Aooowww — Woo! Jack Nicholson summons his inner dog — and dons the makeup and scary contact lenses — to go the Larry Talbot route. Unfortunately, his moon-howling nighttime life isn’t as interesting as the dog-eat-dog infighting in the publishing house where he works – where feral instincts and sharp lupine senses are a major aid to ‘getting a leg up’ on the competition. I know, cheap metaphors are the ruin of promising writers.
Wolf
All-Region Blu-ray
Indicator
1994 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 125 min. / Street Date November 20, 2017 / £14.99
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Spader, Kate Nelligan, Christopher Plummer, Richard Jenkins, Eileen Atkins, David Hyde Pierce, Om Puri, Ron Rifkin, Prunella Scales, David Schwimmer, Michael Raynor.
Cinematography: Giuseppe Rotunno
Film Editor: Sam O’Steen
Production Design: Bo Welch, Jim Dultz
Makeup Effects: Rick Baker
Original Music: Ennio Morricone
Written by Jim Harrison, Wesley Strick
Produced by Douglas Wick
Directed by Mike Nichols
I think my mother...
Wolf
All-Region Blu-ray
Indicator
1994 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 125 min. / Street Date November 20, 2017 / £14.99
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Spader, Kate Nelligan, Christopher Plummer, Richard Jenkins, Eileen Atkins, David Hyde Pierce, Om Puri, Ron Rifkin, Prunella Scales, David Schwimmer, Michael Raynor.
Cinematography: Giuseppe Rotunno
Film Editor: Sam O’Steen
Production Design: Bo Welch, Jim Dultz
Makeup Effects: Rick Baker
Original Music: Ennio Morricone
Written by Jim Harrison, Wesley Strick
Produced by Douglas Wick
Directed by Mike Nichols
I think my mother...
- 11/28/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
It’s hard for horror filmmakers—or filmmakers of any genre, for that matter—to sustain their greatness. Changes in how movies are made, decreasing budgets, even just the passage of time impacts the quality of their output as the years go by, to the point that sometimes the work they’re doing near the end of their respective careers is unidentifiable as their work.
An argument could be made that this is true of Dario Argento, the Italian master of horror who started out making some of the best movies the genre has ever seen and most recently made the 3D Dracula movie with the giant CG mantis. This isn’t to say his latest output is without value—it no doubt has its fans—but it hardly looks like the work of the same man who gave us Suspiria and Deep Red. His 1996 effort, The Stendhal Syndrome, which...
An argument could be made that this is true of Dario Argento, the Italian master of horror who started out making some of the best movies the genre has ever seen and most recently made the 3D Dracula movie with the giant CG mantis. This isn’t to say his latest output is without value—it no doubt has its fans—but it hardly looks like the work of the same man who gave us Suspiria and Deep Red. His 1996 effort, The Stendhal Syndrome, which...
- 9/15/2017
- by Patrick Bromley
- DailyDead
Stars: Tony Musante, Suzy Kendall, Enrico Maria Salerno, Eva Renzi, Umberto Raho, Renato Romano, Giuseppe Castellano, Mario Adorf, Pino Patti, Gildo Di Marco | Written and Directed by Dario Argento
When you hear the name Dario Argento you know what to expect. In many ways, he is the gateway director to Italian horror, and with The Bird with the Crystal Plumage we see his debut into directing. While not his best work, it set many precedents for the Argento style…
Sam Dalmas (Tony Musante), an American writer finds himself witnessing a murder while on a trip to Italy. Unable to help the victim of the attack, luckily, the victim manages to survive. In the following days though Sam finds himself stalked by the killer, who he in parallel becomes obsessed with.
While I do like The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, I do find that Deep Red is his superior film which follows a similar narrative. What we have with Plumage though is an Argento film which has differences from certain traits the director has. One thing that doesn’t change of course is the fact that this is a Giallo. The mystery killer in the dark coat, the black gloves and the obsession with killing with knives is all in place. While the ending may not be what is expected, Argento is a director and writer who often gives a successful twist. In The Bird with the Crystal Plumage he gives one of his most memorable, and that is created through the museum scene.
In putting Sam in a boxed off glass room of the art gallery entrance, unable to get out to get help and unable to get into the museum itself he is left helpless, forced into being a voyeur to the murder. It is in this situation that the clues are put into place for what is a memorable ending. It is also interesting that the revelation is much similar to Deep Red in that it is interpretation and the memory of the crime scene that leads to the reveal of the killer.
A big difference to Argento’s later work is that the music for The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is done by Ennio Morricone. While I am a fan of Goblin who you usually think of when it comes to Argento, Morricone’s music is still very good, and fans of Quentin Tarantino will recognise the main theme. In fact, they’ll also see that Tarantino was paying homage to the opening of this movie in Death Proof.
Looking past the film itself and looking at the special features included with the Arrow Video release, there is an impressive list of interviews, as well as looks at the Giallo in relation to Argento’s work. The interviews with Argento himself are the highlight, but the interview with actor Gildo Di Marco (Garullo the pimp) is a very nice addition. He may have only had a bit-part in the film, but his performance was memorable enough to stick in people’s minds.
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is a solid release, especially for lovers of Dario Argento’s work. Not only his directorial debut, it set the scene for many of his future hits and featured one of the most memorable scenes with the art gallery scene. Deep Red may be better, but this is a necessary inclusion into any horror fans collections.
***** 5/5
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is available on Limited Edition Arrow Video Blu-Ray and DVD in the UK now.
Review originally posted on PissedOffGeek...
When you hear the name Dario Argento you know what to expect. In many ways, he is the gateway director to Italian horror, and with The Bird with the Crystal Plumage we see his debut into directing. While not his best work, it set many precedents for the Argento style…
Sam Dalmas (Tony Musante), an American writer finds himself witnessing a murder while on a trip to Italy. Unable to help the victim of the attack, luckily, the victim manages to survive. In the following days though Sam finds himself stalked by the killer, who he in parallel becomes obsessed with.
While I do like The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, I do find that Deep Red is his superior film which follows a similar narrative. What we have with Plumage though is an Argento film which has differences from certain traits the director has. One thing that doesn’t change of course is the fact that this is a Giallo. The mystery killer in the dark coat, the black gloves and the obsession with killing with knives is all in place. While the ending may not be what is expected, Argento is a director and writer who often gives a successful twist. In The Bird with the Crystal Plumage he gives one of his most memorable, and that is created through the museum scene.
In putting Sam in a boxed off glass room of the art gallery entrance, unable to get out to get help and unable to get into the museum itself he is left helpless, forced into being a voyeur to the murder. It is in this situation that the clues are put into place for what is a memorable ending. It is also interesting that the revelation is much similar to Deep Red in that it is interpretation and the memory of the crime scene that leads to the reveal of the killer.
