In the HBO series "House of the Dragon, actor Matt Smith plays Prince Daemon Targaryen, a character who will -- should "Dragon" last long enough -- no doubt commit multiple acts of murder, perhaps a few acts of torture, certainly several acts of incest, and, just for good measure, two separate acts of enthused cannibalism. Probably also tax evasion. This postulation is based merely on how lascivious and gnarly the show's predecessor, "Game of Thrones," was throughout its 2011 through 2019 run.
Smith's screen acting career began in 2006 with his appearance on a TV adaptation of Philip Pullman's novel "Ruby in the Smoke" and its sequel "Shadow in the North." He was a regular character on the BBC Two series "Party Animals" before landing the plum gig of The Doctor in "Doctor Who" in 2010. The Doctor, for neophytes, is a near-immortal space alien who can, upon his death, choose to regenerate into a new body.
Smith's screen acting career began in 2006 with his appearance on a TV adaptation of Philip Pullman's novel "Ruby in the Smoke" and its sequel "Shadow in the North." He was a regular character on the BBC Two series "Party Animals" before landing the plum gig of The Doctor in "Doctor Who" in 2010. The Doctor, for neophytes, is a near-immortal space alien who can, upon his death, choose to regenerate into a new body.
- 9/13/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The legendary actor reflects on her riches-to-rags childhood, confronting depression and alcoholism – and dancing with Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire
Leslie Caron and her companion, Jack, greet me at the front of their apartment. They make a well-matched couple – slight, chic, immaculately coiffured. Caron, the legendary dancer and actor, is 90 in two weeks’ time. Jack, her beloved shih tzu, is about nine.
Caron heads off to make the tea, with Sidney Bechet’s summery jazz playing in the background. I am left alone with Jack to explore the living room. It feels as if I am tunnelling through the history of 20th-century culture. Here is a photo of a pensive François Truffaut; below is a smirking Warren Beatty. The centrepiece on the wall is a huge watercolour of Caron’s great friend Christopher Isherwood, painted by his partner, Don Bachardy. To the left is Louis Armstrong, to the right Rudolf Nureyev,...
Leslie Caron and her companion, Jack, greet me at the front of their apartment. They make a well-matched couple – slight, chic, immaculately coiffured. Caron, the legendary dancer and actor, is 90 in two weeks’ time. Jack, her beloved shih tzu, is about nine.
Caron heads off to make the tea, with Sidney Bechet’s summery jazz playing in the background. I am left alone with Jack to explore the living room. It feels as if I am tunnelling through the history of 20th-century culture. Here is a photo of a pensive François Truffaut; below is a smirking Warren Beatty. The centrepiece on the wall is a huge watercolour of Caron’s great friend Christopher Isherwood, painted by his partner, Don Bachardy. To the left is Louis Armstrong, to the right Rudolf Nureyev,...
- 6/21/2021
- by Simon Hattenstone
- The Guardian - Film News
Based on Mary Shelley’s timeless novel Frankenstein, Jack Smight's Frankenstein: The True Story is coming to Blu-ray on March 24th from Scream Factory, and ahead of its release, we've been provided with the full list of bonus features and a look at the cover art:
Press Release: Get ready to experience the horror and suspense of the timeless Frankenstein story. On March 24, 2020, Scream Factory™ will unleash the epic horror classic Frankenstein: The True Story on Blu-ray. Directed by Jack Smight and teleplay by Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, this gruesome, heart-pounding thriller features an incredible cast, including James Mason, Leonard Whiting (Romeo & Juliet), David McCallum, Jane Seymour, Nicola Pagett (An Awfully Big Adventure), Michael Sarrazin, and Agnes Moorehead. Frankenstein: The True Story retells Mary Shelley’s unforgettable story. Victor Frankenstein’s medical experiments result in the shocking discovery that he can revive the dead. But when the...
