“Let’s face it, I had a bad script,” director Michael Bay said on the commentary track of his debut feature film, Bad Boys. Bay isn’t wrong. Bad Boys relies on buddy comedy tropes already established in 1974’s Freebie and the Bean and 1982’s 48 Hrs., complete with nonsense plot points. “But I had real comic talent in my two stars.” Bay of course means Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. Drawn from the popular sitcoms Martin and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Lawrence and Smith saved the movie from the clunky script with their easy chemistry and comic timing.
At one point, however, Bad Boys had two very different stars in mind with a comic chemistry unlike that of Lawrence and Smith.
Live From Miami, It’s Saturday Night!
In the 1980s, there were no greater kingmakers than Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. Not only did the super producers turn...
At one point, however, Bad Boys had two very different stars in mind with a comic chemistry unlike that of Lawrence and Smith.
Live From Miami, It’s Saturday Night!
In the 1980s, there were no greater kingmakers than Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. Not only did the super producers turn...
- 6/10/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
Camerimage Film Festival, which is devoted to the art of cinematography, is to pay tribute to Peter Biziou. The British cinematographer, who won an Oscar for “Mississippi Burning,” and was BAFTA nominated for “The Truman Show,” will receive the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Biziou, the son of cinematographer-animator Leon Bijou, started his career at an animation company in London. In the mid-sixties, he started to light film sets for commercials and shorts, which helped foster “his innate intuition and his courage to implement innovation,” the festival said. He worked with the likes of Len Fulford, Bob Brooks, Terence Donovan, John Swannell and Frank Budgen.
His work with fashion photographer Robert Freeman brought an invitation for Biziou to be in charge of the visuals on Freeman’s fiction film debut, 1969’s “Secret World,” starring Jacqueline Bisset, which was well-received.
He then worked on Alan Parker’s “Bugsy Malone” (1976), Terry Jones...
Biziou, the son of cinematographer-animator Leon Bijou, started his career at an animation company in London. In the mid-sixties, he started to light film sets for commercials and shorts, which helped foster “his innate intuition and his courage to implement innovation,” the festival said. He worked with the likes of Len Fulford, Bob Brooks, Terence Donovan, John Swannell and Frank Budgen.
His work with fashion photographer Robert Freeman brought an invitation for Biziou to be in charge of the visuals on Freeman’s fiction film debut, 1969’s “Secret World,” starring Jacqueline Bisset, which was well-received.
He then worked on Alan Parker’s “Bugsy Malone” (1976), Terry Jones...
- 7/19/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Michael Lerner, the character actor known from films like “Godzilla,” “Elf,” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” and who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Barton Fink,” has died, as per a report in Variety. He was 81 years old.
The news was broken by his nephew, actor Sam Lerner, a series regular on “The Goldbergs.” He wrote on his Instagram page that “it’s hard to put into words how brilliant my uncle Michael was, and how influential he was to me. His stories always inspired me and made me fall in love with acting. He was the coolest, most confident, talented guy, and the fact that he was my blood will always make me feel special.” He added, “Rip Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban cigars, comfy chairs, and endless movie marathon.”
A carousel of images included pictures of Lerner on set in various costumes over the years,...
The news was broken by his nephew, actor Sam Lerner, a series regular on “The Goldbergs.” He wrote on his Instagram page that “it’s hard to put into words how brilliant my uncle Michael was, and how influential he was to me. His stories always inspired me and made me fall in love with acting. He was the coolest, most confident, talented guy, and the fact that he was my blood will always make me feel special.” He added, “Rip Michael, enjoy your unlimited Cuban cigars, comfy chairs, and endless movie marathon.”
A carousel of images included pictures of Lerner on set in various costumes over the years,...
- 4/10/2023
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
Michael Lerner, the busy Oscar-nominated character actor who had memorable turns as bombastic types in Barton Fink, Harlem Nights, Eight Men Out and so much more, has died. He was 81.
Lerner died Saturday night, according to an Instagram post from his nephew, Sam Lerner, who is also an actor (ABC’s The Goldbergs). The cause of death was not immediately known.
“It’s hard to put into words how brilliant my uncle Michael was, and how influential he was to me,” Sam wrote. “His stories always inspired me and made me fall in love with acting. He was the coolest, most confident, talented guy, and the fact that he was my blood will always make me feel special. Everyone that knows him knows how insane he was — in the best way.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sam Lerner (@samlerner)
Raised in a Brooklyn housing project as...
Lerner died Saturday night, according to an Instagram post from his nephew, Sam Lerner, who is also an actor (ABC’s The Goldbergs). The cause of death was not immediately known.
“It’s hard to put into words how brilliant my uncle Michael was, and how influential he was to me,” Sam wrote. “His stories always inspired me and made me fall in love with acting. He was the coolest, most confident, talented guy, and the fact that he was my blood will always make me feel special. Everyone that knows him knows how insane he was — in the best way.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sam Lerner (@samlerner)
Raised in a Brooklyn housing project as...
- 4/9/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Can you imagine a world without "The Dana Carvey Show?" To be fair, you probably can, as the ABC series only lasted for a meager eight episodes during the spring of 1996. While the show itself has gained a cult status over the decades, the real legacy of the series isn't about the show's impact on pop culture, but rather its bringing together of talent that would soon go on to impact pop culture.
Consider this staggering list of names involved: Robert Smigel, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Spike Feresten (writer for David Letterman and "Seinfeld"), Robert Carlock (future showrunner of "30 Rock"), Dino Stamatopoulos (future writer of "Community" and Starburns himself) and Charlie Kaufman were all among the people helping Carvey bring his surreal sketch comedy show to the small screen.
