John Sayles has made a career out of writing and directing some of the finest ensemble films of all time, movies like “Matewan,” “Eight Men Out,” and “Sunshine State” that create rich tapestries of American life filled with intimate detail and epic sweep. One of his most entertaining and sophisticated works, the 1996 contemporary Western “Lone Star,” is newly available in 4K and Blu-ray editions from Criterion, and it has, like most of Sayles’ movies, only improved with age. As a Texas sheriff investigates an old murder, the film becomes timeless and specifically of its era (particularly in the border crossing scenes conceived and shot before the wall that eventually went up in Sayles’ location), a complex consideration of cultural conflicts and generational divides that seem hardwired into the American consciousness.
It’s a great American epic, yet like all of the director’s films it was shot on a modest...
It’s a great American epic, yet like all of the director’s films it was shot on a modest...
- 1/16/2024
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Near the end of Matewan (1987), socialist union organizer Joe Kenehan (Chris Cooper), a guiding light and galvanizing force for a West Virginia town of striking coal miners under siege, attempts to console frustrated young Danny Radnor (Will Oldham), a nascent preacher and union man. Overwhelmed by the violence and hardships they’ve suffered, the boy gives into despair, declaring in rage and desperation that it’s every man for himself. Joe’s stirring reply is that they must all look after each other, no matter what. Though followed by a long-brewing scene of climatic violence, this quiet but deeply moving moment between […]
The post Cinema of Bread and Roses: An Interview with Maggie Renzi and John Sayles first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Cinema of Bread and Roses: An Interview with Maggie Renzi and John Sayles first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 12/18/2023
- by Ruairí McCann
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Near the end of Matewan (1987), socialist union organizer Joe Kenehan (Chris Cooper), a guiding light and galvanizing force for a West Virginia town of striking coal miners under siege, attempts to console frustrated young Danny Radnor (Will Oldham), a nascent preacher and union man. Overwhelmed by the violence and hardships they’ve suffered, the boy gives into despair, declaring in rage and desperation that it’s every man for himself. Joe’s stirring reply is that they must all look after each other, no matter what. Though followed by a long-brewing scene of climatic violence, this quiet but deeply moving moment between […]
The post Cinema of Bread and Roses: An Interview with Maggie Renzi and John Sayles first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Cinema of Bread and Roses: An Interview with Maggie Renzi and John Sayles first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 12/18/2023
- by Ruairí McCann
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
As cultural institutions crank out their various “Best of 2023” lists, there’s one year-end list that always feels especially poignant. The Library of Congress has announced its 2023 class of additions to the National Film Registry — a collection of titles that the United States National Film Preservation Board has deemed as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” This year, additions include Home Alone (1990), Lady and the Tramp (1955), Love & Basketball (2000), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), and more.
“Films are an integral piece of America’s cultural heritage, reflecting stories of our nation for more than 125 years,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “We’re grateful to the film community for collaborating with the Library in our goal to preserve the heritage of cinema.” Among this aforementioned film community, the Library of Congress Blog highlighted Spike Lee’s fifth entry into the registry with his 2000 satire Bamboozled, as well...
“Films are an integral piece of America’s cultural heritage, reflecting stories of our nation for more than 125 years,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “We’re grateful to the film community for collaborating with the Library in our goal to preserve the heritage of cinema.” Among this aforementioned film community, the Library of Congress Blog highlighted Spike Lee’s fifth entry into the registry with his 2000 satire Bamboozled, as well...
- 12/13/2023
- by Emma Carey
- Consequence - Film News
A new batch of classic films have made their way into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry this week, including Henry Selick’s The Nightmare Before Christmas!
This year’s new lineup of films that have been deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” also includes James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day!
The National Film Registry says of The Nightmare Before Christmas, “The king of dark whimsy, Tim Burton won over an even larger (and decidedly younger) crowd with this delightful stop-motion animated offering. Jack Skellington, whose giant pumpkin head rests precariously on top of his rail-thin body, is the king of Halloween Town; one year he dreams of bringing a little Christmas magic to his humble hamlet. Conceived and produced by Burton (with direction by Henry Selick), Nightmare features creative set design to construct an imaginary world, songs by Danny Elfman and the voice talents of Chris Sarandon,...
This year’s new lineup of films that have been deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” also includes James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day!
The National Film Registry says of The Nightmare Before Christmas, “The king of dark whimsy, Tim Burton won over an even larger (and decidedly younger) crowd with this delightful stop-motion animated offering. Jack Skellington, whose giant pumpkin head rests precariously on top of his rail-thin body, is the king of Halloween Town; one year he dreams of bringing a little Christmas magic to his humble hamlet. Conceived and produced by Burton (with direction by Henry Selick), Nightmare features creative set design to construct an imaginary world, songs by Danny Elfman and the voice talents of Chris Sarandon,...
- 12/13/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
The Library of Congress National Film Registry has just inducted 25 new films, ranging from beloved fan favorites to esteemed cinematic classics. In a holiday-themed twist, Chris Columbus’ “Home Alone” and Tim Burton’s “Nightmare Before Christmas” are among the inductees, along with films by Spike Lee, Steve McQueen, Ron Howard, Ang Lee, and James Cameron.
Twenty-five influential films were selected “for their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage,” per the official press release. The 2023 selections date back more than 100 years to a 1921 Kodak educational film titled “A Movie Trip Through Filmland” about how film stock is produced and the impact of movies globally, as well as Oscar-winning films “20 Feet From Stardom” and “12 Years a Slave.”
The public submitted 6,875 titles for consideration this year, with “Home Alone” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” garnering significant support. The total number of films in the registry...
Twenty-five influential films were selected “for their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage,” per the official press release. The 2023 selections date back more than 100 years to a 1921 Kodak educational film titled “A Movie Trip Through Filmland” about how film stock is produced and the impact of movies globally, as well as Oscar-winning films “20 Feet From Stardom” and “12 Years a Slave.”
The public submitted 6,875 titles for consideration this year, with “Home Alone” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” garnering significant support. The total number of films in the registry...
- 12/13/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Whenever films reach a certain point of cultural, historical or aesthetic significance, they get added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. The movies are preserved for their contribution to the nation’s film heritage. Deadline reveals the 25 films that have been selected this year include Apollo 13, Home Alone and Lady and the Tramp, Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet; James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love & Basketball, Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, and Steve McQueen’s Best Picture Oscar winner 12 Years a Slave.
Ron Howard commented on his Apollo 13 film’s inclusion, “It’s a very honest, heartfelt reflection of something that was very American, which was the space program in that time and what it meant to the country and to the world… I was very proud of the outcome. The experience remains an absolute highlight. It was...
