As Disney has been enthusiastically reminding us all year, 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio by Walt and Roy Disney. Walt was an animator whose previous company, Laugh-o-Gram Studio, which he founded with Ub Iwerks, had just gone bankrupt. Meanwhile Roy was still suffering from tuberculosis. Yet the studio they founded would come to be ranked number 53 on the Fortune 500 list of the biggest companies in the United States in 2022. More impressive still, the company has achieved the ever elusive mystique of being a brand adored and respected around the world.
The Walt Disney Company (as it has been known since 1986) has expanded into all sorts of areas over the years, from theme parks to superhero movies to streaming documentaries, but the heart and soul of the endeavour is still, at the end of things, Walt Disney Animation Studios, which was put into...
The Walt Disney Company (as it has been known since 1986) has expanded into all sorts of areas over the years, from theme parks to superhero movies to streaming documentaries, but the heart and soul of the endeavour is still, at the end of things, Walt Disney Animation Studios, which was put into...
- 11/23/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
(Welcome to Animation Celebration, a recurring feature where we explore the limitless possibilities of animation as a medium. In this edition: "Pink Floyd — The Wall.")
The first time I watched "Pink Floyd — The Wall" was also the first time I experimented with hallucinogenic drugs. A '90s kid to the core, I had heard countless stories from my parents and their friends about how life-changing it was to experience the film for the first time and I wanted a little taste of that. The joke's on me though, because I have aphantasia, and hallucinogens are one of the only ways folks like me can actually visualize with my eyes closed. Needless to say, I totally freaked out and had to lie down for what felt like approximately three days. Regardless, 10/10 would do again in a heartbeat.
"Pink Floyd — The Wall" is a dramatization of the legendary British rock band's eponymous concept album.
The first time I watched "Pink Floyd — The Wall" was also the first time I experimented with hallucinogenic drugs. A '90s kid to the core, I had heard countless stories from my parents and their friends about how life-changing it was to experience the film for the first time and I wanted a little taste of that. The joke's on me though, because I have aphantasia, and hallucinogens are one of the only ways folks like me can actually visualize with my eyes closed. Needless to say, I totally freaked out and had to lie down for what felt like approximately three days. Regardless, 10/10 would do again in a heartbeat.
"Pink Floyd — The Wall" is a dramatization of the legendary British rock band's eponymous concept album.
- 1/24/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Kurt Cobain’s ratty MTV Unplugged sweater recently sold at auction for over $340,000. It’s a jaw-dropping haul for a music-adjacent item… until you consider that “The Scream,” a painting by artist and political cartoonist Gerald Scarfe and the focal point of Pink Floyd’s The Wall marketing campaign, previously sold for $1.85 million, making it one of the most expensive non-instrument item in rock history.
“The Scream” was among a handful of The Wall-era items from Scarfe’s personal collection that were sold in 2017; soon, the artist will offer...
“The Scream” was among a handful of The Wall-era items from Scarfe’s personal collection that were sold in 2017; soon, the artist will offer...
- 11/6/2019
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Ahead of the Academy Awards, we’re reviewing each short category. See the Documentary section below and the other shorts sections here.
Edith+Eddie – USA – 29 minutes
You hear horror stories of people who foster children in order to pocket the money they receive from the state meant for that child’s wellbeing and want to hope they’re the exceptions rather than rule. It’s easy to be cynical, however, and believe the opposite in this world. The same can be said about elder care and the often-tenuous relationships between children of aging parents with increasing struggles. Infighting is common because not every child is as well off as the next or as close. Suddenly a consensus can’t be reached and a third party guardian is appointed as power of attorney. Now that elderly parent who doesn’t know or understand what’s happening must relinquish their control to...
Edith+Eddie – USA – 29 minutes
You hear horror stories of people who foster children in order to pocket the money they receive from the state meant for that child’s wellbeing and want to hope they’re the exceptions rather than rule. It’s easy to be cynical, however, and believe the opposite in this world. The same can be said about elder care and the often-tenuous relationships between children of aging parents with increasing struggles. Infighting is common because not every child is as well off as the next or as close. Suddenly a consensus can’t be reached and a third party guardian is appointed as power of attorney. Now that elderly parent who doesn’t know or understand what’s happening must relinquish their control to...
- 2/7/2018
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Juliette Harrisson Jun 8, 2017
As the nation goes to the polls, we revisit two political comedy classics, now available on Netflix UK...
Yes Minister/Yes, Prime Minister was a BBC sitcom that ran for five series and one special between 1980 and 1988. It starred Paul Eddington as the Right Honourable James Hacker MP (later Prime Minister), Nigel Hawthorne as Sir Humphrey Appleby, Permanent Secretary to the Minister for Administrative Affairs (later Cabinet Secretary) and Derek Fowlds as Bernard Woolley, Principal Private Secretary to the Minister for Administrative Affairs (later Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister). It was written by Sir Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, and was a favourite show of then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
See related Doctor Who series 10: Empress Of Mars review
Technically, it was two shows: the original Yes Minister and a sequel series called Yes, Prime Minister. However, while there are some obvious differences between the...
