Joe Dante's 1981 werewolf flick "The Howling" boasts one of the most impressive werewolf transformation scenes in the genre's history. A vicious serial killer named Eddie Quist (Robert Picardo) confront's the film's protagonist, Karen (Dee Wallace), an investigative reporter recovering from a previous attack at a woods-bound therapy camp. Lit through the slits in Venetian blinds, Quist's face extends and mutates, his mouth ripping into a terrifying wolf grin, his eyes bulging. Karen witnesses the entire transformation and is, naturally, terrified. Quist was already known for his penchant for murder, but learning that he is a werewolf makes him that much more monstrous. The effects were provided by the amazing Rob Bottin.
"The Howling," while a corker of a monster movie, is also a clever satire of then-modern therapy. A certain kind of "touchy-feely" language had come into vogue in the late '70s and early '80s, and...
"The Howling," while a corker of a monster movie, is also a clever satire of then-modern therapy. A certain kind of "touchy-feely" language had come into vogue in the late '70s and early '80s, and...
- 5/26/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
On January 22, 2000, writer/director Karyn Kusama‘s feature debut “Girlfight” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and, like “sex, lies, and videotape” and “Reservoir Dogs” before it, announced the arrival of a born filmmaker. Kusama has gone on to direct a wide array of great films and television episodes, including the once underrated but now properly exalted horror movie “Jennifer’s Body” and her searing masterpiece “Destroyer,” but “Girlfight” holds its own against Kusama’s later, more well-resourced work — her tale of a troubled teenager (a then-unknown Michelle Rodriguez) who channels her aggression into boxing has held up beautifully thanks to Kusama’s intensely personal investment in the story and her instinctive awareness of where to place the camera to tell that story with maximum impact.
If the movie, which Criterion has recently released on Blu-ray with a gorgeous new transfer supervised by Kusama, looks even better now than when it was released,...
If the movie, which Criterion has recently released on Blu-ray with a gorgeous new transfer supervised by Kusama, looks even better now than when it was released,...
- 5/23/2024
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
In a career that has spanned seven decades, Roger Corman is nothing short of a legend. His influence and impact are almost immeasurable, having mentored or introduced so many prominent filmmakers working today. That doesn’t even touch on how he changed independent cinema or wore multiple hats doing so: director, producer, writer, and actor, to name a few.
With the legend’s passing this weekend, it feels only appropriate to highlight just a handful of the essential Roger Corman horror movies on streaming. This week’s streaming picks celebrate some of the essential works of Roger Corman horror movies, whether he produced, directed, or appeared on screen.
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
A Bucket of Blood – AMC+, Crackle, Fandor, Kanopy, MGM+, Midnight Pulp, Pluto TV, Prime Video, Screambox, Shudder, Tubi, Vudu
Roger Corman had a recurring interest in counterculture,...
With the legend’s passing this weekend, it feels only appropriate to highlight just a handful of the essential Roger Corman horror movies on streaming. This week’s streaming picks celebrate some of the essential works of Roger Corman horror movies, whether he produced, directed, or appeared on screen.
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
A Bucket of Blood – AMC+, Crackle, Fandor, Kanopy, MGM+, Midnight Pulp, Pluto TV, Prime Video, Screambox, Shudder, Tubi, Vudu
Roger Corman had a recurring interest in counterculture,...
- 5/13/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Vanishingly few individuals have influenced the history of cinema like Roger Corman, who died last Thursday at the age of 98. Without his influence as a producer and mentor, we might never have had the work of directors like Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme, John Sayles, Joe Dante, James Cameron, Ron Howard and Francis Ford Coppola; or of actors like Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, Diane Ladd, William Shatner, Sandra Bullock, Bruce Dern, Robert De Niro and Tommy Lee Jones. In between all this, he managed to direct a few films – 55, to be precise. Today we’re taking a look at a selection of those that our UK viewers can easily find and watch online.
The Masque Of The Red Death
The Masque Of The Red Death - StudioCanal, Apple TV
Roger Corman, Vincent Price and Edgar Allan Poe – was there ever a trio of artists so well suited to each other? Yes,...
The Masque Of The Red Death
The Masque Of The Red Death - StudioCanal, Apple TV
Roger Corman, Vincent Price and Edgar Allan Poe – was there ever a trio of artists so well suited to each other? Yes,...
- 5/12/2024
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
A quick question: Do you like The Godfather? How about Goodfellas? Or Gremlins? Or Stop Making Sense, Avatar, Apollo 13, Chinatown, Easy Rider, Paper Moon, Lone Star, or roughly 90 percent of any movies featuring monsters terrorizing pretty ladies from the last 50 years?
You have, in so many ways, Roger Corman to thank for all of them. A producer, director and writer who became a patron saint to an entire generation of filmmakers, the “King of the Bs” either gave the artists behind those movies their start or helped give them...
You have, in so many ways, Roger Corman to thank for all of them. A producer, director and writer who became a patron saint to an entire generation of filmmakers, the “King of the Bs” either gave the artists behind those movies their start or helped give them...
- 5/12/2024
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
The story of Beowulf and Grendel is one of the most famous stories in English literature. The epic Beowulf is one of the most important works of English literature in general and it has been an inspiration for many authors over the centuries. We have also had numerous adaptations of the work, including the animated film from 2007, but all of them focused on the heroic tale of Beowulf, the hero of the story. But, the story also has another important character – Grendel – the monster and Beowulf’s rival in the story.
Grendel is finally going to get the chance to tell you his side of the story, as the movie Grendel will be released soon, with Palisades Park Pictures is launching international sales ahead of Cannes.
But that is actually not the main piece of news we have for you today. Namely, the cast of the upcoming movie has been...
Grendel is finally going to get the chance to tell you his side of the story, as the movie Grendel will be released soon, with Palisades Park Pictures is launching international sales ahead of Cannes.
But that is actually not the main piece of news we have for you today. Namely, the cast of the upcoming movie has been...
- 5/12/2024
- by Arthur S. Poe
- Fiction Horizon
Roger Corman, the pioneering independent film producer who helped launch the careers of numerous filmmaking greats and was hailed as “The King of Cult,” died on May 9 at his home in Santa Monica. He was 98.
His daughter Catherine Corman confirmed his death in a statement to the Associated Press. “He was generous, open-hearted and kind to all those who knew him,” the statement said. “When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, ‘I was a filmmaker, just that.’”
Corman began his filmmaking career in the 1950s, crafting a slew of low-budget features that ranged from “The Fast and the Furious” to “Swamp Women” to “Attack of the Crab Monsters.”
In 1959, Corman got into distribution with the launch of The Filmgroup, then in the 1960s tackled a number of Edgar Allen Poe adaptations including 1960’s “House of Usher.”
Throughout his career, Corman directed 55 films and produced 385, spanning from 1954 to 2008. In that time,...
His daughter Catherine Corman confirmed his death in a statement to the Associated Press. “He was generous, open-hearted and kind to all those who knew him,” the statement said. “When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, ‘I was a filmmaker, just that.’”
Corman began his filmmaking career in the 1950s, crafting a slew of low-budget features that ranged from “The Fast and the Furious” to “Swamp Women” to “Attack of the Crab Monsters.”
