...in her beloved Lake Distict

Paddington Bear is to be portrayed by an offstage performer and puppeteer, as well as an onstage performer, in the new musical

Bryony Kimmings tells Lyn Gardner about her love-hate relationship with theatre, moving to the country and her new show, Bog Witch, at Soho Theatre Walthamstow

Comedy The Last Laugh is to embark on its second tour of the UK and Ireland next year, fresh from a nationwide tour and a West End run in 2025

As a writer, I am constantly trying to figure out what happens in the middle of my screenplay. Act two is definitely the hardest to put on paper, so I find myself going back to some of my favorite movies to see how they spin those beats. I figured if that happens to me a lot, it might also be happening to you. So today, I put together ten of my favorite midpoints in movie history. They're beats I think changed the story for the better, and let the writer produce some of their best work. Let's dive in. * * * ### 1. Psycho (1960): The Shower Scene I think this is the gold standard when it comes to surprising the audience and changing the narrative. Alfred Hitchcock's masterful subversion is probably the most famous midpoint in cinematic history. By brutally killing off Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) halfway through the movie, Hitchcock completely upends the expected narrative. Now we have no idea what could happen next, and he has us in the palm of his hand. The story shifts from a suspenseful thriller about a woman on the run to a chilling horror centered on Norman Bates and his murderous mother. ### 2. The Godfather (1972): Michael's Restaurant Execution The midpoint of Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece marks the tragic and irreversible transformation of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) into a mafia don who is willing to kill for revenge. When we meet him in Act One, Michal is a war hero determined to remain outside the family business. But his decision to execute rival mobster Sollozzo and the corrupt police captain McCluskey in a quiet Italian restaurant is him taking the fast lane into a world he never wanted. This solidifies his new path and sets the stage for his descent into darkness that takes over the back half of the movie. ### 3. Jurassic Park (1993): The T-Rex Attack Look, when you went into this movie, you knew it was going to essentially be a monster movie, but you needed a defined time to shift from science fiction into that. Steven Spielberg's blockbuster features a midpoint that is both a spectacular set piece and a real shift in the story. The initial awe and wonder of the dinosaur park turn to terror as the power fails and the T-Rex breaks free. It does not care who is good or bad or an adult or a kid; it just wants to eat. This moment shifts the film into a desperate fight for survival against beasts that are back on earth. ### 4. Parasite (2019): The Basement Revelation Bong Joon-ho's Academy Award-winning thriller delivers a stunning midpoint that dramatically alters the film's tone and direction. It's for sure one of the best surprises in movie history as well. As the Kim family secretly celebrates their successful infiltration of the wealthy Park household, they discover a hidden basement where the former housekeeper's husband has been living in secret. It completely changes the story and sends chills down our spines. This shocking beat transforms the film from a dark comedy about class into a violent thriller. Now, people have to make choices they never thought possible. ### 5. Jaws (1975): "You're gonna need a bigger boat." _Jaws_ begins as a movie about people hunting for a shark that has been eating people. But the midpoint of this creature feature shifts the story into one where the shark is hunting the humans. It sets the stakes for the back half of the movie in such a smart and visceral way as they realize they're on the meal plan. When Police Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) finally comes face-to-face with the enormous great white shark, his understated reaction encapsulates the true scale of the threat and the idea that they may not make it back. ### 6. The Matrix (1999): The Oracle's Revelation The midpoint of _The Matrix_ is a brilliant subversion of the "chosen one" trope. Neo (Keanu Reeves) finally meets the Oracle, fully expecting to be told he is "The One" destined to save humanity. But she tells him he is _not_. That totally plays with the audience, as they then worry that all this wartime stuff with the machines may result in the devastation of humans. This "false defeat" forces Neo to stop relying on destiny and start making his own choices. He becomes a much more active protagonist, and we also believe this mission might kill him. ### 7. Alien (1979): The Chestburster Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror lulls the audience into a false sense of security before its terrifying midpoint. We think this is just a bunch of people on a mission, but as soon as that alien pops out of the chest of a worker, it totally shifts into survival. This visceral and shocking scene establishes the true nature of the alien threat and turns the film into a relentless and claustrophobic nightmare. ### 8. Gone Girl (2014): Amy's Monologue We think for the whole first hour of _Gone Girl_ that Amy is dead, and we want to know who killed her. We have to know. But David Fincher's slick thriller pulls the rug out from under the audience with its chilling midpoint that reveals Amy is alive, and this was all a setup. Amy's monologue reveals she has faked her own death to frame her husband and then completely reframes the story we've seen so far. Now we're in a character study, and all our alliances and rooting interests shift. ### 9. Titanic (1997): The Iceberg Collision Not sure if this one is fair, but I think that _Titanic_ is really two movies in one. James Cameron's epic romance then becomes a disaster film once the iceberg hits. The narrative instantly and irrevocably pivots, and the stakes are raised from personal heartbreak to mass life-and-death. Our characters now are at the center, and all the stuff we've seen and heard only raised the themes already present. The rich are going to try to survive, while the poor are going to drown, and our couple is in the middle of that. ### 10. The Fugitive (1993): "I Don't Care." This movie rocks. I watch it all the time and never get tired of it. Part of it is that it completely changes in the middle. Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) has finally just escaped and is cornered by U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones). Kimble pleads, "I didn't kill my wife!" Gerard's cold, definitive reply, "I don't care," is the midpoint. It's a moment of false defeat that makes Kimble realize the system will not save him. So we see his goal instantly shift from simply escaping to actively hunting the one-armed man to prove his innocence. ### Summing It All Up The midpoint of a movie is a chance to change gears, defy expectations, and just give the audience another wrinkle they were not expecting. No matter what genre you're writing in, these dramatic shifts are so much fun and show you how great writers tackled these shifts and delivered movies that are better for them. Let me know what you think in the comments.

