In the realm of classic Hollywood cinema, few names shine as brightly as that of John Ford. Known for his remarkable storytelling prowess and unparalleled directorial vision, Ford’s impact on the film industry is undeniable. Join us on a journey through the life, works, and enduring legacy of this legendary director as we delve into the cinematic masterpieces that have solidified his place in movie history.
Early Life
John Ford was born John Martin Feeney on February 1, 1894 in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. He was the youngest of 13 children born to Irish immigrants John Augustine Feeney and Barbara Curran. The Feeney family were devout Roman Catholics, and Ford’s childhood was steeped in Irish traditions and values.
At a young age, Ford developed a love of the sea. He worked as a deckhand and boatman during his teen years, gaining experience that would later influence his filmmaking. Though his beginnings were humble,...
Early Life
John Ford was born John Martin Feeney on February 1, 1894 in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. He was the youngest of 13 children born to Irish immigrants John Augustine Feeney and Barbara Curran. The Feeney family were devout Roman Catholics, and Ford’s childhood was steeped in Irish traditions and values.
At a young age, Ford developed a love of the sea. He worked as a deckhand and boatman during his teen years, gaining experience that would later influence his filmmaking. Though his beginnings were humble,...
- 4/6/2024
- by Penelope H. Fritz
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Indie producer Harry Cohn, brother Jack and their associate Joe Brandt created the CBC Film Sales Company in 1918. And on Jan. 10, 1924, the trio formed the Poverty Row studio, Columbia Pictures. According to Enclyclopedia.com, by the mid-20s “Cohn had gained reputation as one of the industry’s toughest businessmen.” That’s putting it mildly.
Though “B” movies and series such as The Three Stooges, “Blondie” and “The Lone Wolf” were the bread and butter of the studio, Cohn slowly attracted top talent and directors and turned such newcomers as Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, William Holden and Kim Novak into stars.
Frank Capra changed the fortunes of the studio. Signing with Columbia in 1928, he made 25 films for Columbia. His optimistic, common man movies attracted critics and audiences alike during the Depression. His 1934 screwball comedy “It Happened One Night,” penned by Robert Riskin and starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, swept the Oscars winning five.
Though “B” movies and series such as The Three Stooges, “Blondie” and “The Lone Wolf” were the bread and butter of the studio, Cohn slowly attracted top talent and directors and turned such newcomers as Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, William Holden and Kim Novak into stars.
Frank Capra changed the fortunes of the studio. Signing with Columbia in 1928, he made 25 films for Columbia. His optimistic, common man movies attracted critics and audiences alike during the Depression. His 1934 screwball comedy “It Happened One Night,” penned by Robert Riskin and starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, swept the Oscars winning five.
- 1/8/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Nine decades ago this December, moviegoers were witnessing the beginning of one of the most successful movie teams, as well as the demise of one of the most dramatic.
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made box office magic during the Depression-era 1930s in nine Art Deco musical comedy delights from Rko including 1934’s “The Gay Divorcee” and 1936’s “Swing Time.” Their chemistry was unmatched, and they literally made beautiful musical together introducing countless standards including the Oscar-winning “The Continental” and “The Way You Look Tonight.” And their dancing was robust, romantic and heavenly-just check out the “Never Gonna Dance” routine from “Swing Time.”
It was 90 years ago this week, their first pairing “Flying Down to Rio” opened at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. One of the big surprises is that the duo aren’t the stars of the lightweight pre-Code musicals: Dolores Del Rio, Gene Raymond...
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made box office magic during the Depression-era 1930s in nine Art Deco musical comedy delights from Rko including 1934’s “The Gay Divorcee” and 1936’s “Swing Time.” Their chemistry was unmatched, and they literally made beautiful musical together introducing countless standards including the Oscar-winning “The Continental” and “The Way You Look Tonight.” And their dancing was robust, romantic and heavenly-just check out the “Never Gonna Dance” routine from “Swing Time.”
It was 90 years ago this week, their first pairing “Flying Down to Rio” opened at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. One of the big surprises is that the duo aren’t the stars of the lightweight pre-Code musicals: Dolores Del Rio, Gene Raymond...
- 12/28/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Tis the season to be scary and Screambox has got you covered with a trio of brand-spanking-new Christmas-themed horror movies that go perfectly with cookies and milk in front of a warm fire.
Now streaming on Screambox from the director of Jason Goes to Hell is Secret Santa and the awesomely creepy anthology Night of the Missing.
That’s not all! Just in time for Christmas break, Santastein will make the long winter’s nights anything but silent on Dec. 19.
Since Black Christmas, holiday films have been a refreshing sub-genre within horror. These films offer a much-needed contrast to the “all is well” narrative that is so often depicted in seasonal films. The angst and anxiety of holiday horror offer a cathartic release because for many the holidays are not perfect, and we don’t see ourselves in the yuletide rom-coms.
In fact, Screambox has more than stocking stuffers, with...
Now streaming on Screambox from the director of Jason Goes to Hell is Secret Santa and the awesomely creepy anthology Night of the Missing.
That’s not all! Just in time for Christmas break, Santastein will make the long winter’s nights anything but silent on Dec. 19.
Since Black Christmas, holiday films have been a refreshing sub-genre within horror. These films offer a much-needed contrast to the “all is well” narrative that is so often depicted in seasonal films. The angst and anxiety of holiday horror offer a cathartic release because for many the holidays are not perfect, and we don’t see ourselves in the yuletide rom-coms.
In fact, Screambox has more than stocking stuffers, with...
- 12/15/2023
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Veteran Hollywood star Helen Mirren has never thought about defying the ageing process because she’d rather lead a long and full life and enjoy each day as it comes. “I say celebrate it, don’t fight it. You die young, or you get old, and I don’t want to die young. I’m too interested in life. It’s wonderful, so celebrate that and enjoy it,” she told Britain’s Hello! Magazine.
The ‘Red’ actress insisted she has no desire to turn back time and she’s always happy to celebrate the age she is, reports aceshowbiz.com.
She said: “I’ve always said I’m not growing old, I’m growing up. I feel the age I am in the fullest possible sense, with all the curiosity, knowledge and fear I have about life.”
“I love being the age I am. Why would I want to be someone else?...
The ‘Red’ actress insisted she has no desire to turn back time and she’s always happy to celebrate the age she is, reports aceshowbiz.com.
She said: “I’ve always said I’m not growing old, I’m growing up. I feel the age I am in the fullest possible sense, with all the curiosity, knowledge and fear I have about life.”
“I love being the age I am. Why would I want to be someone else?...
- 11/27/2023
- by Agency News Desk
Veteran Hollywood star Helen Mirren has never thought about defying the ageing process because she’d rather lead a long and full life and enjoy each day as it comes. “I say celebrate it, don’t fight it. You die young, or you get old, and I don’t want to die young. I’m too interested in life. It’s wonderful, so celebrate that and enjoy it,” she told Britain’s Hello! Magazine.
The ‘Red’ actress insisted she has no desire to turn back time and she’s always happy to celebrate the age she is, reports aceshowbiz.com.
She said: “I’ve always said I’m not growing old, I’m growing up. I feel the age I am in the fullest possible sense, with all the curiosity, knowledge and fear I have about life.”
“I love being the age I am. Why would I want to be someone else?...
The ‘Red’ actress insisted she has no desire to turn back time and she’s always happy to celebrate the age she is, reports aceshowbiz.com.
She said: “I’ve always said I’m not growing old, I’m growing up. I feel the age I am in the fullest possible sense, with all the curiosity, knowledge and fear I have about life.”
“I love being the age I am. Why would I want to be someone else?...
- 11/27/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
The frightful weather outside has nothing on the family gathering in Secret Santa. Adam Marcus, who is best known for unleashing the gonzo Friday the 13th entry Jason Goes to Hell upon the world, truly outdid himself with this over-the-top Christmas horror movie. Which is saying a lot considering the events of Jason Voorhees’ sole ‘90s outing. After some time away from the genre, though, Marcus returned in 2018 with a comedy as black as coal. Christmas cynics will naturally be drawn to the promise of a family going off the deep end during the holidays. However, this seasonal shocker may prove to be too much even for the biggest of scrooges.
For many folks, Christmas is the most joyous time of the year. For April Pope (A. Leslie Kies) and other members of her family, it’s the most dreadful. The director’s own internal struggle with Christmas is channeled...
