DVD/Blu-Ray Review
DVD Review: Conversation Piece (Masters of Cinema)
Italy was once the home of some of the greatest film directors in the world. Fellini is arguably up there with the greats, and the likes of Antonioni, Rossellini, Pasolini, Bertolucci, De Sica and Zeffirelli aren’t far behind. However, the crowning glory of Italian cinema is arguably Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard. The milanese made fourteen …
Blu-Ray Review: The In-Laws
Modern cinema is littered with gross-out and offensive comedies. We’ve become studio-fed by Apatow, Rogen, Rudd, Mottola, Macfarlane and the like. And whilst it’s brilliant to see actresses finally being cast in starring roles, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the intelligence of the writing is any greater. Films such as Arthur Hiller’s 1974 comedy In-Laws …
Film Review: Sid And Nancy
Punk was one of the most memorable and most distinctive musical movements on the Twentieth Century. Much more than merely a musical genre, it was, and still is, a way of life for many. The punk scene has been successfully immortalised in documentaries such as The Decline of Western Civilisation, Another State of Mind and …
DVD Review: The Hard Stop
With the recent spate of killings of young black men in America by the police and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, the atmosphere in America is beginning to rival the turbulent days at the height of the civil rights movement. The situation is on a knife-edge and one spark could set off …
DVD Review: Eddie the Eagle
There’s something about the British and our love of the underdog. Whether it’s a non-league team playing one of the top dogs in the FA Cup or a plucky qualifier taking on the top seed at Wimbledon, there’s nothing we like more than to support David against Goliath. When it comes to the Winter Olympics …
DVD Review: Solaris
Space has been explored in just about every conceivable way through cinema, literature and television. Whilst action-oriented films usually dominate at the box office, it’s often more subtle psychological sci-fi which leaves a lasting impression. The classic example, which is generally considered the best genre film ever made, is 2001: A Space Odyssey. More recently, …
Blu-ray Review: Mirror
Like any other artists or writers, film directors occasionally get the itch to put themselves in the limelight. This mostly manifests itself in the form of a documentary, such as Agnes Varda’s The Beaches of Agnes, Ari Folman’s Waltz with Bashir or Sarah Polley’s deeply personal The Stories We Tell. However, the likes of Jodorowsky …
DVD Review: Disorder
Diane Kruger and Matthias Schoenaerts will now be familiar faces to English-speaking audiences. Kruger for the likes of Troy, National Treasure and The Bridge and Schoenaerts for A Bigger Splash, Suite Française and The Danish Girl. However, their best work has come in French language films, notably Schoenaerts in Rust and Bone and Bullhead. They …
Blu-ray Review: Dr Strangelove: or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Stanley Kubrick is without doubt one of the greatest film makers of the 20th Century. Whilst the image of Alex or his fellow droogs causing havoc in A Clockwork Orange remain the most iconic, films such as Full Metal Jacket, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining and Spartacus are as feted today as they were …
DVD Review: River
Every so often a news story pops up about a Westerner being arrested in Southeastern Asia. These are normally backpackers or students on gap years and it’s normally in the area formerly known as Indochina. Whether it be Vietnam, Thailand, Laos or Cambodia, the reason behind the arrest it’s almost always for drug offences. In …