DVD/Blu-Ray Review
DVD Review: The Visitor
Italy has produced some great film directors and cinema. Fellini, Argento, Leone, Antonioni and Zefferelli were all considered masters of their oeuvres. There was a lot of Italian money floating around horror and science fiction films during the ’70s and ’80s, and let’s just say the quality control wasn’t always what it should have been. …
DVD Review: Filmed in Supermarionation
Several generations of children have had the joy of growing up with Thunderbirds, Joe 90, Stingray and (the frankly at times terrifying) Captain Scarlet. Their special magic came from the inspired vision of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson whose pioneering supermarionation techniques for filming puppets revolutionised TV in the 1960s and paved the way for the …
DVD Review: Zombeavers
There have been some bizarre monster movies over the years. Older classics include The Sea Bat, Attack of the Giant Leaches, The Killer Shrews, and Attack of the Crab Monsters. The last decade has seen a resurgence in interest in the genre, mainly due to the SFX channel which has helped introduce the world to …
DVD Review: Sophia’s Last Ambulance
Documentaries are often seen as the poor cousin of narrative films. They are often overlooked in the main selection at film festivals and seldom win any of the main awards. Take Cannes Film Festival for instance. In 2012 Sophia’s Last Ambulance was only the second documentary to feature in its International Critics Week. It went …
DVD Review: Omar
Over the years the Oscars has seen many nominees that have been unfairly beaten to the ultimate prize by an inferior film. The Best Foreign Language Film Oscar is even more precarious as many great films have failed to be chosen by their respective countries to compete. The Battle of Algiers, The Last Metro, Au …
DVD Review: Joe
Nicholas Cage is possibly the most schizophrenic actor working in Hollywood today. The meme-friendly and oft-ridiculed star is frequently mocked for his range of emotions. It’s easy to forget that he’s won an Oscar for his acting prowess. However, these glimpses of brilliance are often rare. For every Leaving Las Vegas, Raising Arizona and Adaptation …
DVD Review: Norte: The End of History
There have been some mammoth films throughout the course of cinema history. Resan clocks in at 873 minutes whilst How Yukong Moved the Mountains and Out 1 have runtimes of over 700 minutes. Sátántangó, which is screening around the country as part of Scalarama at the moment, racks up a creditable 450 minutes. Director Lav …
DVD Review: American Interior
Gruff Rhys is one of a small number of artists who combine being talented musicians with a genuinely interesting and eccentric personality. The former lead singer of Super Furry Animals has continued to make quality music both as a member of Neon Neon and as a solo act. He’s also a keen ambassador for the …
DVD Review: Brute Force
The Great Depression was a time of mass poverty and unemployment in America. Growing up in New York, and after taking part in local theatre groups and circus acts, a young Burt Lancaster decided to join the circus. He formed an acrobatic partnership with long term collaborator Nick Cravat. After joining the US Army during …
DVD Reviews: Anne and Muriel & A Gorgeous Girl Like Me
Whilst many of Truffaut’s works are well-known, others have faded from memory over the passing of time. Artificial Eye, starting with his first film 400 Blows, are releasing a whole raft of the French director’s work on Blu-ray in the UK for the first time. Anne and Muriel and A Gorgeous Kid Like Me are …