Press Release: Get ready to experience the horror and suspense of the timeless Frankenstein story. On March 24, 2020, Scream Factory™ will unleash the epic horror classic Frankenstein: The True Story on Blu-ray. Directed by Jack Smight and teleplay by Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, this gruesome, heart-pounding thriller features an incredible cast, including James Mason, Leonard Whiting (Romeo & Juliet), David McCallum, Jane Seymour, Nicola Pagett (An Awfully Big Adventure), Michael Sarrazin, and Agnes Moorehead. Frankenstein: The True Story retells Mary Shelley’s unforgettable story. Victor Frankenstein’s medical experiments result in the shocking discovery that he can revive the dead. But when the...
- 2/13/2020
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
In his continually eccentric series of extracurricular activities, Steven Soderbergh has posted a black and white version of Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark. Here's what he has to say about why:
"So I want you to watch this movie and think only about staging, how the shots are built and laid out, what the rules of movement are, what the cutting patterns are. See if you can reproduce the thought process that resulted in these choices by asking yourself: why was each shot—whether short or long—held for that exact length of time and placed in that order? Sounds like fun, right? It actually is. To me. Oh, and I’ve removed all sound and color from the film, apart from a score designed to aid you in your quest to just study the visual staging aspect. Wait, What? How Could You Do This? Well, I...
"So I want you to watch this movie and think only about staging, how the shots are built and laid out, what the rules of movement are, what the cutting patterns are. See if you can reproduce the thought process that resulted in these choices by asking yourself: why was each shot—whether short or long—held for that exact length of time and placed in that order? Sounds like fun, right? It actually is. To me. Oh, and I’ve removed all sound and color from the film, apart from a score designed to aid you in your quest to just study the visual staging aspect. Wait, What? How Could You Do This? Well, I...
- 10/1/2014
- by Notebook
- MUBI
Hollywood is the highly anticipated monograph of celebrated portrait artist Don Bachardy. With more than 300 original paintings and drawings, this stunning collection features the most famous actors and influential figures in Hollywood including directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, costumers, producers, and agents. As the longtime partner of English novelist Christopher Isherwood, Bachardy had early access to Hollywood’s elite. Bette Davis, Ian McKellen, Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Katherine Hepburn, Mia Farrow, Jack Nicholson, Brooke Shields, and Patrick Swayze are rendered in the most sublime way, with bold strokes of blue, vivid splashes of pink and red, or featherlike pencil and bold charcoal sketches. A lifelong Hollywood native, Bachardy has been capturing stars for over...
- 9/19/2014
- by Pietro Filipponi
- The Daily BLAM!
Looking for a must-see list of great gay documentaries? We've got you covered. We recently asked our readers to nominate up to five of their favorite documentary films via write-in vote. Thousands responded and we tabulated the results to bring you the top 25 here. All of these films are definitely worth a look and to help you learn more about titles you might not be familiar with, we've included trailers, links to reviews, official film websites and more. Plus, for three of the titles we've even embedded the full movie thanks to the Logo Docs library.
So here they are, the 25 Greatest Gay Documentaries. Which ones have you already seen? Which ones do you need to see?
25. Saint of 9/11
Summary: Sir Ian McKellen narrates this inspiring portrait of Father Mychal Judge, a New York City Fire Department Chaplain who wrestled with his sexuality, his genuine dedication to life as a priest,...
So here they are, the 25 Greatest Gay Documentaries. Which ones have you already seen? Which ones do you need to see?
25. Saint of 9/11
Summary: Sir Ian McKellen narrates this inspiring portrait of Father Mychal Judge, a New York City Fire Department Chaplain who wrestled with his sexuality, his genuine dedication to life as a priest,...
- 9/10/2012
- by AfterElton.com Staff
- The Backlot
Matt Smith has discussed how he approached playing the role of writer Christopher Isherwood in upcoming BBC film Christopher and His Kind. The Doctor Who actor will star alongside Lindsey Duncan, Toby Jones and Douglas Booth in the 90-minute adaptation of Isherwood's famed biography. He explained that as well as spending time in Berlin in preparation for the part, where Isherwood spent his formative years, he also visited Isherwood's life partner Don Bachardy. "I went to meet Don who was very charming and inviting, and he said (more)...
