Latest news with #ChildrenofMen
New York Post
05-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Why Generation Z is our best hope to reverse the baby bust
'I believe the children are our future,' Whitney Houston famously sang — but that's been an open question lately, as Americans have fewer and fewer kids. Over 20 years ago, demographer Philip Longman predicted a coming 'global baby bust' — and that moment has now arrived. As a pundit, I can recall people looking at me funny when I talked about this — weren't all the headlines fretting about a population explosion? But now there's been so much gloomy talk about falling birth rates, and the (extremely) limited ability of governments to boost them with various incentives, that most people have caught on. And it does seem kind of gloomy. 'Children of Men' was supposed to be a dystopian sci-fi movie, not a forecast. But lately I've been rethinking this: Maybe all those graphics showing plummeting birthrates far off into the future won't turn out to be true. And politics may be the leading indicator. At least since the 1960s, young people have leaned to the left. And in all that time, people who lean left have been less likely to have kids. But now something dramatic is happening: Young people are quickly becoming the most conservative demographic. In the last presidential election, US voters between 18 and 29 were largely pro-Trump; the core of his opposition came from elderly Boomers. In last week's Canadian election, too, it was old folks who heavily voted Liberal, and Europe is seeing a similar phenomenon. And for time immemorial, conservative people who support traditional values tend to have more kids than leftists do. If younger generations are becoming more conservative and more supportive of traditional values, then they will probably have more children. Anecdotally, I'm seeing students at my university talking about marrying and having families in a way that I didn't used to. Even among my law students, it's not unusual now to hear a female student say she wants a career, but that a husband and family will be the first priority in her life. It's not scientifically gathered data, but I can attest that you just didn't hear that a few years ago. More and more I hear similar comments from undergraduates, too, and I see them posting such things on social media. It makes sense: Today's younger people tend to be closer to their parents than earlier generations were. There's not mass social rebellion among them — their grandparents, the Boomers, took care of that — and one upside of smaller families is that parents and their kids often forge closer relationships. As well, economic uncertainty has actually undermined careerism to an extent. It's not the go-go 1980s, or the similar tech-boom aughts, where making lots of money was an overweening goal. Now people care more about security and quality of life — and that, too, means family and relationships over career. A friend recently suggested that artificial intelligence, too, might actually encourage people to have more kids. At first I questioned that. Won't AI just make our relationships more atomized and distant? But he suggested the opposite: As AI makes living cheaper and society richer, it will also remove opportunities for people to find meaning and fulfillment in their work lives. It'll probably be harder to make it as a writer, a teacher or an engineer. What kind of satisfaction will be almost impossible for a machine to take away? Making and raising humans. Oh, I suppose you can imagine a future where babies incubate in artificial wombs and are raised by robots, but that's a long way off at best. In the meantime, having and raising kids is one of the greatest sources of joy and life satisfaction for most people — and always has been. Throughout human history, most people have looked on their families as their biggest achievement, with everyone from peasants to kings and emperors dedicated to leaving many descendants behind. One more reason for generational change in this department may simply be that it's, you know, change. Not having kids was an exciting departure once; today, it's ho-hum. A show about an independent 'career woman' like Mary Tyler Moore was groundbreaking 50-plus years ago. Now 'Sex and the City,' a turn-of-the-millennium show about four such women, seems kinda dated. Finally, there's the optimism factor. A positive national mood typically encourages births. Donald Trump has promised a new Golden Age — and after 100 days, he looks like he just might deliver. If he does, more people will probably have kids. For all those reasons, I'm betting that even without government handouts and flashy media campaigns, the coming generation will turn out to be more fertile than the last. And that's something we all could use. Glenn Harlan Reynolds is a professor of law at the University of Tennessee and founder of the blog.
Pembrokeshire Herald
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Tenby writer joins Torch Theatre's Community Reviewer team
Brandon Williams to bring fresh voice to film reviews TENBY-born writer Brandon Williams is the latest addition to the Torch Theatre's Community Reviewers group. A passionate supporter of the arts and a familiar face in local creative circles, Brandon has already penned his first piece for the theatre—an insightful review of the award-winning independent film Parasite. He now looks forward to covering a wide range of films on offer at the Milford Haven-based venue in the months ahead. A former pupil of Ysgol Greenhill School, Brandon went on to study Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. He currently works as a freelance journalist, with a particular focus on football reporting. His interest in film criticism began during his teenage years, inspired by YouTube reviewers such as Mark Kermode. 'Mark Kermode's reviews were among the first I remember watching regularly,' Brandon explained. 'They led me to other channels and communities focused on film critique. As I progressed through university, I started to explore reviewing myself.' While comedy and classic films were his favourites growing up, Brandon now gravitates toward cinema with strong social or political themes. 'Some of my recent favourites include Children of Men, Divine Intervention, and Do the Right Thing—all of which explore social drama in different ways,' he said. 'I've also been working on getting over my aversion to horror films!' Looking ahead, Brandon is keen to develop his own voice as a reviewer. 'I'm still relatively new to this, so I'm aiming to sharpen my critical eye. I find it quite similar to writing football match reports—there's a kind of 'reviewer mode' I switch into, where I scrutinise more than I would if I were watching purely for fun. The real challenge is expressing those thoughts in a way that's honest and engaging.' Brandon says he's excited to grow in confidence and experience with the support of the Torch. 'I'm looking forward to discovering my own style and developing as a reviewer with their encouragement.'
