Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.FESTIVALSMay Days.As many as 200 French film festival workers plan to stage labor actions during Cannes, citing insufficient pay and the exclusion of many festival staff from unemployment benefits when they are not under contract. The movement is being organized under the banner of Sous Les Écrans La Dèche: Collectif Des Précaires Des Festivals De Cinéma.A new report outlines the institutional dysfunction at the Toronto International Film Festival, which recently lost the support of the telecommunications company Bell as its major sponsor. Citing a desire for “greater accessibility,” Slamdance Film Festival will relocate from Park City, Ut, to Los Angeles in 2025.NEWSHarlan County, U.S.A..Now that all thirteen IATSE locals have reached tentative agreements with the AMPTP,...
- 5/1/2024
- MUBI
Last Saturday, at the TCM Classic Film Festival in Los Angeles (via The Hollywood Reporter), “Holdovers” director Alexander Payne presented The Robert Osborne Award — an award named for the late TCM anchor that honors individuals dedicated to preserving classic film history — to an educator and historian that many people may not have heard of. Her name is Jeanine Basinger and before her 60-year career teaching at Wesleyan University, or writing 13 books on film that continue to inspire, she was a movie theater usher in a town in South Dakota with only two venues. So vast was her love for the medium that, according to Payne, she worked “at both theaters.”
It was this love that fostered a passion in Payne as well despite never having had a single class with Basinger. In his speech to her, he said, “I didn’t go to Wesleyan. And I would say she’s...
It was this love that fostered a passion in Payne as well despite never having had a single class with Basinger. In his speech to her, he said, “I didn’t go to Wesleyan. And I would say she’s...
- 4/27/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
On the heels of The Holdovers, two-time Oscar winner Alexander Payne has found his next project — and it will mark the esteemed filmmaker’s documentary directorial debut, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Payne is currently in production on — and targeting a 2025 release for — a documentary feature about the trailblazing film scholar Jeanine Basinger, tracing her story from her days as a movie theater usher in Brookings, South Dakota, to Connecticut’s Wesleyan University. Throughout her 60-year career, she built from scratch one of the nation’s first and finest film studies programs; authored 13 highly influential books about film, including two that recently made THR’s list of the 100 greatest of all time; and shaped generations of people who, in turn, have shaped every segment of the American film industry.
Sam Wasson, a former student of Basinger’s at Wesleyan and an esteemed writer who was her co-author of the 2022 book Hollywood: The Oral History,...
Payne is currently in production on — and targeting a 2025 release for — a documentary feature about the trailblazing film scholar Jeanine Basinger, tracing her story from her days as a movie theater usher in Brookings, South Dakota, to Connecticut’s Wesleyan University. Throughout her 60-year career, she built from scratch one of the nation’s first and finest film studies programs; authored 13 highly influential books about film, including two that recently made THR’s list of the 100 greatest of all time; and shaped generations of people who, in turn, have shaped every segment of the American film industry.
Sam Wasson, a former student of Basinger’s at Wesleyan and an esteemed writer who was her co-author of the 2022 book Hollywood: The Oral History,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jeanine Basinger, a veteran film professor, historian and author, helped build Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, into a film powerhouse during her 60 years at the institution. On April 20, the esteemed academic will receive the TCM Classic Film Festival’s Robert Osborne Award, which recognizes an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive for future generations. Its four previous recipients were Martin Scorsese and film historians/authors Kevin Brownlow, Leonard Maltin and Donald Bogle. Basinger, a youthful 88, spoke with THR about her life and career.
How did you fall in love with movies?
Jeanine Basinger
I grew up in South Dakota, and at 11 I got a job as an usher at a local movie theater. My film school was watching movies — and how audiences reacted to them — over and over again. I began visiting film archives and interviewing film personalities who responded to my outreach. I was hooked.
How did you fall in love with movies?
Jeanine Basinger
I grew up in South Dakota, and at 11 I got a job as an usher at a local movie theater. My film school was watching movies — and how audiences reacted to them — over and over again. I began visiting film archives and interviewing film personalities who responded to my outreach. I was hooked.
- 4/12/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Opening night of the TCM Classic Film Festival next week will also serve as a Pulp Fiction reunion.
Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Rosanna Arquette and Harvey Keitel are among those joining John Travolta on April 18 for the 30th anniversary, 35mm screening of Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994) at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
Fellow actors Eric Stoltz, Julia Sweeney, Frank Whaley, Phil Lamarr and Burr Steers, producer Lawrence Bender and executive producers Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher are expected to be there as well.
As previously announced, actor Billy Dee Williams and makeup artist Lois Burwell will be honored at the 15th annual festival; author Jeanine Basinger will receive the Robert Osborne Award; and Jodie Foster will partake in a hand- and footprint ceremony.
The festival, with the theme “Most Wanted: Crime and Justice in Film,” runs through April 21 at venues including the rejuvenated Egyptian Theatre.
Among those...
Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Rosanna Arquette and Harvey Keitel are among those joining John Travolta on April 18 for the 30th anniversary, 35mm screening of Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994) at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
Fellow actors Eric Stoltz, Julia Sweeney, Frank Whaley, Phil Lamarr and Burr Steers, producer Lawrence Bender and executive producers Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher are expected to be there as well.
As previously announced, actor Billy Dee Williams and makeup artist Lois Burwell will be honored at the 15th annual festival; author Jeanine Basinger will receive the Robert Osborne Award; and Jodie Foster will partake in a hand- and footprint ceremony.
The festival, with the theme “Most Wanted: Crime and Justice in Film,” runs through April 21 at venues including the rejuvenated Egyptian Theatre.
Among those...
- 4/8/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Those attending the 15th annual TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood next month will have an opportunity to engage with Mel Brooks and Vitaphone, both born in 1926. One’s extinct, the other’s still going strong.
While Brooks, 97, will be on hand for a closing-night screening of his 1987 comedy Spaceballs, six Vitaphone vaudeville shorts from the 1920s will be projected in 35mm, with sound played back from their original 16-inch discs on a turntable designed and engineered by Warner Bros.’ postproduction engineering department.
Also announced Thursday:
• Steven Spielberg will participate in a Q&a with Howard Suber — the UCLA faculty member at the center of the recent six-part TCM documentary The Power of Film — ahead of a director’s cut of Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977);
• Nancy Meyers and Alexander Payne, respectively, will introduce world premiere restorations of Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959) and John Ford’s The Searchers...
While Brooks, 97, will be on hand for a closing-night screening of his 1987 comedy Spaceballs, six Vitaphone vaudeville shorts from the 1920s will be projected in 35mm, with sound played back from their original 16-inch discs on a turntable designed and engineered by Warner Bros.’ postproduction engineering department.
Also announced Thursday:
• Steven Spielberg will participate in a Q&a with Howard Suber — the UCLA faculty member at the center of the recent six-part TCM documentary The Power of Film — ahead of a director’s cut of Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977);
• Nancy Meyers and Alexander Payne, respectively, will introduce world premiere restorations of Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959) and John Ford’s The Searchers...
- 3/21/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will open the 15th annual TCM Classic Film Festival on Thursday, April 18 with a 35mm screening of the classic neo-noir Pulp Fiction (1994). Two-time Academy Award nominee John Travolta will attend to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film.
Pulp Fiction kicks off a weekend of programming set within the theme “Most Wanted: Crime and Justice in Film,” as well as the 30th anniversary of the network.
“Pulp Fiction is one of the most important and influential movies of the 1990s. It was Quentin Tarantino’s magnum opus and the beginning of a well-deserved comeback for John Travolta,” said Ben Mankiewicz, TCM primetime anchor and official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. “Like Bonnie and Clyde and The Godfather, it changed our thinking about the type of stories Hollywood could tell.”
Pulp Fiction gives an inside look at a community of criminals, starring Travolta, Uma Thurman,...
Pulp Fiction kicks off a weekend of programming set within the theme “Most Wanted: Crime and Justice in Film,” as well as the 30th anniversary of the network.
“Pulp Fiction is one of the most important and influential movies of the 1990s. It was Quentin Tarantino’s magnum opus and the beginning of a well-deserved comeback for John Travolta,” said Ben Mankiewicz, TCM primetime anchor and official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. “Like Bonnie and Clyde and The Godfather, it changed our thinking about the type of stories Hollywood could tell.”
Pulp Fiction gives an inside look at a community of criminals, starring Travolta, Uma Thurman,...
