cleopatra is a 1934 epic film directed by cecil b. demille and distributed by paramount pictures , which retells the story of cleopatra vii of egypt .

it was written by waldemar young , vincent lawrence and bartlett cormack , and produced and directed by cecil b. demille .

claudette colbert stars as cleopatra , warren william as julius caesar , and henry wilcoxon as mark antony .

cleopatra ( 1934 film )

cleopatra ( 1934 film ) <EOT> cleopatra ( 1934 ) directed by cecil b . demille • reviews , film + cast • letterboxd

cleopatra ( 1934 ) - - ( movie clip ) she is . . .

cleopatra ( 1934 ) review , with claudette colbert | pre - code . com

cleopatra ( 1934 ) - - ( movie clip ) golden streams of . . .

the 1934 , pre - code version of " cleopatra " celebrates its 75th on dvd .

cleopatra ( 1934 ) - - ( movie clip ) opening , in the . . .

warren william as julius caesar in cecil b . demille ' s cleopatra ( 1934 ) urltoken

the master showman cecil b . demille ' s cleopatra ( 1934 ) is a modernistic 1930s costume spectacle that reshapes the cleopatra story

cleopatra ( 1934 ) ( sn & r - film - in the mix - dvd / video - 06 . 04 . 09 )

cleopatra ( 1934 ) - - ( movie clip ) opening , in the year 48 b . c .

" cleopatra " was the second most popular movie at the u . s . box office for 1934 .

claudette colbert is the queen of the nile in cecil b . demille ' s cleopatra ( 1934 ) . >

it kicked off the opera in film craze . don’t ask why . one night of love ( 1934 )

looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing cleopatra ( 1934 ) near you .

demille ' s cleopatra won ' t do that ! there ' s far too much action , pageantry and claudette colbert for the 1934 film to ever be considered boring .

cleopatra masters of cinema dual format edition blu - ray 1934 : urltoken claudette colbert , cecil b . demille : dvd & blu - ray

claudette colbert had a banner year in 1934 , with three of her films being nominated for academy awards for best film : this picture , imitation of life ( 1934 ) and it happened one night ( 1934 ) . she , of course , won the oscar for best actress for the last .

, in grateful recognition of her outstanding contribution to screen entertainment during the year 1934 .

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( claudette colbert in title role of cecil b . demille’s film cleopatra . sources from , chuckpalahniuk . net , this image was also published in life magazine , jan 01 , 1934 )

cleopatra ( 1934 ) cleopatra wurde 1934 von cecil b . demille gedreht und handelt von der ägyptischen königin cleopatra . dieser film ist nach den bekanntesten stummfilmen von 1912 , 1917 und 1920 der erste wichtige tonfilm über die berühmte königin . er gewann einen oscar für die „beste kamera“ . ✪video ist an blinde nutzer gerichtet ✪text verfügbar unter der lizens cc - by - sa ✪bild quelle im video

opening and preservation credits for cecil b . de mille ' s cleopatra , 1934 , starring claudette colbert , warren william and henry wilcoxon . >

claudette colbert was sick from april 10 , 1934 to april 16 , delaying the production .

you can see the navy only if you can find the film : here comes the navy ( 1934 ) is still hard to find .

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it inspired a remake and an r . e . m . song . i prefer the song to either film . imitation of life ( 1934 )

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turns out cleopatra ( claudette colbert ) was dressing for her wedding to caesar ( warren william ) when he was assassinated , arthur hohl as brutus , in cecil b . de mille ' s version of roman history , in cleopatra , 1934 . >

director cecil b . de mille goes pretty large for the arrival of caesar ( warren william ) and cleoopatra ( claudette colbert ) in rome for their wedding in cleopatra , 1934 .

the 7th academy awards , for the film year of 1934 . the nominations were announced on february 5 , 1935 and the ceremony was held on february 27 , 1935 .

studio : a cecil b . demille production paramount pictures premiered : august 16 , 1934 ( new york premiere )

don’t let the cast fool you . the barretts of wimpole street ( 1934 ) is no better than okay .

director cecil b . de mille goes pretty large for the arrival of caesar ( warren william ) and cleoopatra ( claudette colbert ) in rome for their wedding in cleopatra , 1934 . >

q : from the defeat of actium to the end of the film , cleopatra manages to appear calm about her dwindling fortune . why ?

the master showman cecil b . demille ' s cleopatra ( 1934 ) is a modernistic 1930s costume spectacle that reshapes the cleopatra story - the kind of film for which demille was best known . unarguably , the paramount studios film is campy , grandiose and unreal and ludicrous historically - filled with demille ' s usual mixture of sin and sex . sexually - suggestive costumes adorn most of the female characters .

( 1934 ) . the latter film is notable not only for the sophisticated flavor colbert brings to the role of the doomed monarch , but also for its lavish sets and art direction .

frank capra ( left ) with clark gable and claudette colbert on the set of it happened one night ( 1934 ) , the first film to win oscars in the five major categories .

the italian comedy film totò e cleopatra ( " totò and cleopatra " , 1963 ) , directed by fernando cerchio , is a parody of the original classic , featuring italian comedy star totò as mark antony and french actress magali noël as cleopatra . although a farce from beginning to end and completely deviating from both the plot of the original and historical events , the film does effectively satirize some of cleopatra ' s elements , such as the lavish and costly production and the tormented nature of antony and cleopatra ' s relationship .

) , making it the only film ever to be the highest - grossing film of the year yet to run at a loss .

great review heather . cleopatra has always engendered the most dramatic of film costumes , this one and irene sharaff’s for elizabeth taylor being the best . we’ll see how angelina jolie comes out looking when she stars as the next cleopatra .

burns , kevin ; zacky , brent . " cleopatra : the film that changed hollywood . " american movie classics . 3 april 2001 . television .

this is one of two films based on the life of cleopatra vii to receive an academy award nomination for best picture . the second was cleopatra ( 1963 ) .

the main doors to cleopatra ' s chambers have modern metal hinges . see more »

cleopatra travels through an arch that was built at least 300 years after her death .

in this film , queen cleopatra uses her feminine wiles to become sole ruler of egypt . by turns kittenish and cold - blooded , cleopatra wraps such otherwise responsible roman worthies as julius caesar and marc antony around her well - manicured little finger .

fyi : cleopatra to reclaim the egyptian theater on september 22 , following a screening of demille’s “cleopatra , ” ( 1934 ) , at the hollywood blvd egyptian theatre , leonard maltin will interview author scott eyman about his new biography , “emperor of dreams : the epic life of cecil b . demille . ” urltoken

cleopatra ( claudette colbert ) is beginning to make headway with the businesslike antony ( henry wilcoxon ) , who ' s come with the intent of avenging caesar on behalf of rome , with some fairly decadent display from cecil b . de mille ' s , in the producer - director ' s cleopatra , 1934 . >

the film earned elizabeth taylor a guinness world record title , " most costume changes in a film " ; taylor made 65 costume changes . this record was beaten in 1996 in the film evita by madonna with 85 costume changes .

claudette colbert ' s next film during her very successful 1934 would be universal ' s imitation of life ( 1934 ) which began production almost two months after cleopatra had completed . her co - star in imitation of life would be . yes , warren william . meanwhile william ' s home studio , warner brothers , would squeeze both a philo vance and a perry mason out of him in between that pair of classics opposite colbert , their only two screen appearances together .

while the film obviously acknowledged elizabeth browning’s affliction , she was supposedly in pain her whole life . the film hardly portrays a woman enduring that kind of pain .

this film about a priest facing serious questions balances philosophical ideas with shock humor .

you be cleopatra and i ' ll be antony . note the flower in antony ' s head gear

…1934 capra made the hit it happened one night , starring clark gable and claudette colbert ; it won the academy award for best picture of 1934 . capra’s other comedies for columbia include mr . deeds goes to town ( 1936 ) and mr . smith goes to washington ( 1939 ) . during this same period , howard hawks…

it’s been a little while since i posted anything on film costume history . to that end , here are some tasty tidbits on claudette colbert and her costumes for the 1934 version of cleopatra . speaking to the often difficult task of costuming a mega - star like colbert , writer leon surmelian explained what happened in an article for a fan magazine in 1938 :

queen cleopatra of egypt experiences both triumph and tragedy as she attempts to resist the imperial ambitions of rome .

the life and times of cleopatra by c . m . franzero histories by plutarch , suetonius , and appian

was a box office success and garnered five academy award nominations , including one in a brand - new category : film editing . the film won an oscar for best cinematography .

on the egyptian side irving pichel turns in one of the few noticeable performances as cleopatra ' s confidante , apollodorus . he serves as cleopatra ' s political drive in overcoming her desires , always reminding her to put egypt first . then there ' s leonard mudie as pothinos , cleopatra ' s enemy who has her exiled in the opening scene of cleopatra . he ' s effective but , er , not around for too long .

the film ' s screenplay by waldemar young and vincent lawrence was based on an adaptation of historical material by barlett cormack . the 20th century fox extravagant , four - hour version of the same film , cleopatra ( 1963 ) starring elizabeth taylor and richard burton , nearly bankrupted the studio .

nominated for five academy awards , cleopatra would win one for victor milner ' s cinematography . none of the individual actors nor demille himself were nominated for their work on this film , but the 1935 awards were a banner time for colbert who won best actress as part of it happened one night ' s ( 1934 ) then unprecedented sweep of the four major awards .

if i have to be completely frank , i have to admit that i at one point during this film went from seeing it as a cleopatra biopic to it simply being a film about an interesting woman during a completely different time period . my knowledge about cleopatra and her era isn ' t very large , but claudette colbert isn ' t exactly who i imagined as the title role . however , she was still the ultimate highlight of the film and it ' s impossible to not enjoy watching her . also , cleopatra ' s hiccups ? super duper cute , if that is allowed to say .

every film that has ever been nominated for an academy award in any category . enjoy !