For many folks, Christmas is the most joyous time of the year. For April Pope (A. Leslie Kies) and other members of her family, it’s the most dreadful. The director’s own internal struggle with Christmas is channeled...
- 11/13/2023
- by Paul Lê
- bloody-disgusting.com
It’s time to get into the holiday spirit and with a trio of holiday horror films coming to Screambox, the very first to be unwrapped is Secret Santa, which hails from Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday director Adam Marcus!
You didn’t have to wait long to dig into this wild and crazy horror film as it’s now streaming on Screambox and also available on VOD.
In the film…
“As friends and family gather near, to celebrate another holiday season, they have no idea a murderer lies in their midst. With drinks flowing, a distant and dysfunctional, affluent family is unaware that their yuletide libations are laced with a truth serum that will bring holy hell down on their holiday gathering. When secrets begin to spill, the tension starts to rise until it escalates into a murderous rampage that Krampus would be proud of. But through the bobbles and bloodshed,...
You didn’t have to wait long to dig into this wild and crazy horror film as it’s now streaming on Screambox and also available on VOD.
In the film…
“As friends and family gather near, to celebrate another holiday season, they have no idea a murderer lies in their midst. With drinks flowing, a distant and dysfunctional, affluent family is unaware that their yuletide libations are laced with a truth serum that will bring holy hell down on their holiday gathering. When secrets begin to spill, the tension starts to rise until it escalates into a murderous rampage that Krampus would be proud of. But through the bobbles and bloodshed,...
- 11/7/2023
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
It’s time to get into the holiday spirit and with a trio of holiday horror films coming to Screambox, and the very first to be unwrapped is Secret Santa, which hails from Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday director Adam Marcus!
You won’t have to wait long to dig into this wild and crazy horror film as it arrives on VOD and Screambox tomorrow, November 7!
In the film…
“As friends and family gather near, to celebrate another holiday season, they have no idea a murderer lies in their midst. With drinks flowing, a distant and dysfunctional, affluent family is unaware that their yuletide libations are laced with a truth serum that will bring holy hell down on their holiday gathering. When secrets begin to spill, the tension starts to rise until it escalates into a murderous rampage that Krampus would be proud of. But through the bobbles and bloodshed,...
You won’t have to wait long to dig into this wild and crazy horror film as it arrives on VOD and Screambox tomorrow, November 7!
In the film…
“As friends and family gather near, to celebrate another holiday season, they have no idea a murderer lies in their midst. With drinks flowing, a distant and dysfunctional, affluent family is unaware that their yuletide libations are laced with a truth serum that will bring holy hell down on their holiday gathering. When secrets begin to spill, the tension starts to rise until it escalates into a murderous rampage that Krampus would be proud of. But through the bobbles and bloodshed,...
- 11/6/2023
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
In case you missed it earlier this week… Tis the season to be scary, as Bloody Disgusting announces the acquisition of three new holiday horror titles for the Screambox streaming service – Secret Santa, Night of the Missing, and Santastein will make the long winter’s nights anything but silent!
Since Black Christmas, holiday films have been a refreshing sub-genre within horror. These films offer a much-needed contrast to the “all is well” narrative that is so often depicted in seasonal films. The angst and anxiety of holiday horror offer a cathartic release because for many the holidays are not perfect, and we don’t see ourselves in the yuletide rom-coms.
We’re thrilled to be releasing these films because they offer something for everyone; whether you want to laugh, scream or just have fun, you can find it on Screambox!
Secret Santa
The first of the three films we’re unwrapping is Secret Santa,...
Since Black Christmas, holiday films have been a refreshing sub-genre within horror. These films offer a much-needed contrast to the “all is well” narrative that is so often depicted in seasonal films. The angst and anxiety of holiday horror offer a cathartic release because for many the holidays are not perfect, and we don’t see ourselves in the yuletide rom-coms.
We’re thrilled to be releasing these films because they offer something for everyone; whether you want to laugh, scream or just have fun, you can find it on Screambox!
Secret Santa
The first of the three films we’re unwrapping is Secret Santa,...
- 11/3/2023
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
We have a trio of holiday horror films coming to Screambox but the very first to be unwrapped is Secret Santa, which hails from Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday director Adam Marcus!
You won’t have to wait long to dig into this wild and crazy horror film as it arrives on VOD and Screambox on November 7.
In the film…
“As friends and family gather near, to celebrate another holiday season, they have no idea a murderer lies in their midst. With drinks flowing, a distant and dysfunctional, affluent family is unaware that their yuletide libations are laced with a truth serum that will bring holy hell down on their holiday gathering. When secrets begin to spill, the tension starts to rise until it escalates into a murderous rampage that Krampus would be proud of. But through the bobbles and bloodshed, one among them is desperate to stop...
You won’t have to wait long to dig into this wild and crazy horror film as it arrives on VOD and Screambox on November 7.
In the film…
“As friends and family gather near, to celebrate another holiday season, they have no idea a murderer lies in their midst. With drinks flowing, a distant and dysfunctional, affluent family is unaware that their yuletide libations are laced with a truth serum that will bring holy hell down on their holiday gathering. When secrets begin to spill, the tension starts to rise until it escalates into a murderous rampage that Krampus would be proud of. But through the bobbles and bloodshed, one among them is desperate to stop...
- 11/2/2023
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
The 26th San Francisco Silent Film Festival was another joyous gathering of silent cinema fans, historians, scholars, and all stripes of movie buffs. Launched in 1995, the festival has grown from a single-day event to—excluding two years of Covid shutdowns—an annual, five-day celebration. It’s about the movies, of course, and this year Sfsff presented 20 features and seven shorts. But it’s also about the silent movie experience. All shows were accompanied by live music, from solo piano to small combos to a 10-piece mini-orchestra for the closing-night event, playing both archival music and original scores, many composed for the screenings.
Allan Dwan’s The Iron Mask, from 1929, opened the festival with a bittersweet farewell to the silents. The film, the swashbuckling final silent feature to star Douglas Fairbanks, has added resonance for Sfsff audiences because of the legacy of the Castro Theatre, the festival’s home for its entire 26 years.
Allan Dwan’s The Iron Mask, from 1929, opened the festival with a bittersweet farewell to the silents. The film, the swashbuckling final silent feature to star Douglas Fairbanks, has added resonance for Sfsff audiences because of the legacy of the Castro Theatre, the festival’s home for its entire 26 years.
- 7/24/2023
- by Sean Axmaker
- Slant Magazine
There were numerous superstars during the silent era from the clown princes of comedy Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd to such dramatic and action icons as Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Rudolph Valentino, John Gilbert, Greta Garbo, Gloria Swanson and Lillian Gish. One was a good boy — the German Shepherd Rin Tin Tin. Not only is Rin Tin Tin, aka Rinty, credited with saving Warner Bros., but Hollywood lore also insists he, not Emil Jannings, was the first Best Actor Oscar winner.
With Warner Brothers celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and the Academy Awards just around the corner, it’s time to look at the Rinty phenomenon and its place in Hollywood history.
Rinty wasn’t the first canine star. Blair, the pet collie of British director Cecil Hepworth, headlined his 1905 thriller “Rescued by Rover.” The film was so popular it had to be shot twice because the...
With Warner Brothers celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and the Academy Awards just around the corner, it’s time to look at the Rinty phenomenon and its place in Hollywood history.
Rinty wasn’t the first canine star. Blair, the pet collie of British director Cecil Hepworth, headlined his 1905 thriller “Rescued by Rover.” The film was so popular it had to be shot twice because the...
- 2/27/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
In the last two years, Florencia Martin has quickly established herself as the go-to production designer for auteurs who want to transform modern day Los Angeles into a vivid evocation of the city as it exists in our memories, dreams, and fantasies. Her meticulous recreations of the 197os San Fernando Valley in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza” and 1950s Hollywood in Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde” represent some of the most impressive design work in recent memory, but Martin was just getting warmed up: With “Babylon,” Damien Chazelle’s celebration and indictment of Hollywood in the late 1920s, the production designer has created her most sprawling, detailed, and audacious sets to date.
Working with set decorator Anthony Carlino, Martin fills scene after scene with colorful surroundings that both express and comment on the characters’ inner desires and tensions, all while remaining faithful to the period without losing a modern sense of immediacy.
Working with set decorator Anthony Carlino, Martin fills scene after scene with colorful surroundings that both express and comment on the characters’ inner desires and tensions, all while remaining faithful to the period without losing a modern sense of immediacy.
