Young Rebels (1992) Young Rebels conjures up some postmodern film, perhaps an early Martin Scorsese starring a young Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro about life being tough on the streets of New York. But no, it’s better than that. This is one of Amir Shervan’s ‘lost’ classics. Over at the 80’s Picture House they specialise […]
Blu-ray: Rocco and His Brothers (1960) After the death of her husband, mother Rosaria takes her four sons Rocco Parondi (Alain Delon), Simone, Ciro, and Luca to join her eldest son Vincenzo in Milan. Presented in five distinct sections, the film weaves the story of the five brothers Vincenzo, Simone, Rocco, Ciro and Luca Parondi […]
Someone very close to me swears that playing video games saved their life. Weird? Not really. Imagine being so isolated by depression that the only thread you have to life itself is through a game. But that thread, invisible, delicate, is the only thing that keeps you wanting to function, because you want to see […]
DVD: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990) What happens to the people in Shakespeare’s plays, when they are not actually on the stage? Well in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead you get a peep behind the curtains. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from Shakespeare’s Hamlet are former school friends of the Danish Prince, and Hamlet’s stepdad and uncle, King […]
Dual Format: Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970) An all-female band try to make it in Hollywood with the aid of a new manager, Ronnie ‘Z Man’ Barzell (John Lazar). It’s rare I find it difficult to write about a film, but I must admit this one has me flumped. It’s all I can do […]
Cinema: The Revenant (2015) I remember watching the much lauded Birdman when it came out and thought ‘this is a bit annoying’; the soundtrack, the frenetic pace and visuals, the close-up camera work. The acting was good, the story a bit ‘meh’ and I was unimpressed. Having seen Inarritu’s other films (Babel, Biutiful) no one could […]
Streaming: Operator (2015) Funded by Kickstarter, Operator was inspired by a genuine 999 call. Director/writer Caroline Bartleet heard and recognised the dramatic possibilities of giving us a brief glimpse into just one fire service phone call. Short films have to be quick and punchy and it’s rare to find a 5 minute film telling a […]
DVD/Blu-ray: The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) Eddie Coyle is looking at a stretch in prison and doesn’t want to leave his wife and kids reliant on welfare. He works for Jimmy Scalisi, supplying him with guns for a couple of bank jobs, but a cop named Foley is on to Eddie and he’s trying […]
Cinema: The Hateful Eight (2015) Bounty Hunter John Ruth (AKA: ‘The Hangman’ and played by Kurt Russell) heads for Red Rock with his prisoner Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) through a snow clad and frozen Wyoming. On the way they come across another bounty Hunter; Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L Jackson), and the new sheriff […]
DVD: And Then There Were None (2015) To celebrate Agatha Christie’s 125th anniversary the BBC produced a new version of her novel for Christmas. The story is set in 1939, literally just before the outbreak of WW2. A group of ten strangers are invited under different pretences to an isolated Island for a weekend away. […]
