Author: Zehra Phelan
“You’re were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off” is and will always be Michael Caine’s most iconic line of all time, uttered in the 1969 British Caper The Italian Job. With a career spanning a hefty 64 years between 1953 and 2017, Caine hits our screens yet again this week starring opposite Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin in Going in Style, a remake of the 1979 heist comedy directed by Zach Braff. It tells the story of a trio of retirees who plan to rob a bank after their pensions are cancelled, proving he isn’t quite ready to hang up his acting shoes to start drawing his own pension.
At the tender age of 84 the man previously known as Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, now known as Sir Michael Caine after being knighted by the queen in 2000, has starred in a staggering 125 films in his career to date. His...
“You’re were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off” is and will always be Michael Caine’s most iconic line of all time, uttered in the 1969 British Caper The Italian Job. With a career spanning a hefty 64 years between 1953 and 2017, Caine hits our screens yet again this week starring opposite Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin in Going in Style, a remake of the 1979 heist comedy directed by Zach Braff. It tells the story of a trio of retirees who plan to rob a bank after their pensions are cancelled, proving he isn’t quite ready to hang up his acting shoes to start drawing his own pension.
At the tender age of 84 the man previously known as Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, now known as Sir Michael Caine after being knighted by the queen in 2000, has starred in a staggering 125 films in his career to date. His...
- 4/5/2017
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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Get the feeling someone is looking over your shoulder? This quiz won’t help! This week we’re investigating the subtle (and not-so-subtle) art of spying in the movies.
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The plot of Hitchcock’s North by Northwest was suggested by this spy film.
The Man Who Never Was I Was Monty’s Double Odd Man Out Correct
Clifton Webb starred in Ronald Neame’s 1956 film...
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Get the feeling someone is looking over your shoulder? This quiz won’t help! This week we’re investigating the subtle (and not-so-subtle) art of spying in the movies.
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The plot of Hitchcock’s North by Northwest was suggested by this spy film.
The Man Who Never Was I Was Monty’s Double Odd Man Out Correct
Clifton Webb starred in Ronald Neame’s 1956 film...
- 1/16/2017
- by TFH
- Trailers from Hell
Mark Harrison Oct 14, 2016
With the question of who's playing James Bond in James Bond 25 unresolved, we look back at the casting conundrums 007 has faced before.
Since 1962, fewer men have played James Bond than have walked on the moon. Despite the relatively long turnaround of the role, the subject of who might follow in the footsteps of Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig in the future has fuelled many column inches and tabloid splashes.
It feels as if speculation about the seventh 007 in Eon Productions' long-lived spy franchise has been at fever pitch since this time last year, when Craig was doing the promotional rounds for Spectre and commented that he would rather “slash [his] wrists” than play Bond again. It's only after a year of constant reports on the subject that his far more optimistic comments at last weekend's New Yorker Festival...
With the question of who's playing James Bond in James Bond 25 unresolved, we look back at the casting conundrums 007 has faced before.
Since 1962, fewer men have played James Bond than have walked on the moon. Despite the relatively long turnaround of the role, the subject of who might follow in the footsteps of Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig in the future has fuelled many column inches and tabloid splashes.
It feels as if speculation about the seventh 007 in Eon Productions' long-lived spy franchise has been at fever pitch since this time last year, when Craig was doing the promotional rounds for Spectre and commented that he would rather “slash [his] wrists” than play Bond again. It's only after a year of constant reports on the subject that his far more optimistic comments at last weekend's New Yorker Festival...
- 10/12/2016
- Den of Geek
The Bond franchise which has been with us so long, has become so deeply entrenched in popular culture, that we often forget what it was that first distinguished the Bonds a half-century ago. Skyfall might be one of the best of the Bonds, and even, arguably, one of the best big-budget big-action flicks to come along in quite a while, but it’s not alone. The annual box office is – and has been, for quite some time – dominated by big, action-packed blockbusters of one sort of another. The Bonds aren’t even the only action-driven spy flicks (Mr. James Bond, I’d like you to meet Mr. Jason Bourne and Mr. Ethan Hunt).
That’s not to take anything away from the superb entertainment Skyfall is, or the sentimentally treasured place the Bonds hold. It’s only to say that where there was once just the one, there are now many.
That’s not to take anything away from the superb entertainment Skyfall is, or the sentimentally treasured place the Bonds hold. It’s only to say that where there was once just the one, there are now many.
- 10/26/2015
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
Bourne and Mission: Impossible, right back to Harry Palmer and Danger Diabolik - meet the many pretenders to James Bond's throne...
Since 1962, the James Bond franchise has come to define the spy genre, for good or ill. More broadly, every thriller and action film that comes out now either uses them as inspiration, or attempts to ignore or re-work the tropes that have come to be associated with the series.
Coming off the release of Kingsman: The Secret Service, and with the release of a new Bond film this year, now seems like the perfect time to take a look at a sample of the films which have been inspired by James Bond — either as homages, parodies or reactions.
The Ipcress File (1965)
Produced by James Bond producer Harry Saltzman as a more grounded alternative to the largesse of Bond, The Ipcress File is more concerned with the intricacies of real spy-work — the endless paperwork,...
