Lust For Life US (1956) Dir. Vincente Minnelli This buzz surrounding this Hollywood biopic of the great Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh was the performance of leading man Kirk Douglas that many felt would bag him the Oscar that had hitherto eluded him. Ironically, it was his co-star Anthony Quinn who walked away with a … Continue reading Lust For Life
Odd Man Out
Odd Man Out UK (1947) Dir. Carol Reed Quite often, when someone in the arts is noted for a seminal piece of work there is usually one that precedes it which lays the foundations of what is to come. For Carol Reed it can be argued that the prognostic work which teased the greatness of … Continue reading Odd Man Out
Guardians Of The Galaxy
Guardians Of The Galaxy US (2014) Dir. James Gunn Yes, I am a bit late to the party on this one, considering it was the biggest grossing film of 2014 and had everyone raving about it, but it’s finally come my way so here go. The latest film to come from the Marvel universe is … Continue reading Guardians Of The Galaxy
Violette
Violette France (2013) Dir. Martin Provost Biopics can be a tricky to get right as facts can easily be distorted or diluted during the transition from personal account to dramatisation. There is also the viewer’s knowledge of the subject to consider, determining how much background information is to be included or excised. I have to … Continue reading Violette
WWE – The Best Of Raw And Smackdown 2014
WWE – The Best Of Raw And Smackdown 2014 (Cert 15) 3 Discs DVD (Distributor: Fremantle Media) Running Time: 436 minutes approx. The second retrospective release to look back at WWE’s year in 2014 covers the major matches and angles from the two flagship TV shows RAW and Smackdown. Not an easy task taking into … Continue reading WWE – The Best Of Raw And Smackdown 2014
Two Persons Max
Two Persons Max UK (2013) Dir. Tim Kent We take another diversion down the path of the short film, this time a two hander written by and starring a promising acting talent and a former actor and casting director making the move into directing. Two Persons Max sees glamorous Jemma (Jessica Jane Clement), a successful … Continue reading Two Persons Max
WWE – Live In The UK – November 2014
WWE - Live In The UK – November 2014 (Cert 12) 2 Discs (Distributor: Fremantle Media) Running Time: 325 minutes approx. And so we come to the second of the WWE’s bi-annual trips across the pond to our fair shores, which saw the weekly TV output being recorded over two nights in November 2014 at … Continue reading WWE – Live In The UK – November 2014
The Rocket
The Rocket Laos/Australia (2013) Dir. Kim Mordaunt This first fiction feature from Australian documentary filmmaker Kim Mordaunt is also the first film to hail from Laos I’ve seen. The roots of The Rocket can be found in Mordaunt’s 2007 documentary Bomb Harvest, about an Australian bomb disposal expert in Laos trying to clear up unexploded … Continue reading The Rocket
Greatful Dead
Greatful Dead (Cert 18) 1 Disc (Distributor: Third Window Films) Running Time: 98 minutes approx. You have to hand it to the Japanese - only they can delight us with a quirky tale boasting a serious social message behind it then turn it into a brutal and unabashed bloodfest! Nami (Kumi Takiuchi) is a lonely … Continue reading Greatful Dead
Topaz
Topaz US (1969) Dir. Alfred Hitchcock This film finds Hitchcock nearing the end of his illustrious and peerless career; in fact he made just two more films after this one. There is a sense that we are watching the work of someone in their twilight years with only a few occasional flourishes to remind us … Continue reading Topaz
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