In 1959, Corman got into distribution with the launch of The Filmgroup, then in the 1960s tackled a number of Edgar Allen Poe adaptations including 1960’s “House of Usher.”
Throughout his career, Corman directed 55 films and produced 385, spanning from 1954 to 2008. In that time,...
- 5/12/2024
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Roger Corman, the maverick producer of B-movies and iconoclastic subjects whose innovative low-budget enterprises launched the careers of numerous major filmmakers, died on Thursday at his home in Santa Monica. He was 98.
Corman’s career encompassed seven decades and more than 500 producing credits, including early work that launched the careers of major Hollywood figures such as Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Peter Fonda, Frances Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Peter Bogdanovich, Gale Anne Hurd, John Sayles, Ron Howard and Jonathan Demme. Yet Corman resented the commercial studio system, and as both producer and as a director himself, he pursued his cheap, no-frills filmmaking style at all costs, while using lowbrow genre tropes as a Trojan horse for socially conscious themes.
Over the years, Corman’s name has been most closely associated with the zany escapist enterprises often referred to as exploitation films, a term he abhorred. With producing credits such...
Corman’s career encompassed seven decades and more than 500 producing credits, including early work that launched the careers of major Hollywood figures such as Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Peter Fonda, Frances Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Peter Bogdanovich, Gale Anne Hurd, John Sayles, Ron Howard and Jonathan Demme. Yet Corman resented the commercial studio system, and as both producer and as a director himself, he pursued his cheap, no-frills filmmaking style at all costs, while using lowbrow genre tropes as a Trojan horse for socially conscious themes.
Over the years, Corman’s name has been most closely associated with the zany escapist enterprises often referred to as exploitation films, a term he abhorred. With producing credits such...
- 5/12/2024
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
A new live-action take on the tale of Beowulf is in development, and the project has assembled a very impressive cast.
We've seen a number of animated and live-action adaptations of the ancient Danish legend over the years, but this one will be a little different.
Based on John Gardner’s acclaimed novel, Grendel will tell the story from the perspective of the monster, with Jeff Bridges set to play the title character, and Dave Bautista on board as the mighty warrior to comes to Danish King Hrothgar's hall to put an end to the creature's rampage, Beowulf.
The cast also includes Bryan Cranston as King Hrothgar, Sam Elliott as The Dragon, Thomasin McKenzie as Queen Wealhtheow and Aidan Turner as Unferth. T Bone Burnett will also appear, and provide original songs for the film.
Robert D. Krzykowsk (The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot) will direct. Jim Henson...
We've seen a number of animated and live-action adaptations of the ancient Danish legend over the years, but this one will be a little different.
Based on John Gardner’s acclaimed novel, Grendel will tell the story from the perspective of the monster, with Jeff Bridges set to play the title character, and Dave Bautista on board as the mighty warrior to comes to Danish King Hrothgar's hall to put an end to the creature's rampage, Beowulf.
The cast also includes Bryan Cranston as King Hrothgar, Sam Elliott as The Dragon, Thomasin McKenzie as Queen Wealhtheow and Aidan Turner as Unferth. T Bone Burnett will also appear, and provide original songs for the film.
Robert D. Krzykowsk (The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot) will direct. Jim Henson...
- 5/11/2024
- ComicBookMovie.com
(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)
"'The Mummy' isn't really trying to scare you – it's trying to entertain you." This is what /Film's Chris Evangelista lovingly wrote of 1999's "The Mummy" in 2021. Directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser as the swashbuckling Rick O'Connell, the film became a somewhat unexpected hit, so much so that it ended up being one of the highest-grossing films of 1999 overall. Critics were a bit mixed on it in its day. It was an action/adventure film, the likes of which Hollywood had released many times before. Be that as it may, a film designed purely to entertain (rather than to scare) resonated with audiences in a big way. It was pulpy lightning in a bottle.
Universal had, for years,...
"'The Mummy' isn't really trying to scare you – it's trying to entertain you." This is what /Film's Chris Evangelista lovingly wrote of 1999's "The Mummy" in 2021. Directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser as the swashbuckling Rick O'Connell, the film became a somewhat unexpected hit, so much so that it ended up being one of the highest-grossing films of 1999 overall. Critics were a bit mixed on it in its day. It was an action/adventure film, the likes of which Hollywood had released many times before. Be that as it may, a film designed purely to entertain (rather than to scare) resonated with audiences in a big way. It was pulpy lightning in a bottle.
Universal had, for years,...
- 5/11/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Jeff Bridges is turning to the world of practical puppeteering for an upcoming monster film from the Jim Henson Company called “Grendel.”
Bridges will executive produce and be the lead of the latest feature from The Jim Henson Company, the company announced Friday, May 10. “Grendel” will follow the legendary monster at the heart of the epic poem Beowulf, and it will allow the monster to tell his side of the story.
In addition to Bridges as Grendel, the ensemble cast includes Dave Bautista as Beowulf, Bryan Cranston as King Hrothgar, Sam Elliott as The Dragon, Thomasin McKenzie as Queen Wealhtheow, and Aidan Turner as Unferth.
Composer, producer, and songwriter T Bone Burnett will also star in a rare acting role as The Shaper, and he’ll also provide original songs for the film.
Robert D. Krzykowski is set to direct from a screenplay he adapted from John Gardner’s critically...
Bridges will executive produce and be the lead of the latest feature from The Jim Henson Company, the company announced Friday, May 10. “Grendel” will follow the legendary monster at the heart of the epic poem Beowulf, and it will allow the monster to tell his side of the story.
In addition to Bridges as Grendel, the ensemble cast includes Dave Bautista as Beowulf, Bryan Cranston as King Hrothgar, Sam Elliott as The Dragon, Thomasin McKenzie as Queen Wealhtheow, and Aidan Turner as Unferth.
Composer, producer, and songwriter T Bone Burnett will also star in a rare acting role as The Shaper, and he’ll also provide original songs for the film.
Robert D. Krzykowski is set to direct from a screenplay he adapted from John Gardner’s critically...
- 5/10/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Palisades Park Pictures is launching international sales in Cannes on the live-action monster tale Grendel from The Jim Henson Company, with Jeff Bridges and Dave Bautista among the cast.
Bryan Cranston, Sam Elliott, Thomasin Mckenzie, Aidan Turner And T Bone Burnett will also star in the epic fable about the legendary monster at the heart of the Beowulf epic poem who steps forth to tell his side of the story.
Brian Henson and Vince Raisa are producing for The Jim Henson Company, with Robert D. Krzykowski and Jay Glazer, who together acquired rights in 2020, as well as Dennis Berardi and Jon D. Wagner.
Bryan Cranston, Sam Elliott, Thomasin Mckenzie, Aidan Turner And T Bone Burnett will also star in the epic fable about the legendary monster at the heart of the Beowulf epic poem who steps forth to tell his side of the story.
Brian Henson and Vince Raisa are producing for The Jim Henson Company, with Robert D. Krzykowski and Jay Glazer, who together acquired rights in 2020, as well as Dennis Berardi and Jon D. Wagner.
- 5/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
The Jim Henson Company’s live-action monster tale “Grendel” has rounded out its cast with Jeff Bridges in the role of Grendel, as well as Dave Bautista as Beowulf and Bryan Cranston as King Hrothgar.
