sid and nancy ( also known as sid and nancy : love kills ) is a 1986 british biopic directed by alex cox and co-written with abbe wool .

the film portrays the life of sid vicious ( gary oldman ) , bassist of the seminal punk rock band the sex pistols , and his relationship with girlfriend nancy spungen ( chloe webb ) .

the film also features supporting performances from david hayman , xander berkeley , and courtney love .

the film premiered at the cannes film festival in 1986 , and was released theatrically in the united states that fall .

despite failing to recoup its production budget at the box office , the film was received favourably by most critics and has attained cult classic status .

sid and nancy

sid and nancy is a biographical drama , from 1986 , about the relationship between musician sid vicious and his girlfriend nancy spungen .
summary sid and nancy is a biographical drama , from 1986 , about the relationship between musician sid vicious and his girlfriend nancy spungen .
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sid and nancy has some claim on being the finest british film of the 1980s .
sid & nancy is a movie directed in 1986 by british director alex cox .
and introducing the young cat vicious in the role of smoky , sid and nancy ' s child .
this cast list of who was in sid and nancy includes both lead and minor roles . ( 10 items )
interviews with sid and nancy from
d . o . a . : a right of passage
listen to sid & nancy : love kills [ soundtrack ( reissue remastered ) ] now .
sid & nancy : exclusive trailer for the 30th anniversary release of the punk rock tragedy .
if you want to answer the questions ,
who starred in the movie sid and nancy ?
and
what is the full cast list of sid and nancy ?
then this page has got you covered .
teenagers in love … chloe webb and gary oldman as sid and nancy . photograph : allstar / cinetext / new line
12 . sid ' s mother cooperated with the film ; nancy ' s parents did not .
sid & nancy
is the sad , sordid story of sid vicious , a member of the seminal british punk group the sex pistols , and his doomed relationship with his american girlfriend , nancy spungen .
chloe webb and gary oldman in sid and nancy , which has been rereleased . photograph : allstar / cinetext / new line
at its best sid & nancy has a captivating energy and rawness , and there are even some priceless moments of levity .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing sid and nancy near you .
we’d love your help . let us know what’s wrong with this preview of sid and nancy by alex cox .
, this love triangle between sid , nancy and the heroin that destroyed them both remains a gruellingly tough watch .
and introducing the young cat vicious in the role of smoky , sid and nancy ' s child .
see more »
‘abrasive and bratty’ : chloe webb and gary oldman in sid & nancy . photograph : stock / snap stills / rex / shutterstock
the relationship between sid vicious , bassist for british punk group the sex pistols , and his girlfriend nancy spungen is portrayed .
the relationship between sid vicious , bassist for british punk group the sex pistols , and his girlfriend nancy spungen is portrayed .
featured in the color of money / sid and nancy / down by law / clockwise ( 1986 ) . see more »
sid and nancy may have shortcomings as a movie about punk , but it ' s an intriguing and harrowing glimpse into a dysfunctional relationship .
sid and nancy cast list , listed alphabetically with photos when available . this list of sid and nancy actors includes any sid and nancy actresses and all other actors from the film . you can view additional information about each sid and nancy actor on this list , such as when and where they were born . to find out more about a particular actor or actress , click on their name and you ' ll be taken to page with even more details about their acting career . the cast members of sid and nancy have been in many other movies , so use this list as a starting point to find actors or actresses that you may not be familiar with .
“sid & nancy” reopens across the pond on august 5 before also being reissued on dvd and blu - ray on august 29 .
purchase sid and nancy on dvd and blu - ray , browse the whole vintage classics collection at amazon , and find out more at vintage classics on facebook .
in his 1986 film sid & nancy , director alex cox reimagined one of the sex pistols’ most notorious promotional stunts .
the acclaimed soundtrack album spin - off from the 1986 cult movie sid & nancy is receiving a new vinyl reissue .
‘an untamed beast of a performance’ : gary oldman with chloe webb in sid and nancy . photograph : snap stills / rex / shutterstock
sid and nancy is a 1986 film directed by alex cox . the film materialized during a time of renewed interest in the period of punk rock , heroin addiction and specifically the life of sid vicious . it stars gary oldman as vicious and chloe webb as his girlfriend , nancy spungen .
compare the gritty , punk - era london captured in alex cox’s sid and nancy with google street view shots of the exact same locations today .
the words were lost . but the pictures remain . the first picture in this story features sid holding a knife to nancy’s throat . in october 1978 , nancy was stabbed in the room she was sharing with sid vicious at the chelsea hotel in new york .
johnny rotten , you would have made sid vicious ( and nancy spungeon ( sp ? ) ) very proud . thank you . much love , kl
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing sad vacation : the last days of sid and nancy near you .
this film tells the true story of sid vicious , bass player for the legendary sex pistols . he meets and falls in love with nancy spungen , with whom he has a dramatic , love - hate relationship . she is a heroin addict , and sid becomes one as well . after the sex pistols break up , sid ' s career looks more and more pathetic . concurrently , sid and nancy ' s relationship begins to deteriorate . when nancy is found dead in the couple ' s hotel bathroom one morning , the audience is left to wonder whether or not sid was her killer .
gary oldman gives sid’s quick descent into the nihilism and wastage of heroin addiction the correct dose of pathos – he makes sid’s short life sympathetic .
final thoughts : while not a perfect portrait of an important time in music , sid and nancy has its merits , chief among them the lead actors . the desperation in oldman and webb ' s performances is palpable and , if there is any doubt that sid and nancy are great modern romantic figures just remember that romeo and juliet ended up dead , too .
this is one of the multiple segments of an interview of john lydon aka johnny rotten interview 1987 speaks about sid n nancy movie . enjoy !
is really a coming - of - age ( first ) love story at heart . the major characters all play at being something they’re not . nancy name - drops , brags she’s “friends with debbie harry , ” while sid “plays” at being a junkie . wally even plays with toy cars while sid and nancy have drugged - out sex nearby . they’re all children masquerading as grown - ups . sid and nancy fire toy guns at johnny while dashing through the street , and fight while sid vacuums his mum’s flat and nancy jumps up and down on the bed ( this ridiculous scene culminates in sid chasing nancy down the street in his leather jacket and jock strap until nancy stops to strip off the hippie costume she’s tried on . facing a store window , she exclaims , “i look like fucking stevie nicks ! ” of course , this all occurs after sid finds his lost g . i . joe doll and nancy laments , “i’ll never look like barbie . barbie doesn’t have bruises . ” ) within the humor shines pathos born of knowing you’ll never live up to society’s expectations .
morbid biographical story of sid vicious , bassist with british punk group the sex pistols , and his girlfriend nancy spungen . when the sex pistols break up after their fateful us tour , vicious attempts a solo career while in the grip of heroin addiction . one morning , nancy is found stabbed to death and sid is arrested for her murder .
singer richard jobson of the skids compares his own memories to alex cox’s eulogy to punk’s ill - fated lovers , sid and nancy – now a vintage classic from studiocanal .
fuck me nancy ' s and sid ' s death sparked a feeding frenzy in the tabloids with frequent front page articles . here ' s some of them . . .
they genuinely loved each other , but nancy had a disastrous effect on sid . already a junkie , she reintroduced him to the drug and so sid was cast into his last , and most enduring , phase : that of leather - clad , random destruction machine .
nancy puts the famous chain and padlock necklace around sid ' s neck , as if it was a present from her . in fact , it was not given to him by nancy , but by chrissie hynde , from the band the pretenders . see more »
morbid biographical story of sid vicious , bassist with british punk group the sex pistols , and his girlfriend nancy spungen . when the sex pistols break up after their fateful us tour , vicious attempts a solo career while in the grip of heroin addiction . one morning , nancy is found stabbed to death and sid is arrested for her murder . written by alexander lum
title sid and nancy also known as sid and nancy : love kills year 1986 formats dvd , cinema distributor ( s ) universal pictures ( uk ) ltd . - video , palace pictures , optimum releasing , momentum pictures , independent cinema office , embassy home entertainment , bmg video classified date ( s ) 08 / 07 / 2016 main language english bbfc reference azf059079
this event provides a great opportunity to support and promote a program that would make sid proud .
alex cox’s sid & nancy , a heartfelt take on the true - life relationship between sex pistols bassist sid vicious and his girlfriend nancy spungen—a love that ended when sid stabbed nancy to death in the chelsea hotel , then died of a drug overdose while awaiting trial—could easily have been just another rock biopic . instead , through the use of fantasy - tinged reenactments ( favoring the surreal in lieu of the straightforward ) , cox transforms this gritty tabloid story into something deeper . it’s a perfect example of finding truth through fictionalization .
he killed nancy , they assumed , then died of an overdose . end of story .
interviews with vicious and nancy spungen from the 1980 documentary d . o . a . : a right of passage
in turns sid is seen as a victim of nancy , malcolm mclaren , and importantly himself . mclaren is seen as a victorian villain masterminding sid’s demise from club balconies bathed in shadow . all he would need to complete the illusion would be a long moustache to twirl .
