Latest news with #RaidersOfTheLostArk
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Fans bid fond farewell as curtain falls on Hong Kong's Grand Ocean Cinema
More than 100 film lovers bid an emotional farewell to one of Hong Kong's oldest cinemas on Sunday, with many taking the last chance to take selfies as a final memento. Dozens gathered at the iconic back entrance stairwell of the Golden Harvest Grand Ocean Cinema in Tsim Sha Tsui, snapping photos of the theatre's final hours before it closed its doors for good after 56 years. All five shows on the day were sold out, including three rounds of 'blind-box' films, where the audience did not know which films would be screened until they started. Wong Kai-Yu, 51, who works in the photography industry, went with his wife to watch American animated comedy Lilo & Stitch to rekindle the mood of their dates in the 1990s, as they were unable to get 'blind-box' movie tickets. 'Back then, we'd go to the cinema about once a week to watch a movie, chat and relax. Entertainment options were simpler, and going to the films felt like a big deal,' Wong said. 'I still remember the first movie I watched at the Grand Ocean Cinema was Raiders of the Lost Ark,' he said, referring to a Hollywood adventure classic in 1981. He noted that film tickets had become quite expensive and that forms of entertainment had evolved over the years, meaning watching a film in a cinema might not be people's top priority.
The Star
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
No popcorn, no problem: MPO hits all the right notes with film concerts
These days, when you browse through the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra's (MPO) annual programme, you'll find special shows that take your movie experience to the next level at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) – where your favourite films come to life with live music by the MPO. Since 2010, when it first screened Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller Psycho, the MPO has been delighting film lovers with its cinema-inspired programmes. MPO and DFP chief executive officer Hassina Begam Abdul Gani said the orchestra began exploring film-with-live-orchestra programming as a way to diversify its music offerings and reach a newer, younger audience. 'The positive response from the public, evidenced by sold-out shows, has demonstrated a clear appetite for this type of programming, which has now become a 'signature series' for the MPO,' says Hassina. By pairing orchestral music with popular films, the MPO has made classical music more accessible, offering an entry point for those who might not usually attend such concerts. To date, the MPO has presented nine film-with-live-orchestra concerts, including Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the recent La La Land, which saw additional shows added due to high demand. 'For me, it's a less daunting introduction to classical music. While I'm not naturally inclined toward traditional concerts, a show like La La Land – though not strictly classical – provides a more accessible way to experience orchestral music,' says Adrian Yap, who attended La La Land at DFP, following his first experience with the format at Ratatouille (also at the DFP) in 2016. A view of the 'La La Land In Concert' series presented by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra earlier this month at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: MPO 'Watching a film I enjoy while observing how the orchestra performs the score makes me more receptive to attending a traditional classical concert in the future,' he adds. Rizal Johan, a fan of the film-with-orchestra format, recalls the Raiders Of The Lost Ark concert at the MPO in 2019 as a standout experience. 'The orchestra played flawlessly from start to finish. It was a unique experience – watching a film with live music and realising how challenging it is for the musicians to stay in sync as the mood shifts from action to comedy, suspense to romance. It was truly captivating,' he says, hoping the MPO will one day give a Star Wars film the full live-orchestra treatment. Opening the symphonic door MPO resident conductor Gerard Salonga notes that the movie screening concert series offers a distinct experience compared to the orchestra's usual performances. 'It's not like ballet or opera where the singers and dancers can hear the orchestra – the film stops for no one. In film music, normally the precision of the musical accents is down to a matter of a few frames which are fractions of a second,' says Salonga. Another challenge is that, although the music is usually well-known, it is not typically part of the repertoire that professional musicians have been playing for many years. 'For example, the first violin part of Don Juan by Richard Strauss is incredibly difficult, but violinists are expected to know the piece well, and have been playing it since they were very young," says Salonga. Next month, the MPO's film-and-orchestra series will feature the classic movie 'The Godfather', starring Marlon Brando. Photo: Handout 'The violin part of John Williams' ET score is also very hard, but musicians would not have spent the same amount of time with it throughout their lives, making the learning curve steeper due to the shorter time to learn it. For a symphony orchestra like the MPO, it makes for an exciting and musically rewarding challenge for both the performers and the audience,' he adds. The Filipino conductor-composer agrees that film concerts are an excellent way to engage audiences with symphonic repertoire. "In films scored by John Williams, the music is directly influenced by great composers such as Mahler and Stravinsky, so these concerts serve to introduce the audience to their orchestras and form a connection with the artists on stage through sharing a profound experience," says Salonga. 'So I hope for our audience members, these film concerts can unlock the door to the world of symphonic music and encourage them to discover the riches that await,' he concludes. For Father's Day on June 14, experience The Godfather Live at DFP. Watch Francis Ford Coppola's classic 1972 film in high definition while the MPO, led by Salonga, performs Nino Rota's legendary soundtrack live – bringing every haunting note and emotional moment to the forefront. More info here.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Les Dilley, Oscar-Winning ‘Star Wars' Art Director, Dies at 84
Les Dilley, the Oscar-winning production designer of 'Star Wars: A New Hope' and 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' has died from complications associated with Alzheimer's. He was 84. 'With sadness, I'm writing to share the news that Les Dilley has passed away. An Oscar winner for his work on 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' and 'Star Wars', Les contributed his artistic talents to a great number of beloved and classic films and series, including 'Alien', 'The Abyss', 'The Empire Strikes Back', 'Superman', and 'An American Werewolf in London',' Matt Andrée Wiltens, Head of Global Corporate Communications at Gersh, said in a statement shared with TheWrap. 'Les's legacy lives on in the many iconic films he helped bring to lifefor over six decades and in his family home he personally built as an homage to his work,' Dilley's family said in a statement. 'His love for the motion picture business was evident to the very end. When he wasn't on set, he enjoyed constructing things in his workshop at home, playing ice hockey, and a good cup of tea. In addition to his incredible work ethic, quirky British humour, and love of life, he was a dedicated and loving husband, father, grandfather and friend to many. He will be greatly missed.' More to come… The post Les Dilley, Oscar-Winning 'Star Wars' Art Director, Dies at 84 appeared first on TheWrap.
Geek Tyrant
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Corridor Crew Recreates The Classic Face Melt Scene From RAIDERS OF THE LOST ART — GeekTyrant
The creative VFX team at Corridor Crew got together for a fun little VFX project… to attempt to recreate the iconic face melt from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas' Raiders of the Lost Ark using two very different approaches with CGI and Practical effects. I remember first seeing this scene as a kid and was both horrified and thrilled. I just watched a guy's face melt, and as a young kid, my brain maleted along with the face. It's fun to see these guys go about recreating this effect in two different styles and as always, they do it in a very fun and entertaining way.
