“All this filming isn’t healthy,” says blind but perceptive Mrs. Stephens (Maxine Audley) late in Michael Powell’s resolutely disturbing Peeping Tom, and every aspect of the film’s rigorously self-reflexive construction seems to bear her out. From the opening shot of an opening eye, to the final shot of a blank screen swathed in black and blood-red gel lighting, Peeping Tom obsessively examines the social and psychological ramifications of overactive cinephilia. This situates Powell’s film as a direct precursor to later 1960s autocritiques along the lines of Federico Fellini’s 8½, Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-Up, and Haskell Wexler’s Medium Cool.
Powell and screenwriter Leo Marks originally wanted to make a film about Sigmund Freud and his theories, but word of John Huston’s upcoming Freud biopic put the kibosh on those plans. So instead they came up with the story of Mark Lewis (Carl Boehm), who works...
Powell and screenwriter Leo Marks originally wanted to make a film about Sigmund Freud and his theories, but word of John Huston’s upcoming Freud biopic put the kibosh on those plans. So instead they came up with the story of Mark Lewis (Carl Boehm), who works...
- 5/24/2024
- by Budd Wilkins
- Slant Magazine
Two years after he leapt to the forefront of the New Hollywood with The Godfather, and just months before he picked up the threads of that operatic crime saga with the magnificent sequel/prequel The Godfather Part II, Francis Ford Coppola released a quiet movie, one in which sound itself — and, more specifically, its surreptitious recording — is the narrative engine. Arriving during a particularly fertile era for American film, The Conversation was not a hit, but it is one of the period’s most subtle and shattering features. Half a century later, it resounds as hauntingly as ever, not merely as a cautionary tale but as a searing portrait of where we are now.
The movie took its New York bow on Coppola’s 35th birthday, April 7, 1974, a few weeks before its Palme d’Or triumph in Cannes. Today the octogenarian writer-director is again preparing to compete on the Croisette,...
The movie took its New York bow on Coppola’s 35th birthday, April 7, 1974, a few weeks before its Palme d’Or triumph in Cannes. Today the octogenarian writer-director is again preparing to compete on the Croisette,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Sheri Linden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This year’s 77th Cannes Film Festival will mark a meeting of the New Hollywood minds in France. Not only is George Lucas receiving the festival’s Honorary Palme d’Or, but filmmakers Francis Ford Coppola and Paul Schrader are in the official Competition for the first time in decades.
While Schrader has gone the route of Venice for his “lonely man in a room” trilogy — “First Reformed,” “The Card Counter,” and “Master Gardener” all premiered in Italy — he’s at Cannes this year with “Oh, Canada.” The lineup was confirmed this morning by Cannes festival director Thierry Frémaux. The contemplative drama about a tortured writer looking back on his years as a leftist who fled to Canada to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War stars Jacob Elordi, Richard Gere, and Uma Thurman. Cue the flashbulbs for a buzzy Elordi red carpet moment. The “Euphoria” breakout was last seen...
While Schrader has gone the route of Venice for his “lonely man in a room” trilogy — “First Reformed,” “The Card Counter,” and “Master Gardener” all premiered in Italy — he’s at Cannes this year with “Oh, Canada.” The lineup was confirmed this morning by Cannes festival director Thierry Frémaux. The contemplative drama about a tortured writer looking back on his years as a leftist who fled to Canada to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War stars Jacob Elordi, Richard Gere, and Uma Thurman. Cue the flashbulbs for a buzzy Elordi red carpet moment. The “Euphoria” breakout was last seen...
- 4/11/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
There was perhaps no movie director more in demand in the 1970s than Francis Ford Coppola, who was leading the New Hollywood film movement with epics like “The Godfather” (1972), “The Godfather Part II” (1974) and “Apocalypse Now” (1979). But fewer viewers remember his quiet neo-noir drama “The Conversation,” a complete turnaround in production scale and arguably his only intimate, simple dramatic film. While it was not as financially successful as the previously aforementioned grander classics, the mystery thriller was just as acclaimed and lauded, earning three Oscar nominations and winning the Palme d’Or at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival. Now on its 50th anniversary, let’s look back at one of Coppola’s overlooked films, “The Conversation,” which was released on April 7, 1974.
The picture stars Gene Hackman as Harry Caul, a top surveillance expert who stumbles upon an ambiguous comment – that may lead to a potential murder – while recording for one of...
The picture stars Gene Hackman as Harry Caul, a top surveillance expert who stumbles upon an ambiguous comment – that may lead to a potential murder – while recording for one of...
- 4/9/2024
- by Christopher Tsang
- Gold Derby
Until recently, if one were asked to name some of the best films of preeminent 1970s filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, it would be easy to pick the big hits. “The Godfather” (1972), “The Godfather II” (1974) and “Apocalypse Now” (1979) are definitely his most iconic and respected films. You’d also be hard-pressed to find a person aged 25-50 who isn’t keenly aware of his adaption of S.E. Hinton’s mandatory high school assigned “The Outsiders” (1983) or his classics “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986) and maybe even “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” (1988). Yet lately, Coppola’s “The Conversation” (1974) has entered the chat as a somewhat under the radar, low-key masterpiece from the filmmaker, and this year the film celebrates its 50th birthday.
After honing his directorial chops on films like the Roger Corman-produced horror film “Dementia 13” (1963) and fledgling films like “You’re a Big Boy Now” (1966), “Finian’s Rainbow” (1968) and “The Rain People...
After honing his directorial chops on films like the Roger Corman-produced horror film “Dementia 13” (1963) and fledgling films like “You’re a Big Boy Now” (1966), “Finian’s Rainbow” (1968) and “The Rain People...
- 4/8/2024
- by Don Lewis
- Indiewire
Edward Bond, the Oscar-nominated Blow-Up screenwriter and playwright whose Saved and Early Morning were banned in the UK, fueling a legal review that led to the end of stage censorship in the country, has died, his agency said. He was 89.
Casarotto Ramsay and Associates said he died Sunday but did not reveal the cause.
“Edward was one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century,” the agency tweeted. “He made his mark upon the theatrical world with radical, thought-provoking, and unerringly original work.”
Bond’s first screenplay was the English-language dialogue for Blow-Up, Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 classic that starred David Hemming and Vanessa Redgrave. Earning him an Original Screenplay Oscar nom, it was the first of about a dozen film credits including Walkabout (1971) and Laughter in the Dark (1968).
Born on July 18, 1934, in London, Bond quit school as a teenager and would see his debut play, The Pope’s Wedding, produced...
Casarotto Ramsay and Associates said he died Sunday but did not reveal the cause.
“Edward was one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century,” the agency tweeted. “He made his mark upon the theatrical world with radical, thought-provoking, and unerringly original work.”
Bond’s first screenplay was the English-language dialogue for Blow-Up, Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 classic that starred David Hemming and Vanessa Redgrave. Earning him an Original Screenplay Oscar nom, it was the first of about a dozen film credits including Walkabout (1971) and Laughter in the Dark (1968).
Born on July 18, 1934, in London, Bond quit school as a teenager and would see his debut play, The Pope’s Wedding, produced...
- 3/5/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Under the subtle veneer of comedy, made all the more preposterous by an all too typical awkward and fumbling Englishman, Edoardo Ulivelli’s Lo Sguardo (The Look) reverberates with pangs of loneliness and regret. Ulivelli’s graduate short, all filmed around the lush verdant Tuscan countryside, is not carried by dialogue but instead longing glances, wordless coquettish smiles and heady flirtations. Lo Sguardo follows a shy young man on his Italian holiday as he navigates a potential lustful encounter. Ulivelli pulls from personal experience as he was drawn to explore those big ‘What if?’ moments through our unversed protagonist’s refusal or perhaps inability to grab the proverbial bull by the horns. As Lo Sguardo premieres on Dn’s pages today, we speak to Ulivelli about writing this film as a way to process his own worries and preoccupations, his meticulous planning before a shoot, and why he wanted to...
