#Barrymore Short Film Festival

[pardontheglueman]

Rewatching It's A Wonderful Life

Not a year goes by without a nationwide re-release of Frank Capra’s festive classic It’s A Wonderful Life (1946). Over recent years, the film has regularly been screened by mainstream cinema chains in Wales as well as independent venues like Chapter and Tramshed in the capital. This year’s most imaginative showing will take place at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea. With a musical adaptation by Paul McCartney and Lee Hall (Billy Elliott & Rocketman) seemingly set to bring this magical tale to a whole new generation of fans, Kevin McGrath takes a look at the unique story of how a movie that flopped at the Oscars and which barely made a dent at the box office somehow became an enduring part of Christmas for so many.

Frank Capra’s post-war masterpiece It’s A Wonderful Life has rightly gone down in film history as one of the greatest feel-good movies of all time. From its humble beginnings as The Greatest Gift, an unpublished short story that author Philip Van Doren Stern turned into a 24-page pamphlet-come-Christmas card, it has become the most cherished of all movies, regularly figuring in best picture polls either side of the Atlantic. For many in America, Christmas simply isn’t Christmas without the family gathering around the TV to watch this incredibly affecting festive tale. And it was TV, of course, that had rescued the film from relative obscurity when its copyright was allowed to lapse in 1974. By 1984, The Wall Street Journal discovered, 152 public stations and 175 commercial stations had taken up the rights to broadcast the movie).

The reason that It’s A Wonderful Life continues to stand the test of time today must surely be attributed to the flawless filmmaking of its visionary director Frank Capra. Prior to the outbreak of the Second World War (during which he made the exemplary documentary series, Why We Fight), Capra had established himself as one of Hollywood’s premiere directors, with a string of box office smashes to his name. The most notable of which, 1934’s romantic comedy It Happened One Night, became the first film to win all five major Academy Awards picking up Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay and, of course, Best Director. Capra had become a master craftsman and a master storyteller, specialising in crowd-pleasing ‘moral fables’ about the honest Joe, the American everyman, who stands up for ‘liberal’ ideals and values against corrupt businessmen and politicians.

Screen giants like James Stewart and Gary Cooper had turned in widely acclaimed performances in Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes To Washington and Meet John Doe respectively, and it was to Stewart, his most trusted actor, that Capra turned when casting the part of quintessential nice-guy George Bailey. Stewart, one of the few major stars to enlist in the war against fascism, had been away from Hollywood for the best part of five years, and was in anguish about resuming his acting career when Capra called to offer him the role, that ultimately, film critics would regard as the finest of his distinguished career. Luckily, the director was able to talk Stewart around, and the rest, as they say, is history!

Stewart’s nuanced portrayal of the decent, unselfish, yet ultimately tormented Bailey, offers us a masterclass in screen acting. It’s as if Stewart had never been away as he plays through a succession of comic, romantic and dramatic scenes with absolute confidence. Stewart is able to convince us of George’s good heart and of his deeply felt moral opposition to scurrilous Banker Henry Potter, whilst also capturing the frustration eating away at his character’s soul as he sees life passing him by and his friends making their own mark on the world. George Bailey is a man desperately divided against himself, as Stewart’s reflective performance gradually makes clear.

Thankfully, his fellow actors are equally as good, with Lionel Barrymore proving to be an inspired piece of casting in the role of Potter, the Dickensian villain who tries to drive the Bailey family business into ruin in his quest to monopolise the wealth of Bedford Falls. (Capra had surely noted Barrymore’s legendary portrayal of Scrooge for the Campbell Playhouse dramatisation of A Christmas Carol, broadcast each Christmas Eve since 1934). And, as the years have gone by, it’s become impossible to imagine anyone other than the whimsical Henry Travers as the very special emissary Clarence Oddbody, whose celestial mission it is to save George Bailey from the tragic fate that awaits him on Christmas Eve.

The movie begins with George’s family and friends frantically seeking divine intervention to help him through a spiritual crisis at Christmas and uses the device of extended flashbacks to tell the tale of a young boy/college student determined to travel the world, all the while threatening to “shake the dust of this crummy little town off my feet”. He subscribes to National Geographic magazine and spends his days dreaming of “going out exploring someday’.  A family tragedy and financial difficulties combine, though, to ensure George’s ambitions are thwarted at every turn, as he finds himself trapped into running the family Building and Loan Company, the only institution in town not owned by slum landlord Potter. George is loved by the whole of Bedford Falls for standing alone against Potter time and again, and, in a crucial scene which illustrates Capra’s humanitarian message, Bailey challenges Potter over his scandalous business practices –

‘Do you know how long it takes a working man to save five thousand dollars? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, this rabble you keep talking about…they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn’t think so. People were human beings to him’.

Stewart is acting out of his straight-laced skin here, violently trembling with anger. For me, it’s one of the most genuinely moving scenes in film history.

Though George has quietly transformed the lives of all those who reside in Bailey Park, he is unable to find consolation in his own achievements. He simply cannot free himself from the resentment he feels, as first his younger brother Harry takes up his place at College, and then as his old friend Sam Wainwright cuts a dash through the business world. Drunk and despairing on Christmas Eve, he wishes he’d never been born.

Throughout the film, Capra remains in complete control of the story. Each scene plays perfectly, the transition between episodes is seamless and the script cohesive from start to finish. This is all the more remarkable given the number of writers involved in developing a screenplay that proved almost impossible to knock into shape. Whilst the final screen credit went to husband and wife screenwriting team Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich, as well as Capra himself, there were already three fully developed scripts in existence when Capra bought the property from RKO in 1945.

Three of the biggest names in the business had failed spectacularly in adapting Van Doren Stern’s quirky fantasy. Neither Marc Connelly, the Pulitzer winning playwright and fully paid-up member of the Alongquin roundtable, Dalton Trumbo (an Oscar winner for The Brave One) or Clifford Odets, the left-wing firebrand whose work with the Group Theatre had revolutionised Broadway in the thirties, found a way to incorporate the various fantasy/reality elements of the plot into a coherent whole.

While Connolly and Trumbo’s contributions were dismissed out of hand by Capra, some key scenes from the Odets script were retained. According to Jeanine Basinger, curator of the Capra archives, his scripts “bring into focus the elements found in the final movie: the accident on the ice in which Harry nearly drowns; the Gower drug store sequence and George’s marriage to Mary.” It’s worth noting that at this stage the Potter character simply did not exist. The dramatic conflict in each of these scripts was between a good George and an evil George.

None of this turmoil is reflected in the finished movie itself. Capra was able to unfold his story with clarity, balancing the requirements of the plot with his need to convey an uncompromising message to the audience. In the same way that Dickens, who was on a lifelong crusade to improve the conditions of the poor, wrote A Christmas Carol to try and progress social change in Victorian England, so Capra, who was just back from the Second World War, his film cans stuffed with footage of the horrors of the concentration camps, passionately wanted to tell a story that would make a serious statement about the times in which he lived.

Dickens’ plea to his readers was for them to follow the example of a reformed Scrooge when, at the novella’s end, he pledges to “honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year round”. Capra’s motivation was equally straightforward. He had in mind a reaffirmation of John Donne’s view of the human condition

“No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main”

Still haunted by a war, in which Historians currently estimate, up to 70 million people died, Capra was at pains to point out how one man’s life touches another. His Christmas message was for us all to extend a helping hand to the next fellow.

When I went to see It’s A Wonderful Life at my local cinema, last Christmas, the usherette, on taking my ticket said: “I hope you’ve brought a supply of hankies”. Indeed, I had. I can never get past that early scene in Gower’s drugstore, where the distraught and drunk chemist brutally slaps a young George Bailey around, without breaking down. And, of course, the famous finale with George, having escaped from his nightmare existence in Pottersville, charging joyously through the snowy streets of Bedford Falls on Christmas Eve, wishing everyone and everything a Merry Christmas, has me in floods of tears every time I have the privilege of viewing it.

Watching It’s a Wonderful Life every Christmas, making it a part of the ritual and tradition of the festive period means it can be hard to be wholly objective about the film as a work of art. For good or bad the film comes imbued, perhaps even burdened, with our own memories and associations. In the darkness, as the credits begin to roll, we suddenly sense The Ghost of Christmas past sitting next to us in the cheap seats.

For others, Capra is too sentimental and the derogatory term “Capra-corn” applied by some cynics to his films has stuck over the years. Look beyond the joyous, feel-good message at the centre of It’s A Wonderful Life though, and there is a real darkness rooted within the heart of small-town America. Capra, having witnessed at first hand the atrocities of a World War, knew all about the evil ordinary people were capable of but remained an optimist and a believer in the brotherhood of man, nonetheless.