A big difference to Argento’s later work is that the music for The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is done by Ennio Morricone. While I am a fan of Goblin who you usually think of when it comes to Argento, Morricone’s music is still very good, and fans of Quentin Tarantino will recognise the main theme. In fact, they’ll also see that Tarantino was paying homage to the opening of this movie in Death Proof.
Looking past the film itself and looking at the special features included with the Arrow Video release, there is an impressive list of interviews, as well as looks at the Giallo in relation to Argento’s work. The interviews with Argento himself are the highlight, but the interview with actor Gildo Di Marco (Garullo the pimp) is a very nice addition. He may have only had a bit-part in the film, but his performance was memorable enough to stick in people’s minds.
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is a solid release, especially for lovers of Dario Argento’s work. Not only his directorial debut, it set the scene for many of his future hits and featured one of the most memorable scenes with the art gallery scene. Deep Red may be better, but this is a necessary inclusion into any horror fans collections.
***** 5/5
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is available on Limited Edition Arrow Video Blu-Ray and DVD in the UK now.
Review originally posted on PissedOffGeek...
- 6/23/2017
- by Paul Metcalf
- Nerdly
Austin, TX- – Mondo is excited to unveil the soundtrack for Marvel’s Luke Cage with collectible artwork of the bulletproof hero by Matthew Woodson. Composers Adrian Younge (Something About April) and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) have combined forces to produce one of the best scores of 2016 featuring an inspired, genre-bending blend of orchestral score and 90s hip-hop beats, filtered through the sonic lens of the works of Ennio Morricone.
It’s no surprise that the score hovers in the same terrain of the Spaghetti Western soundtracks of Morricone – the narrative of Luke Cage plays out like a modern Western, only set in Harlem. Younge and Muhammad have meticulously crafted one of the most unique sonic landscapes in the history of television.
“We sought to create a score that reflects the world of Luke Cage. We see this world as a place where classic cinema meets classic Hip Hop,...
It’s no surprise that the score hovers in the same terrain of the Spaghetti Western soundtracks of Morricone – the narrative of Luke Cage plays out like a modern Western, only set in Harlem. Younge and Muhammad have meticulously crafted one of the most unique sonic landscapes in the history of television.
“We sought to create a score that reflects the world of Luke Cage. We see this world as a place where classic cinema meets classic Hip Hop,...
- 10/8/2016
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
In an unusual take on the World War II movie, French director Christian Carion focuses on a group of French villagers attempting to flee on the eve of the German invasion, in Come What May. Carion directed Joyeux Noel, the crowd-pleasing film about the real World War I Christmas Truce, when some soldiers on both sides called a one-day unofficial truce. Carion’s new film, in French with some German and English and with subtitles,centers on a group of people whose stories are drawn from those of real civilian refugees. It is a well-made historical film with a talented international cast, fine period detail and filmed in lovely rural locations but the story leans towards the sentimental and conventional.
Carion co-wrote the film, which opens (and closes) with photos of real French refugees and a few words about their struggles, plus a dedication to the director’s mother, who...
Carion co-wrote the film, which opens (and closes) with photos of real French refugees and a few words about their struggles, plus a dedication to the director’s mother, who...
- 9/30/2016
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Hitting the big screen in New York City and VOD platforms on July 1st before making its Los Angeles theatrical debut on July 8th from IFC Midnight, Mickey Keating’s Carnage Park marks his fourth feature film collaboration with acclaimed composer Giona Ostinelli. For our latest Q&A feature, we caught up with Ostinelli to discuss working with Keating, using a wide range of instruments and items (including a nail gun) to create unease in Carnage Park, and much more.
Giona, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us. Your score for Carnage Park marks your fourth collaboration with director Mickey Keating. What first attracted you to Keating’s work?
Giona Ostinelli: Thanks so much for having me! Yes indeed, Mickey Keating and I have collaborated on four films. Our first film together, Ritual, was acquired by Lionsgate; our second film, Pod, was released theatrically with...
Giona, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us. Your score for Carnage Park marks your fourth collaboration with director Mickey Keating. What first attracted you to Keating’s work?
Giona Ostinelli: Thanks so much for having me! Yes indeed, Mickey Keating and I have collaborated on four films. Our first film together, Ritual, was acquired by Lionsgate; our second film, Pod, was released theatrically with...
- 6/28/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
This article was originally posted on August 26, 2015. Since Hateful Eight arrived in theaters today, we're repubishing it. Quentin Tarantino’s Hateful Eight is the first time that the legendary composer Ennio Morricone has scored an entire movie for the spaghetti Western–loving director. (Indeed, it's the first time any composer has scored an entire movie for Tarantino, who generally prefers his music repurposed.) Morricone, age 86, has continued to work fairly steadily, but it will be exciting for those of us who are fans of the composer to see the spotlight shine brightly on him once again. Because to say that Morricone is a great soundtrack composer — or even the greatest of all soundtrack composers — doesn’t quite do him justice. His influence is monumental across musical genres, and his innovations have been adopted even by avant-garde musicians. In fact, many people who’ve never seen a single film scored by...
- 12/26/2015
- by Bilge Ebiri
- Vulture
Michael Brook is a Golden Globe and Grammy-nominated composer, producer and recording artist recognized for his unique style of composition that traverses ambient, world, Americana, electronic and orchestral territories. His work often contains unusual combinations of instruments, sounds and moods that create a powerful, unique and emotional impact.
Brook’s music career began as a recording artist, guitar player, producer and collaborator, working with artists such as Brian Eno, David Sylvian, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, The Pogues, on ground breaking labels such as 4Ad and Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records. As his music began to be licensed in films such as Heat and Any Given Sunday, he developed an interest in composing for film and moved to Los Angeles from the UK in 1999. Among the more than 40 films that he has scored are The Perks of Being A Wallflower, The Fighter, Into the Wild, Chavez, An Inconvenient Truth. and the Oscar-winning documentary Undefeated.
Brook’s music career began as a recording artist, guitar player, producer and collaborator, working with artists such as Brian Eno, David Sylvian, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, The Pogues, on ground breaking labels such as 4Ad and Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records. As his music began to be licensed in films such as Heat and Any Given Sunday, he developed an interest in composing for film and moved to Los Angeles from the UK in 1999. Among the more than 40 films that he has scored are The Perks of Being A Wallflower, The Fighter, Into the Wild, Chavez, An Inconvenient Truth. and the Oscar-winning documentary Undefeated.
- 11/27/2015
- by Marc Ciafardini
- The Film Stage
The musician chooses Satyajit Ray’s classic debut as his all-time favourite
I remember seeing a lot of Bollywood cinema, but my mum had an interest in great classic Indian films like Pakeezah and Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali, which were really moving, with depth and incredible acting performances. I also remember, one night, age seven, sitting half-asleep and watching Psycho with my uncle, which was quite amazing and surreal. And actually that’s when I fell in love with Bernard Herrmann’s music and also Ennio Morricone’s work for Sergio Leone.
