Summary of Première Classics n°25: Seven, Jane Birkin, American Night, Wim Wenders, The Wicker Man...

The new mook (October-December 2023) hits newsstands.

While it will soon return to Netflix with The Killer, David Fincher will create the event at the French Cinematheque, who will devote a retrospective to him in November. Among the films in the spotlight, there will obviously be Sevenhis particularly dark investigation led by Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, which he recently remastered in 4K.

Meticulous work which obviously fits the reputation of the American filmmaker, known for taking care of the smallest details. While its fans are waiting for its re-release, we are devoting a special file to the making of this unforgettable serial killer film.

Fincher won’t be the only director in the spotlight for mook #25. The editorial team also offers you a dive into the history of The American nightby François Truffaut or by Freddy the claws of the night, by Wes Craven. In tribute to Jane Birkinwe publish our final long interview with the actress of The swimming pool. Wim Wenders, who will receive the Lumière prize in a few days, he looks back on his entire career in our pages. The filmmaker Agnes Varda is also in the spotlight, via a portfolio retracing his flagship works. As Jean-Pierre Melville.

Other cult films deciphered in our pages: The Wicker Manby Robin Hardy, with Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2023, and The Swing Shiftby Jonathan Demme, released in 1984 with Goldie Hawn.

Jane Birkin – Cinema and me part 1: from Blow-up to Don Juan 73 (tribute)

Here is the editorial of this new Premiere Classics :

Death and resurrection.

The death is that of Bill Friedkin, demiurge filmmaker, icon of the 70s who searched all his life for a path between Good and Evil and disappeared at the beginning of August. We could list his masterpieces (The Exorcist, French Connection, Sorcerer), his forgotten films (the strange and fascinating Blood of Punishment). But when we learned of his death, we slipped P’s blu-rayFederal Police Los Angeles in the player. In this extraordinary film, and based on a classic argument (two cops decide to avenge their boss), Friedkin recast the urban thriller between hyperrealism and hallucination. It unfolded his obsessions (madness, art, metaphysical corruption), encapsulated the 80s, and announced, among other things, all of Mann’s work. For this film alone, this filmmaker will remain immortal.

The resurrection is that of Bruce Lee. 50 years after his death, the little dragon is back. Genius martial artist, Chinese superstar, pop icon…, you will tell us that Bruce Lee has never ceased to haunt our imagination. Certainly. Like James Dean, Bruce Lee was first a posthumous icon. Three films were enough to make him a star during his lifetime – Big Boss (1971), The fist of Fury (1972) and The Dragon’s fury. But it’s once dead, with the posthumous release ofOperation Dragon as his legend invades screens around the world. And that’s when he became a pop culture God. Bruce Lee left his next film unfinished, The Game of Death, finished with a lining and various assembly tips. Above all, a few months after his death, Bruce Lee was reincarnated. A gaggle of avatars would in fact immediately become agitated under the rule of producers out of stars. Bruce Le, Bruce Li, Bruce Leung and other Dragon Lee competed for the inheritance. As if Hollywood had duplicated James Dean or Marilyn endlessly. But the real Little Dragon was also immortal. And was going to bury his pale copies. As we celebrated the half-century of his death, Arrow published Big Boss with 14 new minutes. In addition to this new edit, the box set offers all of his films in dazzling restored copies and restores his mythological power to the actor. Bruce Lee moves again!

Death and resurrection. Such is the cycle of cinephilia.

Gaël Golhen, editor-in-chief.