Los Olvidados

Tagline: n/a

Director: Luis Buñuel

Cast: Alfonso Mejia, Roberto Cobo, Estela Inda, Miguel Inclan, Alma Delia Fuentes

Distributor: 3DD Home Entertainment

Release date: 13th September 2010

Review

Los Olvidados sounds like a Mexican soap does it not? Well prepare to be shocked for this film by Luis Buñuel is a gritty look at life on the streets, animal murder and bestiality! Although watching a 1950’s Mexican film that took the Cannes Film Festival by storm in 1951 isn’t my idea of fun viewing, it’s not without its charm.

The film tells the story of young Pedro (Alfonso Mejia) a street rat, unwanted by his mother and beaten for the mere crime of existing, who gets involved with the wrong crowd. Pedro does what he can to help his family survive the hard times, whatever it takes. Cities are built to show off their greatest achievements whilst all the while hiding the seedy underbelly that lives in their shadows. The same can be said for Los Olvidados as Pedro and his new friends suck the milk direct from a goat, beat a chicken to death with a stick, try to milk a donkey (is that even possible?), beat up a blind man and steal an invalid’s only means to transport himself around, after mugging him of course.

It’s the nature over nurture routine all over again for Pedro who starts out with good intentions for his siblings whilst struggling to feed himself in a home with a mother who doesn’t want him. Then as the bad element in the form of El Jaibo (Roberto Cobo) arrives on the scene Pedro finds himself as a witness and then accomplice to a murder, and scared for his own life he remains silent despite the victim being a friend. It’s the story of a good kid gone bad, adapting to his environment and fighting against the negative influences in his life to get back on the straight and narrow.

The film shows Mexico City in a very negative light; this sort of grit probably wasn’t seen back in the day when folk were trying to figure out how the wheel worked and Chris was learning long division on a piece of slate. Which is probably why Los Olvidados was met with so much critical acclaim. In fact the only special feature on the disc is a featurette hosted by Derek Malcolm who explains in his refined way how the film wowed Cannes and how it turned the page in cinema and gave us something gritty and real.

Now I wouldn’t mind, but Derek Malcolm says the film stands the test of time and let me tell you it’s no Little Princess, Bluebird or The Red Shoes but it does have a warmth that comes with the films of that era, an innocence that reaches out from behind the camera and draws the audience in. I wasn’t totally with the film the whole way but if you’re interested in world cinema or like the films of this period then perhaps this is a film for you. For me it’s a ‘meh’ but I do understand the big deal surrounding the film…

NOTE: Animal cruelty is wrong and I can only guess stunt chickens weren’t used in this film… be aware there may be some distressing scenes for animal lovers; I’ll certainly be sleeping with the light on from now on.

Rating: 2.5 stars

Clifford Green (A Dog Ate My Wookie!)

Network Releasing have announced the UK release of music industry satire The Story Of F*** on DVD next month and we have all the details along with the film’s trailer.

“The Music Industry is a cruel and shallow money trench where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. There is also a negative side.” (Hunter S. Thompson)

Lewis Sipricosh (Finlay Robertson – How Not To Live Your Life) is a frustrated A & R at Kosmos Records looking for the next big act to impress his deranged and depraved music boss. Aided by his beautiful assistant Daisy (Tamsin Egerton – St Trinians) they decide to create and unleash a band called F*** on UK music lovers – the problem is that F*** can’t sing or play instruments… but when has that ever stopped a manufactured band from being successful?

This film is The Story Of F***, a snappy satire about the music industry from first time film-making cousins Adam and James Abadi featuring sex, drugs, alien abduction and crocodiles! The film also stars Jo Absolom, Ameet Channa, Andrew Thomas Jones, Pete Bennett and cult transgender actor and producer Desire Dubounet in her first major film role.

Here’s the trailer:

Special Features on the DVD release will include:

• Official Trailer

Network Releasing will be release The Story Of F*** (cert. 15) on DVD on 11th October 2010 and Chris and Phil will be reviewing the film in a future podcast.

Horror fans in the UK recently got to see the 2010 remake of I Spit On Your Grave at London’s FrightFest, and now the original 1978 film is getting a new release in a Dual Format Edition (Blu-ray & DVD) and single DVD as an Ultimate Collector’s Edition featuring new uncut material previously unseen in the UK. The original video nasty, directed by Meir Zarchi and starring Camille Keaton, Eron Tabor, Richard Pace, Anthony Nichols and Gunter Kleeman will be released on 20th September by 101 Films.

