Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck and Canadian cinematographer Iris Ng will be honoured at the 25th edition of Canada’s documentary festival Hot Docs (April 30 – May 1).
Peck, best known for the Oscar-nominated documentary I Am Not Your Negro, will be presented with the outstanding achievement award. His other credits include Lumumba, HBO miniseries Exterminate All The Brutes and most recently Silver Dollar Road.
A selection of Peck’s work will be shown at the festival where the director will participate in several post-screening Q&a’s.
Previous recipients of the outstanding achievement award include Werner Herzog, Patricio Guzmán and Tony Palmer.
Peck, best known for the Oscar-nominated documentary I Am Not Your Negro, will be presented with the outstanding achievement award. His other credits include Lumumba, HBO miniseries Exterminate All The Brutes and most recently Silver Dollar Road.
A selection of Peck’s work will be shown at the festival where the director will participate in several post-screening Q&a’s.
Previous recipients of the outstanding achievement award include Werner Herzog, Patricio Guzmán and Tony Palmer.
- 3/20/2024
- ScreenDaily
Ringo Starr is known, first and foremost, as a drummer, but he appeared in multiple movies over the course of his career. All of The Beatles picked up some acting experience, but Starr took steps to build a career as an actor. Not all of his movies performed well – even the drummer’s biggest fans should avoid a few of them — but some are worth a watch. Here are four of Starr’s movies worth putting on your to-watch list.
Ringo Starr | Michael Putland/Getty Images ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ is 1 of the movies Starr filmed with The Beatles
Starr’s first movie is also one of his best. In 1964, The Beatles released A Hard Day’s Night, a musical comedy film in which the band played themselves. The film gave Starr a good deal of screen time — he chaperones Paul McCartney’s grandfather and gets arrested.
While director Richard Lester...
Ringo Starr | Michael Putland/Getty Images ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ is 1 of the movies Starr filmed with The Beatles
Starr’s first movie is also one of his best. In 1964, The Beatles released A Hard Day’s Night, a musical comedy film in which the band played themselves. The film gave Starr a good deal of screen time — he chaperones Paul McCartney’s grandfather and gets arrested.
While director Richard Lester...
- 5/14/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
This review of “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song” first appeared when the film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2021.
Like the blind men of lore groping to understand an elephant by focusing on a tail or a tusk or an ear, filmmakers have tended to approach the late singer, songwriter, poet and novelist Leonard Cohen in bits and pieces. Lian Lunson looked at his career through the lens of a 2005 tribute concert in “Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man,” Tony Palmer’s “Leonard Cohen: Bird on a Wire” was a long-lost chronicle of a single European tour in 1972 and Nick Broomfield’s “Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love” is as much about Broomfield’s own relationship with one of Cohen’s muses, Marianne Ihlen.
And now there’s Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine’s “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, a Song.” It purports to be about a single...
Like the blind men of lore groping to understand an elephant by focusing on a tail or a tusk or an ear, filmmakers have tended to approach the late singer, songwriter, poet and novelist Leonard Cohen in bits and pieces. Lian Lunson looked at his career through the lens of a 2005 tribute concert in “Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man,” Tony Palmer’s “Leonard Cohen: Bird on a Wire” was a long-lost chronicle of a single European tour in 1972 and Nick Broomfield’s “Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love” is as much about Broomfield’s own relationship with one of Cohen’s muses, Marianne Ihlen.
And now there’s Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine’s “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, a Song.” It purports to be about a single...
- 6/30/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
British screenwriter and playwright Charles Wood, known for such productions as “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” “Tumbledown” and “Iris,” has died at the age of 87.
His death, on Saturday, was confirmed to Variety by his agent Sue Rodgers at Independent Talent.
Born into a theater family, he began working in his local theater when he was a teen. After studying theatrical design at art college, he spent several years in the British army. After an assortment of jobs, he began to write professionally from 1959, with the completion of his play “Prisoner and Escort,” drawing on his army experience.
His first screenplay was 1965 comedy “The Knack … and How to Get It,” based on Anne Jellicoe’s play. Directed by Richard Lester, and starring Rita Tushingham and Michael Crawford, it won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Wood was nominated for the BAFTA for British screenplay.
Among many films with Lester,...
His death, on Saturday, was confirmed to Variety by his agent Sue Rodgers at Independent Talent.
Born into a theater family, he began working in his local theater when he was a teen. After studying theatrical design at art college, he spent several years in the British army. After an assortment of jobs, he began to write professionally from 1959, with the completion of his play “Prisoner and Escort,” drawing on his army experience.
His first screenplay was 1965 comedy “The Knack … and How to Get It,” based on Anne Jellicoe’s play. Directed by Richard Lester, and starring Rita Tushingham and Michael Crawford, it won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Wood was nominated for the BAFTA for British screenplay.
Among many films with Lester,...
- 2/5/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Tony Palmer told this story far better than I ever could when he was introducing his TV works, All My Loving and All You Need is Love (Episode 14), at the 2017 Hot Docs Film Festival, but I’m going to persist in telling it anyway… soon. Palmer was in town to receive Hot Docs’ 2017 Outstanding Achievement Award and present the festival with seven of his films. Considering that some of these films consisted of things like, Bird on a Wire: Leonard Cohen’s 1972 European tour, a vérité style collage-film of 60s pop via culture at large; The Beatles and the history of American music; The Beatles and WWII, and on, I wasn’t planning on missing out, nor did I intend to let the opportunity...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 5/17/2017
- Screen Anarchy
Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.
Lineup Announcements
– The Human Rights Watch Film Festival will be presented June 9 – 18, with 21 topical and provocative feature documentaries and panel discussions that showcase courageous resilience in challenging times. In an era of global advances by far-right forces into the political mainstream, assaults on the free press, and the rise of “citizen journalism,” festival organizers hope that the films in this year’s program can serve as inspiration and motivation for the audience, from seasoned activists to those searching for a role in local and global movements.
Now in its 28th edition, the Human Rights Watch Film Festival is co-presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and IFC Center. All screenings will be followed by in-depth discussions with filmmakers, film subjects, Human Rights Watch researchers, and special guests.
Lineup Announcements
– The Human Rights Watch Film Festival will be presented June 9 – 18, with 21 topical and provocative feature documentaries and panel discussions that showcase courageous resilience in challenging times. In an era of global advances by far-right forces into the political mainstream, assaults on the free press, and the rise of “citizen journalism,” festival organizers hope that the films in this year’s program can serve as inspiration and motivation for the audience, from seasoned activists to those searching for a role in local and global movements.
Now in its 28th edition, the Human Rights Watch Film Festival is co-presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and IFC Center. All screenings will be followed by in-depth discussions with filmmakers, film subjects, Human Rights Watch researchers, and special guests.
- 5/11/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Leonard Cohen's career was on the verge of complete disaster in late 1971. Songs of Love and Hate, his most recent record, peaked at #145 on the American charts – this despite containing future classics like "Famous Blue Raincoat" and "Joan of Arc." CBS was ready to cut their losses and drop him from the label. A tour would give him the chance to regain some momentum, though Cohen hated performing live; he only reluctantly agreed to a one-month run in Europe because Songs of Love and Hate found a much bigger...
