desire is an american romantic drama film released in 1936 and directed by frank borzage .

it was produced by borzage and ernst lubitsch .

the picture is a remake of the 1933 german film happy days in aranjuez .

the screenplay was written by samuel hoffenstein , edwin justus mayer and waldemar young based on the play die schönen tage von aranjuez by hans székely and robert a. stemmle .

the music score was composed by frederick hollander and the cinematography was shot by charles lang and victor milner .

marlene dietrich 's wardrobe was designed by travis banton .

the film stars marlene dietrich , gary cooper and john halliday , william frawley , akim tamiroff , and alan mowbray .

desire ( 1936 film )

desire ( 1936 ) directed by frank borzage . marlene dietrich , gary cooper , john halliday ( 95 min ) .
…showed a lighter side in desire ( 1936 ) , directed by frank borzage , and destry rides again ( 1939 ) .
william haines : from hollywood film star to . . . - design & desire in the twentieth century
the toronto film society presented desire on monday , november 14 , 2011 in a double bill with barbary coast , as part of the season 64 monday night film buffs series .
crew : ( color ) available on vhs . extract of a review from 1936 . running time : 95 min .
fan magazine photo . she wears her desire blazer while working at the hollywood canteen during wwii .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing desire near you .
ironically , the hollywood regency began to influence film set design in the later 1930s and throughout the 1940s . in 1936 haines worked as the production designer on the film craig’s wife for columbia studios , but he received no credit for his contributions . 1
the nazis in the film wore uniforms of the afrika korps of the german army , which didn ' t exist until 1941 ( the film took place in 1936 ) . it was the ss affiliated ahnenerbe , ( which was never part of the afrika korps ) who went digging for artifacts during that era . considering that egypt was still a british protectorate in 1936 , armed and uniformed germans wouldn’t be permitted there .
desire became a good film and , moreover , also proved to be a box office success . the script was excellent , the roles superb - one more proof that these elements are more important than actors . but even before desire became a hit at the box office , we made another film ( that’s how it is in the film business ) , one that was not so good : angel . ernst lubitsch was responsible for the script and was the director . our morale was restored when desire was shown in movie houses all over the world .
in 1936 , quinn made the leap into acting . that year he had a role in the play clean beds with mae west and appeared in the film parole ! this opened the door to other film roles , often playing the part of the bad guy with an
ethnic
background .
a delightful comedy romance is ' desire , ' at the paramount - - ' peg of old drury , ' at the bijou .
in 1998 , the american film institute placed the film at number 60 on its top 100 films of the first century of cinema . in 1999 the film was deemed
culturally significant
by the united states library of congress and selected for preservation in the national film registry .
desire is the first marlene dietrich and gary cooper picture since morocco ( 1930 ) . the two stars work unusually well as a pair .
although we now live in a digital world where keying is concerned , the desire to transplant images from one film into another is as old as cinema . well , actually older , because cinema only developed as a phenomena years after film was being used in fairgrounds and magic shows .
the story of film : an odyssey , episode 2 - the hollywood dream : 1918 - 1928 : the triumph of american film . . .
the list of films to be screened during the european film festival 2014 include : paradise : love ( austria ) - cannes film festival 2012 – official competition , the broken circle breakdown ( belgium ) - best foreign language film oscar nominated , 2014 , the hunt ( denmark ) - cannes film festival 2012 – official competition best foreign language film oscar nominated , 2014 , stranger by the lake ( france ) - cannes film festival 2013 – best director award , un certain regard section , barbara ( germany ) - berlin international film festival 2012 , best director award , the great beauty ( italy ) - best foreign language film oscar 2014 , tabu ( portugal ) - berlin international film festival 2012 – official competition , child’s pose ( romania ) - berlin international film festival 2013 , golden bear ( best film ) , living is easy with eyes closed ( spain ) - san sebastian international film festival 2013 - official competition , and le week - end ( united kingdom ) - toronto international film festival 2013 .
in the nepal scene , one of the nazi thugs is seen firing an mp40 , which was designed in 1938 , entered service in 1939 , and didn ' t exist back in 1936 .
with the headline : a delightful comedy romance is ' desire , ' at the paramount - - ' peg of old drury , ' at the bijou .
american costume designer mark bridges created the wardrobe for the film ' s cast .
a delightful comedy romance is ' desire , ' at the paramount - - ' peg of old drury , ' at the bijou . - the new york times
director william wyler and producer samuel goldwyn collaborated on a total of nine films together , beginning with barbary coast ( 1935 ) ( uncredited ) , followed by come and get it ( 1936 ) , these three ( 1936 ) , dodsworth ( 1936 ) , dead end ( 1937 ) , wuthering heights ( 1939 ) , the westerner ( 1940 ) , the little foxes ( 1941 ) , and ending with the best picture - winning the best years of our lives ( 1946 ) . the cinematography of rudolph mate made masterful use of intricately - composed or framed scenes , many with deep - focus , recalling the works of gregg toland .
the film ' s climactic scene is set to bernard herrmann ' s ' scene d ' amour ' from his score to alfred hitchcock ' s film vertigo , in which it similarly accompanies an extended scene without dialogue . only one song ( sung , with lyrics ) is used in the soundtrack , ' pennies from heaven ' , sung by rose ' chi - chi ' murphy ( uncredited ) . this song was written in 1936 , although the film is set between 1927 and 1932 .
in january 2012 , the film was nominated for twelve baftas , also the most of any film from 2011 . it won seven , the most wins of the night , including best film , best director and best original screenplay for hazanavicius , and best actor for dujardin .
hickey , kieran ( 1936–93 ) , film producer and director , was born 29 february 1936 at holles st . maternity hospital , dublin , eldest son of thomas hickey , locomotive engineer , of 41 dufferin ave . , south circular rd , dublin , and kathleen hickey ( née o ' keeffe ) . he had an elder brother , desmond ( ‘des’ ) . educated locally , introspective and much attached to the home he would occupy all his life other than during his time in england , hickey worked briefly in the insurance business and moved to london in the late 1950s . taking a series of mundane jobs to support himself , he studied at the london school of film technique , brixton . one of few formally educated irish film professionals , he familiarised himself early in his career with contemporaries in the british film industry . he blended easily with them but remained a very private person . closely befriending british film - writer david thomson , with whom he compiled some of the first working filmographies , he pioneered a genre of film - writing which subsequently become fundamental to the literature .
marlene dietrich desire began shooting in september 1935 . it was eventually decided to film it in black - and - white , rather than technicolor , but this did nothing to detract from marlene’s beauty . she appears in an endless succession of glamorous outfits and looks ravishing in all of them . she directed much of her own lighting in the film , as well as some of gary cooper’s .
when i read ernst lubitsch’s screenplay for desire , i was horrified . the film was to begin with a close - up of my legs . my legs , always my legs ! yet for me they have only one purpose , they make it possible for me to walk . i didn’t want so much fuss made over my legs . but mae west advised me to take another view of the matter and to let the producers have their way . she always had a thousand good reasons for her opinion , and i listened to her . so the film desire begins with a close - up of my legs . it’s an extraordinary film and could have dispensed with such a beginning .
film aggregator rotten tomatoes gave the film a 94 % rating , calling it ,
one of the most consummately entertaining adventure pictures of all time .
metacritic gave the film 90 / 100 , saying it ' s ,
. . . one astonishing cliffhanger after another . . .
.
this film is not currently playing on mubi but 30 other great films are . see what’s now showing
the artist received near - universal acclaim from critics and won many accolades . dujardin won the best actor award at the 2011 cannes film festival , where the film premiered . the film was nominated for six golden globes , the most of any 2011 film , and won three : best motion picture – musical or comedy , best original score , and best actor – motion picture musical or comedy for dujardin .
all the featured films are the recipients of numerous awards and accolades at international film festivals and competitions , including the oscars and the cannes film festival . they are the latest productions from the most exciting and talented film directors in europe at the moment , and a true reflection of european cinematographic creativity and diversity .
the film was not very successful in the us , but was a huge hit in europe . film critic and novelist graham greene declared , “ desire is the best film in which miss marlene dietrich has appeared since she left germany , and the most amusing new film to be seen in london this week” ( dumont 240 ) . one of her big european fans was adolph hitler , who sent joachim von ribbentrop to ask her to “come home to the reich” and the fuhrer would decorate her . because of her unprintable response , this would be the last of her films shown in her homeland until hitler’s defeat .
in france , it was nominated for ten césar awards , winning six , including best film , best director for hazanavicius and best actress for bejo . the artist became the most awarded french film in history .
“the theme of love serves as an interesting starting point for a european film selection . this contemporary selection of films allows us to experience tales beyond the cliché and ‘national’ narrative , to offer challenging , entertaining and compelling images of love , desire and the current state of europe , ’ says darryl els , euff 2014 festival director .
the film was originally set to be rated r because , during the climax of the film , there is a visual of an exploding head . after it was obscured by a column of fire , the rating was lowered to pg .
european film festival to explore ' beyond love ' in ( . . . ) - consulat général de france au cap
dodsworth ( 1936 ) is famed german - born director william wyler ' s classic romantic drama from samuel goldwyn productions , and distributed by united artists . scriptwriter sidney howard wrote the screenplay based upon his 1934 stage adaptation of sinclair lewis ' 1929 novel of the same name . luckily , howard was able to use his stage adaptation , with 14 different scenes , as the basis for the film ' s screenplay .