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cleopatra ' s story had been brought to the screen prior to 1934 , most famously in the 1917 lost production starring theda bara . it ' s also been done several times since including vivien leigh ' s performance in 1945 ' s caesar and cleopatra and with elizabeth taylor taking the title role of the 1963 production , which i have to admit has put me to sleep a few times .

claudette colbert , warren william and henry wilcoxon in c . b . de mille ' s " cleopatra . "

a brilliant film amazing sets for the period and a good challenger for the late elisabeth taylor film , the film has been restored to a high standard . it has an intelligent story and requires the use of brain cells so may not be popular with fans of modern films .

when cecil b . demille was in pre - production on this film , he asked to screen the original version , cleopatra ( 1917 ) with theda bara . no prints could be found on in los angeles , so a copy of it was borrowed from the fox office in new york . after demille viewed the film it was sent back to little ferry , new jersey . on july 9 , 1937 , a fire at the storage facility destroyed almost all of fox ' s known archived prints , most likely including cleopatra . the screening for demille ' s company , on february 15 , 1934 , may have been the last time anyone saw the legendary film . see more »

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on may 21 , 2013 , the restored film was shown at a special screening at cannes . the film was later released as a 50th anniversary version available on dvd and blu - ray . unfortunately fox had long ago destroyed all of the trims and outs from negatives to save costs years before , preventing the release of traditional outtakes . the home media packages did include commentary tracks and two short films " the cleopatra papers " and a 1963 film about the elaborate sets " the fourth star of cleopatra " .

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the film largely came about because cecil b . demille ' s previous film , four frightened people ( 1934 ) - which also starred claudette colbert - had been a huge flop . paramount head adolph zukor wanted demille to replicate the success of the sign of the cross ( 1932 ) and told him he had to make another historical epic next with lots of sex in it .

… ( lady for a day , 1933 ; it happened one night , 1934 ; mr . deeds goes to town , 1936 ) , hawks ( twentieth century , 1934 ; bringing up baby , 1938 ) , gregory la cava ( my man godfrey , 1936 ) , mitchell leisen ( easy living , 1937 ) , and leo mccarey ( the awful truth , 1937 ) .

on urltoken i wrote a second cleopatra article focused entirely on warren william as julius caesar . you can read that here .

the academy also ignored another josef von sternberg ( and marlene dietrich ) film , the scarlet empress .

the film : this is one of those best picture nominees that is extremely difficult to find . sadly , it’s kind of easy to see why . while the characters in the film , the powerful and rich rothschild family , combats anti - semitism throughout the film , there are also a lot of places where the film falls right into jewish stereotypes , especially during the first parts of the film . the film is a biopic of the entire family and their rise to power in the late 18th century and how they came to rule the world of european finance , rising to esteem during the napoleonic wars .

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this movie has to say the least a checkered misbegotten past . big budget epic , flawed but has value , but given time and expense it is rather ho hum . 1934 . . .

in 1934 the hays code was only just being implemented so cecil b . demille made sure to flaunt its restrictions while he was still legally able to do so . he opens the film with an apparently naked but strategically lit slave girl holding an incense burner in each hand as the title appears onscreen .

( 1964 ) , which is a parody of this film . both burton and james played mark antony .

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…row”—for the frank capra comedy it happened one night ( 1934 ) . the punishment turned out to be a coup for gable , as the film—the story of a spoiled runaway heiress ( portrayed by claudette colbert ) and the newspaper reporter ( gable ) who tries to exploit her story—swept the academy awards in all five…

a fairly standard film that even starts to stray towards boring at times . but claudette colbert is mesmerizing as cleopatra and saves most scenes that she is in and brings the viewer right back into the mood . she gives cleopatra charm , sensuality and a grace the befits her reputation from history . not to mention a bit of wit to spar with caesar and antony ,

the french comic book asterix and cleopatra , published first in serial form the same year the film was released , parodies the film . in particular , the cover of the comic book mocks the film ' s massive casts and sets by claiming it is the " greatest story ever drawn " and that " 14 litres of india ink , 30 brushes , 62 soft pencils , 1 hard pencil , 27 rubbers , 1984 sheets of paper , 16 typewriter ribbons , 2 typewriters , 366 pints of beer went into its creation ! " cleopatra herself is drawn to look somewhat like elizabeth taylor .

five year old , popular fox studios money - maker shirley temple ( born on april 23 , 1928 , she was almost six years old at the time of the academy banquet held on march 16 , 1934 ) was presented with a miniature statuette - a special award - for her " outstanding contribution to screen entertainment during the year 1934 " . by some accounts , she remains the youngest oscar recipient in history .

the film : it was going tolerably for a while . certainly warren william wasn’t any good as julius caesar and claudette colbert wasn’t any good as cleopatra . but it wasn’t painful to watch , just not a good film . then come the ides of march and we should all beware . in fact , anyone who ever decides to watch this film should beware . because the assassination is so ineptly handled , so mind - bogglingly bad , so pathetically awful as to inspire either ferocious head - shaking or uncontrollable laughter . it is simply that bad and the film never recovers .

. . . demille ' s lavish but stilted film . . . is all production value and no style .

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so what do we have left ? a decent film , filled with decent performances that probably wouldn’t be very interesting if it didn’t involve robert browning and elizabeth barrett browning . yet , here i have it ranked fourth among the 12 nominees for the year . well , that says quite a bit about the nominees from 1934 .

claudette colbert , warren william and henry wilcoxon in c . b . de mille ' s " cleopatra . " - the new york times

with the headline : claudette colbert , warren william and henry wilcoxon in c . b . de mille ' s " cleopatra . " .

all in all , this movie is a great informant of how cleopatra’s image is warped by society and how racist and sexist hollywood is .

ilias chrissochoidis ( ed . ) , the cleopatra files : selected documents from the spyros p . skouras archive ( stanford , 2013 ) .

what it comes down to is this . this is a great film . it is funny , charming and endearing . the scene where colbert stops the car is still one of the most famous scenes in film history . the ending is perfect , doing exactly what was possible under the code . it is well written , well acted , well directed . it works just as well now as it did in 1934 . what more do you need ?

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with the headline : the screen : ' cleopatra ' has premiere at rivoli ; 4 - hour epic is tribute to its artists ' skills .

the film : oh good lord . i’m thankful i’m already done with 42nd street . now the only dick powell performance i have to sit through is a midsummer night’s dream . i don’t think i could take another one . this film is so ridiculous and stupid . there’s really nothing that could make it a good film . i suppose perhaps another actor , one who could actually act , instead of just smile smugly , could have at least made it a decent film .

claudette colbert had previously starred in demille ' s historical epic the sign of the cross ( 1932 ) as the depraved emperor nero ' s lascivious , vixenish wife poppaea . it was unusual that in the same year that colbert starred as the legendary egyptian love goddess , she also starred as the female lead in frank capra ' s romantic comedy it happened one night ( 1934 ) and in john stahl ' s soapy drama imitation of life ( 1934 ) .

by edward copeland as hbo ' s rome neared its end , i decided it was finally time to catch up with two oscar - nominated best pictures that covered some of the same material : 1934 ' s cleopatra by cecil b . demille and starring claudette colbert and the infamous 1963 cleopatra directed by joseph l . mankiewicz but best known for its excess and for bringing together elizabeth taylor and richard burton . i figured i ' d assess the three versions of the story and the various cleos , antonys , caesars and octavians .

demille ' s film was nominated for five academy awards , including best picture , best sound recording , best assistant director , and best film editing ( a new category ) - it won a single oscar for best cinematography ( victor milner ) .

