https://www.joebeckjournalism.comRSS Feed for Joe BeckenFri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://histoflick.com/2026/06/05/hollywood-melted-it-down-benjamin-mee-on-the-real-story-behind-we-bought-a-zoo/Few zookeepers can claim to have been played by Matt Damon in a multi-million dollar Hollywood movie, but Benjamin Mee can.  “It’s not really history, is it, bloke buys a zoo, it’s a real tiny blip,” he says, perhaps selling himself short on the magnitude of the task and the significance of his story being adapted for Hollywood.  For millions of viewers, Benjamin Mee’s story does not involve Dartmoor Zoo in Devon, but instead involves Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson and is set in sunny C...Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://histoflick.com/2026/06/05/hollywood-melted-it-down-benjamin-mee-on-the-real-story-behind-we-bought-a-zoo/https://histoflick.com/2026/06/01/the-mob-museum-reveals-the-most-accurate-mob-films/To find out, HistoFlick spoke with Zach Jensen, content development manager at The Mob Museum in Las Vegas, whose work explores the history of organised crime and the myths that have grown up around it. Whilst every film takes dramatic liberties, Jensen argues that the best mob movies are not necessarily those that get every detail correct, but those that effectively capture the culture, motivations and realities of organised crime. With that in mind, here are the mob films that The Mob Mu...Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://histoflick.com/2026/06/01/the-mob-museum-reveals-the-most-accurate-mob-films/https://histoflick.com/2026/06/01/the-mafia-according-to-hollywood-how-mob-movies-shaped-our-understanding-of-real-organised-crimehe-mafia-according-to-hollywood-how-mob-movies-shaped-our-understanding-of-real-organised-crime/Most people will only ever encounter organised crime through the movies. Whether it is Marlon Brando’s Don Vito Corleone making an unrefusable offer, Robert De Niro’s Ace Rothstein surveying the Las Vegas Strip, or Ray Liotta’s Henry Hill declaring, “as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster”, the mafia and the mob are deeply ingrained in cinema. As a result, it is cinema that has come to define people’s understanding of the gangster, and the history of organised crime h...Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://histoflick.com/2026/06/01/the-mafia-according-to-hollywood-how-mob-movies-shaped-our-understanding-of-real-organised-crimehe-mafia-according-to-hollywood-how-mob-movies-shaped-our-understanding-of-real-organised-crime/https://histoflick.com/2026/06/01/the-real-elephant-man-how-david-lynch-rewrote-joseph-merricks-life/Hospital records show that Merrick had been awake that morning and spoken to the Sister of Blizard War, who dropped by to see him, and that a ward maid had arrived with his lunch at 1:30pm and left it for him to eat. It was not until just after 3pm when Merrick was found lying dead across his bed, his lunch untouched. The circumstances of Merrick’s death have been debated ever since, pointing to a much larger truth. That while Merrick’s name and story are recognisable to many, he remains one...Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://histoflick.com/2026/06/01/the-real-elephant-man-how-david-lynch-rewrote-joseph-merricks-life/https://histoflick.com/2026/05/29/histo-views-mary-queen-of-scots-2018/Josie Rourke’s Mary Queen of Scots is the third major Hollywood adaptation of Mary Stuart’s life, and yet a truly accurate portrayal of the famed monarch remains elusive on the screen. Previously played by Katherine Hepburn in 1936 and Vanessa Redgrave in 1971, Saoirse Ronan takes the crown in the 2018 adaptation of John Guy’s biography – Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart. Ronan herself gives a noble performance as the embattled queen, though she adopts a Scottish accent rather...Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://histoflick.com/2026/05/29/histo-views-mary-queen-of-scots-2018/https://histoflick.com/2026/05/28/how-hollywood-replaced-the-legend-of-butch-cassidy-and-the-sundance-kid/Unlike historical figures such as Jesse James, whose numerous cinematic adaptations have been strictly bound by the rigid necessities of specific settings, times and post-Civil War issues, the historical record for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid remains remarkably thin. “The advantage that the Butch Cassidy story has is that the record is very thin,” says historian of the American West Richard Slotkin, “nobody is even sure whether Butch died in Bolivia or whether he came back.” This hi...Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://histoflick.com/2026/05/28/how-hollywood-replaced-the-legend-of-butch-cassidy-and-the-sundance-kid/https://histoflick.com/2026/05/26/the-face-of-evil-the-dangerous-paradox-of-putting-hitler-on-screen/There’s arguably no face in the world more recognisable than that of Adolf Hitler. It is a face that has inspired terror, that has represented malignant evil, that has represented the most banal of humanity. He is a figure that many would deem too daunting to put on screen, it is far easier to portray Nazis as faceless henchmen, leaving Hitler’s eerie presence lingering in textbooks rather than a character brought to life.  In many ways, it is remarkable that, despite so few canonical filmic...Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://histoflick.com/2026/05/26/the-face-of-evil-the-dangerous-paradox-of-putting-hitler-on-screen/https://histoflick.com/2026/05/26/how-sean-penn-became-harvey-milk/The image of Harvey Milk has changed over the years. To those who lived through the 1970s, especially in Milk’s native San Francisco, he was a larger-than-life figure, whose wide, toothy grin, mess of dark hair and large protruding ears made him stand out from the crowd. Even more so when he was atop a soapbox, his voice amplified by a megaphone, spreading a message of hope and unity to America’s LGBT community in their struggle for civil rights. In the years since his assassination in 1978, he...Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://histoflick.com/2026/05/26/how-sean-penn-became-harvey-milk/https://histoflick.com/2026/05/26/dressing-gladiator-an-interview-with-academy-award-winning-costume-designer-janty-yates/To understand Yates’ impact on the historical film genre, one must look back to the late 1990s, an era when the sprawling ancient epic was considered out of fashion. When famed director Ridley Scott took on the challenge of resurrecting ancient Rome with Gladiator, the world of military costume design was still an aggressively male-dominated field.  Yates, who had spent the first fifteen years of her career navigating the fast-paced, high-volume world of British television commercials, broke...Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://histoflick.com/2026/05/26/dressing-gladiator-an-interview-with-academy-award-winning-costume-designer-janty-yates/https://histoflick.com/2026/05/26/too-big-for-the-screen-why-cinema-continues-to-fail-napoleon/Napoleon Bonaparte may be the most portrayed historical figure in cinema history. It’s widely believed that there have been 194 portrayals of the French emperor, from silent epics, lavish Hollywood dramas and gigantic Soviet spectacles, all attempting to capture the Corsican who reshaped Europe. Yet for all the millions of dollars, thousands of extras in battle scenes, and critically acclaimed actors in starring roles, historians still argue that cinema has never truly captured him.Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://histoflick.com/2026/05/26/too-big-for-the-screen-why-cinema-continues-to-fail-napoleon/https://www.beinsports.com/en-us/soccer/premier-league/articles/mount-european-qualification-the-aim-for-manchester-united-2025-07-25They also accumulated their fewest points in a top-flight season since their relegation campaign in 1973-74, while also suffering 18 league defeats, their most since that aforementioned season. Ruben Amorim's team missed the chance to salvage a spot in the Champions League in 2025-26 after losing 1-0 to Tottenham in the Europa League final. This will be the Red Devils' first season without European football since 2014-15, and Mount expressed his desire to help the club return to Europe next seas...Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://www.beinsports.com/en-us/soccer/premier-league/articles/mount-european-qualification-the-aim-for-manchester-united-2025-07-25https://www.beinsports.com/en-us/soccer/premier-league/articles/hurzeler-ferguson-can-still-succeed-at-brighton-despite-roma-loan-2025-07-21Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has said that Evan Ferguson can still be a success at Brighton despite his impending loan move to Roma. Ferguson is set to join the Italian side on a season-long loan, which reportedly comes with an option to buy clause set at €40m.The 20-year-old was given a hero's welcome upon his arrival in the Italian capital ahead of his medical on Monday, with fans gathering in their droves to catch a glimpse of their new arrival. "For us, it is always important the individual...Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://www.beinsports.com/en-us/soccer/premier-league/articles/hurzeler-ferguson-can-still-succeed-at-brighton-despite-roma-loan-2025-07-21https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/420821/video/38df5ce0-43a5-4ef9-8c1c-1bcac8ae50e7.mp4Chelsea's Guro Reiten believes that Arsenal's Champions League win is 'amazing' for English women's football.Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/420821/video/38df5ce0-43a5-4ef9-8c1c-1bcac8ae50e7.mp4https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/420821/video/d2397cd5-096f-40ae-87e9-4cea45730a03.mp4Chelsea forward Guro Reiten said the team have even greater goals after winning the treble last year.Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/420821/video/d2397cd5-096f-40ae-87e9-4cea45730a03.mp4https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/420821/video/ed44eeac-4661-4e35-83e8-6092cc7dbe15.mp4Ellen White believes the WSL's first £1m signing, Olivia Smith, will give Arsenal their best shot of a title.Tue, 02 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/420821/video/ed44eeac-4661-4e35-83e8-6092cc7dbe15.mp4https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/420821/video/116b3c52-8da1-4e69-8c8e-77ee2fa1352a.mp4Ellen White believes the WSL's first £1m signing, Olivia Smith, will give Arsenal their best shot of a title.Tue, 02 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/420821/video/116b3c52-8da1-4e69-8c8e-77ee2fa1352a.mp4https://www.fotmob.com/en-GB/news/4qjm2ljv8syz1g6ztf18853b7-chelsea-star-reiten-predicts-tight-tussle-wsl-crownChelsea forward Guro Reiten is predicting a difficult Women's Super League season for the Blues as Sonia Bompastor's side aim to retain their crown.  The Blues stormed to their sixth WSL title in a row in 2024-25, going unbeaten in Bompastor's first season at the helm to finish 12 points clear of second-placed Arsenal.  