Blu-Ray Review: Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Let’s just say that film adaptations of video games tend to end up being huge disappointments. So, when the first Resident Evil film came out in 2002, expectations were low. However, it turned out to be an engaging and entertaining action film. This was largely down to a great central performance from Milo Jovovich and …
Film Review: Geek Girls
Words such as ‘nerd’ and ‘geek’ have been used to bully and stigmatise for decades. Humans, it seems, don’t like people who are ‘different’. Thankfully, these terms are beginning to be reclaimed by a new generation. Indeed, geek culture has even become trendy or something to aspire to. Technological advances have made the likes of …
Film Review: A River Below
Modern technology has brought many benefits, but few more transformative than the ability to easily and cheaply document life. Most people carry a camera in their pocket. Activism has moved from a participatory group event to something easily done online. What every media campaign now needs is that one picture which will capture the public’s …
Film Review: Der Müde Tod
Undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in early cinema, Fritz Lang’s work defined many genres. Metropolis is the most important science-fiction film ever made. M became a forerunner to film noir. Spione remains a benchmark for espionage drama. His earlier films oscillated between expressionism and populist thrillers. Whilst nowhere near as well known, this …
Incoming: Berlin Syndrome
While travelling alone in Berlin, Australian photographer Clare meets Andi, a charismatic local English teacher with whom she shares an instant physical attraction. After spending the night together, Clare wakes up alone in Andi’s apartment to discover the door locked and the windows secured, with no means of escape. Now the only inhabitant of an …
Blu-Ray Review: Headshot
When Tony Jaa literally put his neck on the line in Ong Back, a new breed of bone-breaking action cinema was born. Jaa followed his success with Warrior King and their sequels. In 2011 The Raid arrived, proving whatever Thai cinema could do Indonesia can more than match. Raid 2 cemented that reputation. Two of …
Blu-Ray Review: Diabolique
In today’s cinema, M. Night Shyamalan is synonymous with plot twists. It has become expected. So much so, that it often detracts from the film itself with audiences trying to figure it out instead of enjoying the entertainment. The past master was of course the late great Alfred Hitchcock. However, Hitchcock knew how to mic …
Blu-Ray Review: The Naked Civil Servant
With the sad passing of John Hurt earlier this year, Britain lost one of its most accomplished and versatile actors. In a glittering career which spanned six decades, Hurt has played a number of memorable characters. Whether it’s Kane in Alien, Winston Smith in 1984 or John Merrick in The Elephant Man, he’s continually captivated …
Incoming: My Life as a Courgette
After his mother’s sudden death, Courgette is befriended by a police officer, Raymond, who accompanies him to his new foster home filled with other orphans his age. At first he struggles to find his place in this often strange and hostile environment. Yet with Raymond’s help and his newfound friends, Courgette eventually learns to trust …
Film Review: After the Storm
Whilst modern Japan might be a country known for its work ethic and bizarre sub-cultures, it has always maintained a staunch emphasis on family. Yasujirō Ozu, whose specialised in quiet family dramas, was one of the greatest directors of his generation. In a similar vein, Hirokazu Koreeda’s work focusses on inter-generational connections. Following-on from the …