[Editor’s note: this list was originally published in November 2022. We’re recirculating it to coincide with the release of “The Girls on the Bus.”]
It’s an election year in the United States. So, uh, how you doing, buddy?
Even in a world as spectacularly screwed up as ours [insert long list of alarming, urgent problems we have no practical solutions for, ending with some half-assed joke about the planet being on fire that you’ve definitely heard before!], the American political landscape is especially rocky terrain. In a post-Trump-presidency U.S., democracy is on the ballot and faith in both our electoral system and fellow humans is at an all-time low.
But, you knew that. And as we gear up for a 2020 election repeat showdown between Trump and Biden, it’s difficult not to feel fatigued by the circular nature of our political landscape and the lack of real progress made on a number of major crises boiling over at this very moment. Even international bystanders are probably dreading the death march to Election Day this year, and the sea to shining shit storm it will likely be. So to keep your head above water as we head into election season,...
It’s an election year in the United States. So, uh, how you doing, buddy?
Even in a world as spectacularly screwed up as ours [insert long list of alarming, urgent problems we have no practical solutions for, ending with some half-assed joke about the planet being on fire that you’ve definitely heard before!], the American political landscape is especially rocky terrain. In a post-Trump-presidency U.S., democracy is on the ballot and faith in both our electoral system and fellow humans is at an all-time low.
But, you knew that. And as we gear up for a 2020 election repeat showdown between Trump and Biden, it’s difficult not to feel fatigued by the circular nature of our political landscape and the lack of real progress made on a number of major crises boiling over at this very moment. Even international bystanders are probably dreading the death march to Election Day this year, and the sea to shining shit storm it will likely be. So to keep your head above water as we head into election season,...
- 3/14/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
A late-release awards contender can move through Oscar season like a cat. It crouches low, waiting patiently for the right moment to pounce.
With the deployment of a skillful campaign, yet-unscreened films waiting in the wings — notably “The Color Purple,” “The Iron Claw” and “Napoleon” — might execute the perfect strike, catching established front-runners like “Oppenheimer” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” by surprise.
Throughout the expanded best picture era (post-2009), second- and third-quarter release dates have been the sweet spot for eventual Academy winners. Memorable examples are 2009’s “The Hurt Locker” (May) and last year’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (April). As October draws to a close, few of the contenders initially screened on the fall festival circuit have been critical flops. That means upcoming prospects hope to break into a race already stacked with two dozen worthy candidates.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
With the deployment of a skillful campaign, yet-unscreened films waiting in the wings — notably “The Color Purple,” “The Iron Claw” and “Napoleon” — might execute the perfect strike, catching established front-runners like “Oppenheimer” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” by surprise.
Throughout the expanded best picture era (post-2009), second- and third-quarter release dates have been the sweet spot for eventual Academy winners. Memorable examples are 2009’s “The Hurt Locker” (May) and last year’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (April). As October draws to a close, few of the contenders initially screened on the fall festival circuit have been critical flops. That means upcoming prospects hope to break into a race already stacked with two dozen worthy candidates.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
- 10/27/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
With hundreds of members of Congress all jockeying for media attention (whether they admit that or not) it is increasingly challenging for individuals to break through and establish a national profile. Yet Adam Schiff has managed to do just that.
His role as lead prosecutor in President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial turned Schiff into a hero among Trump critics and an archenemy of Trump loyalists and Trump himself. The former president began attacking Schiff by name at rallies, the ultimate badge of honor for a certain set of the ex-president’s antagonists. However, the impeachment simply marked a logical next step in a career that has been focused on the dual pursuits of justice and equity, or more specifically, pursuing one to achieve the other.
After attending Stanford University and Harvard Law School, Schiff served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, where he first practiced his impeachment prosecutorial skills...
His role as lead prosecutor in President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial turned Schiff into a hero among Trump critics and an archenemy of Trump loyalists and Trump himself. The former president began attacking Schiff by name at rallies, the ultimate badge of honor for a certain set of the ex-president’s antagonists. However, the impeachment simply marked a logical next step in a career that has been focused on the dual pursuits of justice and equity, or more specifically, pursuing one to achieve the other.
After attending Stanford University and Harvard Law School, Schiff served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, where he first practiced his impeachment prosecutorial skills...
- 3/31/2023
- by Keli Goff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sean Penn in All The King's Men
Unstoppable, 9pm, ITV4, Monday, January 23
The runaway train went down the track and she blew...up? Not if Denzel Washington’s genius engineer and his young apprentice (Chris Pine) have anything to do with it, but they really have their work cut out for them in this non-stop adrenaline-fuelled actioner by Tony Scott. While bureaucrats bicker over the potential cost of losing the train, their focus is on trying to avoid lost lives, which proves a lot more complicated aqnd precarious than logic would suggest. There are no big surprises here, but plenty of entertaining stunts.
Vesper, Netflix, Tuesday, January 24
Rising star Raffiella Chapman plays a teenager struggling to support her ailing father in a degraded future world, in this bold new work from Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper. When a crashed vessel from the nearby city provides an unexpected opportunity, Vesper embarks...
Unstoppable, 9pm, ITV4, Monday, January 23
The runaway train went down the track and she blew...up? Not if Denzel Washington’s genius engineer and his young apprentice (Chris Pine) have anything to do with it, but they really have their work cut out for them in this non-stop adrenaline-fuelled actioner by Tony Scott. While bureaucrats bicker over the potential cost of losing the train, their focus is on trying to avoid lost lives, which proves a lot more complicated aqnd precarious than logic would suggest. There are no big surprises here, but plenty of entertaining stunts.
Vesper, Netflix, Tuesday, January 24
Rising star Raffiella Chapman plays a teenager struggling to support her ailing father in a degraded future world, in this bold new work from Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper. When a crashed vessel from the nearby city provides an unexpected opportunity, Vesper embarks...
- 1/23/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Click here to read the full article.
Gary Nelson, who directed the Disney films Freaky Friday and The Black Hole, served as the in-house helmer on the first two seasons of Get Smart and called the shots for scores of other shows, has died. He was 87.
Nelson died May 25 in Las Vegas of natural causes, his son Garrett Nelson told The Hollywood Reporter.
His father was Sam Nelson, who served as an assistant director on such landmark films as The Lady From Shanghai (1947), All the King’s Men (1949), Some Like It Hot (1959) and Experiment in Terror (1962) and was a co-founder, along with King Vidor and others, of what would become the DGA.
Gary Nelson started out as an A.D., too, working on films including Nicholas Ray’s Rebel Without a Cause (1955), John Ford’s The Searchers (1956) and John Sturges’ Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), before he got a big break thanks to his future wife,...
Gary Nelson, who directed the Disney films Freaky Friday and The Black Hole, served as the in-house helmer on the first two seasons of Get Smart and called the shots for scores of other shows, has died. He was 87.