As the nation goes to the polls, we revisit two political comedy classics, now available on Netflix UK...
Yes Minister/Yes, Prime Minister was a BBC sitcom that ran for five series and one special between 1980 and 1988. It starred Paul Eddington as the Right Honourable James Hacker MP (later Prime Minister), Nigel Hawthorne as Sir Humphrey Appleby, Permanent Secretary to the Minister for Administrative Affairs (later Cabinet Secretary) and Derek Fowlds as Bernard Woolley, Principal Private Secretary to the Minister for Administrative Affairs (later Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister). It was written by Sir Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, and was a favourite show of then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
See related Doctor Who series 10: Empress Of Mars review
Technically, it was two shows: the original Yes Minister and a sequel series called Yes, Prime Minister. However, while there are some obvious differences between the...
- 4/29/2017
- Den of Geek
It's been five years since the release of "Scream 4" (on April 15, 2011), but like the Ghostface killer, the franchise refuses to die.
Since the first film's release nearly 20 years ago (on December 20, 1996), there have been four movies that have grossed $604 million worldwide, as well as a spinoff series on MTV whose second season begins May 31. "Scream" not only became the most lucrative slasher-film series ever, but it also revitalized the teen horror genre. Still, as inescapable and relentless as the "Scream" franchise has been, there are still a lot of secrets behind that mask. Here are 15 terrifying tidbits of trivia.
1. "Scream" was originally a screenplay by Kevin Williamson called "Scary Movie," inspired in part by the real-life killings of five college students in Gainesville, Florida in 1990. But Dimension studio chief Bob Weinstein didn't think the title reflected Williamson's blend of horror and comedy.
2. Inspired by the recent Michael Jackson hit,...
Since the first film's release nearly 20 years ago (on December 20, 1996), there have been four movies that have grossed $604 million worldwide, as well as a spinoff series on MTV whose second season begins May 31. "Scream" not only became the most lucrative slasher-film series ever, but it also revitalized the teen horror genre. Still, as inescapable and relentless as the "Scream" franchise has been, there are still a lot of secrets behind that mask. Here are 15 terrifying tidbits of trivia.
1. "Scream" was originally a screenplay by Kevin Williamson called "Scary Movie," inspired in part by the real-life killings of five college students in Gainesville, Florida in 1990. But Dimension studio chief Bob Weinstein didn't think the title reflected Williamson's blend of horror and comedy.
2. Inspired by the recent Michael Jackson hit,...
- 4/14/2016
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
The National Theatre's acclaimed production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time reopened earlier this month, at the Gielgud Theatre in the West End. VIP guests included Alice Levine, Amy Beth Hayes, Amy Molyneaux, Andrew Scott, Billy Bailey, Charlotte Riley, Dave Berry, David Gyasi, El James, Emma Freud, Frances O'Connor, Greg McHugh,Honor Blackman, Ian Glem, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Ivan Massow, Jane Asher amp Gerald Scarfe, Jeremy Vine, Joanne Froggatt, Jonathan Bailey, June Whitfield, Kelly Adams, Laura Whitmore, Louise Brealey, Lydia Rose Bewley, Masie Williams, Michel Roux Jr, Natascha McElhone, Reece Shearsmith, Sam Bailey, Samantha Barks, Sarah Solemani, Stephen Wight and Warwick Davis.Go inside the special reopening night event below...
- 7/23/2014
- by BroadwayWorld TV
- BroadwayWorld.com
As we continue on, I need to once again clarify that if this list was “Joshua Gaul’s 50 Favorite Movie Musicals,” it’d be a quite a different list. But, if my tastes determined what is definitive, I’d be asking you all to consider Aladdin as a brilliant piece of filmmaking and wax nostalgic about my love for Batteries Not Included and Flight of the Navigator (not for the musicals list, of course). Much to my dismay, my tastes are not universal. I’d like to think my research methods are.
courtesy of themoviescene.co.uk
30. Annie (1982)
Directed by John Huston
Signature Song: “Tomorrow” (http://youtu.be/Yop62wQH498)
Originally a 1924 comic strip, the beloved stage musical about a red-haired orphan girl was brought to the big screen in 1982 and directed by John Huston (yes, that John Huston – director of The Maltese Falcon and The African Queen, not to...
courtesy of themoviescene.co.uk
30. Annie (1982)
Directed by John Huston
Signature Song: “Tomorrow” (http://youtu.be/Yop62wQH498)
Originally a 1924 comic strip, the beloved stage musical about a red-haired orphan girl was brought to the big screen in 1982 and directed by John Huston (yes, that John Huston – director of The Maltese Falcon and The African Queen, not to...
