Ricky Church on the best character introductions in cinema history… Sometimes a character’s introduction in a movie makes a lasting impression that becomes an integral part of the film’s legacy. Whether its through their swagger, high-stakes danger or a one-liner, their introduction not only sets up their role in the film, but can make quite […]
A Lasting Final Shot
Tom Jolliffe looks at the power a film’s final shot can have… There are many aspects that will make a piece of cinema stay long in your mind. You give yourself over to a film sometimes. It sweeps you away. Moments leave particularly strong and inedible impressions. One thing that many films will strive for […]
Joy Division in Cinema and TV
40 years after the death of Ian Curtis, Tom Jolliffe looks at the impact of Joy Division in cinema and TV… There have been a few big anniversaries of late. 40 years since Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back was released. 40 years since The Shining came out too. On a more […]
Al Pacino at 80: One of the all time greats
Tom Jolliffe looks back at the career of Al Pacino as he turns 80… Ready your best Al Pacino impression. We’ve all got them. Those usually tend to be Al at his explosive, unrestrained best. Maybe it’s one of several scenes in Heat, or something in his scenery chomping brilliance in Scent of A Woman. […]
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. […]
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 […]
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. […]
Blu-ray Review – Heat: Director’s Definitive Edition (1995)
Heat: Director’s Definitive Edition, 1995. Directed by Michael Mann. Starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Ashley Judd, Mykelti Willliamson, Natalie Portman, Amy Brenneman, and Hank Azaria. SYNOPSIS: Heat has been released on Blu-ray before in a pretty definitive edition, but this new one features remastered video from a 4K […]
Heat prequel novel coming from Michael Mann and author Reed Farrel Coleman
From Michael Mann’s long career as a director, one of the films people point to as his best work is the 1995 crime thriller Heat, pairing the iconic Robert De Niro and Al Pacino together for the first time ever. Per Deadline, Mann has partnered with author Reed Farrel Coleman to create a prequel novel of […]
8 of the Best Movie Shootouts Ever
Ben Robins with eight of the best movie shootouts ever… With Ben Wheatley’s Boston-set shootout comedy Free Fire finally hitting UK screens this week, it seems only appropriate to remind ourselves of all the best and bloodiest gunfights to date, which there’ve been many of. In fact, narrowing it down to just the eight listed […]