Contributor James Clarke

Two young men standing in a wooded area, one wearing a checked shirt and the other a denim jacket.
In Praise Of

Nothing Gold Can Stay – In praise of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders

by James Clarke

This teenage dra­ma from 1983 is the pin­na­cle of the director’s career-long obses­sion with the pas­sage of time.
Cartoon image of Pinocchio sitting on the floor, tinkering with a wooden object. He wears a blue jacket, red shorts, and a yellow hat.
In Praise Of

The pull of Pinocchio – How an Italian fairy tale became a pop culture staple

by James Clarke

On the 80th anniver­sary of Disney’s ani­ma­tion, we look at the dif­fer­ent ways this mag­i­cal fable has been interpreted.
Elderly man wearing cowboy hat and plaid shirt, sitting on a tractor in a field.
In Praise Of

Why The Straight Story remains one of the great American road movies

by James Clarke

In praise of David Lynch’s 1999 dra­ma, a film about mov­ing slow­ly and gen­tly in a hard and fast world.
Man sitting in car, focused expression
In Praise Of

Fuel Injected Future: Remembering Mad Max at 40

by James Clarke

How George Miller’s 1979 debut fea­ture helped set the post-apoc­a­lyp­tic genre in motion.
A person with long dark hair holding a rifle, standing in a rocky, mountainous landscape.
In Praise Of

Red Earth Resistance – Remembering Geronimo: An American Legend

by James Clarke

Wal­ter Hill’s under-appre­ci­at­ed his­tor­i­cal dra­ma reminds us how pow­er­ful Hol­ly­wood cin­e­ma can be.
A man with long hair and a moustache, wearing a white coat, stands in an outdoor setting.
In Praise Of

How The Duellists set the tone for Ridley Scott’s filmmaking career

by James Clarke

The director’s 1977 fea­ture debut con­tains sev­er­al key the­mat­ic and styl­is­tic hallmarks.
Bearded man in fur-trimmed coat, holding a red toy in a dimly lit setting.
In Praise Of

Why I love Robin Williams’ performance in The Fisher King

by James Clarke

The late actor is at his dan­ger­ous, dynam­ic best in this melan­choly fan­ta­sy from Ter­ry Gilliam.
Surreal scene with a female figure in a flowing dress, holding a glass, balanced on a peaked structure. Behind, a giant floating bust of a man. Geometric checkerboard pattern on the ground. Blue sky background.

When Dalí met Disney – the surreal story of an unlikely creative kinship

by James Clarke

In 1946 the mous­ta­chioed mae­stros embarked on the most ambi­tious project of their careers.
A group of men in military uniforms, some wielding rifles, stand in a crowd of people in an outdoor setting. The scene appears to depict a historical or political event.
In Praise Of

How Ken Loach captured the emotional fallout of the Spanish Civil War

by James Clarke

Land and Free­dom shows the per­son­al and polit­i­cal sides of this 80-year-old conflict.
Two Black men, one sitting and one standing, in a dimly lit room.
In Praise Of

Increase the Peace – In praise of Boyz n the Hood

by James Clarke

John Singleton’s South Cen­tral LA sto­ry deliv­ered a pow­er­ful uni­ver­sal mes­sage that still rings true today.
Two blond-haired people, a young boy and a woman, standing outdoors on a dark night.
In Praise Of

How Close Encounters channels the wishful spirit of Pinocchio

by James Clarke

Steven Spielberg’s clas­sic sci-fi teach­es the impor­tance of hold­ing on to dreams.
Two men in coats standing in front of graffiti-covered wall, one pointing upward.
In Praise Of

In defence of Hook – Steven Spielberg’s grown-up ode to childhood

by James Clarke

Does the director’s take on JM Barrie’s clas­sic tale of arrest­ed devel­op­ment deserve its reputation?

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