- 2/16/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Grab your royale with cheese and double-check your grandfather’s watch because “Pulp Fiction” just turned 30.
To honor the anniversary of the Oscar-winning Quentin Tarantino film, the 2024 Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival will kick off with a special 35mm screening of “Pulp Fiction.” Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe and Emmy winner John Travolta will be in attendance to toast to his 1994 comeback role.
“‘Pulp Fiction’ is one of the most important and influential movies of the 1990s. It was Quentin Tarantino’s magnum opus and the beginning of a well-deserved comeback for John Travolta,” TCM Classic Film Festival host and TCM primetime anchor Ben Mankiewicz said. “Like ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ and ‘The Godfather,’ it changed our thinking about the type of stories Hollywood could tell.”
The theme of tje 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival is “Most Wanted: Crime and Justice in Film” to mark the network’s 30th anniversary.
To honor the anniversary of the Oscar-winning Quentin Tarantino film, the 2024 Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival will kick off with a special 35mm screening of “Pulp Fiction.” Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe and Emmy winner John Travolta will be in attendance to toast to his 1994 comeback role.
“‘Pulp Fiction’ is one of the most important and influential movies of the 1990s. It was Quentin Tarantino’s magnum opus and the beginning of a well-deserved comeback for John Travolta,” TCM Classic Film Festival host and TCM primetime anchor Ben Mankiewicz said. “Like ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ and ‘The Godfather,’ it changed our thinking about the type of stories Hollywood could tell.”
The theme of tje 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival is “Most Wanted: Crime and Justice in Film” to mark the network’s 30th anniversary.
- 2/15/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has a full slate of programming set for this year, as the classic movie home celebrates its 30th anniversary.
The 15th annual TCM Classic Film Festival in April will honor film historian Jeanine Basinger with the Robert Osborne Award, and pay tribute to actor Billy Dee Williams and makeup artist Lois Burwell.
Additionally, The Plot Thickens, TCM’s official podcast about movies and the people who make them will debut later in the year following the release of Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast, TCM’s latest podcast in tandem with Max.
Extending beyond the screen, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood will introduce a WB/TCM Classic Movie Tour in April.
“With the 30th year of TCM upon us, we both look back at all that’s been built over the last several decades and look ahead at what is undoubtedly one of the most exciting times in TCM’s history,...
The 15th annual TCM Classic Film Festival in April will honor film historian Jeanine Basinger with the Robert Osborne Award, and pay tribute to actor Billy Dee Williams and makeup artist Lois Burwell.
Additionally, The Plot Thickens, TCM’s official podcast about movies and the people who make them will debut later in the year following the release of Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast, TCM’s latest podcast in tandem with Max.
Extending beyond the screen, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood will introduce a WB/TCM Classic Movie Tour in April.
“With the 30th year of TCM upon us, we both look back at all that’s been built over the last several decades and look ahead at what is undoubtedly one of the most exciting times in TCM’s history,...
- 1/12/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Turner Classic Movies has a lot going on as it celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
On Friday, execs from the beloved cable channel unveiled a new podcast, 2024 programming initiatives, a new branded studio tour of the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank and details about the 15th annual TCM Classic Film Festival in April.
On Jan. 16, TCM and sister streamer Max will debut Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast. TCM host Ben Mankiewicz will join filmmakers and actors as they discuss “their earliest film memories, favorite movies, creative influences and guilty pleasures,” with guests including Mel Brooks, Nancy Meyers and Patty Jenkins.
The TCM podcast The Plot Thickens is returning this year for a fifth season, with the subject yet to be disclosed.
In April, TCM will introduce a new franchise, Two for One, with prominent filmmakers co-hosting a double feature of their choice on Saturday nights. Guests will include Jenkins,...
On Friday, execs from the beloved cable channel unveiled a new podcast, 2024 programming initiatives, a new branded studio tour of the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank and details about the 15th annual TCM Classic Film Festival in April.
On Jan. 16, TCM and sister streamer Max will debut Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast. TCM host Ben Mankiewicz will join filmmakers and actors as they discuss “their earliest film memories, favorite movies, creative influences and guilty pleasures,” with guests including Mel Brooks, Nancy Meyers and Patty Jenkins.
The TCM podcast The Plot Thickens is returning this year for a fifth season, with the subject yet to be disclosed.
In April, TCM will introduce a new franchise, Two for One, with prominent filmmakers co-hosting a double feature of their choice on Saturday nights. Guests will include Jenkins,...
- 1/12/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Turner Classic Movies has announced that the network will celebrate its 30th anniversary with special themes, spotlights and stars to be included in the 2024 programming slate and upcoming tentpole events.
The classic movie channel celebrated its 30th anniversary on Friday with a reception at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. Charlie Tabesh, longtime TCM programming executive, confirmed at the gathering that filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson have extended their deals to serve as consultants to TCM for another year.
At the 15th TCM Classic Film Festival in April, TCM will bestow film historian Jeanine Basinger with the Robert Osborne Award and present tributes to actor Billy Dee Williams and makeup artist Lois Burwell. Additionally, a new TCM podcast called “The Plot Thickens,” which focuses on “movies and the people who make them” will be released after a podcast made in partnership with Max, “Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast.
The classic movie channel celebrated its 30th anniversary on Friday with a reception at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. Charlie Tabesh, longtime TCM programming executive, confirmed at the gathering that filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson have extended their deals to serve as consultants to TCM for another year.
At the 15th TCM Classic Film Festival in April, TCM will bestow film historian Jeanine Basinger with the Robert Osborne Award and present tributes to actor Billy Dee Williams and makeup artist Lois Burwell. Additionally, a new TCM podcast called “The Plot Thickens,” which focuses on “movies and the people who make them” will be released after a podcast made in partnership with Max, “Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast.
- 1/12/2024
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced its annual list of best films and TV for the past year. The 2023 honorees include summer smash hits “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”; plus streamer-backed fare like “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Maestro,” “May December,” and “American Fiction”; and indie films “The Holdovers,” “Poor Things,” and “Past Lives.” Animated feature “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” was additionally among the top 10 picks.
Television series “Abbott Elementary,” “Succession,” and “The Bear” returned to the AFI list, as well as new series “Jury Duty,” “Poker Face,” “The Last of Us,” and “Beef.”
“As our nation and our world continue to navigate difficult times, AFI is honored to shine a proper light upon these works of art that lift us up and, ultimately, lead us to empathy,” Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO, said in an official statement. “That we do so without competition is AFI’s hallmark, and we...
Television series “Abbott Elementary,” “Succession,” and “The Bear” returned to the AFI list, as well as new series “Jury Duty,” “Poker Face,” “The Last of Us,” and “Beef.”
“As our nation and our world continue to navigate difficult times, AFI is honored to shine a proper light upon these works of art that lift us up and, ultimately, lead us to empathy,” Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO, said in an official statement. “That we do so without competition is AFI’s hallmark, and we...
- 12/7/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
International media consultant and producer Thomas Augsberger died suddenly on Tuesday at his home in the Hollywood Hills, his publicist informed Variety. He was 60.
The German-born and trained attorney was founder of film and television production company and media consulting business Eden Rock Media. Augsberger’s high profile media clients included Germany’s Leonine Studios. Prior to Leonine, Augsberger served for more than two decades as an advisor to the Tele Muenchen Group (Tmg) as their exclusive North American representative in the U.S. During this time he oversaw Tmg investments in the U.S., including a preferred equity investment in Lionsgate Entertainment in 1999 and the acquisition of the Mutual Film Library in 2006.
Over his 26-year consulting career, Augsberger acquired hundreds of projects as pre-buys including Marvel’s Iron Man franchise, Voltage’s Oscar winner “The Hurt Locker,” Paramount’s “Shutter Island,” Summit’s Twilight franchise, Lionsgate’s John Wick franchise,...
The German-born and trained attorney was founder of film and television production company and media consulting business Eden Rock Media. Augsberger’s high profile media clients included Germany’s Leonine Studios. Prior to Leonine, Augsberger served for more than two decades as an advisor to the Tele Muenchen Group (Tmg) as their exclusive North American representative in the U.S. During this time he oversaw Tmg investments in the U.S., including a preferred equity investment in Lionsgate Entertainment in 1999 and the acquisition of the Mutual Film Library in 2006.
