Laurence Olivier was an Oscar-winning thespian best remembered for his psychologically intense Shakespeare adaptations, both as an actor and a director. Yet his filmography extends well past the Bard’s work. Let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1907 in Surrey, England, Olivier first came to prominence on the British stage. A series of acclaimed theatrical performances, most notably in Noel Coward‘s “Private Lives,” caught the attention of filmmakers both in the UK and the US.
He earned his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor for William Wyler‘s “Wuthering Heights” (1939), competing the very next year for Alfred Hitchcock‘s “Rebecca” (1940). Having firmly established himself as a formidable talent in front of the camera, he stepped behind it to great success with “Henry V”, the first of three films he would direct and star in based on the works of William Shakespeare.
Born in 1907 in Surrey, England, Olivier first came to prominence on the British stage. A series of acclaimed theatrical performances, most notably in Noel Coward‘s “Private Lives,” caught the attention of filmmakers both in the UK and the US.
He earned his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor for William Wyler‘s “Wuthering Heights” (1939), competing the very next year for Alfred Hitchcock‘s “Rebecca” (1940). Having firmly established himself as a formidable talent in front of the camera, he stepped behind it to great success with “Henry V”, the first of three films he would direct and star in based on the works of William Shakespeare.
- 5/18/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
These last few years the Criterion Channel have made October viewing much easier to prioritize, and in the spirit of their ’70s and ’80s horror series we’ve graduated to––you guessed it––”’90s Horror.” A couple of obvious classics stand with cult favorites and more unknown entities (When a Stranger Calls Back and Def By Temptation are new to me). Three more series continue the trend: “Technothrillers” does what it says on the tin, courtesy the likes of eXistenZ and Demonlover; “Art-House Horror” is precisely the kind of place to host Cure, Suspiria, Onibaba; and “Pre-Code Horror” is a black-and-white dream. Phantom of the Paradise, Unfriended, and John Brahm’s The Lodger are added elsewhere.
James Gray is the latest with an “Adventures in Moviegoing” series populated by deep cuts and straight classics. Stonewalling and restorations of Trouble Every Day and The Devil, Probably make streaming debuts, while Flesh for Frankenstein,...
James Gray is the latest with an “Adventures in Moviegoing” series populated by deep cuts and straight classics. Stonewalling and restorations of Trouble Every Day and The Devil, Probably make streaming debuts, while Flesh for Frankenstein,...
- 9/28/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
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Vintage magazines make a great collector’s item (or gift idea) for movie lovers, and anyone looking to capture that Old Hollywood aesthetic. But you don’t even have to leave the house to get your hands on these collectibles. If you’re not in the mood to visit a garage sale or thrift store, we put together a list of rare magazines that you can buy online.
From Photoplay to Movieland magazine, you might not be familiar with some of the publications listed but if you’re a fan of Hollywood’s Golden Era, then you’re likely to recognize some (if not all) of the screen legends captured on the covers,...
Vintage magazines make a great collector’s item (or gift idea) for movie lovers, and anyone looking to capture that Old Hollywood aesthetic. But you don’t even have to leave the house to get your hands on these collectibles. If you’re not in the mood to visit a garage sale or thrift store, we put together a list of rare magazines that you can buy online.
From Photoplay to Movieland magazine, you might not be familiar with some of the publications listed but if you’re a fan of Hollywood’s Golden Era, then you’re likely to recognize some (if not all) of the screen legends captured on the covers,...
- 9/7/2021
- by Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
This article contains mild Hollywood spoilers.
On Netflix’s new series Hollywood, the Stallions of the Gas Station, circa 1947, fill up a dinner party being thrown by legendary filmmaker George Cukor. In between bites, and biting remarks by the ever-incisive Tallulah Bankhead, we are treated to Vivien Leigh, played by Katie McGuinness, giving an impromptu reading of her captivating and iconic Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939). At the after party, all of the celebrities entertain illicit passion for a predetermined price. Like his character on American Horror Story, Dylan McDermott’s fictional Ernie is renowned for a certain largesse, and he bestows his beneficence on Leigh, who also carries a secret.
Up until quite recently, Vivien Leigh, the legendary star of stage and screen, was branded with the label nymphomaniac, a derogatory-sounding term which makes it sound like she was a sex addict. In reality, she fought a...
On Netflix’s new series Hollywood, the Stallions of the Gas Station, circa 1947, fill up a dinner party being thrown by legendary filmmaker George Cukor. In between bites, and biting remarks by the ever-incisive Tallulah Bankhead, we are treated to Vivien Leigh, played by Katie McGuinness, giving an impromptu reading of her captivating and iconic Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939). At the after party, all of the celebrities entertain illicit passion for a predetermined price. Like his character on American Horror Story, Dylan McDermott’s fictional Ernie is renowned for a certain largesse, and he bestows his beneficence on Leigh, who also carries a secret.
Up until quite recently, Vivien Leigh, the legendary star of stage and screen, was branded with the label nymphomaniac, a derogatory-sounding term which makes it sound like she was a sex addict. In reality, she fought a...
