Nine decades ago this December, moviegoers were witnessing the beginning of one of the most successful movie teams, as well as the demise of one of the most dramatic.
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made box office magic during the Depression-era 1930s in nine Art Deco musical comedy delights from Rko including 1934’s “The Gay Divorcee” and 1936’s “Swing Time.” Their chemistry was unmatched, and they literally made beautiful musical together introducing countless standards including the Oscar-winning “The Continental” and “The Way You Look Tonight.” And their dancing was robust, romantic and heavenly-just check out the “Never Gonna Dance” routine from “Swing Time.”
It was 90 years ago this week, their first pairing “Flying Down to Rio” opened at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. One of the big surprises is that the duo aren’t the stars of the lightweight pre-Code musicals: Dolores Del Rio, Gene Raymond...
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers made box office magic during the Depression-era 1930s in nine Art Deco musical comedy delights from Rko including 1934’s “The Gay Divorcee” and 1936’s “Swing Time.” Their chemistry was unmatched, and they literally made beautiful musical together introducing countless standards including the Oscar-winning “The Continental” and “The Way You Look Tonight.” And their dancing was robust, romantic and heavenly-just check out the “Never Gonna Dance” routine from “Swing Time.”
It was 90 years ago this week, their first pairing “Flying Down to Rio” opened at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. One of the big surprises is that the duo aren’t the stars of the lightweight pre-Code musicals: Dolores Del Rio, Gene Raymond...
- 12/28/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Rouben Mamoulian is one of the best directors of Golden Age Hollywood, but his efforts often go underseen and underappreciated. One only has to watch his films to admire, and love, his skill as a director. Love Me Tonight (1932) sweeps and swoons with romantic energy; Queen Christina (1933) is a moody biopic that plays with shadows and sexuality; Becky Sharp (1935) is one of the first Technicolor features and is an array of delectable pastels to backdrop to colourful cohorts. And, of course, Mamoulian’s finest work – Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1931) an imaginative horror that looks deep into the monster lurking in man’s soul.
Mamoulian’s Blood and Sand (1941) is also undeniably exquisite art. Played on the gorgeous, yet volatile nitrate as part of BFI’s Film on Film Festival, there has never been a Mamoulian presentation quite like it in recent years.
Starring Tyrone Power and Rita Hayworth, Blood and Sand revolves around Juan,...
Mamoulian’s Blood and Sand (1941) is also undeniably exquisite art. Played on the gorgeous, yet volatile nitrate as part of BFI’s Film on Film Festival, there has never been a Mamoulian presentation quite like it in recent years.
Starring Tyrone Power and Rita Hayworth, Blood and Sand revolves around Juan,...
- 6/16/2023
- by Sarah Cook
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
As the undisputed king of streaming (for now at least), Netflix has enjoyed the presence of some major blockbusters. Now, with its list of new releases for May 2022, Netflix is bringing back one of its biggest ever hits.
Stranger Things season 4 “volume one” is set to premiere on May 27. It’s been a long wait for new episodes of this ’80s-tinged sci-fi/horror series and based on the trailers, the wait will have been well worth it. In this go-around, the kids of Hawkins (now high schoolers) will have to contend with the Upside Down once again to go along with the horrors of the Creel House.
While Stranger Things is the biggest Netflix original this month, it’s far from the only one. Mike Myers’ latest series The Pentaverate premieres on May 5 (fittingly: 5/5). Meanwhile The Lincoln Lawyer is set to arrive on May 13 followed by Love, Death & Robots Volume...
Stranger Things season 4 “volume one” is set to premiere on May 27. It’s been a long wait for new episodes of this ’80s-tinged sci-fi/horror series and based on the trailers, the wait will have been well worth it. In this go-around, the kids of Hawkins (now high schoolers) will have to contend with the Upside Down once again to go along with the horrors of the Creel House.
While Stranger Things is the biggest Netflix original this month, it’s far from the only one. Mike Myers’ latest series The Pentaverate premieres on May 5 (fittingly: 5/5). Meanwhile The Lincoln Lawyer is set to arrive on May 13 followed by Love, Death & Robots Volume...
- 5/1/2022
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
HGTV announced on Thursday that Christina Hall of “Christina on the Coast” will star in her second solo series for the network. The six-episode docuseries, which has the working title of “Christina in the Country,” will follow her life with her three children and husband Josh Hall in Tennessee. It’s slated to debut later this year.
“I am so excited and grateful ‘Christina in the Country’ has officially been picked up,” said Christina in a statement. The TV host, who was formerly know as Christina Haack when she was married to her “Flip or Flop” co-host Tarek El Moussa, also shared the news on Instagram. “I love that I get the best of both worlds — the coast and the country. It’s an incredible opportunity to get to work in Tennessee, our home away from home.”
“Christina has captivated millions of passionate fans with her West Coast life in...
“I am so excited and grateful ‘Christina in the Country’ has officially been picked up,” said Christina in a statement. The TV host, who was formerly know as Christina Haack when she was married to her “Flip or Flop” co-host Tarek El Moussa, also shared the news on Instagram. “I love that I get the best of both worlds — the coast and the country. It’s an incredible opportunity to get to work in Tennessee, our home away from home.”
“Christina has captivated millions of passionate fans with her West Coast life in...
- 4/8/2022
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Former Flip or Flop star Christina Hall is set to headline a second series for HGTV. The network has given a six-episode order to Christina in the Country (working title), a Tennessee-set spinoff docuseries of her Christina on the Coast. Additionally, HGTV has ordered additional episodes of Christina on the Coast which drew more than 23 million viewers and ranked as a top 5 non-news/sports cable program among key demos in its last season, per Nielsen.
Christina in the Country (wt) will follow Christina on her next chapter as she expands her design business across the country and puts down roots at her second home—a Tennessee farm. Now, Christina, who always lived an active, outdoor lifestyle in Southern California, will create more life-long memories with her three children and husband Josh Hall in Tennessee. It’s slated to air in late 2022.
“Christina has captivated millions of passionate fans with her...
