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Harry Treadaway of Showtime's 'Penny Dreadful' Breathes Life Into Dr. Frankenstein Not with Joy Division, Brothers of the Head or Lizardsun...But Glenn Gould?

Harry Treadaway stars as the fabled Mary Shelley character Dr. Victor Frankenstein in Showtime's 'Penny Dreadful,' alongside big 'Black Hawk' heartthrob Josh Hartnett as the Victorian-American Ethan Chandler. Classicalites, surely you've heard that famous shriek by Dr. Frankenstein when his masterpiece comes to life, but what you may not know is that the actor who plays the young doctor on premium cable, Britain's own Mr. Treadaway, likes to compile playlists of classical music to help him get into character. Treadaway says, "If I need to connect with the conversations I had initially, I can go back and listen to the music. It helps."
By K. Young

  • Film Critic David Thomson's Assessment of Director Woody Allen Flawed

    English film critic David Thomson's dislike, dare I say contempt, of Woody Allen is well known. Look up a Thomson review of an Allen film and it is most likely negative, the one most recent one being "Match Point" (2005). In his wonderful book, "The New Biographical Dictionary of Film," Thomson leveled this charge against Allen, "Moreover, some of his films are so inconsequential, so much a matter of habit, that they make his productivity seem artificial." Is this true? Are some of Allen's films so easily dismissible? If so, what does it say for Woody Allen's stature in the history of cinema? Conversely, is it fair? Has Allen's longevity and creative output surpassed any comparable measure of legacy we have available?
    By Thomas Swan

  • Misty Copeland on Ric Burns' New PBS Documentary, 'American Ballet Theatre: A History,' Premiering May 15 on THIRTEEN

    On Friday, May 15 at 9:00 p.m. EST, THIRTEEN's 'American Masters Series' on PBS will premiere Ric Burns' new documentary,' American Ballet Theatre: A History.' THIRTEEN's own award-winning staff is joining forces with Emmy and Peabody-winner Ric Burns to create a new documentary about the American Ballet Theatre, in honor of the company's 75th anniversary. Classicalites, you're in for a glorious look at ABT over the last three-quarters of a century.
    By K. Young