House By The River US (1950) Dir. Fritz Lang Brotherly love. You often hear men in a band, sports team, or entertainment double act proclaim their friendship with another man to be “closer than brothers”. Whilst this might be true that this is a measuring stick of male bonding, as we have seen this isn’t … Continue reading House By The River
The Killing
The Killing US (1956) Dir. Stanley Kubrick “I love it when a plan comes together” The popular catchphrase of Hannibal Smith from the The A-Team was usually uttered to mark the success of another adventure. It was in the planning. If you don’t have that then what do you have? Ex-con Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) … Continue reading The Killing
The Painted Bird (Nabarvené ptáče)
The Painted Bird (Nabarvené ptáče) Czech Republic (2019) Dir. Václav Marhoul Survival is something we all have to do in our lives in one way or another, but are forced to some start earlier than others; war, for example, being a prominent cause for this. The fortunate ones will get help when they need it … Continue reading The Painted Bird (Nabarvené ptáče)
Blu-Ray Review – George Méliès’ A Trip To The Moon
George Méliès’ A Trip To The Moon (Cert U) 1 Disc Blu-ray (Distributor: Arrow Academy) Running Time: 13 minutes approx. One of the most enduring and iconic images in cinema history adorns the front cover of this Blu-ray release of one of the most famous and influential films of all time, and even if you … Continue reading Blu-Ray Review – George Méliès’ A Trip To The Moon
Gamera: The Giant Monster (Daikaijû Gamera)
Gamera: The Giant Monster (Daikaijû Gamera) Japan (1965) Dir. Noriaki Yuasa Imitation is reputedly the sincerest form of flattery, except in the world of cinema where it is seen as a licence to cash in on a successful format someone else thought of first. If this ersatz version of a hot property is too close … Continue reading Gamera: The Giant Monster (Daikaijû Gamera)
Champagne
Champagne UK (1928) Dir. Alfred Hitchcock People who grew up with wealth are the worst. There, I said it. Now, I realise that might be deemed and egregious generalisation, but there are far too many examples of people whose sense of entitlement has come from not having to struggle or often actually work to afford … Continue reading Champagne
Live It Up!
Live It Up! UK (1963) Dir. Lance Comfort As life changes, the highs and lows of a wannabe pop star trying to break into the music business is one thing that will remain a constant. The music may differ, the opportunities slimmer or wider, but getting the people who matter invested in you or your … Continue reading Live It Up!
The Port Of Shadows (Le quai des brumes)
The Port Of Shadows (Le quai des brumes) France (1938) Dir. Marcel Carné You might like life but does life like you? Something we rarely think about is in fact an important question to ask ourselves, otherwise why do so many good people have such bad luck whilst the less pleasant get to enjoy continued … Continue reading The Port Of Shadows (Le quai des brumes)
A Foreign Affair
A Foreign Affair US (1948) Dir. Billy Wilder They say all is fair in love and war, but never offer any advice for when the two happen to overlap. One could argue Shakespeare covered this with Romeo And Juliet but a spat between two families is not the same as global conflict. So, it’s over … Continue reading A Foreign Affair
The Silent Duel (Shizukanaru kettô)
The Silent Duel (Shizukanaru kettô) Japan (1949) Dir. Akira Kurosawa Although many might not like to think it, we do tend to take our doctors and nurses for granted, entrusting our health, wellbeing, and lives to them and expect them to drop everything for us. But who looks after them when they are ill? And … Continue reading The Silent Duel (Shizukanaru kettô)
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