George R.R. Martin, whose “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels were very successfully turned into HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” does not like how nearly all literary adaptations come out on screen.
Hollywood has “gotten worse” when it comes to honoring source material, Martin said.
“Everywhere you look, there are more screenwriters and producers eager to take great stories and ‘make them their own,'” Martin wrote in a blog post. “It does not seem to matter whether the source material was written by Stan Lee, Charles Dickens, Ian Fleming, Roald Dahl, Ursula K. Le Guin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, Raymond Chandler, Jane Austen, or… well, anyone. No matter how major a writer it is, no matter how great the book, there always seems to be someone on hand who thinks he can do better, eager to take the story and ‘improve’ on it.”
Martin mocked what industry creators...
Hollywood has “gotten worse” when it comes to honoring source material, Martin said.
“Everywhere you look, there are more screenwriters and producers eager to take great stories and ‘make them their own,'” Martin wrote in a blog post. “It does not seem to matter whether the source material was written by Stan Lee, Charles Dickens, Ian Fleming, Roald Dahl, Ursula K. Le Guin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, Raymond Chandler, Jane Austen, or… well, anyone. No matter how major a writer it is, no matter how great the book, there always seems to be someone on hand who thinks he can do better, eager to take the story and ‘improve’ on it.”
Martin mocked what industry creators...
- 5/29/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The popular Game of Thrones franchise is one of the best-known and most popular adaptations in history. But it is just a drop of water in a vast ocean of adaptations that have been present since the earliest days of cinema. Now, for years, people have been debating whether adaptations are good or not, whether they can properly present a work or not, or whether they can elevate it. While most people will agree that an adaptation cannot be as good as the original, there are examples where an adaptation elevated the original work, like in the case of Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs, where the movie remains far superior to the novel.
Author George R.R. Martin, the author of Game of Thrones, has recently provided his own opinion on the matter and has aligned himself with those who think that adaptations don’t really do much for the works in question.
Author George R.R. Martin, the author of Game of Thrones, has recently provided his own opinion on the matter and has aligned himself with those who think that adaptations don’t really do much for the works in question.
- 5/29/2024
- by Arthur S. Poe
- Fiction Horizon
George R.R. Martin has been very critical of unfaithful adaptations of literature over the years, and in a recent blog post, the revered author once again vented his frustrations towards this practice. The Fire & Blood author slammed screenwriters and producers for being eager to make the stories their own by straying away from the original without improving upon them.
But despite his reasonable pushback towards this industry practice, Martin once again found himself in the crosshairs of fan outrage following the delay in his The Winds of Winter.
Fans Call Out George R.R. Martin Amidst His Complaints Against Adaptations
George R.R. Martin. Credits: Gage Skidmore/ Wikimedia Commons
It has been over a decade since A Dance with Dragons hit the shelves, and fans have been imploring the author for the sixth book in the series. While George R.R. Martin previously revealed that he had “another 400, 500 pages” to go,...
But despite his reasonable pushback towards this industry practice, Martin once again found himself in the crosshairs of fan outrage following the delay in his The Winds of Winter.
Fans Call Out George R.R. Martin Amidst His Complaints Against Adaptations
George R.R. Martin. Credits: Gage Skidmore/ Wikimedia Commons
It has been over a decade since A Dance with Dragons hit the shelves, and fans have been imploring the author for the sixth book in the series. While George R.R. Martin previously revealed that he had “another 400, 500 pages” to go,...
- 5/29/2024
- by Santanu Roy
- FandomWire
George R.R. Martin is calling out film and TV adaptations of books that don’t live up to their source material.
In a new blog post, the author recalls a panel with Neil Gaiman, the creator of the comic book series Sandman, which Netflix adapted into a series. Gaiman was involved in developing the Netflix series, and although Martin didn’t comment on the adaptation, he said that “very little has changed since” 2022.
“If anything, things have gotten worse,” Martin wrote. “Everywhere you look, there are more screenwriters and producers eager to take great stories and ‘make them their own.’ It does not seem to matter whether the source material was written by.”
Martin went on to cite famous authors like Stan Lee, Charles Dickens, Ian Fleming, Roald Dahl, Ursula K. Le Guin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, Raymond Chandler, and Jane Austen.
“No matter how major a writer it is,...
In a new blog post, the author recalls a panel with Neil Gaiman, the creator of the comic book series Sandman, which Netflix adapted into a series. Gaiman was involved in developing the Netflix series, and although Martin didn’t comment on the adaptation, he said that “very little has changed since” 2022.
“If anything, things have gotten worse,” Martin wrote. “Everywhere you look, there are more screenwriters and producers eager to take great stories and ‘make them their own.’ It does not seem to matter whether the source material was written by.”
Martin went on to cite famous authors like Stan Lee, Charles Dickens, Ian Fleming, Roald Dahl, Ursula K. Le Guin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, Raymond Chandler, and Jane Austen.
“No matter how major a writer it is,...
- 5/29/2024
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
George R.R. Martin recently took to his personal blog to double down on his issue with Hollywood adaptations and screenwriters’ attempts to make source material their own. Martin previously spoke out on this issue in 2022 during a discussion with fellow author Neil Gaiman in which he lamented over the majority of writers in Hollywood thinking they do not need to be faithful to written works they’re adapting for film or television.
“Very little has changed since then,” Martin now wrote on his blog. “If anything, things have gotten worse. Everywhere you look, there are more screenwriters and producers eager to take great stories and ‘make them their own.’ It does not seem to matter whether the source material was written by Stan Lee, Charles Dickens, Ian Fleming, Roald Dahl, Ursula K. Le Guin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, Raymond Chandler, Jane Austen, or… well, anyone.”
“No matter how major a writer it is,...
“Very little has changed since then,” Martin now wrote on his blog. “If anything, things have gotten worse. Everywhere you look, there are more screenwriters and producers eager to take great stories and ‘make them their own.’ It does not seem to matter whether the source material was written by Stan Lee, Charles Dickens, Ian Fleming, Roald Dahl, Ursula K. Le Guin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, Raymond Chandler, Jane Austen, or… well, anyone.”
“No matter how major a writer it is,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Author George R.R. Martin recently posted on his website, Not A Blog, expressing his disappointment with how Hollywood approached adaptations of existing books and scripts. With the premiere of Season 2 of House of the Dragon just weeks away, fans have speculated that the post may refer to it.
Read More: We might see King Jaehaerys I in House of the Dragon Season 2 flashbacks, fans speculate
George R.R. Martin’s writes about Hollywood adaptations
Credits: Amy Sussman / Getty Images
Martin wrote a post titled ‘The Adaptation Tango,’ which he began by discussing a joint event at which he and author Neil Gaiman appeared in New York City in 2022. During this event, he and Gaiman agreed they disliked Hollywood’s tendency to change source material for their adaptations.
Martin was at the event promoting his book The Rise of the Dragon: An Illustrated History of the Targaryen Dynasty, Volume One. Attendees...
Read More: We might see King Jaehaerys I in House of the Dragon Season 2 flashbacks, fans speculate
George R.R. Martin’s writes about Hollywood adaptations
Credits: Amy Sussman / Getty Images
Martin wrote a post titled ‘The Adaptation Tango,’ which he began by discussing a joint event at which he and author Neil Gaiman appeared in New York City in 2022. During this event, he and Gaiman agreed they disliked Hollywood’s tendency to change source material for their adaptations.
