Throughout the 96-year history of the Academy Awards, the amount of acting lineups consisting only of first-time nominees has reached 37, or about 10% of the overall total. While that number may not seem high in a general sense, these cases actually outnumber those exclusively involving veteran contenders by a ratio of three to one. However, although this list expanded as recently as 2023, rookie-only acting lineups are gradually becoming less common than veteran-only ones, the amount of which has nearly doubled within the last dozen years.
Whereas 75% of veteran-only acting quintets have involved lead performers rather than supporting ones, almost the exact opposite is true of lineups full of newcomers. For instance, only one existing case of the former kind concerns supporting actresses, whereas the same category has produced 15 rookie-only rosters. The last such group consisted of 2000 winner Angelina Jolie and nominees Toni Collette (“The Sixth Sense”), Catherine Keener (“Being John Malkovich...
Whereas 75% of veteran-only acting quintets have involved lead performers rather than supporting ones, almost the exact opposite is true of lineups full of newcomers. For instance, only one existing case of the former kind concerns supporting actresses, whereas the same category has produced 15 rookie-only rosters. The last such group consisted of 2000 winner Angelina Jolie and nominees Toni Collette (“The Sixth Sense”), Catherine Keener (“Being John Malkovich...
- 2/7/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
The passing of Joan Didion, one of the 20th century’s greatest writers, is tough to put into words. Really, only Didion herself could fully pull off the mighty task of encapsulating her grand and wildly influential output. Her clear-eyed and no-nonsense view of American culture, stripped of its own propaganda to reveal the grimy hypocrisies lying underneath a gleaming surface, could be as elegiac as it was merciless. During the most confusing and incomprehensible of times, be it the paranoia of post-Manson Hollywood or the battlefield of her own grief, Didion provided a guiding light forward. Even as some of her most famous words have become iconography for Pinterest boards devoid of their original context, Didion's anti-Romantic glance lost none of its potency.Given her status as one of California’s homegrown talents, a Sacramento girl who partied with the Doors, hired Harrison Ford as her carpenter, and had dinner with Sharon Tate,...
- 1/17/2022
- MUBI
October’s here and it’s time to get spooked. After last year’s superb “’70s Horror” lineup, the Criterion Channel commemorates October with a couple series: “Universal Horror,” which does what it says on the tin (with special notice to the Spanish-language Dracula), and “Home Invasion,” which runs the gamut from Romero to Oshima with Polanski and Haneke in the mix. Lest we disregard the programming of Cindy Sherman’s one feature, Office Killer, and Jennifer’s Body, whose lifespan has gone from gimmick to forgotten to Criterion Channel. And if you want to stretch ideas of genre just a hair, their “True Crime” selection gets at darker shades of human nature.
It’s not all chills and thrills, mind. October also boasts a Kirk Douglas repertoire, movies by Doris Wishman and Wayne Wang, plus Manoel de Oliveira’s rarely screened Porto of My Childhood. And Edgar Wright gets the “Adventures in Moviegoing” treatment,...
It’s not all chills and thrills, mind. October also boasts a Kirk Douglas repertoire, movies by Doris Wishman and Wayne Wang, plus Manoel de Oliveira’s rarely screened Porto of My Childhood. And Edgar Wright gets the “Adventures in Moviegoing” treatment,...
- 9/24/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
The legendary punk god joins us to talk about movies he finds unforgettable. Special appearance by his cat, Moon Unit.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Tapeheads (1988)
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979) – Eli Roth’s trailer commentary
A Face In The Crowd (1957) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Meet John Doe (1941)
Bob Roberts (1992)
Bachelor Party (1984)
Dangerously Close (1986)
Videodrome (1983) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary
F/X (1986)
Hot Rods To Hell (1967)
Riot On Sunset Strip (1967)
While The City Sleeps (1956) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Spider-Man (2002)
The Killing (1956) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary
Serpent’s Egg (1977)
The Thin Man (1934)
Meet Nero Wolfe (1936)
The Hidden Eye (1945)
Eyes In The Night (1942)
Sudden Impact (1983) – Alan Spencer’s trailer commentary
Red Dawn (1984)
Warlock (1989)
The Dead Zone (1983) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary
Secret Honor (1984)
The Player (1992) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary,...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Tapeheads (1988)
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979) – Eli Roth’s trailer commentary
A Face In The Crowd (1957) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Meet John Doe (1941)
Bob Roberts (1992)
Bachelor Party (1984)
Dangerously Close (1986)
Videodrome (1983) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary
F/X (1986)
Hot Rods To Hell (1967)
Riot On Sunset Strip (1967)
While The City Sleeps (1956) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Spider-Man (2002)
The Killing (1956) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary
Serpent’s Egg (1977)
The Thin Man (1934)
Meet Nero Wolfe (1936)
The Hidden Eye (1945)
Eyes In The Night (1942)
Sudden Impact (1983) – Alan Spencer’s trailer commentary
Red Dawn (1984)
Warlock (1989)
The Dead Zone (1983) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary
Secret Honor (1984)
The Player (1992) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary,...
- 6/22/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Frank Langella is Stanislavsky over Strasberg (“Lee took Stanislavsky and bastardized him terribly”), acting over stardom (“I play my strong suit and try to disappear”), and old over young. “I’d hate to be a young actor starting out now,” said the 83-year-old performer; he was 32 when he earned his first film credit, in “Diary of a Mad Housewife,” which earned him a 1971 Golden Globe nomination as Most Promising Newcomer-Male. “I’ve seen people write about a new young actor who is only 24 being thrown on the junk heap.”
