A Story of Floating Weeds / Floating Weeds: Two Films by Yasujiro Ozu on Blu-ray released to the Criterion Collection on May 7th, 2024.
This marked only my third and forth film by Yasujiro Ozu. I already owned the Criterion Collection releases of Tokyo Story and Good Morning, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed, with Good Morning instantly becoming one of my favorite experiences with Japanese cinema. Part of what makes the Criterion Collection so great is the way it makes important films easily accessible for collectors.
A Story of Floating Weeds / Floating Weeds: Two Films by Yasujiro Ozu Plot
An actor traveling with a theater group set up shop in a small village where he reconnects with an old lover and his estranged son. Emotions boil over as the former lovers rekindle their romantic flame.
The Critique
Floating Weeds
It’s always interesting when a filmmaker remakes one of their own films.
This marked only my third and forth film by Yasujiro Ozu. I already owned the Criterion Collection releases of Tokyo Story and Good Morning, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed, with Good Morning instantly becoming one of my favorite experiences with Japanese cinema. Part of what makes the Criterion Collection so great is the way it makes important films easily accessible for collectors.
A Story of Floating Weeds / Floating Weeds: Two Films by Yasujiro Ozu Plot
An actor traveling with a theater group set up shop in a small village where he reconnects with an old lover and his estranged son. Emotions boil over as the former lovers rekindle their romantic flame.
The Critique
Floating Weeds
It’s always interesting when a filmmaker remakes one of their own films.
- 5/31/2024
- by Joshua Ryan
- FandomWire
The episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? covering The Vanishing was Written and Narrated by Mike Holtz, Edited by Juan Jimenez, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
Expectations can be a funny thing when it comes to movies. Go into a theater with absolutely no inhibitions about what you’re about to witness and you’re likely to have a far better time than if you were watching a sequel you’ve built up expectations for in your mind. Remakes? Forget it. One would wager that the likelihood of you enjoying a remake of a film that you already enjoyed in its original packaging is a considerable amount lower than had you never seen the original. For obvious reasons. This brings me to today’s topic: a 1993 American remake of the French-Dutch film Spoorlos that was attacked by many for being...
Expectations can be a funny thing when it comes to movies. Go into a theater with absolutely no inhibitions about what you’re about to witness and you’re likely to have a far better time than if you were watching a sequel you’ve built up expectations for in your mind. Remakes? Forget it. One would wager that the likelihood of you enjoying a remake of a film that you already enjoyed in its original packaging is a considerable amount lower than had you never seen the original. For obvious reasons. This brings me to today’s topic: a 1993 American remake of the French-Dutch film Spoorlos that was attacked by many for being...
- 5/20/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Cairo-based Mad Distribution has acquired Jonathan Millet’s Critics’ Week opener Ghost Trail from mk2 Films, Somali director Mo Harawe’s Un Certain Regard drama The Village Next To Paradise from Totem Films and Anne-Marie Jacir’s upcoming All Before You for release in the Middle East and North Africa.
They are three of 30 titles secured by Mad Distribution for Mena territories, which also include Saif Hammash’s Palestinian short Deer’s Tooth, selected for La Cinef, and Rayane Mcirdi’s Algerian-French short After The Sun, which plays in Directors’ Fortnight.
The distribution arm of indie studio Mad Solutions plans...
They are three of 30 titles secured by Mad Distribution for Mena territories, which also include Saif Hammash’s Palestinian short Deer’s Tooth, selected for La Cinef, and Rayane Mcirdi’s Algerian-French short After The Sun, which plays in Directors’ Fortnight.
The distribution arm of indie studio Mad Solutions plans...
- 5/18/2024
- ScreenDaily
David Thion, the French producer of Justine Triet’s best picture contender “Anatomy of a Fall,” is preparing a raft of projects helmed by daring female directors including Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet (“Anais in Love”) and Emily Atef (“More Than Ever”).
Speaking to Variety ahead of the Oscars, Thion said he and Marie-Ange Luciani, who also produced “Anatomy of a Fall,” have also signed Triet for her next movie, the topic of which hasn’t been decided yet.
“Justine has devoted herself fully to the awards campaign for ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ and she hasn’t had time to decide what her next film will be, but she has a few ideas,” Thion said. He added that Triet’s next film will likely be “mainly shot in French, but could have an Anglo-Saxon actress as the lead.”
Bourgeois-Tacquet, who made her feature debut with “Anais in Love,” which premiered at Cannes’ Critics Week,...
Speaking to Variety ahead of the Oscars, Thion said he and Marie-Ange Luciani, who also produced “Anatomy of a Fall,” have also signed Triet for her next movie, the topic of which hasn’t been decided yet.
“Justine has devoted herself fully to the awards campaign for ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ and she hasn’t had time to decide what her next film will be, but she has a few ideas,” Thion said. He added that Triet’s next film will likely be “mainly shot in French, but could have an Anglo-Saxon actress as the lead.”
Bourgeois-Tacquet, who made her feature debut with “Anais in Love,” which premiered at Cannes’ Critics Week,...
- 3/8/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
After making a splash on the Croisette in 2017 with his debut feature Until The Birds Return (Un Certain Regard selection), Karim Moussaoui is finally at work on his sophomore project — which began production today. The Cineuropa folks report that that thesps Sammy Lechea and Zar Amir Ebrahimi will topline The Vanishing with Hamid Amirouche, Idir Chender, Nadia Kaci and Nassima Benchicou added on as supporting players. Production will take place over the next two months – moving from Marseille to Tunisia. Les Films Pelléas’ David Thion and Philippe Martin are producing. The project will likely tempt Locarno and Venice programmers next year.…...
- 10/16/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Making a top ten list of your favourite movies can be difficult, but is it any easier when you narrow that list down to a single decade? IndieWire asked dozens of filmmakers to put together a list of their favourite 80s movies, and the results are as widely varied as the decade itself. Which 80s movies does Bill Hader hold dear to his heart? What are some of Nia DaCosta’s favourites? Can Edgar Wright actually contain himself to just ten movies? What horror movies of the 80s top Eli Roth’s list?
Bill Hader’s (Barry) Favourite 80s Movies:
Thin Blue Line Road Warrior Blood Simple Evil Dead 1&2 Raging Bull Naked Gun The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On The Hit Raising Arizona Crimes and Misdemeanors Blue Velvet Where is the Friends House Pee Wees Big Adventure Midnight Run Come and See Do the Right Thing My Neighbor Totoro Die Hard Paris,...
Bill Hader’s (Barry) Favourite 80s Movies:
Thin Blue Line Road Warrior Blood Simple Evil Dead 1&2 Raging Bull Naked Gun The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On The Hit Raising Arizona Crimes and Misdemeanors Blue Velvet Where is the Friends House Pee Wees Big Adventure Midnight Run Come and See Do the Right Thing My Neighbor Totoro Die Hard Paris,...
- 8/18/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Little Roadstop of Horrors: 10 Horror Movie Pit Stops and Roadside Attractions to Avoid At All Costs
Buckle up, horror fiends, as we embark on a spine-chilling road trip through the most dreadful pit stops and roadside attractions ever depicted on the silver screen! From eerie gas stations to ominous wax museums, these horror movie locations will make you think twice before stopping for a break. So forget about stretching your legs, fasten your seatbelts, and get ready for a terrifying journey through “Little Roadstop of Horrors: 10 Horror Movie Pit Stops and Roadside Attractions to Avoid At All Costs.”
Miramax The Titty Twister – From Dusk ‘Till Dawn (1996)
Located somewhere along the desolate highway just south of the Mexico/US Border, The Titty Twister appears to be your typical roadside strip club. However, when the sun sets, the establishment undergoes a horrifying transformation. It becomes a sanctuary for vampires in search of fresh blood to satiate their insatiable thirst. The unsuspecting travelers who dare to step foot inside...
Miramax The Titty Twister – From Dusk ‘Till Dawn (1996)
Located somewhere along the desolate highway just south of the Mexico/US Border, The Titty Twister appears to be your typical roadside strip club. However, when the sun sets, the establishment undergoes a horrifying transformation. It becomes a sanctuary for vampires in search of fresh blood to satiate their insatiable thirst. The unsuspecting travelers who dare to step foot inside...
- 7/22/2023
- by Kimberley Elizabeth
ColorCreative Adds Veteran Managers Danielle Robinson and James Shani to Leadership Team (Exclusive)
Issa Rae’s Hoorae Media has added veteran managers Danielle Robinson and James Shani to the leadership team at ColorCreative, the talent management company co-founded by Rae and Denise Davis in 2014.