Christina in the Country (wt) will follow Christina on her next chapter as she expands her design business across the country and puts down roots at her second home—a Tennessee farm. Now, Christina, who always lived an active, outdoor lifestyle in Southern California, will create more life-long memories with her three children and husband Josh Hall in Tennessee. It’s slated to air in late 2022.
“Christina has captivated millions of passionate fans with her...
- 4/7/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Real estate and design expert Christina Hall, best known as co-host of HGTV’s “Flip or Flop” and host of “Christina on the Coast,” is sharing her new adventures in her third series. The six-episode docuseries, “Christina in the Country,” is slated to air later this year and will follow Hall on her next chapter in life as she expands her design business across the country and puts down roots at a Tennessee farm.
Used to living an active, outdoor lifestyle in Southern California, the designer will take a different step with her three children and new husband Josh Hall.
“Christina in the Country” is produced by Balthazar Entertainment in association with Glass Entertainment Group and Unbroken Productions.
“I am so excited and grateful ‘Christina in the Country’ has officially been picked up,” Hall said in a statement. “I love that I get the best of both worlds — the coast and the country.
Used to living an active, outdoor lifestyle in Southern California, the designer will take a different step with her three children and new husband Josh Hall.
“Christina in the Country” is produced by Balthazar Entertainment in association with Glass Entertainment Group and Unbroken Productions.
“I am so excited and grateful ‘Christina in the Country’ has officially been picked up,” Hall said in a statement. “I love that I get the best of both worlds — the coast and the country.
- 4/7/2022
- by Emily Longeretta
- Variety Film + TV
Matt Mauser is thankful for all he has, a year after his wife Christina Mauser perished in a helicopter crash with Gianna and Kobe Bryant on Jan. 26, 2020. On the one-year anniversary of the tragic accident, the musician hosted Concert for Christina: A Musical Tribute Benefiting the Christina Mauser Foundation. With the help of a band, Matt sang some of her favorite songs, including "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers. He also performed a song with their daughter Penny, 12, who he said nearly boarded the plane that fateful day. Matt shared the heartbreaking story, explaining that he had booked a concert for Jan. 26 and had asked Christina if Penny could skip the...
- 1/27/2021
- E! Online
We present the list of winners of the 5th Singkuwento International Film Festival that took place from February 19th until the 27th, in the city of Manila (Philippines).
Born in 2012 this festival´s objective is to unite both Filipino and foreign filmmakers in one place. It is an avenue for Filipinos both in the Philippines and abroad to share their voices, sentiments and thoughts via the films they created. It also give a channel for non-Filipinos to share their impressions of the Philippines and its people.
Local Category
Best Documentary
Naglalahong Pamana (Fading Heritage) by Lucy Lavirotte, Berna Sastrillo, David Levi and Jerrica Manongdo
Best Cultural Film
A Family Reunion by Sherbien Dacalanio
Most Gender Sensitive Film
Cups Ka Ba? by Juan Carlo Tarobal
Honorable Mentions
The truth as told in lies by Ira Giorgetti
Man in the Cinema House by Bernard Jay Mercado
Golden Philippine Eagle Festival Director’s...
Born in 2012 this festival´s objective is to unite both Filipino and foreign filmmakers in one place. It is an avenue for Filipinos both in the Philippines and abroad to share their voices, sentiments and thoughts via the films they created. It also give a channel for non-Filipinos to share their impressions of the Philippines and its people.
Local Category
Best Documentary
Naglalahong Pamana (Fading Heritage) by Lucy Lavirotte, Berna Sastrillo, David Levi and Jerrica Manongdo
Best Cultural Film
A Family Reunion by Sherbien Dacalanio
Most Gender Sensitive Film
Cups Ka Ba? by Juan Carlo Tarobal
Honorable Mentions
The truth as told in lies by Ira Giorgetti
Man in the Cinema House by Bernard Jay Mercado
Golden Philippine Eagle Festival Director’s...
- 2/28/2016
- by Sebastian Nadilo
- AsianMoviePulse
'The Merry Widow' with Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald and Minna Gombell under the direction of Ernst Lubitsch. Ernst Lubitsch movies: 'The Merry Widow,' 'Ninotchka' (See previous post: “Ernst Lubitsch Best Films: Passé Subtle 'Touch' in Age of Sledgehammer Filmmaking.”) Initially a project for Ramon Novarro – who for quite some time aspired to become an opera singer and who had a pleasant singing voice – The Merry Widow ultimately starred Maurice Chevalier, the hammiest film performer this side of Bob Hope, Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler – the list goes on and on. Generally speaking, “hammy” isn't my idea of effective film acting. For that reason, I usually find Chevalier a major handicap to his movies, especially during the early talkie era; he upsets their dramatic (or comedic) balance much like Jack Nicholson in Martin Scorsese's The Departed or Jerry Lewis in anything (excepting Scorsese's The King of Comedy...
- 1/31/2016
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Read More: Watch: First Trailer For 'A Royal Night Out' Starring Sarah Gadon, Emily Watson, Jack Reynor, And More Immortalized by Greta Garbo in 1933's "Queen Christina," the legendary Swedish monarch will once again grace the screen in "The Girl King." Malin Buska plays the young Queen who, after assuming the throne at a young age, leads Sweden into a new age of enlightenment. In "The Girl King," she buts heads with temperamental statesmen and vassals as they oppose her plans to modernize the Nordic kingdom and try to suppress her sexuality. In the exclusive clip above, Kristina gives a rousing speech to the court before her. Knowing she has inherited a land of scattered villages and uneducated peasants, her highness refuses to back down and promises she will build Sweden up to the glory it deserves. "The Girl King" is currently playing in select theaters and will...