Since 1962, the James Bond franchise has come to define the spy genre, for good or ill. More broadly, every thriller and action film that comes out now either uses them as inspiration, or attempts to ignore or re-work the tropes that have come to be associated with the series.
Coming off the release of Kingsman: The Secret Service, and with the release of a new Bond film this year, now seems like the perfect time to take a look at a sample of the films which have been inspired by James Bond — either as homages, parodies or reactions.
The Ipcress File (1965)
Produced by James Bond producer Harry Saltzman as a more grounded alternative to the largesse of Bond, The Ipcress File is more concerned with the intricacies of real spy-work — the endless paperwork,...
- 5/3/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
The Interview and the geopolitical crisis it caused is arguably the most important movie-related story of recent weeks.
The story device featured in The Interview, the idea of a film featuring the assassination of the current ruling leader, is nothing new, and in fact is seen through much of film’s history. In 1941 a German-in-exile Fritz Lang shown an unsuccessful attack on Adolf Hitler in Man Hunt (this story was also told in BBC’s Rogue Male from 1976 starring Peter O’Toole). The Shaw Brothers used the actual newsreel footage of Queen Elisabeth visiting Hong-Kong (then a British colony) in their 1976 martial arts flick A Queen’s Ransom (a.k.a. The International Assassin) starring post-James Bond George Lazenby as an Ira assassin and Angela Mao as a heroine trying to stop him. In fact, the Queen of England might be the most popular assassination target among actual world leaders...
The story device featured in The Interview, the idea of a film featuring the assassination of the current ruling leader, is nothing new, and in fact is seen through much of film’s history. In 1941 a German-in-exile Fritz Lang shown an unsuccessful attack on Adolf Hitler in Man Hunt (this story was also told in BBC’s Rogue Male from 1976 starring Peter O’Toole). The Shaw Brothers used the actual newsreel footage of Queen Elisabeth visiting Hong-Kong (then a British colony) in their 1976 martial arts flick A Queen’s Ransom (a.k.a. The International Assassin) starring post-James Bond George Lazenby as an Ira assassin and Angela Mao as a heroine trying to stop him. In fact, the Queen of England might be the most popular assassination target among actual world leaders...
- 2/2/2015
- by Jakub Mejer
- MUBI
Top 10 Aliya Whiteley 28 May 2013 - 06:55
The 1930s to the end of the 20th century saw the release of some classic tap dancing movies. Here's Aliya's pick of the 10 best...
Either you love movies in which people suddenly break into tap dance routines to express their innermost desires, or you hate them. If you hate them, you’re in luck – they pretty much don’t exist in modern film any more.
Having said that, there have been some great dancing moments in the last few years, such as Amy Adams having a me party in The Muppets, or Meryl Streep bouncing up and down on the bed in Mamma Mia! But these aren’t tap dances, and they’re much more about enthusiasm than skill. Or High School Musical, Take The Lead and others give us great modern or ballroom dancing, but within the context of people putting on a show,...
The 1930s to the end of the 20th century saw the release of some classic tap dancing movies. Here's Aliya's pick of the 10 best...
Either you love movies in which people suddenly break into tap dance routines to express their innermost desires, or you hate them. If you hate them, you’re in luck – they pretty much don’t exist in modern film any more.
Having said that, there have been some great dancing moments in the last few years, such as Amy Adams having a me party in The Muppets, or Meryl Streep bouncing up and down on the bed in Mamma Mia! But these aren’t tap dances, and they’re much more about enthusiasm than skill. Or High School Musical, Take The Lead and others give us great modern or ballroom dancing, but within the context of people putting on a show,...
- 5/24/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Look into my eyes – and help us find the best examples of mind control in film
This week's Clip joint is by writer Nia Jones; follow her on Twitter here.
We've covered the workings of the mind on clip joint, but how about scenes involving manipulation of the human brain?
1. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
This adaptation of Richard Condon's The Manchurian Candidate is an intense political thriller with wonderful performances by Laurence Harvey, Angela Lansbury and Frank Sinatra. Director John Frankenheimer taps into multinational conspiracies in a fascinating and enthralling film.
Reading on mobile? Watch the clip on YouTube
2. Village of the Damned (1995)
Based on The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham, and a remake of the 1960 film adaptation, Village of the Damned sees hostile extraterrestrial forces send the population of the Midwest American village Midwich to sleep. When they wake up, all the women of child-bearing age are pregnant. The children...
This week's Clip joint is by writer Nia Jones; follow her on Twitter here.
We've covered the workings of the mind on clip joint, but how about scenes involving manipulation of the human brain?
1. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
This adaptation of Richard Condon's The Manchurian Candidate is an intense political thriller with wonderful performances by Laurence Harvey, Angela Lansbury and Frank Sinatra. Director John Frankenheimer taps into multinational conspiracies in a fascinating and enthralling film.
