If anything, Regarding Henry taught me that a gunshot wound to the head was not automatically fatal; the film’s most pivotal moment that I happened to catch on TV as a child. I was heavily into action films at the time, so the sight of Harrison Ford staggering out of a convenience store after being […]
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Boris Karloff might just have been the most gainfully employed actor of the 1930s and 40s. While he was appearing in sequels and gothic thrillers at Universal Picture he made what was presumably a short walk over to Columbia Pictures. It’s here at the rival studio where he made six films over seven years, between
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I attended my first family reunion at a racecourse when I was six. There were no horses in sight that day, but I remember sneaking over the rail to find countless hoof prints of impressive size and uniform. I’m not a gambler, but like most who aren’t I often live the risk-filled lifestyle vicariously through
Blu-ray Review: Let It Ride (1989) Read More »
In light of actor Anthony Hopkins’ upset win on Oscar night, which wrapped around 1:30pm here in Australia, my partner and I finished our night by watching Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom via the convenience of Netflix. Not only did the music/drama exceed expectations, but prove to be a rather poignant social dissection of a minority’s status
lights, camera, coca-cola: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020) Read More »
I’ll always associate the name Harry Carey with The Goonies, thanks to a throwaway line by Brand Walsh, who confuses the actor’s name with the Japanese ritual of hari-kari. Now I have much better context of who Carey was and his significance to cinema; which came recently via the Blu-ray set, Straight Shooting & Hell
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Horror movies have taught us that a sudden wind signifies approaching danger or rather something sinister. Its ominous howl piercing the air invoking fear and apprehension, but in this gothic Mexican classic Even the Wind is Afraid; an aptly named title that’s been revitalised on Blu-ray by VCI Entertainment as part of their Classics of
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Nighting takes place on the Hopi Indian reservation, which like all Indian reservations, is technically not part of the United States, but that’s not stopping corporate American from stamping it with one of its most recognizable symbols. As our hero, Deputy Youngman Duran, approaches the community’s meagre medical hut, situated next to what I assume
lights, camera, coca-cola: Nightwing (1979) Read More »
Arriving in time for its 40th anniversary, Mommie Dearest, the outrageous and controversial biography-drama has debuted on Blu-ray in Australia under Shock Entertainment’s dedicated sub-label, Cinema Cult. Adapted from Christina Crawford’s autobiography of the same name, this well-known and very quotable classic centres around Hollywood icon, Joan Crawford and her struggles with being a mother
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Don Siegel was one of the most competent and consistent filmmakers of his generation, who, during the latter half of his career, made Clint Eastwood a bona fide Hollywood movie star with Dirty Harry. After four collaborations with Eastwood and the box office disappointment of Charlie Varrick, Siegel crossed the Atlantic to direct the British spy-thriller,
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VCI Entertainment’s relatively new line, Classics of Mexican Cinema, has grown significantly over the past twelve months with a batch of varied genres, ranging from family drama to superhero capers. Their most popular title, which has been subject to all but numerous praise within online film communities is The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales, a darkly-comedic
Blu-ray Review: The Skeleton of Mrs. Morales (1960) Read More »