“Chances are you’ve never heard of Preston Thomas Tucker; dreamer, inventor, visionary — a man ahead of his time.”
Chances are you’ve never heard of the movie made about him either. Like the car he had created in his name, it came and went in nearly the same breath. And yet, also like the car, the film’s legacy and staying power lies in the strength of its parts, as well as the personal passion put into it by its maker, Francis Ford Coppola. In fact, it’s hard not to watch his 1988 film “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” and discern a link between Coppola and the film’s eponymous character. Played by a still boyish Jeff Bridges with a glint in his eye and a manic energy that veers between zealous enthusiasm and fevered paranoia, Tucker is a man entwined with his dreams. Much like Coppola, he is driven by family,...
Chances are you’ve never heard of the movie made about him either. Like the car he had created in his name, it came and went in nearly the same breath. And yet, also like the car, the film’s legacy and staying power lies in the strength of its parts, as well as the personal passion put into it by its maker, Francis Ford Coppola. In fact, it’s hard not to watch his 1988 film “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” and discern a link between Coppola and the film’s eponymous character. Played by a still boyish Jeff Bridges with a glint in his eye and a manic energy that veers between zealous enthusiasm and fevered paranoia, Tucker is a man entwined with his dreams. Much like Coppola, he is driven by family,...
- 5/21/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
A chilling historical drama rendered with impeccable sleight of hand, Rithy Panh’s “Rendez-vous avec Pol Pot” (“Meeting With Pol Pot”) reveals its political dimensions through layers of obfuscation. While based partially on real events (and on the writings of American war journalist Elizabeth Becker), it crafts a fictitious tale of three French journalists attempting to interview Cambodian dictator Pol Pot in 1978. Although its outcomes echo the real experiences of Becker, Scottish academic Malcolm Caldwell, and American reporter Richard Dudman, the film is as much about a specific moment in time as it is about the mechanics of propaganda, which it refutes and embodies in equal measure.
A narrow 4:3 frame introduces the movie’s analogues for Becker, Caldwell, and Dudman, who make their approach by air in the hopes of exposing the opaque Cambodian regime. Irene Jacob plays Lisa Delbo; like Becker — whose work influenced Panh’s 1996 documentary “Bophana:...
A narrow 4:3 frame introduces the movie’s analogues for Becker, Caldwell, and Dudman, who make their approach by air in the hopes of exposing the opaque Cambodian regime. Irene Jacob plays Lisa Delbo; like Becker — whose work influenced Panh’s 1996 documentary “Bophana:...
- 5/16/2024
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Variety Film + TV
Florinda Bolkan (Flavia The Heretic) delivers a masterful, nuanced performance bringing captivating depth to the character of Alice – a young translator grappling with memory loss and struggling to recall three missing days. Tormented by nightmare visions of a sinister scientist deliberately abandoning astronauts to die on the Moon, Alice embarks on a quest to unravel the mystery shrouding her identity and the events of those missing days – a pursuit which culminates in murder and extraordinary surrealism. Director Luigi Bazzoni’s (The Fifth Cord) unique vision is brought to life by three-time Oscar winner Vittorio Storaro’s striking cinematography, delivering haunting visuals and powerful emotional depth, standing as the most visually stunning Giallo you will ever see. Footprints unfolds as a mesmerising exploration of identity and the boundaries of perceived reality, memory, dreams, and existential mysteries, presented here restored from 4K scans of the original camera negative, finally doing justice to...
- 4/22/2024
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
Woody Allen’s Coup de Chance starts appropriately with a random encounter and finishes with an out-of-nowhere intervention. But what lies in between those moments of chance is tightly scripted and purposeful, with barely a scene or line out of place. The film is at once among Allen’s most economical works and one of his most free-spirited.
When Alain (Niels Schneider), a fiction writer, runs into Fanny (Lou de Laâge) on a Parisian street near the art auction house where the latter works, it’s a seemingly fleeting moment. Fanny seems charmed but not overly impacted by this encounter with Alain, a passing acquaintance from their time at the Lycée Français in New York. Slightly restless in her marriage to Jean (Melvil Poupaud), a financier whose one-percenter friends describe her as a “trophy wife,” Fanny sees no harm in reconnecting with Alain. You can imagine where this might go.
When Alain (Niels Schneider), a fiction writer, runs into Fanny (Lou de Laâge) on a Parisian street near the art auction house where the latter works, it’s a seemingly fleeting moment. Fanny seems charmed but not overly impacted by this encounter with Alain, a passing acquaintance from their time at the Lycée Français in New York. Slightly restless in her marriage to Jean (Melvil Poupaud), a financier whose one-percenter friends describe her as a “trophy wife,” Fanny sees no harm in reconnecting with Alain. You can imagine where this might go.
- 3/30/2024
- by Chris Barsanti
- Slant Magazine
Oscar winners Cameron Crowe and Robert Richardson have boarded Yi Zhou’s documentary “In Between Stars and Scars,” joining an extensive lineup of lauded creatives who will also be included in the artisans-focused film. Additionally, Zhou’s documentary will unveil music by composer Ennio Morricone and Bryan Ferry.
The film’s official description reads, “’In Between Stars and Scars’ unveils the intricate world of filmmaking, with a special focus on the artisans who bring cinematic visions to life. The documentary film takes audiences on a captivating journey behind the scenes, shining a much-deserved spotlight on the talented individuals who often go unrecognized for their crucial contributions.”
Camron Crowe will reflect on the artisans who have contributed to his iconic filmography. The documentary will also feature Oscar-winning artisans including cinematographers Robert Richardson and Vittorio Storaro, production designer Dante Ferretti, editor Thom Noble, and hair designer Giorgio Gregorini. Memories of the late...
The film’s official description reads, “’In Between Stars and Scars’ unveils the intricate world of filmmaking, with a special focus on the artisans who bring cinematic visions to life. The documentary film takes audiences on a captivating journey behind the scenes, shining a much-deserved spotlight on the talented individuals who often go unrecognized for their crucial contributions.”
Camron Crowe will reflect on the artisans who have contributed to his iconic filmography. The documentary will also feature Oscar-winning artisans including cinematographers Robert Richardson and Vittorio Storaro, production designer Dante Ferretti, editor Thom Noble, and hair designer Giorgio Gregorini. Memories of the late...
- 3/1/2024
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Last week, The Hollywood Reporter reported that cinephiles were sharing “samizdat” links to Woody Allen’s latest film Coup de Chance from a French-to-Dutch-to-English translation, and New Yorkers were attending clandestine screenings at an East Village bar/event space. Today, THR can exclusively report that those who wish to see the 88-year-old’s latest project, which debuted at the Venice Film Festival in early September to (mostly) positive reviews, can do so without slinking around or needing secret codes.
MPI Media Group will release the picture, Allen’s 50th theatrically released feature film as a director, for North American markets on April 5, 2024. A digital/VOD release will follow on April 12.
The movie, shot in France in French, stars Lou de Laâge (Respire, The Mad Woman’s Ball) as a self-aware trophy wife who reconnects with an old chum from the Lycée Français in New York, played by Niels Schneider (Heartbeats,...
MPI Media Group will release the picture, Allen’s 50th theatrically released feature film as a director, for North American markets on April 5, 2024. A digital/VOD release will follow on April 12.
The movie, shot in France in French, stars Lou de Laâge (Respire, The Mad Woman’s Ball) as a self-aware trophy wife who reconnects with an old chum from the Lycée Français in New York, played by Niels Schneider (Heartbeats,...
- 2/12/2024
- by Jordan Hoffman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“I’m seeing it logged on Letterboxd. You know anything?”
This was the message I received from an industry friend. The topic was Woody Allen’s 50-somethingth directorial effort, Coup de Chance. Little did I know a network of file sharing and secret screenings were already underway, part of a series that (almost) included Timothée Chalamet.
The 88-year-old director’s latest and perhaps final film debuted at the Venice Film Festival out of competition in early September 2023 to solid reviews, and is currently boasting an 84 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. (The Hollywood Reporter’s critic Leslie Felperin was muted in her praise, calling it “competent but forgettable.”) The droll relationship drama with a soupçon of criminality has accrued $7.4 million in receipts, according to BoxOfficeMojo, with its top four markets being Italy, Spain, Russia and France.