Reading on mobile? Watch the clip on YouTube
2. Village of the Damned (1995)
Based on The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham, and a remake of the 1960 film adaptation, Village of the Damned sees hostile extraterrestrial forces send the population of the Midwest American village Midwich to sleep. When they wake up, all the women of child-bearing age are pregnant. The children...
- 5/22/2013
- by Guardian readers
- The Guardian - Film News
I have been trying to think up a comparable actor for Colin Firth and I’m pretty much coming up with two parts Michael Caine and one part Alec Guinness. Caine and Guinness were so often the anti-James Bonds – Caine as the be-spectacled and put-upon Harry Palmer and Guinness as George Smiley. That seems to be what Firth is going for too, at least since he appeared in the crazy amazing Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy adaptation as the charming and nefarious Bill Haydon. Now Colin Firth will be spying for Britain once again in the adaptation of Charles Cummings’ novel A Foreign Country.
A Foreign Country follows a disgraced Secret Service man searching for the missing chief of MI6, leading him eventually to France and, of course, massive conspiracies. Firth already has plenty of experience ousting conspiracies since his turn in Tinker Tailor and I can totally see him as...
A Foreign Country follows a disgraced Secret Service man searching for the missing chief of MI6, leading him eventually to France and, of course, massive conspiracies. Firth already has plenty of experience ousting conspiracies since his turn in Tinker Tailor and I can totally see him as...
- 5/19/2013
- by Lauren Humphries-Brooks
- We Got This Covered
Oscar winning writer Simon Beaufoy ("Slumdog Millionaire") and Clerkenwell Films are developing an 18-part TV series based on the works of classic Cold War espionage novelist Len Deighton.
The series will focus on the three novel trilogies about iconic spy Bernard Samson, an ex-MI6 field agent drawn back into active duty to uncover the truth about his wife’s defection to the Kgb.
The first trilogy comprised the books "Berlin Game," "Mexico Set" and "London Match". The second was "Spy Hook," "Spy Line" and "Spy Sinker," and the third was "Faith," "Hope" and "Charity".
Granada made a 12-part TV series adaptation of the first trilogy back in 1988, then immediately withdrew it from release after the withdrawn at Deighton's instruction. Quentin Tarantino has previously expressed interest in adapting the trilogy.
Deighton also famously created another iconic spy - an anonymous anti-hero in four novels. The character was named Harry Palmer in...
The series will focus on the three novel trilogies about iconic spy Bernard Samson, an ex-MI6 field agent drawn back into active duty to uncover the truth about his wife’s defection to the Kgb.
The first trilogy comprised the books "Berlin Game," "Mexico Set" and "London Match". The second was "Spy Hook," "Spy Line" and "Spy Sinker," and the third was "Faith," "Hope" and "Charity".
Granada made a 12-part TV series adaptation of the first trilogy back in 1988, then immediately withdrew it from release after the withdrawn at Deighton's instruction. Quentin Tarantino has previously expressed interest in adapting the trilogy.
Deighton also famously created another iconic spy - an anonymous anti-hero in four novels. The character was named Harry Palmer in...
- 4/12/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
The late Jesús Franco was, we are told, once named by the Vatican as being, along with Luis Buñuel, "the most dangerous filmmaker in the world." There's little evidence of that in early spy caper Cartes sur table (Cards on the Table, a.k.a. Attack of the Robots, 1966), but there is, by pleasing coincidence, a Buñuel connection or two. Franco's co-writer on this and other early productions was none other than the great Jean-Claude Carrière, the collaborator's collaborator, who worked with Buñuel on all his later French movies (as well as ghosting Don Luis's autobiography My Last Breath). The movie also features regular Buñuel star Fernando Rey among its seamy rogue's gallery of villains.
The movie stars craggy Yank abroad Eddie Constantine as a former Interpol agent lured back for one last job, but betrayed by his bosses who see him as a pawn in the game. Although the movie is light,...
The movie stars craggy Yank abroad Eddie Constantine as a former Interpol agent lured back for one last job, but betrayed by his bosses who see him as a pawn in the game. Although the movie is light,...
- 4/11/2013
- by David Cairns
- MUBI
By Lee Pfeiffer
Actors and directors have a long tradition of trying to pass off exotic vacations as legitimate film making. Sometimes the cynical gambit pays unexpected dividends such as the Rat Pack's decision to shoot Oceans Eleven in between their nightly gigs on stage in the Sands hotel and casino in Las Vegas. They somehow turned out a good movie in between all the drinking, screwing and gambling. John Ford rounded up his stock company and headed to Hawaii for Donovan's Reef, but even with John Wayne on board, Paramount balked at the reed-thin script and old Pappy ended up having to front some of the production costs himself. In 1990, director Michael Winner teamed two of the wittiest and most likable stars- Michael Caine and Roger Moore- for what would appear to be a "no lose" proposition: casting them in an espionage comedy. Winner was well past his sell...
