Niamh O'Ryan

Nice list, really enjoyed reading it. I do like a bit of Buffy but can’t claim to be as big a fan as all you other posters. I usually watched it because it had a really good opening theme song but also because I was pretty young and it happened to be on straight after the Simpsons on BBC 2 (specific British schedule reference). However, I do now know this. Joss Whedon makes really, really, really good TV.

Thanks for the link, Laurie Penny’s article is so relevant and quite moving, plus I also play the “fucking ukulele”. I’ve only just started to properly consider, even from writing this article, the extent to which popular culture has shaped my identity and any persons’ growing up in relation to gender as just one aspect. A trope such as this one that carries so much weight in the ongoing gender equality/representation debate shouldn’t be just shrugged off.

lovely article. It is amazing how Jurassic parks dinosaurs still look better than a lot of the CGI beasties on our screens today. When it comes to CGI less is always more. There’s something more wholesome and aesthetically pleasing about physical effects. I know it’s not a monster movie but you’re article reminded me of Be Kind rewind and Michel Gondry’s love of creating really basic visual effects with limited money and a lot of ingenuity. Good stuff!

Thanks everyone for the comments, much appreciated! Hope there was something in there for everyone to keep it interesting although someone said I should have used John Hughes’ fictional Shermer, Illinois which is a whole other idea in itself, directors who create their own cities or even worlds!

A great article, I’m looking forward to Allen’s next film although he doesn’t give you much of a wait churning out one every year. Apparently Allen’s got an ‘ideas draw’ full of bits of scrap paper and napkins he’s scrawled film ideas on, when he wants to make his next film he just picks one out, wouldn’t you just love to have a poke around in that draw.

Really insightful article! I’ve only recently had my eyes opened to British cinema but there’s so much and its so good. There definitely needs to be more written about British cinema from 40s wartime to present although this articles got a lot of films and directors I’ll be checking out. Also here’s a bit of trivia I heard that Billy Liar has the first on screen toilet being flushed in cinema, take that Hollywood!

Have to say I’m not a Castle viewer but Fillion played the leading man role really well in horror-comedy Slither. It would be interesting to see how Edgar-Wright would approach a superhero-comedy with Fillion on board but I remember feeling the same way when I heard Michel Gondry was doing the Green Hornet with Seth Rogan and that didn’t turn out so good…

A nice look at some female groups emerging on the scene but lets not forget the hard work of scuzzy females in mixed gender bands like Karen O of the yeah yeah yeahs who came about around the same time as the strokes and are still making amazing alternative/rock music. But if you want an example of an all girl group to make room for on your playlist that Warpaint are painfully cool and have made some pretty good music too.