The Criminal Code was the first film of real note that Howard Hawks made in his long and famously varied career. It was only his second talkie after The Dawn Patrol, but in The Criminal Code, Hawks was already revolutionising the use of sound. It's also an excellent crime movie with some real knock-out performances, … Continue reading The Criminal Code- Blu-Ray Review
Things Change is the second film directed by David Mamet. Throughout the '80s and into the '90s Mamet was the premiere American playwright of the era, but he was also an excellent director and screenwriter in film. His debut film and probably his best, House of Games, was not hugely successful despite having reviews that … Continue reading Things Change – Blu-Ray Review
Nightwing and The Shadow of the Hawk are two late-70s, Native American-themed, killer creature films. They’re perfectly OK for creature features, but nothing special. Nighthawk was directed by Arthur Hiller, who is not really known for his genre features. Hiller is best known for Love Story, The Hospital and The In-Laws, three very different movies … Continue reading Nightwing & Shadow of the Hawk – Blu-Ray Review
Cry Freedom was Richard Attenborough's follow-up to his first big critical and box-office fiasco, his adaptation of the musical A Chorus Line. It's very traditional Oscar bait, but it's also undeniably a strong film at times... though at other times, not so much. It's about the liberal journalist Donald Woods and his friendship with activist Steven Biko, … Continue reading Cry Freedom – Blu-Ray Review
It’s pretty mind-blowing that a film like Mädchen in Uniform even exists, never mind survived. It was made at the tail end of the Weimar Republic, and within a few years was out of circulation. It's a shockingly frank film about lesbian desire, but also the rising threat of creeping authoritarianism. The film's director, Leontine Sagan, … Continue reading Mädchen in Uniform – Blu-Ray Review
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