Nelson died May 25 in Las Vegas of natural causes, his son Garrett Nelson told The Hollywood Reporter.
His father was Sam Nelson, who served as an assistant director on such landmark films as The Lady From Shanghai (1947), All the King’s Men (1949), Some Like It Hot (1959) and Experiment in Terror (1962) and was a co-founder, along with King Vidor and others, of what would become the DGA.
Gary Nelson started out as an A.D., too, working on films including Nicholas Ray’s Rebel Without a Cause (1955), John Ford’s The Searchers (1956) and John Sturges’ Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), before he got a big break thanks to his future wife,...
- 9/10/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Witness six noir heroes, doing what noir heroes do: one crooked gambler, one psycho, another psycho with access to a gun, a dope railroaded into a prison sentence, and an even bigger dope who doesn’t realize he’s poisoning himself. That’s only five, but the sixth is a cop, and not a particularly compromised one, the way we like ’em in noir. This third Columbia Noir Collection can boast big stars and some name directors, beautiful HD transfers and some fascinating short subjects as extras.
Columbia Noir #3
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1947-57 / B&w / 1:37 Academy, 1:85 widescreen / Street Date May 17, 2021 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £49.99
Starring: Dick Powell, Lee J Cobb, Nina Foch, William Holden, Edmond O’Brien, Dorothy Malone, Glenn Ford, Broderick Crawford, Marie Windsor, and Vince Edwards.
Directed by Robert Rossen, Rudolph Maté, Henry Levin, Gordon Douglas, Edward Dmytryk, Irving Lerner
Powerhouse Indicator’s...
Columbia Noir #3
Region B Blu-ray
Powerhouse Indicator
1947-57 / B&w / 1:37 Academy, 1:85 widescreen / Street Date May 17, 2021 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £49.99
Starring: Dick Powell, Lee J Cobb, Nina Foch, William Holden, Edmond O’Brien, Dorothy Malone, Glenn Ford, Broderick Crawford, Marie Windsor, and Vince Edwards.
Directed by Robert Rossen, Rudolph Maté, Henry Levin, Gordon Douglas, Edward Dmytryk, Irving Lerner
Powerhouse Indicator’s...
- 5/4/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The Traveling Picture Show Company (Tpsc) has acquired the rights to two series from best-selling author Kennedy Ryan.
The company will develop “Hoops” and “All the King’s Men,” totaling six books, into two limited series for television. Kevin Matusow, Carissa Buffel, Luisa Iskin and Johnny Wunder of Tpsc are producing with executive producer Sadia Ashraf under her Rising Tides banner.
The “All the King’s Men” series, which includes the books “The Kingmaker,” “The Rebel King” and “Queen Move,” follows two best friends who dedicate their lives to electing leaders who will champion the causes they are committed to. These include activism around Native rights, missing and murdered Indigenous women, climate change, pay equity and voter suppression.
The “Hoops” series, which includes “Hook Shot,” “Block Shot” and “Long Shot,” are a series of romance novels set in world of the NBA. The series follows three couples whose day jobs include professional basketball,...
The company will develop “Hoops” and “All the King’s Men,” totaling six books, into two limited series for television. Kevin Matusow, Carissa Buffel, Luisa Iskin and Johnny Wunder of Tpsc are producing with executive producer Sadia Ashraf under her Rising Tides banner.
The “All the King’s Men” series, which includes the books “The Kingmaker,” “The Rebel King” and “Queen Move,” follows two best friends who dedicate their lives to electing leaders who will champion the causes they are committed to. These include activism around Native rights, missing and murdered Indigenous women, climate change, pay equity and voter suppression.
The “Hoops” series, which includes “Hook Shot,” “Block Shot” and “Long Shot,” are a series of romance novels set in world of the NBA. The series follows three couples whose day jobs include professional basketball,...
- 4/9/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Blake Edwards: Director of the 'Pink Panther' movies – and Julie Andrews' husband for more than four decades – was at his best handling polished comedies and a couple of dead serious dramas. Blake Edwards movies: Best known for slapstick fare, but at his best handling polished comedies and dramas The Pink Panther and its sequels[1] are the movies most closely associated with screenwriter-director-producer Blake Edwards, whose film and television career spanned more than half a century.[2] But unless you're a fan of Keystone Kops-style slapstick, they're the filmmaker's least interesting efforts. In fact, Edwards (born William Blake Crump in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on July 26, 1922) was at his best (co-)writing and/or directing polished comedies (e.g., Operation Petticoat, Victor Victoria) and, less frequently, dramas (Days of Wine and Roses, the romantic comedy-drama Breakfast at Tiffany's). The article below and follow-up posts offer a brief look at some of Blake Edwards' non-Pink Panther comedies,...
- 5/29/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Tired of stupid sword 'n' sandal costume pictures? Robert Rossen's all-star bio-epic of the charter founder of the Masons is a superior analysis of political ambition and the ruthless application of power. Yeah, he's wearing a blond wig, but Richard Burton captures the force of Alexander without camping up Asia Minor. Alexander the Great Blu-ray Twilight Time Limited Edition 1956 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 136 min. / Ship Date March 15, 2016 / available through Twilight Time Movies / 29.95 Starring Richard Burton, Fredric March, Claire Bloom, Danielle Darrieux, Barry Jones, Harry Andrews, Stanley Baker, Niall MacGinnis, Peter Cushing. Cinematography Robert Krasker Art Direction Andrej Andrejew Film Editor Ralph Kemplen Original Music Mario Nascimbene Produced by Gordon Griffith, Robert Rossen Written and Directed by Robert Rossen
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Critical opinions aren't supposed to flip-flop with every screening of a film, but I have to admit that my appreciation of Robert Rossen's 1956 epic Alexander the Great...
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
Critical opinions aren't supposed to flip-flop with every screening of a film, but I have to admit that my appreciation of Robert Rossen's 1956 epic Alexander the Great...
- 4/2/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Today is the Centennial of one of the most singular character actresses of the 1950s, Mercedes McCambridge, born in Joliet Illinois on this very day in 1916. We hope you've enjoyed our mini retrospective. We previousy discussed her sensational debut in All The King's Men (1949) her final Oscar nomination for the Texas epic Giant (1956) and her sorry fate in a teensy part in the Airport disaster series. (In the past, Icymi, we've amply discussed The Exorcist in which she did truly legendary voice work as well as the fiery abandon of must-see western Johnny Guitar.)
In The Concorde... Airport '79 article, Tim talked about the disaster genre's often ...um... disastrous treatment of aged film stars in cameos. But discarded stars of Old Hollywood also frequently collected paychecks through TV guest spots. On the small screen there was the same roulette wheel chances at success. In fact McCambridge was more frequently spotted on TV than in film,...
In The Concorde... Airport '79 article, Tim talked about the disaster genre's often ...um... disastrous treatment of aged film stars in cameos. But discarded stars of Old Hollywood also frequently collected paychecks through TV guest spots. On the small screen there was the same roulette wheel chances at success. In fact McCambridge was more frequently spotted on TV than in film,...