[bondvagabond]

INTERVIEW WITH VAGABOND ON INTO THE AFTERMATH

After winning the Jury Prize at the Barrymore Short Film Festival for INTO THE AFTERMATH the John Barrymore Film Center that holds the festival did an interview with writer and director of INTO THE AFTERMATH, vagabond...

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#Audio Visual Terrorism #AVT #Barrymore Film Center #Barrymore Short Film Festival #Interview #INTO THE AFTERMATH #Jury Prize #vagabond

[brian-in-finance]

November is here and its first two weeks are chock full of Belfast film activity and personal appearances.

Advance screenings in cities across North America pop up every day. The first of 10 film festivals with Belfast on their schedules starts Wednesday in Australia. Later that day, Jamie will participate on the GQ Heroes panel at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire. The film premieres Thursday in its namesake and its creator’s hometown. We know Sir Kenneth will be attending Belfast’s premiere in Belfast; who will join him?

The new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures hosts the Hollywood premiere next Monday the 8th, and the KCET Cinema Series hosts an advance screening and Q&A on Tuesday the 9th in Santa Monica. I think it’s safe to say Sir Kenneth would attend the Hollywood premiere. Would he make the short drive west to answer questions in person the next day? Who will join him at either event?

(gifs from @jabberwocky1996)

Caitríona and Jamie each have talk show appearances next Thursday the 11th: Caitríona in New York with Drew Barrymore, Jamie in Los Angeles with James Corden. Will they chat in-studio or virtually? Caitríona makes a virtual appearance in Santa Barbara on Saturday the 13th on the Indie Contenders Panel at the American Film Institute Festival, and she and Jamie join Sir Kenneth that same day for a post-screening Q&A at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival — in-person or virtually?

Deadline Contenders LA happens the next day, Saturday the 14th, with Belfast’s roster still TBA. And while all this is going on, film nomination submissions close on Friday the 5th for the Screen Actors Guild, and on Monday the 15th for the Golden Globes and Academy Awards. And Belfast premieres in cinemas across North America on Friday the 12th.

So much to anticipate. So many questions to answer. As soon as I tap Post on this 1st of November morning, we can count on hearing of more activity… and on asking more “in-person or virtual” questions. Never a dull moment…

Screenings Calendar

Remember… Brian is not a Tait public relations or publicity employee. He’s simply biding his time, waiting for elusive Tait sightings. The struggle is real when one maintains a themed blog. 😆

#Tait rhymes with hat #Good times #BelfastMovie #November madness #A brian-in-finance editorial #Belfast #In cinemas 12 November 2021 #Canada & USA #In cinemas 25 February 2022 UK & Ireland #Worldwide 2022

[miramodhvadia]

Neon

Neon colors percolated in 2018 in accessories and streetwear, and they are set to explode in 2019 as luxury players like Prabal Gurung, Brandon Maxwell and Off-White give the intense hues red carpet approval. The colors—mostly neon yellow and green—play up the nostalgic feeling of other ’90s items like mini backpacks, cropped jean jackets and bike shorts, while adding an instant cool factor to contemporary sportswear. The throwback color scheme also lends itself well to the growing category of Instagram-worthy travel wear. Expect to see fast fashion retailers go wild for neon this spring/summer.

Tie-dye

DIY’ers are in luck. Tie-dye, that youth-driven trend that remerges every 20 years or so, is spiraling back into fashion in 2019 but with a designer touch. A symbol of slacker style, disenchanted youth and activism, the trend sums up the independent spirit of Gen Z and millennial consumers. And with designers like Louis Vuitton and MSGM offering the psychedelic print, we expect tie-dye to further fuel the market’s obsession for highbrow versions of street, surf, skate (and every other recreational activity in between) style.

Mini backpacks

The mini backpack—the accessory made famous by Cher Horowitz and her squad in the ’90s teen film Clueless—proves good things come in small packages. Consider the mini backpack as the offspring of two major accessories trends from 2018: the backpack and the fanny pack. Both bags filled the gap in demand for more traditional fashion styles like totes and satchels. Plus, functional as it is fashionable, mini backpacks offer brands a petite canvas to play with other ’90s trends like neon colors, logos and leopard print.

Lingerie as daywear

Silky camisole tops, spaghetti strap slips and baby doll dresses were de rigueur of teen girl idols of the ’90s. The “Lolita” look was worn by everyone from Drew Barrymore and Courtney Love, to most of the Spice Girls. However, the lingerie-inspired trend is updated for 2019 through a more mature lens. The silhouettes remain the same, but designers are ditching cutesy frills and ditzy prints in favor of sophisticated transparent layering and silk for daytime.

Track suits

With athleisure being a bona fide fashion category, it’s not surprising that ’90s-style track suits are the next sport-inspired trend to infiltrate street style. The suits—be it the classic three stripes, color blocked windbreakers or logo emblazoned sets—were the de facto comfort uniform in the ’90s for teens, boybands, suburban moms and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. And the design hasn’t changed much over the years. Comfort remains a top priority, as well as oversized silhouettes, unisex design and statement color. Expect to see designers elevate the leisure look for night with satins and silks.

Goth

The styling of ’90s goth rocker Marilyn Manson is tame compared to today’s standards of shock fashion, but back then the verdict was still out on black latex, ripped hosiery and cross-dressing. In 2019, however, goth fashion returns in the form of dominatrix-like black leather jackets, black lace and combat boots with platform soles. The trend is already trickling into denim through superfluous hardware and chains. And expect to see vintage concert and band tees featuring the likes of Manson, Korn and Nine Inch Nails gain popularity (and value) in 2019.

Platform shoes

The platform shoe belongs to several decades and subcultures. However, the iteration from the ’90s, a black chunky sole black boot, oxford or Mary Jane (often with a curved heel) is the one to keep an eye on in 2019. The shoe is part of the goth uniform and a coquettish accoutrement for the lingerie as outerwear trend. And after several seasons of sensible block heels and comfortable flats, Junior’s and women’s fashion shoes are eager for a lift.

Leopard print

Leopard print still has bite. The animal print left its mark on ’90s fashion through trends like goth, furry coats and even zoot suits, which regrettably swung into style toward the end of the decade. And despite being a top-selling trend in 2018, leopard print secures its place in 2019 as both a neutral and fashion statement redone in untraditional colors like neon yellow and red.

Polo shirts

The polo shirt is an antidote to this year’s flurry of brash trends. In 2019, the polo can swing one of two ways: as a fitted basic with a tongue-in-cheek nod to classic, preppy Ralph Lauren, or as an oversized, logo-adorned shirt that harkens back to urban fashion in the ’90s. And there’s a polo for everyone, from the classic pique, to trendier updates like a knit mesh and chiffon.

Flare jeans

Flare jeans, which were basically reincarnated bell bottoms from the ’70s, were a staple with young Hollywood in the ’90s. And it’s the same group that is bringing the trend back to life in 2019, but with fewer bells and whistles. Look for clean washes, minimal distressing and a higher rise to give the jeans a modern look.

Black and white

If you were a pre-teen or teenage girl in the ’90s, you’ll likely remember the black and white dress that both Brenda Walsh and gasp Kelly Taylor wore to the spring dance on 90210. The “who wore it better” moment is ingrained in ’90s fashion history and exemplifies one of the more refined ways ’90s kids wore black and white together. From Vans’ checkerboard prints to the wide leg striped pants sold by ’90s-era retailers like Delia’s and Contempo Casuals, the color combo served several unforgettable sartorial moments that are being recreated in 2019 by fast fashion retailers like Zara and Asos.

Versace style

The decadent world of Versace is a playground for fearless fashionistas in 2019. In recent seasons, the Italian fashion house has revisited archival pieces from its iconic ’90s collections, inspiring ladies and gents to embrace their inner Donatella or Gianni. It’s a simple formula to follow: vivid colors, opulent prints, gold and sex appeal. Expect to find this trend in women’s dress, men’s shirting and swimwear, where the flavor of South Beach is always in style.

Bike shorts

The bike short has come a long way. The second-skin short was an outrageous style in the ’90s, yet it has somehow found itself on the cusp of being acceptable fashion in 2019. Social media is likely to thank, or blame, for its comeback. With celebrities like Gigi and Bella Hadid adopting the trend in its early stages, consumers have become acclimated with swiping and liking the sporty garb. And with styles as colorful and shiny as ever, the bike short is may be the single ’90s trend that has come back less refined as its predecessor.

