hamlet Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Editor's note: Roger Ebert, in spite of health problems last year, was at Ebertfest from start to finish last year, and Perfume was one of the films screened there. You'll find links to our coverage of last year's fest after the jump.

After so many years of watching movies, Roger Ebert, 65, knows that the show must go on. And so he has announced his plans to appear in person at the10th annual Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival, a.k.a. Ebertfest, which will take place April 23-27 in Champaign-Urbana, home of the University of Illinois.

Ebert has rarely made public appearances in recent years due to thyroid cancer, which has robbed him of his voice. He is still selecting this year's lineup, culled from films he has reviewed and has deemed overlooked in some form, but he has definitely announced a rare 70mm screening of Kenneth Branagh's magnificent 4-hour Hamlet (1996). (It's the only movie ever made with a lousy performance from Jack Lemmon and a brilliant one by Billy Crystal.)

Alas, poor Yorick! Because when it comes to Hollywood, nothing is sacred. Variety reports that Eric Eisner (son of Hollywood heavyweight Michael Eisner) has struck a deal to produce Hamlet 2 under his shingle, L+E Productions. The film stars Steve Coogan (aka Alan Partridge) and Catherine Keener. The teen comedy (yes, it's a teen comedy) will focus on a struggling drama teacher who decides to write the ultimate in sequels, Hamlet 2, to save his drama department. Andy Fleming co-wrote the film with Team America: World Police scribe Pam Brady, and is also set to direct. Fleming also directed the Nancy Drew update with Emma Roberts earlier this year, and was responsible for 1996's The Craft, so he has plenty of experience when it comes to teen flicks.

This wouldn't be the first time that Shakespeare has been appropriated for "mall rats" -- and some attempts have been more successful than others. If you've seen Coogan in Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, you know how funny he can make literary adaptations, so you never know, the film might actually have a chance. Coogan has been receiving some bad press from some unlikely places lately, which could damage his chances of breaking out in the U.S. He might be a household name in England, but most North Americans probably couldn't pick him out of a lineup. Next up for Coogan is the comedy biopic of England's first ski jumper, Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, and then it's on to the Challenger disaster drama Safety Glass for Pop-up Video writer Jonathan Glatzer. Hamlet 2 is set to begin shooting on Sept. 17 in New Mexico.

I want to immediately buy a plane ticket to Berlin, to attend the 57th Berlin International Film Festival. Organizers just announced that they will be screening -- for the first time ever -- a restored and color corrected version of the 1921 film version of Hamlet. I can't imagine what it would look like in color -- somewhat jarring I bet, since silent film goes hand in hand with black and white. Hamlet stars the silent film diva Asta Nielsen who I just learned from IMDB created her own production company to make this film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the restoration project is part of the Berlin Festival's Retrospective program, honoring of the women of the silent film era.

If you love film, you have to watch the purveyors of this art form. It is literally watching cinematic history unfold itself and ... you get entertained at the same time! I've spent much time idolizing Clara Bow and Buster Keaton and I still don't understand why Wings has not been put on DVD yet -- it was only the first Academy Award winning film after all! But if you do have the opportunity to see these stars and filmmakers projected in a movie house -- with a live pianist accompanying preferably -- then you simply have to do it. Let Berlin be your start if you are anywhere in the area starting on February 8. Hamlet will premiere on February 10. Go forth! Enjoy for me!