- 5/12/2014
- by Joshua Gaul
- SoundOnSight
Above: Us 2014 re-release poster for Othello (Orson Welles, Morocco/Italy, 1952) designed by Dark Star, Paris.
Orson Welles' glorious, noirish, idiosyncratic, benighted Othello opens in New York and Chicago today in a new restoration. And Wednesday, not coincidentally, saw the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth. Shakespeare has been adapted for film since the silent dawn of cinema, so it seems only right and fitting that I should mark this occasion with the best posters for Shakespeare on film through the ages, presented here in chronological order.
Above: German poster for Hamlet (Svend Gade & Heinz Schall, Germany, 1921).
Above: Us one sheet for The Taming of the Shrew (Sam Taylor, USA, 1929).
Above: Us lobby card for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (William Dieterle & Max Reinhardt, USA, 1935).
Above: 1956 Polish poster for Henry V (Laurence Olivier, UK, 1944) by Jozef Mroszczak.
Above: Australian poster for Henry V (Laurence Olivier, UK, 1944).
Above: French poster for Hamlet (Laurence Olivier,...
Orson Welles' glorious, noirish, idiosyncratic, benighted Othello opens in New York and Chicago today in a new restoration. And Wednesday, not coincidentally, saw the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth. Shakespeare has been adapted for film since the silent dawn of cinema, so it seems only right and fitting that I should mark this occasion with the best posters for Shakespeare on film through the ages, presented here in chronological order.
Above: German poster for Hamlet (Svend Gade & Heinz Schall, Germany, 1921).
Above: Us one sheet for The Taming of the Shrew (Sam Taylor, USA, 1929).
Above: Us lobby card for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (William Dieterle & Max Reinhardt, USA, 1935).
Above: 1956 Polish poster for Henry V (Laurence Olivier, UK, 1944) by Jozef Mroszczak.
Above: Australian poster for Henry V (Laurence Olivier, UK, 1944).
Above: French poster for Hamlet (Laurence Olivier,...
- 4/25/2014
- by Adrian Curry
- MUBI
Slapstick Festival | The Loco London Comedy Film Festival | Rybczynski: Exploring Space | CarnyVille
Slapstick Festival, Bristol
With Buster Keaton back in cinemas (The General is on reissue and there's a retrospective at London's BFI), it's a good time to brush up on silent comedy, and this festival, celebrating its 10th anniversary, has done much to spread the word, or maybe the subtitle. This year Charlie Chaplin takes his turn in the spotlight and marks the 100th anniversary of his Little Tramp incarnation, with Omid Djalili introducing an orchestra-backed screening of City Lights at Colston Hall on Friday. The seen-it-all crowd will be more intrigued by celebrations of forgotten stars such as Constance Talmadge, Raymond Griffith and Max Davidson. More up to date, Tim Vine explains why he loves Benny Hill (Watershed, 26 Jan), and Phill Jupitus asks Paul McGann and Ralph Brown about the making of Withnail & I (Bristol Old Vic, 26 Jan).
Various venues,...
Slapstick Festival, Bristol
With Buster Keaton back in cinemas (The General is on reissue and there's a retrospective at London's BFI), it's a good time to brush up on silent comedy, and this festival, celebrating its 10th anniversary, has done much to spread the word, or maybe the subtitle. This year Charlie Chaplin takes his turn in the spotlight and marks the 100th anniversary of his Little Tramp incarnation, with Omid Djalili introducing an orchestra-backed screening of City Lights at Colston Hall on Friday. The seen-it-all crowd will be more intrigued by celebrations of forgotten stars such as Constance Talmadge, Raymond Griffith and Max Davidson. More up to date, Tim Vine explains why he loves Benny Hill (Watershed, 26 Jan), and Phill Jupitus asks Paul McGann and Ralph Brown about the making of Withnail & I (Bristol Old Vic, 26 Jan).
Various venues,...
- 1/18/2014
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
To accompany the exhaustive retrospective of the films of Jean-Luc Godard (49 programs in 21 days) that started as part of the New York Film Festival and runs through the end of October, I had planned to select my ten all-time favorite posters for Godard’s films. But when I sat down to the task and laid out the ten I’d chosen in front of me, the result was a selection of posters so overly familiar as to be banal. It looked like the postcard rack of any film bookstore in Paris. Much as I had hoped to choose less obvious designs, when it came down to it the posters created for Godard’s films in the 60s are hands down among the greatest film posters ever made: Clément Hurel’s Breathless, Chica’s Une femme est une femme, Jacques Vaissier’s Vivre sa vie, Georges Kerfyser’s Band à part and Une femme mariée,...
- 10/18/2013
- by Adrian Curry
- MUBI
Bill Wyman opened his new exhibition 'Bill Wyman: Reworked' in London on Tuesday evening (26.02.13). The former Rolling Stones bassist unveiled the re-imaginations of his photographs of the legendary band by various artists - including cartoonist Gerald Scarfe - at the Rook and Raven Gallery in Westminster, where he was joined by his wife of 20 years Suzanne Accosta and daughters Jessica and Matilda. Speaking about his choices, Bill said: 'I gave Gerald Scarfe a few choices and and he chose the Keith Richard boxer pose, which is a mad one. 'He's a lovely natural man and we seem to bump into each other and we always have a chat. It's nice to have that close relationship which I don't...