- 5/2/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Laurence Olivier would’ve celebrated his 112th birthday on May 22, 2019. The Oscar-winning thespian is best remembered for his psychologically intense Shakespeare adaptations, both as an actor and a director. Yet his filmography extends well past the Bard’s work. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1907 in Surrey, England, Olivier first came to prominence on the British stage. A series of acclaimed theatrical performances, most notably in Noel Coward‘s “Private Lives,” caught the attention of filmmakers both in the UK and the Us.
SEEAlfred Hitchcock movies: 25 greatest films ranked from worst to best
He earned his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor for William Wyler‘s “Wuthering Heights” (1939), competing the very next year for Alfred Hitchcock‘s “Rebecca” (1940). Having firmly established himself as a formidable talent in front of the camera, he stepped behind...
Born in 1907 in Surrey, England, Olivier first came to prominence on the British stage. A series of acclaimed theatrical performances, most notably in Noel Coward‘s “Private Lives,” caught the attention of filmmakers both in the UK and the Us.
SEEAlfred Hitchcock movies: 25 greatest films ranked from worst to best
He earned his first Oscar nomination as Best Actor for William Wyler‘s “Wuthering Heights” (1939), competing the very next year for Alfred Hitchcock‘s “Rebecca” (1940). Having firmly established himself as a formidable talent in front of the camera, he stepped behind...
- 5/22/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
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
Our new contributor Daniel Walber is taking the 4th of July off but I wanted to take this wee break from his column "The Furniture," to sing its praises. When he first pitched the series I requested only that it be really focused, not solely Oscar-nominated specific (so much brilliant work isn't honored each year, after all), and that we alternate contemporary and classic cinema so there's something for everyone. But the series is all him. It's been a joy to read each week and the exact type of thing I've long wanted to do for my favorite craft category costume design. He beat me to it but I find it inspiring and am looking forward anew to our coverage of the below-the-line Oscar categories this year.
If you haven't yet read any of these episodes, I think you'll learn something about the cinema and the power of production design to enhance a theme,...
If you haven't yet read any of these episodes, I think you'll learn something about the cinema and the power of production design to enhance a theme,...
- 7/4/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
It's another episode of "The Furniture," Daniel Walber's new series
75 years ago, the United Kingdom was standing nearly alone against the growing might of Nazi Germany. It remained unclear whether the United States would enter the war. And so, from within Hollywood, Alexander Korda set out to help sway American public opinion toward the Union Jack.
That Hamilton Woman was released on April 30th, 1941. Its propagandistic portrayal of Lord Horatio Nelson and his victory over Napoleon’s navy nearly got Korda into very real legal trouble as a foreign agent. His appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was scheduled for December 12th, but the attack on Pearl Harbor saved the director’s skin. Three quarters of a century later, its reputation rests not on its patriotism, but on its lush melodrama. It continues to enchant as a ravishing portrait of adulterous romance, art imitating the lives of stars Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh.
75 years ago, the United Kingdom was standing nearly alone against the growing might of Nazi Germany. It remained unclear whether the United States would enter the war. And so, from within Hollywood, Alexander Korda set out to help sway American public opinion toward the Union Jack.
That Hamilton Woman was released on April 30th, 1941. Its propagandistic portrayal of Lord Horatio Nelson and his victory over Napoleon’s navy nearly got Korda into very real legal trouble as a foreign agent. His appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was scheduled for December 12th, but the attack on Pearl Harbor saved the director’s skin. Three quarters of a century later, its reputation rests not on its patriotism, but on its lush melodrama. It continues to enchant as a ravishing portrait of adulterous romance, art imitating the lives of stars Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh.
- 5/2/2016
- by Daniel Walber
- FilmExperience
It's another Q & A. Ask it and it shall be er... might be answered. When I started typing this week I couldn't stop and before I know it there were thousands and thousands of words. So that takes care of two Q&As .
Here's the first half of the mad scribblings typings then.
What is your favorite non-nominated performance from each of the five titans of the acting nominations? (Meryl Streep, Katharine Hepburn, Jack Nicholson, Bette Davis and Laurence Olivier) - Sean
Nathaniel: Oh this is a tough one since those people were Oscared for breathing. Okay. Let's take them in reverse order of preference as actors...
Sir Laurence Olivier. Weirdly I was just watching As You Like It (1936) just the other day. I wasn't all that impressed though he definitely had an easier time with the material and the medium than the other stagebound performers. I have seen several of his non-nominated films,...
Here's the first half of the mad scribblings typings then.
What is your favorite non-nominated performance from each of the five titans of the acting nominations? (Meryl Streep, Katharine Hepburn, Jack Nicholson, Bette Davis and Laurence Olivier) - Sean
Nathaniel: Oh this is a tough one since those people were Oscared for breathing. Okay. Let's take them in reverse order of preference as actors...
Sir Laurence Olivier. Weirdly I was just watching As You Like It (1936) just the other day. I wasn't all that impressed though he definitely had an easier time with the material and the medium than the other stagebound performers. I have seen several of his non-nominated films,...
- 2/19/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
When Foxtel executives first saw Deadline Gallipoli, they were so impressed with the performance of Joel Jackson they made a highly unusual deal with the young actor and his agent.
A 2013 Nida graduate, Jackson makes his screen debut as Charles Bean, one of the three war correspondents at the centre of the miniseries.
