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Mark Allison

@markyallison.bsky.social
95 followers 153 following 63 posts

Writer and broadcast journalist / Contributor for BBC Culture, Little White Lies / Listen to the colour of your dreams

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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Can't wait until someone puts Free Bird over the climax of the Odyssey.
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Quantum Of Silliness @quantumofsilliness.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Selecting the next Chancellor of the Exchequer like
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Went to see Disclosure Day
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Sick of everyone asking me who should be the next Bond, so I've written an article on what Amazon and Denis Villeneuve should be looking for, and who fits the bill: www.bbc.co.uk/culture/arti...
bbc.co.uk
As the official search for the new James Bond begins, here are five things the new 007 needs to be
Finally, a new era for the franchise is imminent, with auditions starting to play the secret agent. Here's what qualities the latest star needs to embody, according to Bond experts.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
I've always said this was bound to happen eventually. Great news! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
The Beatles will open a museum on the site of their last gig
The band will recreate their recording studio and share unseen memorabilia in London's Savile Row.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
Ahead of Hollywood's Biggest Night™, I've written up my top ten films from last year: clueddown.com/2026/03/15/t...
clueddown.com
Top ten films of 2025
It’s been another fantastic year for cinema across the world, with some of the most celebrated names in film-making returning in 2025 As usual, not all have been appropriately recognised duri…
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Tom Hunter @onelifestand87.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
We need to stop trying to turn these things from small talk you have with your friends to kill time into things people think have actual right & wrong answers because they’re dull
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
I've never watched Beatles Anthology series before, so I'm really enjoying the re-release on Disney+, but the AI upscaling on all the archive footage is monstrous historical vandalism. The lads' faces keep morphing into uncanny doppelgangers, and text is frequently mushed into gibberish.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
Lots to say about One Battle After Another, but it's one of the best experiences I've had with IMAX. The Vistavision cinematography was unbelievably immersive. At times it felt like I was physically riding a rollercoaster.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
"...Knight’s going back to Bond’s beginnings as a Royal Navy Commander before being recruited by MI6... to perhaps chart how Bond attained 007 status." Please, God, no! No more origin stories! deadline.com/2025/09/jame...
deadline.com
Denis Villeneuve To Start Casting For An “Unknown” Brit Actor For ‘Bond 26’ When He Completes ‘Dune: Part Three’ — Breaking Baz
Deadline goes undercover to reveal the latest on James Bond casting, including the expected nationality, look and gender of the actor.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
Cowboy, spy, journalist, paratrooper - Robert Redford had all my dream jobs when I was growing up. A blockbuster superstar who used his power to champion independent cinema, he represented all that American movies had to offer.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
Not sure how to feel about this. I like a lot of Knight's stuff but he's pretty hit and miss.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Some film students in the pub overheard that I'd just watched Barry Lyndon and asked me what I "liked about it". Felt like I was being physically assaulted.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
I am not psychologically prepared to be older than James Bond.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
Denis Villeneuve is probably the best choice we could have hoped for. Just don't mess with the gunbarrel and use the theme music a lot. www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
James Bond: Denis Villeneuve to direct next 007 film
The Oscar-nominated filmmaker says he is a "die-hard" Bond fan and will "honour" the franchise.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
RIP Brian Wilson.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 01/06/2025
In 1947, British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin said the UK needed to build a nuclear bomb "with the bloody Union Jack on top of it." It's a real shame isn't alive to see his dream become reality in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
The final rankoning
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
I say this with a very heavy heart, but I did not get on with Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. A couple of reheated stunts from Roger Moore Bond films can't save this talky, confused slog of a film. The endless procession of fan service, callbacks and retcons puts Spectre (2015) to shame.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
I feel like a lot of the world's problems can be traced to the decline of internet forums. Social media wasn't build to handle so many weirdos and hobbyists.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
Finished watching 9-hour holocaust documentary Shoah yesterday. Fancied something a bit lighter afterwards, so put on Terms of Endearment, not realising was was a cancer movie.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
Now the dust has settled on the Oscars, I finally wrote down some thoughts on my favourite films from last year: clueddown.com/2025/03/08/t...
clueddown.com
Top ten films of 2024
With the film industry still recovering from the 2023 Hollywood labour disputes, 2024 was always going to be difficult year for cinema. But there were still plenty of brilliant and original films t…
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
They don't build actors like Gene Hackman anymore. Never predictable, his presence could be fearsome, charming or pathetic, but always a little enigmatic. He dominated so many classic movies, more than I can recall.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
Haven't loved every decision made by Eon, but it's difficult to feel anything but dread about this www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
James Bond's long-serving producers give control to Amazon
Barbara Broccoli and co-producer Michael G Wilson annouce they are stepping down.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 12/01/2025
The lads
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 07/01/2025
Halfway through series 2 of SAS Rogue Heroes, and I'm a bit torn. I'm glad to see a British WWII drama with some money behind it, and it's enjoyable as pulp entertainment. But every historical event and character is sensationalised to the point of irritation. Mayne is really getting on my nerves.
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Quantum Of Silliness @quantumofsilliness.bsky.social · 22/12/2024
Wishing a happy 62nd birthday to Ralph Fiennes, seen here reprising his role as M in NO TIME TO DIE
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
Quite the triple bill today.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 29/11/2024
Watching Beatles '64 again, and it's very funny that every documentary about the Beatles, without fail, includes this shot of a sign greeting the lads at JFK airport which reads "ENGLAND GET OUT OF IRELAND"
Beatles fans at JFK airport in February 1964. One holds up a sign which reads "ENGLAND GET OUT OF IRELAND".
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 29/11/2024
Really enjoyed Beatles '64. Those already familiar with the Maysles Bros' footage might be a bit disappointed there isn't more focus on Beatles antics and performances, but the film does a good job of exploring what made them so revolutionary within the broader context of American culture.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
There's plenty to enjoy in Gladiator II, but if you are making a film without Russell Crowe, you should not, under any circumstances, include footage of Russell Crowe from another film. It will only remind audiences that Russell Crowe is not in this film.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
iPlayer is the best streaming service around. Extraordinary value.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
🚨🚨 The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is on BBC 2 today at 1330 🚨🚨 Why not treat yourself one of the most daring, joyous and beautiful films ever made? Here's an article I wrote for its 80th birthday: www.bbc.com/culture/arti...
bbc.com
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp: The war film that Churchill tried to ban
Powell and Pressburger's classic military satire turns 80 this month. Mark Allison reflects on the controversy around its production, which even incited the prime minister.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 07/11/2024
I asked Steve McQueen and his historical advisor Joshua Levine how their new WWII epic Blitz gives a fresh perspective on wartime London. My new article for BBC Culture: www.bbc.com/culture/arti...
bbc.com
Blitz and the truth about London's greatest wartime horror
Oscar-winner Steve McQueen's latest film offers a new perspective on life in the capital during the devastating 1940-41 Nazi bombing campaign – dispelling myths and clichés.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 01/02/2024
Closure of the imdb forums left a hole in my heart that I've never been able to fill. An insane, toxic community, and I miss them dearly.
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Mark Allison @markyallison.bsky.social · 19/10/2023
Ahead of the new Scorsese, here's a piece I wrote a while ago, looking at his first film and the themes which have stretched across his incredible career: lwlies.com/articles/who...
lwlies.com
Who’s That Knocking at My Door: How the world met Martin Scorsese
It’s 50 years since the director announced his arrival as a major new force in American cinema.
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