Tallchief was proud of her Osage heritage. | Source
Native American Ballet Dancer
Maria Tallchief broke barriers as the first Native American woman (Osage) in ballet. She broke down ethnic barriers as one of the first Americans to flourish in her field. The New York Times called her one of America’s most brilliant ballerinas of the 20th century.
In her book, “Maria Tallchief: America’s Prima Ballerina,” she also explained how the Osage headrights affected her father. She said it felt as if her father owned property everywhere in Fairfax—the pool hall and local movie theater. Her family lived in a 10-room brick house on a hill overlooking the Osage reservation. They spent the summer in Colorado Springs because of the sweltering heat in Oklahoma. Tallchief also wrote in her book about the Osage Reign of Terror, “villainous white” who married Osage women and killed them to inherit their headrights.
On January 24, 1925, Maria Tallchief was born in Fairfax, Oklahoma, on the Osage Indian Reservation, during the Osage Reign of Terror described in Killers of the Flower Moon, directed by Martin Scorsese, and in the book of the same name by David Grann.
The true story Killers of the Flower Moon recounts the murder of over twenty Osage Indians from 1921 to 1926 because of their oil mineral rights. The tribal law made each member wealthy by granting them headrights, a share of the mineral trust. Because the government deemed the Osage unfit to manage their wealth, it appointed guardians to supervise their headrights.
Tallchief’s grandfather, Peter Bigheart, helped negotiate the agreement that founded the reservation and maintained the tribe’s mineral rights. When the Osage Indians discovered oil on the reservation, they became the wealthiest Native American tribe in the USA.
Maria’s father, an Osage Indian, Alexander Joseph Tall Chief, was a wealthy real estate executive. Her mother, Ruth Mary Porter Tall Chief, was of Scottish and Irish descent. Marie Tallchief wrote in her autobiography that her father never worked “a day in his life” because of the headrights.
Tallchief Early Years
Tallchief spent her childhood in Los Angeles, California, honing her ballet skills through years of training. Her mother had her start formal ballet lessons in Fairfax, Oklahoma, before she was four.
At eight, her family moved to Los Angeles, California. The purpose was to establish advanced ballet training for Maria and her sister, Marjorie. Their mother wanted them to work in Hollywood musicals.
Wore Ballet Flats Most of Her Life
Ballet Career Started on the Osage Reservation
Maria’s mother encouraged her and her sister, Marjorie, to take ballet and piano lessons during their toddler years. They performed at Osage civic organizations.
Moved to California
At age eight, Marie’s family moved to Beverly Hills, California, where she continued to study ballet and piano. Marie studied under prominent Russian ballerinas, Madame Nijinska and Anna Pavlova, by age twelve.
Because Tallchief was a Native American, members of the ballet community were skeptical. However, choreographer George Balanchine recognized her talent. He nurtured her into a prima ballerina.
Marie and Marjorie became professional ballet dancers and leading figures in America. In their retirement years, they founded Lyric Opera’s Ballet School in 1974, teaching the Balanchine method. Tallchief’s ballerina career took her around the world, resulting in a professional and personal relationship with George Balanchine.
Tallchief Moved to New York City
At 17, Marie moved to New York City to establish herself in a major ballet company. Here, she made her official name, Marie Tallchief.
For the next five years, she danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and met her first husband, choreographer George Balanchine. He co-founded the New York City Ballet in 1946, and Marie became its first prima ballerina.
Tallchief’s early career in the 1940s included dancing with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. | Source
Leonardo DiCaprio portrays Ernest Burkhard in an unlikely love story, and Lily Gladstone portrays Mollie Kyle. Oil transformed the Osage Nation into one of the wealthiest populations in the world at the start of the 20th century. I found the film informative, with an authentic Scorsese flair. There is a scene in which Robert De Niro’s character, William K. Hale, stands with a group of ballerinas and their teacher. I am sure it’s paying homage to Maria Tallchief’s legacy. Today, it’s a legacy celebrated on the reservation with statues of Tallchief.
Tallchief’s passion for ballet and Balanchine’s challenging choreography made the art form more popular. But some argue that Tallchief, as the Firebird in Stravinsky’s The Firebird, in the first year brought accolades to the New York Ballet. Playing the Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker catapulted the Christmas ballet from obscurity to popularity in America.
Balanchine elevated Tallchief’s career as a prima ballerina, soloing her in his first ballet with the Russe de Monte Carlo called Song of Norway and as Alexandra Danilova’s understudy. Balanchine repeatedly cast Tallchief in significant roles in classical ballet. Eventually, she became the second lead when Ballet Imperial opened.
Balanchine and Tallchief grew fond of each other, and he told The Washington Post she was his “crucial artistic inspiration.” Their working relationship crossed into a personal relationship, and they married in 1946.
During their professional career, Balanchine influenced Tallchief’s ballet style by encouraging her to start over with the fundamentals of the craft. She lost weight and elongated her neck and legs as she learned to hold her chest high. Danilova taught Tallchief extensively, transforming her into a featured soloist.
Tallchief created the role of Coquette and Night Shadow and was the first ballerina to perform it. The most challenging role in the ballet was another milestone in her illustrious career.
Her career blossomed with a stint with the Paris Opera Ballet, becoming the first American to perform with the company. The French audiences loved her.
Tallchief revolutionized ballet under the guidance of George Balanchine. | Source
New York City Ballet
Returning to New York in 1948, Balanchine co-founded the New York City Ballet, giving Tallchief the first prima ballerina role. During this time, Balanchine revolutionized ballet, creating dances that demanded athleticism, aggressive dancing and speed. Tallchief complied with all his choreography. To the point, the New York Times critic wrote she did everything except spin on her head.
Tallchief’s popularity and talent helped boost the fledgling ballet company, dancing eight times a week. She received critical success, and the audience praised her dancing as the Sugarplum Fairy in the annual Christmas classic, The Nutcracker.
Other dancing roles under Balanchine’s choreography included Swan Queen in Swan Lake and Eurydice in Orpheus. Tallchief created different lead roles in Jones Breach, Prodigal Son and A La Francaix. She also danced in Balanchine ballets with no storyline, interpreting music with theatrical elements. Balanchine was masterful at creating images or expressing and provoking emotion. Tallchief’s fiery dancing and athletic performances solidified Balanchine’s era as the most prominent choreographer.
Tallchief’s Marriages
Balanchine and Tallchief’s marriage was annulled in 1952. Shortly after, Tallchief married Elmourza Natirboff, a pilot. They divorced two years later, and she married Henry D. (Buzz) Paschen Jr in 1955. They had a daughter, Elise Maria Paschen, an award-winning poet. They remained married until he died in 2004.
