Of all the names that came to prominence during the French New Wave, Claude Chabrol is one that didn’t receive the same level of acclaim or legacy as his illustrious peers. Arrow Video are doing their part to help with his broader perception by releasing two thematically tied boxsets in […]
Reviews
Don’t Go In The House (1980) Schlocky psychological video nasty? (Blu-Ray Review)
Released in 1980, Don’t Go In The House, directed by Joseph Ellison, went on to define the video nasty era of the slasher genre. The darker and more bleak of the slasher nasties, compared to the fellow 1980 release of Friday The 13th, this psychological horror was met with controversy […]
The Wanting Mare (2020) Existential, Experimental Sci-Fi with looks to kill for (VOD Review)
The Green Knight was a divisive movie, a personal favourite from last year, for sure, but its often evasive and hallucinatory storytelling alienated much of its potential audience. One key aspect that cut through this tension was the visual effects work. One of the key names behind these visual effects […]
The Prodigal Son (1981) & Warriors Two (1978) Sammo Hung, Grand Master Action Director (Review)
I’m not one for dropping hot takes in reviews, but here is a case where I cannot help myself. I have no objection in claiming that Sammo Hung is one of the best action directors who have ever been. When Sammo is firing on all cylinders, he is up there […]
Censor (2021) Edit this disc-set into your reality (Review)
Prano Bailey-Bond’s Censor was one of the most impressive films released in 2021. Shot on a tiny budget by a first-time director, Bailey-Bond offers a compelling story of grief, trauma and an unravelling psyche, set against a meticulously created vision of the 1980s. Censor offers nods to horror cinema and […]
Red Angel (1966) Bloody And Fearless Japanese Anti-War Satire (Review)
For some, war movies are something to avoid, with their rampant machismo and gleeful jingoism. It doesn’t matter where in the world they originate—this is often true. Given history’s grim record of wartime atrocities, a wave of critical, hyper-politicized anti-war films emerged. And, to be honest, the issue of hyper-masculinity […]
Seance (2021): standard slasher with one killer extra (Review)
It won’t be my favourite film of the year, but Acorn media’s Blu-Ray release of Simon Barrett’s directorial debut Seance contains an early contender for extra of the year. Barrett begins the director’s commentary with disarming enthusiasm, saying he’s always loved director’s commentaries and is excited to be providing his […]
Shock (1977) Italian Horror without the gorgeous flamboyance (Review)
Final films of legendary directors is a fascinating topic. For every Kenji Mizoguchi who bowed out with a genuine masterwork like 1956’s Street of Shame, there are stories of directors who couldn’t finish their final works or an untimely passing that required someone else to pick up the baton. Looking […]
Jakob’s Wife (2021) Eternally left-turning Modern Vampire Movie (Review)
Acorn Media’s new Blu-Ray of Jakob’s Wife is their latest physical media release of a title that premiered on the streaming service Shudder, a platform which is probably too new to generalise about but I’m a critic and I’m at a loose end, so here we go. One way of […]
Dillinger (1973): Print the Legend (Review)
“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend” is an infamous quote from John Ford’s 1962 classic Western The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance that could arguably be seen as the inspiration for Dillinger, John Milius’1973 directorial debut, dusted down by Arrow Video and given the Blu-ray treatment this week. Based on […]