Ron Howard commented on his Apollo 13 film’s inclusion, “It’s a very honest, heartfelt reflection of something that was very American, which was the space program in that time and what it meant to the country and to the world… I was very proud of the outcome. The experience remains an absolute highlight. It was...
- 12/13/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Since 1989, the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress has been accomplishing the important task of preserving films that “represent important cultural, artistic and historic achievements in filmmaking.” From films way back in 1897 all the way up to 2013, they’ve now reached 875 films that celebrate our heritage and encapsulate our film history.
Today they’ve unveiled their 2023 list, which includes Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love & Basketball, John Sayles’ Matewan, and more.
“The National Film Registry is an essential American enterprise that officially recognizes the rich depth and variety, the eloquence and the real greatness of American cinema and the filmmakers who have created it, film by film,” said Scorsese.
Check out the list of this year’s additions below, the full list here, and...
Today they’ve unveiled their 2023 list, which includes Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love & Basketball, John Sayles’ Matewan, and more.
“The National Film Registry is an essential American enterprise that officially recognizes the rich depth and variety, the eloquence and the real greatness of American cinema and the filmmakers who have created it, film by film,” said Scorsese.
Check out the list of this year’s additions below, the full list here, and...
- 12/13/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Library of Congress announced the 25 features joining the National Film Registry for 2023, with titles including “12 Years a Slave,” “Home Alone,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” Selected films must be more than 10 years old and are selected each year for their cultural, historic or aesthetic significance to preserve the film heritage of the U.S.
The Library of Congress is not responsible for the physical preservation of the titles selected — many have already been preserved by copyright holders, filmmakers or other archives. For those that haven’t yet been preserved, the Library’s National Audio-Visual Conservation Center works to make sure it will be — through ventures with other archives or studios or through its own preservation program.
The selected films encompass more than 100 years of history, including the earliest title of this year’s additions — the 1921 educational film “A Movie Trip Through Filmland.”
Hollywood studio...
The Library of Congress is not responsible for the physical preservation of the titles selected — many have already been preserved by copyright holders, filmmakers or other archives. For those that haven’t yet been preserved, the Library’s National Audio-Visual Conservation Center works to make sure it will be — through ventures with other archives or studios or through its own preservation program.
The selected films encompass more than 100 years of history, including the earliest title of this year’s additions — the 1921 educational film “A Movie Trip Through Filmland.”
Hollywood studio...
- 12/13/2023
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Harlan County, USA
Filmmakers loves an underdog and movies have a long tradition of supporting the rights of workers, dating all the way back to the silent era. Here are some classic movies that celebrate workers’ right to strike for better wages and safer working conditions and the sometimes unlikely allies they find along the way. Many are based on true stories, including John Sayles’ masterful “Matewan,” about a coal miner strike in West Virginia, as well as Barbara Kopple’s Oscar-winning documentary, “Harlan County, USA.”
Photo credit: Disney
“Newsies” (1992)
“Headlines don’t sell papes, Newsies sell papes!” In this exuberant and pro-worker musical, Christian Bale’s Jack Kelly leads a group of newsboys in a strike against penny-pinching newspaper owner Joseph Pulitzer. They’re aided by Bill Pullman’s kindly, reform-minded journalist and, of course, Teddy Roosevelt, who was then governor of New York.
Photo credit: 20th Century
“Norma Rae...
Filmmakers loves an underdog and movies have a long tradition of supporting the rights of workers, dating all the way back to the silent era. Here are some classic movies that celebrate workers’ right to strike for better wages and safer working conditions and the sometimes unlikely allies they find along the way. Many are based on true stories, including John Sayles’ masterful “Matewan,” about a coal miner strike in West Virginia, as well as Barbara Kopple’s Oscar-winning documentary, “Harlan County, USA.”
Photo credit: Disney
“Newsies” (1992)
“Headlines don’t sell papes, Newsies sell papes!” In this exuberant and pro-worker musical, Christian Bale’s Jack Kelly leads a group of newsboys in a strike against penny-pinching newspaper owner Joseph Pulitzer. They’re aided by Bill Pullman’s kindly, reform-minded journalist and, of course, Teddy Roosevelt, who was then governor of New York.
Photo credit: 20th Century
“Norma Rae...
- 7/24/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Mulan and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine star Rosalind Chao chats about a few of her favorite movies with Josh & Joe.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Mulan (2020)
The Joy Luck Club (1993)
The Seven Year Itch (1955)
Mary Poppins (1964)
The Sound Of Music (1965)
My Fair Lady (1964)
Gremlins (1984)
Explorers (1985)
Funny Girl (1968)
What’s Up Doc? (1972)
The Heartbreak Kid (1972)
The Graduate (1967)
Midnight Run (1988)
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
The Lonely Guy (1984)
Waiting For Guffman (1996)
Best In Show (2000)
Hamilton (2020)
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)
Misery (1990)
Paris, Texas (1984)
Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
sex, lies and videotape (1989)
The Shining (1980)
Matewan (1987)
Thousand Pieces of Gold (1990)
Lost In Translation (2003)
Mean Streets (1973)
On The Rocks (2020)
Somewhere (2010)
Adaptation (2002)
Mandy (2018)
Possessor (2020)
Midsommar (2019)
The Wicker Man (1973)
Hereditary (2018)
The Lighthouse (2019)
Other Notable Items
The Scott Alexander podcast episodes
Tfh Guru Larry Karaszewski
Star Trek franchise
The It’s A Small World ride
Disneyland
University of the Arts
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Mulan (2020)
The Joy Luck Club (1993)
The Seven Year Itch (1955)
Mary Poppins (1964)
The Sound Of Music (1965)
My Fair Lady (1964)
Gremlins (1984)
Explorers (1985)
Funny Girl (1968)
What’s Up Doc? (1972)
The Heartbreak Kid (1972)
The Graduate (1967)
Midnight Run (1988)
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
The Lonely Guy (1984)
Waiting For Guffman (1996)
Best In Show (2000)
Hamilton (2020)
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)
Misery (1990)
Paris, Texas (1984)
Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
sex, lies and videotape (1989)
The Shining (1980)
Matewan (1987)
Thousand Pieces of Gold (1990)
Lost In Translation (2003)
Mean Streets (1973)
On The Rocks (2020)
Somewhere (2010)
Adaptation (2002)
Mandy (2018)
Possessor (2020)
Midsommar (2019)
The Wicker Man (1973)
Hereditary (2018)
The Lighthouse (2019)
Other Notable Items
The Scott Alexander podcast episodes
Tfh Guru Larry Karaszewski
Star Trek franchise
The It’s A Small World ride
Disneyland
University of the Arts
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine...
