News

Plot: In the aftermath of WW2, László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a Hungarian-born Jewish architect who survived the holocaust, emigrates to America. While there, he gets a taste of the American dream from a wealthy benefactor (Guy Pearce), although success may carry a price too difficult to bear.

Review: It would be fair to say there hasn’t been a movie like The Brutalist in about forty years. One-time actor Brady Corbet, who emerged as a director following The Childhood of a Leader and the underrated Vox Lux, makes movies in the vein of David Lean, with this telling a deeply personal story on an epic scale the likes of which we haven’t seen in a long time. Shooting in 70mm VistaVision, The Brutalist is a three-and-a-half hour masterwork (with an intermission) that will go a long way towards establishing Corbett as one of the great modern directors.

Indeed, The Brutalist...

Nick Park’s Wallace & Gromit series debuted in 1989 with the Oscar-nominated “A Grand Day Out” and since then has grown into a multimedia franchise and a staple of British pop culture, at once relaxing in its wry sense of humor and dazzling in its deceptively complex, propulsive animation. Like all the entries in the series, the short that started it all centers on eccentric, cheese-loving inventor Wallace (voiced by Peter Sallis until 2010 and Ben Whitehead thereafter) and his intelligent but incredibly expressive dog, Gromit. Inevitably, Wallace devises a convoluted, Rube Goldberg-esque new project that goes wrong in some way, necessitating Gromit’s intervention to save them both from disaster.

The extremity of both Wallace’s genius and inanity is evident in everything from his ability to build a functioning rocket out of household items to his desire to use said vessel to go to the moon on the belief...

Spain’s International Feature Oscar entry Saturn Return centers on real-life Granada indie rock group Los Planetas. However, says director Isaki Lacuesta during Deadline’s Contenders Film: International event, “It’s not a classical biopic. We didn’t want to make a monument.”

In the late 1990s, Los Planetas found itself at a delicate moment in the band’s then-young career. In Saturn Return, they’re about to record a make-or-break third album, both on the brink of success or total destruction. The film takes viewers on a journey that delves into the “legend of Los Planetas,” as a title card reads. Explained Lacuesta, “It’s a drama, but it’s also a comedy. It’s a love story, it’s a film about teamwork, it’s a Star Wars film, it’s a vampire film …”

It’s also very subjective, which was the aim from the get-go, on the...

Quentin Tarantino, the filmmaker behind classics like Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds, and Django Unchained, almost got himself involved with a popular Hayao Miyazaki movie. The film in question is Princess Mononoke, which became the highest-grossing box office movie in Japan after its release in 1997.

Princess Mononoke by Hayao Miyazaki | Credits: Studio Ghibli

Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke focuses on Ashitaka, an exiled prince who finds himself smack in the middle of the struggle for survival between humans and nature. After family-friendly releases like Kiki’s Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke made the Ghibli audience realize that the studio can deal with much more than fluffy and warm stories.

Quentin Tarantino Declined to Write the English script for Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke Princess Mononoke by Hayao Miyazaki | Credits: Studio Ghibli

After Princess Mononoke debuted in Japan, Disney wanted to release it for the US audience.

Exclusive: Oscar winner Cillian Murphy and artist Yvonne McGuinness are the new proprietors of The Phoenix Cinema in Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland. After 105 years in operation as a movie theater and dance hall, The Phoenix will remain an independently owned venue, which Time Out has previously named “one of the 50 best cinemas in the UK and Ireland.” Married couple McGuinness and Murphy plan to begin repair and refurbishment next year, with The Phoenix continuing to screen films and expand into a multidisciplinary space.

There’s history here for proud Irish man Murphy, who said, “I’ve been going to see films at The Phoenix since I was a young boy on summer holidays. My Dad saw movies there when he was a young man before me, and we’ve watched many films at The Phoenix with our own kids.” He added, “We recognize what the cinema means to Dingle.”

McGuinness continued,...

With Dune: Part Two, director and co-writer Denis Villeneuve is in the homestretch of realizing an ambition he’s had since age 14: to transfer his vision to a movie screen; to capture the survival of the Fremen in the inhospitable deserts of Arrakis amid the spice harvesters and ruthless House Harkonnen; to capture the giant sandworms’ majesty, and to tell the love story between Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and Fremen warrior Chani (Zendaya). With Villeneuve now headed toward an inevitable third installment, Dune: Messiah, he discusses the benefits and difficulties of shooting in the desert heat and his love of Frank Herbert’s work.

Deadline: Watching Timothée Chalamet reminded me of watching Tom Cruise as he grew into manhood. How close has he come to your hopes when he was boyish and you set him for the first film?

Denis Villeneuve: We have to remind ourselves that he had done the work before,...

