News

Acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino, who is known for making some iconic movies throughout his Hollywood filmography, has taken several films and scenes as influences which shaped his movies over the years.

The director has often named several of the older directors from the 1950s as some of his favorites, and many of his choices have been different than the world. Of course, the trend continued when Quentin Tarantino declared his favorite Western director from the 1950s. And guess what? It is Not Philip Ford.

Quentin Tarantino declares his favorite director is George Sherman

While those of you who might not know George Sherman, he was a director who was active from 1937 to 1978. The veteran director was known for some of the movies like Big Jake, Against All Flags, and Comanche.

George Sherman is known for some Western movies like Big Jake | Credits: Cinema Center Films

With gritty movies and violent themes,...

Quentin Tarantino, who is this year’s guest of honor at the Cannes Film Festival’s Cannes Classics section, shared his passion for George Sherman — the prolific U.S. director of low-budget Westerns and other genre films — on Wednesday with a packed screening of two of his Universal Pictures movies.

“Well, I want to thank the Cannes Film Festival for setting up a double feature of George Sherman westerns and having a sold-out audience, pretty much standing room only,” Tarantino said when he took to the Salle Bunuel stage after being introduced by Cannes chief Thierry Frémaux. “This does my heart very, very good.”

The double bill comprised Sherman’s “Red Canyon,” from 1949, and “Comanche Territory” from 1950.

After “Red Canyon” screened, Tarantino delved into details of Sherman’s career and pointed out that when he was first hired by Universal, the studio had not realized just how fast he was at making films.

Once upon a time in Cannes … Quentin Tarantino had a night to remember.

The Oscar winning auteur turned up at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday night to attend the opening ceremony at the Grand Lumiére Theatre where he had official duties to proclaim the start of the 12-day event. “It’s my honor to declare the 78th festival open!” Tarantino shouted into the microphone.

With that, his only job was done. To put an exclamation point on what had been a politically-charged program — Robert De Niro accepted an honorary Palme d’Or from Leonardo DiCaprio, blasted President Donald Trump and delivered a call to action for artists in the room (“We have to act, and we have to act now,” he said) — Tarantino literally dropped his mic on the stage.

It seemed to be a fitting end for his enthusiastic proclamation as well as his night at the Palais...

Good afternoon Insiders, welcome to another weekly dose of news in what has turned out to be a busy ol’ May. Max Goldbart with you this week penning the newsletter. Sign up here.

Tariff Shocker

Trump card: “Tariff” is a word that has entered the daily lexicon over the past few weeks, but the industry was still blindsided when Donald Trump set out a plan (via Truth Social) to impose 100% tariffs on film imports Sunday. It’s been quite the rollercoaster since and the sector is spooked. “It’s insane,” was the simple response leading our international reax piece, which is well worth a peruse. What started as a ranty proposal made on social media that appeared to reflect Trump’s hatred for California governor Gavin Newsom as much as his desire to return production to America, became a more codified plan when Deadline revealed Trump and his Hollywood compadre...

Gold Derby's top news stories for May 7, 2025.

Say "honey yes!" to the Honey Don't! trailer

Director Ethan Coen's Honey Don't! will rocket to the top of your most anticipated movies list after you watch its new trailer. The noir comedy stars Margaret Qualley as Honey O’Donahue, a private investigator looking into a string of mysterious deaths tied to a cultish church led by Priest Dean (Chris Evans). The trailer has that classic Coen crime caper energy, with a little more sex appeal than usual. The film is written by Coen and Tricia Cooke, who previously worked with Qualley on Drive Away Dolls, and also stars Aubrey Plaza, Charlie Day, and Billy Eichner. It will be in theaters from Focus Features on Aug. 22, following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

Sam Mendes' Beatles quartet taps Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan, and Jack Thorne as writers

Sam Mendes' four Beatles...