Foxtel executive director of television Brian Walsh and head of drama Penny Win wanted to ensure Deadline Gallipoli will be the first time Australians see the 24-year-old Jackson on screen.
So they made a financial arrangement with the actor.s agent Mark Morrissey of Morrissey Management that if he took jobs in other shows, none would go to air before Deadline Gallipoli premieres on showcase in April.
.It.s very unusual to do that kind of holding deal, especially for a young man who was straight out of Nida,. Morrissey tells If.
Morrissey signed Jackson after admiring his work at Nida,...
A 2013 Nida graduate, Jackson makes his screen debut as Charles Bean, one of the three war correspondents at the centre of the miniseries.
Foxtel executive director of television Brian Walsh and head of drama Penny Win wanted to ensure Deadline Gallipoli will be the first time Australians see the 24-year-old Jackson on screen.
So they made a financial arrangement with the actor.s agent Mark Morrissey of Morrissey Management that if he took jobs in other shows, none would go to air before Deadline Gallipoli premieres on showcase in April.
.It.s very unusual to do that kind of holding deal, especially for a young man who was straight out of Nida,. Morrissey tells If.
Morrissey signed Jackson after admiring his work at Nida,...
- 1/20/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Vivien Leigh biography, movies, and photo exhibit among centenary celebrations (photo: Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier as Emma Hamilton and Lord Nelson in ‘That Hamilton Woman’) [See previous post: "Vivien Leigh Turns 100: Centenary of One of the Greatest Movie Stars."] From November 30, 2013, to July 20, 2014, London’s National Portrait Gallery will be hosting a Vivien Leigh photo exhibit, tracing her life and career. The exhibit will be a joint celebration of both Leigh’s centenary and the 75th anniversary of Gone with the Wind. (Scroll down to check out a classy Vivien Leigh video homage. See also: “‘Gone with the Wind’ article.”) Additionally, the British Film Institute is hosting a lengthy Vivien Leigh and Gone with the Wind celebration, screening all of Leigh’s post-1936 movies, from Fire Over England to Ship of Fools — and including The Deep Blue Sea ("a digital copy of the only surviving 35mm print we were able to locate; the condition is variable"). I should add that Terence Davies recently...
- 11/7/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Vivien Leigh: Legendary ‘Gone with the Wind’ and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ star would have turned 100 today Vivien Leigh was perhaps the greatest film star that hardly ever was. What I mean is that following her starring role in the 1939 Civil War blockbuster Gone with the Wind, Leigh was featured in a mere eight* movies over the course of the next 25 years. The theater world’s gain — she was kept busy on the London stage — was the film world’s loss. But even if Leigh had starred in only two movies — Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire — that would have been enough to make her a screen legend; one who would have turned 100 years old today, November 5, 2013. (Photo: Vivien Leigh ca. 1940.) Vivien Leigh (born Vivian Mary Hartley to British parents in Darjeeling, India) began her film career in the mid-’30s, playing bit roles in British...
- 11/6/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Previously unpublished image of power couple is curtain-raiser for National Portrait Gallery's exhibition of her life and career
A previously unpublished image of one of the most glamorous couples of British theatre, Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, captured at the height of their fame at a charity garden party in 1949, is to go on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
The photograph, by the British photo-journalist Larry Burrows, launches a series of events marking the centenary of Leigh's birth and later this month the Npg will open an exhibition tracing her life and career, which will include many other previously unseen images.
Terence Pepper, curator of photographs at the Npg, described Leigh as "one of the most extraordinary British talents and beauties in the film and theatre world of the second half of the 20th century".
In 1949 the couple, who had starred in a sell-out tour of Australia...
A previously unpublished image of one of the most glamorous couples of British theatre, Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, captured at the height of their fame at a charity garden party in 1949, is to go on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
The photograph, by the British photo-journalist Larry Burrows, launches a series of events marking the centenary of Leigh's birth and later this month the Npg will open an exhibition tracing her life and career, which will include many other previously unseen images.
Terence Pepper, curator of photographs at the Npg, described Leigh as "one of the most extraordinary British talents and beauties in the film and theatre world of the second half of the 20th century".
In 1949 the couple, who had starred in a sell-out tour of Australia...
- 11/1/2013
- by Maev Kennedy
- The Guardian - Film News
Battle of Trafalgar victor to become subject of Warner Bros project, with projected title Love and Glory
Hollywood is planning a movie about Britain's greatest naval war hero, Horatio Nelson, reports Variety.
Studio Warner Bros hopes to deliver a biopic titled Love and Glory based on John Sugden's biographies Nelson: A Dream of Glory and Nelson: The Sword of Albion. It will be written by Peter Woodward, an actor-turned-screenwriter who recently completed work on the upcoming independent thriller Signal Hill.
Nelson is best known for his victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he used unorthodox strategies to defeat a combined French and Spanish fleet of superior numbers in decisive fashion. The commander-in-chief of Britain's Mediterranean fleet, he was killed during the battle, but the victory forced Napoleon to abandon his plans to invade and surrender control of the seas.
In the BBC's 100 Greatest Britons programme in 2002, Nelson was...
Hollywood is planning a movie about Britain's greatest naval war hero, Horatio Nelson, reports Variety.