Actors and directors have a long tradition of trying to pass off exotic vacations as legitimate film making. Sometimes the cynical gambit pays unexpected dividends such as the Rat Pack's decision to shoot Oceans Eleven in between their nightly gigs on stage in the Sands hotel and casino in Las Vegas. They somehow turned out a good movie in between all the drinking, screwing and gambling. John Ford rounded up his stock company and headed to Hawaii for Donovan's Reef, but even with John Wayne on board, Paramount balked at the reed-thin script and old Pappy ended up having to front some of the production costs himself. In 1990, director Michael Winner teamed two of the wittiest and most likable stars- Michael Caine and Roger Moore- for what would appear to be a "no lose" proposition: casting them in an espionage comedy. Winner was well past his sell...
- 2/24/2013
- by [email protected] (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The name ‘Broccoli’ has been most closely associated with the James Bond film series over the last 50 years: famously the late Albert R “Cubby” Broccoli, and now his daughter, Barbara (who co-produces the 007 movies with her stepbrother, Michael G Wilson.)
But in the early days — from Dr No (1962) to The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) — another producer shared the Bond film billings with Cubby: Harry Saltzman.
In fact it was Harry, a no-nonsense and flamboyant Canadian, who had originally secured the film rights from Bond author Ian Fleming. Already a successful film producer known for the British kitchen sink dramas Look back in Anger and The Entertainer, Harry teamed up with Cubby and kick-started the 007 franchise with their company, Eon productions.
It wasn’t easy. Harry and Cubby wanted the then unknown Sean Connery to star as Bond while the studio was pushing for a household name. How Saltzman and Broccoli stood their ground,...
But in the early days — from Dr No (1962) to The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) — another producer shared the Bond film billings with Cubby: Harry Saltzman.
In fact it was Harry, a no-nonsense and flamboyant Canadian, who had originally secured the film rights from Bond author Ian Fleming. Already a successful film producer known for the British kitchen sink dramas Look back in Anger and The Entertainer, Harry teamed up with Cubby and kick-started the 007 franchise with their company, Eon productions.
It wasn’t easy. Harry and Cubby wanted the then unknown Sean Connery to star as Bond while the studio was pushing for a household name. How Saltzman and Broccoli stood their ground,...
- 1/30/2013
- by Tony Greenway
- Obsessed with Film
(*My apologies for this coming so long after Sound on Sight’s celebration of 50 years of James Bond, but I’ve been swamped with end-of-semester work and only just now managed to finish this. Hope you all still find this of interest.)
As a coda to the Sos’s James Bond salute, there’s still a point I think deserves to be made.
The Bond franchise which has been with us so long, has become so deeply entrenched in popular culture, that we often forget what it was that first distinguished the Bonds a half-century ago. Skyfall might be one of the best of the Bonds, and even, arguably, one of the best big-budget big-action flicks to come along in quite a while, but it’s not alone. The annual box office is – and has been, for quite some time – dominated by big, action-packed blockbusters of one sort of another.
As a coda to the Sos’s James Bond salute, there’s still a point I think deserves to be made.
The Bond franchise which has been with us so long, has become so deeply entrenched in popular culture, that we often forget what it was that first distinguished the Bonds a half-century ago. Skyfall might be one of the best of the Bonds, and even, arguably, one of the best big-budget big-action flicks to come along in quite a while, but it’s not alone. The annual box office is – and has been, for quite some time – dominated by big, action-packed blockbusters of one sort of another.
- 12/20/2012
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
On 10th November, Julien’s presided over the sale of 800+ lots for their ‘Hollywood Icons and Idols’ auction, featuring movie costumes, props and assorted memorabilia.
The auction’s big draw was a (not ‘the’; there were several) blue and white cotton gingham pinafore dress and original blouse worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. It exceeded lowest expectations selling for $480,000, perhaps not as much as hoped for bearing in mind it is such a well loved costume – top estimate was $600,000. Much of the bidding went this way, certainly high and above estimates, but nowhere near the record amounts seen at the Debbie Reynolds auction last year. This could be because overall the lots were not as obviously exciting, or economic reasons, or even simply that the sale was not particularly well publicised.
Any item seen on Marilyn Monroe will make money, but over half a million...
The auction’s big draw was a (not ‘the’; there were several) blue and white cotton gingham pinafore dress and original blouse worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. It exceeded lowest expectations selling for $480,000, perhaps not as much as hoped for bearing in mind it is such a well loved costume – top estimate was $600,000. Much of the bidding went this way, certainly high and above estimates, but nowhere near the record amounts seen at the Debbie Reynolds auction last year. This could be because overall the lots were not as obviously exciting, or economic reasons, or even simply that the sale was not particularly well publicised.
Any item seen on Marilyn Monroe will make money, but over half a million...
- 11/12/2012
- by Chris Laverty
- Clothes on Film
By Lee Pfeiffer
As a political junkie, I didn't think anything would tempt me to miss last night's much-anticipated first debate between President Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney, but an invitation from Eon Productions to attend the New York premiere of the acclaimed documentary Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of James Bond proved too tempting to resist. The film is a triumph for director Stevan Riley and his team, who worked for over a year and a half to put together the most unique look at the longest-running series in cinema history. The event took place at the Museum of Modern Art. The screening itself, in digital format, was enthusiastically received by all including some people who profess not to be particularly enamored of the films themselves but who felt the angle of covering the human side of the producer's stories was successful and engrossing on all levels.