Yet the people leaving their witty remarks on the popular cinephile social networking service Letterboxd were not doing so from overseas.
This was the message I received from an industry friend. The topic was Woody Allen’s 50-somethingth directorial effort, Coup de Chance. Little did I know a network of file sharing and secret screenings were already underway, part of a series that (almost) included Timothée Chalamet.
The 88-year-old director’s latest and perhaps final film debuted at the Venice Film Festival out of competition in early September 2023 to solid reviews, and is currently boasting an 84 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. (The Hollywood Reporter’s critic Leslie Felperin was muted in her praise, calling it “competent but forgettable.”) The droll relationship drama with a soupçon of criminality has accrued $7.4 million in receipts, according to BoxOfficeMojo, with its top four markets being Italy, Spain, Russia and France.
Yet the people leaving their witty remarks on the popular cinephile social networking service Letterboxd were not doing so from overseas.
- 2/7/2024
- by Jordan Hoffman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"Love is for suckers." Studiocanal UK has revealed an official trailer for a re-release of the 1982 film titled One from the Heart, Francis Ford Coppola's follow up to Apocalypse Now. One from the Heart: Reprise is a spectacular 4K restoration and reimagining of the 1982 cult classic – six minutes of footage were added to replace the original negative, previously thought to be destroyed, resulting in this brand-new "Reprise" version, approved by Coppola himself. The film tells the story of a Las Vegas couple (Teri Garr & Frederic Forrest) whose break-up on the 4th of July leads them both to a night on the strip in pursuit of romantic fantasies (Raul Julia & Nastassja Kinski). But in this town of gamblers and dreamers should they bet it all on dreams, or give true love another roll of the dice? "Featuring breathtaking design, show-stopping set pieces, the stunning photography of Vittorio Storaro and accompanied...
- 1/24/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The Bloody Disgusting-powered Screambox is home to a variety of unique horror content, from originals and exclusives to cult classics and documentaries. With such a rapidly-growing library, there are many hidden gems waiting to be discovered.
Here are five recommendations you can stream on Screambox right now.
The Collector
If the triumphant return of the Saw franchise has you in the mood for more trap-laden horrors, look no further than The Collector — which was originally conceived as a prequel to Saw that would show Jigsaw’s original story. When producers passed on the idea, writers Patrick Melton & Marcus Dunstan (Saw IV-vii) reworked it into an original script, which Dunstan directed in 2009.
A slasher/home invasion hybrid for the so-called “torture porn” era, The Collector stars Criminal Minds‘ Josh Stewart as struggling ex-con Arkin. A planned heist at his new employer’s home to repay a debt becomes deadly when he...
Here are five recommendations you can stream on Screambox right now.
The Collector
If the triumphant return of the Saw franchise has you in the mood for more trap-laden horrors, look no further than The Collector — which was originally conceived as a prequel to Saw that would show Jigsaw’s original story. When producers passed on the idea, writers Patrick Melton & Marcus Dunstan (Saw IV-vii) reworked it into an original script, which Dunstan directed in 2009.
A slasher/home invasion hybrid for the so-called “torture porn” era, The Collector stars Criminal Minds‘ Josh Stewart as struggling ex-con Arkin. A planned heist at his new employer’s home to repay a debt becomes deadly when he...
- 1/18/2024
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto and costume designer Jacqueline West take audiences to 1920s Oklahoma in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.” This is three-time Oscar nominee Prieto’s fourth collaboration with Scorsese after “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Silence,” and “The Irishman,” and the Eric Roth-written drama about the Osage nation standing up to systematic murder by white settlers marks Jacqueline West’s first pairing with Scorsese.
IndieWire celebrated the craft behind the Apple Original Films awards contender with a panel on Friday, January 12, moderated by Jim Hemphill, IndieWire’s Crafts and Special Projects Features Writer, and led by Prieto and West. The event took place at NeueHouse Hollywood and brought the crafts community together for an evening honoring Scorsese’s film; both Prieto and West have been nominated for awards by their respective guilds. Watch the video below.
“One of the first things that I remember we...
IndieWire celebrated the craft behind the Apple Original Films awards contender with a panel on Friday, January 12, moderated by Jim Hemphill, IndieWire’s Crafts and Special Projects Features Writer, and led by Prieto and West. The event took place at NeueHouse Hollywood and brought the crafts community together for an evening honoring Scorsese’s film; both Prieto and West have been nominated for awards by their respective guilds. Watch the video below.
“One of the first things that I remember we...
- 1/13/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Absorbing the breakthroughs of the French New Wave and the burgeoning New Hollywood era and applying them to the artier ends of Bernardo Bertolucci’s native Italian cinema, The Conformist presents a façade of overwhelming cinematic beauty only to reveal the rotten soul beneath its surface. Vittorio Storaro’s cinematography captures Rome and Paris with an Antonioniesque eye for architectural detail, swooning camera movements, and even instances of color timing so extreme that certain shots recall the hand-tinted process of early silent film.
The precision of The Conformist’s images, though, only exacerbates the detached, inhuman alienation of the film’s protagonist, Marcello (Jean-Louis Trintignant). He’s the last scion of a diminished aristocratic line whose exhausted wealth and status are symbolized by an expansive but dilapidated and mildewing family villa occupied by a mother (Milly) who copes with a loss of status with copious amounts of opiates (his father...
The precision of The Conformist’s images, though, only exacerbates the detached, inhuman alienation of the film’s protagonist, Marcello (Jean-Louis Trintignant). He’s the last scion of a diminished aristocratic line whose exhausted wealth and status are symbolized by an expansive but dilapidated and mildewing family villa occupied by a mother (Milly) who copes with a loss of status with copious amounts of opiates (his father...
- 12/11/2023
- by Jake Cole
- Slant Magazine
Just weeks before the 31st edition of Poland’s EnergaCamerimage gets underway, there was a groundbreaking for the planned European Film Center Camerimage, a Pln 600 million (roughly ($144 million) cultural center that will be built in host city Toruń and used in future years as the international cinematography film festival’s main venue. Plans call for the center to include a main screening room with seating for roughly 1,500, as well as three 200-300-seat screening rooms, a soundstage for production and postproduction facilities.
The new center underscores the growth of the festival, which has become a bellwether for what’s to come in the cinematography Oscar race. In three of the past four years, the winner of Camerimage’s Golden Frog has gone on to earn an Oscar nomination in cinematography, including 2019’s Joker and 2020’s Nomadland and 2022’s Tár.
According to festival director Marek Żydowicz, more than 1,000 films were viewed...
The new center underscores the growth of the festival, which has become a bellwether for what’s to come in the cinematography Oscar race. In three of the past four years, the winner of Camerimage’s Golden Frog has gone on to earn an Oscar nomination in cinematography, including 2019’s Joker and 2020’s Nomadland and 2022’s Tár.
According to festival director Marek Żydowicz, more than 1,000 films were viewed...
- 11/11/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Veteran cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto’s versatility could not be more evident than in his most recent work, which called for filming a 1920s Osage Nation in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and shooting the candy-colored Barbie Land of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Born in Mexico City to a bicultural family (his mom is an American from Montana), Prieto caught the cinematography world’s attention in 2000 when he won the Camerimage Golden Frog for Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Amores Perros. Since moving to the U.S., he continued lensing for Iñárritu while also collaborating with Pedro Almodóvar, Oliver Stone, Ben Affleck (on the Oscar best picture winner Argo) and Ang Lee, whose Brokeback Mountain delivered the Dp the first of his three Academy Award nominations. Pietro, who is also this month’s THR Titan, has also earned Oscar noms for two Scorsese movies (Killers is their fourth collaboration). The filmmaker calls Prieto,...
- 11/11/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
John Bailey, the cinematographer on Ordinary People, Groundhog Day, As Good as It Gets and dozens of other notable films who endured two “stressful” terms as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, died Friday. He was 81.
Bailey died in Los Angeles, his wife, Oscar-nominated film editor Carol Littleton (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), announced.
”It is with deep sadness I share with you that my best friend and husband, John Bailey, passed away peacefully in his sleep early this morning,” she said in a statement. “During John’s illness, we reminisced how we met 60 years ago and were married for 51 of those years. We shared a wonderful life of adventure in film and made many long-lasting friendships along the way. John will forever live in my heart.”