Yet the series may not have happened at all had Carvey not been smarting after a short-lived career as a...
Consider this staggering list of names involved: Robert Smigel, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Spike Feresten (writer for David Letterman and "Seinfeld"), Robert Carlock (future showrunner of "30 Rock"), Dino Stamatopoulos (future writer of "Community" and Starburns himself) and Charlie Kaufman were all among the people helping Carvey bring his surreal sketch comedy show to the small screen.
Yet the series may not have happened at all had Carvey not been smarting after a short-lived career as a...
- 2/12/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
UK filmmaker Alan Parker died aged 76 on Friday.
Tributes from across the industry have been paid to filmmaker Alan Parker, who died on Friday (July 31), aged 76.
Former colleagues talked warmly of Parker’s achievements as a filmmaker, his work for public bodies including the BFI and the UK Film Council, his loyalty to friends and his encouragement of young talent.
“Alan was my oldest and closest friend,” said producer David Puttman, Parker’s long-time collaborator with whom he first worked at Collett Dickenson Pearce (Cdp) in what was later called ‘the golden age of advertising’ in the 1960s. “I was...
Tributes from across the industry have been paid to filmmaker Alan Parker, who died on Friday (July 31), aged 76.
Former colleagues talked warmly of Parker’s achievements as a filmmaker, his work for public bodies including the BFI and the UK Film Council, his loyalty to friends and his encouragement of young talent.
“Alan was my oldest and closest friend,” said producer David Puttman, Parker’s long-time collaborator with whom he first worked at Collett Dickenson Pearce (Cdp) in what was later called ‘the golden age of advertising’ in the 1960s. “I was...
- 8/3/2020
- by 57¦Geoffrey Macnab¦41¦
- ScreenDaily
In the late 1970s, when Hollywood was in the middle of its most seismic transformation since the collapse of the studio system, there was a much-talked-about trend that seemed to fit all too snugly into the new world order. That was the arrival of hotshot British movie directors who had honed their craft in the rarefied world of English TV commercials.
At first there were two such transplants: Alan Parker and Ridley Scott. They were soon joined by Adrian Lyne (who made his first feature in 1980) and Scott’s younger brother, Tony Scott (who released his first major film in 1983). All four became players in the industry, and each developed his own style and brand and personality. Ridley Scott was the artiste of the group, crafting visionary sci-fi like “Alien” and “Blade Runner.” Adrian Lyne, director of “Foxes” and “Flashdance,” was the youth-culture maven, and Tony Scott, of “Top Gun” fame,...
At first there were two such transplants: Alan Parker and Ridley Scott. They were soon joined by Adrian Lyne (who made his first feature in 1980) and Scott’s younger brother, Tony Scott (who released his first major film in 1983). All four became players in the industry, and each developed his own style and brand and personality. Ridley Scott was the artiste of the group, crafting visionary sci-fi like “Alien” and “Blade Runner.” Adrian Lyne, director of “Foxes” and “Flashdance,” was the youth-culture maven, and Tony Scott, of “Top Gun” fame,...
- 7/31/2020
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Updated with latest reactions: Alan Parker, who died today at 76, was remembered Friday by colleagues and friends, with Andrew Lloyd Webber calling his Evita collaborator “one of the few directors to truly understand musicals on screen” and Matthew Modine, who starred in Parker’s 1984 drama Birdy, praising the director as a “great artist” who “transformed” the actor’s life.
And Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher explained the pivotal role Parker played in his life by casting the then-nine-year-old Fletcher as “Babyface” in 1975’s Bugsy Malone.
In a statement, Fletcher said:
Sir Alan inadvertently changed my life at the age of 9 when he stuck me at the end of a line of 30 kids, passing a baseball bat, all whilst saying ‘Give this to Babyface’. He told me to say something different on every take He generously made each moment unique and fun...
And Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher explained the pivotal role Parker played in his life by casting the then-nine-year-old Fletcher as “Babyface” in 1975’s Bugsy Malone.
In a statement, Fletcher said:
Sir Alan inadvertently changed my life at the age of 9 when he stuck me at the end of a line of 30 kids, passing a baseball bat, all whilst saying ‘Give this to Babyface’. He told me to say something different on every take He generously made each moment unique and fun...
- 7/31/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Innovative and acclaimed British director Alan Parker, died Friday, July 31, after a lengthy, but as yet undisclosed illness, according to Variety. He was 76.
Parker was nominated for two Best Director Oscars. One of those films was 1988’s Mississippi Burning, which highly dramatized the investigation of three murdered civil rights activists in 1964. The films starred Willem Dafoe and Gene Hackman, with the latter being nominated for Best Actor. Parker’s first Oscar nomination though came for the 1978 drama Midnight Express, another film based on true events. Oliver Stone won his first Oscar for the screenplay, which focused on Billy Hayes, who escaped a Turkish prison after being convicted of trying to smuggle hashish out of the country. Giorgio Moroder also won his first Oscar for composing the music. It was Parker’s second feature, and it was vastly different from his debut.
Alan Parker had a special connection with music. He...
Parker was nominated for two Best Director Oscars. One of those films was 1988’s Mississippi Burning, which highly dramatized the investigation of three murdered civil rights activists in 1964. The films starred Willem Dafoe and Gene Hackman, with the latter being nominated for Best Actor. Parker’s first Oscar nomination though came for the 1978 drama Midnight Express, another film based on true events. Oliver Stone won his first Oscar for the screenplay, which focused on Billy Hayes, who escaped a Turkish prison after being convicted of trying to smuggle hashish out of the country. Giorgio Moroder also won his first Oscar for composing the music. It was Parker’s second feature, and it was vastly different from his debut.