- 1/10/2024
- by Sarah Smith
- Directors Notes
Of the handful of directors who make up the Romanian New Wave, which kicked off two decades ago and is still going strong, Radu Jude is perhaps the most radical and exuberant — something like the movement’s Jacques Rivette or Jacques Rozier. He’s made everything from a coming-of-age comedy (The Happiest Girl in the World) to an historic western (Aferim!) to a bleak period drama (Scarred Hearts) to a contemporary sex satire (Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, which won Berlin’s Golden Bear in 2021).
His latest work, the nearly three-hour Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World, may actually be his most experimental yet, with two parallel narratives — one set in in the present, the other consisting of found footage from the 1981 movie, Angela Moves On (Angela merge mai departe) — tackling similar stories of women eking out a living on the dog-eat-dog streets of Bucharest.
His latest work, the nearly three-hour Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World, may actually be his most experimental yet, with two parallel narratives — one set in in the present, the other consisting of found footage from the 1981 movie, Angela Moves On (Angela merge mai departe) — tackling similar stories of women eking out a living on the dog-eat-dog streets of Bucharest.
- 8/8/2023
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Clockwise from upper left: 2001: A Space Odyssey (MGM), Inception (Warner Bros.), Brazil (Universal), Donnie Darko (United Artists)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Summertime means tentpole movies galore, with cineplexes dominated by high-octane action flicks and superhero fare. But there are always some wildcard films and directors that like to mix...
Summertime means tentpole movies galore, with cineplexes dominated by high-octane action flicks and superhero fare. But there are always some wildcard films and directors that like to mix...
- 7/18/2023
- by Bryan Reesman
- avclub.com
Jane Birkin graced the front pages of most French newspapers on Monday as France mourned the death of the late British actress and singer who enjoyed icon status in the country that she had called home since the late 1960s.
“Our tears can’t change anything,” proclaimed Le Parisien newspaper, which first broke the news of Birkin’s death at the age of 76 on Sunday.
Libération ran with the simple headline “Without Jane”, while regional newspaper Le Maine Libre referred to the late actress as “The Eternal English Bride of France”.
International obituaries have highlighted Birkin’s notorious performance with partner and late bad boy of French pop music Serge Gainsbourg on the 1968 pop song, ‘Je t’aime… moi non plus’, or the fact she inspired the Hermès Birkin bag.
For the French, she was much more.
In a six-page tribute, Libération mused over the reasons for Birkin’s never-ending...
“Our tears can’t change anything,” proclaimed Le Parisien newspaper, which first broke the news of Birkin’s death at the age of 76 on Sunday.
Libération ran with the simple headline “Without Jane”, while regional newspaper Le Maine Libre referred to the late actress as “The Eternal English Bride of France”.
International obituaries have highlighted Birkin’s notorious performance with partner and late bad boy of French pop music Serge Gainsbourg on the 1968 pop song, ‘Je t’aime… moi non plus’, or the fact she inspired the Hermès Birkin bag.
For the French, she was much more.
In a six-page tribute, Libération mused over the reasons for Birkin’s never-ending...
- 7/17/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
With Jane Birkin’s passing, France loses both an icon and one of its greatest enigmas. To focus on France is not to diminish the fact that Birkin’s death will be mourned around the world. Alongside Brigitte Bardot, Françoise Hardy and Catherine Deneuve, Birkin was one of the last surviving 1960s femmes who sparked global interest in French culture.
Except that Birkin wasn’t French. She was born in London and clung to her English accent all her life. Birkin was perfectly fluent, but cultivated a faux-naïf way of speaking her adopted language that reinforced her persona as the eternal child. For the French, it was all part of her singular charm, established decades earlier… and which she sometimes struggled to escape.
As partner and muse to Svengali-like songwriting genius Serge Gainsbourg, Birkin posed for the cover of his “Histoire de Melody Nelson” album, wearing only a red wig and open-waisted blue jeans,...
Except that Birkin wasn’t French. She was born in London and clung to her English accent all her life. Birkin was perfectly fluent, but cultivated a faux-naïf way of speaking her adopted language that reinforced her persona as the eternal child. For the French, it was all part of her singular charm, established decades earlier… and which she sometimes struggled to escape.
As partner and muse to Svengali-like songwriting genius Serge Gainsbourg, Birkin posed for the cover of his “Histoire de Melody Nelson” album, wearing only a red wig and open-waisted blue jeans,...
- 7/16/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Jane Birkin, the British-French actress, singer, and style icon who inspired the eponymous Hermès Birkin handbag, has died at the age of 76.
According to Le Parisien, the iconic singer-actress was found dead at her home in Paris on Sunday. No further details have been shared at this time. Birkin had canceled a series of performances in Paris scheduled earlier this year for health reasons. She was previously diagnosed with leukemia in 2002 and suffered from a minor stroke in 2021.
Jane Mallory Birkin was born in Marylebone, London on December 14th, 1946. Raised in Chelsea with her brother, screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin, she audition for small acting parts before marrying composer John Barry in 1965 and giving birth to her first child, the late photographer Kate Barry, in 1967. In the meantime, she landed breakthrough roles in 1966’s Blow-Up and Kaleidoscope as well as 1968’s Wonderwall.
Birkin and Barry divorced in 1968, and the actress moved to Paris,...
According to Le Parisien, the iconic singer-actress was found dead at her home in Paris on Sunday. No further details have been shared at this time. Birkin had canceled a series of performances in Paris scheduled earlier this year for health reasons. She was previously diagnosed with leukemia in 2002 and suffered from a minor stroke in 2021.
Jane Mallory Birkin was born in Marylebone, London on December 14th, 1946. Raised in Chelsea with her brother, screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin, she audition for small acting parts before marrying composer John Barry in 1965 and giving birth to her first child, the late photographer Kate Barry, in 1967. In the meantime, she landed breakthrough roles in 1966’s Blow-Up and Kaleidoscope as well as 1968’s Wonderwall.
Birkin and Barry divorced in 1968, and the actress moved to Paris,...
- 7/16/2023
- by Bryan Kress
- Consequence - Music
Jane Birkin, the British-French actress, singer, and style icon who inspired the eponymous Hermès Birkin handbag, has died at the age of 76.
According to Le Parisien, the iconic singer-actress was found dead at her home in Paris on Sunday. No further details have been shared at this time. Birkin had canceled a series of performances in Paris scheduled earlier this year for health reasons. She was previously diagnosed with leukemia in 2002 and suffered from a minor stroke in 2021.
Jane Mallory Birkin was born in Marylebone, London on December 14th, 1946. Raised in Chelsea with her brother, screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin, she audition for small acting parts before marrying composer John Barry in 1965 and giving birth to her first child, the late photographer Kate Barry, in 1967. In the meantime, she landed breakthrough roles in 1966’s Blow-Up and Kaleidoscope as well as 1968’s Wonderwall.
Birkin and Barry divorced in 1968, and the actress moved to Paris,...
According to Le Parisien, the iconic singer-actress was found dead at her home in Paris on Sunday. No further details have been shared at this time. Birkin had canceled a series of performances in Paris scheduled earlier this year for health reasons. She was previously diagnosed with leukemia in 2002 and suffered from a minor stroke in 2021.
