Jean Cocteau’s film work wasn’t limited to fairy tales and art-house fantasies; this adaptation of his hit play shows us fine theater at its best. A family is a tangle of not-quite-normal relationships that reach an impasse when the emotionally spoiled son seeks to marry — a woman his father already knows.
Les parents terribles
Blu-ray
Cohen Film Collection
1948 / B&W / 1:37 flat full frame / 100 min. / The Storm Within / Street Date October 30, 2018 / 30.99
Starring: Jean Marais, Josette Day, Yvonne de Bray, Marcel André, Gabrielle Dorziat.
Cinematography: Michel Kelber
Film Editor: Jacqueline Sadoul
Original Music: Georges Auric
Written by Jean Cocteau from his play
Produced by Francis Cosne, Alexandre Mnouchkine
Directed by Jean Cocteau
Jean Cocteau’s 1929 novel Les enfants terribles was made into a 1950 movie in collaboration with Jean-Pierre Melville. Cocteau’s later play Les parents terribles has only a vague connection beyond the title — both toy with family relationships that lean toward incest.
Les parents terribles
Blu-ray
Cohen Film Collection
1948 / B&W / 1:37 flat full frame / 100 min. / The Storm Within / Street Date October 30, 2018 / 30.99
Starring: Jean Marais, Josette Day, Yvonne de Bray, Marcel André, Gabrielle Dorziat.
Cinematography: Michel Kelber
Film Editor: Jacqueline Sadoul
Original Music: Georges Auric
Written by Jean Cocteau from his play
Produced by Francis Cosne, Alexandre Mnouchkine
Directed by Jean Cocteau
Jean Cocteau’s 1929 novel Les enfants terribles was made into a 1950 movie in collaboration with Jean-Pierre Melville. Cocteau’s later play Les parents terribles has only a vague connection beyond the title — both toy with family relationships that lean toward incest.
- 10/16/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Jean Cocteau’s filmography could be considered relatively modest compared to some of his French brethren — but with an output among cinema’s most immense, no less influential. While I imagine most reading this have seen his canonical landmarks such as La Belle et la Bête and Orphée, there are still a select few that go overlooked due to lack of distribution.
Les parents terribles (The Storm Within) will, thankfully, no longer be one, for the Cohen Film Collection have given his 1948 melodrama a 70th-anniversary 2K restoration, and it will finally make a U.S. premiere this Friday at the Quad Cinema. Adapted by Cocteau from his own stage play and featuring the same cast of Gabrielle Dorziat, Jean Marais, Josette Day, Marcel André, and Yvonne de Bray, the film follows a man who, while still living with his parents and aunt, falls for his father’s mistress.
We’re...
Les parents terribles (The Storm Within) will, thankfully, no longer be one, for the Cohen Film Collection have given his 1948 melodrama a 70th-anniversary 2K restoration, and it will finally make a U.S. premiere this Friday at the Quad Cinema. Adapted by Cocteau from his own stage play and featuring the same cast of Gabrielle Dorziat, Jean Marais, Josette Day, Marcel André, and Yvonne de Bray, the film follows a man who, while still living with his parents and aunt, falls for his father’s mistress.
We’re...
- 5/22/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Forget Disney’s recent reiteration of the classic fairy tale and instead look back at where the tale’s magic began on film, with Jean Cocteau.
The self-titled Belle and her captor-turned-prince Beast have returned to cinema screens around the world. In Disney’s latest live-action reiteration of one of their much-loved animated fairytales, Bill Condon’s live-action Beauty and the Beast has reintroduced contemporary audiences to the pair. With their return has come explorations of Disney’s representations of gayness, the question of modern viewing habits, and record-breaking box office success (the film has broken the March record for best opening with a $175m domestic gross).
This multiplicity of films on the same tale has been seen before, with the reintroduction of Snow White in 2012 arriving in the form of three very different films. 2012 brought the strong and defiant rebel ‘Snow’ in Snow White and the Huntsman, while Mirror Mirror restyled the classic tale. Pablo Berger...
The self-titled Belle and her captor-turned-prince Beast have returned to cinema screens around the world. In Disney’s latest live-action reiteration of one of their much-loved animated fairytales, Bill Condon’s live-action Beauty and the Beast has reintroduced contemporary audiences to the pair. With their return has come explorations of Disney’s representations of gayness, the question of modern viewing habits, and record-breaking box office success (the film has broken the March record for best opening with a $175m domestic gross).
This multiplicity of films on the same tale has been seen before, with the reintroduction of Snow White in 2012 arriving in the form of three very different films. 2012 brought the strong and defiant rebel ‘Snow’ in Snow White and the Huntsman, while Mirror Mirror restyled the classic tale. Pablo Berger...
