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2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2001 | 2000 | 1997
1-20 of 62 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
Top 7 Films Directed by Actors Turned Directors
30 October 2009 4:34 AM, PDT | The Scorecard Review | See recent Scorecard Review news »
We start the Top 7. You finish the Top 10.
The old joke is that all actors want to direct. Though it’s maybe not true of all, I still had plenty to choose from in making this list. The directors on this list all started life as actors, some still are, but I’d argue that they’re better known as directors. This month, two well known actresses have tried their hand at direction, Drew Barrymore with Whip It (which was a great movie, I have no idea why it did so badly) and Natalie Portman doing a segment of New York I Love You. Who knows, maybe one (or both) has a second career around the corner.
7. A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
Directed by John Cassavetes
Recap: A portrait of family in crisis when a woman (Gena Rowlands) goes mad and her husband (Peter Falk) tries to understand it.
Reason: »
- Megan Lehar
The Wizard Of Oz 70th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Review
15 October 2009 2:29 PM, PDT | Collider.com | See recent Collider.com news »
I had a friend who had done some jail time. I was always very curious about this because I knew that it would be hugely unlikely I would ever see the inside of a cell (knock on wood). He told that one of the most beloved movies by prisoners was Wizard of Oz. This made all the sense in the world. Wizard of Oz is the ultimate escapist fantasy, which betrays the film’s original message. My thoughts after the jump.
Ironically, what people remember most is the vivid Technicolor of Oz more than the sepia toned world of Kansas. We love our family, but the imagination is stirred by everything that happens when not at home, when not in a safe place. And yet that simple message that there is no place like home, that desire to return to one’s family is pretty profound in the movie. Wizard of Oz, »
- Andre Dellamorte
There's No Place Like Blu-Ray For 'Wizard Of Oz,' In The DVD Report For Tuesday, September 29
29 September 2009 3:00 PM, PDT | MTV Movies Blog | See recent MTV Movies Blog news »
Rare is the occasion where the week biggest release isn't a new blockbuster but rather a septuagenarian, but that's the case this time as a young girl from Kanas eclipses anything New Hollywood has to throw at us. This is your DVD Report for Tuesday, September 29, 2009.
Since the advent of Blu-ray, studios have casually mined their catalogues for suitable re-releases, and while the results have often been notable, they're usually nothing to stop the presses over. But every once in a while, that little extra effort is made that blows something out of the water and we get something like MGM's timeless "The Wizard of Oz," which breezes into its 70th birthday with one of the best Blu-ray collections of all time.
Presented in a large hardbound rectangular case, the 70th Anniversary Edition of "Oz" comes as a three-disc Blu-ray set featuring a whopping 20+ hours of bonus content, and is »
- Brian Jacks
Savannah Film Festival Includes Gala Screenings Of Feature Films
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.
»
Patrick Swayze Dies at 57 of Pancreatic Cancer, Defies Odds in 1.5-Year Public Battle
14 September 2009 8:29 PM, PDT | HollywoodChicago.com | See recent HollywoodChicago.com news »
Chicago – “Dirty Dancing,” “Ghost,” film, TV and dance icon Patrick Swayze died on Sept. 14, 2009 at 57 after a 1.5-year public battle with pancreatic cancer. He was in his Los Angeles home beside friends and family.
The legendary actor made no secret of his condition, wrote a memoir with his wife since he was diagnosed in Jan. 2008 and braved through filming of the TV crime drama “The Beast” while refusing to ingest painkillers so as not to derail his performance. He was noticeably thinner on “The Beast” and shooting was difficult on Swayze physically, but he persisted with his craft nonetheless.
Patrick Swayze in 1987’s “Dirty Dancing.
Photo credit: Vestron Pictures
In addition to “The Beast” as Swayze’s most recent and last project, he also starred in “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights,” “Power Blue,” “One Last Dance,” “Donnie Darko,” “Point Break,” “The Outsiders,” “Red Dawn,” “Road House,” “Ghost,” “Dirty Dancing,” “Youngblood” and “Skatetown, »
- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
'Inglourious Basterds' Stars Tell Tarantino's Secrets
18 August 2009 3:50 AM, PDT | MTV Movie News | See recent MTV Movie News news »
From his well-documented foot fetish to on-set pranks, we give you a peek into the director's process.
