By Lee Pfeiffer
The dividing line between a film being an homage and a rip-off is sorely tested with "Forsaken", a 2015 Canadian Western by director Jon Cassar, who is best known for his acclaimed, award-winning work in television. This is a rare venture into feature film making for him and the result left me with decidedly mixed emotions. The film marks another collaboration between Cassar and actor Kiefer Sutherland, who starred in Cassar's wildly successful TV series "24". That the two men are comfortable with each other's style is immediately apparent from the first frames of the film. We want to extend kudos to them for bravely venturing where few in the movie industry dare to tread any longer: the realm of the Western, a genre that has been routinely neglected for decades. Despite the success of Westerns such as "Unforgiven", "Dances With Wolves" and "Open Range", studio chiefs can't seem...
The dividing line between a film being an homage and a rip-off is sorely tested with "Forsaken", a 2015 Canadian Western by director Jon Cassar, who is best known for his acclaimed, award-winning work in television. This is a rare venture into feature film making for him and the result left me with decidedly mixed emotions. The film marks another collaboration between Cassar and actor Kiefer Sutherland, who starred in Cassar's wildly successful TV series "24". That the two men are comfortable with each other's style is immediately apparent from the first frames of the film. We want to extend kudos to them for bravely venturing where few in the movie industry dare to tread any longer: the realm of the Western, a genre that has been routinely neglected for decades. Despite the success of Westerns such as "Unforgiven", "Dances With Wolves" and "Open Range", studio chiefs can't seem...
- 4/1/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Going into Forsaken with the intent to enjoy yourself is quite easy: with likable real-life father/son pair Kiefer Sutherland and Donald Sutherland playing on-screen family, all set amidst the backdrop of a post-Civil War small western town, the potential for an emotionally-fueled slice of western escapism is palpable. And it should go without saying that the familial chemistry shared between the two leads is Forsaken‘s biggest draw.
They’re easy to watch, the setting is lush (while occasionally incongruous in a studio backlot kind-of-way), and Kiefer has the angsty gunslinger bit nailed down, but Forsaken‘s mind-numbing story derails the movie of all momentum. Its bad guys are bland (save one), its moralistic preachiness is off-putting, and its unadorned direction repeatedly robs potentially captivating scenes of any emotional relevance.
The Sutherlands occasionally manage to cut through that, but it’s far too rare. Here Sutherland the Senior plays William Clayton,...
They’re easy to watch, the setting is lush (while occasionally incongruous in a studio backlot kind-of-way), and Kiefer has the angsty gunslinger bit nailed down, but Forsaken‘s mind-numbing story derails the movie of all momentum. Its bad guys are bland (save one), its moralistic preachiness is off-putting, and its unadorned direction repeatedly robs potentially captivating scenes of any emotional relevance.
The Sutherlands occasionally manage to cut through that, but it’s far too rare. Here Sutherland the Senior plays William Clayton,...
- 2/19/2016
- by Mitchel Broussard
- We Got This Covered
Bafta-award winning audio post facility Hackenbacker has joined the Halo Group.
The acquisition will see Hackenbacker form a major part of Halo’s drama and film sound operation, working alongside Halo’s five 5.1 TV mix rooms and the two Dolby 7.1 theatrical mix stages.
Halo Group chief executive John Rogerson described Hackenbacker as a “powerhouse on the Soho sound scene”.
He said: “Having Nigel and his team at the forefront of our drama sound operation is the fulfilment of a long held ambition for Halo.”
Rogerson added that while he wanted to build a group of post facilities he was keen to make sure they maintain their own identities.
The Soho-based TV and film sound facility, which counts Downton Abbey, The Musketeers and Whitechapel among its recent broadcast credits, will retain the Hackenbacker brand.
It will also continue to operate from its buildings on Bateman Street, which houses three mix studios and three sound edit suites and Salisbury...
The acquisition will see Hackenbacker form a major part of Halo’s drama and film sound operation, working alongside Halo’s five 5.1 TV mix rooms and the two Dolby 7.1 theatrical mix stages.
Halo Group chief executive John Rogerson described Hackenbacker as a “powerhouse on the Soho sound scene”.
He said: “Having Nigel and his team at the forefront of our drama sound operation is the fulfilment of a long held ambition for Halo.”
Rogerson added that while he wanted to build a group of post facilities he was keen to make sure they maintain their own identities.
The Soho-based TV and film sound facility, which counts Downton Abbey, The Musketeers and Whitechapel among its recent broadcast credits, will retain the Hackenbacker brand.
It will also continue to operate from its buildings on Bateman Street, which houses three mix studios and three sound edit suites and Salisbury...
- 3/14/2014
- ScreenDaily
We're picking out your finest responses to our My favourite film series, for which Guardian writers have selected the movies they go back to time and again.
Here's a roundup of how you responded in week five, when the selections were Dead Poets Society, The Thing, Blow-Up, The 39 Steps, Little Shop of Horrors, Way Out West and Double Indemnity
The fifth week of our My favourite film series opened with an act of defiance. Sarfraz Manzoor had the floor. He spoke of passion and inspiration, of the courage in seizing the moment. He covered romance and skipped realism, asked for your heart, promised adventure. And, one by one, you read his piece on Dead Poets Society, gave your classmates a nudge and laughed him off the lectern.