Robinson will assume the role of co-head of talent and manager, while Shani has been named executive producer and talent manager. Both Robinson and Shani will report to ColorCreative president Talitha Watkins.
In her new role, Robinson will focus on identifying new clients to grow the company’s roster and fostering new opportunities for emerging talent, alongside ColorCreative’s co-head of talent, partner and manager Raj Raghavan. Prior to joining the company, Robinson was a partner at Alan Siegel Entertainment. She brings with her clients including Lashana Lynch, Sarah Niles, Ray Panthaki, Tamara Smart, Charlotte Ritchie, Daniel Ings, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Taylor Handley and Sauriyan Sapkota.
“Danielle Robinson has impeccable taste, boundless energy, and incredible passion for her clients. I...
Robinson will assume the role of co-head of talent and manager, while Shani has been named executive producer and talent manager. Both Robinson and Shani will report to ColorCreative president Talitha Watkins.
In her new role, Robinson will focus on identifying new clients to grow the company’s roster and fostering new opportunities for emerging talent, alongside ColorCreative’s co-head of talent, partner and manager Raj Raghavan. Prior to joining the company, Robinson was a partner at Alan Siegel Entertainment. She brings with her clients including Lashana Lynch, Sarah Niles, Ray Panthaki, Tamara Smart, Charlotte Ritchie, Daniel Ings, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Taylor Handley and Sauriyan Sapkota.
“Danielle Robinson has impeccable taste, boundless energy, and incredible passion for her clients. I...
- 11/10/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The Sundance Institute has announced this year’s grantees for the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, with a total of 1,396,500 in unrestricted grant support bestowed upon 35 projects.
“As we celebrate the Dfp’s 20th anniversary, it’s an exceptional achievement that Sundance has been able to provide documentary filmmakers robust and sustained financial support, from development through post-production, for two decades,” said Carrie Lozano, director of the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program. “Thanks to our incredible funders, supporters, staff, and external reviewers, the Documentary Fund has been able to realize its top priorities during a tumultuous time: supporting underrepresented stories, directors and producers; providing much needed resources to urgent international projects; and elevating human rights and social, civic and environmental justice, all while foregrounding bold and artistic approaches. I am constantly amazed by the breadth and depth of our grantees.”
This year’s grant recipients have roots in 31 countries, with...
“As we celebrate the Dfp’s 20th anniversary, it’s an exceptional achievement that Sundance has been able to provide documentary filmmakers robust and sustained financial support, from development through post-production, for two decades,” said Carrie Lozano, director of the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program. “Thanks to our incredible funders, supporters, staff, and external reviewers, the Documentary Fund has been able to realize its top priorities during a tumultuous time: supporting underrepresented stories, directors and producers; providing much needed resources to urgent international projects; and elevating human rights and social, civic and environmental justice, all while foregrounding bold and artistic approaches. I am constantly amazed by the breadth and depth of our grantees.”
This year’s grant recipients have roots in 31 countries, with...
- 10/6/2022
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Previously supported projects have included American Factory, Collective, Fire Of Love, The Mole Agent.
Projects from Armenia, Chile, Uganda and Palestine are among grantees of the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, which in the 20th anniversary year of the Documentary Film Program (Dfp) has made 1.4m available in unrestricted grant support to 35 projects.
Of the recipients, five are in development, 15 in production, 10 in post, and the filmmakers behind five are actively pursuing support for audience engagement and social impact campaigns.
Some 57 of the current cycle’s submissions hail from outside the US. Among the 14 US films receiving support, all are directed...
Projects from Armenia, Chile, Uganda and Palestine are among grantees of the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, which in the 20th anniversary year of the Documentary Film Program (Dfp) has made 1.4m available in unrestricted grant support to 35 projects.
Of the recipients, five are in development, 15 in production, 10 in post, and the filmmakers behind five are actively pursuing support for audience engagement and social impact campaigns.
Some 57 of the current cycle’s submissions hail from outside the US. Among the 14 US films receiving support, all are directed...
- 10/4/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Actor, writer and director Celyn Jones is the triple threat no one saw coming. Originally from Wales, where he still films a lot of his projects, Jones built his career first as an actor of both theater and screen before pivoting to writing features such as “Set Fire to the Stars,” which starred Elijah Wood, “The Vanishing” featuring Gerard Butler and “Six Minutes to Midnight,” which he co-wrote with Eddie Izzard co-wrote and stars both Izzard and Judi Dench.
Jones’ latest project, “The Almond and the Seahorse,” also represents his directorial feature debut. Jones co-wrote the film, which is about two couples dealing with traumatic brain injuries, with Kaite O’Reilly (on whose play it is based) and co-directs with Tom Stern (“Changeling”). He also stars in it alongside Charlotte Gainsbourg (“Melancholia”), Trine Dyrholm (“Queen of Hearts”), Meera Syal (“Yesterday”) and Rebel Wilson (“Pitch Perfect”). The film, which premieres at the...
Jones’ latest project, “The Almond and the Seahorse,” also represents his directorial feature debut. Jones co-wrote the film, which is about two couples dealing with traumatic brain injuries, with Kaite O’Reilly (on whose play it is based) and co-directs with Tom Stern (“Changeling”). He also stars in it alongside Charlotte Gainsbourg (“Melancholia”), Trine Dyrholm (“Queen of Hearts”), Meera Syal (“Yesterday”) and Rebel Wilson (“Pitch Perfect”). The film, which premieres at the...
- 9/26/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Kathryn Bigelow’s vampire movie Near Dark – the best vampire movie released in 1987 – has been famously hard to find on streaming over the years, but we’ve learned that it’ll soon be available to stream once again this Halloween season thanks to the Criterion Channel!
Beginning October 1, Criterion’s streaming service will have the “80s Horror Collection” up for grabs, a 30-film collection that includes Near Dark among several other horror classics.
The collection includes films from Dario Argento, Kathryn Bigelow, John Carpenter, Larry Cohen, David Cronenberg, Tobe Hooper, Michael Mann, Ken Russell, Paul Schrader, and more.
The full “80s Horror Collection” lineup includes…
Inferno, Dario Argento, 1980 The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne, Walerian Borowczyk, 1981 Dead & Buried, Gary Sherman, 1981 The House by the Cemetery, Lucio Fulci, 1981 The Funhouse, Tobe Hooper, 1981 Strange Behavior, Michael Laughlin, 1981 Wolfen, Michael Wadleigh, 1981 Scanners, David Cronenberg, 1981 Road Games, Richard Franklin, 1981 The Fan,...
Beginning October 1, Criterion’s streaming service will have the “80s Horror Collection” up for grabs, a 30-film collection that includes Near Dark among several other horror classics.
The collection includes films from Dario Argento, Kathryn Bigelow, John Carpenter, Larry Cohen, David Cronenberg, Tobe Hooper, Michael Mann, Ken Russell, Paul Schrader, and more.
The full “80s Horror Collection” lineup includes…
Inferno, Dario Argento, 1980 The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne, Walerian Borowczyk, 1981 Dead & Buried, Gary Sherman, 1981 The House by the Cemetery, Lucio Fulci, 1981 The Funhouse, Tobe Hooper, 1981 Strange Behavior, Michael Laughlin, 1981 Wolfen, Michael Wadleigh, 1981 Scanners, David Cronenberg, 1981 Road Games, Richard Franklin, 1981 The Fan,...
- 9/23/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
One of my great memories from the, put one way, debatable year of 2020 was Criterion Channel’s “’70s Horror,” a program that did what it said on the tin while offering discoveries aplenty—Texas Chain Saw next to Let’s Scare Jessica to Death, Deathdream given equal prominence as The Wicker Man. It is of course a delight to see they’re picking up their own baton with next month’s “’80s Horror,” which again runs a canon-to-obscurity gamut. Scanners, Near Dark, and Prince of Darkness will of course appear, but I’d just as soon direct people to Wolfen, Society, and The Keep—which made my jaw drop just a bit, given how averse Michael Mann seems towards any exhibition of it.
Criterion have released a nifty trailer encapsulating the spooks and scares to come. Find it below, as well as the full list of titles and more on the Criterion Channel.
Criterion have released a nifty trailer encapsulating the spooks and scares to come. Find it below, as well as the full list of titles and more on the Criterion Channel.
