If you’re a Maggie Smith fan who enjoyed watching the Dowager Countess’ biting wit or seeing Professor McGonagall’s strict but kind-hearted command of her classroom, you’re in for a treat today. In the 1960s, when Smith was a fixture at the National Theatre in London, she starred in a production there as one of Shakespeare’s wittiest verbal sparrers, Much Ado About Nothing’s Beatrice. That production boasted plenty more talent, including Derek Jacobi early in his soon-to-be-acclaimed stage career, Franco Zeffirelli producing the show just before he went on to make his celebrated Romeo and Juliet film, and Smith’s first husband, Robert Stephens, shortly before they got married. Though all that talent on stage together was preserved in a 1967 telecast on BBC, preserving the show forever didn’t appear to be the production’s destiny. Recorded at a time when BBC routinely deleted archive programs...
- 9/30/2016
- by Emily Rome
- Hitfix
Canada's movie showcase rolls out Hoffman's directorial debut, Midnight's Children and the hotly tipped Hyde Park On Hudson
In Venice the red carpet is being rolled up and the stars are gathering their gowns, hopping into gondolas and heading to the airport. But not all of them are going straight home. The canny are now going on to Toronto.
The 36th annual film festival in Canada's biggest city has opened its doors with a confident grin, a nose for the mainstream and its eyes on the prize.
The sci-fi thriller Looper kicks off the proceedings; the following 10 days look set to reveal many award winners. Venice did secure the first screening of Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master, which is already odds-on to win the best picture Oscar, but it is Toronto that will fill out the nomination slip and indicate the winners in other categories.
The Canadian festival benefits...
In Venice the red carpet is being rolled up and the stars are gathering their gowns, hopping into gondolas and heading to the airport. But not all of them are going straight home. The canny are now going on to Toronto.
The 36th annual film festival in Canada's biggest city has opened its doors with a confident grin, a nose for the mainstream and its eyes on the prize.
The sci-fi thriller Looper kicks off the proceedings; the following 10 days look set to reveal many award winners. Venice did secure the first screening of Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master, which is already odds-on to win the best picture Oscar, but it is Toronto that will fill out the nomination slip and indicate the winners in other categories.
The Canadian festival benefits...
- 9/7/2012
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
Toronto — Sundance is the festival for low-budget filmmaking. Cannes and Venice are glitzy industry showplaces. The Toronto International Film Festival is both of those and everything in between, but mostly, it's a place for ordinary cinema lovers to see a lot of great movies.
Toronto's status as a festival for the people is confirmed by this year's opening-night film Thursday. The festival used to begin with a small Canadian film as a nod to local crowds that have made it one of the world's biggest and most-prestigious cinema showcases.
For its 37th year, Toronto opens with a big Hollywood action film, the sci-fi tale "Looper," starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt.
Festival co-director Cameron Bailey said "Looper" works on "both the action level and the ideas level," making it an ideal choice for festival audiences wanting something smart and entertaining. And with "Looper" hitting theaters Sept. 28, less than...
Toronto's status as a festival for the people is confirmed by this year's opening-night film Thursday. The festival used to begin with a small Canadian film as a nod to local crowds that have made it one of the world's biggest and most-prestigious cinema showcases.
For its 37th year, Toronto opens with a big Hollywood action film, the sci-fi tale "Looper," starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt.
Festival co-director Cameron Bailey said "Looper" works on "both the action level and the ideas level," making it an ideal choice for festival audiences wanting something smart and entertaining. And with "Looper" hitting theaters Sept. 28, less than...
- 9/5/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Jayne Mansfield.s Car
Piers Handling, CEO and Director of Tiff, and Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Film Festival, made the first announcement of films to premiere at the 37th Toronto International Film Festival. Films announced include titles in the Galas and Special Presentations programmes. The announced films include 17 Galas and 45 Special Presentations, including 38 world premieres.
Toronto audiences will be the first to see the world premieres of films from directors Andrew Adamson, Ben Affleck, David Ayer, Maiken Baird, Noah Baumbach, J.A. Bayona, Stuart Blumberg, Josh Boone, Laurent Cantet, Sergio Castellitto, Stephen Chbosky, Lu Chuan, Derek Cianfrance, Nenad Cicin-Sain, Costa-Gavras, Ziad Doueiri, Liz Garbus, Dustin Hoffman, Rian Johnson, Neil Jordan, Baltasar Kormákur, Shola Lynch, Deepa Mehta, Roger Michell, Nishikawa Miwa, Ruba Nadda, Mike Newell, François Ozon, Sally Potter, Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman, Eran Riklis, David O. Russell, Gauri Shinde, Ben Timlett & Bill Jones & Jeff Simpson, Tom Tykwer & Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski,...
