classic film
How is it that so many people remain unaware of the mighty Roger Livesey? This peerless actor was the centrepiece of many of the finest films in British history. Born in Barry, South Wales in 1906, Livesey is rarely invited into the superclub of immortal Welsh greats like Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins, Rachel Roberts and Hugh Griffiths.
Editor’s Letter of Week 39 This week, I decided to catch up on some old movies. I’ve seen my fair share; more than most of the casual film watchers, probably fewer than the average film student. I think my first oldie, if we’re going to be fair, was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
When The Artist won Best Picture at the 84th Academy Awards, it became only the second silent film to win that award. That’s because silent films were already almost passé by the time the first ceremony was held. The end of silent films was swift and fast, their production gone in almost no time.
If you ask somebody about the war films they’ve seen, the first titles that come to mind are usually large-scale epics that feature scenes of combat and violence. These films effectively depict the horrors of war. However, the level of action in some of these films can be distracting and compromise our emotional involvement with the characters once we see how quickly they can vanish, and the level of violence that can occur.
What I love about Martin Scorsese is that he is a filmmaker who loves movies. Over the years his personality has taken on new dimensions as a film historian as well as a director. The movies he’s restored through his non-profit Film Foundation company has brought tons of movies that would have either gone unseen, or deteriorated without his restoration projects.
And why is it your favorite? Below, the team members of Film Inquiry answer the question, and we encourage you to do the same – join in the discussion in the comments section! For your information, we consider a movie an “oldie” when it’s older than 20 years.
Alfred Hitchc*ck. The name alone makes me shiver. Known for his concoctions of seriously haunting imagery and bone-chilling scores, Hitchc*ck films are acclaimed as some of the best thrillers of all time.