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The first iteration of Popeye the Sailor, literary classics by Dashiell Hammett and William Faulkner, Alfred Hitchcock’s first sound film, and songs like “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” are among the copyrighted works that will enter the public domain on Jan. 1.

As the calendar turns on New Year’s Day, thousands of copyrighted works across literature, film, and music from 1929 become open to fair use. This year’s slate also includes the French comic icon Tintin, Disney’s still-iconic The Skeleton Dance short (38 million views on YouTube!

Laurent Bouzereau’s essay film is included as a welcome extra on the upcoming Studiocanal release of Hitchcock: The Beginning. Narrated by US film critic Elvis Mitchell, as its subtitle indicates, the film takes Blackmail as its jumping off point, indicating the ways in which themes and techniques Alfred Hitchcock used there would go on to reappear throughout his career, including many of his more famous works.

Bouzereau also dissects Hitch’s different approaches to sound and silent film, since both a silent and talkie version of Blackmail were shot. Using split screen, the director is able to articulate the way that the auteur grasped the opportunities that were presented to him by sound to subtly alter scenes to his advantage. An illustration using the famous “knife” scene - where he accentuates the murder weapon both visually and aurally for his silent and sound versions - is particularly informative.

Becoming Hitchcock also sets.

There are few better ways to spend a half hour than with an episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." Funny, scary, mysterious, cynical, sinister, and sometimes even sexy, the anthology series created and presented (and sometimes directed) by the Master of Suspense is the complete package. The show was indelible when it first aired in the 1950s, and it remains so today, with storylines that feel surprisingly modern, twists designed to leave you gasping, and an unrelenting fixation on the darkest corners of the human heart.

To choose the best episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" is a bit of a fool's errand, the kind of task Hitch himself would probably scoff at in one of his campy, sarcastic episode introductions. This is, after all, a show that multiple generations watched solely via linear TV, catching stray episodes in syndication rather than binge-watching it in its entirety. It's also a series with...

French production-distribution-sales powerhouse Studiocanal, which holds one of the largest film libraries in the world with some 9,000 titles, has completed its Jean-Pierre Melville collection with the acquisition of his 1950 classic “The Terrible Children” (“Les Enfants Terribles”).

This latest high-profile addition joins the ranks of the studio’s Melville lineup, which includes “Army of Shadows,” “Le Cercle Rouge,” “Bob le Flambeur,” and “Le Doulos.” This acquisition solidifies Studiocanal’s position as a leading player in both the French and international film markets

A subsidiary of the Canal+ Group, Studiocanal’s acquisition policy focuses not just on contemporary film rights, but on the preservation and restoration of cinematic treasures. By securing rights from other studios and investing in the preservation of older titles, the company not only controls distribution and remake rights but also breathes new life into some of cinema’s most revered works.

Ahead of the International Classic Film Market...

General Hospital spoilers for Tuesday, October 15, 2024, are here! In tomorrow’s episode, fans can expect Isaiah Gannon (Sawandi Wilson) to act fast.

Coming Up On General Hospital

Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco) receives important news. Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliott) clashes with Brook Lynn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton).

Michael Corinthos (Chad Duell) faces temptation. Also, Ned Quartermaine (Wally Kurth) blackmails Drew Cain Quartermaine (Cameron Mathison).

Keep reading to find out what is coming up in the next episode of the ABC soap opera.

General Hospital Spoilers – Ned Quartermaine’s Blackmail

On Tuesday, October 15, fans can expect Ned to issue a proposal to Drew. However, there are rumblings that this actually turns into Ned blackmailing Drew!

Since Drew has a secret, which is his make-out sessions with Willow Tait Corinthos (Katelyn MacMullen), it was only a matter of time before he was blackmailed.

In a preview clip, Ned exclaims, “I thought the only way forward was together?...

European powerhouse Studiocanal has dropped a first clip and poster of its new doc “Becoming Hitchcock – The Legacy of Blackmail” by L.A.-based filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau.

The doc feature will have its world premiere at the Lumière classic film festival in France’s Lyon on Oct. 18.

Based entirely on archive material, the film explores the famous Hitchcock touch, through the making of one of his benchmark films, “Blackmail,” released in 1929 at the dawn of the Talkies.

Often referred to as the first British sound feature film, the film also exists in a silent version. Several sequences were reshot for the sound version.

By comparing the two, Bouzereau creates a novel way of exploring Hitchcock’s trademark themes such as murder, suspense, food and sexuality, providing a taste of what was to come in masterpieces like “Psycho,” “North by Northwest” and “The Birds” 30 years later.

“I wanted to mention the...

While most news about Monty Python these days tends to involve bitter financial disputes and long-simmering tensions blowing up on social media, there’s at least one recent Python-centric story that’s unquestionably heartwarming. And no, we don’t mean John Cleese’s decision to quit Twitter.

