Tom Jolliffe on what makes writers a popular choice for a protagonist… There are many popular archetypes for a cinema protagonist. How often do you see a cop as the lead character in a film? It’s a regular character choice, particularly in action and thriller films. Almost every protagonist needs some kind of vocation I […]
Back to 1991: Ten Essential Movies from Thirty Years Ago
Tom Jolliffe ventures back 30 years to look at 10 essential films from the year 1991… If it was depressing enough realising 2001 was 20 years ago, how about pondering a little on the fact 1991 is now 30 years ago. It’s terrifying how quickly time has flown. Still, whilst it’s with some melancholy that […]
Great Films Unfairly Forgotten in Time
Tom Jolliffe on forgotten films… Time is a cruel mistress. It’s the one constant and something no one can alter (except Marty McFly and Doc Brown). Looks go, memories fade and in cinematic terms a film can be forgotten over time. Now sometimes it’s probably a good thing. Take for example the turn of the […]
In Over Your Head, Coen Style
Tom Jolliffe looks at some of the Coen Brothers finest films, often seeing protagonists in a situation that gets increasingly out of their control… The plan seems simple. The quest, on paper, should be easy. Nothing could go wrong. In film terms, a lack of complication is a drama killer of course. In film terms, […]
Films about Film
Tom Jolliffe takes a look at films about film… The magic of cinema. A wonderful escape from the rigours of modern life, or a microscope onto the worst issues we might face. Escapism, realism, thrills or dramatic truth, whatever your desire, is covered. The very process in making film is also in equal measures magical, […]
Oscars: Five Great Films That Should Have Been Nominated for Best Picture (But Weren’t)
Graeme Robertson with five great films that should have been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars… Whenever the Oscar nominees are announced, the best and brightest of the film critic world (and idiot’s like me) gather together and begin our collective muttering about what film we feel deserves to win the Best Picture trophy. […]
Blu-ray Review – Barton Fink: Special Edition (1991)
Barton Fink, 1991. Directed by Joel Coen. Starring John Turturro, John Goodman, Judy Davis, Michael Lerner, John Mahoney, and Jon Polito. SYNOPSIS: Barton Fink has been reissued by Kino Lorber in a new Blu-ray edition that doesn’t say “Special Edition” anywhere on the packaging but basically is one (hence the use of “(Special Edition)” on […]