Actualités

22 January 1940 – 25 January 2017

The film director remembers his friend, the actor with ‘a single malt of a voice’, who despite his ups and downs, remained a rare talent and a true professional

• Darcus Howe remembered by Diane Abbott

That voice, distilled from alcohol and Gauloises, a single malt of a voice, caressed the nation for half a century. In The Elephant Man it was only the voice. As Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant the voice swerved into a gay queenery. It expressed pain and suffering as a monster exploded out of his stomach in Alien. His Christ for Mel Brooks persuaded us that Jesus had such a voice. Its emollience spread over hundreds of movies, plays and commercials. On stage, it put audiences into a light hypnosis.

He lent it to me for two short films which were the most enjoyable of my career. He was a fine companion over 45 years.

The 16th annual Bradford International Film Festival, which will run March 18-28, is a total celebration of all forms of cinema, from classic films to modern world cinema to a tribute to Cinerama and more. But, most excitingly, is a bombastic collection of some of the best, most exciting underground films being made today.

From Bad Lit’s perspective, the most thrilling screening of the entire 10-day affair is the new film by British filmmaker Peter Whitehead, Terrorism Considered as One of the Fine Arts. In the U.S., Whitehead is a “lost” filmmaker from the underground’s heyday in the ’60s, being left out of most histories of the underground movement. Whitehead directed several influential films, including Wholly Communion and The Fall, before dropping out of filmmaking in the mid-’70s.

Film historian Jack Sargeant wrote extensively about and interviewed Whitehead for his wonderful book on Beat cinema, Naked Lens.

London -- John Hurt is scheduled to pick up a lifetime achievement award during this year's 16th edition of the Bradford International Film Festival, organizers said Wednesday.

Hurt is expected in town to receive the award, take part in an on-stage interview at the National Media Museum and also to host a retrospective of his work.

Ten films will be programmed from his career spanning almost 50 years, will play during the festival which runs March 18 through 28 in the northern English city.

Titles include John Huston's "Sinful Davey," "10 Rillington Place," Alan Parker's "Midnight Express," David Lynch's "The Elephant Man," Jim Sheridan's "The Field" and Ridley Scott's "Alien."

Previous Bradford honorees include Ken Loach, Richard Attenborough and the late Jean Simmons.

Hurt said Biff is a festival "I have long admired for its eclectic mix of films and innovative programming and am very much looking forward to...