[ … ] cliff at immortal ephemera has a nice rundown of the film . he notes about wilcoxon : [ … ]

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yet again cecil b . demille produces an epic . probably the best movie version of this subject . intensely watchable with a superb performance from claudette colbert , who of course as cleopatra carries the film . the dvd also has some fascinating extras about the making of the film and they really knew how to make them in the 30 ' s no cgi - all real extras and real sets .

cleopatra ' s love for antony is re - kindled when he assembles the troops to do battle with octavian , caesar ' s nephew and heir . cleopatra falls dramatically at antony ' s feet to pledge herself to him , and he vows to fight with her , disavowing his allegiance to rome :

claudette colbert as the egyptian temptress in master showman cecil b . demille ' s classic cleopatra ( with four nominations and one win - best cinematography )

the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .

the cut of the film which mankiewicz screened for the studio was six hours long . this was cut to four hours for its initial premiere , but the studio demanded ( over the objections of mankiewicz ) that the film be cut once more , this time to just barely over three hours to allow theaters to increase the number of showings per day . as a result , certain details are left out of the film , such as rufio ' s death and the recurring theme of cleopatra ' s interaction with the gods of egypt .

the story of cleopatra , the fabulous queen of egypt , and the epic romances between her and the greatest men of rome , julius caesar and antony .

i could only find the german poster . and it took me an extra three and a half years to see the film .

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antony : you ' re charming . cleopatra : all right . i ' m ready to go now . antony : why ? oh , you don ' t find me charming . cleopatra : yes , i do . i could fall in love with you , but i don ' t intend to . what for ? antony : do you mean that ? cleopatra : there ' s no one like you . ( they embrace and kiss , reclined on her dias )

i ' m not really familiar with cleopatra ' s story so i didn ' t have many expectations for this but i still felt disappointed . the ten commandments is the only cecil b . demille film i ' ve seen previously , so i guess i imagined something of that calibre . positives were the costumes , the sets , and cleopatra herself , played by claudette colbert , whom i liked a lot here than in it happened one night .

he separately informs each of them that octavian let it be known that if cleopatra were to poison mark antony , rome would forgive her and egypt would be saved . antony thinks this is the most ridiculous thing he ' s every heard and is crippled with laughter as he marches off to tell cleopatra the grand joke .

this list collects every film from the starting list that became they shoot pictures don ' t they ' s 1000 greatest films . this…

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the film’s combination of chilly repression and warming desire make it feel like an heir to director james ivory’s “a room with a view . ”

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it was the highest - grossing film of 1963 , earning us $ 26 million ( $ 57 . 7 million total ; equivalent to $

the film : it’s strange to look at what people write about this film and no one seems to mention the similarities between aunt delilah and her pancake mix and aunt jemima . it seems so obvious that delilah and her mix were based on jemimah , right down to the smile and even the name that sounds so similar . all of that adds to the question of how we should feel about this film these days .

so now the next question . why isn’t it available ? it’s certainly not a bad film . it’s just as good as any film like it and since it has cagney , there certainly would be interest among people in seeing it , even outside of the oscar completists . although another hard to find nominee , one foot in heaven , is also a warners film . but there’s one other thing about this film . a lot of the action takes place on one particular ship and the name of the ship is mentioned throughout the film . that ship was the battleship u . s . s . arizona , now famous for having been destroyed and sunk during the attack on pearl harbor . perhaps people can’t bring themselves to release the film and force people to relive all of that . i don’t know for certain . but it certainly offers at least some sort of explanation why a decent , harmless film that was nominated for best picture still has yet to see a home video release .

a pre - code film that sneaked onto screens just as the censorious hays office began cracking down on hollywood’s racier propositions , cleopatra is a libertine paean to decadence and depravity that can still send a viewer’s mind reeling and pulse thumping – all courtesy of the golden age’s swampiest psychosexual auteur , cecil b . demille .

the film started off ok , but the script did the character of julius caesar no favors and there was little to no buildup to make his assassination more dramatic . no more than a throwaway line spoken to cleopatra that king is a dirty word in rome , and then we are already seeing the plotting of the…

“cleopatra reveals mr . de mille in an emphatically lavish , but nevertheless a relatively restrained mood . he may not neglect to dwell upon cleopatra’s amorous behavior and has evidently preferred that she does not overdress . but , even so , the scenes wherein she is beheld are less blatant than those he has depicted of other sorceresses in previous films . claudette colbert , the poppaea of the sign of the cross , is entrusted with the part of cleopatra . she wears a dark wig and looks even more attractive than usual . ”

in 48 b . c . , caesar pursues pompey from pharsalia to egypt . ptolemy , now supreme ruler after deposing his older sister , cleopatra , attempts to gain favor with caesar by presenting the conquerer with the head of pompey , borne by his governors , pothinos and achillas . to win caesar ' s support from her brother , cleopatra hides herself in a rug , which apollodorus , her servant , presents to caesar . the roman is immediately infatuated ; banishing ptolemy , he declares cleopatra egypt ' s sole ruler and takes her as his mistress . a son , caesarion , is born of their union . caesar , however , must return to italy . although he is briefly reunited with cleopatra during a magnificent reception for the queen in rome , caesar is assassinated shortly thereafter , and cleopatra returns to egypt . when mark antony , caesar ' s protégé , beholds cleopatra aboard her elaborate barge at tarsus some years later , he is smitten and becomes both her lover and military ally . their liaison notwithstanding , antony , to . . .

why dominate the whole of a friday night viewing with the theme of cleopatra ? more tomfoolery in programming , especially with this early dud . i like c . . . .

from the outset , cecil b . demille was determined to bring the cleopatra story to the masses , feeling that the william shakespeare and george bernard shaw versions were too highbrow .

there are horribly racists parts to this film . it came out in 1934 , so i guess it’s to be expected , but it’s impossible not to be distracted viewing it today . that being said , the costumes and set pieces are truly spectacular and transportive . claudette colbert gives a great yet troubling performance , considering she is as white as they come & plays an egyptian queen . the comedic scenes hold up nicely .

“already de mille’s ‘cleopatra’ opus is starting fashion trends . around hollywood , clips of burnished gold in lotus flower motifs are worn on filmy lace evening gowns . an egyptian collar effect is seen here and there . and most interesting of all , the winged bandeaus worn by claudette colbert promise to replace the tiara as an evening headdress . ” ( whitney , diane . “designer’s say shorter skirts ! ” shadoplay . july 1934 3 ( 5 ) : 16 . )

i think you’re harsh on ‘viva villa’ , it is a rather strange film , true , but not a bad one . and certainly not mediocre !

clash of the titans ( 2010 ) ( sn & r - film - in the mix - dvd / video - 08 . 19 . 10 )

mankiewicz unsuccessfully attempted to convince the studio to split the film in two in order to preserve the original cut . these were to be released separately as

cleopatra : i ' ve seen a god come to life . i ' m no longer a queen . i ' m a woman . antony : you choose me , cleopatra , against the world . cleopatra : against the world . antony : then we ' ll meet it . we ' ll smash it to pieces , put it together again , and call it ours ! war ! . . . cleopatra : so rome would forgive and take you back . and all they demand is for us to part . why don ' t they ask the sun to fall right out of the sky ? antony : yes , we ' ll fight them . we ' ll fight them all , if we have to fight alone .

cleopatra : that was part of the plan , too . i was going to get you so - irresponsible . antony : you didn ' t think one goblet would do it , did you ? cleopatra : yes , wouldn ' t it ? antony : ( he bursts out laughing ) well , that does amuse me ! ( he drinks from the goblet ) cleopatra : but it ' s such a large goblet . antony : yes , isn ' t it . ( he finishes the entire goblet ' s contents and pours a second one )

cleopatra is not only a supercolossal eye - filler ( the unprecedented budget shows in the physical opulence throughout ) , but it is also a remarkably literate cinematic recreation of an historic epoch .

casino jack and the united states of money ( sn & r - film - in the mix - dvd / video - 10 . 28 . 10 )

forget elizabeth taylor and what ' s his face , this is the definitive cleopatra movie for the 20th century . the restore is beautiful and claudette colbert is a treat to watch on screen .

but , of course , this is cecil b . demille and historical accuracy was never really one of his trademarks ( one little ditty about him and his lack of accuracy was “he wanted to put moses / in the war of the roses” ) . his trademark was making large historical epics . they were grand , big , sweeping and ever so badly acted . there’s no question that demille was an important person in the evolution of hollywood , that he almost single - handedly made paramount but are there film critics today who take him seriously as a director ? cleopatra is very badly directed , with no sense of timing or suspense . warren william blunders through the first part of the film and henry wilcoxon blusters his way through the second half . neither is believable in their roles and neither is believable as a potential mate for cleopatra . but of course colbert was never believable as cleopatra either .

