Anna Christie, an adaptation of a Eugene O’Neill play, was the first big Hollywood release of the 1930s. It starred the Swedish icon Greta Garbo in her first talking role, and it delivered her famous line at the beginning of the film: ‘Gimme a whisky, ginger ale on the side, and don’t be stingy, baby!’ … Continue reading Travelling Through Time: The Best Films of the 1930s
Movies may not have had sound 100 years ago, but the silent era of film saw a thriving period of public engagement in the Arts all across the world. Stage theatre still played a major part, but the 1920s saw a ramping up of ‘moving pictures’, and it was not just unique to Hollywood and … Continue reading Travelling Through Time: The Best Films of the 1920s
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022, Film4 Productions / Blueprint Pictures / TSG Entertainment) Featuring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Pat Shortt, Jon Kenny and Barry Keoghan. Cinematography by Ben Davis. Music by Carter Burwell. Written and Directed by Martin McDonagh. ★★★★ Martin McDonagh hits all the right notes on his return to Ireland and … Continue reading The Two Reviews: The Banshees of Inisherin
You make me stare, when I should not Are you so strong or is all the weakness in me? The Weakness in Me by Joan Armatrading We all love a good love story. Sadness and happiness, tears and laughter, fear and hope - all thrown together is what makes a love story work. Hollywood developed … Continue reading The Power of Love, Part 4: Blue is the Warmest Colour (2013)
Me and you and you and me No matter how they toss the dice, it had to beFrom Happy Together by The Turtles There is a scene in Stephen Frears' My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) where the lead, a young British-Pakistani man played by Saeed Jaffrey, is shown having sex with his romantic partner, a neo-Nazi … Continue reading The Power of Love, Part 3: Happy Together (1997)
I'll protect you from the hooded clawKeep the vampires from your doorThe Power of Love by Frankie Goes to Hollywood A love story is often regarded as having high-scoring box office potential - there are limited special effects or action sequences required, therefore rendering the budget relatively low (though this can be dependent on the … Continue reading The Power of Love, Part 1: All That Heaven Allows (1955)
A love of film never ceases, but an enthusiasm to write about film sometimes wanes. I had intended to write more about the films I watched last year but alas, time got the better of me. And it's not as if there wasn't enough madness to deal with in the world last year. It was … Continue reading 2021 – Another Year in Film
Jesus Christ could be described as the most enduring figure in human historical records, but I suppose that is very Christian-centric of me. What about Siddhārtha Gautama, one may ask? Described as ‘a first-century Jewish preacher and religious leader’ and lampoon-ishly marked as being born ‘c. 4 BC’ (BC meaning Before Christ) on Wikipedia, Jesus … Continue reading Jesus Christ Movie Star: Portrayals of the Messiah on Screen
The cinematic form took on a new and exciting shape for Hollywood in the 1970s. This blog has made reference to it many times. Like the French New Wave, New American film-making borrowed from other times and places too. Home-grown directors took the reins, but sometimes their selected crew were internationally renowned and experienced. Together, … Continue reading Cinematography of the World, Part 3: Terrence Malick’s Vision of an American Heaven
There are so many incredible examples of cinematography from around the world. So much so that it can be very difficult to settle on a particular moment or place in cinema history for an appropriate inclusion to this great series that Robin has devised. But I thought it relevant to go back to when cinematography … Continue reading Cinematography of the World, Part 2: Jack Cardiff in 1940s Britain
Momentary Cinema 