Martin Scorsese’s ‘Raging Bull’—oft-cited these days as the director’s magnum opus— first premiered in New York on November 14, 1980 to a volley of mixed reviews. At least, that’s what the Internet would have modern researchers believe.
Some of the best things in life come in pairs, and film is no different. No, I don’t mean sequels and/or remakes, because I think we all know how those often turn out. Instead, I mean those actors and directors who very frequently collaborate on films, so much so that it feels odd when the …
Robert De Niro has been gearing up what’s been known as his “passion project” for some time, a film called The Comedian in which he would play an insult comic modeled off Don Rickles. De Niro has now secured a director for the film, Taylor Hackford (Ray, Parker). Deadline exclusively reported that Hackford came on …
Once Upon a Time in America is a gangster film of the highest order, and, at the same time, it recalls so many of its predecessors
“‘The King of Comedy’ ends up as a cultural commentary wrapped in a darkly humorous veil, a disturbing work of discomfort, and an extraordinary motion picture.”
The Bag Man Written by David Grovic and Paul Conway Directed by David Grovic USA, 2014 There was a time when seeing the involvement of either John Cusack or Robert De Niro would lend a hefty amount of prestige to any project, so the idea of both men appearing in the same film, circa the …
The famed French director Luc Besson hasn’t directed a film with a wide American release since the historic bomb The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc in 1999. In the interim he has written and/or produced a number of highly successful films including The Transporter, Taken, and District B13, and he’s directed a few French films that haven’t come across the pond, but The Family is his first attempt at directing an English-language film in almost fifteen years.
Locations in films are rarely the thing an average filmgoer remembers after watching a film; it’s always about the story, character and the lines they say that later form the proverbial ‘word of mouth.’ However, when you think of great confrontations, conversations and simple exchanges, they always take place in a nice public setting – …
There is a lot to be said about writer-director Quentin Tarantino’s success as a filmmaker. His films have all been met with some degree of critical appreciation and have all made some decent money at the box office. What’s more, and this might be his true legacy, his projects have sparked the imaginations of fellow …
Silver Linings Playbook Directed by David O. Russell Written by David O. Russell USA, 2012 Sometimes, it’s OK if you know the destination as long as the journey is plenty of fun. That’s the basic underlying principle of Silver Linings Playbook, a massively enjoyable crowd-pleaser that presents an off-kilter brand of romantic comedy, where most …
Silver Linings Playbook Directed By David O. Russell Written by David O. Russell, based on Matthew Quick’s novel U.S.A., 2012 It must take a lot of bravery and intelligence to not merely make a film in which characters suffer from various mental illnesses, but to have that film observe and develop those individuals in pertinent, …
The Tumblr round-up is a compilation of images, links, posters, stories, videos and so on, taken from the Sound On Sight Tumblr account. We simply do not have the man power nor time to write articles on every interesting movie related goody we find, so this is our way of still promoting some of the …
Red Lights Written and directed by Rodrigo Cortes USA / Spain, 2012 There is a period during Rodrigo Cortes’ (Buried) new film Red Lights when it appears that it will be, if not of high quality, at least mildly entertaining. This period comes at the beginning, when Sigourney Weaver and Cillian Murphy are introduced as …
Red Lights Directed by Rodrigo Cortés Written by Rodrigo Cortés USA, 2012 In 2010, writer and director Rodrigo Cortés made a splash with his film Buried, a low concept, low budget, but extremely well executed thriller of a picture. Two years later, he unfortunately offers up an endeavor that’s the exact polar opposite. With a …
Rodrigo Cortés, who made a bit of a splash in 2010 with his high-concept / low-budget thriller Buried, is back with a new paranormal thriller entitled Red Lights, and if you can make it to the TIFF Bell Lightbox on Wednesday, June 27th, then you might just want to email [email protected] with the heading “Red …
Bullhead Written and Directed by Michael R. Roskam Belgium, 2011 In French, it translates to, “me parlez-vous?” In Dutch, it’s “spreekt u aan me?” Set in Belgium, with dialogue in Dutch and French, Michael R. Roskam’s Bullhead is a taut, uncompromising character study and organized crime thriller that masterfully translates Scorsese’s magnum opus quote, ‘are …
Much of our lurid film community is of the belief that America’s acting prowess died with its classic stars like Marlon Brando, James Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, and Grace Kelly. However, I’m here to argue that America’s actors are stronger than ever and can match up toe to toe with the likes …
Throughout November, SOS staffers will be discussing the movies that made them into film fanatics. (click here for the full list) Until I was about 14 years old, I was strictly a music nerd. I have distinct memories of arguing with another kid I went to school with around the time Radiohead’s Kid A came …
Limitless Directed by Neil Burger Written by Leslie Dixon USA, 2011 In the abject cinematic wasteland of the early calendar months, a surplus of ideas is almost always preferable to a deficit. Neil Burger’s Limitless might be in desperate need of a script doctor, but its lack of strict adherence to genre conventions, its neverending …
It has been a good awards season run for her this year, nominated for several awards for her The Kids Are All Right role, could she now be aiming for the next awards season? The blogosphere exploded today, with confirmation from The Hollywood Reporter, that Julianne Moore has been cast as former Alaskan governor/ex-Republican Vice Presidential …
Last September, it was reported that Sacha Baron Cohen was attached to play Freddie Mercury in an upcoming bio-pic to be written by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon). GK Films is partnering with Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal’s Tribeca Productions and Queen manager Jim Beach on the film’s production, and it’s due to begin shooting next …
Cecil B. DeMille was an award winning producer notable for his work on Union Pacific, Cleopatra, and The Ten Commandments. In commemoration of his death, the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award was created in his honor and given out during the Golden Globe Awards. Robert De Niro will be the next coveted honoree to …
————– Stone Directed by John Curran Written by Angus MacLachlan USA, 2010 An unusual hybrid of Hollywood casting and production values with a serious dose of left-field character choices, Stone, from director John Curran (We Don’t Live Here Anymore, The Painted Veil), comes as a bolt from the blue in a season full of dreadful …