As a political junkie, I didn't think anything would tempt me to miss last night's much-anticipated first debate between President Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney, but an invitation from Eon Productions to attend the New York premiere of the acclaimed documentary Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of James Bond proved too tempting to resist. The film is a triumph for director Stevan Riley and his team, who worked for over a year and a half to put together the most unique look at the longest-running series in cinema history. The event took place at the Museum of Modern Art. The screening itself, in digital format, was enthusiastically received by all including some people who profess not to be particularly enamored of the films themselves but who felt the angle of covering the human side of the producer's stories was successful and engrossing on all levels.
- 10/4/2012
- by [email protected] (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Lee Pfeiffer
Ever hear of Bob Wilkins? Neither had I until I received a review copy of The Complete Bob Wilkins Creature Features from November Fire Recordings. If you grew up in Sacramento, California or the Bay Area in the 1960s and 1970s, Wilkins will be a familiar name. Many major American cities had popular local personalities who hosted retro-themed cult movie broadcasts. In some markets, it was Zacherly, the Cool Ghoul hosting horror flicks. In the New York City area, it was Officer Joe Bolton, a fictitious police officer who introduced Three Stooges shorts. Wilkins was a nondescript employee with no broadcasting experience who worked at nickel-and-dime local stations in the era in which such networks relied on old re-runs of classic TV series and cheap movies that were often in the public domain, copyright-wise. Wilkins was a baby-faced, blonde haired young man who wore thick black glasses,...
Ever hear of Bob Wilkins? Neither had I until I received a review copy of The Complete Bob Wilkins Creature Features from November Fire Recordings. If you grew up in Sacramento, California or the Bay Area in the 1960s and 1970s, Wilkins will be a familiar name. Many major American cities had popular local personalities who hosted retro-themed cult movie broadcasts. In some markets, it was Zacherly, the Cool Ghoul hosting horror flicks. In the New York City area, it was Officer Joe Bolton, a fictitious police officer who introduced Three Stooges shorts. Wilkins was a nondescript employee with no broadcasting experience who worked at nickel-and-dime local stations in the era in which such networks relied on old re-runs of classic TV series and cheap movies that were often in the public domain, copyright-wise. Wilkins was a baby-faced, blonde haired young man who wore thick black glasses,...
- 9/12/2012
- by [email protected] (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Legendary British filmmaker Ken Russell, the notorious director famous for boundary-pushing films such as Women in Love, Altered States and The Devils, has died at 84 following a series of strokes.
For an artist who's been called an iconoclast, a maverick and a genius — one with a professed love for consciousness-altering drugs — Russell (born July 3, 1927) got his start in a fairly conventional manner. Following a stint in the service, Russell worked as a photojournalist to minor acclaim before going to work at the BBC as a director in 1959.
While at the BBC, Russell made a series of historical documentaries, still regarded as impressive for their impressionistic visual technique. This is the beginning of the flamboyant style that became synonymous with the name Ken Russell. Many of these television films focused on renowned composers, including Edward Elgar, Richard Strauss and Claude Debussy. Interestingly, this is subject matter Russell would return to often...
For an artist who's been called an iconoclast, a maverick and a genius — one with a professed love for consciousness-altering drugs — Russell (born July 3, 1927) got his start in a fairly conventional manner. Following a stint in the service, Russell worked as a photojournalist to minor acclaim before going to work at the BBC as a director in 1959.
While at the BBC, Russell made a series of historical documentaries, still regarded as impressive for their impressionistic visual technique. This is the beginning of the flamboyant style that became synonymous with the name Ken Russell. Many of these television films focused on renowned composers, including Edward Elgar, Richard Strauss and Claude Debussy. Interestingly, this is subject matter Russell would return to often...
- 11/28/2011
- by Theron
- Planet Fury
Following a series of strokes, British film director Ken Russell died on Sunday at the age of 84. Russell was famed for being experimental and flamboyant with his films which had heavily sexual overtones and often rebelled against the otherwise rigid and subdued tone used by other famed British filmmakers. It earned him the nickname 'The Fellini of the North'.
Russell first came to notice with 1967's "Billion Dollar Brain", the third film in the Michael Caine-led Harry Palmer spy drama series based on Len Deighton's books. Two years later he directed his signature film - an adaptation of Dh Lawrence's "Women In Love".
'Women' scored numerous Oscar nominations and featured the now infamous nude wrestling scene between Oliver Reed and Alan Bates that broke the taboo of full frontal male nudity on camera in a mainstream film.
That lead to numerous films in the 1970's that have since become infamous.
Russell first came to notice with 1967's "Billion Dollar Brain", the third film in the Michael Caine-led Harry Palmer spy drama series based on Len Deighton's books. Two years later he directed his signature film - an adaptation of Dh Lawrence's "Women In Love".
'Women' scored numerous Oscar nominations and featured the now infamous nude wrestling scene between Oliver Reed and Alan Bates that broke the taboo of full frontal male nudity on camera in a mainstream film.
