EJ Moreno pits 1983’s horror line-up against 1993’s… which year scared us more? Horror is the genre that reflects our current time the most. We often see cultural fears and concerns thrown back at us in the scariest of ways. Looking back at the genre 30 or 40 years ago can give us a clear […]
The 90s VR Movie: The Lawnmower Man had a lot to answer for
Tom Jolliffe looks back at the wave of straight to video Virtual Reality films that followed in the wake of The Lawnmower Man in the mid to late ’90s… The idea of virtual reality worlds has been something of a sci-fi staple for many decades. Cronenberg toyed with the concept in Videodrome. Philip K Dick’s […]
Great Films Unfairly Forgotten in Time
Tom Jolliffe on great films unfairly forgotten in time… Time is a cruel mistress. It’s the one constant and something no one can alter (except Marty McFly and Doc Brown). Looks go, memories fade and in cinematic terms a film can be forgotten over time. Now sometimes it’s probably a good thing. Take for example […]
Long Live The New Flesh: Videodrome At 40 Has Never Been More Relevant
On the 40th anniversary of its release, Tom Jolliffe revisits the 1983 cult classic Videodrome, which has never been more relevant… Director David Cronenberg has always been a specialist in dark sci-fi horror. In 1983 he made a cult film called Videodrome. A lot of film buffs around my age have seen it. It’s a […]
The Disturbed Outsider: A Cinematic Pathway Leading to Joker
In the wake of Joker’s success, Tom Jolliffe looks at similar cinematic examples of the disturbed outsider… With a quarter billion in takings and counting, as well as divisive reviews, media attention up the wazoo, and a status (particularly among the 18-30 viewers) as a cinematic masterpiece, Joker’s depiction of disturbed isolation and disconnect from […]
It’s Time to Give the Horror Genre More Respect
As Halloween approaches, Tom Jolliffe looks at the Horror genre, and why it needs more respect… As a movie lover with a wide ranging taste in films I’ve long been fairly open to an array of genres. It was recently though, and perhaps in part this stems from writing a few horror features of late, […]
What Makes a Great Horror Concept?
Tom Jolliffe on what makes a great horror concept… No doubt many film fans will be having a particular focus on the horror genre right as we work our way to Halloween. The genre is loaded with the great, and the not so great (and everything in between). The key to horror has always been […]
Confusing The Audience And Getting Away With It
Tom Jolliffe on the art of confusing an audience and getting praised for it…. Cinema and TV is full of fine margins. There’s a real artistry in how a film (or show) can manipulate the viewer. As a viewer you are taken on a journey. Sometimes said journey is simple. A to B to C. […]
Second Generation Directors: The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree
Tom Jolliffe takes a look at directors following in their parents’ footsteps… Undoubtedly the influence of your parents plays a big part in shaping you as a person. In the almost surreal world of cinema and movie-making, there will be a kind of magical allure at the power a film director can wield. Offspring of […]
The Art of Ambiguity in Cinema
Tom Jolliffe looks at the finest in ambiguous cinema, and asks ‘how do you pull it off?’… Often in the law books of screenwriting there’s a section which might tell the studious aspiring writer that a film must have clarity. Plot threads must lead to resolution. Each act and your central character arcs should be […]
