Rian Johnson's 2018 film "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" revealed more about the "Star Wars" universe than any of the films that came before it. It was the first film, to my recollection, that finally addressed starship fuel as being a limited resource that a craft could run out of in a crucial moment. It also, in an enlightening sequence, finally addressed the economy of "Star Wars," telling the audience that endless wars between an evil Empire and the plucky Rebels would require billions of dollars in funding. And who should be funding such an endeavor but the heretofore unseen "Star Wars" wealthy class? It seems that even a galaxy of psychic space wizards and sentient androids still has unethical billionaires and war profiteers.
Johnson depicted the wealthy class as bored, ultra-stylish gamblers who inhabit a massive galaxy-famous casino called Canto Bight. There are seemingly hundreds of people in the Canto Bight sequence,...
Johnson depicted the wealthy class as bored, ultra-stylish gamblers who inhabit a massive galaxy-famous casino called Canto Bight. There are seemingly hundreds of people in the Canto Bight sequence,...
- 11/12/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
When Robert Aldrich’s 1968 Hollywood insider yarn, “The Legend of Lylah Clare” screens at the Maine International Film Festival in Waterville, Maine, it will represent much more than a simple revival of a New Hollywood-era roman à clef.
The film’s presentation on July 12 will include a discussion between actor Michael Murphy, who co-stars in the film, and former MGM publicity director Mike Kaplan, who has from the film’s earliest screenings defended both the film’s director, who Kaplan feels was “grossly maligned” by the depiction of him in Ryan Murphy’s limited series “Feud,” and the film, which monumentally tanked both critically and commercially when first released.
Kaplan recalls “I loved the script, and I loved the film. MGM had an unexceptional slate at the time. I was a big fan at the get-go.”
But as MGM’s New York City-based publicity chief, Kaplan watched helplessly as others,...
The film’s presentation on July 12 will include a discussion between actor Michael Murphy, who co-stars in the film, and former MGM publicity director Mike Kaplan, who has from the film’s earliest screenings defended both the film’s director, who Kaplan feels was “grossly maligned” by the depiction of him in Ryan Murphy’s limited series “Feud,” and the film, which monumentally tanked both critically and commercially when first released.
Kaplan recalls “I loved the script, and I loved the film. MGM had an unexceptional slate at the time. I was a big fan at the get-go.”
But as MGM’s New York City-based publicity chief, Kaplan watched helplessly as others,...
- 7/12/2023
- by Steven Gaydos
- Variety Film + TV
Brian Blessed has paid tribute to Mike Hodges, who directed him in the film Flash Gordon.
Hodges, who also directed Get Carter and The Long Good Friday, died, aged 90 on Saturday (17 December),
The news was announced by Mike Kaplan, Hodges’ longtime friend who produced his film I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead in 2003.
Blessed appeared on BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme, where he said Hodges had “a very powerful personality and a joyful, cheerful, brilliant imagination”.
He said that 1980’s Flash Gordon is “the only film, apart from Henry V with Kenneth Branagh, that I raced to the studio to start filming”.
Blessed, 86, described the filmmaker as having “a brilliant imagination”, adding: “His direction – mind-blowing. Great manner, great perception. The film was a breath of fresh air.”
A quintessential product of the era, Flash Gordon was a box-office success in the UK and subsequently developed a...
Hodges, who also directed Get Carter and The Long Good Friday, died, aged 90 on Saturday (17 December),
The news was announced by Mike Kaplan, Hodges’ longtime friend who produced his film I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead in 2003.
Blessed appeared on BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme, where he said Hodges had “a very powerful personality and a joyful, cheerful, brilliant imagination”.
He said that 1980’s Flash Gordon is “the only film, apart from Henry V with Kenneth Branagh, that I raced to the studio to start filming”.
Blessed, 86, described the filmmaker as having “a brilliant imagination”, adding: “His direction – mind-blowing. Great manner, great perception. The film was a breath of fresh air.”
A quintessential product of the era, Flash Gordon was a box-office success in the UK and subsequently developed a...
- 12/22/2022
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
British director Mike Hodges, known for directing “Get Carter”, “Flash Gordon”, “Croupier” and more, died at his home in Dorset, England, on Dec. 17. He was 90.
Hodges’ longtime friend, Mike Kaplan, confirmed his death to Et calling the late director “a great friend and a great filmmaker.”
“For a part of his career, he was under-appreciated, and he is not anymore,” the film producer shared. “‘Get Carter’ was a huge success all over the world. He had a great sense of humour. All of his movies were entrenched with humour and personality.”
Born in Bristol, England in 1932, Hodges first became an accountant before doing his required military service by serving on a British minesweeper. He began his career in show business as a teleprompter operator for British television.
Landing work on ABC’s “Armchair Theatre”, Hodges rose quickly to become a producer and director, entering the international film scene with 1971’s...
Hodges’ longtime friend, Mike Kaplan, confirmed his death to Et calling the late director “a great friend and a great filmmaker.”
“For a part of his career, he was under-appreciated, and he is not anymore,” the film producer shared. “‘Get Carter’ was a huge success all over the world. He had a great sense of humour. All of his movies were entrenched with humour and personality.”
Born in Bristol, England in 1932, Hodges first became an accountant before doing his required military service by serving on a British minesweeper. He began his career in show business as a teleprompter operator for British television.
Landing work on ABC’s “Armchair Theatre”, Hodges rose quickly to become a producer and director, entering the international film scene with 1971’s...
- 12/21/2022
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
British director Mike Hodges, known for films like “Flash Gordon” and “Croupier”, has died. He was 90. His death was confirmed to NBC News by producer and “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” collaborator Mike Kaplan, reports ‘People’ magazine.
According to Kaplan, Hodges died at his home in Dorset, England, due to heart failure. Hodges’ long standing career dates back to the 1950s. Before getting a start in films, he spent two years in mandatory national service on a royal navy minesweeper, which he credits as the inspiration for his first film, “Get Carter”.
In a letter published by The Guardian in May, quoted by ‘People’, he said: “For two years, my middle-class eyes were forced to witness horrendous poverty and deprivation that I was previously unaware of. I went into the navy as a newly qualified chartered accountant and complacent young Tory, and came out an angry, radical young man.
According to Kaplan, Hodges died at his home in Dorset, England, due to heart failure. Hodges’ long standing career dates back to the 1950s. Before getting a start in films, he spent two years in mandatory national service on a royal navy minesweeper, which he credits as the inspiration for his first film, “Get Carter”.
In a letter published by The Guardian in May, quoted by ‘People’, he said: “For two years, my middle-class eyes were forced to witness horrendous poverty and deprivation that I was previously unaware of. I went into the navy as a newly qualified chartered accountant and complacent young Tory, and came out an angry, radical young man.
- 12/21/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Mike Hodges, director of Flash Gordon, has passed. Finally saw this movie during the pandemic and it brought me such joy. Have watched it a bunch of times since. Nothing else like it. Rest in Peace, sir. pic.twitter.com/v0YQDBmaFs
— Brian Lynch (@BrianLynch) December 20, 2022
Tributes have been paid to Get Carter director Mike Hodges who has died at the age of 90.
His long-time friend Mike Kaplan confirmed the director's death in Dorset on Saturday, although no further details have been released.
After his gangster classic starring Michael Caine as a man out for justice, which Hodges adapted himself for the screen from the book by Ted Lewis, he reteamed with the star on Pulp the following year.
Among his other credits were Flash Gordon and, with Clive Owen, Croupier and I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. Owen told us in an interview he believed...
