It's odd to think of stars like Audrey Hepburn within a modern context. The Egot winner seems to belong so perfectly to a bygone era of Hollywood — one characterized by a kind of romanticism and graceful dignity that just doesn't map on to the age of streaming and ubiquitous "content." Of course, in reality the Hollywood of the mid-20th century was often anything but a halcyon dream, with the star system still very much in operation, shackling actors to their respective studios to be traded off and sold like commodities. Still, it's just plain weird to think about these titans of Hollywood in the context of, for instance, Rotten Tomatoes — the great arbiter of our contemporary collective taste in cinema.
Imagine, if you will, the career of this Unicef Goodwill Ambassador, fashion icon, and legendary starlet summed up in a list of cartoon splats and tomatoes. It doesn't feel quite right does it?...
Imagine, if you will, the career of this Unicef Goodwill Ambassador, fashion icon, and legendary starlet summed up in a list of cartoon splats and tomatoes. It doesn't feel quite right does it?...
- 5/23/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Courtesy of Studiocanal
by James Cameron-wilson
Two of the most famous characters Audrey Hepburn ever played were Eliza Dolittle and Maid Marion. In StudioCanal’s new 4K restoration home entertainment release of The Lavender Hill Mob, Audrey Hepburn shares her first film with Stanley Holloway, who played Eliza’s father in My Fair Lady, and Robert Shaw, who played the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin & Marion. Not that Audrey Hepburn actually shares the screen in The Lavender Hill Mob with either Stanley Holloway or Robert Shaw, but she does get the film off to a bright start with a nuzzle with Alec Guinness The Lavender Hill Mob arrived in the middle of the golden era of the Ealing Comedy cycle, two years after Kind Hearts and Coronets and just four years before The Ladykillers. And it remains a pure joy. Unlike heist movies of the future, it manages to be...
by James Cameron-wilson
Two of the most famous characters Audrey Hepburn ever played were Eliza Dolittle and Maid Marion. In StudioCanal’s new 4K restoration home entertainment release of The Lavender Hill Mob, Audrey Hepburn shares her first film with Stanley Holloway, who played Eliza’s father in My Fair Lady, and Robert Shaw, who played the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin & Marion. Not that Audrey Hepburn actually shares the screen in The Lavender Hill Mob with either Stanley Holloway or Robert Shaw, but she does get the film off to a bright start with a nuzzle with Alec Guinness The Lavender Hill Mob arrived in the middle of the golden era of the Ealing Comedy cycle, two years after Kind Hearts and Coronets and just four years before The Ladykillers. And it remains a pure joy. Unlike heist movies of the future, it manages to be...
- 5/1/2024
- by James Cameron-Wilson
- Film Review Daily
To celebrate the release of The Lavender Hill Mob out on 4K Uhd Collector’s Edition and on Digital from 22 April – we have a 4K Uhd Collector’s Edition to give away to one lucky winner!
Studiocanal are proud to announce the release of a spectacular 4K restoration of one of the most-loved British comedies from Ealing Studios, The Lavender Hill Mob, written by T.E.B. Clarke (winner of the Best Original Screenplay Oscar), directed by Charles Crichton (A Fish Called Wanda) and starring Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway (My Fair Lady), Sid James (Carry On films) and Alfie Bass (Alfie). The enduringly funny story of a nobody bank employee’s ingenious plan to rob the Bank of England and the motley crew that he assembles to carry out the raid, will be released in UK cinemas on 29 March and as a 4K Uhd Collector’s Edition and on Digital from 22 April.
Studiocanal are proud to announce the release of a spectacular 4K restoration of one of the most-loved British comedies from Ealing Studios, The Lavender Hill Mob, written by T.E.B. Clarke (winner of the Best Original Screenplay Oscar), directed by Charles Crichton (A Fish Called Wanda) and starring Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway (My Fair Lady), Sid James (Carry On films) and Alfie Bass (Alfie). The enduringly funny story of a nobody bank employee’s ingenious plan to rob the Bank of England and the motley crew that he assembles to carry out the raid, will be released in UK cinemas on 29 March and as a 4K Uhd Collector’s Edition and on Digital from 22 April.
- 4/19/2024
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Franchise animation Kung Fu Panda 4 and creature clash Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire lead a bumper weekend of 16 new films at the UK-Ireland box office.
Universal’s Kung Fu Panda 4 has the biggest opening of the weekend in 715 sites – a significant jump for the series, after 2008’s Kung Fu Panda (448) and sequels in 2011 (514) and 2016 (585), all through Paramount.
Conversely, the total grosses of each film have dropped, with the first title making £20.4m, followed by £17m and £14.2m for the sequels. All of these were pre-pandemic; number four will look to cross the £10m mark before challenging any of those totals.
Universal’s Kung Fu Panda 4 has the biggest opening of the weekend in 715 sites – a significant jump for the series, after 2008’s Kung Fu Panda (448) and sequels in 2011 (514) and 2016 (585), all through Paramount.
Conversely, the total grosses of each film have dropped, with the first title making £20.4m, followed by £17m and £14.2m for the sequels. All of these were pre-pandemic; number four will look to cross the £10m mark before challenging any of those totals.
- 3/28/2024
- ScreenDaily
Classic heist caper The Lavender Hill Mob is getting a cinema rerelease. But which of these 40s and 50s film fancies are slyly subversive, and which have dated less well?
Anyone wanting a look at Dublin in the late 1940s might like this, but there’s not much else especially compelling about this weird Walter Mitty-ish comedy about a park loafer hoping to finance a one-way trip to the South Seas by helping rich people who have fallen over. Inspired by the anywhere-but-here mood of postwar privations, this is pretty charmless, and almost completely tone-deaf to the class/ethnic sensitivities of a crew of posh Brits rolling around the Irish capital. Not director Charles Crichton’s finest hour.
Anyone wanting a look at Dublin in the late 1940s might like this, but there’s not much else especially compelling about this weird Walter Mitty-ish comedy about a park loafer hoping to finance a one-way trip to the South Seas by helping rich people who have fallen over. Inspired by the anywhere-but-here mood of postwar privations, this is pretty charmless, and almost completely tone-deaf to the class/ethnic sensitivities of a crew of posh Brits rolling around the Irish capital. Not director Charles Crichton’s finest hour.
- 3/21/2024
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
The 2024 Oscar nominees for Best Director are Jonathan Glazer (“The Zone of Interest”), Yorgos Lanthimos (“Poor Things”), Christopher Nolan (“Oppenheimer”), Martin Scorsese (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), and Justine Triet (“Anatomy of a Fall”). Our odds currently show that Nolan (3/1) is most likely to win, followed in order by Lanthimos (4/1), Glazer (9/2), Triet (9/2), and Scorsese (9/2).
Three of these five filmmakers have been nominated at least once before, with Scorsese standing out as the only previous victor in the group. Now on his 10th bid (only two behind category record holder William Wyler), he initially triumphed on his sixth for “The Departed” (2007), which is also the only Best Picture winner in his filmography. He earned his remaining notices for “Raging Bull” (1981), “The Last Temptation of Christ” (1989), “Goodfellas” (1991), “Gangs of New York” (2003), “The Aviator” (2005), “Hugo” (2012), “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2014), and “The Irishman” (2020).
Having previously ranked as the third oldest directing nominee ever...