the film is not as good as advertised . i am not sure that if i were the dvd production company i would release this . however , the performance of the main lead claudette colbert is brilliant and it is always interesting to watch a cecil b de mille film , especially as this is clearly a predecessor to the much better elizabeth taulor version of cleopatra which is clearly based on this . nice packacking and interesting extras , especially the documentary whose information seems to be more accurate than the commentary ' s

" i think i like the image of life better than life because i don ' t think real life is as satisfying as film . " — françois truffaut

remarked that the film is " a giant of a movie that is sometimes lumbering , but ever watchable thanks to its uninhibited ambition , size and glamour . "

antony : jewels ! you are a good fisherman . cleopatra : the golden streams of egypt never run dry . ( she tosses the jewels to her subjects ) ( to antony ) throw them !

the only reason to watch this movie is for colbert . otherwise , it ' s just the same old story we ' ve seen over and over in other movies about cleopatra , nothing new .

taylor inhabits the role with a focussed but uninhibited imperiousness , as when she turns cleopatra ' s entrance into rome , aboard a giant rolling sphinx , into the ultimate red - carpet photo op .

cleopatra : the sound to the stars . they must think we ' re funny people , scheming to destroy each other as if we had forever to live . they must wonder - why don ' t egypt and rome meet in the public square to plan union instead of conquest ? yes , it ' s very funny . antony : i ' ve said things to caesar i wish i hadn ' t . there ' s beauty in the egyptian queen besides her face . do you miss him ? cleopatra : no , he didn ' t love me . antony : is that really the reason ? cleopatra : no , not really . i admire men who don ' t love women . antony : what do you mean by that ? cleopatra : oh , i don ' t know . women should be but toys for the great . it becomes them both . antony : to you for that . ( he toasts her ) cleopatra : ( reciprocating ) and to you for that .

but of course , the point of putting a movie like " cleopatra " on dvd isn ' t to please the " fast & furious " crowd . it ' s to preserve the film for students of cinema history . and despite a few scenes that still show their grainy age , universal has done a decent job of that , delivering a mostly solid digital print of the motion picture , an intermittently engaging commentary track from writer and filmmaker f . x . feeney and a trio of featurettes that help place " cleopatra " in a larger cultural context .

the white parade is a woman’s film . i say this , not as a dismissive statement , but as a description . it is a story about six women who set out to be nurses , what happens to them through their studies and their eventual entry into the world of nursing . as most of the main characters are women and it continues to make them the stars , no matter what else happens in the film , that is part of the reason it’s a woman’s film . but the other reason is that this film is , for 1934 , very surprisingly strong in its viewpoint that these women don’t need men to survive . there are three main male characters in the plot . one of them comes through a variety of circumstances and his role is to look handsome and essentially be a pain . the second , though he eventually comes through in a vital part of the film in support of young’s character , ignores her earlier in the film because he has just been dumped via telegram and is so crest - fallen that he can’t function at all . the third is a complete cad , a young intern who won’t reveal his part in keeping a nurse out of her room all night even though it is going to cost her career and almost ends up costing her her life .

cleopatra sells caesar on egypt ' s importance by virtue of india and being a good businessman caesar romances her in efforts to gain more land and riches . it ' s pretty clear she ' s fallen for him but nobody is convinced caesar wants any more out of cleopatra than her possessions . still caesar ' s romans are in an uproar thinking caesar is going to divorce calpurnia , marry cleopatra and declare himself king of the world . a couple of trouble makers work on a bearded and reluctant brutus ( arthur hohl ) and soon enough daggers are slashing through the senate and warren william is done .

it does not help of course that this film doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to any of the actual historical events . if there was at least some history behind it , perhaps something could be done with it , other than to watch it because it was a best picture nominee or watch in horror at wallace beery hamming it up through every single scene . the problem is , that since the film is based entirely around his character , he is in most of the scenes in the film .

the first chapter , “establishing the conventions : cleopatra ( 1934 ) , ” treats demille’s version of the exotic , erotic egyptian queen in the context of the first generation of movies , the shift to sound , the emergence of the production code , and treatment of gender roles . after summarizing the plot , blanshard and shahabudin discuss the movie’s anachronistic social content , the seduction of spectacle within the theater as well as within the plot ( here a box describes the dazzling , seductive barge scene ) , and gender games .

lavish , of course , it is a cecil b . demille picture , but beyond the grand scope of demille ' s historical vision is a movie that held up better than i had expected . claudette colbert powers cleopatra in the title role by sheer force of personality . her cleopatra is manipulative , yet good - natured , and all sex appeal in every frame , surely straining the newly enforced production code .

pothinos crowns her " queen of the desert , " leaving her for dead in the middle of nowhere with only apollodorus for company . abandoned by their captors apollodorus explains the situation to cleopatra . pothinus is returning to ingratiate himself with caesar ; with cleopatra out of the way , they can deal with her brother with no interference . colbert only wants to know one thing : " how old is this caesar ? "

this is the case with cleopatra . there are some wonderful shots and scenery . the opening shot is alluring ; there are the gorgeous costumes , racy to a tea . there is the foregrounded harpist gently caressing…

capra’s “golden period” began with it happened one night ( 1934 ) , the first motion picture to win an academy award in five major categories : best picture , best actor , best actress , best director , and best adapted screenplay . the making of this enduring romantic comedy about a runaway heiress ( claudette colbert ) and the…

…whose cheerful screwball comedies ( it happened one night , 1934 ) and populist fantasies of good will ( mr . smith goes to washington , 1939 ) sometimes gave way to darker warnings against losing faith and integrity ( it’s a wonderful life , 1946 ) . other significant directors with less - consistent thematic or visual styles were william wyler…

i really wish i could have made it exhibition . great article , heather . she is one of my favorites and this role is one of the reasons why i grew - up dressing as cleopatra every halloween !

i like this film a lot . claudette colbert is alive , sexual , enticing and with great personality . she is simply wonderful in this , very believable as . . .

soon after a murderer is brought before cleopatra , who ' s to decide his mode of execution . antony sees the man ' s corpse being carried away and asks the guards what ' s going on . " the queen is testing poisons , " he ' s told . now he ' s a bit leery of cocktail time with cleopatra . i won ' t say whether she poisons him or not , but their evening is interrupted by c . aubrey smith ' s enobarbus presenting an ultimatum to antony from octavian . antony wins cleopatra over for good when he refuses enobarbus ' proposals and soon enough demille gives us a classic war scene .

antony settles in with cleopatra in egypt which as you might imagine doesn ' t set well back in rome where octavian is looking to take complete control . a messenger arrives in egypt in the form of someone i hadn ' t mentioned earlier , joseph schildkraut as king herod . herod , with sharp beard and narrowed eyes , is presented as a friend of both cleopatra and antony ; however , all he does is cause trouble .

cleopatra achieved notoriety during its production for its massive cost overruns and production troubles , which included changes in director and cast , a change of filming locale , sets that had to be constructed twice , lack of a firm shooting script , and personal scandal around co - stars taylor and burton . it was the most expensive film ever made up to that point and almost bankrupted 20th century - fox .

strange now as the film was eclipsed by the love affair it started , so that one now views : 1 ) the story of antony and cleopatra , a real life tragedy for the ages , 2 ) the hollywood film to that effect , a tragedy all by itself , and then 3 ) , the two souls playing the leads , taylor and burton , who would go on to nearly live what first they merely played at doing , or tried to live it , or something . they recite lines to each other that they couldn ' t know was their future and yet we now know as true . . . chilling . opulent to the extreme , a pompous film , bullying , and finally . . . perhaps more than merely memorable , a tragedy .

for a demille pageant film this one is not too over the top with claudette suitably seductive in the lead although the 1930 ' s eyebrows are a distraction . the production design and costumes are the real attraction here . not a great film , not terrible but if you are looking for full on demille debaunchery cloaked in piety watch the sign of the cross instead .

later , in the film ' s finale , after cleopatra has unsuccessfully attempted to have octavian spare antony ' s life in exchange for egypt ' s crown , she witnesses antony ' s death ( he has fallen on his own sword , believing that she has betrayed him ) : " i am dying egypt , dying . " realizing that she will be quickly conquered , cleopatra is attended to by her loyal handmaidens - she is dressed in black with a low - cut decolletage . she requests a basket to be extended to her on the throne : " it holds victory . " she removes a real , one - foot long snake / asp and applies it to her breast in one of the most memorable suicidal death scenes in film history . she sits immobile and defeated on her throne as her kingdom is conquered .


the getaway is a 1994 crime film directed by roger donaldson .

the screenplay was written by walter hill and amy holden jones , based on the jim thompson novel of the same name .

the film stars alec baldwin and kim basinger , with michael madsen , james woods , and jennifer tilly in supporting roles .

the getaway ( 1994 film )

the getaway ( 1994 film ) <EOT> featured in the getaway / blank check / my girl 2 ( 1994 ) . see more »