in the mid - ’80s , british punk was dead , sid vicious was a t - shirt icon and nobody – outside of london theater circles – knew who gary oldman was . sid and nancy managed to change that after the film premiered on july 20 , 1986 at london’s limelight club .
john lydon has spoken about his admiration for mick jagger , who paid sid vicious ‘s lawyers when the sex pistols bassist was arrested for the alleged murder of girlfriend nancy spungen .
our ‘nancy’ is a model called franky who is at la models and is an english girl living out in california .
sid & nancy is the tragic love story of two misunderstood people . nancy , a junkie from pa . meets sid vicious of the famed sex pistols in london . she eventually turns sid onto herion and from there his demise begins and his innocence forever lost . the band eventually breaks up on there usa tour , a betrayal - as he sees it , ( by his bandmates & mcclaren ) he never overcomes , but sid is delusioned that he can make it on his own and still be a junkie . nancy perputates this idea . we watch them fall into a downward spiral of drugs , alcohol , and violence ( both physical & verbal ) . eventually , nancy wants sid to make good on their suicide pact . on oct . 12 , 1978 nancy was found dead in room 100 at the chelsea hotel in nyc . no one really knows what happened that night , sid was too strung out to remember . most scholars believe that they became physically violent with one another ( as they often did ) and somehow she was stabbed in the abdomen and bled to death . sid was charged with her murder , and did time on riker ' s island . while he was out on bail , he overdosed on herion febeuary 2 , 1979 . his only request was to be buried with nancy .
but vicious was later to retract his confession , claiming he could not recall anything about the night nancy - dubbed ' nauseating nancy ' by the star ' s own mother - had died .
and there’s the junkie rub . by the time the infamous murder scene occurs , sid and nancy are no longer living human beings . they’re zombies merely existing until the next fix . when sid finally lunges at nancy with the knife she herself bought , neither one is mentally present . what is reality anyway ? i can’t think of another movie where a murder occurs without either party fully comprehending the finality of the event , nancy splayed out on the bathroom’s white tiles , blood everywhere , light streaming out and into the darkened bedroom where sid remains . nancy has found the light in death , sid only blackness in life . after his arrest we see sid through the bars in the jail , lying on the floor convulsing . the sex pistols may have sung about “no future , ” but sid was the only member who lived it . “sidney is more than just a bass player—he’s a fabulous disaster ! ” malcolm mclaren declares . that he was .
sid & nancy is an honorable try , but it could have been better had cox found a way to imbue the movie with some of the sheer zaniness of his repo man .
and yet the innocent humor persists . nancy takes sid to meet her family . over dinner her grandpa asks about sid’s “intentions” with his granddaughter . “well , first we’ll go down to the methadone clinic , ” sid answers sincerely before the family retires to the rec room where the clueless couple entertain with pistols tunes on an acoustic guitar . when they’re finally told they can’t stay , are better off at a hotel , nancy’s face registers a crushing knowingness . “why’d they throw us out ? ” sid wonders later . “because they know me , ” nancy quietly replies . even when sid goes back on their deal to not do any drugs until after his upcoming gigs , nancy , through her howls of disappointment and seething anger , screams , “and you didn’t even save me any ! ” it’s this constant interweaving of hilarity and bleakness that keeps us off balance , makes us see this junkie tale through fresh and sober eyes .
the movie was british writer - director alex cox’s follow - up to repo man , a project that had taken its cues ( and certainly its soundtrack ) from the los angeles punk scene . in sid and nancy , which was originally titled love kills , cox and co - writer abbe wool wanted to explore the drug - infused relationship between sid vicious , bassist for the sex pistols , and nancy spungen , a groupie who fell for sid . the film would portray the dysfunctional affair that would result in the death of both lovers .
the official soundtrack contains no songs sung by either the sex pistols or sid vicious .
sid vicious , the sex pistols bassist who was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend nancy spungen , but who died in 1979 from a heroin overdose before the case came to court . gary oldman stars in the lead role . sid & nancy has been restored for its 30th anniversary and will be released in cinemas on 5 august , and dvd , blu - ray & digital download on 29 august . urltoken urltoken urltoken urltoken
i am very grateful to sid - washington . as a 30 - year member of the organization , i applaud sid - washington’s commitment , to airing multiple perspectives on controversial and timely issues . . . sid - washington’s proven ability to assemble diverse groups and fine minds to discuss and debate important issues with passion and mutual respect is an enormous contribution .
heading south of the river , sid and nancy shack up in a tiny flat in bermondsey . outside is the two brewers – another of london’s many lost pubs – where sid chases his girlfriend wearing only a leather jacket and a man - thong . it’s since been painted a questionable salmon pink , turned into offices , and the surrounding area has had a pricey facelift . you can’t really imagine sid and nancy , two rebellious and provocative punks , living in the swanky , yummy mummy bermondsey of today , can you ? but time marches forward , and for better or worse , so does the urban landscape of london .
gary oldman wore sid ' s real chain necklace in the movie . when doing his research , sid ' s mom gave him the necklace to wear during filming . see more »
cox came straight from his cali punk epic repo man and his laid back west coast style is not really appropriate for the much more political uk punk scene . his trivializing the pistols hurts the film . a film of greater depth would have placed sid ' s downfall in a stronger context , but instead sid and nancy settles as an unusual and effective romance .
over the decades , sid has percolated through the culture : there are sid dolls , thousands of photos on the internet , appearances in the simpsons , and gavin turk ' s sculpture , pop - a self - portrait in the guise of sid and a high point of the sensation show at the royal academy in 1997 .
the new vinyl edition of sid & nancy ( music from the motion picture soundtrack ) has been remastered from the original analogues and is pressed on 180g vinyl , faithfully reproducing the 1986 release . you can purchase it here .
is also a surprisingly touching love story , and gary oldman is outstanding as the late punk rock icon sid vicious .
what the film didn’t generate , however , was very much money . sid and nancy failed to make back its $ 4 million budget during its theatrical release . yet , the movie has done better as a cult favorite on video and dvd and is a fixture on magazine lists of great biopics and rock and roll films .
a lacerating love story , sid & nancy chronicles the brief , intense attachment of two of punk ' s most notorious poster children , sex pistols bassist sid vicious and his girlfriend , nancy spungen . director alex cox balances a bleak evocation of star - crossed love with surreal humor and genuine tenderness , creating a compelling portrait of the late ' 70s punk scene . with brilliant performances by gary oldman and chloe webb , the film ' s haunting imagery and black comedy resonate long after the final frames .
the director films the relation involving sid vicious , the sex pistol ' s bass player , and his girl - friend nancy .
no future
is the motto and we are invited to follow the quick rise and the quicker fall of this boy unable to quit the image of loser he wears while a certain number of his fellow companions know how to separate show - business and reality . from london streets up to american deserts , sid and nancy , in a suicidal ride , drink , smoke , take drugs and , occasionally , play music .
based on the true story of sid vicious , bass player for the legendary punk rock band
the sex pistols
, and his girlfriend nancy spungen . their the music of the sex pistols , their relationship was always volatile .
what cox gets spot on is the casting of gary oldman as sid . the legendary british actor who was in the pomp of youth elevates the movie by giving sid depth where it would have been much easier to suggest there was none . he also gives sid’s quick descent into the nihilism and wastage of heroin addiction the correct dose of pathos , doing the unthinkable – he makes sid’s short life sympathetic .
gary oldman and chloe webb are better as the title characters . webb hasn ' t had much success since her feature debut in sid and nancy and it ' s possible that nancy ' s shrill behavior wasn ' t much of a stretch , but her nancy is annoying and grating in a way that only reinforces her hold over sid . oldman is absolutely astounding as sid , a tragic , pathetic figure in music history who has been turned into something of a martyr to punk by t - shirt and poster printers since his early death . the reality of his involvement in the pistols ( as documented in julien temple ' s outstanding documentary the filth and the fury ) is much more complex and sad . oldman gets at this inner sadness without the benefit of temple ' s film or two decades of hindsight . his sid is a creation of pure actor ' s instinct and he completely disappears into the character .
sex pistols frontman john lydon has said he feels partly responsible for bandmate sid vicious’ heroin overdose .
after oldman turned it down . both oldman and day - lewis were in the running to play sid vicious in alex cox’s
he was sid vicious , bass guitarist with the notorious sex pistols . she was nancy spungen , a young american groupie . bound by sex , drugs and rock ' n ' roll they became inseparable . . . until that fateful night in 1978 . the cops are summoned to room 100 of new york ' s chelsea hotel , to find nancy lying dead in a pool of blood . sid is arrested , taken away and charged with stabbing his lover to death .
in an extensive new interview with the daily record , lydon said of the incident : “ nancy spungen was a hideous , awful person who killed herself because of the lifestyle and led to the destruction and subsequent death of sid and the whole fiasco . i tried to help sid through all of that and feel a certain responsibility because i brought him into the pistols thinking he could handle the pressure . he couldn’t . the reason people take heroin is because they can’t handle pressure . poor old sid . ”
even if
sid and nancy
doesn ' t quite represent the imperfect perfection in which punk music so often traffics , alex cox ' s confident visual symbolism - combined with chloe webb & gary oldman ' s performances - grant it piercing volume and knotty shape .
