Mario Van Peebles has been tapped to direct “That’ll Be the Day,” the story of how Buddy Holly and other musicians of the late 1950s helped give birth to rock ‘n’ roll and influence the wider societal and cultural landscape, including the civil rights movement.
Music has been central to much of Van Peebles’ work, from his 1991 gangster movie “New Jack City” to his work on “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” which he co-executive produced for Hulu. Van Peebles is currently writing a musical stage tribute to his father Melvin Van Peebles, to be performed at New York City’s Lincoln Center later this year.
“America’s tumultuous cultural melting pot has produced transcendent musical talent, including Buddy Holly, who was our first bad ass rock ’n’ roll nerd,” Van Peebles said in a statement.
His 2003 docudrama “Baadasssss!” pays homage to his father’s groundbreaking film “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song.” His latest film,...
Music has been central to much of Van Peebles’ work, from his 1991 gangster movie “New Jack City” to his work on “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” which he co-executive produced for Hulu. Van Peebles is currently writing a musical stage tribute to his father Melvin Van Peebles, to be performed at New York City’s Lincoln Center later this year.
“America’s tumultuous cultural melting pot has produced transcendent musical talent, including Buddy Holly, who was our first bad ass rock ’n’ roll nerd,” Van Peebles said in a statement.
His 2003 docudrama “Baadasssss!” pays homage to his father’s groundbreaking film “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song.” His latest film,...
- 4/3/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Stephen King made it very well known that he wasn’t a fan of Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of his book The Shining, so seventeen years later he took the chance to bring the story to the screen himself. He wrote the script for a three-part mini-series that was directed by Mick Garris and aired on ABC back in 1997 – and tomorrow, March 12th, Scream Factory is giving the mini-series version of The Shining a Blu-ray release! Copies are available for purchase at This Link.
The mini-series version of The Shining has the following synopsis: Jack Torrance and his family move into the sprawling, vacant Overlook Hotel to get away from it all. Away from the alcoholism that derails Jack’s writing career. Away from the violent outbursts that mar Jack’s past. But Jack’s young son Danny knows better. He possesses a psychic gift called the shining — a gift...
The mini-series version of The Shining has the following synopsis: Jack Torrance and his family move into the sprawling, vacant Overlook Hotel to get away from it all. Away from the alcoholism that derails Jack’s writing career. Away from the violent outbursts that mar Jack’s past. But Jack’s young son Danny knows better. He possesses a psychic gift called the shining — a gift...
- 3/11/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Plot: 1908. Chief (Mario Van Peebles) returns from years of hiding in Mexico to claim stolen reparations gold hidden in the hills of Montana but is chased by Angel (William Mapother), whose rationale to the gold leaves a trail of dead bodies.
Review: Mario Van Peebles is in the enviable position of being a writer, director and actor who can make the kinds of movies he wants with the people he wants. He was able to gain recognition on his own merit, outside of his father’s work, as he appeared in films like Heartbreak Ridge with Clint Eastwood, Ali with Will Smith, as well as cult classics like Gunmen which co-stars Christopher Lambert. He would work with him again in Lambert’s franchise sequel, Highlander: The Final Dimension. Plus, Van Peebles would gain acclaim as a director with the films he’s pulled double duty on — such titles as New Jack City...
Review: Mario Van Peebles is in the enviable position of being a writer, director and actor who can make the kinds of movies he wants with the people he wants. He was able to gain recognition on his own merit, outside of his father’s work, as he appeared in films like Heartbreak Ridge with Clint Eastwood, Ali with Will Smith, as well as cult classics like Gunmen which co-stars Christopher Lambert. He would work with him again in Lambert’s franchise sequel, Highlander: The Final Dimension. Plus, Van Peebles would gain acclaim as a director with the films he’s pulled double duty on — such titles as New Jack City...
- 3/4/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
If Sergio Leone had ever signed on to make one of those ‘70s Blaxploitation oaters that once provided steady employment for Fred Williamson, it likely would have looked and sounded much like “Outlaw Posse,” a wildly uneven but cumulatively entertaining shoot-‘em-up that finds Mario Van Peebles doing triple duty as director, screenwriter and star. Quadruple duty, actually, if you count his credit as an executive producer.
“Outlaw Posse” has nothing to do with Van Peebles’ previous entry in this genre, 1993’s wild and woolly “Posse,” which suggests the multitasking filmmaker is tipping his Stetson to the multitude of ‘60s Spaghetti Westerns that, ahem, borrowed titles and eponymous characters from better known yet totally unrelated horse operas. But, then again, maybe not. Indeed, the film will probably be enjoyed most by folks not given to undue consideration of such trifling matters as lineage, logic and arrant anachronisms.
It’s 1908, and...
“Outlaw Posse” has nothing to do with Van Peebles’ previous entry in this genre, 1993’s wild and woolly “Posse,” which suggests the multitasking filmmaker is tipping his Stetson to the multitude of ‘60s Spaghetti Westerns that, ahem, borrowed titles and eponymous characters from better known yet totally unrelated horse operas. But, then again, maybe not. Indeed, the film will probably be enjoyed most by folks not given to undue consideration of such trifling matters as lineage, logic and arrant anachronisms.
It’s 1908, and...
- 2/29/2024
- by Joe Leydon
- Variety Film + TV
Mario Van Peebles made a big mark on cinema following in his father’s footsteps, Melvin Van Peebles, to be a unique, prominent voice for the African-American community in cinema. He would make many appearances as an actor, including working with fellow gunslinger Clint Eastwood on Heartbreak Ridge, as the sword-wielding Kane in Highlander: The Final Dimension, and taking on the monumental task of portraying Malcolm X in the Michael Mann film, Ali. However, in 1991, New Jack City, which co-stars Ice-t, would put Van Peebles on the map as a director, and he would parlay his run with movies like Panther and the 1993 western film, Posse, in which he also starred.
Peeble returns to the Western genre in a semi-sequel to his 1993 movie that also sports an ensemble of impressive names. Outlaw Posse has Van Peebles working both in front and behind the camera again, and would even have him...
Peeble returns to the Western genre in a semi-sequel to his 1993 movie that also sports an ensemble of impressive names. Outlaw Posse has Van Peebles working both in front and behind the camera again, and would even have him...
- 2/27/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
The Shining (1997) Blu-ray from Scream Factory
The 1997 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining will be released on Blu-ray on March 12 via Scream Factory. It has been newly scanned in 2K from the interpositive with DTS-hd Master Audio 2.0 Stereo.
Displeased with Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation, King took it upon himself to write the script based on his 1977 novel. Mick Garris directs. Steven Weber, Rebecca De Mornay, Melvin Van Peebles, Courtland Mead, and Wil Horneff star.
An archival audio commentary with King, Garris, Weber, and more is included along with 11 additional scenes.
The Words and Music of House of 1000 Corpses from Waxwork Records
The Words and Music of House of 1000 Corpses — featuring the complete audio...
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
The Shining (1997) Blu-ray from Scream Factory
The 1997 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining will be released on Blu-ray on March 12 via Scream Factory. It has been newly scanned in 2K from the interpositive with DTS-hd Master Audio 2.0 Stereo.
Displeased with Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation, King took it upon himself to write the script based on his 1977 novel. Mick Garris directs. Steven Weber, Rebecca De Mornay, Melvin Van Peebles, Courtland Mead, and Wil Horneff star.
An archival audio commentary with King, Garris, Weber, and more is included along with 11 additional scenes.
The Words and Music of House of 1000 Corpses from Waxwork Records
The Words and Music of House of 1000 Corpses — featuring the complete audio...
- 2/16/2024
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Robert M. Young, one of the pioneers of American independent cinema whose work began nearly 70 years ago, died Tuesday in Los Angeles. The news was announced via a Facebook post from his son Andy.