— Brian Lynch (@BrianLynch) December 20, 2022
Tributes have been paid to Get Carter director Mike Hodges who has died at the age of 90.
His long-time friend Mike Kaplan confirmed the director's death in Dorset on Saturday, although no further details have been released.
After his gangster classic starring Michael Caine as a man out for justice, which Hodges adapted himself for the screen from the book by Ted Lewis, he reteamed with the star on Pulp the following year.
Among his other credits were Flash Gordon and, with Clive Owen, Croupier and I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. Owen told us in an interview he believed...
- 12/21/2022
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Director Mike Hodges has died aged 90.
The filmmaker behind Get Carter and Flash Gordon died on Saturday (17 December) of heart failure at his home in Dorset.
His death was confirmed by producer Mike Kaplan, a friend and collaborator of Hodges’, who said he died of heart failure.
Born in Bristol in 1932, Hodges worked as a chartered accountant and in the Navy under national service before beginning a career in the screen industries.
His first media job was as a teleprompter operator and he quickly rose up the ranks in UK television.
He made his feature debut in 1971 with Get Carter, which he wrote and directed. Starring Michael Caine, it follows a London gangster who returns home to Newcastle after learning about the death of his brother.
Hodges initially wrote the role of Jack Carter for Ian Hendry and was surprised to learn that an actor as prominent as Caine would...
The filmmaker behind Get Carter and Flash Gordon died on Saturday (17 December) of heart failure at his home in Dorset.
His death was confirmed by producer Mike Kaplan, a friend and collaborator of Hodges’, who said he died of heart failure.
Born in Bristol in 1932, Hodges worked as a chartered accountant and in the Navy under national service before beginning a career in the screen industries.
His first media job was as a teleprompter operator and he quickly rose up the ranks in UK television.
He made his feature debut in 1971 with Get Carter, which he wrote and directed. Starring Michael Caine, it follows a London gangster who returns home to Newcastle after learning about the death of his brother.
Hodges initially wrote the role of Jack Carter for Ian Hendry and was surprised to learn that an actor as prominent as Caine would...
- 12/21/2022
- by Isobel Lewis
- The Independent - Film
Mike Hodges, director of films like "Get Carter," "Croupier," and "Flash Gordon," has died in Dorset, England, at the age of 90, according to Variety. The site reports that Hodges' passing was announced by his friend Mike Kaplan, who worked on his film "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" as a producer. Hodges was known for crime dramas, with his last feature film released in 2003. He worked with Michael Caine in both "Get Carter," a British gangster drama, and 1972's "Pulp," about a pulp fiction author tasked with ghost-writing a celebrity's memoir, then solving that celebrity's murder.
Crime was a draw for Hodges, who said in an interview with Mulholland Books for his 2010 debut novel "Watching the Wheels Come Off," "Crime is the litmus that shows what's really going on below the surface. That's why I'm attracted to it. Besides, as one myself, sinners interest me more than saints." Writers also figured into another film from Hodges,...
Crime was a draw for Hodges, who said in an interview with Mulholland Books for his 2010 debut novel "Watching the Wheels Come Off," "Crime is the litmus that shows what's really going on below the surface. That's why I'm attracted to it. Besides, as one myself, sinners interest me more than saints." Writers also figured into another film from Hodges,...
- 12/21/2022
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
Mike Hodges, best known as the director of gritty, stylish thrillers like Get Carter — the original — Croupier, The Terminal Man and I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead has died, according to his longtime friend and the producer of I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, Mike Kaplan. Hodges was 90.
Hodges was a relatively new director who’d worked mostly in TV when he burst upon the international film scene with Get Carter in 1971. The crime drama starring Michael Caine is still considered among the best British gangster films ever made. Set against a working class background in northern England, Hodges blended irony and humor with stark tension and sudden violence. Those elements became, along with his attention to atmosphere, his signatures. The film was remade in 2000 with Sylvester Stallone as the lead.
Michael Caine in ‘Get Carter’ circa 1971. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
In 2000, his film Croupier introduced the world to Clive Owen.
Hodges was a relatively new director who’d worked mostly in TV when he burst upon the international film scene with Get Carter in 1971. The crime drama starring Michael Caine is still considered among the best British gangster films ever made. Set against a working class background in northern England, Hodges blended irony and humor with stark tension and sudden violence. Those elements became, along with his attention to atmosphere, his signatures. The film was remade in 2000 with Sylvester Stallone as the lead.
Michael Caine in ‘Get Carter’ circa 1971. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
In 2000, his film Croupier introduced the world to Clive Owen.
- 12/20/2022
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Mike Hodges, British director known for “Croupier,” “Flash Gordon,” and “Get Carter,” has died. He was 90.
Hodges’ good friend Mike Kaplan and producer of “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” confirmed the director’s death to multiple media outlets.
At the beginning of his career, Hodges carved out a space for himself in crime dramas with “Get Carter” (1971) and “Pulp” (1972), concluding with “Croupier” (1999) and “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” (2003). Outside of this bookend category of his catalog, he was also known for his rendition of “Flash Gordon.”
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Stephanie Bissonnette, Cast Member of ‘Mean Girls the Musical,’ Dies at 32
Hodges adapted “Get Carter” from a novel by Ted Lewis. The story follows Caine, a London gangster who seeks vengeance fr his brother’s murder. The British gangster movie experienced a resurgence after its 2000 remake starring Sylvester Stallone in the role of Caine.
Hodges’ second film “Pulp” consisted of another crime drama,...
Hodges’ good friend Mike Kaplan and producer of “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” confirmed the director’s death to multiple media outlets.
At the beginning of his career, Hodges carved out a space for himself in crime dramas with “Get Carter” (1971) and “Pulp” (1972), concluding with “Croupier” (1999) and “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” (2003). Outside of this bookend category of his catalog, he was also known for his rendition of “Flash Gordon.”
Also Read:
Stephanie Bissonnette, Cast Member of ‘Mean Girls the Musical,’ Dies at 32
Hodges adapted “Get Carter” from a novel by Ted Lewis. The story follows Caine, a London gangster who seeks vengeance fr his brother’s murder. The British gangster movie experienced a resurgence after its 2000 remake starring Sylvester Stallone in the role of Caine.
Hodges’ second film “Pulp” consisted of another crime drama,...
- 12/20/2022
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
“Get Carter” writer-director Mike Hodges has died at age 90.
Longtime friend and “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” producer Mike Kaplan confirmed Hodges’ passing on December 20. Hodges died of heart failure December 17 at his home in Dorset, England. He is survived by his wife Carol Laws, two sons Ben and Jake Hodges, and five grandchildren.
Hodges helmed gangster thriller novel adaptation “Get Carter,” which starred Michael Caine as hitman Jack Carter who investigates a pornography ring involved in his brother’s murder. The 1971 neo-noir film was named one of the 100 best British films of all-time by Sight and Sound magazine in 1999.
Hodges and Caine formed production company Three Michaels along with “Get Carter” producer Michael Klinger. The trio returned for 1972’s “Pulp,” with Caine playing a bodice-ripper novelist hired by a former actor (Mickey Rooney) to ghostwrite his autobiography.
Hodges later directed “The Terminal Man,” “Damien: Omen II,” “Black Rainbow,...
Longtime friend and “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” producer Mike Kaplan confirmed Hodges’ passing on December 20. Hodges died of heart failure December 17 at his home in Dorset, England. He is survived by his wife Carol Laws, two sons Ben and Jake Hodges, and five grandchildren.
