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It is a testament to his acting ability that it was years before I realized that Gary Oldman is British. With an ability to nail accents, the dedication to drastically change his appearance and the talent to convey the full spectrum of emotions, Oldman is one of the most eclectic and underrated actors of our time.

Born March 21, 1958, in London, Oldman began his acting career on the British stage in 1979, and made his film debut in "Remembrance" in 1982. In 1984, he reluctantly accepted the role of punk rocker Sid Vicious in "Sid and Nancy," a performance which garnered him critical acclaim and launched a diverse and successful career that has spanned almost four decades, and includes everything from small indie films to blockbuster franchises.

Oldman is well-known for his portrayal of some of the most memorable villains in the history of the cinema, from the campy Zorg in "The Fifth Element...

After a four-decade career in films, Isabella Rossellini scored her first Oscar nomination on Thursday for her supporting role as a Vatican nun in “Conclave.”

The nomination places Rossellini in the Academy history books. She is the daughter of three-time Oscar-winning actress Ingrid Bergman. Her father, the Italian neorealist filmmaking legend Roberto Rossellini was also nominated once, in 1950 for his screenplay for “Paisan.”

Swedish acting legend Bergman is often cited as one of the greatest screen icons of all time, famed for her roles in “Casablanca,” “The Bells of St. Marys” and Alfred Hitchcock’s “Notorious.” She was a seven-time nominee who won three Oscars: two for Best Actress (“Gaslight” and “Anastasia”) and one for Best Supporting Actress (“Murder on the Orient Express”).

Rossellini’s nomination this year, in fact, comes on the 50th anniversary of her mother’s win for “Orient Express,” an all-star mystery film in which Bergman...

In her nearly 50-year film career, Isabella Rossellini has played everything from a tortured nightclub singer to Beethoven’s lover to a mysteriously young 71-year-old doctor. Most recently, Rossellini received acclaim for her role as a nun in “Conclave,” and so it’s the perfect time to take a look back at her life and eclectic film career. Scroll through our photo gallery above (or click here for direct access) to see the 10 best Isabella Rossellini movies, ranked.

Rossellini and her twin sister Isotta were born in Rome on June 18, 1952, to Golden Era legend Ingrid Bergman and Italian director Roberto Rossellini. As a child, Rossellini underwent 18 months of grueling procedures to correct scoliosis. In 1976, she made her film debut with a small role as a nun caring for a dying countess played by her mother in the Vincente Minnelli fantasy film “A Matter of Time.” However, it was a few...

Ridley Scott's 2001 horror thriller "Hannibal" was a long-in-the-tooth sequel to "The Silence of the Lambs," both of them based on the works of author Thomas Harris. "Silence of the Lambs" was a boffo blockbuster when it came out in 1991, winning many Oscars and making millions. Anthony Hopkins took the world by storm with his lip-smacking performance as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist with a penchant for mutilating, killing, and often eating his victims. At the end of "Lambs," Hannibal escapes his high-security prison and proceeds to wreak havoc in the world.

In "Hannibal," however, we learn that Dr. Lecter left one of his victims alive. Mason Verger (Gary Oldman) was a child stalker who, years ago, fell into Lecter's psychiatric care. Lecter, being a brilliant manipulator of minds, convinced Mason to use his autoerotic asphyxiation noose while slicing off his own face and feeding it to nearby dogs.

In what amounts to a kind of career-defining reunion, Jessica Chastain and Al Pacino will star alongside each other in “Lear, Rex,” a new big-screen Shakespeare adaptation of “King Lear” for filmmaker Bernard Rose (“Immortal Beloved”).

Rose will write and direct, Pacino will star as the title character, and Chastain will star as Goneril, the eldest of King Lear’s three daughters.

Continue reading Jessica Chastain & Al Pacino To Star In New ‘Lear, Rex’ Shakespeare Adaptation at The Playlist.

In her nearly 50-year film career, Isabella Rossellini has played everything from a tortured nightclub singer to Beethoven’s lover to a mysteriously young 71-year-old doctor. Most recently, Rossellini received acclaim — and her first Oscar nomination — for her role as a nun in Conclave, and so it’s the perfect time to take a look back at her life and eclectic film career. Scroll through our photo gallery below to see the 10 best Isabella Rossellini movies, ranked.

Rossellini and her twin sister, Isotta, were born in Rome on June 18, 1952, to Golden Era legend Ingrid Bergman and Italian director Roberto Rossellini. As a child, Rossellini underwent 18 months of grueling procedures to correct scoliosis. In 1976, she made her film debut with a small role as a nun caring for a dying countess played by her mother in the Vincente Minnelli fantasy film “A Matter of Time.” However, it was a few more...

