Actualités

While we were all sad to hear that Michael Caine is retired, he most certainly earned the right to just kick back and just spend his days reading…or writing. And that’s just what Michael Caine has done, releasing his first novel at the age of 90.

Michael Caine’s thriller, Deadly Game, finds career criminal catcher Dci agent Harry Taylor tracking down a mysterious box of uranium and various nefarious types who might be tied to the contents. While I haven’t read the book in its entirety, the first few pages – and the plot itself – give off the sort of vibe of the movies that Michael Caine would have starred in in the ‘60s and ‘70s. No doubt that the lead character’s name, Harry, calls to mind his recurring spy character Harry Palmer and vigilante Harry Brown, the titular character that gave Caine one of the meatiest...

A season dedicated to composer John Barry, including two James Bond films, has received trigger warnings from the BFI. More here.

The BFI has unveiled a new season celebrating the work of composer John Barry. Titled John Barry: Soundtracking Bond and Beyond, the season includes two Bond films, Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice as well as films such as Midnight Cowboy and The Ipcress File.

The season has earned itself a trigger warning from the BFI, as reported by The Guardian. The blanket warning for all films reads: “Please note that many of these films contain language, images or other content that reflect views prevalent in its time, but will cause offence today (as they did then). The titles are included here for historical, cultural or aesthetic reasons and these views are in no way endorsed by the BFI or its partners.”

Programme notes for 1967’s You Only Live Twice...

“If you want to make a TV drama about opium smokers, sadomasochists and imperial slavery in the 19th century, then write your own,” whines The Daily Mail‘s Peter Hitchens about Steven Knight’s new Great Expectations adaptation, presumably forgetting that in 2017, Knight did exactly that in 8-part Gothic Regency thriller Taboo.

Knight’s previous series starring Tom Hardy, bleeds into his take on Charles Dickens’ class and snobbery novel, which loses the comedy and grimes up the characters with the addition of adult content. Great Expectations returns to Knight’s constant theme of social mobility, moving away from ones roots, and the upper classes being mad, evil bastards, as explored in six series of Peaky Blinders.

Here’s the impressive cast amassed for this six-part drama.

Olivia Colman as Miss Havisham

Nobody needs an introduction to Olivia Colman, she’s been firmly in national treasure territory for years now,...

Take a look at new images of actress Lucy Boynton (“The Pale Blue Eye”) posing for the Spring 2023 issue of "Grazia" magazine, wearing Chanel clothing and jewelry, photographed by Nicole Nodland:

Boynton made her feature film debut as young 'Beatrix Potter' in "Miss Potter" (2006), followed by "Copperhead" (2013), "Sing Street" (2016)...

..."Murder on the Orient Express" (2017) and "Apostle" (2018)...

...before portraying Mary Austin in the biographical film "Bohemian Rhapsody"...

Boynton played 'Astrid Sloan' in the Netflix series "The Politician" (2018) and costars in the new series "The Ipcress File" (2022). New films include "Chevalier" (2023) and "The Pale Blue Eye".

Click the images to enlarge…...

This article contains spoilers for "Peaky Blinders" up to season 6.

"Peaky Blinders" is a family affair — in more ways than one — but this particular crime family has a definite head, and that is Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy). Over the course of six seasons, "Peaky Blinders" juggled the comings and goings of many an ensemble cast member, including Joe Cole and his real-life brother Finn Cole, who played Johnny Shelby and his cousin Michael Gray. Yet both Coles were key players, and the character of Johnny had been with the series from the start, so fans were shocked when he went out in a hail of bullets at the beginning of season 4.

Joe Cole has since gone on to star in "Gangs of London" and the 2022 British TV miniseries "The Ipcress File," and it turns out Johnny's fate may have come as a result of the actor looking to spread his...

Music Financier Invests In ITV’s ‘The Ipcress File’

Exclusive: Music financier Cutting Edge Media Music has invested in ITV’s adaptation of Len Deighton’s The Ipcress File and will take full music rights to the upcoming series. Altitude Television’s big-budget six-parter has already pre-sold to AMC+ and producer Andy Mayson said “Cutting Edge’s involvement and expertise has ensured the authentic sounds of the 60s feature.” The highly-anticipated series comes from Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Hodge and Emmy-winning director James Watkins, and stars Joe Cole, Tom Hollander and Lucy Boynton. Cole stars as Harry Palmer, a Cold War army sergeant who turns to spying in order to avoid prison, cutting his teeth on The Ipcress File. The book was adapted in 1965 into a hit film starring Michael Caine as Palmer.

‘Masked Singer UK’ Indie Bandicoot In Triple Hire

Masked Singer UK producer Bandicoot has made a triple hire...

ITV’s upcoming adaptation of The Ipcress File “looks like a big Netflix show,” according to Director of Programmes Kevin Lygo, who said he wants the Len Deighton remake to reach beyond the “standard ITV viewer.”

Speaking during a press viewing Friday, Lygo joked that it is “obviously incredibly annoying” when people watch the show’s trailer and believe it is a Netflix original, due to “the scale of it being so stylish” and its high budget.

