Lemora: A Child’s Tale of the Supernatural (1973; dir. Richard Blackburn)
This film bears comparison with the similar Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971; dir. John D. Hancock), but has stylistic parallels with a number of …
31 Jan
Bronco Bullfrog (1969; dir. Barney Platts-Mills)
Bronco Bullfrog (1969; dir. Barney Platts-Mills)
Music in cinema, as previously noted in this review here, usually takes the form of pre-determined and marketable – for which read “‘as conventional as …
22 Dec
Art as Cinema: a metaphor
Art as Cinema: a metaphor
A metaphor for modern cinema can be formed from analogues in the world of painting. It divides films into three unconnected groups. A very small, select …
26 Nov
Born of Fire (1983; dir. Jamil Dehlavi)
Born of Fire (1983; dir. Jamil Dehlavi)
This film attempts to marry the symbolic, metaphysical cinema of filmmakers like Alejandro Jodorowsky with the big-budget, religious stupidity of films like The Omen (1976; …
18 Nov
Lisa e il diavolo (1974; dir. Mario Bava)
Lisa e il diavolo (1974; dir. Mario Bava)
Cinema is necrophilia. The act of desiring now aged or decayed faces, trapped by the illusion of action that seems to exist in the present …
17 Nov
The Third Secret (1964; dir. Charles Crichton)
The Third Secret (1964; dir. Charles Crichton)
The principle that cinema derives power from being unified informs the need for coherent and supportive choices throughout the creative process on a symbolic or …
17 Oct
The Changes (1975; dir. John Prowse)
The Changes (1975; dir. John Prowse)
Like the similarly themed Survivors (1975-77) or Doomwatch (1970-72), this BBC children’s series offers a world where science and technology hold a threatening power over …
21 Sep
How Derren Brown tried to hypnotize the nation
How Derren Brown tried to hypnotize the nation
On Friday night, Channel 4 and Derren Brown broadcast a mixture of magic, suggestion, psychology, misdirection and showmanship, with the aim of literally sticking the …
19 Sep
I sopravvissuti della città morta (1983; dir. Antonio Margheriti)
I sopravvissuti della città morta (1983; dir. Antonio Margheriti)
To paraphrase Edgar Allan Poe, a film without an idea is just a film. This – another of Margheriti’s misadventures with actor David Warbeck – …
28 Aug
Anima Persa (1977; dir. Dino Risi)
Anima Persa (1977; dir. Dino Risi)
Venice has found itself in many works of fiction. Its corruption and decay, coupled with an elaborate history and uniquely Italian preoccupation with violence, make …
Tag: unified