Contributions from Paul Risker | Little White Lies

Contributor Paul Risker

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A brief history of America according to Martin Scorsese

by Paul Risker

Across sev­en decades, Mar­tin Scors­ese has been con­struct­ing his own vision of the Unit­ed States’ blood­stained mythology.
Collage of pop culture characters: C-3PO, Ant-Man, Batman, Joker, shark monster

The long, complex evolution of the blockbuster

by Paul Risker

Near­ly 50 years since Jaws changed the shape of cin­e­ma, the term ​‘block­buster’ has come a long way – but not always for the better.
Sketch of a peculiar, contorted figure with angular limbs and a grotesque, fish-like head.

Alexandre O Philippe on exploring the origins of Ridley Scott’s Alien

by Paul Risker

A new doc­u­men­tary reveals the untold secrets of this sem­i­nal sci-fi horror.
Illustrated portrait of a serious-looking man wearing glasses and a striped shirt, set against a floral patterned background.
Interviews

Richard Billingham: ‘I wanted to give a sense of what it was like to be there’

by Paul Risker

The British pho­tog­ra­ph­er and film­mak­er opens up about his kitchen sink dra­ma Ray & Liz.
Man with bloody face and distressed expression, standing against a red and textured background.

How Martin Scorsese’s faith informed his most iconic characters

by Paul Risker

Silence isn’t the first occa­sion when the director’s obses­sion with reli­gion has been at the fore.
Elegant Victorian-era couple dressed in formal attire. Woman in frilly dress and hat holding parasol, man in suit and top hat.
Home Ents

Is this the most subversive femme fatale in movie history?

by Paul Risker

How a young actress named Goo­gie With­ers stole the show in British noir Pink String and Seal­ing Wax.
Two men in suits seated at a table, one gesturing as they converse in a dimly lit room with blinds visible in the background.
In Praise Of

Why Strangers on a Train is a masterpiece of suspenseful storytelling

by Paul Risker

A new film star­ing Oscar Isaac got us think­ing about Alfred Hitchcock’s clas­sic tale of duplic­i­ty and intrigue.
A man wearing a tan cowboy hat and shirt, standing in a desert landscape with hills in the background and a truck visible.

A brief history of America according to the Coen brothers

by Paul Risker

Hail, Cae­sar! is the lat­est entry into the direc­tors’ career-long refram­ing of their country’s sto­ried past.
A scowling man holding crumpled papers next to a sign reading "POSITIVELY NO GAMBLING".
Long Read

How Mean Streets changed the face of American cinema

by Paul Risker

With Mar­tin Scorsese’s sem­i­nal crime dra­ma final­ly out on Blu-ray, we gauge the film’s endur­ing influence.
A woman in a black robe standing at an altar with lit candles and books.
In Praise Of

Why Carl Theodor Dreyer is one of cinema’s greatest ever directors

by Paul Risker

To mark the release of the BFI’s new Blu-ray col­lec­tion, revis­it four works by the Dan­ish master.