That lead to numerous films in the 1970's that have since become infamous.
- 11/28/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
The Associated Press reports that Ken Russell, the controversial British director of such cult films as "The Devils," "Tommy," and "Altered States," died on Sunday after a series of strokes. He was 84. The AP sums it up well:
"Ken Russell got Oliver Reed and Alan Bates to wrestle naked, turned Vanessa Redgrave into a demonic nun and cast Ringo Starr as the pope. Critics and mainstream audiences often hated his films. Actors and admirers loved him. The iconoclastic British director, whose death aged 84 was announced Monday, made films that blended music, sex and violence in a potent brew seemingly drawn straight from his subconscious."
Russell isn't a household name, but amongst cinephiles, his appearance in a film's credits signalled reason for excitement. Russell's movies might not always have been perfect, but during his heyday in the 1960s and '70s, they were always interesting. Scrolling through his IMDb page you...
"Ken Russell got Oliver Reed and Alan Bates to wrestle naked, turned Vanessa Redgrave into a demonic nun and cast Ringo Starr as the pope. Critics and mainstream audiences often hated his films. Actors and admirers loved him. The iconoclastic British director, whose death aged 84 was announced Monday, made films that blended music, sex and violence in a potent brew seemingly drawn straight from his subconscious."
Russell isn't a household name, but amongst cinephiles, his appearance in a film's credits signalled reason for excitement. Russell's movies might not always have been perfect, but during his heyday in the 1960s and '70s, they were always interesting. Scrolling through his IMDb page you...
- 11/28/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
Ken Russell with Twiggy on the set of The Boyfriend (1971)
By Lee Pfeiffer
Director Ken Russell, who once seemed destined to enter his family's shoe business, has died after a series of strokes at age 84. Russell served in the British navy before using his talents as a photographer to become a documentary film maker. Once he began making major studio films, they were often steeped in controversy. Russell seemed to have little regard for whether his movies had boxoffice appeal. Instead, he focused on his own creative visions of storytelling. One of Russell's most acclaimed films, the 1970 version of D.H. Lawrence's Women in Love earned him as Oscar nomination and was both a critical and financial success. The films he made in the years after were not as well regarded. His 1971 film The Devils was considered so shocking that it has been censored and cut into various versions throughout the world.
By Lee Pfeiffer
Director Ken Russell, who once seemed destined to enter his family's shoe business, has died after a series of strokes at age 84. Russell served in the British navy before using his talents as a photographer to become a documentary film maker. Once he began making major studio films, they were often steeped in controversy. Russell seemed to have little regard for whether his movies had boxoffice appeal. Instead, he focused on his own creative visions of storytelling. One of Russell's most acclaimed films, the 1970 version of D.H. Lawrence's Women in Love earned him as Oscar nomination and was both a critical and financial success. The films he made in the years after were not as well regarded. His 1971 film The Devils was considered so shocking that it has been censored and cut into various versions throughout the world.
- 11/28/2011
- by [email protected] (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Following the sad death of director Ken Russell yesterday, James looks back at his sometimes stunning body of work...
While his best years were clearly long behind him, the passing of director Ken Russell, one of the undoubted titans of post-war British cinema, still feels like a huge loss for the world of film. Contrarian, provocateur and a lover of excess in all its forms, Russell was a filmmaker whose work was rarely restrained, seldom safe and almost always memorable, although not necessarily for the right reasons.
Despite a childhood desire to be a ballet dancer, it was as a photographer that Russell initially made his name, and it was through this route that he secured a job in 1959 within the BBC.
Working as an arts documentarian during the 1960s, Russell honed his craft, creating a series of artful, evocative films, mainly focusing on composers such as Debussy, Elgar and Strauss.
While his best years were clearly long behind him, the passing of director Ken Russell, one of the undoubted titans of post-war British cinema, still feels like a huge loss for the world of film. Contrarian, provocateur and a lover of excess in all its forms, Russell was a filmmaker whose work was rarely restrained, seldom safe and almost always memorable, although not necessarily for the right reasons.
Despite a childhood desire to be a ballet dancer, it was as a photographer that Russell initially made his name, and it was through this route that he secured a job in 1959 within the BBC.
Working as an arts documentarian during the 1960s, Russell honed his craft, creating a series of artful, evocative films, mainly focusing on composers such as Debussy, Elgar and Strauss.
- 11/28/2011
- Den of Geek
Ken Russell, who has died aged 84, was so often called rude names – the wild man of British cinema, the apostle of excess, the oldest angry young man in the business – that he gave up denying it all quite early in his career. Indeed, he often seemed to court the very publicity that emphasised only the crudest assessment of his work. He gave the impression that he cared not a damn. Those who knew him better, however, knew that he did. Underneath all the showbiz bluster, he was an old softie. Or, perhaps as accurately, a talented boy who never quite grew up.
It has, of course, to be said that he was capable of almost any enormity in the careless rapture he brought to making his films. He could be dreadfully cruel to his undoubted talent,...
It has, of course, to be said that he was capable of almost any enormity in the careless rapture he brought to making his films. He could be dreadfully cruel to his undoubted talent,...