- 9/22/2022
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Few remakes feel necessary, but English-language versions of international horror films have an especially difficult time justifying their existence. We certainly didn’t need George Sluizer or Michael Haneke to remake their own “The Vanishing” and “Funny Games” for the benefit of subtitle-averse audiences, nor was anyone asking for a “Let the Right One In” remake when it was first released. “Need” and “want” are two different things, of course, and it’s hardly unheard of for one of these remakes to be quite good — just ask Naomi Watts, who followed her star-making turn in “Mulholland Drive” with “The Ring.” The two-time Oscar nominee now finds herself as the face of Matt Sobel’s remake of Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s “Goodnight Mommy.” Well, maybe not the face exactly — as in the original, her head is obscured by surgical bandages for reasons that aren’t immediately made clear.
Few remakes feel truly necessary,...
Few remakes feel truly necessary,...
- 9/15/2022
- by Michael Nordine
- Variety Film + TV
Separately, Sony Pictures Classics picks up Tribeca doc It Ain’t Over about baseball legend Yogi Berra.
IFC Films has acquired North American rights to The Almond And The Seahorse starring Rebel Wilson in her first dramatic role ahead of the world premiere at Zurich Film Festival.
Bafta-winning Celyn Jones and Tom Stern directed the film from a screenplay by Jones and award-winning playwright Kaite O’Reilly, based on her theatre production of the same name.
The story deals with two couples where one partner has survived Traumatic Brain Injury. Trine Dyrholm plays Gwen, who has not recognised herself or her partner,...
IFC Films has acquired North American rights to The Almond And The Seahorse starring Rebel Wilson in her first dramatic role ahead of the world premiere at Zurich Film Festival.
Bafta-winning Celyn Jones and Tom Stern directed the film from a screenplay by Jones and award-winning playwright Kaite O’Reilly, based on her theatre production of the same name.
The story deals with two couples where one partner has survived Traumatic Brain Injury. Trine Dyrholm plays Gwen, who has not recognised herself or her partner,...
- 9/14/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
IFC Films has acquired the North American rights to “The Almond and the Seahorse,” a drama that marks the first dramatic role for “Pitch Perfect” star Rebel Wilson.
“The Almond and the Seahorse” will make its world premiere at the upcoming Zurich Film Festival, and IFC Films has already set its release date for both in theaters and on demand for Dec. 16.
Celyn Jones and cinematographer Tom Stern (“American Sniper”) co-directed the film from a script by playwright Kaite O’Reilly, based on her own play.
Also Read:
‘The People’s Joker,’ Queer Film Set in Batman Universe, Pulled From TIFF Lineup Due to ‘Rights Issues’
Charlotte Gainsbourg, Trine Dyrholm, Meera Syal and Jones also star in the film alongside Wilson. Here’s the full synopsis:
“For Gwen (Trine Dyrholm), it’s always 1999. The face in the mirror is unfamiliar and her partner, Toni (Charlotte Gainsbourg), isn’t recognisable to her despite waking up together every day.
“The Almond and the Seahorse” will make its world premiere at the upcoming Zurich Film Festival, and IFC Films has already set its release date for both in theaters and on demand for Dec. 16.
Celyn Jones and cinematographer Tom Stern (“American Sniper”) co-directed the film from a script by playwright Kaite O’Reilly, based on her own play.
Also Read:
‘The People’s Joker,’ Queer Film Set in Batman Universe, Pulled From TIFF Lineup Due to ‘Rights Issues’
Charlotte Gainsbourg, Trine Dyrholm, Meera Syal and Jones also star in the film alongside Wilson. Here’s the full synopsis:
“For Gwen (Trine Dyrholm), it’s always 1999. The face in the mirror is unfamiliar and her partner, Toni (Charlotte Gainsbourg), isn’t recognisable to her despite waking up together every day.
- 9/14/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
After a fairly quiet summer––outside of a few gems––the fall movie season is near and there’s much to anticipate. As we do each year, after highlighting the best films offered thus far, we’ve set out to provide an overview of the titles that should be on your radar––and while some dates will certainly shift and some films added, it’s quite a promising lineup.
Featuring 40 films, the below preview includes both the best we’ve already seen (with full reviews where available) and the anticipated with (mostly) confirmed release dates over the next four months. A good amount will premiere over the next few weeks at Telluride, Venice, TIFF, and NYFF, so check back for our reviews.
The Cathedral (Ricky D’Ambrose; Sept. 2)
What makes the fabric of our upbringing? The memories we’ll reflect on after those years have passed are often not what we...
Featuring 40 films, the below preview includes both the best we’ve already seen (with full reviews where available) and the anticipated with (mostly) confirmed release dates over the next four months. A good amount will premiere over the next few weeks at Telluride, Venice, TIFF, and NYFF, so check back for our reviews.
The Cathedral (Ricky D’Ambrose; Sept. 2)
What makes the fabric of our upbringing? The memories we’ll reflect on after those years have passed are often not what we...
- 8/25/2022
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Charlotte Gainsbourg is set to be honored at this year’s Zurich Film Festival with the Golden Eye award. Gainsbourg will be presented with the award on September 26 at the festival and the presentation will be followed by the world premiere of her latest film The Almond and the Seahorse, starring Rebel Wilson.
“Charlotte Gainsbourg is one of the most versatile character actresses in European cinema,” said Christian Jungen, Artistic Director of the Zurich Film Festival.
“She is renowned for her bold choice of roles: Whether horror thriller or romantic comedy, avant-garde drama or Hollywood mainstream, she has the ability to give her characters human depth and credibility across all genres. And she is one of those rare actresses who can captivate with her charisma and carry an entire movie on her own.”
Charlotte Gainsbourg — who is the daughter of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin — first won acclaim at the...
“Charlotte Gainsbourg is one of the most versatile character actresses in European cinema,” said Christian Jungen, Artistic Director of the Zurich Film Festival.
“She is renowned for her bold choice of roles: Whether horror thriller or romantic comedy, avant-garde drama or Hollywood mainstream, she has the ability to give her characters human depth and credibility across all genres. And she is one of those rare actresses who can captivate with her charisma and carry an entire movie on her own.”
Charlotte Gainsbourg — who is the daughter of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin — first won acclaim at the...
- 8/23/2022
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Lionsgate-owned Starzplay, Starz’s premium international streaming service, and Spain’s Bambú Producciones, producer of “Cable Girls,” are wrapping production on “Nacho,” one of Starzplay highest-profile productions as it builds its burgeoning international originals portfolio.
Premium U.S. Spanish-language SVOD service Pantaya – already a partner with Starzplay on Lucia Puenzo’s “Señorita 89,” Pablo Fendrik’s “El Refugio” and Sofía Auza and Silviana Aguirre’s “Yellow” – will release “Nacho” in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Starzplay distributes in Spain and Latin America. Elsewhere, Lionsgate will oversee international distribution.
Starzplay has shared with Variety a first-look image from the eight-part series, inspired by the life and times of Nacho Vidal, an adult film industry legend. Taken to California by Rocco Siffredi in 1998, Vidal became the sector’s first Spanish international mega-star.
The series is associate produced in Spain by La Claqueta. Caught on a late June set-visit, few productions look...
Premium U.S. Spanish-language SVOD service Pantaya – already a partner with Starzplay on Lucia Puenzo’s “Señorita 89,” Pablo Fendrik’s “El Refugio” and Sofía Auza and Silviana Aguirre’s “Yellow” – will release “Nacho” in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Starzplay distributes in Spain and Latin America. Elsewhere, Lionsgate will oversee international distribution.
Starzplay has shared with Variety a first-look image from the eight-part series, inspired by the life and times of Nacho Vidal, an adult film industry legend. Taken to California by Rocco Siffredi in 1998, Vidal became the sector’s first Spanish international mega-star.
The series is associate produced in Spain by La Claqueta. Caught on a late June set-visit, few productions look...
- 7/19/2022
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Ali Abbasi’s Border, an adaptation of a short story by Let the Right One In author John Ajvide Lindqvist, put its director on the map as one fluent in a dark genre idiom, and possessing transnational potential capable of enticing festivals and more commercially oriented fields. But Holy Spider returns him to the country of his birth with an even more direct statement on prejudice and repulsion than Border, and also, maybe, as much of a determination to upset and freak people out.
It’s based on a fascinating real-life case that would easily be fodder for more conventional “true crime” depictions in the podcast or TV arenas. In 2001, the film’s subject, Saeed Hanaei, embarked on a killing spree of 16 female sex workers in the holy city of Mashhad, Iran. His motive chimed directly with Iran’s cultural attitudes towards women: his avowed motivation was to wage a...