Altitude Television’s adaptation of the Deighton novel, which achieved worldwide acclaim when Michael Caine played the lead in the 1965 film version, stars Gangs of London’s Joe Cole as Harry Palmer, a Cold War sergeant who is released from a Berlin jail in order to work as a British spy. Trainspotting writer John Hodge has penned and the six-parter also features Bohemian Rhapsody’s Lucy Boynton and BAFTA-winner Tom Hollander.

“We don...

ViacomCBS announced the five participants for its 2021-2022 Directors Initiative: Julie Herlocker, Bao Tran, Joy T. Lane, Pat Santana and Steven J. Kung.

The initiative provides a platform for experienced directors to gain access to showrunners, executives, managers and agents as well as the opportunity to shadow CBS Television Network and CBS Studio shows throughout the year. The program helps directors develop relationships with industry professionals, networks that are essential to finding work in the field. In its 18th year, the program will guarantee all participants of the initiative an episode of television to direct on the CBS Television Network.

“The ViacomCBS Directors Initiative gives television directors the access, exposure and opportunity to be successful in this industry,” said Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i, executive vice president of entertainment diversity and inclusion and global inclusion at ViacomCBS. “Last year’s participant, Morenike Joela Evans, has recently helmed the ‘iCarly’ reboot for Paramount Plus...

AMC+ has picked up ITV’s soon-to-air big-budget adaptation of Len Deighton’s The Ipcress File from distributor ITV Studios.

AMC+ viewers will recognise lead Joe Cole, who plays iconic British spy Harry Palmer and also starred in Sky Atlantic’s Gangs Of London, which the streamer shows in the U.S.

The highly-anticipated six-parter from Altitude Television and Turbine will air early next year in the UK and also feature Bohemian Rhapsody’s Lucy Boynton and BAFTA-winner Tom Hollander.

The show is set in the Cold War era, as British army sergeant Palmer is stationed in Berlin before being sentenced to eight years in a military jail in England. To avoid prison, he becomes a spy, cutting his teeth on The Ipcress File.

The Deighton novels achieved worldwide fame when they were turned into a 1965 film starring Michael Caine.

The adaptation is penned by BAFTA-winning Trainspotting writer John Hodge,...

Pre-singapore Sales

ITV Studios, the commercial arm of the U.K.’s commercial TV network ITV, has struck a raft of sales and pre-sales deals ahead of the Asia Television Forum & Market that launched Wednesday in Singapore.

“The Ipcress File,” a spy thriller from Altitude Film Entertainment, was licensed to Now TV in Hong Kong and the Seven Network in Australia, Lionsgate Play in India and Southeast Asia and Tfc in Japan. Tfc also acquired adrenaline-fueled thriller “Vigil,” along with Tvnz and BBC Studios in Australia.

World Productions’ “Anne,” about an inspirational mother who campaigned for justice following her son’s death at a football match at Hillsborough, Sheffield in 1989, has been acquired by BBC Studios in Australia, Acorn TV in New Zealand and KT Corp in Korea.

Tvnz pre-bought Red Planet Pictures’ “Our House,” an edge of the seat thriller; series two of “Noughts + Crosses” (Mammoth Screen), based...

Liverpool City Council have set out the next steps on the long road to delivering a new film and TV studio in the city.

A report, which will go to the Council’s Cabinet next Friday (December 3), is requesting permission to unlock a potential £70M to redevelop the iconic Littlewoods building, which would include studios, creative office space and new media facilities.

The former art-deco HQ of the Littlewoods empire has been vacant for decades and is in a state of dilapidation, including fire damage in 2018.

The report sets out proposals to kick-start the long-gestating redevelopment in two phases, with approval being sought to begin an £8M remediation of the building in early 2022.

If approved, phase one funding will come from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and be granted to developers Capital&Centric to carry out site investigations, remediation and main scheme design works.

The £8m required is part...

The long-gestating plans for a major studio development in the Northwestern English city of Liverpool are finally going ahead.

The £70 million ($93.1 million) redevelopment of the iconic Littlewoods building, which would include major studios, creative office space and new media facilities, has been in discussions since 2018.

A report requesting permission for the scheme is going to the Liverpool Council’s cabinet on Dec. 3. If approved, the scheme could create almost 4,000 jobs, transforming Liverpool into one of Europe’s premier TV and Film hub and enhance the city’s reputation beyond being the home of The Beatles.

The scheme already has two proposed major anchor tenants in Twickenham Studios and Liverpool John Moores University, an arrangement providing a direct link between academia and industry.

The Littlewoods Studios will consist of 85,000 sq ft of studio and ancillary space for Twickenham Film Studios, to be operated by Time + Space Studios; 75,000 sq ft of education...

We loved James Bond but diehard ’60s spy fans hold a special admiration for Len Deighton’s ‘thinking man’s secret agent’ Harry Palmer. Viavision pulls off a slick trick by assembling the three top Michael Caine Harry Palmer pictures, each from a different studio, in a single deluxe gift box. Harry fights the Brain Drain, encounters criss-crossing conspiracies at the Berlin Wall, and witnesses a privatized invasion of the U.S.S.R., in The Ipcress File, Funeral in Berlin and Billion Dollar Brain, three great pictures by three very different directors. The presentations come with a glut of special edition extras.