Hodges helmed gangster thriller novel adaptation “Get Carter,” which starred Michael Caine as hitman Jack Carter who investigates a pornography ring involved in his brother’s murder. The 1971 neo-noir film was named one of the 100 best British films of all-time by Sight and Sound magazine in 1999.
Hodges and Caine formed production company Three Michaels along with “Get Carter” producer Michael Klinger. The trio returned for 1972’s “Pulp,” with Caine playing a bodice-ripper novelist hired by a former actor (Mickey Rooney) to ghostwrite his autobiography.
Hodges later directed “The Terminal Man,” “Damien: Omen II,” “Black Rainbow,...
- 12/20/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
British director was known for his often bleak and brutal gangster films, most famously his 1971 film Get Carter starring Michael Caine
Mike Hodges, the British director known for films including Get Carter, Croupier, The Terminal Man and Flash Gordon, has died at the age of 90.
Mike Kaplan, a longtime friend and producer on Hodges’ final feature film I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, confirmed his death to the Guardian. Hodges died at his home in Dorset on Saturday. A cause of death was not given.
Mike Hodges, the British director known for films including Get Carter, Croupier, The Terminal Man and Flash Gordon, has died at the age of 90.
Mike Kaplan, a longtime friend and producer on Hodges’ final feature film I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, confirmed his death to the Guardian. Hodges died at his home in Dorset on Saturday. A cause of death was not given.
- 12/20/2022
- by Sian Cain
- The Guardian - Film News
Click here to read the full article.
Mike Hodges, who made his feature debut by writing and directing the seminal British gangster film Get Carter, starring Michael Caine, then replaced Nicolas Roeg to helm the cult sci-fi hit Flash Gordon, has died. He was 90.
Hodges died Saturday of heart failure at his home in Dorset, England, confirmed his friend Mike Kaplan, who produced Hodges’ 2003 film I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.
The British filmmaker also wrote and directed Pulp (1972) in a quick follow-up with Caine; the bleak The Terminal Man (1974), an adaptation of a Michael Crichton novel that starred George Segal; Damien: Omen II (1978), though he was fired three weeks into the shoot and replaced by Don Taylor; and Black Rainbow (1989), starring Rosanna Arquette as a medium.
In addition, Hodges helmed the Mickey Rourke-starring Ira thriller A Prayer for the Dying (1987), which he said was re-edited without his...
Mike Hodges, who made his feature debut by writing and directing the seminal British gangster film Get Carter, starring Michael Caine, then replaced Nicolas Roeg to helm the cult sci-fi hit Flash Gordon, has died. He was 90.
Hodges died Saturday of heart failure at his home in Dorset, England, confirmed his friend Mike Kaplan, who produced Hodges’ 2003 film I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.
The British filmmaker also wrote and directed Pulp (1972) in a quick follow-up with Caine; the bleak The Terminal Man (1974), an adaptation of a Michael Crichton novel that starred George Segal; Damien: Omen II (1978), though he was fired three weeks into the shoot and replaced by Don Taylor; and Black Rainbow (1989), starring Rosanna Arquette as a medium.
In addition, Hodges helmed the Mickey Rourke-starring Ira thriller A Prayer for the Dying (1987), which he said was re-edited without his...
- 12/20/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
British director Mike Hodges, known for directing “Get Carter,” “Croupier” and “Flash Gordon,” died in Dorset, England on Dec. 17. He was 90.
His death was announced by Mike Kaplan, longtime friend and producer of “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.”
Hodges’ crime dramas came at the beginning of his career — “Get Carter” (1971) and “Pulp” (1972) — and the end — “Croupier” (1999) and “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” (2003). In addition to his crime dramas he was known for his campy, stylized take on “Flash Gordon.”
Andrew Sarris wrote in the Observer in 2000, “Director Mike Hodges has become one of the most under-appreciated and virtually unknown masters of the medium over the last 30 years” and “Mr. Hodges has been hailed by everyone from Martin Scorsese to Pauline Kael as a stylist of the first order.”
Hodges adapted “Get Carter” — one of the greatest British gangster movies of all time — himself from a novel by Ted Lewis.
His death was announced by Mike Kaplan, longtime friend and producer of “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead.”
Hodges’ crime dramas came at the beginning of his career — “Get Carter” (1971) and “Pulp” (1972) — and the end — “Croupier” (1999) and “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” (2003). In addition to his crime dramas he was known for his campy, stylized take on “Flash Gordon.”
Andrew Sarris wrote in the Observer in 2000, “Director Mike Hodges has become one of the most under-appreciated and virtually unknown masters of the medium over the last 30 years” and “Mr. Hodges has been hailed by everyone from Martin Scorsese to Pauline Kael as a stylist of the first order.”
Hodges adapted “Get Carter” — one of the greatest British gangster movies of all time — himself from a novel by Ted Lewis.
- 12/20/2022
- by Carmel Dagan
- Variety Film + TV
Southern Californian director Jamie Dack’s coming-of-age drama “Palm Trees and Power Lines” was crowned best film as the 40th edition of the Torino Film Festival wrapped Saturday. The award is worth €18,000.
Dack, winner of the Sundance Film Festival directing award in the U.S. Dramatic section, also received Torino’s prize for best script, shared with her co-writer Audrey Findlay.
Based on the 2018 short movie of the same name, Dack’s film stars Gretchen Mol, Jonathan Tucker and Lily McInerny, who plays a 17-year-old who has a life changing encounter with a man twice her age.
“Palm Trees” was nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards, including first feature for Dack and Leah Chen Baker; first screenplay for Dack and Audrey Findlay; supporting performance for Tucker; and breakthrough performance for McInerny.
The jury awarded “Rodeo,” the debut feature from French photojournalist-turned-filmmaker Lola Quivoron, with the special jury award, and the...
Dack, winner of the Sundance Film Festival directing award in the U.S. Dramatic section, also received Torino’s prize for best script, shared with her co-writer Audrey Findlay.
Based on the 2018 short movie of the same name, Dack’s film stars Gretchen Mol, Jonathan Tucker and Lily McInerny, who plays a 17-year-old who has a life changing encounter with a man twice her age.
“Palm Trees” was nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards, including first feature for Dack and Leah Chen Baker; first screenplay for Dack and Audrey Findlay; supporting performance for Tucker; and breakthrough performance for McInerny.
The jury awarded “Rodeo,” the debut feature from French photojournalist-turned-filmmaker Lola Quivoron, with the special jury award, and the...
- 12/4/2022
- by Davide Abbatescianni
- Variety Film + TV
The Torino Film Festival, which celebrates its 40th edition this year, will open with a special musical and visual event focusing on two of the most iconic British bands – the Beatles and the Rolling Stones – and their love for cinema, which led them to work with the likes of Richard Lester, Jean-Luc Godard, Jonas Mekas, Wim Wenders and Martin Scorsese.
The 70-minute event, set to be held at the prestigious Teatro Regio on Nov. 25 and broadcast by Rai Radio3, will feature “both rare and never-before-seen archive footage.”
Film critic Steve Della Casa, who served as the gathering’s artistic director from 1999-2002, is back at the helm. In his introductory remarks, he described Torino as “a true urban festival,” which places great importance on the theatrical experience, and set to attract both industry reps as well as a large young, cinephile audience. Moreover, this year’s edition will see the inauguration of Casa Festival,...
The 70-minute event, set to be held at the prestigious Teatro Regio on Nov. 25 and broadcast by Rai Radio3, will feature “both rare and never-before-seen archive footage.”