They worked on more than a dozen features together.
The Southern California-raised Bailey served as the director of photography for...
Bailey died in Los Angeles, his wife, Oscar-nominated film editor Carol Littleton (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), announced.
”It is with deep sadness I share with you that my best friend and husband, John Bailey, passed away peacefully in his sleep early this morning,” she said in a statement. “During John’s illness, we reminisced how we met 60 years ago and were married for 51 of those years. We shared a wonderful life of adventure in film and made many long-lasting friendships along the way. John will forever live in my heart.”
They worked on more than a dozen features together.
The Southern California-raised Bailey served as the director of photography for...
- 11/11/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Some of Europe’s most acclaimed below-the-line talents will do a deep dive into the artistry of movie magic for In Between Stars and Scars: Masters of Cinema, a new documentary feature being produced by Yi Zhou’s Into the Sun Entertainment.
Triple Oscar-winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now, The Last Emperor, Reds), three-time production design winner Dante Ferretti (Hugo, Sweeney Todd, The Aviator), Oscar-winning film editor Thom Noble (Witness) and Academy Award-winning make-up artist Giorgio Gregorini (Suicide Squad) will feature in the doc, which was shot during the making of Zhou’s upcoming feature film debut, Stars and Scars, in Rome and Los Angeles.
All the involved talents are attached to work on the feature, an English-language sci-fi drama centered on the rare phenomenon known as Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (Hsam), where people can recall an abnormally large number of their life experiences in vivid and extraordinary detail. Christopher Lambert...
Triple Oscar-winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now, The Last Emperor, Reds), three-time production design winner Dante Ferretti (Hugo, Sweeney Todd, The Aviator), Oscar-winning film editor Thom Noble (Witness) and Academy Award-winning make-up artist Giorgio Gregorini (Suicide Squad) will feature in the doc, which was shot during the making of Zhou’s upcoming feature film debut, Stars and Scars, in Rome and Los Angeles.
All the involved talents are attached to work on the feature, an English-language sci-fi drama centered on the rare phenomenon known as Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (Hsam), where people can recall an abnormally large number of their life experiences in vivid and extraordinary detail. Christopher Lambert...
- 10/31/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“The Exorcist” is, rightfully, heralded as one of the greatest, scariest films of all time. And in the 50 years since its 1973 release, filmmakers have tried, repeatedly, to recapture the magic that made the original film so special, to mixed results.
The latest attempt is “The Exorcist: Believer,” from director David Gordon Green, which returns Ellen Burstyn to the franchise for the first time since 1973 and focuses on a new phenomenon – synchronized possession. It’s meant to be the first of a new trilogy of films. And its release (it’ll be on PVOD on October 24) is enough to have us look back at the entire franchise thus far. Which films are scary good and which are ones that you’d rather spider-walk down the stairs to get away from? Read on to find out.
Warner Bros.
7. “Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist” (2005)
How troubled was the “Exorcist” prequel movie? So troubled...
The latest attempt is “The Exorcist: Believer,” from director David Gordon Green, which returns Ellen Burstyn to the franchise for the first time since 1973 and focuses on a new phenomenon – synchronized possession. It’s meant to be the first of a new trilogy of films. And its release (it’ll be on PVOD on October 24) is enough to have us look back at the entire franchise thus far. Which films are scary good and which are ones that you’d rather spider-walk down the stairs to get away from? Read on to find out.
Warner Bros.
7. “Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist” (2005)
How troubled was the “Exorcist” prequel movie? So troubled...
- 10/21/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
When first-time documentary director Leonard Manzella premieres his award-winning “Shoe Shine Caddie” at the Portobello Film Festival in London on September 16, it will represent a kind of return to the former actor’s roots in the international film scene.
A professional family therapist for the past 30 years in California, Manzella’s earlier career began when the native Angeleno left Los Angeles for Rome in 1968 “when everything was burning.” In his early 20s and armed with “no contacts and about $50 bucks in my pocket,” a fortuitous introduction to American actor Brett Halsey got Manzella into movies, first as an extra and eventually as a leading man.
Halsey, who landed in Rome in the ‘60s and worked steadily in Euro crime thrillers and in the burgeoning spaghetti western scene, often toiled under the moniker Montgomery Ford and Leonard Manzella became famous as Leonard Mann.
“I went to Rome to study political science,...
A professional family therapist for the past 30 years in California, Manzella’s earlier career began when the native Angeleno left Los Angeles for Rome in 1968 “when everything was burning.” In his early 20s and armed with “no contacts and about $50 bucks in my pocket,” a fortuitous introduction to American actor Brett Halsey got Manzella into movies, first as an extra and eventually as a leading man.
Halsey, who landed in Rome in the ‘60s and worked steadily in Euro crime thrillers and in the burgeoning spaghetti western scene, often toiled under the moniker Montgomery Ford and Leonard Manzella became famous as Leonard Mann.
“I went to Rome to study political science,...
- 9/15/2023
- by Steven Gaydos
- Variety Film + TV
He's one of the greatest, most successful filmmakers in the history of the moving image, but there were times throughout his career when even Steven Spielberg needed a hit. Badly.
One such crucial juncture arrived in 1980. After the unprecedented blockbuster combo of "Jaws" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," Spielberg face-planted with the critically reviled World War II comedy "1941." Turns out a lot of folks thought making hay out of the Pacific Coast's gun-toting freakout in the immediate wake of Pearl Harbor was in poor taste. In any event, though the film was a moderate box office hit, it was perceived as a full-scale fiasco for the Hollywood wunderkind. Had success spoiled Steven Spielberg?
Spielberg not only felt the heat, he thought he'd barely escaped disaster with his two smashes. He'd come close to getting fired when "Jaws" went way over schedule (as he scrambled to shoot around a...
One such crucial juncture arrived in 1980. After the unprecedented blockbuster combo of "Jaws" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," Spielberg face-planted with the critically reviled World War II comedy "1941." Turns out a lot of folks thought making hay out of the Pacific Coast's gun-toting freakout in the immediate wake of Pearl Harbor was in poor taste. In any event, though the film was a moderate box office hit, it was perceived as a full-scale fiasco for the Hollywood wunderkind. Had success spoiled Steven Spielberg?
Spielberg not only felt the heat, he thought he'd barely escaped disaster with his two smashes. He'd come close to getting fired when "Jaws" went way over schedule (as he scrambled to shoot around a...
- 9/11/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Woody Allen’s Coup de Chance premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Monday. The film, which was directed and written by Allen himself, received a five-minute ovation from the audience.
Coup de Chance centers around Fanny and Jean who look like the ideal married couple—they’re both professionally accomplished, they live in a gorgeous apartment in an exclusive neighborhood of Paris, and they seem to be in love just as much as they were when they first met. But when Fanny accidentally bumps into Alain, a former high school classmate, she’s swept off her feet. They soon see each other again and get closer and closer.
Woody Allen stunned by the enthusiastic response to Coup de Chance at #Venezia80 which received a 5-minute ovation pic.twitter.com/vjRd2FSYLV
— Deadline Hollywood (@Deadline) September 4, 2023
Allen’s fiftieth movie stars Lou de Laâge, Valérie Lemercier, Melvil Poupaud, Niels Schneider,...
Coup de Chance centers around Fanny and Jean who look like the ideal married couple—they’re both professionally accomplished, they live in a gorgeous apartment in an exclusive neighborhood of Paris, and they seem to be in love just as much as they were when they first met. But when Fanny accidentally bumps into Alain, a former high school classmate, she’s swept off her feet. They soon see each other again and get closer and closer.
Woody Allen stunned by the enthusiastic response to Coup de Chance at #Venezia80 which received a 5-minute ovation pic.twitter.com/vjRd2FSYLV
— Deadline Hollywood (@Deadline) September 4, 2023
Allen’s fiftieth movie stars Lou de Laâge, Valérie Lemercier, Melvil Poupaud, Niels Schneider,...
