There are no words in the dictionary that can perfectly describe late Christopher Lee’s career in the film industry. With over 250 films to his name, the actor was a force to reckon with. Even though it has almost been a decade since he passed away, Christopher Lee’s legacy still lives on, and his fans will finally get to learn more about him in an upcoming documentary on his life.
Christopher Lee in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
Titled The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee, the documentary is directed by Jon Spira, who has access to the actor’s scrapbooks and interviews from the British Institute’s library. However, this is no ordinary documentary, just as Christopher Lee was no ordinary man.
A Documentary Gives Insight into Christopher Lee’s Life
A still from the trailer of The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee (2024) | Credit: Canal Cat Films...
Christopher Lee in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
Titled The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee, the documentary is directed by Jon Spira, who has access to the actor’s scrapbooks and interviews from the British Institute’s library. However, this is no ordinary documentary, just as Christopher Lee was no ordinary man.
A Documentary Gives Insight into Christopher Lee’s Life
A still from the trailer of The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee (2024) | Credit: Canal Cat Films...
- 5/12/2024
- by Mishkaat Khan
- FandomWire
Many Lives And Deaths Of Christopher Lee
Abacus Media Rights has pre-sold the feature documentary “The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee,” to Sky Arts, Sbs Television Australia; to NonStop Entertainment for Scandinavia, Iceland and the Baltics and to Movistar for Spain.
Lee is known as the Dracula character and for transitioning from 1960s Hammer horror films to a distinguished acting career that encompassed James Bond films, the “Star Wars” and “Lord of the Rings” franchises.
Less well-known are his aristocratic Italian roots, a close family connection to James Bond novelist Ian Fleming, Lee’s wartime experiences in the British and Finnish military, post-war Nazi-hunting adventures and a side career as a heavy metal rock singer. As an actor, Lee achieved a Guinness world record for the highest number of screen appearances.
Produced in association with the British Film Institute and Trigger Films by Canal Cat Films, “Life and Deaths...
Abacus Media Rights has pre-sold the feature documentary “The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee,” to Sky Arts, Sbs Television Australia; to NonStop Entertainment for Scandinavia, Iceland and the Baltics and to Movistar for Spain.
Lee is known as the Dracula character and for transitioning from 1960s Hammer horror films to a distinguished acting career that encompassed James Bond films, the “Star Wars” and “Lord of the Rings” franchises.
Less well-known are his aristocratic Italian roots, a close family connection to James Bond novelist Ian Fleming, Lee’s wartime experiences in the British and Finnish military, post-war Nazi-hunting adventures and a side career as a heavy metal rock singer. As an actor, Lee achieved a Guinness world record for the highest number of screen appearances.
Produced in association with the British Film Institute and Trigger Films by Canal Cat Films, “Life and Deaths...
- 9/6/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Hello, dear readers! As time marches on, that means we have another bunch of horror and sci-fi home media releases making their debut on Tuesday, and there are some genuinely fun movies, both new and old, featured in this week’s offerings. For all you lycanthropes out there, you’ll definitely want to pick up Arrow Video’s brand-new Limited Edition 4K release of An American Werewolf in London, or if you’re more in the mood for a classic chiller, then you should check out Scream Factory’s Blu-ray for Nightmare. In terms of more recent horror titles, both The Boy Behind the Door and John and the Hole are headed home on multiple formats, and for those of you looking for something a bit more sci-fi, Project Gemini from Well Go USA should do the trick.
Other releases for March 15th include Southland Tales: Standard Special Edition,...
Other releases for March 15th include Southland Tales: Standard Special Edition,...
- 3/14/2022
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
” A naked American man stole my balloons.”
An American Werewolf In London (1982) will be available in 4K Ultra HD March 15th from Arrow Video
One of the greatest directors of the 1980s, John Landis, expertly combines macabre horror with dark humour in the lycanthropic classic, An American Werewolf in London.
American tourists David and Jack are savaged by an unidentified vicious animal whilst hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. David awakes in a London hospital to find his friend dead and his life in disarray. Retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse to recuperate, he soon experiences disturbing changes to his mind and body, undergoing a full-moon transformation that will unleash terror on the streets of the capital…
An American Werewolf in London had audiences howling with laughter and recoiling in terror upon its cinema release. Landis’ film has gone on to become one of the most important horror films of its decade,...
An American Werewolf In London (1982) will be available in 4K Ultra HD March 15th from Arrow Video
One of the greatest directors of the 1980s, John Landis, expertly combines macabre horror with dark humour in the lycanthropic classic, An American Werewolf in London.
American tourists David and Jack are savaged by an unidentified vicious animal whilst hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. David awakes in a London hospital to find his friend dead and his life in disarray. Retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse to recuperate, he soon experiences disturbing changes to his mind and body, undergoing a full-moon transformation that will unleash terror on the streets of the capital…
An American Werewolf in London had audiences howling with laughter and recoiling in terror upon its cinema release. Landis’ film has gone on to become one of the most important horror films of its decade,...
- 2/14/2022
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
BritBox has picked up “Reel Britannia,” a documentary series on the history of modern British cinema, for the U.S., U.K., Canada and South Africa.