- 2/27/2013
- Monsters and Critics
Bill Wyman opened his new exhibition 'Bill Wyman: Reworked' in London on Tuesday evening (26.02.13). The former Rolling Stones bassist unveiled the re-imaginations of his photographs of the legendary band by various artists - including cartoonist Gerald Scarfe - at the Rook and Raven Gallery in Westminster, where he was joined by his wife of 20 years Suzanne Accosta and daughters Jessica and Matilda. Speaking about his choices, Bill said: ''I gave Gerald Scarfe a few choices and and he chose the Keith Richard boxer pose, which is a mad one. ''He's a lovely natural man and we seem to bump into each...
- 2/27/2013
- Virgin Media - Celebrity
Join Jason Solomons and guests, award-winning novelist Naomi Alderman, Middle East analyst at Chatham House and director of International Relations at Regents Park College Yossi Mekelberg, and writer and documentary-maker Alexander Bodin Saphir.
The elections in Israel may be over and the votes counted, but such is the complexity of coalition politics in Israel, the final makeup of Binyamin Netanyahu's government is still being negotiated. But what happened to the predicted surge to the extreme right?
What do the panel make of Gerald Scarfe's controversial cartoon in the Sunday Times, depicting Netanyahu building a wall on the bodies of Palestinians and using their blood as cement?
And as Oscar night approaches, we take a look at two of the shortlisted documentaries, The Gatekeepers and 5 Broken Cameras: both from Israel but with very different takes on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We ask the director of The Gatekeepers, Dror Moreh, what motivated...
The elections in Israel may be over and the votes counted, but such is the complexity of coalition politics in Israel, the final makeup of Binyamin Netanyahu's government is still being negotiated. But what happened to the predicted surge to the extreme right?
What do the panel make of Gerald Scarfe's controversial cartoon in the Sunday Times, depicting Netanyahu building a wall on the bodies of Palestinians and using their blood as cement?
And as Oscar night approaches, we take a look at two of the shortlisted documentaries, The Gatekeepers and 5 Broken Cameras: both from Israel but with very different takes on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We ask the director of The Gatekeepers, Dror Moreh, what motivated...
- 2/11/2013
- by Jason Solomons
- The Guardian - Film News
Gerald Scarfe’s cartoon in the UK’s Sunday Times depicts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu using blood to build a wall that includes the bodies of Palestinians. The image, published on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, infuriated the Anti-Defamation League, which charged that the “blatantly anti-Semitic theme” is “a modern day evocation of the ancient ‘blood libel’ charge leveled at Jews.” The World Zionist Organization-Israel said it violated “all lines of decency and morality.” The Murdoch-owned paper initially defended the drawing, telling The Guardian that ”It is aimed squarely at Mr Netanyahu and his policies, not at Israel, let alone at Jewish people. It appeared yesterday because Mr Netanyahu won the Israeli election last week.” But News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch sees things differently. In a tweet today he says that “Gerald Scarfe has never reflected the opinions of the Sunday Times. Nevertheless, we owe major apology for grotesque, offensive cartoon.
- 1/28/2013
- by DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor
- Deadline TV
O2, London
When Jeff Wayne released his The War of the Worlds album in 1978, the winds of fashion were not behind him. In a musical era defined by post-punk's minimalism and deconstructionism, a sprawling concept album based on a Victorian novel about a Martian invasion of Earth appeared a gargantuan folly.
The British public were not concerned with such critical niceties, and The War of the Worlds became a commercial phenomenon, taking root in the album chart for more than five years. Wayne has frequently returned to his rock opera, this year rerecording the album and producing this "next generation" tour.
His musical adaptation of Hg Wells's 1898 sci-fi classic has not aged particularly well, largely because it seemed slightly silly even a third of a century ago. However, this time-capsule missive from the era of Star Wars, Alien and Close Encounters of the Third Kind has acquired an engaging retro-futurist sheen.
When Jeff Wayne released his The War of the Worlds album in 1978, the winds of fashion were not behind him. In a musical era defined by post-punk's minimalism and deconstructionism, a sprawling concept album based on a Victorian novel about a Martian invasion of Earth appeared a gargantuan folly.
The British public were not concerned with such critical niceties, and The War of the Worlds became a commercial phenomenon, taking root in the album chart for more than five years. Wayne has frequently returned to his rock opera, this year rerecording the album and producing this "next generation" tour.
His musical adaptation of Hg Wells's 1898 sci-fi classic has not aged particularly well, largely because it seemed slightly silly even a third of a century ago. However, this time-capsule missive from the era of Star Wars, Alien and Close Encounters of the Third Kind has acquired an engaging retro-futurist sheen.