It’s based on a fascinating real-life case that would easily be fodder for more conventional “true crime” depictions in the podcast or TV arenas. In 2001, the film’s subject, Saeed Hanaei, embarked on a killing spree of 16 female sex workers in the holy city of Mashhad, Iran. His motive chimed directly with Iran’s cultural attitudes towards women: his avowed motivation was to wage a...
- 5/24/2022
- by David Katz
- The Film Stage
The writer/director of Martha Marcy May Marlene and The Nest takes hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante on an exploration of his favorite cinematic endings.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
The Nest (2020)
Citizen Kane (1941)
The Cowboys (1972)
The Parallax View (1974)
Three Days of the Condor (1975)
Limbo (1999)
Nashville (1975)
The Long Goodbye (1973)
3 Women (1977)
Chinatown (1974)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
The Third Man (1949)
Do The Right Thing (1989)
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
Our Idiot Brother (2011)
Shoot The Moon (1982)
Parasite (2019)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
The Ice Storm (1997)
Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)
The Brood (1979)
The Graduate (1967)
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
The Candidate (1972)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
The Birds (1963)
The Firm (1989)
Scum (1979)
The Firm (2009)
The Vanishing (1988)
The Vanishing (1993)
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Repulsion (1965)
Pirates (1986)
What? (1972)
Blowup (1966)
Blow Out (1981)
The Long Good Friday (1980)
Other Notable Items
Jude Law
Carrie Coon
Quentin Tarantino
John Wayne
The Pure Cinema Podcast
The Film Forum
Warren Beatty
Tfh Guru Howard...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
The Nest (2020)
Citizen Kane (1941)
The Cowboys (1972)
The Parallax View (1974)
Three Days of the Condor (1975)
Limbo (1999)
Nashville (1975)
The Long Goodbye (1973)
3 Women (1977)
Chinatown (1974)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
The Third Man (1949)
Do The Right Thing (1989)
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
Our Idiot Brother (2011)
Shoot The Moon (1982)
Parasite (2019)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
The Ice Storm (1997)
Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)
The Brood (1979)
The Graduate (1967)
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
The Candidate (1972)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
The Birds (1963)
The Firm (1989)
Scum (1979)
The Firm (2009)
The Vanishing (1988)
The Vanishing (1993)
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Repulsion (1965)
Pirates (1986)
What? (1972)
Blowup (1966)
Blow Out (1981)
The Long Good Friday (1980)
Other Notable Items
Jude Law
Carrie Coon
Quentin Tarantino
John Wayne
The Pure Cinema Podcast
The Film Forum
Warren Beatty
Tfh Guru Howard...
- 11/10/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Exclusive: Some international box office markets that are up and running — even if not at full steam — saw increases this weekend while others faced drops given good weather in some spots and an overall lack of new product. However, Disney floated Kristen Stewart-starrer Underwater into Korea for the first time with a No. 1 start at $402K which is one of the better overseas openings for the underperformer that began rolling out globally in January. Disney/Pixar’s Onward also continued to lead Taiwan in its second week.
Local titles in Germany and Czech Republic were still atop the charts and the former continues to see strong drive-in business. Overall, however, there’s evidence that new releases — scant though they may be — are the ones drawing the most attention from moviegoers. (See market snapshots below.)
There was good news this week out of France where it was announced that cinemas...
Local titles in Germany and Czech Republic were still atop the charts and the former continues to see strong drive-in business. Overall, however, there’s evidence that new releases — scant though they may be — are the ones drawing the most attention from moviegoers. (See market snapshots below.)
There was good news this week out of France where it was announced that cinemas...
- 6/2/2020
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
George Sluizer’s 1988 thriller The Vanishing is releasing on Est, DVD and Blu-ray 8th June as part of Studiocanal’s Vintage World Cinema Collection. To celebrate the release, we have a Blu-ray copy to give away to two lucky winners!
This original brilliant and disturbing George Sluizier masterpiece is regarded as one of the best suspense thrillers ever made. Based on the novel ‘The Golend Egg’ by Tim Krabbe, The Vanishing is the ultimate tribute to Alfred Hitchcock with the ending to prove it.
Whilst touring in France, a young couple (Rex and Saskia) stop for a break at a roadside service station. Saskia (Johanna ter Steege) leaves Rex (Gene Bervoets) to browse around the shops and vanishes leaving no clues as to her whereabouts. Three years later Rex begins to receive taunting postcards from Saskia’s supposed abductor and is drawn into a terrifying battle of cat and mouse...
This original brilliant and disturbing George Sluizier masterpiece is regarded as one of the best suspense thrillers ever made. Based on the novel ‘The Golend Egg’ by Tim Krabbe, The Vanishing is the ultimate tribute to Alfred Hitchcock with the ending to prove it.
Whilst touring in France, a young couple (Rex and Saskia) stop for a break at a roadside service station. Saskia (Johanna ter Steege) leaves Rex (Gene Bervoets) to browse around the shops and vanishes leaving no clues as to her whereabouts. Three years later Rex begins to receive taunting postcards from Saskia’s supposed abductor and is drawn into a terrifying battle of cat and mouse...
- 5/31/2020
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Spain’s Secuoya Group has tapped David Martínez, one of country’s most reputed TV executives, as head of fiction of the Secuoya Studios, its film and TV content production arm.
Considered as one of the architects behind the quality leap in Spanish TV drama production sector, Martínez’s appointment marks a new strengthening of Secuoya Studios’ content production structure, after the naming in April as president of Secuoya Studios of James Costos, former HBO VP of global licensing and retail, who also served as a U.S. ambassador to Spain over 2013-17.
As part of its international expansion plans, Secuoya Studios is also opening a H.Q. In Los Angeles.
Martínez’s appointment allow Sequoia to ring multiple options, bringing U.S shoots to Spain where Secuoya can offer services and its studios; co-production of international series; creation of Spanish series brought onto the market for international co-production or sales,...
Considered as one of the architects behind the quality leap in Spanish TV drama production sector, Martínez’s appointment marks a new strengthening of Secuoya Studios’ content production structure, after the naming in April as president of Secuoya Studios of James Costos, former HBO VP of global licensing and retail, who also served as a U.S. ambassador to Spain over 2013-17.
As part of its international expansion plans, Secuoya Studios is also opening a H.Q. In Los Angeles.
Martínez’s appointment allow Sequoia to ring multiple options, bringing U.S shoots to Spain where Secuoya can offer services and its studios; co-production of international series; creation of Spanish series brought onto the market for international co-production or sales,...
- 5/18/2020
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The Tax Collector, the gritty David Ayer-directed drama that stars Shia Labeouf, has found a home. The film has been acquired for U.S. theatrical distribution by the AMC Networks division Rlje Films. The film is expected to be released in August 2020.
Scripted and directed by Ayer, whose work includes Suicide Squad, End of Watch, Training Day and Bright, the film stars Labeouf (Honey Boy & Peanut Butter Falcon), Bobby Soto (Narcos: Mexico), Cinthya Carmona (East Los High), and George Lopez. Pic is a co-production between Cross Creek Pictures and Cedar Park Entertainment.
In the drama, David (Soto) and Creeper (Shia Labeouf), are “tax collectors” for the crime lord Wizard, collecting his cut from the profits of local gangs’ illicit dealings. But when Wizard’s old rival returns to Los Angeles from Mexico, the business is upended, and David finds himself desperate to protect what matters more to him than anything else: his family.
Scripted and directed by Ayer, whose work includes Suicide Squad, End of Watch, Training Day and Bright, the film stars Labeouf (Honey Boy & Peanut Butter Falcon), Bobby Soto (Narcos: Mexico), Cinthya Carmona (East Los High), and George Lopez. Pic is a co-production between Cross Creek Pictures and Cedar Park Entertainment.
In the drama, David (Soto) and Creeper (Shia Labeouf), are “tax collectors” for the crime lord Wizard, collecting his cut from the profits of local gangs’ illicit dealings. But when Wizard’s old rival returns to Los Angeles from Mexico, the business is upended, and David finds himself desperate to protect what matters more to him than anything else: his family.
- 5/14/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Burgeoning U.K. producer Mad as Birds has brought on Con Gornell as a long-term consultant to support its growing slate of movies, including “The Vanishing” and others, several of which are being sold at Afm with this week.
The first project that former Warner Bros. Emea marketing exec VP Gornell will work on is “The Vanishing” (formerly known as ‘”Keepers”). The psychological thriller is the debut feature of Danish director Kristoffer Nyholm and stars Gerard Butler, Peter Mullan and newcomer Connor Swindells.
