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The late Stanley Donen was born on April 13, 1924. The legendary filmmaker — the last of the directors from Hollywood’s golden age — passed away on February 21, 2019, leaving behind a legacy of classic movies filled with color, song, and dance. Let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Donen got his start as a dancer. It was in the chorus line for George Abbott‘s production of “Pal Joey” that he met Gene Kelly. The two became quick friends, and Donen started working as Kelly’s assistant, helping him choreograph his intensely acrobatic dance sequences.

The two turned to filmmaking with “On the Town” (1949), a lavish Technicolor musical about three sailors on a 24 hour shore leave in New York City. They teamed up again for perhaps the greatest movie musical of all time: “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952). A satire of Hollywood’s rocky transition from silent cinema to sound,...

Lifelong friends Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman only worked together twice. First paired off in Alfred Hitchcock's 1946 thriller-romance Notorious, where their dictionary definition of "sizzling chemistry" burned a permanent hole through celluloid, the pair reunited 12 years later for Indiscreet. Despite the one-word titles evoking similar ideas, Indiscreet is no Notorious. For one, it lacks lethal espionage stakes. What's more, Indiscreet's title doesn't suit its premise: a snarky yet sweet romance between two glamorous middle-aged people that flips into a slapstick sex comedy halfway through. What the films share is Grant and Bergman's magnetism, which is the movie-watching equivalent of sticking your finger in a wall socket. Not only can those two reverse a black hole, they complement one another because they're generous, perceptive performers. Theirs is a call-and-response partnership where both participants listen and respond. And like that long kiss scene in Notorious, Indiscreet facilitates that combustible fusion...

Clockwise from top left: The Wicker Man (Warner Bros.), Vanilla Sky (Paramont), Oldboy (FilmDistrict), The Toy (Columbia)Image: AVClub

In Hollywood, it often seems that the sincerest form of flattery is to remake a foreign film. Domestic versions of international hits are a long-running thing in a town where familiarity assumes success,...

Ingrid Bergman was one of the most iconic actresses of the 20th century and a frequent collaborator with Humphrey Bogart. Born in 1915 in Stockholm, Sweden to a struggling family, her mother encouraged her to pursue acting at a young age and she made her film debut at 18 in the Swedish movie Munkbrogreven (1935).

Ingrid Bergman

Bergman rose to fame quickly due to her serene beauty, intelligence and strong acting skills. Her career reached new heights when she was cast opposite Charles Boyer in the romantic drama Gaslight (1944), for which she won her first Academy Award. Following this success, she found herself working with some of Hollywood’s biggest names — Cary Grant, Joseph Cotten and, most famously, Humphrey Bogart — with whom she starred alongside in movies like To Have And Have Not (1944), The Big Sleep (1946) and Casablanca (1942).

Despite being married three times during her life, Ingrid Bergman never stopped working on movies.

Sparks have shared “So May We Start,” the first single from their upcoming Annette musical film directed by Leos Carax. The track features the Mael brothers singing alongside the film’s stars Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard.

“So May We Start” describes in Mael-esque detail the process of an audience preparing to see a film; in this case, it’s Annette, which will open at the Cannes Film Festival prior to its August 6th U.S. theatrical release and August 20th arrival on Amazon Prime Video.

“Initially, we conceived Annette as another Sparks album,...

Milan Records has debuted the first official song from Leos Carax’s upcoming musical drama “Annette,” starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard. The film, which is opening the Cannes Film Festival in July, is a sung-through musical with songs written by the Sparks brothers. Lead single “So May We Start” features vocal performances from Sparks, Driver, Cotillard, and co-star Simon Helberg. The final soundtrack collection features lyrics co-written by Sparks and Leos Carax, performed by Sparks and the cast of “Annette,” and produced by Sparks.

“Initially, we conceived ‘Annette’ as another Sparks album,” Sparks said in a statement. “Yet this time it would be a narrative story that would consist of three main characters, a small enough ensemble that would allow us to also present the ‘opera’ live on tour. The music, story, and album were finished and ready to go, which is where the story takes a huge detour.

