2009 |
2008 |
2006 |
2002
1-20 of 43 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
Bad Lieutenants and Magnificent Sevens – the golden rules of the cinematic remake
31 December 2009 2:00 PM, PST
| The Guardian - Film News
| See recent The Guardian - Film News news
»
Magnificent Seven, The Ring, Psycho, The Preacher's Wife – some remakes are an improvement, some are an abysmal waste of time. Joe Queenan judges the pack
In 1992, Abel Ferrara made a very dark, very depressing movie called Bad Lieutenant. In it, Harvey Keitel played a morally bankrupt police officer who seeks redemption by investigating the rape of a nun who refuses to bring charges against her assailant, turning the Bad Lieutenant into the Mad Lieutenant. The film did nothing at the box office, and is remembered mostly because it is the motion picture in which Keitel shows off his penis. There was at the time no great demand for Keitel – a fine actor, but never a matinee idol – to show off his penis, even though it was a very splendid penis indeed, nor has there been any grassroots groundswell of support for this sort of thing afterwards.
Not so long ago,
»
- Joe Queenan
Permalink | Report a problem
Multiple Personality Disorder Report
23 December 2009 2:15 PM, PST
| QuietEarth.us
| See recent QuietEarth news
»
#1 James Cameron to redo “The Fantastic Voyage”
Now don’t be getting too excited because there’s no news that Cameron will direct the project but Variety does report that Cameron is producing the film and from what I can gather, the project (and a few more to follow) is an effort to make use and money from the expensive technology he spent years prepping for Avatar. It’s a great opportunity to remake this sci-fi classic but with “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem” writer Shane Salerno on board to adapt the original story, I can’t say I’m all that excited.
#2 Natalie Portman starring in “Pride Prejudice and Zombies”
This seems like an odd pairing but Portman does have the looks for period drama though I’m not sure what possessed her to agree to a period piece about a man searching for love amidst a zombie outbreak. Portman
»
Permalink | Report a problem
Films Of The Decade – Alex’s List
18 December 2009 4:15 PM, PST
| FilmShaft.com
| See recent FilmShaft.com news
»
10 years is bloody ages in film terms. To narrow it down to my ten favourite films of the decade was no easy task. Even now I look at my list and can’t help but think…where the hell is Gladiator? Why didn’t I include any Lord Of The Rings films? What about The Dark Knight? Damn, what about The Lives Of Others, Pan’s Labyrinth, Finding Nemo, Downfall, No Country For Old Men? All of those films are incredible candidates and on another day they might have made it. The truth is no self-respecting film buff will ever be able to narrow down 10 films to fit a list and not have it change every so often.
One day my opinion of the best film of all time will be Seven Samurai the next day it will be Apocalypse Now and the day after that it might be Night Of The Hunter.
»
- Alex Wagner
Permalink | Report a problem
Criterion Collection celebrates Akira Kurosawa with Yojimbo and Sanjuro on Blu-ray Disc
15 December 2009 3:07 AM, PST
| Affenheimtheater
| See recent Affenheimtheater news
»
The Criterion Collection team announced to celebrate the 100th birthday of Japanese mastermind director Akira Kurosawa Blu-ray-style! According to their news update, they will release Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and Sanjuro, both starring the wonderful Toshiro Mifune, for the first time on Blu-ray Disc (probably locked to Region A) with English subtitles on March 23, 2010. Both films are already available on Bd in Japan in the Akira Kurosawa Masterworks Collections, but Toho did not include English subtitles on these releases.
Originally Cc also planned to release Seven Samurai in March, but due to additional restoration processes the film will come later in 2010.
[via Blu-ray.com]
»
- Ulrik
Permalink | Report a problem
Short Film Corner: Justin Ambrosino's The 8th Samurai
12 December 2009 6:25 PM, PST
| ioncinema
| See recent ioncinema news
»
We caught up with Justin Ambrosino, an up-and-coming filmmaker (and at one time, a reporter on this website) to discuss his latest short-film. - We caught up with Justin Ambrosino, an up-and-coming filmmaker (and at one time, a reporter on this website) to discuss his latest short-film. The 8th Samurai has been making the rounds on the film festival circuit and has managed to garner several awards along the way including the "Best of Fest" Award at the La Shorts Fest. The talented NY filmmaker, and AFI graduate, has been involved with an impressive range of productions in the past; from George Clooney's solid but little known faux-reality series "Unscripted", to Scorsese's "The Departed" (to name a few stand-out titles). Regardless of the roll he played on those sets, his ambition has always been to write and direct. Clearly, he's off to a strong start.As you may have gathered from the title,
»
- Ioncinema.com Staff
Permalink | Report a problem
James Cameron’s Next Film Revealed?
