Tom Jolliffe offers 10 essential films from the past decade… A decade is drawing to a close. In society, divisions are being formed through political disparity. A chasm between apathy and empathy is as culturally wide as ever. In pop-culture, music and cinema, TV and the internet are as dumbed down as ever. As a […]
Mann, Refn and the Safdies: Mastering Neo-Noir
Tom Jolliffe looks at a few examples of classic neo-noirs… Dark tales in rain sodden streets with the glistening neons of a big City. There comes that inevitable moment. A wrong choice, the self-destructive move to an inescapable corner. The neo-noir, the resurrection of the classic film noir genre that typified much of 30’s-50’s cinema. […]
There’s just one blockbuster to get excited for in 2020: The year of Tenet
Tom Jolliffe looks ahead to Tenet, and why it stands head and shoulders over every other tentpole release in 2020… With the Disney machine making record money this year even before they’d fired out Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to a public who seemed to go with a half-hearted, sleepwalking obligation over a fiery […]
Why Birds of Prey looks like the comic book film to watch in 2020
Tom Jolliffe looks ahead to Birds of Prey and why it’s the most eye-catching comic book film of 2020 at the moment… 2020 is in its infancy and the blockbuster bombardment is due to start shortly. In a year that will see more Marvel adventures (in the beginnings of a new phase, which opens with […]
Revisiting the Cinematic Landscape of 2000
Tom Jolliffe takes a look back 20 years to the film offerings of 2000… I’ve got news for people older than 30. The year 2000 wasn’t a couple of years ago. Colour me quite shocked but apparently it’s not 2004? When did this happen? It is in fact 2020. This means people born this century […]
I Don’t Get It: The Films We’re Supposed To Love But Don’t
Tom Jolliffe looks at when films receive almost universal praise from critics and audiences, and an expectation that you should also love them. It’s not always the case… The year is 2001. At this point I’ve already seen a few David Lynch films. I’d never (still haven’t) got round to Twin Peaks. I sort of […]
The Snyder Cut. The Abrams Cut. How about cut the sh*t?
Tom Jolliffe looks at the recent demands for director’s cuts with Justice League and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker… A film comes out. The director hits the press circuit prior and things seem to be rosy. The film comes out and is greeted with derision. Suddenly there are growing calls for a directors cut. […]
Could dumbing down cinema threaten the legacy of timeless classics?
Tom Jolliffe looks at the current monopolisation of cinemas from Hollywood tentpoles, and whether timeless classics are at risk of being forgotten… The debate has raged throughout the last half year. Martin Scorsese was at the forefront. Cinemas are being overrun with Theme park rides. The cultural, dramatic and thematic impact with some of these are […]
The year Heat was criminally overlooked by the Oscars
Tom Jolliffe looks back at the Oscars in 1996, when Heat was criminally overlooked by the Academy… The year was 1996, which looked back over the films of the previous year. It was a fairly strong year, and like a lot of the nomination lists throughout that decade there are some oddities. There are also […]
Long Live The New Flesh: Why Videodrome has never been more relevant
Tom Jolliffe on the 1983 cult classic Videodrome and its relevance today… Director David Cronenberg has always been a specialist in dark Sci-Fi horror. In 1983 he made a cult film called Videodrome. A lot of film buffs around my age have seen it. It’s a big favourite among those who like something a bit […]