following their breakout success in england , flagship punk rock band the sex pistols venture out on their first u . s . tour . temperamental bassist sid vicious ( gary oldman ) takes his troubled girlfriend , nancy spungen ( chloe webb ) , along for the ride . along the way , the couple ' s turbulent relationship strains the patience of bandmate johnny rotten ( andrew schofield ) and manager malcolm mclaren ( david hayman ) , while plunging sid and nancy into the depths of drug addiction and co - dependency .
sid - washington is a unique and enriching venue because it bridges so many of the divisions that too often separate us : small and large organizations , entry - level and senior staff , government and private sector , for - profit and nonprofit . as development practitioners , we all benefit from coming together under the sid umbrella .
according to the gloucestershire echo , lydon said at the weekend : “sid could not play an instrument and i could not sing .
dior is adamant that this is the man he believes killed nancy and who disappeared soon after with the bundle of the couple ' s cash .
the ‘sid’ is our very own johnny anderson – the star of camilla arthur casting’s los angeles roster .
the title was chosen to remind people of romeo and juliet , but the star - crossed lovers in sid and nancy had worse problems than those teens from verona . repo man director alex cox ' s film told the harrowing ( yet weirdly romantic ) true story of sex pistols bass player sid vicious , his groupie - turned - girlfriend nancy spungen , and their descent into heroin - flavored destruction . despite good reviews and excellent performances by newcomers gary oldman and chloe webb , the 1986 biopic did poorly in theaters and gained its cult following later—the same way a lot of punk bands did , fittingly .
sid vicious was not stupid , but he did not have any emotional resources with which to deal with fame . as wobble says :
john lydon kept a link with his past , and that saved him , but sid had no past .
sid was a lost boy who , like peter pan , never grew beyond childhood , and his spectacular demise was both exploited and unmourned .
alex cox ' s biopic of sex pistols bassist sid vicious , chronicling his ill - fated romance with groupie nancy spungen , who introduced him to heroin and paid the ultimate price . starring gary oldman and chloe webb , with andrew schofield as the pistols ' lead singer johnny rotten and a soundtrack featuring the pogues and joe strummer .
chloe webb as nancy screams and rants , is selfish and manipulating , a victim of a scene which promised those with no talent that they could be someone . the survivors and the successful of that era did have talent - lydon included , which left sid with nowhere to go when his star faded .
sid & nancy stars gary oldman as sid and chloe webb as nancy , with the supporting cast including david hayman , courtney love and kathy burke . the movie premiered at the cannes film festival in 1986 and has since become a critically - hailed cult classic . the chicago sun - times referred to the titular couple as “punk rock’s romeo & juliet ” while an uncut retrospective praised oldman’s “hugely sympathetic reading of the punk figurehead as a lost and bewildered manchild . ” the film later won industry accolades such as south america’s sao paulo international film festival award .
because the dead man , john ritchie , who had taken his last breath just hours before , was better known as british punk rocker sid vicious - the prime suspect in the murder of his american girlfriend , nancy spungen .
from the phone booth scene where nancy begs her mom for cash , then hangs up without success . nancy :
she wouldn ' t give us the money ! she said we ' d spend it on drugs !
sid :
we would .
posted by matt zoller seitz on 2009 - 02 - 02 19 : 13 : 00
late in 1984 , cox met with a producer who told him about an idea that had been percolating in hollywood : a movie about sid and nancy , starring the beautiful madonna and the polite , handsome rupert everett . as cox wrote in his autobiography ,
for anyone who had been vaguely into the punk movement , this was a troubling idea indeed .
aware that this potential project didn ' t have a script yet and eager to beat them to the punch , cox was motivated to dust off too kool to die and rework it into a sid and nancy picture of his own .
sid & nancy ( music from the motion picture soundtrack ) was originally issued through mca to coincide with the box office release of director alex cox’s film . the plot details the star - crossed love affair between iconic sex pistols bassist sid vicious and his american girlfriend nancy spungen . this culminated in spungen’s murder at new york’s chelsea hotel on 12 october 1978 . though arraigned for her murder , vicious never stood trial as he died of a drug overdose while out in bail in february 1979 .
john lydon famously despises cox’s film for inaccuracies both of the period and about his friend , but sid is viewed with a warmth and affection by the camera , which underlies the fact that most people seem to forget now ; sid was so incredibly young when he died .
but this was also the moment when punk truly became pop . during 1978 , mclaren kept the pistols going without lydon . as sid dissolved further into a hail of drugs , he had a top 10 record in july with his radical cover of my way . as the single slipped down the charts , sid and nancy moved to new york , never to return .
but her pain has depth and shading . in her most powerful scene , nancy makes a late - night long - distance telephone - box call to her mother in america , claiming that she and sid have just got hitched . in fact , she just needs enough cash to score smack .
watching sid on drums that night playing with siouxsie and the banshees doing a rendition of the lord’s prayer was shocking , brilliant and terrible . the atmosphere was beyond anything i had experienced back in rural scotland . sid was tall , thin and gangly , and remarkably good - looking in a spotty kid kind of way . around the bar area he was noisy and aggressive and definitely the centre of attention , playing the tough guy , and in our innocence he seemed quite terrifying . a scene in sid and nancy captures that very evening when he brutally assaults music journalist nick kent , a soft hippy - like writer who was an easy target . not the act of a tough guy .
pact is a long - time member of sid - w because of the value it brings to our staff and organization as a whole . from high - quality events to the unparalleled access that sid - w membership provides to decision - makers at the highest levels of the u . s . government , membership in sid - w is invaluable .
nancy’s gradual collapse before our eyes , as she realises that her mother isn’t falling for it , is perfectly calibrated : bogus matrimonial bliss warps into little - princess pleading and finally scalding , volcanic rage . the scene ends with nancy on her knees in the road . it’s dynamite .
admitted to one of the following heller degree programs : mpp master of public policy , mba in nonprofit management , mba / mpp dual degree , ma in sustainable international development ( sid ) , mba / sid dual degree , ma in conflict resolution and coexistence ( coex ) , mba / coex dual degree , sid / coex dual degree , ms in global health policy and management ( ghpm ) , mba / ghpm dual degree , and sid / ghpm dual degree . the application fee will be waived for all posse alumni .
sometimes a film can be completely rewarding in some respects and totally wrong in others . alex cox ' s sid and nancy ( 1986 , originally released on dvd by criterion , this review is of the new mgm release ) is terrific as a bizarre love story between the late sex pistols ' bassist sid vicious and junkie / groupie nancy spungen . the two lovers connect on a sadomasochistic level that is unusual and , in the film at least , leaves you with the feeling that they could have been the only people on the planet , a perfect match that could only have destroyed itself .
with the lacerating love story sid & nancy , alex cox reimagines the crash - and - burn affair between punk’s most notorious self - destructive poster children : sex pistols bassist sid vicious and his girlfriend , nancy spungen—brought to visceral life by brilliant performances from gary oldman and chloe webb . cox turns his anarchic filmmaking style on the explosive energy of the london punk scene and the degenerate streets of seventies new york , making for an eviscerating depiction of excess and addiction . through the lens of cinematographer roger deakins , the imagery goes from swooning to grimy , and the film’s bleakness is balanced with surreal humor and genuine tenderness , making for an affecting , music - fueled vision of doomed love .
it’s been 30 years since british filmmaker alex cox unleashed his transatlantic punk love story sid and nancy ( 1986 ) , a bruising journey to the heart of the self - destructive relationship between the sex pistols’ sid vicious ( a young gary oldman ) and nancy spungen ( chloe webb ) . the first half of the film frames the meeting of the lovers in london . clad in leather , arms scarred by needles , the conspicuous couple leave a trail of mayhem in their wake as they hop from soho to bayswater , from bayswater to bermondsey .
chloe webb also received praise for her work as nancy . although courtney love lobbied incredibly hard for the part , she had to settle for a minor role as gretchen . love wasn’t the only musician involved in sid and nancy . the circle jerks , iggy pop and nico all appear in the film , the members of guns n’ roses were hired as extras for some of the los angeles scenes , and former clash frontman joe strummer contributed much of the soundtrack .
