Knife is Salman Rushdie’s account of how he narrowly survived an attempt on his life in August 2022, in which he lost his right eye and partial use of his left hand. The attack ironically came when Rushdie was delivering a lecture on “the creation in America of safe spaces for writers from elsewhere”, at… Continue reading In Knife, Salman Rushdie confronts a world where liberal principles like free speech are old-fashioned
Gabriel García Márquez (1927-2014) – affectionately known as “Gabo” – started his career as a journalist, but is famous for the novels and short stories that earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982. Alongside Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa and the Mexican Carlos Fuentes, he was the best-known member of the triumvirate that… Continue reading Gabriel García Márquez’s last novel is a moving testament to his genius
William Blake’s Universe, the new (free) exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, is a celebration of work by the Romantic artist, writer and visionary. Famous now but little known in his lifetime, Blake (1757-1827) has been given star billing by Tate Britain recently. But at the Fitzwilliam, he is made to share the spotlight… Continue reading William Blake exhibition: making a European out of the poet and artist who never left England
People tend to rejoice in the disclosure of a secret. Or, at the very least, media outlets have come to realize that news of “mysteries solved” and “hidden treasures revealed” generate traffic and clicks. So I’m never surprised when I see AI-assisted revelations about famous masters’ works of art go viral. Over the past year alone articles have… Continue reading How AI is hijacking art history
2001: A Space Odyssey is a landmark film in the history of cinema. It is a work of extraordinary imagination that has transcended film history to become something of a cultural marker. And since 1968, it has penetrated the psyche of not only other filmmakers but society in general. It is not an exaggeration to… Continue reading 2001: A Space Odyssey still leaves an indelible mark on our culture 55 years on
After the success of “Dune: Part II,” Denis Villeneuve is taking a breather from the world of Arrakis before diving into the third installment, “Dune: Messiah.” According to THR’s Bory Kit, Villeneuve has already chosen his next project, and it’s going to be a “smaller movie.” Kit suggests that “Messiah” won’t be happening anytime soon.… Continue reading Denis Villeneuve to Direct “Smaller Movie” Before “Dune: Messiah”
“Drugs, crime, sex and absolute debauchery” said the expectant moviegoer. “Screen 1” replied the dazed usher – a brief interaction that may very well have occurred between 1981 to 1993 just around the corner from King’s Cross station. Why may this have occurred? Well because Scala cinema was the ultimate cinema of sin. Founded by… Continue reading Cinema of the debauched: SCALA!!!
It’s the centenary of the cinema premiere of the German horror film Nosferatu. Now recognised as a classic of the silent era and one of the first examples of cinematic horror, it used elements of Gothic style to present a dark dreamworld. Ripe with undertones that link it not only to contemporary troubles, it also… Continue reading Nosferatu at 102: how the seminal vampire film shaped the horror genre
Renowned director Greta Gerwig has been chosen to lead a new reboot of “The Chronicles of Narnia,” signaling the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the beloved fantasy series. Based on the iconic young adult novels by C.S. Lewis, “The Chronicles of Narnia” takes audiences on an enchanting journey through a world filled with… Continue reading Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ Starts Production in August with seven months of shooting
The history of cinema as an art parallels its history as a technology. Ever wondered why the colour in The Wizard of Oz is so saturated? Well, it wasn’t the first technicolor film, but it was the first to effectively advertise MGM’s new 3-strip colour process to a global audience. Why advertise something at half mast?… Continue reading Films made for Netflix look more like TV shows — here’s the technical reason why
