The straight-faced role Ray Winstone couldn’t take seriously: “That’s when I started to laugh”
Ray Winstone couldn't keep a straight face when a high-profile role was first offered his way, but he eventually realised it was no laughing matter.
‘Lazy Sunday’: the Small Faces’ inadvertent parody of 1960s hippie culture
Sometimes jokes go too far. In 1968, a joke song written by the Small Faces ended up at number two in the UK singles chart, much to the surprise of the band.
Martin Scorsese’s favourite Alfred Hitchcock movie: “It’s a film that I’m obsessed with”
As a lifelong cinephile, Alfred Hitchcock was always going to be an influence on Martin Scorsese, with one movie taking top ...
The love song Johnny Marr wrote about a skyscraper: “It might happen when you look up”
Johnny Marr's songs both solo and with The Smiths have taken him all over the world. But this one was about a skyscraper in ...
Anatomy of a Scene: Buster Keaton’s narrow escape in ‘Steamboat Bill, Jr’
In a scene that is still as iconic now as it was almost a century ago, Buster Keaton survives a brush with death in 'Steamboat Bill Jr.
Maynard James Keenan: ‘The success of Nirvana was just timing’
Maynard James Keenan described how Nirvana achieved success at a crucial cultural period when listeners had grown tired of "hair bands." ...
The directors who saw right through Will Smith: “I’ve always considered myself average talent”
Will Smith got incredibly far on his star power without ever really having to test himself as an actor, a ruse that two filmmakers saw right through.
Did students petition to have Bruce Springsteen expelled from their college?
Bruce Springsteen might have been "born to run", but he was certainly not born to go to school. Read more about the time when he was almost expelled.
The first movie that altered Nicolas Cage’s consciousness: “The ability to change people’s minds”
Nicolas Cage has always existed on his own wavelength, but there was one movie that affected him on a level beyond the ...
Why did John Wayne never serve in the military?
John Wayne became synonymous with war films and westerns during his performing career, but the veteran Hollywood actor never actually served in the forces.
Why did Michael Stipe try to make REM “wallpaper music”?
The music of REM has showcased Michael Stipe's engaging lyrical content. So how does making it feel like wallpaper translate to their fans?
The only sequels John Carpenter would consider making: “Never say never in this damn business”
John Carpenter tended to avoid sequels to his own movies like the plague, although there are several titles that could twist his arm.