Dr Deborah Allison
@deborahuk.bsky.social
Cinema programmer and film writer. Latest books: ‘Film Title Sequences: A Critical Anthology’ (2021) | ‘The Films of Aleksandr Rou: Father of Soviet Fairy-Tale Cinema’ (2025)
Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff drink tea on the set of THE BLACK CAT (1934).
November 5, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff drink tea on the set of THE BLACK CAT (1934).
Celebrate Day of the Dead with the mesmerising MACARIO (dir. Roberto Gavaldón, Mexico, 1960). Here’s a short piece I wrote about it for @sensesofcinema.bsky.social: www.sensesofcinema.com/2025/cteq/fr...
November 2, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Celebrate Day of the Dead with the mesmerising MACARIO (dir. Roberto Gavaldón, Mexico, 1960). Here’s a short piece I wrote about it for @sensesofcinema.bsky.social: www.sensesofcinema.com/2025/cteq/fr...
Not long now until this rare chance to see two fantastic BFI Flipside releases up on the big screen at Picturehouse Cinemas around the UK: THE APPOINTMENT (5-8 Oct) and FULL CIRCLE: THE HAUNTING OF JULIA (13-16 Oct). I can’t wait!
September 30, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Not long now until this rare chance to see two fantastic BFI Flipside releases up on the big screen at Picturehouse Cinemas around the UK: THE APPOINTMENT (5-8 Oct) and FULL CIRCLE: THE HAUNTING OF JULIA (13-16 Oct). I can’t wait!
I wrote about one of my favourite films for @sensesofcinema.bsky.social. ‘From Märchenland to Mexico: MACARIO’s International Fairy-Tale Journey’. www.sensesofcinema.com/2025/cteq/fr...
August 30, 2025 at 7:34 AM
I wrote about one of my favourite films for @sensesofcinema.bsky.social. ‘From Märchenland to Mexico: MACARIO’s International Fairy-Tale Journey’. www.sensesofcinema.com/2025/cteq/fr...
I wrote about weird and creepy title sequences in #RogerCorman movies for ‘Fantastic Fifties’ no. 25, which is out now from Hemlock Books and looks like a great issue. You can read more about the history and design of opening credits in my book ‘Film Title Sequences: A Critical Anthology’.
August 4, 2025 at 5:32 PM
I wrote about weird and creepy title sequences in #RogerCorman movies for ‘Fantastic Fifties’ no. 25, which is out now from Hemlock Books and looks like a great issue. You can read more about the history and design of opening credits in my book ‘Film Title Sequences: A Critical Anthology’.
If anyone's interested in reading my article about the 'Boys' Cinema Weekly' but doesn't have the institutional library access to make it past the paywall then please feel free to DM me.
July 28, 2025 at 7:22 PM
If anyone's interested in reading my article about the 'Boys' Cinema Weekly' but doesn't have the institutional library access to make it past the paywall then please feel free to DM me.
Did some writing. My latest article, ‘“The Delight of Real Boys”: Male Role Models in the Silent-Era “Boys’ Cinema Weekly” Fan Paper’, is out now in Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television. www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1... @iamhist.bsky.social
July 26, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Did some writing. My latest article, ‘“The Delight of Real Boys”: Male Role Models in the Silent-Era “Boys’ Cinema Weekly” Fan Paper’, is out now in Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television. www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1... @iamhist.bsky.social
Was METROPOLIS (1927) the purveyor of the cinema’s first robot? No! This week’s viewing: the 1919 American serial, THE MASTER MYSTERY, starring Houdini being outperformed by ‘Q’, the evil automaton.
May 22, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Was METROPOLIS (1927) the purveyor of the cinema’s first robot? No! This week’s viewing: the 1919 American serial, THE MASTER MYSTERY, starring Houdini being outperformed by ‘Q’, the evil automaton.
