Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.
Today we speak with the great Andrew Davis, director of The Fugitive (now available on 4K Uhd and Digital). We chat about his favorite days during the production of the iconic Harrison Ford thriller, some of his B-Sides and the trajectory of his career in general.
There’s his debut feature, the bluesy ensemble piece Stony Island. There’s the movie he got to make after his meteoric success: Steal Big Steal Little. And then there’s the Coast Guard action drama The Guardian from 2006, which Davis claims had better test screening scores than any movie in the history of Touchstone Pictures.
His 1998 thriller A Perfect Murder is discussed, and Davis explains why he was never as...
Today we speak with the great Andrew Davis, director of The Fugitive (now available on 4K Uhd and Digital). We chat about his favorite days during the production of the iconic Harrison Ford thriller, some of his B-Sides and the trajectory of his career in general.
There’s his debut feature, the bluesy ensemble piece Stony Island. There’s the movie he got to make after his meteoric success: Steal Big Steal Little. And then there’s the Coast Guard action drama The Guardian from 2006, which Davis claims had better test screening scores than any movie in the history of Touchstone Pictures.
His 1998 thriller A Perfect Murder is discussed, and Davis explains why he was never as...
- 12/1/2023
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Every now and then, someone on social media will lament about why they don’t make movies like The Fugitive anymore. For Fugitive director Andrew Davis, the decrease in crime dramas and thrillers that are primarily geared toward grown-ups actually dates back much further than the blockbuster craze of the past 15 years.
With the film, which turned 30 in August, Davis accomplished the rare feat of being both a commercial and critical success, culminating in seven Oscar nominations and one win for Tommy Lee Jones as best supporting actor. The Harrison Ford-starring vehicle that reimagined the 1963 TV series of the same name certainly didn’t set out to be the third-highest-grossing film of 1993 or an awards darling. Warner Bros. merely strove for a base hit, as opposed to swinging for the fences, and that philosophy ties into why the major studios no longer prioritize films with the scope and scale of The Fugitive.
With the film, which turned 30 in August, Davis accomplished the rare feat of being both a commercial and critical success, culminating in seven Oscar nominations and one win for Tommy Lee Jones as best supporting actor. The Harrison Ford-starring vehicle that reimagined the 1963 TV series of the same name certainly didn’t set out to be the third-highest-grossing film of 1993 or an awards darling. Warner Bros. merely strove for a base hit, as opposed to swinging for the fences, and that philosophy ties into why the major studios no longer prioritize films with the scope and scale of The Fugitive.
- 11/27/2023
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chicago – It was another city in another time when Andrew Davis directed his first film “Stony Island” in 1970s Chicago. The film was released in 1978 to acclaim, but faded into the mist of cinema. Andrew Davis is back in his hometown to introduce “Stony Island” at the Gene Siskel Film Center on Friday, November 17th, 2023. For tickets and info, click Stony Island.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Lovingly filmed on the gritty 1970s streets in the Chicago of Andy Davis, the film features his brother Richard Davis as Ritchie, a white boy guitarist trying to break into a Southside rhythm and blues band that cooks with its own brand of Windy City soul. Based a bit on his brother’s actual circumstances, the film features actual singers and players of the era, including a magnificent performance by Gene Barge as Percy Price, the centerpiece cat in the story who ends up in a fate of celebration.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Lovingly filmed on the gritty 1970s streets in the Chicago of Andy Davis, the film features his brother Richard Davis as Ritchie, a white boy guitarist trying to break into a Southside rhythm and blues band that cooks with its own brand of Windy City soul. Based a bit on his brother’s actual circumstances, the film features actual singers and players of the era, including a magnificent performance by Gene Barge as Percy Price, the centerpiece cat in the story who ends up in a fate of celebration.
- 11/16/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Celebrating its 45th anniversary, director Andrew Davis’ first film “Stony Island” will make its digital debut on major VOD platforms and DVD on Nov. 17. That same day, there will be a theatrical screening of the film at the Gene Siskel Center in Chicago. Following the one-night-only screening, Davis and his brother Richie Davis will host a Q&a session.
