Notes from the sketch book

Sadly Mike Hodges passed away this week at the age 90. Mike Hodges was a British filmmaker who has created some of the most iconic and influential films of the last five decades. Through his unique vision and artistic flair, Hodges was able to capture the essence of British culture and turn it into entertaining and thought-provoking films. In this week's notes, we will explore the career of Mike Hodges and his impact on British cinema, as well as look at some of his most popular films. Mike Hodges’ first feature film, Get Carter, was a huge success and established...

So the 1974 movie 'The Conversation' is an unlikely choice for a festive film, but hear me out it is a Christmas movie! How does it qualify as a Christmas movie? well somebody talks about Christmas, there's talk about buying presents for Christmas, it's set at Christmas and features a Christmas tree. Case closed! It's not most festive as it's about paranoia, murder, secrets and lies..... The Conversation revolves around surveillance expert Harry Caul (Gene Hackman), who is hired to secretly record a conversation between two people in a San Francisco park. He is told that the conversation is confidential and...

A couple of years ago I did a sketch a day for a Christmas advent calendar and managed to raise £600 for the charity Mind. Turns out the just giving page is still active so I'm reposting them and if you want to you can visit the page. I'll be adding some new ones every now and then which you can find on our social media pages and suggestions are welcome. We all need help sometimes. Unfortunately mental health issues are increasing especially this year and during the christmas period. I've suffered through tough times myself and know that not...

 Sammy Davis Jr. was a legendary performer who could do just about anything - singing, dancing, comedy, TV, and movies. He'll always be remembered for being part of the Rat Pack, who ruled Las Vegas in the 1950s and 1960s. Davis overcame racism and bigotry to sing, dance and act his way to the top of a career that spanned six decades and included 40 albums, seven Broadway shows, 23 films and countless nightclub and concert performances.   At a young age of three, he was already performing with his dad and Will Mastin in the Will Mastin Trio. His...

A Retrospective on Al Pacino's Iconic Role in Scarface On this day in 1983, scarface had it's movie premiere. ‍ Scarface was among the earliest films in which the expletive F@#k is used persistently, 226 times in total! In movie history, there is no character quite like Tony Montana. The ruthless drug dealer from Scarface made a lasting impact on the cinematic landscape, inspiring countless imitators and becoming a central figure of pop culture. Apart from being one of the most quoted characters ever in film (Say hello to my little friend), he also stands out as one of the...