Film critic Steve Della Casa, who served as the gathering’s artistic director from 1999-2002, is back at the helm. In his introductory remarks, he described Torino as “a true urban festival,” which places great importance on the theatrical experience, and set to attract both industry reps as well as a large young, cinephile audience. Moreover, this year’s edition will see the inauguration of Casa Festival,...
- 11/8/2022
- by Davide Abbatescianni
- Variety Film + TV
In a British cinema scene increasingly dominated by multiplexes, Islington’s Screen on the Green remains something of a landmark. It may no longer be the independent it once was — having been bought 14 years ago by the boutique Everyman chain — but the North London stalwart still stands out, its quirky half-moon facade, red neon signage and pun-heavy marquee beckoning audiences into its single, intimate auditorium.
The programming these days mixes artsy discernment with commercial necessity: this week’s bill, for example, balances “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness,” with an offbeat short film screening and album launch on the weekend. That balance of inclusivity and eccentricity has kept it a go-to venue for London film lovers, and is very much the legacy of its former owner, British exhibition and distribution legend Romaine Hart, who passed away last December at the age of 88.
In...
The programming these days mixes artsy discernment with commercial necessity: this week’s bill, for example, balances “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness,” with an offbeat short film screening and album launch on the weekend. That balance of inclusivity and eccentricity has kept it a go-to venue for London film lovers, and is very much the legacy of its former owner, British exhibition and distribution legend Romaine Hart, who passed away last December at the age of 88.
In...
- 5/22/2022
- by Guy Lodge and Mike Kaplan
- Variety Film + TV
During the production of "2001: A Space Odyssey", director Stanley Kubrick commissioned musician Mike Kaplan to compose a song for the film. Kaplan complied, titling the offbeat creation "2001: A Garden of Personal Mirrors". Kubrick liked the title but shelved the idea of using the song. He also decided not to use the score for the film written by noted composer Alex North, opting instead to rely on classical music. Now Kaplan's "lost" song has been located by British film historian and critic Mark Kermode and it has recently been given air play, much to the 77 year-old Kaplan's delight. Click here to read more.
- 1/18/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Mlb The Show (The Show) is back for another triple play collision of baseball, video games, and entertainment.
This week, (The Show) will talk to a veteran of baseball cinema. Well, actually he’s more of a rookie. Ok, Ok, he’s really The Rookie: Dennis Quaid. The Hollywood star, who portrayed former big-league pitcher Jim Morris in the based-on-true-events 2002 film, discusses his time working on the flick as well as his new Audio Up podcast: The Dennissance.
Of course, what would (The Show) be without its season simulation of the 2020 Mlb season? We can’t be the only ones craving the Pastime, even if it comes from a video game. In “Episode 2: The Rookie,” we also take a look at the origins of baseball video game franchises past and present. Watch episode 2 below and please show us some love by liking, subscribing, and commenting on our YouTube channel!
This week, (The Show) will talk to a veteran of baseball cinema. Well, actually he’s more of a rookie. Ok, Ok, he’s really The Rookie: Dennis Quaid. The Hollywood star, who portrayed former big-league pitcher Jim Morris in the based-on-true-events 2002 film, discusses his time working on the flick as well as his new Audio Up podcast: The Dennissance.
Of course, what would (The Show) be without its season simulation of the 2020 Mlb season? We can’t be the only ones craving the Pastime, even if it comes from a video game. In “Episode 2: The Rookie,” we also take a look at the origins of baseball video game franchises past and present. Watch episode 2 below and please show us some love by liking, subscribing, and commenting on our YouTube channel!
- 4/9/2020
- by Chris Longo
- Den of Geek
Baseball is back! Well, sort of.
Mlb The Show (The Show) is here for all you fans itching for action on the diamond, even if it’s of the simulated, digital variety. The new series from Den of Geek offers highlights from the (currently non-existent) 2020 season, produced using Mlb The Show 20. Each week, we’ll break down a game in the season alongside guests from the baseball, entertainment, and comedy worlds.
In Episode 1, “Almost Famous: Mike Trout,” (The Show) will center on the biggest star in the game, Mike Trout, and the hottest topic of the winter: the Houston Astros. We’ll examine their simulated Opening Day matchup against the Los Angeles Angels and reigning American League Mvp Trout, a vocal critic of the sign stealing scandal Houston was found to have pulled off on their way to winning the 2017 World Series.
Former major league pitcher and Emmy-winning broadcaster Nelson Figueroa...
Mlb The Show (The Show) is here for all you fans itching for action on the diamond, even if it’s of the simulated, digital variety. The new series from Den of Geek offers highlights from the (currently non-existent) 2020 season, produced using Mlb The Show 20. Each week, we’ll break down a game in the season alongside guests from the baseball, entertainment, and comedy worlds.
In Episode 1, “Almost Famous: Mike Trout,” (The Show) will center on the biggest star in the game, Mike Trout, and the hottest topic of the winter: the Houston Astros. We’ll examine their simulated Opening Day matchup against the Los Angeles Angels and reigning American League Mvp Trout, a vocal critic of the sign stealing scandal Houston was found to have pulled off on their way to winning the 2017 World Series.
Former major league pitcher and Emmy-winning broadcaster Nelson Figueroa...
- 4/3/2020
- by Chris Longo
- Den of Geek
The college censorship debate has reached Hollywood. More than 50 prominent artists, writers, and film scholars are supporting the restoration of the names of the Gish sisters, Dorothy and Lillian, to a film theater at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
The letter accuses the university of making “a scapegoat in a broader political debate.” Among those signing their names are James Earl Jones, Helen Mirren, Martin Scorsese, George Stevens Jr., Bertrand Tavernier, Malcolm McDowell, Lauren Hutton, Joe Dante, and Taylor Hackford. The letter is a response to Bowling Green’s May 3 decision to change the name of the Gish Theater because of Lillian Gish’s acting role in D. W. Griffith’s incendiary 1915 silent film “The Birth of a Nation.”
“The Birth of a Nation” has been called one of the most racist films ever made, and it’s credited with leading to the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in America.
The letter accuses the university of making “a scapegoat in a broader political debate.” Among those signing their names are James Earl Jones, Helen Mirren, Martin Scorsese, George Stevens Jr., Bertrand Tavernier, Malcolm McDowell, Lauren Hutton, Joe Dante, and Taylor Hackford. The letter is a response to Bowling Green’s May 3 decision to change the name of the Gish Theater because of Lillian Gish’s acting role in D. W. Griffith’s incendiary 1915 silent film “The Birth of a Nation.”
“The Birth of a Nation” has been called one of the most racist films ever made, and it’s credited with leading to the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in America.
- 6/19/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Verna Bloom, who starred in Haskell Wexler's groundbreaking Medium Cool and played the boozing, philandering wife of the college dean in the John Landis comedy Animal House, has died. She was 80.
Bloom died Wednesday in Bar Harbor, Maine, of complications from dementia, family spokesman Mike Kaplan announced.
For Martin Scorsese, Bloom portrayed a sculptor in the comedy After Hours (1985) and then Mary in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). Earlier, she was the lover of Clint Eastwood's The Stranger in High Plains Drifter (1973) before reteaming with the actor-director in Honkytonk Man (1982).
Survivors include her husband Jay ...
Bloom died Wednesday in Bar Harbor, Maine, of complications from dementia, family spokesman Mike Kaplan announced.
For Martin Scorsese, Bloom portrayed a sculptor in the comedy After Hours (1985) and then Mary in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). Earlier, she was the lover of Clint Eastwood's The Stranger in High Plains Drifter (1973) before reteaming with the actor-director in Honkytonk Man (1982).
Survivors include her husband Jay ...
