Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

Cinema’s Groundbreakers – Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho

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Continuing our look at groundbreaking cinema, Tom Jolliffe revisits Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho… When listing some of the greatest directors of all time, a name that may pop up with regularity during the discussions, is Alfred Hitchcock. A master craftsman and impeccable weaver of enthralling stories, Hitchcock had already delivered a string of masterpieces which still […]

More Old Films Back at the Cinema Please

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Tom Jolliffe hopes there’s an increased willingness to re-release old films at the cinema… As we step out of lock-down and cinemas around the world re-open, we’re in a period where damage assessment is required. After all, for three months in the US, UK and China, some of the biggest world wide markets, audiences have […]

Modern Westerns from Down Under: Red Hill and Mystery Road

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Tom Jolliffe takes a look back at a couple of recent modern westerns from Australia… The Western has evolved through the decades. Period Westerns grew out of fashion by the 70’s, whilst crime thrillers would occasionally take on well known Western tropes. All those kind of tropes of lawman vs lawless, the expansive scope cinematography, […]

The Weasel is Back: The Return of Pauly Shore

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Tom Jolliffe looks at the upcoming comedy Guest House, which sees a significant return to film for Pauly Shore… 2020 has been a strange year. Kanye West is currently running for President. A guy ate a pangolin which may or may not have caused an pandemic (depending on which theory, or conspiracy theory you believe). […]

Cinema’s Groundbreakers – Carl Theodor Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc

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Continuing our look back at groundbreaking films of cinema, Tom Jolliffe discusses The Passion of Joan of Arc by Carl Theodor Dreyer… One of the most influential directors in cinema, Carl Theodor Dreyer had a complicated relationship with film. Somewhat prolific during the silent era, he made a number of iconic films including Vampyr. Having […]

The American Friend: Four masters who created the ultimate Tom Ripley adaptation

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Tom Jolliffe takes a look back at a classic neo-noir, The American Friend which saw four legends of cinema combine to create the greatest Tom Ripley adaptation… Lovers of cinemas literary adaptations may be familiar with the Tom Ripley series. Patricia Highsmith’s crime novels on the titular Ripley proved immensely popular and inevitably lead to […]

How Schwarzenegger Reigned Supreme in the Action Genre

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As Arnold Schwarzenegger turns 73, Tom Jolliffe looks back at the period where the Austrian Oak ruled action cinema, with an eye for quality material… As Arnold Schwarzenegger turns another year older, now would be a good time to look back to an era of global box office domination, and cult appeal in the action […]

Films That Leave You Speechless

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Tom Jolliffe on films that leave you speechless… Spoilers ahead. Cinema can enthral, entertain, amuse, and terrify. You finish a film and you ordinarily have an idea of your feelings on it, or said film will help you wind down with a denouement before the credits roll. Sometimes though, a film finishes and you’re left […]

Ten Essential Buddy Films

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Tom Jolliffe offers up ten essential buddy films… Reluctant partners, thrust together. Chalk and cheese, a differing approach to attaining the end goal, or perhaps sometimes from opposite sides of the law. The buddy film genre has been popular for decades. Some writer/directors in fact have a real association with it (see later). It’s a […]

Is it time to retire James Bond?

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With rumours of Daniel Craig’s replacement persisting for years, Tom Jolliffe wonders if James Bond has had his day… With some uncertainty still looming over the release of Daniel Craig’s (supposedly) final fling as James Bond, rumours continue to persist about his eventual replacement. It would of course be folly to announce the next Bond […]