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images
Beverly Hills, California — By now, you know that Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" is in theaters on Friday. You know it's got Nazi killers, scalpings galore and dialogue cooler than Freddie Jackson sipping a milkshake in a snowstorm. But where does it take Quentin's unique universe?
For the answer to that question, we went straight to the stars to get the scoop on Tarantino's unique filmmaking ways — past, present and future.
The Foot Thing — Hey, whatever Quentin is into is the dude's own business. But when you think about all those lingering foot shots of Uma Thurman ("Kill Bill" and "Pulp Fiction"), Bridget Fonda ("Jackie Brown") and the girls of "Death Proof," coupled with John Travolta's foot-massage speech in "Pulp Fiction" and »
'Out of Africa' All Boils Down to a Stuffed Bra
30 July 2009 9:02 AM, PDT | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »
There is no one quite like Meryl Streep. When it comes to actresses, she's the powerhouse. She's earned 15 Academy Award nominations, 2 wins, and the respect and admiration of pretty much everyone. But get this...
By 1985, Streep had already been nominated for five Oscars, and won for Kramer vs. Kramer and Sophie's Choice, but that wasn't enough for director Sydney Pollack. As WENN reports, he didn't think Meryl was sexy enough to star in Out of Africa. So, as IMDb's trivia notes -- she showed up in a low-cut blouse and push-up bra. But that's not all:
"I did this thing once when I was auditioning for Out of Africa because I had done some movies but I wasn't famous enough to get this big part. The director at of the film, Sydney Pollack, let it be known to my agent at the time he didn't think I was sexy enough to play Isak Dinesen, »
- Monika Bartyzel
Streep Blasts Pollack For Unleashing Lion In Out Of Africa
29 July 2009 9:07 AM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news »
Meryl Streep has blasted late director Sydney Pollack for unleashing a lion on her while shooting Oscar-winning film Out Of Africa - following years of denials from the filmmaker.
Streep was assured the beast would be tethered while she fought it off with a whip, during one of the 1985 movie's most infamous scenes.
Decades later the actress admits she's still stunned her life was put in jeopardy, after Pollack devised a dangerous way to get the shot he wanted.
She says, "It was the last day of shooting. They imported all the lions from California; they were kind of (lazy). They weren't charging me in the right way... this lion was sitting there (yawning) and she had a leash on. She was supossed to charge me with the camera covering her side with her leash. And she just wouldn't do it. So the last take, Sydney told them to take the leash off because it was a wrap the next day - so if they got the shot, they got the shot. No (they didn't tell me). So I whipped and she kept coming at me. Sydney says that didn't happen, but it did happen." »
Streep Stuffed Bra To Land Out Of Africa Role
28 July 2009 11:56 AM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news »
Meryl Streep had to prove she was sexy to director Sydney Pollack before she landed a role in Oscar-winning film Out Of Africa - so she stuffed her bra.
The award-winning actress was in her mid-30's when she starred opposite Robert Redford in the 1985 love story, based on a Danish author's memoir of her life in Kenya.
Streep admits she was desperate to land the part and devised a plan to entice the director after discovering he had dubbed her undesirable.
She says, "I did this thing once when I was auditioning for Out of Africa because I had done some movies but I wasn't famous enough to get this big part. The director at of the film, Sydney Pollack, let it be known to my agent at the time he didn't think I was sexy enough to play Isak Dinesen, the Danish writer who was like 50 when she published her first book. So I went and got a sweet little dress at my local (discount retailer) K-Mart. It went off the shoulders, and I took a lot of paper towels and I stuffed my bra, so it would mound up. Yeah (it worked) I got the part. »
Howard To Receive Top Filmmaking Honour
15 July 2009 1:01 AM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news »
Veteran director Ron Howard will be honoured for his long-running filmmaking career at this year's Austin Film Festival.
Howard will receive the Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award annual event in October.
In a career spanning 50 years, the star has become one of the most successful moviemakers of all time, creating mega-hits such as Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind and Frost/Nixon and seeing his work pull in nine Oscars.
Howard will be on hand throughout the festival to host a series of panels for other filmmakers.