In the eighties and nineties, before drag really entered the mainstream, Dame Edna was a household name, especially if you lived in the UK. The alter-ego of Australian comedian Barry Humphries, Deadline reports that the beloved star passed away at 89. The comedian had been unwell following hip surgery. In addition to Dame Edna, Humphries was also in high demand as a voice actor, having voiced Bruce the Shark in Finding Nemo and even dipped into motion capture to play the Great Goblin in The Hobbit trilogy.

But, it was Dame Edna that remained Humphries most iconic role. He apparently based the character on his mother, and she was a spoof of vainglorious celebrity interviewers, with Edna hosting a chat show that featured interviews with some of the biggest stars in the world. Mel Gibson, Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Cher – if you were a star in the seventies, eighties and early nineties,...

Australian satirist Barry Humphries, known for his onstage and TV drag persona Edna Everage and for his character Sir Les Patterson, has died. He was 89.

The BBC reported that Humphries had been in hospital in Sydney, Australia, and had been suffering from complications following surgery in March.

“A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said following the news of Humphries’ death.

“Rip Barry Humphries – one of the greatest ever Australians – and a comic genius who used his exuberant alter egos, Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson, to say the otherwise unsayable. Also an infallibly brilliant Spectator contributor. What a loss,” said former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Twitter.

Rip Barry Humphries – one of the greatest ever Australians – and a comic genius who used his exuberant alter egos, Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson,...

Gary Oldman is one of the greatest film actors of all time. His versatility is so established now that there are internet memes about his uncanny ability to just simply vanish into a role. No other actor could convincingly play real-life figures as diverse as Lee Harvey Oswald and Winston Churchill, let alone such contrasting literary characters as Dracula and George Smiley. It's this versatility that has led to his success and longevity as an actor; he can play the hero, the villain, a supporting role, or a mere cameo, and never gives a part anything less than his all, whether he's playing Beethoven or a CGI peacock.

It's true that he displayed a propensity for playing villains in outlandish science fiction romps like "The Fifth Element," popcorn actioners like "Air Force One," or serial killer thrillers like "Hannibal." However, more recently he has received long overdue recognition for his...

Shot during the pandemic and set on May 30, 2020 — just a few days after the death of George Floyd during an arrest by the Minneapolis Police Department — “Traveling Light” is an experimental attempt at social commentary that fails to provide any insight, emotion or even entertainment of the most basic kind. Nearly a year after its weird-fit premiere at genre-focused Beyond Fest in Los Angeles, this scrappy Covid-era quickie from eclectic director Bernard Rose (who made the original “Candyman”) opens today in New York and Seattle, with other cities to follow.

It seems Rose was aiming for a loose riff on “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie,” focusing on a gathering in the Hollywood Hills of the followers of a self-proclaimed guru/prophet (Danny Huston), where everyone drinks a concoction spiked with an unnamed hallucinogenic and eventually line-dances while chanting “Hare Hare,” even though there isn’t a single Hare Krishna in sight.

Well, hello again, Candyman — we meet again, though I still haven’t said your name out loud in a mirror five times — and I’m never going to, sorry. The last time I reviewed the original 1992 film (as released on Blu-ray) helmed by Bernard Rose was also from Shout Factory’s boutique genre label, Scream Factory. Today, Candyman is being unleashed in not just the 2K Blu-ray edition like last time, but as a 4K and Blu-ray bundle, which is a nice package to have if you want both, or want to split the cost with a friend. I've said most of what I've had to say in my original December 2018 review of the Blu-ray, but I put in the 4K...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

If Gary Oldman could travel back in time to give advice to screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, he jokingly has two words of bold advice for him: ‘Get sober!’ In the new Netflix film “Mank” directed by David Fincher, Oldman portrays the alcoholic Oscar winner, the co-writer of “Citizen Kane” with Orson Welles.

In our recent webchat (watch the exclusive video above), he adds, “He had these aspirations of wanting to be a playwright or novelist, considering that to be high art. He came out to California and felt really that screenwriting was just beneath him. He could do it in his sleep. He once said that a final draft was what you put through the typewriter the night before.”

SEEAmanda Seyfried interview: ‘Mank’

For the black-and-white movie, which was written by the late Jack Fincher, the plot is set in 1940 when a drunken and injured Mank is writing much of...

Gary Oldman will receive the Chairman’s Award for his performance in “Mank” at the 31st annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff), the organization announced on Friday.

The Festival and Film Awards Gala will not be an in-person event this year, but honoree selections will be announced to recognize this year’s great performances and Entertainment Tonight will air a tribute to the honorees scheduled on February 11th and February 25th.

