News

British screenwriter and playwright Charles Wood, known for such productions as “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” “Tumbledown” and “Iris,” has died at the age of 87.

His death, on Saturday, was confirmed to Variety by his agent Sue Rodgers at Independent Talent.

Born into a theater family, he began working in his local theater when he was a teen. After studying theatrical design at art college, he spent several years in the British army. After an assortment of jobs, he began to write professionally from 1959, with the completion of his play “Prisoner and Escort,” drawing on his army experience.

His first screenplay was 1965 comedy “The Knack … and How to Get It,” based on Anne Jellicoe’s play. Directed by Richard Lester, and starring Rita Tushingham and Michael Crawford, it won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Wood was nominated for the BAFTA for British screenplay.

Among many films with Lester,...

Meet Rita Tushingham, the cutest comic (and dramatic) actress of swinging London. This '60s masterpiece applies director Richard Lester's talent for comedy to a new kind of quirky, youthful sex farce. Shy boy Michael Crawford takes lessons on how to dominate women from Ray Brooks, when all he has to do to win cute Rita Tushingham is be himself. With a glorious music score by John Barry. The style is everything; the movie was extremely influential. The Knack... and how to get it Blu-ray Kl Studio Classics 1965 / B&W / 1:66 widescreen / 84 min. / Street Date January 12, 2015 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring Rita Tushingham, Ray Brooks, Michael Crawford, Donal Donnelly, Jane Birkin, Jacqueline Bisset, Charlotte Rampling. Cinematography David Watkin Production Designer Assheton Gorton Film Editor Antony Gibbs Original Music John Barry Written by Charles Wood from the play by Ann Jellicoe Produced by Oscar Lewenstein Directed by Richard Lester

Reviewed...

Welcome to the first Notebook Soundtrack Mix—Hyper Sleep! A word about the mix: There's no thematic thread through this collection, it's a variety of intriguing music. In making soundtrack mixes, I'm drawn to the subjective qualities of association and meaning that arise from experiencing the musical narratives that result from transitions and combinations of tracks in succession. Though there are several favorite films, Seijun Suzuki's Branded to Kill, for one, individual pieces are chosen simply for the music. I haven't seen some of the films. Robert Drasnin, Vladimir Cosma and Antoine Duhamel are represented with curious French T.V. work, rather than with some of their more well known output (The Kremlin Letter, Diva and Pierrot le fou, respectively.) Maybe this is the first of a series…I have several ideas for themed mixes, but wanted to start this way, including work that reflects jazz, classical, experimental and pop influences.

0:00 - Intro 2:35 - Greg's Story 16:05 - Jay's Story 26:40 - Headlines: Oscars to Have 5 to 10 Best Picture Nominees, Christian Bale to Star in Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, James Mangold to Direct The Wolverine, Russell Crowe is Jor-El 37:55 - Review: Green Lantern 1:19:12 - Trailer Trash: Moneyball 1:23:35 - Other Stuff We Watched: Hall Pass, The Hangover Part II, Party Down, Teen Wolf, Billy the Exterminator, X-Men: First Class, Fast Five, Master Chef, Super 8, Kung Fu Panda 2, Get Shorty, The Knack... And How to Get It, Petulia, Juggernaut, World on a Wire, Charlie Wilson's War, Kingpin, Foo Fighters: Back and Forth, Who Took the Bomp: Le Tigre on Tour 2:25:30 - Junk Mail: Super 8 End Credits, Defending Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, Alamo Drafthouse, Fantasy vs. Sci-fi Categorization, CG Animated Movies for Adults, We Didn't Start the Film Junk...

This weekend at 92YTribeca, check out the underappreciated work of the absurdist director best known for his work with The Beatles. It is worth wondering what The Beatles movies may have looked like had they not been in the hands of director Richard Lester. Luckily, an early short film that Lester made with Peter Sellers (The Running Jumping and Standing Still Film) captured the imagination of John Lennon, so when the time came to select a collaborator, he was the man for the job. Lester's absurdist style became a trademark, and the rest of his filmography stands on its own to distinguish him as an important (if underappreciated) director. The Knack... And How to Get It, made just after A Hard Day's Night and just before Help!, employs the same frenetic style of those two films, and is the perfect time capsule of the mods ...

Donal Donnelly has died of cancer, aged 78. According to WENN, the Irish actor, who wowed American audiences in 1965 with his British film comedy The Knack ...and How to Get It, passed away on Monday in Chicago. He starred in Broadway's Philadelphia, Here I Come!, which earned him a Tony Award nomination and led to a string of regular appearances (more)...