Category Archives: Comment

West End theatre thrives on excellence and originality

Posted on April 24, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – If all the world’s a stage, then it never has been more true than in the British capital right now. The nation’s economy is in dire straits, but that hasn’t stopped theatergoers from flocking to … Continue reading →

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London Critics’ Circle awards pick some real winners

Posted on February 20, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett My votes had little bearing on the outcome at the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards for movies released in 2009 but there’s no argument that several winners deserved their prizes, especially “Fish Tank.” It claimed honors as best … Continue reading →

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‘Up In the Air’ tops my 2009 Top 10 list

Posted on January 1, 2010 by admin

By Ray Bennett Jason Reitman’s ‘Up In the Air’, starring George Clooney and Vera Farmiga (pictured) with Anna Kendrick, is my pick as the best movie released in the United States in 2009. My Top 10 list for The Hollywood … Continue reading →

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There’s always a Ray in the movies, now there’s Blu-ray

Posted on October 4, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett There’s always a Ray in the movies. Scriptwriters really like the name. Michael Keaton, Dan Aykroyd and Gregory Hines each played a guy named Ray three times, Harvey Keitel twice. Kevin Costner was Ray in “Field Of … Continue reading →

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In praise of Coffee Crisp, the great Canadian candy bar

Posted on July 2, 2009 by admin

The best candy bar in the world is (tragically) very hard to find in the U.K. Whenever I am in Canada, the one thing I always make sure to bring back to the U.K. is a bunch of candy bars … Continue reading →

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CANNES: Pixar’s animated ‘Up’ and away in 3D

Posted on May 14, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett CANNES – Pixar’s 10th movie, “Up” opened the Festival de Cannes on Wednesday and it should prove as popular at the box office as all their other creations. Walt Disney releases ‘Up’ in the US on May 29 … Continue reading →

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Films about newspapers, like newspapers, are a dying breed

Posted on April 26, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett Watching the final edition of The Los Angeles Herald Examiner roll off the presses in November 1989 remains one of the most haunting memories of my life and it’s a tragedy that more papers are going bust. … Continue reading →

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Angelo Badalamenti’s ‘Edge of Love’ my pick of 2008 film scores

Posted on January 3, 2009 by admin

By Ray Bennett Vanity Fair has an interesting rundown of 11 potential candidates for this year’s film score awards. It’s a good list with many of the always deserving usual suspects. Good bets for Oscar nominations include Alberto Iglesias for … Continue reading →

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Don’t read about ‘Dean Spanley’, just go see it

Posted on December 8, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett If you like droll, dry and eccentric English movies then “Dean Spanley” is for you. It’s a small picture set in Edwardian times and stars Jeremy Northam, Sam Neill (pictured) and Peter O’Toole, who all perform beautifully. But … Continue reading →

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Paul Newman dies

Posted on September 28, 2008 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – One of the frequent disappointments in meeting film stars is realizing how much their charisma and star power depend on the power of the movie screen. In my experience, only a few stars retain that aura … Continue reading →

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