Features and reviews

Discover the latest from the BFI, the UK’s lead organisation for film, television and the moving image.

Interviews

“There were riots in theatres”: how Exorcist II became horror’s most notorious sequel

Exorcist II: The Heretic is remembered as one of Hollywood's most infamous flops. Ahead of the release of Boorman and the Devil, documentary director David Kittredge explains why its troubled production and bold ambitions deserve a fresh look.

By James Mottram

“There were riots in theatres”: how Exorcist II became horror’s most notorious sequel

Interviews

“I realised any attempt to replicate is going to be a failure”: Sophy Romvari on Blue Heron

By Hope Rangaswami

“I realised any attempt to replicate is going to be a failure”: Sophy Romvari on Blue Heron

Interviews

Saoirse Ronan on Bad Apples, bad teachers and her ambitions as a director

By Lou Thomas

Saoirse Ronan on Bad Apples, bad teachers and her ambitions as a director

Interviews

Desert of the disappeared: Patricio Guzmán on Nostalgia for the Light

By Chris Darke

Desert of the disappeared: Patricio Guzmán on Nostalgia for the Light

Interviews

“I never made a movie to just go make a movie, it was always an exploration of filmmaking”: our world exclusive interview with Tom Cruise

By Isabel Stevens

“I never made a movie to just go make a movie, it was always an exploration of filmmaking”: our world exclusive interview with Tom Cruise

Interviews

All about my mother: Annouchka de Andrade on Sarah Maldoror

By Annouchka de Andrade

All about my mother: Annouchka de Andrade on Sarah Maldoror

From the Sight and Sound archive

The making of a super-producer: Jeremy Thomas interviewed in 2014

By Nick James

The making of a super-producer: Jeremy Thomas interviewed in 2014

From the Sight and Sound archive

The discreet murderer of the bourgeoisie: an interview with Claude Chabrol

By Rui Nogueira and Nicoletta Zalaffi

The discreet murderer of the bourgeoisie: an interview with Claude Chabrol

Interviews

A home movie for Planet Earth: Ed Sayers on his Super 8 odyssey Super Nature

By Brogan Morris

A home movie for Planet Earth: Ed Sayers on his Super 8 odyssey Super Nature

Interviews

Gregg Araki on I Want Your Sex: “The despair of the bad makes the euphoria of the good even more intense”

By Blake Simons

Gregg Araki on I Want Your Sex: “The despair of the bad makes the euphoria of the good even more intense”

From the Sight and Sound archive

“We wanted the film to have a vibrancy, to be larger than life”: Danny Boyle on Trainspotting

By Geoffrey Macnab

“We wanted the film to have a vibrancy, to be larger than life”: Danny Boyle on Trainspotting

Interviews

The Incomer: director Louis Paxton on his darkly funny tale of siblings, islands and isolation

By Lou Thomas

The Incomer: director Louis Paxton on his darkly funny tale of siblings, islands and isolation

Interviews

“It’s never quite brutal enough for Chris”: The Odyssey cast reveal how they created Christopher Nolan’s epic adventure

By Lou Thomas

“It’s never quite brutal enough for Chris”: The Odyssey cast reveal how they created Christopher Nolan’s epic adventure

Interviews

“I use musical theory to shoot an action sequence”: an exclusive online interview with John Woo

By Matthew Thrift

“I use musical theory to shoot an action sequence”: an exclusive online interview with John Woo

Interviews

John Waters on restoring Hairspray and Desperate Living: “The mistakes are part of the charm”

By Blake Simons

John Waters on restoring Hairspray and Desperate Living: “The mistakes are part of the charm”

Interviews

“Films very rarely do this”: the Nirvanna the Band duo on fair use, 80s blockbusters and guerrilla filmmaking

By James Mottram

“Films very rarely do this”: the Nirvanna the Band duo on fair use, 80s blockbusters and guerrilla filmmaking

Black Film Bulletin

“I want to make films about my community”: Akinola Davies Jr

By Nadia Denton

“I want to make films about my community”: Akinola Davies Jr

Interviews

“We use the street as a studio”: music video pioneers Tim & Barry on capturing the early years of grime

By Will Swinburne

“We use the street as a studio”: music video pioneers Tim & Barry on capturing the early years of grime

Interviews

Here be tourists: how a Scottish black comedy satirises cultural Disneyfication

By Katherine McLaughlin

Here be tourists: how a Scottish black comedy satirises cultural Disneyfication

From the Sight and Sound archive

A close encounter with Steven Spielberg

By Richard Combs

A close encounter with Steven Spielberg

Interviews

“We are living in a time when it’s a superpower to be a celebrity”: Tarik Saleh on the culmination of his Cairo trilogy

By James Mottram

“We are living in a time when it’s a superpower to be a celebrity”: Tarik Saleh on the culmination of his Cairo trilogy

Festivals

“When you look at the roles I played, I made a difference in every movie”: Bruce Dern on his life in film

By Nicolas Rapold

“When you look at the roles I played, I made a difference in every movie”: Bruce Dern on his life in film

Interviews

Sigourney Weaver on Star Wars: “It was a view of the future where different aliens worked and lived side by side”

By Lou Thomas

Sigourney Weaver on Star Wars: “It was a view of the future where different aliens worked and lived side by side”

From the Sight and Sound archive

“I make a daily effort to demolish my ignorance”: Roberto Rossellini interviewed in 1976

By Philip Strick

“I make a daily effort to demolish my ignorance”: Roberto Rossellini interviewed in 1976

Interviews

Mike Figgis looks back on Leaving Las Vegas: “My credit rating had gone down a lot. I was known as a troublemaker”

By Lou Thomas

Mike Figgis looks back on Leaving Las Vegas: “My credit rating had gone down a lot. I was known as a troublemaker”

Influences and inspirations

The old movies again, in a different way: Christian Petzold shares 8 influences on Miroirs No. 3

By Nick Chen

The old movies again, in a different way: Christian Petzold shares 8 influences on Miroirs No. 3

Interviews

This is not a Vivaldi biopic: Damiano Michieletto on Primavera

By James Mottram

This is not a Vivaldi biopic: Damiano Michieletto on Primavera

Interviews

“The hope is you’ll feel you’re in a continuous dream”: Gerald Fox on Kinaesthesia

By Josh Slater-Williams

“The hope is you’ll feel you’re in a continuous dream”: Gerald Fox on Kinaesthesia

Interviews

François Ozon on his adaptation of Albert Camus’s The Stranger: “The idea was to make a very erotic movie”

By Lillian Crawford

François Ozon on his adaptation of Albert Camus’s The Stranger: “The idea was to make a very erotic movie”

Interviews

How we brought the ‘Madfabulous’ life of Wales’s ‘dancing marquess’ to the screen

By Lillian Crawford

How we brought the ‘Madfabulous’ life of Wales’s ‘dancing marquess’ to the screen