Alan Parker had a special connection with music. He...
- 7/31/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Alan Parker, an English movie director with an exceptionally wide-ranging oeuvre ranging from “Bugsy Malone” to “Evita,” from “Midnight Express” to “The Road to Wellville,” has died. He was 76.
The British Film Institute confirmed Parker’s death on Friday, noting he died after a long illness.
Parker was twice Oscar-nominated for best director, for 1978’s “Midnight Express” and for 1988’s Mississippi Burning.” While the director’s subject matter was eclectic, he did return frequently to the musical form: His films “Bugsy Malone,” “Fame,” “Pink Floyd the Wall,” “The Commitments” and “Evita” were all musicals or had strong musical elements in one form or another.
Parker’s first feature film, 1976’s “Bugsy Malone,” made a considerable splash for an audacious concept that worked only because everyone kept a straight face. The film was a Depression-era gangster musical cast entirely with children, the oldest perhaps 15. These included Jodie Foster and Scott Baio.
The British Film Institute confirmed Parker’s death on Friday, noting he died after a long illness.
Parker was twice Oscar-nominated for best director, for 1978’s “Midnight Express” and for 1988’s Mississippi Burning.” While the director’s subject matter was eclectic, he did return frequently to the musical form: His films “Bugsy Malone,” “Fame,” “Pink Floyd the Wall,” “The Commitments” and “Evita” were all musicals or had strong musical elements in one form or another.
Parker’s first feature film, 1976’s “Bugsy Malone,” made a considerable splash for an audacious concept that worked only because everyone kept a straight face. The film was a Depression-era gangster musical cast entirely with children, the oldest perhaps 15. These included Jodie Foster and Scott Baio.
- 7/31/2020
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Acclaimed UK director Alan Parker, a towering figure in the UK industry, passed away this morning following a lengthy illness, the British Film Institute has confirmed.
Two-time Oscar nominee Parker was best known for directing classic films including Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Mississippi Burning and The Commitments, as well as big-budget Madonna movie Evita.
Parker was a passionate supporter of the UK film industry and a founding member of the Directors Guild of Great Britain. He was the founding Chairman of the UK Film Council in 2000, a position he held for five years, and prior to that he was Chairman of the BFI. He received a Cbe in 1995 and a knighthood in 2002. He was also an Officier des Arts et Letters (France).
Parker was born in Islington, London, February 14, 1944. He began his career in advertising as a copywriter but quickly graduated to writing and directing commercials. By the late 1960s...
Two-time Oscar nominee Parker was best known for directing classic films including Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Mississippi Burning and The Commitments, as well as big-budget Madonna movie Evita.
Parker was a passionate supporter of the UK film industry and a founding member of the Directors Guild of Great Britain. He was the founding Chairman of the UK Film Council in 2000, a position he held for five years, and prior to that he was Chairman of the BFI. He received a Cbe in 1995 and a knighthood in 2002. He was also an Officier des Arts et Letters (France).
Parker was born in Islington, London, February 14, 1944. He began his career in advertising as a copywriter but quickly graduated to writing and directing commercials. By the late 1960s...
- 7/31/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
His body of work includes Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Mississippi Burning, The Commitments, Evita, Fame, Birdy, Angel Heart and Angela’s Ashes.
Acclaimed UK filmmaker Alan Parker died this morning (July 31) following a lengthy illness.
Parker was one of the UK’s most acclaimed and successful filmmakers, with a body of work including Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Mississippi Burning, The Commitments, Evita, Fame, Birdy, Angel Heart and Angela’s Ashes. His films won a combined 19 Baftas, 10 Golden Globes and 10 Oscars.
Parker was a passionate supporter of the UK film industry and was a founding member of the Directors Guild of Great Britain,...
Acclaimed UK filmmaker Alan Parker died this morning (July 31) following a lengthy illness.
Parker was one of the UK’s most acclaimed and successful filmmakers, with a body of work including Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Mississippi Burning, The Commitments, Evita, Fame, Birdy, Angel Heart and Angela’s Ashes. His films won a combined 19 Baftas, 10 Golden Globes and 10 Oscars.
Parker was a passionate supporter of the UK film industry and was a founding member of the Directors Guild of Great Britain,...
- 7/31/2020
- by 14¦Screen staff¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Carole Shelley, the Tony Award-winning actress who portrayed one of the Pigeon sisters in the stage, film and television versions of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple, has died. She was 79. Shelley passed away following a battle with cancer at her home in Manhattan on August 31.
The actress also was known for originating the role of Crage Hall headmistress Madame Morrible in the Broadway sensation "Wicked" in 2003.
Shelley won her Tony in 1979 for playing Mrs. Kendal, the gracious real-life English actress who befriends John Merrick, in the best play winner "The Elephant Man."
"I've learned a lot in playing her," Shelley, who started out as a comic actress, said in a 1979 interview with The New York Times. "So much of what I've been working toward in the past few years — the effort to achieve stillness, spareness, clarity in my acting — seems to have come together in Mrs. Kendal. She's been...
The actress also was known for originating the role of Crage Hall headmistress Madame Morrible in the Broadway sensation "Wicked" in 2003.