In a career that lasted from 1956 to 2011 he directed documentaries, narrative features, both independent and studio releases, and even episodes of “Battlestar: Gallactica.” Two of his films have recently been added to the Library of Congress Film Registry. “¡Alambrista!” (1977), as timely today as when it was made, about the life of undocumented Mexican immigrant won the Camera d’or for best first film at Cannes. “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” (1982), one of Young’s eight films with actor Edward James Olmos, produced by American Playhouse but released theatrically, has also been included. Both films are also part of the Criterion Collection.
Though perhaps not as well known as some pre-Sundance independent American directors like John Cassavetes,...
In a career that lasted from 1956 to 2011 he directed documentaries, narrative features, both independent and studio releases, and even episodes of “Battlestar: Gallactica.” Two of his films have recently been added to the Library of Congress Film Registry. “¡Alambrista!” (1977), as timely today as when it was made, about the life of undocumented Mexican immigrant won the Camera d’or for best first film at Cannes. “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” (1982), one of Young’s eight films with actor Edward James Olmos, produced by American Playhouse but released theatrically, has also been included. Both films are also part of the Criterion Collection.
Though perhaps not as well known as some pre-Sundance independent American directors like John Cassavetes,...
- 2/10/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Mubi has unveiled their February 2024 lineup, featuring Roy Andersson’s little-seen 1991 short World of Glory, Nicole Holofcener’s Lovely & Amazing starring Catherine Keener with an early Jake Gyllenhaal performance, and special Black History Month selections: Spike Lee’s Red Hook Summer, Kasi Lemmon’s Eve’s Bayou, Carl Franklin’s One False Move, and more.
Check out the lineup below, including recently added January titles, and get 30 days free here.
Just-Added
American Movie, directed by Christopher Smith | Festival Focus: Sundance
Pieces of April, directed by Peter Hedges | Festival Focus: Sundance
The Blair Witch Project, directed by Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez | Festival Focus: Sundance
But I’m a Cheerleader, directed by Jamie Babbit | Festival Focus: Sundance
Secretary, directed by Steven Shainberg | Festival Focus: Sundance
Medicine for Melancholy directed by Barry Jenkins | First Films First
Antiviral, directed by Brandon Cronenberg | First Films First
Shithouse, directed by Cooper Raiff | First Films First
Age of Panic,...
Check out the lineup below, including recently added January titles, and get 30 days free here.
Just-Added
American Movie, directed by Christopher Smith | Festival Focus: Sundance
Pieces of April, directed by Peter Hedges | Festival Focus: Sundance
The Blair Witch Project, directed by Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez | Festival Focus: Sundance
But I’m a Cheerleader, directed by Jamie Babbit | Festival Focus: Sundance
Secretary, directed by Steven Shainberg | Festival Focus: Sundance
Medicine for Melancholy directed by Barry Jenkins | First Films First
Antiviral, directed by Brandon Cronenberg | First Films First
Shithouse, directed by Cooper Raiff | First Films First
Age of Panic,...
- 1/25/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
"Whatever you two geniuses scheming up, count me in!" Quiver Distr. has revealed an official trailer for a kooky, zany western thriller comedy titled Outlaw Posse, arriving in theaters in March. It's the latest film directed by and written by and starring actor / filmmaker Mario Van Peebles, son of the legendary Melvin Van Peebles. This kind of feels like Van Peebles trying to create a modern update on Blazing Saddles, but it doesn't have the same comedic genius as that film. In the untamed Wild West of 1908, men in power take advantage of an unfair world. Renegade cowboy Chief, eager to restore balance, assembles a daring group of outcasts and saddles up on a cross-country odyssey to reclaim stolen gold in unsettled territory. The big ensemble features William Mapother, John Carroll Lynch, D.C Young Fly, Mandela Van Peebles, Amber Reign Smith, Neal McDonough, Allen Payne, Cam Gigandet, and M. Emmet Walsh,...
- 1/18/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Herman Raucher, a best-selling author and the Academy Award nominated screenwriter of “Summer of ’42,” died Dec. 28 of natural causes at Stamford Hospital in Stamford, Conn. He was 95.
Raucher got his start in the industry working in live television. He wrote one hour dramas for anthology series including “Studio One,” “Good Year Playhouse” and “The Alcoa Hour.” In his screenwriting career, he wrote the scripts for two films starring Anthony Newley, “Sweet November” (1968) and “Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?” (1969), which Newley also directed.
Raucher was inspired by Bobbie Gentry’s popular song “Ode to Billie Joe” to write the screenplay for Max Baer Jr.’s 1976 romance film of the same name starring Robby Benson and Glynnis O’Connor. Raucher also co-wrote the script for the 1977 film “The Other Side of Midnight.”
Raucher is remembered for penning the script for the popular coming-of-age film “Summer of ’42,...
Raucher got his start in the industry working in live television. He wrote one hour dramas for anthology series including “Studio One,” “Good Year Playhouse” and “The Alcoa Hour.” In his screenwriting career, he wrote the scripts for two films starring Anthony Newley, “Sweet November” (1968) and “Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?” (1969), which Newley also directed.
Raucher was inspired by Bobbie Gentry’s popular song “Ode to Billie Joe” to write the screenplay for Max Baer Jr.’s 1976 romance film of the same name starring Robby Benson and Glynnis O’Connor. Raucher also co-wrote the script for the 1977 film “The Other Side of Midnight.”
Raucher is remembered for penning the script for the popular coming-of-age film “Summer of ’42,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
Herman Raucher, whose Oscar-nominated Summer of ’42 screenplay became one of Hollywood’s best-loved coming-of-age tales, has died of natural causes at Stamford Hospital in Stamford, Ct. He was 95.
His December 28 death was announced by daughter Jenny Raucher, who was by his side when he passed.
Subsequently adapted by Raucher into an international best-selling novel, 1971’s Summer of ’42 was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay. It told the nostalgic and bittersweet story of teenager Hermie — played by Gary Grimes and based on Raucher himself — who, during a summertime vacation on Nantucket Island, becomes infatuated with a beautiful (and soon grieving) older woman (Jennifer O’Neill) whose husband has gone off to fight in World War II.
The film, directed by Robert Mulligan (To Kill a Mockingbird), was a critical success and a major hit for Warner Bros. Michel Legrand’s score won an Oscar and quickly became...
His December 28 death was announced by daughter Jenny Raucher, who was by his side when he passed.
Subsequently adapted by Raucher into an international best-selling novel, 1971’s Summer of ’42 was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay. It told the nostalgic and bittersweet story of teenager Hermie — played by Gary Grimes and based on Raucher himself — who, during a summertime vacation on Nantucket Island, becomes infatuated with a beautiful (and soon grieving) older woman (Jennifer O’Neill) whose husband has gone off to fight in World War II.
The film, directed by Robert Mulligan (To Kill a Mockingbird), was a critical success and a major hit for Warner Bros. Michel Legrand’s score won an Oscar and quickly became...
- 1/3/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Herman Raucher, the best-selling author and screenwriter who earned an Oscar nomination for the coming-of-age classic Summer of ’42 and wrote the script for the thought-provoking Watermelon Man, has died. He was 95.
Raucher died Thursday of natural causes at Stamford Hospital in Stamford, Connecticut, his daughter Jenny Raucher told The Hollywood Reporter.
Raucher, who started out in live television, penned the screenplays for two Anthony Newley-starring films: Sweet November (1968), directed by Robert Ellis Miller and also featuring Sandy Dennis, and Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (1969), featuring Joan Collins.
He also was given inspiration from Bobbie Gentry’s 1967 hit song to write the screenplay to Ode to Billy Joe (1976), a love story that starred Robby Benson and Glynnis O’Connor and was helmed by Max Baer Jr.
With the Robert Mulligan-directed Summer of ’42 (1971) in postproduction, someone came up with the idea of Raucher writing a...
Raucher died Thursday of natural causes at Stamford Hospital in Stamford, Connecticut, his daughter Jenny Raucher told The Hollywood Reporter.
Raucher, who started out in live television, penned the screenplays for two Anthony Newley-starring films: Sweet November (1968), directed by Robert Ellis Miller and also featuring Sandy Dennis, and Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (1969), featuring Joan Collins.