Originally titled ‘Day of the Woman’ I Spit On Your Grave has gained a reputation as an extremely graphic and violent film, as well as the most talked about film in cinema history! It tells the story of Jennifer Hills (Camille Keaton) a magazine writer from New York who retires to a secluded cabin in the woods to write her first novel. There she is brutally assaulted, raped and left for dead by four country boys. But Jennifer is alive. Emotionally destroyed, she finds herself choreographing a horrific revenge scheme to inflict punishment on her four assailants in methods that defy the imagination.

Banned by censors and bashed by critics, the legacy of I Spit on Your Grave goes on as the most disturbing film ever created, yet it has become a cult classic of epic proportion!

Special Features on the Blu-ray and DVD release will include:

• UK Exclusive video interview with Director Meir Zarchi
• Trailers
• TV Spots
• Radio Spots
• Sleeve and poster Image Gallery
• Image Gallery from Director’s Personal Collection
• Reviews & Articles from Around the World
• In-Depth Essay -What Do People Think & Say About ISOYG
• DVD Monthly Interview
• Filmographies
• Audio commentary by Director Meir Zarchi & Film Critic Joe Bob Briggs
• Includes a free 17”x14”poster and 24 page booklet

101 Films will be releasing I Spit On Your Grave (cert. 18) on Blu-ray and DVD on 20th September 2010 and we’ll be reviewing the film here on the website soon.

Sweet Karma

Tagline: n/a

Director: Andrew Thomas Hunt

Cast: Shera Bechard, John Tokatlidis, Frank J. Zupancic, Christian Bako, Patricia Stasiak

Distributor: Anchor Bay

Release date: 13th September 2010

Review

There comes a moment in everyone’s life when they make a joke about selling their body for dosh. This is especially true in the current climate, where we face a recession and a Tory government. Not happy with us paying through the nose for taxes, those who can’t pay everything will be sent off to blood withdrawal centres…

That’s not the point though, I’m here to review a film and if it looks like a porno and sounds like a porno, it’s gotta be a porno… right? Well, that’s not the case for Sweet Karma, the debut feature from Andrew Thomas Hunt and I have to say although it’s not all that, it’s certainly an impressive start for the guy. I’d like to have seen how the story might have developed in style had there been more budget available at his disposal.

Sweet Karma follows the story a young mute girl called Karma as she tries to track down her sister who used a service to cross the Canadian border to become a cleaner for a wealthy Canadian family; that however is not how things panned out. Sold into the sex trade, Karma’s sister has disappeared and newspaper reports from Canada imply that her sister has fallen victim to a Russian mob hit.

Knowing those involved, Karma sets out to avenge her sister’s murder. Using the same mob ties to get to Toronto she sets out on a bloody rampage, biding her time to pick off her targets one by one. Shy and overcoming her ‘disability’ in this strange new land Karma systematically rights the wrongs that have befallen her sister, immersing herself into the seedy underbelly that took her sister as she pole dances and kicks ass to get what she wants.

Despite its modest budget, the film proves to be quite brutal and to the point, if not brief in its brutality. Another surprising factor to this low budget drama is that the largely unknown cast are actually quite solid in their performances. The only thing that lets them down is the equipment that’s used to film the feature, giving it a grainy artistic feel when it could have done with a tighter, more glossy feel to add to the impact of what happens on screen.

Some may say I’m being a little too kind here – don’t get me wrong, the film is average at best – but it’s certainly a calling card for Hunt as his debut feature and the story, although somewhat lacking and predictable in places, allows its characters to be brutal at just the right point so you’re not feeling too sorry for them when Karma bashes their skulls in.

My one criticism is that the ending leaves the film a little bit flat; I would have liked to have seen Karma as a character go the whole way in her quest for revenge, I don’t think the film went as far as it could have done. Other reviews may focus on Sweet Karma being a badass seventies style revenge flick, but for me I’d say it’s a strong debut from Hunt as a director that will leave you wanting more.

Rating: 3 stars

Clifford Green (A Dog Ate My Wookie!)