- 3/16/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Photo by Donnacha Kenny"Congratulations, Tom; you're one of the lucky eight per cent!" —Stir of Echoes (1999)Joliet, Illinois is probably the American city which more people have dreamed more fervently of escaping than any other. But after spending four hours in 'Prison Town'—long synonymous far and wide with incarceration—I was sad to leave; I'll be glad one day to return. Fortunately, such matters are questions of personal choice. Many of the area's residents, including those not serving custodial sentences, have little realistic option but to remain—trapped by personal, social and/or economic circumstances that can feel as confining as any 6-by-8 cell. "Joliet, or "J-Town", is racially diverse and is known as a crime-ridden city, although the area has shown much improvement since the 1990's... The east side is generally known as the ghetto side and the west side is known as middle class, even though...
- 2/29/2016
- by Neil Young
- MUBI
'Father of the Bride': Steve Martin and Kimberly Williams. Top Five Father's Day Movies? From giant Gregory Peck to tyrant John Gielgud What would be the Top Five Father's Day movies ever made? Well, there have been countless films about fathers and/or featuring fathers of various sizes, shapes, and inclinations. In terms of quality, these range from the amusing – e.g., the 1950 version of Cheaper by the Dozen; the Oscar-nominated The Grandfather – to the nauseating – e.g., the 1950 version of Father of the Bride; its atrocious sequel, Father's Little Dividend. Although I'm unable to come up with the absolute Top Five Father's Day Movies – or rather, just plain Father Movies – ever made, below are the first five (actually six, including a remake) "quality" patriarch-centered films that come to mind. Now, the fathers portrayed in these films aren't all heroic, loving, and/or saintly paternal figures. Several are...
- 6/22/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
How nice it's been to anticipate another set of tales from modern Portugal in the form of Miguel Gomes's Arabian Nights! The film's three parts have been shown every other day here in Cannes, and I've finally caught the last and I must say I already miss the idea that Gomes and his Scheherazade will unspool even more for me two days hence. If she told the stories to her king to stave off her death, I feel Gomes is telling me stories, among many others reasons, in order to stave off the powerful aura of respectable averageness prevalent at Cannes 2015.Arabian Nights Volume 3: The Enchanted One had me smiling for a good forty-five minutes in a row. After a brief glimpse of Gomes's modern version of Scheherazade in Volume 1, we finally get to spend some time with her in "Baghdad," wandering the landscape encountering lovers and bandits,...
- 5/24/2015
- by Daniel Kasman
- MUBI
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the release of "Crash" (on May 6, 2005), an all-star movie whose controversy came not from its provocative treatment of racial issues but from its Best Picture Oscar victory a few months later, against what many critics felt was a much more deserving movie, "Brokeback Mountain."
The "Crash" vs. "Brokeback" battle is one of those lingering disputes that makes the Academy Awards so fascinating, year after year. Moviegoers and critics who revisit older movies are constantly judging the Academy's judgment. Even decades of hindsight may not always be enough to tell whether the Oscar voters of a particular year got it right or wrong. Whether it's "Birdman" vs. "Boyhood," "The King's Speech" vs. "The Social Network," "Saving Private Ryan" vs. "Shakespeare in Love" or even "An American in Paris" vs. "A Streetcar Named Desire," we're still confirming the Academy's taste or dismissing it as hopelessly off-base years later.
The "Crash" vs. "Brokeback" battle is one of those lingering disputes that makes the Academy Awards so fascinating, year after year. Moviegoers and critics who revisit older movies are constantly judging the Academy's judgment. Even decades of hindsight may not always be enough to tell whether the Oscar voters of a particular year got it right or wrong. Whether it's "Birdman" vs. "Boyhood," "The King's Speech" vs. "The Social Network," "Saving Private Ryan" vs. "Shakespeare in Love" or even "An American in Paris" vs. "A Streetcar Named Desire," we're still confirming the Academy's taste or dismissing it as hopelessly off-base years later.
- 5/6/2015
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Justin Timberlake on the Oscars' Red Carpet Justin Timberlake at the Academy Awards The Social Network actor Justin Timberlake arrives at the 83rd Academy Awards, which took place on Sunday, Feb. 27, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. At the ceremony, Timberlake and Black Swan actress Mila Kunis introduced the nominees – and eventual winners – in the animation categories. Throughout the proceedings, he pretended to be the elusive Banksy, whose Exit Through the Gift Shop was a Best Documentary Feature contender. The joke fell mostly flat, but Timberlake actually elicited some laughs when he imitated three-time Oscar-nominated veteran Kirk Douglas*, who mercilessly stretched the Best Supporting Actress announcement into what seemed like hours. Admittedly, Douglas was funny. (The winner in that particular category turned out to be Melissa Leo for David O. Russell's The Fighter.) As announced by the Justin Timberlake-Mila Kunis duo, the Best Animated Short Film was Shaun Tan...
- 5/2/2015
- by D. Zhea
- Alt Film Guide
Sean Penn: Honorary César goes Hollywood – again (photo: Sean Penn in '21 Grams') Sean Penn, 54, will receive the 2015 Honorary César (César d'Honneur), the French Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Crafts has announced. That means the French Academy's powers-that-be are once again trying to make the Prix César ceremony relevant to the American media. Their tactic is to hand out the career award to a widely known and relatively young – i.e., media friendly – Hollywood celebrity. (Scroll down for more such examples.) In the words of the French Academy, Honorary César 2015 recipient Sean Penn is a "living legend" and "a stand-alone icon in American cinema." It has also hailed the two-time Best Actor Oscar winner as a "mythical actor, a politically active personality and an exceptional director." Penn will be honored at the César Awards ceremony on Feb. 20, 2015. Sean Penn movies Sean Penn movies range from the teen comedy...
- 1/28/2015
- by Steve Montgomery
- Alt Film Guide
"12 Years a Slave" may only have won three of its nine Oscar bids, but one of them was the big one -- Best Picture. It also claimed an acting prize for featured player Lupita Nyongo and the adapted screenplay award. So, where does this haul put it among the 86 Best Picture winners in Oscar history? Only 20 other champs have claimed three or fewer Oscars in all. But of these, there are some genuine classics, including "Casablanca" and "The Godfather." Below, a list of all these films. -Break- Two Other Oscars 2012: "Argo" - Adapted Screenplay, Editing 2004: "Crash" - Original Screenplay, Editing 1976: "Rocky" - Director, Editing 1972: "The Godfather" - Actor (Marlon Brando), Adapted Screenplay 1969: "Midnight Cowboy" - Director, Adapted Screenplay 1949: "All the King's Men" - Actor (Broderick Crawford), Supporting Actress (Mer...
