We look back at 1993 and 2002 when Steven Spielberg had not one but two masterpieces in both years… Most directors would love to have a critically acclaimed hit movie. The legendary Steven Spielberg has had dozens throughout his career. What’s more, the prolific filmmaker has occasionally had two releases in a year. Now, if […]
Minority Report at 20: From Book to the Big Screen
Hasitha Fernando revisits Minority Report as it turns 20… For decades Philip K. Dick’s works have enthralled readers the world over with their high-brow concepts, philosophical themes and engaging narratives. Posthumously his efforts have attracted the attention of many a talented Hollywood filmmaker, who seek to bring his singular vision to life. Ridley Scott accomplished […]
Northman the Barbarian: How Conan Courses Through The Northman
Tom Jolliffe looks at the similarities between The Northman and Conan the Barbarian. Spoilers follow… After success and masses of acclaim for his small scale masterworks The Witch and The Lighthouse, director Robert Eggers went large scale in his third outing. The Northman is a big budget Viking revenge epic. In every way, it’s the […]
4K Ultra HD Review – Dune (1984)
Dune, 1984. Directed by David Lynch. Starring Francesca Annis, Leonardo Cimino, Brad Dourif, José Ferrer, Linda Hunt, Freddie Jones, Richard Jordan, Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Silvana Mangano, Everett McGill, Kenneth McMillan, Jack Nance, Siân Phillips, Jürgen Prochnow, Paul Smith, Patrick Stewart, Sting, Dean Stockwell, Max von Sydow, Alicia Roanne Witt, and Sean Young. SYNOPSIS: David […]
October Horrors 2020 – Hour of the Wolf (1968)
Hour of the Wolf, 1968. Directed by Ingmar Bergman. Starring Max Von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Gertrud Fridh, George Rydeberg, Erland Josephson and Ingrid Thulin. SYNOPSIS: An artist and his pregnant wife retreat to their home on a small island, where he starts to suffer strange and increasingly vivid nightmares connected to his past and to […]
4K Ultra HD Review – Flash Gordon (1980)
Flash Gordon, 1980. Directed by Mike Hodges. Starring Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Ornella Muti, Max von Sydow, Topol, Timothy Dalton, Mariangela Melato, Brian Blessed, and Peter Wyngarde. SYNOPSIS: Flash Gordon fans: Run, don’t walk, to snap up this 4K release of the movie that features tons of digital and print bonus stuff, along with […]
Movie Review – Flash Gordon Special 40th Anniversary Restoration
Flash Gordon (Special 40th Anniversary Restoration), 1980. Directed by Mike Hodges. Starring Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow, Brian Blessed, Timothy Dalton, Ornella Muti, Topol, Peter Wyngarde and Richard O’Brien. SYNOPSIS: A football player and a travel agent find themselves facing the wrath of an alien warlord, with the fate of the Earth […]
Conan the Barbarian: An underrated work of art which ushered in a decade of imitators
Tom Jolliffe takes a look back at Conan The Barbarian, often overlooked for its artistic merits… There were a number of archetypal films which became popular during the 80’s. Some fads lasted longer than others, whilst some died out. The success of First Blood (but more-so Part 2) would usher in a stream of one […]
Crisis of Faith in Cinema
Tom Jolliffe takes a look at films about crisis of faith… The subject of faith in cinema has been around since the beginning. Whether this is faith in a religious sense, or spiritual, or of the self, it is in that test, or crisis of faith which sees a character put through a quest to […]
A Tribute to Max von Sydow
Tom Jolliffe pays tribute to the late, great Max von Sydow… Cinema lost another legend with the sad news that Max von Sydow has passed away. A career which spanned over 70 years of his 90 year life, he established himself very early on in his career, becoming one of the collaborators of choice for […]