- 12/17/2012
- by Ian Gittins
- The Guardian - Film News
As easily titled by another of its subject’s mottos—”Expect the Unexpected”—as what documentarian Brad Bernstein chose, Far Out Isn’t Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story re-exposes the world to one of its most influential illustrators/commercial artists. Disappointed by my own ignorance to the name, I looked up his work and discovered nothing but a passing resemblance to other children’s art I had seen before. Only when the late Where the Wild Things Are author Maurice Sendak came onscreen to laud his friend and peer’s bravery for inspiring him to create one of our most cherished pieces of literature did I fully understand the importance of Tomi Ungerer‘s legacy. In fact, the only reason The Mellops Go Flying, Crictor, and Three Robbers aren’t in my memory is America’s Puritanical shortsightedness figuratively burning them decades ago to spare me their ‘unsavory’ author’s proclivities.
- 9/6/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
A host of household names from the worlds of film, sport, TV, art and literature have helped to raise thousands of pounds for the National Literacy Trust. Supported by Pitney Bowes, the ‘Pushing the Envelope’ campaign secured support from 117 celebrities who customized envelopes to create unique works of art for the public to purchase.
Best sellers were pop artist Sir Peter Blake, whose envelope raised an astounding £2,560. Welsh artist and long term supporter John Knapp Fisher’s piece achieved £1,366 whilst Academy Award-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren’s design sold for £1,020 and Gerald Scarfe’s for £615.
Read more...
Best sellers were pop artist Sir Peter Blake, whose envelope raised an astounding £2,560. Welsh artist and long term supporter John Knapp Fisher’s piece achieved £1,366 whilst Academy Award-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren’s design sold for £1,020 and Gerald Scarfe’s for £615.
Read more...
- 3/26/2012
- Look to the Stars
Roger Waters is still touring solo with The Wall, building it brick by brick and then knocking it down nightly, and if you haven't had an opportunity to experience this absolute requirement of rock history, the next best thing available is to get your wormy little hands on the Pink Floyd: The Wall Immersion Box Set, available February 28.
Bands like Radiohead, Muse and even Gorillaz and Nine Inch Nails owe a tremendous debt to Pink Floyd (whose lineup was comprised of Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright), who arguably blazed the widest swath out there in the progressive/psychedelic rock genre and one-upped The Who's Tommy with their own take on the Rock Opera.
Garbage Drops New Single!
Released in November of 1979, The Wall shot Pink Floyd to the top of the charts on the strength of the first single, Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2). Already riding high on the phenomenal success of 1973's...
Bands like Radiohead, Muse and even Gorillaz and Nine Inch Nails owe a tremendous debt to Pink Floyd (whose lineup was comprised of Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright), who arguably blazed the widest swath out there in the progressive/psychedelic rock genre and one-upped The Who's Tommy with their own take on the Rock Opera.
Garbage Drops New Single!
Released in November of 1979, The Wall shot Pink Floyd to the top of the charts on the strength of the first single, Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2). Already riding high on the phenomenal success of 1973's...
- 2/24/2012
- TheInsider.com
Off the spectacular Danger Mouse-Daniele Luppi album Rome, one of our favorite underplayed tracks of 2011, "Two Against One" -- sung by Jack White -- now has an animation to go with it. NPR premiered the "equally dark and tortured" music video Saturday, with a promise from director Chris Milk of a future feature-length film based on Rome:
"Myself, Brian (aka Danger Mouse), and the producers Anthony Bregman (Eternal Sunshine) and Megan Ellison (True Grit), are currently developing the Rome project into a theatrical feature film. While the video for "Two Against One" is hand-drawn cell animation, the film would be live action. The music video is essentially the fever dream of the antagonist of the story. It's mostly his backstory, his life before the tale we see in the movie. If you have a fast computer with Chrome installed you can also see the interactive lucid dream of the protagonist at www.
"Myself, Brian (aka Danger Mouse), and the producers Anthony Bregman (Eternal Sunshine) and Megan Ellison (True Grit), are currently developing the Rome project into a theatrical feature film. While the video for "Two Against One" is hand-drawn cell animation, the film would be live action. The music video is essentially the fever dream of the antagonist of the story. It's mostly his backstory, his life before the tale we see in the movie. If you have a fast computer with Chrome installed you can also see the interactive lucid dream of the protagonist at www.
- 1/8/2012
- by Mallika Rao
- Huffington Post
The cartoonist Ronald Searle has died at the age of 91, his family confirmed to the BBC earlier today.
Best known for creating the schoolgirl horrors of St Trinian’s, whose doors re-opened in 2007 with two new films to complement those of the 50s and 60s, his distinctive artwork has served as an inspiration for many artists and has appeared in numerous magazines, though he did also collaborate with filmmakers over the years.
