Notizie

At Reverse Shot, Fernando F. Croce previews "The Essential John Ford," a series at New York's Museum of the Moving Image that's "an invaluable overview of the artist’s often paradoxical moods, ranging from the spacious buoyancy of Young Mr. Lincoln/tag> to the claustrophobic bleakness of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance/tag>. The canon classics are there (including Stagecoach/tag>, The Grapes of Wrath/tag>, and The Searchers/tag>), and so are lesser-known titles (the thorny maternal journey of Pilgrimage/tag>, the travelogue surrealism of Mogambo/tag>, the rowdy theatrics of Upstream/tag>) ready to be rediscovered." Writing for Artforum, Nick Pinkerton argues that "Ford is one of the mightiest figures in international cinema, and one of the greatest American artists in any medium, full stop." » - David Hudson...

At Reverse Shot, Fernando F. Croce previews "The Essential John Ford," a series at New York's Museum of the Moving Image that's "an invaluable overview of the artist’s often paradoxical moods, ranging from the spacious buoyancy of Young Mr. Lincoln/tag> to the claustrophobic bleakness of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance/tag>. The canon classics are there (including Stagecoach/tag>, The Grapes of Wrath/tag>, and The Searchers/tag>), and so are lesser-known titles (the thorny maternal journey of Pilgrimage/tag>, the travelogue surrealism of Mogambo/tag>, the rowdy theatrics of Upstream/tag>) ready to be rediscovered." Writing for Artforum, Nick Pinkerton argues that "Ford is one of the mightiest figures in international cinema, and one of the greatest American artists in any medium, full stop." » - David Hudson...

Director John Ford's long-lost classic 'Upstream' is to be screened for Irish audiences for the first time when it receives its Irish premiere on Friday (June 8) as part of this week's John Ford Ireland Film Symposium. Made in 1927, the burlesque comedy was unearthed by film archivists in 2009 at the New Zealand Film Archive, where it lay hidden for over 80 years. It was considered among over 60 feature films from the legendary filmmaker's early career that were lost forever.

Texas is known for some great film festivals. apart from SXSW and Fantastic Fest, both held in Austin – Houston also hosts some wonderful events. Among them is the Cinema Arts Festival. This year’s line-up is extremely strong, with titles that include Pina, David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method, The Artist and the World Premiere of Art Car: The Movie. Sadly we do not have any contributors over in Houston, but I did feel the need to quickly promote the festival. Here is the press release.

Houston – Now in its third year, Cinema Arts Festival Houston, which runs from November 9 to 13, 2011 will bring an ambitious program of films by and about artists to the vibrant Texas city known internationally for its dynamic art scene. From painting and dance to classical music and multimedia work, this edition will also include appearances by directors, actors, musicians, and special tributes to Ethan Hawke and documentary master Patricio Guzman.

According to New Zealand news website Scoop, three reels of The White Shadow, a silent feature film from 1923 have been discovered in the New Zealand Film Archive. What makes the discovery so special is that it is believed to be the earliest example of the work of legendary British director Alfred Hitchcock.

While he did not direct the film, the then 24 year old Hitchcock is credited as the assistant director and also wrote the scenario, designed the sets and edited the film. Author of The Films of Alfred Hitchcock and Chairman of the National Society of Film Critics, David Sterritt, said that;

“These first three reels offer a priceless opportunity to study his visual and narrative ideas when they were first taking shape. What we are getting is the missing link, one of those few productions where we are able to bridge that gap of Hitchcock, the young guy with all these ideas,...

