Fred Astaire was an Oscar-nominated song and dance man best remembered for a series of musicals he made alongside many female dancer, but especially Ginger Rogers. Yet his filmography extends well past those titles. Let’s take a look back at 20 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
As a dancer, Astaire was known for his perfectionism, doing multiple takes to get the most precise movements correct. His immaculate steps were matched only by his outfits, which often consisted of top hats and coats.
After making a name for himself on the stage in London and on Broadway, Astaire came to Hollywood. He first appeared with fellow dancer Rogers in “Flying Down to Rio” (1933), where they played second fiddle to Dolores del Rio and Gene Raymond. Their first starring vehicle came just one year later: “The Gay Divorcee” (1934).
Their subsequent films, including “Top Hat” (1935), “Follow the Fleet” (1936), “Swing Time...
As a dancer, Astaire was known for his perfectionism, doing multiple takes to get the most precise movements correct. His immaculate steps were matched only by his outfits, which often consisted of top hats and coats.
After making a name for himself on the stage in London and on Broadway, Astaire came to Hollywood. He first appeared with fellow dancer Rogers in “Flying Down to Rio” (1933), where they played second fiddle to Dolores del Rio and Gene Raymond. Their first starring vehicle came just one year later: “The Gay Divorcee” (1934).
Their subsequent films, including “Top Hat” (1935), “Follow the Fleet” (1936), “Swing Time...
- 5/4/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Kevin Macdonald’s finely balanced portrait of the disgraced Dior designer, on Mubi from Friday, is the newest arrival on a catwalk of fashion industry movies, from Funny Face to Zoolander
For those who bleat on about the iniquities of supposed “cancel culture”, the career of British fashion designer John Galliano is a useful counterpoint. Sacked in 2011 as the creative director of Christian Dior after an appalling incident of antisemitic abuse on his part, he spent two years in the wilderness before being hired by Oscar de la Renta and subsequently Maison Margiela, where he has been for a decade. A-listers still wear his gowns on red carpets. Life goes on. Kevin Macdonald’s documentary High & Low: John Galliano (streaming on Mubi from 26 April) chronicles Galliano’s rise and fall and rise with a more distanced, critical eye than you may expect from a film co-produced by Vogue publisher Condé Nast.
For those who bleat on about the iniquities of supposed “cancel culture”, the career of British fashion designer John Galliano is a useful counterpoint. Sacked in 2011 as the creative director of Christian Dior after an appalling incident of antisemitic abuse on his part, he spent two years in the wilderness before being hired by Oscar de la Renta and subsequently Maison Margiela, where he has been for a decade. A-listers still wear his gowns on red carpets. Life goes on. Kevin Macdonald’s documentary High & Low: John Galliano (streaming on Mubi from 26 April) chronicles Galliano’s rise and fall and rise with a more distanced, critical eye than you may expect from a film co-produced by Vogue publisher Condé Nast.
- 4/20/2024
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
The late Stanley Donen was born on April 13, 1924. The legendary filmmaker — the last of the directors from Hollywood’s golden age — passed away on February 21, 2019, leaving behind a legacy of classic movies filled with color, song, and dance. Let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Donen got his start as a dancer. It was in the chorus line for George Abbott‘s production of “Pal Joey” that he met Gene Kelly. The two became quick friends, and Donen started working as Kelly’s assistant, helping him choreograph his intensely acrobatic dance sequences.
The two turned to filmmaking with “On the Town” (1949), a lavish Technicolor musical about three sailors on a 24 hour shore leave in New York City. They teamed up again for perhaps the greatest movie musical of all time: “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952). A satire of Hollywood’s rocky transition from silent cinema to sound,...
Donen got his start as a dancer. It was in the chorus line for George Abbott‘s production of “Pal Joey” that he met Gene Kelly. The two became quick friends, and Donen started working as Kelly’s assistant, helping him choreograph his intensely acrobatic dance sequences.
The two turned to filmmaking with “On the Town” (1949), a lavish Technicolor musical about three sailors on a 24 hour shore leave in New York City. They teamed up again for perhaps the greatest movie musical of all time: “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952). A satire of Hollywood’s rocky transition from silent cinema to sound,...
- 4/6/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
There are films you watched every time they pop up on TCM or streaming services. It’s like visiting an old friend. These movies put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. And one such film is “Charade,” which celebrates its 60th anniversary on Dec. 5. Deftly directed by Stanley Donen from a fun and thrilling Peter Stone screenplay, “Charade” stars Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn who exude a William Powell/Myrna Loy style chemistry that leaps off the screen. And let’s not forget that gorgeous Henry Mancini score, the romantic Oscar-nominated title tune “Charade,” with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and the pulsating Saul Bass title sequence.
I saw “Charade” when it was released, and I’ve probably seen it at least 15 more times. And each time seems like the first. Not many films have that kind of power. A 2010 Criterion Collection article by film historian...
I saw “Charade” when it was released, and I’ve probably seen it at least 15 more times. And each time seems like the first. Not many films have that kind of power. A 2010 Criterion Collection article by film historian...
- 12/6/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
With a fascinating professional roadmap as a filmmaker, choreographer and teaching artist, Sarah Friedland is set to launch her feature debut in 2024. Produced by Alexandra Byer — Sollers Point (2017), Colewell (2019), Funny Face (2020) and Noah Pritzker’s just preemed San Sebastian Film Festival title Ex-Husbands) and Matthew Thurm (2014’s H. and 2020’s Sylvie’s Love), Familiar Touch might address cognitive decline related to dementia, but its not a film that is solely about subtraction as it sheds light on what might be gained and both usurps the coming-of-age film format and tackles conventions of ageism. I had the chance to speak to Sarah Friedland in Wroclaw.…...
- 11/29/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Kicking October to the curb and bringing in some November goodness is a fresh slate of new content headed to Paramount Global’s streamer Paramount+, including the sequel to the hit 1997 film “Good Burger.”
Paramount+ started off November by adding more than 30 titles to its library, some of which include “Above the Rim,” Season 15 of “Ink Master,” “Gladiator” and “The Color Purple.”
And if you’re looking for some holiday movies to watch with the family, you can deck the halls with “Happy Christmas,” “Mistletoe Ranch” or “Christmas Eve.” When the kids go to sleep, adult-friendly treats like “Bad Santa” and “Bad Santa 2” are also available.
The highly-anticipated “Good Burger 2,” which stars Kel Mitchell, Keenan Thompson, Shar Jackson, Carmen Electra, Josh Server, Alex R. Hibbert, Lori Beth Denberg and Lil Rel Howery, hits the platform on Nov. 22
Here’s everything coming to Paramount+ this November, from “The Truman Show” to “Paw Patrol.
Paramount+ started off November by adding more than 30 titles to its library, some of which include “Above the Rim,” Season 15 of “Ink Master,” “Gladiator” and “The Color Purple.”
And if you’re looking for some holiday movies to watch with the family, you can deck the halls with “Happy Christmas,” “Mistletoe Ranch” or “Christmas Eve.” When the kids go to sleep, adult-friendly treats like “Bad Santa” and “Bad Santa 2” are also available.
The highly-anticipated “Good Burger 2,” which stars Kel Mitchell, Keenan Thompson, Shar Jackson, Carmen Electra, Josh Server, Alex R. Hibbert, Lori Beth Denberg and Lil Rel Howery, hits the platform on Nov. 22
Here’s everything coming to Paramount+ this November, from “The Truman Show” to “Paw Patrol.