- 3/23/2017
- by Sinéad McCausland
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Few questions feel as stale as the following: Is the Disney Princess feminist? It's become profoundly boring to scavenge for an answer, so common is this refrain that arises each holiday season since Peggy Orenstein’s barnstorm of an essay. It will no doubt be a talking point upon the release of Moana later this year. The "Disney Princess" has congealed into a homogenous, lumpen unit of capitalist excess, so much that each character’s particular idiosyncrasies often become obscured in such discussions.Belle, the heroine of Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale’s Beauty and the Beast (1991), is a headstrong bibliophile with a peripatetic mind; she spends the beginning of the film longing to be elsewhere. “There must be more than this provincial life,” she screams in the film’s opening number, which economically introduces us to the townspeople who fawn over her. Belle, voiced by Paige O’Hara, occupies...
- 9/15/2016
- MUBI
Chicago – One of the legendary films in cinema history is Jean Cocteau’s “La Belle et La Bete,” also known to generations as “Beauty and the Beast.” The restored re-release is touring the country, and in Chicago it’s currently at the Gene Siskel Film Center, and Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com will lead a discussion of the film there on Monday, April 11, 2016.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
The story is adapted from a traditional fairy tale, but in Cocteau’s hand is more adult-like, even more so than the sophisticated Disney animated version. The “Beauty” is about sexual blossoming, and the “Beast” is willing to accommodate, but first some trials must be had. What makes the film so unusual is the palette on which this multi-textured story takes place, an expressly creative landscape of dreams, with a production design (by Christian Bérard and Lucien Carré) that uses every inch of the ‘Academy Aspect...
Rating: 4.5/5.0
The story is adapted from a traditional fairy tale, but in Cocteau’s hand is more adult-like, even more so than the sophisticated Disney animated version. The “Beauty” is about sexual blossoming, and the “Beast” is willing to accommodate, but first some trials must be had. What makes the film so unusual is the palette on which this multi-textured story takes place, an expressly creative landscape of dreams, with a production design (by Christian Bérard and Lucien Carré) that uses every inch of the ‘Academy Aspect...
- 4/10/2016
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Welcome to another look at Hollywood remakes, where we dissect a cinematic re-do and determine whether it’s a gem or a joke. We’ll be tackling Disney again for this entry in our series. This week, Cinelinx looks at Beauty and the Beast (1991).
Disney had been trying to make a film version of Beauty and the Beast since the 1940s but for various reasons, it took 50 years for it to finally hit the screen. The well-known story was based on the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast”, written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. It was published in 1757 as part of the fairy tale anthology Le Magasin des Enfants.
Everyone loves Disney’s animated musical version of Beauty and the Beast. It was not only a huge hit, it was also the first animated film in America to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. It’s beloved by fans...
Disney had been trying to make a film version of Beauty and the Beast since the 1940s but for various reasons, it took 50 years for it to finally hit the screen. The well-known story was based on the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast”, written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. It was published in 1757 as part of the fairy tale anthology Le Magasin des Enfants.
Everyone loves Disney’s animated musical version of Beauty and the Beast. It was not only a huge hit, it was also the first animated film in America to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. It’s beloved by fans...
- 2/15/2016
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Rob Young)
- Cinelinx
Qui aime les films français ?
If you do and you live in St. Louis, you’re in luck! The Seventh Annual Robert Classic French Film Festival — co-presented by Cinema St. Louis and the Webster University Film Series begins March 13th. The Classic French Film Festival celebrates St. Louis’ Gallic heritage and France’s cinematic legacy. The featured films span the decades from the 1930s through the early 1990s, offering a comprehensive overview of French cinema. The fest is annually highlighted by significant restorations.
This year features recent restorations of eight works, including an extended director’s cut of Patrice Chéreau’s historical epic Queen Margot a New York-set film noir (Two Men In Manhattan) by crime-film maestro Jean-Pierre Melville, who also co-stars; a short feature (“A Day in the Country”) by Jean Renoir, on a double bill with the 2006 restoration of his masterpiece, The Rules Of The Game, and the...
If you do and you live in St. Louis, you’re in luck! The Seventh Annual Robert Classic French Film Festival — co-presented by Cinema St. Louis and the Webster University Film Series begins March 13th. The Classic French Film Festival celebrates St. Louis’ Gallic heritage and France’s cinematic legacy. The featured films span the decades from the 1930s through the early 1990s, offering a comprehensive overview of French cinema. The fest is annually highlighted by significant restorations.
This year features recent restorations of eight works, including an extended director’s cut of Patrice Chéreau’s historical epic Queen Margot a New York-set film noir (Two Men In Manhattan) by crime-film maestro Jean-Pierre Melville, who also co-stars; a short feature (“A Day in the Country”) by Jean Renoir, on a double bill with the 2006 restoration of his masterpiece, The Rules Of The Game, and the...
