cinematic randomness

Blu-ray Review: The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988)

June 3, 2019 / Kevin Bechaz

Originally slated as for release via Umbrella’s exclusive label Beyond Genres: Worlds on Film last year, The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey was unfortunately downgraded to a standard Blu-ray release in April. However, Vincent Ward’s acclaimed adventure-fantasy returns to home video in impressive clarity with new bonus content, not to mention striking artwork from Simon Sherry, […]

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Blu-ray Review: Mad Dog Morgan (1976)

May 29, 2019 / Kevin Bechaz

I had my first taste of Philippe Mora’s body of work recently in the form of Howling III: The Marsupials, an off-the-wall send up of cheap and nasty B-pictures, but with an Australian flavour. Now I’ve jumped back eleven years with his more celebrated ‘Ozploitation Classic’ Mad Dog Morgan, which like Howling III, made its

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Blu-ray Review: Death Warmed Up (1984)

May 22, 2019 / Kevin Bechaz

Splatter hounds rejoice because New Zealand’s open-brain nightmare Death Warmed Up is now on Blu-ray thanks to Umbrella Entertainment. Directed by schlock-master David Blyth (My Grandpa is a Vampire), this incoherent horror/sci-fi mash-up follows a man set on avenging his horrific treatment at the hands of a crazed scientist, whose experiments involve a barbaric form

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Blu-ray Review: Storm Boy (1976)

May 17, 2019 / Kevin Bechaz

Umbrella Entertainment have brought many obscure Australian films to the home media market, titles that would have otherwise remained unheard of by most. However, their March line-up featured the staple classic Storm Boy, on Blu-ray for the very first time in a release I’m confident will never be matched. Based on Colin Thiele’s acclaimed novel,

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Blu-ray Review: Melvin and Howard (1980)

May 14, 2019 / Kevin Bechaz

I feel very privileged today as a reviewer of physical media for the opportunity to deliver my first write-up for Twilight Time, the honour of which goes to Jonathan Demme’s Melvin and Howard now on Blu-ray under the label’s ‘Limited Edition Series’. Paul Le Mat stars as Melvin Dummar, a humble factory man who gives

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Blu-ray Review: Howling III: The Marsupials (1987)

May 11, 2019 / Kevin Bechaz

March was a heavy-hitter for Blu-ray releases from Umbrella Entertainment with Philippe Mora’s Howling III: The Marsupials taking much of the spotlight via a very generous treatment for the Ozploitation classic. Unrelated to Joe Dante’s 1981 original, a sociologist studying werewolves searches for proof of their existence in Australia where an aspiring actress appears to

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Blu-ray Review: Hideaway (1995)

May 8, 2019 / Kevin Bechaz

Home video often meant a second life for underperforming films, enabling them to eventually find an audience, but sadly there were some that still feel through the cracks. Hideaway was one of those casualties, a film practically written off upon its release, but has since been revived by Cinema Cult for its first ever Blu-ray

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Review: Long Shot (2019)

May 2, 2019 / Kevin Bechaz

It’s amazing what a trailer can hook you with whether it be a witty one-liner or one of the supporting cast members. For me, Long Shot had me hooked the moment David Bowie’s rock ballad Modern Love kicked in at full volume, which sadly never made it into the film itself, but is a well-played

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Blu-ray Review: The Night Visitor (1971)

April 30, 2019 / Kevin Bechaz

VCI Entertainment pride themselves on being a boutique label filled with hidden gems, such as their very polished 2016 release of Lalo Benedek’s (The Wild One) The Night Visitor, on Blu-ray for the first time. Obscure to say the least, this unique Swedish psychological thriller stars Max von Sydow as insane asylum prisoner named Salem,

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Blu-ray Review: La Bamba (1987)

April 24, 2019 / Kevin Bechaz

I’m quite the dork when it comes to my musical taste, which includes 50s rock ‘n’ roll, the seed of which was planted from hearing the song La Bamba on a semi-regular basis throughout my early childhood. I didn’t speak Spanish nor did I know what “Spanish” was exactly. The song was simply so catchy

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