Ratso’s hang-ups, Sumner’s ordeal, Braddock’s sexual desire: The Life and Characters of Dustin Hoffman
Everyone who interviews Dustin Hoffman leaves with the same thoughts on the man: warm, intelligent, and accommodating. His small physical stature – there’s only 5ft 6in of the man – is dismissed by a presence that fills the room. He is a complete part of the Hollywood furniture: iconic and recognisable in both looks and voice. He is Tinseltown gold and a legend of the film industry.
As a child – although I did not know it …

Sam Peckinpah’s notorious Straw Dogs was banned in the UK for many years. Finally released uncut in 2002 audiences could make up there own mind about the film’s hard-hitting and shocking violence that includes a protracted double rape of a young woman. Whatever way you perceive the film it is undoubtedly a thought-provoking and intense piece of work. Daniel Stephens attempts to pick apart the film’s underlying message.