- 2/9/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Leslie A. Pope, an Oscar-nominated set decorator who worked on several Marvel movies, has died at 65 in Venice, Calif., according to her friend, Trish Gallaher Glenn.
Pope had heart surgery in February and was still recovering when she died, Glenn said.
She moved to New York in 1979 to begin her career in the film industry, and later moved to Venice in 1997. In her 40-year career, she worked on more than 50 films as a set decorator.
Pope received an Oscar nomination for “Seabiscuit” in 2003 for best art direction along with Jeannine Oppewall. “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” would go on to win the category.
She also worked on several movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most recently the blockbuster “Avengers: Endgame.” Her other superhero film credits include “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Ant-Man,” “Spider-Man 3” and “The Amazing Spider-Man.”
The Art Directors Guild awarded Pope the...
Pope had heart surgery in February and was still recovering when she died, Glenn said.
She moved to New York in 1979 to begin her career in the film industry, and later moved to Venice in 1997. In her 40-year career, she worked on more than 50 films as a set decorator.
Pope received an Oscar nomination for “Seabiscuit” in 2003 for best art direction along with Jeannine Oppewall. “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” would go on to win the category.
She also worked on several movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most recently the blockbuster “Avengers: Endgame.” Her other superhero film credits include “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Ant-Man,” “Spider-Man 3” and “The Amazing Spider-Man.”
The Art Directors Guild awarded Pope the...
- 5/10/2020
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
The Criterion Collection rounds the corner on its final three-digit spine number (#999) this week with John Sayles' 1987 union drama, Matewan, before busting our collective eyeballs (and wallets) with spine #1000 -- the Godzilla boxed set -- which hits the street on the same day. Don't let the latter overshadow the former. If the havoc wreaked by irradiated kaiju is oftentimes slyly political, Sayles' take on the Matewan Massacre of 1920 is brazenly so. It's as disturbingly fresh -- and arguably, even more relevant -- as it was when it was released. I wonder if they'll sell it on Amazon. Taking place entirely in a holler in West Virginia where local miners are attempting to stand up to the mining company that is crushing...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/28/2019
- Screen Anarchy
At long last, Criterion has revealed its 1,000th entry to be the ultimate “Godzilla” collection, with all 15 films of the Japanese monster series’ original Showa era films beautifully burnished for the first time. This massive set, with all films digitally restored, ranges from Ishirō Honda’s 1954 original-that-started-it-all “Godzilla” to Honda’s 1975 “Terror of Mechagodzilla,” which was his directorial swan song.
Also featured in the set are such iconic Godzilla face-offs as “King Kong vs. Godzilla” (1963), “Mothra vs. Godzilla” (1964), “Godzilla vs. Gigan” (1972), “Godzilla vs. Megalon” (1973) and more.
Criterion promises “a landmark set showcasing the technical wizardry, fantastical storytelling, and indomitable international appeal that established the most iconic giant monster the cinema has ever seen.”
The series has featured its fair share of imitations and reboots over the years, including this year’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” whose director, Michael Dougherty modeled the creature design for his film after the 1954 version...
Also featured in the set are such iconic Godzilla face-offs as “King Kong vs. Godzilla” (1963), “Mothra vs. Godzilla” (1964), “Godzilla vs. Gigan” (1972), “Godzilla vs. Megalon” (1973) and more.
Criterion promises “a landmark set showcasing the technical wizardry, fantastical storytelling, and indomitable international appeal that established the most iconic giant monster the cinema has ever seen.”
The series has featured its fair share of imitations and reboots over the years, including this year’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” whose director, Michael Dougherty modeled the creature design for his film after the 1954 version...
- 7/25/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Chris Cooper celebrates his 68th birthday on July 9, 2019. The Oscar-winning actor has leant his laconic, folksy presence to dozens of movies, many of which have become modern classics. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1951 in Kansas City, Missouri, Cooper cut his teeth in theater before making his film debut at the age of 36 with a lead role in John Sayles‘ “Matewan” (1987). The movie kicked off a decades long collaboration between the actor and director, with the two pairing up for such titles as “City of Hope” (1991), “Lone Star” (1996), “Silver City” (2004) and “Amigo” (2010).
SEEOscar Best Supporting Actor Gallery: Every Winner in Academy Award History
He hit the Oscar jackpot with his supporting turn in Spike Jonze‘s “Adaptation” (2002), a self-reflective comedy about screenwriter Charlie Kaufman‘s (Nicolas Cage) struggles to adapt Susan Orlean‘s (Meryl Streep...
Born in 1951 in Kansas City, Missouri, Cooper cut his teeth in theater before making his film debut at the age of 36 with a lead role in John Sayles‘ “Matewan” (1987). The movie kicked off a decades long collaboration between the actor and director, with the two pairing up for such titles as “City of Hope” (1991), “Lone Star” (1996), “Silver City” (2004) and “Amigo” (2010).
SEEOscar Best Supporting Actor Gallery: Every Winner in Academy Award History
He hit the Oscar jackpot with his supporting turn in Spike Jonze‘s “Adaptation” (2002), a self-reflective comedy about screenwriter Charlie Kaufman‘s (Nicolas Cage) struggles to adapt Susan Orlean‘s (Meryl Streep...
- 7/9/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Film history is home to dozens of space movies, from “2001: A Space Odyssey” to “Interstellar,” but which happens to be the most accurate? If you were to ask a real astronaut, say former Nasa administrator Charles F. Bolden, the answer would not be Kubrick’s magnum opus but “The Martian,” the Matt Damon-starring survival film directed by Ridley Scott. Bolden is one of 24 professionals asked by The Washington Post to name the most accurate film in his line of work, and it appears “The Martian” does space better than any film of its kind.
Read More:The 100 Best Reviewed Movies of 2017, According to Rotten Tomatoes
“Most people think about astronaut movies and they want to talk about ‘The Right Stuff,'” Bolden tells The Post. “But ‘The Martian’ is just so scientifically accurate, and it tells this story of what we’re on the cusp of — not just Americans,...
Read More:The 100 Best Reviewed Movies of 2017, According to Rotten Tomatoes
“Most people think about astronaut movies and they want to talk about ‘The Right Stuff,'” Bolden tells The Post. “But ‘The Martian’ is just so scientifically accurate, and it tells this story of what we’re on the cusp of — not just Americans,...
- 12/28/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Labor Day celebrates working people and the labor unions that brought working people the 40-hour work week, the 8-hour day, overtime pay, work-place safety, paid holidays and vacations, and a host of other protections and benefits. To honor those hard-working people and organized labor, here is a list (in no particular order) of a dozen worthy narrative films for Labor Day.
