Mark Shelmerdine, the veteran producer who revived London Films as an indie powerhouse and played a pivotal role in the development of the international TV distribution market, died October 26 in Santa Barbara surrounded by his family. He was 78.
Among his achievements, he was among the first UK indie TV producers to retain rights to a broadcast production and was a founder of the LA branch of BAFTA.
Shelmerdine’s death was confirmed to Deadline by his friend Brian Eastman. The producer had survived a rare and potentially deadly form of bile duct cancer by receiving a life-saving liver transplant in 2018 through a trial in Houston, and was one of the longest living survivors of the MD Anderson Cancer Center and Houston Methodist Hospital program.
Born on March 27, 1945, Shelmerdine spent part of his childhood in Singapore before moving to the UK. He was awarded a place to attend Sidney Sussex College...
Among his achievements, he was among the first UK indie TV producers to retain rights to a broadcast production and was a founder of the LA branch of BAFTA.
Shelmerdine’s death was confirmed to Deadline by his friend Brian Eastman. The producer had survived a rare and potentially deadly form of bile duct cancer by receiving a life-saving liver transplant in 2018 through a trial in Houston, and was one of the longest living survivors of the MD Anderson Cancer Center and Houston Methodist Hospital program.
Born on March 27, 1945, Shelmerdine spent part of his childhood in Singapore before moving to the UK. He was awarded a place to attend Sidney Sussex College...
- 12/1/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
In May, Paramount+ is will be the streaming home for a host of new titles, including the well-timed documentary “King Charles: The Boy Who Walked Alone.” Utilizing original footage and interviews with staffers and friends, this CBS News film provides an insider’s look at England’s newest ruler. Bullied by his father and the child of an unemotional mother, Charles grew up isolated from his parents, the product of, in the words of one friend, “a spectacularly dysfunctional family.” A behind-the-scenes look at his marriage to Princess Diana and his future as the British sovereign are explored on May 2, just days before his official coronation.
Check out the “King Charles: The Boy Who Walked Alone” trailer:
From the king of England to the star of “Tulsa King,” Paramount+ is debuting a new reality next month focusing on the family of actor, writer, and producer Sylvester Stallone. Premiering on May...
Check out the “King Charles: The Boy Who Walked Alone” trailer:
From the king of England to the star of “Tulsa King,” Paramount+ is debuting a new reality next month focusing on the family of actor, writer, and producer Sylvester Stallone. Premiering on May...
- 4/28/2023
- by Fern Siegel
- The Streamable
“The Banshees of Inisherin” scored 10 BAFTA nominations, tied with “Everything Everywhere All at Once” for second most behind “All Quiet on the Western Front’s” 14. Two of those bids are for Best Picture and Best British Film, but can Martin McDonagh‘s tragicomedy claim both? Since Best British Film was reintroduced 30 years ago, only three movies have managed to go 2 for 2.
“The King’s Speech” (2010) first accomplished it as part of its seven-trophy sweep. The second one was McDonagh’s previous film, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017), which collected a leading five statuettes. And the most recent was “1917” (2019), which also dominated with seven wins. Recent contenders that won Best British Film but not Best Picture are “The Favourite” (2018), “Promising Young Woman” (2020) and “Belfast” (2021).
And if you go by the odds, “Banshees” is poised to join the latter group. Best British Film is expected to be a blowout for the Ireland-set...
“The King’s Speech” (2010) first accomplished it as part of its seven-trophy sweep. The second one was McDonagh’s previous film, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017), which collected a leading five statuettes. And the most recent was “1917” (2019), which also dominated with seven wins. Recent contenders that won Best British Film but not Best Picture are “The Favourite” (2018), “Promising Young Woman” (2020) and “Belfast” (2021).
And if you go by the odds, “Banshees” is poised to join the latter group. Best British Film is expected to be a blowout for the Ireland-set...
- 2/10/2023
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Legendary movie star, Last Call‘s Bruce Dern, joins Josh and Joe to discuss a few of his favorite movies and moments.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Cowboys (1972)
Last Call (2021)
Silent Running (1972)
The Long Goodbye (1973)
The Reivers (1969)
The War Wagon (1967)
Support Your Local Sheriff (1969)
The Shootist (1976)
Sands Of Iwo Jima (1949)
Wild River (1960)
Viva Zapata (1952)
Castle Keep (1969)
The Big Knife (1955)
Attack (1956)
What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962)
Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)
Suspicion (1941)
Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
The Great Gatsby (1974)
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
Ben-Hur (1959)
The Trial (1962)
Great Expectations (1946)
The Sound Barrier (1952)
Oliver Twist (1948)
The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
Rko 281 (1999)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Mank (2020)
The Chase (1966)
The Formula (1980)
Shine (1996)
All That Jazz (1979)
A Decade Under The Influence (2003)
Shane (1953)
The Sons Of Katie Elder (1965)
The King Of Marvin Gardens (1972)
Deliverance (1972)
Nebraska (2013)
Twixt (2011)
The ’Burbs (1989)
About Schmidt (2002)
Sideways (2004)
The Descendants (2011)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Charade (1963)
The Truth About Charlie...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Cowboys (1972)
Last Call (2021)
Silent Running (1972)
The Long Goodbye (1973)
The Reivers (1969)
The War Wagon (1967)
Support Your Local Sheriff (1969)
The Shootist (1976)
Sands Of Iwo Jima (1949)
Wild River (1960)
Viva Zapata (1952)
Castle Keep (1969)
The Big Knife (1955)
Attack (1956)
What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962)
Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)
Suspicion (1941)
Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
The Great Gatsby (1974)
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
Ben-Hur (1959)
The Trial (1962)
Great Expectations (1946)
The Sound Barrier (1952)
Oliver Twist (1948)
The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
Rko 281 (1999)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Mank (2020)
The Chase (1966)
The Formula (1980)
Shine (1996)
All That Jazz (1979)
A Decade Under The Influence (2003)
Shane (1953)
The Sons Of Katie Elder (1965)
The King Of Marvin Gardens (1972)
Deliverance (1972)
Nebraska (2013)
Twixt (2011)
The ’Burbs (1989)
About Schmidt (2002)
Sideways (2004)
The Descendants (2011)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Charade (1963)
The Truth About Charlie...
