Editor of FILMdetail
Director Ridley Scott gives a Searchlab Lecture courtesy of Fox Searchlight in which he talks in depth about about his career and films.
I think it is from 2003, and you can watch the other three parts below:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4:
> Ridley Scott at the IMDb
> More Fox Searchlab Lectures
Here are the current top films at the UK box office with the totals from the weekend.
Position / Film / Distributor / Weeks on release / Weekend Total / Total UK Box Office til 14th September
1. Pineapple Express / Sony / 1 / £1,372,911 / £1,372,911
2. Mamma Mia! / Universal / 10 / £1,059,102 / £60,141,174
3. Rocknrolla / Warner Bros / 2 / £910,485 / £3,366,079
4. The Women / Entertainment / 1 / £865,310 / £865,310
5. The Duchess / Pathe / 2 / £844,020 / £3,454,610
6. Step Brothers / Sony / 3 / £625,575 / £5,245,671
7. Disaster Movie / Momentum / 2 / £589,012 / £1,768,706
8. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas / Disney / 1 / £513,653 / £513,653
9. The Strangers / Universal / 3 / £407,301 / £3,634,258
10. The Dark Knight / Warner Bros / 8 / £355,239 / £47,641,230
11. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army / Universal / 4 / £222,807 / £7,199,409
12. Eden Lake / Optimum / 1 / £192,027 / £192,027
13. WALL-E / Disney / 9 / £158,064 / £22,229,636
14. Get Smart / Warner Bros / 4 / £153,933 / £4,621,510
15. Wild Child / Universal / 5 / £133,671 / £4,875,596
Source: FDA / Nielsen EDI
Comedian and actress Tina Fey already bore a resemblance to Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, but in this recent Saturday Night Live sketch, the likeness is really quite uncanny.
> Tina Fey at the IMDb
> Find out more about Sarah Palin at Wikipedia
Lethal Weapon 2 was released in the UK on this day (September 15th) back in 1989.
For some reason it has always stuck in my head as a date to remember and I’m not sure why exactly.
1989 was a special year for me as it was when I first got into seeing films in a big way – even now I can remember quite clearly what was released that year – and when I saw the trailer for this sequel it seemed to embody the excitment and magic of going to cinema.
Perhaps part of why I remember the release so well is that it was a 15 certificate and I regret not sneaking in as a 12 year old, but I just didn’t have the courage to try (even though I had already done so before then).
> Lethal Weapon 2 at the IMDb
> Find out more about the films of 1989 at Wikipedia
DVD PICKS
Cool Hand Luke (Warner Home Video): One of Paul Newman‘s most iconic roles was as the lead character in this 1967 prison drama, directed by Stuart Rosenberg. He plays Lucas ‘Luke’ Jackson, a prisoner in a Southern chain gang, who stands up to authority by repeatedly escaping. In the process he becomes a hero to his fellow inmates but also attracts harsher punishments by the sadistic guards. This new special edition from Warner Bros is newly remastered and contains some new featurettes, including: ‘The Making of Cool Hand Luke’; a profile of Donn Pearce – the novelist, co-screenwriter and real life inspiration for Luke – and an audio commentary by Paul Newman’s biographer Eric Lax. [Cert 15]
Basic Instinct (Optimum): This erotic thriller about a San Francisco cop (Michael Douglas) who falls for the chief suspect (Sharon Stone) in a murder case caused considerable outcry when it got released back in 1992. It was probably the most sexually explicit mainstream film up to that point and also provoked protests from the gay community during the actual filming, due to the perceived depiction of certain characters. Revisiting it now, it looks a little dated but there is still something trashily enjoyable about it – even if it remains less interesting than some of director Paul Verhoeven‘s other films. This DVD re-release contains a decent behind the scenes featurette plus an interesting audio commentary from Camille Paglia, who is a huge fan of the film.
Shotgun Stories (Vertigo Films): A highly impressive US indie about the conflict that breaks out between two sets of half-brothers in rural Arkansas after the death of their father. It has a brooding atmosphere of tension and violence that is expertly teased out by writer and director Jeff Nichols and it also contains a raft of fine acting from the likes of Douglas Ligon, Glenda Pannell and Barlow Jacobs with Michael Shannon especially fine in a key role. David Gordon Green served as a producer and it bears some stylistic similarities to his early work, notably George Washington and Undertow.
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ALSO OUT
Dante 01 (Momentum): A futuristic sci-fi horror with Lambert Wilson playing the sole survivor of an alien encounter who is charged with the murder of his entire crew and sentenced to a life of medical trials onboard Dante 01 – a psychiatric space prison.
Deceit (Optimum): A TV movie about a man (Matt Long) returns to his hometown after his father’s death and soon enters into an affair with the wife (Emmanuelle Chriqui) of his old best friend (Luke Mably).
Doc (Optimum): The 1971 film version of the western heroes, Doc Holliday (Stacy Keach) and Wyatt Eart (Harris Yulin), set during the 1880s.
Doctor Who: Four to Doomsday (2 Entertain): Although this was the 2nd episode to be broadcast starring Peter Davison as the Doctor, it was the first to be recorded with him in the role. It is a four parter by Terence Dudley which sees the time lord and his companions Nyssa, Tegan and Adric (Sarah Sutton, Janet Fielding and Matthew Waterhouse) battling the Urbankans whose leader Monarch (Stratford Johns) believes he is the divine creator of the entire universe.
ER – Season 12 (Warner): The 12th season of the popular medical series sees plotlines involving a severe flooding of diverse patients, a baby involved in a suspicious car crash with her mother, a heart-attack victim visited by his sex-therapist and a comatose woman who suddenly awakes
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Universal): The latest comedy from the team behind ‘Knocked Up’ and ‘The 40 Year Old Virgin’ follows a struggling musician (Jason Segel) who is dumped by his long-term girlfriend, TV star Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). When he goes to Hawaii to escape the torment he finds that Sarah is at the exact same resort with her new boyfriend, the wildly successful rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand).
Foyle’s War: The Complete Series 1-5 (Acorn Media): Created by scriptwriter and novelist Anthony Horowitz, this mammoth 19-disc set features every investigation ever undertaken by Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle in one collection.
Full of It (Optimum): A comedy a young boy at a new school is forced to live out the lies he told to become popular.