Tallchief’s Illustrious Career
Tallchief continued establishing firsts, such as the American Ballet Theatre’s first guest dancer and prima ballerina. She was also the first American to dance at the Bolshoi Theatre in Russia. She was Rudolf Nureyev’s chosen partner for his American television debut.
Her Oklahoma people honored her with an array of statues and an official day of recognition. The National Women’s Hall of Fame inducted her, and she received a National Medal of Arts from the United States Congress. She also received a Kennedy Center Honor for her lifetime achievements.
In 2012, Tallchief broke her hip and passed away on April 11, 2013, because of complications from her injury.
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) – IMDb Killers of the Flower Moon: Directed by Martin Scorsese. With Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, and Jesse Plemons.
Charles “Buddy” Bolden’s story is haunting and captivating, marked by extreme highs and terrifying lows. Few people are familiar with his influence on the music culture, yet his musical ingenuity touches us fundamentally and socially.
He invented one of America’s few homegrown art forms, including its first and most important cultural export: jazz.
Growing up in New Orleans toward the end of the 19th century, he developed a new music style. Some describe it as fusing blues, gospel, and ragtime, calling for rapid improvisational rhythm. He played his cornet’s warmth and arousal sound like no other.
“Very little is known about musician Buddy Bolden:
He was born on September 6, 1877.
He was committed to an insane asylum in 1907, where he died in 1931.
Very few pictures of him exist….But Buddy Bolden invented jazz.”
American-Made
Jazz is as American-made as apple pie. The art form emerged about 120 years ago, when musicians gathered in inspiration, devotion, angst, and revelation. The splendor of jazz is between the musical notes, and its origins are veiled in an alchemy of mystery and allure.
Carr plays the trumpet as “Buddy.” | Source
Origins of Jazz
Quite possibly, the mystery of jazz’s origins stems from one of the first gifted musicians in this genre. Charles “Buddy” Bolden remains virtually unknown. Born in New Orleans in 1877, he became a bandleader spectacle before Louis Armstrong.
He was the first cornet player to surface from ragtime and blues, playing a fresh, new form. “Buddy Bolden’s Blues” (“I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say”) by Jelly Roll Morton is one of the first and rare acknowledgments to the shadowy artist called “King” Bolden. Director and writer Dan Pritzker decided to change that and shed light on Bolden’s life and times.
The movie poster promoted the dynamic film.
Using the screenplay Pritzker wrote with David Rothschild, he innovated the musician’s life and chose to be creative with Bolden’s story. The movie immerses the audience through images of his lively and tragic life.
Each frame comprises the social framework in which Bolden grew up and developed revolutionary music. Pritzker focuses on inspiration from artists like Louis Armstrong and the musical style of the period.
Bolden engages the audience, starting with the early 1900s in New Orleans. Buddy Boden, played by Gary Carr, was broadly known as the “King” of New Orleans jazz. He took an innovative approach to music by merging ragtime, gospel, and blues with distinct improvisational riffs.
A clip from the movie shows a young Bolden sheltered under his mother’s sewing machine at the sweatshop. He fantasizes about the beat and sounds of the shop, with women workers ballet dancing to the equipment’s sounds: the movie trailer and other clips from the movie show Bolden at different points in his life. Most clips are triumphant and tragic, but the story is sad.
Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaatje, who wrote The English Patient, tells Bolden’s story in poetic passages of his life. Ondaatje writes about how Bolden drank heavily as a barber by day and a musician by night. One night, he went crazy and was locked up in a pre-Civil War asylum.
On the contrary, the movie introduces us to his wife, Nora, played by Yaya DaCosta. She profoundly loved him and endured emotional pain because his personal life was not stable. His manager, Buddy Bartley, played by Erik LaRay Harvey, managed him through jubilant highs and precarious lows.
Yaya DaCosta as Nora Bolden with Gary Carr as Buddy Bolden | Source
The film jumps to 1931, showing the incredibly trendy trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong, played by Reno Wilson. He returns to New Orleans and becomes one of the first African-American entertainers broadcast on the radio. Ironically, Bolden was experiencing his last days in the Louisiana insane asylum at the same time.
Reno Wilson as Louis Armstrong | Source
Pritzker’s passion for telling Bolden’s story goes back decades. A guitarist for the Chicago-based rock/soul/R&B band, Sonia Dad, introduced Bolden’s story to Pritzker by recommending the nonfiction book “In Search of Buddy Bolden” by Donald M. Marquis.
Marquis is from Indiana but lives in New Orleans. He works at the New Orleans Public Library, spending most of his time researching jazz history and writing for jazz publications. Compared to Ondaatje’s book, he is well-researched with documentation and acknowledges a team of researchers who helped him uncover the life of Bolden.
“Jazz does not belong to one race or culture, but is a gift that America has given the world.”— Ahmad Alaadeen
Pritzker recalls reading Marquis’ book for the first time while touring with Sonia Dada. A friend introduced him to a book about Bolden, the creator of jazz. It got his attention, but it was a ridiculous concept, like saying this guy invented water or lightning. The truth is, Bolden set the stage for jazz. Pritzker says it is a tragedy because Bolden’s music impacted his life, even though he had never heard of him until now.
Dan Pritzker (Director) and Wynton Marsalis. | Source
Jazz musician Wynton Marsalis composed the film score and served as an executive producer. He hopes the film shines a positive light on the cornet player so people respect our musical history and culture.
Marsalis is from New Orleans and plays the trumpet; he has won multiple Grammys and was the only entertainer to win Grammys for jazz and classical recordings in the same year, the inaugural musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for music.
All the music that came after Bolden and Marsalis was associated with cornet solos and the style of variations. But he was surprised people didn’t talk about him as a cultural influence. He played loud music, had many women, and he drank too much.
Legendary jazz musicians recall Bolden’s work and life as if it were a myth. There are no recordings of his music or documents of his life. His career began as the famous King Bolden, but ended in a Louisiana insane asylum, where he spent the last 25 years of his life.
Jazz: A Great American Export | Meridian Blog Jazz is one of those rare phenomena that resonate across cultures. Meridian couldn’t help but notice the recent American Security Project article by Chad Tragakis about the United States government’s mass export of this American music genre.
Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life takes us on a passage through the Heavens, and then we are carried above volcanoes and then plunge below the surface into the deep ocean.
We see a few of our most celebrated scientific images of all time. I have wondered why we are on this journey with Malick. I don’t think this concept received an answer.
During the movie, we visit diverse locations, including Waco, Texas; Villa Lante; Death Valley; and the Sun. Malick reminds us of space, living things, and the significance of our humanity. Bringing up such questions: Being raised by a violent father and an angelic mother, does it balance a person? Does history shape our existence?