- 1/19/2017
- Rollingstone.com
From Mvd Entertainment Group, Sneak Peek footage from the documentary "Tony Palmer's 1973 Film About Hugh Hefner, The Founder and Editor of Playboy", to be released October 21, 2014:
"...this 1973 documentary by the award-winning director Tony Palmer shone a light on the multi-millionaire Hugh Hefner and his 'Playboy' empire. It gave Hefner the opportunity to tell his story and, of course, it offended the usual suspects.
"The film charts Hefner's rise from a small-time publisher to Playboy becoming one of the world's best known brands..."
"We had no money at all", said Hef in the doc, "and I mean literally no money. I doubt that any major magazine in our time has ever been started with as little initial investment. My own investment in 'Playboy' was $600, all of it borrowed..."
"The real essence of 'Playboy' was trying to put not just sex, but the whole notion of play and pleasure, back...
"...this 1973 documentary by the award-winning director Tony Palmer shone a light on the multi-millionaire Hugh Hefner and his 'Playboy' empire. It gave Hefner the opportunity to tell his story and, of course, it offended the usual suspects.
"The film charts Hefner's rise from a small-time publisher to Playboy becoming one of the world's best known brands..."
"We had no money at all", said Hef in the doc, "and I mean literally no money. I doubt that any major magazine in our time has ever been started with as little initial investment. My own investment in 'Playboy' was $600, all of it borrowed..."
"The real essence of 'Playboy' was trying to put not just sex, but the whole notion of play and pleasure, back...
- 9/17/2014
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Ireland's oldest cinema event, Cork Film Festival will run November 7-16, 2014. Last year James Mullighan was appointed Creative Director of the festival, which is not only one of the most important cultural events in the country but also the highest profile platform for the new talent discovery.
As part their latest efforts to create new distribution platforms to connect audience with content, James Mullighan and Head of Program and Editorial Don O’Mahoney attended this year's Cannes Film Festival, and announced that their Fest is launching its very first video on demand initiative. Their inaugural digital program is conformed of seven shorts and seven features being retailed on a pay what you want basis, alongside bonus content. The films can be digitally purchased viia the innovative platform Vodo, which careful curates themed bundles of content, and it's working with a film Fest for the first time. Vodo.net/cork.
The initiative has three tiers: Pay What you Want (four shorts and one feature, including Made in Cork prize winner Yvonne’ Keane’s Stolen, and Filmbase Ireland’s How to be Happy, starring Brian Gleeson); Beat the Average (three features and three shorts, including biopic of writer / chess master John Healy Barbaric Genius, and Cork Fest 2013 opening night short Mechanic, starring Syl Fox); and Beat the Premium (including Tony Palmer’s recently reissued 1974 Leonard Cohen doc Bird on a Wire, and John Kastner’s prize winner mental health sensational doc Not Criminally Responsible).
“We’ve been working with Jamie King and the team at Vodo since straight after the Fest last year”, said James Mullighan, Creative Director, Cork Film Festival.
“In this day of screeching web noise, I really admire the platform’s loving, carefully curated approach to films and more. They were the ideal choice to launch this experiment in distribution. I am hopeful it will be popular with the thousands and thousands of fans of the Cork Film Festival in Ireland, Europe and amongst the global Irish diaspora, who fondly wish they could attend the Fest, but cannot. I’m grateful to and proud of the independent directors and producers who lit up our Fest in November last year to trust Jamie and I with their babies”.
Once payment handling costs have been deducted, Vodo - who levy no extra charges other than their 25% sales fee - hand all the proceeds to Cork Film Festival. The Festival send 70% of that straight to the filmmakers, ringfencing 5% for its new €1,500 feature film Gradam Spiorad na Féile / Spirit of the Festival Award, which takes a bow during the Fest’s 59th Edition this year.
"Cork's Bundle shows a real engagement with online culture and experimentation in the transmedia sphere", commented Jamie King, CEO and Founder of Vodo, which has recently successfully promoted Not Safe for Work and Big Brother bundles.
“When you let customers set the price for themselves,’ says Vodo’s Jamie King, ‘they can turn out to be surprisingly generous. The average price paid for the Cork Bundle is currently $11.20. That's a win both for audiences and the filmmakers.”
"I had a wonderful time when I was honored to be invited to Cork last November as filmmaker in residence”, remembered Tony Palmer, celebrated British music film biographer and documentarian, whose Leonard Cohen film Bird on a Wire played at the Fest, as well as his new Benjamin Britten feature Nocturne, and his entire 7 hour, 46 minute dramatic reconstruction of the life of composer Richard Wagner, the last film Richard Burton even made.
“The Cork Film Festival is going out on a limb to bring its films to a wider audience. This should be celebrated, and I’m delighted to be involved.
The bundle went live on Wednesday 14 May, the opening day of Cannes International Film Festival, and runs until Tuesday 3 June.
As part their latest efforts to create new distribution platforms to connect audience with content, James Mullighan and Head of Program and Editorial Don O’Mahoney attended this year's Cannes Film Festival, and announced that their Fest is launching its very first video on demand initiative. Their inaugural digital program is conformed of seven shorts and seven features being retailed on a pay what you want basis, alongside bonus content. The films can be digitally purchased viia the innovative platform Vodo, which careful curates themed bundles of content, and it's working with a film Fest for the first time. Vodo.net/cork.
The initiative has three tiers: Pay What you Want (four shorts and one feature, including Made in Cork prize winner Yvonne’ Keane’s Stolen, and Filmbase Ireland’s How to be Happy, starring Brian Gleeson); Beat the Average (three features and three shorts, including biopic of writer / chess master John Healy Barbaric Genius, and Cork Fest 2013 opening night short Mechanic, starring Syl Fox); and Beat the Premium (including Tony Palmer’s recently reissued 1974 Leonard Cohen doc Bird on a Wire, and John Kastner’s prize winner mental health sensational doc Not Criminally Responsible).
“We’ve been working with Jamie King and the team at Vodo since straight after the Fest last year”, said James Mullighan, Creative Director, Cork Film Festival.
“In this day of screeching web noise, I really admire the platform’s loving, carefully curated approach to films and more. They were the ideal choice to launch this experiment in distribution. I am hopeful it will be popular with the thousands and thousands of fans of the Cork Film Festival in Ireland, Europe and amongst the global Irish diaspora, who fondly wish they could attend the Fest, but cannot. I’m grateful to and proud of the independent directors and producers who lit up our Fest in November last year to trust Jamie and I with their babies”.
Once payment handling costs have been deducted, Vodo - who levy no extra charges other than their 25% sales fee - hand all the proceeds to Cork Film Festival. The Festival send 70% of that straight to the filmmakers, ringfencing 5% for its new €1,500 feature film Gradam Spiorad na Féile / Spirit of the Festival Award, which takes a bow during the Fest’s 59th Edition this year.
"Cork's Bundle shows a real engagement with online culture and experimentation in the transmedia sphere", commented Jamie King, CEO and Founder of Vodo, which has recently successfully promoted Not Safe for Work and Big Brother bundles.