He also was given inspiration from Bobbie Gentry’s 1967 hit song to write the screenplay to Ode to Billy Joe (1976), a love story that starred Robby Benson and Glynnis O’Connor and was helmed by Max Baer Jr.
With the Robert Mulligan-directed Summer of ’42 (1971) in postproduction, someone came up with the idea of Raucher writing a...
- 1/3/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sofia Coppola, whose awards contender “Priscilla” is now in theaters, is just one of several filmmakers whose parents were already major names in the industry. Both her father, Francis Ford Coppola, and her mother, Eleanor Coppola, are directors, as is her brother Roman.
Here are some of the most notable second-generation directors in Hollywood, including Jason Reitman, Rob Reiner, Mario Van Peebles and Colin Hanks.
We’re also a big fan of Francesca Scorsese’s TikTok videos with her dad, Martin Scorsese, especially the one where he auditions the family dog.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Ivan and Jason Reitman
Jason has picked up the “Ghostbusters” mantle from his father, who died in Feb. 2022. He directed “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and the fourth film in the franchise is due in 2024. Jason’s films include “Up in the Air,” “Juno” and “Thank You For Smoking.”
Photo credit: Getty Images
Brandon and David Cronenberg
The...
Here are some of the most notable second-generation directors in Hollywood, including Jason Reitman, Rob Reiner, Mario Van Peebles and Colin Hanks.
We’re also a big fan of Francesca Scorsese’s TikTok videos with her dad, Martin Scorsese, especially the one where he auditions the family dog.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Ivan and Jason Reitman
Jason has picked up the “Ghostbusters” mantle from his father, who died in Feb. 2022. He directed “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and the fourth film in the franchise is due in 2024. Jason’s films include “Up in the Air,” “Juno” and “Thank You For Smoking.”
Photo credit: Getty Images
Brandon and David Cronenberg
The...
- 11/9/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
When it was announced in 1978 that legendary director Stanley Kubrick was adapting Stephen King’s third novel, The Shining, for the big screen, interest in the project immediately skyrocketed. The book, in which an alcoholic writer and his family (including his psychically gifted son), are tormented by supernatural forces in a snowbound hotel was considered a horror masterpiece almost as soon as it was published. King’s career was taking off like a rocket. The success of The Shining and his two previous novels, Carrie and ‘Salem’s Lot (as well as the hit movie version of Carrie), had crowned the young author the “king of horror.” To have Kubrick, one of the most renowned filmmakers in the world, tackle his latest book–and with Jack Nicholson, one of Hollywood’s most popular actors, set to star–was extraordinary.
Kubrick’s The Shining came out in 1980 but was met, at least initially,...
Kubrick’s The Shining came out in 1980 but was met, at least initially,...
- 10/19/2023
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
In 1993, Mario Van Peebles dabbled in the Western genre with Posse. Peebles took after his father, Melvin Van Peebles, who was a notable filmmaker in the blaxploitation genre in the 1970s. Mario appeared as an actor in films like Rappin’, Heartbreak Ridge starring Clint Eastwood, and the infamous Jaws: The Revenge, which featured an apathetic Michael Caine. He would also head up his own projects as a writer and director, much like his father. One of the more popular films Peebles would be known for is the 90s street crime classic, New Jack City.
Peebles is returning to the director’s chair for a new feature he wrote called Outlaw Posse. The film is a Western that bears no connection to the similarly titled Posse. Highland Film Group has picked up the distribution and has shared a first look at the film with a new picture exclusively shared by Variety.
Peebles is returning to the director’s chair for a new feature he wrote called Outlaw Posse. The film is a Western that bears no connection to the similarly titled Posse. Highland Film Group has picked up the distribution and has shared a first look at the film with a new picture exclusively shared by Variety.
- 9/8/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
A new episode of The Arrow in the Head Show has just arrived online, and in this one hosts John “The Arrow” Fallon and Lance Vlcek are looking back at one of the least popular sequels ever made: the 1987 release Jaws: The Revenge (watch it Here). Some viewers think Jaws: The Revenge is so bad that it makes for entertaining viewing. Others think it’s so bad, it’s almost unwatchable. What do The Arrow and Lance think about it? Check out the video embedded above to find out!
Directed by Joseph Sargent from a script written by Michael de Guzman, Jaws: The Revenge has the following synopsis: The family of widow Ellen Brody has long been plagued by shark attacks, and this unfortunate association continues when her son is the victim of a massive Great White. In mourning, Ellen goes to visit her other son, Michael, in the Bahamas,...
Directed by Joseph Sargent from a script written by Michael de Guzman, Jaws: The Revenge has the following synopsis: The family of widow Ellen Brody has long been plagued by shark attacks, and this unfortunate association continues when her son is the victim of a massive Great White. In mourning, Ellen goes to visit her other son, Michael, in the Bahamas,...
- 3/4/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Elvis Mitchell’s new Netflix documentary Is That Black Enough You?!? is a whirling exploration of a specific slice of Black movie history. Its main point of interest is the 1970s and its borders. The moment of Blaxploitation, Melvin Van Peebles, liberation politics, Pam Grier, Ali/Frazier, Lady Sings the Blues, and on and on. Mitchell, a longtime film critic, formerly of the New York Times and elsewhere, is not merely sifting through this history for history’s sake, even as the broad backbone of this film is a year-by-year accounting of the decade.
- 11/16/2022
- by K. Austin Collins
- Rollingstone.com
Elvis Mitchell has been one of America’s great critics, interviewers, and pop culture historians for over 25 years, and with his new Netflix documentary, “Is That Black Enough for You?!?,” he proves he’s a world class filmmaker as well. An engagingly personal yet rigorously analytical and completely original crash course in ’70s cinema, “Is That Black Enough for You” covers all the important actors and filmmakers lily-white New Hollywood retrospectives like “Easy Riders, Raging Bulls” left out: Sidney Poitier, Ossie Davis, Melvin van Peebles, Diahann Carroll, Diana Ross, and so, so many more. As Mitchell told IndieWire, there was one clear advantage to his past as a journalist: “When I teach film, I always say there used to be two reasons to go to film school, to have access to films and to have access to equipment. So I had one of those things going for me. I’d...
- 11/14/2022
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
A comprehensive, personal, and kaleidoscopic look at representation, Elvis Mitchell’s Is That Black Enough For You?!? is a passionate and loving walk through film history framed by Blaxploitation cinema of the 1970s. Written, directed, and narrated by the master conversationalist, curator, film scholar, and cultural critic, this is a densely packed visual essay told through film clips, archival materials, and interviews with Black stars of multiple eras who speak to the influence of this sub-genre on their lives and careers.
Borne from the notion that America was in a freefall spiral circa 1968, a new kind of subversive independent cinema arrived on the scene, forcing Hollywood to compete and adapt. Mitchell notes landmarks of representation along with the way—including Robert Downy Sr.’s Putney Swope, an experimental comedy set in the world of advertising,, and Martin Ritt’s The Great White Hope starring James Earl Jones.
Black Enough is...
Borne from the notion that America was in a freefall spiral circa 1968, a new kind of subversive independent cinema arrived on the scene, forcing Hollywood to compete and adapt. Mitchell notes landmarks of representation along with the way—including Robert Downy Sr.’s Putney Swope, an experimental comedy set in the world of advertising,, and Martin Ritt’s The Great White Hope starring James Earl Jones.
Black Enough is...
- 11/9/2022
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
Click here to read the full article.
As a critic and scholar, Elvis Mitchell has spent his career writing about film. With the doc Is That Black Enough for You?!?, he tried his hand at making one himself.