Exclusive: Denis Villeneuve says that his “break” is over and that he will ”go back behind the camera faster than I think” to film the third installment of his “deep” immersion into Frank Herbert’s Dune universe.

“I’m in the writing zone right now,” the filmmaker says, referring to Dune: Messiah, though he was careful not to call it Dune: Part Three.

Villeneuve insists that Dune: Part One and Part Two are ”for me like one entity. It’s a movie made in two parts. It’s finished, it’s done.”

The Canadian-French director says that he could have stopped at Dune: Part Two, “but yes, like Herbert did with Dune: Messiah, I think it’ll be a great idea to do something completely different. The story takes place like 12 years after where we left the characters at the end of Part Two. Their journey, their story is different this time,...

In the upcoming episode of The Art of Film with Ian Nathan, titled “David Lean in Black and White,” viewers will delve into the fascinating life and career of one of cinema’s most celebrated directors. Airing at 8:00 Pm on Thursday, 17 October 2024, this episode will explore how David Lean’s early films played a crucial role in shaping British cinema and culture.

Ian Nathan will take audiences on a journey through Lean’s formative works, highlighting the unique storytelling and cinematic techniques that defined his style. From classics like Brief Encounter to Great Expectations, Lean’s films are filled with emotional depth and visual splendor, making them timeless pieces of art. This exploration promises to shed light on the themes of Britishness that resonate throughout his body of work.

As viewers learn about Lean’s artistic vision and the impact of his films, they can expect to gain a...

Steven Spielberg, even with his legendary career, once admitted he had one big regret about his 1985 classic, The Color Purple. Back then, he was at the top of his game, but there was one bold creative choice he felt too shy to execute. It’s wild to think that even Spielberg—master of the blockbuster—hesitated on something that could’ve made this film even more groundbreaking.

Hollywood filmmaker Steven Spielberg | Image credit: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0

Looking back, he owned up to this missed opportunity, showing that even icons second-guess their choices. Curious what he held back on? Let’s just say it was something that could’ve turned the film’s emotional power up to a whole new level. Spielberg’s honesty about it still hits deep today.

Steven Spielberg’s Regret: Softening The Color Purple’s Bold Moments for a PG-13 Rating...

Christian Bale is considered to be one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. The actor has been in the industry for over three decades, cementing his reputation through his credible acting.

However, the credit for his stellar exposure in the industry lies with iconic director Steven Spielberg. It was his 1987 war film, Empire of the Sun which gave a 13-year-old Bale his big break. Most fans don’t know that this opportunity came purely due to luck being with Spielberg at the time of the making of the film.

The turn of events which led to the onset of Hollywood’s most iconic actor

Christian Bale has been in the entertainment industry since he was a minor, the actor worked in several projects as minor characters. Finally in the 1987 epic war film Empire of the Sun, the then-young actor got his deserved recognition.

Christian Bale in Empire of the Sun...

Irish director John Crowley and his “We Live in Time” actor Andrew Garfield hosted the last of this year’s star-studded San Sebastian press conferences for their Official Selection player, which will close the 72nd edition of the festival this evening.

Also starring Florence Pugh, “We Live in Time,” written by acclaimed playwright Nick Payne (“The Crown”), is the time-twisted love story of Almut and Tobias. Through disordered snapshots of their life together, the two experience great joys like parenthood, meeting each other’s families, a marriage proposal, and life-changing tragedies such as divorce and a recurring ovarian cancer diagnosis. The couple learns through their shared memories to cherish each moment of the roundabout path their relationship has traveled.

During Saturday morning’s press conference, Garfield said he was in a contemplative place when Payne’s screenplay crossed his desk. “When I read [the script], I was in deep contemplation of the meaning of life.

When the British Film Institute's official publication, Sight and Sound, released its decennial "Greatest Films of All Time" list in 2022, there was a notable -- some might say shocking -- omission from the top 100: David Lean's unimpeachably masterful epic, "Lawrence of Arabia," was nowhere to be found. Though the film had been sliding down the list throughout the early 21st century (it ranked 51 in 2002 and tumbled to 81 in 2012), many of us felt there was a floor for a film as universally revered as Lean's biographical drama about the turbulent (likely exaggerated) desert adventures of T.E. Lawrence. Even though the film does have a white savior element to it, Lean, screenwriter Robert Bolt, and star Peter O'Toole portray Lawrence as a dangerous thrill-seeker with a messiah complex. His fervor is both rousing and terrifying.

While I think the subject matter in "Lawrence of Arabia" might be an automatic turnoff for some critics,...

Its place in the Emmy record books already secured after the Creative Arts, Disney/FX’s Shōgun went for a historic sweep, adding four more wins tonight for a staggering total of 18 Emmys in one season, a bench mark that may never be reached again.