Three of these five filmmakers have been nominated at least once before, with Scorsese standing out as the only previous victor in the group. Now on his 10th bid (only two behind category record holder William Wyler), he initially triumphed on his sixth for “The Departed” (2007), which is also the only Best Picture winner in his filmography. He earned his remaining notices for “Raging Bull” (1981), “The Last Temptation of Christ” (1989), “Goodfellas” (1991), “Gangs of New York” (2003), “The Aviator” (2005), “Hugo” (2012), “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2014), and “The Irishman” (2020).
Having previously ranked as the third oldest directing nominee ever...
- 3/7/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Two Ealing classics – The Lavender Hill Mob and Kind Hearts & Coronets – are heading to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray: more here.
Lovely, lovely news for fans of the wonderful Ealing Studios: a pair of its most-loved films have been given a 4K restoration, and are heading to the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format.
Charles Crichton’s The Lavender Hill Mob – which is also getting a cinema re-release in the UK this March – is arriving in a special Vintage Classics Collectors Edition set. That set includes a 64-page booklet, artcards, postcards, a Blu-ray and a 4K disc. Included too is an introduction from Martin Scorsese, and new extra features including a London Comedy Film Festival Q&a with Paul Merton.
The film is available for preorder now, and you can find more information – and get a copy – right here.
The release date for The Lavender Hill Mob on 4K disc is 22nd April,...
Lovely, lovely news for fans of the wonderful Ealing Studios: a pair of its most-loved films have been given a 4K restoration, and are heading to the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format.
Charles Crichton’s The Lavender Hill Mob – which is also getting a cinema re-release in the UK this March – is arriving in a special Vintage Classics Collectors Edition set. That set includes a 64-page booklet, artcards, postcards, a Blu-ray and a 4K disc. Included too is an introduction from Martin Scorsese, and new extra features including a London Comedy Film Festival Q&a with Paul Merton.
The film is available for preorder now, and you can find more information – and get a copy – right here.
The release date for The Lavender Hill Mob on 4K disc is 22nd April,...
- 2/21/2024
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
Clockwise from top left: Polite Society (Focus Features), Totally Killer (Amazon), The Burial (Amazon), Surrounded (MGM)Image: The A.V. Club
Amazon Prime Video has a diverse selection of originals, indies, and recent theatrical releases this October. Tommy Lee Jones plays a funeral home owner and Jamie Foxx is his attorney in The Burial,...
Amazon Prime Video has a diverse selection of originals, indies, and recent theatrical releases this October. Tommy Lee Jones plays a funeral home owner and Jamie Foxx is his attorney in The Burial,...
- 9/28/2023
- by Robert DeSalvo
- avclub.com
Jamie Lee Curtis has had a long and varied career in Hollywood, from teen comedies to classic horror movies to indie films. One of her most memorable roles was in the comedy A Fish Called Wanda. However, Curtis recently revealed that filming the movie had her in tears every day.
‘A Fish Called Wanda’ was a hugely successful comedy
A Fish Called Wanda premiered in 1988 and starred Curtis, John Cleese (who co-wrote the movie with director Charles Crichton), Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin. The movie follows a bumbling group of thieves who successfully pull off a jewel heist but can’t seem to get their hands on the loot. The movie is full of double-crosses, fake romances, and a key to the treasure that keeps getting passed from person to person, all of which adds to the hilarity.
Audiences loved A Fish Called Wanda. The movie went on to gross...
‘A Fish Called Wanda’ was a hugely successful comedy
A Fish Called Wanda premiered in 1988 and starred Curtis, John Cleese (who co-wrote the movie with director Charles Crichton), Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin. The movie follows a bumbling group of thieves who successfully pull off a jewel heist but can’t seem to get their hands on the loot. The movie is full of double-crosses, fake romances, and a key to the treasure that keeps getting passed from person to person, all of which adds to the hilarity.
Audiences loved A Fish Called Wanda. The movie went on to gross...
- 2/20/2023
- by India McCarty
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
All signs point to “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “Elvis” and “The Fabelmans” all dominating the Oscar noms with eight apiece. But if “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Top Gun: Maverick” manage some pickups, they could join or surpass the group.
On Jan. 24, AMPAS will unveil its nominees for the 95th Academy Awards. The season has been marked by the return of the Hollywood blockbuster, and a love for old-fashioned movie extravaganzas will play a crucial role in how the nearly 9,600 members rank their ballots.
So what will be the story of the day?
Warner Bros’ musical biopic “Elvis” is looking to assemble a robust showing in the tech races, which doesn’t include an overdue career nom for director Baz Luhrmann. Still, its star Austin Butler is a lock for his first nod in best actor.
Martin McDonagh’s Irish comedy “The Banshees of Inisherin...
On Jan. 24, AMPAS will unveil its nominees for the 95th Academy Awards. The season has been marked by the return of the Hollywood blockbuster, and a love for old-fashioned movie extravaganzas will play a crucial role in how the nearly 9,600 members rank their ballots.
So what will be the story of the day?
Warner Bros’ musical biopic “Elvis” is looking to assemble a robust showing in the tech races, which doesn’t include an overdue career nom for director Baz Luhrmann. Still, its star Austin Butler is a lock for his first nod in best actor.
Martin McDonagh’s Irish comedy “The Banshees of Inisherin...
- 1/19/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The Avengers: The Emma Peel Collection (1965-1967)
Blu-ray
[Imprint] Television
1965-67 / 1.33: 1 / Black and White and Color
Starring Diana Rigg, Patrick Macnee
Written by Brian Clemens, Philip Levene
Directed by Roy Ward Baker, Sidney Hayers, Charles Crichton
Though remembered for its idiosyncratic humor, The Avengers made its debut in 1961 as a no-nonsense crime drama. Ian Hendry starred as David Keel, a doctor turned detective, while Patrick MacNee haunted the sidelines as an inscrutable investigator named John Steed. Shot in black and white under grey English skies, the show was unmistakably a product of the Cold War, fueled by John Dankworth’s stentorian theme and an origin story that predicted television’s noirish The Fugitive; Keel’s fiancée has been murdered, prompting our heroes to join in the search for her killer.
It was a brief sojourn for Hendry who left at the end of the season, relinquishing star billing to Macnee and his new partner,...
Blu-ray
[Imprint] Television
1965-67 / 1.33: 1 / Black and White and Color
Starring Diana Rigg, Patrick Macnee
Written by Brian Clemens, Philip Levene
Directed by Roy Ward Baker, Sidney Hayers, Charles Crichton
Though remembered for its idiosyncratic humor, The Avengers made its debut in 1961 as a no-nonsense crime drama. Ian Hendry starred as David Keel, a doctor turned detective, while Patrick MacNee haunted the sidelines as an inscrutable investigator named John Steed. Shot in black and white under grey English skies, the show was unmistakably a product of the Cold War, fueled by John Dankworth’s stentorian theme and an origin story that predicted television’s noirish The Fugitive; Keel’s fiancée has been murdered, prompting our heroes to join in the search for her killer.
It was a brief sojourn for Hendry who left at the end of the season, relinquishing star billing to Macnee and his new partner,...
- 1/14/2023
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Roger Michell’s final feature film brings good-natured, Ealing-style brio to the 1961 theft of Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington
As with so many of cinema’s most successful practitioners, the South Africa-born British film-maker Roger Michell, who died last September aged 65, was not an “auteur” with a singular distinctive style. On the contrary, he was a versatile craftsman who could turn his hand to a range of genres with ease. From the classic Richard Curtis romcom Notting Hill to the American thriller Changing Lanes and the deliciously twisty Daphne du Maurier dark romance My Cousin Rachel, Michell instinctively understood the differing demands of each story he was telling. He adapted Hanif Kureishi’s The Buddha of Suburbia for TV with great success, gave Anne Reid her finest role in the taboo-breaking, Kureishi-scripted drama The Mother, and directed a sorely underrated screen adaptation of Ian McEwan’s Enduring Love,...