I had the opportunity to watch the movie the other night. A viewing experience that sometimes bewildered me with visual and aural beauty. Almost bored with wandering attention, I was surprised to see dinosaurs in the movie, which I believe was meant to explain why man is so violent, but I’m not sure.
The DVD comes with a 30-minute featurette about the behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie. I watched the featurette, and it didn’t help explain Malick’s choice of locations.
“The nuns taught us there are two ways through life: the way of nature, and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you’ll follow.”— Mrs. O’Brien (Jessica Chastain) in Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life”
Death Valley
In the Mojave Desert, located in Eastern California, lies Death Valley. Records indicated the area registers the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. The valley gained fame in 1849 during the California Gold Rush. Its title, “death,” didn’t hold much weight in the era, with only one death recorded during the Gold Rush.
On July 10, 1913, the hottest air temperature ever recorded was 134 degrees Fahrenheit at Furnace Creek, a perfect name for the event. During this period, the desert reached 129 degrees Fahrenheit for five days.
At one point (2.588 million to 12000 years ago), the area was a succession of inland seas called Lake Manly. A freshwater lake that eventually evaporated as the temperatures in the region grew hotter. How this relates to Malick’s movie, I don’t know.
Texas
The second-largest state in the United States is Texas, nearly twice the size of Germany and Japan combined. The large size of Texas brings divergent climatic regions, and rivers form three of its borders. Thus, the state is diverse yet beautiful, with deserts, prairies, grasslands, forests, and coastlines. For this reason, the large state resembles the American South and Southwest.
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Villa Lante
The Villa Lante is a historical garden of wonder near Viterbo in central Italy. Construction of Villa Lante started around 1566. The estate has changed owners many, many times since its development. Families lived in the Villa until around the 19th century.
The property is famous for its architectural design and water fountains, drawing thousands of visitors for centuries.
In 1944, Allied bombing heavily hit the estate due to the fall of Rome. In the late 20th century, Dr. Angelo Cantoni purchased the Villa. He managed a very long restoration process. As of 2014, the Villa belongs to the Republic of Italy.
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The Sun
The Sun is a star at the center of our Solar System. It has a mass 330,000 times that of Earth. The Sun emits sunlight that supports all life on Earth and shapes Earth’s climate and weather. Because of the Sun’s godlike nature, it controls Earth’s well-being. Some societies have believed the Sun to be a deity.
Mauna Loa Volcano
Mauna Loa, located in the tropical paradise of Hawaii, is one of the largest volcanoes on Earth. One of the five volcanoes that form the Islands of Hawaii, the volcano has remained active for roughly 700,000 years. However, Mauna Loa’s most recent eruption in 1984 caused no deaths, whereas those in 1926 and 1950 devastated villages.
Hilo, Hawaii, has been built on lava flows from Mauna Loa since the 19th century. Because Mauna Loa is still active and evolving, the volcano is watched continuously for the safety of its inhabitants.
“I film quite a bit of footage, then edit. Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can’t. My attitude is always ‘let it keep rolling.'”— Terrence Malick
Malick: A Hidden Life
I have shown you scenes from Malick’s movie, hoping it helps you understand his overall message about the nature of man and his many forms.
Malick said once, “Perhaps when I have ten films behind me, I will have something worth saying.”
A pivotal part of Malick’s films is the music he uses for the score. We cannot hear his music now; it plays only in the movie, where the soundtrack plays a vital part in The Tree of Life. The visual locations with the significant compositions by the greatest composers, including Mozart, Brahms, Berlioz, and others, experience the nature and grace of humankind.
Write thrillers, mysteries, and other related crime dramas and avoid writing cliches by following these rules.
Joe Friday: “Just the facts, Ma’am”
Dragnet
Don’t use “Let’s take him downtown for questioning.” Roth writes that real cops never say that.
What is Attempted Murder?
The Crime Writer’s Reference Guide, 1001 Tips for Writing the Perfect Murder by the late Martin Roth, is not a book that you read for pleasure on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
When writing a story that requires an accurate portrayal of a crime, you reach for it and use it to describe blood. You’ll need to read it, though, so you know why you write with accuracy and detail a fictional crime story.
Of course, you don’t want to be as dry as a crime report, but you want to write real-life drama.
When you are writing a story that needs an accurate portrait of anything that deals with a crime, you reach for this book and use it for blood.
How to Become a Serial Killer
Take a story about a serial killer. You need to create a profile and look up serial murder in the book’s glossary. Turn to the designated pages and discover that there is not just one type of serial killer, but four. You read the passage in the book, “studies reveal that most serial killers are white males between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five and are usually products of working- or lower-middle-class families.”
Your profile takes shape, and you read on, “Many serial killers are charming, selfish, impulsive, and ambitious. Many come from broken homes or homes where they were abused. Few serial killers express any feelings of guilt or remorse for their crimes.” A brilliant start for a classic character study. Now that I think about it, most of the crime stories I have read or seen in movies fit this profile.
Turn to the designated pages and discover that there is not just one type of serial killer but four.
Writing Crime Dialogue
I enjoyed the chapter on language. It is an essential tool for any crime writer, with terms such as “throwaway,” which refers to guns or clothes the mugger wears and discards to avoid pursuit.
How about “pigeon,” which means victim. This chapter supplies enough dialogue ideas to keep you writing dialogue for twelve CSI spin-offs. Wait, CSI spin-offs are close to twelve and counting.
All kidding aside, you need this book dog-eared and well-used if you write about crime.
How to Write a List of Character Traits
Reading the book filled my head with straightforward ideas for stories and ample characters. What also fascinated me was the character description of cops, including what their lives are like and what they are not like, which sparked a range of ideas. My fingers were itching to click the keys on my keyboard and start writing.
Roth’s book gives you all the information you need to create a crime. You can start with the criminal act, the crime scene investigation, the prosecution of the criminal, and conclude with a life sentence in prison. He offers numerous examples of television shows that accurately portray crime stories.
As an exercise, you can watch a few crime shows and see if the production company followed Roth’s standards.
Listen to the Police Dialogue
Mark Wahlberg stars in Mile 22, a drama about a secret special forces unit within the government. I recommend you listen to the dialogue in this movie. You will hear crime jargon, such as “motive” and “driven.”
Director Peter Berg shoots scenes with a handheld camera that follows agents, police, and special forces as they meet and collaborate to solve the crime.
Although it is a dramatization, you get the idea of what it’s like within a collaborative meeting between police forces.
Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade
Humphrey Bogart
“He said: “I’m going to send you over. The chances are you’ll get off with life. That means you’ll be out again in twenty years. You’re an angel. I’ll wait for you.” He cleared his throat. “If they hang you, I’ll always remember you.”— Dashiell Hammett, “The Maltese Falcon”
Finally, if the chapter you are reading isn’t enough to fill your creative imagination, which is hard to believe, there is a section called “Where do you go from here.” This chapter includes a list of other books on the same subject. You can head to the library and create a new pastime of reading how-to-write crime stories instruction books. “The Crime Writer’s Reference Guide, 1001 Tips for Writing the Perfect Murder” is the reference book for any writer about to write a story centered on crime. Even if you have it written, you can use this book to cross-check your accuracy. “Just the facts, Ma’am.”
The history of James Bond movies is a fascinating topic for any conversation. This article reveals many amazing facts about James Bond, 007, for any fan of the genre.
“No Time to Die” is Daniel Craig’s fourth 007 movie.
When James Bond 25 premiered in theaters, the franchise set the record for the most movies ever produced by a single franchise.
James Bond Years
As we wait to discover who will star as James Bond in the next 007 movies, let’s look at some facts about James Bond.
With MGM’s permission, you will read, view photos, and watch video clips about the historical facts of the author, Ian Fleming, and the producers, directors, writers, and actors behind the creation of the ever-suave James Bond.
1. Longest-Produced Franchise
James Bond ranks among the most productive and longest-running franchises, with 24 films produced and the 25th, No Time to Die, set for release.
2. When Was Ian Fleming Born?
Ian Lancaster Fleming was born on May 28, 1908, and passed away on August 12, 1964. He left behind a genuine legacy of what it means to be a confident man—stylish, charming, suave, and debonair — as 007.
3. Fleming Worked in British Intelligence
Fleming’s life story is intriguing and full of flair, just like his fictional character. In 1942 in Jamaica, Fleming arrived to meet his American opposite from the Office of Naval Intelligence, where he stayed with fellow Eton College and childhood friend, Ivar Bryce.
Bryce’s second wife owned a house in Jamaica, and Fleming was impressed with the location. After visiting the island, Fleming assured Bryce that he would come back, construct a home, and live on the island when the war was over.
4. Fleming Designed and Built His Home in Jamaica
He returned to the island in 1946 and purchased an abandoned donkey racetrack overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean, near Ocho Rios and Oracabessa Bay.
He constructed his villa near the edge of a cliff with a view of his private beach. He named his villa “Goldeneye” and conceived and drew the plans himself, with the intent of being economical with space. He commented, “Who wants a big bedroom?” This economy of space encompassed his kitchen area, too.
He went without glass windows and favored the tropical breezes that drifted through the house. He designed conventional slatted louvers that folded back into the window frame’s border.
Author Ian Fleming on location in Jamaica with Sean Connery as James Bond while filming “Dr. No.”
5. How Did Fleming Come up with “Goldeneye”?
“Goldeneye” came from one of the campaigns Fleming worked on during World War II, and he, by coincidence, was reading Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers. The first stages of Goldeneye, home in Jamaica, seemed barren and gloomy, but with lots of promise.
6. Playwright and Actor Noel Coward Was Goldeneye’s First Tenant
In 1948, playwright, director, and actor Noel Coward, Fleming’s friend, came to visit and subsequently became his first occupant at Goldeneye, paying a mere £50 a week.
7. Goldeneye Has a Private Beach
He positioned the main house near where he hiked down to the private beach to fish and swim. He hollowed out a large area at the top of the cliff, designed a sunken garden, and added a table and chairs under a sunshade. He finalized the beach area by building concrete and rock stairs to access the beach.
8. Violet Cummings Was His Housekeeper
Fleming hired Violet Cummings, who was a local from the north shore of Jamaica. She became his devoted housekeeper at Goldeneye for 17 years.
9. Fleming Married Lady Ann Rothermere
His wife, Lady Ann Rothermere, first visited Goldeneye in 1948. Fleming and Ann married about 18 miles from the villa in a small town called Port Maria in March 1952. Their only son, Caspar, arrived in London in August 1952, five months later.
10. “Casino Royale” Was the First James Bond Book
Fleming’s first James Bond novel, Casino Royale, was written at Goldeneye in 1952 and published in 1953. He penned every successive Bond book at Goldeneye.
In Jamaica, while filming of “Dr. No” in 1962, Sean Connery, Jacqueline, and Harry Saltzman, and Cubby and Dana Broccoli.
11. Origin of James Bond Name
Fleming chose the hero’s name from the author of his ‘Jamaican bible,’ A Field Guide to the Birds of the West Indies, by James Bond, an American ornithologist.
12. How Many Novels and Stories Fleming Write About James Bond, 007?
Fleming wrote 12 novels and two collections of short stories in Jamaica. All 14 stories were about James Bond.
13. Fleming Wrote on a Gold-Plated Typewriter
He rewarded himself for completing Casino Royale by purchasing a custom-made typewriter he had shipped from New York via the Royal Typewriter Company.
The typewriter was a distinctive gold-plated version of its Quiet de Luxe model, costing $174. Casino Royaleis by far his best James Bond book. If you plan to read a James Bond book, read Royale because Bond is vulnerable and genuinely falls in love.
14. Fleming’s Writing Routine Described in Playboy Magazine
His writing habits sounded manageable, as he described them in the 1964 Playboy article. His routine consisted of writing an average of 2000 words a day.
The majority of his writing occurred at 10 a.m. after he swam in the ocean, had breakfast, and had leisure time in the garden.
He wrote without stopping or looking over what he wrote. If he made a mistake, he would fix it when the book finished.
He spent the afternoon lounging with his wife, had a few drinks, took a nap, and ate dinner. When the sun went down, it was dark. He pounded out 500 more words, placing his seven pages neatly in a folder.
15. Second James Bond Novel Arrived in the Bookstores in 1954
Fleming’s second novel, Live and Let Die, arrived in bookstores on 5 April 1954. The story takes place in exotic locations in Jamaica, similar to the sixth novel he wrote and published in 1957, Dr. No.
16. Famous People Visited Goldeneye
Goldeneye honored famous visitors, including Noel Coward, Anthony Eden, Cecil Beaton, Truman Capote, Errol Flynn, Evelyn Waugh, and Lucian Freud.
17. Former Film Locations Manager owns Goldeneye
The villa changed ownership a couple of times and is currently owned and managed by Island Outpost, owned by Chris Blackwell, former movie locations manager and owner of Records.People come to Goldeneye for and vacation, promoted as a secluded location with ample privacy.
18. Who Produced the First James Bond Movie?
The first movie of the 007 films is Dr. No, produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R Broccoli, based on Fleming’s sixth novel, starring Sean Connery.
Strolling on the Jamaican beach, Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman are deep in conversation about producing.
19. Who Directed “Dr. No?”
Terence Young directed Dr. No and From Russia With Love, the first two James Bond movies. The last Bond movie he directed was Thunderball.
Terence Young positioned under the camera, directing Sean Connery, Kitzmiller, Ursula Andress on location in Jamaica.