That included the Outstanding Drama Series trophy, accepted onstage by series co-creator/executive producer/showrunner Justin Marks and star/producer Hiroyuki Sanada. They were joined by fellow cast members and producers, including executive producer Michaela Clavell whose father, the late James Clavell, wrote the Shōgun book and executive produced the 1980 NBC miniseries adaptation, winning the Outstanding Miniseries Emmy alongside the late Eric Bercovici.

Marks thanked Disney and FX executives for greenlighting “a very expensive subtitled Japanese period piece whose central climax revolves around a poetry competition.”

“We share this award with our extraordinary cast and crew from Japan and North America,” he added. “Shōgun is a show about translation,...

In the world of direction, only a few filmmakers have achieved the same respect as the legendary Steven Spielberg. The mastermind behind the iconic Jaws has several accolades to his name, further solidifying his status in the industry. However, he himself has a favorite filmmaker, and it’s not what others would assume.

Steven Spielberg || Credits: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, Az, United States of America || Cca 2.0/Wikimedia Commons

Unlike other big shots in the industry like Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan, it’s Jordan Peele who has made Spielberg his biggest fan.

Not Martin Scorsese but Jordan Peele Is Steven Spielberg’s Favorite Director

With his career spanning several decades, Steven Spielberg‘s filmmaking success is unparalleled. Further, with several well-acclaimed projects and three Academy Awards under his belt, he’s set the golden standard of filmmaking in the industry.

While his success in Hollywood is remarkable, he also acknowledges...

The producer, screenwriter, production designer and actor worked on some of the most acclaimed films of British cinema including Blithe Spirit, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia

Norman Spencer, who worked on some of the most acclaimed films made in Britain in the 1940s and 50s, has died at the age of 110.

Spencer worked as a producer, screenwriter, production designer and actor, most frequently with longtime collaborator David Lean. After meeting in 1942, they went on to work on movies including Blithe Spirit, Great Expectations, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia.

Norman Spencer, the British producer, production manager and screenwriter who worked alongside famed director David Lean on films including Blithe Spirit, Great Expectations, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia, has died. He was 110.

Spencer died Aug. 16 in Wimbledon three days after his birthday, the European Supercentenarian Organisation announced.

Apart from Lean, Spencer produced Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s Suddenly, Last Summer (1959), starring Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift and Katharine Hepburn; Richard C. Sarafian’s Vanishing Point (1971), the car chase movie that starred Barry Newman; and Richard Attenborough’s Cry Freedom (1987), starring Denzel Washington.

Spencer was Lean’s unit manager on the ghost comedy Blithe Spirit (1945), based on the Noël Coward play, and served as his production manager on his adaptations of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948).

He produced Lean’s The Passionate Friends (1949) and the Hepburn-starring, Venice-set Summertime (1955); worked on a rewrite of the script for...

Exclusive: Iconic British director David Lean, whose credits included Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, is being given the feature documentary treatment by Sky, with Embankment Films launching sales at TIFF.

The Barnaby Thompson-directed Epic – The Life & Times of David Lean will profile the double Oscar winner, who helmed some of the most well-respected movies of all time, via never-before-seen archive and contributions from leading film directors. Haunted by the shadow of his dismissive father and his puritan upbringing, Lean was married six times, and he created layered and complex narratives in his work while struggling to find connection and meaning in his personal life. The doc is being made with collaboration from the BFI National Archive, whose Special Collections holds the David Lean paper archive.

Lean, who was knighted in 1984 and died in 1991, was behind the likes of Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago...

Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence and Stanley Tucci as Cardinal Bellini in ‘Conclave’ (Photo Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2024)

The 51st Telluride Film Festival announced its lineup just days ahead of the festival’s opening on Friday, August 30, 2024. The festival, which runs through Monday, September 2nd, will include the world premieres of Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night, Edward Berger’s Conclave, and Malcolm Washington’s The Piano Lesson.

This year’s festival includes 60 feature films, shorts, and revival programs.

“This brief weekend of cinematic bliss reminds us every year that movies really are magic,” stated Telluride Film Festival director Julie Huntsinger. “The process of assembling our line-up is both daunting and rewarding, and it never fails to bring the most fantastic sense of satisfaction once we’re finished. Our anticipation matches that of the audience. We’re delighted to now share what we found to be the most exciting, interesting and...

Greenwich Entertainment has acquired U.S. and Canadian distribution rights to “Mad About the Boy – The Noel Coward Story,” an intimate portrait of one of the 20th century’s greatest writers and wits.

Barnaby Thompson produced, wrote and directed the documentary about Coward, using unprecedented access to Coward’s estate. The film is told in his own words and music, using his diaries, photos and home movies, along with archival interviews with Coward and his contemporaries. Alan Cummings narrates and Rupert Everett voices Coward.

