In this Moment In History article we will give a list of what we feel to be some of the best historical films, not only for their educational value, but also due to their ability to portray the raw emotional power of the moment.
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Live From Hollywood...
May19
Tough times for small U.S. films despite bumper Cannes
By Mike Collett-White
In a bumper year for U.S. productions in Cannes, director John Hillcoat, presenting prohibition-era drama "Lawless" at the film festival on Saturday, said the state of smaller-budget American movies was "distressing".
Lawless is in fact an international production - Hillcoat and two of his leading cast are Australian, as is scriptwriter and musician Nick Cave.
But the 1930s tale of three bootlegging brothers in Virginia also features leading U.S. actors Jessica Chastain and Shia LaBeouf and is backed by the Weinstein Company.
It is one of five U.S. productions in Cannes' main competition of 22 films, an unusually high number, leading some executives on the French Riviera to speak of a boom in medium-budget pictures costing a few tens of millions of dollars.
But Hillcoat, who collaborated with Cave on the acclaimed 2005 Western "The Proposition", was less sanguine.
"The state of things is pretty tough as everyone here knows, particularly in my world which is the kind of medium-budgets," he told reporters after a press screening of Lawless, where there were boos as well as cheers at the closing credits.
"They are films that have character and drama and those are words that you cannot use in the United States at this time. So that I find quite distressing."
He said television had become increasingly important, with U.S. channels like HBO leading the way in developing intelligent, probing dramas.
Reality TV, celebrity obsession hit Cannes screens
Italian director Matteo Garrone who's film "Reality" is showing at this year's Cannes Film Festival (image courtesy Reuters)
By Alexandria Sage
Obsession with celebrity is the focus of Italian director Matteo Garrone's new movie "Reality" at the Cannes film festival, one of two pictures in the lineup exploring the corrosive power of instant fame and the desire to be watched.
Garrone is best known for his last film, the gritty "Gomorrah" about a Naples crime syndicate. But with "Reality" he switches gears, creating a modern day fairy tale whose protagonist's soul is slowly and inexorably eroded by the lure of fame.
The second film, screening outside the main competition on Saturday, is "Antiviral," the debut feature of Brandon Cronenberg, son of Canadian director David Cronenberg. Its plot follows a clinic worker who sells fans injections of viruses harvested from sick celebrities.
Scarlett Johansson as 'Black Widow' in "The Avengers" (image courtesy Marvel / Disney
By Fallon Prinzivalli
"The Avengers" sure did assemble! Marvel's superhero film is still the reigning champion of movie theaters after it smashed box-office records in its first two weeks. Now, it's rising to the top of the worldwide charts, recently staking claim to the ninth spot, passing George Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace." It's currently the highest earning film of 2012 domestically, stealing the title from "The Hunger Games," which opened in March.
At present, the Joss Whedon-directed summer flick has raked in more than $1 billion across the globe, and the numbers keep rising. The popularity of the movie is overwhelming, but a few questions still remain. For starters, how high will the film go?
Gitesh Pandya, the editor of Box Office Guru, told MTV News, "I see Avengers climbing up to #4 on the all-time worldwide blockbusters list by the end of this weekend. That would put it at roughly $1.2 billion, which is astounding. It should pass the final 'Harry Potter' to finish its run as #3 all time, which alone is just incredible."
Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations agrees: "By the time 'Avengers' is done kicking box-office butt, it will easily be the #3 film of all time. Only 'Avatar' and 'Titanic' will be left untouched, as James Cameron is a superhero unto himself. Both [films] made history by debuting over the holiday season, where popcorn flicks are few and far between. [And] unfortunately for 'Avengers,' summer blockbusters invade every weekend, and theaters will soon be flooded with competition."
(R-L) Actor Jason Schwartzman, actor Bruce Willis, director Wes Anderson, actor Edward Norton, actress Tilda Swinton and actor Bill Murray pose at the "Moonrise Kingdom" photocall in Cannes, France. (courtesy The Montreal Gazette / Getty Images)
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By Chris Knight
Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom opened the Cannes film festival on Wednesday night, ahead of its general release on June 1. It's an example of what happens when you put smart actors in a smart movie; not only is the film quick-witted and quirk-tastic, but the press conference proved to be equally entertaining.