- 3/3/2014
- Gold Derby
I received a Kindle for Christmas and I absolutely love it. I am not a particularly fast reader, but with this device my reading speed has dramatically increased and one thing I do every day is check the Kindle Daily Deals at Amazon as they frequently offer something worth picking up for only $1.99. Well, today the list is rather long as they have 34 books that eventually inspired award-winning movies on sale. No, this doesn't mean Oscar winning as you'll notice the book that helped inspire Ron Howard's Rush is included here and the Academy couldn't even see fit to offer it a Sound nomination. However, we all saw Daniel Bruhl take home a few awards already so it definitely counts. Books that inspired this year's Oscar crop are limited to the books behind Philomena and The Invisible Woman, but there is a lot more to take away beyond that.
- 3/1/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Amazon is offering $105 off The Columbia Best Pictures boxed DVD set containing 11 winners of the Best Picture Oscar. Here are the details:
14-disc set of 11 Best Picture Oscar winning films in an attractive, collectible, black fiber cover with slipcase. The pages within will have film synopsis, details on the Oscar win for each film, and art from key scenes. This set features Columbia Pictures' Best Picture Oscar winners spanning the years from 1934 to 1982 and include the following films:
1934 It Happened One Night
1938 You Can't Take It with You
1949 All the King's Men
1953 From Here to Eternity
1954 On the Waterfront
1957 The Bridge on the River Kwai
1962 Lawrence of Arabia
1966 A Man for All Seasons
1968 Oliver!
1979 Kramer vs. Kramer
1982 Gandhi
Bonus extras include:
Ben Kingsley talks about Gandhi
Designing Gandhi
Lord Attenborough Audio Commentary
From the Director's Chair
In Search of Gandhi
Looking Back
Madeleine Slade: An Englishwoman Abroad
Reflections on...
14-disc set of 11 Best Picture Oscar winning films in an attractive, collectible, black fiber cover with slipcase. The pages within will have film synopsis, details on the Oscar win for each film, and art from key scenes. This set features Columbia Pictures' Best Picture Oscar winners spanning the years from 1934 to 1982 and include the following films:
1934 It Happened One Night
1938 You Can't Take It with You
1949 All the King's Men
1953 From Here to Eternity
1954 On the Waterfront
1957 The Bridge on the River Kwai
1962 Lawrence of Arabia
1966 A Man for All Seasons
1968 Oliver!
1979 Kramer vs. Kramer
1982 Gandhi
Bonus extras include:
Ben Kingsley talks about Gandhi
Designing Gandhi
Lord Attenborough Audio Commentary
From the Director's Chair
In Search of Gandhi
Looking Back
Madeleine Slade: An Englishwoman Abroad
Reflections on...
- 2/24/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Washington, Feb 8: 'Slumdog Millionaire' has advanced in the ABC News' Oscar Bracket Challenge, edging out film 'No Country for Old Men'.
Only 48 votes separated the two Academy Award winning pictures after the first round of votes were tabulated, in order to find the best Oscar- winning movie in the past 64 years of Academy Awards.
This means that 'Slumdog Millionaire' earning 3,058 votes has moved on to the next round of voting on Feb 9.
In total, 32 films will advance to the second round.
Other films in the second round include 'Argo', 'The Kings Speech', 'Titanic' and 'All the King's Men'..
Only 48 votes separated the two Academy Award winning pictures after the first round of votes were tabulated, in order to find the best Oscar- winning movie in the past 64 years of Academy Awards.
This means that 'Slumdog Millionaire' earning 3,058 votes has moved on to the next round of voting on Feb 9.
In total, 32 films will advance to the second round.
Other films in the second round include 'Argo', 'The Kings Speech', 'Titanic' and 'All the King's Men'..
- 2/8/2014
- by Meeta Kabra
- RealBollywood.com
Both Lupita Nyongo ("12 Years a Slave") and Barkhad Abdi ("Captain Phillips") have earned Oscar nominations for their feature film debuts, making this the first time in 17 years that two actors have done so. The last time was Edward Norton ("Primal Fear") and Emily Watson ("Breaking the Waves") in 1996; if their careers are any indication, Nyongo and Abdi have a lot to look forward to regardless of the Oscar results. Since winning at Critics' Choice and the SAG Awards, Nyongo has dramatically widened her lead in the Best Supporting Actress race over Golden Globe champ Jennifer Lawrence ("American Hustle"). Indeed, Supporting Actress has crowned more debuts that any other category; Nyongo would be the ninth, following: Gale Sondergaard ("Anthony Adverse," 1936) Katina Paxinou ("For Whom the Bell Tolls," 1943) Mercedes McCambridge ("All the King's Men," 1949) ...
- 1/24/2014
- Gold Derby
Fighting, dying, hoping, hating … great sports films are about far more than sport itself. Here Guardian and Observer critics pick their 10 best
• Top 10 superhero movies
• Top 10 westerns
• Top 10 documentaries
• Top 10 movie adaptations
• Top 10 animated movies
• Top 10 silent movies
• More Guardian and Observer critics' top 10s
10. This Sporting Life
Lindsay Anderson brought to bear on his adaptation of David Storey's first novel, all the poetic-realist instincts he had been honing for the previous decade as a documentarian in the Humphrey Jennings mould. (Anderson had won the 1953 best doc Oscar for Thursday's Children.) Filmed partly in Halifax and Leeds, but mainly in and around Wakefield Trinity Rugby League Club, one of its incidental attractions is its record of a northern, working-class sports culture that would change out of all recognition over the next couple of decades.
The story of Frank Machin, a miner who becomes a star on the rugby field,...
• Top 10 superhero movies
• Top 10 westerns
• Top 10 documentaries
• Top 10 movie adaptations
• Top 10 animated movies
• Top 10 silent movies
• More Guardian and Observer critics' top 10s
10. This Sporting Life
Lindsay Anderson brought to bear on his adaptation of David Storey's first novel, all the poetic-realist instincts he had been honing for the previous decade as a documentarian in the Humphrey Jennings mould. (Anderson had won the 1953 best doc Oscar for Thursday's Children.) Filmed partly in Halifax and Leeds, but mainly in and around Wakefield Trinity Rugby League Club, one of its incidental attractions is its record of a northern, working-class sports culture that would change out of all recognition over the next couple of decades.
The story of Frank Machin, a miner who becomes a star on the rugby field,...
- 11/25/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
"Zero Dark Thirty" Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Actress (Jessica Chastain), Best Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Original Screenplay (Mark Boal) What's It About? The film documents the decade-long manhunt for the world's most wanted fugitive, Osama bin Laden. Told through the eyes of Maya (Chastain), the CIA agent tasked with finding the Al Qaeda leader, we get to see the difficult and frustrating attempts made by our government to track down and kill bin Laden. It all leads up to the night of the heart-stopping Seal Team Six raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Why You Should See It: You should try your best to ignore the torture controversy surrounding the film, because "Zero Dark Thirty" is worth your time. It's an emotionally draining adventure, a world-class suspense flick and a tense political drama, all wrapped into one. This was a movie made for adrenaline junkies, and it deserves to be seen on the big screen.