The Harry Palmer Collection

All-Region Blu-ray

Viavision [Imprint] 75, 76, 77

1965-67 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / Street Date October 20, 2021 / Available from Amazon / 109.99

Starring: Michael Caine

From the novels by Len Deighton

Produced by Harry Saltzman

Directed by Sidney J. Furie, Guy Hamilton, Ken Russell

It didn’t seem possible that there...

The Liverpool City Region Production Fund will target a further three or four productions over the space of a year.

The UK’s Liverpool Film Office has secured top-up funding for its Liverpool City Region (Lcr) Production Fund from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Strategic Investment Fund.

An additional £1m will be invested over the space of one year, to help target feature films, TV drama, animation and comedy series with investments of between £100,000 and £500,000.

The investment will help the Lcr Production Fund to target a further three-four projects over the next 12 months, with priority given to productions able...

Market

ITV Studios has unveiled a raft of pre-sales for several of its titles and released details about its scripted slate of shows which the company will present to buyers from around the world at its Fall Festival Drama day, Wednesday Oct. 6.

Commissioned by ITV and Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent), the new drama series “Litvinenko,” from writer George Kay, is a four-part true-crime drama starring David Tennant. The series, which is produced by Patrick Spence, ITV Studios and Tiger Aspect Productions, recounts the real-life story of Alexander Litvinenko, a former Russian Federal Security Services and Kgb officer was killed by polonium poisoning in 2006, initiating one of the Metropolitan Police’s most complicated investigations in its history.

Pre-sales deals announced by ITV Studios include major series “The Ipcress File,” “The Long Call,” and “Showtrial,” and a number of shows will hit the market next week including “Our House” (Red Planet Pictures...

HBO’s “House of the Dragon” has added seven new actors to its cast, including Ryan Corr as Ser Harwin “Breakbones” Strong and Jefferson Hall as Lannister twins Lord Jason and Tyland.

Also joining the cast of the 10-episode “Game of Thrones” prequel series, which is set to debut in 2022, are David Horovitch, Graham McTavish, Matthew Needham, Bill Paterson and Gavin Spokes.

Based on George R.R. Martin’s book “Fire & Blood,” “House of the Dragon” is set 200 years before the events of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” It tells the story of House Targaryen and stars Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, “The Sea Snake,” Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Velaryon, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria and Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole.

Foreseeing a relaxation of censorship on the horizon, England’s Titan Films filmed this mad surgery opus with far more gore and cruelty than was the norm in 1967-68, and their gambit paid off. Horror favorite Peter Cushing stars with Sue Lloyd, a pair nobody expected to show up in a shocker with such a high sleaze quotient. Pi’s special edition gives us three versions of the show including the continental cut with Cushing’s most lurid scene ever, and heaps of comment and analysis.

Corruption

Region B Blu-ray

Powerhouse Indicator

1968 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 91.5 min., 90.5 min. / Carnage / Street Date August 30, 2021 / available from Powerhouse Films UK / �18.99

Starring: Peter Cushing, Sue Lloyd, David Lodge, Noel Trevarthen, Anthony Booth, Kate O’Mara, Wendy Varnals, Billy Murray, Vanessa Howard, Marian Collins (or Jan Waters), Phillip Manikum, Alexandra Dane, Valerie Van Ost, Diana Ashley, Victor Baring, Shirley Stelfox, Marianne Morris.

Cinematography: Peter Newbrook

Film Editor:...

Exclusive: Lucy Boynton is set to play Marie Antoinette Searchlight’s biopic Chevalier de Saint-Georges, starring Kelvin Harrison Jr. in title role. Searchlight landed the original feature pitch from Stefani Robinson last summer with Watchmen director Stephen Williams on board to direct. Samara Weaving also recently joined the cast.

Born in 1745 in the French Caribbean, de Saint-Georges was the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner. He rose to improbable heights in French society, dazzling as both a violinist and composer and a champion fencer. An ill-fated love affair with a French noblewoman and a falling out with Marie Antoinette and her court led to his untimely downfall.

Element Pictures, Robinson and Dianne McGunigle will produce. The project is being overseen by SVP Production DanTram Nguyen, Director of Production Zahra Phillips and creative exec Cornelia Burleigh.

Boynton, best known for her breakout role opposite Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody,...

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Open your eyes, Rami Malek and Lucy Boynton have reunited. After Rami was seen partying it up in Miami—without his girlfriend—less than three weeks ago, a new photo appears to confirm their romance can survive a bit of distance. The couple, who met while filming the 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, was spotted during a rare public moment on Thursday, April 22, in Zagreb, Croatia. They spent time together at the Hotel Esplanade, near where Lucy is shooting her next project, the TV miniseries The Ipcress File. The British spy drama also stars Joe Cole and Tom Hollander, per Variety. For the outing, Rami, 39,...