- 2/5/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
You’ve never seen Hollywood quite like the way it’s portrayed in “Babylon,” the new film from Oscar-winning “La La Land” and “First Man” filmmaker Damien Chazelle. This three-hour epic takes place in the late 1920s and opens in a debauchery-filled Hollywood in the heyday of silent films, as it then chronicles a trio of characters through the transition to talkies. Chazelle assembled an all-star cast for the film, including Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, and holds nothing back in this R-rated drama that has drawn more than a few comparisons to Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights.”
So if “Babylon” is the film you’re looking to watch over the holiday break, you may be wondering how and where to see it. All your questions answered below.
Also Read:
Watch How ‘Babylon’ Production Designer Florencia Martin Re-Created Old Hollywood in the Desert (Exclusive Video) When Did “Babylon” Come Out?...
So if “Babylon” is the film you’re looking to watch over the holiday break, you may be wondering how and where to see it. All your questions answered below.
Also Read:
Watch How ‘Babylon’ Production Designer Florencia Martin Re-Created Old Hollywood in the Desert (Exclusive Video) When Did “Babylon” Come Out?...
- 1/31/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Writer/Director Joe Cornish discusses a few of his favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Attack The Block (2011)
Rocks (2019)
Poltergeist (1982)
Gremlins (1984)
Avanti! (1972)
Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)
The Last Wave (1977)
Witness (1985)
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Fearless (1993)
Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003)
Gallipoli (1981)
The Year Of Living Dangerously (1982)
The Cars That Ate Paris (1974)
The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai (1984)
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985)
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
The Rescuers (1977)
Bedknobs And Broomsticks (1971)
The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Moonraker (1979)
The Adventures Of Tintin (2011)
Bambi (1942)
Dumbo (1941)
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
Forbidden Planet (1956)
This Island Earth (1955)
Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers (1956)
The Thing From Another World (1951)
Matinee (1993)
The Lord Of The Rings (1978)
The Omen (1976)
Damien: Omen II (1978)
Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
The Exorcist (1973)
The Exterminator (1980)
Friday The 13th...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Attack The Block (2011)
Rocks (2019)
Poltergeist (1982)
Gremlins (1984)
Avanti! (1972)
Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)
The Last Wave (1977)
Witness (1985)
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Fearless (1993)
Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003)
Gallipoli (1981)
The Year Of Living Dangerously (1982)
The Cars That Ate Paris (1974)
The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai (1984)
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985)
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
The Rescuers (1977)
Bedknobs And Broomsticks (1971)
The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Moonraker (1979)
The Adventures Of Tintin (2011)
Bambi (1942)
Dumbo (1941)
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
Forbidden Planet (1956)
This Island Earth (1955)
Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers (1956)
The Thing From Another World (1951)
Matinee (1993)
The Lord Of The Rings (1978)
The Omen (1976)
Damien: Omen II (1978)
Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
The Exorcist (1973)
The Exterminator (1980)
Friday The 13th...
- 1/24/2023
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Brad Pitt has opened up about his biggest pet peeve in a new interview.
The 59-year-old Mr & Mrs Smith actor revealed what irritates him the most while promoting his new film, Damien Chazelle’s Babylon.
“You know what my pet peeve – my Larry David moment – is?” he said. “It’s when people are in the passing lane and they’re going as slow as everyone in the regular lanes.”
Pitt was referencing the show Curb Your Enthusiasm, in which the star, Larry David, accidentally offends characters on a regular basis.
Explaining the types of drivers he finds frustrating, the Ad Astra star explained to W Magazine: “They block the whole thing, and you can’t get around. I gotta move. And when I feel trapped, I go all Larry David on ’em.”
When asked how he responds to the situation, Pitt said that he tries to be “nicer these days”.
“I might flick a bright.
The 59-year-old Mr & Mrs Smith actor revealed what irritates him the most while promoting his new film, Damien Chazelle’s Babylon.
“You know what my pet peeve – my Larry David moment – is?” he said. “It’s when people are in the passing lane and they’re going as slow as everyone in the regular lanes.”
Pitt was referencing the show Curb Your Enthusiasm, in which the star, Larry David, accidentally offends characters on a regular basis.
Explaining the types of drivers he finds frustrating, the Ad Astra star explained to W Magazine: “They block the whole thing, and you can’t get around. I gotta move. And when I feel trapped, I go all Larry David on ’em.”
When asked how he responds to the situation, Pitt said that he tries to be “nicer these days”.
“I might flick a bright.
- 1/10/2023
- by Ellie Muir
- The Independent - Film
Tár writer/director Todd Field discusses a few of his favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
You Only Live Twice (1967) – Dana Gould’s trailer commentary
Tár (2022)
Man With A Movie Camera (1929)
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
The Big Parade (1925)
Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
The Crowd (1928)
Star Wars (1977)
The Servant (1963)
Parasite (2019) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Dennis Cozzalio’s review
The Three Musketeers (1973) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Figures In A Landscape (1970)
M (1931)
M (1951)
I Am Cuba (1964)
The Cranes Are Flying (1957) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Letter Never Sent (1960)
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1965)
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)
The Towering Inferno (1974) – George Hickenlooper’s trailer commentary
The Great Waldo Pepper (1975)
The Sting (1973)
The World of Henry Orient (1964) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Thelma And Louise (1991)
Murmur Of The Heart (1971)
The Silent World (1956)
Opening Night (1977)
The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie (1976) – Larry Karaszewski’s...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
You Only Live Twice (1967) – Dana Gould’s trailer commentary
Tár (2022)
Man With A Movie Camera (1929)
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
The Big Parade (1925)
Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
The Crowd (1928)
Star Wars (1977)
The Servant (1963)
Parasite (2019) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Dennis Cozzalio’s review
The Three Musketeers (1973) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Figures In A Landscape (1970)
M (1931)
M (1951)
I Am Cuba (1964)
The Cranes Are Flying (1957) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Letter Never Sent (1960)
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1965)
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)
The Towering Inferno (1974) – George Hickenlooper’s trailer commentary
The Great Waldo Pepper (1975)
The Sting (1973)
The World of Henry Orient (1964) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Thelma And Louise (1991)
Murmur Of The Heart (1971)
The Silent World (1956)
Opening Night (1977)
The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie (1976) – Larry Karaszewski’s...
- 1/10/2023
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Click here to read the full article.
When Blanche Sweet sang “there’s a tear for every smile in Hollywood” in Show Girl in Hollywood (1930), she wasn’t wrong. Movie people have long been warning starry eyed wannabes to tread carefully if there were coming to Tinseltown full of hopes and dreams. In The Truth About the Movies by the Stars (1924), screenwriter Frank Butler wrote that “From every corner of the earth they come and across the Seven Seas – borne on the tireless wings of youthful optimism. Pathetic pilgrims these, struggling on to ultimate disillusion.”
A large part of Damien Chazelle’s Babylon (2022) explores the dark side of Hollywood’s Golden Age. The twenties roared in Hollywood, but there was also something larger at stake for characters in Babylon. Like any audience in front of a film, they were chasing that magic on the screen. They were chasing an idea.
When Blanche Sweet sang “there’s a tear for every smile in Hollywood” in Show Girl in Hollywood (1930), she wasn’t wrong. Movie people have long been warning starry eyed wannabes to tread carefully if there were coming to Tinseltown full of hopes and dreams. In The Truth About the Movies by the Stars (1924), screenwriter Frank Butler wrote that “From every corner of the earth they come and across the Seven Seas – borne on the tireless wings of youthful optimism. Pathetic pilgrims these, struggling on to ultimate disillusion.”
A large part of Damien Chazelle’s Babylon (2022) explores the dark side of Hollywood’s Golden Age. The twenties roared in Hollywood, but there was also something larger at stake for characters in Babylon. Like any audience in front of a film, they were chasing that magic on the screen. They were chasing an idea.
- 12/23/2022
- by Chris Yogerst
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spike Jonze plays Otto Von Strassberger, Lukas Haas plays George Munn and Robert Clendenin (back) plays Otto’s Assistant Director in Babylon from Paramount Pictures.
LA LA Land director Damien Chazelle gives a different take on the movie industry with ‘s Babylon, focused on Hollywood pre- and post- the transition from silent films to sound, but as if that took place in an alternate reality partly in the 1920s and partly in the late 1970s, eras that share reputations for excess, partying and drugs, although the 1920s had much better clothes.