- 12/7/2015
- by Ryan Anielski
- Indiewire
The Throne of Loneliness: Kaurismaki Cartoons Christina
Considering it’s been forty years since her last notable on screen incarnation, the time has come for a new biopic on that other famous ‘virgin’ queen, Christina of Sweden. Iconically portrayed by Great Garbo in 1933’s Queen Christina, and then again in 1974 by Liv Ullmann in The Abdication, these are significant footsteps to follow, especially considering these productions are best remembered for their female leads and not their directors (Rouben Mamoulian and Anthony Harvey, respectively). Finnish director Mika Kaurismaki, the brother to world renowned auteur Aki Kaurismaki, aims to resuscitate her provocative legacy with The Girl King, though its use of archaic language concepts (such as ‘girl’ and ‘virgin’) hint at a certain ignorance of both femininity and lesbianism despite a screenplay penned by Michel Marc Brousard (Lilies; Tom at the Farm). A handsome costume drama, this international co-production is more often distracting than relevant,...
Considering it’s been forty years since her last notable on screen incarnation, the time has come for a new biopic on that other famous ‘virgin’ queen, Christina of Sweden. Iconically portrayed by Great Garbo in 1933’s Queen Christina, and then again in 1974 by Liv Ullmann in The Abdication, these are significant footsteps to follow, especially considering these productions are best remembered for their female leads and not their directors (Rouben Mamoulian and Anthony Harvey, respectively). Finnish director Mika Kaurismaki, the brother to world renowned auteur Aki Kaurismaki, aims to resuscitate her provocative legacy with The Girl King, though its use of archaic language concepts (such as ‘girl’ and ‘virgin’) hint at a certain ignorance of both femininity and lesbianism despite a screenplay penned by Michel Marc Brousard (Lilies; Tom at the Farm). A handsome costume drama, this international co-production is more often distracting than relevant,...
- 12/5/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Greta Garbo movie 'The Kiss.' Greta Garbo movies on TCM Greta Garbo, a rarity among silent era movie stars, is Turner Classic Movies' “Summer Under the Stars” performer today, Aug. 26, '15. Now, why would Garbo be considered a silent era rarity? Well, certainly not because she easily made the transition to sound, remaining a major star for another decade. Think Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, William Powell, Fay Wray, Marie Dressler, Wallace Beery, John Barrymore, Warner Baxter, Janet Gaynor, Constance Bennett, etc. And so much for all the stories about actors with foreign accents being unable to maintain their Hollywood stardom following the advent of sound motion pictures. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer star, Garbo was no major exception to the supposed rule. Mexican Ramon Novarro, another MGM star, also made an easy transition to sound, and so did fellow Mexicans Lupe Velez and Dolores del Rio, in addition to the very British...
- 8/27/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Ninotchka
Written by Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, Walter Reisch
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
USA, 1939
It’s easy to see why Ninotchka works as well as it does, and why it’s one of the best films from Hollywood’s golden age and of arguably Hollywood’s greatest year. Just look at the talent involved. Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, and Walter Reisch were all seasoned writers, though with their best work admittedly still to come. Ernst Lubitsch had directed a number of excellent silent films in Germany, had hit the ground running once in Hollywood, making his first American film with no less a star than Mary Pickford (Rosita [1923]), and after a series of charming musical comedies, many with Maurice Chevalier, directed the more sublime and sophisticated comedies for which he now best known, films like Trouble in Paradise (1932) and Design for Living (1933). While this was happening, Greta Garbo was working...
Written by Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, Walter Reisch
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
USA, 1939
It’s easy to see why Ninotchka works as well as it does, and why it’s one of the best films from Hollywood’s golden age and of arguably Hollywood’s greatest year. Just look at the talent involved. Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, and Walter Reisch were all seasoned writers, though with their best work admittedly still to come. Ernst Lubitsch had directed a number of excellent silent films in Germany, had hit the ground running once in Hollywood, making his first American film with no less a star than Mary Pickford (Rosita [1923]), and after a series of charming musical comedies, many with Maurice Chevalier, directed the more sublime and sophisticated comedies for which he now best known, films like Trouble in Paradise (1932) and Design for Living (1933). While this was happening, Greta Garbo was working...
- 6/16/2015
- by Jeremy Carr
- SoundOnSight
Mika Kaurismaki’s costume epic is set in 1633.
Us distributor Wolfe Releasing has snapped up all rights to Mika Kaurismaki’s costume epic The Girl King. A theatrical release is planned for the autumn of 2015 followed by VOD, DVD, and Svod dates.
The film is a co-production between Finland, Canada, Germany, and Sweden. It is scripted by Canadian writer Michel Marc Bouchard (Tom at the Farm, Lilies). The film stars Malin Buska (Easy Money) in the title role alongside Sarah Gadon, Michael Nyqvist, Lucas Bryant, Laura Birnand Martina Gedeck.
The Girl King is the story of Queen Christina of Sweden. Crowned in 1633 at the age of six and raised as a prince, Queen Christina was an enigmatic and brilliant young leader who fought conservative forces to revolutionize Sweden while falling in love and exploring her awakening sexuality.
The deal was negotiated by Jim Stephens, president of Wolfe Releasing, and Miira Paasilinna, CEO of international...
Us distributor Wolfe Releasing has snapped up all rights to Mika Kaurismaki’s costume epic The Girl King. A theatrical release is planned for the autumn of 2015 followed by VOD, DVD, and Svod dates.
The film is a co-production between Finland, Canada, Germany, and Sweden. It is scripted by Canadian writer Michel Marc Bouchard (Tom at the Farm, Lilies). The film stars Malin Buska (Easy Money) in the title role alongside Sarah Gadon, Michael Nyqvist, Lucas Bryant, Laura Birnand Martina Gedeck.
The Girl King is the story of Queen Christina of Sweden. Crowned in 1633 at the age of six and raised as a prince, Queen Christina was an enigmatic and brilliant young leader who fought conservative forces to revolutionize Sweden while falling in love and exploring her awakening sexuality.
The deal was negotiated by Jim Stephens, president of Wolfe Releasing, and Miira Paasilinna, CEO of international...
