It is a testament to his acting ability that it was years before I realized that Gary Oldman is British. With an ability to nail accents, the dedication to drastically change his appearance and the talent to convey the full spectrum of emotions, Oldman is one of the most eclectic and underrated actors of our time.
Born March 21, 1958, in London, Oldman began his acting career on the British stage in 1979, and made his film debut in “Remembrance” in 1982. In 1984, he reluctantly accepted the role of punk rocker Sid Vicious in “Sid and Nancy,” a performance which garnered him critical acclaim and launched a diverse and successful career that has spanned almost four decades, and includes everything from small indie films to blockbuster franchises.
Oldman is well-known for his portrayal of some of the most memorable villains in the history of the cinema, from the campy Zorg in “The Fifth Element...
Born March 21, 1958, in London, Oldman began his acting career on the British stage in 1979, and made his film debut in “Remembrance” in 1982. In 1984, he reluctantly accepted the role of punk rocker Sid Vicious in “Sid and Nancy,” a performance which garnered him critical acclaim and launched a diverse and successful career that has spanned almost four decades, and includes everything from small indie films to blockbuster franchises.
Oldman is well-known for his portrayal of some of the most memorable villains in the history of the cinema, from the campy Zorg in “The Fifth Element...
- 3/15/2024
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Celebrating his 50th year as an indie filmmaker and distributor, Jeff Lipsky is prepping the release of his eighth feature as director. Goldilocks and the Two Bears is due to open domestically via Glass Half Full Media in July for a limited theatrical run, followed by a general release in late summer/early fall. Check out an exclusive clip above.
Goldilocks introduces a trio of new actors: Claire Milligan, Serra Naiman and Bryan Mittelstadt. It’s directed and written by Lipsky, produced by longtime collaborator Nick Athas and shot by Zak Ray with production sound mixed by Caleb Mose (O.J.: Made in America).
Filmed entirely in Las Vegas, the movie centers on a man and a woman – travelers who’ve all but given up on futures that might have been glorious. When a stranger enters their midst, a woman on the run from her own demons, the...
Goldilocks introduces a trio of new actors: Claire Milligan, Serra Naiman and Bryan Mittelstadt. It’s directed and written by Lipsky, produced by longtime collaborator Nick Athas and shot by Zak Ray with production sound mixed by Caleb Mose (O.J.: Made in America).
Filmed entirely in Las Vegas, the movie centers on a man and a woman – travelers who’ve all but given up on futures that might have been glorious. When a stranger enters their midst, a woman on the run from her own demons, the...
- 3/14/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Alex Cox on Why He’s Directing a ‘Repo Man’ Sequel: ‘Everything Has Changed and Nothing Has Changed’
Alex Cox’s 1984 “Repo Man” was a Reagan-era satire about consumerism and the Atomic Age. Its punk rock soundtrack transformed it into a cult hit, but its funny and strange combination of sci-fi, workplace comedy, and the fear of nuclear annihilation made it an enduring classic.
Forty years later, Cox will revisit the repo man and the world of bland, generic grocery store clerks stocking and selling “Food” and “Beer” day in and day out. He has written and will direct a sequel, “Repo Man 2: The Wages of Beer,” and he told IndieWire why this film will embody “the repo world of 2024.”
Cox said “The Wages of Beer” will take place in a world of self-driving cars and an even more pressing threat of global destruction. “The advent of incredible technology means, for the repo man, that everything has changed — and nothing has changed,” he said via email.
Forty years later, Cox will revisit the repo man and the world of bland, generic grocery store clerks stocking and selling “Food” and “Beer” day in and day out. He has written and will direct a sequel, “Repo Man 2: The Wages of Beer,” and he told IndieWire why this film will embody “the repo world of 2024.”
Cox said “The Wages of Beer” will take place in a world of self-driving cars and an even more pressing threat of global destruction. “The advent of incredible technology means, for the repo man, that everything has changed — and nothing has changed,” he said via email.
- 2/15/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Alex Cox is getting back behind the wheel.
The “Repo Man” director is revisiting the off-kilter world of extraterrestrials and car repossession that he mined so memorably in the 1984 cult classic in a new sequel that is being introduced to buyers at the Berlin Film Festival and European Film Market. Entitled “Repo Man 2: The Wages of Beer,” the film is being backed by Buffalo 8 Productions, a film and media company best known for the critically acclaimed work on Netflix series “The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes.” Cox wrote the script along with directing the film.
Kiowa Gordon, best known for his role as Embry Call in “The Twilight Saga” and for his work in the AMC series “Dark Winds,” is set to lead the cast as Otto. Emilio Estevez played Otto in the 1984 original. The film picks up after Otto has boarded his trusty 1967 Chevy Malibu to journey across the infinities of time and space.
The “Repo Man” director is revisiting the off-kilter world of extraterrestrials and car repossession that he mined so memorably in the 1984 cult classic in a new sequel that is being introduced to buyers at the Berlin Film Festival and European Film Market. Entitled “Repo Man 2: The Wages of Beer,” the film is being backed by Buffalo 8 Productions, a film and media company best known for the critically acclaimed work on Netflix series “The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes.” Cox wrote the script along with directing the film.
Kiowa Gordon, best known for his role as Embry Call in “The Twilight Saga” and for his work in the AMC series “Dark Winds,” is set to lead the cast as Otto. Emilio Estevez played Otto in the 1984 original. The film picks up after Otto has boarded his trusty 1967 Chevy Malibu to journey across the infinities of time and space.
- 2/14/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
To celebrate the release of Wish Upon A Unicorn – available on Blu-ray & DVD from 3rd July, we have Blu-Rays to give away to 2 lucky winners!
Two sisters and their father (Jonathan Lajoie) move from the city to the country to live with their grandmother. On her farm, they miraculously discover and befriend a baby unicorn named Rocco. Rocco has magical powers and gives the girls a little bit of luck, hijinks and a lot of laughter, which makes the adjustment to their new home and school easier. But when the local good-for-nothing cowboys learn about the magical unicorn, the gang steals Rocco to use his powers for themselves.
Actor Jonathan Lajoie who plays the father Louis Dindal is also a comedian, singer/songwriter who wrote five songs for The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, including “Catchy Song” and “Not Evil”.
Grandma Rose is played by Chloe Webb, whose film...
Two sisters and their father (Jonathan Lajoie) move from the city to the country to live with their grandmother. On her farm, they miraculously discover and befriend a baby unicorn named Rocco. Rocco has magical powers and gives the girls a little bit of luck, hijinks and a lot of laughter, which makes the adjustment to their new home and school easier. But when the local good-for-nothing cowboys learn about the magical unicorn, the gang steals Rocco to use his powers for themselves.
Actor Jonathan Lajoie who plays the father Louis Dindal is also a comedian, singer/songwriter who wrote five songs for The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, including “Catchy Song” and “Not Evil”.
Grandma Rose is played by Chloe Webb, whose film...
- 6/29/2023
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
It’s the age of the biopic, and many filmmakers are turning to classic rock artists as their subjects. It makes sense — their music has moved people for decades, and their lives are usually full of enough intrigue to fill at least one film. As news of the new Bob Dylan biopic continues to trickle out and we not-so-patiently await a Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac movie, here are six classic rock biopics to watch.
The Beatles | Central Press/Getty Images ‘Love & Mercy’
The 2014 film Love & Mercy stars Paul Dano and John Cusack as The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson. The film alternates between the 1960s, as Wilson works on the seminal Pet Sounds, and the 1980s, as he grapples with his mental health and begins a new relationship. Wilson himself said that upon watching the film, he was astonished by both portrayals of him, particularly Dano’s.
“Well, he looked...
The Beatles | Central Press/Getty Images ‘Love & Mercy’
The 2014 film Love & Mercy stars Paul Dano and John Cusack as The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson. The film alternates between the 1960s, as Wilson works on the seminal Pet Sounds, and the 1980s, as he grapples with his mental health and begins a new relationship. Wilson himself said that upon watching the film, he was astonished by both portrayals of him, particularly Dano’s.