What’s your favourite film?
Continue reading...
I remember seeing a lot of Bollywood cinema, but my mum had an interest in great classic Indian films like Pakeezah and Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali, which were really moving, with depth and incredible acting performances. I also remember, one night, age seven, sitting half-asleep and watching Psycho with my uncle, which was quite amazing and surreal. And actually that’s when I fell in love with Bernard Herrmann’s music and also Ennio Morricone’s work for Sergio Leone.
What’s your favourite film?
Continue reading...
- 10/26/2015
- by Liz Hoggard
- The Guardian - Film News
Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule. Ever since I came up with the quizzical, whimsical (quizzimsical?) name for my blog way back in 2004, I’ve been asked how I settled on such an odd one. The answer is fairly simple: as originally envisioned, I supposed that I would split blog time between writing about movies and writing about baseball, therefore I wanted something that would effectively, fancifully evoke both worlds. But it wasn’t long before I realized that I was a much better baseball fan than I was a literary observer or analyst of the sport, and soon I stopped writing much about the game at all. Yet the name remained—it had become ingrained, and I liked it, yet I felt new readers might now find it puzzling, and for a while I flirted with the idea of changing it. Thankfully, one of those early readers of...
- 8/20/2015
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
"You kill me, you won't see a cent of that gold." There's always time for a Star Wars short film. Below you can watch the short film The Good, The Bad and The Ugly parody mash-up directed by Calvin Evans. It's basically Star Wars, featuring Han Solo, Greedo and Boba Fett, as if it were literally a Sergio Leone western. The actual dialogue isn't that great, but the effects are excellent, the opening titles are perfect, and they just get so much of the atmosphere right that I can't help but admire the work on this short. There's even a nice poster to go along with it. It's a quick 5-min mash-up that's worth watching, so fire it up. Enjoy! Artwork above by Mark McHaley for the film. The original description from YouTube explains: "A Italian western parody, of Sergio Leone's The Good, The Bad and the Ugly... but with Star Wars characters.
- 7/23/2015
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
With six decades in the game and hundreds of credits to his name, there are few film composers as revered as Ennio Morricone. And there are probably just as few suited to comment on the changing nature of film composition, and the use of music in film. And while I think there's still plenty to get excited about in the changing landscape (check out On The Rise: 12 Film Composers To Watch to get an idea of the talents that will be paving the way in the future), Morricone has some pointed criticism about the current state of film and music affairs. "The standard of composition for film has deteriorated. I have suffered a lot in watching many films because of that," he told The Guardian. And he pointed toward filmmakers who are either afraid of being overshadowed by a strong score, or don't know to employ it properly. “There are...
- 6/4/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
With his tough, chiseled face, Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen has one of world cinema’s best mugs. The actor carries so much of the weight of his many characters in his face, whether it be Hannibal Lecter’s suave cunning on television or anguished despair in his triumphant role in Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt. Naturally, as a stoic settler trying to get retribution on a bloodthirsty baddie in The Salvation, a pastiche to the westerns of John Ford and Sergio Leone, Mikkelsen is magnetic, expressing deep hurt and pain with just a glower or grimace.
As recent Danish immigrant Jon, Mikkelsen’s bloodied and blistered face is a wall to show just how resolute he can be. Jon crossed the Atlantic with his brother (Mikael Persbrandt) in the 1860s with the hopes of making a living in a frontier town. He learned the customs and language, as did the...
As recent Danish immigrant Jon, Mikkelsen’s bloodied and blistered face is a wall to show just how resolute he can be. Jon crossed the Atlantic with his brother (Mikael Persbrandt) in the 1860s with the hopes of making a living in a frontier town. He learned the customs and language, as did the...
- 2/26/2015
- by Jordan Adler
- We Got This Covered
Audiences probably didn’t realize at the time, but Sergio Leone‘s 1966 western The Good, The Bad and The Ugly was a landmark. It would become one of, if not the, iconic films in the careers of Leone, its stars Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach and Lee Van Cleef, composer Ennio Morricone as well as one of […]
The post Cool Stuff: ‘The Good The Bad and The Ugly’ Poster By Jc Richard appeared first on /Film.
The post Cool Stuff: ‘The Good The Bad and The Ugly’ Poster By Jc Richard appeared first on /Film.
- 12/22/2014
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
Celebrated Italian film composer Ennio Morricone has revealed that he regrets turning down the chance of writing music for Clint Eastwood. Speaking to the BBC, Morricone said he said no to Eastwood "out of respect" for Sergio Leone, whose trilogy of 1960s spaghetti Westerns — which helped Eastwood rise to fame — he had famously scored. Read more Clint Eastwood: "I Was Against Going Into the War in Iraq" "I missed a great opportunity and I am really sorry," he said. "When Clint called me, I said no out of respect to Sergio Leone, not because I did not
read more...
read more...
- 12/19/2014
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If you've had your ear to the ground in the genre world, you've likely heard the increasingly loud buzz surrounding "A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night." It's a black-and-white, Iranian vampire western (when's the last time you saw something like that?) that has been a big hit on the festival circuit (read our review). And hitting cinemas today, we've got a special giveaway for those whose curiosity has been piqued. Directed by Ana Lily Amirpour, the story is set in Bad City, where prostitutes, junkies, pimps, and other sordid souls hang out, as a lonely vampire stalks its most unsavory inhabitants. Falling somewhere between Sergio Leone and David Lynch, with a splash of Ennio Morricone, the film has an attitude all its own, and for those looking for something very different from their fright flicks, this is one to track down. And today we've got a prize pack featuring...
- 11/21/2014
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Today, legendary film composer Ennio Morricone turns 86, but he's not just blowing out the candles and taking it easy. He's got scores for three more movies on the way and remains one of the top tier composers in the game, not to mention a film icon. And today we have a little present for his fans, with this BBC2 documentary. Airing in 1995, and directed by David Thompson, the 40-minute TV special rounds up filmmakers, friends, and colleagues like Brian DePalma, John Boorman, David Putnam, Gillo Pontecorvo, Sergio Leone, and Morricone himself to talk about his works and more. The composer also discusses his tricky relationship with Hollywood through the years, and you learn the background story on some of his most famous themes. While it's not comprehensive, it's still a nice overview of the life of the acclaimed film scorer, and worth a watch. Check it out below.
- 11/10/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
The Collector
Writer and Art: Sergio Toppi
Letters: Deron Bennett
Translater: Edward Gauvin
Publisher: Archaia (Boom! Studios)
It is a very wonderful thing for the artwork of Italian artist Sergio Toppi to exist in our world, his brilliance extremely evident upon the first few pages of The Collector: this beautiful release by Archaia through Boom! Studios. The Collector is the only single English translated release of Toppi’s works that is available at the moment. Beforehand, the artwork could leave a lasting impression within the French or Italian editions, but now, the words of Toppi can be shared in English alongside his great visuals.