Previous recipients of the award include Oliver Stone, Sydney Pollack and Danny Boyle. »
Top 15 Performances in a Woody Allen Film
10 July 2009 1:53 PM, PDT | SoundOnSight | See recent SoundOnSight news »
Originally Posted in Creative Loafing [1] Tampa. Very few filmmakers are known for their casting power. Woody Allen [2] may be one of the best. He is always great at getting Hollywood's biggest movie stars and the latest indie up and comers into his films (and with perfect timing). He worked with Sally Hawkins [3] and Samantha Morton [4] right when they were about to hit it big. His latest, Whatever Works [5], has some of the most coveted actors around (Evan Rachel Wood [6], Larry David [7], and Patricia Clarkson [8]). Here are my 15 favorite performances in a Woody Allen film: 15) Rebecca Hall [9] - Vicky Cristina Barcelona [10] (2008) Hall is reminiscent of Kate Winslet [11] in that she can convey multiple emotions with astounding subtlety. Many consider Vicky to be the first female Woody Allen character. On paper maybe, but Hall turns the role into so much more, perfectly relating the character's fears and her longing to make life exciting and meaningful. »
- Anthony Nicholas
The Cinematic Frank Lloyd Wright
7 July 2009 6:00 AM, PDT | TribecaFilm.com | See recent Tribeca Film news »
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright was an indisputable American master of his craft: Taliesin, the Robie House, Oak Park, Fallingwater - the list goes on. In New York, Wright's crowning glory is the spirally iconic Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, found at 5th Avenue and 88th Street on Museum Mile. Wright's masterpiece has served as a backdrop in several films, most notably Woody Allen's Manhattan, Barry Sonnenfeld's Men in Black, and Sydney Pollack's Three Days of the Condor. Earlier this year, director Tom Tykwer used the museum to explosive advantage in the Clive Owen/Naomi Watts thriller The International. Since there was a climactic (and massive) shoot-out scene that took place in the museum's swirling atrium, the entire museum had to be rebuilt as a gigantic set. (Check out this behind-the-scenes video about the meticulous, six-week recreation process.) In anticipation of the Guggenheim's 50th birthday - being celebrated this »
Top 50 Hottest Young Actresses - Top 30
4 July 2009 12:06 AM, PDT | The Movie Fanatic | See recent The Movie Fanatic news »
Not only are they capable of lighting up the silver screen, they are also some of today's most talented young actresses, commanding huge fees - in some cases, in the millions. Many have won multiple awards, while others have starred in some of today's biggest box office hits. In short, we're listing down the cream of the crop!
Just like our recent Top 50 hottest young actors, we've narrowed down our list from 88 to 50, and set an age limit. If you miss seeing some of your favorites, so do we - including Maggie Gyllenhaal (31 years old) and Amy Adams (34 years old). Definitely some of the names you'll see on the list are emerging talents - the ones you will see getting the big roles in the near future - and some of them already have, with awards and nominations to boot.
Here's the updated Top 30 list! The names are getting more »
Top 50 Hottest Young Actresses - Top 30
4 July 2009 12:06 AM, PDT | The Movie Fanatic | See recent The Movie Fanatic news »
Not only are they capable of lighting up the silver screen, they are also some of today's most talented young actresses, commanding huge fees - in some cases, in the millions. Many have won multiple awards, while others have starred in some of today's biggest box office hits. In short, we're listing down the cream of the crop!
Just like our recent Top 50 hottest young actors, we've narrowed down our list from 88 to 50, and set an age limit. If you miss seeing some of your favorites, so do we - including Maggie Gyllenhaal (31 years old) and Amy Adams (34 years old). Definitely some of the names you'll see on the list are emerging talents - the ones you will see getting the big roles in the near future - and some of them already have, with awards and nominations to boot.
Here's the updated Top 30 list! The names are getting more »
Top 50 Hottest Young Actresses - Top 30
4 July 2009 12:06 AM, PDT | The Movie Fanatic | See recent The Movie Fanatic news »
Not only are they capable of lighting up the silver screen, they are also some of today's most talented young actresses, commanding huge fees - in some cases, in the millions. Many have won multiple awards, while others have starred in some of today's biggest box office hits. In short, we're listing down the cream of the crop!
Just like our recent Top 50 hottest young actors, we've narrowed down our list from 88 to 50, and set an age limit. If you miss seeing some of your favorites, so do we - including Maggie Gyllenhaal (31 years old) and Amy Adams (34 years old). Definitely some of the names you'll see on the list are emerging talents - the ones you will see getting the big roles in the near future - and some of them already have, with awards and nominations to boot.