Ghost In The Shell: SAC Trilogy Box Set (Manga): A four-disc set which brings together the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex OVAs – ‘The Laughing Man’ and ‘Individual Eleven’ alongside the double-disc edition of the third “Ghost in the Shell” feature film, ‘Solid State Society’.
Grey’s Anatomy – Season 3 (Disney): The third season of the hit medical drama based in Seattle, starring Ellen Pompeo (Meredith Grey), Patrick Dempsey (Derek Shepherd), Katherine Heigl (Izzie Stevens), Sandra Oh (Cristina Yang), T.R. Knight (George O’Malley) and Isaiah Washington (Preston Burke).
Legend of the Lost (Optimum): Adventure film with Rossano Brazzi as a man who arrives in Timbuctoo in search of a guide to help him cross the Sahara in search of a lost city. John Wayne plays his guide but the two clash when when they come across a slave girl named Dita (Sophia Loren).
Man of the West (Optimum): Gary Cooper plays a former outlaw now gone straight, who makes the acquaintance of card shark (Arthur O’Connell) and shapely dance-hall singer (Julie London) whilst travelling on a train with $1600 in his possession to find a new schoolteacher for his pioneer town. When the train is held up by his Uncle Tobin (Lee J Cobb) and other members of his former gang, the three are taken hostage and left behind when the trains resumes it’s journey.
Outpost (Sony): Set in war-torn Eastern Europe, a band of mercenaries undertake a dangerous mission that leads them to a disused military bunker, where they discover a terrifying secret that has laid buried for half a century.
Roger Corman: The Collection (Optimum): Six Corman films (with four making their UK DVD premiere) are included in this set. They are: Five Guns West, Gunslinger, Haunted Palace, Premature Burial, Masque of the Red Death and Wild Angels.
Smart People (Icon): Directed by Noam Murro and scripted by novelist Mark Poirier, this comedy about a dysfunctional family stars Dennis Quaid, Ellen Page, Thomas Haden Church and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Soldier Blue (Optimum): A controversial western which follows the adventures of Honus (Peter Strauss) and Cresta (Candice Bergen), the only remaining survivors of a Cheyenne Indian attack, as they journey across the unforgiving wilderness of the old west in search of refuge.
Terror in a Texas Town (Optimum): When a local businessman (Sebastian Cabot) ruthlessly kills a local landowner, the victim’s son (Sterling Hayden) heads out to avenge the killing, armed only with a harpoon.
The Air I Breathe (Pathe): Directed by Jieho Lee and starring Forest Whitaker, Andy Garcia, Kevin Bacon, Julie Delpy, Brendan Fraser and Sarah Michelle Gellar, this film centres on the ancient Chinese proverb of Happiness, Pleasure, Sorrow and Love, and sees the lives of four previously unconnected individuals weaved together by a crime boss (Andy Garcia).
The Barbara Taylor Bradford Collection (Acorn Media): A six-disc set collects together five film adaptations of the successful novelist’s best-loved books, Voice of the Heart, Act of Will, To Be The Best, Hold the Dream and her first ever novel, A Woman of Substance.
The Day of the Outlaw (Optimum): Burl Ives stars as the head of a gang who ride in to a Wyoming town where he meets two local ranchers (Robert Ryan and Alan Marshal) locked in a dispute supposedly about territory, but in reality more about a woman (Tina Louise).
The Flying Doctors – Series 1: Volume 1 (Freemantle): Set in the Australian Outback this medical drama series follows the trials of The Royal Flying Doctor Service – the pilots and nurses covering thousands of miles of rough country.
The Spikes Gang (Optimum): Three Texan farm boys run away in search of adventure and decide to emulate their hero Harry Spikes (Lee Marvin), a bank robber. Harry boasts to them of his exploits but it soon becomes apparent that Harry has had more bad days than good and his life seems doomed to failure. The question is, will he drag the boys down with him? Also stars a young Ron Howard.
Three and Out (Worldwide Bonus Entertainment PLC): British comedy starring Mackenzie Crook, Colm Meaney and Gemma Arterton, that provoked protests from tube drivers earlier this year.
Tin Man (Brightspark): DVD release of director Nick Willing’s TV series that reimagined The Wizard of Oz, starring Zooey Deschanel, Richard Dreyfuss, Alan Cumming, Neal McDonough, Kathleen Robertson, Raoul Trujillo and Anna Galvin.
XXY (Peccadillo Pictures): The debut of Argentinean writer/director Lucia Puenzo is this drama set in Uruguay about an intersex child, Alex (Ines Efron) who was born with physical characteristics that don’t fit the definition of male or female.
Young Billy Young (Optimum): Robert Mitchum stars in this Western as a man haunted by the memory of his dead son, murdered in Dodge City by a man named Frank Boone (John Anderson), for whom he has been searching ever since. Also starring Angie Dickinson and David Carradine.
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If you have any questions about this week’s DVD releases or any upcoming titles then just email me or leave a comment below.
> Buy Cool Hand Luke, Basic Instinct or Shotgun Stories on DVD at Amazon UK
> Browse more DVD Releases at Amazon UK and Play
> Check the latest DVD prices at DVD Price Check
> Take a look at the current UK cinema releases (W/C Friday 12th September)
1. UK Cinema Releases: September 2008
2. Quantum of Solace – New release date and synopsis
3. Final Trailer: Quantum of Solace
4. Interview: Stephen Morris on Joy Division
5. London Film Festival 2008: Lineup Announced
6. Cannes 2008 Reactions: Linha De Passe
7. Thudercats movie in the works
8. UK DVD Releases: Monday 1st September 2008
9. UK DVD Releases: Monday 8th September 2008
10. The Most Useful Movie Websites 2.0
Stats courtesy of Google Analytics
This week saw the UK release of the horror movie Eden Lake, which stars Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender as a couple who are terrorised by a gang of youths in a remote country location.
I recently spoke to the director James Watkins and we discussed various aspects of the movie and the different challenges in bringing it to the screen.
Listen to the interview here:
[audio:http://filmdetail.receptionmedia.com/James_Watkins_on_Eden_Lake.mp3]You can also download it as a podcast via iTunes by clicking here.
