Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

Review: Lord of Illusions / Cert: 18 / Director: Clive Barker / Screenplay: Clive Barker / Starring: Scott Bakula, Kevin J. O’Connor, Famke Janssen, Barry Del Sherman, Daniel von Bargen / Release Date: March 24th

After his success with Hellraiser and Nightbreed, Barker adapted and elaborated on his short story The Last Illusion with this great film from the mid ’90s, finally available in HD.

Weary private detective Harry D’Amour (Bakula), recovering from his last case which involved an exorcism, is hired for what seems like the relatively simple task of accompanying a lady named Dorothea (Janssen) to a performance by her husband, the stage magician Philip Swann (O’Connor). During his new routine, however, there’s a terrible accident and Swann is killed. Meanwhile, the Swanns’ past is coming back to haunt them as a powerful black magician Nix (von Bargen), killed by Dorothea thirteen years earlier when Swann and his friends rescued her from his cult, is attempting a resurrection. It’s down to psychotic sorcerer Butterfield (Sherman) to find out from Dorothea where Nix’s body is buried by any means necessary.

A marvellous blend of horror, Grand Guignol and detective story, Lord of Illusions draws the viewer into a complex web of deceit, murder and magic. Bakula is an amiable lead, just laid back enough to have the Philip Marlowe style, yet not averse to a bit of rough and tumble – even if it’s in the sack with the recently widowed Dorothea (whose mourning suit seems to be a diaphanous pink dress). While not as gory as the Hellraiser films, it certainly doesn’t hold back and there are several splatter-filled moments, although the early CGI is put to shame by the brilliant practical effects.

The standout, however, is Sherman’s sadistic and terrifying portrayal of Butterfield. Odd-looking and unrelentingly nasty, he is a character of nightmares, and that’s not just his too-tight trousers!

The director’s cut (which is twelve minutes longer) is also included, but only on DVD, and the quality dip is noticeable, with some scenes particularly soft. Which is a shame, not only because the theatrical version on the Blu-ray is so clear, but because this version is more enjoyable, expanding on the characterisation and making it more coherent. The director’s cut also includes an interesting commentary from Barker, who points out the differences in the two versions, as well as the filmmaking process and the mechanics of the plot. There are no extras on the Blu-ray, nor are there the deleted scenes and trailer which appeared on the earlier release.

Extras: See above

Review: Magi – The Labyrinth of Magic – Season 1, Part 1 / Cert: 12 / Director: Koji Masunari / Screenplay: Various / Starring: Haruk Tomatsu, Kaori Ishihara / Release Date: Out Now

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic is an anime version of The Arabian Nights. As collisions of cultures go, it’s a bit of a surprise that this hasn’t been done before. As you may be able to predict from the title, this particular take on the classic stories focuses much more firmly on magical action-adventure than you may otherwise expect.

The show covers the misadventures of a young boy called Aladdin, a wise-cracking thief and chancer. Aided by his friend Ali Baba, and a magical flute that contains a Djin, he goes off to explore the mysterious towers that dot the land (confusingly called dungeons). They contain all sorts of monsters and magical things and are a sure route to fame, glory or a short life. Though the setting is loosely inspired by The Arabian Nights, familiarity with the source material won’t particularly help you here as all it does is provide a backdrop to what is essentially a character-driven fantasy adventure show.

The plot lines are complex and interwoven enough to make viewing compulsive, though each episode works fine on its own. By the time we get to the end of this set (which is only part one of an ongoing series) we have a reasonably well-imagined world with its own rules and magic. The Djinn (and there are more than one) do feel a bit like Pokémon on occasion however, being trotted out to resolve plot points rather than characters in their own right.

The animation is clean and pretty though a little crude in places. This is a TV show after all, but the action scenes are well assembled. The voice acting is okay; it’s a minor niggle but Aladdin can’t say the word “Magi” for some reason, and it simply sounds wrong. The character of Sinbad is superbly performed, being the right balance of bravado, charm and stupidity. Overall a great start to a series with a lot of potential.

 

Review: Blood-C – The Last Dark / Cert: 15 / Director: Naoyoshi Shoitana / Screenplay: Various / Starring: Atsushi Abe, Masumi Asano / Release Date: March 24th

What started with Blood: The Last Vampire is brought to a close with Blood-C: The Last Dark, which has the unenviable task of being labelled both sequel and concluding chapter. If the word sequel is enough to chill the blood, then the tainting of so many of our beloved shows in their closing moments is capable of practically freezing it in our veins.