“Well, he looked...
- 4/13/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
These days he's known as one of the finest actors in the industry for his almost unmatched versatility and range. Gary Oldman is frequently unrecognizable from role to role. Not only has he built a respected career as a result, but back in the mid-80s — before his appearances in the Harry Potter franchise or Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy — Oldman was coming off an acclaimed run in the theater and was yet to make his name in the film industry.
Having starred in 1982's "Remembrance," the actor wouldn't appear in another film until 1986 when he had to be talked into playing Sid Vicious. By his own admission, Oldman had little to no interest in the Sex Pistols bassist (or punk in general), but was convinced by director Alex Cox to take on the lead role in his retelling of Vicious' dysfunctional relationship with Nancy Spungen. Almost 30 years later,...
Having starred in 1982's "Remembrance," the actor wouldn't appear in another film until 1986 when he had to be talked into playing Sid Vicious. By his own admission, Oldman had little to no interest in the Sex Pistols bassist (or punk in general), but was convinced by director Alex Cox to take on the lead role in his retelling of Vicious' dysfunctional relationship with Nancy Spungen. Almost 30 years later,...
- 3/4/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Gary Oldman is one of the greatest film actors of all time. His versatility is so established now that there are internet memes about his uncanny ability to just simply vanish into a role. No other actor could convincingly play real-life figures as diverse as Lee Harvey Oswald and Winston Churchill, let alone such contrasting literary characters as Dracula and George Smiley. It's this versatility that has led to his success and longevity as an actor; he can play the hero, the villain, a supporting role, or a mere cameo, and never gives a part anything less than his all, whether he's playing Beethoven or a CGI peacock.
It's true that he displayed a propensity for playing villains in outlandish science fiction romps like "The Fifth Element," popcorn actioners like "Air Force One," or serial killer thrillers like "Hannibal." However, more recently he has received long overdue recognition for his...
It's true that he displayed a propensity for playing villains in outlandish science fiction romps like "The Fifth Element," popcorn actioners like "Air Force One," or serial killer thrillers like "Hannibal." However, more recently he has received long overdue recognition for his...
- 2/12/2023
- by Nick Bartlett
- Slash Film
Courtney Love said she was offered the role of Janis Joplin in a movie about the classic rock musician’s life. Here’s what Love said about Joplin and some of the Hole singer’s acting highlights.
(L-r) Courtney Love and Janis Joplin | Darren Gerrish/WireImage; Paul Ryan/Michael Ochs Archives Courtney Love said she was chosen to play Janis Joplin in a movie
Singer Courtney Love revealed she was once offered to play Janis Joplin in a movie while discussing the possibility of a biopic about her late husband, Kurt Cobain.
“There was talk of a biopic a few years back,” she told HuffPost in July 2013. “I think I changed my mind about it, but I did do a deal with Universal.” Love named some of the actors considered to portray her in the film. “Scarlett Johansson was into it; I was also into Michelle Williams. These were the...
(L-r) Courtney Love and Janis Joplin | Darren Gerrish/WireImage; Paul Ryan/Michael Ochs Archives Courtney Love said she was chosen to play Janis Joplin in a movie
Singer Courtney Love revealed she was once offered to play Janis Joplin in a movie while discussing the possibility of a biopic about her late husband, Kurt Cobain.
“There was talk of a biopic a few years back,” she told HuffPost in July 2013. “I think I changed my mind about it, but I did do a deal with Universal.” Love named some of the actors considered to portray her in the film. “Scarlett Johansson was into it; I was also into Michelle Williams. These were the...
- 2/12/2023
- by Grace Turney
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
There’s a genre I like so much I can never get enough of it — I call it the Biopic About Someone You Wouldn’t Make a Biopic About. The form came into existence, in a certain way, with “Sid and Nancy,” but it was all but patented by the screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who planted it on the map, in 1994, with “Ed Wood” (still the “Citizen Kane” of the genre), then went on to script “The People vs. Larry Flynt,” “Man on the Moon” (about Andy Kaufman), “Big Eyes”, and “Dolemite Is My Name” (about the fluky hustler-comedian Ray Moore). There have been films in the genre from other quarters, like Paul Schrader’s superb “Auto Focus” (about the TV star Bob Crane and his video-fetish sex life), going right up through the recent Toronto Film Festival sensation “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.”
But there’s one...
But there’s one...
- 9/18/2022
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Following the world premiere of “My Neighbor Adolf” on the Piazza Grande in Locarno, Beta Cinema has sold the dark comedy to Vendetta Films, which will bring the Udo Kier and David Hayman starrer to cinemas across Australia and New Zealand in the first quarter of next year.
Prior to Locarno, Beta Cinema sold the film to Hungary (Cinetel) and Switzerland (Praesens Film), while deals for North America (Cohen Media Group), U.K. and Ireland (Signature Entertainment), Italy (I Wonder), South Korea (Lumix Media) and Japan (Tohokushinsha Film) had been revealed before.
The film is set in Colombia in 1960, just a few days after the Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann was caught by Mossad agents in Argentina. Polsky, played by Hayman, is a lonely and grumpy old man, living in the remote Colombian countryside. He is a survivor of the Holocaust. He spends his days playing chess and tending his beloved rosebushes.
Prior to Locarno, Beta Cinema sold the film to Hungary (Cinetel) and Switzerland (Praesens Film), while deals for North America (Cohen Media Group), U.K. and Ireland (Signature Entertainment), Italy (I Wonder), South Korea (Lumix Media) and Japan (Tohokushinsha Film) had been revealed before.
The film is set in Colombia in 1960, just a few days after the Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann was caught by Mossad agents in Argentina. Polsky, played by Hayman, is a lonely and grumpy old man, living in the remote Colombian countryside. He is a survivor of the Holocaust. He spends his days playing chess and tending his beloved rosebushes.
- 9/12/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The life and career of Michael Stevenson, an industry veteran, and former assistant director to Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, and Sir Ridley Scott will be documented in a new feature-length documentary from Freida Films and 21 Filmworks.
The doc, titled An Ode to Cinema, will chart Stevenson’s career through never-before-seen archive footage and production materials from his work on films such as Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, Pearl Harbor, The Bourne Ultimatum, Mission Impossible, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and Warhorse. The doc will also feature a series of interviews with Stevenson’s former collaborators and close friends, including Ray Winstone, Malcolm McDowell, and Sir Tom Courtenay.
Amelia O’Loughlin is co-directing the doc with Tammy Khajotia (Saving Saffron), and co-producing alongside Jo Farrugia. Ola Mesmer,, is serving as cinematographer.
The doc, titled An Ode to Cinema, will chart Stevenson’s career through never-before-seen archive footage and production materials from his work on films such as Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, Pearl Harbor, The Bourne Ultimatum, Mission Impossible, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and Warhorse. The doc will also feature a series of interviews with Stevenson’s former collaborators and close friends, including Ray Winstone, Malcolm McDowell, and Sir Tom Courtenay.
Amelia O’Loughlin is co-directing the doc with Tammy Khajotia (Saving Saffron), and co-producing alongside Jo Farrugia. Ola Mesmer,, is serving as cinematographer.
- 8/9/2022
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Israeli director Leon Prudovsky, whose film “My Neighbor, Adolf” world premieres Thursday in Locarno Film Festival’s Piazza Grande, will next be making a feature version of his 2012 short “Welcome, and our Condolences.”
The project, titled “Our People,” is a multi-character tragicomedy, centering on a Russian Jewish family traveling to Israel in the early 1990s. On the plane their grandmother dies, which places them in a tricky situation: they are worried that they will lose their right to settle in Israel, so decide to pretend she’s still alive. Prudovsky himself was born in Russia and migrated to Israel at that time.