- 1/10/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Verna Bloom, who starred in Haskell Wexler's groundbreaking Medium Cool and played the boozing, philandering wife of the college dean in the John Landis comedy Animal House, has died. She was 80.
Bloom died Wednesday in Bar Harbor, Maine, of complications from dementia, family spokesman Mike Kaplan announced.
For Martin Scorsese, Bloom portrayed a sculptor in the comedy After Hours (1985) and then Mary in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). Earlier, she was the lover of Clint Eastwood's The Stranger in High Plains Drifter (1973) before reteaming with the actor-director in Honkytonk Man (1982).
Survivors include her husband Jay ...
Bloom died Wednesday in Bar Harbor, Maine, of complications from dementia, family spokesman Mike Kaplan announced.
For Martin Scorsese, Bloom portrayed a sculptor in the comedy After Hours (1985) and then Mary in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). Earlier, she was the lover of Clint Eastwood's The Stranger in High Plains Drifter (1973) before reteaming with the actor-director in Honkytonk Man (1982).
Survivors include her husband Jay ...
- 1/10/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Exclusive: Rosy projections that the underfunded Motion Picture Industry Pension Plan will be 100% funded by 2032 already have hit an early speed bump.
That projection, made earlier this year by the Plan’s actuary, was based in part on the $3.8 billion retirement fund achieving a 7.5% return on investments – net of investment expenses – in each of the next 15 years. But despite a rising stock market, the Plan’s return on investments for the first six months of 2018 were down 0.4% and will be lucky to be in the black by the end of the year.
“With this year’s market activity, we are hopeful to break even at the end of the year rather than take a loss,” Iatse Editors Guild Local 700 national executive director Cathy Repola – who’s also a director of the Plan – told her members in a recent communique. “Year to date at the end of June 2018, we are at...
That projection, made earlier this year by the Plan’s actuary, was based in part on the $3.8 billion retirement fund achieving a 7.5% return on investments – net of investment expenses – in each of the next 15 years. But despite a rising stock market, the Plan’s return on investments for the first six months of 2018 were down 0.4% and will be lucky to be in the black by the end of the year.
“With this year’s market activity, we are hopeful to break even at the end of the year rather than take a loss,” Iatse Editors Guild Local 700 national executive director Cathy Repola – who’s also a director of the Plan – told her members in a recent communique. “Year to date at the end of June 2018, we are at...
- 9/14/2018
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Funding of the $3.8 billion pension plan covering members of Iatse’s West Coast studio locals has dipped closer to “critical status” for a fourth year in a row, but the plan’s long-term prognosis is good, according to Mike Kaplan, the plan’s actuary.
As of January 1, 2017, the Motion Picture Industry Pension Plan was only 67.4% funded; under federal law, a plan is said to have reached “critical status” if its funding of future retirement obligations falls below 65%. In recent years, its funding level has declined precipitously – falling from 80.8% in 2015 to 76.8% in 2016.
That decline continued last year, dipping to 66.3% funded as of January 1, 2018, according to a letter Kaplan sent to the plan’s board of directors. His letter noted, however, that the plan remains in the healthy “Green Zone,” and projected it will be fully funded by 2032.
That projection, however, is based on a rather rosy assumption that the current market...
As of January 1, 2017, the Motion Picture Industry Pension Plan was only 67.4% funded; under federal law, a plan is said to have reached “critical status” if its funding of future retirement obligations falls below 65%. In recent years, its funding level has declined precipitously – falling from 80.8% in 2015 to 76.8% in 2016.
That decline continued last year, dipping to 66.3% funded as of January 1, 2018, according to a letter Kaplan sent to the plan’s board of directors. His letter noted, however, that the plan remains in the healthy “Green Zone,” and projected it will be fully funded by 2032.
That projection, however, is based on a rather rosy assumption that the current market...
- 8/16/2018
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Above: Us one sheet for Trouble in Mind (1985). Art direction by Mike Kaplan, illustration by Ignacio Gomez.Alan Rudolph may not be one of the best known names in American independent film and that is a shame because his 22-feature filmography comprises a unique body of work of literate, off-kilter, romantic, humanistic cinema. New Yorkers have a chance to devour that work over the next few weeks at the Quad Cinema in their essential retrospective, "Alan Rudolph’s Everyday Lovers."Rudolph’s poster-ography is as erratic and full of gems as his filmic career. It starts out with a couple of genre horror films—with gaudy posters to match—before launching into the early masterpieces Welcome to L.A. and Remember My Name, both film which were released by Mike Kaplan’s Lagoon. Kaplan, who had previously worked with Stanley Kubrick, is a keen connoisseur and collector of posters himself,...
- 4/27/2018
- MUBI
This look at the ‘adjustments’ of old age and the pain of nostalgia is a prime opportunity to admire a pair of legendary actresses. David Barry’s play observes the intersection of several interesting personalities on one glorious late-summer day. Bette Davis and Lillian Gish earn our full attention, backed by memorable turns from Ann Sothern and Vincent Price, directed by Lindsay Anderson.
The Whales of August
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1987 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 90 min. / 30th Anniversary Edition / Street Date December 19, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Ann Sothern, Vincent Price, Harry Carey Jr., Frank Grimes, Margaret Ladd, Tisha Stering, Mary Steenburgen.
Cinematography: Mike Fash
Film Editor: Nicolas Gaster
Production Design: Jocelyn Herbert
Original Music: Alan Price
Written by David Berry, from his play
Produced by Mike Kaplan, Carolyn Pfeiffer
Directed by Lindsay Anderson
Every once in a while a ‘sunset’ movie comes along, a picture seemingly...
The Whales of August
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1987 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 90 min. / 30th Anniversary Edition / Street Date December 19, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Ann Sothern, Vincent Price, Harry Carey Jr., Frank Grimes, Margaret Ladd, Tisha Stering, Mary Steenburgen.
Cinematography: Mike Fash
Film Editor: Nicolas Gaster
Production Design: Jocelyn Herbert
Original Music: Alan Price
Written by David Berry, from his play
Produced by Mike Kaplan, Carolyn Pfeiffer
Directed by Lindsay Anderson
Every once in a while a ‘sunset’ movie comes along, a picture seemingly...
- 12/30/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Dear Board of Governors and members of the Academy,
Let’s face it!
Actors are the face of Oscar. Every year, I’m struck by how many more worthy performances there are than films. We often find more problems in movies we like — plot points not resolved, length issues — than we do with performances, which are more consistently flawless.
In other words, great performances are in more abundance than great films.
So why should the number of acting nominees be limited to five, rather than up to ten, as the maximum current Best Picture rules allow? I propose increasing the number of acting nominees in all four categories, to be selected by the Entire membership, with the number of acting nominations equaling the number of Best Picture nominees.
All of the many Academy members I canvassed, including members of the Acting branch, Oscar-winners and former Governors, agreed with this proposal.
Let’s face it!
Actors are the face of Oscar. Every year, I’m struck by how many more worthy performances there are than films. We often find more problems in movies we like — plot points not resolved, length issues — than we do with performances, which are more consistently flawless.
In other words, great performances are in more abundance than great films.
So why should the number of acting nominees be limited to five, rather than up to ten, as the maximum current Best Picture rules allow? I propose increasing the number of acting nominees in all four categories, to be selected by the Entire membership, with the number of acting nominations equaling the number of Best Picture nominees.
All of the many Academy members I canvassed, including members of the Acting branch, Oscar-winners and former Governors, agreed with this proposal.
