Feature Archives

British movie podcast of the week: Nerdfest

by Em McGowan | May 22, 2020 | Feature

Each week, we recommend an independent British film podcast that's well worth your time: here's why Nerdfest is worth a listen....

The subtleties of kingmaking

by Stuart Maine | May 21, 2020 | Feature, Gaming

Kingmaking can be controversial in games. Let’s look at what it is, why players do it, how to stop it – or why you might even encourage it

Oliver Stone's Platoon, and how it got turned into a computer game

by Andrew Fisher | May 21, 2020 | Feature

How did one of the most successful anti-war movies of all time become a computer game? We dig into the story of Platoon....

The screenplays the Coen brothers wrote but didn't direct

by Mark Harrison | May 20, 2020 | Feature

As Joel and Ethan Coen’s long-gestating Scarface remake finally finds a director, we revisit their writing-only credits for filmmakers like Sam R...

Wellbeing Matters: hitting the pause button

by Jane Roberts | May 20, 2020 | Feature

In our weekly spot where we talk about mental health and general wellbeing, a quick natter about taking a little bit of time out....

Back to the 1980s: it's the PC Engine Mini

by Ryan Lambie | May 19, 2020 | Feature, Gaming

Konami shrink down a cult console classic with the PC Engine Mini. We spent some time with it...

True Lies, The Abyss and the Blu-ray/4K problem

by Simon Brew | May 19, 2020 | Feature

There's still no sign of James Cameron's True Lies and The Abyss on either Blu-ray or Ultra HD 4K Blu-ray - and we've been charting the stories of...

The bizarre films seized by police during the Video Nasties furore of the 1980s

by Simon Brew | May 18, 2020 | Feature

As a tabloid campaign intensified, it wasn't just films such as The Evil Dead that found themselves swept up in the 1980s Video Nasties moral...

The lost John Candy-Sylvester Stallone comedy

by Simon Brew | May 15, 2020 | Feature

Bartholomew Vs Neff was written, announced, cast, and all set to start filming - but here's the story of how the unlikely pairing Sylvester Stallone...

Film Quiz Friday: the Too Many Elvises edition

by Mark Harrison | May 15, 2020 | Feature

It's Friday and that means it's time for some more movie quiz questions! Questions like "What's with all the Elvis questions?", probably....

British movie podcast of the week: For Your Reconsideration

by Em McGowan | May 15, 2020 | Feature

Every week, we recommend an independent UK movie podcast - and this time, we're looking at one that seeks to put fresh eyes on maligned movies....

The lost movie magazines of the 1990s and 2000s

by Simon Brew | May 14, 2020 | Feature

Remembering some of the lost movie magazines of recent times, such as Hotdog, Film Review, Neon, Premiere, DVD Review and more....

The Orange Film Board: the best cinema advertising campaign of recent times

by Simon Brew | May 14, 2020 | Feature

A salute to one of the best cinema advertising campaigns in recent memory: the Orange Film Board....

Wellbeing matters: trying to get a good night’s sleep

by Simon Brew | May 13, 2020 | Feature

A few words on the importance of trying to get proper, regular sleep, and some hopefully helpful tips if you're struggling to do so....

How what should have been Rapid Fire 2 was turned into Die Hard 3

by Guy Pearson | May 13, 2020 | Feature

The development of Die Hard With A Vengeance led to it using a story that had been earmarked for Rapid Fire 2....

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....

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....