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SOS Staff Gateway Films: Susannah Straughan – ‘Sunset Blvd.’

Throughout November, SOS staffers will be discussing the movies that made them into film fanatics. (click here for the full list) Sunset Blvd. Directed by Billy Wilder Written by Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder 1950 – USA You must remember this. For me the love affair with movies began with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall …

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The Death of Marilyn Monroe, The Birth of James Bond

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published November 1, 2012.  Fifty years ago this month, Marilyn Monroe passed away from a suspected accidental drug overdose (although conspiracy geeks love to contemplate more nefarious scenarios). The commemoratives are already showing up on magazine and newspaper entertainment pages, cable channels have announced their Marilyn film fests and …

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New Projects: Chris Pratt gearing up for bootlegging drama ‘The Real McCoy’

You might’ve used the expression “The Real McCoy” and not actually known where it came from. Colloquially it refers to something being authentic, or the real deal. In fact, if someone were to name their movie after it, you might presume it was just a romantic comedy. Well, now super-mega-star Chris Pratt is set to star …

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Altman’s Unsung ’70s

Director Robert Altman had his fair share of ups and downs. The oscillation between works widely lauded and those typically forgotten is prevalent throughout his exceptionally diverse career. This was — and still is — certainly the case with his 1970s output. This decade of remarkable work saw the release of now established classics like …

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Steven Soderbergh Month: ‘Erin Brockovich’ investigates the power of performance

It is Erin Brockovich, a chronicle of the extraordinary story fronted by an energetic woman with little legal knowledge in a David-and-Goliath legal battle against Pacific Gas and Electric in an act of moral representation for the citizens of Hinkley, California.

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Richard Donner’s ‘Superman,’ the definitive comic book superhero origin story

Superman Directed by Richard Donner Written by Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman and Robert Benton 1978, USA High school pals and cartoonists Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster sold the character of Superman to Detective Comics, Inc. (later DC Comics) in 1938. Ever since, the history of the widely considered national cultural icon continues to …

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‘We Have a Pope’ a comedy so mild it should come with a Papal Seal of Approval

We Have a Pope / Habemus Papam Directed by Nanni Moretti Written by Nanni Moretti, Francesco Piccolo and Federica Pontremoli Italy / France, 2011 We Have a Pope gets off to a colourful start, with the masses in Saint Peter’s Square feasting their eyes on a sea of red capes, white lace and ecclesiastical bling. …

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The Scarlet Blade (1963)

The Scarlet Blade Writer/Director: John Gilling A zombie-like performance from Jack Hedley is the only hint that The Scarlet Blade originates from the legendary Hammer Film Productions. Released on DVD for the first time, this English Civil War adventure is notable mainly for the presence of Oliver Reed, who brings a much-needed air of menace …

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Memento Mori: Remembering those we lost in 2011

In October of 2010, Sound on Sight asked me to do my first commemorative piece on the passing of filmmaker Arthur Penn. I suspect I was asked because I was the only one writing for the site old enough to have seen Penn’s films in theaters. Whatever the reason, it was an unexpectedly rewarding if …

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Sam Ashby: Graphic Designer, Magazine Publisher and Movie Fan

    Filmgoers may not know the name of London-based designer Sam Ashby, but they’ve probably seen his work. He created the posters for acclaimed independent releases like Archipelago, A Prophet and Weekend, British director Andrew Haigh’s microbudget gay romance. A keen cinephile, he embarked on an ambitious side project in 2010, with Little Joe …

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55th BFI London Film Festival: ‘Monk’ held together by a towering performance from Vincent Cassel

The Monk (Le Moine) Directed by Dominik Moll Written by Dominik Moll and Anne-Louise Trividic, from the novel by Matthew Lewis France, 2011 Dominik Moll’s The Monk is so redolent with Gothic gloom, overweening piety and suppressed lust that it’s almost in danger of self-combusting. It’s held together by a towering performance from Vincent Cassel, …

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55th BFI London Film Festival: ‘Better this World’ – How far would you go to help a friend?

Better this World Directed by Kelly Duane de la Vega and Katie Galloway If Michael Moore had made Better this World we’d probably know Sarah Palin’s recipe for mixing the perfect Molotov cocktail – Alaskan style. But this sobering documentary is the work of Kelly Duane de la Vega and Katie Galloway and was first …

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55th BFI London Film Festival: ‘The Kid with a Bike’ another brilliant example of no-frills Dardennes film-making

The Kid with a Bike / Le Gamin au Vélo Directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne Written by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne France/Belgium/Italy, 2011 The style of brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne might not sound immediately appealing to someone who has never seen one of their films. The Belgians usually avoid working with big stars, …

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55th BFI London Film Festival: Masterclass: Barry Ackroyd

Masterclass: Barry Ackroyd “The most peaceful place you can be on a film set is when you put your eye to the camera.” On Monday night at the BFI, British cinematographer Barry Ackroyd talked to Screen International Editor Mike Goodridge about his 30 years in film and TV. It’s a shame there wasn’t a full …

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55th BFI London Film Festival: ’50/50′ aptly balances the tragic and the comic

50/50 Directed by Jonathan Levine Written by Will Reiser USA, 2011 Will Seth Rogen ever grow up? His contribution to Jonathan Levine’s comedy drama 50/50 is peppered with expletives and those trademark looks of disbelief at the failure of women to fall at his grubby sneakered feet. But it’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt who is the star …

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55th BFI London Film Festival Opening Gala: ‘We Have a Pope’ toothlessly takes on the Vatican

We Have a Pope / Habemus Papam Directed by Nanni Moretti Written by Nanni Moretti, Francesco Piccolo and Federica Pontremoli Italy / France, 2011 We Have a Pope gets off to a colourful start, with the masses in Saint Peter’s Square feasting their eyes on a sea of red capes, white lace and ecclesiastical bling. …

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‘She-Monkeys’ Movie Review – a budding lesbian romance that extends into psychological thriller territory

She-Monkeys Director: Lisa Aschan Writers: Lisa Aschan, Josefine Adolfsson In Spartacus, Crassus and Antoninus coyly discuss sexual preferences in terms of snails and oysters. When it comes to Sapphic teen dramas centred on the world of sport, it might simply boil down to a choice between synchronised swimming and equestrian vaulting. While Céline Sciamma’s Water …

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