- 11/3/2023
- by Raquel 'Rocky' Harris
- The Wrap
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
Quick Answer: Currently, Eloise at the Plaza is available to stream for Amazon Prime members.
30-Day Free Amazon PRime Trial
Eloise at the Plaza is nothing short of a cult classic that has stood the test of time as perhaps one of the best seasonal films in history (critics, feel free to disagree, but our opinion stands). As the movie approaches its 20 year anniversay, we’ve outlined how...
Quick Answer: Currently, Eloise at the Plaza is available to stream for Amazon Prime members.
30-Day Free Amazon PRime Trial
Eloise at the Plaza is nothing short of a cult classic that has stood the test of time as perhaps one of the best seasonal films in history (critics, feel free to disagree, but our opinion stands). As the movie approaches its 20 year anniversay, we’ve outlined how...
- 11/2/2023
- by Kyle Lamar Rice
- Rollingstone.com
Rathaus, the New York and Detroit-based production company behind such films as Tim Sutton’s Funny Face, Cedric Cheung-Lau’s The Mountains Are a Dream that Call to Me and Diana Peralta’s De Lo Mio, has announced a new grant supporting Detroit-based filmmakers. The Rathaus Film Grant will give $10,000 to one moving image artist in support of a short film, feature film, documentary, hybrid piece, or video art. Funds are unrestricted. As the Faq notes, they “can be used in any way that significantly progresses your project forward. This could be anything from; supporting you to take time off to write […]
The post Rathaus Announces Detroit-Focused $10,000 Film Production Grant first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Rathaus Announces Detroit-Focused $10,000 Film Production Grant first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 9/20/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Rathaus, the New York and Detroit-based production company behind such films as Tim Sutton’s Funny Face, Cedric Cheung-Lau’s The Mountains Are a Dream that Call to Me and Diana Peralta’s De Lo Mio, has announced a new grant supporting Detroit-based filmmakers. The Rathaus Film Grant will give $10,000 to one moving image artist in support of a short film, feature film, documentary, hybrid piece, or video art. Funds are unrestricted. As the Faq notes, they “can be used in any way that significantly progresses your project forward. This could be anything from; supporting you to take time off to write […]
The post Rathaus Announces Detroit-Focused $10,000 Film Production Grant first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Rathaus Announces Detroit-Focused $10,000 Film Production Grant first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 9/20/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” is destined to be a classic in its own right, already garnering nearly half a billion dollars at the box office in under a week. The film, about a stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) in the grips of an existential crisis that sees her going to the Real World, is all manner of fun and wacky, with a number of Old Hollywood influences.
Gerwig herself has cited a number of features that either directly or indirectly inspired “Barbie,” starting with the 1939 Technicolor classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” That film, with its now iconic transition between Kansas and the land of Oz, no doubt factored into how the feature approaches color. The idea of a character transitioning from one world to another draws comparisons to “The Truman Show” and “Heaven Can Wait.”
Among the more nuanced, less obvious films, Gerwig took inspiration from “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,...
Gerwig herself has cited a number of features that either directly or indirectly inspired “Barbie,” starting with the 1939 Technicolor classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” That film, with its now iconic transition between Kansas and the land of Oz, no doubt factored into how the feature approaches color. The idea of a character transitioning from one world to another draws comparisons to “The Truman Show” and “Heaven Can Wait.”
Among the more nuanced, less obvious films, Gerwig took inspiration from “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,...
- 7/28/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
Kate Wyler was always going to end “The Diplomat” wearing a red dress.
The instantly iconic look in the Netflix series’ season finale finds Keri Russell’s newly appointed diplomat to the U.K. attending a gala at the Louvre in a flowing red gown, evoking none other than Audrey Hepburn in “Funny Face.” And that particular look was written into series creator Debora Cahn’s script from the beginning.
“Red was always in Debora’s script,” “The Diplomat” costume designer Roland Sanchez told IndieWire. “Debora laid it all out. She’s very in tune. She’s very costume oriented and there’s reasons why she does things for these characters.”
Working from the script, Sanchez found a red dress from Galvan London that fit the bill. But then the location scout brought bad news. “[The dress] was originally a burgundy. But we were shooting in a burgundy room the exact color of the dress,...
The instantly iconic look in the Netflix series’ season finale finds Keri Russell’s newly appointed diplomat to the U.K. attending a gala at the Louvre in a flowing red gown, evoking none other than Audrey Hepburn in “Funny Face.” And that particular look was written into series creator Debora Cahn’s script from the beginning.
“Red was always in Debora’s script,” “The Diplomat” costume designer Roland Sanchez told IndieWire. “Debora laid it all out. She’s very in tune. She’s very costume oriented and there’s reasons why she does things for these characters.”
Working from the script, Sanchez found a red dress from Galvan London that fit the bill. But then the location scout brought bad news. “[The dress] was originally a burgundy. But we were shooting in a burgundy room the exact color of the dress,...
- 4/22/2023
- by Mark Peikert
- Indiewire
When one thinks of classic Hollywood celebrities, Audrey Hepburn probably comes to mind. Before her death in 1993, Hepburn was known for her starring roles in Sabrina, Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and more. Here’s how Helpburn rose to fame in the 1950s.
Audrey Hepburn | Bettmann / Contributor Audrey Hepburn became famous because of the movie ‘Roman Holiday’
Hepburn’s first major film role came when she starred in the 1953 film Roman Holiday. Before starring in the romantic comedy, Hepburn was known for her work in theater.
According to a profile done by People Magazine in 1993, Hepburn “studied ballet” and was part of “a London production of High Batton Shoes.”
People Magazine reports that the actor “was spotted by the novelist Colette, who instantly realized that she had found the girl to play her Gigi on Broadway. That role won Hepburn a Theatre World Award in 1952.”
After rising in the theater world,...
Audrey Hepburn | Bettmann / Contributor Audrey Hepburn became famous because of the movie ‘Roman Holiday’
Hepburn’s first major film role came when she starred in the 1953 film Roman Holiday. Before starring in the romantic comedy, Hepburn was known for her work in theater.
According to a profile done by People Magazine in 1993, Hepburn “studied ballet” and was part of “a London production of High Batton Shoes.”
People Magazine reports that the actor “was spotted by the novelist Colette, who instantly realized that she had found the girl to play her Gigi on Broadway. That role won Hepburn a Theatre World Award in 1952.”
After rising in the theater world,...
- 2/19/2023
- by Eryn Murphy
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The legendary RZA joins hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss a few of his favorite movies.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Man With The Iron Fists (2012)
Cut Throat City (2020)
Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)
Cooley High (1975) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Car Wash (1976) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Grease (1978)
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020) – Dennis Cozzalio’s best of 2020
The Devil You Know (2022)
The Last American Virgin (1982)
The Beastmaster (1982)
Porky’s (1981)
Sixteen Candles (1984)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982) – Karyn Kusama’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Carmen Jones (1954)
An American In Paris (1951)
Singin’ In The Rain (1952) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
The Wizard Of Oz (1939) – John Badham’s trailer commentary
Is That Black Enough for You?!?...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Man With The Iron Fists (2012)
Cut Throat City (2020)
Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)
Cooley High (1975) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Car Wash (1976) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Grease (1978)
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020) – Dennis Cozzalio’s best of 2020
The Devil You Know (2022)
The Last American Virgin (1982)
The Beastmaster (1982)
Porky’s (1981)
Sixteen Candles (1984)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982) – Karyn Kusama’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Carmen Jones (1954)
An American In Paris (1951)
Singin’ In The Rain (1952) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
The Wizard Of Oz (1939) – John Badham’s trailer commentary
Is That Black Enough for You?!?...
