Posts with tag IngmarBergman
RIP: Reel Important People -- July 14, 2008
Filed under: Obits »
Evelyn Keyes (1916-2008) - Actress - Played Scarlett O'Hara's little sister, Suellen, in Gone With the Wind. She also co-starred in The Seven Year Itch, The Jolson Story, in which she also sings, Mrs. Mike, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Union Pacific, Before I Hang, A Thousand and One Nights, The Prowler, Johnny O'Clock, Enchantment and A Return to Salem's Lot and made a cameo appearance in the 1956 version of Around the World in Eighty Days, produced by her then-boyfriend Michael Todd. Her husbands included Artie Shaw, John Huston and Charles Vidor, who directed her in The Desperadoes, The Lady in Question and Ladies in Retirement. She died of uterine cancer July 4, in Montecito, California. (Variety)
- Henry Beckman (1921-2008) - Actor - Appears in The Brood, Niagara, The Wrong Man, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Marnie, Sweet Charity, Silver Streak, I Love You to Death, Death Hunt and Kiss Me, Stupid. He died June 17 in Barcelona. (Variety)
- James "Jimbo" Breen (1955-2008) - Greensman, Carpenter, Actor - Worked on M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable and The Village, appears in Lady in the Water and can be heard in The Happening. He also worked on Beloved, In Her Shoes, Two Bits and Annapolis. He died of cancer July 3, in Pennsylvania. (Philly.com)
Rock Out with an Ingmar Bergman T-shirt!
Filed under: Foreign Language », Fandom », Cinematical Indie »
Back in high school, I was one of those kids who wore mostly band t-shirts. Now that I'm older and more interested in movies than music, I've filled my wardrobe with movie t-shirts instead. But what if I could combine the two? Well, I kinda already have with my Un Chien Andalou shirt, which I sometimes tell people is a Pixies shirt (it only has the eyeball-cutting shot, with no title mentioned). However, I could also sport these excellent designs, made and sold by CineFile Video in Los Angeles. They combine the names of four of our favorite foreign filmmakers with the logos/fonts of heavy metal bands. There's Von Trier in the Van Halen font, Fassbinder in the Metallica font, Ingmar Bergman in the Iron Maiden font and Herzog in the Danzig font. What better way to pay homage to your favorite filmmaker while also appearing pretentiously hip?Hopefully CineVideo will design some more, possibly utilizing non-metal logos. I don't know who would work with this, but someone has to be applied to the AC/DC font. And I know it's a bit long, but couldn't Kurosawa be done up with the Kiss logo? Here are some other ideas that I'd be interested in buying: Buñuel as Boston; Wenders as Weezer, Antonioni as Aerosmith; De Sica as Def Leppard; Ozu as Ozzy Jean-Luc Godard as Journey; Jean Renoir as Judas Priest (or the last two the other way around). Okay, some of these are stretching, and I still can't find good ones for Truffaut, Fellini, or Eisenstein. Any ideas? Unfortunately, CineFile is only selling these shirts at their store on Santa Monica Blvd. Anybody want to ship one to NYC for my birthday (ps: I like the Herzog one best).
[via Movie City Indie]
Liv Ullman Returns to Norwegian Cinema for 'In a Mirror, in a Riddle'
Filed under: Drama », Foreign Language », Casting », Cinematical Indie »
Now that Ingmar Bergman has left us, and doesn't appear to have won any chess games since, it is time for Liv Ullman to return to the cinema of Norway, her native country. Ullman grew up there and made her film debut there, but it was in Sweden that she broke out internationally when she appeared in her first Bergman picture, Persona, in 1966. After that she worked on a couple more Norwegian films, but she primarily stuck to working with non-Norwegian filmmakers, including Bergman, who cast her as the lead in nine films, two of which earned her Oscar nominations. Now it has been 38 years since the actress starred as the title character in Arne Skouen's An-Magritt, her last Norwegian film (I guess Unni Straume's Dromspel doesn't count). Why the long absence? Ullman, who currently calls New York her home, claims she actually hadn't been offered anything in Norway in all that time. But now, according to Reuters, she's finally returning, having been cast in a film titled In a Mirror, in a Riddle, which will be directed by Danish filmmaker Jesper Nielsen (Okay). In the film, Ullman will play the grandmother of a seriously ill 13-year-old girl. It's a role the actress claims brought her out of retirement (her last appearance was in Bergman's final film, Saraband), having cried happy tears while reading the script. She told the daily Dagbladet she's very proud to be a part of the film. In a Mirror, in a Riddle is based on a novel by Jostein Gaarder, best known in America for his bestseller Sophie's World, which has previously been filmed as a Norway-Sweden co-production, and which is also currently being made into an English-language movie starring Michael Caine.
