Robert Downey Sr and Richard Donner

By Steve SasanowJuly 20, 2021August 5, 2021 Obituaries Leave a comment

By Steve Sasanow There are certain films that make a lasting impression, and the deaths this past month of directors Robert Downey Sr (5/7/21 in Los Angeles) and Richard Donner (7/7/21 in New York City) brought to mind two features of distinctly different character and influence. The year was 1969, a pretty memorable one for… [continues]

Freeview films on TV 17/7/21 to 23/7/21

By John MorrishJuly 17, 2021August 5, 2021 Freeview highlights Leave a comment

FILM OF THE WEEK There must be people waiting breathlessly for Stephen Spielberg’s forthcoming remake of West Side Story (1961), but I’m not among them. The trailer looks terrible. The original West Side Story (1961) is a piece of film history, of course, but it is still vivid and alive. Its concerns – youth, tribalism,… [continues]

Freeview Films on TV 10/7/21 to 16/7/21

By John MorrishJuly 9, 2021August 5, 2021 Freeview highlights Leave a comment

Film of the week Trumbo (2015) was Bryan Cranston’s first big film role after his all-conquering lead in the TV hit Breaking Bad, and it wasn’t an obvious crowd-pleaser. It tells the story of Dalton Trumbo, who was, at least according to this account, the highest-paid screenwriter in 1940s Hollywood. He was also a Communist… [continues]