- 2/14/2023
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Funny Face"
Where You Can Stream It: Prime Video, Hoopla, Pluto TV
The Pitch: Photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire) looks to shake up a session he is shooting for a fashion magazine run by Maggie Prescott (Kay Thompson), wanting to find a way to make his model look like she has more than a thought in her head. They decide to ambush a Greenwich Village bookstore. In that store works Jo Stockton...
The post The Daily Stream: A New Movie Star Meets An Old School Musical In Funny Face appeared first on /Film.
The Movie: "Funny Face"
Where You Can Stream It: Prime Video, Hoopla, Pluto TV
The Pitch: Photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire) looks to shake up a session he is shooting for a fashion magazine run by Maggie Prescott (Kay Thompson), wanting to find a way to make his model look like she has more than a thought in her head. They decide to ambush a Greenwich Village bookstore. In that store works Jo Stockton...
The post The Daily Stream: A New Movie Star Meets An Old School Musical In Funny Face appeared first on /Film.
- 5/11/2022
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Deadline has an exclusive track recorded for Netflix’s Russian Doll, which is set for digital release on a Seasons 1 & 2 soundtrack tomorrow via Gardener Recordings, as the show returns for its second season.
In its first season, debuting in 2019, Russian Doll introduced viewers to a woman named Nadia (Natasha Lyonne), who is caught in a time loop as the guest of honor at a seemingly inescapable party, one night in New York City. She dies repeatedly, and always restarts at the same moment at the party, as she tries to figure out what is happening to her.
Season 2 is set four years after Nadia and her fellow looping human Alan (Charlie Barnett) discover a time portal that sends them both on an era-spanning adventure through the past. Now, once again, the two must search for a way out of the loop together. Wong’s latest soundtrack release features dream-like...
In its first season, debuting in 2019, Russian Doll introduced viewers to a woman named Nadia (Natasha Lyonne), who is caught in a time loop as the guest of honor at a seemingly inescapable party, one night in New York City. She dies repeatedly, and always restarts at the same moment at the party, as she tries to figure out what is happening to her.
Season 2 is set four years after Nadia and her fellow looping human Alan (Charlie Barnett) discover a time portal that sends them both on an era-spanning adventure through the past. Now, once again, the two must search for a way out of the loop together. Wong’s latest soundtrack release features dream-like...
- 4/19/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Despite the increase in pop-culture amnesia, there are actually a lot of great rom-coms that predate the Reagan era
For many pop-culture websites, which we will not name here, the history of cinema apparently begins somewhere around the release of “Star Wars” (1977), with almost everything that preceded it to the big screen being sloughed off as quaint, forgettable and irrelevant.
It’s the sort of thing that people who love movies and movie history can often ignore with the roll of an eye, but when one site recently trumpeted its list of the 50 Best Rom-Coms of All Time — which featured exactly one movie made before 1980 and zero prior to 1970 — we could sit by no longer.
Here is an alphabetical list of 50 classic romantic comedies that merely scratches the surface of great movies made during ye olden times of 1979 and earlier:
“The Awful Truth” (1937): Cary Grant and Irene Dunne star...
For many pop-culture websites, which we will not name here, the history of cinema apparently begins somewhere around the release of “Star Wars” (1977), with almost everything that preceded it to the big screen being sloughed off as quaint, forgettable and irrelevant.
It’s the sort of thing that people who love movies and movie history can often ignore with the roll of an eye, but when one site recently trumpeted its list of the 50 Best Rom-Coms of All Time — which featured exactly one movie made before 1980 and zero prior to 1970 — we could sit by no longer.
Here is an alphabetical list of 50 classic romantic comedies that merely scratches the surface of great movies made during ye olden times of 1979 and earlier:
“The Awful Truth” (1937): Cary Grant and Irene Dunne star...
- 4/18/2022
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Is an Audrey Hepburn movie really an Audrey Hepburn movie if her love interest isn't at least 10 years her senior? Sadly, some of the actress' best films have her playing against some of the most charming heartthrobs of their time ... just a bit past their prime. Hepburn famously smooched Fred Astaire, then pushing 60, in "Funny Face;" a 56-year-old Gary Cooper in "Love in the Afternoonl" and Humphrey Bogart — with a whopping 30 years (!) between them — in "Sabrina," all before she'd turned 30.
I suppose that's the curse of the gamine, but still: there's scarcely a...
The post Audrey Hepburn And Cary Grant Were Well Aware of Their Awkward Age Gap In Charade appeared first on /Film.
I suppose that's the curse of the gamine, but still: there's scarcely a...
The post Audrey Hepburn And Cary Grant Were Well Aware of Their Awkward Age Gap In Charade appeared first on /Film.
- 4/14/2022
- by Lyvie Scott
- Slash Film
On the 65th anniversary of Funny Face, we run down the Givenchy girl’s best moments – from upstaging her (usually much older) leading men to literally representing heaven in a dazzling white cable-knit
This exotic MGM romance directed by Hepburn’s then husband, Mel Ferrer, was in fact her first big flop. Anthony Perkins plays a Venezuelan refugee whose life is saved by Rima the jungle girl: Hepburn in a suede pixie tunic, accessorised with a pet fawn and backed by a supporting cast in brownface.
This exotic MGM romance directed by Hepburn’s then husband, Mel Ferrer, was in fact her first big flop. Anthony Perkins plays a Venezuelan refugee whose life is saved by Rima the jungle girl: Hepburn in a suede pixie tunic, accessorised with a pet fawn and backed by a supporting cast in brownface.
- 2/17/2022
- by Anne Billson
- The Guardian - Film News
Apple has landed another big feature project, that being an Audrey Hepburn biopic which Oscar-nominated filmmaker Luca Guadagnino will helm, with 2x Oscar nominee Rooney Mara set to play The Breakfast at Tiffany‘s legendary actress.
Deadline has learned separately that Mara is also producing the feature project, which Michael Mitnick, the EP of HBO series Vinyl is writing.
The movie reps Mara’s third producing credit after the documentary The End of Medicine and The Truth About Emmanuel.
Apple Studios is producing. Apple’s heads of worldwide video Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht and head of features Matt Dentler continue their momentum in building big screen fare for the streamer.
Puck first had the story about Apple developing an Audrey Hepburn movie with Mara starring, Guadagnino directing.
Mitnick is repped by Grandview, CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. His feature credits include The Current War and The Giver.
Deadline has learned separately that Mara is also producing the feature project, which Michael Mitnick, the EP of HBO series Vinyl is writing.
The movie reps Mara’s third producing credit after the documentary The End of Medicine and The Truth About Emmanuel.
Apple Studios is producing. Apple’s heads of worldwide video Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht and head of features Matt Dentler continue their momentum in building big screen fare for the streamer.
Puck first had the story about Apple developing an Audrey Hepburn movie with Mara starring, Guadagnino directing.
