Few feats in filmmaking are rarer that churning out a string of classics within the span of a few years. It's the cineaste equivalent of, I dunno, whatever sports metaphor you deem fit to slot in here. John McTiernan did it by delivering "Predator," "Die Hard," and "The Hunt for Red October" back-to-back-to-back, while Francis Ford Coppola did him one better by helming "The Godfather," "The Conversation," and "The Godfather Part II" within the span of two years before returning five years later with "Apocalypse Now." But for my money, fews runs can match that of Akira Kurosawa in the '50s, a time in which the Japanese legend gifted us with "Rashōmon," "Ikiru," "Seven Samurai," "Throne of Blood," and "The Hidden Fortress," all before the decade was over.
Now, in the latest bid to boost 2024's sagging box office with an exciting theatrical re-release, Janus Films is celebrating "Seven Samurai...
Now, in the latest bid to boost 2024's sagging box office with an exciting theatrical re-release, Janus Films is celebrating "Seven Samurai...
- 6/7/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Even among the more underrated Akira Kurosawa films are timeless masterpieces.
If films like “Dersu Uzala” and “The Idiot” and “Kagemusha” aren’t talked about as much, it’s because the best-known Kurosawa titles — “Seven Samurai,” “Rashomon,” “Throne of Blood” — also happen to be among the most influential movies ever made, casting their shadow over the Spaghetti Western genre, “Star Wars,” and so many more.
Just within the past few weeks, a movie loosely based on “Seven Samurai,” Zack Snyder’s misbegotten “Rebel Moon Part 2,” started streaming, Spike Lee confirmed he’ll direct an adaptation of “High and Low,” and, let’s face it, there’d probably be no “Shogun” at all without the Kurosawa-immortalized Japanese samurai culture onscreen. Probably no director other than Fritz Lang and John Ford has influenced as many genres as Kurosawa, who died in 1998.
But instead of focusing so much on his impact, look at the films.
If films like “Dersu Uzala” and “The Idiot” and “Kagemusha” aren’t talked about as much, it’s because the best-known Kurosawa titles — “Seven Samurai,” “Rashomon,” “Throne of Blood” — also happen to be among the most influential movies ever made, casting their shadow over the Spaghetti Western genre, “Star Wars,” and so many more.
Just within the past few weeks, a movie loosely based on “Seven Samurai,” Zack Snyder’s misbegotten “Rebel Moon Part 2,” started streaming, Spike Lee confirmed he’ll direct an adaptation of “High and Low,” and, let’s face it, there’d probably be no “Shogun” at all without the Kurosawa-immortalized Japanese samurai culture onscreen. Probably no director other than Fritz Lang and John Ford has influenced as many genres as Kurosawa, who died in 1998.
But instead of focusing so much on his impact, look at the films.
- 4/25/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
One of Hollywood's most frustrating recent news stories is that Francis Ford Coppola is having trouble finding distribution for his self-funded passion project, "Megalopolis" (via The Hollywood Reporter). In a just world, making "The Godfather" would grant Coppola a lifetime blank check, but that has never been the world we've lived in.
What you may not be aware of is one of Coppola's influences for his magnum opus. Like his friend "Star Wars" director George Lucas, Coppola looked to Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. While Lucas took after Kurosawa's Jidaigeki (historical) films, Coppola looked to one of the director's contemporary-set films: "The Bad Sleep Well."
Released in 1960 and starring his go-to leading man Toshiro Mifune, the movie is one of Kurosawa's (comparatively) more obscure ones. It was especially overshadowed by "High and Low," the masterful kidnapping thriller that Kurosawa and Mifune released in 1963. Both movies are set in the world of...
What you may not be aware of is one of Coppola's influences for his magnum opus. Like his friend "Star Wars" director George Lucas, Coppola looked to Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. While Lucas took after Kurosawa's Jidaigeki (historical) films, Coppola looked to one of the director's contemporary-set films: "The Bad Sleep Well."
Released in 1960 and starring his go-to leading man Toshiro Mifune, the movie is one of Kurosawa's (comparatively) more obscure ones. It was especially overshadowed by "High and Low," the masterful kidnapping thriller that Kurosawa and Mifune released in 1963. Both movies are set in the world of...
- 4/15/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Roxy Cinema
Our 35mm presentation of Bertrand Bonello’s House of Tolerance screens on Saturday and Sunday; Jessica Hausner’s Hotel plays on Friday, as does a Frank Tashlin / Jerry Lewis double-bill of Hollywood or Bust and The Geisha Boy; The Bridges of Madison County and Lenny Cooke play on Saturday, while One Hand Don’t Clap shows Sunday; Red Rock West plays Saturday and Sunday.
Anthology Film Archives
Films by Jean-Luc Godard and more play in Afterimage.
Museum of Modern Art
The essential work of Ernie Gehr plays in a new retrospective.
Film Forum
The Japanese horror series continues with Ugetsu, Throne of Blood, Audition, Godzilla, and more; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang plays on 35mm this Sunday.
IFC Center
The End of Evangelion plays this Sunday; The Big Lebowski, Fight Club, Under the Silver Lake, and The Shining play late.
The post NYC Weekend Watch: House of Tolerance on 35mm...
Our 35mm presentation of Bertrand Bonello’s House of Tolerance screens on Saturday and Sunday; Jessica Hausner’s Hotel plays on Friday, as does a Frank Tashlin / Jerry Lewis double-bill of Hollywood or Bust and The Geisha Boy; The Bridges of Madison County and Lenny Cooke play on Saturday, while One Hand Don’t Clap shows Sunday; Red Rock West plays Saturday and Sunday.
Anthology Film Archives
Films by Jean-Luc Godard and more play in Afterimage.
Museum of Modern Art
The essential work of Ernie Gehr plays in a new retrospective.
Film Forum
The Japanese horror series continues with Ugetsu, Throne of Blood, Audition, Godzilla, and more; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang plays on 35mm this Sunday.
IFC Center
The End of Evangelion plays this Sunday; The Big Lebowski, Fight Club, Under the Silver Lake, and The Shining play late.
The post NYC Weekend Watch: House of Tolerance on 35mm...
- 3/15/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
There would be no "Star Wars" without Akira Kurosawa. The fabled Japanese filmmaker was a massive influence on creator George Lucas and his vision for a galaxy far, far away, with his period adventures "Seven Samurai" and especially "The Hidden Fortress" informing so much of the Jedi's aesthetics and philosophy, as well as the plot and characters of "A New Hope." Creatives on more recent "Star Wars" projects have only continued to mine inspiration from Kurosawa's oeuvre, with Rian Johnson drawing pretty explicitly from the director's classic "Rashomon" for the perspective-shifting flashbacks to Luke Skywalker's confrontation with his nephew Ben Solo in "The Last Jedi."
For "Ahsoka," a spinoff of "The Mandalorian" and live-action sequel to his animated series "Star Wars Rebels," creator Dave Filoni -- who's since been promoted to chief creative officer of Lucasfilm -- looked to another Kurosawa film entirely for the show's most fantastical outing yet.
For "Ahsoka," a spinoff of "The Mandalorian" and live-action sequel to his animated series "Star Wars Rebels," creator Dave Filoni -- who's since been promoted to chief creative officer of Lucasfilm -- looked to another Kurosawa film entirely for the show's most fantastical outing yet.
- 1/28/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Dave Filoni does not like to throw away his toys.
Since joining "Star Wars" as a director on the 2008 "The Clone Wars" cartoon series, he's become the protégé of creator George Lucas and chief creative officer of Lucasfilm. Characters introduced (Ahsoka Tano) and reintroduced (Darth Maul) in "The Clone Wars" and follow-up shows like "Star Wars Rebels" and "The Mandalorian" continue to return time and time again, be it in animation or live-action.
The new trailer for the final season of "The Bad Batch" reveals another face is returning; Asajj Ventress. The trailer holds her appearance for an ending surprise, with Nika Futterman's raspy voice slithering in as narration before Ventress charges out with a yellow lightsaber.