With the Cannes Film Festival just around the corner, the festival has now unveiled its Classics lineup, featuring new restorations, films about filmmaking, and much more. Highlights include Stéphane Ghez’s David Lynch, une énigme à Hollywood (Welcome to Lynchland), a new documentary about the late director, Quentin Tarantino in-person to present two features by George Sherman, plus films by Edward Yang, John Woo, Stanley Kubrick, Charlie Chaplin, Mikio Naruse, Marcel Pagnol, and more.

Check out the lineup below and learn more here.

The Gold Rush: 100th Year Anniversary!

After La Maman et la putain, L’Amour fou and Napoléon par Abel Gance, the Festival de Cannes will premiere as a worldwide pre-opening film on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 3Pm in Debussy Theater, Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush.

The Gold Rush by Charlie Chaplin

(La Ruée vers l’or)

A presentation by Roy Export Sas with the support of mk2.

Quentin Tarantino will be the guest of honour at Cannes Classics, the repertory cinema strand of Cannes Film Festival’s Official Selection.

Tarantino will present two western films by George Sherman – 1949’s Red Canyon, and 1950’s Comanche Territory – and will take part in a discussion with critic and filmmaker Elvis Mitchell.

Scroll down for the full selection of Cannes Classics titles

The Classics lineup includes the Cannes pre-opening film, a 4K restoration of Charlie Chaplin’s 1925 The Gold Rush, restored by the L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory at the Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna. Mk2 Films is arranging a worldwide re-release of the...

This year’s Cannes Classics section will open with an expansive program that draws from over a century of global cinema. The 2025 edition brings together restored films, retrospectives, and intimate new documentaries while spotlighting influential directors across time, including Quentin Tarantino, David Lynch, and Edward Yang.

Quentin Tarantino returns to the Croisette as guest of honor, with a personal tribute to late American director George Sherman. Known for his extensive catalog of low-budget westerns, Sherman made his mark at Universal Pictures in the 1940s and 1950s, where he directed dozens of action-driven titles across a range of genres. Two of his most prominent westerns, Red Canyon (1949) and Comanche Territory (1950), will screen in Tarantino’s honor. The filmmaker, whose relationship with Cannes spans decades, will discuss Sherman’s legacy in a live conversation with film critic and documentarian Elvis Mitchell.

Tarantino’s presence signals a continuing engagement with the history of...

A documentary on Shia Labeouf’s acting school, conversation with Quentin Tarantino about George Sherman, tribute to the late David Lynch and Mariska Hargitay’s feature directorial debut are among the highlights of this year’s Cannes Classics lineup, revealed on Wednesday.

“Slauson Rec,” a documentary from Leo Lewis O’Neil about Labeouf’s controversial free acting school he launched in L.A. in 2018, will screen in the presence of both O’Neil and Labeouf. The film has already caused a stir, with O’Neil’s recent interview with Vanity Fair about the project revealing that scenes are included of Labeouf’s alleged physical violence toward members of the experimental theater collective. As O’Neil told Vanity Fair, he sent a trailer for the project to Labeouf seeking his sign-off on it, and the actor gave his full blessing.

In a statement to Vanity Fair, Labeouf said: “I gave Leo this...

Quentin Tarantino will be guest of honor of Cannes Classics this year with a special tribute devoted to late low-budget westerns director George Sherman.

The Cannes regular, who won the Palme d’Or winner for Pulp Fiction and President of the Jury in 2004, will share his passion for Sherman’s work with screenings of two of his westerns made for Universal Pictures – Red Canyon and Comanche Territory – in one of his most creative periods.

Tarantino will participate in a conversation about Sherman moderated by critic and documentary filmmaker Elvis Mitchell.

Other highlights of the program devoted to classic cinema include a pre-opening screening of Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush, to mark the centenary of its making, as well as a 25th anniversary screening of Amores perros by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, in the presence of director, and the 50th anniversary screening of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Shia Labeouf...

Western movies have shaped American cinema since its earliest days, and no star looms larger over the genre than John Wayne. With a career spanning over 50 years and more than 80 Westerns, Wayne boasts a rewatchable filmography can seem daunting to modern viewers looking for a starting point. While his performances often carried similar traits including his distinctive drawl, 9-minute fist fights, and unwavering moral code each film offered something unique that helped define Wayne's career and the Western genre.