Studio Warner Bros hopes to deliver a biopic titled Love and Glory based on John Sugden's biographies Nelson: A Dream of Glory and Nelson: The Sword of Albion. It will be written by Peter Woodward, an actor-turned-screenwriter who recently completed work on the upcoming independent thriller Signal Hill.
Nelson is best known for his victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he used unorthodox strategies to defeat a combined French and Spanish fleet of superior numbers in decisive fashion. The commander-in-chief of Britain's Mediterranean fleet, he was killed during the battle, but the victory forced Napoleon to abandon his plans to invade and surrender control of the seas.
In the BBC's 100 Greatest Britons programme in 2002, Nelson was...
- 9/12/2013
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Lord Horatio Nelson, eh? What has he ever done to deserve the biopic treatment except stand stock still on a column in Trafalgar Square as though he’s made of stone and provide a place for pigeons to poo? Still, apparently Warner Bros. thinks he’s worthy of a film called Love And Glory.The man behind the monument will indeed be the focus of the film, which will source its material from John Sugden’s books Nelson: A Dream Of Glory and Nelson: The Sword Of Albion.Peter Woodward (actor and screenwriter, son of Edward) is set to write the script, detailing Nelson’s naval service, his victories against Napoleon and his scandalous, passionate love affair with Emma, Lady Hamilton, with whom he had a child despite both remaining in their respective marriages. His role as leader of Britain's Royal Navy during the Napoleonic wars and genius for sea...
- 9/12/2013
- EmpireOnline
Victoria and Albert Museum acquires diaries, scripts and photographs of British Oscar-winning actor
Although the world may remember her as the ravishing beauty who was once married to Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles knew the real worth of Vivien Leigh. When in 1951 she won the Oscar for her performance as Blanche DuBois in the film of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, the legendary actor and director immediately sent a telegram from Monte Carlo: "Of course they gave it to you they had to love and kisses from Orson".
His telegram is preserved as part of an archive acquired by the V&A museum covering her life and work, from her teen years to her death from tuberculosis in 1967 aged just 53. It includes diaries, scrap books, heavily annotated scripts, photographs including hundreds of rare early colour photographs she took herself while on tour, and thousands of letters to an extraordinarily...
Although the world may remember her as the ravishing beauty who was once married to Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles knew the real worth of Vivien Leigh. When in 1951 she won the Oscar for her performance as Blanche DuBois in the film of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, the legendary actor and director immediately sent a telegram from Monte Carlo: "Of course they gave it to you they had to love and kisses from Orson".
His telegram is preserved as part of an archive acquired by the V&A museum covering her life and work, from her teen years to her death from tuberculosis in 1967 aged just 53. It includes diaries, scrap books, heavily annotated scripts, photographs including hundreds of rare early colour photographs she took herself while on tour, and thousands of letters to an extraordinarily...
- 8/14/2013
- by Maev Kennedy
- The Guardian - Film News
Louise Brooks in Prix de Beauté: 2013 San Francisco Silent Film Festival Louise Brooks will kick off the 2013 San Francisco Silent Film Festival. At 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 17, the Sfsff will screen Augusto Genina’s Prix de Beauté aka Beauty Prize at the Castro Theater. Released in 1930 — when talkies had already become established in much of the moviemaking world — the French-made Prix de Beauté came out in both sound and silent versions, a widely common practice in those days as many theaters had yet to get wired for sound. Needless to say, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival’s Prix de Beauté print is the silent version, recently restored by the Cineteca di Bologna. (Photo: Louise Brooks in Prix de Beauté.) Prix de Beauté, which marked the last time Louise Brooks starred in a feature film, tells the story of a typist who enters a beauty contest — much to her...
- 7/17/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
After remastering Mizoguchi’s Sansho the Bailiff earlier this year for Blu-ray, Criterion unleashes another of the auteur’s trio of early 50’s Venice prize winners with 1952’s The Life of Oharu, a classic tragedy exemplifying the director’s favorite theme, the plight of woman in a world cruelly controlled by men. While Sansho has enjoyed a considerable reputation in the annals of cinema, Mizoguchi openly criticized the studio interference that hobbled his original intentions, instead he often citing this earlier title as his greatest achievement. Considering it was made without sufficient funding and filmed in a warehouse instead of sound stage that necessitated filming be halted frequently due to passing trains, it’s fascinating to see the auteur, infamous for his meticulous, uninterrupted takes, succeed so gloriously in form and content here.
Opening on a dark, rainy night, we meet the aged Oharu (Kinuyo Tanaka), a prostitute commiserating with...
Opening on a dark, rainy night, we meet the aged Oharu (Kinuyo Tanaka), a prostitute commiserating with...
- 7/9/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
As the Academy celebrates 85 years of great films at the Oscars on February 24th, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is set to take movie fans on the ultimate studio tour with the 2013 edition of 31 Days Of Oscar®. Under the theme Oscar by Studio, the network will present a slate of more than 350 movies grouped according to the studios that produced or released them. And as always, every film presented during 31 Days Of Oscar is an Academy Award® nominee or winner, making this annual event one of the most anticipated on any movie lover’s calendar.
As part of the network’s month-long celebration, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has graciously provided the original Academy Awards® radio broadcasts from 1930-1952. Specially chosen clips from the radio archives will be featured throughout TCM’s 31 Days Of Oscar website.