Aleksandr Rou’s lyrical MAY NIGHT (USSR, 1952), adapted from Gogol’s enchanting short story, ‘May Night, or the Drowned Maiden’ (1831), inspired by Ukrainian folklore and filmed in northern Ukraine. #AleksandrRou #FolkloreThursday
May 1, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Aleksandr Rou’s lyrical MAY NIGHT (USSR, 1952), adapted from Gogol’s enchanting short story, ‘May Night, or the Drowned Maiden’ (1831), inspired by Ukrainian folklore and filmed in northern Ukraine. #AleksandrRou #FolkloreThursday
I’m still pleasurably ruminating on ECLIPSE (1977), the latest BFI Flipside rediscovery, seen at BFI last night and followed by a very engaging cast and director Q&A hosted by @vicpratt.bsky.social. A strange, intriguing and unnerving Scottish chamber piece, restored and out on Blu-ray now.
April 17, 2025 at 8:12 PM
I’m still pleasurably ruminating on ECLIPSE (1977), the latest BFI Flipside rediscovery, seen at BFI last night and followed by a very engaging cast and director Q&A hosted by @vicpratt.bsky.social. A strange, intriguing and unnerving Scottish chamber piece, restored and out on Blu-ray now.
A fascinating look behind the scenes of BFI Home Entertainment as Vic Pratt explains what a Blu-ray producer does. youtube.com/watch?v=BowM... @vicpratt.bsky.social
March 22, 2025 at 9:41 AM
A fascinating look behind the scenes of BFI Home Entertainment as Vic Pratt explains what a Blu-ray producer does. youtube.com/watch?v=BowM... @vicpratt.bsky.social
Vic Pratt pays homage to villainous mad geniuses, introducing the entertainingly silly 'The Crimson Circle' at BFI Southbank earlier tonight. @vicpratt.bsky.social
March 11, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Vic Pratt pays homage to villainous mad geniuses, introducing the entertainingly silly 'The Crimson Circle' at BFI Southbank earlier tonight. @vicpratt.bsky.social
#BOTD Aleksandr Rou (1906-1973), father of Soviet fairy-tale cinema, and director of many wonderful films including Vasilisa the Beautiful (1939), The Magic Weaver (1960), The Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors (1963) and Jack Frost (1964). New book out now from Intellect Books. #AleksandrRou #АлександрРоу
March 8, 2025 at 9:46 AM
#BOTD Aleksandr Rou (1906-1973), father of Soviet fairy-tale cinema, and director of many wonderful films including Vasilisa the Beautiful (1939), The Magic Weaver (1960), The Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors (1963) and Jack Frost (1964). New book out now from Intellect Books. #AleksandrRou #АлександрРоу
Looking forward to getting stuck into this big beautiful beast – a new and expanded upgrade to the very good 2019 first edition. The deluxe colour hardback looks gorgeous. 50 extra pages, and I’m excited that it now has a full index! LIGHT INTO INK by S. M. Guariento #novelizations #movietiein
March 1, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Looking forward to getting stuck into this big beautiful beast – a new and expanded upgrade to the very good 2019 first edition. The deluxe colour hardback looks gorgeous. 50 extra pages, and I’m excited that it now has a full index! LIGHT INTO INK by S. M. Guariento #novelizations #movietiein
Officially out in hardback today (or next Friday if you’re in America) – my new book, ‘The Films of Aleksandr Rou: Father of Soviet Fairy-Tale Cinema’. #AleksandrRou
February 21, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Officially out in hardback today (or next Friday if you’re in America) – my new book, ‘The Films of Aleksandr Rou: Father of Soviet Fairy-Tale Cinema’. #AleksandrRou
My latest book has arrived: ‘The Films of Aleksandr Rou: Father of Soviet Fairy-Tale Cinema’. Thanks to the hard work and patience of the wonderful team at Intellect Books, I think it’s looking lovely. #AleksandrRou
February 3, 2025 at 12:00 PM
My latest book has arrived: ‘The Films of Aleksandr Rou: Father of Soviet Fairy-Tale Cinema’. Thanks to the hard work and patience of the wonderful team at Intellect Books, I think it’s looking lovely. #AleksandrRou
‘The Noir in Nine Chapters’ season continues at Picturehouse Cinemas this weekend with THE BIG HEAT (1953), starring one of my great favourites, Gloria Grahame. Read more here: www.picturehouses.com/blog/noir-in-nine-chapters-rediscover
February 1, 2025 at 7:17 PM
‘The Noir in Nine Chapters’ season continues at Picturehouse Cinemas this weekend with THE BIG HEAT (1953), starring one of my great favourites, Gloria Grahame. Read more here: www.picturehouses.com/blog/noir-in-nine-chapters-rediscover
As our festive fairy-tale film season draws towards its close, we revisited THREE WISHES FOR CINDERELLA (1973). The new Blu-ray from @secondrun.bsky.social looks lovely.
