Of the many terrible things to happen over the last couple of years, losing Legendary American filmmaker Richard Donner was a particularly sad blow for film fans around the world, with The Goonies and Superman director announcing earlier in 2021 that he still intended to direct the long-gestating fourth-sequel to his Lethal Weapon franchise. Well, […]
Richard Donner’s massive contribution to my love of cinema
Tom Jolliffe looks back at the late Richard Donner’s career and pays tribute to a director who made millions fall in love with cinema… You’ll believe a man can fly! It was the promise which preceded the release of Superman, the first major movie adaptation of a comic book character. This was a key moment. […]
R.I.P. Richard Donner (1930 – 2021)
Legendary American filmmaker Richard Donner has passed away at the age of 91, his wife, producer Lauren Shuler Donner, has announced today. Born in the Bronx in 1930, Donner began his career directing commercials before switching to television in the late 1950s, working on TV dramas such as Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Fugitive, The […]
Looking Back at the Lethal Weapon Franchise
With reports of the long awaited fifth instalment still appearing regularly, Tom Jolliffe looks back at the iconic action franchise on the 34th anniversary of the first movie… As an 80’s kid, the end of the decade and into the 90’s saw two action franchises become particularly prevalent among my video collection. I’d not be […]
Return to the worlds of Batman ’89 and Superman ’78 in new DC digital series
1978’s Superman: The Movie and 1989’s Batman are historic and groundbreaking films in the superhero genre, helping set the stage for how these larger than life characters and their fight against crime can be portrayed on screen, particularly with the performances of Christopher Reeve as Superman and Michael Keaton as Batman. Now fans can get ready to return to the […]
Richard Donner confirms he plans to direct Lethal Weapon 5
Fore a moment back in 2017, it appeared that the long-rumoured Lethal Weapon 5 was about to become a reality, with stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover both on board to join director Richard Donner for Lethal Finale. Things soon fell silent however with progress seemingly stalling, only for Gibson to reveal last month that […]
Mel Gibson says Lethal Weapon 5 is “absolutely” happening
Almost twenty years on from the release of Lethal Weapon 4, it was revealed back in 2017 that director Richard Donner and stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover were looking to get back together for a fifth outing in the buddy cop franchise. There’s been little in the way of news since the initial announcement, […]
Revisiting Assassins at 25
Tom Jolliffe looks back at the Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas action vehicle Assassins as it turns 25… Starring action titan, Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas hot off Desperado hitting big, came a film written by the Wachowski’s (pre fame), produced by Joel Silver and directed by Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon franchise). Every hallmark in […]
October Horrors 2020 – The Omen (1976)
The Omen, 1976. Directed by Richard Donner Starring Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, Harvey Spencer Stevens, David Warner, Billie Whitelaw and Patrick Troughton. SYNOPSIS: After the sudden death of his newborn child, American diplomat Robert Thorn, unbeknownst to his wife, adopts an orphaned infant whom they name Damien. As the child grows up, a series of […]
The Greatest Action Directors of All Time
Tom Jolliffe looks at the greatest action directors of all time… The action genre has never particularly had the greatest respect associated with it. Maybe there’s a feeling that they’re dramatically anaemic, or sometimes intellectually inferior, but this isn’t always the case. It’s a genre that doesn’t always have consistent specialists, because certain directors who […]