From the Phone to the Plex: Why TV Shows Are Turning Into Movies
In its first three days on Netflix, "Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man" logged over 25 million views, while Netflix’s earlier theatrical run of "K‑Pop Demon Hunters" generated about $24 million at the box office and won two Oscars. These successes illustrate a growing trend of streaming platforms reversing the traditional pipeline by debuting or extending popular series as feature films in cinemas. The strategy aims to deepen franchise revenue, create event‑level hype, and leverage built‑in fan bases, though it risks alienating core viewers if the film format feels forced. Major studios like Disney are following suit, turning hit series such as "The Mandalorian" into movies, highlighting the blurring line between TV and film.
James McAvoy: ‘I’ve Been “that Scottish Person”, Reduced to a Noise that Comes Out of My Mouth’
James McAvoy’s directorial debut, “California Schemin’”, opened the Glasgow Film Festival’s closing night, screening on all three Glasgow Film Theatre screens. The film recounts the true story of two Dundee friends who pretended to be Los Angeles rappers to land a Sony...
Transforming the Beautiful Game: The Clyde Best Story Review – Fitting Tribute to a Barnstorming Trailblazer
The documentary "Transforming the Beautiful Game: The Clyde Best Story" chronicles West Ham striker Clyde Best’s pioneering role as one of England’s first Black football stars in the early 1970s. It highlights his breakthrough appearance in 1972, when three Black...
‘We Are a Very Resilient People’: In the Face of Trump’s Threats, Cuban Cinema Comes Out Fighting
The Screen Cuba festival is showcasing classic and contemporary Cuban films, including Tomás Gutiérrez Alea’s *Hasta Cierto Punto* and Juan Padrón’s animated shorts, as a cultural counter‑point to heightened U.S. pressure under former President Trump. The event highlights the resilience of...
‘The Most Stunningly Awful Wonderful Record’: How the Shaggs Became Rock’s Most Divisive Band
The Shaggs, a 1960s trio of sisters forced into music by their father Austin Wiggin Jr., released the baffling album *Philosophy of the World* in 1969, which initially vanished with most copies missing. Decades later, the record resurfaced through a...
Norway ‘Climbs Out of Shadow’ of Neighbours with First Oscar Win for Sentimental Value
Joachim Trier’s *Sentimental Value* became the first Norwegian feature to win the Academy Award for Best International Feature, breaking the long‑standing dominance of Sweden and Denmark in the region. The film secured a record 11 Oscar nominations, including nods for...
‘Orwell Went Off to Fight. I Thought I’d Have to Do the Same’: Raoul Peck on His Intimate Connection with...
Raoul Peck’s new documentary *2+2=5* reexamines George Orwell through the lens of the filmmaker’s anti‑imperialist experience. Using unprecedented access to the Orwell archive, Peck weaves archival footage, modern war imagery and political slogans to show how Orwell’s concept of “newspeak”...
‘You Cannot Unsee It’: What Happened Next for This Year’s Oscar Documentary Nominees?
The 2026 Oscars documentary slate features five powerful nonfiction titles covering prison abuse, ovarian cancer, women’s rights in Iran, and a rare record of Vladimir Putin’s propaganda machine. Production of politically sensitive documentaries remains fraught, with many projects struggling to...
A New Wave of Defiance: The Turkish Film-Makers Standing up to Autocracy
Turkish directors İlker Çatak and Emin Alper captured the Berlinale’s top honors with *Yellow Letters* (Golden Bear) and *Salvation* (Silver Bear), films that directly confront President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s autocratic rule. Both movies are co‑produced by the indie company Liman and echo the...
The Straight Story Review – David Lynch’s 1999 Midwest Heartwarmer Is an Outlier Well Worth the Trip
David Lynch’s 1999 film The Straight Story is a rare departure from his trademark surrealism, presenting a gentle, true‑life road‑trip across the Midwest. The movie follows 70‑year‑old Alvin Straight, who rides a John Deere mower over 200 miles to visit his ailing...
Gus Van Sant: ‘My Assistant Wanted to Erect a Statue of Luigi Mangione. My Generation Thought: This Is Murder’
Veteran auteur Gus Van Sant is back with the thriller “Dead Man’s Wire,” a dramatization of the 1977 Indiana hostage standoff that made headlines for its 63‑hour live broadcast. The film stars Bill Skarsgård as Tony Kiritsis, Colman Domingo as the DJ, and features an...
‘Cathartic Violence’: Why Kill Bill: Volume 1 Is My Feelgood Movie
Henrietta Taylor argues that *Kill Bill: Volume 1* serves as a feel‑good film through its cathartic violence, vivid style, and empowering portrayal of female assassins. The 2003 Tarantino revenge thriller blends samurai homage, spaghetti westerns, and classic noir, creating a hyper‑stylized...