Also joining the cast are Thomasin McKenzie as Queen Wealhtheow, Aidan Turner as Unferth and, as the Shaper, T Bone Burnett, who will also provide original songs for the film.
Robert D. Krzykowski (“The Man Who Killed Hitler”) directs from the screenplay he adapted from John Gardner’s novel. Palisades Park Pictures, led by CEO Tamara Birkemoe, is launching international sales ahead of Cannes on the story of the legendary monster at the heart of the Beowulf epic poem who steps forward to tell his side of the tale.
Production is set to begin later this year in Europe. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop will handle practical creature work and design.
“Grendel” is produced by...
Also joining the cast are Thomasin McKenzie as Queen Wealhtheow, Aidan Turner as Unferth and, as the Shaper, T Bone Burnett, who will also provide original songs for the film.
Robert D. Krzykowski (“The Man Who Killed Hitler”) directs from the screenplay he adapted from John Gardner’s novel. Palisades Park Pictures, led by CEO Tamara Birkemoe, is launching international sales ahead of Cannes on the story of the legendary monster at the heart of the Beowulf epic poem who steps forward to tell his side of the tale.
Production is set to begin later this year in Europe. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop will handle practical creature work and design.
“Grendel” is produced by...
- 5/10/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Jeff Bridges is set to star as classic monster Grendel in a new live-action movie from the storied Jim Henson Company and director Robert D. Krzykowsk.
Palisades Park Pictures is set to launch sales at Cannes for Grendel, which is billed as the “tale of the legendary monster at the heart of the Beowulf epic poem who steps forth to tell his side of this riveting story.” Jim Henson’s Creature Shop will handle the practical creature work and design.
Dave Bautista is set to play Beowulf, with Bryan Cranston set as King Hrothgar, Sam Elliott as The Dragon, Thomasin McKenzie as Queen Wealhtheow and Aidan Turner as Unferth. T Bone Burnett will also star and provide original songs for the film.
Krzykowski will direct from a screenplay he adapted from John Gardner’s novel of the same name.
Brian Henson and Vince Raisa will produce for The Jim Henson Company,...
Palisades Park Pictures is set to launch sales at Cannes for Grendel, which is billed as the “tale of the legendary monster at the heart of the Beowulf epic poem who steps forth to tell his side of this riveting story.” Jim Henson’s Creature Shop will handle the practical creature work and design.
Dave Bautista is set to play Beowulf, with Bryan Cranston set as King Hrothgar, Sam Elliott as The Dragon, Thomasin McKenzie as Queen Wealhtheow and Aidan Turner as Unferth. T Bone Burnett will also star and provide original songs for the film.
Krzykowski will direct from a screenplay he adapted from John Gardner’s novel of the same name.
Brian Henson and Vince Raisa will produce for The Jim Henson Company,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart) will play the title role in Grendel, a live-action monster flick from The Jim Henson Company, for which Palisades Park Pictures is launching international sales ahead of Cannes.
Grendel is the tale of the legendary monster at the heart of the Beowulf epic poem who steps forth to tell his side of this riveting story. Directed by Robert D. Krzykowski (The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot), the film’s ensemble also includes Dave Bautista (Dune: Part Two) as Beowulf, Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) as King Hrothgar, Sam Elliott (A Star is Born) as The Dragon, Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho) as Queen Wealhtheow, and Aidan Turner (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) as Unferth. In addition to playing the role of The Shaper, famed recording artist and record producer T Bone Burnett will provide original songs for the film.
Krzykowski...
Grendel is the tale of the legendary monster at the heart of the Beowulf epic poem who steps forth to tell his side of this riveting story. Directed by Robert D. Krzykowski (The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot), the film’s ensemble also includes Dave Bautista (Dune: Part Two) as Beowulf, Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) as King Hrothgar, Sam Elliott (A Star is Born) as The Dragon, Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho) as Queen Wealhtheow, and Aidan Turner (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) as Unferth. In addition to playing the role of The Shaper, famed recording artist and record producer T Bone Burnett will provide original songs for the film.
Krzykowski...
- 5/10/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Despite not having made a film of his own since 2013 (the under-appreciated “Go for Sisters”), John Sayles is having quite the year. In January, his 1996 neo-Western mystery film “Lone Star” entered the Criterion Collection with a 4K Uhd edition that features interviews with director of photography Stuart Dryburgh, as well as an interview with Sayles himself conducted by “El Norte” director Gregory Nava.
Then in April, his largely unavailable 1991 inner-city saga “City of Hope” received the Blu-ray release many fans had been pining for since a restoration was screened at Sundance in 2016 for the 25th anniversary. Adding to this newfound availability of quality copies of his work, a large number of Sayles’ films are currently streaming for free on apps like Tubi, Kanopy, and Pluto TV, as well as cost-based apps like AMC+, Starz, and Prime Video.
At no other point in his career has his library of work been...
Then in April, his largely unavailable 1991 inner-city saga “City of Hope” received the Blu-ray release many fans had been pining for since a restoration was screened at Sundance in 2016 for the 25th anniversary. Adding to this newfound availability of quality copies of his work, a large number of Sayles’ films are currently streaming for free on apps like Tubi, Kanopy, and Pluto TV, as well as cost-based apps like AMC+, Starz, and Prime Video.
At no other point in his career has his library of work been...
- 5/10/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.
Today we speak to Nancy Savoca, the great filmmaker whose sophomore feature Dogfight is now available via Criterion. The digitally-restored, director-approved Blu-Ray includes new commentary from Savoca and producer Richard Guay, a new interview with Savoca and actor Lili Taylor conducted by filmmaker Mary Harron, and a great essay by film critic Christina Newland, among other features.
We speak with Savoca about Missing Movies, her mentors John Sayles and Maggie Renzi, her first film True Love, directing singular performers like River Phoenix and Lili Taylor, and the HBO creativity boom of the mid-to-late ‘90s (including Carl Franklin’s Laurel Avenue and Cher and Savoca’s If These Walls Could Talk), and lesser-seen gems of Savoca’s that...
Today we speak to Nancy Savoca, the great filmmaker whose sophomore feature Dogfight is now available via Criterion. The digitally-restored, director-approved Blu-Ray includes new commentary from Savoca and producer Richard Guay, a new interview with Savoca and actor Lili Taylor conducted by filmmaker Mary Harron, and a great essay by film critic Christina Newland, among other features.
We speak with Savoca about Missing Movies, her mentors John Sayles and Maggie Renzi, her first film True Love, directing singular performers like River Phoenix and Lili Taylor, and the HBO creativity boom of the mid-to-late ‘90s (including Carl Franklin’s Laurel Avenue and Cher and Savoca’s If These Walls Could Talk), and lesser-seen gems of Savoca’s that...
- 5/2/2024
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Clockwise from bottom left: Halloween (Compass International Pictures); Hellbound: Hellraiser II (New World Pictures); Mandy (XYZ Films); Re-Animator (Empire Pictures); Chopping Mall (Concorde Pictures) (Screenshots: YouTube)Graphic: The A.V. Club
We’re halfway to Halloween, and even though October 31 is still six months away, there’s still one place...
We’re halfway to Halloween, and even though October 31 is still six months away, there’s still one place...