Fun fact: If you say the words My and Cocaine together, it sounds like you are saying Michael Caine's name using his accent. In other fun news, the classic Caine film The Ipcress File is getting a small screen update. To that end, a new batch of photos has been released of young Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole in Caine's legendary…...

ITV Drops First Look At ‘The Ipcress File’

ITV has offered the first look at The Ipcress File, its adaptation of Len Deighton’s spy novel, which inspired the 1965 Michael Caine film of the same name. Penned by BAFTA-winning Trainspotting writer John Hodge, the cast is led by Gangs Of London and Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole, alongside Bohemian Rhapsody actress Lucy Boynton, and The Night Manager’s Tom Hollander. The Ipcress File is the first major project housed at Will Clarke and Andy Mayson’s Altitude Television, a production arm of the British film and TV company Altitude Media Group. Filming is underway and other cast include Ashley Thomas (NYPD Blue), Joshua James (Industry), David Dencik (McMafia), and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (Dublin Murders).

BBC Studios Inhales BBC Kids

BBC Studios has announced that BBC Children’s Production will become part of the commercial arm. The public service division is behind...

After the coronavirus pandemic caused the cancellation of popular dating reality show “Love Island” last summer, the show is confirmed to return to U.K. broadcaster ITV for this summer season. The last season of “Love Island” that aired was a winter version filmed in South Africa.

ITV also revealed several scripted series that are in production. “The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe,” a four-part crime drama from “Unforgotten” writer Chris Lang, about how John Darwin faked his own death to claim his life insurance, is being produced by All3Media’s Story Films.

“The Ipcress File,” a six-part adaptation of Len Deighton’s renowned book starring Joe Cole as iconic spy Harry Palmer, Lucy Boynton and Tom Hollander is adapted for ITV by Oscar-nominated writer John Hodge and directed by Emmy award-winner James Watkins.

In “Stephen,” the three-part sequel to the single film “The Murder of Stephen Lawrence,” the cast includes Sharlene Whyte,...

Four-time Oscar nominee Peter Lamont, who worked on 18 James Bond films and received an Academy Award for production design for “Titanic,” has died. He was 91.

Lamont’s death was disclosed Friday by the official 007 account on Twitter, which posted a statement by producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli that reads, “Peter Lamont was a much beloved member of the Bond family and a giant in the industry. Inextricably linked with the design and aesthetic of James Bond since Goldfinger (1964).”

“He became Production Designer on For Your Eyes Only (1981) working on 18 of the 25 films including nine as Production Designer. He was a true success story proving that with talent and hard work you will achieve your dreams,” the statement went on. “He won the Academy Award for Titanic in 1998 as well as nominations for Fiddler On The Roof (1971), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), and Aliens (1986). Our hearts go out to...

Exclusive: Here’s a hot one: ITV is turning Len Deighton’s spy novel The Ipcress File, which inspired the 1965 Michael Caine film of the same name, into a television series — and the UK broadcaster has assembled a stellar on- and off-screen team to make the drama a reality.

The adaptation will be penned by BAFTA-winning Trainspotting writer John Hodge, while the cast will be led by Gangs Of London and Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole, alongside Bohemian Rhapsody actress Lucy Boynton, and The Night Manager’s Tom Hollander. The Crown and Rush producer Andrew Eaton will serve as an executive producer, while the six-part Berlin-set series will be helmed by McMafia and Black Mirror director James Watkins.

The Ipcress File is the first major project housed at Will Clarke and Andy Mayson’s Altitude Television, a production arm of the British film and TV company Altitude Media Group,...

“Just start shooting.” That was the advice the legendary A.C. Lyles delivered to young filmmakers when they asked him how he managed to produce five films every year. “Don’t waste your time waiting for some nameless executive to give you the green light,” Lyles told them.

His approach was problematic, but in today’s stalled pandemic economy, it makes perverse sense. Two young female filmmakers successfully pursued his tactic this year with festival-winning results that might inspire others to follow suit. So did a distinguished 87-year-old director who has finished shooting his new film built around two veteran stars, ages 82 and 90.

In both cases, the filmmakers knew the odds were stacked against them – too much experience on one side, too little on the other. They thus decided not to wait in vain for a studio green light, instead scratching together their resources until they could finally shout, “Action!”

The films,...

The Ipcress File Here's our weekly guide to films you can catch on streaming services and TV. We've turned our Streaming Spotlight attention this week on inventors at the movies, plus read last week's Stay-At-Home Seven here.

Litigante, Curzon Home Cinema, Monday July 13

Although lockdown has eased for many, Curzon is continuing its excellent selection of Living Room Q&As, this week including a post-screening chat with Litigante director Franco Lolli and the star of his film Carolina Sanín. The actress is a writer by trade but you wouldn't know it as she fully inhabits Colombian single mum Silvia as she copes with the stress of motherhood, the fractious relationship with her terminally ill mum and a legal threat at work. Lolli never forces the action or the emotion as he examines what makes these two women tick in a naturalistic...