Jane Mallory Birkin was born in Marylebone, London on December 14th, 1946. Raised in Chelsea with her brother, screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin, she audition for small acting parts before marrying composer John Barry in 1965 and giving birth to her first child, the late photographer Kate Barry, in 1967. In the meantime, she landed breakthrough roles in 1966’s Blow-Up and Kaleidoscope as well as 1968’s Wonderwall.
Birkin and Barry divorced in 1968, and the actress moved to Paris,...
- 7/16/2023
- by Bryan Kress
- Consequence - Film News
Jane Birkin, the Anglo-French actress, singer and fashion icon known in part for her decade-long romantic and artistic partnership with musician Serge Gainsbourg, died Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced. She was 76.
It was first reported in Le Parisien and Bfm television that Birkin had been found dead at her home in Paris. The actress suffered a mild stroke in 2021, but her cause of death has not yet been revealed.
“Because she embodied freedom, because she sang the most beautiful words of our language, Jane Birkin was a French icon. A complete artist, her voice was as sweet as her engagements were fiery. She bequeaths us tunes and images that will never leave us,” Macron wrote in a statement posted on Twitter.
Born in 1946 in London, Birkin began her career while still a teenager as part of the “Swinging London” scene of the 1960s. She appeared mainly in small roles in art and counterculture films,...
It was first reported in Le Parisien and Bfm television that Birkin had been found dead at her home in Paris. The actress suffered a mild stroke in 2021, but her cause of death has not yet been revealed.
“Because she embodied freedom, because she sang the most beautiful words of our language, Jane Birkin was a French icon. A complete artist, her voice was as sweet as her engagements were fiery. She bequeaths us tunes and images that will never leave us,” Macron wrote in a statement posted on Twitter.
Born in 1946 in London, Birkin began her career while still a teenager as part of the “Swinging London” scene of the 1960s. She appeared mainly in small roles in art and counterculture films,...
- 7/16/2023
- by Joseph Kapsch and Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
Birkin made a sensational impact in Blow-Up, and went on to become a classy performer for a number of major French directors – notably Godard and Agnès Varda
Jane Birkin, actor and singer, dies aged 76Jane Birkin: a life in pictures
Jane Birkin was the elegant, delicate, heartstoppingly beautiful singer and movie star with a fascinatingly elusive and free-spirited screen presence. She was a performer with that interesting distinction of being Anglo-French, which somehow added to her unlocatable quality: she was quite at home with both languages, like other stars Charlotte Rampling, Kristin Scott Thomas and, indeed, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Birkin’s daughter with Serge Gainsbourg.
It was her destiny to be thought of as a public figure and national treasure in France, where she made a great many films, and to be placed on an odd kind of pedestal as icon or 60s darling. She had been a fashion model in...
Jane Birkin, actor and singer, dies aged 76Jane Birkin: a life in pictures
Jane Birkin was the elegant, delicate, heartstoppingly beautiful singer and movie star with a fascinatingly elusive and free-spirited screen presence. She was a performer with that interesting distinction of being Anglo-French, which somehow added to her unlocatable quality: she was quite at home with both languages, like other stars Charlotte Rampling, Kristin Scott Thomas and, indeed, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Birkin’s daughter with Serge Gainsbourg.
It was her destiny to be thought of as a public figure and national treasure in France, where she made a great many films, and to be placed on an odd kind of pedestal as icon or 60s darling. She had been a fashion model in...
- 7/16/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Jane Birkin, the iconic British-born actress, singer and model who became a chart-topping artist in France with her collaborations with then-partner Serge Gainsbourg, has died at the age of 76.
Birkin’s death was announced Sunday by the French culture ministry, which said Birkin was found dead at her Paris home. No cause of death was provided. Birkin recently canceled concerts due to unspecified health reasons; in recent years, she also suffered a stroke and battled leukemia.
French president Emmanuel Macron tweeted Sunday, “Because she embodied freedom, because she sang the...
Birkin’s death was announced Sunday by the French culture ministry, which said Birkin was found dead at her Paris home. No cause of death was provided. Birkin recently canceled concerts due to unspecified health reasons; in recent years, she also suffered a stroke and battled leukemia.
French president Emmanuel Macron tweeted Sunday, “Because she embodied freedom, because she sang the...
- 7/16/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Jane Birkin, the English-French star who collaborated with Serge Gainsbourg on the risqué hit “Je T’aime… Moi Non Plus,” died July 16, French media reported. She was 76.
She and Gainsbourg were married from 1968-80 and worked together on “Je T’aime… Moi Non Plus,” released in 1969 – and recorded the year before, six months after they met on the set of the film Slogan. The song topped the UK chart and was Top 5 in several other European countries and Mexico but was not a hit Stateside.
The song, originally written by Gainsbourg for Brigitte Bardot, caused a scandal on its release for its sexual content. It was banned by radio stations across the UK, Italy and Spain, but became an enormous and instantly recognisable hit across the world.
Although born in London and a leading light of “the London scene” of the 1960s, Birkin found fame singing in French — and she...
She and Gainsbourg were married from 1968-80 and worked together on “Je T’aime… Moi Non Plus,” released in 1969 – and recorded the year before, six months after they met on the set of the film Slogan. The song topped the UK chart and was Top 5 in several other European countries and Mexico but was not a hit Stateside.
The song, originally written by Gainsbourg for Brigitte Bardot, caused a scandal on its release for its sexual content. It was banned by radio stations across the UK, Italy and Spain, but became an enormous and instantly recognisable hit across the world.
Although born in London and a leading light of “the London scene” of the 1960s, Birkin found fame singing in French — and she...
- 7/16/2023
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.Long before Nan Goldin became a world-renowned photographer, she dreamed of making films. As a teenager growing up in 1960s Massachusetts, Goldin would go to the cinema almost every day to soak up double features. By the end of her teens she was an insatiable cinephile, fluent in the European arthouse—she loved Bertolucci, Bergman, and Fellini—intrigued by the US underground—Warhol, Waters, Jack Smith—and enchanted by classic Hollywood. Fittingly, it was Antonioni’s Blow-Up that first inspired her to pick up a camera, but although Goldin fell into photography she never shook her first love.Perhaps it is this deep-rooted cinephilia that critics sense when they describe Goldin’s photographs as “cinematic.” Goldin has dedicated her career to documenting her life, as well as the lives of her friends and chosen family. Her “subjects,” many of whom are as charismatic, stylish,...
- 4/17/2023
- MUBI
It might be obvious to say, but a film getting nominated for an Oscar doesn’t automatically make it good.
In fact, there have been many deserving movies over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.
It’s easy to assume that certain releases don’t get nominated because they’re not what Oscar voters would usually go for, but there have been some surprises in the past.
For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.
This means films likem say, DC’s Suicide Squad may get mauled by the critics, but they still gain recognition from the Academy (it went on to win).
This is even more ridiculous when you consider that classics such as Don’t Look Now...
In fact, there have been many deserving movies over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.
It’s easy to assume that certain releases don’t get nominated because they’re not what Oscar voters would usually go for, but there have been some surprises in the past.
For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.
This means films likem say, DC’s Suicide Squad may get mauled by the critics, but they still gain recognition from the Academy (it went on to win).
This is even more ridiculous when you consider that classics such as Don’t Look Now...
- 3/3/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
It might be obvious to say, but a film getting nominated for an Oscar doesn’t automatically make it good.
In fact, there have been many deserving movies over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.