Mitnick is repped by Grandview, CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. His feature credits include The Current War and The Giver.
- 1/7/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
If my shortlist for this piece is any indication, Hollywood adjusted to Covid just fine. I’ve put aside an average of 60-70 posters every year since I’ve been doing Posterized until barely hitting 40 in 2020. It wasn’t a dearth of quality work, but the fact that there were so many fewer releases to choose from. And since I base these columns on current-year US runs rather than when one-sheets start making their rounds, my pool of candidates was greatly reduced.
So either 2021 work was off-the-charts or the hybrid theatrical-streaming schedule found itself whole once again, because I was back to around 65. It helps too when you get new players on the scene, alt-posters too good to dismiss, and social-media controversy courtesy the collision of nudity and art that put more international designs into our American consciousness.
There are a couple below where the domestic marketing team decided to...
So either 2021 work was off-the-charts or the hybrid theatrical-streaming schedule found itself whole once again, because I was back to around 65. It helps too when you get new players on the scene, alt-posters too good to dismiss, and social-media controversy courtesy the collision of nudity and art that put more international designs into our American consciousness.
There are a couple below where the domestic marketing team decided to...
- 12/31/2021
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Switching gears from contemporary drama to what Variety once dubbed “oaters,” Tim Sutton’s “The Last Son” finds fresh life in a well-worn genre: Its striking visuals are accompanied by an oddly appropriate score led by droning, heavily distorted guitars; its occasional narration is winsome in a way that Westerns do best; and its evocation of an endlessly mythologized era feels authentic. But then Sutton goes and overplays his hand, the effects of which aren’t as disastrous as being caught cheating in a poker saloon, but they do leave you wondering what might have been.
“The Last Son” opens with lyrical narration and airy background music courtesy of Phil Mossman that brings to mind “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” though the comparisons mostly end there: Sutton’s movie isn’t elegiac so much as brutal. The voiceover returns to add mood and context from time to time,...
“The Last Son” opens with lyrical narration and airy background music courtesy of Phil Mossman that brings to mind “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” though the comparisons mostly end there: Sutton’s movie isn’t elegiac so much as brutal. The voiceover returns to add mood and context from time to time,...
- 12/9/2021
- by Michael Nordine
- Variety Film + TV
Tom Holland will be trading his webbed Spider-Man suit for a pair of dancing shoes to portray Fred Astaire in a new biopic from Sony, the English actor revealed. According to sources, deals for the project are still being finalized.
Sony declined to comment.
“Oh, I am playing Fred Astaire,” Holland told the AP while promoting Spider-Man: No Way Home in London on Sunday. “The script came in a week ago; I haven’t read it yet. They haven’t given it to me. I know Amy Pascal has the script. She Facetimed me earlier when I was in the bath and we had a lovely Facetime. But I will be playing Fred Astaire.”
Pascal first mentioned her eye was on Holland for the role of the legendary dancer, singer, and choreographer in a November profile of Holland in GQ.
The Sony biopic is not to be confused with Amazon...
Sony declined to comment.
“Oh, I am playing Fred Astaire,” Holland told the AP while promoting Spider-Man: No Way Home in London on Sunday. “The script came in a week ago; I haven’t read it yet. They haven’t given it to me. I know Amy Pascal has the script. She Facetimed me earlier when I was in the bath and we had a lovely Facetime. But I will be playing Fred Astaire.”
Pascal first mentioned her eye was on Holland for the role of the legendary dancer, singer, and choreographer in a November profile of Holland in GQ.
The Sony biopic is not to be confused with Amazon...
- 12/6/2021
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
"You'd be surprised what people can do..." Redbox has unveiled an official trailer for the indie film The Last Son, a western thriller from filmmaker Tim Sutton who is known for his low key indie films previously - Memphis, Dark Knight, Donnybrook, Funny Face. In this one, an outlaw attempts to end his evil family line. Sam Worthington stars as Isaac LeMay, a murderous outlaw cursed by a terrible prophecy, hunting down his offspring to prevent his own death before targeting his son. Shot entirely on location in Montana, "The Last Son truly portrays the brutality that was the West in the 19th century." The cast includes Thomas Jane, Colson Baker (aka "Machine Gun Kelly"), Heather Graham, Kim DeLonghi, Scotty Bohnen, Danny Bohnen, and James Landry Hébert. It actually looks a bit better than expected, more cinematic than Sutton's last features. A violent western with a grizzled Worthington ready to take on everyone alone.
- 11/11/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
It’s been said that American women of the 1950s admired Marilyn Monroe, but they wanted to be Audrey Hepburn, who projected an entirely different appeal. Hepburn had talent, grace, a dazzling smile and the strength to overcome any obstacle. Paramount now rounds up their Audrey Hepburn holdings to release this seven-picture ode to the great actress, the sentimental favorite. Several are near-perfect entertainments, great films everybody should see. All are handsomely remastered in HD, in their proper aspect ratios. I’d consider this definite holiday gift-giving material.
Audrey Hepburn 7 – Movie Collection
Roman Holiday, Sabrina, War and Peace, Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Paris When It Sizzles, My Fair Lady
Blu-ray
Paramount Home Entertainment
1952-1964 / Color + B&w / Street Date October 5, 2021
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Humphrey Bogart, Mel Ferrer, Fred Astaire, George Peppard, William Holden, Rex Harrison.
Directed by William Wyler, Billy Wilder, King Vidor, Stanley Donen, Blake Edwards,...
Audrey Hepburn 7 – Movie Collection
Roman Holiday, Sabrina, War and Peace, Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Paris When It Sizzles, My Fair Lady
Blu-ray
Paramount Home Entertainment
1952-1964 / Color + B&w / Street Date October 5, 2021
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Humphrey Bogart, Mel Ferrer, Fred Astaire, George Peppard, William Holden, Rex Harrison.
Directed by William Wyler, Billy Wilder, King Vidor, Stanley Donen, Blake Edwards,...
- 10/19/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
I’ve said it a million times already, but Tim Sutton is one of the best indie filmmakers working today. With films like “Dark Night,” “Memphis” and “Pavillion,” he has proven that he’s able to tell dark stories that really cut to the core. And with recent features like “Funny Face” and “Donnybrook,” Sutton has shown that he’ll keep that same tone and style even if he has major actors in lead roles.
Continue reading Machine Gun Kelly To Star In Tim Sutton’s Upcoming Hip-Hop Tragedy, ‘Good News’ at The Playlist.
Continue reading Machine Gun Kelly To Star In Tim Sutton’s Upcoming Hip-Hop Tragedy, ‘Good News’ at The Playlist.
- 6/24/2021
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Exclusive: Colson Baker is set to headline Rivulet Media’s troubled musician drama Good News directed and written by Tim Sutton.
Good News tells the story of the last days of a rising but troubled musician (Baker). While the feature is a complete work of fiction, it takes its inspiration from the arcs of such contemporary artists as Mac Miller, Lil Peep, Pop Smoke and Juice Wrld.
Production starts July 8 in Los Angeles. Jib Polhemus will produce alongside Rivulet Media’s film division President, Rob Paris and COO Mike Witherill.
Rivulet Media’s Rob Paris said: “Colson Baker is that rare talent who is ascending at an incredible pace both in film and music. He is exactly the kind of artist that Rivulet Media is looking to partner with and we couldn’t be more excited to support him on both fronts, especially with Tim...