The deal was closed by Abacus Media Rights (Amr), an Amcomri Entertainment company, who acquired worldwide distribution rights to the series from director Jon Spira and producer Hank Starrs of Canal Cat Films.
From 1960 through to 2010, the four-part series portrays how cinema held a mirror up to society to reflect on the youth revolution of the 1960s, the grit of the 1970s, the social divide of the 1980s, new hope of the 1990s and the social disillusionment of the 00s. Narrated by actor and comedian Nick Helm, “Reel Britannia” features new, exclusive interviews with noted cinema talents Terry Gilliam, Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, Stephen Frears, Hanif Kureishi, Mike Newell, Simon Beaufoy, David Leland and Terence Davies. In association with the BFI, it includes archival interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.
The deal was closed by Abacus Media Rights (Amr), an Amcomri Entertainment company, who acquired worldwide distribution rights to the series from director Jon Spira and producer Hank Starrs of Canal Cat Films.
From 1960 through to 2010, the four-part series portrays how cinema held a mirror up to society to reflect on the youth revolution of the 1960s, the grit of the 1970s, the social divide of the 1980s, new hope of the 1990s and the social disillusionment of the 00s. Narrated by actor and comedian Nick Helm, “Reel Britannia” features new, exclusive interviews with noted cinema talents Terry Gilliam, Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, Stephen Frears, Hanif Kureishi, Mike Newell, Simon Beaufoy, David Leland and Terence Davies. In association with the BFI, it includes archival interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.
- 2/11/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
BritBox Tells Story Of Modern British Cinema
BritBox has commissioned a documentary telling the story of modern British cinema through exclusive interviews with some of the UK’s biggest filmmakers, produced by Jon Spira and Hank Starss’ Canal Cat Films – the duo’s fifth collaboration. Narrated by comedian Nick Helm, Reel Britannia will feature the likes of Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, Terry Gilliam and Hanif Kureshi, along with behind-the-scenes footage, as the four-part documentary takes viewers from the 1960s Social Realism movement through to the 1990s, when stars like Hugh Grant became global phenomena, through to 2010. Abacus Media Rights is distributing the documentary, which will air on BritBox in the UK, U.S., Canada and South Africa. Spira, who has made a number of films about indie cinema, described Reel Britannia as a “dream project.”
Fremantle U.S. Signs Red Arrow Sales Exec As SVP
Fremantle U.S. has signed...
BritBox has commissioned a documentary telling the story of modern British cinema through exclusive interviews with some of the UK’s biggest filmmakers, produced by Jon Spira and Hank Starss’ Canal Cat Films – the duo’s fifth collaboration. Narrated by comedian Nick Helm, Reel Britannia will feature the likes of Mike Leigh, Ken Loach, Terry Gilliam and Hanif Kureshi, along with behind-the-scenes footage, as the four-part documentary takes viewers from the 1960s Social Realism movement through to the 1990s, when stars like Hugh Grant became global phenomena, through to 2010. Abacus Media Rights is distributing the documentary, which will air on BritBox in the UK, U.S., Canada and South Africa. Spira, who has made a number of films about indie cinema, described Reel Britannia as a “dream project.”
Fremantle U.S. Signs Red Arrow Sales Exec As SVP
Fremantle U.S. has signed...
- 2/11/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Popcornflix, the streaming service owned by Crackle parent Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, has acquired its first original documentary feature, Hollywood Bulldogs: The Rise and Falls of the Great British Stuntman.
The colorful portrait (watch the trailer above), explores major 1970s and 1980s franchises like James Bond, Indiana Jones, Superman, Star Wars, Rambo and more. Instead of the well-trod stories you may have heard, the accounts of the tight-knit group of British stuntmen who brought them to life take center stake. Ray Winstone, known for his performances in Sexy Beast and The Departed, narrates the film, which will begin streaming on the free, ad-supported Popcornflix next Monday. (Britbox debuted it in the UK last summer.)
Jon Spira, the film’s director, called it “a movie for people who love action movies and can’t get enough of them,” noting that it is “the first time many of these...
The colorful portrait (watch the trailer above), explores major 1970s and 1980s franchises like James Bond, Indiana Jones, Superman, Star Wars, Rambo and more. Instead of the well-trod stories you may have heard, the accounts of the tight-knit group of British stuntmen who brought them to life take center stake. Ray Winstone, known for his performances in Sexy Beast and The Departed, narrates the film, which will begin streaming on the free, ad-supported Popcornflix next Monday. (Britbox debuted it in the UK last summer.)
Jon Spira, the film’s director, called it “a movie for people who love action movies and can’t get enough of them,” noting that it is “the first time many of these...
- 10/28/2021
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
"Pretty much all of 'em have been James Bond at one point or another." BritBox UK has debuted an official trailer for the documentary called Hollywood Bulldogs, telling the rough-and-tumble story of the small community of British stunt performers who went on to dominate Hollywood in the 1970s and 80s. The full title is Hollywood Bulldogs: The Rise and Falls of the Great British Stuntman, from director Jon Spira. They created and performed the iconic action sequences of 007, Indiana Jones, Superman, Rambo, Star Wars, Conan, the Alien films and pretty much everything since. These guys are badass! They crashed cars, jumped from burning buildings, shot, stabbed, kicked and punched their way into cinema history. This is the first feature documentary to unite this legendary community in telling their story and as you will see, there's life in the old dogs yet. I just loveee seeing a whole doc film about stuntmen / stuntwomen,...
