2014: a phenomenal year for supporting performances

Continuing my countdown of the best movie feats in various categories, today I take a look at the best supporting actors of the year. To whittle them down to just five contenders was not easy to do, as 2014 produced a wealth of award-worthy performances. Still, in the end, one performance really stood out. Find out who walks home with the gold in the clip below.

The best-looking movies of the year

In part two of my look back on the cinema year 2014, I’m focussing on the cinematography, the use of a camera and lighting on a picture. Many movies looked great this year, but only five made the cut on my list. Which one will be crowned as best achievement in cinematography of 2014? Find out in the video below:

New flash fiction coming in 2015. Now: a look back at the movie year 2014!

Hi, everyone!

I have neglected this blog a bit in the past couple of months. The reason is simple: I’ve been busy writing my new (non-fiction) book and with all the research that goes into that I just haven’t found the time to post a new flash fiction story. Hopefully I should recommence writing short stories in early 2015.

As is my annual habit, I have also collected my thoughts about the movie year that was. The 150-odd films I saw in cinemas in 2014 were varied, often good, but sometimes abysmal, though in the end 2014 turned out to be a pretty fine film year. From today till December 31st, I’ll be posting the cream of the crop in ten different categories, culminating in my top ten movies of the year.

Today, I present the five contenders for Best Supporting Actress. Which one was my favourite? You’ll find out at the end of the clip.

149. I invariably picked the back row

I invariably picked the back row, especially in the smaller theatres, the old ones with the red plush seats, tucked away in a has-been nook of town, where they still had a projector that fed on celluloid. That is where the magic happened.

When the beam of light pushed through the hovering dust and hit that big screen, there was nothing finer than the rattle of the dinky machine to keep you company for an hour or two; the soothing sound of film looping its way towards that flickering beam, one frame at a time.

To me, that is what the movies are all about. Not the screen. Not the beam. But the rattle.

And now they’ve all but taken that away from me. The celluloid trade is dead. And with it that dinky machine and its creaky sprockets. Replaced by hard-drives humming to the silent beat of zeroes and ones. A century of tradition wiped out. And those red plush seats with it.

I still go to the cinema. Still pick the back row.

But though the screens have gotten bigger, to me the pictures have gotten small.

 

Did you enjoy this story? Then why not try the 101 stories in 300 words or less in YOU’RE GETTING SLEEPY, THE HYPNOTIST’S APPRENTICE YAWNED.

Available at the Createspace Store, at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk or any other Amazon store in your territory.  E-book is also available.