Daily Record
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Time running out to watch dystopian thriller hailed a 'masterpiece' by fans on BBC iPlayer
One of the best science fiction films of the century so far is currently available to watch on BBC's iPlayer - but you don't have long to catch it. Co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón in 2006, Children of Men has been hailed as a 'masterpiece' by fans of the dystopian thriller. Based on PD James' 1992 novel of the same name, the film is set in 2027 in London and features a world where society is on the brink of collapse due to infertility. Starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Charlie Hunnam, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Pam Ferris, Children of Men received immense critical acclaim upon release. With a roaring 92 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes, Cuarón's film was nominated for three Academy Awards - for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Editing - as well as three BAFTAs , ultimately winning Best Cinematography and Best Production Design at the British event. While the movie didn't do too well at the global box-office - grossing approximately $70million on a budget of $76m - its critical reception was top-notch. Heaping praise on the director, one critic said: 'A film that has much to recommend it, not least the proof it offers, as if any more were needed, that Alfonso Cuarón is one of the most visually inspired directors working today,' while another added: 'Alfonso Cuarón proves again what a versatile and talented director he is.' Another states: 'Children of Men feels more relevant than almost every film set in the present day and is better than almost every other film made this year,' while one critic wrote: 'You feel as if you're accompanying a war photographer who's lost a bet. Slogging unflinchingly through humanity's worst hours, the movie laces the narrative's forays into science-fiction grandstanding with a gut-wrenching dynamic.' Audiences were also left spellbound, with one viewer saying: 'Under the stunning direction of Alfonso Cuarón, Children of Men is a beautifully shot (fantastic one-take action sequences), incredibly acted and layered thriller that is packed with emotional depth and continuous suspense. There were a couple of elements that could have been handled with a little bit more flair, but all in all, this was a brilliant and hugely compelling film.' Another feels the film truly stands the test of time: 'Alfonso Cuarón's dystopian vision of a world where women have stopped getting pregnant, and society is falling into despair in the absence of hope for the future, has lost none of its power from its original release - and is perhaps rightly now regarded as one of the best films of its era. 'That it manages to be so prescient, so unflinchingly clear-eyed about the mess we're in, and still provide some genuine hope is remarkable. Truly standing the test of time nearly twenty years on, this looks set to remain one for future generations to revisit and mine for inspiration and insight.' Another said: 'This is an extraordinary artistic breakthrough from a Mexican director who was already fearlessly good to begin with.' Children of Men is streaming on BBC iPlayer until Tuesday and is available for rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+ for £3.49.
