We're picking out your finest responses to our My favourite film series, for which Guardian writers have selected the movies they go back to time and again.
Here's a roundup of how you responded in week four, when the selections were Withnail & I, Rushmore, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, Backbeat and In Bruges
"You can't ruin a film by quoting it," said magicman of Withnail & I, the pic that opened the fourth week of our series on our writers' favourite films. But, by God, you can try. A full half of the 447 comments that joined Tim Jonze in raising a glass to Bruce Robinson's ragtag comedy reproduced Withnail's wisdom to the letter. Withnail and Marwood fled the city for an accidental holiday again. Uncle Monty made his intentions forcefully clear once more. Camberwell carrots were rolled, fights were weasled out of. Something's flesh remained. It all happened here,...
Here's a roundup of how you responded in week four, when the selections were Withnail & I, Rushmore, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, Backbeat and In Bruges
"You can't ruin a film by quoting it," said magicman of Withnail & I, the pic that opened the fourth week of our series on our writers' favourite films. But, by God, you can try. A full half of the 447 comments that joined Tim Jonze in raising a glass to Bruce Robinson's ragtag comedy reproduced Withnail's wisdom to the letter. Withnail and Marwood fled the city for an accidental holiday again. Uncle Monty made his intentions forcefully clear once more. Camberwell carrots were rolled, fights were weasled out of. Something's flesh remained. It all happened here,...
- 11/22/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
In our writers' favourite film series, Paul Owen explains why the Beatles bromance between John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe strikes a chord
• Not swayed by this perspective? Twist and shout in the comments below
Backbeat tells the story of the Beatles' pre-fame Hamburg days, focusing on Stuart Sutcliffe, the band's magnetically sexy original bassist, and his relationships with John Lennon and the beautiful and exotic German photographer Astrid Kirchherr. It's a great premise, and director and co-writer Iain Softley tells the tale with all the smart dramatic pacing, period detail and musical verve you might hope for. But, perhaps more surprisingly, he also creates a complex and emotionally sophisticated portrayal of love, friendship and attraction.
Softley hews to received wisdom in his presentation of the Beatles: John is talented, scabrous and aggressive, Paul weak and duplicitous, George third among equals (Ringo makes only a brief appearance). But his portrayal of...
• Not swayed by this perspective? Twist and shout in the comments below
Backbeat tells the story of the Beatles' pre-fame Hamburg days, focusing on Stuart Sutcliffe, the band's magnetically sexy original bassist, and his relationships with John Lennon and the beautiful and exotic German photographer Astrid Kirchherr. It's a great premise, and director and co-writer Iain Softley tells the tale with all the smart dramatic pacing, period detail and musical verve you might hope for. But, perhaps more surprisingly, he also creates a complex and emotionally sophisticated portrayal of love, friendship and attraction.
Softley hews to received wisdom in his presentation of the Beatles: John is talented, scabrous and aggressive, Paul weak and duplicitous, George third among equals (Ringo makes only a brief appearance). But his portrayal of...
- 11/17/2011
- by Paul Owen
- The Guardian - Film News
Paul Owen interviews director Mike Cahill about the poster for his new movie – and what it's like to discover that you and Lars von Trier have had almost the same idea
Director Mike Cahill was on his way to show his new movie, Another Earth, at the Sundance film festival earlier this year when he heard that its central image – the appearance of an enormous planet in the sky above ours – had effectively been scooped by another film.
"I was like, 'Whaaaat, Lars von Trier is doing a science fiction movie with another planet?'" Cahill told the Guardian. "I couldn't believe it. It was literally … It made me think there is something in the ether, a collective sort of consciousness." But Cahill was not too worried; Von Trier's Melancholia is "obviously a very different movie, and he's using the other planet as a metaphor for depression. I mean, I'm...
Director Mike Cahill was on his way to show his new movie, Another Earth, at the Sundance film festival earlier this year when he heard that its central image – the appearance of an enormous planet in the sky above ours – had effectively been scooped by another film.
"I was like, 'Whaaaat, Lars von Trier is doing a science fiction movie with another planet?'" Cahill told the Guardian. "I couldn't believe it. It was literally … It made me think there is something in the ether, a collective sort of consciousness." But Cahill was not too worried; Von Trier's Melancholia is "obviously a very different movie, and he's using the other planet as a metaphor for depression. I mean, I'm...
- 11/16/2011
- by Paul Owen
- The Guardian - Film News
The Dark Knight Rises shoot heads to New York later this month. Will Christopher Nolan use the anti-capitalist protests as a backdrop?
