Can we have a random break for applause for Daniel Walber's The Furniture column. It was Daniel's birthday this weekend so he has the day off. He's already 69 episodes in to this incredible series which has been filled with sharp insights, a keen eye, and rich Hollywood anecdotes. Here's everything he's covered thus far. Please show your love in the comments if you look forward to these each Monday.
The Forties and Fifties
• Hold Back the Dawn (1941) Bored at the border
• How Green Was My Valley (1941) Designing dignity
• That Hamilton Woman (1941) High ceilings
• Captain of the Clouds (1942) A Canadian air show
• The Magnificent Andersons (1942) Victorian Palace / Manifest Destiny
• My Gal Sal (1942) Nonsense Gay Nineties
• The Shanghai Gesture (1942) Appropriating Chinese design
• Black Narcissus (1947) Mad for matte paintings
• David and Bathsheba (1951) A humble palace of moral struggle
• A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) Decorative madness
• My Cousin Rachel (1952) Ghosts of property
• Lust for Life...
The Forties and Fifties
• Hold Back the Dawn (1941) Bored at the border
• How Green Was My Valley (1941) Designing dignity
• That Hamilton Woman (1941) High ceilings
• Captain of the Clouds (1942) A Canadian air show
• The Magnificent Andersons (1942) Victorian Palace / Manifest Destiny
• My Gal Sal (1942) Nonsense Gay Nineties
• The Shanghai Gesture (1942) Appropriating Chinese design
• Black Narcissus (1947) Mad for matte paintings
• David and Bathsheba (1951) A humble palace of moral struggle
• A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) Decorative madness
• My Cousin Rachel (1952) Ghosts of property
• Lust for Life...
- 7/31/2017
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
(See previous post: “Gay Pride Movie Series Comes to a Close: From Heterosexual Angst to Indonesian Coup.”) Ken Russell's Valentino (1977) is notable for starring ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev as silent era icon Rudolph Valentino, whose sexual orientation, despite countless gay rumors, seems to have been, according to the available evidence, heterosexual. (Valentino's supposed affair with fellow “Latin Lover” Ramon Novarro has no basis in reality.) The female cast is also impressive: Veteran Leslie Caron (Lili, Gigi) as stage and screen star Alla Nazimova, ex-The Mamas & the Papas singer Michelle Phillips as Valentino wife and Nazimova protégée Natacha Rambova, Felicity Kendal as screenwriter/producer June Mathis (The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse), and Carol Kane – lately of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fame. Bob Fosse's Cabaret (1972) is notable as one of the greatest musicals ever made. As a 1930s Cabaret presenter – and the Spirit of Germany – Joel Grey was the year's Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner. Liza Minnelli...
- 6/30/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
"The Furniture" a weekly series on Production Design by Daniel Walber
The 1951 box office was topped by Quo Vadis, a sword-and-sandal epic with thumping Christian overtones that cost well over $7 million. Crowds flocked to see Peter Ustinov’s Nero fiddle over the burning wreckage of Rome. And when the Academy Awards came around, the film picked up eight nominations.
Nevertheless, this is not column about Quo Vadis. If you scan a bit lower on the list of 1951’s biggest moneymakers, you’ll find David and Bathsheba. Next to Nero’s gold, it seems minor. It grossed less and scored fewer Oscar nominations. But it makes up for this deficit in sparkle with its unique character, intimate drama in a biblical package. The Oscar nominated production design, sprung from a much lower budget, illustrates that as much as anything else...
The 1951 box office was topped by Quo Vadis, a sword-and-sandal epic with thumping Christian overtones that cost well over $7 million. Crowds flocked to see Peter Ustinov’s Nero fiddle over the burning wreckage of Rome. And when the Academy Awards came around, the film picked up eight nominations.
Nevertheless, this is not column about Quo Vadis. If you scan a bit lower on the list of 1951’s biggest moneymakers, you’ll find David and Bathsheba. Next to Nero’s gold, it seems minor. It grossed less and scored fewer Oscar nominations. But it makes up for this deficit in sparkle with its unique character, intimate drama in a biblical package. The Oscar nominated production design, sprung from a much lower budget, illustrates that as much as anything else...
- 6/26/2017
- by Daniel Walber
- FilmExperience
David and Bathsheba
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1951 / Color / 1:37 flat Academy / 116 min. / Street Date January 10, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, Raymond Massey, Kieron Moore, James Robertson Justice, Jayne Meadows, George Zucco, Francis X. Bushman, Gwen Verdon
Cinematography: Leon Shamroy
Art Direction: George Davis, Lyle Wheeler
Film Editor: Barbara McLean
Original Music: Alfred Newman
Written by: Philip Dunne
Produced by: Darryl F. Zanuck
Directed by Henry King
Right in the middle of WW2, 20th Fox struck religious pay dirt with two respectful religion-themed movies, one about a miracle and another about the hard life of a priest. Each created a new Hollywood star. Five years later there began a regular Hollywood Bible War. In 1949 Cecil B. DeMille released his first Biblical epic in Technicolor, Samson and Delilah, throwing violence, sex and hammy acting at the screen in even measure. MGM bounced back with a tremendous production of...