Hollywood was built upon the studio system, which saw nearly ever aspect...
As part of the network’s month-long celebration, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has graciously provided the original Academy Awards® radio broadcasts from 1930-1952. Specially chosen clips from the radio archives will be featured throughout TCM’s 31 Days Of Oscar website.
Hollywood was built upon the studio system, which saw nearly ever aspect...
- 12/17/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
After the first screening of the restored Napoleon, Abel Gance’s beleaguered 1927 masterwork, at the Empire Leicester Square, London, on November 30th, 1980, the director of the British Film Institute Anthony Smith was quoted as saying “After Sunday the world will be divided into those who have seen Napoleon and those who haven’t.” The world of the haves over the have-nots expanded to the Us the following year when Francis Ford Coppola famously brought Napoleon to Radio City Music Hall to be performed with his father’s score, but in the intervening three decades the film has not been seen again in the Us. Come March 24th, however, thanks to the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, the world will once again be divided between those who have and those who haven’t when the film returns to the Us for four screenings of Kevin Brownlow’s complete restoration—accompanied by...
- 3/10/2012
- MUBI
This coming Friday, July 15, marks the birthday of the greatest of all Dutch painters, Rembrandt van Rijn. Born 505 years ago, I figured now was as suitable an occasion as I’d ever have to review Rembrandt, this fine biopic from 1936 starring Charles Laughton, part of Eclipse Series 16: Alexander Korda’s Private Lives.
Korda is one of the most influential and dynamic figures in the history of UK cinema, founder of London Films and the first man ever granted knighthood for his work in the English film industry. Along with his brothers Zoltan and Vincent, he played a major part in creating some of the most fondly remembered British films of the 1930s, 40s and 50s, including The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Four Feathers, That Hamilton Woman, The Thief of Bagdad, The Third Man and Laurence Olivier’s version of Richard III.
As anyone who’s paid even the slightest attention...
Korda is one of the most influential and dynamic figures in the history of UK cinema, founder of London Films and the first man ever granted knighthood for his work in the English film industry. Along with his brothers Zoltan and Vincent, he played a major part in creating some of the most fondly remembered British films of the 1930s, 40s and 50s, including The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Four Feathers, That Hamilton Woman, The Thief of Bagdad, The Third Man and Laurence Olivier’s version of Richard III.
As anyone who’s paid even the slightest attention...
- 7/11/2011
- by David Blakeslee
- CriterionCast
With love well and truly in the air recently with Prince William tying the knot with the rather lovely Kate Middleton a few days ago, it seems an appropriate time to take a look at some of the most legendary on/off screen couples that have fascinated us film lovers over the years. Chemistry sparks when a real romance lies behind the scenes and when a new relationship begins the tabloids go crazy!
So to celebrate the union of the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge – and to appease my wife’s (yes, we just beat the Royals by getting married on 24th April!) constant requests to chronicle the following – here are the top ten on/off screen lovers the past century has immortalised…
10. Kim Basinger & Alec Baldwin
Back in the early 90s, Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin were one of the more popular on and off screen couples in Hollywood. Meeting...
So to celebrate the union of the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge – and to appease my wife’s (yes, we just beat the Royals by getting married on 24th April!) constant requests to chronicle the following – here are the top ten on/off screen lovers the past century has immortalised…
10. Kim Basinger & Alec Baldwin
Back in the early 90s, Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin were one of the more popular on and off screen couples in Hollywood. Meeting...
- 5/4/2011
- by Stuart Cummins
- Obsessed with Film
Two decades ago, Kenneth Branagh was "the new Olivier". Now he's directing a comic-book adaptation. Why? Because he was never meant to be an idol
In 1989, when he was not yet 30 years old, Kenneth Branagh appeared in a stirring version of William Shakespeare's Henry V. The film, which Branagh also directed, won tons of awards. God, was it stirring. Everybody thought the St Crispin's Day speech was just terrific, even the French, who came out somewhat worse for wear at the Battle of Agincourt and whom Shakespeare despised. Everybody wondered where this combustible young talent had come from. The answer: Belfast. Since the cultural megalith Laurence Olivier had already produced, directed and starred in his own Oscar-winning Henry V 44 years earlier, the year Adolf Hitler finally went down for the count, and since Branagh had more than held his own in this revival, it seemed obvious that the actor was throwing down the gauntlet,...
In 1989, when he was not yet 30 years old, Kenneth Branagh appeared in a stirring version of William Shakespeare's Henry V. The film, which Branagh also directed, won tons of awards. God, was it stirring. Everybody thought the St Crispin's Day speech was just terrific, even the French, who came out somewhat worse for wear at the Battle of Agincourt and whom Shakespeare despised. Everybody wondered where this combustible young talent had come from. The answer: Belfast. Since the cultural megalith Laurence Olivier had already produced, directed and starred in his own Oscar-winning Henry V 44 years earlier, the year Adolf Hitler finally went down for the count, and since Branagh had more than held his own in this revival, it seemed obvious that the actor was throwing down the gauntlet,...