- 1/24/2013
- by Alex Suskind
- Moviefone
I've waited a few days to collect my thoughts and weigh in on the most important YouTube video since Corgis Enjoy A Treadmill, so here goes: A fast-yapping vlogger who goes by the name The Doomsday Diaries (and the Twitter handle @Diariesofdoom) zeroed in on The Academy Awards' Best Supporting Actress category -- the greatest Oscar category, by the way -- and toasted it by reenacting scenes/moments from all 75 winning performances since 1936.
Let me be clear: This is a staggering feat. This guy has democratized everyone from Eva Marie Saint and Lila Kedrova to Gale Sondergaard and Helen Hayes in the clippiest, hippest way possible. It's explosive. It's gigantic. It's a pink diamond. And so much of it is amazingly good. It's like a version of "The Snatch Game"from RuPaul's Drag Race, except with dignified actresses up for satire and not, say, Snooki.
I thought we'd have a little debate.
Let me be clear: This is a staggering feat. This guy has democratized everyone from Eva Marie Saint and Lila Kedrova to Gale Sondergaard and Helen Hayes in the clippiest, hippest way possible. It's explosive. It's gigantic. It's a pink diamond. And so much of it is amazingly good. It's like a version of "The Snatch Game"from RuPaul's Drag Race, except with dignified actresses up for satire and not, say, Snooki.
I thought we'd have a little debate.
- 4/11/2012
- by virtel
- The Backlot
With the arrival of the auteur theory, filmmakers like Michael Curtiz no longer get as much sway among the current generation of directors. Curtiz (born Kertész Kaminer Manó in Hungary in 1886), was a journeyman, a man who flourished in the studio system after being picked out by Jack Warner for his Austrian Biblical epic "Moon of Israel" in 1924. He stayed at the studio for nearly 20 years, taking on whatever he was assigned at a terrifyingly prolific rate -- he made over 100 Hollywood movies up to "The Comancheros" in 1961. And some of them are terrible, as you might expect.
But Curtiz was also responsible for some of the greatest films of the era, and those who diminish his abilities (including the director himself, who once said "Who cares about character? I make it go so fast nobody notices") are ignoring his enormous skill behind the camera, and his undeniable capacity for...
But Curtiz was also responsible for some of the greatest films of the era, and those who diminish his abilities (including the director himself, who once said "Who cares about character? I make it go so fast nobody notices") are ignoring his enormous skill behind the camera, and his undeniable capacity for...
- 4/10/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
It's taken me a couple of weeks beyond my initial viewing of George Clooney's adaptation of the play Farragut North to come around to exactly what I thought about it. Certainly, it's my preferred movie featuring Ryan Gosling from 2011 (on the off chance that this is a category anyone out there is tracking with any kind of scrutiny). If you held my feet to the fire, I'd say it was a decent entry in the genre of political dramas about the messy parts of actually getting people into office. You can put this in the same pile with All the King's Men, Advise and Consent, City Hall, and really, most pertinent here, Primary Colors, which, like The Ides of March is as much about...
- 2/21/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Alright, you've already seen our picks for the five best Best Picture years, the Oscar years that you can actually look back on and not wince if you're a fan of movies and just-deserved prizes. So let's keep it simple: here are the five worst years below, the ones that make fans of cinema rather crazy and that have had people bitching about it ever since. The 5 Worst Best Picture Line-Ups 1949 The Best Picture Nominees: "All The King's Men" (winner), "Battleground," "The Heiress," "A Letter To Three Wives," "Twelve O'Clock High" What Else Could They Have Nominated? "Adam's Rib," "The Third Man," "Kind Hearts & Coronets," "Manon," "On The Town," "Passport To Pimlico," "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon," "White Heat" Why Is It One Of The Worst? Anyone who thinks that the Oscars picking sub-standard fare is...
- 2/20/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
"I Simply Cannot Do Alone" might well be the theme song all lead actors should sing to their stellar supporting castI felt a list coming on so I didn't fight it. Neither did I fight the order as I slotted them in, though you know how this goes if you've ever made such insane list. The order might change with a moodswing and it would definitely change (perhaps drastically) if I had an opportunity to rewatch all these pictures back to back.
Ten Most Deserving Best Supporting Actress Oscar Wins
Runners up: I'm crazy about Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker and Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon but they're both unarguably leading roles so I'm not voting for them. My apologies in no particular order to Ruth Gordon, Wendy Hiller, Catherine Zeta-Jones and, oh, dozens of people. Never mind. Moving on! (The one winning performance I'm most frustrated to have...
Ten Most Deserving Best Supporting Actress Oscar Wins
Runners up: I'm crazy about Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker and Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon but they're both unarguably leading roles so I'm not voting for them. My apologies in no particular order to Ruth Gordon, Wendy Hiller, Catherine Zeta-Jones and, oh, dozens of people. Never mind. Moving on! (The one winning performance I'm most frustrated to have...
- 2/15/2012
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern, Jeanne Crain, A Letter to Three Wives DGA Awards vs. Academy Awards Pt.2: Foreign, Small, Controversial Movies Have Better Luck at the Oscars Since pre-1970 Directors Guild Award finalists often consisted of more than five directors, it was impossible to get an exact match for the DGA's and the Academy's lists of nominees. In the list below, the years before 1970 include DGA finalists (DGA) who didn't receive an Academy Award nod and, if applicable, those Academy Award-nominated directors (AMPAS) not found in the — usually much lengthier — DGA list. The label "DGA/AMPAS" means the directors in question received nominations for both the DGA Award and the Academy Award. The DGA Awards vs. Academy Awards list below goes from 1948 (the DGA Awards' first year) to 1952. Follow-up posts will cover the ensuing decades. The number in parentheses next to "DGA" indicates that year's number of DGA finalists if other than five.
- 1/10/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
That's the rumor currently circulating on websites SciFi World and Comingsoon.net (the latter article being tweeted about by Nacho Vigalondo, writer and director of the original film.) Zaillain is no stranger to adaptation; he wrote the screenplays for the film adaptations of Schindler's List, Awakenings and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, among many others, as well as having directed and written All the King's Men, A Civil Action and Searching for Bobby Fischer. It's a solid body of work, if somewhat on the mainstream Hollywood side. The Comingsoon.net article features a quote from Zaillian from an upcoming interview expressing his interest in the project:"That's something I might direct but I don't know. We have to cast it, but it's a tricky one, because I want...
- 12/18/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Movie Review: 'The Ides Of March'; Star Cast: Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman; Director: George Clooney; Rating: **** - a convincing tale of lost innocence.
Political expediency and intrigue make for fascinating cinema. Fans of this type of cinema recall fondly one of the originals, 'All The King's Men', later made into many versions, the last being one where the word 'King's' was replaced by 'President's'.