Langella is also theater over film, usually, but he was delighted to make the exception for Aaron Sorkin, whom he compares to Shakespeare. “All the classics I’ve done, I’m safe inside these brilliant writers,” he said. “There are not many today. With Aaron, you never feel you’re being abandoned: ‘How do I play this?’ Aaron has a delicious chocolate cake,...
Langella is also theater over film, usually, but he was delighted to make the exception for Aaron Sorkin, whom he compares to Shakespeare. “All the classics I’ve done, I’m safe inside these brilliant writers,” he said. “There are not many today. With Aaron, you never feel you’re being abandoned: ‘How do I play this?’ Aaron has a delicious chocolate cake,...
- 2/22/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Frank Langella is Stanislavsky over Strasberg (“Lee took Stanislavsky and bastardized him terribly”), acting over stardom (“I play my strong suit and try to disappear”), and old over young. “I’d hate to be a young actor starting out now,” said the 83-year-old performer; he was 32 when he earned his first film credit, in “Diary of a Mad Housewife,” which earned him a 1971 Golden Globe nomination as Most Promising Newcomer-Male. “I’ve seen people write about a new young actor who is only 24 being thrown on the junk heap.”
Langella is also theater over film, usually, but he was delighted to make the exception for Aaron Sorkin, whom he compares to Shakespeare. “All the classics I’ve done, I’m safe inside these brilliant writers,” he said. “There are not many today. With Aaron, you never feel you’re being abandoned: ‘How do I play this?’ Aaron has a delicious chocolate cake,...
Langella is also theater over film, usually, but he was delighted to make the exception for Aaron Sorkin, whom he compares to Shakespeare. “All the classics I’ve done, I’m safe inside these brilliant writers,” he said. “There are not many today. With Aaron, you never feel you’re being abandoned: ‘How do I play this?’ Aaron has a delicious chocolate cake,...
- 2/22/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
It’s hard to imagine that any woman in the academy who has been pregnant won’t nominate Vanessa Kirby for her affecting, unsentimental performance as an expectant Boston mother who survives her worst nightmare in the Netflix release “Pieces of a Woman.”
Kirby, whom American audiences will remember for her saucy turn as the flamboyantly frustrated Princess Margaret in seasons one and two of “The Crown,” plays Martha Weiss. Expecting her first child — the phrase “It’s a girl” is written on the celebratory cake served at an office party before she takes maternity leave — Martha and her partner Sean (Shia Laboeuf) opt for a home birth but nothing will work out as planned. The midwife she thought would deliver her baby is suddenly unavailable. Martha’s already in a fraught labor when a substitute midwife, Eva Woodward (Molly Parker), is dispatched. There’s still reason to hope for...
Kirby, whom American audiences will remember for her saucy turn as the flamboyantly frustrated Princess Margaret in seasons one and two of “The Crown,” plays Martha Weiss. Expecting her first child — the phrase “It’s a girl” is written on the celebratory cake served at an office party before she takes maternity leave — Martha and her partner Sean (Shia Laboeuf) opt for a home birth but nothing will work out as planned. The midwife she thought would deliver her baby is suddenly unavailable. Martha’s already in a fraught labor when a substitute midwife, Eva Woodward (Molly Parker), is dispatched. There’s still reason to hope for...
- 1/15/2021
- by Robert Rorke
- Gold Derby
Pairing wine with movies! See the trailers and hear the fascinating commentary for these movies and many more at Trailers From Hell. If the pandemic has turned your household roles upside down and inside out, don’t get mad. Get mad, mad, mad, mad. For the soul of the country, y’all.
Of course, it was possible for anxiety to back up on you even in 1970. Diary of a Mad Housewife has Carrie Snodgress in the titular role. She can’t get satisfaction in her marriage, in her affair or in her therapy group. It sounds like a job for Calgon, but life has gotten so bad for her that even a long, hot soak won’t fix it.
Surely a Mad Housewife wine will pair with this film like it was born to do so. It is a “mommy wine” aimed at a broader spectrum of women who are...
Of course, it was possible for anxiety to back up on you even in 1970. Diary of a Mad Housewife has Carrie Snodgress in the titular role. She can’t get satisfaction in her marriage, in her affair or in her therapy group. It sounds like a job for Calgon, but life has gotten so bad for her that even a long, hot soak won’t fix it.
Surely a Mad Housewife wine will pair with this film like it was born to do so. It is a “mommy wine” aimed at a broader spectrum of women who are...
- 11/11/2020
- by Randy Fuller
- Trailers from Hell
The feel-bad feminist film of 1970, Carrie Snodgress—in an award-winning performance—plays a housewife who can’t catch a break, especially from the aggressively misogynistic men she keeps running into. The usually affable Richard Benjamin plays against type as one of the most horrible husbands in movie history but Frank Langella runs him a close second as Carrie’s belligerent “lover.”
The post Diary of a Mad Housewife appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post Diary of a Mad Housewife appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 11/9/2020
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
An artist’s life is always more than their ‘published’ works, but that this massive ‘Agnés in a box’ comes close to being the last word on an impressive filmmaker sometimes dubbed The Mother of the French New Wave. It certainly is as comprehensive and complete as possible when it comes to her films. So far they’ve all been pleasant discoveries. This review describes the collection and separately reviews two previously unfamiliar titles, the quirky sci-fi fantasy Les créatures and the worthy pro-feminist drama One Sings, the Other Doesn’t.