It’s officially a new month and a new week, which means we have a bunch of brand new Blu-ray and DVD releases headed home this Tuesday. The official start to summer is right around the corner, which makes this the perfect time for Steven Spielberg’s Jaws to swim its way into 4K waters for the very first time, in honor of the film’s 45th anniversary this year. And if that wasn’t cool enough, Oscar winner Parasite from filmmaker Bong Joon Ho is also getting a 4K release this week as well.

Kino Lorber is also keeping busy with a pair of Blu-rays to kick off their slate of releases for the month—Let’s Kill Uncle and They Came from Beyond Space—and if you’re a big Creepshow fan, you’re definitely going to want to pick up the new anthology series this week.

Other...

Myopic Harry Palmer, the great cook, lover and reluctant spy, returns to where his trouble with the British Army began. This time he’s tangled up in a political snarl that might have dire consequences: not only are the Russians involved, ex-Nazis are on the payroll. Israel may have an agent in the field, and not necessarily working in Her Majesty’s interest. Michael Caine’s star quality shines through in this second Harry Palmer spy yarn, filmed on German locations in high style by Guy Hamilton.

Funeral in Berlin

Blu-ray Disc

Paramount Pictures

1966 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 102 min. / Street Date May 26, 2020 / 20.49

Starring: Michael Caine, Oskar Homolka, Paul Hubschmid, Eva Renzi, Guy Doleman.

Cinematography: Otto Heller

Film Editor: John Bloom

Production Designer: Ken Adam

Original Music: Konrad Elfers

Written by Evan Jones from the novel by Len Deighton

Produced by Charles D. Kasher & Harry Saltzman

Directed by Guy Hamilton

All three...

Make way for the parade! Featuring Brian Trenchard-Smith, Eli Roth, Katt Shea, Thomas Jane, our very own Don Barrett and Blaire Bercy from the Hollywood Food Coalition.

Please support the Hollywood Food Coalition. Text “Give” to 323.402.5704 or visit https://hofoco.org/donate!

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Screams of a Winter Night (1979)

Goodbye Bruce Lee: His Last Game Of Death (1975)

I Think We’re Alone Now (2018)

The Rhythm Section (2020)

Atomic Blonde (2017)

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (1965)

The Ipcress File (1965)

Funeral In Berlin (1966)

Extraction (2020)

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

The Mermaid (2016)

Oklahoma! (1955)

Singin’ In The Rain (1953)

Nightcrawler (2014)

I Think We’re Alone Now (2008)

Ghetto Freaks a.k.a. Sign of Aquarius (1970)

Hostel (2005)

Cabin Fever (2002)

Final Cut: Ladies And Gentlemen (2012)

The Movie Orgy (1968)

Gremlins (1984)

The Goonies (1985)

Hell of the Living Dead a.k.a. Night of the Zombies (1980)

Troll 2 (1990)

In The Land Of The Cannibals a.k.a. Land of...

Here are many more movies to watch when you’re staying in for a while, featuring recommendations from Jim Gavin, Karyn Kusama, Matt Christman, and Jonah Ray.

Please support the Hollywood Food Coalition. Text “Give” to 323.402.5704 or visit https://hofoco.org/donate!

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Three Tough Guys (1974)

Two Gentlemen Sharing (1969)

Tower of Evil a.k.a. Horror on Snape Island (1972)

Blow-Up (1966)

Blow Out (1981)

Body Double (1984)

Rififi (1955)

The Big Clock (1948)

No Way Out (1987)

Funeral In Berlin (1966)

The Ipcress File (1965)

Billion Dollar Brain (1967)

The Innocents (1961)

Miracle Mile (1988)

Femme Fatale (2002)

Main Street Women (1980)

Sleepwalkers (1992)

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

Dracula’s Dog (1977)

Moneyball (2011)

Together (2000)

Contagion (2011)

Panic In The Streets (1950)

The Killer That Stalked New York (1950)

The Satan Bug (1965)

A Prophet (2009)

Point Break (1991)

The Thing (1982)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Hit! (1973)

Outbreak (1995)

The Island (2005)

6 Underground (2019)

Pain And Gain (2013)

The Invitation (2015)

High-Rise (2015)

The ’Burbs (1989)

To My Great Chagrin: The Unbelievable...

If you consider running-time alone, Russian content fills a considerable chunk of space in the official sections of the 2020 Berlinale.

This is primarily because of Ilya Khrzhanovsky’s mind-boggling large-scale simulation of the totalitarian Soviet system, the “Dau” project, which comprises 14 features — two are unspooling at Berlin, accounting for more than eight hours of screen time. “Dau. Natasha,” clocking in at two hours and 19 minutes, premieres in competition.

Described by the Dau website as “a tale of violence that is as radical as it is provocative,” it follows two waitresses in a top-secret Soviet scientific institute who strike up a cautious friendship when one is seduced by a foreign visitor, until the ministry of state security intervenes.

Meanwhile, the Berlinale Special title “Dau. Degeneratsia” has a running time of just over six hours. The story unfolds at the same institute shown in “Natasha,” where scientific and occult experiments aimed at...

