BFI has now released the third of its four boxsets of Ingmar Bergman's large body of work. The second set has Summer with Monika, The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries, covering the period in which Bergman really figured out his style. All of the sets deliver a mixed bag, with films ranging from the sublime to the atrocious—Bergman and … Continue reading Ingmar Bergman Volume 3 – Blu-Ray Review →

They Live in the Grey is a Shudder-exclusive horror film released online and on DVD, one of those modern horror films where it’s all about trauma—and not actually scary. The premise is not a bad one, but it just isn’t that good. Claire Lane (Michelle Krusiec) is a social worker who worked in Child Protective … Continue reading They Live in the Grey – DVD Review →

Kuhle Wampe—or to use its longer title, Kuhle Wampe or Who Owns the World?—is a film that's probably better seen as a historical document than as a completely satisfying film. It was written by playwright Bertolt Brecht, and would turn out to be one of his final projects in his native Germany before he left … Continue reading Kuhle Wampe – Blu-Ray Review →

Strawberry Mansion is a fantastic little micro-budget science-fiction/fantasy film. The two directors have created a film with shades of Terry Gilliam, Michel Gondry and Wes Anderson, centring on an auditor who in the future records and taxes dreams, and gets caught up in the dreams of an eccentric old lady. It’s a great counter-balance to … Continue reading Interview with Albert Birney and Kentucker Audley – the Directors of Strawberry Mansion →

Life for Ruth is a film directed by Basil Dearden, a British director who started out with Ealing back in the ‘40s and gradually moved into doing social-justice movies. This included Sapphire, which addressed race, and Victim, which was about homosexuality and was the first English-language film to even use the word. This film comes … Continue reading Life For Ruth – Blu-Ray Review →