The Complete Films of Agnès Varda
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection (no spine numbers)
1955-2019
fifteen Blu-ray Discs
available through The Criterion Collection
Street Date August 11, 2020 / 249.95
Directed by Agnès Varda
The great Agnès Varda passed away just over a year ago. She appears to have been creatively active almost to the very end, an insatiable, unstoppable filmmaker of taste & discretion and natural ability.
The Complete Films of Agnès Varda
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection (no spine numbers)
1955-2019
fifteen Blu-ray Discs
available through The Criterion Collection
Street Date August 11, 2020 / 249.95
Directed by Agnès Varda
The great Agnès Varda passed away just over a year ago. She appears to have been creatively active almost to the very end, an insatiable, unstoppable filmmaker of taste & discretion and natural ability.
- 8/8/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Talk about a film whose time has come … Paul Mazursky’s ode to womanly liberation takes a sensible, gentle approach. Yes, the husband was a total jerk, and so is the first man Jill Clayburgh’s Erica turns to in need. What’s more important is the feeling of empowerment on the personal intimate level: it’s okay for a woman to have personal priorities; it’s okay to decline commitment to the whims and wishes of a male companion. Forty-two years later, the premise holds — especially the film’s emphasis on social support from one’s friends.
An Unmarried Woman
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1032
1978 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 124 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date June 9, 2020 / 39.95
Starring: Jill Clayburgh, Alan Bates, Michael Murphy, Cliff Gorman, Pat Quinn, Kelly Bishop, Lisa Lucas, Linda Miller.
Cinematography: Arthur J. Ornitz
Film Editor: Stuart H. Pappé
Original Music: Bill Conti
Produced by Paul Mazursky,...
An Unmarried Woman
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1032
1978 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 124 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date June 9, 2020 / 39.95
Starring: Jill Clayburgh, Alan Bates, Michael Murphy, Cliff Gorman, Pat Quinn, Kelly Bishop, Lisa Lucas, Linda Miller.
Cinematography: Arthur J. Ornitz
Film Editor: Stuart H. Pappé
Original Music: Bill Conti
Produced by Paul Mazursky,...
- 6/9/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
(Updated with Norman Lear remarks) Just over two months after she wowed the crowd at ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience: All in the Family & Good Times, Ja’net DuBois died suddenly today. She was 74.
As confirmed by her family and those close to the two-time Emmy winner, the seemingly healthy DuBois died early Tuesday in her sleep at her home in Glendale, CA.
She was known for making some of the greatest entrances in sitcom history week after week as neighbor Willona Woods on Good Times, the groundbreaking 1970s sitcom starring Esther Rolle, John Amos, Jimmie Walker and Janet Jackson. Back in December of last year, DuBois joined Walker and co-star Bern Nadette Stanis for an appearance on the latest live retelling of one of Norman Lear’s classic TV shows – and she stole the star-studded show with pure pizzazz.
Good Times wasn’t DuBois’ only connection to Learland.
As confirmed by her family and those close to the two-time Emmy winner, the seemingly healthy DuBois died early Tuesday in her sleep at her home in Glendale, CA.
She was known for making some of the greatest entrances in sitcom history week after week as neighbor Willona Woods on Good Times, the groundbreaking 1970s sitcom starring Esther Rolle, John Amos, Jimmie Walker and Janet Jackson. Back in December of last year, DuBois joined Walker and co-star Bern Nadette Stanis for an appearance on the latest live retelling of one of Norman Lear’s classic TV shows – and she stole the star-studded show with pure pizzazz.
Good Times wasn’t DuBois’ only connection to Learland.
- 2/19/2020
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Ja’Net DuBois, known for her turn as Willona Woods on “Good Times,” was found dead in her Glendale, Calif. home on Tuesday. The Pan African Film Festival, which she co-founded, said she “would be deeply missed.”
Her family told TMZ the actress died unexpectedly in her sleep. She was believed to be 74.
In addition to her role as the Evans family’s neighbor in the ’70s sitcom, she also appeared in a number of notable films and TV programs including “Roots,” Keenan Ivory Wayans’ “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” and “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” as Momma Bosley. DuBois was also known for her legendary voice. She composed and sang “Movin’ On Up,” the theme song for “The Jeffersons.” She also voiced the character of Mrs. Avery in “The PJs” as well as Mrs. Patterson in “As Told by Ginger.”
DuBois started her acting career in the 1960s. She starred in...
Her family told TMZ the actress died unexpectedly in her sleep. She was believed to be 74.
In addition to her role as the Evans family’s neighbor in the ’70s sitcom, she also appeared in a number of notable films and TV programs including “Roots,” Keenan Ivory Wayans’ “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” and “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” as Momma Bosley. DuBois was also known for her legendary voice. She composed and sang “Movin’ On Up,” the theme song for “The Jeffersons.” She also voiced the character of Mrs. Avery in “The PJs” as well as Mrs. Patterson in “As Told by Ginger.”
DuBois started her acting career in the 1960s. She starred in...
- 2/18/2020
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
Gill(ian) Armstrong’s breakthrough feature does a leapfrog over stories like Little Women, with heroines that prevail even when adhering to the Meek Sex role of their time. Judy Davis’s Sybylla Melvin knows that she’s a freckle-faced pain in the neck: despite being proud that she’s attracted the local male catch, her every sinew is committed to her goal of artistic expression and self-fulfillment. The setting is the turn-of-the-century Australian Outback but the story is universal. Sam Neill suffers through the best ‘thankless’ romantic role ever.