- 11/28/2011
- by Derek Malcolm
- The Guardian - Film News
Ken Russell, the British film director and former Celebrity Big Brother contestant, has died at the age of 84. The director, whose work includes Women in Love, The Devils and Tommy, died peacefully in his sleep in hospital yesterday afternoon (November 27), his son Alex confirmed. Novelist and broadcaster Norman Lebrecht revealed the news on the Arts Journal blog. Born in Southampton in 1927, Russell served in both the Royal Air Force and Merchant Navy before moving into directing television documentaries. He started feature film directing with his 1963 movie French Dressing before making Harry Palmer film Billion Dollar Brain with Michael Caine. Russell's 1969 adaptation of Dh Lawrence's Women in Love earned him an Oscar nomination for 'Best Director' and won its star Glenda Jackson (more)...
- 11/28/2011
- by By Simon Reynolds
- Digital Spy
A line-up of Eon greats at the National History Museum in 2002, where Syd was promoting his autobiography. (L to R): Ken Adam, Syd Cain, Peter Lamont and Michael G. Wilson. (Photo copyright Dave Worrall. All rights reserved).
By Lee Pfeiffer
Syd Cain, the respected art director and production designer, has died at age 93. Syd's death is a personal loss to many of us at Cinema Retro who considered him a friend. His remarkable career included a long association with the James Bond films. He began on the very first film, Dr. No, in 1962 as art director, working with the legendary production designer Ken Adam. When Adam wasn't available for the second film, From Russia With Love, Syd took over for the art direction and production design duties. Syd was billed as the production designer for the 1969 Bond classic On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969, playing a crucial role in...
By Lee Pfeiffer
Syd Cain, the respected art director and production designer, has died at age 93. Syd's death is a personal loss to many of us at Cinema Retro who considered him a friend. His remarkable career included a long association with the James Bond films. He began on the very first film, Dr. No, in 1962 as art director, working with the legendary production designer Ken Adam. When Adam wasn't available for the second film, From Russia With Love, Syd took over for the art direction and production design duties. Syd was billed as the production designer for the 1969 Bond classic On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969, playing a crucial role in...
- 11/21/2011
- by [email protected] (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Actor known for her roles in The Ipcress File and Crossroads
The actor Sue Lloyd, who has died aged 72, exuded glamour and sophistication on screen in the 1960s, before finding renewed fame two decades later as Barbara Hunter in 714 episodes of the TV soap opera Crossroads. But it took two attempts by the serial's producers to persuade her to join a programme that was roundly abused by the critics.
"My initial reaction was to be a bit sniffy about it," Lloyd recalled in her 1998 autobiography, It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time. "The soap was renowned for its wobbly scenery, bizarre storylines and regular slaughtering by the critics. Why would I, just back from filming [Revenge of] The Pink Panther with Peter Sellers in the south of France and about to embark on the comedy The Upchat Line with John Alderton, want to get involved in a project like that?...
The actor Sue Lloyd, who has died aged 72, exuded glamour and sophistication on screen in the 1960s, before finding renewed fame two decades later as Barbara Hunter in 714 episodes of the TV soap opera Crossroads. But it took two attempts by the serial's producers to persuade her to join a programme that was roundly abused by the critics.
"My initial reaction was to be a bit sniffy about it," Lloyd recalled in her 1998 autobiography, It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time. "The soap was renowned for its wobbly scenery, bizarre storylines and regular slaughtering by the critics. Why would I, just back from filming [Revenge of] The Pink Panther with Peter Sellers in the south of France and about to embark on the comedy The Upchat Line with John Alderton, want to get involved in a project like that?...
- 10/23/2011
- by Anthony Hayward
- The Guardian - Film News
Although he hasn’t signed on the dotted line yet, Bradley Cooper is now Steven Soderbergh’s new number one choice as the suave Napoleon Solo in the forthcoming Warner Bros Spy movie ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement – in case you were interested?)
This follows the news that Soderbergh’s original hot choice George Clooney has turned down the opportunity to be America’s answer to James Bond. The ‘Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ TV series ran for 105 episodes from 1964 to 1968 and starred Robert Vaughn as Napoleon Solo and British actor David McCullum as his partner Illya Kuryakin.
While Michael Caine’s Harry Palmer was fighting the ‘Cold War’ on the big screen in the sixties, ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ showed the Western World that East and West could team up to fight evil that threatened mankind. In this case the bad...
This follows the news that Soderbergh’s original hot choice George Clooney has turned down the opportunity to be America’s answer to James Bond. The ‘Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ TV series ran for 105 episodes from 1964 to 1968 and starred Robert Vaughn as Napoleon Solo and British actor David McCullum as his partner Illya Kuryakin.
While Michael Caine’s Harry Palmer was fighting the ‘Cold War’ on the big screen in the sixties, ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ showed the Western World that East and West could team up to fight evil that threatened mankind. In this case the bad...