- 5/1/2024
- by Gil Macias
- avclub.com
On September 15, 1965, Irwin Allen whisked television viewers out of their living rooms on a journey to the outer reaches of space, where the Robinson family finds themselves marooned on a strange, not-entirely-hospitable planet thanks to the sabotage of their chief medical officer. For a nation dreaming of a seemingly impossible moon landing, "Lost in Space" was both wish fulfillment and cautionary tale; a part of us was enthralled by the notion of exploring the cosmos, but we were also terrified by the thought of aimlessly hurtling through a universe with no known end and no direction home.
Allen's series didn't dwell much on the more frightening aspects of the Robinsons' predicament. Unlike Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek" (which would debut a year later), Allen employed a fairly rigid formula that found the Robinsons and the hunky Major Don West (Mark Goddard) having to outwit the generally inept scheming of Dr.
Allen's series didn't dwell much on the more frightening aspects of the Robinsons' predicament. Unlike Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek" (which would debut a year later), Allen employed a fairly rigid formula that found the Robinsons and the hunky Major Don West (Mark Goddard) having to outwit the generally inept scheming of Dr.
- 4/22/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Exclusive: The WGA East is honoring Tony Gilroy at the upcoming Writers Guild Awards with the Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Career Achievement.
With the award, which was established in 1992, the Andor creator will be following in the footsteps of his father Frank D. Gilroy, who was honored with the Hunter Award in 2011.
“Tony embodies the best of what it means to be a Writers Guild member. He is an extraordinary talent who has written some of the most thought-provoking and exciting screenplays of the last 30 years,” Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, President of the Writers Guild of America East, said in a statement. “He is also a staunch union ally, one of our most trusted voices when it comes to advocating for writers’ rights, and he gave one of the best damn speeches on the picket lines last summer. We all wish we were Tony, but short of that we are...
With the award, which was established in 1992, the Andor creator will be following in the footsteps of his father Frank D. Gilroy, who was honored with the Hunter Award in 2011.
“Tony embodies the best of what it means to be a Writers Guild member. He is an extraordinary talent who has written some of the most thought-provoking and exciting screenplays of the last 30 years,” Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, President of the Writers Guild of America East, said in a statement. “He is also a staunch union ally, one of our most trusted voices when it comes to advocating for writers’ rights, and he gave one of the best damn speeches on the picket lines last summer. We all wish we were Tony, but short of that we are...
- 2/27/2024
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
Acclaimed filmmaker John Sayles has revealed exactly what he thinks of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Sayles wrote and directed the Oscar-nominated 1996 film “Lone Star,” a Western set in a Texas border town where Sheriff Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper) unearths long-buried secrets amid racial strife. Since the film was made, a U.S.-Mexico border wall, a pivotal part of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and known colloquially as “Trump’s wall,” has been built.
In a new interview with The Guardian, Sayles admitted that he recently urinated on the wall.
“I don’t think we’ve made any progress on border issues since the movie was made. Back then, it didn’t have the same tension. The border patrol would just say no me hagas correr to illegal immigrants – don’t make me run – and deport them,” Sayles said. “I don...
Sayles wrote and directed the Oscar-nominated 1996 film “Lone Star,” a Western set in a Texas border town where Sheriff Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper) unearths long-buried secrets amid racial strife. Since the film was made, a U.S.-Mexico border wall, a pivotal part of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and known colloquially as “Trump’s wall,” has been built.
In a new interview with The Guardian, Sayles admitted that he recently urinated on the wall.
“I don’t think we’ve made any progress on border issues since the movie was made. Back then, it didn’t have the same tension. The border patrol would just say no me hagas correr to illegal immigrants – don’t make me run – and deport them,” Sayles said. “I don...
- 2/27/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Robert M. Young, one of the pioneers of American independent cinema whose work began nearly 70 years ago, died Tuesday in Los Angeles. The news was announced via a Facebook post from his son Andy.
In a career that lasted from 1956 to 2011 he directed documentaries, narrative features, both independent and studio releases, and even episodes of “Battlestar: Gallactica.” Two of his films have recently been added to the Library of Congress Film Registry. “¡Alambrista!” (1977), as timely today as when it was made, about the life of undocumented Mexican immigrant won the Camera d’or for best first film at Cannes. “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” (1982), one of Young’s eight films with actor Edward James Olmos, produced by American Playhouse but released theatrically, has also been included. Both films are also part of the Criterion Collection.
Though perhaps not as well known as some pre-Sundance independent American directors like John Cassavetes,...
In a career that lasted from 1956 to 2011 he directed documentaries, narrative features, both independent and studio releases, and even episodes of “Battlestar: Gallactica.” Two of his films have recently been added to the Library of Congress Film Registry. “¡Alambrista!” (1977), as timely today as when it was made, about the life of undocumented Mexican immigrant won the Camera d’or for best first film at Cannes. “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” (1982), one of Young’s eight films with actor Edward James Olmos, produced by American Playhouse but released theatrically, has also been included. Both films are also part of the Criterion Collection.
Though perhaps not as well known as some pre-Sundance independent American directors like John Cassavetes,...
- 2/10/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
When you talk about John Sayles, do you talk about America? Watching and examining his beautiful tapestry of films, this reveals itself an easy question to ask and an easy question to answer. There may be no single filmmaker who has better captured the agony and ecstasy of the American experiment than Sayles. Yet his pictures never feel like homework. They’re funny, heartbreaking, and full of characters that are well-rounded and sharply drawn.
The Film Stage got the opportunity to speak with Sayles about his 1996 masterpiece Lone Star (now available on 4K and Blu-ray courtesy of the Criterion Collection), as well lesser-seen gems like Limbo, Go for Sisters, and Amigo.
Listen to an audio version of the interview below followed by a written version, edited for length and clarity.
The Film Stage: The reason we’re talking is because Lone Star, your great film from the mid-90s, is...
The Film Stage got the opportunity to speak with Sayles about his 1996 masterpiece Lone Star (now available on 4K and Blu-ray courtesy of the Criterion Collection), as well lesser-seen gems like Limbo, Go for Sisters, and Amigo.
Listen to an audio version of the interview below followed by a written version, edited for length and clarity.
The Film Stage: The reason we’re talking is because Lone Star, your great film from the mid-90s, is...
- 1/25/2024
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
“Forget the Alamo,” says Elizabeth Peña’s Pilar Cruz at the end of John Sayles’s 1996 neo-western noir Lone Star. After the unexpected discovery of a body unravels the countless fictions propping up a Texas border town’s unstable status quo, Pilar’s defiant statement casts off the weight of mythology altogether. And yet, with that memorable bit of closing dialogue, the legend of Sayles’s film had only just begun.
As indicated by the film’s induction into the Criterion Collection, Lone Star isn’t something so easily cast aside or forgotten. Sayles’s sprawling film fuses western iconography with the thrilling structure of a noir-like mystery as Frontera’s sheriff, Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper), probes the decades-old death of a man who once held his office. The investigation brings him into contact with an intergenerational and multiracial group of individuals who all have distinct reasons for putting up...
As indicated by the film’s induction into the Criterion Collection, Lone Star isn’t something so easily cast aside or forgotten. Sayles’s sprawling film fuses western iconography with the thrilling structure of a noir-like mystery as Frontera’s sheriff, Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper), probes the decades-old death of a man who once held his office. The investigation brings him into contact with an intergenerational and multiracial group of individuals who all have distinct reasons for putting up...