Good News tells the story of the last days of a rising but troubled musician (Baker). While the feature is a complete work of fiction, it takes its inspiration from the arcs of such contemporary artists as Mac Miller, Lil Peep, Pop Smoke and Juice Wrld.
Production starts July 8 in Los Angeles. Jib Polhemus will produce alongside Rivulet Media’s film division President, Rob Paris and COO Mike Witherill.
Rivulet Media’s Rob Paris said: “Colson Baker is that rare talent who is ascending at an incredible pace both in film and music. He is exactly the kind of artist that Rivulet Media is looking to partner with and we couldn’t be more excited to support him on both fronts, especially with Tim...
- 6/24/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
As Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) played out a family fantasy across multiple decades of sitcom television in Disney Plus’ “WandaVision,” veteran costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo had to dress her for the part. But while she played with color and texture to represent fashion trends of gone by, she also had to create present-day, real-world looks for those trying to get down to the bottom of what was going on with Wanda, as well as offer a new take on the iconic Scarlet Witch costume.
What rules did Marvel set about what could or could not be changed from previous iterations of the Scarlet Witch costume for your design?
This costume was made in collaboration with the great artist Andy Park. Every designer that works on a new Marvel project tries to bring something else to the character, and we wanted a more mature, more weathered Wanda Maximoff. She has...
What rules did Marvel set about what could or could not be changed from previous iterations of the Scarlet Witch costume for your design?
This costume was made in collaboration with the great artist Andy Park. Every designer that works on a new Marvel project tries to bring something else to the character, and we wanted a more mature, more weathered Wanda Maximoff. She has...
- 6/14/2021
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
“Funny Face” is a superhero film only Tim Sutton could make. The film follows the story of a young guy named Saul, who is upset with his life and the direction he thinks New York City is headed. So, what’s a guy to do? Well, naturally, you grab a mask, team up with a Muslim girl who recently ran away from her family, and take on a greedy businessman.
Continue reading Tim Sutton Talks ‘Funny Face,’ The Divisive Legacy Of ‘Donnybrook,’ His Machine Gun Kelly Western & More [The Playlist Podcast] at The Playlist.
Continue reading Tim Sutton Talks ‘Funny Face,’ The Divisive Legacy Of ‘Donnybrook,’ His Machine Gun Kelly Western & More [The Playlist Podcast] at The Playlist.
- 4/2/2021
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
2021 Oscar-Nominated Short Films
Check out Jared Mobarak’s reviews of all of this Oscar-nominated short films, including Animation, Live-Action, and Documentary.
Where to Stream: Virtual Cinemas
Concrete Cowboy (Ricky Staub)
There is a moment of surreal wonder near the start of Concrete Cowboy, the TIFF premiere co-starring Idris Elba, that is never equaled again, a sequence of unexpected radiance conjuring a sense of astonishment. A troubled teenager has been sent from Detroit to Philadelphia to spend the summer with his long-absent father. He arrives at night to a nearly empty, rather foreboding street. Eventually he finds his (seemingly) menacing father and is led into a ramshackle, messy home. Suddenly...
2021 Oscar-Nominated Short Films
Check out Jared Mobarak’s reviews of all of this Oscar-nominated short films, including Animation, Live-Action, and Documentary.
Where to Stream: Virtual Cinemas
Concrete Cowboy (Ricky Staub)
There is a moment of surreal wonder near the start of Concrete Cowboy, the TIFF premiere co-starring Idris Elba, that is never equaled again, a sequence of unexpected radiance conjuring a sense of astonishment. A troubled teenager has been sent from Detroit to Philadelphia to spend the summer with his long-absent father. He arrives at night to a nearly empty, rather foreboding street. Eventually he finds his (seemingly) menacing father and is led into a ramshackle, messy home. Suddenly...
- 4/2/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
With glimmers of theatrical exhibition starting to find renewed life after a full year of dormancy in New York and Los Angeles, this April brings a handful of films worth seeking out––some premiering exclusively in cinemas while others will also be getting a digital release. From fascinating documentaries to long-awaited releases from renowned auteurs to acclaimed indies, check out our picks to see this April below.
13. Tiny Tim: King for a Day (Johan von Sydow)
Tiny Tim, a unique artist whose influence would be felt decades later after his passing, is now the subject of a documentary. Featuring the performer’s diaries and letters as read by Weird Al Yankovic, along with archival footage from D.A. Pennebaker, Jonas Mekas, and Andy Warhol, Christopher Schobert said in his Fantasia review, “King for a Day would have perhaps benefitted from more time with Tiny’s daughter (with his first wife); while...
13. Tiny Tim: King for a Day (Johan von Sydow)
Tiny Tim, a unique artist whose influence would be felt decades later after his passing, is now the subject of a documentary. Featuring the performer’s diaries and letters as read by Weird Al Yankovic, along with archival footage from D.A. Pennebaker, Jonas Mekas, and Andy Warhol, Christopher Schobert said in his Fantasia review, “King for a Day would have perhaps benefitted from more time with Tiny’s daughter (with his first wife); while...
- 4/1/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The number of films releasing each month is steadily increasing yet again thanks to vaccines being administered in record time and theaters around the country re-opening. Even so, the marketing for the biggest names among them ultimately proves too lackluster to mention even without the below nine ensuring blocking them out. Mortal Kombat (in theaters April 23) never stood a chance.
Bonus: Now that the Oscar nominations are here, the usual suspects in the alt poster community (I’ve collected a bunch in this Twitter list) have begun their annual Best Picture series. There are a ton of great ones out there, but my 2021 favorites are those created by Eileen Steinbach (Sound of Metal below), Matt Needle (Promising Young Woman below), Snollygoster Productions (The Trial of the Chicago Seven below), and Scott Saslow (The Father below). Definitely check out their currently in-progress sets.
Out of the shadows
The sheet for Giants Being Lonely...
Bonus: Now that the Oscar nominations are here, the usual suspects in the alt poster community (I’ve collected a bunch in this Twitter list) have begun their annual Best Picture series. There are a ton of great ones out there, but my 2021 favorites are those created by Eileen Steinbach (Sound of Metal below), Matt Needle (Promising Young Woman below), Snollygoster Productions (The Trial of the Chicago Seven below), and Scott Saslow (The Father below). Definitely check out their currently in-progress sets.
Out of the shadows
The sheet for Giants Being Lonely...
- 4/1/2021
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Hello, everyone! Tomorrow is the start of a brand new month, and you know what that means - a brand new batch of horror and sci-fi movies heading to VOD and Digital platforms over the next few weeks! And with Indie Horror Month set to kick off tomorrow as well, there are a ton of brand new indie horror movies making their digital debuts in April, so consider this another resource for supporting and celebrating all the independent filmmakers out there who are keeping the genre spirit alive as well.
Check out all the killer content heading to a variety of platforms in the coming weeks below and happy streaming!
Creepshow: Season 2 (Shudder) - Exclusively on Shudder April 1st (New episodes air every Thursday)
Based on the 1982 horror comedy classic, the anthology Creepshow returns for a second season and is still the most fun you’ll ever have being scared!
Check out all the killer content heading to a variety of platforms in the coming weeks below and happy streaming!
Creepshow: Season 2 (Shudder) - Exclusively on Shudder April 1st (New episodes air every Thursday)
Based on the 1982 horror comedy classic, the anthology Creepshow returns for a second season and is still the most fun you’ll ever have being scared!
