Two strangers from radically different walks of life meet by chance while commuting to some destination, not realizing the serendipity of such an encounter – this is a common trope that has existed almost as long as stories have been told. There’s something so compelling about chance meetings, and whether they result in a romantic…

The majority of us know the character of Roxie Hart from either the theatrical sensation Chicago, or the well-received film adaptation that immortalized Bob Fosse’s iconic staging and the unforgettable music by John Kander and Fred Ebb for future generations to experience for themselves. However, the character has existed much longer than many of us…

Everything must inevitably come to an end, even those entities that we genuinely believe could last forever. For decades, the Marx Brothers were the gold standard of comedy, and whether on stage or in film, they were always the definition of pure charisma and talent, being at the forefront of the movement that took many…

You’d certainly be hard-pressed to find a film produced since the 1940s that didn’t owe some of its existence to Casablanca, whether it be the iconic imagery, memorable characters or memorable dialogue. The latter occupies a slightly odd position, since arguably the most famous line in the film, where the suave but mysterious Rick Blaine…

Over time, one of the greatest joys of my journey into the world of cinema was realizing how Russia is responsible for some of the greatest films of all time – and we aren’t even discussing the likes of Eisenstein and Tarkovsky, who have been universally canonized as tremendous filmmakers. Instead, I’m referring to the…

By the time you have mastered a particular genre, to the point where you are considered one of the most influential figures to have ever worked within it, you can afford to take a few risks on occasion. Mel Brooks is inarguably one of the greatest comedic filmmakers to have ever worked in the medium,…

We have spoken extensively about the concept of the screwball comedy, and this discussion isn’t going to be any different. I have endeavoured to do my best to venture right to the very start of the genre, exploring its origins – and while the general fact of the matter is that the pioneering works would…

Who of us doesn’t love a good underdog story? There is something so compelling about those tales of outsiders and oddballs defying the odds and emerging victorious, and while these are often very predictable, they can be quite endearing, especially when done well. One recent example of how effective such a film can be when…

While it is a genre that has gone in many different directions, when it comes to comedy, there are a few films that are considered not only deeply important, but essentially function as cultural touchstones, reflections of social and historical moments that are much deeper than just works of humour. La Cage Aux Folles is…

The stoner comedy has always been seen as a controversial genre – not only does it centre on protagonists that are known to partake in a forbidden substance, their behaviour supposedly condones laziness, disrespect and utter incompetence. Yet, they’ve remained so beloved for one simple reason: they’re relentlessly funny, and offer more valuable laughter than…