DVD/Blu-Ray Review
Blu-Ray Review: Next of Kin
During the 1970s and 1980s the Australian new wave led to a number of actors and directors forging a career within Hollywood. A small, but important, element of this was the rise of Ozsploitation. These R-rated low-budget horror, martial arts, comedy and action films attracted a cult following. Some of the classics include Razorback, Patrick, …
Blu-ray Review: Swamp Thing
Comic book movies are big business now. Each release is accompanied by a huge fanfare and an extensive marketing campaign. DC dominated last century with Batman and Superman films but this last decade has seen Marvel become the biggest hitters at the Box Office, creating blockbuster after blockbuster. However, not all superheroes wear capes and …
Blu-ray Review: Wheels on Meals
Sammo Hung, like Jackie Chan, starred in, choreographed and directed him own films. Both men have had impressive careers and were pivotal in opening up Hong Kong martial arts films-making to the Western world. They starred with Biao Yuen in Hung’s Wheels on Meals in 1984. Whilst Chan and Hung both went on to become …
Blu-Ray Review: Irma La Douce
Last month we lost one of the greatest composers of the modern era. Although André Previn had huge success working in jazz and classical music, aside from an appearance in a hilarious Morecambe and Wise sketch, he’s probably best remembered for his work on films. In a glittering career he received thirteen Oscar nominations, including …
Blu-Ray Review: Sink the Bismarck!
Named after the former German chancellor, the Bismark was one of a pair of fast battleships which were the largest and most powerful built under the Third Reich. It was the pride of the German fleet and became a focal point of nationalistic fervour. However, despite its formidable reputation it wasn’t destined to play a …
Blu-Ray Review: Evil Dead 2
When Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead 2 was released in 1987, it changed the face of genre cinema forever. It quickly became a cult classic and the video release ensured that its influence was far and wide. It came as a bit of a surprise considering the impact of The Evil Dead, which got caught up …
Blu-Ray Review: Phantom Lady
Robert Siodmak was just one of many film directors and actors who fled to America to escape the tyranny of Hitler’s Germany. This migration included such eminent figures as Ernst Lubitsch, Billy Wilder, Fritz Lang, Peter Lorre, Hedy Lamarr, Max Ophuls and Marlene Dietrich. Siodmak’s first decade in Hollywood produced some impressive results, most notably …
Blu-Ray Review: Take A Girl Like You
Kingsley Amis was described by his biographer as “the finest English comic novelist of the second half of the twentieth century.” Whilst that may have been the case, his range of writing was eclectic, to say the least; dabbling in just about everything. Several of his works have been adapted for TV and film, including …
Blu-ray Review: Dawson City: Frozen Time
Bill Morrison may not be a name you’ve seen up in lights but he’s doing a vital job when it comes to preserving our past. The American documentary film-maker and hunter of lost treasures has directed around thirty shorts and features so far in his (relatively) short career. He specialises in delving into rare, often …
DVD Review: Videoman
Whilst the last decade has witnessed the resurgence of vinyl, the same cannot be said for VHS videotapes. Indeed, quite the opposite in fact. As music connoisseurs have opted for a more organic and rugged sound, cinephiles have moved in the opposite direction; towards High Definition, Blu-ray and a perfect picture. However, there’s still a …