Feb 9, 2021Film Releases in 2021A selection of the theatrical features coming to screens this year! To the relief of millions, 2021 has arrived. Unquestionably the most anticipated new year in recent memory, 2021 also boasts a slew of exciting new theatrical releases for UK cinema-goers to savour when doors reopen. January sees Edward Hall’s…Film2 min read
Oct 4, 2020Covid-19 & The Film IndustryHow The Pandemic Has Impacted Exhibition & Distribution — As the most expensive film ever made by a female director, it’s doubtful that Disney executives anticipated Mulan would first reach audiences via a streaming platform. With a successful Hollywood premiere back in March, the studio’s live-action remake of their 1998 animated hit was all set for theatrical wide release…Covid 193 min read
Oct 4, 2020Romford Film FestivalThe UK’s first live, post-lockdown film festival — After 7 days of almost 200 film screenings, the UK’s first live film festival since lockdown has wrapped for another year. The 4th Romford Film Festival (RFF) has admirably battled through pandemic disruption, reduced attendance and some last-minute hiccups to leave audiences and filmmakers delighted once again. “We can honestly…Romford3 min read
Oct 4, 2020Ripley & LambertLondon’s Independent Bookshop & Café — Despite being one of the world’s leading cities for film, specialist film bookshops are a rarity in London. In an Amazon-dominated age, with the independent bookshop increasingly under-threat, there is surprisingly little on offer besides the BFI Shop at BFI Southbank for the bookish film-loving Londoner. Fortunately, that has changed…London4 min read
Oct 4, 2020Flying Back to RioThe Return of East London’s Art Deco Cinema — One of London’s oldest and best-loved cinemas has been welcoming back cinemagoers after nearly four months of closure during the coronavirus pandemic. The Rio Cinema, located on Kingsland High Street in Dalston, was one of the capital’s first independent cinemas to reopen since closing on 17th March 2020. “We wanted…London Cinemas3 min read
Jun 11, 2020Bidding Dracula WelcomeThe Count Rises In Hollywood — Though iconic is frequently tossed about in Film, few films truly are as iconic as Tod Browning’s 1931 version of Dracula. Nine years after the Count’s unauthorised screen debut in F.W Murnau’s legendary Nosferatu, Browning’s film established the character as a cultural icon. …Dracula4 min read
Jun 8, 2020Suspicious EndsCary Grant, Hitchcock and cinema’s most famous glass of milk — (Please Note: This Article Does Contain Spoilers) “For the sake of their own careers, important stars won’t be villains. The idols that we put up there must do no wrong. If they do, audiences don’t approve of sort of thing”. (1) Times, and trends, have changed since Alfred Hitchcock made…Suspicion4 min read
May 20, 2020When The Interview Goes Wrong: Stella Velon’s The CriticA memorable directorial debut from writer and star Stella Velon, The Critic is an intriguing, thought-provoking and, ultimately, powerful psychological drama which spins a twisting tale from a familiar format — the celebrity interview. …Short Film3 min read
May 11, 2020The Moor of Hollywood: An analysis of Oliver Parker’s OthelloWriter and debutant director Oliver Parker’s 1995 film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello is a landmark in the long, extensive performance history of the play. One of a stream of the ‘New Wave’ Shakespeare films that followed in the wake of Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V (1989), Parker’s film succeeds over twenty…Othello18 min read
May 2, 2020The Rose Theatre: A Brief HistoryThe Rose Playhouse, established in 1587, was the first theatre on Bankside, the district on the southern bank of the River Thames in London. Predating the arrival of the first Globe Theatre by 12 years, the early success of The Rose established Bankside as the area for playgoing in the…Shakespeare8 min read
