On The Comic Crush, we discuss A.L. Kennedy’s tome on the Powell & Pressburger classic. The Pitch: Winston Churchill hated The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, and tried to have it banned when it was released in 1943. But Martin Scorsese, a champion of directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, considers it a masterpiece. It’s a film about desires repressed in favour of worthless and unsatisfying ideals. And it’s a film about how England dreamt of itself as a nation and how this dream disguised inadequacy and brutality in the clothes of honour. A.L. Kennedy, writing as a Scot, is fascinated by the nationalism which The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp explores. She finds human worth in the film and the pathos of stifled emotions and unfulfilled lives. ‘If he is unaware of his passions, ‘ she writes of Clive Candy, the film’s central figure, ‘this is because his pains have become habitual, a part of personality, and because he was never taught a language that could speak of emotions like pain.’. This edition includes a foreword by the author exploring the film's continuing relevance in an age of Brexit, when English and British national identity are deeply contested.

On The Comic Crush, we review Titan’s Star Trek Ii: The Making of The Classic Film. Forty years ago, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan saw Kirk and the U.S.S. Enterprise crew face one of the greatest foes in Star Trek history, Khan Noonien Singh, as well as the death of Spock. Celebrate this landmark anniversary by taking a deep dive into the stories behind this iconic science fiction classic. This beautiful coffee-table book is full to the brim with rare and previously unpublished archival material, behind-the-scenes photography, production art, cut scenes, script extracts, and much more, alongside new and exclusive interviews with the creatives, including director Nicholas Meyer.

On The Comic Crush, to celebrate the BFI’s season of Powell and Pressburer, Cinema Unbound, we discuss Pamela Hutchison’s book on perhaps their most famous collaboration: The Red Shoes. Endlessly fascinating, dark, and bright, The Red Shoes (1948) employs every branch of the cinematic arts to sweep the audience off its feet, invigorated by the transcendence of art itself, only to leave them with troubling questions. Representing the climax of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's celebrated run of six exceptional feature films, the film remains a beloved, if unsettling and often divisive, classic. Pamela Hutchinson's study of the film examines its breathtaking use of Technicolor, music, choreography, editing and art direction at the zenith of Powell and Pressburger's capacity for 'composed cinema'. Through a close reading of key scenes, particularly the film's famous extended ballet sequence, she considers the unconventional use of ballet as an uncanny spectacle and the feminist implications of the central story of female sacrifice.

On The Comic Crush: As someone who loves film and the process of filmmaking, not to mention the cultural reaction and discussion around movies, BFI's Film Classics have been a godsend. They've helped shape the way I look at some of my favourite films, right down to which genre I place these films in. Written by authors who approach films with both a scholarly eye and the passion of movie nerds, BFI Film Classics are an informative and affordable way to learn more about film studies and the art form itself. Here, I've selected some of the best for the spooky season!

On The Comic Crush: The story of how The Godfather was made is as dramatic, operatic, and entertaining as the film itself. Over the years, many versions of various aspects of the movie’s fiery creation have been told—sometimes conflicting, but always compelling. Mark Seal sifts through the evidence, has extensive new conversations with director Francis Ford Coppola and several heretofore silent sources, and complements them with colorful interviews with key players including actors Al Pacino, James Caan, Talia Shire, and others for irresistible insights into how the movie whose success some initially doubted roared to glory.

On The Comic Crush, check out our guide to all the great film books, making of’s and cinematic guides heading your way in October and November!