
On starring in "Lili Marleen" directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Fassbinder had the joy of courage to just dare to do something in his films. Fassbinder had courage. If you don’t make mistakes, if you don’t have the guts, you can’t progress.
I ask Giannini about his role in "Seven Beauties" as the complicated, often unlikeable protagonist, Pasqualino, who will do anything he can just to survive
I started working with my own fantasy, asking how to flesh out this character. In creating characters I put two kilos inside my boots to give me a different way of walking, try on different costumes and make up. In this film I created a sort of monster. That was a challenge but I believed in this story.
At the end of Seven Beauties, Pasqualino is first seen just in shadow. It was a strong ending of the film. The final sequence is a close-up of me looking at the audience into the camera, staring at the audience for a long time. It was difficult for us; I was trying to keep my eyes open and never blink while keeping this strong image. This was the first day of the shoot.
On Cinema
Cinema is not reality, you take a camera and you follow the action. In cinema you are given the markers and given clues and the beauty is to make a fable.
Award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker, Susan Kouguell presents international workshops and seminars on screenwriting and film. Author of Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays! and The Savvy Screenwriter, she is chairperson of Su-City Pictures East, LLC, a consulting company founded in 1990 where she works with over 1,000 writers, filmmakers, and executives worldwide. www.su-city-pictures.com, http://su-city-pictures.com/wpblog .
Following his successes in the theater, Giancarlo Giannini made his film debut in 1965 in Gino Mangini’s "I criminali della metropoli." In 1967 this talented singer and dancer took on the popular “musicarello” genre in the film "Non stuzzicate la zanzara" directed by Lina Wertmüller with whom he worked on nine films, including "Seven Beauties," which earned both Giannini and Wertmüller Oscar nominations in 1977. Lina Wertmüller was the first woman director to be nominated for an Oscar.
On acting
My acting training started as a stage actor at the Academy of Dramatic Art D’Amico in Rome; one of the oldest schools in the world. I spent 12 years as a stage actor; that’s a profession you have to give your entire self to. I was like a monk.
Each character I play is someone new. When I approach a new character I don’t think about the previous ones I played or awards I won. This is the fun and fantasy part of it. A character must live. What is a character? It is a result of a fantasy; it’s what the audience wants to see that gets into the fairy tale you’ve heard since you were a child.
On the passing of Robin Williams
I’m very sad about Robin Williams I knew him very well. I worked with him on Toys, a very complicated film. I met him in Rome. He knew I had designed a musical jacket for kids, which had many different sound effects and voices; he asked me to build it for Toys, He wore it in the film. He played the role of a toy inventor. I am very sad.
On Working with Lina Wertmüller
We spent many nights writing scenes together. We also shot screen tests with color plates and tried different costumes to see what the best result would be. As an actor I could transform myself using different costumes, make up, and so on.
On starring in "Lili Marleen" directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Fassbinder had the joy of courage to just dare to do something in his films. Fassbinder had courage. If you don’t make mistakes, if you don’t have the guts, you can’t progress.
I ask Giannini about his role in "Seven Beauties" as the complicated, often unlikeable protagonist, Pasqualino, who will do anything he can just to survive
I started working with my own fantasy, asking how to flesh out this character. In creating characters I put two kilos inside my boots to give me a different way of walking, try on different costumes and make up. In this film I created a sort of monster. That was a challenge but I believed in this story.
At the end of Seven Beauties, Pasqualino is first seen just in shadow. It was a strong ending of the film. The final sequence is a close-up of me looking at the audience into the camera, staring at the audience for a long time. It was difficult for us; I was trying to keep my eyes open and never blink while keeping this strong image. This was the first day of the shoot.
On Cinema
Cinema is not reality, you take a camera and you follow the action. In cinema you are given the markers and given clues and the beauty is to make a fable.
Award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker, Susan Kouguell presents international workshops and seminars on screenwriting and film. Author of Savvy Characters Sell Screenplays! and The Savvy Screenwriter, she is chairperson of Su-City Pictures East, LLC, a consulting company founded in 1990 where she works with over 1,000 writers, filmmakers, and executives worldwide. www.su-city-pictures.com, http://su-city-pictures.com/wpblog .
- 8/19/2014
- by Susan Kouguell
- Sydney's Buzz
Italian actor-director to receive Excellence Award.
