Laika films have a remarkable position in modern cinema, not only are they keeping the wonder of stop-motion animation alive for the next generation, but they are also a flag bearer for gateway horror. Between Paranorman, Coraline, and, to a lesser extent, the Boxtrolls, they are providing that same generation […]
Movies & Documentaries
The Final Master (2015) Lost between martial arts classics and Hollywood fuzz (Review)
In interviews, Jackie Chan has admitted again and again that he prefers working in Hong Kong over America. He has stated that in his native Hong Kong the camera is an observer in any action scene, watching the events take place, allowing the performers to ply their artistry. It’s a […]
Silence and Cry (1968) a thought-provoking portrait of a unique director at a critical juncture in history (Review)
First-time viewers of Miklós Jancsó’s 1968 film Silence and Cry, reissued on Blu-Ray and DVD by Second Run, will be greeted by something they might not expect from the veteran Hungarian director – a montage. Don’t worry, it doesn’t last. The rest of the film is shot in the long, […]
The Lair of The White Worm (1988) Ken Russell’s campy horror take on Bram Stoker (Review)
Ken Russell is a bit of a devil. In all his films you can see an unabashed joy of sex, life, and kitsch whilst having the underlying thread of Christianity throughout; explicitly or otherwise. Lair of the White Worm is no exception but, against his other works, it feels less […]
Ice Cold in Alex (1958) Unassuming World War II drama that birthed the modern beer commercial (Review)
According to some, Ice Cold In Alex is one of the most beloved British war films of the 1950s. StudioCanal seem to think so; they’ve released a new 4k restoration to mark the 60th anniversary of its release. Count me among those for whom, up until now, that title may […]
Orchestra Rehearsal (1978) Fellini’s succinct satire of a world without music (Review)
‘Orchestra Rehearsal’ saw Federico Fellini strip back his surreal tendencies and channelled his energy into something more tangible and less wild. Released in 1978, ‘Orchestra Rehearsal’ is set in one, large, barren hall. A wry voice-over explains that this place was once the burial site of three Popes and seven […]
Brakes (2016) An interesting debut with an interesting spin on the Rom-Com (Review)
London based actress Mercedes Grower makes her screenwriting and directorial debut with Brakes, a film that couldn’t be any more lo-fi if it tried. Episodic and improvisational in feel, Brakes is a multi-stranded ensemble piece that explores what it is to fall in and out of love in contemporary London. […]
Phantom Thread (2017) the mother of all complexes (Review)
The expectation that goes with the release of a new Paul Thomas Anderson movie gets bigger and bigger every time. Ever since the acclamations for There Will Be Blood, the director has often found himself being touted (alongside one or two others) as the next heir to Kubrick. And it’s probably […]
Michael (1924) Carl Th. Dreyer’s The Phantom Thread (Review)
When’s a good time to reissue a film? Had Eureka Masters of Cinema put out this Blu-Ray reissue of Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Michael last year, it might have been a valuable contribution to the fiftieth anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Britain. As it is, it hits shelves in […]
The Colour of Pomegranates (1969) impenetrably profound and dazzlingly superficial (Review)
Maybe you find that challenging, or intimidating, or mind-numbing, or somewhere between all three. If so, I’m not exactly sweetening the pot if I tell you that the film is a series of oblique, poetic tableaux vivants that symbolically illustrate the inner and outer life of the 18th century Armenian […]