Eden Lake is out now at UK cinemas
> Download this interview as an MP3 file
> James Watkins at the IMDb
> Official UK site and IMDb entry for Eden Lake
Claudette Colbert was born on this date in 1903, so above is an AFI tribute to her work as an actress.
> Find out more about Claudette Colbert at Wikipedia
> It Happened One Night at the IMDb
This week sees the release of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, a film dealing with the Holocaust from the perspective of two boys who befriend each other across the fence of a Nazi prison camp.
I recently spoke to the director Mark Herman about the film and the author John Boyne who wrote the original novel.
Listen to the interviews here:
[audio:http://filmdetail.receptionmedia.com/Mark_Herman_and_John_Boyne_on_The_Boy_in_the_Striped_Pyjamas.mp3]You can also download it as a podcast via iTunes by clicking here.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas opens today at UK cinemas
> Download this interview as an MP3 file
> Mark Herman at the IMDb
> John Boyne’s official site and blog
> Official UK site and IMDb entry for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
This week on the review podcast we take a look at Pineapple Express and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
Listen here:
[audio:https://www.filmdetail.com/podcast/get.php?fla=podcast-2008-09-12-28953.mp3]Download and subscribe to the review podcast via iTunes by clicking here
> Download this review as an MP3 file
> Pineapple Express and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and at the IMDb
> Get showtimes for these films at your local cinema via Google Movies
NATIONAL RELEASES
Pineapple Express (Sony): After doing impressive late summer business at the US box office, this comedy about two pot-smoking slackers (Seth Rogen and James Franco) who go on the run, Sony should be confident of similar success over here. Directed by David Gordon Green (a big change of pace for him after films like George Washington and All The Real Girls), co-written by Rogen and produced by Judd Apatow it is an amusing caper. It isn’t quite as laugh out loud funny as previous Apatow productions like Superbad and Knocked Up, but there is enough action and gags to create good word of mouth and a decent chance of the Number 1 slot this weekend. [Cert 15]
* Listen to our interview with Seth Rogen and James Franco about Pineapple Express *
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (Disney): This brave and moving adaptation of John Boyne’s best selling novel about the friendship between two boys during the Holocaust is a really difficult sell for Disney. Although readers of the book will be keen to see it, the dark subject matter and the centrality of children to the story might put audiences off. But it is a film sure to provoke discussion as the direction by Mark Herman (who also made Brassed Off and Little Voice) is both thoughtful and sensitive, plus there are fine performances from David Thewlis and Vera Farmiga. Special praise should also go to Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon, the two young actors in the lead roles. [Cert 12A]
* Listen to our interview with Mark Herman and John Boyne about The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas *
Eden Lake (Optimum): A British horror movie about a young couple (Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender) on a romantic break at a remote lake who are terrorised by a gang of violent youths. Given the spate of gory horrors in recent years, the genre may be reaching the burnt out point sometime soon (Saw V is out next month) but there still seems to be an appetite for fare like this. Directed by James Watkins, who co-wrote My Little Eye, it’s real success may lie on DVD and ancillary markets rather than the initial cinema run. [Cert 18]
The Women (Entertainment): A remake the 1939 George Cukor film (which was based on the 1936 play by Clare Boothe Luce) about a New York clothing designer (Meg Ryan) who leaves her cheating husband and bonds with other society women at a resort. Co-starring Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing and Jada Pinkett Smith, Entertainment will be hoping for the Sex and the City crowd to dutifully turn up for more consumerist chick-flick action. Although the marketing of this film has felt a little muted, it should still do respectable box office numbers. [Cert 12]
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IN SELECTED RELEASE
Ashes Of Time Redux (Artificial Eye): A re-release of the 1994 film directed by Wong Kar-wai, based loosely on four characters from the Louis Cha novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes. [Cert 15 / Showing at Curzon Soho, Renoir Cinema & selected Key Cities]
Eraserhead (Scanbox Entertainment): Director David Lynch‘s startling 1977 surrealist–horror film starring Jack Nance and Charlotte Stewart gets a re-release at the ICA in London. [Cert 18 /Showing at the ICA Cinema in London]
Heavy Metal In Baghdad (Slingshot Studios): Filmed in the summer of 2006, this documentary by Eddy Moretti and Suroosh Alvi tells the story of Acrassicauda – the only heavy metal band in Iraq and explores thelives of the band members have been affected by years of continual warfare. [Cert 15 / Showing at the ICA Cinema & Key Cities]
Jar City (The Works): A police-procedural thriller from Iceland directed by Baltasar Kormákur, about a detective (Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson) investigating the brutal murder of a sinister loner. [Cert 15 / Showing at Curzon Soho, Odeon Covent Gdn, Ritzy & Key Cities]
Partition (Soda Pictures): Vic Sarin directs this tale of forbidden love set in 1947 against the backdrop of the partition of India. Stars starring Jimi Mistry, Neve Campbell and Kristin Kreuk [Showing in Key Cities]
The Romance Of Astrea And Celadon (Artificial Eye): Veteran director Eric Rohmer‘s adaptation of the 1607 pastoral fantasy by Honoré d’Urfe about a lovelorn shepherd in fifth-century Gaul. [Cert 12A /Showing at BFI Southbank & selected Key Cities]
Sydney White (Universal): Amanda Bynes, Sara Paxton, and Matt Long star in this modern day update of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. [Showing at Vues Cheshire Oaks, Edinburgh, Plymouth, Portsmouth & Romford]
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If you have any questions about this week’s cinema releases or any upcoming titles then just email me or leave a comment below.
> Get local showtimes via Google Movies (just enter your local postcode)
> Find out about films showing near you at MyFilms
> Check out the DVD releases for this week (W/C Monday 8th September)
We have a couple of CD soundtracks of The Wackness to give away this week, which features the following tracks:
To be in with a chance of winning just answer this simple question:
In which year is The Wackness set?
Leave your answers in the comments below or email them to [email protected]
The competition is open til midnight next Thursday and the two winners will be notified next Friday.
Matt Damon discusses Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas opens in the UK this Friday
> The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas at the IMDb
> Find out more about the book by John Boyne at Wikipedia
This week sees the UK release of Pineapple Express, a comedy about two pot-smoking slackers who go on the run after one of them witnesses a murder.
