We go back half a century to offer up ten essential films from 1974… It’s incredible to think that it’s been half a century since the year 1974. As a year of cinematic offerings, it takes some beating too with a slew of incredible films. This was still right in the midst of Hollywood’s golden […]
10 Essential Noir Films for Noirvember
Tom Jolliffe offers up ten essential noir films in celebration of Noirvember… We’re into November, also known in some select cinephile circles as Noirvember. In celebration of the film noir genre as well as Neo-noir which evolved some of the classic staples in more contemporary styles, here is a selection of essential noir films. It’s […]
4K Ultra HD Review – Chinatown (1974)
Chinatown, 1974. Directed by Roman Polanski. Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Hillerman, Perry Lopez, Burt Young, and John Huston. SYNOPSIS: The classic Chinatown makes its 4K Ultra HD debut with a stunning transfer, a trio of new bonus features (along with legacy content), and a copy of the sequel, The Two Jakes, on a […]
10 Villains Who Achieved Victory Against The Hero
Ricky Church on the villains who achieved victory over the hero… Most stories follow the same typical pattern: the hero is on a life or death journey against a powerful villain and after a long, arduous battle and some sacrifice, they win against the villain. We’ve seen the story play out in superhero adventures, detective […]
10 Essential Jack Nicholson Films
Tom Jolliffe offers up ten essential films from one of Hollywood’s greatest icons, Jack Nicholson… The unpredictable spark. The unconventional delivery. The eyebrows. A permanent sense of being on the verge of exploding. It’s Jack Nicholson, an actor of unique, almost unmatched intensity. He’s got an ability to dial his emotions right up, and to […]
10 Essential Private Eye Movies
Tom Jolliffe offers up 10 essential private investigator movies… The humble Dick. I mean P.I of course. Private Investigator. They often operate on a perilous high wire between law and unlawful. When the police have given up or are hamstrung by the book, the P.I can go that extra mile, or indeed focus entirely on […]
Ben Affleck to explore the making of Chinatown with The Big Goodbye
Following on from his acclaimed performance in The Way Back, Ben Affleck is set to get back behind the camera for his next directorial offering, with Deadline reporting that he is set to direct The Big Goodbye for Paramount Pictures. Based upon Sam Wasson’s The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood, the […]
It’s Chinatown Jake: The Joys of the Unhappy Ending
Tom Jolliffe looks at the unhappy ending, and why they often have a more lasting impact (spoilers abound!)… Cinema has the power to move us. It can be an escape. The overriding formula has historically involved a happy resolution, because lets face it, after journeying through the crisis that the protagonist finds himself in, it […]
Robert Towne and David Fincher teaming for Chinatown prequel
Deadline is reporting that Netflix is looking to pair up Chinatown screenwriter Robert Towne with David Fincher (Mindhunter) to develop a pilot script for a prequel to the classic 1974 film starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. According to the site, the as-yet-untitled Chinatown prequel would focus on a younger version of Nicholson’s private investigator […]
