Stephen Arnell | The Spectator columnists & writers

As fireplace salesman-turned-Education Secretary Gavin Williamson enters the ‘cancel culture’ wars with his planned campus 'free speech law', what better time to investigate the phenomenon as depicted in the movies? There are a surprising number of films that deal with the subject, from every side of the political spectrum, with right-wingers, the left and libertarians all on the receiving end of censorship from the authorities at some point. As always, the focus will be on more recent movies, but first it’s worth mentioning a few older pictures that paved the way for later films. In the 1930s-set The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), the titular educator (Maggie Smith) is ejected due to her romanticised view of fascism, whilst in Marathon Man (1976), Dustin Hoffman’s mature Ph.

The interview on screen: from Frost/Nixon to Basic Instinct

Whilst not exactly (to paraphrase Richard Burton as Marc Anthony in Cleopatra) the 'biggest thing to hit Rome since Romulus & Remus', Oprah Winfrey's recent interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was certainly A Big Deal. With over 17 million viewers watching in the States and 11.3m here, the renegade former royals cannot be ignored. High-stakes interviews have long been a favourite subject of movies. The onscreen celebrity interview is obviously not a recent creation, with the phenomenon depicted in films as far back as Sunset Boulevard, Champagne for Caesar (both 1950), A Face in the Crowd (1957) and of course Fellini’s La Dolce Vita (1960). But as these films show, few encounters go the way that the interviewers or interviewees expect or intend:The Interview (2014) – Amazon Prime, Amazon Rent/BuyFamously yanked off cinema screens due to the offence caused to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North), The Interview is a hoot – and a prescient one at that.

‘Perpetuating falsehoods’: films about royal fiascos

As the nation waits with bated breath for Sunday's broadcast of Oprah Winfrey’s already notorious interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, here's a smorgasbord of royalty in the movies, both real and fictional. With the success of Netflix’s, The Crown at the Golden Globes (granted a semi-seal of approval from Prince Harry) and the threat of yet another biopic of his mother (this time starring Kristen Stewart), the appetite for on screen depiction of ‘The Firm’ shows no sign of lessening. Recently there’s been a slew of saccharine TV movies from the likes of Hallmark and Netflix, all with the same basic plot, namely the travails of ‘inappropriate’ royal romances, which are of course pertinent to the current infighting in the House of Mountbatten-Windsor.

Assassins on screen: from Phoebe Waller-Bridge to Samuel L. Jackson

After Killing Eve, Phoebe Waller-Bridge goes back again to the contract killer well with her upcoming TV re-boot of the 2005 Brad Pitt/Angelina actioner Mr & Mrs Smith. Waller-Bridge will write and co-star with Atlanta’s Donald Glover, who also featured with her in the underwhelming Star Wars prequel Solo (2018). Could this be third time lucky for a TV take on the uxorious assassins? We’ve already had a 1996 series that predated the movie (starring Scott Bakula and Maria Bello) and a 2007 show that never went beyond Doug Liman’s (who also directed the 2005 picture) pilot movie – with Martin Henderson and Jordana Brewster as the titular couple. Over recent years there's been a growing trend for dramas based on the exploits of contract killers - in fact it's now approaching the 'missing child' trope in ubiquity.

Valentine’s films: from the romantic to the surreal

The first Valentine’s Day under lockdown looks set to prove the truth of Shakespeare’s oft quoted proverb: 'the course of true love never did run smooth'. New love is nigh on impossible when couples are forbidden to meet, making technology the next best thing – in terms of communication, that is. An unusual Valentine's Day surely calls for an offbeat film choice. The oddball romance is an established staple in film. Here are some worth relishing on the 14th February:Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (2017) - Amazon Prime & Amazon Prime Rent/Buy Annette Bening and Jamie Bell shine in this semi-fictionalised take on the fading years of idiosyncratic Hollywood star Gloria Grahame (The Big Heat, The Bad & The Beautiful) who met the much younger wannabe actor Peter Turner when she's reduced to living in a down-at-heel boarding house whilst performing on the London stage.

