The Lords of Flatbush is probably a more interesting film on paper than it is for the viewer. To set the stage: the year is 1974, and the US is in the height of the '50s revival of the '1970s, with American Graffiti becoming a surprising smash hit (the film, however, is actually set in 1962). Grease is on Broadway, … Continue reading The Lords of Flatbush – Blu-Ray Review
Month: March 2020
Superman: Red Son – Blu-Ray Review
Superman has always been my least favourite of the big superheroes: he is the archetype of all modern superheroes, but he is such a do-gooder in every instance, with no grey areas, that he has always bored me. Yes, the story of Superman reflects the character's creators’ own story, as writer Jerry Siegel and artist … Continue reading Superman: Red Son – Blu-Ray Review
Midway – Blu-Ray Review
Roland Emmerich’s last film was a sequel to Independence Day, but Midway was allegedly a passion project for the director. In the documentary on the making of Tideland, Terry Gilliam uses Emmerich to explain the meaning of “derivative” to the young actress who plays the lead, accusing him of copying all of Steven Spielberg’s shots—and … Continue reading Midway – Blu-Ray Review
Doctor Sleep – Blu-Ray Review
Sequels and remakes have existed ever since the silent film era, but occasionally some films really don't need a sequel: The Shining is undeniably one of those. Stephen King, who was long frustrated with Stanley Kubrick's vision for his interpretation of King's deeply personal book about the effects of alcoholism (King was a alcoholic at the time), … Continue reading Doctor Sleep – Blu-Ray Review
Manon – Blu-Ray Review
Manon is a little-seen gem from the master director Henri-Georges Clouzot. It is an extremely loose adaptation of the 1731 novel Manon Lescaut by Abbé Prévos,, which transports the story to WW2 France. It was Clouzot’s second film after he was unfairly tarnished with accusations of being a Nazi collaborator over his film Le Corbeau and banned from making films for … Continue reading Manon – Blu-Ray Review