1-20 of 53 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
21 November 2009 7:34 AM, PST | FilmExperience | See recent FilmExperience news »
Robert here. My initial thought for my series on the directors who shaped the past decade was to combine the Pixar guys into one big entry. Five minutes later I was filled with great shame. How dare I think that just because these men make animated films, they don’t deserve their own entries. It was ghettoization all over again! Sure, Pixar films all tend to have similar themes but that doesn’t mean that the great Pixar directors are interchangeable. Over the next few weeks we’ll take a look at them and see what makes them the same and different. First up: Brad Bird.
Number of Films: Two.
Modern Masterpieces: One. With my apologies to The Incredibles, which is an incredible film, the masterpiece is Ratatouille.
Total Disasters: Not even close.
Better than you remember: If you think either of these could be better, you should probably just stop reading now. »
- Robert
20 November 2009 4:11 PM, PST | The Guardian - TV News | See recent The Guardian - TV News news »
He got his big break playing Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and now, 34 years later, John Hurt is at it again
There's something disturbing about John Hurt. That familiar Mount Rushmore face seems to have ironed itself out. It was once compared to a komodo dragon – even his lines seemed to have lines – but today he looks peachy as a schoolboy. You've been on the Botox, haven't you? He roars with how-dare-you laughter. "Nah! Hahahaha! No. Don't say that. That would be awful. Not in a million years would I do that." He's got a point: take away the cracks and creases, and his job prospects would diminish no end. His face is one of the most distinctive in the movies. Almost as distinctive as his voice, dripping with honey and acid, often at the same time. Look, he admits, there might well be a reason for his »
20 November 2009 4:11 PM, PST | The Guardian - Film News | See recent The Guardian - Film News news »
He got his big break playing Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and now, 34 years later, John Hurt is at it again
There's something disturbing about John Hurt. That familiar Mount Rushmore face seems to have ironed itself out. It was once compared to a komodo dragon – even his lines seemed to have lines – but today he looks peachy as a schoolboy. You've been on the Botox, haven't you? He roars with how-dare-you laughter. "Nah! Hahahaha! No. Don't say that. That would be awful. Not in a million years would I do that." He's got a point: take away the cracks and creases, and his job prospects would diminish no end. His face is one of the most distinctive in the movies. Almost as distinctive as his voice, dripping with honey and acid, often at the same time. Look, he admits, there might well be a reason for his »
17 November 2009 8:42 AM, PST | The Guardian - TV News | See recent The Guardian - TV News news »
Celebration of Rumpole creator's life at Southwark Cathedral one year after lawyer and playwright's death
For a man who did not believe in God, only a cathedral was big enough to accommodate Sir John Mortimer's many friends and admirers for a memorial service today.
Actually, the event at Southwark Cathedral in London was billed as a celebration of the life of the lawyer, author, playwright, entertainer and wit, who died last January at the age of 85, and that turned out to be more appropriate than a service. The thing about the Church of England is that you don't have to be religious to get your day in church.
It made for a good house as the performer in him would undoubtedly have acknowledged and, if God was not entirely absent from the proceedings, the biblical readings, prayers, psalms and hymns were outnumbered by readings from the canon of Mortimer himself, »
- Stephen Bates
12 November 2009 3:29 PM, PST | EW.com - The Movie Critics | See recent EW.com - The Movie Critics news »
I miss the days when actors had bad hair days. When their coifs weren't so coiffed, when their heads were allowed to look scruffy, greasy, crazy, unkempt. Not Robert Pattinson mousse-mussed, but genuinely dishabille. I miss the days when they could even be -- maybe we should whisper this -- bald. I admit that I have something of a personal stake in this. I'm a follically challenged male, and perhaps I speak for others who are losing their hair when I say that it wouldn't be such a terrible thing if we were represented a little more often on screen, »
- Owen Gleiberman
6 November 2009 4:23 PM, PST | Gold Derby | See recent Gold Derby news »
Two of these stars below are tied for suffering the most Oscar snubs among actresses: six defeats, no wins. Can you name them? To see the answer, click the "Continue Reading" link underneath the photos. Answer: Deborah Kerr and Thelma Ritter. Oscarless Rosalind Russell and Barbara Stanwyck lost four times each, Liv Ullmann twice. Two male stars lost more times than all of these women: Peter O'Toole (eight times) and Richard Burton (seven). Photos: Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, United Artists, Paramount More Gold Derby Awards Quizzes Can you spot the Oscar nominee for best actor? Can you spot the Oscar nominee for best picture? Who turned down Kevin Spacey's Oscar-winning role in 'American Beauty'?... »
- tomoneil
6 November 2009 3:46 AM, PST | FilmExperience | See recent FilmExperience news »
Have you been buying the minor huzz (hype+buzz) 'Robert De Niro's 7th Oscar nomination' for the holiday film Everybody's Fine? My friend txt critic saw it last night and sent the following note by phone...