Over his 26-year consulting career, Augsberger acquired hundreds of projects as pre-buys including Marvel’s Iron Man franchise, Voltage’s Oscar winner “The Hurt Locker,” Paramount’s “Shutter Island,” Summit’s Twilight franchise, Lionsgate’s John Wick franchise,...
- 11/29/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Deadline has learned that Thomas Augsberger, Eden Rock Media founder, producer and international media consultant died suddenly today at his Hollywood Hills home. He was 60 years old.
The German-born and trained attorney advised a number of high-profile media clients over the years, most prominently Germany’s Leonine Studios. Prior to Leonine, Augsberger served 23 years as an advisor to Dr. Herbert Kloiber‘s Tele Muenchen Group as Tmg’s exclusive North American representative in the US.
In 2002, he founded Eden Rock Media, a film and television production company and media consulting business.
Augsberger was widely respected for his deep experience in the production and acquisition of feature films, television series, and content libraries; investments in US distributors and production companies; the co-financing, co-production, and distribution of film, television, and digital projects; and the negotiation of German output deals with studios for theatrical, home entertainment, and television. Over the course of his 26-year consulting career,...
The German-born and trained attorney advised a number of high-profile media clients over the years, most prominently Germany’s Leonine Studios. Prior to Leonine, Augsberger served 23 years as an advisor to Dr. Herbert Kloiber‘s Tele Muenchen Group as Tmg’s exclusive North American representative in the US.
In 2002, he founded Eden Rock Media, a film and television production company and media consulting business.
Augsberger was widely respected for his deep experience in the production and acquisition of feature films, television series, and content libraries; investments in US distributors and production companies; the co-financing, co-production, and distribution of film, television, and digital projects; and the negotiation of German output deals with studios for theatrical, home entertainment, and television. Over the course of his 26-year consulting career,...
- 11/29/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The Hollywood Reporter thanks the following 322 members of the global film community — listed alphabetically — for taking the time to cast a ballot to help us determine the 100 greatest film books of all time.
Seth Abramovitch
The Hollywood Reporter journalist/It Happened in Hollywood podcast host
Jo Addy
Soho House group film and entertainment director
Casey Affleck
Oscar-winning actor
Rutanya Alda
Author/actress
Stephanie Allain
Filmmaker
Victoria Alonso
Filmmaker/executive
Tony Angellotti
Publicist
Bonnie Arnold
Filmmaker/executive
Miguel Arteta
Filmmaker
Chris Auer
Filmmaker/film professor
John Badham
Filmmaker/film professor
Amy Baer
Executive
Matt Baer
Filmmaker
Lindsey Bahr
Journalist
Ramin Bahrani
Oscar-nominated filmmaker
Cameron Bailey
Toronto International Film Festival CEO/former film critic
John Bailey
Cinematographer/former Academy president
Bela Bajaria
Executive
Sean Baker
Filmmaker
Alec Baldwin
Oscar-nominated actor/author
Tino Balio
Author/film professor
Jeffrey Barbakow
Executive
Michael Barker
Executive
Mike Barnes
The Hollywood Reporter journalist
Jeanine Basinger
Author/film...
Seth Abramovitch
The Hollywood Reporter journalist/It Happened in Hollywood podcast host
Jo Addy
Soho House group film and entertainment director
Casey Affleck
Oscar-winning actor
Rutanya Alda
Author/actress
Stephanie Allain
Filmmaker
Victoria Alonso
Filmmaker/executive
Tony Angellotti
Publicist
Bonnie Arnold
Filmmaker/executive
Miguel Arteta
Filmmaker
Chris Auer
Filmmaker/film professor
John Badham
Filmmaker/film professor
Amy Baer
Executive
Matt Baer
Filmmaker
Lindsey Bahr
Journalist
Ramin Bahrani
Oscar-nominated filmmaker
Cameron Bailey
Toronto International Film Festival CEO/former film critic
John Bailey
Cinematographer/former Academy president
Bela Bajaria
Executive
Sean Baker
Filmmaker
Alec Baldwin
Oscar-nominated actor/author
Tino Balio
Author/film professor
Jeffrey Barbakow
Executive
Michael Barker
Executive
Mike Barnes
The Hollywood Reporter journalist
Jeanine Basinger
Author/film...
- 10/12/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
John Waters is no longer a cult filmmaker. The filmmaker, author, artist, actor, and spoken-word performer has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1990 (David Lynch was his sponsor). He’s screened “Hairspray” in the museum’s theater (with a Q&a moderated by Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins). The Academy Film Archive preserved his PSA, “John Waters Doesn’t Want You to Smoke.” He’s even getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As Waters likes to note, he’s so respectable he could puke.
At this point, everyone loves John Waters. John Waters should be hosting the Oscars, an idea so commonly held that if you ask the upbeat and unerringly polite Academy CEO Bill Kramer the odds of making that happen, you can hear him doing his best not to roll his eyes. “If I had a dime for every time that question’s been asked,...
At this point, everyone loves John Waters. John Waters should be hosting the Oscars, an idea so commonly held that if you ask the upbeat and unerringly polite Academy CEO Bill Kramer the odds of making that happen, you can hear him doing his best not to roll his eyes. “If I had a dime for every time that question’s been asked,...
- 9/15/2023
- by Dana Harris-Bridson
- Indiewire
Who can forget the delightful hitchhiking scene in It Happened One Night, or Clarence the angel earning his wings in It’s a Wonderful Life, or Mr. Smith collapsing in the midst of his epic filibuster in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington?
Those black and white moments and the films they’re a part of are deeply embedded in our collective cultural memory, all crafted by an unlikely cinematic author: Frank Capra, a diminutive immigrant from Sicily, born to uneducated parents, who appeared destined not for a life in the dream factory of Hollywood, but a faceless working stiff’s existence.
Frank Capra in 1937
Capra not only achieved great success as a director, winning three Academy Awards, but his films managed to capture a basic Americanness, bedrock qualities the mass of people wanted to believe about themselves in the 1930s and ‘40s – resilient, altruistic, and optimistic despite enormous hardships.
Frank Capra: Mr.
Those black and white moments and the films they’re a part of are deeply embedded in our collective cultural memory, all crafted by an unlikely cinematic author: Frank Capra, a diminutive immigrant from Sicily, born to uneducated parents, who appeared destined not for a life in the dream factory of Hollywood, but a faceless working stiff’s existence.
Frank Capra in 1937
Capra not only achieved great success as a director, winning three Academy Awards, but his films managed to capture a basic Americanness, bedrock qualities the mass of people wanted to believe about themselves in the 1930s and ‘40s – resilient, altruistic, and optimistic despite enormous hardships.
Frank Capra: Mr.
- 9/1/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Frank Capra has long been considered one Hollywood’s most successful, influential and complex film directors and, in the new feature documentary Frank Capra: Mr America, which is premiering at the Venice Film Festival later this week, audiences will get a chance to view previously unseen archives that examine the Sicilian-born director’s rags-to-riches story whilst unpicking his complicated relationship with America.
The documentary, which is screening in the Venice Classics section on September 1, is the debut feature from British director Matthew Wells. It chronicles Capra from his humble beginnings as a young and penniless immigrant who rose through the ranks of Hollywood to become one of America’s greatest storytellers through films such as Oscar-winning It Happened One Night to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and the now Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life.
Producer Nick Varley, former co-founder of UK-based back-catalogue and classics distribution outfit Park Circus,...
The documentary, which is screening in the Venice Classics section on September 1, is the debut feature from British director Matthew Wells. It chronicles Capra from his humble beginnings as a young and penniless immigrant who rose through the ranks of Hollywood to become one of America’s greatest storytellers through films such as Oscar-winning It Happened One Night to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and the now Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life.
Producer Nick Varley, former co-founder of UK-based back-catalogue and classics distribution outfit Park Circus,...
- 8/30/2023
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscar-winning “West Side Story” actress Ariana DeBose, Warner Bros. Pictures Group CEO Pamela Abdy and nationally recognized trial lawyer Wylie A. Aitken have joined the American Film Institute Board of Trustees, AFI announced on Thursday.
“AFI is the place where artistry and academia meet,” said Kathleen Kennedy, chair of AFI Board of Trustees, in a statement shared with TheWrap. “The addition of Pam, Wylie and Ari to the board will further propel our national mandate to inspire, to educate and, ultimately, to drive culture forward.”
