Straight From a Movie / The film journal
Movie blog. Beyond the credits.
A film doesn’t always end when the credits roll. Here we revisit the scenes, memories and ideas that keep coming back, through personal essays and guest voices.
A few places to begin.
Film conversations
When two characters hold the screen
Michael McKown picks three memorable one-on-one conversations from film history.
27 Mar 2025
Cinema & culture
The films that shape us
A personal essay on how cinema colours the way we see our own lives.
9 May 2015
Nostalgia
A first encounter with dinosaurs
A return to Jurassic Park, a school television and the wonder of watching it for the first time.
21 Jun 2015
More from the film journal
Browse the rest of the archive, from character studies to film history and personal reflections. Publication dates are shown so older pieces can be read in context.
What is the Terminator Boy Edward Furlong up to these Days?
Read the article →: What is the Terminator Boy Edward Furlong up to these Days?When was the last time you heard that name? Eddie or Edward Furlong? You might remember him as the Terminator Boy who played…
Understanding Arrival Movie | Full Arrival Movie Explained with Spoilers
Read the article →: Understanding Arrival Movie | Full Arrival Movie Explained with SpoilersFinally got some time to write the explanation of one mind-bender of a movie Arrival! Such a beautiful concept Arrival movie has that…
Before The Flood Movie (2016) | The Damage Is Done | Let’s Undo It
Read the article →: Before The Flood Movie (2016) | The Damage Is Done | Let’s Undo ItBefore The Flood movie is an eye opener. It kills me inside to see how inconsiderate we have been all our life, to…
What Does The Tree of Life Movie Mean? | Analysis and Meaning Explained
Read the article →: What Does The Tree of Life Movie Mean? | Analysis and Meaning ExplainedTerrence Malick’s project The Tree of Life movie has eluded many. So many epic tree life quotes strewn all across the movie that…
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children: Ending Explained
Read the article →: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children: Ending ExplainedI am assuming a lot of you were left scratching your heads after watching the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children movie. Must be…
Why was The Blair Witch Project so popular? Exploring Marketing Strategy
Read the article →: Why was The Blair Witch Project so popular? Exploring Marketing StrategySeven years ago, when The Blair Witch Project showed up, it had the world dancing to its tune. Why, you ask? Well apart…
Keep the conversation going.
Have a film, a memory or an idea you’d like us to explore?