" the getaway " is rated r ( under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian ) . it includes some nudity and graphic violence . the getaway

join 94 , 322 other travellers who receive our best of getaway weekly newsletter .

ian parker contributed his first piece to the new yorker in 1994 and became a staff writer in 2000 .

the getaway is the 1994 remake of the 1972 sam peckinpah - directed crime thriller that starred steve mcqueen and ali macgraw . the remake stars alec baldwin and kim basinger and was directed by roger donaldson .

two scenes from the getaway 1994 michael madsen , jennifer tilly , and james stephens . all material retains it ' s original copyrights . please be sure to buy the dvd , thanks for watching !

q : which was a remake of the getaway . how ' d you choose that ?

the getaway is a 1994 crime thriller and a remake of the 1972 film of the same name . the film stars alec baldwin , kim basinger , michael madsen , james woods , philip seymour hoffman and jennifer tilly , and was directed by roger donaldson .

the action and the violence of the getaway are supported by no particular themes whatsoever . the movie just unravels .

special event french cinematheque co - promoted by the alliance française of greenwich presented the torment ( l ' enfer ) ( 1994 ) .

i know i ' ll probably get a roasting for saying this but the getaway remake is in many ways superior to the first .

roger ebert ' s speech on empathy for the " 11th hour " series on april 9th , 1994 , being republished here in honor of his birthday june 18 .

the getaway is a good action film and steve mcqueen was a very good film actor . he also starred in other films such as the magnificent seven , bullit , the great escape and the . . .

the ftma talk back series co - presented by sacred heart university presented free screening of the getaway . the event included q & a with professor

the getaway scores a triple play : it ' s a good character examination , a good relationship study , and a good action flick .

the man who sells his truck at the end is named " slim " . in the getaway ( 1972 ) , this character was played by slim pickens .

received in excellent condition and what a brilliant film to watch takes you out of this world and into then the getaway . steve is mega well worth a watch and keeps you on your toes

in association with : amazon , ebay , zazzle , allposters , cafepress . all transactions are safe and secure with a reliable history in online purchasing behind our associates . explore film adaptations by browsing 1994 movies based on books , including .

i really don’t understand why the reviews on this site are for steve mcqueen in “the getaway” ? the advertisement is for alex baldwin & kim basinger , the two movies are totally . . .

this film is a remake of sam peckinpah ' s the getaway . some character names and locations are changed . the writers and producers did not make this version of the film more faithful to jim thompson ' s novel than peckinpah ' s version ; the ' el rey ' ending from the novel was not included in this film .

stopped by the avon theater for a post - film q & as following the screenings of the film .

also in 1994 , baldwin made a foray into pulp fiction - based movies with the role of the title character in the shadow . the film made $ 48 million . in 1996 and 1997 , he continued to work in several thrillers , including , malice , the edge , the juror and heaven ' s prisoners .

special event avon’s annual oscar® film festival presented paranorman nominated for : best animated feature film .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented rango nominated for : best animated feature film .

the getaway arrives on german blu ray in a r - rated version only , so we miss out on the 47 second love making scene . i was hoping it was going to be the unrated version , but no .

special event books to film presented the zookeeper ' s wife . the event included post - film discussion moderated by ashley vanderwaren .

this film festival was launched in 1994 to celebrate the inclusion of the clause prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in the south african constitution . the screenings include a broad variety of both local and international gay and lesbian movies , which range from comedies to documentaries , feature films and shorts . the festival is hosted by nu metro cinemas at the v & a waterfont in cape town and killarney mall in johannesburg .

special event books to film presented the lost city of z . the event included post - film discussion moderated by cassie jo ochoa .

special event books to film presented the sense of an ending . the event included post - film discussion moderated by cassie jo ochoa .

for johnboy71 : i happened upon your request for the name of the hotel used in the getaway’s final shoot - out . as it was posted in 2007 , i don’t know if you’re still interested , but in case you are , here it is : . . . .

special event a night of noir presented black widow . the event included post - film q & a with film noir expert michael kovner .

since withdrawing from " boxing helena , " basinger also has finished work on three movies , " the real mccoy , " a caper comedy that opened yesterday in area theaters ; " the getaway , " a remake of the sam peckinpah action film co - starring baldwin , and " wayne ' s world 2 , " which is set for dec . 10 release .

baldwin first gained recognition appearing on seasons 6 and 7 of the cbs television drama knots landing , in the role of joshua rush . he has since played both leading and supporting roles in films such as beetlejuice ( 1988 ) , the hunt for red october ( 1990 ) , the marrying man ( 1991 ) , the shadow ( 1994 ) , the aviator ( 2004 ) and the departed ( 2006 ) .

guest speaker professor cheryl cambras  professor of film studies uconn leads a post - film discussion and q & a on control room .

arguably the continent’s biggest film event , the durban international film festival attracts both film - lovers and industry representatives from all over africa and beyond , creating a hub for the african film industry . while the focus is on african films , this 10 - day celebration also includes features , documentaries and short films from around the globe , as well as the wavescape surf film festival ( see below ) .

the event included a pre - film wine reception at fernando luis alvarez gallery .

special event the avon theatre presented a night of noir born to kill . the event included post - film q & a with film noir maven michael kovner .

special event the avon presented , waltz wth bashir , an academy award® nominee for best foreign language film , winner of the golden globes best foreign film , and winner of the national society of film critics best movie of the year . the film was followed by a q & a with geoff porter , political analyst with the eurasia group .

with the headline : reviews / film ; in the tire tracks of another sultry pair .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented oscar® nominated shorts animated . this year ' s selections included : sanjay’s super team , world of tomorrow , bear story , we can’t live without cosmos , if i was god ( additional film ) , taking flight ( additional film ) , the short story of a fox and a mouse ( additional film ) , the loneliest spotlight ( additional film ) , catch it ( additional film ) , prologue .

after wrapping " the getaway , " a loose remake of the steve mcqueen / ali macgraw road movie that is scheduled for february release , basinger did three days ' worth of work on " wayne ' s world 2 , " playing the girl of garth ' s dreams . also contributing unbilled cameos are drew barrymore and charlton heston .

despite the film ' s success at the box office , the film won two golden raspberry awards for worst picture and worst screenplay and tom cruise was nominated as worst actor .

guest speaker robert kesten  professor uconn / stamford , founder director’s view film festival leads a post - film discussion / q & a , focusing on the film ' s impact on counter - intelligence today in the wake of global terrorism .

special event focus on french cinema film festival presented un + une . the event included special guest appearance by legendary film director claude lelouch and director philippe azoulay .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented elle ( best actress ) .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented citizenfour ( documentary ) . .

special event the avon theatre presented disney’s frozen sing - a - long . the event included pre - film refreshments by lorca and post - film refreshments by 16 handles .

special event the avon co - presented by the greenwich international film festival presented members - only sneak preview of 20th century women . the event included a pre - film cocktail party .

guest speaker professor cheryl cambras  professor of film studies uconn introduces francois truffaut ' s the 400 blows which won the 1959 " best director " prize at the cannes film festival .

a great and fair point , given the mass of licensing deals that surrounded and in part funded the making and promotion of the film . but maslin continues , focusing on the strengths of the film .

fun though it is , " the getaway " could have been a lot better . its too - slick action scenes are no match for its two slick stars . a heist at a dog track , the payback to benyon for doc ' s release , is suspenseful and taut , and it includes some dramatic explosions . but in general " the getaway " starts off slowly and never achieves the snap of mr . donaldson ' s " no way out . " here he relies on action cliches to an embarrassing degree . when a villain walks onto a skylight , its obvious he ' ll be shot right there , the better to create a scene in which he falls through crashing glass .

in 2007 , the yari film group announced that it would give the film , now titled shortcut to happiness , a theatrical release in the spring , and cable film network starz ! announced that it had acquired pay tv rights for the film . shortcut to happiness was finally released in 2008 . baldwin , displeased with the way the film had been cut in post - production , demanded that his directorial credit be changed to the pseudonym " harry kirkpatrick " .

guest speakers the star of the film , danny aiello , and the director , kevin jordan , joined the avon audience for a screening of brooklyn lobster and a post - film q & a .

below average film and not in the same league as the mcqueen / mcgraw / peckinpah film twenty years earlier . this one was just bland in everyway . do not have the movie .