My Brilliant Career
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 973
1979 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 100 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date April 30, 2019 / 39.95
Starring: Judy Davis, Sam Neill, Wendy Hughes, Robert Grubb, Aileen Britton, Patricia Kennedy.
Cinematography: Donald McAlpine
Production Designer: Luciana Arrighi
Film Editor: Nicholas Beauman
Original Music: Nathan Waks
Written by Eleanor Witcombe from the novel by Miles Franklin
Produced by Margaret Fink...
My Brilliant Career
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 973
1979 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 100 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date April 30, 2019 / 39.95
Starring: Judy Davis, Sam Neill, Wendy Hughes, Robert Grubb, Aileen Britton, Patricia Kennedy.
Cinematography: Donald McAlpine
Production Designer: Luciana Arrighi
Film Editor: Nicholas Beauman
Original Music: Nathan Waks
Written by Eleanor Witcombe from the novel by Miles Franklin
Produced by Margaret Fink...
- 4/30/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Dennis Hopper’s legendary follow-up to Easy Rider ended his Hollywood directing career for at least fifteen years. Barely seen again after brief premiere bookings, it hasn’t built up a reputation as a suppressed masterpiece. So what is it exactly? A new spotless restoration gives a dazzling rebirth to Hopper’s Perú- filmed deconstruction of Hollywood. The astonishing number of notables in the cast list may in itself demand a viewing.
The Last Movie
Blu-ray
Arbelos
1971 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 108 min. / Street Date November 13, 2018 / 39.99
Starring: Dennis Hopper, Stella García, Tomas Milian, Don Gordon, Julie Adams, Donna Baccala, Sylvia Miles, Rod Cameron, Severn Darden, Sam Fuller, Peter Fonda, Henry Jaglom, Michelle Phillips, Kris Kristofferson, Dean Stockwell, Russ Tamblyn, Clint Kimbrough, John Phillip Law, James Mitchum, Richard Rust, Toni Basil, Michael Anderson Jr.
Cinematography: László Kovács
Production design: Leon Ericksen
Film Editors: David Berlatsky, Antranig Mahakian, Dennis Hopper, [Alejandro Jodorowsky]
Original Music: Severn Darden,...
The Last Movie
Blu-ray
Arbelos
1971 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 108 min. / Street Date November 13, 2018 / 39.99
Starring: Dennis Hopper, Stella García, Tomas Milian, Don Gordon, Julie Adams, Donna Baccala, Sylvia Miles, Rod Cameron, Severn Darden, Sam Fuller, Peter Fonda, Henry Jaglom, Michelle Phillips, Kris Kristofferson, Dean Stockwell, Russ Tamblyn, Clint Kimbrough, John Phillip Law, James Mitchum, Richard Rust, Toni Basil, Michael Anderson Jr.
Cinematography: László Kovács
Production design: Leon Ericksen
Film Editors: David Berlatsky, Antranig Mahakian, Dennis Hopper, [Alejandro Jodorowsky]
Original Music: Severn Darden,...
- 11/10/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Virginia Robinson in Broad CityVirginia Robinson died peacefully in her home in New York City on June 8. She was 99.
Robinson was a New York City resident for over sixty years and a working actress from ages 19 to 98. She was born Virginia Routh on March 27, 1919, in Newark, New Jersey. She trained in London, and was acting and modeling professionally by the age of 19.
During World War II, Robinson was a member of the Uso, entertaining troops in Africa and Italy. After the war she worked for the Dupont Radio Hour, and began a serious acting career.
She performed in fifteen Broadway plays, working with such directors as Elia Kazan, Franco Zefferelli, John Gielgud and George S. Kaufman. She was a standby for Vivien Leigh in "Duel of Angels." She also worked Off-Broadway and in Regional Theatre.
She appeared in numerous films, including Diary of a Mad Housewife, and spent many years in daytime drama,...
Robinson was a New York City resident for over sixty years and a working actress from ages 19 to 98. She was born Virginia Routh on March 27, 1919, in Newark, New Jersey. She trained in London, and was acting and modeling professionally by the age of 19.
During World War II, Robinson was a member of the Uso, entertaining troops in Africa and Italy. After the war she worked for the Dupont Radio Hour, and began a serious acting career.
She performed in fifteen Broadway plays, working with such directors as Elia Kazan, Franco Zefferelli, John Gielgud and George S. Kaufman. She was a standby for Vivien Leigh in "Duel of Angels." She also worked Off-Broadway and in Regional Theatre.
She appeared in numerous films, including Diary of a Mad Housewife, and spent many years in daytime drama,...
- 9/19/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
How far will the new American aristocracy go to protect its privileges? Oren Moverman’s intense four-way war of wills is sourced from a novel but shapes up as an intense stage piece in a chi-chi restaurant interrupted by flashbacks and other stylistic flourishes. The acting foursome is excellent, with Steve Coogan a standout as a truly disturbed character. Four adults debate their sons’ high crimes and misdemeanors over designer cuisine.
The Dinner
Blu-ray + Digital HD
Lionsgate
2017 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 120 min. / Street Date August 8, 2017 / 24.99
Starring: Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Steve Coogan, Rebecca Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Charlie Plummer, Adepero Oduye, Michael Chernus, Taylor Rae Almonte, Joel Bissonnette.
