Lee Grant, the Oscar-winning actress (“Shampoo”) says she decided after her win to try to direct since good roles for older women were limited. It turns out that was about the halfway point of her 98 year (so far) life. What followed was a narrative feature (“Tell Me a Riddle”) and several documentaries, including “Down and Out in America,” which won an Oscar.
When we last ran our list of the oldest living feature film directors in late 2022, where Grant stood was a mystery. Since her breakout in William Wyler’s “The Detective Story” (1951), her first nomination, her year of birth was unclear. But recently she has clarified that that she was born in 1925. That makes her, to the best of our knowledge, older than any of her peers.
Below are listed the 25 oldest. Since our most recent list, Norman Lear, Robert M. Young (both of who briefly were the oldest...
When we last ran our list of the oldest living feature film directors in late 2022, where Grant stood was a mystery. Since her breakout in William Wyler’s “The Detective Story” (1951), her first nomination, her year of birth was unclear. But recently she has clarified that that she was born in 1925. That makes her, to the best of our knowledge, older than any of her peers.
Below are listed the 25 oldest. Since our most recent list, Norman Lear, Robert M. Young (both of who briefly were the oldest...
- 2/16/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
With one foot planted firmly in the Kiss Me Deadly era of film noir and the other closer to The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, writer-director Allen Baron’s Blast of Silence begins with a brutal, uncompromising invocation of birth and ends with an almost mystically sensitive death. The story of socially isolated hit man Frankie (Baron) who comes to terms with his deferred need for human connection just in time for, one, Christmas and, two, a job that will require him to be especially cold-hearted, Blast of Silence is less a manifestation of the labyrinthine plot trajectories of great noir than an early harbinger of the DIY moxie of the American independent movement.
Baron’s blunt, almost perfunctory story doesn’t reveal much about the inner workings of its central character, instead taking advantage of the downright dull aspects of New York City, a city that films (especially noir...
Baron’s blunt, almost perfunctory story doesn’t reveal much about the inner workings of its central character, instead taking advantage of the downright dull aspects of New York City, a city that films (especially noir...
- 1/2/2024
- by Eric Henderson
- Slant Magazine
There's not an exact timeline for film noir, the genre moniker given to a certain kind of gritty crime film that flourished in the United States in the 20th century. It usually dates from the early 1940s to the late 1950s, a time when a dark disillusionment reigned over many people, even when the victories of WWII should have prevailed. It wasn't a victorious time for everyone, and many found themselves lost in the proverbial shuffle of the new American boom. You could argue that it's one of the last noirs, or one of the first neo-noirs, but there is no arguing that Blast of Silence is a remarkable achievement. Made on a tiny budget, with a minimal cast and crew, mainly outdoor shooting on...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 12/19/2023
- Screen Anarchy
The Criterion Channel is closing the year out with a bang––they’ve announced their December lineup. Among the highlights are retrospectives on Yasujiro Ozu (featuring nearly 40 films!), Ousmane Sembène, Alfred Hitchcock (along with Kent Jones’ Hitchcock/Truffaut), and Parker Posey. Well-timed for the season is a holiday noir series that includes They Live By Night, Blast of Silence, Lady in the Lake, and more.
Other highlights are the recent restoration of Abel Gance’s La roue, an MGM Musicals series with introduction by Michael Koresky, Helena Wittmann’s riveting second feature Human Flowers of Flesh, the recent Sundance highlight The Mountains Are a Dream That Call To Me, the new restoration of The Cassandra Cat, Lynne Ramsay’s Morvern Callar, Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster, and more.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Terry Gilliam, 1988
An American in Paris, Vincente Minnelli,...
Other highlights are the recent restoration of Abel Gance’s La roue, an MGM Musicals series with introduction by Michael Koresky, Helena Wittmann’s riveting second feature Human Flowers of Flesh, the recent Sundance highlight The Mountains Are a Dream That Call To Me, the new restoration of The Cassandra Cat, Lynne Ramsay’s Morvern Callar, Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster, and more.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Terry Gilliam, 1988
An American in Paris, Vincente Minnelli,...
- 11/13/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Another month, another set of new The Criterion Collection releases. And while December is typically the lightest month for releases on Criterion’s calendar, three titles will be out in time for the holidays: two remasters, with the addition of four other films to one of those releases, and one new spine #.
Read More: Criterion Adds ‘Mean Streets,’ A Jackie Chain Boxset & More For Its November 2023 Releases
So what’s getting inducted into the Collection in December?