Italian actor and director Giancarlo Giannini is to attend the 67th Locarno Film Festival (Aug 6-16) as one of the guests of honour of the Titanus retrospective and will receive an Excellence Award Moët & Chandon.
Giannini will receive the honour on the Piazza Grande on Aug 12. As per Locarno tradition, the next day the Festival audience will have the opportunity to attend an “In Conversation” session with the actor at the Spazio Cinema (Forum).
A series of screenings will accompany this tribute. In addition to Non stuzzicate la zanzara and Indian Summer, screened as part of the Titanus retrospective, there will also be a screening of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Lili Marleen (1981) in his honour.
Locarno 2014 line-up
An Excellence Award is also being presented to Juliette Binoche this year.
Previous recipients of the Excellence Award include Susan Sarandon, John Malkovich, Michel Piccoli, Toni Servillo, Isabelle Huppert, [link...
Italian actor and director Giancarlo Giannini is to attend the 67th Locarno Film Festival (Aug 6-16) as one of the guests of honour of the Titanus retrospective and will receive an Excellence Award Moët & Chandon.
Giannini will receive the honour on the Piazza Grande on Aug 12. As per Locarno tradition, the next day the Festival audience will have the opportunity to attend an “In Conversation” session with the actor at the Spazio Cinema (Forum).
A series of screenings will accompany this tribute. In addition to Non stuzzicate la zanzara and Indian Summer, screened as part of the Titanus retrospective, there will also be a screening of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Lili Marleen (1981) in his honour.
Locarno 2014 line-up
An Excellence Award is also being presented to Juliette Binoche this year.
Previous recipients of the Excellence Award include Susan Sarandon, John Malkovich, Michel Piccoli, Toni Servillo, Isabelle Huppert, [link...
- 7/23/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Marlene Dietrich on TCM: Shanghai Express, The Scarlet Empress, The Devil Is A Woman Raoul Walsh's unpretentious Manpower (1941) is a surprisingly entertaining drama about a love triangle featuring good-time gal Marlene Dietrich and unlikely partners Edward G. Robinson and George Raft. As an ex-Nazi chanteuse/black marketer (photo), Dietrich nearly steals the show in Billy Wilder's post-war Berlin-set A Foreign Affair (1948); I say nearly because Jean Arthur is Dietrich's equal as the goody-goody American congresswoman who learns that goody-goodiness may take you far at work (at least in the movies) but not in life. In the hands of someone like Ernst Lubitsch, A Foreign Affair would have been a humorously romantic masterpiece, cleverly and subtly interweaving the personal, the social, and the political. As it is, the comedy works great whenever Arthur and Dietrich are on-screen; else, A Foreign Affair suffers from Wilder's heavy hand; lapses in judgment in Wilder,...
- 9/1/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Cologne, Germany -- The Berlin Film Festival has picked two of Germany's most prolific and prestigious film talents -- acting diva Hanna Schygulla and screenwriter Wolfgang Kohlhaase -- for its 2010 lifetime achievement awards.
The choice is particularly inspired, as Schygulla and Kohlhaase each represent a distinct period in German cinema -- West and East respectively -- and both have seen a late-period revival in their careers.
"Schygulla's name is inseparably connected with Rainer Werner Fassbinder's films (while) Wolfgang Kohlhaase adopted a course that was new for (East German state studio) Defa," said Berlin Festival Director Dieter Kosslick.
Hanna Schygulla appeared in 23 Fassbinder productions -- including "The Marriage of Maria Braun," "Berlin Alexanderplatz" and "Lili Marleen" and became the on-screen face of the new German cinema movement of the 1970s and 80s. More recently she starred in Fatih Akin's "The Edge of Heaven" (2007) in a role that won her...
The choice is particularly inspired, as Schygulla and Kohlhaase each represent a distinct period in German cinema -- West and East respectively -- and both have seen a late-period revival in their careers.
"Schygulla's name is inseparably connected with Rainer Werner Fassbinder's films (while) Wolfgang Kohlhaase adopted a course that was new for (East German state studio) Defa," said Berlin Festival Director Dieter Kosslick.
Hanna Schygulla appeared in 23 Fassbinder productions -- including "The Marriage of Maria Braun," "Berlin Alexanderplatz" and "Lili Marleen" and became the on-screen face of the new German cinema movement of the 1970s and 80s. More recently she starred in Fatih Akin's "The Edge of Heaven" (2007) in a role that won her...
- 12/3/2009
- by By Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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