By Ray Bennett
LONDON – Quentin Tarantino’s western “The Hateful Eight” reveals him as a horrible sham who relies on the skills of talented filmmakers to make his pictures look and sound great despite his absence of talent as a director. Continue reading
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 “Sicario” and John Williams for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
LONDON – If you like musical theatre, beg, borrow or steal a ticket to see the Chichester Festival Theatre’s dazzling production of Broadway classic “Guys and Dolls”, which opens at the Savoy Theatre on Jan. 6 and runs to March 12.
The good news is that it will then tour the United Kingdom. A critical and popular hit at Chichester, the show was presented in a few other cities and so in previews in the West End from Dec. 10 it is already pitch perfect. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
LONDON – A finely nuanced performance by Saoirse Ronan as a young Irish ex-pat in New York is one of the many pleasures of John Crowley’s warm and entertaining “Brooklyn”. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
There were several reasons why Frank Sinatra, who was born 100 years ago today, was known as The Voice. In 1992, Daily Variety gave me the chance to research just how he earned the sobriquet. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
LONDON – The latest James Bond film, “Spectre”, has grossed around $800 million around the world, so it’s clear that the filmmakers know what sells. It’s just a shame that it’s not really a James Bond film.
Director Sam Mendes and his crew deliver plenty of smash, bang and wallop but it becomes simply flash and clatter devoid of the dash and cavalier spirit the 007 legend requires. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
LONDON – Danny Boyle apparently blames the box-office failure of his film “Steve Jobs” in the U.S. on the decision by distributor Universal Studios to break it wide too early. Universal reportedly blames the film’s leading actor, Michael Fassbender, for not having enough star power to open a movie.
They both miss the point that it’s simply not a very good film. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
LONDON – As “Back to the Future” marks its 30th anniversary, here’s a version of a story I wrote in 1985 for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner.
In 1984, Canadian actor Michael J. Fox (pictured with Christopher Lloyd) was starring in a struggling US TV sitcom titled “Family Ties” and taking what movie roles he could get including a cheap exploitation picture called “Teen Wolf”. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
LONDON – Jackie Collins, who died on Sept. 19 of breast cancer aged 77, was a far more thoughtful person than her raunchy writing might suggest and not at all the diva that older sister Joan Collins became. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
LONDON – Sean Connery nudged my arm as a waiter hovered with a tray of champagne, and said, “They have Scotch, you know.”
We were on the terrace on Elton John’s house on the cornish that overlooks Nice in the South of France. The pop star’s film company, Rocket Pictures, was hosting a fancy spread for a mix of top-liners and mid-level film people during the Festival de Cannes in 1999. A handful of trade reporters was invited to, and I was one of them. Continue reading