“Gary Oldman gives another mesmerizing performance as Herman J. Mankiewicz in David Fincher’s Mank. Oldman plays the role to perfection as the films follows the screenwriter’s journey while is co-writing the script for Citizen Kane,” Festival chairman Harold Matzner said in a statement. “We are delighted to recognize one of this generation’s greatest actors, Gary Oldman with this year’s Chairman’s Award.”

Oldman was previously honored at the festival with the Desert Palm Achievement...

"Whoever wins this race... I shall grant them a wish." Signature Ent. UK has debuted an official trailer for the indie action thriller Samurai Marathon, also known as Samurai Marathon 1855. Inspired by a real-life race that is still held annually in Japan, Samurai Marathon is an epic thriller from the team behind 13 Assassins and The Last Emperor. It is actually directed by a British filmmaker named Bernard Rose, best known for directing Candyman and Immortal Beloved. Set in the late feudal era of Japan, a young ninja is operating undercover in the court of an aging Lord during a peaceful era of Japan. His loyalties are put to the test as he competes in the Samurai Marathon event. Starring Takeru Satoh, Nana Komatsu, Mirai Moriyama, Shôta Sometani, Munetaka Aoki, Ryu Kohata, Yuta Koseki, Motoki Fukami, Junko Abe, and Danny Huston. Featuring a Philip Glass score, which is also a...

For many film fans the name Bernard Rose is usually connected to perhaps his most famous film “Candyman”. However, the English director has also made a name for himself directing many period films, for example, about the life of musician Niccolo Paganini (“The Devil’s Violinist”), Ludvig van Beethoven (“Immortal Beloved”) as well as an adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina”. His new film “Samurai Marathon” takes place during the time and age of the samurai.

Tokyo native Nana Komatsu was born in 1996 and began her career starring in a short film, called Tadaima, before immediately graduating to movies like Close Range Love and The World Of Kanako. Prior to these, however, she was a popular account holder on Instagram and a model. By 2015 she had already won the 38th Japan Academy Prize: Newcomers Of The Year award. She has since added several awards to her roster. Her credits...

Japanese sales and distribution firm Gaga Corporation is launching sales of Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Kore-eda’s starry new project “The Truth” in Berlin, one of six Japanese titles the company is bringing to the European Film Market.

Kore-eda won the top prize at Cannes for “Shoplifters” last year. “The Truth” stars Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche in an uneasy mother and daughter reunion, that takes place under the eyes of Ethan Hawke. The film is now in post-production and is being jointly sold with France’s MK2 International.

Kore-eda’s production company is also behind Gaga title “His Lost Name,” a drama by first-time director Hirose Nanako. The story involves a young man who opens up his heart to an older friend after running away from his past. The film stars Yagira Yuya, winner of the best actor award at Cannes for Kore-eda’s “Nobody Knows,” and acclaimed actor...

In today’s film news roundup, Chris McKay is attached to direct “Jonny Quest,” Greg Berlanti is directing a Rock Hudson movie, documentary “The Last Race” gets an early release, and Valeria Golino is honored.

Director Attachments

Chris McKay, director of “The Lego Batman Movie,” is attached to helm a live-action “Jonny Quest” movie for Warner Bros.

Producers are Rideback’s Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich along with Adrian Askarieh of Prime Universe. Daniel Alter will executive produce.

“Jonny Quest” first appeared as an animated sci-fi series in 1964 through Hanna Barbera. The narrative focused on an 11-year-old boy, his sidekick Hadji, his scientist dad, secret agent Race Bannon, and pet bulldog, Bandit. The show led to several series and TV movies.

Richard Donner, Dwayne Johnson, and Robert Rodriguez have been involved in development of a “Jonny Quest” movie for the past two decades. McKay is also attached to direct the live-action “Nightwing” for Warner Bros.

Films like “Amadeus” and “Immortal Beloved” have explored lives of Mozart and Beethoven from unique perspectives, but few movies have detailed the life of an artist quite “Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach.” If you haven’t seen the 1968 film, now’s the time, because it’s returning for its 50th anniversary to the big screen, in a gorgeous new, 4K restoration. And today we’re thrilled to exclusively debut the trailer and poster.

Gary Oldman will receive the Maltin Modern Master Award at the 2018 Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Sbiff organizers announced on Wednesday. Oldman will be presented with the award, the highest honor among the several different prizes presented to awards contenders during that annual festival, on Friday, February 2, at the Arlington Theatre. The veteran actor has been performing since 1979, but has only been nominated for a single Academy Award, for 2011’s “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.” His other films have included “Sid and Nancy,” Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” “Immortal Beloved,” “Prick Up Your Ears,” “JFK,” “True Romance” and “The Contender.” Also Read:.