- 10/12/2010
- by By Tom Ayres
- Digital Spy
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
The celebrated career of English literary giant Christopher Isherwood — perhaps best known for his monumental Berlin Stories, source material for the beloved musical Cabaret — would cast a huge shadow over anyone in his orbit. Yet Don Bachardy, who, despite being more than 30 years junior to Isherwood, was partnered with the legendary writer from not long after their meeting on Valentine’s Day 1953 until the writer’s death in 1986, established his own unique place in the artistic firmament. The 76-year-old Santa Monica, Calif., resident is a much in-demand and respected portraitist and writer in his own right. Besides painting thousands of portraits of politicians, film stars, and sundry everyday people who have sparked his interest, Bachardy also collaborated with Isherwood on television films (1973’s Frankenstein: The True Story has a cult following) and Broadway dramatizations (a short-running production of Isherwood's novel A Meeting by the River) as well as writing the 2000 tome Stars in My Eyes,...
- 7/6/2010
- The Advocate
Colin Firth is mesmerising as a bereaved gay man with a death wish in fashion designer Tom Ford's superb debut
Christopher Isherwood was one of the great prose writers of the 20th century, a man of complexity, honesty and wit, and the fashion designer Tom Ford, making his carefully stylised directorial debut, has done an altogether admirable job of bringing to the screen what many regard as his best novel.
Born in 1904, Isherwood grew up with the cinema, was fascinated by the relationship between literature and the new medium, and his most famous line occurs his most celebrated book, Goodbye to Berlin: "I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking." Over the years he worked frequently on movies (his masterly novella, Prater Violet, was based on his experience of co-writing the 1934 Berthold Viertel film Little Friend), and when he and Wh Auden left Britain just...
Christopher Isherwood was one of the great prose writers of the 20th century, a man of complexity, honesty and wit, and the fashion designer Tom Ford, making his carefully stylised directorial debut, has done an altogether admirable job of bringing to the screen what many regard as his best novel.
Born in 1904, Isherwood grew up with the cinema, was fascinated by the relationship between literature and the new medium, and his most famous line occurs his most celebrated book, Goodbye to Berlin: "I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking." Over the years he worked frequently on movies (his masterly novella, Prater Violet, was based on his experience of co-writing the 1934 Berthold Viertel film Little Friend), and when he and Wh Auden left Britain just...
- 2/15/2010
- by Philip French, Colin Firth
- The Guardian - Film News
He had never written or made a film before, but failure is not in the dictionary of Tom Ford. He tells Andrew Pulver how A Single Man inspired him, scared him – and got him addicted
It's not every day that a tycoon with a billion-dollar turnover makes his first movie, paid for from his own pocket; but Tom Ford would be a special, exotic creature in any environment. Fashion designer, brand developer, hobnobber with the rich and famous, Ford has now has put himself in an extraordinary, exceptional position – his film-making debut, A Single Man, is a potentially important, award-winning movie, one that looks set to make a significant impact on the culture. It's adapted from a 1964 novel by Christopher Isherwood about a gay man's grief after his partner is killed in a car accident; it stars Colin Firth, giving a performance that is already registering on the awards circuit,...
It's not every day that a tycoon with a billion-dollar turnover makes his first movie, paid for from his own pocket; but Tom Ford would be a special, exotic creature in any environment. Fashion designer, brand developer, hobnobber with the rich and famous, Ford has now has put himself in an extraordinary, exceptional position – his film-making debut, A Single Man, is a potentially important, award-winning movie, one that looks set to make a significant impact on the culture. It's adapted from a 1964 novel by Christopher Isherwood about a gay man's grief after his partner is killed in a car accident; it stars Colin Firth, giving a performance that is already registering on the awards circuit,...
