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 […]
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 […]
Great Movie Scenes That Left An Indelible Mark
Tom Jolliffe takes a look at 15 great movie scenes that left an indelible mark… Great movies require many things to achieve that unshakable stamp of quality. As well as great writing, directing and acting, you need memorable scenes. Some can be more memorable than others. Some may end up defining a film more than […]
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 […]
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 Best Character Introductions in Cinema History
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Michael Mann wants to make a prequel to Heat
Michael Mann’s 1995 crime thriller Heat – which saw legendary actors Robert de Niro and Al Pacino finally share the screen together – is considered a classic today. While we never got a sequel, there’s a good chance that we may actually now get a prequel instead. Deadline are reporting that the writer/director has inked […]