" the getaway " is a particularly nasty and mean - spirited action picture , with the dramatic depth of an arcade game . it is about a lot of people who doublecross and shoot each other , usually several times . none of these people have personalities , backgrounds , values or other points of interest . the film is fairly unique in one respect : everyone in it is slime , and the " heroes " are approximately as amoral as the villains .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented hell or high water ( best picture , best supporting actor , best original screenplay , best film editing ) .

special event the avon ' s cult classics series presented the warriors . drew taylor from the fairfield weekly introduced the film .

special event the avon ' s cult classics presented dressed to kill . drew taylor introduced the film .

special event the avon ' s cult classics series presented true romance . drew taylor introduced the film .

special event the avon ' s cult classics series presented near dark . drew taylor introduced the film .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented waste land nominated for best documentary .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented burma vj nominated for best documentary .

special event new york dog film festival presented program ii : love changes everything .

special event the global organization for people of indian origin , connecticut chapter 2011 film festival presented west is west . the event included post - film q & a with producer leslee udwin .

special event special event a night of noir presented murder , my sweet ( 1944 ) . the event included post - film q & a with film noir maven michael kovner .

the film noir genre generally refers to mystery and crime dramas produced from the early 1940s to the late 1950s . …

but anyone with nostalgic memories of the original should try sitting through it on video . that ' s all it takes to see what an improvement this " getaway " is , even though it follows the earlier film faithfully , right down to doc and carol ' s escape by hiding in the garbage truck . the original crept along at first , too . its characters were less vibrant , and it included what may be the rock - bottom performance of ms . macgraw ' s career .

special event this month critic ' s choice presented the misfits . film critic nick schager hosted the event .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented exit through the gift shop nominated for best documentary .

guest speaker rick mckay  director was on hand as a guest speaker to conduct a post - film lecture for his new documentary broadway : the golden age . this film is considered to be one of the most ambitious and comprehensive film made about america ' s most celebrated indigenous art form . broadway has won thirteen best film , documentary and audience awards .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented nocturnal animals ( best supporting actor ) .

documentary night presented dior and i . the event included post - film q & a with director

special event this month critic ' s choice presented zodiac ( a film by director david fincher the social network , fight club ) . fairfield county weekly film critic drew taylor hosted the event .

the european film festival is hosted by cinema nouveau and coordinated by the french institute of south africa , with screenings taking place in cape town , durban , johannesburg and pretoria . all the featured films are the recipients of numerous awards and accolades at international film festivals and competitions , including the oscars and the cannes film festival .

film making began in the 1890s , with the invention of motion picture cameras and the establishment of film production companies . the first films were under a minute long and , until 1927 , motion pictures were produced without sound . the first feature length multi - reel film in the world was a 1906 australian production called the story of the kelly gang .

why would i give this film four stars ? jennifer tillys performance . sooooooo hot !

special event avon’s annual oscar® film festival presented prometheus nominated for : best visual effects .

special event the avon ' s cult classics series presented the brood . drew taylor ( fairfield weekly ) introduced the film .

special event the avon theatre presented this month ' s critic ' s choice screening of bob fosse ' s film all that jazz . the event was hosted by fairfield weekly film critic ann lewinson .

special event documentary night presented sacred . the event included pre - film reception at 6 : 30pm and post - film q & a with executive producer bill baker and director thomas lennon .

special event french cinematheque presented elevator to the gallows . the event included pre - film wine and cheese reception .

special event this month critic ' s choice presented the african queen . film critic john anderson hosted the event .

then there is gosling ' s rule , supposedly a mark of his hyper - strict professionalism . he will drive the robbers as brilliantly as they could ever wish . but only for five minutes . when the five minutes is up , no matter where they are , he parks and leaves them there . what on earth is the point of a jobsworth getaway driver who downs tools after five minutes ? a getaway guy surely has to get the robbers to their pre - arranged safe house , no matter what . what do this movie ' s creators imagine a robbery involves ? it ' s like having a cab driver who says he ' ll drive you really really fast in the direction of your house , but only for five minutes . the naivety and absurdity sit uncomfortably with all that super - cool violence .

writing in the new york times on may 19 , 1999 , janet maslin gave the film its due , while calming the waters and reminding her readers that this was a film , nothing more , nothing less .

special event the avon theatre & ballet school of stamford presented first position . the event included post - film q & a with with flavio salazar ( ballet school of stamford instructor , featured in the film ) .

special event the avon theatre presented chinatown ( 1974 ) . introduction with film noir maven michael kovner .

special event avon’s annual oscar film festival presented the most dangerous man in america nominated for best documentary .

special event the avon theatre presented the natural . the event included post - film q & a ; with ncc professor gary carlson

special event the documentary night presented 9500 liberty , the important film about current immigration policies in the u . s . , followed by post - film q & a with producer chris rigopulos & immigration attorney philip berns .

" i ' ve found that work is so amazing , " she sighs . " i went right into ` the getaway ' after a lot of this stuff happened - - two days after , in fact . i really buried myself in the work , and i ' ve done it ever since . i ' ve done it all along , for the last 3 - 1 / 2 years , just worked constantly .

special event avon’s annual oscar® film festival presented trumbo nominated for actor in a leading role .

special guest joe pantoliano ( the sopranos , memento , midnight run ) , the star of a new film , the amateurs , stopped by the avon for a special sneak preview of the film and a q & a with the audience . see pictures from the event .

guest speaker bethany mclean , senior fortune magazine writer , author of the smartest guys in the room , the book on which the film enron : the smartest guys in the room is based , was on hand afer the show for a post - film q & a .

special event the avon ' s cult classics presented poltergeist . brian solomon ( vault of horror ) introduced the film .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented the messenger nominated for best supporting actor , best original screenplay .

critic ' s choice this month ' s critic ' s choice series presented a film by nicholas roeg starring theresa russell , art garfunkel & harvey keitel . film critic maitland mcdonagh hosted the event .

the sound on screen music film festival is an indie film festival dedicated to music - related feature films , documentaries and concert films . screenings take place at the labia theatre in cape town and at the bioscope in johannesburg .

special event warren miller entertainment presented international ocean film tour . described as the ultimate film event for all ocean lovers , this special screening of short films includes the most inspiring stories from the seven seas and the best water sports action of the year .

special guest karen young , the co - star of heading south ( vers le sud ) , stopped by the avon for a special screening of the film and a post - film q & a with the audience . see pictures from the event .

special event glenn kenny  film critic and senior editor of premiere magazine was on hand to conduct a post - film discussion and q & a , at an exclusive area engagement of stage beauty , a hit at the 2004 toronto film festival , stage beauty stars claire danes and billy crudup .

the exact same film peckinpah made two decades prior , only now with 30 % more steamy sex scene .

burton gilliam and slim pickens ( from the original film ) appeared together in blazing saddles ( 1974 ) .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented invictus nominated for best actor , best supporting actor .

special event the avon theatre & fox searchlight presented win win , the new film by director tom mccarthy ( the visito r , the station agent ) ; official selection : 2011 sundance film festival . the event included post - film q & a with star alex shaffer . to view photos from this event , please visit our celebrity photos page .

special event greenwich international film festival presented hell on earth : the fall of syria and the rise of isis . the event included post - film q & a ; with director nick quested , moderated by marlow stern of the daily beast .

special event french cinémathèque co - presented by focus on french cinema presented dheepan , winner of the palme d ' or award at the 2015 cannes film festival , the new film from acclaimed director jacques audiard ( a prophet ) .

special event avon theatre presented 2013 sundance film festival short films . a roller coaster mix of drama and comedy , the sundance film festival short films program was a collection of eight short films from the 2013 edition of the festival .

critic ' s choice ann lewinson , film critic for the fairfield weekly , hosted this month ' s critic ' s choice series which featured a restored 35mm print of a classic film i am cuba .

critic ' s choice kent jones , a critic for film comment and programmer for the film society of lincoln center , hosted a special presentation of academy award winner clint eastwood ' s a perfect world .

special event documentarian st . clair bourne’s film here i stand about paul robeson is a part of the avon ' s re - opening , and participation in the director ' s view film festival . also part of the festival , the avon theatre community film project of greenwich , premiered its adaptation of the short story , a jury of her peers .

special guest paul dano , the star of little miss sunshine , joined the avon audience for a q & a following the screening of the film .

special guest william baldwin , co - star and scene stealer in the squid and the whale , the acclaimed new film from wrtier / director noah baumbach , joined us at the avon for a very special screening of the film and a q & a with the audience .

you left out the best new one ! the plett food film fest . had reza mahammad this year , great fun !

special event french cinematheque presented the pursuit of endurance . the event included post - film q & a with luc hardy .