[1] The New Zealand Film Archive and the National Film Preservation Foundation (Nfpf) announced this week that they had discovered the first 30 minutes of The White Shadow, a 1923 silent film considered to be the first credit by Alfred Hitchcock. Although Hitchcock did not direct the movie -- Graham Curtis did -- the now-legendary filmmaker, then 24, served as assistant director, editor, and production designer. The British melodrama follows twin sisters -- one evil, one good -- both played by Betty Compson, and co-stars Clive Brook. Read more details, including information on its American "re-premiere," after the jump. The La Times [2] reports that film was recently rediscovered when the Nfpf received a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, allowing an archivist to sort through American films within the New Zealand archive's collection of nitrate prints. The White Shadow had been brought there in 1989 by Tony Osborne, grandson of New Zealand projectionist and collector Jack Murtagh,...

Los Angeles -- Alfred Hitchcock is still surprising his fans.

Film preservationists said Wednesday they've found the first half of the earliest known surviving feature film on which Hitchcock has a credit: a silent melodrama called "The White Shadow."

The first three reels of the six-reel film, made in 1923, were discovered by the National Film Preservation Foundation at the New Zealand Film Archive.

"The White Shadow" was directed by Graham Cutts, and the 24-year-old Hitchcock was credited as writer, assistant director, editor and art director.

Hitchcock made his own directing debut two years later with the chorus-girl melodrama "The Pleasure Garden." He went on to direct such suspense classics as "Psycho," "The Birds," "Rear Window" and "Vertigo."

"The White Shadow" is a "missing link, one of those few productions where we are able to bridge that gap of Hitchcock, the young guy with all these ideas, and Hitchcock the filmmaker,...

Betty Compson, The White Shadow About thirty minutes from the long thought-lost The White Shadow / White Shadows (1923), believed to be the earliest surviving feature with an Alfred Hitchcock credit, has been unearthed at the New Zealand Film Archive. Directed by Graham Cutts, and starring Betty Compson and Clive Brook, The White Shadow was found among a number of unidentified American nitrate prints safeguarded for more than two decades at the archive. Based on Michael Morton's novel Children of Chance, The White Shadow was written and edited by Hitchcock, who also served as assistant director and production designer. The future director of Blackmail, The Lady Vanishes, Rebecca, Lifeboat, Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, North by Northwest, Psycho, and The Birds, was 24 years old at the time. Three out of The White Shadow's six reels have been found. In the words of National Society of Film Critics Chairman David Sterritt,...

It’s odd to think that a cavalcade of releases from iconic master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock are lost to history. Involved in 17 silent-era efforts, the director may be better known for his talkies, but these silent projects are the films that have become the topic of conversation thanks to the National Film Preservation Foundation.

According to the La Times, the Nfpf has revealed that roughly thirty-minutes, three reels in total, have been uncovered from a film entitled The White Shadow. Penned by Hitchcock, the 1923 film features Hitchcock aboard as an assistant director, an editor, and even as a production designer.

Starring Betty Compson and Clive Brook, the film is considered by many historians to be Hitchcock’s first major film. Sitting comfortably in the New Zealand Film Archive for damn near two decades, the Nfpf was able to gain access to the American films within the archive, which happened to include this film,...

Thirty minutes (the first three reels of six) from Alfred Hitchcock's The White Shadow have been discovered in a New Zealand vault.  The silent feature is the earliest surviving film of the legendary director and is described as an "atmospheric melodrama starring Betty Compson in a dual role as twin sisters, one angelic and the other being 'without a soul.'"  Hitchock served as assistant director on the film to Graham Cutts and he also served as the art director, editor, and writer.  The White Shadow was previously thought to be lost due to nitrate degeneration. The film was one of 75 uncovered last year remote storage vault held by the New Zealand Film Archive and saved by Kiwi projectionist and film enthusiast Jack Murtagh who passed away in 1989.  You may recall that one of the movies previously uncovered was the John Ford silent film Upstream (1927), another picture previously considered lost.

Rooney Mara and Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network

Photo: Columbia Pictures Over the last few days The Social Network has racked up a few more awards, this time taking home the top prize from both the National Society of Film Critics (Nsfc) and the Alliance of Women Film Journalists (Awfj).

