We continue our Noirvember offerings with ten essential 21st century neo-noirs… It’s time once more to take a deep dive into the brutal and fatalistic world of noir as Noirvember rolls on. From film noir of the 30s and 40s, to great revisionist periods like the 1970s, there has always been a noir-infused selection of […]
10 Great Neo-Western Movies You Need To See
Casey Chong with a selection of great neo-Western movies you need to see… The old-fashioned John Wayne era of Western movies may be long gone but certainly not forgotten. And while the Western genre itself is no longer the box-office guarantee it once was back in the day, it still has its place in contemporary […]
Oscars: What Should Have Won – There Will Be Blood for Best Picture over No Country for Old Men
Graeme Robertson on why There Will Be Blood should have won Best Picture at the 80th Academy Awards… The Oscars celebrating the best that 2007 had to offer were something of an oddity, in that nearly every film nominated in the main categories dealt with rather dark and complex themes, with the only light in this […]
Perfect Non-Horror Movies for Halloween Viewing
We take a look at some non-horror films that will still creep you out, disturb you or deliver a nightmarish scenario… It’s almost Halloween and so the perfect time to dive into some horror. The genre sees a perfect boost during Halloween season but a film doesn’t need to belong to the horror genre to […]
Incredible Movie Opening Scenes That Hooked the Audience
Tom Jolliffe looks at 15 great movie openings which hook the audience immediately… Audiences are a difficult bunch to please sometimes. A film’s goal is to grab the attention of viewers and hold them until the final credits roll. In the age of streaming and a lust for instant gratification, where Tik Tok videos all […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
No Country For Old Men: The best Terminator movie of the 21st century
Tom Jolliffe looks back at No Country For Old Men, the relentless chase film which did ‘Terminator’ better than every 21st century sequel in the Arnold Schwarzenegger franchise… The year is 2022. We’re well into the 21st century. Franchise fascination has never been higher and likewise, the lustre in Hollywood for remakes, reboots and sequels […]
When the Big Screen Experience is Unforgettable
Tom Jolliffe looks back on his treasured big screen memories, and why seeing unforgettable films in a cinema will always be the ultimate experience… There was a horrible feeling for cinema fans last year, which was perpetual until a few months ago. Cinema chains were struggling to stay open, and not just because of forced […]