Embellished denim

Depending on which end of the decade you want to examine, embellished denim in the ’90s skewed either chintzy with homemade embroideries and fabric paint, or glitzy with rhinestones and crystals glued to seams, pockets, shoulders and collars. In 2019, denim brands borrow a little from both worlds, offering jeans with subtle splashes of sparkle and details that feel handmade and personal. The goal, however, remains the same: to stand out in a sea of blue.

Flannel

Marc Jacobs sealed grunge’s fate when he announced in November that he would reissue his iconic Spring ’93 collection for Perry Ellis. Grunge was back, bringing along with it a new spotlight on baby doll dresses, beanies, combat boots and the hallmark of all grunge looks—flannel. Expect to see oversized plaid flannel shirts serve as a protective layer during festival season and carry into the fall season for both men and women.

Bodycon

When Herve Leger designed the bandage dress in 1989, he created the template for form-fitting dresses that designers to this day still follow. Fortunately for Leger, the birth of the dress coincided with the rise of the supermodel, who would become natural muses for the figure-hugging silhouette during the decade. In 2019, the Kardashians and retailers like Fashion Nova are putting bodycon dresses back on the radar, updating the shapely silhouette with liquid-like fabrics, shimmering metallics and intense colors.

https://sourcingjournal.com/denim/19-fashion-trends-90s-cool-again-133798/

[seeselfblack]

Who Was Lorraine Hansberry? 

Playwright Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun was the first drama by an African American woman to be produced on Broadway. Widely acclaimed, it helped pave the way for other black playwrights. She completed only two plays in her short life, but left unfinished works that published posthumously, extended her contribution to literature, theater, and the Civil Rights Movement.

Hansberry was born May 19, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois, the youngest of four children. Her mother, Nannie Perry, was a schoolteacher active in the Republican Party. Her father, Carl Augustus Hansberry, was a successful real estate entrepreneur involved with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Urban League.

When Hansberry was eight years old, the family moved into a primarily white neighborhood with restrictive covenants preventing African Americans from buying homes. Hansberry’s father challenged the restrictions, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor in 1940. Racial discrimination in Chicago, however, remained harsh and brutal. Hansberry’s experiences in desegregated public schools and in a self-described “hellishly hostile white neighborhood” influenced her best-known play... 

...As a reporter, Hansberry traveled widely, even attending the 1952 Intercontinental Peace Conference in Uruguay, and wrote about subjects ranging from social inequalities to the arts. She taught classes at Harlem’s Fredrick Douglass School and was consistently active in politics. In 1951, Hansberry met Robert Nemiroff, a white graduate student and songwriter, at a New York University antidiscrimination rally. They married June 20, 1953.

Hansberry worked several jobs until 1956 when she began writing full time. She finished A Raisin in the Sun in 1957, taking its title from the lines of a Langston Hughes poem: “What happens to a dream deferred?/Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” The play portrays the realistic struggles of a working-class African American family wanting to improve their lives.

A huge critical and popular success, A Raisin in the Sun opened at Broadway’s Ethel Barrymore Theatre on March 11, 1959, running for 350 performances over 19 months. Hansberry became the first black woman to have a play produced on Broadway and the youngest person and first African American to win the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best American Play. Variety named her the season’s “most promising playwright.” Writer James Baldwin later wrote: “Never before, in the entire history of the American theater, had so much of the truth of black people’s lives been seen on the stage.” 

Raisin in the Sun has been widely performed and anthologized, and The National Theater lists it among the 20th century’s 100 most significant works. Hansberry wrote the screenplay for the 1961 film adaptation, winning a Cannes Film Festival Award and a nomination for a Screen Writers Guild Award. Her initial draft, with material not included in the 1961 movie, was published in the early 1990s. In 1973, the play was adapted into a musical, Raisin, which won a Tony Award and ran for nearly three years. In 1960, NBC commissioned Hansberry to write a TV drama for the Civil War centennial, but her examination of slavery was controversial and the project was cancelled. The material was posthumously published as the play The Drinking Gourd.

Nemiroff and Hansberry moved from New York City’s Greenwich Village to Croton-on-Hudson in 1961 where Hansberry lived until her death. During this time, she generated support for the Student Non-Violent Coördination Committee (SNCC), which aimed to end segregation in the south, and spoke out against the House Un-American Activities Committee. In 1963, Hansberry joined prominent civil rights leaders to meet with Attorney General Robert Kennedy. That year, the Actors Studio Writers Workshop staged a scene from Les Blancs, her play about Africa... 

[citizenscreen]

There’s so much to look forward to in 2019, many special anniversaries to celebrate, and exciting endeavors to delve into. Some of these I’ll pay tribute to in individual posts. Things like the 25th anniversary of Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and the 10th Turner Classic Movies Film Festival (TCMFF), both happening in April, are exciting as are classics-related projects heading my way. In addition, numerous entertainers were born a century ago and there are a host of important movies celebrating noteworthy anniversaries. Expect remembrances and tributes in the weeks to come commemorating many who have impacted movies in the last century.

Perhaps what I am most excited about is a permanent homage to film and a legendary acting family that is to be erected later this year. This permanent structure will house programs to teach film making, including a “boot camp” for students and working with interns from programs such as the NYU Costume Studies Program and the Moving Image graduate program. It will also feature a 260-seat theater to screen classic, foreign, and art house movies. Most important for all who visit this blog will be the center’s focus on film history as it will stand proud in the heart of Fort Lee, NJ, where the American film industry was born. Just a few short blocks from where this film center will sit stood the first homes of 15 movie studios including Fox and Universal. The area also posed in many films directed by pioneers D. W. Griffith and Alice Guy-Blaché and others. Films were being made in Fort Lee as early as 1907 and many of the biggest early movie stars walked the streets of that vicinity.

Indeed, Fort Lee’s film history is exciting, one few historians mention. The term “cliffhanger” was coined in Fort Lee and John Barrymore made his acting debut near where the center, named to honor him, will sit. The Barrymore Film Center will house exhibits honoring the Barrymores and film history in general in a museum that will also be a part of the complex. The Fort Lee Film Commission‘s film archive will move to the new film center and other film archives and museums – such as the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City – will let it borrow collections to showcase many aspects of film history. Ground broke on this exciting project in October 2018 and you can stay up to date on its progress at the Barrymore Film Center page. The plan is for a soft opening late this year with the grand opening planned to coincide with John Barrymore’s birthday on Feb. 15th 2020.

You may ask why the new film center will be named for the Barrymores. Well, as Fort Lee Film Commission Chairman Nelson Page has said, “the Barrymores’ story is our story. They grew up in this area and are part of the rich cultural history here in Fort Lee.”

John, Ethel and Lionel all made their first films in Fort Lee, and their father, Maurice Barrymore, was a Fort Lee resident and founded the firehouse across the street from the film center site, Page said. As the story goes according to the Film Commission, Maurice lived in the Coytesville section of Fort Lee and was a member of the volunteer Fire Department there. John went to live with his father in Fort Lee at the age of 18 intent on being an artist, but Maurice had other plans. “My boy, the Barrymores are actors,” Maurice told his son. “You’ll be an actor. If we were plumbers, you’d be a plumber.”

Maurice rented a local beer garden where he staged a play called “Man of the World.” The production would be young John’s acting debut. The building still stands and was used as a fire house until the late 1950s, said Tom Meyers, Executive Director of the Fort Lee Film Commission. One of the fire uniforms is on display in the Fort Lee Museum, but will be moved to the Barrymore Film Center. The Commission honors John Barrymore every year on his birthday with a wreath ceremony at the site, which is now John Barrymore Way, which is one block from where the Barrymore Film Center will stand.

John Barrymore Way on Fort Lee stands at the site where the young actor made his acting debut at age 18.

Among the events planned at the Barrymore Film Center is a yearly film festival. I’m hoping to play a small role in helping spread the word on the project and future events in any way I can. The hope is to get the attention of TCM personnel and film writers and historians interested in cinema and a center dedicated to preserving its history. With no place like the Barrymore Film Center anywhere else in New Jersey, the connections to the state’s film history are endless. For instance, the involvement of the Film Noir Foundation would be fantastic for discussions on films noir made in the Garden State. Just saying – who wouldn’t want in on that? And you can bet I’ll get several local film bloggers on this side of the Hudson River for a closer look.

