The remarkable story of the USA’s first saint, Francesca Cabrini, is told in a new feature film, being previewed in the UK this week (8 March 2024) for International Women’s Day and Mothering Sunday. This powerful epic movie comes from Alejandro Monteverde, award-winning director of 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮, following Francesca Cabrini, an Italian immigrant who … Continue reading
Category Archives: Film
Stage fright – Dame Susan Hill on ‘The Woman in Black’
The spine-chilling stage thriller The Woman in Black arrives at Cardiff’s New Theatre next week [September 19-23] as part of its UK Tour. And I’m pleased to share this interview with the acclaimed author of the original novel, Dame Susan Hill. Continue reading
Hippies and religion in new hit film
There’s no shortage of ‘religion’ on film – priests battling demons, nuns singing, monks solving crimes. But a straightforward faith-based film about a church’s revival is much rarer. So, the success of Jesus Revolution might be something of a surprise. This new (2023) feature film from Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle tells the true story … Continue reading
Famous Five go by train again
The glorious retro animated Famous Five ads for Great Western Railway are back for summer 2023, with their first new adventure for three years. A new TV ad, Five Get There First, promotes travelling by train and how it can deliver a level of comfort, speed, sustainability and ability to socialise you don’t get by … Continue reading
Powertool Cheerleaders vs the Boyband of the Screeching Dead
I wouldn’t normally use the title of a film as the heading for a blogpost about it. But how can you improve on Powertool Cheerleaders vs the Boyband of the Screeching Dead? It’s the best movie title I’ve come across for a long time. And the film is every bit as entertaining. It’s the latest … Continue reading
You’re never too old for adventure: interview with ‘Marigold Hotel’ author Deborah Moggach
As the comedy play The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel embarks on a UK stage tour, I’m very pleased to publish this interview with its author, Deborah Moggach. The play is based on her 2004 novel, These Foolish Things,which inspired the acclaimed 2011 film, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, starring Judi Dench and Bill Nighy. With … Continue reading
Alwyn Mellor gives rare performance in Wales
Acclaimed former Welsh National Opera singer Alwyn Mellor is giving a rare performance in Wales in aid of a local charity, close to her heart. The show, Something Wonderful!, will include well known songs from film and stage by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and other greats, with soprano Alwyn accompanied by Michael Pollock on piano. … Continue reading
Rocky Horror at 50: Richard O’Brien on life, laughs, and singing
As The Rocky Horror Show reaches its half century, with a UK tour in 2023, we’re pleased to publish this interview with its creator Richard O’Brien. What was your inspiration behind The Rocky Horror Show? Someone asked me to entertain the Christmas staff party at the EMI Film Studios and so I wrote a song … Continue reading
It’s raining sharks – the joyfully bonkers world of Sharknado
What could be more terrifying than combining extreme weather and a shark attack? That’s why those wonderful people at The Asylum and SyFy Films gave us the Sharknado movies – a gloriously outrageous series of horror-sci-fi-comedies, directed by Anthony C. Ferrante. The six Sharknado films have become modern cult classics. From their outrageous premises to … Continue reading
How old is Batman?
How old is the Batman? It’s a question Helen Armitage tackles in this piece on ScreenRant, concluding that – in the comic books – he ranges from his 20s to mid-50s. But how about on screen? I was prompted to ask this after seeing The Batman (2022) at the cinema in the summer [of 2022] … Continue reading