In the early 2000s, Robert Pattinson was practically a blank slate when it came to fame. The son of an English professor and a Swiss lawyer, he was mostly known for his pretty boy looks and his starring roles in the films of the late director, Nicolas Roeg. As he began to climb the Hollywood ranks, he became famous for his perfect eyebrows and charismatic smile.
While filming the drama The Romantics in 2010 with Kate Winslet, the on-screen chemistry between the two practically caused a national scandal. The following year, he landed his first major Hollywood leading role as Johnny Depp’s gay son in the comedy The King’s Speech. Since then, he’s maintained a busy slate. In 2019, he starred alongside Daniel Craig in the latest James Bond film, No Time to Die. Joining him on screen was long-time collaborator Kylie Jenner, whose famous parents are business partners with Craig’s parents.
Now, with the release of Dior, Pattinson is continuing his collaboration with the French luxury goods brand and playing the male lead in the Christian Dior advertisement. Shot in the Caribbean, the spot highlights the luxurious feel of the product and how it can be used to enhance your summer vacation. The glamorous actor looks effortless as he glides across the beach in a black and white graphic T-shirt, Bermuda shorts, and flip-flats. Later in the film, he and co-star Irène Jacobsen sport fashionable swimwear by the French luxury goods brand as they frolic in the water. To view the stylish film and learn more about Christian Dior, visit IMDb.
The Films of Nicolas Roeg
The internationally acclaimed director Nicolas Roeg made his name with Don’t Look Now, an eerie thriller that focuses on a married couple played by Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie. The twist? Sutherland and Christie are portraying different characters. Sutherland plays an egotistical playboy who falls head over heels for Christie, who plays a sensual, mysterious woman who seems to know exactly how to manipulate him. The film was based on Daphne du Maurier’s short story, The Birds, and turned out to be one of Sutherland’s most memorable roles. It also launched the storied career of actor Jack Nicholson, who played a small role in the film.
In 2018, Roeg turned 90 and reflected on his remarkable career in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Recalling the making of Don’t Look Now, he revealed that his career was really launched by a $25,000 bet he made with actor Peter Fonda. The British director bet Fonda that he couldn’t get a top Hollywood movie star to play a small part in a low-budget, independent film. Sure enough, when Fonda’s character, Joe, sees the prosthetic legs of the main attraction at the circus (Nicholson), he thinks his friend has been turned into a monster and runs off in fear. The rest is film history.
In the director’s humble opinion, the most memorable role he’s ever played was that of Johnny Depp’s gay son in the comedy The King’s Speech. Depp plays a father who learns to overcome his shyness and social anxiety disorder and be more open with his emotions. The film also marked the American actor’s comeback after a four-year hiatus. One of Depp’s biggest fans is none other than his son, Griffin. The young actor sported a Depp medallion around his neck while celebrating the film’s premiere in New York City last year.
The Films of Alfred Hitchcock
Like many other famous directors, Alfred Hitchcock began by making short films for British intelligence during World War II. After the war, he moved to Hollywood and continued to make thrillers for the big screen. In his long directing career, he created some of cinema’s most memorable chills, beginning with the iconic Psycho. The movie starred Janet Leigh, who played the title character, a woman driven by a fear of being murdered by her husband. The role ultimately led to her death, but it also made Leigh a household name. She was arguably the most recognizable face in the film, which was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including BEST PICTURE.
Hitchcock worked with Leigh on another classic, The Birds, which was also based on a short story by Daphne du Maurier. The story follows a family trying to stay safe in their home as a mysterious infestation of birds causes trouble. Though the film wasn’t as popular as Psycho, it’s still regarded as one of Hitchcock’s best and was also nominated for seven Academy Awards.
In later years, Hitchcock shifted gears and became known for his arthouse fare. The director’s personal favorites were his two late-career features: Family Favorites and Vertigo. The first is a compilation of five classic movies that were important to the director and marked a personal return to form. The second is the story of a man (Jimmy Stewart) who becomes fixated on a woman (Katherine Ross) he sees everywhere he looks. Though he tries to avoid her, he eventually has to come to terms with his addiction. The two worked together on Vertigo, Hitchcock’s last feature film, which was released in 1968 and starred Stewart and Ross. It is also considered one of the greatest spy films of all time.
For more on Alfred Hitchcock and his legendary film career, visit IMDb. For a list of his best-known and most loved films, visit The Alfred Hitchcock Digest.
The Films of Tim Burton
Often compared to the great Walt Disney, movie mogul and entrepreneur Richard Waltrip has said, “If you want to make a great film, you don’t need a Disney film. You need a Tim Burton film.” It’s a sentiment that many in the entertainment industry share, as Tim Burton’s filmography is marked by bold, imaginative stories filled with eccentric characters. Though he began his career in animation, Burton soon transitioned to live-action and developed a reputation for making stylish yet dark films. One of his earliest works was the 1991 vampire film Nightmare On Elm Street 5, in which an obsessed child, Billy, wreaks havoc on his family and the people around them.
The turning point in Burton’s career came when he directed 1992’s Aladdin, which was a huge hit at the box office. It featured the voices of such then-belle Anne Hathaway and Robin Williams. The following year, he directed the classic Batman, starring Robert De Niro and Michael Keaton. The two most recent films in his contract are a live-action remake of Coco and a Joker project with Robert De Niro, director Martin Scorsese, and producer Judd Apatow. The Dark Knight Rises star, Tom Hardy, has credited the success of his career to Burton. In an interview with E! News, Hardy said, “I actually met Tim Burton once and he gave me some advice, which was, ‘If you want to be a leading man, you’re going to have to lose the [facial] tattoos. They don’t look good in photos.'”
Though he’s expressed interest in directing an animated feature film, Tim Burton has yet to work on an animated project. As a surrogate son to comedy legend Mel Brooks, who directed Burton in Young Frankenstein, the director is often tapped to lend his talents to animated films. In an interview with CNET, Burton admitted that he struggles with directing in a digital age.
“I’m not a fan of animating, because it’s so easy to do. It’s not that I’m not capable of it, but it’s really hard to find the right people to do it with,” he said. “There are plenty of good animators out there, but for some reason, they don’t want to work with me.”
For a master class in film directing, visit IMDb. For more on Tim Burton and his incredible career, visit The Tim Burton Movie Database. For more on Richard Waltrip and his incredible career, visit The Richard Waltrip Movie Database.