Grasa, the second album by 29-year-old Argentine singer and rapper Nathy Peluso, kicks off with “Corleone,” a sumptuous, old-fashioned bolero. A snippet of John Barry’s dreamy 007 theme “From Russia With Love” morphs into the kind of feverish groove that would have made La Lupe proud. “This ambition is killing me,” sings Peluso, her booming voice in full bloom.
“Corleone” is a somewhat disorienting opening track. Like most of Peluso’s music, it’s both edgy and comfortingly familiar; honest to the core, but with a thin layer of irony underneath.
“Corleone” is a somewhat disorienting opening track. Like most of Peluso’s music, it’s both edgy and comfortingly familiar; honest to the core, but with a thin layer of irony underneath.
- 5/29/2024
- by Ernesto Lechner
- Rollingstone.com
Dan Wallin, the music scoring engineer who recorded such classic film scores as “Spartacus,” “Bullitt,” “The Wild Bunch” and “Out of Africa,” died early Wednesday in Hawaii. He was 97.
Twice Oscar-nominated for best sound (1970’s “Woodstock” and 1976’s “A Star Is Born”), he won a 2009 Emmy for sound mixing on the Academy Awards telecast and received two additional Emmy nominations in the sound mixing category.
But it was Wallin’s skill behind the console, recording and mixing musical scores for movies and TV, that won him legions of fans among nearly all of Hollywood’s top composers and ensured steady employment for more than half a century.
He recorded the music for an estimated 500 films, including those for “Bonnie and Clyde,” “Cool Hand Luke” and “Finian’s Rainbow” in the 1960s; “The Way We Were,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Nashville,” “King Kong” and “Saturday Night Fever” in the 1970s; “Somewhere in Time,” “The Right Stuff...
Twice Oscar-nominated for best sound (1970’s “Woodstock” and 1976’s “A Star Is Born”), he won a 2009 Emmy for sound mixing on the Academy Awards telecast and received two additional Emmy nominations in the sound mixing category.
But it was Wallin’s skill behind the console, recording and mixing musical scores for movies and TV, that won him legions of fans among nearly all of Hollywood’s top composers and ensured steady employment for more than half a century.
He recorded the music for an estimated 500 films, including those for “Bonnie and Clyde,” “Cool Hand Luke” and “Finian’s Rainbow” in the 1960s; “The Way We Were,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Nashville,” “King Kong” and “Saturday Night Fever” in the 1970s; “Somewhere in Time,” “The Right Stuff...
- 4/10/2024
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
It’s a rare type of cinephile who wasn’t introduced to the idea of film as more than just idle entertainment by the ritual of the Academy Awards. And it’s an even rarer type of cinephile who didn’t soon thereafter vehemently reject the Oscar as the ultimate barometer of a film’s artistic worth. Those of us who started off with The Godfather, Schindler’s List, All About Eve, or Casablanca all eventually got around to Out of Africa, Around the World in 80 Days, The Greatest Show on Earth, Cimarron, and Cavalcade. First loves being first loves, we still find ourselves regressing if for only one night a year, succumbing to the allure of instant canonization even as it comes in the form of repeated slap-in-the-face reminders of Oscar’s bracing wrongness: Gladiator, Braveheart, Chicago, Crash. In that sense, consider this project part cathartic exorcism and part...
- 3/17/2024
- by Slant Staff
- Slant Magazine
Tomorrow night, ABC is airing The Oscars. Hooray? While I’ll certainly be watching, I must admit that the Oscars have certainly lost their lustre over the years, at least as far as I’m concerned. When I was a kid, the Oscars seemed so much larger than life. I vividly remember every Oscar night being an event as a kid, with the ceremony (more often than not hosted by Billy Crystal) crowning the winners as – in my mind anyway – the kings and queens of Hollywood.
Indeed, it seemed like a movie winning an Oscar was the ultimate judge of a film’s quality. When something like The Silence of the Lambs swept the Oscars, it was as if the movie was being minted as an all-time classic (which it ended up being). However, when the Oscars happen tomorrow, does anyone think a major win will permanently change anyone’s career?...
Indeed, it seemed like a movie winning an Oscar was the ultimate judge of a film’s quality. When something like The Silence of the Lambs swept the Oscars, it was as if the movie was being minted as an all-time classic (which it ended up being). However, when the Oscars happen tomorrow, does anyone think a major win will permanently change anyone’s career?...
- 3/10/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Are audiences too soft these days? Ralph Fiennes thinks so, at least when it comes to needing trigger warnings in the theater. Fiennes is currently starring in a modern-day retelling of Macbeth, which, as every high-school student knows, contains a few gruesome murders. Some theaters have reportedly been offering trigger warnings in advance of the production, and Fiennes isn’t a fan.
When asked by BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg if audiences have gone too soft, Fiennes said, “I think they have. I think we didn’t used to have trigger warnings. I mean, there are very disturbing scenes in Macbeth, terrible murders and things. But I think the impact of theater should be that you’re shocked and you should be disturbed.“
Fiennes added, “I don’t think you should be prepared for these things, and when I was young, we never had trigger warnings for shows. Shakespeare’s plays are full of murders,...
When asked by BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg if audiences have gone too soft, Fiennes said, “I think they have. I think we didn’t used to have trigger warnings. I mean, there are very disturbing scenes in Macbeth, terrible murders and things. But I think the impact of theater should be that you’re shocked and you should be disturbed.“
Fiennes added, “I don’t think you should be prepared for these things, and when I was young, we never had trigger warnings for shows. Shakespeare’s plays are full of murders,...
- 2/12/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
The name’s warning. Trigger warning. The British Film Institute is catching major flak for tacking on a disclaimer ahead of a collection of movies screening this season, including two James Bond pictures.
As per The Guardian, the London-based organization is including the following text ahead of their retrospective on composer John Barry, of course, best known for composing nearly half of the James Bond films: “Please note that many of these films contain language, images or other content that reflect views prevalent in its time, but will cause offence today (as they did then). The titles are included here for historical, cultural or aesthetic reasons, and these views are in no way endorsed by the BFI or its partners.” The notes with You Only Live Twice also state that the movie “contains outdated racial stereotypes.“
One has to question the necessity of a trigger warning here, especially from a...
As per The Guardian, the London-based organization is including the following text ahead of their retrospective on composer John Barry, of course, best known for composing nearly half of the James Bond films: “Please note that many of these films contain language, images or other content that reflect views prevalent in its time, but will cause offence today (as they did then). The titles are included here for historical, cultural or aesthetic reasons, and these views are in no way endorsed by the BFI or its partners.” The notes with You Only Live Twice also state that the movie “contains outdated racial stereotypes.“
One has to question the necessity of a trigger warning here, especially from a...
- 1/6/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
A season dedicated to composer John Barry, including two James Bond films, has received trigger warnings from the BFI. More here.