Certain films are perfect entry points for those exploring Wayne's extensive Western catalog. They combine accessible storytelling with the iconic elements that made The Duke a Hollywood legend. These movies showcase Wayne's evolution as an actor and the Western genre's ability to tackle complex themes, all while delivering compelling entertainment. From breakthrough roles to some of his most underrated, these films perfectly introduce John Wayne's Wild West.

Big Jake Wayne Adapts...

John Wayne co-helmed his goriest Western, Big Jake, due to director George Sherman's ill health. Big Jake marked John Wayne's final time working with Maureen O'Hara and featured his sons Patrick Wayne and Ethan as his on-screen family. Due to disliking violent films, Wayne insisted humor balance the violence in Big Jake, which turned out to be a mistake.

John Wayne made arguably his bloodiest Western in 1971, and the film is even more interesting when a certain making of detail is taken into account. John Wayne fronted 80 Westerns during his career and was still cranking them out at a steady pace during the 1970s. Despite the genre being in decline, most of the actor's output from this era like The Cowboys or Wayne's only sequel Rooster Cogburn turned a profit. Unfortunately, most of his final films like Howard Hawk's Rio Lobo are underwhelming, and the star was starting to show his age.

Cinephiles will have plenty to celebrate this April with the next slate of additions to the Criterion Channel. The boutique distributor, which recently announced its June 2024 Blu-ray releases, has unveiled its new streaming lineup highlighted by an eclectic mix of classic films and modern arthouse hits.

Students of Hollywood history will be treated to the “Peak Noir: 1950” collection, which features 17 noir films from the landmark film year from directors including Billy Wilder, Alfred Hitchcock, and John Huston.

New Hollywood maverick William Friedkin will also be celebrated when five of his most beloved movies, including “Sorcerer” and “The Exorcist,” come to the channel in April.

Criterion will offer the streaming premiere of Wim Wenders’ 3D art documentary “Anselm,” which will be accompanied by the “Wim Wenders’ Adventures in Moviegoing” collection, which sees the director curating a selection of films from around the world that have influenced his careers.

Contemporary cinema is also well represented,...

April’s an uncommonly strong auteurist month for the Criterion Channel, who will highlight a number of directors––many of whom aren’t often grouped together. Just after we screened House of Tolerance at the Roxy Cinema, Criterion are showing it and Nocturama for a two-film Bertrand Bonello retrospective, starting just four days before The Beast opens. Larger and rarer (but just as French) is the complete Jean Eustache series Janus toured last year. Meanwhile, five William Friedkin films and work from Makoto Shinkai, Lizzie Borden, and Rosine Mbakam are given a highlight.

One of my very favorite films, Comrades: Almost a Love Story plays in a series I’ve been trying to program for years: “Hong Kong in New York,” boasting the magnificent Full Moon in New York, Farewell China, and An Autumn’s Tale. Wim Wenders gets his “Adventures in Moviegoing”; After Hours, Personal Shopper, and Werckmeister Harmonies fill...

Powerhouse Indicator’s first foray into the Universal library yields six noir thrillers, all crime-related and all different: the list introduces us to scheming businessmen, venal confidence crooks, black-market racketeers, a femme fatale, a gangster deportee and baby stealers. The B&w features are enriched with some of the best actors of the postwar years, and the titles themselves are a litany of vice and sin: The Web, Larceny, Kiss the Blood Off My Hands, Abandoned, Deported and Naked Alibi.

Universal Noir #1

Region B Blu-ray

The Web, Larceny, Kiss the Blood Off My Hands, Abandoned, Deported, Naked Alibi

Powerhouse Indicator

1948-1954 / B&w / Street Date November 14, 2022 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / £49.99

Starring: Ella Raines, Edmond O’Brien, Vincent Price, William Bendix; John Payne, Joan Caulfield, Dan Duryea, Shelly Winters, Dorothy Hart; Joan Fontaine, Burt Lancaster, Robert Newton; Dennis O’Keefe, Gale Storm, Jeff Chandler, Raymond Burr; Marta Toren, Jeff Chandler, Marina Berti, Richard Rober; Sterling Hayden,...