- 5/14/2015
- by geoffrey@macnab.demon.co.uk (Geoffrey Macnab)
- ScreenDaily
The Girl King
Director: Mika Kaurismaki // Writer: Michel Marc Bouchardt
Swedish director Mika Kaurismaki, brother of famed auteur Aki Kaurismaki, has often resided in the shadows of his sibling. Directing a steady output of films since the late 1980s, he doesn’t seem to snag international distribution, but his latest is a profile international co-production, The Girl King, penned by award winning Canadian writer Bouchard. German and Swedish backers also explain the presence of names like Nyqvist and Gedeck, plus throw in some French faces, such as Hippolyte Girardot. Swedish actress Malin Buska will bear the brunt of expectation, as the film revisits the tale of Swedish Queen Christina, portrayed famously in 1933 by Greta Garbo in the Rouben Mammoulien directed film. Here’s to openly being able to discuss her sexuality in this version, famously coded in the Garbo picture often championed as one of the first defiant examples of acknowledged homosexuality in the cinema.
Director: Mika Kaurismaki // Writer: Michel Marc Bouchardt
Swedish director Mika Kaurismaki, brother of famed auteur Aki Kaurismaki, has often resided in the shadows of his sibling. Directing a steady output of films since the late 1980s, he doesn’t seem to snag international distribution, but his latest is a profile international co-production, The Girl King, penned by award winning Canadian writer Bouchard. German and Swedish backers also explain the presence of names like Nyqvist and Gedeck, plus throw in some French faces, such as Hippolyte Girardot. Swedish actress Malin Buska will bear the brunt of expectation, as the film revisits the tale of Swedish Queen Christina, portrayed famously in 1933 by Greta Garbo in the Rouben Mammoulien directed film. Here’s to openly being able to discuss her sexuality in this version, famously coded in the Garbo picture often championed as one of the first defiant examples of acknowledged homosexuality in the cinema.
- 1/6/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Jean Arthur films on TCM include three Frank Capra classics Five Jean Arthur films will be shown this evening, Monday, January 5, 2015, on Turner Classic Movies, including three directed by Frank Capra, the man who helped to turn Arthur into a major Hollywood star. They are the following: Capra's Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, You Can't Take It with You, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; George Stevens' The More the Merrier; and Frank Borzage's History Is Made at Night. One the most effective performers of the studio era, Jean Arthur -- whose film career began inauspiciously in 1923 -- was Columbia Pictures' biggest female star from the mid-'30s to the mid-'40s, when Rita Hayworth came to prominence and, coincidentally, Arthur's Columbia contract expired. Today, she's best known for her trio of films directed by Frank Capra, Columbia's top director of the 1930s. Jean Arthur-Frank Capra...
- 1/6/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Hollywood — "Birdman" stars Michael Keaton and Edward Norton popped into the Egyptian Theatre Saturday morning for a conversation on acting in tandem with the on-going AFI Fest. It was an enlightening and at times heady discussion on the particulars of being an actor in show business and of course the unique opportunity of Alejandro González Iñárritu's latest film. Early talk circled around each actor's introduction to the business and the moment when it clicked. Keaton, the youngest of seven (though he says nine, as his mother miscarried twice), grew up outside of Pittsburgh and wasn't discouraged at all from being a dreamer. He made his way to Hollywood with maybe $300 in his pocket after doing the comedy circuit in New York, hitting venues like the Improv and Catch a Rising Star and, on the west coast, The Comedy Store and Second City workshops. "You parked cars and tried to figure it out,...
- 11/9/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
So it looks like indie-minded producer Megan Ellison of Annapurna Pictures, who backed upcoming Cannes entry "Foxcatcher" as well as such Oscar contenders as "The Master," "American Hustle" and "Her," is now developing her first TV series to be sold to the networks. Set during Hollywood's Golden Age, the drama focuses on Nordic beauties Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, who were known for their androgynous mystery. “The Swedish Sphinx” and “The Blonde Venus” could be both glamorous and alluring--and get away with wearing pants. Thus, much like one-time roommates Cary Grant and Randolph Scott, rumors swirled surrounded them. Based at MGM, Greta Garbo ("Grand Hotel," "Ninotchka," "Queen Christina") never starred in a movie with Paramount's reigning diva Dietrich ("Shanghai Express," "Morocco," "Catherine the Great"), and the two so-called studio rivals claimed to have never met. (Back in Europe, they reportedly each enjoyed an affair with elegant aristocrat Mercedes de...
- 4/19/2014
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Episode 9 of 52 wherein Anne Marie screens all of Katharine Hepburn's films in chronological order
In which Katharine Hepburn looks better in a suit than Cary Grant.
I will never turn down a movie about a lady in a suit. Two reasons: 1) Early exposure to As You Like It and 2) An experimental phase in college film studies during which I flirted heavily with the Hays Code.
What I’m saying is, I was predisposed to love Sylvia Scarlett no matter what. Still, it wasn’t what I expected. Kate in Sylvia Scarlett gets lumped in with Greta Garbo in Queen Christina and Marlene Dietrich in Morocco as a member of the Cinematic Sapphic Sisterhood. But after this week’s viewing, I actually think that’s reductive. Instead, Morocco, Queen Christina and Sylvia Scarlett all deal with different shades of androgyny, sex, and gender.
Too academic a subject? I will include pictures of ladies kissing.
In which Katharine Hepburn looks better in a suit than Cary Grant.
I will never turn down a movie about a lady in a suit. Two reasons: 1) Early exposure to As You Like It and 2) An experimental phase in college film studies during which I flirted heavily with the Hays Code.
What I’m saying is, I was predisposed to love Sylvia Scarlett no matter what. Still, it wasn’t what I expected. Kate in Sylvia Scarlett gets lumped in with Greta Garbo in Queen Christina and Marlene Dietrich in Morocco as a member of the Cinematic Sapphic Sisterhood. But after this week’s viewing, I actually think that’s reductive. Instead, Morocco, Queen Christina and Sylvia Scarlett all deal with different shades of androgyny, sex, and gender.
Too academic a subject? I will include pictures of ladies kissing.
- 2/26/2014
- by Anne Marie
- FilmExperience
Book by a Harvard scholar argues that Us producers in the 1930s 'collaborated' with the Nazis with cuts to films and self-censorship
The author of a controversial book causing a stir in Hollywood for exposing collaboration between the major studios and Nazi Germany in the runup to the second world war has defended his claims to the Observer.