Shut Eye is coming to Hulu on Wednesday, December 7.

It's dropping all at once, so you'll have the opportunity to enjoy this unique series in its entirety at your own pace.

We've already brought you an interview with costars David Zayas and Emmanuelle Chriqui on their roles in this Jeffrey Donovan starrer about a con working in and running a chain of fortune-telling storefronts for a family that controls the business in the Los Angeles area.

When a blow to the head brings him some actual visions, things begin to change.

Among them, Charlie’s wife Linda (KaDee Strickland) has wanted to to break away from Fonso (Angus Sampson), the single father who runs the Marks family’s psychic empire and controls the Haverford's future, for a while and sees this new skill of Charlie's as the time to make their move.

Isabella Rossellini co-stars as Rita, the cunning, seductive...

Wow! Gary Oldman will be playing none other than Winston Churchill in the new film Darkest Hour from director Joe Wright (Pan). This won't be the first time Gary Oldman has been cast cast as an historical figure (having played Lee Harvey Oslward in JFK, Beethoven in Immortal Beloved, and Sid Vicious in Sid And Nancy), and he's always knocked it out of the park each... Read More...

When I was just a boy I had a paperback that included Dracula by Bram Stoker, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Lewis Stevenson in one volume. There were certain books I would reread every year, that was one. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury every summer, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens every December and that three in one book every October. I read it so many times I knew how to parcel it out daily up until Halloween, starting the first page of Dracula on October 1st up to the last page of Jekyll And Hyde on October 30th. That reading was just to get in the mood for Halloween.

I relate this, (not to brag,) to state I know those texts very well as a result. Dracula and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are great books, no doubt,...

This week delivers up a wealth of joy. Cannibal Women! Zombies! Curses! Sinful Dwarfs! Doctor Who! So let’s dive in and see just how we’re going to spend our week!

Cannibal Women In The Avocado Jungle Of Death

With a title like that, do you even need to know more? Yeah? Well, it stars 1982 Playboy Playmate of the Year Shannon Tweed. And Adrienne Barbeau from Swamp Thing and Creepshow. (Fun Fact: Adrienne Barbeau played Rizzo in the original Broadway production of Grease! And got a Tony nom for it! What!) And Bill Maher, before he got all respectable with his own HBO show and all. To avoid an avocado shortage, an anthropology professor (Tweed!) heads into the avocado jungle of Southern California to confront the man-eating Piranha Women tribe. How the cannibals are affecting the avocado crops is anyone’s guess. But, hey, I live in SoCal, and...

Bernard Rose’s modern day Frankenstein will screen exclusivly at Triskel Christchurch Cinema, one night only, Thursday 18 February before its worldwise release on DVD. UK director Rose began his film career working with Jim Henson before directing music videos for MTV, most notably the uncensored version of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Relax. His later work includes horror film Candyman in 1992, and the historical romance Immortal Beloved in 1994. “Frankenstein is as relevant today as when it first appeared nearly two hundred years ago,” says Bernard Rose. “Its central premise, that the goal of science is to create consciousness, speaks to us because it is a fundamental truth and only in our era is the possibility now nearing fact. Mary Shelley’s book is, of course, the seminal Horror, Science Fiction and Gothic novel, and as such has been adapted and interprated many times. None more memorably than James Whale’s classic film starring Boris Karloff.

Mel Gibson, whom I interviewed for Venice Magazine in late 2000, was my first real childhood hero I sat down with. If you were a Gen-x male, Mel Gibson was the closest thing we had to Paul Newman, Steve McQueen and Sean Connery: a guy's guy whom guys wanted to emulate and women wanted to copulate. If you were a guy who liked girls, the math in the previous equation was pretty simple: be like Mel. Sadly, Gibson's life has taken a very public turn for the worse in the last decade, since his personal legal and troubles stemming from a 2006 DUI arrest in Malibu were made public, one from which his image has yet to fully recover. It was an unfortunate fall from grace for a guy who literally had Hollywood, and the world, in the palm of his hand after sweeping the 1995 Oscars with his box office smash "Braveheart.

Our look at underappreciated films of the 80s continues, as we head back to 1988...

Either in terms of ticket sales or critical acclaim, 1988 was dominated by the likes of Rain Man, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Coming To America. It was the year Bruce Willis made the jump from TV to action star with Die Hard, and became a star in the process.

It was the year Leslie Nielsen made his own jump from the small to silver screen with Police Squad spin-off The Naked Gun, which sparked a hugely popular franchise of its own. Elsewhere, the eccentric Tim Burton scored one of the biggest hits of the year with Beetlejuice, the success of which would result in the birth of Batman a year later. And then there was Tom Cruise, who managed to make a drama about a student-turned-barman into a $170m hit, back when $170m was still an...