There’s currently a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to pay for a statue honoring Terry Jones, which is to be erected on the promenade in Colwyn Bay, Wales where the late Monty Python member lived until he was nearly five. Jones, of course, passed away in 2020 due to complications of a rare form of dementia, which he was diagnosed with in 2015 — although his death still hasn’t stopped him from booking acting jobs.

The GoFundMe campaign, dubbed “A Python on the Prom,” seeks to raise £120,000 for the bronze sculpture. Run by Jones’ family and the Conwy Arts Trust, the campaign was...

Exciting if true: according to Days of Our Lives spoilers for the week of 8-26-24, Fiona’s secret might not stay under wraps much longer.

It’s too much to expect that Fiona get exposed, caught, and carted off to jail in the space of a couple of weeks. I’ve watched this soap for long enough to know that it only ends stories quickly if it has some even more nefarious plan in mind for the characters.

Still, someone overhearing Fiona’s secret is a good start, especially when the eavesdropper is someone who is usually honest.

(Peacock/Screenshot)

This Sarah hit-and-run story feels like a mashup of past stories. Sarah already got hit by a car when she was eight, and Brady already got accused of a serious crime while being unable to remember what really happened.

Talk about tired TV tropes! Days of Our Lives is ripping itself off.

In need of a new manga to read? If you’re like me, the answer is “yes,” even if you have a hefty pile of manga waiting to be read. That’s okay! There’s always room for more manga, manhwa and whatever else strikes your literary fancy. Because there’s so many books to choose from, we’ve put together a couple of picks to fill your shelves for June, and since June is Pride Month, all these manga contain characters and stories that feature the Lgbtqia+ community. . Related: Find Someone Who Looks at You the Way Cherry Magic’s Kurosawa Looks at Adachi Are you looking for domestic bliss? Despite its wacky title, Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! has got you covered. Maybe you’re in the mood for wholesome girlfriends falling in love all over again, if that’s the case,...

Filmometer & Box Office Worth Of Ajay Devgn (Photo Credit –Instagram)

Ajay Devgn is amongst the veteran superstars of Bollywood, belonging to a league of Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, and Akshay Kumar. He’s been in the industry for over three decades now and has proved everything – be it his crowd-pulling ability through mass entertainers or winning accolades for his effortless yet convincing performances. Let’s see how Ajay has fared at the box office so far!

How do we calculate the success ratio?

Formula: (Super-Hits/Super-Duper Hit + Hit + Plus + Average)/Total Releases x 100 = Success ratio

Ajay Devgn’s box office success ratio: (11 + 16 + 6 + 14)/101 x 100 = 46.53%

Total Releases – 101 Super-Hit/Super-Duper Hit – 11

Phool Aur Kaante

Dilwale

Diljale

Ishq

Pyaar Toh Hona Hi Tha

Raajneeti

Golmaal 3

Singham

Bol Bachchan

Golmaal Again

Drishyam 2

Hit – 16

Jigar

Vijaypath

Suhaag

Jung

Jaan

Kachche Dhaage

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

Bhoot

Masti

Golmaal – Fun Unlimited

Golmaal Returns...

Ajay Devgn, On An Average, Delivered 7 – 8 Films In A Year(Photo Credit –Facebook)

Ajay Devgn has kickstarted this year with great numbers in his supernatural horror flick Shaitaan. The film, which opened at 15.21 crore, has maintained a good hold over the week as well. This will be a moral booster for his upcoming films. The actor is ready with as many as four more releases at the box office.

However, there was once a time when the actor used to frequently drop 7 – 8 films a year. While he delivered 8 films in a year twice, he also delivered 7 films a year twice. His third best was obviously delivering 6 films a year, still better than actors in today’s era.

However, how these films worked at the box office actually brings forth the reality. Out of the 8 films he delivered twice, none was a hit. In fact, even when he delivered 7 films a year twice,...

To celebrate the release of Devil Girl from Mars available on Blu-Ray and DVD on 15th January 2024, we’re giving two lucky winners Blu-Ray copies!

A new restoration of the 1954 British black-and-white science fiction film Devil Girl From Mars, directed by David MacDonald and starring Patricia Laffan, Hugh McDermott, Hazel Court, Peter Reynolds and Adrienne Corri.

One winter evening in a lonely Scottish inn, guests become prisoners when Nyah, a pitiless Martian with a robot minion, lands on earth and traps them within an invisible wall. With Martian males extinct after a battle of the sexes, Nyah aims to capture breeding stock on Earth. As escape attempts falter, the helpless humans must decide which one of them will die to save the others and possibly the world! .

A famously economical film, Devil Girl From Mars was filmed over three weeks with no retakes in order to use up pre-booked studio...

A new restoration of the 1954 British black-and-white science fiction film Devil Girl From Mars, directed by David MacDonald and starring Patricia Laffan, Hugh McDermott, Hazel Court, Peter Reynolds and Adrienne Corri.

