Rather famously, the TV critic of the Daily Mirror was not impressed with John Cleese’s sitcom Fawlty Towers when it made its debut in 1975. “Long John Short on Jokes” was the pronouncement of the former Monty Python star’s farcical hotelier comedy, now considered a much loved classic and often […]
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 Lancashire, he is an occasional contributor to Arrow DVD, writing booklet inlay essays on a variety of titles, including Children of Men and The Day of the Jackal. He has also written a chapter for Ste Brotherstone and Dave Lawrence's book, Scarred For Life Vol II. He is often found on Letterboxd, has appeared on the Talking Pictures podcast and also writes for We Are Cult, Horrified and America's left-leaning news outlet ZNetwork. He is also a regular contributor to the Geek Show's podcasts, including Pop Screen and the Uncut series.
Dogfight (1991): Transcending Misogyny to Make a Very Real Human Connection (Review)
Released to the Criterion Collection this week is Dogfight, Nancy Savoca’s 1991 movie that undoubtedly features one of River Phoenix’s finest performances. In a career that burned fast but brightly, the aptly named Phoenix was cast against type here as a belligerent, foul mouthed jarhead; a role that was arguably […]
The Boss (1973) Misogynistic Mafia Movie (Review)
It’s perhaps more than coincidental that Radiance have followed up March’s release of Duccio Tessari’s 1973 Mafia thriller Tony Arzenta with Fernando Di Leo’s The Boss this week. Not just because of the things that these films have in common – both were made in 1973, both are stories about […]
The End We Start From (2023) A Very British, Very Woman-Centred Apocalypse (Review)
As you would expect from a contributor to Scarred For Life such as myself, I’ve long enjoyed a good apocalyptic drama. I could never really be doing with zombies all that much in this subgenre however, as I believe the real monsters when our backs are to the wall will […]
The Lavender Hill Mob (1951): Comedy Gold from Ealing Studios (Review)
Returning to cinemas on 29th March, ahead of its 4K UHD Collector’s Edition and digital download release from Studio Canal’s Vintage Classics label on 22nd April, is the Ealing Studios’ 1951 classic and one of British cinema’s most beloved comedies, The Lavender Hill Mob. Directed by Charles Crichton, from a […]
Tony Arzenta (1973): A Hitman’s Revenge (Review)
Radiance continues its reliable run of ’70s Italian cinema with the release this week of 1973’s Tony Arzenta (aka Big Guns, aka No Way Out) an action packed and dour crime thriller from director Duccio Tessari (A Pistol for Ringo, The Return of Ringo) and starring Alain Delon, who also […]
Room at the Top (1959): The Birth of British New Wave Cinema (Review)
Released to Blu-ray this week by Studio Canal’s Vintage Classics label is the feature that effectively gave birth to the British film industry’s New Wave period of the 1960s, Jack Clayton’s 1959 movie Room at the Top, starring Laurence Harvey and Simone Signoret. The opening shot of Harvey’s threadbare socks […]
The Village Detective: A Song Cycle (2021) The Ocean Gives Up Its Mysteries (Review)
In 2016, a crew of Icelandic fishermen operating in the North Atlantic Ocean, dredged up something surprising from the seabed – four decaying reels of film, semi-preserved by the ocean’s natural resources of hydrogen sulphide, that set innovative documentarian Bill Morrison, of Dawson City: Frozen Time fame, on a fascinating […]
Allonsanfàn (1974) Mastroianni Dons The Mask of Anarchy (Review)
Once again, Radiance have uncovered another gem from 1970s Italian Cinema. They’ve dusted it down, smartened it up and packed it with extras and released it to Blu-ray this week. But this one isn’t a poliziotteschi or a giallo, this is Allonsanfàn, a classy period drama writer/director siblings Paulo and […]
Goodbye and Amen (1977): Diplomacy and Dirty Tricks (Review)
Released to Blu-ray by Radiance films this week, Goodbye and Amen is director Damiano Damiani’s 1977 political thriller-cum-hostage drama, starring American actor Tony Musante of The Bird with the Crystal Plumage fame and Italian screen icon Claudia Cardinale, and featuring support from prolific Italian filoni star John Steiner and a […]