“My Neighbor, Adolf” is also a tragicomedy. It stars David Hayman, whose credits include “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” “Sid and Nancy” and TV series “Taboo,” as Polsky, a grumpy old man living in the wilds of Colombia in 1960.
Polsky, who survived the Holocaust and hates all Germans,...
The project, titled “Our People,” is a multi-character tragicomedy, centering on a Russian Jewish family traveling to Israel in the early 1990s. On the plane their grandmother dies, which places them in a tricky situation: they are worried that they will lose their right to settle in Israel, so decide to pretend she’s still alive. Prudovsky himself was born in Russia and migrated to Israel at that time.
“My Neighbor, Adolf” is also a tragicomedy. It stars David Hayman, whose credits include “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” “Sid and Nancy” and TV series “Taboo,” as Polsky, a grumpy old man living in the wilds of Colombia in 1960.
Polsky, who survived the Holocaust and hates all Germans,...
- 8/4/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
There are few events movie fans look forward to quite like the Barnes & Noble 50 off Criterion Collection sale. It happens twice a year – once in July and again in November – and it’s a perfect opportunity for physical media enthusiasts to acquire some of the very best Blu-rays, loaded with special features and anchored by exemplary video and sound. Sure, the Christmas holiday might be the wonderful time of the year. But Criterion sale time at Barnes & Noble is a close second for those of us still collecting physical media.
This year, there are plenty of amazing titles to choose from and we thought we’d highlight a handful if you’re having trouble narrowing down what to get. These are all titles that have come out since the last sale (in November 2021) and include some that are coming out towards the end of July, when the sale ends.
This year, there are plenty of amazing titles to choose from and we thought we’d highlight a handful if you’re having trouble narrowing down what to get. These are all titles that have come out since the last sale (in November 2021) and include some that are coming out towards the end of July, when the sale ends.
- 7/15/2022
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
The first attempt to dramatize the Sex Pistols saga came with the release of the Julien Temple’s movie The Great Rock and Roll Swindle in 1980, just two years after the band imploded. The farcical film tells the story from the perspective of manager Malcolm McLaren and is so cartoonish that parts of it are actually animated.
It was the start of a mini-industry of Sex Pistols retrospectives that told their story from every conceivable angle, including the Gary Oldman/Chloe Webb movie Sid and Nancy, the Julien Temple documentary...
It was the start of a mini-industry of Sex Pistols retrospectives that told their story from every conceivable angle, including the Gary Oldman/Chloe Webb movie Sid and Nancy, the Julien Temple documentary...
- 6/5/2022
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
Johnny Rotten was right to sue to stop FX’s Pistol from going forward.
The Sex Pistols and PiL frontman ultimately was unsuccessful in his legal efforts last year to prevent the seminal band’s music being used in the Danny Boyle-directed miniseries. However, Pistol, which dropped in its entirety today on Disney-owned Hulu, is an overly sentimental love letter that never should have been sent. You’d find more depth and authenticity on how England has been really dreamin’ over the decades in this week’s pomp-packed Platinum Jubilee for the disastrous reign of Elizabeth II.
Simply put, Pistol is more junk than punk.
Even with searing classics like “God Save the Queen” in the well-crafted soundtrack mix, the six-episode series based in part on guitarist Steve Jones’ 2017 memoir limps along when it should roar. Hobbled with a surprisingly sub-standard coming-of-age story held together figuratively and literally by amphetamines,...
The Sex Pistols and PiL frontman ultimately was unsuccessful in his legal efforts last year to prevent the seminal band’s music being used in the Danny Boyle-directed miniseries. However, Pistol, which dropped in its entirety today on Disney-owned Hulu, is an overly sentimental love letter that never should have been sent. You’d find more depth and authenticity on how England has been really dreamin’ over the decades in this week’s pomp-packed Platinum Jubilee for the disastrous reign of Elizabeth II.
Simply put, Pistol is more junk than punk.
Even with searing classics like “God Save the Queen” in the well-crafted soundtrack mix, the six-episode series based in part on guitarist Steve Jones’ 2017 memoir limps along when it should roar. Hobbled with a surprisingly sub-standard coming-of-age story held together figuratively and literally by amphetamines,...
- 6/1/2022
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
The short and sweet and sour history of the 1970s British punk band the Sex Pistols is told in a six-part limited series—the FX on Hulu show is appropriately titled Pistol—based on lead guitarist Steve Jones’ book, Lonely Boy. (Jones is played by Toby Wallace.) The working-class kids with rebellious lyrics, ripped clothes and permanent sneers rocked the establishment and gave aimless youth new role models for questioning authority. But their personal lives were in turmoil—as the cast told TV Insider. Take Pistols guitarist Sid Vicious (Louis Partridge) and his American girlfriend Nancy Spungen (Emma Appleton), whose doomed romance was covered in the 1986 film Sid and Nancy. Here, it’s woven into the bigger story of the band. “She had that same hell for leather, all-or-nothing attitude, so they egged each other on,” Partridge says. The Pistols hung out at a King’s Road London boutique called Sex,...
- 5/31/2022
- TV Insider
Some of the most exciting filmmaking in “Pistol,” FX’s new Danny Boyle-directed limited series, happens onstage. In concert scenes featuring the Sex Pistols — the real-life punk pathbreakers at the center of this story — the camera toggles between performer and spectator, moving so rapidly that it seems to eliminate the distance between the two. Director of photography Anthony Dod Mantle captures both staging in the foreground and expressive moshing in the background. The writhing performance seems less to spark violence in the audience than to run parallel to it, another expression of the free-floating anger in the air.
It’s a canny way of depicting the Pistols’ appeal: The show argues that the band had an intuitive ability to tap into the rage of youth culture in pre-Thatcherite England. It makes that argument eloquently by showing the group converting even small audiences, early on, into wild and emotional demonstrations.
It’s a canny way of depicting the Pistols’ appeal: The show argues that the band had an intuitive ability to tap into the rage of youth culture in pre-Thatcherite England. It makes that argument eloquently by showing the group converting even small audiences, early on, into wild and emotional demonstrations.
- 5/31/2022
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
Beta Cinema has sold the English-language tragicomedy “My Neighbor Adolf” to several major territories. The film stars German actor Udo Kier and Scottish actor David Hayman, and is directed by Israel’s Leon Prudovsky.
All rights for North America have gone to Cohen Media Group, Signature Entertainment has acquired the U.K./Ireland rights, I Wonder took Italy, Lumix Media has South Korea and Tohokushinsha Film took Japan.
The film, set in 1960, centers on Polsky, a Holocaust survivor, who lives in the remote Colombian countryside. One day, when a mysterious old German man moves in next door, he suspects that his new neighbor is Adolf Hitler. Since nobody believes him, he embarks on a mission to uncover the evidence. In order to gather it, however, he will need to come closer to his neighbor than he would like — so close that the two could almost become friends.
Prudovsky has co-written and directed three TV series,...
All rights for North America have gone to Cohen Media Group, Signature Entertainment has acquired the U.K./Ireland rights, I Wonder took Italy, Lumix Media has South Korea and Tohokushinsha Film took Japan.
The film, set in 1960, centers on Polsky, a Holocaust survivor, who lives in the remote Colombian countryside. One day, when a mysterious old German man moves in next door, he suspects that his new neighbor is Adolf Hitler. Since nobody believes him, he embarks on a mission to uncover the evidence. In order to gather it, however, he will need to come closer to his neighbor than he would like — so close that the two could almost become friends.
Prudovsky has co-written and directed three TV series,...
- 5/18/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Update (3/14): Michelle Zauner joined in on the joke about Japanese Breakfast’s 2021 Jubilee cover art and Machine Gun Kelly’s Mainstream Sellout album art’s loose similarities. “2022’s feud of the year,” she tweeted, sharing the article below. She also discussed the story in an interview with Pitchfork. “I don’t actually think it looks anything like my album cover at all,” she said, “but I think it’s very funny that Rolling Stone put up an article about it just because there’s a circular fruit in the foreground.