Cinematography: Bobby Bukowski
Film Editor: Alex Hall
Written by Owen Moverman from the novel by Herman Koch
Produced by Caldecott Chub, Lawrence Inglee, Julia Lebedev, Eddie Valsman
Directed by Oren Moverman
Herman Koch’s novel The Dinner comes to America after two successful European versions,...
The Dinner
Blu-ray + Digital HD
Lionsgate
2017 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 120 min. / Street Date August 8, 2017 / 24.99
Starring: Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Steve Coogan, Rebecca Hall, Chloë Sevigny, Charlie Plummer, Adepero Oduye, Michael Chernus, Taylor Rae Almonte, Joel Bissonnette.
Cinematography: Bobby Bukowski
Film Editor: Alex Hall
Written by Owen Moverman from the novel by Herman Koch
Produced by Caldecott Chub, Lawrence Inglee, Julia Lebedev, Eddie Valsman
Directed by Oren Moverman
Herman Koch’s novel The Dinner comes to America after two successful European versions,...
- 8/5/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Above: Polish poster for Escape from New York (John Carpenter, USA, 1981). Designer: Wieslaw Walkuski.For three weeks in July, New York’s Film Forum is running a stellar series of more than 40 1970s New York-set films. As soon as I heard about the program I wanted to do a poster article on it, given that the 1970s was a heyday for American poster design. However, when I started to look at the posters I realized that many of them were so well known that rehashing their posters wasn’t that interesting. But in my search I started to notice how many of the films had Polish counterparts. It is interesting that so many of these American productions were released in Poland and it may have had a lot to do with the counter-cultural, anti-establishment bent of most of the films.While poster design in the U.S. had moved quite decisively from illustration to photography-based in the late 60s, Polish poster art was still mostly drawn and painted in the 1970s. There are a couple of exceptions here but the photos are collaged or posterized in a way that is quite different from the way they would be used in the U.S. Another interesting note is that very few of the posters make use of New York signifiers, with the obvious exception of the Statue of Liberty for Escape from New York, and a silhouetted skyline for Manhattan (notably the two films with the most New York-specific titles). Otherwise the posters seen here are typically idiosyncratic, eccentric, beautiful, alluring, occasionally baffling and, with the possible exception of Serpico, always strikingly unlike their American counterparts. This selection also feels like a tour of great Polish poster art in the 70s, with most of the major artists represented: Jakub Erol, Wiktor Gorka, Eryk Lipinski, Andrzej Klimowski, Jan Mlodozeniec, Andrzej Pagowski, Waldemar Swierzy, Wieslaw Walkuski and more. It seems as if every major designer got a crack at at least one of these challenging, thrilling films.Above: Polish poster for Manhattan (Woody Allen, USA, 1979). Designer: Andrzej Pagowski.Above: Polish poster for Marathon Man (John Schlesinger, USA, 1976). Designer: Wiktor Gorka.Above: Polish poster for All That Jazz (Bob Fosse, USA, 1979). Designer: Leszek Drzewinski.Above: Polish poster for Three Days of the Condor (Sydney Pollack, USA, 1975). Designer: J. Czerniawski.Above: Polish poster for The Hospital (Arthur Hiller, USA, 1971). Designer: Marcin Mroszczak.Above: Polish poster for Diary of a Mad Housewife (Frank Perry, USA, 1970). Designer: Eryk Lipinski.Above: Polish poster for Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, USA, 1976). Designer: Andrzej Klimowski.Above: Polish poster for Klute (Alan J. Pakula, USA, 1971). Designer: Jan Mlodozeniec.Above: Polish poster for Saturday Night Fever (John Badham, USA, 1977). Designer: Andrzej Pagowski.Above: Polish poster for The French Connection (William Friedkin, USA, 1971). Designer: Andrzej Krajewski.Above: Polish poster for Serpico (Sidney Lumet, USA, 1973). Designer: Jakub Erol.Above: Polish poster for The Panic in Needle Park (Jerry Schatzberg, USA, 1971). Designer: Tomas Ruminski.Above: Polish poster for Midnight Cowboy (John Schlesinger, USA, 1969). Designer: Waldemar Swierzy.Above: Polish poster for The Anderson Tapes (Sidney Lumet, USA, 1971). Designer: Jan Mlodozeniec.See New York in the 70s at Film Forum from July 5 to 27.Posters courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
- 6/23/2017
- MUBI
It’s not exactly remarkable that cinema has been around long enough to chart the rise of modern psychology. The first century of film covers society’s entire 20th, a hundred-year span rife with innovation in a great many fields. But as art is keen on investigating the psyche, it’s little surprise that cinema would try to keep pace in some way with the study and expression of it. From the psychological thriller to the psychodrama to most horror films, the study of the mind onscreen sometimes unfolds perfectly naturally, and other times feels like a stiff lecture from somebody who read a really fascinating article in Time the month before. Look no further than Psycho for an example of both, but look to three films that played at the TCM Classic Film Festival for some pretty wild takes.
Based on a novel by a prominent psychologist (once president...
Based on a novel by a prominent psychologist (once president...