it's, well, fine. most definitely a drama (despite the trailer) and conceptually a cross between About Schmidt and Four Christmases. nice, sweet and somewhat forgettable.
might, Might be a nomination for DeNiro, but i wouldn't bet on it.I dunno. I wasn't betting on it either but Best Actor sure seems vacant this year with only Colin Firth (A Single Man) and George Clooney (Up in the Air) catching any sort of real fire. As I've been saying for months, Fox Searchlight shouldn't have even hesitated to position Crazy Heart for a 2009 release. Jeff Bridges would have a clear shot at the career trophy given the field (if -- and it's always »
- NATHANIEL R
2 November 2009 11:00 AM, PST | MTV Movies Blog | See recent MTV Movies Blog news »
Oscar-winning producer Barrie M. Osborne is best known for fantastical films employing messianic characters, specifically "The Matrix" and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Lately though, he's focusing directly on religious material rather than stories that reference those texts. Osborne is already at work on "Kingdom Come," a Biblical epic about the life of Jesus, which will be directed by "Lord of the Rings" visual effects artist Dean Wright. And now, according to The Guardian, he's planning a $150 million film about Muhammad, the founder of Islam.
Osborne's film, which will follow Muhammad's life from birth to death and His teachings, will not feature an on-screen depiction of the Prophet. The New Zealand-based producer is working with a production company out of Qatar and has employed Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi to oversee the project throughout shooting. The producer told Reuters it will be "an international epic production aimed at bridging cultures. »
- Christopher Campbell
23 October 2009 8:36 PM, PDT | FilmExperience | See recent FilmExperience news »
Shankman's got spirit!
Do you follow the Oscar show news in the way you follow the Oscars? I don't so much, despite this life I lead constantly writin' about the awards themselves. I care who hosts to some degree but I tend to ignore the rest. But I found it interesting this week when director Adam Shankman (Hairspray) was named as one of the producers and his choreography skills were noted as a reason to be enthused about this assignment. At least he has a sense of humor about his, um, limited history with the big event I was one of Paula Abdul's 'Under the Sea' pirates," Shankman said. "The last time I was at the Oscars, I was in Lycra, with a pirate hat on. Shankman's presence must mean more musical numbers. I'm all for musical numbers provided they rehire Hugh Jackman as host. He was so fine last year. »
- NATHANIEL R
19 October 2009 6:48 AM, PDT | GetTheBigPicture.net | See recent Get The Big Picture news »
Hal Holbrook has spent 55 years in movies and TV, and yet, he had to wait until he was nearly 82 to earn an Academy Award nomination. Though it's doubtful he'll break through for his second acting nomination in two years - following a supporting nod for his heartbreaking work in Sean Penn's Into the Wild - Holbrook is getting rave reviews for his work in That Evening Sun.
It isn't beyond comprehension that he could wind up in that category; Peter O'Toole made a charge with Venus a couple years ago...but he's Peter O'Toole. Last year, Richard Jenkins bucked the odds to wind up in that category, and there's little doubt That Evening Sun would need a similar kind of grass roots campaign to vault Holbrook into a category that will almost certainly containg Day-Lewis, Freeman, and/or Clooney.