The BFI has unveiled a new season celebrating the work of composer John Barry. Titled John Barry: Soundtracking Bond and Beyond, the season includes two Bond films, Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice as well as films such as Midnight Cowboy and The Ipcress File.
The season has earned itself a trigger warning from the BFI, as reported by The Guardian. The blanket warning for all films reads: “Please note that many of these films contain language, images or other content that reflect views prevalent in its time, but will cause offence today (as they did then). The titles are included here for historical, cultural or aesthetic reasons and these views are in no way endorsed by the BFI or its partners.”
Programme notes for 1967’s You Only Live Twice...
The BFI has unveiled a new season celebrating the work of composer John Barry. Titled John Barry: Soundtracking Bond and Beyond, the season includes two Bond films, Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice as well as films such as Midnight Cowboy and The Ipcress File.
The season has earned itself a trigger warning from the BFI, as reported by The Guardian. The blanket warning for all films reads: “Please note that many of these films contain language, images or other content that reflect views prevalent in its time, but will cause offence today (as they did then). The titles are included here for historical, cultural or aesthetic reasons and these views are in no way endorsed by the BFI or its partners.”
Programme notes for 1967’s You Only Live Twice...
- 1/5/2024
- by Maria Lattila
- Film Stories
A new season celebrating John Barry’s film soundtracks come loaded with offence warnings that don’t seem that necessary
• BFI season gives James Bond films trigger warnings
Culture warriors have heard a safety-catch being clicked firmly into place at London’s BFI Southbank for a forthcoming season of 60s movies – variously naughty, groovy and gritty – scored by the great composer John Barry: Soundtracking Bond and Beyond. The “Beyond” part means classics such as The Ipcress File and Midnight Cowboy, but obviously 007’s exploits are the main event.
And there’s a prominent warning: “Please note that many of these films contain languages, image and other content that reflect views prevalent in its time, but will cause offence today (as they did then).”
Those last four words will be savoured by historians of offence management: the additional pre-emptive assertion that some of this was iffy then, offensiveness is not relative and that was no excuse.
• BFI season gives James Bond films trigger warnings
Culture warriors have heard a safety-catch being clicked firmly into place at London’s BFI Southbank for a forthcoming season of 60s movies – variously naughty, groovy and gritty – scored by the great composer John Barry: Soundtracking Bond and Beyond. The “Beyond” part means classics such as The Ipcress File and Midnight Cowboy, but obviously 007’s exploits are the main event.
And there’s a prominent warning: “Please note that many of these films contain languages, image and other content that reflect views prevalent in its time, but will cause offence today (as they did then).”
Those last four words will be savoured by historians of offence management: the additional pre-emptive assertion that some of this was iffy then, offensiveness is not relative and that was no excuse.
- 1/4/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
The season celebrating the work of British composer John Barry flags films from the 60s and 70s that contain outdated language, images and stereotypes that will cause offence
Audiences at a new season of films at the British Film Institute in London have been cautioned the titles – including two James Bond movies – “will cause offence today”.
A blanket trigger warning has been placed over all movies being presented at a tribute to the work of British composer John Barry, the man behind the scores for many 007 films.
Audiences at a new season of films at the British Film Institute in London have been cautioned the titles – including two James Bond movies – “will cause offence today”.
A blanket trigger warning has been placed over all movies being presented at a tribute to the work of British composer John Barry, the man behind the scores for many 007 films.
- 1/4/2024
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
Between 1959 and 1964, there wasn't a more consistently brilliant show on television than Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone" — an accomplishment that's all the more amazing given its anthology concept. Every episode offered a completely new story, often in a completely different genre, from an occasionally different writer. Sure, the rotating staff was a murderer's row of scribes that included Serling, Richard Matheson, and Charles Beaumont, but, good as they were, they didn't have the safety net of writing for the same characters every time out. All they had was their imagination.
Considering Hollywood's risk-averse nature, it's a little surprising that more "Twilight Zone" episodes haven't been turned into full-blown features — at least, not as official remakes. Obviously, "Poltergeist" owes a massive creative debt to "Little Girl Lost" and it's hard to imagine "Child's Play" without the arsenic-laced genius of "Living Doll," but for straight-up adaptations there's Richard Kelly's "The Box...
Considering Hollywood's risk-averse nature, it's a little surprising that more "Twilight Zone" episodes haven't been turned into full-blown features — at least, not as official remakes. Obviously, "Poltergeist" owes a massive creative debt to "Little Girl Lost" and it's hard to imagine "Child's Play" without the arsenic-laced genius of "Living Doll," but for straight-up adaptations there's Richard Kelly's "The Box...
- 12/28/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
In 1977, a little movie called Star Wars came out and changed everyone’s idea of what a blockbuster could be. Overnight, science-fiction went from being a genre consigned to B-movies to A-level epics, and within a year, every studio in Hollywood was planning their own sci-fi epic. That included Walt Disney Pictures, who had infamously passed on developing Star Wars. Now, they were going to catch up with their own sci-fi epic, 1979’s The Black Hole (which we wrote up earlier on The Best Movie You Never Saw). Sporting a hefty $20 million budget (it cost twice what Star Wars did), The Black Hole was supposed to usher Disney into a new era of movie-making, where adult audiences would be targeted just as much as kids. The movie was not the flop history remembers, but it underperformed. Yet, it was an essential part of sci-fi movie history as it used computerized...
- 10/11/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
(Welcome to Did They Get It Right?, a series where we look at Oscars categories from yesteryear and examine whether the Academy's winners stand the test of time.)
Best Original Song is such an odd category. On the Academy Awards broadcast, it is the one that gets the most airtime, as it is typical to perform all five of the nominated tunes during the show. While this is technically meant to showcase the nominees, it is really an excuse to break up what would be a fairly monotonous, long awards show.
However, most of the songs nominated for Best Original Song aren't all that interesting. A lot of the time, these tunes aren't integral to the film itself in the slightest, and they are simply musical wallpaper to play over the end credits of a movie as you file out of the theater. This is also the category most susceptible...
Best Original Song is such an odd category. On the Academy Awards broadcast, it is the one that gets the most airtime, as it is typical to perform all five of the nominated tunes during the show. While this is technically meant to showcase the nominees, it is really an excuse to break up what would be a fairly monotonous, long awards show.
However, most of the songs nominated for Best Original Song aren't all that interesting. A lot of the time, these tunes aren't integral to the film itself in the slightest, and they are simply musical wallpaper to play over the end credits of a movie as you file out of the theater. This is also the category most susceptible...
- 9/17/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
It’s a case of one score to rule them all, as Howard Shore’s stirring epic soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings trilogy was voted the U.K.’s favorite movie music.
Shore’s score for the Rings film, which has won three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes and four Grammys, came out ahead of some of the greatest and most recognizable soundtracks of all time, including John Williams’ music for Schindler’s List and Star Wars, which came second and third respectively.
