January 31st, 2010
Infidelity and vengeance intersect at the core of Malcolm Venville’s debut feature-film, “44 Inch Chest.” Expanding this weekend to New York, Washington D.C. and additional California venues, with more openings in the coming months, the film is written by the “Sexy Beast” screenwriting duo Louis Mellis and David Scinto. “44 Inch Chest” reunites “Sexy Beast” co-stars Ray Winstone and Ian McShane in a cast which includes John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson, Joanne Whalley, Stephen Dillane, and Melvil Poupaud. Steven Berkoff makes an appearance in a part which, undoubtedly, will not be spooky in the slightest.
Bob Grimm of Tucson Weekly believes “Jesus needs to step in and stop all these lame biblical films.”
Exploring themes of family and identity, the documentary “Off and Running” from director Nicole Opper has been crisscrossing North America at festival screenings for almost a year. Subtitled “An American Coming of Age Story,” the film focuses on a Brooklyn family with an inquisitive, adoptive teenaged daughter.
Dunno Y . . . Na Jaane Kyun promises Bollywood’s first gay kiss, reports The Times.
One Film Wonder: One of the most illustrious acting teachers of the 20th century, whose students are a roster of Hollywood’s greatest movie icons — James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, Paul Newman, et al.– Lee Strasberg appeared in only 8 films as a credited cast member during a film career spanning 44 years. A foremost exponent of “Method Acting,” he co-founded the Group Theatre in 1931 and became director of the Actors Studio in 1951. In 1974, at the age of 73, he played Hyman Roth in “The Godfather: Part II” and received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor. Following his unexpected success, he made several films in the decade, including “…And Justice for All,” “Boardwalk,” and “Going in Style.” But Strasberg’s delicate performance as the intelligent and honor bound Roth resonates most strongly, especially as he counsels Michael Corleone, played by former student Al Pacino, that “this is the business we’ve chosen.”
Posted in Beyond the Reel |
Tagged 44 Inch Chest, Al Pacino, Boardwalk, Bob Grimm, David Scinto, Dunno Y . . . Na Jaane Kyun, Going in Style, Ian McShane, James Dean, Joanne Whalley, John Hurt, Lee Strasberg, Louis Mellis, Malcolm Venville, Marilyn Monroe, Melvil Poupaud, Montgomery Clift, Nicole Opper, Off and Running, One Film Wonder, Paul Newman, Ray Winstone, Sexy Beast, Stephen Dillane, Steven Berkoff, The Godfather: Part II, The Times, Tom Wilkinson, Tucson Weekly, …And Justice for All |
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October 23rd, 2009
Opening today in North America, “Ong Bak 2” is the latest extravaganza starring Thai martial arts actor Tony Jaa. Co-directed by Jaa and long-time Thai director and stunt coordinator Panna Rittikrai, the film was infamously embroiled in production disputes during its making.
Jim Schembri of The Age in Melbourne discovers that the Aboriginal-language drama “Samson and Delilah makes tilt at Oscar.”
Carla Gugino, Adrianne Palicki, and Connie Britton are amongst the extensive cast appearing in Sebastian Gutierrez’s “Women in Trouble,” which debuts on November 13th in the States.
Tim Robey of The Telegraph chronicles “Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca: rows, rivalries and a movie classic.”
One Film Wonder: A U.S. Army soldier from Battle Creek, Michigan, who assisted in the liberation of Italy during World War II, John Kitzmiller remained in the country after the war and started acting in Italian films. He appeared in 45 European movies during his career. Kitzmiller was bestowed with the Best Actor accolade at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival for his performance as Sgt. Jim in the Slovenian war film, “Valley of Peace.” He was the first black actor to receive the award. (Incidentally, Paul Newman would win it the next year for “The Long, Hot Summer,” Forest Whitaker in 1988 for “Bird.”)
Kitzmiller appeared in only two English-language films: 1958’s “The Naked Earth” and the first James Bond film, 1962’s “Dr. No.” Credited as John Kitzmuller, he portrayed Quarrel, the Cayman Islander fisherman and CIA associate who assists Bond in his investigation of Dr. No’s island, Crab Key. Kitzmiller died in Rome in 1965 at the age of 51.
Posted in Beyond the Reel |
Tagged Adrianne Palicki, Alfred Hitchcock, Bird, Carla Gugino, Connie Britton, Dr. No, Forest Whitaker, Jim Schembri, John Kitzmiller, One Film Wonder, Ong Bak 2, Panna Rittikrai, Paul Newman, Rebecca, Samson and Delilah, Sebastian Gutierrez, The Age, The Long Hot Summer, The Naked Earth, The Telegraph, Tim Robey, Tony Jaa, Valley of Peace, Women in Trouble |
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