There's just one problem — Ventress is supposed to be dead. In the 2015 novel "Star Wars: Dark Disciple" (authored by Christie Golden and based on scripts written for "The Clone Wars" before it...
Since joining "Star Wars" as a director on the 2008 "The Clone Wars" cartoon series, he's become the protégé of creator George Lucas and chief creative officer of Lucasfilm. Characters introduced (Ahsoka Tano) and reintroduced (Darth Maul) in "The Clone Wars" and follow-up shows like "Star Wars Rebels" and "The Mandalorian" continue to return time and time again, be it in animation or live-action.
The new trailer for the final season of "The Bad Batch" reveals another face is returning; Asajj Ventress. The trailer holds her appearance for an ending surprise, with Nika Futterman's raspy voice slithering in as narration before Ventress charges out with a yellow lightsaber.
There's just one problem — Ventress is supposed to be dead. In the 2015 novel "Star Wars: Dark Disciple" (authored by Christie Golden and based on scripts written for "The Clone Wars" before it...
- 1/24/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
One of George Lucas' primary influences when making "Star Wars" was Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, who is generally considered his country's best director aside from maybe Yasujirō Ozu. Whereas Ozu is famous for making domestic comedies and dramas, Kurosawa made movies that felt epic: samurai movies, noir thrillers ("High & Low"), and Shakespearean stories translated into his homeland's history ("Throne of Blood").
This may be one reason why "Star Wars" is popular in Japan. If you don't believe the box office, look at Japanese pop culture; anime cornerstones like "Gundam" owe a debt to Lucas. One Japanese "Star Wars" fan is Hiromu Arakawa, the manga artist most famous for creating "Fullmetal Alchemist." (Arakawa is not shy about expressing her opinions on the "Star Wars" films either.)
Set in a world where alchemy is more than just a pseudoscience, "Fullmetal Alchemist" primarily follows two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who search far...
This may be one reason why "Star Wars" is popular in Japan. If you don't believe the box office, look at Japanese pop culture; anime cornerstones like "Gundam" owe a debt to Lucas. One Japanese "Star Wars" fan is Hiromu Arakawa, the manga artist most famous for creating "Fullmetal Alchemist." (Arakawa is not shy about expressing her opinions on the "Star Wars" films either.)
Set in a world where alchemy is more than just a pseudoscience, "Fullmetal Alchemist" primarily follows two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who search far...
- 1/18/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
There is simply no denying the filmography of this great director is filled with glorious and breathtaking moments. In “Throne of Blood”, when Lord Washizu (played by Toshiro Mifune) sees the ghost of Miki (Akira Kubo) who has been murdered by Washizu's assassins for fear of dethroning him, is one of these moments which still haunts audiences. The occasion, a dinner at Cobweb Caste, Washizu's fortress as the new lord, sets the tone for the event, as it is a festivity meant to re-affirm the former's general's status and the order within his realm. However, his expression when seeing the ghost destroys all illusion that basically anything is in order and highlights the chaos, as Washizu himself has continued to upset a much higher order and now has to pay the price.
The mastery of this scene in particular has to do with its execution, which is in stark contrast...
The mastery of this scene in particular has to do with its execution, which is in stark contrast...
- 1/14/2024
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
After the drama “I Live in Fear”, acclaimed director Akira Kurosawa would return to the jidaigeki with “Throne of Blood”, arguably one of the most popular works within his filmography. Being an adaptation of William Shakespeare's “Macbeth”, the feature follows the basic structure of the play's plot. However, Kurosawa infused the story with several elements embedded within Japanese culture, such as bushido, systems of belief and superstition. As a result, “Throne of Blood” stands out among the many adaptations of the famous drama as it stays true to its origin but at the same time explores its themes within the aforementioned cultural narratives Kurosawa has chosen for his feature.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
Having successfully defeated the enemies of their lord, generals Washizu (Toshiro Mifune) and Miki (Akira Kubo) are on their way back to Cobweb Caste, but get lost in the maze-like forest surrounding the fortress.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
Having successfully defeated the enemies of their lord, generals Washizu (Toshiro Mifune) and Miki (Akira Kubo) are on their way back to Cobweb Caste, but get lost in the maze-like forest surrounding the fortress.
- 1/5/2024
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Previous recipients include Steven Spielberg, Yoji Yamada and Hou Hsiao-Hsien.
Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is to honour Chinese filmmaker Gu Xiaogang and Indonesian director Mouly Surya with the Kurosawa Akira Award at its upcoming 36th edition, which runs October 23 to November 1.
The award, which was revived last year after an absence of 14 years, is presented to filmmakers who have “made waves in cinema” and are expected to help guide the industry’s future. A ceremony to present the awards will be held at Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel on October 31.
Director Gu broke through with internationally acclaimed debut Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains,...
Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is to honour Chinese filmmaker Gu Xiaogang and Indonesian director Mouly Surya with the Kurosawa Akira Award at its upcoming 36th edition, which runs October 23 to November 1.
The award, which was revived last year after an absence of 14 years, is presented to filmmakers who have “made waves in cinema” and are expected to help guide the industry’s future. A ceremony to present the awards will be held at Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel on October 31.
Director Gu broke through with internationally acclaimed debut Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains,...
- 9/25/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Indian filmmaker Subhrajit Mitra’s latest venture “Bandit Queen of Bengal” (aka “Devi Chowdhurani”) will start principal photography in the final quarter of the year.
The film is based on Mitra’s own research into the the advent and invasion of the British East India Company in India, the battles of Plassey (1757) and Buxar (1764), the great Bengal famine of 1770, the Sannyasi and Fakir rebellion (1770-77) and Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s 1884 Bengali-language novel “Devi Chowdhurani,” which features a female freedom fighter protagonist.
The film will follow the journey of a villager who eventually becomes the first Indian woman freedom fighter. It will also tell the story of the Hindu monks who had no other option but to take up arms against their British colonial rulers to save the country and their people. It was the first armed revolution by the Indians, led by Bhavani Charan Pathak, against the British East India Company.
The film is based on Mitra’s own research into the the advent and invasion of the British East India Company in India, the battles of Plassey (1757) and Buxar (1764), the great Bengal famine of 1770, the Sannyasi and Fakir rebellion (1770-77) and Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s 1884 Bengali-language novel “Devi Chowdhurani,” which features a female freedom fighter protagonist.
The film will follow the journey of a villager who eventually becomes the first Indian woman freedom fighter. It will also tell the story of the Hindu monks who had no other option but to take up arms against their British colonial rulers to save the country and their people. It was the first armed revolution by the Indians, led by Bhavani Charan Pathak, against the British East India Company.
- 4/6/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
It’s easy to get caught up in awards season excitement as the Oscars approach – the glitz and glamour of the red carpet generating global talking points, memes and pub chatter for weeks on end.
But when it’s really broken down, the Oscars are essentially just a microcosm of Hollywood. It’s a depressing fact that films directed by previous winners have more chance of being nominated than those directed by newcomers.
Because of this, the best film in any given year almost never wins the evening’s most coveted prize – in fact, it’s sometimes not even nominated in the first place. The ceremony in 2021, which saw Parasite take home the top prize, was a rare exception.
Over the decades, there have been countless glaring omissions – films that were nominated but were beaten by far inferior films and classic films that failed to secure a single nomination.
As the 2023 Oscars approach,...
But when it’s really broken down, the Oscars are essentially just a microcosm of Hollywood. It’s a depressing fact that films directed by previous winners have more chance of being nominated than those directed by newcomers.
Because of this, the best film in any given year almost never wins the evening’s most coveted prize – in fact, it’s sometimes not even nominated in the first place. The ceremony in 2021, which saw Parasite take home the top prize, was a rare exception.
Over the decades, there have been countless glaring omissions – films that were nominated but were beaten by far inferior films and classic films that failed to secure a single nomination.