- 4/13/2017
- by Scott Nye
- CriterionCast
Jean Simmons is the original frustrated Mad Housewife who runs away from a 'dream marriage' in search of something more fulfilling. Uncompromising, adult, and making use of an interesting cast. Plus, the soundtrack uses Michel Legrand's incomparable song "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" The Happy Ending Blu-ray Twilight Time Limited Edition 1969 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 112 min. / Ship Date January 19, 2016 / available through Twilight Time Movies / 29.95 Starring Jean Simmons, John Forsythe, Shirley Jones, Teresa Wright, Nanette Fabray, Bobby Darin, Kathy Fields, Tina Louise, Dick Shawn, Lloyd Bridges, Karen Steele, Erin Moran. Cinematography Conrad Hall Original Music Michel Legrand, lyrics Alan & Marilyn Bergman Produced, Written and Directed by Richard Brooks
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
I looked at some of the poster artwork for The Happy Ending, and yes indeed, one of the main styles is indeed like the cover of this disc -- a photo of a rusty garbage...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
I looked at some of the poster artwork for The Happy Ending, and yes indeed, one of the main styles is indeed like the cover of this disc -- a photo of a rusty garbage...
- 2/13/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Herbert Ross’s 1975 film The Sunshine Boys, which stars Walter Matthau, George Burns, and Richard Benjamin, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. The Royale Laemmle Theater in Los Angeles will be holding a special one-night-only showing of the 111-minute film on Tuesday, August 4th, 2015 at 7:00 pm. Actor Richard Benjamin is scheduled to appear at the screening and is due to partake in a Q & A and discussion on the making of the film.
From the press release:
Fortieth anniversary screening of The Sunshine Boys (1975), Tuesday, August 4 at 7 Pm at the Royal.
Walter Matthau, George Burns, and Richard Benjamin star in the film version of Neil Simon's hit Broadway comedy about a pair of feuding vaudeville stars who are pressured to reunite for a TV special. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, and Burns won the Oscar for his first significant film role since Honolulu in 1939. The...
From the press release:
Fortieth anniversary screening of The Sunshine Boys (1975), Tuesday, August 4 at 7 Pm at the Royal.
Walter Matthau, George Burns, and Richard Benjamin star in the film version of Neil Simon's hit Broadway comedy about a pair of feuding vaudeville stars who are pressured to reunite for a TV special. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, and Burns won the Oscar for his first significant film role since Honolulu in 1939. The...
- 7/29/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Ján Kadár and Elmar Klos’s 1965 film The Shop on Main Street, which was the first film from Eastern Europe to win an Academy Award, celebrates it’s 50th anniversary this year. The Laemmle Town Center 5 in Encino, CA will be holding a special one-night-only showing of the 128-minute drama on Tuesday, June 9, 2015 at 7:30 pm. Scheduled to appear in person are film director Ivan Passer and Michal Sedlacek, Consul General of Czech Republic in Los Angeles.
From the press release:
The Shop On Main Street (1965) was the first film from Eastern Europe ever to win an Academy Award. Fifty years ago this powerful Czech drama won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language film. Directed by Ján Kadár and Elmar Klos, it was one of the key films in the Czech New Wave that flourished in the 1960s, before the Soviet invasion of 1968 stamped out this vital movement. Josef Kroner...
From the press release:
The Shop On Main Street (1965) was the first film from Eastern Europe ever to win an Academy Award. Fifty years ago this powerful Czech drama won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language film. Directed by Ján Kadár and Elmar Klos, it was one of the key films in the Czech New Wave that flourished in the 1960s, before the Soviet invasion of 1968 stamped out this vital movement. Josef Kroner...
- 6/6/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The late films of René Clément are even more neglected than the early and middle films of René Clément, which is to say, very neglected indeed. Falling somewhat between the generation of Jean Renoir and that of the nouvelle vague, he may have been seen as a dangerous professional rival, but he certainly was no friend to the emerging Cahiers du cinema cinephiles, declaring at the time of Fahrenheit 451's production that each Truffaut film was worse than the one before.
Almost effaced from film history apart from a couple of unavoidably impressive titles, Clément remains a stylish professional whose devotion to the thriller genre would have been considered admirable if he were American, but sits awkwardly with our expectations of French cinema: we have room for Henri-Georges Clouzot and Jean-Pierre Melville only.
Clément's last four films are all twisty thrillers, the kind of films that spend ages setting...
Almost effaced from film history apart from a couple of unavoidably impressive titles, Clément remains a stylish professional whose devotion to the thriller genre would have been considered admirable if he were American, but sits awkwardly with our expectations of French cinema: we have room for Henri-Georges Clouzot and Jean-Pierre Melville only.
Clément's last four films are all twisty thrillers, the kind of films that spend ages setting...
- 2/19/2015
- by David Cairns
- MUBI
Industry veterans Phillip Goldfarb and Julie Gelfand will be honored at the 67th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 7, 2015. Goldfarb will receive the Guild's 2015 Frank Capra Achievement Award, given to an Assistant Director or Unit Production Manager in recognition of career achievement in the industry and service to the Directors Guild of America. Goldfarb’s career in the entertainment industry began nearly 50 years ago. He has worked on films and TV series including "Taxi Driver," "All the Right Moves," "Diary of a Mad Housewife," "Southland," "Leverage, "Monk," "La Law" and more. Julie Gelfand will receive the DGA’s 2015 Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award, which is given to an Associate Director or Stage Manager in recognition of service to the industry and to the Directors Guild of America. Gelfand cut her teeth as an assistant to the director of "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World Pageant"...
- 11/17/2014
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
“Look at this freak on MTV!” Those were the words my sister screamed to me one balmy morning during the summer of 1983. I was in the kitchen picking the Crunch Berries out of the Cap’n Crunch box for my usual Sugar Saturday breakfast, but if there’s one thing that could get me running, it was the promise of Freaks On MTV.
I rushed in, and what I saw began a love affair that’s … going on 30 years. It was, of course, “Sweet Dreams” by The Eurythmics, and the freak in question was Annie Lennox.