The list of the top 100 film scores was compiled by popular U.K. radio station Classic FM, as part of their annual Movie Music Hall of Fame. More than 10,000 people voted for this year’s edition and the winner was revealed on Sunday by Jonathan Ross, the former presenter of the BBC’s Film program.
“Many thanks to all the Classic FM listeners,” Shore told...
Shore’s score for the Rings film, which has won three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes and four Grammys, came out ahead of some of the greatest and most recognizable soundtracks of all time, including John Williams’ music for Schindler’s List and Star Wars, which came second and third respectively.
The list of the top 100 film scores was compiled by popular U.K. radio station Classic FM, as part of their annual Movie Music Hall of Fame. More than 10,000 people voted for this year’s edition and the winner was revealed on Sunday by Jonathan Ross, the former presenter of the BBC’s Film program.
“Many thanks to all the Classic FM listeners,” Shore told...
- 8/29/2023
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The people behind the scenes of the documentaries and nonfiction series at this year’s Emmy Awards sat down with Gold Derby and explain several topics including the first documentary that got their attention and, in the event that they win, what would be their ideal music to play as they make their way to the stage. This was all part of Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts panel on TV Documentaries that included Leah Wolchok (“Judy Blume Forever”), Ryan White, Lucinda Axelsson (“Secrets of the Elephants”), Nikole Hannah-Jones (“The 1619 Project”) and Padma Lakshmi (“Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi”).
You can watch the TV documentary group panel above with the people who made these five programs. Click on each person’s name above to be taken to each exclusive interview.
See over 200 video interviews with 2023 Emmy nominees
Wolchok’s love of documentaries came from seeing two films in...
You can watch the TV documentary group panel above with the people who made these five programs. Click on each person’s name above to be taken to each exclusive interview.
See over 200 video interviews with 2023 Emmy nominees
Wolchok’s love of documentaries came from seeing two films in...
- 8/15/2023
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Gal Gadot in Heart Of StoneImage: Netflix
On its surface, Heart Of Stone certainly has all the markings of an intriguing spy-thriller: A hero who’d sacrifice themselves for the greater good battling a villain who’d stop at nothing, a mystery revolving around a powerful artificial intelligence device, a...
On its surface, Heart Of Stone certainly has all the markings of an intriguing spy-thriller: A hero who’d sacrifice themselves for the greater good battling a villain who’d stop at nothing, a mystery revolving around a powerful artificial intelligence device, a...
- 8/11/2023
- by Courtney Howard
- avclub.com
“Star Wars” is one of the biggest franchises of all time and has welcomed multiple generations to a galaxy far, far away for 45 years. George Lucas’ groundbreaking vision, which began all the way back in 1977 with “A New Hope,” changed the movie industry forever and, with that, made a mark on the Academy Awards that year with a Best Picture nomination. However, the relationship between “Star Wars” and the Oscars hasn’t always been as lovable as Han Solo and Chewie. In fact, there’s often been a touch of Vader-Luke in the conflicted dynamic between the two institutions. Here’s a breakdown of the history of every “Star Wars” movie at the Academy Awards, ranked in terms of Oscars success.
“A New Hope” (1977)
Dir: George Lucas
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness
“Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and...
“A New Hope” (1977)
Dir: George Lucas
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness
“Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and...
- 7/28/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Jane Birkin graced the front pages of most French newspapers on Monday as France mourned the death of the late British actress and singer who enjoyed icon status in the country that she had called home since the late 1960s.
“Our tears can’t change anything,” proclaimed Le Parisien newspaper, which first broke the news of Birkin’s death at the age of 76 on Sunday.
Libération ran with the simple headline “Without Jane”, while regional newspaper Le Maine Libre referred to the late actress as “The Eternal English Bride of France”.
International obituaries have highlighted Birkin’s notorious performance with partner and late bad boy of French pop music Serge Gainsbourg on the 1968 pop song, ‘Je t’aime… moi non plus’, or the fact she inspired the Hermès Birkin bag.
For the French, she was much more.
In a six-page tribute, Libération mused over the reasons for Birkin’s never-ending...
“Our tears can’t change anything,” proclaimed Le Parisien newspaper, which first broke the news of Birkin’s death at the age of 76 on Sunday.
Libération ran with the simple headline “Without Jane”, while regional newspaper Le Maine Libre referred to the late actress as “The Eternal English Bride of France”.
International obituaries have highlighted Birkin’s notorious performance with partner and late bad boy of French pop music Serge Gainsbourg on the 1968 pop song, ‘Je t’aime… moi non plus’, or the fact she inspired the Hermès Birkin bag.
For the French, she was much more.
In a six-page tribute, Libération mused over the reasons for Birkin’s never-ending...
- 7/17/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Jane Birkin, the British-French actress, singer, and style icon who inspired the eponymous Hermès Birkin handbag, has died at the age of 76.
According to Le Parisien, the iconic singer-actress was found dead at her home in Paris on Sunday. No further details have been shared at this time. Birkin had canceled a series of performances in Paris scheduled earlier this year for health reasons. She was previously diagnosed with leukemia in 2002 and suffered from a minor stroke in 2021.
Jane Mallory Birkin was born in Marylebone, London on December 14th, 1946. Raised in Chelsea with her brother, screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin, she audition for small acting parts before marrying composer John Barry in 1965 and giving birth to her first child, the late photographer Kate Barry, in 1967. In the meantime, she landed breakthrough roles in 1966’s Blow-Up and Kaleidoscope as well as 1968’s Wonderwall.
Birkin and Barry divorced in 1968, and the actress moved to Paris,...
According to Le Parisien, the iconic singer-actress was found dead at her home in Paris on Sunday. No further details have been shared at this time. Birkin had canceled a series of performances in Paris scheduled earlier this year for health reasons. She was previously diagnosed with leukemia in 2002 and suffered from a minor stroke in 2021.
Jane Mallory Birkin was born in Marylebone, London on December 14th, 1946. Raised in Chelsea with her brother, screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin, she audition for small acting parts before marrying composer John Barry in 1965 and giving birth to her first child, the late photographer Kate Barry, in 1967. In the meantime, she landed breakthrough roles in 1966’s Blow-Up and Kaleidoscope as well as 1968’s Wonderwall.
Birkin and Barry divorced in 1968, and the actress moved to Paris,...
- 7/16/2023
- by Bryan Kress
- Consequence - Music
Jane Birkin, the British-French actress, singer, and style icon who inspired the eponymous Hermès Birkin handbag, has died at the age of 76.
According to Le Parisien, the iconic singer-actress was found dead at her home in Paris on Sunday. No further details have been shared at this time. Birkin had canceled a series of performances in Paris scheduled earlier this year for health reasons. She was previously diagnosed with leukemia in 2002 and suffered from a minor stroke in 2021.
