Steven Spielberg is a pure visual storyteller. You can watch most of his movies on mute, and figure out the plot via the meticulous composition of each shot and how it flows into the next. Since the advent of sound, the number of directors capable of or interested in crafting a film in this manner […]
Continue readingNothing good ever happens in the desert. That seems to be the word of caution constantly imparted by various episodes of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.” Plenty of unfortunate characters have found themselves in such a setting — usually against their will — and never make it out. One continuous survivor of the setting […]
Continue readingThe debate with filmmakers about Marvel features rages on and entering the fray is “Avatar” director James Cameron. In a recent Directors on Directors interview with Variety, Cameron sat down with “Dune” director Denis Villeneuve to discuss everything from filmmaking technique to Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel.Cameron starts in early on how different “Dune” […]
Continue readingDenis Villeneuve’s sweeping “Dune” leads the way in the VFX race as a cross between “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Star Wars.” But there is plenty of competition from other superhero, action-adventure, and fantasy films. Marvel is more diverse and ambitious in Phase 4 with “Eternals” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” while […]
Continue readingThe good news for the cinematography race is that theaters have reopened, which means that the full spectacle of “Dune” and “No Time to Die” can be experienced on the big screen. But they are not alone — this season also boasts the visual splendor of “The Power of the Dog,” the romanticized nostalgia of […]
Continue reading“Dune” has started rolling out overseas, collecting a strong $36.8 million in its international debut over the weekend. While the first movie in Denis Villeneuve’s planned two-part saga doesn’t arrive in the U.S. until late October, his crafts team has started making the rounds in support of what is surely one of the year’s big […]
Continue readingA familiar face from TV roles in The Night Manager and Industry, the Cairo-born actor is spellbinding in the upcoming independent film about asylum seekers in the Outer Hebrides. But does he owe his career to the Lawrence of Arabia star?Amir El-Masry has a gravely handsome face and a forehead that goes on for ever: […]
Continue readingThere are no right or wrong decisions in Oscar winners, since it’s all a matter of personal taste. However, four categories in the past 91 years — best picture, director, actor and actress — are a reminder that some greats did not get the appreciation they deserved. In 1962, Peter O’Toole (“Lawrence of Arabia”) had […]
Continue readingOn March 5, 1963, Army Archerd wrote in Variety: “There’s been a not-so-subtle campaign pyramiding since Oscar nominations that Omar Sharif is an ex-Egyptian soldier who fought in the Israeli War. Forget it: Omar sez: ‘I never fought in any army.’” Archerd also denied the rumor that Sharif was Muslim.Two big takeaways: 1. Mudslinging during […]
Continue readingWhat’s telling about Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” is how few studios were willing to take on its $159-million price tag. Only one company stepped up: Netflix. Since the dawn of Hollywood, the major studios have been willing to gamble on grand ambition and spectacle, from 1927’s first Oscar-winner “Wings” and David Lean’s desert epic “Lawrence […]
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