But there is room among the five. Colin Firth is »
- Colin Boyd
29 September 2009 7:06 AM, PDT | icelebz.com | See recent iCelebz news »
The 12th Annual Savannah Film Festival will be including gala screenings of feature films, including "The Young Victoria," "The Men Who Stare at Goats," and "Broken Embraces" among many others.
The film fest will also be attended by past guests and honorees, such as Peter O'toole, Michael Douglas, Jane Fonda, Sidney Lumet, Kathleen Turner, Norman Jewison, Tommy Lee Jones, John Waters, David Benioff, John sayles, Brett Ratner, Charlie Rose, George Segal, James Franco, James Ivory, Jeff Daniels, Alec Baldwin, Peter Bart, Army Archerd, Roger Ebert, Terrence Malick, Sydney Pollack, Vanessa, Lynn and Corin Redgrave, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Malcolm McDowell, and Milos Forman.
22 professional films and 12 student films will be showcased in competition, in addition to the special screenings.
The Savannah Film Festival will be held from October 31 to November 7.
»
25 September 2009 8:06 AM, PDT | IrishCentral | See recent IrishCentral news »
Peter O'Toole, one of Ireland's legendary thespians and bon vivant, is feeling a bit antsy lately because he cannot find any work. The 77-year-old star, who has been nominated eight times for an Oscar and was awarded an honorary golden statue in 2003, was slated to appear in three movies this year, but after funding fell through for all projects, he has been left out of a job and is a bit miffed. "You cannot say, 'I'm going to be in a film in two or three months,' because the thing can fall apart two weeks beforehand," O’Toole told Tim Walker of Britain's Telegraph. "There isn't enough funding. I was meant to be in three films this year and none of them came off. It's frustrating." It is encouraging to hear that O'Toole is eager to find roles, as some of his recent work has been most impressive. The »
10 September 2009 9:36 AM, PDT | t5m.com | See recent t5m.com news »
Alejandro Jordorowsky certainly is a strange and amazing fellow. It's extremely sad though that only a small amount of people have had the chance to find out just how strange and amazing the artist's works actually are. He has heavily influenced everyone from The Beatles to David Lynch to Sam Fuller and Bob Dylan. Despite his popularity, it has been his own film's content which has in many cases helped put his own head in the stocks and his films on the shelf. Their confronting, bizarre, often overtly religious, and always graphic imagery puts viewers through the ringer and his disregard for convention is almost seizure inducing. In the man's own words; "I ask of film what most people ask of psychedelic drugs" and anyone who has seen any of his amazingly surreal work will know for sure that he doesn't lie. But it isn't all just weird for werid's sake. »
- Neil Innes
21 August 2009 11:23 PM, PDT | CinemaSpy | See recent CinemaSpy news »
If you are a fan of Syfy's Battlestar Galactica, you probably know that some scenes of the series were filmed in and around the extensive forests of western British Columbia. What you may not realise, however, is that two of the show's stars - Tricia Helfer (Number Six) and Tahmoh Penikett ('Helo') - have lent their talents to a new indie docu-drama that is intended to raise awareness of issues associated with cutting down some of these forests.
The film, called The Green Chain, was written, directed and co-produced by Vancouver-born Mark Leiren-Young. His previous credits include scripts for episodes of the series The Collector, Blood Ties and Psi Factor. He has also written a book, 'Never Shoot a Stampede Queen', articles for 'Time Magazine', 'Maclean's' and 'The Utne Reader', and stage plays.
True to his roots, Leiren-Young focuses The Green Chain on the debate in British Columbia, but it »
13 August 2009 2:32 PM, PDT | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »
That's right, Slappy. I'm a so-called Professional Film Critic, and I've never seen Schindler's List. Hell, I recently admitted -- publicly, no less -- that I've never seen Lawrence of Arabia, either. So I may as well go out on a limb and 'fess up to missing this one, too.
In both cases, my initial non-viewing was purely circumstantial. I just somehow never found myself watching these particular movies. In the case of Lawrence of Arabia, I'd certainly like to see it, but it's something like 43 hours long, so it rarely shows up on cable. Maybe someone will give me the DVD for Christmas or my birthday, and I'll take a few vacation days off to stare at Peter O'Toole's blue eyes. It could happen.