- 9/4/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow and Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
We are told to judge the art rather than the artist, but sometimes the artist makes this difficult. Woody Allen still carries loud freight – the freight of someone who was accused by his daughter, Dylan Farrow, of child sexual abuse. People will argue that none of the above matters, that he has been convicted of no crime, that only what is onscreen counts. And so we try to watch Coup de Chance, an adequate seriocomic immorality tale that had its world premiere Monday at the Venice Film Festival, with eyes and minds wide open.
- 9/4/2023
- by Chris Vognar
- Rollingstone.com
An affluent partner to a much younger spouse finds himself in a sentimental bind. So tight is this knot that he must resort to extra-legal solutions in order to extricate himself so he calls up a hoodlum acquaintance and nervously requests a meeting “in the usual spot.” Were this the 1980s, the rich man might have been played by Martin Landau; a decade later, the thug on the other end of the line could have resembled Tony Sirico. In 2023’s “Coup de Chance,” that usual spot happens to be on the banks of the Seine, just below Pont-Neuf.
Marking the director’s French-language debut (if hardly his first trip to Paris), Woody Allen’s 50th feature, “Coup de Chance,” proves that every now and then, much can be gained in translation. And though the film hardly treads new ground, it nevertheless gamely reshuffles many of Allen’s pet-obsessions and stock...
Marking the director’s French-language debut (if hardly his first trip to Paris), Woody Allen’s 50th feature, “Coup de Chance,” proves that every now and then, much can be gained in translation. And though the film hardly treads new ground, it nevertheless gamely reshuffles many of Allen’s pet-obsessions and stock...
- 9/4/2023
- by Ben Croll
- The Wrap
Exactly who are these people? They’re rich, obviously. They’re Parisian, which means that they are already fantasy figurines in the European curiosity shop of Woody Allen’s imagination. But does any actual modern man, no matter how rich and unfathomably French, come home from work in 2023 to request a cognac from his wife, who then calls out to the maid to bring Monsieur a cognac while she configures herself into a glamour position on the couch? Is this actually 1953? Or maybe 1923 – the Gatsby era, where Woody Allen is clearly a very enthusiastic visitor?
Coup de Chance is Woody Allen’s 50th feature film. At the grand age of 87, he has made his first film in the French language, for which all due kudos. He brings his usual potpourri of plot points – a rich couple, infidelity, an interfering mother-in-law, the aperçu that money and bookish bohemianism make restive bedfellows – to this new tale,...
Coup de Chance is Woody Allen’s 50th feature film. At the grand age of 87, he has made his first film in the French language, for which all due kudos. He brings his usual potpourri of plot points – a rich couple, infidelity, an interfering mother-in-law, the aperçu that money and bookish bohemianism make restive bedfellows – to this new tale,...
- 9/4/2023
- by Stephanie Bunbury
- Deadline Film + TV
Let’s address the elephant in the room first: Woody Allen hasn’t made a great film in years. Opinions vary enormously, of course, on which one was the last top-notch effort: Some would go to bat for, say Blue Jasmine (2013), while others defend Match Point (2005). Many others reckon that Husbands and Wives (1992) was the last gasp of greatness before it all started going bumpily downhill.
And of course there are those, especially among younger filmgoers who didn’t grow up with Allen as a kind of mascot for American East Coast Jewish identity, who just don’t get what the fuss was ever about — and/or why the olds so want to defend someone who has been accused by his daughter Dylan Farrow of sexual abuse, even if charges were never brought against him.
Oh yeah, that’s another elephant, isn’t it?
That last controversy may not put...
And of course there are those, especially among younger filmgoers who didn’t grow up with Allen as a kind of mascot for American East Coast Jewish identity, who just don’t get what the fuss was ever about — and/or why the olds so want to defend someone who has been accused by his daughter Dylan Farrow of sexual abuse, even if charges were never brought against him.
Oh yeah, that’s another elephant, isn’t it?
That last controversy may not put...
- 9/4/2023
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As Woody Allen took the press conference stage for his recent film Coup de Chance, the disgraced filmmaker was given a lengthy standing ovation by the (largely European) media assembled in the room — arguably the most rapturous reception any filmmaker received. It was difficult to watch.
Strong applause for Woody Allen as he enters the press conference for his #venezia80 title ‘Coup De Chance’ pic.twitter.com/WHob4C24J4
— Deadline Hollywood (@Deadline) September 4, 2023
During the press conference, Allen, who is 87 years old, was joined onstage by his Italian cinematographer,...
Strong applause for Woody Allen as he enters the press conference for his #venezia80 title ‘Coup De Chance’ pic.twitter.com/WHob4C24J4
— Deadline Hollywood (@Deadline) September 4, 2023
During the press conference, Allen, who is 87 years old, was joined onstage by his Italian cinematographer,...
- 9/4/2023
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
Woody Allen got a warm ovation from journalists at the press conference for “Coup de Chance” at the Venice Film Festival, where he managed to avoid any controversial questions about his stalled career and the sexual abuse allegations made against him by his daughter, Dylan Farrow. That was in large part thanks to his longtime cinematographer, Italian superstar Vittorio Storaro, who spoke for nearly a third of the press conference, while answering a single question.
When asked if he would consider making another film in New York, Allen said he’s got “a very good idea for New York.” “If some guy steps out of the shadow and says, ‘We’ll finance your film in New York’ and obeys all my restrictions — if some foolish person agrees to that, then I will make the film in New York.”
The press conference was also attended by Lou de Laage and Valerie Lemercier,...
When asked if he would consider making another film in New York, Allen said he’s got “a very good idea for New York.” “If some guy steps out of the shadow and says, ‘We’ll finance your film in New York’ and obeys all my restrictions — if some foolish person agrees to that, then I will make the film in New York.”
The press conference was also attended by Lou de Laage and Valerie Lemercier,...
- 9/4/2023
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
If all you knew about Francis Ford Coppola’s epic-scale 1982 musical “One from the Heart” was that it’s reportedly “brain food” for the “Joker” sequel “Folie à Deux”, you might think it was more successful. Coppola’s first film after a decade-long run that included two “Godfathers,” “Apocalypse Now,” and “The Conversation” is a nostalgic musical about two ordinary people trying to rekindle their romance on the outskirts of Las Vegas.
A kitsch throwback in the vein of “New York, New York,” it was an even bigger disaster, and ultimately more ruinous for its director. Costing nearly twice its initial $15 million budget (admittedly not a terrible ratio for Coppola), it grossed only $8 million. Within 18 months, Coppola’s studio was bankrupt and, by 1992, he’d filed for a third time.
A new “refined” cut and 4K-scanned restoration, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, is a reminder of the technical...
A kitsch throwback in the vein of “New York, New York,” it was an even bigger disaster, and ultimately more ruinous for its director. Costing nearly twice its initial $15 million budget (admittedly not a terrible ratio for Coppola), it grossed only $8 million. Within 18 months, Coppola’s studio was bankrupt and, by 1992, he’d filed for a third time.
A new “refined” cut and 4K-scanned restoration, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, is a reminder of the technical...
- 9/1/2023
- by Adam Solomons
- Indiewire
In Wes Anderson‘s “Asteroid City,” a group of scientists, military personnel, and “Junior Stargazer” science students gather at a giant meteor crater for a ceremony honoring the kids’ inventions, only to see the celebration take an unexpected turn when an alien arrives. Although the story takes place in 1955 and deals with science fiction elements and then-futuristic technology, the methods used to bring Anderson’s world to life are drawn from even farther back in cinema history. “It was kind of going back to what the early pioneers of film did,” cinematographer Robert Yeoman told IndieWire. “They built sets [out in the sunlight] and just put diffusion cloth on top.”
For “Asteroid City,” this approach derived from the fact that Anderson wanted to use all natural light for the scenes in the desert town after which the movie is named. “I knew that inside locations like the diner would need light, so I just...
For “Asteroid City,” this approach derived from the fact that Anderson wanted to use all natural light for the scenes in the desert town after which the movie is named. “I knew that inside locations like the diner would need light, so I just...