The Independent
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
23 brilliant movies that bombed at the box office, from Shawshank Redemption to Children of men
Predicting which movies will set the box office alight seems like an easy task, but there's a reason studios get paid the big bucks to do so. However, every so often, an acclaimed film can come along that absolutely tanks after being unveiled for the public. Over the years, there have been a startling number of films that have struggled, or indeed failed, to recoup their budget, and have consequently earned the 'box office flop' label – this summer alone has already racked up a fair few. It's hard to pin down exactly why movies such as these – Children of Men and It's a Wonderful Life, to name a few – initially struggle to find an audience. Fortunately, though, the film's quality shines through and it ultimately finds a fanbase beyond its theatrical release. Thanks to the advent of streaming services, reliance on box office figures has diminished somewhat over the years. This also means that films which struggled to find an audience upon release could potentially go on to find love years later after being added to Netflix, Prime Video or another service. Below, we run through a list of films that unexpectedly – and unfairly – bombed at the box office. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) Andrew Dominik's revered Western only just recouped half of its $30m (£22m) budget when released in cinemas in 2007. However, it fortunately found love after being released on DVD and Blu-ray, no doubt helped by its inclusion on several 'best films of the year' lists. Babylon (2022) It's hard to know exactly what was behind Babylon's insipid box office showing. Was it poor marketing, or the fact that the film was 190 minutes long? Whatever the reason, it's a damn shame – in her five-star Babylon review, Clarisse Loughrey describes the 'debauched drama' as being 'tailor-made to divide audiences', adding that it 'puts a bullet in the head of any notion that the film industry's silent era was ever austere or quaint'. Blackhat (2015) Michael Mann's underrated cyber thriller was a box office bomb, earning a mere $19.7m (£15m) at the box office against a budget of $70m (£52.5m). The unfairly scathing reviews probably didn't help. Blade Runner (1982) It's hard to imagine a seminal film like Blade Runner being a flop at the time of its release, but that's exactly what Ridley Scott's sci-fi film was. After a lacklustre run in America, the film proved it had staying power thanks to worldwide audiences and became a word-of-mouth hit in the process. Still, it only made back $10.5m (£8m) more than its budget of $30m (£22.5m). Children of Men (2006) While it's now considered to be one of the best films of the 21st century, Alfonso Cuarón's dystopian thriller, starring Clive Owen, failed to make its money back at the box office at its time of release in 2006. Citizen Kane (1941) Orson Welles' film may now be a beloved classic, but it was a different story back in the early 1940s: it failed to recoup its costs at the box office – and was beaten to the Oscar Best Picture by (the actually very good) How Green Was My Valley. Clockers (1995) Spike Lee's Clockers ranks as one of the director's most disappointing performances at the box office to date, taking just $13m (£10m) from a $25m (£18.7m) budget. Deepwater Horizon (2016) Peter Berg's real-life drama fell more than $30m (£22.6m) short of its $156m (£117m) budget – a shame considering it's one of the Friday Night Lights creator's best films to date (which, from the guy who directed Battleship and Mile 22, we suppose is not saying much). Donnie Darko (2004) Donnie Darko grossed just over $7.5m (£5.6m) worldwide on a budget of $4.5m (£3.3m). A notable reason for its flop was likely due to the fact its marketing campaign centred on the scene involving a crash of a plane's engine just weeks before 9/11. Thankfully, the film went on to earn a cult following after being released on DVD and is now one of the most celebrated films of the 2000s. Event Horizon (1997) With its B-movie-style scares and ridiculous twists, Event Horizon had all the ingredients to become a sleeper hit. Instead, it was a commercial and critical failure, grossing $26.7m (£20m) on a $60m (£45m) production budget. The Fabelmans (2022) Steven Spielberg's late-career efforts have seldom enjoyed the kind of box office sorcery that defined his early hits. But it was still shocking to see just how few people turned out to see The Fabelmans, a mostly autobiographical drama focusing on the filmmaker's childhood, and his parent's marital troubles. Perhaps it was the marketing that was at fault – trailers suggested this would be a mawkish love letter to the wonder of cinema, whereas the actual film offers a far more cynical and nuanced worldview. Heaven's Gate (1980) Michael Cimino's ambitious epic is notable for being one of the biggest box office bombs of its time, losing studio United Artists an estimated $37m (£27.7m) – which is over $114m (£85.5m) when adjusted for inflation. The film, which received a mauling from critics at the time, has been reevaluated in recent years – and is best viewed as one of the last truly director-driven films in that Hollywood era. Hugo (2011) Martin Scorsese's charming family film was a commercial failure, grossing just $185m (£138.6m) against its $150–170m (£112m-127m) budget. Five years later, he'd have another flop with Silence, which consequently made studios wary about investing in the director's future projects. Instead. Scorsese jumped to streaming, releasing The Irishman on Netflix in 2019. He will release his next two films, including 2022's The Killers of the Flower Moon, on Apple TV+. The Insider (1999) While loved by critics, Michael Mann's drama – starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe – never made back its $68m (£51m) budget. The Iron Giant (1999) Despite being one of the greatest animated films of all time, The Iron Giant was a victim of Warner Bros' scepticism towards the genre after the failure of their previous effort, Quest for Camelot. Future Pixar director Brad Bird's film made $31.3m (£23.4m) worldwide against a budget of $70–80m (£52-£60m). It's a Wonderful Life (1946) While not a major flop, this classic underperformed at the Christmas box office due to stiff competition from other big films released at the time, including William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives and Powell and Pressburger's A Matter of Life and Death. The King of Comedy (1982) Although Martin Scorsese's drama was well-received by critics, it flopped at the box office. Reflecting on this, lead star Robert De Niro said that the film 'maybe wasn't so well received because it gave off an aura of something that people didn't want to look at or know'. Mulholland Drive (2001) David Lynch's head-scratcher is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, but it was so hard to market that it failed to make back its $20m (£15m) budget. Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010) Edgar Wright's latest film, Last Night in Soho, flopped. at the box office – but it wasn't the director's first taste of disappointment. In 2010, Scott Pilgrim was a box office bomb, grossing $47.7m (£35.8m) against its production budget of $85m–90m (£63.7m-£67.5m). However, love for the film is strong 11 years on,with the director regularly tweeting along whenever it's broadcast on TV. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) This Stephen King adaptation might famously sit atop IMDb's 'top 250' list, but it was a box office disappointment upon release, earning only $16m (£12m) during its initial theatrical run. It would later get re-released and earn $58.3m (£43.7m), which is kind of cheating, but we'll allow it. A Simple Plan (1998) This Oscar-nominated Coen brothers-style noir from Sam Raimi, which is currently on BBC iPlayer, amassed a paltry $17m (£12.7m) at the box office,. This perhaps cemented its destiny to be one of the most unsung films of the 1990s. This Is Spinal Tap (1984) It wasn't until its home entertainment release that Rob Reiner's mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, documenting the rise of a fictional band, became the beloved classic it is today. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) It may be a superior Roald Dahl adaptation, but the Gene Wilder movie made a tiny $1m (£749) profit upon its original release in 1971. It cemented its status as one of the most-loved family films of all time after becoming a regular fixture in the Christmas TV schedules.
