Steve TimmsThe genre of films that combine live action with animation is notoriously small, probably because of the huge technical challenges involved. Try and think of a dozen such movies and you may struggle – though Anchors Aweigh, Mary Poppins...
There’s no such thing as an unlikely musical, though some don’t stick around long enough to make an impression. Does anyone remember Fields of Ambrosia, a mid 90’s affair about a travelling executioner who falls in love with one of his victims...
What is comedy? Many actors have tried to give a suitably succinct description. For Charlie Chaplin, ‘Life is a tragedy when seen in close up but a comedy in long-shot.’ Stan Laurel chose to be less analytical: ‘What is comedy? I don’t know. Does...
If we think about 1980’s comedy, we think of revolution. The alternative crowd burnt the rule book, and the likes of Alexei Sayle, Rik Mayall, Jennifer Saunders and Ben Elton barged their way to the front of the television queue. But some...
Portraying a beloved public figure is a risk for any actor but when it comes to Princess Diana, it seems like a poisoned chalice. There have been several soapy TV versions of her sadly short life, featuring actresses looking coy, and cocking their...
Don De Lillo’s mid-80’s novel ‘White Noise’ featured a married couple who were as happy as two people can be. Yet both had a distressing secret neither felt brave enough to share with the other; they were terrified of death. Super Duper...
It’s not all about you, Michael – Thriller Live is a fast-paced jukebox affair, bursting with hit after hit. One of the most difficult dilemmas of modern life revolves around the revelation of the ‘dark star’: that is, the discovery that an artist...
There’s a moment in Under the Silver Lake – the third film from director David Robert Mitchell, after the hit horror It Follows – where Sam, the aimless slacker at the heart of this delirious, Los Angeles neo-noir, beats up a pair of teenagers who...
Esteemed Canadian physician, Gabor Mate has studied the causes of addiction for decades, and written numerous books on the subject. His conclusions can possibly be distilled into one simple statement: in most cases, the root of addiction is nearly...
The trouble with zeitgeist drama is it goes out of date rather quickly. Right now, David Hare is probably in the middle of an earnest drama about the fallout of Brexit – but is that what people want from a night at the theatre? Given the current...