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Blu-ray Review: Lords of Chaos
Heavy metal music has received a bad rap over the years and at one time it was considered to be the devil’s music in many quarters. Amusingly, you’ll find that members of metal bands are quite often extremely shy and incredibly friendly. However, it is a form of music with a baffling and sometimes disturbing …
Blu-ray Review: Hold Back the Dawn
Whilst Donald Trump’s US-Mexico border wall might be the zenith of his crazy, bigoted and idiotic ideas, the issue of controlling migration from the south has been one haunting politicians for decades. The country has long been a beacon of hope for those looking for a better life and the promise of the ‘American dream’ …
Blu-Ray Review: The Sender
Whilst we’re still trying to fathom out exactly how a human brain works, there’s no doubt that all manner of terrors can be conjured up by our own subconscious. Nightmares can become instruments of torture designed to stalk us in our sleep. For this reason, psychological thrillers are often the most disturbing and effective horror …
Blu-ray Review: Nightfall
Between the 1940s and 1960s one of the most popular film genres in American cinema was film noir. This mix of down at heel gumshoe and slightly shabby chic fitted perfectly into the penny-pinching philosophy of Columbia Studios. They embraced its style and went on to produce some of its greatest movies. The Big Heat, …
Blu-Ray Review: The Andromeda Strain
If science is correct, we are not alone. The chances of Earth being the only planet in the universe to support life is far too unlikely to even contemplate. What shape and size they may take, however, is anyone’s guess. Given our genesis, there’s a good chance any ‘being’ we may encounter will be at …
Blu-Ray Review: The Grand Duel
In the mid-1960s, a very strange phenomenon occurred in the American-centric world of Westerns. Whilst there was already a small industry of comedy variants being made in Europe, it wasn’t until that decade that a proliferation of Italian finance, directors and producers created the stylised sub-genre of the Spaghetti Western. The unrivalled master of these …
Blu-Ray Review: Climax
There are few, if any, living directors who take as much pleasure in pushing boundaries and traumatising cinema-goers as Gaspar Noé. The Argentine has made a career out of terrorising his audiences, both visually and aurally. When he releases a new film, it’s guaranteed to be an experience; whether you like it or not. That …
Blu-Ray Review: The Possessed
Alleghe is a popular tourist destination which attracts visitors all year round to enjoy its narrow lanes, beautiful mountains and tranquil lake. Between 1933 and 1946 a chain of four murders shattered the tranquillity of the village in north-eastern Italy. It struck a chord, resonating across the country. Luigi Bazzoni, along with co-director Franco Rossellini, …
Blu-Ray Review: The Fifth Cord
Making a film is often a huge undertaking involving hundreds of different people carrying out a vast array of roles. Whilst the tendency is to focus on directors and actors, without everyone pulling in the same direction and being on top of their game, films won’t reach their full potential. A pivotal role is that …