Classic Cinema
Blu-Ray Review: The Barefoot Contessa
It’s no surprise that in an industry powered by ego, narcissism and self-interest, Hollywood is no stranger to making movies about itself. The recent Oscar successes of Birdman and The Artist demonstrate that they’re also quite happy rewarding themselves for it. This is hardly a recent phenomenon. As Sunset Boulevard and Singing in the Rain …
Blu-Ray Review: Quai des Orfèvres
The bright lights of showbusiness has led many astray over the years. As recent events have sadly illustrated all too well, the power almost always rests with men, and it’s a far too regularly abused and misused. As a young actress and singer seeking her big break, the lively music halls of 1940s Paris are …
Blu-ray Review: Le Corbeau
World War II was a difficult period for many European film directors. There was a migration ahead of the Holocaust and Nazi rule, which trundled West from Germany along with the Panzer regiments. If you were Jewish, there was obviously not option, but those who remained in occupied territory faced the choice of complying or …
Blu-Ray Review: Ice Cold in Alex
The subject of World War II has been approached from almost every conceivable angle by film-makers. Most dwell on the major events or pivotal moments in the conflict. J. Lee Thompson preferred to focus on the smaller skirmishes and battles, concentrating on the peripheries or human stories. He did this successfully in the big budget …
Blu-Ray Review: The Battle of Algiers
After World War II the nature of combat, resistance and indeed war changed markedly. Countries were no longer prepared or able to be involved in traditional arenas of conflict. The nature of armed forces has shifted towards technologically driven killing machines. With the price of human life depending more on socio-political considerations rather than risk …
Blu-Ray Review: Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Inferno
The history of cinema is littered with those ‘what if?’ moments. The biggest shock of this decade so far is Terry Gilliam finally finishing The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (or maybe the fact someonone was prepared to give him the money to do so). Sadly, Tim Burton and Nicolas Cage’s Superman Lives will never …
Blu-Ray Review: Charley Varrick
When we think about Walter Matthau today, it’s his great comedy roles which spring to mind. Comedy is what made him famous, and he was never better than when he was working in tandem with Jack Lemmon. Mattheu won an Oscar for his performance in Fortune Cookie, but it was another of the duo’s films …
Blu-Ray Review: The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous creations, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, have graced many books and featured in numerous adaptations, both on the big and small screen. As a double act, they’ve captivated audiences around the world, what with Holmes’ remarkable powers of deduction and Watson’s incredible knack of being in the right place …
Blu-Ray Review: The Apartment
For more than five decades Jack Lemmon was a familiar face on big screens and a much-loved actor. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Mister Roberts in 1955 and made over fifty films before he reprised his most famous double act with Walter Matthau in The Odd Couple II in 1998. …
Blu-Ray Review: Melville – The Essential Collection
It’s no exaggeration to say that the French aren’t exactly short of great film directors. Bresson, Godard, Clouzot, Truffaut, Varda, Tati, Chabrol, Rohmer, Demy – the list goes on and on. Jean-Pierre Melville is easily up there with such vaunted company. Much of his work was influenced by his time serving in the French Resistance …