Arguably his greatest film (City Lights being the real challenger), and certainly his most financially successful film, The Great Dictator was something Chaplin had been working on for years before its release, as he watched the steady rise to power of Adolf Hitler in the newsreels. Indeed, it was upon his viewing of Leni Riefenstahl’s 1935 Triumph of the Will that was reportedly the clinching moment that prompted Chaplin to undertake his satirical swing at Hitler and the growing Nazi menace. As it is, Chaplin himself later said that if he had known the true horrific extent of Hitler’s murderous regime, then he wouldn’t have made the film. However, had he not, we wouldn’t have the impassioned call for humanity and kindness that we have in The Great Dictator.
by Paul Costello
Arguably his greatest film (City Lights being the real challenger), and certainly his most financially successful film, The Great Dictator was something Chaplin had been working on for years before its release, as he watched the steady rise to power of Adolf Hitler in the newsreels. Indeed, it was upon his viewing of Leni Riefenstahl’s 1935 Triumph of the Will that was reportedly the clinching moment that prompted Chaplin to undertake his satirical swing at Hitler and the growing Nazi menace. As it is, Chaplin himself later said that if he had known the true horrific extent of Hitler’s murderous regime, then he wouldn’t have made the film. However, had he not, we wouldn’t have the impassioned call for humanity and kindness that we have in The Great Dictator. by Paul Costello Welcome to Week Two of Seasonally Appropriate Monologues. This week, we go dark with a tale of death. Send the kids away and enjoy! Here’s something: In the early 80's, Phoebe Cates was kind of the biggest thing in the world. Like Sarah Michelle Gellar at the peak of Buffy big, and much of this popularity rested on two films of the period (three if you count 1982’s Paradise, which most folk only know nowadays thanks to recommendations from Mr. Skin). The first was 1982’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the teen flick that saw the start of many a great career (though it’s still mostly known for THAT pool scene). by Paul Costello It’s December now, which means it is only a short time until Christmas. And to celebrate the impending festival of gifts, cold weather and forced family togetherness, I shall present to you with a Christmas story for the next three weeks. Enjoy. by Paul Costello Martin Scorsese is a filmmaker who has arguably come to have the biggest sway over the cinematic representation of New York on film (the only other real contenders being Woody Allen and Spike Lee). His love of the city is clear, his fascination with its people pervasive and his interest in its history is more than apparent. Years ago, in an interview in which he recounted the profound effect New York had on him, he said that the city of his birth is the distillation of all things in the United States. He said that sometimes when he goes to say “New York,” he ends up saying “America.” by Paul Costello Steven Seagal, it would seem, is a man of many talents. As a martial artist, he’s so highly skilled that he was the first foreigner to operate an Aikido dojo in Japan. As a musician, he’s toured and played with the likes of Stevie Wonder and B.B. King. As an action star, he’s amassed a cult following owing to his now damn near exclusive straight-to-DVD fare. And as a movie director, he’s… not… uh, he’s not good. by Paul Costello Before I continue, I’m going do this: SPOILER WARNING!! GO WATCH THIS FILM BEFORE CONTINUING!! If you love film, Fritz Lang is a name you should know. An Austrian-born director, Lang was one of the most well known directors to come from the school of German Expressionism, and a man who was simultaneously creating and subverting the use of populist fare and art cinema, bringing them together in films that remain as incredible as when they were released. His influence spreads far and wide, touching the likes of Ridley Scott, Luis Buñuel, Jean-Luc Godard and William Friedkin. by Paul Costello War is Hell… or Hilarious, I can never remember which one. If there were any film responsible for such understandable confusion, it’s got to be Dr. Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 black comedy about a mad general who orders a nuclear strike on the Soviet Union. The film itself was loosely based on the novel Red Alert by Peter George and was fully intended to be a serious thriller until Kubrick decided that the whole thing was too funny to take seriously. by Paul Costello You look at the top ten grossing movies of 1995, and you see the majority of them are aimed at a younger audience, if not the whole family. Toy Story, Pocahontas, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Batman Forever, Jumanji, Casper, all pretty light fare. Even the more successful stuff aimed at adults (Apollo 13 and GoldenEye) is fairly approachable. However, there is one title that sticks out very clearly amongst all the others. Amongst the films about toys coming alive, cartoonish action and hi-jinx in the jungle, one film serves up a harsh crime thriller/horror with one of the most compelling serial killers in moviedom. That film is Se7en. The killer is John Doe. by Paul Costello Warning: This article contains spoilers. If you haven't seen this movie, please don't read on.. Joe Dante holds a certain image in the minds of many film lovers. Mostly, he’s the guy who held onto the old time “creature feature” shtick, giving contemporary audiences a glimpse into the world of 50s B-movie fare. That he had his biggest successes in the 80s also means that his remains fondly remembered by today’s current batch of slightly older film geeks; hi there! by Paul Costello Requiem for a Dream is a harrowing film. Adapted from Hubert Selby Jr.’s novel by the author and director Darren Aronofsky, it looks into the different forms of addiction as experienced by a group of people. It’s not pandering or moralistic, but still manages to be one the most resolute ruminations on the subject of drugs of all types and what they can do to people. There are uncomfortable truths about addiction in Requiem for a Dream, amongst them being that addicts are what they are because they believe the drugs help them, either to escape or achieve something they can’t do on their own. Addicts are unhappy and they need a way to feel better, if it’s only temporary. However, Sara Goldfarb has a plan. She’s going to be on TV.. |
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Keep up to speed with the latest news from the world of cinema Must See Movies - A list of independent films we are looking forward too! Movie Monologues - Paul Costello counts down the best speeches in cinematic history every Thursday. Movies In Motion - Jo Johnstone explores the world of stop-motion animation from adverts to features every last Friday of the month. Experiment 626 - Our writers exchanged DVDs and here are the results We'll Fix it in Post - Graham Osborne gives us the run down on how certain movies could be improved. The Horror Vault - The dark side of cinema You May Have Missed - Movies that passed you by. From The Trenches - Matthew Howe delights with stories from the front line! Hidden Heroes - Celebrating those incredible people often in the shadows of cinema Terribrill - So bad they are actually good! Straight On Till Morning - Leah looks at the impact of childhood films Monthly Musical Moment - Taking a look at the best soundtracks and music moments Film FriendsCategories
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