As with so many of cinema’s most successful practitioners, the South Africa-born British film-maker Roger Michell, who died last September aged 65, was not an “auteur” with a singular distinctive style. On the contrary, he was a versatile craftsman who could turn his hand to a range of genres with ease. From the classic Richard Curtis romcom Notting Hill to the American thriller Changing Lanes and the deliciously twisty Daphne du Maurier dark romance My Cousin Rachel, Michell instinctively understood the differing demands of each story he was telling. He adapted Hanif Kureishi’s The Buddha of Suburbia for TV with great success, gave Anne Reid her finest role in the taboo-breaking, Kureishi-scripted drama The Mother, and directed a sorely underrated screen adaptation of Ian McEwan’s Enduring Love,...
- 2/27/2022
- by Mark Kermode, Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
Pencils down, pass your ballots to the front because the Oscar nomination voting is now closed.
Speaking to voters over the past week, it’s been relatively clear about what voters like and who they’re supporting in a strong year for film.
Nominations will be announced on Tuesday, Feb. 8, and we have the 10 burning questions we want to be answered.
Which movie will lead the nomination tally?
There have been three films that have been nominated for 14 Oscars in history — “All About Eve” (1950), “Titanic” (1997) and “La La Land” (2016). We likely won’t see any film get near tying or beating that record. The three most likely candidates to lead the charge are “Belfast” from Focus Features, “Dune” from Warner Bros. and “The Power of the Dog” from Netflix. You could also add “West Side Story” from 20th Century Studios as a dark horse possibility, especially since its tally seems...
Speaking to voters over the past week, it’s been relatively clear about what voters like and who they’re supporting in a strong year for film.
Nominations will be announced on Tuesday, Feb. 8, and we have the 10 burning questions we want to be answered.
Which movie will lead the nomination tally?
There have been three films that have been nominated for 14 Oscars in history — “All About Eve” (1950), “Titanic” (1997) and “La La Land” (2016). We likely won’t see any film get near tying or beating that record. The three most likely candidates to lead the charge are “Belfast” from Focus Features, “Dune” from Warner Bros. and “The Power of the Dog” from Netflix. You could also add “West Side Story” from 20th Century Studios as a dark horse possibility, especially since its tally seems...
- 2/2/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
In film history, the anthology genre is the most challenging. Episodic films often have several directors and screenwriters which gives them an inconsistent tone and quality. But the genre’s pitfalls haven’t stopped such filmmakers including Akira Kurosawa (“Dreams”), the Coens (“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”), Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez (“Sin City”); Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese (“New York Stories”); and Joe Dante, John Landis, George Miller and Steven Spielberg (“Twilight Zone: The Movie”).
Wes Anderson joined them with his latest film “The French Dispatch,” which received a nine-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. The comedy brings to life three stories from an American magazine published in a fictional French city and features his stock company of actors including Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson.
If you are a fan of the genre, here are the best anthology movies that...
Wes Anderson joined them with his latest film “The French Dispatch,” which received a nine-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. The comedy brings to life three stories from an American magazine published in a fictional French city and features his stock company of actors including Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody and Owen Wilson.
If you are a fan of the genre, here are the best anthology movies that...
- 10/30/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
During a three-hour discussion on a recent episode of “The Empire Film Podcast,” Edgar Wright and Quentin Tarantino revealed the existence of their makeshift quarantine movie club over the last 9 months. As Wright explained, “It’s nice. We’ve kept in touch in a sort of way that cinephiles do. It’s been one of the very few blessings of this [pandemic], the chance to disappear down a rabbit hole with the hours indoors that we have.” Tarantino added, “Edgar is more social than I am. It’s a big deal that I’ve been talking to him these past 9 months.”
A bulk of the film club was curated by none other than Martin Scorsese, who sent Wright a recommendation list of nearly 50 British films that Scorsese considers personal favorites. In the five months Wright spent in lockdown before resuming production on “Last Night in Soho” — and before he received the...
A bulk of the film club was curated by none other than Martin Scorsese, who sent Wright a recommendation list of nearly 50 British films that Scorsese considers personal favorites. In the five months Wright spent in lockdown before resuming production on “Last Night in Soho” — and before he received the...
- 2/8/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Staring down his prey with sunken eyes and a sinister smile, Alastair Sim was the fiend Charles Addams never got around to drawing. Sim was a quick-change artist who didn’t need makeup to transform from a grasping monster into your favorite uncle – it’s why he remains the greatest interpreter of Ebenezer Scrooge. Whether playing a cold-blooded assassin in The Green Man or a kindly army chaplain in Folly to be Wise he understood as well as anyone why the masks of tragedy and comedy are intertwined.
Sim is one of those figures who’s been consigned to the history books for decades. But by releasing a Blu ray set of the great man’s comedies in 2020, Film Movement Classics, like Scrooge, hasn’t lost their senses – they’ve come to them.
Alastair Sim’s School for Laughter
Blu ray
Film Movement Classics
1954, ’60, ’51, ’47 / 1.67:1, 1.37:1 / 86, 97, 93, 82 min.
Starring Alastair Sim,...
Sim is one of those figures who’s been consigned to the history books for decades. But by releasing a Blu ray set of the great man’s comedies in 2020, Film Movement Classics, like Scrooge, hasn’t lost their senses – they’ve come to them.
Alastair Sim’s School for Laughter
Blu ray
Film Movement Classics
1954, ’60, ’51, ’47 / 1.67:1, 1.37:1 / 86, 97, 93, 82 min.
Starring Alastair Sim,...
- 4/25/2020
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin’s lives changed when they appeared in the acclaimed comedy, ‘A Fish Called Wanda.’ The 1988 heist film, which was written by John Cleese and directed by Charles Crichton, stars the actors as a gang of diamond thieves who double-cross each another. The femme fatale title character, who […]
The post Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline Play a Gang of Diamond Thieves in A Fish Called Wanda BBC One Broadcast appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline Play a Gang of Diamond Thieves in A Fish Called Wanda BBC One Broadcast appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 4/12/2020
- by Karen Benardello
- ShockYa
Berlinale Specials is the festival’s incorporates all out-of-competition titles.
The Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 20-Mar 1) has added two world premieres to its Berlinale Special strand.
The first is Anne Fontaine’s drama Police [original title Night Shift], which stars Omar Sy, Virginie Efira and Grégory Gadeboias a trio of Paris police officers forced to accept an unusual mission. Studiocanal is handling French distribution and international sales.
Veteran filmmaker Fontaine’s previous films include Venice best screenplay winner Dry Cleaning (1997) and Coco Before Channel (2009).
The second is Vadim Perelman’s Persian Lessons, which stars Bpm (Beats Per Minute) lead Nahuel Perez...
The Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 20-Mar 1) has added two world premieres to its Berlinale Special strand.
The first is Anne Fontaine’s drama Police [original title Night Shift], which stars Omar Sy, Virginie Efira and Grégory Gadeboias a trio of Paris police officers forced to accept an unusual mission. Studiocanal is handling French distribution and international sales.
Veteran filmmaker Fontaine’s previous films include Venice best screenplay winner Dry Cleaning (1997) and Coco Before Channel (2009).