- 6/18/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Exclusive: Sexy Beast and The Departed actor Ray Winstone will turn his cockney tones to a feature documentary on the heyday for British stunt performers in Hollywood.
Produced by Canal Cat Films Production in association with Red Rock Entertainment and Verax Films, Hollywood Bulldogs: The Rise and Falls of the Great British Stuntman will see Winstone tell the story of a small community of British stunt performers who dominated Hollywood in the 1970s and ’80s.
The film is directed by Jon Spira (Anyone Can Play Guitar) and features a cast of stuntmen including Vic Armstrong, Paul Weston, Rocky Taylor, Greg Powell, Ray Austin, Jim Dowdall, Richard Hammatt and Frank Henson.
The former bouncers, gangsters, and demobbed soldiers were prepared to do the dangerous work on set, paving the way for a new generation of professional stunt performers. It reveals stories of revelry and insights from behind the scenes on blockbusters including James Bond,...
Produced by Canal Cat Films Production in association with Red Rock Entertainment and Verax Films, Hollywood Bulldogs: The Rise and Falls of the Great British Stuntman will see Winstone tell the story of a small community of British stunt performers who dominated Hollywood in the 1970s and ’80s.
The film is directed by Jon Spira (Anyone Can Play Guitar) and features a cast of stuntmen including Vic Armstrong, Paul Weston, Rocky Taylor, Greg Powell, Ray Austin, Jim Dowdall, Richard Hammatt and Frank Henson.
The former bouncers, gangsters, and demobbed soldiers were prepared to do the dangerous work on set, paving the way for a new generation of professional stunt performers. It reveals stories of revelry and insights from behind the scenes on blockbusters including James Bond,...
- 3/30/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
As we wrap up the month of March, we have one final round of horror and sci-fi home media releases on tap before we start looking towards April and beyond, and I hope you have your wallets ready, because this week’s slate of titles is a budget killer, no doubt. Arrow Video is celebrating the 40th anniversary of An American Werewolf in London this year with a brand new limited edition Steelbook, and Warner Archives is showing some love to a few older titles this Tuesday as well: Isle of the Dead and The Bermuda Depths.
Vinegar Syndrome is keeping busy with a handful of new releases this week, too, including The Fear, Nightmare Weekend, Graduation Day, and Hitcher in the Dark. Severin Films is also celebrating a pair of films from Álex de la Iglesia with their Special Edition Blus for The Day of the Beast and Perdita Durango,...
Vinegar Syndrome is keeping busy with a handful of new releases this week, too, including The Fear, Nightmare Weekend, Graduation Day, and Hitcher in the Dark. Severin Films is also celebrating a pair of films from Álex de la Iglesia with their Special Edition Blus for The Day of the Beast and Perdita Durango,...
- 3/29/2021
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
“It calls back a time when there were flowers all over the Earth… and there were valleys. And there were plains of tall green grass that you could lie down in – you could go to sleep in. And there were blue skies, and there was fresh air… and there were things growing all over the place, not just in some domed enclosures blasted some millions of miles out in to space.”
Bruce Dern in Silent Running (1972) will be available on Blu-ray November 17th from Arrow Video
In 1968, visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull contributed to the ground-breaking special photographic effects of Stanley Kubrick s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Four years later, he stamped his own indelible mark on the science fiction genre with his mesmerising directorial debut Silent Running.
In the not-so-distant future, Earth is barren of all flora and fauna, with what remains of the planet s former ecosystems preserved...
Bruce Dern in Silent Running (1972) will be available on Blu-ray November 17th from Arrow Video
In 1968, visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull contributed to the ground-breaking special photographic effects of Stanley Kubrick s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Four years later, he stamped his own indelible mark on the science fiction genre with his mesmerising directorial debut Silent Running.
In the not-so-distant future, Earth is barren of all flora and fauna, with what remains of the planet s former ecosystems preserved...
- 10/29/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
I hope you have your wallets ready, horror fans, because this week’s home media releases are ready to break your bank accounts. There are a lot of cool titles hitting Blu on Tuesday, but without a doubt, Criterion’s new Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films set looks to be the best of the bunch, as it has everything a kaiju fan could want and more. Arrow Video has assembled a comprehensive Special Edition release for An American Werewolf in London, and for those of you who love Chuck Russell’s remake of The Blob, you’ll definitely want to pick up Scream Factory’s new Collector’s Edition Blu.
Two Evil Eyes, the Poe adaptation from George A. Romero and Dario Argento, is getting a Limited Edition Blu this week, and there a ton of cult titles also receiving some well-deserved HD overhauls as well: Paganini Horror, Werewolf in a Girls’ Dormitory,...
Two Evil Eyes, the Poe adaptation from George A. Romero and Dario Argento, is getting a Limited Edition Blu this week, and there a ton of cult titles also receiving some well-deserved HD overhauls as well: Paganini Horror, Werewolf in a Girls’ Dormitory,...
- 10/29/2019
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
An American Werewolf In London will be available on Blu-ray October 29th From Arrow Video
American tourists David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) are savaged by an unidentified vicious animal whilst hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. David awakes in a London hospital to find his friend dead and his life in disarray. Retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse to recuperate, he soon experiences disturbing changes to his mind and body, undergoing a full-moon transformation that will unleash terror on the streets of the capital..