Nineteenth-century Italian violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini was rumored to have made a Faustian pact in order to play like the devil, though the flexibility that enabled him to cover three octaves across four strings with one hand was more likely a side effect of a genetic connective-tissue disorder. Bernard Rose's elegantly staged but tonally flat biopic embraces the myth, even underscoring Paganini's rising fame, scandalous hedonism, and womanizing as an anachronistic form of rock-star fantasy. (It's like a humorless take on Ken Russell's Lisztomania, and who wants that?) Unlike the writer-director's 1994 success Immortal Beloved — owned by Gary Oldman's chameleonic transformation as Beethoven — Rose's cult-of-personality approach here suffers...

One of the newest movie stars is a professional violinist! Violinist superstar David Garrett is starring in “The Devil’s Violinist,” coming to theaters and VOD Jan. 9. The film also stars Jared Harris (“Lincoln,” “Mad Men”), Christian McKay (“Rush”) and Joley Richardson (“Nip/Tuck”) and is directed by Bernard Rose (“Immortal Beloved”). The film focuses on a virtuoso who is constantly surrounded by scandal amid his fame. In 1830, violin virtuoso and notorious womanizer Niccolò Paganini (David Garrett) is at the peak of his career, acclaimed throughout Europe. His name alone suggests countless affairs and scandals – which is exactly what his manager Urbani (Jared Harris) is doing his utmost to [ Read More ]

The post The Devil’s Violinist Coming to Theaters and VOD Jan. 30 appeared first on Shockya.com.

Snagging a special mention after a premiere in Un Certain Regard at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival (where it received a commendation from the Ecumenical jury), actress Valeria Golino’s directorial debut Honey played to generally warm reception and even snagged seven David di Donatello Award nods (but went home empty handed). A limited theatrical in the Us in March of 2014 didn’t seem to attract much of a response, unfortunate considering Golino has made quite an expressive and enjoyable film, perhaps lost in a sea of strong titles coming out of Italy over the past two years that seem to have saturated conversation.

Golino hinges an intriguing character study around the thorny topic of euthanasia, with her directorial debut. Jasmine Trinca stars as an assisted suicide activist, a beautiful harbinger of oblivion, and it would seem that death certainly becomes her in this meditative tale that avoids polemics in favor of self-discovery and exploration.

Filmmakers have been obsessed with Frankenstein since James Whale brought Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel to life and instantly gave birth to an iconic monster franchise that remains a major priority for Universal. It’s one of the most important public domain properties in fiction, but reanimating the Green Guy into a worthy anti-hero isn’t easy. Everyone from Kenneth Branagh, Robert De Niro and Aaron Eckhart have discovered you need more than neck bolts to spark a good movie. The futility hasn’t stopped Candyman and Immortal Beloved director Bernard Rose, who’s returning to horror filmmaking with his own modern take on the Frankenstein legend. He shot his in downtown Los Angeles, with Xavier Samuel, Carrie-Anne Moss, Danny Huston, and Tony Todd starring in a Frankenfilm set against the backdrop of the contemporary 3D bio-printing revolution. “They’re already 3D-printing organs, so to actually print an entire human being...

Actor Xavier Samuel has already been a vampire in the Twilight series, and now he.s set to add another iconic horror monster role to his resume when he headlines a newly announced updating of Mary Shelley.s classic tale of terror, Frankenstein. Candyman helmer Bernard Rose (who also gave us the Beethoven biopic Immortal Beloved) will helm the new feature, which he also wrote, according to a report featured over at Deadline. Rose.s version of the well-worn tale will bring Frankenstein and his monster to Los Angeles, in modern times, with a husband-and-wife scientist team (Carrie-Anne Moss and Danny Huston) creating the creature, who finds nothing but violence and rage directed toward him from the outside world. The article goes on to add that Rose will reunite with Candyman star Tony Todd, but his role has yet to be revealed. Eclectic Pictures is guiding the update through the...

Whether or not you agree with his recent comments in Playboy, there's no denying Gary Oldman is one of the great actors of our time.

Ever since breaking out in 1986's "Sid and Nancy" as the self-destructing Sex Pistol Sid Vicious, Oldman has transformed himself from one role to the next. A true chameleon, the actor changes his voice for every part and is nearly unrecognizable in films like "True Romance" (1993) and "The Contender" (2000). Despite his enormous influence among fellow actors, Oldman shuns the spotlight and has only once been nominated for an Oscar. Oldman turns in yet another stirring performance (despite limited screen time) in this summer's "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes".

From his famous ex-wife to his rejection from a prestigious drama school, here are 27 things you probably don't know about Gary Oldman.