Harvard scholar Ben Urwand, who spent a decade sifting through German and American archives, said: "I want to bring out a hidden episode in Hollywood history and an episode that has not been reported accurately."
Urwand's interpretation of the relationship is disputed by other scholars of the period. He claims that Hollywood studio chiefs, many of them recent eastern European Jewish refugees, enthusiastically worked with Hitler's censors to alter films or even cancel productions entirely in order to protect access to the German film market. "In the 1930s the Hollywood studios not...
The author of a controversial book causing a stir in Hollywood for exposing collaboration between the major studios and Nazi Germany in the runup to the second world war has defended his claims to the Observer.
Harvard scholar Ben Urwand, who spent a decade sifting through German and American archives, said: "I want to bring out a hidden episode in Hollywood history and an episode that has not been reported accurately."
Urwand's interpretation of the relationship is disputed by other scholars of the period. He claims that Hollywood studio chiefs, many of them recent eastern European Jewish refugees, enthusiastically worked with Hitler's censors to alter films or even cancel productions entirely in order to protect access to the German film market. "In the 1930s the Hollywood studios not...
- 6/29/2013
- by Edward Helmore
- The Guardian - Film News
Queen Christina is here ... and she's showing off the goods!Christina Aguilera performed a song from her new album on last night's episode of "The Voice," singing "Make the World Move" with CeeLo Green while decked out in a wild and revealing royal number reminiscent of her Halloween costume.Sporting a pink afro, sparkly crown and a low cut dress that also managed to show off her knee-high boot-covered legs, Aguilera was a sight to be seen.She's worn some crazy stuff on the reality show before, but this definitely topped it all.That being said, Xtina sounded great singing one of the better songs from "Lotus" and looked like she was having a blast up there.Check out the performance below:And while she performed with CeeLo last night, it's a song with another of her costars that's currently climbing the iTunes charts.As "Make the World Moves" stalled out...
- 11/14/2012
- by tooFab Staff
- TooFab
Greta Garbo, Queen Christina Queen Christina (1933). Director: Rouben Mamoulian. Cast: Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Ian Keith, Lewis Stone, Elizabeth Young, C. Aubrey Smith, Reginald Owen, David Torrence. Screenplay: H.M. Harwood and S.N. Behrman. (Salka Viertel was also credited, though reportedly was not an actual contributor.*) One of the most ambitious productions of the early ’30s, the Greta Garbo star vehicle Queen Christina remains surprisingly modern in its execution thanks in large part to director Rouben Mamoulian’s classy, assured touch. Those looking for historical accuracy in the film, however, will be greatly disappointed, for credited screenwriters H.M. Harwood and S.N. Behrman kept themselves busy concocting [...]...
- 6/25/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
After the phenomenal success of last year’s twenty fifth anniversary celebrations, the BFI London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival returns this coming week for its twenty sixth instalment, with another internationally flavoured and diverse line-up. Last year defied the recession and saw punters turn out to support the ailing festival which was under threat of being scrapped, luckily its back with a ten day slot devoted to the best new, old and experimental queer filmmaking. With a huge line-up of over sixty screenings and handful of talks and debates there is a lot to be seen, so here I am just going to pick some key highlights and a few personal choices.
Obviously the opening and closing night galas are the most hyped and talked about, and this year it would seem, for especially good reasons. Opening the festivities (for a third time) is Canadian-American director Thom Fitzgerald with Cloudburst,...
Obviously the opening and closing night galas are the most hyped and talked about, and this year it would seem, for especially good reasons. Opening the festivities (for a third time) is Canadian-American director Thom Fitzgerald with Cloudburst,...
- 3/19/2012
- by Tom Day
- Obsessed with Film
Today's Challenge: Can you find a link to connect Charles Xavier/Professor X (James McAvoy) to Christina Aguilera, who sometimes goes by Xtina? Also, did you know that on June 6, 1654 Charles X abdicated the Swedish throne to Queen Christina?
Our first Facebook movie game, ClusterFlick, plays off that old "six degrees of separation" theory — you know, the one that has a certain Kevin at the center of the Hollywood universe. It's easy to play, but not so easy to win. The goal is to use the major cast of movies to get from Point A to Point B in the smallest number of moves.
Play ClusterFlick >>
Next Showing:
Link | Posted 6/6/2011 by reelz
James McAvoy | Christina Aguilera | X-Men: First Class...
Our first Facebook movie game, ClusterFlick, plays off that old "six degrees of separation" theory — you know, the one that has a certain Kevin at the center of the Hollywood universe. It's easy to play, but not so easy to win. The goal is to use the major cast of movies to get from Point A to Point B in the smallest number of moves.
Play ClusterFlick >>
Next Showing:
Link | Posted 6/6/2011 by reelz
James McAvoy | Christina Aguilera | X-Men: First Class...
- 6/6/2011
- by reelz reelz
- Reelzchannel.com
With love well and truly in the air recently with Prince William tying the knot with the rather lovely Kate Middleton a few days ago, it seems an appropriate time to take a look at some of the most legendary on/off screen couples that have fascinated us film lovers over the years. Chemistry sparks when a real romance lies behind the scenes and when a new relationship begins the tabloids go crazy!
So to celebrate the union of the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge – and to appease my wife’s (yes, we just beat the Royals by getting married on 24th April!) constant requests to chronicle the following – here are the top ten on/off screen lovers the past century has immortalised…
10. Kim Basinger & Alec Baldwin
Back in the early 90s, Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin were one of the more popular on and off screen couples in Hollywood. Meeting...
So to celebrate the union of the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge – and to appease my wife’s (yes, we just beat the Royals by getting married on 24th April!) constant requests to chronicle the following – here are the top ten on/off screen lovers the past century has immortalised…
10. Kim Basinger & Alec Baldwin
Back in the early 90s, Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin were one of the more popular on and off screen couples in Hollywood. Meeting...
