Gary Collinson selects his Five Essential John Candy films… Canadian funnyman John Candy was one of the biggest – both literally and figuratively – comic stars of the 1980s, working alongside a host of respected directors and acting talent. Honing his skills on The Second City Toronto comedy circuit, Candy gained widespread attention as a […]

Gary Collinson selects his Five Essential Films directed by Clint Eastwood… Despite a mantlepiece that boasts four Oscar statuettes (Best Director and Best Picture for both Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby) and an Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood remains synonymous with his on-screen persona while his talents as a filmmaker are […]

Gary Collinson selects his Five Essential Stephen King adaptations… Acclaimed writer Stephen King is one of the best-selling authors of all time and his stories have served as inspiration for countless theatrical features, TV movies and miniseries. While his words may well be his power, adaptations of said words often leave much to be desired. […]

The 39 Steps, 1935. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim, Godfrey Tearle, Peggy Ashcroft and Wylie Watson. SYNOPSIS: Wrongfully accused of the murder of a counterespionage agent, a man (Robert Donat) must go on the run to clear his name whilst preventing a spy ring from stealing top secret information. […]

Tressa Price selects her Five Essential British Romances of the Nineties and Noughties… 5. Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001 dir, Sharon Maguire) Total escapist romance. Just imagine being torn between Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. Bridget, played by Renee Zellweger with an impeccable British accent, has to choose between her disreputable, unreliable and sexy boss Daniel […]

Gary Collinson selects his Five Essential Films of Alfred Hitchcock… Without question, legendary director Alfred Hitchcock is among the very best filmmakers in history, and in my opinion the greatest British directing talent of all time. The Master of Suspense enjoyed a long and hugely influential career across six decades, beginning in the silent era […]

Gary Collinson selects Five Essential Films of Takashi Miike… Cult Japanese director Takashi Miike is one of the most prolific filmmakers working today, with over seventy credits since his debut in 1991. Miike’s body of work is often violent, sexually perverse and bizarre, mixing elements of different genres to create his own distinct style, which […]

Titanic, 1997. Directed by James Cameron. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. SYNOPSIS: A wreck-salvaging bounty hunter finds not the Heart of the Ocean jewel but discovers an old lady, Rose (an excellent Gloria Stewart), who claims to have worn it in 1912. Through Rose’s own story of inter-class love severed by disaster, Brock connects […]

It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946. Directed by Frank Capra. Starring James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore. SYNOPSIS: On the verge of suicide after finding out he might be bankrupt, George Bailey is visited by guardian angel Clarence on a mission to save George’s life, thereby getting his angel wings. Clarence displays to George what […]

Nowhere Boy, 2009. Directed by Sam Taylor Wood. Starring Aaron Johnson, Kristen Scott Thomas and Anne-Marie Duff. SYNOPSIS: This is the story of teenage John Lennon and his three loves – his music, his Mum, and his Aunt. The sign of a really good film is when you walk out of the cinema and into […]