“When you let customers set the price for themselves,’ says Vodo’s Jamie King, ‘they can turn out to be surprisingly generous. The average price paid for the Cork Bundle is currently $11.20. That's a win both for audiences and the filmmakers.”
"I had a wonderful time when I was honored to be invited to Cork last November as filmmaker in residence”, remembered Tony Palmer, celebrated British music film biographer and documentarian, whose Leonard Cohen film Bird on a Wire played at the Fest, as well as his new Benjamin Britten feature Nocturne, and his entire 7 hour, 46 minute dramatic reconstruction of the life of composer Richard Wagner, the last film Richard Burton even made.
“The Cork Film Festival is going out on a limb to bring its films to a wider audience. This should be celebrated, and I’m delighted to be involved.
The bundle went live on Wednesday 14 May, the opening day of Cannes International Film Festival, and runs until Tuesday 3 June.
- 5/24/2014
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
Behind The Candelabra | After Earth | The Wicker Man: The Final Cut | Modern Family: The Complete Fourth Season | Spike Island
Behind The Candelabra
Famously turned down by every studio that director Steven Soderbergh took it to, this lively and gaudy Liberace biopic had to settle for life as a TV movie with cable heavyweight HBO. The film really doesn't suffer, though; the only downside being a shortage of Ott opulence. Indeed, the fact that they had to turn to TV even works to the movie's advantage: it's a lot more lively, fun and daring than the usual Oscar-bait biopics – compare it to the bland and corny Diana, for example.
Still, your attention isn't on the sets, thanks to a mesmeric, career-best, Emmy-winning performance from Michael Douglas. Matt Damon is also no slouch as Scott Thorson, Liberace's lover of four rather incredible years, while Rob Lowe steals every scene...
Behind The Candelabra
Famously turned down by every studio that director Steven Soderbergh took it to, this lively and gaudy Liberace biopic had to settle for life as a TV movie with cable heavyweight HBO. The film really doesn't suffer, though; the only downside being a shortage of Ott opulence. Indeed, the fact that they had to turn to TV even works to the movie's advantage: it's a lot more lively, fun and daring than the usual Oscar-bait biopics – compare it to the bland and corny Diana, for example.
Still, your attention isn't on the sets, thanks to a mesmeric, career-best, Emmy-winning performance from Michael Douglas. Matt Damon is also no slouch as Scott Thorson, Liberace's lover of four rather incredible years, while Rob Lowe steals every scene...
- 10/12/2013
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Filmmaker Tony Palmer has said that "the real Adele" would be a fascinating subject for a music documentary.
The Leonard Cohen: Bird on a Wire and The World of Liberace director also told Digital Spy that he turned down the chance to work with U2 before they made Rattle and Hum.
"I missed my chance with Adele," Palmer said.
"My wife had spotted Adele long before she had become really famous and said, 'You've got to listen to this voice, it's really amazing'.
"I agreed it was amazing, but I said, 'I don't make that kind of film anymore'. Then I saw a brief interview with her and I thought, my god this is a fascinating woman - to hell with the voice, it's a fascinating woman."
He added: "I immediately applied. I wrote to them, saying 'Would you ever consider...' I had a very good response from whoever looked after her then.
The Leonard Cohen: Bird on a Wire and The World of Liberace director also told Digital Spy that he turned down the chance to work with U2 before they made Rattle and Hum.
"I missed my chance with Adele," Palmer said.
"My wife had spotted Adele long before she had become really famous and said, 'You've got to listen to this voice, it's really amazing'.
"I agreed it was amazing, but I said, 'I don't make that kind of film anymore'. Then I saw a brief interview with her and I thought, my god this is a fascinating woman - to hell with the voice, it's a fascinating woman."
He added: "I immediately applied. I wrote to them, saying 'Would you ever consider...' I had a very good response from whoever looked after her then.
- 7/29/2013
- Digital Spy
They were music megastars, and they all opened up to him. As Tony Palmer's best films resurface, the documentarian talks to Phelim O'Neill about Leonard Cohen's tears, John Lennon's fake beard – and the day Liberace invited him into his hot tub
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view video
Tony Palmer was studying moral sciences at Cambridge University in the 1960s when a moderately famous band arrived in town. "I got a call to attend this press conference the Beatles were holding, to cover it for the college paper," he recalls. "They'd had a No 1 single or two by then, so they were very well known – but not yet intergalactic. Afterwards, John Lennon came up and asked me why I hadn't asked them any questions. I told him I found the whole thing pretty silly. He laughed, and when I told him I was studying moral sciences,...
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view video
Tony Palmer was studying moral sciences at Cambridge University in the 1960s when a moderately famous band arrived in town. "I got a call to attend this press conference the Beatles were holding, to cover it for the college paper," he recalls. "They'd had a No 1 single or two by then, so they were very well known – but not yet intergalactic. Afterwards, John Lennon came up and asked me why I hadn't asked them any questions. I told him I found the whole thing pretty silly. He laughed, and when I told him I was studying moral sciences,...
- 7/28/2013
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
They were music megastars, and they all opened up to him. As Tony Palmer's best films resurface, the documentarian talks to Phelim O'Neill about Leonard Cohen's tears, John Lennon's fake beard – and the day Liberace invited him into his hot tub
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view video
Tony Palmer was studying moral sciences at Cambridge University in the 1960s when a moderately famous band arrived in town. "I got a call to attend this press conference the Beatles were holding, to cover it for the college paper," he recalls. "They'd had a No 1 single or two by then, so they were very well known – but not yet intergalactic. Afterwards, John Lennon came up and asked me why I hadn't asked them any questions. I told him I found the whole thing pretty silly. He laughed, and when I told him I was studying moral sciences,...
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view video
Tony Palmer was studying moral sciences at Cambridge University in the 1960s when a moderately famous band arrived in town. "I got a call to attend this press conference the Beatles were holding, to cover it for the college paper," he recalls. "They'd had a No 1 single or two by then, so they were very well known – but not yet intergalactic. Afterwards, John Lennon came up and asked me why I hadn't asked them any questions. I told him I found the whole thing pretty silly. He laughed, and when I told him I was studying moral sciences,...
- 7/28/2013
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Possession | Side Effects | Cowboy Bebop: Part 1 | Dressed To Kill | Tony Palmer Collection
Possession
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view
It's the only "video nasty" to nab the Best Actress award at Cannes but it isn't even a horror movie. However, you can see why it often gets categorised as such, what with several quite bloody scenes and some very strange creature FX from Carlo Rambaldi (who did the animatronics for Et).
The Polish authorities pulled the plug on director Andrzej Zulawski's epic sci-fi movie On The Silver Globe (up there with Jodorowsky's Dune as far as missed opportunities go), so he moved outside of their field of influence to Berlin, for this, his next. Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani play a couple whose relationship has been whittled down by paranoia, distrust and aggression. She keeps disappearing, leaving him to fester in jealous rage, and their dialogue is like one long argument,...