An American Werewolf in London had audiences howling with laughter and recoiling in terror upon its cinema release. Landis film has gone on to become one of the most important horror films of its decade, rightly lauded for its masterful set-pieces, uniquely unsettling atmosphere and Rick Bakers ground-breaking, Oscar-winning special makeup effects. Now restored in 4K, and presented with an abundance of extra features,...
American tourists David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) are savaged by an unidentified vicious animal whilst hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. David awakes in a London hospital to find his friend dead and his life in disarray. Retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse to recuperate, he soon experiences disturbing changes to his mind and body, undergoing a full-moon transformation that will unleash terror on the streets of the capital..
An American Werewolf in London had audiences howling with laughter and recoiling in terror upon its cinema release. Landis film has gone on to become one of the most important horror films of its decade, rightly lauded for its masterful set-pieces, uniquely unsettling atmosphere and Rick Bakers ground-breaking, Oscar-winning special makeup effects. Now restored in 4K, and presented with an abundance of extra features,...
- 10/14/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Oh man, when two cineastes decide to have a conversation watch out! It is hard to contain the purest of enthusiasm for movies that erupts when you put me on Skype with my friend Jon Spira! You might remember that… Continue Reading →
The post Horrible Imaginings Podcast #167: Talking Video Shop Life with Videosyncratic Author Jon Spira appeared first on Dread Central.
The post Horrible Imaginings Podcast #167: Talking Video Shop Life with Videosyncratic Author Jon Spira appeared first on Dread Central.
- 1/31/2017
- by Miguel Rodriguez
- DreadCentral.com
By Bill Duelly
We’ve seen them at sci-fi or collectibles conventions shows; some more so in England than the Us. They man tables with stacks of photos, offering autographs or pictures for a fee. In many cases their faces aren’t familiar, as their characters wore heavy makeup or masks in their appearance in the original “Star Wars” film. Still, even as you approach them face-to-face some of these people still don’t ring a bell. Maybe it’s because their scenes were deleted or they were an extra amongst many. Others, you discover are a familiar masked character and you are happy to chat for a few moments with them, as that movie, and its two sequels (I am only referring to the original trilogy starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher), had such a lasting impact on your childhood.
“Elstree 1976” is a recent documentary that follows ten such actors who,...
We’ve seen them at sci-fi or collectibles conventions shows; some more so in England than the Us. They man tables with stacks of photos, offering autographs or pictures for a fee. In many cases their faces aren’t familiar, as their characters wore heavy makeup or masks in their appearance in the original “Star Wars” film. Still, even as you approach them face-to-face some of these people still don’t ring a bell. Maybe it’s because their scenes were deleted or they were an extra amongst many. Others, you discover are a familiar masked character and you are happy to chat for a few moments with them, as that movie, and its two sequels (I am only referring to the original trilogy starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher), had such a lasting impact on your childhood.
“Elstree 1976” is a recent documentary that follows ten such actors who,...
- 12/28/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
★★★☆☆ Has there ever been a pop culture phenomenon more endlessly discussed, analysed or obsessed over than Star Wars? Amongst its ever-expanding universe of spin offs, sequels, and relentless fandom, it's difficult to imagine a new way of looking at the franchise. In his documentary Elstree 1976, British writer-director Jon Spira has achieved just that, privileging the stories of Star Wars' myriad forgotten extras and bit players over those of their more illustrious colleagues.
- 11/16/2016
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Everybody knows Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher. When Disney bought Lucasfilm from George Lucas and announced they’d be producing a new Star Wars trilogy and spin-off features, everyone knew those three would be back in the fold. Even guys like Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, and Kenny Baker were known commodities to consult if not star underneath the costumes they made famous. But what of the other actors — the nameless, sometimes faceless, and almost always uncredited performers who were a part of something so universally revered? Does their being extras mean they weren’t as important to the legend? Fans lining up for autographs don’t think so. Anyone on set and immortalized in one of history’s greatest cinematic franchises is an unequivocal hero.
To people like me who love the series but never rendered it into a cornerstone of daily life, however, these smaller, hidden roles prove an intriguing curio.
To people like me who love the series but never rendered it into a cornerstone of daily life, however, these smaller, hidden roles prove an intriguing curio.
- 5/17/2016
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Belladonna Of Sadness
Release Date: Coming Soon from Cinelicious Pics Written By: Yoshiyuki Fukuda, Jules Michelet (novel), Eiichi Yamamoto Directed By: Eiichi Yamamoto Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Katsuyuki Itô, Aiko Nagayama
When I heard about Cinelicious Pics’ plans to restore and release the long lost 1973 anime Belladonna Of Sadness, I was well and truly excited. I’m a huge aficionado of 70s-era anime, and this baby has been a “holy grail” of sorts for folks like me for a good many years — much desired but damn near impossible to obtain. So that being said, and with those expectations set freakin’ sky high, let’s see if ol’ Belladonna was worth the wait or will it just fill me with sadness of my own!
Belladonna Of Sadness, based loosely (and by that I mean hardly at all) on the French novel La Sorcière by Jules Michelet, tells the brutal tale of Jeanne,...