- 3/31/2011
- by Joe Queenan
- The Guardian - Film News
The first week of the new year kicked off with all the usual features: restrospectives, awards buzz – and one very sad and unexpected piece of news
Pete Postlethwaite: 1946 - 2011
The news came through early on Monday that the actor Pete Postlethwaite had died at the age of 64. It was a real shock, that quickly gave way to genuine, lasting sadness. Remembering the full range and breadth of his performances through the years prompted emotional responses from many readers; there were also touching tributes from John Prescott, fellow actors including his former girlfriend Julie Walters and Franny Armstrong, who collaborated with him on The Age of Stupid. Peter Bradshaw perhaps summed it up best when he wrote: "[he] was the national treasure we didn't know we had, until we didn't have him any more."
Awards buzz this week
• Oscars race: The Social Network fears late box office run by True Grit...
Pete Postlethwaite: 1946 - 2011
The news came through early on Monday that the actor Pete Postlethwaite had died at the age of 64. It was a real shock, that quickly gave way to genuine, lasting sadness. Remembering the full range and breadth of his performances through the years prompted emotional responses from many readers; there were also touching tributes from John Prescott, fellow actors including his former girlfriend Julie Walters and Franny Armstrong, who collaborated with him on The Age of Stupid. Peter Bradshaw perhaps summed it up best when he wrote: "[he] was the national treasure we didn't know we had, until we didn't have him any more."
Awards buzz this week
• Oscars race: The Social Network fears late box office run by True Grit...
- 1/6/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
The story of Lord Nelson's mistress was brought to life by Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. But is the film true to life?
Director: Alexander Korda
Entertainment grade: C+
History grade: C
Emma, Lady Hamilton is often remembered as Lord Nelson's mistress, but she was also a model, muse, singer and creator of the Attitudes, a performance art show in which she appeared as famous women from history.
People
"My life began really began when I was 18," says Emma (Vivien Leigh), "and one day I arrived in Naples." In reality, Emma was 21 when she arrived in Naples. She had started out as a sort of spokesmodel for the Temple of Health, a dodgy London clinic which sold infertile couples sessions on an electrified Celestial Bed. The shocks, it claimed, aided conception. She became mistress to Sir Harry Featherstonehaugh and had a child before moving on to the MP Charles Greville.
Director: Alexander Korda
Entertainment grade: C+
History grade: C
Emma, Lady Hamilton is often remembered as Lord Nelson's mistress, but she was also a model, muse, singer and creator of the Attitudes, a performance art show in which she appeared as famous women from history.
People
"My life began really began when I was 18," says Emma (Vivien Leigh), "and one day I arrived in Naples." In reality, Emma was 21 when she arrived in Naples. She had started out as a sort of spokesmodel for the Temple of Health, a dodgy London clinic which sold infertile couples sessions on an electrified Celestial Bed. The shocks, it claimed, aided conception. She became mistress to Sir Harry Featherstonehaugh and had a child before moving on to the MP Charles Greville.
- 1/6/2011
- by Alex von Tunzelmann
- The Guardian - Film News
[Update 8/27/10 - I went back to InstantWatcher.com to check on the status of upcoming expiring Criterion films, and it appears that this entire list has disappeared from their listings. I checked on a few of the titles, and it looks like their streaming end dates have been extended! I will be updating this post later, with the correct dates, but it looks like something happened between this post going up, and now.]
Some sad news to report, on the streaming side of things today. I just learned, via the excellent website InstantWatcher.com, that more than a few Criterion Collection films will be expiring from Netflix’s Watch Instantly service on September 22nd.
In total, 66 films from the Criterion Collection will be removed from the line-up, but don’t go canceling your account just yet. Over the past year, on several monthly occasions, a number of Criterion films were added, allowing viewers to stream some of the best titles that Criterion had at their disposal. Netflix has never claimed that everything on Watch Instantly would last forever, and there may be a number of reasons why these titles are going away. Some theories I’m kicking around:
Criterion and Netflix set up a deal, and that deal is coming to an end. Pretty simple. Criterion may be looking at moving more of these titles to Hulu,...
Some sad news to report, on the streaming side of things today. I just learned, via the excellent website InstantWatcher.com, that more than a few Criterion Collection films will be expiring from Netflix’s Watch Instantly service on September 22nd.
In total, 66 films from the Criterion Collection will be removed from the line-up, but don’t go canceling your account just yet. Over the past year, on several monthly occasions, a number of Criterion films were added, allowing viewers to stream some of the best titles that Criterion had at their disposal. Netflix has never claimed that everything on Watch Instantly would last forever, and there may be a number of reasons why these titles are going away. Some theories I’m kicking around:
Criterion and Netflix set up a deal, and that deal is coming to an end. Pretty simple. Criterion may be looking at moving more of these titles to Hulu,...
- 8/24/2010
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
I shall have many young kings with round, strong arms.
And when I am tired of them, I shall whip them to death.
Last week, controversy developed over reports that Angelina Jolie has been cast to take the lead role in a biopic about Cleopatra, the historical Queen of Egypt whose reputation over the centuries has developed to nearly legendary proportions. While I think Ms. Jolie has the perfect blend of beauty, attitude and screen presence to pull off a job that’s served as a platform for silver screen goddesses of decades past, critics take issue with the fact that a Caucasian woman is once again being awarded the opportunity to play one of history’s most noteworthy African female characters. Despite the legitimate argument that Cleopatra’s lineage included European ancestors, I understand the sensitivity of their concern. Similar objections have been voiced about the upcoming The Last Airbender,...