It had its world premiere at the Sitges Film Festival. Based on an unsolved mystery about the disappearance of lighthouse keepers off the coast of Scotland, it is being released by Saban in the U.S., Lionsgate in the U.K. and Sandrew Metronome in Denmark.
Gornell started at Warner Bros. in 1997 and left earlier this year. The Mad as Birds assignment is his first foray into the independent film business.
The first project that former Warner Bros. Emea marketing exec VP Gornell will work on is “The Vanishing” (formerly known as ‘”Keepers”). The psychological thriller is the debut feature of Danish director Kristoffer Nyholm and stars Gerard Butler, Peter Mullan and newcomer Connor Swindells.
It had its world premiere at the Sitges Film Festival. Based on an unsolved mystery about the disappearance of lighthouse keepers off the coast of Scotland, it is being released by Saban in the U.S., Lionsgate in the U.K. and Sandrew Metronome in Denmark.
Gornell started at Warner Bros. in 1997 and left earlier this year. The Mad as Birds assignment is his first foray into the independent film business.
- 10/31/2018
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Simon Brew Jul 19, 2017
Spoorloos - the original The Vanishing - led to the Academy having to change its ways...
People sometimes come to this site in search of a film to watch, that they’ve not heard of. Sadly, the late George Sluizer’s stunning thriller Spoorloos has been infected by its tepid 1993 Hollywood remake, that Sluizer himself directed. But the original is one of the best, darkest thrillers of the 1980s. It’s an amazing piece of work.
It’s also a piece of work that led to the Academy having to rewrite the rules for one of its Oscar categories.
The film’s country of origin was the Netherlands, and when it came to Oscar time, it was put forward as the Dutch entry for the Best Foreign Language Feature Academy Award. Yet the film was deemed ineligible, in spite of the fact that not a word of English is spoken in it.
Spoorloos - the original The Vanishing - led to the Academy having to change its ways...
People sometimes come to this site in search of a film to watch, that they’ve not heard of. Sadly, the late George Sluizer’s stunning thriller Spoorloos has been infected by its tepid 1993 Hollywood remake, that Sluizer himself directed. But the original is one of the best, darkest thrillers of the 1980s. It’s an amazing piece of work.
It’s also a piece of work that led to the Academy having to rewrite the rules for one of its Oscar categories.
The film’s country of origin was the Netherlands, and when it came to Oscar time, it was put forward as the Dutch entry for the Best Foreign Language Feature Academy Award. Yet the film was deemed ineligible, in spite of the fact that not a word of English is spoken in it.
- 7/18/2017
- Den of Geek
Told in flashback over 30 years of guilt and grief, this tender melodrama based on three Alice Munro short stories is Pedro Almodóvar’s best film in a decade
Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar’s latest, his most moving and entrancing work since 2006’s Volver, is a sumptuous and heartbreaking study of the viral nature of guilt, the mystery of memory and the often unendurable power of love. At times, the emotional intrigue plays more like a Hitchcock thriller than a romantic melodrama, with Alberto Iglesias’s superb Herrmannesque score (the director cites Toru Takemitsu, Mahler and Alban Berg as influential) heightening the noir elements, darkening the bold splashes of red, blue and white. Three short stories from the Canadian author Alice Munro’s 2004 volume Runaway provide the source material, but the spirit of Patricia Highsmith looms large as strangers on a train fuel the circling narrative (one character even observes that...
Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar’s latest, his most moving and entrancing work since 2006’s Volver, is a sumptuous and heartbreaking study of the viral nature of guilt, the mystery of memory and the often unendurable power of love. At times, the emotional intrigue plays more like a Hitchcock thriller than a romantic melodrama, with Alberto Iglesias’s superb Herrmannesque score (the director cites Toru Takemitsu, Mahler and Alban Berg as influential) heightening the noir elements, darkening the bold splashes of red, blue and white. Three short stories from the Canadian author Alice Munro’s 2004 volume Runaway provide the source material, but the spirit of Patricia Highsmith looms large as strangers on a train fuel the circling narrative (one character even observes that...
- 8/28/2016
- by Mark Kermode, Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
My guest for this month is Herb van der Poll, and he’s joined me to discuss the film I chose for him, the 1988 Dutch–French film The Vanishing. You can follow the show on Twitter @cinemagadfly.
Show notes:
The director, George Sluizer, didn’t really direct much else besides this film and its remake The soundtrack definitely has a Tears for Fears vibe to it, which is 100% ok with me Herb checked with his Dutch parents to make sure we pronounced Spoorloos correctly Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu is basically perfect as the villain in this film If you enjoy this film, you’d probably also love Alfred Hitchock’s The Lady Vanishes The actress who plays the second girlfriend Lieneke, Gwen Eckhaus, was randomly in a television series in the Netherlands called Spoorloos verdwenen, which I assume is unrelated Getting a compliment on your film from Stanley Kubrick is a big...
Show notes:
The director, George Sluizer, didn’t really direct much else besides this film and its remake The soundtrack definitely has a Tears for Fears vibe to it, which is 100% ok with me Herb checked with his Dutch parents to make sure we pronounced Spoorloos correctly Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu is basically perfect as the villain in this film If you enjoy this film, you’d probably also love Alfred Hitchock’s The Lady Vanishes The actress who plays the second girlfriend Lieneke, Gwen Eckhaus, was randomly in a television series in the Netherlands called Spoorloos verdwenen, which I assume is unrelated Getting a compliment on your film from Stanley Kubrick is a big...
- 6/18/2016
- by Arik Devens
- CriterionCast
World premieres of new features from the Us, South America and Asia; titles include A Woman, A Part starring Mad Men’s Maggie Siff; jury named.
International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) has revealed the eight titles that will compete in the revamped Hivos Tiger Awards Competition at this year’s 45th edition (Jan 27-Feb 7).
The titles are:
History’s Future - Fiona Tan (Neth)The Land Of The Enlightened - Pieter-Jan De Pue (Bel-Neth-Ire-Ger)Motel Mist - Prabda Yoon (Thai)Oscuro Animal - Felipe Guerrero (Col-Arg-Neth-Ger-Gre)Radio Dreams - Babak Jalali (Us)La Ultima Tierra - Pablo Lamar (Par-Neth-Chi-Qat)Where I Grow Old - Marília Rocha (Bra-Por)A Woman, A Part - Elisabeth Subrin (Us)
All are world premieres, except The Land Of The Enlightened, which will receive its European premiere at Iffr after screening at Sundance in the world cinema documentary competition.
Other notable titles include Us drama A Woman, A Part, which...
International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) has revealed the eight titles that will compete in the revamped Hivos Tiger Awards Competition at this year’s 45th edition (Jan 27-Feb 7).
The titles are:
History’s Future - Fiona Tan (Neth)The Land Of The Enlightened - Pieter-Jan De Pue (Bel-Neth-Ire-Ger)Motel Mist - Prabda Yoon (Thai)Oscuro Animal - Felipe Guerrero (Col-Arg-Neth-Ger-Gre)Radio Dreams - Babak Jalali (Us)La Ultima Tierra - Pablo Lamar (Par-Neth-Chi-Qat)Where I Grow Old - Marília Rocha (Bra-Por)A Woman, A Part - Elisabeth Subrin (Us)
All are world premieres, except The Land Of The Enlightened, which will receive its European premiere at Iffr after screening at Sundance in the world cinema documentary competition.
Other notable titles include Us drama A Woman, A Part, which...
- 1/5/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
–
20. The Innocents
Directed by Jack Clayton
Written by William Archibald and Truman Capote
UK, 1961
Genre: Hauntings
The Innocents, which was co-written by Truman Capote, is the first of many screen adaptations of The Turn of the Screw. If you’ve never heard of it, don’t feel bad because most people haven’t – but The Innocents deserves its rightful spot on any list of great horror films. Here is one of the few films where the ghost story takes place mostly in daylight, and the lush photography, which earned cinematographer Freddie Francis one of his two Oscar wins, is simply stunning. Meanwhile, director Jack Clayton and Francis made great use of long, steady shots, which suggest corruption is lurking everywhere inside the grand estate. The Innocents also features three amazing performances; the first two come courtesy of child actors Pamela Franklin (The Legend of Hell House), and Martin Stephens (Village of the Damned...