One winter evening in a lonely Scottish inn, guests become prisoners when Nyah, a pitiless Martian with a robot minion, lands on earth and traps them within an invisible wall. With Martian males extinct after a battle of the sexes, Nyah aims to capture breeding stock on Earth. As escape attempts falter, the helpless humans must decide which one of them will die to save the others and possibly the world!

A famously economical film, Devil Girl From Mars was filmed over three weeks with no retakes in order to use up pre-booked studio time when another project finished ahead of schedule.

With a cast including the magnificent Patricia Laffan (Quo Vadis) as Nyah, and genre favourites Adrienne Corri...

Alfred Hitchcock made cameo appearances in the majority of his movies, starting with an unintended appearance in The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog. Hitchcock's signature cameos often feature props like musical instruments and cigarettes, and he typically wears a bowler hat and coat. Spotting Alfred Hitchcock in his movies became a game for audiences and helped build him a cult following, making his films even more rewatchable.

Alfred Hitchcock was a prolific director with a career spanning decades, and during that time he made cameos in a majority of his movies. Famously known as the master of suspense, he also notably made an average of one film a year for most of his time in the industry. This gave him plenty of opportunities to make appearances in his own movies, a tradition that began by accident. Afterward, he continued making brief cameos in his films, up until...

“Medusa Deluxe” is here.

Truly unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, it’s a murder mystery set in a hairstyle competition. All of the characters are hairdressers, who have very strong opinions on hairstyles and on who the likely murderer is. Oh and the whole thing is shot like a single take (think “1917”), which adds to the sense that you are actually there, at the scene of the crime.

And while it might be easy to identify some of writer/director Thomas Hardiman’s influences, he is more than happy to run through key texts. There are many different, very strong flavors in “Medusa Deluxe” and they all work incredibly well together.

TheWrap spoke to Hardiman about where the movie came from, why the single-shot aesthetic was so important and why he’d really love to direct a “Where’s Waldo” movie (hint: it has to do with the...

Alberta is entering a whole new world of family drama.

She's just discovered she has living relatives on Ghosts Season 2 Episode 18. And whenever any relative from the ghosts visits Woodstone Manor, things don't always go as planned.

We love all the truth bombs and shenanigans that come from these visits.

"Alberta's Descendant" kept us fed! The episode was upbeat and fun; everyone from the Woodstone group seemed ready to get into Alberta's latest story.

And the two arrivals of Alicia (Alberta's relative) and Todd added plenty of energy to the plot. While it's not the most in-depth episode, the A and B stories offered a good time.

Alicia getting a crush on Todd was a recipe for chaos.

We're talking about the same guy who has Alberta's toenails saved in a bag and a large tattoo of Alberta on his back. Everything about him was a walking red flag since...

MuBollywood actress Kirti Kulhari, who made her mark in the industry with ‘Khichdi: The Movie’, is all set to be seen reprising her role of Parminder in ‘Khichdi 2’ which is going to be a sequel to the 2010 comedy film directed by Aatish Kapadia.

‘Khichdi: The Movie’ which was released in 2010 revolved around the Parekh family and showed an interesting chemistry between Parminder, played by Kirti, and Himanshu (played by Jamnadas Majhetia).

Kirti, who was seen in movies such as ‘Shaitan’, ‘Pink’, ‘Blackmail’, ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’, and the web series ‘Four More Shots Please’, talked about the sequel and said: “‘Khichdi 2’ is finally happening and it’s going to be a hilarious ride. I have so many memories from the first film, from shooting the song ‘Chal Chal Bhonsle Market’ to doing all the crazy comedy scenes.”

She expressed her excitement about reprising her role of Parminder in ‘Khichdi 2’ and...

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)

The Movie: "Blackmail"

Where You Can Stream It: Kanopy, Watch TCM

The Pitch: In Alfred Hitchcock's brisk and groundbreaking 1929 thriller, a young woman named Alice (Anny Ondra) deals with the convoluted, torturous aftermath of an attempted sexual assault. The plot of the 85-minute-long film is simple, but the execution is endlessly clever and surprisingly prescient for a film of its time. "Blackmail" famously begins as a silent picture, but evolves quickly into a talkie, with the most noteworthy -- and loudest -- transition to sound occurring at a pivotal, shocking moment. As the title indicates, Alice ends up embroiled in a blackmail plot, and her position as a woman leaves her vulnerable to the agendas of several men around...

