Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Blu-Ray Review: The Tin Drum
During the period on either side of the 19th Century, Eastern Europe was a region in constant flux. No country personifies this more than the territory which is classed as modern-day Poland. Whether under partition or occupation by Prussia, Russia, Germany or Austria, a desire for independence and nationalistic movements were repeatedly thwarted. Often by …
Blu-Ray Review: Alpha
As the saying goes, a dog is man’s best friend, but it wasn’t always that way. Whilst Kevin Kostner may have been dancing with Wolves in the 19th century, human beings have been hunted by wild dogs and wolves for millennia. At some point man and beast became friends. Or at the very least, they …
DVD Review: Roman J. Israel, Esq.
Over the last thirty years or so, there have been few, if any, more distinctive and consistently impressive actors as Denzel Washington. In the extremely white playing field that is the Hollywood ‘A’ list, he has often been the only recognisable African-American voice. Whilst he has a raft of charismatic and powerful performances behind him, …
Blu-Ray Review: All the Money in the World
No film is more representative of the effect of the #metoo movement and the Hollywood sexual abuse scandal than Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World. Kevin Spacey was originally cast as Jean-Paul Getty. However, after filming had wrapped, allegation of sexual assault and harassment emerged against the actor. The film was due to …
DVD Review: Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
The Golden Age of superhero comics can largely be attributed to two factors. The 1930s saw the Great Depression take hold of America lives, leading many to yearn for an escape from the drudgery and hardship of everyday life. The Nazis invasion of Poland in 1939 and America’s entrance into World War II in 1941 …
Blu-Ray Review: Blade Runner 2049
When Ridley Scott released Blade Runner in 1982, he indelibly changed the face of modern science-fiction film-making. Ford, Young and Hauer’s neo-noir classic created its own mythos, inspiring countless imitators and remains one of the greatest in the genre. Decades of legal wrangling regarding cuts, rights and licences finally seem to be over, and Scott …
DVD Review: Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer
Richard Gere is one of those actors who acquired the label of ‘heartthrob’ in his prime but has managed to reinvent himself in his august years. Whilst he was one of the most bankable male leads in his early career (Pretty Woman/Breathless/American Gigolo) he’s become a safe pair of hands in later life (Hachi: A …
Blu-Ray Review: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Without a shadow of a doubt, Steven Spielberg is the most innovative, exciting and successful living blockbuster director. He’s made some of the most iconic films in the history of cinema. Jaws, The Indiana Jones movies, Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan; the list seems endless. It is perhaps his science fiction films which …
Blu-Ray Review: Lord of the Flies (Criterion Collection)
One of the most perverse aspects of the National Curriculum is the fact that generations of children throughout the UK grew up reading many of the same books. Animal Farm, An Inspector Calls and Blood Brothers have proved popular, but it’s probably William Golding’s Lord of the Flies which has had the most resonance. In …
Blu-Ray Review: Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Let’s just say that film adaptations of video games tend to end up being huge disappointments. So, when the first Resident Evil film came out in 2002, expectations were low. However, it turned out to be an engaging and entertaining action film. This was largely down to a great central performance from Milo Jovovich and …