Upon gazing ones eyes on the stark penciling of Toppi, there is an immediate sense of life and texture with the images. You can almost feel the rough edgings of the trees and rocks, you can hear the calm pattering of the water, and you most...
Writer and Art: Sergio Toppi
Letters: Deron Bennett
Translater: Edward Gauvin
Publisher: Archaia (Boom! Studios)
It is a very wonderful thing for the artwork of Italian artist Sergio Toppi to exist in our world, his brilliance extremely evident upon the first few pages of The Collector: this beautiful release by Archaia through Boom! Studios. The Collector is the only single English translated release of Toppi’s works that is available at the moment. Beforehand, the artwork could leave a lasting impression within the French or Italian editions, but now, the words of Toppi can be shared in English alongside his great visuals.
Upon gazing ones eyes on the stark penciling of Toppi, there is an immediate sense of life and texture with the images. You can almost feel the rough edgings of the trees and rocks, you can hear the calm pattering of the water, and you most...
- 10/17/2014
- by Anthony Spataro
- SoundOnSight
With this weekend's release of Gone Girl, director David Fincher has once again showcased the unsettling sounds of award-winning composers Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor (above). Ever since 2010's The Social Network, the duo have become a fixture of Fincher's work. The duo's deceptively minimal sound, with subtle motifs barely hiding cold electronic undercurrents, is remarkably well-suited for Fincher's trademark visual aesthetic, in which every smile and doorway can take on an air of menace if the camera lingers long enough. While he has worked with a number of composers before—most notably Howard Shore—Fincher has found...
- 10/5/2014
- by Joshua Rivera
- EW - Inside Movies
Hollywood Records and Marvel are releasing three albums from Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy on Tuesday, July 29.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Deluxe soundtrack features classic 1970s songs from the film, plus score by composer Tyler Bates (“Watchmen,” “Slither,” “Dawn of the Dead”). Music plays a major role in Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy as the great songs featured in the film are part of the storyline in a unique way.
Explaining how the songs come to play in the story, director James Gunn says, “One of the main story points in the movie is that Quill has this compilation tape [Awesome Mix #1] that he got from his mother before she died that she made for him. It was of songs that she loved, all songs from the 1970s, and that’s the only thing he has left of his mother and that’s the only thing he has left of his home on Earth.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Deluxe soundtrack features classic 1970s songs from the film, plus score by composer Tyler Bates (“Watchmen,” “Slither,” “Dawn of the Dead”). Music plays a major role in Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy as the great songs featured in the film are part of the storyline in a unique way.
Explaining how the songs come to play in the story, director James Gunn says, “One of the main story points in the movie is that Quill has this compilation tape [Awesome Mix #1] that he got from his mother before she died that she made for him. It was of songs that she loved, all songs from the 1970s, and that’s the only thing he has left of his mother and that’s the only thing he has left of his home on Earth.
- 7/28/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Memorial Day weekend used to always usher in the official start of the summer movie season, but over the last few years the blockbusters have been sneaking into multiplexes earlier and earlier in May. Now that we've finally made it to the holiday weekend, the multiplexes are already exploding with big-budget tentpoles and sequels. Luckily for you, Austin theaters offer some legitmately interesting counterprogramming.
The Austin Film Society is starting a brand new series tonight called "Rebel Rebel." Earlier this week, we chatted with Lars Nilsen to find out more about the films being featured over the next few weekends. The first selection is Gillo Pontecorvo's 1969 film Burn! starring Marlon Brando. The movie features a score by Ennio Morricone and will be screening in 35mm at the Marchesa.
You'll want to head over to the Afs Screening Room on Tuesday night for the Avant Cinema presentation of Your Day Is My Night.
- 5/23/2014
- by Matt Shiverdecker
- Slackerwood
Ennio Morricone’s Injury Force Cancellation Of U.S. Concert Dates Complications from a back injury have forced Ennio Morricone to cancel his planned concerts in the U.S. next month. The composer, who has five Academy Award nominations and a 2007 Honorary Oscar to his credit, was to conduct a 200-piece ensemble of musicians and singers performing selections from his film scores. Morricone, 85, had planned give his first-ever Los Angeles performance on June 15 at the Nokia Theatre and only his second career NYC show on June 13 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. He suffered the back injury in March, leading to the cancellation of shows scheduled into June, but had hoped to make the U.S. dates. His attorney said the injury prevents him from conducting or flying. Said the Italian composer, “I apologize to my fans for having to cancel these shows, and hope that I am able to make it back soon.
- 5/20/2014
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
A little after midnight on Saturday night, the iconic strains of Ennio Morricone's theme to “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” wafted down the Croisette as an outdoor beach screening of the Sergio Leone Western came to an end. Tuxedo-clad guests at the Cannes Film Festival heard the music as they left the Grand Theater Lumiere after a screening of the raucous “Wild Tales,” along with others who'd exited the nearby Salle Debussy after seeing “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.” And, of course, they were all wading through a sea of humanity that was just in town to party.
- 5/19/2014
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
New Line Cinema
With the 86th Academy Awards ceremony fast approaching, it’s time to play devil’s advocate and highlight the fact that the Oscars are not quite the be-all and end-all of cinematic accomplishment. In fact, if you scour any “Best Films Ever” countdown, you’ll find numerous classics that didn’t pick up a single Oscar in the year of their release, despite the fact these movies are of renowned status.
This intention of this list is to both shock and educate, then. In the case of every film included, it is quite probable that you will have passed through life just assuming that they cleaned up at the Oscars without actually bothering to check. I know I did. So sit back and slip on your bifocals, as we take you through the 12 most iconic films that – shockingly – didn’t win a single Academy Award, starting with…...
With the 86th Academy Awards ceremony fast approaching, it’s time to play devil’s advocate and highlight the fact that the Oscars are not quite the be-all and end-all of cinematic accomplishment. In fact, if you scour any “Best Films Ever” countdown, you’ll find numerous classics that didn’t pick up a single Oscar in the year of their release, despite the fact these movies are of renowned status.
This intention of this list is to both shock and educate, then. In the case of every film included, it is quite probable that you will have passed through life just assuming that they cleaned up at the Oscars without actually bothering to check. I know I did. So sit back and slip on your bifocals, as we take you through the 12 most iconic films that – shockingly – didn’t win a single Academy Award, starting with…...