- 3/4/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Simone Simon: Remembering the 'Cat People' and 'La Bête Humaine' star (photo: Simone Simon 'Cat People' publicity) Pert, pretty, pouty, and fiery-tempered Simone Simon – who died at age 94 ten years ago, on Feb. 22, 2005 – is best known for her starring role in Jacques Tourneur's cult horror movie classic Cat People (1942). Those aware of the existence of film industries outside Hollywood will also remember Simon for her button-nosed femme fatale in Jean Renoir's French film noir La Bête Humaine (1938).[1] In fact, long before Brigitte Bardot, Annette Stroyberg, Mamie Van Doren, Tuesday Weld, Ann-Margret, and Barbarella's Jane Fonda became known as cinema's Sex Kittens, Simone Simon exuded feline charm – with a tad of puppy dog wistfulness – in a film career that spanned two continents and a quarter of a century. From the early '30s to the mid-'50s, she seduced men young and old on both...
- 2/20/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
As a special surprise for this year's 18th edition the Colcoa Festival (City of Lights, City of Angels) "A Week of French Film Premieres in Hollywood" has added an unprecedented seven classic films to its popular roster. The festival runs from April 21-28 at the Directors Guild of America. For the first time, a daily matinee showing of a classic will complement the new films shown in competition.
Focus on a filmmaker : Cédric Klapisch
Colcoa will honor writer-director Cédric Klapisch on Thursday, April 24 with a special presentation of L'Auberge Espagnole (2002) as well as the Premiere of his new film Chinese Puzzle that will be released in May in the U.S. by Cohen Media Group. Chinese Puzzle completes a trilogy Klapisich began in 2002 with L'Auberge Espagnole,followed by Russian Dolls in 2005. The cast includes Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou and Cécile de France. Klapisch joins previously honored writer-directors Bertrand Blier, Costa Gavras, Florent Siri, Julie Delpy and Alain Resnais whose key body of work has been shown in past events. This will be the third film by the writer-director to be presented at the festival, following Paris and My Piece of the Pie. Cédric Klapisch will meet the audience for a Happy Hour Talk panel dedicated to his work. (Colcoa Classics + Panel +Premiere of Chinese Puzzle)
Homage to Patrice Chéreau
The late writer-director Patrice Chéreau (1944-2013), who attended Colcoa in 2003 for the world Premiere of Son frère (His Brother) will be remembered in the Colcoa Classics program, which includes a special presentation of digitally restored director's cut of Queen Margot (1994), based on a novel of Alexandre Dumas, co-written by Danièle Thompson & Patrice Chéreau, and directed by Chéreau. The cast includes Isabelle Adjani, Jean-Hugues Anglade and Daniel Auteuil. The film (celebrating its 20th anniversary) is presented in association with Cohen Media Group. The film will have will be released theatrically, as well as in digital format in the U.S.
Premiere of the Restored Version Beauty and the Beast Colcoa will present the digitally restored print of the remarkable Beauty and the Beast (1946), a romantic drama written and directed by Jean Cocteau and starring Josette Day and Jean Marais in partnership with the Franco-American Cultural Fund (Facf), Snd/M6, Janus Films and La Cinémathèque Française.
Premiere of the Restored Version Favorites of the Moon
A special 30th anniversary screening of Favourites of the Moon (1984), winner of the Special Jury Prize that year at the Venice International Film Festival, a comedy co-written by Gérard Brach and Otar Iosseliani and directed by Otar Iosseliani, starring Mathieu Amalric, Alix de Montaigu, Pascal Aubier, Jean-Pierre Beauviala, will be presented in association with the Cohen Media Group before its digital release in the U.S.
Premiere of the Restored Version Purple Noon
The film is also a special presentation of Purple Noon , a drama based on Patricia Highsmith's novel, co-written by Paul Gégauff and René Clément , directed by René Clément and starring Alain Delon, Maurice Ronet and Marie Laforêt and presented in association with the Franco-American Cultural Fund (Facf), StudioCanal, Janus Films and La Cinémathèque Française.
Premier of the Restored Version of L'assassin habite... au 21 New digitally restored version of L'assassin habite... au 21, (1942) a drama co-written by Stanislas-André Steeman and Henri-Georges Clouzot , directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, starring Pierre Fresnay, Suzy Delair, Jean Tissier. The film is presented in association with Titra Tvs and Gaumont.
FRANÇOIS Truffaut: A Tribute
Citing the 30th anniversary of the passing of universally renowned François Truffaut in 1984, Colcoa will pay tribute to the writer-director with a special program.(To be announced soon)
From April 21 to April 28, 2014, filmgoers will celebrate the 18th edition of Colcoa "A Week Of French Film Premieres In Hollywood" at the Directors Guild of America. The 18th line-up of films in competition for the Colcoa Awards will be announced April 1, 2014.
