401. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
For my final podcast, I look at how Steven Spielberg effectively remade his first feature, Firelight to deliver a message of hope.
Tag Archives: The Wizard of Oz
334. La Belle et la Bête
Fairytales transcend not just generations but cultures. Which may explain why La Belle et la Bête exists in so many guises and confronts so many issues.
289. Meet Me in St. Louis
This hit from 1944 delivered one of the all-time classic Yuletide songs – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – as well as redefined the musical genre.
287. Reds
As the US embraced Reaganomics and Hollywood found the formula for the modern blockbuster, Warren Beatty embarked on a project examining the origins of American communism.
280. Metropolis
The influence of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis extends far beyond sci-fi and can be seen in films are varied as Casablanca, An American in Paris and The Birds.
258. Spirited Away
Animation is not a genre, and not all cartoons are for children. So how did Hayao Miyazaki deliver a classic family film with so much adult content?
246. Dreams
If the dream sequence is a crutch for many dull thrillers, horrors and mysteries, what makes a good one? One that challenges and stretches cinematic language.
240. The Maltese Falcon
John Huston’s film of Dashiell Hammett’s classic novel was the third adaptation. How did he succeed where others had failed?
224. Citizen Kane
Orson Welles’ debut feature is now a quarter of a century old. Have we been taking its greatness for granted or is it time for reappraisal?
217. Great Scenes – Part Three
What makes for a great scene? Performance? Conflict? Dialogue? Visuals? Music? Combine them and you have atomic weight.
201. The Most Influential Films Ever Made – Part One
The films that really changed the course of cinema are often the ones few people have seen.
128. Paris, Texas
Although Wim Wenders’ picture won the Palme d’Or at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival, a lot of American critics thought little of it. Has time proven them wrong?
120. The Fabulous Baker Boys
It’s called The Fabulous Baker Boys, but it was Michelle Pfeiffer’s Oscar nominated performance that earned the film its adjective.
116. Fight Club
When it was released, Fight Club was rubbished by critics and rejected by audiences. Now it’s regarded as a masterpiece. So what changed people’s minds?
100. Critics or Crickets
Gravity was one of last year’s biggest hits ($650m). But how much of that is due to critics giving it 98% approval? Is word of mouth more valuable?
61. The Night of the Hunter
Released in 1955, The Night of the Hunter was greeted with scorn by critics and ignored by audiences. How wrong they were.
18. Almost Famous
Cameron Crowe was 16 when he went on tour with the likes of Led Zeppelin, The Who and Iggy Pop. But in recounting the tales, Crowe turned to a most unusual source.