10 December 2009 6:28 AM, PST
| Filmofilia
| See recent Filmofilia news
»
According to Production Weekly, James Cameron developing a new science fiction film.
“Avatar” director is working on a Shane Salerno-scripted sci-fi action script for Fox, described as an “event” film set in the future.
The script is entitled “Doomsday Protocal“, featuring a group of humans and aliens gathered, Seven Samurai-style, to defend the Earth against attack.
Here’s what was offered as a synopsis: “Plot details are being kept under wraps, but it is known to be an epic science fiction adventure in the vein of “The Seven Samurai” involving a group of aliens and humans with various abilities who are brought together to save Earth.”
»
- Allan Ford
Permalink | Report a problem
Cameron's samurai?
9 December 2009 12:25 PM, PST
| JoBlo.com
| See recent JoBlo news
»
James Cameron may have another movie on the horizon with his special obsession, aliens.
These are not your average run of the mill aliens. These aliens wield magnificent samurai swords. It would be something along the lines of Akira Kurosawa's classic Seven Samurai. Word of this new project comes from Production Weekly, "James Cameron is developing a Shane Salerno-scripted sci-fi action script for Fox, described as an "event" film set in the future."
However, io9
»
- Niki Stephens
Permalink | Report a problem
DVD releases for Tuesday December 8, 2009
8 December 2009 8:16 AM, PST
| QuietEarth.us
| See recent QuietEarth news
»
Without a doubt, the biggest release of the week is the Ak 100: 25 Films by Akira Kurosawa boxed set coming from The Criterion Collection. The 25 disc set (amazon) has been put together for the occasion of the centenary of his birth and is the largest Kurosawa collection ever assembled. It includes most films spanning his 50 year career (1943 to 1993). At $400 retail however, I'll probably have to settle for revisiting my 3-disc Seven Samurai set for now.
Another big release this week is Home Movie (amazon), Christopher Denham's horror festival favorite. It garnered some amazing reviews when it played well over a year ago, including a 10/10 by our own Rick Mcgrath, so it's gotta be good.
Another long awaited release is Tkashi Miike's cult shocker, Gozu (amazon), which is getting a 2-Disc Collector's Edition.
Carlos Moreno's gangland drama, Dog Eat Dog (amazon), about an "agoraphobic kingpin of the Columbian underworld
»
Permalink | Report a problem
This Week On DVD and Blu-ray: December 8, 2009
8 December 2009 1:20 AM, PST
| Rope of Silicon
| See recent Rope Of Silicon news
»
DVD Links: DVD News | Release Dates | New Dvds | Reviews | RSS Feed
Ak 100: 25 Films by Akira Kurosawa (Criterion Collection)
Sure, there are some of 2009's bigger film releases hitting DVD and Blu-ray this week, but this set from Criterion is undoubtedly the release of the week. This set offers 25 of Akira Kurosawa's films, four of which had never been released on DVD, and an illustrated book featuring an introduction and notes on each of the films by Stephen Prince (The Warrior's Camera: The Cinema of Akira Kurosawa) and a remembrance by Donald Richie (The Films of Akira Kurosawa).
I was not sent a copy for review, but DVD Beaver has an extensive three page look at the set right here. If you are interested, it is selling for $284.99 at Amazon as of the posting of this round-up. A list of the films included is directly below followed by a
»
- Brad Brevet
Permalink | Report a problem
[Mainland Reviews] 我的唐朝兄弟 (The Robbers)
7 December 2009 8:00 AM, PST
| Twitch
| See recent Twitch news
»
Although predictably (or, better, inevitably) replaced by Mao's legacy as the main melody-themed rush towards the 60th anniversary began in full force, for a good while the favorite piece of Chinese historiography of many a film director and TV producer was the pomp and circumstance of the Tang Dynasty, with leading lights like Li Shimin and Wu Zetian carrying the flag of such exciting and culturally abundant times's glorification. For instance, the honor of essaying Tang Taizong for a second time on CCTV-1's 2007 flagship historical drama, the fascinating 贞观长歌 (The Zhenguan Era), went to Tang Guoqiang, who made a career out of playing legendary figures like Mao Zedong - last in line in the exalted flag-waving douchebaggery of 建国大业 (The Founding of a Republic) - the Three Kingdoms' Zhuge Liang and Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing.
