My sudden interest in the Oscars has not necessarily come from a fascination about the ceremony itself, which is always a deeply cringe-worthy affair that has to pad out time between each award and acceptance speech with bizarre jokes and banal platitudes. The only reason I’ve been interested the last couple […]
Reviews
The Gift (2000) Sam Raimi’s Southern Gothic is worth Unearthing
Being a Sam Raimi fan in the 1990s was a frustrating experience. His Evil Dead trilogy became more of a cult favourite with every passing year, yet his other work stubbornly failed to connect with the wider audience it deserved. To fans, he was a born entertainer with a limitless […]
Performance (1970) Nicholas Roeg and Donald Cammell’s Exile on Notting Hill
It’s hard to discuss the breakdown and disillusionment of British and American culture of the 1960s going into the new decade, one of the richest and most well-documented periods in modern art, without bringing up The Rolling Stones. Throughout the scattering of the flower power movement and the Manson Murders, […]
Underworld Beauty (1958) A solid noir from Seijun Suzuki
Across his filmography, Japanese filmmaker Seijun Suzuki was known for an irreverent style which prioritized entertainment over plot. At the most prominent era of his career, the creative mostly made B-movies for Nikkatsu Company, culminating with one of his best known works, 1967’s Branded to Kill. On the other end […]
High and Low (1963) – A high bar, lo and behold
If you compiled a list of the all-time greatest and most influential directors, that list would be incomplete without Akira Kurosawa. Many of his films have had a severe impact upon western audiences, whether it is The Hidden Fortress being a massive influence on Star Wars, Seven Samurai (and its […]
Sunray: Fallen Soldier (2025): IRL RMCs take easy targets in exploitation actioner
“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 […]
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 […]