Coward was a popular and acclaimed playwright, actor, director, singer, songwriter and novelist. He wrote 60 plays, 500 songs, five screenplays, 14 films adapted from his plays, nine musicals, 300 poems, 21 short stories, two novels and three autobiographies. He also performed in over 70 plays and 12 movies.

But before he achieved fame, he grew up in poverty and left school when he was only nine years old. He was also covertly...

[This article was originally published in 2017. It has been updated in August 2024.]

70mm is back! Thanks to Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, and Christopher Nolan, one of the oldest and grandest traditions in Hollywood is making a comeback after years of financial setbacks and near-extinction. As Nolan has said many times, shooting in 70mm proved an immersive and more textured experience than any other form of cinema.

Due to the costly nature of film and theaters’ lack of 70mm projectors, it’s been quite a challenge to get to a place where Tarantino and Nolan can make entire features using 65/70mm, but the preservation of film is turning in their favor.

Below, we’ve gathered 20 of the most essential 70mm film releases. From Stanley Kubrick to William Wyler and David Lean, it’s clear shooting in 70mm is mandatory for any epic filmmaker.

With additional editorial contributions from Zack Sharf.

“Oklahoma!” (1955)

Fred Zinnemann’s film adaptation of the 1943 stage musical was the...

Unless you’re a major studio or willing to pay for a rent-spiked ski lodge––and even then––few festivals ring more exclusive than Telluride, which has the distinction / misfortune of firing the starting gun for fall festivals and that ever-deleterious phenomenon we call “Oscar buzz.” Their 2024 lineup nevertheless features some films of note: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson’s Rumours; Alain Guiraudie’s Misericordia; Payal Kapadia’s All That We Imagine as Light; Sean Baker’s Anora; and Alfonso Cuarón’s Apple series Disclaimer.

On a repertory end, Kenneth Lonergan’s been anointed this year’s Guest Director and has programmed the following: Arch of Triumph, Barry Lyndon, Doctor Zhivago, Grand Hotel, and My Darling Clementine. And Telluride’s 2024 Special Medallion goes to Les Films du Losange, who will represent Misericordia and have their history celebrated with the following screenings: Beauty and the Beast; Charles, Dead or...

It's an election year, which means everyone and everything is focused on politics—even the season's major festivals. Colorado's Telluride Film Festival just unveiled its 2024 lineup, and it has as much of an eye toward the White House as anything else this time of year.

According to The Hollywood Reporter,...

If you go back to the earliest days of his career — Gates of Heaven and Vernon, Florida — Errol Morris’ great gift appeared to be giving voices to people on the margins of American society.

Morris’ interests have shifted or evolved somewhat since then. Sometimes he’s issue-driven and sometimes he’s determined to get under the skin of famous and notorious figures. There isn’t always a simmering rage driving his filmmaking — his last outing, The Pigeon Tunnel, was pretty close to hero worship. But it’s become more common than the curious empathy that fueled his first works.

The prolific director’s fury is at a full boil in his NBC News documentary Separated, which is now getting a fall festival showcase. Examining the border policy of family separations, Morris rips into the xenophobes who stealthily crafted it, the unqualified bureaucrats who set it in motion and the paranoid...

Blue Eye Samurai is an absolute gem of a show. Since its debut in November, this animated Netflix hit has become a major cult favorite, with many claiming it’s one of the best shows of its kind…well…ever? In it, Mizu, a female mixed-race blue-eyed samurai (voiced by Maya Erskine) seeks revenge against the four men (one of whom is her father) who did her wrong. With an all-star voice cast that includes George Takei, Kenneth Branagh, Masi Oka, and many others, it’s quickly become a favorite of our own Taylor James Johnson, who you may know as the host of one of our most enduringly popular series, Wtf Happened to this Celebrity, as well as the recent reboot of C’Mon Hollywood.

Taylor recently sat down with the creators of Blue Eye Samurai (which is nominated for two Emmys including Outstanding Animated Program), Amber Noizumi & Michael Green...

On Thursday 8 August 2024, Sky Arts broadcasts Classic Movies: The Story Of!

Classic Movies Season 2 Episode 1 Episode Summary

In this episode of “Classic Movies: The Story Of,” the focus is on the iconic film “Brief Encounter,” directed by David Lean. This 1945 masterpiece tells a poignant story of love and longing. It features Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard as two married individuals who meet by chance and find themselves drawn to each other in a way that feels both beautiful and tragic.

The episode will delve into the themes of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships. It will explore how Lean’s direction and the performances of Johnson and Howard create an emotional depth that resonates with many viewers. The program will also highlight the film’s significant moments and its impact on cinema.

Fans of classic films can look forward to insights into the making of “Brief Encounter,” along...