The big story
Whispers from the Dark Knight Rises set suggest that Christopher Nolan may shoot part of his third Batman film against the backdrop of the Occupy Wall Street protests. The production will rumble into New York on the 29th of October, bringing the caped crusader face to face with the thousands in Manhattan's Zuccotti Park now in their second month of protest against the capitalist system. You know - the one that gets movies like the Dark Knight Rises made.
Some would fear a clash of ideals. Director Christopher Nolan apparently sees an opportunity, with the Times suggesting that the demonstrations could be used as a setting for scenes from the film. Whether the arrival of the shoot will add another item to the protestors' list...
The big story
Whispers from the Dark Knight Rises set suggest that Christopher Nolan may shoot part of his third Batman film against the backdrop of the Occupy Wall Street protests. The production will rumble into New York on the 29th of October, bringing the caped crusader face to face with the thousands in Manhattan's Zuccotti Park now in their second month of protest against the capitalist system. You know - the one that gets movies like the Dark Knight Rises made.
Some would fear a clash of ideals. Director Christopher Nolan apparently sees an opportunity, with the Times suggesting that the demonstrations could be used as a setting for scenes from the film. Whether the arrival of the shoot will add another item to the protestors' list...
- 10/20/2011
- by Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
Paul Owen at the Guardian’s Film Blog is all excited about the above poster: The image shows Rankin's wife, Tuuli Shipster – whom he uses as a model whenever he can – holding up a camera over one eye, with shadows falling over the left side of her face so that only a triangular space taking in her eye and half her mouth is lit. A reflected circle of light in the camera lens replaces her right pupil. The image is overlaid and repeated at least three times, a device that makes the lens of the camera into a series of interlocking circles, something that can be seen more clearly in the portrait version, and produces interesting framing effects throughout. Shipster's eye make-up, cherry-red lips and swept-back hair, as well as the icy background colours, locate the picture firmly in the present day, but the old Super 8-style camera she...
- 9/29/2011
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Sean Penn asked Hugo Chávez to push for the release of Us hikers Joshua Fattal and Shane Bauer. But was he even more involved than that? ...
The big story
The Iranian night rushed against Penn's skin as he landed the base jump on the roof of the prison. The first guard heard nothing. The second too was fair game - quickly collapsing under a blow from a hand that had held Academy Awards twice over. It was sweet and lowdown work. War made easy.
The hostages greeted him with amazement: "I loved you in Mystic Ri-" "Shhhhhh." Penn hissed. "Follow me or you're a dead man walking."
None of which happened of course. But when you read headlines like "Sean Penn aided release of Us hikers" (and watch a lot of action movies) it's easy to let your imagination run wild.
In fact, Penn was in the news this week...
The big story
The Iranian night rushed against Penn's skin as he landed the base jump on the roof of the prison. The first guard heard nothing. The second too was fair game - quickly collapsing under a blow from a hand that had held Academy Awards twice over. It was sweet and lowdown work. War made easy.
The hostages greeted him with amazement: "I loved you in Mystic Ri-" "Shhhhhh." Penn hissed. "Follow me or you're a dead man walking."
None of which happened of course. But when you read headlines like "Sean Penn aided release of Us hikers" (and watch a lot of action movies) it's easy to let your imagination run wild.
In fact, Penn was in the news this week...
- 9/29/2011
- by Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
Weinstein Company boss makes an uncharacteristically frank criticism of right-wing favourite at the Toronto launch of his new film
The big story
For one of Hollywood's loudest voices, Harvey Weinstein is normally quite quiet when it comes to politics. Imagine the surprise this week when the movie mogul used the Toronto film festival screening of The Weinstein Company's new film, Butter, to take a surprise swipe at right-wing favourite Michele Bachmann (via a statement read by Butter star Olivia Wilde) .
"In 20 years of coming to the Toronto film festival, I've never released a statement for a film," read Wilde for Weinstein. "But I would like to take this moment to formally invite Republican congresswoman from Minnesota and Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann to co-host with me the big premiere of Butter in Iowa in a few months from now. We could take some math classes in the morning to help balance the budget,...
The big story
For one of Hollywood's loudest voices, Harvey Weinstein is normally quite quiet when it comes to politics. Imagine the surprise this week when the movie mogul used the Toronto film festival screening of The Weinstein Company's new film, Butter, to take a surprise swipe at right-wing favourite Michele Bachmann (via a statement read by Butter star Olivia Wilde) .
"In 20 years of coming to the Toronto film festival, I've never released a statement for a film," read Wilde for Weinstein. "But I would like to take this moment to formally invite Republican congresswoman from Minnesota and Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann to co-host with me the big premiere of Butter in Iowa in a few months from now. We could take some math classes in the morning to help balance the budget,...