Possession
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view
It's the only "video nasty" to nab the Best Actress award at Cannes but it isn't even a horror movie. However, you can see why it often gets categorised as such, what with several quite bloody scenes and some very strange creature FX from Carlo Rambaldi (who did the animatronics for Et).
The Polish authorities pulled the plug on director Andrzej Zulawski's epic sci-fi movie On The Silver Globe (up there with Jodorowsky's Dune as far as missed opportunities go), so he moved outside of their field of influence to Berlin, for this, his next. Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani play a couple whose relationship has been whittled down by paranoia, distrust and aggression. She keeps disappearing, leaving him to fester in jealous rage, and their dialogue is like one long argument,...
- 7/27/2013
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Filmmaker Tony Palmer has said that recent Liberace biopic Behind The Candelabra did the musician a "monumental disservice".
The director of 1976 documentary The World of Liberace, based on the musician's own coffee table book The Things I Love, told Digital Spy that he had mixed feelings about the biopic.
"It's nowhere near as good a film as some people have said, and it's nowhere near as bad a film as many people who love Liberace have said," Palmer said.
"Steven Soderbergh is a very good director and its a very skilfully made film. I think Matt Damon has never given as good a performance as Scott Thorson. On one level, I was greatly relieved that it was nowhere near as bad as I feared it was going to be."
He continued: "Of course Michael Douglas does not look like Liberace, that's not his fault... I don't give a toss about that.
The director of 1976 documentary The World of Liberace, based on the musician's own coffee table book The Things I Love, told Digital Spy that he had mixed feelings about the biopic.
"It's nowhere near as good a film as some people have said, and it's nowhere near as bad a film as many people who love Liberace have said," Palmer said.
"Steven Soderbergh is a very good director and its a very skilfully made film. I think Matt Damon has never given as good a performance as Scott Thorson. On one level, I was greatly relieved that it was nowhere near as bad as I feared it was going to be."
He continued: "Of course Michael Douglas does not look like Liberace, that's not his fault... I don't give a toss about that.
- 7/26/2013
- Digital Spy
Filmmaker Tony Palmer has said that Leonard Cohen is as important a figure as Bob Dylan.
Palmer directed 1972 documentary film Bird on a Wire, which was shelved on completion before being discovered and reconstructed from its original rushes for its 2010 re-release.
"It's not every day you make a film some 38 years ago and then you suddenly manage to rescue it and piece it back together," Palmer told Digital Spy.
"People's reactions were amazing. I was absolutely gobsmacked. I really was... It actually took longer to piece the jigsaw back together again than it had done to make the original film."
He continued: "When we made it in 1972, Leonard was absolutely at the peak of his form. The great early songs. I thought he had a wonderful voice - he was always very dismissive about his voice.
"Although he's remained a fantastic performer, his voice is not what he was... this...
Palmer directed 1972 documentary film Bird on a Wire, which was shelved on completion before being discovered and reconstructed from its original rushes for its 2010 re-release.
"It's not every day you make a film some 38 years ago and then you suddenly manage to rescue it and piece it back together," Palmer told Digital Spy.
"People's reactions were amazing. I was absolutely gobsmacked. I really was... It actually took longer to piece the jigsaw back together again than it had done to make the original film."
He continued: "When we made it in 1972, Leonard was absolutely at the peak of his form. The great early songs. I thought he had a wonderful voice - he was always very dismissive about his voice.
"Although he's remained a fantastic performer, his voice is not what he was... this...
- 7/24/2013
- Digital Spy
Earlier today we posted an interview with Rebecca Hall, the first in our series of interviews with the cast of Iron Man 3. Next up is Sir Ben Kingsley, who talks about finding the character of The Mandarin, joining the Iron Man team and how the industry has changed during the course of his career.
His love of the Iron Man franchise
It’s that constant irony and wit and humour that builds tension then diffuses it, and builds tension and diffuses it. The relationships between Pepper Potts and Don Cheadle’s role, and Robert. There’s something genuine at the heart of them, what I call ‘the human dance’ or patterns of human behaviour. Even genuine mythology. There are only about six or seven original stories, apparently, upon which all others are based, there’s something about this franchise that has a very confident style, but definitely has a heart,...
His love of the Iron Man franchise
It’s that constant irony and wit and humour that builds tension then diffuses it, and builds tension and diffuses it. The relationships between Pepper Potts and Don Cheadle’s role, and Robert. There’s something genuine at the heart of them, what I call ‘the human dance’ or patterns of human behaviour. Even genuine mythology. There are only about six or seven original stories, apparently, upon which all others are based, there’s something about this franchise that has a very confident style, but definitely has a heart,...
- 4/25/2013
- by Ben Mortimer
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
(Gonzo Multimedia)
What better way to start Benjamin Britten's centenary year than with these four historic films by Tony Palmer, which capture so much of the essence of Britten's music-making. The classic A Time There Was… interviews relatives and housekeepers and includes extensive performance footage. Then there are two full performances: The Burning Fiery Furnace and Death in Venice, the latter atmospherically shot on site (except for Peter Pears who oddly only appears partway through the opera). Freshest of all, the 1967 Benjamin Britten and his Festival captures the excitement of Aldeburgh and the opening of Snape Maltings before the fire that temporarily destroyed it.
Benjamin BrittenClassical musicDVD and video reviewsNicholas Kenyon
guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds...
What better way to start Benjamin Britten's centenary year than with these four historic films by Tony Palmer, which capture so much of the essence of Britten's music-making. The classic A Time There Was… interviews relatives and housekeepers and includes extensive performance footage. Then there are two full performances: The Burning Fiery Furnace and Death in Venice, the latter atmospherically shot on site (except for Peter Pears who oddly only appears partway through the opera). Freshest of all, the 1967 Benjamin Britten and his Festival captures the excitement of Aldeburgh and the opening of Snape Maltings before the fire that temporarily destroyed it.
Benjamin BrittenClassical musicDVD and video reviewsNicholas Kenyon
guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds...
- 1/13/2013
- by Nicholas Kenyon
- The Guardian - Film News
Peter Strickland's thriller about a home counties sound engineer hired by a 70s Italian horror studio is one of the films of the year
One of the most remarkable British movies of the past couple of years, Berberian Sound Studio is a psychological thriller set entirely in the Kafkaesque offices of a sleazy Italian film company in the 1970s. It brings together a gifted trio of independent British film-makers: producer Keith Griffiths, who has been behind a dozen or more daring, offbeat pictures, including most recently the Cannes Palme d'Or winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives; the cinematographer Nic Knowland, whose numerous credits since the late 1970s include Tony Palmer's Shostakovich biography Testimony and the Quay brothers' Institute Benjamenta; and writer-director Peter Strickland, a truly European director who made his feature debut in Hungary three years ago with Katalin Varga.
The low-budget Katalin Varga,...
One of the most remarkable British movies of the past couple of years, Berberian Sound Studio is a psychological thriller set entirely in the Kafkaesque offices of a sleazy Italian film company in the 1970s. It brings together a gifted trio of independent British film-makers: producer Keith Griffiths, who has been behind a dozen or more daring, offbeat pictures, including most recently the Cannes Palme d'Or winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives; the cinematographer Nic Knowland, whose numerous credits since the late 1970s include Tony Palmer's Shostakovich biography Testimony and the Quay brothers' Institute Benjamenta; and writer-director Peter Strickland, a truly European director who made his feature debut in Hungary three years ago with Katalin Varga.