, kowalski’s documentary on the sex pistols’ american tour . “they were incredibly pathetic and i felt like i was taking advantage of them just by being there , ” kowalski is quoted as saying . listening to nancy berate a nodding - off sid in her new york whine you realize just how inseparably dysfunctional the two really were . she yells at him to try to stay awake for the interview , to stop dropping lit cigarettes on her , and she also notes that he’s constantly spilling coffee and orange juice on her—sid is always the helpless , careless kid who wouldn’t be able to function without nancy ( she actually claims sid would have died around fifteen deaths already if not for her ! ) .
things don’t go well at that first meeting when groupie nancy ( played by chloe webb , equal to oldman in chameleon ability ) announces she has “all” of the sex pistols albums back in new york before calling sid by johnny’s name . it’s only later when they end up two bodies on the sardine - packed floor of a flat that the dysfunctional relationship begins . nancy literally wedges herself between sid and johnny , marking a turning point in the boys’ friendship . a girl has come between them . it’s time to grow up .
after his death , the punk rocker ' s mother requested he be laid to rest in the same plot where nancy was buried , but her parents refused . the following week , anne flew with her son ' s ashes to the philadelphia cemetery and secretly sprinkled them over nancy ' s gravestone .
sid and nancy premiered in the directors ' fortnight section of the 1986 cannes film festival , in a lavish , packed auditorium . according to cox , some or all members of duran duran were in the audience , and when gary oldman first appeared on the screen , one of them yelled ,
johnny thunders !
( referring to another punk musician who ' d been with the new york dolls ) . the clash ' s joe strummer , who ' d consulted on sid and nancy , stood and yelled ,
shut the f * * * up !
duly chastened by their elders , duran duran shut up .
an amazing ride through the short life of the sex pistols and sid vicious featuring gary oldman in one of the best performances i ' ve seen .
directing select film edge city repo man sid & nancy straight to hell walker el patrullero the winner death & the compass three businessmen kurosawa : le emmanuelle : ahl mike hama must die ! revengers tragedy ijd - jail me ! searchers 2 . 0 repo chick
sid vicious was the bassist of punk band the sex pistols from 1977 to 1978 . when his girlfriend nancy spungen was murdered in october 1978 , he was charged with the crime . he died of a heroin overdose before the case could come to trial .
a movie set in the ' 70s at the peak of the punk rock revolution . two lovers become addicted to drugs , holing up in a hotel and letting their lives slip away day by day . sid vicious , the infamous bassist of the sex pistols , falls hard for nancy spungen , an american junkie , who introduces him to the life of drugs . when sid breaks away from the sex pistols , nancy helps him in steering a solo career , which he cannot keep up with due to his drug problems . the two are an irresponsible , yet loving pair , allowing their room to set on fire , missing gigs , and scaring nancy ' s family . . . the epitomy of punk rock .
sid vicious ' s mother , anne beverley , had drug problems of her own , and is rumored to have given her son the dose of heroin that killed him . gary oldman visited her while researching the role , and described her as
very warm and open and helpful .
he said she gave him the chain and padlock that sid used to wear around his neck , which oldman wore in the film . understandably , nancy ' s parents , frank and deborah spungen , wanted nothing to do with the production and had no interest in seeing a movie depicting their daughter ' s death .
certainly , several witnesses who passed in and out of the couple ' s first - floor room in the early hours say vicious was out for the count . and at least two say the previously unknown michael , who lived on the sixth floor of the hotel , was with sid and nancy as late as 5am - around the time she was stabbed .
with a history as an actress , and the wife of an actor - turned - politician , nancy was known for her glamorous lifestyle and her fashion — she was also known for her hollywood friends , including rock hudson and elizabeth taylor .
sid lezak was a lawyer , activist , mediator , mentor and inspiration to all who knew him . the lezak legacy fellows program reflects his legacy : his life , career , humanity and commitment to social justice , public service and the community he loved . please join us in keeping sid’s legacy alive by attending a wine and cheese reception to celebrate the lezak legacy fellows program .
it’s a more inspired week , happily , for reissues , beginning with the 30th - anniversary re - release of alex cox’s white - hot , needles - under - the - nails punk elegy sid and nancy ( studiocanal , 18 ) , in which gary oldman ’s feral , furious role as doomed sex pistols bassist sid vicious remains an extraordinary spectacle : a frightening , untamed beast of a performance and the rarely reached benchmark for all rock biopic impersonations since .
because cox creates his own living , breathing world we’re not so concerned with historical accuracy , with “the facts . ” so what if the guy playing johnny rotten doesn’t look much like the real john lydon ? his constant correcting of sid’s singing , “we don’t fucking care ! ” with “no ’fucking’—just ’we don’t care’ ! ” tells us more about the character than the right shade of rotten red . the shot of sid and nancy sleeping , their heads of jet black and bottle blonde cuddled together like furry animals , and the scene in which nancy , dressed in fetish gear , answers linda’s phone and falls to her knees when she hears sid’s voice calling from america , visualize their love better than any “true events” ever could . “you’re just gonna have to have sex with somebody else ! ” an irritated nancy finally exclaims , hanging up as linda calls for her—this is followed by a quick cut to a long shot of sid at a phone booth , shit - kicker cowboys in the foreground . their relationship goes from being so near to so desperately far away .
the astonishing thing about
sid and nancy
is the amount of subtle information it gives us about their relationship , given the fact that the surface of the movie is all tumult and violence , pain and confusion . this movie doesn ' t take the easy way out and cast these two lovers as romeo and juliet , misunderstood waifs . it sees beneath their leather and chains , their torn t - shirts and steel - toed boots , to a basically conventional relationship between an ambitious woman and a man who was still a boy .
you were keen to romanticize sid & nancy without glorifying them but now feel you failed in that endeavor . can you explain how the film , in your mind , fails to do so ? it may be an inevitable part of all drama , that in depicting something you make it to some extent heroic or glorious . or it could be that the ending of sid & nancy , with the
taxi to heaven
which seems very sentimental now , contradicts the message of the film ( spoken by the guy in the methadone clinic ) .
video : mgm ' s current release of sid and nancy replaces the criterion version ' s non - anamorphic transfer . the new disc has a crisper picture , more vibrant colors , and , of course , an anamorphic transfer . really the improved picture is the only improvement over the previous disc , which looks good for an earlier release .
, what makes the film a universal tale . cox wastes no time—even when sid accidentally walks through a plate - glass door and goes down in slo - mo , we don’t hear glass and people shrieking but disembodied voices arguing . the next scene reveals it’s the beginning of the end , the loud break - up of the band around a comatose sid’s hospital bed . by the time we see sid sitting up , raptly watching a monster movie as a christmas - decorated shopping cart rolls into the room , we know nancy is going to be standing in that doorway . sappy and sentimental ? sure . isn’t that what love is ?
in one scene , sid vicious carves letters into his chest with a razor blade , accompanied by blood flowing from the wounds .
the movie really comes alive in the new york scenes in the claustrophobic melancholy of the chelsea hotel room where sid and nancy had become unwelcome residents . director cox handles these scenes with a gentleness that captures the punk romeo and juliet’s sense of isolation and hopelessness . it builds into a frenzy where it becomes increasingly obvious something very bad is about to happen . at this moment in his career sid thought that he was a star who had arrived , but he was fleeing , and people who are fleeing have no idea where they are going .
just days before nancy ' s death , he had received $ 25 , 000 in cash - royalty payments from richard branson ' s virgin records .
alex cox’s movie focuses on the ill - fated romance between sid and new york groupie nancy spungen . the star - crossed lovers soon shared an insatiable desire for booze , then drugs , starting with sulphate and leading to what they called the “big h” – heroin . their new - found rock ‘n’ roll utopia speedily led to a life of chaos , violence and self - destruction .
all throughout high school , my friends and i would skip school and watch this movie . sure it ' s depressing , but it ' s also one of the coolest movies ever made . sid & nancy also introduced us to gary oldman , who sang all the songs in the movie and now has gone onto bigger things ( whether that ' s good i don ' t know ) . the extra features on this dvd are really exciting . phone interviews with sid vicious , a great video interview with the real sid & nancy , the infamous bill grundy interview , a making of documantary , and commentary by all the stars of the film . i must have seen this every day going to high school on videotape , now that that tape is all worn out , i have the dvd to see it 100 more times !
the discovery of the letter led some friends to speculate that nancy ' s death had been a suicide pact that had gone wrong , and spungen had administered the fatal knife wound herself .
this is also a hallmark of the film’s director . both the guy dispensing the drugs at the methadone clinic who suddenly starts ranting about how the government uses heroin as a form of control or the creepy bellhop who begs for money after sid and nancy are moved to a new room could easily have slipped in from cox’s
but he wasn ' t called sid sweet . vicious was a strong name to be saddled with . the script was set and , like many scripts , it took over the actor to the point where person and persona became fatally blurred .
be careful what you set yourself up for
should be one pop culture motto , and sid was more vulnerable than most .
the heller school is pleased to offer guaranteed partial - tuition scholarships of at least 50 % to brandeis alumni admitted to one of the following heller degree programs : master of public policy ( mpp ) , mba in nonprofit management , mba / mpp dual degree , ma in sustainable international development ( sid ) , mba / sid dual degree , ma in conflict resolution and coexistence ( coex ) , mba / coex dual degree , sid / coex dual degree , ms in global health policy and management ( ghpm ) , mba / ghpm dual degree , and sid / ghpm dual degree . the application fee will be waived for all brandeis alumni .
sid vicious ( oldman ) , born the working clas brit john simon ritchie , becomes bass player for the suddenly world - famous sex pistols punk band in the late 1970s . fame , money , and drugs swirl about him as he clings to any american girl named nancy spungen ( webb ) . the pistols disintegrate after their u . s . tour , sid tries to sustain a solo career , but heroin addiction drags him and nancy down . one morning he awakes to find her stabbed to death and himself charged with her murder . co - writer and director alex cox made this almost too - real 1986 story after his highly quirky
repo man .
oldman and webb are amazingly good . watch for courtney love in a bit role as gretchen .
the 21 - year - old musician and would - be actress called co - writer abbe wool and claimed ,
i am nancy spungen !
