PAST OSCAR WINNERS – Some observations – PT 2.

October 1, 2016 Alan Royle 2

  1942                Mrs. Miniver – Best Picture   Well, World War Two was in full swing and America was now in it, so a war picture (or at least a flag-waver) was bound to win Best Picture. And one did. There were four of these nominated: Mrs. Miniver, Wake Island […]

Four memorable lady movie villains.

July 23, 2016 Alan Royle 2

  The history of movies is literally riddled with iconic male villains, but not so many women have been fortunate enough to sink their teeth into a genuinely meaty, nasty role. One of the first (and best) appeared in Hitchcock’s 1940 classic Rebecca. Dame Judith Anderson positively oozed malevolence as […]

My top 50 favourite movies -Pt3

February 18, 2016 admin 4

    #10  Road to Perdition (2002) Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Daniel Craig, Jude Law, Tyler Hoechlin Is there anything Tom Hanks cannot do? This period piece set during the Great Depression is beautifully crafted and, despite its gangland theme, is not a bloodbath. Hanks is simply the best. #9  My […]

Stolen Oscars? Pt. 3

September 24, 2015 admin 26

  Part 3 of ‘Stolen Oscars?’ looks at some of the individual Academy Award winners who, for want of a better word, purloined their statuettes. I shall start with the Best Actor category. 1930/1             Lionel Barrymore for A Free Soul I haven’t actually seen any of the other nominated performances […]