- 3/31/2021
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
On the surface, “Funny Face” might look like a drama about a very angry man that feels completely out of control of his life and has to take it out on the only enemy that he can find, a wealthy, corrupt businessman. But under the surface, there’s a lot more going on in Tim Sutton’s drama than meets the eye.
And in honor of “Funny Face” getting released this week, we’re thrilled to give our readers an exclusive look at a clip from the film that is a rant about the New York Knicks, on the surface, but also serves as an encapsulation of everything going on in the life of Saul and his new love, Zama.
Continue reading ‘Funny Face’ Exclusive Clip: Cosmo Jarvis Rants About The Knicks And NYC Greed In Tim Sutton’s New Film at The Playlist.
And in honor of “Funny Face” getting released this week, we’re thrilled to give our readers an exclusive look at a clip from the film that is a rant about the New York Knicks, on the surface, but also serves as an encapsulation of everything going on in the life of Saul and his new love, Zama.
Continue reading ‘Funny Face’ Exclusive Clip: Cosmo Jarvis Rants About The Knicks And NYC Greed In Tim Sutton’s New Film at The Playlist.
- 3/31/2021
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Let’s be real: Navigating the list of Oscar nominees represents a challenge this year, so I was intrigued by one filmmaker’s winning formula. “The key is to mix and match,” he advised. “I watch the characters trudge across Nomadland, then turn to Fred Astaire dancing in Top Hat. I move from Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom to Easter Parade.” The objective: “It’s the real vs. the unreal; I need them back-to-back to appreciate them. Or survive them.”
His explanation may seem glib, but it reflects the escape mechanism adopted by some film devotees in coping with the isolation of the lockdown year – a re-excavation of Hollywood glitz. The current slate of nominees vividly reflects the themes of the moment — race, caste, sexual politics, immigration. It also embodies the angst-ridden mood of Hollywood.
All of which would have puzzled Fred Astaire. In his movie Funny Face, when Astaire...
His explanation may seem glib, but it reflects the escape mechanism adopted by some film devotees in coping with the isolation of the lockdown year – a re-excavation of Hollywood glitz. The current slate of nominees vividly reflects the themes of the moment — race, caste, sexual politics, immigration. It also embodies the angst-ridden mood of Hollywood.
All of which would have puzzled Fred Astaire. In his movie Funny Face, when Astaire...
- 3/25/2021
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
On Sunday, as Jason Sudeikis gave his Golden Globes acceptance speech for winning for his role in the Apple TV+ comedy series Ted Lasso, fellow category nominee Don Cheadle could be seen making “wrap it up” gestures on screen as Sudeikis went overtime—a move that set social media alight with folks wondering if there was bad blood between the two.
In the virtual press room later in the evening, however, a smiling Sudeikis set the record straight.
“Hey that’s just Kansas City love,” he said, referring to the city both he and Cheadle are from. “If anyone was going to tell me… He knew I’d listen to him, that’s all that is. A lot of people don’t know that he’s an excellent stage manager as well as an a American acting icon. The guy’s got chops, you know?”
Sudeikis also answered questions about...
In the virtual press room later in the evening, however, a smiling Sudeikis set the record straight.
“Hey that’s just Kansas City love,” he said, referring to the city both he and Cheadle are from. “If anyone was going to tell me… He knew I’d listen to him, that’s all that is. A lot of people don’t know that he’s an excellent stage manager as well as an a American acting icon. The guy’s got chops, you know?”
Sudeikis also answered questions about...
- 3/1/2021
- by Antonia Blyth
- Deadline Film + TV
Jason Sudeikis explained the origin of his tie-dyed hoodie and offered his reaction to fellow nominee Don Cheadle’s gesture during the “Ted Lasso” star’s acceptance speech after Sudeikis won for lead actor in a TV musical or comedy series.
Sudeikis’ pastel-colored hoodie got attention from Globes watchers on Sunday as a fashion choice reflecting Covid times. Speaking to reporters backstage, Sudeikis explained that the hoodie with the logo “Forward Space” came from his sister’s dance studio and workout space in New York City.
“I believe in the product as much as the message,” Sudeikis said. “I had a multitude of hoodies of a multitude of things I believe in and support. This one seems most appropriate.”
The star of Apple’s comedy series about an American coach who turns around a U.K. soccer team kept in deadpan mode throughout his backstage remarks. When pressed about the...
Sudeikis’ pastel-colored hoodie got attention from Globes watchers on Sunday as a fashion choice reflecting Covid times. Speaking to reporters backstage, Sudeikis explained that the hoodie with the logo “Forward Space” came from his sister’s dance studio and workout space in New York City.
“I believe in the product as much as the message,” Sudeikis said. “I had a multitude of hoodies of a multitude of things I believe in and support. This one seems most appropriate.”
The star of Apple’s comedy series about an American coach who turns around a U.K. soccer team kept in deadpan mode throughout his backstage remarks. When pressed about the...
- 3/1/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
The latest entry in the unsettling cinematic canon of men donning terrifying masks, Funny Face brings its own singular take, courtesy of director Tim Sutton. The story follows a young Muslim runaway who befriends a disturbed young man who wears a mask and moonlights as Funny Face, hellbent on seeking revenge on a real estate developer who displaced his grandfather and grandmother. The unlikely duo find comfort in one another as they set their sights on taking down the developer. The trailer for the film strikes a particular tone that mixes pulsing anxiety and underlying wit. Sutton achieved success with 2018’s Donnybrook, a drama about bare-knuckle fighters starring Jamie Bell and Margaret Qualley. Set to arrive at the end of March on VOD, the cast of Funny Face includes Cosmo Jarvis, Dela Meskienyar, Jonny Lee Miller, Victor Garber, Rhea Pearlman, and Dan Hedaya.
Rory O’Connor said in his review, “What...
Rory O’Connor said in his review, “What...
- 2/26/2021
- by Stephen Hladik
- The Film Stage
"Money!!!!" Gravitas has released an official trailer for an indie drama titled Funny Face, the latest from indie filmmaker Tim Sutton, who often makes low key unsettling films where nothing much happens. The destruction of his grandparents' home leads a young man to take revenge under a masked persona. It's kind of a different take on Joker. Cosmo Jarvis stars as a disturbed man from Coney Island who dons the menacing “Funny Face” mask, transforming himself into a makeshift superhero with a rage disorder as he seeks revenge on the Real Estate Developer of a soulless high rise that has displaced his grandparents. Also stars Jonny Lee Miller, Dela Meskienyar, Victor Garber, Dan Hedaya, Jeremy Bobb, and Rhea Perlman. This seems like one of those "acquired taste" kind of films. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Tim Sutton's Funny Face, direct from Gravitas' YouTube: An Origin Story: A...
- 2/25/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Odds are, if you’ve seen any images or clips from the new film, “Funny Face,” you’re familiar with the image of a man in a creepy smiley mask. And while there are no capes or Infinity Stones to be found, as seen in the new trailer for the film, “Funny Face” is definitely a story about two people trying to save the soul of their little slice of New York City.
Continue reading ‘Funny Face’ Exclusive Trailer: Tim Sutton Returns With A Drama About A Guy, A Mask & Uncontrolled Rage at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Funny Face’ Exclusive Trailer: Tim Sutton Returns With A Drama About A Guy, A Mask & Uncontrolled Rage at The Playlist.