Continue reading Criterion Adds ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,’ Remasters Of ‘The Red Balloon’ & ‘Blast Of Silence’ For Its December 2023 Releases at The Playlist.
Read More: Criterion Adds ‘Mean Streets,’ A Jackie Chain Boxset & More For Its November 2023 Releases
So what’s getting inducted into the Collection in December?
Continue reading Criterion Adds ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,’ Remasters Of ‘The Red Balloon’ & ‘Blast Of Silence’ For Its December 2023 Releases at The Playlist.
- 9/18/2023
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Make way for the parade! Featuring Brian Trenchard-Smith, Eli Roth, Katt Shea, Thomas Jane, our very own Don Barrett and Blaire Bercy from the Hollywood Food Coalition.
Please support the Hollywood Food Coalition. Text “Give” to 323.402.5704 or visit https://hofoco.org/donate!
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Screams of a Winter Night (1979)
Goodbye Bruce Lee: His Last Game Of Death (1975)
I Think We’re Alone Now (2018)
The Rhythm Section (2020)
Atomic Blonde (2017)
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (1965)
The Ipcress File (1965)
Funeral In Berlin (1966)
Extraction (2020)
Kung Fu Hustle (2004)
The Mermaid (2016)
Oklahoma! (1955)
Singin’ In The Rain (1953)
Nightcrawler (2014)
I Think We’re Alone Now (2008)
Ghetto Freaks a.k.a. Sign of Aquarius (1970)
Hostel (2005)
Cabin Fever (2002)
Final Cut: Ladies And Gentlemen (2012)
The Movie Orgy (1968)
Gremlins (1984)
The Goonies (1985)
Hell of the Living Dead a.k.a. Night of the Zombies (1980)
Troll 2 (1990)
In The Land Of The Cannibals a.k.a. Land of...
Please support the Hollywood Food Coalition. Text “Give” to 323.402.5704 or visit https://hofoco.org/donate!
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Screams of a Winter Night (1979)
Goodbye Bruce Lee: His Last Game Of Death (1975)
I Think We’re Alone Now (2018)
The Rhythm Section (2020)
Atomic Blonde (2017)
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (1965)
The Ipcress File (1965)
Funeral In Berlin (1966)
Extraction (2020)
Kung Fu Hustle (2004)
The Mermaid (2016)
Oklahoma! (1955)
Singin’ In The Rain (1953)
Nightcrawler (2014)
I Think We’re Alone Now (2008)
Ghetto Freaks a.k.a. Sign of Aquarius (1970)
Hostel (2005)
Cabin Fever (2002)
Final Cut: Ladies And Gentlemen (2012)
The Movie Orgy (1968)
Gremlins (1984)
The Goonies (1985)
Hell of the Living Dead a.k.a. Night of the Zombies (1980)
Troll 2 (1990)
In The Land Of The Cannibals a.k.a. Land of...
- 5/8/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
In their feature films, directors Josh and Ben Safdie have always walked a fine line between fact and fiction. Not quite documentaries and not quite traditional narratives, their work takes on an air of alarming spontaneity, threatening to jump off the screen at you. Between Daddy Longlegs and Heaven Knows What, the Safdies captured a gorgeously grainy snapshot of their home city of New York, both painfully truthful and deeply impacting.
Their latest, Good Time, returns to New York City, this time bringing a pulp edge to their naturalistic aesthetic. After a botched bank robbery lands his brother Nick (Ben Safdie) in jail, Constantine (Robert Pattinson) is forced out of Queens into the city to bring his brother home, at any cost.
Our review describes Good Time as “in parts a heist movie (iconic masks included) and a chase movie, but not an homage in any sense — more an evolution,...
Their latest, Good Time, returns to New York City, this time bringing a pulp edge to their naturalistic aesthetic. After a botched bank robbery lands his brother Nick (Ben Safdie) in jail, Constantine (Robert Pattinson) is forced out of Queens into the city to bring his brother home, at any cost.
Our review describes Good Time as “in parts a heist movie (iconic masks included) and a chase movie, but not an homage in any sense — more an evolution,...
- 8/14/2017
- by Tony Hinds
- The Film Stage
Elizabeth Rayne Jim Knipfel Daniel Kurland Tony Sokol Dec 24, 2018
If you're in the mood to spice up your holiday eggnog with a real kick, we have 17 Christmas horror movies that are to die for...