The low-budget Katalin Varga,...
- 9/1/2012
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
With the Edinburgh International Film Festival a sadly distant memory and a little while to go until the London Film Festival starts in October, Festival goers have a rather dry spell while waiting for their next Premiere fix.
But if you travel south to the charming Roman city of Chichester in West Sussex, you will find a 120 seater cinema that is ready to boast 13 European, 6 UK and 7 Us Premieres alongside talent including Derek Jacobi, Ol Parker, Amanda Waring, Sarah Miles and Maximilian Befort.
Open Air screenings of Guys And Dolls and Brave opened the Festival, with Artistic Director Roger Gibson securing Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones’ Hope Springs as the Closing Gala on September 2. There are also retrospectives of Lewis Gilbert, Theo Angelopoulus and Chichester favourite, the late Ken Russell’s work, as well as a focus on Sir Laurence Olivier, his films and the world-renowned theatre he became...
But if you travel south to the charming Roman city of Chichester in West Sussex, you will find a 120 seater cinema that is ready to boast 13 European, 6 UK and 7 Us Premieres alongside talent including Derek Jacobi, Ol Parker, Amanda Waring, Sarah Miles and Maximilian Befort.
Open Air screenings of Guys And Dolls and Brave opened the Festival, with Artistic Director Roger Gibson securing Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones’ Hope Springs as the Closing Gala on September 2. There are also retrospectives of Lewis Gilbert, Theo Angelopoulus and Chichester favourite, the late Ken Russell’s work, as well as a focus on Sir Laurence Olivier, his films and the world-renowned theatre he became...
- 8/17/2012
- by Emma Thrower
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Australian Tony Palmer, the global Cmo of Kimberly-Clark and ex-Mars and Coke marketer, has been promoted to president, global brands and innovation.
The announcement:
Sydney, March 12, 2012: Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: Kmb) has announced that Tony Palmer, 52, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, has been elected President, Global brands and Innovation.
Palmer graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Monash University in Melbourne, in 1986 and went on to serve as marketing manager with Csr Refined Sugars and Mars Confectionery Australia, later becoming regional director for Coca-Cola in Australia.
In his expanded role, Palmer is accountable for accelerating and driving sustainable growth in revenue and profit across Kimberly-Clark’s business-to-business and consumer businesses toensure the company delivers its Global Business Plan and achieves its vision of Leading the World in Essentials for a Better Life.
In doing so, he leads the global development of the company’s three Consumer categories along with Marketing,...
The announcement:
Sydney, March 12, 2012: Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: Kmb) has announced that Tony Palmer, 52, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, has been elected President, Global brands and Innovation.
Palmer graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Monash University in Melbourne, in 1986 and went on to serve as marketing manager with Csr Refined Sugars and Mars Confectionery Australia, later becoming regional director for Coca-Cola in Australia.
In his expanded role, Palmer is accountable for accelerating and driving sustainable growth in revenue and profit across Kimberly-Clark’s business-to-business and consumer businesses toensure the company delivers its Global Business Plan and achieves its vision of Leading the World in Essentials for a Better Life.
In doing so, he leads the global development of the company’s three Consumer categories along with Marketing,...
- 3/12/2012
- by Robin Hicks
- Encore Magazine
Keswick Film Festival
The paparazzi won't exactly be beating a path to the Lake District for this, but it's a small festival with an agreeably broad outlook. The guest of honour is John Hurt, who's in conversation and introducing a number of movies from his prolific career, including his celebrated Quentin Crisp double bill. There's also a tribute to the versatile Tony Palmer, including his seminal Leonard Cohen movie Bird On A Wire, and a complete showing of his eight-hour Wagner series (starring Richard Burton and Laurence Olivier). Also in the mix are recent releases such as Tyrannosaur and Melancholia, award-winning world cinema and uplifting films about life-changing illnesses.
Various venues, Thu to 26 Feb, keswickfilmclub.org/kff
Exposures: New Talent In Moving Image, Manchester
God knows it's not easy being a student these days, but at least you get your own film festivals. This is the UK's largest, and therefore...
The paparazzi won't exactly be beating a path to the Lake District for this, but it's a small festival with an agreeably broad outlook. The guest of honour is John Hurt, who's in conversation and introducing a number of movies from his prolific career, including his celebrated Quentin Crisp double bill. There's also a tribute to the versatile Tony Palmer, including his seminal Leonard Cohen movie Bird On A Wire, and a complete showing of his eight-hour Wagner series (starring Richard Burton and Laurence Olivier). Also in the mix are recent releases such as Tyrannosaur and Melancholia, award-winning world cinema and uplifting films about life-changing illnesses.
Various venues, Thu to 26 Feb, keswickfilmclub.org/kff
Exposures: New Talent In Moving Image, Manchester
God knows it's not easy being a student these days, but at least you get your own film festivals. This is the UK's largest, and therefore...
- 2/18/2012
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
The Goodies
Amazon.com Widgets
Kieran Kinsella
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter. You can also find us on Google+ by clicking here.
Like most people born in the 1970s, I was a huge fan of the Goodies as a kid. My personal favorite was Graeme Garden who I regarded as “the sensible Goodie.” As I grew up, I began to realize that The Goodies was just one highlight in a distinguished career during which the Scotsman established himself as one of Britain’s top comedy performers. While he is a well known entertainer, many people do not realize that Graeme Garden is also a qualified physician. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Graeme and I began by asking him how he made the transition from medical school graduate to TV funny man.
“I appeared in a couple of plays at school,...
Amazon.com Widgets
Kieran Kinsella
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter. You can also find us on Google+ by clicking here.
Like most people born in the 1970s, I was a huge fan of the Goodies as a kid. My personal favorite was Graeme Garden who I regarded as “the sensible Goodie.” As I grew up, I began to realize that The Goodies was just one highlight in a distinguished career during which the Scotsman established himself as one of Britain’s top comedy performers. While he is a well known entertainer, many people do not realize that Graeme Garden is also a qualified physician. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Graeme and I began by asking him how he made the transition from medical school graduate to TV funny man.
“I appeared in a couple of plays at school,...
- 1/17/2012
- by admin
DVD Playhouse—December 2011
By Allen Gardner
The Rules Of The Game (Criterion) Jean Renoir’s classic from 1939 was met with a riot at its premiere and was severely cut by its distributor, available only in truncated form for two decades until it was restored to the grandeur for which it is celebrated today. A biting comedy of manners set in the upstairs and downstairs of a French country estate, the film bitterly vivisects the bourgeoisie with a gentle ferocity that will tickle the laughter in your throat. Renoir co-stars as Octave. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Introduction to the film by Renoir; Commentary written by scholar Alexander Sesonske and read by Peter Bogdanovich; Comparison of the film’s two endings; Selected scene analysis by Renoir scholar Chris Faulkner; Featurettes and vintage film clips; Part one of David Thomson’s “Jean Renoir” BBC documentary; Video essay; Interviews with Renoir, crew members,...