Two weeks ago I re-watched the 1970s musical telling of Scrooge with Albert Finney and Alec Guinness and, as it does each year, it evoked the festive spirit in a way that only a Box of Delights and Gonzo in a top hat can match.
The title sequence for the film is brilliantly dark, arch and beautiful in its own right. This was perhaps my first knowledge of Ronald Searle’s work and while St Trinian’s Belles...
Best known for creating the schoolgirl horrors of St Trinian’s, whose doors re-opened in 2007 with two new films to complement those of the 50s and 60s, his distinctive artwork has served as an inspiration for many artists and has appeared in numerous magazines, though he did also collaborate with filmmakers over the years.
Two weeks ago I re-watched the 1970s musical telling of Scrooge with Albert Finney and Alec Guinness and, as it does each year, it evoked the festive spirit in a way that only a Box of Delights and Gonzo in a top hat can match.
The title sequence for the film is brilliantly dark, arch and beautiful in its own right. This was perhaps my first knowledge of Ronald Searle’s work and while St Trinian’s Belles...
- 1/3/2012
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
'The worst thing anyone's ever said? I remember one review began: "Jane Asher, whose charm has always escaped me"'
What got you started?
Being spotted in the street by a film producer when I was five. I had very long, vividly bright red hair, and it must have caught somebody's eye – though the hair was a bit irrelevant, as films were black and white in those days.
What was your big breakthrough?
When I was about 20 or 21, I came to a fork in the road: I had to choose between doing a film in the Us, and staying in England to do a revival of Look Back in Anger at the Royal Court. I chose the latter, and it was really my breakthrough into serious theatre.
Who or what have you sacrificed for your art?
I'd like to think very little, firstly because describing it as "art" makes me embarrassed.
What got you started?
Being spotted in the street by a film producer when I was five. I had very long, vividly bright red hair, and it must have caught somebody's eye – though the hair was a bit irrelevant, as films were black and white in those days.
What was your big breakthrough?
When I was about 20 or 21, I came to a fork in the road: I had to choose between doing a film in the Us, and staying in England to do a revival of Look Back in Anger at the Royal Court. I chose the latter, and it was really my breakthrough into serious theatre.
Who or what have you sacrificed for your art?
I'd like to think very little, firstly because describing it as "art" makes me embarrassed.
- 9/19/2011
- by Laura Barnett
- The Guardian - Film News
Matt here…
Yes, it really does take this many writers for Obsessed With Film to function! Yet another top ten list here for you (mine is pending as once again I’m scrambling around to see as many movies as I can) this time from Owain Paciuszko – my all-rounder. My vital and trustee sidekick who helps out with features, reviews and even the occasional news piece.
He also has snubbed David Fincher’s latest…
10. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Edgar Wright threw everything he could into this in his big effort to bust blocks on the Hollywood scene with a film as fiercely excitable and original as it possibly could hope to be. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World stumbled with an episodic structure, but was no less consistently entertaining with a string of great actors stepping up to play Ramona’s evil ex-boyfriends and keep the film’s pulse pumping.
Yes, it really does take this many writers for Obsessed With Film to function! Yet another top ten list here for you (mine is pending as once again I’m scrambling around to see as many movies as I can) this time from Owain Paciuszko – my all-rounder. My vital and trustee sidekick who helps out with features, reviews and even the occasional news piece.
He also has snubbed David Fincher’s latest…
10. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Edgar Wright threw everything he could into this in his big effort to bust blocks on the Hollywood scene with a film as fiercely excitable and original as it possibly could hope to be. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World stumbled with an episodic structure, but was no less consistently entertaining with a string of great actors stepping up to play Ramona’s evil ex-boyfriends and keep the film’s pulse pumping.
- 1/3/2011
- by Owain Paciuszko
- Obsessed with Film
Chicks On Speed, Dundee
Chicks On Speed are less a rock group than a fulfilment of every person's presumption that all art students are cuckoo. Emerging from Munich Academy Of Arts in the mid-90s, Melissa Logan, Kiki Moorse and Alex Murray-Leslie have gone on to eradicate the boundaries between fine art and trashy entertainment, punk performance and electroclash pop, historically informed painting and flashy graffiti, spirited commitment and an irreverent disregard for considerations of good taste. Their take on street fashion includes dresses made from plastic bags and gaffa tape. This, their first solo UK show, resembles more the aftermath of an art college end-of-term party than an exhibition, and will include the construction of the world's first wireless guitar stilettos.
Dundee Contemporary Arts, to 8 Aug
Robert Clark
Picasso, London
While Tate Liverpool is currently showing the iconic cubist's anti-war paintings and exploring his commitment to communism, the Gagosian...
Chicks On Speed are less a rock group than a fulfilment of every person's presumption that all art students are cuckoo. Emerging from Munich Academy Of Arts in the mid-90s, Melissa Logan, Kiki Moorse and Alex Murray-Leslie have gone on to eradicate the boundaries between fine art and trashy entertainment, punk performance and electroclash pop, historically informed painting and flashy graffiti, spirited commitment and an irreverent disregard for considerations of good taste. Their take on street fashion includes dresses made from plastic bags and gaffa tape. This, their first solo UK show, resembles more the aftermath of an art college end-of-term party than an exhibition, and will include the construction of the world's first wireless guitar stilettos.