A film star faces financial and family ruin as sleazy Russian mobsters blackmail him after malware films him watching porn

Nigerian film-maker Obi Emelonye has written, produced and directed more than a dozen films, but his work is barely known beyond the Nollywood distribution circuit that serves viewers in west Africa and immigrant communities elsewhere. However, Black Mail, his London-set latest, is getting a reasonably wide release in the UK at least. The lowish-budget production values, gestural performances and blunt moralism of the scriptwriting puts this very much in the heightened dramatic tradition of mainstream Nigerian cinema, but Emelonye has an accessible style and has picked the topical subject of cybercrime, an approach which might broaden the film’s appeal.

The plot weaves together the story of hapless London-based film actor Ray Chinda (Oc Ukeje) and the Russian mobsters who are blackmailing him. Married with children to solicitor Nikki (Julia Holden...

The festival runs from November 26 to December 3.

The British Urban Film Festival (Buff) has revealed the line-up for the 2022 edition, opening with the world premiere of festival founder Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe’s directorial debut, Absolutely Marvellous.

The feature was filmed over a five-year period, and profiles Marvel Opara, the visually impaired mother of British Olympic boxer Joe Joyce.

The line-up features four world premieres, including Isaac Odeniran’s Child Of The Occult, which follows tension within a family between belief in God and the occult, plus 11 UK premieres, such as The Anger from Lebanese filmmaker Marie Surae, about a Muslim girl...

Actor-turned-politician Sunny Deol's son Karan's debut film Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas will now hit the screens on September 20 instead of its initial release date of July 19.

The Ghayal?actor in February had announced that the film will release on July 19.

Sunny on Tuesday morning tweeted: "The wait may have become longer but it will be worth it! Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas will now release on September 20."

Apart from his son, the film marks the debut of another new face Sahher Bambba. She will be seen playing Karan's love interest in the movie.

The title of the film is taken from veteran actor Dharmendra's famous song "Pal pal dil ke paas" from the movie Blackmail, which released in 1973.

The Irrfan Khan starrer Blackmail hit screens yesterday. Directed by Abhinay Deo film released across 1861 screens (domestic 1550 + overseas 311). Said to be a rib tickler, the film has received mixed reviews from the critics. In this box office report we take a look at the overseas collections of Blackmail on Day 3 (Sunday).Read More

The post Box Office: Irrfan Khan’s Blackmail Day 3 in overseas appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

The Irrfan Khan starrer Blackmail hit screens yesterday. Directed by Abhinay Deo film released across 1861 screens (domestic 1550 + overseas 311). Said to be a rib tickler, the film has received mixed reviews from the critics. In this box office report we take a look at the overseas collections of Blackmail on Day 2 (Saturday).Read More

The post Box Office: Irrfan Khan’s Blackmail Day 2 in overseas appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

It was expected that Blackmail would see an opening in the range of Rs. 3-4 crore. After all, the promo had met with a good response and for the target audience the film promised good entertainment. At least at urban multiplexes, it was expected that there would be good footfalls, especially in the evening andRead More

The post Box Office: Blackmail has a fair beginning, brings in Rs. 2.81 crore appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

The Irrfan Khan starrer Blackmail hit screens yesterday. Directed by Abhinay Deol film released across 1861 screens (domestic 1550 + overseas 311). Said to be a rib tickler, the film has received mixed reviews from the critics. In this box office report we take a look at the worldwide collections of Blackmail while breaking theRead More

The post Box Office: Worldwide collections and day wise break up of Blackmail appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

The Irrfan Khan starrer Blackmail hit screens yesterday. Directed by Abhinay Deol film released across 1861 screens (domestic 1550 + overseas 311). Said to be a rib tickler, the film has received mixed reviews from the critics. In this box office report we take a look at the overseas collections of Blackmail on Day 1Read More

The post Box Office: Irrfan Khan’s Blackmail in overseas Day 1 appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

Irrfan Khan starrer Blackmail releases today and the film is expected to take a decent start at the Box Office. As is the case with the films belonging to this scale, size, genre and cast, all depends on word of mouth so that Saturday and Sunday see a jump in collections. From the Friday collectionsRead More

The post Box Office Prediction: Blackmail to open in Rs. 3-4 crore range appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

Blackmail

Starring Irrfan Khan, Kriti Kulhari, Arunodoy Singh, Divya Dutta, Praduman Singh, Anuja Sathe, Omi Vaidya

Directed by Abhinay Deo

If I didn’t know about Irrfan’s health issue I’d still be shaken by his hangdog unenthusiastic expression as he plods through his chosen life of a born loser in this savagely funny satire on adultery and blackmail.

In the strikingly shot (by cinematographer Jay Oza) opening we see Irrfan struggling to stay afloat through his office hours, fighting shy of going home because the spark has gone from his marriage and wife who watches cheesy song sequences on television to while away her time. Actually it was never there, the spark I mean. In a wedding song that comes on at the end of the film taken from Irrfan’s Dev’s marriage to Reena (Kirti Kulhari) seven years earlier, we see how mismatched and ill-at-ease the couple was.

