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LIVE AND LET DIE (1973) - the blaxploitation Bond
LIVE AND LET DIE(1973, UK)A different Bond movie in many ways...After too many wincingly awful moments in Roger Moore's James Bond movies, it's easy to write off all his films as 007. But the first...
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Cinema-going in the 1970s - my decade in the dark
A trip to the cinema doesn't change drastically from decade to decade - pay for a ticket, overpay for junk food and stare at a wall for a few hours. But now it's forty years since my frequent...
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SAMSARA (2009) - worthy of BARAKA and KOYAANISQATSI
SAMSARA(2012, USA) Another astonishing 'non-narrative movie' from Ron FrickeIf you've seen Baraka (1992) or Koyaanisqatsi (1983), my job of describing Samsara to you would be much easier.Most of what I...
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THE UNINVITED (1944) - UK special edition DVD
THE UNINVITED(1944, USA)Slick mainstream chiller with a light touch but serious ghostsThe Uninvited is an early example of a movie where haunting is taken seriously and investigated as a phenomenon,...
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LASERIUM (1977-1990) - Londoners' opportunity to stare at lasers
In the 1970s, what were the alternatives to going to the cinema or the pub? Well, one evening went to the London Planetarium, listened to loud prog rock and watched lasers!I've been struggling to...
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From WOODSTOCK to WOLFEN - the director Michael Wadleigh
A recent screening of WOLFEN (1981), introduced by the directorWolfen is an extraordinary film that shouldn't have been sold as a werewolf whodunnit. Caught inbetween the releases of The Howling and An...
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WOODSTOCK (1970) - they look just like us
WOODSTOCK(1970, USA)Epic documentary about a massively positive momentAfter hearing from director Michael Wadleigh at the recent Wolfen screening, (my full report here), it seemed foolish not to watch...
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JACK THE RIPPER (1959) - the impressive continental version
JACK THE RIPPER(1959, UK)Differences in censorship between Britain and FranceI've been using Horrors of the Black Museum (1959) as a benchmark of 1950s censorship. The outlandish murder weapons would...
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THE RETURNED - now showing on Channel 4
Just a quick, late reminder that the superbly-made creepy French drama The Returned has started this week on Channel 4. Eight one-hour episodes charts the startling return of a group of dead...
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My local cinemas of the 1970s - Kingston
The local cinemas of Kingston-on-Thames in the 1970s, how they look now, and how to find photos of your own favourite cinemas...(In this article, the present-day photos are mine, all the older...
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My local cinemas of the 1970s - Ewell and Esher
(Once again, I'm in debt to Dusashenka on Flickr, for permission to use his old photos of these cinemas, inside and out. Please do not re-use any of them without seeking his permission first. He's...
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MARINE BOY (1966) - series finally hitting DVD in US
Warner Archives have released the early anime series Marine Boy. The story of a young underwater action hero had monsters, sci-fi and a non-stop pace. While the US also had Japanese animation like...
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CARRIE gets new poster art for Summer Screen 2013
'Carrie' by Peter Strain'Tis the time of year for outdoor cinema and next month the annual season at Somerset House will offer something extra. This spectacular print is artist Peter Strain's...
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My local cinemas of the 1970s - Wimbledon
Here's my last of three looks at the local cinemas that I frequented in the 1970s. Wimbledon was quite easy for me to get to, but the opposite direction from where I went to school. I'd only visit...
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INVASION (1965) - the prototype for Spearhead From Space
INVASION(1965, UK)A Doctor Who story - without Doctor Who!If you liked The Earth Dies Screaming or Night of the Big Heat, with their minimal alien invasions and earnest British reactions, this is for...
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Flashback - January, 1963
The first in a new series...I've been sharing bits and pieces from defunct movie magazines of the 1960s and 1970s over on the 'Black Hole' Twitter feed, but it makes sense for them to be more...
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FRANKENWEENIE (1984) - Tim Burton's original short
While I enjoyed the new, re-animated Frankenweenie in many ways, the original live-action short film remains one of Tim Burton's very best. Just under half an hour long is all it takes for a compact...
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Flashback 1967 - BLOW UP, GRAND PRIX, THE TRIP...
A selection of pages from defunct movie magazines from 1967...On the front cover, David Hemmings and Vanessa Redgrave in a scene from Antonioni's Blow Up. The sixties were in full swing, but the big...
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R.I.P. Diane Clare - farewell to a 'final girl' from the 1960s
Last month, I saw Amicus Productions' Witchcraft for the first time, notable for a decent performance from Lon Chaney Jr. near the end of his career. I was especially pleased to see Diane Clare in it,...
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Flashback 1968 - BARBARELLA, WITCHFINDER GENERAL...
A selection from the pages of defunct British movie magazines from 1968...Kino Weekly was a thin, fact-packed glossy trade weekly for cinema owners, enthusing over the latest movies on offer and...
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