Studying Film at A-Level was one of my best choices because it meant I could expand my love, passion and knowledge of them. One of the key aspects of any film is the score and the soundtrack; I could spend all day talking about the score music for films, how important it is to each scene, the goose bumps you get when a good scene has a good score and the magic of the composers (whether it’s Hans Zimmer, Alexandre Desplat, Carter Burwell, John Williams and many, many more).
Read MoreTrapped, frustrated, bored to death. Not the tagline for ‘2020: The Movie’, but me at 14, riddled with the usual, cliched teenage ennui. Into this oh-so-familiar picture, came The Film That Changed My Life ™. Top down, buckle up and don’t you litter. We’re going on a road trip with Thelma & Louise.
Read MoreOne of my favourite things about cinema is sitting in a darkened room, sharing a collective experience with everyone else, and interpreting it in different ways. This has always fascinated me.
Read MoreArabella heartbreakingly admits how, before being raped, “I never noticed being a woman. I was too busy being poor and Black” and in such, Coel leaves no power structure unturned as she calls out all oppression and asymmetry in Arabella’s confrontation of her own trauma.
Read MoreYes, you had the period talk in Primary school where you had to label all the bits whilst the boys smirked and ran around the playground saying the word ‘penis’ in different accents, but encountering sex education as a teenager was a different ball-game (excuse the pun).
Read MoreAlthough they are a work of fiction and many are dramatised, there are many scenes and films as a whole that are distressing because they unapologetically shine a light on some troubling themes. Despite this, I must stress that YOU SHOULD NEVER TURN AWAY FROM THE SCREEN.
Read MoreStreaming services were already winning the battle in the modern movie market but they have never shone brighter than during the global pandemic. All the most recent talked-about new film releases have been confined to home streaming platforms. We’ve had the disastrous Artemis Fowl, a live recording of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical smash-hit Hamilton, Netflix’s Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.
Read MoreCovid-19 continues to pose a threat to countless industries. The events that have taken place this year have brought us all to a halt. Businesses closed for an indefinite period, not knowing when a return would be possible. The film industry was no exception. With cinemas closing across the world and film production being brought to a stop, the world of cinema has felt the ground fall beneath their feet. Now that we are slowly emerging from lockdown, with many cinemas having reopened on the 4th of July, what can we expect from a typical cinema experience?
Read MoreThe film that changed my life is not a profound documentary trying to change the world, or even an inspiring and uplifting biopic. Oh no, let me bring the tone down a little. The opening scenes of the film involve the protagonist imagining his own death, with all his school ‘friends’ and even the local news crew attending a candlelit vigil, weeping over his untimely demise: welcome to teenage melodrama.
Read MoreEach film on Churchill is cast in a very similar mould. It would be scandalous to cast him as a villain. But, for many people in the UK and around the world, that’s precisely how he’s seen. The firebombing of Dresden has been called an immoral act and a war crime, the preventable Bengal Famine led to three million deaths, and Churchill has been often accused of using excessive violence - and these are just some examples. These offences are often hastily swept under the rug, and never talked about again. It’s contentious to dislike Churchill.
Read MoreDebbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) plans to steal priceless Tiffany jewellery, while wearing gorgeous dresses. It seems implausible that women would hijack casino games, like the boys did in the original. The “anything boys can do we can do too!” messaging is undermined by the implication that diamonds really are a girl’s best friend.
Read MoreOne of the cinemas that is affected by this is Bristol’s most diverse cinemas for showing a range of inclusive films and media – the Watershed. Having closed their doors back in March, many feel at a loss without its wide range of showings, events and talks. However, with the understanding they may not be ready to reopen until September, the Watershed, like many independent places, have moved online and are doing their best to keep discussions open and engage with people despite the circumstances.
Read More2020 was the year for the sixth adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, this time a film adaptation directed by Autumn de Wilde and starring Anya Taylor-Joy.
Read MoreWhat comes to mind when I say Germany? Getting completely hammered at Oktoberfest, in a lederhosen-wearing, flagon-of-beer-drinking fashion? Or ‘don’t mention the war’ a la Fawlty Towers? One thing that probably won’t be mentioned is German cinema.
Read MoreIt follows three individual stories - three lives shaped in different ways, naturally, but connected by their experiences with coffee that stretch far beyond the rudimentary act of consuming a morning, caffeinated pick-me-up.
Read MoreI, on the other hand, hadn’t actually even watched many films that people would argue are “a must-see” like The Matrix, Goodfellas or Jurassic Park. So I set myself a kind of mission: to catch up with, seemingly everybody else, and know all these films.
Read MoreDuring this time, he was creating the 12x12 project in which he created 12 short films in 12 months…We’ve caught up with him again, three years later, to take a look at the creative process, to see what’s been going on with him and to understand why short films are so important.
Read MoreAs a film enthusiast and ex-film studies student, I’ve always found it interesting the way films are intrinsically linked with a person’s identity. A person’s favourite film is not only a deeply personal choice but also speaks to a person’s identity.
Read MoreMy dad was a huge influence in how my passion for films has grown; ask him any question about any film from the decades and even if he hasn’t seen it, he’ll most likely know who’s in it, the year it was out and who directed it.
Read MoreI'm a filmmaker from Northampton, currently based in Bristol. I've always been around films since I was a child as my Dad always used to buy loads of DVDs - maybe too many. However, I didn't truly appreciate this art until I recognised how powerful stories can be.
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