But not only did they succeed in the league, Chelsea also completed a domestic treble, having also lifted the Women's League Cup and FA Cup in the same season.  Chelsea are th...Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://www.fotmob.com/en-GB/news/4qjm2ljv8syz1g6ztf18853b7-chelsea-star-reiten-predicts-tight-tussle-wsl-crownhttps://media.journoportfolio.com/users/420821/video/ab3409a7-5256-4800-b93a-25f82d4a964c.mp4Footballers all around London have been given the chance to meet football superstar Lionel MessiWed, 27 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/420821/video/ab3409a7-5256-4800-b93a-25f82d4a964c.mp4https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/420821/video/f4d05eb9-8fd3-4ee7-915f-c69414c39944.mp4Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/420821/video/f4d05eb9-8fd3-4ee7-915f-c69414c39944.mp4https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/420821/video/4c097d3b-2829-4747-ad1b-07ef78a1eea5.mp4Mikel Arteta has 'no doubt' that new signing Viktor Gyokeres will deliver for Arsenal in this upcoming season.Wed, 06 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://media.journoportfolio.com/users/420821/video/4c097d3b-2829-4747-ad1b-07ef78a1eea5.mp4https://www.beinsports.com/en-us/soccer/serie-a/articles/breath-of-oxygen-allegri-brings-hope-for-milan-revival-2025-08-05After missing out on the European places with an eighth-place finish in Serie A in 2024-25, Allegri has been charged with rebuilding Milan, having won the Scudetto in 2010-11 in his first stint at the club. The positivity has been reflected in their pre-season results, with a 1-0 loss to Arsenal the only blight on a tour that has also seen a 4-2 win over Premier League champions Liverpool and a 9-0 thrashing of Australian outfit Perth Glory. After last season's disappointment, Milan sought to cl...Tue, 05 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://www.beinsports.com/en-us/soccer/serie-a/articles/breath-of-oxygen-allegri-brings-hope-for-milan-revival-2025-08-05https://www.fotmob.com/en-GB/news/1lrajwklirodt1vwne1b4wxy2x-ter-stegen-not-included-barcelonas-pre-season-tour-amid-growing-tensionsBarcelona captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen will not travel on the club's pre-season tour of Asia, amid a growing rift between the player and the club.  The move comes after Ter Stegen announced on Thursday that he would be out for around three months due to a back operation.  In a post on social media, he said: "Physically and athletically, I feel in very good shape, although unfortunately I am not free from pain. "After intensive discussions with the FC Barcelona medical team and external exper...Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://www.fotmob.com/en-GB/news/1lrajwklirodt1vwne1b4wxy2x-ter-stegen-not-included-barcelonas-pre-season-tour-amid-growing-tensionshttps://english.stadiumastro.com/football/dzeko-immediately-wanted-italy-return-fiorentina-292623Thu, 17 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://english.stadiumastro.com/football/dzeko-immediately-wanted-italy-return-fiorentina-292623https://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk/reviews/my-week-with-maisyThere are certain subject matters that when portrayed in film are bound to get the tears rolling. Of course it’s different for different people, some people will remain stone faced by the end of ‘Titanic’, whilst others will be flooded with tears. The same people may be moved by ‘Schindler’s List’ or more recently ‘Aftersun’, whilst others will remain cold. What moves us to tears is affected by our own personal experience and the way in which we interpret the film and connect to it’s characters....Mon, 18 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk/reviews/my-week-with-maisyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lCGg815e20Thu, 24 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lCGg815e20https://www.thestar.co.uk/community/off-the-shelf-festival-of-words-returns-to-sheffield-4832009The likes of Richard Ayoade, Sara Pascoe and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi have headlined the festival this year, with hundreds of people turning out for their events.The festival, which is run by the University of Sheffield, aims to bring the biggest names in local, regional, and international literary talent, media and the arts to the city every year. This comes in the form of interactive workshops, exhibitions and lectures, that are all open to the general public, with the hope of inspiring and info...Sun, 20 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://www.thestar.co.uk/community/off-the-shelf-festival-of-words-returns-to-sheffield-4832009https://shef-live.co.uk/index.php/2024/05/08/fulwood-housing-development-approved-by-sheffield-council-despite-objections-by-residents/There is considerable opposition to the development of four new homes in Fulwood, which was approved by Sheffield City Council last week. The proposal to construct four new detached, four bedroom homes on Brooklands Avenue, with an existing bungalow on the site to be demolished, was passed more than two years after first being brought to the Planning and Highways Committee. However, residents on Brooklands Avenue have voiced their opposition to the development, citing concerns over privacy...Fri, 10 May 2024 00:00:00 +0100https://shef-live.co.uk/index.php/2024/05/08/fulwood-housing-development-approved-by-sheffield-council-despite-objections-by-residents/