Continuing a series on groundbreaking cinema, Tom Jolliffe takes a look at Jackie Chan’s iconic Police Story… The Criterion Collection. It’s usually a selection of key films across classic era cinema, arthouse, indie and world cinema. Some might call the selections somewhat high brow. It’s unlikely for example, that you’d see The Avengers as part […]
Guilty Pleasures: A Vintage Adam Sandler Double Bill
Tom Jolliffe delves into two guilty pleasures with a double dose of classic era Adam Sandler… We’ve all got guilty pleasures. Whether it’s music, TV, or film, some things just bring with them a general air of derision (despite their awesomeness). I mean in music terms, why does Phil Collins get a bad rap, when […]
Seven Essential Films Scored By Tangerine Dream
Tom Jolliffe looks at seven essential films, and their music from Tangerine Dream… In recent cinematic history there has been a nostalgia loaded fascination with synth scores. The kind of music that was popular through the late 70’s and 80’s, would begin to find itself increasingly used in film. After all, a few solo artists […]
The Northman – Destined for Greatness?
Tom Jolliffe looks at the upcoming Viking epic from Robert Eggers, The Northman… Robert Eggers is two features into his fledgling film career and has already established himself as a major voice in auteur horror. Comparisons to Kubrick have been thrown his way with two films, The Witch and The Lighthouse, which is high praise […]
Relentless Kinetic Energy: Run Lola Run and Dangan Runner
Tom Jolliffe looks back at the visceral non stop energy of Run Lola Run and Dangan Runner… Occasionally a film can burst out the blocks with the kind of flair and visceral energy that grips you from the start and never lets up. Some films just have a sense of perpetual motion. There’s always something […]
A 90’s Video Double Bill: Sabotage and Night Vision
Tom Jolliffe looks back at two well cast 90’s video thrillers, Sabotage and Night Vision… Many a 90’s straight to video special has been left cast asunder by time. Some left forever to remain as rare VHS copies, occasionally appearing on Ebay, or low resolution uploads on Youtube. Certain cult favourites do find their way […]
The Eclectic Range of Christopher Walken’s Career
Tom Jolliffe looks at the diverse mix within Christopher Walken’s career. An acclaimed actor in iconic classics, who has regularly crossed into B movies… In the 70’s, a number of icons were experiencing a boom. It was an era of almost unmatched creative revolution for American cinema. There was a distinct move to a cinema […]
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover: Anti-Cinema and Anti-Thatcher Allegory
Tom Jolliffe looks back at Peter Greenaway’s most iconic film, an unrestrained arthouse masterpiece… If anyone has ever watched the film work of Peter Greenaway, then they’ll know that his films are difficult to ingest. Greenaway is an artist turned film director. He’s never been particularly cinematically minded. His canvas through the lens of his […]
DVD Review – Carol (2015)
Carol, 2015. Directed by Todd Haynes. Starring Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy, John Magaro and Kyle Chandler. SYNOPSIS: Carol and Therese meet over a department store counter. This chance encounter grows steadily into something neither of them were prepared to entertain. An encounter which leads to familial disruption, custody hearings and the […]
Movie Review – The Scopia Effect (2014)
The Scopia Effect, 2014. Written and Directed by Christopher Butler. Starring Joanna Ignaczewski, Akira Koieyama, Julian Seager, Louis Labovitch, and Jessica Jay. SYNOPSIS: Past life regression therapy unlocks the dark recesses of a young girl’s mind. As time periods collide and incarnations merge through a single entity. Basia (Joanna Ignaczewski) must find a way to […]