Lionel

Ethel

John

Although the Barrymores didn’t spend a long time in Fort Lee, their time there was critical to their careers. Conversely, Lionel, Ethel, and John are an integral part of Fort Lee’s rich film history, which is why the center is named for them. As for me – I can’t tell you how exciting it is to have this place being built in my own backyard and have designated 2019 the year of the Barrymores on this blog and beyond. After all, the famous name is integral to my family as well because my grandmother had a life-long crush on Lionel and, although the reason remained unknown to my jealous grandfather, she named one of her sons after the famous actor.

Much more on the Barrymores and the Film Center to come!

◊

As the New Year dawns, I hope it is filled with the promises of a brighter tomorrow. From near Fort Lee, the birthplace of the movies, Happy New Year, friends!

Welcome to 2019, the Year of the Barrymores There's so much to look forward to in 2019, many special anniversaries to celebrate, and exciting endeavors to delve into.

#Barrymore Film Center #Fort Lee Film Town #John Barrymore #The Barrymores

[r3nton]

all the questions with 1

i both love and hate uwhich would u rather out of these 3 options?1. be good looking and extremely intelligent but so poor you live on the streets2. be extremely intelligent and a millionaire but be what society classes as ugly3. be good looking and a millionaire but extremely academically challengedthis question is cancelled. but i choose option 3 because i think id kill myself if i was Ugly is that shallow yes thats shallow. & living on the streets would never be goodwhat are the top 10 movies to make you cry (or at least make you sad)?ive never cried at a movie but i have teared up at some so here r the ones ive teared up at (with a *) & some others that make me v sad1. pride - in the end credits when it says how mark ashton died aged 262. forrest gump* - when forrest is at the anti vietnam demonstration and runs through the fountain to jenny3. jennifers body* :) - spoiler: when her bf dies Im4. milk - pretty self explanatory. just watch it it’s so good5. zootopia* rip - iM noThiNg bUt a DuMb bUnNY6. love simon* yes im that bitch - the dad scene7. grave of the fireflies - the whole film8. lord of the rings: return of the king - when they keep killing the giant elephants :( like i know they have to but it still makes me sad9. django unchained - when django and broomhilda are running from the slavers and the song ‘freedom’ is playing10. montage of heck - kinda obvious whywhat’s the scariest nightmare you’ve ever had? dunno but when i was younger i had lots of freaky recurring ones. e.g. one where my mum got tortured, one where that old lady from doctor who was drinking my sisters blood in her bedroom, one where i had weird ass horror swimming lessons idkwould u rather raise 25 children or have the chance of your kids being taken away? this is a horrible question but id have to choose 25 & pray i could be a half decent mum to all of themwould u rather go on a relaxing carribean beach holiday, a cultural holiday to japan, or an adventure packed holiday to south africa? japan i think, tho a lazy beach holiday sounds kinda tempting even tho i aint a sea personput these in order of your fav movie genre to least:dramathrillercomedyhorroradventureactionromancesuperheromusicaldanceif you had to loose one of the 5 senses, which would it be and why? smell because I think it’s the most inessentialwhat have been the top 3 most brilliant days of this year?in no particular order..1. the day before muck up day at school2. my birthday party seeing a rlly great nirvana tribute band3. seeing sarah in feb+ meeting u ivanna!!! what do you believe we human beings take most for granted in the world? i think we take for granted everything everyone else does for us. + i think eating meat is something ppl take for granted and dont questionhow many concerts have you been to in your life and which was your favourite? a Lot & my faves are roger waters’ the wall in paris and the lemon twigs at latitude festivalif you had 12 kids what would you name 6 boys and 6 girls?boys: ehren, lucifer (lou for short), girls: sidney, ..thats all i can think of for now riplist the 7 deadly sins in order of the one u feel u commit most to the least:greedenvypridegluttonylustslothwrath(tbh i feel like they should all be on an equal level)name 5 facts that the large majority of people wont know about you: the majority of people know fuck all abt me so i can literally say anything lmao1. my phone keyboard wallpaper is of two girls kissing from the placebo protege moi music video2. i learned mandarin at school3. oscar wilde was imprisoned at the town where i live & ive been in his jail cell4. i used to go to the dry ski slope where u see eddie train, at the beginning of the eddie the eagle movie, when i was a kid5. i have the hots for drew barrymoredescribe yourself in one word/sentence: one word: zuki & one sentence: man is least himself when he talks in his own person, give him a mask and he'll tell you the truthname 5 famous people you find attractive:1. freddie fox2. jude law3. mary elizabeth winstead4. billy corgan (not Now)5. dane dehaanshare 5 facts about your best friend/s:i'll do facts abt Sarah..1. half german, half russian2. has like every book by freud3. sucker for allen ginsberg4. mia wallace hair since today5. loves queer as folkif food was people, who would be your best friend, your life partner, your enemy, and your ex?best friend: plum tomatoeslife partner: fresh mangoenemy: sugar in generalex: avocado

[redsoapbox]

MY TOP TEN CHRISTMAS MOVIES

Now that December is finally here, the McGrath household can upgrade the nightly Christmas movie from Hallmark seasonal romance to accepted Christmas classic. (Although in admitting defeat on winning the girls over on Miracle on 34th Street - either version) - I have to acknowledge that the list of films that we can all agree on as festive classics is a little shorter than I would like.

Here is my list of top ten Christmas movies -

10. The Santa Clause (1994) - John Pasquin

John Pasquin’s cinematic debut, he had previously worked on numerous T.V. shows including Newhart and Thirtysomething, opens with the risky gambit of having Santa fall to his death from the roof of Scott Calvin’s home. Calvin (Tim Allen), believing his home is being burgled, confronts Santa and startles him into plummeting to his doom. Before you know it, and after much urging from his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd), Calvin has donned the big red suit and his transformation into Santa has begun.

The Santa Clause combines rather broad comedy - there is much fun to be had with Calvin’s overnight weight gain and Charlie’s class presentation on how his Dad is actually Santa - with the usual Christmas sentiment. In this particular case, the healing of Scott’s relationship with Charlie and ex-wife Laura (Wendy Crewson).

A pre-Buzz Lightyear Allen gives a virtuoso performance as the would-be St Nick, and that went a long way to making the film a hit at the box office, spawning two sequels The Santa Clause 2 (2002) and The Santa Clause 3 (2006).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpzB4ubEqIE

9. The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) - Bharat Nallur

I reviewed this thought-provoking film on how Charles Dickens’ saved Christmas at the time of it’s release -

https://pardontheglueman.tumblr.com/post/169301253898/the-man-who-invented-christmas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx3ctBjG6yI

8. Get Santa (2014)  - Christopher Smith

When the always over-generous Empire film magazine only gives a movie two stars, then you know that you are going out on a very thin limb indeed. Still, a lot of what I want from a Christmas movie - a story about redemption, likeable characters with likeable lead actors, a splash of humour, a touch of Christmas magic, and, finally, a guaranteed have-to-make-a-quick-exit-to-the-kitchen-to-compose-myself ending - are all present and correct here. And Get Santa really delivers - like a hard-working postman trudging through six feet of snow on Christmas Eve just to make sure that your Auntie Maureen’s card can take its proper place on your mantelpiece.

Get Santa has a best of British cast too; Rafe Spall as ex-con Steve, Jodie Whittaker as his estranged wife and Jim Broadbent as a banged up Santa. Throw in Stephen Graham, Warwick Davis and Joanna Scanlan and you have the second best cast Christmas movie ever (nothing is ever going to beat Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore and Henry Travers in IAWL).

This may be the film on the list that you are most likely to have not seen, so in an effort to shore up support for this selection, I call my star witness - Mark Kermode who had this to say in his three-star Guardian review ‘It’s sweet -natured fare, boosted with spirited comic performances (Broadbent is a particular treat) and served up with plenty of DIY sparkle’.

7. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - Henry Selick

Tim Burton’s unique vision of Christmas/Halloween is brought to life by Henry Selick, a gifted animator who had worked for Walt Disney Studios and in a freelance capacity before making his name with this masterpiece. I simply didn’t get this on release (my admittedly old-fashioned notion of what constitutes a Christmas movie forming a great big mental road block to a full appreciation of the imagination, visual style, black humour, gothic charm and exquisite pathos on display here), and it was only through a recent viewing with my children as part of our Halloween movie get togethers that I finally saw the light. Jack Skellington (voiced by Chris Sarandon) is a captivating character, brought to life by Danny Elfman’s songs and Selick’s ground breaking animation, and his desperate quest for belonging is one that we can all sympathise with, especially at Christmas. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGiYxCUAhks

6. Remember The Night (1940) - Mitchell Leisen

This is a golden-age of Hollywood classic screwball comedy, starring the legendary Barbara Stanwyck, arguably the greatest comedienne in Hollywood history, Fred MacMurray, arguably the nicest guy in film history (at least until his turn as the murderous Walter Neff in Billy Wilder’s terrific noir Double Indemnity), and penned by arguably the funniest man in film history, Preston Sturges.

