Philip Kaufman’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being and John Lee Hancock’s Saving Mr Banks made me cry last year. There were unexpected outcomes for me. The films were not originally billed as proverbial tear-jerkers. I’ll explain why they made me cry. Perhaps there were similar emotions for you too. By now, most of you have…
One of the most fascinating and haunting novels I have read is George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. A few years ago, I read through it fleetingly. Reading time was almost non-existent. I will be returning to Nineteen Eighty-Four soon. But this time i will align my reading with Yevgeni Zamyatin’s We and Aldous Huxley’s Brave…
I have often wondered why Tom Cruise is so unlikable. And yet most movie-goers flock to watch a new Tom Cruise release and pay homage to one of the highest-ranking and highest paid Hollywood actors today. And while he religiously performs most of his action sequence stunts himself, Tom Cruise appears to be one…
“If I have to play another tart with a heart of gold in a PVC skirt, I’m going to throw up.” Who or what are the most important feminist theatre groups in the USA and UK? I did some reading and research, and this is what I came up with. In this post I’ll share…
Why are men obsessed? And what is meant by the male gaze? I’ll try to explain, I’ve given it some thought. I found a few examples from literary texts, the theatre and film. By now, you know that women, feminists in particular, have responded to this male gaze. Since the concept of feminism was…
“There’s no such thing as race.” Do you agree? I agree. I confess too. In a fit of anger or frustration, whether with myself, or some-one around the corner, I have cussed. It comes down to my frailties as a human being, but I’m not offering this as an excuse. Fingers are pointed daily towards…
It should have been called Kenneth Branagh’s Frankenstein, because it is so far removed from the original novel in creativity, imagery and interpretations and is spoilt by a poor screenplay and irritatingly horrendous supporting cast. Given the talent at his disposal, Branagh should have done better. Kenneth Branagh’s talent for directing is well-known, but whether it…
Many of you may be contemplating the controversial new release by Ridley Scott and his decision not to cast authentically when telling the story of how Moses freed the Israelites from Egypt. I recently watched an intimate production of the opera, Aida, by Italian director, Franco Zeffirelli, to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of Guiseppi Verdi’s…
I can honestly say that Ridley Scott’s Alien remains one of my most-watch science fiction movies. A quick glance at Google stats reveals that Alien is also one of the most talked about science fiction movies on the world-wide web. Released thirty five years ago (1979), it appears to be one of the most popular…
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