In the concluding chapter of the Blood series, our heroine Saya sets out on her quest for vengeance against Fumito Nanahara. But this time she finds allies in a group of young people known as the Surat, who have banded together to oppose the oppressive Youth Ordinance Bill. Whilst Saya prepares for her final battle, behind the scenes Machiavellian plays are at work that threaten our heroine’s journey.

Blood-C: The Last Dark is a perfectly adequate sequel and even a decent enough standalone film that can serve as an introduction to Saya’s world. However, as with all things, it is advised to observe the chronological order and view it as the sequel to the Blood-C series it is intended to be.

Visually electric, Production I.G. stand as the heroes of the film, but like most things in life, endings are rarely perfect. In spite of any shortcomings of the film, Saya’s character manages to escape the clutches of imperfection to exit on a high. Despite revealing more sides to herself here, she remains a unique and reclusive individual who walks to the beat of her own drum, and most importantly retains an air of mystery.

While the near-perfect Blood: The Last Vampire came in at a snappy 50 minutes, just an hour shy of the less than perfect The Last Dark, up until now the rule of the Blood series has been to keep it short and sweet. Sauntering along with a visual flair and a mysterious Saya to hold our hand, the conclusion of the Blood series feels, by comparison, a little lacklustre, teasing us with a potentially interesting conclusion but one that just struggles to deliver.

 

Review: Querelle / Cert: 18 / Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder / Screenplay: Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Burkhard Driest / Starring: Brad Davis, Franco Nero, Laurent Malet / Release Date: March 10th

Fassbinder’s work has always divided critics, and the 44th and final film in his canon is certainly no exception. Based on Jean Genet’s novel Querelle de Brest, it concerns the titular sailor’s (Davis, of Midnight Express) misadventures in the red-light port of Brest, where he enters into a vortex of petty crime, murder, and brutal sexual discovery.

With its dreamlike, surrealist texture and relentless homoeroticism, Querelle will certainly never be accused of being entertainment for the masses. Instead it stands as a compelling work from one of the all time great arthouse filmmakers. There’s a wilful unreality about the proceedings that one can’t help but admire.

The narrative is completely bound to a handful of extravagant but intentionally stagey sets by award-winning Cabaret and Das Boot production designer Rolf Zehetbauer, which even include an obviously painted sunset. The temporal location is similarly uncertain, seeming like somewhere in the postwar years (the setting of Genet’s book) but for the presence of video games, modern Japanese motorcycles, and most of the cast being clad either in Village People S&M outfits or fancy dress sailors’ uniforms. Allied to the visuals, frequent Fassbinder collaborator Peer Rabal’s score summons up a palpable atmosphere of dread.

Sadly, Fassbinder bungles the denouement’s final twist so badly that it almost seems like an afterthought. An almost omnipresent voice-over relating portions of Genet’s novel and quotes from religious texts also grates, over-explaining and philosophising around each new incident, and some of the dialogue, surreal in intent or not, at some points comes over as just plain dumb. In addition to this, Jean Moreau’s song, ‘Each Man Kills the Things he Loves’, repeated ad nauseam, is too obvious and, quite frankly, absolutely bloody awful.

However, gripes aside, Querelle remains a fascinating piece of outsider cinema, and a memento of a period when it really did feel as though film was moving into uncharted and challenging new territory.

Extras: Mini documentary / Introduction by Volker Schlondorff / Original trailer

Review: Who’s Changing – An Adventure in Time With Fans / Cert: Exempt / Director: Cameron K. McEwan/ Screenplay: Cameron K. McEwan / Starring: Louise Jameson, Neve McIntosh, Sophie Aldred, Dan Starkey / Release Date: Out Now

Cameron K. McEwan, creator of the popular Blogtor Who website, directs this charming and affectionate look at the history of both Doctor Who as a TV series and the way its fans have celebrated it across the decades. Early conventions in the 1970s in draughty London church halls have blossomed into massive (and usually massively profitable) high profile events where the fans mingle with the stars and the fans, increasingly, indulge in their passion for ‘cosplay’ (wearing replica Doctor Who costumes) and now, it appears, ‘crossplay’, where the girls dress as the boys and the boys dress as the girls. Whatever next?