It’s easy to assume that certain releases don’t get nominated because they’re not what Oscar voters would usually go for, but there have been some surprises in the past.
For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.
This means films likem say, DC’s Suicide Squad may get mauled by the critics, but they still gain recognition from the Academy (it went on to win).
This is even more ridiculous when you consider that classics such as Don’t Look Now...
In fact, there have been many deserving movies over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.
It’s easy to assume that certain releases don’t get nominated because they’re not what Oscar voters would usually go for, but there have been some surprises in the past.
For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.
This means films likem say, DC’s Suicide Squad may get mauled by the critics, but they still gain recognition from the Academy (it went on to win).
This is even more ridiculous when you consider that classics such as Don’t Look Now...
- 3/3/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
Lenny Henry’s “Three Little Birds,” Steven Knight’s “This Town” and a first look at “The Summit,” billed as a blockbuster adventure reality series, look like just three highlights of Banijay Rights extensive and wide-ranging lineup at what promises to be one of the biggest presentations at this week’s London TV Screenings.
Further scripted titles will take in “This Town” and “The Sixth Commandment” for the BBC, “Domina” for MGM+ and Sky, and “Safe Home” for Sbs, as well as doc feature “Lara.”
Given the iconic talent behind some titles – “It’s a Sin’s” Russell T. Davies serves as an executive producer on “Three Little Birds – scripted is likely to command large buyer attention.
Beyond “The Summit,” unscripted titles take in a strong line in dating and relationship shows, “Love Triangle,” “Date My Mate” and “Save the Date” as well as new interior design competition “The Big Interiors Battle,...
Further scripted titles will take in “This Town” and “The Sixth Commandment” for the BBC, “Domina” for MGM+ and Sky, and “Safe Home” for Sbs, as well as doc feature “Lara.”
Given the iconic talent behind some titles – “It’s a Sin’s” Russell T. Davies serves as an executive producer on “Three Little Birds – scripted is likely to command large buyer attention.
Beyond “The Summit,” unscripted titles take in a strong line in dating and relationship shows, “Love Triangle,” “Date My Mate” and “Save the Date” as well as new interior design competition “The Big Interiors Battle,...
- 2/28/2023
- by John Hopewell and Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Fans of “The English Patient” will soon get their wish to see Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche reunite on screen for the first time in 25 years. The pair will star in a new take on Homer’s ancient classic “The Odyssey” called “The Return” as directed by Uberto Pasolini. Bleecker Street has acquired the rights to the film for a planned release in 2024.
“The Return” was first announced in April with both Fiennes and Binoche attached, but the details haven’t firmed up until now. Bleecker Street picked up the North American theatrical rights to the movie out of the European Film Market (EFM) going on now in Berlin. HanWay Films will maintain international rights, and has already locked deals in several territories.
Production on “The Return” will kick off in Greece this spring, filming in Corfu and the Peloponnese, before continuing in Italy.
The film tracks the events at...
“The Return” was first announced in April with both Fiennes and Binoche attached, but the details haven’t firmed up until now. Bleecker Street picked up the North American theatrical rights to the movie out of the European Film Market (EFM) going on now in Berlin. HanWay Films will maintain international rights, and has already locked deals in several territories.
Production on “The Return” will kick off in Greece this spring, filming in Corfu and the Peloponnese, before continuing in Italy.
The film tracks the events at...
- 2/16/2023
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Bleecker Street Takes North American Rights to ‘The Return’ Starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche
In one of the first domestic deals ahead of this year’s Berlin European Film Market, Bleecker Street has picked up North American rights to The Return, an historical epic based on Homer’s ancient classic The Odyssey and starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche.
Uberto Pasolini, director of Nowhere Special and producer of The Full Monty, will direct the feature from a script he co-wrote with Edward Bond (Blow-Up, Walkabout) and John Collee (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World).
After 20 years away, King Odysseus (Fiennes) washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognizable. Much has changed in his kingdom since he left to fight in the Trojan war. His beloved wife Penelope (Binoche) is now a prisoner in her own home, hounded by her many ambitious suitors to choose a new husband, a new king. Their son Telemachus, who has grown up fatherless, is...
Uberto Pasolini, director of Nowhere Special and producer of The Full Monty, will direct the feature from a script he co-wrote with Edward Bond (Blow-Up, Walkabout) and John Collee (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World).
After 20 years away, King Odysseus (Fiennes) washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognizable. Much has changed in his kingdom since he left to fight in the Trojan war. His beloved wife Penelope (Binoche) is now a prisoner in her own home, hounded by her many ambitious suitors to choose a new husband, a new king. Their son Telemachus, who has grown up fatherless, is...
- 2/16/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It might sound obvious, but getting nominated for an Oscar doesn’t automatically make a film good.
In fact, there have been many deserving movies over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.
While it’s easy to assume that certain films don’t get nominated because they’re not what voters of the Oscars would usually go for, there have been a lot of surprises in the past.
For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.
This means films like DC’s Suicide Squad may have been mauled by the critics, but will still get recognised by the Academy (it went on to win), which is ridiculous when you consider classics such as The Good, the Bad and...
In fact, there have been many deserving movies over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.
While it’s easy to assume that certain films don’t get nominated because they’re not what voters of the Oscars would usually go for, there have been a lot of surprises in the past.
For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.
This means films like DC’s Suicide Squad may have been mauled by the critics, but will still get recognised by the Academy (it went on to win), which is ridiculous when you consider classics such as The Good, the Bad and...
- 2/5/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
It might sound obvious, but getting nominated for an Oscar doesn’t automatically make a film good.
In fact, there have been many deserving movies over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.
While it’s easy to assume that certain films don’t get nominated because they’re not what voters of the Oscars would usually go for, there have been a lot of surprises in the past.
For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.
This means films like DC’s Suicide Squad may have been mauled by the critics, but will still get recognised by the Academy (it went on to win), which is ridiculous when you consider classics such as The Good, the Bad and...
In fact, there have been many deserving movies over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.
While it’s easy to assume that certain films don’t get nominated because they’re not what voters of the Oscars would usually go for, there have been a lot of surprises in the past.
For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.
This means films like DC’s Suicide Squad may have been mauled by the critics, but will still get recognised by the Academy (it went on to win), which is ridiculous when you consider classics such as The Good, the Bad and...
- 2/4/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
New York City’s fabled movie rental chain, Kim’s Video, shuttered its downtown locations throughout the early-to-mid aughts, offering an early warning sign that the cinema as we once knew it was dying, or at least migrating to other formats.
The chain’s disappearance left an open wound among lower Manhattan film buffs, stranding Kim’s hundreds of thousands of members without a good place — any place, actually — to rent movies, while leaving behind a collection of 55,000 VHS tapes and DVDs that encompassed everything from horror flicks like C.H.U.D. to the complete works of Paul Morrissey to bootleg copies of Jean-Luc Godard’s Histoire(s) du cinéma.
What happened to Kim’s treasure trove of films remained a mystery for quite some time, with occasional stories popping up — including a long-form Village Voice piece by movie critic and podcaster Karina Longworth (You Must Remember This) — explaining...
The chain’s disappearance left an open wound among lower Manhattan film buffs, stranding Kim’s hundreds of thousands of members without a good place — any place, actually — to rent movies, while leaving behind a collection of 55,000 VHS tapes and DVDs that encompassed everything from horror flicks like C.H.U.D. to the complete works of Paul Morrissey to bootleg copies of Jean-Luc Godard’s Histoire(s) du cinéma.
What happened to Kim’s treasure trove of films remained a mystery for quite some time, with occasional stories popping up — including a long-form Village Voice piece by movie critic and podcaster Karina Longworth (You Must Remember This) — explaining...