Martin was at the event promoting his book The Rise of the Dragon: An Illustrated History of the Targaryen Dynasty, Volume One. Attendees...
- 5/28/2024
- by Ved Prabhudesai
- Wiki of Thrones
Steven Spielberg's filmmaking techniques took a large bound forward in 2001 with the release of "A.I. Artificial Intelligence." The sci-fi film, set in a near future populated by conscious androids, was a project Spielberg took over from an ailing Stanley Kubrick, who passed on it when he felt Spielberg could do it better. In "A.I.," Spielberg's photography and editing were very different from the slick, adventure films and glossy prestige pictures he had become popular making. Now everything was hazy, staid, more deliberate.
Although he had already won three Oscars (two for "Schindler's List" and one for "Saving Private Ryan") and was widely considered to be a reigning master of Hollywood's blockbuster class, Spielberg evolved. After 2001, Spielberg's career bifurcated into dispassionate effects-based thrillers wherein the filmmaker was merely experimenting, and deeply passionate political thrillers that used the politics of the past to reflect on issues of the day.
The official...
Although he had already won three Oscars (two for "Schindler's List" and one for "Saving Private Ryan") and was widely considered to be a reigning master of Hollywood's blockbuster class, Spielberg evolved. After 2001, Spielberg's career bifurcated into dispassionate effects-based thrillers wherein the filmmaker was merely experimenting, and deeply passionate political thrillers that used the politics of the past to reflect on issues of the day.
The official...
- 5/12/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
For his forthcoming one from the heart, Megalopolis, Francis Ford Coppola has once again violated the cardinal rule of the entertainment business: Never invest your own money in the show. Reports are that to bankroll the $120 million epic he has literally mortgaged the farm, or vineyard. The investment is slated to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14.
We — and he — have all been here before. Coppola last went into hock for another long-aborning and cost-overrunning project, which 45 years ago, almost to the day, also premiered at Cannes: the now legendary Apocalypse Now (1979).
At the time, Coppola was bathing in the afterglow of one of the most astonishing back-to-back double, or triple, plays in the industry’s history: The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974), the operatic two-part saga of mob family business in which organized crime serves less as a metaphor for American capitalism than its purest expression (“Michael,...
We — and he — have all been here before. Coppola last went into hock for another long-aborning and cost-overrunning project, which 45 years ago, almost to the day, also premiered at Cannes: the now legendary Apocalypse Now (1979).
At the time, Coppola was bathing in the afterglow of one of the most astonishing back-to-back double, or triple, plays in the industry’s history: The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974), the operatic two-part saga of mob family business in which organized crime serves less as a metaphor for American capitalism than its purest expression (“Michael,...
- 4/22/2024
- by Thomas Doherty
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The new Apple TV+ series “Sugar” isn’t shy about announcing its influences: It’s steeped in the traditions of film noir.
Creator Mark Protosevich leaned into the tropes of detective stories by Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett when creating private investigator John Sugar (Colin Farrell), who himself is obsessed with classic Hollywood film noirs. Director Fernando Meirelles (“City of God”) and editor Fernando Stutz went so far as to edit in clips from those classic films, drawing parallels between Sugar’s investigation into the disappearance of Olivia Siegel (Sydney Chandler) to Humphrey Bogart’s spin as Phillip Marlowe in “The Big Sleep.”
“I wanted a character who carried themselves in a classic style, that this is a person who doesn’t necessarily seem from this time,” Protosevich told IndieWire. He wondered how out of place the noble heroes of classic ’30s and ’40s Hollywood movies would feel in modern...
Creator Mark Protosevich leaned into the tropes of detective stories by Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett when creating private investigator John Sugar (Colin Farrell), who himself is obsessed with classic Hollywood film noirs. Director Fernando Meirelles (“City of God”) and editor Fernando Stutz went so far as to edit in clips from those classic films, drawing parallels between Sugar’s investigation into the disappearance of Olivia Siegel (Sydney Chandler) to Humphrey Bogart’s spin as Phillip Marlowe in “The Big Sleep.”
“I wanted a character who carried themselves in a classic style, that this is a person who doesn’t necessarily seem from this time,” Protosevich told IndieWire. He wondered how out of place the noble heroes of classic ’30s and ’40s Hollywood movies would feel in modern...
- 4/8/2024
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Private Investigator John Sugar (Colin Farrell) wears a black suit for all occasions and never drives anything but his classic Corvette. He’s unflappably calm, prefers to listen rather than talk, and absolutely doesn’t know how to let a case go once he’s started working on it—especially if it involves a missing woman. Watching Sugar, it’s as if one of Humphrey Bogart or Glenn Ford’s hardboiled gumshoes stepped straight out of their smoky, monochrome realm and into our full-color world of smartphones and social media.
Though Sugar is set in modern-day L.A., the series finds him tasked with a case suited to his anachronistic sensibilities. In fact, it’s one cribbed straight from The Big Sleep: A rich, reclusive movie producer, Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell), hires Sugar to track down his wild-child granddaughter, Olivia (Sydney Chandler). And more similarities to the Raymond Chandler...
Though Sugar is set in modern-day L.A., the series finds him tasked with a case suited to his anachronistic sensibilities. In fact, it’s one cribbed straight from The Big Sleep: A rich, reclusive movie producer, Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell), hires Sugar to track down his wild-child granddaughter, Olivia (Sydney Chandler). And more similarities to the Raymond Chandler...
- 3/31/2024
- by Ross McIndoe
- Slant Magazine
In 1947 director Robert Montgomery tried something radical. In adapting Raymond Chandler’s “Lady in the Lake” the director attempted to mirror the first-person narrative style of the book with his camera. The viewer would see the movie exclusively through the eyes of detective Philip Marlowe, while never seeing the detective himself (played by Montgomery) except in shots where he sees his reflection in the mirror.
Both the MGM-released film and the formal experiment were failures. Pure first-person filmmaking had the opposite effect of what was intended, the formal experiment only distanced the viewer. Almost 80 years later conventional filmmaking wisdom remains that to effectively employ point-of-view shots they need to be bracketed by shots of the character — character looks, cut to see what they see, cut back to the character’s reaction to what they saw — to shape what the audience was looking at, and to draw them into the story.
Both the MGM-released film and the formal experiment were failures. Pure first-person filmmaking had the opposite effect of what was intended, the formal experiment only distanced the viewer. Almost 80 years later conventional filmmaking wisdom remains that to effectively employ point-of-view shots they need to be bracketed by shots of the character — character looks, cut to see what they see, cut back to the character’s reaction to what they saw — to shape what the audience was looking at, and to draw them into the story.
- 1/22/2024
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
For a character who is at the center of one full-length story, The Maltese Falcon, Sam Spade is as iconic as it gets in the world of detective fiction. Dashiell Hammett’s book, and John Huston’s 1941 movie adaptation with Humphrey Bogart, loom impossibly large over the gumshoe genre, to the point where Spade is just as famous as Philip Marlowe and Mike Hammer, who have appeared in far more novels and films over the years.
But the Sam Spade who appears in the new miniseries Monsieur Spade is not...
But the Sam Spade who appears in the new miniseries Monsieur Spade is not...