- 6/21/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Taylor is both hammy and subtle as a woman on the verge of a breakdown in this preposterous but watchable 1974 drama that features an extraordinary cameo from Andy Warhol
It’s peak 70s Liz Taylor in this arrestingly bizarre movie which is being released in the UK for the first time; it was directed by Italian film-maker Giuseppe Patroni Griffi in 1974, which he co-adapted from the 1970 novella by Muriel Spark and was issued under the title Identikit in Italy. With her big sunglasses and permanently dishevelled jet-black hair, Taylor gives an intense and more-than-slightly alarming performance in a preposterous, slightly dated yet very watchable psycho-existential mystery, a cousin to the era’s paranoid thrillers. It was shot by Vittorio Storaro, who repeatedly directs light sources into the camera so that the figures often move like shadows behind a disconcerting glow, which is part of the film’s distinctive puzzle.
Taylor plays Lise,...
It’s peak 70s Liz Taylor in this arrestingly bizarre movie which is being released in the UK for the first time; it was directed by Italian film-maker Giuseppe Patroni Griffi in 1974, which he co-adapted from the 1970 novella by Muriel Spark and was issued under the title Identikit in Italy. With her big sunglasses and permanently dishevelled jet-black hair, Taylor gives an intense and more-than-slightly alarming performance in a preposterous, slightly dated yet very watchable psycho-existential mystery, a cousin to the era’s paranoid thrillers. It was shot by Vittorio Storaro, who repeatedly directs light sources into the camera so that the figures often move like shadows behind a disconcerting glow, which is part of the film’s distinctive puzzle.
Taylor plays Lise,...
- 6/21/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Cannes Director Says Woody Allen Film Wasn’t a Candidate for 2023: ‘The Controversy Would Take Over’
The newly announced Cannes Film Festival lineup is filled with highly anticipated films from some of the biggest directors on the planet — but it’s not without its share of controversy. The festival attracted headlines for its decision to program “Jeanne du Barry,” the new Maïwenn film that stars Johnny Depp as French monarch Louis Xv, as the opening night selection. Depp’s first major role since his high-profile defamation trial against Amber Heard was always bound to be controversial, but the film became more of a lightning rod after a French journalist sued the director for assault.
Cannes director Thierry Fremaux defended his decision to program the film throughout the week, explaining that he saw the selection as fair game because neither Depp nor Maïwenn has been legally convicted of any crime.
“I don’t see Maïwenn’s film as a controversial choice at all,” Fremaux said in an interview.
Cannes director Thierry Fremaux defended his decision to program the film throughout the week, explaining that he saw the selection as fair game because neither Depp nor Maïwenn has been legally convicted of any crime.
“I don’t see Maïwenn’s film as a controversial choice at all,” Fremaux said in an interview.
- 4/16/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Over the course of four films, the “John Wick” franchise has established itself as the most gorgeous series in the history of action cinema, with vibrant colors and gliding camera moves that provide a counterpoint to the gritty, handheld camerawork of the “Bourne” movies. Cinematographer Dan Laustsen, who came on board for “John Wick: Chapter Two” and has shot every “Wick” film since, had a clear mandate from director Chad Stahelski upon their first meeting. “He said, ‘I want to shoot “John Wick” like a Bertolucci movie,'” Laustsen told IndieWire. “That was his briefing for me, and I thought, ‘That doesn’t sound bad at all.'”
“John Wick: Chapter Four” represents the peak of Laustsen and Stahelski’s collaboration, with set piece after set piece shot in long takes that showcase the elegant choreography of the action and a color palette that Stahelski acknowledges owes more than a...
“John Wick: Chapter Four” represents the peak of Laustsen and Stahelski’s collaboration, with set piece after set piece shot in long takes that showcase the elegant choreography of the action and a color palette that Stahelski acknowledges owes more than a...
- 4/5/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
I did not successfully lobby for Woody Allen Summer Project 2022 placing on our list of most-anticipated 2023 films. Rather than get into any reasoning for or arguments against the artist’s exile, we might all focus on the art: yet another work about somebody committing a horrible crime and finding small moral struggle with their decision.
I jest, though Allen’s hyped his next as a “poisonous romantic thriller” with explicit reference to Match Point, and today it’s known the picture––his first French-language production, titled Coup de Chance (Stroke of Luck en Anglais)––will make some appearance at the Berlinale’s EFM this month. Attached to the news is a first still featuring stars Lou De Laâge and Niels Schneider, the explicit reference to Coup as a policier (à la Le Cercle Rouge or Touchez pas au grisbi), and this small summary from the director:
“Coup de Chance is a contemporary story of romance,...
I jest, though Allen’s hyped his next as a “poisonous romantic thriller” with explicit reference to Match Point, and today it’s known the picture––his first French-language production, titled Coup de Chance (Stroke of Luck en Anglais)––will make some appearance at the Berlinale’s EFM this month. Attached to the news is a first still featuring stars Lou De Laâge and Niels Schneider, the explicit reference to Coup as a policier (à la Le Cercle Rouge or Touchez pas au grisbi), and this small summary from the director:
“Coup de Chance is a contemporary story of romance,...
- 2/10/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Woody Allen might still be persona non grata for many in the U.S., but international distributors will likely be clamoring to see his new film, Coup de Chance, which will be presented to buyers at the upcoming European Film Market.
WestEnd Films, in collaboration with Gravier Productions, will kick off sales for the film in Berlin next week.
Allen’s 50th feature marks the director’s French-language debut and features an ensemble cast of local stars, including Lou De Laâge (The Innocents), Valérie Lemercier (Aline), Melvil Poupaud (Summer of 85) and Niels Schneider (Heartbeats).
In a statement, Allen called the the movie a “story of romance, passion and violence set in contemporary Paris. Shot all over the city and a little bit in the countryside, it evolves around a romance between two young people who are old friends and devolves into marital infidelity and ultimately crime.”
The movie reunites Allen...
WestEnd Films, in collaboration with Gravier Productions, will kick off sales for the film in Berlin next week.
Allen’s 50th feature marks the director’s French-language debut and features an ensemble cast of local stars, including Lou De Laâge (The Innocents), Valérie Lemercier (Aline), Melvil Poupaud (Summer of 85) and Niels Schneider (Heartbeats).
In a statement, Allen called the the movie a “story of romance, passion and violence set in contemporary Paris. Shot all over the city and a little bit in the countryside, it evolves around a romance between two young people who are old friends and devolves into marital infidelity and ultimately crime.”
The movie reunites Allen...
- 2/10/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Woody Allen’s latest film is heading to the EFM market in Berlin with WestEnd Films, we can reveal.
To date, plot details have been kept under wraps on Allen’s 50th film but we can reveal the contemporary romantic thriller, previously known as Wasp 22, will chart the story of two young people whose bond leads to marital infidelity and ultimately crime. Above is a first look image.
Allen’s first French-language movie is a “policier” (as the French call it) in the genre of Match Point and was shot across Paris. ‘Coup de chance’ roughly translates into English as ‘stroke of luck’.
Cast includes Lou de Laage, Melvil Poupaud, Valerie Lemercier, Niels Schneider, Elsa Zylberstein, Bárbara Goenaga, Grégory Gadebois, Anne Loiret, Sara Martins, Guillaume de Tonquédec and Arnaud Viard.
Allen’s longtime producing partner Letty Aronson is producing for Gravier Productions. Also aboard are Allen regulars such as veteran Dp Vittorio Storaro,...
To date, plot details have been kept under wraps on Allen’s 50th film but we can reveal the contemporary romantic thriller, previously known as Wasp 22, will chart the story of two young people whose bond leads to marital infidelity and ultimately crime. Above is a first look image.
Allen’s first French-language movie is a “policier” (as the French call it) in the genre of Match Point and was shot across Paris. ‘Coup de chance’ roughly translates into English as ‘stroke of luck’.
Cast includes Lou de Laage, Melvil Poupaud, Valerie Lemercier, Niels Schneider, Elsa Zylberstein, Bárbara Goenaga, Grégory Gadebois, Anne Loiret, Sara Martins, Guillaume de Tonquédec and Arnaud Viard.
Allen’s longtime producing partner Letty Aronson is producing for Gravier Productions. Also aboard are Allen regulars such as veteran Dp Vittorio Storaro,...
- 2/10/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Untitled 50th Woody Allen project
Woody Allen returns to Paris for what is his 50th film and what could be a new film in the vein of Match Point. The October shoot had Valerie Lemercier, Niels Schneider, Elsa Zylberstein, Lou de Laage and Melvil Poupaud onboard for a project coined as a “poisonous romantic thriller.” Letty Aronson naturally produced the film and master (long-time Allen contributor) Vittorio Storaro returns as the cinematographer.