lighter in tone and probably not as thematically substantial compared to her work with von sternberg , desire is still a good showcase for the talents of marlene dietrich . i ' ve never seen a lubitsch film but i ' ve read that he had some input into how this film turned out and i will say that the humour is right up my alley - - sophisticated and witty while also brimming with innuendo .
desire
is really the name of the game here as dietrich plays up her enticing yet also slightly hazardous screen persona with aplomb . the film is just mostly a really well done romantic comedy from the era , replete set ups and payoffs , a three act structure , and a predictable love story . maybe a notch or two below some of the best dietrich / von sternberg collaborations but still worth a look .
this post is the second part of a biography on hollywood designer and film star , william haines . read part one .
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 .
the film was shot entirely within la sound studios , although supplemented with background - projection shots of a number of authentic locales , such as london , paris , and naples . although not a major box - office success at the time ( due to the fact that it had lesser - known , older performers ) , the subtle , sophisticated and serious film was critically - acclaimed . it garnered seven academy award nominations , including best picture , best director , best actor ( walter huston , recreating his earlier stage role , who should have won the oscar with his sensitive portrayal against winner paul muni for the story of louis pasteur ( 1936 ) ) , best screenplay , best supporting actress ( maria ouspenskaya , reprising her role from the earlier stage production , and in her film debut ) , and best sound recording , and won only one oscar for best art direction - interior decoration . it lost the best picture race to the great ziegfeld ( 1936 ) , a lengthy , less - impressive
musical
biography .
this list collects every film from the starting list that became they shoot pictures don ' t they ' s 1000 greatest films . this…
the film ends with the may day parade where dixon is marching along with the masses and finally expresses that she understands stalinist ussr .
anthony michael hall is a film and tv actor known for his roles in sixteen candles , the breakfast club and the dead zone .
a residue of williams’s transsexual self - projection into the archly predatory blanche is perhaps discernible in her seductive exchange with the newsboy , toward whom she directs such blatant come - ons as “you make my mouth water . ” williams said that blanche , soliciting the startled newsboy , has become allan , her young gay husband , whom she shamed into suicide . a streetcar named desire was unusually forthright about homosexuality at a time when the subject was bowdlerized or demonized by hollywood movies . homosexuality was explicitly forbidden under the motion picture production code : these three , for example , a 1936 film based on lillian hellman’s hit play , the children’s hour , substituted a heterosexual triangle for the central plot motif of lesbianism , which was expunged .
jordan y . miller , ed . , twentieth century interpretations of a streetcar named desire : a collection of critical essays ( englewood cliffs , nj , 1971 ) . matthew c . roudané , ed . , the cambridge companion to tennessee williams ( cambridge , 1997 ) . donald spoto , the kindness of strangers : the life of tennessee williams ( boston , 1985 ) . tennessee williams , memoirs ( garden city , ny , 1975 ) . filmography : a streetcar named desire , directed by elia kazan ( 1951 ) .
according to hazanavicius , his wish to make a silent film was at first not taken seriously , but after the financial success of his spy - film pastiches oss 117 : cairo , nest of spies and oss 117 : lost in rio , producers started to express interest .
rouben mamoulian was a very good friend and took me as i was . others , too . the only film i need not be ashamed of is desire , directed by frank borzage and based on a script by ernst lubitsch . i found gary cooper a little less monosyllabic than before . he was finally rid of lupe velez , who had been at his heels constantly throughout the shooting of morocco .
this great , sensitively - directed , sophisticated film with exceptional acting , and faithful to the source material , has often been overlooked as one of the best films of the 1930s , and one of filmdom ' s greatest love stories . the film ' s tagline stated :
here is a picture that was marked for greatness before it was ever screened !
wyler had directed another play ( also produced by goldwyn ) that was adapted for the big screen in the same year , these three ( 1936 ) - a heavily - bowdlerized adaptation of lillian hellman ' s
the children ' s hour .
what happens when it smells like a lubitsch film , talks like a lubitsch film , but wasn ' t directed by lubitsch ? but . . . auteur theory tells me that the director is the primary author of films ! but he didn ' t direct it , only produced it ? what ? what am i suppose to think ? borzage is no slouch , and you could argue that the second half of this film is more his than lubitsch . is he the auteur of this film ? ah ! ! ! andre bazin , you jerk .
anthony perkins is an oscar - nominated stage and film actor who is best known for his role as norman bates in alfred hitchcock’s psycho .
( qv ) ( 1935–2006 ) . his commitment to work was not equalled by a desire for attention , and he shied from publicity . his colleague at bac , film editor patrick duffner , later recalled his pioneering zeal and vision , and his devotion to good practice and economy , to loyal friendship , and to his privacy . hickey also advised students of film at the national college of art and design . working with david thomson , hickey contributed so much to the first ( 1975 ) and subsequent british and american editions of thomson ' s renowned
the artist was nominated for ten academy awards and won five , including best picture , best director for hazanavicius , and best actor for dujardin , who was the first french actor ever to win . it was the first french film ever to win best picture , the first mainly silent film to win since 1927 ' s wings ( the first recipient of the best picture award , in 1929 ) , the first film presented in the 4 : 3 aspect ratio to win since 1955 ' s marty , the first black - and - white film to win since 1993 ' s schindler ' s list , and the first non - r - rated film to win since 2004 ' s million dollar baby .
dietrich’s “emancipation” is immediately evident in desire . “for the first time [ in an american film ] , ” wrote frank nugent in the new york times , “she is permitted to walk , breathe , smile and shrug as a human being instead of being a canvas for the louvre” - a snide reference , perhaps , to a paramount publicity photo which superimposed dietrich’s enigmatic features on the mona lisa’s . dietrich found desire a liberating experience . it was a present - day story , to start with , and lighter in tone than any she had been used to since her german comedies . borzage was a director with no interest in touching any of the darker bases of sexuality . the mood of the film was engaging : it wanted to make its people likable ; and since the slight story weighed no one down , the cast responded with spirit .
as film grew in commercial importance , there were many variants of this process created ; but essentially it’s the antecedent of what happens today digitally . when colour film started gaining ground ( around 1918 - 1936 ) clever new methods to separate foreground and different background were invented . one particular method was the blue screen colour difference process . invented by petro vlahos it became the basis for the most widely used methods of getting a travelling matte until digital techniques were possible in the 80s . the process demanded a very pure blue backlit background . the film negative produced was copied onto black and white filmstock through a blue filter , which allows only red and green to expose the film , so the blue area is transparent . however there is always likely to be a bit of blue on the foreground character so this black and white film was combined with the original negative to make a new high contrast matte , but this time through a special green filter . by now the blue screen is clear and the foreground character totally black . this ‘male matte’ is then copied to a negative ‘female matte’ . there are several other stages to this - each one with other film prints . aren’t you glad we now do this digitally ?
jack palance was an american actor best known for playing villainous roles in the 1960s and for his award - winning appearance in the film city slickers .
american actor and director josé ferrer was perhaps best known for his academy award - winning performance in the title role of the film cyrano de bergerac .
desire is not an official lubitsch film , merely a lubitsch production of a borzage film , which of course is none too shabby in itself . all the same , the film is a near - perfect exemplar of the famed lubitsch touch ; highbrow sophistication concealing its lowbrow intentions through discreet innuendo . find the same cleverly worked - out sequences which amount to comedic gags in the classical setup - escalation - payoff mold , like the beautifully sustained opening 20 minutes in which dietrich strings along a pair of suckers with seductive aplomb . dietrich is extraterrestrial as ever , still flattered with dynamic key lighting , still decked out in the absurdly unreal wardrobe of the sternberg pictures , and yet still somehow putting all this movie magic to shame through sheer radiance . for…
she said it was the easiest film she ever made . “until desire , i have always had to conceal my feelings and still show that i loved the man , whoever he was . this is the most difficult thing of all . nothing is easier to play than straight sentiments . mr . von sternberg never let me play love scenes—not ordinary ones , i mean with hugging and all that , because he hates ordinary love scenes” ( walker 126 ) .
there is even an interesting subtext dealing with two very different and fairly well developed black characters . one is the wealthy couple ' s chauffer joseph ( john alexander ) and the other is slim ( slim thompson ) one of duke mantee ' s henchman . they have an interesting interchange where slim all but calls joseph an uncle tom . remember in 1936 this was pretty radical stuff .
at dietrich ' s insistence john gilbert was originally intended to play the role of margoli , but his poor health due to alcoholism and a series of heart attacks forced him to step aside . at the time dietrich and gilbert had become close friends and occasional romantic partners . on january 10 , 1936 , during postproduction of the film , gilbert passed away . after his death dietrich , who had also developed a close relationship with gilbert ' s daughter leatrice , took her on outings and lavished gifts upon her , just one instance of her legendary generosity .