Dogwoof have announced the theatrical release of acclaimed documentary Restrepo in UK cinemas next month and we have the film’s trailer to share with you.

Restrepo is a feature-length documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, “Restrepo”, named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. It was considered one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. This is an entirely experiential film: the cameras never leave the valley; there are no interviews with generals or diplomats. The only goal is to make viewers feel as if they have just been through a 90-minute deployment.

This is war, full stop. The conclusions are up to you.

“The war in Afghanistan has become highly politicized, but soldiers rarely take part in that discussion. Our intention was to capture the experience of combat, boredom and fear through the eyes of the soldiers themselves. Their lives were our lives: we did not explore geopolitical debates. Soldiers are living and fighting and dying at remote outposts in Afghanistan in conditions that few Americans back home can imagine. Their experiences are important to understand, regardless of one’s political beliefs.

Beliefs are a way to avoid looking at reality.

This is reality.”

- Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger – Directors, Restrepo

Here’s the trailer:

Dogwoof will be releasing Restrepo in UK cinemas on 8th October 2010.

The full programme for the 54th BFI London Film Festival has been announced today and we have the full press release below. Chris and Phil are hoping to bring you coverage of some of the exciting films that will be screening at this year’s festival in October, so watch this space!

In the meantime here’s the press release:

The programme for the 54th BFI London Film Festival, launched today by Artistic Director Sandra Hebron, showcases an array of highly anticipated films by both established and emerging talent from around the world. A particularly strong feature this year is the selection of British films including the previously announced Opening and Closing Night Galas. Over 16 days the festival will screen a total of 197 features and 112 shorts, including 11 World, 23 International and 33 European premieres, many presented by cast members and filmmakers, alongside a stellar line-up of special events. The 54th BFI London Film Festival, in partnership with American Express, will run from 13th – 28th October.

Never Let Me Go

GALAS & SPECIAL SCREENINGS:

Opening the festival is Mark Romanek’s NEVER LET ME GO, starring Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield, whilst Danny Boyle’s 127 HOURS, starring James Franco will close the festival, with key talent in attendance for both. In between are THE KING’S SPEECH, with Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter; Darren Aronofsky’s BLACK SWAN, with Natalie Portman; Mike Leigh’s ANOTHER YEAR; NEDS, directed by Peter Mullan; THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT starring Julianne Moore and Annette Bening; and Cannes Palme D’Or winner, UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES. Other highlights include CONVICTION, starring Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell; Alejandro González Iñárritu’s BIUTIFUL starring Javier Bardem; WEST IS WEST, the follow up to East is East; Xavier Beauvois’ OF GODS AND MEN; and Julian Schnabel’s MIRAL with Freida Pinto. In THE FIRST GRADER an 84 year old Kenyan finally starts school, and AFRICA UNITED features a group of youngsters who trek across Africa to reach the World Cup. THE GREAT WHITE SILENCE, a BFI Archive restoration, is this year’s Archive Gala, featuring a live performance of a new score by Simon Fisher Turner.

FILM ON THE SQUARE:

London’s West End will see a selection of some of the strongest films of the year. Anton Corbijn (Control) presents THE AMERICAN, starring George Clooney; CARLOS is Olivier Assayas’s epic biopic of the infamous Venezuelan terrorist; Jean-Luc Godard continues to challenge cinemagoers with FILM SOCIALISME; ROBINSON IN RUINS marks Patrick Keiller’s long awaited return, and is narrated by Vanessa Redgrave. Other highlights include Diego Luna’s directorial debut ABEL; Kelly Reichardt’s MEEK’S CUTOFF with Michelle Williams and Paul Dano; LE QUATTRO VOLTE, an intriguing quasi-documentary set in an Italian village; LOOSE CANNONS, an Italian coming-out comedy; and RARE EXPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE a Finnish fantasy thriller… about Father Christmas. Two of the festival’s features set in Africa are A SCREAMING MAN from Chad and BENDA BILILI, a documentary about the meteoric rise of a band of street musicians from Congo. The UK is represented by Ken Loach (ROUTE IRISH), Joanna Hogg (ARCHIPELAGO), Richard Ayoade (SUBMARINE) and Lucy Walker (WASTE LAND). Amongst the many internationally renowned filmmakers included are Jan Švankmajer (SURVIVING LIFE), Takashi Miike (13 ASSASSINS) and John Sayles (AMIGO).