About ColcoaColcoa was created by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaborative effort of the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, the Writers Guild of America West, and France's Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (Sacem). Colcoa is also supported by France's Society of Authors, Directors and Producers (L'arp), the Film and TV Office of the French Embassy in Los Angeles, the Cnc and Unifrance.
...
Focus on a filmmaker : Cédric Klapisch
Colcoa will honor writer-director Cédric Klapisch on Thursday, April 24 with a special presentation of L'Auberge Espagnole (2002) as well as the Premiere of his new film Chinese Puzzle that will be released in May in the U.S. by Cohen Media Group. Chinese Puzzle completes a trilogy Klapisich began in 2002 with L'Auberge Espagnole,followed by Russian Dolls in 2005. The cast includes Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou and Cécile de France. Klapisch joins previously honored writer-directors Bertrand Blier, Costa Gavras, Florent Siri, Julie Delpy and Alain Resnais whose key body of work has been shown in past events. This will be the third film by the writer-director to be presented at the festival, following Paris and My Piece of the Pie. Cédric Klapisch will meet the audience for a Happy Hour Talk panel dedicated to his work. (Colcoa Classics + Panel +Premiere of Chinese Puzzle)
Homage to Patrice Chéreau
The late writer-director Patrice Chéreau (1944-2013), who attended Colcoa in 2003 for the world Premiere of Son frère (His Brother) will be remembered in the Colcoa Classics program, which includes a special presentation of digitally restored director's cut of Queen Margot (1994), based on a novel of Alexandre Dumas, co-written by Danièle Thompson & Patrice Chéreau, and directed by Chéreau. The cast includes Isabelle Adjani, Jean-Hugues Anglade and Daniel Auteuil. The film (celebrating its 20th anniversary) is presented in association with Cohen Media Group. The film will have will be released theatrically, as well as in digital format in the U.S.
Premiere of the Restored Version Beauty and the Beast Colcoa will present the digitally restored print of the remarkable Beauty and the Beast (1946), a romantic drama written and directed by Jean Cocteau and starring Josette Day and Jean Marais in partnership with the Franco-American Cultural Fund (Facf), Snd/M6, Janus Films and La Cinémathèque Française.
Premiere of the Restored Version Favorites of the Moon
A special 30th anniversary screening of Favourites of the Moon (1984), winner of the Special Jury Prize that year at the Venice International Film Festival, a comedy co-written by Gérard Brach and Otar Iosseliani and directed by Otar Iosseliani, starring Mathieu Amalric, Alix de Montaigu, Pascal Aubier, Jean-Pierre Beauviala, will be presented in association with the Cohen Media Group before its digital release in the U.S.
Premiere of the Restored Version Purple Noon
The film is also a special presentation of Purple Noon , a drama based on Patricia Highsmith's novel, co-written by Paul Gégauff and René Clément , directed by René Clément and starring Alain Delon, Maurice Ronet and Marie Laforêt and presented in association with the Franco-American Cultural Fund (Facf), StudioCanal, Janus Films and La Cinémathèque Française.
Premier of the Restored Version of L'assassin habite... au 21 New digitally restored version of L'assassin habite... au 21, (1942) a drama co-written by Stanislas-André Steeman and Henri-Georges Clouzot , directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, starring Pierre Fresnay, Suzy Delair, Jean Tissier. The film is presented in association with Titra Tvs and Gaumont.
FRANÇOIS Truffaut: A Tribute
Citing the 30th anniversary of the passing of universally renowned François Truffaut in 1984, Colcoa will pay tribute to the writer-director with a special program.(To be announced soon)
From April 21 to April 28, 2014, filmgoers will celebrate the 18th edition of Colcoa "A Week Of French Film Premieres In Hollywood" at the Directors Guild of America. The 18th line-up of films in competition for the Colcoa Awards will be announced April 1, 2014.
About ColcoaColcoa was created by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaborative effort of the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, the Writers Guild of America West, and France's Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (Sacem). Colcoa is also supported by France's Society of Authors, Directors and Producers (L'arp), the Film and TV Office of the French Embassy in Los Angeles, the Cnc and Unifrance.
...
- 2/25/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
City of Lights, City of Angels (Colcoa), a week of French film premieres in Hollywood, has rolled out a terrific lineup of seven classic films for the 18th edition of the festival, running April 21-28 at the DGA. Screenings will supplement new films in the competition lineup, which will be announced April 1. Colcoa will honor writer honor writer-director Cedric Klapisch on Thursday, April 24 with a special presentation of "L'Auberge Espagnole" (2002) as well as the Premiere of his new film "Chinese Puzzle" that will be released in May in the U.S. by Cohen Media Group. The fest will also screen late writer/director Patrice Chereau's 1994 director's cut of "Queen Margot," based on a novel by Alexandre Dumas and starring Isabelle Adjani, Jean-Hugues Anglade and Daniel Auteuil. Digitally restored prints of Jean Cocteau's 1946 classic "Beauty and the Beast" starring Josette Day and Jean Marais, and a new print of...
