James Harrison

James Harrison

A film graduate from the University of the West of England (UWE), James Harrison works at BBC Bristol where he has been involved in numerous film and archive related documentary productions including How to be Sherlock Holmes, Epic: A Cast of Thousands! and A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss as well as co-productions with the British Film Institute and the British Board of Film Classification for the BBC.

James has written many articles about classic cinema, he was a graduate of the Giornate del Cinema Muto Collegium (Pordenone Silent Film Festival) in 2005 and has been heavily involved with Bristol Silents, Slapstick Festival and is now Co-Director/ Co-Curator of South West Silents.

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“ Weimar Sundays ”

Der Kampf ums Matterhorn
Posted on Fri 4 Oct 2019 by James Harrison
Article

James Harrison, co-director of South West Silents and co-curator at Cinema Rediscovered, discusses the rationale behind the Weimar Sundays season throughout October 2019.

Read more <span class="card-quote">&ldquo;</span>&nbsp;Weimar Sundays&nbsp;<span class="card-quote">&rdquo;</span>  

“ Slocombe at Ealing: Kind Hearts and Coronets ”

Douglas Slocombe in the 1940s
Posted on Tue 16 July 2019 by James Harrison
Article

For this fourth year of Cinema Rediscovered we continue to celebrate the work of cinematographer Douglas Slocombe (1913 -2016) with a special 70th Anniversary screening of Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949). South West Silents' co-founder and co-curator at Cinema Rediscovered James Harrison continues to look at the work of Slocombe and writes.

Read more <span class="card-quote">&ldquo;</span>&nbsp;Slocombe at Ealing: Kind Hearts and Coronets&nbsp;<span class="card-quote">&rdquo;</span>  

“ The unnatural worlds of Mike Hodges ”

Croupier
Posted on Mon 17 June 2019 by James Harrison
Article

The dark, unnatural worlds created by Bristol-born Mike Hodges in Black Rainbow and Croupier might not be so far removed from our own, South West Silents Co-founder James Harrison writes.

Read more <span class="card-quote">&ldquo;</span>&nbsp;The unnatural worlds of Mike Hodges&nbsp;<span class="card-quote">&rdquo;</span>  

“ Slocombe at Ealing: the early years ”

Saraband for Dead Lovers
Posted on Tue 24 July 2018 by James Harrison
Article

For this third year of Cinema Rediscovered we celebrate two rarities in Douglas Slocombe’s filmography, from his early years at Ealing Studios. The films are worlds apart when it comes to style, and yet, were filmed within the course of a few months, co-director and co-curator of South West Silents, James Harrison, writes.

Read more <span class="card-quote">&ldquo;</span>&nbsp;Slocombe at Ealing: the early years&nbsp;<span class="card-quote">&rdquo;</span>  

“ The Look of Mike Hodges ”

Flash Gordon
Posted on Wed 18 July 2018 by James Harrison
Article

Revisiting the films of Bristol-born Mike Hodges, South West Silents' co-founder and co-curator James Harrison reflects on the colour and design that set a look and defined a decade of filmmaking in the director's screen career.

Read more <span class="card-quote">&ldquo;</span>&nbsp;The Look of Mike Hodges&nbsp;<span class="card-quote">&rdquo;</span>  

“ Slocombe's Adventures in the South West: The Titfield Thunderbolt ”
Posted on Fri 22 July 2016 by James Harrison
Article

In the spring of 1952 a car was making its way through the lanes of the Somerset countryside. Seated in the car were film director Charles Crichton and cinematographer Douglas...

Read more <span class="card-quote">&ldquo;</span>&nbsp;Slocombe's Adventures in the South West: The Titfield Thunderbolt&nbsp;<span class="card-quote">&rdquo;</span>  

“ Up Close and Personal: Anthony Harvey and The Lion in Winter ”
Posted on Mon 4 July 2016 by James Harrison
Article

The Lion in Winter (1968) can be found on a long list of historical, period films that were made in the 1960s. El Cid (1961), Tom Jones (1963), Cleopatra (1963), Becket (1964), The...

Read more <span class="card-quote">&ldquo;</span>&nbsp;Up Close and Personal: Anthony Harvey and The Lion in Winter&nbsp;<span class="card-quote">&rdquo;</span>  

“ The Talented Robert Hamer: A Forgotten Figure of British Cinema ”
Posted on Wed 29 June 2016 by James Harrison
Article

David Lean, Michael Powell, Alfred Hitchcock and Humphrey Jennings; four key names in the history of British Cinema. One drowned his mind in his epic surroundings, one turned...

Read more <span class="card-quote">&ldquo;</span>&nbsp;The Talented Robert Hamer: A Forgotten Figure of British Cinema&nbsp;<span class="card-quote">&rdquo;</span>  

“ Celebrating the Cinematography of Douglas Slocombe ”
Posted on Thu 9 June 2016 by James Harrison
Article

To say that cinematographer Douglas Slocombe (1913 -2016) had a varied film career would be a huge understatement. Even from early on in his career Slocombe’s adventures behind...

Read more <span class="card-quote">&ldquo;</span>&nbsp;Celebrating the Cinematography of Douglas Slocombe&nbsp;<span class="card-quote">&rdquo;</span>