The second is Vadim Perelman’s Persian Lessons, which stars Bpm (Beats Per Minute) lead Nahuel Perez...
- 1/23/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Toot Toot! The Little Engine that Could becomes a tale of the little town that could, when their tiny rail service is discontinued. A crackerjack cast of Ealing regulars — Stanley Holloway, Naunton Wayne, John Gregson — band together to take over the little spur line and keep it running. We get to see a vintage locomotive from the early 1800s in action, but the appeal isn’t limited to lovers of trains — Ealing’s knack for inspired, understated comedy is all over this show. Plus, it’s the company’s first feature in Technicolor, and is beautifully remastered.
The Titfield Thunderbolt
Blu-ray
Film Movement Classics
1953 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 84 min. / Street Date , 2020 /
Starring: Stanley Holloway, George Relph, Naunton Wayne, John Gregson, Godfrey Tearle, Hugh Griffith, Gabrielle Brune, Sidney James, Reginald Beckwith, Edie Martin, Michael Trubshawe, Jack MacGowran, Ewan Roberts.
Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe
Film Editor: Seth Holt
Original Music: Georges Auric
Written by...
The Titfield Thunderbolt
Blu-ray
Film Movement Classics
1953 / Color / 1:37 Academy / 84 min. / Street Date , 2020 /
Starring: Stanley Holloway, George Relph, Naunton Wayne, John Gregson, Godfrey Tearle, Hugh Griffith, Gabrielle Brune, Sidney James, Reginald Beckwith, Edie Martin, Michael Trubshawe, Jack MacGowran, Ewan Roberts.
Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe
Film Editor: Seth Holt
Original Music: Georges Auric
Written by...
- 1/11/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
They’re ‘The Men Who Broke the Bank and Lost the Cargo!’ Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway shine in one of the funniest crime comedies ever, Ealing Studios’ tale of a pair of nobodies who take the Bank of England for millions. Guinness’s bank clerk follows his dreams into a big time bullion heist, and the joke is that his ad-hoc mob is the most loyal, ethical band of brothers in the history of crime. This being a caper picture, the suspense is steep as well — just what is going to trip up these brilliantly gifted amateurs?
The Lavender Hill Mob
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1951 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 81 min. / Street Date September 3, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sidney James, Alfie Bass, Audrey Hepburn.
Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe
Film Editor: Seth Holt
Original Music: Georges Auric
Written by T.E.B. Clarke
Produced by Michael Balcon
Directed by...
The Lavender Hill Mob
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1951 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 81 min. / Street Date September 3, 2019 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sidney James, Alfie Bass, Audrey Hepburn.
Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe
Film Editor: Seth Holt
Original Music: Georges Auric
Written by T.E.B. Clarke
Produced by Michael Balcon
Directed by...
- 10/15/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
July 9th is bringing all kinds of horror-rific awesomeness our way with this week’s genre-related Blu-ray and DVD releases. Easily one of my most anticipated discs of this year, the new Silent Hill Collector’s Edition from Scream Factory heads home on Tuesday as well as Mill Creek’s stunning Steelbook for Mothra, which looks to be a must-have for any movie monster aficionados out there. In terms of recent films, both Pet Sematary (2019) and Claire Denis’ High Life are hitting various formats this week, and for you Andy Sidaris fans out there, Savage Beach is hitting Blu-ray as well.
Other releases for July 9th include Dead of Night, Division 19, This Island Earth, and Waterworld in 4K.
Dead of Night
A group of strangers, mysteriously gathered at an isolated country estate, recount chilling tales of the supernatural. First, a racer survives a brush with death only to receive...
Other releases for July 9th include Dead of Night, Division 19, This Island Earth, and Waterworld in 4K.
Dead of Night
A group of strangers, mysteriously gathered at an isolated country estate, recount chilling tales of the supernatural. First, a racer survives a brush with death only to receive...
- 7/8/2019
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
This moody, unsettling whodunnit benefits from sensitive cinematography, fine direction and a perfectly-cast group of players. Stephen Boyd gets a worthwhile starring role, backed by some good names and a nice debut from Judi Dench. What I don’t understand is why Pamela Franklin, possibly the most talented and versatile young English player ever, didn’t become a major star. She’s more than half the picture here.
The Third Secret
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1964 / B&W / 2:35 / 103 min. / / Street Date February 25, 2019 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £17.77
Starring: Stephen Boyd, Pamela Franklin, Diane Cilento, Richard Attenborough, Jack Hawkins, Paul Rogers, Alan Webb, Rachel Kempson, Freda Jackson, Judi Dench, Peter Copley, Nigel Davenport, Charles Lloyd Pack, Barbara Hicks.
Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe
Film Editor: Frederick Wilson
Original Music: Richard Arnell
Written and Produced by Robert L. Joseph
Directed by Charles Crichton
Trying to keep up a production schedule during the cash-flow crisis of Cleopatra,...
The Third Secret
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1964 / B&W / 2:35 / 103 min. / / Street Date February 25, 2019 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £17.77
Starring: Stephen Boyd, Pamela Franklin, Diane Cilento, Richard Attenborough, Jack Hawkins, Paul Rogers, Alan Webb, Rachel Kempson, Freda Jackson, Judi Dench, Peter Copley, Nigel Davenport, Charles Lloyd Pack, Barbara Hicks.
Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe
Film Editor: Frederick Wilson
Original Music: Richard Arnell
Written and Produced by Robert L. Joseph
Directed by Charles Crichton
Trying to keep up a production schedule during the cash-flow crisis of Cleopatra,...
- 3/2/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Mubi's retrospective Ealing Comedies is showing May 31 - August 7, 2018 in the United States.Kind Hearts and CoronetsRe-reading his memoirs from his prison cell, Louis Mazzini (Dennis Price) narrates the story of his life in Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949). Disowned by his maternal family, the aristocratic D’Ascoynes, and thus condemned to a life of poverty, Louis decides that his only option is to swiftly murder his living relatives in order to obtain the dukedom which is rightfully his. As the guiding light of the film, being both narrator and protagonist, Louis takes up the greatest amount space. But it is Alec Guinness who has made Kind Hearts most memorable, by playing all eight members of the D’Ascoyne family that Louis encounters. With a broad range of characters—young and old, men and women, as caricatures or with honesty—Kind Hearts is perhaps the perfect example of Guinness’ work with the Ealing comedies,...
- 6/25/2018
- MUBI
“The funniest movie I have seen in a long time” – Roger Ebert
A Fish Called Wanda will be available on Blu-ray October 3rd from Arrow Video
In 1988, John Cleese, former Python and the mastermind behind Fawlty Towers, teamed up with the veteran Ealing Comedy director Charles Crichton (The Lavender Hill Mob) to produce another classic of British comedy.
Cleese plays Archie Leach, a weak-willed barrister who finds himself embroiled with a quartet of ill-matched jewel thieves – two American con artists played by Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline, Michael Palin’s animal-loving hitman and London gangster Tom Georgeson – when Georgeson is arrested. Only he and Palin know the whereabouts of the diamonds, prompting plenty of farce and in-fighting as well as some embarrassing nudity and the unfortunate demise of some innocent pooches…
Nominated for three Academy Awards and winning one for Kline’s outstanding supporting turn as the psychopathic Otto,...
A Fish Called Wanda will be available on Blu-ray October 3rd from Arrow Video
In 1988, John Cleese, former Python and the mastermind behind Fawlty Towers, teamed up with the veteran Ealing Comedy director Charles Crichton (The Lavender Hill Mob) to produce another classic of British comedy.
