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Blu-Ray Review: Tales From the Urban Jungle
During the 1940s, Jules Dassin was somewhat of an underrated powerhouse within Hollywood. However, like so many he fell foul of the blacklist which decimated the US entertainment industry at the beginning of the Cold War. Barred from fully completing post-production on Night and the City, he had no option but to flee to Europe. …
Blu-Ray Review: The Invisible Man Appears/ The Invisible Man Vs. The Human Fly
Since featuring as the protagonist in the H. G. Wells’ novel, first serialised in 1897, the eponymous Invisible Man has been a frequent figure in popular culture. However, the idea of invisibility is a concept which harks back to Greek and Roman legend, and beyond. The fascination with this character or idea is not merely …
Blu-Ray Review: Demons 1 & 2
Dario Argento was hugely influential on Italian horror cinema throughout the 1970s and 1980s. As well as being responsible for some of the most iconic and exciting genre movies of that era, he was also instrumental in helping many of his fellow countryman. One such recipient was Lamberto Bava, son of Mario, who he collaborated …
Blu-Ray Review: JSA – Joint Security Area
Since the end of the Korean War, there has been an (very) uneasy peace between the North and South. Located within the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the Joint Security Area was the only place where soldiers from both armed forces directly faced each other. This area was traditionally used for diplomatic events and peace negotiations, …
Blu-ray Review: [REC]
The release of The Blair Witch Project in 1999 sparked a wave of ‘found footage’ films which has continued to sweep across genre cinema. As you’d probably expect given the relative low cost of this approach, there have been a number of duds. However, it’s a format which can produce impressive result. Lake Mungo, Cloverfield, …
Blu-Ray Review: King of New York
There are few actors working in Hollywood today who are as instantly recognisable and steadfastly loved as Christopher Walken. Whilst he’s had a remarkably diverse and rich career, which includes starring in such eclectic films as Hairspray, The Deer Hunter and A View to a Kill, he’s become known for a rather terrifying screen presence. …
Blu-ray Review: Graveyards of Honor
The Yakuza play a role in Japanese culture which can only really be compared with that of the Mafiosi in Italy. The origins of today’s crime syndicates reach back over hundreds of years, to the Edo period in Japan. However, the post-war era was fertile ground for these organisations to flourish, establishing footholds within local …
Blu-ray Review: After Midnight
Multiplexes are dominated by big-budget studio horror films which, as often as not, are uninspired and insipid franchises. However, if you look hard enough it’s possible to find low-budget independent genre movies which are trying something a bit different. That was the case when Jeremy Gardner and Christian Stella arrived on the scene with an …
Blu-Ray Review: Cruising
Following the masterful 40th anniversary Blu-Ray restoration of his lost classic Sorcerer in 2017, it’s now the turn of director William Friedkin’s even more unjustly forgotten 1980 thriller Cruising to get the Blu-Ray treatment. The film was adapted from Gerald Walker’s 1970 novel of the same name and also drew inspiration from a real-life series …
Grimmfest Review: A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life
Self-help books are by no means a recent phenomenon. They date back all the way to the ancient Greeks. However, it wasn’t until the latter part of the twentieth century that a multi-million-dollar industry shot up around the world. Whilst the Classics may have concentrated on wellbeing or ethics, this new explosion covered just about …