In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, host GG Hawkins sits down with legendary screenwriter and director Shane Black, known for iconic films like __Lethal Weapon__ , __The Last Boy Scout__ , __The Nice Guys__ , and __Kiss Kiss Bang Bang__. The two dive deep into Black’s creative process, his latest project __Play Dirty__ (an adaptation of Donald Westlake's Parker novels), and how his filmmaking journey and sobriety have shaped his vision. From staying true to source material while adding his unique voice, to building character-driven action scenes and navigating Hollywood with integrity and purpose, Shane shares invaluable insights for filmmakers at every stage. ### **In this episode, we****discuss:** * What drew Shane to the Parker novels and how he approached adapting them * The balance between honoring Westlake’s tone and injecting Shane’s signature wit * How to structure complex stories while preserving ambiguity and character depth * Creating blue-collar, competent anti-heroes as a more grounded alternative to spy thrillers * The role of pre-visualization, animatics, and spontaneity on set * How Shane leads a creative and collaborative environment with his cast and crew * The power of post-production and the art of shaping the final story in the edit * Building creative stamina and the importance of structure in a writer’s day * Advice for filmmakers entering a fear-based industry with confidence and authenticity * The impact of sobriety and self-awareness on creativity and leadership **Guests** * Shane Black ** ____Subscribe to the No Film School Podcast on:** * Apple Podcasts * Spotify * Google Get your question answered on the podcast by emailing podcast@nofilmschool.com ### _Listen to more episodes of the No Film School podcast right here:_ _This episode of The No Film School Podcast was produced byGG Hawkins._

**UPDATE: DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS SHOW WILL NOW BEGIN AT 6.30PM (NOT 7PM AS PREVIOUSLY ADVERTISED)** A one-woman comedy drag show with audience participation, rap and pickled gherkins. S...