The documentary, which will screen at AFI Fest before heading to Netflix on Nov. 11, is part visual essay and part academic deep dive into the Black cinema of the 1970s and the contribution of Black filmmakers and creatives to that decade of moviemaking. An achievement in archival work, the doc, which counts David Fincher and Steven Soderbergh as producers, deftly moves through works by Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks Jr. and Sidney Poitier and films including Blacula, Shaft and Coffy, among a dizzying amount of others. “For audiences quick to dismiss or asleep to the contributions of Black filmmakers,” THR‘s Lovia Gyarkye wrote in her review, “this is required viewing.”
Ahead of its AFI Fest bow,...
As a critic and scholar, Elvis Mitchell has spent his career writing about film. With the doc Is That Black Enough for You?!?, he tried his hand at making one himself.
The documentary, which will screen at AFI Fest before heading to Netflix on Nov. 11, is part visual essay and part academic deep dive into the Black cinema of the 1970s and the contribution of Black filmmakers and creatives to that decade of moviemaking. An achievement in archival work, the doc, which counts David Fincher and Steven Soderbergh as producers, deftly moves through works by Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks Jr. and Sidney Poitier and films including Blacula, Shaft and Coffy, among a dizzying amount of others. “For audiences quick to dismiss or asleep to the contributions of Black filmmakers,” THR‘s Lovia Gyarkye wrote in her review, “this is required viewing.”
Ahead of its AFI Fest bow,...
- 11/2/2022
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In “Is That Black Enough for You?!?,” Elvis Mitchell’s highly pleasurable and eye-opening movie-love documentary about the American Black cinema revolution of the late ’60s and ’70s, Billy Dee Williams, now 85 but still spry, tells a funny story about what it was like to play Louis McKay, the dapper love object and would-be savior of Billie Holiday in “Lady Sings the Blues.”
The year was 1972, and African-American audiences had rarely (if ever) been given the chance to gawk at a movie star of color who was not just this sexy but this showcased for his sexiness. Louis was like Clark Gable with a dash of Marvin Gaye; when he was on that promenade stairway, Williams says, with a chuckle, that he just about fell in love with himself. That’s how unprecedented the whole thing was. The actor recalls how the lighting was fussed over (we see a shot...
The year was 1972, and African-American audiences had rarely (if ever) been given the chance to gawk at a movie star of color who was not just this sexy but this showcased for his sexiness. Louis was like Clark Gable with a dash of Marvin Gaye; when he was on that promenade stairway, Williams says, with a chuckle, that he just about fell in love with himself. That’s how unprecedented the whole thing was. The actor recalls how the lighting was fussed over (we see a shot...
- 10/10/2022
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
The melancholy story of the brief affair between a black soldier and a white waitress in Paris circa 1967, The Story of a Three-Day Pass was Melvin Van Peebles’s first feature length film. Filmed over six weeks at the cost of 200,000, the movie stars Harry Baird and Nicole Berger (Thérèse in Truffaut’s Shoot the Piano Player) as the star-crossed lovers.
The post The Story of a Three-Day Pass appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post The Story of a Three-Day Pass appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 9/22/2022
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
Producers of this Monday’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony have some difficult decisions to make about who to honor during the emotional In Memoriam segment. John Legend will perform “Pieces,” a new song he has written for the tribute. Kenan Thompson will host the 2022 Emmys for NBC at 8 p.m. Et; 5 p.m. Pt.
Our list below includes almost 100 people who made a strong contribution to television and have died since mid-September of 2021 following the previous Emmys ceremony. Only about 40-45 of these people will probably be in the video segment. Certain to be featured will be TV Academy Hall of Fame members actress Betty White and director Jay Sandrich.Other prominent names almost certainly chosen are: Mary Alice (acting winner), Louie Anderson (acting winner), James Caan (acting nominee), Anne Heche (acting winner), Howard Hesseman (acting nominee), William Hurt (acting nominee), Gregory Itzin (acting nominee), Ray Liotta (acting winner), Burt Metcalfe...
Our list below includes almost 100 people who made a strong contribution to television and have died since mid-September of 2021 following the previous Emmys ceremony. Only about 40-45 of these people will probably be in the video segment. Certain to be featured will be TV Academy Hall of Fame members actress Betty White and director Jay Sandrich.Other prominent names almost certainly chosen are: Mary Alice (acting winner), Louie Anderson (acting winner), James Caan (acting nominee), Anne Heche (acting winner), Howard Hesseman (acting nominee), William Hurt (acting nominee), Gregory Itzin (acting nominee), Ray Liotta (acting winner), Burt Metcalfe...
- 9/12/2022
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
The Academy Museum’s Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971 is not to be missed. Not only does the exhibition celebrate Black representation in film, it serves as an important reminder and lesson about the contributions of Black filmmakers and stars to the world of cinema.
Opening Aug. 21, seven galleries make up the exhibit exploring Oscar Micheaux’s low-budget dramas in the silent-film era to the works of Melvin Van Peebles.
The exhibition also introduces audiences to stars largely unknown to mainstream moviegoers — Ralph Cooper, Clarence Brooks and Francine Everett — alongside iconic screen legends Paul Robeson, Josephine Baker, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier and Lena Horne.
Poiter’s Oscar for “Lillies of the Field” is just one of the many artifacts on display in this historic exhibition. Alongside the award are tap shoes worn by the Nicholas Brothers and one of Louis Armstrong’s trumpets.
Cowboy Boots worn by Herb Jeffries in 1937’s...
Opening Aug. 21, seven galleries make up the exhibit exploring Oscar Micheaux’s low-budget dramas in the silent-film era to the works of Melvin Van Peebles.
The exhibition also introduces audiences to stars largely unknown to mainstream moviegoers — Ralph Cooper, Clarence Brooks and Francine Everett — alongside iconic screen legends Paul Robeson, Josephine Baker, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier and Lena Horne.
Poiter’s Oscar for “Lillies of the Field” is just one of the many artifacts on display in this historic exhibition. Alongside the award are tap shoes worn by the Nicholas Brothers and one of Louis Armstrong’s trumpets.
Cowboy Boots worn by Herb Jeffries in 1937’s...
- 8/19/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay and Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures debuts Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971 on August 21, 2022. The ambitious exhibition, on view through April 9, 2023, explores the achievements and challenges of Black filmmakers in the US in both independent production and the studio system—in front of the camera and behind it—from cinema’s infancy in the 1890s to the early 1970s.
The Academy Museum’s second exhibition in the 11,000-square-foot Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg Gallery, Regeneration includes rarely seen excerpts of films, documentaries, newsreels, and home movies, as well as historical photographs, costumes, props, and posters. Regeneration will also feature contemporary artworks referencing the impact of the legacy of Black filmmaking and Ar elements designed for the exhibition. The exhibition will be accompanied by a range of film screenings, including world premieres of films newly restored by the Academy Film Archive, an interactive microsite with supplemental content, a robust curriculum to engage high school students and teachers,...
The Academy Museum’s second exhibition in the 11,000-square-foot Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg Gallery, Regeneration includes rarely seen excerpts of films, documentaries, newsreels, and home movies, as well as historical photographs, costumes, props, and posters. Regeneration will also feature contemporary artworks referencing the impact of the legacy of Black filmmaking and Ar elements designed for the exhibition. The exhibition will be accompanied by a range of film screenings, including world premieres of films newly restored by the Academy Film Archive, an interactive microsite with supplemental content, a robust curriculum to engage high school students and teachers,...
- 8/18/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Click here to read the full article.
The American French Film Festival in Los Angeles has unveiled its documentary lineup, led by Loup Bureau’s Tranchées (Trenches), shot in the Donbas region of Ukraine months before Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the nation; the film focuses on local soldiers fighting against Moscow-supported separatists in a battle for survival.
The festival, formerly known as Colcoa, plans to screen five feature and three TV documentaries as part its nonfiction program during the event that runs Oct. 10-16. The feature docs booked include Andre Bonzel’s Et j’aime a la fureur (Flickering Ghosts of Loves Gone), focusing on the filmmaker reflecting on his life; Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai’s Allons Enfants (Rookies), a breakdance documentary about talented, ambitious kids from diverse backgrounds in a swanky Paris high school; Francois Busnel’s Seule La Terre est Eternelle (The Earth is All...