Here's the updated Top 30 list! The names are getting more »
Julia Ormond: The Hollywood Interview
28 June 2009 5:54 PM, PDT | The Hollywood Interview | See recent The Hollywood Interview news »
Actress Julia Ormond
Julia Ormond Is “In Her Animal”
By
Julia Ormond made an auspicious debut as an actress in the landmark 1989 British miniseries Traffik, on which the Oscar-wining Steven Soderbergh film was later based, playing the drug-addicted daughter of a member of Parliament. By 1994, Ormond was being touted as the next Audrey Hepburn, with her old school glamour and classically-trained acting chops, earned at London’s prestigious Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts. High-profile turns in big studio pictures like Legends of the Fall and First Knight suddenly propelled the young, working actress into superstar status, with all the baggage that accompanies that much sought-after, and ultimately regrettable moniker.
With her turn in Sydney Pollack’s ill-fated remake of Billy Wilder’s classic Sabrina, in 1995, it all seemed to turn 180 degrees for Ormond, who suddenly found herself excoriated by the press that had built her up the year before. »
- The Hollywood Interview.com
Retro Cafe: 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three'
4 June 2009 9:50 PM, PDT | CinemaSpy | See recent CinemaSpy news »
Modern thrillers, and action films to an extent, seem to me to take themselves pretty seriously. I love the 'Bourne' films, which are probably the new benchmark of modern thriller filmmaking, but there seems very little time taken in contemporary thrillers to give the audience little respites of humor, even in the relationships between characters.
Action-thrillers from the 1970s seem to me to have a much greater sense of fun and levity to them. A film like The French Connection, doubtless as gritty and downright thrilling as any film you will ever see, has a huge number of terrific lines and moments between the lead characters that bring them down to earth and away from Superman-like invincibility.
Then there's The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. Not forgotten by any means, but there’s no doubt that it has been overtaken in the public's collective memory by the more revolutionary »
[DVD Review] Changing Lanes
28 May 2009 4:55 PM, PDT | JustPressPlay.net | See recent JustPressPlay news »
Allegories about sacrificed morality in a world shaded gray play well with audiences. Court room dramas, police procedurals and other formulas all offer protagonists with fading ethics in face of huge salaries and payoffs – but everything is tinged with a formal air. Either events happen in uniforms or court rooms, but either way the feature never delves to deep into the faults of true humanity. Changing Lanes focuses on a lawyer but forgoes the legal plot in favor of two men dipping below the law in favor of a more primitive solution. The entire scenario breathes fresh life into the common morality tale with its raw take on the pits of human rage – but the road it takes to get there leans too heavily on serendipitous chance.
Gavin Banek (Ben Affleck) just made partner in the law firm of his father-in-law (Sydney Pollack). Unfortunately, it seems he earned his rank »
- Lex Walker
3 Days of the Condor - Blu-ray Review
27 May 2009 9:09 AM, PDT | Monsters and Critics | See recent Monsters and Critics news »
The late Sydney Pollack takes the paranoia of Watergate and crafts it into this fine thriller starring Robert Redford. Alas, Pollack.s untimely death probably accounts for the lack of special features, but the film is certainly thrilling the first time round. Joe Turner (Robert Redford) is a reader. It.s not that he just reads novels for the enjoyment of it; he reads them for the Central Intelligence Agency. He works in a nondescript building in New York City and really doesn.t jibe with the .agency.. He reads material for any hint of hidden codes or other agenda harmful to the United States. Turner files a report on a low quality thriller he.s reading and sits back to »
- Jeff Swindoll
[DVD Review] 3 Days of the Condor
26 May 2009 6:39 AM, PDT | JustPressPlay.net | See recent JustPressPlay news »
3 Days of the Condor holds up as a terrifically directed spy vs. spy thriller that has been emulated and reproduced dozens of times since its 1975 release. Banking on public paranoia and the ever-looming danger of the Cold War, 3 Days of the Condor didn’t have to do too much in its own time to keep audiences gripped and interested – but the fact that it’s still able to provide a compelling story outside of its historic context speaks volumes of Sydney Pollack’s masterful creation of suspense and intrigue. Having the stellar cast that the film does didn’t hurt either.
Joseph Turner (Robert Redford) has one of the more mundane jobs the CIA has to offer: he reads books, magazines, transcripts and everything else trying to decipher leaks or similarities with sensitive intelligence. Scanning books and countless pages all day long, Joseph Turner’s code name of Condor is »
- Lex Walker
2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2001 | 2000 | 1997
1-20 of 62 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
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