After her stellar performances in Pink, Indu Sarkar and to be released comedy Blackmail starring Irrfan Khan, Kirti Kulhari is all set to be seen as a pilot in a film produced by Ronnie Screwvala. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the film is based on 2016 Uri attacks and stars Vicky Kaushal. Although it is commonRead More

The post Blackmail actress Kirti Kulhari to feature in Ronnie Screwvala film on Uri attacks appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

Irrfan Khan’s madcap comedy Blackmail is set to release on April 6 and we can’t wait to see the talented actor blow our minds with his amazing performance. While we are awaiting this film, here is some latest tidbits from the makers. So, Shahid Kapoor’s mother and actor Neelima Azeem is set to do a cameo in the movie! Now, isn’t it superb? Though we do not know the nature of her role in the film we are certain that it is pretty darn interesting and maybe we will see her in a totally different avatar.

The post Shahid Kapoor’s mom Neelima Azeem roped in for a special appearance in Irrfan Khan’s Blackmail! appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

After the special screening for Irrfan Khan's Piku co-star Amitabh Bachchan, the makers of Blackmail organised a special screening for Bollywood directors. Renowned filmmakers like Rajkumar Hirani, Amol Gupte, Nishikant Kamat, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Tanuja Chandra, Meghna Gulzar, Ravi Udyawar, Rensil D'Silva, Sudhir Mishra, Sriram Raghavan, Soumik Sen, Pradeep Sarkar and Mukesh Chabbra attended the special screening.The directors posed for a picture perfect moment capturing the creative minds of the industry in a single frame.

The post After Amitabh Bachchan, Irrfan Khan’s Blackmail team holds a special screening for Bollywood directors appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

As the Irrfan Khan starrer Blackmail is inching closer to its release, the film team is looking forward to special screenings for close friends and industry people. The makers of the film will be organizing a special screening for Bollywood's veteran actor and Irrfan's Piku co-star Amitabh Bachchan. Irrfan shares a very special bond with Amitabh Bachchan. He wishes to showcase his film to his Piku co-star first. On behalf of Irrfan, makers Abhinay Deo and Bhushan Kumar will host a special screening for Amitabh Bachchan. Earlier, Irrfan had expressed that he wishes Blackmail to get the best release possible. Hence, the makers have decided to release the film as scheduled.

The post Makers of Blackmail to organize a special screening for Irrfan Khan’s Piku co-star Amitabh Bachchan appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

A minor chaos prevails in the release calendar of Bollywood in 2018, all thanks to the delay in the release of Padmaavat and the ensuing bottleneck in the release traffic. We now hear that the new John Abraham starrer Parmanu - The Story Of Pokhran has again been postponed, from April 6 to May 4 when it will clash with Amitabh Bachchan-Rishi Kapoor father-son comedy 102 Not Out. While it was already shifted from December 2017, now John doesn’t want it to clash with Irrfan Khan starrer Blackmail that releases on April 6.

The post John Abraham’s film Parmanu – The Story of Pokhran’s release pushed to May appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

The trailer of the quirky tale of a man trying to avenge his wife for cheating on him by blackmailing her recently gained rave reviews. But did you that this Irrfan Khan starrer Blackmail is inspired by real life? Writer Parveez Shaikh recently revealed that the story of the film is based on a couple he knows who live outside Mumbai. Furthermore, reports also claim that the couple in question had given a go ahead for the film. However, they had requested the makers to keep their identity under wraps. Interesting indeed!

The post Here’s how Irrfan Khan starrer Blackmail is inspired by real life appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

27 September 1986 A new BBC profile of Alfred Hitchcock shows that the master of horror was also a cruel clown

A ribbing from Hitch was much like a hug from a grisly. He might look roly poly and fun, but you have only to watch the old silent footage of him and a sidekick in an off duty romp with one of his leading ladies to guess what suppressed violence might exist in his personality. Verbally, he could crack your bones.

There’s a famous clip of him putting Anny Ondra through her voice screen test for Blackmail and reducing her, playfully, to humiliated giggles. It crops up again in It’s Only Another Movie, the first chunk of a two part profile of Hitchcock on Omnibus (BBC 2). Or remember the scatty questioner at a BFI lecture a few years ago, saying Mr. Hitchcock, have you ever thought of making a comedy.

Close-Up is a feature that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. The retrospective Early Hitchcock is showing August 11 - September 12, 2017 in the United States.ChampagneAround the time of his dazzling expressionistic breakthrough The Lodger (1927), and Blackmail (1929), his innovative foray into sound—and England’s first talkie—Alfred Hitchcock was testing the narrative waters of his potential filmic output. It was a terrifically productive period for the promising London-born auteur, with nearly 20 features in ten years, and looking back at these early works, the tendency is often to pinpoint instances of his trademark aesthetic to come (easy to do with something like The Lodger; less so with something like The Ring, also 1927). However, when sampling these titles, and keeping in mind the most popular Hitchcockian characteristics had yet to be regularly implemented, new and uncommon propensities emerge. Such is the case with a trilogy of films to be shown as part...