Shelley won her Tony in 1979 for playing Mrs. Kendal, the gracious real-life English actress who befriends John Merrick, in the best play winner "The Elephant Man."
"I've learned a lot in playing her," Shelley, who started out as a comic actress, said in a 1979 interview with The New York Times. "So much of what I've been working toward in the past few years — the effort to achieve stillness, spareness, clarity in my acting — seems to have come together in Mrs. Kendal. She's been...
- 9/4/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
Odd Couple actress Carole Shelley died Friday from cancer at her home in Manhattan. She was 79.
Born in London, Shelley was a star of stage and screen. She made her Broadway debut in 1965 in the original cast of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple. In 1975, she received a Tony Award nomination for her role in Alan Ayckbourn’s Absurd Person Singular. In 1979, she received another nomination and a win for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in the original company of The Elephant Man.
Shelley went on to reprise her role of Gwendolyn Pigeon in the film and TV series adaptation of The Odd Couple. She and Monica Evans are the only two actors to appear in all three major iterations of Simon’s play as the same characters.
Shelley’s award streak would continue as she won an Obie Award in 1982 for her work in the Off-Broadway...
Born in London, Shelley was a star of stage and screen. She made her Broadway debut in 1965 in the original cast of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple. In 1975, she received a Tony Award nomination for her role in Alan Ayckbourn’s Absurd Person Singular. In 1979, she received another nomination and a win for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in the original company of The Elephant Man.
Shelley went on to reprise her role of Gwendolyn Pigeon in the film and TV series adaptation of The Odd Couple. She and Monica Evans are the only two actors to appear in all three major iterations of Simon’s play as the same characters.
Shelley’s award streak would continue as she won an Obie Award in 1982 for her work in the Off-Broadway...
- 9/2/2018
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Imagine if you took DVD copies of The Road To Wellville, Eyes Wide Shut, and Sucker Punch, and you compressed them all together with some Finnish guy’s hydraulic press. If you took that mashed-up disk and popped it into the entertainment system, what came out on the TV would probably look a lot like this trailer for A Cure For Wellness. That’s not necessarily a criticism. Those three films went off the rails to varying degrees, but they were all visually arresting and striving for something tonally challenging. Director Gore Verbinski seems to be aiming for something in the center of their overlapping sets.
Written by Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road), and starring Chronicle’s Dane DeHaan and Nymphomaniac: Vol. II’s Mia Goth, this period piece follows a young executive who travels to a wellness center in the Swiss Alps to collect his company’s CEO. However once...
Written by Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road), and starring Chronicle’s Dane DeHaan and Nymphomaniac: Vol. II’s Mia Goth, this period piece follows a young executive who travels to a wellness center in the Swiss Alps to collect his company’s CEO. However once...
- 10/20/2016
- by Dennis DiClaudio
- avclub.com
"Directors do not improve with age", says Alan Parker, as he also chats about turning down Harry Potter...
Across Sir Alan Parker's career, he's made some very strong films. Birdy, The Commitments, Mississippi Burning, Fame, Angel Heart and Bugsy Malone instantly spring to mind. And heck, we've got a soft spot for The Road To Wellville, too.
However, Parker hasn't directed a movie since 2003's The Life Of David Gale. And he's now told the Bari International Film Festival that he has no plans to direct another. "Directors do not improve with age, they repeat themselves", he said during a session at the festival. "And while there are exceptions, their work generally does not get any better. This is the reason why I have decided not to make any more films".
He also added that the last screenplay that he penned "was the best thing I've ever created", but...
Across Sir Alan Parker's career, he's made some very strong films. Birdy, The Commitments, Mississippi Burning, Fame, Angel Heart and Bugsy Malone instantly spring to mind. And heck, we've got a soft spot for The Road To Wellville, too.
However, Parker hasn't directed a movie since 2003's The Life Of David Gale. And he's now told the Bari International Film Festival that he has no plans to direct another. "Directors do not improve with age, they repeat themselves", he said during a session at the festival. "And while there are exceptions, their work generally does not get any better. This is the reason why I have decided not to make any more films".
He also added that the last screenplay that he penned "was the best thing I've ever created", but...
- 3/24/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
News Simon Brew 28 Oct 2013 - 07:29
Alan Parker recalls his conference call with Warner Bros, where it became clear that he wasn't going to direct the first Harry Potter film.
It seems a long time ago now that Warner Bros was struggling to find the right director to take on the Harry Potter cinematic franchise. For a while, the first film, Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone, was heavily linked to Steven Spielberg. Spielberg reportedly wanted a level of control that didn't sit well with J K Rowling and Warner Bros - although that's never been fully confirmed - and eventually the job would go to Chris Columbus. He would go on to direct the first two films.
But British director Alan Parker - Bugsy Malone, The Commitments, Midnight Express, The Road To Wellville (we like that movie) - was also on the list. And in a Cannes Lions Learnings YouTube post,...
Alan Parker recalls his conference call with Warner Bros, where it became clear that he wasn't going to direct the first Harry Potter film.
It seems a long time ago now that Warner Bros was struggling to find the right director to take on the Harry Potter cinematic franchise. For a while, the first film, Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone, was heavily linked to Steven Spielberg. Spielberg reportedly wanted a level of control that didn't sit well with J K Rowling and Warner Bros - although that's never been fully confirmed - and eventually the job would go to Chris Columbus. He would go on to direct the first two films.
But British director Alan Parker - Bugsy Malone, The Commitments, Midnight Express, The Road To Wellville (we like that movie) - was also on the list. And in a Cannes Lions Learnings YouTube post,...
