Hanamonogatari

Hanamonogatari (Cert 15) 1 Disc DVD/Blu-ray (Distributor: MVM) Running time: 124 minutes approx. I can’t say I have lamented the large gap between the last instalment of the Monogatari series and this latest release (a little over a year) as other may have, something regular readers of this site will not find much of a …

The Alien Girl (Chuzhaya)

The Alien Girl (Chuzhaya)  Russia (2010) Dir. Anton Bormatov It is probably fair to say that when expecting countries to produce films based on graphic novels, Russia isn’t one that automatically springs to mind. So allow this debut offering from Anton Bormatov., based on the work of Vladimir “Adolfych” Nesterenko, a former crime gang member …

Humanity Has Declined

Humanity Has Declined (Cert 12) 2 Discs Blu-ray/3 Discs DVD (Distributor: Animatsu Entertainment) Running time: 307 minutes approx. Arguably one of the boldest titles we’ve seen for an anime series but let’s face it, one look at the news with its daily reports of senseless killings, wars, mass exodus, political corruption and more, it is …

A Message From Mars

A Message From Mars UK (1913) Dir. Wallett Waller Recently restored by the coalition of the BBC and BFI (British Film Institute), this silent film from 1913, based on the stage play by Richard Ganthony, is widely regarded as Britain’s first sci-fi film although as we soon discover, its sci-fi credentials are tenuous to say …

In The Courtyard (Dans la cour)

In The Courtyard (Dans la cour) France (2014) Dir. Pierre Salvadori Known for his glossy and amiable comedies such as Après Vous, Priceless and Beautiful Lies, French Corsican director Pierre Salvadori returns with a film which is rich with the inherent Gallic charm of his previous works but with an air of melancholy rarely seen …

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice US (2016) Dir. Zack Snyder Following in Marvel’s footsteps in uniting its superheroes on the big screen rivals DC bring together its two biggest and most iconic figures ever, Superman and Batman. Man Of Steel’s Zack Snyder takes the director’s seat but with the direction the two franchises have …

Legend

Legend UK (2015) Dir. Brian Helgeland “Everyone had a story about The Krays”   Whilst I wasn’t around in the 1960’s, mine is that my grandmother at one time lived round the corner from The Krays but had no idea of the extent of their criminal activities until their arrest in 1968 became major headline news! They …

Kämpfer Series And OVA Collection

Kämpfer Series And OVA Collection (Cert 15) 3 Discs DVD/2 Discs Blu-ray (Distributor: MVM) Running time: 351 minutes approx. Magical girls in anime come in all types - tall, short, slender, Amazonian, aggressive, sweet natured, alien, cat girl, schoolgirls, schoolboys….wait what? Yup, the conceit of this particular magical girl series is that the central heroine …

Shooting Stars

Shooting Stars (Cert PG) 2 Discs DVD/Blu-ray combo (Distributor: BFI) Running Time: 101 minutes approx. Meta-cinema has been a rich tool for satire in films since the early days of cinema and in 1928 British director Anthony Asquith delivered the first sardonic but affectionate expose of the film industry on this side on the pond. …

Hill Of Freedom (Ja-yu-eui eon-deok)

Hill Of Freedom (Ja-yu-eui eon-deok) Korea (2014) Dir. Hong Sang-soo It is fair to say that Hong Sang-soo is something of an anomaly in cinema insofar as being a one-note director who is able to somehow still make fresh and intriguing films regardless of him essentially reinventing the wheel with each new project. Hill Of …