- 5/4/2011
- by Stuart Cummins
- Obsessed with Film
Foreword:
Bernardo Bertolucci’s 2003 film The Dreamers is a tribute to cinema. It’s mainly a tribute to the European school of cinema which had been critically acclaimed and inspirationally followed across the globe. Hence it doesn’t need any time to hook onto it. For film buffs of India and the other Third world countries, this surely works – nostalgia and associations flood in making the viewing experience quite worthwhile in most of the case. This also reminds of two very interesting and subtly different films which also pay tribute to the motion picture – Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso (1998) and Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s Once Upon a Time, Cinema (1992). The latter pays tribute to the Iranian film history of the silent age. It’s quite unfortunate that in spite of being the biggest cinema industry of the world, it’s hard to find an epical re-take of the country’s cinematic ingenuity.
Bernardo Bertolucci’s 2003 film The Dreamers is a tribute to cinema. It’s mainly a tribute to the European school of cinema which had been critically acclaimed and inspirationally followed across the globe. Hence it doesn’t need any time to hook onto it. For film buffs of India and the other Third world countries, this surely works – nostalgia and associations flood in making the viewing experience quite worthwhile in most of the case. This also reminds of two very interesting and subtly different films which also pay tribute to the motion picture – Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso (1998) and Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s Once Upon a Time, Cinema (1992). The latter pays tribute to the Iranian film history of the silent age. It’s quite unfortunate that in spite of being the biggest cinema industry of the world, it’s hard to find an epical re-take of the country’s cinematic ingenuity.
- 4/25/2011
- by Amitava Nag
- DearCinema.com
Character actor who was an ensemble player to the core
John Burgess, who has died of pancreatic cancer aged 77, was a versatile and highly intelligent character actor who appeared in several productions at the National Theatre in London. He joined the National in 2000 for Romeo and Juliet, directed by Tim Supple, and appeared in Remembrance of Things Past, co-adapted by Harold Pinter, with whom John enjoyed a friendship. He also performed in Trevor Nunn's The Relapse (2001) and The Alchemist (2006), but was injured out early in the run.
It was at the National that John and I collaborated joyously. I had much enjoyed working with this direct, drily humorous man back in 1978, when he was in my abandoned RSC Aldwych project Ice Cream (not to be confused with Caryl Churchill's later piece of the same name). So when Nick Hytner invited me to create a play for the National's...
John Burgess, who has died of pancreatic cancer aged 77, was a versatile and highly intelligent character actor who appeared in several productions at the National Theatre in London. He joined the National in 2000 for Romeo and Juliet, directed by Tim Supple, and appeared in Remembrance of Things Past, co-adapted by Harold Pinter, with whom John enjoyed a friendship. He also performed in Trevor Nunn's The Relapse (2001) and The Alchemist (2006), but was injured out early in the run.
It was at the National that John and I collaborated joyously. I had much enjoyed working with this direct, drily humorous man back in 1978, when he was in my abandoned RSC Aldwych project Ice Cream (not to be confused with Caryl Churchill's later piece of the same name). So when Nick Hytner invited me to create a play for the National's...
- 1/3/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
Erwin Creed, photographed in Paris, where his family's fragrance company is based.This year, the House of Creed celebrates its 250th anniversary. Along with this very special birthday comes a highly anticipated stateside appearance by the heir apparent of the fragrance empire. Mr. Erwin Creed—who also happens to be a very handsome young bachelor—is coming to your town in November. Ladies, mark your calendars! Erwin Creed, 29, is a member of the seventh generation of this super-luxe-fragrance dynasty, which was founded in 1760 by James Henry Creed and has counted Napoleon III and Queen Christina of Spain as clientele. Next month, Erwin will tour the U.S. to sign bottles of the perfumer’s Spice and Wood, along with Creed Windsor, which was made for King Edward VIII. Left, Creed's limited-edition fragrance Spice and Wood; right, Creed Windsor. Here's a look at his schedule: • New York at Bergdorf Goodman (212-872-2729), November 3, from 3:00 p.
- 10/27/2010
- Vanity Fair
The close-up is one of the few areas in which cinema genuinely demonstrates the maxim 'show, don't tell'. So will Botox put it at risk?
Towards the end of The Leopard, there's a 20-second close-up, in which Burt Lancaster stares into a mirror and a tear runs down his cheek. And we feel his pain. It's of a different order to the close-ups in The Expendables, where the beaten-up mugs of Sylvester Stallone and Mickey Rourke have evidently known pain, but we don't share it. I, at any rate, was too preoccupied with trying to map the strange, rugged topography of their faces.
Let us put aside for now the distinctions between medium close-up, close-up and extreme close-up, though I did recently stumble across the pleasing information that, in French, the medium shot is also known as the plan Américain – so-called because in westerns it allows us to see the...
Towards the end of The Leopard, there's a 20-second close-up, in which Burt Lancaster stares into a mirror and a tear runs down his cheek. And we feel his pain. It's of a different order to the close-ups in The Expendables, where the beaten-up mugs of Sylvester Stallone and Mickey Rourke have evidently known pain, but we don't share it. I, at any rate, was too preoccupied with trying to map the strange, rugged topography of their faces.
Let us put aside for now the distinctions between medium close-up, close-up and extreme close-up, though I did recently stumble across the pleasing information that, in French, the medium shot is also known as the plan Américain – so-called because in westerns it allows us to see the...
- 8/27/2010
- by Anne Billson
- The Guardian - Film News
Renée Adorée, John Gilbert in King Vidor‘s The Big Parade (top); John Gilbert, Greta Garbo in Clarence Brown‘s Flesh and the Devil (bottom) John Gilbert on TCM: Queen Christina, Downstairs Here are my top recommendations for John Gilbert Day (in addition to Queen Christina, mentioned in the previous post): Victor Sjöström‘s touching, poetic He Who Gets Slapped (1924), which features my favorite Lon Chaney performance as a clown with a past — no, Chaney doesn’t play a politician; he’s a real circus clown. Both Gilbert and Norma Shearer are flawless in less demanding but just as memorable roles. Erich von Stroheim‘s The Merry Widow (1925), a megablockbuster that solidified Gilbert’s superstardom along with King Vidor‘s The Big Parade, released that same year. Mae Murray shines in the title role, while von Stroheim adds some welcome kinky touches. (C’mon, TCM, I know you have...