Piers Handling, CEO and Director of Tiff, and Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Film Festival, made the first announcement of films to premiere at the 37th Toronto International Film Festival. Films announced include titles in the Galas and Special Presentations programmes. The announced films include 17 Galas and 45 Special Presentations, including 38 world premieres.
Toronto audiences will be the first to see the world premieres of films from directors Andrew Adamson, Ben Affleck, David Ayer, Maiken Baird, Noah Baumbach, J.A. Bayona, Stuart Blumberg, Josh Boone, Laurent Cantet, Sergio Castellitto, Stephen Chbosky, Lu Chuan, Derek Cianfrance, Nenad Cicin-Sain, Costa-Gavras, Ziad Doueiri, Liz Garbus, Dustin Hoffman, Rian Johnson, Neil Jordan, Baltasar Kormákur, Shola Lynch, Deepa Mehta, Roger Michell, Nishikawa Miwa, Ruba Nadda, Mike Newell, François Ozon, Sally Potter, Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman, Eran Riklis, David O. Russell, Gauri Shinde, Ben Timlett & Bill Jones & Jeff Simpson, Tom Tykwer & Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski,...
- 7/24/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Earlier, we brought you a snapshot glance at the first wave of programming announced for the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. Shortly after, the fest released a thorough breakdown of the Galas and Special Presentations for this year’s event, which kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 6.
So far, 17 Galas and 45 Special Presentations have been announced, including 38 world premieres. Andrew Adamson, Ben Affleck, David Ayer, Maiken Baird, Noah Baumbach, J.A. Bayona, Stuart Blumberg, Josh Boone, Laurent Cantet, Sergio Castellitto, Stephen Chbosky, Lu Chuan, Derek Cianfrance, Nenad Cicin-Sain, Costa-Gavras, Ziad Doueiri, Liz Garbus, Dustin Hoffman, Rian Johnson, Neil Jordan, Baltasar Kormákur, Shola Lynch, Deepa Mehta, Roger Michell, Nishikawa Miwa, Ruba Nadda, Mike Newell, François Ozon, Sally Potter, Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman, Eran Riklis, David O. Russell, Gauri Shinde, Ben Timlett & Bill Jones & Jeff Simpson, Tom Tykwer & Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski, Margarethe von Trotta, Joss Whedon and...
Hollywoodnews.com: Earlier, we brought you a snapshot glance at the first wave of programming announced for the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. Shortly after, the fest released a thorough breakdown of the Galas and Special Presentations for this year’s event, which kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 6.
So far, 17 Galas and 45 Special Presentations have been announced, including 38 world premieres. Andrew Adamson, Ben Affleck, David Ayer, Maiken Baird, Noah Baumbach, J.A. Bayona, Stuart Blumberg, Josh Boone, Laurent Cantet, Sergio Castellitto, Stephen Chbosky, Lu Chuan, Derek Cianfrance, Nenad Cicin-Sain, Costa-Gavras, Ziad Doueiri, Liz Garbus, Dustin Hoffman, Rian Johnson, Neil Jordan, Baltasar Kormákur, Shola Lynch, Deepa Mehta, Roger Michell, Nishikawa Miwa, Ruba Nadda, Mike Newell, François Ozon, Sally Potter, Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman, Eran Riklis, David O. Russell, Gauri Shinde, Ben Timlett & Bill Jones & Jeff Simpson, Tom Tykwer & Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski, Margarethe von Trotta, Joss Whedon and...
- 7/24/2012
- by Sean O'Connell
- Hollywoodnews.com
2012′s Toronto International Film Festival is set to officially announce its initial line-up later today, but Variety let the cat out of the bag, at least partially; and it’s quite astounding. Most of our most-anticipated films of the year will be premiering at the Canadian festival, notably Terrence Malick‘s To the Wonder, Wachowskis & Tom Tykwer‘s epic-sounding Cloud Atlas, Rian Johnson‘s Looper (which will open the fest), Ben Affleck‘s Argo, Dereck Cianfrance‘s The Place Beyond the Pines and much, more more.
Coming from Sundance, the only mentioned film was Ben Lewis‘ John Hawkes-starring The Sessions, while Cannes premieres include Matteo Garrone‘s Reality, Thomas Vinterberg‘s The Hunt, Pablo Larrain‘s No and Jacques Audiard‘s Rust and Bone. One of the biggest surprises is a new film from Noah Baumbach, starring Greta Gerwing titled Frances Ha. There’s also The Avengers director Joss Whedon...
Coming from Sundance, the only mentioned film was Ben Lewis‘ John Hawkes-starring The Sessions, while Cannes premieres include Matteo Garrone‘s Reality, Thomas Vinterberg‘s The Hunt, Pablo Larrain‘s No and Jacques Audiard‘s Rust and Bone. One of the biggest surprises is a new film from Noah Baumbach, starring Greta Gerwing titled Frances Ha. There’s also The Avengers director Joss Whedon...
