Specials

The scarlet seductress. The crimson temptress. The woman in red. We take a look at this visually arresting fixture of film culture since the dawn of cinema.

The astronaut’s spacesuit has been a repository for the imagination for a century of cinema - long before we actually launched into orbit. How has the space voyager’s suit been presented and dreamt up by the movie industry over the years?

Celebrating the big-screen collaborations of writer-director Nora Ephron and actress rom-com queen Meg Ryan: When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless In Seattle and You've Got Mail.

During the turbulent era of Vietnam and Watergate, documentary and fiction films fiercely questioned the status quo. But how close did American cinema come to pin-pointing the troubling truths behind the 'silent majority'? Is there a reason so many of the most radical among them are forgotten now?

Doll's houses are metaphorical spaces of sanitised control, but they can be as unsettling as they are comforting. Why are we at once drawn to and repelled by these miniature worlds?

How director Tim Burton and production designer Anton Furst created Batman's moody metropolis in a Buckinghamshire backlot, raised the bar for practical filmmaking craft and set the standard for the ensuing three decades of superhero cinema.

In 1999, no one saw M Night Shyamalan's chilling drama The Sixth Sense and its shocking narrative curveballs coming. Here's how an unknown filmmaker delivered an unexpected horror hit and redefined the twist ending forever.

A peek behind the makeup as we find out what makes cinematic clowns so scary.

What does the size of an action star's biceps say about cinema and society at large? From silent cinema's athletic matinee idols to the ultra-buff super-hunks of the 21st Century, Inside Cinema examines how masculinity on the big screen reflects both pride and prejudice.

Inside Cinema sinks its teeth into the female cannibal in film.

One giant leap for dad... How the unknowable reaches of space are often the perfect location for examinations of the bonds of parenthood, from intergalactic space operas such as Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy to the hard sci-fi of Interstellar and Contact.

How a sound effect became the ultimate movie in-joke, appearing in hundreds of films, from the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises to the likes of Toy Story and Reservoir Dogs.

Lights, camera, drag queens - Trixie Mattel's guide to drag on film, from the fiercest, most sickening looks in golden-era cinema to divine cult hits and runway-ready modern classics, we're serving movie eleganza extravaganza. Category is: silver screen glamour realness, and girl, you better work.

Tearing up cinema for 60 years: youngsters on motorbikes, scooters and bicycles. Take a ride with Inside Cinema and the big-screen bikers who kickstarted a cultural revolution - from Marlon Brando's leather-jacketed Wild One to the parka-clad mods of Quadrophenia and beyond.

How three films revolutionised musicals and brought sex and spectacle to the big screen.

Cosy up as we unravel one of cinema's most pointedly-used garments: the humble jumper.

Who dies in a house like this? Join us for a guided tour of the home of your nightmares, a killer crib crafted by master filmmakers who know how best to chill us to the bone. Home is where the fear is, after all.

Are the villains of the Disney universe the real heroes we need? Inside Cinema turns rogue and celebrates the fabulous, scene-stealing, surprisingly sympathetic baddies found in Disney classics such as The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Sleeping Beauty.

Why are some of the most nightmare-inducing movies actually intended for children?

How digital de-aging is conquering Hollywood, granting stars eternal, cinematic youth.

Inside Cinema trains its magnifying glass on a pratfalling archetype of crime fiction.

Nikki Bedi and Inside Cinema tour the cutting-edge of socially-conscious Indian cinema.

Inside Cinema rifles through the robes, capes and costumes of a galaxy far, far away to explore what can be learned from a character's chosen get-up. From Darth Vader's fearsome duds to Queen Amidala's flashy frocks, the fashion is strong with this one...

The perfect companion to our purr-fect companions: a history of felines on film.

Inside Cinema explores how - and why - the best Christmas movies are far from heart-warming. From The Grinch to Bad Santa, It’s a Wonderful Life to Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, this festive trip to the cinema is guaranteed to bring an icy tear to your cheek.