- 8/24/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
John Gilbert, Greta Garbo in Rouben Mamoulian‘s Queen Christina Just a few days ago I was wondering if Turner Classic Movies would devote a day to the likes of John Gilbert, one of the biggest movie stars of the silent era — or any era, really. Though mostly forgotten today, Gilbert starred in numerous box-office and critical hits from 1923 to 1928, a relatively brief period but an illustrious body of work, nevertheless. Well, as part of TCM’s "Summer Under the Stars" series, Tuesday, Aug. 24, is John Gilbert Day. [John Gilbert schedule.] The good news is that fourteen Gilbert vehicles will be presented. The not-so-good news is that not one is a TCM premiere even though Time Warner should have access to several Gilbert vehicles that (to the best of my knowledge) have never been shown on television, e.g., Twelve Miles Out (1927), with Joan Crawford, Man Woman and Sin (1927) [...]...
- 8/24/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The ever elegant Helen swaying to "Oh Haseena" in black and red, Meena Kumari draped in yards of silk exuding sensuality in "Sahib, Bibi Aur Ghulam" and oomph girl Zeenat Aman in a transparent sari under a waterfall. The woman behind all these looks is Bhanu Rajopadhye Athaiya, India's first Oscar winner, who says she knows "India and its clothes inside out".Athaiya, who walked away with an Oscar for "Gandhi", remembers yesteryears' screen siren Helen with fondness as she looks back at the many decades of dressing Indian stars."Helen was nimble-footed and graceful - almost like a bird taking flight. There was a slight hint of bareness, but it never crossed the limit. Although she played the vamp, she never looked a bad vamp," Athaiya told Ians."Invariably, she would wear fitting bodices to show off her...
- 2/22/2010
- Filmicafe
Queen Christina (1933) Direction: Rouben Mamoulian Screenplay: H. M. Harwood and S. N. Behrman Cast: Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Ian Keith, Lewis Stone, Elizabeth Young, C. Aubrey Smith, Reginald Owen, David Torrence One of the most ambitious productions of the early 1930s, Queen Christina remains surprisingly modern in its execution thanks in large part to Rouben Mamoulian’s assured hand. Those looking for historical accuracy in the film, however, will be greatly disappointed, for credited screenwriters H. M. Harwood and S. N. Behrman kept themselves busy concocting a highly fictionalized version of the Swedish queen; one who experiences an all-consuming and ultimately tragic love affair with a Spanish envoy. (Garbo biographer Mark Vieira explains [see below] that credited screenwriter — and close Garbo friend — Salka Viertel did not in any way help in the writing of the Queen Christina screenplay.) The unusual Swedish monarch is played with passionate determination by the equally unusual Swedish star Greta Garbo,...
- 4/14/2009
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
MADRID -- A selection of 28 films will showcase the liberation of women in the 20th century in the 53rd San Sebastian International Film Festival's sidebar Rebellious and Untamed, organizers an-nounced Thursday. Films ranging from Rouben Mamoulian's Queen Christina (1933) to Cecilia Barriga's Ni Locas Ni Terroristas (2005) will show what the festival calls "the only victorious revolution" of the past century. "Cinema has reflected the struggle of women to obtain greater autonomy in a world governed by men, or to achieve more social justice in a world unfair to all," the festival said in a statement.
- 8/25/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Screened
Venice International Film Festival
VENICE, Italy -- With its equal-opportunity full-frontal nudity, frank portrayal of human sexuality and unabashed depiction of brother-sister incest, it is difficult to see this latest film from Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci receiving anything but an NC-17 rating, which will drastically reduce boxoffice potential. Those viewers who have no quarrel with the graphic images may well scratch their heads and wonder just what the director of such revered, if controversial, works as Last Tango in Paris and The Conformist thought he was communicating with this story of three young people living in Paris during the spring of 1968. Certainly his avowed intention of creating a film that captures the unbridled spirit of the era -- when political, cultural and moral boundaries were being stretched and redefined -- seems undercut by the particular story he chooses to tell. Based on Gilbert Adair's 1988 novel The Holy Innocents, this film can expect strong numbers in a few select urban areas but wash out everywhere else. Overseas boxoffice should be better, reflecting the less puritanical attitudes of Europeans.
Left alone in their Paris apartment while their parents go on a month's vacation, 19-ish twins Theo (Louis Garrel) and Isabelle (newcomer Eva Green) invite a young American student they have just met, 20-year-old Matthew (Michael Pitt) to move in with them. All three are passionate about cinema (they meet at the Cinematheque Francaise) and continually test one another's knowledge of films. They also indulge in sexual and mind games, pushing to see how far the other will go.
Matthew, raised in a typically middle-class American suburban home, is uncomfortable with how physically and sexually uninhibited the siblings are with each other and increasingly troubled by their close emotional and sexual bond. Completely smitten with the beautiful Isabelle, however, he eventually enters into their games while still cautioning them about what he considers their unnatural relationship.
While the three are holed up in the apartment, the streets of Paris are erupting outside. Peaceful protests, which begin when the government fires Henri Langlois as director of the cinematheque, prove to be the precursor of violent political riots in May. Theo mouths revolutionary rhetoric but, as Matthew points out, if he really believed, he'd be out there with the protesters.
Tensions inside the apartment rise as Theo and Matthew compete for Isabelle's attention, and Isabelle battles her own conflicts concerning her romantic feelings toward her brother. The trio's moral and emotional regression is mirrored in their neglect of their physical surroundings, which turns into a pigsty. The sense of escalating decay recalls Jean Cocteau's Les Enfants Terribles.
Certainly the director brings in many other film references by intercutting the action with actual clips from some of the characters' favorite movies, including Queen Christina, Blonde Venus, Band-a-Part and Top Hat. Characters are always quoting and acting out scenes from these movies, and the film easily could be considered a valentine to cinema were it not for the unusual subject matter that surrounds it.