Technicolor lights are illuminating every other home in the neighborhood; carolers are marching through the streets; even that old tree in Rockefeller is shining brightly.
For some folks, that’s enough to make you want to grab an axe. But don’t do that. Watch demented men dressed as Santa Claus or a demon Krampus give your old Anti-Christmas sentiments a turn with maximum gore. Indeed, this list isn’t about the most charming, or heartwarming, or fancy-schmancy schmaltz that most Christmas articles, even on this site, heave into the world. Nay, this is about the 17 grossest, nastiest, and all around most fun Christmas horror movies. The kind where the greatest gift you’re going to...
If you're in the mood to spice up your holiday eggnog with a real kick, we have 17 Christmas horror movies that are to die for...
Technicolor lights are illuminating every other home in the neighborhood; carolers are marching through the streets; even that old tree in Rockefeller is shining brightly.
For some folks, that’s enough to make you want to grab an axe. But don’t do that. Watch demented men dressed as Santa Claus or a demon Krampus give your old Anti-Christmas sentiments a turn with maximum gore. Indeed, this list isn’t about the most charming, or heartwarming, or fancy-schmancy schmaltz that most Christmas articles, even on this site, heave into the world. Nay, this is about the 17 grossest, nastiest, and all around most fun Christmas horror movies. The kind where the greatest gift you’re going to...
- 12/13/2016
- Den of Geek
Our perception of the Forest City having only seen it on screen.
All this week, Cleveland, Ohio, is being overrun with politicians, their supporters, and protestors of their platforms as the Republican National Convention is being held at the Quicken Loans Arena through Thursday. To help get a better sense of this “Cleve-Land,” as Howard the Duck calls it, we’re looking to entertainment, specifically movies and television, for what it can tell us about this city. If there’s anything we miss or misunderstand, blame Hollywood.
Cleveland Rocks
It’s the Rock and Roll Capital of the World, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, so it’s not surprising that, to an outsider, Cleveland primarily looks like a city where music reigns. You could make a nice concert with all the fictional bands based there, including Cherry Bomb from Howard the Duck, The Barbusters from Light of Day, the...
All this week, Cleveland, Ohio, is being overrun with politicians, their supporters, and protestors of their platforms as the Republican National Convention is being held at the Quicken Loans Arena through Thursday. To help get a better sense of this “Cleve-Land,” as Howard the Duck calls it, we’re looking to entertainment, specifically movies and television, for what it can tell us about this city. If there’s anything we miss or misunderstand, blame Hollywood.
Cleveland Rocks
It’s the Rock and Roll Capital of the World, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, so it’s not surprising that, to an outsider, Cleveland primarily looks like a city where music reigns. You could make a nice concert with all the fictional bands based there, including Cherry Bomb from Howard the Duck, The Barbusters from Light of Day, the...
- 7/19/2016
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Comedian and actor Patton Oswalt is a very funny and very passionate geek. He's also a lover of film, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has started a new web series with him called Let's Go the the Movies with Patton Oswalt. Oswalt has been given the opportunity to watch any film in the Academy Film Archive and then analyzes it. In this first episode he is joined by comedian Karen Kilgariff. They watch the 1961 noir classic Blast of Silence. You can watch the episode below, and I also included the trailer for film they watched below that.
- 5/24/2014
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
"Now, if this was an old silent comedy, I would spill these [film canisters] everywhere and they would clatter to the ground... but, I have respect for cinema." Atta' boy, Patton! So, this is what happens when you let Patton Oswalt loose in The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences film archives. As part of a new series of "Academy Originals" videos on YouTube, this latest "Let's Go to the Movies" video provides a very lively and fun discussion on the 1961 B&W film noir classic Blast of Silence, set in New York City. It's also just fun to see Patton roam the halls of the archives and chat about his love for movies and the New Beverly. Posted on The Academy's YouTube, found via Facebook. "Follow along as comedian, actor and movie fanatic Patton Oswalt is offered the opportunity to screen any film from the Academy Film Archive, then watches and...
- 5/21/2014
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
This is a reprint of our review from the Vancouver International Film Festival.
The hitman genre has been done to death. If cinema can be a reflection of the times we live in, and a recorded piece of history of what the filmmakers are concerned with at the time of inception and production, then it’s amazing any of us are still alive. When done well, the genre can be a lot of fun – as well as dramatic, escapist, cool and artful – but there’s just too many professional killers running amok in the movies.
