A roundup of this week's film news
The revolutionary Corin Redgrave takes a bow
Corin Redgrave, the angriest of the great acting dynasty, died on Monday. The obituaries were, understandably enough, greatly taken up with enumerating the many relatives who also tread the boards and appeared before the camera.
Corin was, of course, the brother of Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave, the son of Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, the father of Jemma Redgrave and the uncle of Joely Richardson and the late Natasha Richardson. Space was also found to list his many notable performances – in particular, a famously vulnerable King Lear for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2004. His film performances were, alas, relatively few: a quick flit in A Man for All Seasons; a brief glimpse in I n the Name of the Father; a hasty shuffle in Four Weddings and a Funeral.Never mind.
Corin Redgrave will, perhaps, be best remembered as a fiery orator and a tireless campaigner for left-wing causes. Some years back, Richard Eyre, the film- maker and sometime director of the Royal National Theatre, talked to this writer about the business of working among radical Marxists in the 1970s. Were they really all hoping for a revolution?
Eyre laughed. “I think I saw all that as a metaphor rather than a reality, because I could never see myself submitting to the discipline of Corin Redgrave.” He meant it kindly.
Think you can do better, do you?
Attention junior film critics. This May, the Dublin Coca-Cola Cinemagic International Film and Television Festival for Young People, in association with AIB Group, is offering cinemagoers between the ages of 10 and 14 the chance to dabble in this rigorous, demanding profession.
Successful applicants will be invited on the Cinemagic jury to review a series of short films under the guidance of Cinemagic and the good people at Film Ireland. Jurors will also get to write their own reviews and enter the Cinemagic Dublin Young Film Critic of the Year competition.
To apply, simply write or e-mail an original letter (less than 300 words) explaining why you would like to become a member of the jury. E-mail claire@cinemagic.ie or write to Cinemagic, 49 Botanic Ave, Belfast, BT7 1JL. The deadline is April 18th.
Evans soaks up superhero roles
Okay, this just doesn't make any sense. Apparently, movie star Chris Evans (as opposed to the occasional DJ) has been picked to play Captain America in the upcoming movie adaptation of that durable Marvel comic. But, surely, Chris Evans is the Human Torch in the Fantastic Fourmovies. Why, it's as if Robert Redford had been selected to play both Butch and Sundance.
The First Avenger: Captain America, directed by the erratic Joe Johnston, is expected to hit cinemas in the summer of 2011.
Feminists,look away now
Now for some hard news.
A poll in the Radio Timeshas definitely determined the public's most iconic female performances. The results made rather depressing reading for students of sexual politics. Women voted Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany'sas their top female icon, while men opted for Ursula Andress in Dr No. The rest of the chart confirmed (sorry) that women like actresses to wear nice dresses and that men (sorry) like their female stars to brandish knives and ray-guns.
The chaps list was completed by, in order, Sigourney Weaver in Alien,Carrie Fisher in Star Wars,Jane Fonda in Barbarellaand Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. The women's top five rounded off with Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, Andrews again in Mary Poppins,Judy Garland in The Wizard of Ozand Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.
Where is Dame Edith Evans? Where Dame Flora Robson? What, no Margaret Rutherford? Shame on you all.
Malkovich wants his cash back
A number of movie stars were badly hit by the collapse of fraudster Bernie Madoff’s investment firm, but none was quite so seriously devastated as John Malkovich.
It has emerged that the great actor is seeking to recover a whopping $2.3 million from the tatters of Madoff’s firm. Malkovich “only” invested $670,000 in the company, but he claims that he should be repaid the amount listed on his last statement from Madoff.
Jeez. And we all thought Malkovich looked so clever.
"I never said I was going solo, can I just straighten that out. I'm still wanting to do music and involve myself more in film"
Sarah Harding of Girls Aloud reassures pop pickers and terrifies film fans