( she only meant she was perfect for the part . ) wool had love submit an audition tape , but cox wanted an actress with more experience . still , he liked love enough to write a small role for her as one of nancy ' s junkie friends , and subsequently cast her in his film straight to hell ( 1987 ) . years later , love would be compared ( unflatteringly ) to nancy spungen for her supposed similar influence on kurt cobain and nirvana .
whacked out on any drug he can get into his edward scissorhands body , sid could be making a comment on his quick , young life . the bleak , almost apocalyptic , chelsea hotel he disintegrates into with nancy is a far cry from the bright spray - can colours of silver jubilee london .
int : must have been moved to tears by drew schofiled ' s heartfelt portrayal of you in sid ' n nance , then . .
three of the four johns were transformed by pseudonyms that , beginning in teenage jokes , became international news . lydon became johnny rotten , thanks to sex pistols ' guitarist steve jones ; beverley became sid vicious , thanks to lydon , wardle became jah wobble , thanks to sid .


push is a 2009 american science fiction action-thriller film directed by paul mcguigan and written by david bourla .

starring chris evans , dakota fanning , camilla belle , and djimon hounsou , the film centers on a group of people born with various superhuman abilities who band together in order to take down a government agency that is using a dangerous drug to enhance their powers in hopes of creating an army of super soldiers .

the film was released on february 6 , 2009 by summit entertainment and icon productions .

it was a moderate box office success , though critical reception was mostly negative .

push ( 2009 film )

^ a b c
push ( 2009 )
. box office mojo . urltoken . retrieved 2009 - 05 - 06 .
^
weekend box office results for february 6–8 , 2009
. box office mojo . 2009 - 02 - 08 . urltoken . retrieved 2009 - 02 - 10 .
^ a b
push ( 2009 ) : reviews
. metacritic . cnet networks , inc . urltoken . retrieved 2009 - 02 - 06 .
interview with chris evans and camilla belle , the lance , feb . 4 , 2009
^
push movie reviews , pictures
. rotten tomatoes . ign entertainment , inc . urltoken . retrieved 2009 - 05 - 06 .
push is a chase film dolled up with supernatural powers and chintzy retro design motifs .
push is a 2009 film about two americans nick gant , a mover and his young watcher who protected an old friend of nick ' s who ' s a pusher from the division led by henry carver .
2009 returned to its winning ways after a tiny 1 % drop - off last week . not only did the
a film set for release on february 6 , 2009 starring chris evans , dakota fanning , camilla belle and djimon hounsou . wildstorm published a prequel mini - series .
push was released on dvd and blu - ray on july 7 , 2009 . the dvd included deleted scenes , a commentary , and a ' making of ' featurette . wal - mart released the film as a double - feature dvd with knowing .
. hopefully there will be fewer outright misses and more mid - level hits , which will help 2009 keep pace with 2008 .
. the last retro - review i penned for screengeek concerned 2009’s much - maligned pandorum , and in the body of . . .
i love my babies . why would i want to push them away from me ?
, as are the holdovers , which should help 2009 to expand on its lead , while overcoming last weekend ' s momentary dip at the box office .
sapphire , the author of “push , ” said it was too late in the day to worry that the film’s themes and images were somehow stigmatizing or inauthentic .
britell’s previous credits include scores for the 2009 film “new york , i love you , ” natalie portman’s “a tale of love and darkness , ” “the big short” and “free state of jones . ” his music was also featured in steve mcqueen’s oscar - winning film “12 years a slave . ”
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing push near you .
the premise for push seems like a good idea and the cast is a good one but the trailer seems to be lacking enough to make the movie worth a viewing , it just needs that extra push .
wildstorm , an imprint of dc comics , published a comic book mini - series that acts as a prequel to the film . it was written by marc bernardin and adam freeman ( who write the highwaymen for wildstorm ) and bruno redondo supplied the art . [ 5 ] issues were published between november 2008 and february 2009 , and a softcover collection ( isbn 978 - 1401224929 ) was published in september , 2009 .
push ends with a cliffhanger , refusing to deliver us a satisfying ending that it was ostensibly building up to for its entire 1 hour and 51 minute runtime . but if this film’s success means that a push sequel will be on the way to continue nick and cassie’s adventures ( complete with lackluster action scenes and nonsensical plot developments ) , then i’d urge you all to give push a pass .
, landing funny quips that are so tonally jarring to the rest of the film they work almost as a meta commentary on the film itself .
push has vibrant cinematography and decent acting , but i ' m blasted if i know what it ' s about .
push is the perfect example of an ejoyable in - betweener , best watched when you have nothing else to do .
set and filmed on location in bustling hong kong , the tight urban street and winding alleyways suit the film perfectly , but this is not enough to save push from the oscar season garbage dump .
push is an empty calorie extravaganza and demands a crooked concentration it doesn ' t earn to sufficiently piece this mess together .
shockingly , one of these was for arch - rivals dc , in 2010’s ‘the losers’ where he played the nerdy jensen . but it’s his performance as fugitive psychic nick gant in 2009’s ‘push’ that absolutely nobody ever remembers . which is a crying shame , and perhaps one of the greatest injustices in the genre . so this week’s retro review focuses on ‘push’ , and the crime that was history burying it beneath a slew of lesser comic - book movies .
utter rubbish this film , not plot , not story line and bad acting .
there is one redeeming quality about this film : mcguigan chose to shoot the movie in hong kong , and this is where push really shines . hong kong’s architecture and atmosphere are rendered wonderfully and the city really comes alive in a way that’s rarely seen in a u . s . film . the way the push uses its setting almost reminds me of how danny boyle brought mumbai , india to life in slumdog millionaire , except in that instance , it was in the service of a much better film .
. year - to - date , 2009 has now pulled in $ 1 . 22 billion vs . $ 1 . 02 billion for the same time last year , which is an outstanding 19 . 6 % increase .
the first time desplat worked with anderson , on 2009 ' s
fantastic mr . fox ,
he received an oscar nomination . he returned to collaborate with the director for 2012 ' s
moonrise kingdom .
“push , ” which was controversial when it was published in 1996 , is also back at the top of best - seller lists .
( up 37 % over three days and 33 % over four ) . year to date , 2009 has pulled in $ 1 . 47 billion , 22 % ahead of last year ' s $ 1 . 20 billion pace .
i like movies like these . chronicle , push , jumper - while not being the best in the art still managed to make an entertaining watch . steve rogers chris evans was decent in push , but i think it would have made a great tv show that could parallel heroes .
a film about a large world of superpowered beings . . . this should have been the ultimate film for me ! * sigh * well , one can keep dreaming , i suppose .
this week ' s round of new casting information contains updates for the avengers , iron man 2 , push , and more ! more . . .
push is a sci - fi thriller about a group of young americans in hong kong who use special psychic powers to evade a covert us government agency .
the director of push , paul mcguigan filmed guerilla style by using cameras hidden in vans , filming through small holes and only giving the actors one take on the street . this was done in order to keep up with the hustle and bustle of filming in the crowded city of hong kong . channing tatum was attached to star in push but the role was not ultimately given to him . director paul mcguigan cast chris evans after seeing him in the film sci - fi film sunshine . in spain , the film was given the title of “heroes” , which became confusing for spanish audiences who assumed the film was somehow connected to the television show heroes because both projects are about people with extraordinary abilities .
‘push’ was released somewhat unceremoniously in february 2009 . the critics were unimpressed , audiences were equally un - enthused , and the movie’s tiny $ 10m profit ensured there was no hope of a sequel . but , i’d argue that it’s a better movie than at least half of the material marvel has gone on to produce , and that the circumstances of its release meant it never really stood a realistic chance of success .
geoffrey gilmore , director of the sundance film festival , said in an interview that “push” might hit a cultural chord because of all of the discussion about race prompted by the election of president obama . he said the sundance audience gave it three standing ovations .
the studio prides itself on taking on marketing challenges , but “push , ” which won three top awards last month at the sundance film festival — the audience award , the grand jury prize and a special jury prize for acting — is one of the biggest to come along in some time , marketing experts say . african - american audiences of all demographics could wince at the film’s negative imagery . as films like “the great debaters” and “miracle at st . anna” have shown , a release labeled a black film by the marketplace — and “push” already has been — can be an incredibly tough sell to mainstream white audiences .
select a category actor in a leading role actor in a supporting role actress in a leading role actress in a supporting role animated feature film art direction cinematography costume design directing documentary ( feature ) documentary ( short subject ) film editing foreign language film honorary award irving g . thalberg memorial award makeup music ( original score ) music ( original song ) best picture short film ( animated ) short film ( live action ) sound editing sound mixing visual effects writing ( adapted screenplay ) writing ( original screenplay )
“at the end of the film , precious looked angelic to me , ” ms . roberson said .