- 9/15/2011
- by Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
Michael Moore has nominated Matt Damon as a candidate for the Us presidency
The big story
My fellow cine-fans: The 45th president of the United States of America. The Commander in Chief of the Us air force, army and navy. The new, new hope. Matt Damon.
At least, if Michael Moore had his way. The rambunctious documentary director tipped the Bourne franchise star for the 2012 Democratic ticket earlier this week, describing Damon's stance against Barack Obama's administration as "courageous".
"If you wanna win, the Republicans have certainly shown the way: that when you run someone who is popular, you win," Moore told firedoglake.com. "Sometimes even when you run an actor, you win. I only throw his name out there because I'd like us to start thinking that way ..."
Moore has Matty in mind because Damon, who campaigned for the Democrats in the run-up to the 2008 election, has become...
The big story
My fellow cine-fans: The 45th president of the United States of America. The Commander in Chief of the Us air force, army and navy. The new, new hope. Matt Damon.
At least, if Michael Moore had his way. The rambunctious documentary director tipped the Bourne franchise star for the 2012 Democratic ticket earlier this week, describing Damon's stance against Barack Obama's administration as "courageous".
"If you wanna win, the Republicans have certainly shown the way: that when you run someone who is popular, you win," Moore told firedoglake.com. "Sometimes even when you run an actor, you win. I only throw his name out there because I'd like us to start thinking that way ..."
Moore has Matty in mind because Damon, who campaigned for the Democrats in the run-up to the 2008 election, has become...
- 8/11/2011
- by Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
Paul Owen talks to Juan Gatti, who has been collaborating with Pedro Almodóvar since 1988, about his disturbing poster for the Spanish director's The Skin I Live In
Juan Gatti has been working with Pedro Almodóvar since 1988, but his teaser poster for The Skin I Live In, the baroque Spanish director's new film, marks a significant departure for the Argentinian graphic designer.
Gatti's earlier work was indebted to Saul Bass and Andy Warhol, sometimes wittily so; compare Gatti's titles for Volver, in which thick rectangular lines form themselves into tableclothes and wallpaper patterns, with Bass's classic expressionistic opening sequence for The Man with the Golden Arm, or his posters for Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down (aka Átame) with some of Bass's most celebrated work, particularly his unforgettable advert for Anatomy of a Murder (detail above).
As for the Warhol influence, Gatti's poster for Volver, with its bright, non-realist blocks of colour,...
Juan Gatti has been working with Pedro Almodóvar since 1988, but his teaser poster for The Skin I Live In, the baroque Spanish director's new film, marks a significant departure for the Argentinian graphic designer.
Gatti's earlier work was indebted to Saul Bass and Andy Warhol, sometimes wittily so; compare Gatti's titles for Volver, in which thick rectangular lines form themselves into tableclothes and wallpaper patterns, with Bass's classic expressionistic opening sequence for The Man with the Golden Arm, or his posters for Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down (aka Átame) with some of Bass's most celebrated work, particularly his unforgettable advert for Anatomy of a Murder (detail above).
As for the Warhol influence, Gatti's poster for Volver, with its bright, non-realist blocks of colour,...
- 8/9/2011
- by Paul Owen
- The Guardian - Film News
The Venice and Toronto film festivals officially announced the big films that would premiere at their event this week. Expect lots of Clooney
The big story
It's festival time as the official announcements of the Venice and Toronto line-ups confirm rumours that had been sloshing around the internet for weeks. Venice leaked via Variety on Tuesday (officially confirmed just this afternoon). Toronto's big catches drip ... dripped out via an organiser's Twitter account later the same day. Tiny, tenacious Telluride's still watertight, but it definitely won't have the world premieres of George Clooney's The Ides of March, Roman Polanski's Carnage or Steven Soderbergh's Contagion (all playing at Venice), and better not have the first showings of The Descendants (Alexander Payne), The Deep Blue Sea (Terence Davies) or Moneyball (Bennett Miller), if it doesn't want several angry Canadian festival programmers hiking up to its gates.
Venice runs August 31-September 10, Toronto September 8-18. Guardian.
The big story
It's festival time as the official announcements of the Venice and Toronto line-ups confirm rumours that had been sloshing around the internet for weeks. Venice leaked via Variety on Tuesday (officially confirmed just this afternoon). Toronto's big catches drip ... dripped out via an organiser's Twitter account later the same day. Tiny, tenacious Telluride's still watertight, but it definitely won't have the world premieres of George Clooney's The Ides of March, Roman Polanski's Carnage or Steven Soderbergh's Contagion (all playing at Venice), and better not have the first showings of The Descendants (Alexander Payne), The Deep Blue Sea (Terence Davies) or Moneyball (Bennett Miller), if it doesn't want several angry Canadian festival programmers hiking up to its gates.
