DVD/Blu-Ray Review
DVD Review: Ashes in the Snow
The Holocaust was undoubtedly the lowest point in human history, but it’s worth remembering that the Nazis weren’t the only players in World War II who committed horrendous atrocities. There’s nothing that Joseph Stalin liked more than a good old purge. After the Soviets occupied and annexed the Baltic states, they instigated mass deportations of …
Blu-Ray Review: Demonlover
Olivier Assayas has always been a writer and director overflowing with ideas. Since his directorial debut Disorder in 1986, the Frenchman has consistently produced challenging and interesting films. However, they didn’t always come together to make a cohesive whole. With Personal Shopper and Clouds of Sils Maria he’s now proving to be one of the …
Blu-Ray Review: Last Hurrah for Chivalry / Hand of Death: Two Films by John Woo
There have been very few film-makers who began their careers in Asian cinema and then made the successful transition to Hollywood. Whilst the language barrier is an obvious difficulty, it’s often cultural differences which provide the biggest hurdles. John Woo is a notable exception. He first came to prominence in the 1990s, with his films …
Blu-Ray Review: A Case for a Rookie Hangman
One of the things which separates us humans from other animals is our boundless imagination (although, having said that I’ve known some extremely resourceful cats). Nowhere has this creativity and inventiveness flourished so much as in literature. Loosely based on the third book of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, Pavel Juráček draws on the work of …
Blu-Ray Review: Under Fire
Whilst the Cold War may have been fought between the two world superpowers, the USA and the USSR, the arena of battle spanned many countries on several continents. This was almost always covertly done. Backing an insurgency here or funding a regime to put down an uprising there. In the Nicaraguan Revolution, which was a …
Blu-Ray Review: The Sender
Whilst we’re still trying to fathom out exactly how a human brain works, there’s no doubt that all manner of terrors can be conjured up by our own subconscious. Nightmares can become instruments of torture designed to stalk us in our sleep. For this reason, psychological thrillers are often the most disturbing and effective horror …
Blu-ray Review: Odette
During World War II, the British set up the Special Operations Executive. This secretive organisation was established with the purpose of carrying out espionage, reconnaissance and sabotage in occupied Europe. Odette Sansom was a French-born British agent who was persuaded to join the SOE. She was awarded the George Cross for her contribution to the …
Blu-Ray Review: Escape Room
Humans love a good conundrum. Whether it’s the Sunday Times crossword or taking part in one of the myriad ‘escape rooms’ which have shot up around the world, there’s something compelling about being intellectually challenged. The enduring popularity of The Crystal Maze and Countdown demonstrate we’re keen voyeurs as well. On the big screen, the …
Blu-ray Review: I Was Monty’s Double
Major wars are not won or lost by one major battle or moment but more often than not through a number of smaller victories or defeats. Whilst most people are aware of the major events of World War II, it’s often the lesser known stories which provide the most fascination. D-Day has been portrayed on …
Film Review: Kind Hearts and Coronets
For many people, Sir Alec Guinness will always be remembered as Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars. Indeed, in that sense he’s possibly one of the most recognisable faces in cinema history. He was a phenomenal character actor and starred in a number of memorable roles. These include Fagan in Oliver Twist, Scrooge, Colonel Nicholson …