Norma Rae (1979)
For many people, the words “labor union” bring to mind the image of Sally Field standing up in defiance in “Norma Rae.” Field won an Oscar for her unforgettable, inspiring character, a worker in a Southern textile factory who becomes involved in labor organizing and stands up to management after the factory workers’ health is threatened in the workplace. This stirring drama, based on a true story, also stars Beau Bridges as Norma Rae’s husband Sonny and Ron Leibman as an union organizer from the Northeast.
Norma Rae (1979)
For many people, the words “labor union” bring to mind the image of Sally Field standing up in defiance in “Norma Rae.” Field won an Oscar for her unforgettable, inspiring character, a worker in a Southern textile factory who becomes involved in labor organizing and stands up to management after the factory workers’ health is threatened in the workplace. This stirring drama, based on a true story, also stars Beau Bridges as Norma Rae’s husband Sonny and Ron Leibman as an union organizer from the Northeast.
- 9/3/2016
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
I think everyone in this country should be aware by now that our race relations are at an all time low. It seems every time we hear the news another black citizen has been shot by the police or police have been shot by someone angry about these shootings. It cannot continue. We as a nation cannot keep going down this road.
I have always sympathized with Black Americans. In fact as a Scot and Irish American I have always sympathized with anyone who ever got pushed around, starting with Native Americans, Asians, Jewish immigrants, women of any ethnic group, Hispanics from any country.
I also sympathize with the people who are tasked with law enforcement. It’s a tough job. I had some training in that area. A couple of years ago I was hired by a Security company and was trained in unarmed, and armed, uniformed security. I...
I have always sympathized with Black Americans. In fact as a Scot and Irish American I have always sympathized with anyone who ever got pushed around, starting with Native Americans, Asians, Jewish immigrants, women of any ethnic group, Hispanics from any country.
I also sympathize with the people who are tasked with law enforcement. It’s a tough job. I had some training in that area. A couple of years ago I was hired by a Security company and was trained in unarmed, and armed, uniformed security. I...
- 8/30/2016
- by Sam Moffitt
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Still doing it his way: Sayles today.
By Mark Cerulli
The interview was set for 10:30 Am. Usually they run a few minutes late as the celebrity works his way through a call list. When the moment arrives an assistant handles the intros. Not this time. At precisely 10:30:00, the phone rang and iconic Indie filmmaker John Sayles introduced himself. And why not? A no-nonsense, get- it -done type of auteur, Sayles handles his own publicity calls and was keen to discuss his remarkable and varied career in advance of a weekend retrospective at La’s Cinefamily February 18 - 20.
Sayles broke into the business, like so many before him, by working with genre legend Roger Corman who figuratively and literally wrote the book on low budget filmmaking. “I got very lucky, didn’t realize it at the time, “Sayles recalls. “I wrote three screenplays (Piranha, The Lady in Red...
By Mark Cerulli
The interview was set for 10:30 Am. Usually they run a few minutes late as the celebrity works his way through a call list. When the moment arrives an assistant handles the intros. Not this time. At precisely 10:30:00, the phone rang and iconic Indie filmmaker John Sayles introduced himself. And why not? A no-nonsense, get- it -done type of auteur, Sayles handles his own publicity calls and was keen to discuss his remarkable and varied career in advance of a weekend retrospective at La’s Cinefamily February 18 - 20.
Sayles broke into the business, like so many before him, by working with genre legend Roger Corman who figuratively and literally wrote the book on low budget filmmaking. “I got very lucky, didn’t realize it at the time, “Sayles recalls. “I wrote three screenplays (Piranha, The Lady in Red...
- 2/18/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
While the holidays unfolded, we lost two of the greatest photographers to ever work in cinema, and it's only when you look back at the filmography they leave behind and the legacy they passed on to all the cameramen who worked under them and then went on to shoot films of their own that you understand the magnitude of what we've lost. There was a point in my own film education when I stopped going from actor to actor or from director to director in the way I was watching movies and spent a summer going from cinematographer to cinematographer, and doing that proved to be an education in the tricky definition of what we call "authorial voice" in film. I think it is only in collaboration that magic happens, and one of the people who has to be absolutely killing it for that to work is the cinematographer. The...
- 1/4/2016
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
Haskell Wexler: “He was the first cinematographer in over 35 years to receive a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame." Haskell Wexler, who has died today at the age of 93, was considered one of the industry’s most important and influential cinematographers.
He photographed a wide range of films that earned him five Academy Award nominations and two Oscars for Best Cinematography for Mike Nichols’ Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf in 1966 and a decade later for Hal Ashby’s Bound For Glory. He also photographed the Oscar-winning short-subject documentary Interviews With My Lai Veterans in 1971.
His Academy Award nominations came for his work on his first feature documentary, The Living City; a short film, T for Tumbleweed; Milos Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; John Sayle’s Matewan; and Ron Shelton’s Huey Long biopic Blaze.
Born in Chicago, Wexler attended the University of California,...
He photographed a wide range of films that earned him five Academy Award nominations and two Oscars for Best Cinematography for Mike Nichols’ Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf in 1966 and a decade later for Hal Ashby’s Bound For Glory. He also photographed the Oscar-winning short-subject documentary Interviews With My Lai Veterans in 1971.
His Academy Award nominations came for his work on his first feature documentary, The Living City; a short film, T for Tumbleweed; Milos Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; John Sayle’s Matewan; and Ron Shelton’s Huey Long biopic Blaze.
Born in Chicago, Wexler attended the University of California,...
- 12/27/2015
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Los Angeles – At the 2013 Chicago International Film Festival awards ceremony at the Ambassador East, an older man started shooting me with a video camera in the bar area. Later that same man, Haskell Wexler, picked up a lifetime award at that ceremony. Haskell Wexler died on Dec. 27, 2015, at the age of 93.
Haskell Wexler, Oscar Winning Cinematographer
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
Wexler won two Oscars for his cinematography, for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” – the last separate Oscar given for Black & White cinematography – and “Bound for Glory,” which was also notable for the first use of the Steadicam. The rest of his resume isn’t too shabby either, with Best Picture winners or nominations for “In the Heat of the Night, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” “America America” and “Coming Home.” Wexler had five Oscar nominations, including his wins, during his career.
Haskell Wexler, Oscar Winning Cinematographer
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
Wexler won two Oscars for his cinematography, for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” – the last separate Oscar given for Black & White cinematography – and “Bound for Glory,” which was also notable for the first use of the Steadicam. The rest of his resume isn’t too shabby either, with Best Picture winners or nominations for “In the Heat of the Night, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” “America America” and “Coming Home.” Wexler had five Oscar nominations, including his wins, during his career.