- 1/22/2024
- by Marshall Shaffer
- Slant Magazine
The term “literary” tends to be invoked to describe films with a grand narrative sweep, featuring a sizable cast and beholden to a dialogue-heavy script. A more holistic definition, though, might be one that highlights how the elements that make up a movie operate in such perfect harmony that they seem to flow from the same pen. On those terms, John Sayles’s Lone Star is among the most literary films ever made. Ostensibly a murder mystery set in a Texas border town, the 1996 neo-western blossoms into something far more complex: a reckoning with personal and historical skeletons that, true to the setting, are left exposed under harsh sunlight even as people struggle to hide them in the faintest sliver of shade.
The story sets into motion with the discovery of a skeleton belonging to Charlie Wade (Kris Kristofferson), Frontera’s racist, corrupt sheriff during the 1960s, who ruled the...
The story sets into motion with the discovery of a skeleton belonging to Charlie Wade (Kris Kristofferson), Frontera’s racist, corrupt sheriff during the 1960s, who ruled the...
- 1/22/2024
- by Jake Cole
- Slant Magazine
Image: Bleecker Street, Photo: David Apuzzo/Mainframe Pictures, The Criterion Collection, Vivien Killilea (Getty Images for TCM), Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures UK (Getty Images), Apple, Melinda Sue Gordon (Universal Pictures), Graphic: The A.V. ClubI.S.S. review: Ariana DeBose’s sci-fi outing fails...
- 1/20/2024
- avclub.com
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.
Today we’re honored to chat with iconic director John Sayles, whose essential crime epic Lone Star is now available from The Criterion Collection in both 4K Uhd + Blu-ray.
Our B-Sides today include Limbo, Amigo, and Go For Sisters. We also discuss Sayles’ parallel careers as a screenwriter and a novelist. He talks about the work he did on the Toshirô Mifune/Scott Glenn actioner The Challenge (director John Frankenheimer asking him to write new draft over a weekend before an impending strike); he discusses what he learned working for Roger Corman early in his career; which genre he’s still itching to direct; his love of the recent Godzilla Minus One; and the slew of scripts that never got made.
Today we’re honored to chat with iconic director John Sayles, whose essential crime epic Lone Star is now available from The Criterion Collection in both 4K Uhd + Blu-ray.
Our B-Sides today include Limbo, Amigo, and Go For Sisters. We also discuss Sayles’ parallel careers as a screenwriter and a novelist. He talks about the work he did on the Toshirô Mifune/Scott Glenn actioner The Challenge (director John Frankenheimer asking him to write new draft over a weekend before an impending strike); he discusses what he learned working for Roger Corman early in his career; which genre he’s still itching to direct; his love of the recent Godzilla Minus One; and the slew of scripts that never got made.
- 1/18/2024
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
John Sayles has made a career out of writing and directing some of the finest ensemble films of all time, movies like “Matewan,” “Eight Men Out,” and “Sunshine State” that create rich tapestries of American life filled with intimate detail and epic sweep. One of his most entertaining and sophisticated works, the 1996 contemporary Western “Lone Star,” is newly available in 4K and Blu-ray editions from Criterion, and it has, like most of Sayles’ movies, only improved with age. As a Texas sheriff investigates an old murder, the film becomes timeless and specifically of its era (particularly in the border crossing scenes conceived and shot before the wall that eventually went up in Sayles’ location), a complex consideration of cultural conflicts and generational divides that seem hardwired into the American consciousness.
It’s a great American epic, yet like all of the director’s films it was shot on a modest...
It’s a great American epic, yet like all of the director’s films it was shot on a modest...
- 1/16/2024
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Criterion Collection cover for Lone Star; John SaylesPhoto: The Criterion Collection, Vivien Killilea (Getty Images for TCM)
John Sayles has been a fixture of American independent cinema for nearly 50 years. Like many indie filmmakers, Sayles began his career making monster movies before directing his microbudget debut, Return Of The Secaucus 7.
John Sayles has been a fixture of American independent cinema for nearly 50 years. Like many indie filmmakers, Sayles began his career making monster movies before directing his microbudget debut, Return Of The Secaucus 7.
- 1/16/2024
- by Matt Schimkowitz
- avclub.com
The film-maker and author, who died last week aged 74, will also be remembered by those lucky enough to know her as an unforgettable phrasemaker
A WhatsApp from Maggie Renzi, the producer of John Sayles’s Lone Star and most of his other films: “Cari has died.”
No need for a surname, there’s only one Cari in our lives. Maggie and John sat me next to Cari Beauchamp in a pizza restaurant in Cannes around 2001. For three hours that night I listened to this expansive Californian.
A WhatsApp from Maggie Renzi, the producer of John Sayles’s Lone Star and most of his other films: “Cari has died.”
No need for a surname, there’s only one Cari in our lives. Maggie and John sat me next to Cari Beauchamp in a pizza restaurant in Cannes around 2001. For three hours that night I listened to this expansive Californian.
- 12/19/2023
- by Mark Cousins
- The Guardian - Film News
Near the end of Matewan (1987), socialist union organizer Joe Kenehan (Chris Cooper), a guiding light and galvanizing force for a West Virginia town of striking coal miners under siege, attempts to console frustrated young Danny Radnor (Will Oldham), a nascent preacher and union man. Overwhelmed by the violence and hardships they’ve suffered, the boy gives into despair, declaring in rage and desperation that it’s every man for himself. Joe’s stirring reply is that they must all look after each other, no matter what. Though followed by a long-brewing scene of climatic violence, this quiet but deeply moving moment between […]
The post Cinema of Bread and Roses: An Interview with Maggie Renzi and John Sayles first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Cinema of Bread and Roses: An Interview with Maggie Renzi and John Sayles first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 12/18/2023
- by Ruairí McCann
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Near the end of Matewan (1987), socialist union organizer Joe Kenehan (Chris Cooper), a guiding light and galvanizing force for a West Virginia town of striking coal miners under siege, attempts to console frustrated young Danny Radnor (Will Oldham), a nascent preacher and union man. Overwhelmed by the violence and hardships they’ve suffered, the boy gives into despair, declaring in rage and desperation that it’s every man for himself. Joe’s stirring reply is that they must all look after each other, no matter what. Though followed by a long-brewing scene of climatic violence, this quiet but deeply moving moment between […]
The post Cinema of Bread and Roses: An Interview with Maggie Renzi and John Sayles first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Cinema of Bread and Roses: An Interview with Maggie Renzi and John Sayles first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 12/18/2023
- by Ruairí McCann
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For regular updates, sign up for our weekly email newsletter and follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSNotebook readers, rejoice—the Mubi Shop has launched anew in the US and UK, and you can finally broadcast your love for the world’s sharpest international film criticism via this stylish, crisply screen-printed Notebook tote bag, featuring a clapperboard calligram design. Also in the store is a Cannes Film Festival–themed print by Dutch artist and cartoonist Joost Swarte, which was commissioned for our limited-edition print broadsheet issue of Notebook, distributed in Cannes.Sundance announced its lineup last week, including new films from Jane Schoenbrun, Steven Soderbergh, Debra Granik, Yance Ford, Brett Story, and more. This will be the first Sundance under the directorship of Eugene Hernandez, formerly of Film at Lincoln Center.Keep that winter coat handy—the Berlinale has announced that Lupita Nyong’o will lead the jury.
