Tom Jolliffe offers up ten essential noir films in celebration of Noirvember… We’re into November, also known in some select cinephile circles as Noirvember. In celebration of the film noir genre as well as Neo-noir which evolved some of the classic staples in more contemporary styles, here is a selection of essential noir films. It’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 […]
James Caan’s Finest Hour: Thief
We look back at the iconic work of the late, great James Caan and take a deep dive into the underrated neo-noir masterpiece Thief, with Caan at his fiery, mesmeric best… The sad news has broken. Another cinematic icon has left us, leaving behind an awe inspiring legacy. James Caan for a time, was synonymous […]
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 […]
Nihilism in Cinema
Tom Jolliffe on cinema’s fascination with nihilistic film characters… Nihilists…rejecting all values, beliefs, morals and systems of order, deeming life to be meaningless. Sounds like most peoples teenage years. On the other hand, as far as creating cinematic protagonists, a character with a nihilistic frame of mind might not necessarily seem like the safest creative […]
10 Essential Heist Movies
Tom Jolliffe offers up ten essential heist movies… The heist. All that intricate planning before the moment of truth and the job has to be pulled off. Through cinema we’ve seen re-enactments of true life heists, as well as plenty of fictional bank jobs, jewellery heists, from snatch and grabs to tales of elaborate planning […]
Seven Essential Films Scored By Tangerine Dream
Tom Jolliffe looks at seven essential films, and their music from Tangerine Dream… In recent cinematic history there has been a nostalgia loaded fascination with synth scores. The kind of music that was popular through the late 70’s and 80’s, would begin to find itself increasingly used in film. After all, a few solo artists […]
Mann, Refn and the Safdies: Mastering Neo-Noir
Tom Jolliffe looks at a few examples of classic neo-noirs… Dark tales in rain sodden streets with the glistening neons of a big City. There comes that inevitable moment. A wrong choice, the self-destructive move to an inescapable corner. The neo-noir, the resurrection of the classic film noir genre that typified much of 30’s-50’s cinema. […]
Movie Marathon: From Friedkin to Mann, via William Petersen and Tangerine Dream
Tom Jolliffe looks back at four must see cult classics… Whilst perusing a few episodes of Mark Kermode Uncut I stumbled upon an episode focused on a film I’d been meaning to see for a fair while. Firstly, it was directed by William Friedkin, a cinematic great. Secondly the film is scored by Tangerine Dream. […]
Video game franchise Thief heading to the big screen
The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Straight Up Films has snapped up the big screen rights to the Square Enix video game franchise Thief and are partnering up with Roy Lee’s Vertigo Entertainment and Prime Universe for a feature film adaptation. The screenwriting team of Adam Mason and Simon Boyes (Misconduct, Not Safe For Work) […]
