Due to POD requirements and restrictions, a larger typeface would have made this book impossible to issue in print form. Kate Hardie quite rightly called me out on this after reading several such mentions of her on my blog, and I owe her thanks, as well as an apology.įinally, apologies for the small typeface, which will undoubtedly require the use of reading glasses for some readers (though myopics, like me, can probably manage without them, provided the light isn't too dim). I have accordingly cut several references to actresses getting naked in films, as though this were a choice they made themselves and not, in most cases, an obligation imposed on them by male film-makers. It has now been five years since I first published the Billson Film Database as an ebook, and another thing that caught my attention was how drastically social attitudes have changed in that period, mostly (in my opinion) for the better.įor example, the MeToo movement that gained momentum in 2017 has made me re-examine throwaway comments which I clearly once thought were amusing, but which now strike me as crass. At one point I googled the term anal-retentive to see if it really needed that hyphen, and found that Number Three in Top 5 Signs You Are Anal-Retentive was You look up anal-retentive to see whether it needs a hyphen. Give me a space between two vaguely associated words and I'll stick a hyphen in there, whether or not it's required. I have also tried to moderate what can only be described as an addiction to hyphens. I took advantage of this new print edition of the Billson Film Database to correct typos that slipped unnoticed through previous proof readings, add or subtract stars to reflect changes of opinion, delete topical comments that are now outdated or irrelevant, and generally regularise spelling and punctuation, particularly with regard to numerals and the anglicisation of Korean proper names. In other words, anyone reading more than a couple of reviews at a single sitting should therefore be prepared to experience feelings of déjà vu - another term I trot out so often you will almost certainly keep getting the feeling you've seen it before. Every great performance is a tour de force, people's lives are continually being turned upside down, and poor Yuen Woo-ping, a man with decades of directing under his belt, will forever be referred to as the bloke who choreographed the fight scenes in The Matrix.
However, because they were published not all at once, but in weekly increments over the course of a decade, sharp-eyed readers will spot a great many self-plagiarisms, repetitions and other evidence of limited vocabulary.įor example, I seem to have been particularly fond of the cliché no cliché left unturned. They have been lightly edited to remove topical references, to correct obvious mistakes, and to reflect personal changes of opinion. The reviews are not written for film buffs, but for the literate albeit non-specialist readership of a national newspaper - read by all ages, hence the occasional gentle caution about language, sex or gore. For the same reason, you won't find reviews of the most recent releases. Since these reviews were written to tie in with broadcasts on British television, you will not find reviews of every film ever made. Style, content and length of each review have been dictated by editorial requirements, space restrictions, print deadlines, changing layouts, and the vagaries of television scheduling, hence apparent eccentricities such as Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid getting twice as much space as Citizen Kane. Most of these were written for the TV pages of the Sunday Telegraph between 20, though a few reviews from other publications have crept in too. This is my personal film database consisting of more than 4100 short film reviews. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.īuffy the Vampire Slayer (BFI TV Classics)īreast Man: A Conversation with Russ MeyerĬopyright © 2013 Anne Billson TABLE OF CONTENTS If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to and purchase your own copy. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. BILLSON FILM DATABASE reviews of more than 4000 films by ANNE BILLSON
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