NEW BRITISH CINEMA:

Amongst the finest new films from the UK are several which deal with real life subjects. In THE ARBOR, Clio Barnard explores the legacy of writer Andrea Dunbar (whose works include Rita, Sue and Bob Too); Hannah Rothschild shadowed her subject for a crucial year in MANDELSON: THE REAL PM?; and FIRE IN BABYLON celebrates the golden age of West Indian cricket. Festival alumni Kim Longinotto focuses on India in PINK SARIS, whilst Turner Prize winner Gillian Wearing makes her feature debut with SELF MADE. Both add to the strong representation of women filmmakers this year. Carol Morley offers a resonant and involving character study with EDGE; IN OUR NAME is an urgent and provocative feature depicting the issues one soldier faces when she returns from war in Iraq; and Marc Evans’ striking PATAGONIA features Duffy in her first acting role.

FRENCH REVOLUTIONS:

The French cinema scene is represented by a range of filmmakers, new and established. Amongst those whose films are screening are new discoveries such as Katell Quillévéré (LOVE LIKE POISON), up and coming talents including award winning director Antony Cordier (HAPPY FEW), Guillaume Canet, who brings his second feature after Tell No One, LITTLE WHITE LIES (featuring Marion Cotillard) and the established force that is Catherine Breillat (THE SLEEPING BEAUTY). Screen icons featured in this year’s line-up include Isabelle Huppert (SPECIAL TREATMENT and COPACABANA), Gerard Depardieu and Isabelle Adjani (MAMMUTH) and Kristin Scott Thomas in Lola Doillon’s IN YOUR HANDS. Isabelle Czajka returns to the festival with LIVING ON LOVE ALONE, the follow up to her debut The Year After.

CINEMA EUROPA:

Celebrating the best in new cinema from mainland Europe, highlights include MYSTERIES OF LISBON, a four and a half hour epic from Raúl Ruiz; WOMB, an unusual love story starring Eva Green and Matt Smith; MY JOY, a beautifully shot, dark parable; the surreal and hypnotic THE TEMPTATION OF ST TONY; and SILENT SOULS, an almost mystical road movie. Here, the spotlight also falls on women directors including Pernille Fischer Christensen, whose film A FAMILY picks up on a recurrent theme of families; EVEN THE RAIN, directed by Icíar Bollaín, written by long term Ken Loach collaborator Paul Laverty, and starring Gael Garcia Bernal; DRAQUILA – ITALY TREMBLES by Sabina Guzzanti, a provocative exposé of Silvio Berlusconi; and returning filmmaker Isabelle Stever (BLESSED EVENTS). More debate is provoked in PICCO, the German film exploring the extreme violence experienced in a youth prison.

WORLD CINEMA:

From around the globe, a diverse selection of fiction features and documentaries are presented. Amongst a host of US indies are SPORK, a wonderfully unexpected take on the high school movie; Geoff Marslett’s unique animated film, MARS, an inventive slice of slacker sci-fi; COLD WEATHER, a new spin on the crime genre; and THE TAQWACORES, about Muslim punks in Upstate New York. SMASH HIS CAMERA turns the camera on one of the original paparazzi, Ron Galella. CATFISH raises unsettling issues around social media, whilst LEMMY is the definitive portrait of the legendary Motorhead singer and ultimate rock god. Another revered musical subject features in STRANGE POWERS: STEPHIN MERRITT AND THE MAGNETIC FIELDS. THE TILLMAN STORY examines the controversy surrounding the death of the NFL player turned US soldier in Afghanistan. Other highlights from the rest of the world include MICROPHONE, set in the exuberant underground music scene of the Egyptian capital; AUTUMN, about the conflict in Indian Kashmir; and LEAP YEAR, the Mexico City set feature which won director Michael Rowe the Camera D’Or at Cannes. Amongst the many strong East Asian titles are DEAR DOCTOR, the third feature from Japan’s Miwa Nishikawa and Chang Tso-Chi’s beautifully observed family piece, WHEN LOVE COMES.