- 12/27/2015
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Legendary cinematographer Haskell Wexler died today. His son Jeff Wexler reported on his father’s website and via Facebook that the Oscar-winning Wexler “died peacefully in his sleep.” Haskell Wexler was 93. Wexler won the last Oscar cinematography award that went to a black-and-white film for Who’s Afraid Of Virgina Woolf? and another Academy Award for the Woody Guthrie biopic Bound For Glory. He also was nominated for One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Matewan and…...
- 12/27/2015
- Deadline
Two-time Oscar-winning cinematographer and documentary filmmaker Haskell Wexler has died at age 93. The icon, who lensed famed films such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Bound for Glory and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, passed away in his sleep at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, his son Jeff Wexler announced on his website. "It is with great sadness that I have to report that my father, Haskell Wexler, has died," Jeff wrote. "Pop died peacefully in his sleep, Sunday, December 27th, 2015. Accepting the Academy Award in 1967, Pop said: 'I hope we can use our art for peace and for love.
- 12/27/2015
- by Karen Mizoguchi
- PEOPLE.com
Cinematographer, director and producer Haskell Wexler has passed away, aged 93. He may be "best remembered by cineastes of the baby boomer generation as the director of an innovative narrative film, Medium Cool (1969), which seamlessly melded documentary footage of the 1968 protests at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago with the lives of fictional characters," notes Maria Garcia in Film Journal International. Wexler won his first Oscar for shooting Mike Nichols's Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and his second for Hal Ashby's Bound for Glory. He was also nominated for shooting Milos Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, John Sayles’s Matewan and Ron Shelton’s Huey Long biopic Blaze. We're collecting remembrances. » - David Hudson...
- 12/27/2015
- Keyframe
Cinematographer, director and producer Haskell Wexler has passed away, aged 93. He may be "best remembered by cineastes of the baby boomer generation as the director of an innovative narrative film, Medium Cool (1969), which seamlessly melded documentary footage of the 1968 protests at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago with the lives of fictional characters," notes Maria Garcia in Film Journal International. Wexler won his first Oscar for shooting Mike Nichols's Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and his second for Hal Ashby's Bound for Glory. He was also nominated for shooting Milos Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, John Sayles’s Matewan and Ron Shelton’s Huey Long biopic Blaze. We're collecting remembrances. » - David Hudson...
- 12/27/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
The double Oscar-winning cinematographer who worked on One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest died in hospital in Santa Monica on Sunday. He was 93.
Haskell Wexler was nominated five times for the Academy Award and won twice for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 1967 and Bound For Glory ten years later.
His other three nominations came for One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (shared with Bill Butler) in 1975, Matewan in 1987 and most recently Blaze in 1990.
Wexler was born in Chicago and joined the Merchant Marines before returning home to make documentaries and educational films. He remained politically aware after moving to California and directed Medium Cool in 1969, about the 1968 Democratic National convention.
His son Jeff Wexler posted the following notice on his website: “It is with great sadness that I have to report that my father, Haskell Wexler, has died. Pop died peacefully in his sleep, Sunday, December 27th, 2015.
“Accepting the Academy...
Haskell Wexler was nominated five times for the Academy Award and won twice for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 1967 and Bound For Glory ten years later.
His other three nominations came for One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (shared with Bill Butler) in 1975, Matewan in 1987 and most recently Blaze in 1990.
Wexler was born in Chicago and joined the Merchant Marines before returning home to make documentaries and educational films. He remained politically aware after moving to California and directed Medium Cool in 1969, about the 1968 Democratic National convention.
His son Jeff Wexler posted the following notice on his website: “It is with great sadness that I have to report that my father, Haskell Wexler, has died. Pop died peacefully in his sleep, Sunday, December 27th, 2015.
“Accepting the Academy...
- 12/27/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The double Oscar-winning cinematographer who worked on One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest died in hospital in Santa Monica on Sunday. He was 93.
Wexler was nominated five times for the Academy Award and won twice for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 1967 and Bound For Glory ten years later.
His other three nominations came for One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (shared with Bill Butler) in 1975, Matewan in 1987 and most recently Blaze in 1990.
Wexler was born in Chicago and joined the Merchant Marines before returning home to make documentaries and educational films. He remained politically aware after moving to California and directed Medium Cool in 1969, about the 1968 Democratic National convention.
His son Jeff Wexler posted the following notice on his website: “It is with great sadness that I have to report that my father, Haskell Wexler, has died. Pop died peacefully in his sleep, Sunday, December 27th, 2015. Accepting the Academy...
Wexler was nominated five times for the Academy Award and won twice for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 1967 and Bound For Glory ten years later.
His other three nominations came for One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (shared with Bill Butler) in 1975, Matewan in 1987 and most recently Blaze in 1990.
Wexler was born in Chicago and joined the Merchant Marines before returning home to make documentaries and educational films. He remained politically aware after moving to California and directed Medium Cool in 1969, about the 1968 Democratic National convention.
His son Jeff Wexler posted the following notice on his website: “It is with great sadness that I have to report that my father, Haskell Wexler, has died. Pop died peacefully in his sleep, Sunday, December 27th, 2015. Accepting the Academy...
- 12/27/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Before he received acclaim as a writer/director of such films as Brother from Another Planet (’84), Matewan (’87), and The Secret of Roan Inish (’94), John Sayles made a splash on the horror scene as the writer of fun, clever satires such as Piranha (’78) and The Howling (’81). However, he did another that doesn’t get nearly as much love, and that’s his ode to an overgrown reptile, Lewis Teague’s Alligator (’80). Which is a shame, as it is just as much of a blast as the other two.
Alligator was released in July to solid reviews, and tripled its budget in returns, bringing in $6.5 million U.S. Not too bad for an independent (Group 1 International Distribution Organisation Ltd., the fine folks behind Ufo’s Are Real), and a good indicator that horror fans are always up for a smart romp. Alligator glides through that sweet swamp filled with fear and good humor.
Alligator was released in July to solid reviews, and tripled its budget in returns, bringing in $6.5 million U.S. Not too bad for an independent (Group 1 International Distribution Organisation Ltd., the fine folks behind Ufo’s Are Real), and a good indicator that horror fans are always up for a smart romp. Alligator glides through that sweet swamp filled with fear and good humor.
- 10/17/2015
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Retrospective of 10 Sayles films includes Go For Sisters and The Return of the Secaucus Seven.
John Sayles will be honoured with a retrospective at the 54th Cartagena Film Festival (Ficci) and he will also participate in a March 18 roundtable discussion at the festival.