By Allen Gardner
The Rules Of The Game (Criterion) Jean Renoir’s classic from 1939 was met with a riot at its premiere and was severely cut by its distributor, available only in truncated form for two decades until it was restored to the grandeur for which it is celebrated today. A biting comedy of manners set in the upstairs and downstairs of a French country estate, the film bitterly vivisects the bourgeoisie with a gentle ferocity that will tickle the laughter in your throat. Renoir co-stars as Octave. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Introduction to the film by Renoir; Commentary written by scholar Alexander Sesonske and read by Peter Bogdanovich; Comparison of the film’s two endings; Selected scene analysis by Renoir scholar Chris Faulkner; Featurettes and vintage film clips; Part one of David Thomson’s “Jean Renoir” BBC documentary; Video essay; Interviews with Renoir, crew members,...
- 12/12/2011
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Fire in Babylon and Storyville's Afghan Cricket Club take gongs at annual awards for excellence in documentary making
Two documentaries about cricket scooped prizes at the prestigious Grierson awards on the day the sport hit the headlines after three Pakistan players were found guilty of trying to rig a Test match.
The team behind BBC4's Storyville: Afghan Cricket Club – Out of the Ashes was judged best newcomer on Tuesday at the awards, which celebrate the best in documentary making.
Another winner, in the best historical documentary category, was Fire in Babylon, the theatrically released film about the rise to global dominance in the 1970s and 1980s of the West Indies cricket team.
The awards kicked off with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall winning the best documentary series prize for Channel 4 show Hugh's Fish Fight.
Jury chairman Emma Hindley said the judges agreed Hugh's Fish Fight was "a brilliant piece of campaigning journalism and,...
Two documentaries about cricket scooped prizes at the prestigious Grierson awards on the day the sport hit the headlines after three Pakistan players were found guilty of trying to rig a Test match.
The team behind BBC4's Storyville: Afghan Cricket Club – Out of the Ashes was judged best newcomer on Tuesday at the awards, which celebrate the best in documentary making.
Another winner, in the best historical documentary category, was Fire in Babylon, the theatrically released film about the rise to global dominance in the 1970s and 1980s of the West Indies cricket team.
The awards kicked off with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall winning the best documentary series prize for Channel 4 show Hugh's Fish Fight.
Jury chairman Emma Hindley said the judges agreed Hugh's Fish Fight was "a brilliant piece of campaigning journalism and,...
- 11/3/2011
- by Tara Conlan
- The Guardian - Film News
They win awards and critical acclaim – but are in-depth documentaries under threat? Mark Lawson talks to film-makers about risk-taking, total immersion and the cult of celebrity
Is this a good time for factual film-making? It depends on your definitions of fact and film. There are executives and directors who complain that there are too few documentaries on television these days; and yet programmes from Brian Cox's The Wonders of the Universe to My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding have large and enthusiastic audiences. The problem is that what traditionalists mean by documentary (Adam Curtis's new series) is quite different from the star vehicles and "constructed reality" shows (Made in Chelsea, The Only Way is Essex) that are currently popular.
The past decade has also seen a big increase in the number of documentaries made for cinema. The success of Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine (2002) and Morgan Spurlock's...
Is this a good time for factual film-making? It depends on your definitions of fact and film. There are executives and directors who complain that there are too few documentaries on television these days; and yet programmes from Brian Cox's The Wonders of the Universe to My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding have large and enthusiastic audiences. The problem is that what traditionalists mean by documentary (Adam Curtis's new series) is quite different from the star vehicles and "constructed reality" shows (Made in Chelsea, The Only Way is Essex) that are currently popular.
The past decade has also seen a big increase in the number of documentaries made for cinema. The success of Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine (2002) and Morgan Spurlock's...
- 5/26/2011
- by Mark Lawson
- The Guardian - Film News
Leonard Cohen: Bird on a Wire
Directed by Tony Palmer
2010, UK, 106 mins.
Astute Leonard Cohen fans ought to have a serious objection at this point, before the review has really began – namely, that Bird on a Wire was a film released in 1972, not 2010. They are correct – Tony Palmer was given access to Cohen during his twenty city European tour in 1972 and turned the footage into a documentary. Using the same footage, Palmer has recut and reconstructed his film, and has now rereleased it as something new. Fans of the original 1972 film ought to be happy – Palmer’s efforts have been worthwhile.
Like most tour films, Bird on a Wire consists of behind-the-scenes footage, concert footage, and interviews with the performer himself. It is not a revolutionary format, but it is an effective one – the next best thing to seeing Cohen live in concert is seeing footage of a Cohen concert.
Directed by Tony Palmer
2010, UK, 106 mins.
Astute Leonard Cohen fans ought to have a serious objection at this point, before the review has really began – namely, that Bird on a Wire was a film released in 1972, not 2010. They are correct – Tony Palmer was given access to Cohen during his twenty city European tour in 1972 and turned the footage into a documentary. Using the same footage, Palmer has recut and reconstructed his film, and has now rereleased it as something new. Fans of the original 1972 film ought to be happy – Palmer’s efforts have been worthwhile.
Like most tour films, Bird on a Wire consists of behind-the-scenes footage, concert footage, and interviews with the performer himself. It is not a revolutionary format, but it is an effective one – the next best thing to seeing Cohen live in concert is seeing footage of a Cohen concert.
- 4/29/2011
- by DaveRobson
- SoundOnSight
Two years after its digital restoration, the 1972 documentary Bird on a Wire, which follows Canadian singer Leonard Cohen during his final European tour, will be screened for the first time in Cohen's hometown. In fact, the premiere will be in Montreal's Corona Theatre on May 11 at 7 Pm.
The restoration process definitely took some time.
In fact, Tony Palmer, the director of the documentary, didn't have the original version of the film. It was only in 2009 that 294 rolls of footage of the original film were finally found in a warehouse in Hollywood.
The film's original negative has yet to be found. Moreover, many of the prints were either cut and/or scratched beyond use.
Is the restoration perfect? Viewers will have the chance to ask that question to director Tony Palmer who will attend the screening at the Corona Theatre in Montreal.
***Tickets for the screening are available at this URL: http://www.
The restoration process definitely took some time.
In fact, Tony Palmer, the director of the documentary, didn't have the original version of the film. It was only in 2009 that 294 rolls of footage of the original film were finally found in a warehouse in Hollywood.
The film's original negative has yet to be found. Moreover, many of the prints were either cut and/or scratched beyond use.
Is the restoration perfect? Viewers will have the chance to ask that question to director Tony Palmer who will attend the screening at the Corona Theatre in Montreal.
***Tickets for the screening are available at this URL: http://www.
- 4/27/2011
- by anhkhoido@gmail.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
Those of us engaged with the Holst Birthplace Museum are delighted that Tony Palmer has made such a splendid film about the life and music of Gustav Holst (The inner orbit of Gustav Holst, Film & Music, 22 April). The film accords with one of the prime purposes of this museum, which is to create a greater awareness of the man and the extensive range and beauty of his compositions. Holst's music deserves to be much better known and the new film illustrates this amply.
