The Bourne franchise director Paul Greengrass made his directorial debut in 1989 with Resurrected which is, um, resurrected by Indicator this week in the shape of a rather welcome Blu-ray package. Resurrected tells the story of Kevin Deakin (played by David Thewlis who, like his director, was also making his […]
Movies & Documentaries
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders – A brain teasing Euro oddity (Review)
Czechoslovakia is a country whose films I am not familiar with one iota. Not one single watch from their vast, lavish works. No modern, contemporary pieces to plunge into to get a feel for the genre, nor an ounce of knowledge about its New Wave efforts or its ability to […]
Edge of the Axe (1988) Finding the joy in ropey slashers (Review)
The world of boutique home video labels exposes you to genres, styles and voices that you would never hear of otherwise. And for the horror community who are in a constant state of discovery, there has never been a better time to be a fan. One of the latest names […]
Orphans (1998): Handles the ugly side of human nature, brilliantly (Review)
Before I start this review, I think it’s important that I give a little background context. 1998’s Orphans came at a time when the British film industry was in love with Scotland, following the success of Danny Boyle’s Shallow Grave ad, more importantly in terms of its cultural impact, Trainspotting. […]
Kiki’s Delivery Service – An expectantly charming Ghibli treat (Review)
Studio Ghibli animations excel at showcasing the hard work of a large group of animators, every film they make is nothing short of wonderful. Their storylines are fascinating, uniquely charming and otherwise happy to plod along at any pace they see fit. They expect the audience to just follow along […]
Being There: A Film of Endings (Review)
Let’s talk about endings. Being There is the kind of film that conjures up a lot of thought about endings, of one kind or another. For a start (can we really have a start when talking of endings? Oh well) it’s a popular misconception that Being There was the final […]
The Halfway House: beguiling Ealing, with hints of later ghost stories (Review)
Who’s up for a ghost story at Christmas? Plenty of people, judging by the British television schedules, with adaptations of MR James and Susan Hill jostling for position alongside Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight’s revisionist A Christmas Carol. The dark, chilly, rainy nights lend themselves perfectly to a fireside tale, […]
What’s New, Pussycat? – Carry On-Like entry into Woody Allen’s mammoth filmography (Review)
With a talented trio of Peter O’Toole, Peter Sellers and an introduction of Woody Allen, it’s a genuine surprise that What’s New, Pussycat? tanks this badly and this quickly. The 1965 piece pools together an impressive cast of comedy greats and acting legends, yet everyone involved comes off as, at the very least, […]
A Fistful of Dynamite: You Say You Want a Revolution? (Review)
Once upon a time in Paris (on March 22nd, 1968 to be exact) a number of far-left groups comprising of students and artists gathered together to occupy the administration building of Paris Nanterre University to protest against class discrimination and political bureaucracy. The police were subsequently called and the protesters […]
The African Queen: A thrilling ride down a shallow river (Review)
John Huston has swiftly become a fascination of mine. His directing style and visibility in some of cinema’s finest and best-remembered projects has elevated him to a status that kept his direction relevant for the forty years of his career and forty more after he’s passed away. His work on […]