- 8/3/2017
- by Mike Kaplan
- Indiewire
December 28, 2016. R.I.P. Debbie Reynolds, actress and singer. Age 84.There is a nice moment in the documentary Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds where Carrie’s brother Todd is showing the filmmakers a wall in his living room that tells the story of his mother’s life through movie posters. When Debbie Reynolds passed away on December 28—the day after her daughter Carrie in what was certifiably the last straw of 2016— I tried to find a great poster to commemorate her, but I couldn’t find anything really worthy of her (she was rarely the star of her own posters for one thing). I had forgotten, however, about this lovely Italian poster for Singing’ in the Rain which captures her as the burst of sunshine she always was.More often than I would have liked last year I found myself using my Movie Poster of the Day Tumblr as a memorial,...
- 1/14/2017
- MUBI
Every year, industry folks lobby the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with their candidates for honorary Oscar winners at the annual Governors Awards. And sometimes they get their way. Over the years Mike Kaplan, a publicists branch Academy member, has successfully lobbied for Lillian Gish, Robert Altman and John Ford’s favorite actress Maureen O’Hara, who happily collected her gold man the year before she died.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Board of Governors voted Tuesday night on the 2016 (un-televised) Governors Awards, which often including the coveted producer’s award, the Thalberg, and the Hersholt humanitarian award. You know what they’re looking for: someone who is still respected — if not revered. Francis Ford Coppola, John Calley and Dino DeLaurentiis have collected the Thalberg in recent years; Harry Belafonte, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie have accepted the Hersholt.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Board of Governors voted Tuesday night on the 2016 (un-televised) Governors Awards, which often including the coveted producer’s award, the Thalberg, and the Hersholt humanitarian award. You know what they’re looking for: someone who is still respected — if not revered. Francis Ford Coppola, John Calley and Dino DeLaurentiis have collected the Thalberg in recent years; Harry Belafonte, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie have accepted the Hersholt.
- 9/1/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Every year, industry folks lobby the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with their candidates for honorary Oscar winners at the annual Governors Awards. And sometimes they get their way. Over the years Mike Kaplan, a publicists branch Academy member, has successfully lobbied for Lillian Gish, Robert Altman and John Ford’s favorite actress Maureen O’Hara, who happily collected her gold man the year before she died.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Board of Governors voted Tuesday night on the 2016 (un-televised) Governors Awards, which often including the coveted producer’s award, the Thalberg, and the Hersholt humanitarian award. You know what they’re looking for: someone who is still respected — if not revered. Francis Ford Coppola, John Calley and Dino DeLaurentiis have collected the Thalberg in recent years; Harry Belafonte, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie have accepted the Hersholt.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Board of Governors voted Tuesday night on the 2016 (un-televised) Governors Awards, which often including the coveted producer’s award, the Thalberg, and the Hersholt humanitarian award. You know what they’re looking for: someone who is still respected — if not revered. Francis Ford Coppola, John Calley and Dino DeLaurentiis have collected the Thalberg in recent years; Harry Belafonte, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie have accepted the Hersholt.
- 9/1/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Tyler Oakley can soon add “documentary film star” to his list of accolades. The 26-year-old YouTube celebrity and Lgbt advocate is the main focus of a new documentary from Awesomeness Films called Snervous, set for a limited theatrical run in winter 2015.
Directed by Amy Rice (HBO’s By the People: The Election of Barack Obama), Snervous follows the life of Oakley during the summer of 2014 when he traveled across the U.S., UK, and Ireland for his Slumber Party tour. Snervous will hit select theaters in December 2015 (though there’s no word yet on which venues those will be). The documentary will then be released across all major digital platforms thanks to Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Snervous is produced by Oakley, Korey Kuhl, Lisa Filipelli (Oakley's manager at Big Frame, which was acquired by AwesomenessTV not so long ago), and Laura Flanagan. AwesomenessTV’s Brian Robbins and Awesomeness Films’ Mike Kaplan,...
Directed by Amy Rice (HBO’s By the People: The Election of Barack Obama), Snervous follows the life of Oakley during the summer of 2014 when he traveled across the U.S., UK, and Ireland for his Slumber Party tour. Snervous will hit select theaters in December 2015 (though there’s no word yet on which venues those will be). The documentary will then be released across all major digital platforms thanks to Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Snervous is produced by Oakley, Korey Kuhl, Lisa Filipelli (Oakley's manager at Big Frame, which was acquired by AwesomenessTV not so long ago), and Laura Flanagan. AwesomenessTV’s Brian Robbins and Awesomeness Films’ Mike Kaplan,...
- 9/30/2015
- by Bree Brouwer
- Tubefilter.com
Above: French poster by Boris Grinsson for You’ll Never Get Rich (Sidney Lanfield, USA, 1941).In the new edition of Film Comment, out this week, I write about British airbrush artist Philip Castle and his iconic poster for Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. The other man behind that poster, aside from Kubrick himself, was producer, director and writer Mike Kaplan who, at the time, was Kubrick’s marketing guru.Kaplan, who has been collecting movie posters, as well as art directing them, for 35 years, is a tireless proselytizer for the art form and his latest project is a labor of love and a pure delight. Gotta Dance! The Art of the Dance Movie Poster, a book he wrote and curated, was born out of a touring exhibition of his own personal collection that he has been exhibiting around the country for the past few years. Its latest stop is...
- 3/21/2015
- by Adrian Curry
- MUBI
Above: Italian poster for Confidential Agent (Herman Shumlin, USA, 1945). Artist: Luigi Martinati (1893-1984).
The most popular poster I’ve posted on Tumblr in the past three months—and actually the second most “liked” poster I’ve posted in the three years I’ve been doing this—was this Italian design by the great Luigi Martinati for a lesser known Lauren Bacall vehicle, but one in which the late star was unusually front and center. (You can see more of Bacall’s posters here.)
The rest of the top twenty are a wild variety of old (three for films from the 1920s, no less) and new (two 2014 releases). I was especially pleased to see Dorothea Fischer-Nosbisch’s superb 1967 design for a Festival of Young German Film get such attention. A lot of other design greats are featured: Saul Bass, the Stenberg brothers, Macario Gomez, Karl Oskar Blase and Josef Fenneker. And...
The most popular poster I’ve posted on Tumblr in the past three months—and actually the second most “liked” poster I’ve posted in the three years I’ve been doing this—was this Italian design by the great Luigi Martinati for a lesser known Lauren Bacall vehicle, but one in which the late star was unusually front and center. (You can see more of Bacall’s posters here.)
The rest of the top twenty are a wild variety of old (three for films from the 1920s, no less) and new (two 2014 releases). I was especially pleased to see Dorothea Fischer-Nosbisch’s superb 1967 design for a Festival of Young German Film get such attention. A lot of other design greats are featured: Saul Bass, the Stenberg brothers, Macario Gomez, Karl Oskar Blase and Josef Fenneker. And...
- 10/17/2014
- by Adrian Curry
- MUBI
What a perfect marriage: posters celebrating Hollywood musicals at the summertime mecca for dance, Jacob’s Pillow, in the Berkshire mountains of Massachusetts. And who better to serve as guest of honor than Marge Champion, still vital at age 95? If, like me, you won’t have a chance to visit the Gotta Dance! exhibit in person, curator and collector Mike Kaplan has put together a souvenir book. As Mike tells it, “The book was realized after having received requests for one at each of the previous five Gotta Dance! exhibits. As the audience at Jacob's Pillow is so dance-oriented and attracts nearly 100,000 visitors, this was a now or never opportunity. Waiting for a publisher...