Steven Spielberg is undoubtedly one of the best filmmakers of this generation, and he humbly gives credit to one classic movie that inspired him to discover the world of cinema. Known for his works on blockbusters such as Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park, the director owes it all to David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia.

Peter O’Toole in Lawrence of Arabia / Columbia Pictures

The 1962 epic biographical adventure drama film was based on T. E. Lawrence’s real-life story and his 1926 book, Seven Pillars of Wisdom. The movie was also a recipient of various prestigious accolades such as the Academy and Golden Globe Awards.

Steven Spielberg On Why Lawrence of Arabia Is His Favorite Movie

While speaking on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, director Steven Spielberg revealed the film he watched the most was Lawrence of Arabia.

I’ve probably watched that movie more than any other film. The thing...

On a recent July afternoon, the ever-mercurial Tom Rothman arrives in good spirits for a tour of Columbia Pictures’ archives in honor of the studio’s 100th anniversary. “Ask a lot of questions, because after this, I must go back to work,” says Rothman, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chairman. “This is way more fun than getting yelled at by agents.”

Naturally, Rothman — one of Hollywood’s longest-running studio chiefs, who’s been in his current gig since 2015 and has overseen the most profitable period in Columbia’s recent history — starts off by noting the costumes from marquee franchise Spider-Man. By his calculation, the collection houses more than 30 superhero suits at the archive from various Spider-Man movies.

“I recognize this very well — it was worth $2 billion at the box office to us,” says Rothman, pointing to a suit worn by Tom Holland in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. Both that...

The brooding and brilliant Japanese actor rivalled Rudolph Valentino but battled orientalist caricature before finding solace in Zen and watercolours

This month, the Cinema Rediscovered festival in Bristol will screen a rarely seen film from 1919 that offers a glimpse of the early career of a Japanese Hollywood star. Sessue Hayakawa, Oscar-nominated for playing the tyrannical Colonel Saito in David Lean’s The Bridge on the River Kwai in 1957, was a matinee idol back in the silent era. In fact he was one of the film industry’s first sex symbols, with a legion of female fans and a complex star persona that reflected America’s deep-seated prejudices about, and fascination with, Japanese culture. These ideas would make themselves painfully obvious throughout his career, which spanned six decades.

The Dragon Painter, from 1919, was made by Hayakawa’s own production company, and co-stars his wife, Tsuru Aoki. It is unusual among his...

2024 was an exceptionally strong year for cinematography, with several standout films that represent the art form at its apex. Perhaps what’s most welcome about these films is their variety, not only in terms of genre and tone but also budget and position in the marketplace. From the studio system, we have Greig Fraser’s extraordinary work on “Dune: Part Two,” which doubles down on the ambition and tactile detail of Fraser’s work on its predecessor (for which he justly received an Academy Award) to create one of the most flat-out beautiful epics since the glory days of David Lean. From the world of low-budget, independent filmmaking, we have “I Saw the TV Glow,” where cinematographer Eric Yue designs a meticulous and expressive visual corollary for his protagonist’s inner state. Like Fraser, cinematographer Lawrence Sher brings more innovation to his approach to a sequel — in Sher’s case,...

Shel Bachrach, a top insurance broker in Hollywood whose behind-the-scenes work helped movies like Cliffhanger, The People vs. Larry Flynt and Ali get made, died Monday in Palm Springs, a publicist announced. He was 80.

Bachrach provided financial protection and mitigated risks associated with such potential problems as drug-related filming delays (think Courtney Love in The People vs. Larry Flynt), actors who pilot aircraft (Harrison Ford) and directors who could be sidelined by age issues (David Lean, for his last movie, A Passage to India) or medical issues (John Huston, who battled emphysema).

Bachrach arranged risk management on stunt-filled films — if a star is injured during production, a movie could grind to a halt — and wrote policies for magicians and “Big Cat” performers in Las Vegas and for game shows like The Price Is Right, where contestants can win great sums of money.

Born in Detroit on April 7, 1944, Sheldon Jay Bachrach...

While far from a smash hit in its original 1983 theatrical release, Brian De Palma’s Scarface, over time, became seen as a classic. The rise of home video played a big role, with it having an outsized impact on hip hop artists, with many (Many) songs sampling the soundtrack/score and dialogue. In fact, its reputation in the rap community was so strong that, around the time of its 20th anniversary, Universal Pictures, in association with Def Jam Records, attempted to redo the movie’s soundtrack with hip hop.

According to a new book, “The World is Yours: The Story of Scarface,” by Glenn Kenny, star Al Pacino and producer Martin Bergman actually weren’t opposed to the idea of dropping Giorgio Moroder’s classic score (and songs) and replacing it with hip hop, only for Brian De Palma to (thankfully) put the kibosh on the whole deal. As excerpted...