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Ak vs Ak (Vikramaditya Motwane)

Over the 21st century, Bollywood cinema has entered into a completely different era of filmmaking and storytelling than was being made in the decades prior. Actors and directors who started their careers in the ‘80s and ‘90s have experienced such a drastic shift from their beginnings to what they are doing now that their older works seem almost archaic and unrecognizable. This has led, expectedly, to many of Bollywood’s artists making self-reflexive work that also reflects on the industry in general––Fan, Sanju, The Dirty Picture, Luck By Chance, and Shamitabh are just a few examples. Vikramaditya Motwane’s Ak vs Ak is...

Closing out a year in which we’ve needed The Criterion Channel more than ever, they’ve now announced their impressive December lineup. Topping the highlights is a trio of Terrence Malick films––Badlands, Days of Heaven, and The New World––along with interviews featuring actors Richard Gere, Sissy Spacek, and Martin Sheen; production designer Jack Fisk; costume designer Jacqueline West; cinematographers Haskell Wexler and John Bailey; and more.

Also in the lineup is an Afrofuturism series, featuring an introduction by programmer Ashley Clark, with work by Lizzie Borden, Shirley Clarke, Souleymane Cissé, John Akomfrah, Terence Nance, and more. There’s also Mariano Llinás’s 14-hour epic La flor, Bill Morrison’s Dawson City: Frozen Time, Ken Loach’s Sorry We Missed You, Jennie Livingston’s Paris Is Burning, plus retrospectives dedicated to Mae West, Cary Grant, Barbra Streisand, and more.

Check out the lineup below and return every Friday for our weekly streaming picks.

The late Stanley Donen would’ve celebrated his 95th birthday on April 13, 2019. The legendary filmmaker — the last of the directors from Hollywood’s golden age — passed away earlier this year on February 21, leaving behind a legacy of classic movies filled with color, song, and dance. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1924, Donen got his start as a dancer. It was in the chorus line for George Abbott‘s production of “Pal Joey” that he met Gene Kelly. The two became quick friends, and Donen started working as Kelly’s assistant, helping him choreograph his intensely acrobatic dance sequences.

SEEGene Kelly movies: 12 greatest films ranked from worst to best

The two turned to filmmaking with “On the Town” (1949), a lavish Technicolor musical about three sailors on a 24 hour shore leave in New York City. They...

Hey,Riverdale and Luke Perry fans. Today is a very sad day as we've just learned that the current Riverdale Fred Andrews and former Beverly Hills 90210 Dylan McKay star Luke Perry did not recover from the massive stroke that he suffered this past Wednesday morning, February 27, 2019. According to the folks over at TMZ, Luke sadly passed away earlier today, March 4, 2019 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank, California. TMZ was able to get some information from Luke's rep. The rep told them that Luke was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiance Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends. TMZ supplied some other details about what happened during Luke's stroke. He was responsive and talking when the EMTs arrived to take him to the hospital. However afterwards, his condition deteriorated. Luke's rep said...

It is interesting this Oscar weekend to reflect on the life and career of the great Stanley Donen who died today at the age of 94. For those nominated tomorrow night who end up losing, don’t despair and just think of Stanley Donen , the director behind the camera on Singin’ In The Rain, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, On The Town, Damn Yankees, The Pajama Game, It’s Always Fair Weather, Royal Wedding, Indiscreet, Charade , Arabesque, Two For The Road, Funny Face, and so many more. He never got a single Academy Award nomination in his career, not one, yet he made so many movies that are the epitome of style , and virtually (with mentors like Gene Kelly in particular) helped to reinvent the movie musical before passing the baton to Bob Fosse ,Rob Marshall, and Damien Chazelle among others all clearly influenced by him in one way or another.

Stanley Donen, director of acclaimed movie musicals like Singin’ In The Rain and On the Town, has died at the age of 94.

One of Donen’s sons confirmed the director’s death to Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips. “Confirmed by one of his sons this morning: Director Stanley Donen has died at 94 … A huge, often neglected talent,” Phillips tweeted Saturday morning. Cause of death has not been revealed.

Donen is best known as the creative force behind some of the greatest movie musicals of the Fifties, including 1952’s Singin’ in the Rain,...

Stanley Donen, the director of such stylish and exuberant films as “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Funny Face” and “Two for the Road” and the last surviving helmer of note from Hollywood’s golden age, has died at 94.

The Chicago Tribune’s Michael Phillips tweeted that one of his sons had confirmed the news to him.