- 1/13/2024
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
When it comes to storytelling devices that allow for some truly wild creativity, the holodecks of "Star Trek" certainly rank among the best. They gave the writers the opportunity to take characters from a utopian sci-fi future and put them into a wide variety of stories and situations. Holodeck episodes really helped pad out the season back when seasons were 26 episodes or so, giving a little break from the starships and space exploration, but they also gave the actors a chance to really let loose and have fun. After all, who wouldn't want the chance to play their character playing Robin Hood or King Arthur? Sometimes the holodeck episodes could feel superfluous, but sometimes they ended up creating whole new storylines for the series. Just imagine the later seasons of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" without Vic Fontaine (James Darren)!
On "Star Trek: The Next Generation," the writers took inspiration...
On "Star Trek: The Next Generation," the writers took inspiration...
- 11/13/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
It appears that we here at /Film are in collective agreement: November is the perfect month to catch up on all the spooky season stuff you didn't get around to in October. Great Thanksgiving films are few and far between, and unless you're just really into the winter holidays, it's too early to start diving into your favorite films and series about Christmas, Hanukkah, you name it. Plus, this is also the time of year when studios begin marching out their awards contenders in droves, so you've got to make room for those as well.
Case in point: For years now, November has seen Netflix roll out its first wave of serious Oscar hopefuls, and 2023 will be very much business as usual in that respect. That's not to say it's all prestige offerings and biopics for the next four weeks. For example, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" fans will finally...
Case in point: For years now, November has seen Netflix roll out its first wave of serious Oscar hopefuls, and 2023 will be very much business as usual in that respect. That's not to say it's all prestige offerings and biopics for the next four weeks. For example, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" fans will finally...
- 10/25/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
“What do you reckon, black or white?” Mike Skinner asks, as we walk into an empty hall in East London, as he peers upwards, deciding what colour curtain to have as his backdrop ahead of some filming he had planned later that day. A seemingly innocuous, yet strikingly familiar introduction to this artist – as the man behind The Streets has always been renowned for his informal accessibility. His approachable, even intelligible tonality, the relatable lyricism, which manages to be so real, and yet so poetic at the same time. It’s a voice that defines a generation – and one that has never truly changed. Since the age of 21 when he created Original Pirate Material all the way up to the present day, and with his latest album ‘The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light’ and the connected feature film of the same name, it feels like truly, barely anything...
- 10/24/2023
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Ariel and her aquatic friends may have ushered in the Disney Renaissance, but Roger Rabbit helped right the sinking ship that was Disney in the '80s. Indeed, 1988's "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" came at the perfect time for the House of Mouse. After a string of failed (but fascinating) attempts to reinvigorate its artistry, the flailing studio recruited director Robert Zemeckis and executive producer Steven Spielberg -- members of the same crack team behind "Back to the Future" just three years before -- to adapt Gary K. Wolf's satirical 1981 novel "Who Censored Roger Rabbit?" into a film.
The result? An incredible visual feat by way of a detective yarn based in a fantasy version of '40s Los Angeles where "toons" from the Golden Age of American Animation walk alongside flesh-and-blood humans. With Zemeckis operating at the height of his powers, "Roger Rabbit" moves like clockwork, serving up...
The result? An incredible visual feat by way of a detective yarn based in a fantasy version of '40s Los Angeles where "toons" from the Golden Age of American Animation walk alongside flesh-and-blood humans. With Zemeckis operating at the height of his powers, "Roger Rabbit" moves like clockwork, serving up...
- 10/15/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Chicago – The Czar of Noir is coming to town, bringing his very popular “Noir City Chicago” back to the Music Box Theatre for 2023. Eddie Muller, the host of Turner Classic Movies “Noir Alley,” will appear on behalf of a specially curated series of noir genre classics. For more information, full schedule and tickets, click Noir City.
“Noir City: Chicago” is a week-long celebration of “film noir” … the dark category of film drama that usually takes place at night, and features a rogues gallery of dames, gumshoes, coppers and crooks … and will be hosted by Muller from Friday to Sunday, and Film Noir Foundation’s Alan K. Rode the rest of the way. For the kickoff night on August 25th, Muller will be sailing away with Bogie and Bacall on “Key Largo” (1948), followed by the Orson Welles essential “The Lady from Shanghai” (1947) and wrapping up with John Garfield in “Force of Evil...
“Noir City: Chicago” is a week-long celebration of “film noir” … the dark category of film drama that usually takes place at night, and features a rogues gallery of dames, gumshoes, coppers and crooks … and will be hosted by Muller from Friday to Sunday, and Film Noir Foundation’s Alan K. Rode the rest of the way. For the kickoff night on August 25th, Muller will be sailing away with Bogie and Bacall on “Key Largo” (1948), followed by the Orson Welles essential “The Lady from Shanghai” (1947) and wrapping up with John Garfield in “Force of Evil...
- 8/23/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
After two dismal weekends at the box office, any chance of things recovering for the last weekend of August doesn’t seem likely, although one daring movie (and this year’s “National Cinema Day“) will try to make an impact. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.
On Sunday, August 27, many North American theaters will be offering $4 movie tickets in hopes of keeping the burst of movie attendance thanks to “Barbenheimer” going into September. It will be hard to tell what sort of effect it has this year, because studio estimates on Sunday might not be able to account for any bump from National Cinema Day.
With that in mind, Sony is releasing the racing movie “Gran Turismo,” which isn’t based on the Sony Playstation driving simulator as much as it tells the true story of Jann Mardenborough, as played by Archie Madekwe (“Midsommar”), a gamer whose...
On Sunday, August 27, many North American theaters will be offering $4 movie tickets in hopes of keeping the burst of movie attendance thanks to “Barbenheimer” going into September. It will be hard to tell what sort of effect it has this year, because studio estimates on Sunday might not be able to account for any bump from National Cinema Day.
With that in mind, Sony is releasing the racing movie “Gran Turismo,” which isn’t based on the Sony Playstation driving simulator as much as it tells the true story of Jann Mardenborough, as played by Archie Madekwe (“Midsommar”), a gamer whose...
- 8/23/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
Marlowe is a movie directed by Neil Jordan starirng Liam Neeson. With Diane Kruger and Jessica Lange. It is based on a novel by John Banville.
Marlowe is one of those films that probably shouldn’t have been made, and let me explain why: the main character has all the connotations of a classic that has reached a “sacrosanct” status and is probably the one of the most untouchable characters in the history of cinema, then played by the greatest star in the zenith of the golden age the seventh art – Humphrey Bogart.
About the Movie
Whether it was well-made, brilliant, or even if Orson Welles had directed it, I would have reason to be a bit reticent with this film. And, indeed I am, for the obvious reason that it dares revisit an untouchable classic.
Liam Neeson provides us with a similar role – if not identical – to Bogart’s,...
Marlowe is one of those films that probably shouldn’t have been made, and let me explain why: the main character has all the connotations of a classic that has reached a “sacrosanct” status and is probably the one of the most untouchable characters in the history of cinema, then played by the greatest star in the zenith of the golden age the seventh art – Humphrey Bogart.
About the Movie
Whether it was well-made, brilliant, or even if Orson Welles had directed it, I would have reason to be a bit reticent with this film. And, indeed I am, for the obvious reason that it dares revisit an untouchable classic.
Liam Neeson provides us with a similar role – if not identical – to Bogart’s,...
- 8/10/2023
- by Martin Cid
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Marlowe is a movie directed by Neil Jordan starirng Liam Neeson. With Diane Kruger and Jessica Lange. It is based on a novel by John Banville.