While horror scores often lean on orchestration or synth design to generate tension, some composers push further by experimenting with found objects or unconventional techniques. Recent standouts include Colin Stetson’s __Hereditary__ and Mark Korven’s __The Witch__ , both of which used unusual sound sources to heighten unease. For Gravitas Ventures’ __The Demon Detective__ , composer _Barry J. Neely_ took a different path—treating voices as instruments. “The route I did go was ‘haunted,’ and I heard that as voices,” Barry recalls. “I texted my friend Morla Gorrondona, who’s not only a professional voice actor but always up for vocal experimentation. She recorded some scratch takes on her iPhone, and I sampled and played with those. When she later sent me a cleaner version, I realized I actually preferred the rough iPhone recordings—their limited frequency range fit the mix in a way that was even creepier.” The result is a score that feels both technically inventive and deeply unsettling, proving how the human voice, when manipulated, can redefine the language of horror scoring. Barry discusses this topic and much more in the conversation below. Barry’s __The Demon Detective__ score is now available _digitally_. - YouTubewww.youtube.com * * * **No Film School: First off, what led you into the composing world?** **Barry J. Neely:** I always played and wrote music, even from an early age. I played in bands and various ensembles in high school, and was also part of an amazing, local music conservatory. But I really enjoyed being at home, alone, writing these long, drawn-out, solo piano pieces. And to me, these pieces worked like character studies, though they didn’t have any visuals that went along with them. But that led me down the path to film music composing. **NFS: When you first came on board** _**_The Demon Detective_**_**, what were your initial musical ideas or instincts for the score?** **BJN:** The main character, Miles Mako, is tormented by his ability to see and sense demons. After the first cut of the film that I saw, I couldn’t ignore that these demons were INTENSE, even if Miles seemed unconcerned with their dangers (he plays it cool a lot of the time). I understand that subtlety has its power, but I felt that the themes then had to go hard. For the initial theme, I heard this tremolo cello essentially “fighting” with a synth sound that I had yet to make. And when I created that synth sound - after many, many attempts and through experimentation - and matched it with the gritty cello, I just went from there. Composer Barry J. NeelyCredit: Projection PR **NFS: How did you balance the noir “detective” aspect of the story with the supernatural horror elements?** ****BJN** :** Yes, it’s a detective tale helping the character Clara, but it ultimately centers around Miles’s torment. And that, to me, outweighed any classic, noir feel. The route I did go was “haunted,” and I heard that as voices. I texted my friend Morla Gorrondona because not only is she a professional VO actor, but she is always up for vocal experimentation. And I’ll let you in on a secret: she recorded some fun scratch voices on her iPhone, and I sampled those and played around with them. But when she got home and sent me a “better” recording, I already had so much fun with the iPhone recordings, and felt their frequency range - or lack thereof! - fit better in my mixes. Morla’s voices - along with Zehra Fazal and Victoria Fox’s vocals - are strewn about the whole movie, highlighting the supernatural themes of Miles himself. **NFS: Were there scenes in** _**_The Demon Detective_**_**where silence was as important as the score itself?** ****BJN** :** I will always argue for opportunities of silence. But the director, T.C., wanted me to experiment with frequencies outside normal hearing. I created this super, super high-pitched “screech” on a beat-up violin. And with some processing, we added that barely-noticeable sound, low in the mix, to some key moments that otherwise may have had no music at all. You might not hear anything, but you’re going to FEEL that something is not right. And that might be scarier than silence. **NFS: Can you talk about your collaboration with the film’s director, T.C. De Witt? How involved was he with the scoring process?** ****BJN** :** More often, I sort of went with an idea and bounced those rough mixes off of him to see what he thought. But a large part of our collaboration was discussing his deep understanding of demons in general. The characters in this movie are based on real stories, real fables, to the point where he was even praised by a rep at St. Finbar, a church in Burbank where they filmed. I wanted to honor that intense character study with some strong themes. **NFS: How was** _**_The Demon Detective_**_**different from some of your other projects you have worked on?** ****BJN** :** Story-wise, this movie traverses some heavy topics, from demons to possession, from sex to suicide, from guilt to desperation. So, it runs the gamut of human trauma. That’s a lot to tackle. Music-wise, I sometimes have “musical agendas” when I write a score, to make sure I don’t write something too similar to what I’ve done before. This score features a string trio, which, to me, sounds very, very intense, and matches the intensity that I saw on screen. And there are a lot of those strings in this score. **NFS: What was the most difficult scene to score in** _**_The Demon Detective_**_**? Why?** **Neely:** Absolutely, the gym scene with the demon, Illizod. It’s such a long scene, and it’s sort of a “fight” scene. I struggled a bit trying to keep it a horror feel and not “adventure.” It wasn’t until late in the game, after I submitted most of my cues, that I asked one of the producers to come over and work on the scene with me. We dulled the drums, sort of “smoothed” out some of the rhythms, and distorted the choral vocals I recorded. Fear needs to be the name of the game, and we were able to make it more horror-like, but what I had at the beginning was at least a good start. 'The Demon Detective'Credit: Gravitas Pictures **NFS: How have you seen the composing industry change since your first project many years ago?** ****BJN** :** Budgets are definitely getting smaller, and virtual instruments are getting way better. I still hope those two aren’t linked, since collaboration with other musicians is monumentally important to this process. But filmmakers are still finding their one-of-a-kind voices, and I’m so impressed that these new, unique stories are still being created. **NFS: Do you think AI will affect your industry at all?** ****BJN** :** Oh, absolutely, it will. I will lose jobs for sure because of AI. But I know and trust that the true artists and filmmakers - and the ones that I want to work with - will want a human touch. AI will inevitably start to sound the same, no matter how many prompts you give it. To be perfectly clear, other than occasionally using noise-reduction plug-ins that claim to use AI, I do not use AI to compose or produce my music.

Women's Pamphlet Competition 2025 - Poetry (Pamphlet) - Competitions : Mslexia, a magazine for women's writing and women who write.

Broadcaster and author Dan Walker has been named chair of Sheffield Theatres' board

The playwright and screenwriter replaces Sandi Toksvig in the role and said that he was taking up the post as writers face "the battle of our lives"

In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, GG Hawkins is joined by Shelby Schultz, Director of Programming at LOOK Cinemas. Shelby shares her insights into the complex and often misunderstood world of theatrical exhibition, from how she discovers films to what drives the decision-making process behind booking movies in theaters. Drawing from her extensive background in distribution, financing, and development, Shelby explains how indie filmmakers can better position their projects for theatrical success, the importance of knowing your audience, and the evolving role of movie theaters in the digital age. ### **In this episode, we****discuss:** * How Shelby’s background in film led her to become a theater programmer * The process LOOK Cinemas uses to discover and book films * Why strong marketing and audience engagement matter more than ever for indie films * The importance of trailer placement and timing when planning a theatrical run * The metrics used to evaluate a film’s success in theaters * How filmmakers can effectively pitch their projects to theater chains * Seasonal trends in theatrical programming and when indie films have the best shot * How audience behavior has shifted post-COVID and why theaters are still thriving * The critical role local support plays in theatrical success ** ** **Guests:** * Shelby Schultz | Director of Programming at LOOK Cinemas ** ** ** ____Subscribe to the No Film School Podcast on:** * Apple Podcasts * Spotify * Google Get your question answered on the podcast by emailing podcast@nofilmschool.com ### _Listen to more episodes of the No Film School podcast right here:_ _This episode of The No Film School Podcast was produced byGG Hawkins._