The American French Film Festival in Los Angeles has unveiled its documentary lineup, led by Loup Bureau’s Tranchées (Trenches), shot in the Donbas region of Ukraine months before Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the nation; the film focuses on local soldiers fighting against Moscow-supported separatists in a battle for survival.
The festival, formerly known as Colcoa, plans to screen five feature and three TV documentaries as part its nonfiction program during the event that runs Oct. 10-16. The feature docs booked include Andre Bonzel’s Et j’aime a la fureur (Flickering Ghosts of Loves Gone), focusing on the filmmaker reflecting on his life; Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai’s Allons Enfants (Rookies), a breakdance documentary about talented, ambitious kids from diverse backgrounds in a swanky Paris high school; Francois Busnel’s Seule La Terre est Eternelle (The Earth is All...
- 8/17/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Wednesday detailed how its upcoming exhibit “Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971” will explore Black filmmakers from Oscar Micheaux to Melvin Van Peebles.
The Museum shared details of the exhibit, which will open on Aug. 21 and run through April 9, 2023 in the Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg Gallery. It is the second major temporary exhibit at the Academy Museum, after the current installation devoted to the work of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki.
In a press release, the Academy Museum described the exhibition this way:
“The exhibition explores the achievements and challenges of both independent production and the studio system, from cinema’s infancy in the 1890s through the height of the civil rights movement. ‘Regeneration’ features rarely seen excerpts of films restored by the Academy Film Archive, as well as other narrative films and documentaries; newsreels and home movies; photographs; scripts; drawings; costumes; equipment; posters; and historical materials,...
The Museum shared details of the exhibit, which will open on Aug. 21 and run through April 9, 2023 in the Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg Gallery. It is the second major temporary exhibit at the Academy Museum, after the current installation devoted to the work of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki.
In a press release, the Academy Museum described the exhibition this way:
“The exhibition explores the achievements and challenges of both independent production and the studio system, from cinema’s infancy in the 1890s through the height of the civil rights movement. ‘Regeneration’ features rarely seen excerpts of films restored by the Academy Film Archive, as well as other narrative films and documentaries; newsreels and home movies; photographs; scripts; drawings; costumes; equipment; posters; and historical materials,...
- 5/4/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
On March 8, 1991, Mario Van Peebles’ feature directorial debut “New Jack City” premiered at the Mann Village Theatre in Westwood. On Saturday, a little more than 30 years later, Van Peebles walked the red carpet outside the very same cinema — now renamed the Regency Village Theatre — for a special screening of his classic crime thriller, hosted by the American Cinematheque.
Van Peebles was joined for the special event by “New Jack City” star Vanessa Estelle Williams, plus his children — Mandela and Makaylo, who joined their dad onstage to record his introduction to the movie, as well as Marley and Maya.
As Van Peebles reflected on the full-circle moment, he called out one of the gangster movie’s most famous (and Bible-borrowed) lines, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” and the massive crowd yelled back, “Yes I am.” The call and response is a reference to the iconic scene where (spoiler alert...
Van Peebles was joined for the special event by “New Jack City” star Vanessa Estelle Williams, plus his children — Mandela and Makaylo, who joined their dad onstage to record his introduction to the movie, as well as Marley and Maya.
As Van Peebles reflected on the full-circle moment, he called out one of the gangster movie’s most famous (and Bible-borrowed) lines, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” and the massive crowd yelled back, “Yes I am.” The call and response is a reference to the iconic scene where (spoiler alert...
- 4/14/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The Oscars In Memoriam segment gave viewers a chance to remember the memorable names in film who died over the past year. But every year, viewers are surprised to see that a few recognizable names were omitted.
Beloved comedian Bob Saget, who had a small handful of film appearances in movies including Richard Pryor’s “Critical Condition,” drew the most outrage on social media. However, Saget did win a student Oscar for his 1977 documentary “Through Adam’s Eyes.”
Norm Macdonald was also left out of the segment. Like Saget, Macdonald is best known for his TV roles, but also appeared in a handful of movies, including “Dr. Dolittle,” “Grown Ups,” “Billy Madison” and “Back to Norm.”
Most of the others mentioned as omissions were principally known for their appearances on television, not film.
The Monkees’ Michael Nesmith, “Sex and the City” star Willie Garson, “Mary Tyler Moore Show” star Ed Asner...
Beloved comedian Bob Saget, who had a small handful of film appearances in movies including Richard Pryor’s “Critical Condition,” drew the most outrage on social media. However, Saget did win a student Oscar for his 1977 documentary “Through Adam’s Eyes.”
Norm Macdonald was also left out of the segment. Like Saget, Macdonald is best known for his TV roles, but also appeared in a handful of movies, including “Dr. Dolittle,” “Grown Ups,” “Billy Madison” and “Back to Norm.”
Most of the others mentioned as omissions were principally known for their appearances on television, not film.
The Monkees’ Michael Nesmith, “Sex and the City” star Willie Garson, “Mary Tyler Moore Show” star Ed Asner...
- 3/28/2022
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Who will be included for the special “In Memoriam” segment for Sunday night’s Oscars 2022 ceremony? For almost all other Academy Awards productions since the 1990s, producers typically select 40-50 people from the various branches. The 2021 segment had close to 100 people in a particularly fast-paced three minutes that was not very well-received since many of them were only on screen for a second or two.
SEECelebrity Deaths 2022: In Memoriam Gallery
Previous Oscar winners from acting categories passing away since last year’s late April ceremony are Olympia Dukakis, William Hurt and Sidney Poitier. Past acting nominees include Ned Beatty, Sally Kellerman and Dean Stockwell.
Almost all of the dozens on the list below were Academy members, previous nominees/winners or both.
Louie Anderson (actor)
Ed Asner (actor)
Ned Beatty (actor)
Marilyn Bergman (composer)
Val Bisoglio (actor)
Robert Blalack (visual effects)
Peter Bogdanovich (director)
David Brenner (editor)
Leslie Bricusse (composer...
SEECelebrity Deaths 2022: In Memoriam Gallery
Previous Oscar winners from acting categories passing away since last year’s late April ceremony are Olympia Dukakis, William Hurt and Sidney Poitier. Past acting nominees include Ned Beatty, Sally Kellerman and Dean Stockwell.
Almost all of the dozens on the list below were Academy members, previous nominees/winners or both.
Louie Anderson (actor)
Ed Asner (actor)
Ned Beatty (actor)
Marilyn Bergman (composer)
Val Bisoglio (actor)
Robert Blalack (visual effects)
Peter Bogdanovich (director)
David Brenner (editor)
Leslie Bricusse (composer...
- 3/24/2022
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Sunday’s SAG Awards ceremony will return to its normal two-hour live format on TNT and TBS. One of the highlights each year is the special In Memoriam segment. It’s been a particularly rough year with over 100 deaths of prominent actors and actresses who were likely members of SAG/AFTRA. Show producers typically are able to include approximately 40-50 people in a tribute. The 2021 segment saluted 55 people because they had responsibility for 14 months instead of 12.
Among that group will certainly be previous SAG president Ed Asner, who was also a life achievement award recipient. That honorary award was also presented to Sidney Poitier and Betty White, who both died this past year.
SEECelebrity Deaths 2022: In Memoriam Gallery
Who else might be featured in the 2022 tribute? Look for Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis, Oscar nominees Ned Beatty, Peter Bogdanovich and Dean Stockwell, plus Emmy champs Louie Anderson, Michael Constantine, Charles Grodin,...
Among that group will certainly be previous SAG president Ed Asner, who was also a life achievement award recipient. That honorary award was also presented to Sidney Poitier and Betty White, who both died this past year.
SEECelebrity Deaths 2022: In Memoriam Gallery
Who else might be featured in the 2022 tribute? Look for Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis, Oscar nominees Ned Beatty, Peter Bogdanovich and Dean Stockwell, plus Emmy champs Louie Anderson, Michael Constantine, Charles Grodin,...