Jane Mallory Birkin was born in Marylebone, London on December 14th, 1946. Raised in Chelsea with her brother, screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin, she audition for small acting parts before marrying composer John Barry in 1965 and giving birth to her first child, the late photographer Kate Barry, in 1967. In the meantime, she landed breakthrough roles in 1966’s Blow-Up and Kaleidoscope as well as 1968’s Wonderwall.
Birkin and Barry divorced in 1968, and the actress moved to Paris,...
According to Le Parisien, the iconic singer-actress was found dead at her home in Paris on Sunday. No further details have been shared at this time. Birkin had canceled a series of performances in Paris scheduled earlier this year for health reasons. She was previously diagnosed with leukemia in 2002 and suffered from a minor stroke in 2021.
Jane Mallory Birkin was born in Marylebone, London on December 14th, 1946. Raised in Chelsea with her brother, screenwriter and director Andrew Birkin, she audition for small acting parts before marrying composer John Barry in 1965 and giving birth to her first child, the late photographer Kate Barry, in 1967. In the meantime, she landed breakthrough roles in 1966’s Blow-Up and Kaleidoscope as well as 1968’s Wonderwall.
Birkin and Barry divorced in 1968, and the actress moved to Paris,...
- 7/16/2023
- by Bryan Kress
- Consequence - Film News
Jane Birkin, the Anglo-French actress, singer and fashion icon known in part for her decade-long romantic and artistic partnership with musician Serge Gainsbourg, died Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced. She was 76.
It was first reported in Le Parisien and Bfm television that Birkin had been found dead at her home in Paris. The actress suffered a mild stroke in 2021, but her cause of death has not yet been revealed.
“Because she embodied freedom, because she sang the most beautiful words of our language, Jane Birkin was a French icon. A complete artist, her voice was as sweet as her engagements were fiery. She bequeaths us tunes and images that will never leave us,” Macron wrote in a statement posted on Twitter.
Born in 1946 in London, Birkin began her career while still a teenager as part of the “Swinging London” scene of the 1960s. She appeared mainly in small roles in art and counterculture films,...
It was first reported in Le Parisien and Bfm television that Birkin had been found dead at her home in Paris. The actress suffered a mild stroke in 2021, but her cause of death has not yet been revealed.
“Because she embodied freedom, because she sang the most beautiful words of our language, Jane Birkin was a French icon. A complete artist, her voice was as sweet as her engagements were fiery. She bequeaths us tunes and images that will never leave us,” Macron wrote in a statement posted on Twitter.
Born in 1946 in London, Birkin began her career while still a teenager as part of the “Swinging London” scene of the 1960s. She appeared mainly in small roles in art and counterculture films,...
- 7/16/2023
- by Joseph Kapsch and Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
Jane Birkin, the beloved British-French actor and singer who spent most of her life in France and is known for a tumultuous relationship with French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, died on Sunday at her home in Paris, according to Le Parisien newspaper. She was 76.
No cause of death has yet been confirmed.
Birkin was best known internationally for her steamy 1969 duet “Je t’aime… moi non plus” which she sang with Gainsbourg, one year after meeting him on the shoot of Pierre Grimblat’s “Slogan.” Although she hadn’t broken through at the time, she had a small but memorable part in Michelangelo Antonioni’s sultry 1966 film “Blow Up.”
Together, Birkin and Gainsbourg had a daughter, the actor and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg. After splitting in 1980, the pair remained close and pursued their artistic collaboration. Birkin was creatively involved in three albums by Gainsbourg, “Baby Alone in Babylone” in 1983, “Lost Song” in...
No cause of death has yet been confirmed.
Birkin was best known internationally for her steamy 1969 duet “Je t’aime… moi non plus” which she sang with Gainsbourg, one year after meeting him on the shoot of Pierre Grimblat’s “Slogan.” Although she hadn’t broken through at the time, she had a small but memorable part in Michelangelo Antonioni’s sultry 1966 film “Blow Up.”
Together, Birkin and Gainsbourg had a daughter, the actor and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg. After splitting in 1980, the pair remained close and pursued their artistic collaboration. Birkin was creatively involved in three albums by Gainsbourg, “Baby Alone in Babylone” in 1983, “Lost Song” in...
- 7/16/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Jane Birkin, the singer and actress who rose to fame in the late 1960s as the lover of French bad boy Serge Gainsbourg and became a beloved figure in her adopted France, has died. She was 76.
The French culture minister announced the news on Sunday following reports in Le Parisien newspaper and Bfm television that said Birkin had been found dead at her home in Paris. She had suffered a mild stroke in 2021.
Although born in London, Birkin would find fame singing in French. Her duet with Gainsbourg on the sexually explicit song “Je t’aime…moi non plus” (which was banned in several countries and condemned by the Vatican) made her a household name around the world.
The song was recorded in 1968, just months after the pair — Birkin, then 22 years old, and Gainsbourg 40 — had first met on the set of the film Slogan, forging a turbulent relationship that would...
The French culture minister announced the news on Sunday following reports in Le Parisien newspaper and Bfm television that said Birkin had been found dead at her home in Paris. She had suffered a mild stroke in 2021.
Although born in London, Birkin would find fame singing in French. Her duet with Gainsbourg on the sexually explicit song “Je t’aime…moi non plus” (which was banned in several countries and condemned by the Vatican) made her a household name around the world.
The song was recorded in 1968, just months after the pair — Birkin, then 22 years old, and Gainsbourg 40 — had first met on the set of the film Slogan, forging a turbulent relationship that would...
- 7/16/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Last weekend, we saw the end of the Indiana Jones franchise as Harrison Ford has stated that The Dial Of Destiny is the last time he’ll don the fedora and whip. Well, it will be the franchise’s end unless Disney decides to squeeze every last drop they can out of it, which is never out of the question. When the film hits screens, we’ll be seeing Indy for the last time. Film fans always need something else to fill in their viewing void, so what are the best movies like Indiana Jones?
Uncharted (2022)
This is oddly a full-circle film when it comes to Indiana Jones. Uncharted is based on the video game of the same name, which was admittedly based on the Indiana Jones films. Nathan Drake (played by Tom Holland) teams up with a seasoned treasure hunter in Sully (Mark Wahlberg) to find a...
Uncharted (2022)
This is oddly a full-circle film when it comes to Indiana Jones. Uncharted is based on the video game of the same name, which was admittedly based on the Indiana Jones films. Nathan Drake (played by Tom Holland) teams up with a seasoned treasure hunter in Sully (Mark Wahlberg) to find a...
- 7/3/2023
- by Bryan Wolford
- JoBlo.com
Norman Reynolds, who won Oscars in art direction for Star Wars Episode VI: A New Hope and Raiders of the Lost Ark has died, Lucasfilm confirmed. He was 89.
The U.K. native made important creative contributions to all three movies in the original Star Wars trilogy, as an art director on A New Hope and production designer on The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. According to a biography shared by Lucasfilm, Reynolds worked closely with John Barry, A New Hope‘s overall production designer, to help establish the core design philosophy behind Star Wars architecture and construction. They joined art director Leslie Dilley and set decorator Roger Christian as winners of the Academy Award for art direction in 1978. For The Empire Strikes Back, Reynolds was named production designer as Barry pursued directing.