Hollywood history is littered with "what ifs." Some are massive ("What if Tom Selleck hadn't been committed to 'Magnum P.I.' and signed on to play Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark"), some are tragic ("What if Bruce Lee hadn't died at the moment he'd become a movie star in the U.S.") and some are just flat-out silly ("What if O.J. Simpson had played The Terminator"). But they're fascinating to consider in an alternate timeline sense.

One "what if" that falls in the middle of the spectrum in terms of significance is the casting of Michael McCandles in George Sherman's "Big Jake." No one talks about this 1971 John Wayne Western much anymore, largely because it's a fairly straightforward genre effort churned out in the wake of The Duke's 1969 Best Actor win for "True Grit." It was made to turn a tidy profit by appealing to Wayne's die-hard fans,...

As the 1970s ushered in a new era of cinema, Western icon John Wayne used the 1971 film "Big Jake" as an opportunity to proclaim that he wasn't going anywhere. In his mid-60s and dealing with health issues, Wayne tweaked the character type that made him famous, leading to some of his finest cinematic moments.

Veteran director George Sherman's final film is one of Wayne's more stylistic films. "Big Jake's" exposition begins with a voiceover and still images under a cinematic purple matte overlay and a sepia-coated sequence introducing the film's villains that blends into more vivid technicolor. Sherman...

The post John Wayne Wasn't Going To Let His Age Hold Back His Stunt Work On Big Jake appeared first on /Film.

“To Grift Or Not To Grift”

By Raymond Benson

This film noir pot boiler, released in 1948 and directed by George Sherman, borders the fine line between being truly awful and stunningly good. Luckily for us, it’s the latter. Larceny surprised this reviewer with its tale—albeit a melodramatic one—of a quartet of con men who make their livings by grifting wealthy people out of investments, phony real estate scams, or whatever. Kind of like what’s happening today with e-mail phishing and robocalls, right?

The picture stars John Payne as Rick Maxon, one of the con men who might be having second thoughts about the company he keeps and the people who become his victims—especially if they’re beautiful women who easily fall for his charm and good looks. Payne was a handsome and low-key actor who worked constantly from the late 1930s through the 1950s, and...

It happens every time: we want to cruelly betray somebody, but Love keeps getting in the way. When evil Dan Duryea sics con-man louse John Payne on the saintly war widow Joan Caulfield, three other women come tagging along as well, ’cause Payne is just too attractive. The swindle in George Sherman’s unsure noir gets uglier and then loses its way in the third act, with clunker dialogue and a climax that dissolves when it should resolve. Look out for super femme input from Shelley Winters, Dorothy Hart and Patricia Alphin. It’s an early featured role for Winters, and she doesn’t hold back.

Larceny

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1948 / B&w / 1:37 flat Academy / 89 min. / Street Date July 13, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95

Starring: John Payne, Joan Caulfield, Dan Duryea, Shelley Winters, Dorothy Hart, Richard Rober, Dan O’Herlihy, Nicholas Joy, Percy Helton, Walter Greaza, Patricia Alphin, Gene Evans.

Cinematography:...

Gamestop and Microsoft have announced that they’ve entered into a “multi-year strategic partnership agreement.”

“This is an exciting day at GameStop,” says GameStop CEO, George Sherman. “Since joining the company last April, we have been on a mission to evolve our strategy to take advantage of our undisputed leadership position in gaming.”

Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox, also weighed in on the deal by noting that “GameStop has been a strong go-to-market partner for our gaming products” and that Microsoft is “excited about continuing and evolving that relationship for the launch of the Xbox Series X|S.”

Most of the terms of the partnership seem to be simple enough to likely not affect the average GameStop customer in any noticeable way. For instance, GameStop will utilize “Microsoft Dynamics 365” software in the near future and will equip store associates with “Microsoft Surface devices that will transform the in-store experience and...