- 2/19/2014
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
★★★★☆Cited by numerous contemporary fantasy filmmakers - Mexican maestro Guillermo del Toro included - as a major influence on their own consequent bodies of work, French movie magician Jean Cocteau is commemorated by the BFI once again with the 4K rerelease of his 1946 fairy tale, La Belle et la Bête. Based on the 18th century novelist Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont's classic story of corrupting curses and woodland witchcraft, it's Josette Day's eye-catching Belle who eventually falls for the titular Beast - one half of a superb double performance from Jean Marais - following an encroachment by her father.
- 1/6/2014
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Almost 70 years on, the Jean Cocteau classic has lost none of its wonder and mystery
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view video
The BFI's gothic season reaches its delirious conclusion with this remastered print of Jean Cocteau's exotic old fairytale; a film that does not look so much imported from the 1940s as blown in from another world. Jean Marais plays the hirsute Beast, a self-loathing cousin of the Cowardly Lion, who keeps Beauty (Josette Day) captive in a haunted mansion, proposing marriage with a forlorn persistence.
"You caress me as you would an animal," he complains, when the prisoner leans in to stroke his head. "But you are an animal," replies Beauty, who learns to love him all the same.
Cocteau's film is antic and playful, but there is real pain (and genuine eroticism) behind its flamboyant façade. La belle et la bête is full of wonder and mystery.
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view video
The BFI's gothic season reaches its delirious conclusion with this remastered print of Jean Cocteau's exotic old fairytale; a film that does not look so much imported from the 1940s as blown in from another world. Jean Marais plays the hirsute Beast, a self-loathing cousin of the Cowardly Lion, who keeps Beauty (Josette Day) captive in a haunted mansion, proposing marriage with a forlorn persistence.
"You caress me as you would an animal," he complains, when the prisoner leans in to stroke his head. "But you are an animal," replies Beauty, who learns to love him all the same.
Cocteau's film is antic and playful, but there is real pain (and genuine eroticism) behind its flamboyant façade. La belle et la bête is full of wonder and mystery.
- 1/5/2014
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom (12A)
(Justin Chadwick, 2013, UK/Sa) Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, Tony Kgoroge, Riaad Moosa, Jamie Bartlett. 146 mins
Prestige dramatisation finds little to add to a true story that's already inspirational enough, and has already been much retold, especially since Mandela's death. That leaves this as a slightly redundant exercise in biopic box-ticking and corner-cutting, puffed up with awards-friendly grandeur and less interested in the political questions than the personal heart-strings. Still, Elba conveys something of the man as well as the icon, and Harris is a spirited Winnie.
Last Vegas (12A)
(Jon Turtletaub, 2013, Us) Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline. 105 mins
If that title and cast had you thinking "is this The Hangover for seniors?", you wouldn't be far off. It's another Las Vegas bachelor-party adventure, in which four decaying dudes cement their buddyhood and lose their dignity – often assisted by people a fraction of their age,...
(Justin Chadwick, 2013, UK/Sa) Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, Tony Kgoroge, Riaad Moosa, Jamie Bartlett. 146 mins
Prestige dramatisation finds little to add to a true story that's already inspirational enough, and has already been much retold, especially since Mandela's death. That leaves this as a slightly redundant exercise in biopic box-ticking and corner-cutting, puffed up with awards-friendly grandeur and less interested in the political questions than the personal heart-strings. Still, Elba conveys something of the man as well as the icon, and Harris is a spirited Winnie.
Last Vegas (12A)
(Jon Turtletaub, 2013, Us) Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline. 105 mins
If that title and cast had you thinking "is this The Hangover for seniors?", you wouldn't be far off. It's another Las Vegas bachelor-party adventure, in which four decaying dudes cement their buddyhood and lose their dignity – often assisted by people a fraction of their age,...
- 1/4/2014
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Jean Cocteau's magical exploration of the fairytale is compelling and bizarre masterpiece
Jean Cocteau's erotic and surreal fable is now revived on the big screen as part of the BFI's fascinating Gothic season. Watched now, 67 years after its first release, you can sense how its echoes have reverberated in the figures of Guillermo del Toro and Michael Jackson. Its special effects are prehistoric compared to those of our digital 21st century, and yet they are deeply disturbing. When bodies appear through walls or fly up into the air, it is almost as if Cocteau's camera has miraculously recorded a dream.