I recently spoke to Seth Rogen and James Franco, the two lead actors in the film, and we discussed various aspects of the movie as well as other projects they have recently been involved in.
Listen to the interview here:
[audio:http://filmdetail.receptionmedia.com/Seth_Rogen_and_James_Franco_on_Pineapple_Express.mp3]You can also download it as a podcast via iTunes by clicking here.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army is out now at UK cinemas
> Download this interview as an MP3 file
> Seth Rogen and James Franco at the IMDb
> Official UK site and IMDb entry for Pineapple Express
> Reviews at Metacritic
[All images © 2008 / Sony Pictures]
The full lineup for the 52nd London Film Festival has been announced.
Amongst the highlights are Frost/Nixon, Slumdog Millionaire, W., Quantum of Solace, The Class, Che (in two parts), Waltz With Bashir and Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
GALA SCREENINGS
Frost/Nixon (Opening Film): Ron Howard directs this adaptation of Peter Morgan’s play about the interviews David Frost (Michael Sheen) conducted with the disgraced Richard Nixon in 1977. Morgan adapted his own play and this could well be a heavyweight awards contender if it is anything like the highly acclaimed play.
W. (The Times Gala): Oliver Stone’s political biopic of George W. Bush which sees Josh Brolin play the outgoing US president. A highly impressive supporting cast includes Elisabeth Banks, Thandie Newton, Scott Glenn, Richard Dreyfuss, Toby Jones and James Cromwell as the film charts his extraordinary road from the black sheep of the Bush dynasty to the US presidency.
Genova (The Mayor of London Gala): Director Michael Winterbottom’s latest film is about a man (Colin Firth) who relocates to Italy with his two young daughters (Willa Holland and Perla Haney-Jardine) as he comes to terms with a family tragedy.
Waltz With Bashir (Centrepiece Gala): One of the most acclaimed films at Cannes earlier this year was this anti-war documentary. Director Ari Folman which uses animation to explore his own experiences in the Israeli Army during the first Lebanon War. Realising the limits of his own memory, he tracks down and interviews old friends and comrades in a politically charged study of innocence, memory and war.
Quantum of Solace (Film on the Square Gala): The 22nd James Bond film (which easily makes it the longest running franchise in film history) is directed by Marc Forster and sees Daniel Craig return as the legendary secret agent. This film picks up the storyline just one hour after the end of Casino Royale, making this the first direct Bond sequel, as 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal.
The Other Man (Hewlett-Packard Gala): The latest film from award-winning theatre and film director Richard Eyre is about a husband (Liam Neeson) who suspects that his loving wife of 20 years (Laura Linney) may be cheating on him. Antonio Banderas and Romola Garai star in supporting roles
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Sky Gala): Woody Allen’s latest sees him relocate to Catalonia with this tale of two US students Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) both fall for the charms of Latin seducer Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem). Things are further complicated when his tempestuous ex-wife (Penelope Cruz) re-enters the scene.
The Brothers Bloom (American Airlines Gala): Writer-director Rian Johnson (who made the startling debut Brick in 2006) has assembled an impressive cast for a comedic twist on the heist movie. Brothers Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) and Bloom (Adrien Brody) are expert swindlers still searching for the perfect con, who lure an eccentric heiress (Rachel Weisz) into their elaborate scheme.
Easy Virtue (MasterCard Gala): Australian director Stephan Elliott revisits Noel Coward’s social comedy, retaining the 1920s setting, whilst giving it a modern feel. It is about a young aristocrat (Ben Barnes) who impulsively marries a glamorous and sexy American (Jessica Biel), which leads to a culture clash. The ensemble cast also includes Kristin Scott Thomas, Colin Firth and Kris Marshall.
Che [Part 1 & Part 2] (Tiscali Gala): Stephen Soderbergh’s biopic of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara (Benicio del Toro) is screened in two parts. The first chronicles his rise from doctor to successful revolutionary and the second deals with his attempt to orchestrate the great Latin American revolution.
The Class (Sight & Sound Special Screening): The winn er od the Palme D’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival is an adaptation of François Bégaudeau’s novel Entre les Murs, which is based on his experiences working in a school in Paris. Bégaudeau himself plays a committed teacher attempting to reach out to his pupils through language and literature.
Hunger (Time Out Special Screening): Turner Prize-winning artist Steve McQueen ventures into film making with this drama about the 1981 IRA Hunger Strike led by Bobby Sands. Michael Fassbender plays Sands, whilst Stuart Graham and Liam Cunningham star in supporting roles.
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunger S. Thompson (Documentary Gala): ‘Gonzo’ journalist Hunter S. Thompson is the latest subject for documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney, who uses a wealth of archive footage and high-profile interviewees such as Tom Wolfe and Jimmy Carter, to paint a fascinating portrait of the counterculture icon. Johnny Depp (who played Thompson in Terry Gilliam’s adaptation of Fear and Laothing in Las Vegas back in 1998) narrates along with extracts from Thompson’s work.
The Secret of Moonacre (Family Gala): Based on the popular children’s novel The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge, director Gabor Csupo’s latest offering follows Maria Merryweather (Dakota Blue-Richards), an orphan who inherits a book that provides a key to a past world and may answer the riddles of Moonacre Manor. With supporting performances from Ioan Gruffudd and Juliet Stevenson.
Slumdog Millionaire (Closing Night Film): Danny Boyle directs this true life tale of a poor teenager in Mumbai who goes on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in order to find his true love. It has already got rave reviews at the Telluride and Toronto film festivals and looks like an early awards contender.
FILMS ON THE SQUARE
These are the other notable films from around the world that will be screening in cinemas in Leicester Square during the festival.