Gist: This is described as a poisonous romantic thriller.
Release Date/Prediction: While Cannes would be a serious contender, we could see this going to Locarno or San Sebastian.…...
Woody Allen returns to Paris for what is his 50th film and what could be a new film in the vein of Match Point. The October shoot had Valerie Lemercier, Niels Schneider, Elsa Zylberstein, Lou de Laage and Melvil Poupaud onboard for a project coined as a “poisonous romantic thriller.” Letty Aronson naturally produced the film and master (long-time Allen contributor) Vittorio Storaro returns as the cinematographer.
Gist: This is described as a poisonous romantic thriller.
Release Date/Prediction: While Cannes would be a serious contender, we could see this going to Locarno or San Sebastian.…...
- 1/10/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
In a decade of numerous masterpieces, one of the towering cinematic feats of the 1970s was Bernardo Bertolucci’s Alberto Moravia adaptation The Conformist. With jaw-dropping cinematography from Vittorio Storaro, stunning production design from Ferdinando Scarfiotti, and an iconic Georges Delerue score, the film will return in a new 4K restoration to kick off 2023. Ahead of a January 6 opening at Film Forum, we’re pleased to share the first look at the restoration––sourced from the original camera negative––with the exclusive trailer premiere, courtesy of Kino Lorber.
In Mussolini’s Italy, repressed Jean-Louis Trintignant, trying to purge memories of a youthful, homosexual episode––and murder––joins the Fascists in a desperate attempt to fit in. As the reluctant Judas motors to his personal Gethsemane (the assassination of his leftist mentor), he flashes back to a dance party for the blind; an insane asylum in a stadium; and wife Stefania Sandrelli...
In Mussolini’s Italy, repressed Jean-Louis Trintignant, trying to purge memories of a youthful, homosexual episode––and murder––joins the Fascists in a desperate attempt to fit in. As the reluctant Judas motors to his personal Gethsemane (the assassination of his leftist mentor), he flashes back to a dance party for the blind; an insane asylum in a stadium; and wife Stefania Sandrelli...
- 12/7/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Walter Murch discovered something. It’s strange.
At 79, the man who innovated sound design—for whom the credit “Sound Designer” was basically invented—has pioneered methods of film editing, and whose book In the Blink of an Eye remains a key text 27 years since publication could rest on his laurels. But one evening, looking at a supercut celebrating his own exercises of film theory, Murch noticed that almost every cinematic image of a human face—from his work or another’s—fell on a distinct space of the cinematic frame: the golden ratio, a proportion considered the most pleasing to the eye, revealing “cinematographers have tended to place the eyes of the actors, in closeups and many medium shots, along that dividing line.” It also recurs time and again across nature and—depending on who you ask—is the strongest known sign of evolution or intelligent design.
What’s going on here?...
At 79, the man who innovated sound design—for whom the credit “Sound Designer” was basically invented—has pioneered methods of film editing, and whose book In the Blink of an Eye remains a key text 27 years since publication could rest on his laurels. But one evening, looking at a supercut celebrating his own exercises of film theory, Murch noticed that almost every cinematic image of a human face—from his work or another’s—fell on a distinct space of the cinematic frame: the golden ratio, a proportion considered the most pleasing to the eye, revealing “cinematographers have tended to place the eyes of the actors, in closeups and many medium shots, along that dividing line.” It also recurs time and again across nature and—depending on who you ask—is the strongest known sign of evolution or intelligent design.
What’s going on here?...
- 12/1/2022
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Click here to read the full article.
Sam Mendes spoke of his collaborations with cinematographers from Conrad Hall to Roger Deakins, while also voicing support for Ukraine, during the opening ceremony of the 30th EnergaCamerimage international cinematography film festival.
Saturday in Toruń, Poland, the Academy Award-winning helmer accepted the Special Krzysztof Kieslowski Award for a Director while acknowledging that “it’s difficult to speak of celebration” after hearing from and seeing images of those in Ukraine that were presented during the ceremony. “I made a movie (1917) with Roger [Deakins] about two young men caught up in a senseless war. The question I got asked over and over again is, ‘Is this relevant?’ I’m afraid to say, it is and it will always be. We stand with everyone in Ukraine.”
He acknowledged the cinematographers with whom he has worked, starting with the late Hall, who won Oscars for Mendes’ first two movies,...
Sam Mendes spoke of his collaborations with cinematographers from Conrad Hall to Roger Deakins, while also voicing support for Ukraine, during the opening ceremony of the 30th EnergaCamerimage international cinematography film festival.
Saturday in Toruń, Poland, the Academy Award-winning helmer accepted the Special Krzysztof Kieslowski Award for a Director while acknowledging that “it’s difficult to speak of celebration” after hearing from and seeing images of those in Ukraine that were presented during the ceremony. “I made a movie (1917) with Roger [Deakins] about two young men caught up in a senseless war. The question I got asked over and over again is, ‘Is this relevant?’ I’m afraid to say, it is and it will always be. We stand with everyone in Ukraine.”
He acknowledged the cinematographers with whom he has worked, starting with the late Hall, who won Oscars for Mendes’ first two movies,...
- 11/12/2022
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
As the 30th edition of Poland’s EnergaCamerimage international cinematography film festival gets underway, creator and director Marek Żydowicz asserts that promoting cinematographers’ artistic contributions in the hopes of expanding authorship rights to their work remains a priority. He also shares an update on the planned European Film Center Camerimage, a cultural center that will be built in host city Toruń.
Planning for the center began in 2019, when Żydowicz signed an agreement with the Polish state and Toruń government. Construction — representing an investment of Pln 600 million (roughly 128.9 million) — is slated to begin next year and expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
Żydowicz says the center will include a main screening room with seating for roughly 1,500, as well as three 200-300 seat screening rooms. “There will be areas for exhibitions, there will be areas for education,” he adds, nothing that the project...
As the 30th edition of Poland’s EnergaCamerimage international cinematography film festival gets underway, creator and director Marek Żydowicz asserts that promoting cinematographers’ artistic contributions in the hopes of expanding authorship rights to their work remains a priority. He also shares an update on the planned European Film Center Camerimage, a cultural center that will be built in host city Toruń.
Planning for the center began in 2019, when Żydowicz signed an agreement with the Polish state and Toruń government. Construction — representing an investment of Pln 600 million (roughly 128.9 million) — is slated to begin next year and expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
Żydowicz says the center will include a main screening room with seating for roughly 1,500, as well as three 200-300 seat screening rooms. “There will be areas for exhibitions, there will be areas for education,” he adds, nothing that the project...
- 11/12/2022
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This story about the best international film schools first appeared in the College Issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Australian Film, Television And Radio School
Sydney, Australia
“Aftrs was perfect because it was…practical,” says songwriter Christine Kirkwood, who graduated from Australia’s national screen and broadcast school after a six-month government program to train women in filmmaking. Her fellow alums include Gillian Armstrong and Phillip Noyce, who were in the school’s first graduating class in 1973, as well as Jane Campion, Cate Shortland and cinematographer Andrew Lesnie. Located near the Fox Studios in Sydney, the campus includes studios, post-production facilities and an extensive library.
Aftrs has a robust First Nations and Outreach program for indigenous students, and in early 2023 a new partnership with Industrial Light & Magic will allow the school to begin offering a two-semester Graduate Diploma in Visual Effects program. Other new offerings include a Screen Warriors program that will recruit,...
Australian Film, Television And Radio School
Sydney, Australia
“Aftrs was perfect because it was…practical,” says songwriter Christine Kirkwood, who graduated from Australia’s national screen and broadcast school after a six-month government program to train women in filmmaking. Her fellow alums include Gillian Armstrong and Phillip Noyce, who were in the school’s first graduating class in 1973, as well as Jane Campion, Cate Shortland and cinematographer Andrew Lesnie. Located near the Fox Studios in Sydney, the campus includes studios, post-production facilities and an extensive library.
