Rory Fish delivers his expose on the romance genre. He highlights ten films that steer clear of genre stereotypes to open up the boy meets girl story to manly-man types who like a bit of love without the romancing. Read on, you might find a few surprises.

Woody Allen wrote about his beloved New York City, making the classics Annie Hall and Manhattan to name just two. With the same zeal and affection, Steve Martin did the same for his adopted home Los Angeles. The city of angels, with its quirks and idiosyncrasies seen through the eyes of Martin’s existential book of gags, is depicted as a town built on illusion and excess. In Bowfinger Martin pokes fun at the industry that made him a star, in L.A. Story he parodies a pastiche of moments, traits, and people that make Los Angeles unique.

Throughout the decade we were wowed by fantasy, thrilled by action, and frightened by horror, all the while being annoyed by remakes and endless sequels. We had everything turned on its head with numerous twist endings and welcomed new and old Superheroes. New directors entered the scene (Christopher Nolan) and others were finally recognised by mainstream audiences (Peter Jackson, Alexander Payne), while older pros continued to make great movies (Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg).

Caroline (‘Caz’) Ames, over at Lets Go To The Movies, has been busy thinking about one of her favourite actresses lately. Julia Roberts, Hollywood’s biggest female star, who Caz lovingly refers to as ‘Jules’, has consistently put out hit after hit in a career spanning over twenty years since her debut in 1987.
Caz says, ‘I have just always loved her loads. Still to this day I watch her movies over and over, while hoping she will keep making more.’
Caz clarifies her list as one decided on ‘how enjoyable the movie …

“Are you telling me you built a time machine out of a DeLorean”: The Magic of Robert Zemeckis
Robert Zemeckis was once asked if television was a bad influence on children. He answered, emphatically, “television isn’t an education, but I see no reason to turn it off.” What would so many television-starved children give for Zemeckis as a babysitter, or indeed a father: ‘Can I pur-lease watch more TV?’/’Of course you can!’ He was a product of the television generation – this new visual medium that found its way into most …

“Do you like baseball…do you, Anderson?”
“Yeah, I do. You know, it’s the only time when a black man can wave a stick at a white man and not start a riot.” – Mississippi Burning, 1988 (Directed by Alan Parker)
The Birth of Film: The Birth of a Nation
Hollywood has addressed the difficult and often destructive theme of race and prejudice since its early beginnings. The most iconic film of early silent cinema is D.W. Griffith’s “The Birth of a Nation”. It is one of the most lauded films of the period, …

ISABELLA ROSSELLINI’S TOP 10 FILMS
“Blue Velvet” actress and Lancome model Isabella Rossellini picks the films that have brought most joy into her heart. Listed here courtesy of Time Out, she explains each of her choices as she presents a diverse and eclectic mix of movies.
Incidentally, Isabella only lists her top 8 films, which appear below.

1. Some Like It Hot (Wilder, 1959)
She says: “I think Marilyn Monroe was never in sexier form than here in her third-last film playing the uber-zaftig Sugar Kane Kowalczyk. As wonderfully as Orry-Kelly made the gowns …

SAM MENDES’ TOP 10 FILMS
1. Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941)
2. Fanny and Alexander (Bergman, 1982)
3. The Godfather Part II (Coppola, 1974)
4. The Piano (Campion, 1993)
5. The Red Shoes (Powell, Pressburger, 1948)
6. Sunset Blvd (Wilder, 1950)
7. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick, 1968)
8. Taxi Driver (Scorsese, 1976)
9. Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958)
10. The Wizard of Oz (Fleming, 1939)