Ealing proving once again that didn’t just deal in black comedies concerned with a brand of pure Britannia that has since been consigned to history with Studio Canal’s release of Scott of the Antarctic. Sometimes Hitchcock editor, Charles Frend directs the now fabled story of Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated South […]
Rob Simpson
Chief Editor
Host of the Uncut Network. With a love of movies kicked off by Hong Kong Action and Claymation Monsters, Rob has forever been cradled in the bosom of Cinema. Rob has his hands in many a pie, including no budget film making. Filthy
Victoria (2015) The German Crime film that cracked the “one-take” nut (Review)
Even as far back as 1948, the one-take film was aspiration with Hitchcock’s Rope. An endeavour similar to Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Birdman or Gustavo Hernández’s The Silent House, both he and Hitchcock used the practice of clean plates, filming areas or objects featuring no actors or moving objects to cut […]
Journey to the Shore (2015) trades in the haunted house for a ghost story (Review)
Horror has many go to Monsters; one will have its turn in the limelight before passing it on to the next. The subtleties of titles like the Uninvited or the Haunting have subsided only to be replaced by the cacophony of Amityville Horror or Insidious. However, take Japan or many […]
Outlaw Gangster VIP (1968/9) Making a star of Tetsuya Watari (Review)
The term ‘Studio film’ within the contemporary vernacular is used as a derogatory statement; a catch-all to encompass a focus on making money over quality cinema. While that is certainly also true in Japan, there are also a selection of studios that have gone down in legend – Toho, and […]
Yakuza Apocalypse (2015) The Best Punk Rock Kaiju Movie (Review)
Between 1998 & 2001, Takashi Miike’s prolific nature gained him worldwide notoriety with his V-cinema run. Audition, Ichi the Killer, Dead or Alive, and the Happiness of the Katakuri’s earned him legions of fans worldwide. Even if he isn’t quite as productive as he used to be, he still manages […]
Only Angels Have Wings (1939) Towering achievement from one of the Greatest Ever Directors (Review)
For many film fans in the UK, the Criterion Collection has been locked behind region codes, therefore, the highest-profile of all boutique labels choosing 2016 to migrate to these shores is the best news in years. Their opening salvo of titles represents the eclectic mix that saw the New York-based […]
Three Days of the Condor (1975) Conspiracy Thriller that ages like a Fine Wine (Review)
Even with them being the source of consternation for critics and audiences alike, tropes are an invaluable resource for the film writer – either as a framework to subscribe to or one to rebel against. A film responsible for the installation of many tropes is Sydney Pollack’s Three Days of […]
Farewell my Concubine (1993) The Chinese Epic as a performance piece (Review)
In the West, Chinese or Peking Opera is known more for graduates Yuen Biao, Jackie Chan, Corey Yuen and Sammo Hung than any cultural footprint – despite dating back to the 18th century. This makes the BFI release of Chen Kaige’s epic Farewell my Concubine one of the more interesting […]
Pink String and Sealing Wax (1945) The Darkest Soap Opera you’ve never seen (Review)
Ealing Studios are regarded as the bastion of post-war Cinema, the home of the finest comedies Britain has ever produced, but what is often overlooked is their innate Gothicism. With the artifice of its sets and the embers of Victorian London architecture, there is a Gothic grandeur running through the […]
Ken Russell: Great Composers (1965-7)(Review)
The music documentary is enjoying a boom period with the likes of 20,000 Days on Earth & Searching for Sugar Man receiving both critical and commercial acclaim, there’s also the channel defining content from the award-winning BBC Four. Staying with the British Broadcasting Corporation, it is easy to forget what […]