Category Archives: News

Krakow Film Music Festival celebrates first decade

By Ray Bennett KRAKOW – The 10th annual Krakow Film Music Festival (KFMF) kicked off today and as organisers looked back on the domestic and international success of the Polish event, there was one key element: “The magic word is … Continue reading

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Oscars envelope snafu boosts ‘Moonlight’ box office

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Worldwide headlines about the Oscar fiasco over mixed-up envelopes that saw “Moonlight” triumph over “La La Land” as best picture has been a big help to the low-budget picture’s international theatrical release. I’m happy to … Continue reading

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“Love and Friendship’, ‘Moonlight’ top London critics noms

By Ray Bennett Very pleased to see that Kate Beckinsale (pictured right) has won two nominations in the 37th London Critics’ Circle Awards for her sparkling performance in Whit Stillman’s Jane Austen adaptation “Love and Friendship”, which garnered seven nominations … Continue reading

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Kraków Film Music Festival: ‘A total pleasure!’

By Ray Bennett KRAKÓW – Cliff Martinez said it best. The genial but taciturn favourite movie composer of filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, said, “It is simply very exciting to be in a place that celebrates film music.” Martinez was speaking at … Continue reading

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Art meets science in space at the Natural History Museum

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The Natural History Museum’s exhibition “Otherworlds: Visions of Our Solar System”, on show now through May 15, is as good as a movie as it takes visitors on a journey through space with spectacular still … Continue reading

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Academy Awards diversity: a look at the numbers

By Ray Bennett LONDON – In the discussion about diversity in the top prizes of the Academy Awards, the depth of the problem for the Academy is clear as in the 14 awards from 2001 to last year, on the AMPAS … Continue reading

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London Critics’ Circle film awards: Ovation for Alan Rickman

By Ray Bennett LONDON  – There was only one standing ovation at the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards Sunday night and it was for someone who was not there: Alan Rickman, who died on January 14. The audience responded immediately … Continue reading

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David Bowie: When Ziggy played guitar

By Ray Bennett LONDON – On Oct. 8 1972, a new young artist from England played his sixth U.S. concert in Detroit at the Fisher Theatre. This is what I wrote in The Windsor Star newspaper two days later: Remember the name. … Continue reading

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Composers Williams, Morricone up for Bafta film awards

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The nominees for original music in the Bafta Film Awards announced this morning are Thomas Newman for “Bridge of Spies”, Ennio Morricone for “The Hateful Eight”, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Carsten Nicolai for “The Revenant”, Jóhann Jóhannsson for … Continue reading

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Why Omar Sharif preferred bridge to movies

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Omar Sharif, who has died of a heart attack in Cairo aged 83, was an international movie star who was always rather embarrassed about the way he earned a living. He said, ‘The things going … Continue reading

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