And when I am tired of them, I shall whip them to death.
Last week, controversy developed over reports that Angelina Jolie has been cast to take the lead role in a biopic about Cleopatra, the historical Queen of Egypt whose reputation over the centuries has developed to nearly legendary proportions. While I think Ms. Jolie has the perfect blend of beauty, attitude and screen presence to pull off a job that’s served as a platform for silver screen goddesses of decades past, critics take issue with the fact that a Caucasian woman is once again being awarded the opportunity to play one of history’s most noteworthy African female characters. Despite the legitimate argument that Cleopatra’s lineage included European ancestors, I understand the sensitivity of their concern. Similar objections have been voiced about the upcoming The Last Airbender,...
- 6/22/2010
- by David Blakeslee
- CriterionCast
Yes. It's Braveheart. I can already hear the groaning and face palms. Some of you may even be heading to your taskbar in order to click your back button. Wait!
Braveheart has become notorious and hated in a number of circles -- historical, cinematic, cultural, even political. As with Gladiator, it's one of the rare films that's had its inaccuracies widely broadcast. The average citizen may not know a Plantagenet from a Hapsburg, but they can tell you about how Mel Gibson omitted the bridge from the Battle of Stirling Bridge. But whereas Gladiator still moves and touches a lot of people even when they know better, Braveheart just garners rage or eye rolls.
So, this week I wanted to shake things up a bit and write something that was a little personal. When I started this feature, one of the things I was keen to focus on was what...
Braveheart has become notorious and hated in a number of circles -- historical, cinematic, cultural, even political. As with Gladiator, it's one of the rare films that's had its inaccuracies widely broadcast. The average citizen may not know a Plantagenet from a Hapsburg, but they can tell you about how Mel Gibson omitted the bridge from the Battle of Stirling Bridge. But whereas Gladiator still moves and touches a lot of people even when they know better, Braveheart just garners rage or eye rolls.
So, this week I wanted to shake things up a bit and write something that was a little personal. When I started this feature, one of the things I was keen to focus on was what...
- 6/12/2010
- by Elisabeth Rappe
- Cinematical
Motion History is officially one month and one week old, and hopefully no one has gotten too bored along the way. The experience of writing it has been pretty overwhelming. There's so many films to pick from that I'm actually getting bogged down in indecision, and I constantly worry about treading on old ground. I have to keep reminding myself not everyone knows "the true story", even if the film boasts a Criterion Collection release, and a fandom that included Winston Churchill.
As I just had the pleasure of watching That Hamilton Woman for the first time this week, I thought I'd use it as a Motion History topic. It's a rare example of a film that didn't invent a fluffy, bodice-ripper of a love story for its historical hero, but I suspect there's many a moviegoer who thinks that it did. Even if it is well-known history to a lot of readers,...
As I just had the pleasure of watching That Hamilton Woman for the first time this week, I thought I'd use it as a Motion History topic. It's a rare example of a film that didn't invent a fluffy, bodice-ripper of a love story for its historical hero, but I suspect there's many a moviegoer who thinks that it did. Even if it is well-known history to a lot of readers,...
- 6/4/2010
- by Elisabeth Rappe
- Cinematical
Well folks, it’s been a while, but Netflix has finally added several more Criterion Collection films to their Watch Instantly streaming options. Back in December we saw a rather large group of films added, with each following month adding fewer and fewer Criterion films. This past week has seen the addition of 8 films (one on April 1st, and 7 on the 3rd), all of which you should add to your Queue.
We recently reported that Jean Luc Godard’s Breathless would be re-released in theaters with a new transfer this month as part of the TCM Classic Film Festival, with a general release at the end of May in New York, and a national roll out afterwards. You can now see the film that made our writer James McCormick’s Top Ten Jean Paul Belmondo Film list, via Watch Instantly. It will be interesting to see if this print of...
We recently reported that Jean Luc Godard’s Breathless would be re-released in theaters with a new transfer this month as part of the TCM Classic Film Festival, with a general release at the end of May in New York, and a national roll out afterwards. You can now see the film that made our writer James McCormick’s Top Ten Jean Paul Belmondo Film list, via Watch Instantly. It will be interesting to see if this print of...
- 4/3/2010
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
No 83 Vivien Leigh 1913-67
She was an army officer's daughter, born Vivian Hartley in Darjeeling, one of several daughters of the Raj to become actresses (others were Googie Withers, Merle Oberon, Julie Christie), and educated at convents in England and on the continent. At the age of six she confided to her school friend Maureen O'Sullivan (later her co-star in the 1938 movie A Yank at Oxford) that she was going to be a great actress, and entered Rada aged 18. Her dramatic education, however, was interrupted by marriage and motherhood. She was green-eyed, dark-haired, 5ft 3in, one of the most beautiful women in the world, and it was not long before she made an impression in minor plays and films and attracted the attention of Laurence Olivier, with whom she appeared in the costume movie Fire Over England (1937). Vivien accompanied him to Hollywood the following year, embarking on a love affair,...