Network virtually swept the Nsfc awards winning best picture, director (David Fincher), actor (Jesse Eisenberg) and screenplay (Aaron Sorkin). It also won picture, director and screenplay from the Awfj where it also won best score (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross), but Colin Firth won the actor award for his performance in The King's Speech.

So, The Social Network continues its run, but this weekend is where it will face its first big tests at the Broadcast Film Critics Awards on Friday, January 14 and the Golden Globes on Sunday, January 16. Neither award show will serve to be the end all,...

The National Society of Film Critics, founded in the 1960s, remains one of the most prestigious critics groups. Though they follow numerous critics groups to their "best!" declarations each year, they don't usually take orders so well. You can always count on a surprise or two though there's still no denying The Social Network.

Olivia Williams takes her first prize for The Ghost Writer

Picture The Social Network (runner up: Carlos and Winter's Bone)

Director David Fincher for The Social Network (ru: Olivier Assayas for Carlos and Roman Polanski for The Ghost Writer)

Actress Giovanna Mezzogiorno in Vincere (ru: Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right and Lesley Manville in Another Year)

Actor Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network (ru tie: Colin Firth in The King's Speech and Edgar Ramirez in Carlos)

Supporting Actress Olivia Williams in The Ghost Writer (ru: Amy Adams in The Fighter and tied for...

John Ford's Upstream Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller in Hackers, Gillo Pontecorvo's political cinema classic La Battaglia di Algeri / Battle of Algiers, the long-thought-lost John Ford drama Upstream, Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney in National Velvet, and an evening featuring the films of 1910 are some of the Nov. 2010 highlights at the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation’s free film series in Culpeper, Va., in November. [Packard Campus Nov. 2010 Schedule.] I've heard many good things about John Ford's Upstream, recently shipped back to the United States after being found along with 75 other titles at a New Zealand archive. Another silent, The Flying Ace should be worth a look if only for curiosity's sake. National Velvet was Elizabeth Taylor's first major hit and one of Mickey Rooney's last, in addition to earning Anne Revere a Best Supporting Actress Oscar; Hackers offers a pre-Oscar, pre-stardom, pre-Brad [...]...

If someone had bet me that we’d have a chance to see formerly-unknown movies by Charlie Chaplin and John Ford during the course of one year, I’d have lost the wager but I wouldn’t have resented the loss because it’s been such an exciting turn of events. The Chaplin appearance discovered by Paul Gierucki (click Here) wasn’t just a lost film—it was undocumented in Chaplin’s career. The Ford film, Upstream, was one of many he made in the teens and 1920s that have been missing in action. The good news is that those films represent the mere tip of the…...

A long-lost silent movie by legendary Us filmmaker John Ford has had its first screening in more than eight decades -- after being unearthed in New Zealand. "Upstream", made by the veteran filmmaker in 1927, was dusted off and screened in Beverly Hills this month at the home of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hosts the Oscars. The black and white film, which tells the story of a group of artists, was among some 75 American movies -- features and shorts, documentaries and even cartoons, dating from 1898 to 1929 -- left undiscovered for years. But it was only earlier this year that a visiting archivist from the Academy took a look at the material, and identified the gem by Ford, famous for westerns like "Stagecoach" as well as adaptations like "The Grapes of Wrath". "It's fantastic," said Schawn Belston, a senior executive of Fox Studios, to which Ford --...

On Tuesday morning, Wamg was invited to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ special press preview of John Ford’s Upstream (1927), one of 75 films recently found in the New Zealand Film Archive and repatriated to the U.S. with the cooperation of the National Film Preservation Foundation.

The 1927 silent film, that was thought lost for decades, had it’s re-premiere Wednesday night, September 1, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Many of the VIP’s on hand included Silent Film Historians and those involved with the restoration, as well as the general public.

Having seen the film on Tuesday, I must say the transfer is absolutely beautiful. I was so impressed by the special care taken with the film’s clarity and how vibrant the tinting is on the multiple color frames throughout. The smoky special effects combined with the subtle transitions made me forget I was...