As the 2023 Oscars approach,...
- 2/22/2023
- by Jacob Stolworthy
- The Independent - Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Throne of Blood" (1957)
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: A warrior returning from battle is told by a mysterious supernatural entity he is destined to rule the realm he defends, leading him down a dark path of betrayal and murder from which there is no escape. Instead of Scottish general Macbeth, the doomed warrior is Taketoki Washizu (Toshiro Mifune), a samurai commander who serves Kuniharu Tsuzuki (Takamaru Sasaki), the current lord of Spider's Web Forest Castle in feudal Japan. And instead of a trio of witches, the supernatural entity is a shape-shifting spirit (Chieko Naniwa) who dwells deep in the labyrinth of tangled tree branches, hidden paths, and fog that is Spider's Web Forest.
Despite these and other changes,...
The Movie: "Throne of Blood" (1957)
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: A warrior returning from battle is told by a mysterious supernatural entity he is destined to rule the realm he defends, leading him down a dark path of betrayal and murder from which there is no escape. Instead of Scottish general Macbeth, the doomed warrior is Taketoki Washizu (Toshiro Mifune), a samurai commander who serves Kuniharu Tsuzuki (Takamaru Sasaki), the current lord of Spider's Web Forest Castle in feudal Japan. And instead of a trio of witches, the supernatural entity is a shape-shifting spirit (Chieko Naniwa) who dwells deep in the labyrinth of tangled tree branches, hidden paths, and fog that is Spider's Web Forest.
Despite these and other changes,...
- 9/1/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa's contribution to cinema has been unprecedented. Throughout his long and eventful career, Kurosawa crafted films that were both historical and contemporary, which were simultaneously infused with grounded human drama and dreamlike qualities. As someone who was intimately involved in the filming process, Kurosawa paid extensive attention to the visual language of the stories he brought to life. This dedication to details is reflected in almost every film he made, from the profound, violent "Throne of Blood" to the surreal, episodic "Dreams."
However, while Kurosawa was meticulously dedicated to his cinematic vision, he made sure that his characters were given the chance to bloom organically. In an interview with John Powers titled "An Audience with the Emperor," Kurosawa explained how he never wanted any of his films to turn out exactly the way he had written or envisioned them. In order to clarify his stance, Kurosawa...
However, while Kurosawa was meticulously dedicated to his cinematic vision, he made sure that his characters were given the chance to bloom organically. In an interview with John Powers titled "An Audience with the Emperor," Kurosawa explained how he never wanted any of his films to turn out exactly the way he had written or envisioned them. In order to clarify his stance, Kurosawa...
- 8/26/2022
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Darren Aronofsky's 2000 addiction drama "Requiem for a Dream" is an aggressively devastating, forthrightly tragic scare film that long lingers in the consciousness. Based on the 1978 novel by Hubert Selby, Jr., "Requiem" bears all the emotional beats of ignorant "druggie" films of the 1930s ("Reefer Madness" and the like) with the added benefit of hypnotic, brilliant, cinematic style. As each of the characters descends deeper and deeper into self ruin at the hands of their drug thirst, we share their pain, feel their desperation, understand their loss. The world is only briefly bright at the times when the drugs are freshly consumed. All other times are devoted to seeking the high again once it wears off. As William S. Burroughs once said: "A junky runs on junk time. When his junk is cut off, the clock runs down and stops. All he can do is hang on and wait for non-junk time to start.
- 8/16/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa opened "Seven Samurai" with a group of bandits approaching a small village on horseback. Between the opening credits and the first shot, Kurosawa established the themes of civil unrest and violence that would permeate the film; the bandit scene predicts the brutal savagery that is about to play out. However, this expectation is undercut when the bandits realize they've already looted the village and plan to return later. This change in plans heightens the anxiety surrounding the forthcoming attack, replayed to audiences via a villager overhearing the exchange and running home to warn the residents. Although this scene appears standard when compared to modern movies, Kurosawa had broken the mold of an established Japanese cinematic trend in a key way.
Kurosawa's contribution to Japanese cinema is multifaceted. The director imbued his films with themes that were unapologetically relevant for audiences, masterfully using camerawork and symbolism to...
Kurosawa's contribution to Japanese cinema is multifaceted. The director imbued his films with themes that were unapologetically relevant for audiences, masterfully using camerawork and symbolism to...
- 8/15/2022
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
When Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon" won the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival in 1951, it allowed Japanese cinema to begin gaining more of a foothold abroad. Throughout his career, Kurosawa incorporated Western influences into his work, with Shakespeare being one ready example as seen in Kurosawa's "Macbeth" and "King Lear" adaptations, "Throne of Blood" and "Ran." The Westerns of John Ford were another major influence on Kurosawa, who managed to combine such inspirations with a local sensibility rooted in his own unique cultural background. In turn, Kurosawa earned the admiration of global audiences and filmmakers, with "The Hidden Fortress" serving as a major inspiration for George...
The post Akira Kurosawa Had A Theory About His Films' International Appeal appeared first on /Film.
The post Akira Kurosawa Had A Theory About His Films' International Appeal appeared first on /Film.
- 8/9/2022
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
This Bullet Train article contains some spoilers.
Bullet Train comes barreling into theaters loaded with a heaping helping of gratuitous violence. This is no surprise from director David Leitch, who began his career as a stuntman, specifically Brad Pitt’s stuntman. Consequently, Leitch is a master at delivering action and ultra-violence on a grand scale.
The title reflects this and its setting, with the Shinkansen, a 50+ year old network of high-speed railways, colloquially known as the “bullet train” in Japan. Since it began, there has not been a single passenger fatality or injury on board these lines due to either derailments or collisions. That all changes in Leitch’s Bullet Train where a sword through the throat is standard operating procedure.
Bullet Train is based on the 2010 Japanese novel, Maria Bītoru (Maria Beetle), by bestselling author Kōtarō Isaka. This book was translated into English last year and retitled Bullet Train to match the movie,...
Bullet Train comes barreling into theaters loaded with a heaping helping of gratuitous violence. This is no surprise from director David Leitch, who began his career as a stuntman, specifically Brad Pitt’s stuntman. Consequently, Leitch is a master at delivering action and ultra-violence on a grand scale.
The title reflects this and its setting, with the Shinkansen, a 50+ year old network of high-speed railways, colloquially known as the “bullet train” in Japan. Since it began, there has not been a single passenger fatality or injury on board these lines due to either derailments or collisions. That all changes in Leitch’s Bullet Train where a sword through the throat is standard operating procedure.
Bullet Train is based on the 2010 Japanese novel, Maria Bītoru (Maria Beetle), by bestselling author Kōtarō Isaka. This book was translated into English last year and retitled Bullet Train to match the movie,...
- 8/7/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Bruce Tuchman-backed Rialto International has launched a branded on-demand streaming service in Japan, focused on independent film, and housed on Amazon’s Prime Video Channels platform.
Rialto Channel launched in 1999 in New Zealand, where it was initially branded as The Sundance Channel. It established itself as an award-winning and industry-leading indie film destination for over twenty years.
In Japan, the Rialto-branded venue will feature current and iconic independent films. Confirmed content at launch or going forward includes Chloe Zhao’s “The Rider”; an homage to the recently departed director Peter Bogdanovich with “The Last Picture Show”; Brad Pitt and Jason Statham in Guy Richie’s “Snatch”; Michael Caine in “Harry Brown”; Sean Connery in Gus Van Sant’s “Finding Forrester”; Ewan McGregor and actor/director Don Cheadle’s “Miles Ahead”; Jean-Jacques Beineix’s “Diva”; Michelle Williams in Wim Wenders’ “Land of Plenty”; Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law in “Gattaca”; and “8Mm,...
Rialto Channel launched in 1999 in New Zealand, where it was initially branded as The Sundance Channel. It established itself as an award-winning and industry-leading indie film destination for over twenty years.