The Independent
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
23 brilliant movies that bombed at the box office
P redicting which movies will set the box office alight seems like an easy task, but there's a reason studios get paid the big bucks to do so. However, every so often, an acclaimed film can come along that absolutely tanks after being unveiled for the public. Over the years, there have been a startling number of films that have struggled, or indeed failed, to recoup their budget, and have consequently earned the 'box office flop' label – this summer alone has already racked up a fair few. It's hard to pin down exactly why movies such as these – Children of Men and It's a Wonderful Life , to name a few – initially struggle to find an audience. Fortunately, though, the film's quality shines through and it ultimately finds a fanbase beyond its theatrical release. Thanks to the advent of streaming services, reliance on box office figures has diminished somewhat over the years. This also means that films which struggled to find an audience upon release could potentially go on to find love years later after being added to Netflix, Prime Video or another service. Below, we run through a list of films that unexpectedly – and unfairly – bombed at the box office. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) Andrew Dominik's revered Western only just recouped half of its $30m (£22m) budget when released in cinemas in 2007. However, it fortunately found love after being released on DVD and Blu-ray, no doubt helped by its inclusion on several 'best films of the year' lists. Babylon (2022) It's hard to know exactly what was behind Babylon's insipid box office showing. Was it poor marketing, or the fact that the film was 190 minutes long? Whatever the reason, it's a damn shame – in her five-star Babylon review, Clarisse Loughrey describes the 'debauched drama' as being 'tailor-made to divide audiences', adding that it 'puts a bullet in the head of any notion that the film industry's silent era was ever austere or quaint'. Blackhat (2015) Michael Mann's underrated cyber thriller was a box office bomb, earning a mere $19.7m (£15m) at the box office against a budget of $70m (£52.5m). The unfairly scathing reviews probably didn't help. Tang Wei and Chris Hemsworth in 'Blackhat' (Frank Connor/Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures) Blade Runner (1982) It's hard to imagine a seminal film like Blade Runner being a flop at the time of its release, but that's exactly what Ridley Scott's sci-fi film was. After a lacklustre run in America, the film proved it had staying power thanks to worldwide audiences and became a word-of-mouth hit in the process. Still, it only made back $10.5m (£8m) more than its budget of $30m (£22.5m). Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Children of Men (2006) While it's now considered to be one of the best films of the 21st century, Alfonso Cuarón's dystopian thriller, starring Clive Owen, failed to make its money back at the box office at its time of release in 2006. Citizen Kane (1941) Orson Welles' film may now be a beloved classic, but it was a different story back in the early 1940s: it failed to recoup its costs at the box office – and was beaten to the Oscar Best Picture by (the actually very good) How Green Was My Valley . 'Citizen Kane' (RKO Radio Pictures) Clockers (1995) Spike Lee's Clockers ranks as one of the director's most disappointing performances at the box office to date, taking just $13m (£10m) from a $25m (£18.7m) budget. Deepwater Horizon (2016) Peter Berg's real-life drama fell more than $30m (£22.6m) short of its $156m (£117m) budget – a shame considering it's one of the Friday Night Lights creator's best films to date (which, from the guy who directed Battleship and Mile 22 , we suppose is not saying much). Donnie Darko (2004) Donnie Darko grossed just over $7.5m (£5.6m) worldwide on a budget of $4.5m (£3.3m). A notable reason for its flop was likely due to the fact its marketing campaign centred on the scene involving a crash of a plane's engine just weeks before 9/11. Thankfully, the film went on to earn a cult following after being released on DVD and is now one of the most celebrated films of the 2000s. 