Film
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 …
Incoming: A Private War
In a world where journalism is under attack, Marie Colvin (Rosamund Pike) is one of the most celebrated war correspondents of our time. Colvin is an utterly fearless and rebellious spirit, driven to the frontlines of conflicts across the globe to give voice to the voiceless, while constantly testing the limits between bravery and bravado. …
Blu-Ray Review: My Name is Julia Ross
For almost two decades, between the beginning of the 1940s and the end of the 1950s, film noir played an integral role in Hollywood’s output. It was a genre which contained a raft of familiar tropes, most notably the femme fatale and the hardened gumshoe. It wasn’t always strong on originality; one success could rapidly …
Incoming: Instant Family
When Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) decide to start a family, they stumble into the world of foster care adoption. They hope to take in one small child but when they meet three siblings, including a rebellious 15 year old girl (Isabela Moner), they find themselves speeding from zero to three kids overnight. …
Blu-Ray Review: World on a Wire
The simulation hypothesis proposes that you and I are living inside a simulation. In fact, we all are; wherever you may live in the world. This is an artificial world, most likely computer generated, run by beings with much higher intelligence than us. It is a theory which has helped fashion countless science fiction books, …
Film Review: Piercing
One of the most popular low budget areas of the horror genre is unquestionably a plot which revolves around one person taking another ‘captive’. The premise is simply. Two people in a confined space. One has power over another, but this dynamic is not necessarily set in stone. In recent times, there’s been a new …
Incoming: Happy Death Day 2U
Jessica Rothe leads the returning cast of Happy Death Day 2U, the follow-up to Blumhouse’s (Split, Get Out, The Purge series) surprise 2017 smash hit of riveting, repeating twists and comic turns. This time, our hero Tree (Rothe) discovers that dying over and over was surprisingly easier than the dangers that lie ahead. Happy Death …
Film Review: Jellyfish
The British film industry has always had a troubled (and troubling) relationship with the working classes. Most likely due to the inherent socio-economic bias within the sector. More often than not they’re depicted as plucky underdogs or the chirpily oppressed. We often end up with the middle-class laudanum of the likes of I, Daniel Blake …
Incoming: Boy Erased
Boy Erased tells the story of Jared (Hedges), the son of a Baptist pastor in a small American town, who is outed to his parents (Kidman and Crowe) at age 19. Jared is faced with an ultimatum: attend a conversion therapy program – or be permanently exiled and shunned by his family, friends, and faith. …
Blu-Ray Review: The Boys in the Band
When you mention the name William Friedkin the most likely reaction you’ll receive is a comment about The Exorcist. Whilst the American director is most famous for the seminal 1973 horror, he has a rich and varied career behind him. The French Connection is almost as equally well-known but the likes of Sorcerer, To Live …