THIS JUST IN: More stunning news from the world of cinema. Manoel de Oliveira, the great Portugese film director, did not die at his home in Lisboa yesterday at the age of 98.
Instead, the sprightly nonagernarian continued work on two new projects, a segment of the film Os Invisíveis, and his own feature, Singularidades de uma Rapariga Loira, both of which are due out in 2008, when Oliveira will be 99.
Director Manoel de Oliveira, 98, editing his new film.Oliveira directed two films this year, two last year - including Belle Toujours, a follow-up to Buñuel's famous Belle de Jour (1967) that recently premiered at the New York Film festival - and two in 2005. While some younger directors have been slacking off lately and using death as an excuse for not working, Oliveira has been kicking some serious cinema butt.
I highly recommend Viagem ao Princípio do Mundo [Journey to the Beginning of the World] (1997), which was Marcello Mastroianni's last film before he got lazy and stopped acting because he was "dead."
According to IMDB, Eric Rohmer (87), Alain Resnais (85), Claude Chabrol (77), and Jean-Luc Godard (77) are also STILL ALIVE this morning - and all but Resnais, who did a film last year, are currently working on projects.
Orson Welles, however, still hasn't made another full-length feature film since Chimes at Midnight in 1965. Evidently, he's been having some trouble financing the new production.
Gratuitous shot of Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour (1967). 