Marlowe is one of those films that probably shouldn’t have been made, and let me explain why: the main character has all the connotations of a classic that has reached a “sacrosanct” status and is probably the one of the most untouchable characters in the history of cinema, then played by the greatest star in the zenith of the golden age the seventh art – Humphrey Bogart.
About the Movie
Whether it was well-made, brilliant, or even if Orson Welles had directed it, I would have reason to be a bit reticent with this film. And, indeed I am, for the obvious reason that it dares revisit an untouchable classic.
Liam Neeson provides us with a similar role – if not identical – to Bogart’s,...
Marlowe is one of those films that probably shouldn’t have been made, and let me explain why: the main character has all the connotations of a classic that has reached a “sacrosanct” status and is probably the one of the most untouchable characters in the history of cinema, then played by the greatest star in the zenith of the golden age the seventh art – Humphrey Bogart.
About the Movie
Whether it was well-made, brilliant, or even if Orson Welles had directed it, I would have reason to be a bit reticent with this film. And, indeed I am, for the obvious reason that it dares revisit an untouchable classic.
Liam Neeson provides us with a similar role – if not identical – to Bogart’s,...
- 8/10/2023
- by Martin Cid
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
The new FX limited series “Justified: City Primeval” is a fish-out-of-water story featuring a long, lanky fish in a Stetson hat. His name is Raylan Givens, and you might know him from “Justified,” the FX crime series that made itself at home in the hollers of Kentucky among white supremacists and other Southern miscreants from 2010 to 2015. Played by Timothy Olyphant with a smooth gait and seen-it-all demeanor, Deputy U.S. Marshal Givens, created by the unmatchable crime fiction writer Elmore Leonard, now finds himself in Detroit, where a maniac is sowing chaos, a dirty judge has been murdered and the rules of engagement are as wild as the West ever was.
But if Raylan is new to the criminal ways of Motor City, Leonard, who died in 2013, most certainly wasn’t. This was his home, and the setting for much of his most memorable work. He knew the crooks and the crooked cops,...
But if Raylan is new to the criminal ways of Motor City, Leonard, who died in 2013, most certainly wasn’t. This was his home, and the setting for much of his most memorable work. He knew the crooks and the crooked cops,...
- 7/4/2023
- by Chris Vognar
- The Wrap
Pop quiz, hot shot: Liam Neeson has to figure out what to do when he discovers a bomb in his vehicle in the first full trailer for the film Retribution.
Director Nimród Antal’s Lionsgate release hits theaters Aug. 25 and is a remake of the 2015 Spanish-language thriller of the same name. The new version centers on Matt Turner (Neeson), who is driving with his kids when he learns from a mysterious caller that the car contains a bomb that will detonate if anyone exits the vehicle, leading to a high-speed chase throughout the city.
“Honey, something’s happened,” Neeson calmly relays in the trailer. “There’s a man who has put a bomb in the car. Under our seats, there are pressure triggers. We can’t get out. The car will explode.”
Later, the star loses his cool when the caller claims to be in control: “No, you’re not!
Director Nimród Antal’s Lionsgate release hits theaters Aug. 25 and is a remake of the 2015 Spanish-language thriller of the same name. The new version centers on Matt Turner (Neeson), who is driving with his kids when he learns from a mysterious caller that the car contains a bomb that will detonate if anyone exits the vehicle, leading to a high-speed chase throughout the city.
“Honey, something’s happened,” Neeson calmly relays in the trailer. “There’s a man who has put a bomb in the car. Under our seats, there are pressure triggers. We can’t get out. The car will explode.”
Later, the star loses his cool when the caller claims to be in control: “No, you’re not!
- 6/28/2023
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘Only The River Flows’ Review: A Witty, Convoluted China-Noir That is Less Whodunnit Than Whodidntit
Imagine the gleaming surfaces of Park Chan-wook’s terrific “Decision to Leave” stripped of romance, all scuzzed-up and grimy. Imagine drilling down through Diao Yinan’s Berlin-winning “Black Coal, Thin Ice” and finding unexpected seams of absurdist dark comedy. You are now somewhere in the seamy offbeat world of “Only the River Flows,” director Wei Shujun’s inventive riff on Asian-noir that gives the expanding subgenre something its Chinese contributions often lack: a pitch-black sense of humor.
Wei has been laying claim to the title of laid-back joker in China’s new-gen pack since debuting with affable slacker comedy “Striding into the Wind” in 2020 (a selection in 2020’s canceled Cannes festival) and following it up with autoreflexive filmmaking satire “Ripples of Life.” Now he brings his wry sensibilities to bear on this murdery mindbender, which he adapts, with a healthy disdain for boring stuff like “linear plotting” and “resolution,” alongside Kang Chunlei,...
Wei has been laying claim to the title of laid-back joker in China’s new-gen pack since debuting with affable slacker comedy “Striding into the Wind” in 2020 (a selection in 2020’s canceled Cannes festival) and following it up with autoreflexive filmmaking satire “Ripples of Life.” Now he brings his wry sensibilities to bear on this murdery mindbender, which he adapts, with a healthy disdain for boring stuff like “linear plotting” and “resolution,” alongside Kang Chunlei,...
- 5/25/2023
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Gene Roddenberry’s vision of space-age utopia has always been one of idealism and intelligence, of peace and prosperity. From the start, he wanted Star Trek to showcase the best of humanity, confronting modern-day issues and appearing as an aspirational model for society. So, naturally, when it came time to hurl us 300 years into the future, he did it by building on stories from 400 years in the past.
Having cut his teeth writing on early Westerns and police procedurals, Roddenberry wanted to elevate his sci-fi weekly into something more than typical genre television – he wanted to appeal to intellectuals. And how better to appeal to the thinking person than with a library’s worth of bookish influences.
Classic literature was right there in Roddenberry’s original pitch: Captain Kirk was described as a Horatio Hornblower-type, while the show itself was referred to as Gulliver’s Travels in space. His sequel series,...
Having cut his teeth writing on early Westerns and police procedurals, Roddenberry wanted to elevate his sci-fi weekly into something more than typical genre television – he wanted to appeal to intellectuals. And how better to appeal to the thinking person than with a library’s worth of bookish influences.
Classic literature was right there in Roddenberry’s original pitch: Captain Kirk was described as a Horatio Hornblower-type, while the show itself was referred to as Gulliver’s Travels in space. His sequel series,...
- 5/18/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
When people think of the desert of Southern California, they often think of Palm Springs with its grand mid century mansions, replete with sleek breeze blocks, teal atomic doors, and pool parties that go all night as the palm trees sway against the mountain landscape. It’s in this kind of idyllic space where we first meet Peggy, in her desert finery hosting a Thanksgiving party for her extended family.
Continue reading ‘High Desert’ Review: Patricia Arquette Is Hilarious in Raymond Chandler-Esque Ode To Desert Weirdness at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘High Desert’ Review: Patricia Arquette Is Hilarious in Raymond Chandler-Esque Ode To Desert Weirdness at The Playlist.
- 5/12/2023
- by Marya E. Gates
- The Playlist
When Greg Brockman, the president and co-founder of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, was recently extolling the capabilities of artificial intelligence, he turned to “Game of Thrones.”
Imagine, he said, if you could use AI to rewrite the ending of that not-so-popular finale. Maybe even put yourself into the show.
“That is what entertainment will look like,” said Brockman.
Not six months since the release of ChatGPT, generative artificial intelligence is already prompting widespread unease throughout Hollywood. Concern over chatbots writing or rewriting scripts is one of the leading reasons TV and film screenwriters took to picket lines earlier this week.
