FIlm Review
Blu-ray Review: Kes (Masters of Cinema)
Along with Mike Leigh, Ken Loach has been the forerunner in British cinema in terms of documenting prevailing social issues and gritty ‘kitchen sink’ realism. His latest film, I, Daniel Blake, won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and is generating fevered social and political commentary about the benefits system. However, his best films are more …
Blu-Ray Review: Attack of the Lederhosen Zombies
Traditionally, mixing horror and comedy has proven to be thwart with peril. There were few directors who could pull it off, but Peter Jackson (Braindead/Bad Taste) and Sam Raimi (Evil Dead trilogy) were notable exceptions. Of late, the likes of What We Do in the Shadows, Tucker and Dale vs Evil, Housebound and Dead Snow …
DVD Review: Fuga
There’s a good chance, come February, that Pablo Larraín will be collecting his first Academy Award. The Chilean director has previously been nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category for No. Next time out he’s likely to have two films in the mix, both biographies. Neruda is Chile’s selection for the gong, whilst his …
Celluloid Screams Review: The Void
In a genre full of weird and wonderful offerings, Astron-6 offer a truly unique vision of horror cinema. They’re produced a raft of deliciously entitled shorts including Insanophenia, Inferno of the Dead and H.I.Z. (Erection Der Zombie). With Manborg, they created one of the most iconic cult horror films of the decade, following it up …
Celluloid Screams Review: Raw
When it comes to a quick meaty snack, or indeed a mixed grill, it’s probably best to avoid them on the same day as watching a film about cannibalism. As anyone who’s seen Cannibal Holocaust will likely attest, probably best viewed on an empty stomach. Whilst many of these sub-genre films can be hard to …
Blu-ray Review: Twilight’s Last Gleaming
It’s hard to believe it now but during the Cold War ordinary people were terrified by the prospect of a nuclear apocalypse. This was especially the case in America. An atmosphere of fear often permeated throughout society in times of high tension. This period has frequently been captured on film, most notably in Dr. Strangelove, …
Film Review: Ethel & Ernest
In many ways, the film and TV adaptations of Raymond Briggs’ comics, illustrations and graphic novels are an intrinsic part of the British psyche. The Snowman has wowed and amazed several generations of children for countless Christmases, whilst Fungus the Bogeyman is a perennial favourite. On the other hand, Where the Wind Blows is one …
Blu-ray Review: Day For Night
Of all the film directors who have ever lived there’s probably none with a greater love of cinema than François Truffaut. The great French auteur simply lived, breathed and ate film. As one of the greatest directors of the 20th Century and a pioneer of the French New Wave he helped define modern cinema. In …
Film Review: Phantom Boy
The production of animated films has been dominated by North America and Japan for decades. Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks and Studio Ghibli have monopolised the market. However, in recent years European animators have been back on the rise. The Triplets of Belleville, The Secret of Kells, Persepolis and Song of the Sea have showcased some of …
Film Review: Yarn
Knitting has become sexy. Even crochet and weaving are back in vogue. A new generation has taken up the mantle of a long tradition of home crafts and made it their own. It’s not unusual to see a Millennial knitting away in a café, on a bus or in the park. What once was the …