In Japan, the Rialto-branded venue will feature current and iconic independent films. Confirmed content at launch or going forward includes Chloe Zhao’s “The Rider”; an homage to the recently departed director Peter Bogdanovich with “The Last Picture Show”; Brad Pitt and Jason Statham in Guy Richie’s “Snatch”; Michael Caine in “Harry Brown”; Sean Connery in Gus Van Sant’s “Finding Forrester”; Ewan McGregor and actor/director Don Cheadle’s “Miles Ahead”; Jean-Jacques Beineix’s “Diva”; Michelle Williams in Wim Wenders’ “Land of Plenty”; Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law in “Gattaca”; and “8Mm,...
- 3/23/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Dr. Marcus Stiglegger is an Austrian film scholar, publicist, musician and occasional director. Over the years, he has made a name for himself with countless publications in the fields of film and media theory in German, but also in English. He has been part of commentaries and other extras for editions of movies published by Arrow Video, Capelight and many other publishers. Stiglegger is the author of books like “Terrorkino. Angst/Lust im Körperhorror” (Terror cinema. Fear and lust in body horror), “SadicoNazista. Geschichte, Film und Mythos” and “Grenzüberschreitungen. Exkursionen ins Abseits der Filmgeschichte” (Transgressions. Excursions into the marginalized areas of film history) among many others. Additionally, he has written many essays on directors such as Abel Ferrara, David Cronenberg, William Friedkin and the western genre. His latest work includes the essay collection “Berlin Visionen. Filmische Stadtbilder seit 1980” (Berlin Visions. Cinematic images of urbanity since 1980) with co-publisher Stefan Jung and “Schwarz.
- 2/18/2022
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
The writer-director talks about his new film, co-starring Denzel Washington, and reveals how it felt to work without his brother, Ethan, for the first time in nearly 40 years
It might be the unlucky play for British theatre rep types. But for movie directors, Macbeth has been a talisman, a fascinating and liberating challenge – for Akira Kurosawa, with his version, Throne of Blood; for Roman Polanski; and for Justin Kurzel. Even Orson Welles’s once-scorned movie version from 1948, with its quaint Scottish accents, is admired today for its lo-fi energy.
Now, Joel Coen, the co-creator of masterpieces such as Fargo, The Big Lebowski, A Serious Man and No Country for Old Men, has directed a starkly brilliant version entitled The Tragedy of Macbeth, shot in high-contrast black and white, an eerie nightmare of clarity and purity, with Denzel Washington as Macbeth and Frances McDormand (Coen’s wife) as Lady Macbeth.
Continue reading.
It might be the unlucky play for British theatre rep types. But for movie directors, Macbeth has been a talisman, a fascinating and liberating challenge – for Akira Kurosawa, with his version, Throne of Blood; for Roman Polanski; and for Justin Kurzel. Even Orson Welles’s once-scorned movie version from 1948, with its quaint Scottish accents, is admired today for its lo-fi energy.
Now, Joel Coen, the co-creator of masterpieces such as Fargo, The Big Lebowski, A Serious Man and No Country for Old Men, has directed a starkly brilliant version entitled The Tragedy of Macbeth, shot in high-contrast black and white, an eerie nightmare of clarity and purity, with Denzel Washington as Macbeth and Frances McDormand (Coen’s wife) as Lady Macbeth.
Continue reading.
- 12/3/2021
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Historian and politician John Dalberg Acton is quoted saying, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Is it possible he was reading William Shakespeare’s 1606 play Macbeth when he thought of this? Macbeth has always been a story about power and corruption of the spirit and how greed could turn two seemingly good people into murderers. Was it dormant within them? Or was it an opportunity that sent Lord and Lady Macbeth into a power-obsessed frenzy? Director Joel Coen explores the consequences of war and loss through a fantastical, almost surrealist-like lens in The Tragedy of Macbeth, which world premieres tonight to open the New York Film Festival. He executes Shakespeare’s work in a way that takes inspiration from other adaptations of the play while creating a version that is all his own.
Crows hover under the surface of the sun while a death-knell rings. The weird...
Crows hover under the surface of the sun while a death-knell rings. The weird...
- 9/24/2021
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
The Scottish Play has been adapted into more than 25 different movies since J. Stuart Blackton first gave it a whirl in 1908, and yet Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” is such a strange hybrid between cinema and theater that it seems to exist in a realm all its own. Shot in atemporal black-and-white on a Los Angeles soundstage made to resemble the half-empty guts of a leaky snow-globe, this dark lucid dream of a film might be the latest example of a grand tradition, but its hermetically sealed design makes it sound more like an echo chamber. There are mad whispers bleeding through the concrete walls — dark thoughts that curve around the fake night sky — but the voices seem to be coming from inside the castle.
Which isn’t to suggest that the quizzical calm of Denzel Washington’s lead performance doesn’t make for an arresting contrast against...
Which isn’t to suggest that the quizzical calm of Denzel Washington’s lead performance doesn’t make for an arresting contrast against...
- 9/24/2021
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
The Wachowskis aren’t the only siblings going solo this fall. Marking Joel Coen’s first film without his brother Ethan, The Tragedy of Macbeth brings together Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Brendan Gleeson, Corey Hawkins, Moses Ingram, Harry Melling, and Ralph Ineson. Ahead of a world premiere this Friday to kick off the 59th New York Film Festival, Apple and A24 have unveiled the first trailer.
Said to be a faithful retelling of Shakespeare’s iconic story—shot in black-and-white by cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, who reteams with Coen from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Inside Llewyn Davis––the first trailer is a starkly gorgeous preview of one of our most-anticipated fall films. It also confirms use of a 1.33 aspect ratio, along with a release date: December 25 in theaters, followed by an Apple TV+ debut on January 14.
Watch the trailer below, along with NYFF’s trailer.
Check out NYFF’s...
Said to be a faithful retelling of Shakespeare’s iconic story—shot in black-and-white by cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, who reteams with Coen from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Inside Llewyn Davis––the first trailer is a starkly gorgeous preview of one of our most-anticipated fall films. It also confirms use of a 1.33 aspect ratio, along with a release date: December 25 in theaters, followed by an Apple TV+ debut on January 14.
Watch the trailer below, along with NYFF’s trailer.
Check out NYFF’s...
- 9/21/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Apple and A24 have released a trailer for “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Joel Coen’s new adaptation of the classic play by William Shakespeare premiering in theaters on Dec. 25 and on Apple TV Plus on Jan. 14.
Shot in black-and-white, Coen’s take on the Scottish Play stars Denzel Washington as Lord Macbeth and Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth. As in the source material, the film will follow the couple’s murderous ploys for power over Scotland and their resulting descent into madness.
The ominous trailer shows disjointed clips of large black birds circling the sky, Macbeth trudging through the desert, a hand lifting a crown from the ground and Lady Macbeth fearfully looking over her shoulder. The only dialogue is a witch’s voice, speaking one of the most iconic lines from the play: “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.”
Joining Washington and McDormand in...
Shot in black-and-white, Coen’s take on the Scottish Play stars Denzel Washington as Lord Macbeth and Frances McDormand as Lady Macbeth. As in the source material, the film will follow the couple’s murderous ploys for power over Scotland and their resulting descent into madness.
The ominous trailer shows disjointed clips of large black birds circling the sky, Macbeth trudging through the desert, a hand lifting a crown from the ground and Lady Macbeth fearfully looking over her shoulder. The only dialogue is a witch’s voice, speaking one of the most iconic lines from the play: “By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.”
Joining Washington and McDormand in...
- 9/21/2021
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Film at Lincoln Center has announced the 32 films that will be featured during the 59th New York Film Festival. As previously announced, Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth will open the festival and Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers will close it out. NYFF59 runs September 24th through October 10th and passes are available.
Making its world premiere, Coen’s Macbeth adaptation stars Denzel Washington in the titular role with Frances McDormand portraying Lady Macbeth. Coen’s take on the story of a would-be king and his lady’s amoral political turns,...