- 7/24/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Talking to Digital Spy, fan favourite actor Nathan Fillion first joked that he’d never heard of The Avengers, then addressed the possibility of his own involvement in The Avengers 2 by saying:
“I have to be honest. The entertainment industry is an industry. I love telling stories but…finance does meet art. If I were in charge of an Avengers sequel I would be very concerned about what kind of money I could make back overseas, and these kinds of things.”
However, he gave fans a hint of hope by adding:
“I’m not quite at that level yet…but I’m getting there.”
One could argue that Joss Whedon “wasn’t famous enough” before he directed The Avengers, and now guess what? Even normal people are going, “Wow, The Avengers was amazing! Joss Whedon did a brilliant job!” Thus providing their Whedonite friends with the perfect opportunity to do...
“I have to be honest. The entertainment industry is an industry. I love telling stories but…finance does meet art. If I were in charge of an Avengers sequel I would be very concerned about what kind of money I could make back overseas, and these kinds of things.”
However, he gave fans a hint of hope by adding:
“I’m not quite at that level yet…but I’m getting there.”
One could argue that Joss Whedon “wasn’t famous enough” before he directed The Avengers, and now guess what? Even normal people are going, “Wow, The Avengers was amazing! Joss Whedon did a brilliant job!” Thus providing their Whedonite friends with the perfect opportunity to do...
- 7/11/2012
- Shadowlocked
by Tami Katzoff
Cue the “Buffy” theme song – you’re now reading a brand new column called The Weekly Whedon. If you’re new to Whedon fandom, welcome aboard. If you’re an old-schooler like myself… shiny!
Of course everybody’s still buzzing about Joss’ latest directorial effort, “The Avengers.” But since this is the inaugural Ww column I’m going to focus on the first film he directed – “Serenity.” It didn’t shatter box office records like “The Avengers” did, and it wasn’t populated with A-list stars, but “Serenity” was significant and ground-breaking in its own way. It was an anomaly, a studio film that was made because fans of a short-lived cult TV show demanded it.
If you’re not familiar with the story-behind-the-story, here’s a brief synopsis: After the early cancellation by Fox of Whedon’s space-western series “Firefly” in late 2002, fans were in an uproar.
Cue the “Buffy” theme song – you’re now reading a brand new column called The Weekly Whedon. If you’re new to Whedon fandom, welcome aboard. If you’re an old-schooler like myself… shiny!
Of course everybody’s still buzzing about Joss’ latest directorial effort, “The Avengers.” But since this is the inaugural Ww column I’m going to focus on the first film he directed – “Serenity.” It didn’t shatter box office records like “The Avengers” did, and it wasn’t populated with A-list stars, but “Serenity” was significant and ground-breaking in its own way. It was an anomaly, a studio film that was made because fans of a short-lived cult TV show demanded it.
If you’re not familiar with the story-behind-the-story, here’s a brief synopsis: After the early cancellation by Fox of Whedon’s space-western series “Firefly” in late 2002, fans were in an uproar.
- 5/18/2012
- by Splash Page Team
- MTV Splash Page
"Roland Emmerich's Anonymous is a well-polished cowpat that will confuse and bore those who know nothing about Shakespeare and incense those who know almost anything," declares David Edelstein in New York. The film begins with Derek Jacobi announcing on a contemporary Broadway stage that the plays we attribute to Shakespeare are, in fact, the work of "Edward de Vere, seventeenth Earl of Oxford, who could not, by virtue of his rank, have anything to do with the theater and so handed over his masterworks — many of which were not performed until well after his death — to a boobish actor named Will Shakespeare, who incidentally was the one who stabbed Christopher Marlowe in the eye. Less improbably, De Vere screwed Queen Elizabeth, as well as (accidentally) his own mum…. Apart from its ineptitude, Anonymous is peculiarly beside the point. Shakespeare's succession of masterpieces, near masterpieces, and thrilling misses is a...
- 10/27/2011
- MUBI
A hoard of lost TV dramas – starring the likes of Sean Connery, Maggie Smith and Derek Jacobi – have resurfaced. What do they say about TV then and now?
We have become used to the idea of major TV dramas being imported from America: series such as The Wire, The Sopranos and The West Wing. But a stash of programmes heading for Britain this month have a more complicated history. These are not strictly imports; rather, they are being returned to their country of origin.
The 65 plays – starring actors such as Sean Connery, Maggie Smith and Derek Jacobi – were transmitted by the BBC and ITV between 1957 and 1969, but were only seen once. Subsequently, if they were asked after by historians or biographers, they were found to be missing, presumed wiped, a frequent fate in a period when the preservation of TV programmes was an expensive business. However, during a recent stock-taking...
