It’s been a rough decade for clowns, with everything from the re-emergence of Pennywise to the wave of 2016 real-life clown sightings tarnishing the image of these floppy-shoed circus mainstays. The nearest thing to a sympathetic clown in popular culture has been Joaquin Phoenix’s reading of The Joker, and yet […]
Reviews
The Skyhawk (1974) A “not so” Classic passing of the Wong Fei-Hung torch that still carries the weight of history (Review)
There are actors that just become synonymous with certain roles. For instance, if I were to mention Sherlock Holmes then many would think of Benedict Cumberbatch, whilst others would think of Basil Rathbone, and for a character that has appeared in over 250 screen adaptations, that isn’t bad going. The […]
Mother May I? (2023): A Therapeutic Nightmare (Review)
The feature length debut from Laurence Vannicelli, best known up to this point for being a co-writer of Porno, is a memorably twisty, paranoid horror that continues Kyle Gallner’s hit-rate of memorable horror films, matched in energy and commitment by his co-star Holland Roden. In Mother May I? Gallner and […]
Commedia all’italiana: Three Films by Dino Risi (1959-1962) (Review)
Commedia all’italiana, or Italian-style comedy, was a genre of Italian cinema that achieved considerable success from the 1950s through to the 1970s. These films, though farcical and/or satirical, placed a greater emphasis than before on realism, shooting on location and creating believable, three dimensional characters. They were united by the […]
A Moment of Romance (1990): Heroic Bloodshed and Young Love (Review)
A cult classic that ensured iconic status for its star Andy Lau, Benny Chan’s 1990 directorial debut A Moment of Romance is released to Blu-ray by Radiance next week and is a must for anyone who likes a bit of style to their violence. Andy Lau stars as Wah Dee, […]
Johnny Z (2023) Zombie-Actioner extending way beyond its grasp (Review)
Z ombies are one of horror’s great contradictions. The shuffling undead is immediately synonymous with the most macabre of genres, yet at the same time, that community is sick to life and back of the classic monster. The question that any zombie movie has to tackle is how to make […]
Quicksand (2023) Survival Horror, and when it’s the right time to Suck (Review)
Survival horror works by pitting humanity against nature and the elements. The sub-genre, therefore, taps into fears of the unknown, the uncontrollable, and the insurmountable. This could be a mountain, a river, the sea, or a cave, and dangerous beasties are optional. QUICKSAND, directed by Andres Beltran and written by […]
Film Noir Collection Vol. 3: Calcutta, Ride the Pink Horse, Outside the Law, The Female Animal (1946-1958) (Blu-Ray Review)
Arrow’s first film noir box set, released in 2020, included bona fide cult classics like The Big Combo and Force of Evil, as well as deeper cuts from master directors like Fritz Lang. The third volume collects four titles which will be unknown to all but the most forensic of […]
Rage (2020) Flawed, yet Boldly leading the African Horror Charge (Review)
Africa isn’t exactly the first continent that comes to mind when you think of Horror. Of all the African countries, the most synonymous with cinema is Senegal – or, within the more exploitation realm, Uganda’s Wakaliwood. In 2021, Jaco Bouwer made a real splash with his indie eco-horror Gaia, cordyceps and […]
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 […]