Grab your avocado toast: Inside Cinema looks at a misunderstood generation’s life on film, exploring how this diverse group has been shaped by socio-political upheaval, economic recession, and dramatic developments in technology.

All aboard! Go trainspotting with Inside Cinema for an in-depth survey of trains on film.

Bring a brolly, as Inside Cinema explores how films simply don't do light drizzle, and instead use rain as an epic intensifier, a romcom matchmaker, or a reliable way to take stories to the edge.

What is both concealed and revealed when characters in films apply make-up? And what do make-up scenes have to tell us about femininity, performance, and the masks we wear?

The '90s saw A-list casts baring all in tales of high-concept intrigue... they vanished.

Get into the groove with Inside Cinema's look at iconic dance scenes in '80s teen movies.

Inside Cinema salutes cinema’s iconic duos and explores what makes a film friendship.

They say you can’t choose family. But the Fast and Furious franchise begs to differ.

Crack open a cold one with Inside Cinema as we explore how the blockbuster series is fuelled by the human body’s natural nitrous oxide: love.

Spoofs, Bond spoofs. Inside Cinema takes aim at the subgenre of spies that have parodied 007, from the shaggadelic International Men of Mystery to the sharp dressed Kingsmen.

The most romantically-charged moments in films are often those before the kissing starts.

Michael Leader explores how legendary Japanese filmmakers Studio Ghibli find magic in the everyday in beloved animated classics such as Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro - in which everything from cooking and cleaning to trains, planes and rain is made fantastical.

One, two, three, four! Elizabeth Sankey sings the praises of cinema's best bands, from the almost-famous groups that act like dysfunctional families to the head-banging pomp-rockers who take themselves far too seriously.

How does cinema treat women's lust? Christina Newland takes a close look at films that allow female desire to come to the fore - from Mae West's saucy one-liners to the rippling muscles of Magic Mike.

From Vertigo and Jaws to Raging Bull and Goodfellas... Tim Robey zooms in on a highly effective and ubiquitous camera technique that has left heads spinning for over 60 years.

n the age of Instagram, what is the function of the feature-length pop doc? And just how revealing can it be? Simran Hans explores why global superstars like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, MIA and Lady Gaga are handing over the camera and turning to the format of the all-access documentary.

25 years on from the release of Clueless, Rhianna Dhillon argues that the teen movie is the perfect setting for radical adaptations of classic literature, from She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You to Cruel Intentions and She's The Man.

In the movies, a dream holiday can mean anything from a makeover to a murder spree...

Beth Webb explores how movies can subvert the patriarchal concept of the beauty pageant.

Catherine Bray takes a look at the most dramatic place to set a scene in film: the cinema.

Mike Muncer explores the dark, uncanny world of filmmaker David Lynch.

How have filmmakers used multiple points of view of the same event to challenge notions of truth in cinema?

Jessica Kiang demystifies a storytelling technique that has kept viewers guessing since 1950, from Akira Kurosawa's pioneering murder-mystery to the recent whodunnit hit Knives Out.

Zing Tsjeng examines a Hollywood stereotype of Asian women: the cold, crafty Dragon Lady.

Leslie Byron Pitt salutes the smug, self-serving supporting characters we love to hate.

Raise a glass to the boozer, a familiar fixture in film that reflects British life.

Elizabeth Sankey casts a critical eye over cinema's complex relationship with wickedly powerful women, from the devilish delights of The Witches of Eastwick and The Craft to the fiendishly subversive The Witch and The Love Witch.

Alex Dudok de Wit gets to grips with the hand-crafted art of stop-motion puppet animation.

Pamela Hutchinson gives a guided tour of the British coast on the big screen, investigating how filmmakers use the beach to examine British life, identity and social taboos.

Ellen E Jones spends a night on the town examining how the big and small screen likes to party, from the steamy housebound scenes of Lovers Rock to the beatific highs of the rave film.

Singer. Fashion maverick. Queer icon. Meme queen. Punchline. How about Oscar-winning actor? As part of International Women's Month Anna Bogutskaya celebrates the talents of Cher.

