Let’s face it, the 1960s were a weird time. A time when shows like The Addams Family and The Munsters could be produced purely for mainstream audiences, with the latter often beating it’s similarly macabre (and arguably now more fondly remembered) rival in the ratings war and only falling foul […]
Mark Cunliffe
Run Man Run (1968): A Picaresque Shaggy Dog Tale of a Tortilla Western (Review)
Receiving its Blu-ray world premiere from Eureka Entertainment’s Masters of Cinema series this week is the third and final Western from director Sergio Sollima, 1968’s Run, Man, Run. Set against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution, this ‘Zapata’ or ‘Tortilla’ Western (the names commonly given to these Italian-made oaters of […]
The Breakfast Club (1985): Not only the quintessential 80s teen movie but also the finest teen movie ever
The Working Class Goes to Heaven (1971): Work is Hell (Review)
A new year brings a new Blu-ray distributor in the shape of Radiance Films whose first slate of releases includes The Working Class Goes to Heaven, Elio Petri’s brilliant 1971 polemic on totalitarian capitalism and the post-war Italian ‘Economic Miracle’, released January 2nd. The film reunites Petri with Gian Maria […]
The War Trilogy: Three Films by Andrzej Wajda (1955/1958) War is Hell (Review)
Croupier (1998): Hold on Tightly, Let Go Lightly (Blu-Ray Review)
Dragon’s Return (Drak sa Vracia) 1968: Pure Cinematic Storytelling (Blu-Ray Review)
“A jaw-dropping masterpiece, an exercise in pure cinematic storytelling that captivates, enchants and terrifies in each scene” Yes, it would be remiss of me not to point out that this quote from The Geek Show‘s Graham Williamson adorns the cover of the latest Blu-ray release from Second Run, the 1968 […]
Love (Szerelem) (1971) Fragmented Visions and Fabrications (Blu-Ray Review)
Released to Blu-ray this week by Second Run is the 1971 Cannes Jury Prize-winning Hungarian film Love (or Szerelem, to give it its title in its native tongue) Directed by acclaimed Hungarian filmmaker Károly Makk and based on two short stories by his fellow countryman, the renowned author Tibor Déry, Love […]
Umberto D (1952) I’m Not Crying OK? It’s Just Something In My Eye (Review)
Released to Criterion this week is Umberto D., Vittorio De Sica’s classic film about a pensioner who struggles to make ends meet in an economically-ravaged Italy in the post-war years. A retired civil servant, the ageing Umberto is determined to keep his dignity as he navigates a series of challenges […]