For Raiders, Reynolds’ first collaboration with Spielberg, he sculpted the iconic golden idol that Indy...
The U.K. native made important creative contributions to all three movies in the original Star Wars trilogy, as an art director on A New Hope and production designer on The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. According to a biography shared by Lucasfilm, Reynolds worked closely with John Barry, A New Hope‘s overall production designer, to help establish the core design philosophy behind Star Wars architecture and construction. They joined art director Leslie Dilley and set decorator Roger Christian as winners of the Academy Award for art direction in 1978. For The Empire Strikes Back, Reynolds was named production designer as Barry pursued directing.
For Raiders, Reynolds’ first collaboration with Spielberg, he sculpted the iconic golden idol that Indy...
- 4/6/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Norman Reynolds, the two-time Oscar winning production and art designer on various Star Wars and Indiana Jones films who director Steven Spielberg once called the “creative core” of the franchises, has died. He was 89.
LucasFilm Ltd has confirmed his death, first reported by the BBC, which said that Reynolds “died peacefully with his wife Ann and three daughters by his side.”
Spielberg, who first collaborated with Reynolds on 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, said on a statement, “Norman was always smiling with enthusiasm, and there was nothing he couldn’t make work. Joyful and friendly and a massive talent.”
Among Reynolds’ many contributions to the franchises was his sculpting of the iconic golden idol that Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones attempts to steal during the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Reynolds based the idol on an Incan fertility sculpture he’d collected during overseas travels.
“The...
LucasFilm Ltd has confirmed his death, first reported by the BBC, which said that Reynolds “died peacefully with his wife Ann and three daughters by his side.”
Spielberg, who first collaborated with Reynolds on 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, said on a statement, “Norman was always smiling with enthusiasm, and there was nothing he couldn’t make work. Joyful and friendly and a massive talent.”
Among Reynolds’ many contributions to the franchises was his sculpting of the iconic golden idol that Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones attempts to steal during the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Reynolds based the idol on an Incan fertility sculpture he’d collected during overseas travels.
“The...
- 4/6/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Reynolds won an Oscar and Bafta for his work on 1981’s ’Raiders Of The Lost Ark’ and an Oscar for 1977’s ’Star Wars: A New Hope’.
Oscar and Bafta-winning UK production designer and art director Norman Reynolds has died aged 89.
Reynolds won an Oscar and Bafta for his work on 1981’s Raiders Of The Lost Ark and an Oscar for 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope.
He worked as art director on Star Wars: A New Hope and took over from John Barry as production designer for the sequels, after Barry died during the filming of The Empire Strikes Back.
Oscar and Bafta-winning UK production designer and art director Norman Reynolds has died aged 89.
Reynolds won an Oscar and Bafta for his work on 1981’s Raiders Of The Lost Ark and an Oscar for 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope.
He worked as art director on Star Wars: A New Hope and took over from John Barry as production designer for the sequels, after Barry died during the filming of The Empire Strikes Back.
- 4/6/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
1993 was a banner year for Sylvester Stallone. While he had started the nineties on shaky ground due to the failure of Rocky V and his two comedies, Oscar and Stop or My Mom Will Shoot, the back-to-back success of Cliffhanger and Demolition Man reestablished Sly as one of Hollywood’s biggest action heroes. For his follow-up, he would pick another action flick, albeit one that embraced elements of another genre quickly gaining popularity in Hollywood: The erotic thriller.
Flashback to 1992. The movie Basic Instinct was a worldwide smash and established Sharon Stone as the biggest sex symbol of the day. A veteran actress with a career going back a decade, her performance as the murderous but insanely alluring Catherine Trammel made her a cultural icon. She followed it up with another steamy thriller, 1993’s Sliver, also a hit, and The Specialist would be her last entry into the cycle of erotic thrillers,...
Flashback to 1992. The movie Basic Instinct was a worldwide smash and established Sharon Stone as the biggest sex symbol of the day. A veteran actress with a career going back a decade, her performance as the murderous but insanely alluring Catherine Trammel made her a cultural icon. She followed it up with another steamy thriller, 1993’s Sliver, also a hit, and The Specialist would be her last entry into the cycle of erotic thrillers,...
- 3/26/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
It's well known to "Star Wars" buffs that director George Lucas, when negotiating his contract with 20th Century Fox, insisted on keeping the "garbage rights" to the movie. In the mid-1970s, "garbage rights" referred to merchandising tie-ins like toys and lunchboxes. Although some movies had been successful with such merchandising in the past, no studio had ever made a notably substantial amount of money from them, hence the nickname. This move proved to be short-sighted for Fox and prescient for Lucas, as "Star Wars" kicked open the doors to a movie marketing bonanza that we are still experiencing to this day. "Star Wars" toys sold so quickly, that toy manufacturers had to sell empty boxes to fans while they produced more three-inch Luke Skywalkers. Once the toys were made available again, the boxes would be filled.
And while "Star Wars" might have kicked the door open in terms of marketing and toy manufacturing,...
And while "Star Wars" might have kicked the door open in terms of marketing and toy manufacturing,...
- 3/19/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Any belief that the Oscars award the right films, directors and performances has faded over the years.
While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions – trophies handed to the right people for the right films – more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.
The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But his does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.
With the 2023 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 17 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks – the film...
While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions – trophies handed to the right people for the right films – more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.
The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But his does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.
With the 2023 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 17 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks – the film...
- 3/12/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
Any belief that the Oscars award the right films, directors and performances has faded over the years.
While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions – trophies handed to the right people for the right films – more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.
The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But his does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.
With the 2023 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 17 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks – the film...
While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions – trophies handed to the right people for the right films – more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.
The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But his does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.
With the 2023 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 17 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks – the film...
- 3/11/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
Any belief that the Oscars award the right films, directors and performances has faded over the years.
While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions – trophies handed to the right people for the right films – more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.
The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But his does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.
With the 2023 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 17 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks – the film...
While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions – trophies handed to the right people for the right films – more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.
The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But his does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.
With the 2023 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 17 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks – the film...
- 3/4/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
When a movie gets tangled up in all kinds of financial problems, delayed for over a year, played out internationally, sent straight to streaming in Canada, and then finally getting the green light to open in the U.S. via a new distributor and thrown into theaters with virtually no notice or time to mount a marketing campaign, you have to think there must be something very wrong here.
Well surprise, surprise. The awkwardly titled Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre is loads of fun, an entertaining spy thriller that is faithful to the genre, very well cast, and a hoot to watch. Caught up in the STX mess and then handled by Miramax and a distribution service deal for Lionsgate, the film has been played out in much of the world but is finally being released stateside in a theatrical run that has been so rushed it sadly may not...
