Tom Jolliffe double bills two cockney gangster films from the turn of the century in The Limey and Sexy Beast… Toward the end of the last century, leading into the new one, the British gangster film really seemed to take off again. We saw the emergence of a number of significant exponents of the genre, […]
No Laughing! When Comedians Get Serious
Tom Jolliffe looks at when comedic actors take on more challenging (and sometimes darker) material… When you’re a star renowned for a particular genre, it can be hard to break out of that. Over the years, many a comedy star has become synonymous with churning out an array of comedy vehicles. It’s often easier to […]
1985: When Sylvester Stallone was King of the World
Tom Jolliffe goes back in time to a year when Sylvester Stallone was the king of the box office… It might shock some of you to know that it’s now 35 years past 1985. During lockdown time has become an abstract concept to me, but regardless, the fact that a time that and era that […]
Excellent Adventures with Bill & Ted
With the third set to arrive this year, Tom Jolliffe looks back at the first two Bill & Ted films… I remember when Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure came out and took the world by storm. I first saw it on video and in the early 90’s it would be a film I’d watching at […]
Handmade Films: A Legacy of British Cult Cinema
Tom Jolliffe takes a look back at George Harrison’s production company, Handmade Films… Often dubbed the quiet one of the Beatles, George Harrison is well known for the huge cultural impact he had on music in his time with the fab four. As far as musical phenomenons go, there’s a select pantheon for the most […]
Silent Trigger: Straight-to-Video Arthouse Action
Tom Jolliffe looks at an interesting entry into mid-90’s, straight to video action as Dolph Lundgren plays a haunted assassin in Silent Trigger… By the time action titan, Dolph Lundgren had reached the middle of the 90’s, he’d become pretty much established as a video specialist. Though he’d make an appearance in the Keanu Reeves […]
Nightmarish Cinema: When Filmmakers Tap Into Our Nightmares
Tom Jolliffe on turning nightmares into cinema, and the most nightmarish film ever made… Nightmares are a powerful thing. Whether it’s teeth falling out, falling, drowning or being chased by a persistent foe, there are some specific nightmares common among many of us. Most of us have probably had that dream of trying to run […]
Ian Holm: A Master of the Craft
Tom Jolliffe looks back at the work of Ian Holm, who sadly passed away this week… There are some actors who elevate everything they do. Even if they become a specialist in supporting roles, popping up in roles, which in lesser hands would be forgotten quickly. Not so with Holm. In a career which began […]
Can John Travolta pull a Nicolas Cage?
Tom Jolliffe takes a look at John Travolta, whose recent filmography has largely mirrored the same level as Nicolas Cage, bar the instant cult high points… John Travolta become an instant icon over 40 years ago, starring in the smash hit films Saturday Night Fever and Grease. They’re iconic films, with even more iconic songs. […]
More Than Batnipples: The Cinematic Legacy of Joel Schumacher
Tom Jolliffe looks at the career of the late Joel Schumacher, whose great work has been disappointingly overshadowed by Batman… For many film fans, Joel Schumacher has had an impact. For better or worse, his work in the world of Gotham has become iconic for reasons of irony or antipathy. The trouble is, we now […]