- 1/13/2014
- by Gary Hughes
- Obsessed with Film
Kino resurrects an odd curio with Shoot the Sun Down, a counter-culture Western from 1978, notable for headlining Christopher Walken just prior to his Oscar win for The Deer Hunter and Margot Kidder before she was that year’s Lois Lane in Superman. Of further note, director David Leeds, who financed with his own production company, would never again lend his name to another film in any capacity. The film, which is obviously modeled after Sergio Leone’s Man With No Name series, considering it’s mysterious protagonist, has all the makings of a subversive genre entry, it’s stance on violence guided by an incredibly idiosyncratic score (that’s not Ennio Morricone) and Michael Chapman’s beautifully photographed landscapes (with plenty shots of rising/setting suns for its grand motif). However, muddled plotting and a comatosely constructed climax peg the film as rather forgettable, which is unfortunate considering its strange ambience.
- 11/5/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Italian composer, famous for his Spaghetti Western scores, honoured for his work on The Best Offer.
Ennio Morricone is one of the first six winners announced by the European Film Academy who will be honoured at this year’s 26th European Film Awards.
The 84-year-old Italian composer, best known for his scores to Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns such as The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, has been recognised by Efa for his work on Giuseppe Tornatore’s The Best Offer.
The jury praised Morricone for “proving once again his extraordinary capacity of always renewing his style while remaining faithful to the style of the director and the film – a universal composer, indeed, and a true master.”
A seven-member jury convened in Berlin and, based on the Efa Selection list, decided on the winners in the categories cinematography, editing, production design, costume design, composer and sound design.
This new addition to the awards procedures follows a decision...
Ennio Morricone is one of the first six winners announced by the European Film Academy who will be honoured at this year’s 26th European Film Awards.
The 84-year-old Italian composer, best known for his scores to Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns such as The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, has been recognised by Efa for his work on Giuseppe Tornatore’s The Best Offer.
The jury praised Morricone for “proving once again his extraordinary capacity of always renewing his style while remaining faithful to the style of the director and the film – a universal composer, indeed, and a true master.”
A seven-member jury convened in Berlin and, based on the Efa Selection list, decided on the winners in the categories cinematography, editing, production design, costume design, composer and sound design.
This new addition to the awards procedures follows a decision...
- 10/28/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
As part of our look at a century of Indian cinema, here are some of our all-time favourite classic film soundtracks
Barsaat (1949)
Tragic love story Barsaat (Rain) was 25-year-old actor Raj Kapoor's first hit as a director and launched Bollywood's greatest playback singer Lata "Nightingale of India" Mangeshkar (who went on to record thousands of film songs over a career spanning seven decades and counting). Kapoor may have made finer films (Awaara, Shree 420), but Barsaat's songs (marking the debut of music directors, Shankar Jaikishan) of vulnerability, innocence and heartache, captured newly independent India's fragile imagination. Many consider Barsaat to have the greatest film songs of all time.
Pakeezah (1972)
Pakeezah (Pure) is the story of a courtesan, or a wronged woman with a good heart, in the Mughal era. Lata is on playback duties for heroine Meena Kumari (who died just after its release) and the combination of real-life...
Barsaat (1949)
Tragic love story Barsaat (Rain) was 25-year-old actor Raj Kapoor's first hit as a director and launched Bollywood's greatest playback singer Lata "Nightingale of India" Mangeshkar (who went on to record thousands of film songs over a career spanning seven decades and counting). Kapoor may have made finer films (Awaara, Shree 420), but Barsaat's songs (marking the debut of music directors, Shankar Jaikishan) of vulnerability, innocence and heartache, captured newly independent India's fragile imagination. Many consider Barsaat to have the greatest film songs of all time.
Pakeezah (1972)
Pakeezah (Pure) is the story of a courtesan, or a wronged woman with a good heart, in the Mughal era. Lata is on playback duties for heroine Meena Kumari (who died just after its release) and the combination of real-life...
- 7/25/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Last week it looked like Italian composer extraordinaire Ennio Morricone had some unsavory feelings about his great admirer Quentin Tarantino. Morricone reportedly told a group of Italian students, "I wouldn’t like to work with [Tarantino] again, on anything," and that Qt "places music in his films without coherence." Now Morricone tells EW it was a misunderstanding, "a partial writing of my thoughts which has deprived the true meaning of what I said, isolating a part from the rest." He adds that he has "great respect" for Tarantino and was glad to collaborate.
- 3/19/2013
- by Zach Dionne
- Vulture
Last week, it seemed the gauntlet had been thrown down between legendary composer Ennio Morricone and genre-mashing director Quentin Tarantino. Speaking to students at Rome’s Luiss University he said among other things that Tarantino “places music in his films without coherence" and declared “I wouldn’t like to work with him again, on anything.” But hey, it appears it was all taken out of context and Morricone is still totally cool with him. In reaction to those comments whipping around the web, the composer has issued a statement to day in which he says he's pleased Tarantino has selected his work for his films, and clarifies his opinion on Quentin's use of music. Here's the whole thing via EW: What I read about my statements on Quentin Tarantino is a partial writing of my thoughts which has deprived the true meaning of what I said, isolating a part from the rest.
- 3/18/2013
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
So it looks like the working relationship between the legendary Ennio Morricone and recent Oscar winner Quentin Tarantino has come to an end. And, from the sounds of it, not an amicable one. Morricone recently took questions about working with Tarantino during a Q&A at Luiss University in Rome where he basically said he would never work with the director ever again. “I wouldn’t like to work with him again, on anything. He said last year he wanted to work with...
- 3/15/2013
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Music and movies were inseparable from day one, and the film score has only been getting more inventive as legendary composers like John Williams, Bernard Herrmann and Ennio Morricone have put their signatures to some of the greatest films of all time.
Music is something that can really make or break a film. The score has to be just right so it doesn’t become overbearing to kill the mood of the film or underused to not even set up a mood. The criteria I used to choose the scores on this list was how well they complimented their individual films and how regarded they are in pop culture.
These are 5 film scores that helped make the films they were attached to absolute classics and same of the greatest films of all time, but also make for fantastic listening on their own…
5. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – Ennio Morricone...
Music is something that can really make or break a film. The score has to be just right so it doesn’t become overbearing to kill the mood of the film or underused to not even set up a mood. The criteria I used to choose the scores on this list was how well they complimented their individual films and how regarded they are in pop culture.
These are 5 film scores that helped make the films they were attached to absolute classics and same of the greatest films of all time, but also make for fantastic listening on their own…
5. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly – Ennio Morricone...
- 3/4/2013
- by Dolan Reynolds
- Obsessed with Film
From its very beginnings as a genre, Western film has trafficked in the iconic, in the larger-than-life imagery of the tall tale and the never-ending, expansive wilderness that forms the crucial backbone to these stories. More than perhaps any other genre, Westerns deal in types, with their characters standing in for the Other, the Immigrant, the Hero, and the Villain (in their black hat), telling universal stories of camaraderie and isolation, of running from and fighting for civilization, and morality tested by the harshest circumstances. The conventions of the genre run the gamut, from performance (heroes must be taciturn!) to costuming and scenery (gotta have a tumbleweed), and one of the most important elements to any Western is its score.
