Ellen Cheshire

Lisa Frankenstein (2024, Zelda Williams) Here's the 22nd batch of #52FilmsByWomen watched since taking the pledge in 2016. This blog...

Well, that was a bit of a mad dash, but I managed to watch 35 out of the 50 nominated films before the Oscars! With the big night approaching, here are my predictions for who I think will  win and who should  win in each category. After the ceremony, I’ll update this post with the actual winners—let’s see how many I get right! In 2024, I correctly predicted 16  winners , and in 2023, I only got 12  right . Updated on 3 March 2025 with those who did win. I predicted 15 of 23,

My ambitious plan to rewatch everything I saw in theatres and cinemas in 1984 (on the same dates in 2024) has come to an end. The blogs...

It’s January 2025, and time to rewind back to 1975 as I watch seven films from that year that I’ve never seen before. Plus, a revisit of...

In 1984, my love for cinema was in full swing. From animated classics to epic adventures, romantic comedies to gripping dramas, the films...

In 1984, I saw 21 live theatrical productions, from lavish West End musicals to intimate plays and even a few pantomimes. Forty years later, in 2024, I set myself a challenge: to revisit as many of those performances as possible. Read more about the whole challenege here. On the same day I had seen them in 1984! Some shows were still so popular that they were running somewhere, some had been revived, whilst others I could only find film versions, amateur productions recorded

Against All Odds (15) In 1984, at age 13 to 14, my relationship with theatre and film changed forever. It was the year I transitioned from simply attending shows with my family to venturing out on my own. I snuck into my first 15-certificate films and took my 8-year-old brother to movies meant for much younger audiences. That year, I saw 21 live performances and 30 films at the cinema wish I’d kept a track of what I watched on telly too.  Although doodles in school exercise f

Wow, what a year 2024 was for culture! This list is just the tip of the iceberg. Over the past 12 months, I managed to see an incredible 84 films at the cinema, 58 live shows, and more exhibitions than I can count (thanks to the National Art Pass I got as a Christmas present in December 2023). It was a year of rich cultural delights! Here are my absolute favourites from each month, the highlights that made the year unforgettable. January Top Exhibition:   Lee Miller: Dressed

As we step into 2025, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the films that made 2024 so memorable. A huge shoutout to letterboxd for making it easy to compile these year-end lists. I logged an impressive 869 films this year, including 666 first-time watches and 203 re-watches. I saw 84 films in cinemas, with the rest enjoyed at home. Curious to see everything I watched? Check out my Letterboxd profile: cheshellen . This year was packed with incredible movie moments, themed watc

2024 has been a fabulous year of rediscovery for me, as I revisited everything I saw at the theatre and cinema in 1984 with my #OTD1984EllenSaw project. This nostalgic journey has not only revitalised my love for theatre but also reminded me why it holds such a special place in my heart. While I've always loved theatre, I’ll admit I had grown a little complacent - cinema is often easier and more affordable. But this year has reignited my passion for live performance and revi

In 1919 a film version of the hit stage show Lads of the Village lurched into cinemas. The show had been touring the UK for two years...

Welcome to Cherbourg! Whether you’re stepping off a boat at the Port of Cherbourg  or arriving by train to the Cherbourg Railway Station , film fans are in for a treat—a leisurely tour through the unforgettable locations of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg , Jacques Demy’s beloved 1964 musical starring Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo. Starting Your Tour by Sea? Head to the Port! If you’re disembarking at the port, you’ll find yourself close-by the very spot where the film be

Here's the 21st batch of #52FilmsByWomen watched since taking the pledge in 2016. This blog covers films watched between May - September...

In 1996, I was studying English and Film at the University of North London (now London Metropolitan University). For an English module titled H.G. Wells and Science Fiction , I wrote an essay analysing the psychological impacts of electronic surveillance in George Orwell's 1984 . Having recently watched Northern Ballet/Jonathan Watkins' dance adaptation of the novel, I decided to revisit that old essay. I dug it out from a dusty, long-abandoned computer and am sharing it here

Some bucket list stops require planes and planning. Others are hiding in plain sight; places you’ve passed a dozen times and always meant to visit one day. From the outside, English Martyrs Church in Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex looks like any other modest parish church. Red brick, low roof, a quiet presence on a suburban street. You could easily pass by without a second glance. But step inside and it’s as if you’ve walked through a wormhole to Renaissance Rome. Because within

After the success of last year's #JeanHagenJune, when I enjoyed a chronological deep dive into Jean Hagen's filmography , this June I dug...

In 1984 I saw 21 live performances & 30 films at the cinema, this year I’m recreating them all. Six months in, how am I doing? Read my...

I Blame Society Here's the 20th batch of #52FilmsByWomen watched since taking the pledge in 2016. This blog covers films watched between...

Jane Campion was born on this day in 1954. To celebrate this great filmmaker make May the month where you'll catch up with her short...

In preparation for a talk in June 2024 on film adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays for Chichester Literary Society last year I asked on...