James Harvey in his 700-page opus Romantic Comedy in Hollywood (From Lubitsch to Sturges), which is, arguably, the best ever book about Hollywood, reveals that it was the shabby treatment (in Sturges’ not so humble opinion) of his screenplay, and the slow pacing of Leisen’s direction, that drove the screenwriter to extraordinary lengths to gain control of his own movies - basically making a deal with Paramount that he would sell them his next screenplay for a nominal sum of ten dollars as as long as he got to direct the picture. That deal changed movie history, setting the precedent of a writer / director that Orson Welles was soon to follow with Citizen Kane (1941).

The plot is a unique one, not that it truly matters in a Sturges movie, and centres around hardboiled career criminal Lee Leander (Stanwyck) having to choose between spending jail in Christmas or being released into the custody of her prosecuting attorney John Sargant (MacMurray). Hey, I didn’t say it made any sense! Of course, the season works its magic and, hey presto, one reformed criminal later Christmas love is in the air!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKcLcT9dOFk

5. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) - Brian Henson

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is the greatest Christmas story ever written, and arguably the main reason that Christmas in Britain is celebrated in quite the way that it is today (see The Man Who Invented Christmas above). There have been all manner of adaptations down the years, and here it is re-imagined as a vehicle for Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzy and co in a way that works beyond anybody’s wildest expectations.

All the human drama, the pathos, the cry from the heart for social justice that Dickens conveyed in his peerless book survives this, the most unlikely of screen adaptations. Much of the credit must go to Michael Caine, who despite sharing top billing with a bunch of muppets, emerges as a genuine contender for the crown of greatest screen Scrooge. Throw in a script by Jerry Juhl, which has The Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens, narrating his ghostly tale with a straight face, and Paul Williams’ super sing-along songs  “Marley and Marley” “One More Sleep ‘Till Christmas” and “Thankful Heart” , and you have an all time Christmas classic that can be enjoyed by everyone from 1 to 92. Bravo!  

4. ELF -  (2003)  John Favreau

Elf is the Shawshank Redemption of Christmas Movies - no matter who, where  or when you poll an audience, this charmingly comic celebration of Christmas always punches above its weight, getting the better of some very famous films in the process. Elf finished 10th in the IMDB poll for Greatest Christmas Movie and came 2nd in both the Time Out and Radio Times polls. It’s A Wonderful Life always, always comes top, but as someone who is still reeling from Citizen Kane losing first place to Vertigo in Sight and Sound’s celebrated Greatest Movie poll, I can see a time when Elf goes one better too.

Elf has a career-best performance from Will Ferrell, a winningly elfin turn from Zooey Deschanel and a series of fine cameo’s from Bob Newhart, Ed Asner, Faizon Love and Peter Dinklage as “angry” elf Miles Finch to recommend it, but it’s the hard to beat combination of laugh-out-loud set pieces, father and son second chances, and an opposites attract love story to top them all that makes this a genuinely affecting festive treat.

3. A Christmas Carol (1999) - David Jones

Of the umpteen takes on Dickens’ grasping miser, of which Alastair Sim’s turn as Scrooge (1951) is by far the most celebrated, I just prefer Patrick Stewart in this excellent T.V. movie. This may seem a deliberately obscure choice, but that is far from the case. Firstly, there is an A-list cast featuring Richard E Grant, Saskia Reeves, Dominic West and, at the top the bill, Stewart himself. 

As Screen Rant describes it, ‘Stewart plays a far more blunt, bitter and straight forward version of the miser... without feeling maniacal’. In short, he underplays the part, keeping the mugging down to a minimum. The clincher, though, is Stewart’s handling of the scene when he awakes to find it is still Christmas morning and that the spirits have granted him a second chance at life after all. He tries to emit a happy, life-affirming laugh, but is so unused to the sensation that he almost chokes himself. Wonderful stuff! There will be all the usual Scrooges to choose from this Christmas - Sim, George C Scott and Albert Finney amongst them, but the Stewart version will be there somewhere in the middle of the night on ITV3. If you peruse the Radio Times long enough you’ll find it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vviOGFiGrHc

2. Miracle on 34th Street - George Seaton (1947)  &  Les Mayfield (1994)

Okay, a bit of false accounting going on here in grouping the two films together. The original is the better version, but I’ve always loved the re-make too. After all, who can’t bring themselves to believe in Dickie Attenborough as Kris Kringle! Both films are perfectly cast - the romantic leads John Payne and Maureen O’ Hara are convincing enough in the black and white original, but are probably just shaded on the chemistry front by Dylan McDermott and Elizabeth Perkins. The unhappy children are sensationally cast, with Natalie Woods and Mara Wilson coming out even. The unthinkable happens, though, when it comes to the playing of Kris Kringle, because although Dickie scores a fab 9 out of 10 on my Santometer, Edmund Gwenn, who picked up a best supporting actor Oscar for his Kringle, scores a perfect 10.

The Oscar-winning original story, by Valentine Davies, must be known to just about everyone by now - a perfectly nice old man, given to the belief that he is really Kris Kringle, becomes, more by accident than design, Macy’s famous department store Santa. No sooner is he in post, than Kris begins to challenge the corporatisation of Christmas, directing customers to other toy stores all over town, where hard up parents can buy their presents at discount prices. He is about to face the sack, when Macy’s realise that he is a great loss leader for them, prompting arch rivals Gimbles to try and nobble him. Kris is committed to an institution for the insane on cooked up charges, and a battle rages to secure his release by Christmas Eve, so that the children of the world won’t be disappointed on Christmas morning! Each film uses an interesting plot device to allow a judge, desperate not to be seen as the man who gives a court ruling that Santa doesn’t exist, a way out without losing face, and there is a happily romantic final scene to round things off in the accepted festive manner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibDD8Y3IJrg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCNbTAtD-jU

1. It’s a Wonderful Life - Frank Capra (1946)

I reviewed this seasonal great for Wales Arts Review last Christmas -

https://www.walesartsreview.org/rewatching-its-wonderful-life/

The next best Christmas films - The Bishop’s Wife, Arthur Christmas, A Christmas Story, Christmas in Connecticut

Merry Christmas to all.

[auskultu]

Mamas and Papas Have a Feud on Their Hands

Keith Altham, New Musical Express, 8 July 1967

“SOMEONE has just shot our gardener—I can’t speak to you just now. Come up tomorrow,” invited a harassed John Phillips, of the Mamas and Papas, when I spoke to him on the phone from my Beverly Hills Hotel.

This somewhat dramatic announcement was clarified when I arrived at John’s Bel Air mansion—previously owned by former Hollywood singing star Jeanette McDonald—the following day.

It seems a localised feud exists between John’s Mexican gardener and his Chinese counterpart over the road. The result was that a running battle is fought with slug guns between the two factions and yesterday John’s faction got a pellet in him.

The grounds of the house are unbelievably beautiful and there is approximately a 50-foot drop with a winding path to the swimming pool below and terraced rows of orange, lemon and avocado pear trees growing around. The murmur of bees, the twitter of birds and the occasional hum of a pellet rattling the leaves! Michelle informed me later that gardeners are in short supply around their area. It’s conceivable that Mama Michelle’s and John’s other activity in the garden—archery—may have a bearing on this. Apparently, two weeks ago, they were firing arrows up into the air when a loud scream from the pool below rent the air and a gardener staggered out with an arrow in his hip. “It is a very big garden and you just cannot see everyone,” explained Michelle sweetly.

Vast room I sat and talked with John, Michelle and manager Lou Adler in the vast living-room of the house, which is dominated by a grand piano, and a tall grandfather clock that chimes with the sounds of Big Ben. It wasn’t possible to tell what else dominated the room because the house had been burgled while they were away at the festival!

All three were physically and mentally exhausted by the festival. Michelle had personally typed out my passes for the festival (and about 5,000 other persons’ passes as well)! She recounted one amusing incident.

“The rumours the Beatles were present were all round the fairgrounds,” she said. “One little teeny-bopper raced into me and said: ‘I know Paul is here—please, please, please, tell me he is here.’ So I told her he was there in disguise, but not to tell a soul. If I can make somebody’s day, I’ll make it!