Linda Cristal, the Argentine-born actress who played Victoria Cannon, wife of Leif Erickson’s stoic, heroic rancher Big John Cannon on NBC’s popular 1967-71 Western The High Chaparral, died in her sleep at her Beverly Hills home Saturday. She was 89.

Her death was reported to The New York Times by son Jordan Wexler.

Cristal had built a career as an actress during the 1950s in Mexico’s film industry when she was cast in an English-speaking role in 1956’s Comanche, directed by George Sherman and starring Dana Andrews.

Film and TV credits throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s included roles in Rawhide, Seven Sins, The Alamo, The Tab Hunter Show and Iron Horse, among others. For her performance in Black Edwards’ 1958 comedy The Perfect Furlough, she shared a New Star of the Year Golden Globe Award with Tina Louise and Susan Kohner.

Her highest profile role arrived in...

Today’s noir forecast is vice, kidnapping, murder, suicide, narcotics and a sleazy stolen baby racket! Kino’s third volume of Universal-International pix contains two seldom-screened quality urban noirs. Expect genuine dark themes in these sizable-budget location noirs filmed before Universal pulled most production back onto its one-size-fits-all backlot sets. Barbara Stanwyck dominates one show, while noir stalwarts Richard Conte and Dennis O’Keefe anchor the other two dramas, with dynamic showings by Coleen Gray, Edith Barrett, Peggy Dow, Jeanette Nolan, Meg Randall and especially Gale Storm.

Film Noir the Dark Side of Cinema III

Abandoned, The Lady Gambles, The Sleeping City

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1949-50 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 79,99,86 min. / Street Date June 9, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 34.99

Starring: Dennis O’Keefe, Gale Storm, Jeff Chandler, Meg Randall, Raymond Burr, Marjorie Rambeau, Jeanette Nolan, Mike Mazurki, Will Kuluva, David Clarke; Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Preston, Stephen McNally, Edith Barrett, John Hoyt,...

GameStop intends to re-open stores in certain regions while reducing pay and bonuses for employees and executives as part of the company’s latest response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Today, we announced salary reductions for our senior management team and board of directors, as well as wage rate reductions for some other corporate and field support staff,” GameStop chief executive officer George Sherman said in a press release. “In addition, we have offered certain corporate and other support team members the option to work under either half-time/half-pay structure or a temporary furlough program.

“The situation remains very fluid and a great deal of uncertainty remains, however, we entered into this time with a strong balance sheet and believe that we have sufficient cash and liquidity for the foreseeable future and will continue to take all of the necessary steps to ensure GameStop remains a strong and vibrant company at the end of this crisis.

GameStop is permanently closing over 320 stores in North America this year. The news comes after they announced a 2% increase in profits for the month of March when compared to the same timeframe in 2019. The gaming giant closed 321 stores last year and is looking to do the same this year in an effort to "de-densify." As of now there are still 5,550 stores in North America, many of which that are still serving their communities through curbside pickup.

GameStop's CEO George Sherman made the store closing announcement during an earnings call earlier this week. As of which store locations will close and when, that is unclear at the moment, but there are going to be some employees who will lose their jobs this year. So far, 2020 has been off to a rocky start and many GameStop employees are already not working, due to social distancing efforts. It is believed that the store...

During a recent earnings call, GameStop CEO George Sherman indicated that there is currently no reason to believe that the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X will be delayed as a result of the coronavirus.

“As for the impact on the new supply chain and manufacturing for the new consoles, we will continue to work with the console makers as the launch approaches,” Sherman says. “As of now, we have no indication of any impact on the product launch or delivery date, which is expected in time for holiday 2020.”

In terms of general inventory, Sherman says that GameStop will “continue to monitor inventory levels for specific categories that might be impacted by shipping or delivery delays” but that so far “any impact has been minimal.”

It’s not possible to fairly talk about this statement without addressing GameStop’s recent struggles. The company reportedly floated the idea of staying open during...