Making its world premiere, Coen’s Macbeth adaptation stars Denzel Washington in the titular role with Frances McDormand portraying Lady Macbeth. Coen’s take on the story of a would-be king and his lady’s amoral political turns,...
- 8/10/2021
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
The Main Slate selections for the 59th New York Film Festival, presented by Film at Lincoln Center from September 24-October 10, have been announced. Featuring a mix of festival favorites and newcomers, the lineup includes new work by Pedro Almodóvar, Jane Campion, Jonas Carpignano, Joel Coen, Julia Ducournau, Bruno Dumont, Michelangelo Frammartino, Rebecca Hall, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Mia Hansen-Løve, Todd Haynes, Joanna Hogg, Hong Sangsoo, Tatiana Huezo, Radu Jude, Alexandre Koberidze, Kira Kovalenko, Nadav Lapid, Pietro Marcello, Avi Mograbi, Radu Muntean, Francesco Munzi, Gaspar Noé, Panah Panahi, Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Alice Rohrwacher, Céline Sciamma, Joachim Trier, Anisia Uzeyman, Paul Verhoeven, Apichatpong Weerasethaukul, Saul Williams, and Ramon and Silvan Zürcher.
“Taken together, the movies in this year’s Main Slate are a reminder of cinema’s world-making possibilities,” said Dennis Lim, NYFF Director of Programming and chair of the Main Slate selection committee. “They open up new ways of seeing and feeling and thinking,...
“Taken together, the movies in this year’s Main Slate are a reminder of cinema’s world-making possibilities,” said Dennis Lim, NYFF Director of Programming and chair of the Main Slate selection committee. “They open up new ways of seeing and feeling and thinking,...
- 8/10/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
As Film at Lincoln Center readies to mount its 59th edition of the New York Film Festival, the annual event seems hellbent on bringing the absolute best of the year’s new films to the city’s cinephiles. Today’s announcement of the festival’s Main Slate offers an enviable assortment of features, including Julia Ducournau’s Palme d’Or winner “Titane,” Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s lauded “Flee,” Joanna Hogg’s much-anticipated “The Souvenir Part II,” Todd Haynes’ archival collage “The Velvet Underground,” and many more titles.
“Taken together, the movies in this year’s Main Slate are a reminder of cinema’s world-making possibilities,” said Dennis Lim, NYFF Director of Programming and chair of the Main Slate selection committee in an official statement. “They open up new ways of seeing and feeling and thinking, and whether or not they refer to our uncertain present, they help us make sense of our moment.
“Taken together, the movies in this year’s Main Slate are a reminder of cinema’s world-making possibilities,” said Dennis Lim, NYFF Director of Programming and chair of the Main Slate selection committee in an official statement. “They open up new ways of seeing and feeling and thinking, and whether or not they refer to our uncertain present, they help us make sense of our moment.
- 8/10/2021
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Courtesy Apple/A24
Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” will make its World Premiere on the Opening Night of the 59th New York Film Festival on 24th September 2021.
A work of stark chiaroscuro and incantatory rage, Joel Coen’s boldly inventive visualisation of The Scottish Play is an anguished film that stares, mouth agape, at a sorrowful world undone by blind greed and thoughtless ambition. In meticulously world-weary performances, a strikingly inward Denzel Washington is the man who would be king, and an effortlessly Machiavellian Frances McDormand is his Lady, a couple driven to political assassination—and deranged by guilt—after the cunning prognostications of a trio of “weird sisters” (a virtuoso physical inhabitation by Kathryn Hunter). Though it echoes the forbidding visual designs—and aspect ratios—of Laurence Olivier’s classic 1940s Shakespeare adaptations, as well as the bloody medieval madness of Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood, Coen...
Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” will make its World Premiere on the Opening Night of the 59th New York Film Festival on 24th September 2021.
A work of stark chiaroscuro and incantatory rage, Joel Coen’s boldly inventive visualisation of The Scottish Play is an anguished film that stares, mouth agape, at a sorrowful world undone by blind greed and thoughtless ambition. In meticulously world-weary performances, a strikingly inward Denzel Washington is the man who would be king, and an effortlessly Machiavellian Frances McDormand is his Lady, a couple driven to political assassination—and deranged by guilt—after the cunning prognostications of a trio of “weird sisters” (a virtuoso physical inhabitation by Kathryn Hunter). Though it echoes the forbidding visual designs—and aspect ratios—of Laurence Olivier’s classic 1940s Shakespeare adaptations, as well as the bloody medieval madness of Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood, Coen...
- 7/22/2021
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
by Jason Adams
I don't know about you but I've entirely lost all concept of time -- is it really time to start gearing up and delivering news about fall movie festivals? Wasn't it just Sundance a literal second ago? Next thing you'll tell me it's not 2020 anymore. Anyway while I was busy slowing sliding down the wall of my shower with a stunned vacant look on my face the New York Film Festival was announcing its Opening Night film for this year's 59th festival -- Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth, starring Denzel Washington and Lady Frances McDormand, will kick it off in the city that never sleeps on the night of September 24th. That's 64 days away! Here's their descriptor of the flick:
"A work of stark chiaroscuro and incantatory rage, Joel Coen’s boldly inventive visualization of The Scottish Play is an anguished film that stares, mouth agape,...
I don't know about you but I've entirely lost all concept of time -- is it really time to start gearing up and delivering news about fall movie festivals? Wasn't it just Sundance a literal second ago? Next thing you'll tell me it's not 2020 anymore. Anyway while I was busy slowing sliding down the wall of my shower with a stunned vacant look on my face the New York Film Festival was announcing its Opening Night film for this year's 59th festival -- Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth, starring Denzel Washington and Lady Frances McDormand, will kick it off in the city that never sleeps on the night of September 24th. That's 64 days away! Here's their descriptor of the flick:
"A work of stark chiaroscuro and incantatory rage, Joel Coen’s boldly inventive visualization of The Scottish Play is an anguished film that stares, mouth agape,...
- 7/22/2021
- by JA
- FilmExperience
Marking Joel Coen’s first film without his brother Ethan Coen, The Tragedy of Macbeth brings together Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Brendan Gleeson, Corey Hawkins, Moses Ingram, Harry Melling, Ralph Ineson, and more in what will be a faithful retelling of Shakespeare’s iconic story—shot in black-and-white by cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, who reteams with Coen from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Inside Llewyn Davis.
Film at Lincoln Center has announced that the Apple and A24 production is the Opening Night selection of the 59th New York Film Festival, making its World Premiere at the Alice Tully Hall on September 24.
Check out NYFF’s synopsis below.
A work of stark chiaroscuro and incantatory rage, Joel Coen’s boldly inventive visualization of The Scottish Play is an anguished film that stares, mouth agape, at a sorrowful world undone by blind greed and thoughtless ambition. In meticulously world-weary performances, a strikingly...
Film at Lincoln Center has announced that the Apple and A24 production is the Opening Night selection of the 59th New York Film Festival, making its World Premiere at the Alice Tully Hall on September 24.
Check out NYFF’s synopsis below.
A work of stark chiaroscuro and incantatory rage, Joel Coen’s boldly inventive visualization of The Scottish Play is an anguished film that stares, mouth agape, at a sorrowful world undone by blind greed and thoughtless ambition. In meticulously world-weary performances, a strikingly...
- 7/22/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
This year’s 59th New York Film Festival will open with some classic Shakespearean tragedy, as only Joel Coen could render it. Film at Lincoln Center has today announced that the world premiere of Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, will serve as the festival’s Opening Night event on September 24. This year’s festival will take place September 24 – October 10, and will feature a combination of in-person, outdoor, and virtual screenings, with a comprehensive series of health and safety policies in coordination with state and city medical experts.
“The New York Film Festival is a place where I’ve been watching movies as an audience member and showing them as a filmmaker for almost 50 years,” said director Coen in an official statement. “It’s a real privilege and a thrill to be opening the Festival this year with ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth.'”
