Celluloid Screams Review: The Void
In a genre full of weird and wonderful offerings, Astron-6 offer a truly unique vision of horror cinema. They’re produced a raft of deliciously entitled shorts including Insanophenia, Inferno of the Dead and H.I.Z. (Erection Der Zombie). With Manborg, they created one of the most iconic cult horror films of the decade, following it up …
DVD Review: The Lighthouse
It’s not so long ago that the whole of Europe relied on sea travel for prosperity. The Spice Wars were probably the peak of maritime engagement, but we still rely on shipping for commercial transportation heavily today. Equally important as the vessels themselves were the lighthouses which kept them away from the rocks. Chris Crow’s …
Incoming: Train to Busan
A mysterious viral outbreak pushes Korea into a state of emergency. The government declares martial law just as divorced Seok-woo and his daughter catch the KTX bullet train from Seoul to Busan to see her mother. But someone on the journey has been recently infected sending the hurtling carriages into complete chaos. As the living …
Celluloid Screams Review: Raw
When it comes to a quick meaty snack, or indeed a mixed grill, it’s probably best to avoid them on the same day as watching a film about cannibalism. As anyone who’s seen Cannibal Holocaust will likely attest, probably best viewed on an empty stomach. Whilst many of these sub-genre films can be hard to …
Blu-Ray Review: A Special Day
Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni were two of the most iconic and best-loved actors in Italian cinema history. They did the vast majority of their best work within European cinema. Mastroianni most notably for 8 ½, La Dolce Vita and La Notte. Loren for Two Women, El CID and A Special Day. Indeed, the pair …
Incoming: Burn Burn Burn
Following the death of their friend, two girls in their late twenties embark on a road trip to spread his ashes. Seph and Alex take turns driving. Dan is in the glove compartment, in tupperware, decreasing in volume as the trip progresses. Burn Burn Burn is out in cinemas on Friday.
Incoming: Low and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World
In Low and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World Oscar-nominated documentarian Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man, Cave of Forgotten Dreams) chronicles the virtual world from its origins to its outermost reaches, exploring the digital landscape with the same curiosity and imagination he previously trained on earthly destinations as disparate as the Amazon, the Sahara, the South …
DVD Review: The Neighbour
It’s fair to say that, in the modern world, knowing your neighbours is becoming an increasingly rare phenomenon. Looking at the bigger picture, it highlights the erosion of local communities and suggests a breakdown of society. The practical implications resolve around the inability to borrow a cup of sugar or a stepladder. In Marcus Dunstan’s …
Blu-ray Review: Twilight’s Last Gleaming
It’s hard to believe it now but during the Cold War ordinary people were terrified by the prospect of a nuclear apocalypse. This was especially the case in America. An atmosphere of fear often permeated throughout society in times of high tension. This period has frequently been captured on film, most notably in Dr. Strangelove, …
Film Review: Ethel & Ernest
In many ways, the film and TV adaptations of Raymond Briggs’ comics, illustrations and graphic novels are an intrinsic part of the British psyche. The Snowman has wowed and amazed several generations of children for countless Christmases, whilst Fungus the Bogeyman is a perennial favourite. On the other hand, Where the Wind Blows is one …