We are less pleased with the derogatory comments about this museum which are made in the article. With much less space and less funding it is inevitable that there are limitations compared with those museums which are much more generously endowed, but this does not mean that all that is offered is "twaddle", as suggested, or that spurious claims are made about its contents. On the contrary...
We are less pleased with the derogatory comments about this museum which are made in the article. With much less space and less funding it is inevitable that there are limitations compared with those museums which are much more generously endowed, but this does not mean that all that is offered is "twaddle", as suggested, or that spurious claims are made about its contents. On the contrary...
- 4/27/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
Did a folksong-loving teacher really just happen to write England's most famous classical work? Film-maker Tony Palmer questions the myth of the author of The Planets
Making a film – any film – is a journey of exploration. If you knew at the beginning what you know at the end, why bother to make the film? This is one of the reasons I am often spurned by commissioning editors: I begin with no script, certainly no "agenda" (their favourite word), and no schedule. Not much of a budget either, come to think of it.
It was 40 years ago, while filming Benjamin Britten, that I first thought of making a film about Gustav Holst. I had noticed a photograph of the young Holst in Britten's music room, and asked him why. He told me, "I owe him more than I can tell you." Which was odd, because you almost never heard the name...
Making a film – any film – is a journey of exploration. If you knew at the beginning what you know at the end, why bother to make the film? This is one of the reasons I am often spurned by commissioning editors: I begin with no script, certainly no "agenda" (their favourite word), and no schedule. Not much of a budget either, come to think of it.
It was 40 years ago, while filming Benjamin Britten, that I first thought of making a film about Gustav Holst. I had noticed a photograph of the young Holst in Britten's music room, and asked him why. He told me, "I owe him more than I can tell you." Which was odd, because you almost never heard the name...
- 4/21/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
The annal Toronto Jewish Film Festival in Toronto kicks off May 7 with 118 films from 21 countries, including 1 world premiere, 1 international premiere, 3 North American premieres, 34 Canadian Premieres, 7 free programmes and 1 World Class Film Festival. The festival runs until the 15 of May and will also feature a tribute to “Three Lennys” – Bernstein, Cohen and Bruce – with special guests Alexander Bernstein and Kitty Bruce; and with Offerings From Eytan Fox, Lou Reed, Claude Lanzmann, Dani Levy, Tony Palmer. Also the festival will screen China’s First Animated Film To Deal With The Holocaust.
Here is the official press release:
One of the largest festivals of its kind in the world, Tjff returns May 7 and runs through May 15, with films from 21 countries that reflect aspects of Jewish identity and diversity with universal themes. This year’s Tjff features 118 films from Argentina, Austria, Brazil, China, Cuba, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Mexico, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia,...
Here is the official press release:
One of the largest festivals of its kind in the world, Tjff returns May 7 and runs through May 15, with films from 21 countries that reflect aspects of Jewish identity and diversity with universal themes. This year’s Tjff features 118 films from Argentina, Austria, Brazil, China, Cuba, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Mexico, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia,...
- 4/6/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Tony Palmer started it, Scorsese and Peckinpah refined it, but John Patterson reveals his most brutal head shot of them all
The best scene in Anton Corbijn's The American is its first, when contract killer George Clooney, ambushed by gunmen during a stroll with a new lover, shoots his two unknown assailants before dispatching, with extreme and chilling pragmatism, said lover and sole witness with a bullet through the back of the head. Surprise and moral revulsion are what make the moment so potent, but the horror of it is undoubtedly magnified by the fact that the bullet goes into her brain.
I'm obsessed with brutal head shots in movies, perhaps even become a connoisseur of them, because I've watched their rise from rarity to ubiquity, marvelling at how used to them I've become, despite once hating them so much. My obsession began when I first saw Tony Palmer...
The best scene in Anton Corbijn's The American is its first, when contract killer George Clooney, ambushed by gunmen during a stroll with a new lover, shoots his two unknown assailants before dispatching, with extreme and chilling pragmatism, said lover and sole witness with a bullet through the back of the head. Surprise and moral revulsion are what make the moment so potent, but the horror of it is undoubtedly magnified by the fact that the bullet goes into her brain.
I'm obsessed with brutal head shots in movies, perhaps even become a connoisseur of them, because I've watched their rise from rarity to ubiquity, marvelling at how used to them I've become, despite once hating them so much. My obsession began when I first saw Tony Palmer...
- 11/20/2010
- by John Patterson
- The Guardian - Film News
I've been a fan of singer-songwriter (and poet) Leonard Cohen ever since Jennifer Warnes introduced me to his music with her classic album Famous Blue Raincoat. Then came one of his most popular albums, I'm Your Man -- witty, urbane, sexy and moving -- and I was hooked for good. That meant going back to his earlier albums like Songs Of Leonard Cohen, waiting impatiently for new ones (what? he's in a monastery? do they have a recording studio?) and winning over friends to his work, one by one, like a disciple. Strangely, I've never seen him in concert, but thanks to three new DVDs, I have a chance to experience him live and through the perspective of his fellow artists. Bird On A Wire (15 pounds; Tmc) -- At the moment, this DVD is available via director Tony Palmer's...
- 10/16/2010
- by Michael Giltz
- Huffington Post
A rediscovered Leonard Cohen rockumentary; Kim Longinotto on why her films aren't fly-on-the-wall documentaries; and funding fears for British indie films
Leonard Cohen lost and found
A rediscovered rockumentary of Leonard Cohen has been restored and is to receive a UK premiere – nearly 40 years after the original 1972 version was made. The film, Bird on a Wire, will be screened at the Green Man music festival. It documents the singer's European tour of that year, focusing on his performances and his life on the road. Director Tony Palmer restored the film after being reunited with the 290 lost rolls of his original footage. Palmer, who has filmed the Beatles, Cream and Jimi Hendrix among others, tells me: "The poetry is extraordinary and so is the man. My admiration for Leonard remains undiminished and I hope that quality shines through. The film has a real feel for the rough and tumble of life on the road.
Leonard Cohen lost and found
A rediscovered rockumentary of Leonard Cohen has been restored and is to receive a UK premiere – nearly 40 years after the original 1972 version was made. The film, Bird on a Wire, will be screened at the Green Man music festival. It documents the singer's European tour of that year, focusing on his performances and his life on the road. Director Tony Palmer restored the film after being reunited with the 290 lost rolls of his original footage. Palmer, who has filmed the Beatles, Cream and Jimi Hendrix among others, tells me: "The poetry is extraordinary and so is the man. My admiration for Leonard remains undiminished and I hope that quality shines through. The film has a real feel for the rough and tumble of life on the road.
- 7/24/2010
- by Jason Solomons
- The Guardian - Film News
Leonard Cohen documentary Bird On A Wire will get its UK premiere at next month's Green Man Festival, it has been announced. The long-unreleased cut of the 1972 film will be introduced by the movie's director Tony Palmer and followed by a Q&A session with Palmer and producer Steven Machat. Palmer said: "Maybe what is valuable about the film today is not only that it contains 17 of Cohen's greatest songs performed by him in his prime, it has a real feel for the rough and tumble and difficulties of life on the road. "I know of few other films where the backstage confusion (more)...