the restaurant itself is homey , with about 10 tables and a six - seat bar guaranteed to satisfy serious tequila and mezcal aficionados . the brightly colored room is adorned with a blend of art from mexico , framed accolades from the local press , and a tv to ensure that no one misses a single liga mx soccer match . the soundtrack is a who’s who of mexican music , with hits like vicente fernández’s “por tu maldito amor” in regular rotation . and the taqueria is named after the title song of the classic 1936 mexican film allá en el rancho grande .
to recreate the slightly speeded - up look of 1920s silent films , the film was shot at a slightly lower frame rate of 22 fps as opposed to the standard 24 fps . most of the film is silent , except for two scenes of sound ; one being a nightmare sequence and the other being the final scene in the film , where two characters speak , and the non - diegetic soundtrack . throughout the shoot , hazanavicius played music from classic hollywood films while the actors performed .
i bought this film from the netherlands as unfortunately it isn ' t on sale in the uk , i don ' t know why , sadly its been forgotten like so many others of this era . i thought the film was very ahead of its time , the characters are very interesting , you have the likable but scheming lady jewell thief , who is so classy , and then you have the handsome but not to clever american tourist , together they make great comedy , this is both stars at their best , you can tell they are enjoying the parts their playing in this film . also strangely enough the costumes and vintage cars don ' t date the film at all , it only adds to the appeal , this is a great film to watch if you love old cars , because there is some beautiful models shown in this film . and the costumes are very classy , and interesting . its an old film , that hasn ' t dated , it just gets more interesting with age , as i ' ve said its a shame its not on sale in the uk , as we do have a lot of old car enthusiasts .
during that time , maria talked frequently about her desire to open “a little taco place . ” when she and joaquin lost their jobs in a factory layoff , they started the search for a spot to make that desire a reality . in 2005 maria found a vacant space on the first floor of a house on plainfield street . however , the property was for sale , not for lease . the mezas’ savings would never cover the price of the house as well as costly restaurant construction . that’s when joaquin jr . and his wife , kimberly , agreed to help buy the place , putting their own dream of home ownership on hold to help maria start her business .
if the film proves but one thing to modern audiences , it’s that people have been getting drunk and sleeping with strangers the night before their weddings since the dawn of time .
( qv ) . in 1982 he published a book of the same title ( republished 2004 ) with his brother , who was by now a journalist and film - writer . his
marlene dietrich had just ended her long association with her director josef von sternberg . their collaborations were visually extravagant , unlike any other films ever made , obsessed with marlene’s sexual allure , as expressed in peerlessly bizarre costumes and atmospheric photography . desire was a kind of liberation for her as an actress . the new york times critic wrote , “for the first time ( in an american film ) she is permitted to walk , breathe smile and shrug as a human being instead of being a canvas for the louvre” ( walker 135 ) .
the film was released on vhs , beta , ced and laserdisc , and was one of the first films which led to the concept of consumers owning films , rather than renting them .
anthony quinn was born on april 21 , 1915 , in chihuahua , mexico , but his family settled in los angeles shortly after his birth . quinn & apos ; s acting career began in 1936 in a play with mae west . on film , he won best supporting actor oscars for his roles in viva zapata ! ( 1952 ) and lust for life ( 1956 ) , with the former win making him the first actor born in mexico to win an academy award . he also had memorable roles in zorba the greek ( 1964 ) and lawrence of arabia ( 1962 ) , among many other films . quinn died on june 3 , 2001 .
desire is the first marlene dietrich and gary cooper picture since morocco ( 1930 ) . the two stars work unusually well as a pair . the direction is subtle and inspired , with many smart little lubitschian touches adding to the general appeal of the yarn [ by hans szekely and r . a . stemmle ] and its plot . dietrich plays a jewel [ … ]
most film critics have a pretty good handle on what it is a director does , what a cinematographer does , what an editor does . acting , however , remains a little bit mysterious .
experience modern times , the iconic film written by , directed by and starring charlie chaplin as a factory worker at the beginning of the industrial revolution . the orchestral score , also . . .
as film processes developed , and film became more sophisticated , the weaknesses of simple mattes became apparent . it would only work if the camera and actors were still or stayed in a fixed area . a travelling matte allowed a freely moving person to be cut out and placed on top of a background without winding film back through a camera for double exposure . to achieve this , just like today’s green screen , an actor would perform against a contrasting screen . in film terms this meant creating a number of differently developed prints from the original , starting with a very high contrast film of our foreground character ( let’s say , dancing around ) . then a high contrast negative of this would be created too . put simply , these two high contrast ( black and white ) filmstrips of our dancer would be used to create masks or mattes for both the dancer and the background . this film technique was like having a magic moving piece of card that ensures only the dancer is exposed on one film , and that the background has a perfectly synchronised moving black shadow where the dancer should be . these two films are optically printed ( projected and refilmed ) and combined together and , hey presto , our dancer seems to be dancing on the moon or whatever the chosen background image was ! this method was prevalent from the 1920s till the 1960s .
dietrich always called it the easiest film she ever made and her reasons , significantly , harked back to the days of subordination she had suffered under von sternberg . “until desire , i have always had to conceal my feelings and still show that i loved the man , whoever he was . this is the most difficult thing of all . nothing is easier to play than straight sentiments . mr . von sternberg never let me play love scenes - not ordinary ones , i mean , with hugging and all that , because he hates ordinary love scenes . in morocco , gary cooper was supposed to kiss me , but behind a fan . that was all . ” desire thus broke another taboo that predated von sternberg : namely the slap on the face that dietrich’s mother had delivered when her daughter turned up her nose at dancing with a boy she didn’t like . at long last she could show her feelings without being accused of bad manners .
“very well , gary , do not try to be clever . just say the lines straight , and give them your own sweet personality , and they will be excellent comedy lines” lubitsch told him ( swindell 186 ) . cooper , of course , played tom bradley with ease . the montana cowboy with the english boarding school education knew how to be innocent and sophisticated at the same time . 1936 was a big year for him , this film , considered by many to be his finest comedy performance , and next up , one of his classics , mr . deeds goes to town , in which he reforms not a wayward jewel thief but corrupt society as a whole .
the forming of the film ' s narrative started with hazanavicius ' desire to work again with actors jean dujardin and bérénice bejo , hazanivicius ' s wife , who had starred in oss 117 : cairo , nest of spies . hazanavicius chose the form of the melodrama , mostly because he thought many of the films from the silent era which have aged best are melodramas . he undertook extensive research about 1920s hollywood , and studied silent films to find the right techniques to make the story comprehensible without having to use too many intertitles . the screenplay took four months to write .
borzage had been a director for years . born in salt lake city to swedish parents , he directed his first film in 1916 , when he was 23 and went on to become on of the most highly regarded directors of the twenties and thirties . he won the first - ever oscar for direction for his 1927 film seventh heaven and won the same award five years later for bad girls .
i’m sorry to have to be the bearer of sad news . toronto film society’s good friend james cozart from the library of congress , died yesterday , saturday , march 25th . james . . .
, and the national film studios of ireland . this was the landmark film in his career : a larger production , again starring t . p . mckenna , with a prestigious cast including bosco hogan , niall o ' brien , and joan o ' hara . in this film , whose script won an arts council award , hickey portrayed an intense sexual drama played between three middle - class irish men and a french woman , brought together by chance in a situation of repressed opportunity overshadowed by respectability . he contrasted irish repression with french openness , revealing the chasm of misunderstanding that lay between .
comic book artist jim steranko was commissioned to produce original illustrations for pre - production , which heavily influenced spielberg ' s decisions in both the look of the film and the character of indiana jones himself .
the artist is a 2011 french romantic comedy drama in the style of a black - and - white silent film . it was written and directed by michel hazanavicius and stars jean dujardin and bérénice bejo .
director michel hazanavicius had been considering making a silent film for many years , both because many filmmakers he admires emerged in the silent era , and because of the image - driven nature of the form .
the $ 20 - million film was a huge success , easily the highest grossing film ( earning $ 210 million approx . ) of 1981 , and , at the time , one of the highest - grossing movies ever made . according to the 2005 edition of the world almanac ( from variety data ) , the first two star wars films are the only pictures released prior to 1981 that have out - earned raiders .
the archetypal southern belle whom blanche so desperately plays , eighty years after the civil war , would have been instantly recognizable to audiences from scarlett o’hara of gone with the wind , the blockbuster film ( based on margaret mitchell’s 1936 best seller ) that had been released in a tremendous burst of international publicity just eight years earlier . ( coincidentally , a british actress , vivien leigh , would win two academy awards for best actress for playing both scarlett o’hara and blanche dubois . ) belle reve is partly tara , the family plantation for which scarlett fights tax collectors and carpetbaggers . but it is also ( as williams attested ) the cherry orchard in chekhov’s 1904 play of that name , a precious patrimony that is mortgaged and seized by vulgarians .
the u - boat scenes were shot at la rochelle , both outside the harbor and inside the u - boat bunkers there , built by the germans in 1942 . filming was done here due to the need to obtain a u - boat to film with — the film