In all the versions of this movie, the rookie campaign manager loses to a smart politician. What if he did not? What if nobody loses and nobody wins either. 'The Ides of March'.
Political expediency and intrigue make for fascinating cinema. Fans of this type of cinema recall fondly one of the originals, 'All The King's Men', later made into many versions, the last being one where the word 'King's' was replaced by 'President's'.
In all the versions of this movie, the rookie campaign manager loses to a smart politician. What if he did not? What if nobody loses and nobody wins either. 'The Ides of March'.
- 11/19/2011
- by Smith Cox
- RealBollywood.com
With the release of George Clooney's political drama "The Ides of March," "Extra" collected a list of 20 great quotes for some stellar movies about matters of state.
20 Political Movie Quotes'The Candidate' (1972)
Bill McKay (Robert Redford): [after winning the election] "What do we do now?"
'Syriana' (2005)
Danny Dalton (Tim Blake Nelson): "Corruption? Corruption is government intrusion into market efficiencies in the form of regulations. That's Milton Friedman. He got a goddamn Nobel Prize.
20 Political Movie Quotes'The Candidate' (1972)
Bill McKay (Robert Redford): [after winning the election] "What do we do now?"
'Syriana' (2005)
Danny Dalton (Tim Blake Nelson): "Corruption? Corruption is government intrusion into market efficiencies in the form of regulations. That's Milton Friedman. He got a goddamn Nobel Prize.
- 10/9/2011
- Extra
As part of its "Summer Under the Stars" film series, Turner Classic Movies is showing 12 Anne Francis movies today, including three TCM premieres. Those are actor-director William Conrad's Brainstorm (1965), veteran Raoul Walsh's A Lion Is in the Streets (1953), and actor-director Richard Benedict's Impasse (1969). [Anne Francis Movie Schedule.] Brainstorm is about a scientist intent on killing the husband of the woman he loves. The B thriller stars performers who had seen better big-screen days in the '40s and/or '50s: Jeffrey Hunter, Dana Andrews, Viveca Lindfors, and Francis. At the time, however, Francis was doing well for herself on television in the series Honey West, in which she played a sexy gumshoe whose partner was an ocelot. Based on a novel by Adria Locke Langley, A Lion Is in the Streets (1953) is a political drama that got made probably thanks to Robert Rossen's 1949 Oscar winner All the King's Men.
- 8/29/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Expectations are, by default, phenomenally hard to live up to. Take The Godfather: Part III - the previous instalments had redefined cinema and made Marlon Brando an iconic part of cinematic history, yet the third instalment turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments of all time. Then there's The Matrix: Revolutions, another example of a truly unique idea tarnished by its three-quel.
But it's not just over-milked, cash cow franchises that have failed. Remember Hulk? Sure it grossed well, but critically speaking it was a disaster; so much so that it almost ruined Ang Lee for good. Need another - how about All The King's Men? Based on a Pulitzer Prize winning novel, and flooded with the cream of Hollywood's crop, All The King's Men should have been a sure thing; yet a 11% Rotten Tomatoes rating and $7.2 million gross - on a $50 million budget - made this...
But it's not just over-milked, cash cow franchises that have failed. Remember Hulk? Sure it grossed well, but critically speaking it was a disaster; so much so that it almost ruined Ang Lee for good. Need another - how about All The King's Men? Based on a Pulitzer Prize winning novel, and flooded with the cream of Hollywood's crop, All The King's Men should have been a sure thing; yet a 11% Rotten Tomatoes rating and $7.2 million gross - on a $50 million budget - made this...
- 6/16/2011
- Shadowlocked
The weekend box-office didn't have much to speak of -- the Farrelly Brothers' Hall Pass took the number one spot with $13.5 million, the lowest grossing number one in two years, while Nicolas Cage's Drive Angry absolutely tanked, putting up a miserable $5 million for what may be the lowest grossing 3D movie opener of all time (Tk's review will be up shortly) -- so I thought we'd take a look at the lowest-grossing Best Picture winners of all time, and place last night's Academy Award winner, The King's Speech, in its proper box-office context.
These numbers are adjusted for inflation, and they are the only only Best Picture winners that did not make $100 million at the box office (after adjustment).
11. King's Speech (2010) -- $114 million*
----
10. The Great Ziegfield (1936) -- $95 million
9. The Last Emperor (1987) -- $89 million
8. It Happened One Night (1934) -- $86 million
7. No Country for Old Men (2008) -- $74 million
6. Marty (1955) --...
These numbers are adjusted for inflation, and they are the only only Best Picture winners that did not make $100 million at the box office (after adjustment).
11. King's Speech (2010) -- $114 million*
----
10. The Great Ziegfield (1936) -- $95 million
9. The Last Emperor (1987) -- $89 million
8. It Happened One Night (1934) -- $86 million
7. No Country for Old Men (2008) -- $74 million
6. Marty (1955) --...
- 2/28/2011
- by Dustin Rowles
Anonymous has been at it again. Following Primary Colors's version of Clinton comes O: A Presidential Novel. Mark Lawson on the tradition of insider political fiction, from Disraeli to The West Wing. A preview from tomorrow's Guardian Review.
Also in tomorrow's Review: Composer Mark-Anthony Turnage on why Anna Nicole Smith is a true operatic heroine, Andrea Levy on why she wrote Small Island, Stefan Collini in praise of Eric Hobsbawm and Sarah Churchwell on the scandalous Lillian Hellman
A successful political career demands a tradeoff between fame and anonymity. A leader needs to be known – an Obama, Blair or Clinton has the global recognisability of a rock star – but high-level politics also frequently depends on the exercise of secrecy. The unattributable briefing ("a party insider, speaking on condition of anonymity", "a source travelling with the prime minister") is a standard tool of political journalism, offering an early first...
Also in tomorrow's Review: Composer Mark-Anthony Turnage on why Anna Nicole Smith is a true operatic heroine, Andrea Levy on why she wrote Small Island, Stefan Collini in praise of Eric Hobsbawm and Sarah Churchwell on the scandalous Lillian Hellman
A successful political career demands a tradeoff between fame and anonymity. A leader needs to be known – an Obama, Blair or Clinton has the global recognisability of a rock star – but high-level politics also frequently depends on the exercise of secrecy. The unattributable briefing ("a party insider, speaking on condition of anonymity", "a source travelling with the prime minister") is a standard tool of political journalism, offering an early first...
- 1/22/2011
- by Mark Lawson
- The Guardian - Film News
(from left) Jack Lally, Anthony Molinari, Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale in The Fighter
Photo: Paramount Pictures Last week was a big week for Oscar prognosticators. Starting last Sunday we had the Los Angeles and New York film critics weigh in with their best of 2010. Then the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild added their nominations. Then, just last night the Satellite Awards were announced and while they aren't exactly the best indicator of what films are going to do what, they add their own numbers to the formula. Patterns have formed and front-runners have clearly been sorted, but there are still some questions up in the air.