Cameron’s documentary is, in many ways, a timely postscript to the loud and shouty celebration events and presentations of last year’s fiftieth anniversary season. Largely stripped of the world-bestriding bravura of much of the BBC’s commemoration of fifty years of travel in Space and Time, Who’s Changing just lets the fans – and some of the show’s stars old and new – talk about why they love Doctor Who in a simple, straightforward and entirely naturalistic way. The documentary discreetly teases out its contributors’ first memories of Doctor Who, recollections of convention experiences, the American influence, the increasing sexualization of the series (in which one girl dressed as laughable 1980s male companion Adric, not unsurprisingly, expresses her distaste for the sexualizing of TV characters) and, on potentially less incendiary ground, favourite episodes and those dark days (or ‘stolen years‘) when the show was the BBC’s shameful, quietly cancelled family black sheep.

Inevitably talks turn to dressing up. This reviewer has never seen the appeal of squeezing into a homemade replica of some gaudy costume which even the actor who wore it on TV couldn’t quite carry off, but there’s no denying the enthusiasm and sheer lack of self-consciousness shown by those happy to be interviewed wearing replica Patrick Troughton costumes or with their faces plastered in silver make-up. Good on ’em.

But it’s not just the fans who share their passion for Who. Cameron has roped in some familiar faces from the TV series – classic years names such as Louise Jameson (Leela) and Sophie Aldred (Ace) rub shoulders with newer faces Neve McIntosh (Vastra) and Dan Starkey (Strax) and writers such as former script editor Gary Russell, scriptwriter James Moran and former Buffy scribe Jane Espenson. There are, as they say, many many more, but to reel out a list of names here would just spoil the fun and, of course, the surprise.

If you’re a long time fan of Doctor Who, then Who’s Changing won’t tell you anything you don’t already know. But then that’s not the point. Cameron’s film, unfussy and without artifice, is like watching some old friends talk enthusiastically and without inhibition about a shared passion. Sometimes you’ll find yourself shouting at the screen,“How can you like that, it’s rubbish!?”, and sometimes you’ll be nodding sagely in agreement as someone slightly spaced-out with silver hair admits to adoring Genesis of the Daleks. Who’s Changing ultimately celebrates one thing about Doctor Who that never, ever changes – the fact that its most devoted fans adore it almost unconditionally. Perhaps that’s exactly how it should be. 

Check out www.blogtorwho.com for details of where to purchase or live-stream Who’s Changing. 

Extras: Extended interviews

Review: The Hunger Games – Catching Fire / Cert: 12 / Director: Francis Lawrence / Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Michael Arndt / Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth / Release Date: March 17th

The Hunger Games return for a second course with Catching Fire, a sequel to 2012’s insanely popular Twilight-for-intelligent-people, Battle Royale-for-dummies sci-fi thriller. While Gary Ross’ Hunger Games adaptation was slick but flawed, thanks to its incomprehensible action sequences and predictable story, Francis Lawrence’s sequel is a vast improvement.

Smarter and simply better on almost every level, Catching Fire delves deeper into The Capitol, giving more insight into Panem’s struggle. Katniss Everdeen, joint winner of last year’s Hunger Games, battles survivor’s guilt, (presumably) Post Traumatic Stress and the constant doe-eyes of unrequited lover Peeta Mellark, in addition to the looming evil of President Snow. It’s a relief from her busy schedule when Snow announces that the next Hunger Games will be made up of victors from games past, including herself and Peeta.

Jennifer Lawrence and beau Josh Hutcherson remain impressive, but it’s the increased adult presence which makes Catching Fire such an attractive prospect for grown-up audiences. Donald Sutherland is given much more to do as President Snow, while Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks and Lenny Kravitz all reprise their respective roles. Woody Harrelson remains a highlight, while certain scenes with Banks and Kravitz are sure to raise a sniffle. In a poignant note, the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman also appears as gamesmaster Plutarch Heavensbee – real life tragedy creating a void that will be missed over the two remaining sequels. Of the youths, Sam Clafin stands out. DC and WB take note: you could do far worse for your live action Aquaman. Kid knows how to rock a Trident.

The improvements made extend to the action and writing, both of which feel more grown-up and organic. Bloodless as it may be, there’s a fluidity to the fight sequences reminiscent of the jump in quality between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. It’s still imperfect – one character’s death throes are so fluffed that many might not even register it – but it’s a vast improvement over what came before. Smart and sharp enough that non-readers of the book can still enjoy it, Catching Fire was one of 2013’s best. Where The Hunger Games was enjoyable yet dull, this sequel leaves us starving for more.  

With deleted scenes, audio commentaries and a making-of featurette, this Blu-ray release should satisfy fans’ hunger until Mockingjay – Part 1 comes along later this year. Delicious.