borrowed
the u - boat that was being prepared for filming das boot , which was also filming at the same time and in the same area .
the chachapoyan fertility idol , sought by jones and satipo in south america in the opening scenes of the film , was designed with eyes that would unnaturally follow jones around the room . although this was eventually cut from the film , the idol ' s eyes can be seen scanning back and forth briefly as the camera pushes in for its first real look at the artifact , just after jones bounds over the steps leading up to the sanctuary .
when madeline drives by tom , who is stopped to take a photo of himself , she splashes mud all over him - and some of the water from the puddle lands on the lens of the film ' s camera .
in addition to any special events and programming , the toronto film society programmes 5 regular series and events each year . below is a list of those programmes . [ sws _ 2 _ column title = ”” . . .
for its 1999 vhs re - issue , and the subsequent dvd release four years later , the outer package bears the new title indiana jones and the raiders of the lost ark . however , the title in the film itself remains unchanged , even in the restored dvd print . this change was made to correlate with the titles of the film ' s prequel and sequel . raiders was later released on dvd in 2003 and was reissued in may 2008 .
john gilbert tested for the role of carlos , and to his and marlene’s delight , won the part . and the major male role , the detroit motor - engineer tom bradley , went to her old co - star and lover , gary cooper . this was unfortunate for gilbert . when she met cooper again , marlene found her old desire for him rekindled . it was true that he had recently married a society lady , and that lupe velez was rumoured to still have her eye on him , but nonetheless he and marlene resumed their affair . gilbert found this devastating . marlene had become his confidante and support and with her off cavorting with gary cooper he quickly drifted back to the bottle for consolation which caused him to have a series of small heart attacks . this caused paramount to remove him from the film and was replaced by john halliday , which was a shame because although halliday was a good actor , he did not have much sexual charisma , and a theme in the plot of desire was to have been his jealousy as madeleine’s love for tom became more apparent . this theme now disappeared .
that he shared in the author ' s book dedication and in later editions had an entry in the work which was both obituary and memorial . with timely good fortune , the galway film fleadh of july 1992 , held in parallel with the galway arts festival , included a retrospective celebration of his work . exactly one year later , having recently partnered philip davison ( who had collaborated on some of hickey ' s earlier work ) in script - writing a projected new film called
in this film , lifelong friends martha dobie and karen wright manage an exclusive girl ' s boarding school . student mary tilford spreads a rumor that martha has been carrying on an illicit affair with doctor joseph cardin , the boyfriend of karen .
the story takes place in hollywood , between 1927 and 1932 , and focuses on the relationship of an older silent film star and a rising young actress , as silent cinema falls out of fashion and is replaced by the ' talkies ' .
the film ' s music was composed by ludovic bource and produced in belgium . it was recorded by brussels philharmonic and conducted by ernst van tiel . recording took place during six days in april 2011 at flagey ' s studio 4 in brussels .
the scene in which jones threatens belloq with a rocket propelled grenade was shot in the exact same tunisian canyon where george lucas shot a scene involving tusken raiders attacking luke skywalker in his film star wars episode iv : a new hope ( 1977 ) .
lucas began production on the movie soon after the surprise success of his 1977 motion picture star wars episode iv : a new hope . while vacationing in hawaii with friend and director steven spielberg , spielberg mentioned how he ' d always wanted to make a
james bond - like film
. lucas countered that he had a story that was better , and proposed a concept he and writer / director philip kaufman had worked on in 1975 based around lucas ' desire to see a movie - style return of 1930s and ' 40s action serials . the story was set aside while lucas finished his work on star wars . spielberg ' s comment gave raiders new momentum and together , with spielberg directing , contacted lawrence kasdan to write the screenplay .
critics consider the 1954 paramount pictures adventure film secret of the incas starring charlton heston as adventurer harry steele on the trail of an ancient incan artifact , to be prototypical to raiders of the lost ark in both theme , and style . [ 2 ] while the film is not officially credited as an influence , costume designer deborah nadoolman notes that the steele character ' s outfit was the direct inspiration for jones ' s attire and recognises secret of the incas as raiders almost shot for shot . [ 3 ]
shot in just 73 days and with a budget of around $ 18 , 000 , 000 ( us ) , the release of raiders of the lost ark on june 12 , 1981 saw the movie quickly become the highest grossing film of the year with $ 384 , 140 , 454 worldwide , and in 1982 was nominated for eight academy awards including best picture from which it won four : best sound , best film editing , best visual effects , and best art direction - set decoration . it was re - released on video in 1999 , again in 2003 for the dvd release and once more in 2008 . [ 1 ] in 2012 , the film received a restored , high - definition home video release as part of indiana jones : the complete adventures .
' raiders of the lost ark ' was nominated for eight academy awards in 1982 and won four ( best sound , best film editing , best visual effects , best art direction - set decoration ) . it won numerous other awards including seven saturn awards .
quinn also established a solid career on the stage , appearing in the 1947 broadway production on the gentleman from athens . he had worked as a replacement actor in the 1947 production of a streetcar named desire , and took over the famed role of stanley kowalski in the play & apos ; s 1950 revival at city center . additional broadway projects included borned in texas ( 1950 ) , becket ( 1960 ) , for which he earned a tony nomination , and tchin - tchin ( 1962 ) .
quinn did some of his finest film work in the 1950s and 1960s . alongside marlon brando , he played mexican revolutionary eufemio zapata in viva zapata ! ( 1952 ) , a performance that won him the academy award for actor in a supporting role . quinn received that same honor again for his portrayal of the painter paul gauguin in lust for life ( 1956 ) with kirk douglas . he had also starred in federico fellini & apos ; s la strada ( 1956 ) , which won the foreign language film oscar .
i see the point patrick is making about mankind ' s nature . the petrified forest is filled with opposing views of man ' s base urges versus intellect . alan is in search of knowledge while duke is more like a cave man . alan will sacrifice for another person while duke steals from others . boze represents lust as all he seems to want is to get it on with gabby . he puts no thought into what she wants or what her goals are . alan falls for gabby but sees her potential and chooses to move on knowing he is not as right for her as she thinks . patrick also mentioned the two african american characters , which was very unique for a 1936 film . they too add to the theme . one is a servant to the wealthy couple whom he asks permission before doing anything . the other is a criminal and is free from such a stereotypical controlling situation .
director david lean cited this as one of his favorite films after it came out . lean ' s lawrence of arabia is on record as being director steven spielberg ' s favorite film . during the map room scene , indy is dressed very similar to lawrence .
the box office success of the film led to a prequel , indiana jones and the temple of doom ( 1984 ) , and two sequels , indiana jones and the last crusade ( 1989 ) and indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull ( 2008 ) .
set in 1936 , a year after the events in indiana jones and the temple of doom , the story begins with dr . indiana jones ' s journey into a peruvian jungle with a few local guides to find the golden idol of fertility within the temple of the chachapoyan warriors . jones avoids various traps , the betrayal of his two guides , barranca and satipo , and a giant rolling boulder that chases him out of the temple . waiting for him outside is his nemesis , french archaeologist rené belloq , and a small army of hovitos natives . belloq steals the idol from jones , who barely escapes in a pontoon plane piloted by jock lindsey waiting nearby .
in the scene where jones threatens to destroy the ark , he ' s holding a soviet rpg - 7 , which didn ' t appear until 1961 , well after the war . he should be using either an anti - tank rifle or a rifle - fired grenade , since the film takes place years before the outbreak of the second world war . this scene was also shot in the same tunisian canyon where george lucas shot a scene involving jawas kidnapping r2 - d2 in his earlier film star wars episode iv : a new hope .
raiders of the lost ark is an action / adventure film created by george lucas and released through paramount pictures in 1981 . it is the first indiana jones movie ever released and is considered to be chapter twenty - four in the complete adventures of indiana jones . to be consistent with later titles in the franchise , the film was retitled indiana jones and the raiders of the lost ark for its video release packaging in 1999 , though the original title is retained onscreen in the movie . amongst fans it is usually referred to simply as raiders .
in 1950 haines had an opportunity to return to the silver screen when he was asked to play a cameo in the card party scene in billy wilder’s sunset boulevard , but haines turned it down , preferring a life among film actors as opposed to actually being one . 1
marlon brando , carrying a “red - stained package” from the butcher and sporting blue - denim work clothes as the lordly , proletarian stanley kowalski , ambles insolently onstage at the opening of tennessee williams’s a streetcar named desire . “bellowing” for his adoring yet tart - tongued wife , stanley is the strutting male animal in his sexual prime . the setting is a seedy tenement in the multiracial french quarter of new orleans , whose picturesque verandas open to the humid air . street sounds and sultry , insinuating jazz riffs float in and out .
the film’s production values also helped a “new” dietrich emerge . travis banton , the studio’s brilliant wardrobe designer , gave her a simpler line , producing a cuisine minceur effect in dress where formerly there had been a banquet . in the opinion of eugenia sheppard , women’s features editor of the new york herald tribune in the 1960s , dietrich’s double - breasted sports jacket worn in the film over a white dress was an outdoor costume that “marked the beginning of today’s good taste . ” such details brought her closer to the audiences than von sternberg would ever have thought desirable .