- 12/13/2023
- MUBI
Mubi Picks at Posteritati is a series where we invite our favorite artists to the prestigious movie art gallery in New York City to discuss their favorite movie posters of all time.Following his entrancing, award-winning return to filmmaking with TÁR, now occupying a lauded place in the zeitgeist, filmmaker Todd Field stopped by Posteritati to share his selection of the best movie posters of all time, including designs for films by John Sayles, Krzysztof Kieślowski, and more. Watch the video to see these rare posters, and also to learn Field's favorite John Cassavetes film.
- 12/12/2023
- MUBI
Stan Rogow, the writer and Emmy-nominated producer who guided the Hilary Duff-starring Lizzie McGuire series and feature that spawned from the Disney Channel hit and partnered with John Sayles on several projects, has died. He was 75.
Rogow died Thursday at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, family spokesperson Scott Fisher told The Hollywood Reporter.
Early in his career, Rogow served as a producer on the pilot of the acclaimed NBC series Fame and shared an Emmy nomination for outstanding drama series in 1982 with William Blinn and two others.
The Brooklyn native was also an exec producer on the 2004-06 Discovery Kids sitcom Darcy’s Wild Life, starring Sara Paxton, and he co-created another show for the network, the 2005-07 adventure series Flight 29 Down, featuring Corbin Bleu.
Rogow produced Sayles-written The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986), starring Daryl Hannah, before they teamed to create the 1990 NBC drama Shannon’s Deal, starring...
Rogow died Thursday at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, family spokesperson Scott Fisher told The Hollywood Reporter.
Early in his career, Rogow served as a producer on the pilot of the acclaimed NBC series Fame and shared an Emmy nomination for outstanding drama series in 1982 with William Blinn and two others.
The Brooklyn native was also an exec producer on the 2004-06 Discovery Kids sitcom Darcy’s Wild Life, starring Sara Paxton, and he co-created another show for the network, the 2005-07 adventure series Flight 29 Down, featuring Corbin Bleu.
Rogow produced Sayles-written The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986), starring Daryl Hannah, before they teamed to create the 1990 NBC drama Shannon’s Deal, starring...
- 12/9/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Nearly two years have gone by since Scream Factory brought the “nature run amok” cult classic Alligator and its sequel Alligator II: The Mutation to Blu-ray in North America. Now 101 Films’ Black Label are set to Alligator a 4K release in the UK – and since 4K Uhd discs are region free, fans outside the UK will be able to enjoy this release as well! The release date is January 29th, and copies are available for pre-order through the 101 Films website. The Alligator 4K is accompanied by a fresh Blu-ray release of Alligator II: The Mutation, but if you’re outside the UK you might need a region free player to watch that one.
Here’s the information on the release:
101 Films presents cult classic creature feature Alligator (1980) on 4K Uhd, along with the TV cut and 1991 sequel Alligator II: The Mutation (1991) on Blu-ray, title 033 on the 101 Films Black Label.
Here’s the information on the release:
101 Films presents cult classic creature feature Alligator (1980) on 4K Uhd, along with the TV cut and 1991 sequel Alligator II: The Mutation (1991) on Blu-ray, title 033 on the 101 Films Black Label.
- 12/1/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Netflix is finally opening the doors to the newly restored Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood this week, and in a first-look preview ahead of its November 9 reopening, the streamer and its partner, the nonprofit American Cinematheque, highlighted some of the enhancements and a screening schedule through the end of 2023.
The Egyptian will reopen on Nov. 9 with a sold-out screening of David Fincher’s “The Killer,” followed by a Q&a with the director. Throughout November it will showcase a 70mm series that includes titles like Jacques Tati’s “Playtime,” Stanley Kubrick’s “Spartacus,” and Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights.”
Announced today were December screenings for “Days of Heaven,” “L’amour Fou,” “Don’t Look Now,” “Imitation of Life,” “Lone Star,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and a new Netflix film for good measure: a 70mm screening of Zack Snyder’s upcoming “Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire.”
The screenings of...
The Egyptian will reopen on Nov. 9 with a sold-out screening of David Fincher’s “The Killer,” followed by a Q&a with the director. Throughout November it will showcase a 70mm series that includes titles like Jacques Tati’s “Playtime,” Stanley Kubrick’s “Spartacus,” and Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Boogie Nights.”
Announced today were December screenings for “Days of Heaven,” “L’amour Fou,” “Don’t Look Now,” “Imitation of Life,” “Lone Star,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and a new Netflix film for good measure: a 70mm screening of Zack Snyder’s upcoming “Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire.”
The screenings of...
- 11/7/2023
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Several more December screenings from the American Cinematheque and Netflix have joined the initial slate of programming at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.
From Dec. 8 to 14, classic film buffs can catch the Los Angeles premiere of brand new restorations of “Days of Heaven” and “L’amour Fou.” Also featured is a 50th anniversary screening of “Don’t Look Now” with a 35mm Ib Tech print. A 35mm presentation of Douglas Sirk’s 1959 “Imitation of Life” will be followed by a Q&a with actor Susan Kohner along with a book signing by Foster Hirsch in connection with “Hollywood and the Movies of the Fifties.”
A new 4k restoration of “Lone Star” will include a Q&a with director John Sayles.
From Dec. 15 to Dec. 21, the theater will feature a 70mm run of Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire” ahead of its Netflix premiere. Just in time for Christmas,...
From Dec. 8 to 14, classic film buffs can catch the Los Angeles premiere of brand new restorations of “Days of Heaven” and “L’amour Fou.” Also featured is a 50th anniversary screening of “Don’t Look Now” with a 35mm Ib Tech print. A 35mm presentation of Douglas Sirk’s 1959 “Imitation of Life” will be followed by a Q&a with actor Susan Kohner along with a book signing by Foster Hirsch in connection with “Hollywood and the Movies of the Fifties.”
A new 4k restoration of “Lone Star” will include a Q&a with director John Sayles.
From Dec. 15 to Dec. 21, the theater will feature a 70mm run of Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire” ahead of its Netflix premiere. Just in time for Christmas,...
- 11/7/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay and Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
“This is the only person to run a studio who knows how to make a movie,” director Allan Arkush exclaimed, hailing his former boss Roger Corman in front of a sold-out crowd at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica Saturday evening.
Now 97 years old, the unbelievably prolific Pope of Pop Cinema was the guest of honor at the genre-focused Beyond Fest, in partnership with American Cinematheque. Corman joined for a panel with Arkush, fellow directors Ron Howard, Joe Dante and Amy Holden Jones and producer Jon Davison — all of whom Corman helped launch into Hollywood under his independent production and distribution company New World Pictures, founded in 1970. After directing more than 45 features, Corman decided to create his own banner, which would go on to help jumpstart the careers of Jonathan Demme, Curtis Hanson and countless other talents.
“I made a picture for American International that made too much money, ‘The Wild Angels.
