Simon Thompson takes a deep dive into the career of Takeshi ‘Beat’ Kitano…Takeshi Kitano’s life and artistic career have been spent pushing against convention and his career has been shaped by a series of fortunate events rather than any plan. Kitano started in the entertainment industry, first after a random beginning as a comedian and […]
Movie Review – Crushed (2025)
Crushed, 2025.Directed by Simon Rumley. Starring Steve Oram, Margaux Dietrich, May Nattaporn Rawddon, Kevin Lea Davies, Nadech Chatwin, Christian Ferriera, and Jonathan Samson.SYNOPSIS:A family’s faith and resilience are tested when their daughter is kidnapped, leading to a harrowing journey of discovery and justice.There are movies that are designed to shock with gore and violence, and […]
4K Ultra HD Review – Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Interview with the Vampire, 1994.Directed by Neil Jordan. Starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Christian Slater, Antonio Banderas, Kirsten Dunst, Thandiwe Newton, Stephen Rea, and Roger Lloyd Pack.SYNOPSIS:A vampire tells his epic life story: love, betrayal, loneliness, and hunger.Given that the basic principle of 4K UHD is blacker blacks and whiter whites there are certain movies […]
4K Ultra HD Review – Colony (2026)
Colony, 2026.Directed by Yeon Sang-ho. Starring Gianna Jun, Ji Chang-wook, Koo Kyo-hwan, Shin Hyun-been, Kim Shin-rock, and Go Soo.SYNOPSIS:Professor Se Jeong attends a biotech conference, only to witness it spiral into catastrophe when a rapidly mutating virus is unleashed.When Korean filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan hit back in 2016 it was met with universal […]
Blu-ray Review – The Executors (1976)
The Executors (a.k.a. Street People), 1976.Directed by Maurizio Lucidi. Starring Roger Moore, Stacy Keach, Ennio Balbo, Ivo Garrani, Fausto Tozzi, and Peter Martell.SYNOPSIS:A Mafia boss is enraged when he is suspected of smuggling a heroin shipment into San Francisco. He dispatches his nephew, a hotshot Anglo-Sicilian lawyer, to identify the real culprit. The lawyer also […]
4K Ultra HD Review – Sexy Beast (2000)
Sexy Beast, 2000.Directed by Jonathan Glazer. Starring Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, Amanda Redman, Ian McShane, Cavan Kendall, James Fox, and Julianne White.SYNOPSIS:Brutal gangster Don Logan recruits retired safecracker Gal for one last job, but it goes badly for both of them.British gangster movies tend to fall into one of two categories, those being the very […]
The Departed at 20: The Story Behind Scorsese’s Oscar-winning Crime Drama
On its 20th anniversary, Hasitha Fernando looks at the story behind Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winning crime drama The Departed…Martin Scorsese is a filmmaker that requires no introduction. Influenced by his New York upbringing and Italian-American family background the uber-talented director made a niche for himself crafting gritty, blood-soaked crime dramas as evidenced by Mean Streets, Taxi […]
4K Ultra HD – The Abominable Snowman (1957)
The Abominable Snowman, 1957.Directed by Val Guest. Starring Forrest Tucker, Peter Cushing, Maureen Connell, Robert Brown, Arnold Marlé, Richard Wattis, Wolfe Morris, Fred Johnson.SYNOPSIS:A kindly English botanist and a gruff American scientist lead an expedition to the Himalayas in search of the legendary Yeti.Hammer are taking a swing and hitting physical media collector’s again with […]
Blu-ray Review – Cruel Tales of the Bohachi
Cruel Tales of the BohachiDirected by Teruo Ishii/Takashi Harada Starring Tetsurō Tamba, Gorô Ibuki, Tatsuo Endô, Reiko Ike, Bin Amatsu, and Takashi Ebata.SYNOPSIS:Box set featuring two examples of early 1970s ero guro jidaigeki samurai cult classics.Eureka Entertainment bring the swords and sex with their latest release Cruel Tales of the Bohachi, a limited edition set […]
Terry Gilliam: An Auteur of the Fantastical
Simon Thompson takes a look at the fantastical career of Terry Gilliam…Terry Gilliam is a brilliant fantasist, whose work often returns to the theme of juxtaposing the soul crushing mundanity of everyday life with the surrealistic dreamscapes of one’s own imagination. In a Hollywood of bean counters and abacus pushers, Gilliam is a true auteur […]