- 1/20/2023
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jeff Beck, one of the most influential guitarists of the 20th century, died Wednesday at the age of 78. The cause was bacterial meningitis. Beck had been in good health recently, touring with Johnny Depp following the recording of their (mostly) covers album, “18.”
While Beck himself never achieved the household name status of his peers like Eric Clapton or Jimmy Page, those in the know would cite him as just as foundational. He also spanned genres, from British Invasion pop to hard rock to jazz fusion to whatever kind of jammy six-string concrète was laid down on the 1989 “Guitar Shop” album or 1999’s “Who Else?!”
In 1965, at the age of 21, Beck joined The Yardbirds, a blues-y pop-rock outfit, replacing the exiting Eric Clapton. There could be no bigger shoes to fill at the time, as British fans of the period idolized Clapton to the point of public nuisance—the phrase “Clapton...
While Beck himself never achieved the household name status of his peers like Eric Clapton or Jimmy Page, those in the know would cite him as just as foundational. He also spanned genres, from British Invasion pop to hard rock to jazz fusion to whatever kind of jammy six-string concrète was laid down on the 1989 “Guitar Shop” album or 1999’s “Who Else?!”
In 1965, at the age of 21, Beck joined The Yardbirds, a blues-y pop-rock outfit, replacing the exiting Eric Clapton. There could be no bigger shoes to fill at the time, as British fans of the period idolized Clapton to the point of public nuisance—the phrase “Clapton...
- 1/12/2023
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
He never had a signature song the way his peers and sometime bandmates Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton did, but the genres that Jeff Beck explored throughout his career chart the changes in rock — and rock guitar — over decades. One of rock’s most physical technicians, seeming to enjoy wrestling with his instrument, Beck made his name with British Invasion pop. But not content to stay there, he moved into the in-vogue blues-rock of the late Sixties and then the harder boogie and fusion of the next decade. The settings changed,...
- 1/12/2023
- by Angie Martoccio, Brian Hiatt, Andy Greene and David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Jeff Beck, the blues-rock innovator and two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee who revolutionized how the guitar is played, died Tuesday at the age of 78.
Beck’s family confirmed the former Yardbirds guitarist’s death Wednesday. “On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck’s passing,” Beck’s family said in a statement. “After suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, he peacefully passed away yesterday. His family asks for privacy while they process this tremendous loss.”
Beck, an eight-time Grammy winner,...
Beck’s family confirmed the former Yardbirds guitarist’s death Wednesday. “On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck’s passing,” Beck’s family said in a statement. “After suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, he peacefully passed away yesterday. His family asks for privacy while they process this tremendous loss.”
Beck, an eight-time Grammy winner,...
- 1/11/2023
- by Daniel Kreps and Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Ten years ago, there were five clear frontrunners for the Oscar for Best Director of 2012: Ben Affleck for “Argo,” Kathryn Bigelow for “Zero Dark Thirty,” Tom Hooper for “Les Misérables,” Ang Lee for “Life of Pi” and Steven Spielberg for “Lincoln. But when the nominations were announced, only Lee and Spielberg made the cut. Replacing Affleck, Bigelow and Hooper were Michael Haneke for “Amour,” David O. Russell for “Silver Linings Playbook” and Benh Zeitlin for “Beasts of the Southern Wild.”
Talk about an Oscar race going wild.
The lesson learned was that the Directors Branch of the Academy can be very unpredictable. They might overlook a big Hollywood star for helming a critical and commercial success, and instead go with an obscure director for their work on a tiny arthouse film. With that said, we should be prepared for some surprises in the directing category when the nominations are...
Talk about an Oscar race going wild.
The lesson learned was that the Directors Branch of the Academy can be very unpredictable. They might overlook a big Hollywood star for helming a critical and commercial success, and instead go with an obscure director for their work on a tiny arthouse film. With that said, we should be prepared for some surprises in the directing category when the nominations are...
- 1/9/2023
- by Tariq Khan
- Gold Derby
It’s been another year of format fun in television, with Dutch mystery competition series The Traitors emerging as a new global hit, especially in the UK on the BBC, while the likes of Big Brother and Survivor have fronted a reboots commissioning revival that has divided entertainment producers, buyers and sellers. As the year comes to a close and the world heads into 2023 under threat of recession and belt-tightening, Deadline has placed six new formats that could help shape the genre in the spotlight. As is often the case, programs from the Netherlands dominate, with three on our list, while others hail from the UK and Canada.
Tempting Fortune (UK/North America)
Credit: Shutterstock
Dropping contestants into the wilderness as a device for a reality format is nothing new, but dropping them into the wilderness to reach a gold chest bursting with £1M (1.2M) is — especially when they’re...
Tempting Fortune (UK/North America)
Credit: Shutterstock
Dropping contestants into the wilderness as a device for a reality format is nothing new, but dropping them into the wilderness to reach a gold chest bursting with £1M (1.2M) is — especially when they’re...
- 12/26/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
In his third directorial effort, Taiwanese filmmaker Edward Yang once again told a story about the relationship of people within the urban space, in this case, as with many of his other works, the city of Taipei. Along with his previous movies, it further manifested Yang’s reputation and inclusion as a founding member of what film scholars called the “Taiwanese New Wave” which represented a farewell to the old ways of making movies, formally and thematically. Apart from “The Terrorizers” being awarded upon its screening at the Locarno Film Festival, it would continue to receive many more honors, along with critics praising it as a work reminiscent of the movies by Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni, especially “Blow-Up” which seems to have inspired the narrative strand revolving around the young photographer played by Mao Shao-chun.
“The Terrorizers“ is screening at Five Flavours Asian Film Festival
The story, which deals with...
“The Terrorizers“ is screening at Five Flavours Asian Film Festival
The story, which deals with...
- 11/21/2022
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Filmmaker Sally Potter discusses a few of her favorite movies with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Orlando (1992)
Look At Me (2022)
The Roads Not Taken (2020)
Singin’ In The Rain (1952) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
On The Town (1949)
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Whisky Galore! (1949) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
8 ½ (1963) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953)
Jules and Jim (1962) – Michael Peyser’s trailer commentary
Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) – Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Persona (1966)
On The Waterfront (1954) – John Badham’s trailer commentary
Sweet Smell Of Success (1957)
Citizen Kane (1941) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
The Third Man (1949) – George Hickenlooper’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Come And See (1985) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
The Cranes Are...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Orlando (1992)
Look At Me (2022)
The Roads Not Taken (2020)
Singin’ In The Rain (1952) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
On The Town (1949)
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Whisky Galore! (1949) – Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
8 ½ (1963) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953)
Jules and Jim (1962) – Michael Peyser’s trailer commentary
Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) – Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Persona (1966)
On The Waterfront (1954) – John Badham’s trailer commentary
Sweet Smell Of Success (1957)
Citizen Kane (1941) – John Landis’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
The Third Man (1949) – George Hickenlooper’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Come And See (1985) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
The Cranes Are...
- 11/8/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Gothic Fantastico-Four Italian Tales of Terror
Blu-ray
Arrow Video
Starring Barbara Nelli, Helga Liné, Franco Nero, Erica Blanc
Written by Giovanni Grimaldi, Bruno Corbucci
Directed by Massimo Pupillo, Alberto De Martino, Mino Guerrini, Damiano Damiani
The success of 1957’s I Vampiri, a grimly beautiful fantasy directed by Riccardo Freda and Mario Bava, provoked an unexpected trend in the country known for neo-realism; Italian horror films began to embrace the classical romanticism of Rebecca over the modernistic shocks of Psycho. Elegant nightmares like Bava’s Black Sunday cast their spell and soon this new breed of gothics—united by sumptuous black and white photography—dominated movie theaters with tbeir come-hither promise of seductive spirits and strategically lit negligees.