We have become used to the idea of major TV dramas being imported from America: series such as The Wire, The Sopranos and The West Wing. But a stash of programmes heading for Britain this month have a more complicated history. These are not strictly imports; rather, they are being returned to their country of origin.
The 65 plays – starring actors such as Sean Connery, Maggie Smith and Derek Jacobi – were transmitted by the BBC and ITV between 1957 and 1969, but were only seen once. Subsequently, if they were asked after by historians or biographers, they were found to be missing, presumed wiped, a frequent fate in a period when the preservation of TV programmes was an expensive business. However, during a recent stock-taking...
- 11/4/2010
- by Mark Lawson
- The Guardian - Film News
London, Sep 13 – America’s Library of Congress has rediscovered an archive of 40-year-old TV dramas.
The dramas feature stars including Sir Sean Connery, Dame Maggie Smith and Sir Michael Gambon at the start of their career.
Researchers were delighted after unearthing hundreds of hours of lost British dramas from 1957 and 1970 in the archive in Washington, D.C.
The footage includes performances from several of Britain’s biggest acting stars, including Connery in a production of Jean Anouilh’s ‘Colombe’ from 1960 and a 1967 production of Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ starring Smith.
Jane Asher can be seen in.
The dramas feature stars including Sir Sean Connery, Dame Maggie Smith and Sir Michael Gambon at the start of their career.
Researchers were delighted after unearthing hundreds of hours of lost British dramas from 1957 and 1970 in the archive in Washington, D.C.
The footage includes performances from several of Britain’s biggest acting stars, including Connery in a production of Jean Anouilh’s ‘Colombe’ from 1960 and a 1967 production of Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ starring Smith.
Jane Asher can be seen in.
- 9/13/2010
- by News
- RealBollywood.com
An archive of 40-year-old TV dramas featuring British stars including Sir Sean Connery, Dame Maggie Smith and Sir Michael Gambon at the start of their career has been rediscovered in America's Library of Congress. Researchers were delighted after unearthing hundreds of hours of lost British dramas from 1957 and 1970 in the archive in Washington, D.C.
The footage includes performances from several of Britain's biggest acting stars, including Connery in a production of Jean Anouilh's "Colombe" from 1960 and a 1967 production of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" starring Smith. Jane Asher can be seen in a 1962 school production of "Romeo and Juliet", while Gambon has a bit part in a 1967 staging of the same tragic love story.
Officials at the Library of Congress have agreed to loan the broadcasts to the British Film Institute (BFI) to showcase the highlights in November. A spokesperson for the BFI says, "Negotiations to secure the...
The footage includes performances from several of Britain's biggest acting stars, including Connery in a production of Jean Anouilh's "Colombe" from 1960 and a 1967 production of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" starring Smith. Jane Asher can be seen in a 1962 school production of "Romeo and Juliet", while Gambon has a bit part in a 1967 staging of the same tragic love story.
Officials at the Library of Congress have agreed to loan the broadcasts to the British Film Institute (BFI) to showcase the highlights in November. A spokesperson for the BFI says, "Negotiations to secure the...
- 9/13/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Treasure Trove Of Lost British TV Found
An archive of 40-year-old TV dramas featuring British stars including Sir Sean Connery, Dame Maggie Smith and Sir Michael Gambon at the start of their career has been rediscovered in America's Library of Congress.
Researchers were delighted after unearthing hundreds of hours of lost British dramas from 1957 and 1970 in the archive in Washington, D.C.
The footage includes performances from several of Britain's biggest acting stars, including Connery in a production of Jean Anouilh's Colombe from 1960 and a 1967 production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing starring Smith.
Jane Asher can be seen in a 1962 school production of Romeo and Juliet, while Gambon has a bit part in a 1967 staging of the same tragic love story.
Officials at the Library of Congress have agreed to loan the broadcasts to the British Film Institute (BFI) to showcase the highlights in November.
A spokesperson for the BFI says, "Negotiations to secure the release of these dramas have been going on for some time and we have been holding on to the information until the time is right. It is very exciting, but we don't have all the information yet."...
Researchers were delighted after unearthing hundreds of hours of lost British dramas from 1957 and 1970 in the archive in Washington, D.C.
The footage includes performances from several of Britain's biggest acting stars, including Connery in a production of Jean Anouilh's Colombe from 1960 and a 1967 production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing starring Smith.
Jane Asher can be seen in a 1962 school production of Romeo and Juliet, while Gambon has a bit part in a 1967 staging of the same tragic love story.
Officials at the Library of Congress have agreed to loan the broadcasts to the British Film Institute (BFI) to showcase the highlights in November.
A spokesperson for the BFI says, "Negotiations to secure the release of these dramas have been going on for some time and we have been holding on to the information until the time is right. It is very exciting, but we don't have all the information yet."...
- 9/12/2010
- WENN
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