- 7/23/2010
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
Filmmaker Tony Palmer and Mvd Visual report that the DVD release of Canadian singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen's Bird On A Wire 1972 concert film, will be August 31. "...Originally made in 1972 and directed by celebrated British filmmaker Tony Palmer, 'Bird On A Wire' follows Cohen on his 1972 European tour and contains 17 classic performances, 4 poems and tour footage. After massive re-editing, although not by Palmer, it was released in 1974, had a very limited run and then 'disappeared'. Like many films from the era it was thought that the original version had been lost, but in 2009, 294 rolls of film were discovered containing much of the original rushes and soundtrack of the 1972 film. Palmer was able to restore much of this footage and it is now available on DVD for the first time..." "When, in 2009, 294 cans of film were discovered in a warehouse in Hollywood, in rusted up cans that sometimes had to be hammered open,...
- 7/21/2010
- HollywoodNorthReport.com
Filmmaker Tony Palmer and Mvd Visual report that the DVD release of Canadian singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen's "Bird On A Wire" 1972 concert film, will be August 31.
"...Originally made in 1972 and directed by celebrated British filmmaker Tony Palmer, 'Bird On A Wire' follows Cohen on his 1972 European tour and contains 17 classic performances, 4 poems and tour footage. After massive re-editing, although not by Palmer, it was released in 1974, had a very limited run and then 'disappeared'. Like many films from the era it was thought that the original version had been lost, but in 2009, 294 rolls of film were discovered containing much of the original rushes and soundtrack of the 1972 film. Palmer was able to restore much of this footage and it is now available on DVD for the first time..."
"When, in 2009, 294 cans of film were discovered in a warehouse in Hollywood, in rusted up cans that sometimes had to be hammered open,...
"...Originally made in 1972 and directed by celebrated British filmmaker Tony Palmer, 'Bird On A Wire' follows Cohen on his 1972 European tour and contains 17 classic performances, 4 poems and tour footage. After massive re-editing, although not by Palmer, it was released in 1974, had a very limited run and then 'disappeared'. Like many films from the era it was thought that the original version had been lost, but in 2009, 294 rolls of film were discovered containing much of the original rushes and soundtrack of the 1972 film. Palmer was able to restore much of this footage and it is now available on DVD for the first time..."
"When, in 2009, 294 cans of film were discovered in a warehouse in Hollywood, in rusted up cans that sometimes had to be hammered open,...
- 7/20/2010
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
London -- Film producer Simon Channing Williams, the longtime producing partner of Mike Leigh, has died of cancer. He was 63.
Williams died at home with his family in Cornwall on Saturday.
Channing Williams began his career at the BBC, where he worked with Leigh, Stephen Frears, James MacTaggart, Mike Newell and Michael Apted, among others.
He went on to produce 11 films with Leigh, founding Thin Man Films in 1988. Titles included "Topsy-Turvy," an Oscar winner for best makeup and costume design, Palme d'Or winner "Secrets and Lies" and the Oscar-nominated "Vera Drake."
Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" marked the duo's final production before Channing Williams' death.
Channing Williams produced several other films outside his relationship with Leigh, including Tony Palmer's "Puccini," Clive Rees' "When the Whales Came" and Tim Sullivan's "Jack and Sarah."
In 2000, he formed independent production company Potboiler Prods. with Gail Egan. Together they produced seven feature films including Fernando Meirelles' "The Constant Gardener.
Williams died at home with his family in Cornwall on Saturday.
Channing Williams began his career at the BBC, where he worked with Leigh, Stephen Frears, James MacTaggart, Mike Newell and Michael Apted, among others.
He went on to produce 11 films with Leigh, founding Thin Man Films in 1988. Titles included "Topsy-Turvy," an Oscar winner for best makeup and costume design, Palme d'Or winner "Secrets and Lies" and the Oscar-nominated "Vera Drake."
Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky" marked the duo's final production before Channing Williams' death.
Channing Williams produced several other films outside his relationship with Leigh, including Tony Palmer's "Puccini," Clive Rees' "When the Whales Came" and Tim Sullivan's "Jack and Sarah."
In 2000, he formed independent production company Potboiler Prods. with Gail Egan. Together they produced seven feature films including Fernando Meirelles' "The Constant Gardener.
- 4/14/2009
- by By Stuart Kemp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Disc Of The Month All You Need Is Love (Voiceprint/Mvd) In 1976, British television began airing All You Need Is Love, a seventeen-part, fifteen-hour docu-miniseries about the history of 20th century popular music, from the advent of jazz to the pinnacle of arena-rock. Filmmaker Tony Palmer solicited opinions from veteran show business types and young bucks alike about where music had been and where they thought it was going. (Given that the series was shot before the punk revolution gained traction in the UK, not that many correspondents were especially enthusiastic.) All You Need Is Love mixes stock footage with original material—the latter shot mostly in tight close-ups, providing a rare intimate look at pop and rock legends—and if all the documentary offered were electrifying performances by the...
- 8/19/2008
- by Scott Gordon, Noel Murray
- avclub.com
By Michael Atkinson
Like a missing-link hominid stepping out of the jungle, famous photographer William Klein emerges on 21st century DVD as the great bullgoose Art Film-era satirist we never knew we had. Hallowed for his still images and his documentaries, the Paris-based Klein also made three furiously hostile lampoons that were nominally released, ignored and then forgotten. Until now, you could only find "Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?" (1966), "Mr. Freedom" (1969) and "The Model Couple" (1977) in scruffy bootlegs from pro-am vendors like Pimpadelic Wonderland . and given the movies' paucity of reputation, you would've had little reason to do so. A busy '60s shutterbug for the French Vogue, Klein more or less fell in with the Left Bank New Wavers (Resnais, Demy, Marker, Varda) and the Panic Movement (Fernando Arrabal and Roland Topor both show up in "Polly Maggoo"). But his perspective was New Yawk pugilistic, his humor was mercilessly...
Like a missing-link hominid stepping out of the jungle, famous photographer William Klein emerges on 21st century DVD as the great bullgoose Art Film-era satirist we never knew we had. Hallowed for his still images and his documentaries, the Paris-based Klein also made three furiously hostile lampoons that were nominally released, ignored and then forgotten. Until now, you could only find "Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?" (1966), "Mr. Freedom" (1969) and "The Model Couple" (1977) in scruffy bootlegs from pro-am vendors like Pimpadelic Wonderland . and given the movies' paucity of reputation, you would've had little reason to do so. A busy '60s shutterbug for the French Vogue, Klein more or less fell in with the Left Bank New Wavers (Resnais, Demy, Marker, Varda) and the Panic Movement (Fernando Arrabal and Roland Topor both show up in "Polly Maggoo"). But his perspective was New Yawk pugilistic, his humor was mercilessly...
- 5/27/2008
- by Michael Atkinson
- ifc.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.