Tackling films dubbed cinematic landmarks can sometimes feel a bit of a minefield. There are any number of worthy, ‘important’ films which can be argued to have demonstrably changed the face of cinema, but in many instances this doesn’t necessarily equate to the film in question still being enjoyable to watch in the 21st century. […]
By Nia Edwards-Behi Hong Kong martial arts films have always had an evident spiritual connection to the Western – similar narratives playing out in different settings and with different weapons: fists and feet instead of Colts and Winchesters. This connection is drawn to the surface to full effect in Benny Chan’s Call of Heroes, as […]
By Keri O’Shea Imagine a sequence of films, emanating from Japan over forty years ago, which melded – literally – riotously strong female characters with insurrection, violence, sexuality and even the odd dash of social commentary. ‘Women in prison’ films (for the most part) like no other, the Female Convict movies (or ‘Female Prisoner’, in […]
The Ninth Configuration is a film which, at a glance, appears to offer something radically different from what you actually get. Look at the cover art below: above the title we have the name of William Peter Blatty, writer of legendary horror movie The Exorcist; the title itself seems arcane and almost inscrutable; and we […]
By Keri O’Shea I’ll be the first to admit that I’m something of a fan of post-apocalyptic cinema: give me a filmmaker who can show us some unpalatable possibilities for humankind’s future via a dramatisation of just how frail our structures and norms are and, in an odd way, I’m happy. The opening scenes of […]
By Ben Bussey It can be an interesting business covering DVD and Blu-ray reissues of older movies. Sometimes we wind up with stuff we always meant to see but never got around to; sometimes they’re movies we’ve never even heard of before. But other times, they’re movies which really need no introduction at all – […]
By Guest Contributor Marc Lissenburg I daresay most of you reading this will have a unique personal evolution regarding your horror fandom. Born in 1972, I remember as a five year old in the mid-seventies being drawn to anything remotely to do with vampires. By my teens, driven hugely by the whole video nasty furore, […]
If you’ve had the pleasure of seeing recent documentary Electric Boogaloo: the Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films, it’s feasible that, like myself, you may well have found yourself anxious to see these three movies. In many respects, this trilogy might well be the perfect embodiment of the Cannon Films ethos. The output of producers […]
This fascinating, equal parts inspirational and cautionary tale might rival Macbeth in its portrayal of the cost of ambition – and for this writer, plus many other British readers who were around in the 1980s, there’s a curiously personal element given how that ambition had rather significant consequences in the UK. The matter only comes […]
Opening disclaimer: at the time of writing I’ve yet to get through the entire seven disc Blu-ray set that Studiocanal have lovingly put together for Series 5 of TV classic The Avengers (in the wake of series 4 enjoying similar treatment earlier this year). However, I just had to bring this review forward a little, […]
By Keri O’Shea Dreams are curious things; they can be a distillation of the deepest anxieties and fears which leave people cold long after waking, or they can be pure wish fulfillment – but in either incarnation, the way the brain can weave elements into a narrative is clearly always going to be appealing, fertile […]