Most Westerns, particularly those from the heyday of the genre, feature orchestral scores. Given the American frontier setting, most scores tend to feature a number of specific characteristics which have...
Most Westerns, particularly those from the heyday of the genre, feature orchestral scores. Given the American frontier setting, most scores tend to feature a number of specific characteristics which have...
- 1/31/2013
- by Kate Kulzick
- SoundOnSight
Quentin Tarantino will attend the International Rome Film Festival on Friday, in order to receive a special lifetime achievement award and to present his latest film, Django Unchained, which will screen for the first time outside of North America. During that brief stop in Rome, he will be shielded from the media.
The Rome festival and Warner Bros Italia, which is distributing the film in Italy, are tightly controlling Friday’s events. There are no press events scheduled, they have completely banned the media from the award ceremony and have limited the screening to a small bunch of domestic media.
In addition to Tarantino, Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz will reportedly also be on hand for the premiere, and will be joined by Franco Nero, the star of the original Django who is living in Rome, and Ennio Morricone, the five-time Oscar-winning composer whose music is closely tied with the Spaghetti Western genre.
The Rome festival and Warner Bros Italia, which is distributing the film in Italy, are tightly controlling Friday’s events. There are no press events scheduled, they have completely banned the media from the award ceremony and have limited the screening to a small bunch of domestic media.
In addition to Tarantino, Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz will reportedly also be on hand for the premiere, and will be joined by Franco Nero, the star of the original Django who is living in Rome, and Ennio Morricone, the five-time Oscar-winning composer whose music is closely tied with the Spaghetti Western genre.
- 1/3/2013
- by Vesna Sunrider
- Filmofilia
London, Dec 30: Quentin Tarantino is going to be honoured with a lifetime achievement award by the bosses of the International Rome Film Festival, ahead of the European premiere of his western movie 'Django Unchained' in Italy next month.
Composer Ennio Morricone, who worked with the critically acclaimed director on the western, will present Tarantino with his latest accolade, the Daily star reported.
The filmmaker's new movie has strong Italian ties - as well as featuring Morricone's music, it was inspired by Sergio Corbucci's 1966 spaghetti western 'Django,' that starred Franco Nero. Nero has a small role in Tarantino's.
Composer Ennio Morricone, who worked with the critically acclaimed director on the western, will present Tarantino with his latest accolade, the Daily star reported.
The filmmaker's new movie has strong Italian ties - as well as featuring Morricone's music, it was inspired by Sergio Corbucci's 1966 spaghetti western 'Django,' that starred Franco Nero. Nero has a small role in Tarantino's.
- 12/30/2012
- by Diksha Singh
- RealBollywood.com
The International Rome Film Festival said Friday it will present director Quentin Tarantino with a special lifetime achievement honor, along with a gala screening of his spaghetti Western homage Django Unchained, the film's European premiere. The event, in which iconic Italian film composer Ennio Morricone will present Tarantino with the award, will take place Jan. 4. Although the seventh edition of the Rome fest concluded Nov. 17, the ceremony is being cast as a continuation of the festival, the first under the artistic direction of former Venice Film Festival head Marco Mueller. Morricone, a five-time Oscar winner, composed
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- 12/28/2012
- by Eric J. Lyman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With exactly a week to go until Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz ride out to meet you for Quentin Tarantino‘s Django Unchained, the soundtrack has been unveiled online a little earlier then expected, meaning that you can brush up on the director’s anachronistic musical choices and more Ennio Morricone than you can shake a Sergio Leone movie at.
Though we reported the track selection for the upcoming spaghetti western earlier this month, it’s great being able to hear some of tracks we were unable to dig up online – and those new tracks that Tarantino has commissioned especially for the movie. For any spaghetti western aficionados out there, you’ll recognise the theme from the original Django movie takes its place as the title track for Tarantino’s spin on the tale here, and that there’s music by all three elite spaghetti western composers: Ennio Morricone, Riz Ortolandi and Luis Bacalov.
Though we reported the track selection for the upcoming spaghetti western earlier this month, it’s great being able to hear some of tracks we were unable to dig up online – and those new tracks that Tarantino has commissioned especially for the movie. For any spaghetti western aficionados out there, you’ll recognise the theme from the original Django movie takes its place as the title track for Tarantino’s spin on the tale here, and that there’s music by all three elite spaghetti western composers: Ennio Morricone, Riz Ortolandi and Luis Bacalov.
- 12/18/2012
- by T.J. Barnard
- We Got This Covered
Brian De Palma's new film Passion was one of our favorites at the Toronto International Film Festival. I raved and rambled on about the film in one of our correspondences (though, as you'll see, I was wrong about one key facet of the film's production):
A remake of the solid Alain Corneau corporate thriller Love Crime, De Palma plunges without hesitation into the iconography, audience expectations, and conventions of noirs, sex thrillers, corporate intrigue, post-Hitchcock films and Brian De Palma movies themselves, retaining the shell appearance of all of these things but hollowing them from the inside out. The result is something out of late Resnais—a study of a study. And that study, of course, is of the cinema image. Remember how Rebecca Romijn watches Stanwyck in Double Indemnity at the beginning of Femme Fatale, as if taking notes? The characters in Passion have taken notes from...
A remake of the solid Alain Corneau corporate thriller Love Crime, De Palma plunges without hesitation into the iconography, audience expectations, and conventions of noirs, sex thrillers, corporate intrigue, post-Hitchcock films and Brian De Palma movies themselves, retaining the shell appearance of all of these things but hollowing them from the inside out. The result is something out of late Resnais—a study of a study. And that study, of course, is of the cinema image. Remember how Rebecca Romijn watches Stanwyck in Double Indemnity at the beginning of Femme Fatale, as if taking notes? The characters in Passion have taken notes from...
- 10/1/2012
- by Daniel Kasman
- MUBI
After Daleks and then dinosaurs on a spaceship, Doctor Who Season 7 gives us a western episode as its latest blockbuster-style extravaganza. And ‘A Town Called Mercy’ doesn’t disappoint. It’s a very effective pastiche, complete with Sergio Leone/Ennio Morricone homages, atmospheric tension, and a stunning visual style showcasing the western backdrop in all its vast, expansive beauty.
[Spoilers follow, for this episode and the Season 6 finale, as well as speculation spoilers. If you haven't seen the episode yet, it's available on BBC iPlayer.]
The Doctor, Amy, and Rory find themselves in a small town in the Old West, which mysteriously has electric street lights ten years too early, and is under siege by an equally mysterious cyborg gunslinger.