- 4/6/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Spoiler warning: This article discusses the ending of “Sound of Metal.”
Here’s some Oscar trivia: Did you know that both times a film with the word “sound” it its title has been nominated for Best Sound (1952’s “Breaking the Sound Barrier” and 1964’s The Sound of Music”), that film has won the Academy Award in the category.
That’s a stat that bodes very well for this year’s “Sound of Metal,” starring Riz Ahmed as a drummer who loses his hearing, which scored six nominations, including in the newly-singular category of Best Sound. In previous years this craft was split between the disciplines of sound mixing and sound editing. In a category that’s aplenty with war epics and big musicals (as in the case of the above mentioned films), “Sound of Metal” offers something quite different.
“This is not a film with a lot of big explosions,...
Here’s some Oscar trivia: Did you know that both times a film with the word “sound” it its title has been nominated for Best Sound (1952’s “Breaking the Sound Barrier” and 1964’s The Sound of Music”), that film has won the Academy Award in the category.
That’s a stat that bodes very well for this year’s “Sound of Metal,” starring Riz Ahmed as a drummer who loses his hearing, which scored six nominations, including in the newly-singular category of Best Sound. In previous years this craft was split between the disciplines of sound mixing and sound editing. In a category that’s aplenty with war epics and big musicals (as in the case of the above mentioned films), “Sound of Metal” offers something quite different.
“This is not a film with a lot of big explosions,...
- 3/19/2021
- by Joe McGovern
- The Wrap
“Sound of Metal” had long been the frontrunner to be nominated for Best Sound at the Oscars, and this prediction proved correct in Monday’s Oscar nominations announcement. Early odds forecast a win for sound designers Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Coutollenc, Carlos Cortes and Philip Bladh in the category, which was just combined this year after decades of being split up into Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.
The entirety of “Sound of Metal” is a showcase for their work as it charts the journey of a heavy metal drummer (Best Actor nominee Riz Ahmed) who suddenly loses his hearing. The sound design is intricately crafted to recreate the experience of a hearing person who is deafened, allowing us to sense the vibrations and understand how he is experiencing the world each step of the way.
See ‘Sound of Metal’ sound designer Nicolas Becker on using mics ‘more...
The entirety of “Sound of Metal” is a showcase for their work as it charts the journey of a heavy metal drummer (Best Actor nominee Riz Ahmed) who suddenly loses his hearing. The sound design is intricately crafted to recreate the experience of a hearing person who is deafened, allowing us to sense the vibrations and understand how he is experiencing the world each step of the way.
See ‘Sound of Metal’ sound designer Nicolas Becker on using mics ‘more...
- 3/18/2021
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
As Disney quietly disappears huge swathes of film history into its vaults, I'm going to spend 2020 celebrating Twentieth Century Fox and the Fox Film Corporation's films, what one might call their output if only someone were putting it out.And now they've quietly disappeared William Fox's name from the company: guilty by association with Rupert Murdoch, even though he never associated with him.***There are some films where, lacking access to one's own personal cinematheque, one has to speculate. For example, some of Fox's fifties films, shot in CinemaScope as all movies at that studio had to be, have never been made available in widescreen formats. Richard Fleischer was one the directors who adapted zestfully to that format, so it's a crying shame that Crack in the Mirror (1960) seems to exist only in blurry, 4:3 TV recordings. His other Orson Welles film, Compulsion (1959), is a cracker.Anatole Litvak's...
- 8/20/2020
- MUBI
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none
“A British Right Stuff”
By Raymond Benson
There exists a period in the career of the great David Lean in which several of his pictures are today more or less forgotten, especially in the U.S. After the one-two double punch of Brief Encounter and Great Expectations in the mid-40s, Lean directed several pictures that were less than stellar in terms of popularity and critical acclaim before he hit a spectacular stride with Hobson’s Choice, Summertime, and The Bridge on the River Kwai in the mid-50s.
Nestled neatly in this middle period is The Sound Barrier (titled Breaking the Sound Barrier in the U.S.), released in 1952. Despite doing very decent box office on both sides of the Atlantic, the film isn’t one that comes to mind when considering Lean’s genius.
It's the story of how the sound barrier...
“A British Right Stuff”
By Raymond Benson
There exists a period in the career of the great David Lean in which several of his pictures are today more or less forgotten, especially in the U.S. After the one-two double punch of Brief Encounter and Great Expectations in the mid-40s, Lean directed several pictures that were less than stellar in terms of popularity and critical acclaim before he hit a spectacular stride with Hobson’s Choice, Summertime, and The Bridge on the River Kwai in the mid-50s.
