Monkey Man

MONKEY MAN – Certificate 18 – WOW! Dev Patel (Writer/Actor/Director), Jordan Peele (Producer), Sobhita Dhulipala, Sikander Kher, Aidthi Kalkunte, Makarand Desphpande, Sharlto Copley, Ashinwini Kalsekar, Pitobsh Tripathi.Apologies to unmentioned cast – there are very many talented actors in this saga.  Influenced by the iconography of Hanuman the monkey man who is a deity in the Hindu religion and has reams of material in print about him, Dev Patel has scripted a saga that will have some viewers at times with their fingers over their eyes yet the passion and fury that motivates the story keeps you glued to your seat! Dev says when he … Continue reading Monkey Man

Blues Brothers comic star Belushi self-destructed aged 33

The story of the epic friendship between John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd, the golden era of improv, and the making of a comedic film classic that helped shape our popular culture. “They’re not going to catch us”, Dan Ackroyd, as Elwood Blues, tells his brother Jake, played by John Belushi, “We’re on a mission from God”. So opens the musical action comedy The Blues Brothers, which hit theatres on June 20, 1980. Their scripted mission was to save a local Chicago orphanage, Ackroyd, who conceived and wrote much of the film, had a greater mission: to honour the then-seemingly forgotten … Continue reading Blues Brothers comic star Belushi self-destructed aged 33

Amid lechery and prejudice, Wong became Hollywood’s first Asian-American star

Anna May Wong, Hollywood’s first Asian-American film star, was 19, when she caught the eye of then screen hero Douglas Fairbanks. He thought that she would be perfect for the role of a sultry Mongol slave in The Thief of Bagdad (1924), one of the extravagant films of the silent era.  Douglas had to show her how play a Hollywood-style oriental. “ This is the way we Americans walk” striding briskly  and confidently before  slowing down, as if in an opium-induced trance, “but this is the way the orientals walk.” It was not easy being an east Asian actress in … Continue reading Amid lechery and prejudice, Wong became Hollywood’s first Asian-American star

Jawan: Bollywood thriller slated for September 7, release

Bollywood film legend and iconic actor, Shah Rukh Khan, whose three-decade reign over Indian cinema continues, as he plays twin role in the latest high-octane action thriller Jawan (Commando),  captivating audiences worldwide, a younger and older Shah Rukh is the prevue, with the Shah Ruk Khan’s father’s version will be called Vikram, and his son’s version will be called Azad. King Khan’s father is said to be a Jawan, leading a commando team of four key people. Shah Rukh Khan also plays Azad the son of a police officer. Deepika Padukone, his lead role actress in his previous hit film … Continue reading Jawan: Bollywood thriller slated for September 7, release

Glenda Jackson (87) dies

Oscar-winning actress and Former MP from North London, Glenda Jackson had died age of 87, at her home in Blackheath, London. Glenda became an international star in the 1970s winning Oscars for Women In Love and A Touch of Class, and also received two further nominations. She also started in the BBC drama Elizabeth R as Queen Elizabeth I. She left acting to join the House of Commons as a Labour MP from 1992 to 2015 and was junior transport minister for two years under Tony Blair’s New Labour government from 1997. Glenda Mary Jackson, daughter of a bricklayer, born … Continue reading Glenda Jackson (87) dies

Simply the Best

Tina Turner “Queen of Rock” (83) has died peacefully today after a long illness in her home in Kusnacht near Zurich, Switzerland.  In the past she had suffered several health issues in recent years including cancer, stroke and kidney failure. Tina emerged in to fame in the 1960s alongside her ex-husband Ike turner, with the classic song River Deep Mountain High and What’s Love Got to Do which made her a superstar. She divorced the abusive Ike in 1978, and went on to find even greater success as a solo artist in the 1980s and won three Grammy Awards and … Continue reading Simply the Best

Oscars 2023

Best Picture All Quiet on the Western Front – Malte Grunert, Producer Avatar: The Way of Water- James Cameron and Jon Landau Producers The Banshees of Inisherin – Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin and Martin McDonagh, Producers Elvis – Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Wiess, producers Everything Everywhere All at Once – Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert and Jonathan Wange, Producers ( Winner) The Fablemans – Kristie Macosko Krieger, Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner, Producers Tar – Tood Field, Alexandra Milchan and Scott Lambert, Producers Top Gun Maverick – Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, David Ellison and Jerry … Continue reading Oscars 2023