2009 got off to a great start and february hopes to continue that run , but i don ' t think that ' s likely . first of all , none of the releases coming out this month look like they have what it takes to reach $ 100 million . or even $ 80 million . this means the best film of this month will likely be lower than the
yea ,
jumper
fits s nicely with the theme / names of the other abilities in push . i wonder if there are jumpers in that universe ! !
push was generally poorly received by critics . [ 2 ] rotten tomatoes reported that 21 % of critics had given the film positive reviews , based upon a sample of 106 . [ 3 ] at metacritic , which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics , the film has received an average score of 36 , based on 21 reviews . [ 2 ]
is a direct sequel . the four films together are four hours worth of one film with , according to
—a film that could not have been more “’90s action movie by committee™” if it tried . a horribly miscast
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so when lionsgate on monday spent about $ 5 . 5 million for the highly regarded award - winning film “push : based on the novel by sapphire , ” eyebrows arched all over hollywood . “push , ” directed by lee daniels ( “monster’s ball” ) from sapphire’s novel , takes grim to a level that many film executives say they have rarely seen on screen . the story centers on an illiterate and obese african - american teenager in 1980s harlem who is pregnant with her father’s child — for the second time — and is also abused by her mother .
with all the mythology that ' s been laid down , you keep expecting
push
to build to one big paranormapalooza of a finale , but it never materializes .
“precious : based on the novel ‘push’ by sapphire , ” the new film about an obese , poor , illiterate , young black woman who is sexually and emotionally abused , has sparked this heartfelt and at times heated debate about its meaning in the two weeks since its limited release .
precious is a gruelling new film about violence and abuse in harlem . so what ' s mariah carey doing playing a white social worker ? charlotte higgins meets the cast and crew see a gallery of social workers on film
the oscar race took a turn in 2009 , after another warner . bros . film , “the dark knight , ” failed to secure a best picture nomination . in 2010 , the academy expanded its best picture category from five to a maximum of 10 movies . but although blockbusters like “gravity” and “the martian” have made the cut , a comic book movie has yet to compete in the top race .
i was excited to see push , probably because we had been without an effects driven film since the mummy : tomb of the dragon emperor and not even that really counts in comparison . hancock or hellboy 2 are probably better comparisons , and that was way back in july 2008 . so i was feeling up to checking out push and i had already prepped myself for a visual effects film working on a small budget , so a lot of leeway was assumed to be needed . as it turns out the effects are just fine , it’s the story that hurts it as push has so many plot and logic problems you can’t get passed them no matter how hard you try , especially since one of them is the driving force of the story .
“a white artist can make a film about a family of 10 drug addicts , and the public sees it as a film about a family of 10 drug addicts , not 10 white drug addicts , ” mr . mccall said . “a black artist can make that film , too , but you have to be aware of the history . ”
hm . . . . that ' s funny because i almost said push reminded me a bit , world wise , of stranger things . and stranger things did mention fire starter .
for a moment after these scenes , i thought that push was going to completely embrace its campiness and go for broke , perhaps giving us a ridiculous , big - budget action version of a heroes episode . sadly , the punishingly dour tone of the rest of the film belies its wacky premise .
i ' m totally with you ! i loved push . it ' s a shame how few people saw it . it was a great little super hero flick with great characters and lore .
i do give credit to this movie for one unintentional benefit . because it was being released around the same time as this push , the movie now known as precious changed its title from the name of the novel it was based on . precious is a superior title and that movie , with its new name , went on to acclaim , while this push has been rightly forgotten .
to chart this week , and only one of them made it into the top five . however , that one film was
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despite its high - profile cast and a sizable marketing push from distributor summit entertainment , audiences won ' t require any paranormal powers of their own to realize they ' ve seen this one before .
the film was a critical hit at the festival , and that roughly $ 5 . 5 million is the largest amount paid to date for any sundance film this year . while $ 5 . 5 million might not sound like much for a movie , the average marketing cost for this type of film is $ 25 million , according to the motion picture association of america .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
a deal did not emerge for “push” until about a week after the festival ended , with potential distributors balking over the price insisted upon by cinetic media , a new york marketing and sales company for independent film , according to two people with knowledge of how the deal came together but who were not authorized to speak publicly .
screen daily : “the most compelling thing about push is its setting . the film was shot entirely on location , which affords it a fresh look and feel , be it in a chase through a local fish market or the juxtaposition of modern skyscrapers and bamboo scaffolding… [ the screenplay ] is a jumbled mess of narrative clichés . ”
is a grim yet ultimately triumphant film about abuse and inner - city life , largely bolstered by exceptional performances from its cast .
stargate project - the real u . s . federal government project to investigate psychic phenomena , used as a basis for the film .
professor neal was among dozens of black people interviewed about their perspectives on “precious . ” perhaps the most provocative salvo against the movie was fired by armond white , the chief film critic of the new york press and the chairman of the new york film critics circle .
desplat ' s first oscar nomination came for
the queen ,
which was also the first film he made with stephen frears .
the tomatometer rating – based on the published opinions of hundreds of film and television critics – is a trusted measurement of movie and tv programming quality for millions of moviegoers . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
dakota know she growing up . good film . better than expected . i like it . lots of turns & twist , but entertaining .
it ' s amazing how the film turns out to be infinitely moving in spite of mr . daniels ' s stylistic self - destruct .
push is one of those movies that a critic could rip to shreds on the holes and wild coincidences that keep the plot moving along . every character seems to have a super power that only gets half explained . the movie seems incomplete , or at least sequel ready . well , i say , bring on the sequel because i loved this movie with all it’s flaws . push is the most entertaining movie i have seen in the last six months .
there are many problems with push , and most are the usual boring things : unnecessary plot loops ; long , dumb musical interludes ; a charmless script ; and ostentatious action sequences in which the only person excited is the cameraman .
as a film , push never coheres as a whole . potentially interesting plotlines , such as the development of nick’s powers or the implications surrounding fate in a world where watchers exist , are completely ignored in favor of ponderous and boring sequences with characters hopelessly trying to figure out what they should do next . the motivations of side characters such as shifter cliff curtis and sniffer ming - na are never explained and their presence fades in and out of the film as they are needed for the movie’s barely - comprehensible exposition .
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joe drake , president of the film division at lionsgate , the movie’s distributor , sidestepped a response to the more negative charges about the movie .
push , not even going to lie . i love this movie . people have judged me for it but i don ' t care . i love the grittiness and look of it paired with the creative editing . hong kong also plays as a fantastic backdrop . the whole film was shot on location and that really comes through , gorgeous scenery . it gives the movie a unique feel .
in the world of push , there are those gifted with special abilities . a secret u . s . government agency known as the division seeks out those individuals to enlist them in their service . the individuals are classified by their powers :
i actually saw push as a result of enjoying jumper iirc and i was pretty disappointed . while push had a great premise and some good world building , it didn ' t take off or become as cohesive in the same way as jumper . the threat in jumper felt so much better and so did the climax plus jumper was just a little bit more ' fun ' despite some sketchy acting . the heroes in jumper had enough of that bad - ass quality you want in superheroes .
marvel is likely shaking their finger at bourla , since the film’s storyline was pilfered from the x - men franchise . both concern pseudo - mutants running from an unjust government agency . they contain characters that can read minds , move objects by thought , heal by touch , and shatter glass with a scream . but , if marvel didn’t sue tv’s heroes , it’s doubtful they’ll take action against push .
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
i really liked this film , but i just don ' t remember camilla belle in it at all , i thought you ' d mistyped dakota fanning .
crew . even the rifftrax guys got stumped , admitting at one point in the film that they had nothing to say about the insanity on - screen .
composed , itself , of stock footage . . . they all use the same five or six actors , and each film has the same credits sequences .
sure this movie has all kinds of plot holes and points that make you think , “how could they . . . ? ” but if you consider that almost everyone in this movie who has a line of dialogue , has a mental ability , then you have to excuse those questions . push is not a movie for thinking about , it is a movie for sheer escapist entertainment . if you like your action / science fiction / superhero movie served cold then push is the movie for you .
not , repeat , not to be confused with this year ' s sundance sensation , this particular
push
is a recycled sci - fi action thriller concerning a sinister government agency that hunts down those with paranormal powers for its own nefarious motives .
jthe script has no deep meaning and the film does just what it was intended to do : take an audience on a fantastical journey with loads of action .
a whole scheme of work on one powerpoint . includes lots of different film composers , different games for starters and plenaries , and space for you . . .