Nestled neatly in this middle period is The Sound Barrier (titled Breaking the Sound Barrier in the U.S.), released in 1952. Despite doing very decent box office on both sides of the Atlantic, the film isn’t one that comes to mind when considering Lean’s genius.
It's the story of how the sound barrier...
- 5/12/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Why is David Lean’s stirring ode to British aviation so historically and technically bogus? Because at heart it’s a science fiction film! Ralph Richardson drives his test pilots and his own son to die on the altar of aviation R&d, in a tale focused firmly on futurism and the push to the stars. Nigel Patrick and Denholm Elliott struggle to measure up, while Ann Todd hugs her baby and resists. Watching this terrific production, you’d think the Queen had a monopoly on supersonic aviation.
The Sound Barrier
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1952 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 117 109 min. / Breaking the Sound Barrier / Street Date April 28, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Ralph Richardson, Ann Todd, Nigel Patrick, John Justin, Dinah Sheridan, Joseph Tomelty, Denholm Elliott.
Cinematography: Jack Hildyard
Film Editor: Geoffrey Foot
Original Music: Malcolm Arnold
Aerial and second unit director: Anthony Squire
Written by Terence Rattigan
Produced and...
The Sound Barrier
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1952 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 117 109 min. / Breaking the Sound Barrier / Street Date April 28, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95
Starring: Ralph Richardson, Ann Todd, Nigel Patrick, John Justin, Dinah Sheridan, Joseph Tomelty, Denholm Elliott.
Cinematography: Jack Hildyard
Film Editor: Geoffrey Foot
Original Music: Malcolm Arnold
Aerial and second unit director: Anthony Squire
Written by Terence Rattigan
Produced and...
- 4/14/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
According to our BAFTA racetrack odds, “1917” is the front-runner to win Best Picture from the British academy. We also think it’ll win the award for Best British Film, which is awarded to movies with significant contributions from British filmmakers. Can it really take both prizes? Only two films have doubled up since Best British Film was reintroduced in 1992.
Best British Film was first handed out in 1947 but was discontinued in 1968. In those first 21 years there were eight films that won both awards: “The Sound Barrier” (1952), “Richard III” (1955), “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957; also Best Picture Oscar), “Room at the Top” (1958), “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962; also Best Picture Oscar), “Tom Jones” (1963; also Best Picture Oscar), “Dr. Strangelove” (1965); and “A Man for All Seasons” (1967; also 1966 Best Picture Oscar).
SEEOscars: 16 War Movies That Won Best Picture
But in the 27 years since Best British Film was brought back in 1992, only two films...
Best British Film was first handed out in 1947 but was discontinued in 1968. In those first 21 years there were eight films that won both awards: “The Sound Barrier” (1952), “Richard III” (1955), “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957; also Best Picture Oscar), “Room at the Top” (1958), “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962; also Best Picture Oscar), “Tom Jones” (1963; also Best Picture Oscar), “Dr. Strangelove” (1965); and “A Man for All Seasons” (1967; also 1966 Best Picture Oscar).
SEEOscars: 16 War Movies That Won Best Picture
But in the 27 years since Best British Film was brought back in 1992, only two films...
- 1/29/2020
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
“The Favourite” reaped a leading 12 nominations for the BAFTA Awards. Among these are bids for both Best Picture and Best British Film. But these two categories could cancel each other out in the minds of the BAFTA voters. Since the British academy reintroduced Best British Film in 1992, separate from the top award for Best Picture, only two movies have won both races.
“The King’s Speech” was the first film to pull off this double act at the BAFTAs in 2010 and it went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Last year, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” repeated this feat on home turf but lost the top Oscar race to “The Shape of Water.”
For Best Picture, “The Favourite” is up against two seven-time nominees — “Roma” and “A Star is Born” — as well as five-time contender “BlacKkKlansman” and four-time nominee “Green Book.” Its rivals for Best British Film are seven-time nominee “Bohemian Rhapsody,...
“The King’s Speech” was the first film to pull off this double act at the BAFTAs in 2010 and it went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Last year, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” repeated this feat on home turf but lost the top Oscar race to “The Shape of Water.”
For Best Picture, “The Favourite” is up against two seven-time nominees — “Roma” and “A Star is Born” — as well as five-time contender “BlacKkKlansman” and four-time nominee “Green Book.” Its rivals for Best British Film are seven-time nominee “Bohemian Rhapsody,...
- 2/6/2019
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” won the very first BAFTA Award of the evening on Feb. 18 when it was named Best British Film. And it ended the night by claiming the Best Picture prize. That marked just the second time since the British academy reintroduced Best British Film in 1992 that the same movie won both awards. The only other double dipper was “The King’s Speech,” which went to win Best Picture at the Oscars in 2011.
It might seem odd that a film like “Three Billboards,” which is set in the American heartland, qualified for consideration as Best British Film. However, it was written and directed by an Englishman, Martin McDonagh, and co-financed by UK broadcaster Channel 4.
See 2018 BAFTA Awards: ‘Three Billboards’ wins 5 including Best Picture, ‘The Shape of Water’ takes 3 [Updating Live]
Over the last quarter century, seven other British films have been named Best Picture at the BAFTAs: “Howards End...
It might seem odd that a film like “Three Billboards,” which is set in the American heartland, qualified for consideration as Best British Film. However, it was written and directed by an Englishman, Martin McDonagh, and co-financed by UK broadcaster Channel 4.