“Stony Island” tells the story of “two struggling musicians who buck the odds in their attempt to form an R&b band and take it on the road,” according to a release provided to Variety. It follows Richie Bloom, the only white kid on the block, who forms a band with his best friend Kevin Tucker. Aging sax legend Percy Price mentors them as they pull together a funky supergroup. Armed with little resources and facing heavy losses, the musicians must unite to make their smash debut.
The film received accolades...
“Stony Island” tells the story of “two struggling musicians who buck the odds in their attempt to form an R&b band and take it on the road,” according to a release provided to Variety. It follows Richie Bloom, the only white kid on the block, who forms a band with his best friend Kevin Tucker. Aging sax legend Percy Price mentors them as they pull together a funky supergroup. Armed with little resources and facing heavy losses, the musicians must unite to make their smash debut.
The film received accolades...
- 10/31/2023
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
Previous | Image 1 of 15 | NextArtist and filmmaker Agnés Varda
Chicago – With the 51st Chicago International Film Festival now history, photographer Joe Arce of HollywoodChicago.com has collected his portrait highlights. Opening Night – October 15th, 2015 – was a Red-Carpet Extravaganza, with many notable personalities of the Festival making their way through the gauntlet of press and photographers. HollywoodChicago.com was also there, to collect some voices behind the images.
Filmmaker AGNÉS Varda
Agnés Varda is a living legend, an influencer on the French New Wave of the late 1950s and early 1960s (“Cléo from 5 to 7”) and a social and feminist commentator through her film, photography and art installation.
HollywoodChicago.com: Where does the origin of film as an art form reside in your mind and perspective?
Agnés Varda: Look around you, it is a feast of cinema here. [Pointing to the Chicago International Film Festival logo] I would like to go back there and meet again the eyes of Theda Bara,...
Chicago – With the 51st Chicago International Film Festival now history, photographer Joe Arce of HollywoodChicago.com has collected his portrait highlights. Opening Night – October 15th, 2015 – was a Red-Carpet Extravaganza, with many notable personalities of the Festival making their way through the gauntlet of press and photographers. HollywoodChicago.com was also there, to collect some voices behind the images.
Filmmaker AGNÉS Varda
Agnés Varda is a living legend, an influencer on the French New Wave of the late 1950s and early 1960s (“Cléo from 5 to 7”) and a social and feminist commentator through her film, photography and art installation.
HollywoodChicago.com: Where does the origin of film as an art form reside in your mind and perspective?
Agnés Varda: Look around you, it is a feast of cinema here. [Pointing to the Chicago International Film Festival logo] I would like to go back there and meet again the eyes of Theda Bara,...
- 11/1/2015
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
DVD Playhouse – May 2012
By Allen Gardner
Shame (20th Century Fox) Director Steve McQueen’s harrowing portrait of a Manhattan sex addict (Michael Fassbender, in the year’s most riveting performance) whose psyche goes into overload when his equally-troubled sister (Carey Mulligan) visits unexpectedly. Exquisitely-made on every level, save for the screenplay, which makes its point after about thirty minutes. While it tries hard to be a modern-day Last Tango in Paris, this fatal flaw makes it fall somewhat short. The much- ballyhooed sex scenes and frontal nudity are the least-interesting things about the film, incidentally, which is still a must-see for discriminating adults who seek out challenging material. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 5.1 surround.
Being John Malkovich (Criterion) Spike Jonze’s madcap film of Charlie Kaufman’s script, regarding a socially-disenfranchised puppeteer (John Cusack) who finds a portal into the mind of actor...
By Allen Gardner
Shame (20th Century Fox) Director Steve McQueen’s harrowing portrait of a Manhattan sex addict (Michael Fassbender, in the year’s most riveting performance) whose psyche goes into overload when his equally-troubled sister (Carey Mulligan) visits unexpectedly. Exquisitely-made on every level, save for the screenplay, which makes its point after about thirty minutes. While it tries hard to be a modern-day Last Tango in Paris, this fatal flaw makes it fall somewhat short. The much- ballyhooed sex scenes and frontal nudity are the least-interesting things about the film, incidentally, which is still a must-see for discriminating adults who seek out challenging material. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Featurettes. Widescreen. Dolby and DTS-hd 5.1 surround.