I was 12 years old in 1968. One of my favorite places was the library, in those days the closest library to us was the Tesson Ferry Branch in South St. Louis County. My most prized possession was my library card.

My Mother used to drop me off there on a Saturday or a summer weekday and I would spend the whole day reading. One of those days I pulled a book off the shelf called Hitchcock/Truffaut and sat down to read it. I knew who Alfred Hitchcock was from his television show, and from his monthly Mystery Magazine as well as anthologies that I was reading avidly, Tales That Frightened Even Me, More Tales for the Nervous and, my favorite, Stories to be Read After Dark.

I was aware that Alfred Hitchcock was most renowned for directing movies. I had seen a few on television, Saboteur was a mainstay on Kplr TV,...

Small film festivals really are the best, both in terms of vibe and the sense of inclusion they give. Short film festivals are particularly cool too, either because they're having to fight so damn hard for attention or simply because they're run by some of the youngest (or maddest) people you're likely to see in film. Whatever the reason, the ŻubrOFFka International Short Film Festival is definitely one of those festivals that is doing it right. Straight off the bat, it's a festival located in a part of Poland known for it's distinctive zubrowka (bison grass) vodka, which in itself is awesome, no? But if that wasn't enough, they're also the kind of festival that kicks off by mixing Alfred Hitchcock's silent classic Blackmail with...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Joop van den Berg's 1929 poster for AtlanticE.A. Dupont achieved early fame for Varieté (1925), a grimly saucy slice of Weimar doom and spiciness, and followed it up with prestigious British productions Moulin Rouge (1928) and Piccadilly (1929), the latter starring Anna May Wong—but just as his career was on the upswing he fell prey to the advent of sound, producing a big-budget version of the Titanic disaster in English and German versions.Atlantic, or Atlantik, became something of a laughing-stock in Britain, owing to Dupont's unfortunate combination of Teutonic tendencies and technical trepidation. The actors were directed to communicate as slowly as possible, perhaps so that Dupont could follow what they were saying. His desire to inflect each syllable with suitable weight and portent robbed the film of any sense of urgency, despite it being set on a ship that starts sinking around twenty minutes in (none of the ninety-minute time-wasting...

Constance Cummings in 'Night After Night.' Constance Cummings: Working with Frank Capra and Mae West (See previous post: “Constance Cummings: Actress Went from Harold Lloyd to Eugene O'Neill.”) Back at Columbia, Harry Cohn didn't do a very good job at making Constance Cummings feel important. By the end of 1932, Columbia and its sweet ingenue found themselves in court, fighting bitterly over stipulations in her contract. According to the actress and lawyer's daughter, Columbia had failed to notify her that they were picking up her option. Therefore, she was a free agent, able to offer her services wherever she pleased. Harry Cohn felt otherwise, claiming that his contract player had waived such a notice. The battle would spill over into 1933. On the positive side, in addition to Movie Crazy 1932 provided Cummings with three other notable Hollywood movies: Washington Merry-Go-Round, American Madness, and Night After Night. 'Washington Merry-Go-Round...

The Lady Confesses

Written by Irwin Franklyn and Helen Martin

Directed by Sam Newfield

U.S.A., 1945

Vicki McGuire (Mary Beth Hughes) is resting at home one night, awaiting the return of her husband to be, Larry Craig (Hugh Beaumont), when who should appear at her door but Larry’s believed to be deceased former wife Norma (Barbara Slater). Stern in composure and unimpressed by Vicki, she storms off, warning the shell-shocked fiancée that no one else can have her husband. All the while Larry is hanging out at a club owned by Lucky Brandon (Edmund MacDonald), getting drunk silly. The evening grows ever more complicated when Norma’s body is later discovered in her apartment. The recently departed caused quite a stir during the few hours when she made her presence known, and now her demise is about to further stir the pot, especially with police captain Brown (Emmett Vogan...

Teresa Wright: Later years (See preceding post: "Teresa Wright: From Marlon Brando to Matt Damon.") Teresa Wright and Robert Anderson were divorced in 1978. They would remain friends in the ensuing years.[1] Wright spent most of the last decade of her life in Connecticut, making only sporadic public appearances. In 1998, she could be seen with her grandson, film producer Jonah Smith, at New York's Yankee Stadium, where she threw the ceremonial first pitch.[2] Wright also became involved in the Greater New York chapter of the Als Association. (The Pride of the Yankees subject, Lou Gehrig, died of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in 1941.) The week she turned 82 in October 2000, Wright attended the 20th anniversary celebration of Somewhere in Time, where she posed for pictures with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. In March 2003, she was a guest at the 75th Academy Awards, in the segment showcasing Oscar-winning actors of the past. Two years later,...