TREASURES FROM THE ARCHIVE:

Showcasing the best recent examples of conservation work, and provoking debate in equal measure, titles include digital restorations of Renoir’s BOUDU SAVED FROM DROWNING and David Lean’s epic THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI and the latest project from Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation, Edward Yang’s A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY. Missing scenes, incorrect focus problems and technical difficulties have been overcome to bring back to the screen PANDORA’S BOX, starring the iconic Louise Brooks and Mauritz Stiller’s GUNNAR HEDES SAGA. Gritty pre-code films THE MATCH KING and THE MAYOR OF HELL with James Cagney are rediscovered, with light relief provided by screwball comedy TURNABOUT and endearing musical SUNNY SIDE UP. Life in post-war London is captured in three short films restored by the BFI in BOW BELLS AND WATERLOO SUNSETS. Other welcome new restorations include the seminal MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA and Manoel de Oliveira’s RITE OF SPRING, as well as the first feature-length gay documentary WORD IS OUT.

EXPERIMENTA:

Highlights include feature length works by Sharon Lockhart (DOUBLE TIDE), John Akomfrah (THE NINE MUSES) and Li Hongqi, whose film WINTER VACATION won the Golden Leopard in Locarno. An important aspect of Experimenta is the weekend of artists’ film and video on 23-24 October. Eight curated programmes offer the opportunity to experience a range of international work by prominent and emerging moving image artists. This year’s survey includes Prolix Satori, a new series of collage animations by Lewis Klahr, making his first UK appearance, and three films by Festival regular Nathaniel Dorsky. Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry is a unique live performance piece by Daniel Barrow. There will be installations by Emily Richardson and Martin Arnold, and David Gatten will present a film shot in the Galapagos Islands at the Natural History Museum.

SHORT CUTS AND ANIMATION:

This year, ten programmes celebrate the short film and animation formats, appealing to a wide ranging audience. New filmmakers from the capital are represented in London Calling whilst animation from all corners of the globe are featured, including those in a delightful programme aimed at children. This section doesn’t shy away from controversy with hard-edged stories including THE GOOD NORTH and BURN MY BODY. The spotlight once again focuses on women in the Pretty Girls Make Graves selection. As well as being a place for talent spotting, the section features established names including actors-turned-directors, Sir David Jason and Rupert Friend.

EVENTS:

To complement the film screenings as ever there will be a full programme of inspiring and thought provoking events. This year’s Screen Talks feature directors Darren Aronofsky and Mark Romanek. Peter Mullan and Olivier Assayas will lead Masterclasses. Other highlights include music supervisor Randall Poster’s Film School of Rock; a forum about adapting books for the screen; and a special screening of Christy Turlington Burns’ directorial debut about maternal health, NO WOMAN, NO CRY presented in association with Brightwide.com.The Festival has once again partnered with Time Out to bring a series of free events based around panel discussions with filmmakers. In a year noted for the wealth of films from the UK, filmmakers come together to discuss their work in British Cinema: Breaking with Convention.

AWARDS:

Following last year’s inaugural ceremony, the BFI London Film Festival Awards return for a second year to celebrate the finest films within the Festival and to recognise the achievements of filmmakers, both new and established. This year’s Awards will take place on 27 October at Jerwood Hall, LSO St Luke’s, before a panel of judges composed of figures from across the international film community. The full Awards shortlists will be announced on 28 September.

FILM GUESTS:

As well as many of the names already highlighted, we expect to welcome guests including Julianne Moore, Colin Firth, Hilary Swank, Natalie Portman, Helena Bonham Carter, Naomie Harris, Julian Schnabel, Lisa Cholodenko, Pablo Trapero, Gillian Wearing, Kim Longinotto, Joanna Hogg, Ferzan Ozpetek, Richard Ayoade, Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Christy Turlington Burns.

127 Hours

For full details and information on how to book tickets for the 54th BFI London Film Festival visit the festival website here.

Momentum Pictures have now confirmed the release of Adam Green’s chilling tale Frozen on Blu-ray and DVD in October. This follows on from the film’s limited theatrical release in UK cinemas on 24th September (as previously reported here) and listen out for the next podcast, due out this weekend, when Chris and Phil will be reviewing the film and interviewing director Adam Green.