- 2/25/2022
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
The Criterion Channel’s February Lineup Includes Melvin Van Peebles, Douglas Sirk, Laura Dern & More
Another month, another Criterion Channel lineup. In accordance with Black History Month their selections are especially refreshing: seven by Melvin Van Peebles, five from Kevin Jerome Everson, and Criterion editions of The Harder They Come and The Learning Tree.
Regarding individual features I’m quite happy to see Abderrahmane Sissako’s fantastic Bamako, last year’s big Sundance winner (and Kosovo’s Oscar entry) Hive, and the remarkably beautiful Portuguese feature The Metamorphosis of Birds. Add a three-film Laura Dern collection (including the recently canonized Smooth Talk) and Pasolini’s rarely shown documentary Love Meetings to make this a fine smorgasboard.
See the full list of February titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
Alan & Naomi, Sterling Van Wagenen, 1992
All That Heaven Allows, Douglas Sirk, 1955
The Angel Levine, Ján Kadár, 1970
Babylon, Franco Rosso, 1980
Babymother, Julian Henriques, 1998
Bamako, Abderrahmane Sissako, 2006
Beat Street, Stan Lathan, 1984
Blacks Britannica, David Koff, 1978
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution,...
Regarding individual features I’m quite happy to see Abderrahmane Sissako’s fantastic Bamako, last year’s big Sundance winner (and Kosovo’s Oscar entry) Hive, and the remarkably beautiful Portuguese feature The Metamorphosis of Birds. Add a three-film Laura Dern collection (including the recently canonized Smooth Talk) and Pasolini’s rarely shown documentary Love Meetings to make this a fine smorgasboard.
See the full list of February titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
Alan & Naomi, Sterling Van Wagenen, 1992
All That Heaven Allows, Douglas Sirk, 1955
The Angel Levine, Ján Kadár, 1970
Babylon, Franco Rosso, 1980
Babymother, Julian Henriques, 1998
Bamako, Abderrahmane Sissako, 2006
Beat Street, Stan Lathan, 1984
Blacks Britannica, David Koff, 1978
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution,...
- 1/24/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
BroadwayWorld is saddened to report thatplaywright and theatre professor, Paul Carter Harrison, has died at 85.While teaching at California State University, Sacramento 19701972, Harrison conceived and directed Melvin Van Peebles Aint Supposed To Die a Natural Death prior to its Broadway production, and wrote his playThe Great MacDaddywhich was produced by the Negro Ensemble Company in 1973, and won an Obie Award.
- 1/18/2022
- by Stephi Wild
- BroadwayWorld.com
SAG-AFTRA’s unclaimed residuals fund has grown to roughly $76 million – up 60% from $48 million six years ago. According to the union, the fund now contains 124,000 separate accounts for members and others, living and dead, that it can’t locate. That’s up from 96,000 accounts in 2016.
“The funds may be unclaimed for a variety of reasons including a bad address or as a result of mail returned for other reasons; unresolved estate issues, or the funds may be in trust for an inactive or dissolved loan out corporation,” a spokesperson for the union said. “Most often, residuals may be waiting for a recipient or their agent to formalize a change of address or submit the appropriate paperwork to claim the funds. The union uses a number of tools to locate and get money to those individuals due unclaimed residuals including mail, email and telephone outreach to last known address and telephone number,...
“The funds may be unclaimed for a variety of reasons including a bad address or as a result of mail returned for other reasons; unresolved estate issues, or the funds may be in trust for an inactive or dissolved loan out corporation,” a spokesperson for the union said. “Most often, residuals may be waiting for a recipient or their agent to formalize a change of address or submit the appropriate paperwork to claim the funds. The union uses a number of tools to locate and get money to those individuals due unclaimed residuals including mail, email and telephone outreach to last known address and telephone number,...
- 1/10/2022
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
It was another Year of Covid in 2021, and the sadness extended to many beloved and groundbreaking people in the show business and media worlds who died during the past 12 months.
Scroll through a photo gallery above.
The acting world lost such giants as Betty White who died on New Year’s Eve eve, Ed Asner, Cicely Tyson, Charles Grodin, Jessica Walter, Christopher Plummer, Michael K. Williams, Hal Holbrook, George Segal, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Powell and Ned Beatty.
We also pay tribute to filmmakers including Melvin Van Peebles, Jean-Marc Vallée, Bertrand Travernier, Richard Donner, Michael Apted and Roger Michell.
The executive and producing worlds lost the likes of Jamie Tarses, Chuck Fries and public television’s Pete Noyes and Bill Kobin.
Musicians who left us this past year include Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, Don Everly, Vicente Fernandez, Dmx, Chick Corea, Biz Markie, B.J. Thomas, the Monkees’ Mike Nesmith, the Supremes’ Mary Wilson,...
Scroll through a photo gallery above.
The acting world lost such giants as Betty White who died on New Year’s Eve eve, Ed Asner, Cicely Tyson, Charles Grodin, Jessica Walter, Christopher Plummer, Michael K. Williams, Hal Holbrook, George Segal, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Powell and Ned Beatty.
We also pay tribute to filmmakers including Melvin Van Peebles, Jean-Marc Vallée, Bertrand Travernier, Richard Donner, Michael Apted and Roger Michell.
The executive and producing worlds lost the likes of Jamie Tarses, Chuck Fries and public television’s Pete Noyes and Bill Kobin.
Musicians who left us this past year include Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, Don Everly, Vicente Fernandez, Dmx, Chick Corea, Biz Markie, B.J. Thomas, the Monkees’ Mike Nesmith, the Supremes’ Mary Wilson,...
- 12/31/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
After a hiatus as theaters in New York City and beyond closed their doors during the pandemic, we’re delighted to announce the return of NYC Weekend Watch, our weekly round-up of repertory offerings. While many theaters are still focused on a selection of new releases, there’s a handful of worthwhile repertory screenings taking place.
Roxy Cinema
Prints of Speed Racer, Nightmare Alley, Batman Returns, and Amadeus screen through the weekend.
Metrograph
Films by Stanley Donen, Jonathan Glazer, Melvin Van Peebles and others are playing in a series curated by Diamantino director Daniel Schmidt; the Wachowskis’ Bound screens Friday night.
Museum of the Moving Image
“See It Big: Extravaganzas!” offers films by Hype Williams, Ulrike Ottinger, and Zhang Yimou.
Japan Society
A fantastic 4K restoration of Priest of Darkness, by one of Japanese cinema’s great figures, Sadao Yamanaka, plays on Friday, while films by Naomi Kawase, Junji Sakamoto,...
Roxy Cinema
Prints of Speed Racer, Nightmare Alley, Batman Returns, and Amadeus screen through the weekend.
Metrograph
Films by Stanley Donen, Jonathan Glazer, Melvin Van Peebles and others are playing in a series curated by Diamantino director Daniel Schmidt; the Wachowskis’ Bound screens Friday night.
Museum of the Moving Image
“See It Big: Extravaganzas!” offers films by Hype Williams, Ulrike Ottinger, and Zhang Yimou.
Japan Society
A fantastic 4K restoration of Priest of Darkness, by one of Japanese cinema’s great figures, Sadao Yamanaka, plays on Friday, while films by Naomi Kawase, Junji Sakamoto,...
- 12/17/2021
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
The holidays are upon us, so whether you looking for film-related gifts or simply want to pick up some of the finest the year had to offer in the category for yourself, we have a gift guide for you. Including must-have books on filmmaking, the best from the Criterion Collection, Kino Lorber, and more home-video picks, subscriptions, magazines, music, and more, dive in below.
4K & Blu-ray Box Sets
There’s no better gift for a cinephile than a beautiful Blu-ray box set. Leading the pack in this regard is a collection that actually arrived much earlier this year: World of Wong Kar-wai, the long-awaited Criterion release that features the Hong Kong master’s most celebrated works, along with the first U.S. release of his short The Hand. Another must-own trio of sets from Criterion: Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films, featuring four bold films from the late director, The...