- 3/15/2022
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
The entertainment world has always been filled with a wild bunch of characters. But we're not just talking about the iconic personas of Ferris Bueller, Lucy Ricardo, Tony Montana, or Ellen Ripley. Sometimes the people behind the scenes are just as interesting as the larger-than-life roles they present to the public. And this especially applies to musicians.
Over the years, musical biopics have told the remarkable true stories of the artists that created our favorite songs. "Selena," "La Bamba," "Amadeus," and "Sid & Nancy" immediately come to mind, but newer hits like "Get On Up," "Straight Outta Compton," and "Love & Mercy" are excellent...
The post Piano Man: Billy Joel is Getting the Biopic Treatment With New Film appeared first on /Film.
Over the years, musical biopics have told the remarkable true stories of the artists that created our favorite songs. "Selena," "La Bamba," "Amadeus," and "Sid & Nancy" immediately come to mind, but newer hits like "Get On Up," "Straight Outta Compton," and "Love & Mercy" are excellent...
The post Piano Man: Billy Joel is Getting the Biopic Treatment With New Film appeared first on /Film.
- 3/9/2022
- by Ben F. Silverio
- Slash Film
Writer/director Adam McKay kicks off Season 5 by discussing a few of his favorite movies with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Don’t Look Up (2021)
Parasite (2019) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
The Big Short (2015)
Vice (2018)
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary links
The Second Civil War (1997) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary, Joe Dante revisits the movie
Network (1976) – Chris Wilkinson’s trailer commentary
Broadcast News (1987)
To Die For (1995) – Illeana Douglas’s trailer commentary
The Hospital (1971) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Ace In The Hole (1951) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Dr. Strangelove (1964) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Over The Edge (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
The Warriors (1979)
River’s Edge (1986)
Tex (1982)
Rumble Fish (1983) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Don’t Look Up (2021)
Parasite (2019) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
The Big Short (2015)
Vice (2018)
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s 30th anniversary links
The Second Civil War (1997) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary, Joe Dante revisits the movie
Network (1976) – Chris Wilkinson’s trailer commentary
Broadcast News (1987)
To Die For (1995) – Illeana Douglas’s trailer commentary
The Hospital (1971) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Ace In The Hole (1951) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Dr. Strangelove (1964) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Over The Edge (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
The Warriors (1979)
River’s Edge (1986)
Tex (1982)
Rumble Fish (1983) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray...
- 1/18/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
It’s a very musical episode! Director and Tfh Guru, Allan Arkush, returns to talk about his favorite rock and roll movies with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
No Nukes (1980)
Amazing Grace (2018) – Dennis Cozzalio’s Oscar nominee reactions
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Get Crazy (1983) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979) – Eli Roth’s trailer commentary
Blackboard Jungle (1955) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Rock, Rock, Rock! (1956) – Jesus Treviño’s trailer commentary
Mister Rock And Roll (1957)
Go, Johnny, Go! (1959) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Hail Hail Rock And Roll! (1987) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
The Girl Can’t Help It (1956) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary
Hellzapoppin’ (1941)
Innerspace (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Almost Famous (2000) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Wayne’s World (1992)
The Graduate (1967) – Neil Labute’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Scorpio Rising...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
No Nukes (1980)
Amazing Grace (2018) – Dennis Cozzalio’s Oscar nominee reactions
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Get Crazy (1983) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979) – Eli Roth’s trailer commentary
Blackboard Jungle (1955) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Rock, Rock, Rock! (1956) – Jesus Treviño’s trailer commentary
Mister Rock And Roll (1957)
Go, Johnny, Go! (1959) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Hail Hail Rock And Roll! (1987) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
The Girl Can’t Help It (1956) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary
Hellzapoppin’ (1941)
Innerspace (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Almost Famous (2000) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Wayne’s World (1992)
The Graduate (1967) – Neil Labute’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Scorpio Rising...
- 12/7/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Exclusive: Midas Man, the biopic of Beatles manager Brian Epstein, has hired a new director as it looks to get back into production as soon as possible.
Sara Sugarman, known for directing movies including music comedy Vinyl, Lifetime’s House Of Versace and Disney’s Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen, is newly aboard.
As we revealed earlier this month, the movie entered hiatus as producers sought to replace director Jonas Akerlund.
Akerlund told us today: “I regret that things haven’t turned out as we had planned on Midas Man. I wish Jacob [Fortune-Lloyd] and the team the best with the film.”
The Queen’s Gambit co-star Jacob Fortune-Lloyd stars as Epstein in the biopic, alongside Emily Watson, Eddie Marsan, Lukas Gage, Rosie Day and Bill Milner. The project charts Epstein’s role in the creative explosion of the 1960s and his sizable influence on pop music.
We understand exit terms...
Sara Sugarman, known for directing movies including music comedy Vinyl, Lifetime’s House Of Versace and Disney’s Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen, is newly aboard.
As we revealed earlier this month, the movie entered hiatus as producers sought to replace director Jonas Akerlund.
Akerlund told us today: “I regret that things haven’t turned out as we had planned on Midas Man. I wish Jacob [Fortune-Lloyd] and the team the best with the film.”
The Queen’s Gambit co-star Jacob Fortune-Lloyd stars as Epstein in the biopic, alongside Emily Watson, Eddie Marsan, Lukas Gage, Rosie Day and Bill Milner. The project charts Epstein’s role in the creative explosion of the 1960s and his sizable influence on pop music.
We understand exit terms...
- 11/18/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The Fantasia International Film Festival begins in less than two weeks and we have a look at it's incredible offering of features, panels, and special events:
The Fantasia International Film Festival announces a massive new assortment of feature films for its 25th edition, along with details on scheduled panels, talks, tributes, special events, and our esteemed juries. On top of our impressive virtual slate of films, all geo-locked to Canada, and in addition to our globally accessible streamed events, the upcoming festival will also feature a limited number of in-person screenings in Montreal.
Fantasia begins August 5th with the World Premiere of Quebec zombie feature Brain Freeze— following the August 4th special event screening of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad in celebration of the festival— and ends on August 25th with newly announced closing film, Takashi Miike’s hotly-anticipated The Great Yokai War - Guardians.
Takashi Miike Closes Out...
The Fantasia International Film Festival announces a massive new assortment of feature films for its 25th edition, along with details on scheduled panels, talks, tributes, special events, and our esteemed juries. On top of our impressive virtual slate of films, all geo-locked to Canada, and in addition to our globally accessible streamed events, the upcoming festival will also feature a limited number of in-person screenings in Montreal.
Fantasia begins August 5th with the World Premiere of Quebec zombie feature Brain Freeze— following the August 4th special event screening of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad in celebration of the festival— and ends on August 25th with newly announced closing film, Takashi Miike’s hotly-anticipated The Great Yokai War - Guardians.
Takashi Miike Closes Out...
- 7/23/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
With its $8.45 billion deal to buy MGM, Amazon will stock Prime Video with the studio’s cache of 4,000 movies and 17,000 hours of television. It’s a huge library, but notably absent are some of MGM’s most iconic films, including “The Wizard of Oz,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” and “Gone With the Wind.” Those titles — and all other MGM movies made before 1986 — belong to WarnerMedia.
In 1986, Ted Turner made a series of deals that resulted in Turner Broadcasting taking ownership of all prior MGM films. Not unlike Amazon, he wanted the films for programming his growing cable empire and the library became one of the pillars that built Turner Classic Movies. Today, WarnerMedia owns both TCM and Turner’s MGM library. Many titles, including “The Wizard of Oz,” are available to stream on HBO Max.
Today, the public is more likely to chatter about the latest program that happens to...