Now Antonioni's Archives are in Trouble
Filed under: Classics », Foreign Language », Cinematical Indie »
It seems that when a master filmmaker dies, suddenly his archives become of less importance. Last week it was reported that Ingmar Bergman's archives, which are even listed in the United Nations' Memory of the World register, might be doomed because of the expense to maintain them. Now Variety tells us that Michelangelo Antonioni's archives are also in trouble. These archives, which include short films, photographs, drawings, posters and books, are featured in a museum located in the filmmaker's hometown of Ferrara, Italy. The museum closed last year for refurbishing, but it may not reopen at all thanks to a shortage of funds. The city instead wants to open a film museum focused on all the directors who shot in Ferrara. The problem with that, though, is that when Antonioni's archives were donated to the city in 1995, there was a strict stipulation that they only be used for a museum solely about Antonioni. I'm not too worried about the state of Antonioni's archives, as the film world would never let anything bad come to them. Just as Bergman's archives quickly received a $10,000 donation from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association following news of their jeopardy, Antonioni's archives will certainly be saved as well. Sure, he's not as celebrated a filmmaker as Bergman, but he is still very much loved by the film community. Aside from reports from Variety and other cinema-related media, the news of this travesty made headlines in mainstream Italian papers, such as La Republica, which ran the title "Ferrara 'evicts' Antonioni." I wouldn't be surprised if some fortunate person or organization hasn't already stepped forward. Michelangelo Antonioni, who gave the world L'Avventura and Blow Up, left us on July 30.
Roger Ebert Defends Bergman Against Rosenbaum
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy », Obits », Cinematical Indie »
When I read Jonathon Rosenbaum's August 4 piece on recently deceased auteur Ingmar Bergman, I was rather stunned to see Rosenbaum, a critic I normally like and respect, slamming one of the most respected directors in the history of film. In the article, titled "Scenes from an Overrated Career," Rosenbaum made some broad-sweeping statements like this one: "The same qualities that made Mr. Bergman's films go down more easily than theirs - his fluid storytelling and deftness in handling actresses, comparable to the skills of a Hollywood professional like George Cukor - also make them feel less important today, because they have fewer secrets to impart. What we see is what we get, and what we hear, however well written or dramatic, are things we're likely to have heard elsewhere." That last bit in particular really struck me; you could say the same of any filmmaker or any film -- any work of art, for that matter. Even Shakespeare derived from and built upon those who came before him. Everything is derivative of something else. How is that relevant to the undeniable overall influence of Bergman's work? Bergman's style of storytelling, the accessibility of his ideas, somehow makes him less relevant? The mark of a great filmmaker isn't that the ideas he or she explores have never been explored before, but that the filmmaker brings them to life through compelling characters and story -- the writing, the drama, the direction are the whole point. Even in his last film, Saraband, Bergman was taking human drama -- infidelity, communication, the peculiar evolution of intimate relationships over decades, and exploring those ideas with a depth and subtlety few younger filmmakers today could come close to.
Apaprently I'm not the only one who disagreed with Rosenbaum's take on Bergman. Roger Ebert responds to Rosenbaum thusly: "I have long known and admired the Chicago Reader's film critic, Jonathan Rosenbaum, but his New York TimesIngmar Bergman ("Scenes from an Overrated Career," 8/4/07) is a bizarre departure from his usual sanity." Ebert then goes on to refute Rosenbaum's arguments against Bergman's relevance, one by one.
If you haven't yet read Rosenbaum's op-ed, read it first, then pop over and read Ebert's defense of Bergman. Hey, there's nothing like a little film-critic rumble to get you over the midweek hump.