Dundee Contemporary Arts, to 8 Aug
Robert Clark
Picasso, London
While Tate Liverpool is currently showing the iconic cubist's anti-war paintings and exploring his commitment to communism, the Gagosian...
- 6/4/2010
- by Robert Clark, Skye Sherwin
- The Guardian - Film News
The hero of Greek mythology with the "rippling pectorals" turns out to be a perfect choice for Disney's newest animated effort, a vast improvement over the lugubrious history lesson of "Pocahontas" and the turgid melodrama of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".
Boasting the usual superb animation, the humor one expects from the creators of "Aladdin" and a wonderful villain as voiced by James Woods, "Hercules" is an entertaining entry that will delight adults as much as children. It should do excellent business, probably topping the grosses of the past two summer efforts, although one shouldn't look for a blockbuster of "The Lion King" proportions.
Considering the character's enduring popularity, as shown by an endless succession of live- action films and television series, it's a wonder that the Disney people haven't gotten around to him until now. The heroes and villains of Greek mythology turn out to be a wonderful opportunity for both the animators and the screenwriters to flex their imaginations as well as offering the flexibility to provide generous doses of humorous pop culture references.
The story here begins with Hercules' birth, marked by a lavish party thrown by his parents, Zeus (voice of Rip Torn) and Hera (Samantha Eggar). Everyone is celebrating except for Hades (Woods), the Lord of the Underworld, who resents his position and who is plotting to overthrow Zeus.
First, he must get rid of Hercules, a potential threat. He dispatches his loyal underlings, Pain and Panic (Bobcat Goldthwait, Matt Frewer) to accomplish the task, but they bungle it, and the baby winds up on Earth, raised by the couple Amphitryon and Alcmene (Hal Holbrook, Barbara Barrie). The child suffers a difficult adolescence, shunned by his peers and the villagers because of his tendency for accidental mass destruction.
Looking to Zeus for answers, the adult Hercules (Tate Donovan) is told that he must prove himself a hero on Earth and enlist the help of Philoctetes, or "Phil" (Danny DeVito), a satyr, to help train him. Joined by Pegasus, his trusty winged horse, Hercules heads to Thebes, "The Big Olive", to accomplish his goals. This leads to the inevitable showdown with Hades, where the hero is nearly undone by his love for the beautiful Meg (Susan Egan, graduating to animation after playing Belle in Broadway's "Beauty and the Beast"), who, unbeknownst to him, works for the evil god.
The plot line, punctuated by six Alan Menken/David Zippel songs, offers plenty of highlights, such as Hercules' accidental devastation of a town square and his truly spectacular battle with the multiheaded Hydra. The witty screenplay skillfully parodies the conventions and characters of Greek mythology without being overly irreverent, and sharp-eyed adult viewers will delight in the contemporary references to "Karate Kid", "Midnight Cowboy", etc.
To Disney's credit, they even skewer their own overkill brand of merchandising in the "Hero to Zero" number, when Hercules turns into a media hero complete with his own workout scroll. Adults will also certainly get a kick from Hercules' reaction to seeing the play "Oedipus": "Man, I thought I had problems". The character of Hades is one of Disney's best and funniest villains yet, a fast-talking, fire-haired, dangerous schmoozer with the vocal cadences of a Hollywood agent. James Woods, in the best animated vocal turn since Robin Williams in "Aladdin", does full justice to the character.
The animation is, as usual, gorgeous, with the participation of British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe ("Pink Floyd -- The Wall") giving it a particularly stylish edge. Composer Alan Menken hasn't produced one of his best efforts, but even lesser Menken is better than most.
The film is enlivened by the superb vocal performances, from DeVito's hilarious turn as the rambunctious satyr to Torn's authoritative Zeus to Goldthwait and Frewer's addled villainous sidekicks. Donovan and Egan bring the right mixture of nobility and playfulness to their work as the romantic leads, and Charlton Heston begins the proceedings with a narration that lurches from portentous to funny; it's worth the price of admission just to hear him intone, "You go, girl".
Also on hand, serving as a Greek chorus, are the Muses, voiced by five Broadway veterans, including recent Tony winner Lillias White. The sole misstep is the character of Hermes, voiced (and drawn to look like) bandleader Paul Shaffer, hardly the ideal for animation immortality.