A few of these thrillers were more brazen in their approach—flaunting their teasing nudity and blood-soaked denouements, exploitation fare like Atom Age Vampire and The Playgirls and the Vampire took aim at...
Blu-ray
Arrow Video
Starring Barbara Nelli, Helga Liné, Franco Nero, Erica Blanc
Written by Giovanni Grimaldi, Bruno Corbucci
Directed by Massimo Pupillo, Alberto De Martino, Mino Guerrini, Damiano Damiani
The success of 1957’s I Vampiri, a grimly beautiful fantasy directed by Riccardo Freda and Mario Bava, provoked an unexpected trend in the country known for neo-realism; Italian horror films began to embrace the classical romanticism of Rebecca over the modernistic shocks of Psycho. Elegant nightmares like Bava’s Black Sunday cast their spell and soon this new breed of gothics—united by sumptuous black and white photography—dominated movie theaters with tbeir come-hither promise of seductive spirits and strategically lit negligees.
A few of these thrillers were more brazen in their approach—flaunting their teasing nudity and blood-soaked denouements, exploitation fare like Atom Age Vampire and The Playgirls and the Vampire took aim at...
- 10/25/2022
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Dario Argento's campy Italian horror "Suspiria" has been a source of inspiration for many American horror films. Lots of people have drawn comparisons between Argento's work and classic slasher films like "Halloween," as well as contemporary A24 horror movies like "Hereditary." Even though the genre might take influence from Argento today, the director himself feels like these American horror films could not be any more different from his work.
The original 1977 "Suspiria" is full of bright colors and jarring sounds. The director was not afraid to disconcert his audience and bend reality. Each frame is painterly and every camera movement builds suspense. Tension boils under the surface and spikes up violently until culminating in total destruction. The film centers around a dance school that is secretly run by a coven of witches, a theme that the remake more closely explores. The 2018 "Suspiria" remake, directed by Luca Guadagnino, was a...
The original 1977 "Suspiria" is full of bright colors and jarring sounds. The director was not afraid to disconcert his audience and bend reality. Each frame is painterly and every camera movement builds suspense. Tension boils under the surface and spikes up violently until culminating in total destruction. The film centers around a dance school that is secretly run by a coven of witches, a theme that the remake more closely explores. The 2018 "Suspiria" remake, directed by Luca Guadagnino, was a...
- 10/15/2022
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
Ahead of next week’s Mipcom, Banijay has acquired global rights to Argentine celebrity competition series “The Hotel,” continuing its hugely successful relationship with Diego Guebel’s high-flying Boxfish in Argentina.
Produced by Boxfish for Canal 13, one of Argentina’s biggest free-to-air channels, “The Hotel” (“El Hotel”) sees 16 celebrity contestants shut themselves away for four months in a luxury hotel on the outskirts of a city. There’s only one caveat: the luxury establishment does not employ any staff.
“While guests enjoy a luxurious stay in the pool, spa and live shows and tuck into gourmet dinners, staff are housed in the hotel’s service area, washing linen, preparing breakfast and serving the guests’ every need,” Banijay explained Saturday, announcing its acquisition.
The celebrities decide at the start of the week who are ‘guests’ and who become the ‘hotel staff.’ At the end of the week, an elimination duel determines who leaves “The Hotel,...
Produced by Boxfish for Canal 13, one of Argentina’s biggest free-to-air channels, “The Hotel” (“El Hotel”) sees 16 celebrity contestants shut themselves away for four months in a luxury hotel on the outskirts of a city. There’s only one caveat: the luxury establishment does not employ any staff.
“While guests enjoy a luxurious stay in the pool, spa and live shows and tuck into gourmet dinners, staff are housed in the hotel’s service area, washing linen, preparing breakfast and serving the guests’ every need,” Banijay explained Saturday, announcing its acquisition.
The celebrities decide at the start of the week who are ‘guests’ and who become the ‘hotel staff.’ At the end of the week, an elimination duel determines who leaves “The Hotel,...
- 10/15/2022
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Banijay is pushing into the premium feature doc space with a show about Pablo Escobar’s son’s extraordinary reconciliation with Colombian Politician Rodrigo Lara’s son Jorge, whose father’s death was ordered by the drug kingpin.
Lara vs. Escobar is being produced by Banijay Benelux Jv Scenery and distributed by Banijay Rights, which will launch sales in a few days’ time at Mipcom.
BAFTA-winning director Mags Gavan said she dedicated over a decade to get access for the feature, which delves into Rodrigo Lara’s Escobar-backed murder and the incredible fallout. Upon learning of his father’s death, Jorge Lara was initially out for revenge but a twist of fate reconciled him with Escobar’s son, one of the most notorious criminals of all time, as he realized that they had more in common than he thought. The doc will be told via double narrative, weaving between past and present.
Lara vs. Escobar is being produced by Banijay Benelux Jv Scenery and distributed by Banijay Rights, which will launch sales in a few days’ time at Mipcom.
BAFTA-winning director Mags Gavan said she dedicated over a decade to get access for the feature, which delves into Rodrigo Lara’s Escobar-backed murder and the incredible fallout. Upon learning of his father’s death, Jorge Lara was initially out for revenge but a twist of fate reconciled him with Escobar’s son, one of the most notorious criminals of all time, as he realized that they had more in common than he thought. The doc will be told via double narrative, weaving between past and present.
- 10/14/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Banijay balloon format Blow Up is being inflated in Germany.
Rtl Germany has ordered a local version of the Dutch original, which will be produced by Temptation Island indie Banijay Productions Germany. The format has also been picked up by Australia’s Channel 7 and 7plus in recent weeks.
Revealed by Deadline just prior to this year’s February London Screenings, the program sees balloon artists compete in unique challenges to attempt to impress judges with mesmerizing creations.
In The Netherlands, the series aired earlier this year and was 168 up on slot average for 6-12 year olds, according to Banijay.
“Blow Up delivers fresh, joyful, high-energy entertainment, which layers jeopardy, skill and awe-inspiring creations,” said Banijay Global Head of Content Operations Lucas Green. “A celebration of unbelievable craftsmanship and imagination, the show perfectly complements our outstanding portfolio of highly regarded competition reality formats, sitting alongside the likes of MasterChef.
Rtl Germany has ordered a local version of the Dutch original, which will be produced by Temptation Island indie Banijay Productions Germany. The format has also been picked up by Australia’s Channel 7 and 7plus in recent weeks.
Revealed by Deadline just prior to this year’s February London Screenings, the program sees balloon artists compete in unique challenges to attempt to impress judges with mesmerizing creations.
In The Netherlands, the series aired earlier this year and was 168 up on slot average for 6-12 year olds, according to Banijay.
“Blow Up delivers fresh, joyful, high-energy entertainment, which layers jeopardy, skill and awe-inspiring creations,” said Banijay Global Head of Content Operations Lucas Green. “A celebration of unbelievable craftsmanship and imagination, the show perfectly complements our outstanding portfolio of highly regarded competition reality formats, sitting alongside the likes of MasterChef.
- 10/10/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Deal is super indie group’s biggest since acquiring Endemol Shine Group in 2020.
Banijay is set to acquire Australian producer and distributor Beyond International.
The deal will add more than 8,000 hours of IP to Banijay’s existing catalogue of over 130,000 hours of content.