Hanna Flint asks if a Strong Female Character kicking ass is always empowering?

Grace Barber-Plentie’s body-positive celebration of how being fat and female on film has evolved from a lazy punchline to a reflection of the reality of so many beautiful women.

Pamela Hutchinson sings the praises of film's faithful sisters, exploring Black Narcissus to Sister Act, and cinema's habit of using nuns for moral dilemmas and sacred singalongs.

Boo! Mike Muncer examines a filmmaking technique used to jolt viewers out of their seats in everything from the most frightening horror films to family-friendly franchises.

Why do so many big-screen villains seem to be pointedly camp?

Caspar Salmon decodes a trope seen in films ranging from Psycho, to Skyfall, to several Disney animated classics.

Dewi Evans waxes lyrical about films that breathe new life into songs we know and love, from the classic Singin' in the Rain to the ultimate jukebox musical, Moulin Rouge.

Ali Plumb explores how a movie in-joke has become a key part of the franchise toolkit, from the days of Hitchcock appearing in his own films, to the interconnected Marvel Universe

Carl Anka assembles a squad of big-screen gems that best capture the power of football, from Gregory's Girl and Bend It Like Beckham to the innovative documentary Diego Maradona.

Leila Latif explores how the Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembène challenged the legacy of colonialism and pioneered a cinema by, for and about the people of Africa, celebrating the lives, languages and communities of the continent in films ranging from Mandabi to Moolaadé.

Tara Judah explores how the appeal of the body-swap comedy is far from skin-deep, offering characters and viewers an entertaining opportunity for understanding and self-reflection

Wendy Ide surveys the strange spaces created when films don't follow the laws of physics, providing a window into the minds of the characters at the heart of the story.

James King salutes the rise of the one and only Keanu Reeves, from 90s hunk in the likes of Speed and Point Break to the 21st-century icon of The Matrix and John Wick franchises.

Caitlin Quinlan champions the films that give longshots their time to shine, from the Italian Stallion in Rocky to the girls dreaming of football stardom in Bend it Like Beckham.

As the British Film Institute mounts a career retrospective showcasing the influential career of the legendary actress Bette Davis, Anna Bogutskaya celebrates the uncompromising, trailblazing Hollywood icon who broke the mould in films ranging from All About Eve to What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Christina Newland goes the distance with the champions of the boxing movie genre, arguing that the boxing film is about so much more than two people punching each other. The relationship between boxing and the movies is almost as old as cinema itself, and filmmakers have often used the boxing ring as the perfect stage for explorations of the darker, complex and troubling aspects of the American Dream.

What precisely is a MacGuffin? Jake Cunningham on the piece of storytelling jargon that refers to something that motivates a film's characters and plot but is, it could be argued, ultimately insignificant. From the Maltese Falcon to the elusive Rabbit's Foot in Mission: Impossible III, to The Dude's rug in The Big Lebowski, these objects really tie a film together.

Why does Western cinema's vision of the future look so East Asian? Zing Tsjeng investigates the phenomenon of techno-orientalism, a term coined to describe how Hollywood science fiction movies have used cultural touchstones associated with Japan, China or Korea when depicting futuristic settings, as seen in films ranging from Blade Runner and Firefly to Pacific Rim and Isle of Dogs.

What does it take to shatter the glass ceiling and rule the boardroom on the big screen? From Working Girl to The Devil Wears Prada, Jan Asante salutes the defiant, complex women of the workplace comedy-drama, and the everyday struggles that make them who they are.

The Gay Best Friend: limiting, outdated, stereotype - or potentially empowering representation? Maybe it's somewhere in-between. James Victoria Luxford looks at the GBF on screen, from My Best Friend's Wedding to Four Weddings and a Funeral, and to more recent films centring gay characters, in Love, Simon and Booksmart.

