Pomona Rewind

James Mangold's 'Ford versus Ferrari' is about the battle between two brands.  But it could just as easily be called 'USA versus Italy' or, more accurately, 'Corporate Politicians versus The Experts'. Like any Oscar winning movie worth its salt, Mangold's film (known as 'Le Mans '66' in some countries) is more than just a tale about motorsport. 'Ford versus Ferrari' is also about the battle to prevent corporate politics from suffocating creativity. Mangold's movie, written by brothers Jez and John Henry Butterworth and Jason Keller, begins with Matt Damon's American racer Carroll Shelby winning the gruelling Le Mans 24-hour race in 1959. The effort takes it out io him and he never races again, managing the Shelby American racing team instead and a car dealership. Shelby is drawn to Christian Bale's English émigré Ken Miles who dazzles as a driver but has an explosive temper off the track. Miles has a garage but is a disast

Joel Schumacher wanted to be involved in movies from the age of seven. Realising his ambition as a costume designer, he eventually became a writer and would go on to direct some of Hollywood's best known films of the 1980s and 90s. 'St Elmo's Fire,' 'The Lost Boys', 'Flatliners,' and 'Phone Booth' saw him work with some of Hollywood's up and coming names. He was rarely the darling of film critics. But his film, television and music video work was notable for its heightened sense of a striking image and a tendency not to shy away from material that explored the darker recesses of the soul. Born to a Southern Baptist father from Tennessee and a Swedish Jewish mother in New York in 1939, Schumacher suffered loss at an early age. His father passed away when he was four. Schumacher's first interest was design and he studied at Parsons The New School for Design and New York's Fashion Institute of Technology. However his ambition was to desi

Ian Holm was a virtuoso film actor. Often cast in supporting roles, he frequently stole scenes from the stars of the movies he acted in. When he did get the chance to lead a film, he simply dominated it. So respected was he that he worked with the likes of Ridley Scott, Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Richard Attenborough, Steven Soderbergh, David Cronenberg and Peter Jackson. Born Ian Holm Cuthbert in a mental hospital in Essex in 1939 to Scottish parents who were both employed there, he caught the acting bug early. Inspired to pursue a career in acting after he saw 'Les Miserables' at the age of eight, he cut his teeth in amateur dramatics in Worthing, where his parents retired. A chance encounter with Henry Bayton during a visit to the dentists led to him being schooled by the celebrated Shakespearean actor. Bayton helped Holm hone his acting skills to the point where he was able to secure a prestigious place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1949 at the age of 18. His