stardust is a 2007 film adaptation of the 1999 neil gaiman novel of the same name , stardust .

the romantic fantasy adventure film was directed by matthew vaughn and co-written by vaughn and jane goldman .

the film features an ensemble cast led by claire danes , charlie cox , sienna miller , jason flemyng , mark strong , rupert everett , ricky gervais , robert de niro , michelle pfeiffer and peter o’toole , with narration by ian mckellen .

the film follows tristan , a young man from the fictional town of wall .

wall is a town on the border of the magical fantasy kingdom of stormhold .

tristan enters the magical world to collect a fallen star to give to his girlfriend victoria , in return for her hand in marriage .

he collects the star who , to his surprise , is a woman named yvaine .

witches and the princes of stormhold are also hunting for yvaine .

meanwhile tristan tries to get her back to wall with him before victoria 's birthday , the deadline of her offer .

the film was released to positive reviews and grossed $ 135.6 million on a $ 70 million budget .

in 2008 , it won the hugo award for best dramatic presentation , long form .

stardust was released on dvd , blu-ray , and hd dvd on december 18 , 2007 , by paramount home entertainment .

stardust ( 2007 film )

gaiman ' s work makes crossing mediums look easy , but the 2007 stardust film remains one of the best adaptations of his work . . .
stardust is a 2007 film adaptation of neil gaiman ' s book of the same name . while certain liberties were taken , it remains a relatively faithful adaptation .
note : / film is not associated with imdb or rotten tomatoes . stats provided from both sites were accurate as of december 22nd 2007 .
where to watch : stardust is available to watch on amazon video and itunes . stardust is also available on dvd .
best novella : “all seated on the ground” by connie willis ( asimov’s dec . 2007 ; subterranean press )
best novelette : “the merchant and the alchemist’s gate” by ted chiang ( subterranean press ; f & sf sept . 2007 )
luckily for all fans of the original stardust comic - based storybook , vertigo released a new hardcover edition in 2007 ( to roughly coincide with the release of the movie ) with 50 new pages of material , including some new artwork . thus far , the matthew vaughn film is the only screen adaptation of stardust . . .
in 2007 , long before i had read any neil gaiman , my university flat mate dragged me along to see a film called stardust . she had nothing but praise for the novel and couldn’t wait to see the film . i remember being underwhelmed by the film , finding the casting of big names for silly roles a little trite and it never quite came together for me .
actor clive owen poses for a photo while promoting his new film ,
shoot ' em up ,
at the comic - con convention in san diego friday , july 27 , 2007 .
2 . stardust features michelle pfeiffer as a witch — for the second time .
whenever i feel blue , there are some movies that always cheer me up . stardust is one of those movies . full of action , adventure , magic , and romance , 2007’s stardust is an enchanting fantasy story about a boy growing up and finding his true love while meeting a variety of fascinating characters .
claire danes films scenes for stardust on elm hill back in 2006 . photo : antony kelly
montages and ending specifics aside , all of the changes from the book to the film were made with the blessing of gaiman , who also acted as a producer on the film and had some say in creative decisions . speaking on the changes made for the stardust film to mtv , gaiman said :
for me , stardust is one of the few examples of a film adaptation that aren ' t afraid to make changes that work much better for the format . personally , i like the stardust film more than the stardust novel — though both contain their own , separate joys . in an era of remakes and adaptations , more filmmakers and writers of adapted screenplays could learn from matthew vaughn ' s and jane goldman ' s example .
following the success of neil gaiman adaptations neverwhere and good omens ( the latter co - written with the late terry pratchett ) , radio 4 has announced that another of the offbeat author’s books is in the works as a special audio play this winter – stardust , previously brought to audiences in a 2007 film starring claire danes and robert de niro .
stardust is a 2007 british - american romantic fantasy film from paramount pictures , directed by matthew vaughn . the film is based on neil gaiman ' s novel stardust and stars an ensemble cast including charlie cox , ben barnes , michelle pfeiffer , claire danes , sienna miller , mark strong , jason flemyng , rupert everett , ricky gervais , david walliams , nathaniel parker , peter o ' toole , david kelly , robert de niro , julian rhind - tutt , mark heap and henry cavill . narration is by ian mckellen .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing stardust near you .
however , in 1999 , stardust was released as a more traditional novel by gaiman without the illustrations from hess . for me , this edition loses much of the story and magic of the original illustrated , comics - based version , which is perhaps why — when comparing the illustrations - less novel version of stardust to the film version of stardust — the former is left slightly wanting .
the dad’s army film is set for its london premiere tonight and although the film was shot in bridlington , the original tv series was filmed in thetford .
“then , in this very thick russian accent , he goes , ‘i know you ! i couldn’t figure it out for a while but i know now . you’re tristan ! ’”—naming cox’s character in stardust , a 2007 neil gaiman adaptation that certainly has a smaller reach than the marvel machine .
but the truth is , maybe 2 million people have read stardust . but 2 million people would see the stardust movie if it was playing on tv during a wet afternoon in germany ,
he says .
@ richard i was hoping for a nice answer from you , as a fellow stardust fan . . .
film : war on everyone director : john michael mcdonagh prod . year : 2016
film : the last witch hunter director : breck eisner prod . year : 2015
film : fortitude ( tv ) director : sam miller prod . year : 2014
film : flags of our fathers director : clint eastwood prod . year : 2006
an interview with the director of twisted , and presentation of the short film .
stardust originally began publication life as a comic book — specifically a prestige - format , four - issue miniseries . with the story by gaiman and the illustrations by charles vess , stardust began life as an inherently visual tale , which is perhaps one of the reasons why it works so well as a film .
went to see this film sat nite after reading the reviews on here . . . i loved the film , would buy on dvd . not an ideal kids film as the humour in it would be lost on kids ! a good fantasy film , with a dont know whars going to happen next feel to it . i would recomend
this has to be said the most amazing film ive seen yet . you totaly lose yourself in the film im just gutted its on longer than at actualy is : )
entertaining , if a bit broad and disconnected to the rest of the film . he
film : star wars : rogue one director : gareth edwards prod . year : 2016
film : the shamer ' s daughter director : kenneth kainz prod . year : 2015
film : halo : nightfall director : sergio mimica - gezzan prod . year : 2014
film : transformers : age of extinction director : michael bay prod . year : 2014
film : jupiter ascending director : andy wachowski , lana wachowski prod . year : 2014
film : thor : the dark world director : alan taylor prod . year : 2013
film : the girl in the café director : david yates prod . year : 2005
film : a view to a kill director : john glen prod . year : 1985
skye has appeared in numerous movies in recent years , including macbeth ( 2015 ) , starring michael fassbender ; keanu reeves vehicle 47 ronin ( 2013 ) ; sir ridley scott’s prometheus ( 2012 ) ; snow white and the huntsman , starring chris hemsworth and kristen stewart ( 2012 ) ; and the romantic fantasy film stardust ( 2007 ) , which counts robert de niro and michelle pfeiffer among its stars .
“stardust” is rated pg - 13 ( parents strongly cautioned ) . it has mild violence and off - color humor .
true to paramount’s word , fantasy epic “stardust” has made up for its disappointing performance domestically at the overseas box office .
' s career as a manga artist and was released theatrically on february 17 , 2007 in japan . it was never released on home media . even though the film is not considered lost media because the studio that produced it shelved it indefinitely , the full movie remains missing from the public .
parents need to know that this stardust is not the 2007 film based on the neil gaiman novel , but a low - budget 1998 film about an old vacuum cleaner that slowly comes to life after inadvertently vacuuming up a bio - chip invented by the scientist father of the house . this could have been an interesting premise , but instead , the film is duller than vacuuming a living room . there is occasional profanity (
ass ,
dick
) , and some moments of corporate espionage that feel more like home invasions . there ' s nowhere near the action a film like this should have , and the amateur hour feel of the production makes this one to avoid .
film : dead snow : red vs dead director : tommy wirkola prod . year : 2014
film : the secret life of walter mitty director : ben stiller prod . year : 2013
film : virus au paradis / bird flu director : olivier langlois prod . year : 2003
, but most did not live up to expectations . this includes the number one film ,
i don ' t believe there is any moral high ground in reproducing something exactly ,
gaiman says .
i would hate for people to go and see a version of stardust that is stardust the book , only not as good .
title drop : tristan brings victoria a lock of yvaine ' s hair , which has turned into stardust after crossing the wall .
actress jessica alba , left , and actor dane cook , right , talk about their new film
good luck chuck
during a panel discussion held at the comic - con international convention in san diego thursday , july 26 , 2007 . the annual comic and popular culture convention attracts over 100 , 000 people annually .
the king of kong : a fistful of quarters is the second best movie of 2007 ( according to this list ) , one of the best received documentaries of all time both critically and by mainstream audiences , yet the academy has announced that they are not considering the film for the best documentary oscar . a travesty .
film : the fate of the furious director : f . gary gray prod . year : 2017
film : journey to the center of the earth director : eric brevig prod . year : 2008
stardust opens everywhere on august 10 . check back next week for our exclusive interview with the man himself , mr . neil gaiman .
claire danes is among the stars of matthew vaughns film , based on a story by neil gaiman .
film : captain america : civil war director : anthony russo , joe russo prod . year : 2016
film : star trek : into darkness director : j . j . abrams prod . year : 2013