Though the Writers Guild of America is striking for better pay in an industry where streaming has upended many of the old rules, AI looms as rising anxiety.
“AI is terrifying,” said Danny Strong, the “Dopesick” and “Empire” creator. “Now, I’ve seen some of ChatGPT’s writing and as of...
Imagine, he said, if you could use AI to rewrite the ending of that not-so-popular finale. Maybe even put yourself into the show.
“That is what entertainment will look like,” said Brockman.
Not six months since the release of ChatGPT, generative artificial intelligence is already prompting widespread unease throughout Hollywood. Concern over chatbots writing or rewriting scripts is one of the leading reasons TV and film screenwriters took to picket lines earlier this week.
Though the Writers Guild of America is striking for better pay in an industry where streaming has upended many of the old rules, AI looms as rising anxiety.
“AI is terrifying,” said Danny Strong, the “Dopesick” and “Empire” creator. “Now, I’ve seen some of ChatGPT’s writing and as of...
- 5/5/2023
- by Anita Tai
- ET Canada
Anne Perry, the prolific crime novelist, died at a Los Angeles hospital on Monday, her literary agent Meg Davis confirmed to the New York Times. Perry was 84.
Perry, who was born as Juliet Marion Hulme, served five years in prison after being convicted of murdering her best friend Pauline Parker’s mother Honorah Rieper alongside Parker when they were just teenagers in 1954. Perry was just 15 years old and Parker was 16 at the time.
In 1994, Perry’s past came to light when director Peter Jackson based his film “Heavenly Creatures” on Perry’s story. Perry was played by Kate Winslet, who was making her onscreen acting debut in the film. Melanie Lynskey starred as Parker. “Heavenly Creatures” would end up being nominated for Best Original Screenplay.
Kate Winslet, left, and Melanie Lynskey in “Heavenly Creatures.” (Miramax)
Perry’s first novel “The Cater Street Hangman,” was published in 1979. The crime novel is...
Perry, who was born as Juliet Marion Hulme, served five years in prison after being convicted of murdering her best friend Pauline Parker’s mother Honorah Rieper alongside Parker when they were just teenagers in 1954. Perry was just 15 years old and Parker was 16 at the time.
In 1994, Perry’s past came to light when director Peter Jackson based his film “Heavenly Creatures” on Perry’s story. Perry was played by Kate Winslet, who was making her onscreen acting debut in the film. Melanie Lynskey starred as Parker. “Heavenly Creatures” would end up being nominated for Best Original Screenplay.
Kate Winslet, left, and Melanie Lynskey in “Heavenly Creatures.” (Miramax)
Perry’s first novel “The Cater Street Hangman,” was published in 1979. The crime novel is...
- 4/14/2023
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Making films is like having sex,” Neil Jordan tells me. “You don’t know how other people do it. And you never know if you’re doing it right.” It’s a fitting sentiment, given his films are not like anyone else’s. And they’re also... well, steamy: the sexually charged blood-thirst of Interview with the Vampire; the gothic eroticism of The Company of Wolves; the provocations of The Crying Game and Mona Lisa, two portraits of unkempt men mesmerised by ambiguous femme fatales. As if to keep his audience on their toes, Jordan then likes to pivot – to grand period biopics such as Michael Collins, or rain-soaked wartime melodramas like The End of the Affair.
The Irish writer and director has spent much of his 40-year career being told he’s doing it all wrong. “But I’ve always been fascinated by things I’ve not done before,...
The Irish writer and director has spent much of his 40-year career being told he’s doing it all wrong. “But I’ve always been fascinated by things I’ve not done before,...
- 3/23/2023
- by Adam White
- The Independent - Film
Joel and Ethan Coen's "The Big Lebowski" might as well be the textbook definition of a film ahead of its time. We here at /Film have already devoted an entire week to commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Coen brothers' cult classic shaggy dog tale of Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) and his search for justice after a case of mistaken identity leads to the desecration of his prized living room rug. Now, Fathom Events is getting in on the action with a special two-night showing of the film in select theaters.
"The Big Lebowski" will return to the big screen as part of Fathom's Big Screen Classics lineup this year, with screenings planned on both April 16 (at 4Pm and 7Pm local times) and April 20 (at 7Pm local time). Per the announcement trailer embedded below, these screenings will include commentary and "insights" from film critic and historian...
"The Big Lebowski" will return to the big screen as part of Fathom's Big Screen Classics lineup this year, with screenings planned on both April 16 (at 4Pm and 7Pm local times) and April 20 (at 7Pm local time). Per the announcement trailer embedded below, these screenings will include commentary and "insights" from film critic and historian...
- 3/17/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
The creative collaboration between filmmaker Neil Jordan and actor Liam Neeson has yielded some fine work across the years, and the duo are back together again, as the latter brings Raymond Chandler’s literary creation to life in Marlowe.
To mark the film’s Sky Cinema release, we had the pleasure in sitting down with them both, as we discuss what makes Neeson a good detective, and standing on the shoulders of other actors who took on this role, such as Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum. Marlowe is also noteworthy for being Neeson’s 100th movie, and so we asked about his career, and what film he holds closest to his heart.
Watch the full interview with Neil Jordan and Liam Neeson here:
Synopsis
Detective Phillip Marlowe becomes embroiled in an investigation with a wealthy family in Bay City, California after a beautiful blonde hires him to find her former lover.
To mark the film’s Sky Cinema release, we had the pleasure in sitting down with them both, as we discuss what makes Neeson a good detective, and standing on the shoulders of other actors who took on this role, such as Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum. Marlowe is also noteworthy for being Neeson’s 100th movie, and so we asked about his career, and what film he holds closest to his heart.
Watch the full interview with Neil Jordan and Liam Neeson here:
Synopsis
Detective Phillip Marlowe becomes embroiled in an investigation with a wealthy family in Bay City, California after a beautiful blonde hires him to find her former lover.
- 3/17/2023
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Raymond Chandler’s gumshoe hero is resurrected in this period adaptation of a novel by John Banville – a film that looks good but lacks a spark
Raymond Chandler’s famous detective Philip Marlowe doesn’t quite come back to life in this new movie from Neil Jordan, adapted from a novel by Booker prize winner John Banville, writing under his genre pen name Benjamin Black. There are some droll touches and the prewar Los Angeles production design looks good. But listening to the dialogue sometimes feels like wading through treacle. The wisecracks fizzle, and Liam Neeson, in the leading role, is not exactly on his most dynamic form. The way the character has been conceived seems to accentuate an exhausted worldweariness and, while I’m sure that Neeson could have given the part some of the wiry strength of a Humphrey Bogart or Elliot Gould, he somehow always looks as...
Raymond Chandler’s famous detective Philip Marlowe doesn’t quite come back to life in this new movie from Neil Jordan, adapted from a novel by Booker prize winner John Banville, writing under his genre pen name Benjamin Black. There are some droll touches and the prewar Los Angeles production design looks good. But listening to the dialogue sometimes feels like wading through treacle. The wisecracks fizzle, and Liam Neeson, in the leading role, is not exactly on his most dynamic form. The way the character has been conceived seems to accentuate an exhausted worldweariness and, while I’m sure that Neeson could have given the part some of the wiry strength of a Humphrey Bogart or Elliot Gould, he somehow always looks as...