DeBose won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 musical remake of “West Side Story.” She has also won a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and been nominated for a Tony. In 2022, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Abdy serves as co-chair and CEO of Warner Bros. Pictures Group,...
“AFI is the place where artistry and academia meet,” said Kathleen Kennedy, chair of AFI Board of Trustees, in a statement shared with TheWrap. “The addition of Pam, Wylie and Ari to the board will further propel our national mandate to inspire, to educate and, ultimately, to drive culture forward.”
DeBose won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 musical remake of “West Side Story.” She has also won a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and been nominated for a Tony. In 2022, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Abdy serves as co-chair and CEO of Warner Bros. Pictures Group,...
- 7/27/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Oscar-winning actress Ariana DeBose, Warner Bros. Pictures Group co-chair and CEO Pamela Abdy and nationally recognized trial lawyer Wylie A. Aitken have joined the American Film Institute’s board of trustees, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
“AFI is the place where artistry and academia meet,” Kathleen Kennedy, the board’s chair, tells THR. “The addition of Pam, Wylie and Ari to the board will further propel our national mandate to inspire, to educate and, ultimately, to drive culture forward.”
The board, which sets AFI’s priorities and guides its national education programs, is already packed with big names. Among them: actors Halle Berry and Michael B. Jordan; filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Ava DuVernay; TV creators Jay Roach and Shonda Rhimes; studio/network chiefs Ted Sarandos and Donna Langley; power-agents Bryan Lourd and Chris Silbermann; the noted academic Jeanine Basinger; MPA chief Charles Rivkin, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher; and Academy of...
“AFI is the place where artistry and academia meet,” Kathleen Kennedy, the board’s chair, tells THR. “The addition of Pam, Wylie and Ari to the board will further propel our national mandate to inspire, to educate and, ultimately, to drive culture forward.”
The board, which sets AFI’s priorities and guides its national education programs, is already packed with big names. Among them: actors Halle Berry and Michael B. Jordan; filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Ava DuVernay; TV creators Jay Roach and Shonda Rhimes; studio/network chiefs Ted Sarandos and Donna Langley; power-agents Bryan Lourd and Chris Silbermann; the noted academic Jeanine Basinger; MPA chief Charles Rivkin, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher; and Academy of...
- 7/26/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Parker Posey in Daisy von Scherler Mayer's Party Girl. Of NYC in the '90s, Posey says, "There was such community back then, without it feeling like 'community'—it was more like 'the scene' or 'nightlife,' and you could run into people on the streets that you'd seen out dancing."Movie-lovers!Welcome back to The Deuce Notebook, a collaboration between Mubi's Notebook and The Deuce Film Series, a monthly 35mm event at Nitehawk Williamsburg that excavates the facts and fantasies of cinema's most infamous block in the world: 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues.This month, we celebrate Daisy von Scherler Mayer’s Party Girl, the quintessential centerpiece of Parker Posey’s prolific ’90s oeuvre. Originally released in June 1995, the film inspired Vanity Fair contributor Michael Musto to crown Posey “the new queen of the art house.”A slightly overdue existential crisis befalls Posey’s street-savvy,...
- 4/27/2023
- MUBI
Writer George S. Kaufman once said that “satire is what closes on Saturday night.” But nearly a century later, as real life has grown more absurd than most art, satire is everywhere — from popular franchises such as the “Knives Out” films and “The White Lotus” to hits including “Parasite.”
Why now? In our post-Trump world, where truth is subject to debate and issues like racism are impossible for anyone to ignore, talk-show monologues and “Saturday Night Live” skits became some of the only critiques able to break through the noise of political squabbling and call out lies, arguably paving the way for more films dealing in satire.
“Satire always puts events into a societal context, often dealing with hierarchies and economic influences. So if you want to examine the times we are living in, it’s a good starting place,” says writer-director Ruben Östlund, whose “Triangle of Sadness” skewers influencers,...
Why now? In our post-Trump world, where truth is subject to debate and issues like racism are impossible for anyone to ignore, talk-show monologues and “Saturday Night Live” skits became some of the only critiques able to break through the noise of political squabbling and call out lies, arguably paving the way for more films dealing in satire.
“Satire always puts events into a societal context, often dealing with hierarchies and economic influences. So if you want to examine the times we are living in, it’s a good starting place,” says writer-director Ruben Östlund, whose “Triangle of Sadness” skewers influencers,...
- 1/8/2023
- by Gregg Goldstein
- Variety Film + TV
Todd Field’s “Tár”won another major critics award on Saturday, with the National Society of Film Critics naming the dark drama about an imperious conductor and composer the best film of 2022.
The win gave “Tár” a near-sweep of the major critics awards. The film won the top prize from the New York Film Critics Circle and tied with “Everything Everywhere All at Once” with the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The only other films to finish first with all three groups were “Schindler’s List,” “L.A. Confidential,” “The Hurt Locker,” “The Social Network” and “Drive My Car.”
Runner-up in the Nsfc best-picture voting was Charlotte Wells’ “Aftersun,” followed by Jafar Panahi’s “No Bears.”
Also Read:
New York Film Critics 2022: ‘Tar’ Named Best Film
“Tár” also won awards for Field’s screenplay and for lead actress Cate Blanchett, who won over Michelle Yeoh for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,...
The win gave “Tár” a near-sweep of the major critics awards. The film won the top prize from the New York Film Critics Circle and tied with “Everything Everywhere All at Once” with the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The only other films to finish first with all three groups were “Schindler’s List,” “L.A. Confidential,” “The Hurt Locker,” “The Social Network” and “Drive My Car.”
Runner-up in the Nsfc best-picture voting was Charlotte Wells’ “Aftersun,” followed by Jafar Panahi’s “No Bears.”
Also Read:
New York Film Critics 2022: ‘Tar’ Named Best Film
“Tár” also won awards for Field’s screenplay and for lead actress Cate Blanchett, who won over Michelle Yeoh for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,...
- 1/7/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
December 9, 2022, Los Angeles, CA – The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today the recipients of AFI Awards 2022. AFI Awards honorees include 10 outstanding films and 10 outstanding TV programs deemed culturally and artistically representative of this year’s most significant achievements in the art of the moving image. An additional honoree was selected for an AFI Special Award, designated for works of excellence that fall outside of AFI Awards’ eligibility criteria.
AFI Movies Of The Year
Avatar: The Way Of Water
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All At Once
The Fabelmans
Nope
She Said
TÁR
Top Gun: Maverick
The Woman King
Women Talking
AFI Television Programs Of The Year
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Better Call Saul
Hacks
Mo
Pachinko
Reservation Dogs
Severance
Somebody Somewhere
The White Lotus
AFI Special Award
The Banshees Of Inisherin
“AFI Awards shines a light upon excellence in storytelling and the collaborators who bring these stories to the screen,” said Bob Gazzale,...
AFI Movies Of The Year
Avatar: The Way Of Water
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All At Once
The Fabelmans
Nope
She Said
TÁR
Top Gun: Maverick
The Woman King
Women Talking
AFI Television Programs Of The Year
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Better Call Saul
Hacks
Mo
Pachinko
Reservation Dogs
Severance
Somebody Somewhere
The White Lotus
AFI Special Award
The Banshees Of Inisherin
“AFI Awards shines a light upon excellence in storytelling and the collaborators who bring these stories to the screen,” said Bob Gazzale,...
- 12/11/2022
- by Movies Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
The American Film Institute’s annual list of the best films and television of the year always includes awards frontrunners as well as at least one or two unexpected dark horses. This time, as usual, the list skewed largely toward mainstream studio fare like Warner Bros.’ “Elvis” and Sony’s “The Woman King,” Paramount Pictures’ “Top Gun: Maverick,” 20th Century Studios and Disney’s “Avatar: The Way of Water,” and Universal’s “Nope.”
However, also from Universal, “She Said,” which has struggled to connect with audiences at the box office and appears to be a straggler in the awards race, got a needed boost in the top 10. Universal also got an expected shout-out for “The Fabelmans” (director Steven Spielberg is on the board of AFI trustees). A24’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Focus Features’ “TÁR” (director Todd Field is an AFI Conservatory alum), and United Artists Releasing’s “Women Talking” also notched spots.