See 2018 BAFTA Awards: ‘Three Billboards’ wins 5 including Best Picture, ‘The Shape of Water’ takes 3 [Updating Live]
Over the last quarter century, seven other British films have been named Best Picture at the BAFTAs: “Howards End...
- 2/18/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
“Darkest Hour” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” each reaped nine nominations for the 2018 BAFTA Awards. Among these are bids for Best British Film. While that nomination for the former makes sense given the subject matter and pedigree of Joe Wright‘s biopic about prime minister Winston Churchill, the latter doesn’t appear to be British. However, while the film is set in the American heartland, it was written and directed by an Englishman, Martin McDonagh, and that qualified it for consideration in this category.
Both films also number among the five in contention for Best Picture, alongside the American-made “The Shape of Water” and the international co-productions “Call Me By Your Name” and “Dunkirk.” Fans of either of “Darkest Hour” or “Three Billboards” should be rooting for one of their rivals in the Best British Film race — “The Death of Stalin,” “God’s Own Country,” “Lady Macbeth” or “Paddington 2” — to win on Feb.
Both films also number among the five in contention for Best Picture, alongside the American-made “The Shape of Water” and the international co-productions “Call Me By Your Name” and “Dunkirk.” Fans of either of “Darkest Hour” or “Three Billboards” should be rooting for one of their rivals in the Best British Film race — “The Death of Stalin,” “God’s Own Country,” “Lady Macbeth” or “Paddington 2” — to win on Feb.
- 2/15/2018
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Cinema Through the Eye of Magnum (Sophie Bassaler)
When one conjures iconic memories from cinema history, they might be of your favorite shot or sequence, but my mind often travels to behind-the-scenes photos featuring director, cast, crew, and beyond. These photographs often have a unifying connection: they come from Magnum Photos. Since 1947, the photographic cooperative — founded by such iconic names as Robert Capa amd Henri Cartier-Bresson — has been responsible...
Cinema Through the Eye of Magnum (Sophie Bassaler)
When one conjures iconic memories from cinema history, they might be of your favorite shot or sequence, but my mind often travels to behind-the-scenes photos featuring director, cast, crew, and beyond. These photographs often have a unifying connection: they come from Magnum Photos. Since 1947, the photographic cooperative — founded by such iconic names as Robert Capa amd Henri Cartier-Bresson — has been responsible...
- 10/20/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Close-Up is a feature that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. David Lean's Breaking the Sound Barrier (1952) is playing October 14 - November 13, 2017 on Mubi in the United States.John (J.R.) Ridgefield is a man possessed. The wealthy and influential aircraft industrialist is consumed by his desire to manufacture a plane capable of penetrating the inscrutable sound barrier. This supersonic obsession is a blessing and a curse for the Ridgefield family, providing their ample fortune and triggering largely latent rifts in their ancestral relations. It’s an opposition at the heart and soul of David Lean’s 1952 film The Sound Barrier, a post-war endorsement of British ingenuity and determination, and an emotional, blazing depiction of sacrifice and scientific achievement. The opening of The Sound Barrier (also known as Sound Barrier and Breaking the Sound Barrier), spotlights Philip Peel (John Justin), one of the film’s principal test pilots. In just under two minutes,...
- 10/18/2017
- MUBI
Richard Brooks' exciting Humphrey Bogart picture is one of the best newspaper sagas ever. An editor deals with a gangster threat and a domestic crisis even as greedy heirs are selling his paper out from under him. Commentator Eddie Muller drives home the film's essential civics lesson about what we've lost -- a functioning free press. Deadline - U.S.A. Blu-ray Kl Studio Classics 1952 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 87 min. / Street Date July 26, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring Humphrey Bogart, Ethel Barrymore, Kim Hunter, Ed Begley, Warren Stevens, Paul Stewart, Martin Gabel, Joe De Santis, Audrey Christie, Jim Backus, Willis Bouchey, Joseph Crehan, Lawrence Dobkin, John Doucette, Paul Dubov, William Forrest, Dabbs Greer, Thomas Browne Henry, Paul Maxey, Ann McCrea, Kasia Orzazewski, Tom Powers, Joe Sawyer, William Self, Phillip Terry, Carleton Young. Cinematography Milton Krasner Film Editor William B.Murphy Original Music Cyril J. Mockridge Produced by Sol C. Siegel...
- 9/2/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
To mark the release of The Sound Barrier on 11th april, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on Blu-ray. The film tells the story of John Ridgefield (Ralph Richardson, Doctor Zhivago, The Heiress), the self-made wealthy owner of the Ridgefield Aircraft factory. The far-seeing aviation manufacturer is driven toward a significant breakthrough, envisioning
The post Win The Sound Barrier on Blu-ray appeared first on HeyUGuys.
The post Win The Sound Barrier on Blu-ray appeared first on HeyUGuys.
- 4/18/2016
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Stars: Ralph Richardson, Ann Todd, Nigel Patrick, John Justin, Dinah Sheridan, Joseph Tomelty, Denholm Elliot | Written by Terrence Rattigan | Directed by David Lean
David Lean is well known for his romantic dramas (Brief Encounter) and literary adaptations (Great Expectations, Doctor Zhivago), which is why The Sound Barrier, his 1952 semi-biographical portrait of the British struggle to surpass the speed of sound, seems like something of an oddity.