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ultimately the studio’s co - presidents for theatrical marketing , sarah greenberg and tim palen , e - mailed a statement . “there is simply a gold mine of opportunity here , ” the message read in part . “as marketers , our focus is on creating a campaign that honors its strength , guts and beauty . ” lionsgate has not announced a release date for the film , no relation to the “push” being released on friday .
arrived in decent time as it ' s beens a while since i ' ve seen this film as it was a good adrenalin rush movie worthy of watching again .
. which is to say : fans can’t be trusted to create a film that will actually work and flow . the “dark phoenix” saga is one of the most iconic—
with
philomena
out in limited release now , huffpost entertainment spoke to desplat about his contribution to frears ' film , as well as his other famous scores .
subscribe to classic trailers : urltoken subscribe to trailers : urltoken subscribe to coming soon : urltoken like us on facebook : urltoken follow us on twitter : urltoken push ( 2009 ) official trailer - camilla belle , chris evans movie hd two young americans with special abilities must race to find a girl in hong kong before a shadowy government organization called division does . welcome to the fandango movieclips trailer vault channel . where trailers from the past , from recent to long ago , from a time before youtube , can be enjoyed by all . we search near and far for original movie trailer from all decades . feel free to send us your trailer requests and we will do our best to hunt it down .
light fixtures are the true stars in
push ,
constantly reflecting , twinkling and popping . its best moments are when guns levitate and fire themselves . when you don ' t even need actors to hold pistols , it ' s the ultimate in autopilot filmmaking .
to be honest , i would like a sequel to push . it was a neat concept , and if they did develop their characters more , the sequel could be quite good . looking at the box office returns though . . . it isn ' t likely .
in addition , the movie ruins one of the few things it had going for it : the characters’ special abilities ( some of which are admittedly kind of cool and well - depicted ) . push haphazardly sets up “rules” for its universe at the beginning of the film , then proceeds to break them left and right in the final 30 minutes . certain questions are never answered : do pushers push memories and motivations onto people , or can they simply control minds ? do watchers see potential futures or can they also see the present ( because that’s actually a pretty big difference ) ? how much damage can a bleeder inflict with his scream exactly ? why are some watchers so much more accurate than others ?
what a dreadful film , there is no storyline too it , they seem to just plod along , got bored within ten minutes . do not bother waste of money .
“moonlight” stars trevante rhodes , naomie harris and mahershala ali . in its limited release opening weekend , the film exceeded expectations , earning $ 445 , 552 in four theaters .
and kevin o’neill , the film has an intriguing premise ( thanks to moore ) —what if the characters of victorian literature’s most fantastical works were real people ? add an early example of a big studio’s embrace of the steampunk aesthetic , and stephen norrington’s film certainly has potential , but it wastes little time slipping into an increasingly incomprehensible plot . by the film’s end , fans of the series got to leave the theater knowing they have just seen a bad film that pretty much guaranteed a good version of the material would not be seen any time soon . it would also be sean connery’s final role before retiring from acting . it feels like that should be held against the movie , too .
i admit it , i love the film push . i think it would have been stronger with a different female lead than camilla belle and removal of the romantic plot line , but the rest of the casting was fantastic . i mean dakota fanning as a punkish drunk brat , chris evans doing his super hero thing before being cap , and djimon hounsou being a bad ass head of a shady organization - it was all a great set up .
on its opening weekend , the film opened # 6 grossing $ 10 , 079 , 109 in 2 , 313 theaters with a $ 4 , 358 average . [ 4 ] as of may 6 , the film has grossed $ 44 , 427 , 122 worldwide , surpassing its budget cost of $ 38 , 000 , 000 . [ 1 ]
on january 19 , 2010 , summit entertainment , e1 entertainment , and icon productions announced that they were developing a television series based on the film . david hayter will write the pilot and will executive produce with dark hero studios partner benedict carver . it is unknown if the actors and actresses from the original film will reprise their roles . [ 6 ]
is an interesting , exciting , but also thought - provoking film that definitely stands out as one of last year ' s underrated titles . it ' s not perfect , as a little more attention to hounsou ' s character would have made the film much better , but what little is wrong with it doesn ' t detract from what ' s enjoyable . if you ' re looking for a superhero - type film with enough action to get by but not the cliched caricatures from fifty years ago , give this a shot .
well , another celebration of the film culminating in the industry ' s biggest show , the 83 ' rd academy awards , has come to an end . fo . . .
now warner bros . , the studio behind the film , wants the action movie to break another glass ceiling . although executives haven’t commented publicly on their plans , they have internally discussed launching a formidable awards - season campaign for the movie , in the hopes of making it the first comic - book film nominated for best picture , variety has learned .
i began to realize why i ' d been resisting the film all along , in spite of its dogged charm . none of the places the couple visit seems remotely real .
“in some ways , it’s ‘the color purple’ all over again , with people writing and talking about what this film represents , ” said mark anthony neal , a professor who teaches black popular culture at duke university . he was referring to the 1985 film based on the novel by alice walker , which was directed by steven spielberg and starred ms . winfrey .
2009 is a somewhat anomalous year in terms of the history of comic book movies . there had already been 3 ‘x - men’ movies , but the franchise had stalled with the messy ‘last stand’ . as a way of pumping some adrenaline back into their property , the makers decided to focus on their star attraction , and released ‘wolverine : origins’ . now we all know how that worked out , but at the time , the majority of media focus was on that movie .
abslutely inept rubbish from the csi school of film - making . not even worth the 1p i paid for the dvd . i even fast - forwarded some scenes with camilla belle .
i got lost in this film , there ' s no doubt that it was clever but i think all the multiple types of powers that everyone had made things a little confusing .
if you do watch - - and you certainly should - - you will see one of the most remarkable performances ever set to film , given by gabourey
gabby
sidibe .
a whole scheme of work on one powerpoint . includes lots of different film composers , different games for starters and plenaries , and space for you to add your own bits too .
the opening core - dump is symptomatic of push ' s diffuse focus : mcguigan seems to want to merge arthouse fare with breathless action movies like jumper and the night watch series . the subject matter is propulsive adolescent fun all the way , with a pop sensibility , some nifty costume and set design , and a lot of special - effects - powered showdowns—but the execution reaches for a broader audience , one so unfamiliar with the genre tropes that it needs the assiduous extra explanation , plus time to ponder each new development . the resultant moderate pacing has its appeal ; it turns push into an ambling , broody concoction along the lines of strange days . at times , a more aggressive editor would help immensely . at others , push explores its brutish future hong kong with a patience and sense of milieu that seems cribbed more from wong kar - wai than doug liman .
it is unfortunately also the perfect example of a film that would have worked better as a tv - show . in every respect this feels like a pilot , clunkily exposing as many ideas as possible to sell it . had it focussed more on characters and plot instead of showing a universe with superpowers from all possible angles , it would have been a better film .
alice in murderland had an awesome gimmick : a slasher movie based on alices adventures in wonderland , with the jabberwocky as the killer . unfortunately , that ' s all it has to offer . the film , despite supposedly taking place in a fancy house , was very clearly filmed in a cheap warehouse . most of the film isn ' t even focused on the killings , but instead the dynamics of a bunch of unlikable sorority sisters . add in a nonsensical in the blood angle , and the film earns its dismal 1 . 9 im db rating .
chronicle was pretty well received , with 85 % on rotten tomatoes . i think that ' s a plus . it ' s still my favourite found footage film along with project x .
daniels paused . it was late september , we were back at the staghorn and he had just returned from the toronto film festival , where “precious” won the audience prize , traditionally an indicator of awards and box - office glory ( last year , the winner was “slumdog millionaire” ) . in a week , “precious” would be the centerpiece selection at the new york film festival .
like watching fireworks explode , plus hunks and girls with cool clothes . there ' s a far - off alternate universe in which fun , artistic people with a sense of humor were allowed to go wild on superhero movies and ya novel adaptations - push accidentally slipped through their stargate and landed on earth
i think i realize now why i didn ' t love shaun of the dead when i first saw it . when the zombie - comedy film , co - starring english comedia . . .
curse of pirate death takes an already - silly title and slaps it on a dreadful movie . the film ' s a slasher starring an undead pirate , whom the film decides to paint as intimidating by calling him
pirate death ,
as opposed to literally anything creative . the acting from most of the cast is so wooden that it makes former porn star ron jeremy ' s look shakespearean in comparison . the plot itself is a disjointed mess with no interesting characters and an overuse of flashbacks . all in all , the film deserves its 2 . 6 imdb rating .
and given the familiarity of the material and the generally acceptable - to - lousy acting from the third - string cast ( though fanning is a surprisingly soulful , coltish exception ) , that moody tone is a lot of what push has going for it . superhero fans will likely be into push just for the cool - factor of watching embattled heroes and villains in a tense war of wits , wills , and skills . that broader audience is less likely to come along for the ride , but this particular gateway drug at least has ambition and brains going for it , as well as the usual spastic style .
