International Cinema

‘Downfall’ movie with Bruno Ganz: Iconic Adolf Hitler. ‘Downfall’ movie: Overlong and overwrought World War II drama lifted by several memorable performances Oliver Hirschbiegel’s German box office hit Downfall / Der Untergang is a generally engrossing psychological-historical drama whose emotional charge is diluted by excessive…

Fanny and Alexander movie: Ingmar Bergman brilliant classic with Bertil Guve as Alexander Ekdahl. ‘Fanny and Alexander’ movie review: Last Ingmar Bergman ‘filmic film’ Why Ingmar Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander / Fanny och Alexander bears its appellation is a mystery – one of many in…

Marc Allégret: André Gide lover, all-around starmaker and the initial driving force behind the film career of Simone Simon. Marc Allégret: From André Gide lover to Simone Simon mentor (See previous post: “Simone Simon Remembered: Sex Kitten and Femme Fatale.”) Simone Simon became a film…

Simone Simon: Femme fatale in ‘Cat People.’ Simone Simon: Remembering the ‘Cat People’ and ‘La Bête Humaine’ actress Pert, pretty, pouty, and fiery-tempered Simone Simon – who died at age 94 ten years ago, on Feb. 22 – is best known for her starring role…

Simone Simon and Jean Gabin in ‘La Bête Humaine.’ Simone Simon in ‘La Bête Humaine’ 1938: Jean Renoir’s film noir (See previous post: “‘Cat People’ 1942 Actress Simone Simon Remembered.”) In the late 1930s, with her Hollywood career stalled while facing competition at 20th Century…

Catherine Deneuve: Best Actress César Award ‘record-tier’ for ‘In the Courtyard,’ with Oleg Kupchik and Big Dog. Catherine Deneuve: César Award Best Actress Record-Tier (See previous post: “Kristen Stewart & Catherine Deneuve Make César Award History.”) Catherine Deneuve has received 12 Best Actress César Award…

Kristen Stewart in ‘Clouds of Sils Maria,’ with Juliette Binoche. Kristen Stewart, Catherine Deneuve make César Award history Kristen Stewart and Catherine Deneuve are two 2015 César Award nominees making history. The French Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Crafts announced the nominations on Jan.…

Luis Buñuel movies: Subversive, challenging filmmaker. Luis Buñuel movies on TCM: ‘Blasphemous’ ‘Viridiana’ & subversive, Oscar-winning ‘The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie’ The city of Paris and iconoclastic writer-director Luis Buñuel are Turner Classic Movies’ themes today and later this evening, Jan. 26, ’15. TCM’s…

2015 Golden Globes’ nominee Julianne Moore in ‘Maps to the Stars.’ Watch Golden Globes online: Red Carpet arrivals and awards ceremony George Clooney will be present at the Golden Globes ceremony to pick up his Cecil B. DeMille Award. Will presenters Tina Fey and Amy…

Luise Rainer: MGM star in the mid-1930s. Luise Rainer dead at 104: MGM actress was first two-time and first consecutive Oscar winner in acting categories, and oldest surviving winner The first two-time and first consecutive Academy Award winner in the acting categories, and, at age…

Renée Asherson in Henry V (1944), with Laurence Olivier. ‘Henry V’ movie (1944) actress Renée Asherson dead at 99: Laurence Olivier leading lady in acclaimed Shakespearean classic Renée Asherson, a British stage actress featured in London productions of A Streetcar Named Desire and Three Sisters,…

Scariest Horror Movies: Sigourney Weaver and Alien creature demonstrate that life is less horrific if you don’t hold grudges. Top 100 horror movies of all time: Chicago Film Critics’ choices (See previous post: A look at the Chicago Film Critics Association’s Scariest Movies Ever Made.)…

Scariest Movies: Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ with Janet Leigh, John Gavin and Vera Miles. Scariest movies ever made: The top 100 horror films according to the Chicago Film Critics I tend to ignore lists featuring the Top 100 Movies (or Top 10 Movies or Top 20…

Autumn Crocus movie adaptation with Ivor Novello and Fay Compton: Summertime precursor. Ivor Novello last movie: ‘Autumn Crocus’ Can a naive, plain-looking, spinster school teacher ever find real love in faraway places? This was a question asked by Shirley Booth in Arthur Laurents’ 1952 stage…

Marie Dubois: Actress in the mammoth blockbuster La Grande Vadrouille. Marie Dubois, actress in French New Wave films, dead at 77 Actress Marie Dubois, a popular French New Wave personality of the 1960s and the leading lady in one of France’s biggest box office hits…

‘Emmanuelle’ 1974, with Sylvia Kristel: French blockbuster distributed domestically by Alain Siritzky’s Parafrance Films. ‘Emmanuelle’ movies producer Alain Siritzky dead at 72 Emmanuelle franchise producer Alain Siritzky died after what has been described as “a short illness” on Saturday, Oct. 11, ’14, at a Paris…