Category Archives: Film

Toronto International Film Festival kicks off

Posted on September 5, 2012 by admin

By Ray Bennett The 37th annual Toronto International Film Festival gets under way on Sept. 6 with the world premiere of “Looper” and a slate that will include several new British movies including an animated tribute to Monty Python’s Graham … Continue reading →

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John Williams on Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Hitchcock

Posted on August 30, 2012 by admin

By Ray Bennett John Williams celebrates his 80th birthday this year with concerts at The Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 and the Royal Albert Hall on Oct. 19. He is celebrated rightly for his extraordinary work with Steven Spielberg … Continue reading →

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Lancaster, Curtis and La Lollo fly high in ‘Trapeze’

Posted on July 20, 2012 by admin

By Ray Bennett LONDON – One year before Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis made cynical music together in Alexander Mackendrick’s “Sweet Smell of Success”, they spent some time flying through the air for Carol Reed in “Trapeze”. The 1956 circus … Continue reading →

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Video earns 50% of film revenues, says the BVA

Posted on July 13, 2012 by admin

By Ray Bennett The British Video Association has produced a report called “Ready To Face The Future” with case studies of titles such as “Paul”, “Senna” and “The Inbetweeners Movie” that show one half of feature film revenue comes from … Continue reading →

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Recalling … Jimmy Edwards and Eric Sykes in Detroit

Posted on July 8, 2012 by admin

By Ray Bennett British comedian Jimmy Edwards sauntered into the lobby of the Pontchartain Hotel in Detroit an inch or two behind a magnificent white moustache, cane in hand and a Moss. Bros. light brown bowler atop his portly frame. January … Continue reading →

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Why Andy Griffith could never be ‘A Face In The Crowd’

Posted on July 6, 2012 by admin

By Ray Bennett Andy Griffith made his big screen debut in Elia Kazan’s 1957 drama “A Face In The Crowd” as a charismatic media sensation named Lonesome Rhodes who exploits his sudden popularity for political gain. In the second excerpt … Continue reading →

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Andy Griffith on why ‘No Time for Sergeants’ cheated

Posted on July 5, 2012 by admin

By Ray Bennett Andy Griffith didn’t do a great many interviews but I spent most of the afternoon of March 18, 1986 with him, just the two of us in an otherwise empty dining room at what I seem to … Continue reading →

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Scots, droogs and rock ’n’ roll in HMV Jubilee Poll

Posted on June 9, 2012 by admin

By Ray Bennett HMV’s Jubilee poll to find the nation’s favourite British film and album of the last 60 years threw up some interesting results, not least what failed to make the Top 60 list. Danny Boyle’s 1996 film “Trainspotting” … Continue reading →

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Krakow festival puts some steel into film music

Posted on May 28, 2012 by admin

By Ray Bennett KRAKOW, Poland – Julie Taymor talks about meeting Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono when she made “Across The Universe”, which is filled with Beatles music. Taymor and McCartney alone sit next to each other in a screening … Continue reading →

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HMV calls for votes on Best of British films and albums

Posted on May 4, 2012 by admin

By Ray Bennett HMV has launched a national poll on Facebook that asks fans to choose the best British movie and record album from the past 60 years to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The Best of British campaign lists … Continue reading →

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