However, also from Universal, “She Said,” which has struggled to connect with audiences at the box office and appears to be a straggler in the awards race, got a needed boost in the top 10. Universal also got an expected shout-out for “The Fabelmans” (director Steven Spielberg is on the board of AFI trustees). A24’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Focus Features’ “TÁR” (director Todd Field is an AFI Conservatory alum), and United Artists Releasing’s “Women Talking” also notched spots.
- 12/9/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Click here to read the full article.
The American Film Institute has revealed its picks for the best movies and TV shows of 2022.
The group’s picks for the 10 best films are, in alphabetical order: Avatar: The Way of Water, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans, Nope, She Said, Tár, Top Gun: Maverick, The Woman King and Women Talking.
On the TV side, AFI’s picks for the 10 best TV shows of the year are, again alphabetically, Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Better Call Saul, Hacks, Mo, Pachinko, Reservation Dogs, Severance, Somebody Somewhere and The White Lotus.
AFI also awarded a special award to The Banshees of Inisherin, with AFI saying the special honor is given to “works of excellence that fall outside of AFI Awards’ eligibility criteria.”
AFI’s honorees will be recognized in an awards ceremony luncheon on Jan. 13, 2023 at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills.
The American Film Institute has revealed its picks for the best movies and TV shows of 2022.
The group’s picks for the 10 best films are, in alphabetical order: Avatar: The Way of Water, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans, Nope, She Said, Tár, Top Gun: Maverick, The Woman King and Women Talking.
On the TV side, AFI’s picks for the 10 best TV shows of the year are, again alphabetically, Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Better Call Saul, Hacks, Mo, Pachinko, Reservation Dogs, Severance, Somebody Somewhere and The White Lotus.
AFI also awarded a special award to The Banshees of Inisherin, with AFI saying the special honor is given to “works of excellence that fall outside of AFI Awards’ eligibility criteria.”
AFI’s honorees will be recognized in an awards ceremony luncheon on Jan. 13, 2023 at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills.
- 12/9/2022
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI, and sign up for our weekly email newsletter by clicking here.NEWSMuch-loved genre filmmaker Albert Pyun (above) has died. Working mostly with low-budgets, and often making films for the direct-to-video market, Pyun’s career spanned five decades and included films such as The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982), Cyborg (1989), and the popular cyberpunk film series Nemesis. Cynthia Curnan, Pyun's wife and producer, had recently requested messages from fans to pass onto the filmmaker, who had been ill for a number of years prior to his passing.It seems that Paul Thomas Anderson is planning to start shooting his next feature in July 2023. Little is yet known about the new project, but a casting call has been listed for a “15-to-16-year-old female of mixed ethnicity who is physically athletic and excels at Martial Arts.” Previous...
- 11/30/2022
- MUBI
The rules of survival in Hollywood have always fascinated me. “Consistency is the key – always present yourself to studios as a total bitch,” Bette Davis once confided. “Never delude yourself into thinking that a star can become a loyal personal friend,” advised Billy Wilder. “Since studios always lie, a producer’s mandate is to come up with bigger lies,” said David O. Selznick.
As a collector of Hollywood war stories, I was pleased this week to discover a new book (741 pages) with the intimidating title Hollywood: The Oral History – one that has greatly expanded my inventory of intrigue.
Over the course of the last 50 years AFI (the American Film Institute) has semi-secretly recorded, and now published, interviews with accomplished stars and filmmakers, thus creating an intimate Hollywood history told in first person (HarperCollins is the publisher).
Approaching a book of this size as summer reading, I decided to focus not on thoughtful analysis,...
As a collector of Hollywood war stories, I was pleased this week to discover a new book (741 pages) with the intimidating title Hollywood: The Oral History – one that has greatly expanded my inventory of intrigue.
Over the course of the last 50 years AFI (the American Film Institute) has semi-secretly recorded, and now published, interviews with accomplished stars and filmmakers, thus creating an intimate Hollywood history told in first person (HarperCollins is the publisher).
Approaching a book of this size as summer reading, I decided to focus not on thoughtful analysis,...
- 9/8/2022
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
The press agent was in a dour mood. “Once upon a time this was the hot season,” she told me. “The town came to life.”
I understood her nostalgia. A-list parties this year are sparse, and the concept of an A-list itself seems lost in the debris of the metaverse.
As the awards season limps toward conclusion, industry veterans remember the moment when a power Rolodex could create celebrity heat for a contender. But the definition of celebrity also seems cloudy today.
A publicist like Peggy Siegel could deliver a Denzel or a Damon for a screening, thus offering the media some star bait. Now, however, plucking a Charli D’Amelio from the TikTok landscape (she has 133 million followers) or recruiting a Jung Hoyeon from the Squid Game battlefield arguably carries greater clout for a project.
Ted Sarandos: “The ‘Squid Game’ Universe Has Just Begun” As Netflix Co-CEO Says There...
I understood her nostalgia. A-list parties this year are sparse, and the concept of an A-list itself seems lost in the debris of the metaverse.
As the awards season limps toward conclusion, industry veterans remember the moment when a power Rolodex could create celebrity heat for a contender. But the definition of celebrity also seems cloudy today.
A publicist like Peggy Siegel could deliver a Denzel or a Damon for a screening, thus offering the media some star bait. Now, however, plucking a Charli D’Amelio from the TikTok landscape (she has 133 million followers) or recruiting a Jung Hoyeon from the Squid Game battlefield arguably carries greater clout for a project.
Ted Sarandos: “The ‘Squid Game’ Universe Has Just Begun” As Netflix Co-CEO Says There...
- 1/21/2022
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
The American Film Institute’s annual lists showcasing the top 10 movies and TV shows of the year always include multiple awards frontrunners, and this year is no exception. The jury — which is a mix of critics, academics, and film professionals — always celebrates the best of American cinema and television. The virtual jury awarded three Special Awards this year, to Kenneth Branagh’s festival hit “Belfast” (from the U.K.), Netflix’s global blockbuster “Squid Game” (from South Korea) and Searchlight documentary “Summer of Soul…(Or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised).”
Last year, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Disney+ adaptation of Broadway smash “Hamilton” earned a special award; this year, rookie feature director Miranda’s “Tick, Tick, Boom” landed on the Top Ten Films list, along with movies from lauded veterans Adam McKay, Paul Thomas Anderson, Denis Villeneuve, Guillermo del Toro, Jane Campion, Joel Coen, and Steven Spielberg, as well as...
Last year, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Disney+ adaptation of Broadway smash “Hamilton” earned a special award; this year, rookie feature director Miranda’s “Tick, Tick, Boom” landed on the Top Ten Films list, along with movies from lauded veterans Adam McKay, Paul Thomas Anderson, Denis Villeneuve, Guillermo del Toro, Jane Campion, Joel Coen, and Steven Spielberg, as well as...
- 12/8/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The American Film Institute’s annual lists showcasing the top 10 movies and TV shows of the year always include multiple awards frontrunners, and this year is no exception. The jury — which is a mix of critics, academics, and film professionals — always celebrates the best of American cinema and television. The virtual jury awarded three Special Awards this year, to Kenneth Branagh’s festival hit “Belfast” (from the U.K.), Netflix’s global blockbuster “Squid Game” (from South Korea) and Searchlight documentary “Summer of Soul…(Or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised).”
Last year, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Disney+ adaptation of Broadway smash “Hamilton” earned a special award; this year, rookie feature director Miranda’s “Tick, Tick, Boom” landed on the Top Ten Films list, along with movies from lauded veterans Adam McKay, Paul Thomas Anderson, Denis Villeneuve, Guillermo del Toro, Jane Campion, Joel Coen, and Steven Spielberg, as well as...
Last year, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Disney+ adaptation of Broadway smash “Hamilton” earned a special award; this year, rookie feature director Miranda’s “Tick, Tick, Boom” landed on the Top Ten Films list, along with movies from lauded veterans Adam McKay, Paul Thomas Anderson, Denis Villeneuve, Guillermo del Toro, Jane Campion, Joel Coen, and Steven Spielberg, as well as...
- 12/8/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Move over, Steve McQueen, there is a new “king of cool” in town. You might recall the excellent 1998 documentary titled Steve McQueen: The King of Cool. Well, now a similar name has been awarded to none other than Dean Martin, the subject of a comprehensive and compelling new docu premiering November 19 on Turner Classic Movies, preceded by its world premiere November 14 as part of the program for Doc NYC at the Sva Theatre in New York City. “Cool” defines Martin in every sense of the word.