- 3/14/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
In much the same way you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, you can’t have the Oscars without breaking a few hearts along the way.
Over the years, a glut of films have swept the board at the Academy Awards. In 1991, The Silence of the Lambs became the first and so far only horror film to win Oscars in all five major categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Titanic, of course, won 11 Oscars in 1998 with James Cameron naturally declaring: “I’m the King of the World!”
More recently still, movies like Slumdog Millionaire and Gravity took home a slew of Oscars for their efforts. But while the movies that take home the night’s big awards continue to live long in the memory – Crash aside – it’s worth not just sparing a thought for the also-rans and nearly...
Over the years, a glut of films have swept the board at the Academy Awards. In 1991, The Silence of the Lambs became the first and so far only horror film to win Oscars in all five major categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Titanic, of course, won 11 Oscars in 1998 with James Cameron naturally declaring: “I’m the King of the World!”
More recently still, movies like Slumdog Millionaire and Gravity took home a slew of Oscars for their efforts. But while the movies that take home the night’s big awards continue to live long in the memory – Crash aside – it’s worth not just sparing a thought for the also-rans and nearly...
- 3/12/2023
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
Known mostly for his distinctive voice and ability to play intimidating characters, Liam Neeson has enjoyed a long, successful career in movies and television. While the actor has been nominated for many awards, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for Schindler’s List, he’s also famous for his roles in many top franchises like Taken, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Star Wars.
Neeson is frequently asked in interviews if he would reprise his role of Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn in a Star Wars spinoff someday. While the answer is usually a short no, recently, the actor elaborated on why.
Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn
Neeson entered the Star Wars franchise in the first prequel film in 1999, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Neeson played Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi who found Anakin Skywalker as a child and trained Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan, played by Ewan McGregor, would become Skywalker’s master.
Neeson is frequently asked in interviews if he would reprise his role of Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn in a Star Wars spinoff someday. While the answer is usually a short no, recently, the actor elaborated on why.
Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn
Neeson entered the Star Wars franchise in the first prequel film in 1999, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Neeson played Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi who found Anakin Skywalker as a child and trained Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan, played by Ewan McGregor, would become Skywalker’s master.
- 3/11/2023
- by Tina Pavlik
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Jackass Forever (Jeff Tremaine)
Jackass has been in our lives for more than two decades. Since October 2000, when the original show premiered on MTV, Johnny Knoxville and his gaggle of goofballs have appealed to lowest-common-denominator comedic impulses. They’ve slammed their testicles into things and had them slammed into by other things. They’ve gleefully dove into danger and gotten legitimately hurt. They’ve aggravated and disturbed an entire generation of people who got Reagan and Clinton elected. But then, for another generation, they brought laughter and some earnest sense of camaraderie. Since the halcyon days of the show (which Knoxville quickly ended himself after the ire of a boomer nation called for censorship), Jackass has endured in cinematic form. The first...
Jackass Forever (Jeff Tremaine)
Jackass has been in our lives for more than two decades. Since October 2000, when the original show premiered on MTV, Johnny Knoxville and his gaggle of goofballs have appealed to lowest-common-denominator comedic impulses. They’ve slammed their testicles into things and had them slammed into by other things. They’ve gleefully dove into danger and gotten legitimately hurt. They’ve aggravated and disturbed an entire generation of people who got Reagan and Clinton elected. But then, for another generation, they brought laughter and some earnest sense of camaraderie. Since the halcyon days of the show (which Knoxville quickly ended himself after the ire of a boomer nation called for censorship), Jackass has endured in cinematic form. The first...
- 3/10/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
When "The Big Lebowski" hit cinemas 25 years ago, most people had no idea what to make of it. Sure, it made immediate fans of some, but the movie was met with a heavy dose of bewilderment. In the critical community, this confusion came from the fact that Joel and Ethan Coen were coming off of their Oscar-winning film "Fargo," released just two years earlier. Though they had made plenty of celebrated films prior, "Fargo" was this unimpeachable, darkly funny thriller that could satiate your average audience member and already established Coen fan alike. They crystallized something in that film that made it seem like the brothers would just be building off of its foundation afterward.
But that's not what happened. The Coens took a sharp left turn and made an offbeat stoner comedy that riffed on the classic tropes of film noir. They had become "serious" filmmakers with hardware to show for it,...
But that's not what happened. The Coens took a sharp left turn and made an offbeat stoner comedy that riffed on the classic tropes of film noir. They had become "serious" filmmakers with hardware to show for it,...
- 3/8/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
Liam Neeson has now starred in 100 films, only a quarter of which are "Taken" sequels. I kid, I kid! Even 15 years into his surprising late-career run as an action star (going back to the original "Taken" in 2008), the Irish thespian retains an eclectic body of work under his belt. Since he started acting in the late 1970s, Neeson's starred in high-art dramas, auteur-driven period pieces, raunchy burlesques, pulpy blockbusters, classic literary adaptations, cheeky animated films, and, yes, more action movies about deadly old-timers than you can shake a stick at. Also, he played Jesus once. Twice, if Aslan from "Chronicles of Narnia" counts.
"Marlowe," which officially gives Neeson 100 movies to his name, casts the actor as Raymond Chandler's famous hard-boiled private eye Philip Marlowe in a story based on John Banville's 2014 novel, "The Black-Eyed Blonde." The movie also reunites Neeson with director Neil Jordan for their latest go-round...
"Marlowe," which officially gives Neeson 100 movies to his name, casts the actor as Raymond Chandler's famous hard-boiled private eye Philip Marlowe in a story based on John Banville's 2014 novel, "The Black-Eyed Blonde." The movie also reunites Neeson with director Neil Jordan for their latest go-round...
- 3/7/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
The Coen Brothers injected their 1998 cult crime-comedy, "The Big Lebowski," with a medley of thematic and aesthetic inspirations, ranging from hard-boiled crime noir to deliberately eccentric dream sequences. Although the basic plot points of the film follow the beats of a convoluted kidnapping mystery that meanders in several directions, "The Big Lebowski" is more of a vibe, an amalgamation of idiosyncrasies that work due to a loose, free-flowing narrative structure. On many occasions, the Coen Brothers have credited the works of Raymond Chandler for inspiring parts of "The Big Lebowski," especially Chandler's 1939 hardboiled crime novel, "The Big Sleep," which seems to share slight similarities with the film. In the event of the 25th anniversary of "The Big Lebowski," let us look past the superficial threads that tie the L.A. noir classic and the comedic crime mystery by looking at the overlapping sensibilities these films share, despite being very different in tone,...
- 3/6/2023
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
It's a small moment, but it's really the moment that puts the Coen Bros.' 1998 film "The Big Lebowski" -- celebrating its 25th anniversary this week -- into perspective. Near the film's end, after its central kidnapping plot has largely been resolved and the German nihilists have been dispatched, the none-too-bright character Donny (Steve Buscemi) unexpectedly suffers a heart attack and dies. He is cremated, and his best friends Walter (John Goodman) and Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski cannot afford the expensive urn required to transport his cremains away from the mortuary. They, instead, pack Donny up in a coffee can.
Walter and the Dude go up to a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Walter mentions that Donny liked to surf (an interest heretofore unknown about Donny) and that his death could be compared to all his buddies who died in Vietnam. Walter, throughout "The Big Lebowski," repeatedly evokes the Vietnam War,...