This tale of a wild silent-era Hollywood opens in 1926, according a title card, at the height of the Hollywood’s Babylon of partying excess and creative freedom and shortly before the debut of talking films brought the party to a halt. The opening sequence features an elephant as studio employee Manny Torres (Diego Calva) negotiating with someone hired to...
LA LA Land director Damien Chazelle gives a different take on the movie industry with ‘s Babylon, focused on Hollywood pre- and post- the transition from silent films to sound, but as if that took place in an alternate reality partly in the 1920s and partly in the late 1970s, eras that share reputations for excess, partying and drugs, although the 1920s had much better clothes.
This tale of a wild silent-era Hollywood opens in 1926, according a title card, at the height of the Hollywood’s Babylon of partying excess and creative freedom and shortly before the debut of talking films brought the party to a halt. The opening sequence features an elephant as studio employee Manny Torres (Diego Calva) negotiating with someone hired to...
- 12/23/2022
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Click here to read the full article.
Director Damien Chazelle’s mandate to his costume designer on Babylon was simple: “I don’t want this to look like another ’20s movie.”
That edict translated into no flapper dresses, no cloche hats (on the principals) and no feathered headbands in the Paramount film, set to hit theaters Dec. 23. As the movie’s three-time Oscar-nominated costume designer, Mary Zophres, notes, “Damien wanted authenticity but didn’t want it to be a trope; he was like, ‘Bring me fresh ideas!’ ” Creating costumes for the epic about Hollywood debauchery and decadence during the late 1920s was a larger-than-life game of numbers where Zophres and her team built close to 10,000 costumes, ranging from items for a Singin’ in the Rain number to a nod to 1916’s Intolerance battle scene.
Costumes for each of the principal characters were designed with a muse in mind, representing the highs and lows of Hollywood.
Director Damien Chazelle’s mandate to his costume designer on Babylon was simple: “I don’t want this to look like another ’20s movie.”
That edict translated into no flapper dresses, no cloche hats (on the principals) and no feathered headbands in the Paramount film, set to hit theaters Dec. 23. As the movie’s three-time Oscar-nominated costume designer, Mary Zophres, notes, “Damien wanted authenticity but didn’t want it to be a trope; he was like, ‘Bring me fresh ideas!’ ” Creating costumes for the epic about Hollywood debauchery and decadence during the late 1920s was a larger-than-life game of numbers where Zophres and her team built close to 10,000 costumes, ranging from items for a Singin’ in the Rain number to a nod to 1916’s Intolerance battle scene.
Costumes for each of the principal characters were designed with a muse in mind, representing the highs and lows of Hollywood.
- 12/22/2022
- by Cathy Whitlock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Plot: At the dawn of the sound era, a tawdry collection of people working in silent films must reckon with their rapidly changing fortunes as the talkies, and a new strict morality, become commonplace.
Review: Within the first ten minutes of Babylon, you get an anus-first view of an elephant having diarrhea and then, shortly after, a golden shower performed by a woman on a very content customer. This is all lovingly shot by director Damien Chazelle and his Dp Linus Sandgren, as if to announce, “hey – if you thought The Wolf of Wall Street was over the top, get a load of this!” As it turns out, the brown and the golden showers are only the beginning of Chazelle’s nightmarish descent into the seemingly depraved world of 1920s Hollywood. As Al Jolson said in The Jazz Singer, the movie that spells doom to many of the characters here,...
Review: Within the first ten minutes of Babylon, you get an anus-first view of an elephant having diarrhea and then, shortly after, a golden shower performed by a woman on a very content customer. This is all lovingly shot by director Damien Chazelle and his Dp Linus Sandgren, as if to announce, “hey – if you thought The Wolf of Wall Street was over the top, get a load of this!” As it turns out, the brown and the golden showers are only the beginning of Chazelle’s nightmarish descent into the seemingly depraved world of 1920s Hollywood. As Al Jolson said in The Jazz Singer, the movie that spells doom to many of the characters here,...
- 12/20/2022
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Click here to read the full article.
When the dizzying trailer for Babylon dropped, its coke-fueled bacchanal of sex, partying, moviemaking and sleaze sold it as The Day of the Locust meets The Wolf of Wall Street. Marketing can be deceptive, but in this case, turns out that’s an accurate taste of what the whopping three hours and change of Damien Chazelle’s poison-pen letter to 1920s and ‘30s Hollywood delivers, with the freewheeling storytelling of Boogie Nights and a sticky dollop of Lynchian creepiness. No doubt plenty of cool kids will eagerly sign up to be pummeled by the film’s crazed excesses, though just as many will find it exhausting and sour. Even its technical virtuosity feels assaultive.
To all the folks who stomped out any chance of Chazelle’s soulful space-travel drama, First Man, finding an audience by whipping up a fake controversy charging that it was unpatriotic,...
When the dizzying trailer for Babylon dropped, its coke-fueled bacchanal of sex, partying, moviemaking and sleaze sold it as The Day of the Locust meets The Wolf of Wall Street. Marketing can be deceptive, but in this case, turns out that’s an accurate taste of what the whopping three hours and change of Damien Chazelle’s poison-pen letter to 1920s and ‘30s Hollywood delivers, with the freewheeling storytelling of Boogie Nights and a sticky dollop of Lynchian creepiness. No doubt plenty of cool kids will eagerly sign up to be pummeled by the film’s crazed excesses, though just as many will find it exhausting and sour. Even its technical virtuosity feels assaultive.
To all the folks who stomped out any chance of Chazelle’s soulful space-travel drama, First Man, finding an audience by whipping up a fake controversy charging that it was unpatriotic,...
- 12/16/2022
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Margot Robbie gets unhinged in Damien Chazelle’s epic “Babylon.”
The Oscar nominee plays self-proclaimed wild child and up-and-coming actress Nellie Laroy in the 1920s-set period piece, which just released a new trailer. Laroy is an amalgam of ’20s stars Clara Bow, Jeanne Eagels, Joan Crawford, and Alma Rubens. With dreams of reaching stardom, Nellie crosses paths with aging icon Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt), inspired by John Gilbert, Clark Gable, and Douglas Fairbanks.
Per the official “Babylon” synopsis, Chazelle’s film is an original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles led by Pitt, Robbie and Diego Calva, with an ensemble cast including Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, and Jean Smart. A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.”
The ensemble includes Samara Weaving, Li Jun Li, Katherine Waterston, Olivia Wilde,...
The Oscar nominee plays self-proclaimed wild child and up-and-coming actress Nellie Laroy in the 1920s-set period piece, which just released a new trailer. Laroy is an amalgam of ’20s stars Clara Bow, Jeanne Eagels, Joan Crawford, and Alma Rubens. With dreams of reaching stardom, Nellie crosses paths with aging icon Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt), inspired by John Gilbert, Clark Gable, and Douglas Fairbanks.
Per the official “Babylon” synopsis, Chazelle’s film is an original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles led by Pitt, Robbie and Diego Calva, with an ensemble cast including Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, and Jean Smart. A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.”
The ensemble includes Samara Weaving, Li Jun Li, Katherine Waterston, Olivia Wilde,...
- 11/28/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land” was just the warm up for “Babylon,” his epic comedy-drama about Hollywood during the seismic shift from silents to talkies in the late 1920s — think “La Dolce Vita” meets “Nashville” by way of “The Wolf of Wall Street.” This allowed the Oscar-winning director to step out of his comfort zone with a wild, orgiastic ride through hedonistic excess and extreme living before the sound revolution transformed the movies into a cultural phenomenon.
Judging from the mixed response to Monday’s Academy screening, however, “Babylon” might have a bumpier Best Picture ride than its singing and dancing predecessor. It should be a major crafts player, though. That means likely nominations for some or all of Chazelle’s collaborators: cinematographer Linus Sandgren (Oscar winner for “La La Land”); production designer Florencia Martin; costume designer Mary Zophres; composer Justin Hurwitz (Oscar winner for “La La Land” score...
Judging from the mixed response to Monday’s Academy screening, however, “Babylon” might have a bumpier Best Picture ride than its singing and dancing predecessor. It should be a major crafts player, though. That means likely nominations for some or all of Chazelle’s collaborators: cinematographer Linus Sandgren (Oscar winner for “La La Land”); production designer Florencia Martin; costume designer Mary Zophres; composer Justin Hurwitz (Oscar winner for “La La Land” score...