Obsessive chart watcher that I am, I followed the rise of “Sweet Dreams” On The Billboard Hot 100, as it took an agonizingly long 17 weeks to reach #1, where it replaced “Every Breath You Take.”
They were no one hit wonders though, and for the next half decade, we could count on a new Eurythmics album every year.
I rushed in, and what I saw began a love affair that’s … going on 30 years. It was, of course, “Sweet Dreams” by The Eurythmics, and the freak in question was Annie Lennox.
Obsessive chart watcher that I am, I followed the rise of “Sweet Dreams” On The Billboard Hot 100, as it took an agonizingly long 17 weeks to reach #1, where it replaced “Every Breath You Take.”
They were no one hit wonders though, and for the next half decade, we could count on a new Eurythmics album every year.
- 12/24/2013
- by snicks
- The Backlot
As a young man Frank Langella worked with Laurence Olivier, partied with Noël Coward and seduced Rita Hayworth. Then his career fell apart. He tells Simon Hattenstone about losing everything and what he's learned from King Lear
It's all about the crown, Frank Langella says: are you prepared to lose it, and if so can you cope? The great American actor is preparing to play King Lear. At 75, he says he's still too young – Lear is in his mid-80s - but Langella knows plenty about losing his crown.
As a young man, he was gorgeous – lithe, snake-hipped, l'homme fatal. He played fabulously seductive, often cruel, characters. His 1970s Dracula was pure sex. In Diary of a Mad Housewife, his priapic author has come-to-bed eyes, come-to-bed voice, come-to-bed everything. And his own life didn't seem far removed from the characters he played. He has been on intimate terms with many...
It's all about the crown, Frank Langella says: are you prepared to lose it, and if so can you cope? The great American actor is preparing to play King Lear. At 75, he says he's still too young – Lear is in his mid-80s - but Langella knows plenty about losing his crown.
As a young man, he was gorgeous – lithe, snake-hipped, l'homme fatal. He played fabulously seductive, often cruel, characters. His 1970s Dracula was pure sex. In Diary of a Mad Housewife, his priapic author has come-to-bed eyes, come-to-bed voice, come-to-bed everything. And his own life didn't seem far removed from the characters he played. He has been on intimate terms with many...
- 10/30/2013
- by Simon Hattenstone
- The Guardian - Film News
I think everyone remembers where they were August 31st, 2003 when they heard that Charles Bronson had died. I was visiting my brother in Atlanta when my nephew knocked on my door and informed me that CNN had announced his death. I collapsed into a sobbing heap. Bronson was my hero, my muse, my role model. Hollywood’s brightest star would shine no more. It’s hard to believe he’s been gone ten years.
Charles Bronson was the unlikeliest of movie stars. Of all the leading men in the history of Hollywood, Charles Bronson had the least range as an actor. He rarely emoted or even changed his expression, and when he did speak, his voice was a reedy whisper. But Charles Bronson could coast on presence, charisma, and silent brooding menace like no one’s business and he wound up the world’s most bankable movie star throughout most of the 1970’s.
Charles Bronson was the unlikeliest of movie stars. Of all the leading men in the history of Hollywood, Charles Bronson had the least range as an actor. He rarely emoted or even changed his expression, and when he did speak, his voice was a reedy whisper. But Charles Bronson could coast on presence, charisma, and silent brooding menace like no one’s business and he wound up the world’s most bankable movie star throughout most of the 1970’s.
- 8/31/2013
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Birthday shoutouts go to one of my all-time movie crushes, Peter Sarsgaard (above), who is 42, Bryan Cranston is 57, Taylor Dayne is 51, and Wanda Sykes is 49. Update: How could I forget the most important Birthday of all ... His name is Brian Juergens... and today is his Birthday!The Advocate goes back in the vault and republishes this 2006 interview with Valerie Harper, who talks about her gay fans. The FBI has stepped in and will investigate the murder of Marco McMillian. Kristin Chenoweth Talks Marriage Equality, Anti-Gay Christians Smash Ratings Drop: What Went Wrong With NBC's Musical Drama. Speaking of, EW.com has video of Jeremy Jordan and Jonathan Groff performing the Smash song "Let Me Be Your Star" from this year's "Miscast" fundraiser.Omg! Omg! Omg! Omg! Omg! Omg! Bonnie Tyler to Represent U.K. at Eurovision Song Contest. Unfortunately, the song is a little ... low-key ... for Eurovision. Where is the...
- 3/7/2013
- by snicks
- The Backlot
"Special From Next Avenue"
By Leah Rozen
The veteran actor takes on aging, dementia and a droid butler in a new dystopian comedy
Frank Langella isn’t afraid to act his age.
The 74-year-old actor plays a gentleman of advancing years in "Robot & Frank," an endearing new comedy that opened in New York last weekend and will be playing to wider audiences across the country starting Friday. (To see when the film is coming to your town, click here.)
The movie is set in the not very distant future, when robot helpers along the lines of Rosie in "The Jetsons" or R2-D2 in "Star Wars" have become commonplace.
Langella’s character, also named Frank, is a retired cat burglar who spent time in jail and now lives alone in a small town not too far from New York. He keeps himself amused by flirting with the local librarian (Susan Sarandon...
By Leah Rozen
The veteran actor takes on aging, dementia and a droid butler in a new dystopian comedy
Frank Langella isn’t afraid to act his age.
