Hasitha Fernando looks into the story behind American History X as it turns 25… American History X is an unforgettable crime drama from start to finish. Featuring powerful performances by Edward Norton to a scene stealing turn by Edward Furlong, the film approached a controversial subject without compromise or cutting corners, and the end result […]
Anti-Revenge Cinema
Tom Jolliffe on when vengeance on screen is shown as futile… It’s a dish best served cold. Cinema has long held a fascination with revenge. As a sub-genre, the revenge picture still carries plenty of market appeal. Many actors over the decades, particularly cinematic tough guys, have made careers in dishing out vengeance. For the […]
Films That Leave You Speechless
Tom Jolliffe on films that leave you speechless… Spoilers ahead. Cinema can enthral, entertain, amuse, and terrify. You finish a film and you ordinarily have an idea of your feelings on it, or said film will help you wind down with a denouement before the credits roll. Sometimes though, a film finishes and you’re left […]
Four Director’s Cuts We’d Like To See
Following on from the news that Zack Snyder’s Justice League is coming to HBO Max in 2021, Anghus Houvouras picks four director’s cuts he’d like to see… The idea of a Director’s Cut or ‘Extended Cut’ isn’t necessarily new. There was a time when letting the director back into the editing booth to take another […]
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 […]