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DVD Review: Pond Life
British films tend to play up to stereotypes. Whether that’s the cheeky Cockney, comedy Celt or slimy spoilt public-school boy. This trend is often at its basest when it comes to regional variations. As a Yorkshireman, I feel the representation of my county on the big screen is usually dubious, at best. If we’re not …
DVD Review: Benjamin
Simon Amstell is one of those people who is quintessentially British. He’s a mix of unassuming intelligence, boyish charm and rampant creativity which makes him eminently likable. Known to most as the host of Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Popstar, He has been performing as a stand-up since his teens. He’s less well-known as a …
DVD Review: D-Railed
The critical reception and box office popularity of independent horror films have soared over the last few years. However, there’s a huge difference between the likes of It Follows, It Comes at Night, Revenge and Mandy and micro-budget genre cinema. Probably the most impressive example is Marc Price’s Colin which cost all of £45. D-Railed’s …
DVD Review – The Mermaid: Lake of the Dead
Throughout history, mermaids have appeared in legends and folklore in many cultures around the world. Often inspired by the sirens and naiads of Greek mythology, they usually manifest similar characteristics whilst reflecting the prevailing religions and superstitions of that society. In Eastern Europe, Rusalkas live in lakes and rivers. They are restless spirits of young …
DVD Review: The Isle
Britain, like most countries which have a border with the sea, is surrounded by small (often remote) islands. Many of these are either uninhabited or populated by sparse communities which are often extremely close and inward-facing. Whilst these isolated outcrops can be difficult to reach, they provide atmospheric backdrops; full of mysteries and intrigue. Matthew …
DVD Review: Ashes in the Snow
The Holocaust was undoubtedly the lowest point in human history, but it’s worth remembering that the Nazis weren’t the only players in World War II who committed horrendous atrocities. There’s nothing that Joseph Stalin liked more than a good old purge. After the Soviets occupied and annexed the Baltic states, they instigated mass deportations of …
DVD Review: The Quake
There’s an annoying tendency for Hollywood disaster movies to increasingly push the limits of realism and believability. The guiding principle is that bigger is better and the more devastation and destruction the more excitement there will be. Whether you agree with this or not is I guess a matter of opinion, but for me, at …
DVD Review: Fahrenheit 11/9
Michael Moore is one of those film-makers who you either love or hate. Whilst he’s obviously well-intentioned and has a knack of hitting the nail on the head, he also has a strong self-promotional line; making films which have a tendency to end up being as much about Michael Moore as anything else. Early work …
DVD Review: Death Trench
Wars provide fertile backgrounds for genre cinema given the natural horror generated by the brutalities and atrocities of conflict. World War I was particularly arduous, with thousands upon thousands of men dying just to gain a few inches of ground. If the bullets didn’t kill you the disease or inhospitable conditions would. Trench warfare was …
DVD Review: Furious
Genghis Khan was the first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. He united the largely nomadic tribes of Mongolia in the early 13th century to create what would eventually become, under his successors, the largest contiguous empire in history. Its fragmentation fifty years later led to the rise of the Golden Horde who would go …