disaster movie , which along with all the narrow / shallow parodies and crude jokes , consists of long running gags that were never funny to begin with . what makes disaster movie
special
is that it goes even further on all of this , managing to be more aggressively unfunny , more pandering , more vapid , and even cheaper - looking than the films before it . the film shot up ( or down ? ) to the # 1 spot on im db ' s worst film list in less than a day and bombed in theaters . this film was so bad that pajiba
[ refused ] to dignify [ their ] movie with a new review
. usa today film critic louis fehrey , in his review , said that disaster movie was an insult to the intelligence of him and his fellow americans and an insult to cinema . he subsequently published an article in usa today summing up all the reviews of the film , which were near universally negative .
i thought push was great . but i think you ' re right about the
five years too soon
thing . it could have easily been a netflix show now with a lesser known cast . or well - respected as an
indie
shot at the superhero world outside of marvel / dc .
i bought this film knowing i may have a growing , unhealthy fixation on one chris evans the actor not the other one . what i got with this film was genuine excitement but more importantly i got the beautiful ming - na from tvs er and the always nice to watch cliff curtis from die hard 4 . plus a more grown up dakota fanning is a hoot and a half .
i really enjoyed this film even though at times you could get a little confused with what was going on . fanning is the star of the picture , and is shaping up to be a great actress . the action is very good and realistic and even the powers are good . this film will keep you guessing all the way to the end , but blink and you ' ll miss something important .
just a few months before its premiere at cannes , “precious” won three awards at the sundance film festival , including a special jury prize for mo’nique , who plays precious’s monstrous mother . graphic as the film is , it is less so than “push , ” the 1996 novel on which it is based . written by an african - american poet and writer known as sapphire , “push” relied on intentionally misspelled , broken and slangy english to convey precious’s sense of despair and rage . the novel mixes poems by precious with sexually extreme scenes , like those in which she is forced to perform oral sex on her mother . it is almost relentlessly bleak : when precious discovers she is h . i . v . - positive , she is certain of her imminent death . daniels’s movie , by contrast , offers a greater sense of possibility . he doesn’t ignore her disease , hardships or struggles , but he also liberates her from them . precious is a stand - in for anyone — black , white , male , female — who has ever been devalued or underestimated .
barry jenkins’ “ moonlight ” is a beautifully made drama that explores the life of a young man’s struggles , told across three defining chapters of his life , as he grapples with his sexuality and broken family . the movie premiered at this year’s telluride and toronto film festivals to critical acclaim . to accompany the film’s moving story , nicholas britell composed a hypnotic and emotional score , that you can listen to below .
phenomena . so she has actual talent ? nice . she has great charisma for the screen , especially with evans , which is good since their on - screen romance is half the point of the film .
as this week ' s target film for two reasons . one , so i could mention that dj spinderella was always my favorite member of the band . and two , we are giving away plush toys from
this week , as well as a large note pads from the movie . meanwhile , whoever comes the closest to predicting the film ' s opening 3 - day weekend box office ( friday to sunday ) ,
would survive the film , showing a chris evans - like resilience as he went on to make a definitive merc with a mouth . ( at least his time as hal jordan would yield two jokes for the
a film full of life and love , well - meaning and , judging by the reaction in the us , a genuine and important phenomenon that says act - don ' t dwell - on your dreams .
there are many types of superhumans in push . so many in fact , that it ' s a bit overwhelming . there are
watchers
,
movers
,
pushers
,
bleeders
,
sniffs
,
shifters
,
wipers
,
shadows
and
snitches
. try keeping track of that while watching the film . you also have to keep track of which character can do what , and when . can our lead , nick ( chris evans ) , move things well all of the time , or just when he is motivated ? can his sidekick , cassie ( dakota fanning ) , see much of the future at all , or is she actually the most powerful character in the film ?
there are many types of superhumans in push . so many in fact , that it ' s a bit overwhelming . there are
watchers
,
movers
,
pushers
,
bleeders
,
sniffs
,
shifters
,
wipers
,
shadows
and
snitches
. try keeping track of that while watching the film . you also have to keep track of which character can do what , and when . can our lead , nick ( chris evans ) , move things well all of the time , or just when he is motivated ? can his sidekick , cassie ( dakota fanning ) , see much of the future at all , or is she actually the most powerful character in the film ?
it just doesn’t quite come together like it was supposed to . the film often feels way overstuffed , with characters such as the juggernaut ( vinnie jones ) simply shoehorned in as henchmen , when in the comics they’re often the subject of whole story arcs . angel ( ben foster ) , for instance , was heavily used in the promotion of the film , but has only a few minutes of largely inconsequential screen time .
what really winds me up about super hero movies is when the heros fail to use there powers in an obvious way to get out of a situation . what i love about push is that all the characters use their powers as if this was not a movie and just how i would use them . single word review : refreshing .
i say be who you are , embrace it , push it , work it . just be true to yourself , whether you’re masc , femme , large , skinny , green hair , no hair , or anywhere in between . we are a diverse community of so many incredible types of people and this is where our strengths lie .
if you liked push , consider reading stephen king ' s firestarter . the movie is just so obviously based on the book , but somehow nobody ever mentions it when they bring the movie up , which i just can ' t wrap my head around . it might be my favorite book of his , and the universes are extremely similar .
rather , there ' s a lot of tedious nonsense involving decoy suitcases and floating revolvers - - though the blood - vessel shattering , screaming bleeders are sort of fun - - with director mcguigan (
lucky number slevin ,
wicker park
) pushing the visuals at every opportunity without managing to push the two - hour story forward .
( 2006 ) , was too much style over substance , and while they might have had a point , i found myself energized by the promise that that small , tarantino - esque film showed of its director . with
it ' s official . blue valentine is 2010 ' s # 2 film . and i really can ' t tell you about it . i ' ll say what i can , of course , but . . .
this is a surprisingly good movie . i can only liken it to jumper , but that ' s only relative , it ' s quite different . one of the best things about this film is the chemistry between chris evans and dakota fanning ; it ' s quite unexpected , but works so well . of course there is also the fact that the story is intriguing and isn ' t laden with cgi effects . so , despite what you may or may not have heard about push - it also seems to be little known - see it . as in now .
as i mentioned , the film was shot in hong kong , and it makes for a viable and unique location for this type of film . it ' s gritty , messy , choked with people , simultaneously the best and worst place to hide from the world . the narrow streets and passages combined with the occasional wide - open basketball courts and sky - rise rooftops make for an interesting environment in which to make this movie . simply put ,
the following year brought desplat his fourth oscar nomination , this time for
the king ' s speech .
it also provided him with his biggest film ever :
harry potter & the deathly hallows part 1 .
full financial estimates for this film , including domestic and international box office , video sales , video rentals , tv and ancillary revenue are available through our research services . for more information , please contact us at research @ urltoken .
i would have to rewatch but i remember being super excited for it and seeing it in theaters but honestly left very disappointed . i recall the villain who vould also
push
got the coolest scene of the movie and chris never did anything amazing woth his powers , and with abilities as cool as his he ends up mostly just fist fighting with extra strength .
monster , a cloverfield mockbuster , is the asylum ' s most obscure film , and for good reasons . it has obnoxious camera work which is inexcusable even for found footage - style films , a garbled and focusless plot and overacting awful characters . also , the
monster
never fully shows up ; it ' s supposed to be a giant squid , but when it attacks , it only shows a tentacle and the camera defocuses , just to ( not ) let you know it ' s there . the most pathetic part ? the film was rushed ( and it shows ) to be released a week before cloverfield , hoping that unattentive moviegoers would watch their film instead of the latter .
when daniels was getting up to accept the audience award at the sundance film festival in january , his cellphone rang , and it was oprah winfrey . she was calling to tell him that she had seen “precious , ” that the movie “split her open” and that she wanted to put her might behind the film . “i said , ‘i’m accepting an award right now , ’ ” daniels recalled . “she said , ‘then why are you answering your phone ? ’ ”
on his blog , televisual ( at urltoken ) , he wrote that precious was “by far the scariest movie for anyone invested in having only ‘good’ representations of black people ( ‘the cosby show ! ’ ) in film and tv . ”
pushers have the ability to implant memories , thoughts and emotions into the minds of other people in order to manipulate them . the skill level of the pusher determines how many people the pusher is able to control at one time , and how vivid the implanted memories are . a powerful pusher can push a large group of people at the same time , basically creating a personal army . a pusher is able to make a person do anything the pusher desires , even commit suicide . a pusher ' s eyes indicate how powerful they are : their pupils will dilate to certain degrees depending on how powerful the push is ( for example , henry carver ' s eyes are rendered completely black , signifying that he is an extremely able and effective pusher ) .
it was clear that the film was setting up a universe or a franchise . the shadow organization was still out there . there were questions left unanswered at the end of the story . i keep wondering what would have happened if the film had come out in the middle of the marvel upswing , instead of right at the start . if it would have taken off to become a great franchise with several films delving into the division and the different powers . or . . . do i just love the film but most people think it is terrible ? i admit the screamers bit was absolutely bonkers , but i still loved how fresh this new ip was and i wish it had gotten off the ground .