24 City (Ershisi Cheng Ji) (Dir. Jia Zhangke / China)
Achilles And The Tortoise (Dir. Takeshi Kitano / Japan)
Adoration (Atom Egoyan / Canada)
American Teen (Dir. Nanette Burstein / USA)
Anvil! The Story Of Anvil (Sacha Gervasi / USA)
The Baader Meinhof Complex (Dir. Uli Edel / Germany)
Ballast (Dir. Lance Hammer / USA)
A Christmas Tale (Dir. Arnaud Desplechin / France)
Dean Spanley (Dir. Toa Fraser / UK, New Zealand)
Il Divo (Dir. Paolo Sorrentino / Italy)
Frozen River (Dir. Courtney Hunt / USA)
The Good, The Bad, The Weird (Dir. Kim Jee-Woon / South Korea)
Hamlet 2 (Dir. Andrew Fleming / USA)
Heart Of Fire (Dir. Luigi Falorni / Germany & Austria)
Incendiary (Dir. Sharon Maguire / UK)
Johnny Mad Dog (Dir. Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire / France, Belgium & Liberia)
Lake Tahoe (Dir. Fernando Eimbcke / Mexico)
Let’s Talk About The Rain (Dir. Agnès Jaoui / France)
Lion’s Den (Dir. Pablo Trapero / Argentina)
Nick And Norah’s Infinite Playlist (Dir. Peter Sollett / USA)
Of Time And The City (Dir. Terence Davies / UK)
A Perfect Day (Dir. Ferzan Ozpetek / Italy)
Quiet Chaos (Dir. Antonello Grimaldi / Italy)
Rachel Getting Married (Dir. Jonathan Demme / USA)
Religulous (Dir. Larry Charles / USA)
The Secret Life Of Bees (Dir. Gina Prince–Bythewood / USA)
The Silence Of Lorna (Jean – Pierre & Luc Dardenne / Belgium, France & Italy)
Sugar (Dir. Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck / USA)
Surprise Film
Synecdoche New York (Dir. Charlie Kaufman / USA)
Three Blind Mice (Dir. Matthew Newton / Australia)
Three Monkeys (Dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan / Turkey, France & Italy)
Tokyo! (Dir. Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, Bong Joon–Ho / France, Japan)
Tulpan (Dir. Sergey Dvortsevoy / Russia)
Two Lovers (Dir. James Gray / USA)
Tyson (Dir. James Toback / USA)
The Warlords (Dir. Peter Chan / China)
Wendy & Lucy (Dir. Kelly Reichardt/ USA)
For a full list of films showing at the festival go to the official LFF website.
> The Times report on this year’s lineup
> Official LFF website
> Check out our reports from last year
This is the 1980 short documentary directed by Les Blank which shows director Werner Herzog living up to his promise that he would eat his shoe if Errol Morris ever completed his 1978 film Gates of Heaven.
> Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe at the IMDb
> Find out more about Werner Herzog and Errol Morris at Wikipedia
The final theatrical trailer for the new Bond movie Quantum of Solace.
(If this video doesn’t work try the HD trailer at Yahoo)
It is released in the UK on Friday 31st October
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> Official site for James Bond
> Quantum of Solace at the IMDb
> More details about the plot and photos from the press conference launch at Pinewood
A sweded version of John Carpenter‘s The Thing.
> The Thing at the IMDb
> More sweded films
Position / Film / Distributor / Weeks on release / Weekend Total / Total UK Box Office til 7th September
1. Rocknrolla / Warner Bros / 1 / £1,565,439 / £1,565,439
2. Mamma Mia! / Universal / 9 / £1,431,775 / £57,687,650
3. The Duchess / Pathe / 1 / £1,402,200 / £1,402,200
4. Step Brothers / Sony / 2 / £1,105,342 / £4,003,274
5. Disaster Movie / Momentum / 1 / £925,655 / £925,655
6. The Strangers / Universal / 2 / £746,507 / £2,849,053
7. The Dark Knight / Warner Bros / 7 / £586,944 / £46,997,024
8. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army / Universal / 3 / £507,908 / £6,772,936
9. Get Smart / Warner Bros / 3 / £350,456 / £4,356,991
10. Bangkok Dangerous / Entertainment / 1 / £307,420 / £307,420
Source: FDA / Nielsen EDI
Actor Tommy Lee Jones has filed a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures for $10m (£5.7m), which he claims they owe him for his role as Sheriff Tom Bell in last year’s No Country For Old Men.
The Independent have the details:
Jones has filed his lawsuit in Bexar County, San Antonio.
NM Classics Inc, a Dutch subsidiary of Paramount Pictures, is also named in the action, according to The San Antonio Express-News. Jones, who won his only Oscar for his role alongside Harrison Ford in 1993’s The Fugitive, claims that he has not been paid the bonuses he was promised and his initial fee for appearing in the movie was unjustly reduced.
He also claims that a contract was given to him despite the fact it contained several inaccuracies.
The 61-year-old says he signed a contract with NM Classics on 3 April 2006, agreeing to act in the film and to provide “additional related services” for promoting the movie.
In return, the legal papers allege, the company agreed that it would pay Jones a fixed “upfront” fee and, depending on its success, “significant box-office bonuses and ‘back-end’ compensation”.
The vagueness of those promises has returned to haunt the actor. His lawyers claim he was promised “significant” bonuses to compensate him for his reduced fee.
No Country For Old Men was a co-production between Paramount Pictures and Miramax Films, with Paramount largely controlling the film’s release and distribution outside the US.
Jones demanded that he, the Coens and the film’s producer, Scott Rudin, should be entitled to the same treatment and equal shares of the box-office spoils.
Here is the interesting bit, which suggests someone in the Paramount legal department could be in trouble:
But the lawsuit claims that in December 2007, barely a month after the film was released in America, Paramount executives told Jones his contract contained a “mistake” related to “a major issue involving the deduction for home video expenses”.
It also alleges that on 10 January this year, Paramount officials approached Jones again, this time with information about a second major “mistake” in his contract.
The veteran A-lister, whose career has been reinvigorated after a few years in the wilderness, says his “deception” at the hands of Paramount amounts to fraud.
A central plank of his legal action is a claim that Paramount invited him to sign his contract while fully aware of the flaws it contained.
In recent years there have been various high profile Hollywood lawsuits, such as Peter Jackson’s issues with New Line Cinema over The Lord of the Rings, Clive Cussler – the author of Sahara – suing the producers of the movie adaptation and Randy Quaid taking on the producers of Brokeback Mountain.
One of the most interesting things about them – if both parties don’t settle – is the juicy details that come out in court.
For instance the Sahara case revealed that the production budget was swelled by bribes to local crew in Morocco, according to USA Today:
Documents cited by the Times also listed 16 “courtesy payments,” “gratuities” and “local bribes” totaling $237,386 in Morocco to expedite filming.