Release Date: Coming Soon from Cinelicious Pics Written By: Yoshiyuki Fukuda, Jules Michelet (novel), Eiichi Yamamoto Directed By: Eiichi Yamamoto Starring: Tatsuya Nakadai, Katsuyuki Itô, Aiko Nagayama
When I heard about Cinelicious Pics’ plans to restore and release the long lost 1973 anime Belladonna Of Sadness, I was well and truly excited. I’m a huge aficionado of 70s-era anime, and this baby has been a “holy grail” of sorts for folks like me for a good many years — much desired but damn near impossible to obtain. So that being said, and with those expectations set freakin’ sky high, let’s see if ol’ Belladonna was worth the wait or will it just fill me with sadness of my own!
Belladonna Of Sadness, based loosely (and by that I mean hardly at all) on the French novel La Sorcière by Jules Michelet, tells the brutal tale of Jeanne,...
- 5/16/2016
- by DanielXIII
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
The fact that the documentary doesn’t mention Star Wars in the title is a telling indication of the kind of film Jon Spira has made. With the focus on the people behind the masks and costumes, Spira deliberately has focused his lens on the lives of these actors and not the characters that they became famous for. Fans of Star Wars might be disappointed by this decision, but the result is a film that is more thoughtful than just another look at the legacy of the iconic series.
Minor characters and some that really aren’t even considered characters (sorry, stormtrooper who knocked his noggin against a blast door) step into the spotlight in Elstree 1976. While some of these actors or actresses may not mean much to the casual Star Wars filmgoer, the super fans will delight in watching the guy who play Greedo, the former bodybuilder who...
Minor characters and some that really aren’t even considered characters (sorry, stormtrooper who knocked his noggin against a blast door) step into the spotlight in Elstree 1976. While some of these actors or actresses may not mean much to the casual Star Wars filmgoer, the super fans will delight in watching the guy who play Greedo, the former bodybuilder who...
- 5/6/2016
- by Michael Haffner
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Hundreds of actors work on a film production but only a phenomenon as huge and unique as Star Wars really make fans interested in basically every single one of them, including the extras and the masked performers. This real fascination towards the not-very-known actors behind the helmet of Darth Vader and Boba Fett, or the mask of Greedo, is the single reason why a documentary like Elstree 1976 exists; but it’s a fascination that, at least for director Jon Spira, goes beyond the geeky desire of getting an autograph from them. The documentary allow the actors that played minor roles in the original Star Wars to tell their own stories, many times not related at all with George Lucas’ world or cinema. Elstree 1976 essentially...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/6/2016
- Screen Anarchy
The Force Awakens has sparked a tremendous amount of excitement for a new generation of Star Wars stories, but the success of J.J. Abrams' film has also rekindled a widely shared nostalgia for George Lucas' original trilogy. Judging by the trailer for Jon Spira's Elstree 1976 — an upcoming documentary about the unassuming background actors who brought the original movie, now known as A New Hope, to life — that nostalgia extends to the people who made these movies what they are.
Named after the British production facility where Lucas shoot Episodes IV — VI,...
Named after the British production facility where Lucas shoot Episodes IV — VI,...
- 3/24/2016
- Rollingstone.com
"There are no small parts, only small actors," famed acting coach Konstantin Stanislavsky once remarked, and it's the kind of statement that can only bring comfort to the many, many aspiring actors who never get their chance to shine in a lead role. However, in the new documentary “Elstree 1976” the players who helped bring George Lucas' "Star Wars" to life — and I'm not talking about Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, or Harrison Ford — do get their moment to share what it was like to make movie history. Read More: Full Length 'Star Wars' Documentary 'Secrets Of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey' To Premier At SXSW Directed by Jon Spira, and featuring David Prowse (the man wearing Darth Vader’s suit), Paul Blake (Greedo), Angus MacInnes (who played an X-Wing pilot), Derek Lyons (supporting artist), and more, the documentary takes an affectionate look at the people who stumbled into movie history,...
- 3/24/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Look past the latex masks and elaborate helmets in Star Wars and you'll find hundreds of fascinating stories from little-seen character actors and extras.
These men and women get their moment in the sun in Elstree 1976, an upcoming documentary about the people who brought to life Bob Fett, the Stormtroopers, Greedo and many more.
Director Jon Spira's film takes its name from the suburban North London studio (also home to EastEnders) where George Lucas shot Star Wars in the scorching hot summer of 1976.
Ever wondered what Jeremy Bulloch was thinking while encased in Boba Fett's mask? Or where David Prowse perfected Darth Vader's iconic lightsaber duel with Alec Guinness's Obi-Wan?
All these questions - and more! - will be answered in Elstree 1976, which promises to be an emotional experience for Star Wars fans who have a special place in their hearts for the series' supporting players.
These men and women get their moment in the sun in Elstree 1976, an upcoming documentary about the people who brought to life Bob Fett, the Stormtroopers, Greedo and many more.
Director Jon Spira's film takes its name from the suburban North London studio (also home to EastEnders) where George Lucas shot Star Wars in the scorching hot summer of 1976.
Ever wondered what Jeremy Bulloch was thinking while encased in Boba Fett's mask? Or where David Prowse perfected Darth Vader's iconic lightsaber duel with Alec Guinness's Obi-Wan?