, a film which profiles several of new york city ' s public school kids and their journey into the world of ballroom dancing , stopped by the avon for a screening of the film and a q & a ; session after the show .

special event avon’s annual oscar® film festival presented searching for sugar man nominated for : best documentary .

special event the avon theatre presented a film by harry shearer the big uneasy . the event included a post - film q & a with director harry shearer . to view photos from this event , please visit our celebrity photos page .

special event the avon theatre and the vassar club of fairfield county co - presented this documentary night event featuring an evening of short subject films from vassar film students . james steerman , professor of drama & film , hosted the event .

special event joe meyers , a film critic for the connecticut post , hosted a restored 35mm presentation of the producers . a special q & a with gene wilder followed the film . to view photos from the event , please visit our photo gallery .

special event documentary night presented settlers . the event included post - film q & a with director shimon dotan .

special event the avon theatre presented sneak preview of becoming traviata ( official selection new york film festival 2012 ) .

special event documentary night presented koch . the event included post - film q & a with director neil barsky .

special event the avon theatre presented public speaking a film by martin scorsese . the event included a post - film q & a with fran lebowitz . to view photos from this event , please visit our celebrity photos page .

special event the avon theatre presented members - only advance screening of the grand budapest hotel . the event included complimentary wine and cheese reception before the film .

special event the avon was proud to host the connecticut film festival ' 06 featuring two films , the things that hang from trees and the gold bracelet .

guest speaker john motay  advisory board member , longtime surfer and documentarian introduced riding giants and led a post - film discussion at this premiere area engagement . the film ( from legendary surfer / skater / director stacy peralta ) provides an enchanting look at the history of big wave surfing and was the opening night selection at the 2004 sundance film festival .

special event the avon hosted a french cinémathèque evening , co - presented by focus on french cinema , with a screening of the documentary film faces places and a post - film discussion with joe meyers , entertainment editor of the ct post .

special event this month critic ' s choice presented donald cammell’s white of the eye . film critic maitland mcdonagh hosted the event .

special event the avon theatre presented monterey pop . the event included pre - film reception with food tastings from eos greek restaurant .

special event this month critic ' s choice presented the king of comedy . connecticut post film critic joe meyers hosted the event .

opening night special event the avon theatre presented opening night sreening of it ' s kind of a funny story followed by post - film q & a with co - directors ryan fleck & anna boden ( half nelson , sugar ) , moderated by film critic maitland mcdonagh ( time out ny , film comment ) .

meet the director academy award nominated director lasse hallstrom joined us as the avon for a rare theatrical presentation of his acclaimed film my life as a dog and a discussion with the audience after the film . to see photos from the event , please visit our photo gallery .

special event documentary night and the stamford land conservation trust co - presented a special screening of up the yangtze , an official selection at the 2008 sundance film festival , and a post - film q & a with author / journalist james lomuscio .

special event the avon theatre presented 2015 sundance film festival award - winning shorts . the 2015 sundance film festival short film tour is a program of six short films that won awards at this year’s festival , which over the course of its more than 30 - year history has been widely considered the premier showcase for short films and the launchpad for many now - prominent independent filmmakers .

the wavescape film festival takes place at various locations around durban and cape town , including cape town’s clifton 4th beach .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented florence foster jenkins ( best actress , best coctume design ) .

special event documentary night presented rosenwald . the event included post - film q & a ; with director aviva kempner .

special event the avon theatre presented a sneak preview of a late quartet ( official selection toronto film festival 2012 ) .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented beginners nominated for : best supporting actor ( christopher plummer ) .

special event our documentary night series presented chapters from leni riefenstahl ' s olympia , a film widely considered by film critics to be the greatest sports documentary ever made . the event was hosted by john farr , best movies by farr .

the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .

special event the avon hosted a free sneak preview of slumdog millionaire , a 2008 audience award winner at the toronto film festival . the screening was followed by a post - film q & a with screenwriter simon beaufoy ( oscar nominated screenwriter for the full monty ) .

special event the avon hosted a special screening of glacier bay and a post - film discussion / q & a with james noble ( producer / co - star ) , dorothy bryce ( co - star ) and colleen murphy ( co - star ) . the film has been chosen as an official selection in over 20 international film festivals !

special event the avon theatre and the interfaith council of southwestern connecticut presented the mission at the opening night of the interfaith film festival in stamford . the event included a short post - film discussion featuring diverse religious leaders led by filmmaker jules naudet , director of 9 / 11 and in god’s name .

special event the avon ' s documentary night series presented charlotte rampling : the look . film critic joe meyers ( ct post ) hosted the event .

special event co - presented by the brown club of fairfield county the avon theatre presented the end of the tour . the event included post - film q & a ; with award - winning author david lipsky , whose book , although of course you end up becoming yourself , was the inspiration for the film .

special event a film series presented by mockingbird ministries and co - promoted by the interfaith council of southwestern connecticut presented stars in my crown . the event included post - film q & a with reverend paul zahl and special guest peter mccrea .

special event the avon co - presented by greenwich international film festival presented robert klein still can ' t stop his leg . the event included post - film q & a comedian robert klein and director marshall fine , moderated by john farr .

premiere screening the avon , brown club of fairfield county & connecticut public television co - presented a premiere screening of the film and a post - film q & a with executive producers chris campbell and timothy smith & production executive larry rifkin .

guest speaker professor cheryl cambras  professor of film studies uconn is special guest speaker to our presentation of legendary japanese film maker akira kurosawa ' s rashomon ( 1951 ) , part of the avon ' s t rip around the world series .

special event the " religious hope from the movies " series presented tender mercies ( 1983 ) . the post - film discussion was hosted by the reverend mark lingle .

special guest eugene jarecki ( the trials of henry kissinger , the opponent ) whose latest film , why we fight , explores the military - industrial complex and the motivating forces that lead us to war joined the avon audience for a q & a following a special screening of his film .

special guest writer / director / producer doug block joined the avon audience for a special screening of his documentary film , 51 birch street , and a post - film q & a . the film has been named one of the top 10 films of 2006 by a . o . scott , ny times , and one of the top 5 docs of 2006 by the national board of review .

remakes are normally worse than the first versions , but this one is the exception . i saw the first version of " getaway " twice starred by steve mcqueen and ali mcgraw , which was ok to me , but this new one with alec baldwin and kim basinger is more credible in its plot and also in acting . basinger made more credible the reason to betray his husband , baldwin made more credible the reason why he stayed with his wife . in general both acted well and perhaps much better than mcqueen and mcgraw .

special event documentary night presented rubble kings . the event included post - film q & a ; with director shan nicholson .

special event sacred heart university ' s ftma mini fest presented the latest films from connecticut ' s first graduate film school .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented a better life nominated for : best actor ( demián bichir ) .

critic ' s choice nathan lee , film critic for the ny film critic circle and contributing writer for the ny times and village voice , hosted this month ' s critic ' s choice series celebrating the great rober altman with a special screening of 3 women .

special event french cinematheque presented don ' t tell me the boy was mad . the event included pre - film wine and cheese reception .

special event the avon theatre presented free members - only screening of millennium : the story , a new documentary film about author stieg larrsson .

special event the documentary night presented the legends of rock live series , hosted by guest speaker bill shelley ( shelley archives ) and featured the film , the rolling stones .

baldwin attended alfred g . berner high school in massapequa and played football there under coach bob reifsnyder , who is in the college football hall of fame . in new york city , baldwin worked as a busboy at the famous disco nightclub studio 54 . from 1976 to 1979 , he attended george washington university , afterwards transferring to new york university ' s tisch school of the arts , where he studied with , among others , geoffrey horne and mira rostova at the lee strasberg theatre institute , and , later still , being accepted as a member of the actors studio . baldwin eventually returned to nyu in 1994 , graduating with a bfa in that year .

special event french cinémathèque , co - presented by focus on french cinema , hosted a screening of django , with a pre - film reception and a post - film q & a ; hosted by joe meyers of the ct post .

special event director campbell scott and film editor andy keir , were on hand to discuss off the map , starring joan allen , sam elliot and j . k . simmons ; the film marks campbell scott ' s fourth directorial effort . read more on the event .

special event an evening with actor charles grodin , hosted by film critic janet maslin  in conjunction with the westport country playhouse , the avon presents a special screening of the heartbreak kid ( 1972 ) , with a unique post - film discussion and q & a .

special event sacred heart university’s film and television masters program presented the 2016 ftma film festival . the avon theatre was proud to host their opening night awards gala featuring director rebecca miller . the event included : - screening of maggie’s plan with a post - film q & a with the director rebecca miller - reception free and open to the public - awards presentation and screening of four award - winning student films .

there’s also mzansi women’s film festival , hosted every august . only films by and about women . web is urltoken

special event the avon hosted a documentary night event featuring a special screening of alice neel with a post - film q & a with producer / cinematographer ethan palmer , moderated by john farr , farr on film / avon co - founder .

special event documentary night presented mission control . the event included post - film q & a with producer / author rick houston .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented fantastic mr . fox nominated for best animated feature , best original score .

guest speaker jeffery galperin  port chester , ny , attorney , lent his unique insight and perspective in a post - film discussion and q & a . a bilingual attorney , mr . galperin has represented many " drug mules " detained at jfk airport , such as the film ' s maria . maria full of grace was the audience award winner at the 2004 sundance film festival .