The story focuses on the relationships between an ambitious Raf pilot Tony (Nigel Patrick), his military bride Susan (Ann Todd) her father, John (Ralph Richardson), a wealthy plane manufacturer who has lofty goals and doesn’t mind risking human lives to reach them. A brief prelude sees Susan’s brother Christopher – a small but welcome appearance from Indiana Jones’ Denholm Elliott – attempt to join the air force, despite both a lack of interest in and aptitude for flying. This ominous complication, paired with the...
David Lean is well known for his romantic dramas (Brief Encounter) and literary adaptations (Great Expectations, Doctor Zhivago), which is why The Sound Barrier, his 1952 semi-biographical portrait of the British struggle to surpass the speed of sound, seems like something of an oddity.
The story focuses on the relationships between an ambitious Raf pilot Tony (Nigel Patrick), his military bride Susan (Ann Todd) her father, John (Ralph Richardson), a wealthy plane manufacturer who has lofty goals and doesn’t mind risking human lives to reach them. A brief prelude sees Susan’s brother Christopher – a small but welcome appearance from Indiana Jones’ Denholm Elliott – attempt to join the air force, despite both a lack of interest in and aptitude for flying. This ominous complication, paired with the...
- 4/8/2016
- by Mark Allen
- Nerdly
A box office hit on release in 1952, David Lean’s The Sound Barrier, which dramatises Britain’s race to break the speed of sound, has since passed everyone by. Written by Terrence Rattigan and starring Ralph Richardson and Ann Todd, it tells the story of the obsessive aviators who took flight supersonic. The Sound Barrier is available on DVD and Blu-Ray for the first time from 11 April
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
- 4/4/2016
- by Guardian Staff
- The Guardian - Film News
I. The Rattigan Version
After his first dramatic success, The Winslow Boy, Terence Rattigan conceived a double bill of one-act plays in 1946. Producers dismissed the project, even Rattigan’s collaborator Hugh “Binkie” Beaumont. Actor John Gielgud agreed. “They’ve seen me in so much first rate stuff,” Gielgud asked Rattigan; “Do you really think they will like me in anything second rate?” Rattigan insisted he wasn’t “content writing a play to please an audience today, but to write a play that will be remembered in fifty years’ time.”
Ultimately, Rattigan paired a brooding character study, The Browning Version, with a light farce, Harlequinade. Entitled Playbill, the show was finally produced by Stephen Mitchell in September 1948, starring Eric Portman, and became a runaway hit. While Harlequinade faded into a footnote, the first half proved an instant classic. Harold Hobson wrote that “Mr. Portman’s playing and Mr. Rattigan’s writing...
After his first dramatic success, The Winslow Boy, Terence Rattigan conceived a double bill of one-act plays in 1946. Producers dismissed the project, even Rattigan’s collaborator Hugh “Binkie” Beaumont. Actor John Gielgud agreed. “They’ve seen me in so much first rate stuff,” Gielgud asked Rattigan; “Do you really think they will like me in anything second rate?” Rattigan insisted he wasn’t “content writing a play to please an audience today, but to write a play that will be remembered in fifty years’ time.”
Ultimately, Rattigan paired a brooding character study, The Browning Version, with a light farce, Harlequinade. Entitled Playbill, the show was finally produced by Stephen Mitchell in September 1948, starring Eric Portman, and became a runaway hit. While Harlequinade faded into a footnote, the first half proved an instant classic. Harold Hobson wrote that “Mr. Portman’s playing and Mr. Rattigan’s writing...
- 3/25/2015
- by Christopher Saunders
- SoundOnSight
Playwright and screenwriter Terence Rattigan was an indubitable influence on mid-century British cinema. He authored several of the era’s most notable titles, including The Browning Version (1951), Lean’s The Sound Barrier (1952) Olivier’s troubled The Prince and the Showgirl (1957) and Anatole Litvak’s The Deep Blue Sea (1952), which was recently remade by Terrence Davies in 2011. But it would be a 1958 American adaptation of his play, Separate Tables, from director Delbert Mann that would prove to be his most critically lauded work, nominated for seven Academy Awards, and snagging two (Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress). By today’s standards, it’s a film that feels painstakingly melodramatic. Reconsidered within the framework of Rattigan’s own impressive oeuvre, the material hasn’t aged well, and as time has gone on, its cramped exploration of sexual dysfunction now plays like a euthanized product crippled by censorship of the author’s own...
- 7/29/2014
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Felix Baumgartner will forever be remembered for his record-breaking 24.5-mile jump from space on Oct. 14, 2012. And now there is brand new first-person camera footage of his awe-inspiring feat. Watch the video right here!
Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner became the first man in history to break the sound barrier in freefall after skydiving almost 25 miles to Earth from the edge of space. In newly released footage of Felix’s descent, we can take the plunge right along with him, and see everything he saw during his death-defying freefall.
Space Jump In First-Person View — Felix Baumgartner’s Skydive Footage
The video, which will feature in GoPro’s Super Bowl commercial on Sunday, Feb. 2., reveals Felix’s jump with perfect clarity — it’s like we’re right there with him (although we’re glad we’re not)!
Amazing Pov Of Felix’s Space Jump Take Our Poll
The scariest part is Felix’s one minute freefall,...
Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner became the first man in history to break the sound barrier in freefall after skydiving almost 25 miles to Earth from the edge of space. In newly released footage of Felix’s descent, we can take the plunge right along with him, and see everything he saw during his death-defying freefall.
Space Jump In First-Person View — Felix Baumgartner’s Skydive Footage
The video, which will feature in GoPro’s Super Bowl commercial on Sunday, Feb. 2., reveals Felix’s jump with perfect clarity — it’s like we’re right there with him (although we’re glad we’re not)!