- 2/25/2021
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
London-based production, finance and sales company Film Constellation has come on board Cathy Brady’s debut feature “Wildfire,” which world premieres in the Discovery section at next month’s Toronto Film Festival.
The film centers on sisters Lauren and Kelly, an inseparable pair brought up in a small town by the Irish border. Their lives fell apart with the mysterious death of their mother. Left to pick up the pieces, Lauren is confronted with their dark past when Kelly returns home having been missing for a year. “An intense sisterhood reignited, Kelly’s desire to unearth their history is not welcomed by all, and the town is rife with rumors and malice that threaten to overwhelm them,” according to a statement from Film Constellation.
The film’s press and industry screening at Toronto is on Sept. 14 at 11 A.M. via digital access. The festival world premiere is at 9 P.M.
The film centers on sisters Lauren and Kelly, an inseparable pair brought up in a small town by the Irish border. Their lives fell apart with the mysterious death of their mother. Left to pick up the pieces, Lauren is confronted with their dark past when Kelly returns home having been missing for a year. “An intense sisterhood reignited, Kelly’s desire to unearth their history is not welcomed by all, and the town is rife with rumors and malice that threaten to overwhelm them,” according to a statement from Film Constellation.
The film’s press and industry screening at Toronto is on Sept. 14 at 11 A.M. via digital access. The festival world premiere is at 9 P.M.
- 8/25/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
"The Furniture" is our series on Production Design by Daniel Walber. Click on the images to see them in magnified detail.
Funny Face (1957) is not really a complicated movie, visually or otherwise. Its production design doesn’t express inner turmoil or repressive social structures, nor does it take the characters on any sort of elaborate journey. And in some scenes it’s downright boring, director Stanley Donen essentially stepping back to allow Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn room to dance.
But production design doesn’t have to be profound to be good, or even Oscar-worthy. And while I wouldn’t have voted for Funny Face for the Academy Awards, I do think it’s worth a look. Besides, its design does sort of have a message: that the opposite of fashion is books, and that any attempt to combine the two will lead to utter chaos. Is it serious? No,...
Funny Face (1957) is not really a complicated movie, visually or otherwise. Its production design doesn’t express inner turmoil or repressive social structures, nor does it take the characters on any sort of elaborate journey. And in some scenes it’s downright boring, director Stanley Donen essentially stepping back to allow Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn room to dance.
But production design doesn’t have to be profound to be good, or even Oscar-worthy. And while I wouldn’t have voted for Funny Face for the Academy Awards, I do think it’s worth a look. Besides, its design does sort of have a message: that the opposite of fashion is books, and that any attempt to combine the two will lead to utter chaos. Is it serious? No,...
- 7/1/2020
- by Daniel Walber
- FilmExperience
London-based production, finance and sales company Film Constellation and the global curated streaming service Mubi have partnered to host an exclusive premiere of Werner Herzog’s “Family Romance, LLC” on July 3 in the U.S., featuring an exclusive introduction and interview with Herzog.
In other international territories, the company is collaborating with the local theatrical distributor, including U.K. distributor Modern Films, Artplex in Brazil, PVR in India, I Wonder in Italy, who will participate in the preview event for their local release.
Herzog, who not only directed but also served as writer and cinematographer, will introduce the virtual premiere and conclude with an exclusive 15 minute Q&a.
The special preview will be hosted on Mubi and will be available to stream for free for 24-hours in more than 150 countries, including the U.S. and Canada.
“Family Romance, LLC” is the latest feature from Herzog. Receiving its premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival,...
In other international territories, the company is collaborating with the local theatrical distributor, including U.K. distributor Modern Films, Artplex in Brazil, PVR in India, I Wonder in Italy, who will participate in the preview event for their local release.
Herzog, who not only directed but also served as writer and cinematographer, will introduce the virtual premiere and conclude with an exclusive 15 minute Q&a.
The special preview will be hosted on Mubi and will be available to stream for free for 24-hours in more than 150 countries, including the U.S. and Canada.
“Family Romance, LLC” is the latest feature from Herzog. Receiving its premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival,...
- 6/29/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
London-based production and sales outfit Film Constellation has boarded the Spanish-language caper action film “Sky High” (“Hasta El Cielo”), directed by Daniel Calparsoro (“To Steal From a Thief”).
The anticipated movie is headlined by a strong local cast, including Miguel Herran, the up-and-coming star of “Money Heist,” the Goya-winning actors Luis Tosar (“Cell 211”) and Carolina Yuste (“Carmen & Lola”).
“Sky High” follows the journey of Angel, who leaves his poverty-stricken past behind and meets the ravishing Estrella. While fighting for Estrella’s affection, Angel swiftly moves up the ranks in his new-found life of crime and becomes the target of a tireless police detective.
Film Constellation co-financed “Sky High” and is handling global sales. The outfit will introduce the film to buyers at the upcoming virtual Cannes market in June.
Universal, meanwhile, will give “Sky High” a wide release in Spain on Aug. 28. “Sky High” will be a major local release in Spain,...
The anticipated movie is headlined by a strong local cast, including Miguel Herran, the up-and-coming star of “Money Heist,” the Goya-winning actors Luis Tosar (“Cell 211”) and Carolina Yuste (“Carmen & Lola”).
“Sky High” follows the journey of Angel, who leaves his poverty-stricken past behind and meets the ravishing Estrella. While fighting for Estrella’s affection, Angel swiftly moves up the ranks in his new-found life of crime and becomes the target of a tireless police detective.
Film Constellation co-financed “Sky High” and is handling global sales. The outfit will introduce the film to buyers at the upcoming virtual Cannes market in June.
Universal, meanwhile, will give “Sky High” a wide release in Spain on Aug. 28. “Sky High” will be a major local release in Spain,...
- 5/29/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
A witty memoir of the Covid plague days. It is fun and funny and commemorates a time we will all remember forever. A great gift, clever and gay with illustrations that fit the lyrical text perfectly. Both children and adults will love it.
What a fun book!
For those who are in the know, buy this now! All profits go to the World Health Organization’s Covid 19 Solidarity Response Fund.
And it is by Sam Irvin, a one-of-a-kind legend himself.
Remember Kay Thompson in Funny Face and her knock-out performance of “Think Pink”? (watch it here)
Sam Irvin holding his book Kay Thompson: From Funny Face To Eloise (Simon & Schuster)
Irvin’s first book Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise was published by Simon & Schuster and honored by Kirkus Reviews and the Theatre Library Association Awards as one of the “Best Biographies of the Year.” While researching the life of Thompson,...
What a fun book!
For those who are in the know, buy this now! All profits go to the World Health Organization’s Covid 19 Solidarity Response Fund.
And it is by Sam Irvin, a one-of-a-kind legend himself.
Remember Kay Thompson in Funny Face and her knock-out performance of “Think Pink”? (watch it here)
Sam Irvin holding his book Kay Thompson: From Funny Face To Eloise (Simon & Schuster)
Irvin’s first book Kay Thompson: From Funny Face to Eloise was published by Simon & Schuster and honored by Kirkus Reviews and the Theatre Library Association Awards as one of the “Best Biographies of the Year.” While researching the life of Thompson,...
