On the 18th October 2017, Ron Howard wrapped up production on the then-untitled new Han Solo movie. He marked the moment by tweeting a video, at the end of which he revealed what the title of the new film would be. I remember the anticipation of that moment, the big reveal that we’d been waiting... Continue Reading →
Ready Player One: The War Between Productivity And Play
Ready Player One is a fascinating film to me. There's a lot going on in terms of finding just the right balance between economical storytelling and giving the audience enough to engage dramatically with the narrative. It's not always successful, and there's quite a few things going on in the story that some people have... Continue Reading →
Robotic Arms, Han Solo & Snow Shovels
Tony Stark lies dying on the floor of his workshop. He is sweating, pale, and motionless, propped up against a bench. The arc reactor that is normally in his chest, keeping him alive, is missing. The audience can't figure out how he's going to get out of this one. He's completely alone, he's out of... Continue Reading →
Angry Tweets And Fuming Fans: Audience Subjectivity And The Need To Listen
Two people walk out of a movie theatre as the credits roll. One says to their friend, "Well that was a complete waste of money." There's a slightly longer pause than they expect before their friend says, "I actually loved it." The Last Jedi is released. One Star Wars fan praises it as the best... Continue Reading →
Mentors, Mirroring & Failure: When Star Wars Grew Up
I have never seen a Star Wars movie divide fans as strongly as The Last Jedi. If you'd spent any time with me when it was out in cinemas you would know I had a lot to say about that film, and I still do. I think that film is one of the high water... Continue Reading →
Casinos, Classy Suits And Colonialism: Why Black Panther Is The Better Bond
I'm incredibly late to the party on Black Panther, but I have two little kids so I'm late to literally everything. So I'm absolutely not the first one to say: that movie is a phenomenon. 6 weeks after it's release I strolled into an 8.30pm session expecting it to be pretty much empty. Nope. Almost... Continue Reading →
Lego Blocks, Ancient Mythology, & Ryan Gosling
The Lego Movie. Blade Runner 2049. Not normally two films you'd pair up in the same discussion. But both of these movies do something very similar when it comes to their storytelling, and I think it's profound and has a lot to teach us not just about good storytelling, but about life. So what exactly... Continue Reading →