That included a $40,688 payment to stop a river improvement project while filming and $23,250 for “Political/Mayoral support.”
The LA Times also reported this priceless court exchange about how much money the film lost:
Karen Baldwin [an executive producer on Sahara] testified that she believed “Sahara” was on track to make a profit.
“It was No. 1 at the box office when it came out,” she said. “I have heard that over time the film is going to make its money.”
Clive Cussler’s attorney, Bertram Fields, informed Baldwin that financial reports showed that the movie lost more than $100 million.
“That would be one of the most massive losses in the history of the film business, wouldn’t it?” Fields asked.
“No, not at all,” Baldwin replied.
“Tell me a picture that lost more than $100 million.”
“Heaven’s Gate.”
“Lost more than $100 million, is that your testimony?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, why did you just say it?”
The fact that the court case contained better dialogue thatn the movie tells you something about the script, which ten screenwriters were reportedly paid $3.8 million for.
If Jones and Paramount don’t settle will there be anything as entertaining?
> Original article in The Independent about the lawsuit
> Tommy Lee Jones at the IMDb
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog was recently at the Republican National Convention.
DVD PICKS
21 (Sony): Based on the best selling book Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich, this is tells the story of the MIT Blackjack Team who won millions in Las Vegas counting cards. Jim Sturgess plays a talented student who is persuaded to join a group of maths students (who include Kate Bosworth, Aaron Yoo and Liza Lapira) headed up by a professor (Kevin Spacey) who orchestrates lucrative weekend trips to Vegas casinos. Directed by Robert Luketic, it has changed some aspects of the book but is still a breezily entertaining caper with some nice performances from Spacey and Laurence Fishburne in a supporting role. It is Sturgess though, who stands out in the lead role and he could well go on to have a successful Hollywood career. [Also available on Blu-ray]
* Listen to our interviews from back in April with Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey about 21 *
Caramel (Momentum): This debut film by Lebanese writer/director and actress Nadine Labaki explores the lives of five women working together in a Beirut beauty parlour is a charming and eye-opening treat. Refreshingly free of many of the cliches that dog films set in the Middle East, it manages to make some salient points about women in that region of the world. But it is also a spirited portrayal of different characters finding solidarity with one another. What’s perhaps most impressive is the series of fine performances that Labaki has drawn from her non-professional cast who imbue the film with a rare energy and spirit.
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ALSO OUT
Arctic Tale (Paramount): A documentary about a polar bear cub and a walrus pup narrated by Queen Latifah.
B.T.K. (Lionsgate): A film based on the real life of Dennis L. Rader, the notorious serial killer who brutally bound, tortured and killed his victims.
Botched (Optimum): A zany horror film set in Russia about a professional thief (Stephen Dorff) who finds himself dealing with serial killers, insane hostages and double-crossing psycho Russian hard men.
Brave Story (Optimum): Koichi Chigira directs this Gonzo animation studios production about an 11-year-old who is told he can change his destiny by entering a magic gateway into another world.
Caught (Second Sight); A re-release for director Max Ophuls‘ 1949 drama about a young secretary (Barbara Bel Geddes) married to millionaire (Robert Ryan) who falls in love with her employer (James Mason).
CSI: Miami – Season 5 Part 2 (Momentum): The second part of the 5th season of the Miami version of the popular forensics drama.
Grindhouse Trailer Classics 2 (Nucleus Films): Another compilation of trailers from cult and exploitation (or ‘grindhouse’) movies including promos for The Black Gestapo, The Depraved, Bloody Pit Of Horror, The Pink Angels, Foxy Brown.
In the Night Garden: Hello Tombliboos! (BBC): The BBC’s preschool TV show about excitable, tumbly, knocabout pepper-pot toys gets released by BBC Worldwide.
Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (aka Doppleganger) (Universal): This 1969 sci-fi movie written by Gerry Anderson is set one hundred years into the future when scientists discover an exact duplicate of Earth orbiting on the other side of the sun.
La Ronde (Second Sight): Director Max Ophuls’ adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s play is set in Vienna in the early 1900s and is a series of tales woven together by the Raconteur (Anton Walbrook) as each segment introduces a new character, who then moves on to an affair with another.
Man of the East (Optimum): A western with Terence Hill as a naive young man trying to make a name for himself with the help of his father’s three old friends: Monkey (Dominic Barto), Holy Joe (Harry Carey Jr.) and Bull (Gregory Walcott).
Monk Season 6 (Universal Playback): Tony Shalhoub returns as the phobia-laden detective Adrian Monk for the 6th season which includes guest stars such as Alfred Molina, Sarah Silverman and Snoop Dogg.
Navajo Joe (Optimum): Sergio Corbucci’s spaghetti western with Burt Reynolds as an avenging Native American called on to help a town fight back against outlaws.
Nothing But A Man (Metrodome): This 1964 drama, directed by Michael Roemer, is a love story about a man (Ivan Dixon) who is forced to confront prejudice and self-denial when he falls in love with an educated preacher’s daughter (Abbey Lincoln).
Protégé (Liberation Entertainment): A Hong Kong crime thriller about an ailing druglord (Andy Lau) who is unaware that his protégé (Daniel Wu) is actually an undercover cop.
The Eye (Lionsgate): A US remake of the Pang Brothers film of the same name, this stars Jessica Alba as a woman who after undergoing surgery to restore her sight begins to see inexplicable and frightening images that haunt her.
The Hills Run Red (Optimum): A spaghetti western about two confederate army buddies carrying a shedload of money to help the cause at the end of the civil war when they are set upon by Yankees.
The 2 Sides of the Bed (TLA): A romantic farce, which is a follow up to The Other Side of the Bed.
Tortured (Sony): A thriller about an undercover FBI agent who has to track down a mysterious crime lord’s money. Stars Cole Hauser, James Cromwell and Laurence Fishburne.
What Happens in Vegas (Fox): Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz star as two mismatched strangers who – after a wild night in Vegas – find themselves married. But a huge gambling win complicates the anullment and a judge (Dennis Miller) sentences them to six months “hard marriage.”
Spooks – Code 9 (Contender): The new BBC Three drama from the producers behind Spooks and Life on Mars comes to DVD the day after the last episode airs.
