Classic Cinema
Blu-ray Review: Witness for the Prosecution
Whilst Charles Laughton is now probably best-known for the only film he directed, Night of the Hunter, he was a versatile an indominable stage and screen actor. He made over fifty films across five decades and is probably best known for his performances in The Private Life of Henry VIII, Hobson’s Choice, Mutiny on the …
Blu-Ray Review: Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji
Whilst the country found itself in a deep depression after defeat in World War II and subsequent occupation, the 1950s is considered to be the golden age of Japanese cinema. Three of the greatest films of all time (Rashomon and Seven Samurai – Akira Kurosawa and Tokyo Story – Yasujirō Ozu) were released that decade, …
Blu-Ray Review: I Vitelloni
Federico Fellini was one of the greatest directors and screenwriters ever to work in Italian cinema. Films such as 8 ½, La Dolce Vita, La Strada and The Night of Cabaria still regularly feature in ‘best-of’ lists and grace special screenings and retrospectives around the world. After beginning his career as an assistant and writer …
Blu-Ray Review: The Crime of Monsieur Lange
Jean Renoir was undoubtedly one of the greats of early cinema and amongst the most influential directors in the history of French film-making. Indeed, two films he made during the 1930s (La Grande Illusion and The Rules of the Game) are often cited in lists of the greatest works of the period. Renoir was one …
Blu-Ray Review: Birdman of Alcatraz
After watching Birdman of Alcatraz, you might be surprised to discover that Burt Lancaster’s performance didn’t get rewarded with an Oscar. On further investigation, 1963 was a special year for male leads. Gregory Peck eventually prevailed and picked-up the gong for his role in To Kill a Mockingbird. The other nominees were Peter O’Toole (Lawrence …
Blu-Ray Review: Footsteps in the Fog
Around the period either side of the Second World War, the environmental conditions in London proved conducive to a rather niche kind of film drama. The combination of severe pollution and adverse weather conditions periodically resulted in a dense fog which cast its pall over the capital. This culminated in the Great Smog of 1962 …
Blu-Ray Review: The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail
Of all the myriad sub-genres of horror cinema, giallo is possibly the most stylistically exuberant, nostalgically eulogised and vividly colourful. Whilst Dario Argento is the director usually associated with this style of film-making, much of his output fell outside of strict genre definitions. The master of the artform was unquestionably Sergio Martino (The Suspicious Death …
Blu-Ray Review: Black Peter
Making films under the curtain of censorship is an extremely precarious and potentially life-threatening undertaking. It can easily lead to a very short career. This is what makes the achievements of the Czech new wave film-makers even for impressive. The likes of Miloš Forman, Věra Chytilová, Ivan Passer, Jiří Menzel and Pavel Juráček put the …
Film Review: Vagabond
Celebrating her 90th birthday this year, Agnes Varda remains one of the treasures of French cinema. Beginning with her first feature, La Pointe Courte, in 1954, she has spent decades making thought-provoking, intelligent and insightful films. In her latter years, she’s chosen to focus on making documentaries, but remains best-known for her narrative work. Most …
Blu-Ray Review: No Way Out
Joseph L. Mankiewicz was a true Hollywood all-rounder. As a writer he penned forty-eight screenplays during his career, winning numerous awards and accolades. He produced over twenty films, including The Philadelphia Story. When he was finally given a chance to direct by Twentieth Century Fox, he didn’t disappoint; winning Oscars for Best Director (and also …