TCM will not only be hosting the broadcast premiere of Dean Martin: King of Cool but also a film retrospective as a companion to this long-in-the-works look at the talent and mystery of the legendary entertainer, who died at age 78 on Christmas Day 1995 but has never really gone away thanks to an iconic career that covered uncanny success in movies, TV, music, nightclubs...
TCM will not only be hosting the broadcast premiere of Dean Martin: King of Cool but also a film retrospective as a companion to this long-in-the-works look at the talent and mystery of the legendary entertainer, who died at age 78 on Christmas Day 1995 but has never really gone away thanks to an iconic career that covered uncanny success in movies, TV, music, nightclubs...
- 11/2/2021
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
The American Film Institute’s annual lists showcasing the top 10 movies and TV shows of the year always include multiple awards frontrunners and this year is no exception. The two juries — which are a mix of critics, academics, and film professionals — always celebrate the best of American cinema and television. Given its Broadway provenance, “Hamilton” landed a Special Award from the American Film Institute juries, as internationally-flavored Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s “Fleabag” did last year.
This year’s crop is diverse, with films from lauded veterans Spike Lee, David Fincher, and Pete Docter alongside relative newcomers to the awards conversation like Shaka King, Chloe Zhao, and Lee Isaac Chung.
Like last year, eight of the ten films were directed by men, with two women, Zhao (“Nomadland”) and Regina King (“One Night in Miami”), also on deck for the honor. On the TV side, newcomers “Bridgerton,...
This year’s crop is diverse, with films from lauded veterans Spike Lee, David Fincher, and Pete Docter alongside relative newcomers to the awards conversation like Shaka King, Chloe Zhao, and Lee Isaac Chung.
Like last year, eight of the ten films were directed by men, with two women, Zhao (“Nomadland”) and Regina King (“One Night in Miami”), also on deck for the honor. On the TV side, newcomers “Bridgerton,...
- 1/25/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The American Film Institute’s annual lists showcasing the top 10 movies and TV shows of the year always include multiple awards frontrunners and this year is no exception. The two juries — which are a mix of critics, academics, and film professionals — always celebrate the best of American cinema and television. Given its Broadway provenance, “Hamilton” landed a Special Award from the American Film Institute juries, as internationally-flavored Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s “Fleabag” did last year.
This year’s crop is diverse, with films from lauded veterans Spike Lee, David Fincher, and Pete Docter alongside relative newcomers to the awards conversation like Shaka King, Chloe Zhao, and Lee Isaac Chung.
Like last year, eight of the ten films were directed by men, with two women, Zhao (“Nomadland”) and Regina King (“One Night in Miami”), also on deck for the honor. On the TV side, newcomers “Bridgerton,...
This year’s crop is diverse, with films from lauded veterans Spike Lee, David Fincher, and Pete Docter alongside relative newcomers to the awards conversation like Shaka King, Chloe Zhao, and Lee Isaac Chung.
Like last year, eight of the ten films were directed by men, with two women, Zhao (“Nomadland”) and Regina King (“One Night in Miami”), also on deck for the honor. On the TV side, newcomers “Bridgerton,...
- 1/25/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The American Film Institute’s list of the Top 10 films of 2020 includes Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods,” Shaka King’s “Judas and the Black Messiah,” George C. Wolfe’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and Regina King’s “One Night in Miami,” the AFI announced on Monday.
Also on the list: David Fincher’s “Mank,” Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari,” Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland,” Pete Docter’s “Soul,” Darius Marder’s “Sound of Metal” and Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
The list is heavily weighted toward films that deal with the Black experience in America, and as usual leaves out a few well-received awards contenders, which this year included Kelly Reichardt’s “First Cow,” Paul Greengrass’ “News of the World” and Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman.” Its most surprising entry is probably “Sound of Metal,” the story of a rock drummer coping with hearing loss.
Also on the list: David Fincher’s “Mank,” Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari,” Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland,” Pete Docter’s “Soul,” Darius Marder’s “Sound of Metal” and Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
The list is heavily weighted toward films that deal with the Black experience in America, and as usual leaves out a few well-received awards contenders, which this year included Kelly Reichardt’s “First Cow,” Paul Greengrass’ “News of the World” and Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman.” Its most surprising entry is probably “Sound of Metal,” the story of a rock drummer coping with hearing loss.
- 1/25/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Netflix leads the list of for the American Film Institute’s AFI Movies of the Year with four films, a record haul for them or any streamer in this annual prestigious list that often mirrors the lion’s share of future Oscar Best Picture nominees.
Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, David Fincher’s Mank, George C. Wolfe’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Aaron Sorkin’s ever-relevant The Trial of the Chicago 7 made the cut for Netflix in this pandemic-affected year Among other streamers Amazon Studios also had an impressive showing with two films including Sound of Metal and Regina King’s directorial debut One Night In Miami. Disney+ scored with Pixar’s animated Soul, while the Mouse House studio’s Fox acquisition Searchlight is there with Nomadland.
In a sign of these times, or at least the delayed potential contenders from what we would call major studio releases,...
Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, David Fincher’s Mank, George C. Wolfe’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Aaron Sorkin’s ever-relevant The Trial of the Chicago 7 made the cut for Netflix in this pandemic-affected year Among other streamers Amazon Studios also had an impressive showing with two films including Sound of Metal and Regina King’s directorial debut One Night In Miami. Disney+ scored with Pixar’s animated Soul, while the Mouse House studio’s Fox acquisition Searchlight is there with Nomadland.
In a sign of these times, or at least the delayed potential contenders from what we would call major studio releases,...
- 1/25/2021
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
“A Reluctant War Hero”
By Raymond Benson
Howard Hawks’ biopic of American war hero Alvin C. York, Sergeant York, was the highest grossing film of 1941. It received many accolades, including a Best Actor Oscar for star Gary Cooper and a trophy for Film Editing. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay (John Huston was one of four writers involved), Supporting Actor (Walter Brennan), Supporting Actress (Margaret Wycherly), Cinematography, Art Direction, Music Score (by Max Steiner), and Sound Recording. The film was released in the summer of ’41 and did very well at the box office. By the time it was playing in rural America later in the year, though, the attack on Pearl Harbor had occurred. The mobilization to prepare for war helped give Sergeant York a second wave of financial success and it continued to play on U.S. screens...
“A Reluctant War Hero”
By Raymond Benson
Howard Hawks’ biopic of American war hero Alvin C. York, Sergeant York, was the highest grossing film of 1941. It received many accolades, including a Best Actor Oscar for star Gary Cooper and a trophy for Film Editing. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay (John Huston was one of four writers involved), Supporting Actor (Walter Brennan), Supporting Actress (Margaret Wycherly), Cinematography, Art Direction, Music Score (by Max Steiner), and Sound Recording. The film was released in the summer of ’41 and did very well at the box office. By the time it was playing in rural America later in the year, though, the attack on Pearl Harbor had occurred. The mobilization to prepare for war helped give Sergeant York a second wave of financial success and it continued to play on U.S. screens...
- 10/27/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
” Folks say you’re no good, ‘ceptin’ for fighting and hell-raising.”
Gary Cooper in Sergeant York is currently available on Blu-ray from Warner Archive. Ordering info can be found Here.
Warner Archive Collection has put together a “Before & After” video comparing the previous master of Sergeant York (1941) with their brand-new master featured on their new Warner Archive Blu-ray. It’s a two minute demo showcasing their new restoration. Check it out:
Torn between religious pacifism and patriotism, Alvin York of Tennessee went on to become World War I’s most acclaimed hero. As the simple backwoods farm boy who captured 132 German soldiers during the Battle of Argonne, Gary Cooper (handpicked by York) also won acclaim – and his first Best Actor Academy Award®. Released in 1941 when the United States was on the brink of another war, this stirring adventure inspired thousands of enlisting men. Nominated for a total of 11 Oscars® including Best Picture,...
Gary Cooper in Sergeant York is currently available on Blu-ray from Warner Archive. Ordering info can be found Here.