Directed by Adam Green (Hatchet, Spiral), Frozen stars Shawn Ashmore (the X-Men trilogy), Kevin Zegers (Dawn Of The Dead) and Emma Bell (Death In Love) as a trio of twenty-somethings – best friends Joe Lynch (Ashmore) and Dan Walker (Zegers), plus Dan’s girlfriend Parker O’Neil (Bell) – hoping to spend some quality time skiing and snowboarding in the picturesque resort of Mount Holliston. But a typical day on the slopes turns into a chilling nightmare when they find themselves unexpectedly stranded on a chairlift shortly after the ski resort closes for the week. Unknowingly left dangling high above the ground and with no apparent safe way down as night begins to set in, with increasing panic they soon realize that the threats of frostbite and hypothermia are the least of their worries.

Forced to take extremely desperate measures in order to survive the bitter cold, overcome unexpected obstacles and attempt to reach safety, the three friends are driven to ask not only if they have the will to survive but also to consider what are the worst ways to die.

Co-starring Rileah Vanderbilt (Hatchet, Spiral) and horror-genre fan favourite Kane Hodder (Jason from the Friday The 13th movies), Frozen is an effective, nail-biting experience that will keep viewers on the edges of their seats until its final frame.

Special Features on the Blu-ray and DVD release will include:

• Audio commentary by writer-director Adam Green and stars Shawn Ashmore, Kevin Zegers and Emma Bell
• ‘Catching Frostbite: The Origins of Frozen’
• ‘Three Below Zero’
• ‘Shooting Through It’
• ‘Beating the Mountain: Surviving Frozen’
• Deleted Scenes
• Trailer

Momentum Pictures will be releasing Frozen (cert. 15) on Blu-ray and DVD 18th October 2010 and Chris and Phil will be speaking to Adam Green about the film in Podcast #40.

Lebanon

Tagline: The soldier’s journey.

Director: Samuel Maoz

Cast: Yoav Donat, Reymond Amsalem, Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov, Zohar Shtrauss and Itay Tiran

Distributor: Metrodome

Release date: 23rd August 2010

Review

Once again Phil tries to educate me in the ways of world cinema. Call me a cynic because I normally have trouble with subtitled films due to the fact that by the time I’ve read out the words on screen phonetically the subtitles have whizzed by in a frantic display. I love him for trying to educate me but some of these films are very traumatic and that’s what Lebanon is… traumatic, for animal an lover that is.

Lebanon follows a troop of four soldiers in a tank – Schmulik the guy with the gun, Herzel the mag loader, Yigal the driver and Asi their inept tank commander – as they drive their tank to San Tropez under the guidance of Commander Gamil who has a number of other units under his remit. The mission they set out on is a simple one; check out a town and travel through to San Tropez for breakfast. Unfortunately the route Gamil has been given is the wrong one and the tank soon finds itself in enemy territory.

With these four driving the only tank in the unit, it’s clear from the get go that none of these men are prepared for war and the horrors it has to offer. That’s one thing Lebanon doesn’t let up on and that is the notion that war is cruel and unfair. We place rules upon war but it’s clear, when human instincts kick in and when a man is forced to take the life of civilians he can become as brutal as the act itself.

The film is very cleverly shot, albeit a little obviously. We only ever see the tank in one external shot and the rest of the time it’s the men inside the tank and the horrors we see in the outside world are viewed through the tank’s targeting scope. Director Samuel Maoz (upon whose experiences the film is based) gets some great performances out of the cast; a lot of stuff is done through the eyes, the terror, the shock… all felt through the eyes. Even the dialogue forces reactions out of the actors involved, after all it can’t be easy to kill the odd civilian just to get one of the bad guys.

My only problem with the shooting style, despite the drama, the great acting and the horrors unfolding on the screen, was that my mind kept picturing a Mini Cooper travelling along war torn roads with a camera man strapped cross-legged to the roof to get the shots needed for the journey along the roads!

The real crime here though is the massacre of poor defenceless animals, chickens get exploded by tank mortars, a donkey lies at the side of the road with its guts on the side of the road, yet it’s still breathing! IT BREATHES I TELL YOU!!! As an animal lover I am deeply disturbed by such violence to such creatures, in fact so terribly disturbed that I need to settle down by tucking into a pack of chicken nuggets.

Lebanon is a shocking film and the intensity felt as we see through the scope of the tank isn’t easy to watch as people beg for their lives, we see the soldiers’ own people getting shot to pieces and the bodies of children on the road side. We’re always kept at arm’s length but we’re always in the action. A definite 3.5 star film, it’s special but it lacks that something that tips it over the edge into the domain of 4 stars.