GameStop will shut down stores to walk-in customers today, according to Kotaku, which obtained a letter to employees from CEO George Sherman. Many stores are closing entirely, while locations that remain open will switch to “delivery at the door” service where customers can make orders ahead of time on the GameStop app and pick them up curbside. In states where stores are closed completely, GameStop will still provide standard delivery to homes.

The company began closing down its stores entirely in California after Governor Gavin Newson instructed all non-essential businesses to close as part of a statewide “shelter in place” order.

“We are closing our stores in California,” the company said in a note to stores obtained by Kotaku. “The closure will remain in effect until further notice as we obtain more information from the California Governor’s Office.”

Stores have also been closed in Nevada, according to Kotaku. It...

A great many things in life are essential, but video games certainly aren’t one of them. Not even close.

With the Coronavirus pandemic showing no signs of coming to an end anytime soon, governments around the world are following suit in locking down all non-essential businesses, with only the likes of supermarkets and pharmacies remaining open for, well, obvious reasons. Us chain GameStop, however, believes it has every right to remain open during the outbreak, with the retailer considering itself an “essential” service.

In a memo distributed to stores, the company is requiring that managers present documents to police informing them of GameStop’s decision to remain open as a means of providing necessary entertainment for folks who are currently working from home. In an effort to reassure visitors that it’s taking the proper steps to ensure the safety of staff and customers alike, the following notice has been released.

Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé is joining GameStop’s board of directors. Fils-Aimé joins retail executive Bill Simon and PetSmart president and chief officer J.K. Symancyk as the board’s newest members.

“The board refreshment and governance enhancements announced today represent an important milestone in GameStop’s transformation as we continue to evolve the company’s business strategy for long-term success,” said GameStop CEO George Sherman in a statement. “They are each highly qualified and bring significant, relevant experience to our turnaround.”

Gamestop director Kathy Vrabeck notes that “the company has made important progress executing on our objective of becoming a leading omni-channel retailer with top market share in the gaming category.” To that end, she said she appreciates these new members’ “thoughtful leadership, guidance, and service.”

For his part, Fils-Aimé had the following to say via his Twitter account:

The gaming industry needs a healthy and vibrant @GameStop.

Things continue to look ugly for GameStop heading into 2020, as the company has seen steep declines in sales, resulting in massive declines in its stock as well. The holiday season was expected to be a bright spot for the video game retailer. Unfortunately, they saw a 27.5 percent decrease in holiday sales for 2019, compared to 2018. Wall Street hasn't responded kindly to the news and one has to wonder, is the end near?

As far as cold hard numbers go, GameStop saw $1.83 billion in global sales during the 2019 holiday period. Given the lackluster performance, the company altered its 2019 projections, saying they expect a 19 to 21 percent decline in sales for fiscal 2019. George Sherman, GameStop's chief executive officer had this to say in a statement.

"We expected a challenging sales environment for the holiday season as our customers continue to delay purchases ahead of anticipated console launches in late 2020. However, the accelerated decline in...

Unbridled Passion by Howard Hughes

Following the release in March of ‘A Man Called Gannon’ (1968), Simply Media in the UK continue to release more Universal-International westerns, this time of 1940s and ‘50s vintage. The new releases, out on 18 April, are ‘Calamity Jane & Sam Bass’ (1949), ‘Cattle Drive’ (1951) and ‘Black Horse Canyon’ (1954). This trio of films are literally ‘Horse Operas’, with the accent on thoroughbred steeds and their importance and role in the working west. Be they cattle drovers, stock breeders or outlaws, where would any of them be without the horse? The answer, of course, is walking.

I’ll review the DVDs in the order I watched them. First up is ‘Cattle Drive’, a 1951 western directed by Kurt Neumann. Chester Graham Jnr (Dean Stockwell), the spoilt, arrogant son of railroad magnet Chester Graham Snr (Leon Ames), is accidentally left behind when the train he is travelling on makes a water stop.