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1951 / Color / 1:37 flat Academy / 116 min. / Street Date January 10, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, Raymond Massey, Kieron Moore, James Robertson Justice, Jayne Meadows, George Zucco, Francis X. Bushman, Gwen Verdon
Cinematography: Leon Shamroy
Art Direction: George Davis, Lyle Wheeler
Film Editor: Barbara McLean
Original Music: Alfred Newman
Written by: Philip Dunne
Produced by: Darryl F. Zanuck
Directed by Henry King
Right in the middle of WW2, 20th Fox struck religious pay dirt with two respectful religion-themed movies, one about a miracle and another about the hard life of a priest. Each created a new Hollywood star. Five years later there began a regular Hollywood Bible War. In 1949 Cecil B. DeMille released his first Biblical epic in Technicolor, Samson and Delilah, throwing violence, sex and hammy acting at the screen in even measure. MGM bounced back with a tremendous production of...
- 1/13/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Brad Pitt 'Glory Days' costar Nicholas Kallsen Brad Pitt 'Glory Days' costar Nicholas Kallsen dead at 48 Nicholas Kallsen, who was featured opposite Brad Pitt in the short-lived television series Glory Days, has died at age 48 in Thailand according to online reports. Their source is one of Rupert Murdoch's rags, citing a Facebook posting by one of the actor's friends. The cause of death was purportedly – no specific source was provided – a drug overdose.* Aired on Fox in July 1990, Glory Days told the story of four high-school friends whose paths take different directions after graduation. Besides Nicholas Kallsen and Brad Pitt, the show also featured Spike Alexander and Evan Mirand. Glory Days lasted a mere six episodes – two of which directed by former Happy Days actor Anson Williams – before its cancellation. Roommates Nicholas Kallsen and Brad Pitt vying for same 'Thelma & Louise' role? The Murdoch tabloid also...
- 5/1/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
On the same day that the first trailer for his Moses movie—Exodus: Gods and Kings, starring Christian Bale—debuted on the Internet, Ridley Scott has announced his intention to tackle another Biblical epic. As first reported in Variety, Scott, Exodus producer Peter Chernin, and 20th Century Fox are re-teaming for a movie about David, the boy who slew Goliath and grew up to be the exalted king of Israel.
Jonathan W. Stokes, who penned the script for the Benedict Cumberbatch project Blood Mountain, is writing a screenplay that will focus on David’s reign as king, following his early battle with the giant Philistine.
Jonathan W. Stokes, who penned the script for the Benedict Cumberbatch project Blood Mountain, is writing a screenplay that will focus on David’s reign as king, following his early battle with the giant Philistine.
- 7/9/2014
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
By Lee Pfeiffer
The name Wakefield Poole may not mean much to mainstream audiences but in the 1970s he was quite a controversial filmmaker. Poole initially trained for the ballet then drifted into movie making. In 1971, Poole released Boys in the Sand, the first "up market" hardcore gay movie. It caused quite a sensation and was immediately embraced by long-suffering gay males who heretofore had to be content with low-end, quickly shot pornographic "loops" that played in Times Square grindhouses. Poole's film was taken seriously by the critical establishment and actually earned praise in reputable publications like Variety. The film actually cracked Variety's list of the top 50 grossing films in America, an amazing achievement for a movie with limited appeal and distribution. It also made a gay movie icon of actor Casey Donovan. Poole and Donovan followed this project up with another hardcore porn flick, Bijou, which was released in...
The name Wakefield Poole may not mean much to mainstream audiences but in the 1970s he was quite a controversial filmmaker. Poole initially trained for the ballet then drifted into movie making. In 1971, Poole released Boys in the Sand, the first "up market" hardcore gay movie. It caused quite a sensation and was immediately embraced by long-suffering gay males who heretofore had to be content with low-end, quickly shot pornographic "loops" that played in Times Square grindhouses. Poole's film was taken seriously by the critical establishment and actually earned praise in reputable publications like Variety. The film actually cracked Variety's list of the top 50 grossing films in America, an amazing achievement for a movie with limited appeal and distribution. It also made a gay movie icon of actor Casey Donovan. Poole and Donovan followed this project up with another hardcore porn flick, Bijou, which was released in...