The DVD release features a director’s commentary which is worth a listen but be prepared the language barrier means that poor Samuel Maoz spends quite some time getting his English out.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Clifford Green (A Dog Ate My Wookie!)

Karaoke / Cold Lazarus

Tagline: The powerful last drama. The powerful final work.

Director: Renny Rye

Cast: Albert Finney, Keeley Hawes, Richard E. Grant, Hywel Bennett, Roy Hudd, Saffron Burrows, Ian McDiarmid, Frances de la Tour and Ciaran Hinds.

Distributor: Acorn Media

Release date: 6th September 2010

Review

When Phil and I first started out we quickly decided on some ground rules:

Rule 1: There must always be cake.

Rule 2: We should always have tea with our cake.

Rule 3: Chris should not write reviews.

For a time we stuck rigidly to these rules. However, early in 2010 it was decided that further clarity needed to be added to these rules. This led to the first amendment:

Rule 3 (revised): Chris should not be allowed to write anything, unless it can be written in 140 characters or less.

So, as you can see, I had a bit of a problem. I really wanted us to review Dennis Potter’s Karaoke / Cold Lazarus DVD box set. However, in Phil words, “We don’t review television programmes… Unless you want to do it?” He said this with an air of sarcasm that invited the response, “Yeah, I’ll review it.” These were words that I would live to regret. Even as I get to this point in the review I still don’t know what I’m going to write, a statement that no doubt fills the distributor Acorn Media with deep joy. They need not worry. Pretend I didn’t say this, but it’s going to get a good review. It was always going to get a good review. From the moment I saw the press release it was going get a good review. 5 stars for Karaoke, 4.5 stars for Cold Lazarus. It’s an unorthodox method but stick with me, please?

Karaoke: For those unfamiliar with Dennis Potter’s masterpiece (I’ve already given it 5 stars, I can say that), Karaoke is the story of Daniel Field (Albert Finney) a screenwriter suffering from a terminal illness. Whilst working on his latest screenplay, Karaoke, Field starts to believe that the script is leaving the page as he meets characters he’s written and hears them utter his own dialogue. And that’s all I’m saying.

What can I say? 5 stars. Finney is wonderful, the star-studded supporting cast are wonderful and Potter’s writing is at its very best. It manages to deal with the complex topic of mortality without becoming sentimental, even though large sections of the play echo Potter’s own life. It harks back to Potter’s earlier work in a way that is both moving and satisfying. Did I mention the 5 stars? I should mention the director, Renny Rye. He does a good job.

Cold Lazarus: This is tricky. It’s a follow up to Karaoke set 400 years in the future. Scientists are trying to extract memories from Field’s cryogenically frozen brain (see image above). Sold? You fucking should be. It’s a cryogenically frozen brain, what more do you want? It ticks all the boxes… or all my boxes… or all the boxes marked ‘must be set 400 years in the future and include a cryogenically frozen brain’ at the very least. Boxes ticked, lets crack on. I’ll keep it brief (it’s what Phil would want). There is only one problem with Cold Lazarus – it’s not Karaoke. 4.5 stars.

A must own box set. Classic television from a truly original writer. Can I go home now?

Rating: 5 stars / 4.5 stars

Chris Collier

Optimum Releasing have announced the Blu-ray release of Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro’s debut feature Delicatessen in the UK next week as part of the Studio Canal Collection, and we have all the details plus an exclusive clip to promote the release.

Delicatessen is the distinctive, spell-binding and never less than surreal debut of the directorial partnership between Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where food is scarce, Dominique Pinon stars an ex-clown who gets a handyman job in an apartment building and then falls for the daughter of the building’s owner – an imposing butcher who has resorted to murderous ways to get his meat.

Here’s the clip:

Special Features on the Blu-ray release will include:

• Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Audio Commentary
• Making of: Fine cooked pork meats by Diane Bertrand (13 min)
• Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Archives (8 min)
• Main course Pieces (65 min)
• Trailer
• Teaser

Optimum Releasing will be releasing Delicatessen on Blu-ray on 13th September 2010 and Puppy will be reviewing the film in a future Blu-ray Review column.

