In February 2027 a 50 year old science fiction movie will be re-released in cinemas. This means there is the… Read more Far, Far Away: Another Look at Star Wars
Off Course? Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey
I’m not a huge Christopher Nolan fan. His films have got increasingly louder and longer over the years, they usually… Read more Off Course? Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey
It Was About Time: 30 Years of Doctor Who – The Movie
Thirty years ago on the evening of 27th May 1996, a Bank Holiday Monday, I was sitting in the Putney… Read more It Was About Time: 30 Years of Doctor Who – The Movie
Goldfinger and Trump: The Kiss of Death for Mr Bond?
I don’t envy Steven Knight. The talented writer behind “Peaky Blinders” has been tasked by Amazon/MGM to reboot the James… Read more Goldfinger and Trump: The Kiss of Death for Mr Bond?
The Twelve Discs of Christmas: A Personal Selection of Festive Film Fun
What makes a good Christmas movie? Well, apparently NOT “Die Hard”. Although some polls have dubbed it one of the… Read more The Twelve Discs of Christmas: A Personal Selection of Festive Film Fun
Restless Hearts: Chasing the Running Men
Edgar Wright’s “The Running Man” rushes into cinemas on the heels of not one, but two movies carrying the same… Read more Restless Hearts: Chasing the Running Men
The Girl Who Used To Be Me: A Tribute to Pauline Collins and Shirley Valentine
Please note: there are a few spoilers below! The older I get the more I identify with and adore both… Read more The Girl Who Used To Be Me: A Tribute to Pauline Collins and Shirley Valentine
Impossible Clowns: Tom Cruise’s Comic Connections
The release of the 8th movie in the “Mission Impossible” series: “The Final Reckoning” is a cause for celebration. Not… Read more Impossible Clowns: Tom Cruise’s Comic Connections
Camp Field?
Recently updating my talk on now largely forgotten comic Sid Field it’s become clear that the 3 huge West End… Read more Camp Field?
Sherlock’s Boswell: The Curious Case of John Watson
“It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light. Some people without possessing… Read more Sherlock’s Boswell: The Curious Case of John Watson
A Journey by Tube: How to Make A Documentary
I’ve been making video documentaries to illustrate film studies lectures for a few years now. So far I’ve edited together… Read more A Journey by Tube: How to Make A Documentary
That’s Not The Ticket: Sid Field’s Phantom First Film
Comedian Sid Field (1904-1950) was the king of the West End in the mid-1940s. An entire generation of comics –… Read more That’s Not The Ticket: Sid Field’s Phantom First Film
Hancock’s Lost Hours: Rediscovering the ATV Series
Millions of words have been typed on the life and talent of Tony Hancock, but even in 2022 there are… Read more Hancock’s Lost Hours: Rediscovering the ATV Series
The Pleasure Garden: Hitchcock’s Daring Debut
Alfred Hitchcock was already a film veteran when at just 25 he was offered the chance to direct his first… Read more The Pleasure Garden: Hitchcock’s Daring Debut
Keaton: Comedian of the Future
Buster Keaton was always one of the greatest innovators of screen comedy. From his very first co-directing jobs with Roscoe… Read more Keaton: Comedian of the Future
Chaplin vs Keaton?
The heavyweight battle of the cinematic ages, between two titans of comedy. This rather tiresome debate has been raging for… Read more Chaplin vs Keaton?
Flesh and Blood: The Footprints of the Hound of the Baskervilles
“The more outré and grotesque an incident is the more carefully it deserves to be examined.” Sherlock Holmes “The Hound… Read more Flesh and Blood: The Footprints of the Hound of the Baskervilles
