Feature Archives

Celebrating the bloopers reel at the end of Pixar movies

by Simon Brew | Feb 11, 2021 | Feature, News

Remember when films such as A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2 had an outtakes reel? We look back at a lost but much-loved Pixar extra....

The highs and lows of directing Bruce Willis

by Simon Brew | Feb 10, 2021 | Feature, News

Across his career, Bruce Willis earned a reputation for sometimes being on the difficult side - but M Night Shyamalan had a simple, clever approach to...

Wellbeing & Mental Health Matters: home prescription

by Jane Roberts | Feb 10, 2021 | Feature

In our weekly bit where we chat about mental health and well being, a few ideas and thoughts on finding some favourite things to keep us going....

How a fake film poster launched a major horror franchise

by Peter Davis | Feb 09, 2021 | Feature, News

When the first advert for Friday The 13th appeared, it didn't have funding or a script - but suddenly it had a release date....

Has 3D Blu-ray quietly died a death now?

by Simon Brew | Feb 08, 2021 | Feature, News

It's been over six months since the last 3D Blu-ray release - and it feels like a physical media format with a bleak future....

Why Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back now has a PG certificate

by Simon Brew | Feb 05, 2021 | Feature, News

The BBFC has given The Empire Strikes Back a PG certificate for the first time – but why the sudden change? Simon has been finding out....

Film Quiz Friday: Objects From Space

by Mark Harrison | Feb 05, 2021 | Feature, News

As Greenland arrives on Amazon Prime Video, this week’s film quiz covers space rocks in the movies, along with the usual, more Earthbound cinematic t...

British movie podcast of the week: You Never Forget Your First

by Em McGowan | Feb 05, 2021 | Feature

It's our weekly spot where we salute a movie podcast we reckon is worth your time - and this one's all about movie debuts....

Cucumber, Banana, and working for Russell T Davies

by Bethany Black | Feb 04, 2021 | Feature, News

With acclaim rightly rich for It's A Sin. Bethany Black tells us about her time working on the superb Cucumber and Banana for Russell T Davies....

Gaming stuff to look forward to in 2021

by Ian Dransfield | Feb 03, 2021 | Feature, Gaming

The big games, yes, but also plucky indies, hardware, and a couple of movie adaptations…

When The Muppet Movie was censored for its 'gratuitous violence'

by Simon Brew | Feb 03, 2021 | Feature, News

There are few better family friendly movie delights than The Muppets - but one censorship board didn't always agree with that....

Wellbeing and Mental Health Matters: helpful distractions

by Jane Roberts | Feb 03, 2021 | Feature

In our weekly spot on the site where we chat about mental health and wellbeing, a few thoughts on things to keep our brains entertained....

Dark Souls: Examining the video game death instinct

by Daniel Lipscombe | Feb 02, 2021 | Feature, Gaming

What do a 20th-century psychoanalyst and video games have in common? Death. Repeated death

James Bond, Goldfinger, and how Pussy Galore got past the censors

by Simon Brew | Feb 02, 2021 | Feature, News

The James Bond team knew they were pushing their luck with the character of Pussy Galore - but they had a plan to beat American censors....

22 children's books to look out for this month

by Charlotte Harrison | Feb 02, 2021 | Feature, News

There's a whole lot of brilliant books for young readers out this month - here's our round-up of February 2021's releases....

Decline’s Drops: Kirby meets Smash Bros

by Ryan Lambie | Feb 01, 2021 | Feature, Gaming, Previews

We chat to French developer Drazglb. about his hard-hitting action platformer

Your scandalous stories of trying to sneak into the cinema underage

by Simon Brew | Feb 01, 2021 | Feature, News

Scandalous stories of people trying to sneak into the cinema underage - with not always successful results....

Killer Feature: The Elder Scrolls' learning by doing

by Ian Dransfield | Jan 29, 2021 | Feature, Gaming

Punching immortal enemies forever

A small request to Disney+ regarding its film output

by Simon Brew | Jan 29, 2021 | Feature, News

With over 270 movies joining Disney+ in one go next month, a polite request: please let this be the moment where movies start landing more regularly...

Film Quiz Friday: This Time It's Personal

by Mark Harrison | Jan 29, 2021 | Feature, News

This week’s film quiz covers the usual array of movie-themed trivia, including first lines, closing shots, and assorted title characters....

British movie podcast of the week: Skip To The End

by Em McGowan | Jan 29, 2021 | Feature

In our weekly spot where we recommend a British film podcast, a salute to the wonderful Skip To The End....

How Paramount missed out on making Twilight

by Mark Harrison | Jan 28, 2021 | Feature

Paramount Pictures was originally set to adapt Twilight with Bella Swan as a vampire-hunting, jet-skiing star athlete - here's what went wrong....

How cinema staff of the 1990s spotted people trying to get in underage

by Brendon Connelly | Jan 28, 2021 | Feature, News

One former cinema employee shares his secrets as to how people trying to sneak into films underage often got caught....

A tale of trying to sneak into to see 18-certificate Bad Boys underage in the 1990s

by Kevin Haney | Jan 27, 2021 | Feature, News

The challenge of sneaking into the cinema underage in the 1990s, encapsulated in this tale of one person's attempt to see Bad Boys....

Wellbeing & Mental Health Matters: changing lanes

by Jane Roberts | Jan 27, 2021 | Feature

In our weekly spot where we chat about mental health and wellbeing, a few words about, well, struggling a bit....

Unstitching the Banner Saga

by Antony de Fault | Jan 26, 2021 | Feature, Gaming

The Banner Saga is one of the richest examples of interactive fiction. Here’s what we can learn from it

The John Grisham movie almost buried by its studio

by Simon Brew | Jan 26, 2021 | Feature, News

John Grisham adaptations were box office gold for a period in the 90s - but, as Simon Brew discovers, it all came to a halt by the end of the decade....