Extras: TBC

Review: Wake in Fright / Cert: 18 / Director: Ted Kotcheff / Screenplay: Evan Jones / Starring: Gary Bond, Donald Pleasance, Chips Raffety, Sylvia Kay, Jack Thompson / Release Date: March 31st

A 1971 Australian classic, Wake in Fright is almost a dirty little secret of cinema. Adapted from Kenneth Cook’s 1961 novel of the same name, the film made its world premiere at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival, nominated for the prestigious Palme D’Or. After a badly handled US theatrical run, it then fell off the radar, not even garnering a VHS or DVD release. Now, thanks to some extreme digging and restoration work, Wake in Fright is set to get the attention and praise that it deserves.

The story focuses on John Grant (Bond), a very British teacher who is teaching in the Australian outback. Tied to a contract that he cannot afford to pay his way out of, Grant looks down on his surroundings. When a planned trip to Sydney sees him having to spend a night in the mining town of Bundanyabba, his life begins to change before his eyes. One night turns to five, and, before he knows it, he’s submerged in an alcohol-infused milieu of gambling, hunting and ‘mateship’ – a world that he detests. By the time the movie comes to a close, Grant finds himself becoming what he hates, stranded in a world where he has no future and his best option could be staring back at him from the chamber of his rifle.

A stunningly surreal film, Wake in Fright is covered by a warm hue throughout, as this brand new restoration gives off enough heat and humidity from the Australian outback to have you reach for the suntan lotion. Equally as striking are the performances on show. John Grant is absolutely note-perfect as the stiff-upper-lipped Englishman stranded in an environment that he couldn’t be any further removed from. Engulfed by a batch of characters that down pints as easy as fat kids devour Chicken McNuggets, Grant is great as the rose surrounded by thorns. One particular ‘thorn’ is the always-entertaining Donald Pleasance as Doc, an apparent doctor whose picnic is completely devoid of any sandwiches whatsoever. For those of you only familiar with Pleasance as Sam Loomis in the Halloween movies, this role amps the crazed nature of that role up to 11.

We can’t say enough great things about this release and the extras are plentiful and rewarding. That said, there are some certain scenes that are very, very disturbing, involving footage of real kangaroos being slain. Krotcheff was strongly encouraged by The Royal Australian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to use as much real footage as possible in order to highlight the day-to-day issues surrounding the slaughter of kangaroos. These scenes are truly disturbing but if you can take them for the statement they were intended to make, Wake in Fright is a must-have.

Extras: Audio Commentary / Four Featurettes / TV Spot / Trailer / 48-page booklet

Review: Daddy, I’m a Zombie / Cert: U / Director: Joan Espinach, Ricardo Ramon / Screenplay: Daniel Torres / Starring: Paula Ribo, Ivan Labanda, Nuria Trifol / Release Date: Out Now

Zombie films have always held a mirror up to society. Daddy, I’m a Zombie, despite being a children’s animation, is in the same tradition, only with an eye on a younger audience and a lot less blood.

Dixie is a young girl who has been unhappy since her parents split up, and is now living with her Dad (who works as an embalmer). Bullied at school, and without any friends, she is bitter, angry and lonely. Following an altercation with her bully nemeses at a fairground, she is hit by a falling tree and wakes in the land of the dead. Here she makes friends with Isis, an Ancient Egyptian Mummy and Gonner, a zombie pirate and they have to take on the evil witch Nebulosa.

The animation is decent and the film has a strong style of its own, while still carrying some clear influences from classic horror films and Tim Burton in particular. There are some great little visual gags – zombies with silly hats, for example – which prove that there is some imagination in the design beyond these influences. There are a few moments that would perhaps be too scary for very young children, although there is no gore despite the zombiefication of the main character.

There are some strong messages in this film. First, and repeated often by Dixie’s father, is that you get back what you put out into the world; so be nice and thoughtful of others. The second, however, seems to be that Dixie has to give up on her individuality and become more like everyone else. Perhaps this is reading too much into a simple children’s film, but it did seem to be there.

Daddy, I’m a Zombie doesn’t have the cross-generational appeal of some modern animations, but will keep children entertained and has a strong message to get across.

Extras: None

Review: SeeFood / Cert: 15 / Director: Aun Hoe Goh / Screenplay: Jeffrey Chiang / Starring: Maxwell Vreeland Andrew, Steven Bone, Colin Chong / Release Date: VOD OUT NOW

SeeFood (also known as Sea Level) is a children’s animation largely set underwater with fish, sharks and a coral reef. Finding Nemo, A Turtle’s Tale and Shark Tale have all swam in this sea before, but do not give up on SeeFood immediately, it will eventually prove its worth.

