Film and TV

This newly restored 4K UHD Blu-ray by the BFI is amazing, with ‘better’ translated subtitles and a black, epic sound and picture so sharp you’d swear it was made yesterday.  

Kathryn Bigelow’s classic surfer/bank robber actioner has somehow stood the test of time and now is celebrating a fantastic 4K release and is being presented pride of place at the BFI’s ‘Art of Action’ season.

Yep, The Invasion is essentially The Body Snatchers, without pod people. You are not replaced in this film, you ‘change’. It’s a straight-forward remake of the 1956 film Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but the story has been updated with mobile phones and to reflect contemporary times.

It’s a story of corniness, involving drug runners and the Lobo Crime family. Oh and there is blood and arm ripping. Nicholas Hoult as Renfield is a delight, as is Nic Cage, who lisps through a set of pointy teeth and doesn’t go FULL nutjob in the part.

Leon Gast’s engrossing documentary took 22 years to edit and finance and offers unprecedented access to Muhammad Ali and George Foreman’s “Rumble in the Jungle”.

El Vampiro: Two Bloodsucking Tales from Mexico brings together a pair of atmospheric and terrifying classics of Mexican Gothic, directed by Fernando Méndez.

Over the years it has been my pleasure to review the Indicator box set releases of ‘Columbia Noir’, so I was excited to get stuck into a ‘Columbia Horror’ box set, containing 6 movies which I’d never seen before.

Based on Chris Warner’s graphic novel and starring Pamela Anderson as the titular (no sniggering at the back there please) ‘Barb Wire’.

With Kris Kristofferson recently passing away, this is the perfect time to pick this up and revisit one of his best known roles.

Based on the true story of a killing spree that happened during the night of 21st May 1938 in the rural village of Kamo.