“Ten minutes later a security man rushed into the staff building for reinforcements. ‘Some idiot has put the rumour about that the Beatles are here,’ he yelled. ‘There are 5,000 people storming the North Gate’.”

“Oh really,” I smiled angelically, and typed on.

One other result of the festival was that all 14 official cars put at the disposal of the artists had disappeared!

Turned up “I got a call this morning from a friend who told me that they hadn’t disappeared,” said John, shaking his head. “He told me—‘there’s one in Santa Monica, one in Chicago, one in Philadelphia and one in Mexico City’.”

Other residents in the Phillips’ household include Au Puela, a delightful little black poodle, Garbo, a brown “mop” dog, really an uncut poodle in disguise, and sundry cats, among whom are Barrymore and Bogart.

The film-star names are much in keeping with this home of the old film famous, where Nelson Eddy once dined with Jeanette McDonald.

“When Nelson Eddy died a few months ago we were watching TV in our bedroom,” said John, “and they showed an old film of him with Jeanette McDonald, a tribute to their partnership. It was really weird being in her house.” We talked a little more of the festival and John mentioned how much he enjoyed the Jefferson Airplane and Janice Joplin, who sings with Big Brother and the Holding Company. He also enjoyed the Who and Jimi Hendrix, but felt the Who’s stink-bomb-smoke-bombs “unnecessary.”

There is always one local character at these festivals and this one had Gipsy Boots, a kind of hip Gabby Hayes.

“Gipsy is a health food fanatic, among other things,” said Michelle. “He’s absolutely crazy and if you ask him to show you how fit he is he’ll go and bounce on his head. He knows almost every girl in California!”

John is justly proud at the moment of the record he wrote and produced for Scott McKenzie—‘San Francisco—Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair’, which is already in the U.S. Top Three.

“Scott used to sing with me in a group we had called the Journeymen,” said John.

He played me a few tracks from the LP, New Directions In Folk Music, he made three years ago with this group. All I can say is that Scott McKenzie’s voice, in depth and quality, is the most impressive I have heard since that other Scott’s! “I got together with Scott a few weeks ago,” said John. “He told me he would rather sing something he believed in. I wrote ‘San Francisco’, goaded by him, in about five minutes—in this very room.”

At this point Lou left for his own home and the telephone rang. “Hello. Yes. What do you want?” snarled John and laughed at the reaction from the other end of the phone. “No, nothing is wrong, Dennis. I just felt like shouting at someone How are you?”

No split John emphatically denied any of the rumours about the group splitting up—“we’re having a ball, why on earth should we split up?” The group hope to be in Britain in September. Any hope of seeing them on television?

“We don’t take TV too seriously,” John told me. “We just go on and clown about and sing. Last show we did for ABC, Denny threw a pie at Cass. She ducked and it hit the wardrobe mistress.”

At this point another telephone call, this time from Lou, who had reached his home and found it had been burgled as well.

John began laughing. “I can’t believe it!” he eventually got out. “Lou says the burglars have left a note on his stereo saying: ‘I wouldn’t have this for nothing!’”

#the mamas and the papas #scott mckenzie #michelle phillips #john sebastian #mama cass #monterey pop festival #folk rock #nme #1967 #1960s #sixties #60s

[bondvagabond]

JURY PRIZE FOR INTO THE AFTERMATH FROM THE BARRYMORE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

INTO THE AFTERMATH took the Jury Prize at the Barrymore Short Film Festival.

INTO THE AFTERMATH took the Jury Prize at the Barrymore Short Film Festival. The Audio Visual terrorism crew is really proud to have been recognized by the Jury for this award. We really want to thank the Jury Doris Cohen, Gary Donatelli, Richard Koszaraki, and Marc Perez. We’d also like to thank festival directors, Charlene Trotter and Nelson Page, both of whom we had the pleasure of meeting at…

View On WordPress

#Audio Visual Terrorism #AVT #Barrymore Film Center #Barrymore Short Film Festival #INTO THE AFTERMATH #Jury Prize #vagabond #Vimeo

[tabloidtoc]

Star, October 5

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Kim Kardashian’s secret plan to divorce Kanye West claiming cruel and inhumane treatment 

Page 1: A star-studded cast sat down for a virtual table read of the 1982 teen classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High including Spicoli himself Sean Penn but all eyes were on friendly exes Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt who looked happy and relaxed and even though it wasn’t in person it was still another moment to cement their post-divorce friendship 

Page 2: Contents, Drew Barrymore

Page 4: Cassie Randolph and Colton Underwood restraining order drama -- disturbing allegations are revealed as Bachelor Colton is barred from seeing Cassie 

Page 5: Pals and partners in tequila George Clooney and Rande Gerber are learning the hard way what it means when their significant others don’t get along because Amal Clooney and Cindy Crawford’s formerly close relationship has cooled leaving their BFF husbands in a quandary -- Amal finds Cindy materialistic and vacant and Cindy is tired of being lectured by the human rights attorney, Matt Damon is generous to a fault in his wife Luciana’s opinion and she bristles when her husband of 15 years insists on picking up the bill and he can’t go in a restaurant without buying rounds of drinks for everyone or leaving a huge tip like when they were in Ireland during the pandemic and he left multiple $100 tips after quaffing a couple pints of Guinness at a local pup -- more concerning to the mom of four is Matt’s willingness to write checks to family and he won’t blink at writing a six-figure check for a friend going through a hard time and Lucy doesn’t want Matt taken advantage of, the PDA tour continues for Katie Holmes and new beau Emilio Vitolo Jr. and Katie’s been in great spirits since meeting Emilio and her friends can see a huge difference in her but those friends are also pleading with her to take things slow because Emilio may be using Katie to boost his fledgling acting career plus he was engaged to another woman when the pair began dating 

Page 6: Model Emily Ratajkowski told a harrowing tale of sexual abuse from early in her career in an essay for New York magazine she describes an overnight shoot at photographer Jonathan Leder’s home in 2012 where he plied her with wine until she was very drunk then he suggested he photograph her naked and made inappropriate advances which Leder denies and he blindsided Emily by publishing books of her pics, after filing for divorce in June Kelly Clarkson is finally opening up about her split from Brandon Blackstock and she’ll be pouring her feeling into a new album which is what Brandon is afraid of because while Kelly claims penning her thoughts is like therapy Brandon believes it’s payback, Star Spots the Stars -- Jennifer Garner, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber, Coco Rocha, Stephanie Shepherd 

Page 8: Star Shots -- Bruce Willis in L.A., Joy Bauer and her dog Gatsby

Page 10: James Norton and his tiny costar Daniel Lamont at the Venice Film Festival to promote Nowhere Special, Julie Bowen joked about her get-up for a Zoom meeting, former Real Housewife of New York City Kristen Taekman is all about West Coast living 

Page 12: Simone Biles, Shay Mitchell goes back to work in L.A., Matt Dillon seemed perplexed by the mask at the Venice Film Festival

Page 14: Active Duty -- celebs get physical -- Addison Rae flexed for the #AExMe BTS ‘20 campaign, Amber Heard jumping over her dog, Paula Abdul learning Aikido alongside health coach Darnell Cox for an upcoming docuseries 

Page 15: Alessandra Ambrosio plays beach volleyball, Naomi Osaka won her second U.S. Open, Serena Williams was dealing with an injury when she lost in the semi-finals of the U.S. Open 

Page 18: Normal or Not? Crystal Hefner kicked back in fabulous fashion while sharing a look into her new West Hollywood home -- normal, Miles Teller stepped out in Los Angeles wearing two hats -- not normal 

Page 19: Maria Sharapova doing Pilates -- not normal, Jennifer Lopez during a meal with friends in NYC -- normal, Mickey Rourke wore a lace shirt like any other tourist visiting the Acropolis in Athens -- normal 

Page 20: Fashion -- stars stun in Oscar de la Renta -- Amanda Seyfried, Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johansson 

Page 21: Taylor Swift, Sandra Bullock, Julia Louis-Dreyfus 

Page 24: Pink and Carey Hart -- having a mediator has helped their 14-year marriage 

Page 25: Kaia Gerber and Jacob Elordi have only been dating for a few short weeks but they’re already playing house where Jacob moved some of his things into Kaia’s place where he’s been crashing but her parents Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber are concerned their daughter’s dating another playboy, Jennie Garth was on the verge of being thrice-divorced when Dave Abrams filed paperwork to end their marriage in 2018 but the two are telling friends their relationship is no longer on life support 