Well surprise, surprise. The awkwardly titled Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre is loads of fun, an entertaining spy thriller that is faithful to the genre, very well cast, and a hoot to watch. Caught up in the STX mess and then handled by Miramax and a distribution service deal for Lionsgate, the film has been played out in much of the world but is finally being released stateside in a theatrical run that has been so rushed it sadly may not...
- 3/1/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Any belief that the Oscars award the right films, directors and performances has faded over the years.
While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions – trophies handed to the right people for the right films – more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.
The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But his does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.
With the 2023 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 17 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks – the film...
While every ceremony has a smattering of correct decisions – trophies handed to the right people for the right films – more often than not, the pervading feeling is one of pessimism caused by a deluge of undeserving recipients.
The Oscars are a far cry from what they claim to be – a celebration of the previous year’s cinematic offerings. But his does not stop people from trawling the internet the following morning in the hope that maybe, just maybe, the winners list impresses rather than disappoints.
With the 2023 ceremony taking place in March, we have highlighted 17 films that really should not have been awarded Oscars.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks – the film...
- 2/19/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
Science fiction is the exploration of our practical imaginations. Its stories can be fantastic, uplifting, and horrifying but they need to remain grounded in a scientifically applied reality -- a reality we already understand or one that's clearly explained. Without these rules governing our experiences, our exploration becomes untethered from reality and sails off into obscurity, and no CGI velociraptor, animatronic android, or puppet-like killer shrew is going to save it. Or can it? If Dr. Ian Malcolm were a film historian, his cinematic chaos theory would predict that over time, lovingly crafted cinema, like life, breaks free, expands to new territories, and crashes through barriers, painfully, maybe even dangerously.
In their era, masterpieces like "The Thing" may have been a little too much for audiences. Some critics struggled to see the beauty present in John Carpenter's classic beyond the gore and creatures. Over time, though, a cinematically enlightened...
In their era, masterpieces like "The Thing" may have been a little too much for audiences. Some critics struggled to see the beauty present in John Carpenter's classic beyond the gore and creatures. Over time, though, a cinematically enlightened...
- 1/14/2023
- by Brendan Knapp
- Slash Film
"Donnie Darko," the 2001 Richard Kelly-directed mind-bender of a movie about time travel, death, and the dreadfully existential experience that is high school is memorable for many reasons. Today, if you so much as mention the cult film, images of Frank the rabbit and his shot-out eye immediately come to mind. Frank is the stuff of nightmares, enhancing the movie's atmosphere with his mysterious and ominous presence in the title character's life. However, Frank's creepiness is only one part — albeit a big one — of the film's peculiarities, none of which would be anywhere near as effective if it weren't for one major thing: the music.
The score for "Donnie Darko" is perhaps just as memorable as Frank, that pesky jet engine, the incredible finale, and that one uncomfortable scene in Donnie's (Jake Gyllenhaal) therapist's office. It is the thing that sets the tone for the entire movie, kicking things off...
The score for "Donnie Darko" is perhaps just as memorable as Frank, that pesky jet engine, the incredible finale, and that one uncomfortable scene in Donnie's (Jake Gyllenhaal) therapist's office. It is the thing that sets the tone for the entire movie, kicking things off...
- 1/9/2023
- by Miyako Pleines
- Slash Film
Science fiction is home to a number of uniquely designed spaceships for exploring the cosmos. "Star Trek" has the USS Enterprise, "Doctor Who" has the Tardis, and then there's the matter of "Star Wars." With the institution that the series has become, you can take your pick from a number of star cruisers, but it's hard to forget the first time you set your eyes on the Millennium Falcon. The first thing that stands out about the clunky vessel is that it's kind of grimy, which was intentional on the part of the folks who built it.
"Star Wars" grandmaster George Lucas had met the Falcon's eventual set decorator Roger Christian on the set of a critically panned 1975 prohibition adventure called "Lucky Lady," which starred Gene Hackman, Liza Minnelli, and Burt Reynolds. According to an interview with StarWars.com, as Christian helped build transform buildings in Mexico to fit the look of the '20s,...
"Star Wars" grandmaster George Lucas had met the Falcon's eventual set decorator Roger Christian on the set of a critically panned 1975 prohibition adventure called "Lucky Lady," which starred Gene Hackman, Liza Minnelli, and Burt Reynolds. According to an interview with StarWars.com, as Christian helped build transform buildings in Mexico to fit the look of the '20s,...
- 12/9/2022
- by Matthew Bilodeau
- Slash Film
When the classic monster movie King Kong was released in the US in 1933, it had the biggest opening ever recorded, and little wonder – who could resist the fantastic story of a giant lovesick ape on the rampage in New York city!
Since then Kong has returned to the screen numerous times, not least in the 1976 version King Kong, starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange, with Kong himself brought to life by special effects legends Carlo Rambaldi (Et) and Rick Baker (American Werewolf in London). Directed by John Guillermin (The Towering Inferno) and produced by the legendary Dino De Laurentis (Flash Gordon) this blockbuster features a stirring John Barry score, action set pieces, stunning scenery, groundbreaking effects – it’s arguably one of the greatest King Kongs ever. To celebrate the towering release of the film in a stunning 4K restoration, here’s a look at Kongs onscreen from the 1931 original all...
Since then Kong has returned to the screen numerous times, not least in the 1976 version King Kong, starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange, with Kong himself brought to life by special effects legends Carlo Rambaldi (Et) and Rick Baker (American Werewolf in London). Directed by John Guillermin (The Towering Inferno) and produced by the legendary Dino De Laurentis (Flash Gordon) this blockbuster features a stirring John Barry score, action set pieces, stunning scenery, groundbreaking effects – it’s arguably one of the greatest King Kongs ever. To celebrate the towering release of the film in a stunning 4K restoration, here’s a look at Kongs onscreen from the 1931 original all...
- 12/7/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
It’s been 60 years since “Dr. No” introduced the most famous fictional spy to movie audiences, opening with a black and white graphic of an eye, inserted with the image of a man turning and pointing a gun – accompanied by one of the most famous instrumentals in cinema history. In the six decades since, there have been 25 Bond films with six different actors portraying the suave spy, as well as 25 accompanying theme songs ripe for debate over which is best.
Monty Norman‘s “James Bond Theme” was so perfect that it has been used in some form in every Bond film since, but each installment also has its own theme, featuring some of the most prolific composers, songwriters and performers of their time. In the 1960s, John Barry took over as composer, eventually working on 11 of the films, and collaborating with a variety of lyricists and artists, ranging from “Oliver!
Monty Norman‘s “James Bond Theme” was so perfect that it has been used in some form in every Bond film since, but each installment also has its own theme, featuring some of the most prolific composers, songwriters and performers of their time. In the 1960s, John Barry took over as composer, eventually working on 11 of the films, and collaborating with a variety of lyricists and artists, ranging from “Oliver!