The festival will screen 10 of his films, including the recent Go For Sisters, Lone Star, Casa de los Babies, Men With Guns, Sunshine State, City of Hope, SIlver City, Matewan, Eight Men Out and his directorial debut The Return of the Secaucus Seven.
Actor Clive Owen will be a Guest of Honour at the festival, which will show the Latin American premiere of his latest film, Guillaume Canet’s Blood Ties on March 14. Owen will be presented with the India Catalina prize and then will be publicly interviewed by Ficci director Monika Wagenberg.
John Sayles will be honoured with a retrospective at the 54th Cartagena Film Festival (Ficci) and he will also participate in a March 18 roundtable discussion at the festival.
The festival will screen 10 of his films, including the recent Go For Sisters, Lone Star, Casa de los Babies, Men With Guns, Sunshine State, City of Hope, SIlver City, Matewan, Eight Men Out and his directorial debut The Return of the Secaucus Seven.
Actor Clive Owen will be a Guest of Honour at the festival, which will show the Latin American premiere of his latest film, Guillaume Canet’s Blood Ties on March 14. Owen will be presented with the India Catalina prize and then will be publicly interviewed by Ficci director Monika Wagenberg.
- 2/24/2014
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
As soon as I heard about the Austin Film Society's special screening of Matewan with director John Sayles in attendance, I purchased my ticket. I've made it a point to see as many Sayles movies as I can, since seeing my first (The Secret of Roan Inish) as a teenager. Unfortunately, the quality of the Matewan DVD I rented a few years back was so awful that I couldn't watch more than 5 minutes of it -- the sound was terrible. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to see the 35mm print at the Marchesa.
I spied the director's tall form in the Marchesa lobby, among the booths at the Blue Genie bazaar, before we were seated. After being introduced to the audience, Sayles explained to us the correct pronunciation for the town in the title: Mayte-one, not Matt-uh-won (which is how I'd been saying it, oops). He then told us...
I spied the director's tall form in the Marchesa lobby, among the booths at the Blue Genie bazaar, before we were seated. After being introduced to the audience, Sayles explained to us the correct pronunciation for the town in the title: Mayte-one, not Matt-uh-won (which is how I'd been saying it, oops). He then told us...
- 12/18/2013
- by Elizabeth Stoddard
- Slackerwood
If you're getting in the Christmas spirit, you'll want to head over to the Paramount on Sunday for 35mm screenings of Love Actually. They've got two afternoon matinee showings. If that doesn't work for you, it's also a Girlie Night booking at Alamo Drafthouse Ritz on Tuesday, but that appears to be a digital screening (for those of you, like me, who care about such things).
Speaking of the Ritz, they've got a Kung Fu Double Feature on Sunday night from the American Genre Film Archive, Richard Donner's Superman in 35mm on Monday and Sweet Smell Of Success on Wednesday night. If you've got six hours to spare on Thursday evening, they're also showing a double feature of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug in 35mm. If you want to forgo the high frame rate/IMAX/3D options, it's a rare opportunity to see new releases on film.
- 12/6/2013
- by Matt Shiverdecker
- Slackerwood
In his latest film Go for Sisters, which screened at SXSW and opens today in Austin, longtime indie filmmaker John Sayles (Lone Star, Matewan) brings us yet another almost noir-ish mystery set on the U.S.-Mexico border. But like his other films, it's primarily character driven. The characters in Go for Sisters are strong, complex and interesting, and make up for a story that seems to meander aimlessly at times.
Bernice (LisaGay Hamilton) is a parole officer who is inadvertently assigned to an old high-school friend, Fontayne (Yolonda Ross). Bernice was always the straight arrow, but Fontayne is on parole after serving time for drug-related crimes. But Bernice needs Fontayne's help to find her son Rodney, who has mysteriously vanished after one of his friends has been murdered.
Bernice and Fontayne soon realize they need help and engage the services of an aging, sight-impaired ex-detective, Suarez (Edward James Olmos...
Bernice (LisaGay Hamilton) is a parole officer who is inadvertently assigned to an old high-school friend, Fontayne (Yolonda Ross). Bernice was always the straight arrow, but Fontayne is on parole after serving time for drug-related crimes. But Bernice needs Fontayne's help to find her son Rodney, who has mysteriously vanished after one of his friends has been murdered.
Bernice and Fontayne soon realize they need help and engage the services of an aging, sight-impaired ex-detective, Suarez (Edward James Olmos...
- 12/6/2013
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
Mexican border noir "Go For Sisters," the latest emphatically idiosyncratic self-financed original from indie icon John Sayles, is finally hitting theaters in New York and Los Angeles this month, followed by a slow rollout through the rest of the country. (DVDs are available for pre-order on the Vhx/Variance website.) A black female buddy road movie starring Lisa Gay Hamilton and Yolonda Ross as two African-American women who could "go for sisters" when they knew each other as teenagers is not exactly a commercial picture. But Sayles has made his peace with that long ago, deciding to tell the stories he wanted to tell, the way he wanted to tell them, discovering talent along the way, from Chris Cooper ("Matewan") to Matthew McConaughey ("Lone Star").In order to do just that, "Go For Sisters" was filmed in 19 days in two countries with 65 locations, all for under a million dollars.
- 11/14/2013
- by Cari Beauchamp
- Thompson on Hollywood
Deerhunter & Atlas Sound Frontman Bradford Cox Joins Matthew McConaughey's 'The Dallas Buyer's Club'
The years have seen countless musicians cross over into the acting world, and of late, indie films have featured their fair share of artists taking a stab at a new medium. Will Oldham (who actually was an actor first, starring as a child in "Matewan"), James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem), David Yow (Jesus Lizard) and Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney) are among those who have traded the stage for a set, and now Deerhunter and Atlas Sound frontman Bradford Cox will be making the transition with the Jean-Marc Vallée-helmed '80s-set AIDS drama “The Dallas Buyer's Club.” Written by Craig Borten and Melissa Wallack, the film is based on the true story of Ron Woodruff (Matthew McConaughey), who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986 and was given only months to live. With nothing to lose, he began experimenting with underground, non-fda-approved drugs, and wound up living longer than expected. He began getting these...
- 11/27/2012
- by Cain Rodriguez
- The Playlist
Jurassic Park 4 is actually currently in the works, with Rise of the Planet of the Apes writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver writing the script, and a release date of summer 2014 in mind. But when you're making a sequel to a movie that enormous, of course there have been earlier versions of the story, and a glimpse at the Jurassic Park 4 that might have been has just emerged, and perfectly timed to Halloween, as it turns out. The rejected concept art images come from a 2005 script written by William Monahan (Oscar-winner for The Departed) and John Sayles (director of indies like Lone Star and Matewan, but also write of more Hollywood films like The Spiderwick Chronicles and Battle Beyond the Stars). Around that time producer Frank Marshall was out there suggesting that Jurassic Park 3 director Joe Johnston would be returning and they were firming up the script, but of course,...
