Back in OctoÂber, RidÂley Scott released a final and definÂiÂtive direcÂtor’s cut of Blade RunÂner, preÂsentÂing to audiÂences the film that he would have made if stuÂdio execs hadÂn’t medÂdled with things. A short two months latÂer, the final cut is now out on DVD. It was released yesÂterÂday, bareÂly in time for the holÂiÂdays. For more on the makÂing and remakÂing of Blade RunÂner, you can lisÂten to this recent interÂview with RidÂley Scott.
Coppola is Back
FranÂcis Ford CopÂpoÂla, the direcÂtor who brought us The GodÂfaÂther and ApocÂaÂlypse Now, has released his first film in a decade. Based on a novelÂla by Mircea EliÂade, a RomanÂian thinker prinÂciÂpalÂly known for his work on the hisÂtoÂry of reliÂgion, “Youth WithÂout Youth” feaÂtures Tim Roth playÂing the role of Dominic Matei, an elderÂly linÂguisÂtics proÂfesÂsor, who gets struck by lightÂning and finds his youth strangeÂly restored. To pubÂliÂcize the film, CopÂpoÂla has been doing a fair amount of press in New York. (The film is preÂmierÂing there.) Here, you can lisÂten to the interÂview he gave on WNYÂC’s Leonard Lopate Show (iTunes — Feed — Web Site). We’ve also postÂed below a video outÂtake from the interÂview. FinalÂly, this Q&A sesÂsion in The New York Post may also be of interÂest.
RelatÂed Posts:
- The GodÂfaÂther WithÂout BranÂdo?: It Almost HapÂpened
- LandÂmark Moments in Film: ApocÂaÂlypse Now
The 50 Greatest Independent Films
Empire Online has pubÂlished its list of the 50 best indie films. Skewed towards action/crime films, the list won’t appeal to all. But there are some indisÂputably amazÂing movies of the list. We’ve postÂed the top 10 below. But someÂhow I think the betÂter ones are actuÂalÂly lowÂer down on the list — for examÂple, #17, City of God, the BrazilÂian film that mixÂes TaranÂtiÂno aesÂthetÂics & vioÂlence with meanÂingÂful social comÂmenÂtary. See trailÂer below.
The top 10 movies in descendÂing order are: Mean Streets, SideÂways, The UsuÂal SusÂpects, Sex, Lies and VideoÂtape, The Night of the LivÂing Dead, MonÂty Python’s Life of BriÂan, Clerks, The TerÂmiÂnaÂtor, DonÂnie Darko, and ReserÂvoir Dogs.
LookÂing for free movies? Dive into our colÂlecÂtion here.
The Graduate at 40
The film that spoke to a genÂerÂaÂtion of alienÂatÂed youth durÂing the 1960s is now 40 years old (and actuÂalÂly lookÂing much tamer than it first did). To mark the occaÂsion, a 40th anniverÂsary colÂlecÂtor’s ediÂtion DVD has been released, filled with a good amount of extra mateÂriÂals. Also, Fresh Air broadÂcastÂed a show last week (iTunes — Feed — Web Site) that brought togethÂer interÂviews with varÂiÂous memÂbers of the film’s cast and crew. As LarÂry David would say, it’s pretÂty, pretÂty, pretÂty good. And, by the way, have a look back at our earÂliÂer post: Meet LarÂry David (in Video)
No Country for Old Men: The Coen Brothers’ Latest
The filmÂmakÂers who brought you FarÂgo, BarÂton Fink, and O BrothÂer, Where Art Thou? have released their latÂest film based on a novÂel by CorÂmac McCarthy. No CounÂtry for Old Men is, as The New YorkÂer puts it, “a return to the dark, simÂmerÂing days of their best work, in Blood SimÂple and Miller’s CrossÂing,” which is anothÂer way of sayÂing that the film is vioÂlent, but also extremeÂly well made. So far, there’s been no shortÂage of posÂiÂtive reviews (look here for examÂple). But, as always, you’ll find the occaÂsionÂal pan. Below, we have postÂed some scenes from the film, and we’ll leave you with this printÂed interÂview with Joel and Ethan Coen.
Landmark Moments in Film: Hitchcock’s Psycho
Of all the scenes that HitchÂcock shot, this is the most well known. The iconÂic showÂer scene (1960), which runs about 2 minÂutes, took six days to film, used around 75 camÂera angles, and 50 cuts. After shootÂing this sequence, Janet Leigh apparÂentÂly forÂevÂer kept her showÂers to a minÂiÂmum and, while showÂerÂing, locked all doors and winÂdows and kept the bathÂroom & showÂer doors open.
Landmark Moments in Film: Apocalypse Now
What do you get here? We’ve postÂed below a 7+ minute clip from FranÂcis Ford CopÂpoÂla’s AcadÂeÂmy Award-winÂning film on the VietÂnam War from 1979. It feaÂtures the famous “Ride of the Valkyries” scene. It’s worth a look, but I would actuÂalÂly recÂomÂmend watchÂing this longer, 18 minute clip here, which includes the Valkyries scene and takes you to “I love the smell of napalm in the mornÂing.” (We unforÂtuÂnateÂly couldÂn’t embed the longer clip on our site.)
To see ApocÂaÂlypse Now in full, you can buy the film here or rent the movie from NetÂflix.
The Godfather Without Brando?: It Almost Happened
It’s hard to imagÂine The GodÂfaÂther, the iconÂic 1972 film, withÂout MarÂlon BranÂdo. But that’s almost how it turned out.
DurÂing castÂing, ParaÂmount execÂuÂtives origÂiÂnalÂly pushed for LauÂrence OliviÂer. But when he couldÂn’t take the film, and when the direcÂtor, FranÂcis Ford CopÂpoÂla, asked them to conÂsidÂer BranÂdo, they iniÂtialÂly respondÂed: “MarÂlon BranÂdo will nevÂer appear in this motion picÂture.” Below, CopÂpoÂla and co-star James Caan explain how the execs were evenÂtuÂalÂly cajoled into changÂing their minds, and how film hisÂtoÂry fell into place. As you watch this, also keep in mind that ParaÂmount origÂiÂnalÂly asked two othÂer direcÂtors to make The GodÂfaÂther before approachÂing CopÂpoÂla, and they latÂer wantÂed Robert RedÂford or Ryan O’Neal to play Michael CorÂleone. But CopÂpoÂla, who threatÂened to quit proÂducÂtion, evenÂtuÂalÂly got his way and put the relÂaÂtiveÂly unknown Al PaciÂno into the film.
FYI: Best Week Ever has a good post on the Top 10 Actor / DirecÂtor Tandems In Movie HisÂtoÂry.
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