- 11/16/2022
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
One of the most anticipated presumed Oscar contenders, and one of the very few remaining to debut before year-end, dropped last night with the first screening of Academy Award winning director Damien Chazelle’s Babylon. Paramount’s big Christmas release, and hopeful awards magnet chose the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theatre for the unveiling in front of entertainment pundits, industry members, and most importantly guild and Oscar voters, a perfect venue with both sides of the massive screen bookended by those imposing large Oscar statues. In addition to the screening there was a post Q&a with Chazelle and stars Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, and Tobey Maguire followed by a dessert reception in the lobby.
Reviews of the December 23 wide release are embargoed for at least a month (Paramount has not chosen the exact date yet...
Reviews of the December 23 wide release are embargoed for at least a month (Paramount has not chosen the exact date yet...
- 11/15/2022
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy still has a lot of aging to do before it catches up to Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) — recall that the hobbit is celebrating his 110th birthday with the long-expected party that makes up the early beats of “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.” But as each entry in the series reaches its 20th anniversary — “Fellowship” last year, “The Two Towers” this year, and “The Return of the King” in 2023 — it’s worth reflecting on more than the shadow of the past of the films themselves. Or more than their theatrical cuts, at least.
A month prior to the premiere of “The Two Towers,” New Line Home Video unveiled the “extended edition” of “Fellowship of the Ring,” with 30 minutes of additional footage spread across six new and 20 expanded sequences. The DVD box set’s packaging resembled a well-worn tome bound in green leather,...
A month prior to the premiere of “The Two Towers,” New Line Home Video unveiled the “extended edition” of “Fellowship of the Ring,” with 30 minutes of additional footage spread across six new and 20 expanded sequences. The DVD box set’s packaging resembled a well-worn tome bound in green leather,...
- 11/15/2022
- by Sarah Shachat
- Indiewire
Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle screened “Babylon,” his epic love letter to Hollywood, for the first time on Monday (Nov. 14) in advance of its Christmas Day release. His 3-hour plus picture from Paramount chronicles the turbulent transition from the silent era to the talkies.
Chazelle has crafted a story that blends fact with fiction as it follows the journeys of two newcomers to Tinseltown: would-be starlet Nellie Laroy (Margot Robbie) and filmmaker Manny Torres (Diego Calva). The supporting cast is led by Oscar champ Brad Pitt as matinee idol Jack Conrad and Emmy darling Jean Smart as the tart-tongued Elinor St. John.
In the post-screening Q&a, Pitt spoke about collaborating with Chazelle on creating his larger-than-life character, who is in the vein of screen legends Douglas Fairbanks and John Gilbert. Pitt readily conceded that he had been dismissive of their style of acting for being too over-the-top and admitted, “it...
Chazelle has crafted a story that blends fact with fiction as it follows the journeys of two newcomers to Tinseltown: would-be starlet Nellie Laroy (Margot Robbie) and filmmaker Manny Torres (Diego Calva). The supporting cast is led by Oscar champ Brad Pitt as matinee idol Jack Conrad and Emmy darling Jean Smart as the tart-tongued Elinor St. John.
In the post-screening Q&a, Pitt spoke about collaborating with Chazelle on creating his larger-than-life character, who is in the vein of screen legends Douglas Fairbanks and John Gilbert. Pitt readily conceded that he had been dismissive of their style of acting for being too over-the-top and admitted, “it...
- 11/15/2022
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Margot Robbie is everywhere — and we mean, everywhere.
The founder of critically acclaimed production company LuckyChap Entertainment has starred in some of the biggest auteur films of the decade and produced independent feminist films “I, Tonya” and “Promising Young Woman,” all while making at least one movie per year since 2013.
Robbie landed Oscar nominations for her respective turns in 2017’s Olympic biopic “I, Tonya” and 2019’s “Bombshell,” inspired by the true story of the sexual harassment lawsuit against former Fox News exec Roger Ailes. And don’t forget Robbie’s scene-stealing turn as Harley Quinn that transcended two “Suicide Squad” iterations plus lead spinoff “Birds of Prey,” which Robbie’s LuckyChap produced.
The first look at Robbie as a Mattel doll come to life for Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” almost broke the Internet. But that’s not the only star-studded epic Robbie leads this year.
Below, find out everything Robbie...
The founder of critically acclaimed production company LuckyChap Entertainment has starred in some of the biggest auteur films of the decade and produced independent feminist films “I, Tonya” and “Promising Young Woman,” all while making at least one movie per year since 2013.
Robbie landed Oscar nominations for her respective turns in 2017’s Olympic biopic “I, Tonya” and 2019’s “Bombshell,” inspired by the true story of the sexual harassment lawsuit against former Fox News exec Roger Ailes. And don’t forget Robbie’s scene-stealing turn as Harley Quinn that transcended two “Suicide Squad” iterations plus lead spinoff “Birds of Prey,” which Robbie’s LuckyChap produced.
The first look at Robbie as a Mattel doll come to life for Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” almost broke the Internet. But that’s not the only star-studded epic Robbie leads this year.
Below, find out everything Robbie...
- 11/14/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
He spoke in a raspy monotone that was at once commanding, yet menacing. Howard Strickling officially was the public relations boss of MGM during its heyday, but his real responsibility, he would explain, was protection more than publicity.
Strickling’s mission was to nurture the roster of stars under studio contract. If he were around today he might even have a few things to say to Brad Pitt or George Clooney.
He’d likely be wary, for example, about Pitt’s decision to play silent star John Gilbert in the forthcoming period movie Babylon. Gilbert’s career ended abruptly in the 1920s due to his stormy personal relationships with other stars, so Strickling would counsel Pitt to avoid references to his litigation with ex-wife Angelina Jolie.
Gilbert experienced well-publicized conflicts with his volatile co-star and fiancée Greta Garbo. Louis B. Mayer opposed the wedding and, in one lethal moment, Gilbert...
Strickling’s mission was to nurture the roster of stars under studio contract. If he were around today he might even have a few things to say to Brad Pitt or George Clooney.
He’d likely be wary, for example, about Pitt’s decision to play silent star John Gilbert in the forthcoming period movie Babylon. Gilbert’s career ended abruptly in the 1920s due to his stormy personal relationships with other stars, so Strickling would counsel Pitt to avoid references to his litigation with ex-wife Angelina Jolie.
Gilbert experienced well-publicized conflicts with his volatile co-star and fiancée Greta Garbo. Louis B. Mayer opposed the wedding and, in one lethal moment, Gilbert...
- 10/27/2022
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
You will now be able to see Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt wreak havoc in “Babylon” even earlier this holiday season.
Damien Chazelle’s old Hollywood epic “Babylon” has officially ditched its previously limited release rollout for a wide release now on December 23.
Originally, “Babylon” was slated for a December 25 limited release, followed by a January 6, 2023 wide release. Instead, the film will open in more than 3,000 theaters nationwide on December 23.
Former “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” co-stars Robbie and Pitt reunite for Chazelle’s star-studded take on the pitfalls of fame and the slow-moving tide of change in the film industry. Set during the transitional period in Hollywood when silent movies gave way to talkies, Robbie stars as aspiring actress Nellie Laroy, who is an amalgam of early “talkies” stars Clara Bow, Jeanne Eagels, John Crawford, and Alma Rubens. With dreams of reaching stardom, Nellie crosses paths with aging...
Damien Chazelle’s old Hollywood epic “Babylon” has officially ditched its previously limited release rollout for a wide release now on December 23.
Originally, “Babylon” was slated for a December 25 limited release, followed by a January 6, 2023 wide release. Instead, the film will open in more than 3,000 theaters nationwide on December 23.
Former “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” co-stars Robbie and Pitt reunite for Chazelle’s star-studded take on the pitfalls of fame and the slow-moving tide of change in the film industry. Set during the transitional period in Hollywood when silent movies gave way to talkies, Robbie stars as aspiring actress Nellie Laroy, who is an amalgam of early “talkies” stars Clara Bow, Jeanne Eagels, John Crawford, and Alma Rubens. With dreams of reaching stardom, Nellie crosses paths with aging...
- 10/18/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Six years after winning an Oscar for “La La Land,” writer-director Damien Chazelle is gearing up for a return to Tinseltown with his next feature film “Babylon.” This time, he’s taking it back to the Golden Age of Hollywood, when silent films transitioned to talkies.