- 10/10/2012
- cinemablend.com
Six years ago the musician Nick Cave and the director John Hillcoat made the visually striking, ultra-violent outback western, The Proposition, a return to the glory days of Australian cinema.
Their new film, similarly celebrating an intransigently independent, anti-social clan engaged in a fight with oppressive authorities, is less coherent and persuasive. The setting is now the backwoods of Virginia in 1931, the last days of prohibition, where a corrupt new law enforcement officer, the sadistic dandy Charles Rakes (Guy Pearce), arrives to shake down the real-life Bondurant family, the county's leading redneck moonshiners led by tough, tight-lipped Tom Hardy and his mild younger brother (Shia Labeouf). More than a little indebted to Bonnie and Clyde, it's a slow, painterly movie with sudden, sustained outbursts of violence. Robert Altman's Thieves Like Us and John Sayles's Matewan are much better and more authoritative in their treatment of crime and social conflict...
Their new film, similarly celebrating an intransigently independent, anti-social clan engaged in a fight with oppressive authorities, is less coherent and persuasive. The setting is now the backwoods of Virginia in 1931, the last days of prohibition, where a corrupt new law enforcement officer, the sadistic dandy Charles Rakes (Guy Pearce), arrives to shake down the real-life Bondurant family, the county's leading redneck moonshiners led by tough, tight-lipped Tom Hardy and his mild younger brother (Shia Labeouf). More than a little indebted to Bonnie and Clyde, it's a slow, painterly movie with sudden, sustained outbursts of violence. Robert Altman's Thieves Like Us and John Sayles's Matewan are much better and more authoritative in their treatment of crime and social conflict...
- 9/8/2012
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Vera Farmiga's Higher Ground "admirably tries, on a minuscule budget, to evoke the spirit of American cinema from 35 years ago: the age of Sissy Spacek and Shelley Duvall, an era much more hospitable to serious roles for women than the current one." Melissa Anderson in the Voice: "As reported in a New York Times Magazine cover story on the actress in 2006 (three years before her Oscar-nominated performance in Up in the Air), Farmiga has expressed her disgust with the roles offered her by setting scripts on fire: 'I stack up all those crass female characters, all those utterly ordinary women, all those hundreds and hundreds of parts that have no substance or meaning and turn them into a blazing pyre.' It's a shame, then, that Higher Ground never really ignites."
Farmiga plays "Corinne, a Midwest rural woman who embraces a hippie-inflected but paternalistic evangelical community with her high...
Farmiga plays "Corinne, a Midwest rural woman who embraces a hippie-inflected but paternalistic evangelical community with her high...
- 8/26/2011
- MUBI
Amigo, the latest from writer-director John Sayles (Lone Star, Matewan), takes place in 1900 during the American occupation of the Philippines, and it could almost be mistaken for a straight historical feature, if not for Sayles’ established political bent and the hard-bitten colonel played by Sayles favorite Chris Cooper. When Cooper puts a detachment of Americans in charge of a small Filipino baryo, he grumbles about his focus on “winning hearts and minds.” When he thinks a local has information he isn’t sharing, he subjects him to a waterboarding-like torture—then cheerfully proclaims it isn’t torture, since it ...
- 8/18/2011
- avclub.com
Talks Demise Of The HBO Satchmo Miniseries, 'Girls Like Us,' And More John Sayles is a busy man, a prolific screenwriter and icon of the American independent film movement. Having made his name directing films such “Eight Men Out,” “Matewan,” “The Return of the Secaucus Seven,” "Lone Star," "Sunshine State," and a variety of small but frequently warmly received films, Sayles also made his mark as an occasional Hollywood scribe, most recently co-writing "The Spiderwick Chronicles". With his latest, "Amigo" (our reviewer at Tiff '10 called it "a complex and organically built work that coaxes meaning out of the situations…...
- 8/15/2011
- The Playlist
A war movie made for $1.5 million--is that even possible? Certainly not in terms of the Hollywood fare we.re used to, but John Sayles has never made your average Hollywood fare. The director of Matewan, Passion Fish and Lone Star has brought a tight, low-budget focus to the war movie with Amigo, a story set during one of the most overlooked American conflicts, the Phillippine-American war. Sayles narrows the story down to a single baryo and what happens when Us troops take over. Lt. Compton (Garret Dillahunt) is the man in charge and names Rafael (Joel Torre), the village leader, his chief liaison to the people, as Rafael.s declared his opposition to the Spaniards. Trouble is, after the invasion, Rafael.s son runs off to join his uncle and the local band of rebels. While Rafael works to both appease the intruding Americans and keep his loved ones safe,...
- 8/14/2011
- cinemablend.com
Last night, the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted to present honorary Academy Awards to actor James Earl Jones and makeup artist Dick Smith, and its Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award — which has only been awarded to 33 other people (three posthumously) — to philanthropist/talk show host/actress/producer Oprah Winfrey. All three awards will be presented at the Academy’s third annual Governors Awards dinner on Saturday, November 12, at the Grand Ballroom at the Hollywood & Highland Center, an event that has come to mean nearly as much to true cinephiles as Oscar night itself. In addition to receiving tributes from family, friends, and colleagues on that evening, the three honorees will also be acknowledged during the actual 84th Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, February 26, 2012.
Jones, 80, made his big screen debut playing a small part in Stanley Kubrick’s classic satire “Dr. Strangelove” (1964), and got...
Jones, 80, made his big screen debut playing a small part in Stanley Kubrick’s classic satire “Dr. Strangelove” (1964), and got...
- 8/3/2011
- by Scott Feinberg
- Scott Feinberg
You aren't going to see too many movies about the Philippine-American War, which resulted from the Spanish-American War -- it's an unpleasant piece of American history that's seldom remembered in modern classrooms, and it's certainly not much of a pop culture topic. But leave it to a film maker like John Sayles to take something like that and create something that could potentially be a remarkable and intense experience.
His newest film, Amigo, takes place in 1900 in the Philippines during the uprising, and it looks like another gorgeous, character-driven, unflinching film. The American portion of the cast is spectacular -- Chris Cooper, who was so goddamn brilliant in Sayles' Lone Star (as well as Matewan and City of Hope), plays a hard-nosed American army colonel, and it also features the outstanding Garret Dillahunt, who recently completely wrecked me in Oliver Sherman, as well as, um... DJ Qualls. Ok, sure, why not.