The 74-year-old actor plays a gentleman of advancing years in "Robot & Frank," an endearing new comedy that opened in New York last weekend and will be playing to wider audiences across the country starting Friday. (To see when the film is coming to your town, click here.)
The movie is set in the not very distant future, when robot helpers along the lines of Rosie in "The Jetsons" or R2-D2 in "Star Wars" have become commonplace.
Langella’s character, also named Frank, is a retired cat burglar who spent time in jail and now lives alone in a small town not too far from New York. He keeps himself amused by flirting with the local librarian (Susan Sarandon...
- 8/24/2012
- by Next Avenue
- Huffington Post
Below you will find a list of movie that Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz director Edgar Wright has never seen. Not long ago Wright went out and asked his friends and fans to recommend some movies they thought he may have missed over the last thirty years of his life. He got recommendations from Quentin Tarantino, Daniel Waters, Bill Hader, John Landis, Guillermo Del Toro, Joe Dante, Judd Apatow, Joss Whedon, Greg Mottola, Schwartzman, Doug Benson, Rian Johnson, Larry Karaszeski, Josh Olson, Harry Knowles and hundreds of fans on this blog.
From these recommendations, Wright created a master list of recommended films that were frequently mentioned. The director now wants the fans to choose which of the films on the list he should watch on the big screen.
Wright is holding a film event at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles called Films Edgar Has Never Seen.
From these recommendations, Wright created a master list of recommended films that were frequently mentioned. The director now wants the fans to choose which of the films on the list he should watch on the big screen.
Wright is holding a film event at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles called Films Edgar Has Never Seen.
- 10/18/2011
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
Edgar Wright's latest epic project [1] has him partnering with Quentin Tarantino, Judd Apatow, Joss Whedon, Bill Hader, Guillermo Del Toro, Joe Dante, Greg Mottola, Harry Knowles, Rian Johnson and, probably, several of you. Like all of us, Wright has a bunch of classic and cult films he's never seen. Unlike all of us, he has the means to see them for the first time on the big screen and will do just that in December [2] at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles during Films Edgar Has Never Seen. The director of Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World asked both his famous friends (some of which are listed above) and fans to send in their personal must see lists and, from those titles, Wright came up with one mega list from which he'll pick a few movies to watch December 9-16. After the jump check...
- 10/18/2011
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
Frank Langella, Michael Sheen in Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon (top); Mickey Rourke in Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler (bottom) Colin Firth, Sandra Bullock, Christopher Plummer: Oscar Veterans 2009 Frank Langella Frank Langella was nominated in the Best Actor category for Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon. Langella lost to Sean Penn in Gus Van Sant's Milk. That was Langella's first Oscar nod in a film career that spanned 38 years, from his debut in Frank Perry's Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970) and Mel Brooks' The Twelve Chairs (also 1970) to George Clooney's Good Night and Good Luck. (2005) and Andrew Wagner's Starting Out in the Evening (2007). Mickey Rourke Mickey Rourke was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler. As mentioned above, Sean Penn was that year's winner for Milk. That was Rourke's first nomination. Rourke began his film career in a small supporting...
- 2/18/2011
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
Another Oscar Trivia Explosion. This time it's the Actresses.
Jennifer Lawrence made quite a film-carrying impression in Winter's Bone this past summer. It was one of the leggiest arthouse hits in some time, playing for months, and wracking up $6+ million without a huge advertising budget or bankable stars and with grim subject matter. Well done. At Christmas Hailee Steinfeld will lead us on a revenge journey in True Grit. While we suspect she's the lead actress as well, people her age are almost always demoted to "Supporting" if they're sharing the screen with a big star as co-lead and she is. Hi, Jeff Bridges! But we're pretending she's an Oscar lead today so as to have double the excuse to make this list. Humour us, won'cha?
Imaginary Movie: Steinfeld. Lawrence. Winter's True Bone.
36 Youngest Best Actress NomineesAnd where Jennifer or Hailee would fit in, were they to be nominated. (Winning performances are in red.
Jennifer Lawrence made quite a film-carrying impression in Winter's Bone this past summer. It was one of the leggiest arthouse hits in some time, playing for months, and wracking up $6+ million without a huge advertising budget or bankable stars and with grim subject matter. Well done. At Christmas Hailee Steinfeld will lead us on a revenge journey in True Grit. While we suspect she's the lead actress as well, people her age are almost always demoted to "Supporting" if they're sharing the screen with a big star as co-lead and she is. Hi, Jeff Bridges! But we're pretending she's an Oscar lead today so as to have double the excuse to make this list. Humour us, won'cha?
Imaginary Movie: Steinfeld. Lawrence. Winter's True Bone.
36 Youngest Best Actress NomineesAnd where Jennifer or Hailee would fit in, were they to be nominated. (Winning performances are in red.
- 10/28/2010
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Charles Bronson was the unlikeliest of movie stars. Of all the leading men in the history of Hollywood, Charles Bronson had the least range as an actor. He rarely emoted or even changed his expression, and when he did speak, his voice was a reedy whisper. But Charles Bronson could coast on presence, charisma, and silent brooding menace like no one.s business and he wound up the world’s most bankable movie star throughout most of the 1970’s. Bronson did not rise quickly in the Hollywood ranks. His film debut was in 1951 and he spent the next two decades as a solid character actor with a rugged face, muscular physique and everyman ethnicity that kept him busy in supporting roles as indians, convicts, cowboys, boxers, and gangsters. It wasn’t until he was in his late 40’s, after the international success of Once Upon A Time In The West...
- 6/1/2010
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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