An irresistible mix of John Wayne-like macho posturing, sparks of unyielding youth
»
Permalink | Report a problem
Weekly Poll Results: Best Martial Arts Movie
3 December 2009 10:53 AM, PST
| FilmJunk
| See recent FilmJunk news
»
Before we get to this week's poll results, I think it's worth mentioning that there was some heated discussion over what exactly constitutes a "martial arts movie". The truth is, I have no idea... I was thinking of just about any action movie in which the majority of the combat uses some form of Asian fighting style. Clearly that's a pretty broad way to categorize it, but some people felt that a movie like Seven Samurai should not qualify, probably because it has a little more to it than simply fighting for the sake of fighting. Either way, Bruce Lee came out on top, although the number of votes seemed to correspond largely to how well-known a movie was (ie. the more obscure "classics" ended up getting the least number of votes). Do you agree that Enter The Dragon is the greatest martial arts flick of all time? What are
»
- Sean
Permalink | Report a problem
Criterion Collection DVD & Blu-ray Disc Sale @ Amazon.com
25 November 2009 1:07 AM, PST
| Affenheimtheater
| See recent Affenheimtheater news
»
Bargain time for all you cinephiles out there! Amazon.com has started a Criterion Collection sale with DVDs from $13.99 and Blu-ray Discs from $15.99. The sale includes 29 titles including Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai and Kagemusha, Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal and the controversial Japanese thriller In the Realm of the Senses (Ai no corrida). European buyers should note that Criterion has so far region coded all their releases to Region A, so bad luck for most of us…
»
- Ulrik
Permalink | Report a problem
John Woo Returns To American Theaters With Epic 'Red Cliff'
19 November 2009 11:59 PM, PST
| MTV Movie News
| See recent MTV Movie News news
»
'I wanted to introduce an American audience to a rich part of Chinese history,' director says.
By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Tony Leung in "Red Cliff"
Photo: Magnolia Pictures
It's been too long since we all had some John Woo in our lives. DVD viewings of "Face/Off" and the second "Mission: Impossible" flick can only do so much to quell the need for insane, "How in the world did they do that?" action sequences. Where has this guy been? Why has it been six years since American audiences last got a glimpse of his work in the theaters?
The answer is now clear: Woo spent five years creating a ridiculously elaborate war movie, mind-boggling in scale, adrenaline-raising in action. Behold "Red Cliff," a retelling of a key point in Chinese history that ushered in the end of the Han Dynasty in the second century, a
»
Permalink | Report a problem
Carl Rinsch To Direct ‘47 Ronin’
18 November 2009 12:51 PM, PST
| ScreenRant.com
| See recent Screen Rant news
»
If you don’t know Carl Rinsch’s name, he is the young protegé (and potential son-in-law) of acclaimed directors Ridley and Tony Scott. Rinsch’s name first surfaced on the movie blog radar when Sir Ridley tapped him on the shoulder to direct the upcoming Alien prequel that 20th Century Fox is developing. The studio has since nixed that arrangement, insisting that Ridley himself direct the new Alien.
Well, it seems as though Carl Rinsch has managed to land on his feet: He’ll be helming 47 Ronin, a samurai historical epic being developed by Universal and producers Scott Stuber and Pamela Abdy, starring Keanu “Whoa” Reeves in the lead.
Rinsch’s filmography consists mainly of “futuristic” TV commercial work (Heineken, BMW), but if the Scott brothers took him under wing (and into their household) then there has got to be some potential there. Remember, District 9 director Neil Blomkamp
»
- Kofi Outlaw
Permalink | Report a problem
This Week On DVD and Blu-ray: November 17, 2009
17 November 2009 2:12 AM, PST
| Rope of Silicon
| See recent Rope Of Silicon news
»
DVD Links: DVD News | Release Dates | New Dvds | Reviews | RSS Feed
I don't know if any of you took my advice on the 50% off Criterion sale at Barnes and Noble I mentioned two weeks ago, but you have one more week and I have already taken advantage of it by getting Battle of Algiers, the Fanny and Alexander box set and upgraded my single-disc version of Seven Samurai with the three-disc edition. I basically paid about $70 for the whole thing with my Barnes and Noble Membership card and it's about $160 worth of DVDs so that's a good deal in my book. Take advantage of it and use this coupon to save an extra $5.
Now, for this week's DVDs.