Aftrs has a robust First Nations and Outreach program for indigenous students, and in early 2023 a new partnership with Industrial Light & Magic will allow the school to begin offering a two-semester Graduate Diploma in Visual Effects program. Other new offerings include a Screen Warriors program that will recruit,...
- 11/2/2022
- by TheWrap Staff
- The Wrap
Severin’s October offerings include this investigation of Euro-weirdness curated with academic purpose and clarity by Kier-La Janisse, evoking the name of her book from 2012. The thesis is the representation of women in filmic horror — except that in these strange experiences, hysteria transforms into a liberating form of empowerment: Identikit, I Like Bats, Footsteps and The Other Side of the Underneath. Elizabeth Tayor and Florinda Bolkan are the top stars in the collection, two of which bear the cinematography of Vittorio Storaro. The final film is a totally different, experimental experience. Ms. Janisse’s introductions connect the dots for these filmworks that envigorate and disturb.
House of Psychotic Women
Blu-ray
Severin Films
1972 – 1986 / Color / 1:85 + 1:66 + 1:85 + 1:33 / 102 + 81 + 96 + 111 min. / Street Date October 25, 2022 / Available from Severin Films / 104.95
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor; Katarzyna Walter; Florinda Bolkan; Sheila Allen, Ann Lynn, Penny Slinger, Jane Arden .
Directed by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi; Grzegorz Warchol; Luigi Bazzoni; Jane...
House of Psychotic Women
Blu-ray
Severin Films
1972 – 1986 / Color / 1:85 + 1:66 + 1:85 + 1:33 / 102 + 81 + 96 + 111 min. / Street Date October 25, 2022 / Available from Severin Films / 104.95
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor; Katarzyna Walter; Florinda Bolkan; Sheila Allen, Ann Lynn, Penny Slinger, Jane Arden .
Directed by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi; Grzegorz Warchol; Luigi Bazzoni; Jane...
- 10/11/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
As Hollywood basks in the streaming boom and the burgeoning era of premium television, kids, too, get to join in on the fun.
Unlike the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon multi-cam sitcoms that have dominated kids’ TV for decades, newer streaming series like Apple TV+’s “Puppy Place” and “Lovely Little Farm” function more like family dramedies. Avoiding that type of slapstick humor and over-accessorized costumes and sets, these series opt for a more naturalistic approach, oftentimes with serialized storytelling.
“Puppy Place” showrunner Andrew Green, who previously served as a co-executive producer on “Hannah Montana,” tells Variety: “Having worked in kids’ television for so long, you develop a certain rhythm, and Apple was like, ‘Let’s take a step back. Don’t think of it as a kids’ show, just think of it as a quality show that happens to have kids as the leads and stories about kids.’”
For “Puppy Place,...
Unlike the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon multi-cam sitcoms that have dominated kids’ TV for decades, newer streaming series like Apple TV+’s “Puppy Place” and “Lovely Little Farm” function more like family dramedies. Avoiding that type of slapstick humor and over-accessorized costumes and sets, these series opt for a more naturalistic approach, oftentimes with serialized storytelling.
“Puppy Place” showrunner Andrew Green, who previously served as a co-executive producer on “Hannah Montana,” tells Variety: “Having worked in kids’ television for so long, you develop a certain rhythm, and Apple was like, ‘Let’s take a step back. Don’t think of it as a kids’ show, just think of it as a quality show that happens to have kids as the leads and stories about kids.’”
For “Puppy Place,...
- 6/23/2022
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Francis Ford Coppola and 50th Anniversary ‘Godfather’ Edition to Open Italy’s Taormina Film Festival
The freshly restored 50th anniversary edition of “The Godfather,” with director Francis Ford Coppola in tow, is set to open Italy’s Taormina Film Festival on June 26.
Paramount’s latest restoration of what is arguably one of the greatest films of all time, conducted under Coppola’s watchful eye, will be kicking off the eastern Sicilian fest in its spectacular 8,000-seat ancient Greek theater in the shadow of the island’s active Mount Etna volcano.
The 50th edition of “The Godfather” was released in U.S. theaters in February to robust box office results and subsequently played in the Cannes Cinema de la Plage section, though Coppola wasn’t in attendance.
“Having the master Francis Ford Coppola inaugurate our 68th edition fills us with pride and joy,” reads a statement from Taormina’s trio of artistic directors, Francesco Alò, Alessandra De Luca and Federico Pontiggia.
“Attending the screening of ‘The Godfather...
Paramount’s latest restoration of what is arguably one of the greatest films of all time, conducted under Coppola’s watchful eye, will be kicking off the eastern Sicilian fest in its spectacular 8,000-seat ancient Greek theater in the shadow of the island’s active Mount Etna volcano.
The 50th edition of “The Godfather” was released in U.S. theaters in February to robust box office results and subsequently played in the Cannes Cinema de la Plage section, though Coppola wasn’t in attendance.
“Having the master Francis Ford Coppola inaugurate our 68th edition fills us with pride and joy,” reads a statement from Taormina’s trio of artistic directors, Francesco Alò, Alessandra De Luca and Federico Pontiggia.
“Attending the screening of ‘The Godfather...
- 6/6/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Opposition to the Academy’s plan to award eight Oscars prior to the live telecast continues to grow, with more than 350 new names — including more than a dozen Oscar-winning editors, cinematographers and production designers — added to the petition sent last week to Academy president David Rubin urging a reversal of the plan.
Among the industry professionals signing are Oscar-winning cinematographers John Seale (“The English Patient”), John Toll (“Braveheart”) and Dean Semler (“Dances With Wolves”), and Oscar-winning editors Richard Chew and Paul Hirsch (“Star Wars”), Mikkel Neilsen (“The Sound of Metal”), Pietro Scalia (“JFK”) and Zach Staenberg (“The Matrix”).
Oscar-winning production designers Hannah Beachler (“Black Panther”), Barbara Ling (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Adam Stockhausen (“Grand Budapest Hotel”) and David and Sandy Wasco (“La La Land”) also signed on.
Cinematography will be presented during the live show, but editing and production design are among the eight awards to be presented during the 4 p.
Among the industry professionals signing are Oscar-winning cinematographers John Seale (“The English Patient”), John Toll (“Braveheart”) and Dean Semler (“Dances With Wolves”), and Oscar-winning editors Richard Chew and Paul Hirsch (“Star Wars”), Mikkel Neilsen (“The Sound of Metal”), Pietro Scalia (“JFK”) and Zach Staenberg (“The Matrix”).
Oscar-winning production designers Hannah Beachler (“Black Panther”), Barbara Ling (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Adam Stockhausen (“Grand Budapest Hotel”) and David and Sandy Wasco (“La La Land”) also signed on.
Cinematography will be presented during the live show, but editing and production design are among the eight awards to be presented during the 4 p.
- 3/17/2022
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Some of Hollywood’s top filmmakers and former Oscar winners are calling on the Academy to rethink its decision to pre-record eight categories ahead of the March 27 telecast.
James Cameron, Guillermo del Toro, John Williams, Kathleen Kennedy, and more than six dozen others signed an open letter addressed to Academy President David Rubin slamming the decision to record the wins for best documentary short, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, original score, production design, animated short, live-action short, and sound outside of the live Dolby Theatre ceremony.
The letter explained that such a decision would “demean” those categories and “relegate [them] to the status of second-class citizens,” as shared with Variety. Though the eight categories taking place prior to the 5 p.m. start time will be integrated into the broadcast, these artists are pushing the Academy to reverse its decision and present all 23 Oscar categories live.
“To diminish any of those individual...
James Cameron, Guillermo del Toro, John Williams, Kathleen Kennedy, and more than six dozen others signed an open letter addressed to Academy President David Rubin slamming the decision to record the wins for best documentary short, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, original score, production design, animated short, live-action short, and sound outside of the live Dolby Theatre ceremony.
The letter explained that such a decision would “demean” those categories and “relegate [them] to the status of second-class citizens,” as shared with Variety. Though the eight categories taking place prior to the 5 p.m. start time will be integrated into the broadcast, these artists are pushing the Academy to reverse its decision and present all 23 Oscar categories live.
“To diminish any of those individual...
