Contributions from Joel Blackledge | Little White Lies

Contributor Joel Blackledge

Illustration of an imposing, scowling samurai figure wielding a sword, set against a patterned backdrop. A small child stands in the foreground, contrasting the stern military figure.

How subtitles change the way we watch movies

by Joel Blackledge

Regardless of how filmmakers like Wes Anderson use translation, the boundaries between languages are not as fixed as they seem.
Man in a suit standing on a beach, with a bridge and power lines in the background.
In Praise Of

Fifty years on, there’s still nothing quite like Point Blank

by Joel Blackledge

Bleak in outlook, feverish in tone, John Boorman’s brilliant crime noir remains an enigmatic outlier.
Trailers

Watch this exclusive clip from your new favourite boxing movie

by Joel Blackledge

The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki is the Finnish boxing rom-com you never knew you needed.
A man with curly dark hair wearing boxing gloves and a determined expression, framed against a dark background.
In Praise Of

Is this the most authentic boxing movie ever made?

by Joel Blackledge

John Huston’s Fat City is not a straightforward underdog story.
A young boy wearing a checked shirt and backpack, walking through a wooded area with dappled sunlight filtering through the trees.
In Praise Of

Why Wendy and Lucy remains a vital piece of American cinema

by Joel Blackledge

Kelly Reichardt’s low-key anti-drama from 2008 offers a sobering look at poverty in small town USA.
Monochrome portrait of a man with curly hair and a serious expression, set against a blurred background.
In Praise Of

How Eraserhead exposed the nightmarish heart of Middle America

by Joel Blackledge

Released 40 years ago, David Lynch’s lo-fi masterpiece is as weird and unsettling as ever.
Two men, one younger with short hair and a jacket, the other older with a beard and tweed jacket, engaged in conversation.

10 great films to get you in the mood for autumn

by Joel Blackledge

As the nights draw in and the leaves turn it’s time to cosy up with these seasonal gems.
Person wearing fur-lined hood and parka in snowy, mountainous landscape.
In Praise Of

How Atanarjuat brought Inuit cinema to the world stage

by Joel Blackledge

Released 15 years ago, Zacharias Kunuk’s snowbound epic raised awareness of Arctic culture.
Two individuals, a man and a woman, standing together in a doorway. They appear to be wearing light-coloured clothing. The image is in black and white.

Why The Day the Earth Caught Fire still stuns 55 years on

by Joel Blackledge

Once deemed too strong for general consumption, this apocalyptic sci-fi is as relevant and powerful as ever.
Vintage image showing a man and woman riding on a wheeled cart with a thatched canopy, surrounded by wagon wheels.
In Praise Of

In praise of Kin-dza-dza! – the best sci-fi film you’ve never heard of

by Joel Blackledge

Mad Max meets Monty Python is the best way of describing this strange, little-seen Soviet gem.