How very! Charting the spectacular rise, fall and comeback story of era-defining star and Generation X icon Winona Ryder, from Heathers and Beetlejuice to Black Swan and Stranger Things. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Winona Ryder appeared in several acclaimed and zeitgeist-grabbing films, including Edward Scissorhands, Little Women and Reality Bites, but being so closely associated with a specific cultural moment made it hard for her to stay in the spotlight into the 2000s. However, this has proved to be a blessing as well as a curse, as a wave of nostalgia for the 1980s has since brought Winona back onto our screens where she rightly belongs, introducing a whole new generation to her unique talents.

Do not try this at home! Charles Bramesco digs into the cultural phenomenon of Jackass. From their grungy early experiments on MTV to their increasingly ambitious exploits on the big screen, this episode of Inside Cinema asks: are these pranksters low-budget slapstick geniuses, or just plain irresponsible?

People who are actually attracted to more than one gender are everywhere in the real world, whether they decide to call themselves straight, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual — or prefer not to label their sexuality. But bisexuality is more often hinted at or implied in cinema, and when bisexuality is mentioned by name, it’s not always exactly flattering. But just because the movies don’t feature loads of out and proud bisexuals in lead roles, doesn’t mean bisexual behaviour, coded or otherwise, isn’t a big part of cinema — whether or not the B-word is ever mentioned. Catherine Bray looks at bisexuality onscreen, to see how bisexuals have been characterised — and mischaracterised — in pop culture.

As the British Film Institute launches a nationwide Akira Kurosawa retrospective, Jasper Sharp celebrates one of the titans of Japanese cinema, whose innovative and influential films have thrilled audiences around the world, from the Oscar-winning Rashomon, a film widely heralded as launching the wide-scale international interest in Japanese cinema in the 1950s, to the classic action-adventure films Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, to Kurosawa's resetting of Shakespeare in feudal Japan, Throne of Blood and Ran.

Bon Appétit! Jacob Stolworthy on how the humble dinner table never fails to serve up delicious movie moments, playing a crucial supporting role in everything from the cringeworthy comedy mishaps of Meet the Parents and Back to the Future, to the tense family drama of Boyhood and American Beauty, to the violent crime thrillers of Goodfellas and Sicario. Table settings can make outlandish characters a little more relatable, or they can add extra flavour to scenes of horror and absurdity, as seen in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Eraserhead. Far from an inanimate object, the dinner table can bring any film to life.

Leila Latif on what to expect when you're expecting on the big screen, from the familiar romcom cliches of morning sickness and crazy food cravings, to the films that deal with the more existential side of being pregnant, such as the classic psychological horror Rosemary's Baby, and Alice Lowe's low-budget gem Prevenge, which she wrote, directed and starred in while she herself was heavily pregnant.

How a working class boy from Bristol became one of the brightest stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, the height of silver-screen sophistication in films ranging from His Girl Friday and An Affair to Remember, to Bringing Up Baby and North By Northwest. But while Cary Grant (born Archibald Leach) may have come to symbolise the epitome of Hollywood style and glamour, it was the irresistible tension between his on-screen persona and the real man behind it that fuelled his star appeal.

One franchise to rule them all... Catherine Bray explores how director Peter Jackson used both classic and cutting-edge techniques to craft his big-screen adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy trilogy. Made in the 20th century, and released in the 21st, The Lord of The Rings simultaneously bade farewell to modes of filmmaking that had existed for a century, while heralding the rise of new methods of storytelling that would inform the cinema of the next hundred years.

This is the end... or is it? Michael Leader sits through the credits and celebrates the films that litter their closing credit sequences with outtakes, teasers, and other treats. From the Marvel Cinematic Universe's mastery of the post-credits 'stinger' that introduces new characters and sets up epic franchise crossovers, to the reign of the 'blooper reel' in the comedies of the 1980s and 1990s, to the films that use their credit sequences to break the fourth wall and directly address the audience.

James King celebrates the Christmas film, exploring how cinema has brought yuletide cheer to our screens for over a century, from 1898's pioneering silent film Santa Claus, to the enduring festive classic It's A Wonderful Life, to the modern-day comedy cracker Elf, to the sometimes controversial, 'alternative' Christmas favourite, Die Hard.