Walter and the Dude go up to a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Walter mentions that Donny liked to surf (an interest heretofore unknown about Donny) and that his death could be compared to all his buddies who died in Vietnam. Walter, throughout "The Big Lebowski," repeatedly evokes the Vietnam War,...
- 3/6/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
When “Perry Mason” debuted on HBO back in 2020, it was meant to be a limited series. But the show was critically acclaimed and extremely popular so now, nearly three years later, it is returning to HBO (and HBO Max) with a juicy new case, lots of morally ambiguous complications and a pair of new showrunners in “The Knick” creators Jack Amiel and Michael Begler.
And Matthew Rhys, who plays Perry Mason in the show, couldn’t be more thrilled, as he told TheWrap, video of which you can watch above.
“There was talk that it could work as a standalone limited but I just thought, You’ve just set this whole thing up. The whole thing is new and fresh. You’ve just joined not only him but this team. Where you go from here, the sky’s the limit. I was very glad that we were given that opportunity,...
And Matthew Rhys, who plays Perry Mason in the show, couldn’t be more thrilled, as he told TheWrap, video of which you can watch above.
“There was talk that it could work as a standalone limited but I just thought, You’ve just set this whole thing up. The whole thing is new and fresh. You’ve just joined not only him but this team. Where you go from here, the sky’s the limit. I was very glad that we were given that opportunity,...
- 3/4/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
This year, all the Oscar-contending directors are nominated for original screenplay: the Daniels, Todd Field, Martin McDonagh, Ruben Östlund and Steven Spielberg (writing with Tony Kushner).
This is the first time it’s happened in AMPAS history.
The only year that came close was 2017, when all five helmers had written or co-written their scripts, though they didn’t all get writing noms.
So here’s Film History 101.
In Hollywood lore, Preston Sturges is often credited as the first scribe to become a hyphenate, as writer-director of the 1940 “The Great McGinty.” But as with all Hollywood “facts,” there is only an element of truth here.
In the next few years, he was joined by some heavyweights: Orson Welles (“Citizen Kane”) and John Huston (“The Maltese Falcon”) in 1941; Leo McCarey (co-writer of “Going My Way”); Billy Wilder (writing with Raymond Chandler) for “Double Indemnity” in 1944; and Joseph L. Mankiewicz (“Dragonwyck”), 1946.
However, a writer-director wasn’t an innovation.
This is the first time it’s happened in AMPAS history.
The only year that came close was 2017, when all five helmers had written or co-written their scripts, though they didn’t all get writing noms.
So here’s Film History 101.
In Hollywood lore, Preston Sturges is often credited as the first scribe to become a hyphenate, as writer-director of the 1940 “The Great McGinty.” But as with all Hollywood “facts,” there is only an element of truth here.
In the next few years, he was joined by some heavyweights: Orson Welles (“Citizen Kane”) and John Huston (“The Maltese Falcon”) in 1941; Leo McCarey (co-writer of “Going My Way”); Billy Wilder (writing with Raymond Chandler) for “Double Indemnity” in 1944; and Joseph L. Mankiewicz (“Dragonwyck”), 1946.
However, a writer-director wasn’t an innovation.
- 3/3/2023
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
It might be obvious to say, but a film getting nominated for an Oscar doesn’t automatically make it good.
In fact, there have been many deserving movies over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.
It’s easy to assume that certain releases don’t get nominated because they’re not what Oscar voters would usually go for, but there have been some surprises in the past.
For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.
This means films likem say, DC’s Suicide Squad may get mauled by the critics, but they still gain recognition from the Academy (it went on to win).
This is even more ridiculous when you consider that classics such as Don’t Look Now...
In fact, there have been many deserving movies over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.
It’s easy to assume that certain releases don’t get nominated because they’re not what Oscar voters would usually go for, but there have been some surprises in the past.
For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.
This means films likem say, DC’s Suicide Squad may get mauled by the critics, but they still gain recognition from the Academy (it went on to win).
This is even more ridiculous when you consider that classics such as Don’t Look Now...
- 3/3/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
It might be obvious to say, but a film getting nominated for an Oscar doesn’t automatically make it good.
In fact, there have been many deserving movies over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.
It’s easy to assume that certain releases don’t get nominated because they’re not what Oscar voters would usually go for, but there have been some surprises in the past.
For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.
This means films likem say, DC’s Suicide Squad may get mauled by the critics, but they still gain recognition from the Academy (it went on to win).
This is even more ridiculous when you consider that classics such as Don’t Look Now...
In fact, there have been many deserving movies over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.
It’s easy to assume that certain releases don’t get nominated because they’re not what Oscar voters would usually go for, but there have been some surprises in the past.
For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.
This means films likem say, DC’s Suicide Squad may get mauled by the critics, but they still gain recognition from the Academy (it went on to win).
This is even more ridiculous when you consider that classics such as Don’t Look Now...
- 3/3/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
Twenty five years ago, The Big Lebowski blew into theaters like a tumbleweed on an empty street.
Domestic audiences barely showed up, with the comedic detective tale only earning $18 million. Audiences gave it a B CinemaScore. Critics sniffed that it wasn’t as good as Joel and Ethan Coen’s last release, the Oscar-winning Fargo.
But that was just, like, their opinion, man.
“I thought it was going to be a big hit,” star Jeff Bridges tells THR, along with sharing some of his personal behind-the-scenes photos from the film’s set, many of which appeared in his 2003 book, Pictures. “I was surprised when it didn’t get much recognition. People didn’t get it, or something.”
Sam Elliott and Jeff Bridges on the set of The Big Lebowski
Coming near the end of the indie cinema wave, Lebowski stood out among the decade’s quirky, quippy crime dramas with...
Domestic audiences barely showed up, with the comedic detective tale only earning $18 million. Audiences gave it a B CinemaScore. Critics sniffed that it wasn’t as good as Joel and Ethan Coen’s last release, the Oscar-winning Fargo.
But that was just, like, their opinion, man.
“I thought it was going to be a big hit,” star Jeff Bridges tells THR, along with sharing some of his personal behind-the-scenes photos from the film’s set, many of which appeared in his 2003 book, Pictures. “I was surprised when it didn’t get much recognition. People didn’t get it, or something.”
Sam Elliott and Jeff Bridges on the set of The Big Lebowski
Coming near the end of the indie cinema wave, Lebowski stood out among the decade’s quirky, quippy crime dramas with...
- 3/2/2023
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There are a lot of buzzworthy movies hitting theaters over the next few months. But for fans of film noir, Marlowe is a definite must-see. Starring film icon Liam Neeson, Marlowe is a crime thriller that calls to mind detective films of old. The project marks a change of pace for Neeson, who has been acting primarily in violent action films over the past few years. Marlowe was a true labor of love for Neeson. He worked with the production to film prime scenes in exotic locations all over the world, including Spain and Ireland.
‘Marlowe’ debuted in theaters on February 15
Marlowe tells the story of Neeson’s hardboiled fictional detective Philip Marlowe. A glamorous heiress, played by Diane Kruger, hires him to find her ex-boyfriend after he mysteriously goes missing. In addition to Neeson and Kruger, Marlowe features Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming, and Danny Huston. Set in 1939, the film...
‘Marlowe’ debuted in theaters on February 15
Marlowe tells the story of Neeson’s hardboiled fictional detective Philip Marlowe. A glamorous heiress, played by Diane Kruger, hires him to find her ex-boyfriend after he mysteriously goes missing. In addition to Neeson and Kruger, Marlowe features Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming, and Danny Huston. Set in 1939, the film...