In a recent interview, Chazelle said he first came up with the idea for “a big, epic, multicharacter movie, set in these early days of Los Angeles and Hollywood, when both of these things were coming into what we now think of them as,” about 15 years ago. It was only after completing 2018’s “First Man” that he got to work on the script for the “massive” movie.
Like any Hollywood movie about Hollywood, the cast of “Babylon” is as star-studded as they come, playing a mixture of fictional and historical characters. Among them: Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt; Olivia Wilde, Samara Weaving, Tobey Maguire,...
In a recent interview, Chazelle said he first came up with the idea for “a big, epic, multicharacter movie, set in these early days of Los Angeles and Hollywood, when both of these things were coming into what we now think of them as,” about 15 years ago. It was only after completing 2018’s “First Man” that he got to work on the script for the “massive” movie.
Like any Hollywood movie about Hollywood, the cast of “Babylon” is as star-studded as they come, playing a mixture of fictional and historical characters. Among them: Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt; Olivia Wilde, Samara Weaving, Tobey Maguire,...
- 9/13/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
One day after Damien Chazelle teased his forthcoming Hollywood-set epic “Babylon” at a special event during the Toronto International Film Festival, Paramount released the frenetic first trailer for the presumed Oscar contender.
“It’s written in the stars, I am a star,” says Nellie Laroy (Margot Robbie) during a cocaine-fueled conversation with a fellow striver named Manny Torres (newcomer Diego Calva) at the start of the “Babylon” trailer. What follows are images of excess – sex, drugs, parties, shocking violence – during the nascent days of Hollywood. Brad Pitt, Jean Smart, Tobey Maguire, and Jovan Adepo lead the film’s all-star cast, with each playing characters inspired by real-life Hollywood figures.
“It was really a wild West period for these people, this gallery of characters, as they rise and fall, rise, fall, rise again, fall again,” Chazelle told Vanity Fair. “The thing that they’re building is springing back on them and chewing them up.
“It’s written in the stars, I am a star,” says Nellie Laroy (Margot Robbie) during a cocaine-fueled conversation with a fellow striver named Manny Torres (newcomer Diego Calva) at the start of the “Babylon” trailer. What follows are images of excess – sex, drugs, parties, shocking violence – during the nascent days of Hollywood. Brad Pitt, Jean Smart, Tobey Maguire, and Jovan Adepo lead the film’s all-star cast, with each playing characters inspired by real-life Hollywood figures.
“It was really a wild West period for these people, this gallery of characters, as they rise and fall, rise, fall, rise again, fall again,” Chazelle told Vanity Fair. “The thing that they’re building is springing back on them and chewing them up.
- 9/13/2022
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
The trailer for Damien Chazelle's long-awaited new film "Babylon" has finally been released by Paramount Pictures. Get ready to travel back to the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1920s, when the industry moved from the silent film era to that of the talkies. The title boasts a plethora of stars, including Margot Robbie ("Once Upon a Time in Hollywood") as young actress Nellie DeRoy, and Brad Pitt ("Inglorious Basterds") as Jack Conrad, a silent film star who isn't taking the change well. The character has been compared to real-life actor John Gilbert ("The Merry Widow").
Academy Award-winner Chazelle, who brought us 2014's "Whiplash," 2016's "La La Land," and 2018's "First Man," serves as both writer and director on "Babylon." He's reteaming with the award-winning "La La Land" duo of cinematographer Linus Sandgren and composer Justin Hurwitz for the film. In a recent Vanity Fair article, Chazelle said that...
Academy Award-winner Chazelle, who brought us 2014's "Whiplash," 2016's "La La Land," and 2018's "First Man," serves as both writer and director on "Babylon." He's reteaming with the award-winning "La La Land" duo of cinematographer Linus Sandgren and composer Justin Hurwitz for the film. In a recent Vanity Fair article, Chazelle said that...
- 9/13/2022
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
There is another fairytale afoot in Hollywood, thanks to Oscar winner Damien Chazelle’s sweeping ode to the rise of talkies.
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” co-stars Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt reunite onscreen for “Babylon,” Chazelle’s star-studded take on the pitfalls of fame and the slow-moving tide of change in the film industry. Set during the transitional period in Hollywood when silent movies gave way to talkies, Robbie stars as aspiring actress Nellie Laroy, who is an amalgam of early “talkies” stars Clara Bow, Jeanne Eagels, John Crawford, and Alma Rubens. With dreams of reaching stardom, Nellie crosses paths with aging icon Jack Conrad (Pitt), inspired by John Gilbert, Clark Gable, and Douglas Fairbanks.
“Babylon” premieres December 25 with a limited release, followed by a wide release January 6, 2023, making the feature a buzzed-about Oscars contender.
The official synopsis reads: “From Damien Chazelle, ‘Babylon’ is an original epic set...
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” co-stars Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt reunite onscreen for “Babylon,” Chazelle’s star-studded take on the pitfalls of fame and the slow-moving tide of change in the film industry. Set during the transitional period in Hollywood when silent movies gave way to talkies, Robbie stars as aspiring actress Nellie Laroy, who is an amalgam of early “talkies” stars Clara Bow, Jeanne Eagels, John Crawford, and Alma Rubens. With dreams of reaching stardom, Nellie crosses paths with aging icon Jack Conrad (Pitt), inspired by John Gilbert, Clark Gable, and Douglas Fairbanks.
“Babylon” premieres December 25 with a limited release, followed by a wide release January 6, 2023, making the feature a buzzed-about Oscars contender.
The official synopsis reads: “From Damien Chazelle, ‘Babylon’ is an original epic set...
- 9/13/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The lush land of 1920s Hollywood is now getting a modern A-lister take thanks to Oscar winner Damien Chazelle.
The “La La Land” director helms highly-anticipated epic “Babylon” starring Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt as two movie stars at the opposite ends of fame. The film is set for a December 25 limited release and a wide release January 6, 2023, making the feature a buzzed-about Oscars contender.
The period piece focuses on the transitional period in the film industry when silent movies gave way to talkies. While the specific plot details remain under wraps, IndieWire can confirm that Robbie plays aspiring actress Nellie Laroy, who is an amalgam of early “talkies” stars Clara Bow, Jeanne Eagels, John Crawford, and Alma Rubens. Nellie has a “bold, hungry kind of edge to her,” as Chazelle revealed to Vanity Fair.
Meanwhile, Robbie’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” Oscar-winning co-star Pitt plays Jack Conrad,...
The “La La Land” director helms highly-anticipated epic “Babylon” starring Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt as two movie stars at the opposite ends of fame. The film is set for a December 25 limited release and a wide release January 6, 2023, making the feature a buzzed-about Oscars contender.
The period piece focuses on the transitional period in the film industry when silent movies gave way to talkies. While the specific plot details remain under wraps, IndieWire can confirm that Robbie plays aspiring actress Nellie Laroy, who is an amalgam of early “talkies” stars Clara Bow, Jeanne Eagels, John Crawford, and Alma Rubens. Nellie has a “bold, hungry kind of edge to her,” as Chazelle revealed to Vanity Fair.
Meanwhile, Robbie’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” Oscar-winning co-star Pitt plays Jack Conrad,...
- 9/8/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Six years after winning an Oscar for "La La Land," Damien Chazelle is returning with yet another ode to the Cty of Angels. According to an exclusive chat with Vanity Fair, this particular project has been a long time coming — Chazelle has been working on the story for his upcoming feature film "Babylon" since he first moved to Los Angeles 15 years ago. When the idea first dawned on him, the plan was "just to do a big, epic, multi-character movie, set in these early days of Los Angeles and Hollywood, when both of these things were coming into what we now think of them as." After years of chipping away at the story, the character and dynamics finally emerged, and later this year, we'll see for ourselves what it all became.
For obvious reasons, it sounds like "Babylon" might share a lot in common with the very successful "La La Land.
For obvious reasons, it sounds like "Babylon" might share a lot in common with the very successful "La La Land.
- 9/7/2022
- by Shania Russell
- Slash Film
Director Damien Chazelle’s ‘Babylon’, a star-studded homage to Hollywood’s golden era, was showcased at the CinemaCon. Attendees of CinemaCon, the annual gathering of movie theatre owners that’s currently unfolding at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, were treated to never-before-seen footage of ‘Babylon’, which puts the spotlight on Brad Pitt as silent film star John Gilbert […]...