Gone With the Wind (70th Anniversary Ultimate Collection)
I just reviewed the Blu-ray edition of this and was incredibly impressed. What's even more impressive is Amazon is charging only $45.49 for both the
»
- Brad Brevet
Permalink | Report a problem
Roger Corman: Scorsese, Stallone, Sayles, and other A-listers talk about the B-movie king
13 November 2009 12:48 PM, PST
| EW.com - PopWatch
| See recent EW.com - PopWatch news
»
He gave life to teenage cavemen and candy-stripe nurses. Crab monsters and humanoids from the deep. T-bird gangs and towns that dreaded sundown. His name is Roger Corman. And on Nov. 14, he will receive an honor that no one would have predicted: an honorary Academy Award. The 83-year-old B-movie titan has made nearly 400 films as a director and producer. From the start, Corman was a magnet for hungry young actors, writers, and directors who would work for slave wages for the chance to make their first film. They called it the "University of Corman," and the alumni include Francis Ford Coppola,
»
- Chris Nashawaty
Permalink | Report a problem
Holiday Preview: A Repertory Calendar
3 November 2009 1:01 PM, PST
| ifc.com
| See recent IFC news
»
Tim Burton invades New York, New Italian Cinema hits Los Angeles, Harold and Kumar spread holiday cheer in Austin and everywhere you look, they're celebrating All Tomorrow's Parties -- just some of the holiday film fun you can have this winter at your local repertory theater.
More Holiday Preview: [Theatrical Calendar]
[Repertory Calendar] [Anywhere But a Movie Theater]
New York
92YTribeca
In November, the 92YTribeca Screening Room will have some special guests in the house when it hosts the already sold out "A Conversation with Wes Anderson and Jason Schwartzman" on November 10th, with the two longtime collaborators discussing their latest film "Fantastic Mr. Fox." But tickets are still available for the night before (Nov. 9th), when actor Ben Foster and director Oren Moverman will screen their acclaimed new post-war drama "The Messenger". Much of the rest of the month is devoted to Cinema Tropical's Ten Years of New Argentine Cinema series with screenings of Adrián Caetano's immigration
»
- Stephen Saito
Permalink | Report a problem
MTV: Chris Weitz On 'New Moon' To 'Eclipse' Transition
30 October 2009 10:12 AM, PDT
| twilightersanonymous.com
| See recent TwilightersAnonymous news
»
Chris Weitz recently spoke with MTV concerning the transitions between The Twilight Saga movies both between Twilight and New Moon and now between New Moon and Eclipse. Chris also spoke about some major differences we might notice between styles in Twilight and New Moon.As a fan and a filmmaker Im excited to see finished stuff from Eclipse rather than anything in progress Weitz said. When you see works in progress theres always some guy standing in front of some big green curtain and its all terribly disappointing. You really want to see the good stuff once its all finished.After New Moon was finished filming Summit Entertainment announced that David Slade would be directing Eclipse. Weitz said he had some early chats with Slade to let him know what New Moon was going to look like and how he had filmed the story and then let Slade decide how
»
Permalink | Report a problem
'New Moon' Director Chris Weitz Hasn't Seen 'Eclipse' Footage
30 October 2009 3:52 AM, PDT
| MTV Movie News
| See recent MTV Movie News news
»
'I'm excited to see finished stuff from 'Eclipse' rather than anything in progress,' director says.
By Terri Schwartz
Chris Weitz and Kristin Stewart on the set of "New Moon"
Photo: Summit Entertainment
With filming on "Eclipse" wrapping up, we couldn't resist asking "New Moon" director Chris Weitz whether he had seen any of the footage from next summer's blockbuster. He hadn't, he said, because he's been busy working hard to bring fans "New Moon," which hits theaters in less than a month. Surprisingly, he said he didn't really want to see the footage yet.
"As a fan and a filmmaker, I'm excited to see finished stuff from 'Eclipse' rather than anything in progress," Weitz said. "When you see works in progress, there's always some guy standing in front of some big green curtain, and it's all terribly disappointing. You really want to see the good stuff once it's all finished.
»
Permalink | Report a problem
Movie Poster of the Week: "Le feu follet"
8 October 2009 9:15 PM, PDT
| The Auteurs
| See recent The Auteurs news
»
This suitably autumnal poster for Louis Malle’s Le feu follet (The Fire Within) was the creation of the brilliant German designer Hans Hillmann. Now 83 years old, Hillmann was a major film poster designer in the 60s and 70s and is one of Germany’s best known graphic artists. His film posters are abstract and witty in equal measure and he benefitted from working much of the time for a revival distributor where he could riff on already known quantities (in the same way the Criterion Collection’s designers are able to). Though the majority of his posters are illustrations, for Louis Malle’s suicidal odyssey he simply took a photograph of star Maurice Ronet, strewed it with dead leaves and re-photographed it. Conversely his poster for Rene Allio’s little known Pierre et Paul—a face constructed from a crowd of people seen from above—looks like a photograph but is,
»
Permalink | Report a problem
2009 |
2008 |
2006 |
2002
1-20 of 43 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
See all NewsDesk partners
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the
above news articles. News articles are published for the entertainment of our
users only. The news items do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we
guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the
site responsible for the article in question to report any concerns you may
have.
