Classic Cinema
Blu-Ray Review: The Chalk Garden
Enid Bagnold’s writing career did not get off to the most propitious start. Whilst working as a nurse during World War I, her critical writings about the hospital administration landed her in trouble. Which ultimately resulted in losing her job. However, the writing stuck and she went on to pen a number of plays and …
Blu-Ray Review: Tales From the Urban Jungle
During the 1940s, Jules Dassin was somewhat of an underrated powerhouse within Hollywood. However, like so many he fell foul of the blacklist which decimated the US entertainment industry at the beginning of the Cold War. Barred from fully completing post-production on Night and the City, he had no option but to flee to Europe. …
Blu-Ray Review: The Frightened City
Sean Connery has been one of the most iconic faces of British cinema for decades. The passionate Scotsman started picking up film roles in the late 1950s but it wasn’t until he played James Bond in 1962 that he made a major breakthrough. It’s a role which made him a star, a household name and …
Blu-Ray Review: Charulata
Indian cinema is often dismissed, on the world stage, as nothing more than simply Bollywood. This does a huge disservice to a diverse and rich film industry which caters for millions of people, spanning serval languages across the country, and beyond. The great Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray is considered by most to be the nation’s …
Blu-Ray Review: The Invisible Man Appears/ The Invisible Man Vs. The Human Fly
Since featuring as the protagonist in the H. G. Wells’ novel, first serialised in 1897, the eponymous Invisible Man has been a frequent figure in popular culture. However, the idea of invisibility is a concept which harks back to Greek and Roman legend, and beyond. The fascination with this character or idea is not merely …
Blu-Ray Review: Viy
Delving deep into Ukrainian folklore, Nikolai Gogol’s Viy remains a perennial favourite across Russia. Since it’s first publication as part of a novella in the 19th century, it has captured the imagination of countless generations. Whilst there have been many adaptations, Konstantin Ershov and Georgiy Kropachyov’s 1967 film still remains the most notable. Indeed, it …
Blu-Ray Review: Kagemusha
Tatsuya Nakadai was one of the best known and most celebrated Japanese actors of his era. He’s probably best known for his partnership with director Masaki Kobayashi, for whom he starred in The Human Condition trilogy, Samurai Rebellion, Kwaidan and many others. However, he also worked with most of the generation’s greatest filmmakers from the …
Blu-Ray Review: State Secret
Douglas Fairbanks made his name in silent cinema for a number of swashbuckling roles, including Robin Hood, The Mark of Zorro and The Thief of Baghdad. His son, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., was in many ways a chip off the old block. However, whilst being cast in several action roles, including The Fighting O’Flynn, much of …
Blu-Ray Review: The Ascent
Cinema, like almost every other walk of life, has been a male dominated world since the first ever motion pictures in the late nineteenth century. Whilst it’s true of most areas of the film industry, this disparity has been particularly marked behind the camera. Indeed, until relatively recently, there were few female directors who the …
Blu-ray Review: Columbia Noir #2
Film noir made up a large part of Hollywood filmmaking during the 1940s and 1950s. Whilst these stylish, cynical and melodramatic crime dramas were popular at the time, it was only decades later that many were critically reappraised. This is especially the case with the many ‘B’ movies released during the era. For every big …