All these questions - and more! - will be answered in Elstree 1976, which promises to be an emotional experience for Star Wars fans who have a special place in their hearts for the series' supporting players.
- 11/2/2015
- Digital Spy
For all the talk of the billions of dollars "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will rake in, the plans of the sequels and spinoffs and more, it can be easy to forget that the franchise has very humble beginnings. In fact, 20th Century Fox had so little faith in the original "Star Wars," they gave George Lucas the merchandising rights (easily one of the worst cinematic business decisions in history). However, Jon Spira’s new documentary “Elstree 1976” takes audiences on a thirty-nine year trip to tell the story of how Lucas started an empire, by hearing it from some of the smaller players who made it happen. Read More: Luke Skywalker Is Found In Latest Trailer For 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Featuring David Prowse (the man in Darth Vader’s suit), Paul Blake (Greedo), Angus MacInnes (who played an X-Wing pilot), Derek Lyons (supporting artist), and many more,...
- 10/30/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
It’s a film buff’s starter for 10: which science fiction movie was shot in the UK’s Elstree Studios in 1976? The correct answer, especially for those fast on the buzzer, may induce mouth-watering anticipation of a nostalgic, behind-the-scenes account of George Lucas’s "Star Wars." So a slight pause is in order. Jon Spira’s documentary is not a "making of" in any conventional sense, but a glimpse into the experience and after-effects of involvement in the film, for a handful of extras and actors with very small speaking roles. It isn’t really about one of the most famous and influential movies of all time, but a bittersweet account of ordinary people sucked for good or ill into the film’s eternal slipstream. And as such, it’s far more interesting. Spira opens seductively with fetishist close-ups of "Star Wars" action figures, accompanied by the voices of...
- 10/30/2015
- by Demetrios Matheou
- Thompson on Hollywood
After bowing at the BFI London Film Festival and Sitges, Jon Spira's Star Wars documentary is now readying for a theatrical release in the UK courtesy of The Works. Elstree 1976 talks to ten of the minor players involved in George Lucas' science fiction classics, from Paul Blake, who played Greedo, to Boba Fett himself Jeremy Bulloch. While the world has been forever changed by Star Wars, back when it was shooting in a sweltering UK summer 39 years ago, few of those involved had any idea what they were a part of, let alone that it - and ultimately they - would become such icons of cinema.Check out the trailer below....
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- 10/30/2015
- Screen Anarchy
It’s not like it ever went away, but “Star Wars” mania is about to kick into a whole new gear, beginning with the release of a new trailer tonight, which will kick off a feverish two month pre-release period for the seventh official film in the franchise, followed by more sequels and spinoffs until the Earth is destroyed by a moon-sized space station. The film’s impact on cinema, and indeed pop culture at large, has been so enormous that it’s often easy to forget that forty years ago, “Star Wars” was an oddity, a big-budget throwback to sci-fi serials few of which, least of all those making it, would make much impact. And it’s that world that Jon Spira’s new documentary “Elstree 1976” hopes to take us, telling the story of what happened thirty-nine years ago, through the eyes of some of the smaller players.
- 10/19/2015
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
The 59Th BFI London Film Festival Announces Full 2015 Programme
You can peruse the programme at your leisure here.
The programme for the 59th BFI London Film Festival in partnership launched today, with Festival Director Clare Stewart presenting this year’s rich and diverse selection of films and events. BFI London Film Festival is Britain’s leading film event and one of the world’s oldest film festivals. It introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience. The Festival provides an essential platform for films seeking global success; and promotes the careers of British and international filmmakers through its industry and awards programmes. With this year’s industry programme stronger than ever, offering international filmmakers and leaders a programme of insightful events covering every area of the film industry Lff positions London as the world’s leading creative city.
The Festival will screen a...
You can peruse the programme at your leisure here.
The programme for the 59th BFI London Film Festival in partnership launched today, with Festival Director Clare Stewart presenting this year’s rich and diverse selection of films and events. BFI London Film Festival is Britain’s leading film event and one of the world’s oldest film festivals. It introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience. The Festival provides an essential platform for films seeking global success; and promotes the careers of British and international filmmakers through its industry and awards programmes. With this year’s industry programme stronger than ever, offering international filmmakers and leaders a programme of insightful events covering every area of the film industry Lff positions London as the world’s leading creative city.
The Festival will screen a...
- 9/1/2015
- by John
- SoundOnSight
Hot projects on Screenbase this week include German-Canadian co-production In The Lost Lands, twin brothers Mohammed Abou Nasser and Ahmad Abou Nasser’s Dégradé, spy-thriller Damascus Cover and documentary Tomorrow.
Fantasy adventure In The Lost Lands
Milla Jovovich will star alongside Justin Chatwin in this new feature based on short stories from the creator of Game Of Thrones. The German-Canadian co-production is directed by Constantin Werner.
The story revolves around a series of magical and fantastic tales centring on a sorceress in search of a spell, a warrior girl on a quest and a young barbarian who encounters a witch in a spacecraft.
Steve Hoban, Oliver Luer and Nico Bruinsma produce. Myriad Pictures chief Kirk D’Amico will serve as an executive producer.
