It’s hard to believe now, but in 2008 ‘found footage’ movies were still all the rage thanks to the lingering influence of The Blair Witch Project and phone camera’s still mainly being for decoration. Home Movie is typical of the genre but was no doubt over shadowed by the infinitely […]
Reviews
Skinamarink (II) (2022): TikTok’s favourite liminal horror takes its Blu-Ray bow (review)
At a time when major streaming services are casually erasing whole shows from existence, we should be grateful to Acorn Media for their continuing run of Blu-Ray releases of Shudder exclusives. It also opens up one of those questions of format that a certain kind of Bazin-besotted film theorist loves […]
To Nowhere (2020): Queer Coming-of-Age British Indie (Review)
Released to cinemas and Curzon Home on 30th June, To Nowhere is the unflinching feature debut of director Sian Astor-Lewis. A striking blend of arthouse and kitchen sink, this low-budget, crowd-funded British indie explores the coming-of-age travails of two queer teenagers, taking us deep into the heart of their emotionally […]
Love Gets a Room (2021): A Holocaust Musical? (Review)
A movie about the Holocaust…but it’s a musical. You’ve got to admit, it takes some cojones to make that movie. Spanish director Rodrigo Cortés obviously believes he has those cojones. The filmmaker resposinble for the challenge of 2010’s claustrophobic, single-setting thriller Buried, steps up now to make Love Gets a […]
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023): Safe but Satisfying Nostalgia (Review)
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has all the necessary ingredients for a sequel to completely suck. It’s years after the franchise was in the limelight, sparking talks of the film being merely a cashgrab or nostalgia project for those involved. It’s repeating the formulas and tropes that fans […]
Le Mépris (1963): the odd couple Godard and Bardot make a classic (Review)
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot started acting in 1952, at the age of 17. By the end of that decade she was the most famous woman in France, for her films, her music and the gleefully-reported-on turmoil of her private life. Among actresses of this era, only Marilyn Monroe was more famous. […]
Lady Reporter (1989) A Showcase for Cynthia Rothrock’s Abilities (Review)
The pseudonyms of Lady Reporter, Eureka’s latest turn in bringing Hong Kong action into the Blu-ray age for UK fans, are funny and emblematic of why these films can be so hard to find away from the guidance of boutique labels. This Cynthia Rothrock vehicle is known as The Blonde […]
La Syndicaliste (2022): A Conspiracy Thriller for the #MeToo World (Review)
Born in Ireland, Maureen Kearney was a trade unionist in France’s former state-owned nuclear company, Areva. Hearing of a contract between Areva and the bourgeoning Chinese nuclear industry from a disgruntled insider at EDF, Kearney grew fearful for the job security of her members and the future of the company […]
Smooth Talk (1985): should now be considered an American classic (Review)
For a reissue of a quiet, low-key movie that isn’t all that well-known, Criterion’s new Blu-Ray of Joyce Chopra’s feature debut Smooth Talk has to do a lot. First off, it has to contribute to correcting the gender imbalance in Criterion’s library, although it isn’t shouldering that burden alone. Over […]
Small Slow But Steady (2023): A Tender Character Study of a Hearing-Impaired Female Boxer (Review)
The latest film from Japan’s Shô Miyake, director of 2018’s And Your Bird Can Sing and 2020’s Ju-On: Origins, is Small, Slow But Steady, released to cinemas and Curzon Home Cinema on 30th June. Miyake’s touching movie is a highly original boxing drama inspired by the autobiographical book Makenaide!, the […]