- 10/28/2013
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Odd List Simon Brew 20 Sep 2013 - 07:14
They don't make funny movies any more, right? Wrong. If you're looking for a laugh, then here are some you may have missed...
For this list, blame The Hangover Part III. It was whilst walking out of that film that I got into a chat with someone, who was bemoaning the lack of genuinely funny movie comedies. Certainly, big budget Hollywood comedies have no end of problems right now - with the occasional exception - but I couldn't help thinking of the many neglected gems that had gone through my DVD player over the past decade or so.
As such, I started to put this list together. It's inevitably subjective, as one person's comedy is another person's snore fest. But I've tried to dig out a mix of comedies from the past three decades that have either flown under the radar completely, or...
They don't make funny movies any more, right? Wrong. If you're looking for a laugh, then here are some you may have missed...
For this list, blame The Hangover Part III. It was whilst walking out of that film that I got into a chat with someone, who was bemoaning the lack of genuinely funny movie comedies. Certainly, big budget Hollywood comedies have no end of problems right now - with the occasional exception - but I couldn't help thinking of the many neglected gems that had gone through my DVD player over the past decade or so.
As such, I started to put this list together. It's inevitably subjective, as one person's comedy is another person's snore fest. But I've tried to dig out a mix of comedies from the past three decades that have either flown under the radar completely, or...
- 9/19/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
The varied and brilliant career of the director of Bugsy Malone and Fame is to be celebrated by a Bafta fellowship
From the custard pie guns of Bugsy Malone to the legwarmers of Fame; from the prison brutality of Midnight Express to the unalloyed musical joy of The Commitments – the career of Alan Parker in all its variety and brilliance is to be celebrated by a Bafta fellowship next month.
Parker, 68, follows in the footsteps of Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick and Elizabeth Taylor in receiving the honour. It is the British Academy of Film and Television Arts' equivalent to a lifetime achievement award, but the director is not worried about the signals that accepting such an award might send.
"I'm honoured by the award – flattered, really," he said on Tuesday. "A lot of people deserve it more than I do. I know film-makers who have refused these sort of things,...
From the custard pie guns of Bugsy Malone to the legwarmers of Fame; from the prison brutality of Midnight Express to the unalloyed musical joy of The Commitments – the career of Alan Parker in all its variety and brilliance is to be celebrated by a Bafta fellowship next month.
Parker, 68, follows in the footsteps of Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick and Elizabeth Taylor in receiving the honour. It is the British Academy of Film and Television Arts' equivalent to a lifetime achievement award, but the director is not worried about the signals that accepting such an award might send.
"I'm honoured by the award – flattered, really," he said on Tuesday. "A lot of people deserve it more than I do. I know film-makers who have refused these sort of things,...
- 1/23/2013
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
“Good evening” Oscar race. Prime for an Awards Season run, Fox Searchlight Pictures has set the release date for the upcoming drama Hitchcock - November 23, 2012. The latest poster is fantastic. The first trailer for the film will be here soon, so stay tuned. Hitchcock is a love story about one of the most influential filmmakers of the last century, Alfred Hitchcock and his wife and partner Alma Reville. The film takes place during the making of Hitchcock.s seminal movie Psycho.
The film stars Academy Award® winners Sir Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock and Dame Helen Mirren as his wife, Alma. Sacha Gervasi, whose big screen debut, Anvil! The Story Of Anvil won the 2010 Best Documentary Feature prize at the Independent Spirit Awards, will direct from a screenplay by John McLaughlin, revisions by Ryan Murphy, Stephen Rebello and Sacha Gervasi, based on the book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello.
The film stars Academy Award® winners Sir Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock and Dame Helen Mirren as his wife, Alma. Sacha Gervasi, whose big screen debut, Anvil! The Story Of Anvil won the 2010 Best Documentary Feature prize at the Independent Spirit Awards, will direct from a screenplay by John McLaughlin, revisions by Ryan Murphy, Stephen Rebello and Sacha Gervasi, based on the book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello.
- 9/20/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Fox Searchlight Pictures has released this first look of Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock in the upcoming drama Hitchcock (via People.com). Last week principal photography for Hitchcock started on April 13th in Los Angeles. I have to admit, with all the prosthetics on, the resemblance is remarkable.
The film will star Academy Award® winners Sir Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock and Dame Helen Mirren as his wife, Alma. Sacha Gervasi, whose big screen debut, Anvil! The Story Of Anvil won the 2010 Best Documentary Feature prize at the Independent Spirit Awards, will direct from a screenplay by John McLaughlin, revisions by Ryan Murphy, Stephen Rebello and Sacha Gervasi, based on the book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello.
Hitchcock is a love story about one of the most influential filmmakers of the last century, Alfred Hitchcock and his wife and partner Alma Reville. The film takes...
The film will star Academy Award® winners Sir Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock and Dame Helen Mirren as his wife, Alma. Sacha Gervasi, whose big screen debut, Anvil! The Story Of Anvil won the 2010 Best Documentary Feature prize at the Independent Spirit Awards, will direct from a screenplay by John McLaughlin, revisions by Ryan Murphy, Stephen Rebello and Sacha Gervasi, based on the book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello.
Hitchcock is a love story about one of the most influential filmmakers of the last century, Alfred Hitchcock and his wife and partner Alma Reville. The film takes...
- 4/18/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
We all love The Karate Kid. No, not the ridiculously long remake that featured Kung-Fu instead of Karate despite its name, we're talking the original, man! Why are we talking about that? Because some interesting Hitchcock casting news has just broken.
