Twister was a pivotal big-screen experience for me growing up. It was one of the first films – maybe even the firstthat I saw at the cinema with friends but no parents present. The VFX might creak a little now, but it still retains that ineffable ‘if I see it on ITV4 while channel-hopping there’s no way I can switch it off’ vibe. It has momentum, palpable peril, and a cast of immensely likeable character actors playing everyday heroes. Yes, the plot amounts to little more than tornadoes of ever-increasing sizes, but there’s wit and a rekindling romance along for the ride.
We’ll find out soon if Twisters, a sort of sequel (we’re in the same world, but following a totally new set of characters in the present day), will recapture the magic with cutting-edge VFX and an eclectic young cast. After speaking to director Lee Isaac Chung and stars Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Anthony Ramos, I’m very hyped for another round of edge-of-seat immersion, with all that the big screen and a full surround-sound system can throw at me. I hope you’ll feel the same, too. Hell, I might even go 4DX.
But that’s just one summer movie to get excited about that we’re covering this issue. Things got emotional when I visited Pixar HQ for our Inside Out 2 feature; Austin Butler and Jodie Comer are epitomising old-school cool in The Bikeriders; and Alfonso Cuarón and David Heyman are reflecting on The Prisoner of Azkaban at 20 (the best Potter movie?). Plus, new looks at Alien: Romulus, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Bad Boys: Ride or Die and MaXXXine. Will any of these films prove to be un-turn-off-able on ITV4 in 30 years’ time? We’ll see. But it looks like we’re in for a hell of a fun summer…
Enjoy the issue!