In English-language markets, Beyond Productions’ titles include eight-part scripted series Troppo, co-produced with Eq Media, airing on Freevee USA and ABC Australia.
Beyond’s sales arm, Beyond Rights, represents titles including Highway Thru Hell, Heavy Rescue: 401, Massive Engineering Mistakes, Halifax: Retribution, MythBusters and Deadly Women.
The deal is Banijay’s biggest since it acquired Endemol Shine Group...
Banijay is set to acquire Australian producer and distributor Beyond International.
The deal will add more than 8,000 hours of IP to Banijay’s existing catalogue of over 130,000 hours of content.
In English-language markets, Beyond Productions’ titles include eight-part scripted series Troppo, co-produced with Eq Media, airing on Freevee USA and ABC Australia.
Beyond’s sales arm, Beyond Rights, represents titles including Highway Thru Hell, Heavy Rescue: 401, Massive Engineering Mistakes, Halifax: Retribution, MythBusters and Deadly Women.
The deal is Banijay’s biggest since it acquired Endemol Shine Group...
- 10/6/2022
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Banijay has revealed an eco-friendly stand ahead of the 2022 Mipcom market at Cannes.
Located at a prime location in front of Cannes’ Palais des Festivals, the two-floor structure – a re-usable construction made of wood – comprises more than 500m2 of floor space including meeting rooms, a reception area, several terraces and hospitality areas.
Created by Romain Larue from Orati and designed by architect Nicola Spinetto, the build uses Cross Laminated Timber – a technology noted for its strength, versatility and sustainability.
The construction will optimize brightness throughout its central patio area and terraces and will be home to Banijay’s 250+ Mipcom team.
All panels have been flat-packed with a minimum of trucks required to transport the construction. To complement the eco-theme, the stand will feature plants sourced from a local nursery, the program catalogues and merchandise for clients are recyclable, and after the market, the stand will be stored less than 50km from Cannes.
Located at a prime location in front of Cannes’ Palais des Festivals, the two-floor structure – a re-usable construction made of wood – comprises more than 500m2 of floor space including meeting rooms, a reception area, several terraces and hospitality areas.
Created by Romain Larue from Orati and designed by architect Nicola Spinetto, the build uses Cross Laminated Timber – a technology noted for its strength, versatility and sustainability.
The construction will optimize brightness throughout its central patio area and terraces and will be home to Banijay’s 250+ Mipcom team.
All panels have been flat-packed with a minimum of trucks required to transport the construction. To complement the eco-theme, the stand will feature plants sourced from a local nursery, the program catalogues and merchandise for clients are recyclable, and after the market, the stand will be stored less than 50km from Cannes.
- 10/5/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on demand, vintage and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalogue titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This twice-monthly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching.
This week’s disc offerings are a little slimmer than usual – it happens, at this odd point between summer and holiday shopping seasons – but there are a couple of things to grab (including a must-have 4K upgrade for one of the best movies of the 1980s), along with a handful of new-to-streaming titles that are well worth a look.
Pick Of The Week:
“Blow Out”: Brian De Palma’s 1981 political thriller, about an exploitation movie sound man (John Travolta) who accidentally records a political assassination, is a free-wheeling...
This week’s disc offerings are a little slimmer than usual – it happens, at this odd point between summer and holiday shopping seasons – but there are a couple of things to grab (including a must-have 4K upgrade for one of the best movies of the 1980s), along with a handful of new-to-streaming titles that are well worth a look.
Pick Of The Week:
“Blow Out”: Brian De Palma’s 1981 political thriller, about an exploitation movie sound man (John Travolta) who accidentally records a political assassination, is a free-wheeling...
- 9/13/2022
- by Jason Bailey
- The Playlist
At the end of 2011, the number of digital projectors in movie theaters officially surpassed the number of analog film projectors. This was the final step in a years-long technological revolution that had been raging for the better part of a decade. In the early 2000s, digital film -- while looking grainy and amateurish at the time -- was touted as the Next Big Thing, and many companies began to slowly make the shift. Anyone who saw "Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones" in theaters likely recalls the grainy, dim quality of digital projection at the time.
In Christopher Keneally's 2012 documentary film "Side by Side," Keanu Reeves interviews a spate of experienced filmmakers on the general state of film technology, and many of them, perhaps surprisingly, came down in favor of digital photography. David Lynch declared that film was a dinosaur. It looked beautiful but moved too slowly...
In Christopher Keneally's 2012 documentary film "Side by Side," Keanu Reeves interviews a spate of experienced filmmakers on the general state of film technology, and many of them, perhaps surprisingly, came down in favor of digital photography. David Lynch declared that film was a dinosaur. It looked beautiful but moved too slowly...
- 9/1/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
It might sound obvious, but a film getting nominated for an Oscar doesn’t automatically make it good.
In fact, there have been numerous deserving films over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.
Sure, it’s easy to assume that certain films don’t get nominated because they’re not what Oscar voters would usually go for, but there have been some surprises in the past.
For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.
This means films like DC’s Suicide Squad may have been mauled by the critics, but still get recognised by the Academy (it went on to win), which is ridiculous when you consider classics such as Don’t Look Now or The King of Comedy didn’t even get recognised.
In fact, there have been numerous deserving films over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.
Sure, it’s easy to assume that certain films don’t get nominated because they’re not what Oscar voters would usually go for, but there have been some surprises in the past.
For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.
This means films like DC’s Suicide Squad may have been mauled by the critics, but still get recognised by the Academy (it went on to win), which is ridiculous when you consider classics such as Don’t Look Now or The King of Comedy didn’t even get recognised.
- 8/26/2022
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
It might sound obvious, but a film getting nominated for an Oscar doesn’t automatically make it good.
In fact, there have been many deserving films over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.
Sure, it’s easy to assume that certain films don’t get nominated because they’re not what Oscar voters would usually go for, but there have been some surprises in the past.
For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.
This means films like DC’s Suicide Squad may have been mauled by the critics, but still get recognised by the Academy (it went on to win), which is ridiculous when you consider classics such as Don’t Look Now or The King of Comedy didn’t even get recognised.
In fact, there have been many deserving films over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.
Sure, it’s easy to assume that certain films don’t get nominated because they’re not what Oscar voters would usually go for, but there have been some surprises in the past.
For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.
This means films like DC’s Suicide Squad may have been mauled by the critics, but still get recognised by the Academy (it went on to win), which is ridiculous when you consider classics such as Don’t Look Now or The King of Comedy didn’t even get recognised.
- 8/26/2022
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
Banijay CEO Marco Bassetti will deliver a keynote address at the upcoming Mipcom TV market in Cannes.
As CEO of one of the world’s top independent content production and distribution outfits, Bassetti oversees a large-scale operation spanning 22 territories, over 120 production entities and a catalogue that includes “Survivor,” “Peaky Blinders,” “Big Brother” and “MasterChef,” as well as upcoming titles “Rogue Heroes,” “Blow Up,” “Starstruck” and “Marie Antoinette.”
Bassetti will be on stage on the Oct. 17-20 market’s second day. His keynote will be part of the confab’s Media Mastermind keynote series featuring leading global executives and creatives from the TV industry speaking from Cannes’ Palais des Festivals stage.
The session will comprise Bassetti’s take on the global producer/distributor’s strategy as well as wider industry trends.
“After three years away, we are proud to be back in Cannes with over 200 of our global talent in tow,...