Cleese plays Archie Leach, a weak-willed barrister who finds himself embroiled with a quartet of ill-matched jewel thieves – two American con artists played by Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline, Michael Palin’s animal-loving hitman and London gangster Tom Georgeson – when Georgeson is arrested. Only he and Palin know the whereabouts of the diamonds, prompting plenty of farce and in-fighting as well as some embarrassing nudity and the unfortunate demise of some innocent pooches…
Nominated for three Academy Awards and winning one for Kline’s outstanding supporting turn as the psychopathic Otto,...
- 9/18/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
There’s nothing revelatory or new about adding a dose of the comedic to a crime picture, but the heist comedy is just a small corner of a vast and beloved cinematic landscape, as of recently, dominated by one filmmaker: Steven Soderbergh.
Responsible for four acclaimed entries in the genre, including Out of Sight and the Ocean’s 11 trilogy, Soderbergh has thankfully ended his so-called retirement and returned to film and the world of heist comedies with his newest, Logan Lucky, now playing in theaters. The film’s plot follows Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) a family man who plans to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina, only to find he and his crew (Adam Driver, Daniel Craig and Riley Keough) must do the job while a Nascar race is underway.
To celebrate Soderbergh’s return with Logan Lucky, we’ve decided to look back at the greatest heist comedies of all-time.
Responsible for four acclaimed entries in the genre, including Out of Sight and the Ocean’s 11 trilogy, Soderbergh has thankfully ended his so-called retirement and returned to film and the world of heist comedies with his newest, Logan Lucky, now playing in theaters. The film’s plot follows Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) a family man who plans to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina, only to find he and his crew (Adam Driver, Daniel Craig and Riley Keough) must do the job while a Nascar race is underway.
To celebrate Soderbergh’s return with Logan Lucky, we’ve decided to look back at the greatest heist comedies of all-time.
- 8/23/2017
- by Tony Hinds
- The Film Stage
After polling critics from around the world for the greatest American films of all-time, BBC has now forged ahead in the attempt to get a consensus on the best comedies of all-time. After polling 253 film critics, including 118 women and 135 men, from 52 countries and six continents a simple, the list of the 100 greatest is now here.
Featuring canonical classics such as Some Like It Hot, Dr. Strangelove, Annie Hall, Duck Soup, Playtime, and more in the top 10, there’s some interesting observations looking at the rest of the list. Toni Erdmann is the most recent inclusion, while the highest Wes Anderson pick is The Royal Tenenbaums. There’s also a healthy dose of Chaplin and Lubitsch with four films each, and the recently departed Jerry Lewis has a pair of inclusions.
Check out the list below (and my ballot) and see more on their official site.
100. (tie) The King of Comedy (Martin Scorsese,...
Featuring canonical classics such as Some Like It Hot, Dr. Strangelove, Annie Hall, Duck Soup, Playtime, and more in the top 10, there’s some interesting observations looking at the rest of the list. Toni Erdmann is the most recent inclusion, while the highest Wes Anderson pick is The Royal Tenenbaums. There’s also a healthy dose of Chaplin and Lubitsch with four films each, and the recently departed Jerry Lewis has a pair of inclusions.
Check out the list below (and my ballot) and see more on their official site.
100. (tie) The King of Comedy (Martin Scorsese,...
- 8/22/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
'Saint Joan': Constance Cummings as the George Bernard Shaw heroine. Constance Cummings on stage: From sex-change farce and Emma Bovary to Juliet and 'Saint Joan' (See previous post: “Constance Cummings: Frank Capra, Mae West and Columbia Lawsuit.”) In the mid-1930s, Constance Cummings landed the title roles in two of husband Benn W. Levy's stage adaptations: Levy and Hubert Griffith's Young Madame Conti (1936), starring Cummings as a demimondaine who falls in love with a villainous character. She ends up killing him – or does she? Adapted from Bruno Frank's German-language original, Young Madame Conti was presented on both sides of the Atlantic; on Broadway, it had a brief run in spring 1937 at the Music Box Theatre. Based on the Gustave Flaubert novel, the Theatre Guild-produced Madame Bovary (1937) was staged in late fall at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre. Referring to the London production of Young Madame Conti, The...
- 11/10/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Special Mention: Misery
Directed by Rob Reiner
Screenplay by William Goldman
1990, USA
Genre: Thriller
Elevated by standout performances from James Caan and Kathy Bates, Misery remains one of the best Stephen King adaptations to date. Director Rob Reiner is clearly more interested in the dark humour and humanity than the gory detail in King’s novel, but make no mistake about it, Misery is a tough watch soaked in sharp dialogue, a brooding atmosphere, and disturbing bodily harm inflicted on James Caan by sweet old Kathy Bates. I can still feel his pain.
129. Black Sabbath (Three Faces of Fear)
Mario Bava and Salvatore Billitteri
Written by Ennio De Concini and Mario Serandrei
Italy 1960 / Italy 1963
Genre: Horror Anthology
Not to be confused with Black Sunday, Black Sabbath is a horror anthology composed of three atmospheric tales. “The Drop of Water” concerns a nurse who steals a ring off a corpse, only...
Directed by Rob Reiner
Screenplay by William Goldman
1990, USA
Genre: Thriller
Elevated by standout performances from James Caan and Kathy Bates, Misery remains one of the best Stephen King adaptations to date. Director Rob Reiner is clearly more interested in the dark humour and humanity than the gory detail in King’s novel, but make no mistake about it, Misery is a tough watch soaked in sharp dialogue, a brooding atmosphere, and disturbing bodily harm inflicted on James Caan by sweet old Kathy Bates. I can still feel his pain.
129. Black Sabbath (Three Faces of Fear)
Mario Bava and Salvatore Billitteri
Written by Ennio De Concini and Mario Serandrei
Italy 1960 / Italy 1963
Genre: Horror Anthology
Not to be confused with Black Sunday, Black Sabbath is a horror anthology composed of three atmospheric tales. “The Drop of Water” concerns a nurse who steals a ring off a corpse, only...
- 10/17/2015
- by Ricky Fernandes
- SoundOnSight
Vivien Leigh ca. late 1940s. Vivien Leigh movies: now controversial 'Gone with the Wind,' little-seen '21 Days Together' on TCM Vivien Leigh is Turner Classic Movies' star today, Aug. 18, '15, as TCM's “Summer Under the Stars” series continues. Mostly a stage actress, Leigh was seen in only 19 films – in about 15 of which as a leading lady or star – in a movie career spanning three decades. Good for the relatively few who saw her on stage; bad for all those who have access to only a few performances of one of the most remarkable acting talents of the 20th century. This evening, TCM is showing three Vivien Leigh movies: Gone with the Wind (1939), 21 Days Together (1940), and A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). Leigh won Best Actress Academy Awards for the first and the third title. The little-remembered film in-between is a TCM premiere. 'Gone with the Wind' Seemingly all...
- 8/19/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Twenty years ago today, Bryan Singer, the director of the “good X-Men movies” (read: all of them except X3), and writer Christopher McQuarrie (Mission: Impossible – Rogue One) rounded up five thieves for the heist of the 90’s. It all starts out with a seemingly harmless lineup, but Keyser Söze – bogeyman of the criminal underworld – has very specific (and sinister) plans for The Usual Suspects’ Dean Keaton (Gabriel Byrne), McManus (Stephen Baldwin), Fenster (Benicio del Toro), Hockney (Kevin Pollak), and Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey). Bonus points to Singer for casting Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad”’s Gus Fring), who looks ridiculously young as one of the FBI agents after Keyser Söze.