January 5, 2025 at 7:51 PM
As our festive fairy-tale film season draws towards its close, we revisited THREE WISHES FOR CINDERELLA (1973). The new Blu-ray from @secondrun.bsky.social looks lovely.
New year, new book! I’m delighted to announce that ‘The Films of Aleksandr Rou: Father of Soviet Fairy-Tale Cinema’ has gone to print and is due out in February. www.intellectbooks.com/the-films-of-aleksandr-rou
December 31, 2024 at 5:35 PM
New year, new book! I’m delighted to announce that ‘The Films of Aleksandr Rou: Father of Soviet Fairy-Tale Cinema’ has gone to print and is due out in February. www.intellectbooks.com/the-films-of-aleksandr-rou
#OTD Remembering Aleksandr Rou, 8 March 1906 – 28 December 1973, director of many wonderful Soviet fairy-tale films. Image from ‘The Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors (1963). Read my profile of Rou's career here: sensesofcinema.com/2023/great-d... @sensesofcinema.bsky.social
December 28, 2024 at 5:55 PM
#OTD Remembering Aleksandr Rou, 8 March 1906 – 28 December 1973, director of many wonderful Soviet fairy-tale films. Image from ‘The Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors (1963). Read my profile of Rou's career here: sensesofcinema.com/2023/great-d... @sensesofcinema.bsky.social
Truly magical: THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED (dir. Lotte Reiniger, Germany, 1926) – the earliest extant animated feature film – adapted from stories from The Arabian Nights.
December 28, 2024 at 12:12 PM
Truly magical: THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED (dir. Lotte Reiniger, Germany, 1926) – the earliest extant animated feature film – adapted from stories from The Arabian Nights.
Settling down to watch ‘The Night before Christmas’ aka ‘Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka’ (dir. Aleksandr Rou, USSR, 1961) – a superb slice of festive viewing. Season’s Greetings to one and all! #fairytaletuesday
December 24, 2024 at 8:46 PM
Settling down to watch ‘The Night before Christmas’ aka ‘Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka’ (dir. Aleksandr Rou, USSR, 1961) – a superb slice of festive viewing. Season’s Greetings to one and all! #fairytaletuesday
Next in our annual fairy-tale film season was the wonderful Soviet animation, ‘The Frog Princess’, directed by Mikhail Tsekhanovskii for Soiuzmultfilm in 1954. Absolutely stunning!
December 22, 2024 at 10:28 AM
Next in our annual fairy-tale film season was the wonderful Soviet animation, ‘The Frog Princess’, directed by Mikhail Tsekhanovskii for Soiuzmultfilm in 1954. Absolutely stunning!
This year, we launched our annual fairy-tale film home-viewing season with the German live-action, American-dub version of SNOW WHITE (dir. Erich Kobler, 1955). It was more psychotronic than anticipated – hypnotically odd and creepy. I’m not confident the seven bearded children were a good idea.
December 20, 2024 at 9:35 PM
This year, we launched our annual fairy-tale film home-viewing season with the German live-action, American-dub version of SNOW WHITE (dir. Erich Kobler, 1955). It was more psychotronic than anticipated – hypnotically odd and creepy. I’m not confident the seven bearded children were a good idea.