Disney+: why certain films are missing (that you’d expect to see)
by Simon Brew | May 13, 2020 | Feature, News
Some notable films are absent from Disney+ that you may have been expecting to find....
Feature
The two times John Hughes quit his Universal Pictures deal
by Simon Brew | May 12, 2020 | Feature
John Hughes made much-loved films, and wasn't always regarded as the easiest person to work with - as his two Universal deals suggest....
The King’s Daughter: the lost Pierce Brosnan mermaid movie
by Mark Harrison | May 11, 2020 | Feature
Shelved just weeks before its release in 2015, The King's Daughter is a historical sci-fi romance starring Pierce Brosnan - and it seems to have...
The early producing credits of Michael Douglas: from Cuckoo's Nest to Starman
by Mark Harrison | May 08, 2020 | Feature, News
Once pigeonholed as the TV star son of a screen legend, Michael Douglas had to make his name in movies behind the camera first - and here's how....
Film Quiz Friday: Chris Chris Bang Bang!
by Mark Harrison | May 08, 2020 | Feature, News
It’s almost the weekend, so we’re introducing the Film Stories quiz, a few rounds of movie trivia to test your knowledge or annoy your friends and fam...
British movie podcast of the week: Super Horror Bros
by Em McGowan | May 08, 2020 | Feature
Every week, we recommend an independent UK podcast we reckon is worth your time: this week, with a horror tinge to it....
Film Stories: an update on the magazines, and where we are now
by Simon Brew | May 07, 2020 | Feature
An update on the current position of Film Stories and Film Stories Junior magazines in the light of the current lockdown, and what we're up to next....
When Star Wars: The Phantom Menace took a pot shot at Godzilla
by Simon Brew | May 07, 2020 | Feature, News
The promotional campaign for 1998's Godzilla for some reason seemed to get under the skin of the Lucasfilm and Star Wars marketing team....
Revisiting the genre-twisting thrillers of Gregory Hoblit
by Mark Harrison | May 06, 2020 | Feature
Gregory Hoblit has directed several twisty thrillers, including Primal Fear, Frequency, and Fracture - here’s our look at an underrated and u...
Wellbeing Matters: hitting the brick wall
by Jane Roberts | May 06, 2020 | Feature
In our weekly slot where we chat about mental health and wellbeing, a few words on the ongoing struggles of being in lockdown....
Interactive: the making of Headspun
by Ryan Lambie | May 05, 2020 | Feature, Gaming
Developer Jamin Smith talks us through the trials of making his ambitious point-and-click hybrid
How Steven Seagal's planned directorial debut fell apart at the last minute
by Simon Brew | May 04, 2020 | Feature
Steven Seagal was all set to direct a Godfather-style drama in 1992 - but the plug was pulled on the $32m movie with just two weeks to go before...
How Marvel nearly didn’t have its own Iron Man rights
by Simon Brew | May 04, 2020 | Feature, News
Marvel had to wait for somebody else's rights option to expire - and hope a movie didn't happen - before it could press ahead with its Iron Man...
Back to the wasteland: the post-apocalyptic, isometric RPG returns
by Jack Yarwood | May 01, 2020 | Feature, Gaming
We speak to a group of developers about the influence of Fallout and the re-emergence of the post-apocalyptic RPG
When James Bond took legal umbrage with Austin Powers - and won
by Simon Brew | May 01, 2020 | Feature
The companies behind James Bond weren't happy with Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me - and took even greater umbrage with Goldmember....
British movie podcast of the week: MovieDrone
by Em McGowan | May 01, 2020 | Feature
Every week, we recommend a terrific independent UK movie podcast - and this week, we've got another for you: MovieDrone....
The story of the lost Pixar movie
by Simon Brew | Apr 30, 2020 | Feature
Only once in its entire history has Pixar announced a feature and then had to cancel it - here's the story of Newt, and what went wrong....
The ParaPod Movie: from podcast to picture
by Ian Boldsworth | Apr 30, 2020 | Feature
The story of how a successful podcast was turned into a movie: introducing the tale behind The ParaPod Movie....
Whatever happened to the UK DVD etailers of the 1990s and 2000s?
by Simon Brew | Apr 29, 2020 | Feature
The early 2000s saw etailers such as DVD Street, Play, Blackstar and Movietyme become top choices for movie lovers - and we've been digging into their...
The curious computer games of the Sylvester Stallone-headlined movie Cobra
by Andrew Fisher | Apr 29, 2020 | Feature
The Stallone movie Cobra got a computer game version in the 1980s, available for all ages - but what you got varied on what version you bought....
Wellbeing Matters: when you feel you can’t get through the day
by Jane Roberts | Apr 29, 2020 | Feature
In our weekly spot where we chat about wellbeing and mental health, we just want to have a natter this week about struggling to keep on going....
How Star Trek II changed the home entertainment business forever
by Simon Brew | Apr 28, 2020 | Feature
It took a huge gamble and the overcoming of a lot of industry cynicism for Paramount to try something very different with the home release of Star...
The superb promotional campaign for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
by Simon Brew | Apr 27, 2020 | Feature
The first Austin Powers movie was a modest success, the second a flat-out box office sensation - and one genius trailer was a key turning point....
How Jack Lemmon solved the Glengarry Glen Ross top billing problem
by Simon Brew | Apr 27, 2020 | Feature
Al Pacino takes top billing in 1992's Glengarry Glen Ross, in spite of having a supporting role - and Jack Lemmon is in part to thank....
The Max Payne movie, rating struggles, and its proposed sequel
by Simon Brew | Apr 24, 2020 | Feature
The Max Payne videogames looked set to make terrific movies, and a franchise was in the offing - but things didn't quite go to plan....
A celebration of two star-rated fantasy films
by Sarah Cook | Apr 24, 2020 | Feature
A celebration of the fantasy films that might have failed to win over the critics, but still are a whole lot of fun....
British movie podcast of the week: The Filmmakers Podcast
by Em McGowan | Apr 24, 2020 | Feature
Our weekly independent movie podcast recommendation: this week. it's the terrific The Filmmakers Podcast....
5 real examples of deliberate sabotage on the set of movies
by Simon Brew | Apr 23, 2020 | Feature
Sometimes things go wrong on a movie set and it's an accident - but sometimes, there are incidents, such as this little lot, where it's quite the...
The assorted re-edits of The Last Of The Mohicans
by Simon Brew | Apr 23, 2020 | Feature, News
Michael Mann wasn't entirely happy with the speedy theatrical cut of The Last Of The Mohicans - and a few different variants have been released...
Adventures in Amblin: a salute to three of its (nearly) forgotten hits
by Neil Shepherd | Apr 22, 2020 | Feature
The logo of Steven Spielberg’s Amblin production company adorned many favourites from the 80s and 90s, including some that don’t get enough rec...
Wellbeing Matters: Small Pleasures
by Jane Roberts | Apr 22, 2020 | Feature
Our weekly spot on the site where we talk about things to do with mental health and wellbeing - and we're just nattering about the small things in...
When John Travolta quit a $17m payday, days before filming
by Simon Brew | Apr 21, 2020 | Feature, News
Roman Polanski was set to make The Double with John Travolta in 1996 – but the film collapsed in high profile fashion....
