Film
Film Review: Dry Ground Burning
The rise of Jair Bolsonaro’s right-wing mix of populist nationalism and hyperbolic authoritarianism has made life increasingly difficult for anyone who finds themselves in a minority group in Brazil. While the militarised police take an increasingly robust stance towards crime, anything deemed even marginally liberal often finds itself in conflict with the law. The pandemic …
FrightFest Review: The Leech
There are two kinds of people. There are those who constantly give; always ready to help out their fellow man. Who dedicate their life to a mantra of altruism. Helping those less fortunate than themselves. On the other hand, there are those members of society who expect others to provide for them. Who constantly take, …
Blu-ray Review: Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell
When Mary Shelley published Frankenstein (or The Modern Prometheus) in 1818, she couldn’t have envisaged just how popular her creation would turn out to be. How it would go on to inspire and terrify, in equal measure, generations to come. The concept of the mad scientist and their re-animated monster remains an enticing prospect. The …
Blu-Ray Review: The Big Chill
Lawrence Kasdan was undoubtedly one of the most influential voices in the American film industry during the 1980s and 1990s. He’s probably best known as a screenwriter, working on the likes of The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Return of the Jedi and The Bodyguard. However, he has also adapted a number …
Blu-Ray Review: The Mummy
There was a time, before the internet and globalisation, when Egyptology felt exciting and exotic. Much of this can be attributed to Empire, with Britain and France, in particular, having a keen eye for antiquities. Expeditions to Cairo, and the surrounds, unearthed a number of treasures, but also brought with them a fair smattering of …
Film Review: Private Desert
Modern romance is a very tricky thing. In the old days, you’d go to a dance or meet someone at the office, but the onset of the internet and mobile technology means that the primary source of relationships now comes via an algorithm. First contact mostly happens online, introducing a whole new element to the …
Blu-Ray Review: The Swimmer
In a career which began after World War II and spanned five decades, Burt Lancaster proved beyond a shadow of doubt his range and ability as an actor. The former circus performer made his name by playing tough guys with a heart of gold, and it was this mix of malice and humanity which made …
Blu-Ray Review: Deathstalker & Deathstalker 2
Although the genre has remained popular in science fiction literature and spawned a smattering of adaptations, The 1980s was the decade when sword and sorcery films really came into the fore. After missing out on producing Conan the Barbarian, Roger Corman was determined to make his own version. While filming a number of productions on …
Blu-Ray Review: Red Rock West
There are few, if any, actors quite like Nicolas Cage. A man who inspires adulation and disbelief in equal measure. He’s starred in over a hundred films, and to put it politely, most are intensely forgettable. It seems almost bizarre now to think that he won an Oscar for Leaving Las Vegas, but after a …
Film Review: Glorious
When planning your movie, location is key. Scouting for the perfect place to stage your production can be the difference between success and failure. Finding a set which both manifests the essence of your story but also adds to it. One of the most famous examples is the Overlook Hotel in The Shining, which is …