According to Deadline, Daniel-san himself, Ralph Macchio, has signed on to Hitchcock. Macchio will play Psycho screenwriter Joe Stefano. Anthony Hopkins plays Hitchcock, Helen Mirren plays Alma Reville, Scarlett Johansson plays Janet Leigh, and Jessica Biehl plays Vera Miles.
From a Previous Press Release
Fox Searchlight Pictures and Montecito Pictures announced that principal photography for the drama Hitchcock began on April 13th in Los Angeles. The film will star Academy Award® winners Sir Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock and Dame Helen Mirren as his wife, Alma. Sacha Gervasi, whose big screen debut, Anvil! The Story Of Anvil won the 2010 Best Documentary Feature prize at the Independent Spirit Awards, will...
According to Deadline, Daniel-san himself, Ralph Macchio, has signed on to Hitchcock. Macchio will play Psycho screenwriter Joe Stefano. Anthony Hopkins plays Hitchcock, Helen Mirren plays Alma Reville, Scarlett Johansson plays Janet Leigh, and Jessica Biehl plays Vera Miles.
From a Previous Press Release
Fox Searchlight Pictures and Montecito Pictures announced that principal photography for the drama Hitchcock began on April 13th in Los Angeles. The film will star Academy Award® winners Sir Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock and Dame Helen Mirren as his wife, Alma. Sacha Gervasi, whose big screen debut, Anvil! The Story Of Anvil won the 2010 Best Documentary Feature prize at the Independent Spirit Awards, will...
- 4/17/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Fox Searchlight Pictures and Montecito Pictures announced today that principal photography for the drama Hitchcock will start on April 13th in Los Angeles. The film will star Academy Award® winners Sir Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock and Dame Helen Mirren as his wife, Alma. Sacha Gervasi, whose big screen debut, Anvil! The Story Of Anvil won the 2010 Best Documentary Feature prize at the Independent Spirit Awards, will direct from a screenplay by John McLaughlin, revisions by Ryan Murphy, Stephen Rebello and Sacha Gervasi, based on the book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello. Ivan Reitman, Tom Pollock and Joe Medjuck of Montecito Pictures (Up In The Air) will produce along with Tom Thayer and Alan Barnette. Ali Bell and Richard Middleton will be executive producers. The film will be co-financed by Fox Searchlight Pictures and Cold Spring Pictures. Hitchcock will be released worldwide by Fox Searchlight Pictures.
- 4/13/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Good news for fans anticipating Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho and for journalists tired of writing out that insanely long title ... the flick is officially starting production under the sleeker moniker, Hitchcock. Read on for the details.
From the Press Release
Fox Searchlight Pictures and Montecito Pictures announced today that principal photography for the drama Hitchcock will start on April 13th in Los Angeles. The film will star Academy Award® winners Sir Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock and Dame Helen Mirren as his wife, Alma. Sacha Gervasi, whose big screen debut, Anvil! The Story Of Anvil won the 2010 Best Documentary Feature prize at the Independent Spirit Awards, will direct from a screenplay by John McLaughlin, revisions by Ryan Murphy, Stephen Rebello and Sacha Gervasi, based on the book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello. Ivan Reitman, Tom Pollock and Joe Medjuck of Montecito Pictures...
From the Press Release
Fox Searchlight Pictures and Montecito Pictures announced today that principal photography for the drama Hitchcock will start on April 13th in Los Angeles. The film will star Academy Award® winners Sir Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock and Dame Helen Mirren as his wife, Alma. Sacha Gervasi, whose big screen debut, Anvil! The Story Of Anvil won the 2010 Best Documentary Feature prize at the Independent Spirit Awards, will direct from a screenplay by John McLaughlin, revisions by Ryan Murphy, Stephen Rebello and Sacha Gervasi, based on the book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello. Ivan Reitman, Tom Pollock and Joe Medjuck of Montecito Pictures...
- 4/12/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of ‘Psycho’, the story of how Hollywood’s legendary master of suspense made one of the seminal horror films of all time, has begun production, according to a new announcement from Fox Searchlight Pictures and Montecito Pictures.
The film — starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Dame Helen Mirren — also has a new, one word title. It will simply be called Hitchcock. If you hadn’t noticed already, Hollywood has a current preference for one-word titles. This one happens to work for us.
The film will be directed by first-time helmer, Sacha Gervasi. Production will begin in Los Angeles on Friday.
Gervasi co-wrote Steven Spielberg’s 2004 film The Terminal and also won the Best Documentary award at the 2010 Independent Spirit Awards for Anvil! The Story of Anvil.
Below is the full announcement:
Fox Searchlight Pictures and Montecito Pictures announced today that principal photography for the drama Hitchcock...
The film — starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Dame Helen Mirren — also has a new, one word title. It will simply be called Hitchcock. If you hadn’t noticed already, Hollywood has a current preference for one-word titles. This one happens to work for us.
The film will be directed by first-time helmer, Sacha Gervasi. Production will begin in Los Angeles on Friday.
Gervasi co-wrote Steven Spielberg’s 2004 film The Terminal and also won the Best Documentary award at the 2010 Independent Spirit Awards for Anvil! The Story of Anvil.
Below is the full announcement:
Fox Searchlight Pictures and Montecito Pictures announced today that principal photography for the drama Hitchcock...