20. The Innocents
Directed by Jack Clayton
Written by William Archibald and Truman Capote
UK, 1961
Genre: Hauntings
The Innocents, which was co-written by Truman Capote, is the first of many screen adaptations of The Turn of the Screw. If you’ve never heard of it, don’t feel bad because most people haven’t – but The Innocents deserves its rightful spot on any list of great horror films. Here is one of the few films where the ghost story takes place mostly in daylight, and the lush photography, which earned cinematographer Freddie Francis one of his two Oscar wins, is simply stunning. Meanwhile, director Jack Clayton and Francis made great use of long, steady shots, which suggest corruption is lurking everywhere inside the grand estate. The Innocents also features three amazing performances; the first two come courtesy of child actors Pamela Franklin (The Legend of Hell House), and Martin Stephens (Village of the Damned...
- 10/31/2015
- by Ricky Fernandes
- SoundOnSight
During Toronto International Film Festival, Bero Beyer announced his plans for the 45th International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr). One innovation is that eight films will compete in the Hivos Tiger Awards Competition for a single Hivos Tiger Award worth €40,000, to be shared by director and producer. In addition, a special jury award worth €10,000 will be presented to an exceptional artistic achievement within the competition. Previously, approximately 15 films competed for three equal awards of € 15,000.
'We aim to focus as much attention and as well as we can on the best, the most innovative, original and challenging works by filmmakers’, said Bero Beyer, who will be taking up the role of festival director at Iffr 2016. ‘This is why we have not only increased the prize money, but also chosen a structure in which we will put a new “Tiger” in the spotlight every day. At Iffr, we strive to celebrate and honor exceptional films and makers, and give them the maximum possible attention.’
The film "History's Future" by filmmaker and artist Fiona Tan is the first of eight films to be selected for the Hivos Tigers Award Competition. Beyer: ‘I am particularly happy that, with Fiona Tan’s "History's Future," we will be able to present the world premiere of such a cinematographically strong film. The maker’s unique way of working and distinct voice as an auteur make this a marvellous, engaging and intriguing film. The kind of envelope-pushing experience Rotterdam has always promoted.’ Tan’s screenplay, written with renowned film critic Jonathan Romney, attracted top acting talent including Mark O'Halloran ("Calvary"), Denis Lavant ("Holy Motors," "Beau Travail") and Johanna ter Steege ("Spoorloos," "Tirza"). Part fiction, documentary and an essay probing the world of today, "History's Future" is about a man’s odyssey through the turbulence of Europe – and his own spirit. The project had been selected by Iffr’s CineMart in 2013.
Iffr is proud that Hivos will once again be the main sponsor of the festival for the coming years. Through support for the Hubert Bals Fund and the Hivos Tiger Award, the organization contributes to the development of artistic film productions as a means of expressing social criticism. The Hivos Tiger Awards Competition was set up in 1995 with the aim of discovering, raising the profile of and recognising emerging international film talent. The awards are presented by an expert jury.
The streamlined Hivos Tiger Awards Competition will be part of a more contextualized program, in which films are selected and presented for their character and spirit. All of the films that will screen at Iffr 2016 will be included in one of four program sections.The first of these will present new film talent through innovative, daring and original films, some of which will be included in the competition. The second section will contain inspirational films by established makers. Often these films already have a distributor and will screen in arthouse cinemas after the festival and are aimed at a broad audience. Beyer: ‘Iffr has always played an important role in launching exceptional films and supporting distribution. In addition, we will be looking for ways to optimize this role, for example through the Iffr Live project, initiated in 2014, in which five titles were simultaneously screened in forty cinemas throughout Europe.’
The third program section will use master classes, retrospectives and special programs to go deeper into the world of cinema and provide more context.
And in the fourth section, filmmakers and critics will explore the landscape of film from various angles and the overlaps between film, television and other media will be investigated. The names of these sections and more film titles will be announced in the near future...
'We aim to focus as much attention and as well as we can on the best, the most innovative, original and challenging works by filmmakers’, said Bero Beyer, who will be taking up the role of festival director at Iffr 2016. ‘This is why we have not only increased the prize money, but also chosen a structure in which we will put a new “Tiger” in the spotlight every day. At Iffr, we strive to celebrate and honor exceptional films and makers, and give them the maximum possible attention.’
The film "History's Future" by filmmaker and artist Fiona Tan is the first of eight films to be selected for the Hivos Tigers Award Competition. Beyer: ‘I am particularly happy that, with Fiona Tan’s "History's Future," we will be able to present the world premiere of such a cinematographically strong film. The maker’s unique way of working and distinct voice as an auteur make this a marvellous, engaging and intriguing film. The kind of envelope-pushing experience Rotterdam has always promoted.’ Tan’s screenplay, written with renowned film critic Jonathan Romney, attracted top acting talent including Mark O'Halloran ("Calvary"), Denis Lavant ("Holy Motors," "Beau Travail") and Johanna ter Steege ("Spoorloos," "Tirza"). Part fiction, documentary and an essay probing the world of today, "History's Future" is about a man’s odyssey through the turbulence of Europe – and his own spirit. The project had been selected by Iffr’s CineMart in 2013.
Iffr is proud that Hivos will once again be the main sponsor of the festival for the coming years. Through support for the Hubert Bals Fund and the Hivos Tiger Award, the organization contributes to the development of artistic film productions as a means of expressing social criticism. The Hivos Tiger Awards Competition was set up in 1995 with the aim of discovering, raising the profile of and recognising emerging international film talent. The awards are presented by an expert jury.
The streamlined Hivos Tiger Awards Competition will be part of a more contextualized program, in which films are selected and presented for their character and spirit. All of the films that will screen at Iffr 2016 will be included in one of four program sections.The first of these will present new film talent through innovative, daring and original films, some of which will be included in the competition. The second section will contain inspirational films by established makers. Often these films already have a distributor and will screen in arthouse cinemas after the festival and are aimed at a broad audience. Beyer: ‘Iffr has always played an important role in launching exceptional films and supporting distribution. In addition, we will be looking for ways to optimize this role, for example through the Iffr Live project, initiated in 2014, in which five titles were simultaneously screened in forty cinemas throughout Europe.’
The third program section will use master classes, retrospectives and special programs to go deeper into the world of cinema and provide more context.
And in the fourth section, filmmakers and critics will explore the landscape of film from various angles and the overlaps between film, television and other media will be investigated. The names of these sections and more film titles will be announced in the near future...
- 9/18/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Iffr to consolidate prize money; reduce competition titles from 15 to eight.
The International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) has shaken up the Hivos Tiger Awards Competition ahead of its 45th edition, set to run Jan 27 to Feb 7, 2016.
The field has been narrowed from 15 films competing for three equal awards of €15,000 to eight film vying for a single Hivos Tiger Award worth €40,000, to be shared by director and producer.
In addition, a special jury award worth €10,000 will be presented to an “exceptional artistic achievement” within the competition.
It marks the first major change at the festival since Bero Beyer was appointed general and artistic director of Iffr, replacing Rutger Wolfson.
“We aim to focus as much attention as we can, as well as we can, on the best, the most innovative, the most original and most challenging works by filmmakers,” Beyer explained.
“This is why we have not only increased the prize money, but also chosen...
The International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) has shaken up the Hivos Tiger Awards Competition ahead of its 45th edition, set to run Jan 27 to Feb 7, 2016.
The field has been narrowed from 15 films competing for three equal awards of €15,000 to eight film vying for a single Hivos Tiger Award worth €40,000, to be shared by director and producer.
In addition, a special jury award worth €10,000 will be presented to an “exceptional artistic achievement” within the competition.
It marks the first major change at the festival since Bero Beyer was appointed general and artistic director of Iffr, replacing Rutger Wolfson.
“We aim to focus as much attention as we can, as well as we can, on the best, the most innovative, the most original and most challenging works by filmmakers,” Beyer explained.
“This is why we have not only increased the prize money, but also chosen...
- 9/15/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Our look at underappreciated films of the 80s continues, as we head back to 1988...
Either in terms of ticket sales or critical acclaim, 1988 was dominated by the likes of Rain Man, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Coming To America. It was the year Bruce Willis made the jump from TV to action star with Die Hard, and became a star in the process.
It was the year Leslie Nielsen made his own jump from the small to silver screen with Police Squad spin-off The Naked Gun, which sparked a hugely popular franchise of its own. Elsewhere, the eccentric Tim Burton scored one of the biggest hits of the year with Beetlejuice, the success of which would result in the birth of Batman a year later. And then there was Tom Cruise, who managed to make a drama about a student-turned-barman into a $170m hit, back when $170m was still an...