Amazing Pov Of Felix’s Space Jump Take Our Poll
The scariest part is Felix’s one minute freefall,...
- 2/1/2014
- by tierneyhl
- HollywoodLife
He did it! We were on the edge of our seats watching the daredevil stuntman 1,500 feet above the ground, and after a tense 23 minutes, Nik made it to the other side!
Nik Wallenda may have just become the greatest daredevil in history. On June 23, the Flying Wallendas family member bravely navigated a razor-thin tightrope walk a quarter-mile across the Little Colorado River Gorge near the Grand Canyon. He is now the first person to ever complete the high-flying act. And oh yeah, did we mention he wasn’t even wearing a harness!?
Nik Wallenda Tightropes Across The Grand Canyon
Though everyone watching closely was likely sweating bullets and chewing on their fingernails, Nik himself may have been the calmest person of all. He very carefully put one foot in front of the other, barely resembling a man who was standing on a two-inch-thick steel cable 1,500 feet above the ground (for a comparison,...
Nik Wallenda may have just become the greatest daredevil in history. On June 23, the Flying Wallendas family member bravely navigated a razor-thin tightrope walk a quarter-mile across the Little Colorado River Gorge near the Grand Canyon. He is now the first person to ever complete the high-flying act. And oh yeah, did we mention he wasn’t even wearing a harness!?
Nik Wallenda Tightropes Across The Grand Canyon
Though everyone watching closely was likely sweating bullets and chewing on their fingernails, Nik himself may have been the calmest person of all. He very carefully put one foot in front of the other, barely resembling a man who was standing on a two-inch-thick steel cable 1,500 feet above the ground (for a comparison,...
- 6/24/2013
- by Andrew Gruttadaro
- HollywoodLife
The tightrope-walking daredevil put his life on the line, stepping out across the Grand Canyon on live TV on June 23. It certainly was a sight to see, and caused a huge reaction on Twitter.
Can we just say it? Nik Wallenda’s a little crazy — but boy, he definitely knows that high stakes make for great entertainment. The stakes couldn’t have been higher on June 23, when Nik, 34, walked a quarter-mile across the Grand Canyon, almost 1,500 feet above ground. The high-wire act had stars like Kaley Cuoco, Phillip Phillips and more biting their nails, and exuding extreme joy and relief when Nik successfully crossed the gap after a tense 23-minute journey.
Nik Wallenda’s Skywire Act: Celebs React On Twitter
The Big Bang Theory star could not believe that Nik actually ran the last bit of the wire act. “Did he just ‘jog it in’?!?!” she tweeted.
Meanwhile, Phillip was...
Can we just say it? Nik Wallenda’s a little crazy — but boy, he definitely knows that high stakes make for great entertainment. The stakes couldn’t have been higher on June 23, when Nik, 34, walked a quarter-mile across the Grand Canyon, almost 1,500 feet above ground. The high-wire act had stars like Kaley Cuoco, Phillip Phillips and more biting their nails, and exuding extreme joy and relief when Nik successfully crossed the gap after a tense 23-minute journey.
Nik Wallenda’s Skywire Act: Celebs React On Twitter
The Big Bang Theory star could not believe that Nik actually ran the last bit of the wire act. “Did he just ‘jog it in’?!?!” she tweeted.
Meanwhile, Phillip was...
- 6/24/2013
- by Andrew Gruttadaro
- HollywoodLife
Nik Wallenda, 34, risked his life and tightrope walked across the Grand Canyon on live TV on June 23! Relive the mind-blowing experience and browse through our gallery of photos.
Nik Wallenda had us on pins and needles as he slowly tightrope walked across the Grand Canyon on live TV on June 23, walking a quarter-mile at 1,500 feet above ground. We were filled with extreme joy and relief when Nik successfully crossed the gap after a breath-taking 23-minute journey.
Nik Wallenda Pics: Man Tightrope Walks Across Grand Canyon
Nik, 34, crossed the Grand Canyon with no safety harness and even managed to run the final few feet!
He took just more than 22 minutes, pausing and crouching twice as winds whipped around him and the rope swayed.
“Thank you Lord. Thank you for calming that cable, God,” Nik said, halfway into the walk.
After the walk, Nik told Discovery that the winds, expected to be 30mph,...
Nik Wallenda had us on pins and needles as he slowly tightrope walked across the Grand Canyon on live TV on June 23, walking a quarter-mile at 1,500 feet above ground. We were filled with extreme joy and relief when Nik successfully crossed the gap after a breath-taking 23-minute journey.
Nik Wallenda Pics: Man Tightrope Walks Across Grand Canyon
Nik, 34, crossed the Grand Canyon with no safety harness and even managed to run the final few feet!
He took just more than 22 minutes, pausing and crouching twice as winds whipped around him and the rope swayed.
“Thank you Lord. Thank you for calming that cable, God,” Nik said, halfway into the walk.
After the walk, Nik told Discovery that the winds, expected to be 30mph,...
- 6/24/2013
- by Christopher Rogers
- HollywoodLife
Nik won’t stop until he goes down as the greatest death-defying stuntman in history! Almost exactly a year since he became the first man to tightrope across the Niagara Falls, he’s taking his fearless, acrobatic talents to the Grand Canyon. It’ll be his most dangerous stunt ever!