Josette Day plays the Beauty, who agrees to take her father's place as the prisoner of a terrifying Beast (Jean Marais); this hirsute being lives in mysterious seclusion in his enchanted mansion whose lights are held by arms that protrude through the dark walls. (Did Polanski take something...
Jean Cocteau's erotic and surreal fable is now revived on the big screen as part of the BFI's fascinating Gothic season. Watched now, 67 years after its first release, you can sense how its echoes have reverberated in the figures of Guillermo del Toro and Michael Jackson. Its special effects are prehistoric compared to those of our digital 21st century, and yet they are deeply disturbing. When bodies appear through walls or fly up into the air, it is almost as if Cocteau's camera has miraculously recorded a dream.
Josette Day plays the Beauty, who agrees to take her father's place as the prisoner of a terrifying Beast (Jean Marais); this hirsute being lives in mysterious seclusion in his enchanted mansion whose lights are held by arms that protrude through the dark walls. (Did Polanski take something...
- 1/3/2014
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Anyone attempting another film based on La Belle et la Bête starts at a disadvantage. Despite whatever new twist or spin he or she has in mind, it will inevitably pale in comparison to Jean Cocteau’s version. It may have better special effects, possibly even the best, most advanced effects the world has ever seen, effects that makes James Cameron’s head spin, but it will still lack Cocteau’s secret weapon: Jean Marais’ eyes.
Our attention is directed towards his eyes from the Beast’s first appearance. A superimposed glow exudes menace and ferociousness before disappearing a few frames later, leaving before revealing the true light source, the fire of humanity hidden beneath fur, fangs, and a mane. The make-up is modest, though the wiggling ears are particularly adorable. It limits what Marais is able to convey with his face, but helped by cinematographer Henri Alekan’s lighting,...
Our attention is directed towards his eyes from the Beast’s first appearance. A superimposed glow exudes menace and ferociousness before disappearing a few frames later, leaving before revealing the true light source, the fire of humanity hidden beneath fur, fangs, and a mane. The make-up is modest, though the wiggling ears are particularly adorable. It limits what Marais is able to convey with his face, but helped by cinematographer Henri Alekan’s lighting,...
- 2/26/2013
- by Alex Hansen
- MUBI
I wish I could remember the first time I watched Jean Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bete). It was certainly no more than only three years ago, after I received it as part of Criterion's Janus Collection, but it must have been before I started my regular What I Watched columns. Nevertheless, it was an absolute stunner and one I have to admit I didn't expect to overwhelm me as much as it did.
This is a film with few imperfections if any. The magic behind the effects may be obvious, but they remain magical nonetheless. I imagine the makeup Jean Marais wears as the Beast will make some modern audience members laugh at first sight, but I have to also believe should those same audience members endure the whole of this film's 93 minutes, by the time it is over they too will yearn for the Beast to return.
This is a film with few imperfections if any. The magic behind the effects may be obvious, but they remain magical nonetheless. I imagine the makeup Jean Marais wears as the Beast will make some modern audience members laugh at first sight, but I have to also believe should those same audience members endure the whole of this film's 93 minutes, by the time it is over they too will yearn for the Beast to return.
- 7/26/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Rank the week of July 19th’s Blu-ray and DVD new releases against the best films of all-time: New Releases Limitless
(DVD & Blu-ray | PG13 | 201)
Flickchart Ranking: #1890
Times Ranked: 3217
Win Percentage: 51%
Top-20 Rankings: 12
Directed By: Neil Burger
Starring: Bradley Cooper • Robert De Niro • Abbie Cornish • Anna Friel • Andrew Howard
Genres: Psychological Sci-Fi • Psychological Thriller • Science Fiction • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Take Me Home Tonight
(DVD & Blu-ray | R | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #5722
Times Ranked: 1234
Win Percentage: 49%
Top-20 Rankings: 2
Directed By: Michael Dowse
Starring: Topher Grace • Anna Faris • Dan Fogler • Teresa Palmer • Chris Pratt
Genres: Comedy • Comedy Drama • Coming-of-Age • Drama • Period Film • Romance • Romantic Comedy • Romantic Drama
Rank This Movie
The Reef
(DVD & Blu-ray | Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #10667
Times Ranked: 152
Win Percentage: 47%
Top-20 Rankings: 2
Directed By: Andrew Traucki
Starring: Adrienne Pickering • Gyton Grantley • Zoe Naylor • Damian Walshe-Howling • Kieran Darcy-Smith
Genres: Horror • Natural Horror • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Tekken
(DVD & Blu-ray | Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #9314
Times Ranked: 332
Win...
