DVD/Blu-Ray Review
Blu-ray Review: Giallo Essentials
Over the last decade or so, giallo has become increasingly popular. As a sub-genre it has always had an ardent set of fans and has garnered an almost cult-like status, but its influence has started seeping into mainstream horror cinema. Its heady mix of bloody style, pulpish crime and often bizarre mystery has proved to …
Blu-ray Review: The Damned
There was an attempt to sanitise history following the end of World War II. If you read the history books then the only bad people are those wearing certain uniforms. The entire crimes of Germany have largely been pinned on the SS. With everyone else some form of victim. It’s obviously much more complicated than …
Blu-ray Review: The Guest
Dan Stevens has had one of the more unusual career trajectories as an actor. Like many, the British actor started out on the stage before making the jump to TV with roles in various BBC adaptations. However, his big break came playing Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey, becoming a familiar face to UK audiences. After …
Blu-ray Review: The Singing Ringing Tree
Regardless of where you come from, there are local myths, legends and folklore everywhere in the world. These have been passed down from generation to generation, often by word of mouth. They can morph into fairy tales. Stories to tell to your children. A cautionary tale or parable. While Disney have done their upmost to …
Blu-ray Review: 9 Souls
There’s nothing that captures the imagination of the viewing public quite like a prison break drama. Some of the most popular films of all time have been based around this central premise. The likes of The Great Escape, The Shawshank Redemption, Escape from Alcatraz and The Rock are all great examples of what the sub-genre …
Blu-ray Review: Celia
While the Cold War pitted the United States of America against the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, its influence spread to every corner of the world. One of the more unlikely battlegrounds was Australia. The Communist Party of Australia was formed in the 1920s, reached their political peak during World War II, were banned in …
Blu-Ray Review: The Sabata Trilogy
The ‘Wild West’ needs its heroes but they can come in some of the strangest guises. Especially in Spaghetti Westerns, where genre tropes and cliches are treated with disdain and often inverted. This irreverent approach has created some of the most iconic films and characters within the wider genre. While the figure of Clint Eastwood …
Blu-ray Review: The Ape Woman
The popularity of the circus reached its height during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. An excitable public went seeking spectacular marvels and freak shows were a staple. These sideshows usually featured a bearded lady. Julia Pastrana was born with a genetic condition, hypertrichosis terminalis, which meant she was covered with thick black hair. …
Blu-ray Review: The Monster
Anyone watching TV during the 1980s will recognise Joan Collins. Indeed, for several generations of Britons she will always be the ever-scheming Alexis Colby. A character she played in Dynasty for the best part of a decade and who became a stalwart of popular culture. While it might come as a surprise, she’s had a …
Blu-Ray Review: The Dark Eyes of London
Bela Lugosi remains one of the most iconic and recognisable faces in horror cinema. Most famous for his portrayal of Dracula in the pre-code Universal Pictures version of Bram Stoker’s ‘Count’, the Hungarian actor went on to play a number of memorable roles. However, his career was stunted by his thick accent and later addiction …