Now 97 years old, the unbelievably prolific Pope of Pop Cinema was the guest of honor at the genre-focused Beyond Fest, in partnership with American Cinematheque. Corman joined for a panel with Arkush, fellow directors Ron Howard, Joe Dante and Amy Holden Jones and producer Jon Davison — all of whom Corman helped launch into Hollywood under his independent production and distribution company New World Pictures, founded in 1970. After directing more than 45 features, Corman decided to create his own banner, which would go on to help jumpstart the careers of Jonathan Demme, Curtis Hanson and countless other talents.
“I made a picture for American International that made too much money, ‘The Wild Angels.
- 10/1/2023
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
The Gray House, a Civil War spy drama series that is being produced by Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman, is the latest high-profile project to land an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA.
The project managed to secure an interim agreement – by which the producers agree to the terms of the guild’s last counter-offer to the AMPTP – despite having international distribution through Paramount Global.
The actors guild has now handed out over 60 interim agreements to movies and series since the walkout earlier this month. Apple TV+’s Tehran became the most high-profile series to land one, after films such as The Watchers, which has involvement from Warner Bros. Discovery’s New Line, were also added to the list as well as Glenn Close’s The Summer Book and A24 films Mother Mary and I Dream Of Unicorns.
Paramount Global Content Distribution, which is run by Dan Cohen, is set to distribute six-part series The Gray House,...
The project managed to secure an interim agreement – by which the producers agree to the terms of the guild’s last counter-offer to the AMPTP – despite having international distribution through Paramount Global.
The actors guild has now handed out over 60 interim agreements to movies and series since the walkout earlier this month. Apple TV+’s Tehran became the most high-profile series to land one, after films such as The Watchers, which has involvement from Warner Bros. Discovery’s New Line, were also added to the list as well as Glenn Close’s The Summer Book and A24 films Mother Mary and I Dream Of Unicorns.
Paramount Global Content Distribution, which is run by Dan Cohen, is set to distribute six-part series The Gray House,...
- 7/24/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
One of independent film’s key players, Ray Price, died July 16 at the age of 75 from heart failure after a long battle with cancer, his long-term partner Meg Madison confirmed.
Talking to Price about movies, past and present, was an exhilarating sport that could take a while. He knew his stuff — no one loved movies more — but more than anyone during the great indie decades of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, he was a respected innovator who thought outside the box. He began as an exhibitor in San Francisco and moved on to marketing, releasing, and distributing movies, leaning toward the outrageous in how he lured audiences to sample challenging fare.
“Ray, while being a defiantly singular individual, was also emblematic of a bygone age of independent film,” Magnolia Pictures co-ceo Eamonn Bowles wrote me in an email. “From theatre chain owner to distributor, exquisite marketer, and production exec, he...
Talking to Price about movies, past and present, was an exhilarating sport that could take a while. He knew his stuff — no one loved movies more — but more than anyone during the great indie decades of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, he was a respected innovator who thought outside the box. He began as an exhibitor in San Francisco and moved on to marketing, releasing, and distributing movies, leaning toward the outrageous in how he lured audiences to sample challenging fare.
“Ray, while being a defiantly singular individual, was also emblematic of a bygone age of independent film,” Magnolia Pictures co-ceo Eamonn Bowles wrote me in an email. “From theatre chain owner to distributor, exquisite marketer, and production exec, he...
- 7/21/2023
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Ray Price, a respected producer of indie filmmaking, died July 16 from heart failure after a long battle with cancer. The news was confirmed by his long-term partner Meg Madison. He was 75 years old.
Price launched his film career in 1972, managing the Berkeley storefront theater the Rialto, and went on to build with Allen Michaan Renaissance Theaters, an independent art film chain that became one of the largest (33 at its peak) in the Bay Area and was later sold to the Landmark Theatre circuit.
A tough negotiator and exacting exhibitor, under Price’s stewardship, Renaissance Theaters were renowned for redesigning marketing materials, from posters to press books — designs that fledgling distributors often adopted when the films hadn’t found success in other markets.
At a time when most top arthouse distributors focused on established auteurs from Europe and Asia, Renaissance Theaters exploded those norms by programming new American directors like Martin Scorsese and John Cassavetes.
Price launched his film career in 1972, managing the Berkeley storefront theater the Rialto, and went on to build with Allen Michaan Renaissance Theaters, an independent art film chain that became one of the largest (33 at its peak) in the Bay Area and was later sold to the Landmark Theatre circuit.
A tough negotiator and exacting exhibitor, under Price’s stewardship, Renaissance Theaters were renowned for redesigning marketing materials, from posters to press books — designs that fledgling distributors often adopted when the films hadn’t found success in other markets.
At a time when most top arthouse distributors focused on established auteurs from Europe and Asia, Renaissance Theaters exploded those norms by programming new American directors like Martin Scorsese and John Cassavetes.
- 7/21/2023
- The Wrap
Ray Price, an indie film producer and marketing veteran, died on July 16 of heart failure after battling cancer, his longterm partner Meg Madison confirmed. He was 75.
During his career in film, Price was president of Francis Ford Coppola’s production company American Zoetrope and First Look Pictures and a marketing and distribution exec for Landmark Theatres, Trimark Pictures and 2929 Entertainment. He also supported up-and-coming filmmakers like Tran Anh Hung (“The Scent of Green Papaya”), Gurinder Chadha (“Bhaji on The Beach”), Carl Franklin (“One False Move”), Allison Anders (“Gas Food Lodging”) and John Sayles (“The Secret of Roan Inish”).
“Ray, while being a defiantly singular individual, was also emblematic of a bygone age of independent film,” said Magnolia Pictures co-ceo Eamonn Bowles in a statement. “From theatre chain owner to distributor, exquisite marketer, and production exec, he always sought out novel ways of approaching things. He truly was a rebel...
During his career in film, Price was president of Francis Ford Coppola’s production company American Zoetrope and First Look Pictures and a marketing and distribution exec for Landmark Theatres, Trimark Pictures and 2929 Entertainment. He also supported up-and-coming filmmakers like Tran Anh Hung (“The Scent of Green Papaya”), Gurinder Chadha (“Bhaji on The Beach”), Carl Franklin (“One False Move”), Allison Anders (“Gas Food Lodging”) and John Sayles (“The Secret of Roan Inish”).
“Ray, while being a defiantly singular individual, was also emblematic of a bygone age of independent film,” said Magnolia Pictures co-ceo Eamonn Bowles in a statement. “From theatre chain owner to distributor, exquisite marketer, and production exec, he always sought out novel ways of approaching things. He truly was a rebel...
- 7/21/2023
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
Ray Price, the respected indie film innovator who served as president of American Zoetrope and First Look Pictures and as a marketing and distribution executive for companies including Landmark Theatres and Trimark Pictures, has died. He was 75.
Price died Sunday at Whittier Hospital Medical Center from heart failure after a long battle with cancer, his longtime partner, Meg Madison, said.
Throughout his career, Price displayed an encyclopedic knowledge of film, mentored generations of executives and leaned toward the outrageous in the ways he lured audiences to sample challenging movies.
Along the way, he championed filmmakers including Carl Franklin (1992’s One False Move), Allison Anders (1992’s Gas Food Lodging), Tran Anh Hung (1993’s The Scent of Green Papaya), Gurinder Chadha (1993’s Bhaji on the Beach) and John Sayles (1994’s The Secret of Roan Inish).
“Ray, while being a defiantly singular individual, was also emblematic of a bygone age of independent film,...