From pool sharks and grifters to tricksters, card cheats and American hustlers, here’s our rundown of the most memorable con artists in movie history.
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
Fast Eddie Felson – The Hustler (1961)
One of the finest fraudster films to ever...
From pool sharks and grifters to tricksters, card cheats and American hustlers, here’s our rundown of the most memorable con artists in movie history.
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
Fast Eddie Felson – The Hustler (1961)
One of the finest fraudster films to ever...
- 8/18/2015
- by Daniel Bettridge
- Cineplex
The hotly-anticipated Fifty Shades of Grey movie is finally released in cinemas today (February 13) to coincide with Valentine's Day this weekend, and it's got our minds racing about just one thing....
The most ridiculously silly orgasms in movie history, obviously!
From Jennifer Aniston's otherworldly pleasure to Jason Biggs's doubly embarrassing shortcomings - here are 10 fantastically farcical orgasms on the silver screen below:
1. Jason Biggs in American Pie (1999)
Virginal, apple pie-bonking Jim Levenstein can't believe his luck when his history tutoring with sexy Slovakian exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) turns into something more. So excited is Jim, however, that he barely contains himself at her touch, only lasting a few more seconds on second go, until he, er, explodes again.
Sadly Stifler (Seann William Scott) had previously coerced Jim to set up a webcam in his room so they can all watch the frisky teenage pair, but he unwittingly...
The most ridiculously silly orgasms in movie history, obviously!
From Jennifer Aniston's otherworldly pleasure to Jason Biggs's doubly embarrassing shortcomings - here are 10 fantastically farcical orgasms on the silver screen below:
1. Jason Biggs in American Pie (1999)
Virginal, apple pie-bonking Jim Levenstein can't believe his luck when his history tutoring with sexy Slovakian exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) turns into something more. So excited is Jim, however, that he barely contains himself at her touch, only lasting a few more seconds on second go, until he, er, explodes again.
Sadly Stifler (Seann William Scott) had previously coerced Jim to set up a webcam in his room so they can all watch the frisky teenage pair, but he unwittingly...
- 2/13/2015
- Digital Spy
Chatting about writing, The Muppets, DreamWorks, Clockwise and Charles Crichton, all with Mr John Cleese...
Now out in hardback is John Cleese's autobiography, So Anyway. It's a genuinely interesting read, very much written in his own voice, and he spared us some time to have a chat about it, and his career.
Here's how it went...
Can we start with the predictable stuff first, but I always wonder this when anyone writes an autobiography: why do it? Why put your life down in a book, who is it for, and did you enjoy it?
Well let's go backwards on that. Yes I enjoyed it very much. Who is it for me? In a funny kind of way it was for me, because some people seem to think that I've had a very interesting life, which compared with people who have fought in wars, and been spies, and discovered rivers in Africa,...
Now out in hardback is John Cleese's autobiography, So Anyway. It's a genuinely interesting read, very much written in his own voice, and he spared us some time to have a chat about it, and his career.
Here's how it went...
Can we start with the predictable stuff first, but I always wonder this when anyone writes an autobiography: why do it? Why put your life down in a book, who is it for, and did you enjoy it?
Well let's go backwards on that. Yes I enjoyed it very much. Who is it for me? In a funny kind of way it was for me, because some people seem to think that I've had a very interesting life, which compared with people who have fought in wars, and been spies, and discovered rivers in Africa,...
- 12/8/2014
- by sarahd
- Den of Geek
Best British movies of all time? (Image: a young Michael Caine in 'Get Carter') Ten years ago, Get Carter, starring Michael Caine as a dangerous-looking London gangster (see photo above), was selected as the United Kingdom's very best movie of all time according to 25 British film critics polled by Total Film magazine. To say that Mike Hodges' 1971 thriller was a surprising choice would be an understatement. I mean, not a David Lean epic or an early Alfred Hitchcock thriller? What a difference ten years make. On Total Film's 2014 list, published last May, Get Carter was no. 44 among the magazine's Top 50 best British movies of all time. How could that be? Well, first of all, people would be very naive if they took such lists seriously, whether we're talking Total Film, the British Film Institute, or, to keep things British, Sight & Sound magazine. Second, whereas Total Film's 2004 list was the result of a 25-critic consensus,...
- 10/12/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Today on Trailers from Hell, Alan Spencer takes on Charles Chrichton's 1988 comedy classic, "A Fish Called Wanda," starring John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline. A comic crime caper stuffed with eccentric supporting characters, "A Fish Called Wanda" is in the best tradition of British comedies like "The Lavender Hill Mob." That should be no surprise because the director, Charles Crichton, is responsible for both. Crichton's amazing career began in the thirties as an editor on "Things to Come" and "Thief of Bagdad" and ended in 1998 with "Wanda," co-written with star John Cleese. The film was enormously successful winning an Academy Award for co-star Kevin Kline and BAFTA Awards for Cleese and Michael Palin for Best Actor and Supporting Actor.
- 4/11/2014
- by Trailers From Hell
- Thompson on Hollywood
A comic crime caper stuffed with eccentric supporting characters, A Fish Called Wanda is in the best tradition of British comedies like The Lavender Hill Mob. That should be no surprise because the director, Charles Crichton, is responsible for both. Crichton’s amazing career began in the thirties as an editor on Things To Come and Thief Of Bagdad and ended in 1998 with Wanda, co-written with star John Cleese. The film was enormously successful winning an Academy Award for co-star Kevin Kline and BAFTA Awards for Cleese and Michael Palin for Best Actor and Supporting Actor.
The post A Fish Called Wanda appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post A Fish Called Wanda appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 4/11/2014
- by TFH Team
- Trailers from Hell
(Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Dearden, Robert Hamer, 1945, Studiocanal, PG)
Portmanteau movies became an established form in 1916 when one of its greatest examples, Dw Griffith's Intolerance, interweaving four stories reaching from ancient Babylon to the early 20th century, was released. They've been appearing ever since, covering a variety of subjects (a shared author, a theme, a genre, a setting), the greatest number produced in the 1950s and 60s when it was a useful device for bringing international moviemakers together.
The greatest portmanteau film came from Ealing Studios and was a collaboration between four staff directors, one celebrated (the Brazilian-born Cavalcanti) and three soon to become well known. It took as its subject the British ghost story or tale of the supernatural, was written by a variety of hands, and went into production in that curious period between D-Day and the end of the last war, though there's no explicit reference to the war.
Portmanteau movies became an established form in 1916 when one of its greatest examples, Dw Griffith's Intolerance, interweaving four stories reaching from ancient Babylon to the early 20th century, was released. They've been appearing ever since, covering a variety of subjects (a shared author, a theme, a genre, a setting), the greatest number produced in the 1950s and 60s when it was a useful device for bringing international moviemakers together.
The greatest portmanteau film came from Ealing Studios and was a collaboration between four staff directors, one celebrated (the Brazilian-born Cavalcanti) and three soon to become well known. It took as its subject the British ghost story or tale of the supernatural, was written by a variety of hands, and went into production in that curious period between D-Day and the end of the last war, though there's no explicit reference to the war.
- 2/16/2014
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. I am including documentaries, short films and mini series, only as special mentions – along with a few features that can qualify as horror, but barely do.
Come Back Tonight To See My List Of The 200 Best!
