Archive
FAR FROM HOME: THE ADVENTURES OF YELLOW DOG – John Scott
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog is a family-friendly adventure-drama written and directed by Philip Borsos. The film follows the journey of a teenage boy named Angus, played by Jesse Bradford, who is spending the summer with his family in a remote part of British Columbia. While there, Angus befriends a stray dog named Yellow, who has a mysterious past. After a series of unfortunate events, Angus and Yellow become stranded together in the wilderness when a storm hits. As the two navigate the challenges of the wild, they face dangers such as wild animals, the elements, and the need to find food and shelter, and must work together to find their way back to safety. It was a moderate success upon its release in the early months of 1995, and many found it to be a nostalgic throwback to the popular Walt Disney ‘wilderness adventure’ films of the 1950s and 60s. Read more…
MURDER IN THE FIRST – Christopher Young
THROWBACK THIRTY
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Every person who develops a liking for film music has a score, or group of scores, which are special to them on a personal level. They are the ones which first piqued their interest, first caught their attention, maybe inspired them to go out and buy a physical album for the first time, and eventually led them down the path to full-blown film music fandom. I have a few of them myself: Star Wars, of course, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and E.T. by John Williams. Dances With Wolves, and the James Bond scores of John Barry. Several James Horner scores, including the significant mid-1990s trio comprising Legends of the Fall, Braveheart, and Apollo 13. However, perhaps my most unexpected ‘keystone score’ is this one: Murder in the First by Christopher Young. The film opened in cinemas in England in December 1995, almost a year after it premiered in the United States, and I went to see it at the old Warner Village Cinema in Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield. I have a vivid memory of coming out of the cinema, meeting up with my mum in the foyer, and barely being able to speak because I had been so emotionally overwhelmed by the film, and especially its music. Read more…
LITTLE WOMEN – Thomas Newman
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
As a classic of American literature, there have been multiple big screen adaptations of the 1868 novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott over the years. The story follows the March sisters – headstrong and mercurial Jo, willful and artistic Amy, maternal and meek Meg, creative but sickly Beth – as they come of age in post-civil war Massachusetts. The narrative deals with numerous issues of the day, including the effects of ‘genteel poverty,’ the fallout of the war, sibling rivalries, the entrenched class system, and of course romance and love, the latter of which usually revolves around Laurie, the handsome grandson of the March’s wealthy neighbor. My favorite movie adaptation is the version from 1949 directed by Mervyn LeRoy starring June Allyson and Elizabeth Taylor, but this version from 1994 runs it a close second; it was directed by Gillian Armstrong from a screenplay by Robin Swicord, and stars Winona Ryder, Trini Alvarado, Samantha Mathis, Kirsten Dunst, and Claire Danes as the sisters, with Gabriel Byrne, Eric Stoltz, and a young Christian Bale as their various suitors, and Susan Sarandon as their beloved Marmee. Read more…
THE PAGEMASTER – James Horner
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
The Pagemaster is a family fantasy film directed by Joe Johnston and Maurice Hunt that combines live-action and animation to tell a whimsical coming-of-age story. The film stars Macaulay Culkin – who at the time was right in the middle of his post-Home Alone superstardom – as Richard, an overly cautious, fearful boy who avoids risks at all costs. During a storm, he takes shelter in a grand library where he meets the enigmatic librarian, Mr. Dewey (Christopher Lloyd). After slipping on the library floor, Richard finds himself transported into a magical, animated world of books. In this fantastical realm, Richard encounters three anthropomorphic books—Adventure (Patrick Stewart), Fantasy (Whoopi Goldberg), and Horror (Frank Welker)—who guide him on an epic journey through iconic literary worlds. Together, they face pirates, dragons, haunted castles, and other challenges drawn from classic tales such as Moby Dick, Treasure Island, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, all of which forces Richard to confront his fears and discover his inner bravery. The film has a noble and worthwhile sentiment that espouses the wonderful nature of classic literature, and is ambitious in its scope, but it was not a critical or commercial success, and the production was marred by in-fighting between director Johnston, the production company, and screenwriter David Kirschner. Read more…
NELL – Mark Isham
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Nell is a fascinating film that explores themes of human connection, individuality, and the boundaries between nature and civilization, which challenges viewers to think about how society treats those who are different and the ethical implications of trying to “help” them. Based on Mark Handley’s 1985 play ‘Idioglossia,’ and directed by Michael Apted, the film stars Jodie Foster in the title role as a young woman who has grown up in isolation in a remote cabin in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. When her mother dies, Nell is ‘discovered’ by local doctor Jerome Lovell (Liam Neeson), who finds that Nell apparently speaks her own unique language and has a different way of interacting with the world, which has been shaped by her solitude and her limited human contact. Lovell calls Paula Olsen (Natasha Richardson), a psychologist, for help, and they begin studying Nell to understand her behavior and language. As they spend time with her, they discover that Nell is highly intelligent, emotionally insightful, and capable of connecting with others despite her differences. However, Nell’s presence also raises questions about the ethics of interfering with someone’s life and the societal need to label and categorize people who are different. Read more…