Either in terms of ticket sales or critical acclaim, 1988 was dominated by the likes of Rain Man, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Coming To America. It was the year Bruce Willis made the jump from TV to action star with Die Hard, and became a star in the process.
It was the year Leslie Nielsen made his own jump from the small to silver screen with Police Squad spin-off The Naked Gun, which sparked a hugely popular franchise of its own. Elsewhere, the eccentric Tim Burton scored one of the biggest hits of the year with Beetlejuice, the success of which would result in the birth of Batman a year later. And then there was Tom Cruise, who managed to make a drama about a student-turned-barman into a $170m hit, back when $170m was still an...
- 5/6/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Today's top stories: Agnès Varda will receive the European Film Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award this year. Roman Polanski went to Poland and the Us tried to get authorities there to detain him. They refused. Nick Broomfield's Tales of the Grim Sleeper, Marshall Curry's Point and Shoot, John Maloof and Charlie Siskel's Finding Vivian Maier, Laura Poitras's Citizenfour and Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado's The Salt of the Earth have been nominated by the International Documentary Association for Best Feature Awards. Plus Scott Foundas on George Sluizer's Spoorloos (The Vanishing) and more. » - David Hudson...
- 10/30/2014
- Keyframe
Today's top stories: Agnès Varda will receive the European Film Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award this year. Roman Polanski went to Poland and the Us tried to get authorities there to detain him. They refused. Nick Broomfield's Tales of the Grim Sleeper, Marshall Curry's Point and Shoot, John Maloof and Charlie Siskel's Finding Vivian Maier, Laura Poitras's Citizenfour and Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado's The Salt of the Earth have been nominated by the International Documentary Association for Best Feature Awards. Plus Scott Foundas on George Sluizer's Spoorloos (The Vanishing) and more. » - David Hudson...
- 10/30/2014
- Fandor: Keyframe
The man who made Spoorloos, one of the best thrillers of the past few decades, has died at the of 82.
Here's some sad news. George Sluizer, the director of Spoorloos, has died at the age of 82. He had been ill for many years, and the Dutch filmmaker reportedly passed away on Saturday.
Sluizer leaves behind one of the most chilling thrillers we've ever seen in the shape of Spoorloos. The kind of film where the less you know the better, Sluizer himself directed the English language version, The Vanishing, although the Hollywood version was a pale imitation of the stunning original.
Sluizer also directed River Phoenix's final movie, Dark Blood, which has been seeing the light over the past year or two. He also had a rich background in documentary feature making.
Rest in peace, Mr Sluizer. And thanks for leaving behind one of the best thrillers we've ever seen.
Here's some sad news. George Sluizer, the director of Spoorloos, has died at the age of 82. He had been ill for many years, and the Dutch filmmaker reportedly passed away on Saturday.
Sluizer leaves behind one of the most chilling thrillers we've ever seen in the shape of Spoorloos. The kind of film where the less you know the better, Sluizer himself directed the English language version, The Vanishing, although the Hollywood version was a pale imitation of the stunning original.
Sluizer also directed River Phoenix's final movie, Dark Blood, which has been seeing the light over the past year or two. He also had a rich background in documentary feature making.
Rest in peace, Mr Sluizer. And thanks for leaving behind one of the best thrillers we've ever seen.
- 9/23/2014
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Dutch filmmaker George Sluizer, the man behind psychological horror The Vanishing, has died. He was 82. Sluizer cut his teeth with an award-winning short called The Low Lands in 1961, before graduating to the longer form with 1972’s João And The Knife, a haunting drama set in the Amazon basin, and Twice A Woman seven years later. But it was The Vanishing, a landmark horror in 1988, that made his name.The film, which was released under the title ‘Spoorloos’ (‘Without A Trace’) in Sluizer’s native tongue, was adapted from Tim Krabbé’s novella The Golden Egg and charts the efforts of a man to uncover his fiancée’s fate after she disappears at a motorway service station. No lesser a figure than Stanley Kubrick was moved to describe it as, “the most horrifying film I’ve ever seen”. As a portrayal of obsession, it boasts shades of Hitchcock; as a record...
- 9/23/2014
- EmpireOnline
George Sluizer, who directed two versions of the thriller The Vanishing — one a Dutch-French production, the other American and each with a different ending — has died. He was 82. Sluizer, a native of the Netherlands who also helmed River Phoenix’s final film, Dark Blood, died Saturday in Amsterdam, his wife told the Dutch news site Nl Times. Sluizer’s first crack at The Vanishing — the story of a man who is obsessed with finding out what happened to his wife after she’s abducted at a roadside oasis — was for a mostly French-language film titled Spoorloos in
read more...
read more...
- 9/22/2014
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
George Sluizer, the Dutch filmmaker behind The Vanishing and River Phoenix's final film Dark Blood, has died at the age of 82.
The director passed away in Amsterdam on Saturday (September 20) after a long illness, according to local media reports. Sluizer's relatives told Dutch broadcaster Nos that his health had "remained fragile" after suffering a ruptured artery in 2007.
Sluizer shot to fame in the late '80s when his Dutch-language thriller Spoorloos (later known as The Vanishing) - about a man doggedly searching to find his kidnapped girlfriend - became a hit with critics and mainstream audiences.
In 1993, he directed the Hollywood remake of the film with Jeff Bridges, Kiefer Sutherland, Nancy Travis and Sandra Bullock.
Later that year, Sluizer began filming Dark Blood with River Phoenix, but the young actor died during production, leaving the film unfinished.
Dark Blood was never completed, but after years of legal disputes (involving...
The director passed away in Amsterdam on Saturday (September 20) after a long illness, according to local media reports. Sluizer's relatives told Dutch broadcaster Nos that his health had "remained fragile" after suffering a ruptured artery in 2007.
Sluizer shot to fame in the late '80s when his Dutch-language thriller Spoorloos (later known as The Vanishing) - about a man doggedly searching to find his kidnapped girlfriend - became a hit with critics and mainstream audiences.
In 1993, he directed the Hollywood remake of the film with Jeff Bridges, Kiefer Sutherland, Nancy Travis and Sandra Bullock.
Later that year, Sluizer began filming Dark Blood with River Phoenix, but the young actor died during production, leaving the film unfinished.
Dark Blood was never completed, but after years of legal disputes (involving...
- 9/22/2014
- Digital Spy
Dutch director was best known for The Vanishing and River Phoenix’s last film, Dark Blood.
George Sluizer, the Dutch director best known for The Vanishing and Dark Blood, River Phoenix’s last film, died in Amsterdam on Saturday (Sept 20) following a long illness, according to Dutch media. He was 82.
“Sluizer had been ill for a long time. In 2007 he barely survived a ruptured artery and after that his health remained fragile,” according to Dutch public broadcaster Nos, quoting relatives.
The director, producer and screenwriter was born in Paris, where he attended the Idhec film academy.
He made his first film in 1961, Hold Back the Sea, a documentary that won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
Up until the early 1980s, Sluizer produced and directed many documentaries and TV specials. He also worked as a producer on numerous films, including Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo and Cancer Rising with Rutger Hauer.
As a writer...
George Sluizer, the Dutch director best known for The Vanishing and Dark Blood, River Phoenix’s last film, died in Amsterdam on Saturday (Sept 20) following a long illness, according to Dutch media. He was 82.
“Sluizer had been ill for a long time. In 2007 he barely survived a ruptured artery and after that his health remained fragile,” according to Dutch public broadcaster Nos, quoting relatives.
The director, producer and screenwriter was born in Paris, where he attended the Idhec film academy.
He made his first film in 1961, Hold Back the Sea, a documentary that won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
Up until the early 1980s, Sluizer produced and directed many documentaries and TV specials. He also worked as a producer on numerous films, including Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo and Cancer Rising with Rutger Hauer.
As a writer...
- 9/22/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Odd List Simon Brew Ryan Lambie 17 Feb 2014 - 06:24
Whether they're bleak, shocking or sad, the endings to these 22 movies have haunted us for years...
Warning: There are spoilers to the endings for every film we talk about in this article. So if you don't want to know an ending for a film, then don't read that entry.
It's probably best to start by talking about what this article isn't. It's not a list of the best movie endings, the best twists, the most depressing endings or anything like that. Instead, we're focusing here on the endings that seeped into our brain and stayed there for some time after we'd seen the film. The endings that provoke in an interesting way, and haunt you for days afterwards.
As such, whilst not every ending we're going to talk about here is a flat out classic - although lots of them are...
Whether they're bleak, shocking or sad, the endings to these 22 movies have haunted us for years...
