There’s an alternate universe where Harrison Ford’s single biggest (or only) franchise role is that of Han Solo in the Star Wars series, and that’s because the role of Indiana Jones went to first choice, Tom Selleck. In our universe (or, reality, as some might say), Selleck had to pass […]
Mark Cunliffe
Senior Contributor Mark's first cinematic experience was watching the Cannon and Ball vehicle, The Boys in Blue. He hasn't looked back since. Hailing from St Helens, he is an occasional contributor to Arrow DVD, writing booklet inlay essays on a variety of titles, including Children of Men and The Great Escape. He is a reviewer with IndieMDB and has also written a chapter for Ste Brotherstone and Dave Lawrence's book, Scarred For Life Vol II. Other sites he has written for include We Are Cult, Horrified, and America's left-leaning news outlet ZNetwork. Publications he has written articles for include Stat Magazine and the fanzine Undefined Boundary: The Journal of Psychick Albion. He is also a regular contributor to the Geek Show's podcasts, including Pop Screen and the Uncut series, and he can be found on Letterboxd.
Semolina Pilchard (2026) A fearless independent Crime Thriller, Liverpool-Style
Semolina Pilchard is the latest film from Liverpool-based independent filmmaker Mike Clarke, and, if you haven’t already guessed from its Beatles-inspired title, it’s a high-energy love letter to city. Released to Blu-ray via Clarke’s own label Last Slate Video from October 5th (it will be available to stream from November […]
The Black Rock (2026) Impressive Micro-Budget WWII Drama
Regular readers will be familiar with my championing of local filmmaking talent here on Merseyside, from Michael J. Long’s Baby Brother (recently out on wide release to great acclaim), to several films by Jack McLoughlin (who’ll soon be making his television debut with Channel 5’s revival of Play for Today). […]
Joe (1970) A Misunderstood Message Movie
Coming to Blu-ray this week via the Transmission/Radiance label is Joe, a corrosive satire on the generational conflict in late 1960s/early 70s America. Written by Norman Wexler (Serpico, Saturday Night Fever) and directed by John G. Avildsen (Rocky, The Karate Kid), the film stars Peter Boyle as the eponymous Joe, […]
Holy Days (2026) Your Granny’s Feel-Good Movie of the Year
Directed by Nathalie Boltt and adapted from the novel by Joy Cowley, Holy Days is positioning itself as your granny’s feel-good movie of the year. It’s a broad and syrupy comedy-drama from New Zealand that tells the story of Brian (Elijah Tamati), an indigenous boy who’s been struggling after his […]
Outside the Blue Box: Virtual Murder – A Torch for Silverado (1992)
2026 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Jon Pertwee. As such, it seems only fair that we shine a light on an example of his work, specifically a relatively overlooked example of his work at the twilight of his days. The early 90s BBC telefantasy crime series Virtual […]
Two Boxes: Televised Terror in Franco’s Spain (1972 & 1974) Unabashed horror that puts most feature lengths to shame
As Transmission’s release this week has it, the 1970s were an interesting time in Spain. A country in flux, Spain was beginning to enjoy and increased economic prosperity that clashed with the Francoist fascist regime the nation had endured for, up until that point, almost forty years. Even the cheesy […]
Into the Forest: Folktales at DEFA (1955-77) The Film That Made Paul Whitehouse Pee His Pants (as a child)
If you asked a person on the street if they know anything about East German folk tales, there’s a good chance they’ll say no, but if you mention The Singing Ringing Tree to people of a certain generation then some will feel twinges of nostalgia, and possibly trauma. Eureka have […]
Seahorse (Raindance Film Festival 2026) A Compassionate Feature Debut
Having just completed its run at the UK Raindance Film Festival, Seahorse is an affecting and well-intentioned feature debut from Canadian actor & filmmaker Aisha Evelyna. As well as writing and directing the film, Evelyna also takes the lead role of Nola, a Toronto woman seeking stability following a stay […]
Game (2025) Without Frontiers
Released online from June 18th and with a Blu‑ray scheduled for the 29th, Game marks the debut writer and producer credit of Portishead and BEAK’s Geoff Barrow, a man who had previously dipped a toe in cinematic waters composing soundtracks for Alex Garland’s Annihilation and Civil War, and releasing OSTs […]