4K & Blu-ray Box Sets
There’s no better gift for a cinephile than a beautiful Blu-ray box set. Leading the pack in this regard is a collection that actually arrived much earlier this year: World of Wong Kar-wai, the long-awaited Criterion release that features the Hong Kong master’s most celebrated works, along with the first U.S. release of his short The Hand. Another must-own trio of sets from Criterion: Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films, featuring four bold films from the late director, The...
- 11/29/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Critics Choice Association is working hard to provide moviegoers and TV watchers with the best in awards and celebration of conent they love.
There is a lot on the table, including the upcoming Celebration of Black Cinema & Television.
With two members of the Critics Choice Association at your service, we can attest that only the best will do for the organization, and this celebration is shooting for the stars.
Today, The Critics Choice Association announced the final list of honorees for the annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television, taking place on Monday, December 6 at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel.
The event, hosted by Emmy Award-winning actress and producer Niecy Nash will include 16 award categories as part of a star-studded night honoring standout achievements in Black filmmaking and television.
The Celebration of Black Cinema & Television will honor the following:
Award winning writer, director, producer, and film distributor Ava DuVernay will...
There is a lot on the table, including the upcoming Celebration of Black Cinema & Television.
With two members of the Critics Choice Association at your service, we can attest that only the best will do for the organization, and this celebration is shooting for the stars.
Today, The Critics Choice Association announced the final list of honorees for the annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television, taking place on Monday, December 6 at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel.
The event, hosted by Emmy Award-winning actress and producer Niecy Nash will include 16 award categories as part of a star-studded night honoring standout achievements in Black filmmaking and television.
The Celebration of Black Cinema & Television will honor the following:
Award winning writer, director, producer, and film distributor Ava DuVernay will...
- 11/10/2021
- by Carissa Pavlica
- TVfanatic
Ava DuVernay and Will Smith are among the final slate of honorees for the Critics Choice Association’s fourth annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television.
DuVernay will be honored with the first-ever Melvin Van Peebles Trailblazer Award in celebration of her achievements as an award-winning writer, director producer and film distributor.
“We are truly honored to name our prestigious Trailblazer Award after Melvin Van Peebles. Van Peebles inspired a generation of filmmakers. He was a true maverick and a visionary cinematic genius,” Shawn Edwards, Cca board member and executive producer of the Celebration of Black Cinema & Television, said in a statement announcing that award.
Van Peebles, the groundbreaking filmmaker behind such classics as “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadassss Song,” died on Sept. 21, 2021.
Van Peebles’ son, Mario Van Peebles, will present the inaugural award to DuVernay, whose current slate of projects includes the narrative film adaptation of the bestselling book “Caste” for Netflix,...
DuVernay will be honored with the first-ever Melvin Van Peebles Trailblazer Award in celebration of her achievements as an award-winning writer, director producer and film distributor.
“We are truly honored to name our prestigious Trailblazer Award after Melvin Van Peebles. Van Peebles inspired a generation of filmmakers. He was a true maverick and a visionary cinematic genius,” Shawn Edwards, Cca board member and executive producer of the Celebration of Black Cinema & Television, said in a statement announcing that award.
Van Peebles, the groundbreaking filmmaker behind such classics as “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadassss Song,” died on Sept. 21, 2021.
Van Peebles’ son, Mario Van Peebles, will present the inaugural award to DuVernay, whose current slate of projects includes the narrative film adaptation of the bestselling book “Caste” for Netflix,...
- 11/10/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Prisoners of the Ghostland screenwriter/producer Reza Sixo Safai joins hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss his wildest cinematic experiences.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Infested (2002)
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Hollywood Boulevard (1976) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary
Bela Lugosi Meets A Brooklyn Gorilla (1952) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary
Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)
Mandy (2018)
Candy (1968) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary
S.O.B. (1981)
The Shining (1980) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary
Robin Hood (1973)
The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Modern Times (1936)
The Kid (1921)
The Deer (1974)
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Qeysar (1969)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The Warriors (1979)
New Jack City (1991)
Colors (1988)
The Whip And The Body (1963)
Blow Out (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Porky’s (1981)
Cinema Paradiso (1988) – Glenn Erickson’s Region B Blu-ray review, Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review
Circumstance (2011)
Ninja 3: The Domination (1984)
Flashdance (1983)
Debbie...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Infested (2002)
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Hollywood Boulevard (1976) – Jon Davison’s trailer commentary
Bela Lugosi Meets A Brooklyn Gorilla (1952) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary
Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)
Mandy (2018)
Candy (1968) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary
S.O.B. (1981)
The Shining (1980) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary
Robin Hood (1973)
The Story of Robin Hood (1952)
Modern Times (1936)
The Kid (1921)
The Deer (1974)
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
Qeysar (1969)
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The Warriors (1979)
New Jack City (1991)
Colors (1988)
The Whip And The Body (1963)
Blow Out (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Porky’s (1981)
Cinema Paradiso (1988) – Glenn Erickson’s Region B Blu-ray review, Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review
Circumstance (2011)
Ninja 3: The Domination (1984)
Flashdance (1983)
Debbie...
- 11/9/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Jeremy O. Harris is not one for resting. “Basically my [writing] process has been chain-smoking at midnight, drinking a lot of coffee, thinking, and then when my body’s exhausted, my subconscious can sing. That’s where I do my writing,” the critically lauded playwright and newly minted screenwriter told IndieWire during a recent interview. “I’m also a Gemini, so there’s just always going to be some mania to my process.”
His process has already garnered him many accomplishments, on the stage and in an assortment of filmed works, both in the film and television spaces. A graduate of Yale’s School of Drama, the author of the most nominated play in the Tony Awards’ history, “Slave Play” — an antebellum set production concerning three interracial couples that kindles a convergence of race and sex in America — a style icon, an unabashed Black queer activist. And he’s not afraid to display his wide wit,...
His process has already garnered him many accomplishments, on the stage and in an assortment of filmed works, both in the film and television spaces. A graduate of Yale’s School of Drama, the author of the most nominated play in the Tony Awards’ history, “Slave Play” — an antebellum set production concerning three interracial couples that kindles a convergence of race and sex in America — a style icon, an unabashed Black queer activist. And he’s not afraid to display his wide wit,...
- 11/9/2021
- by Robert Daniels
- Indiewire
In 1997, Jeff Friday, founder and CEO of Jeff Friday Media, was working as the film division president of UniWorld Group, a prominent multicultural advertising agency headquartered in New York and founded by legendary ad world maven Byron E. Lewis. In January of that year, in search of new clientele within the entertainment industry, Friday headed to the Sundance Film Festival. It was the first film festival he had ever attended. It was also the year writer-director Theodore Witcher’s award-winning “Love Jones” screened at the fest, ushering in an era of what Friday calls “the glory days of Black cinema.” That film, and the experience of seeing it at Sundance, altered the trajectory of Friday’s career.
“This was right around the time of such films as ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back,’ ‘Love and Basketball,’ and Spike Lee,” Friday recalls. “‘Sex, Lies and Videotape’ had just happened and there...
“This was right around the time of such films as ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back,’ ‘Love and Basketball,’ and Spike Lee,” Friday recalls. “‘Sex, Lies and Videotape’ had just happened and there...
- 11/2/2021
- by Malina Saval
- Variety Film + TV
Chicago – Day Five of the 57th Chicago International Film Festival (Ciff) will present a documentary on Oscar Micheaux, the originator of black filmmaking, who began in Chicago. (click Oscar Micheaux for details), as well as a whole slate of films and events.
The 57th Chicago International Film Festival Day Five features screenings in theater, at the drive-in and virtual/online. Click here for a complete how-to guide on navigating the 57th Ciff. And click Day Five for the complete line up of films.
Oscar Micheaux – The Superhero of Black Filmmaking
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival
Events Of The Day: 10:00am: “Coffee Talk: “Pandemic Cinema: Film Art in the Age of Contagion” (click here).
