The original police story is one of the essential movies in Jackie Chan’s career, helping cement his international career, and an action masterpiece. Beyond that, the series gets wildly inconsistent. In its initial 6-movie run and questionable in its two-movie run after being revived in 2003 under the moniker New […]
Reviews
When The Screaming Starts (2021): A Mockumentary on a Killer Subject (VOD Review)
Premiering at Frightfest last year as part of their First Blood strand, Conor Boru’s When the Screaming Starts is finally released on digital platforms through Signature Entertainment. Boru co-wrote the script with Ed Hartland, who also stars as Aidan, an aspiring serial killer who becomes the subject of a documentary […]
A Fugitive from the Past (1965) A ruthless Japanese Masterpiece FINALLY makes its UK debut (Blu-Ray Review)
Tomu Uchida isn’t a name that immediately jumps out to western audiences when discussing the greats of Japanese cinema. A director that had been around since the silent era but lacking a distinctive style like Mizoguchi or Ozu, and whilst he would show a flair for many a genre and […]
The Guest (2014) Aged like Fine Synth (Blu-Ray Review)
Things move at such a fast pace in the movie world. Rewind 10 years ago, horror was not in the healthy position it is now – some things did cut through the noise, but mostly it was a very middle-of-the-road era. A few directors had some degree of cultural cache. […]
The Last Thing Mary Saw (2021) Teenage Kicks Get Puritanical (DVD Review)
Teenage kicks get puritanical in this slow-burn American gothic tale. The titular Mary (Stefanie Scott) stands on trial, blindfolded with blood running down her face, as she describes to a curious judge the last thing, or rather things, that she saw that landed her in the dock. Her tale introduces […]
Love (Szerelem) (1971) Fragmented Visions and Fabrications (Blu-Ray Review)
Released to Blu-ray this week by Second Run is the 1971 Cannes Jury Prize-winning Hungarian film Love (or Szerelem, to give it its title in its native tongue) Directed by acclaimed Hungarian filmmaker Károly Makk and based on two short stories by his fellow countryman, the renowned author Tibor Déry, Love […]
Identification of a Woman (1982): Antonioni enters the ’80s, as provocative as ever (Review)
If there’s anyone out there who still doubts that Michelangelo Antonioni was a genius, consider this: he made the British overcome their prurience. On its 1966 release, his classic Blow-Up was a substantial hit in the UK among audiences who were not primarily interested in watching the latest film from […]
Monster (2003) Brutal and Beautifully Performed Serial Killer Psychodrama (Blu-Ray Review)
Hello everyone, it’s Alex here, and this is the first non-Classic Film Kid piece I’ve ever done, so I now have free reign to talk about whatever I want. So of course I begin with innocence and purity by reviewing a film about serial killer Aileen Wuornos in a life […]
Hellbender (2022): Feel the Chaos of a Teenage Witch (Blu-Ray Review)
Hellbender is the sixth feature film from the Adams family (made up of Toby Poser, John Adams and Zelda Adams) and their third in the horror genre. Following its release on Shudder in February, it arrives on DVD and digital through Acorn Media International making it their most readily available […]
The Big Chill (1983): nostalgic, reflective, snarky and full of love – a warm hug of a film (Blu-Ray Review)
College days, or university days as they are known in the UK, can be among the most memorable and formative that people experience. The friendships made, the ambitions held, the ideals believed in. Sometimes these days help shape our lives, other times we wonder what happened to the days and […]