After the dust settled, The Social Network was the clear Best Picture front-runner. This, however, can be attributed to more than just one thing. Obviously, the critics have been all over it, but when predicting Oscar's Best Picture you have to remember...
Photo: Paramount Pictures Last week was a big week for Oscar prognosticators. Starting last Sunday we had the Los Angeles and New York film critics weigh in with their best of 2010. Then the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild added their nominations. Then, just last night the Satellite Awards were announced and while they aren't exactly the best indicator of what films are going to do what, they add their own numbers to the formula. Patterns have formed and front-runners have clearly been sorted, but there are still some questions up in the air.
After the dust settled, The Social Network was the clear Best Picture front-runner. This, however, can be attributed to more than just one thing. Obviously, the critics have been all over it, but when predicting Oscar's Best Picture you have to remember...
- 12/20/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
More Toronto coverage
Toronto -- Like debutantes at a cotillion, movies that harbor Oscar hopes are about to be presented to the world at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival.
At first blush, many of them sport the kind of credentials that automatically get the attention of Academy voters: Danny Boyle, whose "Slumdog Millionaire" swept the Oscars in 2009 after winning the People's Choice Award in Toronto, is back with his newest film, "127 Hours"; double Oscar winner Hilary Swank will stake her claim for further consideration with the crusading legal drama "Conviction"; and Colin Firth, who was nominated last year for "A Single Man," is auditioning for back-to-back noms for his latest, "The King's Speech," in which he plays a stammering King George VI.
"Every movie is different," said Sony Pictures Classics co-head Michael Barker, who's shepherding nine films through the Toronto juggernaut. Some -- such as Mike Leigh's "Another Year,...
Toronto -- Like debutantes at a cotillion, movies that harbor Oscar hopes are about to be presented to the world at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival.
At first blush, many of them sport the kind of credentials that automatically get the attention of Academy voters: Danny Boyle, whose "Slumdog Millionaire" swept the Oscars in 2009 after winning the People's Choice Award in Toronto, is back with his newest film, "127 Hours"; double Oscar winner Hilary Swank will stake her claim for further consideration with the crusading legal drama "Conviction"; and Colin Firth, who was nominated last year for "A Single Man," is auditioning for back-to-back noms for his latest, "The King's Speech," in which he plays a stammering King George VI.
"Every movie is different," said Sony Pictures Classics co-head Michael Barker, who's shepherding nine films through the Toronto juggernaut. Some -- such as Mike Leigh's "Another Year,...
- 9/9/2010
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
I am going to begin trying something a little different with this column starting next week. Instead of revealing everything I watched on Sunday each week I am going to do individual listings throughout the week and then on Sunday do a complete recap of the week. It will add a little bit of variety to the weekly grind of movie news, trailers, pictures and editorials and hopefully give us a little something different to discuss. Then, on the weekend I'll list everything once again and the conversation can continue as normal. It will just be a trial period to see how things work out, but I have a feeling it will work.
As for this week's edition of "What I Watched," one movie I forgot to mention a couple of weeks back was yet another viewing of Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless and this week I also watched half of...
As for this week's edition of "What I Watched," one movie I forgot to mention a couple of weeks back was yet another viewing of Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless and this week I also watched half of...
- 6/20/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Daniel Craig was today set to meet director David Fincher for talks over playing the lead role in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
The crime thriller is based on the best-selling first novel in the Millennium Trilogy by the late Swedish journalist and writer Stieg Larsson. The screenplay is by Steve Zaillian, whose previous writing credits include Schindler's List, Hannibal, Gangs of New York, All the King's Men and American Gangster.
The story sees an investigative reporter called Mikael Blomkvist team up with computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to track down a missing girl who belongs to a powerful dynasty and is suspected to have been murdered.
Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Johnny Depp and Viggo Mortensen had previously been rumoured to be under consideration for playing Blomkvist.
Several actresses including Carey Mulligan, Ellen Page, Kristen Stewart, Keira Knightley and Natalie Portman have reportedly expressed interest in the role of Lisbeth Salander,...
The crime thriller is based on the best-selling first novel in the Millennium Trilogy by the late Swedish journalist and writer Stieg Larsson. The screenplay is by Steve Zaillian, whose previous writing credits include Schindler's List, Hannibal, Gangs of New York, All the King's Men and American Gangster.
The story sees an investigative reporter called Mikael Blomkvist team up with computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to track down a missing girl who belongs to a powerful dynasty and is suspected to have been murdered.
Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Johnny Depp and Viggo Mortensen had previously been rumoured to be under consideration for playing Blomkvist.
Several actresses including Carey Mulligan, Ellen Page, Kristen Stewart, Keira Knightley and Natalie Portman have reportedly expressed interest in the role of Lisbeth Salander,...
- 6/4/2010
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
Early this morning I was watching a piece of classic cinema that I'd seen several times before. (It was Resident Evil.) And since you need something else to do while a movie like that dances across your television screen, I found myself checking the list of the Academy Awards Best Picture winners to figure out which ones I'd never seen. Or ones I couldn't remember seeing. Or ones I saw in my college film classes and disliked because I bristle when told what to watch -- especially by lazy professors who just hit Play and then walk out of the room.
Turns out that of the 82 films that have won the Best Picture Oscar, I need to see (or revisit) only 24 of them. Perhaps I'm a little more cultured than I thought. (Unlikely.) And since I believe chronology is vastly overrated as a method for list-making, I'd like to ask you,...
Turns out that of the 82 films that have won the Best Picture Oscar, I need to see (or revisit) only 24 of them. Perhaps I'm a little more cultured than I thought. (Unlikely.) And since I believe chronology is vastly overrated as a method for list-making, I'd like to ask you,...
- 4/5/2010
- by Scott Weinberg
- Cinematical
Forbes Magazine has been putting out a lot of movie-related lists lately, and although they aren't necessarily the most scientific things in the world, I think they are still worthy of a little discussion. Forbes used to simply report on the highest paid actors each year, but then they took it a step further and started analyzing box office numbers to judge who the most overpaid and underpaid actors are. Now they've put out a list of what they consider to be the biggest flops of the past five years. Their methodology involved taking the budgets of movies with big name stars and comparing them to their box office numbers to get a percentage for return on investment. They took estimated production budgets for the movies (not including marketing), but they didn't figure in DVD or TV sales numbers either... not that they necessarily balance each other out. The results...
- 1/27/2010
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
Life is political. Hollywood is political. And yesterday in the U.S., the state elections were very political in the broad sense of the term, since many pundits kept arguing that they served as a referendum on President Obama and his policies.
We make no such claims. We're not here to talk U.S. politics specifically, but with all this political fever in play, what better time than to reflect back on what we believe are the ten best movies about American politics?
There are some terrific contenders here; not surprisingly some from decades gone by. But in most, the themes of power and corruption going hand-in-hand is front and center. It's material that's inherently rife with conflict, making for some of the best drama to be found anywhere.