- 11/24/2022
- by Susan Pennington and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
It’s been 60 years since “Dr. No” introduced the most famous fictional spy to movie audiences, opening with a black and white graphic of an eye, inserted with the image of a man turning and pointing a gun – accompanied by one of the most famous instrumentals in cinema history. In the six decades since, there have been 25 Bond films with six different actors portraying the suave spy, as well as 25 accompanying theme songs ripe for debate over which is best.
Monty Norman‘s “James Bond Theme” was so perfect that it has been used in some form in every Bond film since, but each installment also has its own theme, featuring some of the most prolific composers, songwriters and performers of their time. In the 1960s, John Barry took over as composer, eventually working on 11 of the films, and collaborating with a variety of lyricists and artists, ranging from “Oliver!
Monty Norman‘s “James Bond Theme” was so perfect that it has been used in some form in every Bond film since, but each installment also has its own theme, featuring some of the most prolific composers, songwriters and performers of their time. In the 1960s, John Barry took over as composer, eventually working on 11 of the films, and collaborating with a variety of lyricists and artists, ranging from “Oliver!
- 11/23/2022
- by Susan Pennington, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
The James Bond franchise is the gold standard for long-running film series. Sixty years of 007 have not only come with new takes on the secret agent himself but what the franchise should be for each generation of the character. This has meant consistent alterations to every aspect of the movies, as one star takes over for another, from ditching the overt sexism on Bonds past when Daniel Craig took over the role to embracing the absurd in the early years, namely the later Sean Connery films and the majority of the Roger Moore era.
Even the music has changed with each theatrical adventure. From absolute classics, such as Matt Monro’s “From Russia With Love” and Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger,” to more modern hits like Adele’s “Skyfall,” each new Bond song is as big an event as the movie itself. But not all Bond songs are equal, and...
Even the music has changed with each theatrical adventure. From absolute classics, such as Matt Monro’s “From Russia With Love” and Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger,” to more modern hits like Adele’s “Skyfall,” each new Bond song is as big an event as the movie itself. But not all Bond songs are equal, and...
- 11/11/2022
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
M is a staple of James Bond films; no adventure is complete without the old spymaster debriefing 007 and then dispatching him on his latest challenge. "Skyfall," which turned 10 this year, was the first Bond film to dig into M's character and examine their relationship with Bond in more than a superficial way. M's past sins catch up to her and, like Bond, her way of doing things may just be too old-fashioned. This carried extra weight because the M of "Skyfall," Judi Dench, has the second longest tenure as the character (runner-up only to the original M actor Bernard Lee).
One of the most brief, but important parts of M's humanization happens early in the film we get to see where she lives. M's home is no generic London Townhouse. According to the "Skyfall" commentary by director Sam Mendes, it's one that belonged to another pillar of the "Bond" series: composer John Barry.
One of the most brief, but important parts of M's humanization happens early in the film we get to see where she lives. M's home is no generic London Townhouse. According to the "Skyfall" commentary by director Sam Mendes, it's one that belonged to another pillar of the "Bond" series: composer John Barry.
- 11/10/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Like the grand movie twist, the camera pulls back on 2018’s Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino to reveal that it was never on the moon at all. It was a lunar-themed complex in the heart of old Vegas. Arctic Monkeys’ curveball sixth album, all cosmic cocktail lounge vibes and plush retro-futurist visions, wasn’t the one-off it sounded, the stepping-off point for a voyage into a great sonic unknown. Instead, it was the sound of the Monkeys docking at their intended destination, having raced from the sordid streets of Sheffield – via Turner’s similarly Sixties-obsessed side project The Last Shadow Puppets – to the Bellagio whiskey bar residency in just 16 years.
The Car, their seventh record, could be subtitled Weird But Soothing in Las Vegas. For much of the album, singer Alex Turner sounds as though he’s fronting a workaday lounge band in the Golden Nugget, reeling off interchangeable soul, funk...
The Car, their seventh record, could be subtitled Weird But Soothing in Las Vegas. For much of the album, singer Alex Turner sounds as though he’s fronting a workaday lounge band in the Golden Nugget, reeling off interchangeable soul, funk...
- 10/18/2022
- by Mark Beaumont
- The Independent - Music
Director Mat Whitecross was handed a large task with "The Sound of 007." The filmmaker, who also directed the hilarious "Oasis: Supersonic," had to tell 60 years of history in a 90-minute documentary. The brisk doc easily could've been a six-hour miniseries exploring the life of composer John Barry or going through all the ins-and-outs of every single theme song. Whitecross didn't have that kind of time, but with the time he did have, he made a documentary that should entertain even the mildest of Bond fans.
The doc is packed with fun facts, creative disagreements, and explores the history of the most beloved and disliked Bond theme songs. Maybe the fact that Prince was a big fan of "Another Way to Die" may not change people's minds about the Alicia Keys and Jack White collaboration in "Quantum of Solace," but still, it's nice to know the song found a fan in one of the all-time greats,...
The doc is packed with fun facts, creative disagreements, and explores the history of the most beloved and disliked Bond theme songs. Maybe the fact that Prince was a big fan of "Another Way to Die" may not change people's minds about the Alicia Keys and Jack White collaboration in "Quantum of Solace," but still, it's nice to know the song found a fan in one of the all-time greats,...
- 10/7/2022
- by Jack Giroux
- Slash Film
Plot: A look behind the scenes at the music of 007, from the crafting of theme songs to the scores themselves.
Review: I think the first time I ever noticed film music was in a James Bond film. My love of the James Bond film series has been well-documented here on JoBlo. After all, Nick Bosworth, our director of YouTube Operations, and I did a whole series about the 007 franchise – James Bond Revisited. But, one of the areas he and I always wanted to explore was the “James Bond sound,” most notably the music and work of John Barry. Indeed, the franchise as it exists today would not have survived were it not for the Barry sound. Everyone credits Monty Norman as the composer of the James Bond theme, and there’s some truth to that. Still, the orchestration by John Barry with the distinctive guitar playing by Vic Flick...
Review: I think the first time I ever noticed film music was in a James Bond film. My love of the James Bond film series has been well-documented here on JoBlo. After all, Nick Bosworth, our director of YouTube Operations, and I did a whole series about the 007 franchise – James Bond Revisited. But, one of the areas he and I always wanted to explore was the “James Bond sound,” most notably the music and work of John Barry. Indeed, the franchise as it exists today would not have survived were it not for the Barry sound. Everyone credits Monty Norman as the composer of the James Bond theme, and there’s some truth to that. Still, the orchestration by John Barry with the distinctive guitar playing by Vic Flick...
- 10/5/2022
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
The tear-stricken faces peering up adoringly at James Bond producer Michael G. Wilson, seated in the royal box at Royal Albert Hall, during a lengthy standing ovation at “The Sound of 007” concert said it all: It’s not just movie music — the music, for this franchise at least, is the movie.