20. Jamaica Movie Location
Because Fleming’s second two novels were set in Jamaica, when the movies went into production, they shot both at various locations there.
21. How Many Jamaicans Worked on “Dr. No?”
The first Bond movie hired roughly 500 local Jamaican actors and crew. The Jamaican government supported the production from beginning to end.
Marguerite LeWars plays the photographer and fails to catch Bond on film.
22. “Dr. No” Went into Production
Dr. No went into production, and filming began on the topic island under a $1 million production budget. Reggie Carter, one of Jamaica’s leading theatre actors, played the maleficent chauffeur, and Miss Jamaica 1961 Marguerite LeWars played the Freelance Photographer.
23. Blackwell Represented Bob Marley
Fleming’s neighbor and friend, Chris Blackwell, became the location manager for all the Jamaican locations filmed for the movie. From his earnings, Blackwell founded Island Records. The record label that released reggae artists, including Bob Marley.
Chris Blackwell, as the location manager for “Dr. No,” listens to Terence Young.
24. Noel Coward Offered the Role of Dr. No
Producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman wanted Noel Coward to play Dr. No, but when Fleming cabled his Jamaican neighbor with the offer, Coward responded, “…No…No…No! Thank you. Love, Noel.”
25. Ursula Andress White Bikini Scene
The costume designer for Dr. No was Tessa Prendergast, a Jamaican actress; Tessa Welborn was the fashion designer. She oversaw the costume designs for Dr. No. She assisted in creating the famous white bikini worn by Ursula Andress when she surfaced from the ocean. She won a Golden Globe for her role.
Ursula Andress is the most famous Bond girl in her white bikini for “Dr. No.”
26. Sean Connery Resided at Courleigh Manor Hotel
Sean Connery, stunt coordinator Bob Simmons, and Terence Young arrived on the island a week before the first day of filming. They booked rooms at the Courtleigh Manor Hotel. The remainder of the cast and crew arrived on 14 January.
27. Monty Norman Used Local Bands as Part of the Movie’s Music
The movie’s composer, Monty Norman, blended the Jamaican vibe into the score by working with Chris Blackwell, the location manager. He presented Norman with some local flavor, Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. The band appears in Pussfella’s bar scene. They play “Jump Up” to a bar full of island extras as Connery, who plays Bond, John Kitzmiller, who plays Quarrel, and Jack Lord, who plays Leiter, meet to discuss the disappearance of Strangways.
28. Norman’s Wife Sings “Under the Mango Tree”
The band included Jamaican jazz guitarist Ernest Ranglin, who backed Norman’s wife, Diana Coupland, singing ‘Under the Mango Tree’ in Dr. No.
29. Bunny Yeager Photographed Andress
Bunny Yeager, a former pin-up model and American glamour photographer, came on location to shoot promotional photos of Ursula Andress. In 1966, Yeager published Camera in Jamaica, which includes several photos taken on-site during the filming of Dr. No.
Honey Ryder and 007 are looking down at the beach in Jamaica.
30. The First Time Ian Fleming Came on a Bond Set
During the shooting of the famous Andress, as Honey Ryder walks out of the ocean in a white bikini on the island, director Terence Young recalled working on the scene. He saw some folks walking down the beach, ruining the shot. He screamed, “Lie down!” They lay down, and the film crew shot the iconic scene. It turned out to be Ian Fleming with his friends, Stephen Spender, Noel Coward, and Peter Cornell. It went down as the first time Fleming came on a Bond set.
31. “Dr. No” Final Location Shot in Jamaica
February 21, 1962, the final day of filming on location in Jamaica, was on the property of the Sans Souci Hotel, where the exterior shots of Miss Taro’s house were filmed.
Quarrel, Bond, and Honey are getting away from Dr. No’s guards.
32. Who directed “Live and Let Die?”
Live and Let Die was Guy Hamilton’s third Bond movie. He directed Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever before he took on Live and Let Die. His final Bond movie was The Man with the Golden Gun.
33. Did Sean Connery Star in “Live and Let Die”
Roger Moore played James Bond in Live and Let Die. It was his first Bond movie.
34. San Monique Became the Fictional Name of the Island of Jamaica
On November 14, 1972, the first day of filming on Live and Let Die was registered on location in Jamaica. The filming took place on the coast, a short distance past Reynolds Aluminium, on the road to Ocho Rios towards St. Anne’s Bay. The following locations for that day were the interior and exterior shots of the Hotel Reception and the Tarot Card Shop, using the Sans Souci Hotel in Ocho Rios.
On a crocodile farm, Bond, now played by Roger Moore, discovers that signs sometimes express what they say!
35. “Trespassers Will Be Eaten”
Syd Cain scouted locations on the island and came across “Trespassers Will Be Eaten.” His interest aroused, he took a tour of Kananga’s Swamp Safari with its owner. The location became part of the movie, with scenes added to the script, and the name was changed to “Jakata.”
36. Stunt Double in Crocodile Scene
The owner of the swamp, Ross Kananga, joined the movie crew as Bond’s body double for the crocodile stepping stone scene. He had to run over the backs of real crocodiles lined up for the shot.
On the third try, a crocodile whipped around and bit off the heel of his shoe. Ross concluded, “They’re expecting me.”
Guy Hamilton told Ross it was too dangerous to continue, but Ross wanted to get the shot. They tried again and got it.
“Live and Let Die” on the film set, Roger Moore seated on the top deck, on Sunday, December 10, 1972.
37. The Double-Decker Bus Chase Scene
The double-decker bus chase scene required a bus to be converted so the stunt could proceed without difficulty. The production built the bus in London and shipped it to a location in Johnson Town, Lucea, on the island.
Bond drove the bus beneath a low-lying bridge, using a sliding mechanism to enable the top deck to get a clean slice off when the bus hits the bridge.
Not only was the bus customized, but the bridge was as well. Syd Cain devised it, and Leon Davis oversaw the installation of the complete steel framework. All went well in the first take, and the effects looked both humorous and magnificent.
38. The Bus Driver Rehearsed for Six Weeks
Maurice Patchett, a bus instructor, drove the double-decker bus in the chase sequence practiced in Jamaica for six weeks before shooting the stunt.
39. “Live and Let Die” Last Day in Jamaica
The last day of filming in Jamaica was December 27, 1972, at the Jamaica Swamp Safari, Falmouth, with Ross Kananga.
40. Which Studio Produced the James Bond Movies?
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or United Artists, its forerunner, produced all of the James Bond films in collaboration.
43. San Monique in “Live and Let Die” is Fictional
Jamaica as Live and Let Die filming location for the fictional San Monique island was not a shoo-in. Director Hamilton, Art Director Syd Cain, and Production Manager Claude Hudson spent three weeks scouting locations across the Caribbean before settling on Fleming’s homestead island.