Appearances Of The Day: 12:00pm: “For the Left Hand” … Special Guests Scheduled to Attend. 12:00pm: “White Building” … Special Guests Scheduled to Attend. 5:00pm: “Shankar’s Fairies” … Special Guests Scheduled to Attend. 7:...
The 57th Chicago International Film Festival Day Five features screenings in theater, at the drive-in and virtual/online. Click here for a complete how-to guide on navigating the 57th Ciff. And click Day Five for the complete line up of films.
Oscar Micheaux – The Superhero of Black Filmmaking
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival
Events Of The Day: 10:00am: “Coffee Talk: “Pandemic Cinema: Film Art in the Age of Contagion” (click here).
Appearances Of The Day: 12:00pm: “For the Left Hand” … Special Guests Scheduled to Attend. 12:00pm: “White Building” … Special Guests Scheduled to Attend. 5:00pm: “Shankar’s Fairies” … Special Guests Scheduled to Attend. 7:...
- 10/17/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
After a hiatus where New York’s theaters closed during the pandemic, we’re delighted to announce the return of NYC Weekend Watch, our weekly round-up of repertory offerings. While many theaters are still focused on a selection of new releases, a handful of worthwhile repertory screenings are taking place.
Bam
Rarely screened and fully restored, Jacques Rivette’s masterpieces Duelle and Noroît are now playing.
Roxy Cinema
A 35mm double-feature of Demonlover and Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce is running this weekend.
Metrograph
“Get Crazy” includes Buñuel, Assayas, Visconti, and Minnelli, while a 4K restoration of Possession continues.
Film at Lincoln Center
A restoration of Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song has begun running.
IFC Center
While the 4K restoration of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s masterpiece Cure continues and World of Wong Kar-wai keeps going, Arrebato, Crash, and Mulholland Dr. have showings.
Anthology Film Archives
Restorations of the experimental filmmaker Marjorie Keller run this weekend.
Bam
Rarely screened and fully restored, Jacques Rivette’s masterpieces Duelle and Noroît are now playing.
Roxy Cinema
A 35mm double-feature of Demonlover and Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce is running this weekend.
Metrograph
“Get Crazy” includes Buñuel, Assayas, Visconti, and Minnelli, while a 4K restoration of Possession continues.
Film at Lincoln Center
A restoration of Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song has begun running.
IFC Center
While the 4K restoration of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s masterpiece Cure continues and World of Wong Kar-wai keeps going, Arrebato, Crash, and Mulholland Dr. have showings.
Anthology Film Archives
Restorations of the experimental filmmaker Marjorie Keller run this weekend.
- 10/15/2021
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
The 4K restoration (released this month by Cohen Media and featured at the New York Film Festival) of Joan Micklin Silver’s 1975 “Hester Street” is getting deserved credit as a rare female-directed American film from its era. The black and white feature, set in the mostly Jewish immigrant community in New York’s Lower East side in the 1890s, overcame tough odds on multiple fronts to become a significant financial success.
The film grossed $5 million by the end of its run, the equivalent of over $22 million today. All this on a budget of $375,000 (about $1.7 million now). That was a significant success, even if at the time it wasn’t supplemented by home video, and as a black and white film it had limited interest for broadcast television.
Micklin Silver’s film is getting renewed credit for its quality, as well as for being the debut film that caused her to break out as a director.
The film grossed $5 million by the end of its run, the equivalent of over $22 million today. All this on a budget of $375,000 (about $1.7 million now). That was a significant success, even if at the time it wasn’t supplemented by home video, and as a black and white film it had limited interest for broadcast television.
Micklin Silver’s film is getting renewed credit for its quality, as well as for being the debut film that caused her to break out as a director.
- 10/13/2021
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
When screenwriter, director, producer, actor, novelist, stock options trader, playwright, musician, newspaper columnist and gallery artist Melvin Van Peebles died last week at the age of 89, he left behind one of the most varied and entertaining bodies of work in all of American arts and letters. He’s best known for his revolutionary 1971 feature Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, but that classic—important as it is as a point of reference and inspiration for generations of independent filmmakers—only scratches the surface of Van Peebles’s genius and audacity. Thankfully, the Criterion Collection […]
The post Jim Hemphill’s Home Video Recommendations: “Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films,” Love and Basketball and Masquerade first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Jim Hemphill’s Home Video Recommendations: “Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films,” Love and Basketball and Masquerade first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 10/1/2021
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSAbove: Melvin Van Peebles. (Courtesy of Shadow & Act)We're deeply saddened by the news that the great Melvin Van Peebles has died. A filmmaker, director, novelist, playwright, and composer, Van Peebles was a pioneer of independent cinema, best known for his films Watermelon Man (1970) and Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971). In an official statement, Van Peebles' son, filmmaker Mario Van Peebles, states: "He was a pioneer, a maverick and one cool cat." Exiled Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi has published an open letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, discussing the struggles faced by refugees whose films are censored, banned, and restricted from being shown to the Academy. Ghobadi proposes "a refugee team of filmmakers; they can have their works viewed by a jury and eventually one movie can be chosen from the refugee team.
- 9/29/2021
- MUBI
Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This biweekly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching.
Read More: ‘Melvin Van Peebles: The Essential Films’ Showcases The Brilliance Of The Iconic Cinema Trailblazer
This week brings a quartet of all-timers to 4K Blu-ray, along with a handful of ‘90s faves, some classic comedies, and a new Criterion box for a recently departed indie innovator.
Pick Of The Week:
“Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films”: The passing last week of this Black cinema icon makes what was already one of the year’s best box sets feel even more valuable.
Continue reading The Best Movies To Buy...
Read More: ‘Melvin Van Peebles: The Essential Films’ Showcases The Brilliance Of The Iconic Cinema Trailblazer
This week brings a quartet of all-timers to 4K Blu-ray, along with a handful of ‘90s faves, some classic comedies, and a new Criterion box for a recently departed indie innovator.
Pick Of The Week:
“Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films”: The passing last week of this Black cinema icon makes what was already one of the year’s best box sets feel even more valuable.
Continue reading The Best Movies To Buy...
- 9/28/2021
- by Jason Bailey
- The Playlist
On Wednesday, legendary filmmaking maverick Melvin Van Peebles died at the age of 89. Four days later, his son Mario was onstage to introduce his father’s most iconic achievement, as “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song” screened in a new 4K restoration by the Criterion Collection at the New York Film Festival. The outdoor event, taking place in the newly opened NYFF venue of Damrosch Park, served as a timely reminder of the movie’s massive cultural impact as well as its value in proving that movies with Black protagonists had commercial appeal.
“This film was made at a time when you didn’t really see Black people onscreen with facial hair,” Mario told the crowd, “let alone some of the crazy shit my dad does in this movie.”
In addition to pursuing his own career as an actor and filmmaker, the younger Van Peebles has been the caretaker of his father’s legacy for decades,...
“This film was made at a time when you didn’t really see Black people onscreen with facial hair,” Mario told the crowd, “let alone some of the crazy shit my dad does in this movie.”
In addition to pursuing his own career as an actor and filmmaker, the younger Van Peebles has been the caretaker of his father’s legacy for decades,...
- 9/27/2021
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
It is too easy to throw superlatives around when talking about filmmakers. Many directors with a decent enough filmography, who have been around long enough to be forgotten about can attain such a status. The recently passed Melvin Van Peebles, however, is one of the only American filmmakers who truly deserves every beautiful descriptive that is laid upon him. He was a bona fide renaissance man. Actor, filmmaker, playwright, novelist, and composer – amongst other things, the man was a true artist.
Continue reading ‘Melvin Van Peebles: The Essential Films’ Showcases The Brilliance Of The Iconic Cinema Trailblazer at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Melvin Van Peebles: The Essential Films’ Showcases The Brilliance Of The Iconic Cinema Trailblazer at The Playlist.
- 9/27/2021
- by Leslie Byron Pitt
- The Playlist
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