Venice runs August 31-September 10, Toronto September 8-18. Guardian.
- 7/28/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
• James Murdoch 'misled' culture select committee
• Questions mount over Coulson's mid-level security check
• Sun features editor sacked over his work at NotW
• Click here for a summary of today's key events
9.45am: Welcome to today's live updates on the still-unfolding repercussions of the phone hacking scandal. Following yesterday's Commons statement and debate, the house in now in recess. Rupert Murdoch has left the UK following his testimony to MPs on Tuesday.
So, on the face of it today could appear a slight respite following an almost absurdly dramatic fortnight. A majority of English daily papers – five against four – lead on other stories, including the unfolding crisis in the eurozone.
But rest assured there will be more to come. Nick Clegg is scheduled to give an end-of-term press conference imminently. Perhaps someone could ask why he looked so detached – disinterested, even – during David Cameron's phone hacking statement. There is also surely...
• Questions mount over Coulson's mid-level security check
• Sun features editor sacked over his work at NotW
• Click here for a summary of today's key events
9.45am: Welcome to today's live updates on the still-unfolding repercussions of the phone hacking scandal. Following yesterday's Commons statement and debate, the house in now in recess. Rupert Murdoch has left the UK following his testimony to MPs on Tuesday.
So, on the face of it today could appear a slight respite following an almost absurdly dramatic fortnight. A majority of English daily papers – five against four – lead on other stories, including the unfolding crisis in the eurozone.
But rest assured there will be more to come. Nick Clegg is scheduled to give an end-of-term press conference imminently. Perhaps someone could ask why he looked so detached – disinterested, even – during David Cameron's phone hacking statement. There is also surely...
- 7/22/2011
- by Peter Walker, Paul Owen, David Batty
- The Guardian - Film News
In the first of a new monthly series on the best and worst film posters on release today, Paul Owen looks at the billboard ad for Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life – an unconventional poster that is not quite as unconventional as the film itself
This is the first in what will be a regular series on the most interesting film posters being produced today. I'm planning to mainly concentrate on the most impressive examples, as I did last year with Black Swan, but I'll also share with you some of the worst travesties currently marring the world's buses and bus shelters – such as this grisly and slipshod advert for the largely unsolicited Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts reunion Larry Crowne. Any suggestions for future columns are gratefully welcomed, so please feel free to tell me about any posters you've seen – good or bad – in the comments section below.
This is the first in what will be a regular series on the most interesting film posters being produced today. I'm planning to mainly concentrate on the most impressive examples, as I did last year with Black Swan, but I'll also share with you some of the worst travesties currently marring the world's buses and bus shelters – such as this grisly and slipshod advert for the largely unsolicited Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts reunion Larry Crowne. Any suggestions for future columns are gratefully welcomed, so please feel free to tell me about any posters you've seen – good or bad – in the comments section below.
- 7/1/2011
- by Paul Owen
- The Guardian - Film News
Apple could react to digital economy bill by offering iTunes users the chance to replace illegally downloaded songs with legitimate versions, predicts Paul Owen
The music industry is presumably looking forward quite eagerly to the passage of the digital economy bill, which introduces new measures to punish people who frequently download songs, films and TV programmes illegally and is expected to pass into law next week.
The industry will be aiming to capitalise on the resulting publicity about illegal downloading and the new sanctions in order to start getting more money out of the consumer again. A recent study backed by the Tuc and European unions found that a quarter of a million British jobs in the music, film, TV, software and other creative industries and around £218bn in revenue could be lost over the next five years if online piracy continues at its current rate.
Here's my prediction of one way Apple's iTunes,...
The music industry is presumably looking forward quite eagerly to the passage of the digital economy bill, which introduces new measures to punish people who frequently download songs, films and TV programmes illegally and is expected to pass into law next week.
The industry will be aiming to capitalise on the resulting publicity about illegal downloading and the new sanctions in order to start getting more money out of the consumer again. A recent study backed by the Tuc and European unions found that a quarter of a million British jobs in the music, film, TV, software and other creative industries and around £218bn in revenue could be lost over the next five years if online piracy continues at its current rate.
Here's my prediction of one way Apple's iTunes,...
- 4/1/2010
- by Paul Owen
- The Guardian - Film News
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