Today...
“The New York Film Festival is a place where I’ve been watching movies as an audience member and showing them as a filmmaker for almost 50 years,” said director Coen in an official statement. “It’s a real privilege and a thrill to be opening the Festival this year with ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth.'”
Today...
- 7/22/2021
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
'The Tragedy of Macbeth' With Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand to Open New York Film Festival
Joel Coen's "The Tragedy of Macbeth," starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, will make its world premiere as the opening night film of the 2021 New York Film Festival.
"The Tragedy of Macbeth" will kick off NYFF 59 with a screening at Alice Tully Hall on Sept. 24. The festival itself runs from Sept. 24 through Oct. 10.
Coen's film is a new visualization of the Scottish play, all shot in a stark chiaroscuro, that stars Washington as Macbeth and McDormand as Lady Macbeth. NYFF describes it as an "anguished film that stares, mouth agape, at a sorrowful world undone by blind, greed and thoughtless ambition" and features "meticulously world-weary performances" by the two leads.
The film is also shot in an aspect ratio that echoes some of Laurence Olivier's classic Shakespeare adaptations from the '40s, as well as Akira Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood," which itself is a "Macbeth" adaptation. But...
"The Tragedy of Macbeth" will kick off NYFF 59 with a screening at Alice Tully Hall on Sept. 24. The festival itself runs from Sept. 24 through Oct. 10.
Coen's film is a new visualization of the Scottish play, all shot in a stark chiaroscuro, that stars Washington as Macbeth and McDormand as Lady Macbeth. NYFF describes it as an "anguished film that stares, mouth agape, at a sorrowful world undone by blind, greed and thoughtless ambition" and features "meticulously world-weary performances" by the two leads.
The film is also shot in an aspect ratio that echoes some of Laurence Olivier's classic Shakespeare adaptations from the '40s, as well as Akira Kurosawa's "Throne of Blood," which itself is a "Macbeth" adaptation. But...
- 7/22/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Quentin Tarantino always has been the ultimate alpha director – a man who often likes to do things ass backwards. He depicts historic events in his movies, deliberately scrambling the dates. While many cinemas now stand empty, this week he defiantly purchased his second movie theater in Los Angeles.
He also has published a new novel, rewriting his hit movie in a way that might surprise, even distress, its star cast. The novel bears the same title, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but if I were Brad Pitt or Leonardo DiCaprio, I would chat with my agents about character assassination.
Some spoiler alerts: In the 2019 movie, they played empathetic “has beens” trapped in the daunting downdraft of past celebrity. In the novel, however, Cliff (Pitt) brutally murders his wife, along with other hapless victims, with Tarantino’s prose wallowing in the gory details. Rick (DiCaprio) doesn’t seem fazed because...
He also has published a new novel, rewriting his hit movie in a way that might surprise, even distress, its star cast. The novel bears the same title, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but if I were Brad Pitt or Leonardo DiCaprio, I would chat with my agents about character assassination.
Some spoiler alerts: In the 2019 movie, they played empathetic “has beens” trapped in the daunting downdraft of past celebrity. In the novel, however, Cliff (Pitt) brutally murders his wife, along with other hapless victims, with Tarantino’s prose wallowing in the gory details. Rick (DiCaprio) doesn’t seem fazed because...
- 7/8/2021
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Video Version of this Article Photo/Video: Shakespeare in Film/Hollywood Insider YouTube Channel William Shakespeare was an English playwright and dramatist that lived during the 16th and 17th centuries. During this Renaissance era, Shakespeare was an essential member of the King’s Men company of theatrical players. He and his business partners built their own theater in 1599, the famous Globe Theater, where they performed the plays penned by Shakespeare. Hundreds of years later, Shakespeare’s plays are still read and performed. In 2014, Guinness World Records published an article honoring Shakespeare on his 450th anniversary recounting ten world records related to the writer. He remains the world’s best-selling playwright, with sales of his works believed to be in excess of four billion copies since his death. Film, in particular, has a rich history of adapting his works and taking inspiration from his plays. Over four hundred feature films and...
- 3/21/2021
- by Drew Alexander Ross
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Video Version of this Article Photo/Video: Cowboys and Samurai/Hollywood Insider YouTube Channel Cowboys and Samurai shouldn’t have anything in common. Though they did coexist for a brief temporal window, samurai have been around since the 12th century and are far more comparable to the chivalric knights of medieval Europe, being hereditary warriors that supposedly follow a strict moral code--cowboys, on the other hand, are so-called because they tend to cattle. Their adventurous exploits generally involved either skirmishing with the Native Americans or fighting/engaging in banditry, at least according to Westerns. In addition, our most popular cinematic understanding of samurai refers not to any of their extended histories as warriors, not to their defense of Japan against Mongolian invaders, to their unsuccessful invasion of the Korean peninsula, nor to the Sengoku Jidai which is as culturally significant to the Japanese as Romance of the Three Kingdoms is to the Chinese.
- 3/3/2021
- by Daniel Choi
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Photo: 'Throne of Blood'/Toho ‘Throne Of Blood’ is the first of Akira Kurosawa’s two Shakespeare adaptations set in feudal Japan. It is an exciting take on ‘Macbeth’ that stars Toshirô Mifune as Washizu, a warrior coerced by his wife (Isuzu Yamada) into usurping his kingdom following a life-changing prophecy. What ensues is a bloody, supernaturally-infused descent into darkness. The film is clearly worth discussing as a direct adaptation of Shakespeare’s immortal text, but it is notable for being its own entity. Related article: Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase: “The Importance of Venice Film Festival as the Protector of Cinema” Related article: The Masters of Cinema Archives: Hollywood Insider Pays Tribute to ‘La Vie En Rose’, Exclusive Interview with Director Olivier Dahan Performances Worthy Of The Great Characters Toshirô Mifune is excellent in the lead role. Known for his macho, intensely physical portrayals of samurai fighters...
- 2/6/2021
- by Amhara Chamberlayne
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Max Fujiwara-Lieven is the owner and founder of Japan Poster Shop. A unique boutique based between Tokyo and London; specializing in Rare, Original, Vintage and Contemporary Japanese Film Posters from the early-twentieth century to the 1990s. Their posters are the actual theatre-used promotional material printed in limited quantity and displayed when a film was released during their time.
Considering the material offered, we could not miss the chance to speak to the founder about starting such a business, discovering and selling these posters, their after-sale value, and many other topics.
How did you end up dealing with original Japanese posters?
My mother is Japanese and my father is English. My mother purchased my first poster when I was about 18 years old, which I really liked. When I moved in Japan a few years ago, I started to collect them, and then I realized that many of my friends back in...
Considering the material offered, we could not miss the chance to speak to the founder about starting such a business, discovering and selling these posters, their after-sale value, and many other topics.
How did you end up dealing with original Japanese posters?
My mother is Japanese and my father is English. My mother purchased my first poster when I was about 18 years old, which I really liked. When I moved in Japan a few years ago, I started to collect them, and then I realized that many of my friends back in...
- 1/14/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
There have been many different, unique iterations of Shakespeare’s titanic tragedy “Macbeth” throughout film history. Ranging from Kurosawa’s “Throne of Blood” to the recent Florence Pugh-breakout “Lady Macbeth,” the narrative template of Shakespeare’s story has proven to be timeless and malleable, allowing artists to adapt and reinterpret the material to support new contexts and themes over time.
Continue reading Channing Tatum, Scooter Braun & Amazon,Team For Ya Lady Macbeth-Adapted Musical at The Playlist.
Continue reading Channing Tatum, Scooter Braun & Amazon,Team For Ya Lady Macbeth-Adapted Musical at The Playlist.