It turns out that the unexplained electricity is thanks to Kahler Jex, an alien doctor with a rare understanding of nuance. The Doctor says, "Ingenious race, the Kahler. Could build a spaceship out of Tupperware and moss!" (Presumably Tupperware sales skyrocketted on their planet. As well as, you know, the actual Tupperware.) However, it turns out...
[Spoilers follow, for this episode and the Season 6 finale, as well as speculation spoilers. If you haven't seen the episode yet, it's available on BBC iPlayer.]
The Doctor, Amy, and Rory find themselves in a small town in the Old West, which mysteriously has electric street lights ten years too early, and is under siege by an equally mysterious cyborg gunslinger.
It turns out that the unexplained electricity is thanks to Kahler Jex, an alien doctor with a rare understanding of nuance. The Doctor says, "Ingenious race, the Kahler. Could build a spaceship out of Tupperware and moss!" (Presumably Tupperware sales skyrocketted on their planet. As well as, you know, the actual Tupperware.) However, it turns out...
- 9/15/2012
- Shadowlocked
The first trailer for Quentin Tarantino's new Southern never had the attitude of what we expected from the master of genre mash-up. What he promised for his new film hybrid was a Sergio Leone-style Spaghetti Western, set in the cruel world of the pre-Civil War South.
Instead, we got James Brown and a more "Jackie Brown" vibe, but this new one-minute spot for "Django Unchained" (via Yahoo! Movies) switches up the music, letting us see more of what we can expect from Tarantino his time around.
Check out the new trailer after the jump!
The music you're hearing is a remix of Ennio Morricone's original score from Leone's "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." It gives much of the same footage from the first trailer a very different, more Western flavor.
Another key ingredient missing from the first trailer was Samuel L. Jackson, a Tarantino regular.
Instead, we got James Brown and a more "Jackie Brown" vibe, but this new one-minute spot for "Django Unchained" (via Yahoo! Movies) switches up the music, letting us see more of what we can expect from Tarantino his time around.
Check out the new trailer after the jump!
The music you're hearing is a remix of Ennio Morricone's original score from Leone's "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." It gives much of the same footage from the first trailer a very different, more Western flavor.
Another key ingredient missing from the first trailer was Samuel L. Jackson, a Tarantino regular.
- 7/2/2012
- by Kevin P. Sullivan
- MTV Movies Blog
New Exhibit at Museum of the Moving Image Shows Off Obsessive Film Craftsmanship (Exclusive Images!)
This Wednesday, New York's Museum of the Moving Image kicked off the second exhibit in a three-part series, "Persol Magnificent Obsessions: 30 Stories of Craftmanship on Film," showing off obsessive craftmanship in ten of film history's most stylistically interesting films. The exhibit includes ephemera from and behind-the-scenes access to the artistry of actor/director Ed Harris ("Pollock"), actress Hilary Swank ("Million Dollar Baby"), director Jean-Pierre Jeunet ("Amelie"), director Todd Haynes ("Far from Heaven"), cinematographer Vittorio Storaro ("The Last Emperor"), director Alfred Hitchcock ("North by Northwest"), production designer Dean Tavoularis ("One From the Heart"), special effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull ("2001: A Space Odyssey"), composer Ennio Morricone (best known for his work with Sergio Leone), and costume designer Arianne Phillips ("W.E."). The...
- 6/15/2012
- by Bryce J. Renninger
- Indiewire
Jeymes Samuel, the frontman for U.K. hip-hop collective The Bullits, isn't a recognizable name in most circles. But the up-and-coming musician is trying his hand at filmmaking, putting together black western short "They Die By Dawn," with a fairly impressive cast already being lined up.
OkayPlayer are reporting that Samuel has recruited "The Wire" duo Idris Elba and Michael K. Williams along with Rosario Dawson, "Breaking Bad" star Giancarlo Esposito and songstress Erykah Badu for a forty-five minute film likely to be a companion piece to his upcoming album, "They Die By Dawn And Other Short Stories." Elba and Dawson have worked with Samuel before, and their work can be found on The Bullit's Youtube page. It doesn't stop there either, with "some more big names" to be added in the near future.
"I’m shooting a Western ‘They Die By Dawn’ at the Melody Ranch Studios in L.
OkayPlayer are reporting that Samuel has recruited "The Wire" duo Idris Elba and Michael K. Williams along with Rosario Dawson, "Breaking Bad" star Giancarlo Esposito and songstress Erykah Badu for a forty-five minute film likely to be a companion piece to his upcoming album, "They Die By Dawn And Other Short Stories." Elba and Dawson have worked with Samuel before, and their work can be found on The Bullit's Youtube page. It doesn't stop there either, with "some more big names" to be added in the near future.
"I’m shooting a Western ‘They Die By Dawn’ at the Melody Ranch Studios in L.
- 5/1/2012
- by Simon Dang
- The Playlist
With The Guard out in UK cinemas tomorrow, we catch up with writer and director John Michael McDonagh about the making of the film…
Writer and director John Michael McDonagh’s debut feature, The Guard, could be described as a collision of buddy-cop thriller, western and black comedy. Its blending of slick, bitingly funny dialogue and familiar genre elements is so perfect, in fact, that it’s already made its way into our list of 2011’s best films.
We got to sit down to speak with McDonagh about the making of The Guard, and what he’s up to next.
We’ve been talking, back at the office, about what genre The Guard falls into. How would you describe it?
I call it a black comedy, because I don’t think the thriller element is big enough to call it a comedy thriller. And it’s sold as a buddy-cop comedy,...
Writer and director John Michael McDonagh’s debut feature, The Guard, could be described as a collision of buddy-cop thriller, western and black comedy. Its blending of slick, bitingly funny dialogue and familiar genre elements is so perfect, in fact, that it’s already made its way into our list of 2011’s best films.
We got to sit down to speak with McDonagh about the making of The Guard, and what he’s up to next.
We’ve been talking, back at the office, about what genre The Guard falls into. How would you describe it?
I call it a black comedy, because I don’t think the thriller element is big enough to call it a comedy thriller. And it’s sold as a buddy-cop comedy,...
- 8/17/2011
- Den of Geek
Chicago – From a classic tradition of abrasive-but-lovable anti-heroes, the lead of writer/director John Michael McDonagh’s “The Guard,” Officer Boyle (Brendan Gleeson), is one of the most memorable leads of the year. Played with trademark wit by Gleeson, Boyle does drugs, sleeps with hookers, and simply doesn’t care what you think about him. When a major drug deal is set to go down in his minor city, Boyle gets involved with an American agent played by Don Cheadle and a very unusual buddy/action movie unfolds. Writer/director John Michael McDonagh sat down with us last week to talk about Gleeson, Cheadle, Walter Matthau, Terence Malick, Ennio Morricone, “Game of Thrones,” and much more.
