Film Review: The Swordsman
The legend of the lone swordsman has etched itself into both history and popular culture within Japan. Today, this motif still fills the pages of Manga, occupies myriad television series (both animated and live action) and of course regular features on cinema screens. Indeed, some of the most memorable depictions have come in motion pictures. …
Blu-Ray Review: Radio On
There’s something about America which makes it ripe for a roundtrip. This undoubtedly has a lot to do with its geography, prevalence of major highways and distances between large cities. There’s also an air of romanticism, which was originally conjured up in literature by the likes of Jack Kerouac in On The Road but soon …
Film Review: Great White
I don’t think anyone who has seen Jaws will hear the first bars of the theme without a shiver running down their spine. Spielberg created a film which made a whole generation think twice about whether it’s safe to go back into the water. It spawned a number of imitations and inspired a raft of …
Blu-Ray Review: Masculin Féminin
By the midway point of the 1960s Jean-Luc Godard was arguably at the peak of his powers. After the success of À bout de souffle, Bande à part, Alphaville and Pierrot le Fou he was one of the most sought-after directors in Europe. Whilst his work had always been political, The Vietnam War and the …
Blu-Ray Review: Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Nowadays, the teen coming-of-age comedy is almost part of the cinematic furniture. However, this has not always been the case. They exploded in popularity around the turn of the century with the likes of American Pie, Superbad, Clueless and Mean Girls becoming firm favourites for several generations of cinemagoers. Back at the beginning of the …
Film Review: The Auschwitz Escape
The Holocaust was undoubtedly the lowest point in modern European history. Hitler’s ‘final solution’ was an abomination which is hard to comprehend in the early twenty-first century. An inherently evil act of sheer callousness and hatred. To the shame of the Allies, it took heroic acts of bravery to expose the full extent of the …
Blu-Ray Review: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
With the death of John le Carré at the end of last year, the world lost one of the greatest spy novelists to ever pick up a pen. His work has enthralled readers for decades and his tales of Control and the British secret service have inspired and influenced many others. His books have been …
Film Review: Some Kind of Heaven
Located in central Florida, The Villages is the largest retirement community in the world. On the face of it this shiny happy ‘Disneyland for retirees’ seems like some kind of utopia. With a wealth of facilities, activities and different neighbourhoods, there’s something for everyone. The ‘resort’ is consistently the fastest growing metropolitan area in the …
Blu-Ray Review: Giants and Toys
The Allied occupation of Japan ended in 1952 and much of this period was devoted to rebuilding lost industrial capacity and moving towards a democratic society. Whilst poverty was still rife, the period of depression and despair which followed defeat had begun to turn into opportunity. Americanisation was rife and most trends originated from the …
Film Review: Paper Spiders
Mental health, or the lack of it, was probably the biggest challenge facing health authorities across the First World even before the pandemic hit. The issue has become even more pressing given the number of lockdowns, job losses and bereavements suffered over the last year across the globe. However, portrayals of mental illness on the …