Gangland London, 1960: Expatriate director Joseph Losey gives the Brit crime film a boost with a brutal gangster tale starring the ultra-tough Stanley Baker — and seemingly every up & coming male actor on the casting books. A committed thief returns to his craft the moment he’s freed from prison, but the emphasis is on the nasty betrayals and squeeze-plays of the criminal underworld, that conspire to foil Baker’s plans.

The Criminal

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1960 / B&w / 1:66 widescreen / 98 min. / Street Date February 18, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: Stanley Baker, Sam Wanamaker, Grégoire Aslan, Margit Saad, Jill Bennett, Rupert Davies, Laurence Naismith, John Van Eyssen, Noel Willman, Kenneth Warren, Patrick Magee, Kenneth Cope, Patrick Wymark, Paul Stassino, Tom Bell, Neil McCarthy, Nigel Green, Tom Gerard, Edward Judd.

Cinematography: Robert Krasker

Film Editor: Reginald Mills

Original Music: John Dankworth

Written by Alun Owen and Jimmy Sangster

Produced by Jack Greenwood...

The movie Romeo Akbar Walter (R.A.W.) is here and so is our movie review. Releasing on April 05 2019, the espionage thriller directed by Robbie Grewal stars John Abraham, Mouni Roy, and Jackie Shroff. Does Romeo Akbar Walter (R.A.W.) has the thrills we are waiting for??find out in this Romeo Akbar Walter movie review.

Immediate reaction when the end credits of Romeo Akbar Walter rolls

Better luck next time, but what about my 2hrs 19 mins of time lost in this pursuit of some genuine thrills that ended in a grill of glorious make belief and in-your-face kind of cinema. Maa tuhje marte dam tak salaam aur inko pranaam.

The story of Romeo Akbar Walter

Rehmat Ali aka Romeo (John Abraham) is an actor on stage who can easily get into any character though he works as a cashier in a bank for his livelihood. Before we can figure out,...

From the start, few mistook Michael Caine for typical movie-star material. “I had a thick Cockney accent and I was a tall, skinny guy,” Caine recalls.

The situation was compounded during the filming of one of his first hits, 1965’s spy thriller The Ipcress File: “I wore glasses, and during the movie I tried to seduce a woman by cooking a meal for her in my kitchen. We got a note back from Hollywood saying, ‘Leading man looks gay — wears glasses, cooks and shops in groceries.’”

Yet Caine went...

By Darren Allison

100 Greatest Science Fiction Themes

Performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic and London Music Works, this comprehensive 6 CD collection features music from the latest Sci-Fi blockbusters; from Ready Player One, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Blade Runner 2049, all the way back to 1950s classics The Day The Earth Stood Still and Forbidden Planet.

This release brings together the best selection of science fiction music spanning almost a century, through a thorough overview of musical styles, themes and techniques. It spotlights music from Hollywood heavyweights and classically trained legends, electronic experimenters (Bebe & Louis Barron, Vangelis) and jazz-influenced composers to the new generation, who combine orchestral sounds with electronics

100 Greatest Science Fiction Themes is released in both physical and digital format on 31st August 2018.

The Invasion

Don Harper’s soundtrack to the 8-part Doctor Who story The Invasion was made and transmitted in 1968 starring Patrick Troughton as the second Doctor.

We all love a great spy movie – after all it seems that any decent spy manages to spawn a franchise with multiple box office hit installments. But it is fair to say because of this it is a saturated market with more spies than you can shake a tranquilizer gun at. And with the upcoming release of Mission Impossible: Fallout– which has us all excited for some high-octane spy action – we thought we’d have a look at the crème de la crème of cinematic spies…

5. George Smiley – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Originally a 1974 novel by John le Carré, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a must-read in spy literature. And if reading isn’t your thing don’t worry, as central spy George Smiley has been adapted into TV, Radio and of course film. Most notably, the academy award-winning 2011 film starring Gary Oldman portrayed Smiley at his best and proves...

Science experiments take a morbid turn for small-town citizens in Doctor Blood's Coffin, and with the 1962 horror movie coming to Blu-ray on May 15th from Scream Factory, we've been provided with three high-def copies to give away to lucky Daily Dead readers!

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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of Doctor Blood's Coffin.

How to Enter: We're giving Daily Dead readers multiple chances to enter and win:

1. Instagram: Following us on Instagram during the contest period will give you an automatic contest entry. Make sure to follow us at:

https://www.instagram.com/dailydead/

2. Email: For a chance to win via email, send an email to [email protected] with the subject “Doctor Blood's Coffin Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on May 21st. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen...

After their thrilling announcement that a remastered The House That Dripped Blood Blu-ray is coming soon, Scream Factory has added two other titles to their Blu-ray release slate this May: Doctor Blood's Coffin (1961) and The Vampire and the Ballerina (1960):

From Scream Factory: "We are now taking pre-orders for our upcoming release of two early 60’s shockers Doctor Blood’S Coffin and The Vampire And The Ballerina, both which make their Blu-ray format debuts in the U.S. & Canada this May!

