Blu-ray: The Bloodstained Butterfly (1971) My introduction into the genre of Giallo began (like many other people) in the 1980’s and the movies of Dario Argento on VHS. The lurid colours, assured direction and twisting storylines had me hooked to such classics as Deep Red, Suspiria, Inferno, Tenebre and many more by a plethora of other directors […]
Blu-ray: Matinee (1993) Set against the backdrop of the Cuban missile crisis, Matinee tells the story of Gene Loomis (Simon Fenton), a boy whose obsession with sci-fi and horror movies masks his loneliness at always being ‘the new boy in town’ as his Fathers Navy career moves them from military base to military base around the country. […]
Blu-ray: Review: Buster Keaton – The Complete Short Films 1917-1923 Unfortunately for me, it’s very difficult to write a review of this really wonderful boxset without it turning into a ‘History of Cinema’ lesson. Mainly because (in my opinion) you can’t compare these films to contemporary films, despite them being ‘movies’ they come from a different […]
Blu-ray: The Commitments (1991) In Dublin, Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins) is sick of failing to sell knocked off gear and wants a better life, so decides to form a soul band with his friends Outspan (Glen Hansard) and Derek (Ken McCluskey). He holds auditions in his parents house and manages to assemble a rag-tag band […]
Cinema: Jason Bourne (2016) In my opinion the Bourne movies helped to make James Bond relevant again! The brutal close combat and taut story really showed Bond a thing or two, and I believe it was a major influence in the direction of the most recent 007 movies. It’s been 9 years since the last Bourne film, […]
Blu-ray: Terrahawks (Volume 1) (1983) What is there to say about Gerry Anderson that hasn’t already been said? From my point of view the word ‘Legend’ seems an appropriate way to describe the man who provided so many amazing childhood memories with the likes of Thunderbirds, Joe 90, Stingray, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and Invasion: […]
DVD: Kidnapped (1971) There have been various filmed versions of Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Kidnapped‘, but for me it is the dual leading roles of Michael Caine as Alan Breck, and Lawrence Douglas as David Balfour which makes this my preferred adaptation, plus the beautiful end title song ‘For All My Days‘ by Mary Hopkin is the audio […]
Blu-ray: Invasion: UFO (1974) UFO is television series which was a firm favourite of mine growing up in the ’70s and yet I can’t ever recall having seen this previously, so I was very excited when this disc appeared through the post thanks to Network on Air. Although originally released in 1974 (1980 in the U.S.A.), Invasion: UFO is an […]
Blu-ray: Microwave Massacre (1983) Microwave Massacre opens with a scene where Marla Simon (playing the role of ‘knothole girl’…you’ll find out why she’s called that in just a moment) walks scantily dressed down the streets of Los Angeles. All boobs and bum, director Wayne Berwick makes the most of Marla’s ample charms, which culminates in her […]
Blu-ray: The Count Yorga Collection (1970, 1971) Count Dracula was introduced to cinema audiences in Tod Browning’s 1931 classic ‘Dracula‘; a suave vampire who impressed his future victims with his confident and aristocratic demeanour, a far cry from Count Orlok in Nosferatu who kept himself hidden in the shadows. By the time Count Yorga, Vampire was […]