(DVD & Blu-ray | PG13 | 201)
Flickchart Ranking: #1890
Times Ranked: 3217
Win Percentage: 51%
Top-20 Rankings: 12
Directed By: Neil Burger
Starring: Bradley Cooper • Robert De Niro • Abbie Cornish • Anna Friel • Andrew Howard
Genres: Psychological Sci-Fi • Psychological Thriller • Science Fiction • Thriller
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Take Me Home Tonight
(DVD & Blu-ray | R | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #5722
Times Ranked: 1234
Win Percentage: 49%
Top-20 Rankings: 2
Directed By: Michael Dowse
Starring: Topher Grace • Anna Faris • Dan Fogler • Teresa Palmer • Chris Pratt
Genres: Comedy • Comedy Drama • Coming-of-Age • Drama • Period Film • Romance • Romantic Comedy • Romantic Drama
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The Reef
(DVD & Blu-ray | Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #10667
Times Ranked: 152
Win Percentage: 47%
Top-20 Rankings: 2
Directed By: Andrew Traucki
Starring: Adrienne Pickering • Gyton Grantley • Zoe Naylor • Damian Walshe-Howling • Kieran Darcy-Smith
Genres: Horror • Natural Horror • Thriller
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Tekken
(DVD & Blu-ray | Nr | 2010)
Flickchart Ranking: #9314
Times Ranked: 332
Win...
- 7/19/2011
- by Jonathan Hardesty
- Flickchart
Returning to tantalize you with thoughts of lasers dancing through the air with bits of celluloid attached to neurons (or however it is that Blu-ray works), we have the prospect of ghosts, and other things that go bump in the night to tempt your wallet. Most Notable New Releases A Chinese Ghost Story (Region A; Panorama) Wilson Yip's remake of the beloved original (by Ching Siu-Tung) "turns out to be a vacuous and tedious CGI-laden crapfest," according to James Marsh, our very own Man in Hong Kong. Louis Koo stars as a demon hunter.Beauty and the Beast (Region A; Criterion Collection)Jean Cocteau's classic fantasy stars Josette Day and Jean Marais. As to the Blu-ray transfer, DVD Beaver comments: "Some fans may have had higher...
- 7/19/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Your Weekly Source for the Newest Releases to Blu-Ray Tuesday, July 19th, 2011
Amelie (2001)
Synopsis: Bursting with imagination and having seen her share of tragedy and fantasy, Amélie is not like the other girls. When she grows up she becomes a waitress in a Montmartre bar run by a former dancer. Amelie enjoys simple pleasures until she discovers that her goal in life is to help others. To that end, she invents all sorts of tricks that allow her to intervene incognito into other people’s lives, including an imbibing concierge and her hypochondriac neighbor. But Amélie’s most difficult case turns out to be Nino Quicampoix, a lonely sex shop employee who collects photos abandoned at coin-operated photobooths. (blu-ray.com)
Special Features: The Look of Amelie featurette; Fantasies of Audrey Tatou; Q&A with the director and cast; Auditions; Storyboard to screen comparisons; An Intimate Chat With Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet...
Amelie (2001)
Synopsis: Bursting with imagination and having seen her share of tragedy and fantasy, Amélie is not like the other girls. When she grows up she becomes a waitress in a Montmartre bar run by a former dancer. Amelie enjoys simple pleasures until she discovers that her goal in life is to help others. To that end, she invents all sorts of tricks that allow her to intervene incognito into other people’s lives, including an imbibing concierge and her hypochondriac neighbor. But Amélie’s most difficult case turns out to be Nino Quicampoix, a lonely sex shop employee who collects photos abandoned at coin-operated photobooths. (blu-ray.com)
Special Features: The Look of Amelie featurette; Fantasies of Audrey Tatou; Q&A with the director and cast; Auditions; Storyboard to screen comparisons; An Intimate Chat With Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet...
- 7/18/2011
- by Travis Keune
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
DVD Playhouse—July 2011
By Allen Gardner
The Music Room (Criterion) Satyajit Ray’s 1958 masterpiece looks at the life of a fallen aristocrat as a metaphor for an India that is not only becoming Westernized, but modernized technologically and culturally beyond recognition. When the beloved music room, where he has hosted lavish concerts in the past, starts falling into disrepair as attendance drops steadily, the man realizes his way of life is vanishing. Stunningly shot in black & white, one of Ray’s finest works. Bonuses: Documentary on Ray from 1984 by Shyam Benegal; Interviews with Ray biographer Andrew Robinson and filmmaker Mira Nair; Excerpt from 1981 roundtable discussion between Ray, critic Michael Ciment, director Claude Sautet. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
Beauty And The Beast (Criterion) Jean Cocteau’s sublime adaptation of the classic fairy tale become a beloved classic upon its 1946 release, and hasn’t faded since.
