by Sean Narborough

As the biggest Christopher Nolan fanboy, my expectations for his latest film were set incredibly high. And despite the odd problem here and there, I wasn’t disappointed. Interstellar was Nolan’s first venture into the sci-fi genre and starred many big name actors, including Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and, because it’s a Nolan film, Michael Caine. In a world where food supplies are running out and the possibility of a real human extinction  in just a generation, former pilot Cooper (McConaughey) is tasked on leading a team into a wormhole to find a new suitable home for mankind. But once through the wormhole, nothing is quite what it seems.

 Now before I go any further, I must warn everyone that I’m about to go into SPOILER territory, so if you haven’t seen Interstellar yet, you have been warned.

Still here? Good, then let’s travel through the wormhole.

by Cookie N Screen

There is an advert bounding around right now that sees a man and his dog who walk around his unknown town screaming, understandably mad about this expensive designer store. The message is something along the lines of not allowing a middle man to take all your money and head to made.com to get your coiffed posh cushion straight from the designer. Ok so this isn’t a plug for made.com* but instead, a note on the advert. See this man is rambling “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to pay it anymore” which is a wonderful tribute to this 1976 satirical film by Sidney Lumet.

by Cookie N Screen 

Winning the Palme D’or award is a coveted triumph, indeed. Especially if you are a fan of global and independent cinema. After all, the Oscars have come something of a sell-out; we all know who is going to win and why. Every year films are screened under that tense genre “Oscar Bait” and pull at people’s heart-strings in such an overblown way it affects the story. With Cannes, there is something more poignant and whilst most of the Western World will not see these films, the breadth of talent on show is simply divine (just ask our Gloria Daniels-Moss, whose Crossroads film, where she was AD,  is going to be screened this year.)

Last year, the grand winner was Winter Sleep. Now the Turkish film is available on DVD & Blu-ray, and trust me, you’ll not want to miss this highly acclaimed film.

by Robbie Jones 

One of the great things about films is how it can take certain things and open them up to other audiences. Not every film fan is a big sports fan (In fact, stereotypes would have you believe that most film fans don’t know what sport is), but that doesn’t matter; you don’t need to enjoy sports to enjoy films about sports. You can love Moneyball having never seen a baseball game in your life, or enjoy the Rocky franchise having never thrown a punch. Films about sports appeal to everyone, not just the fans, and that’s great, but isn’t it just more fun when films make up sports?

It’s always nice to see imagination in cinema, and wacky, ridiculous sports tournaments are a part of that. From Quidditch to Pod Racing, The Hunger Games to BASEketball (Come on, you wish that was real and don’t you dare deny it), these sports often become the subject of interesting films. 1975’s Rollerball, which sees its first Blu-Ray release from Arrow Video, one of the most renowned Blu-Ray producers in the country, is an interesting film. But is it a good one?

by Leah Stone 

There were a few concerns over the most recent instalment of The Hunger Games film franchise, the biggest being the fact that they split the last book into two films. How were the filmmakers going to do it whilst still having enough material and plot to work with? Plus, the previous two films had set such a high standard, would the third film live up to them?

The answer is yes

by Cookie N Screen

It’s 2001. George W Bush was President of the United States. Tony Blair ruled the British Empire. Destiny’s Child and Dido ruled the charts. In the cinema, we followed The Fellowship of the Ring and Harry’s Potter journey through Hogwarts. And Ben Stiller was a famed male model. Zoolander hit our screens and taught us that there is much more to life than being really really ridiculously good looking.


Now the titular supermodel is back with his pal Hansel, played by Owen Wilon and is set to shimmy down that catwalk again in 2016. In fact, they announced it in the best way…

by Robbie Jones 

You know that feeling when you start to like an actor you’ve been hating on for years?

I fucking do. (Ed: Yes, you fucking do.)

Yes, over a year I spent trashing Benedict Cumberbatch every chance I got, but it just had to stop once I saw his stunning turn in The Imitation Game. The Sherlock star plays Alan Turing, a mathematician hired to crack the Enigma code, which the Germans used in radio transmissions during World War 2, and end the war. Turing is difficult to work with, and quite infuriating at times, but he’s their best shot at success.

by Cookie N Screen 

Last year,  to watch Starred Up and frankly, I couldn't care less about it.  After all, gritty British crime dramas are a pound a penny in this lucrative business  the idea of immersing myself for two hours in the world of prison fights and threats put me off. As for Jack O’Connell, I had loved him in Skins as Cook (loved him too much, some might say,) as well as his bit roles. Because sometimes, seeing actors typecast is a massive shame. Eating my words, Starred Up really delved into tentative and dark places with a knock out performance by Jack O’Connell; astute, emotive and intellectual. And since, my obsession with the young actor has sky-rocketed.

Thankfully, this trend has continued in '71 and boy, aren't we glad it's out on DVD today. 

by Leah Stone

LGBT+ films have become a lot more prominent in recent years. Previously, they never got a look-in when it came to award nominations and the press tended to shy away from them, not giving them as much publicity as they deserved.

However, things have been changing. As the film industry churn out more and more brilliant LGBT+ themed films, critics and film organisations can’t help but take notice. The kids are All Right (2010) won two Golden Globes,  Blue is the Warmest Colour (2013) won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA and Dallas Buyers Club (2013) won three Academy Awards and Two Golden Globes. Most recently, Pride won the BAFTA award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director of Producer and BIFA acting awards for Andrew Scott and Imelda Staunton.

by Cookie N Screen 

Nightcrawler has never felt so appropriate than today as I opened up my Facebook to a group of friends all sharing the news of recent police brutality when Africa, a nicknamed man who was homeless, was shot dead. Not only is the story distressing as hell, culminating yet again an unjust death akin to a shocking wave of excessive police force, but mobile footage of the death has circulated. Now, whichever way you want to cut – the murder filmed as evidence of police corruption or just that bystander effect – eating your scrambled eggs and being confronted with this footage was a difficult swallow.