Rhidian Davis, BFI Cultural Programme Manager & BFI Bowie Season Programmer, investigates how the Starman himself looked to the silver screen when crafting his greatest musical creations, drawing inspiration from the likes of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange for the smash-hit 'Space Oddity' and his breakthrough album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. This episode then explores how Bowie, at the height of his fame, went through many ch-ch-changes as a film star in his own right, from The Man Who Fell to Earth and Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence to Labyrinth and The Prestige

Matron! Mike Muncer examines a series that epitomised British comedy for a generation, and now serves as the perfect case study in changing tastes in cinema, culture and humour.

Tom Huddleston boldly goes where no Inside Cinema has gone before, with a deep dive into space, the final frontier, as portrayed in the big screen adventures of the crew of the Starship Enterprise.

From the romantic hesitations of Four Weddings and A Funeral to the camp villainy of Paddington 2, the evolution of Hugh Grant has been a delight to behold. Tim Robey celebrates a Very English actor.

From sitcom star to Oscar-winning screen royalty, Anna Smith charts the rise of the versatile British actress Olivia Colman.

From West Philadelphia to Hollywood Royalty, Rhianna Dhillon takes a look at the back catalogue of the man they call Big Will: the star of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 90s blockbuster icon, and current Oscar hopeful, Will Smith

How an Italian-American kid from the mean streets of New York became one of cinema's greatest filmmakers. Christina Newland explores the signature style and expansive worldview of Martin Scorsese, from the crime thrillers Taxi Driver and Goodfellas, to his explorations of faith in The Last Temptation Of Christ and Silence.

Marilyn Monroe endures as one of the legendary icons of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and is often remembered as the blonde bombshell with the tragic personal life cut short at the age of 36. For Inside Cinema, Lucy Bolton celebrates Marilyn as a multi-talented and multi-faceted performer, with a body of work that encompassed all genres and consisted of more than 30 films, ranging from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Some Like it Hot and The Seven Year Itch, to Niagara, The Misfits and How to Marry a Millionaire.

James King celebrates the British actors who are simply the best at being bad, delivering the devilish goods in Hollywood blockbusters for close to a century. From Anthony Hopkins' frighteningly brilliant turn in Silence of the Lambs, to Alan Rickman's legendary star-making performance in Die Hard, Inside Cinema explores why American filmmakers turn to Brits to bring their nastiest villains to life.

Lights, camera, action! Jamie Maisner investigates the films that turn the camera on filmmaking itself, from Hollywood classics Sunset Boulevard and Singin' in the Rain, to indie gems Son of Rambow and One Cut of the Dead. Does cinema always paint a flattering portrait of itself, or does it expose the seedy side of the film industry? Or does it celebrate the spirit of creativity and teamwork that lies behind every production?

No one loves love as much as Hollywood, but what happens after the romance ends? For Inside Cinema, Ann Lee looks at big-screen breakups, from Legally Blonde and La La Land to (500) Days of Summer and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, exploring what films about the ends of relationships tell us about love, life and moving on to the next chapter.

A dazzling journey through jewellery in film, asking the question: are diamonds truly a girl's best friend, or are there deeper pearls of wisdom to mine? Nicole Davis explores how these prized objects relate to on-screen themes of obsession, desire, ownership and romance, in the likes of Pretty Woman, Titanic, Moulin Rouge and Uncut Gems.

That's all, folks! Inside Cinema celebrates the best and most memorable final lines in film history, from Casablanca and The Wizard of Oz, to The Italian Job and Back to the Future. What makes a great final line? And what do our favourite endings tell us about the magic of the movies?

Rowan Ellis explores how 'coming out' scenes on screen reflect changing social attitudes towards sexuality, from indie gems But I'm A Cheerleader and Beginners, to the landmark teen romantic drama Love, Simon, to the recent films and TV series that depict nuanced, complex personal journeys of characters who don't put a specific label on their identities.