44. Bond’s First Interacial Romance
On November 15, 1972, Roger Moore and Rosie Carver, as Gloria Hendry, perform their first romantic kiss at the picnic scene in a clearing located at Ruins, Ocho Rios. The scene marks the first interracial affair in a Bond movie.
45. Dereking Meddings Created Scarecrow Mannequins
Derek Meddings was recognized for his miniature work on Fireball XL5, Thunderbirds, and Stingray. Live And Let Die was his first attempt at a Bond movie. Meddings and Peter Briggs designed the scarecrow mannequins that frighten Rosie in the romantic scene with Bond.
46. Jaws
Richard Kiel played Jaws and wore his metal teeth for only 30 seconds per scene. The pyramid scene in The Spy Who Loved Me, where he bites through the chain, was designed out of licorice.
47. How Many Actors Have Played James Bond?
Which 007 is your favorite? Seven handsome actors played James Bond, including David Niven, Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, and Daniel Craig.
48. How Tall is James Bond?
Daniel Craig is the shortest James Bond to date, standing at 5’10”. The other Bonds reached 6’1″ to 6’2″.
49. James Bond Women
Bond has been intimate with over four dozen women on screen, with over 75 Bond Girls, and two-thirds of those lovers attempted to kill him. Ursula Andress was the first Bond Girl, creating a high standard for her successors.
50. James Bond is Scottish
When James Bond was 11 years old, his parents were killed in a mountain climbing accident. His father was Scottish, and his mother was Swiss.
51. How Many Times Has 007 Been Shot At?
After being shot at roughly 5,000 times as an agent for His Majesty’s Secret Service, Bond keeps saving the world.
52. Moore Needed Running Double
Roger Moore required a body double for all his movies because production was unsure of his awkward gait.
53. James Bond Vodka
James Bond’s drink of choice is a martini, shaken, not stirred. The favorite drink contains 130 calories, just enough to burn during a romantic tumble.
54. Weapons Training
During Skyfall filming, the cast and crew purchased 200,000 rounds of ammunition solely for weapons training.
55. Smoking in the Movies
James Bond smokes a cigarette in almost every scene, recorded to have smoked 70 cigarettes a day, painfully 3.5 packs a day. Bond stopped smoking in front of the camera after Die Another Day, though he smoked a cigar. Daniel Craig hasn’t lit up on camera yet.
56. James Bond MI16
The actuality of MI6, the agency 007 works for in the movies, was formally recognized by the British government in 1994.
The first James Bond car, the Sunbeam Alpine, is driven by Connery while being chased by The Three Blind Mice.
57. James Bond Car
Pierce Brosnan starred as 007 in Tomorrow Never Dies, where he destroyed more than 15 BMWs.
58. James Bond Card Game
Ian Fleming wrote in his books that James Bond enjoys playing baccarat. We see him playing the game in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Dr. No, Thunderball, Goldeneye, and Never Say Never Again.
59. How Many Books Mention 007?
007 appeared in 25 additional authorized books, bringing the total to 39 books if you include Ian Fleming’s 14 novels.
60. What Type of Gun Did Bond Use?
In the first five books, Bond used a Beretta 418: the sixth book, Nr. No, Fleming changed his gun to a Walther PPK. The shift occurred after Fleming corresponded with a veteran and gun collector. He advised Fleming to have Bond use the latter gun for speed and accuracy.
“No Time to Die” is the 25th 007 movie starring Daniel Craig and Léa Seydoux as the Bond Girl. They arrive in Matera, Italy, filming on location with director Cary Joji Fukunaga.Source: Franco Origlia
61. James Bond Villains
The villains in Fleming’s books make the stories so much fun to read and see on the big screen. Each villain is over-the-top entertainment and uniquely wicked, including Le Chiffre, Mr. Big, Sir Hugo Drax, Dr. Julius No, Auric Goldfinger, and Herr von Hammerstein.
62. Die Another Day
Starting with the first movie, Dr. No, to Quantum of Solace, 007 killed 352 people in the films.
63. Discovery of Sean Connery
Producer Cubby Broccoli saw Sean Connery in Darby O’Gill and the Little People and wanted to test his appeal to women. and took his wife to the movie, and she became impressed.
64. Aston-Martin and Gadgets
The first Bond film to feature gadgets and have him drive an Aston-Martin was Goldfinger. The movie was the first film ever to use a laser beam.
65. James Bond Opening Credits Figure
The figure in the opening credits, where the gun barrel opens, is Stuntman Bob Simmons. He played the iconic part in the first three movies.
This article examines the top drama schools where movie stars like Meryl Streep, Paul Rudd, Angela Bassett and Paul Newman attended.
1. David Geffen School of Drama at Yale
Meryl Streep graduated from Yale Drama School.
Yale School of Drama’s reputation claims that each graduate acquires an agent within one month. Another added benefit is that the school is now tuition-free, thanks to a grant from David Geffen.
Cole Porter, Angela Bassett, Julie Harris, Thornton Wilder, Paul Newman, Meryl Streep and Paul Giamatti are just a few well-known alumni.
Since its establishment in 1924, the school has offered programs in every theatre discipline.
Yale Drama School Free
Tuition and Expenses
The tuition is free, based on a remarkable gift from David Geffen. His generous donation ensures that full-time students in degree and certificate programs receive 100% tuition remission from each day forward. Rightly so, the school’s name changed to the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University. Books and estimated living expenses come to $21,000, including Yale Health Hospitalization/Specialty Coverage.
2. The Juilliard School
The list of talent that graduated from The Juilliard School is endless.
In her memoir, Patti LuPone felt truly educated when she arrived at Juilliard. The drama school’s founder, John Houseman, instilled in her an unthinkable discipline, pushing her diction problem to the brink of strangulation if she did not overcome her plight.
The Juilliard School approaches the study of drama in the most creative way.
There are high success guarantees in a handful of disciplines: Oscar Isaac, Patti Lupone, Viola Davis and Jessica Chastain are a few reputable alumni.
An agent says students learn and understand the classics, turning young talent into classical masters of the technique.
Tuition and Expenses
Tuition is estimated at $39,720, with living expenses varying depending on whether students live on or off campus. The cost includes room and meals, which range from $14,790 to $18,460, depending on whether students live in a double or single room. Books and supplies are $3,440, so the total per year is $57,950 to $61,620.
Those who decide to live off-campus face much higher housing and food costs, including transportation costs of around $1,008. Potential students should note that there are also application fees.
3. Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama
Award winners attend CMU.