- 5/25/2020
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
We can depend on H.G. Clouzot to find people at their most desperate, at their worst. His updated adaptation of Manon Lescaut dissects the trauma of amour fou And the hypocrisy, opportunism and political horror of postwar France. Resistance fighter Michel Auclair and provincial tart Cécile Aubrey are lovers caught in a web of vice and treachery, much of it of their own making. Their desperate escape takes them to an inhuman landscape devoid of mercy. Clouzot may pity these characters, but he sure doesn’t give them a break.
Manon
Blu-ray
Arrow Academy
1949 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 105 min. / Street Date February 25, 2020 / Available from Arrow Academy 39.95
Starring: Serge Reggiani, Michel Auclair, Cécile Aubry, Andrex, Raymond Souplex, André Valmy, Henri Vilbert, Héléna Manson, Dora Doll, Robert Dalban.
Cinematography: Armand Thirard
Film Editor: Monique Kirsanoff
Production designer: Max Douy
Original Music: Paul Misraki
Written by Jean Ferry, Henri-Georges Clouzot from the...
Manon
Blu-ray
Arrow Academy
1949 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 105 min. / Street Date February 25, 2020 / Available from Arrow Academy 39.95
Starring: Serge Reggiani, Michel Auclair, Cécile Aubry, Andrex, Raymond Souplex, André Valmy, Henri Vilbert, Héléna Manson, Dora Doll, Robert Dalban.
Cinematography: Armand Thirard
Film Editor: Monique Kirsanoff
Production designer: Max Douy
Original Music: Paul Misraki
Written by Jean Ferry, Henri-Georges Clouzot from the...
- 3/10/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
“Jazz is Paris and Paris is jazz,” spoke-sang Malcolm McLaren a quarter-century ago, though the statement is valid as ever today: Since the end of World War I, when a number of African American soldiers settled in Paris — and still others left their music behind — the city has become a kind of world capital for jazz, with clubs still packing in audiences around town. “The Eddy” is named for one such dive, located in a neighborhood far from the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and other historic sites where Audrey Hepburn twirled in “Funny Face.”
The new eight-part Netflix series, reverse-engineered from a raft of stellar jazz songs by “Jagged Little Pill” producer Glen Ballard, aims to show audiences a different side of Paris from the touristy one mass-produced on picture postcards. It’s the part of the city where North African immigrants and descendants of France’s fraught...
The new eight-part Netflix series, reverse-engineered from a raft of stellar jazz songs by “Jagged Little Pill” producer Glen Ballard, aims to show audiences a different side of Paris from the touristy one mass-produced on picture postcards. It’s the part of the city where North African immigrants and descendants of France’s fraught...
- 2/28/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
(the much-loathed CEO of the Madison Square Garden Company was also namechecked in “Uncut Gems”), Tim Sutton’s “Funny Face” begins with a premise that will make perfect sense to any long-suffering New Yorker: What if the Joker were a Knicks fan? Well, begins may not be the most accurate verb to use here — as with most of Sutton’s languid and oppressively suggestive work, the movie doesn’t start with a premise so much as it watches one thaw into shape over the course of its runtime — but that question is eventually pointed at us with all the subtlety of the Bat Signal.
It might even be the clearest thing that Saul ever says, as the mealy-mouthed Coney Island misanthrope launches into an impassioned rant after someone asks him why he doesn’t just root for the transplanted Brooklyn Nets: “This city doesn’t care about the losers! It only cares about money!
It might even be the clearest thing that Saul ever says, as the mealy-mouthed Coney Island misanthrope launches into an impassioned rant after someone asks him why he doesn’t just root for the transplanted Brooklyn Nets: “This city doesn’t care about the losers! It only cares about money!
- 2/25/2020
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
A girl in a headscarf meets a boy in a mask while trying to shoplift from the corner store where he works. She is frustrated from living at home with an uncle who doesn’t get her. He is frustrated because his grandparents have been evicted to make room for new swanky apartments. Romance and vengeance are soon both on the cards.
Funny Face is the latest work from Tim Sutton, a New York-based director whose previous films–Dark Night (a bold revisiting of the 2012 cinema shooting in Colorado) and Donnybrook (about a lucrative bare-knuckle boxing match)–also focused on violent loners, albeit of a different variety. Cosmo Jarvis stars as Saul, a lonely outsider who enjoys James Dean, smoking cigs and watching the Coney Island Cyclone from the rooftop of his apartment. His love interest is a younger Muslim woman named Zama (played by newcomer Dela Meskienyar); the Bonnie to his Clyde.
Funny Face is the latest work from Tim Sutton, a New York-based director whose previous films–Dark Night (a bold revisiting of the 2012 cinema shooting in Colorado) and Donnybrook (about a lucrative bare-knuckle boxing match)–also focused on violent loners, albeit of a different variety. Cosmo Jarvis stars as Saul, a lonely outsider who enjoys James Dean, smoking cigs and watching the Coney Island Cyclone from the rooftop of his apartment. His love interest is a younger Muslim woman named Zama (played by newcomer Dela Meskienyar); the Bonnie to his Clyde.
- 2/25/2020
- by Rory O'Connor
- The Film Stage
In a woozy, unpeopled Brooklyn that feels less like itself than a Benadryl dream of itself, a pair of misfit lovers drive around in a dusty stolen sedan. One wears a mask bearing a grotesquely grinning face, the other a niqab that reveals only her eyes. They seldom speak, and when they do the words come haltingly, questions dangle unanswered. Tim Sutton’s fifth film, which feels like a retreat back into moody abstraction after the moody clarity of “Donnybrook,” will not win him many new fans, and may even alienate some of the old ones, but for anyone attuned to its low-frequency bruised-romance wavelength – one that feels oddly indebted to early ’90s Us indie filmmaking – “Funny Face” does exert a strange and singular power.
Continue reading ‘Funny Face’: Tim Sutton Crafts A New York Fairy Tale For The Socially Marginalized [Berlin Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Funny Face’: Tim Sutton Crafts A New York Fairy Tale For The Socially Marginalized [Berlin Review] at The Playlist.
- 2/24/2020
- by Jessica Kiang
- The Playlist
We have written before about how much we admire Tim Sutton. Not only did we love “Donnybrook,” but we’ve been eagerly anticipating his next feature film, “Funny Face,” which is set to have its world premiere as part of the Berlin Film Festival tomorrow. In honor of its premiere, we’re thrilled to offer readers an exclusive look at the first poster art for “Funny Face.”
Read More: ‘Funny Face’ Exclusive Clip: Filmmaker Tim Sutton Returns With A Tale Of Vengeance & Friendship
The poster art is just the right amount of enigmatic and disturbing, teasing the darkness and violence that the main character in “Funny Face” harvests, and also the calmer, more tender side of Sutton’s latest feature.
Continue reading ‘Funny Face’ Exclusive First Poster Art: Tim Sutton’s Tale Of Vengeance Heads To Berlin at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘Funny Face’ Exclusive Clip: Filmmaker Tim Sutton Returns With A Tale Of Vengeance & Friendship
The poster art is just the right amount of enigmatic and disturbing, teasing the darkness and violence that the main character in “Funny Face” harvests, and also the calmer, more tender side of Sutton’s latest feature.
Continue reading ‘Funny Face’ Exclusive First Poster Art: Tim Sutton’s Tale Of Vengeance Heads To Berlin at The Playlist.
- 2/22/2020
- by Rafael Motamayor
- The Playlist
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