1. Gary Oldman was born on March 21, 1958 in London, England to Kathleen Cheriton and Leonard Bertram Oldman.

Still trying to atone for his sins, Gary Oldman appeared on “ Jimmy Kimmel Live” last night (June 25) and ended up saying he’s sorry for his comments about Jews in his chat with Playboy magazine.

The “Immortal Beloved” actor explained, "It was an article I did with Playboy and I said some things that were poorly considered."

"Once I saw it in print, I saw that it was insensitive, pernicious and ill-informed. I am a public figure, I should be an example and inspiration and I am an a*shole. I am 56. I should know better. I extend my apology and my love and best wishes to my fan base."

Gary also noted, “Words have meaning and they carry weight. And they carry on long after you've said them. I don't condone or excuse the words that I used in any context. I just basically shouldn't have used them, but...

Helps the Medicine Go Down: Golino’s Winning, Striking Debut

Actress Valeria Golino hinges an intriguing character study around the thorny topic of euthanasia, with her directorial debut, Honey. Jasmine Trinca stars as an assisted suicide activist, a beautiful harbinger of oblivion, and it would seem that death certainly becomes her in this meditative tale that avoids polemics in favor of self-discovery and exploration. Light in narrative events, choosing to focus instead on her protagonist’s work interactions, which are always conveyed with a muted, yet respectful empathy, Golino’s film is an adept and engrossing debut, enhanced by a hypnotizing soundtrack and striking visuals.

Irene (Jasmine Trinca), masquerades as Honey, an operative in a secret ring of professionals that specialize in assisted suicide with terminally ill patients. She gets her assignments from her ex-lover (Libero Di Rienzo), a hospital physician. It’s Irene/Honey’s job to meet with...

Interview Ryan Lambie 7 Feb 2014 - 06:09

We talk to Gary Oldman about his role in RoboCop, his thoughts on the original, politics, and refusing to play a villain in Batman Begins...

Gary Oldman: quite possibly the finest actor of his generation. A charismatic force of nature, capable of blazing through the screen as a central villain (like killer cop Norman Stansfield in Leon), or even in relatively small roles, like the bizarre Drexl Spivey in True Romance. Then there are the stunning character portrayals, like Sid Vicious in Sid & Nancy, or Beethoven in Immortal Beloved, or the troubled Jackie Flannery in the little-seen but wonderful State Of Grace.

Typecast for a time, at least in Hollywood, as the go-to villain type - see Air Force One, The Fifth Element or Lost In Space to name three - Oldman has since, as he puts it, "turned the ship around", and...

Currently making headlines for having one of her Sephora lipstick varieties yanked from shelves due to complaints over its name, this Los Angeles-based tattoo artist shot to fame through her TLC reality show La Ink. Here are five things you may not know about Kat Von D.

1. Born Katherine von Drachenberg on March 8, 1982 in Nuevo Leon, Mexico -- her parents are both Argentinean.

Pics: Star Sightings

2. The first tattoo she ever gave was at age 14 on a friend -- a depiction of the skull logo for the punk band Misfits. She used a homemade ink machine rigged up with a cassette player motor and  guitar string to draw the tattoo.

3. Her favorite band is Motley Crue and she likes the group's song Starry Eyes best.

Related: Kat Von D Accepts Bizarre Twitter Proposal

4. Has always been obsessed with the music of classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven and has been playing classical piano herself since age seven.

5. Among...

There’s no reason or logic in this found-footage yawner, and nothing rises to the level of even adolescent notions of sexy-scary. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Ever been forced to watch the video vomit of someone who’s been fooling around with his camcorder in what he thinks is a clever and original way? But it’s really just disjointed garbage? With some oops-he-“forgot”-it-was-there “naughty” sexytime he taped with his girlfriend? Yup, that’s what watching Sx_Tape feels like. Artist Jill (Caitlyn Folley: Happy Endings) is scouting out an abandoned Los Angeles hospital with her boyfriend, Adam (Ian Duncan: The Mists of Avalon) — though he’s mostly behind the camera of this found-footage yawner, so we barely see him — as a potential venue for a showing of her work. (This...

Odd List Ryan Lambie Simon Brew 17 Oct 2013 - 06:29

Here are 25 more great, unsung films - this time, from the year 1994...

Yes, 1994. The year cinemas were dominated by such whimsical wonders as The Lion King, Forrest Gump, The Mask and, erm, True Lies. It was also the year Gump dominated the Academy Awards, and Four Weddings And A Funeral loomed large at the Baftas.

