Movie posters, as we’ve discussed before, are a tricky business, and a great movie poster must serve many functions: it must capture the essence of a movie, it must be aesthetically pleasing or interesting in itself, and it must sell the product in question. Unsurprisingly, the quest for that balance can result in reworking, re-imagining, and revisions galore, which is why the new Daybees online exhibit The Iconic Movie Posters That Never Were is so fascinating. In it, the designers behind some of Hollywood’s most memorable posters share their early drafts and alternate versions of classic posters; check them out after the jump, alongside the final drafts that became part of movie history, and visit Daybees to learn more about their creators. … Read More
Paul Newman
The 10 Best Movies About Lovers on the Run
Good news for cinephiles: the kind folks at Criterion were kind enough to restore and release (on DVD and Blu-ray, along with the expected goody basket of bonus features) Terrence Malick’s Badlands, which is out this week. It’s mostly notable as Malick’s debut feature, but it was also a cornerstone picture of one of cinema’s most durable subgenres: the “lovers on the run” movie, in which an attractive young couple hits the road, fleeing their unfortunate crimes (and/or committing more), with the law in hot pursuit. If you’re in the mood for a marathon, we’ve got a few suggestions after the jump. … Read More
Exclusive Supercut: 15 Thanksgiving Dos and Don’ts (From the Movies)
With Thanksgiving approaching, our holiday anxiety is at an all time high — after all, this is a high-stress holiday, with family member and friends gathering to eat, drink (often a lot), and judge. That combination of elements makes it awfully hard to know exactly how to act on Thursday; luckily, as in most difficult situations, the movies are here to help. So we’ve assembled clips from the Thanksgiving scenes of 17 movies, and gleaned the advice they offer in order to create 15 Dos and Don’ts for Thanksgiving. Check out this exclusive supercut after the jump. … Read More
The 10 Grumpiest Movies Ever Made
Fresh from his spirited/baffling two-act with an empty chair at last month’s Republican National Convention, Clint Eastwood is back in theaters this week with Trouble with the Curve, in which he apparently plays an old school baseball scout who’s had it up to here with you damn kids and your money-ballin’ and whatnot. “A computer can’t tell if a kid’s got instincts,” he growls in the trailer, in the general direction of poor Matthew Lillard, playing the obligatory role of the smug young hotshot who must be shown what’s-what by the old pro.
Yep, Clint’s in full-on old coot mode in Trouble with the Curve, the last example of what’s best defined as a “grumpy old man” movie — in which a gent of advanced age grunts and snarls and yells at the whippersnappers, and usually ends up demonstrating how it’s done (whatever each movie’s “it” may be). After the jump, ten more movies that want you to get the hell of their lawn. … Read More
Flavorpill’s Guide to Movies You Need to Stream This Week
Welcome to Flavorpill’s streaming movie guide, in which we help you sift through the scores of movies streaming on Netflix, Hulu, and other services to find the best of the recently available, freshly relevant, or soon to expire. Netflix is losing some awfully good films at the end of July, so we’re heavy on titles with an expiration date, but we’ve got some new streamers as well — featuring Al Pacino, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Hilary Swank, Woody Harrelson, Miranda July, and Bruce Campbell, plus a couple of great documentaries and (cheating a bit) one of our favorite TV shows. Check them all out after the jump, and follow the title links to watch them right now. … Read More
10 Sex Symbols from the '60s and the Movies That Made Them
Today, 1960′s sex symbol and jet-setting star Ursula Andress celebrates her birthday. The Swiss actress found great success in Europe and the United States, appearing on screen with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry — including Elvis and Frank Sinatra. She started her career in Italy at a young age, and quickly rose to fame thanks to her smoldering good looks and cool presence. We take a look at her sexiest role past the break, along with several other 1960′s celebrities who melted the screen with their talents and charisma. Find out what films these sex symbols are known for, and tell us who you’d add to the list in the comments section. … Read More
Ranking Elizabeth Taylor’s Film Roles from Best to Worst
Today would have been Dame Elizabeth Taylor‘s 80th birthday. Hollywood is still feeling the loss of the iconic actress, whose violet eyes and dramatic finesse made an unforgettable impression on movie audiences the world over. Though the tabloid terror of Liz’s colorful personal life sometimes overshadowed her later career, she was a dazzling screen legend who graced us with her charm, beauty, and undeniable talent. We’ve taken a look back at the starlet’s film history, ranking her roles from best to worst. It’s not an easy job, given her prolific filmography. Lists like these are always subjective, but we’ve spotlighted some of the good, the bad (or the so bad it’s good), and the ugly. Thanks to Liz’s cinematic accomplishments, there’s lots to choose from. Share your picks below, and tell us what movies we may have missed. … Read More
Rare Home Movies of Hollywood Icons
This Saturday, October 15 people will be digging into their personal archives celebrating Home Movie Day. For those who don’t have a projector, the event provides an opportunity for people with reels of family memories and thrift shop finds to check them out on a big screen — many for the first time ever. The event will take place at 66 venues across 13 countries where historians, curators, archivists, and enthusiasts will be on hand to provide insight into the uniqueness and artistic relevance of amateur film.
English actor Roddy McDowall — best known for his role in the original Planet of the Apes — was also a home movie enthusiast. He recorded a group of Hollywood pals at random parties in the mid ’60s — and the list of friends reads like a who’s who of Tinseltown during its prime. Watch Dennis Hopper, Jane Fonda, Natalie Wood, Judy Garland, Rock Hudson, Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Lauren Bacall, Julie Andrews, and many more hang out. It’s a great, rare opportunity to see what some famous faces were like off screen. Click through for more. … Read More
10 Classic Hollywood Screen Tests
Sometimes, in this age of gratuitously 3D movies, third-time-around remakes, and Saw IV, we look back with longing at the Golden Age of Hollywood, when the stars were glamorous, talented and tiger blood-free and studios were willing to take a chance on films that were more art than blockbuster. As far as we’re concerned, nothing’s better than a peek behind the scenes at an industry and time period we love, so we’ve been thrilled to see a lot of classic Hollywood screen tests pop up recently (especially over at Open Culture). In the interest of amateur film study and thinking about the good old days, we thought we’d compile a few of the best here for your old Hollywood dreaming and black and white swooning. So without any further ado, we present ten classic Hollywood screen tests, from Brando to Hepburn to Garland. … Read More
Alamo Drafthouse’s Cool New “Rolling Roadshow” Posters
Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse, arguably the greatest movie theater in the country, has spent the last couple of summers taking their show on the road, as it were, with the “Rolling Roadshow” series — classic movies shown for free in relevant settings, like last summer’s screenings of The Blues Brothers in Joliet, Illinois and Dirty Harry in San Francisco’s Washington Square Park. This year, they’re staying in Texas (though still taking their films out to their shooting locations). How, then, are those of us in the other 49 expected to enjoy the series? Well, we can enjoy the very cool custom posters designed for the series by artist Jason Munn. Check out all ten after the jump. … Read More
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