Confirmed by one of his sons this morning: Director Stanley Donen has died at 94. With Gene Kelly he brought On The Town and Singin’ In The Rain into the world; on his own, 7 Brides, Charade and Two For The Road. A huge, often neglected talent. #StanleyDonen

— Michael Phillips (@phillipstribune) February 23, 2019

Though he was never Oscar-nominated for any of the many films he directed, Donen received a lifetime achievement Oscar at the 1998 Academy Awards “in appreciation of a body of work marked by grace, elegance, wit and visual innovation.”

His films were known for their brisk pace,...

Stanley Donen, the former Broadway chorus boy who made a name for himself in Hollywood directing classic musical films like “On the Town” and “Singin’ in the Rain,” has died at age 94.

One of Donen’s sons confirmed the news on Saturday to Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips. A rep for Donen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Donen helped reinvent the big-screen musical, with a series of hits that included 1954’s “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” 1957’s “The Pajama Game,” 1958’s “Damn Yankees!” and 1957’s “Funny Face,” with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire.

Not only did he integrate song, dance and story in a way that enlivened MGM musicals of the era, but he was also a technical innovator in an era before CGI, as in the memorable scene in 1950’s “Royal Wedding” when Fred Astaire seemed to dance on the walls and ceiling while...

“And I’m gonna be 40!” Meg Ryan says between sobs. “When?” Billy Crystal asks. “Someday.” When Harry Met Sally … is only turning 30 next year, actually, but the king of the modern rom-com will get an opening-night anniversary screening at the 10th annual TCM Classic Film Festival, organizers said today.

Ryan, Crystal and director Rob Reiner will be on hand April 11 at the Tcl Chinese Theatre to kick off fest, which runs through April 14.

“There are romantic comedies – and then there’s When Harry Met Sally…” said Ben Mankiewicz, TCM primetime anchor and host of the festival. “The chemistry between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan makes them part of a legacy that includes the greats of classic movies: Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn; Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell; and Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. And Rob Reiner — utilizing Nora Ephron’s word-perfect screenplay – follows in the rarefied air of the filmmaking...

August 29 marks the 103rd anniversary of the birth of legendary film star Ingrid Bergman. Born in Stockholm, she was working in Swedish and German films during the 1930s, when one of her Swedish films, 1936’s “Intermezzo,” caught the eye of powerful Hollywood producer David O. Selznick. He announced that he planned to remake “Intermezzo” in English and would bring Bergman to Hollywood to star. The only problem was that Bergman didn’t speak English, but she turned out to be a fast learner, and the combination of her work ethic and her radiant beauty put Bergman well on her way to becoming an authentic movie star.

Not only did Bergman become an audience favorite, but her acting skills earned her the respect of moviegoers and Hollywood producers alike. In the course of her four-decade film career, Bergman was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning three for “Gaslight,” “Anastasia” and “Murder on the Orient Express...

Educational distributor Kanopy has struck a deal with Paramount Pictures, adding 100 classic films from the studio’s library to the on-demand streaming service. Twenty-five of those titles – including “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” “Harold and Maude,” “Sunset Boulevard,” and “Saturday Night Fever” — are available to stream now. The other 75 titles will be added in the coming weeks and months. (The full list is at the bottom of this article.)

Kanopy has been a pioneer in the educational market, first in its move away from physical media and toward a streaming app that is available on Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, and iOS and Android devices. Last year, they also expanded beyond universities and institutions and started to aggressively strike deals with public libraries making Kanopy available to a far wider percentage of the population. Now those with a public library card can access the free streaming service in a number of major cities,...

Composer and pianist whose work included film scores, opera and jazz cabaret

The composer Richard Rodney Bennett, who has died in New York aged 76, pursued multiple musical lives with extraordinary success. He was one of the more distinguished soundtrack composers of his era, having contributed to some 50 films and winning Oscar nominations for his work on Far from the Madding Crowd (1967), Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974).

But it scarcely seemed credible that this knack for writing for a mainstream audience in a melodic, romantic style co-existed with his mastery of serialism and 12-tone techniques. From 1957 to 1959, Bennett was a scholarship student with Pierre Boulez in Paris and soaked up the latter's total serialism techniques as well as his infatuation with the German avant garde. He also attended the summer schools at Darmstadt, the mecca for diehard atonalists.

His tremendous facility as a pianist would prompt the...