In 1986, Ted Turner made a series of deals that resulted in Turner Broadcasting taking ownership of all prior MGM films. Not unlike Amazon, he wanted the films for programming his growing cable empire and the library became one of the pillars that built Turner Classic Movies. Today, WarnerMedia owns both TCM and Turner’s MGM library. Many titles, including “The Wizard of Oz,” are available to stream on HBO Max.
Today, the public is more likely to chatter about the latest program that happens to...
- 5/26/2021
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Chicago – The great Gary Oldman is a veteran actor who has created so many memorable roles that he’s his own Hall of Fame. His surprising turn as Herman Mankiewicz, the co-screenwriter with Orson Welles on “Citizen Kane” in “Mank,” is being honored by yet another Best Actor nomination in 2021 (his third with one win).
“Mank” follows Herman through the decade of the 1930s, when he hung out with William Randolph Hearst, the inspiration for Charles Foster Kane. His journey with Hearst and his crew, including the mogul’s mistress and notable actress Marion Davies, was the information gathering point for his contributions to the Kane script, whose main authorship is debated to this day. It’s a grand opera performance, with Mank being both a comic and tragic figure.
2021 Oscar Nominee Gary Oldman in the Spotlight for ‘Mank’
Photo credit: Netflix
Gary Oldman was born in London, studied acting...
“Mank” follows Herman through the decade of the 1930s, when he hung out with William Randolph Hearst, the inspiration for Charles Foster Kane. His journey with Hearst and his crew, including the mogul’s mistress and notable actress Marion Davies, was the information gathering point for his contributions to the Kane script, whose main authorship is debated to this day. It’s a grand opera performance, with Mank being both a comic and tragic figure.
2021 Oscar Nominee Gary Oldman in the Spotlight for ‘Mank’
Photo credit: Netflix
Gary Oldman was born in London, studied acting...
- 4/25/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Hollywood has always been drawn to true stories and there will never be a shortage of actors needed to re-create famous lives. But when portraying a real person who is dead or is even still alive, actors have their work cut out for them. On the one hand, they usually have lots of material to draw from. On the other, they don’t want their performance to be mere mimicry.
“Playing real people is interesting, and I’ve played many,” says Gary Oldman, nominated for his starring role in “Mank” as “Citizen Kane” screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz. Oldman previously won an Academy Award for playing Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour” and his film career was launched in 1986 when he starred in “Sid and Nancy” as Sid Vicious.
“A lot of the work is done for you. There’s usually first-hand description, personal writings and a ton of written material about the individual.
“Playing real people is interesting, and I’ve played many,” says Gary Oldman, nominated for his starring role in “Mank” as “Citizen Kane” screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz. Oldman previously won an Academy Award for playing Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour” and his film career was launched in 1986 when he starred in “Sid and Nancy” as Sid Vicious.
“A lot of the work is done for you. There’s usually first-hand description, personal writings and a ton of written material about the individual.
- 4/14/2021
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
It is a testament to his acting ability that it was years before I realized that Gary Oldman is British. With an ability to nail accents, the dedication to drastically change his appearance and the talent to convey the full spectrum of emotions, Oldman is one of the most eclectic and underrated actors of our time.
Born March 21, 1958, in London, Oldman began his acting career on the British stage in 1979, and made his film debut in “Remembrance” in 1982. In 1984, he reluctantly accepted the role of punk rocker Sid Vicious in “Sid and Nancy,” a performance which garnered him critical acclaim and launched a diverse and successful career that has spanned almost four decades, and includes everything from small indie films to blockbuster franchises.
SEEGary Oldman interview: ‘Mank’
Oldman is well-known for his portrayal of some of the most memorable villains in the history of the cinema, from the campy Zorg...
Born March 21, 1958, in London, Oldman began his acting career on the British stage in 1979, and made his film debut in “Remembrance” in 1982. In 1984, he reluctantly accepted the role of punk rocker Sid Vicious in “Sid and Nancy,” a performance which garnered him critical acclaim and launched a diverse and successful career that has spanned almost four decades, and includes everything from small indie films to blockbuster franchises.
SEEGary Oldman interview: ‘Mank’
Oldman is well-known for his portrayal of some of the most memorable villains in the history of the cinema, from the campy Zorg...
- 3/28/2021
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Seed&Spark announced Thursday that it is ending its proprietary subscription streaming service later this month as it shifts its distribution focus to new impact-driven initiatives. Seed&Spark’s library will next be heading to IndieFlix in a pair of moves executives say will strengthen both companies in a media landscape increasingly driven by corporate heavyweights. The Seed&Spark titles will join a 4,300-strong IndieFlix library that includes everything from “Sid and Nancy” to festival-favorite shorts and “Bonanza.”
Seed&Spark’s streaming platform allowed filmmakers to submit their work directly; accepted projects enjoyed a 50-50 revenue split. About 100 creators, representing about 200 titles, opted to have their titles transferred to IndieFlix. Similarly, IndieFlix allows filmmakers to submit their work directly to the platform for consideration. They’re paid based on a model that pools subscription revenue and pays filmmakers on a minutes-watched rate.
“With the Seed&Spark library, my goal is to...
Seed&Spark’s streaming platform allowed filmmakers to submit their work directly; accepted projects enjoyed a 50-50 revenue split. About 100 creators, representing about 200 titles, opted to have their titles transferred to IndieFlix. Similarly, IndieFlix allows filmmakers to submit their work directly to the platform for consideration. They’re paid based on a model that pools subscription revenue and pays filmmakers on a minutes-watched rate.
“With the Seed&Spark library, my goal is to...
- 3/4/2021
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Gary Oldman, whose acting career spans four decades, is most famous for playing secondary roles in high-grossing film franchises. The average moviegoer would likely first recognize him from his portrayal of Sirius Black in the Harry Potter saga or Commissioner Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. However, he has earned his greatest critical notices for his embodiments of real-life figures, from his breakout role as punk rock star Sid Vicious in 1986’s “Sid and Nancy” to his most recent outing as screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz in the Netflix release “Mank.”
In his review of “Sid and Nancy,” Roger Ebert raved that Oldman’s “driven and relentless” performance goes “beyond movie acting.” Since then, the actor has tested his limits and demonstrated his chameleonic brilliance in over 60 films. His take on Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour” led to a sweep of the 20198awards season, culminating in what was considered a long overdue Oscar win.
In his review of “Sid and Nancy,” Roger Ebert raved that Oldman’s “driven and relentless” performance goes “beyond movie acting.” Since then, the actor has tested his limits and demonstrated his chameleonic brilliance in over 60 films. His take on Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour” led to a sweep of the 20198awards season, culminating in what was considered a long overdue Oscar win.
- 2/24/2021
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Veteran indie executive and filmmaker Jeff Lipsky is hooking up with Kino Lorber to launch The Jeff Lipsky Collection on growing streaming service Kino Now. The collection, which becomes available on March 5, will include five out of seven of Lipsky’s directing efforts dating from 2006-2019. Other filmmakers who are similarly represented with Kino Now Auteur Collections include Jean-Luc Godard, Lina Wertmüller, Derek Jarman, István Szabó and F.W. Murnau.
On the Lipsky roster are Flannel Pajamas (2006), a relationship story co-starring Julianne Nicholson and Justin Kirk; family drama Twelve Thirty (2011), starring Jonathan Groff; surreal comedy Molly’s Theory Of Relativity (2013) with Sophia Takal and Lawrence Michael Levine; character study Mad Women (2015), co-starring Reed Birney and Jamie Harrold; and Holocaust-themed family drama The Last (2019), starring Rebecca Schull. Lipsky hopes to add his first film, 1997’s The End, to the collection as soon as its restoration is complete.
Says Lipsky, “Being inducted...
