We look back at the iconic work of the late, great James Caan and take a deep dive into the underrated neo-noir masterpiece Thief, with Caan at his fiery, mesmeric best… The sad news has broken. Another cinematic icon has left us, leaving behind an awe inspiring legacy. James Caan for a time, was synonymous […]
A Forgotten Sylvester Stallone Gem: Lock Up
Tom Jolliffe looks back at Lock Up, one of Sylvester Stallone’s less heralded peak era films… 1989. Sylvester Stallone had topped the mountain in the 80’s. It all came to a head in 1985 when Rocky IV and Rambo: First Blood Part II dominated the box office. In today’s world, it was akin to having […]
Who Cares About Spoilers Anymore?
Tom Jolliffe ponders whether audiences still care about being surprised… Some spoilers will follow (featuring Obi-Wan, Doctor Strange 2 and Stranger Things)… if you still care… Right now the world eagerly awaits the arrival of Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2 . We’ve also got through the entire run of the much anticipated Obi-Wan series […]
The Last Champions of Practical Work Over CGI
Tom Jolliffe looks at cinema’s last stalwarts of practical work over CGI in movies… What does the future hold? Technology is wonderful. Constant evolution brings with it new trends. In cinema, the computer generated image has developed exponentially in the past 30 years. From being something of an eye-catching new toy initially (or garish, nightmarishly […]
Propelled to Greatness by Set Pieces: A Maverick Approach to Action Cinema
Tom Jolliffe looks at two of the best action films of the last decade, Mad Max: Fury Road and Top Gun: Maverick… There are great films. There are great action films. Attaining greatness through your action amounts to nailing your set pieces and imbuing proceedings, with just enough characterisation to give the propellant action some […]
Cage as Cage, Van Damme as Van Damme: Two Icons Play Their Ultimate Role
Tom Jolliffe looks at Nic Cage in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and compares with Jean-Claude Van Damme’s temporarily redefining role as himself in JCVD… April 2022 included a special day for me. It was something of an event. I got to see Nicolas Cage strut his stuff on the big screen. Maybe 10-15 […]
Northman the Barbarian: How Conan Courses Through The Northman
Tom Jolliffe looks at the similarities between The Northman and Conan the Barbarian. Spoilers follow… After success and masses of acclaim for his small scale masterworks The Witch and The Lighthouse, director Robert Eggers went large scale in his third outing. The Northman is a big budget Viking revenge epic. In every way, it’s the […]
The Art of Ambiguity in Cinema
Tom Jolliffe looks at the finest in ambiguous cinema, and asks ‘how do you pull it off?’… Often in the law books of screenwriting there’s a section which might tell the studious aspiring writer that a film must have clarity. Plot threads must lead to resolution. Each act and your central character arcs should be […]
Revisiting Deep Cover at 30
Tom Jolliffe looks back at the Bill Duke-directed Deep Cover at 30… The year is 1992. A second revolution in black cinema was already underway after Spike Lee’s fresh and inventive hits like Do The Right Thing and She’s Gotta Have It had broken open doorways. That first wave in the 70s, with a boom […]
Wry, Prophetic, Smart and Brutal: RoboCop at 35
Tom Jolliffe looks back at RoboCop, Paul Verhoeven’s ahead-of-the-curve masterpiece, as it turns 35… Okay creeps. Dead or alive, you’re coming with me… to look back at RoboCop. The dead part might be a bit much, but I’m sure you’re game. The iconic sci-fi actioner is 35 years old. There is a huge weight behind […]