- 4/12/2012
- by Robert Falconer
- CinemaSpy
Nick (George Eads) is at an art galley with a thus far unnamed woman, who we're meant to assume is his date. They talk about the exhibits and she asks what's significant about the pieces. Nick decides to play along with one exhibit, when some liquid drips onto his shirt which he identifies as human remains. Db (Ted Danson) arrives at the scene and questions Nick on his date. He replies she's Doc Robbins (Robert David Hall) niece, Callie (Caitlin Custer) and he's showing her around. Db thinks there's more to it than that. Nick has removed his shirt (well he's wearing a vest underneath!) and catches the dripping liquid in a cup. The artist, Slade's (Theo Stockman) work is from things he found discarded at a rubbish tip and Db wants the location, or it's the Bastille (jail) for him. Blocks of cement are found at the tip and...
- 4/3/2012
- by mhasan@corp.popstar.com (Mila Hasan)
- PopStar
The Great American Cereal Book: How Breakfast got its Crunch
By Marty Gitlin and Topher Ellis
Abrams Image. Hardcover. 368 pages. $19.95
Come breakfast time, my kitchen cabinet holds a limited, and boring, offering of ready-to-eat cereals; just some Kellogg’s Raisin Bran and a box of Honey-Nut Cheerios. In my mid-fifties, breakfast cereal no longer holds any importance in my life. To tell the truth, if I’m going to have cereal, I would much rather sit down with a bowl of Quaker Oatmeal and leave the cold, crunchy stuff for when I’m feeling especially lazy.
But, as The Great American Cereal Book: How Breakfast Got Its Crunch reminds me, once upon a time, in that galaxy far, far away of childhood, breakfast cereal was important. Very important. The Golden Age of comic books, as someone once observed, is eleven years old. That is, whatever it is we’re exposed...
By Marty Gitlin and Topher Ellis
Abrams Image. Hardcover. 368 pages. $19.95
Come breakfast time, my kitchen cabinet holds a limited, and boring, offering of ready-to-eat cereals; just some Kellogg’s Raisin Bran and a box of Honey-Nut Cheerios. In my mid-fifties, breakfast cereal no longer holds any importance in my life. To tell the truth, if I’m going to have cereal, I would much rather sit down with a bowl of Quaker Oatmeal and leave the cold, crunchy stuff for when I’m feeling especially lazy.
But, as The Great American Cereal Book: How Breakfast Got Its Crunch reminds me, once upon a time, in that galaxy far, far away of childhood, breakfast cereal was important. Very important. The Golden Age of comic books, as someone once observed, is eleven years old. That is, whatever it is we’re exposed...
- 2/23/2012
- by Paul Kupperberg
- Comicmix.com
Author T.C. Boyle has written evocatively about an extraordinary range of subjects, but the common thread is an interest in characters whose idealism proves incompatible with reality. Whether they’re hippies (Drop City), environmentalists (When The Killing’s Done), or historical figures like Alfred Kinsey (The Inner Circle) or John Harvey Kellogg (The Road To Wellville), they face compromises that may be necessary, or may corrupt their souls. Based on a Boyle short story—originally published in The New Yorker, then later in the anthology Wild Child And Other Stories—Joshua Leonard’s perceptive The Lie runs the theme ...
- 11/17/2011
- avclub.com
Fans of Maggie Gyllenhaal and her mischievous eye gleams will be pleased to learn that her upcoming period rom-com, Hysteria, now has a trailer. The film also features Hugh Dancy and Jonathan Pryce as doctors treating cases of hysteria in Victorian London, as well as turns from Rupert Everett and Felicity Jones. The film, whose light-heartedness and wacky contraptions may call to mind The Road to Wellville, purports to tell the story of how motorized sex aids were accidentally discovered in Victorian England around 1880 by Dr. Joseph Mortimer Granville, Dancy's character. The vibrator's actual provenance is still disputed, and Granville's invention was followed at the turn of the century by an American steam-powered prototype known as a "manipulator." Interestingly, it came to market before the plug-in vacuum cleaner and iron, an early symbolic victory for female liberation perhaps. Gyllenhaal looks like she had fun [...]...
- 8/17/2011
- Nerve
Yesterday was not only the anniversary of Elvis's alleged death, but it also happened to be my birthday, which led a friend to post this well-wish on my Facebook Wall: "Today is the day you exited a vagina. Never forget that." Technically, I'm a C-Section baby, but her point remains the same -- vaginae are people, too, and as such they deserve the same rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that everyone else does. It's one of the why's of vagina-rhymed Pajiba. Well, today happens to be the twelfth anniversary of my cousin's birth, so to honor he and his mother, even though they're also C-Section survivors, I bring you the trailer for a film that he is far too young to watch. Or, at least, get. Hopefully.
It isn't official or anything, but I'm calling Hysteria Maggie Gyllenhaal's spiritual sexquel to Secretary, with a motorized feather duster replacing James Spader.
It isn't official or anything, but I'm calling Hysteria Maggie Gyllenhaal's spiritual sexquel to Secretary, with a motorized feather duster replacing James Spader.
- 8/17/2011
- by Rob Payne
A new comedy about the invention of the vibrator, Hysteria stars Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hugh Dancy and Rupert Everett. Here’s the first trailer for it…
Making its debut at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, Hysteria is a film that, bluntly, covers the invention of the vibrator.
It’s clearly having a lot of fun with the concept too, and is taking a tone that doesn’t look a million miles away from Alan Parker’s underrated The Road To Wellville (anyone else remember that?)
The cast includes Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce and Rupert Everett. And the first trailer for the film can be found below…
Follow Den Of Geek on Twitter right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
Making its debut at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, Hysteria is a film that, bluntly, covers the invention of the vibrator.
