Tom Jolliffe revisits the Schwarzenegger classic Commando, which recently turned 35… It pains me to think a seminal film from my childhood has now turned 35. I probably first saw Commando some 30(ish) years ago. That would make me? Urgh, like the old Knight Harrison Ford stumbles on in The Last Crusade probably. Or at […]
What is the Most Iconic Image in Horror Cinema?
Tom Jolliffe looks over some of the most iconic images in horror… Cinema is full of iconic films and iconic images within those. A moment of hope in Rocky personified by his mangled post fight face screaming ‘Adrian!’ or even in the same film, his victorious beating of those famous steps, holding his arms aloft […]
Let The Right One In: A Masterpiece of Poetic Horror
Tom Jolliffe looks back at the seminal vampire film and why it remains one of the best movies of this century… The memory of seeing this for the first time still feels fresh, but Let The Right One In, is now as old as its central protagonist Oskar (12 years old). I hadn’t caught it […]
Jean-Claude Van Damme at 60
As Jean-Claude Van Damme celebrates a milestone birthday, Tom Jolliffe looks back at a career that has seen box office success, and flirtation with a comeback as a critically acclaimed actor… If you even have a passing appreciation of late 20th century action cinema, you’ll know very well who Jean-Claude Van Damme is. You’ll probably […]
The Alternative Halloween Viewing List
Tom Jolliffe offers up a selection of non-horror films to watch this Halloween season, which might just be prescient enough to be horrific… Halloween’s just for horror right? Well what if we’re not watching horror? What if we’re watching action or sci-fi or comedy? It may just be that some of these films have a […]
What Makes a Great Horror Concept?
Tom Jolliffe on what makes a great horror concept… No doubt many film fans will be having a particular focus on the horror genre right as we work our way to Halloween. The genre is loaded with the great, and the not so great (and everything in between). The key to horror has always been […]
The Halcyon Days of the Video Store Experience
Tom Jolliffe casts his mind back to the era of video stores – a rite of passage for people growing up in the 80’s and 90’s… During my early years the infrequent but welcome visits to the local video shop brought with them, a huge wave of excitement. Perhaps second only to a cinema outing, […]
The Magnetic Brilliance of Sean Connery
Tom Jolliffe looks at the career and lasting legacy of the late Sean Connery, one of the most charismatic screen presences in cinema history… Cinema mourns the passing of another icon. For many this one will pack a weighty punch. Sean Connery was the man who became the first major face of a franchise we’re […]
Hazy Childhood Movie Memories
Tom Jolliffe on those hazy memories from childhood for movies that may or may not actually exist… When you think back to childhood, some memories remain vividly clear. This can extend to movies of memories that lock themselves into your memory banks without much being re-imagined by your mind. Certain films, like Star Wars always […]
He’s Dynamite, but Michael Jai White is still hugely underrated
Tom Jolliffe looks at action star Michael Jai White, who has never quite got the attention he deserves… For whatever reasons, some stars never quite reach the level their ability deserves. It can be a variety of reasons holding some back, and generally many stars tend to get that one shot at the big league. […]