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> Buy 21 and Caramel on DVD at Amazon UK
> Browse more DVD Releases at Amazon UK and Play
> Check the latest DVD prices at DVD Price Check
> Take a look at the current UK cinema releases (W/C Friday 5th September)
1. UK Cinema Releases: September 2008
2. Thundercats movie in the works
3. DVD Releases: Monday 1st September 2008
4. Interview: Stephen Morris on Joy Division
5. The Most Useful Movie Websites 2.0
6. Interview: Hayden Christensen and Rachel Bilson on Jumper
7. Quantum of Solace – New release date and synopsis
8. Cannes 2008 Reactions: Linha De Passe
9. Cinema Releases: Friday 29th August
10. Cinema Category
Stats courtesy of Google Analytics
The trailer for Saw V which opens in the UK on October 24th.
> Find out more about the Saw franchise at Wikipedia
> Listen to our interview with Tobin Bell about Saw III
I’ve only just come across the official YouTube channel for the British Film Institute (BFI).
If you aren’t aware of their good work, Wikipedia defines them as ‘a charitable organisation’ established by Royal Charter to:
If you live in the UK or London you may have been to see a film at the NFT or IMAX cinemas which are both run by the BFI.
Their YouTube channel now has a lot of videos from their extensive vault, which (according to them) is the world’s largest and most diverse film and TV archive.
There is some very interesting footage from a football match in 1901 between Newcastle United and Liverpool:
A short film called ‘Springtime in an English Village’ which offers a snapshot of rural life in wartime:
You can also explore their videos in Google Earth and if you are in London you can view 1000 complete films and TV programmes from the archive for free at the new Mediatheque at the BFI Southbank.
[Link via Speechification]
> BFI YouTube channel
> Find out more about the BFI at Wikipedia
This week we review Rocknrolla and The Duchess.
Listen to the reviews here:
[audio:https://www.filmdetail.com/podcast/get.php?fla=podcast-2008-09-05-22437.mp3]Download and subscribe to the review podcast via iTunes by clicking here
> Download this review as an MP3 file
> Rocknrolla and The Duchess at the IMDb
> Get showtimes for these films at your local cinema via Google Movies
Slumdog Millionaire will be the closing film at this year’s London Film Festival.
Directed by Danny Boyle, it is the story of a streetkid from Mumbai (Dev Patel) who goes on the Hindi version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.
I spoke to Danny last year and he told me a bit about the story, which you can listen to here:
[audio:Danny_Boyle_on_Slumdog_Millionaire_back_in_April_2007.mp3]
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The film recently received a lot of buzz and critical acclaim at the Telluride Film Festival and looks like an early awards season contender.
It will screen this week at the Toronto Film Festival and opens in the US on November 28th.
A UK release is expected for early 2009.
This is a clip from the film:
Here is the official press release:
London – Wednesday 3 September: The Closing Night Gala of The Times BFI 52nd London Film Festival will be the European Premiere of Danny Boyle’s SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is the story of Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who finds himself just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India’s ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?’.
Arrested on suspicion of cheating, Jamal tells the police the incredible story of his life on the streets, and of the girl he loved and lost. But what is a kid with no interest in money doing on the show? And how does he know all the answers?
When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the police and sixty million viewers are about to find out … Dev Patel (Skins) stars alongside an all-Indian cast including Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Madhur Mittal and Freida Pinto in this uplifting drama set and shot in India.
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE was adapted for the screen by Oscar®-winning writer Simon Beaufoy (THE FULL MONTY) from the bestselling novel Q and A by Vikas Swarup.
The film was produced by Christian Colson and Executive Producers Tessa Ross and Paul Smith, with cinematography from Boyle’s regular collaborator Anthony Dod Mantle (28 DAYS LATER).
Pathé Distribution will release the Film4 funded film in the UK in early 2009 and Pathé International is handling international sales.
In addition to bringing the Festival’s 16 day celebration of cinema to a close, Danny Boyle will give a career interview as part of the Tiscali Screen Talks series.
Sandra Hebron, the Festival’s Artistic Director comments: ‘We’re thrilled to be closing our Festival with this latest film from one of the UK’s most talented and versatile directors. Pulling together a wealth of talent from two continents to tell this moving and truly contemporary tale, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE will bring this year’s Festival to a vibrant and cheering close.’
On having his film invited to close the London Film Festival, Danny Boyle comments: “I am delighted that the film will receive its European premiere at the London Film Festival. I hope that Londoners will respond to this story about another great megatropolis – Mumbai, “the Maximum City”.’
The full programme for The Times BFI 52nd London Film Festival will be announced next Wednesday (10th September).
The London Film Festival runs from 15-30 October 2008
> Official site for the London Film Festival
> Official US site for Slumdog Millionaire at Fox Searchlight
> /Film with more photos from the film
> Listen to our full interview with Danny Boyle from April 2007 about Sunshine
[Photo Credit: Ishika Mohan / TM and © 2008 Fox Searchlight / All rights reserved.]
The great Al Matthews describes his no nonsense approach to weapons on the set of Aliens:
> Find out more about Al Matthews at Wikipedia
> Official site for Al
> Aliens at the IMDb
NATIONAL RELEASES
Rocknrolla (15) Although director Guy Ritchie plumbed the depths with his last two movies (Revolver and Swept Away ), Warner Bros will be aiming for this London-set gangster caper to signal redemption for the British director. Despite a spaghetti-shaped narrative and too many cockney gangsterisms, this is a deliberate throwback to the subject and style of Ritchie’s earlier work like Lock, Stock… and Snatch. Some of it feels strangely dated but for the most part it is watchable, has an impressive cast (including Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Toby Kebbell, Thandie Newton & Mark Strong) and goes into the weekend as the box office favourite.
The Duchess (12A): Pathe will be hoping that a period costume drama starring Kiera Knightley as an unhappy 18th century aristocrat (Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire) will tempt the female and highbrow audiences. The recent faux-controversy about Princess Diana being used to market the film (the main character is distantly related to her) seems a little stage managed, but the main problem this film has is that, despite some decent production values and competent performances, it is essentially a TV costume drama with a more handsome budget. Although Knightley has become a big star (mainly down to the Pirates franchise), she has yet to really prove herself as someone who can open a movie. Despite the presence of Ralph Fiennes in a key supporting role, this will be an interesting test of a film heavily marketed on her pulling power alone.
