FIlm Review
Film Review: Tracking Edith
There’s something rather romantic about the notion of being a spy, particularly in the way they are usually depicted in popular culture. The most famous example is, of course, James Bond. It’s a life which has been glamourised. One of fast cars, beautiful women, excitement and adventure. Until fairly recently, it has been a fictional …
Blu-ray Review: The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey
When Ridley Scott produced a new standard for science-fiction film-making with the release of Alien in 1979, I don’t think anyone could have foreseen where the franchise would end-up. After the action horror of Aliens, it took a rather leftfield step. Alien 3 had familiar elements but went in a totally unexpected direction. Much of …
Blu-Ray Review: Footsteps in the Fog
Around the period either side of the Second World War, the environmental conditions in London proved conducive to a rather niche kind of film drama. The combination of severe pollution and adverse weather conditions periodically resulted in a dense fog which cast its pall over the capital. This culminated in the Great Smog of 1962 …
Film Review: Generation Wealth
America, the land of the plenty. A place where pilgrims voyaged to make new and better lives for themselves. A nation which attracted immigration from around the world with the promise of untold riches and opportunity. Today, that influx still continues, but whilst the motivation remains the same, what is meant by the American Dream …
DVD Review: Gringo
Whilst the ‘American Dream’ may come in many different shapes and sizes, the common denominator is almost always money. Success is measured by the size of your bank balance. On your holiday destination, zip code or the car you drive. Materialism is the new God. Worship at the altar of Mammon. The depths some people …
Blu-Ray Review: The Piano 25th Anniversary Edition
When Greta Gerwig was nominated for Best Director for Lady Bird at the 90th Academy Awards earlier this year, she was only the fifth woman to achieve this feat. Jane Campion is also a member of this (ridiculously) elite club. The New Zealand director is also one of only five female film-makers to be nominated …
Blu-Ray Review: Woman is the Future of Man, Tale of Cinema: Two Films by Hong Sangsoo
Since Shiri caused a box office sensation during the dying embers of the last century, the South Korean film industry has had a new lease of life. Whilst stylish thrillers, comedies and horrors have dominated much of the domestic market, there are a group of directors whose style, vision and audacity have caused ripples across …
Film Review: Racer and the Jailbird
When it comes to countries with rich cinematic histories, Belgium has never really ranked as a heavyweight. Indeed, much of the best output to come from that portion of the Low Countries has been courtesy of the Dardenne brothers (The Kid with a Bike, Daens, The Promise, Two Days, One Night etc). They’re not the …
Blu-Ray Review: The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail
Of all the myriad sub-genres of horror cinema, giallo is possibly the most stylistically exuberant, nostalgically eulogised and vividly colourful. Whilst Dario Argento is the director usually associated with this style of film-making, much of his output fell outside of strict genre definitions. The master of the artform was unquestionably Sergio Martino (The Suspicious Death …
Film Review: Path of Blood
Whilst we’ve recently seen a plethora of documentaries covering the ‘war on terror’ and conflicts taking place throughout the Middle East, they’re often told a story from a similar perspective. Given the nature of groups like Al-Qaeda and daesh, it’s very rare that we get a glimpse into their world. When we do, it’s often …