Don’t ask why, but on June 23, Nik Wallenda, 34, will walk on a tightrope stretched across the Little Colorado River Gorge near the Grand Canyon. The third of a mile, razor-thin rope will be suspended 1,500 feet (for reference, that’s about 50 feet higher than the Empire State Building) above the river. Nik will not be wearing a parachute or a harness — and there definitely won’t be a safety net. The best part about all of this? You can watch every second of the high-flying drama on TV.
Nik Wallenda’s Grand Canyon Tightrope Act
Nik’s daredevil act will be broadcast live (well,...
Don’t ask why, but on June 23, Nik Wallenda, 34, will walk on a tightrope stretched across the Little Colorado River Gorge near the Grand Canyon. The third of a mile, razor-thin rope will be suspended 1,500 feet (for reference, that’s about 50 feet higher than the Empire State Building) above the river. Nik will not be wearing a parachute or a harness — and there definitely won’t be a safety net. The best part about all of this? You can watch every second of the high-flying drama on TV.
Nik Wallenda’s Grand Canyon Tightrope Act
Nik’s daredevil act will be broadcast live (well,...
- 6/21/2013
- by Andrew Gruttadaro
- HollywoodLife
Dinah Sheridan, who played the mother in the 1970 version of The Railway Children, has died. We take a look at her life in film
Before the second world war, a teenage Sheridan played the fresh-faced ingenue in a string of British features, including a snobbish daughter in Father Steps Out (1937) and a theatrical type in the murder mystery Landslide (also 1937) – the latter film co-starring her future husband Jimmy Hanley. Clips are hard to find for these cheap and cheerful pictures – it's not until cult caper Calling Paul Temple (1948) that we can get a look at Sheridan, then in her late 20s, in action. She played Steve, the vivacious wife of the suave crime novelist of the title, played by John Bentley.
And you can catch a glimpse of Sheridan doing some knitting while a precocious Petula Clark twangs her guitar in The Huggetts Abroad, one of the series of Huggetts movies in the late 40s.
Before the second world war, a teenage Sheridan played the fresh-faced ingenue in a string of British features, including a snobbish daughter in Father Steps Out (1937) and a theatrical type in the murder mystery Landslide (also 1937) – the latter film co-starring her future husband Jimmy Hanley. Clips are hard to find for these cheap and cheerful pictures – it's not until cult caper Calling Paul Temple (1948) that we can get a look at Sheridan, then in her late 20s, in action. She played Steve, the vivacious wife of the suave crime novelist of the title, played by John Bentley.
And you can catch a glimpse of Sheridan doing some knitting while a precocious Petula Clark twangs her guitar in The Huggetts Abroad, one of the series of Huggetts movies in the late 40s.
- 11/26/2012
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Actress Dinah Sheridan, who became best known for her work in films such as The Railway Children and Genevieve and later for her TV appearances, has died at the age of 92.Born Dinah Mec in 1920 to a Russian father and German mother, she changed her name upon entering show business as her birth surname was pronounced “mess” and she didn’t want to give critics any free ammunition.She didn’t need to worry: her performances were largely acclaimed, including roles in Calling Paul Temple and Paul Temple’s Triumph before World War II broke out and she gave up her career to become an ambulance driver.Sheridan returned to films in the post-War period, working on such titles as David Lean’s Breaking The Sound Barrier and 1980’s The Mirror Crack’d, in which she co-starred with Angela Lansbury.But her performances in 1953’s Genevieve and 1970’s The Railway Children...
- 11/25/2012
- EmpireOnline
From aerial bravery in Wwi to Tom Cruise in an F-14 Tomcat, Mark lists his top ten all-time favourite flying movies…
This is a personal list, and as such, won't please everyone. I accept that, but I wanted to look at the films that have best represented flying for me over the years.
I've also excluded helicopters in exchange for a festival of fixed wings. But as a person who loves aircraft and flying of all kinds, these are the ones that made me feel the need. The need for speed...
The Dam Busters (1955)
Gosh, what a place to start. For the most part, the film's an historically accurate retelling of the ultimate daring-do of WWII. Richard Todd plays the unflappable Guy Gibson, who lead the amazing 617 Squadron on their secret mission against the dams of the Ruhr valley.
Using the Barnes Wallis (played by Michael Redgrave) utterly inspired bouncing bomb,...
This is a personal list, and as such, won't please everyone. I accept that, but I wanted to look at the films that have best represented flying for me over the years.
I've also excluded helicopters in exchange for a festival of fixed wings. But as a person who loves aircraft and flying of all kinds, these are the ones that made me feel the need. The need for speed...
The Dam Busters (1955)
Gosh, what a place to start. For the most part, the film's an historically accurate retelling of the ultimate daring-do of WWII. Richard Todd plays the unflappable Guy Gibson, who lead the amazing 617 Squadron on their secret mission against the dams of the Ruhr valley.
Using the Barnes Wallis (played by Michael Redgrave) utterly inspired bouncing bomb,...
- 6/21/2011
- Den of Geek
Cinema Retro has received the following press release from A.M.P.A.S.
April 14, 2011
For Immediate Release
Academy To Break The Sound Barrier In NYC
Beverly Hills, CA—Whether it is the clamorous car chase from “The French Connection” or the claustrophobic, terrifying final scenes from “The Silence of the Lambs,” sound plays an integral part in bringing films to life. To explore and explain how a soundtrack is created, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Monday Nights with Oscar®” series will present “An Evening of Sound with Chris Newman and Tom Fleischman” on Monday, April 25, at 7 p.m. at the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International in New York City.