- 9/8/2013
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Company You Keep: Greenaway’s Latest a Beguiling, Sumptuous Cinematic Film
One seems to forget that Peter Greenaway has been prophesying the death of cinema (for well over a decade now) after watching his visually sumptuous new film, Goltzius and the Pelican Company, which sees the auteur in top form, combining his arresting visionary panache with his signature taboo baiting subject matter in the realm of the high brow. The subject matter is a hard sell, and those unfamiliar or unaccustomed to Greenaway’s unclassifiable narratives (or lack thereof) will most likely be as baffled as ever, but fans of the director and/or offbeat, striking cinema will hopefully embrace one of the infrequent working Greenaway’s best films to date.
Hendrick Goltzius (Ramsey Nasr), a late 16th century Dutch printer and engraver of erotic prints, takes his employees, known as the Pelican Company, to visit the Margrave of Alsace...
One seems to forget that Peter Greenaway has been prophesying the death of cinema (for well over a decade now) after watching his visually sumptuous new film, Goltzius and the Pelican Company, which sees the auteur in top form, combining his arresting visionary panache with his signature taboo baiting subject matter in the realm of the high brow. The subject matter is a hard sell, and those unfamiliar or unaccustomed to Greenaway’s unclassifiable narratives (or lack thereof) will most likely be as baffled as ever, but fans of the director and/or offbeat, striking cinema will hopefully embrace one of the infrequent working Greenaway’s best films to date.
Hendrick Goltzius (Ramsey Nasr), a late 16th century Dutch printer and engraver of erotic prints, takes his employees, known as the Pelican Company, to visit the Margrave of Alsace...
- 1/9/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Taylor Kitsch, John Carter The John Carter trailer (please scroll down) was another Super Bowl event earlier this evening, more important for some than the game itself. Perhaps even more important than appearances by Clint Eastwood and Madonna, not to mention all the car commercials. Now, Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars isn't exactly a very well-known novel nor is John Carter a major pop action figure. Though he'd better become one, considering that Walt Disney Studios has invested a reported $250 million on this actioner/sci-fier, the first live-action feature directed by Pixar's Andrew Stanton of Wall-e fame. One thing Disney surely can't afford is another Mars Needs Moms box-office cataclysm. In the title role, Taylor Kitsch is an earthling who happens to land on Mars, where he must battle huge monsters, fight huge armies, and display huge biceps. By the looks of the John Carter trailer, the...
- 2/6/2012
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern, Jeanne Crain, A Letter to Three Wives DGA Awards vs. Academy Awards Pt.2: Foreign, Small, Controversial Movies Have Better Luck at the Oscars Since pre-1970 Directors Guild Award finalists often consisted of more than five directors, it was impossible to get an exact match for the DGA's and the Academy's lists of nominees. In the list below, the years before 1970 include DGA finalists (DGA) who didn't receive an Academy Award nod and, if applicable, those Academy Award-nominated directors (AMPAS) not found in the — usually much lengthier — DGA list. The label "DGA/AMPAS" means the directors in question received nominations for both the DGA Award and the Academy Award. The DGA Awards vs. Academy Awards list below goes from 1948 (the DGA Awards' first year) to 1952. Follow-up posts will cover the ensuing decades. The number in parentheses next to "DGA" indicates that year's number of DGA finalists if other than five.
- 1/10/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Established as a platform for the fringe successes and overlooked treasures of the European festival scene, the Museum of the Moving Image’s new First Look festival in New York acts as a much-needed bright spot amid the winter doldrums. It’s also the perfect antidote to an awards season hangover, offering resolutely small movies colored with a strong avant-garde streak. From the mind-bending, color-coded world of Raya Martin’s Buenos noches, España to the abundant familial milieu of Papirosen, the inaugural edition of this new event proves consistently engrossing. Below is a concise guide to some of films showing, all but one of which are NYC premieres.
Papirosen (Gastón Solnicki, Argentina)
Like a bustling inter-generational novel without a beginning or end, Gastón Solnicki’s Papirosen is a scrambled collection of anecdotes, floating about in search of a story arc. It’s a presentation that seems frazzled at first, until...
Papirosen (Gastón Solnicki, Argentina)
Like a bustling inter-generational novel without a beginning or end, Gastón Solnicki’s Papirosen is a scrambled collection of anecdotes, floating about in search of a story arc. It’s a presentation that seems frazzled at first, until...
- 1/6/2012
- MUBI
That headline is not a typo. Peter Greenaway, who is among the most art-oriented directors alive (Prospero's Books, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover) is set to write and direct his first romantic comedy. The film is called 4 Storms and 2 Babies, and is scheduled to shoot in Amsterdam later this year. Has the whole world gone crazy? Variety [1] says the film is "an unconventional love story about two men and a woman who becomes pregnant after a night of three-way sex with them." Whew! So 4 Storms and 2 Babies won't quite be The Proposal. In fact, this sounds very much like something Peter Greenaway might do. It actually sounds like something the Peter Greenaway of 1988 might do. That's kind of striking, since the director has of late been more interested in films that are either more conceptual art than narrative (The Tulse Luper Suitcases) or rooted in centuries-old art more than anything else.
