Arrow Academy
Blu-Ray Review: Aquarius
Sônia Braga spent almost twenty years working in Portuguese TV and film; becoming a household name. After the success of Kiss of the Spider Woman, she left her native Brazil and moved to America to pursue her career. Along with Kiss…, Braga received Golden Globe nominations for her roles in Moon over Parador and The …
Blu-Ray Review: Terror in a Texas Town
It’s crazy to think that the communist witch-hunt in America went on for nigh on forty years. It’s also impossible to conceive what films and movie stars we could have ended up with had it never happened. The House Un-American Activities Committee created a rift in Hollywood which never really healed. Terror in a Texas …
Blu-Ray Review: The Sorrow and the Pity
With the passing of each year it feels like our collective knowledge of the events of World War II dissipates. Whilst understanding of the major events will always be there, it’s the minutiae which is often where we can learn the greatest lessons. Take France. Split geographically between the Occupied zone in the North and …
Blu-Ray Review: One-Eyed Jacks
Marlon Brando was one of a kind. As an actor, no one else possessed the talent, charisma and sheer presence of the man. Along with James Dean and Montgomery Clift, he made up a posse of 1950s American actors who exuded a mix of sensitivity and raw violent emotion. His performances in On the Waterfront, …
Blu-Ray Review: My Life as a Dog
Lasse Hallström had a rather unusual path into the world of film. Albeit, being responsible for directing almost every ABBA video isn’t something to sniff at. Today, he’s famous for films such as Cider House Rules, Chocolat and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. However, he cut his teeth in Swedish cinema. Hallström seems to have an …
Blu-Ray Review: Alice
Woody Allen films tend to be grounded in reality, but occasionally dally and linger with elements of fantasy. His formula normal revolves around a combination comedy, romance and drama. Occasionally, he lets loose. Most memorably in Sleeper and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask). Unlike most of his …
Blu-Ray Review: Property is No Longer a Theft
In a short but explosive career, Italian filmmaker Elio Petri made a number of powerful politicised films. He was rewarded with a Palme d’or, Grand Prize of the Jury and FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes. Not to mention an Oscar nomination. On his most successful films he teamed up with writer Ugo Pirro. Tackling industrial relations …
Blu-Ray Review: The Creeping Garden
Name any subject and it’s likely that someone, somewhere, has made a documentary about it. The weird and the bizarre can often make for the most interesting and fascinating films. Topics such as sexual attraction to large objects (Married to the Eiffel Tower), competitive tickling (Tickled), eccentrics (Grey Gardens), Tiffany obsessives (I Think We’re Alone …
Blu-ray Review: Another Woman
Whilst Woody Allen has amassed an almost unparalleled body of work, it’s fair to say that he’s probably better known for his comedies than his dramas. However, I’d argue that his best work has come from more serious subject matter. Husbands and Wives, Blue Jasmine and Match Point are up there his best. It’s also …
Blu-Ray Review: Mr Darling Clementine
When it comes to Westerns, there’s no director who comes close to the innovation, imagination and exquisite film-making of John Ford. In 1939, Stagecoach not only defined and revitalised the Western genre, it had a profound influence on the whole medium of cinema. It’s an essential on any film studies course. Along with The Man …