Paddington Bear is one of the most popular bears in children’s fiction, a status propelled by the live-action film series that started in 2014. In deepest, darkest Peru, a British explorer (Tim Downie) meets and befriends two bears, Pastuzo (Michael Gambon) and Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton). He teaches them English and the wonders of London. […]
Tag: Britflix
Britflix: Threads
Nuclear War is one of the greatest threats to mankind. It can destroy cities and contaminate the world. In 1984 the BBC broadcast Threads, a film that showed the impact of nuclear war in and around Sheffield. There are increased tensions in the Middle East when the Soviet Union invades Iran after an American-backed coup in […]
Britflix: The Wicker Man
The Wicker Man is considered one of the greatest and most influential British horror films. It is celebrating its 50th Anniversary so now is a great time to revisit this film. Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) is a police officer and a devoted Christian. He receives a letter from Summerisle, a remote island in the Outer Hebrideans […]
Britflix: The Falling
The Falling was a drama written and directed by Carol Morley and notable for giving many young British actors their first major roles. Lydia (Maisie Williams) and Abigail (Florence Pugh) are best friends and attend an all-girls school in 1960s England. Abigail is more sexually experienced, leading her to become pregnant. When a tragedy strikes the […]
Britflix: Split Second
The stereotype of British cinema is usually prestigious period dramas and hilarious comedies. 1992’s Split Second offered something different: B-movie schlock. In the far-off year of 2008 Global Warming has flooded London. This has turned London into a rain-soaked, crime-ridden, rat-infected hellhole, so how London has always been. Harley Stone (Rutger Hauer) is a police detective […]
Britflix: 28 Weeks Later
In the previous Britflix retrospective, I looked at one of my favourite British horror films, 28 Days Later. So, it seemed fair to look at the sequel that’s celebrating its 15th anniversary. 28 weeks after the rage virus outbreak the American military declare Britain is safe for repatriation and the Isle of Dogs is declared a […]
Britflix: 28 Days Later
In the first two decades of the 21st century we saw the resurrection of the zombie genre. One of the key films responsible for this revival was 28 Days Later, a film that is now 20 years old. Jim (Cillian Murphy) is a bike courier who awakes from a 28-day long coma and finds that Central London has been […]
Britflix: The Violators
Britain has a long tradition of making kitchen sink realistic dramas. It is often a genre for new British directors to cut their teeth on. A lesser-known film from this subgenre that’s worthy of being written about is The Violators. Shelly (Lauren McQueen) is a 15-year-old girl who lives on a rough estate. Despite her older […]
Britflix: The Queen
Queen Elizabeth II has sat on the British Throne for 70 years and is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee. It’s a momentous achievement for her majesty, so now seems like a good time to check out the royal biopic The Queen. 1997 sees two massive events that affects the UK. The first was the election of Tony […]
Britflix: Never Let Me Go
2010’s Never Let Me Go was an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel of the same name. The adaptation was able to attract some amazing talent in front of and behind the camera. In 1952 there has been a medical breakthrough that allows people to live up to 100 years old. But this health revolution came at a […]