Terrence Malick’s Voyage Of Time
Malick’s documentary features the voices of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Dede Gardner, Nicolas Gonda, Sarah Green, Grant Hill, Brad Pitt, Bill Pohlad and [link...
Fantasy adventure In The Lost Lands
Milla Jovovich will star alongside Justin Chatwin in this new feature based on short stories from the creator of Game Of Thrones. The German-Canadian co-production is directed by Constantin Werner.
The story revolves around a series of magical and fantastic tales centring on a sorceress in search of a spell, a warrior girl on a quest and a young barbarian who encounters a witch in a spacecraft.
Steve Hoban, Oliver Luer and Nico Bruinsma produce. Myriad Pictures chief Kirk D’Amico will serve as an executive producer.
Terrence Malick’s Voyage Of Time
Malick’s documentary features the voices of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Dede Gardner, Nicolas Gonda, Sarah Green, Grant Hill, Brad Pitt, Bill Pohlad and [link...
- 2/9/2015
- by maud.le-rest@sciencespo-toulouse.net (Maud Le Rest)
- ScreenDaily
Efm: UK sales outfit The Works International has boarded world rights to documentary Elstree 1976, about the effect Star Wars had on the lives of those involved in even the smallest roles in the film.
Directed by Jon Spira, whose previous documentary Anyone Can Play Guitar was named one of the top 10 music films of 2011 by the NME, and produced by Hank Starrs (Dust), the film features Star Wars actors and extras from Dave Prowse (Darth Vader) and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) to Derek Lyons (Massassi Temple Guard) and Pam Rose (Leesub Sirlin).
The film will explore ten actors’ lives and explore the eccentric community they have formed.
The Works will be screening a promo of the film, currently in post-production, during the Efm in Berlin.
The Kickstarter-funded project is due to be released ahead of J.J Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens.
Director Jon Spira said: “I’ve always been interested in those...
Directed by Jon Spira, whose previous documentary Anyone Can Play Guitar was named one of the top 10 music films of 2011 by the NME, and produced by Hank Starrs (Dust), the film features Star Wars actors and extras from Dave Prowse (Darth Vader) and Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) to Derek Lyons (Massassi Temple Guard) and Pam Rose (Leesub Sirlin).
The film will explore ten actors’ lives and explore the eccentric community they have formed.
The Works will be screening a promo of the film, currently in post-production, during the Efm in Berlin.
The Kickstarter-funded project is due to be released ahead of J.J Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens.
Director Jon Spira said: “I’ve always been interested in those...
- 1/30/2015
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Do you consider yourself a true Star Wars fanatic? Think you know every bit of trivia, not just from the films but from the expanded world of novels and spin-off series? Maybe. But do you know Derek Lyons? He played Medal Bearer and Massassi Guard in Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope. And he's at the center of Elstree 1976, an in-the-works documentary about the bit players whose faces were hidden by masks, but whose presence helped make Star Wars the modern movie marvel it is today. Documentarian Jon Spira (Anyone Can Play Guitar) has watched almost any Star Wars doc you could name. But he noticed they fell into two camps, either talking about the production itself or about the fan culture that has grown from it. He wanted to do something different, looking to how Star Wars impacted the lives of some of its smaller players. He...
- 5/12/2014
- cinemablend.com
Even the most casual Star Wars fans are familiar with the likes of Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher (all part of the cast for Star Wars: Episode VII), but only the hardcore know those who helped bring characters like Darth Vader and Boba Fett to life. You might know that James Earl Jones provided the voice for Luke Skywalker's Sith father, but do you know an actor named David Prowse put on the mask to play the character on set? Or do you know the actor behind the mask of Han Solo's bounty hunter nemesis Boba Fett? A new documentary called Elstreet 1976 focuses on those actors and more, but they need help. Here's a trailer for Elstreet 1976, which is asking for help for post-production on Kickstarter: Film School Rejects called our attention to this interesting documentary from Jon Spira (Anyone Can Play a Guitar), who became interested in...
- 5/12/2014
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
I think it was Andy Warhol who said that everyone associated with Star Wars will be world-famous for 15 trillion minutes. Maybe I made that up, and maybe I have a personal reason for knowing it’s not necessarily true of everyone associated with George Lucas’s game-changing movie, but it does at least seem that Star Wars mania allows for anyone involved in the first or any subsequent installment to be an icon of sorts for the millions of fans out there. Even Jake Lloyd and Ahmed Best are embraced by many at conventions. And according to a new documentary in the works, plenty of extras can show up to events and have a line of people waiting to get their autograph. Of course, almost every extra appearing on screen in the original Star Wars movie plays a character with a name and maybe even an action figure. Very few are recognizable by name and most aren...
- 5/8/2014
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
This week’s crowdfunding projects include a great-looking documentary about Star Wars, and the latest animated film from Phil Tippett...
Feature
One of the things we like the most about crowdfunding is that it gives loads of niche ideas the chance to find the right audience. By circumventing the usual avenues of investment, filmmakers and artists are free to head for places nobody’s been before - whether it’s right into the geekiest reaches of Star Wars history, as is the case with Jon Spira’s potentially brilliant documentary, Elstree 1976, or down into the dankest depths of the subconscious, like Phil Tippett’s stop-motion animated Mad God Part 2.
