DVD/Blu-Ray Review
Blu-Ray Review: Rivers and Tides
Whilst many of today’s artists shun watercolours and oils in favour of more modern materials, there’s something rather magical about nature captured on canvas. Landscapes of trees, mountains or rivers can bring a little piece of the countryside into a home. British artist Andy Goldsworthy has an entirely different approach to his work. Rivers and …
Film Review: Lone Wolf and Cub (Criterion Collection)
Manga plays a significant role in Japanese culture, which is difficult for outsiders to fully grasp. Several series have managed to embed themselves into the public consciousness, along with TV spinoffs and film franchises (not to mention an eclectic array of merchandise). Lone Wolf and Cub is one of the most famous. The first two …
Blu-Ray Review: Repulsion
Catherine Deneuve has been one of the most recognisable female faces in European cinema for decades now. However, her three best performances came in a short period between 1964 and 1967. The first is the colourful and charming musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Then there’s possibly her most famous role in Luis Buñuel’s Belle de …
Blu-Ray Review: Pieces
Today, Spanish horror cinema is very much on the map. Films such as The Devil’s Backbone, Thesis, Rec, Pan’s Labyrinth and The Orphanage have seeped into mainstream consciousness. However, back when Juan Piquer Simon’s Pieces was released in 1982, Spain was a relative unknown in genre cinema. Which was a shame, as there were some …
Blu-ray Review: My 20th Century
As an only child, the idea of connections between siblings is one I can only vaguely comprehend on a theoretical level let alone identical pairs. However, it’s a concept which recurs quite frequently in films; particularly genre cinema. From the young twins in The Shining or The Other, to adult doubles in Dead Ringers, they’ve …
DVD Review: The Edge of Seventeen
Whilst most of us may wish to be younger, there are very few who’d want to revisit those difficult teenage years. Coming-of-age is a time of uncertainty, confusion, fear, anxiety and excitement. This is heightened in the digital age. Hollywood normally treats teenage drama with a heavy hand and lashings of melodrama. However, the likes …
Blu-Ray Review: Multiple Maniacs (Criterion Collection)
In a day and age where the term ‘pioneer’ is often loosely thrown around, there are very few, if any, who deserve the accolade more than John Waters. His early films were transgressive, awarding him a cult status and becoming the defining focus of the LGBT community in the 1970s. Multiple Maniacs, his second feature …
Blu-Ray Review: Property is No Longer a Theft
In a short but explosive career, Italian filmmaker Elio Petri made a number of powerful politicised films. He was rewarded with a Palme d’or, Grand Prize of the Jury and FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes. Not to mention an Oscar nomination. On his most successful films he teamed up with writer Ugo Pirro. Tackling industrial relations …
DVD Review: Mum’s List
Grief, suffering and loss are three of the most powerful emotional triggers in cinema. There have been many films tackling the subject of terminal illness over the years. However, it’s a subject which, for obvious reasons, can get mired in melodrama. Where it’s done well, for instance Love Story, Biutiful, The Bucket List or A …
Blu-Ray Review: The Chamber
Whether you suffer from claustrophobia or not, it’s a good bet that you feel uncomfortable in a confined space. Film makers have often played on this fear. And a small set is perfect for directors with a meagre budget. However, this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. Aliens, The Thing, Das Boot, The Descent, …