His newest film, Amigo, takes place in 1900 in the Philippines during the uprising, and it looks like another gorgeous, character-driven, unflinching film. The American portion of the cast is spectacular -- Chris Cooper, who was so goddamn brilliant in Sayles' Lone Star (as well as Matewan and City of Hope), plays a hard-nosed American army colonel, and it also features the outstanding Garret Dillahunt, who recently completely wrecked me in Oliver Sherman, as well as, um... DJ Qualls. Ok, sure, why not.
- 7/11/2011
- by TK
There aren't many directors like John Sayles. The man may have begun his career working for Roger Corman, and he has made a living doing studio rewrite gigs (many uncredited) over the years. But he has also carved out a unique career as a director of films that aren't quite like those made by anyone else. He had a great run of films from the mid-'80s to the late '90s (Matewan, Eight Men Out, City of Hope, Passion Fish, The Secret of Roan Inish, Lone Star and Men With Guns) and has made several films with the great actor Chris Cooper. Their latest is Amigo, set during the Philippine-American war. The film premiered to mixed reception at Tiff last year, and now you can see the latest trailer below. Sadly, this trailer is pretty terrilbe -- the voiceover is awful, and the way the footage is cut underscores...
- 7/8/2011
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
It’s been a while since director John Sayles (Lone Star, Limbo, Matewan) released an all-out critical favorite, but maybe his new historical war drama Amigo will do the trick. Set in 1900-era Philippines, this relatively low-budget ($1.2 million) affair stars a host of great character actors like previous Sayles collaborator Chris Cooper and personal favorite Garrett Dillahunt. And, uh, DJ Qualls. The film first debuted on the festival circuit around a year ago, and begins its proper theatrical run this August. Below, you’ll find the new trailer:...
- 7/8/2011
- by Simon Howell
- SoundOnSight
Steven Spielberg has cast Good Night, and Good Luck Oscar nominee David Strathairn in a major supporting role in his upcoming biopic Lincoln.
Strathairn will play Secretary of State William Seward, which perhaps sounds a little dry, except Seward was a historical badass.
Not only was Seward a fierce abolitionist and a close ally of the 16th president throughout the Civil War, but he also orchestrated purchase of the land that would become Alaska (known at the time as “Seward’s Folly”). He was at his most ninja when targeted by the same group of assassins led by John Wilkes Booth…...
Strathairn will play Secretary of State William Seward, which perhaps sounds a little dry, except Seward was a historical badass.
Not only was Seward a fierce abolitionist and a close ally of the 16th president throughout the Civil War, but he also orchestrated purchase of the land that would become Alaska (known at the time as “Seward’s Folly”). He was at his most ninja when targeted by the same group of assassins led by John Wilkes Booth…...
- 6/27/2011
- by Anthony Breznican
- EW - Inside Movies
He's the director of some of America's finest independent films, but some critics say his "true calling" is as a writer. Does his new novel, A Moment in the Sun, prove them right?
John Sayles has directed films for over 30 years, but some critics suggest he'd be better off writing books. "I can't help feeling that the novel is Sayles' true calling," David Thomson once wrote. Sayles, whose credits include Return of the Secaucus Seven, Matewan, and Lone Star, swore off studio dollars early in his career in order to make films on his own. He succeeded thanks to his ear for dialogue, patient plotting, and what Thomson calls a "genuine feeling for untidy people." Those skills belong, however, as much to the novelist as they do the filmmaker.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Trent Reznor, Once Brooding, Turns Social
In fact, Sayles was a prize-winning fiction writer before...
John Sayles has directed films for over 30 years, but some critics suggest he'd be better off writing books. "I can't help feeling that the novel is Sayles' true calling," David Thomson once wrote. Sayles, whose credits include Return of the Secaucus Seven, Matewan, and Lone Star, swore off studio dollars early in his career in order to make films on his own. He succeeded thanks to his ear for dialogue, patient plotting, and what Thomson calls a "genuine feeling for untidy people." Those skills belong, however, as much to the novelist as they do the filmmaker.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Trent Reznor, Once Brooding, Turns Social
In fact, Sayles was a prize-winning fiction writer before...
- 5/10/2011
- by Ben Crair
- The Daily Beast
John Sayles and producer Maggie Renzi tell Cari Beauchamp about their book tour for Sayles' A Moment in the Sun: Since Return of the Secaucus Seven in 1979, John Sayles, along side his long-time producer and partner Maggie Renzi, have been making independent films, telling the stories they want to tell (Lone Star, Matewan, Eight Men Out and more than a dozen others). In between, Sayles has supplemented his income with often uncredited studio writing jobs as well writing short stories and novels. It is exemplary of Sayles, who writes, directs and edits his own films, that he never uses the possessory credit and when speaking of his movies, always uses the word "we"... While he reveres the collaboration necessary for filmmaking (one of the ...
- 5/9/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
The story so far: Following the release of Jaws, legendary exploitation-movie producer Roger Corman hired fledgling director Joe Dante to direct a rip-off movie about small, killer fish. The result was 1978′s gore-drenched, but tongue-in-cheek Piranha, which cost less than $1 million to make and grossed around $14 million in the U.S. alone. The sequel, 1981′s Piranha II: The Spawning, was directed by first-time film-maker James Cameron. The future Avatar and Titanic auteur was fired midway through the film’s shoot in Jamaica, and the movie was not a commercial success. But this disappointing experience did inspire Cameron to write his breakthrough movie,...
- 8/20/2010
- by Clark Collis
- EW.com - PopWatch
Do you enjoy complex plotting? Subtle subtexts? Movies in which scantily clad people don’t get bitten to pieces by fish? Then you should think twice—actually, make it thrice—before seeing Piranha 3D, which opens this Friday.
Directed by French horror auteur Alexandre Aja (Mirrors, 2006′s The Hills Have Eyes remake) the film’s cast features both an Academy Award winner in Richard Dreyfuss, who cameos as his Matt Hooper character from Jaws in all but name, and an Oscar nominee in Elisabeth Shue, who plays the movie’s sheriff-heroine. But this Arizona-shot tale of prehistoric piranhas feasting upon...
Directed by French horror auteur Alexandre Aja (Mirrors, 2006′s The Hills Have Eyes remake) the film’s cast features both an Academy Award winner in Richard Dreyfuss, who cameos as his Matt Hooper character from Jaws in all but name, and an Oscar nominee in Elisabeth Shue, who plays the movie’s sheriff-heroine. But this Arizona-shot tale of prehistoric piranhas feasting upon...
- 8/16/2010
- by Clark Collis
- EW.com - PopWatch
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