RUDYARD KIPLING’S THE JUNGLE BOOK – Basil Poledouris
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Hot on the heels of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in Hollywood’s short-lived series of supposedly faithful film adaptations of classic novels, this live-action versions of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book reimagines the classic tale as an adventurous, romantic epic. Directed by Stephen Sommers, the film focuses on Mowgli (Jason Scott Lee), a young boy raised by animals in the Indian jungle after being separated from his family. Years later, as an adult, Mowgli re-enters human civilization when he encounters Kitty (Lena Headey), his childhood friend and the daughter of a military officer working within the British Raj. As Mowgli navigates the clash between his jungle upbringing and human society, his relationship with Kitty deepens, eventually becoming a forbidden romance; however, he faces hostility from the corrupt Captain Boone (Cary Elwes), Kitty’s fiancé, who seeks to exploit Mowgli’s knowledge of the jungle to find the legendary treasure of Monkey City. Read more…
TOM & VIV – Debbie Wiseman
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Thomas Stearns ‘T. S.’ Eliot is considered to be one of the 20th century’s greatest poets, with notable works such as The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, The Hollow Men, Ash Wednesday, Four Quartets, and Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, the latter of which inspired the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. While living in London in 1914 Eliot met and married Vivienne Haigh-Wood, a governess from Cambridge, who became not only the love of his life, but also his muse, inspiring what is possibly Eliot’s most acclaimed work, The Waste Land, written in 1922. However, their relationship was also turbulent, in part because of Viv’s health problems, which eventually resulted in her having significant mental instability and often being confined to an asylum. Although they formally separated in 1933 Eliot refused to divorce her, and they remained married until her death in 1947. Their relationship became the subject of the 1984 play Tom & Viv by Michael Hastings, which was then adapted into this film by Hastings and screenwriter Adrian Hodges. The film starred Willem Dafoe as Eliot and Miranda Richardson as Haigh-Wood, and was directed by Brian Gilbert. Although not especially successful from a financial point of view it was acclaimed by critics, and both Richardson and Rosemary Harris (who played Haigh-Wood’s mother) were nominated for Oscars for their roles. Read more…
THE SANTA CLAUSE – Michael Convertino
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
The Santa Clause is a Christmas fantasy comedy movie starring Tim Allen as Scott Calvin, a divorced father who accidentally causes Santa Claus to fall from his roof and die one Christmas Eve. Scott unwittingly agrees to a “contract” – the titular “Santa clause” – by putting on Santa’s suit, and magically transforming into a new Santa Claus. This sets off a series of transformations in Scott’s life, as he gains weight, grows a white beard, and develops a love for milk and cookies. However, his transformation strains his relationship with his young son Charlie (Erik Lloyd), and his ex-wife Laura (Wendy Crewson), who thinks he’s endangering Charlie with fantasies of being Santa. Read more…
COBB – Elliot Goldenthal
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Growing up in the United Kingdom, baseball was never a sport that was ever on my radar, but even with my limited knowledge of its history there were still some names which transcended and were familiar as icons of the game: Babe Ruth. Lou Gehrig. Joe Di Maggio. One of the most controversial players of that era was another familiar name: Ty Cobb, who played for the Detroit Tigers between 1906 and 1926 and was one of the first people inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame when it was first established in 1936. By all accounts he was a mercurial player, with especially incredible batting ability, aggressiveness, and mental toughness; such was his prodigiousness he held the record for the highest career batting average for almost 100 years until 2024, when MLB decided to include players from the Negro League in official statistics, and he was overtaken by Josh Gibson. Read more…
MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN – Patrick Doyle
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Following the critical and commercial success of Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1992 there was a brief resurgence and interest in Hollywood for making faithful adaptations of classic horror novels. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was director Kenneth Branagh’s attempt to bring the classic 1818 story back to the big screen, with high production values, a star-studded cast, and a more intellectual focus on its dark philosophical themes of creation, ambition, and the consequences of playing God. Branagh himself plays scientist Victor Frankenstein, who after the passing of his mother becomes obsessed with defying death. Victor moves to Germany to study science and medicine with his friend Henry Clerval (Tom Hulce), and marries his long-time love Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter). Eventually Frankenstein has a breakthrough where he discovers how to bring inanimate matter to life; wanting to take things further, he begins collecting human body parts, which he stitches together and tries to bring to life. Miraculously, Frankenstein succeeds, but the resulting creature (Robert De Niro) is grotesque and terrifying, leading Victor to abandon it in horror. The Creature, left to fend for itself, struggles with loneliness, rejection, and a desire for companionship; it learns language and human behavior but is consistently met with fear and violence from the people he meets, and in time vows revenge on Victor for bringing him into a world that hates him. Read more…