So have a look at the following pages and our selections for the best movies about American politics. And when you're finished,...
We make no such claims. We're not here to talk U.S. politics specifically, but with all this political fever in play, what better time than to reflect back on what we believe are the ten best movies about American politics?
There are some terrific contenders here; not surprisingly some from decades gone by. But in most, the themes of power and corruption going hand-in-hand is front and center. It's material that's inherently rife with conflict, making for some of the best drama to be found anywhere.
So have a look at the following pages and our selections for the best movies about American politics. And when you're finished,...
- 11/4/2009
- CinemaSpy
Today's Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day is the Columbia Pictures' Best Pictures Collection for $59.99, 56% off the $136 suggested retail price. This 14-disc set features 11 films from Columbia Pictures' Best Picture Oscar winners spanning the years from 1934 to 1982, including "It Happened One Night" (1934), "You Can't Take It with You" (1938), "All the King's Men" (1949), "From Here to Eternity" (1953), "On the Waterfront" (1954), "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957), "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962), "A Man for All Seasons" (1966), "Oliver!" (1968), "Kramer vs. Kramer" (1979)30, and "Gandhi" (1982). The specially designed package offers cinemaphiles a genuine Hollywood collectible, complete with slipcase, synopsis of each film, details on the Oscar win for each title and artwork from key movie scenes. As with all of Amazon's Gold Box bargins, the deal price will end at midnight.
- 9/18/2009
- by Peter Sciretta
- Slash Film
Maureen Stapleton, the Oscar-winning actress who was revered for her roles on the stage and screen, passed away today in Lenox, Massachusetts, from chronic pulmonary disease. She was 80. Stapleton's matronly appearance belied a fiery emotional core, one she used to devastating effect in her most recognized dramatic roles. She began her career in the theater, attending the Herbert Berghof Acting School, then the Actor's Studio which she parlayed into her Broadway debut in nothing less than Burgess Meredith's 1946 production of "The Playboy of the Western World." She appeared in numerous stage productions including Lillian Hellman's "Toys in the Attic," and several Tennessee Williams efforts, including "The Rose Tattoo," for which she won her first Tony in 1951 for her role as Serafina Delle Rose. Her first film role was no less auspicious and presaged a storied career on film. She received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination in 1958 for her part in Lonelyhearts, opposite another Broadway lion, Montgomery Clift. She was nominated again for Best Supporting Actress in 1971 for her role as the unsuspecting wife of the despondent bomber in Airport and again in 1978 for her role as Pearl in Woody Allen's first "serious" film, the dour Interiors. She finally won the Oscar for her role as the brusque, radical anarchist Emma Goldman in Warren Beatty's Reds. Her second Tony was awarded to her for her part in Neil Simon's "The Gingerbread Lady" in 1971. She also won notice for her television roles, including winning the Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Lead for Among the Paths to Eden and nominations for All the King's Men, Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, The Gathering, B.L. Styker, Miss Rose White and Road to Avonlea. Stapleton was also notable in Bye, Bye, Birdie, Plaza Suite (with another long-time collaborator, Neil Simon), and Cocoon. She is survived by her son, Daniel Allentuck, a daughter, Katharine Bambery, and a brother, Jack Stapleton.
- 3/13/2006
- IMDb News
Even though it eventually won three Academy Awards, the original 1949 version of All the King's Men, starring Broderick Crawford and John Ireland, was a definite underdog in its day. But the new adaptation of Robert Penn Warren's novel, which Phoenix Pictures and writer-director Steven Zaillian are readying, promises to be a much starrier affair. Sean Penn is being sought for the role of Willie Stark, the populist politician whose rise and fall is at the center of the tale. And though negotiations have not yet begun, the latest names to enter the mix are those of Brad Pitt and Jude Law. Although the Stark role is a juicy one -- it earned Crawford an Oscar -- the protagonist of Warren's novel is actually Jack Burden (played by Ireland in the '49 version), a journalist who falls under Stark's spell and loses his idealism in the process. The project, with Zaillian at the helm, is aiming for a September start date, with Phoenix producing for Columbia Pictures. Phoenix chairman Mike Medavoy and president Arnie Messer are producing together with Zaillian and former Columbia executive Ken Lemberger. James Carville, former President Clinton's one-time political consultant, and Todd Phillips are executive producing. Director of development David Thwaites is overseeing for Phoenix, with Amy Baer handling the project for Columbia.
- 4/29/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Actress Mercedes McCambridge, who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for All the King's Men and gained fame in the 70s as the voice of the devil-possessed Linda Blair in The Exorcist, died of natural causes on March 2, it was reported; she was 85. A radio-trained actress with a powerful voice and strong demeanor who didn't fit the ingénue mold of the 40s and 50s, McCambridge won an Oscar for her 1949 screen debut as the conniving assistant/mistress to Broderick Crawford in All the King's Men. Other notable supporting roles followed, including her homoerotic turn opposite Joan Crawford in Johnny Guitar, her performance as Rock Hudson's sister in Giant, and an uncredited yet visceral part as a gang leader in Touch of Evil. The part McCambridge is most remembered for, however, was her harrowing and altogether unworldly vocal dubbing of Linda Blair in 1973's The Exorcist. She clashed famously with director William Friedkin, who had promised onscreen credit for her work but claimed he didn't have time to insert it when the film initially previewed; an intervention by the Screen Actors Guild forced the inclusion of her credit. Later in her career, McCambridge performed on TV and onstage, most notably in Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers in the early 90s, and also published her autobiography, The Quality of Mercy, in 1981. --Prepared by IMDb staff...
- 3/18/2004
- WENN
Actress Mercedes McCambridge, who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for All the King's Men and gained fame in the 70s as the voice of the devil-possessed Linda Blair in The Exorcist, died of natural causes on March 2, it was reported; she was 85. A radio-trained actress with a powerful voice and strong demeanor who didn't fit the ingénue mold of the 40s and 50s, McCambridge won an Oscar for her 1949 screen debut as the conniving assistant/mistress to Broderick Crawford in All the King's Men. Other notable supporting roles followed, including her homoerotic turn opposite Joan Crawford in Johnny Guitar, her performance as Rock Hudson's sister in Giant, and an uncredited yet visceral part as a gang leader in Touch of Evil. The part McCambridge is most remembered for, however, was her harrowing and altogether unworldly vocal dubbing of Linda Blair in 1973's The Exorcist. She clashed famously with director William Friedkin, who had promised onscreen credit for her work but claimed he didn't have time to insert it when the film initially previewed; an intervention by the Screen Actors Guild forced the inclusion of her credit. Later in her career, McCambridge performed on TV and onstage, most notably in Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers in the early 90s, and also published her autobiography, The Quality of Mercy, in 1981. --Prepared by IMDb staff...
- 3/17/2004
- WENN
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