It’s clearly having a lot of fun with the concept too, and is taking a tone that doesn’t look a million miles away from Alan Parker’s underrated The Road To Wellville (anyone else remember that?)
The cast includes Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce and Rupert Everett. And the first trailer for the film can be found below…
Follow Den Of Geek on Twitter right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
- 8/17/2011
- Den of Geek
Salvation Boulevard is a film that found distribution at Sundance likely thanks to a high-power cast, because the reviews were middling and occasionally dismal. The roster for this comedy that skewers personality run amok and the power of fringe religious organizations is pretty serious: Pierce Brosnan, Ed Harris, Jim Gaffigan, Marisa Tomei and Jennifer Connelly. Reading reviews, which largely took the film to task for being unfunny, I wasn't certain what to expect from the film. But a trailer is out in the wild now, and it makes clear that a lot of manic energy went into this movie. It also suggests that despite the wild mugging of actors who are usually more controlled (Jennifer Connelly, for example) the picture might be more noise and fury than anything else. (Which is to say, it might just be crap.) Too bad, because the cast has so much promise. Check out the trailer after the break.
- 5/24/2011
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
Have I Got News For You is back, Breaking Bad ends in the UK for now, and The Walking Dead walk again in the UK. Plus films! Lots of them!
The long running comedy panel series, Have I Got News For You, which began in 1990, returns for its forty-first series of goes at politicians and the more bizarre aspects of news and life tonight, Friday, April 8th at 9:00pm on BBC1. Team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton return to their chairs and the premiering guest host is the cheery Jack Dee, in the first of nine episodes in this latest series.
Also tonight, Friday, April 8th, but a little later at 11:25pm on 5Usa, is the series 2 finale of the excellent Breaking Bad. We haven't heard when series 3 might reach us, but if you have any plans to watch when it does, you'll want to be sure...
The long running comedy panel series, Have I Got News For You, which began in 1990, returns for its forty-first series of goes at politicians and the more bizarre aspects of news and life tonight, Friday, April 8th at 9:00pm on BBC1. Team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton return to their chairs and the premiering guest host is the cheery Jack Dee, in the first of nine episodes in this latest series.
Also tonight, Friday, April 8th, but a little later at 11:25pm on 5Usa, is the series 2 finale of the excellent Breaking Bad. We haven't heard when series 3 might reach us, but if you have any plans to watch when it does, you'll want to be sure...
- 4/7/2011
- Den of Geek
T.C. Boyle’s novels persistently measure the distance between idealists’ visions and how far human nature keeps them from the mark. As such, his work is steeped in irony and hypocrisy, from John Harvey Kellogg’s quest for clean living through breakfast cereal (among other remedies) in Boyle’s 1993 breakthrough The Road To Wellville to California hippies bringing their communal naïveté to Alaska in 2003’s superb Drop City. So it follows that his unsparing assessment of human nature would bleed into the savagery of actual nature in When The Killing’s Done, a sprawling account of ...
- 2/17/2011
- avclub.com
Anthony Hopkins is the master cereal-maker and iffy health practitioner in Alan Parker's 1994 biopic. But was serving potty humour at the breakfast table really such a Grrrrreat idea?
Director: Alan Parker
Entertainment grade: E
History grade: C–
John Harvey Kellogg was the proprietor of a health farm in Battle Creek, Michigan, and the inventor of Kellogg's Corn Flakes.
Philosophy
John Harvey Kellogg (Anthony Hopkins) begins the film on an exercise machine, explaining to journalists his philosophy of health. It seems to revolve around vegetarianism, defecation, the avoidance of masturbation … and cornflakes. "The cornflake, sir, is just one of 75 of my creations for healthy living, among them peanut butter and the electric blanket," he says. Kellogg did invent an electric blanket and held an 1897 patent for a preparation of peanut butter, though other people also invented those things around the same time. As for the other obsessions: his vegetarianism wasn't...
Director: Alan Parker
Entertainment grade: E
History grade: C–
John Harvey Kellogg was the proprietor of a health farm in Battle Creek, Michigan, and the inventor of Kellogg's Corn Flakes.
Philosophy
John Harvey Kellogg (Anthony Hopkins) begins the film on an exercise machine, explaining to journalists his philosophy of health. It seems to revolve around vegetarianism, defecation, the avoidance of masturbation … and cornflakes. "The cornflake, sir, is just one of 75 of my creations for healthy living, among them peanut butter and the electric blanket," he says. Kellogg did invent an electric blanket and held an 1897 patent for a preparation of peanut butter, though other people also invented those things around the same time. As for the other obsessions: his vegetarianism wasn't...
- 7/29/2010
- by Alex von Tunzelmann
- The Guardian - Film News
When I interviewed Bill Nighy last year, three things seemed to stand out about the man. One, he shakes hands with only the front part of three fingers like I have to imagine witches do. Two, he had a greater sense of humor about himself than anyone else I've ever met. Three, he was insanely, effortlessly cool. He continues to exude both coolness and the self-effacing grace that makes him such a charismatic personality (aside from the willingness to star in serious work and movies about werewolves fighting vampires) by claiming that he can't stand the experience of watching movies that he's in. He, like most actors who have thrown out that claim in the past, seems completely put off by seeing himself on screen. Hardly an original claim, but one that rings true for anyone who has ever seen a bad photo of themselves (be they regional theater actors or international film stars). So I decided...
- 11/24/2009
- by Dr. Cole Abaius
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
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