THIS MONTH
WHAT IS A hero? Think of the word, and you might conjure up images of spandex-clad superbeings, able to halt a speeding train with a flex of a bicep. But while muscles are handy, true heroism is about inner strength — the determination to do what’s right, an unquenchable hope that things will work out in the end. These qualities are in evidence all around us at the moment, whether it’s doctors and nurses working around the clock, or anyone carrying out ordinary tasks in deeply extraordinary times. And they’re in evidence in the movies we love too, movies that give us role models and help us keep trucking when things get almost overwhelmingly hard.
So when we decided to ask you which characters inspire you the most, we were gratified to find in the results of the poll, alongside the inevitable gods of thunder and men of iron, plenty of folks without atomic glutes. There’s puffer-jacketed schoolkid Marty Mcfly, there’s space trucker Ellen Ripley, and of course, there’s Henry ‘Indiana’ Jones, a professor who is frequently knocked down, but always gets back up. A reminder that all you need to be a hero is plenty of grit. Though time machines, mech suits and bullwhips sure don’t hurt.
Enjoy the countdown, featuring new interviews with many of the stars and filmmakers who brought these celluloid champions to life. And the issue has lots more besides, including catch-ups with Charlize Theron and Spike Lee, plus a return to The Comfort Zone, the warmest and fuzziest pages you’ll find in any magazine.
Thanks to everyone on the team for continuing to do amazing work in lockdown. And thanks most of all to you, for staying with us during these strange days. We’ll do our best to keep you entertained.