"Oh Sarfraz! Captain my captain, how could you?," said MyLeftFoot. "It really is the most cliche-ridden load of baloney." "Appropriate time to have...
Here's a roundup of how you responded in week five, when the selections were Dead Poets Society, The Thing, Blow-Up, The 39 Steps, Little Shop of Horrors, Way Out West and Double Indemnity
The fifth week of our My favourite film series opened with an act of defiance. Sarfraz Manzoor had the floor. He spoke of passion and inspiration, of the courage in seizing the moment. He covered romance and skipped realism, asked for your heart, promised adventure. And, one by one, you read his piece on Dead Poets Society, gave your classmates a nudge and laughed him off the lectern.
"Oh Sarfraz! Captain my captain, how could you?," said MyLeftFoot. "It really is the most cliche-ridden load of baloney." "Appropriate time to have...
- 11/29/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
Hugh Grant, who was lauded for his appearance at the Leveson inquiry this week, had some arguments to air about the film promotion circuit
The big story
This week saw actor Hugh Grant deliver his testimony to the Leveson phone hacking inquiry. Grant, a vocal opponent of invasive press behaviour for many months, gave a thoughtful and measured performance. He no longer appeared "the foppish stereotype Brit," according to the Guardian's Michael White. "More high-minded Gary Cooper in Mr Deeds Goes to Town."
Part of Grant's argument centred on the impression that film stars ought to offer themselves up to promote their films. It was, he said, part of your responsibility to a project to do interviews around it ("If you didn't do a little bit of publicity you'd be a monster"), but far from essential. Grant estimated that around 5% of a film's success came down to whether or not he gave interviews,...
The big story
This week saw actor Hugh Grant deliver his testimony to the Leveson phone hacking inquiry. Grant, a vocal opponent of invasive press behaviour for many months, gave a thoughtful and measured performance. He no longer appeared "the foppish stereotype Brit," according to the Guardian's Michael White. "More high-minded Gary Cooper in Mr Deeds Goes to Town."
Part of Grant's argument centred on the impression that film stars ought to offer themselves up to promote their films. It was, he said, part of your responsibility to a project to do interviews around it ("If you didn't do a little bit of publicity you'd be a monster"), but far from essential. Grant estimated that around 5% of a film's success came down to whether or not he gave interviews,...
- 11/24/2011
- by Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
In our writers' favourite film series, John Carpenter's body-mangling monster horror gives Dave Turner the shivers
• Did this review transport you to another world or leave you cold? Wrap up your own review here or break the ice in the comments below
I was 15 when I first saw John Carpenter's The Thing. It was a night of firsts: my first 18 certificate movie on the big screen, and my first date with the wonderful Morag. The night started well when my much-maligned bum-fluff moustache didn't so much as raise a titter at the ticket kiosk, though I personally think it was my Simon Le Bon-inspired spiky mullet that gave me that wee bit of extra gravitas. Or perhaps it was the leg warmers. Either way, Morag was clearly impressed, and that was before I ordered the large Kia-Ora and the wine gums. A fiver went a long way back then.
• Did this review transport you to another world or leave you cold? Wrap up your own review here or break the ice in the comments below
I was 15 when I first saw John Carpenter's The Thing. It was a night of firsts: my first 18 certificate movie on the big screen, and my first date with the wonderful Morag. The night started well when my much-maligned bum-fluff moustache didn't so much as raise a titter at the ticket kiosk, though I personally think it was my Simon Le Bon-inspired spiky mullet that gave me that wee bit of extra gravitas. Or perhaps it was the leg warmers. Either way, Morag was clearly impressed, and that was before I ordered the large Kia-Ora and the wine gums. A fiver went a long way back then.
- 11/22/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
Just how cool is Degrassi star Aislinn Paul? Not only was she kind enough to sit down for an exclusive one-on-one interview earlier in the summer, she was game for a new feature we like to call, “Snappy answers to silly questions.”
The TV Addict: Which cast member is most likely to crack up during a scene?
Aislinn Paul: I’d like to say that I’m pretty good at holding it together but Melinda [Shankar] and I are always cracking up during scenes. We were just shooting a scene this morning and we had a laughing fit, it was pretty fun.
When you’re not shooting, which cast member is most likely to be checking their phones, twittering, texting and what have you?
Aislinn Paul: Melinda is great at her social networking but I’d say Munro [Chambers] is probably on his phone the most, he’s always texting people.
The TV Addict: Which cast member is most likely to crack up during a scene?
Aislinn Paul: I’d like to say that I’m pretty good at holding it together but Melinda [Shankar] and I are always cracking up during scenes. We were just shooting a scene this morning and we had a laughing fit, it was pretty fun.
When you’re not shooting, which cast member is most likely to be checking their phones, twittering, texting and what have you?
Aislinn Paul: Melinda is great at her social networking but I’d say Munro [Chambers] is probably on his phone the most, he’s always texting people.
- 8/3/2011
- by theTVaddict
- The TV Addict
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