- 7/31/2020
- by Tyler Casalini
- The Playlist
Tuppence Middleton, star of Fisherman’s Friends, Downton Abbey and Sense8, discusses some of her most memorable scenes.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Imitation Game (2014)
The Current War (2017)
Cinema Paradiso (1991)
Downton Abbey (2019)
Fisherman’s Friends (2019)
Touch of Evil (1958)
Rocks in My Pockets (2014)
My Life as a Courgette a.k.a. My Life as a Zucchini (2016)
13 Tzameti (2005)
13 (2010)
In Absentia (2000)
Eraserhead (1977)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Beetlejuice (1988)
Skeletons (2010)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Alien (1979)
Festen a.k.a. The Celebration (1998)
Abigail’s Party (1977)
Der Samurai (2014)
Under The Skin (2013)
Strasbourg 1518 (2020)
The Fall (2019)
The Wicker Man (1973)
Don’t Look Now (1973)
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
I Live in Fear (1955)
Drunken Angel (1948)
Throne of Blood (1957)
High and Low (1963)
Godzilla (1954)
The Piano Teacher (2001)
Possession (1981)
G.I. Blues (1960)
King Creole (1958)
Léolo (1992)
Other Notable Items
War and Peace miniseries (2016)
Giuseppe Tornatore
The Crown TV series (2016- )
Masterpiece Theatre TV series (1971- )
Upstairs Downstairs TV series (1971-1975)
Monty Python’s Flying Circus...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Imitation Game (2014)
The Current War (2017)
Cinema Paradiso (1991)
Downton Abbey (2019)
Fisherman’s Friends (2019)
Touch of Evil (1958)
Rocks in My Pockets (2014)
My Life as a Courgette a.k.a. My Life as a Zucchini (2016)
13 Tzameti (2005)
13 (2010)
In Absentia (2000)
Eraserhead (1977)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Beetlejuice (1988)
Skeletons (2010)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Alien (1979)
Festen a.k.a. The Celebration (1998)
Abigail’s Party (1977)
Der Samurai (2014)
Under The Skin (2013)
Strasbourg 1518 (2020)
The Fall (2019)
The Wicker Man (1973)
Don’t Look Now (1973)
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
I Live in Fear (1955)
Drunken Angel (1948)
Throne of Blood (1957)
High and Low (1963)
Godzilla (1954)
The Piano Teacher (2001)
Possession (1981)
G.I. Blues (1960)
King Creole (1958)
Léolo (1992)
Other Notable Items
War and Peace miniseries (2016)
Giuseppe Tornatore
The Crown TV series (2016- )
Masterpiece Theatre TV series (1971- )
Upstairs Downstairs TV series (1971-1975)
Monty Python’s Flying Circus...
- 7/28/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Hideo Sekigawa’s Hiroshima (1953) is currently available on Blu-ray From Arrow Academy.
Hiroshima (1953) is a powerful evocation of the devastation wrought by the world s first deployment of the atomic bomb and its aftermath, based on the written eye-witness accounts of its child survivors compiled by Dr. Arata Osada for the 1951 book Children Of The A Bomb: Testament Of The Boys And Girls Of Hiroshima.
Adapted for the screen by independent director Hideo Sekigawa and screenwriter Yasutaro Yagi, Hiroshima combines a harrowing documentary realism with moving human drama, in a tale of the suffering, endurance and survival of a group of teachers, their students and their families. It boasts a rousing score composed by Akira Ifukube (Godzilla) and an all-star cast including Yumeji Tsukioka, Isuzu Yamada and Eiji Okada, appearing alongside an estimated 90,000 residents from the city as extras, including many survivors from that fateful day on 6th August 1945.
Hiroshima...
Hiroshima (1953) is a powerful evocation of the devastation wrought by the world s first deployment of the atomic bomb and its aftermath, based on the written eye-witness accounts of its child survivors compiled by Dr. Arata Osada for the 1951 book Children Of The A Bomb: Testament Of The Boys And Girls Of Hiroshima.
Adapted for the screen by independent director Hideo Sekigawa and screenwriter Yasutaro Yagi, Hiroshima combines a harrowing documentary realism with moving human drama, in a tale of the suffering, endurance and survival of a group of teachers, their students and their families. It boasts a rousing score composed by Akira Ifukube (Godzilla) and an all-star cast including Yumeji Tsukioka, Isuzu Yamada and Eiji Okada, appearing alongside an estimated 90,000 residents from the city as extras, including many survivors from that fateful day on 6th August 1945.
Hiroshima...
- 7/26/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Ghost of Tsushima‘s developers at Sucker Punch have been very explicit about the ways the samurai films of legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa have influenced their game. The PS4 exclusive even features a “Kurosawa Mode” that allows you to apply a stylish black-and-white filter to the experience, recreating the somber mood and film grain of the director’s work.
Anyone who tells a modern samurai story owes some kind of debt to Kurosawa. He may not have been the first director to tell a samurai story via film and his legacy as one of the greatest directors of all-time may have been secured even if he hadn’t directed a frame of a samurai adventure. What a shame it would have been to live in that world, though.
Kurosawa’s samurai films aren’t just some of the best samurai adventures told in any medium, they’re on the...
Anyone who tells a modern samurai story owes some kind of debt to Kurosawa. He may not have been the first director to tell a samurai story via film and his legacy as one of the greatest directors of all-time may have been secured even if he hadn’t directed a frame of a samurai adventure. What a shame it would have been to live in that world, though.
Kurosawa’s samurai films aren’t just some of the best samurai adventures told in any medium, they’re on the...
- 7/13/2020
- by Matthew Byrd
- Den of Geek
by Nathaniel R
Three afterthoughts about the 1957 Smackdown.
1. The reader ballots were quite interestingly divided though they were sparser than usual - are we doing too many Smackdowns or is it just that the films were harder to find this time? I was shocked to see that Tfe readers who had seen The Bachelor Party weren't particularly fond of Carolyn Jones who, in my estimation, was the best of the nominees. Overall it was the lowest rated field of nominees I've ever seen for reader polling.
2. My own ballot for '57 would go like so...
Marlene Dietrich, Witness for the Prosecution Carolyn Jones, The Bachelor Party Elsa Lanchester, Witness for the Prosecution Kay Thompson, Funny Face Isuzu Yamada, Throne of Blood
Though I reserve the right to ditch Lanchester and/or Thompson should I see something better. The speed of this summer's Smackdown schedule has made catching up or revisiting 'extra' films impossible.
Three afterthoughts about the 1957 Smackdown.
1. The reader ballots were quite interestingly divided though they were sparser than usual - are we doing too many Smackdowns or is it just that the films were harder to find this time? I was shocked to see that Tfe readers who had seen The Bachelor Party weren't particularly fond of Carolyn Jones who, in my estimation, was the best of the nominees. Overall it was the lowest rated field of nominees I've ever seen for reader polling.
2. My own ballot for '57 would go like so...
Marlene Dietrich, Witness for the Prosecution Carolyn Jones, The Bachelor Party Elsa Lanchester, Witness for the Prosecution Kay Thompson, Funny Face Isuzu Yamada, Throne of Blood
Though I reserve the right to ditch Lanchester and/or Thompson should I see something better. The speed of this summer's Smackdown schedule has made catching up or revisiting 'extra' films impossible.
- 7/13/2020
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Akira Kurosawa is regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of cinema. In addition to directing 30 movies, in his 57-year career, Kurosawa was the assistant director and editor of numerous films. He also worked in theater and television and was a celebrated novelist. With such an extensive body of work to his name, it can be difficult to know where to begin with his films. So, here is a look at Kurosawa’s very best.
Ikiru
Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, Akira Kurosawa directed approximately one movie per year. That would be unheard of these days! The 1953 film Ikiru follows a struggling terminally-ill bureaucrat from Tokyo as he searches for meaning. It is inspired by Tolstoy’s 1886 novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich. The film explores themes like the inefficiency of bureaucracy, the decaying life of families in Japan, and the quest to learn how to live life best.