- 1/29/2010
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
When Tom Ford left the fashion house Gucci in 2004, he never expected to be sent into an existential crisis. As he was figuring out the next phase of his life, he remembered a character he had loved more than two decades ago from a Christopher Isherwood novel. George, the haunted yet optimistic protagonist of A Single Man, seemed so real and pertinent to Ford that he decided to re-read the novel. After having read many scripts in hopes of making his first film, Ford instead began to envision a movie version of Isherwood's narrative. It took Ford nearly two years to conceptualize the movie version. He co-wrote the script with David Scearce and found financial backers. But they pulled out of the project while it was in pre-production. Determined to make his film, Ford financed it himself. He says A Single Man is his proudest accomplishment. And even though he...
- 11/24/2009
- by maint
- Film Independent
Have a question about gay male entertainment? Ask the Monkey! (Please include your city and state and/or country.)
Q: Years ago, I read about the gay kiss between Topher Grace and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in an episode of That ‘70s Show called "Eric's Buddy." Apparently that kiss had some kind of historical significance, like first primetime kiss between two men or something like that? Could you find out what the significance was, if any? – Mark, Johnson City, Tn
A: Okay, this is too weird! Just last week, I was at a party, talking to Liz Brixius and Linda Wallem, the creators of the great new show Nurse Jackie (and who both happen to be lesbians). At one point, one of them mentioned a “gay episode” on the first season of That ‘70s Show, a show they’d worked on previously. I didn’t remember seeing it, but I thought it...
Q: Years ago, I read about the gay kiss between Topher Grace and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in an episode of That ‘70s Show called "Eric's Buddy." Apparently that kiss had some kind of historical significance, like first primetime kiss between two men or something like that? Could you find out what the significance was, if any? – Mark, Johnson City, Tn
A: Okay, this is too weird! Just last week, I was at a party, talking to Liz Brixius and Linda Wallem, the creators of the great new show Nurse Jackie (and who both happen to be lesbians). At one point, one of them mentioned a “gay episode” on the first season of That ‘70s Show, a show they’d worked on previously. I didn’t remember seeing it, but I thought it...
- 8/24/2009
- by Brent Hartinger
- The Backlot
I had the pleasure this past weekend in rediscovering Jamie Bell's engaging and endearing debut performance in Billy Elliot (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0249462/) on television. This film garnered him a BAFTA award for best actor, and is also the film that played a big part in paving the way to the very promising career he's acquired thus far. He is one of tMF's favorites, and one we will continue to keep our eye on. Now a spotlight on his two upcoming projects, his most recent film Defiance (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1034303/), along with two interesting interviews. - - - New Projects: The Hollywood Reporter (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i6f1a24d20528a54702da2892e5baa5f8) recently announced news of a new film Jamie Bell is set to star in alongside Joan Allen called In Defiance of Gravity (http://www.
- 9/30/2008
- The Movie Fanatic
Chris & Don: A Love Story
Featuring Christopher Isherwood, Don Bachardy, and Michael York
Directed by Guido Santi and Tina Mascara
Not Rated
Love comes in many forms, but a lifelong love like this is rare for a number of reasons. It does no good to talk about Chris & Don: A Love Story without acknowledging that when their relationship began, English writer Christopher Isherwood was in his late forties and Don Bachardy was 18. Or so.
Once you get over whatever feelings that causes, this new documentary unfolds fairly amiably. Isherwood’s writing made him a sort of celebrity in the Golden Age of Hollywood, which was also the Dark Ages of Hollywood Homosexuality. Very few important members of the entertainment industry were out of the closet then, and to prove he was, Isherwood would spend the next 40 years or so with a lover more than young enough to be his son.