Woody Allen, Roger Ebert, Max Von Sydow, Others Pay Tribute To Bergman
Filed under: Foreign Language », Obits », Cinematical Indie »
If you don't know Woody Allen loves the films of Ingmar Bergman, you don't know much about Woody Allen. When I read that Bergman passed away on Monday, I actually thought about Allen and how upset he must be. But there's no reason to single Allen out. Many filmmakers were inspired and influenced by Bergman and so many were saddened by the loss of one of cinema's great masters. Online, there are two compilations of statements regarding Bergman's death. One by Nikki Finke of Deadline Hollywood Daily and one (technically two, actually) by Roger Ebert. Of course, Woody Allen, who paid Bergman direct homage with his 1978 film Interiors, is present in both compilations. He offers us an honorable joke about Bergman's desire not to die on a very, very sunny day. He wrote, "I can only hope it was overcast and he got the weather he wanted."
Another person able to keep spirits high was Bibi Andersson, who acted in many of Bergman's films, including The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries. She admits to being sad, but points out that Bergman was old and we were prepared for this. Other collaborators paying tribute included actor Max von Sydow (also in both The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries) and Fanny and Alexander producer Jörn Donner. Ebert also give us older quotes from the late cinematographer Sven Nykvist (Oscar winner for Fanny and Alexander and Cries and Whispers) and actress Liv Ullman (Cries and Whispers; Autumn Sonata). Other more Bergman-related persons include Astrid Soderbergh Widding, who heads the Ingmar Bergman Foundation, and Cissi Elwing, who heads the Swedish Film Institute.
The rest include a variety of Bergman fans. Finke's compilation has filmmakers Bille August, who says he's in shock, Sir Richard Attenborough, Michael Apted and Andrzej Wajda, plus Cannes Film Festival president Gilles Jacob. Ebert, who actually wrote his own tribute, which included statements and quotes from others, as well as a list of statements he received personally via email, gives us David Mamet, David Lean (another old quote, obviously), Haskell Wexler, Studs Terkel, Paul Cox, Paul Schrader, Richard Linklater, Gregory Nava, Guy Maddin, David Gordon Green, Paul Theroux, Sally Potter and film historian David Bordwell.
Ingmar Bergman, Dead at 89
Filed under: Classics », Foreign Language », Independent », Obits », Cinematical Indie »
It has just been a week since Ulrich Mühe died, and the film world is now suffering the loss of more talent. Nine-time Oscar nominee and Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award winner, Ingmar Bergman, died today at the age of 89. One of the biggest directorial names of the 20th century, Bergman rose to fame after a challenging and painful childhood, and used his experiences to carve directorial success "in the way a dream transforms experience and emotions all the time."After working as a director in Sweden for 10 years, Bergman exploded beyond the bounds of the Scandinavian country in the '50s with four award-winning films -- Smiles of a Summer Night, The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries (Oscar nominee) and The Magician. From there, his success grew, making his name known not only in international film circles, but the world-at-large. His career survived occasional failures and even a huge shift in his personal philosophy -- while his early work was steeped in the search for faith, when he stopped fearing death, salvation became a more tangible, human construct.
He will be missed, but I believe he achieved his goal: "I want to be one of the artists of the cathedral that rises on the plain. I want to occupy myself by carving out of stone the head of a dragon, an angel or a demon, or perhaps a saint; it doesn't matter; I will find the same joy in any case. Whether I am a believer or an unbeliever, Christian or pagan, I work with all the world to build a cathedral because I am artist and artisan, and because I have learned to draw faces, limbs and bodies out of stone. I will never worry about the judgment of posterity or of my contemporaries; my name is carved nowhere and will disappear with me. But a little part of myself will survive in the anonymous and triumphant totality. A dragon or a demon, or perhaps a saint, it doesn't matter!"
Footage from 1906 Feature Film Added to UN Heritage Register
Filed under: Action », Classics », Cinematical Indie », Western »
The outlaw Ned Kelly, along with his gang, is an important historical figure in Australia and an important cinematic figure in Australian cinema. Including a widely distributed 2003 release starring Heath Ledger, Naomi Watts and Orlando Bloom, the gang has been portrayed in at least 10 films. Kelly's story was first the focus of a 1906 film by Charles Tait titled The Story of the Kelly Gang, which is considered to be the first feature-length dramatic motion picture, with an original running time of 70 minutes (however, there had previously been feature-length films of boxing matches and also other very long religious films). The whole film no longer exists, though; after 100 years, there is only 17 minutes of footage available. It had been thought to have been gone altogether until 1975, when the first small segment was found. Since then, other substantial bits have been recovered, with last year's discovery of a whole reel -- 11 minutes -- being the most significant. What is left of the film was recently digitally restored, screened publicly and finally released on DVD.