Maureen O'Hara: Queen of Technicolor. Maureen O'Hara movies: TCM tribute Veteran actress and Honorary Oscar recipient Maureen O'Hara, who died at age 95 on Oct. 24, '15, in Boise, Idaho, will be remembered by Turner Classic Movies with a 24-hour film tribute on Friday, Nov. 20. At one point known as “The Queen of Technicolor” – alongside “Eastern” star Maria Montez – the red-headed O'Hara (born Maureen FitzSimons on Aug. 17, 1920, in Ranelagh, County Dublin) was featured in more than 50 movies from 1938 to 1971 – in addition to one brief 1991 comeback (Chris Columbus' Only the Lonely). Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne Setting any hint of modesty aside, Maureen O'Hara wrote in her 2004 autobiography (with John Nicoletti), 'Tis Herself, that “I was the only leading lady big enough and tough enough for John Wayne.” Wayne, for his part, once said (as quoted in 'Tis Herself): There's only one woman who has been my friend over the...

Coleen Gray in 'The Sleeping City' with Richard Conte. Coleen Gray after Fox: B Westerns and films noirs (See previous post: “Coleen Gray Actress: From Red River to Film Noir 'Good Girls'.”) Regarding the demise of her Fox career (the year after her divorce from Rod Amateau), Coleen Gray would recall for Confessions of a Scream Queen author Matt Beckoff: I thought that was the end of the world and that I was a total failure. I was a mass of insecurity and depended on agents. … Whether it was an 'A' picture or a 'B' picture didn't bother me. It could be a Western movie, a sci-fi film. A job was a job. You did the best with the script that you had. Fox had dropped Gray at a time of dramatic upheavals in the American film industry: fast-dwindling box office receipts as a result of competition from television,...

Recent hot cinema topics such as the portrayal of the Mandarin character in Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 and speculations about what classic Star Trek villain Benedict Cumberbatch’s character in J.J Abrams’ Star Trek: Into Darkness was modeled after leading up to the film’s release, among others, underline the importance of great villains in genre cinema.

Creating a great cinematic villain is a difficult goal that makes for an incredibly rewarding and memorable viewer experience when it is achieved.

We’ll now take a look at the greatest film villains. Other writing on this subject tends to be a bit unfocused, as “greatest villain” articles tend to mix live-action human villains with animated characters and even animals. Many of these articles also lack a cohesive quality as they attempt to cover too much ground at once by spanning all of film history.

This article focuses on the 1970’s,...

This article is dedicated to Andrew Copp: filmmaker, film writer, artist and close friend who passed away on January 19, 2013. You are loved and missed, brother.

****

Looking at the Best Actor Academy Award nominations for the film year 2012, the one miss that clearly cries out for more attention is Liam Neeson’s powerful performance in Joe Carnahan’s excellent survival film The Grey, easily one of the best roles of Neeson’s career.

In Neeson’s case, his lack of a nomination was a case of neglect similar to the Albert Brooks snub in the Best Supporting Actor category for the film year 2011 for Drive(Nicolas Winding Refn, USA).

Along with negligence, other factors commonly prevent outstanding lead acting performances from getting the kind of critical attention they deserve. Sometimes it’s that the performance is in a film not considered “Oscar material” or even worthy of any substantial critical attention.

Gary Oldman as Jackie Flannery in State Of Grace (Phil Joanou, 1990, USA):

Long considered one of the most talented actors in cinema, it’s very strange that his outstanding acting as the younger brother of Ed Harris’ local crime boss in this underrated film doesn’t get talked about nearly enough when discussing Oldman’s body of work. This is a must-see performance for all Oldman fans. For the record, State Of Grace is a far better Irish mob film than The Departed (Martin Scorsese, 2006, USA), primarily because it contains much better acting across the board. Oldman was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Tomas Alfredson, 2011, UK/France).

Other notable Gary Oldman performances: Prick Up Your Ears (Stephen Frears, 1987, USA), Dracula (Francis Ford Coppola, 1992, USA), True Romance (Tony Scott, 1993, USA), Leon: The Professional (Luc Besson, 1994, France), Air Force One (Wolfgang Petersen, 1997, USA), The Contender (Rod Lurie,...