Tuesday’s charity event at London’s grandest venue preceded the Oct. 5 release of feature documentary “The Sound of 007” on Amazon’s Prime Video, and didn’t hesitate to remind both Bond novices and grizzled veterans that the franchise is virtually synonymous with some of cinema’s most iconic tracks.
The concert — part of a cavalcade of events marking the British spy’s 60th anniversary on screen — was produced and overseen by five-time Bond composer David Arnold, who was front and centre the entire evening, shredding with Hans Zimmer on an electric guitar or belting out late Soundgarden frontman...
Tuesday’s charity event at London’s grandest venue preceded the Oct. 5 release of feature documentary “The Sound of 007” on Amazon’s Prime Video, and didn’t hesitate to remind both Bond novices and grizzled veterans that the franchise is virtually synonymous with some of cinema’s most iconic tracks.
The concert — part of a cavalcade of events marking the British spy’s 60th anniversary on screen — was produced and overseen by five-time Bond composer David Arnold, who was front and centre the entire evening, shredding with Hans Zimmer on an electric guitar or belting out late Soundgarden frontman...
- 10/5/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Near the beginning of what many consider to be the definitive James Bond movie, 1964’s Goldfinger, Sean Connery’s 007 reveals himself to be simultaneously roguish and antiquated. The moment occurs when his latest conquest affronts his snobbish tastes—dismissing something to do with champagne and refrigerators. He thus believes it’s his duty to explain, “My dear girl, there are some things that just aren’t done, such as drinking Dom Pérignon ’53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs.”
Bond might’ve been the coolest fictional character around at the time of that movie’s release, but his musical tastes were clearly not. Fortunately for the superspy, his producers at Eon Productions were rarely so old-fashioned.
Over the past 60 years and 25 James Bond pictures, the Bond franchise has become synonymous in its better years with evolving with the times.
Bond might’ve been the coolest fictional character around at the time of that movie’s release, but his musical tastes were clearly not. Fortunately for the superspy, his producers at Eon Productions were rarely so old-fashioned.
Over the past 60 years and 25 James Bond pictures, the Bond franchise has become synonymous in its better years with evolving with the times.
- 9/23/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Throughout 60 years of James Bond movies, there has been one constant: the music. Stars, directors and writers have come and gone. There has even been one hard reboot (in between "Die Another Day" and "Casino Royale"). But the main theme (credited to Monty Norman) and the scores have maintained the series' aesthetic continuity. Every time you buy a ticket for a Bond film, you know you're going to hear that brassy, syncopated bah-bah-buh before the opening credits hit.
The music, however, serves more than just a tonal purpose. When done well, the scores heighten the audience's emotional investment. Indeed, you could make a very credible argument that the franchise wouldn't have survived its first lead change without a brilliant theme.
The Film, And Music, That Saved James Bond
In the forthcoming documentary "The Sound of 007," which hits Amazon Prime Video on October 5, producer Barbara Broccoli succinctly explains the importance of the films' music,...
The music, however, serves more than just a tonal purpose. When done well, the scores heighten the audience's emotional investment. Indeed, you could make a very credible argument that the franchise wouldn't have survived its first lead change without a brilliant theme.
The Film, And Music, That Saved James Bond
In the forthcoming documentary "The Sound of 007," which hits Amazon Prime Video on October 5, producer Barbara Broccoli succinctly explains the importance of the films' music,...
- 9/23/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are straddling the past and the future as they celebrate 007’s 60th anniversary and begin thinking of life post-Daniel Craig.
Sitting down with The Hollywood Reporter at The Beverly Hilton ahead of a dinner where they were presented with the 2022 Pioneer Award from the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation, Broccoli and Wilson talked about casting considerations for the next Bond, what they would like to see in MGM leadership after the Amazon acquisition, and if Bond could ever be secret agenting on the small screen. Says Broccoli: “We have resisted that.”
This conversation comes amid a jet-setting tour worthy of a secret agent. The duo also participated in a hand and footprint ceremony at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Wednesday. Next is an Oct. 4 World Bond Day celebration that will include a...
James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are straddling the past and the future as they celebrate 007’s 60th anniversary and begin thinking of life post-Daniel Craig.
Sitting down with The Hollywood Reporter at The Beverly Hilton ahead of a dinner where they were presented with the 2022 Pioneer Award from the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation, Broccoli and Wilson talked about casting considerations for the next Bond, what they would like to see in MGM leadership after the Amazon acquisition, and if Bond could ever be secret agenting on the small screen. Says Broccoli: “We have resisted that.”
This conversation comes amid a jet-setting tour worthy of a secret agent. The duo also participated in a hand and footprint ceremony at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Wednesday. Next is an Oct. 4 World Bond Day celebration that will include a...
- 9/22/2022
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Director Sam Mendes and longtime James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli discuss the importance of music to the classic spy franchise in a new clip from the documentary, The Sound of 007, premiering Oct. 5 on Amazon Prime Video.
The upcoming film, directed by Mat Whitecross, will examine how music has helped shape the history of the Bond franchise, from Dr. No through No Time to Die. That includes not only digging into the classic Bond theme — composed by Monty Norman and originally performed by John Barry — but sharing stories behind the...
The upcoming film, directed by Mat Whitecross, will examine how music has helped shape the history of the Bond franchise, from Dr. No through No Time to Die. That includes not only digging into the classic Bond theme — composed by Monty Norman and originally performed by John Barry — but sharing stories behind the...
- 9/21/2022
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
This article contains No Time to Die spoilers.
The name’s Bond, James Bond. It’s one of the most iconic lines in cinema, said canonically by six actors to date. And each 007 performer has surely offered an interesting and distinctive interpretation of the character, helping to build the franchise’s overall allure decade after decade, and generation after generation. Yet almost as important as these movies’ heroes are their villains; the scheming megalomaniacs who transformed the 60-year-old Bond franchise into a cinematic legend.
Right down to the first Bond film released by Eon Productions in 1962, Dr. No, a mission’s target has been as nearly important as the man in the tux. After all, Dr. No isn’t named after James. Twenty-five movies later that feels still vital, with the most popular entry of Daniel Craig’s tenure, 2012’s Skyfall, being remembered as much for Javier Bardem’s demonic...
The name’s Bond, James Bond. It’s one of the most iconic lines in cinema, said canonically by six actors to date. And each 007 performer has surely offered an interesting and distinctive interpretation of the character, helping to build the franchise’s overall allure decade after decade, and generation after generation. Yet almost as important as these movies’ heroes are their villains; the scheming megalomaniacs who transformed the 60-year-old Bond franchise into a cinematic legend.
Right down to the first Bond film released by Eon Productions in 1962, Dr. No, a mission’s target has been as nearly important as the man in the tux. After all, Dr. No isn’t named after James. Twenty-five movies later that feels still vital, with the most popular entry of Daniel Craig’s tenure, 2012’s Skyfall, being remembered as much for Javier Bardem’s demonic...
- 8/17/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
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