Holly Hunter and Ted Danson are among the famous alumni of CMU, including Stephen Schwartz, the creator of Wicked and Pippin, who is also a graduate. CMU graduates earned six Oscars, 31 Tonys and 99 Emmys. Carnegie holds the most graduates with awards of any other drama school.
Tuition and Expenses
Tuition for both resident and off-campus students is the same at $49,610. Other fees apply at $1,055, and room and board cost $14,972. Books and supplies cost an estimated $2,400. The university includes part-time tuition at $465 per unit.
4. Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Here is one of the best actor training schools on the planet.
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art speaks to the history of theater. Playwright George Bernard Shaw asked RADA for a third of his royalties.
Maggie Gyllenhaal and Anthony Hopkins are notable graduates. Sir Laurence Olivier taught at RADA and bestowed one-third of his royalties on it.
Tuition and Expenses
Tuition fees are in UK currency for local, island, and overseas students. They range from 9,000 pounds to 17,200 pounds. Students living in the UK and with low incomes can apply for scholarships.
5. San Francisco American Conservatory Theater
Actors train and perform.
San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater (ACT) is a hard act to follow. The school collaborates with one of the top regional theaters, and the drama program attracts undergrads.
They attend the school’s 15-week semester. Ed Davis, Annette Bening, and Denzel Washington are just a few well-known graduates.
Tuition and Expenses
Tuition and fees are estimated at $26,750 and total $48,131, including supplies and the cost of living. The school offers child care and other services for an additional fee.
6. Northwestern University School of Drama
Tour the school before deciding to enroll.
Northwestern University graduates include the talented Charlton Heston, Warren Beatty, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Stephen Colbert, and David Schwimmer, the founder of Lookingglass Theatre.
Tuition and Expenses
Financial aid is available for low-income families, and resident and out-of-state tuition does not appear to vary. The total for one year of schooling runs about $63,554. The cost includes miscellaneous fees, room and board, and books and supplies.
7. CalArts
Disney’s daughter founded CalArts.
CalArts’ Center for New Performance is part of a school established by Walt Disney. Don Cheadle, Alison Brie, and Ed Harris are a handful of graduates who graced the school. It is not considered a drama school, but a theatre school that allows students to work with the likes of Ron Cephas Jones in the production of Prometheus Bound at the Getty Villa.
Tuition and Expenses
Tuition for an academic year runs about $45,030 for full-time enrollment. Payment plans are available, and other fees may apply. Tuition includes instruction, facilities, and some materials used in regular programs. Students must be financially able to pay for other supplies required for most projects.
Christopher Pheiffer, CalArts School of Theater MFA
8. The Academy of Dramatic Arts
The school is costly, so ensure you get your money’s worth.
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts of Los Angeles and New York (Manhattan) are private institutions that serve as a performing arts conservatory.
The students earn an associate degree and audition for an invitation to be in the third-year theater company. Most students transfer to another higher institution to earn a bachelor’s degree.
The academy is the oldest acting school globally and is an English-speaking school. Both schools have impressive alumni, including Lauren Bacall, Anne Bancroft, Danny DeVito, Paul Rudd, and Robert Redford.
Tuition and Expenses
The undergraduate tuition and fees at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles total $36,190. About thirty-seven percent of enrolled undergraduate students receive grants or scholarships, with the average amount being $8,835. The total tuition and fees at AADA Los Angeles are $42,940, including education, books, fees, living costs and supplies.
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts New York undergraduate tuition and fees for a full-time student are $59,219, regardless of their residency. This includes $34,410 for tuition, $19,555 for housing, $570 for supplies and books and $750 for miscellaneous fees.
9. USC School of Dramatic Arts
USC offers production opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience. Source: USC School of Dramatic Arts
Tuition and Expenses
The University of Southern California, School of Dramatic Arts, is inclusive and recruits for diversity. Faculty member Ahmed Best works to mentor black directors with the help of Lucasfilm.
All faculty members are working professionals who have collaborated with industry actors such as George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Connie Britton and Forest Whitaker. The estimated cost of attendance for two semesters or 12 to 18 units is $66,640, though many scholarships are worth considering.
Other expenses, including fees, books, supplies, housing, meals, and incidentals like transportation, add up to $90,921 for two semesters. The tuition rate is the same for out-of-state and in-state residents. The first semester requires a $450.00 New Student Fee.
Kino Classics released some extraordinary German classic films from the silent era during the 1920s. Each one is available on Blu-ray or DVD. Presented in restorations by F. W. Murnau-Stiftung, I found each movie stunning and mesmerizing.
The films restored are The Great Leap (1927), directed by Arnold Fanck and starring Leni Riefenstahl, Paul Wegener’s The Golem (1920), G. W. Pabst’s The Love of Jeanne Ney (1927), and F. W. Murnau’s Tartuffe (1925), starring Emil Jannings.
The Great Leap (1927)
I first watchedThe Great Leap, which features an audio commentary by film historian Samm Deighan. The movie stars Leni Riefenstahl, who is infamous as the great documentarian of Hitler. Before all that, she was foremost an actress, and she is good in this movie. It’s super funny. Apparently, Riefenstahl was a popular actress who starred in several mountain movies directed by Arnold Fanck. They included The Holy Mountain (Der heilige Berg, 1926) and The White Hell of Pitz Palu (Die weisse Hölle vom Piz Palü, 1929) as dramas of romance and survival.
The Great Leap suggests was something different as a playful romantic comedy set high atop the Dolomites. Riefenstahl plays an Italian peasant whose simple life is upended when a series of urbanites invade the slopes for a ski vacation. This bubbly comedy (featuring Riefenstahl’s usual on-screen love interest, Luis Trenker) combines slapstick laughs with stunning footage of acrobatic skiing and rock climbing, making it perhaps the most entertaining but unique movie out of all the German mountain films.
The Golem (1920)
Then I watched The Golem that contains both a 4K restoration of the German release version with three musical scores by Stephen Horne, Admir Shkurtaj, and Lukasz “Wudec” Poleszak, including U.S. release version with music by Cordula Heth. A feature comes with a comparison between the German and U.S. versions, and audio commentary by film historian Tim Lucas.
Hypothetically acknowledged as the source of the Frankenstein myth, the ancient Hebrew legend of the Golem provided actor and director Paul Wegener with the substance for an intriguing and adventure movie. Suffering under the tyrannical rule of Rudolf II in 16th-century Prague, a Talmudic rabbi, played by Albert Steinruck, creates a giant warrior, played by Wegener to protect the safety of his people. When the rabbi’s assistant, played by Ernst Deutsch, takes control of the Golem and attempts to use him for selfish gain, the lumbering monster runs rampant, abducting the rabbi’s daughter, played by Lyda Salmonova, and setting fire to the ghetto. The special effects for this time are impressive, creating the creation sequence with a dazzling blend of religion, sorcery, and the grand-scale destruction toward the end of the movie. The Golem was apparently an outstanding achievement from the legendary UFA Studios and remains an undeniable landmark in the horror’s evolution film.