Featuring Christopher Isherwood, Don Bachardy, and Michael York
Directed by Guido Santi and Tina Mascara
Not Rated
Love comes in many forms, but a lifelong love like this is rare for a number of reasons. It does no good to talk about Chris & Don: A Love Story without acknowledging that when their relationship began, English writer Christopher Isherwood was in his late forties and Don Bachardy was 18. Or so.
Once you get over whatever feelings that causes, this new documentary unfolds fairly amiably. Isherwood’s writing made him a sort of celebrity in the Golden Age of Hollywood, which was also the Dark Ages of Hollywood Homosexuality. Very few important members of the entertainment industry were out of the closet then, and to prove he was, Isherwood would spend the next 40 years or so with a lover more than young enough to be his son.
- 8/29/2008
- by Colin Boyd
- GetTheBigPicture.net
Fairly across the board (other than for the occasional sour grape), Tina Mascara and Guido Santi’s affectionate documentary Chris & Don: A Love Story has been favorably received by critics and public alike. Following my first write-up on the film during Frameline 32, Dave Hudson at The Greencine Daily has—of course—compiled an aggregate of the film’s critical response, which continues through its ongoing theatrical distribution.
I took ill during Frameline 32 when Don Bachardy was in town granting press interviews, so I especially appreciated his taking time to talk with me recently by phone. My thanks to Karen Larsen for arranging same. Photographic portrait of Don Bachardy courtesy of Kevin Scanlon, L.A. Times.
I took ill during Frameline 32 when Don Bachardy was in town granting press interviews, so I especially appreciated his taking time to talk with me recently by phone. My thanks to Karen Larsen for arranging same. Photographic portrait of Don Bachardy courtesy of Kevin Scanlon, L.A. Times.
- 7/22/2008
- by Michael Guillen
- Screen Anarchy
Christopher Isherwood lived in Berlin during the Weimar Republic era and later wrote about that time in a bestselling short-story collection adapted into the plays and films I Am A Camera and Cabaret. Isherwood considered his Berlin years one of the few times that he felt "free" as gay man in a gay-unfriendly era. He left Germany before Hitler took full command, and found his way to Hollywood, where he worked on scripts, socialized with movie stars, and immersed himself in Los Angeles' nascent—and still largely secret—gay culture. And then he met Don Bachardy, a slight, handsome teenage beach bum who charmed Isherwood with his naïveté and boyish enthusiasm. They become instant companions, and Isherwood was so comfortable having Bachardy around that he once again found the freedom of Berlin in this new community of two. Tina Mascara and Guido Santi's documentary Chris & Don. A Love Story recounts.
- 6/19/2008
- by Noel Murray
- avclub.com
By Neil Pedley
On offer this week is a veritable gallery of the eclectic and the eccentric as M. Night Shyamalan goes R-rated, Edward Norton goes green, Werner Herzog goes to the Antarctic, and two of Herzog's fellow countrymen go to California to climb a big rock very, very quickly.
"Beauty in Trouble"
Czech director Jan Hrebejk and writer Petr Jarchovský continue their longtime collaborative partnership with this dense ensemble drama loosely inspired by Robert Graves's poem of the same name. This time, the duo who balanced humor with drama in the Oscar-nominated Holocaust-set "Divided We Fall," turn to the devastating series of floods that swept Prague in 2002, and tell the story of Marcela (Anna Geislerová), an overworked mother of two living in squalor. When her ne'er do well husband is taken in by the police, she's courted by a well-to-do businessman (Josef Abrhám) and Marcela is forced to...
On offer this week is a veritable gallery of the eclectic and the eccentric as M. Night Shyamalan goes R-rated, Edward Norton goes green, Werner Herzog goes to the Antarctic, and two of Herzog's fellow countrymen go to California to climb a big rock very, very quickly.
"Beauty in Trouble"
Czech director Jan Hrebejk and writer Petr Jarchovský continue their longtime collaborative partnership with this dense ensemble drama loosely inspired by Robert Graves's poem of the same name. This time, the duo who balanced humor with drama in the Oscar-nominated Holocaust-set "Divided We Fall," turn to the devastating series of floods that swept Prague in 2002, and tell the story of Marcela (Anna Geislerová), an overworked mother of two living in squalor. When her ne'er do well husband is taken in by the police, she's courted by a well-to-do businessman (Josef Abrhám) and Marcela is forced to...