- 10/22/2011
- by Mark Foker
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
In early autumn next year, the film industry will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first James Bond movie, Dr No, after which there will be rather smaller celebrations to mark the anniversaries of the more short-lived pseudo-Bonds, anti-Bonds and Bond send-ups including Jason Love, Harry Palmer, Matt Helm, Derek Flint and, for die-hard chroniclers of the genre, Neil Connery in Operation Kid Brother.
Harry Saltzman wore belt and braces in the early 60s, co-producing the Bond films and the Palmer series launched by The Ipcress File. Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title Films have now done something similar as producers of the deadly serious Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (where the guests at an MI5 Christmas party sing along to the comic theme song of the 1965 Bond rip-off Licensed to Kill) and the 007 parodies featuring Rowan Atkinson as the dim spy, Johnny English of MI7, a child-like,...
Harry Saltzman wore belt and braces in the early 60s, co-producing the Bond films and the Palmer series launched by The Ipcress File. Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title Films have now done something similar as producers of the deadly serious Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (where the guests at an MI5 Christmas party sing along to the comic theme song of the 1965 Bond rip-off Licensed to Kill) and the 007 parodies featuring Rowan Atkinson as the dim spy, Johnny English of MI7, a child-like,...
- 10/8/2011
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Gary Oldman Says Sequel Could Be A Composite Of 'The Honourable Schoolboy' And 'Smiley's People' It's hard to say that the spy genre doesn't love a franchise. The longest running franchise in cinema history is, of course, the James Bond series, Jason Bourne is Universal's biggest tentpole, and from Harry Palmer to Jack Ryan, if audiences show even a sniff on interest in a character, executives will happily bring them back for future installments, which is why we've had to suffer through things like "xXx2" and "Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London" over the years. As we discussed in our…...
- 9/26/2011
- The Playlist
Georgia
Opens: 2010
Cast: Val Kilmer, Andy Garcia, Rupert Friend, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Johnathon Schaech
Director: Renny Harlin
Summary: An American journalist, his cameraman, and a Georgian native get caught in the crossfire of the five-day Russia-Georgia conflict in August 2008, and then have to deal with their obligation to be impartial.
Analysis: A timely parable on war, or Hollywood propaganda filmmaking at its worst? Wherever it goes, especially in Europe and the former Soviet states, "Georgia" will cause a lot of talk and controversy as the incidents depicted are still so fresh in many's minds. Like all topics of the sort, it'll also have its strong supporters and detractors having opinions on the film long before a frame of footage is screened anywhere.
Shot on-location in Tbilisi, the project also marks a potential return to form for Finnish director Renny Harlin. Given the right material the skilled action director delivered three...
Opens: 2010
Cast: Val Kilmer, Andy Garcia, Rupert Friend, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Johnathon Schaech
Director: Renny Harlin
Summary: An American journalist, his cameraman, and a Georgian native get caught in the crossfire of the five-day Russia-Georgia conflict in August 2008, and then have to deal with their obligation to be impartial.
Analysis: A timely parable on war, or Hollywood propaganda filmmaking at its worst? Wherever it goes, especially in Europe and the former Soviet states, "Georgia" will cause a lot of talk and controversy as the incidents depicted are still so fresh in many's minds. Like all topics of the sort, it'll also have its strong supporters and detractors having opinions on the film long before a frame of footage is screened anywhere.
Shot on-location in Tbilisi, the project also marks a potential return to form for Finnish director Renny Harlin. Given the right material the skilled action director delivered three...
- 12/20/2009
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Georgia
Opens: 2010
Cast: Val Kilmer, Andy Garcia, Rupert Friend, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Johnathon Schaech
Director: Renny Harlin
Summary: An American journalist, his cameraman, and a Georgian native get caught in the crossfire of the five-day Russia-Georgia conflict in August 2008, and then have to deal with their obligation to be impartial.
Analysis: A timely parable on war, or Hollywood propaganda filmmaking at its worst? Wherever it goes, especially in Europe and the former Soviet states, "Georgia" will cause a lot of talk and controversy as the incidents depicted are still so fresh in many's minds. Like all topics of the sort, it'll also have its strong supporters and detractors having opinions on the film long before a frame of footage is screened anywhere.
Shot on-location in Tbilisi, the project also marks a potential return to form for Finnish director Renny Harlin. Given the right material the skilled action director delivered three...
Opens: 2010
Cast: Val Kilmer, Andy Garcia, Rupert Friend, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Johnathon Schaech
Director: Renny Harlin
Summary: An American journalist, his cameraman, and a Georgian native get caught in the crossfire of the five-day Russia-Georgia conflict in August 2008, and then have to deal with their obligation to be impartial.
Analysis: A timely parable on war, or Hollywood propaganda filmmaking at its worst? Wherever it goes, especially in Europe and the former Soviet states, "Georgia" will cause a lot of talk and controversy as the incidents depicted are still so fresh in many's minds. Like all topics of the sort, it'll also have its strong supporters and detractors having opinions on the film long before a frame of footage is screened anywhere.
Shot on-location in Tbilisi, the project also marks a potential return to form for Finnish director Renny Harlin. Given the right material the skilled action director delivered three...
- 12/20/2009
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
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