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DVD/Blu-Ray Review


Film Review: Initiation

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Blu-Ray Review: Carla’s Song

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When Tony Jaa literally put his neck on the line in Ong Back, a new breed of bone-breaking action cinema was born. Jaa followed his success with Warrior King and their sequels. In 2011 The Raid arrived, proving whatever Thai cinema could do Indonesia can more than match. Raid 2 cemented that reputation. Two of …

In today’s cinema, M. Night Shyamalan is synonymous with plot twists. It has become expected. So much so, that it often detracts from the film itself with audiences trying to figure it out instead of enjoying the entertainment. The past master was of course the late great Alfred Hitchcock. However, Hitchcock knew how to mic …

With the sad passing of John Hurt earlier this year, Britain lost one of its most accomplished and versatile actors. In a glittering career which spanned six decades, Hurt has played a number of memorable characters. Whether it’s Kane in Alien, Winston Smith in 1984 or John Merrick in The Elephant Man, he’s continually captivated …

When Flight of the Concords arrived on our radios and screens it was an absolute revelation. Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie produced an all singing, all dancing, Kiwi comedy masterclass. However, probably the crowning glory of that series was Rhys Darby as the hapless Murray. Darby teamed up with Clement’s again for the latter’s directorial …

Every so often a film comes along out of the blue and just blows everyone away. That was the case with Toni Erdmann. After premiering in competition at Cannes last year, Maren Ade’s film went on to garner rave reviews and an Academy Award-nomination. It was frankly robbed of the Oscar by Asghar Farhadi’s The …

The British punk scene was one of the most inventive, culturally important and exciting periods of music of the 20th Century. At its height during the late 1970s, bands such as The Clash, Sex Pistols, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Buzzcocks revolutionised a whole industry. However, arguably the true pioneers of the movement were The …

The arrival of your first child is a scary time for both parents. However, having a living miniature human growing inside you for 9 months is liable to leave you both physically and mentally changed. The anxiety about the responsibility can be almost crippling. Combined with the loneliness of being cooped up in the house …

Kinji Fukasaku may not be an instantly familiar name to most people but I can guarantee that you’ve at least heard of one of his films. Battle Royale, his penultimate film, is one of the most iconic and thrilling cinematic experiences of the 21st century. In an illustrious career, he’s made over sixty films. His …

Nothing has captivated audiences from the advent of ‘talkies’ quite like great romantic drama. Whether it’s Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Dr Zhivago or Brief Encounter, there’s something exhilarated in being swept-up in the moment. Director Max Ophüls was a fan of romance too (as many of his actresses would attest). He made several films …

My first introduction to the work of Sonny Chiba came from an unlikely source. It was when Clarence (Christian Slater) takes Alabama (Patricia Arquette) to a late-night Sonny Chiba triple-bill of The Streetfighter, Return of the Streetfighter and Sister Streetfighter in Tony Scott’s True Romance. Sony Chiba was one of the first actors to become …