On the Lipsky roster are Flannel Pajamas (2006), a relationship story co-starring Julianne Nicholson and Justin Kirk; family drama Twelve Thirty (2011), starring Jonathan Groff; surreal comedy Molly’s Theory Of Relativity (2013) with Sophia Takal and Lawrence Michael Levine; character study Mad Women (2015), co-starring Reed Birney and Jamie Harrold; and Holocaust-themed family drama The Last (2019), starring Rebecca Schull. Lipsky hopes to add his first film, 1997’s The End, to the collection as soon as its restoration is complete.
Says Lipsky, “Being inducted...
- 2/15/2021
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
If Gary Oldman could travel back in time to give advice to screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, he jokingly has two words of bold advice for him: ‘Get sober!’ In the new Netflix film “Mank” directed by David Fincher, Oldman portrays the alcoholic Oscar winner, the co-writer of “Citizen Kane” with Orson Welles.
In our recent webchat (watch the exclusive video above), he adds, “He had these aspirations of wanting to be a playwright or novelist, considering that to be high art. He came out to California and felt really that screenwriting was just beneath him. He could do it in his sleep. He once said that a final draft was what you put through the typewriter the night before.”
SEEAmanda Seyfried interview: ‘Mank’
For the black-and-white movie, which was written by the late Jack Fincher, the plot is set in 1940 when a drunken and injured Mank is writing much of...
In our recent webchat (watch the exclusive video above), he adds, “He had these aspirations of wanting to be a playwright or novelist, considering that to be high art. He came out to California and felt really that screenwriting was just beneath him. He could do it in his sleep. He once said that a final draft was what you put through the typewriter the night before.”
SEEAmanda Seyfried interview: ‘Mank’
For the black-and-white movie, which was written by the late Jack Fincher, the plot is set in 1940 when a drunken and injured Mank is writing much of...
- 1/28/2021
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Gary Oldman will receive the Chairman’s Award for his performance in “Mank” at the 31st annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff), the organization announced on Friday.
The Festival and Film Awards Gala will not be an in-person event this year, but honoree selections will be announced to recognize this year’s great performances and Entertainment Tonight will air a tribute to the honorees scheduled on February 11th and February 25th.
“Gary Oldman gives another mesmerizing performance as Herman J. Mankiewicz in David Fincher’s Mank. Oldman plays the role to perfection as the films follows the screenwriter’s journey while is co-writing the script for Citizen Kane,” Festival chairman Harold Matzner said in a statement. “We are delighted to recognize one of this generation’s greatest actors, Gary Oldman with this year’s Chairman’s Award.”
Oldman was previously honored at the festival with the Desert Palm Achievement...
The Festival and Film Awards Gala will not be an in-person event this year, but honoree selections will be announced to recognize this year’s great performances and Entertainment Tonight will air a tribute to the honorees scheduled on February 11th and February 25th.
“Gary Oldman gives another mesmerizing performance as Herman J. Mankiewicz in David Fincher’s Mank. Oldman plays the role to perfection as the films follows the screenwriter’s journey while is co-writing the script for Citizen Kane,” Festival chairman Harold Matzner said in a statement. “We are delighted to recognize one of this generation’s greatest actors, Gary Oldman with this year’s Chairman’s Award.”
Oldman was previously honored at the festival with the Desert Palm Achievement...
- 1/22/2021
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
The star from Sid & Nancy, Terminator 2, Candyman, Gattaca, Leaving Las Vegas and the new chiller The Dark And The Wicked takes us on a journey through some of his favorite foreign films.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Candyman (1992)
Frankenstein (1931)
Sid and Nancy (1986)
The Dark And The Wicked (2020)
The Wall of Mexico (2019)
La Dolce Vita (1961)
Il Bidone (1955)
Day For Night (1973)
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1967)
8 ½ (1963)
Le Cercle Rouge (1970)
Daredevils of the Red Circle (1939)
Rififi (1955)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Z (1969)
The Sleeping Car Murders (1965)
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Burn! (1969)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
The Italian Job (1969)
The Italian Job (2003)
The Magician (1958)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Fanny and Alexander (1982)
Persona (1966)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
The Last House On The Left (1972)
The Virgin Spring (1960)
Paperhouse (1988)
The Strangers (2008)
The Monster (2016)
Andrei Rublev (1966)
Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
Nostalghia (1983)
Son of Frankenstein (1939)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Zorba The Greek (1964)
Pollyanna (1960)
Other Notable Items
Lon...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Candyman (1992)
Frankenstein (1931)
Sid and Nancy (1986)
The Dark And The Wicked (2020)
The Wall of Mexico (2019)
La Dolce Vita (1961)
Il Bidone (1955)
Day For Night (1973)
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1967)
8 ½ (1963)
Le Cercle Rouge (1970)
Daredevils of the Red Circle (1939)
Rififi (1955)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Z (1969)
The Sleeping Car Murders (1965)
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Burn! (1969)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
The Italian Job (1969)
The Italian Job (2003)
The Magician (1958)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Fanny and Alexander (1982)
Persona (1966)
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
The Last House On The Left (1972)
The Virgin Spring (1960)
Paperhouse (1988)
The Strangers (2008)
The Monster (2016)
Andrei Rublev (1966)
Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
Nostalghia (1983)
Son of Frankenstein (1939)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Zorba The Greek (1964)
Pollyanna (1960)
Other Notable Items
Lon...
- 12/15/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Revisiting ‘Da 5 Bloods’ Star Chadwick Boseman’s Greatest Performance: As James Brown in ‘Get on Up’
Chadwick Boseman is a great actor. That’s no longer anything the world needs to discover. Yet a funny thing happens whenever I get into a conversation about him. I always ask the person I’m talking to if they’ve seen “Get on Up,” and the answer, almost inevitably, is, “No, I missed that one.” Which never fails to stun me, since it’s Boseman’s most audacious and brilliant performance. He plays James Brown, the pompadoured, electric-souled, jive-stepping visionary of funk who revolutionized the music world (and the world at large), and the first thing to say about Boseman’s acting is that you’re forced to reach for the quintessential biopic trope to describe it: In “Get on Up,” Boseman doesn’t just play James Brown — he channels him.
But the second thing to say is: How the hell do you channel James Brown?
He was a force of nature.
But the second thing to say is: How the hell do you channel James Brown?
He was a force of nature.
- 6/13/2020
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Bill Gavin in Cannes in 1988 (Photo credit: © Richard Blanshard).
Former producer, exhibitor and sales agent Bill Gavin has died in Auckland after a short illness, aged 83.
“Bill Gavin’s long career touched on almost every aspect of the screen industry and he was great friend to the many filmmakers whose careers benefited from his touch,” the New Zealand Film Commission said.
A former journalist who covered motor racing in Auckland and internationally, his entrée into filmmaking came when he wrote the narration for John Frankenheimer’s sports drama Grand Prix, which starred James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Yves Montand, Brian Bedford and Jessica Walter, in 1966.
In the early 1970s he moved into the music business, joining Gto in the UK where he managed a number of acts including Sweet and The New Seekers.
At Gto he helped set up Gto Films to make movies promoting its musical acts and later into distribution,...
Former producer, exhibitor and sales agent Bill Gavin has died in Auckland after a short illness, aged 83.
“Bill Gavin’s long career touched on almost every aspect of the screen industry and he was great friend to the many filmmakers whose careers benefited from his touch,” the New Zealand Film Commission said.
A former journalist who covered motor racing in Auckland and internationally, his entrée into filmmaking came when he wrote the narration for John Frankenheimer’s sports drama Grand Prix, which starred James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Yves Montand, Brian Bedford and Jessica Walter, in 1966.
In the early 1970s he moved into the music business, joining Gto in the UK where he managed a number of acts including Sweet and The New Seekers.
At Gto he helped set up Gto Films to make movies promoting its musical acts and later into distribution,...
- 5/29/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Bill Gavin, the former Goldcrest executive and general manager of Australia’s Hoyts Theatres, has died at the age of 83 at his home in Auckland, New Zealand, after a short illness.