Cinematic auteur, icon of pastel aesthetic, and pen salesman Wes Anderson enjoys a varied repertoire. He’s made commercials, worked in live-action film and animation, long-form and short, and has been known to don multiple hats on each set. While most of his work is original, he has also adapted the work of author Roald Dahl with “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and, most recently, his Oscar-winning “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.” Taking part in a conversation at the Annecy International Animation Festival in France, reported on by The Hollywood Reporter, Anderson said he’s now ready to take on another huge British novelist.

“I feel like the writer who I would like to adapt — who I don’t know if I can see the opportunity — is Dickens,” he said. “I would like to do a big Dickens story. They’ve all been adapted. They’ve all been done many times.

Fresh off his recent Oscar win, Wes Anderson made his first-ever visit to the Annecy Animation Festival, where he reminisced about his past while also sharing a bit about the shoot for his next feature.

Anderson took part in a conversation Wednesday aimed at giving animation students insight into his upbringing, influences and pre-Hollywood projects. The event began with a montage of animated moments from his movies, leading the filmmaker to note that he didn’t realize he had dabbled so extensively in animation and that he didn’t even have a clear memory of some of those clips from his own work.

During the session, Anderson was asked about the importance of family in his career, given that he has worked with brother Eric Anderson and is also known for collaborating multiple times with various members of his films’ cast and crew. This led him to discuss the process of making his next movie,...

If Chris Marker and Preston Sturges ever made a film together, it might have looked something like Grand Tour, a sweeping tale that moves from Rangoon to Manila, via Bangkok, Saigon and Osaka, as it weaves the stories of two disparate lovers towards a fateful reunion. The stowaways could scarcely be more Sturgian: he the urbane man on the run, she the intrepid woman trying to track him down. Their scenes are set in 1917 and shot in a classical studio style, yet they’re delivered within a contemporary travelogue––as if we are not only following their epic romance but a director’s own wanderings.

Grand Tour, which delivered much-needed magic to this year’s Cannes Film Festival lineup, is directed by the one and only Miguel Gomes, the Portuguese filmmaker behind The Tsugua Diaries (an entertaining Covid joint from 2021), Arabian Nights (his epic 2015 triptych), and Tabu (a breakout from...

In 1979, George Miller made his feature debut with Mad Max, a modest, near-future indie about a cop taking on a biker gang. More than four decades later, amazingly, he’s still playing in that insane sandpit. Furiosa represents a lot of things: an epic slice of myth-making, a Homeric odyssey that broadens the ever-expanding dystopian world in which it is set; a prequel to 2015’s Fury Road, a historically exceptional action movie which may never be bettered; and perhaps the most ambitious film Miller has ever made.

It is a lot. Where Fury Road was set over a mere 36 hours, this story spans 15 years. Where Fury Road was singular, unstoppable action ecstasy, this is more episodic tension, divided into five chapters, each with cryptic titles like ‘The Pole Of Inaccessibility’. It is markedly different from that last film in so many ways, and yet inextricably tied to it, deepening our...

Director Steven Spielberg has made some of the most memorable and impactful films of all time. The acclaimed filmmaker has won three Academy Awards in his lengthy career. However, there is one Oscar-winning movie outside his revered filmography that left Spielberg stunned and speechless upon watching it for the first time.

Steven Spielberg was profoundly impacted by 1962’s Lawrence of Arabia. (Image via CBS News)

Spielberg watched the movie for the first time during his childhood and admitted to being profoundly impacted by it. The film that left Spielberg stunned and speechless and most likely shaped the type of filmmaker he would go on to become was the 1962 epic biographical adventure drama Lawrence of Arabia. Here is what Spielberg revealed about his experience of watching Lawrence of Arabia.

Steven Spielberg Recalls Being Speechless After Watching Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence of Arabia directed by David Lean won seven Oscars. | Columbia Pictures...

The first iteration of the Cannes Film Festival, planned for 1939, was scuppered when Germany invaded Poland to trigger the start of World War II. But when the festival finally got off the ground in 1946, Indian cinema came out swinging. Mounted shortly after the conclusion of the war, the first “real” Cannes Film Festival featured competition entries from Billy Wilder (The Lost Weekend), Roberto Rossellini (Open City), and David Lean (Brief Encounter). In the spirit of post-war peace and reconciliation, the competition jury, headed by French historian Georges Huisman, handed the top prize — then the Grand Prix — to films from 11 of the 18 countries represented that year.

This included India, with Chetan Anand’s social-realist drama Neecha Nagar, and, for a decade at least, the country was a regular fixture in Competition. After Anand came V. Shantaram with Amar Bhoopali (1952), then Raj Kapoor with Awaara (1953), and Bimal Roy with Do Bigha Zamin...