Page 26: Cover Story -- Kim Kardashian’s secret escape from Kanye West -- a fed-up Kim is quietly plotting to leave her erratic and troubled husband 

Page 30: Prince Harry’s royally bad birthday -- thousands of miles from the royal family Harry feels lonelier than ever as he turns 36 

Page 32: Carol Burnett family tragedy -- at 87 the comedy legend steps in to keep her young grandson safe as her daughter Erin Hamilton battles addiction 

Page 34: Celeb Roomies -- even stars need help to pay the rent -- Brad Pitt and Jason Priestley, Raven-Symone and Lindsay Lohan

Page 35: Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling, Gwyneth Paltrow and Winona Ryder, Jonah Hill and Justin Long, Penn Badgley and Milo Ventimiglia 

Page 36: Home -- fall is here so just add earthy neutral tones to create a chic warm vibe in any space -- Kylie Jenner 

Page 38: Health -- from pumpkin spice to woody scents these candles are the perfect complement to sweater weather -- Kerry Washington

Page 40: Entertainment 

Page 48: Josephine Skriver shooting a new Maybelline campaign in NYC

#tabloid #grain of salt #tabloid toc #tabloidtoc #kim kardashian #kanye west #kimye #kim and kanye #kanye and kim #prince harry #meghan markle #carol burnett #brad pitt #jennifer aniston #cassie randolph #colton underwood #george clooney #amal clooney #cindy crawford #rande gerber #matt damon #katie holmes #emilio vitolo jr. #emily ratajkowski #jonathan leder #kelly clarkson #brandon blackstock #pink #carey hart #kaia gerber

[yahoo-style-uk]

Who wore it better? Celebrities that’ve stepped out in the same outfit

You know that feeling when you turn up to a bar in your brand new Zara dress and spot someone else wearing exactly the same outfit? Of course you do, it’s happened to the best of us. But it’s not just us mere mortals who are subjected to this type of style shame - it happens to celebs too. 

Clearly, there just aren’t enough outfits in the world.  

12 times the Duchess of Cambridge has channelled Princess Diana 

30 of the most memorable Victoria's Secret Fashion Show looks

Donna Air and Eleanor Tomlinson

Donna Air, James Middleton’s girlfriend, and Eleanor Tomlinson, of ‘Poldark’ fame, wore the same Three Floor dress on the same day. Donna wore the white, lace number to the V&A Summer Party while Eleanor debuted her dress on day two of Royal Ascot 2017. Both ladies looked lovely in the frock - which can be yours for £410. [Photos: PA]

Lupita Nyong’o and Beyonce 

Naturally, both stars slayed in this plunging Gucci number. Lupita wore the dress first, to Cannes Film Festival in 2015, and Beyonce in March 2017 - to the premiere of ‘Beauty and the Beast’. [Photo: PA/Beyonce.com]

Naomi Campbell and Sofia Vergara

Sofia Vergara attended the Vanity Fair 2017 Oscars party in a metallic crocodile print Michael Kors Collection dress. The look was classic Vergara and matched the theme of the night in shimmering Oscars silver and gold, with just one caveat: Fans saw it on Naomi Campbell three years ago. Campbell chose the same Michael Kors bodycon number to present at the 2014 National Television Awards. She polished the look with minimal jewelry — one simple gold ring and another in chunky gold — while Vergara went with statement Lorraine Schwartz diamonds. [Photo: PA]

Taraji P. Henson and Naya Rivera

This revealing sheer Steven Khalil couture skirt is clearly hit in celebville. Just six months after Taraji teamed the high-waisted number with a strapless body for the BET Awards, ‘Glee’ star Naya Rivera stepped out in the exact same skirt. [Photo: Getty]

Katie Holmes and Blake Lively 

Nine months after Blake Lively slayed in this nude Michael Kors dress at the designer’s AW16 New York Fashion Week show, Katie Holmes stepped out in the exact same ensemble. A great pick for both ladies, don’t you agree? [Photo: Getty]

Paris Hilton and the Duchess of Cambridge

Paris and Kate stepped out in the same Resort 2016 Self Portrait dress in one week. Paris wore hers first, to the amfAR Inspiration Gala, while the Duchess donned the white lace number to the London premiere of ‘A Street Cat Named Bob’. [Photo: Rex/Getty]

Paris Hilton and Kendall Jenner 

For her 21st birthday in early November, Kendall Jenner slipped into exactly the same (very revealing) dress that socialite Paris Hilton wore for her 21st birthday bash in London. Boasting a backless design, a plunging bodice and a very short hemline, it certainly was a risk to wear on a potentially drunken night out! [Photo: Rex/Instagram]

'Girls’ star Alison Williams or model Adriana Lima? 

This beautiful Giambattista Valli was worn first by Alison and spotted on Adriana at the Met Gala 2016 just two weeks later. [Photo: Getty]

The Duchess of Cambridge or Drew Barrymore? 

This Tory Burch was one by two incredibly famous women in the same night. The Duchess of Cambridge donned it for an evening event while touring India with Prince William and Drew wore it to a NYC ball. [Photo: Getty]

Claire Danes or Victoria Beckham? 

Victoria Beckham likes to try out all of her designs so spotting celebs in the same outfits as her isn’t all that unusual. Claire wore her wrap dress during an appearance on ‘The Late Show’. [Photo: Rex]

‘Pretty Little Liars’ star Lucy Hale or Selena Gomez? 

Lucy wore this cutesy Christian Dior number first, at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards, and Selena was spotted in it two months later at a film premiere. [Photo: Getty]

Beyonce and Alesha Dixon

Beyonce wore this tailored Gucci jumpsuit at a charity gala in 2014, while Alesha wore it on the ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ red carpet around six months later. [Photo: Rex]

Singer FKA Twigs or Alexa Chung? 

The British celebs wore two different versions of the same Christopher Kane dress last year. [Photo: Getty]

Paris Hilton or Zoe Saldana? 

This striking Louis Vuitton mini dress was picked out by both the reality star and ‘Avatar’ actress for two varying red carpet events. [Photo: Getty]

Ciara or Kourtney Kardashian? 

Ciara debuted this anchor La Perla monokini on Instagram first, followed by Kourtney. [Photo: Instagram]

Caitlyn Jenner or the Duchess of Cambridge? 

Caitlyn hit headlines when she was spotted out in LA wearing the very same Issa London dress that the Duchess of Cambridge announced her engagement in back in 2010. [Photo: GSM-KSI/Getty]

Julianne Hough or Olivia Munn? 

Despite rocking almost identical looks, actress Julianne Hough was wearing an Alexia Maria top and a Paule Ka blazer to the DirecTV’s Super Saturday Night while ‘X Men: Apocalypse’ star Olivia Munn donned a very similar Alice + Olivia three-piece. [Photo: Getty]

Miley Cyrus or ‘Empire’ star Taraji. P. Henson? 

The duo rocked the exact same slinky black dress at two different music awards in 2015. Miley’s frock showed off the singer’s slim frame while Taraji flaunted her killer curves in hers. [Photo: Getty]

Emily Blunt or ‘Glee’ star Dianna Agron? 

Emily donned a slightly shorter version of the Osman dress that Dianna wore a couple of years previously. [Photo: Rex]

Alessandra Ambrosia or Pixie Lott? 

Both ladies slayed in the same cut out Versace number at two separate events. [Photo: Getty]

Jennifer Lopez or Geri Halliwell? 

J Lo wore this iconic Versace dress to the Grammys in 2000 - and Geri hit headlines for wearing the same number the same month. [Photo: Rex]

Jennifer Lopez or Jourdan Dunn? 

Jourdan Dunn wore this form-fitting Tom Ford number just a month after Jennifer debuted it on ‘American Idol’ [Photo: Rex]

#slideshow #fashion #celebrity style #duchess of cambridge #j lo #beyonce

[moosterrecords]

New from Arrow Video US and Arrow Academy US

PULP Blu-ray and DVD (12/12)

Whiskey Galore! Blu-ray and DVD(12/12)

Donnie Darko [Limited Edition Steelbook] (Blu-ray) (12/12)

The Apartment - Limited Edition (12/26)

via MVD Entertainment Group

Get ready for the festive season as Arrow release four new titles across their labels in December. 

First up, two titles from Arrow Video. Michael Caine and Mike Hodges, the star and director of British classic Get Carter, reunite for 1972's Pulp, a crime comedy about a paperback writer inadvertently drawn into the world he writes about. The DVD and Blu-ray release of this neglected gem (a favourite of author J.G. Ballard) features a brand new, and long overdue, 2K restoration from original film elements, supervised and approved by director of photography Ousama Rawi, produced by Arrow exclusively for this release.

