Edward Scissorhands (1990)

 A film that cuts deep...

Described as a `Gothic fantasy film`, Edward Scissorhands is one of my favourite movies, definitely in my top 10, of all time. I remember when it came out I went to see it several times at the cinema and since then have re-watched it periodically. Of course it has now been thirty five years since then and time has marched on. Yet the film still weaves a lot of magic for me even if it may not be the overwhelming emotions I felt when I first saw it. I was younger then, less lived. At the time I saw it as a fable for loneliness and not fitting in and while it is those things, now I can appreciate the other aspects more. It’s not just about loneliness or belonging, it’s about generosity, jealousy, misunderstanding and awkwardness. Yeah, it’s still pretty amazing.

Master of the World (1961)

 

Jules Verne was a popular go-to source for action films in the Fifties and Sixties. The likes of Around the World in 80 Days, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Mysterious Island and 20,000 Leagues Under the sea did their best to interpret Verne’s vivid stories albeit with budgets that were not always large enough and cinematic effects not fully developed to be convincing. Yet you can’t beat a good idea and these movies were not always adaptations intended to necessarily match Verne’s vision but designed to make a lot of money from ground breaking special effects and heroic action. Released in 1961, Master of the World puts together two of the author’s books for a story with an interesting moral dilemma.