Price died Sunday at Whittier Hospital Medical Center from heart failure after a long battle with cancer, his longtime partner, Meg Madison, said.
Throughout his career, Price displayed an encyclopedic knowledge of film, mentored generations of executives and leaned toward the outrageous in the ways he lured audiences to sample challenging movies.
Along the way, he championed filmmakers including Carl Franklin (1992’s One False Move), Allison Anders (1992’s Gas Food Lodging), Tran Anh Hung (1993’s The Scent of Green Papaya), Gurinder Chadha (1993’s Bhaji on the Beach) and John Sayles (1994’s The Secret of Roan Inish).
“Ray, while being a defiantly singular individual, was also emblematic of a bygone age of independent film,...
- 7/21/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The scene where Robert Shaw gets eaten in “Jaws” is one of the most thrilling moments in movie history. After all of Steven Spielberg’s virtuoso framing and cool ’70s Hitchcock scare tactics, the shark’s big-mouthed consumption of a man who fully deserves to be eaten had a shockingly raw “Look, there it is!” exploitation-film brazenness. (One not inaccurate way to describe “Jaws” would be to call it the greatest B-movie ever made.) “The Flood,” an alligator-attack movie that’s also a violent prison-break thriller, takes its cue from that scene. Set in a backwater Louisiana police station during a hurricane, the film isn’t shy about serving up its big, nasty human-torso-meets-jaws moments. It’s basically a slasher movie with teeth.
The alligator thriller, of course, was always a bargain-basement knockoff of “Jaws” — literally, since the alligators are inevitably slithering out of some basement somewhere. But it was...
The alligator thriller, of course, was always a bargain-basement knockoff of “Jaws” — literally, since the alligators are inevitably slithering out of some basement somewhere. But it was...
- 7/16/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Most film fans in the ‘80s got their first glimpse of John Cusack on the big screen as one of Anthony Michael Hall’s buddies who placed a bet that requires that their pal to secure a pair of Molly Ringwald’s panties in the John Hughes teen comedy “Sixteen Candles.” Hey, everyone has to start somewhere. Consider that his sister Joan was reduced to playing “Geek Girl” with an awkward brace around neck.
It was uphill from there as Cusack, with his ironically humorous takes on leading manhood, became one of the more in-demand male stars for the next two decades, working with such top-notch directors as John Sayles, Rob Reiner, Cameron Crowe, Stephen Frears, Spike Jonze, Woody Allen, Terrence Malick and Mike Newell. Somehow, Cusack has been under the radar when it comes to be nominated for major awards as a performer. But he has made considerable contributions...
It was uphill from there as Cusack, with his ironically humorous takes on leading manhood, became one of the more in-demand male stars for the next two decades, working with such top-notch directors as John Sayles, Rob Reiner, Cameron Crowe, Stephen Frears, Spike Jonze, Woody Allen, Terrence Malick and Mike Newell. Somehow, Cusack has been under the radar when it comes to be nominated for major awards as a performer. But he has made considerable contributions...
- 6/24/2023
- by Susan Wloszczyna, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
In hindsight, it’s a story so simple a child could’ve come up with it. A story about a boy feeling lost and alone in the world. He befriends a small alien, similarly lost and alone in the world. Their bond is almost immediate, and in a few short days, they become the best of friends. But the alien doesn’t belong here, and the boy knows it. One day soon, that loveable creature will have to return home, and when he does, he won’t be coming back… The end.
It might not sound spectacular on paper, but with the right storyteller in charge, the result broke millions of hearts and earned hundreds of millions of dollars. When Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came out in June of 1982, the world was not quite prepared for just how much of a phenomenon the movie – and its title character – would become.
It might not sound spectacular on paper, but with the right storyteller in charge, the result broke millions of hearts and earned hundreds of millions of dollars. When Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came out in June of 1982, the world was not quite prepared for just how much of a phenomenon the movie – and its title character – would become.
- 6/21/2023
- by Eric Walkuski
- JoBlo.com
Despite what the splashy yacht parties in Cannes suggest, media companies really are trying to save money right now. Really!
Top execs at Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, Netflix, Paramount Global, Amazon and NBCUniversal parent Comcast have all promised shareholders during recent quarterly earnings calls that they’ll be spending wisely amid the economic downturn. Sweeping layoffs and other cost-cutting strategies, including the removal of underperforming content from some streaming services, has been among the first orders of business in 2023.
But no matter how many jobs these Hollywood heavyweights cut, reaching an outlandish savings target (nearly $4 billion for the post-merger Warner Bros. Discovery) is going to require pinching pennies in more areas than staff headcount. While CFOs are shredding budgets to ribbons, TV’s latest FYC season poses another quandary: What is the cost vs. benefit of an Emmy this year? And does the statuette’s symbolic value go down if...
Top execs at Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, Netflix, Paramount Global, Amazon and NBCUniversal parent Comcast have all promised shareholders during recent quarterly earnings calls that they’ll be spending wisely amid the economic downturn. Sweeping layoffs and other cost-cutting strategies, including the removal of underperforming content from some streaming services, has been among the first orders of business in 2023.
But no matter how many jobs these Hollywood heavyweights cut, reaching an outlandish savings target (nearly $4 billion for the post-merger Warner Bros. Discovery) is going to require pinching pennies in more areas than staff headcount. While CFOs are shredding budgets to ribbons, TV’s latest FYC season poses another quandary: What is the cost vs. benefit of an Emmy this year? And does the statuette’s symbolic value go down if...
- 6/20/2023
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
Clockwise from left: Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Francis Ford Coppola.Photo: Silver Screen Collection, Murray Close (Getty Images)
Martin Scorsese’s recent musings about mortality—inspired by thoughts from director Akira Kurosawa a generation ago—inspire even more thoughts, and not just because Kurosawa’s Dreams, starring Scorsese as Vincent Van Gogh,...
Martin Scorsese’s recent musings about mortality—inspired by thoughts from director Akira Kurosawa a generation ago—inspire even more thoughts, and not just because Kurosawa’s Dreams, starring Scorsese as Vincent Van Gogh,...
- 6/19/2023
- by Luke Y. Thompson
- avclub.com
This episode of The Black Sheep was Written and Narrated by Andrew Hatfield, Edited by Brandon Nally, Produced by Lance Vlcek and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
The creature feature just isn’t explored enough anymore. Jaws was a monster of a success story and ended up having three sequels on its own and had a slew of imitators. 1980 would give us, in my humble opinion, one of the better ones with Alligator starring Robert Forster. It was successful too, making 6 and a half million on a 1.5-million-dollar budget. I know that’s not crazy money, but it was a hit and had a fun pedigree with it that remains very popular today. Its one of the movies that keeps selling well with new and old fans and so it recently got put on 4K. There weren’t as many creature flicks through the rest of the...
The creature feature just isn’t explored enough anymore. Jaws was a monster of a success story and ended up having three sequels on its own and had a slew of imitators. 1980 would give us, in my humble opinion, one of the better ones with Alligator starring Robert Forster. It was successful too, making 6 and a half million on a 1.5-million-dollar budget. I know that’s not crazy money, but it was a hit and had a fun pedigree with it that remains very popular today. Its one of the movies that keeps selling well with new and old fans and so it recently got put on 4K. There weren’t as many creature flicks through the rest of the...
- 4/18/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.