- 3/9/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Some of Hollywood’s most high-profile filmmakers, including director James Cameron, producers Kathleen Kennedy and Lili Fini Zanuck and composer John Williams have joined the growing chorus of voices asking the Academy to reverse course and present all 23 Oscars on the live March 27 telecast.
In a letter sent today to Academy President David Rubin and obtained by Variety, more than six dozen film professionals, including multiple Academy Award winners, contend that the plan to present eight awards during the pre-telecast hour will “demean” these crafts and “relegate [them] to the status of second-class citizens.”
The eight are original score, film editing, production design, makeup and hairstyling, sound, documentary short, live-action short and animated short. The Academy continues to insist that the nominees in those categories will be announced, and the winner’s acceptance speech aired, in edited form and aired as part of the three-hour ABC show.
That’s not good enough for these artists.
In a letter sent today to Academy President David Rubin and obtained by Variety, more than six dozen film professionals, including multiple Academy Award winners, contend that the plan to present eight awards during the pre-telecast hour will “demean” these crafts and “relegate [them] to the status of second-class citizens.”
The eight are original score, film editing, production design, makeup and hairstyling, sound, documentary short, live-action short and animated short. The Academy continues to insist that the nominees in those categories will be announced, and the winner’s acceptance speech aired, in edited form and aired as part of the three-hour ABC show.
That’s not good enough for these artists.
- 3/9/2022
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
What movie won Best Picture 40 years ago? It’s doubtful you can remember off the top of your head, but upon hearing its iconic electronic score, a vision of British Olympic athletes running on the beach would likely spring to mind and the answer would be obvious: “Chariots of Fire.”
Coming into the 54th ceremony on March 29, 1982, this British biopic had seven nominations compared to 12 for Warren Beatty‘s epic biopic “Reds.” Johnny Carson hosted as these two films slugged it out among stiff competition (it was a rare year in which all the Best Picture and Best Director nominees lined up), the older acting generation was honored, a “divine” presence put on quite the show and a new category was introduced.
This marked the second, and to date last, time three films were nominated for the “Big Five.” It looked to be a big night for Beatty, who was...
Coming into the 54th ceremony on March 29, 1982, this British biopic had seven nominations compared to 12 for Warren Beatty‘s epic biopic “Reds.” Johnny Carson hosted as these two films slugged it out among stiff competition (it was a rare year in which all the Best Picture and Best Director nominees lined up), the older acting generation was honored, a “divine” presence put on quite the show and a new category was introduced.
This marked the second, and to date last, time three films were nominated for the “Big Five.” It looked to be a big night for Beatty, who was...
- 2/4/2022
- by Susan Pennington
- Gold Derby
Entering the “likely a money-laundering scheme for Spanish businessmen” part of his European travelogue era, Woody Allen turns uniquely narrow-minded and bitter with Rifkin’s Festival, which takes aim at the film culture that’s both alienated and abandoned him this past decade. Exciting though it is to see the proverbial gloves come off, the hands, sadly, don’t get very dirty.
Beginning on the therapist couch, film critic, professor, and failed novelist Mort Rifkin recounts the story of how he accompanied his wife Sue (Gina Gershon) to the prestigious San Sebastián International Film Festival, where she was handling publicity for Philippe (Louis Garrel), a socially conscious, classic-American-cinema-loving filmmaker diametrically opposed to Mort’s own cinephilic principles. It’s hard to pinpoint what straw man Allen’s exactly going after here—perhaps Phillippe is just a stand-in for all the millennial A24 directors who’ve pissed him off in recent years—but regardless,...
Beginning on the therapist couch, film critic, professor, and failed novelist Mort Rifkin recounts the story of how he accompanied his wife Sue (Gina Gershon) to the prestigious San Sebastián International Film Festival, where she was handling publicity for Philippe (Louis Garrel), a socially conscious, classic-American-cinema-loving filmmaker diametrically opposed to Mort’s own cinephilic principles. It’s hard to pinpoint what straw man Allen’s exactly going after here—perhaps Phillippe is just a stand-in for all the millennial A24 directors who’ve pissed him off in recent years—but regardless,...
- 1/27/2022
- by Ethan Vestby
- The Film Stage
Seeing a Woody Allen movie in 2022 is, it seems fair to say, a curious experience. Those who believe you can’t separate the art from the artist will find copious proof in his latest movie, “Rifkin’s Festival.” But, of course, they’re unlikely to watch it. Those who still celebrate the artist might watch it, but they won’t find much in the way of art.
For his 49th feature film, Allen returns to a well that is not so much dry as desiccated. The movie opens with Wallace Shawn as our Allen doppelgänger, Mort Rifkin. Mort, an anxious former professor, is also a dedicated cinephile and self-defined intellectual who spends the next hour-and-a-half complaining vociferously to his analyst.
He’s reminiscing about a troubled trip to Spain’s San Sebastián Film Festival, which he recently took with his publicist wife, Sue (Gina Gershon). “Film festivals are no longer what they were,...
For his 49th feature film, Allen returns to a well that is not so much dry as desiccated. The movie opens with Wallace Shawn as our Allen doppelgänger, Mort Rifkin. Mort, an anxious former professor, is also a dedicated cinephile and self-defined intellectual who spends the next hour-and-a-half complaining vociferously to his analyst.
He’s reminiscing about a troubled trip to Spain’s San Sebastián Film Festival, which he recently took with his publicist wife, Sue (Gina Gershon). “Film festivals are no longer what they were,...
- 1/26/2022
- by Elizabeth Weitzman
- The Wrap
Warren Beatty’s show is a beautiful, one of a kind epic. Never mind that it is sharply critical of John Reed, an American who was buried in the Kremlin — Hollywood never approached the title subject directly: (whisper) Commies. Beatty’s production idiosyncrasies raised eyebrows but his picture is quite an achievement in filmic storytelling, cleverly accessing a political scene sixty years gone through testimony by notables that lived it. Beatty and Diane Keaton provide the romantic fireworks that make the film commercially viable, amid all the revolutionary fervor and political chaos.
Reds 40th Anniversary
Blu-ray + Digital
Paramount Home Video
1981 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 195 min. / 40th Anniversary Edition / Street Date November 30, 2021 / 17.99
Starring: Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Edward Herrmann, Jerzy Kosiński, Jack Nicholson, Paul Sorvino, Maureen Stapleton, M. Emmet Walsh, Ian Wolfe, George Plimpton, Dolph Sweet, Ramon Bieri, Gene Hackman, Gerald Hiken, William Daniels, Oleg Kerensky, Shane Rimmer, Jerry Hardin, Jack Kehoe,...
Reds 40th Anniversary
Blu-ray + Digital
Paramount Home Video
1981 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 195 min. / 40th Anniversary Edition / Street Date November 30, 2021 / 17.99
Starring: Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Edward Herrmann, Jerzy Kosiński, Jack Nicholson, Paul Sorvino, Maureen Stapleton, M. Emmet Walsh, Ian Wolfe, George Plimpton, Dolph Sweet, Ramon Bieri, Gene Hackman, Gerald Hiken, William Daniels, Oleg Kerensky, Shane Rimmer, Jerry Hardin, Jack Kehoe,...
- 12/11/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Once accustomed to receiving splashy festival premieres and major theatrical roll-outs, Woody Allen’s films are now relegated to getting dumped stateside following international premieres and theatrical runs from the countries still willing to prominently showcase the Bronx-born director. After A Rainy Day in New York was released in late 2020 following a shoot in 2017, Allen’s latest work, Rifkin’s Festival (which was shot in 2019 and premiered at last year’s Sebastian Film Festival), is now arriving in the U.S. in theaters and on digital platforms on January 28, 2022 from MPI Media Group.
Starring Elena Anaya, Louis Garrel, Gina Gershon, Sergi López, Wallace Shawn, and Christoph Waltz, the movie follows a retired film studies professor who accompanies his publicist wife Sue to the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain. He goes not for the films, but because he’s worried that Sue’s fascination with her young buzzed-about film director client,...
Starring Elena Anaya, Louis Garrel, Gina Gershon, Sergi López, Wallace Shawn, and Christoph Waltz, the movie follows a retired film studies professor who accompanies his publicist wife Sue to the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain. He goes not for the films, but because he’s worried that Sue’s fascination with her young buzzed-about film director client,...
- 12/10/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
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