DVD/Blu-Ray Review
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 …
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 …
Blu-Ray Review: The Breaking Point
While Ernest Hemingway may have only published seven novels during his lifetime, his writing style had a profound influence on American literature. An author whose work was very much shaped by his experiences, themes such as love, travel and loss punctuated a lively creativity. His novels have been adapted for the big screen many times. …
Blu-Ray Review: Man Without a Star
After his big breakthrough in boxing drama Champion at the end of the 1940s, Kirk Douglas spent the next decade at the top of his game. One of the biggest film stars in the world and hot Hollywood property. By 1955, he had broken away from Warner Brother, establishing his own production company; Bryna Productions. …
Blu-ray Review: L’argent
They say money makes the world go round and it’s an undeniable truth that most of our lives are dependent on it, in one way or another. There are the basics such as paying the mortgage/rent, covering the bills and buying food, but we all like our little luxuries. A holiday abroad, a new car …
Blu-Ray Review: Giallo Essentials – Black Edition
The often maligned and overlooked sub-genre of giallo is experiencing something of a renaissance, with a whole new generation beginning to appreciate these stylish and bloody soap operas. With plenty of lurid death scenes and ample nudity, it’s easy to see why it might catch the eye. However, as many films are quite difficult to …
Blu-Ray Review: Running Out of Time 1 & 2
The character actor is the unheralded star of the cinematic universe. Those familiar faces which regularly pop up randomly in a film and make everything better. Suet Lam fits squarely into this category. In a career spanning over two hundred films, so far, he’s worked regularly with the likes of Stephen Chow and Johnnie To. …