As CEO of one of the world’s top independent content production and distribution outfits, Bassetti oversees a large-scale operation spanning 22 territories, over 120 production entities and a catalogue that includes “Survivor,” “Peaky Blinders,” “Big Brother” and “MasterChef,” as well as upcoming titles “Rogue Heroes,” “Blow Up,” “Starstruck” and “Marie Antoinette.”
Bassetti will be on stage on the Oct. 17-20 market’s second day. His keynote will be part of the confab’s Media Mastermind keynote series featuring leading global executives and creatives from the TV industry speaking from Cannes’ Palais des Festivals stage.
The session will comprise Bassetti’s take on the global producer/distributor’s strategy as well as wider industry trends.
“After three years away, we are proud to be back in Cannes with over 200 of our global talent in tow,...
- 8/23/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
BAFTA-Winning ‘The Missing Children’ Producer Nevision Promotes Anne Morrison
Nevision, the indie behind Brian Cox’s directorial debut Glenrothan, has upped BAFTA-winning exec Anne Morrison to CEO and Creative Director. Morrison was previously Creative Director, Factual, and will continue in that role. She will focus on the future growth and strategic expansion of the company, working with both established and up-and-coming global talent. Nevision was behind BAFTA-winner The Missing Children for ITV and is working on Glenrothan with Lionsgate UK and animated series Goode Stuff with Israeli indie Ananey. “Since joining Nevision three years ago, I have seen the company flourish as a producer,” said Morrison. “We now have an impactful slate of well-crafted, character-driven stories and I look forward to making content in partnership with leading broadcasters and platforms globally.”
Sky Looking Beyond “Traditional Commissioning Pool” With New Program
Sky is looking beyond the “traditional commissioning pool” by...
Nevision, the indie behind Brian Cox’s directorial debut Glenrothan, has upped BAFTA-winning exec Anne Morrison to CEO and Creative Director. Morrison was previously Creative Director, Factual, and will continue in that role. She will focus on the future growth and strategic expansion of the company, working with both established and up-and-coming global talent. Nevision was behind BAFTA-winner The Missing Children for ITV and is working on Glenrothan with Lionsgate UK and animated series Goode Stuff with Israeli indie Ananey. “Since joining Nevision three years ago, I have seen the company flourish as a producer,” said Morrison. “We now have an impactful slate of well-crafted, character-driven stories and I look forward to making content in partnership with leading broadcasters and platforms globally.”
Sky Looking Beyond “Traditional Commissioning Pool” With New Program
Sky is looking beyond the “traditional commissioning pool” by...
- 8/22/2022
- by Max Goldbart and Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
I started my new essay film, It’s a Zabriskie, Zabriskie, Zabriskie, Zabriskie Point, with an attractive if patently absurd proposition. I was convinced that one could seamlessly edit together Antonioni’s Zabriskie Point with Stanley Kramer’s It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Imagine situating Daria Halprin, Mark Frechette, and their “dirty hippie” friends in California desert landscapes next to Milton Berle, Ethel Merman, Jonathan Winters, Buddy Hackett, Mickey Rooney, and the rest of that legendary cast.
One narrative universe, with just a little editing room hocus-pocus!
There are lots of highlights, but to whet your appetite: University radical Mark Frechette flies his stolen aircraft right past the one piloted by Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett as they spin out of control. Daria Halprin ignores a hitchhiking Jonathan Winters. Milton Berle leaps right into a cascade of amorous sand-covered bodies. Spencer Tracy and Daria Halprin in a torrid extramarital affair.
One narrative universe, with just a little editing room hocus-pocus!
There are lots of highlights, but to whet your appetite: University radical Mark Frechette flies his stolen aircraft right past the one piloted by Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett as they spin out of control. Daria Halprin ignores a hitchhiking Jonathan Winters. Milton Berle leaps right into a cascade of amorous sand-covered bodies. Spencer Tracy and Daria Halprin in a torrid extramarital affair.
- 7/7/2022
- by Daniel Kremer
- Trailers from Hell
In 1971, the Cannes Film Festival opened with a screening of Gimme Shelter by Albert and David Maysles, an immersive, vérité depiction of two weeks in the touring life of the Rolling Stones. If that was all it did, it might have been forgotten by now. But by a terrible freak of chance, the filmmakers followed the band to the most notorious concert of their entire career — the Altamont Speedway Free Festival in Livermore, CA, where the Stones, along with Santana, Jefferson Airplane, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, were set to perform a free concert for 300,000 people on Dec. 6, 1969. “We didn’t know what it was going to be,” Albert said later. “We just had a childish faith that having seen the Stones and getting along with them, there might be a feature film there.”
At the apparent suggestion of Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead (who...
At the apparent suggestion of Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead (who...
- 5/17/2022
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
“The English Patient” co-stars Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes will reunite in Uberto Pasolini’s “The Return,” a gritty retelling of Odysseus’ return home from war.
The film is an original take on Homer’s “The Odyssey” with a script by John Collee (“Master & Commander”) and U.K. playwright Edward Bond, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on Michelangelo Antonioni’s “Blow-Up.”
“The Return” is produced by James Clayton and Pasolini for Red Wave Films, while Roberto Sessa’s Picomedia is providing funding. HanWay Films will handle worldwide sales, and will introduce the pic to buyers at next month’s Cannes Film Festival.
Binoche and Fiennes last starred together in Anthony Minghella’s masterful 1996 adaptation of Michael Ondaatje’s Booker Prize-winning novel “The English Patient.” The film won nine Oscars in 1997, include best film, and best supporting actress for Binoche. Fiennes was also nominated for best actor.
The film is an original take on Homer’s “The Odyssey” with a script by John Collee (“Master & Commander”) and U.K. playwright Edward Bond, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on Michelangelo Antonioni’s “Blow-Up.”
“The Return” is produced by James Clayton and Pasolini for Red Wave Films, while Roberto Sessa’s Picomedia is providing funding. HanWay Films will handle worldwide sales, and will introduce the pic to buyers at next month’s Cannes Film Festival.
Binoche and Fiennes last starred together in Anthony Minghella’s masterful 1996 adaptation of Michael Ondaatje’s Booker Prize-winning novel “The English Patient.” The film won nine Oscars in 1997, include best film, and best supporting actress for Binoche. Fiennes was also nominated for best actor.
- 4/28/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Actress Charlotte Gainsbourg’s directing debut is an intimate pas de deux between a daughter and her mother, Jane Birkin. But the movie does not take audiences back through a famous family’s history, as documentarian Rory Kennedy did with her mother “Ethel,” the widow of Bobby Kennedy. No, “Jane by Charlotte,” which debuted at Cannes 2021, is more home-movie tribute than a full-blown portrait of the British-French actress-chanteuse.
In her day, Birkin was a gorgeous British gamine who married composer John Barry, an unhappy liaison that produced Charlotte’s older half-sister Kate Barry, followed by a liaison with the love of Birkin’s life, French actor-singer-composer Serge Gainsbourg, who couldn’t have been more famous during the happy decade they spent together before they split in 1980.
They met in 1969 during filming of “Slogan,” in which they had a fictional affair. Per usual, Gainsbourg supplied the soundtrack and dueted with Birkin...
In her day, Birkin was a gorgeous British gamine who married composer John Barry, an unhappy liaison that produced Charlotte’s older half-sister Kate Barry, followed by a liaison with the love of Birkin’s life, French actor-singer-composer Serge Gainsbourg, who couldn’t have been more famous during the happy decade they spent together before they split in 1980.
They met in 1969 during filming of “Slogan,” in which they had a fictional affair. Per usual, Gainsbourg supplied the soundtrack and dueted with Birkin...
- 3/25/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
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