Warning: There are spoilers to the endings for every film we talk about in this article. So if you don't want to know an ending for a film, then don't read that entry.
It's probably best to start by talking about what this article isn't. It's not a list of the best movie endings, the best twists, the most depressing endings or anything like that. Instead, we're focusing here on the endings that seeped into our brain and stayed there for some time after we'd seen the film. The endings that provoke in an interesting way, and haunt you for days afterwards.
As such, whilst not every ending we're going to talk about here is a flat out classic - although lots of them are...
- 2/14/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time around for one simple reason: that is, the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. Enjoy!
Special Mention:
Un chien andalou
Directed by Luis Buñuel
Written by Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel
France, 1929
The dream – or nightmare – has been a staple of horror cinema for decades. In 1929, Luis Bunuel joined forces with Salvador Dali to create Un chien andalou, an experimental and unforgettable 17-minute surrealist masterpiece.
Special Mention:
Un chien andalou
Directed by Luis Buñuel
Written by Salvador Dalí and Luis Buñuel
France, 1929
The dream – or nightmare – has been a staple of horror cinema for decades. In 1929, Luis Bunuel joined forces with Salvador Dali to create Un chien andalou, an experimental and unforgettable 17-minute surrealist masterpiece.
- 10/12/2013
- by Ricky da Conceição
- SoundOnSight
Throughout the month of October, Editor-in-Chief and resident Horror expert Ricky D, will be posting a list of his favorite Horror films of all time. The list will be posted in six parts. Click here to see every entry.
As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.
****
Special Mention:
Shock Corridor
Directed by Samuel Fuller
Written by Samuel Fuller
1963, USA
Shock Corridor stars Peter Breck as Johnny Barrett, an ambitious reporter who wants to expose the killer at the local insane asylum. In order to solve the case, he must pretend to be insane so they have him committed. Once in the asylum, Barrett sets to work, interrogating the other patients and keeping a close eye on the staff.
As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. It was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried and eventually gave up.
****
Special Mention:
Shock Corridor
Directed by Samuel Fuller
Written by Samuel Fuller
1963, USA
Shock Corridor stars Peter Breck as Johnny Barrett, an ambitious reporter who wants to expose the killer at the local insane asylum. In order to solve the case, he must pretend to be insane so they have him committed. Once in the asylum, Barrett sets to work, interrogating the other patients and keeping a close eye on the staff.
- 10/28/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Last Thursday at the Dutch Film Festival in Utrecht, George Sluizer's "new" film Dark Blood premiered in front of a non-paying audience. The few Dutch reviews which are slowly appearing on the Internet are favorable, yet the question if there ever will be a commercial screening of this film is still unanswered. It sure took long enough to get even this screening arranged: all footage of Dark Blood was shot in 1993. The road from then to the world premiere has been very bumpy. Back in the early 90s, Dutch director George Sluizer was able to start several projects after the international success of his 1988 film Spoorloos (The Vanishing) and the 1992 Us remake of that film, which he also directed himself. In 1993...
- 9/29/2012
- Screen Anarchy
When River Phoenix died in 1993, the unfinished movie Dark Blood was thought to have died with him. But last year, its director, George Sluizer, began making noises about releasing the film with the possible assistance of Joaquin Phoenix, who the French director suggested could perform his brother’s voiceover. The Phoenix family quickly denied any such conversations, but that hasn’t deterred Sluizer, who’s best known for making The Vanishing and the Dutch movie it was based upon, Spoorloos. He recently cut a trailer for Dark Blood and posted it on a site dedicated to raising funds for the completion of the film,...
- 5/24/2012
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
31 – Rosemary’s Baby
Directed by Roman Polanski
USA, 1968
Roman Polanski’s brilliant horror-thriller was nominated for two Oscars, winning Best Supporting Actress for Ruth Gordon. The director’s first American film, adapted from Ira Levin’s horror bestseller, is a spellbinding and twisted tale of Satanism and pregnancy. Supremely mounted, the film benefits from it’s strong atmosphere, apartment setting, eerie childlike score and polished production values by cinematographer William Fraker. The cast is brilliant, with Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes as the young couple playing opposite Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer, the elderly neighbors. There is ominous tension in the film from first frame to last – the climax makes for one of the greatest endings of all time. Rarely has a film displayed such an uncompromising portrait of betrayal as this one. Career or marriage – which would you choose?
30 – Eraserhead
Directed by David Lynch
USA, 1977
Filmed intermittently over the course of a five-year period,...
Directed by Roman Polanski
USA, 1968
Roman Polanski’s brilliant horror-thriller was nominated for two Oscars, winning Best Supporting Actress for Ruth Gordon. The director’s first American film, adapted from Ira Levin’s horror bestseller, is a spellbinding and twisted tale of Satanism and pregnancy. Supremely mounted, the film benefits from it’s strong atmosphere, apartment setting, eerie childlike score and polished production values by cinematographer William Fraker. The cast is brilliant, with Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes as the young couple playing opposite Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer, the elderly neighbors. There is ominous tension in the film from first frame to last – the climax makes for one of the greatest endings of all time. Rarely has a film displayed such an uncompromising portrait of betrayal as this one. Career or marriage – which would you choose?
30 – Eraserhead
Directed by David Lynch
USA, 1977
Filmed intermittently over the course of a five-year period,...
- 10/29/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Alfred Hitchcock and Cecil B. DeMille might have been able to successfully redo their own movies, but more recent auto-remakes, especially ones that find directors cranking out a U.S. version of their own foreign-language hit, have been a motley crew. The best, like Michael Haneke's 2007 Funny Games and Takashi Shimizu's The Grudge, tend to be merely functional enterprises that revisit what worked the first time around with added English-speaking and possibly more famous actors. But others highlight in a painfully clear way the compromises that so often come with working in Hollywood. Ole Bornedal's wan Nightwatch lost the nasty edge of the Danish original and retained no other distinguishing characteristics, and George Sluizer's 1993 The Vanishing ditched the finale of his 1988 Spoorloos, an uncompromisingly bleak and great ending, for a studio-friendly happy one that undoes everything toward which the first film built.
- 10/28/2011
- Movieline
25 – Halloween
Directed by John Carpenter
1978 – Us
A historical milestone that single-handedly shaped and altered the future of the entire genre. This seminal horror flick actually gets better with age; it’s downright transcendent and holds up with determination as an effective thriller that will always stand head and shoulders above the hundreds of imitators to come. Halloween had one hell of an influence on the entire film industry. You have to admire how Carpenter avoids explicit onscreen violence, and achieves a considerable power almost entirely through visual means, using its widescreen frame, expert hand-held camerawork, and terrifying foreground and background imagery.
24 – Black Christmas
Directed by Bob Clark
1974 – Canada
We never did find out who Billy was. Maybe it’s for the best, since they never made any sequels to Bob Clark’s seminal slasher film, a film which predates Carpenter’s Halloween by four years. Whereas Texas Chainsaw Massacre, released the same year,...
Directed by John Carpenter
1978 – Us
A historical milestone that single-handedly shaped and altered the future of the entire genre. This seminal horror flick actually gets better with age; it’s downright transcendent and holds up with determination as an effective thriller that will always stand head and shoulders above the hundreds of imitators to come. Halloween had one hell of an influence on the entire film industry. You have to admire how Carpenter avoids explicit onscreen violence, and achieves a considerable power almost entirely through visual means, using its widescreen frame, expert hand-held camerawork, and terrifying foreground and background imagery.
24 – Black Christmas
Directed by Bob Clark
1974 – Canada
We never did find out who Billy was. Maybe it’s for the best, since they never made any sequels to Bob Clark’s seminal slasher film, a film which predates Carpenter’s Halloween by four years. Whereas Texas Chainsaw Massacre, released the same year,...
- 10/28/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Reports surfaced yesterday that River Phoenix’s last unfinished film, Dark Blood, was to be completed after 18 years. The late actor was still in the midst of shooting the movie — a thriller about a couple in a desert, co-starring Judy Davis — with director George Sluizer (best known for 1988′s Spoorloos/The Vanishing) when he passed away in 1993 at the age of 23. Sluizer reportedly said he was still in touch with the Phoenix family, and that he planned to ask River’s brother, actor Joaquin Phoenix, to provide the voiceover for River’s character.
This was apparently news to Joaquin Phoenix and family,...
This was apparently news to Joaquin Phoenix and family,...
- 10/20/2011
- by Sara Vilkomerson
- EW - Inside Movies
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.