Being John Malkovich (Criterion) Spike Jonze’s madcap film of Charlie Kaufman’s script, regarding a socially-disenfranchised puppeteer (John Cusack) who finds a portal into the mind of actor...
- 5/7/2012
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Andrew Davis Returns To Stony Island
By Alex Simon
Director Andrew Davis made his name with hard-hitting action blockbusters like The Fugitive, Under Siege and The Guardian, but like most filmmakers, his first effort was a small film with a modest budget and a lot of heart. Davis’ directing debut Stony Island was shot in 1977, helmed by the then 30 year-old who had made a name for himself as a cinematographer, and conceived as a love letter to the South Chicago neighborhood where he grew up. Based loosely on the story of Davis’ younger brother Richie (starring as a fictionalized version of himself), who grew up as one of the few white kids in a largely African-American neighborhood, Stony Island follows a group of young musicians who try to form an R&B group in their racially-mixed neighborhood. Featuring the film debuts of now-notable names such as Dennis Franz, Susanna Hoffs,...
By Alex Simon
Director Andrew Davis made his name with hard-hitting action blockbusters like The Fugitive, Under Siege and The Guardian, but like most filmmakers, his first effort was a small film with a modest budget and a lot of heart. Davis’ directing debut Stony Island was shot in 1977, helmed by the then 30 year-old who had made a name for himself as a cinematographer, and conceived as a love letter to the South Chicago neighborhood where he grew up. Based loosely on the story of Davis’ younger brother Richie (starring as a fictionalized version of himself), who grew up as one of the few white kids in a largely African-American neighborhood, Stony Island follows a group of young musicians who try to form an R&B group in their racially-mixed neighborhood. Featuring the film debuts of now-notable names such as Dennis Franz, Susanna Hoffs,...
- 4/24/2012
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Andy Davis, who would go on to direct "Code of Silence," "Under Seige" and the Oscar Award-winning film "The Fugitive," directed the film "Stony Island," a celebration of the R&B music coming out of Chicago's South Side. It attracted so many black audience members in historically white theaters that the distributor was forced by exhibitors to re-publicize the film as a blaxploitation film, re-titling the same film "My Main Man from Stony Island." "Stony Island" is a love letter to the South Side neighborhood of the same name. Amidst the pursuit of a relationship with Lucie (The Bangles' Susanna Hoffs, the daughter of Davis' co-screenwriter before her days of walking like an Egyptian), Richie Bloom (Andy's brother Richie) is the only white kid on the block who decides to form an R&B band with his best friend Kevin (Edward 'Stoney' Robinson'). The duo gets together a funk group.
- 4/23/2012
- by Bryce J. Renninger
- Indiewire
Before he directed smash-hit action films like "The Fugitive," "Under Siege" and "Collateral Damage," director Andrew Davis got his start with something quite different, making his debut with the raw and real 1978 R&B-powered musical drama "Stony Island."
Filmed in a verité style on Chicago's South Side, the film stars Richie Davis playing Richie Bloom, a white kid in a largely black neighborhood who teams up with his best pal Kevin (Edward "Stony" Robinson) to form an R&B supergroup. Getting all the pieces, they are guided by a mentor, the sax legend Percy (Gene "Daddy G" Barge) as they rehearse in a local funeral home, and battle the odds to make their debut. Capturing the city with an almost documentary-like feel, the film is rounded out by an intriguing cast that includes a young Dennis Franz, Susanna Hoffs (who would later become a member of The Bangles), Rae Dawn Chong and many more.
Filmed in a verité style on Chicago's South Side, the film stars Richie Davis playing Richie Bloom, a white kid in a largely black neighborhood who teams up with his best pal Kevin (Edward "Stony" Robinson) to form an R&B supergroup. Getting all the pieces, they are guided by a mentor, the sax legend Percy (Gene "Daddy G" Barge) as they rehearse in a local funeral home, and battle the odds to make their debut. Capturing the city with an almost documentary-like feel, the film is rounded out by an intriguing cast that includes a young Dennis Franz, Susanna Hoffs (who would later become a member of The Bangles), Rae Dawn Chong and many more.
- 4/3/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
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