Our hero here is Pup, a young bamboo shark (looking much like any catfish) who has a close relationship with the much larger Julius (a hungry, sharp-toothed white-tip shark). After seeing some human children stealing egg sacks from the reef, Pup is determined to save them. Being a bamboo shark, he can survive on land for a short while and sets out to the nearest island.

Unfortunately it takes a long time to get to this point. The narrative is unfocused and wanders far too much, particularly in the first half of the film.

Once it gets going, however, SeeFood is very enjoyable and imaginative; how often are we shown a shark in a large mecha suit fighting chickens, for example? There is a lot of fun in the action scenes, and some enjoyably silly moments.

The animation is too cute for adult tastes, but then this is clearly a film for young children. As with the story, it works best during the action scenes but seems a bit bland during slower moments. (Having said that, there are a couple of beautiful backdrops for some scenes too.)

SeeFood is not perfect, but it has some very fun ideas and will certainly merit repeated viewings by its young target audience.

Extras: TBC

Review: The Borderlands / Cert: TBC / Director: Elliott Goldner / Screenplay: Elliott Goldner / Starring: Gordon Kennedy, Robin Hill, Aidan McArdle / Release Date: April 7th

There’s no phrase likely to drive terror into the hearts of the discerning film viewer more than “found footage”. OK, maybe “directed by Uwe Boll” or “starring Adam Sandler”, but it’s up there. For those utterly disenchanted with the genre, The Borderlands isn’t going to change their minds. Haunted churches, debut director, unknown cast – on paper it sounds like any number of risible horror movies we’ve seen over the last 15 years. With one big difference. It’s really good.

The concept sounds fairly unappealing. A team of Vatican investigators, consisting of two priests and a technical expert, are sent to an anonymous English West Country village to investigate an alleged miracle at the local church. It’s hardly going to win any awards for originality, but it’s not trying to. This is a film that wears its inspirations on its sleeve. Touches of The Blair Witch Project, The Wicker Man, The Exorcist and Paranormal Activity are all evident. But it isn’t trying to be hugely original or innovative. The Borderlands wants to deliver an entertaining, witty film that alternatively makes you laugh and scares the shit out of you. And on both accounts it succeeds admirably.

What sets the film apart from many of its ilk are a series of brilliantly executed scares and a clever, cliché-defying script by first time writer/director Elliot Goldner which expertly turns the audience’s preconceptions on their head.

The film works hard to achieve a credibility missing from many of its counterparts. With, for once, a plausible explanation for the use of found footage, plus well-rounded, likeable characters, for the most part it succeeds. It’s aided tremendously by a pair of terrific central performances from Gordon Kennedy and Ben Wheatley regular Robin Hill. The pair have a fun chemistry, and the semi-improvised dialogue from Hill (who co-wrote Down Terrace) in particular provides much of the film’s humour.

Deftly defying expectations, the script doesn’t fall into the easy trap of allowing its characters to become stereotypes. Rather than the priests (Kennedy and Aidan McArdle) being cassock wearing, by the book Christians, they’re both cynics, determined to debunk what they believe to be a false miracle. We expect the team’s technical expert (Hill) to be the cynical geek. He’s not, he’s more open to believe than his companions and the sort of fast talking, witty character you alternately want to hang out with or punch in the face. It lends them a more realistic, rounded feel than the one dimensional characters we’ve come to expect in films of this nature.

The naturalistic approach extends to the found footage. Often gimmicky, here it works in the film’s favour. As part of the investigation, the Vatican requires the team to document their every move, meaning the entire film is from headcams worn by the team, or cameras installed in the film’s two key locations. The technique lends the potentially hokey premise a feeling of realism that it could otherwise struggle to achieve. Which makes it all the more disturbing when bad things inevitably start to happen.

It’s no spoiler to say the supernatural goings on in the church are genuine, and director Goldner makes the most of his minuscule budget to provide some effective scares. This is a film which understands how powerful a door suddenly closing or a well-timed sound effect can be (we’d recommend watching it with the sound turned up as high as possible), and he delivers more creepy moments than films with a hundred times his budget.

Sure, it’s a little rough around the edges. A couple of secondary characters never quite come to life, a revelation about one of the major characters seems a little unnecessary, and the climax veers towards Blair Witch territory, but for the most part The Borderlands succeeds admirably. Deftly balancing humour and shocks, it’s one of the best uses of found footage we’ve seen in a long time and one of the strongest British horrors of recent years. You may never go in a church again.

Extras: TBC