Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema — Season 1

In a special seasonal edition of his acclaimed series, film critic Mark Kermode celebrates one of the most perennial of all genres: the Christmas movie. With wit, insight and enthusiasm, Mark will unwrap a glittering selection of Christmas cinematic treats, from much-loved classics to hidden gems, Hollywood blockbusters to international films.Whether they're heart-warming family fare or deliciously dark winter's tales, Mark will reveal the film-making techniques and storytelling secrets that make them so successful. He'll demonstrate how, as with all great genres, a key to the success of the Christmas movie lies in its adaptability.Christmas cinema embraces a remarkable range of styles and themes, from fairytale fantasy to high-octane action, family drama to horror. But a great Christmas movie does more than simply set its story in the festive season. It captures something magical - the Christmas spirit - and in this programme, Mark will show you how.

Mark Kermode explores the sorts of films that have won Academy Awards time and time again. Is it the subject matter or its treatment that is the key to beating your rivals?

Mark Kermode uncovers the cinematic and storytelling secrets of one of the oldest and most spectacular genres of all, the disaster movie.

Mark begins with one of the most popular genres of all. They're sometimes sneered at by critics, but from the 1930s to the present day, many of our most beloved movies are romantic comedies. From Bringing Up Baby and The Lady Eve by way of Annie Hall, When Harry Met Sally and Pretty Woman to Love, Actually (a particular Kermode favourite) - as well as recent hits such as The Big Sick and La La Land - Mark examines the cinematic tricks and techniques involved in creating a classic rom-com.Mark celebrates old favourites, reveals hidden treasures and springs plenty of surprises. Examining films from Hollywood to Bollywood via other gems of world cinema, he reminds us how, much like love itself, the art of the romantic comedy is international.

Film critic Mark Kermode presents a fresh and very personal look at the art of cinema by examining the techniques and conventions behind classic genres. This time, he examines the heist movie, with its unique combination of suspense and action. Whether it is the big bank job or netting a fortune in diamonds, why, asks Mark, do otherwise law-abiding audiences find themselves rooting for robbers and even killers? From The Asphalt Jungle to Ocean's Eleven by way of The Italian Job and even The Wrong Trousers, Mark shows how recurring character types, such as the mastermind, and sequences like the planning scene and the getaway, draw viewers into the big score. And he demonstrates how recent hits like Inception, The Wolf of Wall Street and Baby Driver have pushed the conventions of the heist in thrilling new directions.

This time Mark explores the genre that captures the joy and pain of growing up - the coming-of-age movie. Film-makers across the world repeatedly return to core themes such as first love, breaking away from small-town life and grown-ups who don't understand, using techniques such as casting non-professional actors, camerawork that captures a child's-eye view and nostalgic pop soundtracks. From Rebel without a Cause to Lady Bird by way of Kes, Boyz n the Hood and This Is England, Mark shows how recurring sequences like the makeover and the group singalong, and characters like the gang and mentor figure, have helped create some of the most moving and resonant films in cinema.

One of the earliest science fiction movies - Fritz Lang's 1927 masterpiece Metropolis - was made without CGI or the other tricks of modern cinema. Yet it still has the power to astonish.Since then we have experienced ever more convincing representations of the impossible. Forbidden Planet, Solaris, 2001, Star Wars and Blade Runner - the appetite for fantasy seems endless, and filmmakers have responded with some of the most thrilling and immersive experiences in cinema.In this episode Mark will explore these brave new worlds and examine the technical tricks and storytelling devices at the heart of the best examples of the genre. And he'll show how, throughout its history, science fiction cinema has tapped deeply into our emotions and abiding preoccupations.

In this fifth and final episode Mark Kermode examines the Horror genre.Horror films confront us with our deepest fears - how would it be to find your child possessed by the devil, be surrounded by flesh eating zombies, afraid to sleep because of the monster that comes to you in your dreams, or find yourself trapped in a lonely motel with a murderous owner?Why do we like to be scared? And how do filmmakers go about the business of terrifying us? Mark has a particular passion for this genre and a long-standing fascination with these questions.In this episode, Mark will travel to some of the darkest, but most creative, corners of cinema and shine a light on the techniques and conventions that give horror movies their unique power.And Mark won't just offer his take on the classics like Psycho and The Exorcist but marvel at how films such as the recent smash Get Out and a new generation of female directors continue to push the possibilities of the genre.