DVD/Blu-Ray Review
DVD Review: Death Walks Twice
Giallo movies reached their peak in the early 1970s. The Italian slasher genre has a special place in the heart of many film fans due to its heady mix of blood, mystery, crime, occult, eroticism and the utterly bonkers. Mario Bava, Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci are the most famous directors linked to giallo but …
DVD Review: The Night Before
Christmas is a special time of year, but it wouldn’t be the same without some of our much-loved traditions. Mince pies, that bloody John Lewis advert, horrible work parties and, of course, the American Christmas comedy. We warmly remember such classics as Elf, Scrooge or National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation whilst blithely purging our brains of …
DVD Review: Occupied
The news headlines have been dominated this year by the upcoming referendum on whether the United Kingdom should stay in the European Union. One of the main arguments from the ‘out’ campaigners is that Britain can base its future on the Norwegian model. However, they might want to watch Erik Skjoldbjærg’s new TV series, Occupied, …
DVD Review: Autumn Almanac
The magnificently named Béla Tarr is one of Hungary’s most renowned film-makers. With a focus on the unconventional, his films are often experimental; cavorting with non-linear storytelling, thriving on philosophical counterpoints and struggling under a heavy air of pessimism. Whilst much of his best work has been done in black and white, such as the …
Blu-Ray Review: Rocco and His Brothers (Masters of Cinema)
Luchino Visconti is undoubtedly one of the greatest Italian film-makers of all time and was in the vanguard of the neorealism movement which swept the country from the mid 1940s for roughly a decade. His first film, Ossessione, is credited as being the first neorealist film. Whilst he’s best known for The Leopard and Death …
Blu-Ray Review: Re-Animator: Limited Edition 2-Disc Steelbook
The greatest period for horror cinema was undoubtedly the 1980s. Some of the most memorable films the genre has produced were made during that decade. The Fly, Hellraiser, The Evil Dead, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Thing and The Shining are some of the most beloved films for horror fans. Not every creation was …
DVD Review: Among the Living
Inside (À l’intérieur) is one of the best horror films of the last decade. The writing/directing duo of Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury announced themselves as an exciting new creative team with a big bloody bang. They followed their success up with the slightly disappointing, yet still inventive, Livid. Their star is set to shine …
DVD Review: Something Different / A Bagful of Fleas
Czech New Wave filmmaker Věra Chytilová had a penchant for the avant-garde, which is is personified in her most celebrated film, Daisies. Her career was blighted by the censorship she suffered under the Czechoslovakian and Soviet regimes,stifling the career of the most promising female director of her generation. Her early work is less well known …
DVD Review: The Visit: An Alien Encounter
If you ever get the chance, have a quick browse of books about aliens. There’s a whole cottage industry of ‘factual’ books about alien conspiracies, visitations and bizarre theories. It’s an equally popular subject in films but most of the alien encounters normally turn out pretty badly. There’s been much speculation around Roswell, cattle mutilation …
Blu-Ray Review: Hawks and Sparrows/Pigsty
Pier Paolo Pasolini’s death was as controversial and murky as much of his life and cinematic output. An outspoken Communist, Pasolini had a singular drive and worldview which lead to him falling foul of the police and the Communist Party. As a film director he continued this path, courting controversy with much of his work. …