Cinema Retro has received the following event schedule from A.M.P.A.S.

Lost and Found: “Upstream”

Wednesday, September 1, 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater

The U.S. “re-premiere” of the long-lost 1927 John Ford silent film that was recently discovered in the New Zealand Film Archive and preserved by the Academy Film Archive.

8949 Wilshire Boulevard

Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

All seating is unreserved.

General Admission – $5

Students with a valid ID – $3

(310) 247-3600

www.oscars.org

3D Rarities: From 1900 and Beyond

Tuesday, September 7, 7:30 p.m. at the Linwood Dunn Theater

A show highlighting archival rediscoveries of early 3D filmmaking, including rare works by the Lumière brothers, Georges Méliès, the Disney Studios and others, presented by internationally recognized film historian Serge Bromberg of Lobster Films, Paris.

1313 Vine Street

Hollywood, CA 90028

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

All seating is unreserved.

General Admission – $5

Students...

Upstream, a 1927 silent film by director John Ford that was thought lost for decades, will be re-premiered by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences next Wednesday, September 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The film will be presented under the Academy’s “Lost and Found” series banner.

Upstream is one of 75 American films recently found at the New Zealand Film Archive and repatriated to the United States. The films were rediscovered when Brian Meacham, an archivist for the Academy, dropped in on his New Zealand counterparts while on vacation. During Meacham’s tour of the archive, he asked if there were any American films represented in the collection. A thorough search revealed numerous titles including three feature films that were thought to be lost. Upstream is the first of the features to be preserved and screened for the public. The...

Plus Mark Salling's photoshoot, sweaty Blake Skjellerup, and when Wonder Woman married Batman.

We had a visitor to the yard Monday evening.

Matthew Mitcham is in Cologne, Germany as an ambassador for the Gay Games, but he managed to stop in London and get the gay versions of the 2012 Olympic pins. He also had a lot of fun at the opening ceremony – lot of fun. And there’s video proof.

If anyone needs to gain some weight, I present the Cherpumple.

Justin Bieber is writing a memoir to be out by Christmas detailing his long life in the music industry. He’s also getting a 3D movie about his life.

Crap. The Parents Television Council wants everyone to boycott $#*! My Dad Says because they think the title is obscene. This means we all have to watch it whether we want to or not, because we need to make their heads explode.

It’s all happening down under recently. We’ve had Guillermo Del Toro walking from The Hobbit and now this wonderful news regarding seventy-five of rare and ‘lost’ silent-era films being discovered and sent back to the Us for restoration. Only something like fifty-nine per cent of films made before 1950 can be accounted for and the further one goes back the less a movie has of survival.

It’s a great shame, but some of the greatest films ever made are completely gone. Until somebody finds them! Alas, not last year was Fritz Lang’s full director’s cut found in a cinema in Argentina and restored to glory.

Among the stash of films found is western legend John Ford’s Upstream, made in in 1927. Steve Russell, manager of New Zealand’s film archive told the BBC:

“Finding Upstream was a fabulous discovery for our American colleagues, but also for ourselves.

Wellington, June 8 (Dpa) A long-lost collection of silent movies has been discovered in New Zealand and is being returned to the Us, the government said Tuesday.

They include the only known copy of director John Ford’s 1927 film ‘Upstream’ and a 1923 comedy called ‘Mary of the Movies’, which is said to be the oldest surviving Columbia Pictures feature film.

The collection also includes a 1923 movie called ‘Maytime’, starring classic flapper beauty Clara Bow.

Christopher Finlayson, minister for arts, culture and heritage, said there were no known copies of these nitrate.