The Love of Jeanne Ney came next and presents both the restored German release version with music arranged and orchestrated by Bernd Thewes, and the U.S. release version with music by Andrew Earle Simpson. It includes audio commentary by film historian Eddy Von Mueller.
The Love of Jeanne Ney (1927)
An epic of the Weimar cinema (Cinema of Germany), The Love of Jeanne Ney follows a young French woman’s struggle for happiness amid the political turbulence and corruption of post-World War I Europe. Directed by G. W. Pabst, who also directed Diary of a Lost Girl, Pandora’s Box, the film blends a variety of cinematic approaches as it weaves its complex narrative of moral chaos and political upheaval. Consider the use of the “American Style,” evocative of the Hollywood studio blockbuster; the avant-garde techniques of Soviet montage; and the eerie moving camerawork and shadowy perspectives are typical of German Expressionism. The result is a stunning cinematic experiment that never failed to surprise me with fast sequences that end with an exhilarating conclusion.
Tartuffe (1925)
Tartuffe includes both the German release version with a new score by Robert Israel and the U.S. release version with music by Giuseppe Becce, adapted by Javier Perez de Azpeita.
Tartuffe (1925)
Considered one of the most gifted visual storytellers during the German silent era, F. W. Murnau crafted works of great subtlety and emotional complexity through his absolute command of the cinematic medium. Known for such dazzling films as Nosferatu (1922), The Last Laugh (1924), Faust (1926), and Sunrise (1927), Murnau draws toward more intimate dramas exploring the dark corners of the human mind.
I had a prime interest in seeing Tartuffe, where Murnau Moliére’s fable of religious hypocrisy to the screen. The story follows a faithful wife, played by Lil Dagover. She tries to convince her husband, played by Werner Krauss, that their morally superior guest, Tartuffe, played by Emil Jannings, is in fact a lecherous hypocrite with a taste for the grape. Twisting the story to heighten the contemporary relevance, Murnau frames Moliére’s tale with a modern-day plot concerning a housekeeper’s stealthy efforts to poison her elderly master and take control of his estate.
Written and directed by Aleksey Kozlov, Battle of Leningrad involves World War II’s Siege of Leningrad – in which Nazi Germany blockaded the major Soviet city for 28 months. The situation ranks as perhaps the single most brutal and devastating military campaign in modern history.
Now, the story of horrifying siege told through the lives of people caught in the middle of it in Battle of Leningrad. Produced in Russia, the story began in September 1941. On the Eastern Front of World War II, Kostya, played by Andrey Mironov-Udalov and his fellow Russian cadets tasked with evacuating thousands of civilians out of war-torn Leningrad. The purpose is safety aboard Barge 752.
While Kostya’s commander initially worries that the barge may be too outdated to sail across Lake Ladoga safely, the evacuation completed. Even Kostya finds time to smuggle his fiancé, Nastya, played by Maria Melnikova, aboard the bare to join him on the journey. But tragedy quickly finds them, and the story is about survival.
An unrelenting storm strikes that evening, and Barge 752 begins to break down and leak, threatening to sink. Kostya, Nastya, and the rest of the ship’s occupants are hopeful for rescue the next morning. They find themselves in even greater danger when the first responders are not what they hope them to be — planes to rescue them, but enemy aircraft, geared up for attack.
The film is epic on a grand scale while allowing enough focus intimately on the unique individuals caught up in an enormous tragedy. Kozlov’s movie is similar to Dunkirk, Saving Private Ryan, Stalingrad, and Titanic.
The movie is full of rage with intense circumstances on board the barge with the impending attack plays with remarkable clarity.
The battle scenes are energetic and penetrating along with a dramatic storyline about a time in history that continues to interest storytellers like Kozlov.
Mironov-Udalov and Melnikova bring honesty to their relationship and circumstances. It is through their eyes we experience the horrors of WW II in Russia.
Directed by Rustom Mosafir and co-written with Vadim Golobanov, The Last Warrior is Mosafir’s second movie. The story delivers a brutal and unrelenting narrative filled with treachery and bloodshed against the framework of the turbulent 13th century Eurasia – joint continental landform of Europe and Asia.
The movie imparts a new era beginning in Eastern Europe. Scythians, the proud warriors, nearly all gone and most of the few remaining descendants turned into ruthless mercenary assassins. The story follows Lutobor who is a warrior and becomes involved in a conflict with two tribes. Lutobor sets off on a journey of peril with the intent of saving his family. His guide is a captive Scythian who is his enemy. They brave the treacherous wild steppes – a vast level area of treeless land in southern Europe. They journey toward the last haven of the Scythians. Their journey is fought with what might end up being their demise.
The movie is in Russian or English or in Russian with English subtitles. The cast includes Aleksey Faddeev, Aleksandr Kuznetsov, and Yuriy Tsurilo.
Very little information is available for me to share with you in regards to which actor plays which character and crew listing. The costumes and scenery are fantastical. Mosafir places the camera within the action and drama of the story. The imagery is gruesome and beautiful at times. Though, I don’t recommend the movie for those with faint hearts.
While watching the movie, I kept thinking what it must have been like living in Eurasia during the 13th century, lawless, full of superstitions, ignorance, and illiteracy.
Directed Oscar winner for Best Art Direction-Set Direction (Star Wars) Roger Christian, Joseph & Mary is a compassionate, preponderate and riveting story of the all familiar Bible story. The story follows Elijah, played by Stephen McCarthy, a devout Rabbi, during a time of discontent when King Herod the Great slaughter of innocents claims the lives of two boys Elijah had sworn to protect. Elijah makes it his life mission to avenge their deaths, but he meets Joseph, played by Kevin Sorbo, Mary, played Lara Jean Chorostecki, and Jesus, played as a young boy by Lucius Hoyos and as a young man by Joseph Mesiano.
Elijah strong desire to revenge the two boys killed by King Herod are put into question. When the time comes for him to face his true enemy, Elijah finds himself wondering if to kill or forgive. Hence, this is a Christian Faith movie that has received the “Faith-Based Seal” by The Dove Foundation.
Elijah is one of the several stories in the movie about meeting Jesus but is the main story line. The acting is very well done and artfully depicts the biblical parents of Jesus as their newborn son helps them inspire faith in unlikely places. The scenes and direction are captivating with mesmerizing scenery, the miraculous journey delivers a powerful message of mercy and forgiveness.
Obvious a low-budget production that is meant to educate and enlighten, the movie is not for everyone because it is written to be shown at all Sunday School classes. The message is strong, offering the idea love your fellow man despite all efforts to do otherwise.