****
Special Mention:
Wait until Dark
Directed by Terence Young
Written by Robert Carrington
USA, 1967
Directed by Terence Young,...
Come Back Tonight To See My List Of The 200 Best!
****
Special Mention:
Wait until Dark
Directed by Terence Young
Written by Robert Carrington
USA, 1967
Directed by Terence Young,...
- 10/31/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Alec Guinness: Before Obi-Wan Kenobi, there were the eight D’Ascoyne family members (photo: Alec Guiness, Dennis Price in ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’) (See previous post: “Alec Guinness Movies: Pre-Star Wars Career.”) TCM won’t be showing The Bridge on the River Kwai on Alec Guinness day, though obviously not because the cable network programmers believe that one four-hour David Lean epic per day should be enough. After all, prior to Lawrence of Arabia TCM will be presenting the three-and-a-half-hour-long Doctor Zhivago (1965), a great-looking but never-ending romantic drama in which Guinness — quite poorly — plays a Kgb official. He’s slightly less miscast as a mere Englishman — one much too young for the then 32-year-old actor — in Lean’s Great Expectations (1946), a movie that fully belongs to boy-loving (in a chaste, fatherly manner) fugitive Finlay Currie. And finally, make sure to watch Robert Hamer’s dark comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets...
- 8/3/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
A periodic round up of interesting and notable books about film, including biographies, histories, critical assessments, and more.
I have to confess from the off that, apart from Daniel Day-Lewis’ typically spellbinding performance (if that’s even the right word for what he does) and the meticulous detail and cinematography that made the film a joy to look at, Stephen Spielberg’s Lincoln left me rather cold; perhaps if I had read Lincoln: A Cinematic and Historical Companion (Disney Editions, distributed in the UK by Turnaround www.turnarounduk.com) beforehand, my viewing experience would have been richer and more rewarding.
The book opens with earnest forewards by Spielberg and producer Kathleen Kennedy, and is thereafter divided into two sections, each in two parts. Part One, ‘Players on the Stage of History’, features full page colour photos of the film’s main players in the style of 19th century portraiture, which...
I have to confess from the off that, apart from Daniel Day-Lewis’ typically spellbinding performance (if that’s even the right word for what he does) and the meticulous detail and cinematography that made the film a joy to look at, Stephen Spielberg’s Lincoln left me rather cold; perhaps if I had read Lincoln: A Cinematic and Historical Companion (Disney Editions, distributed in the UK by Turnaround www.turnarounduk.com) beforehand, my viewing experience would have been richer and more rewarding.
The book opens with earnest forewards by Spielberg and producer Kathleen Kennedy, and is thereafter divided into two sections, each in two parts. Part One, ‘Players on the Stage of History’, features full page colour photos of the film’s main players in the style of 19th century portraiture, which...
- 6/3/2013
- by Ian Gilchrist
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
(Charles Crichton, 1950; StudioCanal, PG)
Made during Ealing Studios's peak period from the early 40s to the mid-1950s, Dance Hall is virtually the only movie produced by that male-dominated studio that might be considered a feminist work. Co-scripted by Diana Morgan, the sole woman admitted by Ealing boss Michael Balcon to his elite creative team, it looks at the world from the point of view of four young working-class women (Natasha Parry, Petula Clark, Jane Hylton and Diana Dors). They live in council flats, work in the same west London factory, and find romance and an escape from their drab lives at the local dance hall. Except for the middle-class accents, the film presents an honest, down-to-earth portrait of Britain in the postwar age of austerity. Typically for its time, Parry (future wife of the director Peter Brook) is torn between glamorous sports car-driving spiv Bonar Colleano and dull,...
Made during Ealing Studios's peak period from the early 40s to the mid-1950s, Dance Hall is virtually the only movie produced by that male-dominated studio that might be considered a feminist work. Co-scripted by Diana Morgan, the sole woman admitted by Ealing boss Michael Balcon to his elite creative team, it looks at the world from the point of view of four young working-class women (Natasha Parry, Petula Clark, Jane Hylton and Diana Dors). They live in council flats, work in the same west London factory, and find romance and an escape from their drab lives at the local dance hall. Except for the middle-class accents, the film presents an honest, down-to-earth portrait of Britain in the postwar age of austerity. Typically for its time, Parry (future wife of the director Peter Brook) is torn between glamorous sports car-driving spiv Bonar Colleano and dull,...
- 4/22/2013
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
★★★☆☆ Following the recent retrospective Ealing: Light and Dark at the BFI, which reintroduced cinemagoers to the lesser known body of work of the distinctly British studio, StudioCanal continue the task of dusting off and digitally remastering said underlings, giving them their first lease of life on DVD. The latest, Dance Hall (1950) - one of Ealing's most overlooked productions - is an early, somewhat lightweight venture for director Charles Crichton before his more celebrated and refined works such as The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), but offers as much insight into the inner workings of post-war frugality as its more distinguished peers.
Read more »...
Read more »...
- 1/22/2013
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
The very first feature film to be shot entirely in Technicolor by the renowned Studio and now celebrating its 60th year anniversary since its original release in 1953, Charles Crichton's esteemed British comedy The Titfield Thunderbolt makes its way onto DVD and Blu-ray this Monday (14 January), all thanks to UK distributors Studio Canal. To celebrate this momentous home entertainment rerelease, we've decided to offer our readership the opportunity to win one of Three DVD copies of the film over the next seven days. This is an exclusive competition for our Facebook and Twitter fans, so if you haven't already, 'Like' us at facebook.com/CineVueUK or follow us @CineVue before answering the question below.
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- 1/17/2013
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
★★★★★ The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953), starring legends of British screen Stanley Holloway, Hugh Griffith and Sid James, is one of those rare things seldom found in cinema - a film which is virtually perfect in every respect. Made by the iconic Ealing Studios and directed by Charles Crichton (who'd been responsible for the studio's previous hits Dead of Night [1945] and 1951's The Lavender Hill Mob), this story of a group of villagers who fight to save their local railway line when it's threatened with closure, is as fresh now as when it was released sixty years ago - which makes this new StudioCanal rerelease all the more enjoyable and satisfying.
Read more »...
Read more »...
- 1/15/2013
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Catch up with the last seven days in the world of film
The big story
The film world went awards crazy this week, aided no doubt by the Academy awards' committee craftily bringing forward the announcement of their nominations to today – probably to spike the guns of the Golden Globes, who hold their results ceremony on Sunday. Whatever the machinations, that meant a glut of fevered speculation and analysis as the Bafta nominations yesterday were immediately followed by the Oscar nods. The full lists obviously skew in favour of national cultural interests – but one thing looks clear: 2013 is going to be the year that properly commercially successful films are also going to scoop the awards, in stark contrast to recent practice.
Lincoln, Les Miserables, Argo and Django Unchained look to be leading the pack, with Life of Pi bobbing pluckily in their wake. (Pause to bow your head for The Master,...
The big story
The film world went awards crazy this week, aided no doubt by the Academy awards' committee craftily bringing forward the announcement of their nominations to today – probably to spike the guns of the Golden Globes, who hold their results ceremony on Sunday. Whatever the machinations, that meant a glut of fevered speculation and analysis as the Bafta nominations yesterday were immediately followed by the Oscar nods. The full lists obviously skew in favour of national cultural interests – but one thing looks clear: 2013 is going to be the year that properly commercially successful films are also going to scoop the awards, in stark contrast to recent practice.
Lincoln, Les Miserables, Argo and Django Unchained look to be leading the pack, with Life of Pi bobbing pluckily in their wake. (Pause to bow your head for The Master,...