Furiosa: A Max Max Saga had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, nearly a decade after the debut of Mad Max: Fury Road at the same festival. The first reviews for Furiosa have begun pouring in, and while they’re just as full of praise as those first reactions, it doesn’t sound like it reaches the heights of Fury Road.

Variety‘s Owen Gleiberman said that while Furiosa contains “a handful of awesome action moments,” the action doesn’t take center stage in the same way it did in Fury Road. “The most important thing to say about ‘Furiosa,’ however, is that what it all adds up to is a movie that can be darkly bedazzling, and that will be embraced and defended in a dozen passionate ways — but it’s one that, to me, falls very short of being a ‘Mad Max’ home run,” Gleiberman wrote.

In the past decade, Swedish-Polish filmmaker Magnus von Horn has become something of a fixture on the French Riviera, with his latest film, “The Girl With the Needle,” the director’s third feature to debut at the Cannes Film Festival and his first to compete for the Palme d’Or.

But the dark historical drama, which is set in post-wwi Copenhagen, marks a departure for the 40-year-old. Von Horn’s previous features — the 2015 Directors’ Fortnight breakout “The Here After” and his 2020 Cannes selection “Sweat” — are stories of loneliness and isolation spun from the fabric of contemporary life. The director’s first foray into period drama, “The Girl With the Needle” uses the past to tell a very modern story that centers on class, choice and the politics of women’s bodies.

Written by von Horn and Line Langebek (“I’ll Come Running”), the film is loosely based on the real-life...

Celebration of cinema has always been extended by the Oscars honoring the prowess of cinematic excellence with one of the most recognized accolades. Throughout the rich history of cinema, there have been several movies based on true events, that left a mark among moviegoers or in the pages of history.

A still from Lawrence of Arabia

Also, movies that are based on true events are another way of documenting the particular incident, albeit a portion of fictionalization may alter the accuracy, but for cinema’s sake, filmmakers enjoy the basic freedom to have their own touch to the narrative. Throughout history, movies like The Great Ziegfeld by Robert Z. Leonard, or it would be criminal not to mention David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia, and several other movies have claimed the Best Picture Oscars. Here is a list of six movies that won an Oscar in the Best Picture category.

Doctor Strange director, Scott Derrickson, is known for two things: horror and Marvel. His epic vision and style shine through in films like Sinister and The Day the Earth Stood Still. And yet, fans weep over the scandal-ridden production of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness.

An IP that should have remained in the hands of Derrickson, the changing of the old guard to bring in Sam Raimi was a decision praised by many. However, with time, regrets surface, and missed opportunities are realized as fans grasp the true scale of Scott Derrickson’s vision.

Doctor Strange (2016) [Credit: Marvel Studios]

Doctor Strange Was Always Destined for Greatness

There are truly one or two things in this world that are worthy of being called the stuff of legends. Among monuments, it’s the Giza Necropolis; in literature, Homer’s Iliad; and, of course, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey when it comes to film.

If Criterion24/7 hasn’t completely colonized your attention every time you open the Channel––this is to say: if you’re stronger than me––their May lineup may be of interest. First and foremost I’m happy to see a Michael Roemer triple-feature: his superlative Nothing But a Man, arriving in a Criterion Edition, and the recently rediscovered The Plot Against Harry and Vengeance is Mine, three distinct features that suggest a long-lost voice of American movies. Meanwhile, Nobuhiko Obayashi’s Antiwar Trilogy four by Sara Driver, and a wide collection from Ayoka Chenzira fill out the auteurist sets.

Series-wise, a highlight of 1999 goes beyond the well-established canon with films like Trick and Bye Bye Africa, while of course including Sofia Coppola, Michael Mann, Scorsese, and Claire Denis. Films starring Shirley Maclaine, a study of 1960s paranoia, and Columbia’s “golden era” (read: 1950-1961) are curated; meanwhile, The Breaking Ice,...

Can you believe that Dennis Quaid turned down, not one, but two movies made famous by Tom Hanks? Like, what? So here’s the gist.

Dennis Quaid Jokes He And Tom Hanks Have A Lot To Talk About After Turning Down Roles That Got Popularized By Hanks

Let’s do a quick flashback to when Dennis Quaid just casually told us that he turned down the opportunity to star in the 1998 fim “Big,” as a result of receiving several job offers at the time.

We all know what happened, Tom Hanks replaced him for the lead role in “Big” and made “Big” big (sorry I couldn’t resist.) “Big” did turn out to be a very successful movie. In fact, one of the most successful in Hanks’ career.

“I think I turned it down for something else,” he recalled. “Well, I can’t remember what it was. I also turned down Peggy Sue Got Married…...