Bangkok Dangerous (18): The Pang Brothers remake their own 1998 thriller stars Nicolas Cage as a hit man in Bangkok. Entertainment will be hoping action fans will turn out for this one, but given the lack of buzz, a key change to the original film and wildly erratic career of Cage it is difficult to gauge how this one will do. I imagine the target audience at the multiplex will opt to choose Rocknrolla, if their girlfriends haven’t already dragged them to The Duchess. It opens in the US today as well, although I suspect if it does any real box office it will be in foreign and ancillary markets.
Disaster Movie (12A): One can only hope that the US box office failure of this spoof will signal justice for the cinematic crimes Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer have inflicted upon audiences. In case you are unaware, they are the team behind a series of wildy unfunny – but bafflingly successful – comedies such as Date Movie, Epic Movie and Meet the Spartans. The formula is to just spoof recent hits at the box office along a certain theme. However, the cycle now looks in trouble as last week potential viewers might have found the release of this film on the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina to be a little too much. Momentum will be hoping less discerning viewers see it or at least buy the DVD in the near future.
IN SELECTED RELEASE
El Cantante (15): Revelation Films are the UK distributor for this film based on the life story of salsa singer Héctor Lavoe (who is played in the film by Marc Anthony). The main point of interest from a commercial viewpoint is that Jennifer Lopez starred and produced in it, but it gets a release two years after premiering at the Toronto Film Festival and a full year after bombing at the US box office to mixed reviews. Given the dramatic decline of Lopez as a box office star and the niche appeal of the story, it is hard to see this doing any real business. [Opens in Select Key Cities]
Never Apologise (15): Verve Pictures give a limited release for this documentary about director Lindsay Anderson, who made such films as This Sporting Life (1963), If…. (1968) and O Lucky Man! (1973). It is narrated by Malcolm McDowell, who was a friend and collaborator. [Opens at the Curzon Soho & selected Key Cities]
Sweet Land (PG): Revelation Films release this 2005 independent film about a woman who travels from Germany to Minnesota in order to meet the man destined to be her husband. [Opens in Select Key Cities]
Mera Pind – My Home (U): Adlabs release this film centered around a Punjabi village, starring Navjot Singh Sidhu and Harbhajan Mann. [Opens at C’Worlds Feltham, Ilford, Staples Corner, Wood Green & Nationwide]
> Get local showtimes via Google Movies (just enter your local postcode)
> Find out about films showing near you at MyFilms
> Check out the full UK release schedule for cinemas this month
> DVD releases for this week (W/C Monday 1st September)
With the 2008 Republican National Convention in full swing, why don’t we cast our mind back to the theme of their 2004 hook up in New York.
In case you forgot, it involved the numbers 9 and 11.
This is the trailer for Linha de Passe, the new film directed by Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas which opens in the UK on September 19th.
> Linha de Passe at the IMDb
> Official UK site
> Reactions from Cannes earlier this year
The new Guy Ritchie film Rocknrolla is out this week which sees the director return to the Cockney Gangster genre.
But do you remember this Fast Show sketch from 2000 which parodied Lock, Stock… and Snatch…?
> Guy Ritchie at the IMDb
> Find out more about The Fast Show at Wikipedia
This Good Morning America interview from 1984 reunites Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller and writer William Peter Blatty for a discussion of The Exorcist, which had been released 10 years before this aired.
> The Exorcist at the IMDb
> Find out more about the film at Wikipedia
> Captain Howdy – Exorcist fansite
Position / Film / Distributor / Weeks on release / Weekend Total / Total UK Box Office til 31st August
1. Step Brothers / Sony / 1 / £1,681,492 / £1,681,492
2. Mamma Mia! / Universal / 8 / £1,548,894 / £54,541,447
3. The Stranger / Universal / 1 / £1,250,624 / £1,250,624
4. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army / Universal / 2 / £1,025,449 / £5,646,381
5. The Dark Knight / Warner Bros / 6 / £908,618 / £45,787,563
6. Get Smart / Warner Bros / 2 / £710,174 / £3,493,606
7. Babylon AD / Twentieth Century Fox / 1 / £536,968 / £536,968
8. You Don’t Mess With The Zohan / Sony / 3 / £420,761 / £4,769,239
9. Wild Child / Universal / 3 / £389,247 / £4,197,566
10. WALL-E / Disney / 7 / £360,110 / £21,483,558
11. The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor / Universal / 4 / £324,195 / £10,973,278
12. Star Wars: The Clone Wars / Warner Bros / 3 / £206,771 / £2,518,826
13. Space Chimps / Entertainment / 5 / £109,574 / £3,148,739
14. Kung Fu Panda / Paramount / 9 / £97,027 / £19,634,723
15. The Wackness / Revolver / 1 / £80,581 / £80,581
Source: FDA / Nielsen EDI
Voice over artist Don LaFontaine has died aged 68.
Although you might not recognise his face, you will almost certainly know his distinctive voice from many movie trailers down the years which usually include the phrase “In a world…”.
Some of his more memorable voice overs include the trailers for The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Cast Away and Fatal Attraction.
Here is an example of his voice over for the T2 trailer:
Born on 26th August, 1940, in Duluth, Minnesota his first job in the film business was as a sound engineer and he went on to be a writer, editor and a producer.
But he got his big break in 1964 when a voice-over guy failed to show up to a recording session for the western Gunfighters of Casa Grande and LaFontaine stood in for him.
He would go on to provide the voice for many trailers over the next 40 years, helping shape the trend for mini-movie narratives rather than the loosely assembled montages they had previously been.
In this video Don talks about his career:
He was also not above spoofing his style of voice, as this commercial for GEICO demonstrates:
He died aged 68 in hospital in Los Angeles after suffering a collapsed lung. He is survived by his wife, singer and actress Nita Whitaker, and three children, Christine, Skye and Elyse.
> Official site for Don LaFontaine
> Don LaFontaine at the IMDb
Brian Eno discusses why he loves Stanely Kubrick‘s Barry Lyndon.
(I think this was from some TV show in the mid-90s)
> Barry Lyndon at the IMDb
> Find out more about Brian Eno at Wikipedia