special event the avon presented 30th anniversary screening of april fool ' s day . the event included pre - film wine & cheese reception and post - film q & a ; with the stars : deborah foreman , leah pinsent , deborah goodrich royce , and amy steel .

french cinematheque co - presented by the alliance francaise of greenwich presented hiroshima mon amour . the event included post - film q & a ; with

special event the avon theatre presented a special sneak preview of beginners , the acclaimed new film starring ewan mcgregor , christopher plummer & mélanie laurent .

special event the avon hosted an opening night for starting out in the evening with a special guest and the star of the film , frank langella . joe meyers ( ct post ) moderated the post - film q & a . to view photos from this event , please visit our photo gallery page .

the first shot of the film is carol mccoy ( kim basinger ) firing a sig p226 in the desert . it is never seen again after this scene .

documentary previews the avon presented a special screening of to die in jerusalem , a film which unabashedly explores the palestinian - israeli conflict through the personal loss of two families . the film ' s most revealing moment is in an emotionally charged meeting between the mothers of the girls , presenting the most current reflection of the conflict as seen through their eyes .

not everyone can tumble out of a garbage truck and still look glamorously tousled . after " the getaway , " you ' d have to put kim basinger and alec baldwin at the top of that list . their appeal as a couple of gorgeous outlaws is the main reason to see this sleek , entertaining remake of sam peckinpah ' s 1972 action film , the one that brought steve mcqueen and ali macgraw together in real life . ms . basinger and mr . baldwin , who have been an old married couple for five months now , have the wit and unabashed vanity to give this update a cynical 90 ' s flavor , and to make this movie their own .

guest speaker alex gibney , an emmy award - winning writer , producer and director , joined us for a post - film q & a on the opening night of his newest film , enron : the smartest guys in the room which exposes one of the history ' s greatest business scandals .

special event the avon hosted a special screening of the film and a q & a session with associate producer kitama seeger jackson , grandson of pete seeger , and director jim brown . the event was moderated by john farr ( farr on film / avon co - founder ) .

critic ' s choice the avon theatre presented this month ' s critic ' s choice screening of philippe garrel ' s masterpiece , j ' entends plus la guitare . the event was hosted by kent jones ( film comment / film society of lincoln center ) .

special event this month ' s critic ' s choice series presented z , a newly restored 35mm print and a winner of 2 academy awards ( for best foreign film and best editing ) . ct post film critic joe meyers hosted the event .

special event documentary night presented making the boys . the event included post - film panel q & a with : crayton robey ( director of making the boys ) doug tirola ( producer of making the boys ) & susan bedusa ( producer of making the boys ) . film critic joe meyers ( connecticut post ) hosted the event .

the film was given an r rating in theaters and later unrated on home video . the original was rated pg and later re - rated r .

opening screening of the second best exotic marigold hotel co - presented by icc greenwich . the event included pre - film reception sponsored by icc greenwich .

special event documentary night presented william kunstler : disturbing the universe . the event included post - film q & a with producer / director emily kunstler .

special event documentary night presented elaine stritch : shoot me . the event included post - film q & a with director chiemi karasawa .

special event documentary night presented if these knishes could talk . the event included post - film q & a with filmaker heather quinlan .

critic ' s choice the avon presented a special screening of rosemary ' s baby hosted by mark harris , entertainment weekly film critic .

special event documentary night presented bill cunningham new york a film by richard press . the event included post - film q & a with director richard press & editor ryan denmark . to view photos from this event , please visit our celebrity photos page .

special event the avon ' s cult classics series presented from beyond , a special screening of h . p . lovecraft ' s classic film , and a post - film q & a with screenwriter dennis paoli ( re - animator , dagon ) .

critic ' s choice this month ' s critic ' s choice event presented cutter ' s way , a dazzling film noir , starring jeff bridges , john heard and lisa eichhorn . the event was hosted by joe meyers , ct post film critic .

special event documentary night presented the connecticut premiere of rebuilding hope . the event included post - film q & a with gabriel bol deng and director jen marlowe . a portion of proceeds from this event will go toward health care and educations projects in south sudan that the subjects of the film have initiated .

special event french cinematheque co - promoted by the alliance française of greenwich presented today ( aujourd’hui ) . the event included pre - film reception and post - film q & a with actors saul williams & anisia uzeyman , moderated by professor ronnie scharfman ( suny purchase ) .

special event the avon theatre presented a special sneak preview of the fitzgerald family christmas . the event included post - film q & a with filmmaker / actor ed burns .

special event programmer’s pick presented nicolas roeg’s the man who fell to earth , starring david bowie . adam birnbaum , the avon theatre’s director of film programming hosted the event .

special event documentary night presented the mcveigh tapes : confessions of an american terrorist . the event included post - film q & a with producer timothy smith .

special event french cinematheque presented henri - georges clouzot ' s inferno . inferno is the only film of the year to have 100 % fresh rating from urltoken

this film follows several characters as they prepare themselves for the inevitable fate that awaits them when an incoming asteroid threatens to destroy their lives .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented steve jobs nominated for actor in a leading role , actress in a supporting role .

special event french cinematheque co - promoted by the alliance française of greenwich presented heartbeats ( winner – 2010 cannes film festival youth prize ) .

baldwin made his film debut with a minor role in the 1987 film forever , lulu . in 1988 , he appeared in beetlejuice and working girl . he gained further recognition as a leading man with his role as jack ryan in the hunt for red october ( 1990 ) .

“but stripped of hype and breathless expectations , mr . lucas’s first installment offers a happy surprise : it’s up to snuff . it sustains the gee - whiz spirit of the series and offers a swashbuckling extragalactic getaway , creating illusions that are even more plausible than the kitchen - raiding raptors of jurassic park . while the human stars here are reduced to playing action figures , they are upstaged by amazing backdrops and hordes of crazily lifelike space beings as the lewis carroll in mr . lucas is given free rein . the star wars franchise was funnier and scrappier when it was new . but it simply wasn’t capable of this . ”

special event the avon theatre presented special screening of the congressman . the event included post - film q & a ; with acclaimed actor treat williams ( hair , prince of the city ) .

special event the documentary night presented the legends of rock live series , hosted by guest speaker bill shelley ( shelley archives ) and featured the film , the beatles ( 1963 - 1970 ) .

special event the avon theatre presented a serious man , the critically acclaimed new film by the coen brothers . the event included an opening night q & a with co - star richard kind .

great film . . . been after this for years . . . glad it ' s in english aswel . . .

guest speaker rosemary mankiewicz , widow of film director , joseph l . mankiewicz , and avon theatre advisory board member , introduces her husband ' s film suddenly , last summer , starring katharine hepburn , as part of avon classics at high noon .

special event the avon theatre film center and stamford land conservation trust co - presented earth days , a film by robert stone . the event included post - film panel discussion about the local environment with harry day ( vp of stamford land trust , city representative of stamford ' s 13th district ) , ginny gwynn ( executive director of greenwich land trust ) , and kevin case ( northeast director of land trust alliance ) .

french cinematheque co - promoted by the alliance française of greenwich presented the last song before the war . the event included post - film q & a with director / producer kiley kraskouskas and a singer from the film leni stern . in the presence of son excelence ambassadeur paul tiendrébéogo . représentant permanent de la francophonie aux nations - unies de new york .

special event the avon theatre presented special screening of shored up . the event included post - film q & a with denise savageau , conservation director of the town of greenwich .

recognised as one of europe’s biggest short film festivals , shnit initially started in switzerland in 2003 with the sole purpose of promoting short film making as an independent art form . since then , it has expanded to seven other cities across five continents , including cape town .

documentary night presented art and craft nominated for the oscar documentary short list . free screening of goodfellas . the event included pre - film reception at franklin street works ( 41 franklin st . ) with filmmakers jennifer grausman and sam cullman and post - film q & a ; with filmmakers at the avon .

special event this month critic ' s choice presented the garden of the finzi - continis . the event included post - film q & a with alexander stille , journalism professor , columbia university . pre - film reception was hosted by lorca coffee shop in stamford featuring lorca ' s signature churros and chocolate .

alexander rae " alec " baldwin iii ( born april 3 , 1958 ) is an american actor , film producer and comedian who has appeared on film , stage and television . as a member of the baldwin family , he is the eldest of the four baldwin brothers , all well - known actors .

special event the avon’s annual oscar® nominated film festival presented fences ( best picture , best actor , best supporting actress , best adapted screenplay ) .

special event this month critic ' s choice presented jean - luc godard’s breathless . joe meyers ( ct post film critic ) hosted the event .

critic ' s choice this month ' s critic ' s choice event presented director fatih akin ' s passionate and erotic love story , head - on ( gegen die wand ) . nathan lee , a film critic for the village voice , hosted the post - film q & a .