Ikiru
Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, Akira Kurosawa directed approximately one movie per year. That would be unheard of these days! The 1953 film Ikiru follows a struggling terminally-ill bureaucrat from Tokyo as he searches for meaning. It is inspired by Tolstoy’s 1886 novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich. The film explores themes like the inefficiency of bureaucracy, the decaying life of families in Japan, and the quest to learn how to live life best.
- 7/9/2020
- by AMP Training
- AsianMoviePulse
With readers turning to their home viewing options more than ever, this daily feature provides one new movie each day worth checking out on a major streaming platform.
At certain points in their careers, even cinema’s greatest auteurs have needed to cover their asses with a hit. For Akira Kurosawa at the height of his powers, that wasn’t going to be a problem. Kurosawa had earned a tremendous amount of goodwill after the critical and commercial success of 1954’s “Seven Samurai,” and by 1958 he’d spent every last scrap of it. First there was “I Live in Fear,” a difficult (but worthwhile) melodrama in which Toshiro Mifune played an elderly man so fraught with nuclear anxiety that he obliterates his own family. Kurosawa rebounded with the grim yet profitable “Macbeth” adaptation “Throne of Blood,” only to follow that with the most dire film he would ever make, a...
At certain points in their careers, even cinema’s greatest auteurs have needed to cover their asses with a hit. For Akira Kurosawa at the height of his powers, that wasn’t going to be a problem. Kurosawa had earned a tremendous amount of goodwill after the critical and commercial success of 1954’s “Seven Samurai,” and by 1958 he’d spent every last scrap of it. First there was “I Live in Fear,” a difficult (but worthwhile) melodrama in which Toshiro Mifune played an elderly man so fraught with nuclear anxiety that he obliterates his own family. Kurosawa rebounded with the grim yet profitable “Macbeth” adaptation “Throne of Blood,” only to follow that with the most dire film he would ever make, a...
- 5/8/2020
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Akira Kurosawa's Ran (1985) and Chris Marker's A.K. (1985) are showing April and May, 2020 on Mubi in the United Kingdom in the series In Front and Behind the Scenes: Kurosawa & Marker.“It is King Lear, yet it is not King Lear.” This statement, made by Chris Marker during the course of his 1985 documentary, A.K., which records the making of Akira Kurosawa’s Ran, is a noteworthy point when discussing the venerated Japanese master’s 1985 epic, as preliminary conversation concerning the film often centers on the seeds of influence found in the Bard’s 17th century drama. But while that story only entered Kurosawa’s mind after he had already conceived of Ran in the mid-1970s, he also drew inspiration, arguably more significant, from a parable about Mōri Motonari. In that account, the Sengoku-period warlord also had three children—three sons—who were admirably loyal to their father. Kurosawa took...
- 5/1/2020
- MUBI
As part of their release slates for the months June and July 2020 Arrow Academy will release the classic Nagisa Oshima “Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence” starring David Bowie and Hideo Sekigawa’s powerful documentary “Hiroshima”
Synopsis for “Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence”
David Bowie stars in Nagisa Oshima’s 1983 Palme d’Or-nominated portrait of resilience, pride, friendship and obsession among four very different men confined in the stifling jungle heat of a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in Java during World War II.
In 1942, British officer Major Jack Celliers (Bowie) is captured by Japanese soldiers, and after a brutal trial sent, physically debilitated but indomitable in mind, to a Pow camp overseen by the zealous Captain Yonoi (Ryuichi Sakamoto). Celliers’ stubbornness sees him locked in a battle of wills with the camp’s new commandant, a man obsessed with discipline and the glory of Imperial Japan who becomes unnaturally preoccupied with the young Major,...
Synopsis for “Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence”
David Bowie stars in Nagisa Oshima’s 1983 Palme d’Or-nominated portrait of resilience, pride, friendship and obsession among four very different men confined in the stifling jungle heat of a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in Java during World War II.
In 1942, British officer Major Jack Celliers (Bowie) is captured by Japanese soldiers, and after a brutal trial sent, physically debilitated but indomitable in mind, to a Pow camp overseen by the zealous Captain Yonoi (Ryuichi Sakamoto). Celliers’ stubbornness sees him locked in a battle of wills with the camp’s new commandant, a man obsessed with discipline and the glory of Imperial Japan who becomes unnaturally preoccupied with the young Major,...
- 4/18/2020
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Because “The Bad Sleep Well” had not performed as expected commercially, Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa decided to return to the jidai-geki with what is arguably one of his most popular and most beloved films, “Yojimbo”. At the same time, Kurosawa felt the message of his previous film – a bitter image of the corruption in post-war Japan – would also work as a period film while still having the same impact on the viewer. Stylistically, as Kurosawa later admitted, he was inspired by the works of the film noir, in particular Stuart Heisler’s “The Glass Key”, a crime drama dealing with the links between organized crime and politics, as well as the kind of opportunist characters taking advantage of a corrupt system which can be seen as the foundation of the character played by Toshiro Mifune in “Yojimbo”.
In 1860, during the final years of the Edo period, a...
In 1860, during the final years of the Edo period, a...
- 4/7/2020
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Our Toshiro Mifune centennial tribute has come to its final day. Here's Cláudio Alves...
Throughout his career Toshiro Mifune worked with some of the best Japanese directors ever, becoming the face of that country's cinema in the aftermath of World War II. He gave great support to Mizoguchi's leading ladies, provided emotional intensity to Naruse's deepfelt dramas, was perfect in Kobayashi's Samurai Rebellion and utterly iconic in many a Hiroshi Inagaki production. Still, his collaborations with Akira Kurosawa remain the most important. From 1948 to 1965, they made 16 films together, ranging from crime thrillers to action spectacles, from melodrama to historical epics, and the great majority of them are either considered classics or should be.
While I find High and Low to be their best film and Throne of Blood to feature Mifune's greatest performance, when it came time to choose, I knew there was no other option than to write about Red Beard.
Throughout his career Toshiro Mifune worked with some of the best Japanese directors ever, becoming the face of that country's cinema in the aftermath of World War II. He gave great support to Mizoguchi's leading ladies, provided emotional intensity to Naruse's deepfelt dramas, was perfect in Kobayashi's Samurai Rebellion and utterly iconic in many a Hiroshi Inagaki production. Still, his collaborations with Akira Kurosawa remain the most important. From 1948 to 1965, they made 16 films together, ranging from crime thrillers to action spectacles, from melodrama to historical epics, and the great majority of them are either considered classics or should be.
While I find High and Low to be their best film and Throne of Blood to feature Mifune's greatest performance, when it came time to choose, I knew there was no other option than to write about Red Beard.
- 4/2/2020
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
Team Experience will be celebrating the Centennial of Japan's great movie star Toshiro Mifune for the next five nights. Here's Lynn Lee...
It’s impossible to think of Toshiro Mifune without thinking of Akira Kurosawa—and vice versa. Their partnership was unparalleled in its cinematic impact, spanning 16 films between 1948 and 1965 that included stone-cold classics like Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, The Hidden Fortress, and Yojimbo. While Mifune and Kurosawa did significant work independent of each other, it’s not exaggerating to say they made each other; both men would acknowledge as much even after their falling out. In Mifune, Kurosawa found the perfect player to convey the outsize emotions and imposing physical presence of his most memorable protagonists—typically men of strong passions and even stronger will, whether turned to honorable or horrible ends...
It’s impossible to think of Toshiro Mifune without thinking of Akira Kurosawa—and vice versa. Their partnership was unparalleled in its cinematic impact, spanning 16 films between 1948 and 1965 that included stone-cold classics like Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood, The Hidden Fortress, and Yojimbo. While Mifune and Kurosawa did significant work independent of each other, it’s not exaggerating to say they made each other; both men would acknowledge as much even after their falling out. In Mifune, Kurosawa found the perfect player to convey the outsize emotions and imposing physical presence of his most memorable protagonists—typically men of strong passions and even stronger will, whether turned to honorable or horrible ends...
- 3/29/2020
- by Lynn Lee
- FilmExperience
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