- 4/29/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Finally, finally, finally we are one step closer to the epic Hollywood empire that is “Babylon.”
The upcoming feature from Oscar-winning writer-director Damien Chazelle stars “Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood” co-stars Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie for “Babylon” in a period piece about the transitional period in the film industry when silent movies gave way to talkies. The film is set to premiere wide January 6, 2023, and already is a buzzed-about Oscars contender.
While Chazelle has stayed mum about plot specifics, drama “Babylon” reportedly focuses on real-life industry titans Clara Bow (Robbie), Elinor Glyn, and studio exec Irving Thalberg, played by Max Minghella. The ensemble cast also includes Samara Weaving, Li Jun Li, Katherine Waterston, Olivia Wilde, Spike Jonze, Jean Smart, Lukas Haas, and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. Tobey Maguire, who also serves as an executive producer, is portraying Charlie Chaplin.
During Paramount’s showcase at 2022 CinemaCon, audiences...
The upcoming feature from Oscar-winning writer-director Damien Chazelle stars “Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood” co-stars Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie for “Babylon” in a period piece about the transitional period in the film industry when silent movies gave way to talkies. The film is set to premiere wide January 6, 2023, and already is a buzzed-about Oscars contender.
While Chazelle has stayed mum about plot specifics, drama “Babylon” reportedly focuses on real-life industry titans Clara Bow (Robbie), Elinor Glyn, and studio exec Irving Thalberg, played by Max Minghella. The ensemble cast also includes Samara Weaving, Li Jun Li, Katherine Waterston, Olivia Wilde, Spike Jonze, Jean Smart, Lukas Haas, and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. Tobey Maguire, who also serves as an executive producer, is portraying Charlie Chaplin.
During Paramount’s showcase at 2022 CinemaCon, audiences...
- 4/28/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Director Damien Chazelle brought the ol’ razzle dazzle to CinemaCon, showcasing the first look at his next film “Babylon,” a star-studded homage to Hollywood’s golden era.
Attendees of CinemaCon, the annual gathering of movie theater owners that’s currently unfolding at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, were treated to never-before-seen footage of “Babylon,” which puts the spotlight on Brad Pitt as silent film star John Gilbert and Margot Robbie as Roaring Twenties icon Clara Bow.
Prior to Paramount’s presentation at CinemaCon, little had been revealed about “Babylon,” which is set in the late 1920s during the movie industry’s transition from silent films to talkies.
Based on the first-look footage of glamorous parties against a backdrop of an entertainment business in flux, “Babylon” looks like a mix between Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
“You know what we have to do…...
Attendees of CinemaCon, the annual gathering of movie theater owners that’s currently unfolding at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, were treated to never-before-seen footage of “Babylon,” which puts the spotlight on Brad Pitt as silent film star John Gilbert and Margot Robbie as Roaring Twenties icon Clara Bow.
Prior to Paramount’s presentation at CinemaCon, little had been revealed about “Babylon,” which is set in the late 1920s during the movie industry’s transition from silent films to talkies.
Based on the first-look footage of glamorous parties against a backdrop of an entertainment business in flux, “Babylon” looks like a mix between Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
“You know what we have to do…...
- 4/28/2022
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
The three musical remakes of a “A Star is Born” have regretfully overshadowed William A. Wellman’s 1937 original version. But a new 4K restoration from the original nitrate three-strip Technicolor camera negative is a revelation vividly illustrating that the first version of the heartbreaking tale of the up-and-coming actress marrying a fading star losing his battle with alcoholism is a masterpiece. As exhilarating as the musical versions with Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand and Lady Gaga belting out such tunes as “The Man Who Got Away,” “Evergreen” and “Shallow,” the original proves that sometimes simpler is better.
Warner Archive recently released the Blu-ray of this new restoration and the TCM Classic Film Festival presents its theatrical premiere on April 21. Produced by David O. Selznick, who was the executive producer of an earlier version of the Hollywood story, 1932’s “What Price Hollywood?,” the 1937 drama was one of the first three-strip Technicolor films produced by Hollywood.
Warner Archive recently released the Blu-ray of this new restoration and the TCM Classic Film Festival presents its theatrical premiere on April 21. Produced by David O. Selznick, who was the executive producer of an earlier version of the Hollywood story, 1932’s “What Price Hollywood?,” the 1937 drama was one of the first three-strip Technicolor films produced by Hollywood.
- 4/20/2022
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Synopsis:
When a top-secret weapon falls into mercenary hands, wild-card CIA agent Mason “Mace” Brown (Jessica Chastain) joins forces with rival German agent Marie (Diane Kruger), former MI6 ally and cutting-edge computer specialist Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o), and skilled Colombian psychologist Graciela (Penélope Cruz) on a lethal mission to retrieve it. The unlikely team must also stay one step ahead of a mysterious woman, Lin Mi Sheng (Bingbing Fan), who is tracking their every move as the action rockets across the globe.
Bonus Features on Blu-raytm, DVD And Digital:
Deleted Sceneschasing Through Paris – Cast and filmmakers discuss the first day of shooting on The 355 and how the choreographed chase sequence through the Parisian arcade set the tone for the entire production.Action That Hurts – A behind-the-scenes look at the stunts featured in the film’s centerpiece action sequence.Reconstructing Marrakesh – From footage of construction to a set tour with Production Designer Simon Elliott,...
When a top-secret weapon falls into mercenary hands, wild-card CIA agent Mason “Mace” Brown (Jessica Chastain) joins forces with rival German agent Marie (Diane Kruger), former MI6 ally and cutting-edge computer specialist Khadijah (Lupita Nyong’o), and skilled Colombian psychologist Graciela (Penélope Cruz) on a lethal mission to retrieve it. The unlikely team must also stay one step ahead of a mysterious woman, Lin Mi Sheng (Bingbing Fan), who is tracking their every move as the action rockets across the globe.
Bonus Features on Blu-raytm, DVD And Digital:
Deleted Sceneschasing Through Paris – Cast and filmmakers discuss the first day of shooting on The 355 and how the choreographed chase sequence through the Parisian arcade set the tone for the entire production.Action That Hurts – A behind-the-scenes look at the stunts featured in the film’s centerpiece action sequence.Reconstructing Marrakesh – From footage of construction to a set tour with Production Designer Simon Elliott,...
- 2/16/2022
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
Asian and Pacific Islander non-profit collective Gold House announced the launch of a Gold Open for Marvel Studios’ “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” in partnership with GoFundMe.
Gold House’s Gold Open premieres, launched in partnership with Cape (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) are an initiative that aims to drive box office success for films led by Asians and Pacific Islanders. “Parasite” and “Crazy Rich Asians” are two films to have received Gold Opens in the past. “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” which premieres Sept. 3, will be the first theater-exclusive Gold Open since the start of the pandemic.
This Gold Open utilizes GoFundMe to increase community engagement, via the “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” Gold Open Community Fund. The page acts as a central location for information about theater buyout campaigns and hosts a fundraiser to buy tickets for underserved...
Gold House’s Gold Open premieres, launched in partnership with Cape (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) are an initiative that aims to drive box office success for films led by Asians and Pacific Islanders. “Parasite” and “Crazy Rich Asians” are two films to have received Gold Opens in the past. “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” which premieres Sept. 3, will be the first theater-exclusive Gold Open since the start of the pandemic.
This Gold Open utilizes GoFundMe to increase community engagement, via the “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” Gold Open Community Fund. The page acts as a central location for information about theater buyout campaigns and hosts a fundraiser to buy tickets for underserved...
- 8/27/2021
- by Jennifer Yuma, Selome Hailu and Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Moviegoers have been flocking to see their favorite romantic couples on the silver screen since the early days of cinema from John Gilbert and Greta Garbo, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn, Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and more recently Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan and Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. But none of those partnerships have endured nearly four decades. Until now.
Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner first starred together in Robert Zemeckis’ romantic 1984 comedy adventure “Romancing the Stone,” which was the eighth-highest grossing film of the year, winning the Golden Globe for best comedy or musical and Turner winning the Globe for actress in the same category. Penned by the late Diane Thomas, “Romancing” cast Turner as plain Jane romance novelist Joan Wilder, who shares her apartment with her cat. After she get a frantic call from her sister who has been kidnapped by antiquities smugglers in Columbia,...
Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner first starred together in Robert Zemeckis’ romantic 1984 comedy adventure “Romancing the Stone,” which was the eighth-highest grossing film of the year, winning the Golden Globe for best comedy or musical and Turner winning the Globe for actress in the same category. Penned by the late Diane Thomas, “Romancing” cast Turner as plain Jane romance novelist Joan Wilder, who shares her apartment with her cat. After she get a frantic call from her sister who has been kidnapped by antiquities smugglers in Columbia,...
- 6/9/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
‘Lord Of The Rings’ Oscar-winner Richard Taylor to oversee effects for New Zealand horror.
New Zealand filmmaker Scott Walker is to direct creature feature The Tank, which Cornerstone Films is launching at the virtual Cannes market.
Richard Taylor, the five-time Oscar-winning special effects supervisor whose credits include Blade Runner 2049 and The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, will create the creature effects with his team at leading VFX studio Weta Workshop.
The film, which will shoot in New Zealand later this summer, centres on a young family that inherits a remote coastal property in Oregon. When attempting to repair a buried water tank,...
New Zealand filmmaker Scott Walker is to direct creature feature The Tank, which Cornerstone Films is launching at the virtual Cannes market.
Richard Taylor, the five-time Oscar-winning special effects supervisor whose credits include Blade Runner 2049 and The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, will create the creature effects with his team at leading VFX studio Weta Workshop.
The film, which will shoot in New Zealand later this summer, centres on a young family that inherits a remote coastal property in Oregon. When attempting to repair a buried water tank,...
- 6/3/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: We have learned that Marc Maron and Stephen Root have boarded the real-life inspired drama To Leslie which stars Andrea Riseborough as a West Texas single mom who wins the lottery, spends it fast, leaving a world of heartbreak in her wake.
Maron will play Sweeney, a lonely motel manager living a quiet life in West Texas, who takes a chance on Leslie when no one else will. Root will portray Dutch, a grizzled ex-biker willing to help Leslie so long as she plays by his rules.
Michael Morris is directing off Ryan Binaco’s screenplay. Production is already occurring here in Los Angeles.
Eduardo Cisneros, Ceci Cleary, Claude Dal Farra, Brian Keady, Kelsey Law, Jason Shuman, and Philip Waley are producing. John Gilbert of Bluewater Lane Productions and Ward Cleary and Binaco are EPs. Mister Smith Entertainment is handling international sales and UTA Independent Film Group...
Maron will play Sweeney, a lonely motel manager living a quiet life in West Texas, who takes a chance on Leslie when no one else will. Root will portray Dutch, a grizzled ex-biker willing to help Leslie so long as she plays by his rules.
Michael Morris is directing off Ryan Binaco’s screenplay. Production is already occurring here in Los Angeles.
Eduardo Cisneros, Ceci Cleary, Claude Dal Farra, Brian Keady, Kelsey Law, Jason Shuman, and Philip Waley are producing. John Gilbert of Bluewater Lane Productions and Ward Cleary and Binaco are EPs. Mister Smith Entertainment is handling international sales and UTA Independent Film Group...
- 12/16/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Iconic Talent Agency, which specializes in repping craft talent in film and TV, has taken the wraps off Iconic Editorial, a new subsidiary that will provide the company’s roster of editors access to commercial and branded entertainment projects.
The idea came from Ita founder and ex-wme partner Devin Mann amid the current coronvirus pandemic, which saw commercial opportunities grow via remote workflows, and his clients — including Oscar winner Tom Cross, Oscar nominee Joe Walker and Jinmo Yang (Parasite) — eager for work in the space within their own confines.
“Our Iconic Editorial editors are a huge asset to advertising agencies because our editors are trained in narrative and have decades of experience producing genre-bending projects that accentuate exceptional storytelling,” said Heinrich Meyer, who will serve as Iconic Editorial’s managing director. “By bringing in these world-class artists, ad...
The idea came from Ita founder and ex-wme partner Devin Mann amid the current coronvirus pandemic, which saw commercial opportunities grow via remote workflows, and his clients — including Oscar winner Tom Cross, Oscar nominee Joe Walker and Jinmo Yang (Parasite) — eager for work in the space within their own confines.
“Our Iconic Editorial editors are a huge asset to advertising agencies because our editors are trained in narrative and have decades of experience producing genre-bending projects that accentuate exceptional storytelling,” said Heinrich Meyer, who will serve as Iconic Editorial’s managing director. “By bringing in these world-class artists, ad...
- 10/7/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
On Nov. 27, 1929, three years after Greta Garbo’s American film debut, Variety described her as “the most mysterious of Hollywood stars.” More than 50 years later, in 1981, a Variety story began “Given that Greta Garbo still remains the most elusive, mysterious and speculated about film personality on the planet…”
It’s rare for any star to maintain public interest for so long. And it’s especially notable that she maintained interest, even decades after her final film, by trying to avoid attention.
In a career of only 15 years, Garbo gave fans her acting talent but nothing of herself — no details of her life, never addressing rumors or speculation. In a brief 1929 item, Variety said “Practically nothing has ever been known personally about Miss Garbo, she being a publicity-shunner and the toughest of all stars to interview.” In her heyday, she had as much impact on fashion and daydreams as Lady Gaga and Beyonce,...
It’s rare for any star to maintain public interest for so long. And it’s especially notable that she maintained interest, even decades after her final film, by trying to avoid attention.
In a career of only 15 years, Garbo gave fans her acting talent but nothing of herself — no details of her life, never addressing rumors or speculation. In a brief 1929 item, Variety said “Practically nothing has ever been known personally about Miss Garbo, she being a publicity-shunner and the toughest of all stars to interview.” In her heyday, she had as much impact on fashion and daydreams as Lady Gaga and Beyonce,...
- 9/18/2020
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
A cinematic essay about life, memory and time, Argentine Nicolas Prividera’s “Adios a la Memoria” (“A Farewell to Memory”), the Doc Works in Progress (Wip) winner at Spain’s Malaga Film Festival, captures the life and recollections of the filmmaker’s Alzheimer’s-stricken father.
Produced by Pablo Ratto of Trivial Media, “Adios a la Memoria” does so through home movies the filmmaker’s father shot, footage from archives as well as those filmed by Prividera, as a family tragedy during the late-70s dictatorship in Argentina continues to haunt the family.
The docu-essay steers away from the standard first-person narration, and instead is told in the third person by Prividera who studied at the University of Buenos Aires and the National School of Experimentation and Filmmaking and whose previous films, “M” and “Tierra de los Padres,” parts one and two of a trilogy completed by “Adios…,” have garnered a slew of awards.
Produced by Pablo Ratto of Trivial Media, “Adios a la Memoria” does so through home movies the filmmaker’s father shot, footage from archives as well as those filmed by Prividera, as a family tragedy during the late-70s dictatorship in Argentina continues to haunt the family.
The docu-essay steers away from the standard first-person narration, and instead is told in the third person by Prividera who studied at the University of Buenos Aires and the National School of Experimentation and Filmmaking and whose previous films, “M” and “Tierra de los Padres,” parts one and two of a trilogy completed by “Adios…,” have garnered a slew of awards.
- 5/4/2020
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Vidor Retrospective is a Hot Alternate Reality at Berlin 70 — by Alex DeleonWith the pickings slim this year in the Competition section, and not much better in the other main sidebars, the nearly complete King Vidor retrospective covering some 33 films from the magnificent silent war saga ‘The Big Parade’, 1925, to ‘War and Peace’, 1956. Vidor’s career spanned some four decades and is a canny choice for a solid retrospective at Berlin 70. All films are in the category “The don’t make ’em like this anymore” and are nearly all daily sellouts.
Nota Bene: King Vidor is Not to be confused with another Vidor in Hollywood, the Hungarian born director Charles (Károly) Vidor,. Vidor is a fairly common Hungarian surname. King Vidor was the son of a 19th-century Hungarian immigrant who settled in Texas.
The King Vidor retrospective is so rich in new discoveries that it is practically a festival within the festival on its own.
Nota Bene: King Vidor is Not to be confused with another Vidor in Hollywood, the Hungarian born director Charles (Károly) Vidor,. Vidor is a fairly common Hungarian surname. King Vidor was the son of a 19th-century Hungarian immigrant who settled in Texas.
The King Vidor retrospective is so rich in new discoveries that it is practically a festival within the festival on its own.
- 4/13/2020
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
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