a review of lukas dhont ' s
girl
from the 2018 karlovy vary international film festival .
this is the best film ever ! and the novel which this film is decended from is by my favourite author neil gaiman . i loved this film and it is so oringinal with many twists in the plot . it is one of those rare gems that everyone will enjoy ! however i think it is unsutiable for anyone under the age of 13 due to the violence and sexual inuendo that is contained in this film . eventhough it is a pg it should really be a 12a . again , fantastic film !
not the answer you ' re looking for ? browse other questions tagged adaptation - comparison neil - gaiman stardust or ask your own question .
but this is a film and it needs more than that , which it gets in the shape of two performances . deniro and pfeiffer are phenomenal . they give the story and the film that extra dimension it…
true to paramount’s word , fantasy epic “stardust” has made up for its disappointing performance domestically at the overseas box office . through nov . 4 , the film’s international cume was $ 74 . 8 million — nearly double its north american haul of $ 38 . 4 million , according to rentrak . “stardust , ” directed by brit filmmaker matthew vaughn , has been steadily climbing up [ … ]
great movie this will be a classic some day , great acting and a good film for a laugh .
film : the huntsman - winter ' s war director : cedric nicolas - troyan prod . year : 2016
film : game of thrones ( tv ) director : alan taylor etc . prod . year : 2011 -
find out more about filming in scotland on creative scotland ' s locations website and film in scotland brochure .
none of his experiences quite prepared him for the physical and emotional challenges of playing the lead in a film such as
stardust ,
where suddenly he was working nearly every single day for four months and sharing major screen time with major stars .
in the u . s . , “stardust” opened to only $ 9 million in mid - august . at the time , paramount prexy of worldwide marketing and distribution rob moore predicted the film could ultimately do double its business overseas . he was right .
on the surface , stardust looks like a cheesy little fluff fantasy . in many ways it is . yet at the same time , it ' s also the most fun i ' ve had with a film since watching the first pirates of the caribbean .
in 2007 , a film adaptation arrived , and the result was a splendidly ethereal adventure that didn’t get bogged down by some of the heavier fantasy tropes . sure , everyone speaks with that rather difficult - to - place british accent , but stardust took a gamble with a slightly lighter , comedic touch — and won . ( robert de niro in pink feathers , anyone ? ) this was largely thanks to the film’s director matthew vaughn ( kick - ass , the kingsman movies ) , who has said , “i want [ ed ] to do princess bride with a midnight run overtone . ” who knew that would work ? !
exciting times ! @ neilhimself ' s stardust is coming to radio 4 . see cast details plus you can win some gaiman - abilia : urltoken urltoken
film : game of thrones , season 7 director : jeremy podeswa et . al . prod . year : 2017
managed , and this film still has openings in germany , u . k . , italy , and scandinavia .
an interview with writer / director boots riley about his incendiary new film ,
sorry to bother you .
love love love stardust . such a fun and beautiful adventure . my only problem is that the ending feels kind of abrupt . there’s actually a deleted scene i think which kind of combines the book and film endings . so that’s interesting . great review . : )
though the illustrated novel version of stardust is earnest and dark , an adult version of a fairy tale in which sex and violence are presented unflinchingly , the movie version has a greater element of whimsy and humor , with gaiman ' s blessing given to stardust screenwriters jane goldman and matthew vaughn , who directed .
actress melanie griffith attends a press conference during the 67th locarno film festival on aug . 7 in locarno , switzerland .
an updating table of contents featuring all of matt fagerholm ' s coverage from the 53rd karlovy vary international film festival .
a fantasy whose plentiful charms exude from every frame , matthew vaughn ' s
stardust
is swashbuckling and romantic delight . colorful , contemporary , and , still , appealingly classic , vaughn ' s film triumphs with its wit , heart , and high energy sense of adventure .
when you look at the final numbers for the month , it would seem like the overachiever of the month should be the bourne ultimatum due to how much money it made against its budget , but it was pretty obvious that the film would do exceedingly well due to the positive reviews and buzz being the third film . so therefore , the film that deserves the title of overachiever for the month of august 2007 is the film superbad which had a pretty solid run as well . going into its opening weekend , there was a bit of uncertainty if the film would be able to find an audience given its high school setting and content of the film . however with no major comedy having been released since i now pronounce you chuck and larry back in july , the film was in a perfect spot to earn some money and it would have a solid run during the back end of the month going into september . it would end up launching the careers of jonah hill and michael cera while also continuing to grow seth rogan’s starpower , and it would be one of the more successful comedies released this year .
when i was brainstorming this list , i decided that both the movie critics and mainstream audiences both should be represented . rotten tomatoes represents the biggest repository of critical response , while the internet movie database has the largest user rated database . we averaged the two together and compiled the definitive listing of the top 25 movies of 2007 . note : a movie must have been released in theaters in the united states between january and december 2007 , and must have garnered more than ( either ) 400 imdb user votes or 80 movie reviews to qualify for this list .
so overall , the month of august 2007 was a pretty successful month and served to end a pretty solid summer of 2007 . since the summer started back in may , we have seen a lot of films make a lot of money over the span of 16 weeks and considering that august could’ve been a down month given that the summer was ending , this august finished on a pretty high note as compared to last year . unlike last year where one film dominated most of the month , this year had a few films do very well though it wasn’t without its speed bumps as a few films released this month did bomb pretty badly though it wasn’t enough to completely drag the month down . 2007 has been a very interesting year as we started in a pretty deep hole and march pulled it up slightly , but since the summer started the year has pretty much straightened out and is now about on par with last year if not slightly ahead . as we head into the fall , we will see if the momentum will keep going or we are set to hit another lull in the year until we hit the holiday season . as for the month of august 2007 , it was a pretty good month that ends the summer season on a pretty strong note .
film : star wars : episode vii - the force awakens director : j . j . abrams prod . year : 2015
( watch
stardust
author neil gaiman talk about hanging out on the
hellboy 2
set , feeling guilty about a flying pirate ship and more . )
stardust juggles these multiple , interweaving storylines beautifully through imaginative , kinetic editing ( one of vaughn ' s hallmarks as a director ) . and , though many people point to the changing of the story ' s ending in the film , i find the movie ' s ending much better - paced and complementary to the other subtle ( and not so subtle ) changes the film makes to the book ' s worldscape .
2 . “stardust” ( 2007 ) based on a book by neil gaiman , “stardust” is a light - hearted fantasy tale about a boy named tristan thorn who travels to the magical land of stormhold to bring back a fallen star to impress his love , victoria . the catch is , in stormhold , the star has taken on the form of a human girl , and she is being hunted by a trio of witches who want to use the star’s power to gain eternal youth . despite an impressive cast that included michelle pfeiffer as one of the witches and robert de niro as a hilariously foppish ship captain , the film wasn’t a huge blockbuster . which is a shame , because i found it to be a fun film in the style of “the princess bride , ” with a touch of steampunk . if you haven’t seen it yet , it’s definitely worth catching on dvd .
rock noticed a sea change occur when bowie returned from america having made aladdin sane , the follow - up to ziggy stardust . “he was a mythological figure now . even at oxford and the rainbow i noticed most of the audience were transfixed . when he killed ziggy stardust off at hammersmith odeon in july 1973 the audience were berserk .
of course , the book is interested in much different things than the movie , and the less climactic , quieter ending reflects that . while the stardust book is much more interested in engaging with and challenging pre - tolkien english fantasy at a novelistic and prose level , the film doesn ' t even try to do the same . it would be a foolish attempt , after all , to try to mimick and subvert a style that lives so entirely in the pre - cinematic world . instead , the stardust film sets its sights on subverting and celebrating the three - act hollywood blockbuster .
“stardust , ” directed by brit filmmaker matthew vaughn , has been steadily climbing up the international chart in recent weeks . for the nov . 2 - 4 weekend , the film came in no . 3 , grossing $ 8 . 5 million from 2 , 626 runs in its 13th frame .
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 .
this film was outstanding . i ' ' ve never seen anything like . the cast was brilliant , the special effects were superb , the dialogue was well written and had lots of humer in it . what more can you ask from a film .
amazing film . . . if you haven ' t seen this then i would really recommend . this is a real gem and lost one to me . . . for some reason i missed this film when it was released . . maybe because there were other good films out in 2007 , or maybe because my children were young ? anyway we had a dreary saturday afternoon with my son not feeling so well . i heard about this film after watching music channel and take that song came on . i saw background scenes and realised ' rule the world ' was from the film stardust . i checked out on imdb and saw the great ratings and feedback so i got the film . my son not feeling too good didn ' t want to watch it as he had not heard of it . so i said ok lets put it on for 10 minutes , if you don ' t like we switch off and put something else on . . . 5 minutes into it we were all engrossed . . . we didn ' t even think about the 10 minute rule . the film is very funny . some real great moments that you won ' t see coming ! panto v discworld with some
adult