Warner Archive Collection has put together a “Before & After” video comparing the previous master of Sergeant York (1941) with their brand-new master featured on their new Warner Archive Blu-ray. It’s a two minute demo showcasing their new restoration. Check it out:
Torn between religious pacifism and patriotism, Alvin York of Tennessee went on to become World War I’s most acclaimed hero. As the simple backwoods farm boy who captured 132 German soldiers during the Battle of Argonne, Gary Cooper (handpicked by York) also won acclaim – and his first Best Actor Academy Award®. Released in 1941 when the United States was on the brink of another war, this stirring adventure inspired thousands of enlisting men. Nominated for a total of 11 Oscars® including Best Picture,...
- 10/1/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
” Folks say you’re no good, ‘ceptin’ for fighting and hell-raising.”
Gary Cooper in Sergeant York is currently available on Blu-ray from Warner Archive. Ordering info can be found Here
Torn between religious pacifism and patriotism, Alvin York of Tennessee went on to become World War I’s most acclaimed hero. As the simple backwoods farm boy who captured 132 German soldiers during the Battle of Argonne, Gary Cooper (handpicked by York) also won acclaim – and his first Best Actor Academy Award®. Released in 1941 when the United States was on the brink of another war, this stirring adventure inspired thousands of enlisting men. Nominated for a total of 11 Oscars® including Best Picture, a winner for Best Film Editing and movingly directed by Howard Hawks, it tells of a religious man’s moral crisis, heroics and subsequent return to the rural life he loved while refusing to capitalize on the adulation heaped upon him.
Gary Cooper in Sergeant York is currently available on Blu-ray from Warner Archive. Ordering info can be found Here
Torn between religious pacifism and patriotism, Alvin York of Tennessee went on to become World War I’s most acclaimed hero. As the simple backwoods farm boy who captured 132 German soldiers during the Battle of Argonne, Gary Cooper (handpicked by York) also won acclaim – and his first Best Actor Academy Award®. Released in 1941 when the United States was on the brink of another war, this stirring adventure inspired thousands of enlisting men. Nominated for a total of 11 Oscars® including Best Picture, a winner for Best Film Editing and movingly directed by Howard Hawks, it tells of a religious man’s moral crisis, heroics and subsequent return to the rural life he loved while refusing to capitalize on the adulation heaped upon him.
- 9/24/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Making their careers on the streets of New York City, it’s only fitting that Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee would take part in an extensive conversation on the making of The Irishman. Taking place at the DGA theater in NYC, it’s a lively, deep dive into the making of the crime epic, which Netflix will debut in theaters this Friday. One can see all the theaters it’s coming to here and read our review from the 57th Nyff premiere here. Along with the full conversation, we’ve highlighted some key selections from the talk, which be seen below.
Martin Scorsese on how Robert De Niro helped protect his creative control since the beginning
“He was a major box office star. A great actor and a star, so we got a lot of pictures made that wouldn’t normally be made,” Scorsese said. “But the main thing is...
Martin Scorsese on how Robert De Niro helped protect his creative control since the beginning
“He was a major box office star. A great actor and a star, so we got a lot of pictures made that wouldn’t normally be made,” Scorsese said. “But the main thing is...
- 10/27/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Great news for fans of Bette Davis! Jezebel (1938) is Available on Blu-ray From Warner Archive
While movie fans were abuzz over who might play Scarlett O’Hara in the upcoming Gone with the Wind, Bette Davis got another Southern-belle role – and gave a fiery performance that won the 1938 Best Actress Academy Award®. Davis plays Julie, a New Orleans beauty whose constant attempts to goad fiance? Pres Dillard(Henry Fonda) to jealousy backfire. Angry and disgraced, Pres breaks their engagement and leaves town. Julie endures a year of remorse until Pres comes home – married. Then her vengeance explodes. Jezebel is also noted for its sumptuous sets and costumes, Fay Bainter’s Oscar®-winning* performance and William Wyler’s vivid direction, highlighted by a horrifying re-creation of a yellow fever epidemic. But the film’s greatest strength is Davis, whose titanic talent has never been better displayed than in Jezebel.
In one of her most acclaimed performances,...
While movie fans were abuzz over who might play Scarlett O’Hara in the upcoming Gone with the Wind, Bette Davis got another Southern-belle role – and gave a fiery performance that won the 1938 Best Actress Academy Award®. Davis plays Julie, a New Orleans beauty whose constant attempts to goad fiance? Pres Dillard(Henry Fonda) to jealousy backfire. Angry and disgraced, Pres breaks their engagement and leaves town. Julie endures a year of remorse until Pres comes home – married. Then her vengeance explodes. Jezebel is also noted for its sumptuous sets and costumes, Fay Bainter’s Oscar®-winning* performance and William Wyler’s vivid direction, highlighted by a horrifying re-creation of a yellow fever epidemic. But the film’s greatest strength is Davis, whose titanic talent has never been better displayed than in Jezebel.
In one of her most acclaimed performances,...
- 8/30/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
In the years The Hollywood Reporter has been ranking film schools — this is the eighth list, determined by extensive interviewing and research — the magazine has never received a straight answer to one very straightforward question: What is the purpose of film school?
Pretty much every institution on this list sees it differently. For some, like No. 6 Wesleyan (up from No. 9 last year), where cinema scholar Jeanine Basinger is getting her own building on the campus next year, it's all about history, subtext and auteur theory. For others, the focus is hands-on experience, providing students with access to ...
Pretty much every institution on this list sees it differently. For some, like No. 6 Wesleyan (up from No. 9 last year), where cinema scholar Jeanine Basinger is getting her own building on the campus next year, it's all about history, subtext and auteur theory. For others, the focus is hands-on experience, providing students with access to ...
- 8/15/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In the years The Hollywood Reporter has been ranking film schools — this is the eighth list, determined by extensive interviewing and research — the magazine has never received a straight answer to one very straightforward question: What is the purpose of film school?
Pretty much every institution on this list sees it differently. For some, like No. 6 Wesleyan (up from No. 9 last year), where cinema scholar Jeanine Basinger is getting her own building on the campus next year, it's all about history, subtext and auteur theory. For others, the focus is hands-on experience, providing students with access to ...
Pretty much every institution on this list sees it differently. For some, like No. 6 Wesleyan (up from No. 9 last year), where cinema scholar Jeanine Basinger is getting her own building on the campus next year, it's all about history, subtext and auteur theory. For others, the focus is hands-on experience, providing students with access to ...
- 8/15/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
“See Rome And Find A Husband!”
By Raymond Benson
The title of this review is admittedly facetious, but let’s be honest—it’s what this movie is about!
The time is 1954, the Eisenhower years, and America is at the crossroads of remaining in a conservative, sexually repressed era in which women, regardless if they had a career or not, were supposed to be more interested in finding husbands. Things wouldn’t change until the revolutionary 1960s. Hollywood mainstream pictures perpetuated this notion in the 50s with fare like Three Coins in the Fountain, an extremely popular romantic comedy upon its release. In fact, it received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.
Three American women, Frances (Dorothy McGuire), Anita (Jean Peters), and Maria (Maggie McNamara), all have jobs working for an American company located in Rome, Italy. One would think that would be fulfilling enough… but, no, all three...
By Raymond Benson
The title of this review is admittedly facetious, but let’s be honest—it’s what this movie is about!
The time is 1954, the Eisenhower years, and America is at the crossroads of remaining in a conservative, sexually repressed era in which women, regardless if they had a career or not, were supposed to be more interested in finding husbands. Things wouldn’t change until the revolutionary 1960s. Hollywood mainstream pictures perpetuated this notion in the 50s with fare like Three Coins in the Fountain, an extremely popular romantic comedy upon its release. In fact, it received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.
Three American women, Frances (Dorothy McGuire), Anita (Jean Peters), and Maria (Maggie McNamara), all have jobs working for an American company located in Rome, Italy. One would think that would be fulfilling enough… but, no, all three...
- 5/15/2019
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
You may be asking: Why is a man reviewing a documentary about gender inequality in Hollywood? But then you may as well ask: Why did a man direct such a film in the first place?
Representation is an issue that affects all of us, on-screen and off, and while it’s inspirational to see women directors such as Natalie Portman and Maria Giese on the front lines of the 2017 Women’s March — as we do in Tom Donahue’s “This Changes Everything” — there’s something to be said for solidarity shown by those who have nothing to gain from their support beyond the advancement of the greater good. So, like white people at a Black Lives Matter rally or straight folks at a Gay Pride parade, Donahue deserves credit for proactively going out of his way to make a movie that tells it like it is — and paints it as it could be.