Doctor Blood’S Coffin (Street Date: 5/15): After being dismissed from medical school because of his devious experiments, Doctor Peter Blood returns home to join his father's practice. He still believes he can create the perfect human, so he continues his experiments in an abandoned mine where he attempts to revive a rotting corpse. But Dr. Blood needs a living "donor" to create his "perfect human" and soon people...

Shane Black (Iron Man 3, The Nice Guys, The Predator) has got a new project that he's been digging into. According to his writing partner Fred Dekker, he and Black are working on a TV reboot of the classic 1960s British spy series The Avengers for Warner Bros. Even though Black has already worked with one of the Avengers in Iron Man 3, this is very different than what he did with Marvel.

During a recent interview published in The Dark Side Magazine (via ScreenRant), Dekker said:

“It’s The Avengers, with John Steed and Emma Peel. We’re setting it in Britain in the 60’s, and our approach is The Ipcress File meets Doctor Who. At this moment, it’s my favorite thing we’re working on.”

That's awesome! The Avengers series ushered in a wave of other spy series at the time that included Mission: Impossible, Get Smart,...

In a sense, Arabesque (1966) is a sort of warmed-over rehash of Donen's earlier Charade (1963), which was a really nifty mock-Hitchcockian comedy thriller with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. The later film stars Gregory Peck, who's no Grant, and Sophia Loren, who isn't Hepburn but is Loren—which ain't nothing.Donen was reputedly highly unhappy with the script, despite being the movie's producer, and his cinematographer Christopher Challis records him saying that their only hope was to present the story in as stylish and eccentric a manner as possible: this, for the most part, they do. (A pretty-well identical tale is told of Sidney J. Furie and The Ipcress File, and the result is similar in each case: a pop-art expressionist fairyland London in which everyone is or might be a spy or double or treble agent.)The opening scene, in which George Coulouris is murdered at the optician with poisoned eyedrops,...

Ryan Lambie Aug 29, 2017

We ventured out to the fringes of London to check on the progress of the action thriller, American Assassin. Here's how we got on...

It comes to something when you’re so lily-livered that gunshot makes you jump even after you’re told that it’s coming. It’s early October 2016, and I’m sitting in a darkened warehouse in London where filming on American Assassin is taking place. Actor Dylan O'Brien is on set, holding a machine gun in a darkened tunnel. Illuminated by diffuse light from above, he looks lean and bestubbled, his firearm pointed straight towards the camera.

See related Game Of Thrones season 8: filming to get underway in October Game Of Thrones season 7 episode 7 review: The Dragon And The Wolf Game Of Thrones season 7: episode 7 questions answered

A crewmember has dutifully handed out ear plugs with the warning that the gunfire...

Noomi Rapace stars in Unlocked, a new spy thriller from director Michael Apted. A new franchise in the offing? Ryan takes a look...

Are filmmakers having trouble titling their spy thrillers? Think about the names of classic examples of the genre: The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. The Ipcress File. Three Days Of The Condor. The Day Of The Jackal. Cool. Evocative. Enticing.

See related The Handmaid's Tale episodes 1-3 spoiler-free review The Handmaid's Tale: watch the first full-length trailer

Now consider the following: Salt. Spectre. The Double. Unlocked. Don’t exactly get the pulse racing, do they?

Still, there’s plenty of tension and paranoia to go around in Unlocked, even if its name slips from the mind as soon as you’ve looked at the poster. Noomi Rapace stars as Alice Racine, a former CIA interrogator who’s reluctant to return to the fold after...

Well, I hope you guys have been saving your pennies, because there are a lot of great horror and sci-fi titles coming home on March 14th. Scream Factory is giving Firestarter the Collector’s Edition treatment this week, and both Drive-In Massacre and The Skull are being resurrected in HD as well.

If you missed them during their theatrical runs late last year, both The Love Witch and Paul Verhoeven’s award-winning thriller Elle are getting Blu-ray / DVD releases this Tuesday, and Demon Seed is making its way to Blu-ray as well (which I highly recommend watching if you haven't).

Other notable home entertainment titles for March 14th include Passengers, Z Nation Season 3, Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word, Stray Bullets, and The Man Who Could Cheat Death.

Drive-In Massacre (Severin Films, Blu-ray & DVD)

It was one of the few true slasher movies to pre-date Halloween and Friday The 13th,...

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Get the feeling someone is looking over your shoulder? This quiz won’t help! This week we’re investigating the subtle (and not-so-subtle) art of spying in the movies.

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The plot of Hitchcock’s North by Northwest was suggested by this spy film.

The Man Who Never Was I Was Monty’s Double Odd Man Out Correct

Clifton Webb starred in Ronald Neame’s 1956 film...

The Internecine Project

Blu-ray

Kino Lorber Classics

1974 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 89 min. / Street Date January 3, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: James Coburn, Lee Grant, Harry Andrews, Ian Hendry, Michael Jayston, Christiane Krüger, Keenan Wynn, Julian Glover.