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- 7/21/2014
- by Leonard Maltin
- Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy
The American Cinematheque is marking the 20th anniversary of Robert Altman's Short Cuts by screening the film along with a documentary about its making Luck,Trust and Ketchup at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 9. Mike Kaplan, who served as as associate producer on Short Cuts and produced the documentary, enjoyed a long friendship with Altman and here recounts the difficult search for financing, the production's complex logistics, Altman's mastery of his sets -- and a rare moment of uncertainty on the part of the director, who died in 2006. I hadn’t seen Bob Altman in three days -- the longest separation since Short
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- 11/9/2013
- by Mike Kaplan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As a footnote to its ongoing Stanley Kubrick exhibit, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is currently hosting a series entitled "Beyond the Infinite: Science Fiction After Stanley Kubrick." The program gathers ten films that followed the seminal work of the genre, Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968). (Check out all the vintage trailers for the series' films here.)Programmed by assistant curator Bernardo Rondeau, Lacma's "Beyond the Infinite" kicked off last Friday with "Phase IV" (Saul Bass, 1974) and "Silent Running" (Douglas Trumbull, 1972). But one of the major highlights of the series is the director's cut of Mike Hodges' "The Terminal Man," the British filmmaker's 1974 adaptation of Michael Crichton's thriller novel about technology gone haywire.Producer/director/actor Mike Kaplan, who worked at Warner Bros. during the development of "The Terminal Man," recently published an incisive mini-history of the film in The Huffington Post. "A searing indictment of medical and.
- 3/26/2013
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Nothing revealed Stanley Kubrick's singular intelligence -- nor his endearing humor and humanity -- more than budgetary decisions. He wore his producer's hat as ingeniously as his director's one, confounding expectations. Before he arrived in New York for the opening of 2001, stories of his obsessive genius preceded him. He had a pilot's license, but wouldn't fly after monitoring the control towers at various airports, finding their safety inadequate. He knew the best dental procedures and rumors spread that he had an open telephone to the dentist's office when a family member underwent treatment. My first encounter with his financial concerns came shortly after Stanley, his wife, Christiane, and their daughters, Anya, Vivian and Katherina moved into a large suite at the Pierre Hotel upon their arrival in New York. It was his first visit to the United States in many years, after moving to England following Spartacus. His stay...
- 2/20/2012
- by Mike Kaplan
- Moviefone
In a continuing series of articles about working with Stanley Kubrick, Mike Kaplan, who was in charge of publicizing A Clockwork Orange, uses this segment to recall how Kubrick landed a much-valued commitment from Newsweek for a cover story. Kubrick, who was notorious for adopting a "my way or the highway" attitude in terms of his quest for perfectionism, threw a monkey wrench into the process by insisting that he shoot the cover photograph of himself. This lead to a showdown with Newsweek brass, who insisted that this unprecedented demand could not be met. Click here to read the story and gain some fascinating insights into Kubrick's uncompromising nature.
- 2/10/2012
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Stanley didn't travel. His work and life were intertwined and based entirely in England, so the world came to him. This was both a benefit and a complicating factor as I set about strategizing publicity for A Clockwork Orange, which was set to have its world premiere in New York on December 19,1971. There was a limit to how much Stanley would do to publicize a film -- by preference and design. He wanted his words to have meaning, which meant that interviews had to be consequential. Further, he insisted on having the right to edit his direct quotes until he felt they accurately represented what he wanted to say. They would be a permanent record that had to stand the test of time. Immediate answers, without subsequent consideration, could be interpreted in ways that would diminish their substance. He could spend days "cleaning them up" before he was satisfied. As a result,...
- 2/8/2012
- by Mike Kaplan
- Moviefone
Stanley Kubrick's place in the Hollywood pantheon as an innovator is already secured--take a look at almost any post-"2001: A Space Odyssey" sci fi flick and you'll see it was Kubrick's foundation that changed the genre for good. What's less known about Kubrick is that he was apparently not only a master manipulator as a director, but as a distributor as well. In an article written for Moviefone and the Huffington Post, director and poster designer Mike Kaplan reveals that Stanley Kubrick is in fact responsible for inventing the modern box-office report--an invention, Kaplan asserts, that happened by accident. At the beginning of the 70s,...
- 1/15/2012
- Thompson on Hollywood
Before he even knew what a crush was, Mike Kaplan had one on 1940s Hollywood star Jane Powell. Decades later, he got a chance to meet her
I'm not sure: either Jane Powell made me fall in love with the movies, or I fell in love with Jane Powell and the movies followed. In either case, I was six and she was my first crush before I knew what a crush was.
The year was 1948, the movie was Luxury Liner. Powell was 19, and played a spunky adolescent stowaway on a cruise ship. Her father, George Brent, is the captain, and when he discovers her aboard, she's made to scrub decks, peel potatoes and then play cupid to the various shipboard romances. She was cute, vivacious and captivating. The luxury liner might never have left the soundstages, but Powell convinced you that you were sailing across the ocean, because she sparkled with sincerity and intelligence.
I'm not sure: either Jane Powell made me fall in love with the movies, or I fell in love with Jane Powell and the movies followed. In either case, I was six and she was my first crush before I knew what a crush was.
The year was 1948, the movie was Luxury Liner. Powell was 19, and played a spunky adolescent stowaway on a cruise ship. Her father, George Brent, is the captain, and when he discovers her aboard, she's made to scrub decks, peel potatoes and then play cupid to the various shipboard romances. She was cute, vivacious and captivating. The luxury liner might never have left the soundstages, but Powell convinced you that you were sailing across the ocean, because she sparkled with sincerity and intelligence.
- 12/2/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
The acclaimed, eccentric director of Women in Love and The Devils died this week, prompting tributes from the press and former colleagues
The big story
Ken Russell died this week, leaving behind a body of work that shocked and surprised, teased and titillated. He was, said Xan Brooks in our early news story a man of "wild drama, gaudy conflagrations and operatic flourishes", a "juggler of high and low culture who invariably courted controversy".
Russell's career path - from his documentary work for the 1960s BBC series Monitor, to the short films he made at home in later years - was hard to map. His most infamous and innovative works - The Devils, Altered States - flashed by in the wake of semi-hits Women in Love (which won him an Oscar in 1971) and Tommy. He was, said friends an "iconoclast" (Venessa Redgrave). "Fearless, eccentric and silly" (Melvyn Bragg). "Capable of...
The big story
Ken Russell died this week, leaving behind a body of work that shocked and surprised, teased and titillated. He was, said Xan Brooks in our early news story a man of "wild drama, gaudy conflagrations and operatic flourishes", a "juggler of high and low culture who invariably courted controversy".
Russell's career path - from his documentary work for the 1960s BBC series Monitor, to the short films he made at home in later years - was hard to map. His most infamous and innovative works - The Devils, Altered States - flashed by in the wake of semi-hits Women in Love (which won him an Oscar in 1971) and Tommy. He was, said friends an "iconoclast" (Venessa Redgrave). "Fearless, eccentric and silly" (Melvyn Bragg). "Capable of...
- 12/1/2011
- by Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
As a lead up to next April's TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, Turner Classic Movies and the Film Society of Lincoln Center are teaming up to present "Style and Motion: The Art of the Movie Poster," an exhibit to highlight the personal collection of poster designer and producer Mike Kaplan. Kaplan (The Whales of August, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead) collaborated with several poster artists during his lifetime, including portrait artist Don Bachary (A Bigger Splash), graphic artist and psychedelic record jacket designer John Van Hamersveld (Welcome to L.A.) and British airbrush artist Philip Castle, who created the unforgettable poster for A Clockwork Orange. Featured in the exhibit are some of the poster gems of the past half century, among them an original French ...