Politically and historically, spring 1968 marked a momentous turning point throughout Europe as political dissent spilled into the streets and the younger generation found new expression in a melding of art, cinema, politics, rock 'n' roll, philosophy and drugs. But if Bertolucci is trying to capture that spirit of rebellion, experimentation and hope, he picks the wrong story. The protesters hoped to transform society for the better. Theo and Isabelle are narcissists without commitment to anything outside themselves.
The music in the film is terrific, the best 1968 had to offer: Janis Joplin, the Doors and Jimi Hendrix. In her screen debut, Green will undoubtedly be the talk of the film. An extraordinary beauty, she has the overripe sexiness, melancholy and destructive air of a young Jeanne Moreau. She even looks like Moreau, albeit with more delicate features. Her acting also is impressive
she and Garrel share a remarkable sense of ease and emotional intimacy that proves 100% believable. The appropriately sullen Garrel proves uninteresting overall, however. Pitt acquits himself well.
The Dreamers' perverse subject matter will no doubt raise objections, but the film's real failure is that neither the story nor the characters capture the zeitgeist that Bertolucci theoretically set out to celebrate.
THE DREAMERS
Fox Searchlight Pictures
A Recorded Picture Company, Peninsular Films, Fiction Co-Production
Credits:
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Screenwriter: Gilbert Adair, based on his novel The Holy Innocents
Producer: Jeremy Thomas
Director of photography: Fabio Cianchetti
Production designer: Jean Rabasse
Co-producer: John Bernard
Costume designer: Louise Stjernsward
Editor: Jacopo Quadri
Cast:
Matthew: Michael Pitt
Isabelle: Eva Green
Theo: Louis Garrel
Running time -- 118 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Venice International Film Festival
VENICE, Italy -- With its equal-opportunity full-frontal nudity, frank portrayal of human sexuality and unabashed depiction of brother-sister incest, it is difficult to see this latest film from Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci receiving anything but an NC-17 rating, which will drastically reduce boxoffice potential. Those viewers who have no quarrel with the graphic images may well scratch their heads and wonder just what the director of such revered, if controversial, works as Last Tango in Paris and The Conformist thought he was communicating with this story of three young people living in Paris during the spring of 1968. Certainly his avowed intention of creating a film that captures the unbridled spirit of the era -- when political, cultural and moral boundaries were being stretched and redefined -- seems undercut by the particular story he chooses to tell. Based on Gilbert Adair's 1988 novel The Holy Innocents, this film can expect strong numbers in a few select urban areas but wash out everywhere else. Overseas boxoffice should be better, reflecting the less puritanical attitudes of Europeans.
Left alone in their Paris apartment while their parents go on a month's vacation, 19-ish twins Theo (Louis Garrel) and Isabelle (newcomer Eva Green) invite a young American student they have just met, 20-year-old Matthew (Michael Pitt) to move in with them. All three are passionate about cinema (they meet at the Cinematheque Francaise) and continually test one another's knowledge of films. They also indulge in sexual and mind games, pushing to see how far the other will go.
Matthew, raised in a typically middle-class American suburban home, is uncomfortable with how physically and sexually uninhibited the siblings are with each other and increasingly troubled by their close emotional and sexual bond. Completely smitten with the beautiful Isabelle, however, he eventually enters into their games while still cautioning them about what he considers their unnatural relationship.
While the three are holed up in the apartment, the streets of Paris are erupting outside. Peaceful protests, which begin when the government fires Henri Langlois as director of the cinematheque, prove to be the precursor of violent political riots in May. Theo mouths revolutionary rhetoric but, as Matthew points out, if he really believed, he'd be out there with the protesters.
Tensions inside the apartment rise as Theo and Matthew compete for Isabelle's attention, and Isabelle battles her own conflicts concerning her romantic feelings toward her brother. The trio's moral and emotional regression is mirrored in their neglect of their physical surroundings, which turns into a pigsty. The sense of escalating decay recalls Jean Cocteau's Les Enfants Terribles.
Certainly the director brings in many other film references by intercutting the action with actual clips from some of the characters' favorite movies, including Queen Christina, Blonde Venus, Band-a-Part and Top Hat. Characters are always quoting and acting out scenes from these movies, and the film easily could be considered a valentine to cinema were it not for the unusual subject matter that surrounds it.
Politically and historically, spring 1968 marked a momentous turning point throughout Europe as political dissent spilled into the streets and the younger generation found new expression in a melding of art, cinema, politics, rock 'n' roll, philosophy and drugs. But if Bertolucci is trying to capture that spirit of rebellion, experimentation and hope, he picks the wrong story. The protesters hoped to transform society for the better. Theo and Isabelle are narcissists without commitment to anything outside themselves.
The music in the film is terrific, the best 1968 had to offer: Janis Joplin, the Doors and Jimi Hendrix. In her screen debut, Green will undoubtedly be the talk of the film. An extraordinary beauty, she has the overripe sexiness, melancholy and destructive air of a young Jeanne Moreau. She even looks like Moreau, albeit with more delicate features. Her acting also is impressive
she and Garrel share a remarkable sense of ease and emotional intimacy that proves 100% believable. The appropriately sullen Garrel proves uninteresting overall, however. Pitt acquits himself well.
The Dreamers' perverse subject matter will no doubt raise objections, but the film's real failure is that neither the story nor the characters capture the zeitgeist that Bertolucci theoretically set out to celebrate.
THE DREAMERS
Fox Searchlight Pictures
A Recorded Picture Company, Peninsular Films, Fiction Co-Production
Credits:
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Screenwriter: Gilbert Adair, based on his novel The Holy Innocents
Producer: Jeremy Thomas
Director of photography: Fabio Cianchetti
Production designer: Jean Rabasse
Co-producer: John Bernard
Costume designer: Louise Stjernsward
Editor: Jacopo Quadri
Cast:
Matthew: Michael Pitt
Isabelle: Eva Green
Theo: Louis Garrel
Running time -- 118 minutes
No MPAA rating...
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