Arrow jumbo boxsets are always aptly titled. Their collection of filmmaking’s Florida Man (Herschell Gordon Lewis), spanning fourteen films all dedicated to gruey gloop, was emblazoned with the word Feast. Their recent Enter The Video Store set let you literally take the lid off a miniature video store to select […]
Simon Ramshaw
Casino Raiders (1989) Hong Kong hustlers Lau and Tam in underseen brotherhood drama (Review)
One of cinema’s greatest challenges is making gambling exciting to watch. It’s somewhat easier to throw the viewer into the mind of a gambler, and in fact the risky, irrational thinking of someone addicted to the high of the bet is narrative rocket fuel for many movies. Uncut Gems couldn’t care […]
The Retirement Plan (2023) Nic Cage kicks back in unfunny geriaction comedy (Review)
What will Nicolas Cage’s retirement plan be? There is perhaps no actor who loves his work more than the adventurous nouveau shaman, who will pump out film after film with barely any time to breathe. Clearing a staggering seven films released widely in 2023 (if one is to include the […]
The Jester (2023) The killer clown genre pratfalls its way to a sorry end (Review)
It’s official: cinema has ruined clowns. Which particular make-up-caked straw broke the camel’s back is up for debate, however; from The Man Who Laughs to Terrifier, it’s currently hard to imagine when the garishly-dressed grinning maniacs were more funny than scary. Yet audiences are forever drawn to the freaky little […]
Suitable Flesh (2023) The Spirit of Stuart Gordon in this tawdry, knowing Lovecraft adaptation (Review)
It’s remarkable how much untapped potential lies in the work of H.P. Lovecraft -one of horror’s slipperiest and most indefinable writers. His weird tales of eldritch oddities and cosmic calamities have been the influence for many on the page, but few successes on the screen – despite a recent (if […]
Fist of the Condor (2023) – John Wick star leads a strange, uneven Chilean beat-’em-up (Review)
The impact of the John Wick franchise on modern action cinema cannot be overstated, and its ultra-slick camerawork and gorgeously sexy lighting have led many to imitate, but none to better. It’s also elevated stunt work across the globe to borderline high art, and franchise helmsman Chad Stahelski’s own tenure as […]
The Wicker Man (1973): Folk horror’s towering icon catches ablaze in new 4K restoration (Review)
It towers over the horizon, casting shadow over everything below. It inspires dread, reverence and devotion, cutting an impressive figure of iconic proportions. It catches alight quickly and blazes with a terrible truth, and it becomes impossible to look away from its purifying, eye-opening vision. And we’re not just talking […]
Sympathy for the Devil (Frightfest 2023) Nicolas Cage finds a new vehicle for his insanity (Review)
Every fresh Nicolas Cage film comes with a rare weight of expectation, and 2022 saw that come to a head with a film whose title and content seemed to embody that thought. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent – where the image of Nicolas Cage embraced its own meme – […]
River (2023) Junta Yamaguchi with another ambitious time-twisting treat (Frightfest 2023) (Review)
Junta Yamaguchi is a filmmaker who loves repeating himself, which is understandable given that his feature film work so far has concerned itself with two-minute cycles and loops in time that infuriate and complicate in equal measure. It should be clear from the outset, however, that this is not necessarily […]
Cross of Iron (1977) Sam Peckinpah’s unconventional war story just as gritty and grim today (Review)
Legendary filmmaker Sam Peckinpah is always destined to be one of cinema’s most misunderstood voices. His predominantly macho body of work dealt with frustrated, pent-up groups of men on missions that traverse the abyss, often losing themselves and sending many others into its deep nothingness along the way. Although milder […]