ONLY YOU – Rachel Portman
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Only You is a romantic comedy about destiny, love, and chance encounters, directed by Norman Jewison and starring Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr. The story follows Faith Corvatch (Tomei), a woman who has always believed in fate and soulmates; as a young girl, Faith was told by a Ouija board and a fortune teller that she was destined to marry a man named “Damon Bradley,” and over the years, she becomes fixated on this name, believing that her perfect match is out there somewhere. Years later, Faith is engaged to a practical but unromantic podiatrist not named Damon Bradley, but she still feels something is missing from her life. Just before her wedding, she receives a phone call from one of her fiancé’s old classmates – a man named Damon Bradley – who is about to fly to Italy. Spurred by this coincidence and her lifelong belief in fate, Faith impulsively decides to pursue him, convinced he is the love of her life. She travels to Italy with her best friend Kate (Bonnie Hunt) in search of Damon, but instead meets Peter Wright (Downey). Peter is immediately smitten with Faith, and pretends to be Damon Bradley in order to get close to her, a lie which complicates their budding relationship… Read more…
STARGATE – David Arnold
THROWBACK THIRTY
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
One of the most enduring conspiracy theories in the world is the notion of ‘ancient astronauts,’ which suggests that extraterrestrial beings were responsible for building some of Earth’s ancient structures, including the pyramids of Giza. This idea plays a central role in the plot of Stargate, providing an interesting twist on Egyptian mythology and history. The film is a sci-fi action-adventure directed by German filmmaker Roland Emmerich, whose previous works included the 1990 sci-fi Moon 44, and the 1992 action thriller Universal Soldier; it stars James Spader as Daniel Jackson, a linguist and Egyptologist, who is recruited by the U.S. military to help decipher a series of symbols on an ancient artifact which was discovered in Egypt many years previously. Jackson determines that the artifact is a portal – a ‘star gate’ – that can transport people across vast distances of space to another planet; following this discovery the military sends Jackson and a team of soldiers led by the taciturn Colonel Jack O’Neil (Kurt Russell) through the star gate to assess any potential threats. Once on the other side they find themselves on a desert-like planet, where they encounter a civilization that appears to be influenced by ancient Egyptian culture, and learn that the planet is ruled by an alien posing as the Egyptian sun god Ra (Jaye Davidson), who uses advanced technology to enslave the inhabitants. Read more…
THE SPECIALIST – John Barry
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
The Specialist is an action-thriller film starring Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone. The story follows Ray Quick (Stallone), a former CIA explosives expert turned freelance hitman, who is approached by May Munro (Stone), a woman seeking revenge against the powerful Miami crime family responsible for the murder of her parents; the family boss Joe Leon (Rod Steiger), and his son Tomas (Eric Roberts), were directly involved in the killings. Ray agrees to take the job, and begins a steamy relationship with the femme fatale May, but as soon as Ray starts targeting members of the Leon family he finds himself at odds with Ned Trent (James Woods), a former CIA colleague, who is now a security expert working for the Leon family. Read more…
ED WOOD – Howard Shore
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Edward D. Wood Jr. was an American filmmaker, actor, and writer, best known for his low-budget, unconventional films, often cited as some of the worst ever made. Despite lacking technical skill and often facing financial constraints, Wood had a passionate drive for filmmaking, and he eventually became known for two B-movies released in the 1950s: Glen or Glenda (1953), and Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959). Wood was also known for his eccentricities, including his love of angora and cross-dressing, which he incorporated into his films. Though ridiculed in his lifetime, he later gained a cult following and is now mostly celebrated for his unique, optimistic vision. Read more…
TERMINAL VELOCITY – Joel McNeely
THROWBACK THIRTY
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
Terminal Velocity was the first of two action movies set in the world of skydiving to hit cinema screens in 1994 (the other was the much more popular and successful Drop Zone, scored by Hans Zimmer). This film was directed by Deran C. Sarafian and starred Charlie Sheen as former Olympic gymnast-turned-daredevil skydiver Richard “Ditch” Brodie. One day a woman named Christa Morrow (Nastassja Kinski) comes to Ditch’s skydiving school asking him to teach her how to jump, but then apparently dies in a freak accident, leaving Ditch in legal trouble. Later, Ditch discovers that Christa is alive and is actually part of a complex conspiracy involving stolen gold and Russian mobsters; Christa is a former KGB agent trying to stop a group of criminals from using the gold to finance a coup in Russia. Despite the film containing some admittedly rather impressive aerial stunts and action sequences – including a pivotal scene which features Sheen falling to earth while at the wheel of a Cadillac Allanté – the film turned out to be as ridiculous as the plot suggests, and flopped badly with both critics and audiences. Read more…
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