- 6/9/2008
- by Neil Pedley
- ifc.com
AFI Fest
The lives of British writer Christopher Isherwood and American portrait artist Don Bachardy and the love they shared over three decades give any documentarian a rich and wonderful gift.
Even a klutz could hardly make a bad movie about these compelling figures. Thankfully though, Guido Santi and Tina Mascara are superb filmmakers, fully alive in their terrific film "Chris & Don: A Love Story" to all the undercurrents of art, social class, sexual orientation, challenging relationships and, most especially, the touching love story at the heart of their film. The docu is a natural for festivals, but strong enough to have impact in art-house venues in North America and Europe.
The film deploys a number of techniques to relate the story and every one works. This includes time spent over three years with the surviving partner, Bachardy, as he continues to paint, bicycles all over Santa Monica and reminiscences about his dear companion.
There also are interviews with friends and colleagues, amazing home movies shot by the lovers, animation sequences, re-enacted scenes with actors posing as key characters -- a thing that usually misfires but in this case does not -- and readings from Isherwood's diaries by Michael York.
The two met on a Santa Monica beach, in a section frequented by gays, in 1953. Isherwood came to the U.S. in 1939, having already written his novel "Mr. Norris Changes Trains" and short story collection "Goodbye to Berlin" -- the inspiration for the play "I Am a Camera" and subsequent stage and film musical "Cabaret". He was 49. Bachardy, who was with his older brother Ted, was 18.
Despite a 30-year age difference and a few affairs with others and periods of separation in the early 1960s, the two shared a love and a friendship that lasted until Isherwood died in 1986. Pictures and home movies show a handsome middle-age man, who can't help smiling in the company of such a beautiful, well-built boy. The boy, too, beams at the camera, his joy unmistakable. As they grow older, the connection between the men grows stronger in each photograph.
There obviously was a mentoring aspect to their relationship: Chris became the father he could not otherwise be, taking the youth to Europe, introducing him to such friends as Aldous Huxley, Igor Stravinsky, Tennessee Williams and Montgomery Clift -- many of whom would later pose for Don the artist -- and encouraging and supporting his study of art.
Their age difference meant nothing to them but a lot to others. Don would feel the dismissiveness of Chris' famous friends. He thought about leaving the relationship, to reclaim his independence and to experience the kind of sexual freedom Chris enjoyed when he roamed Berlin in the '30s in search of handsome boys.
In the end, their love proved too strong for any permanent separation. As one friend, director John Boorman, notes, Don unwittingly mimicking his mentor's English speech patterns and mannerisms.
The most touching sequences revolve around the death of Isherwood. In his final six months, Don painted Chris every day, so that his death was "something we were doing together." The drawings often catch the agonies of a dying man but with an aching tenderness. When Chris finally expired, Don spent the day drawing his lover's corpse. He says he did so because he could imagine his mentor urging him on, saying "That's what an artist would do." Don takes a breath and adds: "And that's what an artist did do."
CHRIS & DON: A LOVE STORY
Asphalt Stars Prods.
Credits:
Director-editors: Guido Santi, Tina Mascara
Producers: Julia Scott, Tina Mascara, Guido Santi, James White
Executive producer: Andrew Herwitz
Narrator of Isherwood's diaries: Michael York
Director of photography: Ralph Q. Smith
Production designer: Francisco Stohr
Music: Miriam Cutler
Animation: Katrina Swanger, Kristina Swanger
Running time -- 91 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The lives of British writer Christopher Isherwood and American portrait artist Don Bachardy and the love they shared over three decades give any documentarian a rich and wonderful gift.