Any Hitchcock fan has no doubt looked carefully while watching one of his movies in order to spot his infamous cameos. Hitchcock’s earlier cameos are especially hard to catch, and so Youtube user Morgan T. Rhys put together this video compiling every cameo Alfred Hitchcock ever made.

Hitchcock made a total of 39 self-referential cameos in his films over a 50 year period. Four of his films featured two cameo appearances (The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog UK), Suspicion, Rope, and Under Capricorn). Two recurring themes featured Hitchcock carrying a musical instrument, and using public transportation.

The films are as follows:

The Lodger (1927), Easy Virtue (1928), Blackmail (1929),Murder! (1930), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), The 39 Steps (1935),Sabotage (1936), Young and Innocent (1937), The Lady Vanishes (1938), Rebecca(1940), Foreign Correspondent (1940), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941), Suspicion (1941),Saboteur (1942), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Lifeboat (1944), Spellbound (1945),Notorious (1946), The Paradine Case (1947), Rope (1948), Under Capricorn (1949),Stage Fright (1950), Strangers on a Train...

UK director Stephen Frears has been awarded the Golden Duke Lifetime Achievement Award during the opening ceremony of the fifth edition of the Odessa International Film Festival (Oiff, July 11-19).

The festival is dedicating an homage to British director Frears, who gave a master class at the parallel Summer School and attended an open-air screening of his latest film Philomena on the city’s Lanzheron Descent steps

Speaking at a press conference at the weekend, Frears said that when he received the invitation to come to Odessa, he recalled a piece by writer Isaac Babel describing the Black Sea port as ¨a gangster town¨. “And then I wanted to come!¨

¨I’ve never been to a city so beautiful,¨ Frears said about his first impressions of Odessa.

Remembering Sentsov

During the opening event at Odessa’s Musical Comedy Theatre, the audience was asked to remember the Ukrainian film-maker Oleg Sentsov who is currently in detention in Russia...

Despite political instability in the country and lack of resources, the Odessa International Film Festival will take place July 11 - 19, 2014, after a successful Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign (See article Here) The festival has also announced its first guests and new information on its non-competitive program. Awards for films in development, presented at the Industry Office, have been raised. The Film Market for Ukrainian Films will be held from July 14 to 17, 2014.

Stephen Freas Retrospective

The honorary guest, Stephen Frears, will receive a Golden Duke for his contribution to motion picture arts during the festival’s Opening Ceremony. A retrospective of his work is shown at the Festival. While in Odessa, he will also give insights in his work during a master class for the students of the Summer Film School.

Frears is best known for his provocative, stylish and low-budget films about people living on the edge of social and sexual norms. The director of Dangerous Liaisons, The Queen and Philomena has won numerous prestigious awards. He was nominated for the Academy Award, Golden Globe and Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Special Guests

The festival will welcome the Irish film and theater actor Aidan Turner , best known for his performance in the TV-series Desperate Romantics, The Tudors and the three part fantasy film "The Hobbit."

Lord David Puttnam, the British film producer, will be a lector at the Summer Film School. Films he produced include "Midnight Express," "The Killing Fields" and "The Mission". So far, his films received 10 Academy Awards and 25 main prizes at the Cannes Film Festival. Also for the Summer Film School, American director

Darren Aronofsky ("Requiem for a Dream," "The Wrestler , " "Black Swan," "Noah"), will present an online master class.

Open-Air Screening Potemkin Stairs

The Oiff audience will have a chance to watch Alfred Hitchcock’s "Blackmail," accompanied by a symphonic orchestra, as part of the traditional Potemkin Stairs screenings. Shot in 1929, the film occupies a special place in the work of the director, as it was Hitchcock’s both last silent and first sound film. A lesser-known silent version will be screened at the festival.

Also screened open air, Louis Feuillade ’s Fantomas (1913) will be presented at the Langeron descent.

Festival Of The Festivals Program

The Oiff 2014 non-competitive program includes several international hits, such as the black and white Polish film "Ida" by Paweł Pawlikowski; "Life of Riley" , the last film of the great French director Alain Resnais; "Of Horse and Men" , a film by Icelandic director Benedikt Erlingsson; and "Still Life" , the Italian tragicomedy by Uberto Pasolini.

Oiff Film Industry Office – New Awards

The Film Industry Office program will include pitching sessions, work in progress presentations and “Producer+Director” programs. The invited speakers will present master classes on pitching technologies, scriptwriting and work with audiences. The program is sponsored by Rinat Akhmetov Foundation for Development of Ukraine.

The money prize for the winner of the Ukrainian full-length projects pitching has been raised in 2014 from 25 to 50 thousand hryvnias, thanks to the festival’s Partner, the development company Udp . The official Odessa Film Festival air carrier, Ukrainian International Airlines , introduces a new prize for the best Ukrainian film project in progress, worth Usd 3000 for flights provided by the company.