Gavin moved to the UK in the early 1960s after securing a contract to cover New Zealand’s then highly successful Formula One drivers, going on to write a biography of UK driver Jim Clark. He segued initially into the music business and established Gto Films to promote glam rock acts, the company then branched into distribution and worked on the UK release of Weir’s classic Picnic At Hanging Rock and the original version of Swept Away.
In 1978 he moved to Australia to become general manager of Hoyts Theatres and spearheaded the company’s entry into distribution. His down under success distributing the first Muppet Movie caught the eye of Lew Grade, who invited him to join Itc Films’ sales team in London.
Gavin moved to the UK in the early 1960s after securing a contract to cover New Zealand’s then highly successful Formula One drivers, going on to write a biography of UK driver Jim Clark. He segued initially into the music business and established Gto Films to promote glam rock acts, the company then branched into distribution and worked on the UK release of Weir’s classic Picnic At Hanging Rock and the original version of Swept Away.
In 1978 he moved to Australia to become general manager of Hoyts Theatres and spearheaded the company’s entry into distribution. His down under success distributing the first Muppet Movie caught the eye of Lew Grade, who invited him to join Itc Films’ sales team in London.
- 5/28/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Gavin worked on films including ‘Gandhi’ and ‘Whale Rider’.
Bill Gavin, a former executive at the UK’s Goldcrest Films who worked on films including Gandhi and Whale Rider, has died aged 83 at his home in Auckland, New Zealand after a short illness.
The industry veteran worked on several award-winning features throughout his career as an independent sales agent, distributor, exhibitor and producer.
Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Gavin began his career as a motor racing journalist and moved to the UK in the early 1960s after securing a contract to report on successful Kiwi Formula One drivers competing overseas.
Bill Gavin, a former executive at the UK’s Goldcrest Films who worked on films including Gandhi and Whale Rider, has died aged 83 at his home in Auckland, New Zealand after a short illness.
The industry veteran worked on several award-winning features throughout his career as an independent sales agent, distributor, exhibitor and producer.
Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Gavin began his career as a motor racing journalist and moved to the UK in the early 1960s after securing a contract to report on successful Kiwi Formula One drivers competing overseas.
- 5/28/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
In the 1950s, the word “mumbling” got stuck to the name Marlon Brando, and there were several reasons for that. Brando, starting with his first film, “The Men” (1950), brought a new mode of naturalistic acting to Hollywood that was so revolutionary it would change not just movies but the world. Those who were used to hearing every actor in a movie enunciate their dialogue as if it were the King’s English couldn’t understand — literally — what Brando was saying.
Beyond that, Brando played the kinds of characters who’d never been front and center in a Hollywood movie before — most famously Terry Malloy, the inarticulate working-class loser-brute of “On the Waterfront.” This wasn’t just an acting revolution; it was a who-gets-to-be-a-hero-in-America revolution. And the everyday music of Brando’s magnetically low-key, throwaway speech was part of it. The new heroes were people who couldn’t fully express who they were,...
Beyond that, Brando played the kinds of characters who’d never been front and center in a Hollywood movie before — most famously Terry Malloy, the inarticulate working-class loser-brute of “On the Waterfront.” This wasn’t just an acting revolution; it was a who-gets-to-be-a-hero-in-America revolution. And the everyday music of Brando’s magnetically low-key, throwaway speech was part of it. The new heroes were people who couldn’t fully express who they were,...
- 5/16/2020
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
IMDb launched its first podcast Thursday, a show called “Movies That Changed My Life.” The podcast will feature actors and stars of the silver screen discussing which movies were most impactful on their lives and careers with host Ian de Borja.
The first episode of “Movies That Changed My Life” features Jeffrey Wright — who’s currently starring in “Westworld” — discussing Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now” and the cult classic “Sid and Nancy.” New episodes will drop each Thursday wherever podcasts are found, IMDb told TheWrap.
“These personal and in-depth conversations with our customers’ favorite actors and filmmakers will reveal the defining moments in their lives, ultimately providing listeners with a greater understanding of their favorite performers,” said IMDb consumer lead Nikki Santoro said in a statement.
Santoro noted the podcast provides an added push back to the IMDb platform and its Watchlists feature, which lets users keep tabs on...
The first episode of “Movies That Changed My Life” features Jeffrey Wright — who’s currently starring in “Westworld” — discussing Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now” and the cult classic “Sid and Nancy.” New episodes will drop each Thursday wherever podcasts are found, IMDb told TheWrap.
“These personal and in-depth conversations with our customers’ favorite actors and filmmakers will reveal the defining moments in their lives, ultimately providing listeners with a greater understanding of their favorite performers,” said IMDb consumer lead Nikki Santoro said in a statement.
Santoro noted the podcast provides an added push back to the IMDb platform and its Watchlists feature, which lets users keep tabs on...
- 5/7/2020
- by Samson Amore
- The Wrap
Gary Oldman celebrates his 62nd birthday on March 21, 2020. The Oscar-winning actor has starred in several popular titles over the last three decades, but how many of his movies remain classics? In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Despite his long and very successful film career, Oldman wasn’t recognized with an Oscar nomination until his 2011 Best Actor nomination for “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.” He finally won that prize in 2017 for his transformative performance as Winston Churchill in the film “Darkest Hour.” The role also brought him victories at the Golden Globes, BAFTA, SAG and Critics Choice Awards.
Aside from that, Oldman hasn’t been recognized very often by awards groups. He received one Emmy nomination (for a guest appearance on “Friends” of all things). Back in his native country of England, the BAFTAs have nominated him twice...
Despite his long and very successful film career, Oldman wasn’t recognized with an Oscar nomination until his 2011 Best Actor nomination for “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.” He finally won that prize in 2017 for his transformative performance as Winston Churchill in the film “Darkest Hour.” The role also brought him victories at the Golden Globes, BAFTA, SAG and Critics Choice Awards.
Aside from that, Oldman hasn’t been recognized very often by awards groups. He received one Emmy nomination (for a guest appearance on “Friends” of all things). Back in his native country of England, the BAFTAs have nominated him twice...
- 3/3/2020
- by Misty Holland, Robert Pius and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
At long last, Criterion has revealed its 1,000th entry to be the ultimate “Godzilla” collection, with all 15 films of the Japanese monster series’ original Showa era films beautifully burnished for the first time. This massive set, with all films digitally restored, ranges from Ishirō Honda’s 1954 original-that-started-it-all “Godzilla” to Honda’s 1975 “Terror of Mechagodzilla,” which was his directorial swan song.
Also featured in the set are such iconic Godzilla face-offs as “King Kong vs. Godzilla” (1963), “Mothra vs. Godzilla” (1964), “Godzilla vs. Gigan” (1972), “Godzilla vs. Megalon” (1973) and more.
Criterion promises “a landmark set showcasing the technical wizardry, fantastical storytelling, and indomitable international appeal that established the most iconic giant monster the cinema has ever seen.”
The series has featured its fair share of imitations and reboots over the years, including this year’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” whose director, Michael Dougherty modeled the creature design for his film after the 1954 version...
Also featured in the set are such iconic Godzilla face-offs as “King Kong vs. Godzilla” (1963), “Mothra vs. Godzilla” (1964), “Godzilla vs. Gigan” (1972), “Godzilla vs. Megalon” (1973) and more.
Criterion promises “a landmark set showcasing the technical wizardry, fantastical storytelling, and indomitable international appeal that established the most iconic giant monster the cinema has ever seen.”
The series has featured its fair share of imitations and reboots over the years, including this year’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” whose director, Michael Dougherty modeled the creature design for his film after the 1954 version...
- 7/25/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Graham Fletcher-Cook, a British actor and older brother of Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher who appeared in such acclaimed films as Sid and Nancy, The French Lieutenant's Woman and Cry Freedom, has died. He was 55.
