Classic Cinema
Blu-Ray Review: Masculin Féminin
By the midway point of the 1960s Jean-Luc Godard was arguably at the peak of his powers. After the success of À bout de souffle, Bande à part, Alphaville and Pierrot le Fou he was one of the most sought-after directors in Europe. Whilst his work had always been political, The Vietnam War and the …
Blu-Ray Review: The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
With the death of John le Carré at the end of last year, the world lost one of the greatest spy novelists to ever pick up a pen. His work has enthralled readers for decades and his tales of Control and the British secret service have inspired and influenced many others. His books have been …
Blu-Ray Review: Giants and Toys
The Allied occupation of Japan ended in 1952 and much of this period was devoted to rebuilding lost industrial capacity and moving towards a democratic society. Whilst poverty was still rife, the period of depression and despair which followed defeat had begun to turn into opportunity. Americanisation was rife and most trends originated from the …
Blu-Ray Review: Karloff at Columbia
William Henry Pratt, aka Baris Karloff, was one of the most recognisable faces of early horror cinema. He’s most famous for playing Doctor Frankenstein’s chilling creation in a number of films throughout the 1930s. The Englishman was cast in over one hundred and fifty roles in a career which spanned over five decades. However, his …
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 …