very suttle innuendo ' s but nothing tacky or offensive . . . just like watching panto ; o ) we would watch the film again and would recommend to all our friends . honestly if you haven ' t seen it , it is a fantastic film : )
for example , while disney’s sci - fi epic “john carter” will probably go down in history as one of the worst film flops ever , it isn’t a bad film . it’s not my favorite science fiction film ever made , but it’s a fun , rousing adventure that did not deserve to perform as badly at the box office as it did . sometimes a film can be killed by poor marketing ( disney didn’t seem to be able to promote “john carter” effectively ) or unfortunate timing ( “john carter” was , perhaps , released too close to “the hunger games , ” and it got lost in all the buzz surrounding that film ) .
mtv : michelle pfeiffer , who ' s now the wicked witch in
stardust ,
was originally going to be the other mother in
coraline
. . .
the hollywood pecking order has a way of constantly reminding who fits where , but for now cox is more than happy with what
stardust
has done for him .
neil gaiman ' s tales of the mythic and eerie have long intrigued studios . now , with ' stardust ' and ' beowulf , ' they actually reach the screen .
anyone who has read both the book and seen the movie will know that the stardust film , co - written by vaughn and frequent collaborator jane goldman , changes quite a bit from its source material . as is common with adaptations , a lot is simplified — on both sides of the wall .
the second film in the hit franchise used the university of east anglia’s sainsbury centre for visual arts to film scenes for the action movie . stars including robert downey jr and chris evans touched down in norwich for filming , much to the delight of many fans .
thirty years ago this summer saw the release of another , decidedly different fantasy film : the witches of eastwick , also based on a novel and also featuring michelle pfeiffer as a witch . while sukie ridgemont , her character in that film , is sweet and well - meaning in her powers , pfeiffer’s villainess in stardust , lamia , gives the film its bite and spark . ( the filmmakers actually expanded her role from that which is found in the novel once pfeiffer signed on . ) lamia is a cruel and wholly vain creature who would happily cut the heart right out of danes’ beautiful yvaine in order to stay young and beautiful — and to pfeiffer’s credit , her charm and beauty is part of what makes lamia so undeniably watchable . ( interestingly , another one of pfeiffer’s eastwick sisters , susan sarandon , also returned to evil sorcery in 2007 — in the amy adams film enchanted , playing queen narissa . this only leaves cher , the last remaining witch of eastwick , to cast another magic spell . )
i really enjoyed this film . kept me guessing all the way through and is now in my top ten favourite films of all time
false soulmate : tristan wholeheartedly believes he and victoria are meant for each other . he learns better over the course of the film .
but as a matthew vaughn film which felt like a basic parody movie , i just can’t give it the love that others do .
so as we head into the final month of the summer of 2007 , the summer has been on a pretty solid run after a hot june and pretty hot july coming off a tepid spring . but as we head into this month , we might see things start to slow down with the summer coming to an end and school beginning . however , august 2007 managed to finish on a pretty good note as there were a few films that had success as opposed to the previous year where only one film broke out . the first film from this month that is included in this category is the action film the bourne ultimatum , the third installment in the bourne series where jason bourne seeks to learn more about his past while avoiding a fellow assassination group who are trying to kill him . coming out at the beginning of the month and carried by fantastic reviews from critics , ultimatum would end up outgrossing the previous two bourne films and would have a great run throughout the month while finishing at the top of the month by a significant margin . the next film on the list that makes it into this category is the teen comedy film superbad , a film which sees three friends try to get with the girls they like while trying to make their way to the girls’ party . the raunchy film also received favorable reviews from critics and was a sleeper hit throughout the month of august and into september which made it one of the more successful comedies released this year . the third and final film released this month that makes it into this category is the remake of the classic horror film halloween , which sees the origins of michael myers and his path to becoming a serial killer . the re - imaging of the franchise directed by rock icon rob zombie was not well received by critics , but it would have a good run as it would set a record for a labor day weekend release that still stands to this day and is also the highest grossing film in the halloween series . while this month didn’t have as many winners as last year did ( 6 last year compared to 3 this year ) , there was a lot more balance amongst the top 3 films in terms of money made as opposed to last year which was similar to how july 2007 performed compared to july 2006 .
paramount put up half the $ 75 million production budget for “stardust” ; marv films , ingenious films and the melrose fund paid the rest . movie was produced by lorenzo di bonaventura .
not only are the actors and characters fun , the setting is beautiful . the kingdom of stormhold feels otherworldly and different from the other side of the wall . i also love the soundtrack for this movie . stardust feels epic . the music is used very effectively , helping the film come alive in a wonderful way .
the film has an all star cast that includes charlie cox , claire danes , robert de niro , michelle pfeiffer , and mark strong .
this film caught me by surprise . i didnt expect to like it . instead i ended up loving it tremendously . its a classic !
the daredevil star has plenty of fans from his marvel work—but it’s a smaller , weirder fantasy film that inspires the real die - hards .
experimental film had infused most aspects of screen production with its telltale emblems – liberal use of lens filters ( to suggest ‘trips’ or madness ) , shaky , handheld camera , allowing ‘mistakes’ like lens flare to create dreamlike effects on film . hippies had opened the door for filmmakers to try anything , and , given the rapid and irreversible collapse of the traditional film - production studios , more and more experimentation was possible .
that event inspired stardust , a darkly comic fairy tale about a young man who finds a fallen star ( in the form of claire danes ) after crossing into a fantasy world of ghosts , witches and flying pirates . the film opens aug . 10 in what will be the first major hollywood test for mythmaker neil gaiman .
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families can talk about low - budget films . what are the challenges in making a film with limited resources ? are there any good ones ?
i ' m ashamed to admit that i haven ' t read the book ( yet ) . but since the film is so good , i ' m hoping the book will be even better . got to admit i prefer the film ending though , and captain shakespeare is a great character .
no , stardust manages to capture some of the silly self - awareness and unabashed sentimentalism of princess bride in a contemporary movie - making era where only one of those things is truly valued . for that — and for so much else — stardust remains one of the best neil gaiman adaptations out there , even ( and perhaps especially ) when it ' s not particularly gaiman - like at all .
though many writers try to reassure themselves by divorcing themselves entirely from the film adaptations , gaiman says the reach of movies is too powerful to ignore .
hooked up afterwards : tristan ' s parents only met during a one - night stand , but formally get together at the end of the film .
big list in terms of numbers , not so much in terms of quality . in fact , the best film in terms of updates this week was
the film , directed by kevin reynolds , was generally well - received by critics . while it takes some liberties with the source material , the film benefited from strong supporting performances and engaging chemistry between the leads . it was one of the cavill ' s first roles in a major motion picture .
science and magic : author neil gaiman is equally at home at the griffith observatory and in the fantasy world of his adult fairy tale stardust , which features an irate fallen star in comely female form .
for while stardust has problems , it also has laughs , adventure , action and a whole lot in its corner to recommend it . and it is worth your time and attention . - - jon foster
overall , stardust is an exciting fantasy story that brings viewers into the world it has created and takes us on a journey . why do we watch the stars , the movie asks ? because we dream of adventures , swashbuckling action , romance , and humor , things that this movie is full of . if you enjoyed the princess bride , ever after , or penelope , you will probably enjoy stardust .
charlie does what he needs to do to figure out the secret of stardust , and does his best to get his father out of jail . the father sacrifices himself for his anti - war beliefs .
matthew vaughn ' s film adaptation of neil gaiman ' s stardust is officially a decade old , but it hasn ' t lost any of its magic . with an all - star cast that included daredevil ' s charlie cox and homeland ' s claire danes , a director who would go onto make x - men : first class and kingsman : the secret service , and a story from the mind of neil gaiman , stardust is a funny , clever , and heartfelt fairy tale of a movie that happens to be criminally underrated by most mainstream movie audiences .
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…
barra : ( whisky galore , 1949 ) . the original film adaptation of compton mackenzie’s classic novel saw barra become the fictional islands of great and little todday
gwyneth paltrow walks across the beach at holkham , north norfolk , in the closing shot of the film shakespeare in love . universal publicity still dated 1998 .
an interview with caleb landry jones and peter brunner , star and director of
to the night ,
at the 2018 karlovy vary international film festival .
like the star that falls to earth near the beginning of the movie , stardust is glittery and pretty and possesses its own pleasing - enough personality , but it won ' t set the world on fire .
lorenzo di bonaventura , the former production chief for warner bros . and a producer of stardust , says he tried for a decade to make various gaiman tales into films but hadn ' t succeeded until now .
for three years in the 70s , bowie could do no wrong . he redefined the concept of the rock star , and made a host of milestone albums . cr tracks down the people with the stardust memories
as it slowly comes to life , stardust the vacuum cleaner becomes fond of repeating the word
peace
over and over again . the father goes to jail rather than have his work used for war .