HERCULES
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
A Walt Disney Pictures presentation
Directors John Musker, Ron Clements
Producers Alice Dewey, John Musker, Ron Clements Screenplay Ron Clements,
John Musker, Bob Shaw,
Donald McEnery, Irence Mecchi
Music Alan Menken
Lyrics David Zippel
Original Score Alan Menken
Associate producer Kendra Haaland
Production designer Gerald Scarfe
Color/stereo
Voice talents:
Hercules Tate Donovan
Young Hercules, speaking Joshua Keaton
Young Hercules, singing Roger Bart
Phil Danny DeVito
Hades James Woods
Meg Susan Egan
Zeus Rip Torn
Hera Samantha Eggar
Running time -- 89 minutes
MPAA rating: G...
Boasting the usual superb animation, the humor one expects from the creators of "Aladdin" and a wonderful villain as voiced by James Woods, "Hercules" is an entertaining entry that will delight adults as much as children. It should do excellent business, probably topping the grosses of the past two summer efforts, although one shouldn't look for a blockbuster of "The Lion King" proportions.
Considering the character's enduring popularity, as shown by an endless succession of live- action films and television series, it's a wonder that the Disney people haven't gotten around to him until now. The heroes and villains of Greek mythology turn out to be a wonderful opportunity for both the animators and the screenwriters to flex their imaginations as well as offering the flexibility to provide generous doses of humorous pop culture references.
The story here begins with Hercules' birth, marked by a lavish party thrown by his parents, Zeus (voice of Rip Torn) and Hera (Samantha Eggar). Everyone is celebrating except for Hades (Woods), the Lord of the Underworld, who resents his position and who is plotting to overthrow Zeus.
First, he must get rid of Hercules, a potential threat. He dispatches his loyal underlings, Pain and Panic (Bobcat Goldthwait, Matt Frewer) to accomplish the task, but they bungle it, and the baby winds up on Earth, raised by the couple Amphitryon and Alcmene (Hal Holbrook, Barbara Barrie). The child suffers a difficult adolescence, shunned by his peers and the villagers because of his tendency for accidental mass destruction.
Looking to Zeus for answers, the adult Hercules (Tate Donovan) is told that he must prove himself a hero on Earth and enlist the help of Philoctetes, or "Phil" (Danny DeVito), a satyr, to help train him. Joined by Pegasus, his trusty winged horse, Hercules heads to Thebes, "The Big Olive", to accomplish his goals. This leads to the inevitable showdown with Hades, where the hero is nearly undone by his love for the beautiful Meg (Susan Egan, graduating to animation after playing Belle in Broadway's "Beauty and the Beast"), who, unbeknownst to him, works for the evil god.
The plot line, punctuated by six Alan Menken/David Zippel songs, offers plenty of highlights, such as Hercules' accidental devastation of a town square and his truly spectacular battle with the multiheaded Hydra. The witty screenplay skillfully parodies the conventions and characters of Greek mythology without being overly irreverent, and sharp-eyed adult viewers will delight in the contemporary references to "Karate Kid", "Midnight Cowboy", etc.
To Disney's credit, they even skewer their own overkill brand of merchandising in the "Hero to Zero" number, when Hercules turns into a media hero complete with his own workout scroll. Adults will also certainly get a kick from Hercules' reaction to seeing the play "Oedipus": "Man, I thought I had problems". The character of Hades is one of Disney's best and funniest villains yet, a fast-talking, fire-haired, dangerous schmoozer with the vocal cadences of a Hollywood agent. James Woods, in the best animated vocal turn since Robin Williams in "Aladdin", does full justice to the character.
The animation is, as usual, gorgeous, with the participation of British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe ("Pink Floyd -- The Wall") giving it a particularly stylish edge. Composer Alan Menken hasn't produced one of his best efforts, but even lesser Menken is better than most.
The film is enlivened by the superb vocal performances, from DeVito's hilarious turn as the rambunctious satyr to Torn's authoritative Zeus to Goldthwait and Frewer's addled villainous sidekicks. Donovan and Egan bring the right mixture of nobility and playfulness to their work as the romantic leads, and Charlton Heston begins the proceedings with a narration that lurches from portentous to funny; it's worth the price of admission just to hear him intone, "You go, girl".
Also on hand, serving as a Greek chorus, are the Muses, voiced by five Broadway veterans, including recent Tony winner Lillias White. The sole misstep is the character of Hermes, voiced (and drawn to look like) bandleader Paul Shaffer, hardly the ideal for animation immortality.
HERCULES
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
A Walt Disney Pictures presentation
Directors John Musker, Ron Clements
Producers Alice Dewey, John Musker, Ron Clements Screenplay Ron Clements,
John Musker, Bob Shaw,
Donald McEnery, Irence Mecchi
Music Alan Menken
Lyrics David Zippel
Original Score Alan Menken
Associate producer Kendra Haaland
Production designer Gerald Scarfe
Color/stereo
Voice talents:
Hercules Tate Donovan
Young Hercules, speaking Joshua Keaton
Young Hercules, singing Roger Bart
Phil Danny DeVito
Hades James Woods
Meg Susan Egan
Zeus Rip Torn
Hera Samantha Eggar
Running time -- 89 minutes
MPAA rating: G...
- 6/13/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.