By Allen Gardner
The Music Room (Criterion) Satyajit Ray’s 1958 masterpiece looks at the life of a fallen aristocrat as a metaphor for an India that is not only becoming Westernized, but modernized technologically and culturally beyond recognition. When the beloved music room, where he has hosted lavish concerts in the past, starts falling into disrepair as attendance drops steadily, the man realizes his way of life is vanishing. Stunningly shot in black & white, one of Ray’s finest works. Bonuses: Documentary on Ray from 1984 by Shyam Benegal; Interviews with Ray biographer Andrew Robinson and filmmaker Mira Nair; Excerpt from 1981 roundtable discussion between Ray, critic Michael Ciment, director Claude Sautet. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Full screen. Dolby 1.0 mono.
Beauty And The Beast (Criterion) Jean Cocteau’s sublime adaptation of the classic fairy tale become a beloved classic upon its 1946 release, and hasn’t faded since.
- 7/7/2011
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Well we all knew this would happen. Back in February, when Criterion announced their epic digital streaming partnership with Hulu, they also quietly revealed that their streaming options on Netflix would be coming to an end over the course of the next year. While I haven’t been paying close attention to the Criterion Collection films that have been expiring since that announcement was made, I thought it would be helpful to all of you loyal Netflix subscribers to know that in about twelve days, 26 titles will be expiring on the 26th of May, 2011.
I’ve gone and linked to all of the titles below, so you can click on the cover art or the text, and be taken to their corresponding Netflix pages. While this isn’t everything that Criterion has to offer on Netflix, it is a nice chunk of really important films. If you don’t currently have a Netflix subscription,...
I’ve gone and linked to all of the titles below, so you can click on the cover art or the text, and be taken to their corresponding Netflix pages. While this isn’t everything that Criterion has to offer on Netflix, it is a nice chunk of really important films. If you don’t currently have a Netflix subscription,...
- 5/15/2011
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
The Criterion Collection will issue a Blu-ray edition of Jean Cocteau’s sublime 1946 film adaptation of the fairy-tale masterpiece Beauty and the Beast on July 19 for a list price of $39.95.
Jean Marais (l.) and Josette Day are Avenant and Belle in Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast.
Cocteau’s landmark movie fantasy, in which the true love of a beautiful girl melts the heart of a feral but gentle beast, features unforgettably romantic performances by Jean Marais (Orpheus) and Josette Day (Les parents terribles). The spectacular visions of enchantment, desire and death in Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bête) remain timeless.
Criterion released a DVD edition of Beauty and the Beast in 2003, which is still available for the suggested retail price of $39.95. But we’re hoping this Blu-ray will be an upgrade.
Presented in French with English subtitles, the Blu-ray edition will contain the following features:
• High-definition digital transfer from restored film elements,...
Jean Marais (l.) and Josette Day are Avenant and Belle in Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast.
Cocteau’s landmark movie fantasy, in which the true love of a beautiful girl melts the heart of a feral but gentle beast, features unforgettably romantic performances by Jean Marais (Orpheus) and Josette Day (Les parents terribles). The spectacular visions of enchantment, desire and death in Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bête) remain timeless.
Criterion released a DVD edition of Beauty and the Beast in 2003, which is still available for the suggested retail price of $39.95. But we’re hoping this Blu-ray will be an upgrade.
Presented in French with English subtitles, the Blu-ray edition will contain the following features:
• High-definition digital transfer from restored film elements,...
- 4/18/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Note: I’ll be updating this page as Criterion makes the release dates and final art available. – Ryan 4/15/2011
Well here we are, another mid-month Criterion new release announcement. This time last year, we were treated to the incredible one-two punch announcement of Black Narcissus and the Red Shoes as upgraded DVD/Blu-ray editions. This time around we have even more to be excited about.
First up, a couple of films that we’ve actually already covered on the podcast will finally be getting Blu-ray upgrades. One of our very first episodes was on Mike Leigh’s Naked (a film that I wasn’t too hot on, but I loved Leigh’s Topsy Turvy). Now you’ll finally be able to see this incredibly daring and raw look at England in the early 90s, with David Thewlis as the immortal Johnny. I found the dialogue to be a little too rapid and not very naturalistic,...
Well here we are, another mid-month Criterion new release announcement. This time last year, we were treated to the incredible one-two punch announcement of Black Narcissus and the Red Shoes as upgraded DVD/Blu-ray editions. This time around we have even more to be excited about.
First up, a couple of films that we’ve actually already covered on the podcast will finally be getting Blu-ray upgrades. One of our very first episodes was on Mike Leigh’s Naked (a film that I wasn’t too hot on, but I loved Leigh’s Topsy Turvy). Now you’ll finally be able to see this incredibly daring and raw look at England in the early 90s, with David Thewlis as the immortal Johnny. I found the dialogue to be a little too rapid and not very naturalistic,...
- 4/15/2011
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
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