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Eureka Classics


It may come as a surprise to many but there were five different attempts to kill Adolph Hitler during the Third Reich. The first was an obsessed Swiss college student in 1938. This was followed by a beer hall bomb, death in a brandy bottle, a suicide mission and a conspiracy of officers. The latter …

Since their domestication thousands of years ago, dogs have been man’s best friend. Loyal, obedient, protective, loving. Our cinema screens have been graced by some truly great canine performances – Lassie, Red Dog, Marley and Beethoven all won over hearts, if not always minds. Indeed, the latter starred in a whopping eight film series and …

Today, Lourdes is one of the most famous places of pilgrimage in the world. The fortunes of the quiet, rural, non-descript town in the foothills of the Pyrenees was changed forever in 1858. It was a small community whose most notable feature was a garrison. The kind of place people passed through to get somewhere …

Sammo Hung, like Jackie Chan, starred in, choreographed and directed him own films. Both men have had impressive careers and were pivotal in opening up Hong Kong martial arts films-making to the Western world. They starred with Biao Yuen in Hung’s Wheels on Meals in 1984. Whilst Chan and Hung both went on to become …

Named after the former German chancellor, the Bismark was one of a pair of fast battleships which were the largest and most powerful built under the Third Reich. It was the pride of the German fleet and became a focal point of nationalistic fervour. However, despite its formidable reputation it wasn’t destined to play a …

In retrospect, the British Empire wasn’t exactly a glowing success story given the toll it has taken on the countries we conquered. The same could be said for the actions of almost all colonial nations. Sudan is a country no stranger to subjugation and itself once held power in the region under the Kush. In …

Once in a while a movie comes along which is so so so so bad, it becomes an absolute cult classic. There’s no rhyme of reason behind it or magic formula but it usually involves a lot of honesty. Troma made an artform out of it, but the first great ‘so bad it’s good’ film …

Some people look to the stars with hope, others with fear. The excitement caused by the ‘Space Race’, which culminated with the Apollo 11 lunar landing in 1969, inspired a new wave of science fiction writing and film-making. This continued until the end of the Cold War. During the ‘80s horror boom, this fascination transformed …

Paul Verhoeven has built up a reputation for courting controversy and being prepared to challenge and shock his audiences. His willingness to mix violence, sex and social satire has resulted in some extremely memorable moments. Whilst his work has spanned several genres, it’s in science fiction where he’s left his greatest mark. Robocop, Total Recall …

When it comes to the Hong Kong film industry, I’d argue that no one who has been more important and influential over the last 35 years or so than Tsui Hark. Working in various roles as a director, screenwriter, producer and choreographer, he’s been responsible for A Better Tomorrow, A Chinese Ghost Story, Zu Warriors …