Monthly Archives: January 2016

Academy Awards diversity: a look at the numbers

By Ray Bennett LONDON – In the discussion about diversity in the top prizes of the Academy Awards, the depth of the problem for the Academy is clear as in the 14 awards from 2001 to last year, on the AMPAS … Continue reading

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London Critics’ Circle film awards: Ovation for Alan Rickman

By Ray Bennett LONDON  – There was only one standing ovation at the London Critics’ Circle Film Awards Sunday night and it was for someone who was not there: Alan Rickman, who died on January 14. The audience responded immediately … Continue reading

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David Bowie: When Ziggy played guitar

By Ray Bennett LONDON – On Oct. 8 1972, a new young artist from England played his sixth U.S. concert in Detroit at the Fisher Theatre. This is what I wrote in The Windsor Star newspaper two days later: Remember the name. … Continue reading

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FILM REVIEW: Quentin Tarantino’s ‘The Hateful Eight’

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Quentin Tarantino’s western “The Hateful Eight” reveals him as a horrible sham who relies on the skills of talented filmmakers to make his pictures look and sound great despite his absence of talent as a … Continue reading

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Composers Williams, Morricone up for Bafta film awards

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The nominees for original music in the Bafta Film Awards announced this morning are Thomas Newman for “Bridge of Spies”, Ennio Morricone for “The Hateful Eight”, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Carsten Nicolai for “The Revenant”, Jóhann Jóhannsson for … Continue reading

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