That fragmented footage has now also been added to a United Nations heritage register. UNESCO's Memory of the World register recognizes and preserves artifacts and records of world significance, and currently the list only features fewer than 200 items. Another piece of Australian history added to the register this year is records of 165,000 convicts transported from England to Australia throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries. Non-Australian items include records from Nelson Mandela's trial and, also of cinematic interest, the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz and the personal archives of filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, which includes hand- and type-written original manuscripts, drafts, notebooks, production papers, photographs and behind-the-scenes footage from his films, and correspondences, all of which, laid out, apparently reaches about 45 meters in length.
RIP: Reel Important People -- April 16, 2007
Filed under: Obits »
Sergio Bardotti (1939-2007) - Composer of the scores to Summertime Killer, The Grand Duel and Os Saltimbancos Trapalhões, which was based on his play. He died April 11, in Rome. (IMDb) - Ellen Bergman (1919-2007) - Choreographer on husband Ingmar Bergman's Three Strange Loves. She died March 6. (Guardian)
- Roscoe Lee Brown (1925-2007) - Actor who appears in Topaz, The Cowboys, The Comedians, Uptown Saturday Night, Super Fly T.N.T. and Jumpin' Jack Flash. He also provided his voice for Babe, Babe: Pig in the City, Logan's Run (pictured), Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties, Treasure Planet and Oliver & Company. He died of cancer April 11, in Los Angeles. (Variety)
- AJ Carothers (1931-2007) - Screenwriter of The Secret of My Success, Hero at Large and The Happiest Millionaire. He died of cancer April 9, in Los Angeles. (IMDb)
- Stan Daniels (c.1934-2007) - Emmy-winning writer who co-scripted The Lonely Guy. He died of heart failure April 6, in Encino, California. (Variety)
- Howard Goorney (1921-2007) - British actor who appears in Fiddler on the Roof, The Hill and Bedazzled. He died March 29, in England. (The Times)
- Don Ho (1930-2007) - Hawaiian entertainer who plays an evil slumlord in Joe's Apartment. He died of heart failure April 14, in Honolulu. (NY Times)
- George Jenkins (1908-2007) - Oscar-winning production designer for All the President's Men. He was also nominated for The China Syndrome. He also worked as an art director or production designer on The Best Years of Our Lives, Wait Until Dark, The Miracle Worker, Klute, Funny Lady, Sophie's Choice and Presumed Innocent. He died April 6, in Santa Monica, California. (NY Times)
- Elizabeth Jolley (1923-2007) - Writer of the novel-turned-film The Well. She died February 13. (NY Times)
RIP: Reel Important People -- January 22, 2007
Filed under: Obits »
Art Buchwald (1925-2007) - Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist who wrote some English dialogue for Jacques Tati's Play Time and co-wrote Stanley Donen's Surprise Package. He also sold a treatment to Paramount that was the uncredited basis for Coming to America, and he successfully sued the studio for a share of the film's profits. He appears in the documentaries Around the World of Mike Todd and Year of the Woman and in Robert Altman's mini-series Tanner '88. He passed away January 18. - Ron Carey (1935-2007) - Actor who appears in Mel Brooks' The History of the World: Part I, High Anxiety and Silent Movie. He also appears in Fatso, The Out of Towners and Johnny Dangerously. He died of a stroke January 16, in Los Angeles. (NY Times)
- Jack Coffey (c.1931-2006) - Former boom operator who became an important union leader in Hollywood during the '70s and '80s. He died of prostate cancer December 13, in Sherman Oaks, California. (Variety)
- Harvey Cohen (1951-2007) - Composer who scored the theatrically distributed short Santa vs. the Snowman 3D, the direct-to-video Beauty and the Beast sequel Belle's Magical World and the feature Ghost Town. He also arranged music for Bicentennial Man and orchestrated the music for Mission: Impossible III, King Kong (2005), The Patriot and Hudson Hawk. He also has an Emmy for his work scoring for television. He died of a heart attack January 14. (AP)
- Darlene Conley (1934-2006) - Actress who appears in The Birds, Lady Sings the Blues, Tough Guys and Valley of the Dolls. She died of stomach cancer January 14, in Los Angeles. (NY Times)