- 11/3/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
Malcolm McDowell, 67, has been on the Pa circuit of late, scooping up award tributes and riding the PR swell for the 40th anniversary Blu-ray release of my favorite Stanley Kubrick film, 1971's A Clockwork Orange and Antoine de Gaudemar and Michel Ciment's doc Once Upon a Time… Clockwork Orange. They both screened at Cannes, where McDowell taught a master class. Video interview and trailers below. Still to come is yet another career achievement award on July 16 at the Maine International Film Festival, which will screen A Clockwork Orange, Lindsay Anderson's O Lucky Man!, 1991 Cannes Russian entry Assassin of the Tsar, and Mike Kaplan's 2007 Cannes doc of McDowell's one-man show about Anderson, Never Apologize. Here's Kaplan's 2007 Guardian feature on working with ...
- 7/6/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
Club TCM to Offer Celebrities, Expert Panels, Exhibits, Music and More During 2011 TCM Classic Film Festival Exclusive Gathering Spot for Festival Passholders to Feature Appearances by Mickey Rooney, Debbie Reynolds, Leslie Caron, Marni Nixon, Marge Champion, Debbie Allen, Peter Guber and Brett Ratner
Legendary stars, fascinating presentations, panel discussions, live music and special exhibits are just a few of the exciting experiences on tap for Club TCM, the central gathering spot for the 2011 TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood. Located in the Blossom Room at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the site of the very first Academy Awards® ceremony, Club TCM will be open throughout the festival, giving passholders a place to relax, meet new friends and mingle with special guests. Among those scheduled to appear are Mickey Rooney, Debbie Reynolds, Leslie Caron, Marni Nixon, Marge Champion, Debbie Allen, Peter Guber, Brett Ratner and graphic artist Michael Schwab, as well...
Legendary stars, fascinating presentations, panel discussions, live music and special exhibits are just a few of the exciting experiences on tap for Club TCM, the central gathering spot for the 2011 TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood. Located in the Blossom Room at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the site of the very first Academy Awards® ceremony, Club TCM will be open throughout the festival, giving passholders a place to relax, meet new friends and mingle with special guests. Among those scheduled to appear are Mickey Rooney, Debbie Reynolds, Leslie Caron, Marni Nixon, Marge Champion, Debbie Allen, Peter Guber, Brett Ratner and graphic artist Michael Schwab, as well...
- 4/12/2011
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
On May 31, Warner Home Video will release the DVD of the 2007 movie Never Apologize, a film of actor Malcolm McDowell’s (A Clockwork Orange) one-man stage show tribute to his great friend and mentor, British director Lindsay Anderson.
Malcolm McDowell salutes director Lindsay Anderson in Never Apologize.
McDowell worked with Anderson on a number of projects over the years, including the seminal British movies If… (1968), O Lucky Man (1973) and Britannia Hospital (1982), as well as such theatre plays as the West End production of Holiday in 1987.
In Never Apologize, directed by Mike Kaplan, McDowell delivers an oral history of his partnership with Anderson, which gives him an opportunity to flex his acting muscles (included are his amusing impersonations of Anderson as well as fellow actors Rachel Roberts, Arthur’s John Gielgud and even All About Eve’s Bette Davis) and create a ‘live biography’ of one of post-war Britain’s most important directors.
Malcolm McDowell salutes director Lindsay Anderson in Never Apologize.
McDowell worked with Anderson on a number of projects over the years, including the seminal British movies If… (1968), O Lucky Man (1973) and Britannia Hospital (1982), as well as such theatre plays as the West End production of Holiday in 1987.
In Never Apologize, directed by Mike Kaplan, McDowell delivers an oral history of his partnership with Anderson, which gives him an opportunity to flex his acting muscles (included are his amusing impersonations of Anderson as well as fellow actors Rachel Roberts, Arthur’s John Gielgud and even All About Eve’s Bette Davis) and create a ‘live biography’ of one of post-war Britain’s most important directors.
- 4/11/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
The American author on how pain is the inspiration for all his books, getting off drugs and telling the truth
What is it about Bret Easton Ellis that sends people mad? Readers love him or hate him with a violence seldom found in the literary world; all the friends I canvassed either went dark at the mention of his name, or giddy with excitement. For 25 years Ellis has provoked wildly mixed reviews – on balance more bad than good – and has never won a major literary prize. Yet the author still inspires the kind of ferocious frenzy more typical of a rock star.
The irony is that Ellis himself is almost entirely absent from his novels. His writing deliberately contains no authorial voice as a commentary on the perspective of the narrator – so in American Psycho, it's not clear whether the murders recounted by its yuppie serial killer Patrick Bateman even take place at all,...
What is it about Bret Easton Ellis that sends people mad? Readers love him or hate him with a violence seldom found in the literary world; all the friends I canvassed either went dark at the mention of his name, or giddy with excitement. For 25 years Ellis has provoked wildly mixed reviews – on balance more bad than good – and has never won a major literary prize. Yet the author still inspires the kind of ferocious frenzy more typical of a rock star.
The irony is that Ellis himself is almost entirely absent from his novels. His writing deliberately contains no authorial voice as a commentary on the perspective of the narrator – so in American Psycho, it's not clear whether the murders recounted by its yuppie serial killer Patrick Bateman even take place at all,...
- 7/26/2010
- by Decca Aitkenhead
- The Guardian - Film News
Filed under: Recaps
(S07E04) The semi-finals of 'Last Comic Standing' begin like a mega-arena wrestling match. There's flashing lights, a huge crowd and a deep-voiced announcer in the Alex Theater in Hollywood. It looks daunting on TV so it must be terrifying in real life.
Myq Kaplan is first. I turned away from my screen for a second but I know it's him because of his voice alone. He does a great joke about people getting tricked into buying books because authors put the movie actors on the cover and another about religion and the devil being gay. Listen, just do yourself a favor and go look him up. I'm not going to be able to explain it to you here and that's what YouTube is for. (Right after his set, my mom texted me: "Mike Kaplan is funny!" so someone has a crush...)
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(S07E04) The semi-finals of 'Last Comic Standing' begin like a mega-arena wrestling match. There's flashing lights, a huge crowd and a deep-voiced announcer in the Alex Theater in Hollywood. It looks daunting on TV so it must be terrifying in real life.
Myq Kaplan is first. I turned away from my screen for a second but I know it's him because of his voice alone. He does a great joke about people getting tricked into buying books because authors put the movie actors on the cover and another about religion and the devil being gay. Listen, just do yourself a favor and go look him up. I'm not going to be able to explain it to you here and that's what YouTube is for. (Right after his set, my mom texted me: "Mike Kaplan is funny!" so someone has a crush...)
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- 6/29/2010
- by Gabrielle Dunn
- Aol TV.
Collector Mike Kaplan, Jan Rooney, Mickey Rooney and Malcolm McDowell at the opening of the exhibition "The More the Merrier: Posters from the Best Picture Nominees, 1936-1943" at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Wilshire Grand Lobby in Beverly Hills on Friday, January 22, 2010. The exhibition, which features posters from 80 movies, will remain open until April 18. Among the represented films are Frank Capra’s Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Victor Fleming’s Captains Courageous, Leo McCarey’s The Awful Truth, William Wellman’s A Star Is Born, William Wyler‘s The Little Foxes, and Michael Curtiz’s Casablanca. Mickey Rooney co-starred with Spencer Tracy in Norman Taurog’s sentimental drama Boys Town (1938), in which Tracy [...]...
- 2/10/2010
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
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