'Donnie Darko' (Dale Robinette/Flower/Gaylord/Adam Fields Prod/Kobal/Shutterstock) Event Horizon (1997) With its B-movie-style scares and ridiculous twists, Event Horizon had all the ingredients to become a sleeper hit. Instead, it was a commercial and critical failure, grossing $26.7m (£20m) on a $60m (£45m) production budget. The Fabelmans (2022) Steven Spielberg's late-career efforts have seldom enjoyed the kind of box office sorcery that defined his early hits. But it was still shocking to see just how few people turned out to see The Fabelmans , a mostly autobiographical drama focusing on the filmmaker's childhood, and his parent's marital troubles. Perhaps it was the marketing that was at fault – trailers suggested this would be a mawkish love letter to the wonder of cinema, whereas the actual film offers a far more cynical and nuanced worldview. To find out what others are saying and join the conversation scroll down for the comments section or click here for our most commented on articles Heaven's Gate (1980) Michael Cimino's ambitious epic is notable for being one of the biggest box office bombs of its time, losing studio United Artists an estimated $37m (£27.7m) – which is over $114m (£85.5m) when adjusted for inflation. The film, which received a mauling from critics at the time, has been reevaluated in recent years – and is best viewed as one of the last truly director-driven films in that Hollywood era. Hugo (2011) Martin Scorsese's charming family film was a commercial failure, grossing just $185m (£138.6m) against its $150–170m (£112m-127m) budget. Five years later, he'd have another flop with Silence , which consequently made studios wary about investing in the director's future projects. Instead. Scorsese jumped to streaming, releasing The Irishman on Netflix in 2019. He will release his next two films, including 2022's The Killers of the Flower Moon , on Apple TV+. 'Hugo' (Paramount/Gk/Kobal/Shutterstock) The Insider (1999) While loved by critics, Michael Mann's drama – starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe – never made back its $68m (£51m) budget. The Iron Giant (1999) Despite being one of the greatest animated films of all time, The Iron Giant was a victim of Warner Bros' scepticism towards the genre after the failure of their previous effort, Quest for Camelot . Future Pixar director Brad Bird's film made $31.3m (£23.4m) worldwide against a budget of $70–80m (£52-£60m). It's a Wonderful Life (1946) While not a major flop, this classic underperformed at the Christmas box office due to stiff competition from other big films released at the time, including William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives and Powell and Pressburger's A Matter of Life and Death . James Stewart and Donna Reed in 'It's a Wonderful Life' (Paramount) The King of Comedy (1982) Although Martin Scorsese's drama was well-received by critics, it flopped at the box office. Reflecting on this, lead star Robert De Niro said that the film 'maybe wasn't so well received because it gave off an aura of something that people didn't want to look at or know'. Mulholland Drive (2001) David Lynch's head-scratcher is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, but it was so hard to market that it failed to make back its $20m (£15m) budget. Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010) Edgar Wright's latest film, Last Night in Soho , flopped. at the box office – but it wasn't the director's first taste of disappointment. In 2010, Scott Pilgrim was a box office bomb, grossing $47.7m (£35.8m) against its production budget of $85m–90m (£63.7m-£67.5m). However, love for the film is strong 11 years on,with the director regularly tweeting along whenever it's broadcast on TV. 'Scott Pilgrim vs the World' (Big Talk Productions/Kobal/Shutterstock) The Shawshank Redemption (1994) This Stephen King adaptation might famously sit atop IMDb's 'top 250' list, but it was a box office disappointment upon release, earning only $16m (£12m) during its initial theatrical run. It would later get re-released and earn $58.3m (£43.7m), which is kind of cheating, but we'll allow it. A Simple Plan (1998) This Oscar-nominated Coen brothers-style noir from Sam Raimi, which is currently on BBC iPlayer, amassed a paltry $17m (£12.7m) at the box office,. This perhaps cemented its destiny to be one of the most unsung films of the 1990s. This Is Spinal Tap (1984) It wasn't until its home entertainment release that Rob Reiner's mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap , documenting the rise of a fictional band, became the beloved classic it is today. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) It may be a superior Roald Dahl adaptation, but the Gene Wilder movie made a tiny $1m (£749) profit upon its original release in 1971. It cemented its status as one of the most-loved family films of all time after becoming a regular fixture in the Christmas TV schedules.