The Film Market will be held from July 14 to 17, 2014.

Peter Webber to head jury, David Puttnam to deliver lecture during fifth edition of the Ukranian festival.

Golden Bear winner Black Coal, Thin Ice and the Camera D’Or recipient Party Girl [pictured] are among the 12 films selected for the International Competition at the fifth edition of the Odessa International Film Festival (Oiff), which runs July 11-19.

UK director Peter Webber will head the jury composed of Ukrainian film-maker Sergei Loznitsa, Israeli actress Jenya Dodina, Belorussian actress-director Olga Dykhovichnaya and French actor-critic Jean-Philippe Tessé.

The other films in the running for the Golden Duke award are:

Bryan Reisberg’s social and psychological drama Big Significant Things (Us)Levan Koguashvili’s feelgood film Blind Dates (Georgia)Director and painter Lech Majewski’s Field of Dogs (Poland)Alonso Ruizpalacios’ road movie debut Güeros (Mexico)Valentin Hotea’s social and psychological drama Roxanne (Romania)Anna Melikyan’s Kinotavr award-winner Star (Russia)Maximilan Erlenwein’s psychological thriller Stereo (Germany)Tribeca winner [link=nm...

Joel and Ethan Coen movie ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ tops 2014 National Society of Film Critics Awards (Oscar Isaac in ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’) The National Society of Film Critics is the last major U.S.-based critics’ group to announce their annual winners. This year, their top film was Joel and Ethan Coen’s Inside Llewyn Davis, a comedy-drama about a hapless folk singer. Inside Llewyn Davis also earned honors for the directors, star Oscar Isaac, and cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel. Additionally, the Coen brothers’ film was the runner-up in the Best Screenplay category. Inside Llewyn Davis is the first movie directed by Joel and Ethan Coen to win the top prize at the National Society of Film Critics Awards. Back in early 2008, whereas most critics’ groups — and the Academy Awards — went for the Coen brothers’ No Country for Old Men, the Nsfc selected instead Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood.

The market ran alongside the Mumbai Film Festival which kicked off October 17 with a screening of The Butler.

The third edition of the Mumbai Film Mart (Mfm) wrapped on Sunday following more than 2,000 meetings involving 80 independent film projects.

Around 200 delegates took part in the three-day event (Oct 18-20) at the Taj Vivanta in south Mumbai. While space for booths was limited, all the leading Indian studios and government organisations were present at the bustling market, including Eros, Reliance, Utv, Viacom18, Yash Raj Films and the National Film Development Corp (Nfdc).

Buyers included Japan’s Nikkatsu and Toho, France’s Asap Films, Novo Films and Happiness Distribution, Germany’s Rapid Eye, Taiwan’s Encore Films, Hong Kong’s Edko Films and Middle East exhibitor Vox Cinemas. The market also hosted a delegation of Spanish producers seeking co-production opportunities in partnership with Spain’s Icaa.

“We had a smaller space than last year but more people,” said Mfm manager...

Oscar bait performances by Meryl Streep, Judy Dench, and Bruce Dern, an evening with Oliver Stone, and a tribute to the late Ray Harryhausen are some of the many highlights of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. Cinema St. Louis announced the 2013 line-up earlier this week and it’s the usual hi-quality mix of independent films, foreign films, locally-made films, end-of-year studio awards product, and retro programming.

Now in its 22nd year, the Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (Sliff), put on by Cinema St. Louis, is one of the largest international film festivals in the Midwest. This year’s Sliff will be held November 14-24, 2013. Sliff’s main venues are the Hi-Pointe Theatre, Tivoli Theatre, Plaza Frontenac Cinema, Webster University’s Winifred Moore Auditorium, Washington University’s Brown Hall Auditorium and the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, Il. Sliff showcases the very best in cutting-edge features and shorts from around the globe.

Labor Day weekend is here for 2013 and if you don't have any plans, there are plenty of great shows to check out over the weekend. You can catch up on "Continuum" Season 2 on Syfy, or watch the first three episodes of "The White Queen" on Starz. Sunday, Sept. 1 there's a killer Alfred Hitchcock movie marathon running all day on TCM.

Also, it's college football kick-off weekend, so settle in Saturday for the guys' returning to the gridiron.

Set your DVRs and check your local listings for times and channel numbers. All times Eastern below.

Friday, Aug. 30

A&E: "Shipping Wars" and "Storage Wars" marathon, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The CW: New "America's Next Top Model" episode, 9 p.m.

Discovery: "Alaskan Steel Men" premiere, 10 p.m.

Espn: Cfb, Texas Tech at Southern Methodist, 8 p.m.

Espn 2: 2013 U.S. Open Tennis, men's second and women's third round, 1 p.m. to 7 p.