If there was any doubt at all about whether Anthony Quinn was a true star, just take a look look at his track record. A film career that lasted 66 (!) years. Appearances in 151 films. Winner of two Academy Awards (for “Viva Zapata!’ and ‘Lust for Life’). Nominated for two more. Two BAFTA nominations. Five Golden Globe nominations. Nominated for a Primetime Emmy. And even a 382-performance run on Broadway as the star of the stage musical “Zorba,” based on his own hit film. That, my friend, is a star.

Born in Mexico but raised in Texas, Quinn began his career as a professional boxer but soon segued to acting. Blessed with looks that defied pigeonholing, Quinn played characters who were Latino, Greek, Italian, Arab and Native American (among many others), allowing him to explore a range of characterizations that few actors would be able to pull off so skillfully. Quinn’s talent,...

It had all the elements of a good action movie – jeopardy, revenge, a mega budget – with even some casualties thrown in (albeit corporate).

The Bob Iger vs Nelson Peltz (who?) war is over now and Iger has won. But some filmmakers and ticket buyers might wonder: Did any of it matter? Would a modest change on the Disney board of directors have had any impact on the future of entertainment? (Peltz himself runs a hedge fund called Trian Partners and has no background in entertainment.)

To be sure, it’s been a good show, albeit a throwback to an era when Hollywood was run by Big Personalities, not monoliths like Amazon or Apple. The battles of that era were ego wars, not proxy wars — Redstone vs Diller or Murdoch vs Ted Turner, with bewildered stars and their reps huddled in the middle.

But now Iger has won – again. The onetime...

Top to bottom: Lawrence Of Arabia (Columbia Pictures), Avatar (20th Century Fox), Blade Runner 2049 (Warner Bros.)Graphic: The A.V. Club

There are artists who work on such a large scale that seeing their art in person for the first time can completely change your impression of a piece, no...

It’s a rare type of cinephile who wasn’t introduced to the idea of film as more than just idle entertainment by the ritual of the Academy Awards. And it’s an even rarer type of cinephile who didn’t soon thereafter vehemently reject the Oscar as the ultimate barometer of a film’s artistic worth. Those of us who started off with The Godfather, Schindler’s List, All About Eve, or Casablanca all eventually got around to Out of Africa, Around the World in 80 Days, The Greatest Show on Earth, Cimarron, and Cavalcade. First loves being first loves, we still find ourselves regressing if for only one night a year, succumbing to the allure of instant canonization even as it comes in the form of repeated slap-in-the-face reminders of Oscar’s bracing wrongness: Gladiator, Braveheart, Chicago, Crash. In that sense, consider this project part cathartic exorcism and part...

As she ascended the Hollywood ladder in the late 2000s, Emily Blunt was a rising star who worked at the forefront of modern cinema and appeared in movies like The Young Victoria and The Devil Wears Prada. The Into the Woods actress’ recent performances in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer have further cemented her status among the greatest actors of our time.

Moreover, her acclaimed performance led to her being nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award. Well, as she becomes a more important icon in modern cinema, Blunt has begun to share her thoughts on the industry, revealing her top four films during a SXSW Q&a session.

Emily Blunt in Oppenheimer

Surprisingly enough, though, none of these works belong to the Interstellar director.

Emily Blunt’s 4 Favorite Movies: No Room for Christopher Nolan?

With a diverse taste in movies, Emily Blunt’s all-time favorite is a reflection of her own bright choices,...

Michael Culver, the veteran British actor who portrayed the doomed Captain Needa in The Empire Strikes Back and a bigoted police inspector in David Lean’s A Passage to India, has died. He was 85.

Culver died Feb. 27, according to Alliance Agents, which represented him for the past decade. No other details were immediately available.

Culver also appeared on lots of British television over the years, from The Befrienders, Secret Army and The Adventures of Black Beauty to The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Game Set and Match, The House of Eliott and the Derek Jacobi-starring Cadfael.

In Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980), directed by Irvin Kershner, Culver’s character, as captain of the Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger, loses track of the Millennium Falcon piloted by Han Solo during a pursuit.

Needa takes full responsibility and apologizes to Darth Vader, who then kills him (“Apology accepted, Captain...

Directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the film 12th Fail has done it again! The universally praised and award winning film bagged the ‘Best Film Award’ at the Critics Choice Awards last night.

While giving out the Best Feature Film award, dynamic actor Anil Kapoor praised his dear friend and talk of the town director-writer Vidhu Vinod Chopra as he said, “That’s the kind of madness he has, 39 years back and he still has it and I’m sure, I’m 100% sure that it is going to amplify more and more in the coming years. It is a privilege and honour to call David Lean also known as Vidhu Vinod Chopra for the best film ‘12th Fail”.

The actor also added, “The maverick, the crazy, the mad man- Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Sir, you don’t know how happy I am to give you this award, because seriously you deserve it.