Notorious

Notorious US (1946) Dir. Alfred Hitchcock Hitch must have started getting soppy in his old age (well, 46) as his delivers a film that is actually a love triangle despite what the secret agent premise might suggest. But don’t mistake this sentimentality for weakness - there is still a tense story of intrigue and duplicity …

Babette’s Feast (Babettes gæstebud)

Babette's Feast (Babettes gæstebud) Denmark (1987) Dir. Gabriel Axel This gentle Oscar winning tale from Denmark is based on a short story by Karen Blixen (aka Isak Dinesen), which was part of her final published work. It is perhaps with some perspicacity that Babette’s Feast has a valedictorian feel to it, elegiac even, as it …

Love At First Fight (Les Combattants)

Love At First Fight (Les Combattants) France (2014) Dir. Thomas Cailley Usually the fights come after people have been in love for a long time but debuting director Thomas Cailley’s romantic comedy of sorts presents us with a coming of age tale born out of unusual circumstances. Arnaud Labrède (Kévin Azaïs) a teenage trainee woodcutter …

A Lull In The Sea Part 2

A Lull In The Sea Part 2 (Episodes 14-26) (Cert 15) 2 Discs (Distributor: MVM) Running time: 307 minutes approx. The first half of this fantasy romance series from P.A Works ended on a dramatic note when three of the main characters from the undersea world of Shioshishio were washed away in a tumultuous sea …

Zombie Fight Club

Zombie Fight Club (Cert 15) 1 Disc DVD (Distributor: Altitude Film Distribution) Running Time: 91 minutes approx. In 2012 Taiwanese actor-director Joe Chien made the island’s first ever horror movie with his publicly funded zombie flick Zombie 108, earning him some international recognition. Chien naturally revisits the genre to have another shot at trying to …

Still The Water (Futatsume no mado)

Still The Water (Futatsume no mado) Japan (2014) Dir. Naomi Kawase This elegiac meditation on life, death and relationships through the eyes of two teens from a different background was a big hit at Cannes for Japanese auteur Naomi Kawase, while the director herself believes this is her masterpiece. The setting is the subtropical Amami …

Knights Of Sidonia Complete Series 1 Collection

Knights Of Sidonia Complete Series 1 Collection (Cert 15) 2 Discs (Distributor: Animatsu Entertainment) Running time: 305 minutes approx. Stop me if you’ve heard this one: A thousand years ago humanity was forced to flee into space following near extinction after an attack by an alien race called Gauna. The remaining population now live on …

WWE – Signature Sounds – The Music Of WWE

WWE – Signature Sounds - The Music Of WWE (Cert PG) 1 Disc DVD (Distributor: Fremantle Media) Running Time: 52 minutes approx. Well, this is an interesting release. While many of the names featured on this budget priced disc will be familiar to everyone, the man at the centre of the discussion probably won’t be, …

Way Back Home (Jibeuro Ganeun Gil)

Way Back Home (Jibeuro Ganeun Gil) Korea (2013) Dir. Pang Eun-jin Actress turned director Pang Eun-jin returns to behind the camera for this dramatisation of a true story from 2004 that highlights the serious recriminations of smuggling and the devastating effect it has on the family of the perpetrator. Song Jung-Yeon (Jeon Do-Yeon) and her …

Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!

Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! (Cert 15) 2 Discs (Distributor: Animatsu Entertainment) Running time: 331 minutes approx. You have to hand it to the Japanese for their remarkable ability to give names to even the strangest conditions that blight our lives - in this case the quirky phenomenon known as “Eighth Grade Syndrome” or “Chunibyo”. …