Ths week’s selection of crowdfunding projects, then, is a veritable celebration of the niche, the geeky and the unusual. And we start with a documentary that is perfect for Star Wars fans; as we anxiously await further announcements from the Episode VII camp,...
Feature
One of the things we like the most about crowdfunding is that it gives loads of niche ideas the chance to find the right audience. By circumventing the usual avenues of investment, filmmakers and artists are free to head for places nobody’s been before - whether it’s right into the geekiest reaches of Star Wars history, as is the case with Jon Spira’s potentially brilliant documentary, Elstree 1976, or down into the dankest depths of the subconscious, like Phil Tippett’s stop-motion animated Mad God Part 2.
Ths week’s selection of crowdfunding projects, then, is a veritable celebration of the niche, the geeky and the unusual. And we start with a documentary that is perfect for Star Wars fans; as we anxiously await further announcements from the Episode VII camp,...
- 5/7/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
With Tsr Buzz, you’ll find links to articles, videos and other random things that will help you waste your time just a little bit more
Indie GoGo is a website that allows musicians, filmmakers and others with ideas to connect with an audience willing to fund their ideas. Jon Spira is looking for money to finish the film Anyone Can Play Guitar. This documentary about the Oxford, England music scene that spawned bands like Radiohead, Supergrass and Ride. Help them by donating $30 to finish the film and they’ll send you a copy of the DVD when it’s done! Here’s the trailer:
Anyone Can Play Guitar Trailer from video jon on Vimeo.
Sometimes, I don’t have enough cuteness in my day. Then I watch a short film about cephalopods. Forget having six hearts between them, they also have at least fourteen tentacles.
I loved Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
Indie GoGo is a website that allows musicians, filmmakers and others with ideas to connect with an audience willing to fund their ideas. Jon Spira is looking for money to finish the film Anyone Can Play Guitar. This documentary about the Oxford, England music scene that spawned bands like Radiohead, Supergrass and Ride. Help them by donating $30 to finish the film and they’ll send you a copy of the DVD when it’s done! Here’s the trailer:
Anyone Can Play Guitar Trailer from video jon on Vimeo.
Sometimes, I don’t have enough cuteness in my day. Then I watch a short film about cephalopods. Forget having six hearts between them, they also have at least fourteen tentacles.
I loved Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
- 10/22/2010
- by Megan Lehar
- The Scorecard Review
Anyone Can Play Guitar
Directed by Jon Spira
Starring Colin Greenwood, Ed O’Brien, Gaz Coombes, Nick Cope, Mark Cope
Canal Cat Films
Release date: October 9, 2010 (Limited UK)
In the last couple of years there have been a number of music documentaries which have breathed life into what was becoming a tired genre, unleashing new or once forgotten bands and music into the world. Last year’s Anvil!: The Story of Anvil and Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage, released earlier this year, were particularly impressive, highlighting a human story full of years of struggle and ultimate joy to the soundtrack of awesome music. Continuing this trend comes Anyone Can Play Guitar, which tells the story of the 30-year history of music in Oxford, England.
English cities have long been synonymous with great music: Liverpool gave rise to The Beatles; Manchester Oasis and the Stone Roses; the East Midlands area...
Directed by Jon Spira
Starring Colin Greenwood, Ed O’Brien, Gaz Coombes, Nick Cope, Mark Cope
Canal Cat Films
Release date: October 9, 2010 (Limited UK)
In the last couple of years there have been a number of music documentaries which have breathed life into what was becoming a tired genre, unleashing new or once forgotten bands and music into the world. Last year’s Anvil!: The Story of Anvil and Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage, released earlier this year, were particularly impressive, highlighting a human story full of years of struggle and ultimate joy to the soundtrack of awesome music. Continuing this trend comes Anyone Can Play Guitar, which tells the story of the 30-year history of music in Oxford, England.
English cities have long been synonymous with great music: Liverpool gave rise to The Beatles; Manchester Oasis and the Stone Roses; the East Midlands area...
- 10/16/2010
- by Obi-Dan
- Geeks of Doom
In a world where you can download films legally and rent DVDs by post, indie video shops may find opportunities in becoming more specialised or responding to the needs of a local area
Video killed the radio star, but what's killing the video store? My local, Prime Time Video in Blackheath, London, is the latest in a long line of video shops to close down. Round here, you could plausibly screen the Onion's mock historical tour of a Blockbuster store on the evening news. A search for "video and DVD rental" in my postcode area turns up van hire and dentists.
Philip French had it right when he said video stores have provided the movie slacker's occupation of choice for the past 20 years, from Randal Graves in Clerks, who spits water in customers' faces, to Wilson, the depressed screenwriter from In Search of a Midnight Kiss.
Without video shops, Mos Def...
Video killed the radio star, but what's killing the video store? My local, Prime Time Video in Blackheath, London, is the latest in a long line of video shops to close down. Round here, you could plausibly screen the Onion's mock historical tour of a Blockbuster store on the evening news. A search for "video and DVD rental" in my postcode area turns up van hire and dentists.
Philip French had it right when he said video stores have provided the movie slacker's occupation of choice for the past 20 years, from Randal Graves in Clerks, who spits water in customers' faces, to Wilson, the depressed screenwriter from In Search of a Midnight Kiss.
Without video shops, Mos Def...
- 3/18/2010
- by Anne Wollenberg
- The Guardian - Film News
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