As Martin Scorsese turns 79, Tom Jolliffe looks back on his astounding career so far… He’s been known to give master-classes in film-making. He’s also a deeply passionate cinephile. Martin Scorsese knows film. In fact he knows film so well, that comments comparing Marvel films to theme park rides courted him some controversy last year. […]
When a Soundtrack Becomes Beautifully Contrary to Violence on Screen
Tom Jolliffe looks at the effective use of contrarian music in films which show violence… There’s something about a great film soundtrack whether it’s the score or songs (or both). You can have a melancholic drama which will usually be laced with melancholic music. You can have the rousing action adventure with the John Williams […]
The 1970s – The Best Era In Cinema History?
Tom Jolliffe on the 1970s and why it is the best era in cinema history… There will always be a great deal of debate about the best era for cinema. For my two cents I’ll say with a great deal of assurance that the best period in cinema history was the 1970’s. There was most […]
When Will the Oscars Get It Right?
Olly Krizan on the Oscars… While we’re warming our winter woes with the glitz and glamour of awards season, The Academy are having yet another nightmare of a year. This time around they’ve decided to get ahead of the game by airing these issues before the ceremony has even taken place. From what I can […]
Flickering Myth Film Class: The Audio/Visual depiction of mental breakdown
In the latest instalment of Flickering Myth’s film class, Tom Jolliffe looks at the audio and visual tools a film-maker can effectively use to portray a characters descent into madness… In previous film classes (which I should say are merely showcases for films that excel in whatever subject springs to my mind before writing) I’ve […]
Has Film Declined In The 21st Century?
Tom Jolliffe on whether standards in film have dropped this century… I’ve made passing reference to it before, but the tail end of the year always brings time for reflection, and I’ve often bemoaned the decline in important cinema being made in recent years. This is the stuff of miserable old git conversations in the […]
When Actors Stop Acting And Start Living A Role
This week, Neil Calloway argues that method acting is often unnecessary… This week it was revealed that Jared Leto sent pornography and condoms to his Suicide Squad co-stars in preparation for his role as the Joker. When I did that with my work colleagues I got arrested, but it turns out to be OK if […]
Martin Scorsese’s Lost Masterpiece: Remembering The King of Comedy
With Silence getting the critics salivating, Sean Wilson examines what is possibly Martin Scorsese’s greatest – and almost certainly most underrated – film, The King of Comedy… Do portrayals of celebrity culture and fan worship get more lacerating and acute than 1983’s masterpiece The King of Comedy? Martin Scorsese’s follow-up to Raging Bull is quite […]