The program will present film clips demonstrating how the raw tracks recorded on a set become part of the finished soundtrack. Among the clips to be featured are “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Philadelphia,” along with...
April 14, 2011
For Immediate Release
Academy To Break The Sound Barrier In NYC
Beverly Hills, CA—Whether it is the clamorous car chase from “The French Connection” or the claustrophobic, terrifying final scenes from “The Silence of the Lambs,” sound plays an integral part in bringing films to life. To explore and explain how a soundtrack is created, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Monday Nights with Oscar®” series will present “An Evening of Sound with Chris Newman and Tom Fleischman” on Monday, April 25, at 7 p.m. at the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International in New York City.
The program will present film clips demonstrating how the raw tracks recorded on a set become part of the finished soundtrack. Among the clips to be featured are “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Philadelphia,” along with...
- 4/18/2011
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
By Paul Sheehan
HollywoodNews.com: Among the seven prizes claimed by “The King’s Speech” at the 64th annual edition of the BAFTAs were Best Picture and Best British Picture. No film had managed to pull off that double play since the latter award was re-introduced in 1992.
The most recent British film to take the top award was “Slumdog Millionaire” two years ago. However, it lost the best of British race to the documentary “Man of Wire” which followed in the footsteps of Phillippe Petit’s 1974 walk between the two World Trade Center towers.
For two decades from its inception in 1947, BAFTA bestowed both Best Picture and Best British Picture. Home-grown fare was eligible to compete in the wide-open category as well and at least one British film a year contended. In 1948, the Best Picture winner was the British made “Hamlet” (which also took the top Oscar). However, it lost...
HollywoodNews.com: Among the seven prizes claimed by “The King’s Speech” at the 64th annual edition of the BAFTAs were Best Picture and Best British Picture. No film had managed to pull off that double play since the latter award was re-introduced in 1992.
The most recent British film to take the top award was “Slumdog Millionaire” two years ago. However, it lost the best of British race to the documentary “Man of Wire” which followed in the footsteps of Phillippe Petit’s 1974 walk between the two World Trade Center towers.
For two decades from its inception in 1947, BAFTA bestowed both Best Picture and Best British Picture. Home-grown fare was eligible to compete in the wide-open category as well and at least one British film a year contended. In 1948, the Best Picture winner was the British made “Hamlet” (which also took the top Oscar). However, it lost...
- 2/14/2011
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
by Vadim Rizov
In 1957, Jack Hawkins led a coordinated Allied attack on The Bridge on the River Kwai, and three years later, he led a coordinated private attack on a British bank. The film was The League of Gentlemen (included in Basil Dearden's London Underground, a smashing new box set from Criterion/Eclipse), in which Hawkins rounds up seven equally unpleasant, mostly meta-cast men to assist. The recruits comprise a microcosm of various, superficially resilient members of the British way of post-war life. One is Nigel Patrick, perhaps best known at that point as a mindlessly brave test pilot in The Sound Barrier, a sacrificial lamb to the stiff-upper-limb ethos to the last. He's Hawkins' aide, clinging to his pre-war aristocratic status by being paternally glib to the other men and looking foolish in the process. Other members: Terence Alexander (in real life a member of the 27th Lancers,...
In 1957, Jack Hawkins led a coordinated Allied attack on The Bridge on the River Kwai, and three years later, he led a coordinated private attack on a British bank. The film was The League of Gentlemen (included in Basil Dearden's London Underground, a smashing new box set from Criterion/Eclipse), in which Hawkins rounds up seven equally unpleasant, mostly meta-cast men to assist. The recruits comprise a microcosm of various, superficially resilient members of the British way of post-war life. One is Nigel Patrick, perhaps best known at that point as a mindlessly brave test pilot in The Sound Barrier, a sacrificial lamb to the stiff-upper-limb ethos to the last. He's Hawkins' aide, clinging to his pre-war aristocratic status by being paternally glib to the other men and looking foolish in the process. Other members: Terence Alexander (in real life a member of the 27th Lancers,...
- 2/1/2011
- GreenCine Daily
DVD Links: DVD News | Release Dates | New Dvds | Reviews | RSS Feed
Bronson Bronson made my Top 25 of 2009 coming in at #7 and it's a film I find immensely watchable and rewatchable. While a few people disagreed with my "A" review, they all loved Tom Hardy in the lead role. Be sure to check this one out. A Serious Man The Coen brothers' latest film also made my Top 25 of 2009 coming in at #25 and I also just recently reviewed the Blu-ray edition. My opinion says buy it, but you may want to give my review a read if you are on the fence. The Time Traveler's Wife I actually don't mind this movie all that much. When it comes to schmaltzy melodramas some can be overbearing and some can actually work... for the most part this one falls into the latter category. This one drew some negativity for the rather creepy idea...
Bronson Bronson made my Top 25 of 2009 coming in at #7 and it's a film I find immensely watchable and rewatchable. While a few people disagreed with my "A" review, they all loved Tom Hardy in the lead role. Be sure to check this one out. A Serious Man The Coen brothers' latest film also made my Top 25 of 2009 coming in at #25 and I also just recently reviewed the Blu-ray edition. My opinion says buy it, but you may want to give my review a read if you are on the fence. The Time Traveler's Wife I actually don't mind this movie all that much. When it comes to schmaltzy melodramas some can be overbearing and some can actually work... for the most part this one falls into the latter category. This one drew some negativity for the rather creepy idea...
- 2/9/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
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