- 2/14/2011
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
Album and video of performances are available for pre-order now.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with Jem Aswad, Hillary Crosley, Maura Johnston, Gil Kaufman and Amy Wilkinson
<i>Hope For Haiti Now</i> album
Photo: Hope For Haiti Now
While earthquake relief in Haiti was the reason for and inspiration behind "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief," there's no question that it featured some amazing, one-of-a-kind musical performances.
The songs chosen by most of the artists had a thematic connection to the occasion, and the soaring lyrics delivered by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige and Justin Timberlake underlined the hope for the country that's coming from around the world. The songs' unplugged, often gentle renditions underscored the seriousness of the situation.
George Clooney helped organize the event, and his hope is that the songs carry the event beyond the evening and into the following weeks, months and years.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with Jem Aswad, Hillary Crosley, Maura Johnston, Gil Kaufman and Amy Wilkinson
<i>Hope For Haiti Now</i> album
Photo: Hope For Haiti Now
While earthquake relief in Haiti was the reason for and inspiration behind "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief," there's no question that it featured some amazing, one-of-a-kind musical performances.
The songs chosen by most of the artists had a thematic connection to the occasion, and the soaring lyrics delivered by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige and Justin Timberlake underlined the hope for the country that's coming from around the world. The songs' unplugged, often gentle renditions underscored the seriousness of the situation.
George Clooney helped organize the event, and his hope is that the songs carry the event beyond the evening and into the following weeks, months and years.
- 1/22/2010
- MTV Music News
Leonard Cohen's 1984 song, covered at the 'Hope for Haiti Now' telethon, has been recorded by nearly 200 performers.
By Amy Wilkinson
Justin Timberlake at "Hope For Haiti Now" on Friday
Photo: Hope For Haiti Now/ Getty
With Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris' moving performance of "Hallelujah" during MTV's "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Hurricane Relief" on Friday (January 22), the duo joined the ranks of nearly 200 performers who have recorded the melancholy ballad.
Written by singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen and released on his 1984 studio album Various Positions, the song reportedly took a year to write and includes 80 available verses and at least two wholly original renditions. The song contains several biblical references, including allusions to Samson and Delilah and King David and Bathsheba, heightening the song's hymn-like quality.
The first notable cover came courtesy of Welsh singer/songwriter John Cale in 1991, whose stripped-down rendition appeared on the...
By Amy Wilkinson
Justin Timberlake at "Hope For Haiti Now" on Friday
Photo: Hope For Haiti Now/ Getty
With Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris' moving performance of "Hallelujah" during MTV's "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Hurricane Relief" on Friday (January 22), the duo joined the ranks of nearly 200 performers who have recorded the melancholy ballad.
Written by singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen and released on his 1984 studio album Various Positions, the song reportedly took a year to write and includes 80 available verses and at least two wholly original renditions. The song contains several biblical references, including allusions to Samson and Delilah and King David and Bathsheba, heightening the song's hymn-like quality.
The first notable cover came courtesy of Welsh singer/songwriter John Cale in 1991, whose stripped-down rendition appeared on the...
- 1/22/2010
- MTV Music News
Long Wharf Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Gordon Edelstein and Managing Director Ray Cullom, will present the beloved musical The Fantasticks, directed by Amanda Dehnert, from October 7 through November 1, 2009, on the Mainstage.
Press night is Wednesday, October 14 at 7:30 p.m. Curtain times are Tuesdays at 7 p.m., Wednesdays at 2 and 7 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3p.m. and 8p.m., and Sundays at 2p.m. and 7p.m. Tickets are $30-$70.
"I have loved The Fantasticks since I was a little kid," said Artistic Director Gordon Edelstein. "This will be so much fun for the entire family."
This hit musical with book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt, the longest running Off-Broadway musical in history, tells the story of Luisa and Matt, a pair entering the bloom of their youth. Their fathers, scheming to encourage their budding love, hire...
Press night is Wednesday, October 14 at 7:30 p.m. Curtain times are Tuesdays at 7 p.m., Wednesdays at 2 and 7 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3p.m. and 8p.m., and Sundays at 2p.m. and 7p.m. Tickets are $30-$70.
"I have loved The Fantasticks since I was a little kid," said Artistic Director Gordon Edelstein. "This will be so much fun for the entire family."
This hit musical with book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt, the longest running Off-Broadway musical in history, tells the story of Luisa and Matt, a pair entering the bloom of their youth. Their fathers, scheming to encourage their budding love, hire...
- 11/1/2009
- BroadwayWorld.com
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