A spokesperson for the family told The Hollywood Reporter that Fletcher-Cook died recently following a battle with cancer.
Fletcher-Cook played a maitre d' in the Elton John biopic Rocketman, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and opened in theaters May 31, and had small roles in two other films helmed by his brother: Wild Bill (2011) and Eddie the Eagle (2015).
A filmmaker in his ...
A spokesperson for the family told The Hollywood Reporter that Fletcher-Cook died recently following a battle with cancer.
Fletcher-Cook played a maitre d' in the Elton John biopic Rocketman, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and opened in theaters May 31, and had small roles in two other films helmed by his brother: Wild Bill (2011) and Eddie the Eagle (2015).
A filmmaker in his ...
Actor-director played parts in The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Absolute Beginners, EastEnders.
Graham Fletcher-Cook, the brother of Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher who had a small role in that film and acted in Eddie The Eagle and Sid And Nancy, has died. He was 55.
A spokesperson for the family confirmed Fletcher-Cook died of cancer on an undisclosed date a while ago. The London-born actor and director got his first taste of acting on a visit to the set of Bugsy Malone in 1976 arranged through The Anna Scher Theatre drama school.
After that he found work on a multitude of films such...
Graham Fletcher-Cook, the brother of Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher who had a small role in that film and acted in Eddie The Eagle and Sid And Nancy, has died. He was 55.
A spokesperson for the family confirmed Fletcher-Cook died of cancer on an undisclosed date a while ago. The London-born actor and director got his first taste of acting on a visit to the set of Bugsy Malone in 1976 arranged through The Anna Scher Theatre drama school.
After that he found work on a multitude of films such...
- 7/2/2019
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Image Source: Getty / Jacopo Raule
Kiernan Shipka is officially off the market, and if you haven't heard of her boyfriend, then you've at least heard of his dad. The 19-year-old Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star sparked rumors of a relationship earlier this Spring when she was spotted hanging out with 20-year-old Charlie Oldman. Then, a day after Kiernan accompanied Charlie as his date to the premiere of the documentary Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Los Angeles, Charlie posted a cute selfie of the two on his Instagram captioned with a heart emoji, leaving no question of their relationship status. Though the actress claimed back in November that she was too busy to date, it seems as though she couldn't resist Charlie's charm (and his seriously cool tattoos).
Who's Charlie famous dad, you ask? Charlie is the son of legendary actor Gary Oldman,...
Kiernan Shipka is officially off the market, and if you haven't heard of her boyfriend, then you've at least heard of his dad. The 19-year-old Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star sparked rumors of a relationship earlier this Spring when she was spotted hanging out with 20-year-old Charlie Oldman. Then, a day after Kiernan accompanied Charlie as his date to the premiere of the documentary Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Los Angeles, Charlie posted a cute selfie of the two on his Instagram captioned with a heart emoji, leaving no question of their relationship status. Though the actress claimed back in November that she was too busy to date, it seems as though she couldn't resist Charlie's charm (and his seriously cool tattoos).
Who's Charlie famous dad, you ask? Charlie is the son of legendary actor Gary Oldman,...
- 4/20/2019
- by Corinne Sullivan
- Popsugar.com
Kiernan Shipka is officially taken and, no, Sabrina fans, we're sorry to say that it's not by her on-screen love interest, Ross Lynch. The 19-year-old Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star sparked rumors of a relationship earlier this Spring when she was spotted hanging out with actor Gary Oldman's up-and-coming-model son, 20-year-old Charlie Oldman. We suppose we can still ship Sabrina and Harvey while supporting this Irl relationship as well.
According to E! News, the child star and the child-of-a-star were spotted in March walking arm-in-arm outside of the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood, where the pair shared an hour-and-a-half dinner together looking rather cozy. In April, Kiernan also accompanied Charlie as his date to the premiere of the documentary Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blache at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Los Angeles. However, the budding romance is no longer just speculation - it is Instagram official.
According to E! News, the child star and the child-of-a-star were spotted in March walking arm-in-arm outside of the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood, where the pair shared an hour-and-a-half dinner together looking rather cozy. In April, Kiernan also accompanied Charlie as his date to the premiere of the documentary Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blache at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Los Angeles. However, the budding romance is no longer just speculation - it is Instagram official.
- 4/16/2019
- by Corinne Sullivan
- Popsugar.com
A long time ago, the words sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll carried a hint of danger. The lifestyle did, too, but I’m talking about the phrase. It used to sound cool (back around the time the word “cool” sounded cool). But sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll has long since passed into the realm of vintage American catch-phrase banality, like “How’s that workin’ out for you?” And “The Dirt,” the new Netflix rock biopic about the sordid, squalid saga of Mötley Crüe, the royal hair-metal sleaze gods of the ’80s and ’90s, is a movie that reflects the new harmless status of that phrase.
“The Dirt” boils over with sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, whether it’s Vince Neil (Daniel Webber), the snaky leader singer of Mötley Crüe, acting like a horny jackrabbit as he enjoys a backstage boink with every woman who comes near him,...
“The Dirt” boils over with sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, whether it’s Vince Neil (Daniel Webber), the snaky leader singer of Mötley Crüe, acting like a horny jackrabbit as he enjoys a backstage boink with every woman who comes near him,...
- 3/23/2019
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
In every great rock biopic, there’s a defining sequence of ecstatic musical fire that does two things at once. For openers, it gets your blood racing at the song you’re hearing. But the other dimension of a great rock-biopic music sequence is that the drama we’ve been watching — the story of who the star is, off-stage, as a human being — gets poured right into the excitement of his performance.
That’s what happens in “Ray” when Jamie Foxx’s Ray Charles does “What’d I Say” in a nightclub, his rolling percussive piano cadences pushing the song forward into a momentum that keeps building, like gospel with a meaner bolder engine throttling it along; that engine is the dominating heat of Ray Charles’ lusty life force. It happens, as well, in “Sid and Nancy” when Gary Oldman’s Sid Vicious, his voice a-quaver, his eyeballs dancing up into his forehead,...
That’s what happens in “Ray” when Jamie Foxx’s Ray Charles does “What’d I Say” in a nightclub, his rolling percussive piano cadences pushing the song forward into a momentum that keeps building, like gospel with a meaner bolder engine throttling it along; that engine is the dominating heat of Ray Charles’ lusty life force. It happens, as well, in “Sid and Nancy” when Gary Oldman’s Sid Vicious, his voice a-quaver, his eyeballs dancing up into his forehead,...
- 11/3/2018
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Andre Blay, founder of Magnetic Video and the first CEO of 20th Century Fox Video, died August 24 in Bonita Springs, Fla. He was 81.
Known as the father of the home video industry, Blay founded the Magnetic Video Corporation in 1969, which went on to become the first company to release motion pictures on videocassette in 1977. Marking the beginning of an era in which people could bring movies from the theater into their own homes, he also started the Video Club of America, which advertised video cassettes in TV Guide and was the forerunner of video rental stores.
The video cassette business got off the ground when he began paying a yearly fee to 20th Century Fox to license movies from their catalog. They were the first films available on video from a major studio, and the venture was so successful that Fox bought Magnetic Video in 1979 to form 20th Century Fox Video,...
Known as the father of the home video industry, Blay founded the Magnetic Video Corporation in 1969, which went on to become the first company to release motion pictures on videocassette in 1977. Marking the beginning of an era in which people could bring movies from the theater into their own homes, he also started the Video Club of America, which advertised video cassettes in TV Guide and was the forerunner of video rental stores.
The video cassette business got off the ground when he began paying a yearly fee to 20th Century Fox to license movies from their catalog. They were the first films available on video from a major studio, and the venture was so successful that Fox bought Magnetic Video in 1979 to form 20th Century Fox Video,...
- 9/6/2018
- by Margeaux Sippell
- Variety Film + TV
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