HollywoodChicago.com: The first natural question that people may have if they look you up on IMDb [and see that your last credit is 2003’s “Ned Kelly”] is why so long between movies?
John Michael McDonagh: In 2000 I made the short film. Obviously,...
HollywoodChicago.com: The first natural question that people may have if they look you up on IMDb [and see that your last credit is 2003’s “Ned Kelly”] is why so long between movies?
John Michael McDonagh: In 2000 I made the short film. Obviously,...
- 8/1/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The sixth International Rome Film Festival will take place October 27 through November 4, 2011. Oscar®-winning composer Ennio Morricone will head the jury, which also includes Italian ballet dancer Roberto Bolle, said Rome Fest president Gian Luigi Rondi and artistic director Piera Detassis. The international jury will select the winners of the Marc’Aurelio Award for Best Film, two Marc’Aurelio Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress, and the Marc’Aurelio Grand Jury Prize from among the competition selection. More details are below. The real question is whether Quentin Tarantino will be able to land Ennio Morricone--who is a genius--to do the honors for his spaghetti western, Django Unchained (rumor du jour for the title role: The Wire's Idris Elba). The filmmaker borrowed liberally from old Morricone ...
- 5/31/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
Like the films whose music inspired Rome, the album’s creation has a backstory: Bonded by an appreciation for the film soundtracks of Ennio Morricone, Gianfranco and Gian Piero Reverberi, and others, Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton and Daniele Luppi first set out to make their own take on that cinematic sound in 2005. Along the way, they secured a backing band of session players who graced some of Morricone’s most endearing scores, then nabbed a pair of collaboration-prone pop stars to give voice to the romantic yearnings within Rome: Jack White and Norah Jones. And while their work over ...
- 5/17/2011
- avclub.com
The annual Bird’s Eye View Film Festival was held in London from 8th March to 17th. This year saw a major theme exploring women’s role in gothic and horror cinema with live accompaniments to silent classics, a screening of Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark and a specially commissioned score and live performance by Grammy award-winner Imogen Heap to Germaine Dulac’s The Seashell and the Clergyman (1928).
Bloody Women: From Gothic To Horror wasn’t the only thing going down with screenings, workshops, seminars and talks on the role women play in the medium we all know and love. In an art form still ruled largely by men it’s nice to see a film festival celebrate the female perspective, and not only that, deliver some downright brilliant films.
Below is a report on a collection of films and events we attended this great year.
Victor Sjostrom’s 1928 melodrama,...
Bloody Women: From Gothic To Horror wasn’t the only thing going down with screenings, workshops, seminars and talks on the role women play in the medium we all know and love. In an art form still ruled largely by men it’s nice to see a film festival celebrate the female perspective, and not only that, deliver some downright brilliant films.
Below is a report on a collection of films and events we attended this great year.
Victor Sjostrom’s 1928 melodrama,...
- 3/21/2011
- by Martyn Conterio
- FilmShaft.com
Scrub away all of your doubts about the ability of the omnipresent Johnny Depp (whose cinematic output has been -- let's face it -- less than impressive lately) to carry a leading voice role without overpowering an entire film. Dismiss all preconceived notions about director Gore Verbinski's first stab at an animated picture, for this final product is much smarter than any of that Pirates of the Caribbean garbage. Yet, at the same time, Rango is still as much of a rip-roaring ride as it effortlessly blends genres and their archetypes into an Old West setting. The story by Verbinski and his screenwriter, John Logan (The Aviator), initially covers some familiar ground by exploring the well-treaded "fish out of water" motif, but that's the limit of any genericism. Here, Depp plays a lizard who dreams big and generally amuses himself by acting within his own plays and pauses only to reflect,...
- 3/7/2011
- by Agent Bedhead
A lizard in a Hawaiian shirt? Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas may seem like an odd reference to bring up when introducing an animated film, but Paramount Picture's new release, Rango, often feels like an odd psychotropic blend of both that and a Sergio Leone spaghetti western (those versed in the grammar of film will likely also spot some Mad Max and Chinatown in the mix).
Starring Fear and Loathing vet Johnny Depp in the title role, Rango tells the story of an ordinary chameleon named Rango who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West desperately in need of a new sheriff.
It seems as though we're witnessing the second renaissance of animation in Hollywood. While so many live action blockbusters tend to have less lasting value than the 32-ounce soda you bought at the concession stand,...
Starring Fear and Loathing vet Johnny Depp in the title role, Rango tells the story of an ordinary chameleon named Rango who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West desperately in need of a new sheriff.
It seems as though we're witnessing the second renaissance of animation in Hollywood. While so many live action blockbusters tend to have less lasting value than the 32-ounce soda you bought at the concession stand,...
- 3/7/2011
- CinemaSpy
Gore Verbinski’s homage to spaghetti westerns is realised through a surrealist anthropomorphic animation lens. Johnny Depp voices the titular hero, a chameleon with an identity crisis who during a car accident is left stranded in the Mojave desert and forced to make his own way in the world.
Although starting off with a contemporary setting an anachronistic movie unfolds as the lonely lizard befriends the townsfolk of Dirt with tall tales of daring-do. They’re an easily impressed bunch, so much so, they make him sheriff. Bad idea.
Director Verbinski and screenwriter John Logan fashion an occasionally dark story despite it being a bright and fun sort of film with talking animals and insects. It does have a ‘doped up’ vibe evident in several dream sequences and the general strangeness of the premise. Seeing lizards, owls and shrews riding on top of chickens is barking mad!
The older viewer...
Although starting off with a contemporary setting an anachronistic movie unfolds as the lonely lizard befriends the townsfolk of Dirt with tall tales of daring-do. They’re an easily impressed bunch, so much so, they make him sheriff. Bad idea.
Director Verbinski and screenwriter John Logan fashion an occasionally dark story despite it being a bright and fun sort of film with talking animals and insects. It does have a ‘doped up’ vibe evident in several dream sequences and the general strangeness of the premise. Seeing lizards, owls and shrews riding on top of chickens is barking mad!
The older viewer...
- 2/28/2011
- by Martyn Conterio
- FilmShaft.com
More proof that we live in a post-sellout culture: LG is planning to offer ten film songs from legendary composer Ennio Morricone as cell phone ringtones along with fifteen tracks that he is composing exclusively for LG. So, soon we'll have to get used to the fact that his legendary wahhh wahhh wahhhhh from The Good the Bad and the Ugly doesn't necessarily signal a showdown, and might in fact just be someone's mother calling. Apparently they are choosing 10 of his "best known" themes to convert into ringtones. Sadly though, "best known" is the just tip of the iceberg with Morricone, so take a second to listen to five amazing tracks from his more overlooked film scores that would all make killer ringtones. Then petition LG!
- 1/5/2011
- Movieline
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