Representation is an issue that affects all of us, on-screen and off, and while it’s inspirational to see women directors such as Natalie Portman and Maria Giese on the front lines of the 2017 Women’s March — as we do in Tom Donahue’s “This Changes Everything” — there’s something to be said for solidarity shown by those who have nothing to gain from their support beyond the advancement of the greater good. So, like white people at a Black Lives Matter rally or straight folks at a Gay Pride parade, Donahue deserves credit for proactively going out of his way to make a movie that tells it like it is — and paints it as it could be.
- 9/9/2018
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
The pretty faces that give Hollywood its glamour eventually fade, but Alexandra Hall’s documentary reveals a remarkable woman who parlayed her beauty into an incredible life — from nude scenes in a notorious 1933 Austrian film, to eleven years in Hollywood as MGM’s ‘most beautiful girl in the world’, to a seemingly incompatible achievement: she invented a revolutionary communications technology for the WW2 war effort, and only belatedly received credit for it. A remarkable audio interview with the legendary lady brings a fabulous life into focus.
Bombshell, The Hedy Lamarr Story
Blu-ray
Kino Lorber / Zeitgeist
2017 / Color & B&W / 1:78 widescreen / 88 min. / Street Date April 24, 2018 / available through Kino Lorber / 22.99
Starring: Hedy Lamarr, Jeanine Basinger, Peter Bogdanovich, Mel Brooks, Gillian Jacobs, Wendy Colton, Jan-Christopher Horak, Diane Kruger, Guy Livingston, Anthony Loder, Jimmy Loder, Lodi Loder, Denise Loder-DeLuca, Art McTighe, Fleming Meeks, Robert Osborne.
Cinematography: Buddy Squires, Alex Stikich
Film Editor: Alexandra Dean,...
Bombshell, The Hedy Lamarr Story
Blu-ray
Kino Lorber / Zeitgeist
2017 / Color & B&W / 1:78 widescreen / 88 min. / Street Date April 24, 2018 / available through Kino Lorber / 22.99
Starring: Hedy Lamarr, Jeanine Basinger, Peter Bogdanovich, Mel Brooks, Gillian Jacobs, Wendy Colton, Jan-Christopher Horak, Diane Kruger, Guy Livingston, Anthony Loder, Jimmy Loder, Lodi Loder, Denise Loder-DeLuca, Art McTighe, Fleming Meeks, Robert Osborne.
Cinematography: Buddy Squires, Alex Stikich
Film Editor: Alexandra Dean,...
- 4/17/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Diane Kruger reads from Lamarr's letters in Alexandra Dean's revelatory documentary Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
In the final installment of my conversation with Alexandra Dean, the director of the revelatory documentary Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, we explore the background of the woman who inspired the looks of Catwoman, as well as Disney's Snow White, Mel Brooks and his Hedley Lamarr character (portrayed by Harvey Korman) in Blazing Saddles, the impact Hedy Lamarr had from the start with a role in Gustav Machatý's 1933 film Ecstasy (Ekstase), and the discovery of the interview tapes done by Fleming Meeks, that allow Hedy herself to guide us through her life.
With interviews (including Peter Bogdanovich, Jeanine Basinger, Robert Osborne, Michael Tilson Thomas, Mel Brooks, and Lamarr's family), expertly edited (by Dean, Penelope Falk and Lindy Jankur), Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story is assembled with care. Her life plays out...
In the final installment of my conversation with Alexandra Dean, the director of the revelatory documentary Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, we explore the background of the woman who inspired the looks of Catwoman, as well as Disney's Snow White, Mel Brooks and his Hedley Lamarr character (portrayed by Harvey Korman) in Blazing Saddles, the impact Hedy Lamarr had from the start with a role in Gustav Machatý's 1933 film Ecstasy (Ekstase), and the discovery of the interview tapes done by Fleming Meeks, that allow Hedy herself to guide us through her life.
With interviews (including Peter Bogdanovich, Jeanine Basinger, Robert Osborne, Michael Tilson Thomas, Mel Brooks, and Lamarr's family), expertly edited (by Dean, Penelope Falk and Lindy Jankur), Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story is assembled with care. Her life plays out...
- 3/8/2018
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Hollywood's most elegantly natural, defiantly independent actress comes alive in a film biography about her personal life, using inside family testimony, rare film and her diaries. Sweden's Ingrid seems more radiant than ever. Ingrid Bergman in Her Own Words Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 82228 2015 / B&W-Color / 1:78 widescreen / 114 min. / Jag är Ingrid / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date August 16, 2016 / 39.95 Starring Pia Lindström, Roberto Rossellini, Ingrid Rossellini, Isabella Rossellini, Fiorella Mariani, Liv Ullmann, Sigourney Weaver, Jeanine Basinger. Ingrid Bergman's voice Alicia Vikander Film Editor Dominika Daubenbüchel Original Music Michael Nyman Written by Stig Björkman, Stina Gardell and Dominika Daubenbüchel Produced by Stina Gardell Directed by Stig Björkman
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Ingrid Bergman had one of the most fascinating lives of any woman of the 20th century. An ambitious actress, she let herself be guided by her desires and her heart. Although banished by Hollywood and vilified by the press,...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Ingrid Bergman had one of the most fascinating lives of any woman of the 20th century. An ambitious actress, she let herself be guided by her desires and her heart. Although banished by Hollywood and vilified by the press,...
- 8/13/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Being honored on the official poster for this year’s Cannes Film Festival wasn’t the only time Ingrid Bergman was in the spotlight at the event. The late, legendary actress was also the subject of a new documentary hailing from her home country of Sweden. Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words comes from writer and critic Stig Björkman and has been in the works since earlier this decade, when he met with Bergman’s daughter, Isabella Rossellini.
As reads the Cannes synopsis, “Through never-before-seen private footage, notes, letters, diaries and interviews with her children, this documentary presents a personal portrait and captivating look behind the scenes of the remarkable life of a young Swedish girl who became one of the most celebrated actresses of American and World cinema.”
As heard in the new U.S. trailer, voice-over comes from Alicia Vikander, while Ingrid Rossellini, Roberto Rossellini, Pia Lindström,...
As reads the Cannes synopsis, “Through never-before-seen private footage, notes, letters, diaries and interviews with her children, this documentary presents a personal portrait and captivating look behind the scenes of the remarkable life of a young Swedish girl who became one of the most celebrated actresses of American and World cinema.”
As heard in the new U.S. trailer, voice-over comes from Alicia Vikander, while Ingrid Rossellini, Roberto Rossellini, Pia Lindström,...
- 10/12/2015
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
My Golden Days director Arnaud Desplechin Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
With the 53rd New York Film Festival now in full swing and the visit of Pope Francis to New York ongoing, here are four more films to look forward to. Stig Björkman's portrait on Ingrid Bergman with Liv Ullmann, Sigourney Weaver, Jeanine Basinger and her children providing personal memories accompany Ingrid Bergman in Her Own Words and Arnaud Desplechin's resplendent My Golden Days (Trois Souvenirs De Ma Jeunesse) stars Mathieu Amalric, Lou Roy-Lecollinet, Quentin Dolmaire and André Dussollier. Apichatpong Weerasethakul (of Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives fame) has his Cemetery Of Splendour, starring Jenjira Pongpas Widner, haunting us, and Brian De Palma discussing his films with Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow in De Palma will keep you awake.
The Film Society of Lincoln Center raises the curtain with six free opening day screenings in celebration of 25 years for The Film.
With the 53rd New York Film Festival now in full swing and the visit of Pope Francis to New York ongoing, here are four more films to look forward to. Stig Björkman's portrait on Ingrid Bergman with Liv Ullmann, Sigourney Weaver, Jeanine Basinger and her children providing personal memories accompany Ingrid Bergman in Her Own Words and Arnaud Desplechin's resplendent My Golden Days (Trois Souvenirs De Ma Jeunesse) stars Mathieu Amalric, Lou Roy-Lecollinet, Quentin Dolmaire and André Dussollier. Apichatpong Weerasethakul (of Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives fame) has his Cemetery Of Splendour, starring Jenjira Pongpas Widner, haunting us, and Brian De Palma discussing his films with Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow in De Palma will keep you awake.
The Film Society of Lincoln Center raises the curtain with six free opening day screenings in celebration of 25 years for The Film.
- 9/25/2015
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
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