As ever, there was so much more to the year's cinematic landscape than Tom Hanks' park bench ramblings or Hugh Grant mithering from beneath his gorgously crafted hair. To prove it, here's a list of 25 films that, in our estimation, are among its most underappreciated. There's much horror, drama, tears and laughter, plus a couple of classic documentaries, too.

25. Phantasm III: Lord Of The Dead

The Phantasm series was quite unusual, in that writer and director Don Coscarelli made all four of them. This means that,...

Continuing our daily countdown, here is the second installment out of 30, in the list of the 300 Greatest Films Ever Made. These are numbers 290-281.

290) Immortal Beloved (1990) Bernard Rose USA

 

289) The Kid (1921) Charlie Chaplin USA Silent

 

288) Up (2009) Peter Doctor/Bob Peterson USA Animated

 

287) The Last Emperor (1987) Bernardo Bertolucci Italian/British/Chinese

 

286) Lolita (1962) Stanley Kubrick British

 

285) The Informer (1935) John Ford USA

 

284) McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) Robert Altman USA

 

283) Mystic River (2003) Clint Eastwood USA

 

282) The Lady Vanishes (1938) Alfred Hitchcock British

 

281) Young Frankenstein (1974) Mel Brooks USA

280-271 coming next.

film cultureClassics300list...

His Ivansxtc was a searing indictment of Hollywood. Now Bernard Rose has adapted another Tolstoy story – and turned it into an indictment of capitalist America

Ten years ago, Bernard Rose proclaimed that digital technology would change the face of movie-making, and he made a film to prove it. Ivansxtc, released in 2000, wasn't just a calling card for digital cinema: it was also Rose's goodbye card to the industry that had previously shackled him – a scathing critique of Hollywood rendered in a new, raw aesthetic.

Ivansxtc chronicled the final days of a Hollywood agent, played by Danny Huston and based on Rose's real-life agent, Jay Moloney, a cocaine-addicted golden boy who killed himself in 1999, aged 35. Faced with death, Huston consoles himself with drugs and prostitutes, while his colleagues treat his impending exit as an inconvenience and an opportunity. The film is a glorious mix of sleaze and grace, a tragedy and...

Bunnies have a long and distinguished track record on film. Help us to identify their bounciest moments in the headlights

This week's clip joint is by Declan McKenna, who blogs at www.thefastpictureshow.com.

When it comes to animals on the big screen, people always rave about the cute, funny ones, like the puppies and kittens, or the wild, exotic ones, like the elephants and komodo dragons. However, these species tend to be typecast in movies and few display the versatility exhibited by the humble rabbit. There is no film genre the rabbit is not comfortable in, and this willingness to push new acting boundaries has resulted in a long and distinguished track record in cinema. To illustrate their range, this clip joint intends to give selected rabbits their moment in the headlights. So, be vewwy, vewwy quiet as we hunt down a few of my favourite bunny moments on film.

Full credit for this concept belongs to Mark Kermode…

Given the law of averages, it’s fairly common that as film fans we’re far more likely to run into a stinker than we are a new classic, or worse still a underwhelming slice of anti-climax that promised so much more. Quite often that leaves us deciphering a mess and hanging on to small morsels of consolation from an ultimately wasted couple of hours.

The end result of this is that you, on occasion, may stumble across a disproportionately good turn from the only actor in the movie who seemed to be taking their work seriously. You could make a legitimate claim that this is far more worthy than excellent acting in Oscar bait, but such feats are so often ignored and dismissed along with its mediocre surround.

Here is a run down of ten such performances, a rare moment...

Joely Richardson is in negotiations to join Paganini – The Devil’s Violinist, in which violin star David Garrett is set to make his acting debut as Niccolo Paganini. Richardson would play Ethel Langham, a journalist who played a significant role in the 19th century violinist and composer's career. Photos: Cannes Film Festival: Veterans Ready to Return to the Croisette Bernard Rose (Immortal Beloved, Anna Karenina) is writing and directing the film, which will be produced by Summerstorm Entertainment, a subsidiary of Christian Angermayer’s Film House Germany, along with co-producers Bavaria Media Italia and Dor Film. The producers are Gabriela

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Reviewer: James van Maanen

Ratings (out of five): ***

The Kreutzer Sonata, directed and co-written (with Lisa Enos) by Bernard Rose tracks the journey of a jealous husband's relationship with his pianist wife. A modern adaptation of a Tolstoy novella, the film has a number of good things to warrant a recommendation. The movie leaves all credit information, save its title, to the end, a fact I was grateful for when I finished considering the quality of the director's previous works (Paperhouse, Candyman, Immortal Beloved and Anna Karenina). Yet, it is my second favorite of his films I've seen so far (his most recent work, Mr. Nice with Rhys Ifans, is even better). ...