The second title is a Limited Edition Steelbook release of Richard Kelly's debut masterpiece Donnie Darko. This release contains their brand-new 4k restoration of the Theatrical cut as supervised and approved by Richard Kelly himself, plus a whole host of fantastic extra features and a 20-page collector's booklet featuring writing on the film by critic and author Nathan Rabin.

Meanwhile, Arrow Academy will release The Apartment, starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine in Oscar-nominated performances as a couple who start an unlikely romance in late-1950s Manhattan. A note perfect production that went on to win Best Picture at the 1961 Academy Awards, many regard this as Billy Wilder's best work.

Finally, Arrow Films release the recent remake of Whisky Galore!, starring Ellie Kendrick (Game of Thrones), James Cosmo (Game of Thrones) and stand-up comedian Eddie Izzard (Hannibal). This charming and heart-warming tale of a Scottish island community is based on a true story during World War II and the story was previously told in the classic Ealing comedy of the same name. 

PULP Blu-ray and DVD (12/12)

A year after they'd created one of the defining British gangster pictures with Get Carter, three Michaels - writer-director Mike Hodges, producer Michael Klinger and star Michael Caine - reunited for another crime picture, albeit with a more oddball flavor...

Caine plays Mickey King, a successful pulp novelist responsible for such titles as My Gun Is Long and The Organ Grinder, who is invited to ghost-write the autobiography of a mystery celebrity. His client turns out to be a former actor, played by Mickey Rooney, well-known for his gangster roles and real-life gangster connections - but death is around the corner, and King finds his commission to be a lot more complicated than he first imagined.

A favorite of J.B. Ballard, Pulp has long existed in the shadow of its predecessor. Tonally, it could not be more different - Get Carter never had the time for sight gags and one-liners - but it's a real gem in its own right and fully deserving of a wider audience. This brand-new restoration from Arrow Films aims to right than wrong.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/DhlgIFxJqzg 

FEATURES

- Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements, supervised and approved by director of photography Ousama Rawi, produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release

- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation

- Original 1.0 mono sound

- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing

- Brand-new interview with writer-director Mike Hodges

- Brand-new interview with director of photography Ousama Rawi

- Brand-new interview with assistant director John Glen

- Brand-new interview with Tony Klinger, son of producer Michael Klinger

- Original theatrical trailer

- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector's booklet containing new writing by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

SPECS

Production Year: 1972 

Running Time: 108 

Number of Discs: 1 

Language: English 

Subtitles: English SDH 

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 

Blu-ray SRP: $34.95

DVD SRP: $24.95

Whiskey Galore! Blu-ray and DVD (12/12)

Whisky Galore! is the charming and heart-warming tale of a community of Islanders on a remote Scottish Island during WW2 coming together to relieve a sinking ship of its amber cargo.

Based on the true story of the cargo ship SS Politician running aground off the coast of Eriskay in 1941 and the ensuing battle between the Excise Men and the locals trying to salvage the lucrative cargo, that of 50,000 cases of Whiskey . The shipwreck and its cargo was like manna from heaven to the Islanders, whose island was totally 'dry', without any type of alcohol, which some would say is part of the life blood of the Scottish Islands!

Eddie Izzard, Gregor Fisher, Sean Biggerstaff, James Cosmo, Ellie Kendrick, Kevin Guthrie and Naomi Battrick stars in this charming remake of the Ealing classic!

Trailer: https://youtu.be/WzY3b90FLpY 

SPECS

Production Year: 2016 

Rating: Unrated 

Running Time: 98 

Number of Discs: 1 

Language: English 

Blu-ray SRP: $29.95

DVD SRP: $19.95

Donnie Darko [Limited Edition Steelbook] (Blu-ray) (12/12)

I WANT YOU TO WATCH THE MOVIE SCREEN.

THERE'S SOMETHING I WANT TO SHOW YOU.

Fifteen years before Stranger Things combined science-fiction, Spielberg-ian touches and 80s nostalgia to much acclaim, Richard Kelly set the template - and the high-water mark - with his debut feature, Donnie Darko. Initially beset with distribution problems, it would slowly find its audience and emerge as arguably the first cult classic of the new millennium. Donnie is a troubled high school student: in therapy, prone to sleepwalking and in possession of an imaginary friend, a six-foot rabbit named Frank, who tells him the world is going to end

in 28 days 06 hours 42 minutes and 12 seconds. During that time he will navigate teenage life, narrowly avoid death in the form of a falling jet engine, follow Frank's maladjusted instructions and try to maintain the space-time continuum.

Described by its director as "The Catcher in the Rye as told by Philip K. Dick", Donnie Darko combines an eye-catching, eclectic cast - pre-stardom Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, heartthrob Patrick Swayze, former child star Drew Barrymore, Oscar nominees Mary McDonnell and Katherine Ross, and television favourite Noah Wyle - and an evocative soundtrack of 80s classics by Echo and the Bunnymen, Tears for Fears and Duran Duran. This brand-new 4K restoration, carried out exclusively for this release by Arrow Films, allows a modern classic to finally receive the home video treatment it deserves.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:

- Brand-new 4K restoration from the original camera negative produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release, supervised and approved by director Richard Kelly and cinematographer Steven Poster.

- Original 5.1 audio

- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

- Audio commentary by writer-director Richard Kelly and actor Jake Gyllenhaal

- Audio commentary by Kelly, producer Sean McKittrick and actors Drew Barrymore, Jena

Malone, Beth Grant, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne, Katharine Ross and James Duval

- Deus ex Machina: The Philosophy of Donnie Darko, a brand-new feature-length 'making of' documentary

- The Goodbye Place, Kelly's 1996 short film, which anticipates some of the themes and ideas of his feature films

- Twenty deleted and alternate scenes with optional commentary by Kelly

- Trailer

- 20-page collector's booklet featuring writing on the film by critic and author Nathan Rabin

SPECS

Production Year: 2001 

Running Time: 113 

Number of Discs: 1 

Language: English 

Subtitles: English SDH 

Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1 

SRP: $39.95

The Apartment - Limited Edition (12/26)

In 1960, following on from the success of their collaboration on Some Like it Hot, director Billy Wilder (Ace in the Hole, Sunset Boulevard) reteamed with actor Jack Lemmon (The Odd Couple, Glengarry Glen Ross) for what many consider the pinnacle of their respective careers: The Apartment.

C.C. "Bud" Baxter (Lemmon) is a lowly Manhattan office drone with a lucrative sideline in renting out his apartment to adulterous company bosses and their mistresses. When Bud enters into a similar arrangement the firm's personnel director, J.D. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray, Double Indemnity), his career prospects begin to look up... and up. But when he discovers that Sheldrake's mistress is Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine, Irma la Douce), the girl of his dreams, he finds himself forced to choose between his career and the woman he loves...

Winner of five Academy Awards®, including Best Picture, The Apartment features a wealth of Hollywood's finest talent - on both sides of the camera - at the top of their game. By turns cynical, heart-warming and hilarious, Wilder's masterpiece now shines like never before in this all-new, 4K-restored edition from Arrow Films.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/GX9-5Zxy5us 

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

- Limited Deluxe Edition Blu-ray [3000 copies]

- Brand new 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release

- Original uncompressed PCM mono audio

- Optional 5.1 remix in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio

- Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

- Audio commentary with film producer and historian Bruce Block

- New appreciation of the film and select scene commentary by film historian Philip Kemp

- The Flawed Couple, a new video essay by filmmaker David Cairns on the collaborations between Billy Wilder and Jack Lemmon

- Billy Wilder ABC, an overview by David Cairns on the life and career of the filmmaker, covering his films, collaborators and more

- New interview with actress Hope Holiday

- Inside the Apartment, a half-hour "making-of" featurette from 2007 including interviews with Shirley MacLaine, executive producer Walter Mirisch, and others

- Magic Time: The Art of Jack Lemmon, an archive profile of the actor from 2007

- Original screenplay by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond (BD-ROM content)

- Theatrical trailer

- Special collector's packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Ignatius Fitzpatrick

- Collector's 150-page hardcover book featuring new writing by Neil Sinyard, Kat Ellinger, Travis Crawford and Heather Hyche, generously illustrated with rare stills and behind-the-scenes imagery

SPECS

Production Year: 1960 

Rating: Unrated 

Running Time: 119 mins 

Number of Discs: 1 

Language: English 

Subtitles: English SDH 

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 

SRP: $49.95

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