Following on from its highly successful screening at this year’s FrightFest festival  where it proved itself to be a real audience favourite, Optimum Releasing have announced that Sean Byrne’s Aussie shocker The Loved Ones will make its bow on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK at the beginning of October. The Loved Ones is a vivid, sexy rollercoaster of a ride that takes the conventions of horror and runs them off the rails starring Xavier Samuel (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), Robin McLeavy (48 Shades), John Brumpton (Last Ride), Richard Wilson (Clubland), Victoria Thaine (Two Twisted) and Jessica McNamee (Packed To The Rafters).

Phil caught up with Xavier Samuel at FrightFest (see link below) and we’ll also be bringing you an extended interview with Robin McLeavy (who plays Lola in the film) in a forthcoming podcast, plus an interview with director Sean Byrne as we draw closer to the film’s release on Blu-ray and DVD.

Brent (Xavier Samuel) has never recovered from the night of the car crash that killed his father; the crash that he was responsible for. His only solace is his loving girlfriend Holly (Victoria Thaine). But there’s another girl who yearns to comfort Brent, the quietest girl in school Lola (Robin McLeavy), and when he turns down her invitation to the prom he enters a nightmare beyond imagining.

A terrifying series of events take place under a mirrored disco ball, involving pink satin, glitter, syringes, nails and power drills. Brent must summon every ounce of will he possesses if he is to survive and prevent Lola and her father from extending her revenge to those he loves most.

Special Features on the Blu-ray and DVD release will include:

• Interviews with director and cast
• B-roll footage

Optimum Releasing will be releasing The Loved Ones (cert. 18) on Blu-ray and DVD on 4th October 2010 and Chris and Phil will be reviewing the film in a future podcast.

To listen to Phil’s interview with Xavier Samuel at FrightFest click here.

Dead Cert

Tagline: You think you know vampires? Think again.

Director: Steve Lawson

Cast: Craig Fairbrass, Billy Murray, Dexter Fletcher, Lisa McAllister, Steven Berkoff, Jason Flemying and Danny Dyer

Distributor: Momentum Pictures

Release date: 27th September 2010

Review

I LOVE VAMPIRES!!! Not the Twilight vampires that sparkle, nor the Nosferatu vampires, but the sort of vampires that can make you jizz in your pants with a mere thought… vampires that will tear out your heart in a fraction of a second… vampires who aren’t pussies!

Welcome to East London and Freddie ‘Dead Cert’ Frankham (Craig Fairbrass), a club owner who hosts street fights and who is about to be swindled out of his club in a bet with a group of vampires, one of whom happens to be Dante Livienko (Billy Murray). The resulting revelation leads Freddie to go off the deep end; his star fighter has been killed and his club? It’s been taken over my muthafucking vampires. It’s time to put his neck on the line and kick some supernatural ass.

Now this may sound like a great plot setup to have some sort of British gangster film with vampires, however the unfortunate truth is that Dead Cert ends up being nothing more than Eastenders with fangs. Director Steve Lawson and his writers don’t even give us traditional vampires, it’s as though they watched a bunch of horror films, took notes and got themselves confused over what vampire lore to follow. The staking is there and the biting is there, but the sunlight and the feeding of blood isn’t. Vampirism here is more like a zombie disease; you get bitten and become infected, you die and that’s when you turn into a vampire, but if you die when you’re 80+ you’re in store for an eternity of wetting yourself and breaking your hip!

Who thought that up? WHO?!?!

Someone needs a swift kick to the balls for this film and you know what? They have such a brilliant cast featuring UK television stars from the past thirty years and they’re totally underused given the fact the lines they’re required to spurt out at each other make them all seem like complete lemons. What self respecting vampire who’s been around for over 500 years gets himself into a fist fight with an East London thug of a club owner and doesn’t rip off the idiot’s head? Not this one… no, I don’t want to spoil it for you but you can guess who wins in this vampire vs. thug bar room brawl!

To think this could have been something very special and instead we’re presented with mindless drivel, a version of Dracula that lacks charisma, wears Kanga pads and advertises personal injury lawyers… WE’RE ENGLISH, WE USE SOLICITORS and please, no, not prostitutes! I think I’ve covered my distaste for this flick…

If you’re still interested, the DVD has an audio commentary and a behind the scenes look, although why you would want to see what sort of efforts (or lack thereof) went into this film, I don’t know.

Rating: 1 star

Clifford Green (A Dog Ate My Wookie!)