The Golden Globes: 8 of the best nominated films to watch

‘When it comes down to it, I'd rather have an action figure than a Golden Globe.' - Chadwick Boseman The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has delayed the annual Hollywood Press Association Awards by two months; for the first time the show will be a bi-coastal affair, broadcast from the usual venue of The Beverly Hills Hilton on the West Coast and from The Rainbow Room in New York City. In their fourth crack at the gig, the Golden Globe hosts will be Tina Fey (East Coast) and Amy Poehler (West), taking over from Ricky Gervais, who took his fifth turn at presenting the awards last year, where his trademark snark was felt by some to be fast approaching its sell-by-date. This year’s Golden Globes will be unique in a number of ways; with nominations for three female directors, a record number of nods for Netflix and the appearance of the late Chadwick Boseman up for Best Actor in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Sacha Baron Cohen up for Best Actor in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and as Supporting Actor in The Trial of the Chicago 7.

Money money money: 10 movies about the markets

The furore in the US over the rocketing shares of previously written off companies such as GameStop, Blackberry, AMC Entertainment and Macy’s (the ‘Reddit Revolt’) has introduced stock market trading terms to the general public, with some folks newly opining (with a patina of assumed knowledge) about ‘hedge funds’, ‘penny shares’, ‘junk bonds’ ‘short-selling’ and ‘pump and dump’. But this is hardly the first-time similar events have occurred. Way back in 1720 the ‘South Sea Bubble’ saw investors suckered when the South Sea Company collapsed as any hopes of generating income from its monopoly on selling slaves to South America (mostly controlled by Spain and Portugal) had come to nought, despite the enterprise continuing to take on considerable amounts of British government debt.

The White House on screen: films to watch for a Washington fix

President-Elect Joe Biden is due to formally occupy The White House after his inauguration on 20 January 2021. For those who take an interest in such things, The White House was not formally called such until 1901, when President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the building its name. Previously it had been informally known by the term, but also as ‘The President's Palace’, the ‘President's House’, and the ‘Executive Mansion’. For the residence of the most powerful person in the world, The White House is surprisingly modest, considerably smaller than the likes of Buckingham Palace, The Élysée, Quirinal, Kremlin, Hofburg and The Forbidden City. No doubt Trump, who supposedly called the White House a 'real dump', would have wanted something more grandiose in his second, third, fourth etc terms.

10 films featuring Dolly Parton

After the publication of Sarah Smarsh’s She Come By It Natural, the latest biography of the beloved songstress, here's a look at Dolly Parton’s career in the movies. Admittedly, Parton’s filmography can be described as patchy (at best), but there are enough hits, curiosities, and why-on-earth-did-she-do-it? duds to merit a retrospective. And who knows – some of those movies previously deemed as clunkers may be worth a second look. Possibly. Before launching into my film rundown, it’s worth mentioning the frequent use of Dolly’s songs in movies other than hers, often used in a contrapuntal fashion. We’ve had 9 to 5 featured in Deadpool 2 (2018), Islands in the Stream in HBO’s Watchmen (2019), a re-arranged Jolene in Dumplin’ (2018) and most recently, the repeated use (recalling Netflix’s Russian Doll and Harry Nilsson’s Gotta Get Up) of toe-tapper Here You Come Again in HBO Max’s critical hit The Flight Attendant.

From Russia with love: 12 films set in the former Soviet Union

With Russia back in the news yet again, it’s interesting to note how comparatively few English language movies are set in the country. Admittedly in TV there’s been an uptick lately, with two recent series on Catherine The Great in youth/middle age, the Andrew Davies version of War & Peace, McMafia and the multi award-winning Chernobyl. But in terms of film, depictions of Russia are often confined to WWII, Cold War and other (surprise surprise) spy-related themes. Here are a few of the most memorable:Enemy at the Gates (2001, Amazon Rental/Buy) File this under ‘could have been better’. Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Stalingrad epic is hampered by a boring love triangle subplot between Red Army comrades Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, and Rachel Weisz as the object of their affection.

