“Alright troops, here’s the mission. We’re on home turf, but things are going to get gritty and dirty; we’re storming warehouses, derelict buildings, maybe even a drug den or two. The odds will be against us: they’ve got the numbers, but we’ve got the know-how to make this work. Our […]
Reviews
Il Posto + I Fidanzati (1961/1963) Love and Work; the Original Four Letter Words
Following Weak Spot, Radiance’s second release of the week is a double bill from the acclaimed Italian neorealist filmmaker Ermanno Olmi. The set comprises two of his earliest features, 1961’s Il Posto and 1963’s I Fidanzati, each of whose themes are the original four-letter words—love and work—and Italy’s post-war industrialization […]
The Cell (2000) – A sumptuous journey into a dark dreamscape
Across his decades-long career, Tarsem Singh (known professionally as Tarsem) built himself a following as a director. A reliable presence who delivers eye-catching visuals, this status was solidified by directing music videos (including the award-winning video for R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion), and commercials (including a famous Pepsi one which combines […]
Weak Spot (1975) Part paranoid thriller, part curious buddy movie
Radiance once again does admirable work this week, salvaging yet another classic piece of 70s European cinema from unfair obscurity. The Blu-ray release in question is Weak Spot, a 1975 co-production between France, Italy, and Germany, shot in Greece by director Peter Fleischmann. The film is based on a 1965 […]
Incubus (1966) Pure Kitsch by way of Bergman?
Incubus’s credentials seem to be pure kitsch. A forgotten independent horror film starring Captain Kirk and the guy who killed Mickey Rooney’s wife, shot in a made-up language. Job’s a good ‘un. Get Mystery Science Theater 3000 on the phone. But as Arrow’s excellent new Blu-Ray release reveals, there’s much […]
Mikey and Nicky (1976): Little Boys in Big Boys Games
Coming to Blu-ray courtesy of the Criterion Collection from 13th January is Elaine May’s 1976 gangster movie Mikey and Nicky. Starring regular collaborators John Cassavetes and Peter Falk, May’s movie capitalises on the pair’s natural chemistry, lending great authenticity to their roles of lifelong friends. Set over the course of […]
The Usual Suspects (1995): better left in the ’90s?
The singer/songwriter Ethel Cain recently kicked off a minor cultural debate by saying she was sick of irony. “There is such a loss of sincerity, and everything has to be a joke all the time”, she complained, making me feel deeply relieved for her: at least the 26-year-old Cain wasn’t […]
Rampo Noir (2005) A Japanese Horror Anthology of the Erotic and Grotesque Variety
For all the talk of Nosferatu bringing horny back to the cinema, it’s useful to remind ourselves of the pervertedly lush world of Edogawa Ranpo. Predominantly a mystery writer (say his name fast and you’re close to the writer of “The Purloined Letter”), it’s his unique brand of “Ero guro […]
Yokohama BJ Blues (1981) Grim Satire of America’s influence on Japan
TThe 1980s was an odd era for Japanese cinema, caught between the end of one golden generation and the rise of another. That’s not to say nothing of note was produced—directors like Shōhei Imamura and Akira Kurosawa were still working, albeit sporadically, and a new generation was on the rise. […]
Demolition Man 4K (1993) Shrewder, Clever and Much More than the three Seashells
Cinematic visions of the future often lean towards the grim and dystopian. From Blade Runner to Total Recall to Equilibrium, a dark future allows for social tensions to inform character dynamics and visual design. In the case of 1993’s Demolition Man, decisions were made to create a weird movie to […]