- 2/25/2023
- by Christina Nunn
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Liam Neeson celebrated his 100th film “Marlowe” during a special screening Wednesday night at New York City’s Crosby Street Hotel.
“How did I get so lucky? Do you ever get moments like that? Where you think, if I was 15 years of age in a chemistry class or a math lesson in school, and someone showed you a video of where you are now — you’d say, ‘I don’t believe it,’” Neeson told Variety. “Especially working with Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming, Diane Kruger. It’s just a great cast.”
Based on John Banville’s novel “The Black-Eyed Blonde,” the neo-noir crime thriller follows Raymond Chandler’s iconic detective Philip Marlowe (Neeson), who is hired to find heiress Clare Cavendish’s (Diane Kruger) missing former lover.
Although the private eye has been portrayed by such screen veterans as Humphrey Bogart, Elliott Gould and Robert Mitchum, Neeson “didn’t feel intimidated by these other actors,...
“How did I get so lucky? Do you ever get moments like that? Where you think, if I was 15 years of age in a chemistry class or a math lesson in school, and someone showed you a video of where you are now — you’d say, ‘I don’t believe it,’” Neeson told Variety. “Especially working with Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming, Diane Kruger. It’s just a great cast.”
Based on John Banville’s novel “The Black-Eyed Blonde,” the neo-noir crime thriller follows Raymond Chandler’s iconic detective Philip Marlowe (Neeson), who is hired to find heiress Clare Cavendish’s (Diane Kruger) missing former lover.
Although the private eye has been portrayed by such screen veterans as Humphrey Bogart, Elliott Gould and Robert Mitchum, Neeson “didn’t feel intimidated by these other actors,...
- 2/21/2023
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Let’s first address the obvious: My name is Marlow, and I am interviewing Liam Neeson for his new film Marlowe, the latest spin on Raymond Chandler’s hard-boiled detective Philip Marlowe.
“Interesting that your name is Marlow!” exclaims Neeson at the start of our chat.
I inform the veteran actor that I’m in fact named after the protagonist of Heart of Darkness, not the femme fatale-swerving character played by everyone from Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum to Elliot Gould and now him.
After expressing his displeasure with the...
“Interesting that your name is Marlow!” exclaims Neeson at the start of our chat.
I inform the veteran actor that I’m in fact named after the protagonist of Heart of Darkness, not the femme fatale-swerving character played by everyone from Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum to Elliot Gould and now him.
After expressing his displeasure with the...
- 2/20/2023
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
Marvel entries like “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (Disney) are better tests for the strength of the franchise than the MCU’s top tentpoles. And based on multiple elements, the third film in the “Ant-Man” series passed with flying colors.
Its domestic three-day gross of 104 million (worldwide 225 million) came in the face of some actual challenges. The title character led two previous films, with the second one in 2018 opening to 76 million. The threequel did 37 percent better than last time. Ticket prices have increased substantially in five years, but that still means it slightly outpaced in attendance.
That came in the face of some headwinds. The critical consensus (Marvel films usually get good to better reviews) was outright negative. Even more concerning, its Cinemascore was a B — only one Marvel film has rated that low before, “Eternals”.
Yet its Saturday drop from the combined Thursday preview and Friday grosses was 27 percent.
Its domestic three-day gross of 104 million (worldwide 225 million) came in the face of some actual challenges. The title character led two previous films, with the second one in 2018 opening to 76 million. The threequel did 37 percent better than last time. Ticket prices have increased substantially in five years, but that still means it slightly outpaced in attendance.
That came in the face of some headwinds. The critical consensus (Marvel films usually get good to better reviews) was outright negative. Even more concerning, its Cinemascore was a B — only one Marvel film has rated that low before, “Eternals”.
Yet its Saturday drop from the combined Thursday preview and Friday grosses was 27 percent.
- 2/19/2023
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Continuing its unprecedented run, Marvel was able to capture first place for the 31st film in a row as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opened to 104 million, which comes in ahead of where tracking saw it on Thursday That opening includes a 46 million Friday haul, which makes it the third highest opening day in February after 2018’s Black Panther with 75.9 million and 2016’s Deadpool with 47.3 million.
The good news for this release is that despite it getting some of the worst reviews of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (with the notable exception of our own JimmyO who gave it a solid 8/10 in his review), the audience seems to be enjoying it, as it currently has an audience score of 84 with many people saying how impressed they were with Jonathan Majors’ Kang The Conquerer. Good thing, as he appears to be the new Thanos for this next batch of Marvel films,...
The good news for this release is that despite it getting some of the worst reviews of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (with the notable exception of our own JimmyO who gave it a solid 8/10 in his review), the audience seems to be enjoying it, as it currently has an audience score of 84 with many people saying how impressed they were with Jonathan Majors’ Kang The Conquerer. Good thing, as he appears to be the new Thanos for this next batch of Marvel films,...
- 2/19/2023
- by Brad Hamerly
- JoBlo.com
Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe has been played by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. To many, Humphrey Bogart remains the definitive Marlowe, based on his performance in Howard Hawks’ The Big Sleep, but film noir afficianados will often cite Murder My Sweet’s Dick Powell, or later iterations, like Robert Mitchum in Farewell My Lovely or Elliot Gould in The Long Goodbye as the best. Indeed, Liam Neeson is stepping into some mighty big shoes with his new movie, Marlowe, but if anyone can go toe-to-toe with Mitchum or Bogart, it’s Neeson, right?
To help bring Marlowe to the big screen, Neeson recruited one of his most frequent directors, Neil Jordan. The two famously worked together on Michael Collins, as well as the earlier High Spirits and the more recent (underrated) Breakfast on Pluto, and are set to reteam again on a new prison break thriller filming this year.
To help bring Marlowe to the big screen, Neeson recruited one of his most frequent directors, Neil Jordan. The two famously worked together on Michael Collins, as well as the earlier High Spirits and the more recent (underrated) Breakfast on Pluto, and are set to reteam again on a new prison break thriller filming this year.
- 2/19/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Ever since "Taken" proved a huge hit in 2008, Liam Neeson has been taking on action roles as often as possible. Along with the "Taken" sequels, he's since shown up as an (increasingly generic) aging badass in movies such as "Unknown," "Non-Stop," "Run All Night," and "The Marksman."
But before that sharp change in career trajectory, the Irish actor was known as a serious dramatic performer. Now, with his latest role in Neil Jordan's "Marlowe," the 70-year-old — who's repeatedly claimed he's retiring from action films — combines the gruff machismo of his action roles with the more reflective, brooding aspects of Raymond Chandler's classic private eye character, Philip Marlowe.
/Film's Jack Giroux spoke with Neil Jordan, who said of his former "Michael Collins" collaborator, "I've done three or four movies with Liam in the past, and he's been firing weapons and using his fists, which he's very, very good at.
But before that sharp change in career trajectory, the Irish actor was known as a serious dramatic performer. Now, with his latest role in Neil Jordan's "Marlowe," the 70-year-old — who's repeatedly claimed he's retiring from action films — combines the gruff machismo of his action roles with the more reflective, brooding aspects of Raymond Chandler's classic private eye character, Philip Marlowe.
/Film's Jack Giroux spoke with Neil Jordan, who said of his former "Michael Collins" collaborator, "I've done three or four movies with Liam in the past, and he's been firing weapons and using his fists, which he's very, very good at.
- 2/17/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
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