But Schindler's List? I can confidently say that I'm never going to watch it. As a cultural icon, I can appreciate its existence -- »
- Dawn Taylor
10 August 2009 10:32 AM, PDT | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »
It can be quite disappointing to see a beloved actor pop up in a terrible movie, but I'd say it's worse to see them in a terrible movie with a cast of people who used to be well-known. There's something about the has-been stigma that just hurts. One could excuse away bad movies to behind-the-scenes conflict or the need for cash (I'm looking at you, Michael Caine and Peter O'Toole), but joining a cast list filled with talent who used to be in big films just adds an extra slap.
See, The Hollywood Reporter posts that Tara Reid is making a Last Call, and she'll be joined by names that include Christopher Lloyd, Tom Arnold, Dave Foley, and Clint Howard. Sure, that last guy's career is all about the questionable gigs, but what's said with the rest of the roster? I don't want to say that these guys are has-beens, »
- Monika Bartyzel
30 July 2009 4:03 PM, PDT | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »
First we had Lawrence of Arabia, as Peter O'Toole set out to bring Brit T.E. Lawrence's Wwi experiences in Arabia to the big screen. Now we're getting his epic, pun-tacular counterpart. Variety reports that Charlize Theron's production company, Denver and Delilah Films, has picked up the rights to Christopher Buckley's Florence of Arabia, which she will produce and star in.
The Variety description makes it sound all sorts of serious -- a State Dept. worker (Theron) fights for women's rights in a Middle Eastern country after her friend marries a prince and gets beheaded. While that sounds a little Mighty Heart-ish, the book is actually a satire more reminiscent of War Inc. The country in question is the fictional Wasabia, and Florence's mission for women's rights -- creating a women's television network, a move that has surprising results. Like, perchance, a riot of Arab Valerie Bertinelli impersonators sick of sappy made-for-tv movies? »
- Monika Bartyzel
27 July 2009 3:07 PM, PDT | BroadwayWorld.com | See recent BroadwayWorld.com news »
Peter Gallagher, Don't Give Up On Me is a new musical play by stage and screen star Peter Gallagher. Featuring great American song selections from "Pal Joey," "Guys and Dolls," and songs by Cy Coleman, Bart Howard, Lyle Lovett, Leon Russell, Burt Bacharach, Dan Penn and others, this new musical play is the story of an actor's apprenticeships with the legends he admires: James Cagney, Jack Lemmon, Peter O'Toole, Stubby Kaye and more and the journey he takes with them. »
21 July 2009 9:02 AM, PDT | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »
Watchmen Director's Cut
It may not have been exactly what Joel Silver was once scheming up, but Zack Snyder's adaptation is at the top of this week's new release list, with more goodness not included in the theatrical release. Blending new twists with a number of scenes straight out of the book, Watchmen is a film that Peter called "sledgehammer entertainment." Buy it. Also out on Blu-ray. (And big fans will want to also check out the Collector's Corner section for more Watchmen goodness.)
Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon
Coraline slips into another world and finds an alternate version of her life that quickly turns from laughs to frights. Stop-motion animation in 3D, with a kickass female star, all from the mind of Neil Gaiman. In her review, Jette said it "is gorgeously fantastic, in all senses of the word." Buy it. Also on Blu-ray.
Add »
- Monika Bartyzel
10 July 2009 10:02 AM, PDT | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »
You can't turn around in a movie without bumping into a professor. If it's not Nicolas Cage as the unlikeliest astrophysicist to be granted tenure at M.I.T. in Knowing, just released on DVD, it's the passel of professors that will undoubtedly be presented in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, due out in theaters next Wednesday. Which kind of professor do you prefer?
My early impressions were formed by seeing the distinguished, imposing Harvard law professor John Houseman dress down Timothy Bottoms in James Bridges' The Paper Chase: "Here is a dime. Take it, call your mother, and tell her there is serious doubt about you ever becoming a lawyer." My impressions changed dramatically when I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark. Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones may have been more of a thrill-seeker than an academic, but he was driven by his love for archeology »
- Peter Martin
1-20 of 53 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
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