Even a klutz could hardly make a bad movie about these compelling figures. Thankfully though, Guido Santi and Tina Mascara are superb filmmakers, fully alive in their terrific film "Chris & Don: A Love Story" to all the undercurrents of art, social class, sexual orientation, challenging relationships and, most especially, the touching love story at the heart of their film. The docu is a natural for festivals, but strong enough to have impact in art-house venues in North America and Europe.
The film deploys a number of techniques to relate the story and every one works. This includes time spent over three years with the surviving partner, Bachardy, as he continues to paint, bicycles all over Santa Monica and reminiscences about his dear companion.
There also are interviews with friends and colleagues, amazing home movies shot by the lovers, animation sequences, re-enacted scenes with actors posing as key characters -- a thing that usually misfires but in this case does not -- and readings from Isherwood's diaries by Michael York.
The two met on a Santa Monica beach, in a section frequented by gays, in 1953. Isherwood came to the U.S. in 1939, having already written his novel "Mr. Norris Changes Trains" and short story collection "Goodbye to Berlin" -- the inspiration for the play "I Am a Camera" and subsequent stage and film musical "Cabaret". He was 49. Bachardy, who was with his older brother Ted, was 18.
Despite a 30-year age difference and a few affairs with others and periods of separation in the early 1960s, the two shared a love and a friendship that lasted until Isherwood died in 1986. Pictures and home movies show a handsome middle-age man, who can't help smiling in the company of such a beautiful, well-built boy. The boy, too, beams at the camera, his joy unmistakable. As they grow older, the connection between the men grows stronger in each photograph.
There obviously was a mentoring aspect to their relationship: Chris became the father he could not otherwise be, taking the youth to Europe, introducing him to such friends as Aldous Huxley, Igor Stravinsky, Tennessee Williams and Montgomery Clift -- many of whom would later pose for Don the artist -- and encouraging and supporting his study of art.
Their age difference meant nothing to them but a lot to others. Don would feel the dismissiveness of Chris' famous friends. He thought about leaving the relationship, to reclaim his independence and to experience the kind of sexual freedom Chris enjoyed when he roamed Berlin in the '30s in search of handsome boys.
In the end, their love proved too strong for any permanent separation. As one friend, director John Boorman, notes, Don unwittingly mimicking his mentor's English speech patterns and mannerisms.
The most touching sequences revolve around the death of Isherwood. In his final six months, Don painted Chris every day, so that his death was "something we were doing together." The drawings often catch the agonies of a dying man but with an aching tenderness. When Chris finally expired, Don spent the day drawing his lover's corpse. He says he did so because he could imagine his mentor urging him on, saying "That's what an artist would do." Don takes a breath and adds: "And that's what an artist did do."
CHRIS & DON: A LOVE STORY
Asphalt Stars Prods.
Credits:
Director-editors: Guido Santi, Tina Mascara
Producers: Julia Scott, Tina Mascara, Guido Santi, James White
Executive producer: Andrew Herwitz
Narrator of Isherwood's diaries: Michael York
Director of photography: Ralph Q. Smith
Production designer: Francisco Stohr
Music: Miriam Cutler
Animation: Katrina Swanger, Kristina Swanger
Running time -- 91 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 11/7/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- Tucked away in the fresh air mountains of Telluride, Colorado is the 4 day film festival of gnarly indie, foreign film titles. Commencing today, this year appears to be a slim pickings in terms of anything fresh and not showing at either Toronto or Venice. Instead this year's bunch pulls from the quality titles at this past Cannes edition. Many were saying that Paul thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood would preem there - and there is always a chance especially with a Daniel Day Lewis tribute occurring. Known as the festival of blind faith (cuz you don,t know what film you'll be necessarily seeing, don't be shocked if they pull out some surprises. Here are some of the title listing for this year's edition: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 DaysThe Band's VisitA Thousand Years of Good PrayersThe CounterfeitersPersepolisWhen Did You Last See Your Father?
- 8/31/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
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