Films to look out for in 2021

For cinema goers 2020 was understandably a year of thin gruel. The advent of Covid-19 meant that many films banking on a big cinema release were shunted to this year - the underwhelming box office performance of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet confirming the wisdom of this choice. Some movies were moved to limited cinema and simultaneous pay-per-view release, such as The Witches and Mulan - a model that Warner Bros have decided to go full tilt with on their streaming service HBO Max. Justifiably this has caused uproar in the creative community, with directors including Nolan and Denis Villeneuve (Dune) particularly vocal.The first fruits of Warner’s decision were the recent release of Wonder Woman 1984; it’s too early to say whether the box office and streaming revenue backs the strategy.

10 films about the last days of rulers

‘All political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and of human affairs.’ Enoch Powell, (Joseph Chamberlain, 1977) As President Donald J Trump witnesses the remaining days of his presidency ebb away, we take a look at the inevitable time when leaders face their ouster. Some face the end with resignation and fortitude, but sadly (for them), many cannot accept that they no longer hold the reins of power. So, as a no doubt disconsolate POTUS tucks into yet another cheeseburger (with two scoops of ice cream to follow), some motion pictures for him to reflect on. ‘My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!’ Ozymandias (1818) - Percy Bysshe Shelley In chronological order of release:Mary, Queen of Scots (2018) – Netflix & Amazon Rent/Buy The monarch has featured in many a movie/TV biopic (played by the likes of Vanessa Redgrave, Samantha Morton, Clémence Poésy, Adelaide Kane, Camille Rutherford and Barbara Flynn), with Saoirse Ronan opting in this instance to play Mary Stuart with a Scottish accent.

Ten films for New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve is bound to be less brash this year – some would ever say melancholic. Strangely many classic New Year movies tend to bend towards a sense of melancholy amid the celebrations, most memorably Billy Wilder’s classic comedy-drama The Apartment (1960). That film at least has a hopeful ending. Unlike say Sunset Boulevard (1950), Splendour in the Grass (1961), Rosemary’s Baby (1968), The Godfather Part II (1974) and especially Looking for Mr Goodbar (1977). Still, things perk up in more recent pictures set on New Year’s Eve; here’s a selection to see 2021 in with; some good, some so-so, and some, well…not so great:About Time (2013) – Amazon Prime & Netflix For me, an enjoyment of work of Richard Curtis is a taste that I’ve so far singularly failed to acquire, so my view of his saccharine nonsensical time travel comedy should be seen through this lens.

Le Carré on screen: 8 adaptations that rival the novels

With the sad news of John le Carré’s (1931-2020) passing this weekend, a retrospective of some of the finest screen adaptations in the writer’s canon. For many aficionados of the genre, le Carré was the unrivalled king of the spy novel, who maintained a remarkably consistent output – his final novel (the satire Agent Running in the Field) was only published just over a year ago. We’ll be looking primarily at movie adaptations, but I’ll also briefly take in the storied history of Le Carré on the small screen. This of course includes the magnificent 1979 adaptation of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (more on this later) as well as the two recent BBC1 big budget series, the sumptuous Night Manager (2016) and the rather more demanding Little Drummer Girl (2018).

Ten underrated thrillers

As we are now well into the unwanted Lockdown sequel and winter approaches, time perhaps to enjoy an enforced home cinema experience with a selection of movie thrillers that you may have missed the first time round. Titles range from big budget star vehicles to smaller scale pictures that introduced us to some of the possible on and off-screen icons of tomorrow.The Coldest Game (2019) – Netflix I came across this Polish-produced Cold War thriller one night when searching for movies similar to Bridge of Spies (2015). Whilst not in the same league as Spielberg’s picture, The Coldest Game has enough twists and turns to engage the viewer, with Bill Pullman (Independence Day) playing an eccentric American chess genius Joshua Mansky, inveigled into spy shenanigans at a tournament in Communist Warsaw circa 1962.