Around 80% of the movies made in Hollywood's early decades are considered lost forever, due to decay, neglect, and spontaneously combustible film stock. But a cache of 75 films in a New Zealand archive has yielded some surprises, chief of which is John Ford's 1927 silent Upstream.A "backstage comedy drama" starring Nancy Nash and Earle Fox, about a Shakespearean actor and a woman from a knife-throwing act, Upstream is one of about 60 films Ford made between 1917 and 1928, when he was learning the ropes from Fw Murnau, long before Stagecoach or The Searchers. Only 10 are known to survive, although the Nz Archive contains a glimpse of another, in the form of a trailer for 1929's Strong Boy.Also among the rediscovered films were some snapshots of American history (1910's The Sergeant was shot in Yosemite before it was a national park), and strong female lead roles, including vehicles for Clara Bow and Mable Normand,...

Collection of 75 early American films, including several that had been considered lost to history, have been discovered in New Zealand

An extraordinary collection of 75 early American films, including several that had been considered lost to history, have been discovered in New Zealand and are being returned to the Us.

The cache includes the only copy believed to exist of a late silent movie by one of the giants of American film-making, John Ford, as well as several works produced between 1910 and 1920 starring important female actors such as Clara Bow and Mabel Normand.

The collection had been stored at the New Zealand Film Archive but their significance was not fully recognised until last year when they were dug out by a Los Angeles-based film preservationist. A deal has since been struck with the National Film Preservation Foundation based in San Francisco to preserve the reels and return them to the Us.

Talk about a treasure chest of films.

Over the weekend, a massive collection of early U.S. films, clocking in at a robust 75 films, was discovered in a vault in New Zealand. According to Variety, the collection of films will be preserved by the New Zealand Film Archive and National Film Preservation Foundation, along with the help of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, George Eastman House, UCLA Film and Television Archive, as well as the Library of Congress, and the Museum of Modern Art to boot.

Among the films, there are films showing such things as how hats are made by Stetson, how someone can set an underwater explosive, and a neo-commercial for a Ford tractor trailer. However, the most interesting piece is not something like that at all.

Uncovered in this collection is an early film from the filmography of John Ford. Upstream, a film previously thought to have been lost,...

An early silent film directed by legendary moviemaker John Ford has been discovered in a stash of 75 rarities recently uncovered in New Zealand.

The 1927 feature, titled Upstream, tells the story of a romance between a Shakespearean actor and a girl from a knife-throwing act, and was previously thought to have been lost. Only 15 per cent of Ford's early works are believed to have survived into the present day.

The movie was released eight years before Ford won his first Academy Award for The Informer - he went on to land four coveted Best Director trophies, including prizes for The Grapes of Wrath and How Green Was My Valley.

The collection, discovered in a remote storage vault deep in New Zealand's movie archives, also includes 1923 film Maytime starring a young Clara Bow, and Won in a Closet, directed by and starring Mabel Normand.

Executives at the New Zealand Film Archive have struck a deal with America's National Film Preservation Foundation (Nfpf) and several other organisations, including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Museum of Modern Art (Moma), to have the reels returned to the U.S. for preservation, according to Variety.com.

The Nfpf has called the collection "a time capsule of American film production in the 1910s and 1920s", while Jamie Lean, of the New Zealand Film Archive, adds, "We hope that our example will encourage other international partners who have safeguarded 'lost' American films for decades to share their long-unseen treasures with the world community."...

Seventy-five early U.S. films have been uncovered from a vault in New Zealand. According to Variety, the movies were found in a remote storage vault held by the New Zealand Film Archive (Nzfa). The Nzfa and the National Film Preservation Foundation will spend the next three years preserving and restoring the films in collaboration with a variety of other organizations.

This is an incredible find and fantastic news for all film lovers. But most exciting is that among the seventy-five films is the 1927 John Ford feature Upstream which is “a backstage romance between an aspiring actor and a girl from a knife-throwing act.” The film was previously thought to be lost due to nitrate deterioration. With all the ways to reproduce cinema in the modern age, it’s tough to wrap your mind around the concept that a motion picture released by a major studio (in this case, Fox) would disappear over time.