Joanne Woodward on TCM: Rachel, Rachel; Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams Schedule (Et) and synopses from the TCM website: 6:00 Am Count Three And Pray (1955) A Westerner turns preacher to overcome his shady past. Dir: George Sherman. Cast: Van Heflin, Joanne Woodward, Phil Carey. C-102 mins. 7:45 Am Rally Round The Flag, Boys! (1958) The arrival of an Army missile base shatters the peaceful life of a suburban town. Dir: Leo McCarey. Cast: Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Joan Collins. C-107 mins, Letterbox Format. 9:45 Am Paris Blues (1961) Two jazz musicians deal with romantic problems in Paris. Dir: Martin Ritt. Cast: Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Sidney Poitier. C-99 mins, Letterbox Format. 11:30 Am Signpost To Murder (1964) A convicted murderer, who escaped from a mental institution, hides out in the home of a woman whose husband is missing. Dir: George Englund. Cast: Joanne Woodward, Stuart Whitman, Edward Mulhare. Bw-77 mins, Letterbox Format. 1:00 Pm...

Joanne Woodward never became a major box-office draw. No matter. Woodward was one of the best film actresses of the 20th century, as can be attested by her work in The Three Faces of Eve; Rachel, Rachel (right); Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams; The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds; and Mr. and Mrs. Bridge. Woodward's absence from the big screen after a supporting role in Jonathan Demme's 1993 AIDS drama Philadelphia is indeed cinema's loss. On Tuesday, August 16, Turner Classic Movies will be presenting 13 Joanne Woodward movies as part of TCM's "Summer Under the Stars" film series. [Joanne Woodward Movie Schedule.] Four of those are TCM premieres: Leo McCarey's weak comedy Rally Round the Flag, Boys! (1958), with Paul Newman as Woodward's love interest, and Joan Collins sultrily stealing the show; Burt Reynolds' highly successful black comedy The End (1978), about a dying man's attempts at killing himself with the assistance of a...

Chicago – Diabolical twins, obsessed journalists and jail-breaking thugs are heading their way to the Music Box Theatre. The Film Noir Foundation’s third installment of “Noir City: Chicago” features no less than sixteen restored 35mm prints of must-see cinematic rarities. Ten of these noir classics have yet to land a DVD release, thus making this festival all the more essential for local cinephiles.

The week-long festival kicks off Friday, Aug. 12, and includes criminally overlooked performances from Hollywood legends such as Humphrey Bogart, Anne Bancroft, Barbara Stanwyck, Olivia de Havilland, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters and Burt Lancaster. Acclaimed noir historians Alan K. Rode (“Charles McGraw: Biography of a Film Noir Tough Guy”) and Foster Hirsch (“Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir”) will be presenting the pictures while offering their wealth of historical and filmic insight.

Among this year’s most priceless treasures is “Deadline USA,” starring Bogart as...

The National Film Preservation Foundation announced today that the next volume in their invaluable series of DVD releases will be Treasures 5: The West, 1898-1938. The 10-hour, 3-disc box set celebrates "the dynamic, gender-bending, ethnically diverse West that flourished in early movies but has never before been seen on video."

The full lineup is here and today's announcement plucks out a few of the highlights: "Among the 40 selections are Mantrap (1926), the wilderness comedy starring Clara Bow in her favorite role; Ws Van Dyke's legendary The Lady of the Dugout (1918), featuring outlaw-turned-actor Al Jennings; Salomy Jane (1914), with America's first Latina screen celebrity Beatriz Michelena [image above]; Gregory La Cava's sparkling Old West–reversal Womanhandled (1925); Sessue Hayakawa in the cross-cultural drama Last of the Line (1914); one-reelers with Tom Mix and Broncho Billy, Mabel Normand in The Tourists (1912), and dozens of other rarities." The set is slated for a September release.

Speaking of the wild,...