"Well, I really don't get any other work but through Wes," said Bill Murray, who has appeared in each of Anderson's films since 1998's Rushmore. "I just sit by the phone."
Murray is famous for turning down roles and being generally unreachable, but that's clearly not an issue with Anderson. "Sometimes when you work with a director you know you not only may never see them again, sometimes you hope you never see them again," Murray said. "And that goes for the director as well. They can't wait for you to leave; they drive you to the airport to make sure you leave. That happens. But with Wes I've never gotten a ride to the airport, and I like it."
Anderson regular Jason Schwartzman, whose first role was also in Rushmore, returns in Moonrise Kingdom in a small role, but the bulk of the story revolves around two 12-year-olds, played by first-time actors (and actual 12-year-olds, now 13) Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward.
Click the Continue Reading at link to see more about the movie and the press conference at Cannes.
Cannes 2012: Festival turns 65 with a lineup heavy on U.S. titles
A giant canvas of the official poster of the 65th Cannes Film Festival featuring Marilyn Monroe. (courtesy LA Times / EPA)
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by Kenneth Turan
If all film festivals are balancing acts, it stands to reason that the annual extravaganza at Cannes, likely the world's most celebrated cinematic event, has more to balance than most. Especially this year.
Opening Wednesday night with Wes Anderson's oddly endearing "Moonrise Kingdom," Cannes is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year and marking that milestone by embracing all kinds of opposites: old and young, dramatic and documentary, commercial and politically committed, avant-garde and classic, even American and not.
The U.S. presence seems especially strong, starting with the official poster, an Otto Bettmann photo of a luminous Marilyn Monroe blowing out a birthday cake candle. An 80- by 40-foot version looms impossibly large on an outside wall of the Palais des Festivals, while the building's inside walls feature photos of other Hollywood luminaries, including Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth, Clark Gable and Judy Garland, even Marlene Dietrich and Ernst Lubitsch, having a go at birthday cakes of their own.
On one level, American films are thick in the main competition, with a roster that includes new movies by Lee Daniels, who is following his Oscar-winning drama "Precious" with "The Paperboy," and Jeff Nichols, whose "Mud" comes after the acclaimed apocalyptic meditation "Take Shelter."
But some of the most eagerly anticipated American films - Walter Salles' take on Jack Kerouac's legendary "On the Road," Andrew Dominik's Brad Pitt-starring "Killing Them Softly" (based on George V. Higgins' "Cogan's Trade") and John Hillcoat's Prohibition era "Lawless" - were all directed by filmmakers who hail from other countries.
The Avengers: Which Movies Can Gross More In 2012?
As fans of Marvel's new superhero movie will know, 'The Avengers' has now taken over $1 billion at the worldwide box-office, putting it in similar company to the likes of 'Toy Story 3', the Harry Potter movies, and 'Avatar'. But can the film, starring Robert Downey Jr, still be outdone for the title of biggest movie of the year?
The likeliest contender is obviously The Dark Knight Rises - Christopher Nolan's third and final Batman movie, which boasts a stellar cast including Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman and more. Though it perhaps doesn't have the intrigue that came with Heath Ledger's Joker, the film's trailer has been causing a buzz, and it's likely to take a huge amount at the box-office come July.
A couple of outsiders worth mentioning include Ridley Scott's 'Alien' inspired movie 'Prometheus', starring Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron. A viral marketing campaign has certainly helped the movie's cause, and it wouldn't be a surprise if it outdid expectations next month. Elsewhere, Marc Webb's 'The Amazing Spider-Man' starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone will be a huge hit later this year, though perhaps more realistically will be battling for the No.2 spot with The Dark Knight Rises for 2012. Other movies expected to take well over $100 million on debut include 'Snow White and the Huntsman' and 'Men in Black 3'.
'The Avengers' Rules At Box Office, Joins $1 Billion Club
Chris Hemsworth as 'Thor' in "The Avengers" (image courtesy Marvel / Disney)
By Ryan J. Downey
The Avengers isn't the only club to count Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and the rest of the crew as members. Earth's Mightiest Heroes joined the $1 billion club over the weekend, shattering more box-office records and collecting enough cash to outgross "Alice in Wonderland" on the all-time worldwide box-office list. "Dark Shadows," Johnny Depp and director Tim Burton's first collaboration since "Alice," settled for a distant #2 debut.