- 1/10/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Throughout the month of October, Editor-in-Chief and resident Horror expert Ricky D, will be posting a list of his favorite Horror films of all time. The list will be posted in six parts. Click here to see every entry.
As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.
****
Special Mention:
American Psycho
Directed by Mary Harrron
Written by Mary Harron
2000, USA
Bret Easton Ellis’s dark and violent satire of America in the 1980s was brought to the big screen by director Mary Harron. Initially slapped with the MPAA’s kiss of death (an Nc-17 rating), American Psycho was later re-edited and reduced to a more commercially dependable “R”. Perhaps the film works best as a slick satire about misogyny,...
As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.
****
Special Mention:
American Psycho
Directed by Mary Harrron
Written by Mary Harron
2000, USA
Bret Easton Ellis’s dark and violent satire of America in the 1980s was brought to the big screen by director Mary Harron. Initially slapped with the MPAA’s kiss of death (an Nc-17 rating), American Psycho was later re-edited and reduced to a more commercially dependable “R”. Perhaps the film works best as a slick satire about misogyny,...
- 10/25/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Oliver Reed as Athos in The Three Musketeers & The Four Musketeers (Richard Lester, 1973/1974, UK):
These films were actually shot all at once but ultimately released as two separate films telling one long story. As the musketeer with a dark past, Oliver Reed provides a lot of the heart and soul in these very entertaining and well-made films. Technically, since we have to isolate one film for our fantasy nomination, it would be The Four Musketeers as his role is more prominent in that film. Reed’s reunion scene with Faye Dunaway’s Milady is superb as is Reed’s intense swordplay with an array of opponents including Christopher Lee. An underrated actor whose career was damaged by well-documented alcohol problems and notorious off-screen behavior, Reed still logged in some truly incredible acting performances over the course of his career. His portrayal of Athos is definitely one of them.
Other...
These films were actually shot all at once but ultimately released as two separate films telling one long story. As the musketeer with a dark past, Oliver Reed provides a lot of the heart and soul in these very entertaining and well-made films. Technically, since we have to isolate one film for our fantasy nomination, it would be The Four Musketeers as his role is more prominent in that film. Reed’s reunion scene with Faye Dunaway’s Milady is superb as is Reed’s intense swordplay with an array of opponents including Christopher Lee. An underrated actor whose career was damaged by well-documented alcohol problems and notorious off-screen behavior, Reed still logged in some truly incredible acting performances over the course of his career. His portrayal of Athos is definitely one of them.
Other...
- 5/24/2012
- by Terek Puckett
- SoundOnSight
A classic 1960s working-class drama translates beautifully into a comedy of contemporary British Asian family life
All in Good Time is a touching, likable comedy of life in Lancashire's Hindu community. Though this aspect is little publicised, it's closely based on Bill Naughton's 1965 play of the same title.
Born in Ireland and raised in Bolton, Naughton emerged as a novelist and playwright in the late 50s in the wave of northern working-class writers like Shelagh Delaney, Keith Waterhouse, Alan Sillitoe, David Storey and Stan Barstow. But having been born in 1910 and worked for years as a coal-bagger, cotton-loom operator and lorry driver, Naughton belonged to an earlier generation and was altogether less chippy, aggressive, and self-consciously political about his background.
He enjoyed considerable success in the theatre and had three of his plays filmed, though his most enduringly popular work, the film version of Alfie, completely misrepresented Naughton's radio play,...
All in Good Time is a touching, likable comedy of life in Lancashire's Hindu community. Though this aspect is little publicised, it's closely based on Bill Naughton's 1965 play of the same title.
Born in Ireland and raised in Bolton, Naughton emerged as a novelist and playwright in the late 50s in the wave of northern working-class writers like Shelagh Delaney, Keith Waterhouse, Alan Sillitoe, David Storey and Stan Barstow. But having been born in 1910 and worked for years as a coal-bagger, cotton-loom operator and lorry driver, Naughton belonged to an earlier generation and was altogether less chippy, aggressive, and self-consciously political about his background.
He enjoyed considerable success in the theatre and had three of his plays filmed, though his most enduringly popular work, the film version of Alfie, completely misrepresented Naughton's radio play,...
- 5/12/2012
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Today sees the opening of "The Cabin In The Woods," one of the freshest, most enjoyable horror movies in years, one that we can only urge you to go see (read our review here). To mark its release, Time Out have polled critics, programmers and filmmakers as to their favorite horror movies, and collated their finds in a mammoth list.
Topped by "The Exorcist," it's an excellent read, and one you'll want to sit down with over the weekend, and as a taste, below you can find the top ten picks of ten of the most notable filmmaker contributors. You can find the full list, as well as picks from many, many more interesting figures, from Antonio Campos and Joe Dante to Simon Pegg and Rob Zombie, over at Time Out's site. And why not weigh in with your own ten picks over in the comments below?
Roger Corman ("The Pit & The Pendulum,...
Topped by "The Exorcist," it's an excellent read, and one you'll want to sit down with over the weekend, and as a taste, below you can find the top ten picks of ten of the most notable filmmaker contributors. You can find the full list, as well as picks from many, many more interesting figures, from Antonio Campos and Joe Dante to Simon Pegg and Rob Zombie, over at Time Out's site. And why not weigh in with your own ten picks over in the comments below?
Roger Corman ("The Pit & The Pendulum,...
- 4/13/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Mike Myers, Kevin Kline In the Funny or Die-produced video (please scroll down for a snippet) for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Kevin Kline takes lessons from Mike Myers on how to hold and handle Oscar statuette. At the 1989 Academy Awards ceremony, Sean Connery handed Kline the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance (as one of the leads, really) in Charles Crichton's comedy A Fish Called Wanda. Kline plays himself in the video: an Oscar winner who needs a "refresher course" on how to take proper care of his statuette. Myers plays the (nearly) bald Sir Cecil Worthington, whose British accent comes and goes depending on the word or his intonation. Despite appearances to the contrary, in the above picture Myers is not about to eat the Oscar statuette. In eight decades or so, this Kline-Myers video will be as enjoyable as, say, Jackie Cooper's...
- 2/22/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Bob Hoskins, Jessica Rabbit in Robert Zemeckis' DGA- (but not Oscar-) nominated Who Framed Roger Rabbit (top); Willem Dafoe in Martin Scorsese's Oscar- (but not DGA-) nominated The Last Temptation of Christ (bottom) DGA Awards vs. Academy Awards 1970s: Odd Men Out Bob Fosse, Woody Allen, Ingmar Bergman 1980 DGA Michael Apted, Coal Miner's Daughter AMPAS Roman Polanski, Tess DGA/AMPAS Robert Redford, Ordinary People David Lynch, The Elephant Man Richard Rush, The Stunt Man Martin Scorsese, Raging Bull 1981 DGA/AMPAS Warren Beatty, Reds Hugh Hudson, Chariots of Fire Louis Malle, Atlantic City Mark Rydell, On Golden Pond Steven Spielberg, Raiders of the Lost Ark 1982 DGA Taylor Hackford, An Officer and a Gentleman AMPAS Sidney Lumet, The Verdict DGA/AMPAS Richard Attenborough, Gandhi Wolfgang Petersen, Das Boot Sydney Pollack, Tootsie Steven Spielberg, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1983 DGA Lawrence Kasdan, The Big Chill Philip Kaufman, The Right Stuff AMPAS Mike Nichols,...
- 1/10/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
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