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The Woman in the Window and film's most cursed productions
Amy Adams' new mystery thriller, The Woman In The Window, may be adapted from a Gone Girl / The Girl On The Train-type thriller novel, but it's not always easy to lose yourself in its twisty-turny plot. Partly, that's because the revelations are so silly that you're more likely to laugh at them than be engrossed. And partly, it's because the acting, editing and camerawork are so hectic that it feels as if you're reading a book in the middle of a rugby scrum. But another factor is that the story on screen is less compelling than the story of what went on behind the scenes. In the three years since the film was announced, it has suffered so many delays, reshoots and scandals that it now has the unfortunate reputation of being a "troubled production". And, as so many notorious examples have shown, it's difficult for any film to shake that reputation off.
Alessandro AlgardiPublished 2 years ago in GeeksNetflix's Fear Street and the return of gory 'slasher' horror
Different types of horror each have their fans, but perhaps there is no subgenre equally as beloved and derided as the slasher movie. The masked killer, the pile-up of dead bodies and the "final girl" are some of the most recognisable elements of a type of horror film that just refuses to die.
Four stars for Dune
First there was David Lynch's Dune, a turkey remembered principally for putting Sting in a nappy, and stopping Showgirls being the nadir of Kyle MacLachlan's career. Then came the television mini-series in 2000, which had the running time but not the budget to do Frank Herbert's beloved novel justice. And of course, there was Alejandro Jodorowsky's surreal vision, which was famously never made. Now at last we have what should, in theory, be the definitive Dune film, a mega-budget epic with cutting-edge visual effects, an A-list cast and crew, and a director, Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Blade Runner 2049), who has dreamt of adapting the book for decades. Can he succeed where others (well, David Lynch and Jodorowsky) failed?
Why Asian superhero Shang-Chi could truly change the world
hen, in 2018, Black Panther hit cinemas, it grossed $1bn worldwide and brought Marvel Studios its first ever Oscars. But its impact was about more than money and awards – with a predominantly black cast and crew, led by star Chadwick Boseman and director Ryan Coogler, it sent a message to Hollywood that there was a huge thirst for black stories that was still not being properly catered for.
Mao Jiao LiPublished 2 years ago in GeeksFilms showing the reality of marriage
Some of today's best film and TV series are about the absolute worst marriages. "You hated me!" the husband in the brilliant film Marriage Story (2019) screams at his soon-to-be ex-wife, who screams back, "You hated me!"
The Eyes of Tammy Faye: 'Hollywood Oscar bait'
There aren't many screen heroines with the garishly bad taste of Tammy Faye Bakker, brought to flamboyant life by Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. But the real Tammy was also a one-of-a-kind spectacle. In the 1970s and '80s, comedians mocked her tarantula-like fake eyelashes and crying fits. But she was also embraced by her target audience, viewers of the popular daily talk show she starred in with her husband, Jim Bakker, one of the most successful televangelists of the time. He preached to the converted and asked them for money, and she belted out faith-based songs in a show broadcast on their own flourishing satellite television network. They even built a Christian theme park, Heritage USA. The empire crumbled after Jim admitted, in 1987, to paying hush money to a woman with whom he'd had a one-night stand, and two years later was convicted of fraud over their company's fundraising. On the day he was pronounced guilty, Tammy Faye, ever the show woman, sang on the courthouse steps.
Many A-SunPublished 2 years ago in GeeksThe Last Duel: Cinema's 11 best showdowns
The duel in The Last Duel is a long time coming. Ridley Scott's Medieval drama has been underway for two hours before Matt Damon and Adam Driver get on their horses, grab their lances, and gallop towards each other – and by then we know their characters, we know why they're ready and willing to fight to the death, and we know what's at stake in the wider world of 14th-Century France. In other words, Scott has laid all the groundwork necessary for a classic big-screen showdown.
Sue TorresPublished 2 years ago in GeeksWhy twisted erotic thriller Crash still stuns, 25 years on
On Monday 3 June 1996, any Londoner who picked up a copy of the Evening Standard newspaper on their way home from the office would have paused when they reached the headline: "A movie beyond the bounds of depravity".
CopperchaleuPublished 2 years ago in GeeksHedwig and the Angry Inch: A love story that broke taboos
Like watching the Moon landing or the moment they locked eyes with the person they love, people remember where they were the first time they saw Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The queer punk-rock musical about Plato, the Berlin Wall, love, gender, fame and self-acceptance started first as a stage show before becoming a much-loved cult film with a fervent fandom of "Hedheads" that unwaveringly adore it. Twenty years since the movie was released and 27 since John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask first debuted the character at New York nightclub Squeeze Box, Hedwig has been a constant presence, being screened and performed all over the world.
CopperchaleuPublished 2 years ago in GeeksGhostbusters Afterlife: Is nostalgia killing cinema?
That Hollywood is becoming lazier, and artistry ever-more sacrificed for maximum profitability, is an often-heard refrain. In 2019, all of the top 10 highest grossing films at the US box office were based on existing intellectual properties; just two decades ago, it was five. And in a lot of cases, these big-grossers – be they remakes of, spin-offs from, or long-awaited sequels to classics – play on one emotion in particular: nostalgia. They offer audiences the pleasure of past cinematic experiences, and the comfort of ensconcing themselves in something familiar.
Alessandro AlgardiPublished 2 years ago in GeeksFive stars for Spider-Man: No Way Home
ere's a Christmas quiz question for you: how many Spider-Man films have there been in the past 20 years? By my count, there were three directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire, two directed by Marc Webb and starring Andrew Garfield, one animation, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and two recent outings directed by Jon Watts and starring Tom Holland. That makes the third Watts-Holland film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, the ninth opportunity we've had to see Peter Parker in his blue and red spandex – and that's not including his appearances with The Avengers and Captain America.
Cindy DoryPublished 2 years ago in GeeksThe Ipcress File: The rebel spy who is the anti-James Bond
In 2006, an ordinary-looking pair of spectacles went on sale at Christie's, the London auction house. They were expected to fetch up to £3,000 ($4,088). In fact, they sold for £6,600 ($8,994), and the buyer had bought a little piece of movie history.
Many A-SunPublished 2 years ago in Geeks