She was an army officer's daughter, born Vivian Hartley in Darjeeling, one of several daughters of the Raj to become actresses (others were Googie Withers, Merle Oberon, Julie Christie), and educated at convents in England and on the continent. At the age of six she confided to her school friend Maureen O'Sullivan (later her co-star in the 1938 movie A Yank at Oxford) that she was going to be a great actress, and entered Rada aged 18. Her dramatic education, however, was interrupted by marriage and motherhood. She was green-eyed, dark-haired, 5ft 3in, one of the most beautiful women in the world, and it was not long before she made an impression in minor plays and films and attracted the attention of Laurence Olivier, with whom she appeared in the costume movie Fire Over England (1937). Vivien accompanied him to Hollywood the following year, embarking on a love affair,...
- 2/14/2010
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
DVD Playhouse—September 2009
By
Allen Gardner
The Human Condition (Criterion) Masaki Kobayashi’s epic (574 minutes) adaptation of Junpei Gomikawa’s six-volume novel was originally made and released as three separate films (1959-61), and is rightfully regarded as a landmark of Japanese cinema. Candide-like story of naïve, good-hearted Kaiji (Japanese superstar Tatsuya Nakadai) from labor camp supervisor, to Imperial Army solider, to Soviet Pow, and Kaiji’s struggle to maintain his humanity throughout. Unfolds with the mastery of a great novel, beautifully-shot, and a stunning example of cinematic mastery on the part of its makers. Four-disc set bonuses include: Interview with Kobayashi; Interview with Nakadai; Featurette; Trailer; Essay by critic Philip Kemp. Widescreen. Dolby 3.0 surround.
State Of Play (Universal) Russell Crowe stars as a veteran Washington D.C. political reporter investigating the murder of an aide to a rising congressional star (Ben Affleck), who also happens to be an old friend.
By
Allen Gardner
The Human Condition (Criterion) Masaki Kobayashi’s epic (574 minutes) adaptation of Junpei Gomikawa’s six-volume novel was originally made and released as three separate films (1959-61), and is rightfully regarded as a landmark of Japanese cinema. Candide-like story of naïve, good-hearted Kaiji (Japanese superstar Tatsuya Nakadai) from labor camp supervisor, to Imperial Army solider, to Soviet Pow, and Kaiji’s struggle to maintain his humanity throughout. Unfolds with the mastery of a great novel, beautifully-shot, and a stunning example of cinematic mastery on the part of its makers. Four-disc set bonuses include: Interview with Kobayashi; Interview with Nakadai; Featurette; Trailer; Essay by critic Philip Kemp. Widescreen. Dolby 3.0 surround.
State Of Play (Universal) Russell Crowe stars as a veteran Washington D.C. political reporter investigating the murder of an aide to a rising congressional star (Ben Affleck), who also happens to be an old friend.
- 9/26/2009
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
The Criterion Collection releases two new DVDs today, two movies with nothing much in common. They were originally released in theaters almost exactly fifty years apart, in 1941 and 1991. One is an elegant, period romance set during the Napoleonic Wars, and the other is a gritty, modern-day urban cop story. The only thing I can think that makes them kindred spirits is their endings. I can see the two heroes, played by Vivien Leigh in the former and Joe Mantegna in the latter, sitting together at the end of their tales. They're both staring off into space, thinking about what an odd hand life has dealt them, thinking about what lies ahead, if anything. The cop looks over at the lady. "What's your story?" he asks. She might respond, "I used to be somebody." And he might retort, in a New York accent, "Tell me about it."
And maybe she would.
And maybe she would.
- 9/9/2009
- by Jeffrey M. Anderson
- Cinematical
Well, you know your options are pretty limited when Crank 2: High Voltage and Dance Flick are the two biggest DVD releases for the week. Not only that, but if you're really dying to see Dance Flick, you'll need a Blu-ray player because the standard DVD isn't out until a few months later. Also hitting stores this week is Alex Rivera's indie sci-fi film Sleep Dealer, the fifth season of NBC's The Office, and the inaugural seasons of Fringe, Parks and Recreation and Important Things with Demetri Martin. If Dance Flick wasn't enough to convince you, however, there's another reason why this will be the week that Blu-ray truly catches on: Sylvester Stallone's Over The Top. To quote Lincoln Hawk: "When you want something, you gotta take it." Dance Flick [1] (Blu-ray) Crank 2: High Voltage [2] (DVD, Blu-ray [3]) Sleep Dealer [4] (DVD, Blu-ray [5]) Valentino: The Last Emperor [6] (DVD, Blu-ray [7]) I'll...
- 9/8/2009
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
DVD Links: DVD News | Release Dates | New Dvds | Reviews | RSS Feed This week is a little light in terms of quality new releases, but there are a ton of new Blu-ray catalog titles hitting the shelves, which I have listed in the "Even More" section at the end, so don't overlook those. Crank 2: High Voltage I just reviewed the Blu-ray edition, which you can read right here, but to tell it to you simply, Crank 2 isn't very good and this is coming from someone that really liked the first one. However, it does have a solid group of supplements, but is it worth buying a DVD or Blu-ray just for the supplements if you don't like the movie? Requiem for a Dream [Blu-ray] I also just reviewed this one, which you can read right here. There really is no short version way to discuss this movie, or at least...
- 9/8/2009
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
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