So if every story in the genre has already been told, then why make a hitman film? For one, you could argue that about every single genre out there. There are no new stories. But there is always a new, inventive and/or clever way to tell a story. And cinema is nothing if not a referential medium,...
The hitman genre has been done to death. If cinema can be a reflection of the times we live in, and a recorded piece of history of what the filmmakers are concerned with at the time of inception and production, then it’s amazing any of us are still alive. When done well, the genre can be a lot of fun – as well as dramatic, escapist, cool and artful – but there’s just too many professional killers running amok in the movies.
So if every story in the genre has already been told, then why make a hitman film? For one, you could argue that about every single genre out there. There are no new stories. But there is always a new, inventive and/or clever way to tell a story. And cinema is nothing if not a referential medium,...
- 4/20/2012
- by Erik McClanahan
- The Playlist
"Often unfairly dismissed as a minor prelude to Stanley Kubrick's work from his attention-demanding antiwar indictment Paths of Glory onwards, 1956's The Killing finds the master imposing Big Direction on Small Ideas," argues Vadim Rizov at GreenCine Daily. "Instead of the headier themes associated with Kubrick — nuclear war, Vietnam, extraterrestrial monoliths — here is an 84-minute noir, adapted from a Lionel White novel by expert nihilist Jim Thompson, confined to the bare minimum of sets and a few street exteriors. The dialogue has Thompson's characteristic mean-spirited tone: when Sherry Peatty (Marie Windsor) tells her lover Val Cannon (Vince Edwards) about her meek husband George's (Elisha Cook Jr) upcoming involvement in a robbery, he scoffs. 'That meatball?' Sherry corrects him: 'A meatball with gravy.'"
"The first product of the reportedly strained, multi-film collaboration between Kubrick and Thompson, their incendiary script for The Killing remains cinematic legend, lightning trapped in...
"The first product of the reportedly strained, multi-film collaboration between Kubrick and Thompson, their incendiary script for The Killing remains cinematic legend, lightning trapped in...
- 8/19/2011
- MUBI
Welcome to “Not In The English Language”, a new weekly column from HeyUGuys. Each week a different film not in the English language will come under scrutiny.
This week, with festivities in the air, Adam Batty takes a look at Claude Jutra’s 1971 French Canadian classic, Mon Oncle Antoine.
Jutra’s Christmas-set tale of life in rural Quebec provides a wonderful and unique spin on the festive movie. The story of Benoit, a 15-year old boy who works in his uncle’s general store, Mon Oncle Antoine follows him one Christmas Eve, in which Benoit accompanies the titular character to pick up the dead body of a local teenage boy. Somehow, in spite of this rather gloomy sounding set of events, Mon Oncle Antoine manages to capture the heart and soul of the festive period in a timeless and wholly convincing manner.
Granted, Jutra’s film is a tad macabre...
This week, with festivities in the air, Adam Batty takes a look at Claude Jutra’s 1971 French Canadian classic, Mon Oncle Antoine.
Jutra’s Christmas-set tale of life in rural Quebec provides a wonderful and unique spin on the festive movie. The story of Benoit, a 15-year old boy who works in his uncle’s general store, Mon Oncle Antoine follows him one Christmas Eve, in which Benoit accompanies the titular character to pick up the dead body of a local teenage boy. Somehow, in spite of this rather gloomy sounding set of events, Mon Oncle Antoine manages to capture the heart and soul of the festive period in a timeless and wholly convincing manner.
Granted, Jutra’s film is a tad macabre...
- 12/22/2010
- by Adam Batty
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Comparisons will be made to Ben Affleck’s The Town to such films as Heat, Reservoir Dogs, White Heat, La Haine, Blast of Silence and many other crime/heist films. In retrospect, the film does borrow wonderful aspects of all those films and the genre itself but is in no way a knock at the film itself. Instead it showcases how Ben Affleck has grown in the director’s chair already, this being his second time directing, and you wouldn’t know it by watching the film. The Town is the must see film of the season right now and not a moment too soon.
After a lackluster summer, where the blockbusters were anything but, The Town is the film I had wished I had seen back in June. But considering this is the start of Oscar bait season, it makes sense to showcase this film because not only is the directing top notch,...
After a lackluster summer, where the blockbusters were anything but, The Town is the film I had wished I had seen back in June. But considering this is the start of Oscar bait season, it makes sense to showcase this film because not only is the directing top notch,...
- 9/17/2010
- by James McCormick
- CriterionCast
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