The name’s not Bond: the best cinematic rivals to 007

The Covid-19 delayed No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond, is set for release this November – a more traditional slot for the franchise than the previous April 2020 date. Whilst expectations for the picture may not be quite as high as expected due to the disappointing reception given to 2015’s Spectre, there’s little doubt that Bond fans will be out in force – social distancing permitting. Although we tend to think of Ian Fleming’s character as a unique creation, that hasn’t stopped filmmakers trying to get a piece of the action over the years. Some have proved successful, but many others have fallen by the wayside. Let’s take a look at a few, starting with the new releases and then harking back to the old classics:Tenet (2020) – UK release 12/08/20Christopher Nolan’s long-gestating time-manipulation spy thriller has had fans salivating, as plot details carefully been kept underwraps.

10 short thrillers that are worth a watch

As the lockdown grinds on, how about taking a look at these widely available, relatively low-budget and overlooked thrillers, all featuring twists in the lead characters story arc – played by actors who normally essay more ‘vanilla’-type roles. They’re all pretty watchable and generally don’t tend to overstay their welcome, ideal post 10.30pm fodder. Here we go then, in order of release:Brick (2005)Director Rian Johnson (Looper/Last Jedi/Knives Out) went onto bigger, but not necessarily better things after Brick, his 2005 debut picture. The film has shades of Altman’s The Long Goodbye (1973) and The Black Marble (Harold Becker, 1980), with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as an amateur shamus investigating murder, heroin and organised crime operating in the environs of his California suburban high school.

Brexit would have been Flashman’s finest hour

With the 50th anniversary of the publication of George MacDonald Fraser's first Flashman novel, how would Thomas Hughes’ school bully have handled British politics today — and who’s most like our favourite literary cad? Given recent allegations of sexism and bullying in the Commons, Flash would have found himself at home. If Westminster is a boarding school, Flash would be among the prefects, pushing around the sneaks, sots and brown-nosers, and paying court to those further up the greasy pole. ‘Kiss up, Kick down,’ as they say. Flash is always at his best in a total fiasco, so Brexit would have been his finest hour. Expert at taking multiple positions, on and off the battlefield, he would have changed sides at least once, and then tipped a cellarful of dirt onto his potential rivals.

Cancel culture on film

Cancel culture on film

The interview on screen: from Frost/Nixon to Basic Instinct

The interview on screen: from Frost/Nixon to Basic Instinct

‘Perpetuating falsehoods’: films about royal fiascos

‘Perpetuating falsehoods’: films about royal fiascos

Assassins on screen: from Phoebe Waller-Bridge to Samuel L. Jackson

Assassins on screen: from Phoebe Waller-Bridge to Samuel L. Jackson

Valentine’s films: from the romantic to the surreal

Valentine’s films: from the romantic to the surreal

The Golden Globes: 8 of the best nominated films to watch

The Golden Globes: 8 of the best nominated films to watch

Money money money: 10 movies about the markets

Money money money: 10 movies about the markets

The White House on screen: films to watch for a Washington fix

The White House on screen: films to watch for a Washington fix

10 films featuring Dolly Parton

10 films featuring Dolly Parton

From Russia with love: 12 films set in the former Soviet Union

From Russia with love: 12 films set in the former Soviet Union

Films to look out for in 2021

Films to look out for in 2021

10 films about the last days of rulers

10 films about the last days of rulers

Ten films for New Year’s Eve

Ten films for New Year’s Eve

Le Carré on screen: 8 adaptations that rival the novels

Le Carré on screen: 8 adaptations that rival the novels

Ten underrated thrillers

Ten underrated thrillers

The name’s not Bond: the best cinematic rivals to 007

The name’s not Bond: the best cinematic rivals to 007

10 short thrillers that are worth a watch

10 short thrillers that are worth a watch

Brexit would have been Flashman’s finest hour

Brexit would have been Flashman’s finest hour