Cinematography: Geoffrey Unsworth

Film Editor: John Shirley

Original Music: Roy Budd

Written by: Barry Levinson, Jonathan Lynn from a book by Mort W. Elkind

Produced by: Barry Levinson

Directed by Ken Hughes

Don’t let the ugly Italian poster art on the disc box throw you — The Internecine Project is a clever plot-driven murder tale in an espionage vein that gathers a string of B+ stars from the early 1970s for ninety minutes of suspense. It’s not the kind of suspense that makes you wonder what’s going to happen next, but the kind that points to a finish that we know will employ a big surprise, a killer-diller last-minute twist. Or three.

The...

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger officially become ‘The Archers’ for this sterling morale-propaganda picture lauding the help of the valiant Dutch resistance. It’s a joyful show of spirit, terrific casting (with a couple of surprises) and first-class English filmmaking.

One of Our Aircraft is Missing

Blu-ray

Olive Films

1942 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy /103 82 min. / Street Date November 15, 2016 / available through the Olive Films website / 29.98

Starring Godfrey Tearle, Eric Portman, Hugh Williams, Bernard Miles, Hugh Burden, Emrys Jones, Pamela Brown, Joyce Redman, Googie Withers, Hay Petrie, Arnold Marlé, Robert Helpmann, Peter Ustinov, Roland Culver, Robert Beatty, Michael Powell.

Cinematography Ronald Neame

Film Editor David Lean

Camera Crew Robert Krasker, Guy Green

Written by Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Produced by The Archers

Directed by Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

There are still a few more key Powell-Pressburger ‘Archer’ films waiting for a quality disc release, Contraband and Gone to Earth for just two.

Brigitte Horney is not much remembered today, despite a long, distinguished career (films for Siodmak, Wegener, Fanck, the Nazi Baron Munchausen). Tarantino's name-checking of her during the pub games of Inglourious Basterds is probably her one star moment. Maybe the porn star name doesn't help: if Emil Jannings had been christened Emil Bigballs, he might not enjoy the status he currently has.Horney did not confine her activities to Germany: Secret Lives is a version of the Mata Hari history/legend produced in Britain with a French director, the versatile, some would say hacky, Edmond T. Gréville, whose most famous British creation was the 1960 camp classic Beat Girl (John Barry score; Gillian Hills; Christopher Lee; Oliver Reed; striptease and juvenile delinquency). But his '30s and '40s work, mostly in France, was generally slick and stylish.As a flagrant roman à clef treatment of the career of a celebrated seductress,...

Joseph Losey doesn't normally make trendy, lighthearted genre films, and in this SuperSpy epic we find out why -- an impressive production and great music don't compensate for a lack of pace and dynamism, not to mention a narrow sense of humor. Yet it's a lounge classic, and a perverse favorite of spy movie fans. Modesty Blaise Blu-ray Kl Studio Classics 1966 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 119 min. / Street Date August 23, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring Monica Vitti, Terence Stamp, Dirk Bogarde, Harry Andrews, Michael Craig, Clive Revill, Alexander Knox, Rossella Falk, Scilla Gabel, Tina Marquand Cinematography Jack Hildyard Production Designer Richard MacDonald, Jack Shampan Film Editor Reginald Beck Original Music John Dankworth Written by Evan Jones from a novel by Peter O'Donnell and a comic strip by Jim Holdaway Produced by Joseph Janni Directed by Joseph Losey

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

When I first reviewed a DVD of Modesty Blaise fourteen years ago,...

By Lee Pfeiffer

Cinema Retro mourns the loss of Sir Ken Adam, the ingenious, Oscar-winning production designer who has passed away at age 95. Adam's work helped redefine films in terms of the elaborate and creative designs he invented, particularly for the James Bond franchise. Adam's work on the first 007 film, "Dr. No" in 1962 was deemed to be nothing less than remarkable, considering that the entire film was shot on a relatively low budget of just over $1 million. His exotic designs so impressed Stanley Kubrick that he hired Adam as production designer on his 1964 classic "Dr. Strangelove." For that film, Adam created the now legendary "War Room" set which many people believe actually exists at the Pentagon. In fact when Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as President in 1981 he asked to see the War Room, only to be told that it was a fictional creation. Reagan acknowledged that he had been intrigued...

Oscar winning production designer Ken Adam died today in London at the age of 95 according to The BBC.

Adam is most famous for creating the iconic and sprawling lairs of the supervillains who populated the Sean Connery and Roger Moore-era James Bond films. His designs included the Crab Key complex in "Dr. No," the Fort Knox interiors on "Goldfinger," the volcano lair of "You Only Live Twice," Stromberg's supertanker and Atlantis sets in "The Spy Who Loved Me," and Drax's space station in "Moonraker". He also did the production design on "Thunderball" and "Diamonds Are Forever".

Adams' work extended well beyond the Bond franchise though, such as two films in the anti-Bond Harry Palmer film series with Michael Caine - "The Ipcress File" and "Funeral in Berlin". He was a favorite of Stanley Kubrick following his design of the famous war room for "Dr. Strangelove". He was offered "2001" but turned it down,...