Blu-Ray Review: Umberto D
Italian Neo-realism emerged after the end of the Second World War. It was a direct reaction to the changing social and economic climate in Italy, characterised by a focus on the everyday lives of ordinary people. Amongst The major players in the movement was Vittorio De Sica. His film Bicycle Thieves became the most iconic …
Film Review: The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki
I’m not a fan of boxing, and by extension, most films about boxing tend to leave me cold. However, it’s a sport which has produced some notable movies over the decades. Raging Bull is the obvious highlight, but the Rocky series demonstrates just how popular a sub-genre it can be. There’s been a recent resurgence, …
Blu-Ray Review: The City of the Dead
Christopher Lee was the most iconic face of horror cinema. He was one of the most prolific actors around in a career in film and television which spanned eight decades. His face, voice and figure is synonymous with terror. Lee’s career began to hit its stride in the late ‘50s/early ‘60s. He’s best-known for his …
Incoming: Mulholland Drive
Consistently hailed the best film of the 21st century, David Lynch’s quintessential neo-noir is now available in a new 4K digital transfer. Naomi Watts gives a career-making performance as aspiring actress Betty, who after arriving in Hollywood, befriends an amnesiac woman (Laura Harring) and tries to help her recover her memory. Mulholland Drive is out …
Incoming: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Adapted from Ken Kesey’s novel, the film centres on Randle McMurphy (Jack Nicholson), a convict who simulates mental illness in the hope that a transfer to psychiatric hospital might ensure his early release. But he hasn’t bargained for the rigid regimen of Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher, also superb), who dislikes his disruptive — though he’d say liberating — effect …
Incoming: A Sense of Ending
Tony Webster (Broadbent) leads a reclusive and quiet existence until long buried secrets from his past force him to face the flawed recollections of his younger self, the truth about his first love (Rampling) and the devastating consequences of decisions made a lifetime ago. A Sense of Ending is out in cinemas from Friday.
Film Review: Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo
For anyone old enough to remember, July 20 1969 will be a day indelibly etched on their memory. Ever since Eagle landed on the moon and Armstrong and Aldrin made one giant leap for mankind, astronauts have become celebrities. However, launching a successful space mission requires a huge team of people. The pilots are just …
Film Festival Preview: Derby Film Festival 2017
The fourth Derby Film Festival takes place at Derby Quad between 28th April and 7th May. A mix of previews, the obscure and much-loved classics, it’s a festival which has been quietly doing great things. Incorporating Fantastiq’s great mix of old and new horror, sci-fi and fantasy, there’s a focus on the works of David …
Incoming: The Handmaiden
Set during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1930s, a young handmaiden named Sookee (Kim Tae-ri) is hired by Hideko (Kim Min-hee), a reclusive heiress who lives in a sprawling mansion under the watchful eye of her domineering Uncle Kouzuki (Cho Jin-woong). But Sookee harbours a secret: she has been recruited by Fujiwara (Ha …
Incoming: A Quiet Passion
The story of 19th century American poet Emily Dickinson is brought to vivid life, in a remarkably sensitive biopic by director Terence Davies, exploring her early days as a young schoolgirl, through to her later years as a recluse. Now recognised as a genius that penned some of the most important verses in American literature, …