Gary Oldman gave a subdued but memorable performance in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." He may not have gotten love from the Golden Globe folks nor the Screen Actors Guild, but he's being honored at the upcoming Palm Springs International Film Festival where he is set to receive the International Star Award. The International Star Award recognizes an actor or actress who has achieved both critical and commercial international recognition throughout their body of work. The Awards Gala will be Saturday, January 7 at the Palm Springs Convention Center, yup, my hood!

I will be posting my interview with Oldman for "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" very soon, hang tight! For now, here's the full press release:

Palm Springs, CA (December 16, 2011) . The 23rd annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will present Gary Oldman with the International Star Award. The International Star Award recognizes an actor or actress who has achieved both critical...

Still waters run deep. That's the secret behind John LeCarre's master British spy George Smiley as played by Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." The role marks a sharp turn from wild and crazy character actor ("Dracula," "The Professional," "Air Force One," "Immortal Beloved," "Sid & Nancy" "True Romance") to heroic leading man. "It's a lovely change of pace," Oldman says. When he arrived at the "Tinker Tailor soldier Spy" set he'd ask, "Am I sitting down in this scene?" Christopher Nolan was part of the move away from villains, casting Oldman as loyal Gotham...

In late October, we reported that Warner Bros. Pictures was looking to snag Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight Rises) the play Colonel Shikishima aka The Colonel in the Jaume Collet-Serra- directed live-action adaptation of the Japanese graphic novel Akira.

Not only does Oldman have his pick of that role, but Deadline reports that Warner Bros is also hoping he’ll accept the role of Merlin in Arthur & Lancelot, a film that will be directed by David Dobkin using his own script. No casting confirmations to report as of yet but the studio is keen on Joel Kinnaman (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Killing) to play Lancelot and will begin testing actors for the part of Arthur.

[The Shakedown]

I’ve been a fan of Gary Oldman’s for years. His ability to transform into any character is absolutely astounding and it is really unbelievable that he has not been...

Release Date: Oct. 11, 2011

Price: DVD $27.98, Blu-ray $23.98

Studio: Mpi

Rhys Ifans is Howard Marks, one of Britain’s biggest marijuana smugglers, in Mr. Nice.

The story of Howard Marks – a real-life cult figure who achieved notoriety as one of Britain’s biggest marijuana smugglers – is recounted in the 2010 comedy-drama film Mr. Nice, written and directed by Bernard Rose (Immortal Beloved).

Set against the hip, colorful backdrop of England in the 1970s and 1980s, the movie stars Rhys Ifans (Pirate Radio) as Marks, whose legacy as an international hashish trader was elevated by stints as a spy for the British government, his involvement with an unhinged Ira operative (David Thewlis, Naked), and his eventual 25-year prison sentence.

Mr. Nice also stars Chloe Sevigny (Barry Munday) and Crispin Glover (Hot Tub Time Machine) and offers an era-appropriate soundtrack featuring such artists as John Lennon and Deep Purple.

The biographical movie enjoyed a rollout...

Mr. Nice is an odd film. An odd film, but also ultimately, mostly boring. Written and directed by the talented, eclectic filmmaker Bernard Rose (Immortal Beloved, Candyman), this film falls shy of what I believe the film could have achieved. Mr. Nice is the adult life story of Howard Marks, a British dope smuggler, based on Marks. autobiography.

Rhys Ifans (Greenberg, Pirate Radio) plays Howard Marks, operating within the elite sector of the drug trade, but gets in his own way as a dealer due to his own habitual use and relative ignorance. Despite being based on a true story, Mr. Nice plays more like a low-key farce. The film isn.t riddled with laughter-inducing moments, but I found myself constantly thinking this is too strange to be true, but we all know what they say about truth being stranger than fiction. Unfortunately, strange does not allows equate to interesting.

Bernard Rose joins the guru stable, bringing with him the trailer to Pasolini’s The Decameron.

Nine 14th-century scatological stories from Boccaccio’s Decameron form the basis of the first entry in Pier Paolo Pasolini’s “Trilogy of Life”, followed by The Canterbury Tales and Arabian Nights. Trailers from Hell welcomes filmmaker Bernard Rose to its guru ranks with his thoughts about this typically eye catching Alberto Grimaldi production, complete with Morricone score.

Click here to watch the trailer.

First off, a big welcome to our newest guru, Bernard Rose, who was one of the pioneering music video directors in the early days of MTV shooting “Relax” for Frankie Goes To Hollywood, and “Red Red Wine” for UB40. Rose’s feature credits as writer and director include

Paperhouse Candyman Immortal Beloved Anna Karenina Ivans Xtc The Kreutzer Sonata Mr Nice and, most recently, Two Jacks.

So, yeah, there’s that.