like many adaptations , the film changes quite a bit of the story . it doesn’t have the issue that is often the case , where there is far too much crammed into the book to possibly convey in a conventional length feature film . instead , the film opts to take the easier way out with some of the more strange and dark aspects of the original story , and at other times tries to add colour and excitement for bit roles with big name actors .
amon packard has some major issues with the state of contemporary filmmaking . he is that rarest of creatures in today’s independent film scene , a talented and hard - working filmmaker with a solid understanding and knowledge of world cinema history . packard’s is a brand of film critic - turned - maker which , like that in france 45 years ago , is borne of the los angeles cinematheque , a childhood in front of the glowing tv––the film - buff as student of history .
stardust is a surprisingly complex story for a fairy tale adventure film that was also marketing as a family - friendly movie . the heart of the story comes in the quest of young tristan thorn ( charlie cox ) , who ventures out of his small town of wall into the magical kingdom of stormhold that lies just next door , on the otherside of a wall .
legendary british film editor anne v . coates has passed away aged 92 , with the british academy of film & television arts breaking the sad news on twitter : we ' re so sad to learn that british film editor anne v . coates has died . during her incredible career , anne was bafta - nominated four times for work including the elephant man and erin brockovich , and received the bafta fellowship in 2007 . she will be greatly missed . urltoken — bafta ( @ bafta ) may 9 , 2018 coates began her career in the 1950s , and received an academy award for her work on david lean ’s 1962 classic lawrence of arabia , which included one of the most famous edits in film history – a shot of peter o’toole blowing out a match which quickly transitions to a majestic desert sunrise . coates would receive further oscar nominations for becket ( 1963 ) , the elephant man ( 1980 ) , in the line of fire ( 1993 ) and out of sight ( 1998 ) , while
so as i just mentioned , while there were more winners last august as opposed to this august it was clear that the top 3 films released this month were far more balanced in terms of the money they made and there were a few more big winners as opposed to last year . however unlike last august where he had no losers of the months , this year we do have two films that had to be included in this category . the first film released this month that is included in this category is the fantasy adventure film stardust , based on the novel of the same name which sees a young man try to save a young woman from witches while having to deliver a star to his lover . despite having some pretty solid reviews from critics , the mainstream audience was not as impressed as it was buried amongst some of the other films released this month and ended up being a flop though not as big as some of the other flops released this year . the second and last film released this month that makes it into this category is the sci - fi horror film the invasion , a remake of the classic novel the body snatchers and the film invasion of the body snatchers . unlike stardust which was actually received well by critics , this film was panned pretty bad by critics and after being released a year later than it was originally planned , the film would also bomb as it couldn’t even crack the top 10 of the month which is saying something considering what was ahead of it in the first few spots .
victoria is a stuck up snob , with a not much better boyfriend even before tristan sets out , and tristan now having grown a bit sees his crush as shallow and abandons her once the stardust is delivered .
but in the meantime there is something gaiman fans can do to while away the weeks until the new adaptations , with radio 4 also announcing a competition to find designs for official stardust artwork to accompany the drama .
“stardust” is paramount pictures’ bid to enter the “lord of the rings” - harry potter sweepstakes with a splash . adapted from neil gaiman’s four - book 1997 dc comics mini - series , which later became a novel , it is conceived by matthew vaughn , the director of the seedy british gangster film “layer cake , ” as a full - blooded action - adventure fairy tale .
bowie and pitt had already made an experimental film for £7 , 000 based on an earlier song called love you till tuesday which included footage of the singer crawling around in a silver space suit to the prototype version of space oddity but the film was canned . the re - recorded single wasn’t issued for nine months .
, there ' s not a single film that has a serious shot at $ 100 million till october . . . maybe november . however , while everyone expects
neil gaiman : i think the biggest example of that for me is the the flying pirate ship [ in
stardust
] . the flying pirate ship existed because i love pirate ships . everybody loves pirate ships .
what is it about moving string lines , french horn and oboe solos , and tinkling piano that signals you \ ' re entering a different , magical world ? with the use of these sounds , stardust \ ' s
prologue ( through the wall )
joins the company of the time machine ( badelt ) , beauty and the beast ( menken ) , hook ( williams ) , harry potter and the sorcerer \ ' s stone ( williams ) , and all three lord of the rings films ( shore ) . stardust , by sound here , is most similar to the time machine ; it differs from hook and lord of the rings in tone : hook is often fanfare - ish , and lord of the rings tends to be darker , while stardust is fairly lighthearted . also , both these films use this magical soundscape either to introduce or as part of a complex set of themes , which stardust as a film doesn \ ' t require . lord of the rings is so thematic that once you are familiar with the score ( s ) , if you listen to a track randomly you can tell what is happening in the movie , or at least what the setting is , based on the theme and tone of the music . stardust \ ' s story is simpler , not as epic , and doesn \ ' t lend itself to such an intricate set of themes . but composer ilan eshkeri \ ' s selection of a few themes for stardust works .
charlie cox as the film’s tristan and claire danes as yvaine save the film from what is otherwise childish , shallow stupidity . every moment that it has where it could potentially have something interesting to say about fairy tales or the moral issues at play within the story it prefers showy appearances from well - known actors or tired fantasy clichés .
while stardust as a piece of writing is definitely worth your while when read alongside charlie vess’s beautiful illustrations , it loses some of it’s charm read as a novel . the film is disappointingly lacking in depth , though can be fun if you want something fluffy and predictable . this is one adaptation that does not live up to the source material and definitely not one of matthew vaughn’s best films .
so once again comparing this august to last august , this august actually had more than one film manage to make its way into this category as last august only had one film be included in this category . this was one of the times where i actually thought there were more films released this month that received award nominations , but i was wrong as only three films released this month end up getting included in this category . the first film from this month that earns a spot in this category is the bourne ultimatum which would win all 3 academy awards it was nominated for ( best sound editing , best sound mixing , and best film editing ) , giving it the second highest number of academy awards won this year . the next film released this month that gets in this category is the comedy daddy day camp , the sequel to daddy day care where the dads decide to buy a summer camp . it would be widely panned by critics and had one of the worst ratings of any film released in 2007 , and it would end up winning one golden raspberry award ( worst prequel or sequel ) and was nominated for four more ( worst picture , worst director , worst actor , and worst screenplay ) . the third and last film released this month that gets into this category is the film bratz , based off the popular dolls where four friends try to fit in with the popular cliques in school . much like daddy day camp , this film was also panned by critics and also bombed at the box office , and it would be nominated for five golden raspberry awards ( worst picture , worst actress , worst supporting actor , worst screen couple , and worst remake or rip - off ) though it wouldn’t win any . as mentioned , i thought that there were more films released this month that would be included , but three is still a pretty decent amount for any month of the year .
“i remember talking to [ director matthew vaughn ] about the movie he wanted to make , and he kept on saying that he’d recently had two young children , and he was tired of watching movies with them that they loved but he hated , ” cox , who will play daredevil next in marvel’s the defenders ( out august 18 ) , recalls . “the way that he described it was , ‘i want to make a kids’ film for adults [ and ] an adult film for kids’—and i think that’s one of the things he achieved really well with stardust . ”
the moon is always full : the film takes place over the course of a week , and yet the moon is full in every nighttime scene from beginning to end .
neil gaiman ' s fiction doesn ' t always translate well to the big screen , but this film managed to capture the lighthearted tone and feel for parody really well .
the film also adds in an entire sequence around de niro ' s captain shakespeare that is barely present in the book . for me , this is actually an important decision . brushing past the potentially reductive depiction of shakespeare ' s marginalized identity , for me , this is where the film makes one of its smartest decisions : the montage .
and so , it’s with great pleasure that i report to you the joy of stardust , a film wholly cradling fantasy tropes while also skewing them just enough to avoid being overtly repetitive . based on the novel by modern fantasy icon neil gaiman , writer of neverwhere and good omens , the film has received comparisons to the princess bride , but i would argue that stardust has more emotional possibilities than that film… otherwise , the tonal comparison is sound . the film begins long ago in england , in a small , simple country village . our hero tristran ( charlie cox ) crosses a wall that , according to legend , marks the border between this world and another world . he does this to find a fallen star for the uninterested , cruel flirt - of - a - girl he believes to be his true love , victoria ( sienna miller ) . she’s made a deal with tristran : if he brings her the fallen star by her birthday , she will marry him . traveling into the kingdom of wonderment , stormhold , tristran finds that the fallen star is a physical being , yvaine ( claire danes ) , a beautiful woman garbed in silver dress .