"The Avengers" reached the $1 billion mark as quickly as "Avatar" and the last "Harry Potter" movie, despite opening earlier overseas than in America. Marvel's action-packed tentpole (which unites several of their heroes) already broke the all-time opening weekend record when it opened last weekend, and with it's $103.2 million estimated domestic gross this weekend, "The Avengers" is now the record holder for the biggest second-weekend number too. Thanks to its $628.9 million 19-day international haul, "The Avengers" is now one of only 11 movies to climb past the $1 billion mark worldwide.
Marvel's first movie under the Disney umbrella benefited from its comic book origins, repeat viewings, a positively reviewed story from director/co-writer Joss Whedon and the combined star power of folks like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson. Truthfully, "Dark Shadows" never stood a chance. The eighth collaboration between Depp and Burton — a campy take on a decades-old low-budget vampire soap opera — made $28.8 million domestically during its first weekend in theaters. By comparison, Depp and Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" opened with $116.1 million two years ago.
'The Avengers' movie poster (courtesy Marvel / Disney)
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by Reuters
Blockbuster action movie "The Avengers," about a team of Marvel superheroes, dominated U.S. and Canadian box office charts for a second straight weekend ringing up a record $103.2 million, studio estimates released on Sunday showed.
"Avengers" became the first film in Hollywood history to top $100 million of ticket sales in its second weekend. A week ago, the movie from Walt Disney Co's Marvel Studios crushed box office records with a $207.4 million opening.
In second place for the weekend, horror comedy "Dark Shadows" pulled in $28.8 million. Romantic comedy "Think Like a Man" finished in third place with ticket sales of $6.3 million.
Empire Strikes Backstage: Intimate pictures of cast and crew during filming of second Star Wars movie
Carrie Fischer and Harrison Ford between filming scenes for "The Empire Strikes Back" (image courtesy Lucasfilm Ltd.)
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By Paul Milligan
The cast and crew of The Empire Strikes Back faced a daunting task - how to follow Star Wars, the blockbuster which had reinvented science fiction on the silver screen overnight and instantly become the favourite film of millions of cinema-goers.
By the time it opened in 1980, the pressure was really on director George Lucas and his team of actors to deliver, but as these fantastic pictures illustrate they all found time to enjoy themselves in the process.
Ahead of an upcoming convention in Florida in August, which is expected to attract up to 30,000 buffs, here is a chance to see behind the scenes during the making of the second film.
Click the Continue Reading at link to see the behind-the-scenes images from "The Empire Strikes Back"
Iron Man is soaring at the theatres in 'The Avengers' (image courtesy Marvel / Disney)
by Borys Kit
To most, the numbers were shocking: The Avengers opened to a staggering $207.4 million domestic, coupled with $447.4 million overseas in just 12 days of release. When The Hollywood Reporter polled film executives and agents for insight into how Marvel and distributor Disney pulled off a record-breaking weekend, a few clear reasons emerged:
A Five-Year Marketing Plan
Avengers benefited from something no movie had before: It has been marketed to audiences since Iron Man first appeared at Comic-Con in 2007. When that movie became a surprise hit in May 2008 with a $98.6 million opening weekend, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige quickly unveiled his intention to make four more movies -- The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America -- all of which would lead to a giant team-up. Avengers characters like Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) popped up in those movies, and the original Iron Man featured a coda segment devoted to the Avengers initiative. At the time, only comic-book fanboys understood the reference.
"They established character equity that, when combined, makes one and one equal a lot more than two," notes Disney distribution head Dave Hollis. "This is Feige's six-year vision to get to a place where people would want to watch these characters assemble."
Grouping several heroes in one movie also primed a wider swath of moviegoers to show up opening weekend. Not a fan of Chris Evans as Captain America? How about Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man or Chris Hemsworth as Thor?
"Every movie that they released was prepping for this one," says a top producer. "That's never been done before, and it was ingenious."
Click the Continue Reading at link to see the other reasons "The Avengers" is doing so well at the box office.
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